Monday- BBQ Spiedies and Hot Dogs with corn on the cob
Tuesday- Orange Poppyseed with cous cous
Wednesday- Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Thursday- Italian Chicken with herb rice
Friday- Crunchy Taco Rice
Saturday- Sloppy Joes with soft pretzels/Rosemary Chicken with potatoes
Sunday- Nationals Game- don't know about lunch or dinner
Here is hoping for a slow week of cooking with the guests winding down with my mother in law and sister in law leaving on Wednesday.
I think that I need to take a second look at the pantry and freezer to see what else I can put together for the June menu plan because we are already into June and I don't yet have a menu plan finished yet... oops. I hope that I can use up a bunch of things and re-organize the pantry with whatever is left. Here is hoping!!
Great place to share couponing stories, cooking and baking recipes, and lots of fun for families without spending a lot of money.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
CVS Shopping Trip 5/27
I haven't found anything at CVS for weeks but this week, there was a free candy bar after ECB and with the coupon from coupons.com, I got two free. Let me show you how this worked!!
My husband's card:
Milky Way $0.75 x 2= $1.50
Less coupon -$0.75
Subtotal $0.75
Less ECB $0.75
Total Due $0.00 (actually $0.04 tax only)
My card:
Milky Way $0.75 x 2= $1.50
Less coupon -$0.75
Subtotal $0.75
Total Due $0.75 (plus $0.04 tax)
The even better news is that I found $0.12 at the check out and my mother in law chipped in a few pennies from her change purse so it was less than $0.83 with all the money falling out of the sky :) Plus on one card, I got back my $1 for the green bag tag uses. I now have $2.50 in ECB between the two cards to use in June!!
I know that 4 candy bars isn't the healthiest trip to the store but I am sure that they will get eaten!! Hope that you had a great trip and you got something more than candy :)
My husband's card:
Milky Way $0.75 x 2= $1.50
Less coupon -$0.75
Subtotal $0.75
Less ECB $0.75
Total Due $0.00 (actually $0.04 tax only)
My card:
Milky Way $0.75 x 2= $1.50
Less coupon -$0.75
Subtotal $0.75
Total Due $0.75 (plus $0.04 tax)
The even better news is that I found $0.12 at the check out and my mother in law chipped in a few pennies from her change purse so it was less than $0.83 with all the money falling out of the sky :) Plus on one card, I got back my $1 for the green bag tag uses. I now have $2.50 in ECB between the two cards to use in June!!
I know that 4 candy bars isn't the healthiest trip to the store but I am sure that they will get eaten!! Hope that you had a great trip and you got something more than candy :)
Weekly Goals 5/27
My cousin suggested making my comments in a different color then the main text so I tried a shade of purple. Let me know how you like it :) I might pick one color and stick with it or change every week to be crazy!!!
Last Week:
Family Goals
Family Goals
Last Week:
Family Goals
Spend time with family- Lot of quality time- Storytime at the library- We skipped storytime at the library and went to the indoor playground
Sing along at son's school on the last day- We had a great time even though it meant that school was over but I don't think that he knows that yet....next week is going to be tough
Cut coupons- DoneRead more ofThe 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and SanitybyMargaret J. Meekerand hopefully finish- I read lots of the book and finally finished it the morning it was due at the library.Stay sane until the end of company :)-My parents left on Wednesday morning and we have a smaller number in the house for this week.
Clean dishes, counters and floors at least 3 days of the week- Done- I might have actually done better than 3 days this week but I totally don't even knowClean dishes one night and not wait until the morning- Done.. I try to wash a few everytime I am in the kitchen so that there aren't so many at once.
Post one post everyday- Done.. YEAH!!Schedule at least 5 posts so that can spend more time with family- DonePost Weekly Goals, Menu Plan Monday, and Thrifty Thursday Tip- Done
Family Goals
- Spend time with family
- Playdate at the park
- Playdate with son's friend at the house
- Clean out coupons since there aren't any coupons this weekend :(
- Work on Monthly Menu Plan for June
- Read Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box: Cut Yourself Some Slack (and Still Raise Great Kids) in the Age of Extreme Parenting by Ann L. Dunnewold and Sandi Kahn Shelton
- Stay sane until the end of company :)
- Clean dishes, counters and floors at least 4 days of the week
- Clean dishes one night and not wait until the morning
- Post one post everyday
- Schedule at least 5 posts so that can spend more time with family
- Post Weekly Goals, Menu Plan Monday, and Thrifty Thursday Tip
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Saturday Shopping Round Up
Week in Review
I went to a bunch of stores this week for small trips and I decided that I would put them all together to have one full accounting. Ever penny counts when you are counting pennies :) The great thing is that you can click on each link on each post to get more details on what I got during that trip.Harris Teeter Trip 5/20: $2.21
Safeway Trip 5/20: $1.68
Harris Teeter Trip 5/22: $1.96
Harris Teeter Trip 5/24: $0.00 (not really all free but my mother in law picked up the tab)
Total Spent this week $5.85
Total Spent in May $138.65
Pretty low for a whole week of groceries!! Now I have to figure out what is left on my list to get for the rest of the month by starting my meal plan for June :) Hope that you had a great week at the stores too!!
Friday, May 25, 2012
The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers Book Review
The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity by Margaret J. Meeker seemed like a great book to check out when I saw it on another blog. I went online to reserve it thinking that it would help me stay sane :) I decided to read it while I had a full house of visitors to add to the need for sanity!
The chapters are based on the 10 Habits as follows:
1. Understand Your Value as a Mother
2. Maintain Key Friendships
3. Value and Practice Faith
4. Say No to Competition
5. Create a Healthier Relationship with Money
6. Make Time for Solitude
7. Give and Get Love in Healthy Ways
8. Find Ways to Live Simply
9. Let Go of Fear
10. Hope Is a Decision- So Make It!
After starting it, I realized it really wasn't a book that I would normally read. There was a lot of spiritual and god speaking through people references that aren't my normal literature but I kept reading (all of Chapter 3). It was mostly talking about having faith and not a belief in a certain religion so it was still a motivational chapter.
There were some good points in the book including not to be competitive or jealous of other mothers (Chapter 4). Have you ever seen a mother who has the well dressed child and has her hair and make up done and thought... what am I doing wrong that I haven't even bothered any of that in years? Don't be jealous because she doesn't have it together anymore than you and may have woken up hours early to do all that work before her child woke up.
The author talks about making decisions on why you are spending money (Chapter 5) and not spending emotional. I don't think that I really do this anymore so I guess that is one chapter crossed off the list. The author says that she likes to purchase plum lipstick to make her feel better. I know a few people that buy shoes, purses, or clothes to make them feel better. Many people know that they have issues with specific items but this still doesn't change that they feel emotional better when they buy them. It is best to work on being happy and not needing more of what you already have.
It also talks about needing solitude and taking a break from noise even if just a few minutes on a car ride (Chapter 6). I know that before I had my son, I must have had a lot of quiet time because I don't remember needing it like I do now. I find that I like my quiet time now and even require it. Many people told me that when I quit my job that I would miss people tons and not be able to make it at home. Turns out, now that I am home with my son, I find that I love my quiet time even more and don't miss people at all. I would take hours of time of quiet if possible and even turn off the radio sometimes in the car when I am by myself.
Live Simply (Chapter 8)! This chapter talks about how you should spend more time together as a family and not over schedule so that you don't enjoy family time. The part that rings true to me is that the best part of growing up and that you remember later in life if dinner with the family and game nights. If you had piano lessons, baseball practice, and other after school events, then you would be spending all the time driving to and from events and not enjoying time as a family.
Each chapter covers a great topic and gives examples with real people. The chapter ends with three ways to make the habit stick which provides exact steps on trying to make your life more HAPPY :) The structure is easy to read and makes the book fly by. Even though it isn't a book I would normally choose, I am glad that I read it and I would recommend it to others to want to make their life more positive.
I hope that you pick up this book at your local library or bookstore soon. Please let me know what you think of the book when you read it!!!
The chapters are based on the 10 Habits as follows:
1. Understand Your Value as a Mother
2. Maintain Key Friendships
3. Value and Practice Faith
4. Say No to Competition
5. Create a Healthier Relationship with Money
6. Make Time for Solitude
7. Give and Get Love in Healthy Ways
8. Find Ways to Live Simply
9. Let Go of Fear
10. Hope Is a Decision- So Make It!
After starting it, I realized it really wasn't a book that I would normally read. There was a lot of spiritual and god speaking through people references that aren't my normal literature but I kept reading (all of Chapter 3). It was mostly talking about having faith and not a belief in a certain religion so it was still a motivational chapter.
There were some good points in the book including not to be competitive or jealous of other mothers (Chapter 4). Have you ever seen a mother who has the well dressed child and has her hair and make up done and thought... what am I doing wrong that I haven't even bothered any of that in years? Don't be jealous because she doesn't have it together anymore than you and may have woken up hours early to do all that work before her child woke up.
The author talks about making decisions on why you are spending money (Chapter 5) and not spending emotional. I don't think that I really do this anymore so I guess that is one chapter crossed off the list. The author says that she likes to purchase plum lipstick to make her feel better. I know a few people that buy shoes, purses, or clothes to make them feel better. Many people know that they have issues with specific items but this still doesn't change that they feel emotional better when they buy them. It is best to work on being happy and not needing more of what you already have.
It also talks about needing solitude and taking a break from noise even if just a few minutes on a car ride (Chapter 6). I know that before I had my son, I must have had a lot of quiet time because I don't remember needing it like I do now. I find that I like my quiet time now and even require it. Many people told me that when I quit my job that I would miss people tons and not be able to make it at home. Turns out, now that I am home with my son, I find that I love my quiet time even more and don't miss people at all. I would take hours of time of quiet if possible and even turn off the radio sometimes in the car when I am by myself.
Live Simply (Chapter 8)! This chapter talks about how you should spend more time together as a family and not over schedule so that you don't enjoy family time. The part that rings true to me is that the best part of growing up and that you remember later in life if dinner with the family and game nights. If you had piano lessons, baseball practice, and other after school events, then you would be spending all the time driving to and from events and not enjoying time as a family.
Each chapter covers a great topic and gives examples with real people. The chapter ends with three ways to make the habit stick which provides exact steps on trying to make your life more HAPPY :) The structure is easy to read and makes the book fly by. Even though it isn't a book I would normally choose, I am glad that I read it and I would recommend it to others to want to make their life more positive.
I hope that you pick up this book at your local library or bookstore soon. Please let me know what you think of the book when you read it!!!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Harris Teeter Shopping Trip 5/24
I was super excited to see the Harris Teeter sales on the first day of the new ad even though I had already been there a ton during triples.
I decided that I was going to get the Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice on sale, B1G1 with the B1G1 coupon so that they would both be free. I still had two coupons left so I got 4 bottles of wonderful cranberry juice for my husband's stockpile of juices which I am hoping last a good, long time! (I think that we have 12 Ocean Spray Juices and 2 Welch's Cranberry Grape).
This morning I used most of the remaining loaf of bread so I decided that I would also get a loaf of bread. The great news is that the Harris Teeter bread that my son loves was on sale for $0.99!!! I will be noting to myself to go back before the sale is over to get another one and a package of hamburger rolls.
My mother in law came with us and found a seedless watermelon like she wanted on sale for $3.99. She also found zucchini on sale for $0.99 per pound so she grabbed some so that I could make my not-fried zucchini for dinner one night.
During the check out process, we found out that it was senior discount day!!! WOO HOO!!! My mother in law decided that she was going to buy everything in order to get the discount!!
Her total OOP was $4.04 (which made my total was $0! Best kind of shopping trip ever :)
I decided that I was going to get the Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice on sale, B1G1 with the B1G1 coupon so that they would both be free. I still had two coupons left so I got 4 bottles of wonderful cranberry juice for my husband's stockpile of juices which I am hoping last a good, long time! (I think that we have 12 Ocean Spray Juices and 2 Welch's Cranberry Grape).
This morning I used most of the remaining loaf of bread so I decided that I would also get a loaf of bread. The great news is that the Harris Teeter bread that my son loves was on sale for $0.99!!! I will be noting to myself to go back before the sale is over to get another one and a package of hamburger rolls.
My mother in law came with us and found a seedless watermelon like she wanted on sale for $3.99. She also found zucchini on sale for $0.99 per pound so she grabbed some so that I could make my not-fried zucchini for dinner one night.
During the check out process, we found out that it was senior discount day!!! WOO HOO!!! My mother in law decided that she was going to buy everything in order to get the discount!!
Her total OOP was $4.04 (which made my total was $0! Best kind of shopping trip ever :)
Thrifty Thursday Tip for cleaning
10 Ways to Clean things with stuff you might already have:
1. Use a slice of white bread on plate covered in white vinegar to absorb musty smell.
2. Make your own sanitizing wipes with a roll over paper towels and pour 3 cups of Lysol multi-purpose cleaner over them. Store in sealed container.
3. Clean iron by putting vinegar in iron and press steam to get hard water stains out. Be sure to run water after to clear out before using on clothes.
4. Use unsweetened lemonade kool-aid in dishwasher soap dispenser to clean out hard water build up. (Does this make you wonder what it does to our stomach?)
5. To clean bathroom drain, add 1 c salt, 1 c baking soda, and 1/2 c white vinegar. Let it stand for 15 minutes and flush with 2 quarts of boiling water followed by hot tap water for 1 minute.
6. Clean dry erase board with WD-40.
7. Make own odor eater with 2 tsp of vanilla on damp paper towel and leave for 3 days. (I just might have to do this the next time I burn popcorn because nothing else worked)
8. Use 70% rubbing alcohol to remove pine sap from car.
9. Use 50/50 vinegar and water to clean soda spills in cars. Use old toothbrush to get into the seat material.
10. Use corn starch in squeaky wood floors. (I am tempted by this one but I think that I would have to clean the basement so waiting a little longer until I clean out the basement).
I haven't used all the tips myself but I think that they are pretty nifty because it means that you can use things that you already have and you know what you are using is safe for your family. If you have any other tips, please leave a note so that everyone knows your helpful tip!!!
1. Use a slice of white bread on plate covered in white vinegar to absorb musty smell.
2. Make your own sanitizing wipes with a roll over paper towels and pour 3 cups of Lysol multi-purpose cleaner over them. Store in sealed container.
3. Clean iron by putting vinegar in iron and press steam to get hard water stains out. Be sure to run water after to clear out before using on clothes.
4. Use unsweetened lemonade kool-aid in dishwasher soap dispenser to clean out hard water build up. (Does this make you wonder what it does to our stomach?)
5. To clean bathroom drain, add 1 c salt, 1 c baking soda, and 1/2 c white vinegar. Let it stand for 15 minutes and flush with 2 quarts of boiling water followed by hot tap water for 1 minute.
6. Clean dry erase board with WD-40.
7. Make own odor eater with 2 tsp of vanilla on damp paper towel and leave for 3 days. (I just might have to do this the next time I burn popcorn because nothing else worked)
8. Use 70% rubbing alcohol to remove pine sap from car.
9. Use 50/50 vinegar and water to clean soda spills in cars. Use old toothbrush to get into the seat material.
10. Use corn starch in squeaky wood floors. (I am tempted by this one but I think that I would have to clean the basement so waiting a little longer until I clean out the basement).
I haven't used all the tips myself but I think that they are pretty nifty because it means that you can use things that you already have and you know what you are using is safe for your family. If you have any other tips, please leave a note so that everyone knows your helpful tip!!!
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