Congratulations!!!

Congratulations to Rebecca, she is the winner of the note card giveaway from The Green Kangaroo.

Her favorite are the Josie notes. I absolutely LOVE the Josie Wedding Invitations.

Thanks to everyone that entered the giveaway and keep checking out all the great wedding stationery from The Green Kangaroo..Enjoy!

Cold Stone Creamery: Free Ice Cream TONIGHT!!

Cold Stone Creamery is offering FREE Ice Cream Tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. at participating locations around the country. Get all the details here...Enjoy!

Free Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff Shampoo Sample

I love Free Samples, as they are great to pack in a weekend bag and would be great to take on your honeymoon. Sign up here for a FREE sample of Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff Shampoo. Usually the samples come with coupons...Enjoy!

Celebrity Wedding Cake

Still can't find your perfect wedding cake? Don't forget the wedding cake of Jesse Csincsak and Ann Lueders the former stars on ABC's The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. The couple got married at the Rumor Hotel in Las Vegas last month.

The cupcake wedding cake was made by Red Velvet Stefanie. The cake had 200 cupcakes. Don't rule out a cupcake wedding cake- it is totally in right now.

O how the time goes by, it seems like just yesterday Jesse was engaged to Bachelorette star DeAnna Pappa. Enjoy!

Instant Wins and Sweepstakes Tuesday

Check out the instant wins and sweepstakes this week:

There is a new football game from Cooking with Kraft here.


You can win a $250 Publix gift card and 2 tickets to a regular NFL game associated with your local Publix division. There are 270 first prizes (15 per week per division) for $100 Publix gift card. You can enter once per day through 10/6, and earn up to 15 more entries per day by playing the game. *This is a fun one, I am learning to kick a field goal*


Here is another football sweepstakes:

Enter "Feed Their Game Face" sweepstakes and instant win here for a chance to win 52 weeks of groceries and a trip to your favorite college football games. They also have an instant win game where you can win a $100 store gift card..Enjoy!

Monday's Healthy Tips

There is a great new e-book for 29 easy and healthy breakfast recipes here. The pineapple French Toast looks great. Check out all the great recipes..Enjoy!

The Green Kangaroo Giveaway Ends Tonight

The Green Kangaroo Giveaway Ends Tonight, don't forget to enter to win your choice of Note Cards. Enter here...Enjoy!

Comic Sunday

My mom still talks about my wedding all the time. This made me laugh. Of course your wedding is an event of a lifetime. Click here for a bigger image of the comic strip. CATHY 2/7/05..Enjoy!

Blockbuster Movie code

If you were planning a movie night tonight, I got you covered. Get a free DVD rental at your local Blockbuster Express(usually inside Publix) with the code: SSD19B (exp. 9/30). Enjoy!

Saturday Movie Review: To Rent or Not to Rent

This week I got "Killers" from the library. Not knowing what to expect, I just knew I wanted to see the movie since the stars are Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl. I was so happy when it showed up on my library list.

Jen (Katherine) and Spencer (Ashton) meet while in the South of France, and she thinks he is the perfect guy from the start. Spencer's past includes being a CIA assassin, which is what he was doing in France. He tries to tell her of his past, but she ends up passing out one night and he doesn't ever bring it up again. They end up married and very happy, until his past starts catching back up to him.

Spencer soon realizes there are people out after him as he thinks he didn't complete a mission. Jen is caught off guard one morning and sees who her husband used to be. Their neighbors start to turn on them as agents and everyone is after Spencer(and Jen). The movie is a little like Mr. and Mrs. Smith. It is a great date movie and my husband and I both enjoyed it. Tom Selleck stars as Jen's dad in the movie and his past is a shocker to all. Enjoy!

Tomorrow is FREE Museum Day-9/25

Did you mark your calendars for tomorrow? Tomorrow there are over 1,000 museums that are offering FREE admission. Get more details here....My husband and I are planning to check out our local museum after lunch tomorrow..Enjoy your day!!

Open Bar vs. Cash Bar

This week I want to tackle a difficult topic: Open Bar vs. Cash Bar at your wedding.

In these tough times, I hear more brides and grooms considering a cash bar to minimize cost. I am not a fan of cash bars. Think about it- you are inviting your guests to your wedding, they are bringing you a gift and they are assuming you are providing a day/night of good food, drinks and entertainment.

Here are a few ways you can limit your alcohol expense:

1. Serve only beer and wine
2. Open the bar during cocktail hour only
3. Offer specialty drinks
4. Offer lower shelf liquors

Most hotels/banquet halls offer different packages for alcohol. You don't see top shelf liquor at too many weddings these day. Most packages are per person, but I have heard of some per hour. Remember you don't have to pay a bar expense for guests that are under age.

*If you are having a brunch/afternoon wedding, an option is offering Mimosa's and Bloody Marys for your guests.

I would love to hear ways you limited your wedding bar expenses. Enjoy!

Vera Wang at David's Bridal

Get ready brides, you will soon be able to walk down the aisle in a Vera Wang bridal gown for under $1400 from David's Bridal. Last week Vera was on Oprah discussing her new line White which will be available at David's Bridal in February 2011. The collection is extremely affordable ranging in price from $600 to $1400. You can get a sneak peak on Oprah.com here.

Chelsea Clinton wore Vera Wang on her wedding day. Enjoy!

Instant Wins & Sweepstakes Tuesday

There is a Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Instant Win Game that you can play once per day through February 7, 2011. There are over 2000 winners each week. Winners get FOUR FREE boxes of Pillsbury Toaster Strudels. I haven't won yet- but play here. Hope you have better luck.



There is also a Sweepstakes here where you can enter for a chance to win FREE Groceries for a year in the Del Monte Family Meals Sweepstakes. Four Grand Prize winners will get free groceries for a year (up to $5000) and 440 First Prize Winners will get a $100 Publix gift card. One entry per person. Good luck.

Check back next Tuesday for more Sweepstakes and Instant Win Games. Don't forget to share in the comments if you win...Enjoy!

Monday's Healthy Tip

As the new Fall TV shows start to fill up your schedule, plan to exercise while you watch.

You can walk or run in place while you watch. Get on your treadmill and your 30 minute TV show will fly by. And for those hour long shows, do push up or sit ups during the commercials. Skip the popcorn and get in shape...Enjoy!

Comic Sunday

It just shows that if you save money on some things, you have more to spend on other stuff. Very cute!! Click here for a bigger image of the comic strip. CATHY 4/11/08..Enjoy!

Saturday Movie Review: To Rent or Not to Rent

This week we watched " The Ghost Writer". This one was my husbands choice from Blockbuster. Of course we got the movie FREE here.

The former British Prime Minister, Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) is looking for a new ghost writer. The former ghost writer died in an unfortunate accident. The new ghost writer is Ewan McGrego. The ghost has a bad feeling from the start that something is not right. The ghost first day of work involves hearing about a former British cabinet minister accuses Lang of a war crime. Lang's assistant (and Mistress) is played by Kim Cattrall.

As Ewan is working on completing the memoirs, he begins to uncover clues suggesting his predecessor may have stumbled on a dark secret linking Lang to the CIA. Lang's wife RUTH is also a sketchy character as she ends up sleeping with the Ghost. The movie was very drawn out and the mystery took a while to unfold. The Ghost figures out the clues must be hidden in the manuscript his predecessor left behind.

Just in case you are planning to rent this one, I wont spoil the ending, but will say it is not what I expected. The deceit is way beyond what one movie should unfold. The truth can be deadly..

My husband enjoyed this one while I did not. Next movie will be my choice..Enjoy!!

College Gameday

My favorite day of the week- College Game Day. UF plays Tennessee today. Hope your favorite college team wins(unless your a Tennessee fan). Enjoy!!

Cold Stone Creamery: Free Ice Cream 9/30/2010

Mark your calendars now. Cold Stone Creamery is offering FREE Ice Cream on September 30, 2010 from 5 to 8 p.m. at participating locations around the country. Get more details here.. Each person will receive a free 3oz. cup of Kate’s Creation ice cream. Enjoy!

Publix: Buy Theirs Get Ours FREE

This week Publix has another "Buy Theirs Get Ours FREE" Promo. If you buy the National Brand Product you will get the corresponding Publix brand for FREE. I usually do better on Buy One Get One FREE Deals(since I get to use TWO coupons), but this gives you a nice chance to try the Publix brand for FREE. Enjoy!

Save the Date or Not Save the Date

I get asked a lot from brides if Save the Dates are necessary. Save the Dates are a great way to get your friends and family ready for your wedding.

Here are my favorite questions:
1. Do you need to send STD's to everyone you are inviting?
- It is totally up to you. You should mail them to friends and family that would be traveling for your wedding. Your co-worker really doesn't need to get your STD in her mailbox. Limiting how many you send will help save you on cost as well.


2. How far in advance do you send Save the Dates?
-It all depends on how long of an engagement you are planning. Typically, at least 5 months in advance. This will give enough time for loved ones to book their travel. If you are planning a long engagement, feel free to send your STD's well ahead of that- this will give people more than enough time to take off work and maybe even make your wedding a mini-vacation.

3. What if I am not sure of my guest list, can I still send out my Save the Dates to the people I am definitely inviting?
-I hear this ALL THE TIME. One problem with this, what happens if one friend ends up at another friends house and sees your Save the Date (and your other friend didn't get one). This can cause some really big problems that you just don't need to deal with.

4. Did you send Save the Dates and what is the most common type?
-I did not send STD's. We had a long engagement and at our engagement party we told everyone our wedding date. We had a wedding website as well and shared it with friends and family. Personally, I think wedding photo magnets are the cutest, but most fridges these days aren't magnetized. I like how many couples use the same wedding theme starting with their Save the Dates (then with their invitation, programs and place cards).

Last bit of advice I will give is :DO NOT send a Save the Date to anyone who will not be receiving a wedding invitation. You might think this is obvious, but make sure you can accommodate all the people you send out STD's. Don't book a room for 100 people and send out 150 Save the Dates. Enjoy!

Seventeen Magazine: 3 FREE Issues

I love sharing magazine deals with you all. If you like Seventeen or know someone who does- they can get 3 FREE Issues starting with the October issue, from ValueMags.com here. Enjoy!

Blockbuster FREE Movie Tonight

Looking for a FREE movie rental tonight? Head to your Blockbuster kiosk (usually in your local Publix) for a free one night rental valid Today Only, use code: START. The code can be used once per debit/credit card. Enjoy!

Old Navy 30% off

Print a coupon here for 30% off any single item at Old Navy. The coupon says "Baby Sale", but it can be used on any purchase. Coupon expires September 23, 2010. Enjoy!

The Green Kangaroo Review and Giveaway

Have you been searching for unique Save The Dates and Wedding Invitations? Well, look no further than The Green Kangaroo.

Each product is 100% original to The Green Kangaroo, so you won't have the same wedding invitation as all of your friends. TGK knows each bride is unique and they will help you customize all pieces of your wedding(from Save the Dates, invitations, wedding programs, etc.) to fit your personality and individual style. They have hundreds of fabulous modern wedding invitations to fit every budget.

I had the pleasure of working with the TGK Team on note cards for my husband and me.
The TGK Team sent me the personalized bordered stationery note cards on champagne shimmer paper. The champagne shimmer paper is gorgeous. I wish I had these Thank You cards for my wedding.
I have worked with many wedding stationery companies in the past, and the TGK Team had the best customer service by far. They were there to answer all my questions and my note cards arrived on schedule and wrapped in green tissue paper (so cute!).


Check out all the great note cards below along with their matching wedding stationery. One Lucky reader will win their own Note Card set (keep reading):

• Josie notes - These come in Harvest & Chocolate ink on Champagne paper. QTY. 50 notes + coordinating cream envelopes. Check out the matching: invitation, save the date, and wedding program.
• Palm Notes -These come in Turquoise ink on Textured Antique White paper. QTY. 50 notes + coordinating antique white envelopes. Check out the adorable matching invitation.
• Floral Toile Notes - These come in light Navy ink on Antique White paper. QTY. 75 notes + coordinating antique white envelopes. Check out the matching invitation & save the date.
• Sunflower Notes -These come in Marigold & Chocolate ink on White paper. QTY. 50 notes + coordinating white envelopes.Check out the matching invitation & save the date.
• Magnolia Thank You Notes - These come in Plum ink on Champagne paper. QTY. 50 notes + coordinating cream envelopes. Check out the matching pocket invitation and save the date.
• Cari Notes - These come in Harvest & Cranberry ink on Champagne paper. QTY. 50 notes + coordinating cream envelopes. Check out the matching: invitation, save the date, and program.

Now for the best part: The Green Kangaroo is offering one of my lucky readers their own set of note cards (from the 6 listed above).

How to enter: Take a look around The Green Kangaroo and let me know your favorite item or items! Then come back here and leave a comment. This question must be answered to gain an entry in the giveaway. 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:


-Post about this giveaway on your blog, linking back to Saving Money for a Wedding.
-Grab my blog button for your blog
-Add my blog to your Blog Roll
-Subscribe to my blog
-Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post and let me know which post
-Become a Blog follower- 2 EXTRA ENTRIES

The giveaway will end on Monday, September 27th @ 11:59 pm EST. I will pick the winner randomly and will send them an email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email. Good Luck and thank you all again for checking out my blog and a special thanks to The Green Kangaroo. Enjoy!

Disclosure: I was provided with free note cards from The Green Kangaroo and all opinions are my own.

Comic Sunday

Cathy and Irving's wedding reception and of course how happy Cathy's mom is to have her married off...lol...Click here to see a bigger image of the comic strip. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend...CATHY 2/6/05..Enjoy!

College Gameday

I just love Saturdays and Gator Football. Today the Gators play USF. Go Gators!!! Hope you all are having a great weekend. No movie review today- I'm planning to rent one tonight!!

Check back tomorrow for a great giveaway..Enjoy!

Snuggies $6.99

Have you been looking for your favorite team Snuggie? Well, CVS has a great deal this week on Varsity Snuggies. The coupon machine at CVS where you scan your Extra Care Card, is printing $3/1 Varsity Snuggie coupons. Last week I was getting $3 off Any "As Seen On TV" product. The CVS coupon is only valid for ONE DAY. There is a coupon on Coupons.com for $5 off Varsity Snuggies. Pair the $5 and $3 together for $8 off.

Varsity Snuggies are $14.99 this week -$8= $6.99!!!

*I bought a snuggie last holiday season for $8 and I thought that was a bargain- you can't go wrong for $6.99. These would make great holiday gifts too. Enjoy!

9/25- FREE Admission to over 1,000 museums

Mark your calendars! September 25, 2010 is national Museum Day and you can get FREE admission to over 1,000 museums. Find a museum near you that is participating here...I'll remind you again as it gets closer..Enjoy!

How to Stock Pile- My shopping trip

So yesterday I mentioned how my fridge was getting low and I knew I needed to re-stock. Well, after a full day of shopping yesterday, I had a successful mission.

My first stop was Albertsons- I just needed to pick up the weekly ad for the in-ad coupons.
Albertsons had Buy One Get TWO FREE on Meats with the coupon above. My Publix accepts these as competitor coupons. The meat prices are better at Publix and I enjoy their meat department. I did buy my husband a 24 pack of Bud light- as it was the best deal around town. I had a coupon for a FREE bag of pretzels when you buy Bud Light, and the box had a peelie for $3 off a 24pack of water with purchase (water was on sale for $3.99, with a $1 off special). So it worked out even better than I planned.

Next stop was Publix- I had my list in hand and knew exactly what I needed to get. This is the best way to save money, by planning ahead. I got chicken, steak and hot dogs with my Albertsons coupons. I got 3 packs of chicken, 3 packs of steaks, 4 packs of Hotdogs and 2 packs of Hotdog buns- All for under $12.

There is also a new $5 off the purchase of 5 Kraft dairy items coupon. I stocked up on cheese and sour cream as well at Publix.

Later in the day I stopped into Target and got FREE onions with my $1 off produce coupon. I was planning to use some other Target coupons- $2 off accessories, $10 off bath purchase, but my husband was with me and I didn't see any great deals right off hand.

Guess what we had for dinner last night? Steaks and potatoes(loaded with cheese and sour cream). The Albertsons coupons end today, so if you have an Albertsons near by-its time to stock up...Enjoy!!!

Congratulations

Congrats to Jackie who won the August Monthly Giveaway. She won a $20 Publix Gift Card. Jackie loves to buy the Buy One Get One FREE at Publix. She is lucky that she gets Double Coupon Days- I wish we had it down in Florida. Jackie- your GC will go out tomorrow.

btw- I had a very successful shopping day today. I'm exhausted now, Ill post details tomorrow. Enjoy!

Fashion Bug: $1 Flip Flops

I love sharing Flip Flop deals with all of you, as they are great to have at your wedding. I provided all my girls with Flip Flops.

Today only, Fashion Bug is offering $1 flip-flops in-store and online. You can order online and choose in-store pick up to get them shipped free. Check out the selection here...Enjoy!

Harper's Bazaar FREE Subscription

Sign up here for a FREE 11-issue subscription from Harper's Bazaar. This is courtesy of ValueMags.com.


You can still sign up for your FREE issue of Bridal Guide here..Enjoy!

Happy Labor Day!

HAPPY LABOR DAY!!!

Today marks the unofficial end of summer. I will be out and about doing some grocery shopping trying to restock my pantry that had been slowing dwindling away. Hopefully, you are one of the lucky people who have the day off from work.


My stops include:
Albertsons- To get the weekly ad in store for the Buy One, Get TWO FREE Deals
Publix- To stock up and use my Albertson's coupons from my first stop
Target- There is a new batch of Target coupon here. There is a $1 off produce coupon- which makes for FREE produce.


Enjoy!

Comic Sunday

Good old bridesmaids. Click here to see a bigger image of the comic strip. CATHY- 1/31/05..Enjoy!

Saturday Movie Review: To Rent or Not to Rent

This week I got "Date Night" from the library. I wasn't sure what to expect as Tina Fey and Steve Carell are each funny in their own ways.

Phil (Carell) and Claire (Fey) are run-down parents who go out once a week for Date Night. They go out week after week to the same restaurant for dinner, but then one night they decide to break their boring routine. They head into Manhattan to a hot new restaurant and due to not have a reservation, they end up taking another couples reservations. They are having a great dinner and even see Will.I.Am. , but then they get kicked out and are not sure why.

Turns out the couple who's reservations they stole are criminals. They get mistaken for the criminal couple and are caught in a police chase throughout the movie. Mark Wahlberg is also in the movie (WITHOUT a SHIRT!!!)

Don't expect to be laughing throughout the whole movie, but there are some funny scenes. Both me and my husband thought it was worth watching, but sorta a waste of Fey's and Carell's comedy. Enjoy!

Restaurant Deals

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



Red Lobster: $3 off any two lunch entrees and $4 off any two dinner entrees, Print here, exp. 9/23/10.

Benihana: Get a Hibachi Ribeye Dinner for Two for $38- get all the details here, good through 9/30/10.

If you missed last week's restaurant deals- check them out here..Enjoy!

Shout Color Catcher FREE Sample

Sign up here for a FREE Sample of Shout Color Catcher. This would be great to put in your wedding day kit- you never know when you might need a Shout wipe..Enjoy!

2011 FREE Calendar

2011 will be here before we know it and you can sign up through womenshealth.gov for a FREE 2011 Planning calendar now. The calendars wont be shipped until December- but it will be a nice treat to get a calendar in your mailbox before the year ends.

I am a calendar fan and keep my pocket calendar in my purse at all times- I just don't trust my phone to remember everything!

Sign up here...Enjoy!