August 2010
New Beginnings
I have always loved the back-to-school season. There is something about the hint of fall in the air, new school supplies and school clothes, the idea of a fresh start that just gets me every time. It has been many years since I was a student, but now, finally, this year I have a child old enough to go “back to school” for the first time. Today was Princess’ first day of pre-K. She picked her own outfit (her favorite “zebra-ina” dress, as my husband calls it), was up and dressed before I was this morning, and I watched as my suddenly-very-grown up little girl marched into her classroom, sat ... read more
Brown Kraft Paper
My friend LeeAnn is a creative genius. A few weeks ago we were at her house for dinner and she had set up a DIY craft table for the kids in her dining room. (We were eating at her main table in the kitchen.) She covered the table with heavy duty brown kraft paper then left out markers, crayons, stamps, stickers & construction paper for them to work with. The kids were entertained all evening and we parents enjoyed a peaceful dinner. For Princess’ crafty pool party I decided to “borrow” LeeAnn’s idea. My original plan was to use my basic white tablecloths and put a disposable white plastic tablecloth over ... read more
Refrigerator Raisin Bran Muffins
These refrigerator bran muffins–a family recipe shared by my amazing Auntie Lois–are an all-time favorite in my house. They are SO yummy! The recipe makes a huge batch, but the batter stores in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. It is perfect for busy mornings because we can spoon out just what we need and have a hot, delicious, & healthy breakfast even when we are short on time (or energy.) Here is what you need: 1 15oz box Raisin Bran 5 cups flour 2 1/2 cups sugar 5 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons salt 4 cups buttermilk 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs 1 1/2 cups Craisins or ... read more
Sunday Shopping 8-29-10
Things have been a little slow at Walgreens for the past few weeks, but they made up for it today with some great free-after-Register-Rewards deals. I finally found some of that elusive Listerine Zero (and better yet, got it for free!) There was a pretty good deal on sugar ($1.99 Walgreens coupon in paper + a $0.40 off manufacturer’s coupon in this week’s Red Plum insert = $1.59 for a four pound bag of sugar!) I love to bake so I have been trying to find ways to save on those baking staples that don’t seem to go on sale very often. I was very excited about the free (after ... read more
Thursday Shopping 8-26-10
For maximum savings on any given day, a good plan is key. I had a great plan today. Or so I thought. The bulk of the good deals were at Publix, but I needed bread and meat, and Winn-Dixie had BOGO deals on both. I also needed milk and frozen vegetables, neither of which were on special anywhere. My brilliant plan was to make three stops: I would first go to CVS and buy a bottle of Blink Gel Eye Drops ($7.99) and a bottle of Listerine Zero ($3.99), which would come to $11.98. I would then use a $1.50 coupon for the the eye drops and a $2 coupon ... read more
CVS Primer
I’ve had few people ask me to explain the CVS process more in depth. I am by no means an expert on “CVSing,” and there are some other really great websites with a LOT of information for saving money at CVS (Simply CVS and Southern Savers are two that I refer to frequently), but I am more than happy to share tips for what works for me. Like many stores, CVS uses a card system for its specials. The card is free to sign up for, but you must use the card in order to receive the sale prices and discounts. What makes CVS unique, however, is their system of ... read more
Crafty Pool Party {Princess’ 4th Birthday}
So today was the big day–Princess’ Crafty Pool Party. Amazingly enough, it went off without a hitch, (which is no small feat when dealing with 4 and 5 year olds), and we had a really fun day. All the planning definitely paid off, the decorations were a hit, and I even came in $50 under budget! The face painting was definitely the surprise hit of the party. I pulled out my Klutz face painting book at the last minute and rediscovered why it is one of the best things I have ever bought on Amazon.com! The menu was simple & kid-friendly–homemade mac & cheese, mini-hotdog crescent rolls, & grapes, sprinkled with ... read more
How to Make The Best Sugar Cookies {Tutorial}
I love baking sugar cookies. I make them for almost every holiday and birthday and I have had lots of people ask me how I make them. I’m not going to lie, they are very time consuming and the ultimate labor of love. But for those of you who are interested, here is my process, step by step. My philosophy is that successful sugar cookies are a result of the process and not the recipe, but in case you are wondering, I use Martha Stewart’s Sugar Cookie Cutout recipe from her Cookies book. (If you like to bake cookies, then I highly recommend it! It is a fabulous book ... read more
Thursday Groceries 8-19-10
I made a quick trip to Publix & CVS this evening after the girls went to bed. It was so peaceful shopping without them, I might start shopping at night all the time! At Publix I really thought I was going to save more than I did. There were a few things I needed/wanted that weren’t a super good deal, which really affected my bottom line at the end. But CVS was another big score, especially since I lucked out at the coupon machine and got a $5 off a $15 purchase coupon when I scanned my card. Altogether I spent $72.64 on $221.55 worth of groceries, a savings ... read more
Happy 4th Birthday Princess!
Today was my oldest daughter’s fourth birthday. Her carefully planned party is not until Saturday, but I wanted today to be a fun day for her, too. In true mommy fashion, however, I think I may have tried to cram a few too many things in, and (to me) the day ended up feeling a little chaotic, exactly the scenario I was trying to avoid! But amazingly enough, M. seemed to have a lot of fun, which is all that really matters, and this evening after cake, my very thoughtful little girl even said, “Mommy, you made this a really fun day.” It brought tears to my eyes. Here was ... read more
Party DiY: Birthday Puffs
I had a lot of fun tonight making the tissue “puffs” for M’s birthday party. I thought these would look cute hanging from the ceiling as a more chic alternative to balloons. Of course M.’s only response was a very pathetic “I’m not going to have balloons for my birthday?” So we’ll see. Anyway, they were super easy to do, and relatively inexpensive (as long as you can get a good deal on tissue paper!) Step 1: Layer 9 sheets of tissue paper. Cut in half (will make 2 puffs). Step 2: Fold tissue in a 1/2″ accordion fold. Step 3: Tie middle with floral wire Step 4: Using scissors, ... read more
Sunday Shopping 8-15-10
It is so much more relaxing to shop without my kids! I had a great day at both Staples and CVS, especially since I was able to pick up a bunch more FREE bottles of SoBe Lifewater. I got some of that stuff free at Target a few weeks ago. I don’t generally drink any soda or flavored beverages, so I didn’t like it at first, but now I am hooked! I better be able to keep getting it for free. Or maybe that is just SoBe’s sinister evil plan….. Anyway, here is what I got: At CVS I spent $19.05 for $156.41 worth of groceries, for a savings of ... read more
Thursday Shopping 8-12-10
I have to give major points to the cashiers at both Publix and Winn-Dixie today for being so patient and so nice, despite my gazillion confusing coupons (many of which wouldn’t scan) AND my restless children. But all of the hassle definitely paid off when I ended up paying only $33.12 for $227.96 worth of groceries, an overall savings of 85%. It was definitely my best grocery shopping day to date. My first stop of the day was Publix, where I was able to stock up on lots of frozen chicken (a hit with both Chuck and the girls) and frozen pancakes & french toast, which are Trouble’s breakfast time ... read more
Party DiY: Homemade Pinata
M’s only real request for her birthday party this year was to have a pinata. I swear I have not gotten so cheap that I wouldn’t be willing to cough up $15 to make my 4-year old happy, but I honestly couldn’t find any pre-made ones that matched my theme & decor. So I decided to make try & make one…. The lighting was really terrible so the color is a little off, but I think the overall result is pretty good! And the cost was almost nothing–a balloon, some flour, newspaper, tissue paper, & leftover scrapbook paper. The biggest expense was probably the two bottles of school glue I ... read more
Crafty Pool Party Progress
Husband took the girls to Jungle Garden on Saturday so that I could have some time to work on the billion craft projects I have come up with for M’s upcoming birthday party. (It is a “crafty” theme, after all!) All I can say is it is a good thing they were gone for a looooong time! Party hats–I made more than I needed, but they are just so darn cute! I let M. choose her favorite. Surprisingly, she didn’t choose the one with the pink pom pom. These little toothpick flags will decorate the cupcakes. Cutout letters and pennants for the decorative banners. The goody bags. These were leftover ... read more
