Publix and the Wonders Found Therein

For several months now I have been meaning to post on the great deals we've been getting at Publix. If you don't already shop there, you should, because our grocery bill has been cut drastically. Now, before I begin telling you of our shopping sprees, I must tell you that because of the current market and our need to pinch every penny we can, we have altered our way of eating. We still try to eat as healthfully as possible, but we cannot afford all of the organic stuff right now.

Every week, when we get the new Publix ad (which runs Thursday to Wednesday), we go to this website: www.southernsavers.com She spells out all of the deals and links to coupons (or tells you of a newspaper coupon) available for each deal. Publix has many items that are buy one get one free (BOGO). They will accept store coupons, manufacturer coupons, and competitor coupons. That means you can BOGO and stack 3 coupons making certain items almost free (and sometimes earning money towards the rest of your bill). Now, here's the deal...once you have been doing this for a while, you will have a nice stockpile of groceries with which to plan meals. In the beginning, you may have to plan your meals based upon what you can get that current week.

Just so you know, we have used coupons for Target and Food Lion as competitor coupons. I have linked to a Target coupon below for the Pepperidge Farm bread. This link will take you to the "Hot Coupon World" website. The page that comes up lists all the coupons available at Target. All you have to do is find the ones that you want, enter the number of coupons (unlimited) in the box, and then click on "Get coupons." Once your page of coupons comes up, you can print them. It's that easy!

Here are some deals that we scored this week. If you want to take advantage of them, you will need to get to a Publix before Thursday.

Arm and Hammer toothpaste is BOGO (normally $2.99 each)
Print (2) coupons here for $1 off each tube (makes them about $0.50 each)

Lipton tea bags (24 ct.) are BOGO (normally $3.99 each)
Get (2) "Family is its own Reward" booklets found in store. Use (2) coupons for $1 off each box (makes them about $1 each).

Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal is BOGO (normally $3.99 each)
Print (2) coupons here for $2 off each box (which EARNS you $0.01 total--FREE plus some!!)

Kraft BBQ sauce is BOGO (normally $1.49 each)
Print (2) coupons here for $1 off each bottle (which EARNS you $0.51 total--FREE plus some!!)

Lawry's 30-minute marinades are BOGO (normally $2.29 each)
Use (2) coupons from the Red Plum 5/17 insert for $0.50 off each bottle (makes them about $0.65 each)

Ragu Pasta sauce is BOGO (normally $2.27 each)
Print (1) coupon (or as many as you want) here (for IE) or here (for FF) for $1 off 2 jars (makes them about $0.64 each)
OR
Use (2) coupons from "Family is its own Reward" booklet found in store for $0.75 off 1 jar (makes them about $0.39 each)

Breyer's ice cream is BOGO (normally $4.25 each)
Use (2) coupons from Red Plum 5/17 insert for $0.75 off each carton (makes them about $1.38 each)
OR
Use (2) coupons from "Family is its own Reward" booklet found in store for $1.50 off each carton (makes them about $0.63 each)

Lysol Bathroom or Kitchen cleaner is BOGO (normally $2.69 each)
Use (2) coupons from Smart Source 6/07 insert for $0.55 off each bottle (makes them about $0.80 each)
OR
Print (2) coupons here for $0.50 off each bottle (makes them about $0.85 each)

Kotex Pantiliners are BOGO (normally $2.95 each)
Print (1) coupon here for $1.50 off two boxes (makes them about $0.73 each)
OR
Use (2) coupons from Smart Source 6/14 insert for $1 off one box (makes them about $0.48 each) ---We did not have this coupon in our insert, but I thought I would mention it for those of you who may have gotten it.

Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Bread is on sale for $1.99 (normally $3.29)
Print (1) coupon (or more if you like) here for $1 off one loaf (makes them $0.99 each)

If you bought all of this at full price, it would cost you $57.11!!! By taking advantage of the BOGO deals and by using coupons all of this would only cost you $9.80!!! That is a savings of 82.8%!!!! WOW!!!

Our total grocery bill this week (had we paid full price for everything) would have been $225.47. After taking advantage of some BOGO deals and other sale items, using coupons as much as possible ($49.50 is what we used), and even paying full price for some items (like fruits and vegetables) our total bill was only $99.73!! That's a savings of 55.8%!!! Sweet!!!

Now, there are other good deals, but I've just hit some of the highlights of some really great deals. So, check out the current ad and the "Southern Savers" website to see what deals you might like to take advantage of this week.

Happy Shopping!!!

Picture and video catch-up for the last couple of weeks

Friday (6/26) was Nathaniel's one month birthday, so I thought I would post some updated pictures. He has grown quite a bit in the last couple of weeks. He is almost 12 pounds now! I love the chub! =)

A couple of weeks ago, we went up to my parents' house to spend a little over a week with them. Due to illness, my dad had been unable to see Nathaniel until we brought him. Here he is holding him for the first time.


My niece, Kelly, was smitten with Nathaniel. I think she would have been willing to hold him 24/7 if I had allowed. =) Nathaniel misses his warm, snuggly cousin.

My niece, Sarah, also loved to hold Nathaniel.

My nephew, Bryce, with Nathaniel...

My sister, Kyra, got some snuggle time in, too.

I love how his pacifier flipped up in this picture.

Every time he stretches like this, Jason says, "Touchdown!"

Cute little "Snuggle Bunny"

My mom made some adorable burp cloths for Nathaniel. This is one that has monkeys and says, "Little Monkey" all over. It's really cute!

My niece, Sarah, gave him a teddy bear. He is fascinated with the bow.

While we were at my parents' house and Nathaniel was 3 weeks old, he decided to roll over from his stomach to his back! I didn't catch it on video, but he did it twice in a row. Here are some pictures of him trying again.


Sydney finally lost her first tooth. Unfortunately, I was not present when it actually came out. Alyx decided to be the "Mommy" and pull it without me knowing. =( Oh well, I took this "After photo," and she was thrilled to finally have lost a tooth. She currently has two other loose teeth....when it rains it pours. =) Oh, and yes, she already has the permanent teeth coming in behind the bottom front teeth. All of my girls did that...weird, huh?


We also celebrated Larissa's 8th birthday while we were up there. She chose a Funfetti cake with chocolate Funfetti icing. It was yummy, of course! =)

Another cute "Bubba" picture...

Snuggling with Granny again...

Cuddling with Daddy...

He wasn't quite sure of his Uncle Richard....

He got a little fussy....

...and so did Uncle Richard. =)

Uncle Richard got him his first Nascar outfit...Go Dale Jr! Hey, all I care about is that it's green! =) LOL! Sorry, Richard, it's all about the fashion. =)

Snuggle time with Sydney includes lots of kisses...

He loves to cuddle with Larissa, too....

Little Mommy, Alyx....I'm sure she's seen me do this a million times. I love to sniff the top of his head. As Frank Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond says, "I'm sucking in the youth!" =)

Point in case... He's going to be such a "Mama's Boy!" =)

Jason says he looks like "Uncle Fester" from the Addams Family in this nightgown. =)

Daddy seems to know just how to get a smile out of him.

A few nights ago while we were trying to get Nathaniel to sleep, he was very fussy. He didn't want to be held, he didn't want to lie down, he had already eaten, he had a clean diaper, etc. Jason decided to lay him down on the bed to see if he would roll over. Here's what happened...

Here's Nathaniel on his one month birthday right before we sang "Happy Birthday" to him.

Another sweet close-up...

I tried to catch him smiling in his sleep and just barely caught a glimpse of one. =)

We had our good friends, the Skattebos, over on Saturday and had a great time with them. Eliana has been looking forward to holding Nathaniel for a long time now, and she finally got to hold him. He got a little fussy after I took her picture with him, so she was ready to pass him back to me. She said, "He's a little cry-ey." =)

Snuggling with his "blankie"

Alyx has the touch. She's very good at getting him to go to sleep.

Lazy, sleepy mornings are the best!

He's here!

This is LONG overdue, but I'm just now getting a little bit of time to do things like this. Our little boy, Nathaniel Bryant, was born May 26 at 12:26pm. He weighed 9 lbs. 6 oz. and was 20 inches long. Check out his "feeding tube"...he ate well, huh?

He has a great set of lungs.

Daddy is so proud of his little boy!

Mommy is in love with her little "Bubba Bear" =)

Granny (my mom) got to hold Nathaniel shortly after he was born.

Then it was time for the "Big Sisters" to hold their little "Bubba." We decided ahead of time (on the advice of my mom) who was going to get to hold the baby first, second and third. That way there would (hopefully) not be any fighting. =) One of our favorite ways to fairly choose who gets to "go first" at just about anything, is to choose a number. Jason or I will decide on a number in our heads, and then the girls will choose their numbers. Whoever is closest gets to go first. It's easy, and they don't seem to have a problem with it. =)

As it turns out, Alyx was chosen to hold Nathaniel first. Look at how she beams!

Sydney was chosen to hold him second. He's almost as big as she is. =) She loves giving him kisses!

Larissa was chosen to hold him third. She said she didn't mind being last, because she figured she would get to hold him longer since no one would be waiting for her to finish. =)

Snuggle time with Mommy...

And Daddy...

The "Little Mummy" =)

Nathaniel's "Going Home" Outfit

Snug as a bug in Granny's arms...

He loves to snuggle with Daddy....

We all loved having my mom here with us for almost two weeks while we adjusted to having a baby in the house again. Nathaniel really loved cuddling with her and really misses her! =( We love you, Mom!

We have already begun teaching him how to play cards. We're big gamesters, so he's gotta learn to fit in. =)

This was the day that Mom left. We were very sad. Look how shaken up Nathaniel was in the 2nd picture. =) (Oh, and Julie, note the laundry on the couch. Yes, I'm normal, too. LOL!)

I love the peaceful, sleeping baby pictures. They always look so cuddly and squishy. =)

Yesterday was his 2-week check-up, and he is already 10 lbs. 5 oz. and 21 1/2 inches long. He's growing fast!

Sorry for the overabundance of pictures. If you only knew how much I had to constrain myself. Erica, I know you understand. =) It's been only 2 weeks (and 1 day) and I've taken quite a few pictures. He's just so cute, and I don't want to miss anything. I hope you enjoyed them!

Big Sister T-Shirts

As a tradition, I have made "Big Sister" t-shirts for the girls to wear to the hospital for the births of Larissa and Sydney. Obviously, Alyx has had 2 shirts, Larissa 1, and Sydney none. The last time I made them, Alyx was a few months shy of being 3 years old and Larissa was about a year and a half. They didn't really have a clue as to what I was doing, nor did they care to insert opinions as to what they wanted on their shirts.

This time around, I knew that I would not be so lucky as to have such carte blanche. I also suspected that they would want to be involved in the painting process, which concerned me just a little bit. For those of you who have painted on clothing before, you know that it's not an easy task. All I could picture were blobs of paint all over a t-shirt. I decided, though, that I would put my OCD aside and let them at least try.

I had kept a t-shirt that I practiced on years ago, because it had their names and hand/foot prints. I decided to use it again as a practicing area. I added Sydney's name since it was not on the shirt, and the girls each tried to draw simple shapes. Alyx drew a flower, Larissa drew a heart, and Sydney drew a smiley face. They each struggled with controlling the paint flow while trying to make their shape at the same time. As a result, they decided that they didn't want to paint on their actual shirts, because they didn't want them messed up. Whew! I'm glad they came to that conclusion on their own. =)

I pretty much let them choose everything else, though. They chose the color of their t-shirts, the colors and types of paints we purchased, the writing style for their shirts, the designs to be used on their shirts, and the color assignments of every little thing on their own shirts. Wow! Lots of opinions!

All in all it was a pretty fun process. I became stressed at some points, especially when Sydney decided that she wanted a teddy bear on her shirt. I was scared to death! For the longest time, I couldn't come up with a really good way (with paint) to make a bear look right. The day I was supposed to paint her shirt, I went to her and relayed my fears and trepidations and asked her if there was anything else she would like on her shirt instead. She put her head down in thought and just had the most pitiful look on her face. I nearly started crying! So, once again, I went to the drawing board and began working on another bear. I finally came up with something that I thought might work, so I got busy painting. When it was all finished, I was thrilled with the results and so glad that I had continued with her desire to have a bear. It was much cuter than I thought it would be. Here it is...

***FYI: You can click on the pictures for a larger view, if you so desire. =)


Larissa decided that she wanted a rainbow with rain drops coming down on some flowers. My first feeling was that rain was going to feel kind of dreary, and I wanted these to be "happy" shirts. After looking through one of my scrapbook doodling books, I came across an idea for a rainbow with heart rain drops. I loved it and showed it to her, and of course she loved it too! =) Her shirt was by far the easiest and least stressful, but I think it turned out to be so adorable. Here it is...


Alyx decided that she wanted a butterfly on her shirt. I told her that it might look better to have more than one and that it's more visually appealing to have an odd number of items together. She said that three would be fine. As I was laying it all out, I decided to add a couple more (after getting her permission, of course.) =) At first, she wanted me to pick all the colors and surprise her with it all, but I begged asked her nicely to help me choose. =) I think she did a great job choosing all the colors. Here is her shirt...


Now that these shirts are done, I feel much better about the possibility of going into labor a little early. The girls have been looking forward to these shirts for a couple of months now, and quite honestly, the due date has just sneaked up on me way too quickly. If I hadn't had these done on delivery day, I would have felt so badly for them. This accomplishment is just one more item marked off of my checklist of things to have done before the baby comes. Yay! I'm so relieved! =)

Great freebie only available today!

It's been a while since I've posted about any freebies, and this one is just too good to pass up. If your kids are like mine, they like to draw or at least would like to learn how to draw better than they already do. This freebie is from the Homeschool Freebie of the Day website, and it teaches children how to draw various creatures and cartoon-like characters with step-by-step instructions. The "book" is 76 pages long. Many of the pages have instructions for multiple "items" to draw, so there are probably close to 100 different creatures/characters to learn. Something for every child!

I don't intend to print out the entire book right away, but I did tell my girls that I would let them pick a couple of pages that they are interested in starting to learn. This way I don't waste paper and ink on unwanted pages.

Just a reminder...this site only makes their freebies available on one day of the week. There is a freebie for every day Monday through Friday. This freebie is only available today (Monday, May 4), so if you're interested in it, you have to visit the site today to get it. Also, if you are interested in getting updates from them on which freebies will be available during the week, just subscribe to their mailing list, and they will automatically send you an email on Monday morning.

Happy Drawing! =)

Crocheting for "Bubba"

It has been my tradition to crochet a baby blanket for each of my children before they are born. Alyx's blanket was in a sage green since we didn't know whether she would be a boy or girl and because green is my favorite color. Larissa's blanket was in yellow. We knew that she was going to be a girl, but I was a little hesitant to do a definite girl color. Sydney's blanket was in a lavender. We knew she was going to be a girl, and by #3 I felt pretty sure that we could trust the ultrasound. =)

Since we found out we're having a boy this time around, I was excited at the prospect of making a "boy blanket." Once I decided on the pattern to use, we all went shopping for the yarn. I wanted every one's opinion, since I can't always trust my judgment when I'm pregnant. =) We all chose a blue and white yarn that is supposed to create stripes in certain patterns. I didn't necessarily want stripes, so I was hoping that the pattern I chose would end up a little different. It did, and I love it! The interesting thing is that the border has 2 rounds, and yet the colors still pretty much stayed together. Here it is...


The pattern that I chose called for a certain amount of yarn which required me to purchase 3 skeins of yarn. I crochet pretty tightly which always leaves me with an extra amount of yarn. When I finished this blanket, I had almost a full skein of yarn left. I hated the thought of putting it in a closet somewhere, so I started looking through my pattern books to come up with something else to make. I came across a pattern for a teddy bear and thought that it would make a great combo with the blanket. The pattern projected the size of the teddy bear to be a little bigger than I wanted, so I just decreased the hook size by two sizes and figured that my tight crocheting would also decrease the size of the bear.

Now, for those of you who know me at all know that I have a serious case of OCD. When I first considered making this bear, I wanted to make sure that the colors would all end up in the same place on each side of the bear, but Jason encouraged me to just do it and let it be random. He thought it would be cuter. I trusted him and am very pleased with the results. When the kids saw it completed, they said that we should name him "Patches." If you look closely, you'll see that he has two different colored ears and arms. The legs ended up pretty close to the same, and, oddly enough, I was almost dissappointed that they didn't turn out different. =) The pattern called for buttons for the eyes, but since that's a choking hazzard for little ones, I decided to just hand stitch them. We also had to take a vote on what color ribbon to use. The majority of my family (including my parents, sister and brother-in-law) voted on a red ribbon. So, here he is...


I can't wait for "Bubba" to be able to enjoy his teddy bear, and if for some reason he doesn't, I know three little girls who will. =) Here's one more picture of them together...

Pictures from Easter

Yes, I know, Easter was last week, but you'll just have to give me a break. I'm moving a little slower with each passing day. =)

When I was a little girl, we always looked forward to getting new white shoes for the season and new dresses for Easter. Some years we would get store-bought dresses, and other years my mom would make new dresses for us. Either way, we loved them! Sometimes, we even got to wear a pretty hat or carry a purse. I love being able to share this excitement with my girls. We are very blessed to receive many "hand-me-down" dresses from my nieces, so I feel like once a year we can splurge on a new dress for Easter. My mom has even made dresses for them some years, and the girls really love and appreciate those, too.

This year we were able to find some dresses on sale at J. C. Penney. It wasn't until a few days after we bought them that one of the girls mentioned to me that they had picked out the same (or similar) color dresses as what they had last year. =) Oh well....there are only so many pastel colors, and the girls each have certain colors that they like and that look best on them. Maybe we'll make a point to really change things up next year. =) That's another thing that I've been thinking about recently. Next year I'll be shopping for a little dress shirt and tie for "Bubba." I hope it's as much fun as shopping for dresses. =)

Here are a couple pictures of us from Easter Sunday. We spaced apart in the 2nd picture so that "Baby Bubba" could be in the picture. =)