Day 90!

Well yesterday, Feb. 11 was officially day 90 of my P90X challenge.  I made it through!  So glad to have accomplished it.  What were my results?  Well I'll tell you.  I lost 4.5 lbs.  10% body fat (I went from 29% to 19%) and I lost 10.15 inches!  3.25 of those in my waist.  Here's my before and after picture

 

So what's next you might ask?  Well I'll tell you!  Les Mills PUMP!  So excited to start this!

My first day of my 90 day challenge officially starts tomorrow.  Here's a picture of the awesome workout program, right out of the box.

Still drinking my Shakeology and loving every day!

  Keep Bringing it!

Love, 

~The Boss Lady~

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~