Free admission to Callaway Gardens

This, to me, is paradise!

My husband, who reads the Atlanta Journal Constitution religiously,  told me that he had found out that Callaway Gardens was waiving the admission fees for all visitors throughout January and February. We were so excited to hear this and couldn't wait to go! Anybody who knows my family knows how much we appreciate nature and family time. We also love saving money as well (and really, who doesn't!?). We waited until he got a day off and took off to Pine Mountain, Ga. We had already been there once before when we visited the Wild Animal Safari (also highly recommended!). Being a mommy who loves to save, I packed lunch as well as snacks for us to have while we were on our little family adventure. I toasted some raw peanuts, which I find awesome while being out in nature for some reason, and we snacked on these on the way there and back. Once there, we immediately started enjoying the scenery. Robin Lake is the world's largest man-made inland beach. Not only can you see the lake as it is present-day, but in the Discovery Center, you can learn about the history and all the work put into the making of this wonderful nature paradise. After educating ourselves, we went out to the back and had lunch water side. They have many trails to cycle or walk on, which we were expecting to do but we opted to attend the Birds of Prey Program instead. It is great for kids, as they have real owls, hawks, and eagles. They fly right above your head and the speaker is just great! They also have the butterfly conservatory which my little guy found to be amazing! There are butterflies fluttering everywhere and a pond with fish! Pretty cool experience. They  have a resort and spa for those in need of a relaxing day. Last but not least, they have the horticulture center and vegetable garden. This is a great place and wonderful for families who enjoy the outdoors! They always have new things going on. One last thing, they are doing the free admission throughout January and February so that families can spend time together and enjoy the more simple things in life. This, itself, shows what a great place this is! I highly recommend that families take advantage of the free admission and take time to do just that- enjoy the more simple things in life. It's always great to be around nature and release some stress!

My Kroger Trip (Mega Event)

This is officially my first post ever; I am beyond excited!  This first post is about my Kroger trip this week. Kroger has a great sale. With their Mega Event,  when you buy any ten participating items, you get $5.00 off at checkout. $5.00 doesn't sound like that much but you have to realize that some of the items are as low as 99 cents a piece. On top of that, you can use coupons (whether it be from a Sunday paper or internet coupons). Basically, it's a 50 cents discount on each of the 10 items. The list of inclusions is super long, the longest I've seen since I began using coupons. So this is my trip (pictured above). I do not have a stockpile and I am not a hoarder. I buy things I know my family can use. Sometimes, if I get free stuff, I give it to my sister (who has 2 kids) or my mother-in-law. I love giving and with couponing, I am able to do just that! My trip consists of the following:

Saved: 49.83, Paid: 14.68 plus tax

~9 Balance Bars: $0.99 each

Used: 3- $1 off 3 Balance Bars (MQ)

~ 4 Armour meatballs: 1.99 each

Used: 2- $1 off 2 Armour meatballs (MQ)

~ 1 Helluva Good Dip: $1.59

Used: 1-$ 0.55 off Helluva Good Dip (MQ)

~ 2 Mellita Coffee Filters: $1.49

Used: 2- $1 off Any Mellita filters (MQ)

~ 2 Pepperidge Farm Goldfish: $1.49

no coupons but my son loves these and was at a good price! 

~ 1 Kleenex Cool Touch: $1.49

Used: 1- $0.50 off 1 Kleenex Cool Touch (MQ) 

~ 8 Microwavable Mac'n Cheese (some Velveeta, some Kraft): $0.99

Again, no coupons, but my son's favorite!

~ 1 Frank's Red Hot sauce: $1.99

Used: 1- $0.75 off 1 Frank's Red Hot sauce (MQ)

~2 Kingsford Charcoal: $4.99

Used: 2- $5.00 off 1 Kingsford Charcoal (MQ)

Not included in sale: 1 Odwalla protein yogurt drink (for the hubby) at $2.59

Used: $0.55 off 1 Odwalla drink

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Final prices (after sale and coupons): 

Balance Bars: 16 cents a piece

Armour meatballs: 99 cents each

Helluva Good dip: 54 cents

Mellita coffee filters: FREE (2)

Pepperidge Farm goldfish: 99 cents a piece

Kleenex Cool Touch: FREE (1)

Velveeta & Kraft mac'n cheese and shells: 49 cents

Frank's Red Hot sauce: 74 cents

Kingsford Charcoal: FREE (2)

Odwalla Juice: $2.04

I was so excited to get the charcoal because the hubby loves grilling when the weather permits! The balance bars are perfect either pre-workout or post-workout! My hubby was glad to get such a good deal on them! With the meatballs, I plan to make bbq meatballs, spaghetti and meatballs twice, and meatballs in red sauce (made with toasted Mexican peppers, spices, and peanuts)! Meatballs galore! Of course, I'm going to space these meals out. Too much of a good thing could be very bad hehe. Well, I think this concludes my first blog, thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for more of Mimi's contemplations!