I'm starting to realize we've undertaken a landscaping project as well as a gardening one! I know it will be worth it in the end...but aye! The kids had fun watching the dump truck this morning! I

Hmmm. Natalie, you gave me a great idea! If there are folks out there in the greater Tacoma/Fed Way/Seattle area looking to barter or open to barter their services...feel free to make yourself known! Leave a comment!!

Oh no!! I'm so sorry to hear that. I'll see if any other readers on blogs where this was posted had problems, too. If so...I'll pull it. In the meantime those that are reading...do this at your own risk. ;)

I do like the idea of a reusable one - thanks! And your paper towel suggestion got me thinking it would be great to come up with a post or series of posts called "what to do when the __________ runs out!" For instance, what you could use instead of laundry detergent, dish soap, or body wash, etc. Hmmm. Thanks for the inspiration!!

Some takers - yeah! Remember - your own personal challenge doesn't have to be $20. It could be whatever you want - $60, $40, no shopping altogether and eating from the pantry! Sandy - I'd never heard of using paper towels for coffee filters so I Googled it. Some sources say that the bleach/chemicals on the towels may not make them safe. Hmmm. Stephanie - I think I'm going to use my WAGS RR to cover the filters. Thanks though!!

Good luck, Terra! Will you be blogging about your garden, too? Any garden advice to send my way?

We're doing about 4-5 raised beds one will be mostly herbs for the reason you describe above! Will it be ambitious? Probably! Will I learn a lot? I think so. ;) Thanks Jay!

I had a small gardens as a child. I don't have the greenest thumb in the world, and I honestly don't entirely know what I'm doing...but I'm not overly intimidated, either. I hope folks know that I'm not a self-professed "garden expert," just a gal trying to do a garden to feed her family healthier foods. I'm planning on sharing what I learn as I learn it. Come late summer/fall I also hope to be sharing how I'm going to preserve what I grow.

Jay, if you think the BBQ sauce is inedible you should've seen the deli meat I found in the floor of my pantry growing hair (what the heck it was doing in the pantry and not the fridge is a mystery to me.)

Most of you guessed right - it's "ORIGINAL" flavor, yet the splashy marketing at the top reads "Now better tasting!" ;)

I'm really inspired by Audrey's post today, too. I have a big bag of potatoes in my pantry right now. The tendency is to eat a few and then the rest go bad. Loving the fries idea!

Carol - LOL! No. It's protein powder. My hubby and I don't eat mayo. BUT, I did find moldy DELI meat on the floor! WTH? I found a couple other "colorful" items in the pantry. I'm thinking of terrorizing my FB fans with the finds later if I'm in the mood. We'll see.

Hi! It's my experience with rebate sites such as this - you WON'T notice ANYTHING different while shopping or checkout. Within a few days, you should notice the cash back amount (in this case 8%) credited to your Shop at Home account. The rebate amounts are then paid to you periodically (I believe quarterly). Please see their FAQ for more. HTH! http://www.shopathome.com/pages/faqs.aspx#general

Thanks, Amy! That vlog was done in one take, the first take. After my husband got it, he asked if I wanted to do it again. I told him no. I actually loved the little quirks my kids added - it is my life and I didn't want to edit that all out. I don't try to pretend everything's perfect over here. I want people to feel they can relate to who I am and what I do. Thanks again!

Kellie, thanks! There are soooo many blogs out there (and so many wonderful ones at that!) that I'm always challenged and stretched to think what I can contribute. It keeps me on my toes! Are you looking forward to Quaker next year, or is there another Quaker sale upcoming this week I'm unaware of?!!

I love mentioning my friends, too! If you're up for it, we should include a pic of the wee one on tomorrow's post. He's definitely good blog material. Think about it! ;)

Nadir - well said!! ;)

To my knowledge, the Catalina is only for Pebbles varieties. You might try calling the Catalina company to confirm at (877) 210-1917 or go here: http://info.catalinamarketing.com/contact

OK I thought of another one that annoys me. When a store jacks up the price of an item for a buy one, get one free sale. For instance, let's say a bottle of juice is normally $2.50. Then on the week of the BOGO sale, they bump the price up to say, $4. Now it's just like getting them $2 each. Hmmm. I've even seen stores jack the price up so much on a BOGO that it's not a good deal at all - even when you're getting one for "FREE!"

Thanks for bringing that to my attention! Fixed!

Tonya, my sentiments EXACTLY. Thank goodness for the bloggers who took the time out to do the matchups. When I heard there were only 5 allowed, I really lost any gusto to spend 1-2 hours doing matchups myself! LOL!

Ah, Mt. Rainier!! I've tried three times (unsuccessfully) to summit that beast! LOL! I heart Tacoma/Seattle! I really do LOVE my state!! Thanks for the NJ mention! I hope you'll continue to follow my blog - I do a fair amount of nationally-based deals as well. ;)

Julie, I don't think her post addresses ebay or clipping services where there is an exchange of money...I'm pretty sure that's what she'll be talking about next week! Tiffany, my Fred Meyer has had a coupon basket for about a year or so now? It's a great idea!

Interesting!! Sounds like what I experienced then is typical. Does anyone know what the policy states? Personally, I think it shouldn't matter since the store is being reimbursed no matter what price they set on the item.

Erin, I just wanted to make sure you didn't feel I was saying you were a "greedy couponer," because that's not how I felt at all, and I think your points are well taken! ;) ITA about getting to a sale early, too. I need to make a WAGS run today and I'm afraid Wednesday may be pushing it! (Isn't that sad?! LOL!) Anyhow, glad to know I didn't put you off - thanks for coming back! I appreciate your viewpoint. Laura, yes, ITA - changing the IP of your computer to obtain more coupons? That seems dishonest. These sites set limits "per computer" and changing the IP address seems like a way to "trick" the system. Hmmm. So how I'm feeling? I think Erin's onto something. It's one thing to try to obtain coupons you need. It's another thing to be completely obnoxious about it. I still don't know that I have a definite idea of where that line is though...