Thrifty Thursday- annual budget countdown

My last Saturday night grocery trip to Kroger put me a little over my $96/week target budget- but I'm not worried. Close to $30 was from chicken that will be used over the next 6 to 7 weeks.


After coupons and Kroger card savings my Total was: $121.49 (for 56 items)
Money Saved: $83.37
Money Spent to date: $221.19
Saved to date: $169.50
Left: $4778.81

Last night I did run to Kroger to get toilet paper. I got 2 packages of Cottenelle TP and 1 roll of paper towels: Total was: $0.24

Total Saved: $2.48; Money Spent to date: $221.43; Saved to date: $171.98 Left: $4778.57

Deal Alert- Walgreens

Here are the deals I hope to take advantage of this week at Walgreens:

Revlon Cosmetics on sale BOGO (excludes Matte Collection)
Use 2 $2 for 1 or $1 for 1 from 1/11SS
Final Price: cheap to FREE

Aquafresh Toothpaste on sale for $2.99
Use $2/1 from Easy Saver Book
and $0.75 off 1 from the 1/4 SS
Final Price: $0.24

Colgate Total Toothpaste on sale BOGO (Buy One Get One) at $2.79 (Walgreens coupon)
Use 2 $1 off 1 from the 1/4 SS
Final Price: $0.40 each

Oust on sale BOGO
Use 1 BOGO coupon from 1/4 SS
Final Price: 2 for FREE

Windex Glass Cleaner on sale BOGO for $3.79
Use 2 $0.40 off 1 from 1/11 SS
Send in the mail in rebate form from 1/11 SS
Final Price: Free plus overages after coupon and MIR

Register Rewards (RR)

Fiber One Bars on sale 3 for $6; Buy 6 and get $2 RR
Use 6 $0.50 off 1 from 1/4 SS or $1.00 off 2 from recent coupons.com printables
Final Price: $1.17 each after using 6 coupons and RR

Dark and Lovely Hair Color $5
Earn $5 in RR
Final Price: Free after RR
(I am so going to get this and then sell it in my garage sale!)

January Free-After Rebate Deals- Each month the EasySaver Book has at least 1 free after rebate product. I always buy these when they have those $5 or $25 or $10 off $50 coupons I told you about because it helps me get to the $25 or $50 amount and yet I will get that $ back when my rebate check comes in the mail.
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
Final Price: Free plus $1 overages after coupon and 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 after both rebates


Note: If some of this Walgreen coupon lingo seems like a foreign language to you- I recommend reading Money Saving Moms Walgreens 101 Post.

Thrifty Thursday

How did you do last week? Did anyone out there experience their first coupon high? I would love to hear about your deals. If your like me when you get a great deal your dying to tell someone- so here is your chance. Please comment off this post about your grocery shopping experiences or any great deals you have found this week. Stay tuned today to find out about some great Walgreen sales going on this week and some very exciting news from Kroger!

Don't forget the Beans!

If you are following my meal plan, then tonight we are having bean burritos- yummy! Don't forget to put your pinto beans in the crockpot before you head off to work!

End of Day Update

Let me just tell you- I am losing control of this house! I did get my zone work done and I am excited to report that the laundry is done but the rest of the house is a wreck. But us DRSers never give up! We always believe "where there's a will, there's a way" and girls- I got the WILL and my DRS plan is the way. Sooooo maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow but one day I will earn my Donna Reed Badge- in the mean time I would settle for a nice clean dining room table!

PS Thanks for helping me out with my fashion dilemma today!

Garage Sale Countdown

I am excited to say that my junk is no longer sitting in my dining room! It is now sitting in the garage of my friend's house. You should have seen our truck, it looked like Sanford and Son, and the sad thing was it was just the first load. Load 2 and possibly 3 will head out tomorrow. Tomorrow also brings the fun task of starting to price all that junk because I never got around to doing it while it sat in my dining room. Fun times!

Fashion Dilemma

Ok, so I have two questions.
1. Why do women insist on wearing ridiculous shoes in the name of fashion? I mean I have a horrible back and have no business walking around in these Jessica Simpson boots, but that is exactly what I'm doing today- so dumb! Any thoughts?

2. Am I too old to be wearing leggings? (For that matter are leggings even cool anymore?) I always feel a little silly when I put them on but here I am wearing leggings once again. I know, Lets take a vote!

Product of the Week

There is not too many weeks that the Mission Carb Balance Tortilla is not sitting in my grocery cart (coupons or not!). This is the perfect product for fiber week. Depending on size and variety each tortilla will give you anywhere from 80 to 200 Calories for 6", 8" or 10" tortillas. And, are you ready for this......... (please read the following enthusiastically) anywhere between 7 and 21 grams of Fiber!! That's right folks, one 10" Carb Balance Tortilla can meet 100% of your fiber needs for the day!!!


Deal Alert: There is a coupon for mission tortillas in your January 4th newspaper inserts- a rare find. Use it or pass it on to your favorite DRS coach!




Extra Side Note: I spelled enthusiastically right even before spell check!!!

Wellness Wednesday

How are you doing getting in your 8 eight oz glasses of water? Are you finding you are getting a lot of extra walking in on your trips to the bathroom? Well, while you are already frequenting the bathroom let's go ahead and talk about .... Fiber! (Yes, I did just write that.)

Depending on which guidelines you are looking at (American Heart, Cancer, or Dietetic Association) the recommendation for fiber is around 20-35 grams per day. The typical American only gets about 10-15 grams. A simple guideline for your children is age + 5 grams, so if your child is 4 years old you would want to shoot for at least 9 grams of fiber per day.

Now I will agree that even 10 years ago those fiber recommendations would seem a little lofty especially if you were not a good fruit and vegetable eater, but these days you have no excuse. Our food manufacturers are adding fiber to just about everything. From cereals and tortillas to pop tarts and even ice cream, fiber is everywhere. I challenge you this week to start looking at your food labels for fiber. Are you getting enough?

Warning: You will read much, much more about fiber on future Wellness Wednesday posts!

Biggest Loser

Are you all watching NBC's Biggest Loser this season? I'm telling you it is some quality television. I don't miss an episode (or should I say my DVR doesn't miss an episode). I will tell you that although I definitely think the exercise is extreme, the nutrition information has greatly improved since season 1. If your new to Biggest Loser, get your tissues- I don' think I've watched an episode yet that I haven't cried!

Exciting News and Prayer Request

I have some potentially very exciting news. The Thrifty Mama (you know- one of my absolute favorite blogs- I've told you about her before, anyways) has asked me to write a guest post for her Blog. SCREAM!!! I know!!! Now before you go thinking I'm extra cool or anything, I need to let you know that I contacted her first! BUT SHE DID WRITE ME BACK! I mean you would have thought Tom Cruise* had written me when I saw my email!

Here is the problem and where I could really use your help. I am having a major writer's block trying to prepare for this post. I can write all day to you guys on this blog but I've been trying for 4 nights to write a simple post for the Thrifty Mama and I can't seem to get it done! I have until this weekend and I really hate to miss this opportunity so I am begging you to please say a quick prayer for me. Thank you so much. I will let you know.

*I am not a fan of Tom Cruise, he was just the first famous person I could think of.

Fiery Fish Tacos...

Doesn't that look Yummy! Well it was! It was a lot of starch (tortilla, beans, corn) but it was all very high in fiber- my colon is whistling tonight!

Day 1 Zone report

I don't know about Donna, but Flylady would be soo proud! It truly only took me 14 minutes to do my zone work today. I was able to whip it out on my lunch break. Feels Good!

Note: I only clean the inside of my windows- outside hasn't been touched for years- and I'm ok with that.

Super Cheesy Chicken Parmesan- Verdicts In

After consumption from 2 different families the overwhelming response was..... delicious! I am so pumped this recipe worked out- now I can get fiber from chicken! Hope you enjoy!

Tidy Tuesday

Are you ready to start another week of zone cleaning? Is your kitchen still tidy from last week? Isn't it refreshing opening up your cabinets and seeing your dishes all neat and organized? Don't you love knowing your 6'5" tall brother won't be seeing dust on top of your refrigerator when he walks by? Doesn't your food taste better now that your not cooking with out of date spices? Want that feeling again? Join me this week as we tackle: Bedrooms and Closets!

End of Day Update

How did I do today on my DRS plan? Not to Donna's standards but not bad for this sleep deprived mama.

• Mealtime Monday Prep Day- Check
• Zones- N/A
• Mommy Day "Times"- all but Learning Time
• Day Tasks- Did not make it to library because boys are still sick
• Water Intake- Check
• Quiet Time- Check
• Garage Sale Prep- Don't want to think about it
• Morning Routine- Not really
• Afternoon Routine- Check
• Bedtime Routine- 75% Check

See you tomorrow! I would love to hear from you!

Reality Check

With much regret I have to inform you that the "book of the month"- just ain't gonna happen! I still plan on reading "The Shack" there is just no way on earth I am going to be able to get it done by this Saturday (3rd Saturday). When developing the master DRS plan I way overestimated what one human could get done. So sorry to disappoint- I blame Donna!

Do my children remind you of someone?

Wilson, is that you? I'm not sure you have noticed, but I have not posted any pictures of my boys faces on this blog. I don't want you to think that I'm not proud of my children- quite the opposite is true. It's just that my Mom, the boys Gammy, has made me really paranoid about posting pictures of my family on the Internet. Just thought you might want to know.

Decisions, Decisions

Looking around at my house, I've got a decision to make. I could either get off the computer and get busy with my DRS plan, or I could sit here and blog about my DRS plan. Hummmmm? What would Donna do? Better get busy.....

Deal Alert

Money Saving Mom just told me (and the other millions that watch her blog) about another link for more Free Toilet Paper- Woopie! Follow this link for the TP coupon and other great savings. You can print 2 coupons per computer.

By the way, Who got all my toilet paper on Saturday night? Kroger was all out!

Painting with Yogurt- check

Well I finally got to use that out-of-date yogurt. Both boys really enjoyed the craft although I practically had to beg my 4 year old to try it because, as always, he had his own ideas for craft time. He felt today would be the perfect day to make a turtle catcher and he said finger painting with yogurt would be "boring" (Big thanks to Playhouse Disney's Imagination Movers for teaching my child the word "boring"! can you sense the sarcasm). After agreeing he could make the turtle catcher while baby was napping (and I was cooking) he finally got on board with the yogurt.

Cohen finger painted on his highchair tray and Colby on a cutting board mat. Colby enjoyed mixing the colors to see what new shades he could come up with and turning his hand into the "Incredible Hulk" when soaking it in the green yogurt. Cohen seemed to like the craft too, but kept trying to eat the yogurt- funny, if he had eaten the yogurt before it went out of date we wouldn't be doing this craft today. All in all I would say our craft time was a success and Colby asked if we could do it again some day.

Meals Done- well almost!

Well I am at 54 minutes and at a stand still. I left my can opener at my cooking demo last Friday (hazard of the job)- so I am waiting for my neighbor to get home so I can borrow hers to finish up the tortellini soup. Don't you just love those cans that come with the lid pull back systems- don't you wish they all did? Anyway- I do not predict it will take more then 6 minutes to finish up the soup. Soooo I can safely say you can easily prep for all 5 meals in 1 hour or less this week. No picture today of the finished meals because my table still looks like it did last night.

Side note: I also cut off the extra fat on all of of my chicken I bought Saturday night and divided it up into freezer safe ziplocks. I have enough chicken for 7 more meals! Woo Hoo!

Spinach Tortellini Soup

This is one of my favorite soups. Don't you just love soup in the winter. This soup packs in the folic acid!

Spinach Tortellini Soup
49 oz Chicken Broth
9 oz package of Buitoni 100% whole wheat 3 cheese tortellini
2 cans diced stewed tomatoes
10 oz package of Frozen Spinach
1/2 tsp Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Bring all but the Parmesan Cheese to a boil. Serve topped with a little Parmesan Cheese

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/4 of soup
Calories: 300 Meal Plan: 1.5 meat, 2.5 starches, 1.5 veg

Lean Hamburgers

Nothing special here folks. Just thought my family might enjoy hamburgers and having them at home is a much much healthier option!

Lean Hamburgers

1 lb Ground Sirloin (or extra lean ground beef)
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
Cavenders to Taste
Whole Wheat Buns
Lettuce, Tomato, Onions, other

Mix all of the above together and then form 4 patties. (The breadcrumbs help hold the extra lean beef together, otherwise might fall apart on grill) Grill to desired doneness. Add bun and fixens

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 burger with bun
Calories: 390, 4 meats, 2.5 starch, 1/2 vegetable

I am going to serve this with Baked Sweet Potatoes.

Pinto Bean Burritos

Knock out your fiber in one meal with this recipe! Those new to fiber beware! This is one of my favorite meals. Embarrassingly quick and easy and oh so cheap!


Pinto Bean Burritos

at least 2 cups Dry Pinto Beans (I like to make extra to be used in future recipes or for leftovers)
1 TBS Ham Bouillon
1 TSP Cumin
Lite Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
Mission 10 oz Carb Balance Tortillas

Place desired amount of beans in crock-pot. Add enough water to cover beans by 1 inch. Add bouillon and cumin. 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.) Place 1/2 cup cooked beans in center of warmed tortilla add 1/4 cup cheese, roll up and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1 Burrito

Meal Plan: Calories: 275 Calories, 2 meats, 2 starch, 1/2 fat

I am going to serve this with a side salad. To add to the Mexican Flavor I am going to add some taco seasoning to lite ranch for my salad dressing.

Fiery Fish Tacos with Crunchy Corn Salsa

Again- haven't tried it yet, but sure did sound yummy! Please follow link to allrecipes.com for recipe. I substituted the corn tortillas with Mission Carb Balance Tortillas and omitted the cilantro (sorry I just don't like cilantro).


Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
Meal Plan: Calories: 330, 4 meats, 2 starch


The original plan was to have this meal with rice and beans; however, after reviewing the recipe I realize that is a lot of starch for one meal so I will probably substitute the rice for a green salad.

Super Cheesy Chicken Parmesan

I've got to be honest- I have never tried this before. But how could I turn down a recipe that called for bran cereal! I'll give it a try and let you know. This recipe was found in my last issue of Better Homes and Gardens so please go here for the recipe. It might ask you to register before it will allow you to access the recipe but don't worry it's free.


Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/4th of recipe
Calories: 566, 7 meats, 3 starches, 0.5 vegetables

I did not buy the sweet red pepper for the recommended pasta. But I will serve this with whole wheat pasta and a green salad.

Mealtime Monday

Round 2 of Mealtime Mondays coming at you! Your recipes will be posting soon. Once again I will use today to knock out most of the the prep work for the week of meals. I think this weeks meals will take even less time to prep then last weeks. Forgive me for planning 2 Mexican dishes in the same week- don't know how that one slipped by me- but the plan must go on! Following is the order I plan on serving the dishes and how I will prep and store until ready to finish and eat:

Monday: Super Cheesy Chicken Parmesan- I will do steps 1 - 4 this morning and then will place both chicken and sauce into the fridge until tonight. (Because this recipe requires an egg I would not want to prepare this dish more then 2 days in advance.)

Tuesday: Fiery Fish Tacos- Today I will sprinkle the spices on the frozen talipia and then place in fridge to defrost until tomorrow night. I will also prepare the crunchy corn salsa in a large ziplock and store in the fridge.

Wed: I am going to mix all ingredients except the tortellini in a ziplock bag and place in fridge until Wed night. Wed night I will transfer ziplock to pot and add in tortellini.

Thurs: Pinto Bean Burritos: No prep today. All I am going to do for this meal is Wed night wash and place beans in crock-pot and leave out on counter so I am reminded to fill with water and turn on Thurs. am.

Friday- Out or leftovers

Saturday- OUT- reward for all my hard work getting ready for the garage sale.

Sunday: Hamburgers. I will prepare my patties today and then separate them with wax paper and place in freezer until Saturday. Saturday morning I will hopefully remember to transfer to fridge to allow them to defrost until Sunday after church.

Oops! Grocery List Addition

So sorry I realize I left out 4 ingredients for this weeks meals.
1. For the Super Cheesy Chicken Parmesan the recipe calls for a sweet red pepper. I am just going to make it without it, but if you haven't gone to the grocery store you might want to pick one up.
2. The Firey Fish Tacos call for cilantro. I don't like cilantro so I'm leaving it out.
3. My hamburgers call for Worcestershire Sauce and Dry Bread Crumbs.

Sorry about not catching this before!

Garage Sale Mayhem

Well, I have spent all afternoon getting ready for next weekend's garage sale- and I don't feel any closer to being done. It has been a sad day! Not only am I depressed to see my once (and only once) nice and empty dining room table once again covered in clutter; but this trip down memory lane sorting through all the boys outgrown clothes has nearly brought me to tears. My babies are growing up! It just seems like yesterday my 4 year old was wearing the little duckie onesie with the matching booties. And I can't believe it has been a little over a year since my baby wore the same.

It didn't help when my 4 year old came into the dining room to give me his take on the situation. He kept asking "Why are you getting rid of all brother's clothes? Aren't these clothes precious, Mommy? Just precious! Don't we have a precious baby, Mommy? When are we going to have another baby, Mommy? Aren't baby's precious." He probably said precious 50 times which was just well.... precious, but it was hard to explain why we couldn't keep ALL of Cohen's old clothes and even harder to explain why we probably wouldn't be having any more precious babies.

Update coming soon!

Sorry to leave you hangen all afternoon. I will post asap, I am charging my camera up because you have GOT to see what my dining room looks like right now!

Sonday Sunday

My 4 year old is a little sponge- as I'm sure is true for all preschoolers. It is amazing what he is able to understand and pick up on. I have been shocked by things that have come out of his mouth that undoubtedly he learned from DH or myself and yet we didn't even realize he was even paying attention. This has been both a blessing and a curse.
For example- last night when we were playing Wii; I heard the words "Ah Dang it" come of out of my innocent child's lips when he got Lightening McQueen stuck behind a rock. As soon as he said it, I looked at him and firmly said "we don't say that word;" but even as the words were coming out my mouth I knew he had probably learned that word from me! Ouch!

Then there are those "treasure chest" moments. I will never forget the time my then 3.75 year old was sitting at the bar eating lunch when he said "I bet God likes it when we eat?" I had no idea where this was going but I quickly agreed and added "especially when we eat our vegetables." Curious about what was going on inside this little boys head, I followed up my vegetable sales pitch with "Why do you think God likes it when we eat?" I couldn't believe my ears when he answered "Cause when we're eating we are STILL." Who would have thought that months ago when we had talked about being STILL before God in one of our rare "devotional times" he was even listening much less able to understand the concept! Wow!

So with the later in mind. I want to get in the habit of taking EVERY opportunity to teach my little sponges about God's ways. That is why my verse for the week is Deuteronomy 6:5 -7. I can't wait to see how often the Lord whispers this one to me this week!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6: 5-7.

End of Week Report Card

I always loved report card day at school (I was such a NERD). My Dad would always pay me $5 per A and then I got a bonus if I got straight A's. Once Spelling was no longer part of the curriculum- I always got the bonus!
Now, I know that I am bragging, but can I just say that those straight A's have got me nowhere in life! Not one time have I been asked "What was your grade point average? on a job interview. When potential patients are calling to find out about my program they don't ask "What grade did you receive in BioChemestry?" And quite honestly, I don't think my husband even knew my academic history when he asked me out on our first date? But... I am sure you will feel much better about daily tuning into this blog knowing that your DRS leader had many, many years ago been a 4.0 student.... probably not!

Regardless- I thought a fun way for me to sum up my weekly DRS progress would be with an end of the week report card. So here goes:

Sonday Sunday- A (I loved loved loved how the Lord used my memory verse all week to remind me about my attitude- thank you Jesus!)
Mealtime Monday- A (Was that not wonderful not having to worry about "what's for dinner?" all week long! And the actual making of the meals was not bad at all)
Tidy Tuesday- B minus (All of my zone work for the Kitchen is completed but, as I write, the rest of my house looks like a train wreck)
Wellness Wednesday- B plus (I got my water in all but today)
Thrifty Thursday- E plus (E for effort- I worked really hard to keep my Kroger budget in check this week and I had good intentions for a great Walgreens trip; it just didn't work out as planned)
Familytime Friday: C (even though we didn't get to do any of our "times" on Friday the week was not a complete failure. The boys got plenty of hugs and loves all week long)
Scrapbook Saturday: N/A

Wonder if Dad will still pay me for my As? That could really help the ol' budget. What do you say Dad?

Deal Alert

Here is a link to some great Betty Crocker coupons! Print and hold on to them until Kroger or Walgreens has them on sale and you can get a hum-dinger of a deal!

Deal Alert

Pretty Good Deals at Kroger tonight. The Grocery Game posted around 8ish pm so I went ahead and knocked my trip out (there were not too many coupons from the 1/11 inserts that I needed). Here are my favorite finds at Kroger right now (good until 1/13/09)

Product, Kroger Sale Price, Coupons Used and Source with Date, Final Price


Yea! Sanderson Farms Family Pack Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Tenders, Final Price: $1.97 lb (I loaded up for the whole month plus enough to cover the first of next month! I also purchased some freezer ziplocks to store the chicken in once I cut off the last of the fat.)


Kroger is running a Kelloggs Cereal Promotion: Get $4 off instantly when you buy 3 Kellogg's breakfast products. Limit 2 rewards per transaction.
There are several Kelloggs cereals marked 3 for $8 or 2 for $6, Use 3 Kelloggs Cereal Coupons $1 off 1 or $1 off 2 from RP* 1/4 and RP 12/14, Final Price: $0.33 to $0.67 each
(This promotion was not announced on the aisles but it did work at the register!) (I made sure to pick up some Kelloggs All Bran for our Parmesan Chicken recipe this week!)


Barilla Plus Pasta, 2 for $4, Use $0.50 off 1 from SS* 1/4, Final Price: $1


I went ahead and bought one package of Mission Carb Balance Tortillas for one of the recipes this week, even though it was not on sale and used $0.55 off 1 from SS 1/4


Softsoap Liquid Hand Soap, 10 for $10, Use $0.50 or $0.35 off 1 from SS 1/4, Final Price: Free or $0.30
(I had 2 of the $0.50 coupons so I got 2 soaps FREE- Ha WALGREENS that will teach you to be out of product! I had intended on buying these soaps at Walgreens last week and would have had to pay $0.36 ea!)


The Jicama that is needed for a recipe this week was $5.99 lb. That really hurt my feelings but I felt I needed to go ahead and get it so I would not lead you astray. I was wondering why I had never cooked with jicama before- now I know. To be honest if I was not preparing this recipe for the www to see, I probably would have left this ingredient out!

Note: Kroger doubles all paper coupons up to 0.60
* Your newspaper inserts come from 3 different sources: RedPlum (RP), Smart Source (SS) and Proctor and Gamble (PG)
** At Kroger.com you can load your Kroger Card with coupons from 3 different sources: shortcuts.com (s.cuts), P&G esavers (esaver), and cellfire (cf). When you check out you should see the discount on your receipt.

These are just some of the deals that I found this week. For a complete list I strongly recommend joining thegrocerygame.com and checking out other coupon blogs.
More on couponing and my total trip $ on Thrifty Thursday!

Deal Alert

Go here to register for 3 Ziplock Brand Big Bags. Perfect for organizing your stuff! Hurry this offer is only available to the first 5000 who register! I'm excited I have always wanted to try these!

Who would have thought?

Guess what? I just googled Donna Reed Syndrome and it really exists!!!! Apparently I am not the only one who officially suffers from this disease. I honestly thought I had made DRS up, but I guess I am not so clever after all. Who knew?

Poll

I thought I would try a new little feature on this here blog. Will you help me out? Take the poll below to help me decide what to do- hypothetically of course, and to help me see how this poll widget works. Thanks

Back to the Doctor

Well, ended up taking baby into doc this am. Dx: Double Ear Infection
So my question is: Does the dosage amount written on the antibiotic take into consideration the amount the child is predicted to spit back out? I was literally trying to suck the medicine off my baby's chin and kitchen countertop (thank goodness it was clean!) back into the dose dropper to try again. I finally had the most success holding Cohen upside down and squirting it down his throat. Sounds abusive, I know, but he thought it was funny

Men! Gotta love um

This is funny!
Necessary Background Information: I am NOT a morning person and therefore I live for Saturday mornings because my DH (dear husband) gets up with our early-rising boys and lets me sleep. I am NEVER up before the boys on Saturdays.
On with the story:
So- you know this morning I told you I had to be at work at 6am! for a metabolism party (that means I had to get up at 4:50am- not really relevant to the story- just looking for pity). Well around 8am I get a frantic call from DH wondering where in the world I am (ok- he wasn't frantic- just makes for a better story). Now I had told DH several times about this am event but obviously he WASN'T LISTENING. So it just makes me laugh thinking about how panicked he must have felt when he rolled over this morning and saw that I was GONE! Panicked- not because he was worried about me but because that meant he and the boys would have to fend for themselves!

Is it awful that I find humor in this?

Disclaimer- DH is a very capable daddy and would have been fine if left alone with the boys. This story was not meant to harm reputation of DH in anyway.

Scrapbook Saturday

Scrapbook Saturday is here. Remember this can mean anything.... even I don't have a clue what is in store for today. I do know that when this message posts I will have been working for over 2 hours. Yeah that's right, this night owl scheduled a metabolism party at 6am today!!! So my BIG goal for today is a NAP! (Surely Donna took naps, right?) Have a great Saturday. Check in when you can.

Walgreens Bust

Ok, who got all my products?! Be cheerful, Be cheerful, Be cheerful

I didn't get to go to Walgreens until after husband got home from work (6ish). On my drive to the pharmacy I was almost giddy thinking about the transaction that was about to go down. I should have had a clue about what was to come when all the $2.99 slots for the Garnier Fructis Shampoo and Conditioners were empty. From there, every aisle I turned down I was faced with disappointment- aluminum foil-gone, electrasol tabs-gone, oatmeal and cereal- gone, gone. Even the Benefiber Stix-gone. I had thought I was the biggest fiber lover in this town- apparently not!

I was able to walk out with my 2 packages of Maxi Pads for $0.50 each (printable coupon had reached its limit); 2 bottles of Childrens Motrin for $2.74 each (normally $5.99 each, I used a $2 off Walgreen coupon found in insert & a $2.50 off 2 coupon found in a recent newspaper insert), I also picked up a 100 ct box of Splenda for $2.44 (normally $4.49, I used Walgreen coupon and $0.55 coupon from recent newspaper insert) and last I got a Christmas Pencil for $0.06 (I picked up the pencil because you can't have more coupons then items, so I looked for the cheapest thing I could find)

Final Price: $10.45 $ Saved: $21.87
This price was not deducted from my yearly budget because I used a Walgreen Rebate Giftcard from last month to pay for it.

Familytime Failure- kind of

Well folks, I am sad to say I batted 0.5 out of 3 today for my "times." I had great plans to spend some quality, memorable, even picture worthy devotional, craft, and learning time with the boys today- and they had to go and get sick! My 4 year old was up most of last night with a high fever and cough so I decided to take him in to the doctor today; and baby is teething and fighting his own cold. Even still- I was determined to do our activities- I mean it was already marked in ink on my to-do list and eternally recorded on the world wide web!

I had just scooped the last of the out-of-date yogurt into a bowl for our "fingerpaint with yogurt" craft and was getting out the food coloring when Colby came into the kitchen and said "Mommy can we skip the craft and just do rest time." Now when your 4 year old would rather rest then take advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to "play with his food"- you know he's got to be sick. Soooo reluctantly I put the out-of-date yogurt back in the fridge (what's a few more days) and accepted defeat.

I gave some thought to the idea of still attempting devotional time but had to admit to myself that I would only be doing it to "check it off" because the boys just weren't up for it! As I write, I now realize I missed a great opportunity to talk to the boys about and help them pray to the "Great Physician." Oh man!

I am happy to say that after reflecting on my goals for learning time; and facing the truth that my baby has been deprived of the same early learning experiences as his older brother- Cohen has now seen a flashcard! I feel confident that if we run across a Tropical Bird, Elephant, or Sea Turtle in the next few days he will have a look of recognition on his face.

This is going to sound just aweful- but I secretly enjoy when the boys are feeling puny because this is often the only time they are still enough for me to cuddle and love on them. And you know who our babies want when the don't feel good...... Mama!

Learning Time

Learning Time is really just a hodge podge of activities. If a "time" is going to get skipped it is usually this one. I usually justify this because many of our crafts could be considered educational. Every now and then I'll think "ooh we haven't done learning time" and I'll throw out a letter and ask my 4 year old what sound does it make? And we (meaning me) will think of words that start with that letter.
Now that I am going to try to be more intentional about learning time, I would really like to focus this time on writing with my 4 year old. As of right now the only way to identify Colby's work at school is by process of elimination. All the other kids can legibly write their names so I simply look for the one with the scribble. His teacher assures me it is nothing to worry about- he just hasn't developed a desire to write yet. So we gonna work on that desire!

As far as my 15 month old is concerned, poor little guy is lucky right now if once a week he gets a "where's your toes?" That, along with the multiple bumps to the head (we have concrete floors) I fear we have really messed him up. I was soooo much better with intentional learning time with my first born- we had flash cards, stacking blocks, daily patty-cake sessions, and a complete library of Baby Einsteine videos. Poor Cohen, if I don't start doing better he is going to be the only kid in high school who doesn't know where his belly button is. Oh the guilt! Quick, where's the flashcards.... COHEN !!!!!

Craft Time

My four year old LOVES crafts!! Give him a glue stick and a paint brush and he will be happy for hours (ok more like minutes- but you get the point). I am always looking for craft ideas to do with him and one day I ran across a neat blog called notimeforflashcards.com- isn't that the perfect name! The author of this blog posts a new idea everyday to do with her child along with book ideas and even songs- she is such a Donna Reed Mom!


Craft time works out best for us, if I let Colby pick the craft. I don't care how cool my craft idea is, he always has a "better" idea. So most of the time I will let Colby scroll through her blog until he finds an idea that he wants to do. But today, I am going to do my best to sell him on my craft project find.... finger painting with yogurt!



Are you shocked I want the boys to do this craft? Well the reason this particular craft appeals to me is that I have some out-of-date yogurt in my fridge that I hate to see go to waste! So its an economic thing- but don't you think the boys will love it! I'll let you know how it goes!

Devotional Time

I started Devotional Time (when I did it) with the boys when my work schedule changed and I was no longer able to take Colby to Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) on Wednesday mornings. BSF is a wonderful ministry that provides an in depth bible study for both adults and children starting at 2 years old. I had no idea what children were capable of doing or understanding until I watched Colby go through this program. At 2 years old he very quickly learned that the bible was God's "true word" and even lay still on his mat for the 10 minute "quiet time" with Jesus while at BSF! And I cherished our ride homes together when he would repeat his rendition of the bible story or worship song he had learned that day.

So you can imagine how sad I was when my work schedule changed and I was no longer able to take Colby to BSF. I was discussing my guilt for having to take him out of such a wonderful program with a friend when she said something that stopped me in my tracks (I think I was actually on a treadmill, but that's beside the point); she said "couldn't you just do the same things at home with Colby that he was doing at BSF." That's when it hit me- It wasn't BSF's job or even the church's job to teach my child about Jesus and what it means to have a relationship with him- it was MINE! So out of this epiphany came "devotional time."

Now our devotional time is NOT 2 hours it usually only lasts 15 minutes (again- when we do it) but in that time we try to incorporate quiet time, worship time, bible study, and prayer. We only do "quiet time" for 4 minutes (1 minute per Colby's age). During this time Colby talks to God or here lately he has chosen to sing God a song that he has made up (I wish you could hear his songs- just warms a Mama's heart!) While Colby is doing his quiet time I usually try to read Cohen a book or sing him a song quietly. After quiet time we sing songs- usually old VBS songs I learned when I was a kid. For bible study we have done anything from randomly opening up the bible and reading from whatever page we opened, to reviewing his Awana study, to reading a church library book. And then we always end with a prayer that Colby uses to thank God for every friend, family member, toy, piece of furniture etc. etc. etc. I use this time to quietly thank God for my boys!

This week we started using the book Gotta Have God 2, fun devotions for boys ages 2-5 by Lynn Marie-Ittner Klammer. I like this book because after each lesson it gives a project or craft idea. Which leads us into our next activity.... Craft Time.

Familytime Friday

Today is Familytime Friday. I am soooo excited about you holding me accountable to this day- specifically about making "devotional time," "learning time," and "craft time" a priority that does not get pushed aside for errands or even cleaning. My boys thank you too!

In the past, when I have had a DRS flair-up, my familytime has greatly suffered because of my obsession of keeping a kept house, it was even easy to justify that I was doing it FOR my family. But I'll tell you just knowing that Familytime Friday was part of my master DRS plan, and that you would be holding me accountable, has really helped me keep my priorities straight. Add in the fact that God would timely whisper "be cheerful" when my 4 year old was complaining about supper or my baby was de-rolling the toilet paper-again, and I felt like I had a pretty good Mommy Week. But don't ask me- ask the boys!

Today I am going to post some ideas for devotional time, learning time, and craft time. I hope you will use today to share about different things you enjoy doing with your family.

Donna gone Wild!

Tonight I did the unexpected, I lived in the moment, I rebelled against the plan, I........ SWITCHED my Thursday Zone with Friday's Zone! That's right- even though the plan clearly states "Thursday- clean oven, stovetop, knick knacks, and microwave" I deliberately chose to "organize pantry, clean floors, behind fridge, and baseboards!" Who says I can't cut loose?

Incidentally, if you decide to stop by for a visit anytime soon, feel free to eat behind my fridge. You might have to, since that darn table is overflowing AGAIN!

Deal Alert

My favorite coupon in all America is available again at coupons.com! I hate spending money on toilet paper, it's like flushing money down the potty! So I am always pumped when Cottenelle provides a $0.50 off coupon.

Cottonelle 4 packs are always $0.99 at Kroger, therefore when my coupon doubles guess what that means: FREE.

Hurry and print yours now before the print limit is met! Go to coupons.com or use the handy dandy coupon.com button on the leftside of this blog to print directly from this site! (You will only be able to print 2 coupons per computer.)

I also used the button to print a $0.55 off Little Debbie 100 Kcal Packs, $1 off Fiber One Bar, and $1 off velveta! Woopie!

Walgreen Deals

Here in our neck of the woods, I have found that Walgreens is the best place to get unbelievable deals! This week definitely proves my point. I don't even want to pretend I figured out these deals myself, I relied on the expertise of my favorite blogs: Money Saving Mom and The Thrifty Mama. Check them out for a more complete list of deals.

I like to shop Walgreens on Friday because Walgreens will often email out a $5 off $25 purchase or $10 off $50 purchase coupon for Friday and Saturday only. By waiting till Friday I do run the risk that Walgreens will be out of the sale product, but our Walgreens is usually pretty good about writing rainchecks for the items at sale price. I usually will use Thursday night to clip my coupons and map out my game plan.

Here is my game plan for the week:

Buy 2 Stayfree Maxi Pads 28ct at $6.99 each (hand your coupons to the register attendant in this order!)
Use Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon from your 1/4 RedPlum (RP) insert
Print and use the $1 of 1 coupon found here
Then use the $3 off 1 Walgreens coupon (found in weekly ad- should take off $6)
Final Price for 2: Free

Electrasol Gelpack (20 ct.) at $3.49
Use $2.50 for 1 in 1/4 SmartSource (SS) insert
Submit for January EasySaver Rebate #31 and get $1.50 back (Easysaver Rebate book found at front of store) Final Price: Free plus $0.51 in overages after coupons and rebate

Garnier Fructis Hair Products at $2.99
Use $1 for 1 in 1/4 RP and
$2/1 coupon in January EasySaver Book
Final Price: Free

Reynolds Wrap Foil at $0.99
Use $1 off 1 from either the 11/16 SS or 12/14 SS
Final Price: Free

Buy 2 Quaker Instant Oatmeal 10 pack for $1.99
Use $1.35 off 2 in 1/4 RP
Final Price: $2.63 for 2 boxes

Register Reward Deals (RR) RR are coupons that print with your receipt that provide $ off your next purchase- they usually expire in 2 weeks.

Buy 2 Benefiber sticks 16 ct at 2 for $10
Use 2 $2 off coupons from 12/14 or 1/4 SS
Get $5 back in RR for buying $10 worth of product
Final Price after coupons and RR: $1.00 for 2 boxes

Buy 4 Flintstone Children's Vitamins 60ct at $5 each
Use 4 $1 off 1 found in 1/4SS
Can also use $1 off 1 coupon found in Walgreen Coloring Book (found by the pharmacy desk)- should take off $4
Send in mail-in-rebate form in the 1/4SS (Bayer Special Half Price Offer up to $10 rebate)
Get $10 RR back for buying $20 worth of product
Final Price after coupons, mail-in-rebate, and RR: Free plus $6 in overages

Buy 4 boxes of Select Krogger Cereals for 4 for $10
Use 4 $1 off 1 coupons from 12/14RP
Get $3 back in RR for buying 4 boxes
Final Price after coupons and RR: $0.75 per box

January Free-After Rebate Deals- Each month the EasySaver Book has at least 1 free after rebate product. I always buy these when they have those $5 or $25 or $10 off $50 coupons I told you about because it helps me get to the $25 or $50 amount and yet I will get that $ back when my rebate check comes in the mail.

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
Final Price: Free plus $1 overages after coupon and 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 after both rebates


Note: If some of this Walgreen coupon lingo seems like a foreign language to you- I recommend reading Money Saving Moms Walgreens 101 Post.

Annual Budget Coutdown-update

If you remember, many posts ago, I told you about my personal challenge to keep our annual grocery budget to $5000.00 this year. This equates to about $96.00 per week to cover all food (not including dining out), personal hygiene, cleaning products, and OTC meds.

Last Sunday's Kroger trip was my first bite into the budget. With a ziplock full of coupons and the determination of a ??? (what's something that is known for it's determination, anyways...) to not stray from "the list," I felt confident that I would be off to a great start. So you can imagine my surprise when my grocery bill rang up to $123.04. $123.94- It was just week one and I was already $27.94 behind schedule!

I studied my receipt all the way home to see where I went wrong. (husband driving- not me) I discovered that I was not awarded my $5 discount for buying $25 worth of Proctor and Gamble products, and I had purposely bought some items just to get me to that amount; specifically: the bounty paper towels- 8 roll pack $6.99, although I do love them, they are a luxury item & the Folgers Gourmet Coffee Blends-$4.99 for a small bag.) Right then and there I decided- They must go back!!!

So the next day I loaded up my two boys in the two-door civic (that detail is important to the story, because you have to be really motivated to go anywhere when it means loading two boys into car seats in a two-door vehicle), swallowed my pride (actually I am way past that, but I know for some of you this would be extremely humiliating), ran across the parking lot in the frigid rain carrying a 15 month old on one hip, and an 8 roll pack of paper towels on the other, while begging my four year old not to drop the coffee or jump in the puddles. Soaking wet we presented our items to customer service.

It was all worth it when the cashier handed me back my $11.77 to go back into the budget. You might think that is where the story ends, but no my dear readers there is more....

You see when I got home and started preparing my weekly meals, I discovered an extra bag of Salmon. You don't know this, but I typically will make a special trip to Walmart to buy my fish because it is significantly cheaper then Kroger. I didn't think I would have time to get to Walmart before I started my marathon of meals so I had just closed my eyes and placed the $9.99 salmon in my basket when I had shopped on Sunday. So you know what I did, don't you? I made a second trip back to Kroger and returned that fish, for a refund of $11.57!


So I am very happy to report: $ Spent to date: $99.70 $Saved: $86.13 (found on Kroger receipt) $ Left: $4900.30 with 51 weeks to go!

Thrifty Thursday

Thrifty Thursday is here! The day we get to share our thrifty finds of the week. Please remember that there are many websites/blogs devoted completely to couponing and saving money so for a more conclusive list of deals you will definitely want to seek outside this blog. I am simply going to share the deals I am most excited about and hope you will do the same for me. This is also the day I will update my annual budget countdown. Fun stuff!

Awesome Walgreen deals coming this afternoon! Get ready to get some free stuff! If you have never experienced a coupon high- watch out- today might be your day!

Final Report

Well troops- I am giving up for the night. Laundry is still sitting in the dryer, haven't looked to see what the bathroom counters look like, haven't packed the boys lunches, etc. etc. etc. Today I fought the house and the house won- I am at peace with this. Tomorrow is a new day! Talk to you then.

When in doubt, throw it out!

Ok- this is probably going to gross you out, but I feel I must confess something.... The picture to the right is all the spices I found tonight that were OUT OF DATE!!! And I'm not talking by days, weeks, or even months people- some should have been tossed in 2006! The hand belongs to my "little helper" who wasn't quite ready to see them go. Kept the hand, threw out the spices!

Zone-update

Ok- I got to thank those that have checked in today. I was really dreading my zone work today and then when I logged in and saw over 1000 hits it refueled me and motivated me to pour the Mr. Clean and get busy.

Tonight's zone was cleaning and reorganizing the inside and outside of my kitchen cabinets and drawers. Lucky for me I had a little helper to "assist" me in my task. As long as I worked behind my 15 month old, the system worked great. He would pull everything out of the cabinet, I would come in behind him, clean, then neatly return everything to their designated spot. The problem was when Cohen would "inspect" my work. Evidently my organizing was not to his satisfaction because he insisted on pulling everything out again so I could start all over. Not sure I ever got it right.

Long Day at Work

Hi Everyone thanks for checking in today. Sorry posts were so few. I will update soon I promise. Current state of house- Disaster! Current state of me- tired... but hydrated! Must get busy!!!

Product of the Week

The first product of the week is Ham Bouillon. I love this stuff! I use it anytime a recipe might call for bacon, bacon grease, or a ham hock. Although NOT fat free, you still come out way ahead on fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol when using this product vs. the traditional pork fat flavoring. The flavor is powerful; therefore a little goes a long way. The downfall is that it is loaded with sodium.

The brand I typically find at Kroger is Orrington Farms (as pictured). I was never able to find this product at Walmart; but I haven't looked in a while.

Nutrition Facts: Serving Size: 1 Tsp.

Calories: 15

Fat: 1 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 820mg

Carbohydrate: 2 g

Protein: 0 g

Wellness Tip

Where in the Wellness World should I begin? How about with WATER! If water was good enough to be the first source of nourishment God created, then it is good enough for me!

While we could go weeks without food we could only survive days without water. That's because water is vital to almost every aspect of our physiology. But how much do we need?

Well- we use to be taught that everyone should shoot for 64 oz of water a day; but newer research has come out to say that 64 oz is not true for everyone. Some need a lot more, some can get by with less. What do I say? I think 64 oz is a great goal to shoot for. If you are new to water- maybe aim for 20oz a day for awhile (give your kidneys and bladder a chance to get use to it) then slowly build up. If you are overweight, pregnant, lactating, or exercising- you will probably need more then the originally recommended 64 oz.

Now I hate to admit this to you- but I am not the best water drinker. However I am most successful about getting my eight, 8oz of water in when I do the following:

• Drink it lukewarm. Now this is a mater of opinion- but I am able to drink more water at one given time when I drink it not too cold, but not too hot.
• Set it where you can see it. If I will set a water bottle on my desk at work or out on my kitchen counter, I am a lot more likely to be reminded to drink.
• Schedule it. Obviously this is a part of my DRS, but I do best when I set mini goals like: drink 1, 20oz bottle while getting ready in the morning; drink one 20oz with lunch; and drink 1, 20 oz by or with dinner.
• Flavor it up- Now there are all sorts of low to no calorie flavor packets available to stir into our water bottles. Some even give you options for adding vitamins and minerals and even fiber!
• Take water with you when you exercise! This seems like such an obvious tip, but I forget and leave my water bottle at home all the time! Never do I crave water more then when I exercise. I can down 40oz+ in one session, but when I limit myself to the water fountain I know I am getting in a lot less.
• The more water you drink, the more you want to drink water. I know this is true for me. The more water I drink the thirstier I become thus making it easier for me to get in more water.

How about you? Any tips or thoughts about water you want to share?

Wellness Wednesday

Good Morning! Today is the first Wellness Wednesday. In light of the "Wellness" aspect of this day, I am going to abandon my DRS way of thinking on Wednesdays to bring you a healthy, realistic, simple, do-able message or tip. At times, you might even wonder "is this the same blog I was on yesterday?" "Is the same girl that uses turtle wax to shine her sink really telling me not to strive for perfection in my diet?" Yes! that's right- my goal is to use this day to help us develop healthy, sustainable habits in all aspects of Wellness. Don't worry when we talk about mental health- I will bring in a professional! First tip coming soon!

End of Day Update

Well I must say I am pretty pleased about the day. I did get all my routines and zone work done and even managed to get the introduction read in "The Shack." I think I could have gotten in bed before midnight if I hadn't watched "Biggest Loser"- now that is quality television! (I have already shed my first tear and it was only episode one of this season)
I have missed the last two nights pricing items for my garage sale, but I'll just try to catch that up this weekend. Off to bed I go! Talk to you tomorrow!

Breakfast Casserole- Verdicts In

Ok, so I had told you I was a little nervous about the modified breakfast casserole. We had it tonight and....... we all liked it!- even managed to get the baby to eat a bite or 2. I do think next time I will try toasting the bread first, but otherwise all the modifications worked just fine. It will be nice to have the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow. Oh... got to go, baby pulling all the books off the bookshelf again......

Afternoon Update

Well I am home for lunch and I am going to try to knock out Tuesday's day task and maybe even some of my zone work before I have to get back to work. Loved coming in for Lunch to a clean kitchen. I'm also excited to be able to warm up some leftover skillet lasagna for lunch- yummy! Hope you are all having a great day.

Zone 1- Kitchen and Dinning Room Odd Months

Odd Months
Day 1- Tuesday

• Clean Fridge inside & Out
• Clean Light Fixtures
• Shine Sink (I use the turtle wax to shine my sink)

Day 2- Wednesday

• Clean and organize all cabinets
• Clean and organize all drawers
• Clean outside of cabinets

Day 3- Thursday

• Clean oven
• Clean stovetop
• Clean all knick knacks (everything that sits on top of the counters ex: coffee pot)
• Clean Microwave

Day 4- Friday

• Clean and organize pantry
• Clean Floors
• Clean behind Fridge
• Clean baseboards

Day 4- Saturday

• Detail highchair
• Dust Buffet and Cookbooks
• Clean inside and out china cabinet
• Dust of polish table

Sunday and Monday- OFF

Tidy Tuesday

Well the day I have dreaded, I mean looked forward to is here. I can't put it off any longer- it's time to start the zones!!! Now let me warn you, before you see the actual cleaning schedule (coming around 9am), it can seem a little.... obsessive or overwhelming (but then again that is what you have come to expect from this blog). It might even seem a little ridiculous, but according to flylady if we will follow this cleaning plan we will never have to "spring clean" again. I find that when I clean at this detailed level of cleaning I am sooo much more motivated to keep it clean. And just imagine how much better you will sleep knowing there are no dust bunnies partying behind your fridge!


I must tell you that flylady strongly recommends you spend NO MORE then 15 minutes on your zones per day. I am not a rebellious person, but I don't always mind flylady on this one (don't tell!) I will tell you that after you complete month one of Tidy Tuesday you will find that every month you get quicker and quicker because of the hard work you put in the month before.



Ready, Set, ....... Clean!

Final Update- Day 2

Well another day in the life with DRS has come and gone. Overall I would give myself a B minus. Might have been a B if not for the "forgetting to feed my child" incident and the fact that the infamous table (hotspot) has about 6 things on it right now and I can't seem to get motivated to do anything about it. Tomorrow will be a BIG test for the DRS plan- enter ZONES! Not only will I be trying to fit in zone work to this already impossible master plan, the next 3 days are work days for me.
I will admit I am a little nervous about working out a balance between blogging, working, and DRSing...... but I am sure with a little more planning and a little more organization i can figure it out (see how this illness works). Don't think a few prayers would hurt either!!!
How are you doing????

Deal Alert- Kroger

Ok- as promised, I am going to list some of the "best" deals I got this week at Kroger. Kroger sales run from Wednesday to Tuesday and the Grocery Game posts on Sunday (usually late Saturday night) to take advantage of that Sunday's coupons. If I see that I am not going to need too many of Sunday's coupons, I love to go on Saturday night so I can get it out of the way and enjoy my Sunday at home. In the future I hope to post Kroger deals on Sunday so you have plenty of time to take advantage of the sale before it ends. Sorry such late notice tonight

Product, Kroger sale price, coupons used and source with date, final price

Washington State or Cameo Apples, .99 lb


Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal 16 oz, 2/$4 (buy 1), 0.50 off 1 from RP*1/4,
Final Price: $1.00


Kroger Canned Vegetables, 10/$5 (I stocked up on all the canned products I would need for the month of meals)


Wish-bones Bountifuls Dressing, 2/$4, 0.60 off 1 from RP*1/4 and 0.75 off 1 from s.cuts*,
Final Price: 0.05


Yoplait Yogurt Cups, 20/$10 (Buy 6), 0.50 off 6 at http://www.coupon.com/, or 0.40 off 6 from SS* 1/4, Final Price: 0.34 or 0.37 each


Lean Cuisine Frozen Entrees, $1.88 (buy 2 or 3), go here to get $1/2, Final Price: $1.38 each


Aleve Liquid Gels 20 ct, $1.99, $1.00 of 1 from SS* 1/4 or use $1 off of 1 from the peelie on the package, Final Price: 0.99


Olay Definity Pore Redefining Scrub, $4.49, $3.00 of 1 from PG* 12/28 and $1.00 from esaver**
Final Price: 0.49 (This is usually $8.99)


Olay Ribbons Body Wash, 3/$10, $1 off 1 from PG* 12/28 and $1 off from esaver**
Final Price: $1.33

Note: Kroger doubles all paper coupons up to 0.60

* Your newspaper inserts come from 3 different sources: RedPlum (RP), Smart Source (SS) and Proctor and Gamble (PG)

** At Kroger.com you can load your Kroger Card with coupons from 3 different sources: shortcuts.com (s.cuts), P&G esavers (esaver), and cellfire (cf). When you check out you should see the discount on your receipt.

These are just some of the deals that I found this week. For a complete list I strongly recommend joining thegrocerygame.com and checking out other coupon blogs.

More on couponing and my total trip $ on Thrifty Thursday!

Pride comes before the Fall

Let me paint the scene for you. I was having the most Donnaesk day: I had checked everything off on my morning routine, gone to the gym to workout, put the baby down for his first nap, and had even put on an apron to perform my marathon of meals (I tried to ignore the fact that instead of pearls and heals I was in sweats and a ball cap- baby steps); when my four year old climbed up on the bar stool and requested a snack. "Sure" I said, and went to the pantry and pulled out a Quaker Chewy Peanut Butter Protein Bar (Kroger $1.03 after coupons yesterday) and poured him a glass of milk.
We visited, as I cooked and he ate his snack (I was confident Jeff and Donna had shared many similar experiences as Jeff enjoyed his daily cookies and milk and Donna prepared the evening meal). It was in this prideful moment Colby said "Mommy you know what i didn't have today?" I briefly thought to myself- "maybe a vitamin or even a hug", but didn't even look up when I casually asked "what." My Donna moment shattered when my precious 4 year old, who God had placed in my arms to love and care for, said "Breakfast." It was 11:00 and I had never made him breakfast- his granola bar was the first hint of nourishment he had had all day- and he had been up since 6:30am!!!! Donna would be so ashamed!
I felt horrible and rushed over to hug him and in my guilt offered him some Peanut Butter Captain Crunch as a small gesture of apology. Yes, that is right the dietitian was offering her first born Sugar! We had picked some up yesterday at Kroger ($1.50 with coupons) for special treats, and I thought my starving son Deserved a Treat!
Add in the fact that my kitchen looked like the above picture after all my meals were finished- and I was completely humbled- Donna I am not!

Now I must go tackle that kitchen and fold some clothes before nap #2 is up!

Meals Done!

Well I timed it and it took me exactly 1 hour and 32 minutes to complete all the meals (and take the picture). The only thing I have not made is the salads (did make dressing) and the fruit salad. My time included snacktime for the four year old and the last 15 minutes my baby woke up from his first nap and insisted on "helping." I also need to let you know, as you count the items on my table, that I cook for another family and so I made double recipes for most of the meals. So I bet you can beat my time! Let me know.
Some tips:
1. While I was browning my beef for the lasagna and boiling the water for the noodles I was able to prepare the Chicken Elegante, Green Beans, and the Salmon Dish.
2. I will put the garlic pepper on the salmon right before I bake it.

Breakfast Casserole

I have to thank Allison for the original recipe for this post. Let me tell you that this recipe, in it's original form, is always a hit in our Sunday School class. However.... I have greatly modified the recipe to make it healthier, therefore, don't blame Allison if it flops. I will be honest, I have not tried the reduced fat version but feel confident it should turn out ok. Just in case, let me try it first, and if it doesn't turn out good, I'll let you know.

Modified Breakfast Casserole

• 12 slices of whole wheat bread (I will use Natures Own Double Fiber Bread)
• 3 TBS Lite Butter
• 3 cups skim milk
• 1.5 cups Egg Substitute
• 1 cup Mexican Blend Cheese
• 1 Package of Jimmy Deans Reduced Fat Sausage
• 1 Green Pepper (this was not part of the original recipe)

Spray 9x13 cooking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cut crusts off bread, butter the bread and slice into 9-inch cubes. Place in pan. Place cheese on top of bread. Brown sausage. Whip eggs and milk together then mix with browned sausage. Pour the meat mixture over bread and cheese. Cut green pepper into rings and place on top of casserole. Put in refrigerator overnight. Take out of refrigerator 30 min prior to cooking. Bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Nutrition Information for my ingredients:

Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe

Meal Plan: Calories: 380, 3 meats, 1 starch, 1/2 milk, 1/2 vegetable (that is a stretch) 2 fats

I will serve this with a fruit salad and a glass of milk.

Niki's Green Beans

That's right I am giving myself credit for this recipe. Your family will swear you cooked with bacon grease (ok- my family has never actually had this conversation, but I did have a guest ask me about it once!) but this recipe is almost fat free!

Niki's Green Beans

1 can no added salt green beans
1 TBS Ham Bouillon (I find this at Kroger with the other bouillons- Orrington Farms is the brand I usually find.)
2 packets of Splenda (optional)
Garlic Pepper to Taste

Throw all of the ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. Once green beans reach boiling bring temp down to simmer. The longer you let simmer the better!

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Meal Plan: Calories: 35, 1 vegetable

Skillet-Style Lasagna

This is a fun way to make lasagna and it hides a few vegys from the kiddos! This recipe takes the longest to prepare of all the recipes this week, but still not bad. While the noodles are cooking, I will use that time to prepare a lot of the other dishes. I will probably use this meal on Monday or Tuesday just because the skillet takes up a lot of room in my refrigerator. Once again I ask that you click here for the recipe.
Note: I use ground sirloin instead of sausage and whole wheat noodles when preparing for my family.
I also am loving Hunt's Zesty & Spicy Spaghetti Sauce, and use it anytime a recipe calls for a spaghetti sauce.

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
Meal Plan: (as origional recipe): Calories: 442, 3.5 meats, 2 starches, 1/2 veg, 2.5 fats
(if use ground sirloin, probably cut out around 100 Calories)

I will serve this meal with green beans (see next post for that recipe)

Black Bean and Salsa Soup

This too is quick, easy, and healthy- but also CHEAP! All of the ingredients are usually sitting in my pantry if ever I am in need of a quick meal. I like to double or even triple the recipe and eat it for lunch throughout the week. This is a recipe that I got from allrecipes.com and therefore, ask that you simply click here to see the recipe. This will save me time from having to retype it plus I am unsure what the copyright laws are on copying recipes.

PS I use chicken broth instead of the vegetable broth and I like to sprinkle just a little bit of Lite Mexican Blend cheese on top!

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe (my guess is about 1 cup)
Meal Plan: Calories: 241 (without cheese) 2 lean meats, 2 starches, 12g of Fiber!!!

Raspberry Pecan Salmon with Mandarin Orange Salad

Here is another quick, simple, and oh so healthy recipe. Your heart is going to love the Omega Fatty Acids that salmon provides.


Raspberry Pecan Salmon

• 4 Salmon Steaks (or 1 steak per family member) I buy the bag of frozen salmon at Walmart. Kroger also has frozen salmon but it is at least $3 more.
• 1/2 - 1 cup (just enough to marinade) Kens Fat Free Raspberry Pecan Salad Dressing
• 1/2 Tbs Garlic Pepper or to taste

Marinate salmon in dressing and garlic pepper 20 min or longer. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-12 minutes or cook on the grill (turn at 3-4 minutes) until fish flakes with a fork

Niki's prep note: I usually pre-prepare this dish on Monday for a later date. I'll just toss the frozen salmon in a large ziplock bag, pour in dressing and garlic pepper, and let it set in fridge for up to 2-3 days until I am ready to cook it.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 4 oz Salmon

Meal Plan: Calories: 300; 4 lean meats and 1.5 fats

Mandarin Orange Salad

• Spinach
• Can of Mandarin Oranges in own juice if can find it, or lite syrup
• Green Onions (optional)
• Pecans or Almonds if you have them (i forgot to put that on our grocery list- sorry)

Dressing: I usually make 1/2 of this recipe!

• 6 packets of Splenda (if you do not like to use artificial sweetners you can use 1/4 cup sugar)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp. Dry Mustard
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 1 cup olive or canola oil
• Recipe also calls for poppy-seeds (I usually leave these out because it still bothers me that Slater tested positive for opium on a drug test after eating a poppyseed muffin on Saved By The Bell)

Mix together and toss with salad.

I will serve the salmon and salad with rice

Chicken Elegante

This recipe is brought to you by Gray (a frequent commenter). I got this recipe a couple of years ago at a recipe exchange party. This recipe is prepared in a crock-pot; therefore, I will cook this meal on a day that I work. I love coming in from a long day at work knowing that supper is already ready. You will love the aroma this one leaves as it cooks throughout the day. Yummy!

Chicken Elegante

4-6 chicken breasts (or 1 breast per family member)
1 can golden mushroom soup (I can find this at Kroger)
1 onion, quartered
1 cup sliced carrots
Salt and Pepper
1/2 soup can of water

Combine all ingredients and place in crock-pot. Cook on low all day. It's that easy folks!

Nutrition Info:
Serving Size: 4 oz chicken with 1/4th of vegetables and gravy
Meal Plan: Calories: 215, 4 very lean meats, 1 vegetable, 1/2 starch

I am going to serve this with instant mashed potatoes and a side salad. (Also great with rice)

Mealtime Monday

Welcome to your first Mealtime Monday!!!! I have all your recipes ready to post and they will be coming up in the 9am hour. After reviewing the recipes I believe I can make all the meals today in about 1.5 hour. I'll time it and let you know. Below I am going to explain how I will store the meals until the designated day I plan to serve them to my family.


Monday's Meal: Skillet Lasagna (I will just put entire skillet in my refrigerator until time to cook tonight)

Tuesday's Meal: Breakfast Casserole (I will just place foil on top of casserole dish and place in refrigerator until tomorrow night)

Wednesday's Meal: Chicken Elegante (I will prepare with frozen chicken and then put all ingredients into a ziplock to be kept in refrigerator until I transfer to crock-pot on Wednesday morning)

Thursday's Meal: Raspberry Pecan Salmon with Mandarin Orange Salad (I am going to prepare with frozen Salmon and then put all ingredients into a large freezer ziplock. I will then place the salmon into the FREEZER until Wednesday night. Wednesday night I will transfer salmon to refrigerator so that it will be thawed by Thursday night. I will pre-prepare the dressing for the salad, but will probably wait to chop up my lettuce until Thursday night)

Friday night is Date Night- I ain't cooking

Saturday night- unsure

Sunday Lunch- Black Bean Soup (I will probably freeze soup in ziplock just because if it sat in my refrigerator I would probably eat it before Sunday- its that yummy!)

Aren't you so excited you will only have to destroy your kitchen once and you won't have to worry about cooking the rest of the week!!!

Final Update Day 1

Well I finished up Day 1- certainly NOT to Donna's standard, but if not for DRS I would probably be in much worse shape. At least I cleared off that darn table! If you can just humor me for a minute I am going to go through a quick check list of what I accomplished:

Morning Routine: All complete

Afternoon Routine: No zone work on Sundays! I did not get playroom straightened but otherwise everything else got done.

Bedtime Routine: No reading time, otherwise as long as I remember to turn on the dishwasher I did everything else.

Day Tasks: Did get the ironing done- that feels good! No fruits and vegys to cut up (apples and tangerines were on sale and they do not require any prep)

How'd you do?

See you tomorrow!

Deal Alert

Don't forget to pick up today's paper. There are 5 coupon inserts this week! It's like Christmas all over again. I am going to try to post my favorite Kroger deals for the week tomorrow because Kroger will have new sale items on Wed.- but you need those coupons if you are going to participate!

A Picture Says a Thousand Words

So how am I doing? you ask. Well let me just use the pictures above to illustrate. This morning, as I began my morning routine, you will see from the picture on the left that I did indeed "wipe down my countertops." Unfortunately when I left my kitchen, I was faced with.. the picture on the right. I had no plan nor precedence for what to do next- "Clear table aka hotspot" was not part of my morning routine! Had it not been Day 1 of this master plan, I would like to think it would have been cleaned the night before as part of the bedtime routine. But it is Day 1 and it wasn't cleared the whole weekend. (someone was sitting at the computer instead of cleaning!)Needless to say this, along with the current state of the rest of my house, has thrown me from my original "Day of Rest" plan. I am going to step away from the computer and try to get busy while baby is sleeping. Hope to be in full force by Day 2- we'll see!

work cheerfully, work cheerfully, work cheerfully

Sonday Sunday

Every year, one of my New Years Resolutions is to memorize 1 bible verse a week. And every year I fail. I don't know why I don't follow through with this one, because I have experienced the benefit of "hiding His word in my heart." Psalms 119: 11

I personally think scripture memorization is the most powerful tool God uses to talk to us. I can not tell you the number of times I have been worried about something (I struggle with worry- part of DRS and general motherhood), when the Holy Spirit will dig Phillipians 4:6 from my heart and whisper "Do not be anxious about anything, but in Everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to the Lord and the PEACE that passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus" and in that instant I can feel Gods peace and I am once again reminded to hand my worries over to him and and let it go!

I have also seen the power of quoting scripture in prayer. God is ALWAYS faithful, but I think he likes it when we remind him of his promises.

So with that being said, I am very excited to get started with this resolution. I have chosen Colossians 3:23 as my first memory verse to help me keep a proper attitude this week as I begin to put this massive DRS plan together. After all, why should I put any of it into action unless it will bless my family and in some tiny way bring glory to God.


Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather then for people. Col 3: 23

Post coming soon

Sorry everyone Sonday Sunday is coming very soon, just waiting for naptime to sit down and post! (Boys naptime, not mine- maybe one day soon I can get one too!)