Last December on the 12th, Bath & Body Works had their $8 candle sale again. It's a sale they have only once a year. They're normally $22 each, which is a crazy price. After coupons, I typically pay $7-8 on each candle after coupons, but since the candles started at $8, I was able to pay $5 each using a $15 off $40 coupon.
It was still crowded at the store when I went there after work. I wasn't sure if there'd still be a selection available considering this is a huge deal in the BBW world, but I was pretty sure I could grab a few. I had it planned that I'd only get 5 of them, and most of the scents that everyone loves are the ones I actually don't like because they're the sugary scents. An employee gave me a crate when she saw me carrying them in one of their bags, and I went around to smell the new candles with the sparkly lids. I was trying to narrow it down because those were the ones I had wanted, and it worked out well that the scents that were still available were the ones I wanted based on their scent descriptions.
When I grabbed my 5, I went to stand in the long line, but I didn't mind waiting. From what I remember, it was actually longer than the Black Friday line I stood in during 2013! That's kind of crazy, haha. The only difficult part about it is that it requires standing for a while holding candles that aren't the lightest things in the world. When I finally got the counter, the girl asked me if I had to wait a long time, but I said it wasn't too bad and that it was okay by me because it was worth it!
It was even better because the coupon I used was a mailer coupon, which is attached to another coupon that you're allowed to use in the same transaction. I asked the sales associate if I had to spend another $10 to use the free item coupon, and she and another girl said I didn't. So that meant I was able to grab the White Citrus body wash for free without spending anything more out of pocket, yay!
Here is my relatively small haul compared to last year's $8 candle haul:
The "Light up the Room" is the sparkling apple champagne scent. I burned it once already, and Howard and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It took a long time to pool but the throw was so strong form the start, which I appreciated because I hope that means it'll last longer. It smells like apple, of course, but not the apple that's in all the fall candles. It's lighter and sweeter. When it was burning, it smelled a little bit like a Jolly Rancher but not too sweet.
The "Wine Down" is the pomengranate sangria. I've seen that people have mentioned it's the same as a vineyard scent from the previous year, but I remember smelling it last year and didn't like it. I might just appreciate the smell now, but I think it's still a little different. It's unlike the "mandles" (candles that smell like men's colgne) and citrus scents I already have, so it'll be a nice change in pace. I haven't yet burned it.
The last candle I chose was "Merry Mistletoe" (a flirty and festive blend of cranberries, pears, frosted citrus and a hint of holiday greenery). I don't typically buy these scents, but on that day, it just really reminded me of Christmas! It has the fruity scent to it, but it does smell like Christmas trees too. I figured I could burn it during the vacation. Of course, I ended up breaking the candle! I was upset because I liked the holder although I later learned it was just a packaging wrapped around the glass. Howard salvaged the wax for me by breaking the rest of the glass off and separating it from the wicks. Right now I have it in a Ziploc bag, and in the future, I'll burn it on a warmer after I get one. If anything, I know that it'll last better since the original holder doesn't have a lid, so now the scent is being kept in the baggie and not escaping into the air.
I'm really happy with these candles! I wonder if I'll still feel justified in purchasing candles after we move out of this apartment and don't have to deal with hallway odors or vent smells (someone who is also connected to our vent system smokes, yuck!). I'll probably still buy them once in a while, but at least now, I don't have to worry about feeling guilty about it, haha.
I had a free mini candle coupon for Bath & Body Works that expired yesterday, so Howard and I made a quick stop at the mall before we did our grocery shopping. They didn't have many available that I actually liked since I don't enjoy the pumpkin or bakery scents, so I chose "Autumn."
It's described as follows: "A crisp fall fragrance that blends dark pomegranate with red delicious apple and juicy fig and notes of fir balsam." It's not really the kind of scent that I would want in a 3-wick candle, but since it was free, I was more than happy to pick it out! I do like the scarf background on the label though. It reminds me of the "Flannel" candles I have! I actually haven't been lighting any candles lately because I'm so tired by the time I get home that all I want to do is nap. I should totally use my mini candles from BBW or my votive candles from Yankee Candle because that's why I have them! I don't have to wait for the wax to pool, and then I'll have something exciting to look forward to when I grade papers!
It turned out to be one of those "nap for HOURS after church" kind of days, so I missed my 12am deadline to post here, but I'm finally awake now to do a tiny bit of light writing. I didn't get as much sleep last night as I normally do, and the acetaminophen made me extra sleepy too. Even though it's not really the kind of thing that makes people drowsy, it knocks me out especially when I take the full dosage.
With that being said, it's definitely not a "bare my soul" kind of post. I think I should do those more often because writing in a public forum or even in a private journal is very therapeutic for me. When it's published online, it also forces me to edit and think through what I want to say so that it's coherent instead of babbling (though sometimes babbling can be very relaxing too!). But when it's late at night, it's more likely that I'll post these types of updates!
Recently I signed up for the "First Look" program at Bath & Body Works via an email they sent me. Last week, I got an email with the title "The freebie you've been waiting for!" and saw this when I opened it:
Who doesn't love freebies? I used to love them just because it was something free, of course, but now I do really appreciate them for their intended purpose of being able to try out the product. When it comes to personal care products, it's a great opportunity to test out whether the formula or scent works for me. I was eager to try one of the new Artisan fragrances.
My purchase was a pink Pocketbac holder, which was only $0.54 including the tax. I love these things (and it's the cheapest thing to buy in the store)! Though I use Purell for my hands before eating when I don't have access to a sink, I like the BBW Pocketbacs for the times when I don't mind a scent in hand sanitizer. I constantly switch bags depending on the weather or my mood, but I don't always switch the Pocketbac holder. This way I'll have another one to add. They really do come in handy for me though! This past week I got blood on my hands when I was picking up packages of ground beef in the supermarket! I didn't have easy access to hand sanitizer, so I actually had to wait until I got to the car and asked my mom for Purell since I didn't want to dig around in my bag and get it all gross. Then when we went to another supermarket, there was brown gunk at the top of one of the corn cobs I was shucking, and that got all over my hands and under my nails too! Yuck.
Anyway, I did try the Peach & Honey Almond lotion at the store, but the scent was too overpowering for me. That lasted for hours, and it was too sweet for me. Instead, I picked the Lemon Pomegranate Cream scent in a shower gel because I don't need lotion. I haven't tried it out yet, but I do like the lemon scent I get from the bottle. I just love how citrus is so bright and wakes me up!
As for the candle, I thought I would like the Blackberry Bramble Tea scent since I love their London Calling (Tea & Lemon) and Nectarine Green Tea. The blackberry one wasn't pleasing to me though and neither were any of the other options. I guess I'm not too big a fan of fall scents! The one I didn't mind much was actually the Wasabi Apple, which is the oddest thing because that was the one I thought would be gross based on the name. I guess it wouldn't make sense if it really did have a STRONG wasabi smell as if you were getting a plate of sushi! When I showed Howard when he got home from work, I described it as a fall apple candle since it had deeper, muskier notes as opposed to the light fruity apple scents that their spring candles would have. It'll be interesting to see what it smells like when being burned.
Before I get into the assortment of pictures I took today, I just have to give a big congratulations to my sister-in-law and her husband! Sharon and Keith had their baby today. Welcome to the world, baby Tobias! I'm so excited to finally meet this 3rd member of their family. We'll hopefully get to see Toby this Saturday.
Okay, so I decided that I'd snap some random photos from my day because I realized I actually stopped taking and posting pictures on Instagram. Clearly, there is no "need" for social media, but it was a way for me to keep track of the seemingly mundane things of my life. I like going back to the photos I took when I first got my iPhone because it documented a ton of what Howard and I did during our first year of marriage. So even though the following pictures might seem pointless to a reader, it's something I wanted to do for myself!
I had a simple breakfast of plain toasted cinnamon bread. These were on sale for buy one get one free at Stop & Shop as you can see by the sticker. Plus, there was a $1 coupon on two. It's a quick morning bite for both of us. The raisin cinnamon one is for Howard. A lot of the times, I'm not in a mood for raisins, so I got both varieties. These swirl breads remind me of my mom though because it was on the rare occasion that we'd have these because they're, of course, more expensive than regular toasted bread with some peanut butter on it!
Since we don't have a dishwasher (haha, when I'm at my parents' house where they have a dishwasher, I always have to be all Upton Sinclair-ish and state, "Oh, how the other half lives~"), we have to air dry our dishes. Yes, we could just use a towel, but we'd still need a place to put them all once they're washed. Before we got married, I imagined that one of us would wash dishes and hand it off to the other who would dry them. Um, yeah. I didn't realize just how unrealistic that picture in my head was. Haha, to think that we'd just purposely carve time out of whatever we're doing so that we're both free to do the dishes is kind of entertaining to me right now. Why take the time to do that when the air can do it for us? The dish drying rack is from IKEA. It's expandable, so it can be made smaller or larger based on the size of your dishes. It was probably one of the best purchases we made as simple as it is! We didn't need an entire drying rack that people have that drains next to the sink; we just needed one for plates and bowls. Anyway, I also have a need to line up all the things by size order, which means if we have bowls, they're always in the front. This picture also makes me happy because I remember how Howard and I initially were going to buy patterned Corelle dishes but then switched to plain white because the Amateur Gourmet said it makes food pictures look better, haha!
Instead of having my usual cup of tea this morning, I had a Nescafe Memento in Caramel Latte. I first tried Memento via free samples. They hooked me into loving this stuff as an occasional treat! That's why I think it's awesome how companies are so willing to give free samples and there are so many free sample sites and programs. This definitely worked on me because otherwise I never would have tried it. I like it because it gives me something different to enjoy. Thankfully, I'm not affected by any potential caffeine in here. When I have regular Tetley tea, I want to jump out of my skin. Even so, I have it in the morning just in case. I just bought two new boxes from Christmas Tree Shop because they were 2 for $3. I remember when I bought a bunch of boxes at CVS when I did all my couponing hauls there. Haha, that picture is on Instagram from a LONG time ago! The other thing I like about this picture is that it showcases my large Pooh cup! I bought this one for myself and the Eeyore one for my mom when I was still living at home. My mom never drinks that much at once though, so I think my dad actually took over "ownership" of the cup!
I wasn't as productive with getting things cleaned and organized in the apartment today as I was yesterday. Instead, I was wanting to craft because my stomach was a little off, and I didn't want to move around too much. My Cricut mats weren't as sticky anymore though, so I opened my new tub of baby wipes from Rite Aid. I bought two of them maybe two years or so, and the first box already dried up. Haha, guess people don't buy wipes that far in advance or leave them open for that long! I still use them, but I wet them a bit. I couldn't find the open box today (it's totally under the paper I have stacked on the couch or something), so I opened the new one, which was scented. It made my hands and my mat have that baby powder scent. I was wondering if it would make the cuts smell like it too, haha. With some quick yet vigorous scrubbing, my two mats were sticky once again.
I'm back to using my candles! I stopped for a while because the weather wasn't really the right fit in my mind. But candles really made the apartment seem more inviting even when there aren't any strange odors coming in from the hallway outside. I am so glad I am well stocked on candle scents that are appropriate throughout the year because I have read some more rumors that Bath & Body Works might try raising the sale price to 2 for $25 once again. Today I enjoyed the Mahalo Maui candle, which is light and a tiny bit citrus-y without being too sharp. The throw isn't that strong compared to other candles, but since I usually have it lit right next to me, I enjoy the scent a lot.
For the most part, I've never had problems with the wicks as long as I'm good about trimming the mushrooms before I use it again the next time. I took a few pictures of the wicks, and this was the best one to show what is meant by "mushrooms." You can see it fairly clearly in the wick on the right.
Howard went to the hospital after work to visit his sister and see if he could visit baby Toby and take some family pictures for them. When he got back, I was really hungry because I'm so used to eating early. I had gotten the broccoli ready to roast, and then I started the Bubba burgers on the stove. These things are so yummy! We've had the store brand patties before that clearly had cartilage in them. These don't have that, and they taste good too! I like the sweet onion one. Anyway, my in-laws gave us some tomatoes from their garden this past Sunday, and I sliced one up into thick pieces. I love how the tomato is not that much smaller than the burger patty itself!
Those are all the pictures for today. Hope everyone had a pleasant Tuesday!
Despite the fact that I've only completely finished 2 of the 3-wick candles I have purchased, I just bought more. And I'm not making any apologies for it! I know I have mentioned it before, but I really started burning candles more often to cover the smells from the hallway that would travel into our apartment. Once I picked up a few around Black Friday 2013, I've been loving my stops at Bath & Body Works even if I don't actually purchase anything. Sometimes it's just as much fun going in to sniff the new scents that I know I won't like (ex. bakery/dessert scents, floral scents, and pumpkin scents), but the curiosity gets the better of me because I see everyone else loving them.
At this point, I can pretty much predict which ones I will enjoy since I'm fairly predictable! Citrus scents or musky scents (like "mandles" because they smell like men's cologne) are the ones I typically enjoy. Because I saw that the fall test candles were mainly pumpkin scents and other items that don't look like they're for me, I knew I should grab a last few summer candles and be set for the year. I still have plenty of winter candles from last year (mmm, Sparkling Icicles, Black Tuxedo, and Mahogany Teakwood!), so these would be the last set for a while. I did recently buy 2 Pomelo Grapefruit as backups just in case they don't bring it back next year since it might be my favorite summer candle, but other than that, I haven't bought any in a really long time.
Now before I get into the actual scents I chose, I'd like to point out that I did not pay ONE CENT for any of these candles! Because of Swagbucks, as usual, I got all 6 candles absolutely FREE! I knew I would want to get some of the Summer Sips candles, so I exchanged 5000 SB for a $50 e-gift card. I used the code on that to purchase an actual gift card online, which I received in the mail to spend in the store!
Howard was with me that day, so these are the ones that we chose together.
These four are from the Summer Sips line:
Nectarine Green Tea (Japanese green tea and ripe nectarines): This was the one I was looking forward to getting when I saw the Summer Sips candles online and on Instagram during the testing phase. I adore London Calling (Tea & Lemon) because it's just so calming. I was hoping this tea scent would come through fairly strongly too, but at first sniff, I was actually a little disappointed. I didn't think it was too special because all I could smell at first was the nectarine. Later on, I took another whiff and got some of that green tea. I'm hoping it burns really well too, so I chose to get two of them instead of one of the Pink Apple Punch candles in the same line. That one smelled a lot like Jolly Ranchers to me, so it was just a bit too sweet.
Sparkling Berry Fizz (sweet elderberry, tart black currants and bubbly spring water): So I don't know what elderberry or black currants are supposed to smell like, but this is a pleasantly sweet candle. I'm okay when candles have a sweet fruity scent, but I don't like sweet bakery scents. This is actually very close to the "almost too sweet" side of things for me. The first whiff smells a bit like candy, but then when I smell it a bit more, I get a deeper berry scent. I was okay just having one of these. I have to say that the wax colors in this line are really pretty!
Peach Cilantro Twist (summer peach, garden cilantro, and a hint of juicy mango): Howard really enjoyed this candle! He really zoned in on the peach aspect of it, but when I smelled it, it was almost all cilantro! If you don't cilantro, steer clear of this one. I feel as if there's no escaping it. I said that it reminded me of fish, haha. It's not that it smells like fish, but my mom used to grow cilantro and use it on whole fish because that along with ginger really takes away fishiness (it's the equivalent of other types of cuisine that use lemon or other acids to remove fishiness). I admit I actually chose this one because he liked it so much. If I were choosing them quickly, I might have chosen a Pink Apple Punch instead. I have a feeling it's going to burn very well though and work very well in our apartment since burning a candle in the apartment means burning it in the bedroom, the computer area, and the kitchen since we're in a studio.
These two are from the Coastal Cool collection, and are in frosted holders without lids:
Sunset Beach (pineapple, papaya & sugarcane fragrance although the paper lid says "Fruit Pops, Sugarcane, & Sunrays"): First of all, I'm really hoping that this burns well because I did see after the fact that many people had bad experiences with it having no throw. We'll see what happens when I try it out myself. In terms of the cold sniff, it has a fruity scent, but it's very different than the other ones that I already have. It must be the papaya since it has a bit of tropicalness to it. If there are issues with the burn though, it'll have to go back. I do love the colors of these frosted holders though. Haha, that did sway us a bit in terms of narrowing it down. I do wish they had lids though for easier storage and also knowing that the wax is protected from losing all of its scent.
Beach Day (saltwater, lemon leaves and citrus musk): The thing that I think of when I sniff this candle is "summer musk." I do like the musky scents when it gets warmer because when I'm cold, the smell just fills the room and makes it much more inviting. This candle is a much lighter version of the muskier scents from the winter lines, but if you don't like that aspect of candles, this is another you'd have to avoid. I was actually thinking of getting the Coastal Sun one because it was orange and grapefruit, but Howard pointed out that I like it because it's citrus ... just like other candles I already have. He said that the Beach Day is much more unique, and he was absolutely right. I like having quite a large variety instead of having the same ol' same ol'.
Yesterday I took the time to pull out the two candles I finished from the one Expedit square I have reserved for candles (one Sparkling Icicles and one Flannel), so I could fit the new ones in. Of course, I didn't have enough room, so I had to pull out the ones I had triples of and put them in the big BBW bag I have off to the side with extra lotions and body washes I bought at the last winter semi-annual sale. Do I have a ton of candles now? Yes, I absolutely do! But I know I'm really going to appreciate them even more when it gets cooler out, and I look forward to returning home each day in September and then throughout the winter!
Oh, can I just end by reiterating that I got these new candles for free? Okay, just had to get that out again.
(edit)
I just wanted to add for my own records that the candles were on sale 2 for $22, and RetailMeNot had a coupon for a free 3-wick when spending $20. That meant that each candle was only $7.33 not including tax. We split this up into two transactions (Howard had to pull up the coupon on RetailMeNot on his phone), so that means I still have money left on my gift card too!
A recent peek in the Bath & Body Works store made me drool as it usually does. It's the time of the semi-annual sale, and I've avoided going for quite some time. However, I've been burning my Pomelo Grapefruit candle lately and think it is my FAVORITE spring/summer candle whereas Sparkling Icicles is awesome for the fall/winter. While I have backups of Sparkling Icicles, I only have the one of the Pomelo Grapefruit! I was telling myself that they probably don't have any left at the store, and if not, I'd get some nice ones when the Summer Sips line comes out in early July.
I browsed and sniffed some of the ones I had never seen before including the summer ones that came back for SAS and the ones from the Fresh Picked line. Then when I moved over to the next set of shelves, I saw them! There are still some Pomelo Grapefruit left at my store! I didn't purchase any just yet since it was a quick trip, and I feel as if I need to work out a good deal with the coupon I have. I think it'll work out since starting today, the aromatherapy line went on sale. My mom wanted that lotion, so I'll be able to combine it with my purchases to use the $10 off $40.
I really never thought I'd be the kind of girl who liked candles especially since it's such a luxury item and completely unnecessary to some degree. But once we moved to our apartment where sometimes the smells from the hallway waft into our apartment by way of the little gap under our door, it made a lot more sense. Because our studio apt is so small, many of the scents also fill the space pretty quickly too! Thankfully, Swagbucks does offer BBW gift cards so at least that will pay for a good portion of it!
Before I jump into a recap about my latest solo adventure, I just wanted to let you readers know (you know, like the 5 of you, haha) that I added the "Follow by Email" option on the left side. I thought it was there all along, but I guess it wasn't. If you're addicted to my senseless rambling about coupons and crafting, you can follow me that way. As you can see, I've been good with posting EVERY SINGLE DAY so far in 2014 because I know the world wants a bit of Love & Sushi every day.
Last Wednesday, I was finally recovered enough to head out to do the weekly errands. That's the day I did the CVS and Target hauls that I posted about these previous two days. I got a bunch of kicks by walking in JCPenney, Macy's, aerie, and American Eagle. After 3 visits, Howard and I finally found the spot where the signal can be easily detected in AE. It's a little awkward because I feel bad just walking in, pretending to look, and walking out especially since they have a guard. I texted that to Howard and he said, "Loss prevention never stops." Haha. I was so close when I walked into the mall at first, so it was totally worth the extra steps to get 1250 kicks because that's the gift card I used on the Target haul that I posted yesterday.
No Vinylmation trades at the Disney Store that day. The guy was nice and showed all of them to me, but nothing was of interest. Plus, one of our vampire Goofy and one of our werewolf Pluto Vinylmation were in there. They still had the cute tumblers for $4.99, but I couldn't justify getting it even though I still have merchandise credit with them. Tumblers make me drink a lot more water. I think it's the straw, but I'd totally knock down glasses if they didn't have lids on 'em!
I stopped by Bath & Body Works even though I knew I would NOT be buying anything. I checked out the new Hawaii candles, and I actually didn't like any of them. I sniffed them really quickly, and nothing beats the citrus ones I already have. I just was so curious to see how they were considering there are many fans of the scents. The candles do have pretty colored wax though.
The reason I stopped by in the store was to use my free travel-sized item coupon that I got in the mail. I chose the new Hawaii body wash because I have plenty of lotion. I have another coupon so I'll pick up another item soon.
The next stop was Target, and I briefly strolled through the Dollar Spot just so my phone could pick up the kicks near the entrance. Star Wars notebooks!
I also strolled through the accessories section pretty quickly and saw this super cute necklace for 70% off at $5.08. I actually contemplated getting it and using my free gift card on it, but knowing I could use it on a whole slew of things instead just didn't make sense. Plus, I very rarely wear jewelry anyway.
I found the Simple face care starter kit for just $2.48 and put it in my cart to think about because I have a $2 manufacturer's coupon. I ended up putting it back since I don't need it. I'm sure it'll be snatched up quickly from that endcap as there was only one.
I actually didn't have time to go around scanning items for kicks, but I did look in the pet care section and the laundry/cleaning section for the easy things. Every time I go, I know someone has been there before me to scan for Shopkick because the items that are required are moved so the bar code faces forward or taken down from a different shelf. It's kind of irritating to think that someone can't just put the item back where it belongs! Yes, of course, I put that Gain back on the top shelf after I scanned it myself.
I also had this Giada clearance item in my cart too because I LOVE spatulas. We have one regular one, but sometimes I find that it'd be helpful to have another because they're much better and wiping the side of a pot when cooking or making eggs. But I did the math and discovered that it wouldn't make sense to pay $3.98 (originally $7.99) for this one item when I knew my entire cart of items would cost $4 something. There was only one left, so if it's still there and marked down to 70% off the next time I go, it might come home with me. Maybe I'll cash in some Swagbucks for a Target gift card.
The supermarkets were last because it was a warm day (warm as in, I was doing the shopping without a jacket), and I didn't want to leave anything cold in the car. Pathmark was first. The main thing I had to get was 12 jars of Francesco Rinaldi tomato sauce. Yup, 12. They were having the dozen sale where each thing would be $0.78. Nothing else that was an option made sense, so we decided to do 12 jars of sauce instead. I knew Howard would be home by the time I got home, so I wouldn't have issues transporting it upstairs. In actuality, they're still in the car because it was pouring when I got home that day and figured there'd be no use taking the time to move them. We have NO room in our little pantry, but I will find a way to store them in our spare under the bed storage or something!
When I went to pay, I immediately noticed the gum and realized I was drawn to it because of the fact that it's now lit! Did they really spend money just to light this area? But I guess it makes sense because I never look at it, and that day not only did I look at it, I also took a picture of it, haha.
The second to last stop was Stop & Shop. I went and picked up everything on my list before heading to the freezer section. I saw that Luigi's now has orange ice! I can't wait to get that in the summer. Since neither of us eat ice cream, once in a while we like getting Italian ice to have as a cool treat on the hot days.
The bulk of my time was actually spent in the freezer section because they were having a deal where you buy $25 worth of participating items and save $15 instantly. In my mind, this means paying $10 for items you NEED and getting $15 worth of items for free. So when I did the homework ahead of time, I just made sure that it was worth my spending $10, and it was!
My original plan didn't work out because they didn't have everything I had intended to get for my mom and for me, so I decided not to do it. That meant I couldn't use the $3 off $60 S&S coupon I received in the mail either since I wasn't getting a bunch of frozen items. When I got on one of the long lines, I started doing the quick computations from my list and realized I was so close to $60, so I got off the line to do the math carefully. I went back to grab some frozen things and got back in another long line. Then I did the math AGAIN and realized that I had $11 worth of frozen items in my cart. Leaving with that just wouldn't make sense because it was as if I were leaving without my free items! So I got off the line for the second time and picked up more items! Back in line for the third time! Then I realized that ... no, I'm just kidding. Haha, the third time was definitely correct after I used the calculator on my phone for exact numbers and my trusty pen.
Hehe, I was just explaining it to Howard and showing him how I wrote all over my printed list, and he said, "You must be so cute to watch when you're in the store." I've become a couponer! It's just part of the game, but if my hubs thinks I'm cute, I'm good with that.
Anyway, my cart filled with groceries was $130.82, and even though it's not as high as those on TLC's Extreme Couponing, I also get a little nervous! With all the savings, it came out to $54.76, which means I saved 58% on groceries! That cost also included 3 items for my parents, meat, and a few "luxuries" like hummus and Whole Fruit sorbet with Greek yogurt, but I'm absolutely okay with that. Hooray!
After I loaded everything into the car, I drove by my parents' house and dropped off a few groceries that I got for them and then made my way home. I was grateful that it wasn't raining by the supermarkets because I would've had to handle it all alone. Howard was waiting for me when I pulled up to the door, so we were able to unload fairly quickly despite the rain. Phew! Another solo adventure for the books!
Every night I get to choose which body wash scent I use from a wide assortment. A girl's gotta have options, don't you think?
Tonight seems like it'll be a Rome Honeysuckle Amore night. I'm glad I have a spare or two from the recent BBW semi-annual sale. Can you tell I had a busy day today as well since this is just a short post?
Yesterday I had to go to my cardiologist's office for an echo, so that meant that I was going to be passing by the mall and other stores on the way home since I still refuse to hop on the highway. Having places to go after things like this make it easier to deal with because I'm just not a fan of doctors' offices despite having been to so many in my life.
At the mall, I parked by JCPenney, which is fairly normal, but nowadays, I'm sure to do it so that I can get some kicks for Shopkick. Then as I was walking through the department store, I realized I forgot to put Vinylmation in my bag, so I had to head back to the car and grab them from the glove compartment! Going out forces me to exercise especially when I do absentminded things like that.
The mall was pretty empty, but I guess that's how it is at 11 in the morning on a rainy Wednesday. I was a fan! I really don't enjoy the possibility of bumping into people I know especially since it happens way too often on this borough. But I immediately feel at ease once I make it to the Disney Store. I browsed clearance really quickly and also checked to see if there were any Vinylmation on sale. There was nothing worth getting, but I did see they had plenty of John Lassetire cars! Super cute for only $3.99 on sale if I recall correctly.
Though I didn't purchase anything, I was there to trade Vinylmation, of course. The CM that helped me actually pulled out the 3 in the mystery portion of the clear box too, which I always appreciate! Yay for him because this Dory was in there, so of course I traded for that! We've actually gotten most of Pixar Series 2 in trades alone since we're still using the Vampire Goofy and Werewolf Pluto to trade.
Bath & Body Works was next! That's another place I enjoy going to even if I have no intentions to purchase. I love how everything is set up in the store and being able to test out new scents.
When I first walked in, I was greeted by an employee. I asked him right away if I could use the coupon that expired on Monday based on the 3-day grace period for coupons that I had read about online. He said it was absolutely fine, so I was excited because that meant I could use a 40% off coupon on the candles! I was also extremely happy that they changed the sale price back to 2 for $22 instead of 2 for $25. The funny thing is that while I was browsing with a few other people, the employee was telling everyone, "It's on sale 2 for $22, so you actually pay $0.50 less to get another candle for free since one by itself is $22.50." Isn't that silly?
A lady asked me if I had used their candles before, and I said that I love them because the throw is great and they can be such great deals with the coupons. They're really SO much cheaper than Yankee Candle, and she was saying that that's where she normally gets them. She asked me which ones I liked, so I pointed out a few to her but said that I like the fruity scents especially the citrus ones.
I also texted my cousin because I talked to her the night before about the candles and how if the coupon could be used, each one would only be $6.60 instead of $22.50. I wanted to see what scents she wanted, but she was in a meeting so I picked up two that I'm hoping she will like!
When I went to checkout, I saw the bakery scents and sniffed those too just out of curiosity because I don't like sweet scents. I can see why people like them though. I was surprised to see two of the Cinnamon Sugar Donut candles because I know it's the favorite of many people; I was excited to see what it was about, but it just wasn't for me.
The sales associate who rung me up was so nice! I've never had a bad experience at my store, so that makes me a happy customer. I also make sure I greet everyone I see with a smile too, and they usually respond in kind. She saw that I had a mystery coupon and said she always gets excited to see what people get. I knew already from my UPC code that I had 40% off, but she celebrated when the price of the candles dropped so low. I told her that I stocked up with fall/winter scents and thought I'd be set, but with the desire for warmer weather, I just wanted some fresh, clean scents! I'll post the new candles in a separate update.
I was hungry at this point especially since I had only eaten a granola bar for breakfast. I stopped by Burger King to pick up a Whopper Jr. because I wasn't in the mood for chicken, which is what I normally get at a fast food place. I got it to go so I could eat it in the car, but I had to walk around to a few more places to get kicks! I got some more from Macy's and Aerie, but I couldn't get it to work at American Eagle even though I was standing inside the store. Oh well. I couldn't keep trying because my arms were tired from lugging around candles.
When I got to the JCP door, I saw that it was pouring outside! Whoops! I didn't have an umbrella, but I didn't really care because I was so hot in my jacket walking around the mall that I just made sure I was zipped up and just headed out into the rain. I sat in the car and nom nom nom-ed my burger, which was actually really tasty! The onions and pickles were a great addition. Haha, yes, I just reviewed a BK burger, but that's because I very rarely get fast food anymore. Isn't it funny that once you have the option of getting it whenever you want, the desire to have it just isn't there anymore? It's so different from when I was a teenager. Maybe if there was a Chik-fil-A nearby, I'd be having fast food more often! Of course, I had to take a picture because I know everyone wants to see a half eaten burger.
Because of the rain, I chose not to go to Stop & Shop and instead headed to Target. I had a few items on my list to get and some clearance I wanted to check for in the store. Of course, Target also has a ton of items to scan for kicks. I think it's funny when I stand in front of the Poise pads searching for the items as if I need it for light bladder leakage, haha. It's worth it for kicks though! Since I was in the healthcare/medicinal aisles, I also went to check out the price of the Tums because I will need some more soon. I still have the fruit flavored ones, but I've found that I like the Ultra 1000 Peppermint ones, and I wanted to see if it was cheaper here or at CVS depending on sales so I snapped a picture.
My main intention for going to Target was to get bread because of the Cartwheel offer. There's also an Ibotta offer for bread, so yay for that because I'll be able to get another $0.50! I never buy things purposely because of Ibotta so I don't accumulate the money as quickly, but after I submit this receipt, I'll have $7. Just $3 and I can cash out with a $10 iTunes card! I needed a basket since I decided to pick up lactose free milk here instead of at Pathmark and saw Babybel. Yum. I snapped a picture so I could do price comparisons for this too because I still have a coupon.
I checked out Valentine's clearance and strolled around for the Shopkick items (yay, I have enough kicks now for a $5 Target gift card!). Endcaps are also a ton of fun because you never know what's going to be on sale! I really like that I know items will continuously be marked down from 15 to 30 to 50 to 70 to 90% if it even gets to that point. Supposedly any price that ends in an 8 is also going to be marked down again. It helps having that Target knowledge! Lastly, I picked up a small pack of Kotex because there was a mobile coupon for $1.50 off, and the item was less than that, which means free stuff! Oh how I love it! No clipping required, and the employees can never say I can't use Cartwheel or mobile coupons because it's from the company and not a manufacturer's coupon.
As I left the store with my purchases, I noticed a family packing their things in their minivan, but one of the girls was pointing her camera towards Old Navy. I was wondering why she was doing it, and she must have seen me looking at her so she pointed to THIS! Can you see that?
Um, that thing was HUMONGOUS! It flew down to a cart, which was hilarious because it looked like it was peering through the minivan window. A car passed by and saw us standing there with our phones taking pictures, and pretty soon there was about a group of 8 of us just looking at it. A lady farther down asked what it was because she thought it was a turkey, and this other woman clarified that it was a hawk!
I started recording in case it started flying away, but it just flew to the roof of another car. This was such a crazy thing to see! I couldn't believe I was witnessing this with my own eyes! Pictures just don't do it justice. I admit I was slightly afraid that it'd fly towards us though.
Eventually it flew to the top of Target and even in this photo, it looks really large, doesn't it.
I guess I'm not the only one who likes searching for deals, right? Hawks are all for Target as well, but who can blame 'em when you can save so much money just by shopping around!
I did stop by CVS on the way home to do a moneymaking deal since I have a free $5 ExtraBucks from answering a survey. I'll probably mention that again when I actually spend the $10 ExtraBucks that I now have. The rest of the night was also fun as Howard and I went out for dinner with my parents and Matt, but I'll write about that in another update because I was suddenly hit with severe dizziness, so I think I should go lie down. Good night all!
Yes, it's pluralized. I did say HAULS. I've spent a good amount of money there in the last two months even though I've used Christmas money, gift cards from students, and gift cards from credit card reward points. I am definitely stocked up though and do not need to go back until the next semi annual sale in June! With the returning scents that I had actually never smelled before, I wanted to stock up so that I wouldn't be upset if I never see these again.
The first set was purchased on January 1st. I loved Capri Seaside Citrus and Rome Honeysuckle Amore so much that it was something that I wanted multiples of. I happened to find Citrus Orchid Chill lotion and loved it as well. As you can see, the fruity scents and particularly the citrus ones are my favorites. It doesn't bother me that they seem to be more spring/summer scents as I've been using them now in the middle of winter. In fact, every day before my shower, I choose a new scent to use! That's how much I love them all, and I do switch them up based on my mood.
With my $10 off $30 coupon, I was able to save more. The lotions and gels that were originally $11 were only $1.90-$2.08. Then the Sicilian Lemon Foaming Hand Soap, which were originally $5.50 only cost $2.08.
When I went back on January 15th, I decided to pick up some more White Citrus items because it is our all-time favorite, and these were also really inexpensive because they were in the old packaging. I searched the bins and found them hiding, but when we went to try to get the free spring scent lotion, I saw a new bin FULL of White Citrus products. They really do put out new stuff each day as they keep getting shipments throughout the SAS.
With another $10 off $30 coupon (I used a survey coupon that never expires), I got the White Citrus items for $1.80. The Carried Away items were also $1.80. The foaming hand soap was $1.97. I had to get more Sicilian Lemon. It just smells like a fizzy lemon drink! The hand sanitizer holder was just $0.25 and will be perfect for vacations because I can attach it to my bag and have it easily accessible throughout the day. I chose Heartland Harvest Marmalade, Dancing Waters, and Hippo Berry because those were the ones that were 50%, so with the coupon each was just $0.57. Lastly, the Country Chic triple moisture cream (originally $12.50) was only $2.04! Their TMC is the best for dry hands. I use it pretty much every night right before bed, and Howard even uses the Rainkissed Leaves one that I got in my online order months ago. After purchasing Nivea and Eucerin for his hands, this is the one thing that seems to really be helping his skin! I'm amazed! It's much thicker than the body lotion, so I only use it on my hands. Recently I did major cleaning in the apartment and washed my hands upwards of 30 times that day. The backs of my hands were starting to crack, but after applying some TMC for a day, they healed up nicely.
Since I had the coupon and the 75% sale made everything so cheap, I didn't know if I had the correct amount to use my coupon, so I told the sales associate that I was going to hand them to her little by little so I could watch the prices. She was more than happy to help me out and point out the prices so I could make sure I wasn't spending too much. I decided to take two small tubes of White Citrus lotion out of my order since they were only 50% off and $2.50 each, and I ran to get another soap instead. That's when I picked the Peach Bellini one. We love this scent because peach things are just awesome!
Though it looks like a lot spent, like I said above, I used Christmas money on the first haul and then I used a Visa gift card that I found from a student's gift that covered the cost. Now I must be sure to stay away from BBW! The only thing that will bring me to the store is if they have another free offer.
The day Howard and I went to Joann, my main reason for going out was to grab some FREE items! The Dollar Tree and Joann are in the same shopping center, and I had one thing in mind when going to the Dollar Tree. It wasn't really cute boxes of tissues because who wants to pay $1 for tissues when you can get them for much less (even if they do have Disney designs on them)!
Instead, it was boxes of Kraft Recipe Makers! I had seen on Instagram that they were available at Dollar Tree, and I had my fingers crossed that ours would considering the store doesn't often have what I see everyone else purchase with coupons. I was very happy to see them because every time the $1 coupon reset on coupons.com (though I print from Swagbucks even though I haven't yet seen an increase in SB because of using coupons!), I printed them out again. Howard and I tried the Verde Chicken Enchilada one and LOVED it. Target had had them for $2.99, so I used the $1 internet printable and the $1 Target printable to make them $0.99, but FREE is a more beautiful word, isn't it? I went in with 8 coupons because of my printing them out each time and because I printed a set of 2 from Howard's computer as well.
The Dollar Tree coupon policy states that you can only use 4 like coupons at a time, so Howard and I split it into transactions. I think it's amazing that you can use coupons there and walk out with FREE products! Sadly, there were only two boxes of the Verde Chicken Enchilada, but it's definitely better than none at all! I also picked up a pack of plastic hangers because we use them to hang up shirts and such when drying (the dryer function of our combined washer/dryer doesn't work anymore). Howard also likes having his work shirts on the plastic hangers instead of the velvet hangers that I purchased from Costco when we first moved in because it's easier to pull off in the morning. All my clothes slip off hangers very easily, so I prefer the velvet ones.
Considering they were FREE, we decided to pick up two more kinds. Sorry for the blurry photo, but it just wasn't important enough for me to retake it especially after I put the boxes away in the pantry! We chose Asian Fish Tacos, so we'll have to buy some nice fillets or something to try it and also Three Cheese Chicken Florentine, which means we are definitely going to have to recreate the commercial with Rocco DiSpirito and Carla Hall because we already repeat all the lines when it pops up during our Top Chef episodes! "Mmm, getting some parmesan notes." These are the perfect things to keep in your pantry for the nights when you don't want to spend too much time cooking.
After a wonderful splurge at Joann and then spending $1.07 each for the separate transactions above, we were on a roll for getting good deals and FREE things! I wanted to head to the mall next to pick up the FREE lotion from Bath & Body Works as both Howard and I claimed the offer on Facebook. Sadly, they were completely out by Saturday afternoon. I was a little disappointed, but the employees of my BBW have been nothing but nice, so it doesn't bother me as much. The ones I spoke to said that they were out and apologized, and it was if they were sad for me. I'm glad I've always had great experiences in that store.
By the way, can I just say that I think it's so sad that they now raised their candle prices so that their sale is 2 for $25 instead of $2 for $22? Part of me hopes that customers don't purchase as many across the US so that they might think about lowering it back again. Of course, their candles smell and burn wonderfully. London Calling (Tea and Lemon)? Delish! But I digress.
Of course, you know by now that a stop at the mall means heading to the Disney Store. We browse the cute merchandise (and take pictures) and then we trade.
We definitely don't need mugs, but I thought they were super cute so I snapped pictures of each one.
We didn't purchase anything, but we did wait in line to trade. The CM we see often came over and said hi to us and said that they moved the location of the Vinylmation boxes, but I said, "Thanks! But we only buy them on sale," and she said, "I don't blame you!" There was nothing in the upper portion that we liked, so we asked for the mystery spots and out came a Dot. We already have Dot, but we traded for her anyway since she's from the Pixar series and may have higher trading power. Not exactly a purchase, but somewhat FREE, don't you think?
After the mall, we did go to Bed Bath & Beyond because we needed a new pan and spatula set. I didn't snap a picture of them, but I use two of the 20% coupons and gift cards that I got from students, so those things were technically FREE as well since there was nothing we had to pay out of pocket.
Our final stop was Target. I checked the endcaps for clearance items because you can find such goodies there. We also strolled the toy aisles because I saw they had their 70% clearance sale going on. The one thing I found that I held on to for a while was these Little Mermaid Squinkies. They were originally $9.99, and the price on the sticker was $4.98. I scanned it and saw that it was actually $2.98.
I hemmed and hawed for a while when Howard asked if I wanted it, and he even offered to get it for me. I just have such a love for the new Little Mermaid ride in New Fantasyland, and we watched the show in DHS last year, so seeing this brings back Disney World memories. I was very good though and decided against it. I said, "I have to be an adult."
On the way out of the toy section, I saw this food set for $3.60 and thought it was really cute. The quality doesn't look as good as my Fisher Price food sets from when I was kid. They're at my parents' house, and I can't wait for my kids to play with them whether it's at our house or when they visit the grandparents! I joked that the kids would see this one and go, "We eat that all the time!" Haha, we don't really eat it that often. We maybe have tacos once a month, but we do purchase Old El Paso because they're the ones who put Box Tops on their products!
Okay, our intention of going to Target was to get FREE vitamins, but when we went to check out, the cashier said that she was specifically called out by the manager that she couldn't allow multiples of the same coupon. I pointed out that the coupon policy states that we're allowed to use 4 like coupons, but she said she just got in trouble for that. We asked if we could at least get one more bottle of vitamins if Howard checked out separately, but she said she was told to watch out for that too. Personally, it was really ridiculous to hear that because what if Howard and I were just friends and not married? We can't buy the same items? It wouldn't have made a difference if we checked out in different aisles with separate cashiers. It just really bummed me out. The cashier was extremely nice about it though and kept apologizing, and I told her I didn't want her to get in trouble. I asked if it was the manager who said it because otherwise I would have asked to speak to one. It was late, so I didn't go to the customer service desk either because I know you can request that they show you the "rule" in the coupon policy, and it wouldn't be there. I haven't yet contacted corporate because I happened to see on Instagram that one of the couponers I follow said that Target is about to get stricter with their policy. The people who commit fraud are just so irritating as they ruin it for the rest of us.
Anyway, this was our Target haul. The Nature Made fish oil gummies were on sale for $5, so I used a Target coupon for $2 and a manufacturer's coupon for $3 to get it for FREE. I did get 2 of them earlier in the week, so we have a total of 3 free containers. Too bad I couldn't get the 4 that I should have been allowed to get based on the policy. Oh well. The small bags of Green Giant Brussels sprouts were $2.79, and I used 2 Target mobile coupons for $1 off $1 or more fresh veggies. Lastly, the Colgate toothbrushes were $1.04, and I used 3 Target mobile coupons for $1 off Colgate oral care/toothbrush/toothpaste items, so they were almost FREE. That meant that my entire purchase was only $3.70. Isn't that awesome? That's why it didn't make sense to get the Little Mermaid squinkies for about $3 when it was just a toy. Priorities!
Howard laughed at me a few weeks ago when I said, "It's FREE ... I can't leave it in the store!" If we can't use it, someone else can and whether we save from paying full price or help someone else from paying full price, it's worth it at the price of FREE.
