Saturday, September 3, 2011

Garden Update and Suggestions Needed

We have had a pretty dreary summer here in Seattle and it is definitely reflected in my gardening efforts. But we finally got some sunny days and things started to grow.

Eggplants. This little plant has taken off and has a ton of eggplants on it. I can't wait until they are ready to pick. I'm going to make some marinated eggplant which goes amazing on pizza!

Two acorn squash. I have no idea whether or not these are ready to be picked. Or what to do with them once I pick them. But I grew them....and that's what counts.

Tomatoes! Still lots and lots of green tomatoes on the vines but more and more are rippening up. They are so delicious. They taste nothing like tomatoes from the store so even though my cost isn't going to justify the amount of tomatoes I end up getting, the project was definitely worth it.

And suggestions for all those green tomatoes?

Our two biggest crops are ones we didn't plant. Blackberries that grow along our driveaway (look for an upcoming post on my adventures in making blackberry jam for the first time) and these grapes that grow along our fence. I don't know what kind they are, but they are full of small seeds and not edible in their current form. I would love to turn them into something (jelly? raisins?) so I'm doing some research on them. Any suggestions would be very welcome.

We also have a decent crop of yellow squash and zucchinis. The cucumbers were a total bust and the corn appears to be as well. I've convinced my husband to build some raised beds over the winter, so I can expand my food growing next year. Nothing tastes better than food grown by your own two hands.

How did your gardens do this year?

You can see my previous garden updates here and here.

Friday, September 2, 2011

My FREEBIE Target Shopping Trip

I had some free coupons that were expiring soon, so I ran to Target and picked up everything in the picture for just $0.58. 


The freebie coupons were either ones I picked up at the BlogHer'11 conference or received from a giveaway on the products' Facebook page. The only thing I paid for was the marshmallows, which were $0.29 each after a $1/1 from Vocalpoint (another great source for freebie coupons).

I generally hold onto freebie coupons until close to their expiration dates and try and leverage them into bigger savings. For example, a Buy One, Get One Free sale plus a free coupon would equal two products for free.

Want to go on your own FREEBIE shopping spree? Don't forget to enter to win my current giveaway with over $50 in FREE coupons.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The Daily Double (9/1)


Are you joining my Reusable Bag Challenge? If you need some bags to get you started, head over to SaveMore today for a great deal. There are two options from reusablebags.tv to choose from:

$9 for $18 worth of reusable bags (or FREE for new members after $10 new customer sign up credit)
$22 for $50 worth of reusable bags (or $12 for new members after $10 new customer sign up credit)

Go here to get this deal!

Fine Print: Expires March 6, 2012. Limit one voucher per person, and full amount of voucher must be used in one purchase.  Shipping is not included.  Voucher will be ready for redemption on 9/6.


Eversave is offering $14 of cell phone accessories for just $7. If you are a new Eversave member, you will get a $3 credit and pay just $4 for this deal. Best of all, this deal included FREE shipping.

Go here to get this deal.

The Fine Print
May buy up to 3 Saves
Use one Save per purchase at www.CellPig.com
Save is valid sitewide at www.CellPig.com, however, it cannot be combined with other coupon codes
Free shipping is included
Code available immediately after purchase on Eversave
Promotional value expires
on Aug 31, 2012

Join me in a Challenge: No More Plastic Bags!



I currently own about 20 reusable shopping bags. And can you guess how many of them I use on a regular basis?

If you guessed zero, you are pretty close. I use one to carry my coupon box in, but other than that I am an utter failure at the reusable bag movement.

But that is going to change! See that pile of bags below....


This month I am challenging myself (and you) to use these bags. No paper or plastic bags for the whole month of September. Sounds simple enough, but I have a feeling this is going to be a big challenge.

Which is why I'm telling you about it. I'm hoping that by inviting you to join me in this challenge and posting regular updates, I'll keep myself accountable to using reusable bags. And I'm hoping that by mindfully focusing it this for a month, it will become a habit that I can carry forward.

So, are you in? Leave me a comment and let me know if you are joining the challenge. Or if you are already a dedicated reusable bag user, leave a comment with tips on remembering the darn things.

And Day 1...I forget the bags at home after bring them in to take the picture last night. So if you see a crazy lady leaving Fred Meyer carrying an armful of groceries just to avoid using a plastic bag....stop and say Hi!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Giveaway: $50 in FREEBIE coupons

I LOVE coupons for FREE products. They can be a great way to try out a new product or save on a product you already love.

I received quite a few FREEBIE coupons at the BlogHer '11 conference that I attended earlier this month and now it's time to share that love with all of you.

I am giving away an envelope of coupons for FREE products valued at over $50.00. There are currently 14 FREEBIE coupons included, but I'm hoping to add more before the giveaway ends. Some of the coupons included in the envelope include:

FREE Hillshire Farm Product (up to $5.99)
FREE Nestle Coffeemate Natural Bliss (up to $2.79)
FREE Gallon of white milk, any brand (up to $4.00)
FREE Dole Real Fruit Bites (up to $4.49)

To enter this giveaway:

Leave a comment in this post (MANDATORY)

Like Coupon Newbie Blog on Facebook. Leave a separate comment letting me know (1 Additional Entry)
Follow Coupon Newbie Blog on Twitter. Leave a separate comment letting me know (1 Additional Entry)
Share this giveaway on Facebook. Leave a separate comment letting me know (1 Additional Entry)
Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a separate comment letting me know (1 Additional Entry)

Be sure to include your e-mail address with your enteries, so I can contact you if you win. This giveaway will be open until midnight on Tuesday, September 6th. Good Luck.

P.S. This giveaway is sponsored by Coupon Newbie Blog. I received the coupons, but no additional compensation from any of these brands. Winner will be chosen on 9/7/2011 using www.random.org.

Monday, August 29, 2011

The Daily Double (8/29)

Two great magazine deals today. I subscribe to both of these magazines and highly recommend them both.


On Eversave, you can get a 2 year subscription to Parents magazine for just $5. If you are new to Eversave, you will get a $2 credit when you sign up, bringing this deal down to $3. Go here to get this deal.



On Family Finds, you can get a 1 year subscription to Kiwi magazine for $6. Kiwi offers lots of great articles on eco-friendly family living. Go here to get this deal.

Top 5 Albertsons' Doubler Deals (thru 8/30): ALL FREEBIES

Chex Mix or Chex 100 Calorie Snack ($1.00)
- $0.50/1 from 7/10 Smart Source or 8/7 General Mills insert
- Twice the Value coupon
= FREE

Gardetto’s Snack Mix ($1.00)
- $.50/1 coupon
- Twice the Value coupon
= FREE

General Mills Bugles Corn Snacks ($1.00)
- $0.50/1 coupon from 7/10 Smart Source
- Twice the Value coupon
= FREE

Lance Cracker Packs ($2.00)
- $1/1 coupon
- Twice the Value coupon
= FREE
Velveeta Cheesy Skillets Dinner Kit ($1.67)
Buy 1, get $1 off meat catalina (on your next order)
- $1/1 coupon from 8/21 Smart Source
- Twice the Value coupon
= FREE + $1 off meat catalina
Plus, here's two FREEBIES that you don't even need Twice the Value coupons to get.

Oral-B Defense Manual Toothbrush or Crest Toothpaste ($.99 with weekly in ad coupon. Limit 6)- $1/1 coupon from 8/28 P&G insert
= FREE

Ken’s Steak House Salad Dressing ($.99 with weekly in ad coupon. Limit 4)- $1/1 coupon from 8/14 Smart Source
= FREE

Head over to Frugal Living NW for a full list of Twice the Value deals.