Here’s an offer you’re going to want to take advantage of. Two free movie tickets for every $40 you spend on participating products in the dairy area. Simply purchase $40 worth of participating products like cheese, yogurt, or refrigerated orange juice between May 30th and June 30th and you’ll receive a code at check out to redeem online for two free movie tickets!

There’s a new deal in the Deli section – Meal Bundles  - for $9.99 you get the choice of one main dish protein (rotisserie chicken, 8 piece baked or fried chicken or meatloaf), plus 2 sides (choose from 11, the most popular are mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, or broccoli au gratin). And you can add rolls or a liter of soda for just $1.19 more. Perfect for those nights when you’re tired of cooking but you don’t want to go out.  We’ll often pick up the rotisserie chicken but I never thought to grab the sides. Now with the bundled price I’m going to give those a try too!

Find more grilling tips and recipes on site.

My favorite program of the year is here! Now through September 13th, 10% of sales from participating items will be donated to the school of your choice when you purchase them with your Club Card. Look for the school bus tags in-store for the qualifying items, and at the end of the promotion bring your shopping/redemption receipt to your school to donate your earnings. The top 100 schools will also earn an extra $1,000!

You can also pledge to shop at Safeway through September 13th and get a coupon for 25¢ Chef Boyardee. Visit our Safeway Facebook page to pledge.

Last year Safeway, with the generous help of our customers, raised over $11 million dollars for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. These dollars helped pay for medical care, equipment, summer camp, and other assistance to people with MD and related muscle diseases. It also helped support MDA-funded scientists search for treatments and cures for these conditions. Small, individual donations made at the register through September 5^th will add up to make a big difference for this cause. And this year look for the “Make a Muscle, Make a Difference” coupon book in-store which has over $38 worth of savings!

Did you know that about 1 in 7 households are considered “food insecure”? That’s about 50 million people (including 17 million children) that “at times during the year, were uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources for food.” This is the highest level of food insecurity that we have seen in the U.S. since 1995 when the government first started measuring! Safeway and its stores want to help, so between July 6^th and July 23^rd, for just $10 you can purchase pre-filled bags of groceries in our stores and drop them in the food drive barrels as you exit. Such an easy way to make a difference this summer!

Here’s a treat you’re going to want to take advantage of – from May 27th through May 30th, the Starbucks in your local Safeway store will be offering a Grande Frappuccino® blended beverage of your choice for only $2 after 2pm! So many flavors to choose from – Mocha, Java Chip, Caramel, Chai, and Green Tea to name a few – Enjoy!

More Daily Deals! An amazing price on great products each day – meat, produce, beverages, and snacks - perfect for kicking off the grilling season! Look for the deals in our ad or when you shop from now until Monday, May 30th. You’ll want to take advantage of these valuable offers for your holiday! 

As a dietitian, I’m frequently asked what to eat (and what not to eat) but I get one question more often these days: what does “natural” mean? It’s a good question. While food package claims like “low fat” or “good source of fiber” require a product to meet specific nutrition criteria outlined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there is no formal definition for “natural.”

That said, FDA policy states that the term “natural” may be used if the product does not contain added colors, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances. Products throughout our store that carry a SimpleNutrition “natural” tag meet these guidelines, according to their manufacturers. More people than ever before–me included–choose to buy natural products, and SimpleNutrition makes it so much easier to find them. 

There’s more good news in our stores if you’re looking for natural items: Open Nature, our new line of 100% natural food made with ingredients we’re proud to share. I’m a huge fan of Open Nature, especially the Sundried Tomato and Basil sausages, which are made without nitrates, nitrites and MSG. They’re delicious tossed with whole-wheat pasta and sautéed veggies. And I love the Open Nature nonfat Honey Greek yogurt. With no high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors or preservatives, it’s a product I feel good about serving my family (if I were willing to share my favorite yogurt, that is). Open Nature takes its commitment to 100% natural seriously, offering products with no artificial anything–flavors, colors or preservatives – and simply made. They are so proud of their ingredients that they list them on the front of the package. As a mom, that’s important to me. Open Nature currently offers meat and poultry products, bread, yogurt, pasta, salad dressing and ice cream, with more items in the works, so stay tuned. Along with our other brands like O Organics and Eating Right, Open Nature is another example of Safeway’s ongoing commitment to understanding and meeting shoppers’ needs, all at very affordable prices.

What natural products do you look for when you shop?

Whether its college, high school, or moving on to the next grade, graduation celebrations are about recognizing the hard work & accomplishments of the kids and celebrating their next step in life.  We don’t have any major milestones like high school or college this year among our close friends or family but we do like to have a small family celebration for the girls to acknowledge they finished one grade and are progressing to the next.  Regardless of the size of your celebration you’ll want to keep an eye out in the store for our Graduation brochure - great ideas & valuable coupons from the bakery, deli, and floral departments.  And if you are celebrating a major milestone, don’t forget the gift cards – grads love them!

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8th and its time to celebrate one of the most cherished people in our lives – our moms. Safeway is the place to shop for the perfect gift. There are so many choices in the Floral department including bunches of beautiful roses, mixed bouquets, arrangements, balloons, boxed chocolates, flowering plants, orchids, home décor items and more.

Safeway introduced entertaining and design expert, Debi Lilly, earlier this year and now new Debi Lilly items have arrived. Effortless, inspired, imagined describe the new line of Debi Lilly products available only at Safeway. There are fragrant candles in the most popular sizes from votives to pillars in colors that compliment the home. Select from Snap, Refresh, Dusk, Twilight, Beeswax or unscented. These candles look positively inspired when placed inside Debi’s Illusion Glass or Cube Glass Collections, which are available in several sizes. The Illusion Vase Collection features four sizes of cylinder vases with an illusion bubble in the base. Not only are the Illusion vases great for candles but also look wonderful with a beautiful mixed bouquet designed by Debi that makes the perfect Mom’s Day gift. Safeway also has several other arrangement designs by Debi Lilly such as The Allure, The Modern, and The Contemporary Rose that all feature beautiful roses.

You are sure to find the perfect Mom’s Day gift in Safeway’s Floral department plus maybe a little something for yourself too. Happy Shopping!

Have you seen the Daily Deals that we are offering this week through the 24th? An amazing price on one great product each day – items like meat, beverages, and baking needs. Look for them in the ad or when you shop so you can take advantage of these valuable offers for your Easter celebration!

You’ll notice something new in our ads over the next few weeks: we’re focusing on everything that’s Well & Good! It’s our way of letting you know about all of the incredible items we offer that are better for you, your home, and even the planet. I really like the fun, informative approach and it was nice to see so many different options at such great prices. First up for Well & Good is my favorite topic: our SimpleNutrition program, featuring our natural and organic products! Those green SimpleNutrition tags make finding nutritious choices in our stores easier than ever.

No matter how you slice it–or mix it, toss it, shake it or spoon it–healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive eating. In addition to checking our ad for SimpleNutrition items on sale, making simple budget-conscious decisions–like buying fruit in season and opting for canned or frozen varieties when it’s not–can help you keep extra dollars in your pocket. Our O Organics™ line of USDA-certified organic foods offers a great value and includes over 300 foods, from apples to yogurt. And Open Nature™, the newest line in Safeway’s own health and wellness brands, offers an affordable option of 100% natural products, made without artificial ingredients and colors. Check out these terrific money-saving tips for more ways to help you eat well and stay within your budget. Come back next week for my feature on Well and Good products for your home.

What are your tips for serving budget-friendly, nutritious meals?

Time to stock up on your favorite frozen foods. You’ll find a coupon book in-store with over $42 in savings, and if you spend $15 on frozen food you’ll save $5 instantly at the register! What better way to make sure you have your family favorites on hand – frozen waffles, pizza, potatoes, entrees, ice cream and more. Check it out!

My son Tim and I swung by Safeway today on the way home from school to pick up items for dinner and a few other things. He knows that I worked on the SimpleNutrition program and was excited to see all the green tags and information throughout the store. Since grocery shopping with kids can sometimes be a bit of a challenge (if you’re a parent, you know that’s putting it mildly!), I decided to turn our shopping trip into a game.  

I gave Tim half my shopping list and charged him with finding nutritious choices for the items I had listed. Using the SimpleNutrition green tags to guide him in the cereal aisle, and then flipping over the box to get more information from the Nutrition Facts panel, Tim did a great job coming up with more nutritious choices that had whole grains and fiber, compared to the one he would normally choose. In the produce aisle, he was quick to point out that the baby carrots he packs in his lunchbox have both vitamins A and C.

Not only did Tim learn about making nutritious choices as he cruised through the aisles, he was also a huge help shopping and we had fun together. The only downside? I think he’s trying to push me out of my job as the family nutrition expert! 

I’m thrilled to announce a new program launching today in our stores called SimpleNutrition! SimpleNutrition provides shoppers with helpful nutrition information throughout our stores so it’s quicker and easier to make healthful food choices.

Developed by registered dietitians and nutrition labeling experts, SimpleNutrition is grounded in dietary guidance, nutrition labeling regulations and current science. As a dietitian, I love SimpleNutrition because it makes finding nutritious choices in our stores¬–well, simpler! Think of it as having your own personal nutrition expert shopping with you.

You’ll find SimpleNutrition green shelf tags throughout the aisles.  Along with the nutrition information you see on a product’s package, our tags can help you make nutritious and delicious choices for your family. Our SimpleNutrition tags highlight key benefits such as “Made with Whole Grains,” “Sodium Smart” and “Low Fat.” For example, if you want a lower sodium soup, look for the “Sodium Smart” tag on shelves. We’ve also made it simpler for you to find foods that fit the way you eat. Our SimpleNutrition tags help point you to foods that are gluten free, organic, calorie smart and sugar free, too. Check out our brochure (available in stores) to learn more about SimpleNutrition.

And be sure to click around our website for additional SimpleNutrition information. You can learn more about how items qualify for a SimpleNutrition tag and find everything from quick food ideas and recipes, to money-saving tips that will help you keep nutrition and your budget in check.

Check out SimpleNutrition–in store and online–and let us know what you think!

Chances are if you made any New Years resolutions this year at least one of them involved fitness, losing weight, or healthy eating. And you may have noticed an event in the store this past week called “Live Whole Heartedly” which is meant to help us do just that. Signs throughout the store highlighting “smart, simple lifestyle choices to live, eat, and play” by, along with a free Coupon booklet! In addition to over $20 in coupon savings, you’ll find recipes and tips inside too!

I love a great deal on the products I use, particularly around the holidays! This year Safeway has a “Holiday Daily Deals” promotion (it started yesterday) that has an amazing price on a single item in the store each day between now and Christmas Eve. Keep an eye out in the ad for the products; I saw some great prices on holiday essentials like flour, chocolate morsels, rolled oats, and pies!

No, not all artists are doomed to starve! In fact, there’s one that can satisfy the appetites of snack-loving people everywhere. Landing on store shelves this week is “The Snack Artist” – our whole new line of snacks featuring the selection and flavors of crunchy chips you love. We have everything from traditional potato to restaurant style tortilla chips to crunchy Kettle style in a whole host of flavors. What’s better, your shopping experience of our fun-loving and easy-to-spot packaging will keep you smiling. With a “Crunch and a Wink” each of our snacks is named with a clever play on words (Nacho cheese tortilla chips are called “Mariachicheese” – how cute is that? Each package also features a fun little doodle that inspires creative crunching AND also means that playing with your food is now totally acceptable! 

Our Snack Artist chips are priced at an everyday great value and feature re-sealable bags. So everything stays fresh and you don’t have to fuss with rubber bands or those giant yellow clips just to keep your chips crunchy. Tell us what you think of our new Snack Artist!

I continue to be amazed by how much money I can save if I do little pre-planning before my shopping trip. It really comes down to 2 things for me - making sure my list is as complete as possible and that I’ve loaded or clipped all the relevant coupons based on my list; these activities are now a regular part of my weekly routine.   Coupons for my upcoming shopping trip are kept in a clip and attached to my shopping list on the refrigerator so I don’t forget them.  Knowing that I don’t have to worry about the digital coupons (www.safeway.com/Coupons) I’ve loaded right to my card is a huge plus – less coupons to carry with me!  And if there is a manufacturer coupon and a sale or store coupon for the same item – bonus!  I typically save around $10-$15 a trip just with coupons alone – that adds up!  What are some of your coupon tips?

Yes, that’s correct, every day, from now through December 24th, you can redeem a coupon good for one FREE item with a minimum $20 purchase on you club card.  Cake mix, eggs, smoked & breakfast sausage, brown/powdered sugar, 2-liter soda, potatoes, chocolate chips, mini muffins, and dinner rolls.  See yesterday’s Sunday ad for details and your coupons.  Each coupon is good for one day only and only on the one day specified, so plan your shopping accordingly.  This certainly helps the holiday baking & cooking budget!

Here's some great news, many of the coupons you print from our website, and brought to you by Coupons.com are now available to electronically download to your club card. Not all the "print from home" coupons have the download option yet, but more and more will eventually have it and we just couldn't wait to bring this new feature to you! Just like the Shortcuts, Cellfire, and P&G eSAVER coupons - no more printing and cutting, simply download the savings right to your card and when you make the purchase the savings will automatically be applied to your bill! Once you download your coupons, don't forget to go back to the "print at home" area in the Coupon Center to pick up any additional coupons you may want to print (the ones you've downloaded will automatically show up as "added"). Super Price Coupons will still be available in the weekly ad, and of course there are still the manufacturer coupons that come in the Sunday paper - plenty of ways to save!

If you haven't seen this past Sunday's ad, you should take a look. It's loaded with Super Price Coupons, 33 to be exact, across a wide range of products. Family favorites like peanut butter, and mac & cheese, cereal, snacks, frozen foods, dairy, personal care, bath tissue, and laundry! There's even a coupon for deli meat and diapers too! With so many coupons I just had to do the math on the savings - it was nearly $40!

We have a great sale on Halloween candy right now, prices good through Tuesday, October 27th. Buy any four bags of Hershey’s or Mars fun size candy and it’s just $2 a bag! I have to confess, Max and I use Halloween as an excuse to buy our favorite treats, since we rarely buy candy during the rest of the year (too tempting to keep in the house!). The fun size bars are perfect for portion control, one is just enough to satisfy a craving without putting you over your calorie count for the day. What are your favorite Halloween treats?

Have you signed up yet for the Safeway email program?  You’ll receive a weekly email giving you a heads up on weekly specials, promotions and coupons.  And as the holidays get closer you’ll also get information on recipes and leftovers, and planning and decorating tips too!  There were some great tips and tricks last year, like the turkey carving video – always good to have a refresher on that since we only do it once a year!  And the recipes to make the most of your holiday leftovers?  Yum!