Fantastic Finds | Target

Who loves Target?!

Me!!

Bulldog Lamp, $59.99
Buy Online
I'm so grabbing this once it goes on clearance! 

Bulldog Bookends, $19.99
Buy Online & Save 10%!

Trophy Vases
Large, $19.99 ($17.99 Online)
Medium, $17.99 ($14.39 Online)
Small, $14.99 ($11.99 Online)

Adesso Lightbulb Lamp
Available Online
Ori. $39.99 - On Clearance $27.98

Silverware Wall Clock
Ori. $34.99 - On Clearance $24.48
Not found online but here's a similar one

Safe Bank, $12.99

2 Drawer Nightstand
$79.99
I love the color and hardware.

Wall Art
Totally DIY! 

 Xhilaration 'Sudie' Leopard Flats
Available Online, $19.99

What have you spotted at Target?

Dollar Tree Now Accepts Coupons!

Dollar Tree is a store that many, if not all, DIY'ers love. Now that they're accepting manufacturers coupons it's just one more reason to love DT!  Read their Terms & Conditions for details.                                                                                                                                      

ShoeDazzle Surprise

How cute is this?! 

I placed an order with ShoeDazzle, created by celebrity stylist Kim Kardashian, for a pair of cognac riding boots.  Besides the ever so stylish packaging - a hot pink box - inside were two surprise gifts. 

ShoeDazzle Welcome Guide

ShoeDazzle "Dazzle Me Pink" Nail Polish

ShoeDazzle Pink/Gray Nail File

Mary Kay Nourishine Plus Café au Lait Lip Gloss

Full Size too! Retails for $14.

ShoeDazzle Irene Boots, $39.95

Fantastic Finds | Candle Holders, Lamp, Vintage Tray

As everyone knows, shopping thrift stores is always a hit or miss.

This is all new to me but so much fun since I love finding great deals.  

Allison from House of Hepworth's has a great article on everything she knows about Goodwill.

It's full of tips & info.  Did you know that some Goodwill stores buy salvage from Target?!

After reading that I searched for Goodwill Stores near me and went shopping. 

Here's what I found...

2 Matching Wooden Candle Stick Holders, $1.99 ea

A Vintage Mirrored Tray, $1.99

A Brand New Homes & Garden Lamp, $8.99

I can't decide whether to paint the candle holders white or spray paint them in a silver satin. Hmmmm

Walk in Support of Suicide Prevention

Luis M. Castillo, Jr.
April 8, 1992 - October 13, 2011

Last October, during that dark and overwhelming time, news of my brother's passing spread like wildfire. It was unexpected, but most importantly heartwarming, to see so many faces that I hadn't seen in years.  Now, nearly a year later, I hope to get the same support at the Hudson River Walk Event.

Out of the Darkness Community Walk for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention

Where:

J.Owen Grundy Pier at Exchange Place Jersey City, New Jersey

When:Saturday October 6, 2012 Time:11:00 am - 1:00 pmCheck-in Time:10:00 am to 11:00 amOnline Registration Cutoff:10/05/2012 12:00 pmDonation Cutoff:01/01/2013 12:00 am

The Out of the Darkness Community Walks are 3-5 mile walks taking place in over 250 communities across the country this year, with the proceeds benefiting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). By walking in the Out of the Darkness Community Walks, you will be walking with thousands of other walkers nationwide to raise money for AFSP's vital research and education programs to prevent suicide and save lives, increase national awareness about depression and suicide, and provide support for survivors of suicide loss. In deciding to walk you are taking us a step closer to making suicide prevention a national priority.

Whether you can attend or not, please consider making a tax-exempt donation to the The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Even $5 can make a difference! To make a donation, click the Support Me button on my fundraising page.  

{Mommy Must-Haves} Belly Growth Chart

Seeing this will give you one of those, "Why didn't I think of that?" moments.  

The ways of recording growing bellies are well, growing.

Egg2Cake gives us a spin on a traditional growth chart...a horizontal spin!

Egg2Cake's Guesstation: Are We There Yet? Chart, $12.95

Mark the curves of growing belly every month. 

The chart flips over so you can continue using it once the baby is born.

Coach Factory

The rumors you've might have heard are true... Coach offers its Outlet prices online! 

Usually lasting 48 hours, the exclusive sale events are accessed by invitation only. 

No need to fret though, contact me here to be invited. 

(Enter Coach Factory in the subject line and include your name & email.)

The deals are better than you would find on eBay and there's no need to waste gas getting to an Coach Factory Store. 

       Here's a glimpse of what's currently on sale:

                                 

   

    

{Mommy Must-Haves} Watches for Nursing Mothers

Con Leche's Natalia Watch $115 Thanks to Con Leche, breastfeeding moms can now stop writing down breastfeeding schedules and details. Available in 3 designs, the Con Leche watches feature a violet stone which you can rotate from left to right, to let you indicate the last breast fed or pumped from. There's also a triangle which rotates to indicate the time of the last feeding. Read about all of its capabilities here.

Happy 4th of July!

July 4th just so happens to be my mother's best friends birthday. 

Happy Birthday Diana!  

Diana was throwing a - go ahead and guess, yes - a BBQ. It was the perfect excuse to make a few dozen cupcakes and give a Pinterest pin I saw a try.  

The Inspiration: Flag Fruit Cupcakes

As good as the blueberries and strawberries looked,  I decided to go without the fresh fruit since it was over 95 degrees out!  I kept my ingredients simple and turned to good ol' Duncan Hines.  No, I was not about to make cupcakes from scratch - don't judge - everyone loves boxed cake! Besides, I have never baked cupcakes from scratch before, shhhhhh. 

• Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix paired with Cream Cheese Frosting  
• Duncan Hines French Vanilla Cake Mix & Vanilla Frosting
• Red & Blue Sprinkles
• Coconut Flakes

4th of July Cupcake Flag

I wanted to use 50 cupcakes but it just didn't work out. It came out close enough though, 48 cupcakes!

Take A Break From Your Bills!

I love reading All You Magazine for their great tips.  Here's one I never thought of... taking a vacation from your bills!

Did you know you can cut costs by: 

Suspending your landline or wireless service.  Who would think to voluntarily suspend their service? 

Your landline can still dial 611 or 911 if needed, so there's no need to worry about needing information or calling for help in an emergency.  

Suspending your cable/dish service.  If your service provider doesn't allow you to suspend service, switch to the lowest cost plan while you're away.  DirectTV customers can suspend their service as long as the suspension will last less than 6 months and there's no current account balance. 

Switch your water heater to vacation mode and cut the energy use by up to 25%.  Hmm, have a bill for $100 or $75? 

There are a few things I do religiously when going away to help cut costs, such as: 

Unplug electrical appliances.  I think it's so vital for everyone to know that even though an appliance may be turned off, it still draws electricity when plugged.  Think about all those chargers that are left plugged into an outlet! Yikes!  

Before I leave the house, even for just a long weekend, I unplug my:

• microwave 
• lamps 
• tv
• computer 
• plug-in air fresheners
• fans 

Whichever way you decide to have a vacation from your bills, make sure you ask if there are any fees or time limits!  You wouldn't want to be a hit with a fee later on, it'll defeat the purpose of saving.

Healing Power of Egg Whites

I would have never thought that eggs could be a healing miracle for burns.  Eggs are known to be full of vitamins.  They are in fact a placenta, right.  Apparently, egg whites are also a natural form of collagen, which helps regenerate burned skin. 

First Aid for Burns*

  1. Spray cold water on the affected area until the heat 

is reduced and stops burning the layers of skin.

2. Spread egg whites on the affected area, 

allowing to form a protective layer. 

Story #1 

"A young man sprinkling his lawn and bushes with pesticides wanted to check the contents of the barrel to see how much pesticide remained in it.  He raised the cover and lit his lighter; the vapors inflamed and engulfed him.  He jumped from his truck, screaming.  His neighbor came out of her house with a dozen eggs, yelling: "bring me some eggs!"  She broke them, separating the whites from the yolks.  The neighbor helped her to apply the whites on the young man's face.  When the ambulance arrived and when the EMTs saw the young man, they asked who had done this.  Everyone pointed to the lady in charge.  They congratulated her and said: "You have saved his face."  By the end of the summer, the young man brought the lady a bouquet of roses to thank her.  His face was like a baby's skin."

Story #2

"A woman burned a large part of her hand with boiling water.  In spite of the pain, she ran cold faucet water on her hand, separated 2 egg white from the yolks, beat them slightly and dipped her hand in the solution.  The whites dried and formed a protective layer. She continued to apply layer upon layer of beaten egg white, during at least one hour.  By afternoon she no longer felt any pain and the next day there was hardly a trace of the burn.  10 days later, no trace was left at all and her skin had regained its normal color."

 *  Collagen dressings are created by companies such as Johnson & Johnson to treat burn wounds. 
     Click here to learn more. 

{Community} Spring & Summer Fun

Check with your city's Parks & Recreation Department to see what fun things can be done.

Here's my fav from Heath, OH...

Swimming Lessons 

Session 1: June 11 - 22

Session 2: July 9 - 20

Cost: $20

Star Spangled Celebration!

Geller Park: 

July 2

5:00 pm

Cost: Admission, parking, entertainment all FREE

Kids Summer Bowling Camp (Ages 4 - 14)

Park Lanes

June 25 - 29

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Cost: $60 

Extend Coupon Expiration Dates

DYK? Military families overseas can use expired coupons for up to six months past their expiration date. 

Visit ocpnet.org for more information

Free Money Anyone?

Rebate websites are a must when shopping online.  Why?  Because you get cash back on your everyday purchases!

My favorite is MyLuckyRewards.com from Lucky Magazine

Every quarter, if I accumulate more than $15 in  cash back rewards, I get it loaded onto a prepaid Visa 

that I can use just like a Debit Card. 

Other sites to try are

• eBates           More than 1,000 retailers - Get paid quarterly via check or paypal
• Fat Wallet     More than 1,000 retailers - Get paid weekly via check or paypal
• Mr. Rebates  More than 2,000 retailers - Get paid monthly via check or paypal

{Fashion} Colorful Cardigans

Spring is just around the corner! Yay!

Look at these cute & colorful cardigans available at Nordstrom Rack. 

I tried finding it online but had no luck.  I would love one of these! Pink please!!

{Events} Build-A-Bear's New Girl Scouts Bear

In celeBEARation of the 

Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary...

  

This beary special teddy* is all about leadership, friendship and fun! 

Dress her up to look just like your Daisy, Brownie or Junior Scout!

Arrives in stores March 16

Find your nearest Build A Bear store!

*while quantities last




  Make this a Troop Event and save 10% on a $200+ order. Get your coupon here. 

{Events} The Disney Store's 25th Anniversary!

Celebrate 25 Years of Magic and Memories at the Disney Store!

Disney Store Quest
Saturday, March 3, 10:30 - 1:00 pm 
Kids must find images of Mickey Mouse and his friends hidden throughout the store to unlock the secret code. Upon completion, children will receive a prize.

Craft Celebration 
Saturday, March 10, 10:30 am - 1:00 pm 
Kids create their own festive party hat to help celebrate Disney Store's 25th anniversary.

Trivia Game & Dance Party 
Saturday, March 17 at 10:30 am, 11:30 am and 12:30 pm 
Kids will test their Disney knowledge and play fun dance games. All participants receive a prize.

Stickermania & Storytelling 
Saturday, March 24, 10:30 am - 1:00 pm 
Kids create their very own Disney Store party story using stickers.

Happy 25th Anniversary Disney Store! 
Wednesday, March 28 
FREE Mickey Ears to first 250 guests! Celebrations continue all day with store wide savings.

I'll be there, will you?! Find your nearest Disney Store to attend here. 

{Events} Dr. Seuss Month

Saturday, March 3rd

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Free Activity book and a Free HP 5x7 Photo Flip book coupon 

to the first 50 customers to the event.

While you're there pick up your favorite Dr. Seuss books!

Not only will they be on sale at 50% off BUT for every book sold, 

a book will be donated to a child through the First Book program. 

I'll be there, will you?! Find your nearest Meijer store here. 

Ohio's Perks!

I'm a Jersey Girl whose used to getting certain merchandise from certain merchants.

My Groceries:   A & P  ~  Food Basics  ~  Pathmark  ~  ShopRite

                        
Gas for my car:  Exxon  ~  Sunoco 

Shopping:          Marshalls  ~  TJ Maxx  ~  Target  ~  Walmart  ~  Outlet Malls! 

                         

Here in Ohio, there aren't any supermarkets that are found in Jersey.  There's also no chain of gas stations I'm familiar with.  BUT you can imagine how happy I was to discover that just down the road from me is a Target, TJ Maxx, Walmart and a Mall!  Everything I need literally down the road. 

What's even better?  The supermarkets I have newly aquatinted myself with, Giant Eagle and Kroger, offer rewards for fuel! 

Giant Eagle's Fuel Perks Program

• Use your Giant Eagle Advantage Card at Giant Eagle, GetGo, Market District, or Giant Eagle Express.

$50 Spent = 10¢ off per gallon 

 

Kroger's Fuel Program

• Earn a point for every dollar you spend at Kroger and Turkey Hill stores.

• Earn 50 points for every qualifying prescription you fill. (Government funded prescriptions are excluded)

• Earn double points for every dollar you spend on qualifying gift cards.

100 points = 10¢ off per gallon 

  






Obviously, comparing the two, Giant Eagle has the better program.  I spent $270.33 in groceries and got $1.15 off per gallon of gas!  I saved over $10 when I filled up my tank.  Way to go Ohio! 

{Recipe} My most favorite soup? Zuppa Toscana!

                                                                                            

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

Spicy sausage, russet potatoes and cavolo greens in a creamy broth.

Calories 170

Total Fat (g) 4

Sat. Fat (g) 2

Sodium 960

Carb. (g) 24

Fiber (g) 2

Protein (g) 10 

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

As much as I love Olive Garden, and their Unlimited Soup, Salad & Breadsticks, I prefer to have myself a bowl of homemade Zuppa Toscana whenever my heart desires. 

Try my recipe and let me know what you think! 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb mild Italian sausage
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 medium to large onion, diced
• 1 tbs garlic, minced
• 4 - 6 tbs Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Bits
• (4 cups chicken broth) OR (4 cups of water & 2 chicken bouillon cubes)
• 2 cups water
• 1-2 lbs Russet potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 cups Kale, chopped, rinsed, and drained

Directions:

In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil; add 2 chicken bouillon cubes.  

Simultaneously, thoroughly cook the Italian sausage until brown over medium-high heat. Drain on paper towels and set aside. (10 - 15 min)

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add bacon bits. (5 minutes)

Add additional water, onion mixture, sausage and potatoes to the chicken broth. Boil until fork tender (20 minutes).  

Reduce the heat and stir in the heavy cream and kale.

Don't forget to save this to your AllRecipes Box!