June 2011
thursday shopping 6-30-11 {& weekly shopping linky}
I was beyond thrilled with this week’s Publix ad. Maybe it was the $1 Goldfish–a favorite of all kids everywhere–or the great deals on fruit, made even sweeter by the oh-so-rare $2 off produce coupons Publix issued last week to those who signed up for the Stocking Spree coupon booklet. Or maybe it was because despite filling my cart with only the week’s hottest deals, everything I bought was stuff that my family doesn’t just like, but honestly loves–Goldfish, Cinnamon Life, shredded cheese, pasta, Sabra hummus, Pretzel M&Ms (yum!) It almost felt like a “normal” shopping trip, you know, the ones where you just go and buy the things that sound ... read more
coupons 101: getting your family on board
Last week I received an email from a reader who wondered what she could do to get her husband more enthusiastic about using coupons. It was a great question, and one that I hear quite a bit. It got me thinking about how important it is to be on the same page as your spouse & kids when it comes to money. By now you’ve probably learned (or are still learning) that saving money with coupons takes consistency & persistence. Though your savings will be dramatic over time, those savings don’t happen overnight. It takes time to build up a plentiful stockpile that will allow your family to eat ... read more
our alaska cruise {photo essay}
They say a picture is worth a thousand words…. (I suppose this was more like a novel. Sorry if I went a little overboard!)
sunday shopping 6-26-11
Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful & relaxing weekend. Ours was action-packed & went way too fast and now I’m facing this Monday morning with a messy house to clean, 2 (still!) jet-lagged girls to contend with, a huge stack of yet-unopened mail & bills to sort through, several weeks’ worth of coupons to organize, & a mountain of laundry yet to fold. Sometimes I wonder if going on vacation is really worth dealing with the aftermath. Sigh. I’m going to need a lot more coffee… And now that that the whine fest is over–I just had to get it out of my system–here is what I ... read more
Roasted Eggplant Flatbread Sandwich {Recipe}
This sandwich makes me very happy. Not only is it delicious, filling, and super easy to make, it is Weight Watchers® friendly. (I know, I know….I’m a little obsessive. What can I say? When I get enthusiastic about something, I just can’t help myself.) It makes me so happy, in fact, that in the past three days, I have eaten this exact sandwich four separate times. (Okay, maybe a lot obsessive…) It might seem weird to eat the sandwich for 3 lunches (and one dinner) in a row, but considering my normal lunch is often a bowl of cereal or some cheese and crackers, this has actually been a vast ... read more
thursday shopping 6-23-11 {& weekly shopping linky}
Wow, two trips to Publix in two days–I hardly know what to do with myself! Lucky for me, my sister-in-law is visiting this week and kindly offered to watch the girls both days so I could grocery shop in peace. Today’s savings were slightly better than yesterday, though in my newfound Weight-Watchers enthusiasm I couldn’t help but go a little crazy stocking up on all the yummy-looking berries that were on sale this week! I also took advantage of the sale on block cheese since it doesn’t go on sale nearly as often as the shredded stuff. On a whim–perhaps some kid-free-induced high–I also decided to make a little video ... read more
wednesday shopping 6-22-11 {weight watchers® edition}
After 3 weeks away, our poor little refrigerator was completely bare and I had no choice but to make a run to the store. I am not normally one to count calories. (If you’ve ever tried one of my butter-and-cheese-laden (but oh-so-good!) stockpile recipes you probably can already attest to that!) I like things to taste good and, being very tall and relatively active (if semi-obsessive toilet cleaning and chasing toddlers all day counts as exercise), I have been pretty fortunate to not have to worry too much about what I eat. After 2 weeks of trying to hit all my favorite hometown restaurants (Starbucks, Pho, Starbucks, Indian Buffet, Starbucks, Casa ... read more
5 tips for flying with young children
It’s finally here, the very last day of Take 5 in June! I hope you have enjoyed this little break from my normal posting schedule (but hopefully not so much that you’re not glad to have me back.) Tomorrow I’ll be back to my plain old boring self. Our vacation is officially over. After a very long day of flying yesterday, we are back in Florida and very glad to be warm again. I will admit that I am more than a little overwhelmed by all the post-vacation stuff I now need to catch up on–unpacking, laundry, paying bills, re-stocking the fridge–but it was really nice to sleep in my ... read more
5 Tips for Dressing Well and Spending Less {Valerie @ Charmed Valerie}
I first met Valerie Rowencamp, today’s uber-chic guest blogger when we sat next to each other during a blogging seminar at Blissdom. I remember taking in her absolutely adorable outfit–a striped shirtdress paired with Chuck Taylors–and feeling utterly frumpy and inadequate in comparison. And then I found out she was a fashion blogger and I was even more intimidated. Luckily she was so sweet that I quickly got over my insecurities and simply became an admirer of her awesome blogs. At CharmedValerie.com she shows off her daily personal style, while at MomStreetStyle.com she highlights the unique real-life fashion of other moms & kids. I just love that she manages to ... read more
5 snapshots of our alaska cruise {& weekly shopping linky}
I’ll spare you the details and just say that Husband and I are having an amazing time on our Alaska cruise.Of course we miss our girls–who are apparently having such a good time with their cousins, aunties, uncles, & grandparents that they haven’t given us a second thought–but there is something to be said for alone time with your spouse. I am a little ashamed to admit that sometimes the hustle and bustle of life gets in the way and I forget how much I like hanging out with the guy I married. In five years of marriage, I have never once doubted our love, but without the distractions of ... read more
5 Reasons to Budget that are Bigger than Money {Jesse @ YNAB}
I hope you all are enjoying this Take 5 in June series as much as I am. The wisdom of people around me never ceases to amaze me. You’ll probably remember Jesse from his awesome guest post a couple weeks ago on talking to your spouse about money. It sparked a huge {positive} conversation for Husband and I, and if you didn’t get a chance to read it, you should check out here. Jesse is founder of the financial software company, You Need a Budget. His very-cool software helps people break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, get out of debt, and save more money faster, and is based on his own personal ... read more
5 tips for a better work/life balance {hollee @ the new perfect}
Okay, can I just say that I love cruising? The minute I stepped on the ship it was as though a huge load–one I didn’t even know I was carrying–was lifted and suddenly I could breathe. I love my kids, I love this blog, and in general I love my life, even when things get a little crazy sometimes, but I have such a hard time “shutting it off” and just taking a break. There is always one more email to read, one more project to finish, one more load of laundry to fold. Balance is not really my cup of tea, which is exactly what makes today’s guest post ... read more
5 Fitness Tips on a Budget {Running Mama @ Running to Be Skinny}
If you have been following this blog for a while, you may have noticed the glaring lack of “healthy lifestyle” posts. I don’t write about losing weight or exercise, and my recipes usually feature inordinately high levels of butter, sour cream, cheese, sugar, and other similarly fattening ingredients. Needless to say, I’m probably not the best person to ask about getting fit while sticking to a budget. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I’m anti-exercise! In fact, up until I was six months pregnant with Trouble, I was still running at least 5 miles a day. Then she decided to spend her last three months in utero lounging on ... read more
5 Things I Wish I Would’ve Known When I Was 18
My adorable–er, I mean super handsome and very manly–nephew Jacob graduated from high school last night. It seems so crazy to me that the sweet little boy I used to babysit is now ready to head off to college. As he begins this new phase of his life–adulthood–I couldn’t help but reflect on the time when I was that age and wish that I had only known then what I know now. Jacob, I know most of this advice will probably go in one ear and out the other, but I decided to write it down anyway. 5 things I wish I would’ve known when I was 18 1. You ... read more
