New Year . . . New or Old Resolutions

With New Years Eve starting in about half an hour, I am compelled to think about some changes I want to make in 2013. I know, I know most resolutions don't make it past January 31, but I have been successful with some in the past. Therefore, I am hopeful each year as I make my list. Starting in the year 2013, I promise to . . .

1. Continue loosing the baby weight; I have about 15lbs to go.
2. Have a game night with Misses at least once a week
3. Sign Bubba up for swimming lessons
4. Go on a weekend vacation as a family
5. Organize, organize, organize

Five may sound like a lot, but each of these are things I already do. I just want to be more consistent in doing them. Except for the vacation. We haven't gone on a family vacation since Misses was 2 1/2. This year Bubba will be 2, so it should be completely doable to make this happen.

To loose the last of the baby weight, I will count my calories and go to the gym at least 3 times a week. I will have Misses pick a night, and that will be the night she get to stay up 30 minutes past her bed time to play games. We are members at the YMCA, so I will get a swimming schedule and sign Bubba up for lessons. I will be sure to get the items I need to organize either our hats and gloves, or the Christmas wrapping items.

As I complete each one, I will report back. This will help keep me accountable. What are your resolutions for 2013?

Sugar and Spiced Glazed Pecans

**Update: I realized today that I do not microwave the butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar prior to mixing in the nuts. They still turn out great.***

Recently, I stumbled upon this super easy recipe to make glazed nuts in the the microwave on the cooks.com site. Yes, you read that right. Anyone can make those yummy glazed nuts, you pay way to much money for at the mall during the holidays in the MICROWAVE.

After finding this recipe and being very excited and sceptical, that I could make this happen with my microwave, I set out to do it. I have to say they are delicious and my house never smelled so good. Although, it doesn't take much to make my house smell better than normal, because I have one in diapers and he is stinky!

Anyway, back to the good stuff. Here is what you will need to make these yummy nuts.

Ingredients:

8oz. pecans (halves or pieces)
4tbls. butter
1/2c. brown sugar
1/2tsp. cinnamon

Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave till melted.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               





Stir in cinnamon and brown sugar.
After that, stir in pecans and microwave for 3 minutes stirring 1-2 times.



 Spread pecans on wax paper and let cool.

 

 

As you can see, I failed to follow directions and used whole pecans. They still turned out great! Serve the nuts warm or cold. Make sure to store them in an air tight container.

 

 

Yes it is that easy! Enjoy and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

 



 

Thomas the Train Cake

My nephew turned 4 years old this past Saturday. For his birthday, I decided to make him a Thomas the Train cake. Naturally, like most 4 year old little boys, he loves trains especially, Thomas.

Since I am not a professional cake baker, nor a crafty lady, I set out on the internet looking for examples of Thomas cakes. I must say this was not the first "fancy" cake I have ever made. I make both Misses and Bubbas' cakes. So I kind of know some of the tricks to making these kinds of cakes. Once on the computer, I usually find the best examples with simple instructions on this site http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com . I chose one and set out with the best of intentions. The end result wasn't too shabby.

Here is how I made Thomas the Cake.

I bake my cakes from a box. So pick out the flavor you want and follow the directions for the pan size you need.

Pans needed to make Thomas the Cake

1. 2 loaf pans
2. 9x13 rectangle pan
3. 1 soup can

Yes, you read that right above. You will need to have soup for lunch and save the can. Remove the lid completely, rinse the can out and dry it thoroughly.

Ingredients

1. 2 boxes of cake mix
2. the ingredients required to make the batter

Mix up the batter for the 1st cake. This cake will go into the 9x13 pan. Bake as instructed.
Next, mix up the batter for the 2nd cake. This cake will need to be split between the 2 loaf pans and the soup can. Only fill the soup can 1/2 full at max or the cake will over flow. I naked all three of these in the oven at the same time. I had to play with the bake time. Initially, I put them in the oven for 25 minutes. At that time, they were not done, so I put them back in for 15 more minutes.

When all the cakes are made, let them cool completely. This is very important! Please do not try and remove a cake from the pan when it is warm. This will cause it to tear or crumble.

This is what your cakes should look like.

After all cakes are cool remove them from the pans and place them on a cardboard surface. The Wilton ones are great! They come in a pack of 6. I can't remember the price because I have had the same pack since February 2012. Now, place the cakes in the freezer. It is easier to work with a frozen cake.

Now it is time to make the frosting. This is the important part. You can make any old box cake taste great with a good frosting. I prefer butter cream frosting because it tastes good, is easy to work with, and sets up nicely.

Here is the recipe for Basic Vanilla Butter cream Frosting . . .

Ingredients

1c. unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted) Ideal texture is like ice cream.
3-4c. confectioner (powdered) sugar, SIFTED
1/4 tsp. table salt
1 Tb. vanilla extract
up to 4 Tb. milk or heavy cream. (I use whole milk.)
Food coloring (if you want to color it)

Instructions

Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer on medium speed. Add 3c. of powdered sugar. Be sure to turn the mixer speed down, or you will have a mess! Mix until the sugar is Incorporated with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla, salt, and 2Tbl. of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. During the 3 minutes, if you want to color your frosting, add it now. If the frosting needs to be thicker add a bit more sugar. If it needs to be thinner, add some more milk/cream 1 Tb. at a time.

*Warning* Don't taste it! If you do, you will not be able to stop tasting it. :)

Time to build the cake! Take your cake out of the freezer. Put one loaf cake on top of the 9x13 cake. Take a BIG knife and cut the long sides off the the cake so it is now the width of the loaf cake. Take the loaf cake off  and cut each loaf cake in half long ways. Now stack the 2 bottoms on top of the 9x13. This makes Thomas' coal pit. Then take the tiny soup can cake and place it on it's side in front of the loaf cakes to make Thomas' boiler. You may need to shave off some of the side so that it will lay nicely on the 9x13. Finally, shave off the front of the 9x13 to make it rounded.

Once you have your shape, it is time to "paste" it altogether. The frosting is your glue. Take all the pieces off and frost the bottom most layer. No need to be perfect or heavy with this layer. This will not be seen and it is called the crumb layer or paste, as I like to call it. It should look similar to this.

 

The complete crumb layer.

Sorry, I don't have photos of all the steps. Time is not on your side when working with cakes. So I had to work quickly to make sure it was constructed before it thawed.

***Note*** Make sure to keep the scraps that you cut off, because you may need them to support   some layers or add to the shape. As you can see in the photo, I had to use part of the top of the loaf cake to make the half moon shape of the top.

Finish adding the crumb layer and put it back in the freezer. This will help the cake maintain it's shape and freeze the 1st layer of frosting, so you can add the next layer without the cake crumbles messing it up. I usually leave the crumb layer on to freeze over night.

When it is completely frozen take it out and start frosting the cake. I recommend using a cake spatula over a butter knife. I used one of these with this cake and it worked so well. Thankfully, my mother in law use to own a cake shop, and she gave me one! Thanks Debby.

***Note*** Certain frosting colors are very difficult to make. I recommend buying frosting if you need black or red. So for this cake I used the Betty Crocker spray can for the black, red                and yellow frosting. I could have made the yellow, but I didn't want to make a whole new batch for such a small part of the cake.

Thomas minus his face.

 

 

Thomas' wheels are Oreo cookies frosted and stuck on the sides. His coal is crushed Oreo cookies. I dug out part of the top of the cake so they wouldn't fall off. The smoke stack is a Tootsie Roll. Looking back I should have frosted it. The rest is all frosting even the track.

 

 

 

 

Thomas' face is a paper print off from the internet that I cut to fit and pressed on to the frosting.

 

 





Thomas is far from perfect, but I'm not Duff Goldman. My nephew loved it and it tasted good, so that is all that matters. I hope that this helps you make a Thomas cake or helps with whatever kind of "fancy" cake you may want to make. Good luck it isn't as hard as it looks.

 

Creative Living by an Uncrafty Mom: Chicken Noodle Soup (Just like the Can)

Creative Living by an Uncrafty Mom: Chicken Noodle Soup (Just like the Can): For about three years, I have been making chicken noodle soup from semi-scratch. It is very delicious and easy to make. And inexpensive to b...

Chicken Noodle Soup (Just like the Can)

For about three years, I have been making chicken noodle soup from semi-scratch. It is very delicious and easy to make. And inexpensive to boot!

Since it is Fall and many people like to cook up soups to freeze during this time, I thought I would share this recipe. Before I start, I need to give credit where credit is due. I didn't invent this recipe. The great Paula H. Dean did and the original is in her cookbook titled: The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook. I will be sharing my version of this awesome soup. The original makes a creamy chicken noodle soup. I don't care for creamy soups, so I leave out the ingredients that make it a creamy soup.


Here it goes . . .

Chicken Noodle Soup (Just like the Can)

serves 8 to 10

 

Step 1



Ingredients:

One 2 1/2 to 3lb fryer chicken
3 1/2 quarts water
1 onion, peeled
1 1/2  to 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 chicken bouillon cubes
salt and pepper to taste.

***Note: I use whatever chicken is on sale. I have made this with fryer chicken, boneless chicken breast, split chicken breast, and chicken thighs. Turns out great every time.


Add all ingredients to a big pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard onion. Keep the stock in the pot. De bone the chicken when it is cool to touch.

Step 2

Ingredients:

2 c. sliced carrots
2 c. sliced celery
2 1/2 c. uncooked egg noodles (regular or whole wheat)
3 Tbs. dried or fresh parsley
1/3 c. cooking sherry (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring stock back to boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add celery and cook 5 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to package directions. When the noodles are done, add the chicken and sherry. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I hope you like this version of the Chicken Noodle Soup. It freezes great!

Savy Christmas Savings on Kids Gifts

 

A couple of years ago a friend told me that she was going to buy Halloween Costumes after Halloween for the next year. As soon as she said it, I thought, what a great idea! The costumes are very cheap after Halloween. Honestly one can save up to 90% on any costume. So for the past two years, I have gotten my kids costumes for the next year for next to nothing.

I know what you are thinking. How do I know what my kids will want to be the next year? The answer is, I don't. I buy two costumes for each child and then as Halloween draws near, I pull them out and ask them which they want to be. If they don't want either of them, I tell them that is fine, but I am not buying another. So they have to choose one of the ones I have bought or go to the dress up bin and  make a costume. This has worked out well for my family and for my friend's family.

This year I am planning on taking this savings even further. Over the past couple of years, I have down sized Christmas. My husband and I set a budget and only pay cash for the gifts we buy. We sat down the other day to plan out our Christmas budget, and I started thinking most kids love dress up. Boys and girls alike enjoy putting on costumes, clothes, and accessories while playing. So this year, I am buying Halloween Costumes after Halloween to give as Christmas gifts.

Today we stopped in Menards to buy dog food and honey. The kids wanted to check out the Halloween isle. I saw that they had Batman masks for $1.99! These are not the cheap thin plastic ones either. They are the nice heavy duty ones. So I picked one up for all the little boys on my Christmas list. Then I got Bubba two Marvel Comic costumes for $3.99 each. One he will get for Christmas, and the other I will save for next Halloween. The costumes were originally marked at $29.99. This was a great savings trip to the store.

Some people may think that this strategy is cheap especially after they read the following. When I budget for Christmas, I decide on a total dollar amount to spend. Then I break that amount down between the people on my list. However, I bargain shop, so if I find a gift on sale for $5.00 but it original cost $20.00 and my budget for that person is $20.00 my shopping for that person is complete. I don't continue to find more gifts to make it to the $20.00 limit. I then take the difference and save it.

I hope this helps all who read it find a way to buy great useful gifts for the children in their lives without breaking the bank. Not to mention the costume you buy for dress up may end up being a Halloween Costume too! Happy Holidays everyone. There will more money saving posts throughout the season, so check back. Also, If you have a great cost saving gift giving method . . . please share.

 

Glade Expressions Collection

Here's the Bzz!



Glade Expressions Collection is a new line of Glade products. As a Bzz Agent, I was selected to try these new products in my home and spread the word by giving my opinion on them.

When I received my Bzz Kit, I opened it to find coupons to go to the store and purchase the two products you see in the picture above. I chose the pineapple and mongosteen for the oil diffuser, because that was the only scent my local store carried. For the fragrance mist, I chose the cotton and Italian mandarin scent, because I love the smell for fresh linens.

I returned home with my goodies and quickly got them set up. At first I was really pleased with the strength of the oil diffuser scent. Also, I liked that the container matched my decor very well. It was a plus that it would not spill if knocked over. Since I have small children, a dog, and a cat this is important to me. However, the next day, I couldn't smell the diffuser at all. Every now and again, if I were right next to the diffusion I could smell it.

The fragrance mist has a great smell and is very easy to use. Pretty much it is just and aerosol can in a prettier case. There is a one time purchase of a starter kit that contains on can of mist and the pretty case to put it in. The case is nice a looks good sitting on the counter or on the back of the toilet. In my house no one will see it, because with small children, I will not put anything out that they could get a hold of and possible poison themselves.

In the end, I am glad I was chosen to try these products. They do make my home smell nice for awhile without the use of electricity. However, I wish the smell would encompass the entire room with the diffuser. In the coming years, the appealing canister for the mist will be a nice addition to my bathroom, but until my children are older, I won't be spending the extra money on it to put it under the counter.

**Note** As a Bzz Agent I was given these products to review. All opinions are mine and no
                 compensation was given.

Cookie Press . . . Oh How I Wish I Knew You Sooner.

Today I used the coolest kitchen gadget ever! It is the Pampered Chef Cookie Press. I have to say in advance, I am not reviewing the product. I am just sharing my experience and awe at how much easier it will make my cookie baking days. Since it was pretty chilly today, Misses and I decided to bake some sugar cookies from semi-scratch.

A big thanks to Kelly for picking this up for me at a garage sale for $2.00!

Let me explain the semi scratch . . .
Some time ago, I stumbled across this incredibly informative blog written by a woman who's family was transferred overseas. She quickly found that many of our U.S. "quick and easy" mixes and cleaning products were not available in her new home. So she found a way to make them. In doing so, she also found that making them saved her some $$. One of the things she makes is the bagged Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes. You know the ones that look like this . . .



So Misses and I made about four batches two sugar and two chocolate chip. They store for up to six months in storage bags in a pantry and up to a year in the freezer. If you want to check this out here is the blog, http://fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com/2012/02/fake-betty-crocker-cookie-mixes.html.

My little cookie artist.

 

The finished product.

Lets get back to the coolest kitchen gadget. All you have to do is make the dough and fill the cookie press. Then put the cookie shape disk you want in the cap. Pull the trigger while the press is pressed against the pan. Lift up and viola! Pretty cookies! Bake and decorate! Enjoy!

Spooky Bats Halloween Craft

I know I have said before that I am very thankful for Pinterest. I am not the craftiest of people, hence the blog title, so I seek ideas and directions on crafts to do with my kids on a regular basis. Last week I finally sat down and made a list of the Fall crafts I wanted to do with the kids in the next few weeks. Spooky Bats are easy and we did them, because I had all the materials on hand except the googly eyes. So we set out to make the bats.

What you need.

• a cardboard egg carton
• black paint
• ribbon
• googly eyes
• paint brush

I must say that we didn't have finger paint either, so I looked up a recipe on how to make our own. Here is the recipe . . .

1c water
1c flour
food coloring

Mixed the flour and water in a bowl till smooth. Add food coloring to make the color you want. Done! This turned out to be a great learning opportunity for Misses, because she had to mix the colors to create black and orange.

Check out the final product done by Misses (4) and Bubba (1)!

Bubba got board and ate some paint, but who cares it's just flour and water!

Our Spoooooky Bats hanging from the fan.

They aren't completely black because Misses got tired of mixing.

Unreal Candy Bzz Review

 

Unreal Candy

 

 

 

Not to long ago, I received coupons from Bzz Agent to try the NEW Unreal Candy. As a woman with a serious sweet tooth, I couldn't be more excited. I mean who doesn't want to eat yummy candy that doesn't have the yucky stuff in it and fewer calories to boot! Not to mention, I have 2 little ones who also enjoy candy, and I would love to have a healthier alternative to their favorites. Okay, I'll stop beating around the bush and get down to the nitty gritty.

 

We tried all of the types you see in the picture above. The options above mirror the following mainstream candy types: Peanut M&M's, Plain M&M's, Snickers Bar, Milky Way Bar, and Reese's. However, they do not contain any of the following ingredients:

 

1. Corn Syrup
2. Partially Hydrogenated Oil
3. Artificial Ingredients
4. GMO's
5. Preservatives

Unreal candy does have a low glycemic index and fewer calories than its mainstream counterparts.

So I'm sure you are like . . . Great, but does it taste good? You know because nothing that is lacking all those things could possibly be yummy in taste. Well this is what the kids and I thought.

The Unreal 54 (chocolate covered peanuts with a candy shell) looks nice and has a great texture. I thought it and the Unreal 41 (chocolate with a candy shell) had a slight dark chocolate taste. The dark chocolate taste wasn't over powering, but I could still taste it. The kids thought they were very good and ate them up.

The Unreal 5 (chocolate caramel nougat) looked very appealing, smelled good, and had a nice taste. I didn't taste any dark chocolate this time. Misses loved it, but Bubba didn't care for the caramel.

The Unreal 8 (chocolate caramel nougat peanuts) looked good, smelled good, and tasted great. Both kids like this one too.

The Unreal 77 (chocolate peanutbutter) looked good, did not have much of a smell, and tasted oh so good! I love Reeses, so needless to say, I did not share this one with the kids. I waited to try it when they were asleep. It had a great texture and not one hint of dark chocolate taste. I keep mentioning the dark chocolate because, I don't care for it.

All in all, I would purchase this candy for myself and my kids. I personally would not eat the Unreal 54 and 41, due to the dark chocolate taste. Oh, and I need to mention that the price is comparable to the mainstream candy counterparts. That is a plus for me. I get alittle irritated when I have to pay more for a healthier alturnative to a food.

Here are some pics of the kids enjoying their treat!

 

 

 Note: As a Bzz Agent I was given these products to review on my blog. All opinions are my own and no compensation was given.



Mommy's Under the Weather Activity

Last week when we came home from our weekend in Wisconsin Dells, I started to feel under the weather. As the week went on, I felt worse. The kids were getting restless staying inside, so I needed to come up with something they could do where I could lay on the floor or couch.

 

I remembered using up the last of my coffee that morning, so I went and got the big can, the free stickers we had gotten from the YMCA, ribbon, and tape. The kids were going to make a drum! Thankfully, I didn't have a headache with this illness.

 

So we set out on the living room floor to create some fun!

 

Here they are decorating it. Yes Bubba is trying to eat some glue.

 

Bubba washing down the glue taste and putting stickers on the drum.

Misses making music! Don't mind the mess, remember I was sick.



 



There you have it a cheap activity the kids can do if Mommy needs to rest a bit due to illness or exhaustion. 

Luster Premium White (teeth whitening system)

 

 

 

Anyone who knows me knows I like to have white teeth. I have tried almost every over the counter whitening product on the market ranging from strips to toothpaste. Since I am an avid coffee, tea and dark soda dinker; keeping my teeth white can be a challenge especially the older I get. Therefore, I was ecstatic when I was given the opportunity to try Luster Premium White for being a Bzz Agent.

 

My Bzz Agent kit contained the complete one hour white system which included:

                    Step 1: Mouth Rinse

                    Step 2: Super Whitener Gel

                    Step 3: Whitening Light

                    Instruction Manual

                    Tooth Shade Card

I also received the Luster Power White Fluoride Toothpaste.

 

 

 

After about two days, I found time to read through the instructions and plan out my whitening schedule. This system is great because it has a flexible whitening schedule. Which is good for me because with two little ones and a busy life it can be hard to find a good time to take care of myself. The instructions gave four whitening schedules:

 1. Complete 10-20 treatments in the course of 1 hour

 2. Complete 5 treatments in the morning and evening over 2 days

 3. Complete 3-4 treatments per day for 5 days

 4. Complete 2-3 treatments a day for a week

 

I chose schedule 3 because it fit into my life the best. The treatments only take 3 minutes to complete. I started to see good results after the completion of the tenth treatment. I started at a 6 on the shade card and ended at a 2! I am very happy with the results. I am more happy with the fact that I don't have to do this again for 3 months to maintain my results. Also, the light is reusable which is good for the environment and my wallet. The only issue I had was that the whitening gel irritated my gums. It didn't cause me pain, it was just bothersome. As soon as I rinsed my mouth the irritation subsided.

 

I will continue to use this product in the future and I will finish off the toothpaste to help maintain my whiter smile!

 

 

 

Note: As a Bzz Agent, I was given these products to review for free on this blog. All opinions are my own and no compensation was given.

 

 

 



Homemade Cheese Crackers

Picture came from In the Kitchen with Kath
Linked from a Pinterest Pin



My baby is 15 months old and it is time for me to get my family back on track with our eating healthy, unprocessed foods. The other day I was scanning through my boards on Pinterest, and found this pin on how to make homemade cheese crackers (aka Cheese its). Before looking at the recipe, I thought this is probably going to be time consuming and difficult. To my surprise the recipe has all of six ingredient! All the ingredients are pantry staples, so I didn't have to make a store run to try this recipe.

Misses and I got started on making the crackers. I must add that a food processor makes the job super easy. Thanks to my good friend, Kelly, I have one!

Here is the recipe taken from http://kathdedon.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/melt-in-your-mouth-homemade-cheese-crackers/  (My recipe modifications are in maroon)

Sorry I don't have any pictures, my camera is MIA!


Makes about 70 1-inch square crackers

~

1½ cups (6 oz) grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
¾ cup (90 g) flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon milk

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Put everything except the milk in a food processor. Pulse the processor, 5 seconds at a time, for about 5 or 6 times, until the dough is in coarse crumbs.
3. Add the milk and process until the dough gathers together in a ball.
4. Roll the dough out on a floured board with a rolling pin that has been floured until it is about 1/8 inch thick.
5. Cut the dough into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. You can put a bit of flour on the blade of the knife to keep it from sticking.Use the flat end of a wooden skewer to poke a hole in the center of each cracker.
6. Place the crackers at least ¼ inch apart on parchment paper on a baking sheet. I didn't use parchment paper, and the crackers turned out great.
7. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown.
8. Put the baking sheet on a rack and let the crackers cool completely
9. Eat! Or store in a covered container to eat within a day or two. Another site said they'll last for a week in an airtight container.

"Easy, Successful Garage Sale"

How do you feel when you think about having a garage sale?

Personally, I don't jump up and down with excitement, but sometimes I just have to have one to get rid of the stuff we don't use anymore.

Last week I set up and had a garage sale all on my own. Yes, I am 32 and had never had a garage sale, without the entire town having one the same day, on my own. So I set out last week to accomplish this task. It ween pretty well, but I made it very easy on myself.

How to make a garage sale easy . . .

1. Don't price every item you have, especially the clothes.
     a. Put up signs that say make an offer.
     b. For the clothes put up signs selling selling them all for one low price.
         aa. I sold mine for fifty cents each piece.
     c. Don't price anything less that .25 cents so you don't have to deal with
         dimes and nickels.

2. Don't stress too much on having enough tables for all your stuff.
      a. Put anything that could be damaged on the ground on a table.
      b. Make a table out of some totes or plywood.

3. Advertise where it's cheap!
     a. Social media has made it very easy to advertise just about anything and
         it is FREE!
     b. Put up signs to direct people to your sale.
         bb. Walmart and Menards carry the signs for about .98 cents per sign
                and stake. I was lucky and got a "Garage Sale Kit" on sale at Menards
                for $1.99.

4. Change
     a. Go to your local bank and get at least $50.00 in change.
     b. There's no need to use a money box, just use a Tupperware container or apron

5. Placement of Items
     a. Put the big items out on the driveway
     b. Put any items men might be interested in out on the drive (men are
         becoming big garage salers)
     c. Breakable and small items should be kept in the garage

6. Open and Close at your advertised times

7. Accept Offers
     a. Some people will offer you less money or ask what your bottom dollar
         is for an item don't take offense. Work with them. Do you really want
         to take the item back into your house when you don't even use it? I sure
         don't. Plus, it is better to get some $$ for the item, rather than having to
         haul it to the Goodwill after the sale and get nothing.

8. If you have little kids let them run a lemonade stand.
    a. Only charge twenty five to fifty cents for the items at the stand
    b. Let the kids keep the money

9. Items that don't sell
    a. Bag up things to donate
    b. Bag up things to take to a resale shop
    c. Throw away anything else. You don't need it, so don't keep it.

10. Collect your signs

11. Count your earnings!

Wooliteer Review

As a member of Crowdtap (a collaborative marketing platform) I recently tried Woolite Extra Dark. When the product arrive, I was skeptical about how it would help my dark clothes stay looking new longer. Plus, I wasn't aware that Woolite could be used in a washing machine. Surprise, it sure can! I'll be honest with you I don't have time to go down to the nearest stream and beat clothes on a rock.

But since I was trying it with no cost to myself, I figure I might as well give it a shot. So I piled all our dark clothing aside from the rest till I had a full load to wash. This didn't take too long since I have several dark shirts and my husbands work shirts a dark as well. Not to mention all the denim shorts we have been wearing lately due to this crazy heatwave.

I have to say, I do like this product. The clothes came clean and the color stayed intact. The detergent has a nice smell too. It works in both top and front loading machines including the high efficiency models. Plus, Woolite Extra Dark works well in cold water as well as hot. So if you are like me, and do not want to spend the extra money on washing your laundry in hot water this stuff works in cold just as well. So save yourself some pennies and use the cold water!

In the future, I will use Woolite Extra Dark on my jeans and other dark clothes. I like that it keeps them looking new longer without causing stretching or shrinking, so when I put my jeans on after a wash I won't get a complex. Not to mention, I wear the same jeans until they literally fall apart, so if I can extend the life of them, I am all for that especially for the price I pay for a good pair of jeans.

Cool 4th of July Fun

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!

Since we have moved 2 hours away from anybody we know, holidays have become a strictly family affair. Yesterday, I was hit by the realization that there wasn't a cookout to attend, so I loaded the kids up and ran to the store. I needed to find a few things to do, so we could celebrate this great day in style and on a budget.

I decided that we would paint t-shirts since Grandma Debby had given Misses a tub full of fabric paint. I bought them each a cheap white shirt. Then I noticed that strawberries were on sale for $1.78! So we picked them up and some Wilton Chocolate Disks and blue sprinkles. There I had some things to do inside, since it has been terribly HOT!

Today we got to work on our projects . . .

The Shirts! . . . I just let them go to town and they loved it. Bubba may have tasted it . . . oops.

The Strawberries were fun and yummy too!

Then of course some firecrackers that can only be done Illinois style (meaning the boring ones only little kids enjoy).



All in all it was a nice relaxing 4th of July. The kids had fun and mom and dad got to relax some too.

Amature Couponer

I am not an extreme couponer by any since of the word. Honostly, I watch that show and shake my head at the people. I mean, who needs 25 cans of pork n beans. Or this one guy was in his early twenties and buying diapers, however, he did not have a baby or any other children for that matter! I just don't see the point in filling my very limited storage space with things my family doesn't need.

Although, I do love a deal. I have a couple friends who laugh at me and have called me a "Deal Whore". The other day I was going through my coupons and organizing them. No I don't have a binder, but I do have a cute organizer for them. I saw that I had BOGOF coupons for men and womens disposable razors. Off to CVS I went to cash in on my BOGOF deal!

Once there, I remembered that we were almost out of toothpaste! I had a coupon for a tube of Crest plus if CVS was offering $2.00 extra bucks with the purchase. I got my toothpaste and razors. To get the best deal, I had to complete my shopping in two orders. First I paid for the toothpaste. Actually, after the coupon and extra bucks, I got it for FREE! Second I paid for my razors. The total came to $44.95! Then the coupons came off and brought it to $22.48. Wait . . . another $2.00 from my toothpaste purchase and a 30% of CVS coupon the grand total was $9.11! 

I couldn't believe it! However, I felt alittle bad, because I held up the line. So I looked at the clerk and said, "Sorry to hold up the line, but this is the only way we can shave in  our house." She laughed and I took my awesome deal home and shaved! LOL 

Hottest Day of the Year Fun

Our new town does not have an outdoor public pool, so we have a tiny wading pool (that was left by the old owners) in the backyard for the kids. They really enjoy playing in it.

Since I am a SAHM and new to the area, we are homebound most days. Being home all the time with two very active kids can become overwhelming to say the least. We have plenty of outside toys, but like any kid, they have gotten kind of tired of them. So on this very hot day, I decided to embrace my inner child and surpress my neurotic cleanliness side while we played outside with the pool and hose.

Misses was tired of playing inside the pool, so she got out and discovered a patch of dirt. I watched as she thought hard about what to do with it. After some time, she filled a bucket from the pool and created a glorious mud pile. Bubba soon noticed that she was having a grand time splashing and digging that he just had to join in. This free toy provided at least an hours worth of fun for the both of them and the dog.

Here is the results . . .

They are all smiles and wanted to go right back out after lunch!

I remember doing these kinds of things when I was little. My mom was really good about letting us get messy. So this summer, I have decided to live and let live. As the mess is more work for me the memories and laughter are priceless.

Not to mention, I have been reading early learning articles posted by my good friend Rachel, she teaches preschool. All the articles talk about how kids need to be allowed to run, jump, and get dirty to enhance their development. So today I wasn't just a cool mom, but a teacher too. That feels good.

http://www.whitehutchinson.com/leisure/articles/84.shtml  This link will take you to an article explaining why play in all its forms are so important for kids.

Refinishing an old Buffet/Hutch

We recently moved from a shoebox sized apartment to a house! It is so nice having a house that we can decorate. I don't know why I am saying "we" because I mean "me". Anyway, the apartment was so tiny and we didn't have to have much furniture to fill it up. Since moving into the house, I have been looking for furniture to help fill it. Let me tell you furniture is rediculously priced! At my age now, I am not in the market for cheap furniture that will not hold up. I want forever furniture, but that comes with a large price tag. I decided to dig deep and try to engage my craft gene( I really don't have one).

My parents had this old hutch that was my great grandparents from way back. It was sitting in storage, so I asked my mom if I could have it. She said sure, as they are trying to down size. I told her that I only wanted it if I could refinish it. She was fine with that, and she finished with telling me that if I ruined it, just to get rid of it. (At the time this statement seemed truthful, but now I am thinking . . . thanks for the vote of confidence mom!)

Anyhow, my parents kindly brought the hutch to me, and I quickly got to work after reading several tutorials and blogs on how to refinish antique furniture.

Here it is after I sanded it. I forgot to take a pic. before I started.

Here it is all finished!

I love how it turned out! It took some time and elbow grease but end the end my total cost for the hutch/buffet was $53.68! The new hardware cost the most, but I love it!

Here is a quick run down on how to refinish a hutch/buffet

1. Remove all harware, drawers, and doors
   
   
2. Sand all parts of the furniture and wipe off with damp cloth
3. Paint all parts with a primer and let dry completely
4. Paint all parts with the color of your choice and let dry completely
5. Use sandpaper to rough up the edges and corners
6. Paint on a thin layer of stain of your choice and wipe off with damp cloth, let dry
7. Use furniture wax (just like you are waxing a car) and rub all over, let sit and wipe off
8. Put hardware of your choice on
9. Enjoy your "new" and inexpensive furniture!

Household Budget Challange

We are moved in and settled for the most part. It is now time to revamp and apply our household budget. Since we went from renting to owning . . .YEAH! We have a few more bills than before. Not to mention both of our children had surgeries earlier this year. As you can imagine the move and the surgeries have rocked our budget some.

One night, while enjoying the quiet time and Pinterest, I came across a Pin for a blog about how a family is living on $28,000.00 a year. No that is not a type-o! I was interested from the start. I mean how is that even possible without receiving help from one source or another. I started reading the blog post, this lady was for real. Her family was living pretty well on such a small income.

On the blog, thepeacefulmom.com, Kimberlee outlines how to get your budget in order and keep it that way. She not only explains in detail how her family lives on so little, but she also outline and provides FREE printables to help you get started.

That is what I am going to do. I am going to hook up my printer tomorrow and get started with organizing my budget using the tools from thepeacefulmom.com blog. Fortunately for me, I have more of an income to work with, but I would love to save and invest more if possible. Plus, I love a deal! If I can learn some about how to save a buck that would be awesome.

As I work through Kimberlee's process, I will post updates on my progress.

Stoneyfield Organic Yogurt Product Review

Recently my family and I tried Stoneyfield organic yogurt for babies and toddlers. We gave it a try because I was picked to review the yogurt on my blog. When the free coupons arrived, I was super excited to run out and buy the product right away. I went to our local grocery store and bought the YoBaby blueberry organic four pack of yogurt. The next morning, I opened the first container thinking that Bubba would not want to eat it, because he wants to feed himself everything. I managed to get a spoonful in his mouth, and he was like a little bird. He ate the entire container for breakfast. Now when he sees the containers
                                         he goes crazy for them.
                                         He loves this yogurt!

I love this product because it is organic and a healthy breakfast, snack, or side for my little man. I also like that Stoneyfield supports green living, organic farming, and getting food from a natural source. I wouldn't say that I am a hard core organic living homesteader, but I try to Incorporate the natural way of life all I can within our home. This yogurt helps give me peace of mind that Bubba is getting something healthy to eat that tastes great too.

We Made It!

Hello Again! I'm happy to be back blogging. I was without Internet for about two weeks . . . I felt like I lost touch with everything. All is balanced in this house . . . for now.

We made it to out new city and house with only a few bumps in the road. Our first bump came when the movers fell through three days before we had to be out of our apartment. This was very stressful, as I had to call friends and family to help me pack the whole place up and move it in less than 24 hours. Thankfully many people took pity on me and we able to help out. The next bump was more like a icy spots a head sign. As my dad, husband, and I were busy in the house, we heard a loud BANG! We did not think much about it since we grew up in areas where M80 fireworks were often let off at random. I went out to put some things in the trash and saw a mobile task force unit blocking of the end of our street (I should add . . . we have 2 streets. The one our house faces and the one our detached garage faces). Of course I walk out to see what is going on, to find several police officers, dressed as if an episode of CSI was being taped, raiding my nearby neighbors house. Come to find out he was dealing drugs out of his home. All I could think, was OH MY WHERE HAVE WE MOVED TOO! Ever since, I have met almost every neighbor, and they assure me that this is a nice quiet neighborhood and something like that has never happened before. The third pot hole, came when my dad saw a gardener snake sunning itself in the hedge by the back door. I wasn't too concerned since it was just one snake, or so I thought. The next day I saw at least two snakes. I need to mention, that I am seriously scared of snakes! The very next morning, I saw at least four snakes hanging out in the overgrown hedge in the back yard! I instantly FREAKED OUT and called a friend to give me numbers for exterminators. Please remember I didn't have Internet or a phone book. She kindly gave me the numbers and Orkin came out the very next day.

There it is all the crazy drama that revolved aroung our move to a new house. I guess this will make a good story some day.

Easy Chili

I don't know about you, but I like chili all year round. In our house, we eat chili on a lot of different things, so I cook up a batch and freeze it. This allows for use to have chili cheese fries, chili dogs, chili cheese baked potatoes, and whatever else we think to slop chili on top of. Now let me clarify, we don;t eat these things all the time, but I am married to a junk food junkie who needs his cheesy, greasy, goodness every once in awhile.

Here is my favorite chili recipe.
It's my favorite because it is easy, cheap, and oh so yummy!

Ingredients:
1 big can tomato juice (only use 1/2)
1 can tomato soup
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 onion
1 can mild chili beans
1 can pinto beans
1/2 package chili seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
Chili sauce to taste (optional)

Brown the ground beef

Chop 1 onion. I use whatever kind I have. This time I had a red onion.

Add onion to the ground beef while browning.
This allows all the flavors to mingle.

Put all the ingredients into a large stock pot.
I don't drain the beans b/c I like all the flavors mixed in, but that is my
preference. You do what you like.
Simmer for at least 2 hours.

Enjoy! Put whatever toppings you like on it. We like cheese.
Freeze the leftovers!

Thanks Judy for always cooking up yummy food and sharing the recipes!

Home Sweet Home . . . buying?!

Over the weekend, Scott and I went house hunting. We looked at around 20 houses in 1 1/2 days and found a house that could work. At more than one point I was so frustrated that I could have sat down and cried right there on the sidewalk. It is very difficult looking for a place to live in a community you know nothing about.

Several of the homes were in questionable areas, the ones that were in good areas were too expensive or needed way to much work. On Sunday, I went home to my cute kiddos feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. On Monday, I didn't feel much better, but I couldn't stop thinking about the one house. That night, I emailed the realtor and asked to look at it again. She called my the next day and told me that three more homes came on the market for us to look at.

Today, the kids and I drove and hour and a half (Charlie screamed almost the entire way) to meet up with Scott and look at four houses. This search was just as disappointing as the first. Then we spent some more time in the little yellow house.

At this house the kids felt right at home and I could picture where all of our stuff would go. Minus our table. I've had our table since college. I paid $50.00 for it, and have gotten my moneys worth out of it. Now, is the time for a table I actually like. The house is small, but not much smaller than the one I grew up in. The yard is fenced and landscaped. There is an awesome, heated garage! We put in our offer and it was accepted. Hopefully all will go smoothly from here and we will have a happy home of our own. It only took almost four years!

Moving How to

Moving is never easy and rarely fun . . . until the move is complete and you are enjoying some cheap pizza and an adult beverage with the awesome friends and family who came to help out. Until the end of the move, it pretty much sucks. I wish I could put a Pollyanna spin on it for you, but I just can't.

I had said in my original moving post, that I would post the best way to organize a move . . . here it is.

Organizing and Packing

1. Find a place to live in your new city/town.
2. Give your current landlord 30 days notice or list your house to be sold and reserve a moving truck.
3. Schedule a walk through with the current landlord to finalize your contract with them.
4. Call you local grocery store and ask them for free boxes. Or call a moving company and buy   boxes.
      A. I recommend Uhaul because they will buy back any unused packing supplies.
5. Pick a room to start in (start as early as possible).
6. Make 3 piles. One to pack, one to donate, one to throw out.
7. Pack items you will not need until you get to your new location.
      A. Daily items and cooking items need to be packed last. Reserve a box for this.
8. Continue packing in one room till it is completely packed. Clean each room as you go.
9. Label each box with the room name and what is in the box.
10. Disassemble any furniture that you do not have to use. Put the screws in a baggie, label it.
11. On Moving Day, put all the daily needed items in a box (don't forget the toilet paper) and take      apart any large pieces of furniture. Finish cleaning.
12. Load the truck as if playing Tetris. This will prevent items from falling.
13. Complete the walk through with the landlord and sign any paperwork. Make sure you leave your new address, so they can mail you your deposit.
14. Get on the road to you new place!

At the New Place
Be sure to take charge. All the boxes will be labeled, so the helpers can place them in the appropriate rooms, but the furniture will need to be placed in the correct spots. Make sure to arrange the furniture when all the helpers are there, so you don't have to do it alone(why do the heavy lifting if you don't have to).

Bills and Personals

1. File a change of address with the post office 1 week before the Moving Day.
2. Call all the utility companies and cancel your service, or transfer to new address one week before  you leave.
3. Don't forget to contact your magazine subscriptions.

If you follow this guide, your move should go off without a hitch, but not without aches and pains. Remember, if you move out of your current city for work related reasons, keep your receipts because you can claim the expenses on your taxes.

FYI- If you move around like we do, and there is a place to keep the boxes break them down and keep them for next time.
Happy Moving Day!

Hunger Games . . . Just Read It

I am a huge fan of this series! I read all three books when I was pregnant(almost 2 years ago). When I began the first book, I had no idea how quickly it would suck me in. I read it in a week. Honestly, I could not put it down. Those who know me, know I don't like to read. I know, I know those are dirty words coming out of a teacher's mouth, but they are honest.
When I really like a book, I tell everyone I know. Most of my family and friends read Harry Potter because I harassed them until they did. The Hunger Games was a harder sell. Non of my close friends started reading it till about a two weeks ago. Oh well, I love talking about it. I shush my children when the characters are being interviewed, and I would be in line to watch it at midnight tonight, but I don't have a sitter.
If you get a chance to see it, please post and tell me what you thought about the movie. If you've only read the books post about them too. I love to see what everyone thinks.
Happy Hunger Games.

     Just in case, you haven't read or heard anything about this awesome book; here is a short summary.
     The book takes place in a future time period in North America.  The 50 states no longer exist and the country is split up into 12 districts all which are repressed and controlled by the mighty Capitol. The main character, Katniss, is a 16 year old girl who volunteers as a tribute in the Hunger Games. This is all I will tell you. I don't want to spoil anything.

Thursday Weigh In

So I weighed in last Thursday with a good 2 lb. weight loss! Yeah me! Here it comes . . . but then the kids and I went to spend the weekend with my two best friends. This is great for the soul but terrible for the diet. Since last Thursday, I am back to the drawing board. Shame on me! This set back will not discourage my efforts. I am back at it in the morning. Remember  . . . you didn't put it on over night, so it won't come off over night.