Write it down!

I am not sure about you, but I am much more likely to do something if it is planned and wrote on a list. I do this at work, while I am grocery shopping, ect...I live by lists.

So, after a meltdown last week, something had to give. I don't want to be that nagging wife or mom, but I also want respect from my children and help from my husband. You follow?

I spent a few minutes organizing a schedule our family will follow. I made a nightly schedule that gave us time slots for each activity so we don't get off track. I also made a cleaning schedule. Yours obviously will be different, I'm sure, to better fit your needs and family. But I can tell you, my life has been so much better since this has started! More things get accomplished each night, the girls know what to expect, and I am a much happier person. And we all know when mom is happy, everyone is. Just like when mom has a meltdown, everyone in the house will know! (And if they don't, I will be sure to let them know!)

Here is our plan. I printed this out and wrote what room on what night. Ever since then, it has been hanging on my refrigerator. Keep in mind, each night we just do a quick pick up of the whole house. We can complete each room in about 30 minutes or less.

Monday is the kitchen and dining room:

• Clean trash can
• Wipe down counters and cabinets
• Clean out fridge
• Wipe down fridge shelves
• Clean top of fridge
  
• Clean inside of microwave
• Wipe down table and chairs very well.
  
• Find kitchen clutter a home ;)

Tuesday is the living room and bathrooms

• Put away all clutter.
• Clean all wooden and glass shelves along with all the mirrors.
• Wipe down television.
• Clean toilets, vanities and showers.

Wednesday is the girls' bedroom:

• Wipe down dresser, headboards and nightstands.
• Organize closets and drawers.
  
• Put away clutter.
• Sweep floor.

Thursday is the toy room.

• General pickup.
• Sweep.
  

Friday is our bedroom.

• Same as girls' room.
  

Saturday is floor day.

• Sweep
• Mop
• Vacuum
• Wash sheets
  

Sunday is nothing!! My favorite day is Sunday. ;)

We also have a nightly to do list...these things must be done every night or this mama will go crazy!

• Do dishes.
• Sweep the kitchen.
• At least one load of laundry.
• Wipe down counters in kitchen.
• Get clothes laid out for tomorrow and pack lunches.
  
• Other things I cannot think of right now.
  

This plan may not work for your family, but it helps mine. The girls help me with some of these and if they do, they get a sticker in the "Chore of the Day" box on their chore chart. I cannot find a way to show you the chore chart, but if you would like, I can email it to you. Just leave your email address in the comments section or if you would rather use the contact form to let me know, that works too.

I hope you can get some use out of this!

It's been brought...or will be anyway.

When we started packing, P90X kind of got lost in the process. I can proudly say after two months of being in this house, it has been found! I am screeching here...bursting with relief and happiness!!

Wednesday, we will embark on Round 2 of Tony Horton. His big saying is "Bring It".

Consider it done, Mr. Horton.

Menu Plan Monday

No (major) shopping this week! Inspired by Crystal, I am challenging myself to not go grocery shopping this week. We should not have a problem eating from the pantry. I have thought about it and we have the food in our house for this menu:

Monday: Salisbury steak, rice and a corn.
Tuesday: Shrimp fettuccine for the girls, and grilled shrimp spinach caeser salads for Jer and I.'

Wednesday: Paninis and salads.
Thursday: Grilled meatballs on skewers over rice and a veggie.
Friday: Steaks on the grill, baked potatoes and a veggie.
Saturday: Slow-simmered chicken rice soup

Sunday: Leftovers or Ham and beans and cornbread

Check out Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas!

I will have to pick up a few odd and ends...milk and some produce from Sam's, but other than that, we should be set.

I might be inspired to give next week a shot at this too...we could easily save about $80.00 this month if I do this for two weeks alone. I was talking to Jeremy last night and told him my goal is to do this once a month...we will see what kind of concoctions I can come up with. Ha! Ha!

While you are here...check out my giveaway! Oh...I got a button! I had to get one for an upcoming project...actually worked out well because I wanted one anyways. I would love if you helped it out in bloggerland and paste it on your blog...I would love to display your button as well. Muchos gracias!

Bargain Meal of the Week: Kroger

(For more information Bargain Meal of the Week, read here.)

Ingredients:

Semi boneless ham - $ 1.39/lb.

Simply Orange orange juice - $3.00

Mini peeled carrots - $2.50

For this recipe, you will need one cup of orange juice and 1.5 pounds of ham, along with a bag of carrots.

Total: $5.00

Meal Idea: Sparkling grilled ham with candied carrots

I hope you enjoy this bargain meal! Be sure and browse all of the Bargain Meals.

Bargain Meal of the Week: Schnuck's

(Read this for more information on Bargain Meal of the Week.)

Ingredients:

Boneless sirloin steak - $3.89/lb.
1-2 bags of Green Giant frozen vegetables - $1.00 each

Knorr Rice Side - $1.00

Just get one pound of steak and depending on what your family will eat, one or two bags of vegetables. Thrown in a side of rice...whichever flavor your family prefers.

Total: $5.89 -$6.89

Meal Idea: Steak Stir-Fry over rice (one dish meal)

I hope you enjoy this bargain meal! Be sure and browse all of the Bargain Meals.

Bargain Meal of the Week: Aldi's

(Read this for more information on Bargain Meal of the Week.)

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes are on sale this week at Aldi's. Since Aldi's has such cheap and good produce, I am working with those. They are $.99 for a 3 lb. bag. Just pick up one bag for this recipe.

Total - $3.99

Meal Idea: Sweet potato minestrone

I hope you enjoy this bargain meal! Be sure and browse all of the Bargain Meals.

I think I found one.

A plan that works for us...I think I found one. After much thought these last few days about getting more help around the house and MomAdvice's podcast, her weekly calendar and some insight from Simple Mom , I think I may have developed an easy system that will make my life easier. (Run on sentence, anyone.)

The plan is to create a schedule for each night. We focus on one major tasks a night, with hopes of it all being done before daddy comes home. Once their "Chore of the Day" is completed, they get to write their name on a piece of paper which in turn adds up to a prize. It may be a few dollars, something from the dollar section at Trusty Target...things like that.

We all have a few daily things that are completed each and every day. I found a chore chart on Simple Mom and I fell in love with it! I edited it and created my own. These are simple "chores" but it builds excitement about doing them. We have done it for a few days and the girls love it...in fact, they come home asking what they should do! How many times has that happened in the past? Zero. Zip. Nada.

Even though I feel the mom's are the "Manager of the Home", I think everyone has to work together to make the home operate well. Otherwise, it is not pretty. And everyone in the house knows about it!

If you want to know our daily list and schedule and/or get a copy of the chore chart I made, just comment me and let me know! It sounds kind of complicated but if I wrote it all out, it really is simple and makes a lot of sense.

Q & A...Part Dos.

Melissa (who cracks me up...totally reminds me of myself!) asked...

How did you decide on your kids' names?
Funny stories! Macie came pretty easy. At first we could not decide on anything! Then one day, Jeremy was at work and called me asking me what I thought of Macie. Here is how the conversation went:

Jeremy: Hey babe...about the baby's name...do you like Macie?
Alaina: Yeah, that is really cute! I like it!
Jeremy: Are you sure?
Alaina: Yeah...
Jeremy: Okay, I gotta get back to work. Love you! Bye!

You always hear of couples spending hours and hours, researching baby names, discussing, asking everyone what they think...not us! We always have been fly by the seat of our pants, so why not with this? With her middle name, 'Jae', my mom came up with it. It is a small combination of letters from mine and Jeremy's name. Macie Jae...it fits her perfect!

With Zoa...another story. I am still angry at Jeremy!
The entire pregnancy, Zoa was Abigail Paige. Macie would talk to Zoa while she was still in my stomach and call her Abigail Paige. I loved the thought of having a little Abi running around.
Fast forward...I am getting induced.

Jeremy: What are we naming her?
Me: Ummm, seriously? Abigail Page.
Jeremy: I am not really sure if I like that...
Alaina: %%*&@^#$@!&(*^% (Just kidding!) What? We have called her that this whole time!
Jeremy: I think I like Zoa, after my grandma.

Pause here...moms, you know by this point, I do not care if we name her Esther, I just want this baby to have a name!

Alaina: Fine, I I just want to call her Abi.
Jeremy: Okay...well, let's make Zoa her first name, Abigail her middle name and call her Abi.

After having the baby, Jeremy immediately starts to call her Zoa. And it stuck. Ugh!! But she does make a cute Zoa, if I do say so myself.

That's that...how we decided on our girls' name. :)

I can't think of a title.

Is it normal for moms to feel so very unappreciated?

It has been one of those nights. I'm goin' to bed.

The Birth of Corneille CD: A Review and Giveaway!

*****This giveaway is now closed.*****

When someone mentions Motown, who do you think of? Famous names such as John Legend? Marvin Gay? Tracy Chapman?

Motown Records has brought us a new artist by the name of Corneille. Recently, I had the opportunity to review his album titled, The Birth of Corneille , and let me tell you...it is calm, refreshing and something I can picture listening to while having a relaxing night in with a glass of wine. It even has some touches of R & B thrown into it.

Corneille has a very interesting background. Born in Germany, he always felt as if he were an outsider. He moved to Rwanda when he was seven but the feeling stayed. After most of his family passed away during the genocide, he started to consider moving to America. He felt as though it was his home before he even stepped foot into the country. He knew music from America - Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Price and Michael Jackson - and felt like it was something he could do. Before his father passed away, he encouraged Corneille to pursue his dream. And as they say, the rest was history.

I think the The Birth of Corneille is something different, but in a good way. So much music today is just plain crazy, and this is what I think of when I just want some easy listening.

Gotta have it? You can get The Birth of Corneille at amazon.com.

Want to win one? I have an autographed copy of The Birth of Corneille to give away! Just leave a simple comment here. Make sure you leave an email address so I can get in touch with you if you are the winner. For more ways to win and to read the fine print, click here. A winner will be randomly chosen on April 4, 2009.

Good Luck!

A little Q & A...

I scored well enough on the test to have my application considered! The meeting is not until next week and I should know something within a month...I'm keepin' my fingers crossed!

With further ado...here are some answers!

Jennifer asked...

What is your favorite quote?
I will get back to you on that one...

What is a your favorite recipe to make?
This is a tough one because I really do love to cook. The Bruschetta n' Chicken Stuff Chicken is fun...it sounds like it is some fancy dish that took hours to cook but really didn't. Plus, Jeremy loves it and I love cooking meals that not only I enjoy, but the whole family.

What is an adventure you would like to go on but haven't?
I want to sky dive. I was watching The Duggar Family's reality show and one day, they went sky-diving. Watching it reminded me of how I want to. I can only imagine how terrifying it must be, but the thrill has to top that by 4000%. I asked Jeremy if he would like to go. I thought about surprising him with that being my anniversary present to him. He said he does not know....ugh! If you think that seems weird, you just have to know us. (And don't tell him about the anniversary present! It might still happen!)

What is your favorite time of day?
I am a night owl. I love it...I am not sure why but that is when I get my energy. Sometimes, I won't start laundry until 8:00. I wish I was not like it...I would love to be able to relax and do nothing but wait, I have kids. That never happens!

April asked...

What I gave up for lent? How am I doing with it?
Ummm, yeah, about that. Lent kind of snuck up on me. Shame on me for not giving anything up, I know.

Are you still wanting to adopt or try for another baby?
I know at one point, we will have another child. Naturally or not, it is still up in the air. Right now, that is just the farthest things from either of our minds. Adoption is not out of the question but after speaking with several agencies, it will be difficult to get a child. We already have two kids and are able to naturally have more. This lowers our chances of being able to adopt. So I guess we will see what happens!

What are some major differences in your daughters?
What is not different?! Macie is sensitive, shy at first, timid, gentle...and everything in between. Zoa is fearless, rough, hard headed and will definitely keep us on our toes when she hits those teenage years! It is crazy how different two children can be when they have the same parent's and were raised the same way. Crazy!

Melissa asked...
How did you pick your kids' names?
This is quite a long story that will will come later...as in tomorrow.

This was fun! Thanks for the great questions ladies!

I'm gonna show them what's up.

Right now, I am taking a test. The score has to be turned in today so my application can be forwarded to the admissions department of the nursing school I am applying to.

Wish me luck and say a quick prayer my test score will prove how brilliant I am and show the college their program will do nothing but increase in popularity by accepting me!

{Yeah right}

Oh...and the answers from the Q & A will be coming soon. Obviously, this is a scheduled post and Jeremy just "got on to me" about being on the computer.

Ten four, over and out.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Sausage potato casserole (Using turkey sausage, adding some shredded and diced veggies and decreasing the cheese to make it a bit better...also making one for the freezer.)

Tuesday: Stroganoff-Style Chicken

Wednesday: Italian turkey burgers, oven fries and mixed veggies. (I am going to try this pita pocket recipe but will have buns on backup.)
Thursday: Baked salmon with lemony rice pilaf
Friday: Baked potato soup..one of Whitney's favorites.

Saturday: BBQ Chicken Crusted Smoked Cheddar Mac and a veggie. I plan on not using quite as much cheese.

Sunday: Jeremy's turn to cook! Grilled Taco BBQ Chicken, a veggie and rice.

Snacks: Apples and peanut butter, among other things I am not sure of at the moment.

You might be wondering why I am making so much for the freezer...more to come on that later. And no! I am not preggo!

For more menu ideas, go to I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Bargain Meal of the Week: Kroger

(For more information Bargain Meal of the Week, read here.)

Ingredients:

Butterball bacon - $2.50
Ground chuck - $2.49/lb.
Kraft cheese - $1.67
Stokley canned vegetable - $.69

For this meal, you will use about half of a block of cheese, one pound of ground chuck, and about 1/5 of the package of bacon.

Total: $4.52

Meal Idea: Meatshell potatoe pie and a can of vegetables.

I hope you enjoy this bargain meal! Be sure and browse all of the Bargain Meals.

Bargain Meal of the Week: Aldi's

(Read this for more information on Bargain Meal of the Week.)

Ingredients:
Boneless country style pork ribs - $2.49/lb.
Russet potatoes - $1.99/bag

For this recipe, get two pounds of ribs and a bag of potatoes. You will use about 1/3 of the bag of potatoes.

Total: $5.64

Meal Idea: BBQ country style ribs, baked potatoes and a vegetable of your choice.

If you need a dessert for this week, pears are on sale - $.99/pk. This 5 Star recipe for Baked Stuffed Pears looks scrumptious!

I hope you enjoy this bargain meal! Be sure and browse all of the Bargain Meals.

Bargain Meal of the Week: Schnuck's

(Read this for more information on Bargain Meal of the Week.)

Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - $1.89/lb.
Schnuck's penne pasta - $.77
Asparagus - $1.99/lb.

For this recipe you will approximately
one pound of chicken, half a pound of asparagus, and one box of penne pasta.

Total: $3.66

Meal Idea: Penne with Chicken and Asparagus

I hope you enjoy this bargain meal! Be sure and browse all of the Bargain Meals.

Add another t-shirt to your collection...

As part of our Great Strides Walk, we will be selling t-shirts. They will cost $8.00.

The front of the t-shirt will say:
For the Love of Jessie

The back will have:
Great Strides Walk 2009
In Memory of Jessie LeGrand
1987-2008

There are adult and children sizes available.

If you would be interested in ordering one of these shirts, feel free to e-mail me by using the contact form on the left. I would be more than happy to deliver or mail them to you.

If you are able to make the walk, having a t-shirt designed is a great way to tell who is on your team. If you are unable to make the walk, this will raise awareness about CF and have Jessie's name all of the United States.

She would be so embarrassed but so honored all at the same time.

Thank you!

Why not?

Boredom has set in. I need something to chat about...any questions for me? I know I have done this in the past but then come time to answer, it was kind of a bad time. Life got crazy and it slipped to the back burner. My apologies...

Besides boredom, I tried the Sublime Bronze tanner tonight. Hopefully, I will wake up with some colorful legs. Maybe colorful was a bad word for the look I am going for. I just hope I have some color! I will let you know what I think of it.

Alright, I am off to go look for P90X. It got lost in the move and we are missing us some Tony Horton.

Bring it!

Could not imagine...

Please say a payer for Melaina Cunningham's family. Melaina received her wings today after spending quite a while in the hospital. You can view their blog by clicking the link above.

Locals may know her dad, Jeff, from our news station.

Time to start reading again...

Spring has me sitting outside a lot with the girls while they are playing. I have been thinking that during their playtime, I could pick up a book and start reading.

I have decided to start with The Love Dare. Rugby season takes my husband from me a lot of the time...practice two times a week which puts him at being home around 8:00 and all day Saturdays for game day. Most of his games are in St. Louis which is a couple of hours away.

This makes for a very moody, cranky, irritable, crabby, impatient, and downright mean stressed wife and mother. I try to think of the positive...at least he is not in a bar...etc. but I know this book could do me a lot of good right now.

Anyone care to join me on a quest to read more? My personal preference on books include true crime and books on parenting and health but I would love to broaden my horizons. Feel free to share what book you are reading. Maybe we could start a little book club. Let me know your thoughts...

For the Love of Jessie

In honor of Jessie, Whitney and I, along with Sally (Jessie's mom) have decided to organize a large team to walk at the Great Strides Walk. The Great Strides walk benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. You can read more about them here, along with their mission here.

Our team name will be 'For the Love of Jessie'. I would encourage you to read the story on Jessie (and here) for a small, but very real glimpse into what the last few weeks of her life was like.

I understand everyone is struggling with their own financial needs right now, so I am not going to stress on making a donation to our team (although it would be sincerely appreciated!!). We have set a relatively small team goal of just $1,000.00. I would also like to point out that you can join our team or start a team of your own, both with just a few clicks of a button. From my understanding, children are welcome to participate as long as they are with an adult, so do not let that stop you from joining our team or creating one. The walk we are participating in is at 9:00 AM on April 18.

Thanks in advance for anything you are able to give, whether it be money, time, prayers...etc. It is appreciated more than you will know and would make Jessie proud.

Spring has almost sprung?!

Hopefully it is here to stay! Cold weather is that much worse when you have highs in the 70's one day and 40's a few days later.

Call it spring fever, but I got a new skirt that I just love...a basic blue jean mini, but I love the distressed look of it...

But these white legs...ugh! I have strawberry blond hair, naturally, so my complexion is...well...opaque. I do not tan in tanning beds - it literally takes me months to get any color whatsoever and it is not worth the risks. Has anyone ever tried a good self tanner...one that you can do at home? I don't want to be super dark, but some color would be wonderful! I am bad about putting lotion on daily so the daily moisturizers with self tanner in them do not work for me. I am willing to pay anything for one that does not turn me orange and is good about no streaking...help!

Bargain Meal of the Week: Kroger

(For more information Bargain Meal of the Week, read here.)

Ingredients:

Jimmy Dean Sausage - $1.99
Sargento Shredded Cheese - $1.49

For this meal, buy one roll of sausage and one bag of shredded cheddar cheese.

Total: $3.48

Meal Idea: Breakfast for dinner...Sausage Potato Casserole.

I hope you enjoy this bargain meal! Be sure and browse all of the Bargain Meals.

Bargain Meal of the Week: Aldi's

(Read this for more information on Bargain Meal of the Week.)

Ingredients:
Sweet Onions - $.59/bag
3 pk. Peppers - $.99/pack
Shrimp - $3.49 (Approximate price - not on sale.)

For this recipe you will use one onion which is $.10, two peppers that are $.66 and the shrimp for $3.49.

Total: $4.25

Meal Idea: Quick and Easy Shrimp Fajitas

I hope you enjoy this bargain meal! Be sure and browse all of the Bargain Meals.

Bargain Meal of the Week: Schnuck's

(Read this for more information on Bargain Meal of the Week.)

Ingredients:
Round Steak - $2.49/lb.
Baby Carrots - $1.50

For this recipe you will use one and a half pounds of steak for $3.74 and a bag of baby carrots for $1.50.

Total: $5.24

Meal Idea: Country-fried round steak and steamed carrots.

I hope you enjoy this bargain meal! Be sure and browse all of the Bargain Meals.

Menu Plan Moday

Last week's recipes were all approved by my family...very tasty and kid friendly! Here is this week...

Monday: Lasagna from the freezer (Get steaks and chicken marinated for tomorrow.)
Tuesday: Happy St. Patrick's Day! Grilling outside...the forecast says 70! I might get creative and throw in some green food coloring.
Wednesday: Beef and broccoli and brown rice...Jeremy's request. My response, "We just had that!".
Thursday: Turkey mini meatloaves, mashed potatoes and a veggie...MJ's request. (Making extra for the freezer.)
Friday: Crab cake burgers and oven fries.

Saturday: Steak and shrimp fajitas
Sunday: Whatever we can find!

Snacks: Oranges and applesauce

Want more recipes and menus? Erin at $5 Dinners is hosting this week!

Finally...

I finally got a bread machine!! Oh, the things I want to make...

My mom had one that was collecting dust in the closet she was not using so I asked if I could buy it and she said I can just have it. Thanks again! Too bad I am out of yeast right now...bummer.

Off for some "quiet time" with the girls...we all need it!

Just helping the economy...

The girls and I got North Faces!

Here is mine...I got the classic black Denali...
...Macie got the pink and grey Denali...


...and Zoa got the brown Oso.


We got the girls' big enough for next year so they can't wear them now.
They are so soft and warm.
Now I am on a mission to find gloves to match.

Tomorrow I am taking a vacation day because both the girls are
out of school. I am so sleeping in. And napping. Have a great weekend!

New shoes, no dress. Sigh.

I made the mistake of buying the shoes before the outfit. No grand designer but they are cute in my book. I want to wear a dress with them but I can't find one! Help!!

This is not gonna work.

Since we have moved into this house, which was a little over two months ago, Jeremy and I have not slept all night for a few days straight. The girls are still adjusting to a new home, I suppose.

We are exhausted.

Plus, these last few nights they have been sick. And if that is not enough, the time change is not working in my favor.

Hopefully, these thunderstorms we are having right now will ensure a solid night of sleep.

Here is to a good night...

Nail Polish plus a cheap subscription!

I just went here hoping to be one of the first 5,000 entries so I could score some free nail polish. It offered me a year subscription (12 issues) to Glamour magazine for only $1.50! Normally, if you already have the subscription, they just tack it on to the end of it so you don't end up getting two magazines a month. They are doing this promotion to celebrate Glamour's 70th anniversary...and that was the price for a subscription 70 years ago.

Go enter and get a a cheap subscription while you are at it!

Not the zoo I was hoping for...

Jeremy was in St. Louis all day yesterday for a rugby game. The game was at Forest Park...and this park has the zoo, a science center...very kid and family friendly. Saturday, I decided that the girls and I would go to St. Louis with him and I would take them to the zoo. The weather would be perfect.

Like clockwork, Saturday night, MJ started to run a low grade fever. It started at 99.5...not a big deal at all. About an hour later, Zoa said her eye was itching.

This morning, we woke up to MJ having a 102.7 fever and Zoa's eye matted shut. Poor girls....

A trip to the hospital told us MJ had strep throat and Zoa had pink eye. Macie's fever at the hospital was 103.1. Medically, they said that is really high which scares me. I don't like it when she gets sick. She is s.i.c.k! She is so tiny so it does not take much to get her on the couch for good. I would not be surprised if she stayed home through Wednesday.


Zoa is, well, Zoa. Nothing can stop that crazy child of ours!


I hope your Sunday was better for you!

Menu Plan Monday

We just got out half of beef in and it is stocked in the freezer! We now have one freezer full of beef and another full of veggies. No reason to eat out anymore...we will always have something to cook. To tell you the truth, I will miss the excuse. :)

Monday: Hamburger soup
Tuesday:Beef broccoli in the crock pot

Wednesday: Crock pot chicken chili (So good!)

Thursday: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and gravy and a veggie
Friday: Vegetarian fried rice (Make extra rice for freezer.)
Saturday: Homemade pizza (Make extra dough and pizzas for the freezer.) I am going to try this dough recipe this week using WW flour.
Sunday: Leftovers

Snacks: Apples & peanut butter, graham crackers and bread from the freezer.

Head on over to Laura at Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas.

Bargain Meal of the Week: Aldi's

(Read this for more information on Bargain Meal of the Week.)

Ingredients:
Deli Premium Pastrami - $2.99

You will use 8 ounces of this 12 oz. package.

Total: $1.97

Meal Idea: Hot Pastrami Baked Sandwich with a side of your choice - Another meal for St. Patty's Day!

I hope you enjoy this bargain meal! Be sure and browse all of the Bargain Meals.

Bargain Meal of the Week: Kroger

(For more information Bargain Meal of the Week, read here.)

Ingredients:
Corned Beef - $2.99/lb.

For this meal, you only use a quarter pound of corned beef, which is the meat in this entree. Several of the other ingredients are in my everyday cabinets!

Total: $.75 for the meat!

Meal Idea: In honor of St. Patty's Day - Reuben Soup

I hope you enjoy this bargain meal! Be sure and browse all of the Bargain Meals.

Bargain Meal of the Week: Schnuck's

(Read this for more information on Bargain Meal of the Week.)

After I saw this week's ad for Schnuck's, I immediately thought of Erin and her history with bone in chicken breast. I plan on buying some for a few meals I am cooking for the freezer. Here is this week's meal...

Ingredients:
Bone in Chicken Breast - $.89/lb.
Green Pepper and Green Onion - $.50 each
Fresh Express Complete Salad - Two for $3.99

Use 2 lbs. of chicken for this recipe and it will give a family of four 8 oz. of chicken. Buy 1 green pepper and 1 green onion. Add a bag of salad.

Total: $4.77

Meal Idea: Spanish Chicken and Rice & a Side Salad

I hope you enjoy this bargain meal! Be sure and browse all of the Bargain Meals.

I've got the fever....

I am officially on my way to getting back to school. I am so ready for a real job it is not even funny! I applied to a community college to get some more of my general studies classes out of the way and the best part is one of my best friend needs the same classes so we can car pool! Any time by yourself with a girlfriend in the car is considered girl time to me so I will be spoiled! I can't wait to get on this new schedule with school, even though I won't start officially until May. :)

It is so pretty today! Even though it is partly cloudy, the high should be lowers 70's which is great in my book. Jeremy has to work so the girls and I are cleaning...which to be honest, is not that bad as long as the windows are open and you can feel the breeze.

I better get back to cleaning...and I have to keep an eye on some Ebay things I am bidding on. I cannot find a store that is selling khakis in a size 8 slim...any suggestions? I found one pair that is new on Ebay so hopefully I will get them...Macie is running out of length in her current school pants. Let me know if you find any!

Have a great Saturday!

Bella Sara: A Review

A while back, I did a review on Bella Sara, a new trading card product for girls. I have to be honest though...even though Bella Sara is extremely successful and has sold more thank 55 million cards so far, my girls just were not that into it. I noticed the online site was a little hard to navigate but we gave it a second shot once this new package arrived.

New to the product line is "Miniatures". They include 20 velvety horses that are from the land of North of North. These are treated just like the trading cards in that you collect and trade them as well. I think they bring a new sense to the trading cards. As all mothers of girls know, little girls like to actually play with something, as opposed to see it on a card.

Another product to add to Bella Sara is something called "Treasures". It brings something new to Bella Sara in that they have more activities and bonus codes, just to name a couple. Plus, if you visit Bella Sara between now and April 30th, they are offering children a chance to will a Treasure Hunt Party.

I do think Bella Sara is a great online game and activity for children. It is wholesome and positive, but my girls just have not had their interest sparked by it. Who knows?! That may change as we all know how they can change their mind very quickly! If you think your child might be interested in Bella Sara, you can find more information here or here.

Gotta Have It?
The Bella Sara Miniature Collection is available at most major retailers, including BellaSara.com, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, KMart, Target and Wal-Mart, along with many other chains and shops. It retails for $1.99 and is recommended for ages 5 and older.

The Bella Sara Treasure Collection is sold at the same stores and retails for $2.99 and is recommended for ages 5 and older.

The entire Bella Sara Collection can be found and purchased online at Amazon.

Wordless Wednesday: A Good Laugh

I never had a Facebook, but I did have a MySpace. After a while, I grew tired of it and deleted my account. From what I know of Facebook, they look pretty much the same. Here is a video titled:

25 things i hate about facebook

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

I really feel like a mom now.

Last night, I was talking with Whitney about cooking more meals with the intention to freeze them. We have talked about this before but never set a date to actually do it. (Tara...why don't you join in!) Whitney and I penciled in a date to do this so I have been looking through all my magazines and blogs with the hope of finding several meals and/or snacks to cook for this purpose. I came across these and hope they taste as good as they sound!
__________________________________________________________________

Healthy Nut Muffins (Taken from Today's Diet and Nutrition)

• 1 c. all purpose flour
• 3/4 c. quick cooking oats
• 1/2 c. brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 c. wheat bran
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup green, red and/or black grapes, halved
  
• 1/2 c. grated carrots
• 1/2 c. skim milk
• 1/3 c. applesauce
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 c. walnuts, chopped, for garnish

Preheat your oven to 350. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, bran, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, carrots and salt in a medium bowl and mix well. Stir in the grapes, carrots, milk, applesauce, oil and egg until evenly moistened.

Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin tins and sprinkle with nuts.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Let cool. Store in airtight container.
__________________________________________________________________

If you have any ideas on make ahead meals, please let me know in the comments section. I have gotten a few ideas from Crystal's 'AKA Money Saving Mom' personal blog and plan in trying them out. Have you ever frozen meals?

Happy Birthday Tara!!!

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear wawa,
Happy birthday to you!!

Happy Birthday Tara!

Another weekend...

The main purpose of this post is to tell you that I made homemade Hot Pockets! It took a while, as in hours, due to waiting for the bread to do it's thing, but they are worth it! I made around 20 of them and individually froze them for quick breakfast in the morning for MJ. I used whole wheat flour and added wheat germ to them and you can't even tell. I love it when I sneak stuff in food!

After I made them and was trying it out, I realized I could put just about anything in them! I could do pizza ones, broccoli and cheese...etc. I plan on making a ton of them next time to try it out.

Sunday we headed to shop early! We was at Walgreen's by 10:00, then it was off to JCPenny for a kitchen cart (in black). Our rental house is much smaller than our old house. My kitchen is about half the size of my old one and I finally found a stand that I liked and had storage, plus I can put my microwave on it. Even though it is not my first pick style wise, it will work for now. We made a quick stop at Lowe's after that and then headed home. I thought I might get a nap, but it just didn't happen. Oh well, maybe next weekend.

Now on with my Monday...ugh!

Menu Plan Monday

Reviews from last week: All the meals are highly recommended!! Click here to see last week's menu and the links to the recipe.

This week will be simple...I am trying to go through the toy room so my nights are all planned out already. I need fast and easy recipes.

Monday: Never got around to Bruschetta 'n Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts (Although this is a bit more time consuming, I already have everything I need to make for it.)
Tuesday: Hamburger Buddy
Wednesday: Soup and Sandwiches
Thursday: Recession Noodles
Friday: Taco Salads
Saturday: Out to eat
Sunday: Leftover Buffet

Head on over to Laura at Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas.