One thing you should know about me is that I love music.  I have always been interested in finding new bands and artists that are new and different.  That being said, I do find it hard to invest money in a CD which I don't know if I will enjoy or not.  Somehow I got a gift card for Amazon digital downloads and I discovered a new great site for music.  I have an iPod touch, but all downloads are compatible with iTunes.  Best part?  Most downloads are at least 50% cheaper than iTunes and they always offer specials and freebies! 

More highlights:

• Free singles downloads every week of new music, most of upcoming bands 
• Most popular new releases start at $3.99 for the week.  That is a great deal!  Most new releases start at $9.99.  Yes, you don't have the case and artwork, but do you really use that anyway?  You can still burn it into CD format.  Plus, artwork does show up on iTunes and your mp3 player.
• Cheap TV shows and movies, if you watch those on your player

Here's the link, sign up for weekly emails and you will find something of interest!

*UPDATE*  There is a new $3 credit off any MP3 album!  It is good until 11/29.  When you click on the CD of choice, you can redeem it right under where it says "Buy MP3" and "Add to wish list": GET3MP3S. 

What to do with grocery store markdowns: recipes & tips!

I love any deal, but grocery markdowns are one of my favorite ways to save.  By markdown, I mean products on clearance or "manager specials" throughout the store.  Im such a dork that I get super excited when I see those orange stickers.  Maybe I need a life?  Anyway, I thought I would give some tips on what to do with some commonly found markdowns, as well as some great recipes I've come across.  Before buying anything, make sure there are no brown spots on meat, dents in cans or moldy produce!

• Bananas.  I actually like slightly brown bananas over ripe, but when I see a big bag of them I get them for two reasons: bread and smoothies.  Check back in a few days for my smoothie tips.  
• Banana Oatmeal Bread (from allrecipes.com) This is a new favorite and its amazing as bread or muffins!  It freezes well, too.  Just cover in foil and then a freezer bag (after cooking, of course).  I don't use shortening, I substitute 1/2 cup of applesauce and 1/2 c of butter, as a review suggested.
• Peppers. 
• With bell peppers I slice them and freeze for pasta, stir fry, fajitas or whole for stuffed peppers.  When you defrost them, make sure you let them drain liquid.  They loose their crispness, but the flavor remains when you use them for cooking.  
• Jalapenos and other spicy peppers also freeze well, but I try to use them right away.  My aunt gave me a great recipe for stuffed peppers, if you are interested, message me! 
• Meat.  I love finding chicken, pork roasts, sausages, or more expensive cuts of meat like flank steaks or NY strips on markdowns.  If you freeze them right away, they are okay for months. 
•  If you watch the Food Network, Tyler's Ultimate has great recipes.  Here is one for a pot roast.  So delicious!
• Ground beef or turkey can be made into meatloaf or burger patties.
• Italian sausage freezes well both raw and cooked.
• When I first bought a pork roast I had no idea what to do with it.  I find slow cookers are the best route for tender results.  This pulled pork recipe from allrecipes.com (can you tell I love this website?) gets a lot of compliments.  I usually add more of my favorite bbq sauce to it.
• Chicken the best bargain, especially if it happens to be Gold n' Plump because there are always coupons for it.  
• Flank steak is a great marinade & grill steak.  Slice it thin for tacos or just sliced with potatoes works too. 
• Avocados.  I can eat guacamole every day, I love it so much.  If you happened to miss my "Healthier Guac" recipe, you should try it!  It can be frozen too!  When I find bags of 12 avocados, I make huge batches and freeze them in cup sized portions.  Make sure you add a bit of extra lemon or lime juice.
• Berries & other fruit.  We fly through fruit around here, so finding edible fruit on markdown is a jackpot (sometimes fruit on markdown is mushy or almost moldy).  
• I freeze strawberries, blueberries and raspberries for smoothies. 
• Apples can be made into applesauce or apple cake or bread. 
• Canned goods: stock is a great find!
• Veggies. 
• Corn can be sliced off of the cobb and frozen.  Rachael Ray has a great corn chowder recipe that we love, also. 
• Zucchini doesn't freeze well by itself, but if it is mixed with other veggies for a stirfry mix it will be okay.
• Broccoli freezes or you can make soup first, then freeze.  I do recommend cutting it first. 
• Bread.  There is always day old bread which you can make garlic bread with (just combine minced garlic, butter and Italian seasoning) or bread crumbs super fast.  Both freeze well. 

There are many other great finds out there, but this should get you started.  Don't be scared of trying new recipes.  You can also find products or foods you would may have always wanted to try on markdown.

Keep your eyes peeled when you are shopping, you can find some great deals! If you need some suggestions or recipes, message me.  I have many saved!

Do-it yourself eyebrows: if you're brave!

Gigi Microwave Tweezeless Wax 

This tip is for you brave souls out there.  I really don't have the time or money to go get my eyebrows waxed all of the time, but I really love the look.  And, lets be honest, my eyebrows are out of control if I don't do anything with them.  It looks like my twins are going to have the same problem, poor girls! 

I've been doing my own eyebrows for about 10 years now and this product by GiGI
 is super easy to use.  I haven't tried any other products on the market because I love this one so much.

There aren't many places where you can even get your eyebrows done for that cheap.  The little bottle lasts me at least 3 months.  All you have to do is heat it up in the microwave and use the included applicator to put the wax on your brows.  So easy.  I usually buy it at Sally Beauty Supply, but I just found it on Amazon as well.  With my free shipping at Amazon, this saves a trip to Sally's!

I will be honest, there have been a few instances where I have messed up my eyebrows, but if you take your time it's a piece of cake.  The formula comes in sensitive and regular and I prefer regular, but both work well.  It does sting a bit at first, but the formula does not cause much redness.

It's worth trying, I promise!

Black Friday is looming

To be honest, I am still debating getting up to do Black Friday shopping, but I can't resist the ads!  I have found the last few years the sales have been even better in December and on Cyber Mondays. 

This website posts the deals and advertisements as they come in.  The Target ad has some potential!

Dont forget: printing photos can be cheap!

When the girls were first born, I had so much extra time to go through photos, print them and put them in photo books.  Now I realize I am a year behind!  This made me think to check out some deals and there are a TON for the holidays.  You can print Christmas cards, photo books, mugs, etc.  Every week there seems to be a new deal going on.  There are so many different photo websites out there, it can be a bit overwhelming.  I join most of them for the free photos or deals and it seems each has their pros and cons.  As always, I recommend using your "junk" email so your personal is not bombarded with too many deals.  Usually I put all photos I want to print in a folder and go from there.  This saves time on going through all photo files to figure out which ones you want to print.  Since most sites have slower uploads, it is very helpful to have a separate folder.  I also have a rule of thumb that I won't pay more than 10¢ per photo, which is very easy to do.

Here are my favorites:

• Snapfish :
• I like this for it's free gifts and they offer quite a bit of free shipping.  Also, you can print photos at various locations, including Target.  Very nice if you are already shopping. 
• Uploads tend to be slow.  It seems to be helpful to upload 10 photos at a time.
• Great photo books and they have very cute designs and templates.
• Their share option is nice if you dont want to show all of your photos on Facebook.
• Everyday 9¢ photos, but usually with deals you can get them much cheaper.
•  Kodak Photo Gallery :
• 10¢ photos everyday, but they also have deals
• They have a lot of specials on photo books and other freebies.  Usually if you order a larger item like a book, you get at least 100 prints free.
•  Dotphoto :
• I don't order too much from this website, but they do offer some deals from time to time
•  Shutterfly : 
• If you haven't joined, you can get 50 free prints!
• I really like this for its organization and it seems to have faster uploads than most.
• They also offer a lot of deals and their books have great templates.  Around any holidays, they offer a lot of themed items.
• Dont forget about drugstores!  RiteAid, Walgreens
• Convenient, fast- you can get them in an hour most times!
• A bit more expensive, but they offer weekly deals and freebies
• Quality prints and they offer matte finish, which I love.
• Walmart
• I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of Walmart, but they do offer great photo deals.

That should be plenty to get you started (or in my case, continued) with your photo printing!  There are many, many other options out there, as well.

What is your favorite site?

Barnes & Noble kids' club

Although I don't do much book shopping at Barnes & Noble, I came across a new rewards club they have for kids.  Best of all, its FREE to join!  Check it out here.   I sign up for any free rewards programs just for the potential of extra discounts throughout the year.  Quick overview:

• 30% off welcome gift
• Birthday surprises
• Special discounts throughout the year
• $5 back for every $100 spent

If you are a shopper at B&N, join!

Christmas Shopping: Toys!

If you are in the market for toys this holiday season, check your mailbox for the Target toy guide.  If you aren't on their mailing list, you can pick one up in the store or (even better!) you can print them here from their website.  The best part of the Target coupons is you can use any manufacturer coupons that may come out with them as well.  Since we have two little ladies to buy for, any extra savings are much appreciated!  These expire on 11/24, so unfortunately you cant combine these with Black Friday deals. 

If you shop at Toys/Babies R Us, they have an awesome money back deal this season for their Rewards 'R Us members.  It's a free program to join and until December 24, you get 10% back on all of your purchases.  The money will be returned in January in the form of a certificate.  Great way to save on diapers,etc in the future!

Im keeping my eyes peeled for any other toy coupons or deals.  Last year I found amazing deals at Amazon.com (no pun intended).  Don't worry, I will keep you posted!

Happy shopping!