37 Week Pregnancy Update (I'm still here!)

Pretty sure I am going to regret this, but for all of you who don't get to see me in person in all of my lovely hugeness, here are some slightly less than flattering pictures. Yep, I regret it already:)

Obviously I didn't know these lovely pictures were being taken at the time. Such a dork.

I thought something changed this weekend (besides the size of my feet...yikes!) and I was right! The midwife confirmed that baby is indeed very low, as a matter of fact she estimated 0 to +1 station. I guess that's a little bit unusual for a second baby, without going into labor. But it happens. I am hoping that means that labor is imminent:) So for my 3 male readers (one of which is my dad!) you can stop reading now--because I will be sharing TMI!

Now I know why I feel like I have a baby head in between my legs...I do! She also said I was 80% effaced but couldn't give me an estimate of dilation because of positioning. See...TMI! Heartbeat was good and baby is definitely head down. My blood pressure was also very good (108/78 I think?). So any day (including today!) would be good Baby O! See you soon!

Loves me some bargains 4/25/09

I have a confession to make-I haven't taken pictures of all my shopping this past week or two, nor have I been strict about staying w/in our budget! I have focused on stocking up our cupboards/freezer for my impending "no leaving the house" strike when baby gets closer to coming and haven't worried as much about the budget. That said, my extra trips to do the Safeway Living Well promo and to take advantage of Albertson's double coupons have resulted in smaller budget dents that I might have made otherwise!

Okay, so last week's shopping: Albertson's, Safeway and Fred Meyer.


Best Deals: powerbars for $0.68/each (for labor bag for hubby!) 10 lbs of oranges for $3.99, 3 12 packs of pepsi, 2 bags of tostitoes for a total of $4, refried beans $1 for 4 after $3 catalina (good on next purchase). At Fred Meyer I got some basics: frozen veggies $0.79 each 1 lb bag, lettuce, tomatoes and carrots which were all good prices. Total for these stores-about $25 (but doesn't include later trips I took).

Walgreens: I rolled RR's and used a giftcard for all this so I spent less than $1 out of pocket and got back almost as many RR's! I will get back about $8 in rebates on my gift card (spent over $13). It was a good trip for no coupons and no planning!

Visit Grocery Cart Challenge and Money Saving Mom for more shopping fun!

Scenes from our crazy weekend

Grandma took one for the team and spent several hours with three munchkins while I gallavanted around town picking up stuff for the house, returning stuff to lowes, etc. We had such an amazing team of helpers working on our house this weekend!



M with her new dolly from grandma and grandpa...complete with little outfits, diapers and her own diaper bag. She loves it:)



Big thanks to those who helped us this weekend (over 8 people in all!)

Menu Plan for the Week of April 28th, 2009

Menu Plan Monday is hosted at Orgjunkie!

On Friday I'll be involved in a crockpot skit/presentation at a ladie's social at my church so we won't have our normal pizza night. But Daniel will not only be staying with our daughter but he'll be babysitting for 3 other kiddos! What a great guy I have:)

Breakfasts: BagelFuls (not healthy, but hey I'm way to pregnant to cook ever morning right!?:), Sourdough Pancakes, Cinnamon Rolls

Lunches/Snacks: leftovers, fruit cups, rice cake snacks, spicy popcorn (from Miserly Moms) cold cereal, carrot sticks and ranch dip.
Dinners:

M: Marinated Chicken over brown rice with broccoli in the crockpot

Tue: Fettucini with Alfredo sauce, homemade garlic bread (bought a bread machine at a garage sale this weekend!) and peas

Wed: Taco Soup in the crockpot, homemade bread or cornbread

Th: Beefy Lentils (More with Less) or Leftovers

F: Gone to Crockpot Demo! Grilled Cheese and Soup for the hubby and kiddo (and probably a treat or two:)

Sat: Ham, Whole Grain Rice A Roni, Steamed Cauliflower and homemade bread

Sun: Beef and Bean Enchiladas, mixed vegetables


What's on your menu this week?

Piggy Tails and I'm exhausted

Never knew piggy tails could make one quite so happy before I was a mom. So stinkin cute!



And whew...what a weekend. We had so much wonderful help from church friends and family on our new house! The yard looks ten thousand times better and after a good pressure washing the house's outside looks almost brand new. We found out our house has a pear tree and a really old really sweet grape bush in the backyard...too fun! So, even though I locked myself out of the house, tried to starve the work crew several times (by not getting the food to them on time for various reasons) it was a really good weekend. Still tons of work to do, but we are hopeful that we can get a few important rooms "liveable" in a month or so.

I do need to make an effort and follow previous dr.'s orders though and try to get my feet up for a few hours a day. I noticed more and more swelling this weekend and was in some decent pain. I want the baby to come out, but the right way! Not out of necessity, but because she's ready!

I'll post a few pictures of our weekend and hopefully post a few pictures of the house when there's time. Hope you all had a good weekend too!

A Craigslist Sale and a Doula...finally!

I finally sold something on Craiglist! We've bought enough stuff off there...its about time! Last week I got rid of something and today I sold some old maternity clothes for $5. Not a ton of money, but I cleared out some space and I am happy with the person they went home with...she seemed like she really needed them and didn't have much money. Happy deal for both of us:)

Last night I found a doula! I've been looking for one for a couple weeks who would work for a lower cost (someone in training, etc.) and who was available in my time frame. I finally found a young lady that fit the bill! She was easy to talk to on the phone and already has given me some helpful things to try to make pregnancy and delivery go smoother! So happy:)

Persistance pays off

Walgreens and I have a love/hate relationship. Today was no exception. I dropped of my ink cartridge earlier this week to take advantage of the rebate this month, and lo and behold was a 50% off coupon at the counter. I used that and was told I could pick it up tomorrow night (Earth Day.) So I came back with my 15% off coupon ready to get a really amazing deal on my ink cartridge on Wed., but they said it wasn't back yet. I said fine, and that I would come back on Thurs. or Friday. They said there was no way it wouldn't be back by then.

Today, I came it, and no sign of the cartridge. Anywhere. It was lost. The manager finally came out and he tried to find it making numerous phone calls and looking again. Nothing. Finally they offer to give me a new cartridge for the price of the refill. I explained that I had used the 50% off coupon. At first he said they couldn't do that and looked around some more. Finally he came back and said they could do it for 50% off ($5). I explained the full situation and that I was going to submit if for a rebate and get the earth day discount etc. He said that they couldn't do that. I thought quickly and came up with a compromise (thinking quickly isn't my strong point normally--especially under stress!) and asked if I could get a discount on my NEXT ink refill in addition to the $5 price on a new cartridge. I figured that would be about the same as the rebate had been (worth about $5). He said that yes, he could do that. The whole time I waited patiently and was nice and I think it paid off. The cartridge is brand new...so that works out well for me:)

Visit Life as a mom for more Frugal Friday!

Fun with Little Friends

Lately a friend has been helping me pack and work around the house (thank you!) and her kiddos have come over too. M has so much fun when they are here! Bonus: every time M has older friends over she seems to pick up a new skill:) Last time she started to learn how to slide down the stairs on her back side (as opposed to crawling down backwards which she's been doing) and to hold the railing and walk down. She is also now trying to "jump". Pretty cute...she never catches any air but she sure does try!

When pregnant, call in the maid(s)

I am 36 weeks pregnant today! Yep, I've officially hit the ready-to-be-done stage. Can't sleep well, can't move well and am starting to get that ever so pretty pregnancy edema in my hands and feet. But luckily its mild and my BP is still officially in normal/high limits.

So what works for me when 36 weeks pregnant? To call in the maid(s) of course. Somebody has got to do the dishes, sweeping and laundry, right? Here are my trusty maid(s) hard at work while I sip iced tea and put my feet up.





And here's what we do after all that hard work....

Take a nap:)

A REAL tip from me is to involve your little ones in your chores. It may be messy and time consuming at times but it 1) keeps them out of bigger trouble 2) keeps them from whining to do something else and 3) eventually teaches them how to really do the chore! Works for me:)

Loves me some bargains 4/18/09

Last week I went to Albertson's, Walgreens, Rite Aid and Fred Meyer. This is when coupon shopping really gets fun. I spent less than 5 bucks on all this cool/useful stuff from Rite Aid & Walgreens.



Albertson's had a sale where you spend $25 on certain products and then you get $10 toward free meat. I used some coupons to bring the total down to $15 for the participating items and then I bought cheese and pineapple that were on sale. The pineapple wasn't a great deal now that I think about it, but it was good. Total spent: about $20


At Fred Meyer I purchased mostly baking products-flour (and more flour) and oil. Vegetable oil isn't my first choice, but for baking I occasionally don't mind using it. Same goes for white flour, but veg. oil and white flour were 4/$5 last week, so I stocked up. Whole wheat flour was 25% off, so I took advantage of that too. I finally used my raincheck for cottonelle tp @ $0.79...so with coupons it was a little over $0.50 for 4 rolls. My total there was almost $20.


What deals did you snag this week? Visit Grocery Cart Challenge and Money Saving Mom for more!

Linki-dink

Since we are all about home renovation, I thought I would share this link for a Behr Paint Rebate and a coupon at Home Depot. Thanks to Stretching a Buck!

Also, did you know how cool it is to "coupon"? Well, it is. It may have been time consuming and dorky 20+ years ago, but no more. Thanks Marie!

Monday To-Do list madness!

Like I mentioned earlier, we are in an unusually busy time in our life. Hopefully it will only last a couple months at this pace, but we'll see. I am a fly-by-the-seat kind of a girl, but I have got to stay somewhat organized right now! So to help me make that end, I will be sharing packing/moving/cleaning progress & projects along with to-do lists.

Thanks to friends helping pack and driving us to an apt., (Marie and Gloria!) things haven't been as crazy as they could have been!

So our progress at our apt. is that we've packed several boxes, but need to get busy collecting boxes and packing at least 5 more this week.

Today I need to:

1. wash diapers and one load colored laundry(done, but not put away)
2. bake raisin bran muffins and cheerio breakfast cookies (done...yum!)
3. wash dishes & clean kitchen (done once, but now messy again -see above:)
4. sweep downstairs (done)
5 mail book for Paperback swap
6. menu plan (done!!)
7. declutter downstairs (almost done)
8. finish clipping coupons and put away (working on this one:)

Tomorrow:
Finish whatever I didn't today!
1. vacuum stairs and bedrooms
2. scrub bathtub
3 take Daniel to work so I can collect boxes for moving
4. post at least two items to craigslist/freecycle

Oh and I should probably take a shower today too:)

Menu Plan for the week of April 20th, 2009

Menu Plan Monday is hosted at Orgjunkie!

Now that we are in a new, extremely busy phase of life with renovating a house and preparing for baby girl#2's arrival my meal planning has gotten very flexible! This week we've been to dr.'s appointments over 1 hour away at dinnertime, Daniel's been fixing our car or working on the house almost every night. The nice thing about having almost-free couponed convenience items on hand (like progresso soup) is that when weeks like this one happen we don't spend extra money on fast food. Especially since that would defeat the purpose of doing all this work on the house ourselves to save money$$$!

Breakfasts: Applesauce Raisin Bran Muffins, Sourdough Pancakes, Cinnamon Rolls

Lunches/Snacks: leftovers, fruit,white bean dip and tortillas, spicy popcorn (from Miserly Moms) cold cereal, carrot sticks and ranch dip, and if I have time today I am going to make Cheerio Breakfast Cookies, thanks to Grocery Cart Challenge for the recipe link!

Dinners:

M: Thai Noodle Meal(from Miserly Moms, but will add some leftover chicken to the recipe) and Salad

Tue: Slow cooker Split Pea soup using last week's ham bone and broth & sourdough rolls

Wed: Stir Fried Rice with lots of veggies and spicy pork (still haven't gotten to this one)

Th: Chicken Noodle Soup, biscuits OR Corndogs & Mac N cheese, carrots (these may be used any time this week since hubby will be spending most nights at the new house working and may need my help...so quick and easy!)

F: Over at friends' house for dinner!

(my parents are coming to help with the house this weekend, so I will be flexible with what they want to do/eat-so this is subject to changes:)
Sat: Pepperoni Pizzaand veggie sticks or salad

Sun: Fettucini Carbonara garlic bread, & peas OR tacos


What's on your menu this week?

VBAC is a go (well at least I hope so...)

I finally got the "official" go ahead to do a trial of labor after C-section from a Dr. at the hospital I will be (hopefully!) delivering our second daughter at! The dr. did say that there is a 75% chance of delivering vaginally-so I was encouraged by that.After going back and forth, we are going to try and have a doula attend the birth. What pushed my decision over the edge was my discussion with the dr. yesterday.

Although it was the most encouraging meeting with an actual dr. regarding VBACs, he said he had no idea how much "face time" I'd have with their staff of midwives. He said it really depending on the person and how busy they were. If I have a long hard labor and Daniel gets exhausted or overwhelmed, I'd really like someone to be able to tell him its okay to take a break. We both agreed after our birth class that there was a lot we'd forget in the stress of the moment and it would be good to have someone to suggest new labor positions, pain management techniques, etc. So I am going to be talking with some doulas that might be able to give us a discount in the next few weeks due to our tight financial situation.

Its hard to believe that its almost the end! I've been drinking my red raspberry leaf tea religiously (and getting some intense braxton-hicks to go along with it) and trying to stay active. I have almost constant heartburn now that makes it tough to sleep (even though I have a prescription antacid now!) Baby O is getting stronger and bigger by the day it seems...with kicks and movements that take my breath away at times:) Blood Pressure and swelling are still within normal limits, so no PIH for me (yet anyway:). We are almost 1 1/2 hours from the hospital (in normal traffic for that area) so we were encouraged to leave almost immediately when labor seems to be beginning. That's not so fun, but oh well...I'll take what I can get to have the chance:)

Bargain Meal of the Week for Safeway NW 4/16/09

Each week at $5 Dinners there is a huge gathering of bargain meals using ingredients at one particular store. Lots of stores are represented! I cover Safeway (the NW region)! Click on the menu items for a few recipe ideas when needed.

This week's bargain meal:

Famous Pork Chops
Whole Grain Rice a Roni
Steamed Broccoli

Shopping List/Prices

Pork Chops 2 lbs ($2.38
Rice A Roni (whole grain) $0.89
Broccoli $1.49 for 1 lb
Misc. Ingredients (lemon, butter for broccoli and pork chop recipe)approx.$.75

Total: 5.41

Safeway NW Deals for week of April 15th, 2009

This will probably be my last week doing the Safeway Deals for awhile due to our upcoming move and new baby--both coming next month! Hope you'll come back to see us once in awhile anyway:)

Be on the lookout for tags for the Living Well, Feeling Great Promo which is on again this year (spend $30 on participating products, get $10 off your next order). Scroll down on the page after you click to see it here.

Great Deals this week

Pork Loin Half Sliced Rib $1.19/lb

Foster Farms whole chicken $0.79/lb

Kraft Mac n Cheese $0.59 box

Oranges 10lb bag $3.98

Eating Right Meals 5/$10

Honey Suckle Turkey Breast $0.99/lb

OvenJoy Bread $0.99each

All for $9.99 deal: Buy 3 Pepsi fridge packs and 2 Doritos or Tostitos for $9.99! Use coupons from the Pepsi Rebate to make these almost free (I have a couple left and should be able to snag this deal for about $3 total!)

Coupon Deals

Dannon Activia, 4 pk, 4 oz cups $2.50
Use $1.00/1 coupon from 01-11 S
Final Price $1.50

Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice, including Trop50, 64 oz $2.50
Use $1.00/1 coupon from 03-15 RP
Final Price $1.50

General Mills Golden Grahams Cereal, 12 oz $1.99
Use $1.00/3 coupon from 04-05 S1
Final Price $1.66

General Mills Trix Cereal, 10.7 oz
Use $1.00/3 coupon from 04-05 S1
Final Price $1.66

Red Baron Single Serve Pizza, 8.7-11.6 oz $3.00
Use $1.00/2 coupon from 03-01 RP
Final Price $2.50

Rice or Pasta Roni, 3.8-7.2 oz $0.89
Use $1.00/4 coupon from 03-08 RP
Final Price $0.64

See here (coming soon!)for a meal idea using Safeway Sale Items this week (for under $5)!

What other deals or match-ups do you see?

For more shopping deals visit BeCentsable!

Super Power Muffins

From Karyn, who left this recipe on Money Saving Mom.

These are almost like an energy bar in a muffin. Not light and fluffy, but very moist and filling. All 3 (almost 4!) of us loved them.

Super Power Muffins

1 cup brown sugar (I don’t pack it!)
¼ to ½ cup peanut butter
1 banana
*optional ½ cup of apple sauce or carrot puree
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
*optional ¼ cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients well and set aside. Blend everything else and then sift in dry ingredients. (I just mixed it all in the same bowl!)Spray muffin tray. Bake for 15-18 min. Makes 12 - double for 24.

These are so good! I made them yesterday with the added applesauce, less chocolate chips, used apple juice in the place of some of the brown sugar and added shredded carrot (1 large) and 1/2 cup of raisin bran to the batter. We've almost eaten all of the 15 muffins it made in 24 hours!

Loves me some bargains 4/12/09

This past week I went to Albertson's, Walgreen's and Fred Meyer. Although we are well stocked in the cereal dept, I couldn't resist the fact that I would make money buying cereal this week! I spent about $3.50 on the cereal and got $5 to spend on the next transaction which came to $11.xx after the $5 off. At Albies I also found marked down chicken breasts (less than $1.50 per lb after markdown), margarine for cheap, free french bread, super cheap sugar ($1.39 for 4 lbs), I spent $3/2 on the new Palmolive Dish soap (which I had coupons from Bzzz Agent for $1 off) and got 2 dozen free eggs with it, steamfresh broccoli for $0.60 after coupon and nestle choco chips for $1.25.

I then spent about $22 at Fred Meyer mostly on produce, marked down bread/bagels, salsa (used $4 off pace coupon), and pasta sauce. At Walgreen's I used up 2 catalinas and got softsoap body wash and skintimate shave gel. I got another RR back too!


My second trip to Albertson's--I wanted to get a grocery gift card (spend $300, get $30 free) and I happened to find a sheet of double coupons at the customer service counter! I went back and grabbed 6 boxes of cereal to take advantage of the deal again. I spent $3.50 ish on the cereal after coupons and doublers and got $5 to spend this week! Plus...this cereal is really good. We've had it in our cupboard for about a week now and have eaten through almost 2 boxes:)


Total for the week, approx. $35

For more shopping fun visit Grocery Cart Challenge and Money Saving Mom!

Easy Wheat Sourdough Rolls

This recipe is a winner in my book due to the fact that it actually rose for me! Usually when I make rolls they end up edible, but not soft and fluffy. These were minimal work (and low hands-on time) and produced a yummy, healthy roll.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Rolls

Ingredients:

1 cup sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons white or brown sugar
2 tablespoons oil
3-4 cups flour (I use 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat.)
butter, melted



Directions
Oil a 9 x 13 pan or line with wax/parchment paper. Mix all ingredients except flour and butter for tops. Add flour, 1/2 cup or so at a time until all is mixed in. Flour board and knead for 5 minutes or more. Place in greased bowl, covered until doubled in bulk. Punch down, and form into rolls and place on pan. Leave room between rolls for rising. Let rise again until doubled.

Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, then brush tops with butter if desired. Bake for 5 more minutes or until tops are golden.

Visit Tammy, for more kitchen tips!

We're moving!

Because we didn't think we were busy enough with having a baby in 5-7 weeks and raising partners/support to go overseas, we thought we'd also move next month! Are we crazy? Probably:)

We're just moving a mile or so away, but the new place is almost 200 square feet smaller than our current apartment and needs to be totally renovated before we move! Plus we'll need to get rid of/sell about 1/3 of our stuff (if that gives you an idea of the size of our new place:) It's going to be a busy time and a learning experience for us.

Even so, we're excited and hoping that this new little "project" will help time fly as we wait for our baby girl to arrive! All this to say that I will continue blogging, but will be focusing my efforts on the few things that take the least time and prep: menu planning (which is something that helps my life run smoothly), my progress and to-do lists for moving and selling our extra stuff along with cleaning, pictures of our family and my shopping trips if I have time.

I was planning on doing a clean out the pantry/freezer challenge this month to have less to move, but Daniel wanted me to continue to look for "good deals" and said he would be willing to move our current pantry full of food to the new place.

He also decided/agreed to renovate the kitchen first so that I would be able continue to have a place to cook after we moved. I guess his love of home-cooked food beat out his earlier plans to renovate other areas first:) Overall, this will be a challenging time to make our home a haven, but with the Lord's help we'll see that the most important things get taken care of:)

Menu Plan for the week of April 13th, 2009

Menu Plan Monday is hosted at Orgjunkie!

Last week's last few days' menus didn't happen. Between leftovers from a pasta casserole I made for company Friday, a crockpot creation that made a ton of food on Saturday, we had leftovers all day Saturday which was fine with me! So our "Easter meal", Taco Potatoes, fried rice and Homemade Mac N Cheese will happen this week instead:)

Breakfasts: apple carrot muffins, banana or friendship bread (from freezer) and scrambled eggs, cold cereal, coffee cake

Lunches/Snacks: leftovers, fruit, cold cereal, carrot sticks and ranch dip

Dinners:

M: Ham in the Crockpot, biscuits, green beans

Tue: Taco Potatoes

Wed: Stir Fried Rice with lots of veggies and spicy pork

Th: Fettucini Carbonara and peas

F: Hawaiian Pizza and veggie sticks or salad

Sat: Spicy Sausage and Rice Casserole

Sun: Leftovers or Quesadillas

What's on your menu this week?

Beautiful Weather in the NW (sometimes...)

M and her daddy (and me too...but I am the picture taker right now:) have been enjoying the out-of-doors lots lately. M is starting to really warm up to the idea of the playground now. She can play in our backyard (which is tiny tiny) with minimal supervision for hours. I can't wait to find a sprinkler and a few yard toys at some garage saling soon.

In other family doings, we took a birth refresher course at our local hospital today. It was a good time to "refocus" on the fact that we'll be a family of 4 in a few weeks!

Tips for free/cheap Easter Ham

Around this time of year ham gets cheap. Stores often carry ham for less than $1/lb, but often a limited amount. I would pay that for a ham, but there are some ways to be on the lookout for an even better deal (or if you're lucky-free ham!)

Image from Hatfield Meats

First, if the store is out of the sale ham, don't just get a raincheck (although those are great too) but ask if there is some other cut of ham you could sub for the same price! That's what happened to me yesterday. I got a ham that was a better cut on sale for $1.49/lb, but they gave it to me for the cheaper cut price: $0.97/lb!

Next lookout for deals like the one going on at Albertson's, where you buy $25 of certain products and you get $10 worth of free meat. The participating products in this particular deal where things I would buy anyway at the right price (plus they matched up with a number of coupons!) so I actually spent about $15 on those products and got the ham and some marked down sausage for free!

Finally, see if there are any rebates available that would make the deal sweeter. This wasn't the case for me, but often name brand hams will have a rebate deal advertised in the meat section. Keep your eyes peeled!

For more frugal tips, visit life as a mom!

Safeway NW Deals for the Week of 4/8/09

Thanks to Hot Coupon World, here is the link to this week's ad.

Be on the lookout for tags for the Living Well, Feeling Great Promo which is on again this year (spend $30 on participating products, get $10 off your next order). Scroll down on the page after you click to see it here.

Hot tip from Family Hope Ministries: Ronzoni Bistro Pasta Meals are BOGO free this week and there were coupons for BOGO free in last weeks (or possibly the previous weeks?) inserts, so combine both to get free Ronzoni Bistro! Thanks Marie!

Great Deals this week


Ham $0.99/lb

Fresh Express Salad Blend $1.98 each

Fresh Strawberries $4.88 for 4lbs

Safeway Select Ice Cream 2/$5

Folgers Coffee $5.99
Use $0.25/1 from 04-05 RP
Final Price $5.74!

Super Coupons (don't see any min. purchase this time!)

Pepsi Fridge Packs 3/$7.98

(in Sunday's insert)
Best Foods Mayo $2.00

Nabisco Snack Crackers $1.99

Starbucks Coffee $5.99 for 12 oz.

Safeway Refresh Water $2.99

Coupon Deals

Nabisco Snack Crackers, 7-10 oz $1.69
Use $1.00/2 coupon from 03-15 S
Final Price $1.19

Oroweat Bagels and Breads, selected sizes $2.50
Use $1.50/1 coupon from 03-15 S
Final Price $1.00

Ball Park Meat Franks, 16 oz $2.50
Use $1.00/2 coupon from 03-15 RP
Final Price $2.00

Lays Kettle Potato Chips, 9 oz $2.50
Use $1.00/2 coupon from 04-05 S1
Final Price $2.00

Betty Crocker Specialty Potatoes, 4.6-7.2 oz BOGO, $0.75
Use $0.25/1 coupon from 04-05 S1
Final Price $0.50

Colgate Toothpaste, 4-8.2 oz $1.29
Use 0.75/1 coupon from 03-29 S
Final Price $0.54

Dole Canned Pineapple, 15-20 oz $1.00
Use $0.55/2 coupon from 03-29 S
Final Price $0.73

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, 8-10 ct -- Buy 2 Get 3 Free $1.79
Use $0.75/2 coupon from 03-08 RP
Final Price $1.42

See here for a meal idea using Safeway Sale Items this week (for under $5)!

What other deals or match-ups do you see?

For more shopping deals visit BeCentsable!

Bargain Meal of the Week (Safeway NW) 4/9/09

Each week at $5 Dinners there is a huge gathering of bargain meals using ingredients at one particular store. Lots of stores are represented! I cover Safeway (the NW region)! Click on the menu items for a few recipe ideas when needed.

Here is the ad

This week's bargain meal:

Easter Dinner (a little healthier and cheaper than the typical fare):
~Serves 4~
Slow Cooker Ham
Baked Sweet Potatoes with Ginger and Honey
Garlic Green Beans
Strawberries over french vanilla ice cream

Shopping List/Prices

Safeway Shank Half or Whole Ham $0.99/lb (use 2 lbs $1.98)
Strawberries (4lbs for $4.88) use 1/2 lb $0.61
Sweet Potatoes/Yams 2lbs for $1.98
Green Beans (package on sale for $2.50, use 1/2 package $1.25
Safeway Select Icecream on sale for $2.50, use 1/4 container for $0.65
Misc. Ingredients for recipes (brown sugar, cheese, oil etc.) $1.00

Total: $7.47 (okay this is way over $5, but its a special occasion!)

34 Weeks Preggo and Happy 1 1/2 years M!

To say life just got busy for us is an understatement. I'll share why in a few days, but for now you'll just have to trust me:)

But...today is a Happy half birthday for my little girlie! 1 1/2 years old! She has about 20 words that we recognize her saying, including one "phrase" which is "all done"! She likes to say that at the doctor when she's not enjoying herself:) She finally has a diagnosis for her rash-whether correct or not, its the closest in the pictures I was shown to what hers looks like "annular erythema" which is a non-serious skin conditions babies/toddlers get, although it is rare. No treatment really, and apparently (if this is really what it is!) she will probably just grow out of it within a year. Her constant runny nose and digestive issues are still a mystery. She loves her baby doll and playing in her kitchen. She will bring things to mommy/daddy when we ask (the broom, a diaper, her shoes, etc.) and likes to "help". She does NOT like to come in from outside and will generally have a tantrum when its time to come in--but I am glad she likes playing outside even so! She likes to cuddle on her terms and her favorite food is probably dry cereal. She loves pasta and fruit too. We love you M girl!





And...my 34 week pregnant self. Baby is about 5+lbs now and 17 inches according to "Planning Family". She's a strong kicker and gets her feet stuck in my ribs all the time:) I am feeling relatively well--just trying to get enough exercise and not eat all the sugar in the house all the time! Still no signs of pre-eclamspia/PIH! I have my first appt with the VBAC folks at the Seattle hospital I'll deliver at next week. So exciting! Daniel and I are taking a birth class at the local hospital this weekend. We did most of a Bradley series with M, but it didnt' go well--another story for another time if you are curious. What else? I'm drinking 1-2 cups of Red Raspberry leaf tea and reconsidering the idea of a doula. Our only holdout (except for the money...its around $400-500) is the idea that it might be a bit much to have both a midwife and a doula around at that time (since they won't know eachother before hand it will be hard to know if they will work well together). I am just concerned that it might be too intense for Daniel to be "on" for the whole time without someone else thinking of new positions etc. for me to try. We'll see.

Here is a not-super flattering pic of our family, but the most current one right now.

My belly! So.much.belly.

Love me some bargains week of 4/5/09

I just went for the real bargains/freebies at a few stores this week. I went to Fred Meyer for free Quaker snacks (12 bags) and cheap cabbage, Safeway for free dressing and $0.25 Ronzoni Pasta, and Wal-mart to use up my expiring coupons for Johnson's buddies, Southbeach bars, cracker snacks, baby wipes, almost free tuna, feminine products, and a few things we needed (matches, coffee filters, cheap natural applesauce, and tortilla chips).

Total about $21 for everything pictured above.

Visit Grocery Cart Challenge and Money Saving Mom for more shopping trip savings!