Great toy finds at Walgreens!

I've decided to start a "Gift Closet", or actually, a "gift container" because my closets are too filled with junk! So, lately I've been checking out the toys that I would think my kids would like, and if the price is awesome, I buy it and stick it in my container!
So today at Walgreens, I found some Betty Spaghetti dolls that were $9.99, marked down to $1.79!!! Then they had 2 Bratz dolls, just the basic ones, but were also $9.99, marked down to $2.25! And last, I'm always one to give a kid some sort of craft or art project kit for a gift, because my kids LOVE to do crafts! I found some RoseArt kits, Make your own Tattoos, Puffy paint designs, and a 500 Pc. activity set, each marked at $1.29, regular priced $7.99!!! And if the kids don't go to any Bday parties, I can definetly use them for Xmas gifts for the family!
These are the deals I LIVE for, I am one happy camper right now! : )

Zhu Zhu Pets giveaway at Flying Giggles and Lollipops!

My 6 year old daughter is in love, with Zhu Zhu Pets! Now, we have a REAL hamster that she doesn't want anything to do with, but these, she's in love with! I know, it's a toy, so she wants it, but, theres nothing like the real thing.... wait, I'm the one who cleans up after the real one! Mabye this toy is a good idea! I think I'll be entering to win these right away!

Head on over to Flying Giggles and Lollipops, flyinggigglesandlollipops.blogspot.com, to enter to win your own Zhu Zhu pet, contest ends on Sept. 10th!

Ageless Fantasy perfume review and Giveaway!

Ageless Fantasy is the world's first anti-age perfume. It's a woman's fragrance that smells like a younger woman. Inspired by recent scientific discoveries and clinical trials, Harvey Prince & Co. have developed a perfume called Ageless Fantasy. Their patent-pending fragrance elixir defies your skin's natural age-revealing scent.

I recently reviewed Ageless Fantasy perfume, and had to try it out as soon as I recieved it! I was pleasantly surprised at how light and fresh the scent was! Not too strong, just a nice fruity scent. Hubby wasn't home yet, so I asked the kids if I smelled good. My daughter kept asking to smell it again, and son said, "Yep, you smell nice Mom!" I had to OK from the kids! When hubby got home, the first thing he said was, "You smell really nice, what are you wearing?" Now, usually when I get a new scent, he either says I smell like a bakery or I smell like a fruit stand/candy stand! SO, I got the OK from him too! The Harvey Prince website has other wonderful products to check out, I had to see what I could get in the future!
What I really like about Ageless Fantasy perfume is that I applied it around 3pm, and around 9pm, the scent was still there! I LOVE to not have to reapply perfume, and if I can go 6 hours and still have my scent on, I'm liking it alot!
I've been wearing Ageless Fantasy for a few days now, and have gotten asked 4 times from random people what I'm wearing and that I smell good. This is a really good perfume, and it also gave me a confidence boost to say the least!

Heres the best party, 1 lucky reader is going to win a bottle of Ageless Fantasy perfume for themselves! To enter-

1. Go to the Harvey Prince website and tell me something you've learned ( Mandatory)

Extra entries-

2. Follow Ageless Fantasy on Twitter ( 1 entry)

3. Tweet this giveaway ( 1 entry, leave a link!)

4. Fan Ageless Fantasy on Facebook ( 1 entry)

5. Follow my blog ( 2 entries)

6. Follow me on Twitter @jellibeenz1978 and tweet giveaway- ( 1 entry, leave your username)

7. Subscribe to my blog (2 entries)

8. Blog about this giveaway ( 2 entries, leave a link)

This giveaway will end on Sept. 10th. I will choose a winner using Random.org.
Thanks for entering and good luck!

Awesome Glade deal at Target today!

Target has their Glade Scented Oil Tins 3 for $5. I had opened up a tin to smell it and a coupon fell out. A $1.50 off the tin, or a pack of refills! Then I saw that the refils were $2.50 (Temp Price Cut), so I got 6 tins and 2 packs of refills for $3!
I checked the other tins and they didn't have coupons, so it may only be certain ones. But these will last awhile, so I'm good on candles!
These are the days when I LOVE Target!

SNORG Tee Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

I love funny shirts, in fact, I have an addiction to them! If I can't get someone to laugh at something I'm saying, then mabye I can get them to laugh by reading my shirt! Snorg Tee's is the perfect place to shop (get my fix) for these shirts. Check out all their hilarious and cool shirts at www.snorgtees.com!

Here's a little bit about Snorg-
SnorgTees got its start back in May 2004 when our group of friends decided that we weren't meant for a real job. We got our options narrowed down to international jewel thieves or internet t-shirt tycoons. Since it was the middle of the summer, we weren't able to find enough ski masks, which left t-shirts as our only option. Fast forward a few years and we've grown to the point where people mistake us for an actual business. We've even shipped a shirt to NASA. That means space. So technically we're a universal company. But we are still just a group of friends who run Snorg because we enjoy it.

Here at Snorg, we specialize in pop-culture inspired, random, and all around funny t-shirt designs. Most of the designs on our site are SnorgTees employee creations. But while we think of about 72% of what goes up on the site, 28% of the awesome design ideas come from you, our customers. So if you think you've got a great idea, send it our way.

I picked the "I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night and Some Days, After a Nap." shirt, because truly, it IS me, to a T! Honestly, there isn't one shirt one their site that didn't make me giggle a little bit!
I wore the shirt to the kids first day of school, hehe, and I had 3 moms stop me and ask me where I got it from. One mom said that it would be great for her hubby, and wouldn't you know it, the Snorg tshirts have Mens and Womens cuts! My shirt was very comfy,I got an XL because they are 100% cotton, so I figure there will be a bit of shrinkage after washing. They also have Hoodies for around $25, my cousins will love them for Xmas, the sarcastic little punks they are, and I have a feeling my sisters will be checking out the shirts too, because like me, they love a hilarious shirt! So Snorg is perfect for anyone!

So here's the best part! One of my readers is going to win their own Snorg Tee, just go over to Snorgtees.com and check them out. Come back and leave me a comment on your favorite shirt, MANDATORY entry!

Other ways to enter (after mandatory entry)

1. Sign up for Snorg Newsletter ( 1 entry)

2. Follow my blog (2 entries)

3. Follow me on Twitter (@jellibeenz1978) ( 1 entry)

4. Tweet this giveaway ( 1 entry, per day, leave a link!)

5. Blog about this giveaway ( 1 entry, leave a link!)

6. Become a subscriber ( 2 entries)


This giveaway will end on Sept.7th, and I will pick a winner using Random.org! Good luck to you, and have fun at Snorgtees.com!

Pre- First day of school jitters...

And I'm not talking about the kids! I don't know why, but I am so nervous about school starting tomorrow! I think it's because my baby girl is starting 1st grade, her first full day, and that makes me sad. I keep thinking back to her first day of PreSchool, how excited she was, and she is SUPER excited tonight! While I sit here with a knot in my stomach..
And then there's my Ant, who, next year will be in Jr. High! Where did the time go? I remember walking him into Kindergarten thinking, "Wow, my baby is in school, FINALLY!" And now 5 years later, I'm so sad that he's growing up so fast.... I guess I need to capture every single moment of this year! I have a feeling next year is going to be different...earlier mornings, more homework, all that fun stuff : )
So here's to my babies, I love you more than I can put into words. I wish you the best of luck in 1st and 5th grade and I'll be there to guide you and help you every step of the way. I am so proud of both of you, you make the world a better place for me and Daddy!

School supply challenge!

I'm a little late to the game, but I've decided to put up my daughters school supply list and see how well I did! Heres her list :


Gym shoes needed daily (to be kept at school)- Free, had them from last year, still fit!

5 folders with pockets & brads-
1 each, green, red, blue, yellow & 1 more any color ( 10 cents @ Jewel= $.50)

*2 pkgs. #2 pencils w/erasers, sharpened (2pks for $1 at Ultra Foods= $1)

*Scissors - Cut-Rite or Fiskars (must cut paper & cloth) ( $1 at Deals = $1)

*Crayons - box of 24 - NO fluorescent ( $.25 at Target= $.25)

1 box PRANG watercolor paints w/brush ( Free, used a box from the Trix pack I'd won!)

*1 set colored pencils – sharpened ( $1 at Target= $1)

4 dry erase markers - any color - LOW ODOR ( $1.49/ Clearance Walgreens= $1.49)

2 lrg. box kleenex( 3pk/3.49 at Walgreens= $2.26)

1 box gallon zip-lock bags (BOYS only) =0

1 box quart size zip-lock bags (GIRLS only) ( $1 at Ultra Foods= $1)

Adult t-shirt – (for art ) PLEASE LABEL (Used one of my old shirts=FREE)

1 roll scotch tape (2/$1 at Deals= $.50)

1 Large Glue Stick ( $.49 at Office Depot= $.49)


Total= $9.49

This was great! I was going to purchase the "Premade" supply kit for $25, but pretty much knew I could get everything for under $15! And every store I went to I go to a few times a week, so I never had to go out of my way!

Good luck to everyone, and have a great school year!

Why do I even bother with Old Navy Weekly coupon hunting?!?

I swear, mabye I'm just NOT meant to get one of those good coupons, but I have a feeling that something goofy is going on. When I first found out about Old Navy Weekly, I would stay up all night waiting for the page to change to try and get one of the wonderful $75 or $50 off a $100 purchase. And then, as soon as the new page would load, within minutes those high value coupons were gone! I'd be a zombie the next day for $10 off a $50 purchase, which I wouldn't use.
As the weeks went by, I noticed that the times would change which was good, then nobody knew exactly when it would happen. BUT, still all of those good ones dissapeared as soon as they were up! Heres my thing, those 2 high value coupons are almost always the hardest ones to figure out, and yet, there are 200 people that can find them within seconds?! And yes, I'm guilty to have Googled if there was a secret way of finding them, but I came up with nothing.
So for now, I'll take my 25% off coupon and be happy I got something, but I still find it hard to believe how quickly those coupons go. I wish they would do something new just to mix it up a bit!
I do have one good thing to say about Old Navy Weekly, thanks to them, I've found some awesome blogs that I've been reading for a few months now and have become addicted to! If I had to stay up all night, I'd definetly be reading blogs, and there are some great ones out there!
So thank you Old Navy, for that!

Win 200 Custom Postcards from Uprinting Giveaway!! 2 Winners!

Who doesn't like to get mail? I know I do! I have to fight my kids to get to the mailbox before them, and they love to recieve their own mail too! Well, how about some Postcards , Personalized, at that? With the holidays around the corner, this would be the perfect opportunity to customize some cute Christmas Custom Postcards
, or maybe get a New Years party invite out! Mabye you've you a birthday to celebrate, and I know for a fact that invitations can add up quickly when you have a big invite list! Here is a way to make them unforgettable and adorable!

Well, thanks to MyPostcardPrinting.com, I get to give 2 lucky readers their own set of 200 Custom Postcards!

2) PRIZE WINNERS WILL RECEIVE

200 Custom Postcards (choose your size: 4x6, 4.25x6, 5x7"); 14pt gloss or matte, 13 pt uncoated

Full Color on both sides (4/4)

Shipping must be paid by Winner. Offer Valid for UNITED STATES SHIPPING ONLY.

Check out what MyPostcardPrinting.com has to offer at http://www.mypostcardprinting.com/Custom-Postcards.html

Heres how to enter-

1. Let me know how you will customize your postcards! ( 1 entry)

2. Follow my blog ( 2 entries)

3. Follow me on Twitter (Can be done daily) (1 entry each tweet!)

4. Tweet this giveaway and leave a link! ( 1 entry)

Contest ends on Sept. 3rd! I will choose the winners using Random.org and email them!

Back to School shopping!

The past few weeks I've been picking up shirts and pants on sale for the new school year. One thing I hate is that I buy clothes, and a few months later, they don't fit anymore! And, here in Illinois, I can never be sure if it's going to be a warm week, or a cold week. So, I try and buy a few new t's and shorts for the first week, and then play it by ear for the following weeks.
I always feel that with Christmas a few months away, the kids will have a TON of winter clothes, but again, we live in Illinois so I never know if I'll need to pull out their winter coats in September!
I swear I buy my kids outfits, they wear them twice, and then they don't fit! They go thru growth spurts faster than I can put dinner on the table!
So for now, I'm scouring the clearance racks for t's and shorts, and I've gotten some great deals! My daughter got 4 shirts for $1.74 each at Target, very cute and will go with anything! And my son lucked OUT! I found some "sport" tshirts for $1.24 each, and then a few cartoonish shirts for $2! I guess my thinking is that the shirts get noticed more than the shorts/pants, so I'll buy more of those. Then when it gets cooler, I can buy jeans, hopefully clearanced!
And here's my biggest problem! My 10 year old son, is a beanpole! He's been in a size 10 for about 2 years now. BUT, he's shooting up and now his size 10 jeans are floods, but 12 slim are too big, even with the darn elastic band inside! What do I do? This drives me nuts! He doesn't like any other type of pants! I may have to hunt at Old Navy for some cool Cargo pants, he may go for those!
So if anyone has any tips, or where some good deals are, let me know! I'm always on the hunt!

Get Ready for Toy Week!

Head on over to http://www.mkokopelli.blogspot.com/ to find out all about her Eco Friendly giveaways, starting 8/24!

Where has the summer gone?

I woke up this morning, and realized that school starts next Tuesday! Then I realized that at the beginning of the summer, I had planned to do a TON of fun activities with the kids to make this a memorable summer. Well, out of that list, we probably did about 1/3. We went to the zoo, a carnival, the local zoo, and went swimming a few times, and some other things. BUT, there was so much more I wanted to do, I want more time!!!! I never thought I would say it, but I wish school wasn't starting so soon, give me another 2 or weeks, so I can finish my list, please.
Of course, I have to remember that my back is part of the reason that we didn't get to do as much as I wanted to do. I had a double fusion surgery last year, and my back still bothers me ALOT. So, walking around is a pain, driving long distances, is a pain, you get the idea.
But, my plan is to make the next week FUN! We're going on a picnic, going to swim 1-2 more times (given this stupid rain goes away), and mabye if hubby is up to it, we'll camp in the back yard next weekend, since we couldn't go REAL camping this year! I think they'll have fun, honestly, I know they had a nice summer, I just wish I could have gotten to more places with them... I guess theres always next summer : )

And the Winner is....

Thank you to everyone who entered my 1st giveaway! I had fun reading everyone's comments and finding new scents to try!
And the winner is lucky number 17, Alexis AKA MOM!! Congrats!!!
I'll be sending you an email to let you know and get your info to send out your prize!
Thanks so much, and hope you see you all for my next giveaway!!!

It's here!!! My first giveaway!

I love to shop, at the mall, Target, the grocery store, you name it, I'll shop there! But one place that I really love to shop at is our Farmers Market every Wednesday. It's not very big, probably 25 vendors total. But there is food, crafts, and a wonderful woman that makes her own soap, lotion and scent sachets. She has amazing scented hand/body soap, I had picked up a few last week for my Aunt for her birthday and she just loved them! I emailed the "Gingham Turtle" her company name, to let her know and she was thrilled! I also found out that the owner will be doing some local craft fairs around the holidays, so now I won't have to worry about what to get for gifts! Every item she has can be put together to make an adorable little gift basket! So today I went back and picked up some more, for myself, and for 1 lucky reader!

Enter to win 2 bars of handmade hand/body soap, along with a wooden soap holder that makes it the perfect little gift! I have 2 scents, Hyacinth and Prairie Jasmine! They smell wonderful, a nice, soft floral, not too strong. In fact, the scent is so nice, I have one sitting on my desk because it smells so darn good! I honestly thought about keeping one in my car today, it smelled alot better than my air freshner, lol!

Here are your ways to enter-

1st-Mandatory- Tell me your favorite bath/body scent. Are you a floral person, or a fruity scented girl, or another scent!

Extra entries-

2. Follow my blog

3. Follow me on Twitter- @jellibeenz1978

4. Tweet this giveaway!

5. Let me know your favorite place to shop!

Giveaway will end August. 14th! I'll pick a winner using Random.org!

Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoy this giveaway! This is the 1st of what I hope to be many fun giveaways!!!

Looking for a great Halloween costume? Head over to...

Momstart.com is holding a giveaway from Annies Costumes, to win a Matching Mom and Kid Costume up to $50!
I started looking thru their sites, and WOW! They have some great costumes, the selections are wonderful. My entire family could dress up as the Scooby Doo gang, and I could purchase them all in one place!
Head on over to Momstart.com and get your entries in, Halloween is coming soon!

My deals of the week!

This week I haven't been out much, but I managed to get a few really good deals when I did get to the stores!
First, I have to say, I love Kohls! I really loved them before their clearance pricing changed, but I can still find some nice prices if I dig a bit, or wait and wait, lol! So I have been eyeing this purse for about a month now, it was marked down to 19.99, but I already know it will eventually go down more, so I waited. And waited, and waited..... it seemed like MY purse was the only one that wasn't getting marked down every week! I finally stopped in on Tuesday to check out the baby clothes for a friend and figured I would just check on the purse. FINALLY, it was marked down to, 4.99!!!!!! Score for me! I then saw that they had sunglasses marked down, some where marked down from $25 to $2.25! Of course I had to get a few because I always lose my glasses, I probably have about 10 pairs in my car and house put together! A few shirts for the kids marked at $2, a stuffed giraffe with shampoo and conditioner for my little sis who loves giraffes, and I headed up to the checkout.
I think for me the biggest rush is finding out how much I've saved in one trip. This trip was a great one! I save $45 on the purse, around $60 on the glasses, $16 on the shirts and $8 on the giraffe! I had a few GC's with odds and ends on them so I ended up paying around $8 for everything! The cashier said, "Wow, you know what you're doing!" I of course had to give the credit to my mom, who has installed in me NEVER buy full price, and always wait if I can, because as I said before, it WILL go lower, eventually! Sometimes it stinks waiting SO darn long, like for my purse, but it pays in the end!
Yesterday I stopped at Target to check out the 75% toy clearance, not too much there, but I did get a Camp Rock doll for $3.74, a bathtub soap maker $1.74, a ball that is flat then turns into a football $2.94, and the Camp Rock sandals my daughter has been begging for $3.74! Again, I had a GC, so I spent around $9 for all of it, but it was still a good deal. I'm going to check a few more Targets today, there are TONS of toys that would make great Birthday presents for the kids friends, and at these prices, I can't not keep hunting!
Hope you all have a great weekend, I'm going to be posting my 1st giveaway soon! I'm excited for it, hope you all enjoy it!