Rise and Shine is my way of sitting down and having a cup of coffee with you! We talk about the new deals of the day, highlights from yesterday, and anything else that might help us save time, money or energy. Published Monday through Friday – as I’m able.
Good morning! How’s it going today? It’s Friday! Blue Friday for you Seahawk fans. #GoHawks!
Yesterday we spent almost the entire day watching movies on the couch. As I mentioned yesterday in Rise and Shine we are a bit under the weather at our place – but we all slept like CHAMPS last night and I’m hopeful that another day of rest is all we need to be up and running again.
The Super Bowl is just THREE days away!! If you haven’t done your shopping for Super Bowl foods yet, we put together a Deals to Meals post – Super Bowl Style! We matched up the grocery store ads with delicious game day recipes and even listed some snacks on the go! You can head over here for Seahawks Party ideas
I’ve been gearing up to do a major house cleaning. To DOWNSIZE our stuff like nobody’s business. We have plans to sell our house this spring and when we move onto our next adventure – I want to be rid of all this extra stuff. I’m wondering if I should blog about this – is downsizing and simplifying something that you’d like too? I think it’s so hard when we are frugal people to get rid of items – because we see value in them. But for me, lately, I’m feeling a bit smothered by items in my home. Can you relate?
Do you remember last year I did the Clutter to Clean series? In hindsight it was DUMB for me to try and do it in one week – I know better now. I think the focus for me this year is not organizing the stuff I have but DECREASING the amount of stuff I have in my home. Organizing will be a side benefit – and a million times easier if I’m ONLY dealing with items in my house that I need or love. Make sense? What do you think – are you interested in something like this?
Coupons
Head over here to print your coupons.
$1.00 off any two HORMEL Bacon Toppings products
$2.00 off two ZonePerfect 5-count Multipack boxes
$1.00 off 2 HORMEL Chicken Breast products
$1.00 off any Margaritaville Seafood item
$1.00 off any TWO Dial or Dial for Men Body Wash
$1.00 off one 4.4lb bag of Purina Puppy Chow
$1.50 off (1) MY LITTLE PONY toy
$2.00 off (1) SESAME STREET Plush toy from Hasbro
This Sunday we should get two coupon inserts – one Smart Source and one Red Plum. If you live in the Puget Sound area, scroll to the bottom of this post for a special newspaper subscription offer. Here’s a sneak peak of just SOME of the coupons you should see.
Online and Retail Sale
Domino’s Pizza is planning to give away 50% Off a 1-Topping Handmade Pan Pizza coupons sometime before February 15, 2015. You can sign up here to receive an alert when the giveaway is live (either via text or email). There will be a total of 50,003 winners.
You can find our weekly roundup of printable retail coupons here. We also have a list of current restaurant coupons to help you save if you’re planning to eat out this weekend!
Target has several Disney Princess Doll & Toddler Dress Gift Sets marked down to $17.48 (reg. $34.99). Each set includes a My First Disney Princess Doll and a matching dress for your toddler. You can see all the available sets here!
Today only, subscribe to Taste of Home Magazine for only $6.25 per year (81% off the cover price). You can order up to four (4) years at this price. Just enter coupon code QUEENBEE at checkout.
Kohls.com – Gold Star Clearance up to 70% off and Final Clearance up to 80% off. FREE Shipping on orders $50 or more when you use code ENDJAN50 at checkout.
Crazy 8 – Extra 40% off select markdowns, plus 50% off Valentine’s Styles
Cents of Style Fashion Friday Deal – Buy a beautiful, colorful Spring scarf for $11.95 and get a cozy, black, cable knit infinity scarf for FREE when you use coupon code 2FOR1 at checkout. That’s about $6 each. Cents of Style always offers FREE Shipping.
Tanga – FREE Shipping Friday – everything ships FREE when you use code FRIDAYSHIP at checkout
Amazon Deals
We post Amazon deals throughout the day, see the latest Amazon deals here. See all of Amazon’s Deals of the Days here.
Amazon Deal of the Day – Amazon has the Polaroid XS100 Extreme Edition HD 1080p 16MP Waterproof Sports Action Video Camera With Full Mounting Kit Included on sale for $94.99 (reg. $249.99). This is the BEST price it has been on Amazon. Great reviews. This deal is good today only, Friday, January 30, 2015, while supplies last.
Amazon BONUS Deal of the Day – Amazon has HeadFoams Headphones for Kids on sale for $19.99 (reg. $29.99). This is the BEST price these have been on Amazon. Lots of colors, Great reviews.
Amazon has an awesome new promotion – buy two or more Fisher-Price toys, get and extra 30% off at checkout! This is in addition to some already great sale prices. It’s only qualifying toys and they need to be sold and shipped by Amazon. We highlighted a few of the best deals here!
DC Comics Big Boys’ Superman Puffed Hoodie – just $10.76 (reg. $39.99). It’s available in small, medium, large and x-large.
Nautica Big Boys’ Front Pocket Shell Jacket – $12.98 (reg. $64.50). It is just the Navy and Yellow jacket at this low price, other colors are slightly more.
Columbia Women’s Suntech Vent Sandal – $13.99 (reg. $35). These are available in women’s sizes 5 thru 12 in two colors, at this price.
Steve Madden Men’s Hanssel Cap-Toe Oxford Shoes – $39.15 (reg. $100)! This is the BEST price they have been on Amazon. Available in Black or Cognac colors, Men’s sizes 9 – 13.
Fisher-Price Newborn Rock ‘n Play Sleeper, Rainforest Friends – $39.59 (reg. $59.99). This is the BEST price it has been on Amazon. Great reviews.
Xbox Live 12 Month Gold Membership [Online Game Code] – $39.99 (reg. $59.99). This is a great deal. You’ll be purchasing an online game code.
Recipes, meal planning, grocery store
Here are your Costco deals through February 22. This month you can pick up 2 huge jugs of Prego Heart Smart Sauce for $7.89, 5lbs of Tyson Panko Breaded Chicken Nuggets for $8.49, a box of Huggies Pull-ups for $23.99, and lots more.
This week’s $5 Friday at Safeway has been extended through the weekend! You can grab a few good deals like Cheerios for $1.17, Planters Peanuts for $1.17, Grass Fed Beef for $5 and All Laundry Detergent for $4.
Here are the QFC deals for January 28 – February 3. The great news is that the awesome Buy 6, Save $3 promotion continues on for another week. Be sure to check out all of our hot unadvertised deal finds here!
Hop over to the Fred Meyer or QFC coupon sites today and download a coupon for a FREE 5 count box of South Beach Diet Snack Bars! You will be able to download this coupon TODAY only, but you’ll be able to use the coupon through February 15.
See this week’s grocery ads here – Fred Meyer, Safeway and Albertsons and QFC deals and WinCo deals. Get the latest Costco coupon deals here.
Pacific Northwest Deals
Save the date! Northwest Trek is hosting Kids n Critters next month – with FREE admission for up to 4 kids (ages 12 and under) per paying adult or senior. This event runs February 14 – 16, 2015. We’ve got more details about Northwest Trek’s Kid & Critters Event here!
If you want to come to Washington to warm up, Alaska Airlines is offering 12% off all flights in and out of Washington state with code GORUSSELL for travel between February 12 – March 18, 2015. There are some restrictions, but worth checking if you’ve been waiting for an airfare deal!
Have a great day!
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Kristin says
A big YES to more posts about minimizing and simplifying! There are so may excellent books about simplifying out there, but I find that reading in-the-moment accounts is always so much more fun and motivational.
Great blog!
Heather Clarke says
Thanks Kristin! I’d love any recommendations for books or resources on simplifying. Thanks!
Mea says
Have you ever watched “Tiny House Nation”? I could never live in houses that tiny….but they have AWESOME ideas for downsizing and super ideas for storage and organization. It’s on the FYI network I believe. They have dome ingenious stuff they invent on there.
Mea says
<> not dome lol 🙂
Heather Clarke says
Mea – I haven’t seen it yet – but it sounds like a great show for me to watch! Thanks for the tip.
Kristin says
My top picks (in no particular order):
The Joy of Less, Francine Jay
Family-Sized Minimalism, Faith Janes
The Power of Less, Leo Babauta
The 100 Thing Challenge, Dave Bruno
Enjoy!
Heather Clarke says
Thank you for the list of resources!!
Ruth says
yes more downsizing posts please!
Heather Clarke says
Got it, Ruth! 🙂 Thanks for your feedback.
Stacy says
Heather please share your journey with us! We just bought a larger home for our 4 growing children…it has made my life crazier, harder to clean, harder to manage the yard etc. we have only had it a year and am ready to sell it! Less is more!
Randi says
Heather, I think you should do the downsizing series. I’ve been following Mavis at onehundreddollarsamonth.com on her downsizing adventure. Her plan to donate 10 items a week inspired me begin. I was unable to attend the funeral of a close friend recently due to long-distance. I spent a day emptying my closet, donating, tossing and reorganizing and thinking of her. My newly organized closet with WAY more space for things I wear/love reminds me of my dear friend (she was always neat and organized). Although I occasionally miss an old favorite t-shirt or sweater, I just love how the neatness makes me feel.
Heather Clarke says
Randi, Thanks for the tip about Mavis! I’ll have to check it out. Sorry about the loss of your friend. 🙁 I bet that felt good to clean out the closet and what a wonderful way to remember your friend. If the neatness brings you joy – keep at it! Often times I feel less is more!
Cheryl I says
I am struggling with this too. This past year, sometimes I stared at a couple of “good deals” as I pondered whether or not my family really needed the item(s). It still is pretty hard for me to walk away from some of these deals, but seriously, a lot of the coupon deals are for processed food and how many toys do my children need? They honestly just play with their favorites and a bunch of the toys just go on the wayside.
Susan says
I am on this same journey this year. As empty nesters (and getting older) I really do want to simplify and minimalize.
I cleaned out the entry closet just last week. Donated a whole closet full of coats, jackets, and sweaters.
I was in a local grocery store checking out, and there was a cute little girl dressed as a princess. I mentioned I had a whole bunch of dress up clothes from my youngest GD (who is 13 ) and the checker offered to buy them for her GD. I told her I would be happy to give them to her- it would make me happy for another little girl to enjoy them. I brought them to her yesterday. She said she will take pics to share with me 🙂
I have a long way to go. We’ve been in this house 20 years – (with a 3-car garage) married 44 years – and although we are far from “hoarders” (I pride myself on a clean home) there is a LOT of “stuff” that can go!! 🙂
So I can totally relate!
Heather Clarke says
Susan,
Thank you for sharing your journey! I too feel like I’m far from hoarders – I’m usually really good about donating as we go – but the amount of stuff I keep is starting to be more a burden than a blessing. Later this year we want to move a smaller, more intentional, home and it’s forcing me to evaluate every item in my home. Does it serve a purpose? Does it bring me joy? I think those two requirements are going to be the biggest questions I ask myself over the next 6 months. . . .
How wonderful that you were able to give those princess dresses to your checker! I love it when you can give items to real people – instead of just dropping them off at a thrift shop. Good for you cleaning out the hall closet – I bet that felt great to get it cleaned out.
Keep up the good work – and keep me posted on your progress!
Megan says
We have been downsizing here as well. It’s a long process especially for someone like me who likes stuff and has a lot of collections.
We put our house on the market this week and we are planning on moving in to a house barely more than half the size of the one we have lived in for the past 7.5 years. We have a new set of goals and one of them is to live more simply and spend money on the things that really matter to us like travel and time together. I stay home and homeschool our daughter, but my husband would like to have more freedom with his time as well so that is what we are working toward.
I have gotten rid of quite a bit, but I know all of my stuff will not fit in the new house so I know there is more purging ahead. I have always been a bargain hunter and it is a challenge to walk away from a great deal, but I have gotten a lot better about it and try to remind myself that 1. I don’t need it, 2. even if it’s a great deal, it still costs money, and 3. someone else might need it and they can get the great deal. Even so, it is hard to get rid of perfectly good things that I already own, but again, I try to remember that someone else might need it and appreciate it. It’s a work in progress for sure.
Good luck on your project and yes, post about it!
Also, if anyone is in the market for a lovely home in the country 20 minutes southwest of Olympia in the Capitol Forest, I have the perfect house for you! 🙂
Heather Clarke says
Megan –
THANK you for sharing your candid experience. I’m excited for you and your new journey. I think evaluating your goals and choosing to live more simply – with more intentional spending is so wise. It’s true – the deals are tempting – I know I sure struggle with this. For example, yesterday I went to clean out the shoe closet and was EMBARRASSED by the number of shoes I have collected over the years – 5 pairs of running shoes? I know I didn’t pay more than $25 a pair – it’s still four pairs more than I *NEED* and I feel a bit guilty just thinking about it.
For the last year we’ve been on the hunt for the perfect house in the country. We were so close to moving into a bigger and better house this last year – but nothing “felt” like a good fit. So we kept looking. We ran our real estate agent ragged (he’s amazing by the way, if you need a good one) – but lately I’m reconsidering our next move – both figuratively and literally and I have a feeling it will not be a bigger, better house. But it will align better with our values and the things we care most about.
Life is a constant journey and it’s so good to check your compass often to make sure you’re headed in the direction that aligns with your heart. So excited to hear more about your downsizing! Keep me posting. 🙂
Amber Smith says
You should do the organize/downsize blog. Sometimes we buy something because it is a good sale but don’t use. Good time to go through food for expiration. I seriously need to downsize myself. Sometimes the more you own, the more it owns you.
Heather Clarke says
Amber – I LOVE what you have to say. Sometimes the more you own, the more it owns you. Amen. Sometimes I feel like I put so much effort in organizing, cleaning and moving stuff from one place to the next. Ugh. Thanks for that nugget!