Koala Mom

Payback

2009-05-21T19:35:00.004-04:00

Our cat taunts our dogs by going to the french doors leading out to our back deck, and batting at the dogs (who enjoy sitting there, begging to come in) through the glass. Well, our Doberman, Bri, threw her back out a couple of weeks ago. Feeling badly for the poor dog, I let her roam the downstairs freely, only to discover that she had parked herself beside the litter box!! So there, cat! :)

Cheap Deer Park Water

2009-05-16T21:56:00.010-04:00

My husband calls me a bottled-water snob. This is because even though we have perfectly good well water that comes out of our tap, I refuse to drink it. There is actually a reason for my dislike of our tap water, as we lived off city water for several years, and with construction in the area, our water went from brown to super-chlorinated to just having a funny smell. Then we moved to the country, with well water that had an extremely large amount of sulphur in it. Having dealt with morning sickness and rotten-egg smelling water at the same time, I still can't make myself drink it, even though we bought a nice, expensive water treatment system, and everyone else tells me that it tastes fine.

Buying enough bottled water for both my husband to bring to work with him every day (4 bottles a day!), and for me to have at home can get pretty expensive. Therefore, seeing that Deer Park is running a deal on their bottled SPRING water has me pretty excited (because there's really no point at all in buying purified water when we have the exact same thing coming out of our tap...read the label, some of them say they are purified water that came from city's water source!).

Anyway, here's the promotion....

If you buy a certain number of 24 packs of the water, you will get a coupon that prints out for an

amount off your next purchase, courtesy of Deer Park.

Buy 2 24-packs, get $2 off your next purchase (of anything...not just more water)

Buy 3 24-packs, get $3 off your next purchase

Buy 4 24-packs, get $5 off your next purchase

But wait! It gets even better with the $1 coupons that have been found on the cases of water! So, if you can find a store that has the Deer Park water on sale, you can get some pretty cheap bottled water! (so far, for this week, I see that Kroger has them for $3.99/case...not quite as good as Food Lion last week at $3.50/case, but I didn't know about this deal then) Just make sure that you peel off the coupon that is stuck to the case of water and hand it to the cashier, and that the cashier hands you the coupon that will print out after they ring up the water. I have left the store before, only to find that my cashier didn't give me those coupons....frustrating!

This Wednesday, May 20-Tuesday May 26, Safeway has Deer Park water on sale for 2/$7. If you buy 4 and use 4 $1 coupons, you will be paying $10 for 4 cases of water, and will get back $5.

May 5, 2001

2009-05-05T10:15:00.005-04:00

Is the day my husband and I got married!!

Some unusual things about our wedding day:

I bought a fishing license just hours before we were married!!
We took his truck on our honeymoon, complete with a small boat hanging out the back! (my poor family must have thought I was nuts to marry this guy!!)
Our entire wedding cost us less than $4000, including the $700 (total) matching rings that I have since lost. :(
My husband drove 350 miles to pick out his tux several months before the wedding, then had his groomsmen bring it to him the night before our wedding....boy am I glad they didn't mess it up!!
All I ate at our reception were a couple of grapes, and a bite of cake, which was smeared all over my face.
I later danced with my new husband, and had one of my bridesmaids hand me another piece of cake....my husband caught on to this, and stood in front of me with a puppy-dog expression on his face. Being egged on by the crowd, I then proceeded to apply the cake to HIS face! :)
When our pastor told me to put the ring onto his finger, I couldn't...it didn't fit!! I was able to eventually get it on, after trying for what seemed like an eternity!
I wore absolutely NO makeup, and was happy I didn't.
We had our reception out in front of our church.

Well, that's about all I can think of at the moment! What a special, and interesting day it turned out to be for us. I am very thankful that we had enough family and friends supporting us to completely fill the sanctuary, leaving only standing room in the back! We have certainly been blessed throughout these past eight years!

Why do I potty train my kids early???

2009-04-23T23:27:00.004-04:00

Here's why!! I just went in to cover the kids up again before going to bed myself, and this is what I found!!!!

Her diaper, having been taken off, was then discarded onto the floor (and it was unused, too)

AND her pajama pants were then put back on, lest Mom come in and find her naked little bottom and correct the situation!!! (and yes, I did put the diaper back on her...and she slept through it!)

The little sneak! This is exactly why I believe children under the age of 2 are perfectly capable of being potty trained!

We're having a.....

2009-04-23T22:08:00.005-04:00

BABY!!! (are you surprised?!) Actually, it's more like a baby elephant, since this little one weighs approximately TWICE what it should right now!! I think my doctor figures that I am just further along than I think I am. After having four kids, I think I would know how far along I am just by gauging the morning sickness, though!

As for the fibroid tumor my doctor suspected was growing in or close to my cervix....gone! Yep, there is no sign of it at this point. Thank you to all my friends and family who were praying that this very thing would happen!! On another note, although no one mentioned it, I did see the ultrasound technician write some words, followed by "placenta previa". At this point, they didn't bring it up to me, I believe, because this condition (where the placenta is lying low in the uterus, sometimes covering the cervix.) typically will correct itself by the time I go into labor. Just something I thought I would mention. I will get to have another ultrasound in a few months because of the scare I got last month, anyway, and we will see exactly what is going on at that point.

So, to summarize...I have a huge baby, who appears to be completely healthy, is living in a wonderfully normal environment, and is causing me to gain tons of weight! Man do I love having the excuse that I am pregnant so I can eat whatever I want!! (just kidding...I try to eat pretty healthy foods, since I don't really think a multivitamin is the best thing to rely upon for my or my baby's nutrition)

My 5-year-old is also teetering on the edge of whether she is ready to ask God to forgive her sins, and accept Jesus as her saviour. For some reason, this is something she brings up regularly, but not something she has allowed herself to do. I am actually happy that she is not making this decision with a light heart. It is a very tough decision, and one that should change your life. I believe that when the time is right, she will make her choice, and it will be one that she will remember for the rest of her life. Our 7-year-old is saved, and is very confident of where he will be spending eternity. I am thankful to have kids who, although stubborn, are taking God's Word seriously.

Resurrection Cookies

2009-04-07T08:03:00.001-04:00

I remember (somewhere in the waaaay back of my mind!) having heard of these before, but have never seen them, or the recipe that goes with them. Since one of the ladies at my church was kind enough to print a copy of the recipe for me to use with the kids this Easter, I figured I would share with anyone else who doesn't know about these "resurrection cookies".

"Resurrection Cookies"

ingredients:
1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
a Ziploc bag
a wooden spoon
tape

directions:

These are to be make the evening before Easter. Preheat the oven to 300F (This is very important, the oven needs to be at 300 degrees by the time you are done with the recipe). Place pecans in the Ziploc bag and let the children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read: John 19:1-3

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink.
Read: John 19:28-30

Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read: John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it, then brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read: Luke 23:27

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read: Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed (you can tell you have stiff peaks when you hold the mixer so the blades are horizontal, and the mixture holds it's shape on the ends of the blades). Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read: Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by the teaspoonful onto a waxed paper-covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
Read: Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read: Matthew 27:65-66

GO TO BED!!!!

Explain to the children that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read: John 16:20 & 22

On Resurrection Sunday (aka...Easter) morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read: Matthew 28:1-9

Go Steelers!!!

2009-02-01T08:24:00.000-05:00

Just to show you which team this house will be cheering on to victory later today....

Meet Butterfly!

2009-01-27T07:48:00.000-05:00

Here's our new kitten, Butterfly!! (okay, she's not so new anymore, but everyone is FINALLY healthy, and so I am just getting around to putting these up!)

"Mom, check this out!! I can wear her like a scarf!"

"Why does she have needles on her feet?!?!"

Despite the look on her face in this picture, this is one of Butterfly's favorite spots.

Staph, staph, go away!

2009-01-10T23:06:00.005-05:00

Yup, another one. Almost exactly two weeks after the last one. Have I mentioned that these staph infections are getting REALLY annoying??? Unfortunately it's in our youngest this time, her first infection. I guess I should be happy that our #3 is not dealing with a recurrence two days after she finished her medicine from the last one, but come on already! I would really like a break from this stuff! You see, in order to treat the infection, the patient receives oral antibiotics. In addition to this, you have to watch the area carefully, noting when it drains, how much, and the physical characteristics of the drainage (and you're welcome for not going into more detail on that one! :)). You also have to apply a warm, wet compress for 15 minutes 3-4 times a day. Well, anyone who has applied a warm, wet compress knows that it doesn't stay warm for anywhere near 15 minutes! Instead, I choose to allow the patient to soak in the bathtub for around 15 minutes 3-4 times a day. After she is done bathing, and we have treated the wound, I then get the pleasure of disinfecting the bathroom. Yup, disinfecting everything she touches with that part of her body several times daily....fun stuff!

And the very worst part of this, in my opinion, is that if you go to 5 different doctors (and believe me, we have!), you will get 5 different treatment plans. Apparently the CDC is in the midst of changing how they treat this sickness, so doctors are stuck with the choice of treating it as they have in the past, or trying this new method that the CDC has come up with. At least I am really familiar with the side effects of the antibiotic they always recommend!

Well, now that I am done venting about a sickness that seems to enjoy hanging out with my family, I am going to go to bed. I am hoping that my daughter will make it until Monday morning before it gets too bad, so I can take her in to her pediatrician instead of the ER. It seems that, at this point, we are alternating between taking the kids to the doctor and the ER. But, on a more positive note, I just realized that we have most likely already hit our annual family deductible with our insurance, so we won't be hit with too huge of a bill for this one. To top it off, the last several times I have taken the kids into the doctor, they have refused a payment of any kind from me. Apparently if you take your kids in often enough, and pay a percentage of the billed amount, then the insurance disallows some of that, those couple of dollars that you overpay can really add up! Someone from the billing company said something about our credit being somewhere in the hundreds place. Nice!

Oh, on a more positive note, I took #1 and #3 for their annual well check-ups. #1 is above the 100th percentile for height, and right about the 97th percentile for weight! I guess that's what you get when you have a dad who's about 6'3" (or 6'4", I don't remember!). #3 is on the other end of the chart, weighing in at around the 60th percentile, with her height (3 feet exactly) somewhere around the 25th percentile. What can I say....she's my little munchkin!

Our youngest is scheduled to go in for her 15 month check-up in a week and a half, but I'm not sure how that's going to work out, in light of her new illness. Please pray for our family, that we can be rid of these dreadful infections once and for all!

My 2009 Goal...

2009-01-01T22:13:00.002-05:00

Mainly, for this new year, I am going to try and spend more quality time with my husband and kids, and less time on here. I have really enjoyed blogging, and reading the blogs of my friends, but I have noticed that some things in my life have suffered, as a result. Therefore, I am going to do what I have done for the past month, and just get on here occasionally, and enjoy my family while I can!!

Where did I go?!

2008-12-30T13:59:00.002-05:00

I really hadn't planned on taking almost the entire month of December off from updating this blog, but somehow that's what ended up happening!! We have been really busy this month, mostly with sicknesses, but also with Christmas activities.

I am getting to know the ER staff here at our hospital pretty well by now, and they are actually beginning to recognize me!! I guess that's what happens when your kids only get sick on weekends and holidays! First, our youngest had a problem with wheezing, again, on a Friday night. I took her pulse, and found that it was also around 170-180 bpm....too high, so I made the decision to take her in. Due to an extremely rude ER doctor back when my son was a baby, I have always had a problem taking my kids in. Unless I am genuinely concerned that their health is in jeopardy, I will do my best to treat them at home. Well, a pulse that high, with the amount of wheezing she was doing made me decide to risk it. I am very happy I did, as the staff was really helpful, and validated my concerns.

Next, #3, the Scientist, came down with another case of MRSA. This stuff is really beginning to annoy me!! This is her fourth time getting the stuff, and although I am getting fairly proficient at diagnosing and treating it, I am not happy that I am still dealing with it! I noticed the spot on Christmas day, this time. I initially decided that I would just treat it at home for the day, and call the doctor the next morning, and have her seen. After watching it for a couple of hours, though, I changed my mind. I decided that it really wasn't worth risking another surgery to drain it when I knew she had it, and there wasn't anything stopping me from getting her treated that day. So, I packed her up, and took her in.

Two hours later, we were back at home, entertaining my dad, who came over for the afternoon. I took a look at her medicine, to see how much I needed to give her, and realized that there had to be a mistake with the dosing! Having just dealt with this issue two months ago, I didn't remember the exact dose I gave her, just that I didn't have to fill up the little cup twice! So, I gave her what I thought might be the right amount, and called the doctor the next morning. After much confusion, I discovered that I was correct....the amount that was prescribed was exactly double the dose she got the last time. I was also incorrect, in that this was what the doctor had intended! I decided that maybe going to my pediatrician wouldn't be a bad idea, so I made the appointment. He agreed that we didn't need to double the dose, so told me to just give her the regular amount. He also prescribed a second antibiotic that works differently to get rid of the infection. Unfortunately the medicine he prescribed is absolutely the worst tasting medicine ever, so we decided to go with the capsules, hoping that she would take these, since the little book the pediatrician had even recommended it. Well, we have our next follow-up appointment tomorrow, since we are now out of the first antibiotic, the infection is still not completely cleared up, and I have yet to get a single dose of the second antibiotic down my daughter's throat! Fun times!!

Other than this, we have dealt with colds, random vomiting, and ear mites in the ears of our new kitten!! Yeah, it's been an exciting month!!

On the plus side, having sick kids made me stay in more, and by doing that, I was able to really go through the meaning of, and reason we celebrate Christmas with my kids. We even read several Easter stories, in addition the the standard Christmas ones, to show what the final result of Jesus' birth would be! I waited until December 23rd to do any Christmas shopping, so I missed all the crowded stores, and frustrating lines, as well! Although I feel like the month flew by, and I didn't get to send out our usual Christmas cards (although I still have not given up on them!!), I am happy that my my son, a few days before Christmas, decided that we shouldn't open any presents on Christmas day, but that we should spend the day celebrating a very special birthday, instead!! (by the way, we did end up opening the presents on Christmas day, as we always do, but knowing that my kids were willing to give this up meant the world to me!!)

Check out what I got...for free!!

2008-12-15T06:34:00.000-05:00

Apparently Food Lion is giving these away as a marketing technique, hoping that you'll love them so much that you'll come back and buy more! I bought some pasta salad from the deli department, and the lady who helped me kept piling these up on the counter, telling me to take more!! I decided that one of each type was fair, so this is what I ended up with! Between these and the leftovers I brought home from the family Christmas party on Saturday, I don't think I'll need to do much grocery shopping at all this week!!

Christmas Pics and a trip to the ER!

2008-12-13T00:24:00.004-05:00

I FINALLY took my poor children to have their birthday/Christmas pictures taken, since they had all been pretty healthy as of this morning, with only the youngest showing minor symptoms of a cold she was getting. Well, that all changed rather quickly!! I left this morning, with my husband's hunting gear, and a plan. First I would drive over to his work (1.5 hours away!), drop off the hunting stuff, then head on up to get the kids pictures taken. I should have known it wasn't going to work out!!

You see, I allowed my newly potty-trained 3-year-old to wear underpants. Not a smart move when you are going to be driving for 3 hours straight, on country roads where there are few places to use the bathroom, and the places you do pass, you only stop at if you are absolutely desperate, and never with four kids and one adult! (not dangerous, just really not sanitary!) So, of course she accidentally wet "a little bit" on her beautiful birthday dress. No biggie, I can handle it, I am going to a mall, after all. I'll just pick up a new dress. Or pants and sweater since all the dresses are Christmas dresses, and I try really hard to separate the holidays from birthdays since we have one the week of Thanksgiving, and another the week of Christmas. Both inductions...not the way I wanted it!!

So, we pick up the new clothes and head over to the portrait studio. At nap time. WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?! Of course our youngest didn't behave. Even with the chocolate bribes I found in my purse! We got what pictures we could, and I took off to find drinks for everyone (and a HUGE one for me!). For some reason, drinks always calm my brood down. Something I am very grateful for, unless I am at a vending machine that only takes one dollar bills, and I only have a five! Yes, I ended up buying a $4 cup of lemonade from a vendor, instead! Anyways, everyone got their share of the lemonade, and we trudged back to the studio to see if we could scavange a good picture out of what the photographer took. By this time, I began noticing that my youngest was really not acting like herself. She went from insane, couldn't keep her still, to really meloncholy. In addition to this, she was breathing a little harder than normal, something I made a mental note of. After waiting for several minutes in line to look at our pictures, I decided that since I had to stop at Wal-Mart on the way home, I had better get going now, instead of wasting any more time, with a child who was getting sicker by the minute. So we left, pictures unseen.

We get to Wal-Mart, me with a mental list of four items, and I see it....an empty portrit studio!! Hmmm, I think. Is it worth it to take a sick child over and ask if we can just do a really quick photo shoot, since she's being cooperative now?! I decided it was, and we went over. The lady there was really helpful and nice, and all the pictures turned out beautiful!! So, I quickly pick my pictures, and leave to get the items I came in for, noticing that my youngest is really beginning to sound bad.

Back home, half an hour later, I know, without a doubt, that my little girl is really sick. So I decide to take her into the bathroom with me and let her breath some humid air for awhile. It is at this point that I notice that the my baby's hands are blue!!! This is REALLY bad when you are having trouble breathing, meaning that she is not even getting close to enough oxygen in her tiny body. Forget the humidity, I head straight to the nebulizer, adding a little extra medicine. After the treatment, she is still not sounding too great, so my hubby and I talk for a minute and decide that a trip to the ER probably wouldn't hurt. When I got there, we had to wait a few minutes to be triaged, but after that, things took off!! The nurse took all the vitals, then said that she was going to just send us straight back, where she had the doctor waiting to see us. Apparently a heart rate of 180+ bpm in a 1-year-old scares doctors!! Fortunately the treatment they gave her helped to lower that to a more normal number. The good news is that she also has very clear lungs...no pneumonia. The bad news is that the doctor said it was probably a virus that was causing this, and there's not a whole lot they can do for a virus, except treat the symptoms. He did make me feel very good, though, when he said he thought I was doing a good job handling it, and I was already doing all I could for her. :) If it gets any worse, they will likely put her on steroids, but I am really hoping it doesn't come to that.

So, that was our excitement for the day!! How about you?!

Out of the six poses, this is the only one that shows just how bad she was feeling....the rest of them were just sick of getting their pictures taken!

Wordless Wednesday - Kids

2008-12-10T15:59:00.012-05:00

Playing peek-a-boo

One diligently working on the gingerbread house, the other goofing off with the remaining icing!!

Setting up the train that goes around the Christmas tree.

Getting the radio set up....

So he could do some break dancing!

What a cutie!

The 12 Days of Christmas....again!

2008-12-09T08:12:00.000-05:00

When I posted about the Christian version of the 12 Days of Christmas, I looked up on the internet to see if I could find a version I could link to and allow everyone to actually hear the song being sung. Unfortunately, all I found was a statement that the artist hadn't released the song. I also found many topics that hinted that the original song had Christian roots. Most of the time, this statement was discredited. I did, however, come across one website that confirmed this, and went on to "decode" the song, even giving the reason for the coded lyrics. Check it out here!

Why December 25?

2008-12-08T07:48:00.000-05:00

Something I have always wondered was why Christmas is celebrated on Dec. 25. I know we don't know the exact date of Jesus' birth, but why was this date chosen over all others? I came across an article on this very subject, which I found quite interesting, and very factual. The article basically says that Dec. 25 was chosen because this was a day pagans were already celebrating both natalis solis invicti (the Roman "birth of the unconquered sun"), and the birthday of Mithras, the Iranian "Sun of Righteousness". The church leaders figured that since people were already celebrating, they would take this day to celebrate the birth of our Saviour.

Check it out here, you'll be glad you did!

What a revelation!!

2008-12-05T07:13:00.002-05:00

As the school year is about halfway through for us, I can't really explain what I'm feeling. I was hoping that the curriculum I chose would be one that covered everything, leaving me with a cut-and-dry packet to teach my children. This has not proven to be the case.

Before choosing this curriculum, I did an online search of what types of curriculum was out there, in addition to the different methods in which to teach. I was extremely drawn to the classical approach, but felt somewhat overwhelmed at the prospect of being fully responsible for all aspects of their education, rather than just relying on books. As a result of this feeling of inadequacy, I chose a curriculum which I felt best provided what I was looking for in my children's education. Having done so, I can honestly say that I now feel more inadequate!! We don't do absolutely everything that came with the curriculum, and are now down to the bare-bones in terms of bookwork. I feel I am failing my children, and yet, I feel hopeful at the same time.

Not being completely satisfied with the kids education has been the best thing for me. I have raked my brain trying to come up with something that I can change for next year. I have found Christian computer games, am looking for a bible that I can read to all of my kids, which will challenge our 7 year old, but not be too advanced for the 3 year old. I have spent hours coming up with my own curriculum for next year, one which will not leave me feeling worthless as a teacher and parent, but will leave me feeling more grateful for the opportunity to teach my precious children, both academically and spiritually.

This year has not been a complete wash, though, as I have learned more about my kids learning styles, and feel extremely confident as I am planning for next fall. I am no longer spending hours on the different websites offering the premade curriculum, but am now spending those rare hours I have free researching, and putting together three homemade curriculi (I don't know if that is actually a word, but I'm going to use it as the plural of curriculum!) for the next school year. And, the best part is that yes, I will be ordering books again for the kids to be doing, but I am also going to change A LOT about how they learn, and taylor it to each of them, allowing them to have a say in what they learn!

So, as I solidify my decision to go this alone, without the guide to tell me what to do, I will be sharing everything, as I come up with it. ANY input which you feel may be helpful will be most welcome, as I am still not exactly confident that homeschooling, and specifically, not following a premade curriculum, is the best route for us.

Wordless Wednesday - First Snow

2008-12-03T09:56:00.003-05:00

For more wordless wednesday, go to 5minutesformom.

The Christian's 12 Days of Christmas

2008-12-01T15:24:00.001-05:00

Being as it's now December, it's officially (in my book!) the "Christmas Season", my absolute favorite time of the year!!

{sung to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas}

On the first day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me salvation full and free!

On the second day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me everlasting life!

On the third day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me peace in my heart!

On the fourth day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me love for all men!

On the fifth day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me joy for my soul!

On the sixth day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me power from on high!

On the seventh day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me a body glorified!

On the eighth day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me a robe at the crown!

On the ninth day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me mansions above!

On the tenth day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me streets of gold!

On the eleventh day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me thousand tongues to sing!

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me eternity to praise!

From the CD 16 Great Christmas Classics Volume 1 (I don't have the case, so I can't tell you who sings this song, but it really is beautiful, and I LOVE that my kids are learning this version!!)

Free Redbox Rental

2008-12-01T15:03:00.002-05:00

Once again, Redbox has been generous enough to provide a new code for a free one-night rental, compliments of them, and has asked that we share this code with our friends!

Today's code is: CC67M4

Just remember to return that movie by tomorrow night, or you'll be charged $1 + tax per night after tonight. And if you're a new customer, or have never used this code, you can enter the code DVDONME, and get another free movie when you return this one! As always, these offers are limited to one per card.

Kmart Double Coupon Days

2008-11-29T22:07:00.000-05:00

From Nov. 30 through Dec. 6, ALL Kmart stores will be hosting double coupon days, unlike the previous sales, which included only certain locations. This means that every eligible coupon you bring in and redeem at Kmart will be doubled, so you will get twice the coupon amount off! The rules are:

coupon value = $2 or less in order to be doubled
limit of 4 like coupons doubled per transaction
limit of 75 coupons per customer per day
no internet printed coupons
if a coupon says "do not double", they're not going to double it (duh!)
any coupon that requires you to buy two or more items will be doubled up to the price of one item
don't have too much fun getting tons of free stuff! :)

Seriously, though, this is a really great deal, so round up your coupons and head on out to Kmart! And, as always, don't take my word for it....call ahead just to be sure. I was in my local Kmart today, and the manager grudgingly confirmed that yes, they were going to have another double coupon event, and no, she was not looking forward to it!! I guess it's more fun from my side of the register!

Sunrise Skillet (the Julie version)

2008-11-26T07:35:00.000-05:00

A little over five years ago, I worked for a very brief time at Bob Evans. I had just had our second child, and we were anticipating the medical bills that would go along with it. We had no extra money, and my husband had just quit working his second job after a year of 70+ hour weeks. We discussed it and decided I should go with waitressing (I really don't know why, except that maybe I could get more hours in, in a safe environment). I didn't want to serve alcohol, or work anywhere that did, so I went to Bob Evans, not knowing much about it, except that it was alcohol-free. I got the job on the spot and began a few days later (I believe my daughter was around a month old!). One perk of working there was that you got a certain number of free meals each week, and whenever they came out with something new, everyone got to try it! Well, during the two months I worked there, I ate the most delicious breakfast item....the sunrise skillet. I actually am not positive that was the name of it, since they had three similar skillets, all with similar names, but that's not the point. When I quit, that was the one thing I missed most about working there, and I vowed that one day I was going to perfect this skillet. Well, that day has come, folks! I finally got all the ingredients together, and cooked this thing....and it was delicious!!! So, since I enjoy it so much, and it really isn't too hard on the budget (under $10 for our family of 6), I thought I would share my version:

Sunrise Skillet
12 eggs (or 2 per person)
1 lb sausage
4-5 medium potatoes, diced
Hollandaise sauce (I bought a packet then made it according to the directions on the back)
butter
salt and pepper to taste
small amount of milk
shredded cheddar cheese

directions:
Brown the sausage in one pan, and cook the potatoes in another pan. While these are cooking, beat the eggs, adding a little milk, and prepare the Hollandaise sauce according to the directions. In a large skillet, melt some butter over medium heat, then add approx. two eggs. Do not mix the eggs, just let them cook, then flip them over, as if they were a pancake, and allow the eggs to finish cooking. Once everything is done cooking, layer everything in a bowl in the following order: eggs (just slide them in, in one piece, covering the bowl), potatoes and sausage, cheese, hollandaise sauce, salt and pepper (I don't use any, but if you wanted to, you could). This goes great with some homemade biscuits, and fresh fruit!

Aside from the number of pans you will have to wash, this is soooo easy to make, and although it's not the healthiest food around, it's delicious!! If you wanted to make it healthier, you could add some chopped green pepper and onion to the sausage and potatoes (or be even more creative, and see what else you can get away with adding!), or nix the butter when you are making the eggs (although, from my experience, the eggs stick if you use anything else!). You could also make this more of a mexican style omelette by using salsa in place of the hollandaise. The sky's the limit with this thing!!

So, go try it, and let me know what ingredients you used, and what you thought of it!

Wedding Candy Count Answer

2008-11-22T11:30:00.003-05:00

There were 155 candy coated almonds! The closest guess was 144 by Michele...great job Michele!
Thanks for playing!

Picture Day Answer

2008-11-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

This is my adorable sister.....did you get it right?

Bridal Story - Completed

2008-11-22T09:30:00.001-05:00

The long-awaited wedding day has finally come!! As the groom is frentically rushing around, completing all those last-minute tasks he has put off (as all good grooms do!), the bride is calmly getting her hair done. As the hairdresser completes the final touches, the bride suddenly jumps up, remembering that.......

........she never asked her maid of honor to pick her dress up from alterations. It's a Saturday, and the place is closed. What is she going to do? or wear? Should she call the thing off? She can't walk down the aisle without the dress she spent so much time searching for and perfecting!

to top that off,

She forgot the wedding license, but the traffic getting off the beach is so bad that there just isn't any time to go home to get it and come back...what will she do?!

AND

....Half of the tuxedo's were the wrong size and had to be reshipped. The date of the arrival? 9:00 a.m. on the SAME DAY of the wedding (11:00 a.m.). Boy was I relieved when I got the call that they all fit this time...

...so, she calls the seamstress who is unfortunately out of town for the weekend! After making her totally-in-shape sister jog the 10 miles back to her place to get the license, the bride decides to...

..the Bride decides, out of desperation, to call Bravo TV and offer her wedding to them as a topic for a reality show. The Bravo TV people, who had been sitting around the Ideas Table twiddling their thumbs, leap at the chance. They begin by setting up a giant stage on the beach where they create a competition to see who can invent the most creative wedding dress out of supplies found only on the beach. In the meantime, the Bride's sister has finally reached the house to get the marriage license, only to discover, to her horror, that...

..while she was running back through the rain, the ink on the marriage license smeared and you can't read a thing on it!! So...

...when the Brides sister got back and showed the Bride the piece of smeared paper, an old friend just happened to be walking by and offered a piece of wisdom that made all the butterflies go away. ...."that piece of paper can be replaced on Monday, what can't be replaced is the love you and the Groom have for each other. And what is important today is the promise that you make to that man and God."

Bible Couples Answers

2008-11-22T08:30:00.001-05:00

Here are the answers for the Bible Couples game. Rebekah is the one who got the most correct on this one with 15 correct answers!

1. Adam~~~~~Eve

2. Isaac~~~~~Rebekah

3. Sarai~~~~~Abram

4. Moses~~~~Ziporah

5. Lamech~~~Adah or Zillah

6. Uriah~~~~~Bathsheba

7. Boaz~~~~~~Ruth

8.Sampson~~~ Delilah

9.Ahasuerus~~ Esther

10.David~~~~~Bathsheba

11.Mary~~~~~Joseph

12.Abraham~~~Sarah

13.Jezebel~~~~ Ahab

14.Naomi~~~~~Elimelech

15.Rachel~~~~~Jacob

Word Scramble Answers

2008-11-22T07:30:00.006-05:00

Here are the answers for the word scramble I put up a few days ago. I'm going to go with most creative answer for this one, and say that Bekah took it home with her answer to #1: Oh, no money!!

1. ohnomoney ~~~~~~~~~~~ Honeymoon

2. agrimaer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~Marriage

3. dribal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bridal

4. camphagne ~~~~~~~~~~~ Champagne

5. wong ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Gown

6. cactetifier ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Certificate

7. uncetannmeno ~~~~~~~~~ Announcement

8. styhailer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hairstyle

9. beblubs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bubbles

10. rocitman ~~~~~~~~~~~~~Romantic

11. subhand ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Husband

12. fitg ksbeast ~~~~~~~~~~~Gift baskets

13. ridmedbais ~~~~~~~~~~~ Bridesmaid

14. lernate ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eternal

15. scragi ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cigars

16. slomi ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Limos

17. gerthproopha ~~~~~~~~~ Photographer

18. werjely~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ Jewelry

19. wingded ~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wedding

20. pechal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapel

And the winners are.....

2008-11-22T06:30:00.001-05:00

For the best piece of advice for the new bride... Rachael won with this advice: "Stay true to the life-long commitment that you made to one another no matter what you feel. I have been married for six years and we have one child. We've been through job losses, a miscarriage, as well as many moments of bliss. No matter how good or bad the circumstances that we find ourselves in, we are 110% committed to one another because we know that God joined us together for a purpose. I love my husband so much more today than I did on the day that we were married. He is my hero. I pray the same for you and your husband!" Thank you to everyone for participating, and for all the great advice.

With the most points, winning the second $10 CVS gift card, is Rebekah with 133 points! Way to go!! Again, a big thanks to everyone for playing all the games. I hope you had as much fun as I did!!

Second place, winning a Glade Scented Oil Candle, with three refills of your choice is Michele, with 127 points!

And the third and fourth place winners are Jen and Bekah!! I changed my rules a bit, and decided to add one more prize. Both of you will receive a Glade Scented oil Candle with one refill!

Thanks to everyone for joining me this week!! I have had a blast celebrating the marriage of my sister to her soon-to-be husband!

Wedding Day!!!

2008-11-22T06:00:00.001-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HAPPY COUPLE!!!!

Last Day

2008-11-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

Today is the last day you can participate in this virtual bridal shower that I have been throwing all week! I will begin posting the answers to all the games, as well as the winners, tomorrow.

As a final tribute to my sister, who will only be single for a few more hours, all you have to do today is to leave a comment, or an e-mail at TheBridesSister@gmail.com, congratulating her! Simple for you, simple for me. :)

I hope you all had fun this past week, I know I sure did! And remember to come back tomorrow to check out all the answers, as well as a list of winners!!

Wedding Candy Count

2008-11-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Above are pictures of a jar full of the candy coated almonds which are commonly seen at wedding receptions. Whoever comes the closest to guessing the correct number of almonds will get an additional 5 points tacked onto their score! Everyone else will receive 1 point for playing! Good luck. You are welcome to either leave me a comment with your guess, or e-mail me at TheBridesSister@gmail.com.

If you are just joining the fun, and have no idea what I'm talking about, you can go here to get to my first post. All games are valid until Friday at 7 pm. I will post the winners on Saturday morning, along with the answers for all the games.

Picture Day!!

2008-11-19T06:00:00.006-05:00

Today, you get to actually see the bride!! First I have a picture of the bride and her fiancee. Next are two pictures of children. One is me, and the other one is the bride. Can you tell which is the bride, and which is me? Guess correctly, and I'll give you 5 points!! Just send your guess to me at TheBridesSister@gmail.com, and I'll be sure to record your answer!

If you are just joining the fun, and have no idea what I'm talking about, you can go here to get to my first post. All games are valid until Friday at 7 pm. I will post the winners on Saturday morning, along with the answers for all the games.

Create-A-Word

2008-11-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

For today, you must take the words BRIDAL SHOWER and create as many new words as you can. For each new word you create, you will receive one point. I am giving you a ten minute time limit for this one because it will be much harder to look it up online! Once you have your list compiled, send it in an e-mail to TheBridesSister@gmail.com. And, just for fun, come back here and leave a comment telling everyone how many words you found!

If you are just joining the fun, and have no idea what I'm talking about, you can go here to get to my first post. All games are valid until Friday at 7 pm. I will post the winners on Saturday morning, along with the answers for all the games.

Bridal Story

2008-11-17T06:00:00.003-05:00

Today, you are all going to join me in the telling of a bridal story! I will begin it, then each of you gets to continue it from where the last person left off in the comments section! Try to keep it fairly short, as the comments section is likely to get pretty long! Everyone who participates will receive one point toward the $10 CVS gift card grand prize!! Oh, and please keep it PG....I may be an adult, but I have the mind of a child! ;) (and no names, please! Just refer to the people as their role in the wedding: the Bride, the Groom, the Bridesmaids, the Groomsmen, etc.). For those who would prefer to e-mail, just complete the story (I would wait until it gets interesting!), and when I post the complete story on Saturday, I will be sure to include all the alternate endings!!

The long-awaited wedding day has finally come!! As the groom is frentically rushing around, completing all those last-minute tasks he has put off (as all good grooms do!), the bride is calmly getting her hair done. As the hairdresser completes the final touches, the bride suddenly jumps up, remembering that.......

If you are just joining the fun, and have no idea what I'm talking about, you can go here to get to my first post. All games are valid until Friday at 7 pm. I will post the winners on Saturday morning, along with the answers for all the games (in this case, the completed story!).

Bible Couples

2008-11-16T06:00:00.004-05:00

Todays game has to do with couples in the Bible. Since it is Sunday, and wedding themed, I thought this would be appropriate. The rules for today are that you may spend 5 minutes trying to get the second half of each pair. You may use any means available to you, but don't spend more than 5 minutes looking up the answers (meaning if you start at 10:00 am, you end at 10:05 am...the same day!). E-mail me the answers at TheBridesSister@gmail.com, and you will receive one point for every correct answer. And remember, no one but me is going to see the answers, so if you only know one, e-mail me that one, and you will get your point!! Just for fun, you can come back here and leave a comment telling everyone how many you got (completely optional though)!

1. Adam

2. Isaac

3. Sarai

4. Moses

5. Lamech

6. Uriah

7. Boaz

8. Sampson

9. Ahasuerus

10. David

11. Mary

12. Abraham

13. Jezebel

14. Naomi

15. Rachel

If you are just joining the fun, and have no idea what I'm talking about, you can go here to get to my first post. All games are valid until Friday at 7 pm. I will post the winners on Saturday morning, along with the answers for all the games.

Word Scramble

2008-11-15T06:00:00.007-05:00

Today, we have a word scramble! Just unscramble as many words as you can in 5 minutes, then e-mail me the answers at TheBridesSister@gmail.com. Feel free to leave a comment telling (okay...bragging :)) about how many you were able to unscramble! You will receive one point for each correct answer. Good Luck!!

1. ohnomoney

2. agrimaer

3. dribal

4. camphagne

5. wong

6. cactetifier

7. uncetannmeno

8. styhailer

9. beblubs

10. rocitman

11. subhand

12. fitg ksbeast

13. ridmedbais

14. lernate

15. scragi

16. slomi

17. gerthproopha

18. werjely

19. wingded

20. pechal

If you are just joining the fun, and have no idea what I'm talking about, you can go here to get to my first post. All games are valid until Friday at 7 pm. I will post the winners on Saturday morning, along with the answers to all the games.

Surprise Bridal Shower!!!!!

2008-11-14T11:44:00.005-05:00

So, it's been bothering me that my sister [henceforth known as The Bride :) ] is going to be getting married later this month, and I, as her matron of honor, and her only sister, have really not done anything for her, other than to give her more advice than she would ever care to hear ;) Anyways, I was thinking of how I could throw her a bridal shower from a thousand miles away, then it came to me...the internet!! I think I have figured out a way to present a bridal shower of sorts to her, so I am going to be doing just that over the course of the next week.

Here's how it's going to work. There will be lots of prizes, the first being a $10 gift card to CVS!!! In order to win the gift card, just leave me a note giving The Bride a piece of advice for a newlywed, or some tips for surviving that last month before the wedding. I will present each comment to her (in the form of an e-mail, omitting the names), and let her pick which is the best one. You will then be the winner of a $10 CVS gift card, and I will notify you that you have won!! If you would be more comfortable e-mailing me, rather than leaving a comment, you can send it to TheBridesSister@gmail.com (an e-mail address I created just for this!)

Every day this weekend, and throughout the week next week, I will be putting up some type of bridal shower game. Leave me a comment, or e-mail me with the info I am asking for, and you will receive points for providing the correct info. The person with the most points at the end will win another $10 CVS gift card!! There will also be second and third place prizes, which will be surprises! So far, we have done a Word Scramble, Bible Couples, Bridal Story, and a Create-A-Word...and the week's still young!!

I will announce all the winners on Saturday morning, along with the answers to all the games. Thanks for playing, and good luck!

So...what do you think?!

2008-11-14T07:45:00.000-05:00

I got a little tired of seeing such a dark blog...so I decided to brighten it up a bit!! What do you think, too over the top, or looks great?

I've got it!

2008-11-13T21:33:00.003-05:00

I've been trying to figure out some neat nicknames for my kids on here, but have been unsuccessful up until tonight....then it clicked! So, without further adu, my children:

First up, we have the brilliant Spiderman (or Spidey). Our son loves climbing anything that looks like it shouldn't be climbed...and everything that looks like it should! As the eldest of four, he usually tries to control the situation, thinking his way is the right way. I have a hard time keeping his interest while doing schoolwork, mainly because the bookwork bores him. I see this guy as a challenge, yet one who will reap great rewards. Although he sometimes feels pulled toward doing the wrong thing, his heart is fully devoted toward his God. This is my almost seven-year-old Spidey.

Next comes the Princess. As the oldest girl, she definitely is "all girl". She loves dressing up, looking pretty, and staying clean. She is becoming a huge help with cleaning, cooking, and caring for her little sisters (she loves talking them into playing house!). Our Princess loves the idea of taking ballet, but refused to participate in the soccer games, unless she was being encouraged constantly! As loving as this little girl is, she has a terrible temper to match the loving personality that usually surrounds her. I constantly pray for the man she might one day marry! Yup, that's my five-year-old Princess (well....princess in training ;)).

Thirdly, there is the Scientist. Not scientist exactly, more of a nature lover. At almost three years old, this little girl is one who likes playing with bugs, making pets out of worms, playing with the dogs, and getting dirty! She has her own special tub of little plastic animals that she loves playing with, and is the most sentimental of the bunch, with her "monkey boy", "little lamb", and her own special baby doll that no one can pronounce the name of except her! As you may have noticed, she also likes to name her special things. This girl is also not shy around the camera, usually bringing it to me and asking to have her picture taken! It will be interesting to see what interests she pursues as she grows!

Lastly, we have the Wild One!! As the name implies, this is our most challenging child yet. This daughter LOVES getting into trouble. Anything from climbing on top of the table/toilet/sofa/chairs/beds/anything else I may have missed that can be climbed on, to letting out this awful high pitched scream when she doesn't get her way! Although she can throw a temper tantrum with the best of them, she also has a very loving, cuddly side...which she even shows on occasion!! Oh, and she is also still almost completely bald at 14 months!!

I am often asked if we are planning on having any more kids. My response is usually something along the lines of "We didn't plan on having any of the kids!" None of these pregnancies were "planned", and if we are blessed with more children, I know that I will love them just as much. My house may not always be clean and tidy, but I wouldn't trade in any of these guys for anything in the world!!

So, now that I have shared my family with you....it's your turn! Who are your children? What personalities do they have? What do you think they will be when they get older, judging from who they are today? Write a post about it, and let me know!

Wordless Wednesday - My Hunters

2008-11-12T09:48:00.007-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, go to 5minutesformom or wordlesswednesday.

Chick-Fil-A

2008-11-11T09:34:00.002-05:00

I haven't checked into this much, but I believe if you bring a shoebox filled with Christmas goodies for a boy or girl into any Chick-Fil-A location any time throughout the day today, you will receive a coupon for a free chicken sandwich. I heard something about 4-7 pm (or around that time), but have no idea what's going on then. I checked the website for a local Chick-Fil-A, but they didn't have much about it up. If anyone knows more about this, feel free to comment!

New Pics!!

2008-11-11T08:37:00.009-05:00

And it's not even Wednesday!! I have had some technical issues for the past couple of weeks, but now I've pretty much gotten that taken care of, so here are some pictures of the kids at their last soccer games for this season. Actually, we missed the Princess' soccer game in favor of a factory tour at the Route 11 Potato Chips building. (not so much of a tour as just watching them make the potato chips...it was really neat!!) Rachael Ray even mentioned them on her show a couple of weeks ago!!

So, at Spidey's soccer game, we found a really neat (gopher?) hole that the girls found interesting. It was fun for me to watch all three girls stand around this hole and just watch it!

As for the soccer game, as usual, I missed pretty much the entire thing. One downfall of having younger siblings is that Spidey doesn't get my full attention at events such as this. He takes it pretty well, though, and if I have some idea of how many goals he has scored, I can usually fake it a little. Generally the other parents give me a rundown of the game while I am chasing little girls! Those parents have really helped this season with letting me know when I should look over at what's happening!!

My son is the only one in the yellow who is facing the camera....notice the matching pants? Gotta love hand-me-downs from the Pittsburgh area....go Penguins!! :)

Sisterly love.

My nature lover, a girl after my own heart!

Observing the hole.

Clean Home Journal

2008-11-05T20:19:00.003-05:00

If you, like me, have yet to win anything from Right @ Home (formerly Clean Home Journal), they're offering another chance to win a great gift pack! Just go here, enter your name, address, e-mail, and phone number, and you may win a gift pack filled with:

1 Ziploc® Brand Fresh Produce Bag with Moisture Vents
1 Ziploc® Brand Easy Zipper Storage Bag
1 Ziploc® Brand Snack Bag
1 Ziploc® Brand Zip 'n Steam™ Microwave Steam Cooking Bag
1 Ziploc® Brand Snap 'n Seal Container

Honestly, the only thing that I would be remotely interested in is the snap 'n seal container. I love these! I entered mostly to get the $8.50 in coupons that comes with these goodies!

More Free Razors!!

2008-11-05T13:12:00.004-05:00

This time, you can pick up your free razors at Food Lion! There was a coupon in a recent insert (I believe it was this past Sunday, but I'm not positive) for $3 off BIC Soleil razors, and another coupon for $3 off the refills. Well, these razors are on sale for $2.99 through Tuesday at Food Lion! And the best part?! NO LIMITS!! I'm so tired of having to do multiple transactions, or only being able to get one item, this is a really nice change for me! My Food Lion only had two razors and one refill, so I guess that would be limiting. Either way, it's a great deal, in case you weren't already swimming in free razors! :)

And, off topic....I stopped by Chick-Fil-A last night to see if I could get a free chicken sandwich, since I was already in the area. I didn't get a chicken sandwich, instead I got a free 8 piece chicken nuggets....for everyone in the car!!!! That's right, I got an 8 piece nuggets for myself, and one for each of my four children!! What a fantastic dinner!!! And there is some buzz about Chick-Fil-A giving out MORE free sandwiches on Nov. 11. I'll check into that one and post on it later.

One more thing, in case you hadn't noticed, I haven't been putting up a Wordless Wednesday. This is simply due to laziness. I haven't had time to look through my pictures and get a suitable one up in time. I am, however, planning on beginning this again next week. I would love it if you would join me! For more on Wordless Wednesday, or to see some posts, go here or here.

Last, but not least, we are planning an impromptu trip to visit some family. If all goes well, we will be leaving sometime tonight or in the wee hours of the morning. This means that I will have absolutely no internet access until sometime either Saturday night or Sunday night (depending on when we come back). If we do go, I hope everyone has a great rest of the week and weekend!!

Election Day Goodies!!

2008-11-04T06:34:00.002-05:00

So, are you going to vote???

If you do, then you might want to hop on over to a Starbucks, Ben and Jerry's, Krispy Kreme (my personal favorite!), Hardees, or Chick-Fil-A.

If you choose the Starbucks, you will get a FREE tall coffee.
At Ben & Jerry's, just go in between 5-8pm, and pick up your FREE scoop of ice cream!
Choose Krispy Kreme (or, hopefully someone who carries Krispy Kreme, since we don't have one nearby!) and you get a FREE donut.
Some Hardees locations are giving $1 off your combo meal. (too bad our Hardees just got torn down.)
Some Chick-Fil-A locations are offering a FREE chicken sandwich or milkshake.

The point is that many stores are offering freebies or discounts for voting this election. While I, personally, don't agree with this, who am I to pass up some free things?! So, while you are already out, stop by your favorite store...who knows, you may end up with some great freebies!! (or, at least, some free junk food!!)

If you have voted early, it can't hurt to stop by, saying that you voted early, flash your voter registration card, and hope for the best! Since I'm planning on being out all day anyway, I am definately going to see what I can get!

Free Movie Night

2008-11-03T09:49:00.004-05:00

The free Redbox rental code for tonight is:

67JFP8

This code is only valid until midnight tonight, and if you keep your rental longer than one day, you will be charged the $1 + tax per night that Redbox usually charges for each rental. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Seeds

2008-10-31T08:12:00.002-04:00

One of my absolute favorite things about fall is the pumpkin seeds. I love eating pumpkin seeds! I am really happy to have found that this year the price of a large pumpkin is $2.50 at Wal Mart!!

For our son's first (or second? I forgot...it's a good thing he doesn't remember!) halloween, my husband and I decided that we would carve those really cool designs in the pumpkins, and we would treat my family to pumpkins. So my sister and I went out in search of some good pumpkins late in the season. I think it must have been pretty close to halloween because I was determined not to go back home without them!! Well, I got those pumpkins, paying around $15 each for them!!

So in recognition of the beautiful fall leaves and cooler weather, I present to you the recipe for roasting/toasting your very own pumpkin seeds!!

This is the healthiest way to cook the seeds, preserving all those oils, and keeping the nutrients, as much as possible:
Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and wipe them off with a paper towel (don't rinse them). Spread in one layer on a paper bag or newspaper and allow them to dry overnight. The next day, toss the seeds with a little bit of oil (olive to stick with the healthy theme), and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 160-170 degrees for about 20 minutes. Having done this, I will warn you, though, that the husks (the yellowish outside) are chewy and, in all, the seeds are not quite as appetizing. But they are very nutritious. :)

Here's my way to cook them:
Remove the seeds from the pumpkin, transferring them to a collander. Rinse well, removing all the pulp from the seeds. Spread in a single layer on a newspaper (actually, a plate works well, too), and allow them to dry overnight. The next day, toss the seeds with some oil and seasoned salt (the amount depends on your taste buds. I apply it liberally because I like them well seasoned). Bake at about 250 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until the seeds are crispy and slightly browned.

To store, put the seeds in an airtight container, and leave out if you will be consuming them within a few days, or refrigerate for up to a year.

And why do we carve pumpkins for halloween? I'm keeping my opinion out of this one (because that would take up an entire post in itself!) and just passing on the story here:

The story of the Jack o'Lantern comes from Irish folklore. Jack was a crafty farmer who tricked the Devil into climbing a tall tree. When the Devil reached the highest branch, Jack carved a large cross in the trunk, making it impossible for the Devil to climb down. In exchange for help getting out of the tree, the Devil promised never to tempt Jack with evil again. When Jack died, he was turned away from Heaven for his sins and turned away from Hell because of his trickery. Condemned to wander the Earth without rest, Jack carved out one of his turnips, took an ember from the devil, and used it for a lantern to light his way. He became known as "Jack of the Lantern."

So, do you celebrate Halloween in any way? (I am including carving pumpkins here, since they are generally associated with Halloween) We used to carve pumpkins, but I think we may begin a new tradition of making pumpkin seeds, then taking the meat from the pumpkin and using it to make pies and bread. Last year I found a really good recipe for some pumpkin bread, for which I used the canned pumpkin...maybe I'll be able to [try to!!] use fresh pumpkin this year!

Humorous

2008-10-31T07:34:00.001-04:00

Yep, this describes my week. It starts out with a doctors appointment in which my daughter has to show her hind end, yet again, to her doctor. She has been pretty cooperative up until this visit, at which she is adamant that the poor doctor is NOT going to get anywhere near her "owie"!! And who can blame her? This is the guy who poked it one day, cut it open the next day, and ripped a piece of gauze out of it the day after that!! (It really wasn't as bad as it sounds, though.) So, after much pleading, I finally decide that we are getting nowhere fast, and I quickly show him the spot. Everything is fine, except the look on my daughter's face! So, being a smart man, this doctor looks at my scowling daughter and asks if she wants a sticker....what a change! All of a sudden this once despised doctor is now the greatest man on earth. The only problem is that surgeons don't generally have a ton of pediatric patients, so it took a minute to find the stickers. It was definately worth the wait, though, as she got a bonus "princess" sticker that her doctor picked out for her. :)

On Tuesday, I went to Circuit City for the first time in about 3 years. I had a successful time there, but left my youngest's shoe in the cart, so I will have to make the drive back up to Circuit City to retrieve this shoe, since I paid more than my $5 limit for a pair of baby shoes, and I love these shoes!

Next, we skip forward to Wednesday. I take my kids for a late drive, having to pick up something at the store...again. Once home, I decide to make a lap around the neighborhood for the heck of it. I see a deer chasing a skunk, and get a good laugh out of it!! I get home, put my kids in bed, and let my dogs out...forgetting that I had taken off the collars for the electric fence we have. I let my DOG (singular) back in, noticing that one is missing. Great, it's about 20 degrees out, and my stupid nine year old lab decides to run away!! Well, he came back a couple of hours later, with a strange smell on him. Hmmm. I let them out Thursday morning, noting again the strange smell, wondering what he might have gotten into! Later in the day, I take the kids out to enjoy the warmer weather, again noticing that my dog smells funny. CLICK!!! This strange smell is the smell of the skunk I saw being escorted by the deer earlier that night! How do you get skunk out of dog fur?! Do I really want to when it's going to involve bathing him in MY bathtub?!! Doesn't he deserve to have to live with this smell, since he wouldn't have run into the skunk if he had stayed in his own backyard?!

So, I head to the store...are you noticing a trend yet?! Exactly how much tomato sauce will it take to bathe a lab? I decide to err on the side of caution, and get too much, knowing that I can use the extra to make spaghetti sauce, or a number of other things. Getting home, I decide to make sure tomato sauce will do the trick, so I do a quick search on the web, only to find out that TOOTHPASTE works better!! Now, the reason I put toothpaste in all caps, for those of you who do not shop at CVS like I do, is that I, at this very moment, have exactly 12 unopened tubes of toothpaste which I have gotten for free from CVS over the last couple of months! I didn't have to go to the store, since I decided to use the toothpaste, as it was given a better review.

And, to top it off, my youngest's forehead is FINALLY healing from some bumps she got a couple of weeks ago, so I decided that this would be the week I would go to get her one year pictures taken (you know, a month late!), along with some fall pictures of the four kids together. Not. All three of my daughters are now sporting matching bruises on their foreheads. My eldest daughter was playing on the railing (which is a big no no in our house) when her brother decided to teach her a lesson and push her over. Bruise #1. My middle daughter was going down the stairs on our deck when our Doberman, who was behind her, fell down the steps, crashing into my daughter and sending her flying! Bruise #2. My youngest daughter was mad at me for not holding her, and decided to run away from me, crying, right into our side table! Bruise #3. The third accident was actually the worst, as it bruised her forehead, in addition to giving her a horrible black eye! Try taking your kids to Wal Mart with three of them sporting nasty bruises! Fun times! :)

So, this was my week. How did yours go?

A deer and a skunk?

2008-10-30T07:30:00.000-04:00

Nope, no joke here! I was coming home last night and decided to take a drive around my neighborhood (in hopes that those last few feet would cause a certain child to fall into a deep slumber....it didn't work). As we were finishing the loop, I spotted a deer, which I promptly pointed out to said child. I decided to slow down and watch the deer, since my daughter loves all wildlife. This deer began acting funny, and since it was close to the road, I decided to stop, hoping it would run across the road, allowing us to see it up close. Well, the deer did not run across the road, but the skunk that the deer was chasing did!! That's right, the deer apparently thought this skunk did not belong on her turf, and proceeded to chase it away! That deer was nuts!! The only thing that would be going through my mind if I came close to a skunk would be to RUN, as fast as possible!

And the funny thing is that the skunk did run away. It didn't spray the deer, it just hurried away, as though it were afraid of this deer! Who knew deer were such bullies?!

Less Than Nothing?

2008-10-29T08:41:00.000-04:00

This is what the lamb calls Wilbur in Charlotte's Web. Wilbur then replies that it is not possible for something to be less than nothing, as nothing is as far as you can go, and to be less than that would make nothing into something! (are you still with me?!)

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White is the first read aloud book my kids and I read in association with their schooling. At first I was extremely skeptical, with it having been written in a different time, and using wording my kids are not familiar with. Having read it to them, I am glad I stuck it out. The unfamiliar words brought about discussion, and the blunt descriptions of farm life showed them that not everything in life is pleasant and fun.

Here's a question about the book: When Wilbur met Charlotte, something about her made him sad. What was it that made Wilbur sad?

$2.17!!!

2008-10-28T23:05:00.002-04:00

Amazingly, this is NOT what I spent at CVS on my most recent trip there :) This IS, however, the price for a gallon of gas!! It hasn't been this low in a LONG time!! So, how low do you think it will go? Will the cost of gas go under the $2 mark? Or is it as low as it will go?

Free Tacos!

2008-10-25T16:32:00.000-04:00

So, how much do you like Taco Bell??? If you are willing to wait in the line that I'm sure will be miles long (exaggeration), you can get a free taco on Tues! Here are the details. Basically, since there were one or more bases stolen during last weeks baseball games, Taco Bell, an official sponser of MLB, is giving away one beef taco to each customer on Tuesday, Oct. 28 between 2 and 6 pm. Don't worry about being in line at 6, only to be told you're too late, either. Apparently, if you are in the line by 6 pm, you will receive your free taco. Hmmm....I think I know what we're having for dinner that night!!

Thanks to Julie at Luv2BFrugal for all the info on this one!

Amazed

2008-10-24T17:56:00.003-04:00

After the week I have had, I can sum up my feelings in one word: Amazed!! I am amazed that I haven't gone completely insane :) I am amazed that my kids were good at the doctor's offices! I am amazed that as of right now, my house is actually cleaner than it was last week at this time! I am amazed at God's provision for His children!

That last one is really the reason I am typing this up. You see, I really hadn't been getting the best deals at the store, and was feeling somewhat discouraged about it. Unlike many I know, I usually forget to ask God to bless my shopping trip, and provide the most for the money I am about to spend. Well, last week, I was blessed with a very fruitful shopping trip!! I was able to get cheap water, paper towels, lasagna, and ice cream from Food Lion, I earned a good amount of money from CVS, I got a ton of cold and flu items for free, and will even earn around $20 from those items at Rite Aid, and my husband shot his first deer using his bow, providing us with meat!! I spent around $60 total on my shopping (last week...I usually shop on Sat, so I haven't been out this week, yet), and had plenty to last for the week, even with me making quick, easy dinners (I think we are all sick of lasagna and hamburger helper at this point! :) ). Even though I had to be at the doctor several times, I was still able to avoid the pull of eating out due to this past week's shopping trip!!

Recovering

2008-10-24T16:40:00.006-04:00

I took this picture a couple of hours after we got home from the hospital on Tues. I gave her a snack (after yet another meltdown!), then left the room for a minute. When I came back, I found her asleep on the chair!!
Just a cute picture :)

The little sneak!! Notice the doughnut in one hand as the other hand reaches for doughnut #2?!
Yeah, I'm not sure she actually knows how to use any of her toys correctly!!

FREE Old Navy Shirts!!

2008-10-24T16:12:00.002-04:00

This is for those of you who don't read all those money-saving blogs that I do!! ;)

If you go to Old Navy tomorrow, you can get some neat goodies, including a free t-shirt! I called the one in Winchester, and the lady I spoke with said they were not really informed about the promotion, but she did confirm that the first 75 customers who brought the kids in costumes would receive free t-shirts (valued up to $14.50). Although I am not planning on taking the kids trick-or-treating, I have enough dress up clothes for them to throw one on before entering the store! The store opens at 9am, and I am guessing that you are going to need to show up pretty shortly thereafter to get this deal!! I'm not sure I'll be able to get there, but I figured I would pass this along, since getting a free Old Navy shirt is really nice!

The lady I spoke with also informed me that there will be many items placed on a $2 sale. I have a feeling that most of this will be halloween stuff, but if you're planning on going anyway, it's worth checking out!

Thanks to The Centsible Sawyer and A Mom In Red High Heels for all the details on this!!

Food Science - Pop Rocks!

2008-10-23T08:15:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this one is like the one from last week....not quite so much hands on with making food, but fun, no less. I am not going to make a list of anything, or even write the directions down. Just buy a pack of pop rocks, open, and enjoy! The reason pop rocks pop is that the candy is cooked in a pressurized chamber along with carbon dioxide. It is highly pressurized, and when it comes out and cools, some of the carbon dioxide is actually trapped inside these hard candies. When you bite them, or let them melt in your mouth, the carbon dioxide is released, causing the sensation you feel!! Cool, huh?!

Update

2008-10-21T10:27:00.004-04:00

So, about the note yesterday, my third child, Audrey, came down with her second case of MRSA. I took her to the doctor yesterday and, being familiar with this sickness, thought she would be prescribed antibiotics and we would be done with it. I was horrified when the doctor examined the area, then referred her to a surgeon!! We went in this morning (at 6:30....way too early, in my opinion!) to have the abcess lanced and drained. They then packed it, and allowed her to recover...a tough process when they are coming off this medicine. To say she was having mood swings would be an understatement! I am supposed to watch her all day, and not let her out of my sight, since the meds they gave her at the hospital made her really dizzy. It appears that everything went well, and since she is already on a pretty hefty dose of antibiotics, there should not be any trouble with a secondary infection. The only trouble I am anticipating is taking all four kids to the surgeons office tomorrow to have the packing removed. I have a bad feeling about that visit!

My husband's uncle also passed away on Friday, from cancer. Although it was not completely unexpected, they only found out in August that he had the cancer! My son was pretty upset to hear about this, since we spend the day over there every couple of months. He was also very concerned about his little sister, since she was sick enough to have to go to the hospital! I explained the differences in the sicknesses, and now seeing Audrey at home, and seemingly okay, has comforted him. This uncle has a grown daughter and a son they adopted a few years ago from foster care. His wife is a really strong woman, and I admire how well she can hold everything together. Please continue to pray for her and her children as they go through this difficult time.

I am hoping that the rest of the week goes more smoothly, but either way, I'm going to stay off here and try to disinfect the house. Even though I have been told over and over again that the bacteria lives on us (everyone, not just our family ;) ) and not in our house, I will feel better if I get the house in a sanitary condition, if only for a few minutes before the kids mess it up again!

Absent

2008-10-20T08:44:00.003-04:00

Hey, I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm probably not going to be able to get on here much this week. There was a death in our extended family, and our daughter is pretty sick. I would really appreciate your prayers for my family, as well as our extended family as we progress through the day, and the rest of the week. I'll update everyone more later (well, probably tomorrow, since I'm going to have to be gone the rest of the day). Thanks!

The Frown

2008-10-17T15:22:00.003-04:00

For the last couple of weeks, I have been told that my youngest frowns at people when they talk to her. My response has always been something along the lines of sure, my social baby, the one who is perfectly happy being held by strangers, yeah, she glares at people, right. Well, it serves me right to have not believed them!! ALL day today, every time I tell her "no", or I get her from somewhere she wants to be, but shouldn't (like on top of the dining room table!) she has been giving me this look! Kind of a mix between a "oh no you didn't" and "do you really want to be doing that?!" Aren't they supposed to be teenagers before they perfect this look?!

These aren't the best pictures of it....she seems to also be working on hiding it from the camera! I think it's just too adorable when she gets the little frown lines on her forehead, as well. Yeah, try not to smile as the one year old frowns at you!

Rite Aid's Single Check Rebate Program

2008-10-16T12:00:00.006-04:00

In light of all the great deals for the week at Rite Aid, I decided to type up a quick reference version of how to shop at Rite Aid, using the Single Check Rebate program.

I have been shopping at Rite Aid for about 4-5 months. What I have learned is that the single check rebate program is actually very similar to CVS's extra care program. A couple of major differences are that CVS gives you the credit immediately, at the end of your reciept when you buy participating products. Rite Aid has you either fill out a form, or enter your receipts for the month online (either as you go, or you can input them all at once....it doesn't matter). You can then request that a check be sent to you, from Rite Aid. This is where I have to say Rite Aid's got the better deal....you can cash the check, or use it on future purchases at Rite Aid. In other words, you can either roll your rewards (like you roll the ECB's at CVS...use them to get more items that earn the reward), or you can cash out. Your choice. Up until this month, I have been progressively getting more rewards, starting with about $10, and ending with $47, which I am eagerly awaiting.

So, what you do is to pick up a Rebate Directory at the beginning of the month, glance through it to get a feel for the products, then check out the weekly ads. The weekly ads will show if there is a product that has date restrictions on it (you can only buy it between x/xx and x/xx to get the rebate), or if a rebate product is on sale for the week. Rite Aid is pretty generous about putting it's products on sale and putting out store coupons for those products. You don't really need the directory, but I like to keep it so I can cross out the products I have already purchased, since the limit is 1 on most items.

Once you have bought an item, using any coupons you may have, keep the receipt. If you lose the receipt, you are pretty much out of luck. Get on the computer, and head over to Rite Aid's rebate website, where you will set up an account specifying where your rebate check will be sent. I generally wait a couple of days before entering the receipt online, since the store has to send in the information, and that can take up to 7 days (typically it takes about 2-3, though). As soon as I enter the receipt, I check the rebate status of that receipt, making sure everything is included. I have only once had to call the customer service number because of a rebate problem. And that time, I didn't get a rebate on something I had gotten for free with a coupon. Customer service was nice enough to still give me the credit for the rebate, though!

Once you have finished entering all your receipts for the month, you can request that your rebate check be sent to you. A word of caution, though. Don't request the rebate until the month has ended, and you are positive that you don't have any more receipts to enter. Once you request your check, you can't add to it. You only have about one month to request the check, as well, meaning that for the items purchased in October, you will have until the end of November to enter the receipts and request the rebate. So don't delay!

Go here to get a comprehensive look of the frequently asked questions associated with Rite Aid's single check rebate program.

Caveat Emptor

2008-10-16T11:39:00.002-04:00

"Let the buyer beware"

Anyone know where this is going?! I bought a replacement cell phone about four months ago, after mine spontaneously quit working. After having a horrible experience the last time I had to replace my phone, I opted to just go in and buy the cheapest phone they had....no renewing anything, no rebates. Simple, right? Not so much!! You see, that phone never really worked. Whenever I was on the phone, people would complain that they couldn't hear me, it was crackling badly, and that my new phone basically did not work. Well, having driven almost 40 minutes to the store to purchase it, I did not want to have to make that trip again with the four kids. I waited until I had some shopping I had to do in the area before making the trek up there, again. That was a mistake. Apparently this phone was covered for 30 days from the purchase date. I came in on day 33. Not only that, if it had been covered still, I would have had to make another trip, having left the box, charger, and booklet at home (sorry, I don't just keep these things in my glove box!). Grrr!!! I was somewhat frustrated.

Taking a couple of calming breaths, I decided to contact customer service, where if I am diligant enough, I have always had my issues resolved to my satisfaction (and most of the time, better than I expect, truth be told). I briefly spoke with customer service, the nice man explaining that it was really out of their hands. IF I had the insurance on my phone, it would be a different story, though. I explained that I was made to understand that my phone was covered for the first year after I bought it. He said it was, under the manufacturer, but that would take a couple of weeks to get it fixed. Again, he stated that it would not be an issue if it were insured. I said that it wouldn't matter, since it's already broken, and if I were to get the insurance today, it wouldn't be covered. He said it would!! Needless to say I got the insurance, and got a new phone! :)

Thinking everything was fine, I took my new phone, and used it regularly. Then I got my first bill with this new phone. It showed that I had a couple of minutes of roaming charges billed to my number. Wierd, I thought, I don't remember being in roaming. I'm pretty careful about this, but I figured that maybe it was possible. So, I paid the bill. Now, another month later, I have about $35 in roaming charges tacked onto the bill!! Now I knew something was up!! Apparently, when I got this new phone, it was set to accept and make roaming calls without alerting me that it was in roaming. No little R in the corner, nothing.

I called customer service twice for this one. The first time, the mean lady told me basically it's not their fault, I should have set my phone correctly. And she's right, I should have. Having had tons of other cell phones, all of which had the call guard activated, I didn't check it this time. So, I hung up, upset that I was going to have to shell out another $35 for this bill. Then I looked at the roaming charges again. Hmmm, I thought. Those dates look familiar. My youngest had been sick during this time, why would I drive an hour away, when my little girl was so sick?! So, I looked it up, and sure enough, I was at the doctor's office when two of these long distance roaming charges had been made....I was NOT an hour south of there!! So, I call the phone company, AGAIN, to dispute these charges. I spoke with a very nice lady who put me on hold while she and her supervisor looked over the charges. After a while, she came back on the line and told me that she had reviewed the charges and credited my account for ALL SIX roaming calls I had on the bill!!!

So, the moral of this story is obviously be careful of what you are buying, and know the terms that come with it. BUT, also, if you feel they were wrong about something, don't be afraid to pursue it!

Food Science - Lightning!!

2008-10-16T09:04:00.005-04:00

"Listen to this, O Job,

Stand and consider the wonders of God.

Do you know how God establishes them,

And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?"

Job 37:14-15

I love watching a storm when there is lightning involved! What beauty, while at the same time, such danger! Did you know that the average lightning stroke is six miles long, and can reach temperatures of 50,000 degrees farenheit?! Wow, that's hot!! So, do you want to make some "lightning" in your own mouth?

Making "lightning" sparks

what you need:

dark room

one pack of wintergreen Life Savers

mirror

directions:

Take the life savers into the dark room (preferably at night, to get it as dark as possible), and break it open. Insert two life savers into your mouth, and proceed to chew them up, with your mouth open. Watch in the mirror as you are chewing to see the sparks!!

what happened:

A lightning bolt is actually just the result of friction in the clouds. You can think of it as just one big bolt of static electricity! You see, atoms have positive and negative electron charges, and most of the time the electron charges stay equal or neutral. Friction, however, can cause an object to gain or lose electron charges. This gain or loss of electrons results in static electricity, and sometimes a small spark or shock. In the same way the lightning is caused by the friction in the clouds, the sparks in your mouth are caused by the friction of your teeth crunching on the sugar crystals that make up the candy. So, enjoy some candy in the name of science!!

"I Can Tell The World"

2008-10-16T00:01:00.002-04:00

This was the theme of this years missions conference at our church. It was a shortened version of what usually takes place, but the missionaries were all great, and brought such experience with them. Tonight, the missionary who spoke talked about how important this missions conference is. He challenged us to think about the far-reaching effects of this specific period in time. Who might be touched because we sat in services for an extra couple of hours this week? Because we took a few minutes to get to know these people who are dedicating their lives toward getting God's Word out to those who may have never heard? For giving those extra couple of dollars in the offering plate, and foregoing the morning coffee at the local store? Who's life could be changed? Someone sitting there tonight? Maybe a child who is taught by one of those missionary wives? How about someone who is saved because of another person who met one of these missionaries? The possibilities are endless! What a powerful message!! My meager offering, the hurried prayers I offer up in the morning, possibly my own children, could somehow help with the missions work. The point is that no matter how big or how small, God uses everything we give Him for His good.

The closing song tonight was "I Gave My Life For Thee" written by Frances R. Havergal. Here is the first verse. To read the entire song, and listen to the tune, go here.

I gave My life for thee, My precious blood I shed,

That thou might ransomed be, and raised up from the dead

I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?

What touching words!! What have I done for you Jesus? Not enough!

Wordless Wednesday - Only in the country!!

2008-10-14T22:15:00.002-04:00

Check out 5 Minutes for Mom for more wordless wednesday posts!

CVS and Rite Aid

2008-10-14T13:11:00.004-04:00

Rite Aid
Okay, I've been hinting around that Rite Aid is going to have a fantastic week of free items.....well, it's here!!

There are tons of free items, too many to list. Unfortunately I haven't found any coupons to match up with them. Some of the best ones I see are:

Excedrin
Triaminic
LypSyl
Chapstick (there is a mail-in rebate for this for the purchase price...you get double the money back!)
Orajel
Little Colds/Little Noses
Children's Advil
Simply Saline
Theraflu
Sucrets

Again, there are TONS of things. You should definately check out the weekly ad before going into the store, and determine which items you really want to buy right now, since you will be paying out of pocket for them....that can add up quickly when you're on a budget. I will be using my check from last month, and will be getting most of this since I have a big check to use, and my kids have had colds for the last month...time to replenish the medicine cabinet!

And, some more free after rebate and coupons items....

Herbal Essences shampoo, conditioner, or stylers 2/$6 - $3/2 coupon = 2/$3, receive $3 rebate when you buy 2
Electrasol $3.99 - $2.25 manufacturers coupon - $2.00 in-ad coupon = FREE with possible overage
Arm & Hammer Essentials 2/$5 = $2.50, redeem for mail-in rebate

Also, if you purchase 3 Progresso soups, on sale for 2/$3 - $1.00/3 internet coupon (if your Rite Aid takes printable coupons), you will receive a free "Pink Together" breast cancer awareness T-shirt.

Update: Alex clued me in to some printable coupons for some of these items. Apparently many Rite Aid's don't take internet printable coupons, but it's worth a try!! You can either go to Money Saving Mom, or Sarah's Deals for the links to the printable coupons.

CVS
And the few deals I see at CVS for this week are:

Nestle water 24 pack, $4.49, receive $1 ECB (this is a little better than Wal Mart's $3.88/case)
Swiffer $6.99-7.99, receive $5 ECB's when you buy $10 worth of products. Use the BOGO coupon, pay the $7.99, and get back $5. Not free, but not bad :)
Palmolive $1 - $1/2 coupon = $1 for two
Revlon BOGO - $2 coupon for color cosmetics (buy 2, use 2 coupons) = (not sure about the prices, but BOGO with $4 in coupons should make it fairly inexpensive)
Dove $2.69-9.99, receive $3 ECB's when you buy $10 worth of products. Buy 3 shampoo/conditioners $3.99 x 3 = $11.97 - $2.00 coupon x 3 = $5.97
SoBe, Propel or Gatorade 5/$5, receive $3 ECB's when you buy 5

Nothing really great going on at CVS this week....another reason to give Rite Aid a try! :)

Redbox code

2008-10-13T10:30:00.003-04:00

Once again, Redbox has been generous enough to provide a new code for a free one-night rental, compliments of them, and has asked that we share this code with our friends!

Today's code is: 7CB23W

Just remember to return that movie by tomorrow night, or you'll be charged $1 + tax per night after tonight. And if you're a new customer, or have never used this code, you can enter the code DVDONME, and get another free movie when you return this one!

As always, this offer is limited to one per card.

My Saturday...

2008-10-12T00:33:00.003-04:00

What an event filled day we had today! After getting out the door early for a soccer game, we took a drive up the road, and found a bazaar. We stopped there long enough to look around (and listen to the kids complain that I was not willing to spend $.50 apiece to get their faces painted!), then we headed back to the car.

After some more driving, we made our next stop, Gabriel Bro.'s, a place where you can get name brand clothes for pretty cheap (you just have to check everything you get for holes/stains). This was an unexpected stop, after I decided that my shirt was just too tight for me, and I was not comfortable spending the day in public looking like that! There was also the small issue of my brand new Old Navy jeans that I hadn't even washed yet having a hole in the upper thigh on one of the seams. I tried on a few things, determining, again that the companies are making their shirts smaller, and their jeans bigger (because I know I don't really wear the size they say I do!). So, I got a shirt, and decided to just forget about the hole in my jeans....for now.

Then it was off again, me in my freshly bought shirt, which just happened to match two of my three daughters! Next, we went to my favorite store of the week (maybe because I didn't really do much shopping this week?!), Martin's. I heard about this deal where you can buy 3 Johnson's baby oil's, and get back some pretty good coupons, so I decided to try it out. IT WORKED!!! Not only did it work, but it worked better than I would have imagined!! You see, the baby oils were on sale for $1.05 each, and I had a $3 off 3 Johnsons products coupon, making the bottles a nickel each. If that weren't good enough, I received a $1 off your next purchase coupon for each one I bought! And to top it off, I also got another $3 off 3 Johnson's baby coupon every time I bought them, as well as a $1.50 off Johnson's baby oil coupon!! Now, I didn't try for the overage that those coupons would have provided, since I was feeling pretty lucky for getting paid to take the baby oil's in the first place! With the "money" I got from buying the baby oil's, I got all this:

Everything pictured above basically cost me about $10 (you can't see them, but there are more of the Warm Delights under the nuts). If I had bought these products when they were not on sale, I would have paid $100!! This is the very first time I can say I saved 90% at a grocery store!! (can you tell I'm a little bit excited about this?) Granted, I generally would not have bought most of this stuff due to the price, but I figure that I paid for the milk and oj, which I was planning on buying anyway, and I got everything else for free!! Not bad, eh?

And after this, I got to drop the youngest two off at home, and take the older two to their very first concert...a free concert with a free dinner of hot dogs!!

What more could a girl ask for?! A full day of fun for everyone, all for under $20!!! And the best part?!.....It begins again tomorrow with all new activities!!! So, how did you spend your Saturday?

"One Life to Love"

2008-10-09T22:47:00.004-04:00

I love listening to the radio, but I don't pay much attention to artists, and can hardly tell you the names of my favorite groups. However, I'm planning on taking my kids to a concert on Saturday night, and wanted to learn a little more about the groups that will be there. Going onto the website of 33 Miles, I discovered that their new song, "One Life to Love" is Discovery itunes song of the week, meaning that you can download this song for free until the 13th. I have never downloaded a song, but I figured I would pass this on to all of you who are more up to date on stuff like this. It's a great song...congratulations to 33 Miles!

Food Science - The Chicken, or The Egg?

2008-10-09T08:00:00.004-04:00

Everyone knows the old question, Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The answer.....I don't know. I do, however, know some pretty cool experiments we can perform on both! :)

The Chicken Experiment:
Basically you are going to need to cook a bone-in chicken, however you want to. I personally cook a whole chicken, marinating it the night before. You can use whatever you want, but you are going to want to keep out a small bone, like a small wing bone, for the experiment.

what you'll need:
small glass jar
vinegar
chicken bones

directions:
take the clean chicken bone and immerse it in a jar of vinegar. Check every other day, replacing the vinegar if the bone is not bendable.

what happened:
The acid in the vinegar is breaking down the hard material in the bone, called calcium carbonate. Once that material is broken down, there is nothing to make the bone stay firm!.....what a way to get the kids to drink more milk!! ;)

The Egg Experiment:
There are so many egg experiments out there. I made some hard-boiled eggs for lunch one day, then kept a couple out...not cracking the shell.

What you'll need:
hard-boiled eggs
raw eggs
vinegar
glass jars
salt
water
saran wrap
crayons

Directions:
1. First, take the raw egg and the hard-boiled egg (which has been refrigerated overnight), and mix them up. Try to guess which one is raw and which one is hard-boiled. Don't know? Take one of the eggs and spin it (on its side) on the counter. Watch how it spins, then take the other egg and do the same thing. Did you notice that one wobbled more than the other? That would be the raw egg!

2. Now, take the raw egg, and put it into a baggy (in case this doesn't work), and, laying the egg in the palm of your hand, apply even pressure (ladies: be sure to take any rings off first, as this will cause more pressure to be distributed to that point, causing the egg to break). Notice that no matter how much pressure you apply, the egg does not break!

3. Next, fill the bottom 1/5 of a glass with salt (kosher or pickling for a nice, clear solution), adding just enough water to make a wet, salty solution. Carefully lower the egg onto the solution. Very slowly drizzle water down the side of the glass, being careful not to disturb the mixture on the bottom. Take a rubber band (we are using a hair thing...no rubber bands around here!), and secure the saran wrap over the top of the glass. Set this in a quiet place, and watch over the course of the next few weeks as the egg "magically" rises to the top!!

4. Using the hard-boiled eggs, allow the kids to write, draw, or scribble on the eggs, making sure not to break them. When they are done, take the eggs and place them into a jar. Cover with vinegar, and seal the jar. In two hours, drain the vinegar, and add fresh vinegar. Wait two more hours, then drain the vinegar, and rinse the eggs, removing the crayon marks. You now have etched eggs!

What happened:
1. When you spun the raw egg, the liquid inside the egg shifted, causing the center of gravity to shift, as well. This causes the egg to spin off-balance. Another way to prove this is to spin the egg, then use your finger to stop it, then remove your finger....the egg will begin to wobble again due to the inertia of the fluid inside the egg. The hard-boiled egg is solid, and therefore spins evenly, due to it's center of gravity staying put.

2. The egg has an interesting shape, similar to an arch. Both cause any pressure to be evenly distributed over the entire surface area. When you completely cover the egg with your hand, any pressure you exert is distributed evenly over the entire egg.

3. This experiment actually does the work for you! You see, raw eggs float in very saturated solutions of salt water, and sink in just water. This is due to the density of those items. Water is least dense, then the egg, with salt water being most dense. All you are doing here is causing the saturation of the salt into the water to take place over the course of several weeks (or months!). As the water absorbs and distributes the salt in the bottom of the jar, the egg will stay higher than the denser salt water, eventually floating on top! An idea for those who want to record the progress would be to take some dry-erase markers, and regularly mark the side of the jar (say, once a week, or every 3-4 days). If you are wary of using a raw egg like this, a golf ball can be substituted.

4. This is actually a very simple experiment. As with the chicken bone, the vinegar corrodes the calcium carbonate in the eggshell. By using crayons to color on the egg before exposing it to the vinegar, you are preserving that part of the shell. The wax in the crayons act as a protective barrier from the vinegar. When you wash the egg off, you can see the difference between the part that has been exposed, and that which was protected!

As a homeschooling mom of 4, I do my best to integrate learning into daily aspects of life, not just books. Join me in my quest to mix tasty treats with fun science experiments!

Wordless Wednesday - my "helper"

2008-10-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

Check out 5 Minutes for Mom for more Wordless Wednesday.

Missions Conference!!

2008-10-07T14:41:00.002-04:00

Well, it's that time of year, again. For the past two years, since we moved to the Shenandoah Valley, we have attended our church's annual Mission's Conference. It truly is a time of renewal and fellowship. We learn about, and get to meet some of the families that our church supports, and it really makes missions personal. It really is a wonderful time, and I would definately say that if you are within driving distance, you should stop by. This year, they are doing things a little differently, and the services are going to be 10 am on Sun, 11 am on Sun, and 7 pm Sun - Wed. And, as extra incentive, if you bring the kids, and have them fill out a "passport", they will get a surprise at the end (usually the prizes are given out the following Sunday, I don't know if this will be the case this year). So, come on by Sunday morning, then join us at the Fairgrounds for a fun day!!

Family Fun Day Festival for Christ!!!

2008-10-07T13:54:00.003-04:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE living around here?!?! Not only is there less traffic, and more consideration given to others, but this weekend there is also the most wonderful thing I have ever accidentally stumbled across!! You see, it happened several weeks ago, right after my favorite pizza place, Domino's, re-opened. I happened to glance next door at the Subway, and see a flier. Reading it, I found an ad for the Family Fun Day Festival for Christ!!! It is going to be going on this weekend, and promises to be a fantastic weekend of fun for the family!

It will be taking place at the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds, but you won't find anything on their website for it!:(. Kicking off the weekend will be a concert on Oct. 11 from 6-9:30 by the groups Holy Devoted, and 33 Miles, with Jeff Harris speaking.

On Sunday, Oct. 12, events will begin at 11am, starting with an interdenominational worship service led by Pastor Otis Frye. There will also be hot air balloon and pony rides, food, activities for the kiddos, arts & crafts, a dog show, petting zoo, face painting, and moon bounce!! For something that I am having a lot of trouble finding any info about on the internet, it sounds like it's going to be a blast!!! And the best part is that it is FREE!!!! You can bet we're going to be there (well, not at 11 am on Sunday....we're not missing church even for this, especially since our annual Missions Conference will begin on Sunday!) Everything ends at 5pm, so get yourself over for a great time with the family!!

CVS and Rite Aid

2008-10-07T10:45:00.007-04:00

Here are a few deals I see at CVS and Rite Aid for this week....

CVS

Aquafresh, Colgate, or Ultrabrite $.99
Glaceau vitamin water, 32 oz $2.29, receive $2.29 ECB's (limit 1)
Mennen deodorant $1.99 - $1.00/2 coupon = $2.98/2, receive $2.00 ECB's (one for each deodorant...limit 5 deodorants)
Bic Soleil cartridges or razor $5.99 - $2.00 coupon = $3.99, receive $4.00 ECB's (limit 5)
Colgate MaxFresh with beads (make sure it's with beads, the other MaxFresh don't earn ECB's) $2.99 - $1.00 coupon = $1.99, receive $2.00 ECB's (limit 2)
CVS sanitizing spray .15 oz $1.99, receive $1.00 ECB (limit 5)
Bayer Breeze 2 Blood glucose monitoring system $14.99 - up to $30 coupon = FREE, receive $10 ECB's (I wouldn't bother sending in for the $4.99 rebate...unless you pay using your credit or debit card, or with a check (and your total is more than $4.99), they will not send you anything)
spend $20 on: certain Tylenol, Sudafed/SudaCare, PediaCare, Motrin, Mylanta, Pepcid, Immodium, Viactiv, Serenity, KY, EPT, Monistat receive $10 ECB's - $1.00 coupons for Tylenol/Motrin, $1.50 coupon for TENA (Serenity), $2.00 coupon for EPT, $3.00 coupon for KY...there are probably more coupons, that's just all I see.
Poland Spring Natural spring water, 3 liter 5/$5

month long deals at CVS:

CVS Vitamin D 400 IU, 100 count $2.99, receive $2.99 ECB's (limit 1). This is excluded from the B1G1 on the CVS vitamins for this week.
Serentiy Pads 60 count box or male guards 48 count, receive $5 ECB's (limit 5).....these are on sale for $10 this week, and are also part of the spend $20, get $10 deal listed above......it looks like you can do both, and get them for better than free (with the coupons, of course)!!!
Colgate MaxFresh toothbrush or toothpaste with Mouthwash Beads (make sure the toothpaste has the mouthwash beads, or you will not get any ECB's) $2.99 - $1.00 coupon = $1.99, receive $2.00 ECB's
WellPatch Arthritis, 3 ct. $5.99, receive $5.99 ECB's

Rite Aid

Crest Whitening Rinse 16 oz $3.99 - $1.00 coupon (the coupon is actually for the larger bottle, I didn't realize this when I bought the mouthwash, and the coupon went through, so it's up to you if you want to try it) = $2.99, receive $3.99 SCR
Gillette clinical strength 1.7 oz deodorant $7.99 - $1.00 coupon = $6.99, receive $5.00 SCR

Not much going on this week, but I promise they will make up for it next week....stay tuned for a later post on that.

here's a list of their best month long deals:

Purchase 1 Tide Total Care 20 load, AND 1 Downy Total Care 48 load, receive $5 SCR
Glad trash bags, purchase 1, receive $2.00 SCR
L'Oreal, purchase $20.00, receive $5 SCR, purchase $30, receive $10 SCR
Hefty trash bags, purchase 1, receive $2.00 SCR

There are lots more, and I really think everyone would benefit from picking up a rebate directory, available in the entrance of Rite Aid. A couple of things to note: Rite Aid matches competitors prices, meaning that you can bring the ad in from any store who's price they will match (I have had them match Wal Mart, CVS, and Target), and you will get the item for the other store's price. If you are buying something that will be free after rebate, and you price-match, you will only be refunded your purchase price for that product (I have never actually tried doing this, but the fine print says your purchase price will be refunded, so I wouldn't expect to get any overage by doing it). If you use a coupon on something that is free after rebate, you will still get the advertised price back for this. Submitting your rebate is easy, just keep the receipt, and when you have a minute, submit it online. At the end of the month, you can request your rebate check, and in a couple of weeks, you will receive a check made out to you, from Rite Aid. You can then either cash the check, or use it at Rite Aid for future purchases.

Last month I did really well at Rite Aid, and I am now awaiting my two rebate checks (one from August, one for oral care products I bought) for a total of $67.71, in addition to a Modella Cosmetic Bag!!!

Redbox code for today

2008-10-06T11:33:00.003-04:00

Valid until midnight tonight, the current Redbox code is:

DGM314

Just remember to return that movie by tomorrow night, or you'll be charged $1 + tax per night after tonight. And if you're a new customer, or have never used this code, you can enter the code DVDONME, and get another movie free for a night later in the week!

This offer is limited to one per card.

No beans about it....

2008-10-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it....my kids like bean soup!! In the 7 1/2 years I have been cooking for my family, I have never made any kind of bean soup because, well, I personally never liked it. In the spirit of frugality (if there is a word!), I decided to broaden my dinner menu, starting with incorporating more beans, rice, and potatoes, even though we are already a pretty potato-heavy family. So, on a recent trip to Wal Mart, I decided to pick up a bag of beans, thinking that if we didn't like them (if, or when?!), I would only be out about $2. I was truly amazed when I tried this stuff that, in my opinion, bore a close resemblance to slop! And, more amazingly, all four of my kids also enjoyed it! Having said that, I HAD to share the recipe with you. I really think you should try it...not only is it inexpensive, it is healthy, too!

15 Bean Soup
ingredients:
1 pack of beans, labeled for 15 bean soup
1 ham....whatever kind you want, just cut it into bite size pieces (I cheated and used the diced ham)
1 large can (nice measurements!) of diced tomatoes
1 large can (again, great measurements!) of tomato sauce
water
garlic
onion
chili powder
rice

directions:
soak the beans overnight in a crockpot, or for at least 8 hours. Rinse, and add enough water to cover the beans. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the rice. Cover and simmer all day (okay, I was gone all day, so I have no idea at what point they were done!), cooking the rice about a half hour before serving. It's just too simple not to try it! I used garlic powder and minced onions (I didn't feel like getting the kitchen dirty right before I left!). I served this over some brown rice. :)

So, why not try it?! Let me know if you did, and how it turned out for you!

Free Ziploc Product!!!

2008-10-02T23:46:00.003-04:00

I just got this in an e-mail....the first 20,000 people who respond will receive a free Ziploc Vacuum Freezer System Starter Kit, along with $14.10 in coupons!!! Just go here to sign up for this great offer!
Gift pack offers are available to Right@Home™ (formerly Clean Home Journal™) members only. If you have won a gift pack from Right@Home™ (formerly Clean Home Journal™) in the last 90 days, you are not eligible for this month's offer. Gift packs will be mailed by Dec. 15, 2008.

You can also enter to win $5,000 toward an energy efficient washer and dryer of your choice by going here. You could win the grand prize, or one of the 3,000 first prizes of a Fall Cleaning Gift Box, filled with SC Johnson products! Winners will be notified by mail on or about Nov. 26, 2008.

Yay for CVS!!!!!

2008-10-02T16:57:00.008-04:00

After an interesting trip to the doctor with four children who love running outside, and have been cooped up due to bad weather for the last two days, I decided to hit CVS, and get two MORE prescriptions (bringing my 3-week prescription total to a whopping 9...just for the "get better" meds. not the "stay healthy" meds!! And this time, I turned one down, too!!). This was bad choice #1. Next time, I will hit the park first.

So, I go to the pharmacy, and, putting on the sweetest, nicest face I could muster, ask if I could possibly use the Rite Aid prescription transfer coupons for this purchase of two new prescriptions. The answer...sure, but one of them is expired. No problem!!!! I just load the kiddos back into the car, and head the 1/4 mile to Rite Aid. Bad choice #2...again....the park!! A quick pick-up of the flier, with the unexpired coupon, and it's back to CVS...Why, oh why didn't I think of the park?!?!

I did great at CVS, spending around $5 on a gift card, and walking away with $10.79 ECB's. I have learned that no amount of bribing in the world will contain four kids who just have too much extra energy. And, most importantly, I came home to the most wonderful smell, having started dinner in the crockpot this morning. All is well again. :)

So, here's what I got:

2 Sunsilk (a shampoo and conditioner) $7.00 - 2 $1.50 coupons (exp 9/30, the coupon said for styling aids, I asked if the cashier could try it, and it worked!)

2 Colgate kids toothpastes $5.00 - 2 $1.00 coupons

1 Well Patch $5.99

1 CoverGirl Clean foundation $5.49 - $1.00 coupon

1 CoverGirl blush $5.99 - $5.99 (BOGO) coupon

1 Hersheys kiss $.75

1 Stayfree pads $4.49 - $2.00 CVS coupon

1 Gillette Fusion Power razor $9.99 - $4.00 coupon

6 Post It Flags $15.00 - 3 $3.00/2 coupons

I did more than one transaction, and used some $/$$ coupons I had, as well.

My grand total: $59.70

Total of coupons: $32.99

I began with $7 ECB's, and used the ones I earned for each transaction, but ended up paying $4.31 on one of 2 $30 gift cards I got with the prescriptions....and I still have the $10.79 in ECB's :)

Food Science - Coke or Pop?

2008-10-02T08:00:00.006-04:00

I have learned one thing about drinking soda...if you're in the Northeast, call it pop, if you're in the South, go ahead and have a coke! While I was dating my husband, the first time we went to visit his family I was asked if I wanted a pop. My response?....a pop??? huh??? what's a pop??? I recently found a recipe for making your own soda pop, and seeing the wording brought that back to me.....so, do you drink soda, or pop?

Make Your Own Soda Pop

ingredients:

a lemon or an orange

water

1 tsp. baking soda

sugar

a large glass

directions:

squeeze the juice from the lemon or orange into the glass, then add an equal amount of water. Stir in the baking soda, and take a sip!!! Add sugar to taste, and enjoy your homemade soda...or pop!!

As a homeschooling mom of 4, I do my best to integrate learning into daily aspects of life, not just books. Join me in my quest to mix tasty (or not so tasty!!) treats with fun science experiments!

Wordless Wednesday - Birthday Cake

2008-10-01T08:32:00.003-04:00

Head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom for more Wordless Wednesday.

As Promised....

2008-09-30T09:15:00.005-04:00

So, last week I wrote about how you can make your own cottage cheese, yet I myself hadn't tried it. Well, I finally got the ingredients, re-read my own post, and got to work. My only recommendation would be for you to try it yourself. If you, like our family, are not used to eating cottage cheese regularly, I would be willing to say that you are not going to be able to taste the difference between the store bought, and the homemade. Yes, it was that good (well...for cottage cheese!)

Some things I would like to note, though....

I tend to take directions to the extreme...if it says 120 degrees, it means exactly 120 degrees (to me....not sure if it is that important), it said to squeeze out as much of the water as I could....needless to say that stuff was really dry, and made cottage cheese that was slightly grainy, and very dry. I don't know if this was a result of my eager wringing of the curds in the towel, or maybe because it didn't sit for days like it's store-bought counterpart. Either way, having not had cottage cheese in at least a couple of months, I couldn't tell the difference. I did, however, buy some, and taste it after....not much taste difference, just the texture.

Oh, and one more thing....price. I'm not really sure exactly how much was made, as we dug into it just as soon as everything was mixed together, but I think it would be the equivalent of about three 16 oz containers (maybe just two?), so if you buy generic everything, it's going to cost about the same to buy it as it would cost to make it, the big difference being that if you make it, you make a lot more.

Here are some pics:

the milk heating up

after adding vinegar

straining it

finished product

Update: I just finished looking it up, and have found that the reason my cottage cheese had the texture it did is that I didn't control the heating well. I am an impatient person, and didn't realize that you actually need to cook this on med-low heat, to ensure the milk only heats a maximum of 5 degrees every 5 minutes....oops, I guess it should have taken longer than 15 minutes to heat it up!! This is also why you use an entire gallon of milk...it's easier to heat that amount slowly.

CVS and Rite Aid...some good deals

2008-09-29T10:58:00.006-04:00

Okay, another new aspect of my blog...in order to try and keep myself more organized while shopping, I am going to begin posting Rite Aid and CVS deals...no Walgreens yet because I have never been there, and don't exactly know how their rebates work...it seems to be a mix of Rite Aid and CVS, but I'm not sure.

CVS
Bayer Contour meter $14.99 - $14.99 coupon = $0.00, get back $5 ECB's
CoverGirl Clean liquid makeup $5.49 - $1.00 coupon = $4.49, get back $5.49 ECB's
Gillette Fusion razor $9.99 - $4.00 coupon = $5.99, get back $5 ECB's
Dawn dish soap $.99 - $1.00 coupon = $0.00

Rite Aid
Gillette Fusion razor $7.98 (Rite Aid price matches, bring in Wal Mart's ad for this price) - $4.00 coupon = $3.98, get back $5 SCR (single check rebate)
Pedigree canned dog food BOGO - BOGO coupon (for butcher's select...I don't know if this type is part of the BOGO deal) = $0.00
Diabeti-Derm heel & toe cream $6.99, get back $6.99 SCR
Crest Pro-Health whitening $2.69 - $1.00 coupon = $1.69, get back $2.69 SCR

For those of you who don't know how Rite Aid's SCR program works, here's a brief summary....do what you do at CVS, and scan the monthly book, then check the weekly ads. Buy products (such as the ones above), and keep the receipt. When you have time, enter the receipt online here. At the end of the month, after you have submitted all your receipts, and they have been approved, you just click the button to have them send you your rebate check. The rebate check can then either be used in the store for purchases (not sure what they would do if there was an overage, though), or you can go deposit it into your bank account. My first month, I received a check for about $10....four months later, I am going to be getting $60+ in checks from Rite Aid! The best part about Rite Aid is that they price match, so if you see a better price somewhere else, you can ask them to match that price.

For the next couple of weeks, I am going to save as much of my shopping money as I can because Rite Aid is having a HUGE free-after-rebate sale on their cold and flu products....more on that later.

For CVS scenerios, check out Money Saving Mom.

Movie night Monday

2008-09-29T10:45:00.003-04:00

Have you ever tried renting a movie at Redbox? If not, I highly recommend you do, and what better day than today, when they are offering a code that makes the movie you rent free for today! Every Monday Redbox sends out a code that you can type in at the check-out, so go out and enjoy a movie on Redbox!

Today's code is: LA45W7

Just remember to return that movie by tomorrow night, or you'll be charged $1 + tax per night after tonight. And if you're a new customer, or have never used this code, you can enter the code DVDONME, and get another movie free for a night later in the week!

This offer is limited to one per card.

Martin's - Triple Coupons

2008-09-27T12:25:00.003-04:00

Apparently Martin's saw Harris Teeter's ad last week, and has decided to do it's own triple coupon days. In my ad, there are 6 coupons that will triple any coupon you have who's value is up to $.50 (valid Sunday, 9/28 through Saturday, 10/4). The coupon does say that there is a limit of six tripled coupons per household, with a $15 minimum purchase, but it has been my experience with these that there is a limit of six per visit, not per card.

This is also the last week to earn the gas rewards for this period. The tripled coupons may work well with the P&G additional $.20/gal deal they are running. Here's what they've got:

save an additional $.40/gal when you purchase any 3 participating meat items:
Giant spiral sliced half ham $2.99/lb.
Grade A turkey breast (frozen 4-7 lb package) $2.29/lb.
Beef Brisket $3.69/lb
Fresh ground beef (80/20, 4-5 lb package) $2.49/lb.
Boneless sirloin steak (beef loin, value pack, 3-4 lb package) $4.99/lb
Giant boneless skinless chicken breast (4-5 lb package) $2.99/lb
(just wanted to add that Food Lion has Perdue brand on sale for BOGO)
Hatfield boneless center cut pork chops (value pack 3-4 lb package) $3.69/lb
Giant italian style sausage (value pack 3-4 lb package) $2.99/lb
personally, I don't really see huge savings toward the meat, but if you need some, you may as well get the $$ off for gas! (I have figured that to fill my 30 gallon tank, I receive about $6.00 off per $.20/gal promotion I do, so I try to figure out how much I am saving on food that way, since I have to buy gas anyway).

save an additional $.20/gal when you buy 5 participating P&G products. There are a lot of these, so I am not going to list them all. They don't really seem to have great sale prices listed for the products (Pantene shampoo or conditioner 12.6 oz are 2/$7....not fantastic), so I'll probably skip this deal.

Let me know what you find!

Happy Birthday!!

2008-09-26T01:00:00.000-04:00

Today, my baby turns one year old!! Where has the time gone?! After getting an early start in life (she was born right at 36 weeks, due to complications), she has definately made up for her petite size at birth. This little girl is my spunkiest child yet, with her ability to climb onto anything that she can touch, and her infectious laughter. She definately makes our family more complete.

In honor of my little girl's birthday, here is her life, in pictures:

notice the drool in this one? Teething was pure agony for both of us!!

This energetic little girl hardly resembles the tiny infant I brought home from the hospital....except for the lack of hair!! What a fun-loving child!

I've been tagged!

2008-09-25T22:54:00.003-04:00

Jen, my newest bestest friend ever for helping me with all the trouble of beginning to blog, has tagged me! It's a mixture of "6 random things about me" meets "6 quirky things about me," so here goes:

Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. List 6 unspectacular quirks you have.
4. Tag 6 bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each taggee's blog to let them know they've been tagged.

Now, on to the 6 randomly quirky things about me:

1. I love trying to see how close I can get to wildlife. Tonight, I got about 30 feet from some deer....while trying to keep my 2-year-old quiet!

2. I am very good at making lists. Not so great at completing them, but good at making them!

3. A year ago, I had absolutely no idea what a blog was.

4. A year ago, I couldn't stand diet coke, now it's my favorite soda!

5. When I make pancakes, I intentionally make them too thin because I don't like fluffy pancakes.

6. I have 11 boxes of Hamburger Helper in my pantry, yet I try not to make it unless I can't come up with any other dinner ideas!

Here's who I'm tagging:
RP
Alex

that's it! Now that I have a blog, I should really try and see who else I know who has one!

Cottage Cheese

2008-09-25T13:00:00.007-04:00

Have you ever wondered what exactly cottage cheese is made of? Well, remember Little Miss Muffet?....

Little Miss Muffet

sat on her tuffet,

eating her curds and whey....

That's all the further we need to go. Curds and whey. Cottage cheese. Is there a connection? Yes...apparently, you can boil skim milk, and separate the curd from the whey. Then you strain it, and voila! Cottage cheese! Here is the recipe, I am planning on trying it just as soon as I get myself out to the store to buy skim milk (we're 2% or whole milk drinkers here). I'll report back just as soon as I try it out.

ingredients:

1 gallon pasteurized skim milk

3/4 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 cup half-and half-or heavy cream

directions:

pour the skim milk into a large saucepan, and heat to 120 degrees F over medium heat. Remove from heat and slowly pour in vinegar, stirring gently for 1-2 minutes. During this time, the curd will begin to separate from the whey. Cover and allow to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.

*SCIENCE MOMENT: What exactly are curds and whey? Good question! Curds and whey are two different types of proteins found in skim milk. When exposed to a chemical called rennin (or, in our case, vinegar), the two proteins separate, forming a white lump, and a clear liquid...the curd and the whey....are you sorry you asked?

Next, pour into a collander lined with a thin kitchen towel (after you have taken the time to marvel over the fact that your milk is now clear, with chunks of white in it!). Allow to drain for approx. 5 minutes, then take the corners of the towel, and run the curd over cold water for 3-5 minutes, or until completely cooled. Once cooled, squeeze as much of the water out as you can, then transfer to a large bowl, where you will add the salt, and break the curd into bite-sized pieces. If you are planning on eating the cottage cheese right away, you can add the cream or half-and-half now. If you will be eating it later, put it in the refrigerator, and add the liquid just before serving.

Now, back to that rhyme....do you want to know why we don't just eat curds and whey anymore, but have become sophisticated enough to now consume cottage cheese? Easy...the whey really doesn't taste very good! Go ahead, try it....people do actually eat it. I just wouldn't want to be one of them!!

Wordless Wednesday....Yikes!!

2008-09-24T07:55:00.005-04:00

My husband was kind enough to about scare me to death when he came in the house carrying a plastic container containing this guy!! I REALLY don't like spiders...more than I don't like snakes!!! Not fun, at all!

On the other hand, the kids enjoyed looking at it, and after awhile, it's beautiful coloring got to me, too. No, I still don't like it, but even I can admit when I see something that's magnificant (in a creepy sort of way!). You can't see the true beauty in the picture...this spider actually has a silver back, which is brilliant against the sunlight!

Psalm 1

2008-09-23T15:10:00.005-04:00

As part of the kids' schooling, we are memorizing scripture. I can't believe how quickly, and easily it is going for them! The past six weeks, we have been working on Psalm 1, memorizing one verse each day. This week, they are reviewing the entire book/chapter. I am very happy with this portion of their schooling, and only wish I was able to memorize passages as easily as they seem to!

Science, science everywhere!

2008-09-18T11:50:00.008-04:00

So, this being our first year homeschooling, I bought the necessary books, and not much else, as I have TONS of different resources right here in my home, lovingly donated my so many! I have been struggling to keep up with just this info, and have really been wondering what I'm going to do next year when I add the electives...science projects in particular. It then occurred to me that I don't have to do a science project every week. What a revelation!!! When I was in school, we did one about once a month, but even that didn't start until middle school.

We began watching the clouds last year, and learning about the four main categories they fit into. Silly me, I didn't consider that real science, nor did I consider the bug collecting expedition that took place during our oldest's soccer game last Saturday (we didn't have a container, so we just collected them on the umbrella part of the stroller...it's a good thing the baby was oblivious!) to be real science.

Chalk one more up to a faulty, over-achieving mom....science isn't in the books, it's in the world around us!!

And, on a side note, come back on Wednesday to see what nature has so generously provided us for our science for the week!

Shine

2008-09-18T11:14:00.006-04:00

Listening to the radio this morning, I heard the song Shine by Salvador. The chorus really caught my attention....

Lord let me shine, shine like the moon
A reflection of you in all that I do
Lord let me be a light for your truth
Light of the world,
I wanna be used to shine for you

I recommend you listen to the entire song, as soon as you get a chance, which you can do here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUuwtZMegYc

Wordless Wednesday

2008-09-17T13:44:00.002-04:00

I have decided to begin posting a Wordless Wednesday. Beginning next week, I will simply put a picture up, hopefully something that I have been able to snap the previously week.

This here is my climber. I knew she could climb onto beds, sofas, chairs, and into the bathtub, but really!! Onto the toilet?! Maybe she is just practicing getting up, and will potty train early!

Meet Me...

2008-09-17T12:18:00.001-04:00

I am a koala mom...or at least that's how I feel! My husband and I have 4 children, ranging in age from 6 1/2 to 11 mos. Any idea where this is going?.... There is not a whole lot of space between our kids, mostly fewer than two years. A koala mom carries her baby on her back for the first year of its life, and like the koala, I am almost always spotted with a child on my hip!