Target clearance

Here is the latest clearance update from my local Target.

There were lots of toys on clearance. 

There were lots of lawn & garden on clearance with tons of outdoor chairs, pots, garden lights up to 50% off. 

Twinings Earl Grey Tea, Loose Tea at just $0.76 per oz

Get Twinings Earl Grey Tea, Loose Tea, 7.05-Ounce Tins (Pack of 6) at just $31.77 after Subscribe & Save and Amazon Mom. It has 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Use subscribe & save for 5-20% off. You can get 20% if you're an Amazon Mom member and order 5 subscribe & save items.

(This post contains affliate links)

Muffin pan shopping

To increase my daughter's intake of vegetables (by sneaking it in), I've decided to make some muffins with some veggies shredded in it. But I don't have any muffin pans at home - so I needed to buy one.

Since I was already looking in Kohl's to buy some stuff, I searched for muffin pans in Kohl's. I have 30% this month and with the free shipping code as well, I thought I'd check it out.

I'm looking for something less than $10 and only 1 pan fit my budget.

The Farberware 12-Cup Mini Muffin Pan seems to fit my needs - looks good and has 2 reviews which 5 out of 5 stars. The price would come to $6.9 approximately after 30% off and free shipping. 

I started searching in Amazon for some muffin pans. I found the exact same pan in Amazon for $9.97. 

Searching for other muffin pans in Amazon, I found a few more options. Eventually, though, it pretty much boiled down to this one below.

The Wilton Recipe Right Nonstick 12-Cup Regular Muffin Pan is just $6.29. It has 4.8 out of 5 stars out of 637 reviews. You get free shipping if you are an Amazon Prime member or you need to have a minimum order of $35. 

Choosing between the two was hard but I eventually decided to go with the Amazon one because of the high reviews and Prime shipping.

(This post contains affliate links)

Beaded Fringe Necklace - $19.60

Get Multi-Color Beaded Fringe Collar Gold Tone Necklace at just $19.60

You get free shipping if you are an Amazon Prime member or you need to have a minimum order of $35

Made in India

This item is part of the Amazon Curated Collection

(This post contains affliate links)

** HOT DEAL ** Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream - $8.36

Get Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream for as low as $8.36.

Clip the coupon for $3 off

Use subscribe & save for 5-20% off. You can get 20% if you're an Amazon Mom member and order 5 subscribe & save items.

(This post contains affliate links)

Gerber Graduates Lil' Crunchies as low as $1.40 each

Get Gerber Graduates Lil' Crunchies, Veggie Dip at just $8.40 after coupon and Subscribe & Save

Clip the coupon for 10% off

Use subscribe & save for 5-20% off. You can get 20% if you're an Amazon Mom member and order 5 subscribe & save items in a month. 

(This post contains affliate links)

Gardening update

The current state of my container garden is doing good.

We added a cucumber plant and a zucchini plant and will see how it does in a container pot. My tomato plant which I bought as a small seedling is now pretty tall and has some leaves. It seems to be doing good so far but no fruits yet.

 My tomato plant

 My cucumber plant

 My zucchini plant 

Mint:

I did one semi-big harvest of mint and another small harvest a few days ago where I plucked quite a few leaves. Before I harvested the mint, I had cut two sprigs of mint and kept them in water. They grew roots in the water and then I transplanted them onto 2 pots. At first, I wasn't sure if they would grow but now, looks like they're growing well.

This is my original plant and it's still looking good. I think that I should add some fertilizer soon though.

Here are my two sprigs of mint which have grown.

Coriander:

With my coriander plants, the original plant had to chopped, used and the base of the plant thrown away. I planted some coriander seed in some starter seedling pots and have been waiting for them to germinate. Today, I saw 2 of them germinate - still need to wait for them to grow a little taller. I planted some more seeds today in another pot.

Scrubbing Bubbles Aerosol, Fresh Scent - $2.39 per 16oz can

Get Scrubbing Bubbles Aerosol, Fresh Scent at just $28.70 with 20% Subscribe & Save and Amazon Mom discount.

Use subscribe & save for 5-20% off. You can get 20% if you're an Amazon Mom member and order 5 subscribe & save items.

You get free shipping if you are an Amazon Prime member or you need to have a minimum order of $35

Add-on items require a minimum order of $25 for Amazon Prime members and $35 for non-Amazon Prime members

(This post contains affliate links)

** LOWEST PRICE ** Crayola Dry Erase Activity Center at just $10.99

Get Crayola Dry Erase Activity Center at just $10.99. It has 4.3 out of 5 stars.

You get free shipping if you are an Amazon Prime member or you need to have a minimum order of $35

(This post contains affliate links)

Frontier Natural Products Rosemary Left Whole at just $1.06 shipped

Get Frontier Natural Products Rosemary Leaf at just $1.06 shipped

(This post contains affliate links)

Mega Bloks First Builders Lil' Princess 3-Story Enchanted Castle at just $25.11

Get Mega Bloks First Builders Lil' Princess 3-Story Enchanted Castle at just $25.11. It has 4.5 out of 5 stars out of 34 reviews. 

You get free shipping if you are an Amazon Prime member or you need to have a minimum order of $35.

(This post contains affliate links)

** HOT DEAL ** VTech 2-in-1 Shop and Cook Playset at just $22.98

• Get VTech 2-in-1 Shop and Cook Playset at just $22.98. It has 4.7 out of 5 stars.
• You get free shipping if you are an Amazon Prime member or you need to have a minimum order of $35

My daughter has this toy and has loved playing with it over the last several months. I highly recommend this toy. I bought this toy at $29.99 and thought it was a great deal then.

Deal found via Jungle Deals and Steals

(This post contains affliate links)

FREE Toys!

Here's a great article over at MoneySavingMom on Top 10 Favorite FREE  Toys

From this list, for my daughter who's an almost-2-yr-old toddler, I believe the following would work really well.

• Rocks :- I'll have to try giving her these and as long as she doesn't try to bite them, I think they should be great. 
• Sticks and dirt :- Think she's still too young for dirt as she has tried to eat mud in the past. But the sticks is another thing to try and maybe some imaginary games to go with them.
• Fireflies :- I've never played with them myself so I'm excited to play them with her
• Homemade Tent :- This is a great idea - she played with a tent at school the other day and loved it. Maybe I can try to make this at home myself. 
• Puddles :- Let her play when the sprinkler system is running
• A cardboard box :-  Decorate the box into many things like castle, crib, boat. Get into it and play with it. 
• Friends and Parents :- People are always more fun than toys

How To Get Out Grass Stains

My daughter is very active and loves being outside. When she's running outside and playing on the grass, she ends up falling a lot and getting grass stains on her pants. I make sure to put her in pants because she gets scrapes on her knees everytime she falls. But the downside to that is I have to figure out how to get grass stains out of her pants. 

Here are some of the solutions I've come across. I will try them out and update as well. 

• Rubbing Alcohol:  Rubbing alcohol is good at getting stains out. To get the stain out, wet the stain with rubbing alcohol and let it air dry. Rinse with water and then wet stain with some detergent. Rinse again and let air dry. Wash as usual 

• Plain White Vinegar: Wash stain with warm water and plain white vinegar and rub. Wash as you normally do. 

• Rub with  prewash stain remover per instructions and wash as you normally would.

• Don't use ammonia, degrease or alkaline detergents because they may set the stain in permanantly. 

** GREAT DEAL ** Mega Bloks First Builders Farm at just $27.43

• Get Mega Bloks First Builders Farm (Tub) at just $27.43. It has 4.2 out of 5 stars.
• You can get free shipping if you're a Amazon Prime member or you need to have a minimum order of $35

(This post contains affliate links)

** HOT DEAL ** Baby Alive Party Baby Doll at $10.19

*** HOT DEAL ***

• Get Baby Alive Party Baby Doll at just $10.19. It has 5 out of 5 stars.
• To get free shipping, you need to have a minimum order of $35 or you get free shipping with Amazon Prime. 

Product Description:

• She blows her own noisemaker

• Put the noisemaker in her mouth and squeeze her tummy

• Doll really drinks and wets

• Change her diaper

• Doll comes with outfit, headband, sippy cup, diaper, noisemaker and party hat

(This post contains affliate links)

FREE Kindle Books for 6/13/2014

Here are today's FREE Kindle Books.

Please note: Amazon's prices change really quickly. So please check the price before you buy the book. 

Romance

Get Instructing an Heiress (Cinderella Heiresses) eBook. It has 4.1 out of 5 stars.




Get Where the Secret Lies. It has 4.3 out of 5 stars.

Non-fiction

Get The Art Of Speed Cleaning And Organizing: How To Organize, Clean, And Keep Your House Spotless eBook: Brian Night: Kindle Store. It has 3.8 out of 5 stars.





Get Canning And Preserving: How To Can, Preserve, And Store Your Food In Jars eBook: Brian Night: Kindle Store. It has 4.2 out of 5 stars.

Tiny Love Tiny Smart Rattle at just $5.99

• Get Tiny Love Tiny Smart Rattle, Blue Elephant at just $5.99. 
• It has 4.3 out of 5 stars out of 23 reviews
• You need a minimum order of $25 for free shipping if you're a Amazon Prime member or $35 if you're not. 

These rattles are great for attaching to a car seat, stroller or baby activity gym and will entertain baby. 

(This post contains affliate links)

** HOT DEAL ** ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water for $1.02 per 11.2 oz pack

Get ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water, Natural, 11.2 Ounce (Pack of 12) for just $12.24

Clip the coupon for 25% off

Use subscribe & save for 5-20% off with Amazon Mom 

This is a great deal - the price is just above $1 for each 11.2 oz pack. 

(This post contains affliate links)

FREE Kindle Books

Here are today's FREE Kindle Books.

Please note: Amazon's prices change really quickly. So please check the price before you buy the book. 

Children's Books

How do you feel today ? A kids book about Emotions and Feelings
It has 4.6 out of 5 stars.



First Airplane Trip
It has 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Non-fiction

4-in-1 Guide to Witch Hazel, Tea Tree Oil, Coconut Oil, and Apple Cider Vinegar: Ultimate Guide to 4 Top Organic Products Including Home Recipes eBook
It has 4.2 out of 5 stars.

Cooking

Veggie Va Va Voom: Enrich Your Taste Buds & Ignite Your Senses!
It has 4.3 out of 5 stars.


(This post contains affliate links)

Get Organic Maple Syrup at just $0.55 per oz

*** GREAT DEAL ***

Get NOW Foods Maple Syrup Grade B Organic, 32 ounce at just $17.59

Use subscribe & save to get 5-20% off and get Organic Maple Syrup as low as $0.55 per oz

Product Description:

• Grade B 100% Pure

• Certified Organic/Kosher

• Deep Rich Flavor!

(This post contains affliate links)

Kohl's Coupon Codes

Some current Kohls' coupon codes are:

FATHER30: Get 30% off with Kohl's charge card - valid till June 11, 2014
JUNEMVC: Get free shipping with Kohl's charge card - valid till June 11, 2014
SUNNY15: Get 15% off
DADSDAY10: $10 OFF your men's apparel and accessories and luggage purchase of $30 or more

Another gardening update

We just recently bought some zucchini and cucumber plants and I plan to grown them in containers. I made mistakes with my coriander plant, I did not pluck it earlier and it grew very tall and bolted.

I had a really good mint harvest and even re-planted to sprigs which I had soaked in water and once they developed roots.

I came across this really useful article on how to grow cucumbers in a container.

And here's another article on how to grow zucchini in a container.

There are a lot of similarities between growing the two. Both of them require large containers, full sun and moist soil with fertilizers added every month or so. And they need to be picked at the right time otherwise they don't taste good.

** GREAT DEAL ** Brawny Paper Towels for as low as $0.56 per roll

*** GREAT DEAL ***

Get Brawny Paper Towels, 30 Regular Rolls, Pick-A-Size as low as $16.99

• Clip coupon for $3 off
• Use Subscribe & Save for 5-20% off which leads to price as low as $16.99

Product Description:

• 30 Regular Rolls

• 76 sheets per roll with Pick-A-Size

• Packaged in an easy-to-open box

• White

• Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging

• 2-ply

(This post contains affliate links)

Tricks at the Grocery Store!

We all know the scenario where we go to the store to pick up a couple of things quickly and it ends up turning into having 20 items in the cart and $50 out of your pocket.

I came across a good article at Passion for Savings about tricks that grocery stores use to get you to spend more. The single most important thing we can do to avoid spending more at the grocery store is to go with a list and get out with only those items.

Passion for Savings The Grocery Store Game | Avoiding Tricks to get you to Spend More!

** GREAT DEAL ** Get Fisher-Price Comfy Time Bouncer - $20.00

** Get Fisher-Price Comfy Time Bouncer at just $20.00. It has 4.5 out of 5 stars. **

• Clip the coupon for $5 off
• If you have Amazon Prime, you get free 2-day shipping. If not, you can get free shipping with a minimum order of $35.

Product Description:

• Fashionable yet comfortable place for baby to play

• Includes a toy bar with three butterfly toys with rings to tug

• Center butterfly plays music with baby's pull

• Bouncer includes vibrations to soothe baby for naptime

• Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging

• Removable toy bar to ease your baby into naptime

Amazon Prime offers many features like unlimited 2-day free shipping on millions of items, no minimum order size, unlimited streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Instant Video and you can read free books each month through Kindle First and Kindle Owner's Library. To get prime, go here.

(This post contains affliate links)

Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Night Firming Treatment as low as $8.51

*** GREAT DEAL ***

* Get Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Night Firming Treatment at $14.39. It has 4.1 out of 5 stars.
* Clip the coupon for $3 off
* Use subscribe & save for 5-20% off and get it as low as $8.51.

Product Description from Amazon:

• All-in-one night treatment that works while you sleep to fight 7 signs of aging: fine lines and wrinkles, lack of firmness, uneven tone, age spots, uneven texture, dryness and dullness

• Proven, vitamin-rich complex reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on your face and neck

• Dermatologist tested, non-comedogenic firming cream won't clog your pores

• Works on all skin types, from dry to oily

• One 1.7 fl. oz. jar

(This post contains affliate links)

Comparison of Costco vs Amazon

We've been shopping at Costco for quite a few years and recently I've found myself shopping quite a lot at Amazon online through Subscribe & Save.

So while on a recent trip to Costco, I decided to compare the prices of some essential items which I bought in Costco to their online prices. These items might be cheaper at other stores with coupons and other deals but I just chose to compare the two that I shop most frequently at.

The items that I compared prices for are:

ClearCare lens solution: 
Amazon Price: $26.29
Costco Price: $17.89

Philips Sonicare e-series brush heads:
Amazon Price: $56.99
Costco Price: $39.99 after $10 coupon

Dove Sensitive Bar Soap:
Amazon Price: $12.39 for 16 count after Subscribe & Save 20% discount
Costco Price: $15.99

Finish dishwasher tablets:
Amazon Price: $9.71 for 90 count (10.78 cents per count) after 20% subscribe & save and coupon
Costco Price: $11.49 for 110 count (10.45 cents per count) after coupon


At the end, for most of the items, Costco worked out to be cheaper except for the Dove soap. This surprised me because for some reason, I expected Amazon to be cheaper. I'm happy I ended up buying the items in Costco and now I can feel good about it too.