Your in for a treat!

Get ready to have your socks blessed off tomorrow after church! My dear friend, and fellow DRSr (although she is currently in remission), Emily McCarron graciously agreed to write a guest post for Sonday Sunday. I can't wait for you to read her heartfelt testimony- what a message! Her message will surly bless your life but I have no doubt Emily will receive the biggest blessing of all for being willing to share her story with all of us. Thanks so much Emily!

What a day!

I'm pooped, what about you? You had a lot of reading to do on DRS, sorry to be so long winded but the good news is Super Saturday only happens once a month. I hope your as excited about what's in store for February as I am.

Side note: I will be away from my home computer for the next couple of days. I still have posts scheduled to go out on designated days, there just might not be as many as normal.

Sonday Confessions

One of my favorite days to blog is Sonday Sundays. You know why? Some weeks in January that was the only time I spent in the Bible all week! Even though Jesus was soooo faithful to me last month, I let him down day after day when I neglected to spend purposeful time with him. He was so good to whisper my memory verse to me throughout each week, but I didn't make the time to sit "still" long enough to hear what else he might want to teach me.

My hope is that my sleep accountability will enable me to get in bed at a decent hour so I can awake refreshed and excited about my daily time alone with God (quiet times) vs. crawling out of bed after hitting the snooze 3 times and pushing my quiet times aside with failed intentions to "do it later."

February Project

Update on Last month's project- I did have a winter garage sale and I did use some of the proceeds to buy organizational baskets for my bedroom armour. Target only had 4, so I still need to get 2 more (please tilt head toward right to see the picture).

My February Goal: Repaint the Hall way. Maybe even do a decorative stripe!

February Familytime

My work schedule really slows down in February so I am hoping I can do a lot better about making our familytime a priority. Colby really enjoyed getting the Family Fun Can down last weekend, my hope is that we can do it more often this February.

As far as "Devotional Time" goes- I was really disappointed in the devo book I got for the boys last month. Does anyone have any suggestions? In the meantime we will just be working through Colby's Cubbies Book and working on "Jesus Loves Me" with Cohen.

Craft Time- I'm excited that this month hosts Valentines because there are lots of craft ideas floating around the Internet for V-day crafts. Next week we are going to start working on Colby's Valentines for his school party!

Learning Time- As I mentioned yesterday, the big goal is to help Cohen learn to talk and to help Colby develop his writing.

February Frugalness

I have some goals for Thrifty Thursday's I would like to share with you.

First off, I am hoping to do a better job this month helping the coupon newbies understand some of the basic lingo and tricks to getting the most out of their coupons.

Can't promise they will all come in February but I also hope to eventually have posts on the following:

• Grocery Game for Dummies (Please don't take offense to "dummy" these happen to be my favorite self-help guides)
• How to Organize your coupons.
• Where to get your coupons.
• Secret tricks to Walgreens
• How to get started in the envelope system

On a personal note- My goal for February is to get caught back up on my budget! You can go here to see where I stand to date.

Refill Envelopes Reminder

This is just a reminder to sit down and examine your February Budget and then fill those envelopes.

Wellness Goal and Update

Let me begin my Wellness Goal and Update by quoting my January goal:

"My personal goal for Wellness this month is to find a back doctor and schedule an appointment. I also need to recheck my metabolism (have not done this since before last pregnancy)."

Outcome: Didn't do it! Yep, that's right I can dish out the wellness advice but can't seem to follow it. Sorry!

Therefore my February Goal is to really do my January goal. In addition, I am also going to ask you to hold me accountable to getting some sleep! I know the damaging effects of sleep deprivation and can see what it is doing to me when I look in the mirror.
Sooo here is my specific goal: I am going to be in bed by midnight EVERY night (except maybe Friday nights). That means even if I am in the middle of blogging a post due the next day, I'll just pack it up and go to bed. Even if the lunches haven't been packed, I'm getting in bed. Even if I can't find the top of my kitchen table and I'm expecting Donna Reed herself for tea the next day- I'm going to bed!!!! (First off- it is highly unlikely I would ever host a tea (do people still do that) and second I'm quite sure I don't have to worry about Donna Reed ever seeing my messy table- she died in 1986, may she rest in peace.)

Now my long-term goal is to eventually be in bed by 10:30 every night. But I'm trying to be realistic.

What about you? Do you have a specific Wellness Goal you would like us to hold you accountable to for the month of February?

Daily Routine

Here is my Daily Routine Reminder
The final housework comes in the form of daily routines: Morning, Afternoon, and Bedtime Routines.

Morning Routine- usually 7am - 8am (Please note I am NOT a morning person, therefore I try to keep my morning routine as light as possible):

• Quiet Time
• Breakfast
• Take Vitamins
• Get dressed for day
• Get kids dressed
• Dishwasher emptied and refilled
• Clothes in dryer
• Crockpot turned on (if applicable)
• Kitchen and Bathroom counters wiped down

Afternoon Routine- usually take 1-2 hours (this is done during rest time for boys or after work on days I work)

• Zone Work (Flylady says to spend no more then 15 minutes on this)
• Day Tasks
• Fold laundry
• Prepare Dinner
• Straighten up all rooms
• Return phone calls and check emails

Bedtime Routine- this starts after supper

• Clean up supper
• Pack lunches, backpack and diaper bag for next day (only on work days)
• Start Dishwasher
• Boys bathtime
• Start load of laundry (I do one load a day and alternate between permanent press and regular- but NEVER take laundry advice from me- I am horrible!!!)
• Wipe down toilet (this is done everyday because I live with 3 boys), sink, counters and Spray Shower Cleaner
• Bedtime routine with boys
• Gather up stuff for next day ex: phone, planner, etc.
• Lay out clothes for next day (work days only- I totally wing it on days I am home:)
• Plan for next day
• Reading time

Day Task

Reminder of Day Tasks:
Day Tasks are weekly chores or activities, not included in the zone work, that are assigned to specific days of the week.

Monday: Library Day, Pay Bills and Office Filing

Tuesday: Vacuum or Swiffer floors throughout house

Wednesday: Clean inside Microwave and Mop Kitchen Floors

Thursday: Date Night (in my dreams!), Swish Toilets (swish v. 1. the action of inserting the toilet brush into the toilet bowl and swirling it around thus cleaning the toilet bowl)

Friday: Errand Day, Project Day, Feather Dust House

Saturday: Change Bedsheets, Family Fun Day, Clean out Refrigerator, Grocery Shop (if grocery game posts early enough)

Sunday: Cut up fruit and vegetables for snacks, Iron clothes for coming week, REST

February Cleaning Schedule

Effective Dates (Tuesday - Monday); Zone; Supplies

February 3 - 9; Outside, Garage, Laundry Room; All-Purpose cleaner, broom, mop, leaf blower (optional), windex, coins for the car wash, vacuum, trash bags, containers to sort: donate, garage sale, keep, etc., paper towels

February 10- 16; Kitchen and Dining Room; Windex, All-Purpose cleaner, Oven Cleaner (I have an older oven with no automatic oven cleaner), Turtle Wax (to shine sink), broom, mop or Wet Swiffer, vacuum, paper towels. Dusting Spray or Furniture Polish (ex. Pledge)

February 17- 23; Bedrooms and Closets; Windex, Dusting Spray, vacuum, Wet and Dry Swiffer (we have stained concrete in our bedrooms), paper towels

February 24 - March 2); Bathroom and Living Room; Windex, All-Purpose or Bathroom cleaner, Toilet Cleaner and Brush, Tilex or other soap scum and mold killer, Mr. Clean Dry Eraser, Swiffer Wet or mop, Dusting Spray, vacuum, paper towels

February Master Grocery List

To the best of my knowledge here are all the ingredients you will need to complete all 20 meals for the February Meal Plan. I like to give you the full grocery list at the beginning of the month so you can stockpile on items as they go on sale. For example: you should already have the ground beef in the freezer from the Laura Lean Sale last month!


Product; amount needed; weeks needed

Produce

• Shredded cabbage and carrots; 1 bag; week 2
• Onion; 4-6; weeks 1, 2, 3
• Green Pepper; 2, weeks 3 & 4
• Avocado; 1; week 2
• Asparagus; 1 bunch; week 3
• Side salad; 4 meals; weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
• Green onions; 2 bunches; weeks 3 & 4
• Coleslaw mix; 1, week 4
• Bib lettuce or other for lettuce wraps; 1; week 4
• Lemon; 1; week 2
• Spinach; 2 bags; week 2
• Shredded lettuce; 1 bag; week 1
• Yellow squash; 2 or 3; week 3
• Shredded or matchstix carrots; 2 bags; week 2 & 4
• Eggplant; 3; week 4
• Fruit Salad; your discretion; week 2

Meats

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts; 14-18 breasts; weeks 1, 2, 3 , 4
• Tuna; 12 oz can; week 1
• Ground chicken or turkey; 1 lb
• Peeled deveined uncooked shrimp; 1 lb; week 3
• Salmon; 1 per family member; week 2
• Lean pork roast; 1-3 lbs whatever you can find; week 4
• Tilapia; 1 lb or 1 fillet per family member; week 4
• Turkey Bacon; 1 package, week 1
• Deli Ham; enough for a sandwich for every family member; week 2
• Ground beef; 2 lb; week 1 & 3

Cans

• Great Northern beans; 2 cans; week 1
• Black beans; 3 cans; weeks 1, 2 ,4
• Baked beans; 1 can; week 4
• Chili beans, 1-2 cans; week 3
• Mushrooms, 9 oz can; week 1
• Healthy Request cream of mushroom soup; 2 cans; week 1
• Health Request cream of chicken soup; 5 cans; weeks 1, 2, 4
• Spaghetti sauce; 4 cans; week 1, 3, 4
• Jalapeno peppers; 1 jar; week 1 & 4
• Green beans- No added salt; 3-4 cans; weeks 2, 3, 4
• Chicken broth- low sodium; 2 cans; weeks 1, 3
• Crushed tomatoes; 15 oz; week 3
• Enchilada sauce; 10 oz, week 3
• Green chili's; 4 oz can, week 3
• Pumpkin; 1 can; week 1
• Rotel; 1 can; week 1
• Shoe peg corn; 2 cans; week 1
• Corn; 1 can; week 2
• Salsa; 2 jars; week 1, 2, 4
• Greens; 1 can; week 3

Dairy Section

• Milk; 3 cups total; weeks 1 & 3
• Buttermilk; 1/2 cup; week 3
• Mozzarella Cheese, part skim; 4 8oz bags; weeks 1 & 4
• 2 % Cheddar Cheese; 2 bag; weeks 3 & 4
• 2 % Mexican Blend Cheese; week 1
• Swiss Cheese; 8 slices; week 2
• Velveeta Lite; 1 lb; week 1
• Fat Free Cottage Cheese; 2 cups; week 1
• Parmesan Cheese; 1 jar; week 1 & 4
• Cream Cheese, Lite; 4 oz, week 3
• Sour Cream, Lite; 32 oz; weeks 1, 2, 3 ,4
• Butter, Lite; 1 box; weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
• Egg Substitute; 2 cartons; weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
• Redi Whip or Cool Whip; optional, week 1

Frozen Section

• Shredded Hashbrown Potatoes; 2 lbs; week 4
• Frozen Broccoli Steamers; 1 bag; week 1
• Frozen chopped Spinach; 2 10 oz bags; week 1
• Frozen corn; 1 bag; week 3
• Athens Phillo Dough, 1 box; week 2 (this is located by the frozen pastries and fruit section in Kroger)

Starches

• Cornflakes; 1 box; weeks 3 & 4
• Cornbread; 3 loafs; weeks 1, 2, 3
• Breadcrumbs, Italian; 2 containers, weeks 1, 2, 4
• Dried Pinto Beans, 2-3 cups; week 3
• Dried Lentils; 1.25 cups; week 2
• Whole Wheat Spaghetti noodles; 2 boxes; weeks 3 & 4
• Whole Wheat Lasagna noodles; 1 box; week 1
• Bow Tie pasta, whole wheat if available; 1 package; week 1
• Rice; 1 meal; week 3
• Baked Doritos; 1 bag; week 3
• Reduced Fat Butter Crackers; 1 sleeve; week 3
• Pizza Crust; 1; week 4
• Reduced Fat Biscuits; 2 cans; week 2
• Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls; 2 cans; week 1
• Whole Wheat Buns; 2 package; week 2 & F

Miscellaneous

• Dried Cherries; 1 package; week 4
• Dijon Mustard; 2 Tbs; week 2
• Dried Cranberries; 1 package; week 2
• Reduced Fat Bisquick; 1 box; week 1
• Wheat Germ; optional; week 1
• Pecans; 1/2 cup; week 2
• Almonds; 1/3 cup; week 4
• Lite Syrup; 1 bottle; week 1
• Horseradish mustard; week 2; week 2
• Ranch; 1 bottle; week 2
• Honey; 1 jar; weeks 2, 3, 4
• BBQ Sauce; 1 bottle; week 4

Spices and Other Baking Ingredients Needed

• Taco seasoning; 2; week 1 & 2
• Olive Oil
• Canola Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar week 2
• Rice Vinegar week 4
• Dried Onion; weeks 2 & 4
• Teriyaki Sauce; week 4
• Lite Soy Sauce; week 3
• All Purpose Flour
• Cornmeal
• Salt and Pepper
• Basil
• Dill (week 2)
• Thyme
• Poppy Seed (week 2)
• Parsley
• Garlic Pepper
• Splenda
• Cumin
• Ham Bouillon
• Italian Seasoning
• Oregano
• Paprika

February Month of Meals

I hope this month's meals look as yummy to you as they do to me!

Week 1

• White Bean Chicken Chile with cornbread
• Tuna Mushroom Casserole with steamed broccoli
• Spinach Lasagna with a side salad
• Taco Roll with black beans
• Pumpkin Pancakes with Turkey Bacon or Ham

Week 2

• Chicken and Dumplings with green beans
• Pecan Encrusted Salmon with Cranberry Spinach Salad
• Spinach Lentil Soup with cornbread
• Southwest Egg Rolls with side salad and Mexican ranch
• Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches with baked beans and fruit salad

Week 3

• Oven Fried Chicken with Squash Casserole and green beans
• Shrimp Kabobs with rice and asparagus packets
• Pinto Beans with cornbread and greens
• Spaghetti Pie with side salad
• Chicken Tortilla Soup

Week 4

• Cherry Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Crunchy Oven Fried Tilapia with Hashbrown Casserole and green beans
• Eggplant Parmesan with spaghetti and side salad
• BBQ Pork Sandwiches with Baked Beans and coleslaw
• Mexican Pizza

Call to Action FAQ

Shameless begging for comments cont....

Frequently asked Questions

Q. Niki, How do I sign up to join you in part of your DRS challenge?
A. Simply let me know which part of the DRS plan you'll be participating in at the Mr. Linky on the previous post. Or you really don't have to let me know at all you can just join in!

Q. If I "sign up" does that mean I have to check in daily?
A. Absolutely not. Although I would love to hear from you every day, you can check in as often or as little as you want.

Q. How will I "check in"?
A. Good question! Every day I will provide you with an Accountability Mr. Linky for comments and blog link ups. Your comments can be as simple as "task done" or as lengthy as you want. If you have a blog you will even be able to write about your DRS adventure from the comfort of your own blog and then simply provide a link from your blog post to this blog.

Q. Can I join in on more than one challenge?
A. You betcha! Join in on as many as you want, as often as you want. In fact one week you might decide to comment on Mealtime Monday and another week you might want to tell me about a fun activity you did with your family on Familytime Friday.

Q. Do I have to do what you do?
A. No way. You can plan your own meals, your own cleaning schedule, your own budget etc. Do whatever works best for you and your family.

Q. Niki, I have never met you can I still join in?
A. I would be thrilled, honored, ecstatic to have you!

Q. What's in it for me?
A. I'm glad you asked. Let me break it down for you:

• Accountability, Accountability, Accountability I just think we are all more likely to stick with something if we are held accountable
• The thrill of a challenge. Won't it be fun to see how often you can meet your challenge.
• Blogging for Dummies told me that comments are the "life-line" of a blog. So you can feel good knowing your doing your part to keep DRS alive! No pressure!
• Great opportunity to get increased traffic to your blog. If you have a blog and want more people to stop by, consider hosting a daily, weekly, or even monthly DRS post so that you can link to DRS and have these dear readers hop on over to your blog.
• Your comments and participation let me know that all the hard work (and sleepless nights) are worth the effort because someone is finding this blog helpful or at the very least entertaining. (Please don't get me wrong, I enjoy doing the blog, I might just tone it down a bit if I was only doing it for myself.)
• It will make Niki and Donna (maybe even Jesus) do a happy dance.

As additional questions come in (or I think of more) I will try to answer them.

Call to Action

You have had a chance to watch me attempt, and fail, to put all of the DRS plan together over the last month. Now I am begging you to join me- not in all of the plan (that would be ridiculous, only a nut would attempt the whole plan.... anyways....) but to choose at least one part to participate- so we can hold each other accountable. I know it is totally selfish, but I am confident that I will do better if I knew someone out there on the world wide web was suffering, I mean sharing in this DRS process with me. So what do you say?

Krista T., Mary G., Jamie E., Mom- Will you join me on Mealtime Mondays? Can you commit to preparing at least 3 home cooked meals per week for your families. I picked on you girls because either you have already shared with me your intentions to prepare meals for your families or I knew you already did this and it would be easy for you to keep me accountable. This doesn't mean you have to follow my meal plan but that you will simply report in every week that you do have a meal plan for the week.

Emily M., Stacy H., Jennifer B., Molly W. I picked on you girls for Tidy Tuesday. Your names came to mind because either we have a history with accountability here and I NEED you back, or you have hinted you might be interested in this area, or you have admitted to OCD so you will do great with DRS!

Quite Frankly I think everyone can participate on Wellness Wednesday.

Kelly M., Gray W., Jennifer C., Carri F. Girls you in on Thrifty Thursday? I thought of you girls because I knew you were master bargain hunters. Would you be interested in sharing your grocery shopping success stories, or even your annual budget countdown?

All you Mommies, especially those that stay at home- Can you commit to Familytime Fridays. Can you write in weekly to let me know about your devotional time, craft time, learning time or any other fun activities you share with your kids throughout the week.

Tambrey K., Krista T. Angela S., Emily M., Lynn H., Angie E. I have either talked to you or heard about your desire to memorize scripture. Can you share with me the scripture you are hiding in your heart each week?

I hope I didn't embarass anyone for mentioning your names on my blog. I'm just desperate here!
If I didn't mention your name, I would love, love, love for you to join me too!!! If I did mention your name but you don't want to join me or you would like to work on another area that's great too.

I am going to include a Mr. Linky with this post so you can tell me where you might want to join me in this insane DRS plan. Isn't this Exciting!!!! Thanks in advance! I'm holding my breath in anticipation.... not really.

Welcome to SUPER SATURDAY!!

Hold on to your keyboard ladies it is going to be a super exciting day. I have scheduled over 10 posts to go out throughout the day outlining and highlighting what's ahead for February!

A brief word as we wrap up the first month of DRS:
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to all of you who have tuned in over the last month. Although I did not achieve full Donna Reed status this month (ok I didn't even come close, but anyways...) I have no doubt I did a lot better then what I would have done pre-blog because I knew you would be checking in on me. I appreciate you letting me share my few successes and my many failures without judgement. It was quite liberating to air my dirty laundry (literally, dirty laundry on my dining room table) for the www to see- you should try it!

I have to confess that I have become quite obsessed with my stat counter. I check it an embarrassing number of times every day. Although I can't tell who is tuning in, it does let me see how many new and return readers are visiting the blog. Of course I can't do anything without a plan and a goal; so no surprise- I have a goal number of new and return readers that I hope to reach each day- what a dork! Regardless, you gals have not let me down. Most days at least 30 of you tune in daily and on average there are at least 15 new readers to the blog every day which has resulted in over 1500 unique readers in the month of January! Thank you for sharing DRS with your friends and family- I am truly appreciative and humbled.

Last let me say, although I have enjoyed my stat counter, I have LOVED getting to hear your DRS success stories even more. I am soooo proud of all of you who are working on your meal plans, and I could listen to your money saving stories all day long! I can't find too many who have been as motivated about Tidy Tuesday but maybe their just not as vocal. Anyways, I look forward to sharing many more Donna Reed like moments with you in the future.

Now then Let Super Saturday Begin!!! Please imagine horns sounding and confetti flying and if you didn't read "Let Super Saturday Begin" with extreme enthusiasm- go back and read it again!

Please help- yes I'm begging

Ok Ladies, Last night I put out a Mr. Linky test to make sure this feature would work on the blog and asked that you leave me a short comment to test it out.


The Result: I am the only one who left a comment. So now I have to wonder did the Mr. Linky not work or was everyone just too shy to leave a comment.


Can I beg someone to give it a try tonight and if it doesn't work email me at rnt610@hotmail.com to let me know that it didn't work.


Just click on the Mr. Linky picture below and enter your name (you can even make up a name, if you want), your email (this does not show on the post- I'm pretty sure), your comment, and then you will be asked to answer a math question to help ensure spam doesn't get on the blog.

Thanks so much, my Super Saturday post is really depending on this function to work!

Deal Alert!!!

I actually figured out a deal all by myself tonight!!!

At the Walgreens by Moe's on the endcap of the razor aisle (at the back of the store) there is a discounted item section. On that endcap there is currently some BioInfusion Shampoo and Conditioner. This shampoo and conditioner is normally priced at a hefty $7.99 per bottle but it is marked down to $1.99 on the clearance endcap. Now that's a great deal, but here comes the really exciting part..... there is a $2 off 1 coupon in the EasySaver catalog (expires tomorrow).
Final Price: FREE glorious FREE!

Now I purposely left some for you dear readers so you could experience this high. But there aren't many left so run, run, run go get yours now!!! If someone is already there about to grab the last one..... introduce yourself she is probably a fellow DRSr.

PS I would love to hear who gets the last ones!

PSS Don't bother trying to get a high five from the checker- he just left me hanging mid-air!

PSSS Tonight I spent $7.52 plus got back a $2 RR ($5.52) and saved $41.56!!!!! Now thats just fun!

Learning Time

Ok folks, I've got to get really serious about learning time! I have been given 1 month to teach my now 16 month old how to talk or off to Speech Therapy we go! I have been instructed to stop giving in to his pointing and grunting when he wants something but instead to make him ask for it. Now given the fact he has yet to even say Mommy or Daddy I feel it is in his best interest to go ahead and give into his requests for basic needs (nourishment, comforting, Mommy, etc) after a sufficient number of "say (fill in the blank)" have been said. But I have been following Doctor's orders to increase our daily reading time. So my hope is he will be talking in full sentences by next weekend- ok, I would be tickled pink if he would just say Mama.

Big News: Last night, during bath time, Cohen not only showed me his belly button but also pointed to his nose, mouth, and ears!!! Sing Praise!

As for my big boy, Colby continues to work on his writing. He is definitely doing better but if you weren't his mama you might not be able to read what he writes.

Craft Time

I have found a really cute Valentine craft I am hoping I can convince the boys to do here.

However, I am thinking this is highly unlikely because Colby has been talking about putting on a "Blue Bird Frame Show" in his room all week. Don't worry I don't even understand what it means. But it has something to do with the coffee filters that he has hung from his walls and a blue racquetball that I have heard bouncing off his walls all week while he has been "practicing for the show." Last night he passed out tickets to each family member and told us the show would be opening tomorrow (that would make today the lucky day!)

I'll be sure to let you know if he decides to open the show for the general public. I bet I can get you a great deal on tickets!

Devotional Time

Devotional Time is going to be spent in the car today.


I am going to purposely turn off my cell phone (this is huge) so I can focus on the boys during our errands today. My goal is to teach Colby the verse of the week.

If any one of you is in trouble? He should pray. If anyone is happy? Let him sing sons of praise. James 5:13

What a neat verse that we can easily put into practice while running our errands. We can sing praise songs in the car. For those of you with the luxury of a radio or even CD player you could simply listen to praise songs. (Yes that's right- my car has no radio/tape deck/CD player! I have a lot of time to think during my 45 minute commute to work- scary!!)

And I'm thinking that if our errands go anything like they have in the past- the boys will be hearing lots of prayers too!

Familytime Friday

First, I feel I need to unload some guilt. Today IS "Familytime Friday" but the boys are going to spend the first half of the day at the baby sitters because I have a lot to get done in preparation for going out of town this weekend. So yes, some of "familytime" is actually going to be "sitter time." Thank you for letting me confess my guilt.

Although the boys and I won't be spending the entire day together I did go ahead and plan for a super short Devotional Time, Learning Time, & Craft Time (see later posts for details). We will also be running lots of errands today including Walgreens and Kroger!

Deal Alert

I am pumped about this offer! This ebay selling coach is offering her ebook "Stay at-Home Mom's Guide to Successful Ebay Selling" FREE! Not sure how long this offer will last so go here and get your copy today.

I have tried and failed, tried and got burned (one day I'll tell you that story) and tried again to sell on ebay with no luck. But you know me, I am such a book person (couldn't start this blog tell I read "Blogging for Dummies" cover to cover) so I think this step by step guide will be just what I need to get me motivated to give ebay another try. I already printed my 39 page copy this morning!
Maybe one day I'll have time to read it.....

I Won!!

Big Thanks to Carri for telling me about Freebies4mom.com On this website you can play 10 different Sweeps daily to win coupons and other savings. I have been trying for a $15 Kraft coupon book for days and tonight, or should I say this morning, I won! I guess it pays to be one of the first to play for the day! I'm going to bed... But you should click here to see if you can win one too!

My hope for Mr. Linky

My hope is that Mr. Linky will enable more of you to leave a comment without having to create a google account, etc. So for those of you who have always wanted to leave a comment and just couldn't get it to work, give it a try now and see what happens!

PS There is a Mr. Linky test on the post below this one.

Mr. Linky Test

Once again, I am trying to figure out Mr. Linky. Please help me test out this function by leaving a comment using Mr. Linky. Thanks so much for your help!

Super Saturday Coming Soon!!!

Just wanted to give you the heads up that this Saturday is "Super Saturday!" I have been typing as fast and furious as my little fingers will go, any spare minute I can get, all week long in preparation for this event.

I just completed the February Month of Meals and Master Grocery List- All I can say is Yummy!

Be on the look out Saturday for the "Call to Action" I am going to be looking for specific people to step up and join me on different DRS challenges (I desperately need accountability) throughout the month. Be thinking and praying about which day (Mealtime Monday, Tidy Tuesday, etc.) you might want to join me in February!

Plus much more all Saturday Long!

Deal Alert

Big thanks to Jennifer for passing on this deal alert! Go here to Join Big Lots Buzz Club and print a 20% off your entire purchase coupon good until February 1st! All Christmas is 90% off this week!

Deal Alert- Kroger

This week the Kroger Mega Events continues. Go here to revisit the best Mega Event Deals. (Please note- only the Mega Event deals are applicable all other sales did expire on Tuesday 1/27/09.)

Other deals not listed in the above post:

Boneless Pork Loin on sale at $1.99 lb.

Kroger Value Baby Wipes 80 ct. on sale $1

Mega Event Deals not listed in previous post:

Nestle Cookie Dough for $2.50

Go here and create a very best baking account and then go here to get a $1 off 1 coupon

Final Price after coupon and ME: $1

2% Kraft Cheese on sale for $2.59

Use $0.75 Blinke coupon that hangs near the cheese.

Final Price after coupon and ME: $1.34

Don't forget to load the $0.50 off 1 Fiber One coupon from cellfire on to your Kroger card.

And there is a $0.75 off 1 Fiber One coupon from shortcuts.com you can also load to your Kroger card.

Deal Alert- Walgreens

Lots of free goodies at Walgreens this week. Have Fun!

Many of the Walgreen Brand Cleaning products are BOGO this week.

Reynold's Wrap for $0.89 with Walgreens coupon in the weekly flyer (must clip)

Use $1 for 1 from 12/14 SS Final Price: FREE + $0.11 overage

If you need a chocolate fix and you can be portion savvy about it here is some free chocolate deals!

There is a Buy 1 Hershey's Candy at $0.89 Get 1 Free Walgreen coupon in the weekly flyer (must clip).

Use $1 off 2 coupon for Reeses Whips from 1/4 SS Final Price: 2 Reeses Whips for FREE + $0.11 overage

Other Hershey Bars: Use BOGO coupon from 1/25 SS Final Price: 2 FREE

Register Reward (RR) Deals

Colgate Toothpaste at $2.99 Buy 1 and receive $2 RR

use $0.75 for 1 from 1/18 SS or today in the mail I received a $1 off 1 coupon in the flyer that comes in the mail with all the pizza and tire adds- you know what I'm talking about?

Final Price: $0.25 or FREE after coupon and RR

Degree Deodorant at $1.99 (with Walgreen coupon- clip from walgreen flyer)

Supposedly if you buy 8 of these deodorants you will get a $10 RR (this is not advertised in the Walgreen flyer but MSM and The Thrifty Mama said it would work- let me know if you try it)

Best scenario: use 4 $1.50 off 2 coupons from 1/11 RP

Final Price: 8 FREE after 4 coupons and RR

(I only have 1 RP coupon so I am not going to be trying for this deal. Please let me know if you do.)

There is also a Listerine RR deal that you can read about here, but it seems like people are having a hard time getting the RR to print, so I don't think I'm going to try to take advantage of this deal.

January Free-After Rebate Deals

Hurry the January EasySaver Catalog expires on Jan 31. Make sure you submit your rebates online at walgreens.com (click on the EasySaver Link). I highly recommend selecting to get your rebate $ on a Walgreen's Gift Card because they will add 10% to your rebate amount just for choosing the gift card over a check.

This week only: Printer Cartridge Refills on sale for $5

Use $5 EasySaver Rebate Final Price: Free

Revlon Matte Collection Blush or Eyeliner at $9.99 or Revlon Matte Collection Lipstick for $7.99 or Revlon Matte Collection Eye Shadow at $4.99

Use $2 off 1 or $1 off 1 from 12/7 SS and other recent inserts

Final Price: Free plus $1 - $2 overages after coupon and rebate

Orajel Cold Sore Medicine for $8.49

Use $1/1 from 10/26 SS or 1/11 SS and submit for $8 Manufacturer's Rebate (Rebate information found in 1/11 SS and here)

Final Price: Free plus $9 overages after coupon, manufacturer's rebate and Easy Saver rebate

AutoExpressions Vent Fresh Elite Auto Air Freshener for $4.99

Send in for full manufacturer's rebate here

Final Price: Free plus $4.99 in overages after both rebates

Annual Budget Countdown

Last week I went to Kroger and Walgreens. I put all my Walgreens' purchases on my Walgreens' Gift Card so I am not counting that against my budget.

Last week's Kroger Trip:

Total Spent: $90.44 for 58 items
Total Saved: $102.64 Woo Hoo!
Total Spent for Year: $422.23
Total Saved for Year: $375.67
Total Left for Year: $4577.77

I am still over budget by $38 for the year, but I feel confident I will be able to catch up in February. Watch and see!

How are you doing on your budget?

Thrifty Thursday

Are you excited about another Thrifty Thursday?


I have really enjoyed hearing about your money saving experiences. I love sharing in your excitement- it's fun to see some of you get your first coupon high!


I am trying my best to get a Mr. Linkey feature going so you can leave more detailed comments and even link to your own blog. I would love it if you got in a habit of sharing your best deals on this blog. I think it will keep us both motivated to seek out the best deals.


Congrats to Kelly- I think she had the best Kroger Mega Event receipt last week. She spent $85.xx and saved $116.xx!!!! That is AWESOME!!! Is that not inspiring?

Go forth and save my friends. And then come back and tell me about it!



I

Joke

I was listening to "Golden Girls" this morning as I got ready to go to work. I always like to think about which character I would play if I was on whatever show I'm watching (ex. Monica on Friends, Danny Tanner on Full House, Urkel on Family Matters etc.). Well no doubt about it I would be Rose- the other 3 scare me a little. Anyways, Rose told a funny joke on today's episode that I thought I would pass along:

"What is Irish that stays out all night?"

Patio Furniture! Get it! (Patty O' It's ok, it took me a while to get it too!)

PS I can totally understand now why I wasn't allowed to watch this show growing up! Dirty!Dirty!

Product of the Week

Although these days it is not uncommon to find a high fiber granola bar- I thought I should honor the grandfather of high fiber bars first. Before the Fiber One bar hit the supermarket, the highest fiber granola bar you could find was 5 grams with the majority of bars weighing in at less then 2 grams. So you can imagine how excited I was when this bad boy first hit the shelves. Nine grams of fiber and oh so tasty too!!!

Now I will warn you- a lot of people are not able to tolerate this bar without, how shall I put this.... bowel consequences. If you do decide to try this bar I strongly recommend starting with half to see how your body handles it before going for a full bar.

This week, Fiber One bars are on sale and part of the Mega Event and Kroger.

Sale Price: $2.69, use $0.50 off 1 from 1/4 SS or $1 off 2 from recent coupons.com sidebar, or you can go to fiberone.com to print $1 off 1 coupons, Final Price with ME discount: $1.19 to $1.69

Deal Alert

Just learned that there is a $0.50 off 1 coupon for Fiber One Bars from cellfire. Go here to load coupon to your Kroger card. That would make your Final Price: $0.69 to $1.19 for one box

Wellness Wednesday

Welcome to the last January 2009 Wellness Wednesday. So far we should all be drinking our water, eating our fiber, and detoxing our home of BPA baby products. What should we work on today.... How about snacking! Sounds pleasant doesn't it- but do you do it?

I am a firm believer in the power of snacking. Not grazing (eating continuously all day long), but purposeful scheduled snacking. I think it is ideal to have something in your mouth* every 2 to 3 hours to keep your metabolism up all day long. Snacks not only give you a metabolic boost they also help ward off hunger which puts you "in control" at meal times. And if those weren't reasons enough- snacking has also been shown to help lower cholesterol and level out blood sugar for improved Diabetes control. So grab a snack and enjoy!

*We will discuss ideas for what should go in your mouth in future posts :)

Warning

Ok, I have been working on getting a Mr. Linky function on this here blog for over an hour. Mr. Linky will allow you to leave comments that connects to your own blog, I think. Anyways, I have no idea how to get it on my blog and I just paid $20/year for a platinum membership to the darn widget. So if anyone out there knows anything about Mr. Linky I would love some help. In the meantime if the whole blog comes crashing down, you'll know why.

Deal Alert

I am not sure exactly what dealyeo.com is, but I do know for the next 2 hours and 20 min they are giving away $10 gift certificates to use on their site. From the little I gathered while on their site they offer random products for a way discounted price. Sign up and check it out here. Money Saving Mom told me to do it so I trust it's a good deal!

Deal Alert

Can I just tell you- I love a good Dr. Pepper. I know, I know I should be drinking water, and I do, but some meals just taste best with a Dr. Pepper- you know what I'm saying? Anyways, with my new budget and www budget accountability I don't feel I can splurge on extras like an occasional Dr. Pepper so boy was I excited when I saw this deal on moneysavingmom.com.

Go here to get a coupon for a FREE 2 L or 20 oz bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper. Hurry, coupons are limited!

Playroom- Conquered!

Oh yeah! I got er done! (Please visualize a happy dance) I had some extra time on my hands today so I decided to totally knock out the playroom- Day 1 and Day 2! Yep, that's right I broke the rules and did 2 days of zones today. I guess it would be wrong to place a "Do Not Enter" sign on the playroom door for a few days? Don't answer that, I know the answer.... Wrong!..... Right?.....

Anyways, since it only happens once a month I thought I would show you a picture of our "tidy" playroom. This post is more for my benefit then anything else- I plan to visit here often over the next 30 days to remind myself what the playroom looks like when not blanketed by books, toys, crafts and you don't want to know what else.....

Another Option

If zone cleaning is too much to wrap your brain around but you want to take steps toward decluttering and getting your house in order- Money Saving Mom is offering a challenge on her other blog, Biblical Womanhood, called "The Spring Cleaning for Normal People Challenge." Well you know the word "normal" kicked me out of the challenge but I thought I would pass on the information to you. Looks like a lot of fun- you should give it a try. If you do try it, come back here and tell me all about it. I'll be happy to keep you accountable.

Zone 4- Office and Playroom

Day 1- Tuesday

• Dust Playroom Furniture
• Sanitize Toys
• Clean Playroom Windows and Fan

Day 2- Wednesday

• Organize Craft Closet
• Playroom Baseboards and Floors
• Office Baseboards and Floors

Day 3 - Thursday

• Dust office Furniture
• Organize Desk
• Organize Cedar Chest

Day 4- Friday

• Clean Office Window
• Organize Coupon Center
• Organize Window Seat

Day 5- Saturday

• Dust Computer and other Electronics
• Sort Magazines and File
• Organize and Update all Files

Tidy Tuesday

This week I will tackle both the office and the playroom. The office shouldn't be so bad, but the playroom.... that is the room that I neglect all month long because I can justify it being a mess, because after all it is "the playroom." This zone will definitely take me longer then 15 minutes per day but it will feel soooo good when all the toys are tucked neatly away in their designated "labeled" spot. Sadly, within seconds of my departure from the "clean zone" it will begin to snowball back into a "disaster zone." I give it 2 weeks max before it would require a search and rescue team to find Cohen if he should enter "the zone" alone. So sad! but anyways......

Fish Non-Roll-Ups- We liked it!

I almost forgot to tell you- We liked the fish tonight. The only questionable part to the dish was the imitation crab meat. I did not like not knowing what the impostor meat truly was. But if phony meat doesn't bother you or you can afford the real stuff- I think you'll really like the dish.

Pride Check

I was feeling pretty good about my Donnaism this morning. I had gotten the boys dressed, done a devotional time, craft time (made a "chubby bunny"- pitiful really), cooked 5 meals and 2 side for 2 families and had taken both boys to the doctors for Cohen's second of three ear infection shots all by noon o'clock. Then that's when I was faced with ....

And this

And once again I was reminded "I ain't no Donna!"

Jalepeno Chicken Modification

I forgot the fresh jalapenos when I went to the grocery store last Saturday, so rather then get out in the cold to spend more money, I decided to just use my canned jalapenos. I ended up stirring together the cream cheese and the sliced jalapenos and then wrapping the chicken around the mix.

Pizza Pictures

This is what the pizza looks like precooked. I wanted to show you a picture because I didn't want you to doubt yourself. The spinach really is suppose to just pile up on the crust (looks more like a salad, doesn't it) it will wilt down while in the oven and then it looks more like a pizza.

Fish Non-Roll-Ups

At the last minute I decided not to roll up my fish roll-ups. The tilapia kept falling apart when I tried to wrap it around the stuffing, so being the laid back person I am (cough, cough) I decided just to top the fish with the stuffing and call it done. Looks yummy, but I'll be sure to give you the final verdict tonight after the fam gives it a try.

Meals Done!

Well it took me 1 hour and 34 minutes to complete the following:

2 Broccoli Cheese Soups

2 Vegetable Chicken Pizzas

2 Italian Roasts

2 Rosemary Potatoes

2 Jalapeno Chicken meals

2 Asparagus Packets

1 Fish non-roll ups (I'll explain later)

I missed my goal by 4 minutes- it was those darn potatoes that pushed me over. Thanks Emily for the tip on the frozen potatoes- will definitely try next time.

I provided a picture of my stuffed fridge for proof of finished meals second to my table being cluttered- surprise, surprise!

I am going to try to post some additional pictures and modifications to recipes throughout the afternoon as I can steal a few moments at the computer.

Chicken Vegetable Pizza

This is one of our family's favorite pizzas. It is a great way to pack in some vegetables. Most of the time I skip the meat, but to satisfy the carnivores in the family I went ahead and planned to serve it this time with chicken.

Chicken Vegetable Pizza

Thin Ready Made Pizza Crust
1/4 cup Pesto Sauce
1 Bag Fresh Spinach
1 Tomato sliced thinly
Jalapeño Peppers (as desired)
6 oz Feta Cheese
Other vegetables as desired
4 oz Grilled Chicken

Directions: Preheat oven to 375◦. Spread Pesto on Crust. Add spinach, followed by remainder of vegetables and chicken. Sprinkle with Feta Cheese. Bake until spinach is wilted and cheese is melted.

Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1/4 of pizza
Meal Plan: Calories: 400, 2 starches, 2 vegetables, 2.5 meats, 2 fats

Wow- I just noticed this was the 3rd recipe this week that called for hot peppers. Sorry about that- I guess after a month of cooking with me you have figured out that we like our foods hot and spicy!!!

Rosemary Au Gratin Potatoes

Mom served this side dish at Christmas and boy was it yummy. After she sent me the recipe I could see why it tasted so good. In an effort to lighten it up I am going to use Fat Free half and half, otherwise I'm going to just accept the fat and enjoy!

Go here for the recipe.

Rosemary Au Gratin Potatoes

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/8th of recipe
Meal Plan: Calories: 320, 1 meat, 3 starches, 1 fat

Italian Roast with Peppers

Trust me- your going to love this recipe. A big thanks to Carri for introducing this roast to me several years ago at a recipe exchange party. This is one of my favorite recipes to serve guests and the leftovers make great roast beef sandwiches.

Italian Roast with Peppers

3 - 5 lbs Sirloin or other Lean Roast
1 TSP Garlic Powder
1 TBS Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper
1 can Beef Broth
1 10 oz Jar Mild Pepperoncini Peppers (the peppers found in Olive Garden Salads)

Cut Roast into several chunks. Place in crock pot. Dump in all remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low all day. Cook until beef shreds easily.

Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 4 oz of beef and assuming you ate some peppers
Meal Plan: Calories: around 250, 4 meats, 1 veg, 1 fat

I am going to serve this with Rosemary Scalloped Potatoes- recipe to follow!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Alright here is the wild card of the week. I wanted to attempt a broccoli cheese soup but most of the recipes I was familiar with were extremely heavy in fat and calories. So I searched high and low all over the Internet for a light but tasty sounding alternative. Here is what I found.


Broccoli Cheese Soup

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/12th of recipe
Meal Plan: Calories: 166, 0.5 starches, 1 meat, 1 veg, 1 fat

I am thinking some cornbread would be yummy with this.

I know the wild card recipe last week was a total flop, but this recipe got rave reviews from allrecipes.com. Someone even said it was just as good as Ruby Tuesday's Broccoli Cheese Soup- so I feel real good about it. But as always- I'll let you know!

Fish Roll- Ups

Sorry to try another recipe out on you, but I thought this looked like a fun way to serve fish. Once again, I am going to substitute tilapia for the fish. I will also be using imitation crab meat vs the real deal. When clicking on this recipe make sure to enter your desired number of servings, otherwise I think the original recipe, as it appears on the site, serves 12!

Fish Roll-Ups

Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1 fish roll-up
Meal Plan: Calories: 315, 4.5 meats, 0.25 starch, 2 fats

I am serving this with noodles and some Green Giant Vegetable Steamers. (I know the original meal plan said I would serve with a side salad- but hey- I just got a great deal on the steamers.)

Jalapeno Chicken

Although I have not made this exact recipe, I've made a similar recipe before and it was a big hit. The only reason I opted for this recipe vs the tried and true is that I have about 8 blocks of reduced fat cream cheese sitting in my fridge with quickly approaching expiration dates.

To lighten up this meal I am going to use my reduced fat cream cheese and turkey bacon.


Go here for the original recipe.


Jalapeno Chicken


Nutrition Information (with modifications)
Serving Size: 4 oz chicken breast
Meal Plan: 350 Calories, 5 oz lean meat, 2 Fat

I am going to serve this with a foil packet of asparagus and rice. Yummy!

PS If you need some cream cheese, I will be more than happy to give you some- it's stressing me out knowing it will expire in February!

Mealtime Monday

Are you ready for our last week of January Meals! After reviewing all the recipes I think I will be able to prepare all 5 recipes plus 2 side dishes in 1.5 hours- if I didn't have to peel and chop potatoes I would think I could even finish early. Below are the designated days I plan to serve the meals and how I will store until final preparations.

Monday: Fish Roll Ups. I will prepare according to recipe and then store in fridge until ready to bake tonight.

Tuesday: Jalapeno Chicken. I will prepare chicken according to recipe and then cover and place in refrigerator until tomorrow night. I will also go ahead and prepare the asparagus foil packets. If weather permits, I will grill both the chicken and asparagus tomorrow night, if too cold I'll just bake both in the oven.

Wednesday: Italian Roast and Rosemary Potatoes. I will prepare the roast in a ziplock bag and store in the refrigerator until Wednesday morning. That morning I will transfer all contents of ziplock bag to crock pot and cook all day. I will prepare potatoes according to recipe then cover and place unbaked potatoes in refrigerator until Wednesday night. Wed night I will take out and bake.

Thursday: Broccoli Cheese Soup. I will go ahead and cook broccoli according to recipe and then transfer to gallon size ziplock freezer bag. I will then add all remaining ingredients except the cornstarch, water, and cheese, to the ziplock. I will store soup in freezer until Wednesday. On Wednesday I will allow the soup to start thawing in the fridge. On Thursday evening I will transfer soup to pot. I will then add water, cornstarch, and cheese and finish according to recipe.

Friday: Vegetable Chicken Pizza. I will prepare pizza according to recipe and then wrap pizza in aluminum foil and place inside freezer until Thursday night. Thursday night I will place in refrigerator to begin thawing. Friday night I'll simply bake and serve.

Opportunity to Share

Next weekend I will be away from the computer. I am already working on Super Saturday posts that will be scheduled to release throughout next Saturday. I was hoping that someone out there might be willing to write a short post for Sonday Sunday. Is there a verse that has meant a lot to you lately or has the Lord been speaking to you specifically about something that you feel led to share? Please email me at rnt610@hotmail.com if you are interested. Thanks so much.

Sonday Sunday

As a perfectionist, I have a very black and white personality. In most aspects of my life I live on either of two extremes. I have no middle. I am either really happy or really down. I'm either counting my pennies or blowing the budget. My house is either Donna Reed perfect of Sanford and Sons destroyed. So I was so excited to find a verse that could use both extremes of my personality flaw to draw me closer to the Lord and perhaps even bring Him glory. With this verse written on my heart, there should never be a time that I'm not praying or praising! Hallelujah!

If any one of you is in trouble? He should pray. If anyone is happy? Let him sing songs of praise. James 5:13