$5 Starbuck's Gift Card Winners

And the winners are.........(drumroll playing inside my head)

#3 Dee

#5 Laura Mae

Wahoo! E-mail me at prizes.budgetista@gmail.com and let me know how you'd like your prize delivered, e-mail or snail mail! E-mail you can print and use, no waiting.

Congratulations!

Doubleshot Non Giveaway

I thought 'Wow, it would be so cool to give away 2 $5 Gift Cards to this local coffee shop that has great coffee'. So Jon and I brought our 2 kids to this coffee shop (I bought Jon a gift card to here for Valentine's Day) which he used and I bought the 2 gift cards. Here's a picture of my Americano.

Then Konnor went to the corner where there is a small chair and a little rug and a little box. Inside the box he found a vodka bottle. It still had a little vodka in it.

Yep.

So Jon gave it to the baristas that thought it was pretty hilarious.

Wow.

I'm glad that it's so funny to them.

So I decided I will not be giving away anything from there.

Sorry.

It's a moral issue.

Instead I'll give away 2 Starbucks gift cards for $5 each. My kids have never encountered a vodka bottle there.

So to enter, tell me something great, tell me your favorite drink!

*UPDATE* I'll draw the winner on Monday at noon! Happy Weekend!

VS Winner!

Somewhere between here

and this post, I was stopped by a number of things. First I was making Macaroni & Cheese (box kind!) when the mail lady came. I took the puppy out to get the mail, came in and started looking through it. Opened a few bills, realized the noodles were still cooking. I drained them (soggy, bleh) and got out the milk when I saw this mess:

I love how the kids do their chores! Please excuse the obviously dirty bottom of my refrigerator door. It made me thankful for this little gift:

*Sigh* Here we go! And the winner is................................................

Comment #2 which would be tfamily!!!!Message me and let me know how you'd like it! Stay tuned, folks. More spills, licks and budgeting to come!

This One's For The Girls

Iiiiit's Friday!!!!!

I love today. It's a beautiful 68 degrees. I got 10 hours of sleep (but would totally take 10 more). Had coffee with some girlfriends early this morning. Konnor's on the mend. Bought a present for a baby shower. Gosh. It feels like Christmas!

Before I get to the good stuff, I am friends with Papa John's on Facebook. I know. I'm pretty darn special. Yesterday they posted that if you sign up for their Papa's Points program online by February 5, you will get a free 3 topping large pizza should the Super Bowl go into overtime. Free pizza? Yes please!

And now for the giveaway. Today's is a $10 Angels Reward to Victoria's Secret. You can use it online, or in store. Just in time for Valentine's Day! To enter, leave a comment about a quality you love the most about yourself. Show yourself some love! I can't wait to read them!!

I'll input & randomize for the winner on Monday at noon.

Ugh To The Flu Bug!

My house is still under it's nasty spell. Although now it's a bit more like an intense cold. I myself and nearing the finish line, but Konnor is about 2 days behind me. Poor baby.

If I could post a mobile picture you could see how pathetic he is.

But for some reason I haven't mastered that yet.

So until tomorrow- don't forget your free Pei Wei, keep budgeting and get ready for a giveaway!

And The Winner Is.....

Comment Number 2, Jon. Yep, my husband. He told me to redo it, but then that would ruin the integrity of the draw. It wouldn't be truly random.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every comment. Thank you for taking the time to share it with me and all my readers.

Today I feel like a brick is living inside my head, so tomorrow, hopefully we'll be up and running with more budgeting ideas. I gave you my beans and rice budget, and am hopefully going to put up my meat and potatoes meal plan.

Be looking next Friday for my next giveaway!!! I love giving away stuff.

Thanks A Latte!

Sometimes, when I'm blogging, thoughts come pouring out of my fingers at the speed of light. Other times...not so much. When I'm stuck, I'd like to type something witty, or charming, or gay, or whimsical...but that's just not me. My mind is blank. I have to admit that is one reason I love blogging so much. When a lot is on my mind I can type it. When nothing's on my mind, I don't type. Or when nothing's on my mind, I type that nothing is on my mind.

Like right now.

I would like to say, though, thank you for making this so much fun. I love all my comments from tfamily (one of my oldest friends), and I have enjoyed learning that Jon (my hubby) was a secret follower. I made him follow me publicly. If it's secret, it's kind of like stalking...

But I have enjoyed hearing feedback from friends, I have gotten some great questions that have given me something to post and I have gotten some great recipes. So this is my 'Thank You' card to you. Or I could give away a $10 Starbuck's gift card. I think I like that idea better. That's enough for at least 2 tall Lattes! If you like an Americano (my fave) then you could get 4 and a half.

To enter to win the gift card, just leave a comment about what you're most thankful for so far this year. The phone calls don't count on this one, sorry. I'll draw a winner on Monday at Noon (CST). I can't wait to hear your answers!

Thanks a 'latte' for making this so much fun!

Happy Friday!!!

What a wonderful morning. Sometimes you just feel like you've accomplished everything, and it isn't even 9 am. That's how my morning's going. Plus I'm drinking coffee. Extra bonus!

To start 2011 off right, you have 30 days to try and win an Ipad, MacBook Air, Ipod Nano and other great prizes by clicking on this link:

NoMoreRack

Last time they did this promotion it required less referrals, but you also only had 2 days to do it. So good luck! I'm trying for it!

The main thing on my mind since my last post, has been eating on a budget. I was talking with one of my dear friends yesterday about when Jon, I and our oldest were eating on $50 a month.I mentioned how in 7 years the price of food has gone up quite a bit. Thinking about it made me think what a challenge that would be to try and figure out if it can still be done.

I love a good challenge.

But this one will take some research on my part, as I am out of practice. While I research, here are some tips to maximize your grocery buying.

1. Plan your menu! It's easier to stay on budget when you plan what you're going to have.

2. Plan meals with like ingredients for the week. For example, if I'm going to have tacos I'll buy the 20 pack of tortillas. They won't all get eaten in one dinner, possibly not even 2, but I'll plan to have quesadillas the same week. I will only have to buy tortillas once that week.

3. Utilize your fresh veggies!!! Don't let them go to waste. If you're going to make salad, then plan to also do something with lettuce that week. Or add it to your sandwiches. Not only are veggies great fillers, but they're healthy. And nothing burns me more than having to throw out food.

4. Plan a leftover day. Let the troops know ahead of time so that the complaining can finish before that night begins. I don't particularly enjoy leftovers, but I don't like to waste.

5. Mix up the menu with herbs. They're cheap and can totally change the flavor of whatever you're cooking.

What are some meals that you cook inexpensively?

Three Little Kittens Project

So I took the day off yesterday, though I had millions of topics swimming in my head, to bounce my project idea off my hubby.

This would be us at an Elton John concert.



I won the tickets.

10 years of marriage...

Anywho. He is my best sounding board.

I had an idea for a project that I kind of perfected yesterday with his help. I've decided to call it 'Three Little Kittens'. Here are my 3 kittens



They like to be goofy.

But the break down is simple, I'd like to collect mittens and gloves to donate to children in need. Not used, but new. They don't last long, so used isn't really the best. Believe me, I've tried passing gloves down with my girls.

I'll be collecting them all year long, and my kittens and I will be making a tree out of chicken wire throughout the year. Set by set, we'll build the tree. Then at Thanksgiving we'll give the gloves and mittens to children in need! I'm toying with the idea of having the children give back by helping their teacher with a task...perfection takes time.

If you'd like to help, that would be amazing. Winter gear is getting ready to be super cheap, making the cost pretty minimal. Shoot me a message and I'll tell you where to mail them. May your new year be filled with blessings!!!


Thank you Wikipedia for this first verse:

Three little kittens, they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear
That we have lost our mittens.

What! Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
You shall have no pie.

A New Year

Something about coming home from a trip and unpacking gets me into cleaning mode. I had to wash the towels that I got for Christmas, and that was fabulous. Something about new towels just made my whole morning. Something about saying something about makes me feel whimsical and nostalgic. I'm strange, I know.

I began putting away decorations this morning. That was fabulous. I think it's the coming new year. New beginnings, newly cleaned house, new goals. I don't really do resolutions, because I never keep them. I do, however, have ideas of what I want to do, but don't say them too loudly just in case I don't follow through. Good intentions and all that. But this year feels different. I don't know why, it just does. This year I'm going to do what I intend to do.

My first good intention? Start tomato plants from seed. I have always wanted to. This year I will! That begins around Valentine's Day, so be looking for me to say I did begin that project.

Second good intention- dry at least 1 load a week. Not only does it save money, it saves clothes!

Third good intention- run a half marathon. I decided before Thanksgiving that I was going to do this before I turned 30. SO far, I have kept up my running schedule!!!

Fourth good intention- give away an IPAD!!! How cool would that be? Once I hit 200 followers, I will give one away!

Fifth good intention- NOT GO OVER BUDGET ON GROCERIES!!!!! Huge, epic, and my biggest challenge. Yes, even I go over budget. I hate doing it but I always seem to justify it. This year, I won't. I'm going to keep track of my spending too.

Do you have any good intentions for the new year?