Showing posts with label frugal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frugal. Show all posts
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Home Depot Christmas Lights Trade In is Going on Again!!
Last year, Home Depot started a program where you could bring in your old Christmas lights and get $3 off a set of LED lights. There is a limit of 5 per customer, but they can be used or even broken lights. This goes from Nov. 4- Nov. 14. For more info, go here.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Tip Nut
Have you been to TipNut.com? It is a really great site for all sorts of things--I mean from cooking, to crafting, to saving money...oh, I could go on and on! I check out all sorts of things on there and learn quite a bit too. It has lots of great patterns for making your own eco bags, or even some adorable little totes :) Lots of money saving tips, ideas for using fabric scraps, gift ideas...well, I think you get the point. But, only just recently, I learned I could sign up for a daily tips email. Oh...well...let's just say, it has been very nice :) These daily tips have sent me things I didn't even know were on TipNut. I have seen all sorts of recipes for yummy soups, been shown the cutest lil tote bag that I plan to make, and read up on all sorts of tips on potatoes-roasting them, keeping them warm while the rest of dinner is going, etc...I highly recommend it, but even if you just cannot stand one more email in your inbox, check out the TipNut--really, it does have alot of neat things (and no, I am not getting paid for this-I like this site that much ;)
Saturday, December 5, 2009
What to do with Old Socks?
I have a grocery sack full of old socks. I also have a laundry basket full of socks waiting to be matched. I am not sure I will ever find the mates that go with these socks, but I stay hopeful that one day, maybe, just maybe, I will find the mate and reunite a happy couple once again.
But, I have many socks with holes in the feet. I am not sure what my family does, but they tend to get holes in the soles often! So, I have been looking around the internet for some neat ideas, and I did come across some. But, a friend reminded me of making arm/wrist warmers with the socks, and even leg warmers. I thought about it...and then I noticed a pair of socks on my sewing table that had been mutilated. When I asked the child who was the owner of these socks, why she did that, she told me she was trying to make wrist warmers, but messed them up...SO...I guess my kids WOULD like some wrist warmers :)
I am going to cut right above the ankle, stitch them up a bit there, just to reinforce and make sure they do not fray. But, Im going to take these a step further and decorate them nicely. Maybe by hand with some embroidery floss and maybe some with my sewing machine and a cute stitch. This will make them look nicely, but, also, since our socks are mostly white, I thought this would be a great way to know whose wrist warmer is laying on the floor after they come in from the cold-lol!! These will make a great stocking stuffer I think :)
Do you have lots of socks and wondering what you can do with all of them? It seems a shame to throw them away...How about using them to make a nice, warm quilt? One of my kids used them to make a fabric picture collage. They made great clouds in her picture :) Of course, there are sock monkeys, but you can use any sock and make any animal. My mom even took socks-though she used new ones-and made my kids sock babies. They adored those and a couple of my kids still have them! You could cut the tops into strips-as in making rounds with them-and use them in a loop loom to make potholders. Or, believe it or not, socks make terrific dusting clothes-slip one on each hand and off you go! Perhaps even floor dusters on your feet as well?
Here are a couple sites I found with sock craft ideas:
Sock and Nylon Crafts
The New Homemaker
do stuff! Fingerless Mitts
Argyle Sock Scarf Instructions
Martha Stewart Sock Dog
HGTV Sock Dog
By the way, I have been once again making things for my kids this Christmas-a pair of jammie pants of my youngest son and some matching American Girl jammies-yes, he has a doll too-why doesn't AG make American Boys? Anyway... I have also made a couple AG outfits, working on jammies for each of my daughters' dolls as well-need to make my own pattern I suppose. I didn't like the one I used last year. And, I think I will make my oldest son one of those sock dogs :) He will love it. I will post pics once I am done to share :) If you are sewing or creating, feel free to share! I would love to know what others are doing!!
But, I have many socks with holes in the feet. I am not sure what my family does, but they tend to get holes in the soles often! So, I have been looking around the internet for some neat ideas, and I did come across some. But, a friend reminded me of making arm/wrist warmers with the socks, and even leg warmers. I thought about it...and then I noticed a pair of socks on my sewing table that had been mutilated. When I asked the child who was the owner of these socks, why she did that, she told me she was trying to make wrist warmers, but messed them up...SO...I guess my kids WOULD like some wrist warmers :)
I am going to cut right above the ankle, stitch them up a bit there, just to reinforce and make sure they do not fray. But, Im going to take these a step further and decorate them nicely. Maybe by hand with some embroidery floss and maybe some with my sewing machine and a cute stitch. This will make them look nicely, but, also, since our socks are mostly white, I thought this would be a great way to know whose wrist warmer is laying on the floor after they come in from the cold-lol!! These will make a great stocking stuffer I think :)
Do you have lots of socks and wondering what you can do with all of them? It seems a shame to throw them away...How about using them to make a nice, warm quilt? One of my kids used them to make a fabric picture collage. They made great clouds in her picture :) Of course, there are sock monkeys, but you can use any sock and make any animal. My mom even took socks-though she used new ones-and made my kids sock babies. They adored those and a couple of my kids still have them! You could cut the tops into strips-as in making rounds with them-and use them in a loop loom to make potholders. Or, believe it or not, socks make terrific dusting clothes-slip one on each hand and off you go! Perhaps even floor dusters on your feet as well?
Here are a couple sites I found with sock craft ideas:
Sock and Nylon Crafts
The New Homemaker
do stuff! Fingerless Mitts
Argyle Sock Scarf Instructions
Martha Stewart Sock Dog
HGTV Sock Dog
By the way, I have been once again making things for my kids this Christmas-a pair of jammie pants of my youngest son and some matching American Girl jammies-yes, he has a doll too-why doesn't AG make American Boys? Anyway... I have also made a couple AG outfits, working on jammies for each of my daughters' dolls as well-need to make my own pattern I suppose. I didn't like the one I used last year. And, I think I will make my oldest son one of those sock dogs :) He will love it. I will post pics once I am done to share :) If you are sewing or creating, feel free to share! I would love to know what others are doing!!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Make Your Own Sandwich Bags!!
Aren't these the cutest?! A friend of mine brought hers to a homeschool meeting and I fell in love. Her sister makes these for her and I asked if she could share how she makes them. Here is the link to the wonderful blogger who makes these great bags-she has different variations and you can easily follow her directions. My friend's sister said once you make one, you don't really need the directions again to make others, it is that simple. She was not kidding! Im not a very accomplished seamstress, but I was able to make these. The hardest thing was getting the two pieces of ribbon in the casing, but you could easily make two rows of casing and do it that way. I have used ribbon and cording, and find either way works very well :)
The really great thing about these is you can use that fabric you have sitting around that is so cute but really not enough to make much of anything with :) You can make these in all different sizes. I even made one to hold some cute small gifts and a gift card my oldest gave to a friend for her birthday. You could make these to hold personal care items in your purse, or daughter's purse. My friend's sister even makes them for birthday party goody bags! I plan to make more for Christmas to hold small gifts, stocking stuffers, whatever. They can be used for Christmas again next year, or the kids can use them to hold their lunches. They wash well-I just pull the inside out a bit and have no problems. Now, if it was a really messy sandwich, I might wrap it in something before hand. And, there are things you can get at your local sewing store or craft store that is plastic-y and you could use that as a liner as well :) Go have fun!!! If you make these, let me know what you used them for-I would love to hear about it!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Makin' Cents at Target :)
It's starting to pay to use reusable bags at some stores. Target is now offering 5 cents for each reusable bag you use at their store :) This may not be alot, but it can add up....My thought is adding it to a change jar :) As my husband said "It's non'taxable income" :) Put this with the 5 cents per bag you save at Reasor's :) Now, if Walmart follows suit, I will be thrilled!!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Mmmm--Autumn!
I don't know what it is about this time of year...I want to curl up with a nice cup off coffee or hot cocoa in front of the fire. Or, I crave those wonderful comfort foods-soups, stews, chilis, meatloaf and mashed potatoes-oh, I could go on and on! Alot of these meals are terrific in the crockpot and so easy to start in the morning and let cook all day without much or any fuss at all! You could even make a big batch of some of these to freeze for meals later on. Or, even use some for quick and frugal lunches for the week. I have even used my crock to make big batches of chicken, burrito/taco meat, etc and froze it in serving sizes for the freezer! Works like a charm with very little work on my part. Of, I have placed chicken in a freezer bag with marinade, froze it for a later meal. All I have to do is take it out the night before to thaw in the fridge, and dump the chicken in the crockpot (throw out the marinade).
Do you have a crockpot? If you don't, you should really check into getting one. They can be a very good investment and, even though you are cooking for long periods of time, they do not use alot of electricity. Depending on your crockpot, it can cost about 10-15 cents per 8 hours to operate-that, vs an oven, which can be about 20 cents per hour. That can be an amazing savings, just right there. But, think about this too...you can use your crock to cook up tougher cuts of meat and have them come out fork tender and juicy!
Sometimes it does take some playing around with recipes to make them work. Also, I found with some crocks, you might want to watch them a bit the first few times you use them. I have had crockpots for much of my married life and grew up with a mom who used them. A few Christmas' ago, my husband bought me a fancy one. I found it cooked faster than my not-so-fancy crock and burned my food. So, I always set the timer on my crock to the highest setting. Yesterday, I made meatloaf in the am which I put in the crock since we would be gone most of the day. When I got home around 5, the meatloaf was just starting to burn on the edges, but very slightly....but it had only been cooking for about 6 hours! I had set it on the highest setting I could-at 10 hours. But, I know my crockpot well enough now to know certain things would need the higher setting in order to not burn.
You can find crockpots at stores like Walmart, Kmart, Target, etc. Or you can find them at thrift stores too! Perhaps a friend is giving one away that they do not use anymore or they got a new one. If they offer it to you-take it!! Free is always nice and you can experiment! Crockpotting is also a nice way to cook in the Summer and keep down the heat in your home :)
If you are unsure about recipes, or you lost the book to yor crock, or, perhaps, you are burned out on what to make, here are some really great sites with some yummy recipes to check out!
Campbells' Crockpot Recipes
AllRecipes Slow Cooker section
365 Days of Slow Cooking blog
A Year of Slowcooking
Do you have a crockpot? If you don't, you should really check into getting one. They can be a very good investment and, even though you are cooking for long periods of time, they do not use alot of electricity. Depending on your crockpot, it can cost about 10-15 cents per 8 hours to operate-that, vs an oven, which can be about 20 cents per hour. That can be an amazing savings, just right there. But, think about this too...you can use your crock to cook up tougher cuts of meat and have them come out fork tender and juicy!
Sometimes it does take some playing around with recipes to make them work. Also, I found with some crocks, you might want to watch them a bit the first few times you use them. I have had crockpots for much of my married life and grew up with a mom who used them. A few Christmas' ago, my husband bought me a fancy one. I found it cooked faster than my not-so-fancy crock and burned my food. So, I always set the timer on my crock to the highest setting. Yesterday, I made meatloaf in the am which I put in the crock since we would be gone most of the day. When I got home around 5, the meatloaf was just starting to burn on the edges, but very slightly....but it had only been cooking for about 6 hours! I had set it on the highest setting I could-at 10 hours. But, I know my crockpot well enough now to know certain things would need the higher setting in order to not burn.
You can find crockpots at stores like Walmart, Kmart, Target, etc. Or you can find them at thrift stores too! Perhaps a friend is giving one away that they do not use anymore or they got a new one. If they offer it to you-take it!! Free is always nice and you can experiment! Crockpotting is also a nice way to cook in the Summer and keep down the heat in your home :)
If you are unsure about recipes, or you lost the book to yor crock, or, perhaps, you are burned out on what to make, here are some really great sites with some yummy recipes to check out!
Campbells' Crockpot Recipes
AllRecipes Slow Cooker section
365 Days of Slow Cooking blog
A Year of Slowcooking
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Gift Baskets-Not Just for Christmas
Gift baskets can be a terrific gift anytime of the year-they can be frugal too! Especially if you are able to find the contents on a good sale throughout the year. Or perhaps, you could even throw in some of those free samples you have gotten over time to add with store bought items. For instance, right now would be a great time to stock up on school supplies that are on sale (or in some parts of the country, clearance!). Many kids are into drawing, coloring, writing, etc... and would really enjoy a gift basket-or, perhaps, a nice pencil box or craft box-full of supplies! I have set back a few school supplies such as notebooks, colored pencils, and crayons for my little artists and journalists for Christmas presents this year. I plan to decorate the covers of the notebooks with stickers, scrapbooking paper, or whatever else I can find-this gift box will end up costing me much less than $1 per child, but I know will give them quite a bit of pleasure!
How to make gift baskets? First, you need to keep in mind the person(s) you are going to be making the basket for. Are they a busy mom, or dad, who would love an easy dinner night? Are they a college student? Perhaps a new 16 year old who just got her first car? See where I am going here? :) You can make a gift basket for anyone, at anytime! You do not have to be super creative-just look around. Or, even get good ideas online.
For the 16 yo, I would include some of those handy car items we have all come to appreciate over the years. A flashlight, a small notebook to record oil changes and other minor car keep ups, a nice cd holder, some nice car scent doo-dads, etc....you could even throw in a cute keychain and some car cleaning supplies. Even a nice little holder for important things like insurance info and important phone numbers would be nice.
You are getting the idea...the options for gift baskets can be endless.
If you are looking for more ideas, here are some great frugal ideas from the friendly web to help you out :
Dollar Stretcher Gift Basket Ideas
BabyZone-Frugal Gift Ideas Scan down to the Gift Baskets section or read the whole article as there are many good ideas here!
Family Finance Cheap Christmas Gift Baskets
8 Reasonably Priced Gift Basket Ideas
How to make gift baskets? First, you need to keep in mind the person(s) you are going to be making the basket for. Are they a busy mom, or dad, who would love an easy dinner night? Are they a college student? Perhaps a new 16 year old who just got her first car? See where I am going here? :) You can make a gift basket for anyone, at anytime! You do not have to be super creative-just look around. Or, even get good ideas online.
For the 16 yo, I would include some of those handy car items we have all come to appreciate over the years. A flashlight, a small notebook to record oil changes and other minor car keep ups, a nice cd holder, some nice car scent doo-dads, etc....you could even throw in a cute keychain and some car cleaning supplies. Even a nice little holder for important things like insurance info and important phone numbers would be nice.
You are getting the idea...the options for gift baskets can be endless.
If you are looking for more ideas, here are some great frugal ideas from the friendly web to help you out :
Dollar Stretcher Gift Basket Ideas
BabyZone-Frugal Gift Ideas Scan down to the Gift Baskets section or read the whole article as there are many good ideas here!
Family Finance Cheap Christmas Gift Baskets
8 Reasonably Priced Gift Basket Ideas
Monday, August 10, 2009
Crocheting for Christmas
Last week, I started sharing ideas about things you can do to get started early on Christmas presents. This week, I found some really great sites for crocheting. I love to crochet-more so when it is cooler outside. I have done it for years. Am I really good at it? Nope--but I try and I have made each of my kids baby blankets while I was pregnant with them. Im not very good at things like sweaters, but I did make each of my girls a poncho one year. I still find projects that are for beginner or intermediate. Maybe one day I will feel good enough to move on to advanced :)
Here are some neat sites I found. Instead of listing individual projects, I am listing the main pages. You can then look through what might interest you.
Free Crochet Patterns : Lion Brand Yarn Company This is one of my go-to crochet pattern sites...I use this most often-stitch tutorials, lots of neat patterns, and good info. They list projects in easy, intermediate, etc...
FREE Crochet Pattern Index Dolls and accessories, kitchen patterns, etc...
SMART CROCHET - free crochet patterns More free patterns-Christmas crocheting, curtains, tablecloths and runners, etc...
Free Patterns for Crochet - Indulge Your Love of Crochet!
Free-Crochet.com You can search through the free patterns here-quilts, wearables, religious and inspirational....plus, there is a Free Pattern of the Day
Free crochet patterns. neck warmers, booties, socks, learn to bead crochet, ponchos-I can go on and on...
Free Crochet Patterns and Tutorials - Learn How to Crochet With Easy Beginner Patterns and Step by Step Instructions Learn to crochet or try one of the many different patterns here-cute hats, dishcloths, and there is even a tips and troubleshooting area.
Crochet Pattern Central - Free, Online Crochet Pattern Link Directory - Beginner Crochet Instructions - Crochet Tips, Tricks,.. Site has lots of great free patterns plus tutorials as well as instructions for many different stitches
Here are some neat sites I found. Instead of listing individual projects, I am listing the main pages. You can then look through what might interest you.
Free Crochet Patterns : Lion Brand Yarn Company This is one of my go-to crochet pattern sites...I use this most often-stitch tutorials, lots of neat patterns, and good info. They list projects in easy, intermediate, etc...
FREE Crochet Pattern Index Dolls and accessories, kitchen patterns, etc...
SMART CROCHET - free crochet patterns More free patterns-Christmas crocheting, curtains, tablecloths and runners, etc...
Free Patterns for Crochet - Indulge Your Love of Crochet!
Free-Crochet.com You can search through the free patterns here-quilts, wearables, religious and inspirational....plus, there is a Free Pattern of the Day
Free crochet patterns. neck warmers, booties, socks, learn to bead crochet, ponchos-I can go on and on...
Free Crochet Patterns and Tutorials - Learn How to Crochet With Easy Beginner Patterns and Step by Step Instructions Learn to crochet or try one of the many different patterns here-cute hats, dishcloths, and there is even a tips and troubleshooting area.
Crochet Pattern Central - Free, Online Crochet Pattern Link Directory - Beginner Crochet Instructions - Crochet Tips, Tricks,.. Site has lots of great free patterns plus tutorials as well as instructions for many different stitches
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Thinking Ahead to Christmas!
Last year, I made quite a few things for my kids' for Christmas presents. All my girls have American Girl dolls and I was able to make each of them something for their dolls to wear. It was pretty easy, fast and greatly enjoyed by them :) But, this year, I would like to get started earlier. I started most of those items in December, in my spare time, and wanting to get it all finished was frustrating. I think they are some things I could have spent more time on-maybe making a certain seam more sturdy, etc...Not just that, I know my sons enjoy getting homemade things from me as well and I would like to find some ideas for them. I did make my oldest some jammie pants and my youngest got a homemade stocking-I drew his name in our family gift exchange and that is what I did for him :)
So, I will send other links to different homemade projects later on, but today, I am going to focus on a few sewing websites. There are so many out there and if you are blessed with a stash of fabric, even pieces that won't make much of anything, you can make some cute things!!
Sewing.org I was going to list links from here individually, but there are SO many neat projects I thought it best to send the main page-check them out-even help for those learning to sew!
About.com:Sewing Lots of links to various projects-aprons, dolls, home decorating, etc..
Bella Lots of links to many different sewing projects
Free Sewing Projects pot holder patterns, sachets, and others-would be great additions to gift baskets too!
AllCrafts many projects here as well as well as some learning to sew projects.
So, I will send other links to different homemade projects later on, but today, I am going to focus on a few sewing websites. There are so many out there and if you are blessed with a stash of fabric, even pieces that won't make much of anything, you can make some cute things!!
Sewing.org I was going to list links from here individually, but there are SO many neat projects I thought it best to send the main page-check them out-even help for those learning to sew!
About.com:Sewing Lots of links to various projects-aprons, dolls, home decorating, etc..
Bella Lots of links to many different sewing projects
Free Sewing Projects pot holder patterns, sachets, and others-would be great additions to gift baskets too!
AllCrafts many projects here as well as well as some learning to sew projects.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Some Great Drink Recipes
Family Fun put out a great newsletter this week with some fun, and I might add, healthy drink recipes-well, most of them are healthy ;) As I looked through some of the recipes that caught my eye, I noticed they were all pretty frugal. You can use frozen bananas you have on hand (you know, that stash you put up in your freezer when they started to get too ripe and the kids would not eat them because they thought the nanas were rotten?), add in some yogurt that you got on sale (or maybe is left in that big container you bought and none of the kids want-hmmm), or use up some fruit that is in your fridge getting close to expiring, but needs the bad parts cut off :)
Also, I know my kids love icy drinks when it is warm :) They actually love anything cold, but ice cream has gotten so expensive that we reserve that for a special treat. My kids favorite drink is Magic Milk Shakes. It is easy and really very good. We have even found we do not need to add as much sugar as called for and I usually have most ingredients on hand! We have taken out the cocoa and added in a bit more vanilla, less sugar, and made vanilla shakes. Banana added in is also a winner here :)
Here is a list of many other icy drinks :) I noticed my kids don't even notice it when I add ground flax seed to berry smoothies-making them much healthier and giving my kids the great benefits flax has in it-so you might try that too with these :
Family Fun: Ice Cold Drinks
Easy Kids Recipes: Easy cold Drinks
Family Fun: Ready To Whir Smoothies
Mexican Juice Drinks (this could be fun for a party!)
Also, I know my kids love icy drinks when it is warm :) They actually love anything cold, but ice cream has gotten so expensive that we reserve that for a special treat. My kids favorite drink is Magic Milk Shakes. It is easy and really very good. We have even found we do not need to add as much sugar as called for and I usually have most ingredients on hand! We have taken out the cocoa and added in a bit more vanilla, less sugar, and made vanilla shakes. Banana added in is also a winner here :)
Here is a list of many other icy drinks :) I noticed my kids don't even notice it when I add ground flax seed to berry smoothies-making them much healthier and giving my kids the great benefits flax has in it-so you might try that too with these :
Family Fun: Ice Cold Drinks
Easy Kids Recipes: Easy cold Drinks
Family Fun: Ready To Whir Smoothies
Mexican Juice Drinks (this could be fun for a party!)
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Frugal Easter Ideas
Every year this becomes an issue. I try to get candy for the kids, but I don't want them getting sugar highs all day Easter. So, I try to find frugal ideas for things that can go into baskets, and even the eggs. This year is just like every other year-only Easter snuck up on me!! How? I mean, it is not like it came early this year. Usually, I am more prepared. Plus, my 2nd oldest daughter will be having her 13th birthday on Good Friday-so I have to add in her present for that weekend too :)
One thing I have done in past years was to use those candy melts from teh store (Walmart has even carried them in the past) and use molds to make little candies to go into eggs. Im not sure if this is less expensive than buying candy, but when my kids saw the cute Easter-themed shapes they were thrilled! And, it probably did cost me less than buying those sorts of chocolates. Another year, I used those same molds to make crayons for my kids (no, I did not use the molds for candy again). My kids went nuts and all it took was melting down all those little crayon bits we had in a container waiting for something to be done with them :) I was even able to make some neat colors, or put a few different colors in one mold to make interesting tye-dye crayons :)
As the kids have gotten older and not into the cutesie things anymore, it gets a bit harder to figure things out-frugally that is :) So, in my search I found some folks with great ideas. Here are links to their pages-I hope you can find some unusual ideas to make your baskets fun this year-and affordable!
Thrifty Fun
Thrifty Fun Easter Basket Ideas
Frugal East Baskets by Deborah Taylor-Hough
Thrifty Fun: Easter Basket for Coffe Lovign Teens (or other family member/friend)
And here are some suggestions for all those decorated hard boiled eggs:
Ideas for Using Leftover Easter Eggs
We tend to have alot here since all the kids want lots of eggs to decorate, so this link was very helpful to me. We eat eggs for breakfast and I make deviled eggs for lunch. I also make deviled egg potato salad which helps to use up some eggs. I also love tuna salad with boiled eggs in it-yum!
One thing I have done in past years was to use those candy melts from teh store (Walmart has even carried them in the past) and use molds to make little candies to go into eggs. Im not sure if this is less expensive than buying candy, but when my kids saw the cute Easter-themed shapes they were thrilled! And, it probably did cost me less than buying those sorts of chocolates. Another year, I used those same molds to make crayons for my kids (no, I did not use the molds for candy again). My kids went nuts and all it took was melting down all those little crayon bits we had in a container waiting for something to be done with them :) I was even able to make some neat colors, or put a few different colors in one mold to make interesting tye-dye crayons :)
As the kids have gotten older and not into the cutesie things anymore, it gets a bit harder to figure things out-frugally that is :) So, in my search I found some folks with great ideas. Here are links to their pages-I hope you can find some unusual ideas to make your baskets fun this year-and affordable!
Thrifty Fun
Thrifty Fun Easter Basket Ideas
Frugal East Baskets by Deborah Taylor-Hough
Thrifty Fun: Easter Basket for Coffe Lovign Teens (or other family member/friend)
And here are some suggestions for all those decorated hard boiled eggs:
Ideas for Using Leftover Easter Eggs
We tend to have alot here since all the kids want lots of eggs to decorate, so this link was very helpful to me. We eat eggs for breakfast and I make deviled eggs for lunch. I also make deviled egg potato salad which helps to use up some eggs. I also love tuna salad with boiled eggs in it-yum!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Dollar Stretcher Recipes
I just came across this while looking at some things on Dollar Stretcher. It is a huge collection of recipe articles-food articles-menus-etc...I am finding many things that can help save money on food, pre-cooking/freezer cooking ideas, etc...Some of it I already know, but there are alot of new things as well. Maybe you will find some new ideas to help you in the kitchen :)
Friday, March 27, 2009
Grocio-could be a great new frugal helper!
Grocio is a great new, free site that helps you do comparitive shopping for your grocery list. It is sort of like PriceGrabber.com or PriceWatch.com-but for groceries--ohhhh-neat! How convenient is that? Im not sure what I will do with my free time-lol! It is just beginning and should be in pretty full force launch next week. There are a couple things you can do now, like viewing Sunday circulars, checking out their blog, etc...so get signed up (and once again, it is free!).
This is based out of the Tulsa area, but you can sign up no matter where you live in the USA!
They can even help you match up internet coupons to things on your shopping list. So go check them out! If you would like to put a referral code in for me as thanks for referring you to their site, my code is SL9K. I would appreciate it :) I don't get any money but if they have a contest, it can help me win ;) Winning is nice and fun every now and then ;)
This is based out of the Tulsa area, but you can sign up no matter where you live in the USA!
They can even help you match up internet coupons to things on your shopping list. So go check them out! If you would like to put a referral code in for me as thanks for referring you to their site, my code is SL9K. I would appreciate it :) I don't get any money but if they have a contest, it can help me win ;) Winning is nice and fun every now and then ;)
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Magic Eraser Does it Again!!
My youngest daughter was making a gift for a friend and needed a glass jar. I had one, but it had sticky residue left on it (as well as some of the sticker). I really did not want to wait for cooking spray or oil to work on the sticky stuff (and it was a bit hardened)...so I saw my Magic Eraser jumping up and down, saying "Me! Oh, Me!! Try Me!!"
Ok, I said in my head (because if you say things out loud your kids think you are nuts...but, mine think Im nuts anyway...)
I tried it, and with hardly any rubbing at all, the sticky residue and the hardened residue came right off with just water and Magic Eraser! Amazing...
Now, Im not advertising Magic Erasers only by Mr Clean...I have also gotten a great $1 brand from my local Food Pyramid that I have found to work even better than the Mr Clean brand! On this particular situation, though, I did use the Mr Clean one.
I will say too, that cheapo one lasts us much longer than the name brand. Why did I have the name breand then? Because I was desperate and was not headed to that store when I needed to buy some Magic Erasers, so I bought the name brand at my Walmart :) Next time, I will be stocking up on a few packs of the $1 brand, you cna be sure of that!!
Ok, I said in my head (because if you say things out loud your kids think you are nuts...but, mine think Im nuts anyway...)
I tried it, and with hardly any rubbing at all, the sticky residue and the hardened residue came right off with just water and Magic Eraser! Amazing...
Now, Im not advertising Magic Erasers only by Mr Clean...I have also gotten a great $1 brand from my local Food Pyramid that I have found to work even better than the Mr Clean brand! On this particular situation, though, I did use the Mr Clean one.
I will say too, that cheapo one lasts us much longer than the name brand. Why did I have the name breand then? Because I was desperate and was not headed to that store when I needed to buy some Magic Erasers, so I bought the name brand at my Walmart :) Next time, I will be stocking up on a few packs of the $1 brand, you cna be sure of that!!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Another Great Homeschool Resource!
Donna Young
I love Donna Young's site. I know I can go there and print out the right size graph paper I need for my child who is learning a new math concept and needs to have their rows lined up perfectly :) I know I can go there and find a good schedule for my kids who are doing Apologia sciences. I know I can go there for advice on homeschooling my high schooler! And, all for free, from a veteran HS mom! There are tons of terrific resources from Donna Young...I suggest you check it out-and even if you do not need anything on there today, keep this site in your favorites to refer back to later on...You won't be sorry!
I love Donna Young's site. I know I can go there and print out the right size graph paper I need for my child who is learning a new math concept and needs to have their rows lined up perfectly :) I know I can go there and find a good schedule for my kids who are doing Apologia sciences. I know I can go there for advice on homeschooling my high schooler! And, all for free, from a veteran HS mom! There are tons of terrific resources from Donna Young...I suggest you check it out-and even if you do not need anything on there today, keep this site in your favorites to refer back to later on...You won't be sorry!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Shopping Notebook Pictures
Here ya go...This is the front-basic lil binder from Walmart (or any other store :)
Here is my paper-pretty basic here-lol! This is where I write my list (on the right paper) and make my menu for the two weeks (on the left paper). I accidentally purchased a small notebook than my first one. My old notebook was a 2 inch binder. This new one is 1 1/2 in. Not a big deal, but I did discover that the 70 ct notebook I use to plan in was too big to fit in the new binder. I like to use the 70 ct notebook because it holds the paper and I don't lose pages. I often like to refer back to previous menus to keep track of what we have eaten recently and mix things up a bit. I am noticing, even already, that just using paper (notebook paper or, as I did, ripping the pages out of my 70 ct notebook) can leave you with weak pages as you go along with your planning down the road. So, if you plan to do this, I highly suggest at least a 2 inch binder...This allows you a good amount of room to hold your paper and your plastic trading card pages...
Below is a picture of the sort of trading cards pages I bought. Each page has nine pockets. I only use the front of each page-this, to me, makes it less hard to pull out a coupon that I do not intend to come out...does that make sense? If I put the coupons back to back in the pockets, I might accidentally pull out the other coupon when I am only intending to get the one on top...
And, lastly, here is a picture of one of my coupon pages-sort of a close up to show how I just slide the coupons into the pocket...Coupon won't fit? Fold it a bit to make it fit. Some coupons, even when folded, are a bit long...that's ok, place them into a pocket within the 2nd or 3rd rows. Doing this means they will not hang out of your binder and get ruined. I was worried the coupons would not go in and out easily, but after my big coupon shopping trip to Walmart yesterday, I have to say I was very pleased with my new set up :)
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Cake Balls
I made Cake Balls for the Super Bowl on Sunday. I used this recipe: Cake Balls
I made a dark chocolate fudge cake (using cake mix-I think it was Duncan Hines) and I used Pilsbury's Chocolate Fudge frosting. To dip the balls, I used almond bark from Aldi. This was a really easy recipe and made a ton of balls! The almond bark melted nicely in the microwave and I used pretty much all of the blocks-I have one left over. The recipe calls for one whole can of frosting, but I tell you, I read through the reviews on this recipe and decided to try just a half of a can. I pretty much eye-balled it and when the cake/frosting mixture got to where I could easily mold the mixture into balls, I stopped adding frosting. Then, I put the mixture into the fridge for not quite an hour (I was not being patient-lol). After the mixture was cooled sufficiently, I started making my balls, placing them onto wax paper which was on a cookie sheet. I also took a tip to put toothpicks into the balls. Then, after they were all balled out and toothpicked, I placed the cookie sheet into the freezer for about an hour (again, not being too patient-lol). I melted the almond bark when I was ready to dip and started dipping-not tips here...just get in there and do it. I did find that using s spoon to pour the almond bark over the balls worked nicely though.
I placed these back in the freezer to harden the bark quickly and then I took them off the cookie sheet, placed them into a container, covered them and placed them in the fridge until half time :) My family loved these! They could not get enough...there were even enough left over the next day for the kids to have one at lunch and for us to have a treat that evening!
You can make these balls using a multitude of different combinations! I have seen red devil's food and cream cheese frosting dipped in white. How about strawberry cake with maybe strawberry or vanilla frosting with chocolate almond bark or candy melts. You can even tint your almond bark if you wish :) My combo almost tasted like an Oreo cookie :) Next time I think I would like to add a tad bit of almond extract to the cake before it bakes to up the flavor of the chocolate a bit.
I never thought to take a pic before these got devoured...But, I can assure you, I will be making these again and I will take a pic. My 2nd oldest dd wants these for her birthday, and I think she wants the strawberry mixture. I think there might be a chance I will make these for my b-day this month ( I will be 29 again-how about that?!) and try a chocolate mint mixture of some sort since I love chocolate with mint!!
By the way, I have to thank my friend for turning us on to these :) She saw them on Pioneer Woman and on Bakerella-both of which you can find in my blog lists to the right.
I made a dark chocolate fudge cake (using cake mix-I think it was Duncan Hines) and I used Pilsbury's Chocolate Fudge frosting. To dip the balls, I used almond bark from Aldi. This was a really easy recipe and made a ton of balls! The almond bark melted nicely in the microwave and I used pretty much all of the blocks-I have one left over. The recipe calls for one whole can of frosting, but I tell you, I read through the reviews on this recipe and decided to try just a half of a can. I pretty much eye-balled it and when the cake/frosting mixture got to where I could easily mold the mixture into balls, I stopped adding frosting. Then, I put the mixture into the fridge for not quite an hour (I was not being patient-lol). After the mixture was cooled sufficiently, I started making my balls, placing them onto wax paper which was on a cookie sheet. I also took a tip to put toothpicks into the balls. Then, after they were all balled out and toothpicked, I placed the cookie sheet into the freezer for about an hour (again, not being too patient-lol). I melted the almond bark when I was ready to dip and started dipping-not tips here...just get in there and do it. I did find that using s spoon to pour the almond bark over the balls worked nicely though.
I placed these back in the freezer to harden the bark quickly and then I took them off the cookie sheet, placed them into a container, covered them and placed them in the fridge until half time :) My family loved these! They could not get enough...there were even enough left over the next day for the kids to have one at lunch and for us to have a treat that evening!
You can make these balls using a multitude of different combinations! I have seen red devil's food and cream cheese frosting dipped in white. How about strawberry cake with maybe strawberry or vanilla frosting with chocolate almond bark or candy melts. You can even tint your almond bark if you wish :) My combo almost tasted like an Oreo cookie :) Next time I think I would like to add a tad bit of almond extract to the cake before it bakes to up the flavor of the chocolate a bit.
I never thought to take a pic before these got devoured...But, I can assure you, I will be making these again and I will take a pic. My 2nd oldest dd wants these for her birthday, and I think she wants the strawberry mixture. I think there might be a chance I will make these for my b-day this month ( I will be 29 again-how about that?!) and try a chocolate mint mixture of some sort since I love chocolate with mint!!
By the way, I have to thank my friend for turning us on to these :) She saw them on Pioneer Woman and on Bakerella-both of which you can find in my blog lists to the right.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Money Saved On Last Shopping Trip
I didn't do as well this last shipping trip as I did the previous two... One reason was extras for the Super Bowl. Another reason was the fact that DH went shopping with me to Walmart and we bought a couple things for our sons' Nerf guns :) FOr our oldest, it was a special treat for all the extra chores he has been doing without even being asked :)
I still went under by about $30-$40, so that is not too bad. Going under instead of going over is nice, no matter what the amount is! Also, I did a bit of shopping at Walgreen's and got a $2 in register reward (actually $3, but I used $1 of it for a second shopping trip a couple days after earning the $1 RR). And, I also bought a printer ink refill, which was on sale for $5 but has a $5 rebate-so that is free and I should get the $5 in a few weeks or so since it is my 1st time doing a rebete through Walgreen's.
So, all in all, not too bad :) Eric was impressed when I told him how much I had saved at Walgreen's and also when he learned I would be getting the printer ink refill for free.
I still went under by about $30-$40, so that is not too bad. Going under instead of going over is nice, no matter what the amount is! Also, I did a bit of shopping at Walgreen's and got a $2 in register reward (actually $3, but I used $1 of it for a second shopping trip a couple days after earning the $1 RR). And, I also bought a printer ink refill, which was on sale for $5 but has a $5 rebate-so that is free and I should get the $5 in a few weeks or so since it is my 1st time doing a rebete through Walgreen's.
So, all in all, not too bad :) Eric was impressed when I told him how much I had saved at Walgreen's and also when he learned I would be getting the printer ink refill for free.
iRazoo
I found a new search and win site that seems promising. It is called iRazoo
You earn points for every search you make-up to 100 points a day. You can also earn extra points for commenting on a website found for you by iRazoo. It does take more points to get a prize than it would take through SwagBucks.com, but I think it equals out since iRazoo gives you points everytime :)
You earn points for every search you make-up to 100 points a day. You can also earn extra points for commenting on a website found for you by iRazoo. It does take more points to get a prize than it would take through SwagBucks.com, but I think it equals out since iRazoo gives you points everytime :)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Walmart.com and Aldi
I was on Walmart's website yesterday and noticed they have a new grocery section (which is in beta form right now). Im not sure which way this might be going-perhaps you will be able to order food from their website? Or, what a great way to price check items you might buy-or something new you want to buy and might have a coupon for. I often get a coupon on a new item I would like to try, but don't know if the coupon would be worth it. It would be nice to check the price at Walmart, at the least, and see if that is something I would like to try :)
Also, I went to Walmart yesterday (after dh got home because when I went out with the kids, our Suburban started to overheat and I had to turn around and come home :( Not fun! But, it was a simple fix-and we know what it is, so dh can fix it easily and inexpensively-yay!) At Walmart, I had coupons for the Green Giant Vally Steamers-printed from the internet. It was $1 off one bag, and they were on sale 2/$2!! So, I got the veggies (peas for my creamed peas at Thanksgiving) for free! Since Eric was with me, he got to see 1st hand how much I save with coupons-if even at Walmart! Not sure how impressed he was, but I know I was :) I also have a coupon from Iams for a free 4lb bag of cat food -that saved me almost $8! Then, I had another coupon for $4 off any Purina cat or dog food-bought a small 3lb bag which cost exactly $4-so in cat food alone, I saved almost $12--Im so giddy-lol! I bought two Glade candles-some nice Holiday scented ones-had a coupon for $1.50 off on the two (from a Sunday paper). I paid $2.50 for both after the coupon. These last up to 27 hrs they say, so I think that was a pretty good deal.
Now, on to Aldi. In the Tulsa area, they are now accepting all debit and credit cards! YAY! Before, it was only a few they accepted, so really, you had to bring cash and if you were new to Aldi, that could be frustrating. But, once you got used to what they had and knew what you would be buying, you could pretty much have that cash amount ready when you went in the store :) But, for people who have put off going because of the cash issue, you can now feel free to check out your local Aldi and not worry about having enough money! Only remember to have that quarter for the shopping cart (which you get back) and bring along your own bags or buy them from there (which the plastic ones do hold up nicely! They also have some nice big cloth-like bags for around $2 each-very big bags!).
Also, I went to Walmart yesterday (after dh got home because when I went out with the kids, our Suburban started to overheat and I had to turn around and come home :( Not fun! But, it was a simple fix-and we know what it is, so dh can fix it easily and inexpensively-yay!) At Walmart, I had coupons for the Green Giant Vally Steamers-printed from the internet. It was $1 off one bag, and they were on sale 2/$2!! So, I got the veggies (peas for my creamed peas at Thanksgiving) for free! Since Eric was with me, he got to see 1st hand how much I save with coupons-if even at Walmart! Not sure how impressed he was, but I know I was :) I also have a coupon from Iams for a free 4lb bag of cat food -that saved me almost $8! Then, I had another coupon for $4 off any Purina cat or dog food-bought a small 3lb bag which cost exactly $4-so in cat food alone, I saved almost $12--Im so giddy-lol! I bought two Glade candles-some nice Holiday scented ones-had a coupon for $1.50 off on the two (from a Sunday paper). I paid $2.50 for both after the coupon. These last up to 27 hrs they say, so I think that was a pretty good deal.
Now, on to Aldi. In the Tulsa area, they are now accepting all debit and credit cards! YAY! Before, it was only a few they accepted, so really, you had to bring cash and if you were new to Aldi, that could be frustrating. But, once you got used to what they had and knew what you would be buying, you could pretty much have that cash amount ready when you went in the store :) But, for people who have put off going because of the cash issue, you can now feel free to check out your local Aldi and not worry about having enough money! Only remember to have that quarter for the shopping cart (which you get back) and bring along your own bags or buy them from there (which the plastic ones do hold up nicely! They also have some nice big cloth-like bags for around $2 each-very big bags!).
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