Monday, November 29, 2010

Saving Money is Fun! :)

When I started blogging, I planned to stay away from sharing recipes and shopping tips because there are numerous blogs designed with those specific subjects in mind. BUT I have already shared some of my favorite recipes, and now realize some of my readers may not be "savvy" to the amount of money that can be saved with coupons and store deals. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I ever survived WITHOUT clipping coupons and watching store circulars!
First off, let me say that the Sunday paper is worth it's money in coupons even if you don't read the rest of it! And, if you want to save a little on the paper, I have found that I can buy the Sunday preview paper at the Dollar Tree on Sat. and still get most of the coupon inserts :) Also, read up on all the blogs about saving money. Some of my favorites are http://wildforwags.com/ which deals with Walgreens, http://passionatepennypincher.com/blog/ which has lots of shopping tips, and http://savewithashley.blogspot.com/ which has local deals. And there are MANY more websites too!
In my area, we have Kroger for groceries, and if I watch the ads and use coupons, I can usually save 50-75% off my order (during Mega Events, I even get things for FREE!).
I also enjoy shopping at Walgreens over CVS because I usually find more items that I actually use that can earn "Jingle Cash". For example, this Wed. is "Friends and Family Day" at Walgreens. With my coupons and "Jingle Cash" I will buy my hubby a Gillette ProGlide razor, some Dayquil & Nyquil for the winter months, 2 lg. bags of Hershey's Kisses, and an 82 ct package of Huggies wipes for $3, plus an extra 15% off with their coupon! Not bad, right?
Wherever you shop, look for deals online. Kroger will put coupons directly on your shopping card and then you also earn $.10 off of gas per gallon at Shell stations for every $100 you spend each month. Sometimes I wonder how these stores make money, but then I realize many people don't use coupons and deals and pay FULL PRICE! (Don't be one of those people!) Shop smart and it will become quite enjoyable!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

After the turkey. . .

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my guys at home this year! We have had a "rocky" year, so it was good to have a day where we could relax, watch movies, and just spend time together. So, after some wonderful holiday food, I thought tonight I would make something that did not include pumpkin, apple, or cinnamon! LOL :)

So what do you make after eating turkey, potatoes, green beans, homemade noodles, dressing, gravy, homemade rolls, pecan pie, and pumpkin trifle? Why, CHOCOLATE, of course!

I found this recipe in a magazine and tried it about a month ago. Tonight I "tweaked" it a bit and thought it was very rich and satisfying. My plan is to share them with my adult Sunday school class tomorrow. . . we'll see if they last that long!


MOCHA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES


Preheat oven to 375

*Dissolve 2 Tbs instant coffee into 1 Tbs half-and-half
*In a large bowl, cream together:
1 c butter
2/3 c sugar
2/3 c brown sugar
1 egg
*After well mixed, add the coffee mixture
*In a smaller bowl, mix together:
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 c cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt


Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet, then add 1/2 bag of mini chocolate chips. Dough will be a bit sticky. Roll dough into small balls and pat down a bit as you place them on cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 min.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Bumps, Bruises, and Blood, Oh My!

If you have children, you know how often they are injured! If you have boys, you probably have experienced it many times over :) Our first "major" accident was when my oldest was 22 months old. The short version is that an old cemetery headstone fell on him and broke his leg. Another memorable incident was when my second boy was 17 months old and was bit by our dog. Now, over the last 4 years, there have been numerous bumps, bruises, and blood shed. As a parent, you must remember to STAY IN CONTROL! I've seen moms become hysterical over injuries, and that does NOT help the child. Stay calm, talk to your child, and help them to focus on something besides the injury. And remember, head injuries always produce a lot of blood!


Last night we spent a few hours in the E.R. with our 3 1/2 year old. He had been running through our church auditorium after the service and he tripped. It seems he bumped his head on the metal corner of one of the seats.


He cried at first, but settled down quickly. My husband is great at assessing injuries and calming down our boys. I was very happy that Kyle laid in my hubby's lap so nicely while we waited for an hour in the E.R. (Isn't waiting the worst part?)




A nurse came and shaved a bit off his hairline, then applied a numbing solution. Kyle said it felt cold like ice :)


When the doctor arrived 30 min. later, he "glued" Kyle's head and attached some "steri strips."







Kyle was such a good boy throughout that he received some stickers and a nice fleece blanket! He finally was home in his bed at midnight, and slept until 10 a.m. He woke up with a headache :) but is definitely playing like he usually does. Ah, the joys of parenthood! LOL

Sunday, November 14, 2010

My Muscle Tone is Missing!

As you may have read in one of my earlier posts, I recently completed a 10 day fast. Well, while I was fasting, I started exercising as well. Nothing fancy, just some sit-ups, squats, and leg lifts. I found it worked great during nap time, but last week things were WAY off! I don't know what happened, but I think I only worked out ONE DAY last week :(
My question is, have I ruined my chances of gaining muscle tone if a take a week long vacation? I had just started thinking that my legs were looking thinner and my arms were feeling stronger. Now I just hope I haven't let all that muscle turn to jello by taking a break!
Tomorrow is the start of a new week. I'm really hoping I can "get back into the swing of things." I need to be able to fend off all the holiday food that is headed my way!!!!!

Friday, November 12, 2010

The Monotony of Motherhood

Do you ever accomplish something meanial, but still feel like shouting from the rooftop about it? Then, the thing you just accomplished becomes moot because there is something else that needs to be accomplished? Welcome to the monotony of motherhood.

Let's take laundry. One day you magically finish washing, folding, and putting away 6 loads of laundry before starting dinner. VICTORY! But then, your 4 yr. old spills milk on his shirt. For a minute, you want to tell him to still wear it when you go out, but you know it will start to smell. Ugh! And then, by the time baths are finished, you realize the laundry baskets are filled with dirty jeans, shirts, socks, and underwear. NOOOOOO! Those laundry baskets were empty just two hours ago!!!!!

Or, we could talk about floors. One day you vacuum all the carpets, wash the floors, and even clean all the bath mats. VICTORY! Then you see your 2 yr. old sitting in the middle of the living room with a box of fish crackers. You know what's going to happen when his brother comes in and wants some as well - "Mine!' "I need some too!" "NO!" - and then the box gets knocked over and little fishies are swimming everywhere. NOOOOO! Just because the floors are now clean enough to eat off of, didn't mean I wanted you to do it!

Now my favorite - the kitchen. You spend longer than usual preparing a nice meal for the family. After dinner, you put away leftovers, load and start the dishwasher, and clean up all the counter tops. VICTORY! You think this is wonderful, and decide to relax and watch a movie since you're so "ahead of things." But, before bed, you go to put your glass in the sink, and realize that the "milk before bed" cups are in your once empty sink. NOOOOOO! My sink had been empty and sparkling not so long ago!

For those of you who are not married, I know you face the same thing. You may pay off a credit card, then have the fuel pump go in your car, resulting in another charge on your account. It happens to all of us, but I will say, staying at home with my children, I now notice these things more often! Life really does seem to have us running around in circles! The only thing that keeps me sane is hoping that my circles are spiraling upwards :) Oh, and it helps when I hear one of my boys say, "Me really like your food, Mom!"





Wednesday, November 10, 2010

My Little Guys :)

ZACHARY VINCENT - AGE 4
slight perfectionist, very observant, great big brother



KYLE ALEXANDER - AGE 3
a bit haphazard, pretends to be shy, intellectual



EVAN BRADY - AGE 2
the "hugger," loves to make people laugh, stubborn but smart

Monday, November 8, 2010

Say what?

I'm sure all of you are familiar with the variety of words children come up with as they begin to talk, like "woof" for all dogs or "go go" for all cars. I was thinking about the words my children have said and thought I'd share a few. Maybe it will give you a good laugh, like it did for me :)

When my oldest was little, he consistently said the word "stop" backwards. We would come to a red light, and he would yell, "POTS!" We always tried to correct him, but he continued to say it until he was at least 2 1/2! He also would say the word "lello" (pronounced like hello with an "L"). Now you would think he was trying to say the word "yellow," right? WRONG! He was saying "other!" Now, I hate to admit it, but he still says the word wrong now that he's 4. Whenever my hubby or I hear him, we make him say it correctly, but when he's in a rush, it still comes out wrong. People are going to think his favorite color is yellow - LOL!

Now my second son has always been a chatterbox, but has a whole different problem than his older brother. He says words correctly, but in the wrong order. For example, he is not a morning person, and frequently I will ask, "Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" On days when he's particularly grumpy, I'll ask what is wrong. He will say, "I slept on the side of the bed wrong!" LOL

My youngest son is a parrot. He has been able to say words like bulldozer and spaghetti since he was very young, BUT he talks like a robot. It can be quite amusing. I will often hear, "More. milk. please. mommy." or maybe, "We go? to? the park? NOW?" My husband and I have noticed he does have the best manners at his age. I guess harping on the other two was worth the trouble :)

As a former teacher, I try not to get too "bent out of shape" about my children's speaking abilities. I'll work with them through the years, and hopefully they will not pick up on too much of this teenage slang that is prevalent now. If they try pronouncing the word "school" like "skul," I just may blow a fuse!

Friday, November 5, 2010

"...bake me a cake as fast as you can!"



I have often thought it odd that people have hobbies that seem like work - sewing, painting, and even fishing (I mean, who really enjoys cleaning a fish?!?). So I was surprised at myself when I admitted that I am a bit addicted to baking. I mean, baking produces some great results, but it IS work (especially the cleaning up part).


I opened my "baking cupboard" today and noticed there is an extreme amount of items inside. Most people have flour, sugar, vanilla, and the like, but I have extra EVERYTHING! There are at least 8 varieties of chocolate chips and bars, 3 types of flour, 3 types of sugar, 3 types of oil, 3 types of salt, brownie and cake mixes, marshmallows, honey, molasses, cocoa, wheat germ, flax seed, nuts of all sorts, sprinkles, food coloring, frosting, lard, different flavored extracts, and of course baking powder and soda. And believe it or not, the supply is always being replenished!


During the summer I probably bake once a week, but now that it's cooler, I realize that I bake 3-4 times per week! Even more odd is that I find it relaxing! Oh, and it's always something different (I love trying new recipes). Fortunately, my guys like my baking, so nothing stays around for long. For church fellowships or for friends, I bake with white flour and sugar, but for my own family, I try to stay with "whole foods." This means using whole wheat flour, honey, and plain yogurt. Believe it or not, you can have a dessert that is not 500 calories per serving! LOL


I think my boys are picking up on my "baking habit" because they flock to the kitchen when they see me take out a mixing bowl. I'm glad! I hope to teach them how to bake some healthy, fun foods. What is even better is that they ask to wash the dishes when we're done! Hmmmm, maybe I just figured out why baking is relaxing to me. . .everyone works together and everyone enjoys the results!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Customer Service - It Ain't What It Used To Be

First of all, let me say, this post has nothing to do with my children. Although, I will say, I pulled out the hide-a-bed for them to jump on for a while so I could type this. That should give me 20 min or so before they fall off and break something or start fussing at each other - LOL!
My issue today is with customer service representatives the world over (and I use the word "world" because I'm pretty sure I have had some conversations with men from India!). Monday I tried loading some coupons on my Kroger Plus card, but the program did not seem to recognize my card (funny, since it works all the time when I'm at the store). I called customer service and explained the situation to a lady who seemed to care less about my problem. She took my information and told me it would take 1-2 days for the system to update. Today is Thursday (3 days later), and my card still won't work. The part that bothers me the most is that when I called on Monday, I asked if she needed my name or email - she curtly replied "no." I also asked if there could be a specific reason why my card wouldn't work - she only replied to wait 1-2 days, then said, "Will that be all?" as if I was wasting her time. I tried to call back today, but after 15 min of waiting for a customer service representative to answer, I gave up. Now I'm pretty sure Kroger has enough money to pay for enough customer service reps! I mean, how many people are calling them anyway?
And speaking of hiring enough help, what is the point of having an all automated system? I called about another store card I have, because I wanted to try to get a new card (one of my boys bent my other one), and I only received automated prompts. Not one option to SPEAK to someone - not even pressing "0" helped! I also called about a question on my water bill, and an older lady said, "I'm sorry, I can't help you with that." I waited for her to connect me to someone else, but she didn't! I guess she thought I could figure it out myself - LOL!
I'm starting to think that companies do not want to talk to consumers at all! They would rather that we all do our business online, but there are some issues that cannot be resolved that way. On a positive note, the last time I updated our car insurance, I spoke to a very nice man who even told me to "have a nice day!" He seemed old enough to remember the days before the internet "fixed" everything :)
OK, enough venting for today. I need to get on the phone to cancel an order I made and will probably be waiting for at least 10 min to get through. Hoping I'm done by lunch time!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Buzz, Woody, The Gang's All HERE!


Ever feel like toys over-run your house? With three boys, the toys seem to multiply like rabbits. No matter how many times I say, "No, we're not buying that toy," it still seems like toys find their way into our house! Well, as you may have noticed, from my color-coding efforts, I am a bit of an organizing zealot :)

I personally do not think that my children need to have access to every toy every day. I know many of you are content with the, "just throw it in the toybox" mentality - not me. When my boys were just 1, 2, & 3 yrs old, I was happy if everything ended up in the toybox (instead of on my living room floor), but now that they're a bit older, I'm trying to teach them some more responsibility. As they get older, I wouldn't want them to just throw all their clothes in one drawer (they'll need to fold them first) or dump their plate in the sink (they'll need to rinse it first). I think the younger you start, the easier it is! This is how it works for us:

1) All large toys go into the toybox. This includes police cars, Elmo, Buzz, fire hats, and the like. Where else would I keep such large toys? I definitely do not have enough shelf space for them!

2) All board books go into a large basket that is always accessible. It's never a bad idea to encourage looking at books while children wait for mom and dad, or wait for dinner, etc.

3) Small toys go into specific small containers. I save a various assortment of containers. I like the containers that hold Gatorade powder mix. I draw a picture of the toy on a piece of white contact paper, then I stick the contact paper to the outside of the container. Even my 2 yr old can match a train with my simple picture of a train - LOL!

4) Puzzle pieces go into a shoe box on top of the stack of puzzles. I decided to do this after I realized it seemed to take FOREVER for my boys to put the pieces into the puzzles when it was time to clean up! Now they just put all the pieces into one box (we only have about 6 puzzles).

5) Train tracks go into a copy paper box, while the trains themselves go into a cloth bag that I have. Train tracks need lots of space and a sturdy box!

6) Match box cars and other small toys go into plastic tubs. If you look at Walmart after a major holiday, you can often find them at a great discount. I think I bought 4 at $.50 each (and they hold quite a bit of stuff!).

With this organizing system, the boys know they can always play with the large toys in the toybox or use the books. The other toys are used one type at a time. Now, you may ask, what is to keep my boys from taking out all the boxes or containers and dumping a variety of toys out at one time? The answer - ME! That's my job. I make sure things are run decently and in order. We've been doing this for 4 yrs, so my boys have been taught not to make a complete mess of the house. Besides, if they did, they know they would be cleaning it up! ;)

Monday, November 1, 2010

The Noise of Boys

OK, I have a little pet peeve to address today. It is the excessive amount of and various ways my boys can make noise! I grew up as an only child, so my dad was the only male in the house. Let me say, it was not comical to burp at the table. And heavens, if it came out the other end, it was a total embarrassment! Well, that is not the case in my house now. If someone belches at the table (or anywhere else, for that matter), it causes instant laughter. And if it's my youngest who lets out the burp, the laughs seem even louder!

There are many other noises I also hear on a daily basis - siren sounds, whooping sounds, automobile sounds, shooting sounds, and of course whining sounds :) About a year ago, my oldest boy, then 3, started humming a repetitive "theme song" he had made up whenever he was playing. The song caught on, and now all three boys hum, "da da da dum, da da da dum, ..." when they are playing. I admire his creativity, but sometimes, I just want QUIET!

Oh, let me not forget the sounds of play. This would include jumping - on the kitchen floor - while wearing boots. Or crashing cars into blocks. Or simply running through the house yelling something important like, "I'm gonna put you in jail!"

Although my boys are noisy, I will admit, there is one noise I could listen to all day long. . . the sound of their innocent little giggles :)