WOW, another giveaway!

Well, they say it is the season of giving! Here is another giveaway worth entering! It is at Beth Stone Studio.

Giveaway!!

Go hop over to Your Fun Family for an awesome giveaway!

My five favorite books....

1)My hubby bought me a book called Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Homemaking which is a how to book on EVERYTHING home. If you are at all interested in reading about how to keep your home clean, how to fold towels, or make your home "homey", this book is definitely for you!


2) I absolutely love me some sexy, sparkly vampires!!! If you are not sure what I am talking about(highly doubtful) here is a picture. I can read these books over and over and over again!



3)The Mark of the Lion series are awesome. I would say even better than Twilight, just because it could actually happen, and I LOVE Rome! It's full of the sweetest romance, war, and slavery. Such good books!



4)Siblings Without Rivalry has helped my many times when my kids just wont stop bickering. I was fortunate enough to find this book for fifty cents at the thrift store! Now I wont have to continue to wear out the library's copy! Anyway, I highly recommend this book to all who are or might consider parenting. It is THAT good.



5)OK readers. I saved the best for last. I love and dream about this series. It will make you love the characters like they are your best friends, and you will go on adventures together that feel all too real. If you have not read this, please do it. You will not be sorry. Trust me.



So there you have it. It was hard to pick just five books, but I did it. I know three of them are a series, but that's OK! It still counts! So now I am curious to see your favorite five.

Menu Plan Monday

We just got back from camping at this place that supplies the cabins and the food. Lots and lots of food! Needless to say, we did not go hungry, not one bit, and the bathing suit I just bought no longer fits me! So, in my efforts to lose what I gained, I am going to attempt to keep it light. Please note that I said "attempt".

Monday:
Breakfast-Pancakes with plum syrup, eggs
Lunch-Tuna sandwiches
Dinner-Spaghetti, dinner rolls, salad

Tuesday:
Breakfast-Egg in a hole, fruit
Lunch-Turkey roll ups
Dinner-Roasted chicken, asparagus, rice, salad

Wednesday:
Breakfast-Oat Bran Applesauce Muffins
Lunch- PB&J
Dinner-Chicken dumplings, salad, dinner rolls

Thursday:
Breakfast-Cereal
Lunch-Turkey Sandwiches
Dinner-Vegetarian Chili, cornbread

Friday:
Breakfast-Leftover Pancakes, eggs, fruit
Lunch-Leftover chicken casserole
Dinner-Broccoli Casserole, salad, bread for slopping up the casserole

I am reevaluating my eating habits so this week I will try and come up with my new menu to share with you all. I have noticed that I get headaches between meals, and I am thinking I may need to eat smaller more frequent meals.

My little baker

My whole family loves to eat baked goods. So, in order to get what we want, we in turn love to bake. My 9yr old has watched me do it since she was a little girl, and has a love for it. On Friday she decided to bake a chocolate cake with home made butter cream frosting, and I must say it was delicious! She had so much fun doing it all by herself, and I truly believe that I have a life long baking buddy!


She called this cake her "Going to San Francisco" cake, so she added candles to make her vacation wish. What's a cake without candles, right? I would post a picture of them blowing out the candles, but my 5 yr. old dislikes clothing at the moment. So this will have to suffice. Don't you just want to reach in and eat it?! YUMMY!

Menu Plan Monday

I am getting this out really late! I have been so busy trying to find a bathing suit, swimming, playing hide and seek....Geez, it's a hard life isn't it?

Here is my menu for the week:

Monday:
Breakfast-Waffles, eggs, cantaloupe
Lunch-Turkey sandwiches
Dinner- Hubby surprised my with Panda Express!! Woop Woop!

Tuesday:
Breakfast-Leftover waffles, eggs, fruit
(My new, favorite topping for my waffles, and pancakes is Yoplait vanilla yogurt and strawberries mashed up. It is better than syrup, I tell ya!! The 9 yr old didn't believe me until she tried it, and now it is out with the syrup!)
Lunch-Tuna sandwiches, carrot sticks, and a plum
Dinner-Shredded chicken tacos (I will have to post my recipe. It is so fattening, and so good. Oil makes everything taste better!)

Wednesday:
Breakfast-Oat Bran Applesauce muffins, yogurt, banana
Lunch-PB&J on a whole wheat tortilla (If you haven't tried this, you must! Heat it up in the microwave for 12 seconds and grab some crackers to catch the ooy gooy drippings)
Dinner-Beef ribs, potatoes, coleslaw, rolls

Thursday:
Breakfast-Apple Banana Oatmeal
Lunch-Turkey Sandwich, celery sticks with ranch dressing
Dinner-Vegetarian Chili, cornbread

Friday:
Breakfast-Cereal, banana
Lunch- Whatever the camp resort feeds us!!!
Dinner- I dunno! It's a surprise, but I do see smores on the menu!

Awesome Giveaway!!!

Saucy at bloggedy blog blog is having a great giveaway....right now!! You have to go take a look and get your entry in for a chance to win! Winning is fun, isn't it?

My most exciting deal this month!!

I finally got my coupon from Victoria Secret in the mail!! It took them forever to get the address right, but they did!! YAY! It was for a free Pink line pantie, and ten dollars off any Pink item. So I went there thinking I would just get the panties, because everything there was so expensive, and this is what I got. Except mine are pink...
But, that is not all! I found these sleepy shorts that have the feel of a ten year old t-shirt and just imagined myself wearing them in sleepy slumber. I looked at the price tag and is said $30! For a pair of shorts that would be long enough for my toddler to wear! GEEZ! Well we were walking around and there it was. A big sign that said "Shorts, $15 sale". Woo hoo! I so bought them! They are super cute, comfy, and very revealing. I will never ever ever wear these out in public!
Aren't they cute? And worth ten bucks, wouldn't you say?

Nutrition and such

I have always tried to eat healthy and be active but heck, life sneaks up on you and BAM, you're eating left over Thanksgiving turkey, and the last three slices of apple pie. Then just when you are getting back on track you have back to back birthdays with home made cake. I can't escape it. It's everywhere I look, haunts me in my dreams, and finds me in the most secluded of places. If you don't get what I am talking about, it is sweets. Anything containing butter, sugar, eggs, and maybe some chocolate and vanilla. I have some serious problems! I made a lemon cake that is the best you will ever eat, and I ate half of it in one and a half days. No will power is present in these genes!!

To try and do better, I re-subscribed to Spark.com. They track what you eat and show you how many calories, cholesterol, fat, protein, and all vitamins you are ingesting. Those first few days were a bit scary,I blame the Drumstick ice cream, and actually looking at what you ate and how many fat calories that adds up to, really puts things in perspective! Ever since, I have been tracking what I eat, and I have lost five pounderoos!!! And that is just in two weeks! If you want to lose weight, or eat healthy just because you should, I whole heartily recommend this site. It will help you stay on track, trust me!

I am also re-starting my Firm workout videos which I will also vouch for. I cannot say enough about them! They advertise results in 10 workouts, and it is oh so true! Go to your library, use your inter-library loan, and get these videos to try them out. You will be in lurrrve forever!

Menu Plan Monday

It has been a pretty nice week over in my neck of the woods, so I am going to spoil myself and use my oven a few times. It's the small stuff, ya know?

Monday-
Breakfast-Oat Bran Applesauce Muffins, yogurt, strawberries
Lunch-Sandwiches
Dinner-Old Fashion Chicken Noodle Soup
Yesterday I cooked a whole chicken and will use the meat for the soup. Tonight I will use the carcass to make chicken broth in the crockpot for future meals. This really is so much better than store bought, and has a lot of flavor.

Tuesday-
Breakfast-Pancakes, eggs, peaches
Lunch-Tuna sandwiches, carrots, cherries
Dinner-Quesadillas (leftover chicken or steak, guacamole, sour cream, and cheese),

Wednesday-
Breakfast-Banana Oatmeal, fruit
Lunch- PB and Honey sandwiches, carrots
Dinner-Lemon Chicken, rice, asparagus, home made dinner rolls

Thursday-
Breakfast-Cereal, bananas
Lunch-Grilled Cheese sandwiches and Tomato Soup
Dinner-Falafel, beans, and rice

Friday-
Breakfast-Banana Muffins (with the sad bananas), Applesauce Oatmeal
Lunch-Macaroni and Cheese with broccoli
Dinner-Left over buffet! Woo Hoo, no cooking for this mama!!












Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Organizing Junkie

Homeschooling what nots

For the past 5 years I have been a homeschoolin' Mama who can't make up her mind about curriculum. There are so many great choices out there and my indecisive nature makes it just about impossible. Last year we tried to do our lesson plan on our own without the help of a charter school. I really loved everything about it! I found this free curriculum plan called Ambleside Online that uses the Charlotte Mason method that really appealed to us. She believed in using living books to educate children in all subjects, and to keep the lessons short. I loved loved loved the sound of this so much and decided to try it out for a year. We all love to read and thought this would fit in with our life style. Well, now that the year is over I am asking my oldest what she learned and she can't tell me anything except that she learned about manners!? YA, the red flags went up in my head real fast and now we are back to square one. I looked around at local charter schools, did my research, and came to the conclusion that homeschooling is going to be a lot of hard work. I thought that if I did it on my own it would be easier but it wasn't, really. It was way too easy to skip lessons for the week and go play. So we went back to CAVA which is an online charter school. I really like this program and we all are excited to be rejoining. If any of you are considering homeschooling and would like a credentialed teacher to be accountable to, this is your ticket.

Mac n Cheese PLEEZE!

Here is my scrumptious easy macaroni and cheese recipe. It is uber yummy and your kids will be asking for more more more!!!...hopefully....

Mac n Cheese

-EVOO
-1 sm onion
-1 lb macaroni
-3 T butter
-3T all purpose flour
-1/2 t cayenne
-2-3cups milk (if you want yours thick and creamy put in 2 cups)
-1 cup broth
-2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
-1T Dijon

Sautee the diced onions until opaque. Add butter and flour until well incorporated. Add milk and broth. Simmer and stir continuously until thickened. Add cayenne, paprika, and Dijon. Stir. Add cheese and stir until melted and well combined. Add cooked pasta, give it another stir, and enjoy!!

Additional add-ins: cooked chicken, tuna, broccoli, hotdogs, bell pepper, and whatever else your imagination can think up.

So Busy

I have been so busy this past week! My car was out of commission for 2 months and I finally got it back. So, I am playing catch up on all the time suckers that I have missed out on. I tell ya, being without a car made life much more simpler. The first day I got it back I was gone for 6 hours running errands with ALL the kids! Seriously, how the heck does that happen? I just don't get it. I have taken a vow to not drive unless it is absolutely necessary. Tomorrow I will blog about my favorite homemade Macaroni and Cheese which was handed down to me from my sister in law. You will love it!

Cleaning Recipe-Dish washing Detergent

I started making this last week since I ran out of my usual Trader Joes stuff. I was really hesitant, thinking my dishes were going to be spotted or still dirty. I made it anyway, and was really surprised! This stuff rocks! Here is the recipe...

-1cup Borax
-1cup Baking Soda

Put it in a container and shake it around(don't forget the lid!). Once your dishes are loaded, put one squirt of liquid dish detergent in first, then 3T of the dry stuff. Also add white vinegar to the rinse aid and voila! Start your dishwasher and wait to be amazed!

Little Luxuries causing chaos!

We belong to WIC for my 2 younger children. My "govment" cheese (joke between my friend and I) has supplied us with very precious food, and has helped keep us afloat. Well, this month I have realized my middle child is now five and therefore ineligible. Because of her age she was providing a lot of milk. Five gallons of it a month....gone! I found this out just this morning as I was putting doghnuts on plates and the kids were asking for milk. I told them "Keep dreaming kiddos, milk is a luxury." ! They pretty much think I am the evil queen on steroids for denying them their morning milk. Well, that is just fine. Now I just need to figure out what to do with our 3 gallons a month. I am thinking of buying full fat milk and diluting it, or just using it for cooking? We can get our calcium from other sources...cheese, broccoli, yogurt. I am just scared that I will find a carton of milk that has been relocated to my oldest girls closet. You know, just for "safe keeping".

What's Shakin' Bakin'?

Dinner. It is what you do when you are tired, crabby, and the kids are at your heels begging for attention. I had a hard time at.....dinner. I have 3 kids who always seem to know when I am starting, because that is when they come hoarding around me. UGH! I get all frazzled just trying to remember it!

Do you have a crockpot? You don't? Well you need to get in your car and get one! It is the bestest invention in the WORLD! Yes I know I said bestest. That is how much I love it. You cook dinner in the morning while kids are doing chores (snort) and forget about it until dinner time!!! WOO HOO! So, with that said, for this whole entire month I have used my crockpot for all my cooking. I even made pancakes with it yesterday....and they were goooood!

Here is my source for all the yummy smells coming from my kitchen. A Year of Crockpotting. She dedicated a year of her life to her crock pot and has a recipe for everyone. Just an FYI, go make her Barbeque Beef and Bean sandwiches, and Rotisserie Chicken. Ooooh so good!

Anyway, here is what we are having tonight. Except I put in BBQ sauce instead of Teriyaki. We will have corn on the cob and rice on the side. Very simple and very easy.

Monthly grocery shopping

This month I am able to go grocery shopping twice, just because we needed to pay a certain bill on time, so I spent 96.95 this grocery trip. I bought my meats and pantry items, and will use the rest for fruits and veggies.

The stores I go to are Winco, FoodMaxx, and very occasionally Costco. I say occasionally because it is SO easy to spend 300.00 in that place. Believe me, I am guilty! I try to avoid Vons, and Savemart at all costs (except for a few deals I find at SM). Those two grocery stores are insanely expensive, and it seems like a rip off to me.

Here is what I spent on groceries...

-2 cans crushed pineapple
-Chocolate syrup
-bread yeast
-black beans
-garbanzo beans
-canned mushrooms
-8 corn on the cobs
-5 bunches of bananas
-french bread
-bleach
-4 bags of grocery markdowns-$2 each
-2 big container of vanilla yogurt
-green onions
-1.5 pounds red onions
-2 5lb bags of potatoes
-2 cantaloupes
-romaine lettuce
-cabbage
-10lbs carrots
-1lb red potatoes
-garlic
-4 packs baby back ribs
-3lbs ground beef
-garlic salt
-white flour
-4 discounted fryer chickens $.68 a pound!

Total: 96.95

I did go to the farmers market last week and spent 20.00(will never do that again!) so I have about 20.00 left. I bought a lot of discounted meat last month so I didn't have to buy to much this time around. Last month I bought 2 packages of chicken tenders, ground beef, and chicken legs all at a really low price. This is really the only way to go on meat. I got the tenders for .98 a pound, and only because the sell by date was the next day! Hahaha grocery store...your loss!! Seriously, why in the heck did I not see this before??

When I see meat on markdowns I buy it in bulk and delete something we can live without for a month. This way I am not spending more than I should, and we have a bulk of meat to last us a while. Right now in my freezer I have 4lbs. tenders, 3 5lb fryer chickens, 5lbs ribs, 3lbs ground beef, 4lbs chicken legs, a big bag of tilapia, and 3lbs of sausage. This will last a long time since we eat a lot of vegetarian meals.


Me and the kiddos walked to Savemart a few weeks ago and I found THEIR discount fruits and veggies! I was like a kid in a candy store! I can get three organic Fuji Apples for .69....for all of them!! Readers, you have to go to the store now and find these deals by you! It is so worth it! I may not have enough to work with, but at least my kids don't realize anything is different!

Introduction

Well, things are getting more tight over in my neck of the woods. Being a mom of three is stress enough, but when you add in this new not so wonderful experience it gets hard. Things happen and the money is just not what it was. But you know, that is OK. It has to be for my family. It's all about adapting to your environment....isn't that what science instilled in us anyway!

So, this blogs purpose is to share with you my tips on frugality. For the past two months I have had about $140.00 a month for groceries to feed five people. I have done it, and it is possible. With planning, and careful shopping I can feed my family and still pay the bills. It is very difficult, especially if your husband usually had the means to spoil you with groceries! I love to cook from my Cooking Light magazines and miss them so so much! But for now my crockpot is my best friend. I really hope that someone will benefit from my frugalness.