Other Blogs…

Wow, this is my 5th post in a week.  Are you getting sick of me yet?  Because I’m a little sick of myself!  haha

I wanted to list two quick things:

 

First of all, Tina @ Being Made New gave me the “Sunshine” award.  Tina and I “met” through the Ultimate Blog Party a few weeks ago.  (I met SO many new blogger friends through this party – I totally recommend you do it next year!).  Anyway, the Sunshine award is for blogs that “inspire others and show positivity and creativity.”  How sweet! Thank you again, Tina! I am going to break the “rule” and not tag anyone for this award because I did that for the last award and I don’t want to single people out again – it makes me nervous!  lol

Second, the 10-or so of you that were here with me in the beginning might remember that waaaay back in September I won a giveaway. Well, long story short, I finally received it this week.  It’s all water under the bridge and I just wanted to thank Nicole again because I love it!  Nicole distributes for Gold Canyon (I’d never heard of them before, but maybe some of you are familiar with them?), and she sent me the following items:

- diffuser reeds and oil in “Ginger Lime”
- diffuser glass with 2 options of vinyl decor for the back
- a giant candle in “Moroccan Vanilla”
- a wick dipper
- huge bottle of Homeology All-Purpose (non-toxic) Cleaner

I have to say, that of all of the items I am loving my cleaner the best!  It smells FABULOUS and I love the fact that it’s all-natural and safe for use around Luke (no chemical fumes!).  So thanks again Nicole!

That’s definitely enough out of me – happy weekend! I’ll be back on Monday with thrifting finds – including my first ever “big” piece of thrifted furniture! :)

Work Your Wallet Wednesday #5

Okay, so…..

It’s Wednesday.

This is the part where I beg ask that if you have ever contemplated linking up to the party, you do so today. Because this puppy’s on life support and I’m about to pull the plug! (Oh that sounded morbid – sorry if you actually have a dog! lol) Today makes or breaks the party, girls! I have seen a few of you link up your groceries and thrifting finds to other parties and not to mine, and I’m not sure why! :) I’m trying not to take it personally! lol

Moving on! :)

This year hasn’t been exceptional for me in the yard sale department yet. I am really trying to be super frugal with my money and make sure I really, really like the item before I bring it home. (This is because I already have about 4 boxes full of “projects” – items that need to be painted or otherwise fixed – already waiting for me!)

So Lindsay and I went an estate sale and 3 church sales last weekend, and my finds are nothing spectacular – mostly organizational/kitchen items - but here you go anyway:

4 white bowls, 50 cents total (I’m transitioning all of my dishes over from black to white or glass – only plates are left to find! Yay!)

Pasta container and brown bin – not in perfect shape, but great for holding Luke’s pjs downstairs; $2 for both (the tag on the bin says $24.99 – seriously?!):

Pitcher for iced tea, 25 cents

“Tupperware” –50 cents:

I also got a pair of jeans for $1.50 but I’m wearing them and I’m way too lazy to take them off for a photo. :)

So, that’s all! Nothing crazy but all items that I put to good use immediately.

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So, what have you shopped for lately?
Please remember the 3 simple rules:

1. Show items found or purchased for $50 or less (no DIY projects, please, or your link will have to be deleted).

2. Link back to my blog so others can find the party (feel free to use the button!).

3. Link only to your post, not your blog as a whole.

Here goes nothing! ;)

Swoon-Worthy “Clean” Granola Bars

(I’m on a 5-year plan to replace 95% of our food with clean food options. Every month I post two new recipes that replace something we’re currently eating.)

I told you that granola bars was the second “clean” recipe swap for this month, and oh-my-word are you going to love these!  I totally can’t take credit for this recipe – that goes to Jo-Lynne from Musings of a Housewife, who gave me permission to re-print it here.  (She is also on a clean-food journey; click this link to read what she’s been learning.)

Now, are these exactly a health-food?  No. 

But if you’ve been eating the ones from the store that are loaded with preservatives and won’t expire for several years, well, this is a step in the right direction.  My husband works an extremely hard and physically demanding job, and he takes lots of snacks with him in his lunch box.  I haven’t bought granola bars for him in over two months and I’m not planning on ever buying them again (except for maybe the Kashi brand, but he’s not crazy about those). 

Honestly, he loves these so it’s a win-win!

Here’s the recipe (my notes are in brackets):

1/2 stick real butter, softened
1/4 cup peanut butter 
3/4 to 1 cup Sucanat {I don’t have Sucunat yet; I’ve been using 1 C white sugar and it turns out fine}
3 T raw honey
1 t vanilla extract
1 egg
1 c soft wheat pastry flour {also don’t have this so I’ve been subbing half whole wheat, half unbleached white and whisking it together lightly}
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 c rolled oats
1 c mini-chocolate chips {reg size is fine; these aren’t entirely clean and I realize that, but you can buy clean brands}

In a mixing bowl, cream the butters and Sucanat. Add honey, vanilla, egg. Beat well. Combine dry ingredients, stir into creamed mixture. Fold in oats, and chips. Press into a GREASED 9×13 pan.  Use buttered hands to get it spread evenly.

Bake 25 minutes at 350 or until the top is lightly browned {only needs 20 min in my oven}. Remove from oven, let cool about 10 minutes in the pan, then cut the bars but do not take them out until they’re cooled.  Otherwise they break easily.

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For the month of May, my goal is Fruit Snacks (also for the hubs) and Blue Cheese dressing.

ENJOY! :)

Linking up to:

Tasty Tuesday @ Beauty and Bedlam
Tuesdays at the Table @ All the Small Stuff
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday @ Blessed With Grace

Not all good ideas turn out like you think…

When I received the latest PB catalog, I saw a project that I immediately knew I wanted to attempt. Shadowboxes with skeleton keys – easy, right? I loved the crisp simplicity of it.

Last summer I purchased 3 skeleton keys at a garage sale for 50 cents. Our house was built in 1908 and it has three original doors with those old-school ivory doorknobs, so I thought it was cool to have 3 skeleton keys since the originals are who-knows-where.

Anyway, while shopping for the $5 Challenge at the Dollar Tree, I found 3 black shadowboxes – score!

I figured I would just paint them, and cut out some paper to “frame” the key. So I did 3 coats of paint,

cut my paper, and ended up with…

THIS.

Yuck! You could see the black inside of the shadowbox, the paper cutting looked like it had been done by an 8 year old, and there were a few spots that the painter’s tape had been covering, leaving black gaps on the white paint.

The whole thing was a liiiiiitle too reminiscent of a summer-camp project.

So, I peeled the key back off the paper, found some ribbon from the stash, tied the three together, and hung it off my $3 Goodwill lamp (one of my fave finds EVER!).

And you know what? I love it! It’s a tassel without the poof. :)

(The gorgeous curtain behind the lamp is from Kathy – thanks again, I love them!) It’s not the project I intended, but I have to say I’m happy with the addition to my lamp.

I could have saved myself a lot of time if I’d just done this in the first place!

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Linking up to all my favorite parties:

Today’s Thrifty Treasures @ Southern Hospitality
DIY Day @ A Soft Place to Land
Make it Yours Day @ My Backyard Eden
Show Us What You’re Workin’ With @ Me and My Bucket
Thrifty Thursday @ Tales from Bloggeritaville

Quick Post

First of all, can I just say how much fun it was to read all of your comments on my last post?!  Ann Marie from White House Black Shutters hit the nail on the head with her comment – in many ways I feel like most of my friends from high school and college are still living the “Sex and the City Life”, as she said, while I’m over here clipping coupons and chipping away at my mortgage.  I still wouldn’t trade my life, though – and good to know I’m not the only one out there!  :)

So I’ve been thinking about my weekly party – I’ve decided that if I don’t get at least 5 participants in my party this week, I’m calling it quits and either moving the party to one Wednesday a month or stopping it all together.  I can take a hint, really I can!  So if you have any kind of fun shopping finds – groceries, drugstores, thrifting, you name it – come back on Wednesday ready to link up! 

We’ve had a great family weekend – so relaxing and we knocked a few items off the to-do list, which always makes me feel good.  Since this Saturday is MAY (isn’t that insane?!), I’m going to attempt to spring-clean my entire house this week.  With a very active crawler/cruiser.  I’ll go down trying, if nothing else! 

I’ll be back tomorrow with a DIY project gone wrong (yes, that’s right!) and check back Tuesday for an awesome “clean” granola recipe. 

See you then! :)

20 Ways I’m Not Like Other Twenty-Somethings

This list was created because after talking to my friend one day she laughed when she told me to text her and then remembered I can’t text on my phone.  We were laughing about what an “old lady” I am – which led me to think of other ways I’m different from other people our age.  Hence, this list:

1.  I’m married.

2.  I own my own home (okay well technically the bank owns about 75% of still).

3.  I have a 9-month old.

4.  I got engaged when I was 20 and married at 21 (I had already graduated; my birthday’s in December).

5.  My cellphone?  A trackfone from Target. 

6.  I don’t text.  Ever.  (This is partially because if I combined texting with Facebook, I don’t see how I would have time to do anything!)

7.  I also don’t tweet (although I have a Twitter account, you know, just in case).

8.  We don’t have cable (I watch all my shows on the internet).

9.  We don’t have any car loans.

10.  Which explains why I drive a super-hot, super envy-inducing 2001 Pontiac Trans Am.  Did I mention it’s gold? Oh, be jealous. 

11.  I can my own jams (with a lot of help) :).

12.  I have two coupon binders and I store back issues of coupons in a magazine holder.

13.  I have a price-chart in one of my coupon binders of the rock-bottom prices of our most-used items.

14.  My parents stopped paying for things a long, long time ago.

15.  I cook from scratch for nearly every meal.

16.  Going to yard sales is my favorite way to spend a Saturday morning.

17.  I don’t have a credit card (although we are paying one off).

18.  My current profession?  Stay at home mom. 

19.  Deals at the drugstores make my heart beat faster.

20.  I am happy with my life. :)

 

What about you?  Am I alone out there or do you see yourself in any of these items?  Do you feel different from some of your high school and college friends?  I’m so curious to know!

Oh, and I promise I really am a fun person!  Feel free to back me up if you know me IRL!  hahahahaha

Work Your Wallet Wednesday #4

Hey everybody! A lot of you are new here since the last party, so if you’re interested in joining us, visit this post for all the info!

This weekend, as you already read, I was in Connecticut. My mom and I only got the chance to go to one sale at a local high school gymnasium. I did find a Laura Ashley bed-skirt for $2.50 but I’m not showing the picture because it was more of a necessity rather than something I really liked. And while I did get some fabulous deals at CVS, I am restraining myself decided to give you guys a break from my drugstore finds and show you two things that came to me recently by the way of FREE. That’s how I like to work MY wallet, baby! :)

So my brother dated a wonderful girl a few years ago that my sister and I absolutely loved. They shared a love of the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. (If you know my brother, you know he’s kind of an old soul. haha) Unfortunately, they broke up, and while cleaning out his stuff recently he decided I could have the sign she had given him. If you happen to be reading this, Rachael, I love the sign and wish you were still dating my brother! lol

Cute, right? I have seen these for sale at Kohl’s (the price tag on the back reads $29.99).

Now, onto the chair. We came home from church one day to see that my neighbor was giving this away on the side of the road and I went over and snatched it up! I am in looooooove with it. Of course, it wasn’t exactly a casual event. It kinda went down like this (both of us sitting in the car in the driveway, staring at my neighbor’s yard):

Me: “Oh my gosh babe I love that chair!”

Chris: “Okay.”

Me: “Is it white-trash to pick junk off our neighbor’s lawn?”

Chris: “Um, YES.”

Me: “Oh.”

……

“But you’re gonna come with so I don’t feel stupid, right?!”

She needs a good coat of stain and possibly paint (I haven’t decided yet), but the base swivels and I just love how old-school it is! I will probably need to sand the rust. Oh, and don’t mind the mess – this chair is in our office which tends to be a catch-all for all of our stuff, and this is my husband’s corner, which is why you can see his toolbox and his business paperwork!

Well, those are my two finds! Show me what you found or purchased this week – can’t wait to see!

Please remember the 3 simple rules:

1. Show items found or purchased for $50 or less (no DIY projects, please!).

2. Link back to my blog so others can find the party (feel free to use the button!).

3. Link only to your post, not your blog as a whole.

Party away! :)

Some Bloggy “Housekeeping”

1.  I realized that I never posted my “clean recipe” goals for April. The first one (obviously) was Italian dressing, which I posted about on Tuesday.  The second is granola bars – you are just gonna swoon when you try this recipe – it’s awesome!  It will be posted later in the month. 

2.  I have no idea what happened to Mr. Linky yesterday – half the time I could see it, half the time I couldn’t.  I’m just gonna tell myself that’s the reason there were only two link-ups!  lol I really don’t want to have to kill my own party, guys! :)  Pretty please don’t make me!  I’d love for you to come back next Wednesday and show off those flea market/thrifting/drugstore/grocery deals. 

3.  If you visited from the UBP and I haven’t been to your site yet, please don’t be offended!  I am trying to make it to everyone who came and you guys all left such sweet comments.  I have an extremely active 9-month-old who sometimes makes it impossible to sit down and read blogs for any long period of time – so don’t take it personally!

4.  I’m taking a week-long bloggy vacation – we’re headed off to Connecticut tomorrow for a few days and I don’t usually use the computer while I’m there (at least not to blog).  Crackbook has too strong of a hold on me to let it go that long!  lol I’ll be back next Wednesday with the PARTY (lol) and then Thursday or Friday with my latest house project if all goes as planned. 

I’m looking forward to catching up with some friends I haven’t seen in years (like this lovely lady) this weekend, as well as spending time with family and other close friends and taking Luke to the beach to take some photos of him.  A sweet older woman from our church bought him a 6-9 month sailor outfit (complete with hat!) and I have been dying to get him it in by the water. 

Have a wonderful weekend, bloggy friends! :)

Work Your Wallet Wednesday - 3rd Edition

**EDIT: I'm noticing that Mr. Linky is being really weird today and sometimes not showing up - even in two different internet browsers. If it's not working for you, I'm so sorry - I have no idea what's up! If you don't mind, please leave a comment if you can or can't see it -because currently I can't!**

Welcome, everyone! Today’s the day to show off those deals! If you’re new here, check out this link to see the party “rules.”

I worked at our local flea market this weekend with Lindsay – we had so much fun but since we were working we didn’t get a chance to scour the deals like we normally do. But we each made a decent amount of money and I can honestly say it was fun talking and bargaining with people! I made $164, which will be yard sale and date money for the next few months. :)

Here we are, bright and early (we got up at 5:15)!

Here’s some of our stuff about two hours in – yup, we just laid it all out there and people just dug their way through it. It wasn’t the prettiest layout but it did the job!

I picked up a few plastic bins (I am obsessed with baskets) and bought a few pieces of fake fruit from Lindsay.

However, the REAL deal of the week was at CVS! I know I showed you my trip last week but I just can’t help myself – it’s too good to pass up! :)

The picture below cost me TWENTY-ONE CENTS! Plus I was given 9 Extra Bucks for my next trip to the store.

Here’s how I did it:

1 Dove Shampoo
1 NutriSkin body wash
5 boxes Puffs w/lotion
1 roll CVS paper towel
1 bath poof
2 Dove milk chocolate bars
(wow, just realized it’s kinda weird that Dove makes shampoo and chocolate! lol)

Used:
$2/1 Dove coupon (internet)
$1/1 NutriSkin body wash (internet)
1 $1/1 and 4 $.50/1 Puffs coupons from Vocalpoint
$1/1 CVS paper product (from the red machine)
$1/1 CVS skin care item (from the red machine)
10 EB from last week’s trip
{the two candy bars were thrown in at the last minute for my husband b/c my subtotal was too low at that point to use my Extra Bucks)

Paid:
$.21

Given:
$4.50 EB from the Dove
$4.49 EB from the NutriSkin

I can honestly and truly say that were it not for Crystal Paine’s website and learning how to shop at CVS two and a half years ago, there is a good chance I might not have been able to stay at home with my son. Shopping this way has saved us literally thousands of dollars and I am so thankful for her blog!

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Now it’s your turn!

Please remember the three simple rules of the party.

1. Finds or purchases must be $50 or less per item and in an unaltered state. (Please no DIY projects – save those babies for the other fabulous parties!)

2. Make sure you link up to your blog post and not your blog as a whole.

3. Please link back here so others know where to join the party (use the button if you’d like!)

Can’t wait to see what all of you have found!

Tasty Tuesday – No More Fear of Salad Dressing!

Wow, if that’s not the lamest post title ever, I don’t know what is! :) But seriously, before I started Somersizing about two weeks ago, I had never tried making my own dressing before. I had no idea how to go about it and I thought it would be all complicated and blah, blah, blah.

Well, I am a converted salad-dressing maker! :) On Phase 1 of Somersizing you can’t have any added sugar in your food. It is CRAZY how many salad dressings have sugar in them – even stuff like Blue Cheese. I spent about 20 solid minutes going up and down the dressing aisle, checking every label. I found an organic Italian that worked, but the taste was pretty gross so I just decided to do it myself.

Here’s what you need:

- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (buy the expensive kind – it really does make a difference! This huge bottle was only $4.99 with a coupon and on sale.)
- Vinegar (I’ve been using white wine vinegar lately)
- Italian seasoning blend
- Sea Salt (regular is fine)
- Black pepper (I need to refill my pepper grinder but either way is fine)

Combine equal parts EVOO (for all you Rachael Ray fans out there!) and vinegar.

Add spices, salt, and pepper, and whisk vigorously until combined.

I like to sprinkle feta chunks into my mixture as I whisk it together, and then top it with the veggies and spoon it all together. Yum!

Oh my gosh my mouth is watering as I type this! haha I basically just chuck whatever veggies I have in my fridge – peppers, mushrooms, pepperocinis, tomatoes, onions, whatever I have. Oh and lettuce, obviously. Sometimes I top it with hard-boiled eggs or tuna or this great all-natural turkey breast I found at the deli. Or pepperoni if I feel like being bad. :)

Last week I made an awesome salad with just the vinaigrette, spinach, red onion and tomato. It.was.awesome.

Yesterday for a snack I even did it the lazy way and just chopped up cukes in a bowl and drizzled the ingredients on top of it (I just topped it with blue cheese instead). Seriously, so good – and so pure and clean! No high fructose corn syrup or preservatives, like one of the lower-fat brands I already had in my fridge:

{A word if you are going to try this: it’s very tangy. I am the kind of girl who would go for the pepperoni and cheese at a party over the cookies any day, so this doesn’t really bother me. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you!}

Since you have to combine foods in certain ways and you can’t have any added sugar initially, Somersizing has really kicked me into eating a lot of clean foods faster than I had originally planned! I’m really happy at how that worked out, although my grocery bill is definitely a bit higher each week what with all the dairy and fresh produce I’m buying.

So there you have it – work with and tweak it until you like the taste for you! If you’re new to eating olive oil, they make lighter blends if you want to work your way into it. Just make sure it’s cold pressed – I read that cold pressed olive oil is much healthier for you but I can’t remember why now. If you were trying to make this for more than just one or two people, try stretching it with a little water to make it go further. Experiment with spices, too – see what you like best!

Now go make some salad! :)

Linked to:

Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tuesdays at the Table

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for the party!!!! :)

Also, Darlene is offering a sale on her Cricut cutting mats – only $9.99! Check here for the details.

Ultimate Blog Party 2010

Hey everybody – and if you’re new here, welcome!  I have heard so many fun things about this party that I just had to join in for myself!  Can’t wait to blog hop and meet a bunch of new bloggers this week!  If you’ve already been reading for a while, well….you’ll just learn a few new facts about me today! :)

My name is Jessica and I grew up in coastal Connecticut. I met my husband, Chris, at Cedarville University in Ohio.  I have a degree in multi-age music education, and my husband has degrees in classical guitar performance and in music composition.  He’s one class away from his master’s in composition and theory.  (I always like to know what people went to school for – sometimes it surprises you!) We got married in 2006:

 

 

Now we live in Pennsylvania near my husband’s family – I married a pastor’s son so we all attend the same church, as well.  Pennsylvania is pretty, but I miss New England every day – if you’ve ever lived there you understand that there’s nowhere else quite like it!  Thankfully my family still lives there so we take lots of trips home (and I still get to go to the beach!).

In 2008 we bought our first home, a foreclosure – it cost about the same as a mid-sized Lexus, but it’s also been the definition of a fixer-upper!  We love our home, though, and have learned SO much along the way.  We kept hearing, “New House, New Baby” and sure enough, it proved true for us!  Three months (almost to the day) of moving in, we found out I was pregnant!  Surprise! :)

I was working as an elementary music teacher, but I decided to leave at the end of the school year to be a permanent SAHM.  I loved my students, but I have NO regrets about my decision. 

(It’s easy to forget how puffy you were when pregnant! Yowza!)

Our son was born in July, 12 days early, via unexpected c-section.  We named him Lukas Anthony.  I am really big on name meanings – Lukas is German after my husband (he’s 100%) and the name means “Bringer of Light”, which we loved.  We call him Luke (which happens to a Bible name, so that worked out well!)  His middle name reflects my Italian heritage – it’s my grandfathers name, whom I love dearly.  Luke looked like this at first:

 

And here he is on Easter Sunday, all 20 pounds of him!

 

 (Yes, he has tons of hair!)

 

We love him to pieces, although he has been refusing to sleep lately so we’re starting to love him a little less. (Kidding!) 

This is our most recent family photo, at Olive Garden over Easter weekend. 

 

So, what will you find here? 

I write about a little of everything – my favorite recipes, yard sale finds, home crafting, and more.  I have a lot of interests and I blog a little bit about all of them!

(My Easy Framed Monogram Project – March 1st, 2010)

I am on a 5-year journey to replace 95% of the foods in our home with whole food options – you can read about that goal here. 

Since I’m also obsessed with bargain shopping (you kinda have to be when you have a lunch-money budget to work with!) I recently started a party called “Work Your Wallet Wednesday” where anyone can link up with fabulous finds or bargains for $50 or less. 

The title of this blog is “This Blessed Life”, not because I think my life is charmed or better than anyone else’s, but because by God’s grace I have been given the blessing of an abundant life in Christ.  I am a Christian, and although I don’t mention it in every post, God is definitely at the center of our family life.  Please feel free to e-mail me (blessedlifeblog {at} gmail {dot} com) if you have any questions about that! 

Hope you enjoyed a little glimpse into my life! Have a great day!

 

P.S.  You’re supposed to list your favorite prizes – holy cow there are a ton of good ones so here goes!  My top choice would be #3 International (blog design from The Girl Creative), because I follow her blog and I’ve looked at her portfolio and I LOVE her design ideas!  Second favorite pick would be #3 or #15 U.S./Canada, the $50 Target card from Peg’s Play or from Love Life and Family, because I am there at least once a week! Third favorite would be #16 U.S./Canada (blog design from Especially Simple).

Other favorites are 32,39,48,49 (U.S.); 8,32 (U.S./Canada); or 5 or 8 from International.  How can I choose one favorite?!  There are so many good ones to choose from!

 

I’m also participating in “New Friend Friday” today!

Work Your Wallet Wednesday #2

Welcome! If you're new to WYWW, check out this link where I explain what the party's all about.

This week I stopped at CVS to take advantage of their diaper sale and I am SO glad I did!
Here's what I came home with:

Now, usually my "target" price for diapers is what Target sells them for (haha, seriously!) - $19.99. I always have $2 coupons from the paper, so normally I get a box for $17.99. If they're on sale, even better - but I have to buy Pampers brand only and clearly they're not something I can get away with not having for a week or two, so I don't stress out about the price too much.

However, this entire picture cost me $9.49 - plus I was given TEN extra bucks to spend for next time! Now that's a great deal!

Here's how I did it, if you're curious (I did have some great coupons to use):

Transaction #1

Pantene Shampoo ($2.99)

Pantene Conditioner ($2.99)

2 Olay Hand Renewal dish liquid ($.96 each)

Used:

2 $2/1 Pantene product from Vocalpoint

(I highly encourage you to sign up for this if you haven't already -

they send AMAZING things to your mailbox!)

$1/2 Olay coupon from a Sunday paper

Paid:

3 EB - nothing out of pocket

Received:

2 EB from the Pantene (1 EB from each)

Transaction #2

3 packages of CVS wipes ($2 each)

1 package of diapers ($19.99)

Used:

$4.50 off box of diapers (CVS coupon from the red machine)

$2 off baby purchase of $10 or more

(also from the red machine - I told you I had sweet coupons to use!)

$2/1 Pampers coupon from a Sunday paper

5 EB

2 EB from Pantene

Paid:

$9.49

Received:

10 EB (from purchase of $25 in baby items)

I could have done a happy dance in the store right there! I would have been thrilled enough to get a box of diapers that cheap, but throw in all that other stuff AND my 10 EB, too?! Thrilled. :)

Check out any of the links on my right sidebar for more info about to shop frugally at CVS.

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Now it's your turn!

Please remember the 3 simple rules for participating:

1. Finds must be $50 (or less) per item and in an unaltered state.

2. Please link back to my blog so others can join the party

(use the button if you'd like!).

3. Make sure you link up to your blog post, not your blog as a whole.

Can't wait to see what all of you have found!

Work Your Wallet Wednesday: Recap

It's a little scary to start a party and wonder if anyone will show - but my goal was 5 linkers and that's what happened! Whew! Thanks to all of you who joined - I hope you will all come back again to show off those fabulous finds! My family came to visit us this weekend, which is why I'm so late in showing off these pictures. In case you didn't get a chance to check out everyone's links, here's a recap:

The Thriftress found some great deals at a vintage tag sale, including these cool plates (I have a thing for cream or white plates myself):

The Fickle Hobbyist found this vintage desk for TWO DOLLARS - can you believe it?!

Lindsay (one of my BFFs in real life) scored some serious deals at CVS

- go on over to see what she paid!

Nancy added some candlesticks to her collection - love the aged look of this one:

And last but definitely not least, Heather spent less than $32 on all of this food - it covers the table!

So remember, anything goes if it's $50 or less! Groceries, CVS, yard sales, whatever!

Come back on Wednesday to show it all off - today I had one of my best days EVER at CVS that I'll be showing you all then. :)