Favorite Things: Do you want a dinosaur with that?

Just when you thought books about dinosaurs were all terribly dull and boring, feast your eyes on this title: When Dinosaurs Came With Everything. It is officially my new favorite book. We got a free (teeny, tiny) paperback for free with our latest box of Cheerios but I have a feeling that Santa will be bringing us a hardcover copy in a few months.

Cheap and Cheerful Chatter: $300 Grocery Challenge Shopping Trip #1

I survived my first shopping trip for the $300 challenge. I even added three items (coffee, toilet paper, and cheerios) and came in under $90. Tonight is breakfast for dinner -- yum!

Cheap and Cheerful wants to know: How did your first shopping trip go? What's on your menu this week?

Cheap and Cheerful Chatter: $300 Grocery Challenge begins tomorrow!

Ready, set, shop! The spend-only-$300-on-groceries in September begins tomorrow! Here's what I have planned for my first shopping trip. I estimate it will be about a $90 total.

2 gallons of milk
2 loaves of bread
2 dozen eggs (Buy one, get one free)
6 to 8 yogurts
peanut butter
applesauce
crackers
mozzarella cheese
pepperoni
apples
bananas
grapes
tortillas
potatoes
onion
pepper (from our garden)
tomatoes (from our garden)
lettuce
ground turkey
hamburger buns
kidney beans
spice packet for chili
cornbread mix

Our dinners will include homemade pizza and salad, turkey chili and cornbread, turkey burgers and oven fries, bean and cheese burritos, a breakfast for dinner night, a night of leftovers, and night of dinner from the freezer since we have raviolis and tamales frozen already. (I will also make a pasta salad with odds and ends we already have and use it for lunches.)

Of course, I've got some pantry items already like refried beans, cereal, granola bars, pasta, and pretzels that will round out our breakfast and lunch menus. Also, I've got cheddar cheese, hummus and pita, cheese sticks, and tomato sauce already in the fridge.

Cheap and Cheerful wants to know: Are you up for the challenge? And what are you cooking?

Cheap and Cheerful Chatter: A Little Gap Love

When I first saw the Groupon post for the $50 GAP gift card for $25, I thought it was too good to be true. But it was a legitimate Groupon -- hooray! I snagged one the day it was offered and headed to the mall yesterday. To my delight, the Buy 1 Kid or Baby Regularly Priced ($19.50) jeans and get another Kid or Baby jeans for $10 deal was still in progress. I got two pairs of jeans and two long sleeved tops for the kids for $38 total, adding just $13 out of pocket after using the Groupon. Pretty sweet deal ... but it gets even better! When buying the jeans, the cashier gave me a 1969 Kids and Baby Jeans Club card and stamped it twice. Collect four stamps and get a free pair of kids or baby jeans! Then, just when you thought it could not get any better, the cashier gave me a We Love Wednesdays coupon book which has four 40% off one regularly priced item coupons that are valid on specific Wednesdays, September 8 - 29th. So, here's my plan: Buy two more pairs of kids or baby jeans -- one on Wednesday, September 15 and one on Wednesday, September 22 at 40% off and collect two more stamps. (I just called my local GAP to confirm that you can indeed "double dip".) Those two trips will earn me a free pair of jeans and the savings will be complete. My kids are growing like weeds and both just went up a size in pants so it was totally perfect timing! A little GAP love for not a lot of cash. And, last but not least, the cashier handed two We Love Wednesdays coupon books to my kids! So faithful readers, who needs a little GAP love? I've got two sets of coupons to share.