A Very, Merry Un-Birthday to Me :)

To quote the Mad Hatter, it is my "Very, Merry Un-Birthday" today. Yes, I was born on February 29, Leap Year. And since there is no February 29th this year, we are celebrating my "Un-Birthday" today with a visit from my sister & her husband. We are heading up to one of my favorite restaurants for lunch and toasting my 45 years. Wow. Where did the time go? Wasn't I just 25?!!!! :)


Enjoy YOUR day and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Deals of the Day

In a recent issue of O magazine, I read that every woman over 40 (ahem) is supposed to have a few certain things in her closet including 2 brightly colored v-neck cashmere sweaters. Now, I don't know about you, but generally cashmere sweaters are WAY out of my price range. So lately at our Kmart store, I've been watching a certain lilac Jaclyn Smith 2-ply v-neck cashmere sweater with interest as the price has been going down...from $69.99 (original price) to $49.00 (on clearance) to today's price....drumroll please... $9.99!!! I'm so excited!!! Now I can cross ONE of the 25 MUST HAVE items off my list! :)

My other two finds of the day were at the thrift store in town, the book "French Women for All Seasons" by Mireille Guiliano (the follow-up to her best-seller, "French Women Don't Get Fat") and motivational book, "Fish Tales". I got them both for 25 cents. Not apiece. Together :)

A good day, I'd say! :) Enjoy your day and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Mr. Clean 3X the Cash Sweepstakes

Be sure to click on this http://www.mrclean.com/en_US/3xthecash/home.do?src=pgeds and enter the Mr. Clean 3X the Cash Sweeptakes. You can win $3,000!!! Who couldn't use that right now? You don't even have to sign up for a newsletter...just your name, address, email address, birthday & if you use a dishwasher ~ I don't :(

Anywoo, go ahead, enter & good luck! Thrifty Gal

AI Wrap-Up...then on to the good stuff :)

WARNING! Massive negativity ahead... :)

I'm going to give you the shortest American Idol wrap-up ever....12 young people sang last night, they were critiqued by a panel of 4 judges, then we, as Americans, were instructed to call and vote for our favorites. Guess what? I had no favorites. No one that sang last night even remotely spurned me into picking up my phone. I'm so disappointed in this year's Idol contest so far. I WILL be anxious to see who moves on from this group. I still think Danny Gokey is the bright spot this year :)

Now on to the good stuff...

Most of you probably already have a favorite Crock Pot Roast Beef & Vegetables recipe that you like but I'd like to pass along my favorite, which I have cooking on my countertop right now! :)

Pot Roast with Gravy and Vegetables

3-4 lb. bottom round, rump or arm roast
2-3 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp. kitchen bouquet, or gravy browning seasoning sauce
1 garlic clove or 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
4-6 medium potatoes, cubed
2-4 carrots, quartered
1 green pepper, sliced

1. Place roast in slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Make paste (it's actually more liquid-like than paste-like) of flour and cold water in a small bowl. Stir in kitchen bouquet and pour over roast.
3. Add garlic, onion, potatoes, carrots, and green pepper.
4. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours, or High 4-5 hours.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

I've tried many a crock pot roast recipe and this is by far my favorite. And it's from my favorite slow cooker cookbook, "Fix It and Forget It" by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good.

Enjoy and God bless :) Thrifty Gal

Free Food!

Pop over to http://www.kashi.com/ and claim your coupon for a free Kashi frozen entree! And while you're there, register to join the Kashi Community and you'll be entered to win a year's worth of Kashi foods. You'll also receive future exclusive coupons and info on giveaways!

A couple things...

Is it a coincidence that I got my ENTIRE house cleaned today....when my laptop was under-the-weather? I think not. But now my computer is fixed (the repair man was here 3 1/2 hours!) and I plan on getting caught up on all my online stuff...while sitting in my fresh-smelling house! :)

On another matter, I saved $54.89 yesterday at Kmart during their 'Super Double Coupon'
promotion!!! Yippee!

God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Kmart Super Double Manufacturer Coupons This Weekend!

This is such a big deal for me! We live in an area that does not have many shopping options (2 grocery stores ~ Hy-Vee & Fareway ~ and Kmart) and NONE of them have EVER offered to double coupons. I'll be scouring the Kmart ad today and matching up my coupons, that's for sure!

Is your local Kmart participating? Here's how to tell:
1) Enter your zip code to find your local Kmart circular. Look for the "Super Double Manufacturer Coupons" red rectangle on the front page. Inside that rectangle you'll find all the fine print. If the rectangle isn't there...
2) Your store may not be participating, but you can still use this great coupon code on kmart.com. Enjoy!

God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Deals of the Day!

I went not once, but TWICE, to Hy-Vee today to get stocked up on these awesome bargains:


Hershey's Extra Dark Chocolate ~ Clearanced ~ $2.00 a bag with $1.00 off coupons for each


Yogo's Snacks ~ On sale ~ 3 for $5 with $1.00 off coupons for each, making them 67 cents a piece


Cool Whip in a can (I've never seen this but we use these for hot choclolate) ~ Clearanced ~ 69 cents (I would have purchased more of them at this price but you can't freeze them and I knew we wouldn't use more than one before they expired)


Oscar Mayer South Beach Diet Variety Pack Lunch Meat ~ Clearanced ~ 99 cents each


Oscar Mayer Smoked Turkey Breast and Ham Lunch Meat ~ Clearanced ~ 99 cents each


HUGE bags of Land O'Frost Sliced Ham ~ Clearanced ~ 99 cents each


Suave Body Wash ~ FREE with my Suave coupon from their Recession promotion


and the best deal, Lloyd's Ready to Eat Beef Brisket BBQ Meals (feeds 3) ~ Clearanced for 99 cents!!! With 75 cent coupons for each, making them.... 24 cents a piece!!!! I bought 10 of them and put 8 in the freezer ~ we're going to have 2 of them tonight!


GOTTA LOVE THOSE BARGAINS!!! :)


Enjoy and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

And the journey begins....

Last night was the first night of voting for the new American Idol and, while I love this whole, long, drawn-out journey to May, yesterday's show had me shaking my head and questioning my commitment. And while I completely appreciate someone like fellow blogger, Boomama, for being so positive about these youngsters, I just can't do that! :) It was seriously hard for me to watch! BUT, I will say, there were 3 stand-outs that I hope will go on ~ Ricky Braddy, Alexis Grace and Danny Gokey. We didn't see one second of air-time of Ricky before last night's show and, after hearing him sing, I think that is a shame. He had a rich, beautiful voice and seemed to nail the song he sang (although I didn't know it). Young mom Alexis Grace was the best female vocalist of the night and she looked glammed up and funky. Danny is obviously a FOX favorite as he has been shown in every audition show to date. He sang the heck out of Mariah Carey's "Hero" and ended the program on a high note, which was FULL of low ones. Case in point....poor, young Stevie Wright. I really like this sweet girl but she was so out of her element. I just wanted to reach out and hug her. Likewise with Casey Carlson who butchered "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic". She's such a doll but I just don't think it is in the cards for her. The surprise of the night was the subdued Tatiana Del Toro. This girl DROVE ME CRAZY in the audtions and I was not happy to see her again tonight....BUT she has reined in her emotions and really sang much better than I anticipated. Still, I hope last night was her last time on stage.

I can't even muster the courage to discuss anymore of the performances because they just didn't do it for me AT ALL! So, in my opinion, the 3 that will go on after tonight...Ricky, Alexis and Danny. I'm hopeful that next week's 12 will learn from the first group of 12 and pick better songs...OH, and sing them better :)

Make a FREE donation

Click on over to a great, money-saving blog ~ Freebies 4 Mom ~ and check out this post http://freebies4mom.blogspot.com/2009/02/donate-1-free-to-fight-ovarian-cancer.html . My mother-in-law passed away from ovarian cancer 8 years ago so this fundraiser is special to me :)

God bless ~ Thirfty Gal

Fragrance Sample

Here's a link to request a sample of Sarah Jessica Parker's new 'Lovely' Fragrance Collection www.sarahjessicaparkerbeauty.com . Just click on the "Request a Sample" tab!

Enjoy and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Happy Friday the 13th!

I'm not a superstitious person so this day holds no particular hold over me...in fact, after today's grocery shopping trip, I LOVE this day! Hy-Vee had a 'Friday the 13th' sale today and I got all kinds of goodies at GREAT prices! Here's my haul:

Palermo's Classic Frozen Pizza ~ 6 for $10 ($1.66 a piece)

Tony's Pouches ~ 5 for $5

Hy-Vee Macaroni & Cheese ~ 29 cents a box (I'll be donating these to charity as my kids have 'outgrown' mac & cheese)

Hy-Vee Taco Seasoning ~ 3 for $1 (I normally make my own but couldn't pass these up)

Pillsbury Family Size (9 x 13) Brownie Mix ~ $1.00 a box

Hy-Vee Cereal (Crispy Rice, Tasteeos, Corn Flakes) ~ 99 cents a box!!!

Hy-Vee Bakery Buns ~ $1.13 a package (usually cost $1.99 ~ I know, I should make my own as I make my own bread but I'm lazy about this...)

Hy-Vee Butter (4 Quarters) ~ $1.39

I should clarify that even though I know it is much cheaper to cook EVERYTHING from scratch, I just don't have the time when I'm trying to work a lot on Ebay. These pre-packaged items come in VERY handy! :)

My newest frugal obsession

My husband and I have discovered a great new FREE online matching game called 'Mahjong' that we play at http://www.freegames.ws/games/boardgames/mahjong/freemahjong.htm

I currently lead our little 'tournament' by 4-1, which doesn't make him very happy :) heeheehee

Goodwill deals on Summer Footwear

I recently found these AWESOME sandals at Goodwill for $3.49 a pair!!! The brown ones are Born sandals and would cost between $60 and $70 in a shoe store ...and they look brand new! The 2nd pair have a retro cherry design on them and are by Chinese Laundry ~ and run between $50 and $60 a pair.

Now if it would just get warm enough to wear them! :)

Enjoy and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Yummy Free Sample

I stumbled upon a free sample site for a Quaker Dark Chocolate Raspberry True Delights at https://smartsource.wufoo.com/forms/get-your-free-sample/ . It's a whole grain, chewy granola bar combined with dark chocolate chunks, luscious fruits and whole nuts. I wish I didn't have to wait 4 to 6 weeks to try one! Yummy! :)

Enjoy and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Answered Prayers

Praise God for healing baby Harper ~ read her story & update at http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/ ~ she and her loving parents are now home after 20 days in Intensive Care! Alleluia!

God bless Harper and all of you ~ Thrifty Gal

Fruit Roll Sushi

This recipe is for all those sushi lovers out there....and their kids, who may like to look like they are eating the 'big kid' stuff but don't really like the taste of raw fish :) I saw this recipe today on our local newscast at noon and found it on the Mr. Food website http://www.mrfood.com/ . Here's the recipe that makes about 30 pieces:

1 tablespoon butter
12 marshmallows
2 cups crispy toasted rice cereal
4 (4-1/2-inch) square fruit roll-ups (1/2 ounce each)
6 assorted licorice or fruit twist sticks, cut in half crosswise

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the cereal until completely coated.
On a flat surface, unroll the fruit roll-ups. Spread equal amounts of the cereal mixture over each roll-up, covering the entire surface and packing the mixture flat.
Place 3 different-colored licorice or fruit twists in the center of each and roll tightly into a log, sealing where the edges meet. Squeeze the rolls gently to secure. Trim the ends and slice with a serrated knife into 1/2-inch pieces. Serve, or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

TIP: To give your snacks the most variety and color, use different-colored and -flavored fruit roll-ups and licorice or fruit twist sticks. And if you can’t find different-colored licorice, you can even use gummy worms.

I think these are just adorable! If my kids were younger, I would definitely be making them :)

Enjoy and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

GREAT giveaways!

Thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, Boomama at http://boomama.net I have been introduced to an awesome singer, Dave Barnes. He has a new album coming out and to celebrate, he is giving away an Ipod Touch! All you have to do is register on his website at http://davebarnes.com . He is also giving away copies of his new album on Boomama's website so go and register for that too!

Good luck and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Disney Vacation Sweepstakes!

I received an email this morning informing me of a new Disney Magical Celebrations sweepstakes and I registered right away! There is nothing I'd rather do than take my family to Disney World again (we went in 2007)!!!You can win one of five magical Disney vacations specially designed to celebrate your family's milestone.The winner will work with a personal itinerary planner to help arrange vacation celebration activities, including:

Limo transportation to and from the airport
Special guided tour at either Walt Disney World® or Disneyland® Resort
Disney's PhotoPass PhotoBook and PhotoCD
$200 Disney Gift Card
And more!

You can enter every day in February at Disney.com/Celebrate. In addition to being entered into the vacation sweepstakes, you'll instantly win a different new digital prize every day ~ today's was a Ratatouille Recipe Card that you can print, cut out and use for your favorite recipes! You can also enter daily by texting MAGIC to DISNEY (347639). Standard carrier fees apply. And finally, you can also get an additional entry by sharing a celebration story at http://www.disneyfamily.com/.

Also, don't forget to register at www.roomadaygiveaway.com for a chance to win a $25,000 room makeover from Kimberley-Clark. You can register for this daily too!

Good luck! ~ Thrifty Gal