Saturday, July 31, 2010

Welcome Home Dear Friends

Back in January when this blog was just starting out I posted about some dear friends of ours (also Navy),  where the husband and daddy of 3 was going on deployment on the USS Eisenhower.  Well these folks are some of our best friends...we don't see them often anymore-we transferred to different duty stations shortly after our husbands graduated from college; but we love them with all our heart.  When my Father-in-Law passed away last year this military mama friend of mine flew across the country all day with 2 tiny babies just to be with us.  They are that kind of awesome people. 

And I know that deployment whether on ship or shore is a part of what goes along with being married to a military man, and as wives, girlfriends, etc., we know that in our heads and we try as HARD as we can to steel our hearts so we are not moping balls of tears and loneliness while our spouses are gone but believe me-its impossible.  We just love them too much.  

So when my friend's husband found out he had to go on deployment right after the first of the year my heart went out to them...Jet Pilot and I have gone through a deployment before and its tough.  Well I talked to her on and off through out these past few months trying to be the encouraging, upbeat friend.  

Sidenote: I am a HIGHLY emotional woman...
I CRY-often, 
so you can imagine how much help I was, but I tried.


WEEELLLLLLL......HE'S HOME NOW!!! Our good friend and awesome dad Mr.Evirs is home again!!!!!!!  His ship came in this last week and his wife, kids and family were all there to meet him!!!  And its a great thing-to be reunited after SUCH A LONG TIME APART!!
Isn't this the sweetest thing you have ever seen?
This is just priceless, love this pic!

And my girlfriend did a great job of holding down the fort and raising the kids while her man was deployed!!  But I know she is glad to share the day to day stuff with him again!  
Did you honestly think I wouldn't post a pic of the Strike Fighters coming home, c'mon do you know who I am married to?? ; )

In closing I would like to dedicate this post to the Evirs family, we love you guys soo much and we are so happy that you 5 are all back together again.  We miss you all like crazy and we wish we could be there to celebrate your homecoming.  We know it was a tough 7 months on deployment but you guys just proved how much more tough you are!!  Its so heartwarming and uplifting knowing that your family is complete again!! CONGRATS Mr. Evirs and WELCOME HOME!!!

Love,

Friday, July 30, 2010

Hydration Station Review

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Haws. All opinions are 100% mine.


We are a family that drinks A LOT of water.  
A LOT.  
As in I don't believe in buying juice for my kids, me and the hubs do not drink soda and our kids have never tried even tried the stuff.  So about 4 years ago we decided to make healthier options and water consumption was a big one for us.  And naturally like the newbs we were we figured the best option was to buy bottled water.  Because that's environmentally friendly right?  I know...embarrassing to admit.  So after a few years and a ton of research I found out that bottled water is not that great and that there are not many sanctions on bottled water.  Not to mention the environmental impact of all the empty plastic bottles just rotting in a landfill.

New_hswbottle_hr

 Enter the Hydration Station.  The Hydration Station is a touch-free, filtered water dispenser for reusable bottles and containers. The unit is perfect for office buildings, schools, gyms... anywhere people stay hydrated! Perfectly designed for green projects, Hydration Station eliminates the need for wasteful bottled water and awkward five-gallon office water jugs.  The HydrationStation™ refilling base polishes water and dispenses it into a bottle, glass, or other container. More than just a dispenser, the HydrationStation™ processes tap water into great tasting pure water using state-of-the-art filtration technologies. 

Beyond a simple drinking fountain, the Hydration Station pioneers the way people stay hydrated. Plus it reduces waste from single-use plastic water bottles.  This unit could revolutionize drinking fountains in schools and airports (it is not intended for in home personal use) pretty much any place of business.  


Here's how it works: "The Hydration Station is very simple to use. Simply place a bottle or glass under the nozzle. The sensor-operated Hydration Station does the rest, automatically activating a smooth, pure stream of polished water, which is dispensed at roughly twice the rate of a standard drinking fountain, making short work of most containers. When the container is full, move it down and away and Hydration Station turns itself off for a drip free, spill free experience."

Sounds nifty right??  I think it would be awesome to see these in schools, gyms, doctor's offices.  

For more information on all that Hydration Station has to offer check out their site--
Hydration Station


Visit my sponsor: Hydration Station Product Review

MEGA Swagbucks Friday

Today is MEGA Swagbucks Friday--know what that means??  
 


From the SWAGBUCKS site: 
"Every Friday is Mega Swag Bucks Day (MSBD), which means better odds of winning our BIG Swag Bucks denominations! Simply search naturally, and with a little luck, you'll be winning large bills starting at 20 Swag Bucks and up.

While this is NOT a guarantee that you'll win high value Swag Bucks, we invite you to visit our twitter page (http://twitter.com/swagbucks) on every Mega SwagBucks Day to hear from Swaggernauts like you who are winning big.

If you're a winner, consider tweeting a picture of your congratulations screen and including @swagbucks in your tweet. If TSG sees your tweet, he'll retweet it!"


What is Swagbucks you ask??

From the Swagbucks site:  "Swagbucks.com is the web's premier rewards site. Swagbucks.com allows web users to earn virtual currency by doing the things they do every day - search the web, shopping at their favorite retailers, and by engaging in other activities such as phone recycling, submitting polls, and completing special offers. Swagbucks.com is the only place on the web to get what you want without ever having to spend a dime."


You redeem your FREE digital currency for actual FREE stuff.  
All kinds of stuff!!  
If you have not signed up yet, then what are you waiting for...I have earned over $120 in Amazon Gift Cards since signing up a year ago!! Its a great legit program!! Sign up here!!
 

(FYI, yes that is my referral link...duh... ;P)

Operation Homefront

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ashworth College. All opinions are 100% mine.

Being married to a Naval Strike Aviator is wonderful, but not without its challenges sometimes.  Military spouses face a variety of challenges - from being both mother and father when the spouse is deployed to supplementing the family income.  Now I am a Stay at Home Mom (thank you Jet Pilot for that!!), but I know quite a few women that are working moms/military wives and its a huge juggling act/stressor.   But finding a good job shouldn't be one of them. We move so much that sometimes getting retrained for portable careers and work-at-home jobs is the best option for us.  It is why many military spouses go back to school for retraining so they CAN have a job wherever we go. And online schools provide the necessary education that is both affordable and portable.  Its a fact that today there are almost 4,000,000 students – more than 1/5 of all higher education students – taking at least one course online.   Well Ashworth College has realized that and started outreaching to military wives and mamas!! YAY!!


Some Facts about Ashworth:

  1. Ashworth was named 2010 GI Jobs Military Friendly School
  2. Participate in Military benefits and educational programs: DANTES, Service members Opportunity Colleges (SOC) , A.C.E. ,GI Bill, MyCAA
  3. For budget conscious military spouses, this helps cut down on time away from the family as well as money saved in gas, babysitting, daycare etc.
  4. PSCing: no worries. Spouses can pause their studies and resume when they a settled in their new home. Because it is 100% online, no more worries about out-of-state tuition or loosing credits due to transferring schools
  5. Research shows tuition is as much as 88% less than bachelor's degree programs at a traditional brick and mortar institution
  6. Tuition is as low as $80 per credit hour and includes all books and course materials
  7. Offers zero-interest financing plus a low monthly payment plan.
  8. Unlike other programs, you are guaranteed to graduate without student loan debt
  9. No entrance exams required
  10. Portable education for portable careers and work-at-home careers
  11. Choose from more than 100+ nationally accredited career diploma, Associate Degree, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree and Certificate programs for today's hottest and most popular careers, including: Medical Billing, Health Care Management, Criminal Justice, Business Administration, Human Resources, Early Childhood Education, Psychology , eBusiness, Paralegal, and more.

I know personally going back to school for some sort of degree is a intermediate goal in my life right now and after learning about all this from Ashworth, they definitely have become a huge contender for continued education for me.  For more info check them out here



Visit my sponsor: Operation Homefront

Little Garden Buggies Giveaway!!

I am feeling like I am on a giveaway tangent...so I am going to continue and host another giveaway!! This one is for the most darling little garden buggies.


Ignore the gross Base Housing floor.. ;P

Wanna know what they do?

Well, they complement your planters and add a little bit of whimsy to any garden or outdoor area.


Although I don't think that they are just limited to the garden.  These little gems could be poised on a pencil holder, utensil crocs, as a cute little backdrop in a shadowbox..the sky is the limit really with these little garden buggies!!  And on to the fun part!!!

GIVEAWAY!!
MANDATORY ENTRY: Leave me a comment on this post!!

Please leave an email address in each comment as a means for me to contact you.
If it says +2 entries...then leave 2 comments please!!
 

EXTRA ENTRIES:

  1. Follow "The Dill-io" on GFC (+1 entry)
  2. Follow "The Dill-io" on Twitter (+ 1 entry)
  3. Follow "The Dill-io" on Facebook (+1 entry)
  4. Follow on Networked Blogs, upper left hand sidebar of the blog (+1 entries)
  5. Subscribe to the Blog via RSS Reader (+2 entries)
  6. Blog about this giveaway and leave link in your comments (+2 entries)
  7. Tweet about this giveaway (must include @Navy_frugalista in your tweet) and leave link in your comment (+1 entry, can be done once per day up to 3 times total)
  8. Grab my blog button (+3 entries)
This contest is open to residents of the USA only. Contest ends on August 5th at 11:59 pm CST. The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be notified via email.  The lucky winner will have 48 hours to contact me. If you fail to contact me within the 48 hour period, a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: I received no monetary compensation for this review. I purchased these little garden cuties myself and was under no obligation from any person(s) or company to post a postive review. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Happy Entering!!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Charter Communications is giving Free laptops to Schools

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.


Since we are a military family I think it kind of goes without saying that we move-A LOT.  With these moves comes the setting up of our basic necessities-water, electricity and in my husband's opinion-Digital TV with HD, DVR and Premium channels.  
Yes for as much as I am a "frugalista" TV is one place where we DO spend.  
Fortunately for us we are lucky enough to get the new customer promo deals for TV programming pretty much everywhere we go.  And one of the companies we have had in the past is Charter Communications.  And we liked them, if we moved somewhere where they were available again we would probably get their services.  Now Charter is reaching out to the community and giving away 50 laptops to 2 lucky schools!!  

Laptop1

Here is a little bio about Charter Communications from their Website:

"Charter Communications, Inc. is a Fortune 500 company and the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States. Charter provides advanced video, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to approximately 5.5 million residential and business customers in 27 states.has always had great promotions to reward customers and those looking to sign up for Charter service."

Here is the information on the Community Outreaching that Charter is conducting now (from the Charter website):

"In the past they've given away a hybrid car, a Camaro, an HDTV-A-Day for an entire month, free laptops, XBox 360's and more.  This time, Charter is giving back to the community. Charter wants your favorite school to start smart this fall with 50 new laptops!  As part of Charter’s back-to-school campaign, they are giving these 50 laptops away to two schools.  The laptops are Lenovo G555's with a 15.6" screen, 160GB drive and 3GB ram (with a Targus bag)"

Luckily for us the customer- ordering any Charter service automatically gives you a chance to win and get up to $300 cash back. Plus you can also register online with no purchase necessary.  
But the real opportunity is for parents and others to nominate their local schools and encourage their friends to vote for their school to win the 50 laptops.  

Rules for the School Nomination Process:
  1. Schools need to be nominated by Aug. 12. 
  2. There is a short nomination process at http://www.charter.com/laptop
  3. Charter will choose 50 finalists (based on the nomination stories submitted) and announce them on Aug. 16  
  4. Open voting occurs between Aug. 16 and Sep 20
  5. Charter will announce the two winning schools on Sept. 27th.

The Rundown:
Ordering any Charter service automatically gives you a chance to win a laptop to get up to $300 cash back, or you register online with no purchase necessary, and do your part for a good cause and nominate the school of your choice to help them win 50 FREE LAPTOPS!!  Easy Peasy right??  So what are you waiting for, go to Charter's Website to register for the laptop-a-day giveaway!!



Charter on Facebook

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Visit my sponsor: Charter is giving Free laptops to Schools

Monday, July 26, 2010

DVD Review-Read and Share: The Jesus Series, Life and Miracles DVD


I was recently granted the opportunity to review the "Read & Share Bible: Life and Miracles DVD ".  Naturally with 2 littles I jumped on it.  Here is a little background on the DVD; it is "...Animated straight from the pages of the popular Read and Share Bible by Gwen Ellis, the Jesus Series introduces children to the story of Jesus Christ.."  This is the 3rd DVD of the R&S Trilogy.  


Now we personally do not own the Read and Share Bible or any of the DVD's so I had no personal expectations about the DVD.  I loved watching and hearing Bible Stories when I was little and I think its nice that my kids and I can also share in that experience.  The DVD is about 30 minutes long (which I think is perfect for little 3 year wandering minds), so I was able to corral Bonnie AND Clyde to sit with me to watch.  Some of the Bible Story highlights were: 


  • Miracle of fish and loaves
  • How Jesus called and led his disciples
  • Jesus healing the sick

My oldest daughter knew several of the stories told in this DVD so I could tell her attention waned at times but the little one was totally enthralled with the entire DVD.  The animation style was similar to older style cartoons but my kids love classic cartoons so it didn't bother them at all.  But I could see where some kids were be less interested because of the animation style-just something to note.  Overall I thought the stories were good, animation style satisfactory, and good values were impressed upon the young (and old!) viewers.  

Also the story flow was not very continuous, it jumped around a little bit, went from one story to another but it didn't bother the kids or me so I just went along with it.  All in all I think its a worthwhile purchase for a family that wants to share Jesus and his miracles through Television/DVD Format.  I would probably buy the other two DVD's in this trilogy because I think they are a great fit for my family.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Giveaway Scout


Ok so I just read about this and I thought I would share--have you bloggeristas ever heard of Giveaway Scout??
 

Giveaway Scout is a website that lists blogs and their current giveaways all in one place, its thorough and updates the giveaways listed every hour.
From Giveaway Scout's Website:


"..is a place that brings you the latest giveaway promotions with products ranging from coupons and samples to high value jewelry and electronics. Giveaways have become extremely popular in recent years and thousands of blogs offer them on a regular basis. Giveaway Scout scans a large number of giveaway blogs and updates every hour with the latest offers."


Sounds great right??  Well I am going to sign my blog up as soon as I post this...(they do require that you the blogger put a little PR push/mini post out there for them and to spread the word on the awesome service they offer-I'm in!)

If I have caught your attention then go here and check it out for yourself!!

Friday, July 23, 2010

MEGA Swagbucks Friday!!

Today is MEGA Swagbucks Friday--know what that means??  
 


From the SWAGBUCKS site: 
"Every Friday is Mega Swag Bucks Day (MSBD), which means better odds of winning our BIG Swag Bucks denominations! Simply search naturally, and with a little luck, you'll be winning large bills starting at 20 Swag Bucks and up.

While this is NOT a guarantee that you'll win high value Swag Bucks, we invite you to visit our twitter page (http://twitter.com/swagbucks) on every Mega SwagBucks Day to hear from Swaggernauts like you who are winning big.

If you're a winner, consider tweeting a picture of your congratulations screen and including @swagbucks in your tweet. If TSG sees your tweet, he'll retweet it!"


What is Swagbucks you ask??

From the Swagbucks site:  "Swagbucks.com is the web's premier rewards site. Swagbucks.com allows web users to earn virtual currency by doing the things they do every day - search the web, shopping at their favorite retailers, and by engaging in other activities such as phone recycling, submitting polls, and completing special offers. Swagbucks.com is the only place on the web to get what you want without ever having to spend a dime."


You redeem your FREE digital currency for actual FREE stuff.  
All kinds of stuff!!  
If you have not signed up yet, then what are you waiting for...I have earned over $120 in Amazon Gift Cards since signing up a year ago!! Its a great legit program!! Sign up here!!
 

(FYI, yes that is my referral link...duh... ;P)

My Jet Pilot and his EA-18G Flight

So for the new followers on this blog you may not know this about me- I am married to a Jet Pilot.  A real "Student" Naval Strike Fighter (he has been in Navy flight school for over 2 years now), yes I know exhilarating.   

And I am so proud.  EVERYDAY.  

He works hard.  
Too hard sometimes.  
But its his dream and I fully support him and I love this military life.  And sometimes since my Jet Pilot is such a hard worker he gets to reap the benefits of all his efforts.  Case in point:  My Jet Pilot got to take a EA-18G Growler Plane.  Now to most people (myself included to an extent, I mean I did 4 years in the Navy but that seems like eons ago..lol) we have no idea what a Growler plane is.  

Here is a little insight from the Naval-technology.com site:


The EA-18G Growler is an airborne electronic attack (AEA) aircraft which operates from either an aircraft carrier or from land-bases. The Growler has been developed as a replacement for the United States Navy EA-6B Prowler aircraft which entered service in 1971 and is approaching the end of operational life.
The Growler is a derivative of the combat-proven two-seat F/A-18 Hornet, the US Navy's maritime strike aircraft. The aircraft missions are mainly electronic attack (EA) and suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD), particularly at the start and on-going early stages of hostilities.
The first operational aircraft was delivered to NAS Whidbey Island in June 2008 and operational evaluation began in October 2008 onboard the USS John C Stennis (CVN 74) aircraft carrier. The SDD programme will conclude with an initial operational capability in late 2009 when the first of ten electronic attack squadrons (VAQ) will begin EA-18G operations."


Sounds fierce and new right??  I think soo too.
I could go on about all the weapons and radar and blah blah military nerd stuff but I will lose you; important takeaways--BRAND SPANKIN NEW MILITARY JET that is A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.

This is the plane my Jet Pilot got to hitch a ride in.  

BECAUSE HE WANTED TO.
**Wife's heart is all a flutter**

I will not rehash all the details of going Mach speeds = REALLY SUPER DUPER fast, crazy spiral-y turns that if you drew them out they would look like my 3 year was doodling, and other crazy Naval Strike Aviator stuff.
But he came home after that flight with a MILE wide smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye that I don't think I could have put there as his charming wife. ;P

Here are some photo highlights:



Flying over the state of Mississippi
I think this is a hand signal for I am ready to have a blast and go really fast!
My Own Personal Top Gun
Isn't he handsome?? (He is I swear..lol)
He thinks that me posting stuff like this is silly but its important to give attention to all his milestones.  6 years ago this was just a dream we were talking about.  It is fast becoming our reality,  and I am afraid that if I don't write it all down I will forget how excited and happy we are during this time.  I have said it 3479843 times, but Jet Pilot I am proud of you and I am soo stoked that you got to catch a backseat ride on a Growler Jet!!  GGGRRRRAAAAWWWW!!!!



Thursday, July 22, 2010

Handmade with Love & Rules Review and Giveaway **CLOSED**


Ok so this is my first giveaway-EVER. And I am soo nervous I want to cringe and hide in the corner over the idea of posting it out there on the World Wide Web. But being the BRAVE MILITARY wife...I am going to push forward and unveil it!!

First off I got this original idea from another blogger here, and while I did not copy her project verbatim I would like to give all original credit to this comrade in arms military wife blogger. I just took it and put my own spin on it. And I am of the firm belief that things handmade are things made with love and tenderness. So this unique piece is a one of a kind from the house of "The Dill-io". Here it is...


What is this fine piece of artwork you ask?? Well it is a list of rules that every family should follow displayed in a funky, yet visually pleasing sort of way!!

Official Review of the product: Well in my humble opinion, I THINK IT ROCKS!! And I have half a mind to keep it for myself. But I want to share with all my readers my handmade love soooo onto the FUN part!!


GIVEAWAY
I will giveaway this original artwork to one lucky The Dill-io reader, here are all the ways to enter!!

MANDATORY ENTRY: Must be a "The Dill-io" follower publicly AND leave a comment letting me know one family rule in your home (counts as one entry).

Please leave an email address in each comment as a means for me to contact you.
If it says +2 entries...then leave 2 comments please!!

EXTRA ENTRIES:

  1. Follow "The Dill-io" on Twitter (+ 1 entry)
  2. Follow "The Dill-io" on Facebook (+1 entry)
  3. Follow on Networked Blogs, upper left hand sidebar of the blog (+1 entries)
  4. Subscribe to the Blog via RSS Reader (+2 entries)
  5. Blog about this giveaway and leave link in your comments (+2 entries)
  6. Tweet about this giveaway (must include @Navy_frugalista in your tweet) and leave link in your comment (+1 entry, can be done once per day up to 3 times total)
  7. Grab my blog button (+3 entries)
Happy Entering!!!


This giveaway will end Saturday, July 31st at 11:59 pm CST. Winner will be chosen using random.org. The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to participants in the U.S. only who are 18 years old+.

Disclosure: This product was purchased and created by me, I was not paid or compensated by anyone to host this giveaway. Since this item is handcrafted there are small minor imperfections which make it unique and one of a kind, so please note that before entering. Its flaws are what make it a BEAUTIFUL piece of artwork. All opinions are solely mine
.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

My Mailbox times 3

Been slackin on the My Mailbox posts but here are 3 days crammed into one post...lol...sorry...










I got:
7/19
Crayola Crayon tower for Homeschool this year (didn't pay anything for these because I used my free Gift cards from here )
Dental Products for Review (coming up in the next few weeks)
Coupons from my favorite GMA for our coupon train we are doing here

7/20
Coupon Binder that I won from here!!!

7/21
Free undies coupon from Victoria's Secret..I will probably trade this coupon...
Ouchies Bandages that I won from here
Paper for our Melissa and Doug Easel that I got for FREE from using my Amazon.com Gift Cards that I earned here

I had some pretty good mail days!! Sooo did you get anything good in your mailbox today??


Quickie Winn Dixie Shop


I had 2.5 evening hours 100% to myself this week (husband is flying like a maniac and kids were at VBS in the evening??) so I decided to coupon hunt for random peelies, tearpads etc at a Winn Dixie in the area. I could take my time, go slow, stroll up and down EVERY aisle...it was nice. But naturally because I have no luck with this type of this I got squat from the random non insert coupons. But I did score with a few clearance finds. Check it out!!



I got:
6 Nexcare Cars Bandages-- .84 cents
1 Kandoo Pampers Shampoo-- $1.12
(Clyde is addicted to dumping out ALL our shampoo when he takes a bath...I am hoping this combats his urge to be wasteful!!)

Coupons I used:
6 $1/1 Nexcare- yay to .16 overage each, not a lot but I will take it!
1 $1/1 any Kandoo from a P&G like 2 months ago I think?

Subtotal: .22 cents
Tax: .44 cents
Total OOP: .66 cents!!

Love shops like that!! And Clyde loves lil cute bandages like this!! Win win for us all!!


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

RIte Aid Shop(s) for the week of 7/18-7/24


I am a pretty big creature of habit...I usually only do the same things..shop the same stores...but recently I saw online through different Message Boards (WeUseCoupons, HCW, etc..) about all these great deals that people are getting at Rite Aid thru coupons and the new Wellness + Program. So as curiousity got to this cat I went...
2 days in a ROW.
**I am blushing now**

And I had a moderate degree of success, not as great as I read about online...but close, enough to keep me interested to keep going back. Here are my 2 shops





Shop #1:
1 Motrin PM-$5.99

Coupons I used:
$3/1 any Motrin PM
$3/1 in ad RA coupon
Subtotal: -.01
Tax: .42
Total OOP: .41 cents (there were other things in addition to the Motrin that I could have bought but I just wanted get a small freebie and see how it went)

Earned: $2 in Up+ Rewards

Shop #2:
2 Garnier Nutriste Towelettes- $6.29 each
6 Butterfinger- .50 each

Coupons I used:
2 $5/1 in ad Garnier Nutriste coupon
1 $2/1 VV Garnier Nutriste coupon (I tried to use 2 but the register kicked the second one back)
3 $1/2 Butterfinger Bars (scored those AWESOME coupons in a coupon trade I made here
)
Subtotal: $2.44
Tax: .32
Total OOP: $2.75

Earned: $3 Up+ from purchasing 2 Garnier (so I guess you could say it was .25 MM but I usually don't count my shops that way)

Final verdict: Yes I think as long as there are some low OOP deals and I earn Up+ rewards on them I will go back and shop Rite Aid again...the system was easy to understand and from what I read a rolling program (not like Wags-ugh I despise Wags) so its definitely going to be worth a trial period of shopping there.

So some that know me in real life know that I am kinda, sorta crunchy...I always want to be more crunchy but I get bogged down with other things and being green and reducing my carbon footprint just kinda sort fall to the back burner.
But I discovered this very cool program today--its called "My blog is carbon neutral".

“My blog is carbon neutral” is an initiative, originally started in Germany by the “Make it Green” programme, that has the goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. From the Site:


How much carbon dioxide does your blog create?

According to a study by Alexander Wissner-Gross, PhD, physicist at Harvard University and environmental activist, an average website causes about 0.02g (0,0008oz.) of carbon dioxide for each visit. Assuming an average blog gets 15,000 visits a month, it has yearly carbon dioxide emissions of 3,6kg (8lb.). This can mainly be tracked back to the immense energy usage from (mainframe) computers, servers, and their cooling systems.

How much carbon dioxide does a tree absorb?

Unfortunately, no precise answer is possible. The carbon dioxide absorption of a tree can differ a lot. The amount of carbon dioxide that a tree can absorb depends on the type of tree, light exposure, length of the vegetation period, latitude, water balance, and the soil conditions.

The assumed values vary between 10 and 30kg (20 and 70lb.) for a tree each year. It is certain however, that in its first two to three years a tree absorbs relatively little carbon dioxide. In the growth phase following this, the absorption rate increases rapidly. During this time, the tree safes a considerable amount of carbon dioxide. The absorption rate decrease again from the age of 18.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) assumes a yearly absorption of one tree of approximately 10kg (20lb.) carbon dioxide emissions. “Make it green”, the environmental programme of kaufDA, is using a yearly absorption value of 5kg (11lb.) for its “My blog is carbon neutral” initiative. This is a very conservative calculation, ensuring that the neutralisation of each blog is achieved.

One tree neutralizes the carbon dioxide emissions of your blog

As demonstrated in the above calculation, the atmosphere can be relieved by an average of 5kg (11lb.) carbon dioxide every year by planting one tree. An average blog causes 3.6kg (8lb.) of carbon dioxide emissions. Consequently, a tree neutralizes the carbon dioxide emissions of a blog. Since a tree lives for an average of 50 years, carbon dioxide emissions of your blog can be completely neutralised for this time period.

Summary:
You write a blog post about their program, email them the link and they plant a tree for your blog and to thereby neutralize your blog’s carbon footprint for the next 50 years!
Awesome right?? So what are you waiting for start blogging now....reduce your blog's carbon!!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Clyde turned 3


(Clyde's new weed eater and goggles courtesy of Aunt Linz in St.Louis)

I swore over and over I was not going to be sad. I told myself (repeatedly) I was not going to be sad or down or nostalgic on his birthday.

I want him to grow into a big, strong, healthy, happy kid, it brings me joy to think of that.
But I do love that kid as just a baby. I always have.
He pulls at my heartstrings in a way that I never imagined a person possibly could. And that says a lot.

When he gets caught getting himself into typical toddler trouble, and gets called on it he has this impossible way of MAKING his little brown eyes twinkle and then-POOF the trouble magically dissipates. (It drives Jet Pilot crazy, its totally irresistible to me)

3 years ago he came into our lives with all the flash and chaos that he still exhibits today.
He looks up his big sister.
He copies everything his dad says and does.
He loves his "glub-bees" (the kid wears gloves everywhere like he is practicing to be a MJ impersonator!) & Power Wheels Dune Buggy.
As for me, well, what can I say-
I am totally, 100% completely and irrevocably in love with him.
He melts my heart. I think he always will.

God was so generous in his planning to give me a son as bright and fun and handsome and loving as that little boy. I do not deserve a son as awesome as him but I thank Our Most High daily that I have him.

So as he is crossing the bridge from baby to toddler to little dude I want to remind myself not to be sad. I know the nursing days have gone, as have the diapers, but when that cute chunky little hand comes up to me and rubs my face and ask for some random sugar-y treat he knows I will cave to, I will take that hand and squeeze it just a little bit harder as a means of forcing myself to burn that memory and feeling into my brain. So I can have it to look back on and cherish forever.

I love you Clyde, and I am so proud of the handsome little gentleman dude you are becoming!!


My Mailbox 7/14-15


Going to combine 2 days of mail posts just for the sake of not wanting to type up 2 posts...I had 2 relatively good mail days!!





I got:
2 Free Magazines I signed up for from freebizmags.com & valuemags.com
Crocs I ordered here
2 Charmin roll extenders that I read about here
$2/1 Soft Scrub Cleanser from Recycle Bank
3 $1/1 coupons from Veet from my Q90X email
BRAND NEW BLOW DRYER from target.com that I ordered with my free $20 E-Gift Card from here

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

CVS Shop for the week of 7/11-7/17


Its a decent week at CVS, there were more deals I could have gotten in on but I have come to the decision unless I
really like it or really need it.
FYI I need nothing...I am hoarding a small drugstore in my home!
I am not going to buy it. But with "school" starting here in our house in the next few weeks I figured it was time to start jumping on these deals as I see them so it will be less to worry about later on.



Transaction #1:

2 John Frieda Root Awakening Shampoo and Conditioner--$5 each
1 Kids Scissors--.99 cents
1 Trident Layers Gum--$1.49
(not pictured because I think Clyde is hoarding it in his room...little stinker!)

Coupons I used:
2 $3/1 any John Frieda Root Awakening from the 6/6 SS
1 FREE Trident Layers CRT from Magic Coupon Machine up to $1.29
(I LOVE when I get FREEBIE Q's from that thing!!)
$5.00 ECB
Subtotal: .19 cents
Tax: .87 cents
Total OOP: $1.06

Earned: .99 ECB's (from the scissors) and $5.00 ECB (from the John Frieda)

Transaction #2:
2 John Frieda Root Awakening Shampoo and Conditioner

Coupons I used:
2 $3/1 any John Frieda Root Awakening from the 6/6 SS
Subtotal: .01 cent
Tax: .63 cents
Total OOP: .64 cents!!

Earned: $5.00 ECB from the John Frieda

Check out all the other deals going on at CVS here!!

Monday, July 12, 2010

The Mothership called...and I answered...


When we went out of town this past weekend for Clyde's 3rd birthday we happened to be in an area where my hands down favorite grocery store ON THE PLANET was.

PUBLIX.

Yes I know its wrong to LOVE a grocery store but really, ask any extreme coupon-ing Publix shopper about the deals found at this store and really they are second to none.

So I was TOTALLY pumped to try to make a trip to Publix and see what kind of deals I could scoop up. Well true to my luck I went on the week were the deals were just meh, and most of the coupons I needed I didn't have but I made it work anyway. Thinking on my feet cuz I am just that kind of girl.




I got:

1 Suave Professionals Shampoo--$1.39
6 Sobe drinks--$1.25 each
6 Glass Plus BOGO--2/$2.49
3 Ziploc Sandwich bags--$1.99 each
1 Muir Glen Organic Tomato Sauce--.89
1 bar of Fels- Naptha--.99
2 Blocks of Chavrie Goat Cheese--$5.89 each
3 Kraft Mac N Cheese--$1.17 each
4 Loaves of Nature's Own Bread BOGO 2/$2.79
10 Kraft Sandwich Shop Mayo BOGO --$1.99

The Publix I shopped at accepted pretty much any store coupons as competitors and they doubled coupons up to .50 cents -- AWESOME!!

Coupons I used:
$5/25 from Rite Aid
Suave Professionals Free Product Coupon (from Facebook maybe?)
3 .50/1 any Sobe-doubled to $1 (from Q90X email)
3 BOGO Sobe IP from here
1 $3/1 Henkitt Product-the makers of Glass Plus (from Q90X email)
4 $1/1 Glass Plus IP from here
3 $1/1 any Ziploc from target.com
3 .40/1 Ziploc (doubled to .80)
1 $1/1 Muir Glen from coupons.com
2 Free Product Coupons from Chavrie Cheese-up to $5.50-so .39 each for me..not too shabby
3 Free Product Coupons from Kraft Mac N Cheese ( I think from FB)
4 .75/1 Nature's Own from coupons.com
10 $1/1 Kraft Sandwich Shop Mayo from the Yellow Publix Flyer
this could have been a $10 MM, but true to my inserts I did not get the $1/1 Kraft Sandwich Shop Mayo coupons and I did not think to trade for them beforehand-but they were free anyways so I guess I can't complain...

Subtotal: $2.14
Tax: $3.34
Total OOP: $5.48

Total saved:$84.76 (like I could even imagine paying that much money for not that much in groceries!!)


I totally realized that I could have used another Glass Plus IP and gotten $1 overage towards my OOP making it $4.48! I wasn't thinking I guess because I figured with the $3/1 coupon from my Q90X email I was getting them both free and I did not need to use another one. Oh well...you win some you lose some!


Still very happy with my trip and I got the Publix shop itch out of my system for awhile (or not, I just love that store!)

My Mailbox 7/12

Today was a pretty good mail day!!





I got:
*Ouchies Bandages from giveaway I won here
*Miracle Blanket from giveaway I won here
*2 Free magazines from Mercurymags.com
*2 Free coupons from a trade I brokered here
*Domino Sugar coupons (from Q90X email)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

CVS Shop for the Week of 7/4-7/10



I didn't get a pic of my shop because I put everything away before I remembered I should have taken one...so just visualize these items...

I bought:
1 Gillette Fusion Razor--$9.97
1 Biotrue Contact Lens Solution 2oz--$2.99
1 Pantene Shampoo (on clearance)--$2.49

Coupons I used:
$4/1 Gillette Fusion from the 6/6 P&G
$2/1 CVS CRT for Pantene Shampoo
$8.00 in ECB's
Subtotal: $1.45
Tax: $1.08
Total OOP: $2.53 (WHOA LIKE BIG BALLA SPENDER at CVS, usually I pay with $$ from a sandwich bag full of change)
ECB's Earned: $5 and $2.99

I bought in Transaction #2:
1 Biotrue Contact Lens Solution 20z--$2.99

Coupons I used:
$2.99 in ECB's from transaction #1
Subtotal: 0.00
Tax: .21
Total OOP: .21 cents (thats more like it!!)

Not a bad week!!

FYI: The Biotrue Contact Lens Solution is whack...don't buy it...I would have never actually paid for it if I hadn't got ECB's on it this week at CVS. Just a word for the wise!!
Coupon

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Bonnie's Hair

I gave Bonnie a hair cut today. She said her hair was too hot and the ends were a little scraggly so I told her to get in the shower and we would trim it after she got out with clean hair.

And true to my word I trimmed it. Trimmed it to much if you ask Jet Pilot, but I cut about 4 inches off.
Her hair seems short now.
Really Short.

It's still out of this world beautiful and wonderfully curly, but its short- like the same length it was when she was 2 years old.

Short.

I am definitely one of those parents that does not believe in cutting their daughter's hair. EVER.

I didn't think I was one of the parents.

Sure I am conservative with my Bonnie, its important she carries herself like a little lady and dress with a certain level of modesty. But I considered myself a bit more liberal when it came to her hair.
My own mom was pretty liberal with letting me do what I wanted with my hair--well suffice to say I AM NOT A LIBERAL with the hair and the cutting as it pertains to my daughter.

I don't think we will be cutting it that much for awhile (or EVER).

Just tiny tiny hair trims from here on out.
I am going to pray tonight that her hair grows back fast. **sigh**

Lesson learned.



My Mailbox 7/6


It was an AWESOME Mail Day!!



Today I got:
*Check from Pinecone Research
*Coupons from a coupon trade I brokered
*Vocalpoint mailer with Pampers Diapers and Coupons
*Book for new book review I am doing next month
*Free Lego magazine
*Free Motor Trend Magazine
*Free Golf Digest Magazine
*Coupons from the coupon train I am a part of here
*Odwalla coupons (from Q90X email)
*Tostitos coupons (from Q90x email/complaint)
*Hodgson's Mill coupons (from Q90x email)

LOVE THOSE FANTASTIC MAIL DAY!!

What did you get in your mailbox today??

4th of July Family Time was just too much...

So we had a very subdued 4th of July this year because we were missing our usual 4th of July Holiday Blowout parties we used to host in Chicago. We decided to spend the day together the 4 of us and hang out, watch movies, eat 4th of July food-just relax. We kinda missed the fireworks but oh well there is always next year and lets be real, we live in the middle of nowhere Mississippi I don't think we missed much!! Well I think our day of family time got to be too much for the men in this house.....




It would appear that they had too much quality family time and the boys needed to take a nap and rest!! It wasn't our usual 4th of July but it was an awesome day anyway and I am glad that we got to spend it together!!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

America's Favorite Gift Cards


This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of FriendGiftr. All opinions are 100% mine.


Have you ever been at a loss at what to get that one particular person in your life on that special occasion, be it a birthday, holiday etc..you know what I mean. I know I have-every time my sister's birthday rolls around I go into a pseudo panic mode because she has to be one of the pickiest people I have EVER met!! Well I know I have been there multiple times and in that type of gift jam (little sister's birthday) I usually revert to my fail safe-a gift card.

And, if you know me at all you know that being a military wife with a husband who is a Naval Jet Pilot in training I move- A LOT! This does not fare well for gift buying and giving.

So in times of gift buying I have to:
A.- be squared enough away to buy my gifts for the special people in my life early
and
B.-mail them in time so that they get to California, Washington, Illinois..(you get the idea) in time.

Well sometimes the timely mailing doesn't happen, (shock and awe I know...=P) and now thankfully I have discovered a new website that will ease these gift purchasing and mailing troubles!!



The site is called FriendGiftr, here's how it works (from the Friendgiftr. site): You buy the gift card for you or a loved one and you are able to send real, digital and/or physical gift cards to friends, family, and associates for the holidays, birthdays, other special occasions, or anytime. Buyers can select from over 120 of their favorite retail and restaurant gift cards to buy $10, $20, $25, $35, $50, $75, and $100 gift cards.

WANT TO KNOW THE AWESOME PART: (from the Friendgiftr site) But what’s really special about Friendgiftr is that end receivers are empowered to get what they really want –they can exchange the gift card given to them from their friends or family for any of the 120 merchants Friendgiftr offers for no additional cost and without the buyer knowing. They can also split the gift card across multiple merchants, enabling the ultimate user choice and control.


TOTALLY SWEET RIGHT??

To sum it up--I get my loved one a gift card (because I love them soo much) and they can either: go online to shop, get a physical gift card and go in store to shop, split the gift card up among their favorite stores, or choose a COMPLETELY different merchant gift card (at no additional cost! Very considerate of Friendgiftr!) and do some sort of combination of these types of shopping--all the while enjoying the gift card I purchased for their special occasion! EVERYONE IS HAPPY! Insert a VERY happy Navy_frugalista here!!

What stores are available through Friendgiftr. you ask?? Here are my TOP 3:




My Jet Pilot's favorite shoe store (when he convinces himself he needs new shoes-which rolls around like ONCE a year!!)




My favorite store (at least my top 3...Extra Care Bucks anyone?)





For all the bookworms in this family (and there are 4 of us!!)


Most importantly for all the techies out there (myself included-working at Best Buy for a year turned me into a TOTAL Tech NERD!) you are able to access and use FriendGiftr from their website, Facebook, iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android!!! Super cool right?? Want to know more?? Check out the site here..


Visit my sponsor: America's Favorite Gift Cards


Sunday, July 4, 2010

Phase 1 Training Complete



I just wanted to make an official post and say that my wonderful Jet Pilot has finished Phase 1 of Advanced Flight Training.

What does that mean you ask??
Well it means that he is about halfway through Advanced Flight Training and that he will for sure become a Strike Fighter Jet Pilot.

Up until this point it could have gone either way, he could have gone Strike (think Top Gun) or he could have gone done the E-2 which is an American all-weather, aircraft carrier-capable tactical Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft OR the C-2 which is a twin-engine cargo aircraft designed to land on aircraft carriers and provide critical logistics support to aircraft carriers. Now these are both highly respected platforms to fly for our wonderful US NAVY but Jet Pilot's heart has always been to fly just that-Strike Fighter Jets!!
And while it is a little scary for me to think about sometimes I think that there is no job more suited for a smart, charming, patriotic and motivated man such as my Jet Pilot.

He is set to get his Naval Aviator Wings (aka Graduate) in December sometime and shortly after that we will move somewhere new. We are kinda hoping for California/West Coast FRS (Fleet Readiness Squadron) but we will be happy with going to Virginia/East Coast FRS (Yeah, it will be the 5th move in 5 years..lol), as long as we are together. That's what matters.

He thinks I am silly for bragging about this but I am soo proud of him and all the work he has done to accomplish HIS dream.
I remember 6 years ago when were talking about the idea of him putting in an application package to finish college and pick up a Naval Officer's Commission and then work on becoming a Strike Fighter Pilot. It seems so long ago when we first talked about it. But everyday we get closer and closer to that dream becoming less and less a dream and more and more a REALITY!

Honey, I am so excited you are Phase 1 Training Complete, even though I am not 100% sure what all that means!! I LOVE U AND I AM SOO LUCKY TO HAVE YOU!!

Friday, July 2, 2010

Socialspark.com and Me (and you maybe!!)

SocialSpark

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Socialspark_small

This is my first sponsored post, and I am going to write my review SocialSpark.com. As a new blogger, I am always on the hunt for ways to increase the revenue on my blog, and a good friend of mine turned me onto SocialSpark as a way to get paid based on writing sponsored reviews.

I do want to say that while I will be receiving compensation for the sponsored reviews I post here, I will always tell exactly how I feel, whether that bad or good. I want to give you the reader some pros and cons, tips and tricks and really just let you know how I FEEL about any particular thing. After all if you know me, you know that I have this issue with just telling it how it is!! Here it goes:

Social Spark is very quickly becoming one of the most popular “sponsored post” sites on the web. I know all my blogging friends are into it and are majorly digging it! Bloggers can set their own price for reviews, and can potentially earn some serious amounts of money (especially if they are a high traffic blog), and for a coupon mama you know I am into earning as much $$ as I can for my grocery budget and coupon clipping service addiction!

Bloggers can find advertisers looking for paid reviews, and the blogger can build his or her own brand in the process by making advertisers aware of their site. In addition, each paid review you write will increase your blog content, and that can drive search engine traffic to your blog- and who doesn't love that!! Because more clicks means more moo-lah!!

In closing, Social Spark is making a great name for themselves among paid to blog companies, and this is why I am proud to say I am part of their community!! So bloggin mama's and dad's check it out!!


Visit my sponsor: I Signed Up for SocialSpark!

WINNER WINNER WINNER

HOLY COW I WON A GIVEAWAY!!! WOOT WOOT!! Shot out to www.miamimommysavings.com YAY!! Check me out here!!!


Look at what I WON!!! I AM SOO EXCITED!!


Sweet Crocs deal


I just ordered these for my Clyde for his birthday!! (ssshhh..its a secret) They are the Crocs deal of the Week priced at $9.99 on sale, and when you use the coupon code "secondchance" for free shipping, and "FABSAVE10" for 10% off to score them for just $8.99 shipped to your front door!! There are other styles and colors on sale but since I was buying for a boy these were the only ones that fit the bill!! So check it out here!!

Thanks she saved!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

My Mailbox 7/1


Amazing Mail Day!! Thanks GMA for making it AWESOME!! I got:

* HUGE BOX from Gma (shelbysgrandma) which had all this formula for my neighbor's new baby & like a zillion coupons for the coupon train we have going on here
* Sobe coupons from my Q90X email! (I am going to pair these with my BOGO IP's!)
*Lysol coupons from my Q90X email (this was actually a complaint email because my cleaning wipes were not perforated correctly)

So what did u get in your mailbox today??


P.S. I am finally caught up on my mailbox posts, I was SOOO far behind (sorry for being a slacker I was just well..being a slacker!)