Hurry because this offer ends this Friday.  Click here to order your discounted tickets.

This past weekend I joined Charlotte area bloggers for a special viewing of the movie.  My boys, ages 7 and 4, really enjoyed the movie and my husband and I were in awe of the graphics.  How do they make 3D movies?  Spectacular!  We also got to try the new Strawberry and Raspberry YoKids Greek yogurt.

As a girl who eats one greek yogurt and one banana for breakfast every single day I’m pretty excited about having a “fun” kids option to offer the boys.  Adults can visit the YoKids website to receive coupons, seed packets, and register to win a private screening of the film.   AND…

GIVEAWAY: The Carolina Clipper readers in the US can enter to win a gift box including:

• Two (2) free passes to see The Lorax in theaters; expires April 30, 2012
• Dr Seuss’ The Lorax book
• YoKids coupons with organic basil seeds
• YoKids Temporary Tattoos
• YoKids Lunch Sack

TO ENTER, up to 4 entries per person.  Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Required Entry-  Tell us which Dr Seuss book is your favorite and why.
2. Optional extra entry- Subscribe to The Carolina Clipper via email.
Subscribe to our mailing list 
3. Optional extra entry- Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, get our RSS Feed.
4. Optional extra entry- Share the giveaway on Facebook or tweet the following on Twitter “Enter @CarolinaClipper to win tickets to The Lorax”.  Use buttons at the bottom of this post to make sharing easy!

One winner will be chosen by random.org on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 and be notified via email.

This morning I ordered my Christmas cards from Shutterfly and I’m so excited!  Let me back up.  One of my favorite things about teaching the Ultimate Savings Workshop is meeting new people.  A couple months back I met Amber, a frugal lovin’ Christian mom who is also a talented photographer.  She teaches photography workshops (attending one has been on my to do list for over 2 years) AND she takes beautiful, natural light photos.  I browsed her website, Amber Herlocker Photography, and instantly called her.  She has a “Standard Session” and a “Mini Session” so you can pick what works with your budget.  We chose the mini session which was perfect for our need- Christmas Card Photos.  The photo above is the headshot she took of me and below is one of my favs from her website.  Go check her out…

I didn’t get compensated in any way for this post.  I just really enjoyed my time with Amber and wanted to pass along her info.

Last night we got to attend the Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream show.  The boys were so excited to see Flynn and the gang.

I didn’t realize it would feature a bunch of different Disney stories and was a bit concerned when I saw a voodoo guy and some really scary costumes from the Princess and the Frog (which I’ve never seen).

Once they moved onto Cinderella – my all time favorite! – and other characters we were all mesmerized!  The costumes glittered under the lights and the acrobatics were amazing.  Who knew they could fly in the air in all sorts of ways with ice skates on?  I found myself clapping and cheering with delight!

Thanks to my friend, Amy for the pic of Rapunzel and Flynn.

You can still go!  Tickets start at $7.50 on opening night OR you can use the coupon code “ICE” to save $6 on Saturday at 6:30pm or the Sunday performances.

The giveaway winner for the Family 4-pack of tickets for Disney On Ice: Dare to Dream show on October 6, 2011 at 7pm is:

KELLY CLARK:  ”We just love Cinderella here…such a sweet story!”

The comment was chosen by random.org and the winner has been notified via email.  Thanks to all of you who entered!  You can still attend the show and use the coupon code below.

Tickets start at $7.50 on opening night OR you can use the coupon code “ICE” to save $6 on Saturday at 6:30pm or the Sunday performances.

They’ve been voted Best Kid’s Haircuts every year in Charlotte Parent Magazine and I totally agree.  The unique hair cutting “chairs”, videos, and arcade games kept my boys happy (and still!) so the stylist could work her magic.

When you buy today’s deal you’ll also get a 20% discount on your kiddo’s next regular priced cut!  The voucher is valid at both locations (Southpark and Stonecrest).  As always, be sure to read all the fine print.

1. Within Budget- My budget is $75 per week and I spent $74 on all the stuff above.
2. We still love saving- Even after three years of couponing my husband still acts like it’s Christmas when I get home.  He’s actually the one that suggested we line up the items to take a picture.  Not sure about his pose…I think he somehow feels responsible for the savings.  See some of the small ways we love to save.
3. Yummy, Healthy Food- There is a misconception that when you use coupons you end up with mismatched items (from which you can’t make dinner) and that you eat junk.  Let me just point out a few items:  2 packs of chicken, ground beef, greek yogurt, bananas, cantaloupe, grapes, deli turkey and ham.
4. Food Pantry- I always try to get a couple free/cheap items, gradually collect the items in a bag, and then take the loot to our church food pantry.  The toothpaste and Ragu are my items from this trip.
5. Stockpile- Thinking ahead is key to saving money.  The soda (which we generally don’t buy) is for family visiting for the holidays.  My dining room table has turned into my “Thanksgiving, Do Not Touch” stockpile where I’m stocking up on bottled water, snacks, chips, etc.  Buying now will prevent me from paying full price to host our visitors.

You can find step-by-step instructions on how to plan your shopping trip or contact me to host an Ultimate Savings Workshop to learn in person!

Did you have a good trip this week?

Plus, don’t forget to enter to WIN A FAMILY 4-PACK OF TICKETS from The Carolina Clipper!!  (Do not leave a comment on this post.  You must get details about the giveaway and leave a comment by clicking here).

Tickets start at $7.50 on opening night OR you can use the coupon code “ICE” to save $6 on Saturday at 6:30pm or the Sunday performances.

Don’t forget to check out Juice in the City for great daily deals in your area.  The South current Charlotte deal is $49 for $110 Worth of Dream Dinners Meals!  I don’t know about you, but ever since school started I’ve been running from sun-up to sun-down!  Having dinner prepared would be wonderful!

A Target Debit Card can only be used at Target stores. It draws right from your existing checking account, just like writing a check. Remember, you’ll always enjoy 5% off, plus more benefits.

Yes, they also have a credit card but please don’t get it!  The cards have the same rewards, but the debit card ensures you won’t go into debt.  And if you’re like me, you can do some serious damage at Target!