Friday, July 31, 2009

If you haven't guessed by the really scant number of posts this month, I have been really busy lately. I mentioned in the past (and definitely if you follow me on twitter) that I currently have my house up for sale. We had a reasonable offer right away, and we were so excited to be under contract in a market where friends and family are waiting months, even a year to sell their homes.

Well this week, our buyer went caput. Honestly, it was pretty crushing. After days of inspections, keeping the house spic and span (which is, you might know, extremely hard for me! lol), packing, etc. it was a blow to have our house back to square one. I've been pretty good at keeping this in perspective--its not like we lost our home, we are already very blessed, etc. but I'm sure how you could see it got me down.

A lovely blog I read, The Finer Things in Life, hosts a carnival every Friday to talk about the little things in life that make you happy. I love to read the entries, and this week I thought I'd do one, just because it is the random small things in life that really add unexpected joy.

My "Finer Thing" today? Sun dried tomatoes. I LOVE them. And just this week, for no reason, Gmail decided to have the suggested link be this recipe: Red Pesto. I love pesto, and I thought, ew, what is red pesto? So I clicked, and quickly my 'ew' turned to drool and I realized I have to try this recipe. The 'red' is sun-dried tomatoes instead of basil. THEN, I happened to go to the farmer's market with my mom and sister yesterday, and I stumbled right upon freshly packed sun dried tomatoes and realized that this week it was my 'finer thing'. I hope you enjoy the recipe and also checking out the other entries at Finer Things Friday!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

I am SO excited to announce a fabulous Couponizer Brunch Workshop that I am hosting! As I've recently mentioned, I am a "Couponizer Coach" helping you get started with coupons and saving money using the awesome Couponizer system--the #1 best-selling coupon organizer in North America! There has been a great local demand for The Couponizer, and what better way to get started with one than for me to show you this easy system step-by-step while we enjoy a delicious brunch!?

On Saturday August 29th at 11 AM we will meet at The Tortilla Press in Collingswood, NJ for their award-winning brunch! While you relax and enjoy your meal, I'll explain The Couponizer system and help you get started on your money-saving journey.

The cost for this awesome event is only $30 and includes your brunch, The Couponizer system (a $19.95 value), AND the seminar!!

I'm so excited to meet you and get you started on couponing, while also enjoying a delicious meal at one of my favorite restaurants! Space is limited, so you will want to register as soon as possible to reserve your space. Payments may be made securely through Paypal by clicking the button below:


If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to seeing you on August 29th!

Monday, July 27, 2009




I have tried all different ways of coupon organization in the past: the little accordian file (problem? too small, couldn't see the coupons well), the keeping-the-insert-whole method (I ended up never clipping them) and even the big binder with baseball card pages method (It was so hard to fill and empty that I dreaded opening it). A little over a year ago I heard about the Couponizer. It looked like everything that I was looking for to keep me organized and I bought it immediately (it didn't hurt that it was only $19.95).

Ever since I started using it, the Couponizer has been a winner for me. The whole system includes the booklet itself, which contains all the categories you would need, along with slots to organize your coupons easily while you shop, and some cool extras like a carrying pouch, mini-scissors, and my favorite, the Coupstacker mat that lets you quickly sort and stash your coupons after you've clipped them.

Since I'm such a die-hard Couponizer fan, I looked into buying some to sell since I am talking about it so much anyway. That is when I signed up to be a Couponizer Coach. Not only do I sell the Couponizer, but I can coach people in how to use it, and how to quickly start saving money.

I've already started helping people save time and money with The Couponizer. I have a couple of cool events that I'm going to announce here on the blog, but I wanted to let you know what the scoop is first :)

If you want to check out the Couponizer online then click here! And if you are in the South Jersey area and are interested in a free seminar for your group or organization, click "Contact me" here on the blog and drop me a line.

Friday, July 24, 2009

There's a couple of freebies out there worth requesting. Enjoy!




You know I love free magazine subscriptions! For those of you with babies, request American Baby here or Baby Talk here. Getting married? Request Get Married magazine here.

Freebies from Walmart (these are always reliable & usually come with add'tl coupons):


Like artificial sweeteners? Go here to request a sample of PureVia natural sweetener, here for a sample of Ideal sweetener, choose a free sample of Splenda here.


Wednesday, July 15, 2009


TGIFriday's released another buy one entree, get one free (bogo) coupon! This one is good until July 31st! What's great about these coupons is that they are one per table, per visit so you can print off and use as many as you would like.

Sunday, July 12, 2009


I'm back with a menu plan this week, and I also wanted to pass along the Italian Chicken & Orzo recipe (click here) from last time. With the exception of a package of fresh mushrooms and some diced bell pepper (which you may have frozen) this would be a 'completely pantry' meal and those are always good to have!

Monday- Rigatoni with grilled peppers and onions - this was a recipe from Real Simple magazine which is just some grilled peppers and onions tossed with cooked pasta and some spinach and parmesan.

Tuesday- Corn and cheese enchiladas - this one was in All You recently as the "easy recipe of the month" and uses a couple ears of fresh corn.

Wednesday- Garlicky broiled salmon and tomatoes - is another Real Simple recipe except I am going to make them on the grill.

Thursday- Ground turkey stroganoff - Just like the Italian chicken and orzo, this recipe is another quick idea courtesy of Stop & Shop. I'll post my review of it ;)

Friday- Grilled chicken breasts and veggies

Saturday- Parties all day so no cooking for me :D

Sunday- Leftovers!

Check out the other menus at Menu Plan Monday!


I promised during my last Menu Plan Monday that I would post the recipe for Italian Chicken & Orzo if it was worth making. It was definitely worth making and passing on!

My picture is not the greatest, but I hope you get the idea :) I added some fresh spinach to mine since I thought it needed some extra green, so if you make the recipe "as is" then yours will look a little different from mine. I got this recipe at a luncheon hosted by Stop & Shop as an idea for a quick meal. It really did take almost no time at all to make. Here's the recipe:

Italian Chicken and Orzo
Serves 4 - Cook time: 20 minutes - Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tsp canola oil 1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 8oz. pkg cleaned and sliced white 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
button mushrooms 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup seeded & chopped bell pepper 1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp minced fresh garlic 1 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
2 cups Nature's Promise low-sodium 1 (10oz.) can Stop & Shop premium chunk
chicken broth white chicken in water, drained

In a heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and bell pepper, cook for 4-5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and cook only until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10-15 minutes or until orzo is tender and liquid has been absorbed. Stir in drained chicken, breaking up chunks of chicken. Heat well.

Thursday, July 9, 2009


Tomorrow, Friday July 10th, Chick-fil-A is having its 5th annual Cow Appreciation Day. Dress up like a cow and get a free meal! Don't have a costume (and who does, really?!)? Then check out their website here for a costume Starter Kit you can use.


Hooray for free Chick-fil-A!! :)

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Well, a girl's gotta take a vacation right? And how about have a birthday? I've taken a just about two week vacation and I gotta say that it was awesome! Had a great time at the beach, relaxing & spending time with family.

Guilty confession is that I don't think I thought about deals once! ;-)

But now I'm back have a very busy rest of July & August, and even have some cool new things for the blog (hint: giveaways!)

So, yes, please forgive me. I'm refreshed and ready to think of deals again :D