About Me

I'm a Utah mom, just trying to make ends meet. Several years ago, I was introduced to a new way of couponing. I've been addicted ever since. I have a hard time paying full price for anything anymore.

I love couponing so much, I decided to become a teacher for Grocery Smarts.

I teach free classes and show you how to get everything you need at the grocery store and still leave $$$ in your pocket. I'll also teach you the best ways to get and organize your coupons. The best part of the class is when I show you how to match your current coupons up with the current local sales - getting the most bang for your buck!


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December 31, 2009

Temple Portrait Classes

These are so incredibly beautiful, I had to share. I recently made one to give as a gift (sure hope the receiver likes it ;0).

A company by the name of Poppy Seed Projects has started up and they offer classes on these gorgeous temple pictures.

You've probably seen similar pictures like this at Costco running over $200. Wouldn't it be nice to have and make one for yourself that would be affordable (like $47 + tax affordable????)?

Here's a few more pictures - just so you can see for yourself how nice they are.






Manti, UT Temple



Logan, UT Temple

Mt. Timpanogos, UT Temple



Here's a few needed details:

*Stunning Temple Pictures you make yourself! $47 + tax.

*We teach classes which allow you to take home a beautiful antique style temple picture with a four inch frame available in black or cream. (You can only get cream if ordered through Renee - see below).

*We bring everything you need to do the class. Minimum of 10 pictures required to host a class. Nine different temple pictures currently available.

*Picture is poster size - much larger than local stores, which sell smaller ones for $200.

*To sign up for a class, host a class or get additional information call Renee Piula @ 801.825.6558 or you can email her at reneepiula@poppyseedprojects.com


Honestly, this took a couple of hours. I had all the supplies I needed, it was done step by step and I did it all (and I'm not a really crafty person - if I can do it, so can you!). The step that took the longest was waiting for the paint to dry (LOL!) It was certainly fun to visit with friends as I put this together. It really turned out beautiful (I did the Manti temple). This project was done in my ward - but not as an enrichment or Super Saturday. One person wanted one and it snowballed from there. I hope this is something you'd like to do too. Renee was a wonderful (and very funny) teacher.

December 18, 2009

Christmas indulgences.....

Okay - who can diet this time of year? I've tried before and have decided that this time of year comes with too many temptations. I have found for myself that resistance is futile.

I hope you don't mind if I share a few of my favorites and a few that I'd really like to try.

I love Caramel Pull Aparts - these were always made for special occassions and Christmas was one of them. Rhodes has a great YouTube channel where you can watch how they put together all their delicious recipes. Here's one way to make caramel pull aparts. Here's another version (the one I typically use) that was on Good Things Utah this morning.


Breakfast Casserole

I don't really have a recipe for this - I just use what sounds good. I start with a hashbrown and egg mixture. I usually add a small bottle of salsa, green chiles, mushrooms, bacon and sausage. I dump all of this in a crock pot (you can also put this in a 9x13 pan and cook in the oven. When I use the crockpot it will cook in 1-2 hours on high or 3-4 hours on low.


Homemade Caramels

3 C whipping cream

1/2 c sweetened condensed milk

2 c light corn syrup

2 c sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

In a double boiler scald whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk over low heat.

In a heavy, 4 qt pan bring corn syrup, sugar, and salt to a boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. As mixture begins to turn a light golden color, add scalded whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until all has been added, stirring constantly after each addition.

Attach candy thermometer to pan and cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until thermometer reaches 232 degrees F. Immediately remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour into lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cool in refrigerator until firm enough to cut into squares of desired size.

Note: Caramel becomes extremely hot. Handle with care and keep out of reach of children.

My friend from Cooking with Kiddies posted a couple of recipes that I'm definitley going to have to try out this year. Check out her posts for Cake Balls and Oreo Truffle Balls.


Yummm.....I could certainly go on with all the tasty treats that I enjoy this time of year, but I won't. If you have a great recipe you'd like to share - I'd love to hear about it!

December 16, 2009

Emerald Dry Roasted Peanuts & Hershey candy bars - Smiths

Smiths has their Emerald Dry Roasted peanuts (some were lightly salted as well) on sale for $.50 (YES - $.50 for a 16 oz plastic bottle). I picked some us yesterday even though the sale started today. You should be able to find them near the sale items for the week. These would make great gifts or even to put down in your food storage. The bottles I bought were good through May of 2011!~


They are on sale for $1.50 a bottle, but each (0r most) of the bottles have a $1.00 coupon on top (make sure to grab those bottles) and it makes each bottle $.50. The ad mentioned "while supplies last" so I'd get there quick to grab this great deal!


***I also noticed that Smiths had their large Hershey's candy bars on sale 5 for $5 - another popular gift and treat this time of year.***


December 15, 2009

Check out this great Christmas (kids/teachers) website

I'm pretty protective of what my kids can do on the computer/internet and I found this great website last year. It has a lot of fun Christmas activities, crafts, stores and recipes for the kids at your house. Check it out www.northpole.com

Hope you don't need your computer anytime soon - you'll have a hard time pulling the kids away from this site :)

Merry Christmas!

What's a Tuesday without a few freebies???

Jim Brickman Christmas remixes - Download

Free Mr. Krueger's Christmas Christmas Video

Free Baby Calendar

Free bag of Stacy's Pita Chips - Facebook Fan

Free pedometer and DVD set

Free Nourish haircare samples - Facebook fan

Free Huggies interactive potty training success video

Free 2010 Desk Calendar

Free Natural Sleep Aid sample

Free Sample of Benefiber Orange from Walmart

2010 Pillsbury calendar

Free 2010 Eat Better America calendar

Free sample of BodiHeat

Free sample of Garnier Nutritioniste Eye Cream

Have fun!

December 9, 2009

Holey Donuts Contest!

Okay, so I don't usually respond to email I don't recognize, but thank goodness I took a look at this one.
I had never heard of Holey Donuts before, but they sent me an email asking me to try their product and blog about it. Here's what they sent me!


Yep - 3 whole boxes of cinnamon buns. The ones on the right are filled with blueberry - Yum.

They came in a box filled with dry ice and were still frozen when I got them. You can store them in your freezer until you're ready to use them. All you have to do is let them thaw (I recommend putting them in the fridge) and then once they are thawed all you do is warm them up in the microwave and you have a wonderful breakfast or a tasty treat.

The best part is that these are LOW FAT - yes, you read that right, they are LOW FAT. Even better is that they don't taste low fat - I would've never known the difference if the information I received didn't tell me it was low fat.

So here comes the best part! Who wants to win $150 cash for the holidays? You have until December 15th to enter the contest (so hurry!).

Not only do you have a chance to win $150 you can also win:

1 Full Box of Jumbo Low Fat Cinnamon Buns (4)
1 Full Box of their Awesome Jumbo Low Fat Blueberry Vanilla buns (4)
1 Bull Box of Holey Donuts! Low Fat Cinnamon Bun Middles (16)
(this is exactly what they sent me and is pictured above)

Enter to win by emailing; info@holeydonuts.net. You will need to put the name of our blog (Holey Donuts) in the subject line in order to enter the contest. Please only enter once.

Good Luck - I hope you win!


December 1, 2009

New month = New coupons!!!

A new month - means new coupons! Don't forget to print your fave's from the coupon bar up above! Don't forget there are a lot of coupons for Hasbro toys. Take these with you as you're shopping and match them up with sales in town for the best savings!!!!

(I've heard that Kohl's is a great place to combine these coupons and sales!!!)

November 25, 2009

May this time of year bring out the giving spirit in all of us. May you also find the wonderful deals this season has to offer :)
Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving Holiday!

November 19, 2009

Simple Tastes - favor boxes and other thoughtful gifts

Aren't these just the cutest boxes? I entered another contest (yes, maybe one day, I'll win the lottery :) on Angilyn's FaceBook page and won these cute favor boxes. (Sorry it's a bit fuzzy, my camera isn't the best these days).

This is the full set of 8 favor boxes. These will make such cute gifts to set out around my Thanksgiving dinner table. I can't wait! Now, I just need to think of something fun and unique to put in them.


This is how the box looks when it's open. The box is about 2" x 2 " (approx). Hmmmm....maybe a fine chocolate or two would fit in this cute box.

Wouldn't these be wonderful at a wedding or as a bridal/baby shower thank you? There are so many fun things you could do with these little boxes. You can check out all of Angilyn's designs at Simple Tastes, etsy shop. She also does other cute and thoughtful gifts. You can also check out Simple Tastes on Facebook.

Angilyn - Thanks again for sending me such a fun gift - can't wait to impress my family at Thanksgiving :)

November 18, 2009

Bountiful Baskets A to B weeks and Royalty Services Group

You may not have heard, but most sites for Bountiful Baskets are switching to the B week schedule to avoid problems with the upcoming holiday (weekends). If you'd like to order it will be open today until 10:00 pm - hurry spots are filling up fast!

I go to the Syracuse Site (West Point and Syracuse are at the same Winter/Indoor location) to pick up my basket and volunteer. I just wanted to send a special thanks to Royalty Services Group for allowing us to use their warehouse for the winter months - free of charge :)

They are a certified cleaning firm. You can get your Air Ducts, Carpet, Chimneys, Construction Clean-up, Dryer Vents, Odor Control, Pressure Washing, Stone & Masonry, Tile & Grout, Upholstery, Water Extraction and Window Washing services through Royalty Services Group. You can reach them at 866-971-7801 or info@royaltyservicesgroup.com

Here are a few pictures of our site.
Lots of empty baskets - we were waiting for the truck to arrive.


Volunteers distributing yummy fruits and veggies - participants get 2 white baskets (one basket is wet and the other is dry)

Wow! That's a lot of baskets!


These are our wonderful volunteers who came to help out early on a chilly November morning. That's Bryan from Royalty Services Group in the back on the right - call him when you need help :)

This is where the line starts....participants are anxiously waiting to pick up their fruits and veggies.


Don't forget to order your basket today. There are a lot of locations available to choose from. First time baskets cost $19.50 (they will be $16.50 after the first order). You can also choose from lots of yummy extras too (pumpkin bread, a citrus pack as well as a holiday box - loaded with lots of Thanksgiving trimmings).

November 17, 2009

Free Sample of Stacy's Pita Chips


I've tried these before and they were good. Get in on the sampling today!

Stockin' up with Winegars triple coupons!

I love this sale! I look forward to it every year. I don't necessarily go after the free items, I try to buy things that my family uses and that I can get at a better price than normal. My original cost was $138.32 and the end result was $84.31. This is a savings of $54.01!!!

Here's what I got and the coupon source (if not coupon source is listed it was a random coupon I had, or I failed to write it down).

6 boxes General Mills Chex (Pillsbury 11/15)

2 Reynolds Wrap tinfoil (80 ft)

2 bags of Don Julio corn chips (these were only $.78 - store price)

1 dozen eggs

3 bags Nestle chocolate chips (RP 11/1)

3 boxes Nabisco Ritz Bits

2 Tide 2 Go pens

3 boxes Playtex tampons (ss 10/11)

2 pkgs Cascade dish tablets (P&G 11/1)

1 box Mr. Clean magic erasers

1, 2pk Lever soap (RP 11/15)

3, 4pk Energizer batteries (ss 11/15)

3 Hormel Compleats meals (ss 11/1)

1 bag C&H brown sugar (RP 8/30 and RP 11/15)

3 bags Hershey kisses (ss 9/13)

1 Blistex chapstick

3 bags Wonderful Pistachios (ss 11/15)

(1 Zone bar and 1 pkg candy Mento's not pictured). Everything highlighted in red will go into storage. This is why I love this sale. I can get these necessities for sooooo much cheaper than I'd normally pay. Good Luck - hope you find some great deals too :)

November 16, 2009

Winegars Triple Coupon day

Tuesday, November 17th

Winegar's will triple manufacturer's "cents off" coupons up to $.50. Coupons for $.51 or more will be redeemed at face value, plus $1.00. Maximum store discount amount is $1.00 per coupon. NO CASH BACK.

Triple coupon policy does not apply to: Free coupons, cigarette or tobacco coupons, coupons identified as other retailer's coupons. If the triple coupon total exceeds the retail price of an item, that item will be FREE to you (No cash back). All items subject to all applicable tax laws.

The Following Exceptions Apply:

  • Limit 1 coupon per item
  • limit 3 coupons of like item per customer
  • Good only on items Winegars stocks

So what are you waiting for????......start clipping!

November 11, 2009

Veteran's Day Deals

I'm sure there are many deals being offered. Here's a few that I thought you'd like:

Applebee's Veteran's and active-duty men and women are entitled to a free entree at Applebee's on Veteran's Day. Just stroll in, identify yourself as a vet or a member of the military, and order off the menu.

Krispy Kreme To honor America's service men and women, Krispy's giving veterans and active military personnel who visit any participating U.S. Krispy Kreme store on Veteran's Day one free donut of his or her choosing

Outback Steakhouse If you're active duty military or a veteran you can grab a free Bloomin Onion and drink at Outback Steakhouse.

~ I just personally wanted to thank anyone that is a Veteran or in the military for keeping me safe and preserving the freedoms I enjoy daily! You men and women deserve a day of recognition!~

RedPlum's largest coupon book is coming....

I got an email from RedPlum this morning stating that their 11/15 coupon book was the biggest of the year. I got mine in the mail yesterday. Lots of great savings....did you get yours?

You can check this link to see if it will be coming by mail or newspaper.

November 3, 2009

E-coupons on your Smiths/Kroger card

I've blogged about this before, but it's always worth repeating! Now that Albertson's has officially closed their doors in Utah (except for a few locations - here's a link to a friends blog for exact locations that are still open) the options for grocery shopping are limited. If you're like me, I always want a good deal.

Smith's sells Kroger brands. Did you know that you can automatically load coupons onto your Smith's card?

Here are a few links where you can load your Smith's card number into the system and fill it with coupons so when you go shopping and scan your card, it automatically gives you the coupon discount. No cutting, clipping or headache at the register. Easy Peasy!

P&G eSAVER

Shortcuts.com

Happy Shopping! If you want to learn a few shortcuts and savings tips - let me know, I teach a great FREE coupon class :D) (callmestacy@yahoo.com)

October 29, 2009

Best Online Coupon Sites

A fellow reader (Adrienne C.) contacted me the other day. She's posted the "Top 15 Sites to find Legit Online Coupons." I read through the article and it's a great resource. She directs you to a variety of sites - printable coupons, blogs, freebies, online codes etc.... You can check out her blog for all the details. Her blog also offers a wealth of information on going back to school, online classes, grants, and student resources. (You can print coupons from one of the biggest online coupon rescoures - coupons.com, right from my blog - upper right corner).

Remember, you can also check out Pinching Your Pennies for blogs, coupons, freebies, online coupon codes, local sales or even post questions about things you may be needing answers to.

If you live in Utah, Idaho, Eastern Washington, Las Vegas or S. California, you can also use the Grocery Smarts (this link is for Utah) website for local grocery deals. When you pair your coupons up with local sales, you always come out a winner! Watch your grocery bill shrink and your pantry bulk up! If you'd like codes you'll need to access Grocery Smarts website for any of these states/locations let me know (callmestacy@yahoo.com) and I can hook you up with those codes and a teacher in your area that will teach you the basics for FREE and show you how to use the FREE website.

~Thanks Adrienne C.

October 27, 2009

Snow White movie - coupons


Do you love Disney or have a little princess that loves Snow White? Make sure to get your coupon for $10.00 off either the Blu-ray or DVD Combo pack. The coupon expires 10/31/09. You can print 2 coupons - this would make a great Christmas gift for someone special :)
~Thanks PYP!


October 21, 2009

Kohls deals, layaway and smart shopping

I have to admit, I am a Black Friday shopper - I love a good deal. It's interesting that in the last week, I've started to hear some predictions on how the Christmas season will play out. I found this article on CBS News Early show. The news article basically stated that if you see a good deal now, you may want to get it now because retailers aren't ordering a lot of inventory due to the recession. It's a pretty interesting read anyway.

So with that in mind I saw a Kohl's deal that I couldn't pass up today. Knowing that my son loves Geo Trax (and has asked for this for Christmas, not to mention his birthday falls in January....) , Kohl's is offering 50% off certain Fisher Price toys. Here's a link to PYP for all the details.

This is what I ended up getting.

Fisher-Price® GeoTrax™ New Train In Town
Color: Multi/None
Size: NO SIZE
SKU 90354010

Regular Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $49.99
1 $39.99 (I paid with the 20% code SPECIAL20)

Fisher-Price® Imaginext® Batman's Batcave™
Color: Multi/None
Size: NO SIZE
SKU 90354021

Regular Price: $89.99
Sale Price: $44.99
1 $35.99

Carter's® Princess Nightgown
Color: Pink
Size: LARGE
SKU 90323776

Original Price: $26.00
Sale Price: $10.40
1 $8.32

Transformers™ Revenge of the Fallen™ Pajama Set
Color: Multi/None
Size: 6
SKU 90358831

Original Price: $38.00
Sale Price: $15.20
1 $12.16

Carter's® Dinosaur Fleece Pajama Set
Color: Multi
Size: 3T
SKU 90402188

Original Price: $20.00
Sale Price: $7.49
1 $6.00

My total came to $109.12. I got 20% off, free shipping and I'll get $20 in Kohls cash back.

Also, don't forget that Kmart and Sears are offering layaway plans. It's a great way to only have to pay a little at a time.

Toys R Us is also offering a layaway program for certain items this holiday season. Here's a link to their online information.

Don't forget to also checkout the Hasbro toy coupons on the blue coupon bar in the upper right corner of my blog. These would be great to pair up with a sale out there!

Be smart, shop savvy, use coupons and be happy!

October 20, 2009

Kents may be my new Albertsons

I don't know about your circumstances, but we've had the flu at our house. We were told by the doctor, it wasn't the piggy flu, but it was definately the flu (my guess it was the piggy flu - that's what's going around). Anyway, I seriously haven't been shopping in weeks. It hit us at the beginning of October and really took me down (thus - the lack of posts....sorry).

After I started feeling better, I wanted to catch Kents sale this week because of the General Mills cereal sale. I was pretty happy with what I got. Check it out.


1 bag of breadsticks

1 gallon Western Family OJ

2 bottles of Western Family apple cider

18 boxes of General Mills cereal

1 bag of Dirty chips (new brand - wanted to try them out)

3 bags of Don Julio tortillas (great for freezing)

4 cans of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup

15 cans of Swanson beef and chicken broth

2, 6pks of Trix yogurt

6 cans of Spaghettios

6 pears

6 Yoplait yogurts

2 boxes of Betty Crocker fruit snacks

2 boxes Nature Valley granola bars

3 pkgs of Kraft cheese

1 bag of Clover Club chips

I bought 75 items and paid $61.13, thats about $.82 for each item. The bottom of my receipt says I saved $71.96 this shopping trip. Not bad.....you may see more of these shopping trips. Stay tuned

Kents is located in Roy and Brigham City. Here's a link to their online ads. You can also check out PYP for updated grocery lists.





October 6, 2009

Crafty Halloween Wreath

I basically have no decorating talent whatsoever. Those of you who know me, know this about me. Yes, it's pretty sad.....I know.

Anyway, last year I did manage to make a really fun Halloween wreath that I saw in a magazine. The best part about this wreath is that all those hot glue strings you get? - well the more this wreath has the better. So, I'm reviving an old post (click here for instructions)to show you that yes, once in a while I can accomplish something crafty.



Happy Halloween!




September 29, 2009

Another Kent's Earlybird Sale (YEA!!!)

I love it when Kent's puts on their Earlybird sales (usually the same weekends as the LDS conferences April/October). You can also check out their regular ads here. It's Saturday 10/3 from 6 am to noon.

Once again here are their great deals.

Golden Ripe Bananas $.39/lb

10lb bag of extra, extra, extra diet lean ground beef $1.79/lb

20lb box of boneless skinless chicken breasts $29.80 each or $1.49/lb

One dozen pumpkin chocolate chip cookies $2.99

24 oz asst. Granny's Delight old fashioned bread $.99

2.6 oz Armour asst. lunch makers $.79

Family pack, boneless extra lean beef stew meat $2.29/lb

Rogers one dz medium eggs $.79

2 liter bottles of Squirt 2/$1.00

25# bag of yellow onions $3.99

1 gallon Farr's ice cream $4.88

6 pk asst. jumbo muffins $1.99

Tony's thin and crispy pizzas $.88

COW (Cream O' Weber) gallon Chocolate milk $1.99

Asst. Lays chips 2/$3.00

6 pk, 24 oz asst Pepsi products 4/$10

10 oz asst Don Julio chips $.79

6 pk, 12 oz cans, Strawberry Country Time, Sunkist, Hawaiian Punch, 7-Up or A&W Rootbeer $.89

Family pk boneless center cut pork loin chops or roast $1.69/lb

Boneless beef cross rib roast $1.79/lb

9 ct. C&B Maddox turkey steaks $7.99

2lb WF med cheddar cheese $3.99 each

Milford Farms 5 oz, asst. Cordon Blue $.79

Family pk boneless beef ranch steaks $1.99/lb

16 oz COW sour cream $.79

Sliced to order deli style roast beef $4.29/lb

Asst. 6oz Armour sausage links or patties $.79

Sliced to order Kretchmar maple ham $2.49/lb

Remember, it will be busy and there may be a few lines. Kent's always stocks well and are fully staffed during these sales. Hope you find some good deals!

September 21, 2009

BzzAgent Freebies...

I don't know about you, but I love to open the mailbox and find fun little goodies inside. Last week I opened it to find this:I've gotten many things from BzzAgent, but this will definately be one of my favorites. I got a full bottle of Aveeno Nourish + shampoo and conditioner. It also came with coupons, literature and samples.

I've blogged about BzzAgent before and I'll do it again. All you have to do is sign up to participate in their campaigns. You can sign up here. The only requirement is that they want your feedback on the product. You try it, decide what you think about it and log back into BzzAgent and let them know.

I can't wait to try it out this week. I'll let you know what I think. If you're interested in other websites that offer similar benefits, check the left side of my blog under Favorite Sites to Visit and look for the sites that say product trials. Who doesn't love a freebie in the mail????


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