Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Garden Update!

Pictures will follow soon, but I wanted to post an update without them.  I planted broccoli out in the garden over the weekend, but unfortunately it was not mine.  I wound up having to buy 12 plants, as mind were total duds.  I'm not sure why they did not grow well, because everything else did, but I guess I'll try again in late summer to see if I can get a fall crop from my own plants.  I also have several pea plants growing well, and I planted additional seeds where nothing had grown, as well as some lettuce.  This is all in a fenced in area to keep the bunnies out.  The raspberries (black and red) are looking excellent, and there are lots of flowers on my strawberries.  Both areas are in need of some serious weeding, though.  And the garlic is looking SPECTACULAR.  I should wind up with nearly 50 bulbs of garlic. This should be ready to harvest in a month or so.  I can't wait!

The tomato plants are looking GREAT, and are clearly eager to get into the garden. They range in size pretty widely from over a foot to 6ish inches, and I think they may be getting a little "sun burnt" being too close to the window, so I plan to move my table back tonight (although there's no sun predicted in the forecast until the weekend anyway. blah.).  I was able to salvage 11 tomato seedlings that I "thinned" from their original pots, and I re-planted them last night.  This more than makes up for the few that failed to grow!

The peppers are also doing well, with the hot peppers out-pacing the sweet varieties.  My husbands "mucho nacho" jalapenos are 4-6 inches tall at this point and looking great.  Most of the other peppers are in the 2-4 inch range.  I fertilized everything with an organic garden fertilizer last night, so I'm hoping for a nice growth spurt between now and my planned "plant out" date of around 5/28.  It's so close I can almost taste it!

Giant PA 5/15/2011-5/21/2011

And here are the organic and natural deals at Giant this week...

Al Fresco Chicken Sausage (12 oz) $3.99
Use $1/1 IP coupon (newsletter sign up)
OR Use $2/1 IP coupon if you have it (previously offered)

Nature's Promise Salad (16 oz) $5.79

Nature's Promise Boneless Chicken Breast $4.49/lb

Nature's Promise Sliced Bacon (12 oz) $4.49

Nature's Promise Beef Hot Dogs (16 oz) $4.49

Nature's Promise Grape Tomatoes $2.99

Green Mountain or Newman's Own Coffee (10-12 oz) $5.99

Organix Shampoo or Conditioner $4.99

GE Reveal CFL Bulbs B2G1 Free
Use $1/1 insert coupon (4/17/11SS, expires 6/11/11)

Weis Markets 5/15/2011-5/21/2011

Here are this week's Weis deals.  I took a week off last week... sorry about that!

Olivia's Organics Salads 2/$7
Use $1/1 IP coupon

Olivia's Organics Celery Hearts 2/$4

Meyer's All Natural Rib-Eye Steak $13.99/lb

Batter Blaster 2/$7
Note: Yes, this comes in an "organic" version.... although it doesn't seem quite right to me!

Oikos Greek Yogurt 4/$5
Note: Not the best price, but better than full price if you need yogurt! And the plain version is great in all sorts of recipes!
Use $0.50/2 IP coupon (registration required)

Marcal Small Steps Paper Towels or TP $4.99
Marcal Small Steps Napkins $1.99
Use $1/1 insert coupon (4/17/11 RP, expires 5/31/11)
Note: Some inserts may have received a $1/2 napkins coupon, others may see $1/1.  Please follow the wording on your coupon!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Bolder Challenge

Bolder is currently challenging participants to eat organic for a day-- and the first 2,000 people willing to take the challenge will earn a $1 coupon good on a Stonyfield 32 ounce yogurt.  Yum!  As of now there are about 1,800 coupons remaining, so hurry over and accept the challenge!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Giant May Price Cuts

Here are the new price cuts I saw at Giant.  Most of these prices are good through the end of May, but there are a couple that a different, so please note the dates!  The regular price is in parentheses, so you can note how much you're saving.

Honest Tea 10/$10 ($1.39) 8/27/11
*Note: Unfortunately Giant won't take the B1G1 IP coupon that was recently available. Bummer.

Cascadian Farms Granola Bars 2/$6 ($3.69) 5/28/11
Use $0.75/1 coupons available on coupons.com in April if you have them

Nature's Promise Cereals (various) 2/$5 ($2.85) 5/28/11

Barbara's Bakery Cereals (various) $2.99 ($3.69) 5/28/11
Use $1/1 IP coupon

Eatsmart Natural's Organic Corn & Rice Puffs 2/$5 ($2.99) 5/28/11

Snikiddy Snack Fries 2/$5 ($2.99) 5/28/11
Use $0.75/1 IP coupon (use 90210 if need be)

Nature's Promise Salsa 2/$4 ($2.49) 5/28/11

Nature's Promise Organic White Rice (32 oz) $3.29 ($3.89) 5/14/11

Kashi Organic Cereals 2/$6 ($3.79) 5/29/11

Giant Markets 5/1/11-5/7/11

Here's what's in the ad for Giant this week.  I also have the monthly price cuts to post- it's a shorter list than last month, unfortunately.

Yucatan Organic Guacamole or Avocado Hummus 2/$5
* Note: I've never had this brand-- I've only bought Wholly before.  Anyone tried this?  And what is avocado hummus, exactly?

Nature's Promise Organic Beans (15.5 oz) 10/$10
* Note: These go on sale for this price all the time, so unless you need some I wouldn't jump on it.

Nature's Promise Organic Long Grain White Rice (32 oz) $3.29

Cascadian Farms Granola Bars 2/$6

Barbara's Puffin Cereals (9-11 oz) $2.99
Use $1/1 IP coupon

Kashi Cereal (all varieties) 2/$5 

Nature's Promise Lean Ground Beef $4.29/lb

Nature's Promise Boneless Rib Eye $9.99/lb

Nature's Promise Boneless Chicken Thighs $2.99/lb

Nature's Promise Romaine Hearts (12 oz) $3.49

GE CFL Bulbs B1G1 Free
Use $1/1 insert coupon (4/17/11SS, expires 6/11/11)

Other "Natural" Deals
Simply Orange Juice 2/$6

Weis Markets 5/1/11-5/7/11

Another quiet week in the Weis ad as far as organic and natural deals go...

Sanderson Farms Chicken Leg Quarters $0.98/lb
*Note: Not organic, but linked to the website-- I think the FAQ and other information is pretty vague, which leaves me not trusting them, but make your own choice!

Coleman Natural Bacon (12 oz) $5.99
Coleman Natural Hot Dogs (16 oz) 2/$7
Use $1/1 IP coupons available after completing their survey

Olivia's Salads (5 oz) 2/$7
Use $1/1 IP from Coupons.com

Bionaturae Organic Pasta (15 oz) $2.99

Other "Natural" Deals
Edy's Fruit Bars 2/$6

Haagen-Daaz Ice Cream (14 oz) $3.29

Bolthouse Farms Juices (15.2 oz) 2/$5

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Giant PA 4/24/11-4/30/11


And here are this week's deals at Giant...

Nature's Promise Deli Meat (7 oz) B1G1 Free

Nature's Promise Salads (7 oz) 2/$6

Nature's Promise Beef Franks (16 oz) $3.99

Nature's Promise Boneless Strip Steak $9.99/lb

Nature's Promise Indiv. Wrapped Chicken Breasts $4.99/lb

Barbara's High Fiber Cereal (13 oz) $2.99
Use $1/1 IP coupon here

LaraBar (assorted varieties) 10/$10
Note: These are not organic, but appear to be more natural than many similar products.

Tom's of Maine Toothpaste 2/$7

Kashi Cereal (all varieties, 10.5-14.7 oz) 2/$5
Use $1/1 IP coupon (no longer available)
* Part of the "Mother's Day" Gift Card Promotion

Weis Markets 4/24/11-4/30/11


Whoops... I'm a little late this week.  I was away for the weekend and that always disrupts my schedule!  Anyway, here are this weeks deals at Weis... it's a quiet one this week.

All Natural, Anti-Biotic Free Chicken Breasts $5.39/lb

Meyer's All Natural London Broil $7.99/lb

Weis Organic Grape Tomatoes $2.99

Organic Girl Salads (5 oz) 2/$7
Note: Nature's Promise salads (7 oz) are on sale for $3 this week at Giant.


Other Deals
Florida's Natural Juice (59 oz) 2/$6

Solid Bamboo Cutting Boards 20% off

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Garden Update!

With a month or so until it will be time to plant, things are looking pretty good in the back bedroom/greenhouse.  Last night I took up the sad task of thinning my pots, which means I had to cut some perfectly healthy plants.  I did save some of the tomatoes I cut in the hopes that I can re-plant them and nurse them to health in their own pots as replacements for a few that didn't germinate or are not thriving. 

As of now my final inventory is as follows:

17 Hot Peppers (6 Mucho Nacho, 5 Serranos, 6 Jalapenos)
11 Sweet Peppers (2 Sweet Banana, 2 Golden Marconi, 2 Red Mercury, 3 CA Wonder)
5 Roma Tomatoes (2 still questionable)
5 San Marzano Tomatoes (3 questionable)
5 Beefsteak Tomatoes
2 Brandywine Pink Tomatoes
4 Red Oxheart Tomatoes (2 questionable)
2 Yellow Pear Tomatoes
2 Italian Grape Tomatoes (1 questionable)
2 Chadwick Cherry Tomatoes (1 questionable)

I am particularly disappointed in the San Marzanos, as those were new seeds this year, and I only have two really healthy looking plants from 5 pots! And without any further ado...



The peppers are coming along fairly well, although I am hoping for some good growth in the next month.  First, the hot peppers:

Most of these now have their second leaves and are working on their third set. Right to left these are jalapenos, serranos and mucho nachos.

The sweet peppers were even slower to start then the hot peppers, so they're still working on their second set of leaves:

EcoLips on Jasmere!


Hooray!  Sorry for the double-Jasmere post, but I really like Eco-Lips products.  I originally bought a set on Jasmere, and I think they're excellent.  I am currently using their Sport Balm (30 SPF), but they also have organic options.  This set comes with their three One World balms, a vanilla hemp, and the sport balm in a little pouch with a carabiner "eco clip" that attaches to the balm's lid for easy transportation (I use something similar on my keys so I always have a lip balm with me).

This deal is currently going for $12 on Jasmere, and there is a $2 shipping charge.  As always, the price may go down and you'll be charged the lowest price no matter what time you order (the deal ends at noon tomorrow).

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Fabkins on Jasmere

These things are frickin' adorable.  I usually shy away from posting "kids stuff," as I don't have any, but I really like these.  Today's feature on Jasmere is "Fabkins"-- organic cotton napkins with a variety of cute  themes.  They're offering a set of five (you choose the design) which retails for $25, but right now the Jasmere price is $12 (plus $5 s&h for the first set, and $1 for additional sets).  That price is likely to go down before the deal ends tomorrow at noon.  Remember you'll pay the lowest price the deal reaches regardless of what time you order.

Do you use cloth napkins at home?  We still use paper towels, but we have switched to cloth at the dinner table.  So far so good!

Note: This post contains an affiliate link, meaning that I will receive some sort of credit for referring a new customer.  If you prefer, feel free to navigate on your own, but of course I appreciate the click!

Seedling Progress!

I have been slacking on posting an update on my growing seedlings, but here are some pictures of the progress. 

Here's a reminder of what they looking like around the third week of March:


And here are the tomatoes and broccoli about two weeks ago:
The tomatoes did a good bit of growing in the three weeks since March!

And the hot peppers:

You can see that the tomatoes are well on their way, and the hot peppers were just starting to get their second leaves.  At this point I need to start thinking about thinning each pot to just one plant- I will be doing this in the next few days and will post another update. 

Shopping Trip!

I went to Target and Giant last night and had a pretty nice time! Highlights include 9 CFL bulbs for $0.45 after catalinas, and very cheap Kashi Organic cereal!  Here are the details...

TARGET
2 Chutes & Ladders Games $9.73
2 Bertolli Organic Pasta Sauces $5.98
2 Annie's Organic Cheese Ravioli $2
1 Annie's Organic Granola Bars $2.99
4 Archers Farms Organic Tortilla Chips $10
4 Skittles Blenders $2.76
1 Zyrtec (Bonus 40 count!) $18.19
TOTAL: $51.65
Minus 2 $2/1 Chutes & Ladders coupons
Minus $1/2 Bertolli Target coupon
Minus $1.50/2 Bertolli coupon
Minus $0.75/2 Annie's coupons
Minus $1 Annie's Granola Bars wyb pasta Target coupon
Minus 2 $1/2 Archer Farms chips coupons
Minus 2 $0.50/2 Skittles coupons
Minus 2 $1/2 Skittles Target coupons
Minus $7/1 Zytrec coupon
Minus $4/1 Zyrtec Target coupon
Minus $0.05 Reusable Bag Discount
PAID: $27.35, a savings of $24.30 or about 47%!

At Giant I actually did four transactions, which is unusual for me.

Transactions 1 & 2
3 GE CFL Bulbs $2.97
1 Giant Reusable Bag $0.99
Tax $0.18
Minus $0.99 (Free Bag wyb two CFL bulbs promo)
PAID: $3.15 (twice)
Received two $3 OYNO catalinas!

Transaction 3
3 GE CFL Bulbs $2.97
1 Giant Reusable Bag $0.99
1 Kraft Parmesan $3.49
1 Hormel Natural Choice Turkey $2.50
6 Kraft Cheese $12
Tax $0.18
TOTAL: $21.95
Minus $5 Kraft Instant Savings
Minus $0.99 (Free Bag wyb two CFL bulbs promo)
Minus 3 $1/2 Kraft Cheese coupons
Minus $0.50 Hormel coupon (doubled to $1)
PAID: $12.14 
Received $3 OYNO catalina!

Transaction 4
1 Kraft Parmesan $3.49
1 Filippo Berio Organic Olive Oil $5.49
2 McCormick Organic Black Pepper $3.18
1 McCormick Organic Paprika $4.69
4 Organic Gala Apples $3.48
1 Organic Baby Lettuce (7 oz) $3.99
2 Organically Grown Basil $3.98
1 Hormel Natural Choice Turkey $2.50
6 Kraft Cheese $12
2 Silk Organic Soy Milk $5.58
1 Stonyfield Organic Milk $3.69
5 Kashi Organic Cereals $13.95
1 Terra Chips $2
Tax $0.24
TOTAL: $68.26
Minus 1 Free Lettuce wyb Kraft Parm ($1.50)
Minus $1/1 Filippo Berio
Minus 3 $1/1 McCormick Spices
Minus $0.50 on $6 in Produce (from Giant's magic coupon machine)
Minus $0.50/1 Hormel (doubled to $1)
Minus 3 $1/2 Kraft Cheese
Minus 2 $2/1 Silk coupons
Minus $4.50 Free Milk coupon (first time they didn't adjust it)
Minus 2 $2/1 Kashi cereal (from RecycleBank)
Minus 3 $1/1 Kashi cereal
Minus $0.55/1 Terra Chips (doubled to $1)
Minus 3 $3 OYNO coupons from GE Bulbs
Minus $5 Kashi Instant Savings
Minus $5 Kraft Instant Savings
PAID: $22.76
The cashier scanned the $0.30/gallon for spending $50 coupon (my total was over $50 after the instant savings), but it does not appear to have credited me the points.  I will be contacting Giant to hopefully have that fixed.

I spent $41.20 total at Giant, and my total savings (including sales and coupons) was $118.98, a savings of about 65%!

Drugstore.com Offer

I received an email from Drugstore.com this morning informing me of a special offer: if you spend $40 in their "green and natural" section, you will receive a Seventh Generation lunch tote filled with samples.  They claim it has a value of $45! (sadly, it cannot be easily conveyed online, but that last sentence is dripping with sarcasm.).  I did receive a free gift bag with a Drugstore.com purchase in the past, and honestly it was quite nice, but $45? Um, no.  Anyway,  this offer is while supplies last, and I know the last time they made an offer like this is went quickly.

They do have some nice special offers in their "green and natural" section at the moment, so if there is a good price on something you use or like, then this could be a nice bonus. Some of the special offers include 40% off select Seventh Generation products (but even at 40% off, the dish soap is $2.21, NOT a good price), buy 4 Pacific Foods products & save $2 (I want to try their condensed soup, but $2.99 each? Eh.) and buy 4 Late July crackers & save $4 (but they only have one kind).  There are 11 pages of deals, so it's worth a look.  I shopped around a bit, but only found about $20 worth of stuff to add to my bag, so I guess I'm passing on this one.  Please share if you find a good deal!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Target 4/17/11-4/23/11


Target has a NICE organic/natural spread in their ad this week!

Breyer's Ice Cream $2.99
Use $1.50/1 Target coupon

Annie's Homegrown Pastas (15 oz can or 6 oz box) $1
Use $1/1 Granola Bars wyb 2 pastas Target coupon

Annie's Fruit Snacks $2.99

Archer Farms Organic Tortilla Chips or Salas 2/$5
Use $1/2 Chips Target coupon

Archer Farms Organic Coffee (12 oz) $6.99
Use $1/2 Target coupon

Organic Cotton Sheets (twin) $27.99
* Note: Other sizes on sale also. We have a set of these and I think they're quite nice.  I keep looking for them to go on clearance!

Camelback & Thermos Reusable Bottles 20% off

Method Hand Soap (10-12 oz) $2.49
Use $0.50/1 Target coupon
Look for $0.75/1 peelie coupons, too!

Method Cleansers (selected) $2.49
Use $0.50/1 Target coupon
Look for $0.75/1 peelie coupons, too!

Method Laundry Detergent (50 load) $11.99
Use $2/1 Facebook coupon (if you have it)
AND Use $0.50/1 Target coupon

Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent (64 load) $1.99
Use $1/1 Target Mobile Coupon
AND Use $1.50/1 IP coupon (requires registration)

Seventh Generation Cleansers $2.49
Use $1/1 Target Mobile Coupon
AND Use $1/1 insert coupon (1/23/11 SS, expires 4/23/11)

Dr. Brommer's Peppermint Castile Soap (32 oz) $12.99

Tom's of Maine Toothpaste (4.7 oz) $3.49
Use $1/1 Target coupon

Tom's of Maine Deodorant $3.49

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balms $6.99
Use $1/1 Target coupon

Weleda Skin Cream (2.5 oz) $12.99

Giant PA 4/17/11-4/23/11

Here are the organic/natural deals I see at Giant this week...

Breyer's Ice cream 2/$5

Organically Grown Potted Herbs $1.99
* Interesting! I usually buy a pot of basil and split it, but it's not organic.  I may pick up a couple of these!

Organically Grown Strawberries (16 oz) $3.99
* Note: They keep advertising these, but I have yet to actually find these at my Giant. I hope they have some this time!

Organically Grown Apples (various) $1.99/lb

Nature's Promise Carrots (2 lbs) $1.99

Nature's Promise Top Round London Broil $4.99/lb

Nature's Promise Boneless Pork Roast $4.59/lb

Nature's Promise Chicken Thighs or Drumsticks $1.39/lb

Kashi Cereals $2.79 (all varieties)
*Buy 5 and save $5 instantly! (that's $1.79 without any coupons!)
Use $1/1 IP coupon (print limit appears to be one)

Starbucks Coffee (11-12 oz), All Varieties $6.99
* Not a bad price if your Giant carries an organic variety (mine doesn't)
Use $1/1 insert coupon (4/17/11SS, expires 6/30/11)

Marcal Small Steps Napkins $2.99
*Note: I have see these go 2/$4, so unless you need them I would wait!
Use $1/2 insert coupon (4/17/11RP, expires 5/31/11)

Marcal Small Steps Toilet Paper (12 rolls) $4.99
Use $1/1 insert coupon (4/17/11RP, expires 5/31/11)

Marcal Small Steps Paper Towels (8 rolls) $4.99
Use $1/1 insert coupon (4/17/11RP, expires 5/31/11)

Buy 2 GE Energy Smart CFL Bulbs, get a Free Reusable Bag!
Use $1/1 insert coupon (4/17/11, expires 6/11/11)



Other Non-Organic (but perhaps more natural) Deals:

Florida's Natural OJ (59 oz) 2/$5

Newman's Own Thin & Crusty Pizza 2/$10
Use $1/1 coupon (3/20/11 RP, expires 5/15/11)
OR Use $1/1 IP coupon

Weis Markets 4/17/11-4/23/11

Here are the deals I see this week at Weis...

Olivia's Organics Salads (5 oz) 2/$7 (yay!)
Use $1/1 IP from Coupons.com

Olivia's Organics Celery Hearts 2/$4

Marie Callender's Organic Corn Bread Mix $3.49

Imagine Organic Chicken Stock $3.99
Use $1/1 insert coupon (not sure what insert this came from, expires 4/30/11)
* Note: This seems awfully high to me.  I could swear I've seen Nature's Promise Organic on sale 2/$4 at Giant, and Wolfgang Puck on sale for $2.79.

Prairie Grove Farms Boneless Pork Chops $4.99/lb

Kashi Cereals 4/$10 (must buy 4)
Use $1/1 IP coupon (print limit appears to be 1)
*Note: There is a better deal at Giant this week!

Reynolds Recycled Aluminum Foil (50 sq. ft) 2/$4
Use $1.25/1 coupon here
OR Use $0.75/1 coupon (4/17/11SS, expires 5/31/11)
OR Use $0.50/1 coupon (4/10/11SS, expires 5/31/11)

Heinz Ketchup Coupon




If you're like me and put ketchup on nearly everything you'll want to head to Facebook and print a coupon for $2/1 Heinz tomato ketchup.  The coupon does not have any restrictions, so you should be able to use it on their organic version, which I have seen available at Walmart.  You may also find it at Target or Giant-- but I have not checked those places.





Thanks Hip2Save!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Giant PA 4/10/11-4/16/11

And here are this week's deals at Giant....

Nature's Promise Organic Apples (3 lbs) $3.99

Organically Grown Yellow Onions (3 lbs) $3.49

Nature's Promise Organic Baby Carrots (16 oz) $1.89

Nature's Promise Canned Vegetables (corn, green beans or sweet peas ) 10/$10

Nature's Promise Chicken (breasts, tenders or cutlets) $3.99/lb

Nature's Promise Chuck Roast $4.29/lb

Nature's Promise Bacon (12 oz) or Hot Dogs (16 oz) $3.99

Seventh Generation Dish Soap $2.99
* Note: Target's regular price is better than this.
Use $0.50/1 IP from Seventh Generation's website (requires registration)
OR Use $1/1 insert coupon (1/23/11SS, expires 4/23/11)

Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent (50 oz) $7.99
Use $1.50/1 IP from Seventh Generation's website (requires registration)
OR Use $1/1 insert coupon (1/23/11SS, expires 4/23/11)

Weis Markets 4/10/11-4/16/11

Here are this week's deals at Weis.  I apologize again for the tardiness, but I can't post without access to the internet! (hard to believe the folks I was visiting don't have internet access in their home, but they don't and I wasn't willing to take time out of my short visit to go hang out at Starbucks.)

Breyer's Ice Cream 3/$10

Alexia Potatoes (13.5-24 oz) $2.99
Use $0.55/1 insert coupon (4/3/11SS, expires 5/15/11)

Simply Juice (orange or apple) 2/$6

Laura's Lean Ground Beef (15 oz) $4.99

Organic Girl Salads (5 oz) 2/$7

Bunny Luv Organic Carrots 3/$5

Weis Quality Organic Butter (1 lb) $4.49

Weis Quality Organic Milk 2/$6

Stonyfield Organic Yogurt (6 oz) 10/$5
Use $0.50/3 IP from Stonyfield's website (requires registration)

Full Circle Instant Oatmeal $3.49

Full Circle Organic Orange Juice $4.49

Full Circle Canned Cheese Ravioli (15 oz) 2/$3

Full Circle Extra Virgin Olive Oil (17 oz) $4.99

Horizon Organic Milk (8 oz- 3 pack) $2.99

Full Circle Tomatoes (15 oz) 2/$4
* Note: The same size can of Muir Glen tomato puree is regular ~$2.59 at Giant, so often $1.59 after coupon.

Full Circle Organic Beans (15.5 oz) 10/$10
* Note: Nature's Promise organic beans are often $1 each at Giant, or as low as $0.50 after a $0.50/1 Nature's Promise item coupon from the in-store scanner.

Full Circle Organic Canned Vegetables 4/$5

Full Circle Laundry Detergent (50 oz) $5.99

Full Circle Dish Liquid (28 oz) 2/$5
* Note: Seventh Generation dish soap is regular ~$2.59 at Target, so often $1.59 after a coupon, or less if there is a Target coupon available to stack.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Grocery Store Deals

Just a quick note to say that the grocery store match-ups will be posted tomorrow.  I was away for the weekend and got in late this afternoon.  After five hours in the car I'm beat, and it just isn't happening tonight.  I did flip through the ads and did not see anything earth shattering.  I was happy to see Stonyfield Yogurt on sale at Weis (10/$5), and there were some Full Circle items featured.  Giant was bsaically the usual: a couple of produce and meat items along with some Nature's Promise stuff.  Sorry for the delay!

Grounds for Change!

There is a great deal available on Mamapedia (another daily deal site) right now-- for $20 you can get a $40 voucher to Grounds for Change.  This is my husband's "drug of choice," which is fine by me since their coffee is organic, shade grown, and fair trade.  The voucher is not good toward shipping or taxes, and is valid through mid-October.

If you are a new Mamapedia customer (I was, so I can't speak to their customer service personally yet) you'll be offered a coupon code good for $5 off your first order, so just $15 for $40 worth of excellent coffee (or so I've been told). 

Note: This post contains a referral link, which means I may receive some sort of credit for referring you to Mamapedia.  I appreciate you using my link, but if you prefer feel free to navigate on your own!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Giant: Cascadian Farm Update

I tested it last night, and the Cascadian Farm cereals ARE part of the General Mills deal running at Giant this week: Spend $20, save $7 instantly.  There was one lonely tag highlighting the deal on the shelf, but I did not buy that variety and it still worked. The cereal was not on sale for $3 as it apparently is at Stop & Shop.  The regular price was $3.99  That being said, it's an OK deal, but not spectacular.  Of course, I'm still drooling a bit about the idea of getting them FREE at Stop & Shop, but it's not to be.  Here's what I did last night:

4 Cascadian Farm cereals $15.96
2 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks $4 (going in Easter eggs for our niece)
1 Nature Valley Granola Bar $2.50
=$22.46
Minus $1 Cascadian Farm coupon (from coupon train)
Minus $1 Giant coupon doubler
Minus 3 $0.75/1 Cascadian Farm coupons (one doubled to $1)
Minus $1.50/2 Betty Crocker fruit snacks catalina coupon
Minus $0.50/1 Nature Valley coupon (doubled to $1)
=$15.46
Minus $7 instant savings
=$8.46 for 4 cereals (and some other junk), which in my mind works out to $2.11 each for the cereal (I'm not counting the other items in calculating that).  That's about half price, which is nice, I suppose.

You could also do this if you don't want the junk:

6 Cascadian Farms cereals $23.94
Minus 6 $0.75/1 Cascadian Farm coupons (would need 3 computers)
=$19.19
Minus $7 instant savings
=$12.19, or $2.03 per box.  I wish I had just done that, but of course I wasn't in the aisle with my calculator last night.  Oh well!

Finally, if you haven't already, you can get a $1/1 coupon (bricks, so it prints twice) if you sign up for the Cascadian Farm community on their website. Using two of these would drop the price on the deal above to just under $2 a box, even better if you have doublers to use.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Walmart Shopping List

Here are some of the organic and natural brands you may find at your local Walmart.  I am sure this list is NOT exhaustive- not all Walmarts carry the same products and I am not listing prices here because Walmart practices regional pricing so they're going to vary.  For information regarding pricing on various organic and natural products, please see the price list (coming soon!)

Health/Beauty
Coming soon...

Household
Mrs. Meyer's
Seventh Generation (did not include paper products)
White Cloud Green Earth Toilet Paper

Non-Perishable
Amy's Soups
Apple & Eve Organic Juice Boxes
Back to Nature Crackers (non-organic)
Bertolli Organic Pasta Sauce
Cascadian Farms (cereals, granola bars)
Domino Organic Sugar
Envirokids Granola/Cereal Bars
Filippio Berio Organic Olive Oil
Florida Crystals Organic Sugar
Good Earth Teas (did not include organic varieties)
Heinz Organic Ketchup
Kashi Crackers (non-organic)
Kashi Organic Cereals
Kettle Brand Chips (did not include organic varieties)
Millstone Organic Coffee Beans (bulk)
Muir Glen (diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce)
Musselman's Organic Apple Sauce cups (6 pack)
Nature's Path (granola/cereal bars, toaster pastries, cereals)
Organicville Salad Dressings
RiceSelect Rice
Sam's Choice Ground Coffee
Seeds of Change Salad Dressings
Smucker's Organic Peanut Butter
West Soy Organic Soy Milk (shelf-stable)

Perishable
Bolthouse Farms juices
Earthbound Farms (broccoli, carrots...)
Egglands Best Organic Eggs
Horizon Milk
Hormel Natural Choice
Naked Juice
Odwalla Juice
Oikos Yogurt (4 packs & 16 oz)
*Produce (various, and likely changes based on what's in season)
Silk Organic Soy Milk (unsweetened)
Stonyfield Milk
Stonyfield Yogurt (quarts)
Walmart Marketside (salads)
Wholly Guacamole (did not include organic variety)

* In March my store had: limes, lemons, grapefruit, apples, carrots, celery, iceberg lettuce, romaine, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, & garlic

Frozen
Alexia French Fries (did not include organic varieties)
Amy's Frozen Meals
Kashi Pizzas
Newman's Own pizzas

Last Updated 4/4/2011

More Coupons!

Not from Target this time- there are new manufacturer coupons available from Mambo Sprouts, as well as a few others floating around.

$1.50/1 Wholly Guacamole product on Facebook
* They offer an organic guacamole that's delicious- it retails for about $4-$5 at Giant.

$2/1 Method laundry product on Facebook
* Click on the "laundry room love" link on the left.  You have to watch a short video before being offered the coupon

And on Mambo Sprouts:

$1/1 Kashi Cereal

$1/1 Naked Juice (32oz or 64 oz)

$0.75/1 Santa Cruz Organic product ($1.99+)

$1/1 R.W. Knudsen Just Juice (32 oz)

$1/1 Organic Valley Omega-3 milk (half gallon)

$1/3 Clif Bars

$0.50/1 Luna Protein Bar

$0.75/1 Stash Tea

$1/1 Stonyfield Yo-Baby, Yo-Baby Meals or Yo-Baby Drinkable Yogurt (4 packs)

$1/2 Blue Diamond shelf-stable Almond Milk

$0.50/1 Organic Valley Half & Half

$1/1 Lightlife Product

$2/1 Numi Puerh Tea

$0.75/1 Lundberg Family Farms Rice Chips

$1/1 Country Choice Organic product

$1/2 Happy Baby Puffs, Melts or Munchies

B1G1 Free American Flatbread

$1/1 Matt's Organic Juice (59 oz)

$1/2 Lifeway Lowfat Kefirs

$1/1 Organic BBQ Sunshine Burgers

$1/1 Crunchmaster Crackers

$3/1 Country Life Product (90+ count)

$1/1 Clif Kids Zbar or ZFruit 6 pack

$0.50/1 Organic Valley Soy Creamer

$1/2 Sunshine Burgers

$1.25/1 Equal Exchange coffee

$3/1 Wellness Dry Food (dog or cat)

$5/1 Bach Emotional Eating Support Kit

$5/1 Garden of Life Raw Probiotics

$0.50/1 Life Biokefir

$1/1 beveri golden flaxseed

$3/1 Country Life Omega Surge

$1/1 Olivia's Organics salad (usually linked to coupons.com)

$2/1 Wakunga Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract (huh?)

Monday, April 4, 2011

OYNO, PSA...WTH?!

Pardon my French there... assuming you know what that stands for!  You'll see quite a few acronyms bandied about on deal blogs and forums, and it can be very confusing.  I will add a permanent this list of commonly used acronyms and terms to the "News & FAQs" section of the site for future reference!

B1G1 or BOGO: Buy one get one free

Blinkies: Coupons dispensed from the little red boxes on the store shelves

Catalina: coupon dispensed from a device at the register when you check out

DND: Do Not Double

ECBs: Extra Care Bucks (offered at CVS)

IMHO or IMO: In My Humble Opinion

IP: Internet Printable coupon

MFR: manufacturer

OOP: Out of Pocket; refers to cash/credit pulled out of your wallet for a transaction

OYNO: On Your Next Order; refers to catalina coupon usually for $x off your next purchase

Peelie: coupon stuck to a product that you peel off

PSA: Prices Starting At

RP: Red Plum coupon insert

SS: Smart Source coupon insert

TMF: Try Me Free; manufacturer rebate usually on the package

WYB: When You Buy

YMMV: You Mileage May Vary;a nice way of saying that something may or may not work at your store. Doesn't imply you're doing anything wrong- just that not all stores enforce policies the same way.

Last Updated 4/4/2011

Giant PA 4/3/11-4/9/11

And here's what I see at Giant this week.  Also, two longer price cuts (both through 4/23) to add to the list I posted last week:

Honest Kids Juice Pouches (8 pack) $9.99 (Regular $11.49)
Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk 8 oz (12 pack) $3 (Regular $3.49)

Breyer's Ice Cream 2/$5

Nature's Promise Organically Grown Mushrooms (8 oz) $1.99

Organically Grown Strawberries $3.99

Organic Carrot Chips (16 oz) 2/$5

Nature's Promise Organic Pasta Sauce 2/$4

Nature's Promise Boneless Chicken Thighs $2.99/lb

Nature's Promise Boneless Pork Chops $4.99/lb

Nature's Promise Lean Ground Beef $4.29/lb

Fresh Gourmet Croutons 10/$10
*These come in at least two organic varieties and are quite good IMHO. I've seen reports of $1/2 peelies, so keep your eyes out for those!

Hormel Natural Choice Lunchmeat 2/$5
Use $0.50/1 or $1/2 coupon (3/6/11SS, expires 5/2/11)

Stonyfield Organic Milk $3.49

JaVaNa Ground Coffee (10-12 oz) $4.99

Also, a note about the Buy $20, get $7 coupon OYNO deal (page 4 of the ad):  I have seen it reported that at Stop & Shop (a Giant "sister" store, if you will), the Cascadian Farms cereals are working as part of this deal.  The deal would go something like this:

Buy 4 Cascadian Farms cereals $12 (about $18 shelf price)
Buy 1 Cinnamon Cheerios $2.50 (or buy one more Cascadian Farms)
Use 4 $0.75/1 Cascadian Farm IP coupons (would double to $6 at S&S, only $3.25 at Giant)
Use 1 $0.75/1 Cinnamon Cheerios coupon (would double to $1.50 at S&S, only $1 at Giant)
= $7 (at S&S) or $10.25 (at Giant)
Receive $7 coupon good on your next order
Bottom line: FREE at S&S, or $3.25 at Giant

The caveats? First, the Cascadian Farms is not advertised at Giant (or S&S as far as I know), so if your OYNO coupon doesn't print you have no recourse at the store other than doing a return. And second, I do not know that catalinas work on shelf prices at Giant.  They do at Weis, and apparently do at Stop & Shop.  It's not a BAD price ($10.25 for 4 organic cereals and one Cheerios- about $2.50 each, which is OK for the Cascadian Farms IMHO), but it's not a GREAT price either.  I am planning to try this, perhaps tomorrow, if not, Wednesday, and will let you know.

Weis Markets 4/3/11-4/9/11

Here are the deals I see at Weis this week.  I am annoyed to find Organic Girl as the salad at 2/$7 AGAIN this week.  Listen Weis, I have coupons for Olivia's Organics- put that on sale!
Organic Girl Salads (5 oz) 2/$7
*Note: If you have a $0.55/1 coupon (from a tearpad of sorts), then this is probably your deal.  If not, Olivia's Organic salads are usually $3.99, so $2.99 after the IP coupon.

Olivia's Organics Celery Hearts 2/$4

Meyers Boneless Top Sirloin $8.99/lb

Better Than Bouillon Cubes $4.99
* Note: Offered in organic versions of beef, chicken, turkey, mushroom and vegetable.

Odwalla Protein Monster drinks $2.99
* Note: While not 100% organic, these do use organic ingredients, and the bottles are plant-based plastic.

And... that's about it.  Slow week at Weis.

GREAT New Target Coupons!

Target just uploaded a lovely set of new coupons!  There are some goodies up there, and lately some Target coupons have been disappearing quickly, so you may want to print now if you're interested in any of these.  Enjoy!

$1/1 Annie’s Granola Bars wyb (2) Annie’s Mac & Cheese or Canned Pasta (expires 5/7/11)
Use with $0.75/2 tear pad coupons (if you can find them)

$3/1 Huggies Pure & Natural Diapers 50 ct+ (expires 5/7/11)

.50/1 Method cleaning Item (expires 5/7/11)
Use with $2/1 Laundry Detergent coupon (Facebook offer)

$1/2 Green Works Cleaning Items (expires 5/7/11)
Use with $1/1 dish soap IP coupon here

$3/1 Green Works 90 oz Laundry Detergent (expires 5/7/11)


$2/1 Energizer 4 or 8 pk AA OR 4 pk AAA Rechargeable Batteries (expires 5/7/11)
Use with $1/1 coupon from 3/27/11 SS (expires 4/30/11)

$1/1 Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm (expires 5/7/11)

$1/1 Kashi GoLean Bars or Rolls 4 pk (expires 5/7/11)

$1.50/3 Kashi Crackers, Cookies, or Bars 6 oz+ (expires 5/7/11)

$1/1 Kashi Frozen Waffles, Entree or Pizza (expires 5/7/11)
 $1/1 Tom’s Of Maine Simply White Toothpaste 4.7 oz (expires 5/7/11)

Friday, April 1, 2011

Seeds of Change Coupon

Their seed giveaway has ended, but Seeds of Change is now offering a $1/1 Seeds of Change product coupon on their website.  They offer a variety of products, including rice mixes, pasta sauces, salad dressings and chocolate bars.  I have only tried their microwaveable rice pouches, which were quite good.  You can find Seeds of Change products at Giant.

Shopping Trip!


Pictured above are the organic/natural results of last night's shopping excursion.  I thought I would highlight a few of the deals I found. I did buy a few conventional items, but for the sake of keep this a reasonable length and staying on topic I'm not posting everything.  Also, if you're wondering where the produce is, don't worry, we don't get our veggies from tortilla chips, I went to the Farmer's Market on Wednesday and bought apples, and we still have oranges from the last Jasmere deal.

Giant
Silk Organic Soy Milk (unsweetened) $2.79 (price good through 4/23!)
* Used $2/1 IP from the Silk Challenge

Utz Organic Blue Corn Chips $2.50
* Used $0.75 (doubled to $1) Utz coupon (from coupon train)

3 Arrowhead Mills Organic White Flour $2.99
* Used 3 $1/1 any Arrowhead product coupons (from coupon train)

1 Hormel Natural Choice Turkey $2.50
* Used $0.50/1 (doubled to $1) insert coupon (3/6/2011 SS, expires 5/2/11)

2 Stonyfield Organic Yogurt Quarts $7.18
* Used two $1/1 Stonyfield Quart or 5 6 oz cups IP (no longer available)

2 Muir Glen Tomato Purees $5.18
* Used two $0.75/1 (one doubled to $1) IP coupons (no longer available)

1 Filippio Berio Organic Olive Oil $5.49
* Used $1/1 blinkie coupon (found in the store)

1 McCormick Organic Bay Leaves $6.99
1 McCormick Organic Cinnamon $4.99
1 McCormick Organic Cayenne Pepper $4.59
* Used three $1/1 McCormick insert coupons (3/13/11 RP, expires 4/24/11)
* Received a $2.50 OYNO coupon from McCormick for buying three

Target
4 Simply Juices $9.96
* Used four $1/1 Simply Juice IP coupons (no longer available)

1 Archer Farms Organic Pizza $2.64 (clearance)

Also pictured: one pack of tent stakes (I use these to secure garden fencing) and one LED headlamp that I'm planning to alter a bit to use when I run if it's getting dusky.

Giant: April Discounts


As promised, here are the price cuts on organic products at Giant for the month of April. I only covered the organics/natural aisle last night, and will scope out the remainder of the store and report back soon. Two of note are the McCormick Organic Spices $1 off through the end of April, and Filippio Berio Organic Olive Oil $5.49 through 4/23.

All the listed discounts are good until 4/30, but most are pretty disappointing. Come on Giant- if you're only going to discount something ten cents, why bother? Gripes aside, I am happy to see a couple of them, including a nice discount on Utz Organic Tortilla Chips, which are quite good. 

Stonyfield O'Soy Yogurt (6 oz) $0.89 ($0.99)
* Use $0.50/3 IP from Stonyfield.com

Woodstock Butter $5.85 ($5.99)
Woodstock Frozen Fruit (strawberries or blueberries) $4.39 ($4.49)

Horizon Cheese Slice Singles $4.39 ($4.79)

Utz Organic Tortilla Chips $2.50 ($3.59)

Julie's Organic Ice Cream $3.69 ($3.79)
Julie's Organic Sorbet Bars $3.89 ($3.99) <-- these look yummy! mango!

Country Choice Ginger Lemon Cookies $3.25 ($3.49)
Country Choice Soft Baked Cookies $3.25 ($3.49)
* Use $1/1 Country Choice IP from MamboSprouts

Nature's Path Multibran Flakes $3.99 ($4.25)
Nature's Path Granolas $3.99 ($4.25)

Crofters Organic Fruit Spreads (various) $3.11-$4.39

R.W. Knudsen Just Juices $6.89 ($6.99)

Honest Teas (16 oz) $1.25 ($1.39)

Wolfgang Puck Organic Soups $2.55 ($2.69)
Wolfgang Puck Broth $2.79 ($2.99)

Ecover Delicates Wash $4.04 ($4.29)
Ecover Laundry Detergent (20 loads) $7.19 ($7.69)
Ecover Stain Remover $3.19 ($3.39)
Ecover Dishwasher Tabs $4.95 ($5.29)
Ecover Rinse Aid $4.39 ($4.69)
* They used to offer coupons on their website, but right now they've been replaced by a note indicating that changes are in the works.  There's an email address listed in the note- might be worth sending an email asking if they'll mail you coupons (I am!).

And here are two price cuts through 4/23:
Honest Kids Juice Pouches (8 pack) $9.99 ($11.49)

Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk 8 oz (12 pack) $3 ($3.49)

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Cheap Seeds!

Seeds of Change is giving away a million organic seeds through their "Sowing Millions Project."  I already signed up and was eventually able to get my registration through, but they are having some issues with the process so bring your patience with you.  You will receive a random assortment of 25 packets of seeds in 2-6 weeks.  There is a $4.99 shipping charge- considering I've spent $10+ on seeds ON SALE at the end of the season I did no think this was bad. 

And remember, you can SAVE these seeds to use next year as well as long as you store them in a cool, dry place.  I keep my seeds in pencil cases with those desiccant packets that often come in packaging (like shoe boxes).  The seeds I planted this year were all from 2009 or 2010 and I have a seedling growing in nearly all my pots (I believe I will need to re-plant two of the 70 or so). 

Thanks Organic Deals & Coupons!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Target Coupons


There are some nice coupons available on the Target website right now- some are new, some have been around for a while.  It's worth a look to see what's there for you to print.

$1/1 Burt’s Bees Lotion (expires 4/9/11)

$2.50/1 Huggies Diapers 48-ct. or larger (expires 4/9/11)- this should be good on Pure & Natural Jumbo packs in Size 1. Look for IPs to pair it with on Coupons.com

$1/2 Bertolli pasta sauces 15 oz+ (expires 4/30/11)- Bertolli has organic sauces that even my husband, the pasta sauce snob, thought were pretty good! I believe they run about $2.99 at Target.

$1.50/2 Breyer's Ice Cream (1.5 quart) (expires 4/30/11)

*$1/2 Archer Farms or Market Pantry Fruit Snacks or Granola Bars (expires 4/23/11)

$1/2 Archer Farms Peanut Butter 12 oz+ AND Preserves 9.5 oz + (expires 4/23/11)

*$1/2 Archer Farms Coffees 12-oz. (expires 4/23/11)

*$1/2 Archer Farms® Frozen Pizza 9" or 12" (expires 4/23/11)

*$1/2 Archer Farms Chips 8- to 14-oz. (expires 4/23/11)

$1/2 Archer Farms Cookies 3.5-oz. or larger (expires 4/23/11)

$1/2 Archer Farms Crackers 4.5-oz. or larger (expires 4/23/11)

$1.50/2 Archer Farms Nuts 10-oz. or larger (expires 4/23/11)
  
* = Definitely organic options available.  I am not sure on the others.

CVS 3/27/11-4/2/11

There are a few good deals at CVS this week:

Earth Essentials Toilet Paper (12 pack) $5.49
* I checked out this product at the store, and it looks like it's a 1-ply, non-cushy TP.  My husband won't go for this, so we'll stick to Marcal for now.

Buy Any Physicians Formula Cosmetics, get $7 ECBs (Limit 1)
* This is a GREAT deal.  Physicians Formula offers a line of more natural cosmetics, and you can try them cheap after the ECBs. And make sure to scan your card at the magic red machine- there are CVS coupons for Physicians Formula spitting out for some folks! (I got a $6/1 a week or two ago that I was able to use yesterday before it expired!)
Use $5/1 IP previously available from the Physicians Formula website
Use $1/1 coupon (2/27/11 SS, expires 5/31/11)
OR Use $1/1 coupon (3/20/11 SS, expires 6/30/11)

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara $9.99, receive $7 ECBs
* Note: This deal is listed separately in the ad and has a different ECBs number, but I haven't yet tested myself whether this is different from the deal above.
Use $5/1 IP previously available from the Physicians Formula website
Use $1/1 coupon (2/27/11 SS, expires 5/31/11)
OR Use $1/1 coupon (3/20/11 SS, expires 6/30/11)

Weis Markets 3/27/11-4/2/11


And here are the deals I see at Weis Markets this week...

All Natural, Antibiotic Free Chicken Breasts $4.79/lb

Organic Girl Salads (5 oz) 2/$7
*As always, if you have a coupon for Olivia's Organics, then that may be your less expensive option.

Bunny-Luv Organic Baby Carrots 3/$5

Rice Select Brown Rice (36 oz) $6.59
* Rice Select does offer organic varieties, but I do not know if this is one of them.

Prairie Grove Farms Bacon (12 oz) or Franks (16 oz) $5.49
* You can read more about Prairie Grove Farms here.

Horizon Organic Milk (64 oz) $3.79

Alexia's Potatoes, Appetizers, Sides or Breads $2.69
* These occasionally go as low as 2/$5, but this isn't a bad price. They offer some organic options, including french fries.
Use $1/1 IP from Alexia's Facebook page

Other "Natural" Deals
Florida's Natural OJ 2/$6
*Better at Giant this week, and as I said on that post, these are not organic, but the oranges are down domestically (so less transportation required) and Florida's Natural does make use of some solar power.

Bolthouse Farms Juices (15.2 oz) 2/$5
* As I said on this week's Giant post, these are not organic, but Bolthouse does make an effort to make sustainable choices including using some solar panels and better transportation choices.

Giant PA 3/27/11-4/2/11


I apologize for the delay on getting this up- I have not been feeling well.  I'm leaning toward it being allergies, but it seems so early for that! It's 30 degrees outside! Oh well. Here are this week's Giant deals.  The last set of non-advertised price cuts were mostly expiring on 3/26, so I will scope out the new sales (which I'm guessing run from 3/27-4/30) and post those ASAP.

Nature's Promise Salads (16 oz) $5.79

Organically Grown Strawberries $3.99/lb
* If these look good I'm picking up a container.  Yum! I can't wait for my own to start growing!

Nature's Promise Organic Celery Hearts (16 oz) $3.49

Nature's Promise Organic Pretzels (8 oz) 2/$4

Nature's Promise Beef Franks (16 oz) $4.29

Nature's Promise Individually Wrapped Chicken Breasts $4.49/lb

Nature's Promise Bottom Round Roast $4.99/lb

Silk Soy Milk (All Varieties) $2.79
*Silk offers three organic varieties (original, unsweetened and vanilla).
Use the $0.75/1 or $2/1 IP from the "Silk 10 Day Challenge" (the $2 coupon was available for answering a few more questions, so look for that before accepting the lower value coupon)
OR Use the $0.75/1 coupon (2/6/11 SS, expires 3/31/11)

Green Mountain, Tully's or Newman's Own Coffee (10 oz) $5.99
*Green Mountain and Newman's Own offer organic varieties if your Giant carries them.

GE Soft White CFL Bulbs (2 pack) $4.99
*Part of the Buy 4, Save $0.20/gallon" deal.

Other "Natural" Deals
Florida's Natural OJ (59 oz) 2/$5
*While not organic, Florida's Natural uses oranges grown in in Florida, so at least there's a reduced environmental impact there, and they also make use of some solar panels on their grove. 

Bolthouse Farms Juice (15.2 oz) 2/$5
Again, not organic, but another company making an effort through the use of solar panels and improved transportation methods.  See more here.

Buy Any 4 General Mills Cereals (8.7-14 oz), get a OYNO coupon for FREE milk (up to $4.59)
You can wind up paying as little as $3 for four boxes of cereal to donate and put the OYNO coupon toward organic milk.  I bought a half-gallon of Stonyfield milk with my last coupon and had no issues other than the coupon needing to be adjusted to the price of the milk.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Garden Update!

It feels good to be doing a garden update while listening to the sleet hit the window.  Take that, wintry mix!

This is the second year I have grown my own seedlings, but I don't remember how long things took to get growing last year and I am impatient with this year's progress so far.  It feels like things should be moving along more quickly, but everything is within the germination rates on the seed packets, so I suppose I just need to keep waiting.

Here is what things looked like a week ago:
The newspaper pots are all tomatoes, and the smaller pots in the front (those are cow pots) are broccoli.  When this was taken (about a week ago), there was nothing going on with the peppers yet.

And here are the tomatoes and broccoli as of today:

And the hot peppers!
And, as of tonight, I am thankfully FINALLY seeing two varieties of sweet peppers beginning to poke through.  They were beginning to make me nervous!  The seed packets do say germination takes 15-21 days (and it will be three weeks since I planted this Sunday), and the back bedroom where I am growing these averages 62-68 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a little on the cool side.  Bottom line? Things are growing, and I need to learn to be a more patient gardener!

McCormick Deal at Giant

You can pick up some inexpensive organic spices right now at Giant by combining a store sale, coupons and a catalina offer.  First, the McCormick organic spices are all discounted by $1 right now.  Also, there was a $1/1 McCormick spice, herb or extract in the 3/13/11 Red Plum. And, finally, there is a catalina offer running through 4/10/11: Buy 2, get a $1.50 coupon good on your next order (OYNO), or buy 3 or more and get a $2.50 OYNO coupon.

Here are some prices from my local Giant (your prices may be slightly different.  I was at a Giant further from home on Tuesday and found lower prices):

Basil: $4.19
Bay Leaves: $6.99
Garlic Powder: $5.99
Oregano: $4.19
Cinnamon: $4.99

We make a lot of pasta sauce around here, so we go through lots of basil, bay leaves, and oregano.  While I do grow basil and oregano, I need to do a better job of preserving and saving them so we don't need to buy as much (or any!), but for now here's what I've been doing:

1 Basil $4.19
1 Bay Leaves $6.99
1 Oregano $4.19
Total: $15.37
Minus 3 $1/1 McCormick Coupons
= $12.37
Receive $2.50 OYNO coupon
FINAL = $9.87, or $3.29 each

I'm planning to stock up on these, perhaps three of each, and would also like to get a cinnamon, perhaps a garlic powder and maybe some cumin or cayenne.