Saturday Shopping

First off I stopped in at Rite-Aid before leaving the mountain to finish off the Kimberly-Clark Get $8 +Ups wyb $20 Deal.....

1 x Scott TP on sale=$7.74
I used a $1/1 Scott ManuQ(Sunday inserts).....$7.74-$1=$6.74
I used $6 in +Up Rewards and paid .74¢ OOP.
And I got the $8 +Up Reward.

Before this transaction this wellness card had 902 pts. on it so getting to 1000 pts. before 12/31 will be a snap......a snap I tell ya!  8-)

Next it was a trip to Target.
Yes, you heard that correctly, "I" went to Target of all places.
Let's just say that I NEVER go to Target!
Not after I had a dreadful experience there trying to use coupons in 2009 or so.

Well you could have knocked me over with an IPQ I was so shocked to have a very good experience this time.
The store has changed a bit and doesn't throw off the negative energy like it did before.
That and the shelves were not bare from other people running the deals and even though it was a Saturday afternoon the place wasn't uber crowded....not even a little crowded.
And the cashier was friendly and knew the coupon policy.
Oh my heart......

I may just add Target back into my shopping rotation of stores again.  I don't think the deals are as good as some other places usually and it requires me to go down into the city so I won't be going there much.
But it's back on the list.

Here are the deals I did there today--
I had a $5 gift card from a many years old deal I did there back in 2009.
I also had a $25 gift card that #2 Son gave me this Summer.

Transaction #1

2 x Playtex tampons on sale $6.99=$13.98
I got a $5 gift card back for buying this.

5 x Lysol toilet cleaner on sale $1.97=$9.85
I got a $5 gift card back for buying this.
Subtotal.....$23.83

Coupons Used
2 x $3/1 Playtex item IPQ(nla)=$6.00
1 x $1/2 Playtex items Target IPQ(on their website)=$1.00
2 x .50/2 Lysol Toilet Cleaner IPQ=$1.00
Coupon Total.....$8.00

$23.83-$8.00=$15.83

I used the old $5 gift card making the total $10.83.
I used part of the $25 gift card to pay the balance of $11.01($10.83+.18¢ tax)
Zero OOP and 2 new $5 gift cards.

Transaction #2

2 x Playtex tampons on sale=$13.98
I got a $5 gift card for buying these items.

Coupons Used
2 x $3/1 Playtex items IPQ(it reset on coupons dotcom)=$6.00
1 x $1/2 Playtex items Target Q(website)=$1.00
Coupon Total.....$7.00

$13.98-$7.00=$6.98
I used $5 gift card gotten for buying the first set of tampons(transaction #1).....$6.98-$5.00=$1.98+.11¢tax=$2.09 put on what was left on the $25 gift card so ZERO OOP again.
And I have another $5 gift card.

Going into the following transaction I had $10 in $5 gift cards left.

Transaction #3

6 x Starbucks bags of Coffee on sale $6.99=$41.94
I received 2 x $5 in gift cards for buying these items.

Coupons Used
1 x $4/2 Starbucks coffee items(nla)=$4.00
2 x $2/2 Starbucks coffee items(coupons dotcom)=$4.00
Coupon Total.....$8.00

$41.94-$8.00=$33.94
I used the 2 x $5 gift cards......$33.94-$10.00=$23.94(no tax on food)
I used what was left on the $25 gift card($11.90)& paid $12.04 cash OOP.

And I have $10 in gift cards left.

After gift cards I got and coupons, the tampons were .99¢ a box, the toilet cleaner was .77¢ a bottle and the coffee was $3.99 a bag.
The tampons are for Daughter, the toilet cleaner for us and the coffee for Hubs so everything was needed and/or wanted and will get used.

Goods worth $91.75 reg. retail for $12.04 OOP and $10 in gift cards at Target.

We also picked up some clearance clothing(for Hubs and #2 Son)and 2 packages of no nitrites OM hot dogs on clearance for $3 a package so an additional $6 of the food budget did get spent as well.

Total all food & toiletries OOP today.....$18.78

Did you get any good deals at the stores this week?

Sluggy

Happenings at Chez Sluggy Lately

Let's see what's going on around here this week, other than hitting up Rite-Aid for almost freebies and going to the grocery store.
Boy, do I lead a dull, dull life.......

Here's the biggest news this week.

Going......

Going......

GONE!

Another vehicle bites the dust.

We'll save approx. another $800 a year on our car insurance having this van gone.
Yay!

From a high of about $2,800 a year for insurance to $1,340 a year now.
Sweet.
My van insurance was roughly the same I now pay for the Sonic(since it's new) but unloading the Hyundai Elantra and Dodge Minivan will save us $1,460 a year going forward.
Plus all the repairs, gas and taxes/fees.
Plus we'll get a small partial refund on the car insurance bill I paid last month.

#2 Son will either have to be happy to drive the purple car when he is home for breaks or he will get a lot of exercise walking places. lolz

In other news........

I didn't sleep well yesterday because I am stressing out over--

A.  The repairman coming back today to fix the a/c and heating units.  He left here 2 weeks back and couldn't tell me what was wrong with them.  He had to call for technical support to a guy in India...WTF?!?  I have little confidence that this will be fixed today.  At least we aren't paying for a service call or parts as we got an extended warranty on the thing.

B.  Someone bought a boatload of fabric from me on Etsy 2 days ago.  She didn't pay me enough so I am waiting on more shipping $ at Paypal to come through.  This stuff doesn't leave until I am FULLY paid.

The daughter paid us the first installment of the loan we floated her to buy her house.
Yay!
Only 119 more to go.
I hope I live long enough to get all this $ back. lolz


Not feeling so great this week, besides the not sleeping.  I have some naggy ailments happening, things that pop-up every so often.  Annoying and make me grouchy.

I also have to schedule a mammogram, a CT scan(for a final check on a scar on my lung to make sure it isn't a tumor)and I need to get to the eye doctor before the end of the year.  That "baby cataract" that wasn't even large enough to mention really last Fall is now causing me eyesight problems.  I dread having a surgery but I need to get this taken care of before I head off on any more driving trips.  I just don't feel confident driving long stretches with my vision as it is now.

Speaking of trips........

                         photo credit S Walker


Next Friday we head out for the Vassar/Baker Reunion down in VA.  This is a shot of last year's attendees taken by my 1st cousin's(once removed) wife.  I'll be more mobile this year since at last year's event I was still recovering from a blood clot in my ankle.

I hope people hang around longer this year and don't just eat and run like last year.  Between that and not getting around well I didn't get to talk to/get to know hardly anyone there. 

I also want to go visit a cemetery while we are down there and take some photos of my 2x Great Grand headstones.
Later on the evening of the Reunion we'll have dinner with my mother's cousin & her husband, from her father's side of the family.

I hope to stop at Berky's Restaurant outside of Lexington for early dinner or late lunch on the way down.  Never been, always wanted to go there.  The fried chicken is to DIE FOR!
I haven't had fried chicken in ages.......

What else--

*   I got an old ragged nightgown ripped up with the seam ripper so now I can use it as a pattern to make some more gowns.  I loved that gown and it hurt to have to let it go....sniff, sniff......

*  Paid bills.  It looks like we are going to end September with $2K+ for the Savings Challenge so we are on track for this month.  We are, however, behind for the year at this point in the game.
But never fear because October is our 3 paycheck month. 8-))

*  I mostly piddled around and didn't get much done besides canning the relish.  Now I have to find a place to put it all! 8-)

Not much else going on here.
How about you?
What are y'all up to?

Sluggy

 

Just Some Rite-Aid Chatter

I went out on Wednesday to Rite-Aid.  I figure since the deals look not-so-great for the next 2 weeks I'd better spend/roll some more +Ups.

I got this on my wellness card......

2 x Listerine on sale $3.99=$7.98
1 x Colgate toothpaste on sale=$2.99
1 x Candy bar on sale=.67¢   Mmmm, dark chocolate......
SubTotal....$11.64

Coupons Used
2 x $1/1 Listerine Naturals Catalina Qs=$2.00 *
1 x $2/1 Colgate Enamel Health item ManuQ(Sunday inserts)=$2.00
Coupon Total.....$4.00

$11.64-$4.00=$7.64 + .03¢tax=$7.67

I used $7 in +Up Rewards and paid .67¢ OOP.
I received back $6 in +Up Rewards (2 x $3 Listerine)

Then I bought this stuff......

3 x Garnier Shampoo on sale BOGO50%=$10.77 **
2 x Cottonelle TP on sale $7.49=$14.98 ***
Subtotal.....$25.75

Coupons Used
2 x $1/1 Garnier IPQ=$2.00
1 x $2/1 Garnier IPQ=$2.00
1 x $1/1 Garnier Pure Clean VideoValuesQ=$1.00
1 x $2/1 Garnier Sleek and Shine R-A FacebookQ=$2.00
2 x $1/1 Cottonelle VideoValuesQ=$2.00
1 x $1/2 Cottonelle ManuQ(Sunday's inserts)=$1.00
Coupon Total.......$10.00

$25.75-$10.00=$15.75
I used $15 in +Up Rewards and paid .75¢ OOP.

I received back $5 in +Up Rewards(wyb $15 Garnier-I had $6.73 tracking on that deal coming into today).
I also got tracking of $14.98 on the Spend $20/Get $8 Kimberley/Clark Deal for buying the toilet paper.

*  I had 1 $1/1 Catalina Q that the machine spit out on Sunday when I bought this variety of Listerine and another $1/1 ManuQ tearpad Q from my dentist to use, but as soon as the Listerine got rang up ANOTHER $1/1 Listerin Naturals Q spit out of the catalina machine so I used that instead of the tearpad Q, as it was longer dated.
If you don't have a Listerine Q and you want to chance buying it and having a catalina Q spit out you can use, making it free after +Up Rewards received, be my guest.  Just make sure the cashier checks that the machine is turned on and working.
If it doesn't work out, you only spent .99¢ on a bottle of Listerine after +Up Rewards received so that's still a good deal.

**  With the Garnier since I bought 3 bottles and the deal was BOGO 50% off, 1 was reg. price, $4.49, 1 was half off at $2.24 and the third bottle got 10% discount is what this wellness card now has being at the Silver level.

***  I was going to buy a package of Scott TP as well to finish off this Kimberley/Clark Deal but the Qs for Scott I printed out didn't match up with the type of TP that was part of this deal.  I have a $1/1 Scott ManuQ from Sunday's inserts at HOME...ugh.....so I'll go back later today or Saturday to buy this and get my $8 in +Ups reward.

After I buy the package of Scott TP I'll have $27 in +Ups left and I won't have to roll/spend any again until 9/28 if I don't want to buy anything next week.
But I do already have a plan for next week's deals.

$1.42 more spent at Rite-Aid this week and $57.37 more in products brought home.
I am such a spendthrift. hehehe

Both my wellness card and son's card now have 850 points on them each.  Only 150 more to reach Gold and 20% off for the rest of this year and all of next year.(Except my card already gets 20% off from reaching 1000 pts. last year.)  I took son's card from 0 pts. to 850 in 6 transactions in 20 days, with under $3 in actual OOP spending.
Maybe for the rest of September I should put all spending on the BIL's card since it's only at 175 pts. for the year.  I need to sign this card up for triple points first however.
Going into the Holiday deals at Rite-Aid I know I can get another 150 points to Gold on both of the cards at this point.

I have to buy the Scott TP on son's card and then I'll switch to the BIL's card for the rest of September.
It would be crazy to have 3 cards in the family at Gold Level for next year. lolz

Sluggy

Your Irish Ancestry May in Fact be Spanish

When someone talks about ancestry they know 2 to 3 generations back the actual names/dates/places for their family and maybe a few stories their parents or grandparents told and the oral tradition that we are "fill in the blank heritage".

If someone or a family member has done a bit of genealogical work--traced a paper trail, documenting their family's history through legal documents and records, then you can either prove or disprove what information has been passed down through the family.

And if you are lucky and determined/patient/skilled that paper trail may extend back for many centuries and tell quite the tale itself and add another dimension to all those photographs and stories and legends in your family's past.

But even with all that, there is a step you can take that will add even more insight into your heritage, the genetic DNA tests.
And sometimes that information will be a game changer.

When I had my DNA tested(mitochondrial and autosomal tests)I wasn't too surprised to see that my admixture(my ethnic makeup) was 100% European(mostly Northern, Western and Central).
My father's lines came from Ireland and my mother's lines came from England/Scotland/Wales/Ireland at least in the last 10 generations or so.

My admixture currently reads--

100% European which breaks down into--

90% Britich Isles
9% Central and Western Europe
1% Finland and Northern Siberia

When I saw the names of the people who matched me genetically who have also tested at the website, I read names like Magnessønn, Sköld and Fagerström located in Sweden, Finland and Norway.
Clearly Scandinavian surnames all, and after reading up on the history of this area and the trade routes and how civilizations moved about and blended, those ethnic surnames and my 1% of genes helped to explained this piece of the puzzle.

But then I didn't know what to do with finding genetic matches with people named Vicente, de Marchena and Ferreira Lopes located in places like Spain, Portugal and Brazil(someone's family that migrated from the Iberian Peninsula).
The furthest South in Europe my admixture shows is France.

These ethnic groups were not on my radar.

Then when my brother's admixture came back it read thusly....

99% European
1% Middle Eastern

Middle Eastern?!?

The break down of the 99% European being--
92% British Isles
6% Finland and Northern Siberia
1% Southern Europe

And the other 1% Middle Eastern of his ethnic makeup?
The break down of this was 1% North African.

Now even though we are siblings there are variations in where our DNA is located on our chromosome chains.  And DNA testing only takes samples from certain parts of your chain.  This means that 2 people with the same DNA(like full siblings except if only one is male, then the Y DNA won't match as the female does not carry Y chromosomes)will show differences in their results, as the places on their chains that are tested don't always hold the same genetic material. 

This explains why I come up as 100% European and my brother comes up as 99% European/1% Middle Eastern.

So this means I have a minute amount of genetic material found in people who originated in the Middle East even though my test results didn't unearth it.

My Haplogroup J(which comes from my mitochondrial DNA), is said to have originated about 45,000 years ago in the Near East or the Caucasus.
This would go a long way to explain this Middle Eastern gene finding(since my brother and I share the same mitochondrial genes)but if the Middle Eastern gene is in fact specific to Northern Africa this explains nothing.

The fact that a number of people from modern day Spain and Portugal were exact genetic matches to me has been a head scratcher for me. 
Under the assumption that their ancestry is Spanish and/or Portuguese, how could we be such a close match if I possess so little Middle Eastern/North African material?

And also, where did this 1% Middle Eastern genetic material come from?  In all the paper trail research I've undertaken I have never found any ancestor that led me back to this part of the world.

And then I found an article that blew my mind and turned my thinking around.

If you go back in history.....back before the Celts.....back before the English conquest of Ireland, Ireland was invaded and ruled by stone age settlers who migrated from Spain.

There was a Kingdom called Dál Riata (or Dalriada).  Shown in the drawing in green.

People from the Iberian Peninsula invaded into Ireland and Scotland between 400-800 AD.  This kingdom ruled over by stone age settles from Northern Spain extended from modern day Spain across the sea into western Ireland and into Scotland.  During this time the Picts ruled the eastern part of Scotland(shown in yellow), but not the western region, as well as the northeastern chunk of Ireland.

To quote the article....."The latest research into Irish DNA has confirmed that the early inhabitants of Ireland were not directly descended from the Keltoi of central Europe. In fact the closest genetic relatives of the Irish in Europe are to be found in the north of Spain in the region known as the Basque Country."

You can read the article yourself HERE.

DNA testing in Ireland and Scotland has confirmed this long held mythology of an dark invading race during the Stone Age and has gone a long way to explain the physical and cultural similarities in people from those two countries.  Genetic propensity for freckles with fair skin and red hair are both quite prominent in Irish and Scottish peoples.

Here's a Youtube video that goes into some of this.



So if your family tree takes you back to Ireland or Scotland, you most certainly have a little Spanish in your genes too.

And if you get your DNA tested be prepared to find a small bit of Spanish in your ethnic makeup, or people with Spanish surnames genetically matching you.

Sluggy



 

Living My Life with Relish

This past weekend we went down to Burger's farm stand.
It's a nice drive on country roads and the weather was wonderful.
We put the top down on Sonic the Hedgehog and rode off.

Other than being full of out-of-state tourists(our bad for going on a weekend!)it was a nice visit.

Beans, mums and fall squash.

 Lots of onions.

Sweet Italian peppers by the load!

Hubs even let me stop on the way home at the cemetery to snap some more photos to put on Find A Grave(aka F.A.G.).


Here's what I brought home from the farm stand.....

A couple of zukes, a red cabbage and acorn squash for $3 total.

25 lbs. of sweet onions for $10.....

And a bushel of peppers for $15. 
I got 37 peppers in this bushel so they cost me less than .50¢ each and they were HUGE!

Some of those peppers are destined for Stuffed Peppers and some are getting cut into strips and frozen for Fajitas this Winter.

As for the rest, add a few more ingredients and 2 days of cutting, chopping, stirring and processing and I now have this.....

14+ quarts of my Family Secret Recipe Pepper Relish.

My sister in-law is Jones-ing for some but she needs to return all my jars first!
Every year I give her some and she NEVER returns the jars.

This may be my last year making the relish however.
Even with getting the veggies cheap-ish it's expensive to make!
Having to pay for new jars each year is just one part of the expense but it's just not that.
It just takes so much out of me now physically to make this.
Two entire days of work alone.
If I had someone to help make it I would continue.

But it does look pretty and I have a feeling of accomplishment for now. 8-)

Now I need to find a place to put all this!

And then turn my attention to these.....

The tomatoes we picked this past weekend.

And these too that I found later because they were hiding under my Morning Glory vines. lol

I probably won't can the tomatoes as there isn't enough to make it worth the while.  I'll just cook em down into sauce and put it all in the fridge.
I had hoped Burgers had bushels of seconds for cheap that I could process and can but no such luck.

Tonight's dinner will be stuffed peppers with some of the peppers I didn't use in the relish.  I'll make a double batch for planned leftovers.  I'll also make a few more for the freezer.

Plus I need to cut the other leftover peppers into strips for the freezer.....if I can find room in there for them.

And I got a big order on Etsy this morning so I need to take a box up to the PO to get it weighed since my scale only handles up to 10 lbs.  The box weighs about 40 lbs. so I hope I can carry it!

Then it's off to grocery shop for the week.
Busy, busy day here.

Catch y'all later,

Sluggy