Welll.... maybe I should end the hiatus :)

I know, I know...... it's been since August!  Where have I been?!  Well I'll tell you. Quite a lot has been going on since then.  I'm sure some of you won't care for the details but if you know me well then you know I'm a detail kind of gal.  The more information the better :)

We started back with our homeschooling in mid-August.  All three kids are doing schoolwork although the youngest is just Pre-K so it's not everyday just when we feel like it.   Along with homeschooling I decided to close G.R.I.T.S. Embroidery.  It was a very tough decision, it's been like my 4th child for the past 7 years!  It was difficult though to keep up.  I couldn't update my website to add or remove products, choices or prices so I was using Facebook.  But then you never know when you are going to get an order and the timeframe it will be needed in.  I don't like unknowns all that much so I decided it was best to close up for now.  I just didn't have the time to devote to it anymore.  I still make Savvy Shoppers and sell them at the White House Walgreens, just check out the candy display at the main checkout.

Around this same time I was asked by our former Realtor to start staging houses for him when needed.  Thus became Savvy Staging by Stacie.  So far I've only consulted with one customer but we all know how the housing market is right now.  The great thing about this is I'm mainly just a consultant so there are no supplies to keep in stock, it's just a couple of hours of my time when a client needs me to give them advice.

During all this I was having more and more pain with my kidney stones (I still have 5 keeping me company).  The doctor ordered a CT Scan and said that there was only one large enough to blast and who knows if it's the one causing me the pain.  You know I always find it very funny that after seeing doctors and speaking with nurses the pain seems to go away.  So for right now and the past few weeks or more my kidneys have been playing nice :)

Along with this I was having some pretty severe pain in my right ear as well as some other anomalies.  I saw an Internal Medicine doctor who ran a lot of bloodwork and pronounced me perfectly healthy.  Going back to see him three months later and still with great ear pain he sent me to an Oatolarangology  (sp?) doctor or an ENT!    He checked my hearing and looked at my ear and said it could be enflamed nerves so I got a $41 steroid cream to use for fifteen days.  That didn't help and in fact the pain got worse so I saw him again yesterday.  He used a light to look in my ear and said that the nerve is bright red and it is most likely per-erruptive  Shingles!   Ouch!  I don't want that!  So now I am on two anti-viral medications and a cream for a week or a little more that he said should get rid of it.  Whew!  Close call, I'll keep you in the know about whether or not it works.

During all this I decided to become a  Team Beachbody Coach.  I know you have all seen the Infomercials about P90X?!  Well I'm doing the 90 day challenge and while I haven't lost any weight yet I can definitely tell a difference in muscle tone (I'm 30 days in at this point).   So if you would like to learn more about getting healthy and fit you can go here or leave me a message here.  I will be more than happy to help you! 

It seems strange to start this in the midst of so many health problems but at the same time it is something I felt like "I can do this!"  and it made me feel better instead of letting the other issues get me down. 

Christmas is quickly approaching and I have all but a couple of the presents in the house.  Before Christmas comes my baby's 4th birthday though.  It's so sad in so many ways to think of how quickly they grow up!

Oh I almost forgot I've discovered Pinterest!    It is a fantastic place to find neat ideas, recipes and tons of other things.  It's gotten my creative juices flowing more than once.

Well I hope you all have a very Happy Holiday.  I'll try to post again soon!

Tell me what's going on with you?!

Love always,
The Boss Lady

My take on Outlet Malls

So this past weekend I was blessed to be able to spend to fun filled days with my gal pals.  We all me in Edinburgh, IN for a weekend of shopping, eating and of course gabbing!  We had a great time although it was not near long enough.

Well of course when you visit an outlet mall you have to buy something right?  You expect rock bottom prices with even greater discounts on top of that.  I mean it is an OUTLET MALL right?  You are not supposed to pay retail.  So why is it then that when we visit an Outlet Mall we feel, for the majority of stores, that we are visiting a retail store?  I don't know about you but I get very frustrated at this.  I mean I come with a limited budget and a list of things I NEED for my family.

To tell you the truth I only went in one clothing store that actually had what I consider good prices.  That was the Vanity Fair Outlet.  I purchased a couple of Polos and a Nautica T-shirt for my husband for less than $16. (plus tax).  In the Stride Rite Outlet I returned a pair of shoes that I had purchased on Friday.  The manager tells me I have to buy them back because they were a final sale item even though it wasn't marked on my reciept.  Then after I re-purchase them she tells me she's not going to mark them as final sale, she's doing me a favor she says, so that I can return them if I need too?!  WHAT!?  I really don't get it.  We stood in lines for ages.  Took 20 minutes or more at the actual checkout in a couple of stores.

My take on outlet malls: 
1.  Print out any online coupons you can get your hands on before you get there (in this case there was also a online coupon for a FREE coupon book for the entire outlet mall)
2.  Go when it's not busy,
3.  Window shop at all the stores you think you will purchase from first.
4.  Make a list from those stores of the items you like and the final price you will pay for those items (You can ask if they will hold the items for you, they might until the close of day or possibly longer.)
5.  Sit down with your list at your hotel or someplace quiet and decide what you plan to purchase.
6. Map out your stores and go back for your purchases with a back up plan in case they don't have the size you need when you make it back around.

With exception of the first one these are all thing I WISH I had done this past weekend.  They are definitely all things I will strive to do in the future!

So good luck with your next outlet mall experience.  For that matter these tips could be used on any shopping trip!

Happy Shopping
~The Boss Lady~

Target Black Friday Sale!

Today only!  Many things up to 50% off.  Be sure to go through shopathome.com first to get 10% cash back!

www.target.com

Happy Friday!
The Boss Lady

Chick-Fil-A

Can anyone say MOO????  Well today is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A   and you can score a FREE Meal!

Here's the details:  Dress like a cow. Head to your nearest Chick-Fil-A.  The more you look like a COW the more food you get free.

You know what they'll even provide you with the appropriate attire.  Just click here to print your various Cow parts to make your cow costume and score a FREE meal!

Have fun!
~The Boss Lady~

You have to try this!

I know this has nothing to do with coupons however if you are a coffee drinker it does have to do with saving you money!

I read The Pioneer Womans blog every once in a while when I have a free moment.  Last week I came accross her recipe for Iced Coffee.  Yesterday I decided to try it.  Talk about YUMMY!  I purchased Mocha Coffee and let is soak overnight.  I only had a 1 gallon container unlike Ree so I only soaked 1/2 of my bag of coffee grounds.  I fixed hubby and I each a glass this morning.  Half coffee (strained of course) poured over ice with Half and Half and chocolate syrup.  I used a little Stevia to sweeten.  It is fantastic you've got to try it.

Here's the link to Ree's recipe!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/perfect-iced-coffee/

Happy Saturday!
Stacie  AKA The Boss Lady

Great offers

BOGO coupon for McDonalds

 

Just click the BOGO link above and it'll take you to the page shown above.  Just enter your name and click to print! 

Free 8x10 Canvas Print or $50 towards any size Canvas, by the Canvas People.  All you pay is shipping and Handling!  Sweet!  Click here.

 Free $2 Amazon MP3 Credit
Just enter the code CLOUDMP3 to get your free credit.   Sweet!
 

Double Cash back with select retailers through Ebates!

Entertainment.com  35% cash back
Land's End 6% Cash Back
HP 5% Cash Back
Sears 4% Cash Back
Borders 8% Cash Back
Snapfish16.5% Cash Back


There are more retailers involved with the double cash back deal.  Just head on over to Ebates to get the full list.!

Well that's it for now.  I'll be on the lookout for more fantastic deals.

Have a great day!
The Boss Lady

Some of the great deals at Kroger this week

Kroger week of 6/19 - 6/25  all prices reflect Kroger Plus Card Savings

Ball Park Beef Franks 2 for $5. with Kroger Plus Card
-$1/2 Ball Park product, RP 6/05
-.55/1 Ball Park buns, RP 6/05
-.75/1 Ball Park new deli style beef franks, RP 6/05
-.75/2 Ball Park product, RP 6/05


Best deal:  Use two.75/1 on Deli Style Beef Franks (if included).  Pay $1.75 per pack.


Powerade or Powerade Zero 32oz bottles. on sale for .69 each

Huggies Diapers or Pull-ups on Sale $7.99 
-$1.50 off Huggies Pullups, SS 6/12
-$1.50 off Pull-Ups training pants , jumbo pk +, SS 6/12
-$2 off Huggies Pull-Ups training pants, jumbo pk, Kimberly Clark home mailer


With $2 off coupon, $5.99 a pack.

Cottonelle Bathroom Tissue on sale $4.99 each when you buy 5 ( or any 5 items marked with the Mega Event Tag Buy 5 save $5)

2 Liter Pepsi Products on Sale for 10 for $10 (can be mixed and matched with any other 10 for $10 sale items)

Check out Couponmom.com or Iheartkroger for a complete list of all the deals and coupon matchups this week at Kroger.

Stacie (The Boss Lady)

Sonicare Toothbrush!

I snagged one for $11 plus tax!

I really wish I had discovered this sooner so that I could have shared it with you.  My husband and I were kid free this weekend and while he was studying to teach the Sunday nigh Adult Bible class I went grocery shopping at Publix.  While I was out I decided I would stop by Walgreens.

I had planned to get another Colgate 360 toothbrush with the $1 coupon  from my July All You Magazine.    Remember this was on sale for $2.99 with a $2 RR.  With my 15% discount I paid $2.54 before RR.  I also purchased another Bayer Advanced Aspirin 20 ct for $2.55 (that's with the 15% off discount) I used a $2 off coupon and scored a $2 RR making this item a $1.45 Money Maker!
  Next on my list was a Schick Hydro 3 Razor on sale for $8.99 ( with discount I paid $7.64).  I had a $4 off coupon and this one got me a $4 RR making this one a .36 MM for me.
I found a Jet Dry on sale for $3.99 ( with discount I paid %3.39) .  It had a bonus Finish Quantum Tab attached!  I had a Walgreen's coupon for this item for $1.50 off and it had a $1.50 RR making this only .39 OOP after RR.

Last but not least I had to pick up a last minute Father's Day card.  No deals on this one but I did get my 15% off discount making the card.$3.82.

My total OOP for this transaction was $13.38 after tax and I saved $15.25 as well as earning $8.50 in RR.

Now here comes the big deal of the day!  Walgreen's had an $79.99 Sonicare Essence toothbrush on sale for $39.99.  Not such a great deal you say that's only half off.  Well I get the 15% off discount because of my husbands job.  That takes it down to $33.99.  Then I had a MFR coupon for $15.00 off.  Making it $18.99 then I applied all $8.50 of my previously earned RR!  Now this would have made the toothbrush $10.49 but remember at Walgreens you can't have more coupons then you have items so I had to purchase 5 of those yummy Caramels they keep at the checkout in order to use all my coupons and Register Rewards.  This made my total after tax $15.34.

Now that is what I call a great deal on one VERY expensive toothbrush!

What great finds did you have this week?  Any great deals come your way???  I want to know about it!

This week at Walgreens!

There are definitely some great deals to be had at Walgreens this week.  If you haven't been you definitely need to check them out.

Here's what I did:

Transaction #1

Colgate 360, MaxFresh, MaxWhite or Total Tooth brush on sale for  $2.99 with a $2 RR

Bayer Advanced Aspirin  20 or 24ct on sale for $3 with a $1 RR

Airwick Freshmatic on sale for $7.99 with a $3RR

Use .75/1 Colgate toothbrush ( or there is a $1 coupon in the July All You for the Colgate 360, this coupon makes this a FREE after RR item)

Use a $2/ Bayer Advanced Aspirin, FREE after RR

Use $4/1 Airwick Freshmatic (.99 after RR)

Total OOP  $7.24 plus tax.  Receive $6 in RR

Transaction #2

Blistex RPM for Men $2 receive $2 RR (FREE after RR)

Nestle Candy Bars on sale for .39 each 

Dial Body Wash on sale for $2.99

Use .50/2 Nestle Candy bar coupon  (makes them .14 each)

Use $2/1 Dial Body Wash

Use $2 RR from 1st transaction

Total OOP $1.27 plus tax (Receive $2 RR

Transaction #3

Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner BOGO with in-ad coupon $3 each (buy 4)

Betty Crocker Brownie Mix on sale .99

Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowls 2/$4 (buy 4)

Use (2) $1/2 Lysol Toilet Bowl cleaner from 6/12  ( makes them $1 each)

Use .50/1 Betty Crocker Brownie mix coupon (makes it .49)

Use (4) .55/1 Jimmy Dean or Delights bowl coupons (Makes it $1.45 each)

Use $6 in RR from first two transactions

Total OOP -  $4.29 plus tax

Total OOP $12.80

Total Saved $40.76

Tip of the Day!

A great place to find coupons, the paper kind, is All You Magazine.  It's available by subscription but otherwise you can only pick it up at Wal-mart.  Besides having tons of coupons it has great tips on saving money and savvy shopping.

I received my July issue in the mail today.  It contains %56.76 worth of coupons. (This is a low number, it is normally around $70 - $85.00)

Here are some of the highlights of the July issue.

$1.00 off any Coppertone Product

$1.00 off any Reach toothbrush  exp. 12/31/11  (this will probably make for a FREE toothbrush at some point.)
$4.00 off a 30 dose MiraLAX  exp 10/31/11
$2.00 off any One Smithfield Spiral Ham exp 9/10/11

This particular issue also  issue also has a page of online coupon codes in the back.  (don't forget to check Shopathome.com or ebates before making your purchases)
Not only does All You have a great magazine, but they also have exclusive printable coupons through their website, tons of giveaways to enter and Freebies everyday. 

I hope you enjoy the magazine and it's website as much as I do.

Have a great weekend!  Make the best of it!

Sincerely
~The Boss Lady~

Great deal on shirts at The Loft

Right now at The Loft you can get 3 of their shirts or tanks for $35!  Select styles only.  Click on the 3 for $35 under the picture to see all the styles available.  Sale is in stores and online.  I love this store!

3 for $35

Win a Savvy Shopper from G.R.I.T.S. Embroidery

What is a Savvy Shopper you say?  Well it's a great way to organize your coupons for your shopping trips as well as keeping your coupons with you while you are out and about.  Each Savvy Shopper, whether large or small has 10 slots for coupons.  There are 10 erasable labels included with each Savvy Shopper so you can label each slot however you like.  Whether it be by store or by aisle or both!  I have Stores on one side and Restaurants on the other!  It also comes with a 100 page 5x7 notepad for writing your shopping list with coupon matchups on before you go.   To top it all off there is a large pocket for keeping mailed coupons, restaurant coupons, your coupon file, etc. with you at all times.  Also included is a 13 tab coupon file, large or small depending on the size of your Savvy Shopper.  All you have to supply is a pen and the coupons :)

Want to win a Savvy Shopper from G.R.I.T.S. Embroidery?  I'll tell you how!

Simply do any or all of the following items and leave a separate comment here for each entry with your first name and last initial stating your method of entry.  (if you aren't signed in).

1.  Follow Boss Lady's Ruminations, blog, via Google Friend Connect, in the right hand column.  If you already are following this way just state that in your comment for this entry.

2.  Follow me on Twitter, tnmom0f3.

3.  "Like" Boss Lady's Ruminations on Facebook

4. " Like" G.R.I.T.S." Embroidery on Facebook

For example:

For one entry you would leave a comment stating:  "I like G.R.I.T.S. Embroidery on FB, Stacie B."

For another entry you would leave another comment stating "I follow via Google Friend Connect, Stacie B."

Ect. for each for of entry allowed.  

Contest ends Monday June 20th at noon and the winner will be chose via Random.org.  Winner will receive their choice of a large or small Savvy Shopper in Michael Miller's White Gypsy Paisley.

Large Savvy Shopper in White Gypsy Paisley, shown open and closed.

Small Savvy Shopper in Sweet Floral.

Small Savvy Shopper in Clematis Grey, open.

Large Savvy Shopper in White Gypsy Paisley, open.

Michael Miller's White Gypsy Paisley

Good luck to everyone!!!

~The Boss Lady~

Vera Bradley - Fantastic deal today only!

Today only get the Morgan or Lisa B bags for only $17.99 (originally $63)  I have the Morgan and I love it!  The exterior pockets are great for keeping my cell phone and my keys in.  Don't forget to go through shop at home to get 3% cash back.  Shipping isn't cheap but with the great deal you get on the bag you'll still get a steal even after you pay shipping!

Lisa B

Morgan

Happy day!
Stacie ~The Boss Lady~
Helping you get the most for your dollar!

Walgreens!

So I had a wonderful visit with my family in Alabama but it is always good to be back home.  The kids and I missed Derek greatly despite all the fun we were having down south.

So todays mission is to tell you all about Walgreen's and how you can save a ton of money there!  Yes I said SAVE money at a Drugstore!  Who would've thought you could?  I promise it is entirely possible and actually fun.

So here's the way it works.  Walgreen's has what are called Register Rewards.  This is Walgreens dollars that you get back when you purchase a specific product.  For example this week:

When you buy a 45 ct Healthy Woman Soy Supplement for $8 you will receive an $8 Register Reward (RR) after you checkout.  What does this mean?  It means that you will pay the full price for the product but receive the RR basically Walgreen's dollars after you check out.

Now here's the thing about Register Rewards (RR) they don't have a long shelf life.  Meaning they usually expire within a couple of weeks.  The best way to cure this problem is to complete multiple transactions while you are in the store.  First acquiring the RR and the using them to pay for items in your next transaction.

The next thing you need to know about RR.  You can only get one RR per deal (per product) on a transaction.  For example if you wanted to get two of the above products you would need to complete two separate transactions to get both RR's.  If you purchased two of the same product in one transaction you will only get one RR.

A great way to really save mega bucks and sometimes get money off of your total bill is to stack coupons with  RR deals.  You should always try to do this if you can.

One other thing to note about Walgreens  you cannot have more coupons than you have items.  Coupons include RR's  So sometimes you will need small filler items such as caramels that are very cheap in order to use all your coupons and RR's in a transaction.

Last thing.  Walgreen's always has a coupon booklet out each month.  It is available when you walk in where the Weekly Ads are displayed.  These are great for stacking with manufacturer coupons and RR's.  They also put coupon's in their ad each week which can be stacked with manufacturer coupons.

I hope this helps!  I generally save over 60% when shopping at Walgreens.  I hope you can too!

If you have any questions or comments please let me know :)

Have a great Monday!
~The Boss Lady~

Today's Groupon! Old Navy!

Today get $20 worth of merchandise for $10 at OLD NAVY with today's GROUPON.  Here's the link for the purchase.  Great deal!

OLD NAVY Groupon!

Thursday's rock!
~The Boss Lady~

Coming Soon!

I'm in Alabama this week.  My mom was visiting with us this past week and she needed a ride home  :)  Thus we brought her home and thought we would stay for bit.  My first cousin who is like a sister to me gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on Wednesday of last week so I'm excited to get to meet her.  I most likely won't have much time to post much this week but my plan is to cover Walgreens next.  Their Register Reward system is sweet if you work it right with coupons.  Please let me know if there is a topic you would like me to cover.  I am more than happy to go WWW exploring or store exploring if it's not too far away.

I hope you are all enjoying a beautiful Lord's day.  It's plenty hot down here!

Take care now, ya here!
The Boss Lady :)

The LOFT

Now let me just preface this by saying, I love the LOFT. It's my favorite store and they carry my favorite jeans.  The Curvy cut.  Also yes they are expensive but if you are a Savvy Shopper you can get a lot of bang for your buck!

I purchased a shirt about a week before Easter.  I've only worn it a handful of times and washed it less than that.  Well I noticed Wednesday when I had it on that it already had two small holes in the front of it near the waist.  This should NOT be the case on a shirt from this store.  I paid good money for it even with the sale they had going and I expect a certain level of quality.

Readers Submission Day!

Today I want to hear about your most successful shopping trip!  The best deals you got and where you went shopping!  Tell me all about it!  If you can submit photos of your successful shopping trip.  No savings is too small.  So sock it to me!  We all want to hear all about it!

~The Boss Lady~

Readers Submission Day!

It's that time again!
Tell me about your deals of the week.  I want to hear what great deals you've gotten and how much you've saved!

Happy Thursday!
~The Boss Lady~

Coupon Mom site Explored!!!

So let me just say I am VERY excited to be sharing this site with all of you!  If you already knew about it then I'm happy for you.  I must say I knew about it but I had been put off by the amount of ads on the pages.  Now after exploring it I have found that it will be a very useful resource and guess what it's FREE!!!!

So here's what I would like to share with you:

1. The first tab on the page  is PRINTABLE COUPONS:  This is a link to all of the sites that always have coupons available to print.   Add TARGET.com to this list.  They always have manufacturer and store coupons available to print.

Coupon Mom

Just discovered a really neat new site.  I think it will be very helpful for my northern and midwestern friends!  Go check out the www.couponmom.com.  You search by your state and store!  Very neat!  I'll try and do an indepth overview of it later.

Love,
The Boss Lady

Great Deals going on NOW!

• Carters Stores

$5 Bodysuits at Carter's children's clothing stores.  Over 20 styles to choose from!

• Vera Bradley.com  

My apologies

Sorry I haven't posted much this week.  I've been sick and now my little man has gotten an ear infection and an eye infection.  To top all that off yesterday was our daughter's birthday and my parents are visiting this weekend.  Thank you for your patience with me.  I'll get back on top of things soon :)

Sincerely,
~The Boss Lady~

My Walgreens Trip

Today I hit Walgreens and Publix.  I hadn't done any shopping last week.  We weren't in dire need but we did need a few things.  One of the great perks of stocking up when everything is at rock bottom is not having to go on a major grocery shopping trip each week.

So I got my list and my coupons together and the kids and I headed out.

Coupon Trading Post

To the left you will now see a link to a page called the Trading Post.  This is a place where you can request coupons that you need as well  as post coupons you have for trade.    No money will exchange hands we are simply helping each other out.   Simply comment in response if you have the coupons someone is looking for or if you have some you would like to get rid of.  It's that simple.

If you have any questions just comment below.

Happy Couponing!

~The Boss Lady~

Overstock.com

Now as most of you know we spent the past year building a home.  It is a very draining, fun, difficult, intense, and many, many more adjectives process.  One of the reasons this process can be so intense is the desire to stay on budget and still get the look you want.  This can be a very hard task.  I did probably 80% off the selection process for our home. 

Making your list and checkin' it twice :)

So far we've covered where to find coupons, how to file your coupons, understanding coupon jargon and well as how to stack your coupons and sale cycles.  Believe it or not you now have all the information you need to get started saving $$$ on your grocery bill!  One thing I want everyone to keep in mind.  The big savings really comes from buying your items at rock bottom prices.

I Just Won 24 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

I Just Won 24 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

Today's Deals!

• Vera Bradley!

The Vera Bradley Hipster bag is on sale today only for $29!  Normally $56.  Shipping is about $8.00.  Go through Shop At Home to get  3% cash back on your purchase!    There are many different colors to choose from.

• Cheap Birds Eye Veggies!

Birds Eye Voila printable coupon makes for a steal at Publix for another day! (if your ad goes through tomorrow night)

Go HERE  and "Like" Birds Eye Vegetables.  Then Spin the Wheel.  You'll get $1, $2 or a $3 off coupon.  Until tomorrow night Birds Eye Voila meals are BOGO at Publix making this a very sweet deal!

• Free Movie Rental Code!

Today is Monday, which means another free Blockbuster Express rental!
You can get a free rental with promo code:
MONDAYFUNDAY
Keep in mind these usually only work on the movies that are $1 not the hot releases that are $2.99.
Thanks, myfrugaladventures!


Happy Monday!

~The Boss Lady~

Question for all of you out there

Question for you: What would you like to read about on my blog? What topics interest you? Thank you so much for your input! It mean so much to me!

Sale Cycles and Stacking Coupons

Sale Cycles:

Now that we've covered where to get your coupons and what all the coupon lingo stands for let's get into more of the nitty gritty.  The best way to truly save money is to buy when the price of an item is at it's lowest.  Most sale cylces run in 4 to 6 week intervals.  Meaning  If Cheerios are normally $4.00 a box there price will fluctuate over a six week period but only one week during that period will they be at their lowest.  Our job is to find out when they are at their lowest and take advantage of that by using as many coupon as we can!

Limited time savings on GAS!

Now let's face it gas is outrageous right now and we would all LOVE to save on it if we can.  Normally we think "There's not really any way I can save on gas."  Well I'm here to tell you that right now there is.  Not only does Kroger have an ongoing program that is pretty good, I'll post another time soon about it in depth, but this week Publix is doing one of their Gas Gift Card promotions.

High Value Printable Coupons

Right now there are two Huggies coupons available on coupons.com.  One is for $3.00 off and the other is for $2.00 off.  Go print them now before they are all snatched up.  Then I would suggest you hold onto them until you fid a great sale and or store coupon you can stack them with!

Just checking

If you're out there and you're reading this let me know.  I want to be a benefit to others to help them save money, I don't want to waste my time. So say hi and become a follower.  "Like" my page on FB anything to let me know there's someone out there reading all these posts. 

Thanks for reading!

~The Boss Lady~

Couponing Lingo

If you're going to use coupons you need to understand what is meant by all the lingo or jargon.

For example if I told you:

Mott's Apple Sauce BOGO $1.99
use .50/1 from SS 5/1

Couponing - Getting Started - Day 1

Although I've been couponing for over a year now I realize that not all my readers have. Some of you may be very new to the couponing world. Since this may be the case I thought I would give you a run down on the basics of couponing.

First of all to answer the question: Where can I find coupons?

Well number one you won't just find them in the newspaper although that is an excellent source. Here is a list coupon sources:

Reminders!

!. Starting tomorrow new printable coupons will be available on coupons.com and smartsource.com.

2. The 2011 Entertainment Book is only $7.50 with cash back and free shipping right now. Only through tomorrow. You get (2) Entertainment Books for $25 with free shipping till May 1st, but when you got through Shop At Home.com you get 40% cash back!!!
If you have never used Shop at Home before you’ll also get a $5 bonus after your first purchase, so this makes it $5 each!

I get one of these every year, well worth money, especially when it's this cheap!
Don't forget to "Like" me on Facebook. There is a button on the right------>
Happy Savings~!
~The Boss Lady~

American Girl SALE at RueLaLa

American Girl SALE at RueLaLa going on now! Use the link to enter. RueLaLa is by invitation only. The SALE includes mini dolls, 15" doll clothing and girls clothing. Good deals to be had. Go through Shopathome.com and get $1.00 back on your purchase.

RueLaLa invitation

Happy Shopping!

Day 4 of Money Saving Tips!

Do you do much of your shopping online? Even the occasional birthday present? Then shopathome.com is for you!

Shopathome.com is one of my favorite websites. It's free, easy to use and will save you $$. It's simple really you sign up. ee the screen shot below.

A Moment of Thanks

I just want to take a moment to say how very thankful I am that to the best of my knowledge at this time all my friend and family back home are safe. I know there has been much devestation wreaked by multiple tornadoes. One that went through my families home town was a mile wide. I'm praying for those grieving over the loss of loved ones and homes and I pray the Lord will comfort them.

Be extra thankful for those around you today. For your family and friends. We can all be gone in an instant. Let's always strive to live each day for the Lord and live it as though there is no tomorrow, only if the Lord wills will we enjoy another day on this earth.

So take a moment and say a prayer of thanks for all of those you are blessed to have and pray for comfort for those grieving.

~The Boss Lady~

Swagcode!

There's a swagcode in the blog. Use the swidget, bottom right of this page, and click on Blog. Find the Code and put it in the Gimme Box on the Swagbucks homepage. Good for 6 swagbucks!

Happy Swagging!

Day 3 of Money Saving Tips

Swagbucks!

By request we're going to learn more about Swagbucks today. Swagbucks is a very easy way to earn pretty much anything. I'll explain first the ways you can earn Swagbucks and then we'll talk about what and how you can redeem them.

First things first. To use Swagbucks you have to sign up for an account. Don't worry it's totally free! Just go to Swagbucks.com and click Register/Create an Account. It's very easy and they don't send you spam. Promise. BTW you get 30 Swagbucks just for signing up. Sweet!

Day 2 of Couponing Tips!!!

Day two of Couponing tips! Sorry I haven't kept up with this. It will probably never be a "daily" contribution, but we've been fighting sickness for the past three weeks as well as soccer practice and games for two kids on the days we were well. There were many other things going on but that's two major contributors :) Day2 of couponing tips below!

Use your resources! We have the internet and most of us are on it quite a bit. Why not use it to our advantage? Let it help us save money. Can it do that for us? Oh yes it can and not just the occasional FB page coupon either. There are many ways the internet can help you save $.

Savvy Shopper Assistant

Yep, That's it the name, at least on a trial basis, of my new product! I'm very excited about it, but hey I love couponing.

Here's some pictures and descriptions:

When open the Savvy Shopper Assistant has ten slots, with tabs, for dividing your coupons up by store, aisle or both. It also comes with a 100 page 5x7 notepad for writing your shopping list with coupon matchups!

Very, Very excited!!!!

This probably won't be exciting to anyone but me but since I'm excited I'm going to have to share.

Some of you may know that not long after paid someone to redesign my whole website ( get it up and running, even added a gift registry) that this said web designer went "POOF" right after the checkout process broke. Yep you heard me right. I got to really use my new website features for a very limited amout of time, maybe 6 months if that. This has been very disheartening as a lot of thought and work went into the new website design. So for the past 18+ months you couldn't actually purchase anything on my website. Other things started breaking as well such as all the custom product attributes. (selecting fonts, trims, fabrics, etc.)

So what am I so excited about you ask??? Well It's not a new website, at least not yet, although once I have some revenue built up I do hope to change over to a new host with a new shopping cart system.

No what I am so excited about is a FREE app on Facebook! This free app is called VENDOR CART and guess what??? You can shop GRITS Embroidery once again!!!! Yeah!

This shopping cart app even has a really cool price structure:

Normal: The everyday price of the item for sale
Sale: The sale price of the item
Like: The price you get IF you "Like" the page (i.e. in this case G.R.I.T.S. Embroidery)

So very cool!

It also allows you to set up attributes for your items although they can't have a $ value. For instance you can choose from 5 fonts and 19 minky blanket fabrics to build your minky blanket from.

I LOVE IT!

I'm going to be changing the way I do things in my small business in hopes of actually being able to contribute to my household.

There will now be set fabrics for both Nursing Covers and Minky Baby Blankets. Currently the ones available are the fabrics I have in stock. (I have minky coming out my ears!)
However once I start selling off some of this stock then I am going to start purchasing all my fabric by the bolt. Great minky and designer prints. The fabrics I purchase by the bolt I will also be offering for sale by the .5 yard in my store! So much fun!!

So if you don't already go "LIKE" G.R.I.T.S. Embroidery. Send everyone you can over there, make sure they say who sent them. The person who sends the most people over will win a FREE minky blanket in the in-stock fabric of their choice!

Love it!

So go have fun and win yourself a blanket!

G.R.I.T.S. Embroidery on FACEBOOK

Stash Sale List:

Photo album on FB

It's time to get rid of all that excess that I keep holding onto thinking I'll use it one day, when I know I most likely won't.

Here's what I've got (check back often as I will be updating, adding more as time allows)

Feel free to message me or leave a comment here with any questions you might have. I'll upload photos when I can. Most all minky colors are on my website. Let me know what you're interested in and I'm sure we can come to a very reasonable price.

Photos of all fabrics in the STASH SALE Album!

Happy shopping!

Minky Scraps

20" x 16.75" Espresso Minky

50" x 11" (at narrowest) Pale Yellow Minky

10" x 23" Navy Minky Dot

30" x 14" Pink Minky

27" x 9" Turquoise Minky

8" x 30" Pink Minky (with a wider section that is 9" x 14")

11" x 14" Pink & Espresso Minky Dynasty

61" x 5" Minky Zebra

26" x 8" Espresso & Aqua Minky Dynasty

Large L shaped Espresso Minky scrap

63" x 11.5" Orange Minky Dot

63" x 9" Red Minky Dot

Cotton Print Fabrics (mostly designer)

36" x 9.5" Micheal Miller Brown Daisy Dreams

26" x 15" x 11" x 8" Kiwi Patti Paisley L shaped

14.5" (at widest ) x 16 " Expresso Ironworks Micheal Miller

21" x 9" Pink and Purple Paisley

1 yard + 23" x 43" wide Green dots with attached strip that is 41" x 10" at narrowest

28.5" x6 Michael Miller Vintage Cowboy Print

34" x 16.5 (at narrowest) White Songbird

31" x 16" at narrowest Pink and Green Camo

9.5" x 10.75" Micheal Miller black dandy damask

Flannel

50" x 14" (at widest) Sheep and cow print

47 " x 40" Sheep and Cow Print

36" x 42" (1 yard) sun moon and stars baby blocks

2 yards pink flower print

Approximately 3.5 yards Yellow tractor print

Precut pieces for burp cloths

20.25" x 9.75 Pink (3 available)

20.25" x 9.75 Blue (3 available)

20.25" x 9.75 Green (5 available)

20.25" x 9.75 Yellow (7 available)

18.5" x 9.75" Yellow

39.5" x 9.5" Green

I line these with flannel for extra absorbency. They embroider beautiful and make absolutely gorgeous burp cloths!

Baby Blanks

1 White 100% Cotton Hooded Towel

1 NB White Side Snap Shirt (child of mine by Carter's)

1 NB White with pink Flowers Side Snap Shirt (child of mine by Carter's)

1 NB Purple Side Snap Shirt (child of mine by Carter's)

1 NB Pink Side Snap Shirt (child of mine by Carter's)

2 0-3 months Gerber Lap shoulder Tee White

2 Gerber 0-3 Months White SS Onesie

3 Small LS White Child of Mine by Carter's Onesie

5 White Cotton Top Knot NB hats

1 Pack0-3 months Gerber Tagless onesies SS White

4 Blue Receiving Blankets

2 Yellow Flannel Receiving Blankets

Miscellaneous

55 Jeweled lipstick pens ( lavender, pink, aqua and red)

Tote Bags

Small Canvas Tote Bag with nylon woven handles great for embroidery, painting or other craft projects. We use these for Bible bags for our kids!

Measures: 11" x 8 1/2" x 3"

Colors and Quantities Available:

7 Primary Yellow

4 Primary Green

2 Red

9 Lime Green

5 Purple

2 Natural Canvas

5 Aqua

Large Cotton Canvas Tote great for crafting. Use for embroidery, painting or stitching!

Measures: 13 1/2" x 13 1/2" x 4"

Sizes and Quantites Available:

2 Red

2 Blue

Cleaning out !

My stash that is!

My new home has a new office for me..... however this new office is not very large. It is 9 x 9. I on the other hand have colllected WAY too many things over the years.

Fabric
Tote Bags
Onesies
Bibs
Ribbons
You name it.... I've probably got it.

I've posted a starting list on my G.R.I.T.S. Embroidery Facebook page. You can view it and make comments, requests here.

Cleaning Out Sale List
GRITS Embroidery's Etsy Shop

So it's time to clean out! If your interested in anything particular let me know. I'll see if I've got it. We'll work out a price and it can be yours! I am listing some items on Etsy. There is so much and I don't have a truly working computer to list pictures with so I'll do my best with what I can.

Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Stacie

Hooray for Mail!

Not the fluffy kind either :) The hard, flat, readable, teachable kind!

I purchased most all my curriculum last Monday on line and slowly but surely it is making it's way to our home.
Yesterday we had five packages to open and the kids were so excited! It was almost as good as Christmas they said :)
So far we have gotten quite a few of the reading books that will go along with our Learning Language Arts Through Literature Program. This program has curriculum for most all grades so Lily will have a workbook and I'll have a teacher's book for 1st grade and we'll have the same for Caleb in 3rd grade.
We've also received our Mystery of History book! So very excited about it and I found out that there are Lapbooks that I can get to go along with it! Hooray!!!!!
Caleb's Singapore Math books 3A workbook and text book came yesterday. We started it today. Although we started almost at the back of the book with the multiplication and division. I knew this was probably going to be the case but they hadn't really covered division yet in public school and they hadn't finished multiplication yet. I'm sure we'll be done with it within a couple of weeks and ready for the 3B books. He LOVES math and is so talented at it! He definitely got that from his Daddy!
Our Apologia science, Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day hasn't arrived yet but I hope it does soon as I have also discovered there are lapbooks for it as well!

Can you tell I'm excited???? We've having fun and the kids are adjusting much better than I ever could have hoped.

Well my little man woke up at 10pm Monday night, 2 hours after we put him to bed, with a terrible dry, yucky cough. We gave him tylenol and a breathing treatment. He and I stayed up on the sofa bed watching Quest for Camelot (I love that movie and it's become his favorite) until a little after 11. Then we slept on the sofa bed together. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep. He slept pretty well considering but he still has the cough Tuesday morning though not as bad sounding as it was. I gave him three more breathing treatments on Tuesday and although he is still coughing he is sounding much better and not coughing near as much. I will continue with the treatment regimen again today.

This is a picture of our front porch taken Monday night after the snow. Derek took it from the boys window. Not bad huh? :) God's mighty power and the natural beauty he bestows upon this earth. Although I must say I've had enough of the cold and snow.



Have a wonderful day and stay warm!
Love,
The Boss Lady

Anyone give back rubs?

I'm sure that's not what you expected to read but that's what I could really use right now. Let's recap the past two weeks:

New Year's Eve/ New Year's Day: My brother and his family come up that morning so that we can finish the electrical on the house. We finish on Friday and take Saturday to have some fun, despite the cold and the rain. Spend some time eating lunch and walking around The Opryland Hotel. They leave around 5 to head home.

Sunday comes and we have a great worship!

Monday: Our Cabinet Makers deliver the basement vanity that was a last minute decision. We had originally purchased a furniture vanity from Buy Floors Direct only to be incredibly dissappointed in the quality when it arrived. Having already had our custom cabinets installed in the house we just couldn't stomach paying $775 for a piece of junk. So we called our cabinet maker and believe it or not we got a much larger vanity with a beautiful wood top (waterproof). Including the cost of the drop in sink and faucet we saved $100 than if we had used the furniture vanity from BFD.

Tuesday evening: Derek digs the hole and buries the post for the mailbox, including pouring the concrete.

Wednesday: Electrical Inspector comes. We fail. 5 items. Not happy, at all. Could have cried. We decide we will just have our builders Electrician come and fix the issues so that we don't have to bother Jared and he doesn't have to make another trip up. Jared calls that afternoon to find out how the inspection has gone and offers to come up and fix everything.

Thursday: Our builders finish the small touch up work around the house.

Friday evening: Jared comes

Saturday: We spend the day tracing circuits and taking down a few light fixtures to make the inspector happy. We leave believing all is well.

Saturday evening/Sunday morning: I've eaten something that hates me, I am very, very sick. I stay home all day. Derek teaches the kids class for me since I'm sick.

Monday: The inspector is supposed to come but won't get out because of the weather.
I spend the day with the kids getting things for the new and old house. Items such as drapes and showers rods as well as staging items for our old house.

Tuesday: The kids are out of school again. The appraiser is supposed to come but can't because of the weather. The kids and I go out again to exchange and purchase some more items. My mom comes to town!!!

Wednesday: The electrical inspector finally comes. We have failed yet again! All because the Master bedroom Lights and the plug that is for a TV (if we ever have one in our room again) are on separate breakers and those breakers are not ARC Fault breakers. Let me just say that if he was sticking to code all breakers in the house that were not dedicated to specific items i.e. Wall oven, cooktop, etc. OR that had to be GFI such as Bathrooms and kitchens. ALL WOULD HAVE TO BE ARC FAULT BREAKERS. HOWEVER! HE ONLY INSISTED THAT BEDROOMS HAVE ARC FAULT BREAKERS and he was not specific!

(sorry, soapbox for a minute there)

The appraiser comes as well and I give her a tour of the house.

I don't leave the house until 3 and my quick stop at Kroger is lengthened since I stopped to jump some guys off whose car had broken down.

I teach Caleb and Lily's Bible Class that night because their Wednesday night teacher is out of town.

We talk with our builders and they have their Electrician come out on Thursday to fix the ARC fault breakers and just make sure there is nothing else the inspector is going to fail us on.

Thursday: Mom and I spend all day packing. Literally all day. We go to the house that night and hang the curtain rods and drapes in the Master Bedroom and the one for the Great Room

Friday: We pack all day long again. Around 12, text from my builder: We passed!!! The Electrical Inspector has finally passed us! Yeah! The building inspector is supposed to come at 4. If we don't get our Certificate of Occupancy we can't move in this weekend.

5:00 our builder calls. We have our Certificate of Occupancy!!!! Yeah we can move!!!! We leave around 6:30 and go hand the rest of the upstairs curtain rods and finally hit the sack around 10:30.

We were up at 7:30 this morning and going full throttle by the time everyone showed up to help around 9:30 and so on. We got all the packed boxes and small furniture items moved including the kids dressers, my sewing room and Derek's office.

The movers come on Monday to move our sofas, Fridge, Washer, Dryer, Buffet, Beds, TV and our Dresser. The rest of the furniture will stay for staging purposes until the house sells.

We are so very, very grateful for all the help we received today. It's been a very long process. Very rewarding yet very stressful at times. It's still not over, we still have to sell this house and sign the mortgage on the new home but the hardest part is behind us. We have tried our very best and will continue to try our very best to do what the Lord wants us to with what he has blessed us with. We pray you will all have the opportunity to praise Him and edify one another in our home.

If you've hung in there long enough to read all of this I applaud you.

Love to you all out there! You're great friends and I love and cherish each and every one of you very much!
Stacie