The return of the Dust Bunnies!

I'm sorry to do this to you again BUT I felt I must show you the dust that collected on my bedroom floor in the one month since the last time I cleaned in the bedroom zone!

Note: I do vacuum/swiffer the main walking paths once a week so the dust you see is primarily from under the bed and under the other furniture. GROSS!!!!

Back to the 80s

Sorry so few posts today- I was traveling back to the 80s. Our Sunday School class had a "Pour Some Sugar on Me" Social tonight and everyone was asked to come in 80s attire. It was sooo much fun but I spent all day today getting ready. First, DH and I went to Goodwill to pick up appropriate 80s attire- I had lots to choose from but the men's side was very limited. I then went to Walgreens to pick up some bright pink lipstick and blue/purple eye shadow. Fun times! And can I just say I was feeling pretty good about my outfit until I saw everyone else- everyone went all out! I am posting a picture of our group.

I hope I don't lose any friends for posting this pic on the www BUT I figured we were all incognito so what was the harm! I only wish I had got a group picture with the boys too! They were hilarious with their tight-rolled acid wash jeans and mullets!

Scrapbook Saturday

Let me remind you- one purpose of Scrapbook Saturday is to record some of the funny/cute/sweet or just plan memorable moments with the kids. The following is one such moment:


Background information for story: Remember we have been reading the Dave Ramsey Financial Series for Kids with Colby. Well one day last week we made Colby's 3 envelopes- Save, Spend, and Give, and then divided up his chore money accordingly. We discussed how Colby was going to use each envelope. When I asked him what he wanted to use his "give" money for he said "he wanted to give it to his School so they could buy new playground equipment." How sweet- I didn't argue. Here comes the treasure chest moment......


Well the next day I had to go to Mail Boxes Etc. to send my Metabolism Machine back to the manufacturer for some necessary repairs. After shipping, insurance, packing, and 2 day air delivery the grand total for simply getting the machine to it's destination (doesn't include the repair cost or the cost to ship the machine back to me by next Friday for my upcoming Metabolism party) was..... are you sitting down...... $129.22!
I nearly croaked. So when I got back in the car I asked Colby "Do you know how many years of chores you would have to do to get to $129.22?" Well Colby was just real quiet for a few seconds, and then he said (here comes the adorable part) "Mommy, I changed my mind about who I want to give my "Give" money to. I want to give it to you!" I just melted! Talk about the widow's mite.... His willingness to give me his 64 cents meant more to me then if someone handed me $1000.00.

Devotional Time Confessions

Ok, I have to confess the reason I had no Devotional Time post today is because we did not have an "official" Devotional Time today! I know, I know I shouldn't have done so much shopping! But I do promise that we WILL have a devotional time very soon that will focus on God's Words regarding giving and helping those in need. I'll let you know the specifics at a later date!

DRS- more updates.

Well today I hit Walmart, Target and Walgreens. Guess which one I was most disappointed with? Walmart! Can you believe it. I use to shop at Walmart ONLY because I thought they had the lowest prices. But not only did I find that not to be true I also found that our Walmart prices are higher then others across the nation. Plus I now realize why I could never stick to my grocery budget when I was a Walmart shopper- IMPULSE BUYS! Yep, I walked by the toy section and noticed a neato toy that was 50% off so I got it for a future gift (not included in grocery budget nor reported below). No biggie, but I think I was sooo much more prone to those impulse buys when I use to be a Walmart shopper. On to Walgreens....

At Walgreens I was pumped to pick up my 2 free Yes to Carrots lip balm and I went ahead and got the rest of my FREE after rebate items. The big disappointment was the Nature Valley Bars I had wrote about. Across the Internet people wrote about the $1.19 granola bars, well folks I don't know what's up but our Walgreens had them marked at $4.19! $4.19 who in their right mind would pay $4.19 for a box of granola bars. I even had them do a price check because I was just sure it had to be wrong. So needless to say I did not buy the granola bars. But at Target.....

I was most excited about my Target purchases. I do need to warn you that the Kashi granola bars were marked at $3.29 instead of the $3 I had been told and reported to you. Regardless I got 5 boxes for $0.29 each and 1 box for free (Vocalpoint coupon). I also got 3 boxes of goldfish for $0.79 each. But what I was most excited about was that they had my Morningstar Black Bean burgers for... are you ready for this...........$2.99! That is a whole $1.40 cheaper then Kroger and $0.73 cheaper then Walmart. Who would have thought Target would have the cheapest food?! Oh and I also picked up 6 Johnson Buddies soap for FREEEEE!

Altogether my 3 trips cost me $64.15 out of pocket but only $47.69 after rebates. I saved $66.56 with coupons and rebates. Not bad But I am going to be WAY over my weekly budget once I tackle Kroger!

3 boxes of BeachNut Toddler Crackers

1 2lb bag of Frozen Tilapia

1 bag of Frozen Salmon

Quaker Rice Cakes

2 boxes of Pantyliners

6 boxes of MorningStar Blackbean burgers (1 at Walmart, 5 at Target)

2 bags Wheat Thins

Walgreens Multi Purpose Contact Solution

Thermacare Heatwrap

Garnier Fructis Moose

2 Yes to Carrot Lip Balms

3 bags of Goldfish

6 boxes Kashi Bars

1 Morningstar Chicken Nugget

Target Baby Wipes

6 Johnson Buddies soaps

TOTAL: $47.69

DRS Updates

Just wanted to update you on a few things:

First- We found Uganda. Sure enough there was a globe at the Library.

Secondly- Went to Walmart to try to cash in on some of those deals I posted on yesterday- big disappointment! Our sale prices (if on sale at all) were quite a bit higher then those I used for the deal match ups plus I couldn't find half the items for which I was shopping. I did pick up a bag of Tilapia that should cover 2-3 meals for $7.53 (quite a bit cheaper then Kroger) and 1 bag of Salmon ($4.48) and a package of the Morningstar Black Bean Burgers ($3.72).

Third- My Mom went to Walgreens to get her FREE 20 prints and was told the code was only to be used online. So order your prints online to get them FREE!

Oh and Uganda is in Africa!

Craft Time

For craft time- We are going to write Coline a letter. (The picture to the left is Coline's recent letter to us.) I am going to ask both boys to draw a picture to include with the letter.

That is all I have planned for craft time today BUT as always, I am sure Colby will have some additional ideas for us!

Learning Time

Last night Colby wanted me to show him where Coline lives on his map. Unfortunately, the map in Colby's room is only of the United States. Sooo, I told Colby we would need to look at a "globe" to find where Coline lives. I then proceeded to try to explain to my 4 year old what a globe was. I now have a better understanding of how Columbus must have felt when he was trying to convince people that the world was round. Colby just laughed at me!

Soooo for learning time we are going to try to hunt down a globe so I can show Colby that indeed the world is round AND to show him where Uganda is in relation to where he lives. I'm thinking the library is a good place to look. Plus we can go ahead and pick up some books since we didn't get to go on Monday.

PS Can anyone tell me where Uganda is?!

Familytime Friday- Meet our 3rd little boy!

His name is Coline (like all our boys his name starts with a "C"). Now before any rumors get started or my Mom falls out of her seat- you should know that Coline is our adopted child through the ministry Compassion International. We have never, and probably will never, meet Coline face to face, this side of heaven, but as his adoptive family our role is to love Him through prayer and a small monthly contribution.

When DH and I first learned about Compassion International I was excited because I had watched countless infomercials about children living in poverty stricken countries and had wanted to "do something" but didn't know enough about the infomercial sponsorship organization to feel fully comfortable with sending money. Well, we learned all about Compassion International at a Christian concert from Rebecca St. James herself- so I felt I could trust the source! Plus I thought "what an awesome opportunity to model God's commands to give to the poor and pray for those in need to our boys- by letting them pray and help give to another child" Not to mention the opportunity to eventually learn about another culture/country.

Well that was a couple of years ago, and while the bank is faithful to draft $32 a month from our checking account, I am very ashamed to say we often forget to include our dear Coline in our bedtime prayers. You know what is sooo sad about this- In every letter Coline writes us he tells us that he prays for our family. And you know what- I feel confident HE DOES! And yet in my busyness, I forget. Even more shameful- more often then not, it is my 4 year old child that will remind ME, the MOM, that we haven't prayed for Coline in a while. In fact, that was exactly what happened last night that prompted this post.

So once again I have used DRS for confession and now hope you will hold me accountable to pray for this sweet child. And in honor of Coline, Familytime Friday's devotional, learning, and even craft time will focus around lessons learned from Compassion International. To learn more about this ministry visit here.

Familytime Friday- Sound Off

TGIF! I'd love to hear about the fun things you did or are planning to do with your family this week.

Deal Alert

Walgreens is offering 20 FREE 4x6 prints tomorrow only! Just enter the code ONEDAY when you checkout! What a deal!

deal alert- Walmart

For a complete list of walmart deals and coupon match-ups I recommend checking out Deal Seeking Mom here (she is one of 11 Moms who blog for Walmart!)


Below are my favorite deals of the week:


Beech-Nut Baby Cereal for $1.44
Use $1 off 1 from 1/4 SS
Final Price: $0.44


Beech-Nut Let's Grow Microwaveable Meals on sale for $1.06
Use $1 off 1 from 1/4 SS
Final Price: $0.06


Huggies Baby Wipes (40 count) on sale for $1.46
Use $1 off 1 from 1/11 SS
Final Price: $0.46


Johnson's Buddies Soaps at $0.99
Buy 3 and use $3 for 3 printable here
Final Price: FREE


Sani- Hands for Kids wipes (18 ct) for $1
Use $1 for 1 printable here
Final Price: FREE


Activia Yogurt for $2
Use $1 for 1 from 1/11 SS
Final Price: $1


Baked Ritz or Wheat Thins (bags) on sale for $2
Use $2 for 2 from 1/25 SS
Final Price: $1 each


Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers on sale $1
Use $1 off 1 from 1/4 SS
Final Price: FREE

Kellogg's Fiber Plus Bars on sale for $1.88
Use $0.75 off 1 from 1/18 RP
Final Price: $1.13

Ortega Taco Seasoning for $0.54
Use $1 off 2 from February ALL YOU Magazine
Final Price: $0.04 each

Quaker Rice Cakes for $1.36
Use $1 off 1 from 1/18 RP
Final Price: $0.36

Softsoap Ensembles for $1
Use $1 off 1 from February ALL YOU Magazine
Final Price: FREE

Disclaimer: Walmart Prices vary by region and I have not been to our Walmart yet to confirm prices!

Annual Budget Countdown

Last week I shopped at both Kroger and Walgreens. I used the remainder of my Walgreen Gift Card balance and my recent $15 Mastercard rebate from Olay to help pay for some of my Walgreens purchases.


Out of Pocket Money Spent at Walgreens: $17.70

After manufacturer and EasySaver Rebates I will get back $45.47! (This money will be applied to future purchases therefore will not be included in my annual budget status at this time)


I went to Kroger 3x this week. Once to take advantage of the 12 hour sale on Friday and to pick up ingredients for our Valentines Dinner, and then my normal weekly shopping trip on Saturday night and then once again because I forgot 3 ingredients I needed for prep day!


Total Spent: $70.66
Total Saved: $28.77



Total Spent for week: $88.36
Total Saved (just Kroger): $28.77
Total Spent for year: $703.13
Total Saved for year: $575.30
Annual Budget countdown: $4296.87

Good News/Bad News- Depends on how you look at it!

The Facts: Red Plums Vice President released the following statement regarding the Red Plum coupon booklets:

“Starting in February, the RedPlum coupon booklet will now be delivered in [select areas] through consumers’ mailboxes along with their weekly grocery circulars and other savings and deals. By using direct mail, the RedPlum insert will now be able to reach almost twice as many households as in the past. In these challenging economic times, it has never been more important to make these essential savings available to as many [people] as possible so they can stretch the dollars in their wallets.” -Thomas Murray, Vice President of the Valassis Corporation

The Bad News: In some major cities Red Plum will no longer be available via the local newspaper. It will be available through home mailer only. I am not sure "The Gazette" will be effected (or is it affected? anyways..) but if it is- this is bad. Many of us like to get multiple copies of the coupons but the home mailer system will only mail one per family. I plan on asking my noncouponing friends and family members to kindly save me theirs!

The Good News: Our local newspaper never carried this coupon booklet, so many of you have never had the "Red Plum" experience anyway. Now you can have these coupons delivered to your mailbox by signing up here.

In other news...

My friend Jennifer passed this rather disturbing news on to me last week. I have not personally confirmed the validity of the rumor BUT I feel it is my duty as your Head DRSer to pass on the information:

Rumor: April will be the last month for the EasySaver Rebate Program at Walgreens. GASP- I know!!! You can read more here.

Bad News: No more Free After Rebate products that often turn out to be quite profitable!

Good News: Good News? What could possibly be good about no more FREE after rebate products. Welllll supposedly they are going to really beef up their Register Reward Program- so I guess that's good. AND as far as I can tell this is just a rumor. I searched on Walgreens.com and could not find any mention of it. So we will see. In the meantime I am going to try to get all the rebate products I can so I can rev up the total on my Walgreens Gift Card (remember you get an additional 10% added when you choose to get your rebate back on a Walgreens Gift Card).

Deal Alert- Target

Welcome to my first edition of Target deal highlights!


Ok, here is the deal- Target has online printable "Target Only" coupons that you can print and stack with manufacturer coupons (just like Walgreens) BUT a while back (I'm talking 2008) there was a big stink about people using counterfeit "Target" coupons and therefore many Target stores (including ours) stopped accepting Target printable coupons. Welllll, I don't know if they have changed their policy or just relaxed but the Internet is a buzz about target printable coupons again AND I had a friend that used them this week at our Target with no problem. So with that being said......



You can go here or here to print your Target Coupons. Both links require registration before you can print coupons but it is FREE to register.

Here is a list of available coupons:

$1 off Archer Farms® cereal
$1 off Renuzit air care product
50¢ off 8-oz. or larger Chex Mix snack mix
$1 off Kashi Cookies or Crackers or Granola bars
$1 off With purchase of two 8-oz. Market Pantry® cheeses
$1 off 6-oz. or larger Pepperidge Farm crackers
$1 off 64-oz. Tropicana orange juice
$1 off Vlasic pickles
75¢ off Archer Farms® Naan bread
$1 off Fresh vegetable Broccoli or Cauliflower or 16-oz. Green Giant Hearts of Romaine
$3 off Gillette Venus razor Divine or Embrace or Breeze
$1 off Hillshire Farms Deli Select lunch meat

Following are my favorite target scenarios of the week:

Kashi Bars for $2.89
Use $1 off 1 target printable and $2 off 1 from the Kashi website (I was not able to find the coupon but supposedly it is there)
Final Price: FREE with both coupons

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish for $1.66
Use $1 off 1 target printable
Final Price: $0.66

Flat Earth Chips for $2.69
Use $1 for 1 target printable and $1 for 1 manufacturer coupon here.
Final Price: $0.69

Deal Alert- Kroger

Not much to report this week for Kroger. The following are the deals I am most excited about. If I find additional deals when I shop Saturday night I'll be sure to let you know.

Smart Balance on sale 25% off
Use $1 off 1 Catalina (this recently printed off with my receipt)

Select varieties of Kellogg's cereal on sale for $2.69
Use $4.50 off 3 Catalina (this recently printed off with my receipt)
Final Price: $1.19 each

Select varieties of General Mills cereals still on sale for 3 for $5
If you didn't already take advantage of this sale in the last 2 weeks you can still use your $.75 off 1 Multigrain cheerio coupon from recent coupons.com printout and $0.75 from Cellfire
Final Price: $0.16 after both coupons.

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers on sale $2
Use $1 off 1 from 1/4 SS
Final Price: $1

Kroger Brand Cheese on sale 3 for $6
use $0.35 off 1 from recent Kroger mailer
Final Price: $1.30

Several Varieties of Active Lifestyle products are on sale:
Active Lifestyle Oatmeal on sale for 3 for $5
Active Lifestyle Granola Bars $1.77 (similar nutrition and taste to Fiber One bar)

Mission Tortillas (select varieties) on sale 33% off
IF the life balance is on sale I am going to use my $0.55 off 1 from 1/4SS (coupon says do not double)

Kroger Brand salsa, refried beans, chilies, jalapenos, tortillas, taco shells, and seasonings are on sale 40% off

Kroger Comfort Diapers on sale for $5.99
Use $3 for 1 printable here
Final Price: $2.99

Red Seedless Grapes on sale $1.29 lb

Roma Tomatoes on sale $0.99 lb

Blueberries on sale 2 for $5

Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast on sale $1.88 lb

Kroger Milk 1/2 gallon on sale for $1.49

Deal Alert- Walgreens

Here are my favorite deals of the week:

Yes to Carrot Products are on sale 25% off

The Yes to Carrots lip balm will be priced at $2.76 with discount
Go here for a $2 off 1 manufacturer coupon and stack with $1 off 1 Walgreen coupon here

Final Price: FREE plus overages

Colgate Toothpaste 4.6oz on sale $0.99
Use $0.75 off 1 from 2/1 SS
Final Price: $0.24

Garnier Vibrant 100% Hair Color on sale BOGO or 2 for $7.49
Use 2 $3 off 1 from 11/9 RP
Final Price: $1.49 for 2

Bic Soleil or Comfort 3 Disposable razor 4 packs on sale for $4.99
Use $2 off 1 from 1/18 SS and $1 off 1 found in EasySaver Catalog (pg 17)
Final Price: $1.99 after both coupons

Register Reward Deals RR

Select Kellogg's cereals are on sale 4 for $10. Earn $3 RR when you buy 4

Use 2 $1 off 2 printables found on the DRS coupons.com sidebar
Final Price: $1.25 per box after RR and coupons

Nature Valley Granola Bars are on sale for $1.19. Earn $3.50 when you buy 5
Use 5 $0.50 off 1 from 1/4 SS
Final Price: Free after coupons and RR
(I did not see that this was an advertised deal, so I can not confirm this will work BUT DH was just requesting this particular granola bar yesterday so I will checking it out)

February Free after Rebate Items

Garnier Fructis Wonder Waves Shampoo, Conditioner or Styler up to $4.29
Use $1 off 1 from 1/4 RP
Final Price: Free plus $1 overage after coupon and rebate

Revlon Age Defying Spa Concealer or Spa Foundation up to $10
Use $2 for 1 from 1/11 SS
Final Price: Free plus $2 overage after coupon and rebate

Revlon Creme Lip Gloss up to $10
Use $2 for 1 from 1/11 SS
Final Price: Free plus $2 overage after coupon and rebate

Thermacare Trial Size Neck, Shoulder and Wrist Heat Wrap up to $2.49
Final Price: Free after rebate

Walgreens Multi-Purpose No Rub Solution 4 oz up to $1.99
Final Price: Free after rebate

Zucol Cold Care Lozenges 18 pk up to $7.99
Use $2 for 1 from 2/1 SS
Final Price: Free plus $2 overage after coupon and rebate

DRS Couponing 101- collecting coupons

Before you can utilize the money saving power of coupons- you got to get coupons! For that reason I have decided to kick off this series of posts with tips on how and where to collect a nice stash of coupons.


First and foremost-Newspaper Inserts. Most Sunday newspapers will have coupon inserts tucked inside. There are only a few Sunday's out of the year (mostly holiday weekends) with no coupon inserts. You can click here for the 2009 newspaper coupon insert schedule.


The 3 most common newspaper inserts are SmartSource (SS), Redplum (RP) and Proctor and Gamble (PG). Occasionally you will have other special inserts included by specific manufacturers. For example I can remember one time last year when Kelloggs put out a great insert full of coupons for Kelloggs specific products.


HINT: Our local paper does not have the RedPlum! To get the RedPlum I recommend "The Democrat- Gazette."
Another HINT: I have the most success with getting all scheduled inserts with a home delivered paper. Sometimes even the Gazette is missing coupon inserts when I have picked one up at the store.
Best HINT: Ask your Mom, Grandmother, Friends, Neighbors etc for their newspaper coupon inserts. Multiple inserts mean you have multiple coupons to really stockpile on products when they go on sale!


Internet Printables. Most of our local stores- Kroger, Walmart, Target and Walgreens do accept printable coupons at this time. (WARNING: there are always rumors floating around the internet that certain stores are starting to decline printables!) Internet Printables are found all over the internet. A lot of times manufacturers or specific products will have special offers and coupons on their website. For example when I went to YoPlus.com to research information for the "product of the week" I noticed there was a $1 off coupon.


Other sites that are ALWAYS a great destination for coupon printables:

Coupons.com (go directly or access through my DRS sidebar)

SmartSource.com



HINT: Most printables only allow you to print two coupons per computer!



Loadable Coupons. At Kroger you can load coupons onto your Kroger card from 3 different sites: P&G eSaver; Shortcuts; and Cellfire.

All three can be accessed through kroger's website. Once at Kroger.com click on the "In Store" link. A drop down menu will appear- click "coupons." From this page you can register with all 3 coupon vendors. Remember you will need to have your Kroger card available when you register so you can link your card with each site. Then once you have loaded your card your discounts will automatically be credited when you check out using your Kroger card.

HINT: Loadable coupons do not double! But you can stack your loadable coupon with your paper manufacturer coupons for really awesome savings!
Another HINT: Each coupon is only redeemable one time.
And Another HINT: Don't forget to add new coupons to your card at least once a month.


Blinkies. These are the coupons that are dispensed from cute little machines that stick out of the aisles in our grocery stores.

HINT: Go ahead and take 2-3 coupons from each dispenser whether your ready to use it or not. Then save to use when that particular item goes on sale.


Magazines. Most magazines, especially Women's magazines, will have advertisements that offer coupons. One magazine that I subscribe to specifically for the coupons is ALL YOU magazine. This magazine even has a coupon index to help you locate the different coupons found throughout each edition.


Peelies. Peelies are coupons that are found on products that you can "peel" off to hand to the cashier for immediate savings.

HINT: some products also have coupons printed on the inside packaging of the product. For example, there are a lot of cereal boxes that have coupons printed on the inside of the box to use for future purchases.


Catalinas. Catalinas are the coupons that print out after or attached to your receipt. Many times specific items purchased trigger certain catalinas. For example you may notice a catalina for baby formula if you purchased diapers. Sometimes a coupon will print when a competitor brand was bought. For example if you purchased a Kelloggs cereal, you might get a catalina for a General Mills cereal. And then sometimes catalinas print for $ off your next purchase- those are my favorite!


Kroger Mailers. If you have a Kroger card you should be getting coupons mailed to your house. These are some of my favorite coupons because Kroger sends coupons tailored specifically for me based on my past purchases. Many times they will even mail me a coupon for a FREE product. If you are not getting these mailers, contact Kroger. Forever I kept reading about these great coupons and wondered why I wasn't receiving any in the mail. So I called Kroger's headquarters and they fixed whatever the problem was and I now receive Kroger coupons all the time (at least twice a month!).


Walgreens EasySaver Catalog Each month Walgreens has a new EasySaver Catalog that is full of Walgreen specific coupons and rebates. The catalog is found at the entrance of the store on the same stand as the weekly Walgreen Flyer. The great thing about all Walgreen coupons is that you can stack them with manufacturer coupons for double the savings.


Coupon Swaps I have never participated in a coupon swap or trade but I read about them all the time. I'm sorry I have no words of wisdom on this particular method because I have not figured it out for myself quite yet. I'll have to get back to you.


Ebay Ebay is another resource for coupons that I have not taken advantage of. (I know your not suppose to end a sentence with a preposition "of" but I can't figure out another way to write that last sentence,) Anyways... Supposedly this is a hot market and you can bid on bundles of coupons for a great deal.

Thrifty Thursday

This week I am going to begin a series of Thrifty Thursday posts on how to get started couponing. Please note: I am not an expert in this subject, I have only been a couponer for a little over a year myself. But I have learned some valuable tricks along the way and I want to pass them on to you. Stay tuned the first edition of DRS Couponing 101 will post soon!

Use the Mr. Linky below to tell us about your favorite deals of the week!

SCREAM!!!!

Woo Hoo! I just popped over to thethriftymama to check out the latest deals and guess what was there....... my guest post!!!! I had nooo idea it would post today. Go here to check it out! I'm so excited!!!!

Product of the Week

Speaking of Breakfast! This is one of my favorite choices for breakfast these days. Quaker High Fiber instant oatmeal packs in 10g of dietary fiber in 1 packet!

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 packet

Meal Plan: 160 Calories, 2 starches

I like to make this oatmeal with 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 banana, and 1/4 cup egg substitute*! Wow what nutrition! And talk about tasty- yummy! This is the perfect power breakfast to get this sleep deprived mama going- Give it a try!

Go here for a $1 off 2 coupon for Quaker oatmeal.

*Thanks Shannon for the egg substitute tip! I'm always looking for ways to sneak some extra protein in my diet.

Wellness Wednesday

You've heard it before- "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." But do you eat breakfast? Breakfast is important for a number of reasons but one reason I ALWAYS encourage my patients to eat breakfast is because it jump starts your metabolism.

Patients tell me all the time "Niki, if I don't eat breakfast I can go all day and I'm not hungry BUT if I do eat breakfast I'm starving by lunch." They tell me this as though they think being hungry is a BAD thing. Well, I'm here to tell you the fact that they are hungry proves my point! When you eat breakfast in the morning it revs your body up, gets your engine going thus burning more fuel (calories) therefore, YOUR GOING TO GET HUNGRY by lunch. Whereas if you skip breakfast your body stays sluggish, it moves slower, burning less calories therefore your less likely to get a refuel signal (hunger). Make sense?


For more reasons to eat breakfast visit the American Dietetic Association here.

Wellness Wednesday- Accountability

You got a wellness goal to which you want to be held accountable? Sound off here!

Sample Happy

Boy, I don't know what has come over me lately but I have been sending off for samples right and left. My mailman is just going to love me!

I just saw on thriftymama that goody is giving away free hair barrettes for the first 1000 people to sign up. I, of course, quickly clicked to sign up, it was only after I went back to get the link for you that I saw that the barrettes were actually little pastel pink flowers. The fact that we ain't got no little girls to dress up around here shows that I was a little hasty in my signing up. Oh well!... Go here to get your cute barrettes before they're all gone!

And then I found out that Viva paper towels are giving away samples here. Now this might seem silly to some to send off for a paper towel sample, BUT paper towels are a luxury item around here now that I am on this annual budget challenge so I was pretty pumped about some FREE paper towels. Plus with samples usually come COUPONS!

Deal Alert

You can go here to receive a FREE sample of Starbucks VIA ready brew coffee. Might as well!

Tidy Tuesday

This week we are back to Zone 2- Bedrooms and Closets. Time to see how many dust bunnies have hopped back under my bed in only 5 short weeks. Remember those dust bunnies?

Zone 2- Bedrooms and Closets

Day 1-Tuesday

• Dust Master Bedroom Furniture
• Dust Master BR Fan
• Clean Master BR Windows and Blinds

Day 2-Wednesday

• Dust Kids Bedroom Furniture
• Dust Kids BR Fans
• Clean Kids BR Windows and Blinds

Day 3-Thursday

• Organize all Master BR drawers
• Organize Master BR closet

Day 4-Friday

• Organize all kids BR drawers
• Organize Kids BR closets

Day 5- Saturday

• Mop/Vacuum All Bedroom Floors including under bed
• Clean Bedroom Baseboards
• Flip Mattress (Odd months only)
• Organize Hall Closets

Tidy Tuesday- Sound-off!

Anyone up for a Tidy Bedroom this week? Sign in here if you want the added benefit of accountability. Try it you might like it!

Day Task Accountability

While I'm at it, I might as well seek accountability for those darn day tasks I'm suppose to be doing too! In theory all of these routines and schedules I've got mapped out are suppose to make me more efficient and productive thus freeing up loads of TIME! So far it ain't working- but my DRS makes me believe if I keep working "the plan" one day it will all "click" and I will be the mom that never loses her patience, the wife who always has dinner on the table when DH walks in from work, who has a perfectly kept home that practically runs itself, and who always looks refreshed and put together (haven't even started working on that part of the plan yet!)- in other words -I will be Donna Reed!!!

Until then- here is my Mr. Linky!

Daily Routine Accountability

Ok I am officially dependent on you, my blog groupies. Last week the ONLY day I did my daily routine was the day I told you I would. Sooooo here is my plan... Everyday I am going to use my own Mr. Linky to check in when I complete my daily routine. I am going to pretend that someone out there will be coming back to this post daily to make sure I have done it- thus I am held accountable. You feel free to use the Mr. Linky too!

Deal Alert

Dillyo.com is offering another free gift card until midnight tonight. This time for $5. Since signing up at dillyo.com I get a daily email regarding "the deal of the day." Now so far nothing has caught my eye, but the gift card is free so I went ahead and registered for it; therefore if the deal of the day happens to be a new shiny label maker I'll have a $5 gift card to help pay for it. From what I understand, once you register for the $5 gift card a "gift card code" will be emailed to you for you to use toward future purchases. The catch: The gift card code expires February 22!

Snacktime

Today I fixed the boys and myself one of my favorite childhood snacks. My favorite babysitter, LaFrane, use to make us popcorn and cheese dip after school while we watched He-Man and She-Ra "Masters of the Universe". Weird combination- I know; but to this day I never have popcorn without thinking "where's the cheese dip?" So I decided to introduce the snack to my boys - well actually just my big boy (baby was napping and popcorn would be classified as a choking hazard for him).
So I just took half a block of 2% Velveeta and 1 can rotel and microwaved it until ready; then I popped the popcorn. Snack Done! Got to say brought back great memories and Colby really liked it too! Plus what a great way to have cheese dip- the popcorn packs in lots of fiber!

Give it a try- and let me know what you think.

Come to think of it, LaFrane use to also make us no-bake cookies...............maybe another day!

Deal Alert

This is fun! Have you ever wanted to try those Crest Whitestrips, but just couldn't shell out the money for a product you didn't even know would work? Well now you can. Go here to the P&G sample page and request your free sample plus $7 coupon. While there, you can also request a sample of Head & Shoulders and Pantene Pro-V Expressions Shampoo and Conditioners. Won't it be fun to get these surprises in the mail in a couple of weeks!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have tried many different Chicken Tortilla Soup recipes and this one is my favorite. The recipe makes quite a bit so it is a good dish to share with another family or to have as leftovers!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Go here for recipe.

Recipe Modifications: The recipe calls for cooked shredded chicken. I like to prepare the chicken for this dish by putting the chicken in a crockpot with a can of rotel. From frozen- it took the chicken about 3 hours to cook in my crockpot on high. I then transferred the chicken with rotel into the soup. I also like to add a can of chili beans and a can of black beans to the recipe- to beef up the fiber! We use baked Doritos instead of the corn tortillas.

Nutrition Information for original recipe:
Serving Size: 1/8th of recipe
Meal Plan: 267 Calories; 2 meat, 1.5 starch, 1 veg, 1/2 fat

Spaghetti Pie

This is a fun spin on traditional spaghetti! Makes great leftovers too.
But the real reason I included this recipe in my week of meals: I needed a recipe that called for cream cheese because all that cream cheese I bought months ago expires this week! Honesty's the best policy... right?!
PS anyone else in need of cream cheese, I have about 3 blocks left!!!

Spaghetti Pie

Go here for recipe.

Recipe Modifications: I used reduced fat sour cream, lite cream cheese, whole wheat pasta, and 2% cheese.

Nutrition Information with modifications:
Serving Size: 1/8th of recipe
Meal Plan: 490 Calories; 3 lean meats, 3.5 starches, 1 veg, 1 fat
(little heavier of a meal then usual but still has significantly less Calories then most pasta dishes served at Italian restaurants.)

I will serve with side salad.

Pinto Beans, Cornbread, and Greens

Can you call dumping some beans in a crockpot, filling with water and tossing in some spices a recipe? If so- here it is in all its quick, easy, thrifty, and fiberous glory!

Pinto Beans

at least 2 cups Dry Pinto Beans
1 TBS Ham Bouillon
1 TSP Cumin
1/4 cup jalapeno peppers (optional)

Rinse desired amount of dried beans and place in crock-pot. Add enough water to cover beans by at least 1 inch. Add bouillon, cumin, and peppers. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high 4-6 hours. (All crock-pots are different so you might have to experiment with settings and time.)

Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Meal Plan: 125 Calories; 1 starch, 1 lean meat

I am going to serve this with green chili cornbread (jiffy mix with a can of green chilies) and a can of Margaret Holmes Seasoned Collard Greens (found at Kroger).

Marinated Grilled Shrimp

Big thanks to Leah for introducing this recipe to me at our recipe exchange party. I would never guess 4 little ingredients could pack in sooo much flavor!

Marinated Grilled Shrimp

2 Tbs Lite Soy Sauce
1 Tbs Canola Oil
1 Tbs Honey
1 Pound Shrimp (peeled, deveined, raw)

Mix soy sauce, oil, and honey and pour over shrimp. Marinate at least 1 hour. Place on skewers and grill or broil 4-5 minutes until cooked through and browned.

Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 3 oz shrimp
Meal Plan: 161 Calories; 3 very lean meats, 0.5 fat

I will serve this with rice and an asparagus packet.

PS I drizzled a little olive oil and soy sauce on the asparagus before wrapping them in foil. I will let the asparagus packet cook on the grill for a little longer then the shrimp- maybe 10 minutes or until asparagus is tender.

Squash Casserole

I discovered this recipe last summer when we had squash coming out our ears from my DH's vegetable garden! This was one of our favorite ways to cook up the squash. Must say it was a lot thriftier of a dish when it came from the garden! Squash is expensive in the dead of winter- sorry!

Squash Casserole

Go here for the recipe.

Recipe Modifications: I used reduced fat Ritz crackers, 2% cheese, egg substitute, I used buttermilk (only because I had it leftover from the chicken recipe) and left out the butter! I will use some spray butter to top the dish once cooked.

Nutrition Information with modifications:
Serving Size: 1/8th of recipe
Meal Plan: 130 Calories; 1 veg, 1 meat, 1 starch

Oven Fried Chicken

This is one of the most requested meals I get from the other family I cook for. I hope you enjoy it too. Great way to get that fried chicken taste without the fat!

Oven Fried Chicken

Go here for the recipe

Recipe Modifications: I used low fat buttermilk instead of the milk, egg substitute, and boneless skinless chicken breasts. I also omitted the butter altogether.

Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 4 oz chicken
Meal Plan (using my modifications): ~250 Calories; 4 lean meats, 1 starch

I will serve this with squash casserole (recipe to follow) and my green beans.

Mealtime Mondays

2 Oven Fried Chickens

2 Squash Casseroles

2 Green Beans

2 Marinating Shrimp Bags

2 Asparagus Packets

2 Spaghetti Pies

2 Chicken Tortilla Soups

1 Trip to Kroger

1 Destroyed Kitchen

______________________________________

Less then 1.5 hours

I decided I really like getting my prepwork done on Sunday nights so I don't have to use any of my "Mommy Day" in the kitchen on Monday; therefore I knocked it out last night while the boys went to Awanas. I'm not positive on the exact time it took to do all the prepwork because I had to stop midprep to run to Kroger to pick up 3 important ingredients I had forgotten on my big grocery run. I am positive the actual prep time was less then 1.5 hours and honestly think it was probably closer to 1 hour. I chose not to do any preprep for the beans, cornbread, greens meal because all I will have to do is throw the beans in the crockpot with a few spices the morning we plan to eat them- shouldn't take 3 minutes. Plus I like my cornbread hot out of the oven- yummy!

As always, Here is the schedule for storage and final preparations:

Monday: Oven Fried Chicken with Squash Casserole and Green Beans. All three were fully prepared up until the actual cooking step and then stored in fridge until tonight.

Tuesday: Shrimp Kabobs with rice and Asparagus Packets. All I did to prep for this meal was to toss my frozen peeled and deveined raw shrimp in a ziplock bag with the other ingredients to marinate while thawing in the fridge. I also went ahead and prepared the asparagus packet. Tuesday evening I will place shrimp on skewers to grill.

Wednesday: Spaghetti Pie and Side Salad. I fully prepared the spaghetti pie up until the final cooking step and then placed foil over the top to store in fridge until Wednesday Night. I will still need to put together a side salad on Wednesday night to complete this meal.

Thursday: Beans, Cornbread, Greens. I will do my best to remember to put the beans and spices in the crockpot on Thursday before heading off to work. I will prepare the cornbread and open the can of greens on Thursday night.

Friday: Out or leftovers

Saturday Night: Sunday School Social

Sunday: Chicken Tortilla Soup. I placed all ingredients in a freezer ziplock bag and stored in freezer. I will transfer ziplock to fridge on Saturday morning to start defrosting. Then I will place contents of ziplock in crockpot before heading off to church Sunday morning. It should be ready to eat by noon on Sunday!

I don't know why I always feel I must show you my destroyed postprep kitchen. I think it just makes me feel better knowing you know my dirty little secret- I am a very messy cook! Thank goodness I just cook once a week!

Mealtime Monday- accountability

I have really enjoyed hearing about the meals you are cooking for your families. Thanks for sharing with me!

Hi Everyone!

Sorry so few posts today- I took a nap!!! I also prepped all our meals for the week tonight. You'll get the full report on that tomorrow. Hope everyone had a nice relaxing weekend with their families and is fully rested and ready to start another week in this crazy thing we call- Life!

Sonday Sunday

As many of you know- last week my family spent a lot of extra time in prayer. (Don't you hate it that sometimes it takes a crisis to really bring us to the Lord- but that's a whole other lesson) Anyways... Not by chance, the Lord used my Sunday School teacher last Sunday to remind me of the most perfect verse for our circumstance. It just so "happened" that the class lesson was on prayer, and one of the first verses we looked at was Romans 8:26-27.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Romans 8:26-27

Wow! Oh Lord-glory! That is exactly what I needed to hear! I was struggling so much with how to pray for my little niece. Selfishly, I wanted to beg the Lord (and I did) for a miracle that he would give my brother and his wife a perfectly healthy baby and that they would be spared any heartbreak. But I knew I was suppose to pray for "His Will" and although I knew God would bless whatever the outcome was, I just did not want to have to go through the valley to get to the mountain top. So oh how this verse ministered to me. Once again Jesus was right there to give his mercy and peace. He said all I had to do was be obedient to turn the situation over to him, and he would go to the Father for me! Wow what a God!

So that is what I did. I remember excusing myself from class because I was so overcome by the magnitude of the gift that was just presented to me. I went to the bathroom and just cried. I looked up to the Lord and said- "Take it!" "I don't know what I'm supposed to say, so Spirit you know my heart and the situation- take the message to the Father." What peace!

I want this verse to be embedded in my heart so I can call on this powerful resource whenever I don't have the words to pray.

In the meantime, I am going to ask the Holy Spirit for just the right words to express my thankfulness to the Lord for His answer to our prayer!

Sonday Sunday- Scripture Accountability

Let us know what scripture you are hiding in your heart this week!