We just tried our first Flat Iron Steak (aka Top Blade Steak). We received a steak sampler as a Christmas gift, so we were anxious to try this new cut of steak that we had never heard of before.
It was delicious! It is the second-most tender piece of steak; only the tenderloin is more tender. It is supposed to be a very inexpensive cut of meat, but not very common since there are only 2 flat iron steaks per cow.
I read online that this cut should be cooked medium or it will taste like shoe leather. We marinated ours in Worcestershire sauce, a little garlic and some Canadian Steak Seasoning for about an hour before we grilled it. We grilled it over high heat for 5 minutes on one side and 4 on the other, and it came out perfect!
If you see one in the grocery store, give it a try.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
They live here, too!
If there is anything I have learned through observation, it is that happy kids live in homes that are theirs, too. A home is important, and I have noticed that happy families spend a lot of time at home. 30 years from now, my kids won’t care if my house was spotless or that it looked like model home. They will care that they had a happy place to live, where they felt wanted and important and able to play.
Don’t get me wrong, my house is generally clean and sanitary, but there are toys in every room. A 5’ Little Tikes slide sits in our family room, along with the train set that is set up to go around the furniture. There is a kid-sized rack on the wall in the foyer for their coats (right beside the wall covered with pretty princess stickers). Our kitchen table is covered with a tacky plastic tablecloth, and is considered to be pretty by my kids’ standards. There is a huge world map hanging on the breakfast nook wall, and I am proud to say that my 2-year-old can pick out places all over the world and can show you where a variety of animals live. Our refrigerator is covered in artwork and magnetic letters. Dora’s friend Boots is on the wall above the stove, watching as we cook together. The windows have seasonal window clings on them – even the ones in view from the street - HORRORS!
One daughter’s room looks like a truckload of Pepto-Bismol exploded in it (the walls, bed, curtains, and linens are all pink), and it has about 30 of the wall-cling Dora stickers placed where she wanted them. Her artwork is hanging on the walls, and Dora cutouts are hanging from the ceiling. It’s definitely her room. She picked out the colors and the décor. After all, a room should belong to the person who sleeps in it, right?
Christmas has been the best season with regard to our home decor. Our tree looks silly with all of the ornaments near the top or placed with five on a single branch. Homemade ornaments add to the character. The kids enjoy hanging each Christmas card as it is received on the line in the foyer with clothespins, a line that also includes their collection of fall leaves. The kitchen is full of Christmas towels and pot holders, which look tacky to me, but beautiful to the children.
Our home is comfortable, and our kids are comfortable in it. It’s home for the whole family, and they know the things they enjoy are just as important as our things. You can definitely tell kids live here from the moment you walk in the door. Toys aren't restricted to a couple of areas of the house. If people don’t like it, they don’t have to visit. I wouldn’t trade this house for any of the lovely houses in Better Homes and Gardens.
Miracle every parent should purchase!
Yesterday I discovered IKEA's Kladd Prickar bibs. They cost $3.99 for a set of 2, and worth every penny!
THESE THINGS ARE A NECESSITY. Seriously - every parent should own at least one pack. This will be one of my must-give baby shower gifts from now on (along with those tiny plastic bags for dirty diapers or wet clothes).
The one-size-fits-all bibs fit a lot of sizes and they are in unisex colors. My daughter in the photograph wears 9 months or 12 months clothes, and it works just fine for her. My other daughter wears a 3T and it fits her, too.
These things are perfect for eating spaghetti, painting or any other activity where they may get messy.
link to product: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70179754?filterBean=se.ikea.ms.search.beans.IrwSearchFilterBean%4039243a26&SEARCH_FILTER_0=eNqVU8Fu00AQHQwtoAahhooKcaNSLyBbQr3llKYqCgpQ1T0lp40zpFtsr9ldJw0HxI07Ehc%252BAC5wQOLMIf4xxrt2Gie0UdeS48x783Zn3uz0Z%252FYL1pSEpwpd%252Fg6ZGylXIZPBqdtHFiu3Lce%252B%252BX%252FIQ41yn4LZJ3o%252BnzWnX6a%252Fsx8OPO7C5luDNgPNR9gSoZBdqM%252FHXuMYlV4gHkkeYBe2qzExSAN9MkkIeWCRA65YP8RBIbxVjZbSC%252BRC%252FNFidE5%252B21ZaYs2%252BSHWbmtCFh1VkP1U8RqWWgJaPcmT22aoChyzi4YQOVQ23B8hIpV6NvhT9ZWkqSx0LES0BRQmqB%252BtB3hClwet1FHq5f16kPEv3jH%252FezL92HKO0JjY6cM%252B2pXXKEvrR4F5XYKMQyE%252Bgod45YyPmhSweer6WPB4SpWYp1p%252F38BFuztKMOUVoswzNnCmAYoB8DDHQduMCKSbGp61pqyM25DHTXMRVRT%252Ftt5jGoZCTHHAIGEqRJracY1RpqDXsra78xWJWXpw0X6ol0phU7tsGpJqH3iuWNM4TKNcNemil0tq04prNd3l3PP0zzv4Opt8%252BOABWku7qs%252BuIiOz7YGcv%252B7pTc8Dpwjozt6wDayMWprbTJKwB8s%252BNS18qf9%252B1JDrC85VHWOpZ2Q0HbvWgFtHg5LaSaTS%252Fu%252F%252BbX9PLC9rJm0aed4AJkzrCWF%252BZd0EzebcjuqicxhCeXJpiGYZ%252BJ%252FInSmN0Nd9QiH%252BemPUP7lHWmw%253D%253D
THESE THINGS ARE A NECESSITY. Seriously - every parent should own at least one pack. This will be one of my must-give baby shower gifts from now on (along with those tiny plastic bags for dirty diapers or wet clothes).
The one-size-fits-all bibs fit a lot of sizes and they are in unisex colors. My daughter in the photograph wears 9 months or 12 months clothes, and it works just fine for her. My other daughter wears a 3T and it fits her, too.
These things are perfect for eating spaghetti, painting or any other activity where they may get messy.
link to product: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70179754?filterBean=se.ikea.ms.search.beans.IrwSearchFilterBean%4039243a26&SEARCH_FILTER_0=eNqVU8Fu00AQHQwtoAahhooKcaNSLyBbQr3llKYqCgpQ1T0lp40zpFtsr9ldJw0HxI07Ehc%252BAC5wQOLMIf4xxrt2Gie0UdeS48x783Zn3uz0Z%252FYL1pSEpwpd%252Fg6ZGylXIZPBqdtHFiu3Lce%252B%252BX%252FIQ41yn4LZJ3o%252BnzWnX6a%252Fsx8OPO7C5luDNgPNR9gSoZBdqM%252FHXuMYlV4gHkkeYBe2qzExSAN9MkkIeWCRA65YP8RBIbxVjZbSC%252BRC%252FNFidE5%252B21ZaYs2%252BSHWbmtCFh1VkP1U8RqWWgJaPcmT22aoChyzi4YQOVQ23B8hIpV6NvhT9ZWkqSx0LES0BRQmqB%252BtB3hClwet1FHq5f16kPEv3jH%252FezL92HKO0JjY6cM%252B2pXXKEvrR4F5XYKMQyE%252Bgod45YyPmhSweer6WPB4SpWYp1p%252F38BFuztKMOUVoswzNnCmAYoB8DDHQduMCKSbGp61pqyM25DHTXMRVRT%252Ftt5jGoZCTHHAIGEqRJracY1RpqDXsra78xWJWXpw0X6ol0phU7tsGpJqH3iuWNM4TKNcNemil0tq04prNd3l3PP0zzv4Opt8%252BOABWku7qs%252BuIiOz7YGcv%252B7pTc8Dpwjozt6wDayMWprbTJKwB8s%252BNS18qf9%252B1JDrC85VHWOpZ2Q0HbvWgFtHg5LaSaTS%252Fu%252F%252BbX9PLC9rJm0aed4AJkzrCWF%252BZd0EzebcjuqicxhCeXJpiGYZ%252BJ%252FInSmN0Nd9QiH%252BemPUP7lHWmw%253D%253D
Friday, December 17, 2010
I've got the blues
This has been one of the coldest Decembers on record. This is my first year as a Stay At Home Mom, so I haven't had to get up and get dressed every morning and somehow manage to get everything done in the limited time I had away from work. I need to lose 30 pounds of baby weight (from 15 months ago), but it is too cold to go outside and my kids are too young to understand the dangers of being around the treadmill when I'm on it. Being an introvert, I'm not as social as some people.
It isn't a matter of boredom. It's lack of motivation. The house is a wreck. The bathrooms are rotten. The kitchen counters are buried under a ton of stuff. Yet I can't find the motivation to actually get started. I think the wintertime blues have hit me hard. I just have no motivation to do anything - I can't clean, cook, or get dressed. It's bad. At least I recognize that I have a problem...
The husband is home for the next four days. I am just going to have to MAKE myself get dressed, clean house and get groceries, as difficult as it is.
So I'm going to get off the couch RIGHT NOW.
Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!
It isn't a matter of boredom. It's lack of motivation. The house is a wreck. The bathrooms are rotten. The kitchen counters are buried under a ton of stuff. Yet I can't find the motivation to actually get started. I think the wintertime blues have hit me hard. I just have no motivation to do anything - I can't clean, cook, or get dressed. It's bad. At least I recognize that I have a problem...
The husband is home for the next four days. I am just going to have to MAKE myself get dressed, clean house and get groceries, as difficult as it is.
So I'm going to get off the couch RIGHT NOW.
Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Free books!
Since I became a mother, my reading time has been very limited. It is impossible to carry a book to doctor's appointments, and the only time I have to read is after the lights go out at night or when I'm rocking a baby to sleep - books can't be read in the dark.
Recently, I have fallen in love with the Kindle app on my Samsung Fascinate. If you have a smartphone, you should check out the Kindle and Nook apps.
Why do I love the Kindle app so much?
Recently, I have fallen in love with the Kindle app on my Samsung Fascinate. If you have a smartphone, you should check out the Kindle and Nook apps.
Why do I love the Kindle app so much?
- Tons of Free books! Most of them are classics.
- I can read in darkness (unlike the actual Kindle) after Jerry goes to sleep or while rocking my baby.
- I already have a smartphone, so it costs me nothing. A very basic Kindle costs $139.
- I don't have to lug around books. The phone goes everywhere I go, so it's super convenient.
- There is no worry about my toddlers removing my bookmark and losing my place in the book - the app automatically saves my location.
- When I get 5 minutes to read, I can just read. I don't have to find my book and get comfortable again.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The World's Best Cookies
My Grandma used to make the best cookies, appropriately called "The World's Best Cookies". If you are looking for something light-tasting to make with the kids this holiday season, give these a try!
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup oil
1 cup oats
1 cup crushed Corn Flakes
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix. Add oil and mix. Add oats, cornflakes, coconut, Corn Flakes, coconut, nuts and brown sugar and mix well. Then add flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla and mix well.
Form balls about the size of walnuts. Put on ungreased cookie sheet, flatten using a fork dipped in water. Bake 12 minutes.
I forgot to use the brown sugar and they were still delicious.
Out of Self-Rising Flour? If you have All-Purpose Flour, use it and for every cup of flour, add a teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup oil
1 cup oats
1 cup crushed Corn Flakes
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix. Add oil and mix. Add oats, cornflakes, coconut, Corn Flakes, coconut, nuts and brown sugar and mix well. Then add flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla and mix well.
Form balls about the size of walnuts. Put on ungreased cookie sheet, flatten using a fork dipped in water. Bake 12 minutes.
I forgot to use the brown sugar and they were still delicious.
Out of Self-Rising Flour? If you have All-Purpose Flour, use it and for every cup of flour, add a teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Freebies!
If you haven't checked out the Freebie sites at Walmart and Target, it's worth it!
Target: http://samples.target.com/
Walmart: http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-free-samples.aspx
I check every couple of days for free samples. They are usually shipped to your home within a couple of weeks and they cost you nothing but time to enter your address. For the past couple of years, I haven't bought lotion. I get a lot of samples of toilet paper, laundry detergent, garbage bags, etc. The samples often come with coupons as well. It's definitely worth your time!
My favorite deal blog is www.Swaggrabber.com - thanks to that blog, I have gotten some very good deals and free samples. Check it out!
Target: http://samples.target.com/
Walmart: http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-free-samples.aspx
I check every couple of days for free samples. They are usually shipped to your home within a couple of weeks and they cost you nothing but time to enter your address. For the past couple of years, I haven't bought lotion. I get a lot of samples of toilet paper, laundry detergent, garbage bags, etc. The samples often come with coupons as well. It's definitely worth your time!
My favorite deal blog is www.Swaggrabber.com - thanks to that blog, I have gotten some very good deals and free samples. Check it out!
Friday, November 19, 2010
IKEA furniture
I haven't blogged in a while - we have been very busy lately. Since my last post, we have completely redecorated our living room!
We moved into our house 5 years ago. It has a formal living room and a family room. Since we combined two houses into one, we didn't need to buy furniture. I had an old living room set that included a queen-size sleeper sofa, a large armchair, a coffee table, small entertainment center, and two end tables. The tables were bought for cheap at Value City Furniture (about $250), and the rest of the furniture was hand-me-down from a friend. It was nice furniture, but I knew when we bought the house that I wanted something nicer and less 1980's than what I had.
Fast forward 5 years and 2 children later. Mama needs a "peaceful place", but the budget doesn't allow for expensive furniture. I also couldn't see spending a lot of money on furniture that could get ruined by toddlers. I discovered IKEA!
IKEA has a line of furniture (Ektorp) that is inexpensive and comes with removable, washable covers sold separately - which is also convenient for redecorating in a couple of years when I get tired of the color. They also have a set of solid wood furniture (Hemnes) that includes tables and bookshelves. It is actually quite sturdy. We bought a bookshelf for $180 a couple of months ago to try it out, and we were immediately impressed by the look and the quality. So last week we went back and purchased the rest of our living room furniture.
I was able to reuse the curtains and lamps from our old living room. I didn't think they would work initially, but when we set up everything, it looked like it was meant to be! To add space, we bought a loveseat instead of a full-size sofa. Only 2 people usually sit on a couch anyway, so we couldn't justify taking up so much space with a sofa.
Thanks to IKEA, I have a brand new peaceful place that fits nicely into our budget. The 1% credit toward the next purchase for using our debit card will help us get another bookshelf and chair eventually. I LOVE my new living room!
We moved into our house 5 years ago. It has a formal living room and a family room. Since we combined two houses into one, we didn't need to buy furniture. I had an old living room set that included a queen-size sleeper sofa, a large armchair, a coffee table, small entertainment center, and two end tables. The tables were bought for cheap at Value City Furniture (about $250), and the rest of the furniture was hand-me-down from a friend. It was nice furniture, but I knew when we bought the house that I wanted something nicer and less 1980's than what I had.
Fast forward 5 years and 2 children later. Mama needs a "peaceful place", but the budget doesn't allow for expensive furniture. I also couldn't see spending a lot of money on furniture that could get ruined by toddlers. I discovered IKEA!
IKEA has a line of furniture (Ektorp) that is inexpensive and comes with removable, washable covers sold separately - which is also convenient for redecorating in a couple of years when I get tired of the color. They also have a set of solid wood furniture (Hemnes) that includes tables and bookshelves. It is actually quite sturdy. We bought a bookshelf for $180 a couple of months ago to try it out, and we were immediately impressed by the look and the quality. So last week we went back and purchased the rest of our living room furniture.
I was able to reuse the curtains and lamps from our old living room. I didn't think they would work initially, but when we set up everything, it looked like it was meant to be! To add space, we bought a loveseat instead of a full-size sofa. Only 2 people usually sit on a couch anyway, so we couldn't justify taking up so much space with a sofa.
Thanks to IKEA, I have a brand new peaceful place that fits nicely into our budget. The 1% credit toward the next purchase for using our debit card will help us get another bookshelf and chair eventually. I LOVE my new living room!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Oreck XL Platinum Pilot - a review
(See beginning of this story 2 posts ago.)
Our new vacuum cleaner arrived on Monday. It was quite a surprise to see it on our doorstep 5 days after we ordered it. We were expecting it to take up to 2 weeks.
It came in a relatively small box, and I remember thinking, "Is that IT?" It only took a couple of minutes to finish assembly. Then I started vacuuming.
I LOVE MY NEW VACUUM CLEANER. At first, it felt flimsy because it was so light weight, but this vacuum really sucks! ;) It is very quiet. Compared to my old Hoover Wind Tunnel, it is as light as a feather. It took no time at all to vacuum the whole house, including the stairs. It used to take a couple of days to vacuum my house (multiple-story house) because it would exhaust me to lug the old vacuum cleaner around. I was even able to vacuum the stairs with it - with the old Wind Tunnel, I had to use the upholstery attachment for the stairs, and it was heavy and difficult to maneuver. To get close to walls, it works best if you aim the vacuum cleaner toward the wall (it was best to go parallel to the wall with the old vacuum). My husband noticed the carpet looked much cleaner with the new vacuum cleaner. The swivel head is nice, and the head is small enough to vacuum between the legs of chairs. As an added bonus, you don't have to stop the vacuum to change the carpet height when switching from carpet to rugs; the Oreck self-adjusts.
The only part I miss about the Hoover is the convenient on-board attachments for the vacuum cleaner. The Oreck comes with a separate hand-held canister vac for more detailed and above-the-floor cleaning. I tested it today, and I would rate it a B-. It can be quite heavy, and the cord is a pain in the neck. The attachments do not stay hooked to the vac, so I will need to find a separate bag for storage. I will probably use it twice a month to clean corners and ceilings, so I can deal with the inconvenience. The plus side is that it has some serious vacuum power! I have never had a hand-held unit to suck so much. ;)
I would highly recommend the Oreck XL Platinum Plus. It is going to save me so much time and energy, and it cleans the carpet very well.
Our new vacuum cleaner arrived on Monday. It was quite a surprise to see it on our doorstep 5 days after we ordered it. We were expecting it to take up to 2 weeks.
It came in a relatively small box, and I remember thinking, "Is that IT?" It only took a couple of minutes to finish assembly. Then I started vacuuming.
I LOVE MY NEW VACUUM CLEANER. At first, it felt flimsy because it was so light weight, but this vacuum really sucks! ;) It is very quiet. Compared to my old Hoover Wind Tunnel, it is as light as a feather. It took no time at all to vacuum the whole house, including the stairs. It used to take a couple of days to vacuum my house (multiple-story house) because it would exhaust me to lug the old vacuum cleaner around. I was even able to vacuum the stairs with it - with the old Wind Tunnel, I had to use the upholstery attachment for the stairs, and it was heavy and difficult to maneuver. To get close to walls, it works best if you aim the vacuum cleaner toward the wall (it was best to go parallel to the wall with the old vacuum). My husband noticed the carpet looked much cleaner with the new vacuum cleaner. The swivel head is nice, and the head is small enough to vacuum between the legs of chairs. As an added bonus, you don't have to stop the vacuum to change the carpet height when switching from carpet to rugs; the Oreck self-adjusts.
The only part I miss about the Hoover is the convenient on-board attachments for the vacuum cleaner. The Oreck comes with a separate hand-held canister vac for more detailed and above-the-floor cleaning. I tested it today, and I would rate it a B-. It can be quite heavy, and the cord is a pain in the neck. The attachments do not stay hooked to the vac, so I will need to find a separate bag for storage. I will probably use it twice a month to clean corners and ceilings, so I can deal with the inconvenience. The plus side is that it has some serious vacuum power! I have never had a hand-held unit to suck so much. ;)
I would highly recommend the Oreck XL Platinum Plus. It is going to save me so much time and energy, and it cleans the carpet very well.
Monday, November 8, 2010
The Easiest Beef Stew ever
We tried this over the weekend and it was delicious!
1.5-2 pounds stew beef (found ours marked down at the grocery store because it had to be sold by the next day)
4-5 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 onion, cubed
4 potatoes, cubed
1 green bell pepper, cubed
1 bottle Russian Salad Dressing (weird, I know, but it gave it the most wonderful flavor!)
Crock pot on Low for 8-10 hours. We served it over rice with grain bread on the side.
1.5-2 pounds stew beef (found ours marked down at the grocery store because it had to be sold by the next day)
4-5 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 onion, cubed
4 potatoes, cubed
1 green bell pepper, cubed
1 bottle Russian Salad Dressing (weird, I know, but it gave it the most wonderful flavor!)
Crock pot on Low for 8-10 hours. We served it over rice with grain bread on the side.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Vacuum Cleaner delimma
Our vacuum cleaner broke last week - it just blew up and quit sucking dirt. This is the third vacuum cleaner we have had since we have been in our house. We usually have to replace our vacuum cleaner every 2 to 2.5 years because we really USE IT A LOT for everything. We usually buy a Hoover Wind-Tunnel Self-propelled bagless model, because they clean very well and the attachments are convenient. The bagless feature made it attractive to us because it is easy to empty the "trash cup" and we don't have to pay for bags. The only thing we didn't like about the Wind Tunnel is the weight - it weighs about 20 pounds.
We made a decision last week to purchase an Oreck XL Platinum Pilot. It comes with a 10-year warranty with yearly check-ups included in the cost. It weighs 10 pounds. As a bonus, it comes with the Ultimate Hand-held Vac and an Iron. It looks like it really kicks booty with the swivel head, and everyone we know with an Oreck loves it. You can read more about it here: http://www.oreck.com/Platinum-Pilot-Pro-Series-Vacuum-Cleaner.
So WHY did we spend $550 on a vacuum cleaner? Let's do the math: we were replacing our current vacuum cleaner every other year for $200-250. Which means in 10 years, we would spend about $1000 on vacuum cleaners. I would much rather spend $550 on a vacuum that lasts 10 years, is reliable, light-weight, high-quality and will WORK for the entire 10 years rather than having our vacuum cleaner blow up every other year and spend twice the amount of money over time. It didn't hurt that it came with the Hand Vac and Iron. We already have an iron - so we might sell it to help cover the cost of the vacuum cleaner. We'll see.
$550 for a good vacuum vs. $1000 for crappy ones over 10 years seemed like a no-brainer.
I should get my new vacuum cleaner in about a week. I have 30 days to love it, or I can return it free of charge. I don't see how there is any risk. I'll keep you posted...
We made a decision last week to purchase an Oreck XL Platinum Pilot. It comes with a 10-year warranty with yearly check-ups included in the cost. It weighs 10 pounds. As a bonus, it comes with the Ultimate Hand-held Vac and an Iron. It looks like it really kicks booty with the swivel head, and everyone we know with an Oreck loves it. You can read more about it here: http://www.oreck.com/Platinum-Pilot-Pro-Series-Vacuum-Cleaner.
So WHY did we spend $550 on a vacuum cleaner? Let's do the math: we were replacing our current vacuum cleaner every other year for $200-250. Which means in 10 years, we would spend about $1000 on vacuum cleaners. I would much rather spend $550 on a vacuum that lasts 10 years, is reliable, light-weight, high-quality and will WORK for the entire 10 years rather than having our vacuum cleaner blow up every other year and spend twice the amount of money over time. It didn't hurt that it came with the Hand Vac and Iron. We already have an iron - so we might sell it to help cover the cost of the vacuum cleaner. We'll see.
$550 for a good vacuum vs. $1000 for crappy ones over 10 years seemed like a no-brainer.
I should get my new vacuum cleaner in about a week. I have 30 days to love it, or I can return it free of charge. I don't see how there is any risk. I'll keep you posted...
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
After Halloween Clearance Sales!
Yesterday the girls and I stocked up on dress-up clothes. They now have 3 sets of butterfly wings and 2 tiger ocostumes, plus some Halloween socks that my kids will wear year-round because they are not plain white. We spent less than $10.
Now is the time to head to your favorite retailers for incredible markdowns on Halloween stuff. Costumes, decorations for next year and anything else that was marketed for Halloween can be bought at great discounts. There were plenty of boys and girls costumes that they can play in year-round.
STOCK UP!
Now is the time to head to your favorite retailers for incredible markdowns on Halloween stuff. Costumes, decorations for next year and anything else that was marketed for Halloween can be bought at great discounts. There were plenty of boys and girls costumes that they can play in year-round.
STOCK UP!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Miniature Quiches
I tried a new recipe yesterday, and the 1-year-old loves it!
cooked broccoli (about a cup)
Shredded cheddar cheese
5 eggs plus 5 egg yolks
3/4 cup of milk
salt & pepper
Mix the eggs and yolks, milk and salt & pepper. Cut the broccoli into small pieces. Spray a 24-hole mini-muffin tin with cooking spray or butter the cups. Put broccoli into the muffin cups. Put cheese on top of broccoli. Pour egg mixture over top. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes until brown and puffy.
I cheated a bit. Instead of separating the eggs, I just used 8 whole eggs. This made them more like scrambled egg than quiche, but they were still good.
These are great for breakfast or lunch and for kids and adults. I can see my husband eating them on the way to work. Serve with banana slices or apple sauce and you get all of the food groups. Next time I may try ham, onions and peppers.
cooked broccoli (about a cup)
Shredded cheddar cheese
5 eggs plus 5 egg yolks
3/4 cup of milk
salt & pepper
Mix the eggs and yolks, milk and salt & pepper. Cut the broccoli into small pieces. Spray a 24-hole mini-muffin tin with cooking spray or butter the cups. Put broccoli into the muffin cups. Put cheese on top of broccoli. Pour egg mixture over top. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes until brown and puffy.
I cheated a bit. Instead of separating the eggs, I just used 8 whole eggs. This made them more like scrambled egg than quiche, but they were still good.
These are great for breakfast or lunch and for kids and adults. I can see my husband eating them on the way to work. Serve with banana slices or apple sauce and you get all of the food groups. Next time I may try ham, onions and peppers.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Clean-out-the-pantry chicken soup
I have been in a soup mood all week. It is finally starting to get cooler in the Carolinas and there is no better cold-weather food than soup.
My cousin's wife has a really great recipe for Creamy Chicken Soup. I never have all of the ingredients for it, but I use it as inspiration for one of my own creations.After cleaning out the pantry yesterday, I discovered that I have a lot of canned vegetables that need to be eaten. I also had a bunch of celery in the fridge that was starting to turn soft. The two-year-old enjoys helping out in the kitchen, so this was fun for her.
This is how we did it:
First, I thawed a couple of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced them into strips and put them in a pot of boiling water with slices of the celery and some pepper. It only took about 10 minutes for the chicken to cook.
While the chicken was cooking, I opened cans of sliced carrots, peas and whole kernel corn and drained them in the colander. I rinsed them well to remove the salt. Three or four cans of Veg-All or mixed vegetables works really well if you don't have the cans of vegetables I used. Then I dumped some leftover lima beans from yesterday's lunch into the colander. I removed the chicken and celery from the water, poured the broth into a large bowl, and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. I added the celery from the broth to the colander when the chicken finished cooking.
I put the pot back on the stove (didn't wash it from cooking the chicken) and turned the burner on to medium heat. Then I melted half a stick of butter in the pot. Next I added a cup of all-purpose flour (can use 1/2 cup of self-rising flour), about 3 cups of broth, 2 half-sized cans of evaporated milk, and about 2 cups of milk to the pot and used a whisk to mix it all up. Then I added the chicken and drained veggies and let it all simmer for about 15 minutes until the soup got thicker.
The soup was delicious, and I was able to freeze some broth and extra pieces of cooked chicken for later. It took less than half an hour and was very cheap because it was all stuff I had in the pantry or freezer. The pantry is a bit lighter now. It made enough of soup to feed my family two or three meals. The one-year-old loved it!
My cousin's wife has a really great recipe for Creamy Chicken Soup. I never have all of the ingredients for it, but I use it as inspiration for one of my own creations.After cleaning out the pantry yesterday, I discovered that I have a lot of canned vegetables that need to be eaten. I also had a bunch of celery in the fridge that was starting to turn soft. The two-year-old enjoys helping out in the kitchen, so this was fun for her.
This is how we did it:
First, I thawed a couple of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced them into strips and put them in a pot of boiling water with slices of the celery and some pepper. It only took about 10 minutes for the chicken to cook.
While the chicken was cooking, I opened cans of sliced carrots, peas and whole kernel corn and drained them in the colander. I rinsed them well to remove the salt. Three or four cans of Veg-All or mixed vegetables works really well if you don't have the cans of vegetables I used. Then I dumped some leftover lima beans from yesterday's lunch into the colander. I removed the chicken and celery from the water, poured the broth into a large bowl, and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. I added the celery from the broth to the colander when the chicken finished cooking.
I put the pot back on the stove (didn't wash it from cooking the chicken) and turned the burner on to medium heat. Then I melted half a stick of butter in the pot. Next I added a cup of all-purpose flour (can use 1/2 cup of self-rising flour), about 3 cups of broth, 2 half-sized cans of evaporated milk, and about 2 cups of milk to the pot and used a whisk to mix it all up. Then I added the chicken and drained veggies and let it all simmer for about 15 minutes until the soup got thicker.
The soup was delicious, and I was able to freeze some broth and extra pieces of cooked chicken for later. It took less than half an hour and was very cheap because it was all stuff I had in the pantry or freezer. The pantry is a bit lighter now. It made enough of soup to feed my family two or three meals. The one-year-old loved it!
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| She was as excited about making the soup as she was about eating it. |
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| Used a slotted spoon to serve just the solid parts to the one-year-old. |
Monday, October 18, 2010
Dora soup!
About once each week or every other week, my girls get a special treat for lunch. Our local Walmart has Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup with Dora pasta shapes for $1 (they also sell Disney pricess soup, Cars, Toy Story, etc.). The Dora characters are the attraction, it's definitely not the flavor or nutritional content.
I can't in good conscience feed my kids canned soup. After several internet searches, I can't find Dora pasta or anything similar that is affordable. Canned soups are generally full of salt, chicken scraps and very few vegetable pieces. So we have to alter it a bit...
First, I drain most of the salty liquid out of the soup. I don't worry about a few drops, as the liquid provides flavor. Then I add a few pieces of our frozen chicken pieces (see previous blog post), some frozen corn, peas and carrots. I add a little water to get it back to the consistency of soup. Then I put it all in the microwave for a minute and we enjoy Dora soup.
I can't in good conscience feed my kids canned soup. After several internet searches, I can't find Dora pasta or anything similar that is affordable. Canned soups are generally full of salt, chicken scraps and very few vegetable pieces. So we have to alter it a bit...
First, I drain most of the salty liquid out of the soup. I don't worry about a few drops, as the liquid provides flavor. Then I add a few pieces of our frozen chicken pieces (see previous blog post), some frozen corn, peas and carrots. I add a little water to get it back to the consistency of soup. Then I put it all in the microwave for a minute and we enjoy Dora soup.
Toddler food - lunch and dinner
I remember freaking out when my oldest outgrew baby food. I had NO IDEA what I would feed her. At the time, she was in daycare, so she ate the baby food we provided. Being new to parenthood, I was amazed when she started eating real food from the daycare kitchen with the rest of the older kids. It never occurred to me that someone so young could eat real food.
My second daughter was never in daycare; one of us has always stayed home with her. This child has never eaten store-bought baby food, and on the rare occasion when we tried to feed it to her (while traveling), she didn't like it. When she was a baby, we pureed whatever we ate.
Now we have it down pat. The kids eat what we eat, and we eat healthier and cheaper than we ever have.
How do we do it? Frozen vegetables are our friends! Walmart has the cheapest frozen vegetables, and their Great Value brand is just as good as any. I usually stock up once every couple of weeks on broccoli, carrots & peas, plain peas, edamame, lima beans, corn and various "stir fry" mixes. It only takes about 3 minutes in the microwave to cook most of the veggies, and each bag will last us for several meals.
Occasionally we find fresh vegetables as cheap as frozen. For instance, we can get a 5 pound bag of fresh carrots at Sam's Club for less than $3. I'll cook a big batch of sliced carrots and freeze them into smaller portions.
We usually keep cooked frozen chicken cubes, frozen fish filets, or frozen pork BBQ for the protein portion of our meals. The chicken is our girls' favorite; I boil boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut them into small cubes and freeze them in ice cube trays before transferring to larger freezer bags for storage. I save the broth to make soups later. We also use plain, low-fat yogurt as a meat substitute for lunch.
For lunch, we make meals with one meat/protein, 2 vegetables or a mix of veggies, and fruit for dessert. The fruit is usually applesauce or frozen blueberries, but we will also use fresh seasonal fruit and canned peaches and pears.
For dinner, we usually have a meat dish (my husband requires meat for dinner) - usually meatloaf, grilled pork, chicken or steak, spaghetti with meat sauce, baked fish, or some other meat recipe. Then we add a fresh mix salad or veggies on the side. My 2 year old has always liked salad; we cut the spinach into tiny pieces and let her dip it in dressing.
I used to dread meal planning, but now it's a piece of cake.
My second daughter was never in daycare; one of us has always stayed home with her. This child has never eaten store-bought baby food, and on the rare occasion when we tried to feed it to her (while traveling), she didn't like it. When she was a baby, we pureed whatever we ate.
Now we have it down pat. The kids eat what we eat, and we eat healthier and cheaper than we ever have.
How do we do it? Frozen vegetables are our friends! Walmart has the cheapest frozen vegetables, and their Great Value brand is just as good as any. I usually stock up once every couple of weeks on broccoli, carrots & peas, plain peas, edamame, lima beans, corn and various "stir fry" mixes. It only takes about 3 minutes in the microwave to cook most of the veggies, and each bag will last us for several meals.
Occasionally we find fresh vegetables as cheap as frozen. For instance, we can get a 5 pound bag of fresh carrots at Sam's Club for less than $3. I'll cook a big batch of sliced carrots and freeze them into smaller portions.
We usually keep cooked frozen chicken cubes, frozen fish filets, or frozen pork BBQ for the protein portion of our meals. The chicken is our girls' favorite; I boil boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut them into small cubes and freeze them in ice cube trays before transferring to larger freezer bags for storage. I save the broth to make soups later. We also use plain, low-fat yogurt as a meat substitute for lunch.
For lunch, we make meals with one meat/protein, 2 vegetables or a mix of veggies, and fruit for dessert. The fruit is usually applesauce or frozen blueberries, but we will also use fresh seasonal fruit and canned peaches and pears.
For dinner, we usually have a meat dish (my husband requires meat for dinner) - usually meatloaf, grilled pork, chicken or steak, spaghetti with meat sauce, baked fish, or some other meat recipe. Then we add a fresh mix salad or veggies on the side. My 2 year old has always liked salad; we cut the spinach into tiny pieces and let her dip it in dressing.
I used to dread meal planning, but now it's a piece of cake.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Market Research to earn extra money
About a year ago, a friend told me about making extra money through Market Research. Companies pay market research firms to conduct surveys and focus groups when they need to know how customers feel about their products and services.
Here in Charlotte, there are several companies that will pay you to give your opinion. For example, I have done surveys and focus groups for 20/20 (http://www.2020research.com/) and AOC Research (http://www.aocresearch.com/), and I have made several hundred dollars so far.
To get started, Google "Market research" and "Your city's name". You will need to set up a profile with each company. They will contact you when they have a new study to see if you qualify. Then you show up, answer the questions and get paid either in cash or VISA gift cards.
Sometimes you may get called several times in a week, but other times may be slow and you may not hear from the companies for months. Some studies pay $100 for an hour, while others pay $30 for a taste test. Sometimes you may be asked to go shopping or to have someone come into your home and watch you cook a meal. It all depends on the subject matter.
If you are opinionated and would like to earn a little extra cash every now and then, you should definitely look into this!
Here in Charlotte, there are several companies that will pay you to give your opinion. For example, I have done surveys and focus groups for 20/20 (http://www.2020research.com/) and AOC Research (http://www.aocresearch.com/), and I have made several hundred dollars so far.
To get started, Google "Market research" and "Your city's name". You will need to set up a profile with each company. They will contact you when they have a new study to see if you qualify. Then you show up, answer the questions and get paid either in cash or VISA gift cards.
Sometimes you may get called several times in a week, but other times may be slow and you may not hear from the companies for months. Some studies pay $100 for an hour, while others pay $30 for a taste test. Sometimes you may be asked to go shopping or to have someone come into your home and watch you cook a meal. It all depends on the subject matter.
If you are opinionated and would like to earn a little extra cash every now and then, you should definitely look into this!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Selecting New Sheets
About a month ago, both sets of our sheets developed rips in the fitted sheet. I saw this coming - they are several years old and had been getting very thin to the point of developing small holes - it was only a matter of time until they completely fell apart. I just didn't expect it to happen within a couple of weeks of each other!
The plan was to continue to use the remaining set of sheets until I could find new sheets, but I ran out of time since the last set ripped so soon. So I needed sheets in a hurry...
Coming from a textile background, I fully understand that quality sheets are not determined by thread count. Usually anything over a 400 thread count is not worth the money. That's right, high thread count numbers are a ripoff. When you see a 1,000 thread count sheet, what you don't see is how they arrive at that number. Usually the higher thread count sheets (500's or higher) are 200-300's with a multiple-ply thread. The marketing geniuses also don't tell you how many chemicals are used to make sheets feel soft or that Egyptian Cotton is the equivalent of Pima Cotton grown in Egypt but with a higher price tag. I won't explain it all here, but if you are interested, just Google it. Or you could just take my word for it because I used to sell sheets for a living. :)
My price point is $40 for a queen-size set of sheets. I like solid Ivory colored ones because there are usually fewer dyes and chemicals and it matches my bedroom. Only 100% cotton will do in our house since my husband prefers soft sheets.
I was in a hurry since I had no sheets to fit the bed. The girls and I went to Marshall's because we were there anyway and we didn't have time to go anywhere else. We found a nice set of Ralph Lauren Dunham 300 TC Sateen sheets. I wasn't thrilled, but it was the best set I saw there and it was priced at $39.99. The set included a flat sheet, an extra deep fitted sheet and 2 pillowcases. They weren't perfect, but they washed well and we slept pretty good in them. Rating: B, because they were 300's, sateen sheets typically aren't as durable and the color wasn't exactly what I was looking for.
The next week I bought our second set of sheets at Sam's Club. They had the Christy 450 Ultimate Sheets for the same price as the 300's at Marshall's. The bonus about this set is that it includes 2 extra pillowcases! These sheets totally kick booty - I give them a grade A+++. They are comfortable and soft and we slept well on them. This is clearly the best buy of the two products, and I plan to buy another in a few months. For $40, you just can't beat this set of sheets.
If you are in the market for sheets, don't waste your hard-earned money on the junk the marketing folks are trying to sell... don't fall for the high thread count trap! You can find an excellent set of queen-size sheets for $40.
The plan was to continue to use the remaining set of sheets until I could find new sheets, but I ran out of time since the last set ripped so soon. So I needed sheets in a hurry...
Coming from a textile background, I fully understand that quality sheets are not determined by thread count. Usually anything over a 400 thread count is not worth the money. That's right, high thread count numbers are a ripoff. When you see a 1,000 thread count sheet, what you don't see is how they arrive at that number. Usually the higher thread count sheets (500's or higher) are 200-300's with a multiple-ply thread. The marketing geniuses also don't tell you how many chemicals are used to make sheets feel soft or that Egyptian Cotton is the equivalent of Pima Cotton grown in Egypt but with a higher price tag. I won't explain it all here, but if you are interested, just Google it. Or you could just take my word for it because I used to sell sheets for a living. :)
My price point is $40 for a queen-size set of sheets. I like solid Ivory colored ones because there are usually fewer dyes and chemicals and it matches my bedroom. Only 100% cotton will do in our house since my husband prefers soft sheets.
I was in a hurry since I had no sheets to fit the bed. The girls and I went to Marshall's because we were there anyway and we didn't have time to go anywhere else. We found a nice set of Ralph Lauren Dunham 300 TC Sateen sheets. I wasn't thrilled, but it was the best set I saw there and it was priced at $39.99. The set included a flat sheet, an extra deep fitted sheet and 2 pillowcases. They weren't perfect, but they washed well and we slept pretty good in them. Rating: B, because they were 300's, sateen sheets typically aren't as durable and the color wasn't exactly what I was looking for.
The next week I bought our second set of sheets at Sam's Club. They had the Christy 450 Ultimate Sheets for the same price as the 300's at Marshall's. The bonus about this set is that it includes 2 extra pillowcases! These sheets totally kick booty - I give them a grade A+++. They are comfortable and soft and we slept well on them. This is clearly the best buy of the two products, and I plan to buy another in a few months. For $40, you just can't beat this set of sheets.
If you are in the market for sheets, don't waste your hard-earned money on the junk the marketing folks are trying to sell... don't fall for the high thread count trap! You can find an excellent set of queen-size sheets for $40.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Lemon Chicken with Veggies
A cousin was looking for recipes today, so I found this old favorite. It's an inexpensive, one-dish meal that tastes delicious and has a beautiful presentation. The best part is easy clean-up:: you just need a chopping board and knife, a bowl for the veggies, a baking pan and a small bowl for mixing the sauce.
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (put them in a plastic bag and pound each one flat so that the breast is an even thickness and it cooks more evenly - i do this whenever I cook chicken breasts.)
3 potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
2 bell peppers (red is better, but green works fine and they are usually cheaper) - cut into 1-inch pieces
red onion cut into 1/2 inch slices, wedges or cubes
can of mushrooms (or a basket of fresh ones if you have them) - drained
mix this together to make the sauce:
1/4 c olive oil
1/8 c lemon juice
1 tsp of garlic powder or 4 minced garlic cloves (whatever you have)
3 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper (I grind mine in a peppermill, but use whatever you have)
Arrange the chicken on a big pan - I use a 13 X 18 X 1 baking pan - just make sure it's not a pizza pan because you don't want the juices to run off. If you have to use a 13 X 9 baking dish, it may take a little longer for the chicken to cook, but it's still good.
Brush the chicken with some sauce. Then pour the rest of the sauce in with the veggies and toss to coat them. Then put the veggies in the pan around the chicken. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes until the chicken is 165 degrees at the thickest part. Baste it with the juice in the pan after 20-25 minutes. Reheats well the next day. You can prepare it and put it in the fridge ahead of time so all you have to do is pop it in the oven when you are ready.
It's an inexpensive recipe - I get my olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, potatoes and onions at Sams, and Walmart chicken breasts are really cheap if you buy a big pack and divide it and freeze what you don't use. I use Walmart brand mushrooms and lemon juice.
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (put them in a plastic bag and pound each one flat so that the breast is an even thickness and it cooks more evenly - i do this whenever I cook chicken breasts.)
3 potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
2 bell peppers (red is better, but green works fine and they are usually cheaper) - cut into 1-inch pieces
red onion cut into 1/2 inch slices, wedges or cubes
can of mushrooms (or a basket of fresh ones if you have them) - drained
mix this together to make the sauce:
1/4 c olive oil
1/8 c lemon juice
1 tsp of garlic powder or 4 minced garlic cloves (whatever you have)
3 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper (I grind mine in a peppermill, but use whatever you have)
Arrange the chicken on a big pan - I use a 13 X 18 X 1 baking pan - just make sure it's not a pizza pan because you don't want the juices to run off. If you have to use a 13 X 9 baking dish, it may take a little longer for the chicken to cook, but it's still good.
Brush the chicken with some sauce. Then pour the rest of the sauce in with the veggies and toss to coat them. Then put the veggies in the pan around the chicken. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes until the chicken is 165 degrees at the thickest part. Baste it with the juice in the pan after 20-25 minutes. Reheats well the next day. You can prepare it and put it in the fridge ahead of time so all you have to do is pop it in the oven when you are ready.
It's an inexpensive recipe - I get my olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, potatoes and onions at Sams, and Walmart chicken breasts are really cheap if you buy a big pack and divide it and freeze what you don't use. I use Walmart brand mushrooms and lemon juice.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Repurposing things around the house
When I buy furniture or any expensive item for the home, I try to think about where else in the house I can use the item.
For example, when we decorated our nursery, we bought a small neutral-colored recliner instead of a rocker and matching ottoman. The plan is to put it in the family room when it is no longer needed in the nursery. We use the armchairs from our dining room set as chairs in the guest room and master bedroom - and they look like they were bought specifically for that purpose.
We also look at our available inventory of stuff in the attic or around the house before we shop for an item. I have a large mirror in our living room that will eventually be used as a mirror in our daughter's bedroom or in the kids' bathroom. We had an old chest of drawers in the garage that we painted and is now being used in my 2-year-old's room.
Often we forget about using things we already own when decorating. If they can't be used "as is", consider refinishing them. Paint is a cheap way to transform a piece of furniture or a room.
My most recent repurposed item was a black and white photo of a cafe in France that my husband had in his old house before we were married. It sat in the attic for the past 5 years because it didn't go with any of the decor in the new house. I recently remodeled our laundry room and joked about decorating it since I spend so much time in there. Then I ran across the old framed photo in the attic while looking for something else and decided it was the perfect touch for my laundry room. Now it reminds me of the vacations that we will take again someday when we are finished paying for children! :)
For example, when we decorated our nursery, we bought a small neutral-colored recliner instead of a rocker and matching ottoman. The plan is to put it in the family room when it is no longer needed in the nursery. We use the armchairs from our dining room set as chairs in the guest room and master bedroom - and they look like they were bought specifically for that purpose.
We also look at our available inventory of stuff in the attic or around the house before we shop for an item. I have a large mirror in our living room that will eventually be used as a mirror in our daughter's bedroom or in the kids' bathroom. We had an old chest of drawers in the garage that we painted and is now being used in my 2-year-old's room.
Often we forget about using things we already own when decorating. If they can't be used "as is", consider refinishing them. Paint is a cheap way to transform a piece of furniture or a room.
My most recent repurposed item was a black and white photo of a cafe in France that my husband had in his old house before we were married. It sat in the attic for the past 5 years because it didn't go with any of the decor in the new house. I recently remodeled our laundry room and joked about decorating it since I spend so much time in there. Then I ran across the old framed photo in the attic while looking for something else and decided it was the perfect touch for my laundry room. Now it reminds me of the vacations that we will take again someday when we are finished paying for children! :)
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Budget Train Set
Christmas Shopping has begun!
A couple of weeks ago, my 2-year-old fell in love with the Thomas the Train set at my aunt's house. We went to Walmart and she begged for it, but the prices were ridiculous - $10 for a piece of train? No thanks!
This morning the 1-year-old and I went to IKEA. We bought a ton of pieces for less than $36. IKEA's Lillabo train sets are compatible with the name brand trains, and they are a fraction of the cost! My children are going to be so excited to see what Santa leaves for them on Christmas morning.
If you have a little one who has his heart set on Thomas the Train, it will save you a lot of money if you buy the IKEA set and perhaps add a few of the Thomas engines and cars.
As a bonus, I got 1% back toward my next purchase just by using my debit card to pay. :)
A couple of weeks ago, my 2-year-old fell in love with the Thomas the Train set at my aunt's house. We went to Walmart and she begged for it, but the prices were ridiculous - $10 for a piece of train? No thanks!
This morning the 1-year-old and I went to IKEA. We bought a ton of pieces for less than $36. IKEA's Lillabo train sets are compatible with the name brand trains, and they are a fraction of the cost! My children are going to be so excited to see what Santa leaves for them on Christmas morning.
If you have a little one who has his heart set on Thomas the Train, it will save you a lot of money if you buy the IKEA set and perhaps add a few of the Thomas engines and cars.
As a bonus, I got 1% back toward my next purchase just by using my debit card to pay. :)
Monday, September 27, 2010
Paying for Christmas
Christmas is 89 days away! Times are tough this year for a lot of people. If you are like me, you like to plan your purchases, look for deals and get everything out of the way BEFORE Black Friday.
Our Christmas Gift Fund strategy has two key components:
1. Keep it simple. The holiday season is about being with the ones you love most, not about seeing how much credit card debt can be accumulated. Gift-giving should bring joy, not agony and debt. We like to think of simple things to give to the ones we love the most.
We might spend $75 on each of our children this year, which represents a 50% increase over last year's budget. We buy basic toys that both kids can enjoy. Our children don't need fancy toys with all of the bells and whistles; they would rather play with things that require a little imagination. Last year's Christmas gifts to our children were a tricycle, a Step 2 Shopping Cart, a couple of books, a stuffed animal, a Tinkerbell jewelry box and a Sleepy Time Dora doll. They were so happy, and they use and appreciate each of the gifts 9 months later. Their grandparents tend to go overboard as grandparents do, and there is only so much room in the house for toys.
My husband and I don't give each other gifts because we find joy in watching our girls open their gifts. My family usually has a very simple Christmas - my sister and I don't exchange gifts, we choose to spend $10 on each of the kids. We usually buy a little something for our parents and they buy a little something for us. My husband's family does much more for Christmas gifts, which is where part 2 comes in handy...
2. Pay for gifts with freebies. My top two perks are Swagbucks and VISA Rewards.
If you haven't heard of Swagbucks, visit www.swagbucks.com and sign up today! You can earn points for doing what you do every day anyway - internet searches. They also have a way to earn points for doing surveys, answering daily polls, etc. You can use the points to purchase gift cards. For example, 450 Swagbucks will buy a $5 Amazon gift card. Those points really add up over a year.
Our Bank of America credit card has a rewards program as well. Every year in October, we redeem our points earned ($1 for every $1 spent) for gift cards that we either use to purchase gifts or simply give to others. It is important to keep in mind that these points are only really worth anything if you don't go into debt to accumulate them. ALL CREDIT CARDS SHOULD BE PAID IN FULL EVERY MONTH for this freebie to work. My husband and I charge everything on our cards and pay them off each month. This allows us to earn points for spending money that we would normally spend anyway for food, gas, etc. By the end of the year, we usually have enough of points to buy several hundred dollars' worth of gift cards. Since we don't pay any interest, annual fees or late fees on credit cards, this makes it FREE MONEY!
I am so excited about this Christmas! My husband is employed again, I have two happy and healthy toddlers, and my parents are still alive and they live 5 miles away from us. Life is so good.
Our Christmas Gift Fund strategy has two key components:
1. Keep it simple. The holiday season is about being with the ones you love most, not about seeing how much credit card debt can be accumulated. Gift-giving should bring joy, not agony and debt. We like to think of simple things to give to the ones we love the most.
We might spend $75 on each of our children this year, which represents a 50% increase over last year's budget. We buy basic toys that both kids can enjoy. Our children don't need fancy toys with all of the bells and whistles; they would rather play with things that require a little imagination. Last year's Christmas gifts to our children were a tricycle, a Step 2 Shopping Cart, a couple of books, a stuffed animal, a Tinkerbell jewelry box and a Sleepy Time Dora doll. They were so happy, and they use and appreciate each of the gifts 9 months later. Their grandparents tend to go overboard as grandparents do, and there is only so much room in the house for toys.
My husband and I don't give each other gifts because we find joy in watching our girls open their gifts. My family usually has a very simple Christmas - my sister and I don't exchange gifts, we choose to spend $10 on each of the kids. We usually buy a little something for our parents and they buy a little something for us. My husband's family does much more for Christmas gifts, which is where part 2 comes in handy...
2. Pay for gifts with freebies. My top two perks are Swagbucks and VISA Rewards.
If you haven't heard of Swagbucks, visit www.swagbucks.com and sign up today! You can earn points for doing what you do every day anyway - internet searches. They also have a way to earn points for doing surveys, answering daily polls, etc. You can use the points to purchase gift cards. For example, 450 Swagbucks will buy a $5 Amazon gift card. Those points really add up over a year.
Our Bank of America credit card has a rewards program as well. Every year in October, we redeem our points earned ($1 for every $1 spent) for gift cards that we either use to purchase gifts or simply give to others. It is important to keep in mind that these points are only really worth anything if you don't go into debt to accumulate them. ALL CREDIT CARDS SHOULD BE PAID IN FULL EVERY MONTH for this freebie to work. My husband and I charge everything on our cards and pay them off each month. This allows us to earn points for spending money that we would normally spend anyway for food, gas, etc. By the end of the year, we usually have enough of points to buy several hundred dollars' worth of gift cards. Since we don't pay any interest, annual fees or late fees on credit cards, this makes it FREE MONEY!
I am so excited about this Christmas! My husband is employed again, I have two happy and healthy toddlers, and my parents are still alive and they live 5 miles away from us. Life is so good.
Monday, September 20, 2010
First Birthday Party on a Budget
Yesterday we celebrated my youngest daughter's First Birthday. My daughter had a wonderful time, and her guests feasted on grilled pork chops, macaroni and cheese, carrots, peas, rolls and 2 kinds of birthday cake. It was perfect, and it cost us about $40.
Our philosophy on birthday parties for toddlers: less is more. I have been to many First Birthday parties where the child was so overwhelmed he/she cried the entire time. We wanted our daughter to be relaxed and able to enjoy her special day with the people she loves the most. We invited each set of grandparents, her Aunt, Uncle and cousin and a friend and her daughter. 9 adults and 4 children.
Thanks to my favorites - Walmart and Sam's Club - we were able to pull it off for less than $5 per adult. I made the cakes out of a box, and put sprinkles and a "1" candle on top. Our 2-year-old decided her sister needed to have a Winnie the Pooh party, so we bought Pooh party hats. That was the only birthday decor we had, and it made our party no less enjoyable and special than a party where parents go all out with matching plates, napkins, cups and cake. Not that there's anything wrong with that - we just couldn't justify the cost of having a cutesy birthday party for a child who is too young to know the difference.
The food was delicious. Everyone had a great time. There was plenty of room and food. Our daughter received a ton of gifts. I had a stress-free day because we kept things simple. Priceless.
Our philosophy on birthday parties for toddlers: less is more. I have been to many First Birthday parties where the child was so overwhelmed he/she cried the entire time. We wanted our daughter to be relaxed and able to enjoy her special day with the people she loves the most. We invited each set of grandparents, her Aunt, Uncle and cousin and a friend and her daughter. 9 adults and 4 children.
Thanks to my favorites - Walmart and Sam's Club - we were able to pull it off for less than $5 per adult. I made the cakes out of a box, and put sprinkles and a "1" candle on top. Our 2-year-old decided her sister needed to have a Winnie the Pooh party, so we bought Pooh party hats. That was the only birthday decor we had, and it made our party no less enjoyable and special than a party where parents go all out with matching plates, napkins, cups and cake. Not that there's anything wrong with that - we just couldn't justify the cost of having a cutesy birthday party for a child who is too young to know the difference.
The food was delicious. Everyone had a great time. There was plenty of room and food. Our daughter received a ton of gifts. I had a stress-free day because we kept things simple. Priceless.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Get yourself to Harris Teeter!
If you live in the Southeast, this is the week to check out Harris Teeter for great deals on meat. If you don't live here, Harris Teeter is our local upscale grocery store, my favorite grocery store!
I bought enough of meat for 11 meals and spent a whopping $19.96!
First, I found the Sirloin Steaks marked down because they had a "sell by" date of today. They are HUGE - enough to cut in half and make 2 meals for our family. So I bought a pack for $5.04. We are eating them tonight, along with our cheap Sam's salad mix and baked potatoes.
Then we ran across some country-style pork ribs, enough for a meal. They were marked down to $2.79 because they had a "sell by" date of today. They went into the freezer.
We picked up 4 whole chickens on special for $0.59 per pound. The limit was 4, so I'll be back each day until next Tuesday to stock up. Each whole chicken will make 2 meals for our family. They averaged less than $3.00 a piece. We cook those in the microwave with celery, carrots, potatoes and spices for a delicious meal! With the prices of these chickens and the cost of the vegetables at Aldi and Sam's, we will spend about $2.50 per meal. Winner.
I can see we are going to need to buy another freezer, especially since deer season is coming up.
I bought enough of meat for 11 meals and spent a whopping $19.96!
First, I found the Sirloin Steaks marked down because they had a "sell by" date of today. They are HUGE - enough to cut in half and make 2 meals for our family. So I bought a pack for $5.04. We are eating them tonight, along with our cheap Sam's salad mix and baked potatoes.
Then we ran across some country-style pork ribs, enough for a meal. They were marked down to $2.79 because they had a "sell by" date of today. They went into the freezer.
We picked up 4 whole chickens on special for $0.59 per pound. The limit was 4, so I'll be back each day until next Tuesday to stock up. Each whole chicken will make 2 meals for our family. They averaged less than $3.00 a piece. We cook those in the microwave with celery, carrots, potatoes and spices for a delicious meal! With the prices of these chickens and the cost of the vegetables at Aldi and Sam's, we will spend about $2.50 per meal. Winner.
I can see we are going to need to buy another freezer, especially since deer season is coming up.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Fresh Bread and 12 Minute Chicken
Lately, there are two things in my kitchen that I cannot live without: the bread machine and the Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker. Both have enabled me to cook good food for my family without consuming store-bought food additives.
I inherited the bread machine from my husband's first marriage, along with a bunch of other really cool stuff and a sweet husband. Up until 3 months ago I never used it, probably out of intimidation. One day I decided to give it a try and it was so easy and fast - just dump in the ingredients and turn it on. Now we don't buy store-bought bread. Once you go to homemade bread, you won't go back. It is just SO GOOD, especially when it is still warm. We have saved so much money by making our own bread. Flour, oats and yeast are very cheap at Sam's Club. I bought my ingredients in bulk about 3 months ago and have made 3-4 loaves of bread each week for the past couple of months for the cost of about 20 loaves of inferior store-bought bread - and I still have a ton of ingredients left!
Then there is the Deep Covered Baker. Unfortunately, Pampered Chef doesn't sell them anymore, but I have found a similar microwave-safe clay baker at Sur La Table that would probably work just as well. They can be pricey ($70 - 100), but well worth the cost in terms of durability, convenience, time you save cooking, quality of food and using the microwave instead of the kitchen-heating oven. One might think the microwave would leave the food dried out and tough to eat, but food actually comes out very moist. You can cook 3 chicken breasts in 12 minutes, a whole chicken in 30 minutes or a whole chicken with veggies for less than an hour. I have also made some kick-booty baby back ribs and pasta dishes in the microwave in just minutes. We no longer buy chicken nuggets or frozen grilled chicken strips - we just cook the breasts in the microwave, divide them into portions and freeze them for healthy, non-processed food for our family.
If you have either of these items in a box in your closet - take them out and start using them. You'll be so glad you did! If you don't have either, they are certainly worth buying or receiving as gifts.
I inherited the bread machine from my husband's first marriage, along with a bunch of other really cool stuff and a sweet husband. Up until 3 months ago I never used it, probably out of intimidation. One day I decided to give it a try and it was so easy and fast - just dump in the ingredients and turn it on. Now we don't buy store-bought bread. Once you go to homemade bread, you won't go back. It is just SO GOOD, especially when it is still warm. We have saved so much money by making our own bread. Flour, oats and yeast are very cheap at Sam's Club. I bought my ingredients in bulk about 3 months ago and have made 3-4 loaves of bread each week for the past couple of months for the cost of about 20 loaves of inferior store-bought bread - and I still have a ton of ingredients left!
Then there is the Deep Covered Baker. Unfortunately, Pampered Chef doesn't sell them anymore, but I have found a similar microwave-safe clay baker at Sur La Table that would probably work just as well. They can be pricey ($70 - 100), but well worth the cost in terms of durability, convenience, time you save cooking, quality of food and using the microwave instead of the kitchen-heating oven. One might think the microwave would leave the food dried out and tough to eat, but food actually comes out very moist. You can cook 3 chicken breasts in 12 minutes, a whole chicken in 30 minutes or a whole chicken with veggies for less than an hour. I have also made some kick-booty baby back ribs and pasta dishes in the microwave in just minutes. We no longer buy chicken nuggets or frozen grilled chicken strips - we just cook the breasts in the microwave, divide them into portions and freeze them for healthy, non-processed food for our family.
If you have either of these items in a box in your closet - take them out and start using them. You'll be so glad you did! If you don't have either, they are certainly worth buying or receiving as gifts.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Cheap Entertainment
Since I became a SAHM 3 months ago, it has been about 120 degrees outside every day. ;) Without cable television, I have had to get creative with entertaining my kids. Coloring, building castles with wooden blocks, and playing baby dolls can get old after a while. How do I reward my kids for being good? I take them to Walmart.
Walmart is not only entertaining for adults - we have all seen the People of Walmart website - it is a poor man's Disneyland for toddlers. My 2-year-old gets excited as soon as she hears the word. Just the ride to Walmart is exciting, as my 2-year-old likes to point out waterfalls (fountains, sprinklers, etc.) and lighthouses (cellphone towers) along the way. It seems we live in a very scenic part of the country...
Then she shouts "Walmart!" and the real fun begins. The girls like the shopping carts with the double toddler seats so they can sit side-by-side and giggle at each other.
We usually start out in the food section. My girls can spend 20 minutes just watching the chickens cooking on the rotisserie. We talk about all of the food we see. Then we make the rounds to the big televisions, the fish and the bicycles, pointing out letters and numbers on the store's signage along the way. If they behave themselves, they get to go through the ToyMuseum Department. The beauty of this is that they can look at the toys all they want, and even play with some, but we don't buy anything. Santa Claus gets some good ideas, and Mama is able to pick up a few necessities along the way.
Occasionally we shake up our routine and go to Lowes instead. Our local home improvement store is full of fun things for toddlers, and the girls get to drive the race car shopping cart through the store. Holiday yard decor, the outdoor garden center, the outdoor furniture and the ceiling fans are our favorite areas.
It doesn't take much to entertain my kids. Shopping is a real treat for them, and we usually run into nice old ladies along the way. I hope they never lose that sense of wonder and appreciation for the simple things in life like the rotisserie machine.
Walmart is not only entertaining for adults - we have all seen the People of Walmart website - it is a poor man's Disneyland for toddlers. My 2-year-old gets excited as soon as she hears the word. Just the ride to Walmart is exciting, as my 2-year-old likes to point out waterfalls (fountains, sprinklers, etc.) and lighthouses (cellphone towers) along the way. It seems we live in a very scenic part of the country...
Then she shouts "Walmart!" and the real fun begins. The girls like the shopping carts with the double toddler seats so they can sit side-by-side and giggle at each other.
We usually start out in the food section. My girls can spend 20 minutes just watching the chickens cooking on the rotisserie. We talk about all of the food we see. Then we make the rounds to the big televisions, the fish and the bicycles, pointing out letters and numbers on the store's signage along the way. If they behave themselves, they get to go through the Toy
Occasionally we shake up our routine and go to Lowes instead. Our local home improvement store is full of fun things for toddlers, and the girls get to drive the race car shopping cart through the store. Holiday yard decor, the outdoor garden center, the outdoor furniture and the ceiling fans are our favorite areas.
It doesn't take much to entertain my kids. Shopping is a real treat for them, and we usually run into nice old ladies along the way. I hope they never lose that sense of wonder and appreciation for the simple things in life like the rotisserie machine.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Frozen Salmon on Tuesdays
A couple of days ago, one of my Facebook friends mentioned he was eating fish for dinner. About 5 of us piled on and commented that we, too, were having the same thing. I would eat fish every day of the week if I could, which brings me to one of my favorite food topics these days: SALMON. I'm going to start pronouncing it "SAL-mon" since there is an "L" in it. Take that Merriam-Webster!
Once each week we try to have salmon filets. They are filled with Omega-3's, low in calories and high in protein. We usually pair it with bread and a salad. Sometimes I cook fresh veggies from the garden or I microwave or stir-fry bags of frozen veggies with a little soy sauce and olive oil. [Shopping tips for the frugal: field green salad mix from Sam's Club - a huge box for less than $4 lasts us a week at our house; almost-free salad dressings we buy during triple-coupon days at Harris-Teeter; frozen veggies - Sugar Snap Peas Stir Fry blend, Walmart Great Value brand is very cheap).
We buy the bags of frozen, individually-wrapped SALmon filets at Walmart for about $5 for a bag of 4. The best part about the individually-wrapped filets is that they can be thawed in the sink in minutes if you forget to thaw them in the refrigerator ahead of time. This multi-tasker tosses the frozen filets in with the dish water - they are vacuum-sealed, so no soap gets in!
I used to brush them lightly with olive oil or butter, then sprinkle a little dried dill weed and some pepper on them. Easy enough, but I wanted to make it taste like gourmet food since our budget no longer allows for eating out. After searching the internet and combining a few ideas from various websites, I came up with 2 of our favorite salmon recipes:
1 - Bourbon Salmon: a shot of cheap bourbon, a shot of olive oil and a tablespoon of soy sauce.
2 - Marinated Salmon: 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 or 3 tablespoons each of butter, soy sauce, lemon juice and cheap or leftover white wine (Leftover wine? Who has leftover wine?).
Mix the stuff together, dump it over the salmon. We bake them at 400-425 degrees for about 15 minutes, basting them in the juices every 5 minutes. After-dinner cleanup is easy if you line your pan with aluminum foil.
Either recipe is just delicious. The kids like it, too.
*** While I'm thinking about it: if you need outdoor furniture, now is the time to get it. Lowes has everything marked down to 50% off right now. We bought a very nice market umbrella for our back deck today for less than $40. Our 2-year-old was delighted with the "big red octagon", and it covers half of our deck. Now if only the temperatures would break... here in the Carolinas it looks like it will take another month for fall to come around.
And now I leave you with a Haiku:
How I love salmon
I add the missing "L" sound
Just like Grandma did.
(I miss you Grandma Pressley. You left us in September, and it's always a hard time of year. Might have to blog about Grandma-isms one of these days.)
Love,
Cindy
Once each week we try to have salmon filets. They are filled with Omega-3's, low in calories and high in protein. We usually pair it with bread and a salad. Sometimes I cook fresh veggies from the garden or I microwave or stir-fry bags of frozen veggies with a little soy sauce and olive oil. [Shopping tips for the frugal: field green salad mix from Sam's Club - a huge box for less than $4 lasts us a week at our house; almost-free salad dressings we buy during triple-coupon days at Harris-Teeter; frozen veggies - Sugar Snap Peas Stir Fry blend, Walmart Great Value brand is very cheap).
We buy the bags of frozen, individually-wrapped SALmon filets at Walmart for about $5 for a bag of 4. The best part about the individually-wrapped filets is that they can be thawed in the sink in minutes if you forget to thaw them in the refrigerator ahead of time. This multi-tasker tosses the frozen filets in with the dish water - they are vacuum-sealed, so no soap gets in!
I used to brush them lightly with olive oil or butter, then sprinkle a little dried dill weed and some pepper on them. Easy enough, but I wanted to make it taste like gourmet food since our budget no longer allows for eating out. After searching the internet and combining a few ideas from various websites, I came up with 2 of our favorite salmon recipes:
1 - Bourbon Salmon: a shot of cheap bourbon, a shot of olive oil and a tablespoon of soy sauce.
2 - Marinated Salmon: 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 or 3 tablespoons each of butter, soy sauce, lemon juice and cheap or leftover white wine (Leftover wine? Who has leftover wine?).
Mix the stuff together, dump it over the salmon. We bake them at 400-425 degrees for about 15 minutes, basting them in the juices every 5 minutes. After-dinner cleanup is easy if you line your pan with aluminum foil.
Either recipe is just delicious. The kids like it, too.
*** While I'm thinking about it: if you need outdoor furniture, now is the time to get it. Lowes has everything marked down to 50% off right now. We bought a very nice market umbrella for our back deck today for less than $40. Our 2-year-old was delighted with the "big red octagon", and it covers half of our deck. Now if only the temperatures would break... here in the Carolinas it looks like it will take another month for fall to come around.
And now I leave you with a Haiku:
How I love salmon
I add the missing "L" sound
Just like Grandma did.
(I miss you Grandma Pressley. You left us in September, and it's always a hard time of year. Might have to blog about Grandma-isms one of these days.)
Love,
Cindy
New to this!
A year ago, I spent a couple of months in the hospital with a complicated pregnancy. My daily life went from managing a successful career and my home while being a wife and mother to lying on my side in a hospital 45 minutes from home all by myself. I had HOURS/DAYS/WEEKS of nothing to do but surf the internet, watch television and post the details of my boring hospital stay on Facebook (anyone remember the "I have the best blood pressure on the hall!" post???). A friend suggested I start a blog. I've never been a writer, so I didn't seriously consider it. The baby was born and I went back to work.
Now that I am a Stay at Home Mom, I am exploring more ways to live frugally and simply and I am rediscovering my love of cooking. Between all of that, my life experiences and being Mama to 2 beautiful daughters (11 mos and 2 1/2 years), there just might be enough of interesting stuff to write about a couple of times each week. My goal is to share information that may help others to live simply, not just to make this an "all about me" blog.
I hope this is an enjoyable experience for all of us. Let me know what you think!
Love,
Cindy
Now that I am a Stay at Home Mom, I am exploring more ways to live frugally and simply and I am rediscovering my love of cooking. Between all of that, my life experiences and being Mama to 2 beautiful daughters (11 mos and 2 1/2 years), there just might be enough of interesting stuff to write about a couple of times each week. My goal is to share information that may help others to live simply, not just to make this an "all about me" blog.
I hope this is an enjoyable experience for all of us. Let me know what you think!
Love,
Cindy
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