Free Artisan Pizza(s)

Yesterday, while I was at work, I decided to take a quick mental break to scroll the news feed on my Facebook page. At that exact moment, at the top of my news feed, I saw something amazing! Hunt4Freebies had posted "FREE Artisan at Domino's is Working Again!! Hurry!! :)" So I did just that.

I clicked on the link and entered to receive a FREE Artisan pizza from Domino's Pizza via their Facebook page. In the end, I had successfully order a Tuscan Salami & Roasted Veggie pizza - no onions - and requested that my pizza be available for pick-up at a 5:30 p.m. at my local Domino's. Woohoo!

This deal got even better when Dan managed to get the same deal! That's right, Domino's was offering one free pizza per person! So I called Dan at work and he managed to get the same deal - only this time he order the Spinach & Feta pizza, and again, no onions.

In the end, Domino's never advertised the free pizza giveaway. Nope. This special promo is like a game. They want you to keep checking their Facebook page for the Artisan Pizza tab to start showing a free pizza link - which is set to occur at random points during the day. Hunt4Freebies was how I found out. They do all the research and post freebies when they find them. So "liking" Hunt4Freebies on Facebook is a huge time saver when it comes to snagging great deals. They find a deal, they post it on their Facebook wall and I see it on my news feed. Super easy!

That evening we enjoyed delicious, free pizza for dinner! We even had leftovers! Yep, each pizza was only half eaten, so we had plenty of leftovers for lunches.


If you want your chance to win a free Artisan Pizza from Domino's be sure to "like" Domino's on Facebook and be on alert! This special promo is for a little time, so act fast. Now, if you want to find other awesome freebies and deals be sure to "like" Hunt4Freebies and Hunt4Freebies Coupons/Deals on Facebook and watch your news feed for fabulous freebies - like free pizza!

After dinner (and The X Factor) we resumed the necessary chore of packing. We managed to get a lot done! Last night we took on the guest room/office and the rest of the family room. The boxes and bags are really starting to pile up. We've got everything labeled and neatly placed in our dining area.

The only room that hasn't officially been packed is our bedroom. That will be last.

Pure Michigan

If you live in the Chicagoland area, I'm sure you've see or heard a commercial that features the talented Tim Allen. There is just something so enchanting about his voice in those television and radio commercials that give me this strong desire to visit Michigan. So we did! Along with our friends, Jason and Rachel, we hit the the road for a little time away in Michigan.

Saturday, October 1st Jason and Rachel picked us up at our apartment just after 9:00 a.m. We loaded up our overnight essentials into their Xterra and we were on our way.

Our first stop on our mini vacation was the St. Julian Winery - a winery that we have done together in the past. There we did some light tasting and purchased a few of our favorites. After St. Julian we walked practically next door to Warner Vineyards. Again, some more light tasting and a we picked out a few bottles to take home.

At this point it was getting to be lunch time, so we walked across the street to Subway. Yum! We arrived just in time for Subway's ANYtober! Any regular foot long sub for $5! Score! And yes... I ate my very own foot long.

Once we were done enjoying our lunch we got back on the road and went to Jollay Orchards to try some unique apple cider. I think that Jason tried the strangest tasting apple cider ever... peppermint cider! Yeah, not the best. Ha ha!

After sampling some cider we went to the Jollay Orchard down the road to pick some apples! This was mine and Dan's first time picking apples. The orchard was crowded but we managed to find a spot where there were LOTS of delicious apples to be picked and no one else was around. We had a blast and our baskets were full in no time!

After apple picking we went to Contessa Wine Cellars and Tabor Hill Winery to enjoy a little more wine tasting.

At this point it was starting to get close to dinner time, so we went to go check in to our hotel and search for a place to have dinner. In the room, Jason and I fell asleep while Dan played around on his laptop and Rachel played on her iPod Touch.

After a quick cat nap I was refreshed and ready to get some dinner. We all agreed on a BBQ joint called Charlie's Piggin' N' Grillin' in Benton Harbor. It had fabulous reviews on Yelp! and the prices were great. It was delicious! Apparently, the food gets smoked for hours and they let you sample side dishes before you even pick! You'd think you were down south with this fabulous food!

Next, we drove to St. Joseph to catch a lovely sunset off of Lake Michigan and then grabbed some specialty coffee at a nearby cafe, The South Bend Chocolate Company. There we listened to two guys preform some music while we sipped at our Halloween-themed coffee and got warmed up. It was a nice way to wrap up a fun and eventful day.

On Sunday, October 2nd we got up around 9:00 a.m. and packed up our stuff to leave our hotel. Once we were all packed we went to IHOP to enjoy a late breakfast of coffee, eggs, bacon and specialty pancakes - minus pumpkin pancakes, since they were fresh out. Boo!

After "brunch" we went back to the cider mill so that Rachel could get some carmel apple cider - can't go wrong with a classic flavor.

Next, we went to two more wineries Domaine Berrien Cellars and The Round Barn. At The Round Barn we discovered that they were charging for tastings (every other place was free). We figured that since we had already gotten a number of bottles at past wineries we decided to skip this one. Instead, Dan and Jason went to The Round Barn's brewery were they each got a glass of beer that tasted a lot like a chocolatey version of Guiness - plus, they got to keep the glasses. There was a local guy singing some accustic tunes in the outside patio area, so we took advatage of the nice weather and sat outside to enjoy the music.

Now it was time to head home. We got back later that afternoon, just in time for Dan to get ready to go to his volleyball game. I stayed home and rested because I came home with something that I didn't intend to... a cold! Oh well, cold or no cold... it was an excellent weekend!

Think Pink

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So don't be surprised when you start noticing lots of pink everywhere you go. Even NFL players are getting in on the action and wearing pink during football games! It's unavoidable... you will notice extra traces of pink throughout the entire month of October. Fabulous!

Taken from NBCAM.ORG:
"Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, aside from skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), an estimated 192,370 cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States this year. An estimated 40,170 [were] expected to die in 2009 alone. Today there are about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States."

How can you make a difference? Personally, I don't have breast cancer but I still feel driven to support those who are and those who are diligently working to find a cure. One of my favorite ways to help contribute is to purchase yogurt. Sounds silly but Yoplait and Dannon both have their own campaigns that are raising funds to support breast cancer research. I love yogurt and helping others, so for me this is an easy way to show my support.


Looking ahead, you can also consider walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer or financially support someone who is participating. The Chicago walk takes place June 2 -3, 2012.

So this month I'll be eating lots of yogurt and wearing pink to show my support for those courageous women (and men!) who are battling breast cancer.

Now, for those who are in need of some hope, in any way, shape or form, here is some encouraging scripture from our loving Heavenly Father that I hope fills you peace and comfort...

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
1 Chronicles 16:11

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

Savy Shopper Savings

On Friday, September 30th Dan and I made a quick trip to CVS to purchase some random items that were on sale. Rating myself an "intermediate" coupon queen, I managed to spot a few deals and match them up with some helpful coupons. These are our results:

Dan's Items Purchased:

REGULAR PRICE
1 Snickers Bar $1.19
1 Vick's NyQuil (12 fluid oz) $8.99
1 Vick's DayQuil (12 fluid oz) $8.99
1-4 Pack Schick Quattro Women's Replacement Blades $11.99

SALE PRICE
NyQuil and DayQuil (12 fluid oz) 2/$12
plus $3 in ExtraBucks Rewards
1-4 Pack Schick Quattro Women's Replacements Blades $8.99
plus $4.00 in ExtraBucks Rewards

COUPONS USED
1 Free Candy Bar
$3.00 off two bottles of NyQuil
$4.00 off one Schick Quattro Women's Razor Blades
$2.00 ExtraBucks Rewards via Facebook

FINAL COST: $12.92
(after tax)

According to Dan's receipt, he saved $19.17.

My Items Purchased:

REGULAR PRICE
1 Oil Of Olay Age Defying Cleanser (6.78 fluid oz) $6.49
1 CVS Ibuprofen Liquid Filled Softgels (80 count) $7.99

SALE PRICE
Oil of Olay Age Defying Cleanser (6.78 fluid oz) $3.99
CVS Ibuprofen Liquid Filled Softgels (80 count) $6.49

COUPONS USED
$1.00 off one Oil of Olay Cleanser
$3.00 ExtraBucks Rewards
$4.00 ExtraBucks Rewards

Final Cost: $2.98
(after tax)

According to my receipt, I saved $12.00.

GRAND TOTAL SPENT: $15.90

GRAND TOTAL SAVED: $31.17

Did you follow all of that? It can be confusing at first, I know. Basically, we ended up saving more than twice as much as we spent! About 66% off in total savings. Plus, we got some popular, name-brand items.

Sure, I'll be the first to admit that coupon clipping and bargain shopping can be very time consuming, but in the long run, it is quite thrilling! The less I spend and the more I save, the bigger the thrill! It's a game. A time consuming, mathematically challenging game. The more you practice, the better you get. I've been getting better but I think that I've got a lot to learn before I go all pro.

The Packing Has Officially Begun

Dan and I officially started packing last night. I got a nice jump start while he was out running errands and picking up more boxes from my parent's house.

I've found that sometimes in order to get super organized you have to get super messy. Our family room looked like a war zone once we started packing, but things started looking really nice when we wrapped up for the evening. Below is a "before" photo. I don't have one that features our finished work for the night... I was just too tired.

While I was packing, I started capturing footage from a recent wedding. I managed to capture and organize all of the footage by the time I went to bed. I also managed to clip and organize lots of coupons! Needless to say, it was a very productive evening.

We're Moving... Again

Two weeks from today Dan and I will be moving into our very own, custom house! The feeling is still so surreal. Well, for starters, we were planning on purchasing a house/building a house sometime in spring 2012, but I guess God had a different plan. Instead, He paved the way for us to get an incredible deal on a house that went above and beyond anything we could have ever planned for! Now, in two weeks, we will be closing on an amazing house that I am so excited to turn into a home.

While I can't say that I have officially started packing, I can say that I have started organizing and putting a few items in boxes. However, tonight I am going to do some serious multi-tasking as I capture footage for editing and start filling up the many, many, many boxes that consume our family room.

Ready! Set! PACK! October 13th will be here before we know it.

Freebies!

It has been a long time since I've posted. Well, almost a year since I've written an update, to be exact. A lot has happened in the last year but I don't intend on playing catch up. That would be a really long post. Instead, I am simply going to start fresh with the latest and greatest. So here we go!

If you didn't know already, I am always on the hunt for a fun and fabulous freebie! Back in August I discovered hunt4freebies.com. What a wonderful website for someone like me! It basically does all the research for me and all I have to do is click on the links in attempt to get some hot freebies.

Yesterday I was very pleasantly surprised when I came home from work and found a full-sized bottle of Pantene Pro-V Split Hair Repair waiting in my mailbox! Thanks to hunt4freebies.com (via Facebook) I was reminded of Patene's "Freebie Friday" Facebook contest. I entered and I won a full-sized bottle of this special, leave-in conditioner! My hair can really use an item like this.

Over the years I have collected several hundreds of dollars worth of freebies. These various freebies are great for sampling/testing new products but they're also helpful items that can easily be packed for vacations and overnight trips. I also use these freebies as emergency items for guests who stay at my home and forget to pack shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, lotion, etc.

It can be timing consuming, but it's worth it when the items add up and you don't have to rush out for shampoo because you suddenly ran out.

UPDATE: I used this product last night. After I took a shower and wrapped my hair in a special towel to soak up some excess moisture from my hair, I applied one and a half pumps of Pantene's Split Hair Repair to my damp locks. After combing the product evenly among my hair strands, I got my blow dryer (which I hardly use these days) and dried my hair. The next morning I took my flat iron and smoothed out my hair. Let me tell you... my hair feels wonderful! Very soft. Yeah, I really need to stop touching it. Ha ha!