My Trip to Target

Thanks to My Frugal Adventures, my trip to Target today cost me less than $15! I used Target web coupons, coupons I had clipped, and internet manufacturer coupons. Target allows you to stack their store coupons with manufacturer coupons, so many of my items I had used 2 coupons per item. Here's what I got:

-2 bottles Wishbone salad dressing
-2 jars Ragu pasta sauce
-3 boxes Kashi cereal
-2 boxes Kashi breakfast bars
-1 box Pop Tarts
-2 Healthy Choice frozen entrees

...and my Kashi purchases earned me a $5 Target gift card, which I immediately used to buy my daughter 2 pairs of pants (regularly priced at $4 each). Thank you thrifty bloggers!

Ah, Summer

As summer is winding down, I got to thinking about one of our favorite outdoor activities: going for a bike ride. I started taking William on daily bike rides when he was 1-1/2; back then, we went around the block on his little Spider Man car that he pushed along with his feed. Despite the fact that his little legs were really getting a work out, he usually managed to make it the whole way without having to get off (and me carrying the car all the way home!).

This summer, he graduated to his bike with training wheels. Gosh can he zip around on that thing! I follow him along, with Violet in her baby carrier or in the stroller. William is very good at stopping at all the streets and alleys. Sometimes he gets a little ahead of us, but he always waits for us to catch up.

I love going for bike rides; I can't wait until next summer when Violet will be able to ride her bike, too. Then all of us can go cruising around to wherever we'd like!

Violet's First Birthday

Happy First Birthday Violet! Today Violet turned one year old...she had a birthday party with family who love her very much! Violet had lady bug cupcakes (as you can see, she enjoyed them).


Violet got a pair of Robeez shoes...purple with little white flowers on them. She also got a bunch of fall clothes, and toys from mama and daddy (William likes her toys a lot, too).

Snow Patrol - Live from Studio X

I went to a performance today by Gary Lightbody and Nathan Connolly of Snow Patrol. My husband, my parents, and I all went, with tickets I'd won thanks to 93.1 XRT. The line was wrapped around the building at the Abbey Pub; my parents were first in line, but in hindsight I'm glad we were farther back, because a car dropped off Gary and Nathan about a foot away from me! I just have to say that the show was amazing! I was right up by the stage. Gary told lots of funny stories despite being clearly and admittedly hung over. They played "Final Straw", "Chasing Cars", "Take Back the City", "Chocolate", "Crack the Shutters", etc. Everyone was screaming their heads off...I am so glad I saw them at such a small venue.

Kmart Double Coupons

So here is my swag from the Kmart double coupon event. Everything I needed to know was thanks to My Frugal Adventures! I have been following several thrifty, money-saving blogs for a couple months now, in order to save on shopping using coupons and great deals.

I know it doesn't look like I got a lot, but I don't use a lot of items that would have been free with the use of the doubled coupons (i.e. store-bought deodorant, household cleaners and deodorizers, etc.). I did have one coupon that expired yesterday (the Kmart store coupon for $5 off a $20 toy purchase), but I just checked with customer service as soon as I got there, and got the 'okay' to use it. I got three My Little Pony toys for Violet for Christmas (retailed at $6.99 each), two Reese's king size (free after 2 coupons), two packs of Trident gum (free after coupon), a Rimmel mascara (free after coupon), and a Cover Girl tinted lip balm ($1 after coupon).

I spent $16.56 for all this, saving me about $30!