Nifty Thrifty & Thriving

Hanging Mirrors

2012-02-06T09:44:00.000-08:00

Several years ago my husband and I lived in San Antonio for a short period of time. While living there, one of our favorite things to do was go to the River Walk. We spent hours walking through the shops and eating outside along the river. During one of these outings we saw a store window with a bunch of small mirrors. We loved the mirrors and went straight home to start making a smaller version for our house. The one in the store was made with small frames. Those were far to expensive for our small budget so we made our version with wood plaques found at a craft store.

We got 20 wood plaques and stained them. Once they were dry we laid them out the way we wanted them on the wall. We numbered the back 1 - 20 so it would be easy to hang up. We drilled small holes and screwed in eye hooks. This is easiest done when laid out so you know where to drill. The middle ones all need two eye hooks per side. The outside mirrors will only need eye hooks in either 2 or 3 sides. The top row of 4 will only need one hole drilled for a bigger eye hook which will be used for hanging the mirrors.

When you have the pieces drilled and the eye hooks installed then you can glue on the small mirrors. If I remember right we used wood glue, but I could be mistaken.

We used a metal rod to hang the mirrors. We use two big eye hooks drilled into studs. Then the rod goes through the big eye hooks and the hooks installed in the top 4 mirrors. From there you just work you way down and hang the mirrors from each other using S hooks.

This has been a great piece in our house and always gets lots of compliments. I love having pieces around that we love and have made ourselves.

linked up to Not Just a Housewife and A Diamond in the Stuff!

Walgreens Trip February 5th

2012-02-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

Walgreens:

Total Spent $10.91 + tax

Total Saved $36.90

It has been a long time since I did some serious coupon shopping. So long in fact that I am about to pay for deodorant. I haven't done that in years so it has gave me the push I needed to get back into my couponing routine. I took my almost 6 year old son with me to ~~push the cart~~ teach him the ropes.

I started with $5 register rewards (RR's) from some medicine I bought last week. To help with the out of pocket (OOP) cost I broke my trip up into two transactions.

Transaction #1:

1 St Josephs Aspirin ($2, Earn $2 RR)

1 Wet Synergy Lubricant ($10 - $1Q = $9, Earn $10 RR)

I paid with my $5 RR and $6.93 ($6 + .93 tax) OOP. I earned $2 and $10 RR.

Transaction #2:

1 Mentos gum ($.99 - .55Q = .44)

1 Sundown D3 Vitamins ($4 - $1Q = $3, submit for $4 rebate)

2 Colgate Toothpaste ($3 - .50Q = $2.50, Earn $4 RR)

1 Sheets Energy Strips ($3.99, Earn $4 RR)

1 Reach Toothbrush ($2.99, Earn $2 RR)

1 Aqua Fresh Kids Toothpaste ($2.79 - $1.80 Wags Q = $.99)

I paid with the $10 and $2 RR from transaction #1 and $6.30 ($4.91 + $1.39 tax) OOP. I earned $4, $2, and $4 RR and will submit for $4 rebate.

After all is said and done I paid $4.23 for $47.76 worth of stuff.

Muno Number

2012-02-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

My youngest is having a Yo Gabba Gabba party in a couple months. I found this number 3 awhile back for a quarter and wanted to incorporate it into the party. When I plan a party I usually wake up in the middle of the night with my best ideas. This was one of those projects.

I took the black number three and made big blobs of glue to represent Muno.

When the glue dried I spray painted it red.

I love how it turned out and think it will be a great addition to the party.

Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-01-31T08:12:00.000-08:00

Growing up, my mom always made the same kind of chocolate chip cookies. They are quick and easy to make and taste Yummy!!

I love to make other types of cookies but these always remind me of my childhood.

Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 pkg white cake mix

2 Tbsp water

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

6 oz. chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in bowl. Add chocolate chips and mix.

Scoop teaspoon size balls (I use a small cookie dough scoop) onto cookie sheet.

Bake for about 13 minutes.

These will be really light colored. You can tell when they are done because the bottom will be light brown.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies. Enjoy!

Lego Keychains

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

My sons Lego party is quickly approaching so we have been working on goodie bags. This is his favorite part of a party so he always gets excited to help. We decided to make keychains for the kids so they could hang them on their backpacks.

All you do to make these is drill a hole in the Lego and put a key ring through.

In addition to the keychains we added some Lego coloring pages we printed off and Lego crayons. We added a few pieces of candy and put them in pencil boxes that stack and sort of look like Legos. We are now all ready for his party.

Linked up to Get Your Craft On, the diy dreamer and Not Just a Housewife!

Family Fun Night- Snowman

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

My son came home with a family craft project so decided to turn it into our next family fun night. His craft was to make a snowman using items found around the house so I made a "snowman" dinner.

We started out with pizza. The hat, eyes and mouth are olives, nose is a carrot, scarf and buttons are pepperoni.

We also had snowman fruit kabobs. The hat is apple and mandarin orange, body is banana, eyes and buttons are mini chocolate chips, nose is candy corn and arms are pretzels.

After dinner we made the snowman craft project. We had a great time hunting around the house for items to use and see what kind of snowman we could come up with.

Family Fun Nights take a bit of work but they are worth the extra effort, we all really enjoy them.

Birdseed Valentine's

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

My boys have been wanting to make some sort of bird feeder. We decided to make some fun birdseed Valentine's.

Start out by tracing around a heart cookie cutter onto a scrap piece of cardboard.

Cut out the heart and poke a hole to put a string through.

Frost the sides of the cardboard with peanut butter or Crisco.

Press the peanut butter covered heart into birdseed.

Put a string or ribbon through the hole you punched earlier and hang where the birds will find it.

Happy Valentine's Day Birds!!

Lego Crayons

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

My oldest son is having a Lego party in the next few weeks. One thing he wanted to add to his goodie bags was Lego crayons. These are simple to make and turn out really cute.

My son told me 6 months ago he wanted a Lego party so I had plenty of time to plan. I was able to get all the crayons during the school sales for $.25 a box.

To make the crayons preheat the oven to 225 degrees.

Take the wrappers off the crayons and break them up into small chunks. Use one crayon per hole in the mold. (I got the mold from the Lego website.)

Bake the crayons in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The smaller the chunks the less time it takes.

Once the crayons are completely melted let them cool for about an hour.

I love how some of the colors get mixed and make crayons with several colors. I am sure the kids at the party will really enjoy these.

Soup Exchange

2012-01-17T07:07:00.000-08:00

My friend and I recently did another recipe exchange. This time we each made a double batch of 5 different soups. We kept one batch for ourselves and traded the other. I love having 10 different soups in my freezer. Makes for quick and easy meals.

Roasted Garlic Soup

4 whole heads of garlic

3 Tbsp olive oil

6 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 medium onions, chopped

salt & pepper

2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

8 cups chicken broth

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with foil. Use a sharp knife to cu about 1/4 inch off top of each garlic head. Place garlic cut side up on baking sheet and drizzle olive oil over heads. Roast garlic until softened; about 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, squeeze soft cooked pulp from each clove into a small bowl.

Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and 1 tsp each salt and pepper and cook. stirring often. until onions have softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in thyme and reserved garlic. Sprinkle in flour. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring to incorporate flour. Pour in chicken broth, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in a food processor (or use emulsion blender). Return to pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add cream, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley.

Autumn Soup

1 lb ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

4 cups water

1 cup cut up carrots

1 cup diced celery

1 cup cubed pared potatoes

2 tsp salt

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

1/8 tsp basil

1 can (28 oz) tomatoes w/ liquid

In a large saucepan, brown meat. Drain. Cook meat and onions until tender about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients in a crock pot or big pot; except tomatoes. Heat to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add tomatoes. Cover and simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Taco Soup

1 lb hamburger-browned

1 onion-optional

1 can tomatoes

1 can kidney beans

1 can corn

1 can tomato sauce

1 pkg taco seasoning

water if nenecessary

Put ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Pour over Fritos and top with cheese.

Tomato Cheddar Soup

3 T butter

1/2 cup onion, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes w/ juice

1 1/4 cup chicken stock

1 1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sour cream

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

salt & pepper

In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, saute til soft. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and their juices, stock and water. Bring to a simmer then remove from heat. Let cook for 10 minutes.

Add 1/4 cup sour cream, whisk until blended. Add remaining sour cream, whisk until combined. Stir in pepper and cheese to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste. Gently reheat to serve.

Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp butter

32 ounces (4 cups) chicken stock

12 ounces broccoli florets

1 cup finely chopped carrots

1/3 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

6 cups shredded cheddar cheese

32 ounces (4 cups) half and half

Saute onion and garlic in butter until onion is translucent.
Add chicken stock and nutmeg and bring to a low boil.
Add broccoli and carrots and cook until tender.
Add cheese and stir until fully melted.
Pour in half & half and continue to stir on medium/low heat until all ingredients are incorporated and soup is heated through, being careful not to boil.
Serve and enjoy!

Linking up to Tasty Tuesday!

Crepes with Cool Whip Hearts

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

Way back in high school I took a couple of French classes. I admit I don't remember anything other then the word for cheese, but one thing I did take away from the class was this recipe for Crepes. This is a recipe we use often and has become a family favorite. One of our favorite fillings is apples but we have tried several others such as blueberries and strawberries. All have been yummy.

My boys love special meals. These are meals that I take a couple extra minutes to make special and more fun to eat. This time I made apple crepes and topped it with a Cool Whip heart and red sugar. I made the hearts by letting the Cool Whip thaw a bit. Then I spread it on a plate and stuck it back in the freezer to harden. Right before I added it to the crepe, I cut out a heart shape and then sprinkled red sugar on top. My boys loved it and gobbled it up.

Crepe Recipe:

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp butter

2 eggs (beaten)

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Heat milk and butter in saucepan, lukewarm until butter is melted.

When slightly cooled, beat in eggs, flour, baking powder and salt.

Cook like pancakes (takes about a minute on each side).

Add berries, whip cream or powdered sugar.

Enjoy!!

Family Fun Night- Treasure Hunt Dinner

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

For our recent family fun night we had a treasure hunt dinner. It took a little thought to put it all together but was well worth it. It gave us a chance to slow down and spend some valuable time together as a family. I was so wrapped up in the evening that I even forgot to take pictures.

I started by choosing 5 places in the house that would be good for us to eat a portion of our meal and also do a fun activity. I chose each of my boys rooms, the master shower, the playroom and in front of the fireplace. I then chose a food that would be easy to eat in that spot and an activity. I decided on a meal that was not only easy to make but easy to have ready when we moved to our next location. We had fruit kabobs, deviled eggs, bread sticks, pizza and Oreos.

I came up with 5 clues that would lead us to the next location and gave them to my husband to read. After hiding the activity in the different locations we were ready to start.

Clue #1

Go to the smallest bed in the house.

This led us to my 2 year olds room. In there, we found the fruit kabobs and some Christmas coloring pages.

Clue #2

Go to where mom and dad keep their shampoo.

We found ourselves in the master shower. All four of us stood in the shower eating deviled eggs and playing a game of Go Fish.

Clue #3

Go to where you can spend the night but also blast off into space.

We arrived at my son's spaceship tent in the playroom. We found bread sticks and ornament kits for us to make.

Clue #4

Go to where Dorothy lives (our fish).

When we arrived in my son's room we found a pizza and my son's Christmas tree homework. We decorated a paper Christmas tree with buttons, feathers and gems.

Clue #5

Go to the warmest place in the house.

In front of the fireplace we found a package of Oreos and the game, Sorry.

It took us about an hour and a half to finish our dinner. We had so much fun laughing, eating and enjoying each others company. There were no phones, TVs or computers interrupting our family time. I have to say it was one of our best dinners yet. The boys asked if we could do it again soon. Might be something we have to start doing around every holiday.

Winter Mantel

2012-01-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

I have been collecting snowmen for years. Usually I set them out after Thanksgiving and take them down with the Christmas decorations. This year I decided to keep some of them out longer and decorate my mantel. I have enjoyed seeing my collection stay out longer then a month.

I found these mice after Christmas on clearance. Usually I find mice creepy but I guess when you put hats and scarves on them they look a lot more friendly.

I got this winter subway art from another blogger last year. Sorry I can't remember which one but I think it is super cute.

I also got these ice skating birds on clearance after Christmas. I think they represent winter perfectly.

I really enjoy decorating my mantel. I'm already planning my Valentine's mantel and am just waiting for my husband to give me the go ahead to put it up. He doesn't like me decorating for a holiday too far in advance. He really helps keep me grounded because I would have decorations up months in advance. :)

Yo Gabba Gabba Banner

2012-01-11T08:42:00.000-08:00

My youngest son is turning 3 in March. After much discussion he has chosen a Yo Gabba Gabba theme. I admit I am not a fan of character parties and tried to talk him out of it but he kept insisting. Since it is his party I gave in and will do what he wants. Now that I am working on the party I am having a lot of fun with it.

I started by making this banner of the characters. I got some of the ideas on-line and changed them up to make them my own.

Closer to the party I will attach them to some ribbon and make them into a banner. I made three sets for various places in my house.

Stay tuned in the next couple months for more Yo Gabba Gabba party ideas.

Linking up to Get Your Craft On! and Not Just a Housewife!

Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles

2012-01-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

It is time for this month's Crazy Cooking Challenge. The theme for this month is Chicken Noodle Soup. I have never liked chicken noodle soup but figured I would give it a try and see if I liked homemade better then the canned version. I am glad I did because no only was it fun to make, it was very good. I found my recipe on Mama Loves Food! I love how you can make the noodles in strips or use small cookie cutters to make it with fun shapes.

Chicken Soup Ingredients:
- 10 to 12 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups rough chopped celery
- 2 cups rough chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 1/2 cups corn (canned is fine)
- 4 large pinches dried parsley flakes
- shredded meat from one roasted chicken
- egg noodles (scroll down for recipe)
- salt & pepper to taste

Chicken Soup Directions:
- Combine ingredients, except chicken and noodles, in a large stock pot.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 2 -3 hours, until carrots are tender.
- Bring back to a boil and add chicken and egg noodles (recipe below). Cook for an additional 5 - 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat and serve!

Egg Noodle Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 eggshell of milk
- dash of salt

Egg Noodle Directions:
- Put flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center.
- Add eggs, milk and salt to well and whisk together until dough forms.
- Roll dough out onto a floured surface, very thin and cut into shapes or noodles.
- Drop into soup, cook & enjoy!

The recipe made a lot of soup. Our family of four was able to eat it for 3 meals and still had some left. We all really enjoyed it and we will definitely make it again.

Family Fun Night- Gingerbread

2011-12-23T14:21:00.000-08:00

We have started doing family fun night in our house. We try to do something together as a family whether it is just dinner out or something a little more involved. Last week we did a gingerbread theme. We started by making gingerbread man cookies.

The boys helped cut out all the men and put them on the cookie sheet.

While they were baking we read "The Gingerbread Man".

Once they were done we decorated the cookies with frosting, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips and M&M's.

My youngest son got a little carried away.

After the cookie decorating we made Gingerbread play dough. It smells just like gingerbread cookies but doesn't taste very good. We used cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes. This kept the boys busy for quite awhile.

Some how they ended up on the table. Since it was family fun night I decided to let it go and let them have fun.

The last thing we did was decorate gingerbread houses.

Each boy took their time and made their house very special.

We all really enjoyed our night together and all look forward to our next family fun night together.

Santa's Belly Pot

2011-12-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

While trying to come up with a gift for my sons teacher this year I came up with this Santa Belly Pot. It was something that would be inexpensive and easy for my son to do. We started with a clay flower pot and some paint. My son painted the whole thing red. After it dried, he (with my help) painted the "belt" black. We then used a hot glue gun to stick on the "belt buckle".

I had made some homemade candy the day before so we wrapped it up and stuck it inside along with an ornament my son made.

I love how easy the gift was and that my son was able to do most of the work himself. Homemade gifts are always my favorite.

My Christmas Mantle

2011-12-21T09:30:00.000-08:00

You may remember the post from a couple weeks ago where we installed our new mantle. It is definitely a great focal point in our house. So much so that I am having a hard time decorating it. After looking at it for a couple weeks this is what I have come up with. I am not 100% satisfied with it but it will work for now. Hopefully over the next year I will be able to come up with something that I really love. I added our new sparkly stocking holders, 2 small nutcrackers and two glittery trees to the ends. I filled two glass apothecary jars filled with ornaments and my ornament frame to the center.

Reindeer Food

2011-12-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

One of my boys favorite Christmas traditions is making reindeer food. On Christmas Eve we sprinkle it all over the yard. The glitter is supposed to reflect off the moon to help the reindeer find our house. While Santa is delivering the gifts the reindeer have a tasty treat to enjoy.

You will need:

oatmeal

glitter

bowls

Put some oatmeal in a bowl and add the glitter. We mixed it together and then poured it in a little tin pail.

It is all ready to go for Christmas Eve.

A Reason to Stockpile

2011-12-08T12:58:00.000-08:00

Over the years I have been asked numerous times why I stockpile. I always say the same reason, to help my family save money. Well yesterday a new reason came about. One of my best friends has a co-worker who is having a rough time this year. She does not have the money to give her kids a Christmas meal let alone a special Christmas. Because of this, the father was threatening to take them from her so the kids wouldn't do without. When I got the email from my friend to help her co-worker, I jumped right on it. Not only would I be able to help out but I would also be able to teach my kids a valuable lesson in giving.

We started in by going through our toy stockpile. This is where I keep toys on hand to use as gifts for birthday parties. Next we hit up the craft room and filled a bag with crayons, pencils, construction paper and much more. We also gave a bag of food and toiletries. The kids got so excited that they wanted to start giving away their own toys. I loved seeing how willing they were to help out other kids in need.

While I don't know this family and will probably never meet them, it is nice knowing that I was able to help them out a little. Everyone deserves to have a special Christmas.

Cookie Dough Fudge

2011-12-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

It is time again for the Crazy Cooking Challenge over at Moms Crazy Cooking. This month's theme is FUDGE!! I have tried to make fudge in the past and was not successful. It would never set up and was kind of runny. I was very happy when this recipe turned out perfectly and tastes amazing. I have to pace myself so I don't eat it all in one sitting.

I chose Cookie Dough Fudge from Cookies & Cups.

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
4 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 t. salt
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 (15 oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Combine first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl and cream together. Add flour and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Form your cookie dough into marble sized balls.

Place on a waxed paper lined baking sheet.

Freeze for at least 15 minutes. The longer the better, so it doesn’t melt when you add it to the fudge.

Butter the bottom and sides of an 8×8 pan.

In a medium saucepan over low heat melt the sweetened condensed milk and chips together.

Stirring continuously.

When chocolate is melted remove from heat.

Remove your cookie dough from the freezer and carefully fold into your fudge.

Spread immediately in the pan.

Chill for at least an hour.

Cut into squares and serve.

Enjoy!

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

2011-12-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been struggling with meals. It seems if I spend a lot of time in the kitchen making a more involved meal my boys will complain and not eat. After a couple months of this, I have come to the conclusion that I need to stick with quick, simple, easy to eat meals. My boys tend to eat them better and are much more excited about meal times. One meal I make often is homemade pizza. It is easy and well received. When I came across this pizza puffs recipe here, I knew this would be a big hit. It is so good I need to start making a double batch so we have some leftover.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

pinch of salt

pinch of red pepper flakes-optional

3/4 cup whole milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup cubed pepperoni

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes. Whisk in milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan, and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 - 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

Ornament Frame

2011-12-05T09:53:00.000-08:00

After Christmas last year I bought a bunch of ornaments on clearance. I have had a lot of fun this Christmas coming up with fun ways to incorporate the ornaments in my decorating. I saw an idea similar to this on Pinterest. I didn't pin it so not sure where the idea came from...sorry.

I started out with an old picture frame I found at a yard sale over the summer. I primed and then spray painted it a flat black. The ornaments I planned to use were shiny so I used flat paint so they wouldn't compete.

I used the painted frame, 4 ornaments, white ribbon and an "A" I found in the Dollar Spot at Target.

I dismantled the back of the frame and took out all the screws and moved them to the top. If I had a staple gun (which is on my Christmas list) I would have stapled things on instead of using the screws.

I cut the ribbon and played around with different lengths until I had it the way I wanted.

I stuck the ribbon under the screws and then tightened them down, then cut off the extra ribbon.

It is now sitting on my mantle until I find where I want to hang it.

This was an simple project that cost less then $2 to make.

Linked up to Ginger Snap Crafts!

Save Mart cheap hot dogs

2011-12-03T18:26:00.000-08:00

While shopping at Save Mart keep a look out for these cheap hot dogs. Bar S hot dogs on sale 4/$5 with a $1 quick sale sticker on them. I got them for .25 each and stuck them in the freezer for later. The best buy date was still a week away so these made for a very thrifty deal.

New Mantle

2011-11-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

We recently bought a new house and the one thing that I really wanted to change was the fireplace. It looked extremely plain and needed a mantle. After searching around we found a mantle we thought would look great. It arrived on Saturday and we quickly installed it. I just love it and can't wait to decorate it for Christmas.

Before the Mantle

With the new Mantle

Mickey Mouse's Birthday

2011-11-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

Today is Mickey Mouse's Birthday. We had a playdate at a friends house complete with Mickey ears, grilled cheese and sugar cookies.

To make the ears, take a headband, cut out black felt the width of the headband and hot glue it on. Then trace around a glass onto black foam and cut out the circles. Glue the circles onto the headband using hot glue. There you have it, a quick and easy set of Mickey Mouse ears.

To make the Mickey grilled cheese just use a cookie cutter and cut out the mickey shape. Spread butter on one side and put on a griddle to toast. Add cheese and let partially melt. The cheese wasn't fully melted when the bottom was toasted so we put it in the microwave for a few seconds.

Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse!

Crafting with your kids: We are thankful for...

2011-11-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

My oldest son has been on fall break for the past two weeks. To say he is driving me insane is an understatement. He is constantly board and begging for things to do. In an effort to keep him busy I have been trying to do one craft a day with him. Today we made a thankful tree.

My son used a punch to cut a bunch of tiny leaves out of yellow, orange and red construction paper. I used brown paper and cut out a tree shape. We then used some cloth leaves I had on hand and my son glued them onto the tree. On each leaf we wrote something we are thankful for such as family friends, Jesus and our pets.

This was a fun and easy craft. It also gave us a chance to think about the many things that we are thankful for on a daily basis.

Menu Plan- November 13th - 19th

2011-11-13T09:09:00.000-08:00

We have a lot of food in our pantry and fridge so I decided to make up our menu plan based on things we already had. I just had a few items to pick up to complete the meals and was able to spend the rest of our grocery money on stock up sale items.

I found a recipe on Pinterest that I can't wait to try so I added it to my menu plan. Aside from that it is all things we have had in the past and one recipe we didn't get to last week.

Dinners:
Creamy Chicken Piccata, salad
homemade calzone
tacos
chicken and artichoke
chicken meal from Raleys (free with a coupon)
breakfast- ham, eggs, hash browns
left overs

Leaf Turkey

2011-11-10T15:04:00.000-08:00

My boys and I went for a walk today and collected some leaves that had fallen from the trees. We saw a craft somewhere (not sure where) that was similar and wanted to make one of our own. We live in a newer neighborhood with small trees so the leaves aren't as nice as I had hoped but they worked just fine.

You will need construction paper (white, brown, orange and red), googly eyes, yellow pipe cleaner, leaves, scissors, glue and two circles to trace around.

Start by tracing around the circles and cut them out. One will be the body and one the head.

On the small circle glue on the googly eyes, a beak and a waddle. My son glued his a little lower then it was supposed to be.

Glue the leaves to the white construction paper.

Glue on the big body circle.

Attach the small head circle then use the yellow pipe cleaners to make feet.

My boys really enjoyed this project. My 5 year old did most of it himself and the two year old helped with all the gluing.

Carmelized Garlic Cheese Ball

2011-11-10T09:08:00.000-08:00

At our recent Halloween Party I made this carmalized garlic cheese ball. It is a great make ahead appetizer and can be altered for any holiday. I served it with chips but it is also great with little slices of bread and veggies.

Caramelized Garlic Cheese Ball

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp sugar
1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sliced green onion (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely crushed cheese flavored crackers

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in skillet, add garlic and sugar.

Cook over medium high heat stirring constantly until garlic starts to brown (3-5 minutes).

Combine garlic and all ingredients except cheese flavored crackers.

Beat on medium until creamy.

Shape into ball shape with hands.

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hours.

Place crushed crackers in a bowl, roll cheese ball in crackers pressing firmly to coat.

Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Serve with crackers and veggies.

Linking up to life as mom!

Crafting with your kids: All about me

2011-11-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

One of my friends is hosting a play date called All about me. We are unable to attend so I decided to do the project at home with my kids. I wanted to make it simple and use things we already have so I used long sheets of drawing paper that I taped together. This made it wide enough for my kids to lay on. I had them lay on the paper and then drew around it. Both moved a lot because "It tickled".

Once their outline was traced they used crayons to draw faces and clothes.

I weighed and measured them and wrote it on the paper.

My craft room was really cold so I couldn't get a good picture of my son without a funny face.

Target Halloween Clearance

2011-11-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

I stopped by Target last night to pick up a few things and saw the Halloween stuff was 90%. My boys have been playing dress up a lot lately so I picked up a bunch of costumes to add to their stash. I also grabbed a few other things like marshmallows, treat bags and Pez.

Menu Plan- November 6th - 12th

2011-11-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

I have been slacking on grocery shopping and cooking. So much so that my husband asked me to please go shopping and make a meal plan. Everytime I come up with something to cook we are missing 1-2 items, which leads to us eating out. I decided to make things easy on myself this week and use my slow cooker for the majority of our meals. My hope is that the meals will allow enough leftovers for him to take to lunch the following day. He is getting really tired of peanut butter sandwiches.

Dinners:
Butternut Squash Soup & Rolls (from freezer)
Orange Chicken, Rice & Broccoli
Chili & Corn Bread
Chicken & Artichoke, Salad
Lasagna, Salad
Chicken & Dressing, Veggie
Eat Out

Now if I can just stick to my plan it will be a tasty week.

Crafting with you kids: Cloud Dough

2011-11-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

It is snowing today which means we will likely be staying indoors. In an effort to keep my boys busy we made cloud dough. I have seen it made before using flour and baby oil (which I don't have) but found where canola oil can be substituted so we went with that.

I used 8 cups of flour and one cup of canola oil.

We mixed it all together. My hands feel really soft now which is a plus.

The boys have used baking cups, cars and now have a whole Hot Wheels track set up in the cloud dough. This is messy but a lot of fun.

Halloween Breakfast

2011-10-31T10:30:00.000-07:00

I always try to make my boys a fun breakfast on holidays and special days. Today we had chocolate chip pancakes cut into shapes. The cat had black sprinkles, pumpkin had orange and the ghost had some powdered sugar. They also had a ghost banana on a stick with chocolate chip eyes and milk.

Halloween Party 2011

2011-10-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

We hosted a Halloween/Housewarming party at our house. I knew it was going to be a busy week leading up to the party with all the Halloween activities so decided to keep it as simple as possible. I supplied the main dishes and had my guests bring a side or dessert. We had BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, homemade mac n cheese and pumpkin shaped pizzas. I also had a cheese ball with crackers, cupcakes for the kids to decorate and plenty to drink. We set up our bounce house in the garage and offered a craft to help keep the kids busy. It was a ton of fun. My son has already started planning for next year.

Here are some pictures of the house decorated. Sorry there are a lot.

Happy Halloween!!

Crafting with your kids: Yarn Spider Web

2011-10-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

My friend Sarah called me and told me about a fun project she did with her son. I knew we would have to do that right away. My boys loved making this yarn spider web. In fact, they are still playing in it two hours later.

All you need is chairs and yarn. We set up 8 chairs in a circle. I tied the end of the yard to one chair and we had a great time throwing the yarn ball back and forth. We went in and out , around and around the chairs until we ran out of yarn.

Thanks Sarah for this fun and thrifty idea.

Muffin Exchange

2011-10-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

My friend Janessa and I have decided to start doing a freezer cooking swap every couple weeks. Basically we will pick a theme, each make different recipes and then swap them. The first theme we chose was muffins. We each made 5 different types and then shared. I now have 10 muffins to choose from in the freezer.

Left going clockwise: Fresh Lemon, Pumpkin Apple Steusel, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip, Chocolate-Chocolate Chip and Best Applie Pie Muffins Ever.

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups peeled cored and chopped apples
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Lightly grease 18 muffin cups or use paper liners.
In a large bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin and oil.
Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stirring just to moisten.

6. Fold in apples.

7. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

8. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

9. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

10. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffin batter.

11. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Fresh Lemon Muffins

1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cupmargarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating well.
Add eggs; stir in lemon rind and juice.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture.
Spoon batter into greased muffin pans (or an ungreased non-stick pan you trust), filling 2/3 full.
Combine 2 Tbsp sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over batter.
Bake at 375F for 15 minutes.
Remove from pans immediately to cool.

The Best Apple Pie Muffins Ever

Topping:

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Muffins:

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups diced peeled firm tart apples (such as Spy, Granny Smith)

Directions:

cinnamon could be added to the batter ( about 1 teaspoon or less).
Topping: In a small bowl toss together sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon until crumbly; set aside.
Muffins: In a large bowl whisk together brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla until smooth.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, soda and salt.
Stir oil mixture into flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.
Fold in apples, mixing just until combined.
Spoon into greased muffin cups filling 3/4 full.
Sprinkle topping over evenly.
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and tops spring back.

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

7 9/10 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate minichips, divided
Cooking spray

Directions:
         1. Preheat oven to 400°.
         2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine 1 cup water and next 4 ingredients (through egg) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in 1/4 cup minichips. Add oil mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
        3. Place 12 muffin-cup liners in muffin cups, and coat liners with cooking spray. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup minichips evenly over batter. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (yes, 1 1/4 cups)
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (Regular or mini, I like mini best)

Directions:

In large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and oil until smooth.
Mix dry ingredients together and mix into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake at 400 F for 16-20 minutes.

Linked up to What's on your Plate!

Pumpkin & Spiders

2011-10-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it is one week until Halloween? I feel so far behind. My sons costumes aren't even finished. I am usually on top of things but this year, not so much. While trying to think of easy and inexpensive ways to decorate my house for Halloween I came up with this idea. I just used a glass display (I think it is for a cupcake), Spanish moss, a small white pumpkin and plastic spider rings. It was quick to make and turned out pretty cute. I plan to share a few more decorations I came up with later this week so check back.

Monster Tooth Pillow

2011-10-18T14:58:00.000-07:00

My son lost his first tooth today. While he is really excited for the tooth fairy to visit I was a little stressed because I hadn't made his tooth pillow yet. Luckily I was prepared with an idea I found here. I didn't have any material so I just used felt and hand sewed it together. Now my son is ready for his special visitor tonight.

Linked up to Wow Me Wednesday!

Menu Plan October 16th - 22nd

2011-10-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

I'm Back!! Sorry I have been missing for a few weeks. We moved to a new house so there was a couple weeks of packing and a couple weeks of unpacking which took priority over everything else. This morning was actually the first time I shopped for groceries in 4 weeks and I haven't clipped or organized coupons in a month. Getting caught up on my coupon binder is at the top of my to do list this week. I planned my meals this week so I hope we are able to stick with the plan and get things back on track.

Dinners:

Had a late lunch so ate cereal for dinner

Butternut Squash Soup and Homemade Bread

Homemade Pizza

White Girl Enchiladas

Whole Chicken, butternut squash and bread

Chicken Tetrazzini

Eat Out

I also plan to make homemade applesauce and 5 types of muffins to put in the freezer.

Monster Oreo Pops featured

2011-09-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

My Monster Oreo Pops were featured today at Chickabug blog!. Pop on over and check out the other fun Oreo pop ideas.

House Party- Johnsonville Pizza Possibilities

2011-09-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to have won another House Party. I came home to find the box sitting on the front porch and we ran right in to open it.

This fun party pack included:

3 coupons for free packages of Johnsonville Italian Sausage

1 coupon for Sargento Cheese

1 pizza cutter

1 spoon for spreading pizza sauce

1 apron

1 oven mitt

15 coupons for $1 off Johnsonville Italian Sausage

5 recipe booklets

16 paper plates

16 napkins

Freebie Friday

2011-09-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

Wow it has been a crazy week. Between my sons weird school schedule due to conferences and other things I haven't had time to think let alone blog. Lucky for me, the freebies continued to arrive.

I won the free candy bar by playing the Twix game found here.

The Oscar Meyer free hot dogs coupon was a Facebook offer.

I received the milk coupon from a promotion and Walmart sent me the Nivea sample and coupons.

Have a great weekend and I will do my best to post my weekly menu plan on Sunday.

Bacon, Ranch and Chicken Mac N Cheese

2011-09-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

When Tina from MOMS CRAZY COOKING contacted me about participating in her Crazy Cooking Challenge I knew this was something I was interested in. Not only did it require finding a new recipe in blogland that I haven't tried but it also involved making Mac N Cheese. I am fully on board with anything that requires cheese.

I looked at several blogs until I finally came upon this Bacon, Ranch and Chicken Mac N Cheese recipe on Cooking Claire. Not only did the ingredients sound yummy but the picture had me drooling. I am so glad I tried this recipe. It is now a favorite in our house.

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni

1 slice applewood-smoked bacon
8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/3 cup condensed 45% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded six-cheese Italian blend (such as Sargento)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded colby-Jack cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Finely chop bacon; set aside.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to drippings in pan; sauté 6 minutes or until done.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°.

Add Italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken.

Preheat broiler.
Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and colby-Jack cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Enjoy!

Freebie Friday

2011-09-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

I received a few fun freebies in the mail this week.

I received a bar and coupon from Kashi, a free can of Purina Pro Plan cat food and a packet of pectin from Ball.

Target sent me two diapers and a coupon and you can get a free sample of Splenda from here.

If you don't already, I recommend you sign up for the freebies. Might not seem like a lot but it adds up. Have a great weekend.

How to freeze peaches

2011-08-30T07:07:00.000-07:00

Our local supermarket recently had peaches on sale for super cheap. It was the lowest price I have seen in a very long time. I bought 16 pounds with the intention of freezing them to use over the winter. They were really firm when I brought them home so I put them in paper bags for a few days so they could soften up. Once they were ready I washed them them and started a pot of water boiling.

I boiled the peaches in water for 30 seconds

Then moved them to an ice bath. This helps to remove the skins. If you don't find that the skin slides right off repeat the boiling/ice bath process.

I took all the skins off. Some came off a little easier then others.

Cut all the peaches up into slices and remove the pit. For each quart of peaches, combine 1/4 tsp ascorbic acid (to prevent browning) with 1/4 cup water. Sprinkle over the peaches.

Add 2/3 cup sugar per quart of peaches and mix gently.

Place the peaches in freezer bags labeled with the date. I use a straw to suck out the extra air. They are now ready for the freezer.

When ready to use, thaw and they will be ready for pies, cobblers, or smoothies.

Disneyland Map Redo

2011-08-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

Last December we took our first family vacation to Disneyland. I had been there a couple times but my husband never had. My boys loved every minute of it and were sad when we had to leave. Being that my 5 year old really likes maps we picked one up for him on our way out. It has been put up and moved several times so the edges were starting to look tore up. I know we won't be going back for some time so want to make sure we keep it in the best shape possible. After thinking of some ways to preserve the map I came up with a plan that I thought would look really cool. I plan to do several map projects in his room with this being the first.

I started by taking the measurements of the map and then removing it from the wall.

My plan was to have it look like the map had a border around it so I got 4 canvas' that are bigger then the actual map. I painted them gloss black. I started with acrylic paint but didn't like the way it looked so painted a couple coats of spray paint over the top.

Next I cut around the edge of the map to take off the extra white boarder that was tore up. I then cut it into 4 sections.

After laying the 4 canvas' out on a table and figuring out the placement of each map section I used Mod Podge to stick them to the canvas. I ran my hands over it to get the air bubbles out and make sure it was as smooth as possible.

Once the Modge Podge was dry I let my son paint a top coat of Mod Podge to protect the map. He loved being able to help on a project for his room.

I have not been able to hang it in his room yet so I took a picture laid out on our carpet. I love the way it turned out. Now my son can look at it and point out the rides without getting it dirty or ripping it. He loves that he will now have his own piece of "art" to hang in his room.

Linked up to A Diamond in the Stuff , Today's Creative Blog, Ginger Snap Crafts and Not Just a Housewife!

Freebie Friday

2011-08-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

I received a few fun freebies in the mail this week.

The Honey Nut Cheerio sample was eaten before I got a picture but you can find the offer here.

The salad coupons and clip are from Vocalpoint and the Tampax is from an offer that is no longer available. Sorry I can't remember where I signed up for the tabs at.

Hope you have a great weekend and open your mailbox to find a fun freebie.

Thrifty Thursday

2011-08-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a huge community garage sale with over 200 yard sales. It was a lot of fun but super crazy with the swarms of people. Parking was difficult. We had to park and walk around to several yard sales in fear we might not find another parking spot.

I took my 5 year old with me as he is always begging to go. He took his little baggie of money and was so excited to be there with me. I was so proud how he would go up and ask the price and then give them the money. His favorite purchase was the cat scratching thing that he paid $.50 for. He ran straight in the house when we got home to show it to his cat, Cheeto.

As you can tell by the items purchase, my son bought far more then I did. He actually got all the sand toys, the little pirate hat and a couple other things for free. He is really into Halloween and skulls so he is always on the lookout for them.

Total we spent about $14. We only hit 15 yard sales before getting tired and heading home but it was a fun morning and I really enjoyed spending it with my son.

When a meal doesn't turn out as planned

2011-08-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Last week I purchased a couple of cookbooks. I have been reading them and marking all the recipes I thought would be a hit with my family. One recipe stuck out to me and sounded really good. I was so excited the make it that I had it the next day.

All day I smelled the yummy dinner cooking away in the slow cooker. When it was time for dinner I couldn't dish it up fast enough. One of the down falls of a slow cooker is the torture of smelling it all day while it cooks. :)

We all sat down to eat, prayed and took a bite. Instantly we all looked up from our food. I stood up and said "Get your shoes on, we're going out to dinner."

Just because something sounds good, has all the ingredients in the dish that you love and smells great....does not mean it tastes great.

Hope you are having a great Tuesday and have a successful dinner.

Initial Collage Painting

2011-08-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I saw this project on a linky party. I wish I would have made note of the blog I saw it on. If it is yours please let me know. Anyway, I liked it instantly. I have always enjoyed making collages so this was a fun project.

I started out by getting a canvas. I cut out several colorful pictures from magazines. Sadly the only magazine in our house was ESPN so a lot of them are sports related but I still love all the colors.

Next I laid them on the canvas to figure out how I wanted them to go. I then took them off, painted the canvas with Mod Podge and placed them back on. I smoothed them out as much as I could and got the air bubbles out. I then let it dry over night.

The canvas I chose just happened to be the same size as the scrapbook paper I had so I used my Cricut and cut out a letter A with the fit to page option. This allows the Cricut to cut out the biggest letter that will fit on the page.

I then placed the letter on the canvas where I wanted it to go. Some how when I started painting it I moved it down so it isn't as centered as I would like but it still looks great.

I painted three coats of paint. The first is a vanilla color. Then I used a dark blue mixed with the vanilla to make a light blue. I then used the dark blue mixed with a bit of water to make it streaky. I love how the color turned out and you can see the different layers of color.

I love having lots of brightly colored art in my house and this piece definitely fits the bill. I love how easy it was to make and how you can see different parts of the collage showing throw.

Linked up to Today's Creative Blog!

Menu Plan- August 21st - 27th

2011-08-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

Last week I bought The Everything Slow Cooker Cookbook. I love to use my slow cooker so I was excited to have a book full of new recipes to try. The majority of our menu plan this week is coming from my new cookbook with a few quick meals thrown in.

Breakfasts:
oatmeal/cereal
bagels with cream cheese and bananas
french toast
pancakes
eggs and toast

Lunches:
left overs
lunch out
bagel pizzas
sandwiches with chips and fruit

Dinners:
salisbury steak casserole
bacon, ranch and chicken mac n cheese
swiss steak, carrots and mashed potatoes
southwestern cheese soup, salad and corn chips
blt sandwiches, fruit and chips
corn tortilla casserole and salad
dinner out for a friends birthday

Freebie Friday

2011-08-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a week since I posted. We have had a crazy week and the blog came in last place. I am back and hopefully energized.

This past week I received a sample of Downy Unstoppable. I signed up for this on Facebook.

I also received a sample of Mott's for Tots apple juice. As soon as this arrived it was quickly claimed by a two year old. I had to fight him just to take a quick picture. Vocalpoint sent me this freebie along with some coupons. If you haven't signed up for Vocalpoint yet I suggest you do, they send a lot of great freebies.

Thrifty Thursday

2011-08-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

My boys and I stopped by a couple yard sales last week. I don't usually take the boys with me so they were very excited to pick out a couple things. My youngest picked out the hats and my oldest picked out the mask and plane. I was happy to find a big cutting board for $1 and a serving tray to use for a project like I did here. I spent $2.95 for everything shown. Not a great week but the boys enjoyed it.

Apple Pie Muffins

2011-08-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

My family loves to eat muffins for breakfast. They are quick and easy to make ahead so we aren't rushing around trying to find something to eat. One of our favorites is Apple Pie Muffins. It has a crunchy top and lots of apple pieces.

Ingredients:

Topping:

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp cinnamon

Muffins:

1 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 peeled diced apples

In a small bowl mix together brown sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon for topping until crumbly; set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla until smooth.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

Stir oil mixture into flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.

Fold in apples mixing until combined.

Spoon into greased muffin cups filling 3/4 full. I make regular and mini sized muffins for the boys.

Sprinkle topping over evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Wait for them to cool a bit before removing from the pan as they are hard to get out when warm.

Enjoy!!

Linked up to Tasty Tuesday!

Freebie Friday

2011-08-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

I received a couple fun freebies in the mail this week. My boys were excited to open the Colgate toothpaste sample because it has Sponge Bob Square Pants on it. It will be perfect for our trip to Disneyland.

I also received a$2 off Tide coupon and a Free Herbal Essence coupon that I signed up for on Facebook.

It is always so much more fun opening the mailbox when there are freebies inside and not just bills.

Thrifty Thursday

2011-08-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

I didn't make it to a thrift store this week but I was able to go to a few yard sales. I will be so sad when yard sale season is over. It is something a look forward to every Saturday.

My favorite find of the week was the men's dress pants for $2 a pair. They are name brand and still had the dry cleaning tags on them. They fit perfectly on my husband. My boys loved the Snoopy snow cone machine that I got for 50 cents. I also found a scrabble game (which I plan to make necklaces with), a bag of glitter and a paper cutter all for $1 each.

Only two more days until I can go to more yard sales.

Crafting with your Kids: Watermelon Plates

2011-08-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

Happy National Watermelon Day!

In honor of Watermelon Day my boys and I made a watermelon craft. It was very easy and we had all the supplies on hand.

You will need:

black & red construction paper

paper plate

scissors

glue

green crayon

something small to trace around- I used a small glass bowl

Start by coloring the edge of the paper plate with the green crayon. This will be the rind.

While the kids are coloring, trace around the glass bowl. The circle should fit in the center of the paper plate.

Cut out the circle. This is a great project if your kids are learning to cut.

Put glue on the back of the red circle and stick to the center of the paper plate.

Cut out small black "seeds" and glue to the red paper.

After the glue was dry my boys used these as play food in their kitchen.

Watermelon Frosty

2011-08-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

I recently froze a bunch of watermelon to have on hand to add to smoothies. My boys were wanting something to drink today so I threw together this quick and easy watermelon frosty. You can find my post of how to freeze watermelon here.

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen watermelon

1 banana

2 Tbsp sugar

juice from one lemon

1/2 -1 cup water (depending how thick you like it)

Place all the ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Add more water if it is too thick. Enjoy!!

Linked up to Tasty Tuesday, What's on your Plate and This Week's Cravings!

How to freeze watermelon

2011-08-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is National Watermelon Day. To celebrate I will be sharing a Watermelon Frosty recipe and instructions on how to freeze watermelon. Tomorrow I will share a watermelon craft that my kids made.

Take a watermelon and cut it in half.

Cut each half into 8 sections. This makes it easier to cut so you don't get the rind.

Once the melon is cut away from the rind, cut it into "sticks" and then into chunks. Put them on a cookie sheet and freeze. This keeps them from sticking together in the baggie.

Once the watermelon chunks are frozen, place them in a big freezer bag labeled with the date. Place a straw in the end and seal up the bag around it. Suck the air out of the bag through the straw then pull the straw out and seal the rest of the bag. This allows you to get as much air out as possible.

Now you have frozen watermelon chunks that are ready to be added to smoothies, frosties or eaten as is.

Now is a great time to freeze watermelon. They are at the lowest price of the season and taste sweet and yummy.

Buffet Redo

2011-08-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

While looking through some pictures I came across this one of our buffet before we refinished it. It brought back a lot of memories. Before my husband and I were married (8 years ago) we found this piece in an old antique shop in Texas. We instantly fell in love with it. The top drawer has a green velvety lining and it has a very distinctive smell. It had brown paint on it that was peeling off and really ugly wood handles. We took this piece home for $75 with big plans to refinish it over Christmas weekend.

After removing the old paint and handles, sanding, staining and adding new handles, we ended up with this gorgeous piece. After 8 years it is still my favorite piece of furniture that we own. Now if I can just get my boys to stop storing their Play Doh in there life would be great.

Linked up to Today's Creative Blog and A Diamond in the Stuff!

Menu Plan - July 31st - August 6th

2011-07-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

I cooked two whole chickens yesterday so I spent time today de-boning them and making stock. I love how my house smells while the stock is cooking. Since I have meat from two chickens we will be eating a few meals with the leftover meat. It should save me quite a bit of time since the meat is already cooked and cut up.

Breakfasts:
pancakes & bacon
minced ham & eggs
cereal/oatmeal X 2
breakfast burritos
baked oatmeal
french toast & bacon

Lunches:
eat out X 2
Leftovers X 4
sandwiches, chips & fruit

Dinners:
chicken tacos
tater tot surprise
grilled tomato basil pizza
chicken pot pie
won tons, rice & veggies
pumpkin pancakes & bacon
ribs & grape salad

CVS Trip July 31st

2011-07-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

CVS:

Total Spent $2.22

Total Saved $14.39

The magic coupon machine gave me a $2 off coupon for CVS chips so I grabbed some while I was there. I planned on getting a Bic Soleil razor as well but they were out of stock. I have a bunch of women's razors in my stockpile so I didn't even bother getting a rain check.

1 Gillette ProGlide razor (Reg. $10.99, Sale $9.99 - $4 Q = $5.99, Earn $6 ECB)

2 Skinny Cow candy bars (Reg. $1.19, Sale $.99 - B1G1 Q = .99, Earn $.99 ECB)

CVS chips (Reg. $2.57 - $2 CVS coupon = .57)

I paid with a $6 ECB and $2.22 (including .67 tax) OOP. I earned a $5 & .99 ECB.

Freebie Friday- Crest, Pantene & Garnier Fructis

2011-07-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

I got a couple great freebies in the mail this week. Walmart sent me this great Crest package. It contained a sample size Crest Pro-Health toothpaste, mouth wash and floss along with some coupons. These will come in handy on our trip to Disneyland.

I also received a sample of Garnier Fructis and a coupon as well as a coupon for a free bottle of Pantene. The Pantene was a Facebook offer a few weeks back. I love getting free full sized items.

Did you get any fun freebies in the mail this week?

Thrifty Thursday- Target Toy Clearance

2011-07-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

Target:

Total Spent $47.12

Total Saved $123.97

One way I save money is to buy toys ahead and save them for when we are invited to birthday parties or for gifts for my own kids. When we get an invitation I let the kids "shop" in my stockpile for the gift for their friend. It makes it much easier to not have to rush out to the store to find a gift and we are able to give a better gift then we would normally had I paid full price.

One of my favorite places to purchase toys is at Target during their toy clearance sale. Twice a year in January and July Target will clearance out a lot of their toys to make room for up and coming toys. Today was the day they marked them down to 75%.

We are pretty well stocked up so I didn't pick up a whole lot but was excited to find a couple Hot Wheel tracks. My oldest is really into Hot Wheels so I will give him one for Christmas and save the other for our gift stockpile.

If you haven't yet, rush out to Target and see if you can find some clearanced toys. I really wanted to get Lego's but my store only has them at 30%. I am hoping to pick some up once they are marked down a bit more.

Crafting with your Kids: Pudding Painting

2011-07-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

The other day my boys were complaining that they were bored and hungry. After giving it some thought I decided to let them paint with pudding. I figured this would keep them busy for a bit and also provide them a snack.

I started by making some vanilla pudding as per the instructions. When it was ready I divided it into 4 bowls and added a few drops of food coloring. I then let them stir the pudding to mix in the color. I had hid the color under some pudding so they had no idea until they mixed it that it would change color. That was a big hit.

Once the colors were mixed I put a glop of pudding on their hands and let them finger paint on cardstock paper.

My little guy was the most adventurous with trying all the colors.

Until he realized he could eat it. After that he would add huge glops and just eat it.

Once the creations are done let them dry.

This was a lot of fun and definitely one we will do again in the future.

Linking up to Wow Me Wednesday!

Red Kidney Bean Salad

2011-07-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of summer is being able to get out all my salad recipes. It is so nice to have some on had to add to sandwiches, hot dogs and burgers. This is a simple no cook recipe that is best made the day before.

Ingredients:

3 (16 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

1 pinch sugar

salt & pepper

Mix mayonnaise, oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.

Add onions and stir well.

Add the celery, beans and relish. Mix.

Chill overnight.

I served mine with sausage and apples. It was also great the next day with my sandwich. It is a yummy, filling salad.

Enjoy!

Linked up to Tasty Tuesday and What's On Your Plate!

Summer Mantel

2011-07-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

I just realized I haven't shared my summer mantel. I left it pretty simple and used greens and blues.

I used the wire tree from the spring mantel as well as the cloche. I found some cute candlesticks at a yard sale for $1 and added green candles. I found the birds, turtles, mushroom, snail and picture at a local store called Real Deals.

The glass jar with rocks I got as a gift a couple years ago.

I just love the cute snail.

I am having so much fun decorating my mantel for different holidays and seasons. Do you change the decorations on your mantel for the holidays?

Linked to A Diamond in the Stuff!

Menu Plan - July 24th - 30th

2011-07-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

My oldest son starts kindergarten tomorrow. I am so excited for him. He picked out a backpack and has been wearing it around for a week. I try to do a special meal on big days like that so I am going to make him a fun lunch. The rest of the week we will be eating from our pantry. With having family in town I wasn't able to do a full grocery shop and just had enough time to pick up the basics.

Breakfasts:

sausage, apple and cheese fritata

pancakes

cereal/oatmeal X 2

eggs, toast & fruit

egg in the hole

muffins & fruit

Lunches:

eat out

sandwiches, chips and fruit

left overs X 5

Dinners:

Eat out

tater tot surprise

pork chops, carrots and mashed potatoes

meat loaf, green beans and au gratin potatoes

quesadillas & fruit

roasted chicken & veggies

enchiladas

CVS Trip July 24th

2011-07-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

CVS:

Total Spent $3.87

Total Saved $25.24

Transaction #1

3 Softsoap Foam (Reg. $3.49, Sale $2 - $1 Q = $1, Earn $3 ECB when you buy 3)

1 Renu contact solution (Reg $9.99, Sale $7.89 - $2Q - $5.89, Earn $6 ECB)

My total came to $9.96 ($1.07 being tax). I used a $7.99 ECB from a previous transaction and paid $1.97 OOP. I earned a $3 and $6 ECB.

Transaction #2

1 Papermate pens (Reg. $2.27, Sale $1.99, Earn $1.99 ECB)

1 Kotex U Tampons (Reg. $4.89, Sale $3.49 - $1 ECB = $2.49, Earn $2 ECB)

My total came to $4.48 ($.42 is tax). I paid using a $3 ECB from transaction 1 and 1.90 OOP. I earned a $1.99 and $2 ECB.

Save Mart Trip July 24th

2011-07-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

Save Mart:

Total Spent $26.99

Total Saved $27.85

I ran to the store this morning to pick up milk eggs and bananas and came across some great meat deals. If you notice...I forgot the milk. :(

Jif To Go Peanut Butter (Reg. $2.69- $2.29 Q = .40)

2 Nabisco Crackers (Reg. $2.49, Sale $1)

2 dozen Eggs (Reg. $1.79, Sale $1.50)

Bananas (Sale $1.61)

Cube Steak ($4.39, Clearance $2.95)

5 Fryers (Reg. between $5.18 & $4.89, Clearance between $3.18 & $2.89)

Sausage Links (Reg. $1.69)

2 Johnsonville Ground Sausage (Reg. $3.99, Sale $2.99 - $1 Save Mart Q - $1 Mfr Q = .99)

I also had a $1.50 off $15 purchase store coupon which brought my total down to $26.99.

Target Trip July 22nd

2011-07-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

Target:

Total Spent $3.49

Total Saved $22.00

I made a quick trip over to Target to look for a fan. While I didn't find the fan I was looking for I did find a great deal on a pair of jeans for my husband.

Levi's Jeans (Reg. $24.99, Clearance $6.24 - $3 Target Q = $3.24)

Scotch Tape (Sale $.50 - .50 Target Q = Free)

Freebie Friday

2011-07-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

I got some great freebies this week in the mail. I received a Glad Odor Shield with Febreeze garbage bag and 5 $.50 off coupons from Vocalpoint. The garbage bag smelled really good and cut down on garbage odors. I also received a full size box of Fiber One 80 cereal and 10 $1 coupons to share from Pssst. It is really tasty cereal. My boys have been choosing to eat it for snack.

Target sent me a coupon for a free 8 pack of Jif To Go Peanut Butter. I also received a sample from Fiber Choice along with a $2 coupon.

Thrifty Thursday

2011-07-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

My friend and I were able to get away for a couple hours last Saturday to hit some yard sales. I found a great yard sale with several Baby Gap items for $1/piece. They were the perfect size for my little guy. I also found some sweats for my big guy.

I got a big white sheet to make my little guys Halloween costume. He wants to be Zero from the movie "Nightmare Before Christmas.". I also found some red and white stripped material. I will use this to make some of the pirate hats for my oldest son's birthday party. He has requested a pirate theme.

I also got a candle stick, two reindeer decorations, several Cars cars, finger puppets, a Sesame Street felt book, two books and a big boat.

I won't be able to go to any yard sales this week due to having family in town but I hope to be able to stop by a thrift store or two.

Crafting with your Kids: Building a Boat

2011-07-20T06:14:00.000-07:00

We recently bought my little guy a play kitchen. What we had left was a big box perfect for building a boat.

After the boat was assembled the boys used water colors and painted the boat. They were so proud of their creation that the played in it continuously for several days. I just love free entertainment.

Next time we build a boat I will put the cardboard side facing out to make it easier to paint.

Target Trip July 19th

2011-07-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

Target:

Total Spent $59.51

Total Saved $202.54

I went to Target to pick up a birthday gift and some school supplies for my son. I was stoked when I found the summer section was marked down to 90%. Even more excited to find that some of the stuff could be used for my sons birthday party.

Ajax dish tabs (Reg. $3.49 - .75Q = $2.74)

2 Ortega taco seasonings (Reg. $.69 - $1/2Q = .19 each)

Ortega taco shells (Sale $1.50 - $1Q = .50)

dozen eggs (Reg. $1.19)

2 pillows (Reg. $2.50 - $2 Target Q = .50 each)

clear shower curtain (Reg. $2.34 - $1 Target Q = $1.34)

Ice Cream maker (Reg. $29.99, Clearance $2.99)

9 Salad Plates (Reg. $1.79, Clearance .17 each)

3 bowls (Reg. $1.79, Clearance .17 each)

4 tumblers (Reg. $1.99, Clearance .19 each)

32 water bottles (Reg. $1.99, Clearance .19 each)

Doll (Reg. $24.99, Clearance $12.48)

2 Hot Wheels Cars (Reg. $1.07 - $1 Target Q = .07)

Dive Sticks (Reg. $9.99, Clearance .99)

2 Soccer Balls (Reg. $6.99, Clearance .69 each)

Golf Caddy (Reg. $5.99, Clearance .59)

Ball Set (Reg $7.99, Clearance .79)

3 Spider Balls (Reg. $2.99, Clearance .29 each)

7 Tune Wands (Reg. $2.00, Clearance .20 each)

Foam Rocket (Reg. $2.00, Clearance .20)

3 decorations (Reg. $2.00, Clearance .20 each)

3 pr boys underwear (Reg. $6.59, Sale $5)

Boys socks (Reg. $6.49)

2 white glue (Reg. $.20)

2 pkgs glue sticks (Reg. $.40)

Copy Paper (Reg. $3.49)

How to freeze bell peppers

2011-07-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

I recently received these bell peppers in our CSA (community supported agriculture) basket. I didn't have the need for them in my weekly meal plan so I decided to freeze them to use at a later date.

Start by washing and drying the peppers.

Cut the peppers in half and take out the seeds and stems.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil the peppers for three minutes.

Place peppers in a bowl of ice water for three minutes to cool them quickly.

I am going to use them for fajitas so I cut them into slices. You can also leave them in halves. Place the peppers on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for a couple hours to flash freeze. Make sure they are laid out so they won't stick together.

After a couple hours take them out and put them in freezer bags. Suck out as much of the air as you can using a straw. Label the baggies with the date and place in freezer.

When you are ready to use them just pull out the amount you need and thaw.

Linking up to Tasty Tuesday and What's on your Plate!

Serving Tray Redo

2011-07-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

My mom purchased this serving tray at a yard sale recently for a dollar. While she liked the style of the tray, she didn't like the color and how scratched up it was. I offered to fix it up for her. I decided to repaint it and line it with scrapbook paper.

Once the piece was clean and dry I painted it with two coats of primer.

Before I painted a final coat I figured out the placement and measurements of the scrapbook paper.

I used my paper cutter to cut the paper to size.

I painted two coats of satin black spray paint. I didn't bother with the middle since it would be covered with paper.

The size of the tray is longer then standard scrapbook paper so I had to use two sheets. I painted on Mod Podge and laid the paper down.

I smoothed the paper out to make sure to get all the air bubbles out.

I let the piece dry for a couple hours then spread on a thick layer of Mod Podge over the top. It goes on white but will dry clear.

I think it looks great in my moms new kitchen. I just wish I had one for myself.

Linking up to A Diamond in the Stuff , Not Just a Housewife, Ginger Snap Crafts and Get Your Craft On!

Menu Plan - July 17th - 23rd

2011-07-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

This week lettuce was on sale 3 heads for 99 cents. That is one of the best prices I can find it so I decided to plan a lot of salad meals to help keep our grocery budget down for the week. We also have family coming in town at the end of the week. We tend to eat out a lot when we have visitors. Not sure if it is just easier or if it is because we are always out and about at meal times.

Breakfasts:
Monkey Bread and Cantaloupe
Eggs and Toast
Waffles and Fruit
Oatmeal/Cereal
Sausage Balls and Eggs
Muffins and Sausage Balls
Pancakes, Bacon and Bacon

Lunches:
Eat Out
Left over salad and fruit
Left over pizza
Tuna Sandwich and apples
Left over salad and grilled cheese sandwich
Left over Spaghetti

Dinners:
Cobb Salad
Pizza
Hash browns, Bacon and Eggs
BLT Salad
Baked Spaghetti, French Bread and Salad
Eat Out
Cook Out

Freebie Friday

2011-07-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

I didn't receive very many freebies in the mail this week but I was able to score some other freebies.

This Swiffer Duster is the one mail freebie. I have been using it for a week and really like it. So much easier then my old method of dusting. Even my boys enjoy dusting with it.

Border is running their summer reading program. Read 10 books get a free book. Fill out the form here with the books you have read and take it into the store to receive your free book. This is for kids 12 and under.

My husband is a coffee drinker. While I don't drink coffee I do try to get him coffee as cheap as possible. One of our favorite places to get coffee is Cost Plus World Market. They have a great program where you buy 6 bags of coffee then you get one free. What makes the deal even better is on Wednesdays each bag you purchase counts as two. So if you purchase coffee on Wednesdays, you only have to buy 3 bags before you earn your free one.

What fun freebies did you score this week?

Thrifty Thursday

2011-07-14T06:13:00.000-07:00

I didn't have a chance to stop by any thrift stores this week but I was able to hit a few garage sales. I found a couple pairs of pants and several shirts for my boys, two books, two pairs of candle sticks, two kids cook books, a cast iron skillet for cooking fajitas (brand new), a puzzle, picture frame, several Match Box tracks and two Pottery Barn pillow shams. I paid $25 for everything.

The lady that sold me the pillow cases also has the comforter that matches. She has it packed away so is trying to find it for me. Crossing my fingers that she finds it so I can have the whole set.

Did you find any thrifty finds this week?

Crafting with your Kids: Cherry Sorting

2011-07-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

My oldest boy is off school for a couple more weeks. I have been working hard to come up with fun crafts and activities to keep him busy. This is becoming more difficult as the summer break goes on. Lucky for me, they came up with their own activity. We have a cherry tree in our back yard that the birds like to eat and then throw the leftovers on the ground. They decided to pick up all the cherries and put them into bins.

They spent a good 30 minutes picking up the cherries. It started with each boy having their own bin and trying to get more cherries then the other.

By the end they had all the cherries in the clear bin and the stems in the blue bin.

While this wasn't the most crafty project, it kept them busy and took care of one of the chores that needed to be done. This is a win-win in my book.

Blueberry Crisp

2011-07-12T07:25:00.000-07:00

I had some leftover frozen blueberries in the freezer so made this Blueberry Crisp to go with our 4th of July meal. It was very easy to make and super yummy.

Ingredients:

5-6 cups fresh blueberries

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 cup water

2-3 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup regular oats

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare an 11 X 7 inch baking dish

3. Spread the blueberries in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

4. In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice. Cook and stir until thick and clear, then add the vanilla.

5. Pour over blueberries and gently stir.

6. In a bowl combine the flour with the oats, brown sugar and cinnamon.

7. Add in the melted butter; mix until crumbly.

8. Sprinkle over top of blueberry mixture.

9. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until blueberry mixture bubbles and the topping is brown.

10. Serve with ice cream. Enjoy!

Linking to Tasty Tuesday , What's on your Plate and This Week's Cravings!

Don't forget to get your FREE Slurpee today at 7-Eleven

2011-07-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

If you have a 7-Eleven, don't forget to get your free Slurpee today. To celebrate their birthday bash 7-Eleven is giving away 7.11 oz Slurpee's while supplies last.

Adirondack Chair redo

2011-07-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago I was at a yard sale and came upon two wooden Adirondack chairs. I have wanted a set for quite some time but would never pay retail price for them. When I saw these chairs I knew I had to have them...until I saw the price, $15 a piece was too much for me. The chairs needed lots of work. They were wobbly and the red paint was peeling off everywhere. So I decided to pass.

As I continued on to other yard sales I couldn't get the chairs out of my mind. After an hour or so I decided to go back and offer $15 for both. To my surprise, the owner had marked them down to $3 each. Now that was a price I could pay. They even helped me load them up.

When I got them home I quickly learned how much work they would be. My husband and I sanded as much of the red paint off as we could and put several screws in to make them sturdy. We sprayed them with a few coats of primer and them painted them turquoise.

I love my new chairs. They are really comfortable to sit in and the cheery color makes me smile. I paid $6 for the chairs and spent about $15 in supplies. Now those are some thrifty chairs.

Linking up to Thrifty Decor Chick, Not Just a Housewife and A Diamond in the Stuff!

Target Trip July 10th

2011-07-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

Target:

Total Spent $1.18

Total Saved $10.08

There are some great Target coupons out right now so I was able to score some free sharpies and cheap pens and Hot Wheels cars. I was also happy to find several items in the dollar spot section marked down 75%. Not much I needed but I did find a few fun things I can use for Operation Christmas Child boxes.

2 Sharpie Markers (Reg. $1.54, Sale $1 - $1 Target coupon = FREE)

2 pkgs Paper Mate pens (Reg. $1.02 - $1 Target coupon = .02 each)

2 Hot Wheels cars (Reg. $1.07 - $1 Target coupon = .07 each)

2 pkgs Pencils (Reg. $1, Clearance .25 each)

2 color your own posters (Reg. $1, Clearance .25 each)

CVS Trip July 10th

2011-07-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

CVS Trip:

Total Spent $4.61

Total Saved $7.89

I started my trip out with a $1 ECB and a $3 ECB. I broke up my trip into two transactions to help cut down on my out of pocket cost.

Transaction #1

1 Balance Bar (Reg. $1.99, Sale $1.69, Earn $1.69 ECB)

My total came to $1.69. I paid with $1 ECB and .69 OOP. I earned $1.69 ECB.

Transaction #2

1 Complete contact solution (Reg. $9.89, Sale $7.99, Earn $7.99 ECB)

My total came to $8.61 including tax. I paid using $3 ECB and $1.69 ECB from transaction #1 and $3.92 OOP. I earned $7.99 ECB for my next trip.

After all was said and done I basically only had to pay the .62 for tax. Contact solution is one thing I hate to pay for so I am always happy when I can get it for free or super cheap.

Menu Plan- July 10th - 16th

2011-07-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

Our visitors have all gone home so we are back to a normal week. I haven't cooked much in the last couple weeks so I am looking forward to getting back into the kitchen. In an effort to help straighten up the pantry, I will be planning my meals around the items we already have on hand. Now if I can just figure out what to do with all this evaporated milk?!?

Breakfasts:
cereal/oatmeal X 2
monkey bread
pancakes
eggs and toast X 2
muffins, yogurt and fruit

Lunches:
sandwiches, fruit and chips X 2
tacos and fruit
beanie weenies and fruit
mac n cheese and fruit
left over pizza
picnic at the beach

Dinners:
Taco Salad
Hot Dogs, Baked Beans and fruit
chicken, rice and veggies
pizza
won tons, rice and veggies
sausage, red kidney bean salad and fruit
hash browns, eggs and sausage

Freebie Friday

2011-07-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

This weeks freebies came from various sources, mail, store and drug store. Since moving to Reno, it is much harder to score freebies at the store since they don't double coupons so when it happens I get very excited.

Tostitos Chips-Free coupon sent in the mail

Purex Complete & $1 off coupon

Hershey's Air Delights candy bar-free coupon from the magic coupon machine in CVS

Seattle's Best Coffee & $1 off coupon

L'Oreal Youth Code & $3 off coupon

Did you score any good freebies this week?

Thrifty Thursday

2011-07-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

I didn't find anything at the thrift stores this week but I did find some things while out at the yard sales.

I picked up 14 shirts, a pair of swim trunks, 10 books and 4 small cans of paint for under $10. Not the most exciting week but at least I was able to find some nice clothes for my boys.

Did you find anything fun this week?

Crafting with your Kids: Critter Crack-Up

2011-07-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

My friend sent me this idea that she found here. She knew my little guy would love it and right she was. As soon as I pulled the frozen tub out he got super excited. I couldn't get it outside fast enough. This is a very thrifty and easy project to do with your little ones.

You will need:

a tub to freeze the animals in

an assortment of toys that can get wet

water

freezer

hammer

goggles-we didn't use these but there were a lot of ice chunks flying so it might be safer to use some.

Pick out an assortment of toys and scatter them around in the tub. Put enough water in to cover the critters and place in freezer until frozen.

When the water is frozen pull it out and place in an area you don't mind getting wet. We did ours outside on the deck. Let your child break up the ice with the hammer to get the critters out.

Some of the critters came out with small ice chunks still attached. We just laid them out to melt off.

I didn't notice until we were cracking up the ice that one of the dinosaurs is missing a head. Looks like the dog may have gotten ahold of him. :)

Homemade Granola Bars

2011-07-05T07:09:00.000-07:00

My boys and I love granola bars so when I found this recipe on Money Saving Mom I made them right away. It has since been a favorite snack in our house.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cup oats

1 total cup of chocolate chips, dried fruit, or seeds. (this time I used about 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips and 1/4 cup Craisins.)

In a saucepan, melt the peanut butter, honey and vegetable oil.

Remove from heat and add the oats.

Add the chocolate chips and Craisins (or whatever combination you choose). Stir well.

Spread mixture into an 8X8 pan. Chill for 2 hours, then cut into bars.

Enjoy!!

Linking up to Tasty Tuesday!

CVS Trip July 3rd

2011-07-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

I made a quick trip to CVS today to purchase some of their cheap soda. I was so excited when I got a coupon for a free candy bar from the magic coupon machine. For those that don't know what the magic coupon machine is, it is the big red and yellow machine that you can scan prices at. If you scan your CVS card it will print out coupons for you. I usually try it twice because it will usually give you two sets of coupons.

I split my trip into two transactions today to save me money out of pocket (OOP).

Transaction #1:

1 Oral-B Pulsar Toothbrush (Reg. $6.99, Sale $5.99 - $3Q = $2.99, Earn $3 ECB's)

1 Cherry Coke 2 ltr. (Reg. $1.87, Sale $.69)

1 Tampax Tampons (Reg. $5.79, Sale $3.99 - $1Q = $2.99, Earn $2 ECB's)

I paid using $6.49 in ECB's and $.95 OOP. I received $5 ECB's.

Transaction #2:

1 Hershey Air Delights (Reg. $1.19 - free coupon = FREE)

1 Oral-B 3D Toothbrush (Reg. $3.29, Sale $3 - $2 Q = $1, Earn $1 ECB)

1 Oral-B Pulsar Toothbrush (Reg. $6.99, Sale $5.99 - $3Q= $2.99, Earn $3 ECB's)

4 Coke 2 ltrs (Reg. $1.87, Sale $.69)

I paid using $7 ECB's and .34 OOP. I earned $4 ECB's for my next trip.

Freebie Friday

2011-07-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

Not many freebies this week. I have been busy helping at VBS so haven't had a chance to go shopping or anywhere else for that matter. One of my friends gave me this freebie. It is a scrapbook set complete with a photo album, scrapbook paper and scissors. I am not a scrapbooker but am looking forward to giving it a try.

Did you receive any good freebies this week?

Thrifty Thursday

2011-06-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

My friend and I hit a few yard sales last weekend. While it wasn't the best trip I have made we still had a lot of fun and found some great bargains. I got 4 huge white frames, a smaller white shelf frame, a decorative gas pump, 4 kids plates, pair of pj's, 2 pencil pouches (for my coupon binder) and a bunch of books.

I love being able to go to yard sales in the summer.

Happy Thursday!

Peach Cobbler

2011-06-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

The other day I picked up some peaches at the farmers market. One of my favorite things to eat peaches in is Peach Cobbler. Add in some vanilla ice cream and you have the perfect summer evening treat.

Ingredients:

Batter:

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup room temperature milk

1 room temperature egg

Filling:

4 or 5 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a 9 X 13 inch pan.

2. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. Stir in milk & egg.

4. Pour evenly over melted butter.

5. Combine peaches, sugar & spices and spread over batter.

Do not stir them in, just spread them over the top.

6. Bake 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees until batter comes to the top and is golden brown.

Serve warm with ice cream. Enjoy!!

Linked up to What's on your Plate? and Tasty Tuesday!

USA Letters

2011-06-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

I wanted to add something festive to my new entry way mirror and thought this would be the perfect touch. I love the way the letters turned out. I think they look great sitting on the shelf of the mirror and really stand out against the black.

You will need:

Wooden Letters- I got mine at Michael's

spray paint

scrapbook paper

pencil

scissors

Mod Podge

sponge paint brush

I started by laying the letters out on newspaper. I only wanted to paint the back and sides so I laid them with the fronts facing down.

After the paint was dry I traced them on the back of scrapbook paper. To figure out which way to trace it, I placed the paper on the letter the way I wanted it to look then flipped it over to trace.

I cut out the letters and stuck them on using Mod Podge. I did this by painting a thin layer to the front of the letter and pressing the scrapbook paper cutout on top. Make sure you rub your finger over it to get all the air bubbles out.

It took a bit to get the letter straight so just go slow to make sure it is all lined up.

I let it dry for a few hours.

Once the letter was dry I painted over the whole thing with Mod Podge to seal it and make it shiny. The Mod Podge goes on white but will dry clear so you don't have to worry about painting it on perfectly.

It only took me an hour total, not including drying time, to complete these letters. I love how they turned out and plan to make more for other holidays.

Linked up to Get your craft on, Not Just a Housewife, Ginger Snap Crafts and A Diamond in the Stuff!

Menu Plan- June 26th - July 2nd

2011-06-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Wow today has been a whirlwind. This morning when we woke up I suggested to my husband that we take a spontaneous trip over to Sacramento to go to the zoo and Fairytale Town. Within an hour we were showered, dressed and in the car. The boys loved it asked the whole drive, "Are we there yet"? Since we took our road trip we ended up eating out more then my original plan. I am too exhausted tonight to cook so we are picking up a pizza. Tiring but well worth it.
We have vacation bible school all week and family coming in later in the week. Doesn't look like I will end up cooking very much so our meals with be super easy. Have a great week!

Breakfasts:
Bagels
eggs and toast
pancakes and fruit
apple crepes
oatmeal/cereal X 2
breakfast burritos

Lunches:
Lunch at VBS X 5
Left Overs X 2

Dinners:
Take Out Pizza
coconut shrimp, fries & fruit
cream cheese enchiladas
ribs, baked beans & fruit
wontons, rice & veggies
grilled cheese samich and fruit salad
family in town so probably eat out

Fourth of July Mantel

2011-06-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

We are currently living in a rental home that has a fireplace with a decent sized mantel. While I am not a huge fan of the look of the fireplace, I LOVE having a mantel to decorate. My oldest son and I get very excited when it is time to change out the mantel decorations for a new holiday or season. This is the mantel we came up with for the 4th of July. I think it is one of my favorites so far. Not too cluttered but enough to keep my interest.

We went around the house and found everything red, white and blue or that had a star or flag theme.

I also printed off a couple pictures and put them in frames. Super easy and inexpensive.

These are the items I found at a Thrift Store last week. I haven't figured out what I want to do with them yet, so for now I have them sitting on my buffet.

I made the USA letters and placed them on my new entry way mirror. I will explain how I made the letters on Monday.

Hope you are having a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by.

Freebie Friday

2011-06-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

These are the items I received in the mail this week. Before today I hadn't been writing down where I requested the freebies from but I am going to start doing that so you can score them for yourself.

Garnier Moisture Rescue-came with small Gel-Cream sample and $1 off coupon

$10 gift card valid for Craftsman C3 Tool-I think I received this from Vocalpoint?

Can of Alpo dog food and a $1 off coupon

Isn't it fun receiving freebies. Did you receive anything fun this week?