New Super-Couponing Tips column: Saving on “necessities”
The argument that we shouldn’t look for the best prices on toilet paper because it is a “necessity” simply doesn’t hold water (no pun intended!) The same argument could be made for food…
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Shopping and Savingnext >< prev
Coupon Matchups: Jewel-Osco Deals of the Week 12/4/19 – 12/10/19
.80 Chobani yogurt, .99 Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, $1.44 Juicy Juice , $1.49 General Mills or Kellogg's cereals, $1.99 All or Snuggle, $1.99 Diet Coke 8-pack, $2 Pom Wonderful juice, $2.99 Swiffer refills
Current National Catalina Offers: December 2019
Here are the new Catalina offers for December, including brands like Dove Men + Care, Duracell, Gatorade, Godiva, Hot Pockets, Kikkoman, and more...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: December 2019
Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle them...
Current National Catalina Offers: November 2019
Here is a list of Catalina offers for the current month, including Gerber, Huggies, Nature's Bounty, and more...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: November 2019
Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle...
Keto-Friendly Carando Abruzzese Italian Meatball Bake
As my husband and I follow a ketogenic diet, we also make a lot of meat-centric meals at home. Here's one of my favorite go-to recipes for busy nights that is rich with all of the flavors of...
Jewel-Osco’s Stock Up Sale returns: Save on your favorites!
One of my favorite fall sales is back this month: Jewel-Osco's Stock Up Sale! This annual event features great sale prices on a variety of brands and categories, including...
Current National Catalina Offers: October 2019
Here is a list of Catalina offers for the current month, including Breyers, Carnation, Gerber, Larabar, L'Oreal, Nesquik, Solo, and more...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: October 2019
Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle them...
Current National Catalina Offers: September 2019
Here is a list of Catalina offers for the current month. Most of these are believed to be national offers, though in each product's case, I am noting the store that the alert printed at...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: September 2019
Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle them...
Fun with a $15-off-$25 coupon at Sears
A $15-off-$25 is a nice, high-value coupon to go exploring with. I've used coupons like these with great success at Sears before, because I always look for deals on towels or...
Current National Catalina Offers: August 2019
Here is a list of Catalina offers for the current month. Most of these are believed to be national offers, though in each product's case, I am noting the store that the alert printed at.
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: August 2019
Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: July 2019
Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle...
Current National Catalina Offers: July 2019
Here is a list of Catalina offers for the current month, including brands like Almay, Gerber, Lean Cuisine, Nature Valley, Stouffer's and more...
Try Primo Taglio for a perfect summertime deli platter
It's officially summertime, and Chicagoland has the humidity and temperatures to prove it! I love this time of year, as summer means spending lots of time in the sun, eating outdoors...
What’s an ice cream and pasta lover to do?
One of my longtime readers was flipping through the new 6/9 SmartSource coupon insert, and she saw something interesting. Did any of my other Chicagoland readers spot this too?
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: June 2019
Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle them...
Current National Catalina Offers: June 2019
Here is a list of Catalina offers for the current month, including brands like Barilla, Cerave, Cottonelle, Gerber, Keebler, Purina and more...
Current National Catalina Offers: May 2019
Here is a list of Catalina offers for the current month, including American Greetings, Bolthouse Farms, Morningstar, Ortega, and more...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: May 2019
If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle them, as all of the coupons inside each insert have expired...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: April 2019
Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle them...
Current National Catalina offers: April 2019
New Catalina offers for February include brands like Breyers, Band Aid, Dole, Enjoy Life, Keebler, and more...
Home and Stylenext >< prev
A cutting-edge, “cutting board” over-the-air television antenna
Earlier this month, DirectTV and AT&T dropped CBS and NBC from their subscription-tv lineups. Several readers emailed to ask how they could continue watching over-the-air...
The Queen has arrived, and our laundry is clean again!
My new Speed Queen arrived about a week and a half ago, and I waited to post about it until I'd had some time to play with it, and decide if this machine is everything that I hoped it would be...
The Clean Dishes Challenge: Battle of the Dishwasher Detergents
Is your dishwasher not getting your dishes as clean as it used to? If it isn't, you might be surprised to learn that your dishwasher may be fine -- the actual problem could be with your detergent...
Meat Claws are incredible kitchen tools
I picked up a pair of Meat Claws recently and couldn't wait to try them out! I am a sucker for kitchen gadgets, and the package promised that they would "shred meat easily." My sons told me I looked like Wolverine.
My black leather trenchcoat
I've owned this black leather trenchcoat for more than 17 years, but the coat is older than I am. This coat has a story, and this seems as good a time as any to tell it...
My deck stain report: One year later
I detailed my deck refinishing project in 2015 and had high hopes for the deck stain I chose. Since that time, I've had curious readers writing to ask how my deck currently looks. How did it weather over the past year?
A living room refresh for less: Warm and bright colors
I love the leaves changing, the cooler weather, and the fall holidays. Fall colors are some of my favorites! So, when At Home® stores invited me to give our living room a fall refresh on a budget, I was in...
Summer camp wardrobe by… Menards?
The camp our kids attend has a good way to group and keep track of the kids. Each cabin is assigned its own color, and the colors are also the campers' team colors for the week for all of their sports and "color war" play....
College apartment-hunting with our daughter
When we started looking at apartments, we were pleasantly surprised to see how reasonably priced off-campus living is at Eastern. We began apartment hunting in March by looking at several properties online...
Unexpectedly shopping for a new 30″ refrigerator
Over the weekend, our Kenmore refrigerator died a sad death. Its compressor failed after 14 years of faithful service, and we woke up to room-temperature juices and soft ice cream in the freezer. The fridge's death, sadly...
An Easy Bake blast from the past
A commercial for the children's Easy Bake oven came on television. My youngest son watched as the girl on the screen baked up a mini cake, and he said "Why don't they make something like this for boys?"
How does my garden grow? With stinky deer repellent spray
Are you growing a garden this year? A new pest recently entered our yard: a beautiful doe who loves to eat our green bean and soybean plants. Don't get me wrong -- she's a very pretty deer, but...
Foodnext >< prev
Recipe: Honey Citrus O Organics Chicken Shish Kebabs
Summer grilling season is in full swing at our house! These long summer nights are perfect for cooking and eating outdoors together as a family. I love grilling out whenever possible...
Be Snacksational: Pineapple-Coconut Glazed Sugar Cookies
Here's an easy-to-make after-school snack that will get you in a "Snacksational" mood! My children love frosted cookies, so I created a tasty, frosted fiber-filled treat that gets some of its sweetness from yogurt...
Seasons’ Eatings! Holiday table ideas and a Maple Walnut Apple Salad
The holiday season is almost here! I love the changing colors and the way the warm days turn to crisp evenings with vibrant sunsets. I love that Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year celebrations bring us closer...
Bacon-Wrapped Ranch Chicken Strips
Litehouse invited me to try their salad dressings at home and share with you what I made: Bacon-wrapped ranch chicken strips. They were definitely family-pleasers here in the Cataldo house...
Recipe: Sweet & Savory Signature Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp
These shrimp are the perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors, and they get a little extra kick from Signature Kitchens' Stone Ground Horseradish Mustard...
My low-carb life: 25 pounds down (and counting…)
We quickly set a start date, agreeing to start our weight loss journey on August 1st and compare results in three months on November 1st. Further sealing the deal, I got the smaller-sized jeans for myself as an incentive to do this...
Have you tried air chilled chicken? It’s delicious!
What exactly is air chilled chicken? Air chilling is a process that's been popular in Europe for over forty years. It is individually processed by suspending it in air and chilling it for several hours...
Try Primo Taglio for a perfect summertime deli platter
It's officially summertime, and Chicagoland has the humidity and temperatures to prove it! I love this time of year, as summer means spending lots of time in the sun, eating outdoors...
My favorite low-carb recipes for things you’d think are “off limits”
While my first few weeks of low-carbing consisted of a lot of meat, meat, and more meat, I quickly started exploring Keto and Atkins versions of things we regularly enjoyed eating...
Create the ultimate gift basket with Signature RESERVE
If you've browsed the aisles of your local Jewel-Osco store recently, you may have noticed a new brand on the shelves: Signature RESERVE™. Signature RESERVE is Jewel-Osco's exclusive, ultra-premium brand...
Ham, Apple, & Cheese Roll-Ups
Can you believe August is right around the corner? I hope you've been enjoying your summer as much as we have. We've spent many so many days outdoors -- we've been packing lots of coolers for lunches on the go...
Keto-Friendly Carando Abruzzese Italian Meatball Bake
As my husband and I follow a ketogenic diet, we also make a lot of meat-centric meals at home. Here's one of my favorite go-to recipes for busy nights that is rich with all of the flavors of...
Travelnext >< prev
A bargain-priced idea for luggage organization
A few months ago, when I went on the All American RV Blogger Tour, one of the gifts I received was a set of Eagle Creek Pack-Its, which are small zipper bags that you can use inside a suitcase to organize socks, underwear and other items: The lightweight bags are made of nylon. After using [...]
The Field Museum and Chicago Auto Show
Our kids were off school yesterday for an extended Presidents' Day weekend holiday, so our family headed into the city for some almost-free fun at the Field Museum and the Chicago Auto Show...
A Walt Disney World shopping perk you may not know about
Did you know that you can get a special shopping pass at the Disney parks solely for the purpose of going in and shopping? It's true! To get a shopping pass, you'll need to head to the Guest Relations office...
A Midwest Spring Break Staycation
Our children are on Spring Break, and we're staying in the Midwest "staycationing." In the past two days, we've visited a museum, gone bowling and played at an amazing arcade...
The staycation that turned to a… vacation?
How far from home do you have to drive before your staycation qualifies as a vacation? Our friends invited us down for a visit to the Indianapolis Zoo. My boys were up for a little road trip...
Walt Disney World: Social Media Moms, Animal Kingdom at Night, Star Wars Awakens
After our 2015 Walt Disney World experience, I told my children, "I hope you keep these memories for a lifetime, because we'll probably never do Disney quite like that again." How wrong I was. Two years in a row?
Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse
I cannot fully express in words how beautiful Mount Rushmore is in person. It's breathtaking. I remember seeing it as a child and being in awe of how beautiful it is. My boys, ages 6 and 9, were also completely enamored...
Driving across South Dakota
Our RV tour's scheduled stops for the day included a visit to the Mitchell Corn Palace, an on-your-own lunch, and an ice cream social at the legendary Wall Drug, which my boys were very excited about...
Disney Parks VIP Tour and our 24-hour Disney honeymoon
Recently, I confessed that my husband and I had never taken a vacation without our children -- ever. We travel pretty frequently, but we never planned a just-us trip...
Rushmore Cave and Ziplining in the Black Hills
Rushmore Cave is located in Keystone, South Dakota and has been entertaining visitors since the 1920s. Unlike the national park caves, Rushmore Cave is more of an adventure destination with multiple activities...
Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea – A Disney adventure like no other!
Earlier this year, our family spent ten days in Japan. That, alone, was a dream come true, but also spent a couple of days at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. As a Disney lover, this was the perfect...
Jill’s Bucket List: 24 hours in the Riot House
During a trip to Los Angeles, I stayed at the Riot House, the most famous rock and roll hotel in the world...
Make Thisnext >< prev
Fixing a suitcase wheel with… duct tape?
It irked me that everything else about the suitcase was fine and functional aside from the bad wheel. I looked at replacing the wheel, but I could not find a suitable wheel that was the right size...
Improving a great beach bag (with a not-so-great logo)
I attended a blog conference and brought home an oversized canvas beach bag featuring the logo of one of the conference sponsors. However, last year, that company became embroiled in a bit of a scandal...
Building a kitchen countertop extension
Our daughter's new apartment really only has one issue -- limited counter space and no place to put a microwave or other small appliances. I got the idea to build a countertop extension for her kitchen...
Our ultimate one-minute theme park tailgating setup
Our family has had a fun summer of enjoying days at the zoo, water parks, and theme parks. My kids actually look forward to our lunchtime tailgating, as we can completely set it up in under one minute...
Pooh to Pikachu
This year, when I asked my son what kind of cake he wanted, he said "Pikachu." The popular Pokemon character is certainly cute, but how to best capture him in cake form? Many of my cakes take shape...
Easy kids’ craft: Make a can candle
I believe I was around 7 or 8 years old when we made tin can candles, and so I did a quick web search to see if my juvenile memories of it were correct. Incredibly, I couldn't find anything online about how to make these...
Mending my family’s clothes: How to fix worn jeans “invisibly”
While I could put patches over these ripped knees, I also don't want my kids to be self-conscious of an obvious repair job. I want to share how I've been able to extend the life of my sons' jeans by patching them invisibly...
How to make a large utility tote for less than $20
If you've been wanting a large utility tote without spending too much, and you have minimal sewing skills (like me!) read on and learn how you can make your own large utility tote from one yard of fabric for less than $20...
The eighteen-year-old quilt
I came up with the idea to make a quilt for her eighteenth birthday. And for the past thirteen years, I've been saving our daughter's favorite shirts as she outgrew them. Everything from T-shirts and sports jerseys to pajamas...
Here’s an idea for leftover wax from your wax melter
The wax melt packaging recommends that you pour the melted wax back into the clamshell packaging to dispose of it. Being frugal, I couldn't simply throw the wax away. So, we're reusing it in a creative way...
Making a jar of cake-mix “upsizer”
It's getting difficult to find a cake mix that hasn't been reduced from 18.25 ounces to 15.25 ounces. This week, two things came up that made me want to work on a solution of sorts to this issue...
Make your own “Slushy Magic” at home!
To recreate the Slushy Magic effect, it's important to understand how it works. Each cup comes with three plastic ice cubes filled with salt water. Salt water freezes at a lower temperature than plain water does...
