What is Strategic Shopping and why you should be doing it!

Want to go grocery shopping? Yup, me neither. You go, get your essentials without a list, and $200 later you come home with everything but what you went in to get in the first place. We have all been there. So.. there has got to be a better way right? Yes, and companies know it, that’s why there are all these little tricks to help you save your money at THE STORE!

To beat the marketing game as consumers we need to play along and take small victories when they come. This game is called Strategic Shopping, it’s a real thing, grocery stores and supermarkets (WalMart in particular) knows it really well.  Here are some tips to help you save money next time you're at the grocery store

Know your Store’s add and buy what’s on sale. Lots of times Hy-Vee and other grocery stores have a weekly sales ad. Hy-Vee in the Des Moines area the add drops on Tuesday, I like to grocery shop on Monday and/or Thursday. To be more particular, Hy-Vee has the best items on sale at the beginning of the month, and then at the end, the middle part of the month they usually are not filled with great rock bottom prices. Keep an eye on those “hot deals” sometimes the only reason why they are a “hot deal” is because they have a bunch of that product that they need to sale, it’s not really a discount.

Shop with a list but be flexible, I am a total advocate for sticking to a list, but often times I go grocery shopping and deviate from my list slightly, let me give you a great example: I see this pork loin on sale for half the cost it normally is (in Iowa we can get pork at a good price,) it’s not on my list but that’s a better deal than the pork chops I was going to get. So I get the pork loin and cut them into chops, better yet I make the meat department cut up the loin for me so I don’t have too. Sometimes a general item of 2lbs of white meat than 2 lbs of boneless chicken breasts can save you loads of money. So always be on the lookout for deals that are

worth buying, and that you can substitute.

Look High look low… all too often the manufacturers will pay the grocery store for prime real estate for their product placement, usually at eye level. Cereal is a great example, all the popular more expensive items are in plain sight, where the same item but in store brand is at the bottom. (often times the store brand is made by the same manufacturer.) So I ask myself am I really willing to pay X brand name for prime real estate when I could get the same product for at least 10% cheaper?

Same product, different locations I love tortillas for easy dinner solutions, which one do I buy?There are only like 40 different kinds, the answer is NOT THE ONES THAT ARE REFRIGERATED. You are paying for the cost of them to refrigerate them… go with the ones that are just on the shelf, the same thing with bagels. While we are on locations, know where your deals are kept, for us Hy-Vee Prairie Trail always has baskets at the front with discounted items, sometimes it’s laundry detergent at a rock bottom price, but I have been able to get a bunch of staples like brand name cereal, and artisan noodles at a rock bottom price.

Same product but Different packaging is always a great game changer, I am always wondering why they had to change the packaging up, My mommy saving senses are in active mode: sometimes it’s a way for you to get less and pay more like a standard cake mix, they lower the price 10 cents, but you get half the cake mix! Yes, really manufacturers will do that and call it a new item. I get annoyed by this often.I get a different brand and off I go.

Another great example was when I was looking for Multigrain Tortilla Chips, guess what? All tortilla chips are multi grain because they use corn, corn is a grain. So don’t pay extra for those “healthy” multigrain chips, when I saw that the ingredients were the same, same size, “healthy marketed bag” was $2.00 more! OUCH!!!! Pay attention to the details, and what you are really buying.

Just doing these small things have saved me on average $20 every grocery store visit, Or in a better light, that is how I can spend $20 extra at Memory Bound, or on other art supplies! Hah it's always fun when I feel like can save $20 and spend it on my art addiction!

Teaching Food and STEM together

What? you don't let your kids play with food? I love letting my kids play with their food if it's a learning opportunity, I think you will agree, MY KIDS LOVE THIS activity!  It's a two materials activity that you most likely have on hand!

Are your kids like mine and cheese balls are the first and only thing they want to eat right now? I thought so! I came up with a way to "teach" my kids while they eat their cheese balls. All you need is toothpicks, cheese balls and, some engineering skills and you got yourself a fun playful snack, We had fun building a little house, but I like using this as a way to teach math and shapes, and curiosity: how long is the table with cheese balls and toothpicks? You get the idea, the sky's the limit with cheeseballs and toothpicks! We also like to make shapes and talk about the shape.

I get my toothpicks and cheese balls at our local Hy-Vee. ( I have a love obsession with finding stuff at the grocery store that makes for fun toys for my kids.

Enjoy creating and playing with your food!

Nicks Tenderloins and Blank Park Zoo visit recap

looking at the funny otters!

A perfect Saturday for this stay at home mom is when we are able to do something as a family in the morning, then for a late lunch/early supper, then we go out to eat. A couple Saturday on a nice late winter Saturday when the weather was just warm enough to stay outside for a couple hours we went to the Blank Park Zoo, It was a fun time, not too busy and not too hot! Those are the days I cherish during a long winter month!

at the Discover zone with the fish

Notice in the pictures that it was a perfect time to go to the zoo, (not too many people) and that is part of the reason why I love having a membership, you can go to the zoo on a whim and if it's too busy you come back when it's not as busy and spend more time at each exhibit! (I suppose it a dirty little secret my kids haven't quite got onto yet!)

On a side note, during the spring and summer absolutely love going to the HY-Vee down the road and get sushi for me, and Lunchables for my kids so we can have lunch at the park in the Zoo's parking lot, they kids love it, there is a shelter with tables, and lots of shade, the sounds of the birds and the tall grass and my kids playing makes this a perfect spot to chill, and eat some sushi!

This particular day we had a wonderful time at the zoo, and then we wanted to try a new restaurant, It's a little-known secret that in Iowa there is a place that has the best tenderloins in the nation, and that is right here in Des Moines but more particular it's on the South Side of the Des Moines Area. Watch out Smitty's Tenderloin, a new kid's in town and the Tenderloin is thick and perfect made my Nicks Town House Tenderloins! 

The king tenderloin is about 2 inches thick, biger than a bun!

With the perfect crunchy outside and moist tender pork when you bite into the King tenderloin it's delectable! No wonder Iowa Pork producers voted the King Tenderloin the best tenderloin in Iowa (nation) because we (Iowa) are known for the best tenderloins in the nation. Thanks to the Pork Producers for that, enough stories and people have shared that when they land in the Des Moines area the first stop they make is down the road to a tenderloin shop for a perfect meal they have been waiting for.

This was our fist time stopping into Nick's What big shoes to fill when you open a tenderloin shop on the south side of Des Moines, It's gotta be good, there are enough places to choose from that you will need a killer tenderloin. And they did just that!

The King Tenderloin which my husband and I split was the perfect portion, most of the time we order one for each of us, so we could have leftovers, next time we will be doing that.  our kids had kid-friendly food from their kid menu, corndog nuggets.

The atmosphere was fun and kid friendly, you walk in and there is a bar, and the hostess greeting you, I felt like Nick's was more like a diner feel than a pub, which I am grateful for (Nicks bought the old Tavern on the south side.)

Thank you, Nicks, for having such a great kid-friendly restaurant that is close to the zoo so families can enjoy an Iowa favorite, and relax after a couple amusing hours at the zoo. We will be back often!

The rope bridge at the Discovery Zone at the BPZ

My quick tip for kids and families that go to the Blank Park Zoo, go to the discovery center when it's cold or too hot, it's air conditioned and heated during those days you need a break. The Zoo is open year round and the Discovery center is perfect for winter days. Eat before you go to the zoo, they don't let you bring lunch into the zoo.

To find out why I love my Zoo pass go to this blog post

Gourmet Hot Chocolate Mix (my all time favorite)

These winter days are the worst! so a cup of Hot chocolate always makes the day more enjoyable! You could get a mix from the store and enjoy it, or if you coupon you can make it way cheaper and insanely good, (I can't go back to hot chocolate mix you buy... unless you spend way too much. So here is the recipe, it's really simple and so good!

I have adapted this from Hy-Vee's hot chocolate recipe from the box of powdered milk (I like finding recipes on boxes of products.)

Coupon Sahm I Am Hot Chocolate

In a mixer mix with whisk attachment:
6 cups dry milk powder
1- 1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C cocoa
1 pkg 3.4 oz pudding mix, I like chocolate and french vanilla.
1 Cup of powder Creamer

store mix in a 4-6 quart container or in mason jars.

I double this recipe and keep it in a 20 cup Rubbermaid container, then  I write on the container: add 6 oz of hot water to 1/3 cup of mix. Add creamer, to give it a gourmet taste if needed.

The pudding makes it exceptional! I have made it once without the pudding and it was not as creamy, it's worth not skipping this ingredient.

This mix is also a great gift, I have given this as a gift in a mason jar and it went over very well!

Holiday Season at Hy-Vee

I love grocery shopping during the holiday season, I can really get some good deals. I thought I would give you some of my top items I stock up during this two week sale cycle that happens every year around this time.

Juice pouches for $.99-$1,79, cheaper than Sams Club!

Peanut Butter, $.99 a jar, you wont see a sale like this until August, so if you go through PB, now is the time to make multiple trips to Hy-Vee for PB. I go through about a jar ever other week, so I need about 30 Jars to last me till August! (if you are building up a stock pile!)

Butter, did you know Butter freezes really well, it's silly to buy butter at regular price. I love the taste of Hy-Vee butter, its much more flavorful than Sams club brand, and to me having good butter in my baked goods is totally worth it!

Flour, $.99 5lb. bag, Yes Please, I will be stocking up on this item.

I keep an eye out for those un-advertised deals, like bacon, Cream Cheese, cheese blocks, Egg Nog, chocolate Milk, Chex Cereal, take and bake pizza, chocolate chips, (so lots of dairy, and baking Items)

On a diffrent note, Our husbands are joining more and more in our weekly shopping trips according to the FMI Grocery retail group.

Happy Grocery shopping! it's going to be fun saving money and working on your stock pile this week!

Carole Bloom's Bittersweet Chocolate-Salted Caramel Truffles

All photographs from this post were photographed by Lisa Christensen at CouponSahmIAm.

You know those recipes that you see and wonder, yeah right, the recipe makes it look easy. Well this recipe really was that way for me. The real title should be Amazing Truffles that any one can make! or Just Double the Recipe Truffle's, They were so good that I only gave away half of them to family, and I kept the rest for my husband and I.

In Carole Bloom's cookbook Intensely Chocolate comes this great gem of easy candy making. No mold, or candy thermometer required, (my kind of recipe.) As always I have to give a shout out to Craftsy, for introducing me to a talented pastry cheif, Carole Bloom!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon of light corn syrup
3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream, NO Substitute
2 ounces of unsalted butter (1/2 stick, another reason to double the recipe)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, I used Vanilla Bean Paste (totally worth it)
1/2 teaspoon kosher, or fleur de sel or other fine grained finishing salt. (I used Kosher salt.)
3.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, 70-72% cocoa, (I used Zoet premium Belgian Chocolate from Hy-Vee.) chopped fine. To be real, I got distracted with my children, and only some how managed to put in half the bar, it was really tasty and it was enough chocolate for me. Zoet, Chocolate is really a great deal for the money, I really like the taste, better than baking chocolate!

How I made them:

Add the sugar and the water into a 3-4 quart pot, don't go with a small pot, you will make a mess! Once you swish (don't stir,) the water and sugar together in a large 3-4 quart pot, add the corn syrup. Let it get hot and bubbly, you want the mixture to turn to a light amber color. Once the mixture starts bubbling, take a pastry brush with clean water, and brush around the sides where sugar wants to crystallize, do that twice. The mixture should start to turn amber color about 7 minutes, keep watch, it turns really fast, and you can't save it from getting a burnt taste.

while the sugar mixture is heating up, heat up the heavy whipping cream, in a small sauce pan. (don't scald it) Once the sugar mixture is at a perfect lighter amber color, add the hot heavy whipping cream together, be prepared to see it bubble up. stir, untill it's incoporated, Then add the rest of the ingredients, starting with the unsalted butter, make sure it's good and melted before adding the other things in, paying attention that your chopped chocolate is all melted together. That's it for the truffle part.

Now you can store the truffle sauce in a covered container in the fridge, for up to two weeks (just another reason to double.) I chilled mine for over night, and the next morning I made the truffles you want the sauce to be cold and pliable.

Shaping the truffles was easy: take a small 1-inch diameter round scoop and scoop out the chocolate, I did one at a time, I wanted them to be shaped in a ball, not a half circle dome, so I rolled them into my hand, the scoop is there to get the same size of ball every time. then I rolled them in cocoa, but you could dip them into your choice of tempered chocolate if you wanted too. Then lay them on a sheet, chill them for at least 15 minutes before serving.  They should keep in your fridge for about 2 weeks covered, or in the freezer for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container.




I plan to make this for some Christmas presents/goodies but instead of rolling them all in cocoa I will roll some of them in nuts, and powder sugar! You could do sprinkles or praline, they would present well with all four different coatings! I can't wait to make some for the Christmas season! Thank you Carole Bloom for your talented chocolate recipes!

Lisa's easy Chicken noddle soup with Reames frozen noodles

Chicken noodle soup is so darn easy to make, seriously, it's crazy easy I call this the cheater way since my kids don't love spice. This is my method:

buy a turkey/chicken when it's super cheap, roast it, shred it, freeze it. (this is the hard part.)

Now onto the soup:

Add 6 cups of broth, or make your own (I make my own here is how)

Add dehydrated celery, (I buy celery like once a year when it's on sale, to dehydrate it, to put it into soups.) or chop up 1 cup of fresh celery.

Boil, the broth/water mixture, If you buy store bought broth, don't add too much water. I would add like 1 cup of water for the noddles.The hard part about knowing how much water to add is then boiling down the water for the taste.

 Once it's boiling, add 1 cup frozen cut carrots, and frozen noddles I like Reames frozen noodles let it boil for about 10 minutes

Add the thawed chicken or turkey about two cups, (remember you already have it shredded and froze it when it was super cheap.) My price point is about $1/lb for poultry

For the spices, I love mixes that are all ready done for you. If you are going for that real classic recipe by all means measure out each ingredient, I don't have time for that, so I use parsley and Italian seasoning, with a bay leaf. Remember that green spices have antioxidant in them, so the more you can get away with the better. So I use about 2 table spoons of parsley and about 2 Tablespoons of Italian seasoning. I didn't need to add salt, but you can.

Let that simmer for a bit, (I do about an hour) and your soup is done. like If you have all the prepwork done before hand it's super easy!

I have also used a thickener to make the broth more hearty, by adding about 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream to the broth at the end before I let the soup simmer. (that's really good too.)

Here is the original recipe that isn't tweaked by me!
http://www.marzettikitchens.com/kitchens/recipes/detail/109/classic-chicken-noodle-soup-recipe

The Art of Caramel and Peanut Brittle recipe

So, thinking about Christmas yet? Nope, well I sorta am, I wanted to get an idea of food gifts that I could give out during the Christmas season, I needed some where to start. Seriously if I had know how easy and cheap it was to make peanut brittle, I would never have bought Peanut Brittle! Keep reading for the exclusive recipe from craftsy on Peanut Brittle.

 It is said by America's test kitchen that you only need like 20 really good dishes to be called a good cook, I totally agree. With that thought in mind I think Caramel is a hard thing to accomplish well every time. I mean why does it crystallize, or burn so easy when I followed the recipe. Right? Right! So when I saw this class on Craftsy my eyes got really big with excitement and and I thought I needed to know how Caramel works.

I was pleasantly surprised by the content of this class! it's well thought out as most craftsy classes are, There is some small history lessons to help with what caramel is, which helped with making caramel.

This class will save me money in the long run, I always seem to want to have some peanut brittle during the Christmas season, and for about $2.00 a batch I can make peanut brittle to my little hearts content, or make it and give it out, smiling that you really only spent $2.00 on the gift, that could retail up to $15.00 (which btw is the cost of the class when it goes on sale!) I also posted about the Caramel candies, you can find my blog post here along with the recipe

One of the main reason's why I wanted this class was to figure out how to make caramel sauce, you know the dip used for apples, and a filling for chocolates, or bon bons. I finally have a perfect recipe for both with the knowledge to know just exactly what to do. (I learn best from watching then doing.)

Once you got the caramel sauce mastered, then it's onto cupcakes and those were so good! I had to pack them up for my husband's PTO meeting tonight, so I didn't eat them all up... and yes that is praline/peanut brittle on the top of the cupcake!

Way to Go Craftsy and Carole Bloom, I am a caramel know it all now! With the hopes of making a dry caramel desert in the future!

Carole Bloom's Peanut Brittle Recipe from Craftsy  
(Ingredients add up to $2.00, (peanuts and Sugar.))
Yield: 12/3 pounds (750 g) 

Ingredients
2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (120 ml) water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups (300 g) skinless roasted salted peanuts

Method
1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone non-stick liner.

2. Place the sugar, water, and cream of tartar in a 3-quart (2.8-l) heavyduty saucepan over medium-high heat. As the mixture cooks, run a damp pastry brush around the edges of the pan to push any stray sugar crystals back into the mixture. Do this two times.

3. The mixture will bubble around the edges first and then the bubbles will move to the center. Cook the mixture until it begins to turn color, about 7 minutes. If the mixture begins to color in one place, turn the pan and swirl it to help distribute the color evenly. Do not stir, which will cause the mixture to crystallize.

4. Once the mixture is evenly amber colored, immediately stir in the peanuts and completely coat them with the caramel.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and turn the mixture onto the lined pan. Using a silicone spatula, very quickly spread the mixture thinly. Leave the brittle to cool completely.

6. Lift the brittle from the liner and break into pieces by hand.

7. Store the brittle between layers of waxed paper in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Variations Note: Any single type of nut or mixed nuts can be used, as well as any dried fruit.

If the nuts or fruit are large, chop them coarsely. Total volume of add-ins should be 2 cups.
For Almond-Date Brittle: Dates (coarsely chopped or cut with scissors) + toasted whole almonds.
For Peanut-Raisin Brittle: Salted or unsalted skinless roasted peanuts + raisins (your choice of color). For Pumpkin Seed-Apricot Brittle: Shelled toasted pumpkin seeds + chopped apricots.

Get your Flu shot and Hy-Vee deal

So I got my flu shot today, and they paid me to get it! No Joke! Since my insurance covers preventative care It was free, and then they gave me 20 cents on a fuel saver, so $4.00 off of gas! Can't beat that, so Get your flu shot, it takes about two weeks for your immune system to make it effective So GET YOUR FLU SHOT NOW, before you really need it!

Hy-Vee Sale item of the week to make Chocolate Muffins

Hy-Vee has Cake mix on sale this week, and I thought this was a great recipe to post.

 I do this all the time and cake mix is on sale this week at Hy-vee, it's a favorite at my house my Price point is usually $1.00 for cake mix .So this got me thinking about Chocolate muffins, I love when pumpkin goes on sale in about 6 weeks from now, makes for a cheap and yummy breakfast!
Please note:  My favorite recipes are ones where I don't have to measure anything. Btw to get kids really excited for this, add chocolate chips to the top of the muffin.  The batter is thick, make sure you blend / mix the batter up really well I sue a kitchenaid mixer for the job. You can also do this recipe  with spice cake mix and apple sauce or pumpkin, it works the same way! 

Happy Saving and Baking!

My 52 item list for food storage

My 52 item list for food storage

You know that I love getting a good deal and then stocking up on it when it is a good deal, with not too many strings attached, like using coupons and store coupons and then going to Ibotta to get an even better price. No, I like the rock bottom deals that happen once a year. The list I made up has the timing when grocery go on sale at the lowest price so you can stockpile

. 

Here are 52 items that you can buy that isn't that expensive to help with your food storage.  the idea is that each week of the year you get what you think you need for the year, or 3 or 6 months depending on your situation (aka space you have to store.)

For example, I know my family likes spaghetti a lot, I go all out when this is my price point. I will buy at least 52 cans of spaghetti sauce when it's at my price point. the same thing with all the other food, so at any given week you will buy 52 of one thing, that could potentially last you for the year...

the beauty of this plan is that if there isn't a good sale that week or funds are a bit low the sale will come back around every 2-6 months, so it's a really forgivable plan.

These sales are taken from Hy-Vee's sales cycle, but other Grocery stores are on the same general cycle. It's also important to note that I wrote this list knowing that these items are on sale sometime during that month so it is very possible that the item doesn't go on sale the week I say it is, but be on the lookout for that item to be on sale during that month or a couple weeks after.

January January- February is frozen food months look out for good deals. 

week 1 Oat Meal

week 2 granola bars, nutrigrain bars, healthy high protein/fiber bars

Week 3  vitamins (shelf life isn't that long, so restock again in summer) and protein powder, healthy food items

Week 4: Sea Food- frozen, fresh, or canned. its a great time to buy and stock up!

week 5: frozen bread- garlic, warm and ready, frozen noddles.

February: National canned food month

Week 1 Syrup, Honey, pancake mix

Week2 Canned fruit, (I like to buy oranges and peaches, every three months)

Week 3 canned Beans, tomato sauce

Week 4 Frozen Vegetables and  Frozen Pizza's and dinners, be careful to only buy what you have room for.

March

Week juice, apple, lemon, and other juices you drink and cook with.

week 2  Butter

week 3 Strawberries, frozen fruit

week 4 Chicken- whole ones that you can roast and shred and then freeze the meat.

April

Week 1 Ham, (also on sale in November)

Week 2 Spaghetti sauce (march is also a good time to get this deal)

Week 3 Butter (on sale during Easter, best price of the year, I like to freeze it!)

Week 4 Baking supplies, cake, brownie, mixes, Marshmallows, chocolate chips and stock up on flour and sugar, the next good deals won't be until November.

week 5  sports drinks, bottle water, flavored water

May

Week 1 BBQ sauce, Salad dressing and marinades, and salt

Week 2 Hot dogs, brats and other grilling meats

Week 3 Sunscreen, and bug spray

Week 4 fresh berries, and vegetables

June National Dairy month   

Week 1 Dairy - think of freezing yogurt, ice cream, heavy whipping

Week 2 Mason Jars (also on sale in August, but I find them best deals in June)

Week 3 Paper goods, toilet paper. napkins, paper towels

Week 4 Paper goods, plastic ware, paper plates,

July

week 1 Pop sickles

week 2 back to school supplies, pencils, pens, binders, crayons, markers, notebooks (it's a great week to do some shopping (after July 4th))

Week 3 office supplies

Week 4 fresh produce to freeze and can (I like to get tomatoes and make bruschetta)

week 5 baked beans, and other picnic sides (pickles, olives,  suddenly salads)

August ( not a great month for deals on food, I save some  of this month's budget for November)

Week 1 pudding cups

week 2 Cereal (Chex and other cereal are on sale in November)

Week 3 Facial Tissues

week 4 and disinfectant wipes

Week 5  fresh peaches freeze them or can them!

September (also a slow month for deals, I save some money for November and December)

week 1 Apples

week 2 diabetic supplies(only if needed)

week 3 back to school snacks and cereal

week 4 chia seeds

October

Week 1 canned Pumpkin

Week 2 alarm clocks, batteries, smoke detectors

week 3 nuts

week 4 canned soup

Week 5 Tooth past, and oral care

November

week 1 evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk

week 2 canned vegetables and broth

week 3 Turkey and Ham

week4: Noodles -all kinds, this items goes on sale throughout the year, my price point is $1.00

week 5 flour, sugar, baking supplies

December

week  1 potatoes, like instant potatoes, betty Crocker  boxed potatoes, canned sweet potatoes

week 2 crakers, dips, seasoning mixes for dip

week 3 pie crusts, jello

week 4  canned vegetables and fruit

week 5 spices

 ok, maybe there is a bit more than 52 items for food storage but this really works for me, and it's an easy no brainier way to get a good stock pile. 

I hope this helps!

Spa Treatment Christmas Gifts

I love making gifts for Christmas, I enjoy it, even more when my daughter can help me. These candy cane bath salts are a perfect gift to make with your pk daughter.  My inspiration came from this website,  of course I found it though Pintrest. 

 Here is what I did: I doubled the batch, and used red food coloring for just one batch, so I could get the candy cane effect. I did not wait for the soap to dry out a bit, I just put them into the Glad/Ziplock containers. (my containers were from Hy-Vee, about .50 cents a piece- a bit more affordable than other containers.)

DIY Bubbly Bath Salts

Ingredients:
6 Cups of Epsom Salt
¾ Cup of Liquid Soap (I use Mr. Bubbles baby bath (origanal scent)
10 drops of Peppermint Essential oils
3 to 4 Drops of Food red Coloring for one batch
Instructions:
Stir the soap, oils, and food coloring together.  Evenly pour over the salt, and stir until the salt is evenly coated.  Spread bath salt out in a thin layer on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper, and allow it to air dry overnight.  Pack into a glass container of your choice.
Directions:
To use, pour ¼ cup of the salt under running water while drawing a bath. Relax in the tub and enjoy!
Tips:

• Bathing with bath salts stimulates circulation, and hydrates your skin.
• Use mini jars, create a fun pack of three bath salts in different scents.
• Bath salts can open your pores to purify your skin, cleansing away dirt, sweat, and unwanted toxins.
• Enjoy the full benefits of the aromatherapy powers of essential oils.
• Make some lavender bath salt to relax and ease nervous tension.

Sugar Scrub:

I had a dear friend over to help me make this sugar scrub, and I feel in love with it that I had to give it to my other dear friends and family members, This stuff is awesome! Thanks Sarah Day for the recipe.

So generally you use 3 part sugar to 1 part oil, we used half white sugar and half brown sugar, so to make about 3 containers full of sugar scrub this is what you will need:

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup of coconut oil (either melt it or cream it) (I have used olive oil too, but it had to much of a scent that I didn't much care for but it's also really good on your skin)
10 ish drops of Cinnamon Leaf Essential oils

Mix it together and put it into the containers. Decorate containers and put a label on it. I googled search for a label for both the sugar scrub and the peppermint scrub and found two that I loved. Then I printed them out and Cut them out. I am impressed at how easy and affordable both were to make and the results were fantastic! never again will I buy either of these items when they work so good on my skin, and how fun and easy it was to make.

Hy-Vee now takes digital coupons! Wha Who!

Yes, finally, Hy-Vee has digital coupons for you to use! all you have to do is have a fuel saver card, have it registered on line and then start loading digital coupons to your fuel saver card, this works with regular manufacture coupons, so it's like double dipping! go to http://www.hy-vee.com/shop/coupons/default.aspx for more info!

Sales Cycles and how it can benefit you

I know that I have posted this post before but I always like a good refresher. I always like to know what season is a good time to buy what grocery items, and when a specific item will be on sale at what time of the year. so here is my list, keep in mind that months run into each other meaning that just because Frozen food month is March expect frozen food stuff to also be on sale at a rock bottom price in February also, so always know your price points and snag the deal when you see it.

So want to know how sales cycles work? it's super easy, once a year a product will be at it's rock bottom price, that also means Manufacturers will send out coupons for this product, you should also find a bunch of these type of coupons on line, It's a savings haven! so we will take frozen pizza (since they were on sale just a couple weeks ago) this is the time to stock up on frozen food. Digorno pizza was on sale for a rock bottom price at 2/9 I had a buy 2 get one free coupon so I got 3 Digorno Pizza's for 9 or for $3 a piece. If you could see my freezer  I almost need anther one since it's almost full of frozen food items that my family will use this coming year. That is how you can use sale cycles to your benefit  stock up once a year on the items that are on sale at it's rock bottom price so you don't pay double 6 months from now for the same item.

January

National Oatmeal Month: Quaker
Diet Foods: Healthy Choice, South Beach, Lean Cuisine, Special K, Kashi, Smart Start, 100 Calorie Packs, Yogurt
Super Bowl Sunday: Pepsi, Coke, Chips, Dips, Cheese, Sandwich Items, Crackers, Snacks, Wings
Seasonal Produce: Oranges, Pears, Grapefruit, Tangerines, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Collards, Kale, Kiwi, Avocado, Cabbage, Spinach
Clearance: Christmas Decorations, Toys, Wrapping Papers,
Winter Health: Cold Medicines and Vitamins

February

Hy-Vee usually have lots of good deals on frozen food this month

National Canned Food Month: Canned Fruit, Pie Fillings, Vegetables, Meats: Tuna, Chicken, Salmon
National Hot Breakfast Month:  Malt O Meal, Oatmeal, Eggo Waffles, Syrup
Valentines:  Chocolate, Hershey’s, KY Lubricant, etc
Chinese New Year: Soy Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Noodles, Canned Water Chestnuts
Seasonal Produce:  Artichoke, Asparagus, Raspberries, Potatoes, Strawberries, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Collards, Kale, Kiwi, Avocado, Spinach

March

Frozen Food Month: Ice Cream, Frozen Vegetables (Boxed, Bag, or Steam), Frozen Meals, Foster Farms Chicken, Waffles, Pizza
Seasonal Produce: Artichoke, Asparagus, Haas Avocado, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Collards, Fennel, Kale, Leek, Lemon, Lime, Mushrooms, Spring Onions, Orange, Peas, Radish, Rhubarb, Spinach, Strawberries, Tangerine

April

Easter:  Ham, Eggs, Spices, Baking Supplies: Sugar, Spices, Baking Mixes, Chocolate Chips, Butter, Coconut, Marshmallows, Brownie Mix, Cake Mix
Earth Day: Organic Foods, Energy Saver, Reusable Totes
Seasonal Produce: Artichokes, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbages, Carrots, Grapefruit, Haas Avocado, Mushrooms, Onions, Peas, Rhubarb
Clearance: After Easter sales

May

Memorial Day: BBQ Sauce, Condiments, Charcoal, Salad Dressing, Potato Chips, Dips, Grilling Meats, Hot Dogs, Hamburger Meat, Marinade, Salad Greens
Paper Products: Plates, Utensils, Insect Repellant, Sunscreen
Cinco De Mayo: Salsa, tortillas
Seasonal Produce: Artichokes, Asparagus, Avocado, Beans, Green, Beets, Blackberries, Carrots, Sweet Vidalia Onions, Peas, New Potatoes, Raspberries, Strawberries

June

National Dairy Month: Eggs, Milk, Ice Cream, Cheese, Cream Cheese, Butter, Yogurt, Whipping Cream, Whipped Cream, Cool Whip
End of June is Fourth or July Sales: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, BBQ Sauce, Ketchup, Condiments, Charcoal, Salad Dressing, Potato Chips, Dips
Seasonal Produce: Apricots, Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Cherries, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Grapes, Honeydew, Nectarines, Peaches, Potatoes, Raspberries, Red Onions, Squash, Summer, Strawberries, Sweet Vidalia Onions, Tomatoes, Watermelon

July

National Ice Cream Month
More 4th of July BBQ Sales: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, BBQ Sauce, Ketchup, Condiments, Charcoal, Salad Dressing, Potato Chips, Dips
End of July: Back to School Sales Begin: Crayons, Pencils, Folders, Binders
Seasonal Produce: Asian Pears, Bartlett Pears, Beans, Green, Blueberries, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Figs, Garlic, Grapes, Nectarines, Onions, Red, Valencia Oranges, Peaches, Sweet/Bell Peppers, Plums, Potatoes, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Watermelon

August

Back to School: Pudding cups, Lunch meat, Lunchables, Bread, Cold Cereal, Waffles, Lunchboxes
Disinfectant:  Clorox, Purell
Clearance:  Insect Repellant, Sunscreen, charcoal
Seasonal Produce: Gravenstein Apple, Haas Avocado, Green Beans, Beans, Berries, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Figs, Grapes, Melons, Onion, Peaches, Bartlett Pears, Bell Pepper, Plums, Raspberries, Squash, Summer, Tomatillo, Tomato

September

Back to School Sales through Labor Day:  Crayons, Pencils, Folders, Binders
Diabetes: Bayer Glucose Meters, Glucerna Cereal
Seasonal Produce: Apples, Artichokes, Beans, Bell Peppers, Chili Peppers, Cucumber, Eggplant, Grapes, Onion, Valencia Orange, Asian Pears, Bartlett Pears, Pomegranate, Squash, Tomatillo, Tomatoes, Winter Squash
Baby Items: Major Baby Equipment, Baby Safety

October

Halloween: Candy, Fresh Pumpkin
Beginning of the Baking Sales: Canned pumpkin, Evaporated Milk, Baking Chips
Daylight Savings Time Ends Promotions: Alarm Clocks, Batteries, Safety Equipment, Smoke Detectors
National Seafood Month
Adopt a Shelter-Dog Month: Pedigree, Purina
Seasonal Produce: Almonds, Apples, Artichokes, Arugula, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbages, Chard, Chestnuts, Cranberries, Lemons, Parsnip, Pears, Pomegranate, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkin, Spinach, Squash, Winter, Turnips, Yams

November

Best month of the year to stock up on lots of grocery items, ( a little secret, my grocery bill doubles this month- but so does the savings, buget for a big grocery bill the sales are endless it seems)

Hot Cocoa, Coffee, Tea
Baking Sales in Full Swing: Nuts, Chocolate Chips, Evaporated Milk, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Coconut, Cake Mixes
Canned foods: Soup, Broth, Vegetables, Fruits, Spaghetti Sauce
Thanksgiving Items: Turkey, Canned Pumpkin, Stovetop Stuffing, Betty Crocker Boxed Potatoes, Gravy Mixes, Frozen Pies, Cranberry Sauce, Jello, Marshmallows
Seasonal Produce: Anjou Pears, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbages, Carrots, Celery, Comice Pears, Cranberries, Kiwi, Lemons, Orange, Potato, Squash, Yams
Clearance: After Halloween Sales

December

Holiday Dinner: Egg Nog, Deli Platters, Instant Potatoes, Gravy Mixes, Frozen Pies, Cranberry Sauce, Jello, Marshmallows. Sour Cream Dips, Crackers, Chips, Soda, Ham
Baking: Flour, Sugar, Butter, Cream, Cake Mix, Brownie Mix, Muffin Mix, Breads, Pie Crust, Marshmallow, Whipped cream
Canned Foods: Soup, Broth, Condensed Milk, Vegetables, Fruits, Spaghetti Sauce
Seasonal Produce: Anjou Pears, Bok Choy, Bosc Pears, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Dates, Grapefruit, Haas Avocados, Kale, Kiwi, Kumquat, Lemon, Napa Cabbage, Oranges, Sweet Potatoes, Red Cabbage, Rutabaga, Savoy Cabbage, Spinach, Winter Squash, Yams, Turnips, White Potato
Clearance: After Thanksgiving and After Christmas Sales

HyVee Weekly Ad Coupon & Deals Matchups for the Week of 2/20 – 2/26

Go here Penny Pinchin Moms for the matchups, she does a great job posting the deals. I wish I could say there was a good deal this week on things, however I am not seeing anything great that I gotta go out and stock up on, Bummer I was hoping for a good add this week.

Here are my Fuel Saver items that I must purchase: opg means off per gallon of gas
Life Cereal 2.49/.2 opg
Hy-Vee kitchen utensils 3/6 .6opg wyb 3 or .2opg/1
Old Orchard Apple Juice or plends, 64 oz. .3opg
Honeysuckle White ground turkey 1.2 lb 3.49 .2opg


Happy savings!

HY-VEE THREE DAYS TO Save Friday, Saturday and Sunday November 23-25, 2012 while supplies last

free Duracell Coppertop batteries AA or AAA 8 ct. Buy one, get one free
Eggo select varieties 9.8 to 16.4 oz. 2/3.00
Dole iceberg lettuce each . 69
Hy-Vee white bread 20 oz. .77
12.88 Busch or Busch Light 24 pack cans 12 fl. oz.
8/$10 Hy-Vee thin crust pizza select varieties 15 to 18.1 oz.
50.00 Children’s recliner select varieties each
9.00 Disney Cinderella Princess Doll Regular $17.99

black friday@ Hy-Vee Friday, November 23, 2012

 
When you purchase $75 in participating
gift cards shown in this ad Offer limited to participating cards shown in ad only. 
$15 discount
limited to one per customer, per order, per day. No substitutions of cards
allowed. Card selection subject to availability and while supplies last. No
rain checks. See gift card for details, terms and conditions. All trademarks
are property of their respective owners. The Visa® Gift Card is issued
by MetaBank™ pursuant to a license
from Visa U.S.A. Inc.; Member FDIC.
Good Friday