Christmas Shopping Already?

Some of the deals lately have made me start paying attention to my Christmas list this year. I wanted to quickly toss a few ideas out there to you and ask for some ideas that you might have.

I Christmas shop almost year round. If I find a KILLER deal on something that I just can't pass up in June I will grab it and out it away for December. Starting about now, I really buckle down and start planning.

Last year we spent about $800 TOTAL on all 6 kids and the gifts my my husband and I gave each other. To me this doesn't seem like very much for that amount of people. I also need to say that my kids got NICE gifts. I really hate cheap toys and toys that just take up space ( we don't have much) so I prefer less toys and things and more quality.

Out of the $800, only about $350 was cash out of my pocket, the rest was from me cashing in Swagbucks as Amazon gift cards and other online rewards programs like Shop at Home and Ebates etc.

These are the things that I think about and pay attention to:

• Make a plan. Know what and how many gifts you are buying.
• Know who you are buying for.
• Start cashing in Swagbucks and other Rewards. (some take a long time to get)
• Set a budget and STICK to it.
• Find a safe place to store gifts where the kids don't find them.

It is easy when you start far out like this to overbuy! That is why you have to be disciplined, have a list and a budget. In the frenzy of other shoppers in December, panic can set in that you need to keep buying although you have thought you were done. I have felt this way so many times and try really hard to avoid places where I feel like I need to keep buying.

I like to start early so that I can get the best deals, and BE DONE early. I love to spend December celebrating the season with my family and not shopping. I have in the past, made my husband and children miserable by killing ourselves running around everywhere right up until Christmas Eve. I just decided I wasn't going to do it anymore.

How do you Christmas Shop? What are your tips?

Recipe and Essay Contest

I am entering this contest to win a family reunion, whether or not my family wants it :)

Smuckers is offering $20,000 for a family reunion if you enter a family recipe and you are the winner! Go HERE to enter!

This is the recipe that I am entering:

Here is my recipe. Actually my Grandma's, she made it for me all the time when I lived with her. She clipped it out of the local paper during World War II, changed it up a bit and has been making it since.

Lemon Barbeque Meatloaf

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 slices day-old bread, torn into small pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons seasoning salt
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup Smuckers orange marmalade
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/4 dash ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 slices lemon

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish or a dish of similar size.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, lemon juice, water, egg, bread, onion and seasoning salt until well blended. Shape into 6 individual loaves - I like to make large balls. Place them in the prepared baking dish.
3. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven while you prepare the topping. In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup, orange marmalade, brown sugar, mustard powder, allspice and cloves. Spoon the sauce over the loaves, then top each one with a slice of lemon. Return to the oven, and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

Do you have a family tradition recipe?

I need your help!

Many of you might remember last year when I was selected as a Deal Pro for Savings.com. It was really one of the most crazy cool things that has happened!

I am asking for your help. I want so badly to go again this year, they are doing the selection process a little different and YOU have to vote me there. The experience is amazing, I got to meet so many other wonderful bloggers, and learned so much! Plus, I got to get away for a day or so :)

This is what I need you to do:

Go HERE and scroll down until you see this picture:

Then click on VOTE. Thats it! All I need. Thank you so much in advance. I will represent the readers of MyLitter well, if I make it to Chicago!

National Consumer Panel: Taking Applications Again

I am reposting about the National Consumer Panel - they were previously Nielsen Homescan today, because I got an email that stated they were opening up certain zip codes again!

If you are accepted as a panel member, you will be sent a small hand-held scanner and will scan the bar codes of everything you purchase. Once a week, you’ll transmit this information to the National Consumer Panel and you’ll earn points which can be redeemed for a variety of items from the Gift Catalog. Go HERE to apply.

I have not done this yet, but wanted to throw ideas out there for you to start getting ready for Christmas! Manufacturers and retailers will look at the information you send to them to decide what products to make and sell to consumers all across the country.

Also, if you decide that it is not for you, they will pay the postage to have the scanner returned. I am figuring it can't hurt to try and see what kind of gifts I can get?!

Do you work at home?

I am interested in learning about work at home opportunities. Not that I am looking right now for another thing to add to my plate, I love my job that I have outside my home. I get many emails from readers who are looking beyond couponing to help with their families budgets. I have a little experience working from home, but they are just little hobbies that I occasionally made some money from.

I would love to offer in the next week or so some profiles or posts on what has worked for you and even what has not worked.

If you have had any experience, or have any ideas would you please email me?

~ Have you had a home based business?

~ Have you started your own business?

~ Do you sell on Etsy or Ebay and have you found it is worth your time?

~ What have you tried and found it was not worth it?

~ Have you taken any courses that allow you to work at home, such as medical transcription, etc.?

Thank you in advance for taking the time to give us some real stories and experiences! My email is mylitter@mac.com

Massive Egg Recall: Check your eggs!

The egg brands affected by the recall include: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, and Kemps.

Eggs are packed in 6- 12- or 18-egg cartons with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 225 and plant numbers 1026, 1413, and 1946.

Go HERE for more information.

8 reasons why you shouldn't use coupons.... and other dumb ideas.

There is an article on Yahoo right now that explains why you should not use coupons, go HERE to read the mind numbing article.

There is a tremendous amount of ignorance when it comes to couponing and how it works. People who don't coupon like to tell everyone who does, how to do it and why it is a waste of time. I don't need to preach to anyone here, you obviously read this blog because you like to save money and probably occasionally use coupons. Either that or you are weirdly curious how I make it through every day with MyLitter!

Either way I appreciate everyone who emailed me the link this morning to the article for a good laugh and head shake!

Seriously Flaky!

Raisin Bran is the one cereal that both my husband and I love. I love "healthy" cereal and he loves sugary. But we both could eat an entire box of raisin bran if left unattended :)

I don't normally crave anything while I am pregnant is it usually for the first couple weeks after I have a baby that for some reason I crave things... This time I was really desperate for some raisin bran! I grabbed some this weekend while shopping and poured a bowl as soon as I got home!

"What have they done to the raisin bran?" I cried! They changed it! This is horrible, I hate it when they go and changed something that is perfect :)

My husband looks at the box, "You got the wrong kind sweetheart."

"What? What do you mean, it's raisin bran!"

Rolling his eyes he informs me, "There are 2 kinds, Kellogg's and Post, you got Post and we like Kellogg's. Kellogg's has the sweeter raisins and more bran flakes."

I had no idea! We then had a seriously intellectual conversation for the next 30 min. on the properties of both kinds of raisin bran and how for the past 14 years have I ALWAYS managed to grab the right box and never knew there was a difference!

This is where it gets funny: I am at work yesterday and I am on the phone, my husband calls my cell phone, I have to ignore it and figure I will call him right back. He calls the front office and asks them to transfer him to me, I still am TRYING to get off the phone and get to him assuming it is an emergency. I miss him again and finally call him back.

"What happened, whats wrong??!!" I ask.

"I went and got you the right box of raisin bran last night, you didn't see it this morning so I thought I would have a bowl for you :)" he says. "Your not going to believe it but there are NO raisins in the bag!"

"Did you get the right kind?" I mock.

"Very funny, so I call customer service and she asked me if the bag had been tampered with. I asked her, if she is asking, if someone stole all the raisins from the bag. The nice lady explained that SOMETIMES it HAPPENS!"

So that answers that: There really ARE people in the world weirder than my husband and I!

No crying over forgotten milk!

Today at 2:30 I decided it would be a good idea to drag all the kids to both Walmart and Target super stores. I had to have them at Tucker's baseball practice by 5:30 dressed, fed dinner, and all the stuff packed for four hours at the ballpark in 100 degree heat. Needless to say I was in a hurry. We raced through Walmart and jumped in line at the first checkout closest to the door, you know line #1, the one next to the super fast self checkout.


I have a full overflowing cart and 6 children all in line also, when a woman, who looked exactly like the woman in the picture below, gets in line behind us with a single box of wheat thins. She was ranting and raving about something on the phone and was clearly in a hurry. I tried multiple times to get her attention and show her that I also had coupons to be rung up, along with the cart full of groceries, and to suggest she go over to one of the four open 'fifteen or less items' registers. But she refused to look at me.
When the cashier got to my coupons and started putting them in, the woman freaked out and snatched her crackers off the line knocking the gum rack down and marched over to the self check out yelling at me, VERY loudly.


I finished checking out and looked over to see that her box of crackers refused to be rung up and they had to call a manager to go get her another box.... So she ended up in line two people longer than if she had stayed behind me and was still freaking out. I hope her day got better!
From Walmart we raced to Target and and ran through the store trying to not loose a child, which was a miracle considering how packed the place was. I drug them out to the car, counted heads and raced home arriving at 5pm, just in time to throw them back in the car for the baseball game.
Above is everything I got completely FREE today! The only two things missing from my free stuff picture? The two gallons of milk that I got FREE and left on the bottom of my cart in the Target parking lot!

But the good thing is I called Target when I realized what I did and they told me to come in tomorrow with my receipt and they would give me two more gallons! It is a hassle to go back in but at least it was milk and not a child!

Ever lost a kid or left groceries in the cart before??

Happy 4th of July!

Have a wonderful and Happy 4th of July!

Please be safe!

My Package Didn't Come!

If only my delivery guy looked like that! Actually, I have had the same guy for about 8 years now and he is a sweetheart!

I ordered Crocs last week and used the DAD2DAY coupon that they were promoting for 2 day FREE shipping for Father's Day. My package never came....

I am bummed, obviously I had gotten my husband some Crocs for Father's Day and didn't have them for him, but the free 2 day shipping was what put me over the edge to order. So now what do you do? Just hope they come today? Call and complain? I can't ask for my shipping to be refunded :) Hmmmm...

Did everyone else get theirs in time?

** Update: Well, apparently they were not expecting that many people to order and didn't get them out in time, in fact mine won't be here until tomorrow! They offered me a 10% off coupon code. Um, no thanks. I am really disappointed in Crocs.

Fraudulent Coupon Notice!

Remember this coupon that I posted about???

There is a $2500 REWARD

For information leading to the successful prosecution of the individual(s)

responsible for producing this counterfeit coupon. This counterfeit was

not created by or authorized by PepsiCo and should not be

accepted at retail stores under any circumstances.

Go HERE for more information!

Old Style or New Style?

A few weeks ago my washing machine started flashing the dreaded F02 signal. I have had this happen before and we had fixed very simply the last few times. My husband takes apart the filter and cleans the entire thing out and solves the problem. This time however, after taking it apart a few times we could not get it to work.

I was only able to get through a load of laundry by restarting it about 5 times. If you can imagine the amount of laundry I do a week this was REALLY slowing me down! I had piles everywhere and was getting really frustrated. My washer is only about 5 years old but didn't have any warranty anymore. To have someone come out and look at it was $125 to start, plus whatever was wrong with it, the labor and parts. The people at Whirlpool estimated it to be about $350 to fix. To buy a 1 year warranty for it was $325.

We considered trying to fix it ourselves. We THOUGHT it MIGHT be the drain motor. To buy that part was $175. Now, if we were wrong, we were out the part and had to keep guessing.

So I started looking around at scratch and dent places. We have bought almost all of our appliances this way. As I am sure you can tell I have a really hard time paying full price for anything! :) A little scratch or small dent to save $$ is not going to hurt my feelings.

We have not been really happy with our front loader. I know since 2006 they have redesigned them to drain better but my clothes always smelled a little mildewy. My Mother has not been very happy with her new one either. So I got a little brave and decided I was going back to the "old style" top loading washer. I am soooo happy that I did. I actually think my clothes are cleaner and the tub on this one is actually larger than my front loader. I am getting the same if not more clothes in at a time.

I found the one above, marked at $698. They discounted it to $450 because of a dent in the side you can't see. I talked her down to $400 almost by accident, I wasn't trying to bargain, I think she was worried I was walking away! I figure to fix my 5 year old model was going to be $350. I got a brand new one with a warranty for $50 more.

My only down side is that my washer and dryer don't match, but I can live with that. OH! AND, I sold my old washer for $150 on craigslist for parts!

Where do you shop for appliances? Do you have a top or front loader and do you like it?

Does Target make you feel this way?!

My friend Patti sent me an email last night, and although you don't hear their voice in an email, I could hear the frustration in the words!

She had been to Target:

"Well, I just left my local Target in Texas. While I was there the young man who checked me out said I better enjoy stacking coupons (he let me do it one last time) because they just came out of a meeting and the cashiers were informed that they would no longer be stacking coupons effective immediately.

I asked him if it was possible he just misunderstood and he said no. He said you can't use a target coupon and a manufacturer coupon on the same item anymore.

I do hope he is wrong."

Now, being the weekend, I am waiting till Monday to call Target corporate and ask myself. But, having experience this particular Target and the other one (worse) closer to me I am going to make a few comments....

It is completely possible that they have changed their corporate policy. If they have, then obviously that changes shopping at Target. I probably won't be bothering anymore. The thing is they have told me things just like this at both Targets in the past. Last year, they had a meeting with all the area managers and store managers in Houston and decided they were not going to be taking any internet printable coupons anymore regardless of the corporate policy. They can't do this. Corporate has to maintain a consistency with their stores. If you are a Mom and Pop store you can decide from day to day what you want to do, but not when you are as big as Target.

So I went home and called corporate who said, "nothing has changed we take internet printables." I went back to the store and called corporate while I was there and asked them to talk to the manager in front of me and tell her the same thing. They did, the manager was furious with me, still wouldn't let me use any IP coupons and so I left and came back a day or two later and Lo and Behold, they were taking IP coupons again!

I am going to take a guess that this store has taken it upon themselves to decide to change the rules. Hopefully they have and with enough calls to corporate they will realize that they have to stick with policy. If not and they have hanged policy, Patti and I are going to sit and cry together!

How to back-up your blog.

I am not very good at "computer things" so there might be a better way to back up your blog. I am going to tell you how I did mine.

Reasons why you might want to back up your blog would be:

1. Blogger deletes your blog.

2. Journal Keeping.

3. Blogger Deletes your blog.

4. Just because you have nothing else to do.

These are the 4 things that you should consider backing up.

1. Posts

2. Template

3. Photos

4. Comments

From Blogger: How do I import and Export blogs on blogger. You want to export your blog to store it on your own hard drive or switch it to another service.

From your dashboard click on settings. This is what you will see.

Now you are going to click on Export Blog. This is what you will see.

Now you just click on Download Blog. I have a Mac, so it automatically started downloading for me. I imagine for you PC users out there you will get a pop up window asking where you want to put it. Decide on a place, and then click, "save." This is as far as I have gotten. I have my entire blog, all 2348974573 megabytes stored somewhere on my computer. I'm feeling a lot better.

This is all I know! Anything more technical I would consult Google!

Spokeo: How to remove your name.

This is a site that I had not seen before until today, I got 3 separate emails in about the last hour telling me to take a look. Basically, from what I have gathered they are a site that compiles all your information from other social networking sites and profile pages you have signed up for. I would suggest taking a look at the information they have on you and if you don't want all that info online you can have your name removed by going back to the front page and down at the bottom in the middle it says "privacy" click on that and follow the instructions.

How to make Little Swimmers last longer!

We spend most of our summer in the water. We have a pool in our backyard as do most of the kids friends, and between swim team and lessons my kids are fish. That means for me with little ones that I use a TON of swim diapers. At the end of last summer somewhere I read a tip that you could reuse the Little Swimmers (not if they pooped in them though obviously!) I tried it a few times and was thrilled that it worked!

I want to thank Candice L. for the email reminding me to do it, I had forgotten! Here is what she said:

"My friend told me that she washed her Little Swimmers in the washing machine after each use, then let them air dry and reused them until a couple of times. I've done it MANY times...we've actually gotten pretty lax, and just wring them out as they get out of the pool and hang them up on the clothes line. We get at least 4-5 wears out of one before it's so tattered that we chunck it! This is all of course until it gets pooped in...then it's trash! It's saved us a bundle of money over the years since we swim at my in-laws at least 5 days a week during the late spring through early fall!"

Thank you so much, this is a great way to stretch out those pricy diapers!

Know who lives in your area.

Sorry for the personal post here, but I want to make sure you keep your families safe.

Every few months my husband checks the Texas Sex Offenders Registry to see who lives in our area. This site allows you to put in your zip code and shows you everyone within a radius that you choose, who is a registered sex offender, assuming that they have registered as they are required to do by law.

The house across the street from us has been owned for the past 22 years by the same family. They recently moved and it was bought by an "investor", renovated and rented out. We don't have many renters in our area, most of our neighborhood is older people who have lived here a long time.

We were stunned to find out that the man who rented it was a registered sex offender. He served 3 years in the Huntsville prison for raping an 8 year old little girl. He had been out of jail for a few years and according to the registry site was fully discharged. Meaning, he was NOT on parole. This man could have opened a day care in his home if he wanted to, no one could have stopped him.

My husband and I were unbelievably upset. Having many small children this completely changed our lives. I will not go into detail but we had to change the way we did so many of the things that were part of our lives. I felt like I was being held hostage in my own home. I worried about it all the time. Three weeks ago I went to the Montgomery county sex offenders meeting to see what rights I had. Surprisingly, it seemed that HE had more than I did. At one point our own local Sheriff cautioned us at the meeting, "not to embarrass" the sex offenders. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This man raped a child and we are told to not embarrass him?

We along with other neighbors, did the only thing that we could. Knock on doors and make sure all the neighbors knew he was there. That was it. All I was able to do.

This Mother's Day I got the best present I could have asked for. In about 2 hours they packed and moved out of the house! Our 3 months of torture was over! I apologize to their new neighbors somewhere in Harris county, but I am soooo glad he is gone.

CHECK YOUR REGISTRY! I believe that almost every state has one and sex offenders are required to register. Don't be naive and think that you couldn't possibly have any in your area. You might be shocked, like many of our friends who I pushed to check were. They were stunned at the number within a 2 mile radius of their home.

Silly Bandz? Anyone?

A few weeks ago I had a ton of these things laying around. They looked like trash so I threw them away.

Big mistake.

Apparently, they are all the rage right now if you are a 4th or 2nd grade girl. Remember garbage pail kids? Well, I have officially ruined my girls lives. All the ones that they had been collecting and trading with friends I tossed. The worst part is that they were actually put away and not lying around. I got a wild hair and decided to clean out their cubbies, figured they were junk and in the garbage they went.

Does anyone have any idea where you can buy these things? I looked at Walmart and CVS and didn't see them. The girls aren't sure where to get them and I am not desperate enough to order them online.

Thanks in advance for helping me salvage the end of the school year for my girls :)

Coupon Class Disaster!

In true Ivanovsky fashion, my coupon class last night was pretty much a disaster!

I want to say a HUGE thank you to all who came and braved the bizarre conditions! I have to say I had a lot of fun, but that is because I am used to things falling apart most of the time! Just kidding :)

First, I underestimated the number of people coming, so I had to go make more copies.

Second, A strange man came wandering into the church looking for gas money.

Third, After the strange guy left I went to go lock the front door, only to not be able to find my KEYS! After looking fro 10min. I gave up and called a friend to come lock the door. I restarted the class and 2 seconds later picked up my binder and my KEYS FELL OUT!! AUGH!

Fourth, A seriously ginormous COCKROACH ran across the floor and terrorized us for almost 45 min! I would have smashed it but I can't stand that popping sound they make when you squash them! For those of you NOT in Texas, you can't possibly understand! :)

Wow, all I have to say is that I appreciate you all hanging in there with me, and having a sense of humor! A HUGE thank you to all the wives that brought their husbands, that was a sweet thing for them to come with you. Another HUGE thank you to the husband (I can't remember your name!) who walked through the building with me to make sure the strange guy was gone! That was really thoughtful!

Finally, I have to thank Jessica S. for inviting her friends and bringing such awesome food as usual! You Rock!