Keeping up with keeping up

Hungry for some pizza and a free DVD?

2010-01-04T20:37:00.000-08:00

January 5th, 2010, Buca Di Beppo will be giving away a free DVD of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" to the first 25 customers who order a Meatball pizza. $10 off a $20 purchase coupons from your Sunday paper. Though it expired you might be able to use the coupon at this link, http://www.bucadibeppo.com/pdf/CouponNational.pdf.

I'm back.....

2010-01-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in postings but life got a little crazy with a difficult pregnancy. I have another super sweet little boy we welcomed into the world in November. A new year seems like a good time to give this another try.

Get your little ones ready to swim!

2009-04-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a printable coupon for $3 off Huggies Little Swimmers. Get the coupon here.

50% off a single item at Old Navy

2009-04-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

There are still Old Navy coupons available at oldnavyweekly.com. I just printed one off for 50% off one item. The coupons are good from 4/3 - 4/9, in-store only. Here's how to find the 50% off one:
1) Vote for Best Legs - The right answer is Amy.
2) Then at the bottom they will have each of the mannequins name and five stars. I clicked on the last of the stars for each mannequins name to turn all the stars blue.
3) Wait 10-15 seconds and a kite will fly behind the mannequins. Click on it and there will be the 50% off code.

Here are the links for other codes:
-Click on the food in the BBQ Grill until steam comes up and the 40% off coupon will appear.
-Click on the blue frisbee held by the little boy and the 20% off coupon will appear.

Awesome Hallmark deal - Free Greeting card

2009-03-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited. I just finished making my personalized Hallmark card. You can pick from any of the cards on their website. You personalize the card for your occasion. You can either have Hallmark send the card to you or they will mail it directly to the recipient. Go to the website here, and use the promo code TRIAL.

I decided to make a card for my Father-in-law's birthday. Hallmark had special NFL birthday cards, and as he is an avid Dallas Cowboys fan I couldn't resist making the Cowboys card for him. The only problem is that his birthday isn't for a couple of weeks. I thought I was going to have to send the card to myself and then mail it off to him. Inevitably, I would receive it and it would gradually fall down my to-do-list until it was after his birthday. But thanks to the fine people at Hallmark, they allow you to schedule when the card should be mailed. I completed my purchase $3.49 for the card and $0.42 for shipping. The total was $3.91. I entered the promo code TRIAL and the amount was back down to $0. That's right, I didn't have to enter a credit card or even have to pay for a stamp. Yea!!! A free birthday card.

DFW Deal - $4 Texas Rangers tickets on 4/4

2009-03-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it is only an exhibition game with the KC Royals, but it is a cheap way to take your family to experience the Ballpark at Arlington. Tickets are discounted to $4 and so is parking. Here's the link to purchase tickets.

Remember your camera, as nothing is cuter than a kid at their first baseball game.

More deals:

The Coca-Cola Family pack

Sponsored in part by 98.7 KLUVCoca-Cola Total Family Tickets include four tickets, four jumbo hot dogs, four Coca-Cola soft drinks, and one general parking pass. Plus, kids 13 & under receive unlimited play in the Sports Park.
Upper Reserved: $60 ($15/person)
Lower Reserved: $80 ($20/person)
Corner Box: $100 ($25/person)
Excludes April 6, May 25-27, July 4, July 20-22, and August 14-16.

Ranger "RED" out Weekend

Purchase tickets regularly-priced up to $33 FOR ONLY $10 to the first weekend series of the season against the Kansas City Royals, April 17-19. On Friday, Big Bang Friday Fireworks will debut. Saturday, the first 7,500 kids 13 and under will receive a red Josh Hamilton jersey, compliments of Dreyer's, and all fans will receive red Rangers caps from FOX Sports Southwest on Sunday. Enter RED as the coupon code.

Free Kid Tuesday

Tickets for kids 13 & under are free in all seating sections for Tuesday home games, excluding May 26, June 16, and July 21. One free child ticket is available with every full-price adult ticket purchased. Excludes All You Can Eat Seats.

Get more detail on these deals and others like them here.

***Remember kids under 36 inches tall do not need a ticket as long as they sit on a parent's lap.

Another coupon for 25% off at Container Store (ends April 13, 2009)

2009-03-29T08:41:00.001-07:00

Follow this link to get your 25% off coupon.

Free Rachel Ray Cookbook

2009-03-28T22:00:00.001-07:00

If you purchased an item from one of Rachel's sponsors you can send away for her free Big Orange Cookbook. The sponsors include: Snyder's of Hanover, Funjet Vacation, Crocs and Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry. Get more information on the deal here. Remember, the offer is while supplies last, so be sure to hurry.

Potager - Pay what you think your lunch was worth

2009-03-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

A new restaurant opened in Arlington, TX, Potager. It has only been open a couple of months and I typically wouldn't be excited to head off to Arlington, but I am intrigued by Potager. The restaurant is based on gourmet fresh organic meals and draws comparisons to One World Cafe in Salt Lake City. Basically, the ever-changing menu is prepared and customers are served as much as they can eat. At the end of your meal you fill an envelope with the amount you feel the meal was worth. This is a very interesting concept, especially with the economy the way it is. The restaurant is getting about $7 for each individual meal and currently only serving lunch. Here's a link for more info.
I love helping out good independent restaurants and am excited to try this one. The concept is a little difficult for me to understand, as I am sure there are people who pay very very little to nothing at all (especially as they are located by a college campus), but I'm excited to try it out and be one of the customers who rewards a good meal. Anyone interested in lunch???

Dillard's handbag trade-in event

2009-03-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

Dillard's is having their annual handbag trade-in event. (Apparently Coach is included, but I have yet to try out this specific deal yet, so I can't confirm). Here's the basics:
1. Clean out your old purse and donate it at your local Dillards.
2. In return you can receive up to $50. The $50 off is based on the purchase of a wallet or purse over $200. Not to worry, if you want a cheaper purse you can save on that too, but the cheapest purse you can get and still save is $50-$75 which will allow you to get $15 off.
Read here for all the details.

Gifts in my inbox - A Special Birthday Post

2009-03-28T08:38:00.001-07:00

So, I recently celebrated my birthday. Throughout the year I have signed up with different restaurants to receive special coupons, promotions or deals. Well, every year around my birthday free offers start to roll into my inbox. Here's what I received this year:

Red Robin - Free burger. (Sign up here.)
Texas de Brazil - Complimentary dinner w/purchase of dinner.(Sign up here.)
Maggiano's - $10 off. (Sign up here.)
Sweet Tomatoes/Souplantation - Free meal w/purchase of dinner and 2 beverages. (Sign up here.)
Genghis Grill - Free Genghis Grill Birthday Bowl (not unlimited). (Sign up here.)
Champps - Free slice of Mile High Ice Cream Pie. (Sign up here.)
Melting Pot - Free Chocolate Fondue with purchase of 2 entrees. (Sign up here.)
Sephora - Free lip gloss set (no purchase necessary).(Sign up here.)
Texas Roadhouse - Free appetizer or sidekick of ribs.(Sign up here.)
Ben and Jerry's - Free Ice Cream Cone. (Sign up in store)
Sketchers - Free shipping code. (Sign up here.)

***Several of these clubs also offer a free gift/meal for joining, so you won't have to wait until your birthday to enjoy all of these great offers.

10% off coupon for Lowe's

2009-03-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Fill out the form (at this link) and receive your 10% off coupon (up to $5,000) today!!!

Petsmart Coupons

2009-03-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

I've used this deal a few times in the past year and love it. Pet food rarely goes on a great sale and we use a ton of food and litter for our cats. I use the $15 off a $50 purchase coupons to build a monthly long supply. The coupon is $5 off a $25, $10 off a $40 and $15 off a $50. This particular coupon expires 3/29/09 so be sure to get to Petsmart this weekend. Get the coupon here.

A list of great printable coupons

2009-03-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

$3/1 Johnson and Johnson Bedtime Formula Lotion and Bodywash. I got a bottle of the bodywash for $0.49 after coupon at Target. The bodywash and lotion are currently on sale at Target for $3.49. Get coupon here.

$2/1 Aveeno product. I'm sure you could get some almost free chapstick, but we use the Aveeno lotion for our son. The lotion is on sale for $3.49 at Target for the lotion and $5.49 for the hair and body wash. I got the lotion for $1.49 after using the $2/1 coupon here.

I was able to pick up some cheap Johnson and Johnson products too. I got a bottle of the Head to Toe baby wash. It's on sale at Target for $2.19. After my $1/1 Johnson and Johnson product, I got it for just $1.19. Also, I got some free Johnson and Johnson Buddies bars of soap. The soap is $0.97. You can you an assortment of coupons for these. Either the $3/3, $2/2 or $1/1, it's up to how many you need and the quantity available at your local stores. (The following links are for Internet Explorer users, some might work with FireFox, but FF can be a little more difficult).
$1/1 J&J Buddies product (here).
$2/2 J&J Buddies products (here).
$3/3 J&J Buddies products (here).

Some New Deals

2009-03-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting, but I was on a little birthday vacation. So here are some new deals I stumbled upon:

Super Target:
Free Bread or close to free bread: Print off the $1/1 Target Bread coupon here. You can use this coupon on the mini loaves which are $0.99 or on the full french bread loaves which are $1.52.

Cheap potatoes: I noticed that some Super Target stores had different prices on the 5 lb bag of potatoes. One of my local stores had them for $1.49 and two of them had the potatoes for $5.99. Needless to say I got the $1.49 bag of potatoes and used the $1/1 target coupon here. So 5 lbs of potatoes for $0.49.

Cheap applesauce: The Mott's applesauce 4 and 6 packs at my local targets were $1.69. In addition to plain applesauce, they had no sugar added blueberry, strawberry and peach. I used the $1/1 supertarget coupon here and the $0.55 printable manufacturer's coupon here to get a 6 pack for $0.14.

Cheap Cheetos: At the checkout stand are the large snack size back of Cheetos. They are $1.29. Use the $1/1 Cheetos coupon here and you have a large snack size bag for $.29.

Cheap Meat: The Sutton and Dodge Target brand meat is in a variety of cuts and prices. I got a boneless NY Strip for $1.98 after the $2/1 coupon (link). On my subsequent trips I picked up a 3 pack of round of eye steaks for $1.48 and a chuck roast for $.03 (you read that write, it was originally $2.03 before coupon.

Cheap razors: Ok, so for this deal you need coupons from Sunday's paper. There is a $4/1 Schick Intuition razor coupon and a $4/1 Schick Quattro razor coupon. The razors are currently on sale at Target for $6.99. Buy both razors and use both coupons in one transaction and you will pay $6 and get a $5 gift card back. So you get 2 razors for $1, though you can't use the giftcard on this purchase. The only trouble you might have with this deal is finding the razors.

Janie and Jack Friends and Family March 27 - 29th

2009-03-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

Save 25% off with Janie and Jack's Friends and Family coupon, good Friday March 27th thru Sunday March 29th. The online code is JJFRIEND. You can sign up to get their emails and they will send you the coupon for in-store use. Sign up here.

Free Thomas the Engine Train at Toys R Us

2009-03-21T22:42:00.000-07:00

Print off the coupon here and take it into Toys R Us for your free Thomas train.

Vegas Deals

2009-03-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

Paris Las Vegas, a AAA 4-Diamond award winner for 9 consecutive years, has reduced its rates over the following dates:

$50 on 30 Sunday-Thursday dates in June and July (reg. $129)
Most other midweek dates through July start at $10 more
Most weekends are just $75-$100 (reg. $250)

See more info at this link.

For all those elite AMEX members, the following is an amazing deal.
2 nights FREE at Wynn Las Vegas for AMEX Platinum or Black card members + free breakfast and lunch credit
American Express is offering 2 nights free stay at the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas for all its platinum and black card members. As some of you may know , additional card holders have an entire different acct. # and additional cost to get so you can use your amex card for 2 night and your spouse or whoever the other joint is can book another room for another 2 nights.

You have to call your amex platinum/black travel for this deal , amex will be the one booking the Wynn hotel for you and I think it ends sometime in mid April.
You must be platinum or black cardholder to qualify for this deals. hope this helps someone.

You ALSO get $30 breakfast credit (per day) and $45 lunch credit (one time)!!! And its good for up to 2 person so that makes $60 breakfast credit per morning and $90 lunch credit.

Thanks Ailing419.

25% off at Juicy Couture Friends and Family Mar 19-22

2009-03-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

Print off the coupon here, and get 25% of your purchase at Juicy Couture stores. I highly recommend their tracksuits and perfume.

Thanks eclipse0122

$50 in Free Groceries - Dallas Area only

2009-03-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Stephanie - I finally got around to posting the picture of my shopping excursion. All these grocery were free, including some great cloth grocery bags.

The Newflower Farmer's Market will be opening up a new location March 18, 2009. I went to the opening of their Plano location which was originally called Sunflower, but was later renamed because of another Texas store with a similar name. Sharon and I braved the cold and dodged the TV cameras as we waited for the store to open. We were given breakfast, a sunflower, a range of grand opening specials and best of all a grocery bag filled with $50 worth of free stuff. Also, all your groceries purchased on opening day (or at least in the morning) are put in reusable cloth bags. So with another store opening, I'm getting ready to brave the elements again, this time with my friend Lissa.

Here's the scoop:

The Dallas location's grand opening festivities begin at 6:30 a.m. in front of the store with complimentary breakfast items and a special garland cutting ceremony. The store is located at 1800 N. Henderson Avenue at Lewis Street.
Doors will open immediately after the garland cutting at 7 a.m. The first 200 customers on opening day will receive a FREE reusable shopping bag filled with Newflower's healthy groceries, valued at over $50, with any in-store purchase. Customers are encouraged to arrive early, as the line typically forms hours before the store opening at 7a.m.
Enjoy fun, food and great giveaways all day long, as well as free samples from virtually every Newflower department! Additionally, guests can enjoy complimentary chair massages to relieve tired muscles. From 11am to 6 p.m., the grill will sizzle for an on-site barbeque, featuring free samples of all-natural Harris Ranch beef.

$3 off on any Gerber & $5 Nestle Good Start Formula

2009-03-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to save money I have started paying more attention to printable coupons. This is a great coupon as it is $3 off any gerber snack products. So fill you basket with $3 of Gerber baby food, Gerber Graduate food and/or Gerber snacks (which isn't hard, as expensive baby/toddler food is) and head to the check out to save $3 with your coupon. All you have to do is click on this link and complete a pledge. This isn't a monetary pledge, mine was to provide Riley with healthy choices so he can grow up strong and healthy. After you submit your pledge you will be directed to a set of 4 buttons, one of which is for $8 worth of coupons ($5 off Nestle Good Starts Formula and $3 Gerber food and snacks). Since we don't use formula anymore I just printed off the Gerber.

Free Arby's Roast Burger with purchase of drink

2009-03-17T16:00:00.001-07:00

My husband tried out this deal today and had a great lunch for the price of a drink.....before he decided to order another burger. Thanks to the employee's error, he only paid $3.69 (the regular price for the burger), but typically the deal will be around $1.50 for drink and one burger. He is an avid Arby's fan and was excited to try the Bleu Cheese burger (typically his favorite at normal burger joints) and the Cheddar Burger. Surprisingly, the Cheddar Burger won this scientific taste test that required getting two burgers. Overall, he said the meal was a solid performer and he plans to go back again before the coupon expires. Enjoy your own roast burger, get your coupon here.

Magazine Deals

2009-03-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to hunt down a deal on US Weekly. Last year I got several subscriptions from discountmags.com, including 2 for US weekly(one as a gift to my sister and one for me). I was able to get a full year of US weekly for under $10 and now I am addicted to my once a week magazine. I so look forward to going to the mailbox on Thursday, knowing that tucked neatly inside will be my trashy gossip mag. Who broke up with who, who's in a feud, who made a fashion faux pas and speculation on who is pregnant............it's a guilty pleasure right up there with reality TV. In addition, I got some cheap magazine like Shape and Self (for me) and Men's Health and Men's Fitness (for my hubby). So here are the current deals I was able to track down.

DiscountMags.com has a few good deals on magazine subscriptions (new or renewals).

Items of interest:
ESPN (26 issues, includes access to ESPN insider) $3.50 with coupon SPRINGESPN
Men's Fitness (10 issues) $3.50 with coupon SPRINGMF
Shape (12 issues) $3.50 with coupon SPRINGSHAPE
Women's Health (10 issues) $5 with coupon DMWH5

Other deals to consider with item-specific coupons:
Men's Health (10 issues) $11 with coupon MENSH11
Consumer Reports (13 issues) $20 with coupon CR20
Us Weekly (52 issues) $30 with coupon CELEBRITY
OK! Magazine (51 issues) $30 with coupon CELEBRITY

Coupon code SAVE20 also gives 20% off most other magazines on the site. Apply the coupon codes on the cart page to get the prices listed, this is good for multiple years too.

Thanks hypoh, I love a slick deal.

Ready to Hunt Old Navy coupons???

2009-03-12T15:51:00.001-07:00

They took the site down to hide coupons and it should be back up shortly. Good Luck!!Here's the link.

UPDATE: (7:28 CST) The site is still not up, but is getting hammered. If you were able to enter the site through the secured server (https) you were able to see the ad, but unable to get a valid coupon. Hopefully it loads soon, as I am tired of refreshing the page.

Central Market Foodie Find Deal

2009-03-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

With the purchase of a whole rotisserie chicken ($7.98), you will get a free french baguette and family size caeser salad. This is available via in-store coupon, but you can print of this newsletter evidencing the deal in case they are out of coupons or you get a checker who is unaware of the deal. Follow this link.

GAP friends and family starts on March 12th

2009-03-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

The GAP family of stores (Gap, BananaRepublic, Old Navy and Piperlime) is offering 30% off during their Friends & Family event. It's called Give & Get because for every purchase you make, GAP will give 5% of the amount you spend to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; and in thanks, you get a 30% discount on your total purchase. The event is 4 days only March 12-15th. Click here for link to coupon.

Get Glamourous!!!

2009-03-10T13:25:00.001-07:00

As part of Glamour's 70th Anniversary, you can get a full year subscription for $1.50. This offer is good through March 15, 2009. Sign up now at this link.

Free Mongolian Wok Stir Fry at Genghis Grill

2009-03-06T22:14:00.001-08:00

With my birthday coming up I'm starting to get a full inbox of free offers. Head over to the Genghis Grill website (Click here) and sign up for a free stir fry bowl on your next visit. If you haven't been you are missing out on a fun meal.

Aveda deal

2009-03-06T21:48:00.001-08:00

I signed up for this today. Normally, I wait to participate in a deal before blogging about it, but I'm not sure if the birthday deal will be sent to me this month (I love my March birthday) or if I will have to wait a whole year.

So, here's the deal. Register at Aveda and you will instantly receive a coupon for a free sample of Color Conserve. Also, you will be entered into the birthday club and get a free personal blends Pure-fume or body product ($25 value), which is custom blended with the aroma of your choice. Sign up here.

More diaper deals

2009-03-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

Coupons.com has reset the $5/1 and $3/1 Huggies coupons. So if you printed these last week, you can go out there and print two more. If you didn't get a chance to print them out this week, you can still get in on this deal.

Extra bonus. Head out to redplum.com, as they also have the $5/1 and $3/1 Huggies coupons.

So by visiting these sites you can get 4 sets of the coupons. Use the coupons in combination with the Target coupon peelies for free wipes or this weeks Walgreens deal. (Check back for more details on the Walgreen's deal tomorrow). Upromise members, remember to register for your ecoupon at the Upromise site to earn an extra $1.

Old Navy

2009-03-05T17:12:00.000-08:00

Looks like the new ad is up. Go hunt for the coupons now!!!

Free Cheeseburger or appetizer at Champps

2009-03-05T17:06:00.000-08:00

In the mail today, my husband received a free $10 gift card from Champps. Not sure how or why, so I decided to check out their web page. If you follow this link, you can sign up and receive a email coupon for a free cheeseburger or appetizer. I got my email immediately. The coupon expires two weeks from the date you join. Champps is a great sports bar and actually has really good food. This deal is just in time for March Madness, so sign-up today.

$2 off coupon for Aveeno

2009-03-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

$2 off any Aveeno product.(bricks coupon). Click here.

Old Navy Coupons

2009-03-05T16:39:00.000-08:00

I've been stalking the site all day (well, when not cleaning my garage). I noticed they just took down the site to do some work, so hopefully we will have new coupons coming soon. Keep checking the site, at this link.

Coupon for Free Rachel's yogurt

2009-03-05T07:58:00.001-08:00

Follow this link and sign-up for a free coupon for Rachel's yogurt. Rachel's has some pretty unique flavors and always looks intriguing, so print this coupon and try it today.

Some delicious oatmeal for $1.

2009-03-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

So while having a relaxing day of getting an oil change, a pedicure and lunch with good friends, I tried some of the best steel cut oatmeal. Jamba Juice is offering it's oatmeal for just a buck. You have your choice of fruit topping. I selected the fresh banana, which was exception when in combination with the brown sugar crumble. Hmmm, just thinking about it makes me hungry for more oatmeal. Sadly, the oatmeal is only served until 11am, so I guess I will have to wait for breakfast. Click here for a coupon, though I didn't need it when I went.

Dunkin Donuts Deal

2009-03-04T15:55:00.001-08:00

At Dunkin’ Donuts there’s a new 99-cent Daily Deal special, and it comes with a free travel mug that can be refilled at any store for 99 cents. Here is a breakdown of the daily deals:
Mondays: egg and cheese on an English muffin
Tuesdays:two doughnuts
Wednesdays: bagel and cream cheese
Thursdays: a muffin
Fridays: hash browns
Saturdays: five “Munchkins”(doughnut holes)
Sundays: 10-ounce lattes

Not sure if this is the Dallas area only (but a travel mug could easily be sent to a special Boston follower!!).

Thanks for finding this deal Sharon.

Free movie ticket - Houston Area

2009-03-04T15:45:00.000-08:00

Studio Movie Grill is opening a new location in the new City Center near the Beltway. Sign up for their E-News using this link. They will immediately send you an email with a free ticket attached on the bottom. Can be used at City Center or Copperfield locations, expires 04/30/09.

Dillyeo deal - Free $20 gift card

2009-03-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

I signed up for this last night, but it appears the deal is still on. Click here and get your free gift card. Hurry, the deal ands at 11:59 tonight CST. You will receive the gift card codes by Noon CST on Wednesday, March 4, if not sooner, and they will last until Saturday, March 7 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

Deals at Sea World - San Antonio

2009-03-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

Sea World San Antonio - Entire Year of Visits for a Single-day Admission Ticket

SeaWorld San Antonio announced a new Fun Card ticket program that gives guests an entire year of visits for the price of a single-day admission ticket. The amusement and water park also introduced three new shows for the 2009 season and donated the first 1,000 Fun Cards to the Boys & Girls Club of San Antonio. The new Fun Cards are available for $46.99 for children ages 3-9 and $54.99 for adults. Children under 3 are free. Here's the link.

Old Navy coupon site

2009-03-02T21:45:00.001-08:00

Old Navy has created a site with printable coupons hidden throughout. I was going to post this earlier in the week, but I was out of town. The site is going to be updated weekly. This first weeks coupons went quick, but the coupons were easy to obtain for the slickiest of deal-seeker. You might want to bookmark this site.

The Coupon Code Breakdown:
5% (unlimited)
10% (unlimited)
15% (25,000 unique codes)
20% (25,000 unique codes)
$10 off $100 (5000 unique codes)
$50 off $100 (3500 unique codes)
$75 off $100 (1000 unique codes)

Be on the look out for more updates on this deal. I hear they are expecting the new codes to update on Thursday!

Discounts on Universal Orlando 1 and 2 day tickets

2009-03-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

Prices with the special link and code below are:
* 1-Day/1-Park Adult or Child: $49.99 plus tax (compare with gate prices of$75 adult/$63 child, plus tax)
* 1-Day/2-Park Adult or Child: $64.99 plus tax (compare with gate prices of$89.99 adult/$79.99 child, plus tax)
* 2-Day/2-Park Adult: $75.00 plus tax (compare with gate price of $119.99,plus tax) * 2-Day/2-Park Child: $63.00 plus tax (compare with gate price of $109.99,plus tax)
To order, use this link.
Then enter code BACKDROP. You can have the tickets mailed to you for FREE, or print them out instantly for a fee of $1.75.
The 1-Day tickets don't seem to have an expiration. The 2-Day/2-Park tickets expire 30 days after first use or in full on 12/15/09, and they also include admission to the paid entertainment venues of Universal CityWalk for seven consecutive calendar days beginning and including the first day that any portion of the ticket is used.

Thanks for the deal Lissa.

Extra money for Upromise Diners

2009-03-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

If you don't have a Upromise account, you should open one now. It's a great way to save for college for your children or even pay off your own student loans. It's a free program and an easy way to save without being burden with coupons, etc. You just link up your credit cards, shopping reward cards, etc and start earning on what you already buy today. Check out the website here.

If you are already a Upromise member and have signed up for the preferred diners program (which is also free), then not only will you save the normal 4-8% for dining with select restaurants, but you can earn an extra $1 by completing a survey of each of your dining experiences. It is a very simple and short survey. It's a great and delicious way to add to your college savings. Check it out here.

Great Diaper Coupon

2009-02-28T13:02:00.001-08:00

Go to coupons.com and look for a $5 and $3 coupon off of Huggies diapers. You can print two of each coupon. Also, there are coupons on some of the packages of Huggies diapers at Target for free wipes with the purchase of Huggies. Look for these peelie coupons to make it an even better deal. (I've seen the coupons on all sizes of Huggies supremes and the big packages of Huggies wipes. The coupon is for free 64 ct wipes with the purchase of package of 320 wipes or one pack of diapers).

Harry and David 30% Friends and Family Sale

2009-02-28T12:59:00.000-08:00

Harry and David is having a Friends and Family sale with 30% from March 19th - 22nd. Get coupon here.

Anyone for a weekend trip to the mall....

2009-02-27T10:57:00.001-08:00

Here are some free deals that can be found at the mall.

-Free cotton essential panty from Express. Just click here and print the coupon. The deal runs February 27 - March 1st, so be sure to take advantage of this free deal this weekend.

- Free PINK tote and $10 off $35 coupon from Victoria's Sercret. Just register here. At the end of registration you can print the coupon.

thanks dealseekingmom

-Free PINK 1 oz. Energizing lotion, just print coupon here (expires 3/1/09)

-Free Bath and Body Works full-size signature collection shower gel with $10 purchase, just print coupon here.

-Free Bath and Body Works arometherapy product up to $13, with a $15 purchase. Just print coupon here. (expires 3/1/09)

-Go to the aveda site and request a sample. You will get a coupon for a free sample of the new Aveda line of products for men. You can also get the sample online with free shipping on a $30 purchase with the code 09THANKSMAN.

Coupon Codes for Kohl's cardholders

2009-02-25T19:13:00.000-08:00

The 30% off code for March 4 - 10 is" GRAND30OFF", it's only for use by cardholders.

The Kohl's card has been a great addition to the minimal credit cards I have. There are always free shipping codes, which is a great way to send birthday, Christmas, and every other occasion gifts to those who live far away. And the 30% codes can be used on everything in the store and online with exception of giftcards.

You can apply for a Kohls card here, click link.

You can visit the Kohl's thread at slickdeals.net. It is amazing the different deals these people can find, check out the link here.

One of my favorite deals

2009-02-25T18:45:00.001-08:00

W Hotel is having one of their 40% off friends and family deals. Use promo code:W4ZA2. I purchased one of their beds, which is just like the Westin Heavenly Bed. It is seriously amazing. I took forever researching and reading what other individuals thought of their purchase. After all the research, I decided on the king plush top matress and box-spring. We added a Novaform 3 in topper (in place of the pillowtop, since it can't ever be replaced) which we purchased from Costco. I haven't had a bad night of sleep since. I didn't even get to mention how great the "white glove" service is. The people who delivered the bed were amazing. We had furniture delivered from two other places and I was dreading the last set of delivery guys, but they were awesome. They offered to move the old mattress to the other room for me (which I took them up on) and then they offered to make up the bed. They were super friendly, polite and helpful. The king size plush is typically $1460, with the 40% off my total cost was $852. There isn't any tax or shipping (at least not in Texas, see website for other states). Put those future stimulus checks to good use and start getting the best night sleep. Here's the link to the W Bed, click here.

Swagbucks

2009-02-25T17:26:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I've been swagbucking (yep, I made it a verb) for awhile. I've accumulated some points but not a ton. I must admit I haven't been very dedicated, as several of my friends have already converted their bucks into amazon gift cards and other awards. Today was another story, I entered a code and won 10 swagbucks. I don't know if it randomly decides if your code is worth 10,5 or 1, but the bucks do slowly add up. Sign up today. Follow the button below.

The code I tried is linked here. Good luck swagbucking, it's a free program so give it a try.

Need a deal on a fancy dinner....here you go

2009-02-25T14:03:00.000-08:00

I received an email from the Capital Grille, one of my favorite restaurants (especially when my old accounting firm picked up the tab). Now that I am paying for my fancy dinners on my own, I'm always up for a deal. Capital Grille is offering a prix fixe Italian menu of 5 courses for $49 a person through April 5th. (Yes, this deal isn't going to be for everyone, but for those that need a fancy date night out or are celebrating a special occasion this can be quite a deal.) Check out the menu here. Just reading the menu makes me want to make a reservation now (hint hint Eric).

Free Chips and Queso at Chili's

2009-02-25T13:54:00.000-08:00

Join Chili's Email Club for the latest happenings and exclusive offers
including a welcome gift of FREE CHIPS & QUESO when you sign up! Click this link to sign up.

Give & Get (30% off coupon)

2009-02-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

Who's hungry for free food??

2009-02-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

Head to IHOP for breakfast this and get one FREE short stack (3 pancakes) of their famous buttermilk pancakes! From 7 am to 10 pm, IHOP will serve free pancakes. All they ask in return is that you consider making a donation to the Children's Miracle Network (** what a delicious way to start early on those tax deductable charitable contributions).

Also, Jack in the Box is giving away 2 free tacos in their "Hang in there Jack" marketing campaign. Follow this link and print your coupon, but hurry this offer is TODAY ONLY!!!

Sweet Tomatoes - B1G1 Free Coupon

2009-02-20T14:00:00.000-08:00

If you haven't been to Sweet Tomatoes you should really try it out. The salad bar is amazing and all the vegetables are fresh and delicious. There is a huge selection of soups, pasta and breads. There is the complimentary dessert bar included as well. But seriously, you will fill up on the vegetables and salads as they have such a great selection of vegetables that you love, but don't always have in your house. I also love their selection of drinks. Just purchase a beverage and you can choose from the typical sodas, but there is also a wide selection of juices (including pomegranate) and all the republic teas (they have all the different tea bags to choose from so you get the freshest cup of tea possible).

Here's a link to the buy one get one free coupon: http://www.souplantation.com/sgizmo/TURF_Survey_Coupon_599.png

Mimi's Cafe - Free breakfast

2009-02-20T13:05:00.001-08:00

Join Mimi's Cafe e-club and be rewarded. Your membership starts off with a free breakfast entree. Nothing starts the day quite like a free breakfast. Then you will get random coupons and birthday meals throughout the year. Sign up at this link:http://slickdeals.net/?sdtid=1198583&u2=https://www.mimiscafe.com/eclub.aspx

Get Organized for 20% off!!!

2009-02-20T12:54:00.001-08:00

My friend Jacqueline told me about this deal a couple months ago when Oprah first had her show about organizing your life. Well, I'm glad to say the 20% off container store coupon is back, thanks to a rerun of the show. This is a coupon I have used several times and love. It was super easy to use as there aren't any restrictions other than the typical no use on gift cards. I bought some organizer boxes for the closet (great way to store off season clothes, or clothes in the next size for your kids). And then I scoured the clearance section for any bargains. Online use the code "CLUTTERCREW".

Put this coupon to good use at your local Container store and get organized today:
http://images.containerstore.com/messyHouseTour.pdf

Buce di Beppo coupon is back!!!

2009-02-20T12:49:00.000-08:00

I ran into this deal last month, but the coupon expired in early February. Good news, $10 off a $20 purchase is back at Buca di Beppo through 3/4/09. For those who have not been to Buca, the food is Italian family style meals. The servings are large and delicious. One of the orders I did back in late January was for a cheese pizza and the apple gorgonzola salad. After the coupon it was about $12 and we had plenty of leftovers for the next day. What makes this even better is the curbside service. Riley was asleep in his carseat when I arrived to pick up our pizza and salad...not a problem....the waitress quickly brought out our order, got our coupon and credit card and within minutes we were on our way home.

Here's the link to the coupon:
http://buca.fbmta.com/members/ViewMailing.aspx?MailingID=34359738491&storecode=3805

Here's a link to the menu:
http://www.bucadibeppo.com/default.aspx

Free pictures

2009-02-20T09:30:00.001-08:00

Today only Walgreens is giving away 20 free prints if you use the promo code ONEDAY. I ordered my 20 pictures early this morning, thanks to my son for being wide awake at the wee hours before the son wakes up. I must admit, I love seeing a total of $0. I'm headed to pick them up now, as I selected free in store pick-up. The great thing about Walgreens photos, is that you can order pictures for a friend or family member that lives far away and select a store by them to be printed. So all they have to do is go to the store and pick up some free pictures from you. Saves you on shipping and it's a fast way to stay connected.
http://www.walgreens.com/

A great way to make money - You Data

2009-02-19T10:15:00.001-08:00

So, I started a You-data account a couple months ago. I would have posted about it then, but I wanted to make sure I enjoyed and benefited from the program. You-data has been a great way of getting paid for the advertising you are bombarded with on a daily basis.
It's so easy. You create an account and it populates ads you can review. You get paid for each ad you view which only takes seconds. Along the way, I have stumbled upon some great websites (but of course there is no pressure to purchase you only have to click on the site).
So far, this has been a great way for me to earn about $20 a month. I'm sure if I kept up with it, I could earn more, but $20 extra dollars a month for a couple minutes of viewing websites (which I do daily for fun anyways) seems like a deal to me. Check out the ad to the right and sign up and start earning today.

$5 off $5 purchase at JCPenney's

2009-02-17T07:11:00.000-08:00

JCPenney is offering a $5 off $5 or more coupon valid for online and in-store purchases when you sign up for JC Penney Rewards using source code 3008 or 3050.

1) Go to http://jcprewards.com/ and register.
2) It will ask you for credit and debit card numbers so it can track your purchases. For every 250 points you will receive a $10 reward certificate. NOTE: You do not have to enter your credit and debit card numbers to receive the $5 reward. On the page where it asks you for these numbers, just hit continue. It will then tell you that you did not enter any credit and debit card information and will not earn reward points. It gives you the option of going back to enter your information or continuing without entering the information. I chose the latter and still received my $5 reward.
3) Complete a 5 question survey and you will be awarded the $5 printable reward instantly.
4) Print and shop.

Free $5 Giftcard

2009-02-17T06:38:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite deal sites is giving away a free $5 giftcard today. Click on the link below and head over to Dillyeo.com to get your free card today. www.dillyeo.com/Store/Product/141.aspx

The deal only lasts until midnight(est). You will have to register, but that is quick and easy. Also, since your balance is $0, it doesn't ask for any credit card info. You will be sent the gift card electronically, and can use the gift card on future deals.

Remember to go to Chase bank today.

2009-02-16T12:40:00.000-08:00

Open up a checking account and get $100. See post below for more detail.

$100 President's Day deal at Chase

2009-02-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

I receive offers in the mail all the time for banks and I never really pay much attention to them. Since I will no longer be working, starting in March, I have really been looking for ways to save. So last week I got an offer from Chase bank for $100. All you have to do is open a checking account with a minimum of $25 (some offers are $100) and in 10 days they deposit an additional $100. The only other stipulation is that the account remain open for 6 months. (Checking account fees are free if the account has direct deposit or 5 debit transactions a month, otherwise it is $6). I did this several years ago and it worked great and I closed the account after 6 months, no problem.

Usually you need to take in the certificate you receive in the mail, but on President's Day it is being offered to all new banking customers. All you have to do is go into the bank (which is open on President's Day) and open the account. I did it today and it only took about 15 minutes. Which I think is worth it for $100. The banker told me that my husband can come in and take advantage of the President's Day deal, so apparently it isn't one per household.

It's been a long time, but have I got a deal for you.

2009-02-13T11:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, so keeping up has been a little hard lately. My job is winding down and I have less than 10 business days left. I'm excited but at the same time terrified as I am trying to figure out what I want to do. I'm not sure if I want to jump right into another job or take some time off and enjoy hanging out with my toddler and getting my home organized. You know, all the little jobs you put off until the weekend, but never seem to get done.

Ok, so on to a great deal.

Today, I got ordered an Entertainment Book. We typically get one of these every year, but hadn't gotten one yet for 2009. Usually the books are about $25, but they vary by city. I got my book for $1.25 after rebate. Here's the details:

click on the cashbaq button above

Register for the $5 new member bonus. (Make sure to do this first.) Your account will instantly show the $5 earned.

Then, click on the link for the Entertainment book on the home page. You will receive $10 for each book purchased. And extra bonus, there is free shipping. (here's a link just in case you can't find the entertainment book on the home page, http://www.cashbaq.com/Entertainment-Book-coupons-235.html).

After you have completed your order, you can review the "my account" area at the top right hand corner of the home page. Under payment information you can specify how you would like to be paid (paypal or check). After you have reached $10, you will be cut a check or paypal deposit on the 20th of the month. After you complete this deal you will have reached the $10 threshold. Yeah!!!

I like the Entertainment book and all it's great coupons (especially the grocery store coupons like Kroger, Tom Thumb, etc and all the restaurants and toddler friendly places like the local zoos and musuems), what's better I love getting it for $1.25 delivered to my home.

What's Cooking??

2009-01-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

Chicken Cacciatore
1 package (1 pound 4 ounces) bone-in skinless chicken thighs
1 jar (4.5 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine, if desired (yes please)
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaves
12 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Shredded parmesan cheese, if desired

1. Place chicken in 3-4 quart slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, except spaghetti, thyme cornstarch and cheese.
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8-10 hours.
3. About 15 minutes before serving, cook and drain spaghetti; keep warm.
4. Remove chicken from cooker; keep warm. Stir in thyme into sauce in cooker. Increase heat setting to high. Mix 1/4 cup sauce from cooker and cornstarch in small bowl; gradually stir in remaining sauce from cooker. Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove bay leaf.
5. Serve chicken and sauce over spaghetti. Sprinkle with cheese.

6 servings
Calories 365
Fat 7 grams
Fiber 4g
Protein 23g

Deal of the Day

2009-01-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

Old Navy is having an extra 50% off their clearance Friday, January 16 - Monday, January 19th. There were some great deals to be had. I got Riley lots of clothes for next winter. He got some sweatpants, sweatshirts, corduroys, long sleeve shirts and jackets. I got Eric his favorite cargo pants, they were $6 after the extra 50% off, what a deal. I got some short sleeve shirts, a dress and a bunch of tank tops that were $.98. Here's a link to an extra $10 off a $50 purchase. Be sure to print it out to make it an even better deal. http://www.southwest.com/landing/old_navy_coupon.pdf

A busy day

2009-01-15T15:53:00.001-08:00

1. Meet the cable guys between the convenient hours of 1-5 to fix the cable box.

2. Meet the heating guys to check our ducts.

3. Pick up Riley from school and play

4. Make dinner

5. Watch my favorite shows.

1. The cable guys came at 1:20 and were done in about 15 minutes. I was able to fold my laudry from the day before while they fixed the cable box. I checked out the cable to make sure I can get to the OnDemand channels which were showing a META-6 error before. Yeah, it works. Now I won't have to switch out DVDs when Riley wants to rotate between Diego, The Backyardigans and all his other favorite OnDemand shows.

2. Ok, so I wait and wait and wait. The heating people don't show up until 4 hours later. Hmm, I'm glad the timing worked out so well. They check our heating ducts as the little guy's room has been so cold in the morning. Everything checked out great, but they said that we needed to keep his door open to circulate the air. Hmm, small child running around whenever he wants because his door is open or small child's room is very cold. Not sure which is worse.

3. I picked up Riley from school and talked to one of his teachers about watching him while Eric and I go to the gym. Looks like we might be able to work out a schedule with her so Eric and I can go to some gym classes together. YEAH!!!! Riley and I got in the car to go home and he asked me if he could have a snack at home. I said sure. What did he ask for??? Chocolate, cake, candy, cookies.....nope, a meatball. Seriously, at what point does he need to be cut off from meatballs. He eats turkey meatballs, italian meatballs, swedish meatballs and sweet and sour meatballs. His palate doesn't discriminate from meat rolled in balls. I gave him fresh strawberries instead. I mean, meatballs is more of a dinner not an afterschool snack...silly Riley. We've been watching the Backyardigans OnDemand. I can't wait until it's Riley's bedtime and I get to watch The Office and Grey's Anatomy. Though I do love Pablo, Tyrone, Uniqua, Tasha and Austin, as they make my boy so happy.

4. This is still being debated. You think I would have made dinner while I was waiting for the heating guy, but instead I got to hang out with Sharon before she leaves for Utah tomorrow. Eric just suggested just ordering something out....I'm so tempted.

5. I will be watching The Office and Grey's Anatomy, barring any unforseen problems with our DVR like last week. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see last weeks Grey's because our silly DVR didn't record it. Can you guess how happy I was last week, when I found this out?

Catching up

2009-01-14T20:42:00.000-08:00

1. Go to the gym
2. Go grocery shopping
3. Fold laundry
4. Relax

1. Though I wasn't very excited at the time, somehow I got the motivation to go to the gym. We go to 24 Hour fitness. There are several membership deals for 24 Hour Fitness. There is a one year prepaid membership through Costco for about $289 and then there is a $24 month-to-month that is available to Friends and Family at various times of the year. Eric and I stumbled upon the $24 a month deal on Slickdeals.net (my favorite deal site). There are no fees and the deal is month-to -month so you can cancel at anytime.
Anyways, back to my trip to the gym. I walked in the door with my iPod and Heart rate monitor ready. I headed to the elliptical machine, I got the last of 50 machines. Not a fan of a packed gym, but I was determined to make my heart rate monitor proud. Now I typically do the elliptical on the interval setting (the steep up and down climbs) for 30 minutes. It's definitely not a walk in the park, so I figured it was a pretty good exercise. So the heart rate monitor is warming up with me for the first 5 minutes, which were at my standard pace. Then the monitor starts beeping telling me to speed up the heart rate. Um ok, I can increase speed, resistance and crossramps. I increase each slightly. The monitor is still beeping at me. I continue to increase all three until I am in the "zone". Yep, that's the zone at which the heart rate monitor calculated that I am burning fat. So the rest of the work out I am suppose to stay in the zone without falling down into the low activity zone or speeding up too fast to the burn-out zone. So I continue the workout all the while thinking about how much harder this is, and I have flashbacks to the Biggest Loser episode from the night before. That's right, I was identifying with Joelle. I was working out super hard but the monitor kept telling me try harder. I didn't want to look like a crazy yelling at my heart rate monitor watch, telling it "I'm working as hard as I can", but seriously it was a tough workout. At the end I finished my hour on the elliptical at the maximum resistance, and I'm not exactly sure what the crossramp is, but I think that was probably at the max too. So my heart rate monitor trainer really helped me get through the workout. I didn't want to let it down, and I love seeing all the stats at the end. I burned almost 600 calories and I was 80% in the fatburn zone. Ar the end of the week of working out I get a trophy icon on the watch for reaching my goal. Also, I can download all my workouts to my computer for calorie and performance tracking.
2. A new grocery store opened up nearby so I decided to check it out. It's called Market Street. I've been to the Market Street in Colleyville, so I kind of knew what to expect. I typically do my grocery shopping at a mix of Tom Thumb, Whole Foods, Sprouts and Central Market mixed in with a little Kroger. I love getting our seafood, meat, produce and organic milk at Whole Foods, Sprouts and Central Market. While I love Kroger and Tom Thumb for their deals on all the other grocery items like cereal, water, soda, chips, etc. The store was nice, but I guess I really wasn't in the shopping mood. I got some lunch meat at the deli, some fruit for Riley and microbrew beer assortment for Eric. It was definitely more expensive shopping there, but the store was nice and clean and there were some deals, but you really had to look to find them. I did notice on a flyer that they will be having Diego Live their this weekend, so I guess I know where I will be taking Riley Sunday afternoon.
3. While shopping I got a little bit of a headache, so I didn't quite get to folding laundry.
4. I was still able to catch up watching "The Real Housewives of Orange County" (my sister got me hooked) and "Top Chef" (now, that I think about it, I watch this because of her too). We had DVRed these so I got to run through them commercial free. Watching TV commercial free is very relaxing.

Is it still Monday??

2009-01-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

1. Go to work
2. Play with Riley
3. Watch Biggest Loser
4. Clean up with living room
5. Play with Camera

1. Done. Worked longer than intended and it felt like it was Monday all over again. Yep, it was a fabulous day.
2. I picked up Riley at school. He got into my car and looked for blankie and binky. Unfortunately, I have no blankie and binky in the car as they are for night time. Thankfully, I redirected him by asking what he wanted for dinner. Yep, you got it meatballs and spaghetti. He kept saying meatball where are you. It was so cute. Thankfully, Grandma Wilson froze some meatballs while she was here and they came to good use tonight. They are Riley's favorite.

3. Yep, it's a guilty pleasure. I love watching this show. I don't think I could make it through a single one of those workouts. Though I'm pretty competitive so I think I could totally wipe them in the challenges.

4. I cleaned up the mail, newspaper and clothes, but no matter how much you clean, it seems like there is still always something left.

5. I took lots of pictures tonight. Still had problems remember to take of the stupid lens cap.

All the pictures were of the guys. I think they are getting a little tired of being my models, so I got the cats tonight too. Here are some pics from tonight.

I think I'm going to start finding time to read. Any suggestions???

What did I do today?

2009-01-12T20:10:00.000-08:00

Things to do:
1. Go to work
2. Play with Riley after work
3. Work out
4. Update respective blogs
5. Take some pictures

1. Check. Went to work, but didn't quite make it on time.
2. I played with Riley after work, though I forced him to play unplugged. Yep, that's right no movies, no TV or any other electronics. He was a little hesitant at first, but then I think he was digging being Amish like.
3. Since Riley wasn't stuck in front of the TV and since I won't ever be taking him back to the gym daycare (see his blog for details), we decided to go for a long run as a family. I strapped on the heart rate monitor and we were off. Now I just have to get through three more workouts this week.
Someone else tried to come on the walk with us

4. This was tough today. After Riley's bath we laid down and I fell asleep. Eric kept asking if I was going to get up, and I said "no" and then I remembered I hadn't blogged. Being the dedicated blogger I am, I muttered out wake me up in 15 minutes. This happened three more times and now here I am blogging.
5. I took some pictures today. Not a ton, but I think I am getting better. I only had two incidents where I left the lens cap on. I'm paranoid the lens is going to get messed up so I put the lens cap back on constantly. Remember these lens cost the same amount as my other camera. How crazy is that, it goes against all my frugality, but I'm loving it.

Can you tell who likes to put his blanket on his head??

If you look close you can see parts of blankie in all these pictures. Riley is a little Linus.

Ok, I better get some sleep, I have a feeling Target toys might be going to 75% clearance by my house tomorrow. Here's to some good slick dealing tomorrow. Oh and the new Kohl's 30% off online code is out: SAVE30JAN. The sale starts January 14-20.

On the list for today!

2009-01-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

To do:
1. Hang-out with Riley
2. Try out a new recipe.
3. Play with the camera.
4. Get to the gym.
5. Do some holiday returns.

Ok, let's see how I did.
1. I got the opportunity to hang out with Riley all day. Eric was off-duty to enjoy a much needed day out with his friends. It has been too long since he spent a day to himself, or in this case with several friends watching the Football playoffs. So Riley and I went shopping....not his favorite task, but he did great. We went to the outlet mall and IKEA. We had some swedish meatballs, Riley and Eric's favorite and listened to the guitar player. I know, who would have thought there would be live music in the IKEA cafeteria. The guy was actually pretty good. He played Zeppellin, to which Riley said, "Listen I hear Daddy". Eric has trained him well. Here's a picture from IKEA.

That about finished up our shopping, so we went to a little spot tucked away by the hustle and bustle of the Galleria. It is a little photo studio that has a picturesque little outdoor area perfect for taking whatelse..pictures. So we get out and take some pictures. Someone was not too keen on looking at the camera, but it was fun to practice. Then we went on a little playdate with Ms. Melissa and Baby Jack. Jack will be turning one this week. We had a good time hanging out and on our return home Riley fell asleep.

2. After coming home from our playdate, I decided to try out a new recipe. I flipped through the pages of my January/February Food Everyday Magazine by Martha Stewart. I decided on the Escarole salad with Apples and Pecans and Pan-seared Turkey Cutlets with Wine Sauce. I've been trying out these recipes for the past week and this was one of my favorites. The hardest part of this recipe was finding escarole. Whole Foods, Central Market and Market Street let me down. Thankfully, Eric remembered to look when we were in Sprouts. Not only did we find it, but it was only $1.29. Anyway, this was one of the easiest recipes and the most successful. From prep to plating it took less than an hour. Bonus to the Turkey Cutlet recipe is that you are cooking with 2 cups of white wine, so in order for the rest of the wine bottle not to go to waste you get to drink as you go. Not too worry, Riley had plain old spaghetti and meatballs, he won't be getting wine for another 19 years. Check out how great it turned out.

3. As I said in #1, we made it to a super cute little outdoor area for pictures. Here's a few of my favorites:

Note: I still haven't read the manuals or gone through the software training.

4. Ok, so this didn't quite happen. But the goal is four days a week. I guess today wasn't meant to be one of the four days.

5. Only partially accomplished. Eric did our Kohl's return on his way to watch the games. Riley and I went to the Outlets in Allen to return some stuff to the Coach store. Unfortunately, I forgot one of the receipts, but thankfully I did remember the one with the majority of the items on it. Riley and I walked out of the store with a nice chunk of change. Let's see how long until we spend it all. Oh wait....too late...I guess that all went to my camera. Still on my list is Target (hopefully, I can get out of there without buying more than I returned).

The Start of My Blog

2009-01-11T10:01:00.001-08:00

So, I figured I needed to get a blog. If my two-year old son can do it, why can't I. There are tons of things that happen during the day and my first thought is....I should blog about that. Well now I can.

With the start of 2009 there are several things going on. I've been searching for a new hobby. Somehow when I was young I had tons of hobbies. I loved drawing, playing music, playing sports and shopping (Note: shopping is still a hobby, though now it includes coupons and extrabucks). My new prospective hobbies are photography (got a new Canon Rebel XSi yesterday), cooking (learning healthy new recipes that even Riley will love) and getting fit (I got a heart-rate monitor that trains you during you work out).

As many of you may or may not know, I will be leaving my job with a large financial services company and staying at home for a couple months with Riley. Thanks to the moving of my job function to Florida and my unwillingness to relocate, I will be getting quite a large severance package that will allow me to be at home for a year. I figure I will get the itch to return to work pretty quick, so right now I'm just planning on taking a couple months off with Riley this Summer. We are hoping to visit some family and friends on the East Coast. And hopefully we can take some vacations and escape to a beach or maybe even Disneyworld.