A Job JUST FOR ME

Many of you know that I have been working full time. I was asked by the mother of my daughter's best friend if I needed some work. I was hesitant to do it but I was also quite desperate because my husband had just been laid off again. I was asked to work for the production and inventory control of GEMFormulas. This is a gemstone therapy based company that provides materials and training for gemstone therapists and their clients. We offer a wide array of sprays for the aura, remedies for the energy within and the tools to become certified gemstone therapy practitioners.
  What they did not know when they hired me was that my father raised us collecting "rocks". He was originally studying to be a geologist when we went to college and to this day still collects rocks and fossils. We were raised around crystals and gems and knew which rocks were best for fossil hunting, which ones were mud rocks for footprints and what kinds of geodes would contain the better crystals. I was already well aware of many of the stones that I would be working with. There is also a very strong new aged natural healing element to our business. Again I was very versed in a lot of this and being quite open minded I was able to work with my intuition to quickly sort and grade out the stones that were less than healing quality. Another thing that I brought to the table was my many years of management and business experience. I was nice to utilize what I had learned prior to becoming a mom in a new field allowing me to use my mind, my spirit and my strengths as a person. This job seems to have been made for me!

Nothing to say..

I have not been around much. OK, I have been around but I have not been writing much. I guess you could say that I have been stalling. There are days when I have a million ideas on what to write about and then there are days when I am just floating through the afternoon and not focused on anything in particular. When I am in a floating mood I will think of an idea and then go on and on in my head with what I would write and what I would say. I then realized that I have hashed it all out already and have nothing left to write. I have had a good solid week of this recently. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty to say.

Bargain Bits-

*Follow up on a previous Bargain Bits*
I must be on to something, it was not long ago that I was telling you to be wary of the perceived sales that are out there. Granted I was primarily focused on KOHL's but the latest announcement by J.C.Penney's is right on point with what I was trying to say. A store offers it's merchandise pricing as it is taken out of the back room and put on shelves at a premium. Manufacturer's suggested price is more like "I wish someone would pay this price" . It is a pipe dream number and never even close to what people actually pay. When a store offers sales over and over they are really just bringing the price down to what they were expecting you to pay in the first place. J.C. Penney's is now taking off the veil.

Learning To Drive

So, I have a sixteen year old. We all know what that comes with. Its not that he had been pounding down my bedroom door on his actual birthday. In fact it wasn't even his idea to get behind the steering wheel. It was mine.  I sat at the department of motor vehicles this past weekend, waiting for Nick to take his driving permit exam. I waited to see him either emerge with a huge smile on his face or the tell tale pale complexion of a kid that did not pass. He was both pale and smiling a bit of a guilty smile. He could only get five wrong and apparently he got the first five very wrong. Luckily for him, he was able to get the rest of his test right. He was official to start learning. I was starting to wonder what I was thinking.

Reanne'cipes

2 min Egg'n'Cheese
I am always in a rush it seems. After all of the running around and getting kids on the bus, house picked up and then off to my regular work, I never seem to have time to eat right. When I had lost all the weight by cutting out the fat from my diet I had looked up what was the best meal choices while on the road. I had figured out that an Egg and Cheese bagel from Dunkin Donuts was ok for my meal intake. I thought that it had to be incredibly fast to make because they were always fresh and hot and ready to go from the time that I placed my order to the time I approached the window. I figured out how to make it fast, at home and for less $.

Cool Savings!

Ill be honest, I was just looking for something cool to post for you and I plugged in the words Cool, Awesome, Savings and the word FREE! I totally forgot about coolsavings.com. I have been a member of this site for so long now that I forgot to tell everyone about it. Low and behold I had a graphic to post for you here so here it is. Aside from the awesome pig who is currently dressed as a bunny, membership is free. You get lots of coupons, offers and the latest sales and deals. This one is definitely one to keep in your bookmarks. To register just click on the pic (click the banner below)
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Free Valentine Note Cards

This one is a great find! Got to love FREE!!!
Click on the banner to take advantage of this offer.
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Richard Cory

When I was young, my dad would play a lot of Simon and Gargunkel. There was a song that they would sing called "Richard Cory" and I clearly remember the last line of the song that would shock me. If you haven't heard it yet, you can view the video I am attaching.
  My 14 year old honors student came home yesterday and asked me to critique a paper she was writing about her take and understanding of the poem "Richard Cory". As soon as I heard the name I knew what she was writing about although I did not know the official piece that was apparently written in the late 1800's. The one that I grew up with was tailored to fit within the 1960's but the theme is exactly the same with the same ultimate ending.

Reanne'cipes

Healthy Alternative Popcorn- 
We all love to snack. I love snacking even more when I am trying to diet. One of the things that I like to snack on is popcorn. Its hard to find a great balance of lower fat options with taste considerations in popcorn.  I used to pop it in a paper bag using the microwave but there was little flavor after that. I had tried using "I can't believe its not butter" spray but that required a lot of spray to lighten up the dry popcorn.  Finally I found a way of popping it that gave it both flavor and was at least a little more healthy than the other alternatives.
  Here is my secret....
 I pop it in a pan on the stove and use a little bit of olive oil in the bottom of the pan. I lightly coat the bottom of the pan with the oil and then add a single layer of corn kernels to the oil. Put a lid on the pot with a little breathing room on the edge of the pot to let the steam escape. Shake and allow the kernels to fall to the bottom of the pan as you pop. As soon as you hear the popping slow down, remove from heat.  Add salt to taste. I take my salt and put it in the silver bullet pulverizer to make it very fine so I use less of it. Trust me, its a great alternative to butter giving it great flavor.  If you are really brave, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the oil or after with the salt. It provides a kick worth snacking on! Happy Snacking!

To mother a dog-

I have had 3 dogs during my 40 years of life. We had one named "Butchie" who was a black mop with curly bangs and although I had always been told he was a toy poodle, knowing now what I know about breeds and dogs he was definitely a mutt.  We got Butchie when I was maybe 3 years old and my brother and I could not say Bushy so it came out Butchie. I also had a dog named Lucky. Lucky was a cross between a shetland sheep dog and a collie. He was a rescue from the pound and we named him Lucky because we saved him from being euthanized. He was a beautiful dog. My whole childhood contains memories of these two with thoughts of playing in the snow, sneaking lima beans under the table and other kid stuff.

Rumor has it-

Rumor has it that Kraft Mac'n'Cheese will be giving away coupons all week for free boxes of the golden goodness!! I do not have verification on this but it may be a first come first serve thing so I wanted to give you a heads up. It is suspected that you have to "like" them on Facebook in order to qualify so get a head start!

Bargain Bits-

I have a lot of friends that are bargain shoppers. Each one has different strategies and different ways that they go about it. I have some that are coupon clippers and some that go to the clearance rack each week. I have some that will go out the day after Thanksgiving and some that wait to buy next years gifts the day after Christmas. I also have friends that comb the internet looking for savings. This I believe may be the best way to get the latest scoop and exclusive deals. Today a friend of mine sent me a post about Sketchers winter boots that were supposed to be $88 that were accidently on sale for $3 with free shipping if you had some free elite membership.

a time to be silent

Today I said goodbye to a sweet friend, member of our family and one of my babies. Our 11 year old dog passed away from a tumor on his liver. I am besides myself with sadness and loss. Today I will not post bargains or recipes. Today I am not going to be sharing my latest wisdom. Today I just say goodbye to Dale. Rest In Peace sweet puppy, may you chase golf balls for the angels. We love you. You will never know how much you will be missed.

Snarkastic Snickers-

My dad sends me little silly things all the time. I think that some of them I might share here. You will quickly see where I get my snarky sarcastic humor from. I will share some of this fun in a new set of blog segments called "SNARKASTIC SNICKERS"

I am a HUGE classic Mickey Mouse fan. This one made me giggle. I just wanted to share!

Valentine's Candy Twist

Here is a great idea for Valentines day!!! This is such a fun site. I have not ordered from here yet but sure had a lot of fun looking through it. Love is timeless and so are some of these goodies!!
OldTimeCandy.com offers Free Shipping up to $25 to APO, FPO boxes "
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IHOME

One of the best finds that I have recently acquired was an IHOME clock radio. It charges my ipod and it is what I listen to while in the shower or when romance is in the air.  I'll be honest, I found it at Goodwill and it was only $15 but I love it so much that I am considering purchasing another one for the kitchen  from KOHL'swith my 30% off coupon (if you do not have one, you can follow this link below for 20% off) or through the IHOME site also noted below. It has excellent sound and is incredibly simple to use. I highly recommend! Happy Dancing! (some posts in this blog may contain affiliate links)
20% off everything using your Kohl's Charge- PROMO CODE: KOHLS20

Bargain Bits-

I have in the past participated in market surveys. They are companies that are commissioned to find specific demographics, have them sample or listen to concepts and ideas and then they pay you for your time and for your opinions. There is always a wide variety of different things they are looking for and a wide range of consumers. Sometimes you need to be within a specific age range and or fall within specific parameters. You might not always qualify but you may know someone who does It is a great way to see what products are up and coming and which ones may be changing marketing strategies.

Say Hi to ED

This is Ed-
Ed would be my other half.
Ed is very sad that I don't have any pictures of him on my blog.
Now he is- say hi to ED
Everyone needs an ED- Make me an offer.....

American Earplugs

I come from a musical family. My mother and her sisters grew up singing songs from musical theatre and it continued through most of my life. Mom played piano to some extent but she really knew how to sing. She was a strong voiced first soprano. My father was not always a soloist but he was very talented with instruments. While I was growing up he would play his set list of music on the organ for us, he would pull out one of his many guitars on a whim and once a year he would drag out the trumpet to play in the UConn alumni marching band. Since then he has collected and learned to play so many other instruments that I have lost count. My brother plays guitar, my sister sings and also plays guitar. My last sister sings very well for the most part as long as you don't ask her to keep harmony on her own.
  I sing- I actually sing rather well. I grew up as a soloist, sang in a few years of  High School All State chorus. I've sung for weddings and funerals. I was the female lead in a benefit musical and even had an audition for a show on Broadway. But I didn't go because I knew that even with all my experience and with all of the training I had,  I was not good enough.
 Now on to American Idol. I cannot for the life of me wonder what some of these kids are thinking.

Shoebuy 20% off!

I am not sure if this will work because it was an e-mail exclusive. Shoebuy sent me a note today offering 20% off for their Winter Clearance Sale. I am giving you the page that I was sent- hopefully this works for you all! EVERYONE LOVES SHOES!!   Shoebuy 20% off click here!

Reanne'cipes

Old Bay..... how I love the?
Tonight I came home from work to the smell of Old Bay and Shrimp. My heart skipped a beat because I knew what joy I was about to have for dinner. If you have heard of it, you are nodding your head in agreement, thinking of all the things you could eat it with and drooling. There is something about that combination of celery salt, paprika, pepper and "spices" as the bottle notes that makes everything taste like the Chesapeake Bay area and all the goodness that comes from there. It's not quite Cajun. Its not really a seasoned salt either but a seasoning that goes with everything. Its great on popcorn, steak, seafood and potato chips. Add it to a fried batter for a great fried chicken.  My sister even puts it in her scrambled eggs. You can mix it into sour cream for a veggie dip or add shredded cheese to the same dip with a can of crab meat and bake for a hot pretzel dip.  It is the be all, end all of seasonings. But back to my dinner, I will share with you my recipe-
 One pound of peel your own shrimp, One can of beer (only if you like to steam things that way) 1/4 cup of Old Bay Seasoning.
Steam the shrimp using the beer as your steam (or water if you don't have beer)
When shrimp is pink all over, put in a bowl and toss with the Old Bay.
Peel and Eat. Yes your fingers will get very dirty but all of the seasoning that you have on your fingers will get on the shrimp. This is intentional. You are supposed to do that.
*Note!! Be sure NOT to wipe your eyes with dirty hands- TRUST ME ON THIS!!! NOT FUN!*
 So there you have it- Maryland Steamed Shrimp...... it doesn't get any easier, even a caveman can do it. ;) Enjoy.

Cabela's Valentine

Need ideas for that "Manly Man" in your life? How about getting 55% off at Cabela's. Last I checked they were also offering free shipping if over $99 when you use the code 12FREE . Get something for each of those "Manly Men" in your life all in one stop! Although my personal valentine would rather just live in the store for a weekend. I wonder if they rent out tents for in store overnights?


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Valentines Spa Day!

My husband dreads the month of February because its not only Valentines day but it is also my birthday and our anniversary. Every year it would be a bunch of flowers and a card. Sometimes he would make me a dinner comprised of HIS favorite foods. Another year he threw me a surprise party surprisingly on "Super Bowl Sunday" where his team was playing and all of HIS friends were invited.  Imagine my surprise.... or lack of. The year after my youngest was born, he finally got it right! I had a spa day at our local casino. I steamed in the steam room, lounged in the jacuzzi and sweated in the sauna. Then bathrobe and all I found myself walking to the nail salon for a spa pedicure. It was one of the most relaxing days of my life. I love Spa Finder because you can get gift certificates for locations near you and with this latest promotion you get 5% off of them. What a better way to say "I Love You"! Be sure to "Click the Pic!
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Wine'ing about Weight

For the first time in years I have stuck to my New Years resolution for more than a week. I have now accomplished two weeks and one day. This year my goal was to lose between 15 and 20 pounds before I had anything with alcohol to drink. Easy right? WRONG! Don't get me wrong, I am far from an alcoholic. I like a glass of wine with dinner or sometimes I will wait until the kids are all in bed. After all I AM the mother of 4 kids, I think that giving birth 4 times gives me certain inalienable rights doesn't it? Unfortunately, it also gave me the right to gain the 15 - 20 pounds that I am so eager to lose now.

Printable Coupons

You know you want them! You have hundreds to choose from, many are great for double and triple stacking!! Clip away!

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Valentine Cookies

I was trying to think of some interesting ideas for Valentines day. I started with something different than the regular box of chocolates because I never get the nut ones I like and the kids always eat the caramels before I even know they were in the box. Really, I don't know how they sniff them out! I came across this- I love Mrs.Field's Cookies! I used to get the mini ones fresh baked in the mall whenever we would go shopping. What a neat idea to send instead of just a card? And with this code you get 10% off as a new customer! New to GAN 10% Off Discount
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me posts in this blog may contain affiliate links)

Bargain Bits-

The Secret Smile of the Savvy Shopper Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you are going from store to store with coupons in hand or your best thrift shopping circle of stores and you happen to see the same people shopping with you over and over again? I do this all the time. After the second or third store you realize that you are both there for the exact same reasons.... TO SAVE! When you figure it out is normally about the same time you notice that they are looking at you with the same look of,"I CAUGHT YOU!" That is when you both give what I call "The Secret Smile of the Savvy Shopper".

Reanne'cipes

Shhh- dont tell anyone I gave you this!
I'll give you 3 guesses what's on the stove for dinner.
Simon and Garfunkel Soup-

Everyone that knows me, knows that I can't bake. It's not that I don't have an oven or that I don't have recipes. What I don't have is patience to measure things. Everyone also knows that I make AMAZING SOUP! Well here you have it- the secret to most of my prized soups. I call it the S&G spice collection.
No matter what kind of soup I make I tend to add the same spices to it. Turkey soup? S&G. Vegetable soup? S&G. Potato Leek soup? S&G. In fact I have also used it in Pea Soup, Chowder and Beef Stew. Now you are curious aren't you what the mysterious ingredients are for the S&G Spice collection right? I know some of you have to have caught on by now and are already humming a bar or two of Scarborough Faire. Parsley-Sage-Rosemary and Thyme.
Ok, so I also add garlic, salt, black pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Sometimes I add sugar or bay leaves if its a tomato base soup. Ill add celery seed if Im out of celery, onion powder when we are out of onions and we all love Old Bay when looking for that extra kick. But for the most part my soup stock always contains the S&G Spice collection. I don't even have to measure it because if I accidently put too much of anything in I can add water. It never comes out wrong and I can just throw them all in while boiling a carcass for broth. It never fails and it always works. Well except for Chili- I don't put them in Chili.... That would be rather disgusting. Trust me- it works!

Free Dunkin Donuts Coffee x2!

Something to WARM YOUR HEART!
When you sign up for Dunkin Perks Rewards you will receive a coupon via e-mail for a FREE MEDIUM BEVERAGE NOW and another FREE MEDIUM BEVERAGE FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY!   Also be sure to register all of those gift cards! 

"Got boys"? - $8 off Darth Vader Ultimate FX lightsaber!

My sons would disown me if I did not post this one- I have three of them ages 16,8 and 6. All three would love this!
Save $8 on Star Wars Darth Vader Ultimate FX Light Saber with Promo Code - HSBRBC28

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Soda Stream- product review

I was given a chance to review the product we all saw advertised over and over during the holidays called "Soda Stream".
 Now being a very avid consumer of flavored (or non-flavored) seltzer water, I was very excited to see if this system truly works and if the syrups offered truly lived up to all that it was implying.  I had already understood the concept because my first job ever was working at a soda fountain ice cream shop called "Friendly's". I used to travel from shop to shop covering for other stores and a few of them still had the old fashioned pumps where you squirted three shots of syrup into the bottom of the cup and then added the seltzer to make the soda. But I also knew that sometimes if the mixture was wrong, then so was taste. I knew that depending on when the CO2 was installed that the amount bubbles would also be affected giving you either flat,medium or sinus killing carbination. I know that you know what I mean when I say sinus killing.... although my kids would refer to that as AWESOME! Another thing that interested me was that I tend to be very careful when it comes to using reusable bottles for my beverages. I have a collection of different sizes and styles for any kind of liquid so I was already looking for ways to avoid bringing bottles back to the store. Yes, it is true.  I would love to be the mom that is all green and having pure intent for the environment which of course I do in many ways but the truth in my bottle hoarding is that I hate bringing them back to the store. Half the time I'm at the wrong store and the other half of the time its just too time consuming. The big bag of bottles sits in my closet and takes up room. I would love a carbonated product that does not require returnables!  All of these thoughts were in my head as I awaited for the box to arrive.

Bargain Bits

How Thrifty Are You?
A friend once gave me a book called "The Secret". Its about the power of will and being able to control your destiny and daily happenings by willing them and putting it out there. I enjoyed the book but what I seem to use it for the most is my shopping trips. Don't laugh at me.... it works. When pulling into a parking lot I will look at the sky and say," Ok universe, how about a decent parking spot" and 9 times out of 10 I find one. Even during the biggest shopping seasons I will find one. Ok, so you think its silly but to me its a fun tradition and now my 14 year old daughter is in on the gig. I have also applied this trick to my joy of thrift shopping.

Old Navy Coupon-

Lookie what I found! Ill give you three guesses where we are headed this afternoon and the first two don't count! Old Navy Coupon

Price Angels!!

I am loving the sales that this store throws at me! I would use these for so many more uses than anti-fog clearing. I wonder if they work on the fog in my head today?

Bargain Bits

Q:Is the Kohls sale really a sale?

I have lots of friends and family that swear by shopping at Kohl's. They wait until they get that coveted 30% off ticket in the mail and then run down to the store to buy their great sales and come home feeling accomplished because not only did they get 30% off of the 50% off items but they also walked away with $10 in Kohl's cash. Now Im not perfect as I have also run down there to get something with my 30% off tag but when I get home I always have a feeling of buyers remorse because they realize that the sweater they would not have paid the $95 for the sweater that they just got for $20 in the first place. How is paying $20 for that same sweater that you would have bought in the first place a bargain?

Free Greeting Card!

Do not forget that this is only the first 10,000!!! I also believe it may start at 9am so if you are having issues getting it to work, click the link after 9am EST. Click here for a Free Card from Cardstore.com. Exp 1/15/12. Valid in US and Canada only.

Im BAAAAAAAACKKKK!!!

Well so that was fun! My visit to the Bargain Shopper Lady site was great and I learned a lot but what I really learned was that I have a lot to share, a lot to offer and a lot more to say besides letting people know what the latest coupons are. Granted I will also be able to offer those too but now I will be able to throw a bit of advice, sass and do it about my favorite things- Disney, Discounts, Dealing with kids and Discovering that you can survive life regardless of what life deals you! Oh and best of all "I'll do it MY WAY"- ;)  So watch out world.... Reanne is ON FIRE!!

Bargain Bits-

Sales Secrets of the Stores-At one point in my life I had worked for a mall jewelry store and the first thing they told me when I was hired is that everything is ALWAYS 30% off but nothing was officially on sale. This sales strategy really made me question and wonder just what is the store looking to make on everything they sell, how much has it been marked up to begin with and at what point will I really be getting a discount? As a bargain shopper, of course I signed up for sales notifications from my favorite stores.  I had them filtered into a sales file in my email automatically so I would not be tempted to shop every day. The first thing I noticed when cleaning out that file was that almost all of them ALWAYS had at least 10% off - if you waited a few days you could get 10% off AND "FREE SHIPPING" but if you waited one more week after that, you would get an email for 20% off but charged for shipping and in the last week it would be 20% off and "FREE SHIPPING" if over $50-$75. Granted by the end of that month you also had limited inventory and they were preparing their sales blast for the week after that to say "Exclusive Peek at Newest Stuff" - so when is the best time to actually buy?

Bargain Bits-

Bigger is NOT always Better-Today as I was shopping at my local grocery store I was looking for the bulk meats because normally they are cheaper to purchase and then I will break them down into smaller parcels and freeze in the chest freezer for later. Today I saw that the boneless chicken breast was not cheaper to buy in bulk but the cleaned and trimmed chicken was the same cost and was already packaged into smaller portions. Make sure you check the prices of different things before you pick them up. Many times they might be offering the smaller portions at the same price as the family pack so it never hurts to check quickly. Today my savings was in the purchase of the freezer lock baggies that I did not use.Another thing to keep in mind is when you go to use a coupon, bigger is normally not better.

Bargain Bits-

"Clip the coupon right away- wait a week and save the day"One of the things I have noticed with coupon clipping is that you get the coupons on Sunday but that same week the items you have coupons for may not be on sale. HOWEVER it also seems that one week later a lot of the items you have coupons for will go on sale a week after the coupons were released. This is not the case all the time but why not wait a week to see if it goes on sale instead of buying the item full price minus the small coupon. You have nothing to lose but a better discount.

Bargain Bits-

"Clip the coupon right away- wait a week and save the day"One of the things I have noticed with coupon clipping is that you get the coupons on Sunday but that same week the items you have coupons for may not be on sale. HOWEVER it also seems that one week later a lot of the items you have coupons for will go on sale a week after the coupons were released. This is not the case all the time but why not wait a week to see if it goes on sale instead of buying the item full price minus the small coupon. You have nothing to lose but a better discount.

Bargain Bits-

I went out on Friday to get some things and ended up stopping at Walmart. SCORE! If you live near one you should stop by just to see what has been marked down because I found that although the holiday decor was still only 50% off, the bath and body gift sets and makeup gift sets were 75% off. I was able to pick up character toothbrushes with a small tube of Colgate toothpaste for .86 each. I also bought a makeup gift set that came with bottle of Secret body spray, a lip gloss and mascara by Covergirl and a one year subscription to Teen Vogue Magazine all for $2.50.