Good Day / Good Supper / Good Company

This was a very good day.  

Today, oldest was home for the day, so we went shopping.  We hit the thrift stores,  both Target, and Meijer among other stores, and had a nice lunch out.  I had some great coupons and did very well at both Meijer and Target.  At Meijer they had whole chickens for .85 cents a pound, so I bought 2. I should have bought more.  As soon as we walked in the door from shopping, I put supper together. 

(Now, I know that traditionally this is a "beer in the rear" chicken, but we do not have beer in our household.   Well, let me re-phrase that.  We actually do have a beer in our house.  We found it in our side yard about 2 years ago.  It is a full bottle.  It is in storage way back under our sink, because I know for a fact that it works wonders in keeping slugs away from your outdoor plants.  Just pour a bit in a bowl,  place it in your flower bed and wait for the slugs to party!  They come slithering in from all over the place, slide into the awaiting bath and then drown in their beer.  A true "slug-fest"!) 

So, back to my chicken.  

I used 7-up.  It is in the can nestled up the middle of the chicken.  Any liquid will do, it just bubbles away inside the bird and keeps it all moist inside and out. I did have a potato sticking out of the poor bird's neck, but that was removed before the photo.  Prior to roasting, I just oiled this baby up a bit, and sprinkled with my usual homemade rub.  Next time, I will omit the brown sugar from this rub and add garlic salt instead.  A few parts were a bit sweet.  After about 1/2 hour of roasting we prepared some potatoes, onions, and carrots and threw them in the pan.  I would have thrown in some parsley if I had thought about it.  One more hour later and we sat down to a pretty tasty dinner after a day of shopping. 

The bad thing, is that we ate way too late for us.  Husband and I are too old to eat dinner at 8:30!  We will see how the night goes.

As far as today went though,  I love spending time with my boys.  

Lately though, it has been one boy or the other.  The days are getting less frequent when we are all together.  I was reminded of this when  I saw a mom in Target today.  She had two little boys in tow.  They were walking along while she was pushing the cart.  A microphone toy on a low end-cap caught  their attention, and soon both boys had stopped in their tracks to perform for the rest of the Target Shoppers.  I for one loved it, but I saw that familiar look in the mom's eye.  You know the look, the "hurry up" look.   I wanted to freeze time for her, just to make sure she appreciated this spontaneous moment of childhood.  I just turned to her, smiled, and said, "Enjoy them mom, they don't stay little very long."   At that moment about 26 years of memories flooded my mind, and I felt a sweet peace to know that I still enjoy my boys. 

Today was a "keeper" 

Recovering

I have spent the last few days pretty much house bound, recovering from a bout with pneumonia.  It hit me all at once, I just felt like I had a cold coming on and then on Saturday morning I felt awful.  Since a  trip to the walk in clinic on Saturday morning, I have not done much else.  I hope to go back to school tomorrow, because it is technically the "walking" type and I am feeling better.  Going to bed early.  Now I know why I felt so tired last week. 

I was just thinking...

Lately I have been in my deep thinking mood.  Not really wanting this blog to be all about bargains and shopping, but rather more about who I really am. Now, I admit that bargain hunting is in my blood, but is that all I really want to be known for ?  I hope not.

So for those of you who stop by here occasionally, you just might see more of the posts that I used to compose. 

Fair warning.

Tonight, especially, I have been thinking about a card that I found today in my mailbox. I get similar ones quite often.  These are all from the same sender, The "Thursday Morning Morning Bible Study".  This is a group of ladies from my church that meet regularly for a Bible study and for prayer.  They pray for me of all people.  I have posted a copy of this card because it has touched me so.  Now the reason I am posting it has nothing to do with the part about my witness, however it is the first line that has me humbled.  

"We are always praying for you" 

Aren't those words powerful? 

Think of this:  This May it will be 2 years since my heart attack.  In September it will be 2 years since I was surgically cured of cancer.  Two years, no problems to speak of, and no set backs. Easy sailing. 

Yet, this group of women still pray for me, and they still send me cards. One might say that they could stop now, that there is no need to devote this time and effort for me any longer.

Ah, but might I say that maybe, just maybe that this group of persistent prayer warriors is part of the reason that I am cancer free and that my heart has not skipped a single beat?  

Sometimes we are not able to see the methods that God uses to work things out in our lives.  Sometimes, however,  the signs are there and we miss them.  I thank God that He reminded me to be thankful for this group of ladies tonight.  

I guess we all need to thank those people in our lives that keep us encouraged and keep us going.  Or perhaps the lesson to be learned here, is that we need to be the people who keep others going.  Something to think about. 

Life sure  is sweet in the Body of Christ. 

Sometimes I get tired of shopping...

or maybe it is that I am just tired in general.  I really am tired tonight.  You know, that every now and then, bone-tired.  That is me.  It is now 7:20 pm and I am already thinking of how nice my bed will feel.  

There is no real reason for me to be this tired.  Just a bit of a restless night last night and a busy day today.  I left school and for once I did not run any quick errands or bargain runs.  Tuesdays have become my heavy bargain run days and I usually make about 4-5 stops before I make it home.  I did very well last night but I just did not have time to post about it.  I would post about it now, but, you guessed it, I am too tired.

One word of note though, I am currently wrapping up a Beth Moore Bible Study on the Fruits of the Spirit with some very good friends.  I was invited into this group, they have done several, but this is my first.  This has been amazing.  If you have the opportunity to do one of her studies don't hesitate.  Be prepared to dig deeper than you might ever have, but also be prepared for God to speak to you more than ever as well.  

I will post more soon, but for now I hear the couch calling my name.

A Whole Lotta Nothing

Not so much new around here. I have been busy however with many things:

• Husband and I have been doing a lot of cleaning and de-cluttering
• I have made a daily trek to Kmart to take advantage of double coupons
• I had two out of town medical appointments this week- one just a follow up regarding my thyroid replacement medicine (need a slight adjustment)
• I have a new hobby - making jewelry (just basic stuff so far)
• We are heading to visit youngest son tomorrow

Not much, but that is life. 

Monday Madness

I cannot blog for long right now.  Husband and I are in the midst of a cleaning frenzy!  I do not want to do anything to detour the process!  As of right now (12:47 pm) between the two of us (with a lot of it being done by husband) we have done the following:

• Made waffles, bacon, and homemade blackberry syrup (with actual blackberries floating around in it)
• Thoroughly emptied and cleaned the bathroom
• Cleaned out fridge, discovered a lot of apples needing attention = a break long enough to make 2 completely from scratch apple pies (can you smell them?)
• Gathered all throw rugs,  all shook and vacuumed
• Vacuumed all carpets thoroughly
• Emptied everything from under kitchen sink (yuck) that was a mess, wiped down and replaced only what is necessary
• Turned oven on to self clean mode
• Stripped the bed
• Started laundry, moved to dryer and started more
• Finally emptied and washed turkey fryer that has been sitting in garage since Christmas (ewww) it is washed and shiny now
• Emptied my crock full of kitchen gadgets that sits by my stove, washed everything and will selectively put things back
• Emptied basket of gadgets that sits on my counter, washed everything and will selectively put things back

We are still working and my 15 minute break is almost over, so I will report again when we are finished! I love starting spring  break with a nice clean house!

Sunday Shopping Spree

Today was equally as exciting.  I pretty much copied most of the deals from here and here to maximize my coupon usage at Walgreens.  I got everything in the first picture (value of $104.57) for $13.47.   I was happy to get some things that we always need, such as trash bags, paper towels and toilet paper.  I added another box of trash bags to one of those deals because the scenario was listed for buying 5 cans of tuna as part of the deal.  I did not need or want tuna. 

Then I hit Family Dollar with my Snuggle coupons and got everything in that picture for $3.35. 

I came in under $20.00 for everything in both pictures. 

Super Saturday

Sister and I shopped all over her town today, and I came home with a haul!  The above items should have cost $135. 43, but with combining sales with coupons, I spent $36. 65!  I was able to get many of the items absolutely FREE!  The following were free due to coupons:

• 2 Packages of Irish Spring bar soap
• 4 Snickers bars
• 2 tubs of I Can't Believe it's not Butter
• 8 boxes of Ronzoni Pasta
• 2 Tostitos Dips
• 2 of the packages of Bistro lunchmeat
• 5 packages of Bar S smoked sausage

Not bad, heh?  This is why I save coupons. 

The only items that I did not have a coupon for were the Powerade, the oranges, and the chips (but they were on a special deal, and buying them gave me the Tostitos dip for free)

• We also hit Kohl's (bought a greatly reduced suit and sport-coat for hubby , with an additional 30 % off)

• Wal-mart -had a couple of free item coupons and some other good ones there as well.

• I got free shampoo at CVS

The day ended on a sour note however due to a huge misunderstanding on the part of the checker at Kroger's.   I let these things get to me, but she clearly did not know how coupons work.  I did make one mistake because there are no posted or clear rules on their coupon policy.  I had 3 too many Ronzoni coupons in my order.  After I did that (even though  I offered to return them) she acted as if I was out to "get" them.  I was in the right other than my Ronzoni error, but she started questioning all of my coupons after that.   I will shake this feeling off, but I hate being made to feel like I am cheating when I try so hard to be ethical.  Would some of you out there vouch for me, and could you please call this Kroger store? 

 I will sleep better tonight if you do! 

All for now, I need to cook tonight. 

Frugal Friday

Things I did frugally today:

• Wore slacks from a local Thrift shop
• Carried a purse from Goodwill
  
• Wore a jacket that a friend gave me
• Put ripe bananas in my freezer that our school was giving away due to the beginning of our Spring Break
• Used a total of 13 coupons at 3 different stores
• Will watch a rented movie at home instead of going to a theatre
  

Not so frugal: husband and I ate out tonight for the 2nd night in a row

(you win some, you lose some)

Congratulations!

The winner is ........"Sister" who said that she would try Blackberry. The winning number was picked at random by a 5th grade teacher at the school where I work. "Sister" you will be contacted soon so that I may obtain your mailing address!

Give-Away # 2

A while back I was contacted by MyBlogSpark and Yoplait about doing another review / give-away. This one was for Yoplus yogurt. Now, if you really really know me, you know that I have never really been a fan of yogurt.

Never, seriously.

Recently, however I bought some desert type yogurts and decided they were not so bad. I know it was probably the sweetener that attracted me, but I kept buying them for a while. Still, staying away from "real" yogurt.

Then along comes this proposal. They provided me with a Yoplus "better-for-you" gift pack which includes a VIP coupon, and all the cool items you see in the picture. So I decided to give it a try.

Honest opinion?

I really liked it! I chose the blackberry / pomegranate flavor, and I was quite surprised. I am pleased (now that I actually like the stuff) to offer the same for one of my readers.

First I will share the information that Yoplait and MyBlogSpark provided:

Each 4 oz cup of Yoplus contains the following benefits:

• Antioxidant vitamins A and E (now with 20 % of your recommended daily value)
• A blend of pro-biotic cultures & fiber (three grams of fiber per 4 oz serving) for digestive health
• Calcium and vitamin D for bone health

Yoplus comes in 6 flavors, Strawberry, Vanilla, Cherry, Peach, Blackberry Pomegranate and Blueberry Acai , and is available in a light variety.

So, if you would like to win a gift package like the one pictured , here's the drill:

• Leave a comment stating which flavor you would like to try
• Leave your contact information (unless I have it already)
• Come back and check on Friday (March 26th) when I will announce the winner

I am tired, but it is a good tired.

I hear that phrase a lot.  Tonight I know exactly what it means.  I have pretty much devoted this weekend to our oldest son.  He has just moved into his first solo apartment, and since it was unfurnished there was much to be done.  

  Thursday we went shopping.  Husband and I bought many items together, and I made a few trips this weekend on my own.  On Friday I picked up the two chairs you see in the picture from a teacher in my district.  He was getting rid of them, and Jake was the benefactor!  On Saturday I started cooking food to take to the apartment.  On  Saturday evening husband made a trip to my sister's house and picked up shelves, chairs, small tables, and other items that she is loaning to Jake.  I stayed home to continue cooking, and to do our own cleaning and laundry. 

After church today we went to Menard's to pick up some large area rugs, and headed out of town to his apartment. Luckily, we had borrowed Husband's folk's van, because we filled every nook and cranny of it with things to take.   Yippee for me, I was able to clear out a good number of things from our basement to help him out.  

When we arrived I started working in the kitchen.  There were boxes and tubs everywhere, and I thought we would never get done.  Husband started putting together a shelving unit and a microwave cart.  As soon as these were completed, it took no time to empty the boxes and put things away.  The cabinets are older metal cabinets, and really there are not enough for dishes and food, so the metal shelving unit is being used for an open pantry.  

Youngest son got busy putting together a small desk, and I began working in the kitchen. Jake was busy going from one to another helping everyone.  After about an hour the kitchen was shaping up pretty well and I started to put the finishing touches on the food I brought.  I put together some baked beans and put those and the mac and cheese in his small oven.   They practically filled the oven, my pans were really big, and it is an apartment size stove.  

 Three friends had come over to help out, and they got busy putting together a stand up clothing rack/closet and putting CDs on a shelf.  Soon we all sat down to our supper of  Italian Beef, homemade mac and cheese, baked beans, chips, carrots, and dip, plus red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing , and brownies. 

We stayed about another hour and a half unpacking, and doing odds and ends.  After all was said and done, we still made it home by 8:30.  

It really did keep me busy this weekend, but it was a lot of fun, and I think Jake appreciated it.  It sure did help him get settled faster. 

Time Flies!

I know I have not posted for a while, but things have truly been busy!

Husband and I have attended a wedding two weeks in a row, and these were not just any weddings.  They were of children of some of our closest friends!  We had so much fun!  

Our oldest son just rented an apartment so we have been busy gathering things for that and that has kept us busy as well.  

I will post more soon, but I simply do not have time right now.  Keep on the lookout for another give-away!

WINNER WINNER WINNER

This is Friday the 5th and time for my first ever blog winner (more to come).  The winner is...Sara!  Sara said she spends time on Sunday mornings with her 1 year old.  Sara, I have emailed you, reply to my email and your gift will be on its way!

Look for another contest soon!

I Need Therapy

********Don't forget to scroll down and enter my contest.  Enter by leaving a comment on the Pillsbury post.  Tell me how to contact you**********

I wonder if there are any coupon support groups out there?  Maybe one for coupon addicts, or one for coupon crazed middle aged women, or most importantly, a group for those who suffer from melt downs when a coupon was not credited?   Yikes.  I have fallen into the last group and just to let you know how very low I have fallen, let me tell you what happened last night:

I made trips to two different Walgreens last night and did very well with my wheeling and dealing. I did 4 transactions and because of great coupons, I made money on some items which transfered over to savings on other items.  I was quite smug, yet a tiny bit confused when I left the store.    I knew something did not seem right, but I came home anyway.  Two hours later, I am curled up in my pajamas, in my bed, when it hit me!   The clerk did not take off my buy one get one coupon!   A B1G1 no less!   How dare he?   I did the math and realized that my total would have been $2.99 less.  $2.99, why that's a gallon of milk and a candy bar and I just lost it to a clerk that forgot to deduct it from my total.  

I am embarrassed to say what I did next.  I got out of bed, threw off my pj bottoms, slipped on my slacks, my coat and shoes, receipt in hand,  and went back!   Now, the store is only 2 minutes away, so at least I am not totally crazy, but I was pleased as punch when the manager handed over cash to me to cover the coupon.  

Pictured above  is my loot for the evening.   And my final total was only $8.63!   ( I even came home with a $3.00 RR from the Kleenex!)  Just look at all that stuff!   I know I am a bit crazy, but the craziness helps the budget. 

My First Give-Away!

I have never hosted a give-away before so I was very excited when My Blog Spark and Pillsbury contacted me with an offer for myself and  one lucky reader.   I was given a "Sweet Sunday Mornings Moments" gift pack which included a VIP coupon for  free Pillsbury Sweet Rolls and a photo album to hold cherished memories of my family.    Now,  I get to offer the same to one reader! 

So readers, here is the question?  What makes your Sunday Mornings special?   Do they start out with  delicious, warm Pillsbury  Sweet Rolls, drizzled with yummy icing?   Awwww, can't you just smell them right now?

Leave a comment to this post and tell me what makes your Sunday mornings special.  Please make sure to leave your email address so I have a way to contact you if you win.   I will number all entries and pull one number for the winner.  

I can only pick from comments to this post, so make sure and leave a quick comment if you want to win!   I will close out this contest on Friday March 5th and pick my winner  at that time.   The winner will be notified by email. 

Sunday Shopping / New Store

CVS purchases on left, Walgreens' purchases on right.  I felt it best to put a bit of space between the two.   I don't think the stores are too happy about being right across the street from one another, and I do not want to anger them.

The local CVS decided I was their best customer, so they built a brand-spankin' new store, just for me!    It is beautiful, and I am thrilled about it.  Okay, so maybe it is not just for me, but it should be, right?  Anyway, I am hoping they will be well stocked for all of my bargain hunting.  

I did alright in my quick Sunday shopping trip.   My total for both stores due to some great coupons is $ 7.23.   Not bad for 10 cans of tuna ( and I don't even like tuna, but the boys do), 4 Honey Nut Cherrios' cups, 1 Softsoap,  1 Air Wick freshener,  2 boxes of cereal, and 2 cans of tomato sauce. 

A Slice of Life

Husband and I just returned from a 2 day get-a-way.  

Oh how I love a little change of pace every now and then! 

 Yesterday was our oldest son's birthday, so we traveled to meet him and youngest for supper.  A friend of theirs came along and we had a really nice meal.  Afterwards we stopped at a Cold Stone Creamery (need I say more?)   After ice cream, husband and I headed to Springfield to spend the night.  We all met up again this morning and toured the Abraham Lincoln Museum.  That is a very worthwhile trip, but I did not expect it to make me cry.  Twice.  I teared up the first time when we reached the room of their dying son, then again when I watched the interactive map that had a running count of the causalities from the Civil War.  I guess it was a "mom" thing, but I couldn't help tearing up.  

Afterwards, our youngest led us to a great down-town pizza place and we had an amazing lunch.  He also suggested that we tour the Dana-Thomas House. (Frank Lloyd Wright designed).  That too was a treat.   

All in all it was just a great escape with our family and a good chance to celebrate our son's birthday. 

Tomorrow's worship will top the weekend off and then it will be back to the routine.  

Quick Trip to CVS and an Easy Supper

I am shopping less as of late, because we need so little.  I did run into CVS tonight to pick up just a few things.  I spent a total of $7.08 out of pocket and earned back $4.00 for my next trip.   I love these Glade candles, and these are the nice big 3 wick style.  This is our favorite toothpaste, so I was glad to get it as a money maker.  The other items were great deals as well, and I needed the milk.  I pretty much copied some of the deals from this site, so go here if you want the details.  Thanks to Jamie for the deals, and thanks to my friend Kara for one of the necessary coupons.  Can you believe it, I left home without a needed coupon? 

After CVS and a trip to the bank, I needed an easy supper.  This is one of my "go to" recipes for a tasty pizza supper.  My friend Kelley gave me the pizza dough recipe years ago and I have used it countless times.  Oldest son took this recipe with him to Amsterdam and made pizza for the crew at the hostel on several occasions during his 6 month employment there.  So, you could say this recipe has been around!   Tonight I doubled the recipe to have a thicker crust. The recipe below is the original recipe (not doubled)

***Take notice of what the pizza is on.  I bake my pizzas on what is known as a pizza screen.  You can get them at most restaurant supply stores.  They allow a more uniform baking on the bottom crust.  They are also amazing for oven fries.   In this picture the pizza screen is on top of a pizza pan, that is how I cut it (less crumbs on my stove)***

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 pkg dry yeast

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup hot water

1 TBS vegetable (or olive) oil

3/4 tsp sugar

Mix flour, yeast, salt, and sugar together in medium bowl.  Stir in water and oil.  Mix well and place in bowl with 1 TBS oil, turn dough to coat well with the oil.  cover and let rise 45 minutes or until double. Roll or spread into greased pan, top with favorite toppings , and bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes. 

Update / This never happens to me...

Husband is very fortunate tonight.  I am never this lucky.  I just wonder how long it will be before World War 3 breaks out on top of him?