Instant Wins and Sweepstakes Tuesday

Enter daily here to win the Better Homes and Gardens All I Want for Christmas Sweepstakes to win an $8,000 check so you can get that one thing you really want for Christmas.




In need of a vacation? How does a trip to Japan sound. Sign up here for the Japan Winter Dream Getaway Sweepstakes.

Good luck, Enjoy!

Monday's Healthy Tip

This weeks pyramid topic is Vegetables. My least favorite, but with age I am eating more veggies. You should have 3-6 servings a day!!


Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts as a member of the vegetable group. Vegetables may be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed. Vegetables are organized into 5 subgroups, based on their nutrient content. Some commonly eaten vegetables in each subgroup are:

1. Dark Green Vegetables- examples are: broccoli, dark green leafy lettuce, spinach
* A spinach salad is a good choice at your dinner table*

2. Orange Vegetables- acorn and butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin
*Squash makes perfect side dishes*

3. Dry Beans and Peas- black beans, navy beans, split peas, tofu
*Soups are a great way to incorporate your vegetables*

4. Starchy Vegetables- corn, potatoes and green peas
*Corn on the cob makes a great treat for dinner*

5. Other Vegetables- Eggplant, green beans, okra, onions, tomatoes
*Eggplant is one of my favorite dishes and it is very healthy*

Enjoy!

The Green Kangaroo Giveaway

If you haven't ordered your photo holiday cards yet, now is a great time at The Green Kangaroo. A great idea is using a picture from your engagement or wedding. At least the weather is still nice in Florida this time of year. If you live up north, here is a really cute holiday photo card:

Bird & Branch- Latte

Remember you can order save the dates, wedding invitations, wedding programs and so much more from The Green Kangaroo. I love how you can choose your theme and work your whole wedding around it.

I have another note card giveaway for one of my readers to win. 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):

• 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.
• 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 3 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
-Become a Blog follower
-Subscribe to my blog
-Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post and let me know which post- - 2 EXTRA ENTRIES


The giveaway will end on Monday, December 20th @ 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!

Saturday Movie Review: To Rent or Not to Rent

I finally finished The Good Witch trilogy. The series stars Catherine Bell as Cassandra Nightingale(I love her in Army Wives) and Chris Potter as Jake Russell.

The first movie was The Good Witch(2007). Cassandra is a mysterious women who moves into the haunted Grey House in town. Instantly the neighbors find her odd and the towns people do not like having her around. Cassandra opens a shop full of unique items in town. The only one who is not plotting against her is the town's police chief Jake and his two kids(Lori and Brandon). Jake is raising the children since their mother has died. Jake's father lives with him to help out as well. Throughout the movie you are questioning if Cassandra is a witch or not? I love her character and she has a great personality. She offers a nice love potion in her store which wins her fans.

The next movie was The Good Witch's Garden(2009). This was a great sequel and stars the same great cast. Cassandra is settled into her home and making a nice garden at the Grey House. She is dating Jake and his kids love her. Cassandra puts an ad in the paper to offer her home up like a Bed & Breakfast. She does get one taker. As you can guess, this is not the visitor she expected. He claims to be the rightful heir to the Grey House and takes her home from her. Jake's father is still helping around the home and finds love in this sequel from his gardening. Can Cassandra work her magic to get her home back?

The final movie in the series was The Good Witch's Gift(2010). Cassandra "Cassie" and Jake are planning their wedding and with Christmas only a few days away, they pick Christmas Eve to get married. This movie also brings back an un-welcomed visitor. There was a bank robbery many years ago and Jake put this man in jail. He is back in town as he got released for good behavior. Turns out Jake's son Brandon is dating this man's daughter. The money from the robbery has yet to be found. Cassie works her magic on this man and the city sees good in him. Get ready for a magical wedding where everything falls into place.

The Good Witch's Gift has this trilogy going out on top. Maybe we will see another one next year. We can only hope. I recommend watching all three of these movies in a row to get the full effect of the holiday season. You should be able to catch these three movies on the Hallmark channel all month long..Enjoy!

Congratulations!

Donna is the winner of the $25 Macy's gift card for sharing her engagement story. I am so happy so many of you shared your stories.

Donna wrote:
We went out for a regular date night dinner in the city. I went to the restroom after dinner and thought we were leaving after. When I got back to the table there was a dessert plate with all different desserts and two fortune cookies. He asked me to open our fortunes and it said "MARRY ME". Our family was in the next room hiding out. It was the best day ever.

We posted pictures on Facebook the next day. I did call my closest friends to share my good news. We sent out Save the Dates and are getting married in April.


Wow- I love the fortune cookie touch! Social networking has really changed the way we share information. My husband and I sent an email out after we got engaged to share with our closest friends and family. I loved all your magical engagement moments and I read each one. I'll be sharing more of them next month with you- as I had over 75 responses. Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!

Seattle's Best Coffee FREE TODAY!

It's the last Friday of the month!!

Don't forget: Stop by Burger King for a FREE 12oz. hot cup of Seattle's Best Coffee every Friday during November during breakfast hours. Enjoy!

Stockpiling FREEBIES

Walgreens is offering TONS of free products starting today. These deals require you pay for the item, but them get back "Jingle Cash" (same as Register Rewards).

Here is a list of the FREE STUFF you can get at Walgreens, November 25th through 27th.

Gillette Fusion ProSeries Skin Care
$5.49 and earns $5.49 in Jingle Cash

Nivea For Men Shave Gel
$2.99 and earns $2.99 in Jingle Cash

Dr. Pepper, 7Up, Sunkist, Canada Dry or Hawaiian Punch
$0.99 and earns $.99 in Jingle Cash

Secret Scents Expressions Body Splash
$3.49 and earns $3.49 in Jingle Cash

Colgate Total Advanced or Enamel Strength
$2.99 and earns $2.99 in Jingle Cash

Crest 3D White Vivid Toothpaste
$2.99 and earns $2.99 in Jingle Cash

Gum Ez-Thru Flossers
$2.25 and earns $2.25 Jingle Cash

Oral-B Indicator Toothbrush
$2.25 and earns $2.25 in Jingle Cash

Just For Men 2-in-1 shampoo & conditioner
$4.99 and earns $4.99 Jingle Cash

Scunci Elastics
$1.99 an earns $1.99 in Jingle Cash

ThermaCare Heatwrap Trial Size
$2.49 and earns $2.49 in Jingle Cash

Fiber Choice Fruit Tablets 10ct
$2.49 and earns $2.49 Jingle Cash

Robitussin To Go 2ct
$2.49 and earns $2.49 in Jingle Cash

Advil PM
$0.99 and earns $.99 in Jingle Cash

Check your paper today, but these deals should be at all Walgreens. Remember you can use Jingle cash towards any items in the store. Even towards other FREE items. I suggest heading out before your Thanksgiving dinner to stock up, as the sale starts today and most of the goodies will be gone tomorrow..Enjoy!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

I am thankful to have all of you as blog buddies and I appreciate you reading my blog. I hope you and your family have an AMAZING day and spend quality time together.


If you haven't entered my engagement Macy's $25 Gift Card giveaway, enter here...Enjoy!

Chick-fil-A Calendar of Coupons and Giveaway

Last week I mention the new Chick-fil-A 2011 Calendar. Drum roll...Here are the Chick-fil-A coupons in the 2011 calendar:

January: FREE Chick-Fil-A Spicy Chicken Biscuit or Small Bowl of Chicken Soup
February: FREE Yogurt Parfait and Dasani Bottled Water
March: FREE Large Diet Coke
April: FREE Chick-Fil-A Nuggets (8 ct)
May: FREE Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad
June: FREE Small Hand-Spun Milkshake
July: FREE Medium Freshly Squeezed Chick-Fil-A Lemonade
August: FREE Large Sprite
September: FREE Spicy Chicken Sandwich
October: FREE Large Coca-Cola
November: FREE Chick-n-Minis (3 ct) OR Large Waffle Potato Fries
December: FREE Large Coca-Cola Zero

* You can usually substitute an item- i.e. Instead if Diet Coke you can get regular Coke.

Giveaway::: I picked up an extra calendar this year for one of my lucky readers. I ran this giveaway last year too. So this is the second annual giveaway.


How to enter: Let me know what you are most looking forward to in 2011.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 Wednesday, December 15th @ 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...Enjoy!

Virtual Hairstyle Makeover on WeddingChannel.com

Wedding Channel has a great new feature on their site if you are still searching for your perfect wedding day hairstyle. Get a virtual Hairstyle Makeover. Just upload your photo and play around. Get started here. Enjoy!

Bath and Body Works: FREE Item with $10 purchase

If your heading to the mall this weekend, check your mail, as I just got a FREE Item coupon, up to $13, FREE with a $10 purchase at Bath & Body Works. I am hoping for the hand-soap to go on sale on Friday.

You can also get this deal on-line:Add $10 worth of products to your shopping cart plus another item worth up to $13. Enter coupon code FREE4U at checkout to receive your FREE item..Enjoy!

Instant Wins and Sweepstakes Tuesday

If your stress levels are increasing with the holidays just around the corner, it is a good time to enter the Hoover Stress Less Holiday Sweepstakes.

• MaxExtract77^® Multi-Surface Pro™ Carpet & Hard Floor Deep Cleaner!
• WindTunnel^® T-Series™ Rewind™ Bagless Upright Vacuum!
• PLUS a $500 American Express^® Gift Card!

Enter here before 12/11 to win..Enjoy!!

Monday's Healthy Tip

I can't wait for my Thanksgiving feast this week. Last week I talked about the food pyramid, and I know how hard it is to eat healthy in November and December.

The first part of the pyramid is Grains:

Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain product. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits are examples of grain products.

Grains are divided into 2 subgroups, whole grains and refined grains.

Some examples of Whole grains would be oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat products. <----Healthy!!!

Some examples of Refined grains would be white bread, pasta, corn tortillas and white rice. <---- NOT Healthy!!


My latest addiction are brown rice chips from Costco- I am addicted!! Enjoy!

Stockpiling Sunday

Hopefully by now you have enough Candy to last you until next Halloween.

This week my stockpiling pantry will be full of rice. Not just any rice, healthy whole grain white rice.

Here is how to stock up your pantry. Print a coupon here for Uncle Ben's Buy One Get One FREE Whole Grain White Rice. (You can print 2 per computer- hit the back button after the first one prints).

This week at Publix:
Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain White, Assorted Varieties, 4.4 to 6.7 oz box are BOGO $1.99.
-Use the BOGO FREE coupon above and get TWO BOXES FOR FREE. You will need multiple computers(ask friends or relatives) and each coupon you print will get you TWO FREE BOXES.

I stocked up and bought 12 BOXES LAST NIGHT FOR FREE!!! Now, I won't be eating all this rice, I will be sharing with friends and family. Also there are many food drives going on now for the holidays, so you can always pick up some FREE rice and donate it. Enjoy!

Saturday Movie Review: To Rent or Not to Rent

This past week I let my husband choose a movie at the library and he picked "Shoot 'Em Up". I knew it sounded like an action movie and it sure was.

The movie stars Clive Owen as Smith. Smith is the man of the movie. He is at the wrong place at the wrong time when a women is going into labor. He is there for the delivery and the gun fire begins. The leader of the firing is Paul Giamatti, who plays Hertz. Smith saves the baby and makes it a mission to find out why these people want the baby dead. Smith goes to his hooker to try to drop off the baby, but plans don't go the way they should and the 3 of them are on the run. Baby Oliver is super cute and loves the sound of heavy metal. The movie is full of action scenes and gun fire. A presidential campaign, gun factory and a laboratory all are behind the need for baby Oliver.

I highly recommend this movie and my husband and I both enjoyed it. Your guy will love if you pick this one up for him next time you are at the library. Enjoy!

P.S.- Next week I will have a full post of the Hallmark movie on The Good Witch's series. There are actually 3 of them. I only watched two so far, and I'll finish the final one this week!!

Yankee Candle Holiday Open House 11/20

If you are hitting the malls today, stop into any Yankee Candle Store between 10am -12pm and you can get a FREE candle. Limit 1 per customer.Enjoy!

Here are a couple of coupons you might want to print and take with you:

Jessica Simpson's Engagement Ring

Jessica Simpson showed off Neil Lane engagement ring at Dillard's department store in Kansas City on Saturday as she was promoting her clothing line. She got engaged last week to Eric Johnson, her boyfriend of 5 months. He proposed with a three-stone ring that features a central ruby flanked by two diamonds.

See the full article from People here.

What do you think of her engagement after only a few months and right after Nick got engaged.

I am not a big fan of the ring, I would love to hear your opinions..Enjoy!

Seattle's Best Coffee FREE TODAY!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!


Stop by Burger King for a FREE 12oz. hot cup of Seattle's Best Coffee every Friday during November during breakfast hours. Enjoy!

Starbucks Holiday Drinks: BOGO FREE

No coupon needed: Buy One Get One FREE Holiday Drink at Starbucks November 18-21, 2010 from 2-5 p.m. What a great deal if you were planning on getting a drink anyways.Enjoy!

Wedding Showers

I mentioned the bridal games I had planned for the bridal shower I attended last month here, but what really is the reasons behind having a shower?

Wedding showers were started to "shower" the couple with gifts. A shower should not be given by the bride or her immediate family(or the groom's), since it is almost like them asking for gifts. The best is if a close friend arranges the event. The hostess of the shower often works out all the details with the bride's mother. The brides mother or close friends usually contribute to the cost.

The best time to hold the bridal shower is 6 weeks to a month before the wedding.

Only people invited to the wedding should be invited to the shower. For example, don't have your mother invite your co-workers if they are not getting a formal invite to your wedding. Wedding costs add up for guests too, so keep the list short and have your closest friends and relatives. Showers are usually attended by in town guests, as out of town guests then need to fly back in town for the wedding a month later. Some do, but it is a great expense.

For guests that send gifts, but don't attend your shower, here is a good example of a Thank You note:

Dear Aunt Sally,

I'm sorry you weren't able to make the trip down to the bridal shower Aunt Betsy held for me. Thank you so much for the spice rack you sent. It will fit perfectly in our kitchen. We appreciate your thoughtfulness. Mike and I look forward to seeing you at our wedding in January.


Enjoy!!

Cold Stone Creamery FREE Cake Tonight

There is a yummy freebie for you tonight at Cold Stone Creamery. Head over to participating stores tonight from 5-8PM to snag a FREE 3 oz. portion of the new Eight Layered Cakes. Sounds good to me and what a cute idea for a wedding cake..Enjoy!

Instant Wins and Sweepstakes Tuesday

Here are some great giveaways to enter this week:




Enter the Meals Together, Memories Forever Sweepstakes here and you could win a grocery store gift card valued at $1,000 and one All-Clad Stainless Steel 7-piece Cookware Set or other great kitchen prizes. Giveaway ends 1/13/11.





Enter the RedPlum& Big Research’s Fall Festival Sweepstakes here and you can win a Sony Bravia 32″ LCD HDTV, $500 Cash, $500 Gift Card at the Retailer of Your Choice, and Appl iPad Wi-Fi 16GB, Nintendo WiiVideo Game Consoles and much much more.. Perfect in time for the holidays...Enjoy!

Monday's Healthy Tip

Do you remember the food pyramid from your childhood school days? Well I sure do and it looks like the pyramid has changed over the years.


Are you getting all the daily recommendations? Next week I'll start to focus on each category and tips to meet your goals. Enjoy!

Engagement Questions/Giveaway

It seems like many of my friends are getting engaged and what better time than right before the holidays. I want to hear all about your engagement:

Who was the first person you told?

Did you update your social networking status right away?

How did you announce your engagement?



I want to hear all about it.. You can comment on this post or email me your story at:
COUPONSRGREAT1 (AT) GMAIL (DOT) COM


To sweeten the deal- One lucky entry winner will get a $25 Macy's Gift Card courtesy of me. Please comment/email me by November 25th @11:59pm EST. Enjoy!

Dyeables-Make the Perfect Wedding Shoe Color

Are you still searching for your perfect wedding shoe and having trouble finding your "Color". Then think about dyeables. You can turn any shoe into the perfect color. I stuck with the traditional white shoe, but when I think back I wish I dyed my shoes to match my wedding colors.
Check out all the dyeables here. They have some really cute styles these days that are dyeables. The average cost to dye shoes is $10-$20, but call around and find the best deal. Happy shoe shopping...Enjoy!

Saturday Movie Night

Do you know my favorite part of the holidays? The holiday movies. I love curling up on the couch watching movies. Tonight is the Good Witch's Gift. Set your DVR's so you don't miss this one. I'll be posting my review during the week, but this one looks good...Enjoy!

Congratulations!

Congrats and we have a winner....Melissa is the winner of the Note Card Giveaway from The Green Kangaroo and picked the Palm Notes. Thanks to everyone that entered. Enjoy!

Seattle's Best Coffee FREE TODAY!

Don't forget: Stop by Burger King for a FREE 12oz. hot cup of Seattle's Best Coffee every Friday during November during breakfast hours. Enjoy!

Chick-fil-A FREE Calendar Deal

Chick-fil-A is once again running an EXCELLENT deal this month for a FREE 2011 Calendar. First off, who doesn't need a calendar loaded with coupons and second, who doesn't LOVE Chick-fil-A.

Here is how it works. Purchase a $25 gift card and you get a FREE 2011 Calendar. (Last year the calendar was only $20.) The calendar has coupons for free stuff each month. Here is the list of coupons from last year's 2010 calendar:

January -Free chicken biscuit or a free small bowl of soup
February - Free large Sprite
March - Free 3 piece Chick-n-Strips
April - Free medium lemonade
May - Free small homespun milkshake
June - Free Dasani water and free small fruit cup
July - Free chicken salad sandwich
August - Free large Coke Zero
September - Free chicken sandwich
October - Free large Coke
November - Free large Diet Coke
December - Free three Chick-n-Minis or Free large fries


I would suggest purchasing the card first(get your FREE Calendar)- then enjoy eating there using your gift card. $25 should last you a couple of visits, especially if you pair it with the FREEBIES each month in the calendar. I hope to head in this weekend and get a new calendar- not sure yet if the coupons are the same. I'll keep you posted. Enjoy!

Wedding Card Box

Now a days, you see wedding card boxes for the bride and groom. It is a great way for the bride and groom to keep their envelope gifts organized and safe. You can easily make your own box. Think of getting a nice white box and cutting a whole in the top and decorate the outside of the box with pictures. Creativity on a budget..Enjoy!

Instant Wins and Sweepstakes Tuesday

Enter here every day for a chance to win a $100 gift card from Glade®.

Sweepstakes ends at 11:59:59 a.m. CT on 12/30/10.




Each day in November a different toy will be given away from Parenting Magazine. These toys are from their annual Toys of the Year List. Enter here- This will be great for the holidays...Enjoy!

Monday's Healthy Tip

Jumping rope for exercise is a great exercise for your body. It works your calves, arms and shoulders. It also helps you with balancing and burns calories. So grab that old jump rope out from the garage and start working out..Enjoy!

TGK Note Card Giveaway Ends TONIGHT!

If you haven't entered yet- make sure you enter here for the Note Card Giveaway from The Green Kangaroo...Enjoy!

Saturday Movie Review: To Rent or Not to Rent

If you missed my library fiasco, check it out here. I finally got to watch Letters to Juliet and am glad I did.


Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is a fact checker for the New Yorker magazine, but wants to become a journalist. Sophie is engaged to Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal), a chef who is opening his own restaurant. Sophie and Victor take a pre-honeymoon trip to Verona, Italy. Victor rarely devotes his full attention to Sophie and is wrapped up in the restaurant he is about to open. Victor has his own agenda in Verona and Sophie is left on her own to enjoy their vacation. In Verona she is intrigued by the Juliet Wall, where folks leave letters to Juliet for advice on love.

Sophie sees a lady remove all the letters and follows her and finds a team of ladies that write letters back giving relationship advice. Sophie gets a chance to help the Juliet team and finds a letter written 50 years ago by a lady Claire (Vanessa Redgrave). The letter is in regards to if she should go home to England or follow her heart for a man Lorenzo. Sophie writes a reply and is shocked when the grandson of Claire shows up to visit the ladies of Juliet.

Claire, Sophie and Charlie( Claire's grandson) are on a search through the surrounding countryside for Lorenzo. You can only image what happens on the way. They have some great adventures together and can't believe how many Lorenzo's are in the area. Sophie and Charlie have a love/hate relationship throughout the journey. Verona is a place to fall in love and Sophie learns that firsthand.

The movie was charming and gives the message that love is timeless and can cross many generations. Italy is depicted well in the movie and it makes me want to plan a trip. Enjoy!

T.G.I. FRIDAYS BOGO

At T.G.I. FRIDAYS, you can get a great dinner deal this weekend. Buy One Salad or Sandwich and get another for FREE through Sunday 11/7. Cheap date night here I come. Print your coupon here..Enjoy!

Seattle's Best Coffee FREE TODAY!

Stop by Burger King for a FREE 12oz. hot cup of Seattle's Best Coffee every Friday during November during breakfast hours. Enjoy!