Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Christmas clearance update 2014

Happy New Year's Eve! Have any of you found some awesome holiday clearance deals? If so, please share! Below are the discounts on holiday clearance as of today. Take these with a grain of salt because they can vary from store to store.

CVS - 50%
Hobby Lobby - 80%
Home Depot - 50%
Lowe's - 50-75% (Operator said they're at 50% now, but might mark down again later today)
Menards - 50%
Michaels - 70%
Pier 1 - TBD
Shopko - 70-80%
Target - 70%
Walgreens - 50%
Walmart - 75%

Tomorrow Dillard's usually has their biggest sale of the year. In the past, the discount has been an additional 50% off sale items (pink tags). Holiday is usually 75% off. I haven't seen any official advertisements for this yet so double check before driving there.

Enjoy the rest of 2014!


Sunday, December 28, 2014

Target after Christmas markdown schedule

I scored some great deals during Target's 90% off holiday sale last year and hope to do the same again this year. Here are my guesses as to when they will mark items down and by how much. They are currently at 50% off (food 30% off).

70% off (food 50% off) = December 30th
90% off (food 70% off) = January 4th

Keep in mind that these dates are not a guarantee. They're my best guess based on previous years. Mojo Savings thinks 90% off will happen January 1st this year, but I think that's too early. It's always a good idea to call the store and ask if the markdown has happened especially if you're driving from a ways out. 

Here are some pics I took the day after Christmas just to give you an idea of what you might be able to snatch up.


Friday, December 26, 2014

After Christmas sales 2014

Well hello again! It's been a while. I have admittedly been very lazy when it comes to this blog lately. Although today I literally rolled out of bed early to bring you these deals. That should get me some credit, right?


Because we all haven't spent enough money lately, let's go out and spend some more on after Christmas sales! I'll be at South Pointe in Lincoln battling the crowds. I'm actually going to be there to see Unbroken (can't wait!), but might as well hit a couple stores while I'm there.

Here are the sales I know of right now. I'll try to update this list as the day goes on:

Friday, December 19, 2014

Hy-Vee Party Trays 20% off today only

Is thinking about all the food you have to make this coming week stressing you out? Save some time and pick up a party tray from Hy-Vee today. Tell the cashier you have code 15960 at checkout to receive 20% off. Some trays even have fuel saver on top of the discount! Limit 1 per customer.

Hyvee.com

Thanks to Chicks Dig Deals and Husker Mommy for the heads up on this promotion.


Monday, December 15, 2014

Whitewashing a barnwood ceiling

I think my neck and shoulders are finally back to normal after spending last week whitewashing a barnwood ceiling in our basement bar room. The ceiling isn't completely done so this is more of a sneak peek. I'm anxious to see it once the drywall is finished, flooring is installed and the room is decorated. Just keep that in mind if you look at these pics and wonder "what in the world was she thinking?!"

We were able to get the barnwood from an old shed that's being torn down on the acreage where I grew up. Free! Barnwood is a hot commodity these days so I'm thankful we didn't have to pay for it. We cleaned the boards up with a sander and a wet rag. Looking back, we should have power washed them. A power washer has now been added to our Christmas list!

We cut the barnwood with a combination of a circular saw, jig saw, table saw, and miter saw depending on the piece and where it was being hung. We fastened the pieces with a pneumatic finish nailer (worked great).

Our basement will be decorated with "cool colors" like greys, whites, and black so the natural barnwood color just didn't go. Plus, there aren't windows in this bar area so the barnwood made the room feel dark and small. I decided adding a whitewash would lighten the place up and still let the cool characteristics show through.

You can buy whitewash stains, but I just thinned down some white paint I already had on hand. I mixed two parts water to one part paint which worked really well.

Before whitewashing - we will have a six person high top table in this area.

Friday, December 12, 2014

$8 Bath and Body Works Candles Today!

This sale only happens once a year! If you need some candles for your home or for gifts, now is the time to stock up at Bath and Body Works! Candles are $8 in store today only. This saves you $14.50 because they are originally $22.50.

Bath and Body Works

Even better, stack a coupon on top to save more. Click here to see available coupons. I can't wait to purchase some holiday scents!


Friday, December 5, 2014

Mason jar turned soap dispenser



Happy Friday! A good friend contacted me this week with this great idea to turn mason jars into soap dispensers. Her mom saw them at a craft fair and requested them for Christmas. My friend couldn't find them anywhere and asked if I could make them. I was flattered and said I'd give it a shot! So here we go...

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Misty's gift card sale



For those of you who like Misty's Steakhouse & Lounge or know someone who does, now is the time to stock up on gift cards!

Today only from 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. stop by any of their locations to score a free $50 gift card when you buy two $50 gift cards. So you're getting $150 for $100.

I was planning to stroll down there at 2:00, but apparently there can be lines for this deal. I was in line on Black Friday and started chatting with a lady about this deal. She said her husband went last year to get the gift certificates. He went to Misty's off Old Cheney at 1:30 and said there was a huge line. So just a heads up that this may take some time!


Monday, December 1, 2014

Cyber Monday deals

Hope you all had a relaxing Thanksgiving with friends and family! It was hard getting up this morning and back into the swing of things. Although, it's Cyber Monday so it should be a good day to score some deals!

Check out the following articles that have already listed the deals for you:

We've got 'em, the best Cyber Monday deals

WIRED's Top 50 Cyber Monday Deals

Cyber Monday 2014: Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy deals, free shipping sites and more

To find more deals, simply google 'Cyber Monday'. I also like checking Brad's Deals, The Krazy Coupon Lady, Mojo Savings, and Fabulessly Frugal throughout the day. Get that Christams shopping done!


Friday, November 28, 2014

100 holiday photo cards for $15 at Sam's Club

Sam's Club is offering a great deal on photo cards so order yours for Christmas now! You can get 100 cards for $15 which is the best deal I've seen so far. Pick them up in the store to avoid shipping charges. This offer is good through 12/1/14.

Sam's Photo Cards

Shutterfly is offering 10 free photo cards through 11/30/14 with code BLACKFRIDAY, but shipping is $5.99. 

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Free 8x10 print at Walgreens

I love these deals! Through November 29, you can order a free 8x10 from Walgreens with code BIGPICFREE. This saves you $3.99. Choose in store pick up to avoid shipping fees.

Walgreens

Just grab a nice frame and you have a thoughtful, inexpensive Christmas gift!

Monday, November 24, 2014

Let the Black Friday festivities begin!

Kohl's has once again started their online Black Friday sales early! Head over to Kohls.com for some huge savings (even free appliances)! They are offering:

  • $15 Kohl's Cash for every $50 spent
  • Free shipping on orders over $50
  • Use code THANKS15, HOLIDAY15, or TURKEY for an extra 15% off
  • Many appliances have $10 mail in rebates

Also, have you joined their Yes2You Rewards Program yet? If not, you should! You earn $5 rewards for every $100 that you spend. I earned a $5 reward just for signing up!

To see the Kohl's Black Friday ad, click here.

The following websites have taken the guess work out of it and calculated the best deals. Check them out:

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Free photo brag book from Walgreens

Order a small photo book from Walgreens for free with code BRAGZERO. These are 4x6 photo books that make great gifts (hello Christmas!) or are a nice size to commemorate a special event.

Walgreens Photo

You will have to pay shipping ($2.99 in most cases) and this deal expires on Saturday, November 22.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

DIY barnwood welcome sign




This is a super easy project! I know, I know - I say that all the time. But for real! All you need is a piece of old barn wood, letters, and nails. We've been tearing down a shed and are using the barn wood for the ceiling of our basement bar. We made some great progress last night. I can't wait to create a post on it! Anyways, I stole a piece of barn wood for this project. There are ways to distress new wood if you can't find an old piece (click here, here, and here).

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Arranging fresh flowers from Hy-Vee



If you follow my blog regularly, you know that I love fresh flowers and recommend saving money by ordering them in bulk and arranging them yourself for events (see here, here, and here). 

My cousin Becca got married last Saturday and I had the pleasure of arranging the fresh flowers. Becca is an awesomely chill, laid back gal who wanted a more casual/somewhat wildflower look. Becca and her mom ordered all the flowers from Hy-Vee and picked them up Friday morning. I arranged them Friday afternoon. I mostly worked on the bridal party bouquets and bigger arrangements while her friends helped with the smaller arrangements for the reception tables.

We did use silk flowers from Hobby Lobby for the boutonnieres and made those a couple weeks in advance. See that post by clicking here.

Here are some pics:

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Veterans Day 2014 freebies and deals

Image source here

Veterans, thank you for serving our country. We owe you so much more than one day of celebration.

Please take advantage of these discounts on November 11:

Monday, November 10, 2014

Free Redbox today

Free Redbox today only with code NOV10!

Redbox's Instagram page

Hmm... what to rent... any recommendations?

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Shopko Halloween now 90% off

Word on the street is Shopko has now marked their Halloween items to 90% off! Great chance to score some deals especially if you missed out on Target's 90% off!

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

90% off Target Halloween!!!

Target dropped their Halloween clearance to 90% off today (food items 70% off)! Woohoo! Head there asap because it will go fast! I was able to score about $300 in merchandise for only $30!!!

Here are some pics I took at the N 48th Lincoln, NE store:


Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Election day

Do your research and get out there and vote today! Our country's future depends on it.

This made me chuckle this morning...

Vote, vote, vote!


Monday, November 3, 2014

Halloween 2014 clearance

Now is the time to stock up on Halloween items for next year! I'll probably wait until merchandise is marked down to 90% off, but here are the current markdowns as of 8 a.m. Monday in case you want to hit stores today:

Target - 70% off decor, 30% off candy
Walmart - 50% off
Shopko - 70% off
CVS - 50% off
Walgreens - 75% off decor, 50% off candy
Michaels - 80% off
Hobby Lobby - 66% off
JoAnn Fabric - Lincoln, NE store out of Halloween items

Friday, October 31, 2014

Halloween at home

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!   HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!   HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Today I'm just going to share some of the decorations that we have up this year. Our house is nothing compared to what you see on some blogs, but I tried! Plus, you know me, I don't spend much on decorating so what you see are items that were most likely 90% off or that I made. Remember my Target haul after Halloween last year? Some of the items are from that.



Thursday, October 30, 2014

DIY ombre Halloween frame


Halloween is tomorrow (eek!) and I cannot wait. I even wore my orange and black tights today! Crazy? Maybe...


Last night I did a quick project with a frame and spray paint. Have you all seen on pinterest where they take wine bottles and spray paint them like candy corn? If not, click here and here. This is the same thing, but with a frame.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

$1 pumpkins at Lowe's (order online)

Update: The Lincoln Lowe's is calling people after they order saying they don't have any and canceling their orders. Sorry folks! :(

Get into the Halloween spirit and order some large carving pumpkins at Lowe's for only $1! You can order online and pick up in store. I'm not sure if you can get them for $1 by just swinging by the store. They also have some assorted variety pumpkins for $1.

Image source here

Thanks to Chicks Dig Deals for the heads up!


Monday, October 27, 2014

DIY wedding boutonnieres

My cousin is getting married in a couple weeks and I was so flattered when she asked me to do the wedding flowers. She is ordering real flowers for the centerpieces and bridal party bouquets. We made the boutonnieres out of silk flowers last week. (I did the same thing for my own wedding and saved a ton of money.)

I wish I would have taken better pictures, but here are a few:

I love the little succulents that she picked out!

Friday, October 24, 2014

75% off trees and shrubs at Home Depot

Home Depot has trees and shrubs marked down to 75% off. The south Lincoln store was out of trees (besides some small arborvitaes) and it sounds like the north store may be out too, but both have shrubs/bushes.

My husband stopped at the south store last night and picked up 12 shrubs for around $50. Some of the ones he grabbed included Boxwood, Bush Cinquefoil 'Primrose Beauty', Spirea 'Little Princess', Golden Vicary Privet, Wintercreeper 'Emerald Gaiety', and Wintercreeper 'Emerald 'N Gold'.

Products will vary from store to store and I'm sure these will get picked over fast. Great way to save on landscaping though!

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Free shipping at Target

Target is now offering free shipping on every single order with no minimum required and no coupon code needed! Not sure how long this promotion will last, but hopefully for a while!

Target.com

Update: This offer is good through 12/20/14!

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Drywalling the bar area

Over the weekend my husband and I hung drywall in the bar area. It's not done, but it's progress. Normally, one should hang the ceiling drywall first, but we have a bunch of old barn wood that we're going to whitewash and put on the ceiling (I hope it turns out!)

Before (We did all of the framing and insulation too.)

Monday, October 20, 2014

Free redbox today

Free Redbox today only (10/20/14) with code OCT20! Perhaps a good time to rent a scary flick?!

Image source here

Tuna can made into Halloween votive




Hope you all enjoyed the nice fall weather this weekend! We were able to spend most our time at home for once. It's nice to come to work on a Monday feeling refreshed rather than worn down!

I finally got around to doing this easy tuna can Halloween project. I originally meant to do 3 or 4 of these and line them up on a long frame, but I ate most of the candy corn and only had enough to do one. Whoops. This is why I can't buy candy before the 31st!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Old barnwood, window panes, and doors... oh my!

We spent some of the weekend cleaning out an old chicken shed on the home place that's going to be torn down. There was old barn wood, window panes, and solid wood doors that we were able to snatch up.



Monday, October 13, 2014

Free Redbox tonight!

Free one night DVD rental from Redbox tonight (10/13/14) with code 5HNB7612! My husband has been wanting to see the new Transformer's movie so I rented that for him. I figure he watches enough of my Hallmark and Lifetime movies that I owe him one ;)

The Krazy Coupon Lady

Friday, October 10, 2014

Gallo wine for $0.97 at Super Saver

You all know I can't resist a good wine deal! Super Saver has Gallo Vineyards Wine for less than $1 after you send in the mail-in-rebate. The sale runs through October 14. Here's the scenario:

Gallo Vineyards Wine: $2.97 sale price (I think they're usually priced closer to $5.48)
$24 Mail-in-Rebate on 12 bottles
= $.97 each

You might think 12 bottles is a bit excessive (or not, no judgement here!), but use them for gifts. I'll probably throw a bottle or two in a basket with cheese, crackers, etc. for Christmas gifts. They come in handy for house warmings and bachelorette party gifts too!

Here it is listed in the ad which you can find here.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

DIY boxwood wreath



So boxwood decorations seem to be all the rage these days, but they can be kind of pricey! Here are some examples:

Target Wreath - $44.99
Target Mini Boxwood Ball - $129.99
Pier 1 Boxwood Cone Topiaries - $159.99-$199.99
Wayfair Square Boxwood Wreath - $46.99

I ran to JoAnn's Fabric yesterday and found the following boxwood wreath.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Fall glitter apples

Did you hear the big news?! Okay, so it's not that big in the grand scheme of things, but Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are expecting! I'm directing you to the People article because her website has now crashed with all the action. They are seriously going to have the most darling baby ever. How could they not?

Anyways, Blake made the announcement on her website so I headed there to check out the news and stumbled across this gorgeous fall craft. Basically, you take red apples and coat them with copper colored spray paint and copper colored glitter. Click here for more detailed directions.




Thursday, October 2, 2014

Aldi experience

I stopped by Aldi after work yesterday and loved it! I think this will be my new favorite grocery store! I thought their prices were really fair. It was busy so it was hard to take pictures, but I did snap a few.

I bought 2 big pumpkins, 2 boxes of cake mix, 2 tubs of frosting, black pepper, vegetable oil, sweet potato fries, and Boca burgers for under $20. Everyone seemed to be going for the pumpkins. Like I said, they were huge and only $2.69.


Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Aldi opens in Lincoln


Aldi

Aldi is a discount grocery store and Lincoln finally has one down by 27th and Yankee Hill. It was supposed to open today, but this article says they actually had a soft opening yesterday.

I've never been to an Aldi, but supposedly you can get some really good deals. This new store is on our way home so it could become our new place. Sorry, Hy-Vee. Well, I still need to go there so TBD.

Aldi has some quirky practices that help them save money and pass that savings onto the customers. Make sure you're prepared for your first visit because this is not your typical grocery store.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

2 ingredient pumpkin muffins

You've maybe seen this super easy recipe on pinterest and wondered if it could possibly be any good. Well, I'm hear to tell you that these muffins are pretty darn delicious! They turn out really moist and have a slight pumpkin taste to them.

All you need is a box of yellow cake mix (I'm going to try it with spice cake mix next) and a can of pumpkin! That's it. Really. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


Monday, September 29, 2014

90% off outdoor items at Lowe's

Head to the Lowe's clearance section to find pots, patio furniture, etc. up to 90% off! Naturally, it's getting picked over, but there were a few things that caught my eye like this big pot for $3 (originally $29.98). The easiest way to see what is actually available is to enter the store closest to you and then choose the "In Stock: Lowe's of ___" tab.

Lowe's Outdoor Clearance

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Framing around ductwork in a basement

Today's post is by no means glamorous, but it proves that I truly have been doing something. I much prefer the easy crafty projects, but it's hard to keep those up when there are a million things to be done in our unfinished basement. I finished insulating the ceiling in the bar room and now my husband is framing the ductwork. It's not fun, but is a necessary evil. Obviously you can't attach drywall directly to ductwork so that's what the framing is for. Below are some pictures and rather than try to tell you how to do it, check out this website for directions.

See the ductwork? It wraps around which will make framing it extra fun (major sarcasm there).

Monday, September 22, 2014

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Extra 40% off at Dillard's

Dillard's has a rare sale going on right now. Take an extra 40% off already reduced merchandise through Sunday, September 21! Shop online or in store.

Dillard's

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Free coffee at McDonald's and B1G1 at Starbucks

Coffee lover? Get a free small McCafe coffee at McDonald's through September 29! This promotion started yesterday and is only good during breakfast hours.

Also, Starbucks is offering buy one fall drink, get one free from 2-6 p.m. through September 21. This promotion starts today. Now you can feel good about spending money on Pumpkin Spiced Lattes! Just grab a friend or coworker to go with you!

Image source here

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Halloween mini pallet


Remember this Husker mini pallet from a couple weeks ago? Well I flipped the pallet over and decided to do a Halloween theme on the other side. That's the nice thing about these pallets is that you can get two designs onto one. Maybe I'll do a Thanksgiving/Christmas pallet next.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Update wreath hanger with ribbon each season



I had a plain white wreath hanger which looked cheap so I hot glued burlap to it a while ago. It looked good with a couple of my wreaths, but now it's pretty beat up! With Halloween around the corner I decided to cover it with festive ribbon. I'm not normally a skull type of person, but I bought this ribbon on clearance last year and thought "why not"!

Thursday, September 11, 2014

A true friend leaves paw prints on your heart

Our family dog passed away during the night Tuesday and I found out at work Wednesday. I was truly a hot mess all day. Thank goodness I have an office with a door I can just close. Our dog's name was Husker and he was a Golden Retriever. Dad got him for us kids when he came back from serving in Iraq in 2003.


Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Fall mums on clearance at Lowe's

We stopped by Lowe's in Lincoln, NE last night to buy a Bloodgood Japanese Maple that was 50% off. I was shocked to find lots of fall mums on clearance too (especially this early in the season)!

They have regular priced mums, sale mums, and what I purchased were the clearance mums with yellow stickers. They had clearance mums in all different sizes and colors.

Our cart

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Extra 15% off Groupon local deal

Through today (9/9/14), take an extra 15% off a local deal at Groupon with promo code LOCAL15. Great chance to try a new restaurant, activity, beauty treatment, etc.!

Groupon

Monday, September 8, 2014

Spray paint beat up pots



We had this ugly, old flower pot in our garage taking up space. I honestly don't know where it came from!


Instead of tossing it and buying a new one, I cleaned it and spray painted it with Rust-Oleum's Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Easiest fall craft ever... cheap too!



Perhaps you've already seen this on pinterest, but I just couldn't help myself! For a cute fall craft, fill a vase or jar with red kidney beans, split peas, and yellow popcorn. I bought the beans ($1.49) and peas ($1.09 at HyVee). I already had the popcorn, vase, tea light, and ribbon so spent less than $3 on this.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Free Shutterfly photo book


Image source here

"Through 9/11, get a 8" x 8" Hardcover Photo Book, a $29.99 value, free with code BOOK4FREE at Shutterfly. This offer is valid for both new and existing customers. Choose from a variety of themes, which can be customized with your own photos and text. Shipping adds $7.99 or is free on orders over $39 with code SHIP39 at checkout. Sales tax is charged in most states." - Brad's Deals

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

DIY mini Husker pallet


Pallet's seem to be all the rage these days and I can see why - they're free, rustic looking, and you can use them in various ways. The free pallets that you can get from just about anywhere are usually really big - too big for what I had in mind. This pallet is roughly 20"x24".

Thankfully we keep scrap wood. Plus, we had a some free fence panels from Mead Lumber that worked perfectly.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Paper lantern garland

Toward the end of setting up for my brother's wedding, my now sister-in-law asked me what to do with a bunch of leftover paper lanterns. They had hung five at the entrance, but had many more just laying around.



All the extras

The ceilings were incredibly high in the venue so we had to think of new ways to use them. I decided to tie them together to create a string of "garland".