Publix: Passover Prep Deals!

If you are preparing for Passover, make sure to grab one of Publix's weekly ads this week. There is a $3 off coupon for a 5 lb. package of Streit's matzah, which happens to be my favorite. It is on sale for $10.99 (usually $14.99), so with the coupon you get a ton of matzah for $7.99!

Also, the Manichewitz matzo ball soup mix is BOGO this week. Make sure to get some for your celebration!

Keep checking back for more on the festival of Passover, which begins the evening of April 19th this year. I hope to post my cleaning the leaven out of my house (with pictures!), and some of my favorite Passover recipes! You won't believe the yummy things you can make with matzah!

Tazria: Is Childbirth a Sin?

Read Leviticus 12:1-13:59

Every week, there is a portion (parasha in Hebrew) of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) read by Jews, and more recently, believers all across the globe. It is amazing to read a portion of Scripture along with millions of others, and see what they got out of it. Each of the 53 portions (sometimes we read 2 portions) is named in Hebrew by one of the first words appearing in that portion. This week's parasha (Leviticus 12:1-13:59) is called Tazria, which in English means "childbirth" or "she conceives."

Tazria is one of the most misunderstood parashot (plural for parasha), as it deals with the days of uncleanness ("tuma") for a woman after she gives birth. At first glance it could seem as if God thinks that having children is a "sin." (This is actually the opposite of what God thinks of childbirth - Genesis 1:28). As I stated in the parasha post last week, uncleanness or cleanness do not necessarily have to do with sin. Pigs are not unclean because they are bad. They are unclean because the Creator said they are. Being in a state of cleanness or uncleanness has much more to do with the spiritual reality than the physical. If you read this portion and are wondering why there is a difference in the number of days for purification are doubled if the woman has a baby girl, I have read two theories on this. The first is that since a boy baby would have to be circumcised on the eighth day, the wife would want to be clean and be able to be at the circumcision. The second explanation is very interesting, although I'm not sure about it. I've read that the reason is that females are naturally more spiritual people than males. Men have to do the physical work of providing for their families, but also strive to connect with God. Women, on the whole, are by nature more prone to look at the spiritual side of things, and strive to nurture that spirit (as in raising children, etc.). Therefore, the rabbis say, when a baby girl is born, she has great potential to live up to (as well as boy babies). Therefore the mother must take double the amount of time preparing to raise her. As I said, I'm not sure if I believe all of that explanation, but it is interesting to note. I do know that there are differences in the male and female emotional makeup, but sometimes it seems as if the rabbis are saying that women have greater potential for spirituality than men do, and I don't believe that part to be true. Ok, on with the rest of the parasha!

I read a great commentary on this portion by First Fruits of Zion. If you have not yet signed up to receive Messiah magazine, do so now!

Thanks to Pictopia for the picture!

How to Have More Time for the Important Things

"If you're serious about something, it has a fixed time. If you're earnest about getting something done and the phone rings, you ignore it.
The spiritual side of your life is not a hobby nor a luxury --it is your purpose of existence. When you are learning Scripture, or are in prayer, nothing else exists.
Your spiritual career should have at least equal priority to your worldly career."
- Tzvi Freeman

Wow, this really convicted me when I saw this come into my e-mail inbox. It really is true. We have time for what we MAKE time for. Crystal has also been posting on this; read her ideas here.

I did have a pretty good morning routine, but when the time changed I got all messed up. Now it is such a struggle for me to rise early, and I really do miss that time. Well, tomorrow's another day, and another chance for me to get it right! His mercies are new every morning!

Do you have any advice for prioritizing? Do you have a daily schedule? I'd love to hear about it!

Picture from Allposters.com

Publix: Post Live Active Cereal for 95 cents a box!

This new (and yummy) cereal is BOGO TODAY (until 4/3 - tomorrow) at Publix, at $3.89 for two boxes.
There were $1 off coupons in the 3/30 Smartsource. Use two coupons and pay:
$1.89 for two boxes of cereal!

I know this might be a little higher than a lot of you pay for cereal (can we say Chocolate Honey Bunches of Oats?), but I've been wanting to try this and it's really good!
Have you found any good Publix sales lately?

Attention Publix Shoppers!

There is a new free magazine at Publix on the coupon stands, as pictured below:
Inside is an offer for "Buy 4 of these products, receive a gift check for $10 back in the mail!" It includes All Bran, Special K, and Mini Wheats cereals (size 10 oz. or larger), as well as some other Special K products. The items must be purchased in one transaction, and you have to send in the receipt, 4 UPC's and the below original form postmarked by 4/20/08. It has also been reported that this deal is showing up at other grocery stores in the Midwest.

My idea is to buy these cereals when they are BOGO (they usually are every other week at Publix) and use four of the 70 cents off coupons that are floating around every where. That will make this a moneymaker (plus free cereal)!

Note: I just found out that the Mini Wheats ($3.99) will be on BOGO on the sale from 4/3-4/9, but I'm not sure if there are any coupons out on those.
If you choose to do the Mini Wheats:
Buy 4 boxes BOGO for $7.98
Get $10 back in the mail...you make $2.02 (minus cost of the stamp .41 equals a net of $1.61)!

*For those of you worried that you will forget to send off the rebate form, do what I do: Don't allow yourself to use the product until the rebate form is sent off! It really forces you to do it, I promise!

Why Being Frugal is "In" Again!

I saw this article containing the above picture and I had to laugh. Prices are going so high on almost everything, that Americans are having to (gasp!) budget and use those ghastly things called coupons! Imagine!
By the way, can you believe those figures for the average weekly spending? Wow!

Ode to $5/$15

Sung to the tune of "Ode to Joy"

Five-fifteen, Oh, five-fifteen
You helped me save some money
Five-fifteen, Oh, five-fifteen
It isn't very funny

All my CVSing was sweeter
When you came into my life
Five-fifteen, Oh, five-fifteen
I'm so sad you died last night!

R.I.P. $5/$15 3/31/08

*If you have no idea what this is about, see this "birth announcement" post.