Yankee Candle $10 off $25

If you are looking for some great candles, head into Yankee Candle. They have a new coupon for $10 off your $25 purchase. Print your coupon here. Coupon good through 9/25..Enjoy!

Monday's Healthy Tip

This week there was a great article from Drs. Oz and Roizen on the Top 10 Benefits to Walking. I know I have talked about ways to make walking fun on a daily basis, but here are the tips that you can benefit from:

1. Fends off the #1 killer: Regular walkers have fewer heart attacks and strokes, have lower blood pressure, and have higher levels of healthy HDL cholesterol than couch sitters do.

2. Changes your RealAge -- pronto: As little as 90 days after starting a regular walking program, its age-reducing effects can be measured.

3. Dims your chances of diabetes: Thirty minutes of walking a day makes your muscles more sensitive to insulin.

4. Helps you kick the habit: Even just a 5-minute walk cuts down on cigarette cravings -- it engages your brain's emotion centers, unleashing mood-enhancing hormones that decrease cravings and take your mind off that cigarette.

5. Slims you down: Burn more calories than you eat, and -- voila!

6. Keeps you sharp: Physical activity nourishes brain tissue and stimulates its production of neurons, synapses, and blood vessels.

7. Reduces stress: Anyone who has come back from a walk in a different frame of mind than they went out with can attest to this.

8. Revs up your energy: Not only can a walk perk you up when you need it, but also it helps improve the quality of your sleep, so you're more energetic all day long.

9. Boosts your immune system: Walking regularly can lower your risk of arthritis, macular degeneration, and even cancer by an astonishing 50% compared with people who don't exercise.

10. Keeps you going:Walking has the highest compliance rate of any exercise.

Read the full article here. Enjoy!

Comic Sunday

Here is a great Cathy moment- cutting coupons. Click here to see a bigger image of the comic strip. CATHY- 10/11/09..Enjoy!

Saturday Movie Review: To Rent or Not to Rent

Well, I am still watching all the TV shows I got from the library last week. Check out the great DVDs I got last week here.

This week, I watched "Bridal Fever", a lifetime movie. You should be able to pick up this movie at your local library or rent it as well.

Bridal Fever is a super chick flick movie starring Delta Burke as Dahlia Marchand and Andrea Roth as Gwen. Gwen and her best friend are the only two single ladies left of their classmates.

Gwen becomes the assistant editor of Dahlia Marchand's memoirs and she learns all about how to seal the deal with men from Dahlia, as she has been married 6 times. Gwen discovers Dahlia may be keeping some mysterious secrets she wants to keep out of her memoirs. Gwen falls in love not once, but twice throughout the movie, but which man is right for her? You have to watch for yourself.

The cast is great and there are some really great lessons about love and marriage throughout the movie. It would make for a nice wine night with your girlfriends..Enjoy!

Restaurant Deals

Here are some restaurant coupons for you to print and save some money over the weekend:

T.G.I. Fridays: Buy One Entree, Get the Second one Half Off, Print here exp 9/1/10

Pick Up Stixs: Buy One Entree, Get one FREE with purchase of a dink, Print here exp 9/5/10

Chili's: FREE Chips and Queso when you purchase an entree, Print here . This is an ongoing coupon when you sign up for Chili's email club.
*My husband and I went the other night and got one entree along with the chips and queso and it was more than enough- all for under $10+tip!!


Keep on Saving...Enjoy!

Hallmark Reminders

Join Hallmark Gold Crown Rewards program and you'll receive points for every dollar you spend, which can be turned into certificates for store purchases. You can start by getting 100 FREE points by providing your email address here. Hallmark also offers a FREE reminder service for birthdays, anniversaries and holidays.

How do you keep track of birthday and ANNIVERSARIES??

I have a list on the side of our fridge with all important dates of my family and friends. Enjoy!

Celebrity Wedding- True Blood

I am still waiting to get True Blood Season 2 from the library (I am #5 on the list, hopefully this weekend), but guess who get married over the weekend?

Stephen Moyer(Bill) and Anna Paquin (Suki) got married last Saturday night on the beach in Malibu. Get more details here from People Magazine..Enjoy!

Savings is Key

Remember that you can use coupons to cut cost in areas(i.e. weekly groceries) so that you have more money to spend on items that may be more expensive(i.e. wedding costs). I think finding that balance is what can make or break a budget..Enjoy!

Monday's Healthy Tip

Happy Monday. This weeks healthy tip is to take control of what you eat.

I was at a friends this weekend and her food was so good, my husband and I ate so much. I realized after, I didn't need to eat so much, but it was in front of me so I did.

What you eat is one of the things you have total control over. If you are full, stop eating. If you are out at a restaurant, take home half your meal and you have dinner now for two nights (what a great way to budget as well). Restaurants and other people cook with more butter than you probably want to know, so if it tastes really good, you know why. Take control of what you eat this week and your body will thank you for it..Enjoy!

Gator Publix Deals

Well they are not officially University of Florida deals, but now I got your attention. This coupon book can be found at your local Publix. All the coupons are Publix coupons. This coupon book is for all Florida Publix stores, as you can see it is called "Toss 4 Cash" and features college football teams. Go Gators!!
My store only had a handful of books out, so I wonder if they are only putting out a few at a time, so that one person doesn't take ALL the books. The coupons are good through 9/30/2010. This week the best deal I see is on the Boston Market frozen meals. These are great to take for lunch and are REALLY cheap this week. Yes they are yummy too and very filling.

Here is a deal for you:
Boston Market Home Style Meals, 5/$10 =$2/each *These are on sale this week ONLY, through 8/25*

-Use the $4/4 Boston Market Publix coupon from the Toss 4 Cash FL coupon book above
-Use (2) $1/2 Boston Market printable coupon here (Click on "Get Special Savings")

Use (2) $1/2 printable coupons along with the Publix coupon and you pay 50¢ per meal when you buy 4! (If you have room in your freezer, STOCK UP)

Enjoy!

Comic Sunday

CATHY by Cathy Guisewite is one of my favorite comic strips. Cathy is a comic strip that deals with saving money, getting married and her relationship with her mother. Sounds like me!!

If you aren't familiar with this comic strip, here is some details on Cathy the comic strip from Wiki:

"Cathy is a comic strip drawn by Cathy Guisewite. Featuring a woman who struggles through the "four basic guilt groups" of life — food, love, mom, and work — the strip gently pokes fun at the lives and foibles of modern women. Cathy's characteristics and issues both make fun of and sometimes feed into negative stereotypes about women. The strip debuted in November 1976, and at its peak appeared in over 1,400 newspapers. The strips have been collected into more than 20 books. Guisewite received the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award in 1992 for the strip

Initially, the strip was based largely on Guisewite's own life as a single woman. However, Guisewite had Cathy's longtime boyfriend Irving propose marriage on Valentine's Day 2004. The two characters married in the February 5, 2005 strip. That same year, Cathy appeared in the 75th anniversary party of Blondie and Dagwood.

On August 11, 2010, Cathy Guisewite announced the "agonizing" decision to end the run of Cathy with the final strip to be published on October 3, 2010"


I am sad to hear that the comic strip will be over this year. I will be featuring my favorite Cathy comic strips every Sunday. This weeks comic is when Cathy got married to Irving. Click here to see a bigger image of the comic strip...CATHY 2/5/05..Enjoy!!

Congratulations

The fourth and final gift card winner is Karen!! She won a $50 gift card to Darden Restaurants. The Darden Restaurants Gift Card can be redeemed at any Red Lobster®, Olive Garden®, LongHorn Steakhouse®, Bahama Breeze® and Seasons 52® restaurant in the U.S..

Congrats Karen and thank you to EVERYONE that entered!!!
The winner of the Old Navy $10 is Beth!!

Ladies your gift cards will go out tomorrow. Enjoy!

Saturday Movie Review: To Rent or Not to Rent

A few of you have asked if I actually get books from the library as well as all the movies. Of course I do. I love to read (which I think makes me a better writer as well..blog writer that is).

While I was in the Keys, I started: A Promising Man (And About Time, Too) by Elizabeth Young. I just finished it this week.

This is the first book I have read by Elizabeth Young and I enjoyed her writing. The book uses a lot of UK language which is very different from American authors.

The book is about Harriet, a twenty something Londoner, who inherited a house and lives with her three friends(4 if you include her friend Sally's baby Tom). Each roommate has a story of their own, which makes the book very interesting. Harriet hasn't had a proper boyfriend in months and then she meets John. When she meets him waiting for a cab, she secretly knows he is dating her old high school rival Nina. They have great chemistry and what better time of year to meet your new fling then during the holidays? Is John still seeing Nina or does Harriet get involved in too much gossip? You just need to read it yourself to find out. This book is very funny and is all about people falling in love when they least expect it. If you haven't read a Brit Chick book yet, this is a great one to start with.



Now for the movies I got this week at the library:
Yup, I decided since summer is almost over and new shows will be on soon, I can revisit some of my favorite shows from back in the day.

Melrose Place- I watched 4 episodes last night!!
Beverly Hills 90210
Entourage
Frasier

It is so fun to go back and see the first episodes of these great hits. I get to keep these 4 TV show sets for 2 weeks, so I have plenty of time to watch them. I doubt I will watch them all, but a few episodes here and there will keep me entertained til the Fall lineup starts..Enjoy!

"Let's Get Grilling" eBook

If you are looking for some new grilling ideas- Mr. Food has a new ebook here. Enjoy!

Wedding Cost: Music

This week I will break down the cost of music for your wedding.

The most important question here to determine your budget is if you want to hire a band or a DJ. A DJ will cost you about 1/10 of what a good band will cost.

A Band usually will range $600-$800 per piece. Most weddings have anywhere from a 7-10 piece band.

You can get a DJ for under $1,000 or if you know someone who DJ's, you might not even pay that much.

You also need to budget for music during your ceremony and cocktail hour. You can usually work out a package deal for the night.

If you are using a band, you should budget 15%-18% of your TOTAL budget for Music.

Enjoy!

$50 Darden Restaurant Gift Card ENDS Tonight!!

Don't forget the $50 Darden Restaurant Gift Card ends tonight Plus the BONUS $10 Old Navy Gift Card. Enter here...Enjoy!

The Keys!!!

Here are some pics from our week at the Keys.

We went on an afternoon sailing trip!!



The Bars were great!!! A cool sailboat you can rent for the day!!


How peaceful!!!

Key West has tons of really funny t-shirts. This is my favorite bride/groom shirt. Not that I would let my husband wear it, but it is funny. I did see a bride and groom out at the bars after their wedding. The bride was still in her dress and veil. She did get FREE Drinks all night. Enjoy!!

Monday's Healthy Tip

Shape.com has a wonderful tool to help you plan a healthy meal and satisfy your cravings. You can enter key words and select recipe options. You can search by main ingredients or even by season.


I got 66 search results when I typed in "chicken" and "summer".

I think I am going to make the Sweet 'n Sour Chicken with Pasta this week. Hopefully I can get a good deal on chicken. Find the recipe finder tool here...Enjoy!

Tax FREE Ends Today

I am back from my trip to the Keys, and ready to shop!! For all my Florida bloggers- our tax-free holiday ends TODAY! Get more info on what qualifies here..Enjoy!

P.S.- More to come from my Keys trip tomorrow!

FREE Bridal Guide

I love bridal magazines!!! I still have all mine from my bridal days. I still get magazines in the mail and I never pay a penny for them. Sign up here for 12 FREE issues of Bridal Guide. Enjoy!

I'm on Vacation...

I will be heading down to the Key's this week...so don't miss me too much.

My husband and I and 3 other couples are going down for some nice R &R....

The Key's are a very popular place to get married. If you have never been down to the Southern Most point of Florida, you haven't been to Key West.

I found a neat wedding site that does Weddings in the Key's...Take a look if you are considering a destination wedding, there are many Key's to choose from..

Hopefully I will see a wedding or two while I am down there...

I'll be back to blogging next week...Enjoy the rest of your week and don't forget to enter Giveaway #4- $50 Darden Restaurant Gift Card and the BONUS Giveaway here...Enjoy!

P.S.- If you missed last night's Bachelor Pad- Michelle and Juan went home!

Bachelor Pad TONIGHT

Bachelor Pad premiers tonight with 19 all-stars from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. There will be 11 girls and 9 guys. They will battle it out for a chance at love and a quarter of a million dollars.

There will be weekly challenges and the winner gets a rose. The guys will vote the girls off and the girls vote the guys off. Chris Harrison and Melissa Rycroft will be co-hosting. The two hour premier starts at 8pm tonight on ABC. Set your DVR's !!!

Here is who will be in the house this season::

~Ashley Elmore,‘Bachelor’ Season 14, Jake Pavelka

~Jesse Beck, ‘Bachelorette’ Season 6, Ali Fedotwsky

~Jesse Kovacs, ‘Bachelorette’ Season 5, Jillian Harris

~Jessie Sulidis, ‘Bachelor’ Season 14, Jake Pavelka

~Jonathan Novack, THE WEATHERMAN! ‘Bachelorette’ Season 6, Ali Fedotwsky

~Juan Barbieri, ‘Bachelorette’ Season 5, Jillian Harris

~Kiptyn Locke, WHAT A HOTTIE!!! ‘Bachelorette’ Season 5, Jillian Harris

~Krisily Kennedy, ‘Bachelor’ Season 7, Charlie O’Connell

~Michelle Kujawa, ‘Bachelor’ Season 14, Jake Pavelka

~Natalie Getz, ‘Bachelor’ Season 13, Jason Mesnick

~Nikki Kaapke, ‘Bachelor’ Season 13, Jason Mesnick

~Peyton Wright, ‘Bachelor,’ Season 10, Andy Baldwin

~Gia Allemand, ‘Bachelor’ Season 14, Jake Pavelka

~Gwen Gioia, ‘Bachelor’ Season 2, Aaron Buerge

~Craig McKinnon, ‘Bachelorette’ Season 6, Ali Fedotwsky

~David Good, ‘Bachelorette’ Season 5, Jillian Harris

~Elizabeth Kreft, ‘Bachelor’ Season 14, Jake Pavelka

~Tenley Molzahn, LOVE HER!!! ‘Bachelor’ Season 14, Jake Pavelka

~Wes Hayden,‘Bachelorette’ Season 5, Jillian Harris

Monday's Healthy Tip

Walking is a great exercise to keep your body moving and to stay in shape. In the past I would walk a half hour every other day, which was fine, but after a while it got boring. Here are some tips to keep you walking and enjoying your exercise.

1. Walk with a friend- Most of you are thinking a human next to you, but you can have a walking buddy on the phone. I would walk and make phone calls. Yup, killing two birds with one stone. Sometimes, I would keep walking an extra half hour as I was deep in conversation. If you have a dog, you have an instant buddy as well.

2. Keep a Schedule and keep track- Schedule walking into your daily routine, or every other day. On weekends, instead of walking outside, I would walk the malls. Another kill two birds with one stone! Keep track of how long and how far you walk, so you can set goals and build up your pace.

3. Rewards- After you hit your target, reward yourself. Maybe a nice massage( find a coupon for your favorite place). Working up for something will keep you motivated.

Enjoy!

Kmart: Double Coupons

Today starts another week of DOUBLE COUPONS at Kmart, only this time 5 coupons can be doubled up to $1. I don't think I will be heading out to Kmart, but wanted to give you all the heads up. Call your store to make sure they are participating...Enjoy!

Congratulations

Congrats to Janet who won the July Monthly Giveaway. She won over $150 in coupons. Janet- your coupons went out yesterday. Enjoy!

Saturday Movie Review: To Rent of Not To Rent

This week I got "She's Out of my Leaugue" from the library.

This movie is a little different from the typical boy meets girl movies. Kirk ( Jay Baruchel) is the average nice guy who is a TSA agent. He works with his friends and ex-girlfriend. His ex-girlfriend Marnie ( Lindsay Sloane) is now dating a new guy,Ron, and Marnie still hangs out with Kirk's whole family.

Molly (Alice Eve), a gorgeous blonde shows up late for her plane and Kirk helps her get through security and onto her flight on time. Molly discovers she left her phone at the TSA check in. She calls her phone and discovers Kirk has it. Molly asks Kirk to hold on to it until she is back in town.

Molly thanks Kirk by getting him tickets to a hockey game. Kirk has no idea Molly is actually interested in him until her friend tells him. Molly is a HARD 10 and Kirk is a 5.

Molly and Kirk get along great. Kirk doesn't try hard to impress her, he is just himself and that is what she likes about him.

There are some funny scenes, especially when Kirk brings Molly home to meet his parents and of course his ex is there with her boyfriend. Then Marnie wants to get Kirk back as her boyfriend.

Long story short the movie was entertaining, but stupid at times. It was pretty unrealistic. It would make a fun movie rental night with friends. Enjoy!

Boston Market FREE Smoothie Saturday's

This is for all my Florida folks. I suggest calling your store and making sure they are participating tomorrow..Enjoy!

T.G.I. FRIDAYS- BOGO FREE plus Appetizer Purchase

There is a new coupon for T.G.I. FRIDAYS, if you are looking for a nice date night treat. The wording is a little off, but the coupon is for a FREE Entree, when you BUY another entree and appetizer. Print your coupon here. One coupon per table. This coupon is good through August 11, 2010. Enjoy!

P.S.- Don't forget to enter the date night giveaway here.

Wedding Cost: Flowers

Last week I discussed how to figure out the average cost of your wedding. This week, I will start to break it down even more.

First on my list is: Flowers (and decorations)- This should be about 7-8% of your total budget. So if you are planning to spend $30,000, you are looking at $2,100. You need to factor in how many bridesmaids and groomsmen you are having as well. Here are the average prices in my experience:

$200-$250 for Bride's Bouquet- You can be as creative as you want. I love bride's that add jewels!!

$50-$75 for each Bridesmaid's Bouquet- Choose flowers for your girls that accentuate your color scheme.

$25-$50 for each Boutonnieres- Have them in the same flower as your bridesmaids(same color looks best)

$1,500-$2,000 for Reception and Ceremony Centerpieces- You can reuse many of your flowers throughout your wedding. You can use your ceremony flowers for your centerpieces or to decorate the cake table. You can also have your girls place their bouquets as centerpieces. If you have a big wedding party, this might be the best way to go, especially since you are already spending so much for the bouquets. Have your florist leave vases on each table, and let your girls know what to do.

You might also need to consider if your parents and grandparents want to wear flowers as well. Flowers add up quickly, so keep a budget in mind and work with what you got...Enjoy!

Publix: Deals 8/5-8/11

Publix has some great deals again this week- YEA for two weeks of great deals. Here are a few of the my favorites...

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta, BOGO $1.79
-$1/2 printable coupon here

Juicy Juice 100% Juice, Assorted Varieties, 46 oz bot, BOGO $2.65
- $1/2 printable coupon here

Ragu Pasta Sauce, BOGO $2.19
-$1/2 Ragu Publix Coupon from the Get A Smart Start For Back-To-School Booklet (Mine was in the front as you walk in)
-$.60/2 Ragu Pasta Sauces from the 8/1/2010 Red Plum Insert

*Use both a Publix and manufacture coupon to score VERY cheap Ragu* *Stock Up Price*

Wish-Bone Dressing, Assorted Varieties, 16-oz bot, BOGO $2.69
-$0.75/1 printable coupon here
-$1.25/2 Wish-Bone from the 8/1/2010 Red Plum Insert

Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Dough or Cookie Mix, BOGO $2.89
- $1 off printable coupon here

Use Two coupons and pay $0.89 for TWO, My husband LOVES these * Stock Up Price*

There are also great deals on Meat to Stock up on:

Split Chicken Breast- $1.69 lb. * I still have 2 lbs in my Freezer from last month*

Bottom Round Roast- $2.69 lb.

Boneless Pork Chops- $3.99 lb.

Enjoy!

Chili's 2 for $20

If you are looking for a great deal for dinner, head on in to Chili's where 2 can eat for $20. You get to choose 1 of 5 appetizers and then two dinner entrees.

You will need to sign up for Chili's email club to get this offer in your inbox. When you sign up, you also get FREE chips and queso. Enjoy!

Chelsea Clinton is MARRIED!!

Here are some great pictures from Chelsea Clinton's wedding. She got married on the Hudson Valley to Marc Mezvinsky in Rhinebeck, N.Y. on Saturday night. I think her dress is Beautiful and I love how she didn't wear a necklace either.

Pictures from The Huffington Post here. Enjoy!

Monday's Healthy Tip

Drinking water is a great way to stay hydrated throughout the day, especially now that it is so hot outside. Water has no calories. Eating healthy is great, but if you don't drink enough water you will not be healthy. Skip that coffee or soda today, and have some water!

There is a coupon for $1 off when you buy two 6-pack, 8-pack or 12-packs of Zephyrhills bottled water.Print your coupon here.

Enjoy!

Darden Restaurants Gift Card Giveaway + Bonus Old Navy Gift Card Giveaway

Summer is almost over and before we know it the holidays will be here. Hopefully you entered the last three gift card giveaways on Saving Money for a Wedding. If you entered the last three giveaways, you get extra entries. For each previous gift card giveaway you entered, you will get an extra entry in this weeks gift card giveaway #4.

The fourth and final gift card up for grabs is = $50 gift card to Darden Restaurants. The Darden Restaurants Gift Card can be redeemed at any Red Lobster®, Olive Garden®, LongHorn Steakhouse®, Bahama Breeze® and Seasons 52® restaurant in the U.S..

*BONUS: If you have entered 2 out of the 4 gift card giveaways- you also have a chance of winning a $10 Old Navy Gift Card* One winner will be chosen from all comments.*


How to Win: Just let me know your favorite place to go on date night? Do you schedule date nights weekly with your significant other?

Each of the following will give you an extra entry in the giveaway. Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

-Did you enter giveaway #1. If so, let me know!

-Did you enter giveaway #2. If so, let me know!

-Did you enter giveaway #3. If so, let me know!

-Leave a comment on a Non-Giveaway post and let me know which post

-Add the Saving Money for a Wedding blog button (2 extra entries)

-Become a Blog follower

-Add Saving Money for a Wedding to your blog roll

-Post about this giveaway on your blog, linking back to Saving Money for a Wedding

Giveaway will end on Wednesday, August 18th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be picked randomly and I will send them an email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email. Good Luck and thank you for stopping by...Enjoy!