Monday, October 31, 2011

Clinique: Free 7-piece Gift set and Free Shipping

                No comments   



Clinique is offering a Free 7-Piece Gift Set with the purchase of $21.50 or more. Shipping is free.

The bonus set includes:

  • One Silver Cosmetic Bag

  • You can pick one product from each of category to create your own mix: Skin Care, Face, Lids, Eye Liner, Lashes, and Lips




 

Pampers Diapers at Target + Coupon Giveaway

                3 comments   


Target is offering a $10 gift card when you purchase two Pampers Diapers Boxes. They are also on sale for $29.99 each. I went yesterday to Target and got two boxes of Pampers Diapers then used one $10off/2 coupon +$2 off Pampers Diapers Target Mobile Coupon


I paid $51 after Tax and received a $10 Target gift card.


I have one coupon left that I am giving away to one lucky reader.


The coupon expires 11/25/11 and it's good for $10 off two Pampers Huge boxes of Cruisers or Baby Dry.


You can choose one, two, or all of the following then leave a comment to let me know what you did (if you already did one of the following, just let me know :)


  1. Like iSavvyMom on Facebook.

  2. Subscribe to iSavvyMom free email newsletter.

  3. Tell your friends about iSavvyMom facebook.


The Rules:



  • You are allowed one entry per category for a total of 3 entries.

  • Must make different comment for each entry so if you like isavvymom through facebook and subscribed to the newsletter, leave two seperate comments. (each comment = 1 entry)

  • Giveaway ends Tuesday November 1st at 11:59 pm CST.

  • Winner will be chosen at random, using random.org number generator

  • The number will be based on the order of the comment so if #1 was picked, the first person to make a comment will win.

  • Winner will be announced Wednesday morning and the coupon will be mailed the same day.


 

CVS Shopping Trip

           ,      No comments   



CVS is extending their offer for a $10 Gift Card when you make a purchase of $30 or more on specially marked items so I decided to go back again and get another $10 Gas Card :)

Here is a breakdown of my transaction

3x Dawn Hand Soap (Not part of the $10 GC offer)
3 x Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner
1 Charmin Toilet paper pack of 9 rolls
1 Bounty Paper Towel Pack of 8
2 Cover Girl Makeup (Mascara and eye liner)

Used

-$5/$30 purchase (sent from CVS by email)
- $3/2 Pantene Product from 10/31 RedPlumCoupon Insert
-$1 off one Pantene product from 10/31  RedPlum Coupon Insert
- 3 $0.50 Dawn Soap from Various October P&G Coupon Inserts
- $8/2 Covergirl product 10/2 P&G Coupon Insert
-$0.50 off Bounty Paper Towel from October P&G Insert
-$.25 off One Charmin Toilet Paper Pack from October P&G Coupon Insert

Paid $16.28/after tax
Received $10 Shell Gift card

Total savings after sale, coupons, and gift card $45.60

For more of this week's Drugstore Deals, Check out this post.


 

Friday, October 28, 2011

Store Coupons

           ,      No comments   



If you are heading out to the mall this weekend, make sure you print these coupons below to save on your purchase. Happy Shopping!
JCPenney $10 off $50 Coupon ( November-10-2011 )

Macy's 10% or 20% off Coupon (October-30-2011)

New York & Company Various Coupons ( October-28-2011 )

Children's place 20% Coupon ( October-31-2011 )
15% Coupon ( October-31-2011 )

25% coupon (October 29)

Famous Footwear 30% off Coupon ( October-30-2011 )

Abercrombie & Fitch 25% off Coupon

The Limited $15, $30, or $50 Coupon( October-30-2011 )

Old Navy   25% Coupon(October-30-2011 )

Carters 20% off Coupon ( October-31-2011 )

Yankee Candle $10 off Coupon ( October-30-2011 )

Barnes and Noble 30% off List Price (October -31-2011)

Fashion Bug $20 off $50 (October -30-2011)

 

Merona® Women's Ultimate Long Sleeve Tee for $3 + 3% CashBack

           , ,      No comments   


Today, you can get a Merona Long Sleeve Tee for $3 only with free shipping + 3% cashback when you shop through shop at home.


Here is how you can get this deal:

Sign in or register at ShopAtHome (if you never signed in before, you should be able to get $5 credit after 30-60 days added to your account)

Go to the Target Page in ShopAtHome and click "Shop Now" button.

Click on the Daily Deals Logo (Up, right hand side)

Add the Merona Long Sleeve Tee to your cart

Use coupon code TGT75HFN to get $5 off your order

Order should be $3 + Taxes and Shipping is Free

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Easy Tamale Bake

           ,      No comments   

 











Easy Tamale Bake


This is an easy and yummy dish that is sure to please everyone in the family.

Ingredients


  • 1 Tbsp of Olive oil

  • 1 lb of ground turkey or ground beef

  • 3/4 to 1 Jar of salsa (depends on your taste)

  • 1 tsp of cumin

  • 2 tsps of Chili Powder

  • 1 can of black beans

  • 1/2 can of corn

  • 2 Corn bread Mix (You need eggs and milk according to package)


Instructions



  1. In a large skillet, Brown the ground meat with the olive oil in medium heat. Drain the fat then return to skillet.

  2. Add the salsa, the cumin, and the chili powder.

  3. Cook for 2 minutes then add the black beans and the corn. Stir to combine.

  4. transfer to a lightly greased (I used butter spray) rectangular oven safe dish.

  5. In a large bowl, combine the corn bread with eggs and milk; according to directions.

  6. Pour the corn bread mix on top and bake in a preheated 400 oven for about 20 - 30 minutes until the corn bread is fully cooked (brown).

  7. Enjoy!






Wednesday, October 26, 2011

$2 Grande Starbucks beverage at Safeway stores

           No comments   



Starbucks is offering grande beverages for $2.00 only. You can choose from: Pumpkin Spice Latte, Tazo Chai tea or Salted Caramel Mocha after 2 p.m. in the Starbucks in Safeway stores (Safeway, Dominick’s, Vons, Tom Thumb, Genuardis, Randall’s, and Carr’s).

Offer valid October 28-31

Thank you my frugal adventures

Organize your way to a Balanced Life: Part 2

           , ,      3 comments   

 




If you missed the first part of this series, click Here

Cleaning the house while the kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk while it’s snowing. -Phyllis Diller

Some days I used to feel like I was hardly able to accomplish anything even though I had been juggling the cleaning, cooking, changing diapers, and other obligations with no break in between. Moreover, by the end of the day, I was exhausted, stressed out, and overwhelmed. Isn't that how many of us feel nowadays? Instead of enjoying life, we become overworked, overextended, overburdened, anxious, and stressed.

Shift your way of thinking:

After many months of feeling this way, I decided to shift my way of thinking. I needed to be more efficient with my time so that I can enjoy a clean house, play with my kids, and work toward achieving my personal goals. Isn't there a saying after all that being a fool is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results?.

While I am adamant about keeping my house clean and organized, I also believe in the importance of living life with a purpose. Life is too short to be lived worrying about a perfectly organized and clean home. As moms, we sometimes forget about what's important, and our lives become all-consumed with no end-results . We are at the mercy of our children's needs, our household chores, social events, play dates, and other mommy obligations. But in order to live a balanced and fulfilling life, we have to set our priorities straight. We can't just put our focus on our daily chores and let it consume our day. We need to learn to manage our time better to do what matters. We need to start writing down goals and working towards achieving them. We need to live our lives to the fullest and with a purpose.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that you should live in a messy, dirty, cluttered, and disorganized house. The gist of this series is NOT to convince you to abandon your quest to maintain a clean home or anything else that matters to you, rather, to shift your thinking from perfectionism to excellence and from being overwhelmed to a feeling of accomplishment.

Time Wasters:

Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness. Jean de La Bruysre

We all have 24 hours in our day but somehow some people manage to accomplish many things while others complain that "there isn't enough time". To accomplish more, you need to become more efficient with your time. And before you become more time efficient,  you have to first identify the time wasters in your life and work at improving them or eliminating them.

Here is a list of a few time wasters, that can really eat into your time if you let them.

  • Perfectionism:


“Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien. (The perfect is the enemy of the good.)” -Voltaire

"Achieving absolute perfection may be impossible and so, as increasing effort results in diminishing returns, further activity becomes increasingly inefficient." FromWikipedia

I believe that the biggest time waster is seeking perfectionism. It is a big roadblock between you and a full life. Perfectionism is a life leech and a huge time waster; you have to stop chasing it. Perfectionism is NOT attainable. It is the cause of procrastination. Instead, focus on what you would like to accomplish, NOT on getting everything perfect. Learn when good is good enough, and deliver.

  • Internet: You can really get carried away, and spend too many hours every day on the Internet. Set a limit to your internet usage that includes email, facebook, surfing the internet, etc...

  • Phone: Same as the internet. It is one of those daily interruptions that can be a time waster, especially if you have to answer every time the phone rings. Let the voicemail pick up the call. If it's an emergency, they will call you again, or leave a mesage.

  • Picking up toys while the kids are still playing: You put them away and minutes if not seconds later, they are out on the floor again.

  • Shopping: Shopping can be a big waste of time if you always go shopping without a shopping list. Before you head out shopping next time, make a list of what you NEED to buy and try to stick to your list as much as possible. It will cut the time spent shopping and you can get other things done afterwards. Try to set aside a day a week for shopping. This will help free up your time for the rest of the week.

  • The News: I used to be a big news junkie. I needed to know everything, I followed every story. What did I gain from that? Not much. I later realized I can check the news once a day for 5 minutes, skimming for the important stories, and still keep up to date on the latest important news. That’s all it takes to see what’s happening around the world. You do not even have to waste your time reading the whole article. The title should be enough to keep you on the loop on what’s going on.

  • Gossip: whether it is celebrity gossip or talking about others. If you create a more interesting life, you wouldn’t want or have the time to care about meaningless stories.

  • Complaining and worrying that you don't have enough time to get things done:


" This constant unproductive preoccupation with all the things we have to do is the single largest consumer of time and energy.” - Kerry Gleeson.

When you constantly worry that there are many things you need to get done and not enough time to accomplish them, you create some sort of mental block that stands in the way of accomplishing your goals and the things you need to get done.

  • TV: TV can be a big distraction that will eat your time if you don't set any time limit to it. You get carried on by the next show and before you realize it, you spent a couple of hours glued to the TV and time just flies by. Moreover, TV can be harmful to your brain. Watching TV has been linked to numerous brain disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer's and increases the risk for ADHD. I am not advocating to stop watching TV altogether but rather to limit your TV viewing to no more than one or two hours a day combined. You can replace some of your TV time with reading, which can help stimulate the brain. Finally,  talking to your spouse instead of watchnig TV can help strengthen your relationship.


There are countless other time wasters and they differ with each person. The first thing you need to do is identify YOUR time wasters, then take action (eliminate or set limits). Remember time is precious so use it wisely.

"If you want to improve how you manage time - stop doing what doesn't need to be done!"Peter Drucker

What are the time wasters in your life? or what are; in your opinion, other time wasters I did not cover?



Menu Plan: October 24 - 30

           , , , , ,      No comments   



Need help to menu plan? Check out my post HERE about Menu Planning

Breakfast:(served with Berries)

Oatmeal with Peanut butter

Carrot Muffins

Yogurt and cereal

Pumpkin bread

French Toast

Scrambled eggs with homemade croissant

Lunch:

MacNCheese, Carrots, and Apples

Hard-boiled eggs, rice, Grapes, and peas

Turkey meatballs, pasta, and steamed carrots

Quinoa, steamed broccoli, and grapes

Leftovers

Dinners:

Lasagna, Garlic Bread, and Salad

Slow cooker chicken chili, and corn bread

Lentil Soup, homemade bread, salad

Baked Tilapia, couscous, and salad

Salad Nicoise (I will make it with canned tuna in Olive oil instead of seared Tuna)

Beans in a pot and Rice, with shredded lettuce and tomatoes, and steamed broccoli

Rotisserie chicken, Rice, and salad

Snacks:

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

Pears, grapes, raisins, and Mozzarella Sticks

Other posts you might like:

How to organize your way to a balanced life

Avocado-Walnut Bread

Linked to Menu Plan at OrgJunkie


 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

*HOT*: Pampers Wipes for about 1 cent a wipe

           , ,      No comments   



Amazon has the Pampers SoftCare Baby Fresh Wipes 10X Wipes 720 Count for $14.29 or about a penny a wipe after coupon and subscribe & save program.

Go to the Pampers wipe page and clip the $0.50 coupon then click on the subscribe & save option for $14.79 (the coupon will be taken out at check out). Shipping is free.

Subscribe & save program is risk free so you can cancel anytime after your order is shipped.

You can combine this with a Swagbucks Gift card if you had accumulated enough points to make it even cheaper.
Thank you, Heather and Budget Savvy Diva

Friday, October 21, 2011

Old Navy: $10 Cash Back for every $20 spent + $3 tanks + 25% off code online

           , , , ,      No comments   



Now through November 13, 2011, you can earn $10 in SUPER C-A-S-H for every $20 you spend at Old Navy up to a maximum of $30 SUPER C-A-S-H per transaction. You can redeem your cash back from 11/17 thru 11/22.



Old Navy has also the Wonder Day Sale October 22nd. Women's Racerback Tanks will be on sale for $3 only!

If you are shopping online, you can use Code ONAUTUMN to get 25% your entire purchase or if shopping in store, go to their Facebook page to get a 20% off coupon.

Old Navy Store Locator.

Free 8x10 Canvas

                No comments   



Canvas People are offering a free 8 x 10 photo canvas (just pay shipping $14.95) or 40% off any larger canvas + free shipping as a special introductory deal.

These photo canvases are high quality that normally cost $55 each. They would make great birthday gifts, anniversary/wedding, graduation gifts or great presents for the holidays.

CVS Shopping Trip

           , , ,      2 comments   



This week, CVS is offering a $10 Gift Card when you make a purchase of $30 or more on specially marked items.

I don't make that many trips to the drugstore nowadays but I couldn't resist this deal and we were also out of detergent and batteries. :)

Here is a breakdown of my transaction

2x Duracell Batteries
2 x Pringles
1 KitKat bars Pack of 8
1 Wisk Detergent
1 Jumbo Pack of Pampers Diapers

Used

- 2 $0.75 Duracell Coupons from October P&G Coupon Insert
- $1 / 2 Pringles from October P&G Coupon Insert
- $2 Wisk coupon from October 16 RedPlum Coupon Insert
-$1 CVS Pampers Coupon
-$1 ExtraBucks

Paid $25.27 after tax
Received $10 Shell Gift card

Total savings after sale, coupons, and gift card $32.43

For more of this week's Drugstore Deals, Check out this post.

 

REDBOX Codes for Free DVD Rentals

           ,      1 comment   



Use these Codes to get a free DVD rental at any REDBOX Kiosk:

Ongoing Codes (No expiration date)

DVDONME
BREAKROOM
REDBOX
WALGREENS and DVDATWAG – Valid at Walgreen’s locations
DVDATMAC – Valid at McDonalds
REDBOXHEB – Valid at HEB
DVDATWEG – Valid at Wegman’s
DVDKROG – Valid at any Kroger location
DRIVEIN – Valid at any Sonic location
CLIMB5
DATE124

 

Blockbuster Express Codes for a Free Rental

           , ,      No comments   



 

Use the following codes to get a free rental at any Blockbuster Express Kiosk

They all expire October 24

27JBHG5
27ABDP7
28KWMR9
48SGLM2
49BPSP4
72KRFT8
72MAYB3
73WHZS7
77JRTW4
82KJRD3
82CDJS9

Use code DAMON to rent any Matt Damon Movie for free

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Healthy Dessert: Graham Cracker Yogurt Parfait

           No comments   



I made this for dessert this week and even my picky eater loved it.

For 1 serving or 1 yogurt parfait glass, you need:

2-3 strawberries sliced

1/4 C of blueberries

1 Cup of Yogurt (I used Vanilla Yogurt, you can also substitute for plain or greek yogurt with 1 TBSP of honey or Maple syrup)

2 sheets of Graham Crackers

Put the graham crackers in a sandwich bag and roll over it with a rolling pin until they are just crumbs.

Put the crushed crackers in the bottom of the glass then top it with 1/3 Cup of Yogurt and half of strawberries and half the blueberries then top it with another 1/3 Cup of the yogurt, then the rest of the strawberries and blueberries then another layer of Yogurt and the rest of the graham crackers.

I added some chocolate chips to mine (I am a chocoholic so I couldn't resist :) ). It was YUMMO and healthy for you. You have the protein from the Yogurt, Vitamins from the berries, and Fiber and carbs from the Graham Crackers. Perfect Healthy Dessert Recipe!

Note: You can also add some bananas if you like.

 

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

*HOT* 6 months of All You Magazine for $6

           No comments   



I absolutely loooove "All You" magazine. This is one magazine where I feel like I get my money's worth and more as every issue is full of advice on saving, cooking, cleaning, decorating, and many more. And every issue comes with lots of coupons. It's definitely worth it. You can also check out their site to see what the magazine is about.

Currently, Amazon is offering a 6 month subscription for $6 or $1 an issue so this is definitely a deal that should not be missed.
Thank you hip2save

 

Monday, October 17, 2011

Menu Plan: October 17-23

           No comments   

 



Need help to menu plan? Check out my post HERE about Menu Planning

Breakfast:(served with Berries)

Waffles with Peanut butter

Spinach Smoothies with Peanut butter muffins

Yogurt and cereal

Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple syrup and bananas

French Toast

Scrambled eggs with homemade croissant (tried them last week and turned out flaky and delicious)

Lunch:

MacNCheese, Carrots, and Apples

Hard-boiled eggs, butter pasta, Grapes, and peas

Turkey Sandwich with Spinach and pears

Leftovers

Salmon sandwich with grape tomatoes, and apples

Dinners:

Lasagna, Garlic Bread, and Salad

Slow Cooker Chicken and potatoes

Baked Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti

Quick Tamale Pie (I m using corn bread mix instead of polenta), and salad

Ground Turkey with Roasted Vegetables and Pasta

Rotisserie chicken, Rice, and salad

Snacks:

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter muffin

Pears, grapes, apples, raisins, and Mozzarella Sticks

Chocolate Banana Bread

Other posts you might like:

How to organize your way to a balanced life

Avocado-Walnut Bread

Linked to Menu Plan at OrgJunkie

 

Organize your Way to a Balanced Life: Part 1

           6 comments   

 




We come into this world head first and go out feet first; in between, it is all a matter of balance. Paul Boese




Have you ever felt as if your life is out of balance? Perhaps you've become comfortable with the thought that stress and worry are just normal feelings that accompany your normal daily life, and the lives of many other people; friends and family. Or perhaps you've been telling yourself that one day you'll be able to overcome life's challenges, and that life could become more manageable and less stressful.

Not too long ago, I felt overwhelmed and stressed out. There were days when I was exhausted, and even though I felt like I was working all day, I hadn't really been able to accomplish my goals. The house was a mess, dinner was oven-bake pizza or take out, and the day was gone.

In the midst of it all, I felt like somehow I lost my sense of self. My life felt out of control and out of touch. I knew I needed to do something different because whatever I was doing just wasn't working. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and started thinking about ways to change the situation. I knew I needed to set my priorities straight and be more efficient with my time so I read books, wrote down my thoughts, tried different techniques, and whatever else I thought might help. I realized that I was focusing too much of my time and energy on a few things that didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. This realization helped me shift my thought process, and re-think my values.

In my quest for a more fulfilled and balanced life, I would like to take you along with me on this journey and show you what I have learned through my trials and errors, in hopes that you too can find that fulfilling life you are looking for.

If you stick with me in this new series "Organize your way to a balanced life" I promise that you will see the light of the day that you have been hoping for, sooner than you think.

It is time to start taking charge of your life; time to start living a fulfilled and balanced life. Don't let life just "happen" to you.

In this series I will tackle a few road blocks that prevent us from feeling fulfilled in life, and lay out simple solutions to finally live a balanced life.

At the end of this series, you will have learned strategies that will help you:

  • Create more time in your life by being more efficient with your time

  • Be more productive by recognizing and setting your priorities

  • Cut the clutter and Simplify your life

  • Stop stressing and start living a balanced life.


To start, try to  implement at least 2 of the 3 steps below into your week:

  • Menu Plan: Jot down 7 of your all time Family Favorite meals or maybe some quick recipes that you would like to try and make a grocery list.


If you are still having trouble menu planning, refer to my menu planning How-To blog post. Menu planning will help you save money and time, so start menu planning today!

  • Read to your kids: Find 10 minutes a day to sit down and read to your kids. This will not only help foster a love for reading but also strengthten the bond between you and your child.

  • Wake up 30 minutes earlier at least twice this week: Wake up earlier and enjoy some quiet time for coffee, tea, reading, writing, or just enjoy some quiet time while the kids are asleep.


Now, grab a piece of paper, think about the following, and write down your answers.

  • Track your time: write down how you spend your time throughout the day this week. This will help later when we need to tackle time management to become more productive and less stressed out.

  • Look at your budget and find one thing that is not a necessity; one thing that you might be able to live without, then write it down.

  • Last but not least, take time to answer this question and write your response down: What does it mean to you to have a balanced life? Is it life where you can have time to yourself to do things that you like to do, spend time with your family and friends, have an organized home, or all of them combined? Take time this week to write down what defines a balanced life in your opinion. What do you want your life to look like?


We can all achieve a balance in our lives so stick with me in this series and you too will be able to live the balanced life. It is time to start taking charge of your life to live a fulfilled and balanced life. Don't let life just happen to you.




...to be continued next week


Helpful Resources:
How to Balance Structure and Flexibility in Your Life as Mom

The Tightrope: Finding Balance as a Scientist Mom

 

10-Ream Case of Office Max Multi use Copy Paper for 1 cent

           No comments   

You can get a 10-Ream Case of Multiuse Copy Paper at officeMax for $0.01 only after $42.98 back in MaxPerks Rewards. Limit is 2 per customer.

Sign up for MaxPerks or click HERE for OfficeMax Location near you.

Note: You can also get this offer online. Shipping is free for orders of $50 or more

Sunday, October 16, 2011

About Me

I am a mother to two beautiful girls and a wife to an amazing man. I work as an engineer and love everything organizing, cooking, and personal finance, which is why I decided to have this blog to share what I have learned. XOXO Nisrine isavvymom1@gmail.com

Text Widget

Blog Archive

Powered by Blogger.

Total Pageviews

isavvymom.com

isavvymom.com

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Labels

Subscribe

Like us on Facebook

Search & Win

Sample Text