Husband, wife, happy life

Dressing up for Halloween

2010-11-10T09:13:00.005-07:00

Ivory was a cute little pumpkin for Halloween. She loved her costume, except for the fact that she had to wear a hat!

Emily was Cinderella this year. We're just entering the princess stage, and as a friend pointed out, Cinderella is a good role model. When people treat her harshly, she is gentle and kind in return. She has a servant's heart.

I found the idea for this costume here. My mother-in-law made the dress for our niece when she was a flower girl at our wedding. I made the accessories; the choker, headband, fingerless gloves, and the pretty, but pointless, poofs on the side of the dress. Emily thought the poofs should have been pockets - probably for storing extra candy!

Gotcha!

2010-08-14T20:20:00.008-07:00

We've entered the messy-faced-for-months stage with Ivory. It's always fun to catch them with spaghetti sauce all over their sweet little faces. But with a baby and a big sister, it get's more interesting.

"Who me? I'm just eating my pasta."

"She got me!"

It's true. While James was taking memorable pictures of Ivory, Emily came in for a closer look. Whenever Emily is in reach, Ivory tries to get her. This time she left a mark. Emily wasn't too happy about being messy at first (although she frequently has a messy face after her fine dining experiences), but once we started laughing she joined in.

Worms, Part II

2010-07-21T13:56:00.003-07:00

Last year, James and Emily planted a tree for my birthday. Emily's favorite part as an almost 2 year old was discovering worms.

I thought that her fascination with these rather disgusting creatures would be forgotten as a result of fall and winter and the lack of earthworms during those long months. I was wrong.

After fishing with Grandpa, her interest was piqued again. Mom and Dad kept the worms in their refrigerator FOREVER after that fishing trip. How do I know? Because every time we went to visit Emily had to see the worms and carry them around the backyard. Mom and Dad finally released them into their strawberry patch.

In the meantime, James started a new backyard project (he's so great!), and the earthworms appeared again. Emily now carries her "baby worms" around in a bucket. They go down the slide with her. They sit on her lap. When she's going potty, her worms are going potty too (thankfully outside in their little bucket). The other day I was talking to James outside and Emily asked me to hold something. I didn't look at what I was holding....argghhh! I am not into worms! We've been talking about sharing a lot lately, but I hope she doesn't share these items with Ivory.

Sweet memories!

2010-07-21T13:46:00.002-07:00

The other day, Emily and Ivory played "kitchen" while I was getting dinner ready. I overheard Emily mentioning baby food to Ivory, and the next thing I knew, she had the baby food grinder out of the cupboard and some delightful baby food whipped up for Ivory. Ivory really enjoyed her pretend food!

A sneak peek...

2010-07-21T13:41:00.005-07:00

at my most recent project! More pictures coming soon without my lovely, but wiggly, models.

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T16:07:00.002-07:00

We're enjoying a beautiful 4th of July and we hope you are too!

The play kitchen project

2010-06-25T14:18:00.007-07:00

Would you believe that something as hideous as this could gradually become the sweetest little play kitchen? For Emily's 3rd birthday, James and I made our girl a place to practice her culinary skills. It was technically my project, but it never would have reached completion without many hours of work from my husband. Last fall I saw this play kitchen, and just knew that I wanted Emily to have a cute, wooden play kitchen too.

We dismantled this sad little nightstand we picked up at a thrift/consignment store. Originally, the plan was to salvage one of the drawer fronts to use as the oven door, but we found out that the detail work was plastic. So, Emily's grandpa made a new oven door for the project. One thing I loved about the nightstand was that its legs looked like an old-fashioned stove!

Her sink and a few other odds and ends came from thrift shops, and the material for the potholders and storage area, as well as the upside down letter "J" for the faucet, came from Craft Warehouse. I'm really pleased with how it turned out!

Has it really been 6 months?

2010-06-21T13:38:00.006-07:00

Alright, alright. I've been very bad about posting to my blog. I could make a resolution that I will post once a week, or once a month, but I won't. I will try to post a little more frequently, though. This picture is from our family's Fiesta Bowl Party. Ivory was wearing a BSU sweater her grandma made her. She was so tiny! I'm feeling a bit nostalgic.

Ivory is really starting to get around. She spends a lot of time stuck in various parts of the house, usually under the hutch or table and chairs. If there is a way to get stuck, she'll find it cheerfully. Saturday was a big day for her, because she went from crawling backwards, to crawling forwards!

Emily had fun fishing with Grandpa in Cascade a week and a half ago. They only caught two fish, one of them big enough to keep. Emily tried to feed a marshmallow to the bigger fish. It was a little bittersweet; I loved that she was taking care of her fish, but I didn't have the heart to tell her it was dying.

We visited the Tillamook Cheese Factory during our vacation to Oregon. It was a hit with our family!

We took a train ride at the Oregon Zoo.

And a Father's Day picture: He's a good daddy!

One, two...

2010-01-11T14:39:00.005-07:00

Ivory is really growing! I wasn't sure I should put her pretty pink dress on for church yesterday because I feared it might interfere with her adorable chin! I guess we haven't been taking enough pictures lately. Every time I moved the camera to smile at her she would startle.

Emily looked like a little woodland fairy to me yesterday. It's hard to tame her hair for long these days! I did manage to get it a little tidier for church....

Blessed!

2009-12-23T14:51:00.002-07:00

I've been a bit (or a lot) quiet on the blogging front lately because our little Ivory Grace arrived on October 1st. I had been hoping this little one would nurse well, but it didn't happen. How can something that is so "natural" be so difficult? Well, at 10 weeks everything came together. She is nursing beautifully and it feels like such a wonderful Christmas blessing from God. I get to use the nursing cover my friend Katie made for me! Yay!

Football food...

2009-09-20T14:37:00.006-07:00

Now that football season is here, it's time for football food! One of the blogs I like to read, Life as Mom, is having a recipe swap involving appetizers and snacks. One of my fellow teachers shared this recipe with me, and it's been a hit. I've lightened it up, but I'll admit, it I can't say it's exactly a healthy recipe. One interesting thing I found out while shopping for ingredients is that regular bacon bits are just as "healthy" as turkey bacon bits. In fact, I think they even had less sodium than turkey bacon bits.

Party Dip
16 oz light sour cream
3 oz bacon bits
2 C shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (8 oz) 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/2 C chopped green onions
Tortilla chips, such as Tostitos

Cream all the ingredients together. Place in a small backing dish and bake at 400 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Bedtime prayers

2009-09-13T19:16:00.002-07:00

From approximately 2 minutes ago....

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for Wonji. Thank you for baby sister. Thank you for mama. Thank you for Emily. Thank you for daddy.
Amen
Night, night, God.

Coming soon...

2009-08-31T12:42:00.003-07:00

Our little girl is due in less than 5 weeks! We're so excited to meet her. Here is a photo of Emily and I about 4 weeks ago. Isn't my girl sweet?

Emily has been practicing taking care of babies for a long time. This is her doll, Kita. Yes, Emily named her and we have absolutely no idea how she came up with such an unusual name, Emily will not be naming her baby sister...

P.S. We're expecting Emily's baby sister to have about the same amount of hair as Kita does.

I could really use one of these...

2009-08-19T13:17:00.003-07:00

if things go better this time! :)

Kookles Nursing Cover GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

The muffin mistake

2009-08-05T21:02:00.001-07:00

Do you see these lovely, crumb-topped blueberry muffins? The recipe for them is here. I've made them several times and they are a hit with everyone in the family.

But, alas, they don't taste as good this time. Why, you ask? No sugar (not on purpose - although this has happened before with pumpkin bread). I try to cook healthy foods for my family, but this was going too far. The good news is that they still tasted great with berry cream cheese on them!

Lavender fields forever

2009-07-30T20:55:00.004-07:00

A few weekends ago, Emily, Grandma, and I went to a local lavender farm to pick some sweet smelling flowers. It was so fun and so pretty. Grandma let Emily hold a lavender bouquet, and for some reason she thought it was funny to carry it on her back.

Emily loved seeing the "buzzy bees" all over the lavender. She would love to hug the bees and pet the bees. We were able to keep her from doing so this time!

It was such a nice time together! We'll have to watch for this event again next year.

Being Photogenic

2009-07-10T13:32:00.002-07:00

Let's just say that it isn't easy to photograph a toddler. So...when they feel like getting their picture taken, you have to make the most of it.

Fourth of July

2009-07-08T12:46:00.003-07:00

We spent the Fourth of July weekend with James' family. One of Emily's favorite past times was running up and down the decks at grandma and grandpa's house.

Emily had so much fun with her cousin Esther! They had matching "flower" dresses to wear to church that Sunday. So pretty! We tried to get them to sit still for a photo shoot, but it just didn't work out.

Fresh cherry pie

2009-06-28T19:03:00.003-07:00

What a treat! Soon after James and I got married we planted some trees in our barren back yard, one of which was a dwarf pie cherry tree. Our little tree is still small, but it has grown quite a bit. Every year it has had a nice little crop of cherries, but this year was it's best by far. There were enough cherries for a least two cherry pies! The pie you are looking at is from miraculously organic (yet insect free) homegrown cherries.

I've often wished we had planted a Bing cherry tree instead, but this is still nice. Another benefit that comes with a sour cherry tree - Emily left it alone. She'll go pick strawberries and raspberries to her heart's content, but not cherries.

A great thing about being a parent

2009-06-21T19:19:00.006-07:00

One thing I love about being a parent is finding joy in the things that give my child joy. And the things that give children joy are so wonderful. Before we had Emily, James and I didn't make a habit of going to feed the ducks at a pond within walking distance of our house. We didn't visit the local school playground. We didn't care if we went to fairs and festivals where there were farm animals to pet.

Now, we get to do all those things that we didn't realize were so delightful. Of course, half of our delight is seeing Emily's eyes light up when she pets a goat and hearing a happy squeal as she pets a goose. We love seeing her share her bread and crackers with the ducks (half of it ends up in her belly).

Thank you, God, for these happy occasions.

A perfectly easy cake

2009-06-02T15:07:00.003-07:00

I like dessert, and I prefer that it be easy to make. My grandma sent me this recipe a few months ago for a quick chocolate cake. When I told her how much we (and our friends) have enjoyed it, she mentioned that there were several cake variations based on the chocolate version. We haven't tried the Oatmeal-Molasses cake yet, but grandma says it's the best! I can say that it doesn't take long for the chocolate cake and applesauce cake to disappear.

Chocolate Snack Cake
1 2/3 C flour (I use about half whole wheat)
1 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C cocoa
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 C water
1/3 C vegetable oil
1 t vinegar
1/2 t vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix in remaining ingredients. Bake 35 - 40 minutes in an ungreased 8 x 8 inch pan. Variations: Dust with powdered sugar after baking or before baking sprinkle with 1/2 C chocolate chips.

Applesauce Snack Cake:
Omit cocoa and vanilla. Mix 1 1/2 t ground allspice into flour mixture. Decrease water to 1/2 C and stir in 1/2 C applesauce. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or try a dollop of cool whip.

Oatmeal - Molasses Snack Cake:
Omit cocoa and vanilla. Mix 3/4 C quick-cooking oats, 1/2 C raisins and 1 t ground allspice into flour.

What we did...

2009-05-31T13:06:00.003-07:00

this weekend

and last weekend.

A fun day trip to a waterfall. Now, Emily is always wanting to "see a waterfall," "hug a waterfall," and "touch a waterfall." We've been having nice conversations about how Mommy can't make waterfalls and that it's God who decides the best places for them in nature.

Pigtails

2009-05-05T18:06:00.002-07:00

Emily's hair is long enough for pigtails! What fun!

New discoveries

2009-04-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, my thoughtful husband pulled the stump of our dead tree out of the ground and planted me a beautiful chokecherry tree (pictures to come later). Emily and Daddy had fun digging the hole for the tree and finding some treasures while they were at it. There were smooth rocks, rough rocks, and...worms. Emily was fascinated.

I'm more of a girly girl. Growing up, I decided I didn't like fishing when I was told I would have to put worms on my own hook. I don't touch worms unless it's an accident. Emily held the poor wriggling worm FOREVER! My pregnant tummy got very upset!

Here's a conversation Emily and I had today about gardening:
Me: Let's go work in the garden, Emily.
Emily: Worms!
Me: You might find one.
Emily: Cute! (her new favorite descriptor)
Me: Ummm. Yeah.
Emily: Eat it!

You can guess how I responded.

Decorating eggs

2009-04-13T19:57:00.005-07:00

I haven't decorated eggs for years! I forgot what fun it is. One of the benefits of being a parent is that you get to do all of the fun "kid" things all over again.

Emily loved coloring Easter eggs. She would get an egg in the cup, and grab another egg right away. We could hardly keep up! Next year, I'll have more hardboiled eggs on hand.

Easter

2009-04-12T19:47:00.007-07:00

I love Easter! I think it is one of the most joyful holidays we celebrate because Jesus is risen! He saves us from our sins! Another thing I love about Easter is that the grass is green, the daffodils are blooming and the trees are starting to bud and leaf out. Spring is my favorite time of the year.

It was so much fun celebrating Easter with Emily. She got all dressed up for church in a dress Grandma made and I even tried to do her hair (which didn't work, but that's another story). We hid Easter eggs at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and it was so much fun seeing Emily find the eggs and enjoying the fun. I'm already picturing another little one crawling around the yard next year assisting Emily! If you stop by Emily's blog, and wonder what is in the Easter egg she's looking at - it's raisins. I tried to go the healthy route this year and only a few of the eggs had jelly beans in them.

Cupcake # 2 (and where I've been)

2009-03-23T19:58:00.002-07:00

I've now made two cupcakes! I like the brighter colors on this cupcake. I think it is springy and cheerful, and we are really looking forward to spring around here.

Emily and I have been playing outside and going to the playground in the last couple of weeks. Since it's spring break, I plan to have Emily help me out in the garden. This week we'll plant broccoli, lettuce, and some sugar snap peas. Last week Emily helped clean the leaves out of the raspberry patch while I worked on pruning. We're hoping for a very good crop this year!

So, I haven't blogged in the last couple of months because I've been tired. And queasy. And sleepy. And nauseated. You get the idea. If you haven't heard the news already - I'm pregnant with our second little one. I'm 12 weeks along and beginning to feel better, although the queasiness and fatigue hit pretty regularly. Hopefully, in the next week or two I'll be feeling more like myself. And you'll be seeing more blog posts!

Yes...

2009-02-16T10:34:00.001-07:00

I think cupcakes are adorable.

I've mentioned that I enjoy looking at books about knitting, and in my browsing I came across a blog by Betz White. She takes wool sweaters and felts, or shrinks, them to make various creative projects. My favorite project of hers is the cupcake pincushion. Emily and I went to several garage sales and thrift stores last summer in search of pretty wool sweaters to felt. It was fun, but it was hard to find the bright colors Betz White uses in her pincushions. So, I did my best.

I was reluctant to try the craft though, because the only sweater with enough ribbing was an off-white sweater, and I really didn't think there was enough fabric. Instead of just trying, I procrastinated and didn't make pincushions for Christmas presents as planned. However, I decided to give it a try for my mother-in-law's birthday, and I am so glad I did. I'll let you know if I try any of the other projects in the book Warm Fuzzies by Betz White.

Great deal of the week

2009-02-10T17:17:00.001-07:00

Who knew grocery shopping could be so fun? Albertson's was doubling coupons this week, so the above groceries cost only $7.01. How it worked out:

Granola bars $0.50/box
Diced tomatoes Free w/manufacturers coupon
Macaroni grill kit $1.50 each plus a coupon for $2 free chicken
Fish crackers $1/each
+ a little money for the chicken (I bought more than $2 worth)

And...when we paid the register printed off a coupon for $1 off my next purchase. A year and a half ago I never would have guessed I would be a fan of Albertson's.

My little cupcake

2009-02-02T13:00:00.001-07:00

Last week, my little cupcake decided she could model her hat for the camera. I gave her a ziploc of pom poms to play with and that helped her sit still for a little while. Emily is really hard to photograph right now!

She loves to say "cheese" for the camera. We have a book checked out from the library that has a picture of some zebras showing their teeth in a "smile." She always smiles back at them and says, "Cheese!"

This is how Emily felt at the end of our photo session.

Great new recipes

2009-01-31T14:01:00.004-07:00

This week I remembered to plan our weekly menu ahead of time, which is good news for my family. When I plan ahead, I usually squeeze in one or two new recipes because I have time to shop for missing ingredients. I am extremely happy with our two newest recipes.

Our new meal had a "Chinese" theme: homemade egg rolls and egg drop soup. This egg drop soup recipe is easy and delicious. A little broth, some eggs, green onions, and...it's done.

The egg rolls were time consuming, but worth it. In order to save a little time, I substituted the chopped celery, carrot, and cabbage with fresh broccoli slaw from the store. The slaw was shredded, so I put it in my Cuisinart for a quick chop. We were really happy with the results in regards to taste and nutrition. The baked egg rolls don't have the preservatives or fat content that store bought egg rolls contain.

This week's good deals

2009-01-30T14:20:00.001-07:00

Even though I haven't been blogging about my good finds lately, I thought I would share this one because it was fun. The two boxes of cereal bars, three bars of soap for Emily, and the tuna were a whopping $2.27 plus tax. I am so glad I stumbled onto some good blogs last year that have really helped me help our family save money; and it all goes back to simply being smart with coupons.

My favorite blogs and websites to check for coupons are:
www.moneysavingmom.com
www.freebies4mom.com
www.pinchingyourpennies.com
www.commonsensewithmoney.com

Enjoy!

Pom pom fun!

2009-01-29T18:30:00.001-07:00

One of my good friends is expecting a baby boy next month, so I decided it was time to try knitting something for a baby boy. For the hat, I used a basic hat pattern from this book. One thing I like about this pattern is that the first thing you do is knit a four-inch swatch and count the stitches per inch. Then you do a few mathematical calculations to figure out how to size the hat based on your yarn choice.

The most exciting part of this project was the pom pom. This is my second pom pom; my first being the "practice" pom pom I made right before the official pom pom. I read online that it's good to buy a pom pom maker, but I didn't feel like going to the store (not a fan of excessive driving) and I didn't have a coupon for the craft store (my frugal side coming out). I finally found this great tutorial and tried it out myself. It works! It's pretty easy! It's free!

For the mittens, I made a lot of variations to the cupcake pattern. I still like thumbless mittens for Emily. For some reason, we have the hardest time getting her thumbs into the thumb slot. Hopefully my friend's little one will stay warm and cozy this winter!

Time to do some more knitting...I have another baby shower to go to next week!

Felted slippers

2009-01-18T21:14:00.004-07:00

Now that I've unveiled the cupcake hat, I have to show you my most recent pair of felted slippers. I knitted these with 100% wool yarn my mom found at an estate sale. She wanted me to make slippers out of the yarn, and I managed to complete them just in time for her birthday! Whew!

After the slippers were knit using a pattern from this book, I washed them in hot water with a small amount of detergent and a pair of jeans in order to shrink them. This process is called felting. I had to check them every few minutes to see how they were doing, because you never know what is going to happen. With this pair, it took a good 10 minutes for them to start shrinking, but when they started to shrink it happened quickly. For me, one of the best things about felting is that I can shrink things and they come out fitting better and looking nicer than when I started. Most of the time shrinking is the is not viewed favorably in our house (ask James about one nice ski hat)!

Sweet little cupcakes

2009-01-10T22:35:00.004-07:00

Have I mentioned that I like knitting? My grandma taught me to knit when I was in elementary school, but I didn't make much besides a few dishcloths until I went to college and took a couple classes through the campus craft shop. After I made two and a half pairs of socks, I threw in the towel and didn't knit much until Emily was about four months old. My mother-in-law is an avid knitter, and she helped me through a slipper pattern that had me perspiring as I tried to keep up, not lose my place, and pay attention to my baby.

I started checking out knitting books from the library and found them just as delightful as reading cookbooks (yes, I seriously like reading cookbooks). I found this blog in my search for knitting patterns and fell in love with Susan B. Anderson's cupcake hat. When I found out my best friend from college was having a girl I ordered everything I needed to make a hat and mittens for her little one and Emily. I've been a cupcake knitting maniac the last couple of months. Maybe that's why I haven't blogged. Emily has a set, two of my friends have a set, and one little one has a hat (I was in mitten rebellion at the time). I'll have to post a picture of my sweet, little cupcake in her hat soon!

This hat was knit with Swish DK yarn from KnitPicks. It includes some crocheting to make the cherry on top of the hat and the picot edge on the white portion of the cupcake. Emily's hat was the most difficult to make because I had to do four inches of ribbing to make the pink "wrapper." If you're a knitter, you know my pain!

"Go, go Broncos!"

2008-11-15T21:12:00.003-07:00

My sister-in-law made an adorable BSU cheerleader costume for her 9 month old, so with my mother-in-law's help, we borrowed the idea to make one for Emily. This is an absolutely perfect costume for Emily because:

1. We are loyal Boise State fans! Emily thinks it's fun to say "Go, go!" during the football games and lately she's added a little "Woo, hoo!" When she first got into it she would say "Broncos!" But, she's not into that anymore. Toddlers!

2. It could be worn more than just one day of the year. We've been able to have Emily wear to several parties, which was great fun until....

She ripped the logo off. Yes.

Back to the making of the dress. My mother-in-law had a pattern we used for the top of the dress, but we had to guess on the pleats for the bottom of the dress. I haven't ever sewn a dress with a lined top, so that was a great experience for me. I'm beginning to understand more about reading sewing patterns, which really helps.

The pleats, though.... They were very difficult to do. The next time I try pleats I hope to make them much bigger, which should require less sewing.

I hope to post better pictures sometime, but I need to put a new logo on the dress. It's hard to get a clear picture of Emily because she rarely stops moving.

Rite Aid deals for the week of 10/19 - 10/25

2008-10-19T11:30:00.001-07:00

Here are the best deals I've seen at Rite Aid this week. Rite Aid's user-friendly SCR (Single Check Rebate) program is online.

Crest Pro-Health Whitening Toothpaste, 6 oz. on sale for 3 for $33
Use $1 off coupon (expires 10/31) (This coupon says Pro-Health-but does this include Whitening?)
Get $3.19 SCR
Free after rebate

Huggies Jumbo Packs, Buy 3 Diapers, Pull-Ups or GoodNites Underpants on sale for $
Use a combination of $1 or $1.50 off coupons
Get $10.00 SCR

$6.17 - $6.67/pack after rebate and coupons

Right Professional Strength deodorant on sale for $5.99
Use $1 off coupon (expires 10/31)
Get $3.00 SCR
$1.99 after coupon and rebate

Dry Idea Clinical Strength deodorant on sale for $5.99
Use $0.75 coupon (expires 10/31)
Get $3.00 SCR
$2.24 after rebate and coupon

Pert Plus Shampoo, 13.5 oz. on sale for $3.19
Use $1.50 off coupon from Sunday's paper
Get 70¢ SCR
$0.99 after rebate and coupons

Digital Converter Box w/ Remote, on sale for $40
Use $40 coupon from the government
Free after coupon

One sweet little doll

2008-10-18T19:16:00.005-07:00

This has been the "Week of the Doll" in our house. It started out early in the week with Emily casually pointing to herself in a picture on the refrigerator and saying, "Doll." Grandma was holding seven-month-old Emily in the picture and it's true. She really did look like a doll with her beautiful smile and round, chubby cheeks.

Over the last few days, Emily's love for her baby dolls has grown immensely. She's liked her dolls since before her first birthday and over the last few months she's had fun putting them in their crib, carrying them, feeding them a bottle, and patting them on the back.

But this week the dolls have wanted to go for rides in the car and into grocery stores. They want to be held all of the time (curious; that's just like my baby). One poor little doll is in the laundry basket waiting to get cleaned up. She accidentally fell head first into the toilet when Emily was carrying the doll and mommy was carrying Emily.

Tonight her favorite doll went to a fancy restaurant in town with us. She was well-behaved. A little more so than Emily, but that's another story.

Before Emily went to bed tonight she tucked her baby doll into her crib and kissed her goodnight. Then she worried that the doll didn't have a blankie, so we quickly remedied that problem. But then the doll wanted to get in Emily's bed with her. These dolls have strong personalities and they know what they want!

I am so thankful that I am Emily's mommy and I can see this nurturing develop so young in her. God is good!

Just in time....

2008-10-17T18:41:00.002-07:00

This week I had an annoying cold turn into a sinus infection. Thankfully, Rite Aid decided to have a ton of free after rebate cold and flu items. I managed to get a few and still leave some for anyone else who enjoys a good deal.

And yes, those are sinus rinse kits. Check out this video for a hilarious demonstration. I couldn't believe that I actually tried it, but when I was pregnant with Emily my doctor recommended them to help my stuffiness go away without medication. You do what you have to do, right?

Rite Aid deals for the week of 10/12 - 10/18

2008-10-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's time to fight cold and flu season for free at Rite Aid. Like I said, there are a ton of FAR items to choose from. Rite Aid's SCR (Single Check Rebate) program is online and works well.

NeilMed Nasalflo Neti Pot
Get $10.99 SCR
Free after rebate

NeilMed Pediatric Sinus Rinse Starter Kit
Get $4.99 SCR

Free after rebate

Simply Saline Sinus Kit
Get $6.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Theraflu Warming Relief Liquid, 8.3 oz.
Get $3.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Excedrin Express Gels Extra Strength or Tension, 20 ct.
Get $3.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Triaminic Cough Syrup 4 oz., Congestion Spray 6.7 oz., Thin Strips 14 ct., Soft Chews, or Vapor Fan 1 ct.
Get $3.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Children’s Advil Liquid, 4 oz.
Get $3.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Children’s Throat Cooler Strawberry or Grape Children’s Throat Cooler, 6 ct.
Get $2.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Mentholatum Cherry Chest Rub for Kids, 1.76 oz.

Get $2.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Little Colds/Little Noses Little Noses Saline Mist 1.7 oz. or Little Colds Decongestant Plus Cough 1 oz.
Get $3.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Simply Saline Allergy & Sinus Relief or Baby, 1.5 oz.
Get $3.99 SCR

Free after rebate

Simply Saline Nasal Mist Cold Formula, 3 oz.
Get $4.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Hyland’s Sniffles ’n Sneezes 4 Kids 125 ct. or Cough Syrup, 4 oz.
Get $3.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Breathe Again Adult or Child Nasal Spray, 3.3 oz.
Get $7.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Zucol Coldcare Original, Menthol or Orange Creme, 18 ct.
Get $5.99 SCR

Free after rebate

Sambucol Immune System Booster Syrup, 4 oz. or Lozenges, 30 ct.
Get $7.99 SCR

Free after rebate

Comtrex Cough & Cold or Cold & Sinus, 20 ct.
Get $3.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Bee M.D. Natural Cough Drops, 21 ct.
Get $2.49 SCR
Free after rebate

Nexcare Microvex Cold Sore Treatment, 0.07 oz.
Get $8.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Novitra Novitra Cold Sore Relief Cream, 0.25 oz.
Get $8.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Orajel Cold Sore Treatment Brush 0.5 oz.or Overnight Patch
Get $6.99 SCR

Free after rebate

Softlips Lip Conditioner, 1 or 2-Pack
Get $2.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Chapstick True Shimmer, 0.15 oz.
Get $1.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Buckley’s Buckley’s Cough Mixture or Chest Congestion, 4 oz.
Get $3.99 SCR

Free after rebate

4 Way Nasal Spray, 0.5 oz.
Get $3.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Sucrets Throat Lozenges, 18 ct. or Sucrets Ice
Get $2.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Chloraseptic Max Sore Throat Spray or Max Wildberries Lozenges, 15 ct.

Get $2.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Lizard Lips Lip Balm

Get $0.99 SCR
Free after rebate

LypSyl LypMoisturizer
Get $1.99 SCR

Free after rebate

Ayr Saline Nasal Rinse Kit, + 100 Refills
Get $6.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Pampers Jumbo Pack Diapers, Easy Ups, and Underjams

Get $2.00 SCR
? after rebate

Rite Aid deals for the week of 10/5 - 10/11

2008-10-05T14:25:00.001-07:00

Here are the best deals I've seen at Rite Aid this week. Rite Aid's user-friendly SCR (Single Check Rebate) program is online. Although this week's deals aren't great, next week there should be a lot of free after rebate (FAR) items for cold and flu season.

Gillette Clinical or Old Spice Pro Strength, 1.7 oz., on sale for $7.99
Get $5.00 SCR

$2.99 after rebate

Crest Whitening Rinse, 16 oz., on sale for $3.99
Get $3.99 SCR

Free after rebate

Rite Aid deals for the week of 9/28-10/4

2008-09-28T11:00:00.002-07:00

Here are the best deals I've seen at Rite Aid this week. Rite Aid's user-friendly SCR (Single Check Rebate) program is online.

Gillette Fusion or Fusion Power razor, on sale for $9.00
Use $4.00 off coupon from Sunday's paper
Get $5.00 SCR
Free after coupon and rebate

Crest Pro-Health Whitening Toothpaste, 4.2 oz., on sale for $2.69
Use off coupon
Get $2.69 SCR
Free after coupon and rebate

Covergirl Foundation, Powder, Blush, or Concealer BOGO 50% off
Use BOGO free coupon from Sunday's paper
Get two face products for 50% of the price of one? (I'm not really sure how this works)

Albertsons deal

2008-09-25T20:20:00.004-07:00

I have to say I was a little surprised at how good this deal turned out to be. This is what I bought:

1 gallon of milk
2 five pound bags of sugar
1 Ken's Steakhouse Lite Accents salad dressing
3 bags of Hershey's baking chips
bananas

Coupons used:
$2 off Ken's Steakhouse
$0.55 off 2 bags of sugar
$4.50 off milk from previous deal

Albertson's promotion:
Spend $10 on select products, get $3 off your purchase.

My total was $5.68! I was surprised because I knew the milk coupon said $4.50 off a gallon of milk, but I only expected it to take off the actual cost of the milk, which was $3. 39. When I saw that it took $4.50 off, I asked the cashier if the coupon said "up to" $4.50, but she said it didn't. I guess cutting out all those Sunday coupons really does pay off.

A little experimentation

2008-09-23T12:59:00.008-07:00

My in-laws brought us some wonderful pears last weekend, and although we enjoyed eating them, we weren't able to eat them fast enough. So, I decided to make a pear baked good or dessert. When I browsed the recipes on my favorite cooking website, I didn't see anything I really wanted to try. I found a pear pecan bread recipe in my reliable Joy of Cooking cookbook, but I could tell it wasn't very healthy. Then, I remembered the zucchini bread that my family has enjoyed a couple of times already. It's healthy and doesn't taste like it is. After comparing the recipes, I combined and modified them to make a moist and delicious Pear Walnut bread.

Pear Walnut Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups grated pear (or mushed if very ripe)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°. Grate pear and mix with lemon juice.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl.

Combine egg substitute and next 4 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; add sugar, stirring until combined. Add pears; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in walnuts.

Divide batter evenly between 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Thanks goes to Cooking Light for providing me with a healthy quick bread base!

Bagel Making 101 from a beginner

2008-09-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

I discovered Tammy's blog a few months ago and loved it because, well, I love looking at recipes. I could read cookbooks and cooking magazines for hours. The only problem is that it frequently makes me hungry!

Tammy has instructions for making bagels on her blog, so I decided to give it a try. I love fresh bagels from a bagel shop, but we don't have any shops close to our home. So a bagel craving leads to a drive downtown and an overpriced, but delicious, bagel.

After making the dough, letting it rise, and then shaping the dough, I boiled each bagel for about 30 seconds.

Then the bagels needed to dry off for a while. Before baking, I brushed them with an egg wash and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on half of them (my favorite bagel at the bagel shop is cinnamon-sugar).

The finished product was tasty and I was very pleased that they looked like bagels! The only problem I had was that the bagels stuck to the baking sheet. Next time I think I will try lining the baking sheet with parchment paper. Although this recipe is somewhat time-intensive, it was worth the effort for this bagel fan.

Martha's blog

2008-09-19T11:51:00.002-07:00

Martha Stewart has a blog! Her website is great for recipes, crafts, and decorating ideas. Now a blog!!!

Emily's dress

2008-09-17T16:00:00.005-07:00

A month or so ago, I decided it was time for me to sew a dress for Emily. My mom gave me some fabric to use, so I only needed to find an accent color to go with it. It seemed like it should be a simple task.

The problem...I know very little about reading patterns. I've pieced two quilts on the sewing machine, so you would think I should now how to read a pattern; however, I find that words like selvage and bias cause my heart rate to rapidly increase.

My mom helped me place the pattern on the material, and she brought a fun tool called a bias tape maker to make the trim for Emily's dress. The pieces were cut out and I thought to myself, "I should be fine from here." I had carefully studied the pattern. It was time to dive in. I sewed and sewed on her simple little dress, sometimes ripping out seams because I accidentally put a wrong side and a right side together (which is wrong because usually the right sides are together). After a few late nights sewing, I finished it.

When I tried Emily's little dress and bloomers on her I found out it wasn't so little. It was huge! I ended up taking about four inches off the top of her bloomers and adding a pleat (or a tuck, I'm not sure) to the front and back of her dress. This setback added at least one week to my project time. I didn't feel like working on it after it didn't come out perfectly the first time. The hat was the only thing that fit Emily instantly, but it's snug enough that she doesn't really care for it. "No, no!"

I have to say I'm pleased with the finished product. I'm hoping Emily will be able to wear it next summer too. The good thing about adding pleats to make it smaller is that I should be able to rip them out if I want to make it bigger.

The moral of my sewing story...try something new, even if it scares you. You'll be relieved when it's done!

Tomato Paste Solution

2008-09-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned that I use a lot of tomato paste to thicken our pizza and spaghetti sauce. I've found that the most economical way to buy tomato paste is by the gallon at Costco. It's usually around $4/gallon (just like fuel has been...).

The problem is that I don't need a whole gallon of tomato paste when I'm making sauces. So what do I do with the extra paste? I've found that most recipes call for tomato paste by the tablespoon, so I measure tablespoons of it onto cookie sheets and then freeze it. After they've frozen, I put them in a gallon sized freezer bag and store them in the freezer. It's very handy and it keeps me from wasting my excess tomato paste.

Rite Aid deals for the week of 9/14 - 9/20

2008-09-14T20:10:00.004-07:00

Here are the best deals I've seen at Rite Aid this week. Rite Aid's user-friendly SCR (Single Check Rebate) program is online.

Loreal Facial Cleansers, on sale for $5.99
Get $5.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Crest Pro-Health, Plus Scope or Whitening Expressions - 6 oz or Sensitive 4.1 oz, on sale for $2.99
Use $0.50 off coupon (expires 9/30/08)
Get $2.00 SCR
$0.49 after coupon and rebate

Accu-Chek Aviva or Compact Plus Blood Glucose Monitor, on sale for $9.99
Get $9.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Possible good deal:
Rite Aid Jumbo pack diapers are on sale BOGO
Get $1.50 SCR
Possibly $4.25/pack if diapers are $9.99 regularly (I'm not sure about this price).

Ways with Tomatoes - #4

2008-09-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

So far, I've told you a few ways to use a small amount of tomatoes. But what about a large amount of tomatoes filling a counter top in your relatively small kitchen?

I grew up in a family that likes to can. Every year we would can tomatoes and make spaghetti sauce. Last year, my mom and I canned spaghetti sauce in pint jars, which turned out to be the perfect about of spaghetti sauce for our family. Mom and I also canned jam jars with spaghetti sauce to use as pizza sauce. I was a little skeptical, but the experiment worked out wonderfully. I make homemade pizza two to three times a month, and last winter we ran out of pizza sauce probably by February or March.

This year I did things a little differently. Instead of canning, I'm froze the spaghetti sauce. My mom recently told me she froze her pizza sauce in paper cups, then removed them from the cups and stored them in ziploc bags. I tried it, and it worked really well! Homemade pizza is on our weekend menu!

One thing to remember when making spaghetti and pizza sauce - tomato paste! It's the key! Last year I didn't buy enough tomato paste to thicken the sauce. Every time I used the sauce I had to add 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste.

Great Albertsons deal

2008-09-11T19:28:00.005-07:00

Buy 5 General Mills cereals (Multigrain Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Wheaties, Kix, Golden Grahams, or Cocoa Puff) for $10, get a coupon for a free gallon of milk on your next purchase. If you signed up for the Cheerios Challenge, you should have $1 off a box of Cheerios coupons. With five $1 off coupons, you spend $5 out of pocket and get a coupon for the milk. If milk is about $3/gallon, you spend about $2 total!

I already used some of my Cheerios Challenge coupons, but I still had $3.75 in coupons. In all, I spent about $3.25 on five boxes of Cheerios and a gallon of milk.

more braided onions

2008-09-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

My vegetable garden is starting to show the signs of fall. A few days ago I pulled the remaining onions and braided them as shown in this book. It's so nice to be able to go outside and snip off one onion to use in the day's cooking. I have two onion braids and one garlic braid in storage for winter. It will be fun to see how many months go by before I need to buy garlic and onions again.

Rite Aid deals for the week of 9/7-9/13

2008-09-07T19:54:00.001-07:00

Here are the best deals I've seen at Rite Aid this week. I have to admit, they are not as great as last week's deals. I really like seeing "Free after rebate and coupons." Rite Aid's user-friendly SCR (Single Check Rebate) program is online.

Speed Stick 24/7 deodorant, on sale for $1.99
Use $1.00 off coupon from Sunday's paper
$0.99 after coupon

Alaway Eye Itch Relief drops, on sale for $6.99
Use $4.00 off coupon from Sunday's paper
$2.99 after coupon

Herbal Essences Shampoo or Conditioners, on sale for $2.99
Use $2.00 off coupon from Sunday's paper
$0.99 after coupon

Glad Wisp Flameless Candle, on sale for $5.99
Use $5.00 off coupon from Sunday's paper
$0.99 after coupon

Last week's deals

2008-09-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

The last two and a half weeks have been very busy. With me going back to work part-time, it's been hard trying to find a new routine for Emily and I; however, we did manage to pick up a few good buys at Walgreens and Rite Aid this week.

I purchased these items at Walgreens, all of which were free after rebate. I was able to use a $0.75 coupon on the toothpaste and the facial lotion had a coupon for $1.00 off if I paid in the cosmetics department. Strange coupon, but I paid in the cosmetics department!

The next purchase is from Rite Aid. Everything was free after rebates and coupons, except the diapers, which were $5.99 after coupons. Now that my little one is in daycare part of the day, I'm looking for good deals on disposables. If you're really looking for a great diaper deal, try out the bumgenius cloth diapers. They're wonderful! And in the long run less expensive.

Name that Vegetable

2008-09-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

I recently found this hilariously humongous cucumber buried in a tomato plant. I knew I was planting a cucumber, tomato, and zucchini too close together, but I forgot how cucumbers like to spread out and climb. We aren't planning to try eating it because I have a feeling it would be very bitter. Instead it can just hang around the house and dream about the prizes it missed at the fair.

Rite Aid deals for the week of 8/31-9/6

2008-08-30T13:07:00.001-07:00

Here are the best deals I've seen at Rite Aid this week. Rite Aid's SCR (Single Check Rebate) program is online and seems to work very well. I just received my first rebate of $12.73 in the mail Friday!

L’Oréal Advanced Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate, 1 oz. on sale for $14.99
Get $14.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Crest Plus Scope or Multicare, 6.2 oz. or Pro-Health, 4.2 oz. on sale for $2.49
Use $0.75 off coupon expires 8/31 or new coupon in Sunday's paper
Get $1.74 SCR
Free after coupons and rebate

Pantene Expressions Shampoo or Conditioner on sale for $4.99
Use $2.00 off coupon in Sunday's paper
Use $1.00 off in-ad coupon
Get $1.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Oral-B Toothbrushes, Advantage 1 ct. on sale for $2.99
Use $1.00 off coupon expires 8/31! or in some Sunday papers
Get $2.00 SCR
Free plus $.01 overage after coupons and rebate

Luv's Mega Pack Diapers on sale for $9.99
Use $1.00 off coupon in Sunday's paper or you might find a $2.00 off coupon in your stash
Get $2.00 SCR
$5.99 or $6.99 after coupons and rebate, depending on coupon

Electrasol Automatic Dishwasher Detergent on sale for $3.99
Use $2.00 off coupon if you still have it (I used it last month to get this item free)
Get $2.00 SCR
Free or $1.99 after coupons and rebate

Picking blackberries

2008-08-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

I truly enjoy picking fresh fruits and vegetables. Maybe because growing up my family spent a lot of time going to orchards and getting apples, peaches, apricots, and cherries. When our family went camping we would look for wild blueberries and blackberries. I have a lot of great memories from those times.

Now, James and I have taken up the tradition. On Friday night James picked blackberries growing in a local subdivision (I was monitoring the little munchkin). Emily and I walked around the neighborhood enjoying the scent of ripe blackberries and finding little treasures (like bark chips and one little ant who almost lost his life).

We had enough berries to add to our Sunday morning buttermilk pancakes as well as a peach/blackberry cobbler. Thank you for picking the berries, James!

Note: The cobbler recipe does not call for blackberries, but they were a great addition!

Ways with Tomatoes - #3

2008-08-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes and pasta! Where would the world be without this combination?

On Friday night we made Pasta Caprese. It's an easy one-dish meal with pasta, tomatoes, and mozzarella. The basic idea is to marinate your seeded and cored tomatoes in a moderate amount of olive oil, lemon juice, finely chopped onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook your pasta, cube your mozzarella, and throw it all together. It's a tasty summer dish.

This dish is best served immediately. The leftovers were not worth saving.

For the full recipe, go to America's Test Kitchen (registration required).

What to do with all that zucchini...

2008-08-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

It's zucchini time! I've been trying new recipes and as you can see, the results are great!

I think the zucchini is an amazing vegetable because it is so productive and fruitful. People start giving away zucchini just like they do tomatoes because they run out of ideas for using it and they get tired of it. When we walked through the vegetable exhibits last week at the fair the vegetable "guard" was sitting at a table with a sign that said, "Free Zucchini." How could I resist? This is my first year growing zucchini and the poor plant has had to put up a tough fight against the overshadowing tomato and the intrusive cucumber. So let's just say I haven't picked a single zucchini.

When I got home I started looking for healthy baked-goods recipes my little family could enjoy. Cooked zucchini isn't a favored dish in our house. It doesn't matter how many seasonings I add, it's still zucchini to my husband. Here are two recipes we've tried:

1. Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups shredded zucchini (12 ounces)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl.

Combine egg substitute and next 4 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; add sugar, stirring until combined. Add zucchini; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in walnuts.

Yield 2 loaves, 12 servings per loaf (serving size: 1 slice)

CALORIES 150(26% from fat); FAT 4.3g (sat 0.4g,mono 2g,poly 1.6g); IRON 1mg; CHOLESTEROL 9mg; CALCIUM 21mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.3g; SODIUM 96mg; PROTEIN 2.7g; FIBER 0.6g

Found here on the Cooking Light website.

2. Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
2 cups shredded zucchini
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
8 teaspoons fat-free milk
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; dust pan with 1 tablespoon flour.

Place sugars, cream cheese, and vegetable oil in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Lightly spoon 2 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour and next 5 ingredients (2 1/2 cups flour through cinnamon) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in zucchini, 2/3 cup chocolate chips, and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare glaze, combine 3/4 cup powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons cocoa in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine milk, 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, coffee, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in a 1-cup glass measure. Microwave at medium 45 seconds or until chocolate melts, stirring after 20 seconds. Combine powdered sugar mixture with chocolate mixture, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over cake.

Yield 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 281(30% from fat); FAT 9.5g (sat 2.4g,mono 4.2g,poly 2.4g); IRON 2.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 27mg; CALCIUM 96mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.6g; SODIUM 241mg; PROTEIN 6.6g; FIBER 2.6g

Found here on the Cooking Light website.

We've enjoyed both of these recipes, and I think it's great that neither of them contain much vegetable oil. I froze one loaf of zucchini bread for a rainy day, and I may end up freezing some of the cake - I'm just not sure how the glaze will hold up. I hope your family can enjoy some healthy zucchini baked goods! Here are a couple more recipes from Common Sense With Money that I plan on trying once our zucchini is ready to pick.

Rite Aid deals for the week of 8/24 - 8/30

2008-08-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

Here are the best deals I've seen at Rite Aid this week. Rite Aid's SCR (Single Check Rebate) program is online and seems to work very well; however, I'm still waiting for my first rebate check. It should come in the mail soon!

Pert Plus 13.5 oz. shampoo/conditioner on sale for $2.99
Use $2 on one coupon expires 8/31
Get $2.00 SCR
$1 profit after coupons and rebate

Soft & Beautiful Relaxer or Texture Kits $6.99
Get $6.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Fast Itching Relief $3.99
Get $3.99 SCR
Free after rebate

Compound W $6.99
Get $6.00 SCR
$0.99 after rebate

Walgreens deals for the week

2008-08-23T14:21:00.001-07:00

I managed to get a few good deals at Walgreens this week for $6.91 - including tax.
Here's how it worked out:

Bertrolli frozen pasta on sale for $5.99 ($1.50 off coupon, printed $2 Register Reward)
2 boxes of Cheerios on sale for $1.99 (two $1 off one box coupons from the Cheerios Challenge)
3 boxes of Jello on sale for $0.39 each
Wheat Thins (free after coupon from All You magazine - buy 3 Kraft products get Wheat Thins free)
Not shown: one candy bar (how embarrassing!)

This is the first month I've bought All You magazine. I've heard about it on Money Saving Mom for months. It's only available at Walmart and it's best feature is the coupons. I couldn't believe how many coupons are in it. I've only used one coupon and it has more than paid for the magazine!

Frugal Friday - Getting Tough Stains Out

2008-08-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

It's Frugal Friday, and Crystal at the blog Biblical Womanhood is asking for advice on getting tough stains out of clothing. This is my first time participating in this blog, but my mom gave me such a great way to get tough stains out that I just can't help but share it.

Mom shared this idea with me before Emily was born because she knew what I did not...baby poo does not wash out of clothes. For simple stains, commercial stain removers do the trick, but not with baby poo (a funny term for an icky thing). Mom recommended putting automatic dishwasher detergent directly on the stain and then rubbing the fabric together. It's good to use gloves when you try this because of the bleach in dishwasher detergent. Sometimes I have to rinse the item out and then use more detergent, but not always. You should always test the detergent on a hidden area of the fabric to be certain the bleach will not remove the garment's color.

The funny thing about this stain removal idea is that one of the dresses my mom saved from my baby clothes had several stains on it. I decided to try using dishwasher detergent to get the stains out. Yes! Those stains were over 25 years old and they came out easily. If you have stained clothes that nothing else will work on, try dishwasher detergent.

Ways with Tomatoes - #2

2008-08-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

The greatest challenge for many gardeners is not growing fruits and vegetables, but making use of the garden's abundance. This time of year is great for non-gardeners in the workplace. Extra vegetables and fruit mysteriously show up in break rooms and faculty rooms. Gardeners are desperate to share because they honestly get tired of all of the produce. One of my dad's co-workers shared kale, eggplant, corn, peppers, and some herbs with us last night. I don't know how to cook half of those items, but I'll have fun experimenting with them.

Our garden abundance is coming from the tomatoes. Earlier this week, I shared a Margherita pizza idea with you. Because I plan to be cooking with a lot of tomatoes in the next few weeks, I thought it would be fun to do a mini "tomato series" for you. We all need fresh ideas once in awhile, don't we?

My husband used to tease me about how I always needed to use a recipe when I cook. I'm learning from him and I'm not using recipes as often now. So, last night's salsa idea is only that - an idea for your overflowing tomatoes. I chopped up three medium-sized tomatoes, 1/4 of an onion, one jalapeno, one clove of garlic, and added some lemon juice, fresh-ground pepper, and a little salt. I thought it would need more pepper, but it was spicy enough for our taste. If you have ideas for using poblano and anaheim peppers, I would love to hear them. It's either that or we'll be making a lot of salsa and buying a lot of tortilla chips for a while.

A Recipe Swap

2008-08-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

The writer of the blog Life as Mom is doing a recipe swap about meals to share with others in need. I like the idea of participating in our church's meal ministry for families with new babies, suffering from illnesses, or just dealing with hard times; however, every time I get a call from the meals ministry coordinator a sense of dread overcomes me. What can I take that's easy to transport, mild flavored for nursing moms, and everyone will like? My biggest problem is that casseroles don't excite me, and casseroles are the easiest thing to transport. I love to try new recipes, but they are rarely casseroles. My mother-in-law shared this casserole recipe with me that works well when sharing a meal.

Chicken Enchilada Stack

8-10 small flour tortillas
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups cut-up cooked chicken
1 sm. can diced green chiles
1 cup sour cream

Mix everything except tortillas in a large bowl. Starting with chicken mixture, layer with tortillas ending with chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

When you're on a budget, this isn't the most frugal meal to share, but it's a tasty dish. I read on Money Saving Mom recently that she shares homemade pizzas when taking meals to a family. I might just try that next time.

Margherita pizza

2008-08-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

We've been getting more tomatoes from the garden, but since there aren't enough to can, we're trying to use them all fresh. If you're looking for a way to use your fresh tomatoes, this pizza is the way to go. A Margherita pizza is my favorite pizza to order at Italian restaurants, but last night was the first time we've made it at home.

I make my pizza dough in the breadmaker because it's easy and I don't have to pay attention to it. I usually use 1/3 whole wheat flour and 2/3 white flour. 100% whole wheat pizzas don't get a good review in this household. I accidentally made one when Emily was a couple of months old, and it was a pizza we won't soon forget.

For the Margherita pizza, I made a simple pizza sauce and then layed the pizza with round slices of mozzerrella cheese. Then, I added a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes, followed my a layer of thinly sliced basil. Lastly, I drizzled it with olive oil and sprinkled a clove of crushed garlic on top. It's a very simple meatless pizza with a lot of flavor. We liked it so much, I think we'll have it for dinner again this week!

Grosgrain: Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-08-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

Grosgrain: Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

I think this is my favorite Grosgrain creation so far! I've been getting sewing inspiration from this blog, but my attempts are from a pattern. And they still don't fit Emily! I'll post a picture whenever my creation looks decent.

Tomatoes & Peppers

2008-08-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

It's a happy time of year for the garden! Our tomatoes are coming on strong and our first red bell peppers are begging us to make salsa. Or fajitas. The red bell peppers are mostly green with a tinge of red, but rumor has it they're ripe. I probably should have asked James to Photoshop them to make them look red. :)

For a change, this year I planted a cherry tomato. It's a huge plant with an abundance of cute, red tomatoes. Pictures don't do the size of our tomato plants justice. I've always used wooden tomato cages that my dad made to support the plants, but last year we let them go because the ends were rotting off. Instead of making new tomato cages, we bought inexpensive wire cages at Lowe's. It was a mistake. Let's just say the tomato plants are lying down on the job. I think we'll be building some kind of wooden cage for next summer.

Wingspanning

2008-08-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

What does our family do on a Friday night when the Olympics are on? Watch them, of course! James was talking about how the broadcasters are making a big deal of Michael Phelps' 6'7" wingspan, which is three inches greater than his height. He didn't think it was that big of a deal because his own wingspan is two inches more than his height. I mentioned to James that I think I have exceptionally long arms, too. It was time to pull out the tape measure.

The results are in:

1 - My wingspan is two inches greater than my height.

2 - James' wingspan is two and half inches greater than his height.

Based on these findings, we suspect Emily is destined to also have exceptionally long arms. Should we start her training as an Olympic swimmer? Probably. She had her first swimming lessons this summer. She didn't enjoy floating on her back, so the backstroke might be a silver or bronze. But the freestyle seems to be a lock for gold, as she's very happy to "swim" on her tummy.

For a little nerdy fun on a Friday night, do the wingspan test and see if future Olympians could run in your family.

(Michael Phelps photo from www.thesun.co.uk)

Home-made ice cream

2008-08-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

One of our most fun wedding presents was the my mom and dad's gift of an ice cream bowl attachment for my KitchenAid mixer. We've really enjoyed experimenting with it. I have to confess, we didn't use it at all last summer when Emily was little, but we've tried several recipes this summer. They all came from a Cooking Light magazine I found in the library's give-away bin. So far, we've tried:

1 - Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. This was not our favorite recipe. It was a bit too cheesy for us. :)

2 - Peach Ice Cream. Delicious! We loved that the serving size was relatively large (one cup). Don't we all eat that much ice cream in one sitting anyway? This recipe was full of fresh peaches, making it a little like a sorbet.

3 - Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (minus the bean). I substituted pure vanilla extract, and the result is yummy. It's always fun to "dress up" vanilla ice cream with other toppings. Last night it was chocolate and caramel syrup and peanuts. I know the ice cream isn't as healthy after those additions, but it's okay once in a while. Tonight we'll try it with fresh blueberries!

The Raspberry Patch

2008-08-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

After telling you about my raspberry jam, I thought it would nice to share some pictures of our raspberry patch. This is the patch's fourth season, and it has been fun to see it grow and fill in. I think the space is about 3 feet by 15 feet, but lately I've been wishing it was about twice as big. I'd love to get more raspberries!

We didn't get many raspberries the first two years, and last year we didn't get any because we didn't pick them when they first started ripening. Emily was probably less than two months old and my garden suffered from my sleep deprivation. In my limited experience with raspberries, I've found that if you keep picking the berries they will produce into September. Maybe even later if it's a mild fall.

Another reason I think our raspberry patch is doing better this year is fertilizer. James kindly sprinkled two bags of steer manure over the raspberries for me this spring. A couple of years ago my parents heavily fertilized their raspberries with horse manure and they seemed to get the crop of a lifetime. We might need to try that smelly experiment next year (if I can talk James into it!)

Raspberry jam

2008-08-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

There are a few things about raspberries that I truly enjoy. I love picking them at the end of the day when they are ripe and warm from the hot summer sun. I love watching Emily searching for raspberries in our raspberry patch and then working hard to pick everything she's found, ripe or not. And, I love spreading fresh raspberry jam on homemade bread.

Then, there's the fact that when I was around 8 weeks pregnant with Emily, James and I started calling her "Raspberry" because all of the pregnancy books said she looked like a raspberry around then. It's funny how pregnancy books always compare babies to fruit in the beginning. We even joked around about naming our little girl "Raspberry," which is cute, but we're not granola enough to try something like that.

It's nice that a simple, little fruit can rouse so many happy thoughts and memories.

Healthier Baked Oatmeal

2008-08-09T13:37:00.001-07:00

I've really enjoyed reading this blog for the money-saving advice and occasional recipe. One recipe she's shared a few times is for baked oatmeal, and everyone in my little family enjoys it. I realized the recipe, although wonderful, was not as healthy as I try to cook for my family. So, I use the following recipe from the Cooking Light website because it's healthier and delicious. The leftovers are great microwaved and we get two to three breakfasts out of it. The important thing is that my family is eating oatmeal!

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the milk, applesauce, butter, and egg. Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well. Pour oat mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

5 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

CALORIES 281(24% from fat); FAT 7.6g (sat 2.8g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.9g); IRON 0.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 47mg; CALCIUM 148mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.8g; SODIUM 171mg; PROTEIN 7g; FIBER 3.4g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2003

The full recipe can be found here.

Garlic and Onions

2008-08-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." ~ I Corinthians 3:7

Last fall I decided I would plant garlic and see what happened. I bought a head of garlic at Albertson's, broke it into cloves, and planted it about three inches apart, kind of mounding up the soil around it because I've heard that garlic likes "dry feet." It worked! I should have plenty of garlic to last us through the winter.

I also planted onions again this year. They're so easy and they also last well. I think I planted more onions last year, but I didn't have to buy onions until May or June this year. Yesterday I thinned my onions to give the remaining onions room to grow. I read in a fun book that you can braid onions and garlic, which makes them easy to hang and dry. Here's my attempt. (Note: I haven't french-braided hair, or any vegetables, for a few years!)

Rite Aid deals for this week

2008-08-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

I started shopping the freebies at Walgreens back in February, but it's taken me awhile to get started with Rite Aid. Last month I decided I would give it a try. I should get my July rebate pretty soon for my free items. These are my first buys for August, both of which are free after rebate (FAR). I just have to pay the tax. Happy thought! The combined value was $12.73.

Canning green beans (by myself!)

2008-08-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

It seems like I've helped my mom can green beans every year for as long as I can remember. I liked that she was in charge of the pressure cooker, and I just had to help snap beans and fill jars. Well, she decided to go on vacation this week and my garden decided to produce enough green beans to can. So, I borrowed her canner and decided to try it out. My mom and dad had a canning accident when I was two or three that put both of them in a hospital for a while, so I have a healthy (I think) fear of pressure cookers. I sent James and my daughter out of the house while I canned in case it exploded. Thankfully, everything went well and I now have eight pints of green beans. Needless to say, I'm very pleased with how it went.

The perfect blog design for me...

2008-08-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

Last night, my wonderful husband re-designed my blog for me. He asked what I wanted, and I said, "I don't know. Bright colors?" If you've noticed what my blog looks like, it's not exactly bright colors, but I absolutely love it. Isn't it funny how someone who is close to you can sometimes know you better than you know yourself? Thank you, James! If you happen to need blog design, a logo, or website, visit my husband's website at www.subdot.com

A great buy at Walgreens

2008-08-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Six boxes of cereal and four boxes of Nutri-grain bars for...$3.50 (that's including tax)! This is probably one of the best buys I've found in quite awhile. Kellogg's has a $10 mail-in rebate (see the Sunday coupon insert) right now if you buy 10 of their participating products, and Walgreen's is giving a $5 register reward when you buy four boxes of Kellogg's cereal and another $5 register reward when you buy four boxes of Nutri-grain bars. My total came to $25 before tax, but when you subtract the rebate, register rewards, and the coupons I had, you're left with $3.50.

Welcome!

2008-07-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my little blog! Why the name? When James and I got married almost three years ago, we received a simple little card that said, "Husband, wife...happy life!" The saying stuck in my head, and it's nice that it's true.