Shutterfly: FREE 20 4x6 Prints

Enter promo code TREAT at Shutterfly for 20 free 4x6 prints by 11/3/09! Also, you will see a 7x9 photo book of your prints - you can pick that up for 50% off.

For the Local Readers: Kids' Club Trick or Teat @ Dorothy Lane - October 31, 2009

Kids' Club Trick or Treat event on Saturday, October 31st, 2009. Time vary by location.

• Oakwood 11 a.m.

• Washington Square 1 p.m.

• Springboro 3 p.m.

Kids get to Trick or Treat throughout the store .

Payless: 50% Off Entire Purchase - Good thru 10/30/09

Payless is offering Oprah Show viewers 50% off their entire purchase through store closing today - October 30, 2009. All you have to do is print this coupon or text OPRAHSHOW to 242424 to have the coupon sent to your phone.

Coupon Inserts - 11/1/2009

There will be 2 inserts being in your paper this Sunday - November 1, 2009. They are a Red Plum and Smart Source inserts.

Remember that when you purchase your paper from the store, you are not guaranteed coupon inserts. I would check each paper before purchasing multiples. Or save money and trees, purchase only the coupons you need at The Coupon Clippers.

There are a couple coupons that might be worth clipping - $.50/1 Nestle Quick and $.50/1 Coffee-mate which would both be great doubled, resulting in free or nearly free items. Then there is the $1.50/ Vicks NyQuil (it is cold and flu season) and a Buy Gillette Deodorant, Get a Gillette Body Wash Free.

Events: Meijer In-store Halloween Event - Saturday, October 31, 2009

Meijer is hosting an in-store event on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 from 11am-2pm. Highlights of the event include:

*In-store trick or treating

*Free giveaways, demos and sampling

*Thomas the Train station

*Other activities

Enter for a change to Win – Grand Prize $500 Shopping Spree and other great prizes.

Gold Star Chili: $0.99 Cheese Coneys TODAY!

Want a cheap dinner but not Taco Bell? Head over to Gold Star Chili for “Bengal Coney Mania” on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. All participating stores will be offering $0.99 Cheese Coneys, all-day from open until close. This one-day-only, extreme value event is available to Gold Star dine-in, carry out or drive-thru customers.

On October 28, Gold Star Chili will also offer an additional value incentive to customers participating in “Bengal Coney Mania.” Every customer will receive a special BOGO coupon; buy one 3, 4 or 5-way at regular price and get second 3-way, FREE. This coupon will be valid for one week, beginning Wednesday November 4th.

Taco Bell - Free Black Jack Taco on Halloween

On Halloween (October 31, 2009), stop by a participating Taco Bell after dark (6pm - midnight) and pick up a FREE Black Jack Taco. Click here for more information.

Event: Toys R Us - Geoffrey's Trick 'R' Treat Parade

Stop by a participating Toys R Us on Saturday, October 31, 2009 from 12:00pm – 3:00pm for Geoffrey’s Trick ‘R’ Treat Parade. Everyone will receive a FREE reusable bag (while supplies last) to pick up FREE treats along the way around the store. A new parade will start every hour. Don’t forget to come in costume!

Friendly's: Trick-or-Treat Coupons for $1

Stop by a participating Friendly’s Restaurant through October 31, 2009 for their Trick-or-Treat coupons. For each $1 donation to Easter Seals, you get 5 coupons for free Kids Cones plus a coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase at Friendly's. Coupons are redeemable from November 1st- December 31st.

Meijer One Day Sale - Saturday, October 24, 2009

Meijer is having a One Day Sale on October 24, 2009. Here are the deals that I saw. You can view the full ad here.

Aunt Millie's English Muffins, 6 ct - Buy 1, Get 2 Free
6pk bottles 7-Up, Diet Rite, A&W, Sunkist - Buy 2, Get 3 Free
Meijer Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - frozen 40oz $3.99
Michigan McIntosh Apples - 3lb bag $0.99
Meijer Chicken Wings - frozen, 64 oz bag $5.79
Meijer Cooked Tail-on Shrimp - frozen 16oz 36-40ct $4.99
Nabisco Wheat Thins or Triscuits $1.69
Bar S Jumbo Meat Franks, Chicken Franks or Sausage Links $0.69
Tony's Crispy Crust Pizza $0.88 ($0.50/1 10-4-09 SS)
Arm & Hammer Liquid Laundry Detergent 50oz $2.49
All Suave Shampoos & Conditioners 15oz $0.88
Crest Oral-B Advantage, Whitening Expressions, Pro-Health or Liquid Gels - Buy One, Get One Free ($0.75/1 10-11-09 P&G or $1.00/2 10-11-09 P&G)

Don't forget about the coupon for $10 off Micro Innovations Web Cam ($14.99 regular price). If you are purchasing one online from Meijer.com, use code WEBCAM.

Weigh In - Week ending 10/17/09

Well, I don't have much to report as for weight loss this week. I didn't weigh in on Saturday. I had an AWFUL week and didn't want to get disappointed by a big weight gain. This week hasn't been much better but I will be going on Saturday morning.

Over the past couple months, I have been dealing with...

• later work hours than I am used to - I've never had to work until 5:00pm and deal with the rush hour traffic
• light workload @ work - no fun when you have nothing to do
• football practice - nearly ever night during the week - little time before and after practice
• no "me" time - this has been a tough one
• tight funds - I took a 20% pay cut from my previous pay when I returned to work. I didn't think it was a big deal but it has been a little rough. The difference in my current pay and unemployment is less than the "new" bills I have taken on - childcare and gas (I go through 3 extra tanks a month now).
• lack of motivation - I'm thinking my motivation has bottomed out because of all the negative things I am dealing with...

I'm hoping to get back on track this week. I'll be back and let you know how the weigh in goes...

Weight Watcher Weight Loss (Updated on Saturday)

Goal #5	40
Weight Loss (since 3/11/09)	-31.2

Coupon Inserts for 10/25/09

There will be 2 inserts being in your paper this Sunday - October 25, 2009. They are a Red Plum and Smart Source inserts.

Remember that when you purchase your paper from the store, you are not guaranteed coupon inserts. I would check each paper before purchasing multiples. Or save money and trees, purchase only the coupons you need at The Coupon Clippers.

For those that need diapers, there are Huggies and Pampers coupons in this week's paper.

Motivational?

If you haven’t noticed, over the past couple months I have been in this unmotivational slump. I haven’t exercised, keep track of my points, or even try to lose weight. I am in desperate need of some motivation. I would really like to get the rest of the weight off.

A couple weekends ago on a Saturday night, we took my parents out to dinner. My youngest son was going to stay with my nieces. I told him I would bring my leftover steak home for him. His reply, “It’s lots of calories you don’t need any of it.”

On the following Tuesday while watching The Biggest Loser, my son says “Mommy, why don’t you ever use your treadmill? It’s going to get all dusty if you don’t.”

The most recent comment he made was – “You’re not getting skinnier by drinking that.” Yes, I was enjoying a Caramel Apple Martini.

Should I have take those comments and acted upon them? I don’t mean by punishing him but by really focusing on my weight loss and possibly adding some exercise to my day. It didn’t motivate me even though my youngest child had noticed that I wasn’t losing weight anymore or even exercising.

Since that didn’t work, you would think that positive comments would have.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have seen several co-workers that I hadn’t seen since I was laid off from work – back in August 2008. I received lots of compliments (no I’m not bragging here that's not something I do – just quoting my friends)…

“Wow! You look great!”

“You’ve lost quite a bit of weight. What’s your secret?”

“You’ve lost weight, haven’t you? You look fabulous.”

Or the lady at the homecoming football game when I was purchasing a sweatshirt. I asked to see a large and x-large. She said, “You are too tiny for those sizes. We just ran out of the small size. Check a medium.” My first thought was ‘Hello! I could never fit into anything smaller than a large. Give it to me to see.’ I was shocked that I might have been able to wear the small but settled for a medium.

Nothing seems to be getting me out of this slump. I need help! What motivates you? Have you been in an unmotivated slump before? If so, how did you get out of it?

As I was reading some of my favorite blogs (which I haven't really had the time to do in months), I saw that Lorie had made it over the hump. She even lost 9.4 pounds that week!! It got me thinking, 'I can do this too. I love seeing the weight loss! Maybe this is what I needed - to see that I wasn't the only one in a slump.' We'll see if it works. **If you aren't familiar with Lorie, read this post and see how far she has come. She was the one that really got me thinking about joining Weight Watchers by seeing that the program does work.

The Circus is Coming, The Circus is Coming…

Yes, it’s true! THE circus is coming. Not just any circus but the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey “ZING ZANG ZOOM”. It’s an awesome experience for you and your family.

Elephants, tigers, acrobats, clowns and more wonder than you can imagine! It’s been a good number of years since I’ve seen the circus. I think the last time we went was when my older son, which is going on 10 years old, was 2 or 3 years old. He almost choked on his hot dog when the cannon went off. It was all good after that though. My youngest son is excited for the circus to come our way. He’s never been but has seen promotions and heard about it.

There is also a FREE All Access Preshow for all ticket holders and it starts an hour before the show. You and your family will be able to step onto the arena floor and into The Greatest Show On Earth at the All Access Pre-show! You will get to meet the performers, try on actual clothes and watch the magic up close.

The Zing Zang Zoom show is coming to Cleveland ’s Quicken Loans Arena on the following dates:

Opening night – Wednesday, October 21, 2009 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, October 22, 2009 @ 7:30pm

Friday, October 23, 2009 @ 7:30pm

Saturday, October 24, 2009 @ 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm

Sunday, October 25, 2009 @ 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm

Monday, October 26, 2009 @ 7:30pm

Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code “MOM” at select ticketing channels. Offer good on all weekday performances, which includes all weekday evening and Friday matinee performances; minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. All weekend performance tickets will be $4 off the original price. Offer not valid on Circus CelebritySM, Front Row or VIP seats and may not be combined with other offers including special Opening Night pricing. Other fees may apply.

Thanks to Mom Central and Feld Entertainment allowing me to give 1 lucky winner a family 4-pack of tickets to the Cleveland, OH show on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009.

To enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite thing about the circus

Earn a bonus entry by posting this giveaway on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or other social site. Just remember to come back here and leave the link.

The giveaway will end Monday, October 19^th, 2009 at midnight EST. I will pick the winner through random generator. Make sure you leave a way for me to contact you.

Please note: The winner does have to be able to pick up their tickets at the will call window the night of the show with a valid picture ID.

Marsh Supermarket - 1 Day Produce Sale - Saturday, October 17, 2009

There are a few things that Marsh has on sale Saturday, October 17, 2009. You can check out their full weekly ad here. I only highlighted a few items.

Now these sale prices are based on you using your Fresh Idea card. Don't have one? No need to worry, just stop by the front office on your way into the store. Also, you may want to check out their internet coupon policy before heading out. They do double coupons up to $.50, everything over is face value. You will also want to link your Fresh Idea card to UPromise and to Fresh Ideas for Education (points go to your school for your purchases).

1day Produce Sale - Saturday, October 17, 2009

Washington State Red Delicious Apples $0.88 lb
California Jumbo Iceberg Lettuce $0.87
Del Monte Bananas $0.25 lb
Dole Classic Salad Mix 12oz pkg $0.98
Grimmway Farms Mini Peeled Carrots 1-lb bag $0.97

Meijer One Day Sale - Saturday, October 17, 2009

Meijer is having a One Day Sale on October 17, 2009. Here are the deals that I saw. You can view the full ad here.

Fresh Pork Back Ribs $2.49 lb
6pk bottles Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, or Mt. Dew - Buy 3, Get 2 Free
Meijer Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - frozen 40oz $3.99
Michigan Honeycrisp Apples - 3lb bag $1.99
Fresh Apple Cider $1.99
Meijer Cooked Tail-on Shrimp - frozen 16oz 50-60ct $4.29
Meijer Premium Ultra or Soft Bath Tissue (limit 4) $2.99
General Mills Cereal - Count Chocula, Frankberry or Booberry $1.89 ($1.00/2 printable)
Meijer White or Wheat Split Top Bread (limit 4) $0.79

Dial Liquid Hand Soap $0.99 ($.35/1 8-16-09 SS)
Kleenex Facial Tissue (limit 5) $0.89 ($.50/3 10-4-09 SS)
Colgate Total Advance or Total (limit 4) - Buy One, Get One Free ($1.00/1 9-27-09 SS, $1.00/1 10-11-09 SS, $1.00/1 ALL You Magazine - September)

Spend $50 or more in General Merchandise & Apparel, Get a Meijer Custom Coupon for $10 off your next gas purchase.

Don't forget about the coupon for $10 off Micro Innovations Web Cam ($14.99 regular price). If you are purchasing one online from Meijer.com, use code WEBCAM.

Coupon Inserts for 10/18/09

There will be 2 inserts being in your paper this Sunday - October 18, 2009. They are a Red Plum and Smart Source inserts.

Remember that when you purchase your paper from the store, you are not guaranteed coupon inserts. I would check each paper before purchasing multiples. Or save money and trees, purchase only the coupons you need at The Coupon Clippers.

Events: Upcoming Knack Events

Halloween T-Shirt Event
October 25, 2009
1:00pm - 3:00pm

Use your hands to make a special Halloween t-shirt. Just purchase a t-shirt of choice and decorate it using their paint supplies.


Family Halloween Event
October 31, 2009
10:00am - 12:00pm

Bring the kids in to kick off Halloween! Get a FREE trick-or-treat pail! Plus, enjoy a free coloring activity, FREE Crayola pencil topper demo using Crayola Model Magic Fusion^M and a Make-It Take-It Halloween frame. Children will also receive a FREE balloon and candy. While supplies last. Ages 5–12 welcome.

Tackle It Tuesday: Halloween Decorations

It's been a while since I've posted a Tackle It Tuesday post but this past week and yesterday I tackled so much. I love having football-less nights and days off of work.

This past week I pulled down out Halloween decorations out of the garage. Halloween is one of the two holidays where I really decorate the house (the other being Christmas). With Halloween, I decorate the inside and outside. I even string lights.

Here are a few of the pictures of my tackle.Visit 5 Minutes for Mom to see what others are tackling.

Menu Plan Monday - 10/12/09

I'm on time with posting my menu this week. I've planned for my breakfasts and family dinners. I still need to figure out what I am going to do for lunch Tuesday - Friday. I need to find some Weight Watcher friendly options. It might just be a salad, sandwich or soup but might be leftovers...unsure.

A couple weeks ago I picked up the Weight Watcher Comfort Classics cookbook. I'm going to try a couple of the recipes this week. There are several recipes that sound really good. Well, see how these turn out... I need to find some more Weight Watcher friendly recipes. Do you have any good Weight Watcher recipes or a good cookbook with low calorie/fat recipes?

Breakfast
1. Special K Blueberry cereal, Fat Free/Skim Milk, ½ cup Blueberries
2. Egg white omelet w/mushrooms, peppers and onions, ¾ cup strawberries
3. Special K Chocolate Peanut Butter Meal Bar
4. Jimmy Dean D-lights Canadian Bacon Honey Wheat Muffin (2x)

Not sure about my lunches yet. It might be leftovers.

Dinner
1. Shrimp, Bacon-Cheddar Mashed Potatoes (WW Comfort Classic Cookbook), salad
2. Homemade Pizza
3. Open Face Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches (WW Comfort Classic Cookbook)
4. Meatloaf, egg noodles, sweet corn
5. Sausage & Alfredo Lasagna
6. Jamaican Rubbed Pork Chops, sweet potato fries, veggies

To see other menu plans, visit I'm an Organized Junkie.

Weekly Weigh In - Week ending 10/10/09

Not a very good week here. I was up 1 pound. The weight gain is from the lack of motivation that I have right now. I think a lot of it has to do with our busy schedule and stress of work. Two days last week, I walked during my lunch hour. It was great to be able to get out of the office for an hour and clear my head. I see more of this happening as my job is changing once again... (No not a new job, just a few changes to the current one.) I'd really like to be at or really close to my Goal #5 by Thanksgiving.

My original goal was to lose 56.2 pounds by the end of the year. The challenge is on to see how close I can get to this goal since I've been slacking for the past 2 months. My hit my highest amount of weight loss on August 14, 2009 when I lost 1.4 pounds bringing my total (since March 11) to 34.8 pounds. Since that weigh in, my weight has when up and down a little at a time. I don't have to worry too much about the holiday season either. I love to bake and usually spend most of my weekend baking something. I'm not big on the bake goods though. I just need to stay clear of the peanut butter fudge...my biggest holiday downfall. However, after trying some with sauerkraut in them over the weekend, I'm thinking about trying it in a batch this year. It would count more as a veggie and protein, right?!?! I can think it is...

How close do you think I will get? Did you set a weight loss goal this year? Did you reach your goal? If not, how close are you?

Weight Watcher Weight Loss (Updated on Saturday)

Goal #5	40
Weight Loss (since 3/11/09)	-31.2

Coupon Inserts for 10/11/09

There will be 3 inserts being in your paper this Sunday - October 11, 2009. They are a Red Plum, P&G and Smart Source inserts.

Remember that when you purchase your paper from the store, you are not guaranteed coupon inserts. I would check each paper before purchasing multiples. Or save money and trees, purchase only the coupons you need at The Coupon Clippers.

Borders: Halloween Spooktacular - October 24, 2009

Mark your calendars:

Borders stores will be having a Halloween Spooktacular - Saturday, October 24th, 2009 from 2pm - 4pm. Dress up the family in Halloween costumes and enter the super-cool costume contest. Gather around for creepy, crawly tales during storytimes. Then the frights and fun continue with games, activities, and more. Click here to find a location near you.

IKEA - Three Day Sale and Free Breakfast - October 10-12, 2009

IKEA is having a three day sale offers with free breakfast valid Saturday, October 10 - Monday, October 12, 2009 only. One small breakfast (99 cents) and one cup of coffee (99 cents) is included in the free breakfast.

They will have a couple good deals:
IKEA 365+ 7pcs cookware set $39.99
SKANKA 6 pcs cookware set $29.99

Click here for more information.

Meijer One Day Sale - Saturday, October 3, 2009

Meijer is having a One Day Sale on October 3, 2009. Here are the deals that I saw. You can view the full ad here.

Eckrich Deli Ham $1.99 lb (limit 4 lbs)
Meijer Cooked Tail-on Shrimp - frozen 16oz 50-60ct $4.29
Gold Medal All Purpose Flour $0.99 (limit 2)
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks $0.99($1.00/3 8-9-09 GM, $.50/2 8-9-09 GM)
Michelina's Grande Entrees $0.99 (limit 2)
Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 3ct $0.99

Venom Energy Drink - Buy One, Get One Coupon

Print a coupon for a free bottle of Venom energy drink. Click Here

Coupon Inserts for 10/4/2009

There will be 3 inserts being in your paper this Sunday - October 4, 2009. They are a Red Plum and 2 Smart Source inserts (1 of which will be full of General Mills Coupons).

Remember that when you purchase your paper from the store, you are not guaranteed coupon inserts. I would check each paper before purchasing multiples. Or save money and trees, purchase only the coupons you need at The Coupon Clippers.

There will be Fiber One coupons in this week's paper. I love Fiber One products. Anyways, there will be a variety of coupons - Betty Crocker, Fiber One, Dannon, Yoplait, Pillsbury, and All laundry detergent.

Bally Total Fitness: Free 7-day Pass

Have you gave Bally's a try? If not, click on the image above to request your free 7-day pass. I've requested mine. Hopefully, I'll get some motivation to go and actually use it.

Weekly Weigh In - Week end 9/26/09

I weighed in down 0.6 pounds on Saturday. It wasn't anything excited but it was a loss. If only I could get my rear in gear, I'd continue down the losing path...not going so well though.

Rite Aid: Fall Gift of Savings

Rite Aid is another savings program - Fall Gift of Savings. It's a great way to get money back for the purchases that you make. Last year, they had the Gift of Savings program that they ran. If you participated in that program, this one is basically the same thing.

From Rite Aid's website:

Shop now through October 17 and get up to $20 back. Right now at Rite Aid, you can earn up to $20 back in a Rite Aid Gift Certificate on almost everything you buy.
Spend $25-$50, get $5 back.
Spend $51-$100, get $10 back.
Spend over $100, get $20 back.

So check off your back to school list, start planning for Halloween and bring in any other shopping lists you might have to Rite Aid today. The more you spend the more you save.
Earning your gift certificate is as easy as 1-2-3.
Save all your Rite Aid receipts dated September 13 through October 17.
Get your gift certificate mailed right to your home.*

To receive your gift certificate, you can create an count on RiteAid.com and submit the information from qualifying receipts dated September 13 through October 17. All submissions must be received by November 17, 2009. Click here for more information.

JoAnn's: 50% Off Coupon

There is a new 50% off one regular-priced item printable JoAnn coupon. This coupon are in good in-stores or online (promo code EFD276). Coupon expires 10/03/09.

Halloween Coupon Books

I told you about the McDonald's $1.00 Halloween Coupon book. I thought I would post the others together.

Check your local Burger King for $1.00 Halloween Coupon book. It contains 8 coupons for free value size French fries.

Frish's Big Boy has their Halloween Coupons available too. You get 8 free kid meal coupons for just $1.00.

Check you local Wendy's for their Halloween Coupon book. It's just $1.00 and contains 8-10 (I've heard both numbers) coupons for free Jr. Frosty's.

McDonald's: $1.00 Halloween Coupon Book

Stop by your local McDonalds and pick up a $1.00 Halloween coupon book that includes:

(3) Free Hamburger Coupons
(3) Free Small Cone Coupons
(3) Free Bag of Apple Dippers coupons
(3) Free Apple Juice or Milk Jug coupons

The coupons are valid 11/1/09 - 12/31/09. Limit one coupon, per customer, per visit. Redeemable by children ages 12 and under only.

Event: Home Depot Kids Clinic - Saturday, October 3, 2009

The Home Depot Kids Workshop for October will take place on Saturday, October 3rd.

October 3rd @ Home Depot – 9am-noon: Message CenterMark your calendars for the November clinic too - Saturday, November 7th

Dove: Enter UPCs, Help with Self Esteem

When you purchase Dove beauty care products, you can help provide inspiring self-esteem workshops to girls all over the country. Dove will donate $1.00 to help with Self Esteem, all you have to do is enter your UPCs.

While you are on the website, check out some of the other offers they have:

Make a Match - chance to win free product
The Word on Hair Care Puzzle - free samples
Spot the Difference - free samples
Free "Thank You" cards sweepstakes
Coupons