MelissaStuff

Huggies Mega Packs - Clearanced at 50% - $3/1 printable Total: $5.99 this week, may go cheaper Similac Formula - 50% off - $5 formula check Total: Varies Buy 1 Power Bar at $1, Get $1 ECBs (Limit 3 — unadvertised deal for the month of June) Total: Free after ECBs Off Clip-On Refills — on sale for $2.99 this week Use $3/1 CVS printable Total: Free after coupon P&G ECB Deal: Spend $25 get $10 ECB Charmin Big Roll 16-pk $9.99 -$1/1 from 5/16 RP Total: $8.99 Duracell 10 pk of AA, AAA or 2 pk of 9V - $5.99 Puffs - $.99 - $1/1 Vocalpoint mailer Total: FREE CVS Supreme diapers $5.99 -$2 ECB Total: $3.99 Hallmark Cards ECB Deal: Spend $15 get $3 ECB Gillette Pro Glide power or manual razor $9.97 (available 6/3) -$5 ECB Total: $4.97 Select Suave hair care and body wash 3/$6 -$2 ECB on three -$.50 from 5/23 RP, use three Total: 3/$2.50 Ban Invisible Solid Deodorant $2.99 -$2 ECB -$1 from 4/18 SS or $.75 printable Total: as low as FREE Scope or Fixodent $3.99 -$2 ECB -$1 from

The Cream Perfume Company was gracious enough to send me samples of three of their perfumed body moisturizers - Coconut Vanille, Lavender Ecume, Rose de Rosee - and two of their cream perfumes - Mango Poudre and Forest Terre. Interestingly, the day that these arrived I had just had a meeting with a lady who was explaining the damaging effects of many of our skin products in the US due to the fact that they have some form of mineral oil or petroleum product in them. The Cream Perfume Company is known for using pure and naturally derived oils and extracts from nature combined with premium French certified organic essential oils to combat dehydrated, sore, inflamed and damaged skin. Their products are certified by Ecocert to be Vegan, Wheat and Gluten Free, no Glycol and no Animal Testing. The lotions are luscious feeling on the skin and leave a wonderful scent while making your skin feel refreshed and hydrated. The Coconut Vanille smells like summer - the beach, sunscreen and frozen

Scrubbing Bubbles Starter Kit $7.99 $3/1 Target Printable 5/23 SS Free $5 Target gc wyb Scrubbing Bubbles Starter Kit Total: $.01 money maker! Buy two Olay Facial Toners $2.99 each Use 2 - $2/1 (5/2 P&G) Total: $1.98 out of pocket and get back one $5 Target gift card Buy 5 Fiber One yogurts at $2.04 each Use 5 $1/1 printables Spend $5.20 plus tax out of pocket, Get a $5 Target gift card Total: $0.04 each after coupons and gift card $3/2 Armor All Target printable AND $2/1 Armor All printable Use these on any of the following products and get them FREE : Armor All Original Interior Protectant — $2.49 Armor All Glass Cleaner — $2.69 Armor All Car Wash Concentrate — $3.49 Armor All Wipes — $4.24 Armor All Upholstery Cleaner — $4.24 Armor All Wheel Protectant — $6.00 Get a $5 Target Gift Card when you buy 10 SoBe Lifewaters: Buy 10 SoBe Lifewater (20 oz.) at $1 each Use 5 BOGO printables AND 5 - $.50/1 Target printables (some Target stores will allow you

One of the smallest parts of our family budget is clothing. Personally, I am at a place of wishing that line item could increase for next year . . . at least for me . . . but we really strive to be frugal about what we buy and what we pay. I shop sales, clearance and consignment sales. And I shop at resale shops. Recently, a friend referred me to a new resale shop that just opened in Plano - Clothes Mentor . They have "regular" clothes in real sizes for great prices. Even better, when you are ready to clean out your closet and get rid of clothes, they buy quality brand-named, gently used clothing. Unlike a consignment store where you must wait for your payment, they will give you cash on the spot. They buy and sell clothing size 0-26 as well as maternity clothes. I may just load all of my maternity clothing up and take it over there one day soon. It's easier than trying to sell it piece by piece. If you aren't local, there are several Clothes Mentor shops arou

I am proud to announce that the winner of the 1-800-FLOWERS $50 gift certificate is  . . . #74 - The Spears Family! An email has been sent and I am waiting for confirmation.

I made a stop by CVS today which I haven't done much in the last several months . . . I've missed it, but that's beside the point. They had MEGA size bags of Huggies diapers clearanced to 50% off! Originally $17.99, they were on sale for $8.99 tonight. Because they're clearanced they'll continue to drop in price, so keep your eyes open. With all of the $3 off coupons for Huggies out there, this is a GREAT deal. $3/1 Huggies coupon $3/1 Huggies coupon (These are on Target.com but they are NOT Target coupons. They are manufacturer’s coupons which can be used anywhere.) $3/1 Huggies coupon (Facebook coupons have been reset.) Find more Huggies coupons here , here and here ($4/2).

If you have a new baby, are planning to have a new baby or know someone with a new baby, you should check out these sites for free samples and great coupons:

Well, while I'm on a roll of recommending the places I get great stuff . . . Home Made Simple is one of the best sources I've found for coupons. They regularly have mailers that contain coupons I use over and over again, such as: $1 - $2 off Dawn $5 off Swiffer $3 - $5 Febreze and many more!

Many of you have asked how I find so many free samples. There are a variety of answers to that question, but today I am going to share one main source . . . I receive 3-5 samples a month along with high value coupons by simply registering for this site and visiting it once a month to choose the samples and coupons I would like to have sent to me. Recently, from P&G I have received samples such as Tide, Bounce, Pantene, and Cascade. Check it out. It's well worth a few minutes of your time.

Crib Creations Giveaway Winner was . . . #80 - scharles2 said... New follower of your blog!

Don't forget to search, search, search! Today is Mega Swagbucks Day and you can earn double, triple, quadruple what you normally earn. If you haven't signed up, start today ! I've already redeemed $60 worth of Amazon giftcards and have $10 more waiting for me to decide what I should buy. You could be reaping the same rewards. Go here to read the full explanation of how Swagbucks works.

If you haven't entered to win this incredible diaper bear from Crib Creation, go here right now!! This diaper bear is made up of: 40 Size 1-2 Pampers Swaddlers 1 Gerber Onesie Size 0-3 1 Gerber Bib 1 Pacifier All items are brand new, usable and come from a smoke free home. Comes wrapped in cellophane and tied with ribbon. This giveaway ends tonight at midnight.

I started this post because I found a blog I wanted to share - Building the Blocks . This unconventional family has 4 biological children, 2 Guatemalan adoptions, 1 adopted through the foster care system, another about to be finalized through the foster care system, and another child from Ethiopia. The headline to her blog reads: Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world, when He could do something about it . . . but I'm afraid He might ask me the same question.  - Anonymous These aer the stories that go past tugging at my heart, to grip my heartstrings in a vice hold - stealing my breath, sending tears coursing down my cheeks, and almost crippling my functionality. I wonder if we, as believers, are doing all we were called to do. And that thought led me to a slightly different topic. As many of you know I recently gave birth to my third boy - and all of my boys are a handful. I have no doubt they will grow to be great men, but

Joey has some exciting possibilities going on in his life right now - I will have to wait to share the details. Hopefully it all pans out. But we think the odds are good enough that we went out last night to celebrate. Being the frugal people that we have become since having children and cutting our income in over half, we couldn't bring ourselves to actually spend money on anything besides what we ate . . . but we did lots of window shopping and day dreaming. One of the things we will need in the not too distant future is a washer and dryer set. Both of our's still work, but the washing machine randomly puts pin size holes in our clothing and the dryer does not shut off automatically anymore so we have to be careful not to burn the house down or shrink our clothes so much they fit our kids. While at Best Buy (in the new Fairview Village, for you locals) the guy working told us that they are running a special this weekend on all their Energy Star appliances - where there is

Wow! Weston is now 6 weeks old and it is time for me to start thinking about getting pictures taken. This set of pictures is always one of my favorites for each of my boys. They are just beginning to develop their personality and I want to make sure I go somewhere they are truly able to capture that. I thought this picture did a good job when Colt was just a little over two months old . . . One of the best places I have found is Picture People. Good for me, they are currently running a special - FREE 8x10 or 10x13 and 25% off your purchase . I made my reservation for an appointment online and the coupon is good through June 20th. Click here to find a location near you!

When Joey and I wanted to do some inexpensive remodeling, our first step was to buy paint. The best time we found to do that was when Home Depot was offering one of their paint rebates . . . and sometimes on top of that there will be clearance paint to use it on. The good news is that this weekend Home Depot is offering a Memorial Day rebate which gives you $5 back on purchases of 1 gallon cans and $20 back on purchases of 5 gallon buckets! You can submit this rebate online or mail in the form and purchases must be made between May 27th - 31st.

$3/1 Huggies coupon (These are on Target.com but they are NOT Target coupons. They are manufacturer’s coupons which can be used anywhere.) $3/1 Huggies coupon (Facebook coupons have been reset.) Find more Huggies coupons here , here and here ($4/2).

In my house, there are a few products that are sacred ground and can not be replaced with substitutes . . . one of them is Blue Bell ice cream. For those of you that live in other parts of the country where it is not available, I am truly sorry. It is the holy grail of ice cream. And this week with a $25 purchase from Albertson's grocery stores, you can get 1/2 gallon for $2.98. (You have to have the coupon from the ad.) If you use this coupon from Blue Bell for $1 off , you can get 1/2 gallon for only $1.98. (If you aren't interested in buying it for yourself and you want Joey to be your lifetime friend, just go ahead and drop it off at our house!!)

I am a huge fan of Dave Ramsey and his views on debt and money management. He's a big part of why Joey and I have no debt and both finally have clean credit records! If you're interested in learning more about him and his methods, enter this contest to win his book The Money Answer. As I am posting, there are only 9 comments which means you have a GREAT chance of winning. The contest ends Monday, June 7th.

In our family, Memorial Day always strikes a somber note. We haven't forgotten - in all of the festivities and cookouts and swimming - that the holiday is meant to honor those that have offered their lives for our freedom. Because we have family that is active duty military and has now served multiple tours of duty overseas, we know what it means to worry, to hope and to pray that your loved one "comes home". That often looks different for different families, but we would like to honor all of them this week. Please check out this photo contest on the Pioneer Woman blog . . .

Children's Place is taking an automatic 25% off all of their online clothing. Just put the items in your cart and the discount will show on each item. There are lots of great deals to be found. Let me know if you find something worth sharing. Click here to check out this sale at The Children's Place ! You can also get cashback through one of these sites: Ebates - 3% Cash Back ($5 for Signing Up) Mr. Rebates - 3% Cash Back ($5 for Signing Up) Shop at Home - 5% Cash Back ($5 for Signing Up) MyPoints - 2 points per dollar spent Swagbucks - 2 Swagbucks per dollar spent

I discovered author Cindy Woodsmall by accident - our local Christian bookstore had clearanced their Christmas items to 90% off and her Christmas book The Sound of Sleigh Bells  was included. I bought it and took it home. It was a quaint story about an Amish girl who has been emotinoally wonded and decided she will never be interested in a man again . . . and an Amish man who has been phsyically wounded and chosen to isolate himself while he heals. The emotions ran deep and the story was intriguing. When my mom had surgery scheduled and asked me to recommend some books, I told her I had some good books but they were Christmas themes (it was now April). She said it didn't matter and started with the Cindy Woodsmall book. At the end of the week she had finished the book and gone in search of more titles by this author. She came home with the Sisters of the Quilt series - When the Heart Cries (Sisters of the Quilt, Book 1) , When the Morning Comes (Sisters of the Quilt, Book 2) , a

When I was working, periodically we would go over to Plano to this nondescript hole-in-the-wall restaurant that served burgers and shakes. If you know me well, you know I don't generally do "hone-in-the-wall." It usually translates to GROSS, DIRTY, & NASTY in my world. But this place was different. It was clean. The employees were efficient and the food was great! JCs Burgers was started by a couple who wanted to spend more time with their family and quit their jobs in order to do that. Mr. JC came up with the special recipe used to make the burgers and every burger is made from USDA beef that is ground fresh each day. Due to the overwhelming demand in the Plano location, in 2003 JC's opened a second location on the service road of Central at McDermott in Allen. Now, the JC's Burger restaurants have been franchised - opening stores in Frisco, Richardson, Rockwall, and McKinney. I didn't even know there was a JC's Burger in Mckinney until I was

Safety 1st sent me their True View Monitor to review. I have to start out by saying this may just be my favorite item I've had the opportunity to review. I have always wanted a video monitor but knew they were out of our budget. (This one retails for about $179.99) However, if I had the money, I would absolutely spend it on this monitor. I think it is well worth it for the value that it offers. As you can see from the picture, there are two pieces to the monitor - a base camera and a full color picture monitor. The base camera swivels so that you can change the angle to capture just what you need to see. The monitor can be plugged in or supplied with batteries so that it is portable. In my house, I have a newborn that I worry about and a two year old who is an escape artist at nap time and bedtime. This product has solved both of those issues. I can focus it on the baby when he is sleeping and know that he is safe and still breathing when he happens to fall asleep harder and lo

Just a quick note to say that I have moved on Facebook. Instead of having a fan page, I created a profile for Melissa Stuff so that I can have my Twitter feed post directly to that profile. Recently it has been posting to my personal Facebook profile, but not all of my personal friends are ecstatic about getting all of those updates. So, if you haven't already, become a friend of Melissa Stuff and get all of the latest updates directly on your FB wall!

Spend $10 in Neutrogena Cosmetics (prices start at $3.49), Get $2 ECBs (Limit 1) *Deal Idea* Buy 3 at $3.49 each Use 3 $3/1 coupons from the June All You magazine Total: Free plus overage after coupons and ECBs Buy 1 Old Spice or Gillette Body Wash at $4, Get $4 ECBs (Limit 2) *Deal Idea* Buy 2 at $4 each Use B1G1 (5/2 P&G) Total: Free plus $4 overage after coupons and ECBs Buy 2 Thermacare at $5.99, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 1) Use $3/1 printable Total: $0.49 each after coupons and ECBs Buy 2 Pantene Pro-V Shampoo, Conditioner or Styler at $3.48, Get $2 ECBs (Limit 1) Use 2 $1/1 (5/2 P&G) Total: $1.48 each after coupons and ECBs Spend $10 in L’Oreal Cosmetics (prices start at $3.49), Get $3 ECBs (Limit 1) *Deal Idea* Buy 3 at $3.49 each Use 3 $1/1 (3/21 or 4/25 RedPlum) Total: $1.49 each after coupons and ECBs OTHER DEALS Bumblebee Can Tuna – $0.88 Buy 5 and use $1/5 printable Total: $0.68 each after coupon

Fresh Strawberries, 1 lb.$1.49 Windex Assorted Sprays $1.77 Use Printable Save $1/1 Total: $.77 Windex Wipes $2.33 Use Printable Save $1/1 (5/9 SS) Save $1/1 Total: $1.33 Dove Travel Size Deodorant – $0.97 Use $1/1 printable Total: Free after coupon French’s Yellow and Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce (bundled package) – $1.39 Use $1/1 coupon from the May All You magazine Total: $0.39 after coupon ($0.19 each) Crystal Light Drop Ins (10 ct) – $2 Buy 3 and use $3/3 printable AND $1/3 Target printable Total: $0.67 each after coupon Hershey’s Bliss Chocolate (8.6 oz) – $2.99 Use $1/1 (4/25 SS) AND $1/1 Target printable Total: $0.99 each after coupon Vaseline Aloe Freah Body Lotion 10oz. $2.99 Use $1.00/1  printable  or $1.00/1 coupon from (05/23 RP) AND Target Printable  save $1.00 Total: $0.99 Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Lunchmeat (7-9 oz) – $2.79 Buy 4 and use 3 $1/1 printable AND Buy 3 Get 1 Free Target printable Total: $1.34 each after coupon Lots o

I had the privilege of doing a review and giveaway for Seventh Generation products. I had heard of them prior to this review, but had never purchased or used any of their products. They sent me the Natural Baby Starter Kit . It was perfect since it arrived just as Weston and I were coming home from the hospital. As you can see the set was chock full of useful items - 2 bags of diapers (Newborn and Size 1), Wipes and a refill of wipes, baby detergent, paper towels, disinfecting wipes, bathroom cleaner and two kinds of all purpose cleaner along with a great reusable bag. Seventh Generation Diapers - I LOVED these. They were flexible and retained any and all fluids really well. The tabs on the sides are extra large compared to other leading diaper brands and I appreciated that because it made the diaper feel better secured. I would buy these diapers over any other diaper on the market if I could find them at equitable prices. Seventh Generation Wipes - The baby wipes were usefu

On Saturday, June 5th Acute Kids Urgent Care is turning Dr Pepper Ballpark into a movie theater for families. Admission and popcorn are free, while drinks and additional concessions will be available for purchase. The original Shrek will be shown on the outfield scoreboard and families are invited to bring blankets and sit in the outfield grass for the film. The movie starts at 8:00 pm, but the gates will be open at 7:00 pm. Come early and play on the inflatables, run around the field, and meet the RoughRiders’ mascots Deuce and Daisy – so be sure to bring your camera. There is no cost to attend, but you do need to reserve a spot for your family. To reserve your spot for this free event, simply click here . Our family is planning to attend at least for the inflatables and popcorn. Bedtime is at 8 pm so I don't know how long we will last after that. However, we would love to see you at the Dr Pepper Ballpark on Saturday, June 5th at 7:00 pm.

If you missed the free girl's tops last week, right now on bTrendie you can score FREE children’s clothes!   Many of the items are priced at $9.99 or less and if you sign up HERE you will get a $10 Credit for joining.   bTrendie has some great deals, and I love the fact that they give you a  $10 credit to get you started. While they have great deals like this at times, they also sell nicer items for a signficant discount. Check out their items!

I've already shared the Huggies deal at Kroger, but if you need the details again - go here . The other deal, I don't think you should miss out on is the Ozarka bottled water. I usually pay $3.99 to $4.99 for a 24 pack of Ozarka. I rarely see it for less than $3.99 and won't pay more than $4.99 for it.) It's on sale for 3/$10 or about $3.33 for a 24 pack right now. That's a great price in and of itself, but there is also an active Catalina promotion, where you buy 2 you get $2 back, buy 3 you get $3 back, buy 4 or more get $5 back. So I bought 4 - 24 packs of Ozarka and paid about $13. Then a coupon printed out for $5 off my next order which I turned around and used on the rest of my grocery purchases. (To do that you'll have to check out twice - once with the waters and then for the rest of your items.) In the end, you pay just about $8 for 4 packages of Ozarka water, or about $2 each. Hurry, these deals only last through Tuesday night (May 24).

We have a WINNER. Comment #56 Rachel C said... I'm a new follower and I hearted the etsy shop. rach62803@yahoo.com May 21, 2010 10:35 PM  

In an earlier post, I mentioned the great deal that Kroger has going on Huggies products and how well it works with the current coupons that are out. Here's one of the cheapest ways to make this work: Diapers $8.99 Wipes $1.99 - $3/1 Huggies Diapers - (4) $2/1 Huggies wipes - $3 off wyb $15 in Huggies w/your Kroger Card TOTAL: $2.99 for 1 package of diapers and 4 packages of wipes

There are some great giveaways out there and some more to come soon from MelissaStuff . . . make sure you enter the Crib Creations Diaper Bear giveaway. . . . and then enter the rest of the giveaways listed on the linky .

Just a reminder if you haven't entered the Little Things Boutique giveaway , you should! It ends tonight at midnight. Can't wait to see who wins. And while you're there . . . make sure you enter to win the $50 gift certificate to 1-800-FLOWERS and the Diaper Bear from Crib Creations !

Just a friendly reminder for you coke fans! (or soda or pop . . . whatever you want to call it.) This week, Walmart is offering 24-packs of your favorite brands of soda such as Diet Pepsi, Coca-Cola, or Dr. Pepper for just $5. At $.21 a can, you'll want to stock up for your parties, picnics, holiday weekends or just to have around the house! And today, I got a free $5 gift card for Walmart in the mail. Be on the lookout for it and you can get one of these for just tax.

I was just debating getting this for my dad through Amazon, but it was going to cost me somewhere around $20! So when I saw this today, I bought a subscription for my dad and one for my husband. This would make a great Father's Day or birthday gift for the man in your life that is crazy about sports. Go to Best Deal Magazines and use the code WKLYSPEC to get the $3.75 price. That's an entire year's subscription or 26 issues.

Right Now on bTrendie you can score FREE Children’s Tops!   They are priced at $9.99 and if you sign up HERE you will get a $10 Credit for joining.   bTrendie has some great deals, and I love the fact that they give you a  $10 credit to get you started. Check out their items - you can't beat FREE.

Tomorrow - Saturday (May 22, 2010) is the annual $1 Flip-Flop Sale at Old Navy. The doors open at 7 a.m. and I’d recommend getting there early. They seem to sell out quickly. Each customer is limited to 5 pairs.

Don't forget to search, search, search! Today is Mega Swagbucks Day and you can earn double, triple, quadruple what you normally earn. If you haven't signed up, start today ! I've already redeemed $60 worth of Amazon giftcards and have $15 more waiting for me to decide what I should buy. You could be reaping the same rewards. Go here to read full explanation of how Swagbucks works.

Make your reservation right now for an EXCLUSIVE premiere tasting of the Spicy Chicken Sandwich. From May 31 - June 5, Chick-fil-A is giving a limited number of FREE Spicy Chicken Sandwiches to customers who make a reservation. To make your reservation, visit http://www.getspicychicken.com/ beginning today, May 21 and choose your preferred Chick-fil-A Restaurant location and time. The Spicy Chicken Sandwich will be added to the menu on June 7.

DALLAS STARS ANNUAL WAREHOUSE SALE The Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco May 21-25 is the location for the Stars Annual Warehouse Sale! You can save up to 80% on hockey gear, ice skating apparel, polos, jerseys, t-shirts, player used equipment and more! Cash and Credit Cards only. No checks or gift cards accepted. Limit 6 sticks per customer

Make your reservation for an EXCLUSIVE premiere tasting of the Spicy Chicken Sandwich. From May 31 - June 5, Chick-fil-A is giving a limited number of FREE Spicy Chicken Sandwiches to customers who make a reservation. To make your reservation, visit http://www.getspicychicken.com/ beginning Monday, May 24 and choose your preferred Chick-fil-A Restaurant location and time. The Spicy Chicken Sandwich will be added to the menu on June 7.

Joey and I haven't had a chance to eat out much lately . . . both time and budget are pretty prohibitive. But while my boys were out of town and it was just and the baby, my parents offered to watch the baby long enough for us to go eat. Since it was a "treat" we decided to try something new - Bistro Babusan: Asian Fusion. This new restaurant is located in the new shops at Fairview Village off of Stacy Rd. in Allen, Texas. For those of you that like Pei Wei and/or Genghis Grill, you will want to visit Babusan. The owners of  those two restaurants came together to create this new venture. The food at Babusan is a blend of Asian and Indian cultures. You can get Chinese or curry . . . you can get edamame with spicy salts on top. The set up is much like Pei Wei - you can walk in and order at the counter and your food will be delivered to your table. Or you can sit in the bar section and have full service with a waiter. Joey isn't big on Chinese food or Pei Wei and i