 Is it wrong that I'd kill a hooker for those red shoes? My little-Little has been home for the past two days with a cold. I went on and took her to the doctor yesterday and, while we were waiting for the inevitable prescription to be filled, we went to have a look see around the Goodwill. Well, it was half price blue (B) day at the Goodwill and my little-Little and I found quite a few treasures. Nothing like the $100 Titanic cup for 77 cents, but pretty close in the little-Little's world. See, the one thing Santa did not bring her this past Christmas was an Olivia playhouse. He brought her a little Olivia play figure, but no house. What do you think she stumbles upon at the Goodwill? Yep. And she was THRILLED, because she was spending her own money. The house retails for $40 and it comes with 23 accessories. This house at Goodwill had none, but was only $1.91. I think the little-Little is feeling the excitement of a faboo dealio like the rest of us, friends! This is what the house looks like brand spanking new
and a whopping $39.99! This is what the little-Little paid $1.91 for at Goodwill. She is using her own Olivia play figure along furniture she is making herself and borrowing from other toy sets she already has. She also ordered an Olivia family for $8. She saved a bundle and learned that sometimes, waiting gets you what you want and then some. By the by, that Land's End nightgown she's wearing was another Goodwill find last year.
Got it for next to nothing (maybe $1.40?) during a half price day. And a couple of Mama's faboo Goodwill finds...  Two Cirque du Soliel water bottles for 36 cents each. These water bottles are sold at concessions at the shows for $5.50 each. Two thermal travel mugs for 36 cents each. I don't know what either of these would have retailed for, but they're both heavy and faboo.
On to today's shopping! I went to Publix, Ingles, Kroger, Bell's, and Willing Helpers Food Pantry. (Again, I can't stress enough how Willing Helpers Food Pantry not only helps me supplement my family, but helps me help my neighbors, too.) See below for my totals and savings. Peace, B.PSIf you have any questions, please leave a comment or email me at mamabee@OneFabulousMama.com. Please share your shopping stories here as well. We share to inspire and motivate one another, friends! Ingles  Half gallon jugs of whole milk marked down to 79 cents each. Expiration date is February 5. Have NO idea why. I needed milk anyway, so I was all about paying $1.58 for a gallon of milk instead of $3.18! Unfortunately, someone else raided all the marked down yogurt before I got there. Heifer.
 Two packs of FREE batteries and three boxes of my favorite broccoli cheese rice mix for 66 cents each. Total spent $1.98. Retail $7.15.
A cart of dinged cans and crushed boxes was up front at Ingles today. I can't pass up a clearance cart, y'all. There was some good deals on coffee, but I was passing on those when the manager stopped me and pointed out that he was about to have those cans marked down even more than they already were. I sweet talked him into going even lower on the pop tarts and tea bags, too. Because I'm just like that, y'all. I can't help it. So, I scored six of those big cans of pumpkin for 20 cents each, a big can of peas for 50 cents, three cans of pasta for 20 cents each, a 12 pack of store brand pop tarts for 50 cents (none were crushed or open), and 60 tea bags for 40 cents. I also found marked down soy nuts in the produce section for 99 cents. The canned pumpkin expires in 2014 and I'll be baking with that all year, I bet. Total spent on this unexpected clearance find was $3.20.
Retail $24.30. Oh, yeah. Publix  Four packs of bologna. They expire in April. The meat manager told me today that I didn't need to freeze them, so yeah. Total spent was $4. Retail $9.96.
 Two (2 pack) boxes of instant mashed potatoes. Total spent was 40 cents. Retail $3.36.
 Two Marie's dips. Total spent $1.50. Retail $6.98.
Kroger  Four pasta sauces for 19 cents each and eight cans of petite diced tomatoes for 19 cents each. Total spent $2.28. Retail $12.30. NOTE: I wouldn't normally buy canned tomatoes or pasta sauce because I can these myself, BUT when I can get these items for less than a quarter each, it's totally worth the money!
 Helluva dip. Total spent 9 cents. Retail $1.79.
 Two bags of Ricola cough drops. Spent 18 cents. Retail $3.98.
 Two jars of Nutella. Spent $2.49 each. Retail $6.98.
You have no idea how hard it is to stockpile Nutella in my house.
Bell's Discount Grocery  Seven pound can of garbonzo beans. Spent $3. Retail for seven 15 ounce cans of garbonzo beans would be $8.33. Garbonzo beans freeze well, so when I open this can, I'll freeze the beans in 2 cup increments.
 One box of Rice Chex and one box of granola. Spent $2.49. Retail $9.48.
Willing Helpers Food Pantry The $16 I spent on the following awesome-ness was split up between a total of 4 households. I could never help my friends or feed my family like I do without couponing, baking, cooking from scratch, and visiting food pantries like Willing Helpers. It's hard to determine how much the retail value of a all this bounty is, but I would guesstimate somewhere in the neighborhood of $140. I know. It's amazing. If you aren't local, check around your community for food pantries. Total spent-
$42.50
Retail value-
$237.79
Total saved-
$195.29 or an amazing 83%!
I make a couple pennies when you print these, friends, so if you were going to anyway, here are some faboo new coupons that are out! Peace, B.OFM's disclosure statement
These prices are good January 29, 2012 through February 4, 2012!
Peace, B.
celery- 69 cents each
avocados- 49 cents each
baby carrots- 49 cents each
grape tomatoes- 69 cents
broccoli- 89 cents
mushrooms- 69 cents
 When One Fabulous Mama sent out an all call to her friends for good eats in McDonough last Friday night, they responded with a list about a mile long of their favorite places to belly up and chow down. I was most intrigued by the sound of Chevy's Diner which sits just off the square in historic downtown McDonough. I'm a big fan of historic downtown anywhere, so I was already sold before we even got there, y'all. Really, my favorite part about living in Georgia these past ten years has been getting to know communities by how they treat their squares. McDonough is doing just fine, I'm happy to report.
A word about Chevy's on Facebook... Let me stop right here and tell y'all that Chevy's has a command of using social marketing to bring folks into their restaurant. I went straight to their Facebook page on Friday afternoon where they were interacting with their 3,000 plus fans and running a giveaway for FREE desserts and TWO FREE ENTREES! The owners, Neil and Erica Daniell, just get how people love, love, love a giveaway. I know I thought they were awesome sauce before I even looked at the menu which is also on their Facebook page. Seriously. These folks got it goin' on.  Do you remember when, we used to sing? We drove up Macon Street where Chevy's is located and couldn't find a parking spot anywhere. I could see that the place was hoppin', with the band already cranked up and playing my song. My song is really any number of tunes, but at that moment it was "Brown Eyed Girl." Yeah, I know I have witchy green eyes and all, but Mr. OFM used to rock out "Brown Eyed Girl" with his band in college and he'd always look over at me and mouth, "And you my green eyed girl" during the sets. See? Isn't that romantic? Sha la la, la la,la la, la la, l-la te da...
 Anyway, we parked clear across the square which wasn't a bad little walk at all and then, had about a 15 minute wait once we walked in the door. The wait staff offered drinks and kept us posted on the wait time. Meanwhile, the band was playing in the next room and we got to really check out the menu and the awesome sauce decor. I am failing as a parent because the little-Little kept asking who the people in the pictures were. Chevy's is just filled with stars from bygone days, the really cool bygone days of the 50s.
"So, all of these people are dead? What kind of place is this?"
The little-Little  We were seated in what I think is the front dining room by the ice cream bar. The music was going on in the next room and was plenty loud enough to enjoy. I knew we'd end up checking out the band before we left though. The Teenager is all about some live music and the owner told us that the bass player was from Collective Soul, so I knew we'd have to sit awhile a listen. It's worth mentioning here that once we got seated, everyone was able to connect to Chevy's wi-fi with no problems. The Teenager had Georgia Honors Program the very next morning, so we were all in help mode with that, going over information that made my head hurt. I was thankful Chevy's had wi-fi for us.We started off with fried pickle spears and chili cheese fries. The chili cheese fries were totally for the kids. I mean, I won't say no to them, but I knew I wanted to try fried pickle spears. I'm kinda a connoisseur of fried pickles, y'all, but I've only ever had fried pickle slices. Frank's Seafood Restaurant does those up right (and by right, I mean, they're the very best in town), but a spear? How on earth could a fried pickle spear be as yummy-ness as a fried pickle slice?
Um, yeah. Turns out, fried pickle spears are a different kind of yummy-ness altogether. Crispy, tart, dipped in ranch dressing and totally flippin' delicious. This is what happened after about 3 minutes... Despite having a packed house, our food arrived quickly and just as it should. No mistakes and everything looked good. The Littles had chicken strips (one tossed in buffalo sauce) and the kids' hot dog. Mr. OFM had a chili cheese dog and he was super happy with it. The older Littles couldn't finish their generous portions. The little-Little was so happy with the yummy fries. Neil says that the only other place that serves those fries is a Red Robin way on the other side of the ATL, so I think he's on to something there.
 I had Old Blue Eyes. Now, let me tell you something about me and stinky cheeseburgers. I stinkin' love them. Give me some feta, some gorgonzola, or bleu cheese and I'm happy. Old Blue Eyes was a gigantic, homemade burger with two pieces of thick sliced bacon, and a mess of melted bleu cheese crumbles. When I say this is the best stinky cheeseburger I've ever had, I mean it and, y'all, that's saying something. I could only get through half of the burger, but anticipated having the rest of it for lunch the next day. I also tried the homemade chips in place of the fries. Score on that. Those things are ah-may-zing. None of us had room for dessert, but I did enjoy a root beer float with dinner. Hand dipped Blue Bell ice cream made that sucker a real treat. Yes, I shared with the Littles, but I did so begrudgingly, I assure you.
The breakdown We spent $66.26 with tax and before tip. We had an awesome server named Caroline who works hard for the money at three jobs, y'all. While I suspect all the servers are efficient, friendly, and fabulous, y'all ask for Caroline when you go into Chevy's. She'll treat you right. We ordered two appetizers, five drinks (one of which was that root beer float), four adult entrees, and one child's entree. It was a very fair price for great food. A value, that's for sure. What I liked more than the food (and seriously, y'all, the food rocks) was the awesome decor, the friendly owner, and the overall feel of the place. Chevy's is a fun place for families, a hip place for friends, a cool date night- I just can't think of a better place to eat, drink, and be merry. You can see, feel, hear, and taste that a ton of thought and love went into making Chevy's what it is. McDonough is lucky to have this restaurant and my family will be going back for more. I mean, I need to be able to tell y'all about the pie and beer floats, right? Peace, B. A parting word about the band...  I love when a restaurant provides live music and the band playing at Chevy's Diner was just wonderful. They are Shoulderbone Creek Orchestra and we heard plenty of awesome covers that made us want to sit awhile and have a beer or two. Y'all check these talented guys out every Friday night at Chevy's.
Chevy's Diner is located at 45 Macon Street, McDonough, GA, 30253. Their phone number is 678.583.8777.
Their hours are
Mon - Thu:11:00 am-9:00 pm
Fri - Sat:11:00 am-10:00 pm
Sun:11:00 am-3:00 pm
Casual dining, entrees range under $10.
The 50s Never Tasted Better at this Top 5 Burger place!
Neil and Erica Daniell, owners and Pam Mehaffey, general manager
Be sure to tell them One Fabulous Mama sent you!
Q: Can I xerox printable internet coupons? Wendy A: I answered this briefly on the Facebook page when it was first asked last week, but I thought we should cover exactly what constitutes fraud and so that all of us are armed with the knowledge we need to avoid unknowingly committing fraud!  According to the Coupon Information Corporation (CIC), coupon fraud is committed “whenever someone intentionally uses a coupon for a product that he/she has NOT purchased or otherwise fails to satisfy the terms and conditions for redemption, when a retailer submits coupons for products they have not sold or that were not properly redeemed by a consumer in connection with a retail purchase; or when coupons are altered/counterfeited”. Coupon fraud costs the industry between $200 and $500 million every year. I know. Get your mind around that. No wonder the cashiers are checking our coupons three and four times each. With that much fraud happening, it could be anyone of us committing it.
 Here's a rule of thumb. Follow the rules. Sometimes, that's hard to do when the fine print on a coupon is confusing. However, when the message flashes across your computer screen that an internet coupon can be printed once or twice per household, don't xerox that coupon. You are committing fraud!
 I used to only look at coupon expiration dates. It's the only part of the coupon that really mattered to me, but if you want to be sure what you're doing is above board check out the entire coupon. I'll be sharing the anatomy of a coupon very soon and how most stores treat them during a transaction.
Consumers, cashiers, and stores knowingly commit coupon fraud. We don't want to be one of the bad guys. Here are some examples of the bad guys:- On May 11, 2011 charges were brought against Lucas Townsend who produced a fraudulent Tide Detergent coupon that cost P&G and retailers $200,000 in coupon redemptions over a 2-3 week period in December of 2010.
- In 2008, Target sent a $5 off $25 toy purchase coupon to 85,000 customers via email. Someone changed the coupon to read “$5 off any $25 purchase”, and the fraudulent coupon went viral.
- A counterfeit Free Doritos coupon began circulating in 2009. Frito-Lay had these removed from the websites, but then the counterfeit coupon spread very quickly by email to friends, family, and coworkers (I received one as well!), causing thousands to be redeemed at retailers around the nation. The estimated damage is in the millions of dollars, though they will not release the total dollar loss. Spokeswoman Aurora Gonzalez stated that “the dollar value of bogus coupons consumers took to retailers in just five weeks was equal to 5 percent of Frito-Lay’s yearly payout for 250 coupon offers”.
- International Outsourcing Services (IOS), the nation’s largest coupon clearinghouse, allegedly cost providers more than $250 million over 10 years by obtaining unused coupons never touched by a consumer, mixing them with redeemed coupons, and sending them in for redemption. IOS directed its employees in a Mexican coupon processing plant to mix the unredeemed coupons with the redeemed ones. The brokers signed up stores that would claim the coupons came from them for a piece of the payback.
Thanks, Amanda L. Grossman, for the above information on the bad guys.
Get a FREE subscription to Parents magazine! This is a 7 month subscription offered by Huggies and Parents magazine. Peace, B.
 Week two of the Mega Event at Kroger. Still some good deals out there if you didn't get them last week. A bunch of coupons are expiring 01.31.12, so watch your dates. I like the 19 cent tomato paste, the 19 cent pasta sauce, the FREE coffee filters (crafts!), FREE tissues, and 9 cent cough drops! Here are all the Kroger deals.
 FREE batteries again this week. I always dig that! Faboo deals on lunchmeat, fries, and pretzels. Here are all the deals at Ingles this week.
The deals are good enough to have me out at both stores this week. How about y'all? Peace, B.
As always, thanks to Southern Savers!
Free chocolate this week at CVS!Free aspirin & sinus meds at Walgreens!Great prince on Almay cosmetics at Rite Aid!As always, thanks to Southern Savers!Peace, B.
Many of you already know that Todd Parr is One Fabulous Mama's favorite children's book author and illustrator. I've been fortunate to share his lovely words and pictures with all three of my Littles. If you're not familiar with Todd Parr, go check him out here. I guarantee if you read Underwear Dos and Don'ts, you'll smile, smile, smile and I firmly believe if we all took the time to read It's Okay to Be Different, the world would be a better place. :o) Todd posted these adorable FREE coupons on his Facebook wall today and I wanted to share them with y'all. I've copied them below. To print, just right click on the image and either save to your computer or select print image. Peace, B.PSIsn't neat that I was just writing about loving myself for reals over on Mother Blogger and up pops Todd with these coupons? I heart the Universe and it's magical, magicy-ness!
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