Outdoor Art

Sidewalk Chalk.  We keep ours in a bucket in the garage so we can just carry it out to the driveway or sidewalk. 

"Paint" with water.  All you need is a container of water, a paintbrush and a dry sidewalk or fence.  Not only does S love to do this, but I love that it's relatively mess free.

Flying Bat

Since S is going to be a bat for Halloween, we have been talking /reading/looking at pictures of bats.  I made this bat for him the other day.  I just cut out a bat shape (it looks more like a flying squirrel) from black construction paper and taped it to a popsicle stick.  When you gently wave it up and down, the wings flap.  I guess I have told him "gentle" with it too many times because if you ask him what it is he says, "gentle."

7 Cents Per (Size 5) Diaper!

I am so excited about today's BRU trip.  Today I received a coupon in the mail for a FREE value box of diapers because I purchased 9 boxes at BRU as part of their Rewards R Us program.    Also today I saw on Babycheapskate that BRU is running a "Buy 2 Boxes, Get $15 Gift Card" deal through Monday.  So I thought to myself, "Hmm? I wonder if my free box counts as one of the two boxes?"  And it did!  So...

2 Value Boxes of Pampers Size 5 Cruisers = $82 ($41 each)
- Used a BRU FREE value box coupon towards the first box (mailed as part of Rewards R Us)
- Used a $1.00 Pampers manufacturer's coupon towards the first box (unknown mailer)
- Used a $5 BRU Pampers coupon (printable here)
- Used a $1.50 Pampers manufacturer's coupon towards the first box (unknown mailer)
+ Earned $15 gift card

When the gift card is taken into account, that's 248 diapers (124 diapers per box) for $18.50 or about 7 cents per diaper!  Note:  If these were size 1, they would be 4 cents per diaper!

While you may not have a free value box coupon handy before Monday, the lesson here is if you participate in Rewards R Us, then save your free coupon (but note the expiration date) for when a gift card promo is occuring and combine it with both BRU and manufacturer's coupons.

Note:  Partaking in the Rewards R Us program is only a good deal when you always use a combo of BRU coupons, manufacturer's coupons, gift card promos, and you take into account the free box once you have purchased 9 boxes.

Target 101 and belated $12.78 trip

I apologize that this post is so belated.  This week's deals end tonight, so some of the items below won't be on sale tomorrow.  However, I will give you a brief Target "how-to".  There are a few things to consider with Target deals:

1.  You can use one Target coupon and combine it with one manufacturer's coupon for the same item (ideally an item that is on sale). 
2.  Look for gift card deals in the Sunday ad and try to combine with coupons.
3.  Look for trial size, dollar bin, and checkout lane deals.  Some coupons do not specify the size of the product and can be used on items from Target's trial/travel size bins, dollar bins, or checkout lanes to get them for free.

Here's this week's trip.  Though it doesn't look very healthy, I made some notes as to my reasoning:

Quilted Northern toilet paper (12 pk)
$6.49 on sale
- $1.00 (printable)
= $5.49

Chex Mix (x4 in checkout lanes)
$0.99
- 1.00 (printable)
= free

Pond's Facial Towelettes (in trial bins)
$0.97
- 1.50 (printable)
= free

Kotex pantyliners (x2 20 ct. in trial bins)
$1.97 for 2
- $1.50 for 2 (10/4 SS)
= $0.47 for 2 boxes

Snickers bar
$0.64
- 0.64 (free mailer coupon no longer available)
= free

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (x2)
$4.00 for 2 boxes on sale
- 1.50 for 2 (printable or 8/30 RP)
- 0.50 (Target printable)
- 0.50 (Target printable) note: use 2 Target coupons for 2 boxes
= $2.00 for 2 boxes ($1.00 each)
note:  S does not eat these.  They are my indulgence.

Skippy Peanut Butter
$2.04 on sale
- $1.00 (Target printable)
= $1.04
note:  We eat "stir" peanut butter, but since this was a good deal, I bought it for baking.

Mott's (no sugar added) Applesauce (x5)
$1.75 each on sale
no coupons available, but $5 gift card earned
note:  Applesauce is much cheaper by the jar, but we use these at restaurants for S or on trips and $0.75 each after the gift card deal is pretty good.  Also, I know it's a lot, but it doesn't expire for a year. 

Total $17.82
Paid $5.04 with Target gift cards from past deals

Total OOP = $12.78 and earned a $5 gift card

TRU or BRU $5 off $25 this weekend!

There is a new $5 off $25 printable coupon here for this weekend only at Toys R Us or Babies R Us.  You have to be a Rewards R Us member to redeem it, so if you are not one go here to sign up and print a temporary card to take with you to the store. 

Coloring Contests

This past week I saw this coloring contest in our local paper and it brought back fond childhood memories of partaking in coloring contests (though I don't believe I ever won).  Well, this one was perfect for S to color today because it had some bats and a pumpkin on it (both words we have been saying and signing a lot lately).  I only gave him an orange crayon because I wanted to talk about the color orange and how pumpkins are often orange.  As he was coloring, I thought to myself that I should always keep an eye out for coloring contests; not necessarily to enter, but it's a free coloring page.  Here's a close-up of his pumpkin so you can see all the detail he added ;) 

Indoor Wagon

I covered a Pampers box with red paper and tied on a small rope to make an indoor wagon.  The height is perfect so that it doesn't tip him out and it slides well on both our hardwood and carpeting.  S loves going for "rides."  He is also now pulling his stuffed animals and dolls around in it.