expect the unexpected

When you are out shopping, you never know what you will come across!

Here are 2 of my awesome scores from Vons the other night.

 This Pillsbury frosting was on sale 2/$4. The normal retail price was ridiculous at $3.99 a pop! Ugh. So $2 would be half off. But then there was a blinkie machine with coupons good for .40/1. My store doubles so here is the math...

Reg. price $3.99
sale price $2.00 each
coupon .80
= $1.20

Not bad huh? However there were plenty more of the coupons so I  keep getting more every time I go. These are fun too. I do worry about the kids treating it like a can of whipped cream though!

The 2nd good deal was for these boxes of Delimex Chicken taquitos. My hubby loves these and they are perfect for our appetizer night! Well these were another product that the regular retail price is just absurd. Are you ready for this? $7.99!! These better have a $5 bill inside for them to cost that much.

OK anyway, these were marked on sale for $4.49. Still not great but better. Well guess what...on the box was a coupon for $2 off!

Regular price= $7.99
Sale price= 4.49
coupon = 2.00
Total price $2.49! Nice right?

So I get home, and am putting them in the freezer when I notice...there was still a coupon on the box! Talk about freak out. I thought I had forgotten to use them. Nope, they had just placed one on each side!! Woo hoo! I was able to use my 2nd coupons to get a discount on more boxes that came with the coupons.

That is what we call rolling the deals (: Sweet

Behind

Oh my holy cow. This summer has been INSANE!

We...

**welcomed home my husband from an 8 month deployment
**sent my boys off to Cub Scout day camp, and babysat my friends son half the time
** went on a huge family vacation (San Fransisco, visiting my brother & his family, camping)
**were home for one week and spent the time getting ready for...
** a family reunion that was at our house
**my sister had emergency surgery and I ended up taking care of her son for a week
**my daughter was gone for a week at a church camp
**my husband left for a week

Oh and in that time, I have also done the normal Mommy/wife stuff.

I can't believe how behind I am!! My coffee table is piled with inserts and ads, my calender is filled with post it notes that need to be entered into my actual calender...phew.

However, my kiddos are off to school tomorrow and I am really, really, rrrreally hoping I can make some headway on a few things!

Why couldn't I be one of those born organized people?!!

**MPM**

A very late menu plan for you! At least I did it though (:

Monday (what we ate YESTERDAY)
Mini meatloaves
mashed potatoes
applesauce
rolls

Tuesday:
bbq ham sandwiches (crock pot)
french fries (baked sweet potatoe)
salad
peaches

Wednesday:
B: pancake muffins & yogurt
L: first day of school for my kiddos so it is an "ABC" lunch. A: apples B: bagel sandwich C: cheese D: drink E: boiled egg F: fruit snack
Dinner: cheesy hashbrown casserole
green beans
rolls

Thursday:
B-fast- leftover muffins or cereal
Lunch - G: goldfish H: ham sandwich...that is all I have so far!!
D-hot dogs or leftovers (busy night and we will be gone)

Friday:
B-fast-eggs & biscuits
L:leftovers
D: it's my birthday so we are eating out

Saturday:
B-kids choice
L-leftovers or kids choice
D-appetizer/leftover night
(We take it easy on Saturdays lol)

For more great menu ideas, head on over to Org Junkie!

Winner!!

WiNnEr WiNnEr, ChIcKeN DiNnEr!!

A winner has been drawn, courtesy of Random.org in the Carmex giveaway! So without further ado...

Congrats to KILEY!!!

So please email me your mailing info and I will pass it along to the Carmex company, as it will be coming from them!

Stay tuned because I love having giveaways (:

breakFAST smoothie

Breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Then why is it so hard to fit it in? I am always looking for things that are quick. Or breakFAST. Get it? Ha ha!

Some of my kids are not breakfast eaters, saying, "I'm just not hungry" while other of my kids eat breakfast as soon as their head is off the pillow.

We came up with this quick smoothie and it is now Ivan's favorite. He can even drink it on his way to school if necessary. It provides fruit, dairy and protein (from the Ovaltine).

We have also used Carnation Instant Breakfast in place of the Ovaltine!

Do you have any favorite recipes that are fast and get you out of the door?

Friendly Wednesday

While I am printing and clipping my coupons, I thought I wold stop and participate in Feeding Four's Friendly Wednesday blog hop!

If this is your first visit to California Clippin', welcome! Please let me know if you are a new follower and I would love to follow you back!

I also have a giveaway going on (which has a seriously low number of entries :( so please come and enter to win some great products from Carmex. You can enter this giveaway here!!

Once again thanks for stopping by and come back soon!

If I knew you were coming...

image borrowed from Internet Movie Database

I'd have baked a cake. Baked a cake...OK I don't know any more of that song!

I love the movie Father of the Bride. Who doesn't right? But I love the part when they are discussing the costs of the daughters wedding cake. Steve Martin's eyes pop and jaw drops, and he says " a cake is made out of flour and eggs. My first car didn't cost that much!"

When I look at my stockpile, one thing that isn't lacking is cake mixes and frosting. I have a lot. Which cost me mere pennies. And yet, my need for my kids to have "perfect" cakes on their birthdays kept me going back to a variety of bakeries.

So while I am not even close to being a cake decorator, I have tried my hand at making a few different cakes & cupcakes.

Whenever I am upset with how it turns out, my husband likes to remind me that, "all they are going to do is eat it".

Cakes can be a big budget buster when it comes to birthdays, so I recommend you trying out your hand at making your own!

Menu plan Monday & a Giveaway

Only 1.5 weeks left until school starts.

Back to school means back to schedules.

Schedules are GOOD.

I am rrrreally bad about staying on schedule during the summer. So this Mom is sooo ready to get back in gear. This also includes planning dinners. I have been so bad over the summer. :(

So this week we are having:

Monday:
B: cereal, toast
L: hotdogs, fruit, chips
D: pizza, salad, fruit

Tuesday:
B: scrambeled eggs & muffins
L: leftovers from Monday or mac & cheese
D: taco's, corn, rice

Wednesday:
B: cereal
L: leftovers from Tuesday or ham & cheese sandwiches
D: My husband and boys are gone so something really easy (:

Thursday:
B: french toast
L: leftovers
D: blt's, fruit salad, baked beans

Friday:
B: cereal
L: leftovers or pb & j's
D: tater tot casserole, vegi's and rolls

Saturday:
B: cinnamon rolls
L: leftovers or kids choice
D: "appetizer night" (ie mozzarella sticks, egg rolls, pigs in a blanket...)

Sunday:
B: leftovers
L: leftovers
D: roast & baked potatoes

Thanks for checking out my menu for the week. While you are here, please feel free to come and enter my giveaway. You can find it here.

For hundreds of other menu plans, go and visit Org Junkie

bed times & nap times

 (unfortunatley, Mason takes a lot of naps right here)

As Moms we all know that bed times & nap times are the best part of the day. Admit it! We all love our kids but when the house is quiet... I breathe a huge sigh of relief. Like I am off the clock, know what I mean? Don't tell me I am the only one because I know I am not.

Last year was a little rough for nap time. 4 kids in school, 2 different schools, 4 different release times. Yeah, the afternoons were a crazy running around time. My 2 year old was able to go down for a nap and stayed with his big brother (while he was sleeping) for 20-30 minutes while I picked up my daughter. It wasn't the best situation but certainly not the worse either.

This year, I have 4 kids in school during the day, 2 different schools and 3 different release times. Which is good and bad.

1st grader: out at 2:00
4&5th grader: out at 3:00
7th grader: out at 3:10

My question? When do I let Mason( my 2 yr old) take a nap?! Seriously. I can either try to get him to go down from 11-2. Put him down at 1:00 and leave him while I pick up the first grader (our school is just a couple of blocks away), wait until like 2:30, wait until my older boys get home and then pick my daughter up a little later OR no more naps and put him down way early at night.

I am torn. I love nap time but having him in bed early is also nice because I have time to help my older kids with homework, chores, and their evening activities.

So opinions please. What would you do if it was you?

Review & a GiVeAwAy!!

One of my favorite parts of being a couponer/blogger is getting the mail.

 Serioiusly I love seeing what is in there.

One day, I was sitting around working really hard when there was a thud and my doorbell rang.



I wasn't expecting anything so I wasn't sure what it would be.



I was so EXCITED when I opened the box.



How cute is that pkg?!



New products to try and review. Companies want you to give an *unbiased* review on their products. I wasn't sure I could be unbiased because I LOVE Carmex! I have for a looong time. I have a rather serious addiction to chapstick and well, Carmex is right at the top of my list.



So when I was able to try their new flavors, I was all for it!



The Carmex lime twist, still gives you that "tingle" which lets you know it is working BUT it has a great lime flavor that I love! The Carmex Vanilla flavor is more subtle than the lime, but still provides you with that sweet hint of vanilla. I honestly loved them both. The lime is a much stronger flavor, so if you don't like that, I would recommend the vanilla. They both have an SPF of 15 which I also love! Oh Carmex, how I love thee!



My hubby holding the blanket up so you can see the size



I was given this great package (as seen in above pictures) and you have the chance to win one too!



We love the picnic blanket. Soft on one side but the other is a waterproof mat that keeps you dry. My kids have used it quite a bit in the backyard. However, I have started keeping it in the car so that I can use it when the need arises.

So would you like to win one? Of course you do! The first thing to do is leave a comment letting me know that you want to be entered.

For a 2nd entry you need to "like" my page on Facebook. It is California Clippin'.

For a 3rd entry, blog about this giveaway on your own blog!



my cute little pirate who decided he wanted to try the vanilla flavor



Make sure to have your friends say who sent them, so that you get credit for them also!

Now for the important stuff:

This giveaway is only open to residents of the U.S. (sorry Guam friends!) because it is being shipped by the company and not me.

I will be drawing a winner on Sat Aug. 27th so make sure you have lots of entries! Oh and I know it is annoying, but leave a seperate comment for each time you have entered!

**Carmex sent me products to review and try, but I was not compensated for my review. All opinions are MINE*



the blanket has a large pocket and folds into itself!! Love it!



money well spent



Even Dad got in on the action



My kids have been begging for a trampoline for....I don't even know how long. Years.

My 10 year old begged for one for his last birthday. There were just a couple of problems with that...

1. the cost went beyond his birthday budget
2. his Dad was deployed and so there was no one to put it together
3. I really couldn't find a good deal on one
4. I looked on Craigs List but my husband said no to a used one for safety reasons
...and on and on!

Then the planets aligned!

*somebody rrrreally didn't want to get off*

* we found a good deal
*my husband came home
* it came with the safety enclosure

Was this a cheap toy? Nope but it has been so worth it! The kids are spending more time outside, getting lots of exercise, using their imaginations by coming up with new and different games to play...

Sometimes, you have to look beyond the price to really find the worth in something!

Whew!!

This was supposed to be a nice relaxing week for me.

My daughter is gone at an overnight church camp. My boys were looking forward to logging lots of time in front of the Wii.

So I thought I would get sooo much done. Uhm, yeah. Not exactly.

Tuesday morning I woke up to a phone call from my Mom. Then I had a voicemail from her. An email. A facebook message...



My sister had to go in for an emergency surgery and so I needed to go pick up her son, and then see what I could do to help her.

(an image of LA's freeways which I found at this site

She only lives about an hour away BUT between my house and hers is this little city you might have heard of...Los Angeles. Or what I like to call the"pain in my rear end". Simple, "quick" trips turn into hours (literally)  of sitting in traffic. Doesn't that above picture just make you want to cry?! It does to me!

We left at 9:30ish and didn't return home until 4:00 or so. Looong day, and the majority was spent in the car.


my cute nephew hanging out



That night my 2 year old decided to get up every 4 hours. Ugh. Then later in the morning my daughter called from camp...not feeling well and needing some medicine.

This is the short version of my week.



I am feeling tired, unorganized and waaaaay behind in every area of my  life. This whole summer has just been so busy!!

Anyway, I just wanted to check in and let y'all know I am alive and well. Tired but well!

I have so much planned and going on...including a fabulously fun giveaway!! So stay tuned!!

Happy Homemaker Monday

Good morning! Yep, it's Monday again! While my sweet hubby has a verrrry hard time getting up and out to work on Monday, I really don't mind!

I love starting a new week and getting my house back in order after a weekend (: I am strange I know!

Yesterday, while shaving my legs in the shower, I wrenched my back. It is sore today but not as bad as it was yesterday. It is amazing how messy the house can get when you can't bend over though!

The WEATHER in my neck of the woods: a little overcast at the moment but will be burning off soon
Things that make me HAPPPY: spending time with my family

Book(s) I am READING: I love the show Haven on Syfy which is based on Stephen King's The Colorado Kid. So that is what I am reading (:

What is on my TV today: Eureka and Warehouse 13
On the MENU for dinner tonight: something with chicken (lol)
On my TO DO LIST: plan my menu (:, organize my coupons, get my daughter packed for camp, make cupcakes
NEW RECIPE I want to try/have tried: For the first time ever, we grilled corn on the cob. Sooo yummy!
In the CRAFT BASKET: I am so lame, nothing
LOOKING FORWARD to this week: my daughter's birthday
TIPS and TRICKS: schedules & routines. Kids thrive on them and so do I!
My favorite BLOG POST of the week: I didn't do much blog hopping this week
BLOG HOPPING: see above
NO WORDS NEEDED: my husband in his whites during Seabee Days (*swoon*)
Lessons LEARNED in the past few days: just trying to keep my priorities straight
 On my MIND: my daughter. She is headed to an over night church camp for the week. I have never been away from her for that long!!
Devotionals, thoughts or scriptures: Show your gratitude.

clearance finds

Most of us are used to finding clearance items at stores like Target, Wal Mart, clothing stores...

But did you know that, your grocery stores also have a clearance section?

Well they do and they can be a great source of deals!

I was at Ralphs picking up some produce one day, and stopped by the clearance rack. It was a gold mine!! Granola bars, garbage bags, cans of fruit, sanitizing wipes...

2 bags of veggi's in the produce section.

1 bunch of reduced bananas.

hamburger on sale.

Lunchmakers on sale (hello easy snack for the kids!)

6 pks of jello...

Even my cashier was impressed with what I found!

Here is a rule of thumb, if the item is refridgerated or frozen, you will find it in their own section, and you will find them marked with a sticker.

But anything else will be found on shelves. Most of my stores have shelves near the back of the store, near the restrooms etc.

Clearance items can be matched with coupons so make sure you have 'em with you!

What about you, do you look in the clearance section? What is the best deal you have scored in the clearance bin?

Back to School?

If you have watched tv, looked at a store ad, or browsed the aisles of your local stores, you know that back to school time is here. Or is it?

My kids don't start until the 31st of August, which to me is a long time!!

So while I am tired of being a referee, putting the milk away 50x's a day, and hearing "I'm bored", I am using the next few weeks to my advantage...

**Buying school supplies for the whole year, while they are on sale and cheap. By January or so, my kids school supplies are looking well...less than stellar. So I like to have lots of back ups. Not to mention, when they sneak into the schoo supply bucket and just steal things!

** Getting all back packs and lunch bags washed and ready to go.

** Getting kids on a better sleep schedule. We are very relaxed in the summer. Sometimes, the kids are in bed by 8:30 other nights not until 10! Yeah that won't cut it when school is back in! Now is the time to get ready and not 2 days before school starts!

** Going through closets and dressers. I think that my kids have grown a foot over the summer. So now it is time to go through every thing. I don't want to go buy my son new t-shirts when he only has one pair of shorts. Know what I mean?

**Freezer cooking. With school comes a much more strict schedule. One of my goals for this school year is more homemade breakfasts. Not just a bowl of cereal. So I plan to get some pancakes, waffes, french toast, breakfast sandwiches and muffins in the freezer.

**Stocking up on lunch items. 5 lunches(my 4 school age kids and my hubby) x5 days a week = a lot of lunches! So I am stocking up now. Granola bars, fruit snacks, crackers, lunch meat, bread...

Do you have any goals for this school year? I would love to hear them!!

Family Movie Night

We love family movie night around here!!

Snacks, cuddles, blankets and pillows, snacks and enjoying time together.

Having 1 girl and 4 boys, sometimes it is hard to find something that everyone likes. My boys would choose Indiana Jones or Star Wars every single time. While my daughter is always interested in other movies!

So I love it when the Family Movie Night (sponsored by Wal Mart and P&G) comes along. Here is a quick look at the new one, Who is Simon Miller?, which is airing tomorrow night!

Brief synopsis from Vocal Point...

The Millers were an ordinary family living an ordinary life. That is, until the day Simon Miller went missing. Now wife Meredith, daughter Sarah and son Kevin must embark on a perilous mission to find him. But what they soon discover creates more questions than answers. This heart-pounding thriller takes you on a family's journey and tests the limits to which the Millers will fight for each other—putting their trust, loyalty and forgiveness to the test.

Be sure to tune in! I will be making a special snack that I will share tomorrow (:

"I am not a crook!"

OK my daughter snuck off with one of my lip gloss tins (:

Not once, in my whole couponing life, have I ever had someone accuse me of stealing from their store, by using coupons and getting items for free. Ever. I know it happens but I have not experienced it. Until...

I was really excited to get the "magic" coupon from Pier 1 Imports. It was a coupon for $10 off a $10 (or more) purchase. Which means, inexpensive or free items, right?

The coupon stated one coupon per person, per store. Meaning you could use the coupon again, just at a different store. I have a Pier 1 down the street from my house, and my sister does also.

So while I was visiting with her one day, we went to Pier 1. She used a coupon and I used one.

As I was putting my items up, I announced to the cashier, that I would be using a coupon. This is when she interrupted me and said, " you must mean the magic coupon". I laughed and said yes. Well then, she started in on me how people were coming in and getting things for free. Accusing them of stealing from the store.

I tried to explain to her how coupons work, and I could see her soften a bit, but I could tell that she still wasn't happy with what she heard.

Using coupons does not make me a criminal, it makes me a smart shopper!

In the end I paid $6.43 for 2 large serving trays, 2 tins of lip gloss and 1 rocket pop mold. Not bad huh?

still here...

Nope, I didn't fall off the face of the earth (:

After our family vacation, I had a little over a week to get ready for a family reunion...at my house.

Then I spent a wonderful weekend with family...

...and I am still sleeping it off!! Seriously I have been taking a nap almost every day or going to bed rrrrreally early.

This summer has been so full & busy that I practically have to schedule in time to breathe!

I am starting to feel rested up and am getting back in to the swing of things!