Costco 2

Well, my Costco trip was pretty good. I got a lot of stuff and spent less than I thought I would. My only disappointment? I see a huge display of my favorite drinks, the Special K Coffee House Protein Breakfast Shakes. I excitedly dash over, well I dashed as fast as someone my size can really do while pushing a giant cart full of a 4 year old and a ton of oversized items. Anyways, I get over there only to find that they only have one flavor and it's totally not the one I drink! I like the Chocolate Mocha, but not enough to buy a huge case of them. The Vanilla Cappuccino is my fave and it was no where to be found. Bummer.

Special K drinks aside, I had fun at Costco. One of my favorite parts is the little café on the way out. To start we hit up the bottled water vending machine. The full size bottles of water are only $0.50! Next, we went to the counter and got a piece of cheese pizza and a cup of vanilla frozen yogurt. The portions are big enough that my daughter and I can split a piece of pizza and the yogurt. They have extra plates and plastic ware sitting on the counter so it's easy to cut the pizza in half and each have a separate plate. The pizza and yogurt was under $4.00 so with the 2 waters, lunch for the 2 of us was under $5.00. The food is really pretty good too. My super picky 4 year old actually wants to eat there, so that's huge for me!

Costco

I recently joined Costco. My mom has had a membership for ages, and when ever she comes downstate I shopping there with her. On her last visit I decided that it was time to get my own membership. I opted for the regular old $55 per year membership. The other option was $110 per year and offered cash back on purchases. Although that sounds great in principal, you have to spend $5,000 before you see any rewards. Otherwise they just refund the extra $55 you paid for this membership option. Since I can't imagine that I'll be spending that much, I went with the cheaper choice.
One thing I'm maybe a little more excited about than is normal is that I'll finally have that pesky membership number to enter on the free sample forms. Costco offers lot of free samples throughout the year but they're for members only, so until now I've been ineligible.
So, this year is my trial year. If I don't feel like I've gotten my $55 worth by the end of the year I probably won't renew my membership next year. Either way, I'm sure I'll write more about it at a later date. I'm planning to head over there today when my daughter gets out of preschool at noon. Here's hoping there's lots of good deals!

Pinch Me Samples

Pinch Me is a site that offers free boxes of samples to it's members. They get new stock in every few months, and today they've got new samples to give away. They ship for free and there's no obligation to buy anything. This is one of the word of mouth advertising sites that have been popping up a lot lately! I love these sites, they give you a chance to try out new products without investing any money. Their samples go fast, so if you miss them today, don't worry. Once you sign up they'll send you an e-mail next time they have samples available.

Children's Place Deals

Earlier today my step dad sent me an email about this website, Dan's Deals. I went to check it out and found some pretty great deals on kids clothing from The Children's Place. Apparently there are some glitches on the website that are causing the prices to show up in the cart lower than expected. I'm not sure if it's a mistake on the page showing the price, or a mistake in how they're loading in the cart. Either way, there are some fantastic deals. I just ordered 2 pairs of capris, a swimsuit cover-up and a pair of matching shoes for $5.79! That total includes the free shipping as well! I paid with PayPal since they'll handle it if there are any problems with my order later. Dan's Deals also shows a coupon code for 20% off which is: COIEM2014
This site seems to have some other great deals too but this is my first time placing an order through them so I can't say for sure how reliable they are.
Below is a pic of my order and the total.

Target Problems

I love Target stores. It's one of my favorite places to shop, and definitely the store I frequent most often. They're located close to my house and have a little bit of everything. Plus, their prices are usually great, especially for groceries. I have to say though, lately I've had a few problems. First off, going over my receipts after getting home, I see that the cashiers are not very careful. I've been charged double for some items quite a lot lately. I'm trying to pay better attention when I'm in the check out line now, but as anyone shopping with kids knows, that's not always easy. Next, I've seen a lot of discrepancies when it comes to prices. For example, there are 2 refrigerator cases with store brand milk. One case had the gallons priced at $2.79 each and the other case had them priced at $2.89. OK, 10 cents, not a huge deal but still not great attention to detail. Next, I've had a few items lately that have a sale price on the shelf but when I get home and look at the receipt I see that I was charged full price. Again, it's not usually a ton of money but still annoying. Lastly, I'm posting a picture below of this example. I buy this Gillette Body Wash for my husband. The sign says that they're buy 1 get 1 free, at the top and on the side. However if you read the sign in it's entirety, the smaller print says that they're buy 2 get 1 free. There was only 1 bottle left on the shelf, so I didn't take advantage of either sale, but I still thought it was crazy that no one employed by Target had caught and fixed this obvious mistake. So be careful and next time you shop at Target, make sure to check out your receipt and make sure you're being charged correctly for your purchases. I know that I'm definitely trying to be more vigilant.

My Pet Peve With Little Girls' Clothing

I have to say, I'm a little disturbed by a trend I'm seeing in little girls' clothing. When they gather the material around the chest area, in adult clothing it's meant to make your chest look bigger. Why on earth would anyone be trying to accentuate a toddlers chest? This swim suit by Rugged Bear is a size 4. Why make this a feature on a little girl's bathing suit? This isn't the first time I've seen this kind of detailing on toddler and even baby clothing and it bugs me every time. Kids only have so long to just be kids. Why are designers trying to dress them like mini adults? I'm not trying to be a big prude here or anything, I like to dress my kids fashionably. I just think there's a classy way to do it and a trashy way. I was so bummed when I saw this feature because other than that gathering, I think this is a cute little suit. I love the braided straps and the laser cutouts on the skirt.

Free Dove Advanced Hair Products + $1.50 Off Coupon

Right now Walmart is offering free samples of Dove Advanced Hair Products and a coupon to save $1.50 on a future purchase. If you follow this link and watch the short video, you'll be taken to a form to fill out for your freebie. Walmart freebies, are legit. They have always arrived for me fairly soon after being ordered.

Athletic Shoes on 6PM

I just purchased 2 pairs of shoes from one of my favorite shopping sites, 6PM.com. One for me and one for my 4 year old daughter. I'm pretty happy with the purchase and I think 6PM has a lot of great deals. The pair I bought for my daughter was $21.99 and they are the Reebok Kids Reebok VentureFlex TD II. MSRP on these is $34.99, which works out to a 37% savings. Not to shabby! They've got some kind of cool features, they sole comes out so you can see if your child's foot fits correctly. They also open very wide so it's easy for little ones to get them on an off on their own. The shoes I bought for myself cost $52.99 and are the Nike In-Season TR 3. These have an MSRP of $75.00, so that's a 29% discount. These have a pretty cool memory foam sock liner. They're advertised for cross-training. I bought them for walking and jogging in the neighborhood.
I love this site. I love browsing and I love finding the great deals! I must have ordered at least 6 or 7 pairs of shoes here when I was trying to get us all ready for the cruise! 6PM has all kinds of great deals like this, some even better. They have tons of name brands and lots of high end items. The best part though, in my opinion anyways, is that they offer FREE SHIPPING! After being spoiled by my Amazon Prime Membership I really hate to pay for shipping.

Love Gives Chances

I just heard about this foundation, it was actually on the Disney Channel. I probably wouldn't have heard about it otherwise since I seem to only get to watch Disney shows these days! I see a lot of these kids that they feature who are making a difference in the world. This one really stood out for me. This little girl was in the Foster Care System before she was adopted and she wanted to do something to give back. That's the basic gist of how she started her foundation Love Gives Chances. My mom was a Child Protective Services Worker. Since she was a single working mom I went to a lot of different work outings with her. I spent a lot of time playing with different foster kids over the years. She would take me to the park with her when she had to supervise a parent/child visitation, things like that. Maybe that's why I really took notice of this. The money this foundation raises goes towards scholarships for these kids.

Best Stain Fighter $1 Can Buy

I came across this tip on Pinterest, of course the holy grail of household pointers. I think we all know though that some things just don't work as well in practice as the pins claim. This one though, was a huge success.
I'm talking about Fels Naptha. I found a bar for about a dollar on Amazon and it shipped free. I looked on Amazon today though and their prices seem to have gone up. I've heard that Walmart carries it for around $1 too, but I've never seen it at my local Target. This little bar is seriously a stain fighting miracle. After I opened the bar and started using it I realized that my grandma used to use it too! This bar has saved so many clothes in my house. I had a new white shirt of my daughters, the first time I washed it, it came out of the dryer with a pink stain. Something had bled on it in the washer! Now usually after the dryer has baked in a stain like this, it's all over. The shirt is junk. I decided to try and treat it with Fels Naptha, just in case. I mean it was brand new, I really hated to just throw it away! I rubbed the Fels Naptha on the stain and rewashed the top. When I pulled it out of the wash I could not believe my eyes! The stain was gone! 100% completely gone! I was sold. It hasn't let me down since. I've gotten out grass stains, oil and grease stains, food stains, mud stains and probably just about any other stain you can imagine. Even stains that I missed the first time around that came through the dryer! I have yet to find a stain this little bar can't tackle.

Zulilly

One of My favorite shopping sites is Zulilly. I've gotten some really cute kids clothes through them, most recently a personalized dress that my daughter wore for boarding the ship when we were on our recent cruise. If you're not familiar with Zulilly, it's a site where the deals on certain brands change every few days. I love their kids' clothes, but they sell something for everyone really. They had some amazing swingsets this past week, that made me wish we hadn't gotten the set that we did a few years back. They sell a little of everything and it's usually really high quality, high end brands too!

Coppertone Clearly Sheer

Wow, that's one sexy leather face...said no one ever. I don't know about you, but I don't want to get older and end up with that leathery skin I see on some women. I'm really trying to get into the habit of wearing sunscreen daily, not just when I'm going to the beach or in the pool. I spray my daughter with it when she goes out to play and try to chase my son down with the bottle, but I was often neglecting myself. Then I started using mineral makeup, and in the instructions, it calls for moisturizer. The lotion that came with my makeup set has and SPF. However, I don't like it. The lotion just doesn't seem to absorb well enough so I was looking for something new to protect my skin. Then I got an e-mail from BzzAgent offering me a place in their campaign for Coppertone Clearly Sheer. I was intrigued and happily accepted. They send me some sunscreen to try, and I'm really impressed. There are 2 different formulas, one for regular everyday wear and one for beach days. For starters, the scent is really pleasant. It's not that typical sun screen scent. It's nicer than that, kind of fruity. The one for everyday wear is SPF 30 and it goes on really nicely. It absorbs super quick and leaves my skin feeling soft since it has added moisturizers. Its good for both face and body, and it doesn't clog pores, if it did my face would have broken out for sure! I have no problems applying makeup over top of the sunscreen either since its got a matte finish. I know some sunscreens leave your face too greasy for your makeup to really stay put, but that hasn't happened to me with the Coppertone Clearly Sheer For Sunny Days. It's not quite beach weather here in Michigan yet, but as soon as it is I'll try out the Coppertone Clearly Sheer for Beach and Pool and let you know how it works. It's water resistant for up to 80 minutes so that's nice. It's got a higher SPF too, this one is SPF 50.

Free 4x6 Brag Book at Walgreens

To celebrate Mother's day Walgreens is offering a FREE 4x6 brag book now through May 14th. Enter coupon code FREETOBRAG at checkout.

Easy Peasy Pot Roast

I make my pot roast in a crockpot. I don't know if that's the way they're supposed to be made, but it's simple, easy and only takes a few minutes of prep time. I generally start it early in the morning, around 8-9am and let it cook all day on low until say about 6-6:30. However there are days when I just forget to start it that early. I've found that if I can get it in the crockpot by noon I can cook it on medium and it still comes out well. The vegetables I use can be changed up depending on your personal taste, so don't feel locked in there.

Ingredients: -one beef roast, I've found any cut will work, I just get what's on sale. -one Bullion cube and though it calls for a corresponding cup of water I only add about 3/4 of a cup -one can of Cream of Mushroom Soup -one packet of onion soup mix -one potato or a bunch of baby potatoes if you prefer -carrots, I use about 3/4 of a bag of baby carrots -mushrooms Now to start I plug in my crock pot an turn it to low (or medium if I'm getting a late start). I put my roast in first. Then I add 3/4 of a cup of water and a bullion cube. Next I add the can of cream of mushroom soup. I usually just kind of lump it on the sides of the roast in the water. Then I add the packet of onion soup mix.

Now I just put the lid on and let it cook for a few hours. Around 2pm, roughly 4-4.5 hours before I plan to eat is when I add the veggies. Basically I just dump in the carrots, again on the sides of the meat so that they are mostly in the liquid. I cut up the potato and also try to get it into the liquid surrounding the meat. Last I dump the mushrooms over top of everything and replace the lid. I find that though most recipes seem to call for putting the veggies in first, that they are too mushy if I cook them as long as I cook the meat. This may just be because I put in relatively small pieces though.

I boil noodles just before I'm ready to serve dinner and spoon the roast and veggies over them. This is a favorite here, it looks and tastes like you spent all day slaving over a hot stove! p.s. Please forgive the ingredients running together, I'm still getting the hang of html codes.

Search and Earn

There are a couple sites that I belong to that reward you for using them as your search engine. There may be others out there but these 2 are ones I personally know to be legit. The newest site, to me anyways is Bing Rewards. It's free to join and you earn points for every other search you do, up to 15 points per day on your PC and up to 10 points per day with mobile search. They've also usually got a couple search links to click on to get bonus points. The points add up pretty fast and the point "prices" on the rewards are reasonable. If you'd like to check them out, click here. The next site I have been a member of for years. It's called Swagbucks and like the site above, it's also 100% free to join and use. I have gotten a lot of gift cards through Swagbucks over the last few years. I picked Macy's gift cards and Amazon gift cards, but there are lots of different rewards options to choose from. The pic below is my rewards history on Swagbucks. They way is see it, we all search the web every day, why not get something in return?

Logan...

This year my family and I had to say goodbye to one of our dogs, Logan. He had Cancer and it was time to end his suffering. I just wanted to share a little about him because I miss him every day. He was such a part of the family and I feel the loss all the time. He was a really sweet boy, always lovable and ready to snuggle. He had no idea how large he was. At all. He had a penchant for climbing fences and escaping to explore the neighborhood. This is a picture of Logan and my daughter sitting on my parents' deck in northern Michigan. My mom used to joke that he went from being a homeless street dog to having a home and a vacation home. Logan was a good dog and I had thought that I would have at least a few more years with him. The Cancer came on hard and fast and caught us totally off guard. At his last vet appointment I was told that he had about 2 weeks until the pain was unbearable so I took him home for a week to give him one last great time. Putting him to sleep was without a doubt the hardest thing I've had to do in my adult life. The women at Berkley Animal Clinic were absolutely amazing and thoughtful. One girl sat with me for over half an hour listening to stories about Logan while I cried and stroked his head. If you live in Metro Detroit and are looking for a veterinary office, I definitely recommend them. They also sent a condolence card a week after the event that was personalized and signed by all the staff. I thought that was a really sweet gesture. I made a memorial donation to Detroit Dog Rescue in Logan's memory, they're a great organization that do some amazing work here in Metro Detroit as well. So that's my story about Logan, the sweetest boy to ever walk on 4 legs. I just wanted to do one more little thing to honor his memory.

BzzAgent

One of my all time favorite websites is BzzAgent. I have gotten to sample so many awesome products since joining. It's totally free to join and they ship the products to you for free as well. The whole shebang costs you absolutely nothing! Pretty cool, huh? I'm posting a pic of all the campaigns that I've been picked to be a part of below. If this sounds like something you'd like to be a part of, click here to check BzzAgent out!

May Birchbox

So this month's Birchbox just arrived and I'm pretty excited about the contents! First off we have the Marcelle BB cream. Now I know this is a good, rather high end brand however I'm so happy with my Sheer Cover makeup that I'm not sure I'll end up even trying this sample. Next up is this trio from Nexxus. It includes Color Assure Pre-Wash Primer, Shampoo and Conditioner. I'm excited to try this out even though I'm happy with the Wen I use now. My hair is highlighted and since it costs a fair amount to maintain, I'm always happy to try out products that promise to protect my investment! The third item in the box is from Pixi, it's Shea Butter Lip Balm in Pixi Pink. I see this brand at Target all the time! I'm pretty excited to give it a shot. I'm not certain about the light pink shade, but who knows? Maybe it'll look nice on. Next is Supergoop!. (The exclamation point is actually part of the name, not an indication of my excitement, though I am pretty geeked.)It seems like I've been seeing this brand a lot lately. It's gotten some good reviews so I'm happy I get to try it out. Last but not least, I also received a sample packet of Smarty Pants, All-in-One Fiber Gummies for Weight Management. I already take Biotin daily and I just started taking a Green Coffee Bean supplement but I'll definitely try these gummy vitamins out too! If you're unfamiliar with Birchbox, I pay $10 each month and the good people at Birchbox send me a surprise box of samples every month. It's fun and exciting opening the boxes and I get to try out some pricier products that I probably would not otherwise get a chance to try. Also, for every dollar I spend with Birchbox I get points. These points can later be redeemed for discounts on the Birchbox site. It's a pretty cool deal!

Recipe: Sweet BBQ Pork Chops

I'm not a fan of most BBQ sauces. I don't know what it is, I just haven't found a bottled sauce that I like. So, I make my own. It's easy and you can change the recipe up depending on your personal taste. Now, I suppose when I call it a recipe, I'm being a little generous. I don't use any specific amounts. But here goes! Sweet BBQ Sauce Ingredients: 1) Brown Sugar 2) Ketchup 3) Soy Sauce First, take equal parts brown sugar and ketchup and put them into a bowl. No need to measure, just eyeball it. If you want your sauce to be thicker and sweeter, add more sugar than ketchup. Next, add a couple splashes of soy sauce to the bowl. I start with 2 and after stirring, I taste it to see if it needs more. I suggest doing the same. After, I spread it on pork chops. It also tastes great on chicken too! After spreading it on the meat, I still have enough left over to use as a dipping sauce. This is a favorite for my whole family!

P&G Brand Sampler

If you're already a member, joining P&G is a great idea. It's easy to opt out of emails if you don't want to get any, however you can also get lots of great samples and coupons from them. Every few months they have a few new products that you can sample and they ship the box for free. If you want to check it out for yourself, click here.

Good2Grow Juices

These juices from good2grow are another great product I got to try through BzzAgent. I'm a big fan of these juice drinks. They are one of only a few juices that my picky little girl will drink. The SippaTops are all adorable characters which all the kids love and they don't leak! That may be my favorite part! They're filled with some healthy stuff, Vitamins A,E and C. There's no added sugar, no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. They also have 1 combined serving of vegetables and fruit. If you'd like to enter to win good2grow birthday party plus an additional $500 to out towards the party, click here. I don't know about you, but I know I could definitely throw a great party with these juices and $500!

Bic Soleil Glow

One of the newest products that I've been lucky enough to try out for free through BzzAgent.com is the Bic Soleil Glow razor. I recently received a free pack of 3 razors and a lot of coupons for $3 off more packages. I was a little skeptical of this razor at first. First of all, there's a plastic guard around the whole thing called a "comfort shield". Looked like a gimmick to me. Second, the head pivots. I don't usually like razors that do that. I like the blades to stay fixed in one position. Even so, I gave it a try. I'm pretty happy that I did. It turns out that the shield is more than a gimmick and I think because of it, the pivoting doesn't bother me. Now admittedly, it took me a minute to get used to this razor. On my first try I reopened a nick that I had gotten a few days earlier. That was just because I was trying to get in close and I hadn't quite mastered the guarded razor yet though. Now that I've got the hang of it I'm really liking these razors. Paired with my new favorite EOS shave cream, my legs are so super soft and smooth. Perfect for summer! Now if the weather here would just catch up, I'd me all set! I'm sure they're available elsewhere too, but I know for sure that they're available at Kroger for around $6.99. Lastly, on their Facebook page Bic is giving away prizes every day to fans.