Happy New Year

Our New Year's Eve has been great. The high is 72 today and I think it has reached it. The day has consisted of... Laundry hanging to dry on the clothes line,

Planes making not so straight lines in the clear blue sky,

The windows are open to air out the house and get my energy level up with the fresh air,

The pigs were able to get of out of the pin and graze,

And my assistance was able to take a nap, while I did some stuff on the computer this morning!

We hope you have a safe New Year's, may God bless you!

Couponing: My Third Time

This was my best trip out of the three so far. I did really good, yippee for me!!!!!!!

First off was CVS...

• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups x 4 - Originally $.89, On Sale B2G1 Free, Coupon B1G1 Free, Total Price $.89

Grand Total with Taxes $ .98

Total Savings $2.67

Next it was off to Target...

• Ivory Soap x 1 - Originally Not Known, On Sale $.99, With Coupon ($2.00) $0.00, Total Due $0.00
• Olay Soap x 2 - Originally $.97, Not On Sale, With Coupon ($2.00 x 2) $0.00, Total Due $0.00
• Gillette Shave Cream x 2 - Originally $.97, Not On Sale, With Coupon ($1.00 x 2) $0.00, Total Due $0.00
• Suave Shampoo x 2 - Originally Not Known, On Sale $.84, With Coupon ($1.00 x 2) $0.00, Total Due $0.00
• Carefree Pads x 2 - Originally Not Know, On Sale $.97, With Coupon ($1.00 x 2) $0.00, Total Due $0.00
• Letter File Folder x 1, Originally $1.00, Total Due $0.00 because of the extra credits from the coupons

Total Due with Taxes $0.52

Total Savings $9.51

And last but not least we headed to Publix...

• Dishwasher Detergent x 2 - Originally $4.59, On Sale $2.99, With Coupon ($1.00 x 2) $1.99, Total Due $3.98
• Trash Bags x 1 - Originally $5.99, Not On Sale, No Coupons, Total Due $5.99
• Minute Rice x 1 - Originally $2.19, On Sale $1.89, With Coupon ($1.00 x 1) $.89, Total Due $.89
• A1 Steak Sauce x 1 - Originally Not Known, On Sale $2.15, No Coupons, Total Due $2.15
• Toothpaste x 2 - Originally $3.29, On Sale $1.67, Coupon ($1.00 x 2) $.67, Total Due $1.34
• Soup x 8 - Originally $2.29, On Sale $1.14, With Coupon ($1.00 off 4 x 2) $.89, Total Due $7.12
• Soap x 2 - Originally $2.29, On Sale $1.15, No Coupon, Total Due $2.30
• Success Rice x 2 - Originally $2.29, Not On Sale, With Coupon ($1.00 x 2) $1.29, Total Due $2.58
• Coffee Creamer (not pictured) x 1 - Originally $2.00, On Sale $1.50, With Coupon ($.55 x 1) $.95, Total Due $.95

Total Due with Taxes $28.88

Total Savings 30.33

For my Tuesday shopping I spent a total of $30.38 and saved a total of $42.51.

I would have to say I am slowly getting pretty good at this coupon thing. One thing I am bad at is throwing away coupons for things that we use because they are a different brand than we use. For example I had the Finish Dishwashing Detergent coupons two weeks ago but threw them away thinking I will never buy the tablet kind they are to expensive but lucky me was able to find them online for today's shopping trip.

So have you saved anything on a recent shopping trip? If so share about it and leave a comment.

Eat's of the Week ~ December 26, 2010

This is a shot out the back door last night (Christmas day), we had a white Christmas in the end!

Sunday

Hamburger Steak

Rice

Gravy

Veggies

Crust-less Egg Custard

Monday

Leftovers

Tuesday

Chicken Fried Rice

Wednesday

Meatloaf

Mashed Potatoes

Veggies

Thursday

Leftovers

Friday

Hardee's Thickburger

or

Moe's Southwestern Home Wrecker Burrito

Saturday

Tuna Cheesy, Creamy Casserole

My hammock was flipped around wrong so when I turned it to be correct I had icicle's that were facing up. Neat huh??


And our house this afternoon, it seems last night we had some really strong winds and blew all the pretty snow away :(

Merry Christmas

From our house to yours may you remember the reason for this day and give praises to God for bringing us his son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins.

Merry Christmas

Eat's of the Week ~ December 19, 2010

Sunday

Taco Potatoes

Monday
Chicken and Dumplings

Green Salad (if it last that long)

Tuesday

I have an ornament exchange party that night so Keith will have yummy leftovers.

Wednesday

Christmas with the Alford's (we will eat their)

Thursday

HM Pizza or leftovers if we bring any home, most of the time we do.

Friday

Cheesy Tuna Casserole

Saturday

A wonderful Christmas meal with my family.

Fire Starters

Do you dry your clothes in the dryer, burn candles and use toilet paper? Then this is the best way to reduce your waste and keep warm at the same time.

It all started when I read this post on Heavenly Homemaker about stocking stuffer. Then I read the comments and then I did some googling. The post stated that Laura makes egg carton fire starters for her friends stocking. Then in the comments someone mentioned using toilet paper rolls, dryer lint and left over candle wax to make fire starters. I googled and googled some more and ran across these web sites "The Guide Zone: Fire Starters" and "Fundamentals of Camping: Fire Starters for your Campfire". Between my three sources of direction it seemed easy so I saved a few toilet paper rolls and melted some almost gone candles and thus the project began.

My only problem was that some suggested to stuff the dryer lint tightly in the toilet paper roll and some said to stuff it loosely in the toilet paper roll. So I am going to test the to different methods Thursday and Friday mornings when I build my daily fire.

With a kitty cat that loves to watch the fire burn and my cold little toes why not find a way to make getting the fire started easier.




I will be back Friday to tell you which way worked best and if there was even a difference.

Eat's of the Week ~ December 12, 2010

Sunday
Cube Steak Sandwiches (from leftover cube steaks we had yesterday)
Monday
We will be eating at Buffalo Wild Wings for a surprise birthday party.
Tuesday
Jumbo Shells stuffed with Spaghetti Sauce and Cheese
w/ Garlic Bread and Garden Salad
Wednesday
Crock pot Baked Potato Soup
w/ cheese, chives, crumbled bacon and sour cream for toppings
Thursday
I will be at my girls birthday club so Keith will eat left overs from Wednesday.
Friday
Hot Dogs, HM Onion Rings and HM Baked Beans
Saturday
I am not sure yet if we have plans this night. We might so I am not going digging in the freezer to figure it out.


The picture above is of Applesauce Bread, which I have been making every week and eating a slice or two each morning. The recipe is so simple and requires a bowl and spoon to mix it up, no need to drag out the mixer. Daddy, if your reading this well, I know you probably aren't close your eyes, he is getting a few loaves for Christmas. He loves anything that is sweet and baked. Easy Peasy!!

The Greens Party

This past Saturday was a busy day full of three parties to go to. The first was a Greens Party that is hosted by my mom's friend Marie. This is her 10th year doing this and it is just awesome. It started after the death of her son, her sister had come to visit and make sure she was doing okay. They decided one day to get out of the house and explore the woods around her home and collect greens to make decorations to put out at Christmas and then the next year she made a party out of it and invited everyone she knew and the rest of the story is well fresh greenery at Christmas time for anyone that comes.

She always host this party the first Saturday of December from 10am to 2pm. She provides containers, ribbons, floral foam, about six different types of fresh greenery, hot apple cider, hot chocolate, different soups at lunch time, a few outdoor fires to keep your hands from freezing while you work and most important a helping hand to help anyone that needs a little push.

You can bring your own container, wreath frame or use hers.

Below is my friend Lyndsey that came with me this year and Marie helping out with using different colored berries.

Lyndsey and the final product...

Because I am so brave I made the same thing I have in the past. A centerpiece for my IKEA table (circa September 2010).

Right after the Greens party I zoomed home to park, jump out of my car and jump in Keith's truck to go to a birthday party for a sweet little three year old, then we went to Wal-Mart and Target trying to kill two hours for the next party which was the Auburn/South Carolina SEC Championship Game. I hope your Saturday was great! This Saturday I HOPE to be able to read and/or crochet until the evening.

Couponing: My Second Time

• Soy Milk x 2 - Originally $3.39, On Sale $2.50, With Coupon ($1.00 x 2) $1.50, Total Due $3.00
• Peanut Butter x 2 - Originally $ 2.85, Not On Sale, With Coupon ( $.55 x 2) $2.30, Total Due $4.60
• Frozen Veggies x 8 - Originally $1.39, On Sale $1.00, No Coupon, Total Due $8.00
• Creamer x 2 - Originally $2.00, On Sale $1.25, With Coupon ($.75 x 2) $.50, Total Due $1.00
• Biscuits x 8 - Originally $1.49, On Sale $1.00, With Coupon ($.40 x 4 and $.30 x 4) $.70 or $.60, Total Due $5.20
• Pork Steaks x 1 - Originally $5.22, On Sale $3.87, No Coupon, Total Due $3.87

Grand Total with Taxes $ 25.30

(my math is off a little from the receipt but give or take 37 cents)

Total Savings $20.31

Eat's of the Week ~ December 5, 2010

This is how our Sunday afternoon was spent after church and before our LifePointe group. I hope you have had a lazy Sunday as well.

Sunday

Farmer Fellowship

(we will eat their)

Monday

Canned Soup and Sandwiches

Tuesday

Black Beans with Rice and Sausage

Wednesday

Lasagna and Bread sticks

Thursday

Leftovers

Friday

Farmer Fellowship Christmas Party

We will bring a appetizer, I am not sure yet what we will take, I will go to the store Tuesday for the items if I need to buy something

Saturday

Cube Steak, Rice and Gravy

A Greens Party

Today I am going to a Greens Party. Have you hosted one of these before or been to one? Well, this will be my 3rd year going to this one and I hope to host one next year. Ohh, I think it would be sooo fun. Here is what I made the very first time I went. The second time I went I helped take photo's so I did really make anything too exciting. But this year I think I am going to make the same thing as below. You shall see in a later post.....

Couponing: My First Time

This Sunday was the day! The day that I got brave enough to go to the store and buy stuff that would normally not be in my cart, buggie or whatever you call it in your neck of the woods because of the price. You see I buy everything that is store brand. If there isn't a store brand of it I try to make it homemade or buy the most generic product available. I have thought about using coupons in the past but I have always thought how can you buy the name brand item and it really be cheaper than the store brand. I never thought this could happen, but I now know it can.

Here is a picture of my shopping list printed out from Southern Saver's and my coupons that I printed out. The list is for Publix, which I LOVE (it is so clean you can sometimes smell bleach) but it can be pricey for our income. So I don't go there as much as I would like. They have great coupon offers like if the coupon is 50 cents or less they will double it and they always have a TON of B1G1 deals.

This Sunday I needed only four items and two of each.

• Toilet Paper x 2 - Originally $8.49, On Sale $6.49, With Coupon($.50 doubled x 2) $5.49, Total Due $10.98 for the equivalent of 48 regular rolls
• Creamer x 2 - Originally $2.00, On Sale $1.25, With Coupon($1.50 x 2) -$0.25, Total Due to Me $0.50
• Cream Cheese x 2 - Originally $1.59, Not On Sale, Total Due $3.18
• Gluten Free Crackers x 2 - Originally $3.49, On Sale (B1G1) $2.50, Total Due $5.00

Grand Total with Taxes $19.76

A Savings of $12.48

I forgot to mention that when I was ready to check out, I scouted for the register that was empty and I even checked out the clerks to see if they would be sweet to me as a newbie. When it was my turn, nobody was behind me Hallelujah, I told the Tammy the clerk "Um, this is my first time using coupons and I am very nervous and if for some reason I can't use the coupons, I am sorry but I am not going to be able to get the toilet paper." She said "Oh honey, people come in here all the time with huge stacks of them you will be fine. Let me see what your coupons say." I gave them to her and the whole time all this was going on, inside I felt like I had taken some kind of drug, my heart was racing and I was very nervous. As you can see above the coupons worked. I told Tammy "Now I can get 5 items next time with coupons", you know trying to work my way up and build my confidence and she nicely said "You did good, go ahead and get all your grocery's next time".

So go check out Southern Savers and all the coupon websites. This is So So worth it! If you stay at home like me it is away to help out and as a friend says that it is his wife's "Part Time Job". Southern Savers will explain it all to you and they even do workshops, maybe there is one in your area. If the grocery stores in your area are not ones that she shares about you can still learn the concept.

Go get busy and tell me about your great savings!!!!!!!!