Merry Christmas!!

Have a wonderful Christmas!!!

See you in 2012 with new posts and deals!!!!

Merry, Merry, y'all!



Happy Thanksgiving!

Count your blessings! This year we started a new tradition of counting our blessings. The children helped me pick out a branch from outside and collect acorns. We printed the adorable cards from Jones Design Company, found here, and just added some ribbon. The cards and a pen stay by the branch so we can add to it during the week of Thanksgiving. I have been surprised by how much thought the children have put in to it and how much they have enjoyed adding to the tree. I am going to save these and pull them out next year so we can add to them. What a sweet way to count the many blessings we all have in our lives!

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all!!! 

Time???

The Rolling Stones sang about time being on my side.....really? Mick, is time truly on my side? Hmmmm....It seems like the to do list gets longer and longer and the days get shorter and shorter. I used to be so good at keeping in touch with friends and planning get togethers, but these days I am lucky if I remember the right day to send lunches to school with my children. I say all of this not to complain, but to say that I have come to a realization that it is ok if the house isn't put together after being here for 2 weeks. Pictures on the wall and rugs on the floor do not make a home. My kids could care less and are so happy and settled in our new house, so I should be too. Paint, pictures, rugs can wait and will happen over time......and that is ok. One thing that doesn't take a lot of time and helps make things less crazy at Casa Kvam is crock pot cooking. I have been cooking more at home lately and that is a great way to save lots o'dinero and time. I am addicted to the crock pot and love two new sites, Skinny Crock Pot and Crock Pot Girls. Check out these sites and find lots of budget friendly and easy recipes. I love that my house smells great all day long and supper is ready at the end of the day. Happy Cooking, y'all!

Moved!

Wawhoooo.....we are in the new house! It is so exciting to be here and we are starting to feel settled. It is a long process, but the end result is so worth it in the long run. There is lots to do, but we have found some time to do a little bargain hunting. First of all, make sure if you move that you change your address through the post office. You will receive coupons in the mail for Lowes and other places. We have used the coupons for blinds and other odds and ends that we needed for the move. Also, if you need bins for your child's room, check out the clearance at Lowes. They have very sturdy canvas bins that are normally $13.98 for $1.74. The only color our store had was pink, so we could only buy some for our daughter, but other stores may have other colors. Now we are ready to set up her room and get all the toys and hair babbles organized.  Happy Organizing!!

Buy A Paper TODAY!!!

Today is a great day to buy a paper. There are 5, yes 5, coupon inserts! Happy Clipping, y'all!!

My newest obsession is Pinterest. I love pinning! If you have not heard about Pinterest, click on the link above and see what it is all about. Pinterest is a great way to organize the ideas you want to save as you search the web. If you are planning a party or decorating a house, this is a great way to keep up with all of your great finds. Check it out and you will see what all the fuss is about......Happy Pinning!

Well, well, well.....I'm baaaaaaack!....It has been awhile, but I am ready to get back in business and try to blog more. Things have been crazy with this Belle and it is time to catch up. My fabu friend, visit her here, just did a post with bullet points and I decided to give it a try myself. This is such a good way to say what you need in little snippets and I just love snippets! So here goes....

• We sold our house!!! It was a nightmare, but it is over now....Thank you, Lawd. We are thrilled because we bought a NEW house!! We will move in after having a little painting and a few other things done. I am still all about a deal so I am hoping to use this blog as away to feature some fun ways to decorate on a budget.
• Extreme Couponing is back on TLC. Why is it that I can't stop watching that show? It is such a train wreck and not realistic at all. You can't shop that way at the grocery store, but they try to convince you that you can. People, please don't clear shelves and be obnoxious. You will never need 64 bottles of mustard so why buy that many? WHY????
• I have been so bad about clipping coupons and finding deals lately. Once we are in the new house, I am going to have to get back on the wagon and start saving money. Momma needs a decorating budget.
• I have found a few deals that I am excited to share. I went to Target a few days ago and they have tons of linens on sale. I found a super cute quilt set for my daughter's room in the new house. It was regularly $89.99 and I got it for $21.24. I was thrilled! I also found a $60 rug for $14.98 for my son's room. I do love me a deal and it can really pay off to check the clearance aisle every time you shop. You never know what you may find!

There it is......my attempt to get back into blogging and finding deals. Happy Deal Hunting!!

Ice Cream Night!!

Tonight from 5-10pm Baskins Robbins is having 31 cent cone night!!! Make sure to get the kiddies and head over for some super yummy ice cream at a super price!!! Enjoy!

A recipe, Coupons, New Site.....HAPPY EASTER!!!

Hey y'all! Here are some things I have found lately......

Need a yummy no bake idea--- No Bake Cafeteria Peanut Butter Bars-- Chances are you have everything in your pantry and can whip some up right now! Try not to eat them all at once!

A new coupon site--- Here is another great site for printable coupons--- http://www.couponnetwork.com/
(Thanks, $5 Dinners!)

I am trying to buy more organic and local produce and products. I feel like it is so important to my family to make wise choices to stay healthy and it is important to support local farmers and businesses. Saving Naturally has coupon match ups for Earth Fare and Whole Foods. Word around town is that Whole Foods is coming to Columbia and I couldn't be more thrilled!!!

Happy Easter, y'all! I hope you all have time with your family and friends to celebrate this most wonderful and amazing day! The Lord is risen!!!!

Groupon Deals!

Groupon has had some great deals in Columbia the past few weeks. We will be enjoying supper at The Pizza Joint and the kids will love the Be Beep groupon from yesterday. Today they have another great deal.....$15 for $30 at Handpicked. If you have not signed up for Groupon, today is a great day to start getting in on all the deals. Go to www.groupon.com and sign up!

Great Upcoming Events in Forest Acres

If you live in the Forest Acres area and are looking for some fun and frugal family activities, be sure to check out one or all of these.

April 21: Rooftop Rhythms 5 to 9 p.m.--This is so much for fun for the whole family! They have local food vendors, activities for the children and great music.

April 27: Local Farmer's Market 3 to 6 p.m.-- We had so much fun going to the farmer's market on Wednesday afternoons last year. My children loved sampling all the fruit, veggies, and breads from local farmers. The Farmer's Market is every Wednesday until early fall.

May 21: Forest Acres Festival 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.-- Another great FREE even for the whole family!

Publix Coupon Booklet

I love Publix. It is by far my favorite grocery store and I always get the best deals there. If you want to save even more money at Publix, go here to sign up for a special coupon booklet with $50 in Publix coupons. Booklets will be sent by March 31st.


Thanks, Hip 2 Save!

FREE Fries at Chick fil A!

Tomorrow (Friday, March 4th) from 2-4pm Chick fil A will be giving away free fries to anyone that says, "I've been dipped!" This could be a fun little afternoon excursion with the kids. I am assuming this will work at every Chick fil A, however, you may want to call before you go. I do know the Forest Drive store in Columbia is participating. Enjoy!

Ready for Spring???



I am so ready for spring and today's GroopDealz is super cute!!! I LOVE GroopDealz....they feature items from shops owned by moms. Today's precious necklace is from Lovestitched and comes in several different colors. The best part is that today they are only $7, instead of $15. How sweet would these be as a Mother's Day gift? Go here to learn more and order one (or 3) for yourself!!

GroopDealz

There are a lot of deal sites these days that feature local restaurants and services, like Groupon. However, one that I recently found out about is a little different. Have you heard of GroopDealz? It was created by a group of women that wanted to promote businesses of stay at home moms to help them during our down economy. The current deal is for super cute chalkboard labels. Click HERE to learn more about today's deal and to sign up for this great site!