Today’s guest poster is Layla of Coupon Journey! She shares a makeup deal currently running at E.L.F. – keep in mind that shipping starts around $6.00, but if you like this makeup, it might be a fun deal for you. And don’t forget that you can also get 4% cashback by shopping through Ebates!
About Layla:
I’m a 30 year old mother to one kitty, married and living in NC. I was layed off last year and had to resort to using coupons to survive. Fast forward 1 year, and I can’t believe I still have a roof over my head and am thankful that I stumbled into the world of couponing. My blog, Coupon Journey,chronicles my journeys to find the best deals around. I also host reviews and giveaways and am celebrating my 6 month birthday of blogging this month, by hosting many giveaways through October 31st.
Make any purchase from e.l.f. (yes, even a $1.00 lip gloss purchase) and you will also receive a FREE 27 piece mini makeup kit! Just make sure to enter code: LOYAL at checkout!
Hurry, this promo expires 11/13/09.
Free kit includes:
9 eye shadow shades
1 cream eye shadow shade
1 blush
1 bronzer
10 lip gloss shades
1 brow powder
1 eye liner pencil
1 dual ended eye shadow applicator and brush
1 face brush
1 lip brush
Purchase a $1.00 product to stuff in a stocking, and receive a FREE gift for yourself!
Over the next week and a half, I’m going to be working behind the scenes on some exciting things for my blogs. Since I will be fully immersed in these projects, I have enlisted some fabulous bloggers to guest post in my place while I’m otherwise occupied. I will still be checking in periodically – I may not be able to respond to emails and comments right away, but I will get back to you as soon as possible. See you in November!
I mentioned recently that I just planted my second crop of garlic. Planting garlic was my first real foray into growing my own food, and I’ve been eager to do more of it – so I made some time last week to plant a few more fall crops.
I bought these three seed packets because they are recommended for planting in the fall and are supposed to do well in cold coastal weather: Radishes, Fava Beans, and Corn Salad. The seeds cost a total of $5.57, which I count as part of my grocery budget. Since I’m just starting to experiment with gardening, I will let you know how much food I end up getting back for that $5!
We had wood left over from recent construction projects, so Jai and I built our own planter boxes from the scraps. This was an economical alternative to buying planters new, which can be expensive.
The 2 bags of potting soil we purchased cost just under $20. I consider this a good investment, since I will be able to plant lots of other things in the soil once this initial crop is harvested.
Here is the final product! I already have some plants starting to sprout:
This has been a fun little experiment so far – I will keep you posted on my results!
Click here to sign up for a free “BeingGirl Sample Kit”. Not only does it contain samples of Tampax and Always products, but the kit I received also included a coupon for a free 18-count box of Always Infinity. Although the coupon is not mentioned on the sign-up page, many other bloggers have reported receiving the same thing, so it’s definitely worth signing up for.
If you live in GA, NC, SC, or TN and have an Earth Fare store near you, click here to print a coupon good for a free “Pantry Makeover”. You can “Trade in” products that contain high-fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oil and receive a free Earth Fare brand replacement. The best part is that the jars or boxes that you bring in can be full OR empty – so if you’re almost out of peanut butter, take in the old jar and get a brand new one for free! Money Saving Mom has more details on the offer here.
The wait is over! Click on the “Try Me Free” tab on the widget above and enter your address to receive a coupon good for a free four-pack of Yoplait Fiber One yogurt. This offer is limited to the first 50 to respond on a first come, first serve basis. The widget will display a message once all the free coupons are depleted, and a coupon for $1.00 will appear.
And if all the free coupons are gone by the time you read this, then check over at Contest Corner. I’m doing a 50 coupon giveaway over there as well, so you are welcome to try your luck there if the free coupons have already been depleted here!
In addition to sponsoring this giveaway, Yoplait also sent me some free samples of Fiber One Yogurt in Strawberry and Key Lime Pie. I enjoyed the flavors that I tried – the portion sizes were just right for me, and I appreciate that it has 5 grams of fiber. There is no substitute for eating a balanced diet, but I am all for “Sneaking in” some extra fiber whenever possible. I also liked the fact that each serving was only 50 calories! The yogurt is sweetened with aspartame, so those who do not care for artificial sweetener may notice a difference in flavor, but it didn’t bother me.
Here’s a little more information on Fiber One yogurt, courtesy Yoplait:
About Yoplait Fiber One 50-calorie yogurt
Yoplait Fiber One 50-calorie yogurt is the only leading nonfat yogurt with 50 calories and 5 grams of fiber.
Available in four flavors – Strawberry, Vanilla, Peach and Key Lime Pie – Fiber One 50-calorie yogurt is a delicious snack that is good for you, contributes 20% of the recommended daily value of fiber and is a good source of calcium as well as vitamins A and D.
Instead of munching on boring lower-calorie foods, you can now snack with zero guilt on Fiber One yogurt, a tasty way to help watch waistlines and keep calorie counts in check.
Fiber One 50-calorie yogurt features a ‘Hungry Girl Seal of Approval’, the first nationally distributed yogurt to receive this endorsement.
Yoplait Fiber One 50-calorie yogurt is available in the yogurt section of grocery stores nation-wide
Don’t forget that tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM PST, I will be giving away coupons for a free four-pack of Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt to the first 50 readers who respond. The coupons will be available on a first come, first serve basis, and I’m sure they’ll go quick so be here early! A post will go up at 9:00 AM sharp containing a widget with a sign-up form. It will also display a message once the 50 coupons are gone. Once that happens, a coupon for $1.00 off will appear.
I’m also giving another 50 coupons away on Contest Corner, so if all the coupons are gone when you get here, you are welcome to check over at Contest Corner and register there if any are left.
Here’s some purchases that arrived in the mail this week:
This is the $3 coffee I ordered last week. I made a batch of it this morning and so far, I’ve been enjoying it. They included some coupons in my package, one of which is a “Buy-one-get-one-free” voucher. After looking at the prices, I am considering possibly placing one more order before I cancel the membership. At first glance, it seems that it might be a lower price with the coupon than what I usually get at Safeway, if the shipping isn’t high. But I haven’t looked into it thoroughly yet, so I’ll keep you posted and let you know what happens when I do cancel the membership. Of course, I could buy canned coffee in bulk for less, but I love to buy these flavored blends because they are one of my favorite luxuries!
I like to make a simple, yummy quesadilla by filling a tortilla with black beans and covering with chopped cilantro, garlic, and cheese. I seal it with a second tortilla and broil it in the oven until done. (That’s coconut oil coating the pan, in case you were wondering.)
We had some leftover Chinese food in the fridge, so I re-invented it for dinner:
I stir-fried the leftovers and added peanuts from the stockpile to fill it out. I love peanuts in stir-frys because they add so much flavor. I served it on a bed of Jasmine rice and with a side of egg flour soup. I’ve had this soup mix in my cupboard for ages and finally decided to make it – it was really nice!
We also has green tea with the dinner (which you’ll notice is actually being served in a Sake set – those were just the smallest cups I had on hand!) and mango pudding for dessert.
Thursday’s menu:
I took the leftover rice from the previous night’s dinner and combined it with chopped onion, cheese, cilantro and eggs to make a nice omelette, served with half an orange.
For dinner, I made homemade chili/bean stew. I didn’t follow a recipe – I used some of the suggestions here and just made up the rest. Here’s what I did:
I cut two tomatoes (given to me straight from a relative’s garden), chopped some onion, and added in some cilantro just for fun. What can I say, we love cilantro!
I cooked it in coconut oil for a few minutes, then added three cans of black beans. I let it simmer for a few more minutes, then added curry powder, turmeric, and coriander. I know that’s an unusual combination of spices, but I don’t keep chili powder on hand because I find it’s usually too spicy for me, while I can handle mild curry seasonings fine.
Next, I added about 1 cup of spaghetti sauce and about 2 cups of beef broth. I often use spaghetti sauce in place of tomato sauce – sounds weird, but it can be done! I just added the liquid until it looked right to me, but you could use more or less according to your tastes.
While the chili cooked, I got to work on some bread bowls. I took one loaf of homemade bread, cut it in half, and scooped out the middle. I took the bread cores and served them on the side for dipping into the stew.
I let the chili simmer for one hour, and then dished it into the bread bowls and topped with a little cheese. It was very nice – the bread bowls were huge (it was half a loaf of bread after all!), so enough of it was leftover for lunch the next day in addition to the big pot of chili. Bread bowls re-heat surprisingly well!
