Recipes, Deals etc

Coupons

2012-01-27T14:01:00.002-06:00

I have a new feature!!! If you click on the coupon directly it will automatically clip it for you in Coupons.com!!!

$1.00 off on any (1) New Schick Xtreme3 Eco 4ct

Head On Over...

2012-01-27T07:40:00.001-06:00

I'm posting on Seeds of Faith Women today!!! Chapter 2 of Esther!

Deals

2012-01-25T11:43:00.001-06:00

InkGarden - Valentines Mug For $2

Personalized Valentines mug for $2 plus shipping/handling: USE CODE: MUG2 @ checkout

Order by Feb 5th for Vday delivery. $5.99 shipping

Deals

2012-01-25T11:41:00.001-06:00

Vista Print has 10 Free Note Cards—Cut into 3’s to Make 30 FREE Personalized Kid’s Valentines! Add a personal message and even a photo and create a unique valentine for your child to hand out in class. Order now and enjoy a stress free Valentine’s Day this year! The Note Cards are free- just pay shipping and processing!

Homemade Christmas: Toffee!!!

2012-01-24T04:00:00.003-06:00

Ok people, this one is a KEEPER! The best part is that it is completely done in the microwave!!!

The part I liked about this is that it will keep for months in the fridge. Not that is will last that long, but the fact that I can make it whenever to gift it whenever is really nice.

Tips: I found the Pampered Chef batter bowl to be perfect for this. Don't skimp on the foil or butter. I used PAM, but still necessary.

Packaging: A tin or plate would be best.

3/4 c. butter
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 c. finely chopped almonds
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Line an 8" square dish with foil, extending it up over 2 sides; butter foil lightly and set aside.

In a 2 quart glass measuring cup, place butter and sugar. Microwave, uncovered, on High for 1 minute. Beat with a wire whip until smooth; microwave uncovered on High for 4 more minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the almonds. Microwave uncovered on High for 2 minutes or until mixture thickens. (Watch carefully because sugar burns quickly.) Stir with a wire whip, place prepared dish on a flat surface and immediately pour in mixture. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and cover with plastic wrap for 4 minutes until chocolate melts. Spread melted chocolate evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup almonds. Refrigerate uncovered until chocolate hardens. Remove toffee from dish and peel off foil. Break toffee into pieces, pack in shallow containers, cover and refrigerate. Will keep several months. Yield: 1 pound.

Linking up with What's Cooking Thursdays, Full Plate Thursday and Tuesdays at the Table

Deals-making your money work for you!

2012-01-24T04:00:00.002-06:00

Pampers Points-5 more points!

$10 off $10 in copying at Office Depot

Free bic highlighters at Staples or Walmart

Free Valentine's Day card from Tiny Prints

24 Hour Fitness - Free 7 Day Pass Your fitness resolution made easy. Try any of the 400+ locations free for 7 days. No appointment needed. Absolutely no sales pressure. Plus get $7 off monthly dues.

H&R Block 2012-The offer allows you to complete your federal tax return using their online product for free. State returns are an additional fee.

CreditSesame - Free Credit Score-Credit Sesame is a 100% free personal finance credit and debt management tool with no credit card required or trial period. Credit Sesame makes managing personal credit online, owing less in interest and saving on mortgage, loan & credit card payments easy! It gives an instant view of consumer's credit, including Experian credit score, refreshed monthly & for free, & debt analysis with personalized offers tailored to consumer’s credit profile.

Helping to plan your meals!

2012-01-23T13:47:00.000-06:00

Food On The Table - Easy Meal Planning

Food on the Table is an easy meal planning service that is based on sales at local grocery stores. With Food On The Table, users will be able to: find thousands of easy, healthy recipes, save money by knowing the items that are on sale, and simplify your shopping experience with a well organized grocery list.

It's free if you use the service for 3 meals or less a week. For more than 3 meals a week and more recipes, the member can upgrade to the premium version for a low introductory rate of $5/month.

Meal Planning Monday

2012-01-23T04:00:00.005-06:00

Monday: Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole (Weight Watchers version), ham, asparagus

Tuesday: "fried" chicken legs, orzo pasta, fruit and veggies

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Trader Joe's Orange Chicken, broccoli and rice

Friday: homemade pancakes, eggs and turkey sausage

Saturday: homemade pizza

Sunday: date night

Weekend Round Up on Deals

2012-01-23T04:00:00.004-06:00

free Pink Chiffon Lotion from Bath and Body Works

Free Physician's Formula mascara after rebate ($9.95 value)

Free paper towels from Target

Purex laundry soap coupons today! (on Facebook)

40% off Hobby Lobby coupon

5 lbs of free document shredding from Office Depot

$5 gift card from Target w/purchase of K-Cups

Deals

2012-01-20T04:00:00.002-06:00

Lids $5 clearance on hats

free itunes music

Free Martha Stewart Living Magazine!

Vistaprint - Valentines Day: Mousepads

Customized Mouse Pads add that personal touch to your loved one’s office. With a variety of designs you are sure to find one that will look perfect in any office.

thredUP - Kids Clothing Swap

The thredUP community - where moms swap kids clothes and toys. It’s easier than ever to hand-down outgrown children’s items and earn cashback. Use FREE USPS boxes or Concierge bags to de-clutter without leaving the house. Earn up to $10 for each great box you sell and up to $20 for each bag you stuff and return to us. Pick new boxes that start at just $9 and come full of great kids stuff. The average thredUP box has more than 15 items. It’s the best kids clothing deal anywhere

How does it work?

Gather all the books your child no longer reads, and list them by the boxful on thredUP.
Sign-up for free and thredUP will send you complimentary empty USPS boxes (if you don’t want to wait, go grab them for free at your local post office).
When another mom picks your box of books, thredUP lets you know. thredUP generates the shipping label and scheduldes home pick-up, so you can send books without leaving the house.

It’s even easier than Goodwill and you’ll send your family’s once loved books directly to another child who wants them.

Book Review: Radically Obedient, Radically Blessed

2012-01-20T04:00:00.001-06:00

Lysa TerKeurst, best known lately for her Made to Crave book is also the author of Radically Obedient, Radically Blessed.

This little book was a very quick read, about 4 hours in total, and yet it was full of deep wisdom and perspective every Christian should hear and ponder. I stumbled onto this book after a quote resonated with me while reading When I Lay my Isaac Down by Carol Kent.

TerKeust brings the Christian walk into view in a more specific way and offers a challenge. TerKeust is careful to ask the reader only to consider what is being presented instead of stating life now needs to be lived the same way she lives it. I truly appreciated that, not because I don't want to be obedient, but because it allowed me to read this book without a cloud of guilt hanging over me.

TerKeust brings the reader through scripture pointing out how we are called to a life of obedience. Over and over she shows how we are created with the opportunity to choose, and those choices effect our opportunities to serve God.

As a Christian I find one of the most challenging things said is "You just need to pray about that, and have faith". TerKeust brings that statement into focus in a new way that left me hungry to be able to say "I choose obedience".

Deals

2012-01-19T04:00:00.000-06:00

Plum Organics as low as 69 cents each

Freebie Round up from Deal Seeking Mom

If you visit Starbucks this week, the free app of the week is Tetris!!!

Free Firecracker Chicken from Panda Express

$10 off $50 in store only at Old Navy

B1G1 free Avocado coupon

20% off Denny's

Vistaprint has a fun Valentines Day offer!

2012-01-18T12:16:00.000-06:00

For a limited time, get one FREE customized Mug for Valentine’s Day! A great gift on its own or filled with sweet treats for Valentine’s Day, a personalized ceramic mug will brighten up anyone’s day! Choose a design that fits your mood and add text to make it unique. The mug is free, just pay shipping and processing.

It's Tax Time!

2012-01-18T12:07:00.002-06:00

H&R Block is helping you file your Federal Taxes for free! Check it out!

Snow Painting

2012-01-18T04:00:00.003-06:00

Courtesy of Pinterest the boys got to have some fun in the snow this weekend. I love an activity that is inexpensive and burns energy!!!

I'm linking this with Seeds of Faith!

Deals

2012-01-17T04:00:00.003-06:00

10 more Pampers Points

free ebook Home Canning

Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce Pumpkin Walnut Bread

2012-01-17T04:00:00.000-06:00

I was SO excited to see this recipe for Cranberry Sauce from the Pioneer Woman. I've developed an allergy of sorts to citrus as it now gives me migranes. I have found it incredibly difficult to give up my clementines and grapefruit. In addition I have begun to realize how much I was actually using citrus!

Now, one of my favorite reasons to make cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving is actually to re-use it in other recipes! Last year I made this bread, and this year I made this peace of heaven:

I used this Pumpkin Bread recipe as my base, and this is what I ended up doing:

3 C sugar

2 eggs

2 C leftover Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce

3 1/3 C flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 15 oz can of pumpkin

2 C chopped walnuts

water as needed

Makes 3 loaves bake 55-65 minutes 350 degrees

Local Shopping Opportunity!!

2012-01-16T17:46:00.002-06:00

Ladies bring your man January 22 from 1-3. You can fill out your wish list and then your husband can shop. Many things to choose from: jewelry, kitchen items, candles, crafts.

Tell you husband not to worry, the football games will be on and refreshments will be served.

If your man does not want to come, you can come and shop yourself. Just tell him what he got you for Valentine's Day.

All purchases will be wrapped for his convenience, and will be delivered by Valentine's Day.

If you are interested let me know and I will get you an address!!

Weekend Round Up on Deals

2012-01-16T04:00:00.008-06:00

B1G1 free Bob Evans breakfast

Free ZarBee Cough Syrup sample

Free Victoria's Secret lipgloss

Slow Cooker Liners 97 cents at Target

possible free Brita at CVS

12 month Xbox live membership $39.99 from Best Buy

free ebook Organized Simplicity

$5 off Weight Watchers scale

40% off Hobby Lobby

25% off one item at Michael's

2 free years of Lego Magazine

6 free wings at Buffalo Wild Wings

Meal Planning Monday

2012-01-16T04:00:00.004-06:00

Monday: Shredded BBQ Chicken sandwiches, roasted basmati rice, asparagus

Tuesday: Thai Chicken Salad for adults, leftovers for kiddos

Wednesday: Bowtie Pasta with meatballs, salad, rolls

Thursday: Southwestern Chicken wraps, chips and guacamole

Friday: breakfast

Saturday: homemade pizza

Sunday: date night!

Head on Over

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

I'm beginning a 2 monthly series on the book of Esther over at Seed of Faith Women!

Deals

2012-01-13T04:00:00.002-06:00

Free ebook Silly Monsters

B1G2 free photo books from Snapfish (that's right! 3 for the price of 1!!!)

Free sample Garnier Fructis color shield

Free Retro Happy Birthday Printable Labels

Free Tanger Outlet coupon book!

$2 off Clean and Clear printable

Deals

2012-01-12T04:00:00.002-06:00

Free package of Huggies Diapers

Free Clean and Clear Morning Burst

Free subscription to Newsweek Magazine

Free Hot Cocoa K-Cup

Jenga for $4.88 (my boys LOVE this game!)

Free Benefiber sticks at Walmart and possibly CVS

Check out these new coupons!

New Coupons From This Week:

Food

Health & Wellness

Entertainment

Games

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In return, you earn valuable rewards that you can spend all over the web. Not bad.

Book Review: When I Lay My Isaac Down

2012-01-12T04:00:00.000-06:00

Carol Kent is one of my all time favorite mentoring authors. I had heard awhile back about a family situation and really hadn't put much thought towards things. We all have tough things that happen in our lives and we get to choose how we respond in them. Kent chose to continue to honor God through her hardest life struggle and humbly put her life lessons learned into this AMAZING book.

I got this book when it was offered free from amazon Kindle, but hadn't read it until this past Christmas. Part of the reason this book probably resonated with me so solidly is that it coincided with a desire to put into practice the words of fully embracing the path God has created for my life.

Kent is the mother to one son, a model child who was recently married, and about to being a naval career. This is the story of the decision that son made to murder another man and how the parents began to pick up the pieces of a broken life, ministry, and child.

Kent does an amazing job of giving a full picture from her perspective and that of people around her during the 3 1/2 year process of responding to a family crisis most of us will never experience. What I most appreciated is that Kent does not use this platform to proclaim her son's innocence or write out all the reasons she was "wronged". Kent acknowledges what has occurred, gives the reader the answers to all the questions that run through a mind when hearing of a tragedy such as this, and then gives clear answers on ways she mourned. She continues with answers to how she came out of her darkest hour and chose to walk forward down the path of life before her, praising God, choosing to see how this can be use to glorify God. Over all, I would suggest this book, and encourage the reader to reflect on how they too can follow in this example in their own lives.

Homemade Christmas: Cranberry Pecan Muffin Mix

2012-01-10T04:00:00.000-06:00

This recipe was from Family Fun Magazine.

Tips: make a bunch of mixes and store in cool area, they are great gifts on the go.

Packaging. These can be put in a 3 cup mason jar or zip lock bag. If bagging, separate cranberries and pecans so as not to mix with flour mixture. Don't forget to add baking instructions!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 large egg
1 1/2 cup of milk
1/3 cup of vegetable oil

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400° and butter the bottoms only of 12 regular-size or 6 jumbo muffin cups.
Pour the muffin mix into a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon. In another bowl, whisk l large egg. Then blend in 1 1/2 cups of milk and 1/3 cup of vegetable oil.
Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour in the liquid mixture and stir just until smooth. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups.
Bake the muffins on the center oven rack until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes for regular muffins or 20 to 25 minutes for jumbo muffins. Serve warm and enjoy!

Weekend Round Up on Deals

2012-01-09T04:00:00.002-06:00

free sample Crystal Light Energy

Send a friend a free sample of Hills Bro Cappaccino

40% off Hobby Lobby

New Procter and Gamble coupon book is out!

Free Starbucks coffee samples this week! (12th-15th)

20% off everything at Michael's this week!

2 refillable K cups and coffee for $18.75 shipped!

Meal Planning Monday

2012-01-09T04:00:00.001-06:00

Monday: "fried" Dijon Chicken legs, fruit salad, asparagus

Tuesday: Chicken Sausages, orzo pasta, asparagus

Wednesday: homemade pizza, fruit and veggies (carry over from last week)

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: breakfast stuff

Saturdays: orange chicken, broccoli, rice

Sunday: date night

Sunday Coupon Preview!!!

2012-01-06T11:23:00.003-06:00

Want to start planning your shopping early? Check out this website! It's an organizers dream :)

Manilla - Free Online Account & Bill Organizer

2012-01-06T11:07:00.002-06:00

Manilla is a free web based service that helps consumers better manage all of their household accounts, including financial, utilities, subscriptions and travel rewards programs, in one secure place online. Under a single password, Manilla provides customers with an automated, organized view of all of their account information, text and/or email reminders to pay bills and unlimited storage of account documents that Manilla has seamlessly retrieved for the consumer.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Manilla.

Book Review: Unbroken

2012-01-06T04:00:00.000-06:00

I usually don't read war books. In fact, the whole time I was reading Unbroken my husband kept saying "I'm really surprised you are still reading that!". I could NOT put this book down!

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.

The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.

Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.

In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.

What I loved most about this book was the bold and honest conversation from Zamperini about finding God, following through on his commitment to serve God and choosing forgiveness. You will not regret reading this book.

deals

2012-01-05T04:00:00.002-06:00

B1G1 free Crush soda

Free hard cover photo book from My Publisher (I've used this company and love them!)

Free QT beverage TODAY ONLY!!

Free Lystine Cold Sore medicine

Deal Seeking Mom Free Sample Round Up

Free cooking class Williams Sonoma

$10.00 Eye Care Coupon
Get 2 pairs of glasses for $99 plus print this $10 off coupon good at EyeMasters & VisionWorks!

Craftsy Crafting Daily Deals

Converting at over 50% network wide! + Monthly Affiliate Contest

To Signup for Craftsy Crafting Daily Deals click on one of the deals, after signing up you get the full information about the deals offered.

Craftsy is the fastest growing online community for Crafters - with over 500,000 monthly unique visitors, having just launched in May 2011. This rapid growth results from two primary offerings which Craftsy users love:

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BONUS / CONTEST: At the end of each month, the 2 publishers/affiliates who drive the most registrations will each receive a $100 Amazon gift card and all publishers that drive at least 10 registrations will be entered into a drawing to win one of 4 additional $25 Amazon gift cards.

Book Review: I Am Second

2012-01-04T04:00:00.003-06:00

I saw a few "I Am Second" You Tube videos this past fall, so when this book option popped up with I was intrigued.

I Am Second is a movement to make people aware that it is only by putting God first life will be complete. What I have appreciated about the videos is the boldness of popular cultural figures to speak boldly about God, their relationship with Him and why they have a full life.

I found the book testimonies to be an interesting compilation of people. I was not familiar with the majority of the people in this book, and yet the broadness of their stories, the diversity presented was intriguing. I think this book would be one that every person connected to on some level. Over all, I found the stories to be clear, truthful and encouraging.

I think this would make a great book for graduate or someone who is new to the Christian faith. I love this ministry, and I'm happy to spread the word about it.

If you are interested in reviewing books for free check out the link here! This review is my personal opinion, I was not compensated for it, I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for a review.

Deals

2012-01-04T04:00:00.002-06:00

New Coupons!!

Food

Household

Health & Wellness

Pet Food

DVDs & Magazines

Vistaprint - 6 FREE Products

6 FREE products to start the New Year! Get organized in the New Year with 6 FREE products from Vistaprint! Choose from 250 Free Business cards, a free photo wall calendar, a free photo desk calendar, 10 free folded note cards and more! Don’t let your resolutions get away from you this year, The products are free- just pay for shipping and processing!

Starting Shipping Costs:

- Free Business Cards: $5.67

- Wall Calendar: $5.67

- Desk Calendar: $3.49

- Sticky Notes: $4.57

- Note Cards: $4.68

- Stamp: $6.31

Free sample Lipton fruit tea

Free sample Celestial Seasoning Tea

Free tickets from Chuck E. Cheese

B1G1 free Baskin Robbins

Broccoli Cheddar Casserole

2012-01-03T04:00:00.005-06:00

As part of Thanksgiving I stumbled upon this Pioneer Woman recipe. I had several boxes of Broccoli and Cheese sauce in the freezer, and decided to make an abridged version of this recipe. Not to try to improve it, but to make it a bit healthier and use up what I already had in the freezer.

I took 3 boxes of Broccoli and Cheese Sauce and added 3/4 of a sleeve of ritz crackers, 1 T of dijon mustard and a bit of pepper. I mixed it all together and added it to an 8x8 dish.

Then I topped with buttered ritz crackers (a whole stick of melted butter and a whole sleeve of crackers...it was Thanksgiving! And baked until warmed through, about 20 min at 350. As predicted, it was a hit!

I'm linking up with Tuesdays at the Table, Full Plate Thursday and What's Cooking Thursday

Deals

2012-01-03T04:00:00.004-06:00

Free greeting card including shipping!

possible free mac and cheese from Target

uDraw tablet for $29.99 (we got this for Christmas and it's really fun!)

Free Benjamin Moore paint sample!

possible Valentine's gift for the kiddos? Chuggington DVD $4 off!

Meal Planning Monday

2012-01-02T05:14:00.001-06:00

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas! We did and we are well rested and looking forward to getting back into a routine!!! My kiddos have expressed a desire to have breakfast for dinner more often, which is GREAT with me! So, I'm going to have a few new routine meals starting with Friday being pancake night and Saturday being pizza night. We are entering into a few months of Basketball which includes Friday practices and Saturday games.

Breakfasts:

fruit smoothies

pancakes

eggs

sausage or bacon

pumpkin muffins

Lunches:

mini bagel sandwiches

hot dogs

hot lunch at school

Monday:

Philly Cooking Cream, Italian Herb Pasta w/chicken

Tuesday:

Turkey Burgers, chips and salsa, peas

Wednesday:

Ham, roasted basmati rice, asparagus

Thursday:

leftovers

Friday:

breakfast stuff

Saturday:

pizza

Sunday:

leftovers

Weekend Round Up on Deals

2012-01-02T04:00:00.000-06:00

Free ebook: Organize for a Fresh Start

10 more Pampers Points

Kids eat free at Chili's this week!

20% off Children's Place plus free shipping

The Human Heart..Head on Over

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

I'm posting on Seeds of Faith Women today! Merry Christmas! I'll be back after in 2012!!!

Necklace

2011-12-22T04:00:00.000-06:00

I was gifted 2 of these adorable Pinecone charms from Uppercase Living's new line. It immediately got my wheels turning and I decided to make 2 adorable necklaces using the charm. Now, this could easily be used on just a ribbon as it is so adorable. Instead I decided to use up some of my craft supplies. There is a great set of instructions HERE or you can see below.

Needed, thin gage wire, H size crochet hook, beads of various sizes, necklace clasps.

Take A LOT of wire, A LOT and begin stringing beads. There is no need to follow a pattern, but space out the larger ones.

Once you have strung enough beads to go around your neck 4-5 or more times you are ready.

To begin crocheting use a single stitch, or the chain row on the farthest end from the bead stringing. This might take some patience, but I have found that taking 6 beads at a time, running them down the wire and crocheting them in place is the easiest way to do this. You can grab more then one bead per stitch, but I wouldn't grab to many.

Once you have all the beads stitched in place you can now fold over and twist to create a necklace of your choice.

I took the pinecone and put it exactly opposite of the jewelry clasp.

I do need to apologize for the pictures, they aren't the best, hopefully you get the idea!

Egg Muffin Frittatas

2011-12-21T04:00:00.001-06:00

Christmas always involves brunch for us at some point. I love this recipe!

Make these muffins the day before. Let the muffins cool for 15 minutes, then place in a plastic container and refrigerate. In the morning warm an egg muffin in to microwave for breakfast.

6 large eggs (or egg beater equivalent)

1/4 tsp salt

Dash of black pepper

1/2 c shredded cheese

1 C veggies finely chopped (spinach, mushroom, carrot, broccoli, peppers, onion)

1 Spray muffin pan with non stick spray

2 break eggs into a large bowl, add s&p, beat well

3 divide veggies into 6 muffin cups, top with cheese

4 pour egg mixture into each muffin c until each is 3/4 full

5 bake 375 degrees oven for 25-30 min or until muffins have risen, eggs are set and light brown.

Homemade Christmas: Hard Rock Candy

2011-12-20T04:00:00.000-06:00

In addition to all the nuts and drink mixes we also made 3 flavors of Hard Rock Candy. This was gifted to me a few years ago and I've been chicken to try it myself. BUT, there is always strength in numbers...so we attempted it!

I found the flavoring oil at Michael's, it was $5.99 for 4 flavors. We had food coloring already, so we used it, but it's not necessary as seen here. Also, you could do this without flavor as well, it would just taste like sugar.

We made red: cinnamon, blue: peppermint, green: creme de menthe

Tips: Use a candy thermometer, BE PATIENT, start on Med heat, be aware if you don't use a big enough pot it will splash when you add in the oil and you will be cleaning up spots for weeks. Also, use a shaker to sprinkle the powdered sugar. It looks nicer when evenly spread. Finally, the flavor it potent, so don't look over the pot while you pour.

Packaging, these would be great in a tin. We divided them by flavor into zip lock bags and I ended up just leaving them in the bags to add to my baskets.

2 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
1 c. water
1 tsp. oil (not flavoring)
Food coloring
Powdered sugar

Sprinkle cookie sheet with powdered sugar or spread a large piece of heavy aluminum foil and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Mix together sugar, syrup and water. Cook and stir occasionally until candy thermometer reaches hard crack stage. Remove from heat. Add food coloring and oil. Stir and pour on powdered cookie sheet. Cool. Break in pieces.

Meal Planning Monday

2011-12-19T04:00:00.001-06:00

Monday:

Tacos, chips and salsa

Tuesday:

Pizza

Wednesday:

orange chicken, rice and broccoli bowls

Thursday:

leftovers

Christmas Celebrating Begins!!!

I'll be back with menus after the first of the year!!!

HOT deal! Today only!

2011-12-17T04:00:00.000-06:00

You can buy $100 worth of clothing for $45 from Apartstyle

Effortlessly chic, modern and cutting edge, Apartstyle is making it possible for you to dress like a celeb...on a budget!

With the belief that shopping should be fun and empowering, Apartstyle features unique lines of dresses, tops, jackets, pants and more, with recognizable stand-out style and craftsmanship. With top quality you can see and feel, Apartstyle is not just a brand of clothing but a state of mind. Check out their Celebrity Style page, where they pick out the hottest looks on real celebs and then provide you with the exact same look with chic items from their selection! After shopping the latest trends at Apartstyle, you may never want to step foot in a crowded mall again.

Deals

2011-12-16T09:20:00.000-06:00

There are some awesome coupons today!

$0.50 off on any TWO (2) Pace products

$1.00 off ANY 1 Balmex Diaper Rash Product

$1.00 off Herpecin L

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$3.00 off one BON APPETIT Steam-Baked meal

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$1.00 off on any 1 (ONE) Advil Congestion Relief

Wedding Gifts!

2011-12-16T04:00:00.003-06:00

Well, it's wedding season here again and I've been working a few special projects. One thing I have come to settle on is that a few key items can make a house into a home. One of them for me is coasters. The other is something monogramed.

This particular monogram is on a large flour sack towel. I printed a 8x10 page with one letter and placed it under the towel. I was able to simply trace the outline using a pencil. I then used the back stitch to create this simple letter. I did 2 towels for this gift.

For the coasters:

You will need:

Floor tiles

stamps

paint or StazOn Ink

Polyurethane spray

felt pads (pre-sticky) or felt to protect the bottom of the coaster.

Make sure the tiles are clean and dry. Stamp your design on the coaster and allow it to dry completely. Spray 3 layers at least 2 hours apart.

Put protective pads on the bottom of the tiles.

Deals

2011-12-15T04:00:00.003-06:00

Deal Seeking Mom freebies round up

2 DS games and a carry case for $30 at Walmart

Farmhouse Turkey Casserole: using leftovers

2011-12-15T04:00:00.000-06:00

At Thanksgiving we had plenty of turkey and stuffing leftover. I found this recipe on Tammy's Recipes and have adapted it for my family.

1 helping of cream of soup mix
2 boneless, skinless turkey breasts, cubed
4 celery ribs, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 ounce package of stuffing mix (or 12 oz of leftover stuffing)

Instructions:

1. Saute onion, and prepare stuffing mix according to package directions and set aside. Or pull out leftover stuffing

2. In a medium sauce pan, dry soup mix and cold water. Prepare according to directions.

3. Add chicken, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 5-10 minutes, until turkey is done and celery is starting to get tender.

4. Pour mixture into an 8x8-inch casserole dish. Top with stuffing. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Feel free to add broccoli to casserole if desired.

Deals

2011-12-14T04:00:00.004-06:00

$1 shipping from Vistaprint

Haute Look fashions sale up to 80% off

Couptivate - No More Missed Daily Deals

Hot Offer! Pays $0.70 - Still have a lot of leads, but won't be around all month. Converting at ~50% Network Wide!

Expired daily deals are a thing of the past with Couptivate.com, a great new free digital wallet that securely stores and organizes your daily deal purchases from sites like Groupon and LivingSocial, as well as coupons. Couptivate brings every deal you buy and coupon you own to one, simple page, and sends you email reminders so deals and coupons will never expire or go unused. It's the perfect organizational tool for getting the most out of your daily deals and coupons.

$10 off $25 at Macy's

Free app code Leapster Explorer

Teacher Gifts

2011-12-14T04:00:00.001-06:00

Well, this year's teacher gifts were very fun to put together. They included the Chai Tea mix, Mocha Mix, chocolate covered pretzels, cranberry pecan muffin mix, hard rock candy, a giant paper clip with the muffin recipe, and some bath salts.

Because of all the work that was done in one day I was able to give a gift that had a ton of unique recipes and variety.

The paper clip was found in the $1 bin at Michael's and the sparkles were added. I even recycled the tins from cookie gifts we had been given.

Deals

2011-12-13T04:00:00.001-06:00

Nielsen Home Scan is looking for participants

New Coupons from Coupons.com

New Coupons:

Free Lysol Neutra Air Fabric Mist after rebate

Free Snapfish Flipbook

Pampers Code 5 points

Free Eucerin lotion at Target

B1G1 free Crocs

Staff Gifts

2011-12-13T04:00:00.000-06:00

This year I wanted to do something a bit memorable for our staff. For under $6 per couple I was able to make these adorable framed verses, along with gifting a snack of gingerbread man cookies and pumpkin cream cheese dip.

2 Corinthians 5:20a We are Christ’s ambassadors,God is making his appeal through us.

I did this verse the same way I've highlighted in other gifts.

The Gingerbread men were from Market Day, along with the dip recipe.

I packaged the dip in a mini mason jar and along with the cookies packaged them in Gingerbread men bags.

Pumpkin Dip:

1 3 oz. pkg. softened	cream cheese

1/4 cup	powdered sugar

1/2 cup	canned pumpkin

1/4 teaspoon	ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon	ground nutmeg

dash	of cloves

1 8 oz. tub thawed	frozen light non-dairy whipped topping

Beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Stir in all remaining ingredients except whipped topping . Fold in whipped topping. Serve with cookies.
Makes approximately 2-1/2 cups.

Meal Planning Monday

2011-12-12T04:00:00.000-06:00

We have had some packed weeks! This week as our students head into finals near the end of the week should be a little less stressful. :)

Monday:

Brat Burgers, sweet potato fries, asparagus

Tuesday:

Chicken Thighs and Rice, peas, beer bread

Wednesday:

Orzo Pasta and veggies, beer bread

Thursday:

Breakfast! Waffles, sausage and eggs

Friday:

leftovers or quesadillas

Saturday:

Ham, creamy parmesan pasta, broccoli

Sunday:

date night!!

Deals

2011-12-09T04:00:00.002-06:00

New Coupons you should check out!

B1G1 free avocado

B1G1 free Hubert's Coupon

Free Dave Ramsey MP3 Dumping Debt

Bath and Body Works 20% off plus free shipping

Head on over...

2011-12-09T04:00:00.001-06:00

I'm posting over at Seeds of Faith Women today!

Deals

2011-12-07T04:00:00.003-06:00

Free ebook Cookbook The Everything Healthy for Parties Cookbook

25 days of free holiday music from amazon.com

AMC theaters Buy 3 get 1 free movie tickets

Free John Frieda samples

Free Huggies Diaper Sample from Sam's Club

40% off Hobby Lobby

Free printable labels...many adorable designs!

Free Proctor and Gamble coupon booklet!

CWW: transition

2011-12-07T04:00:00.000-06:00

This will be my last CWW post for awhile. This time of year is a tough one. I think the worst part is that is bumps up to the holidays. This is the time of the year when staffs fall apart. There are various reasons, philosophy differences, career changes, people seeking promotions, graduate assistants graduating...regardless of the reason, it's not fun.

We've had various staff changes over the years, sometimes it's been us, sometimes others. One thing I have learned is that there are 2 ways to go out. You can burn your bridges or you can keep them intact. My goal is always to have a parting end with a bridge intact.

When you are the one being left I think the most important thing to remember is that your ultimate desire for your friends should be that they are happy and successful. One thing we repeat OFTEN is we came as an act of obedience and we will leave as an act of obedience. We have no desire what that act will look like, but we know our desire is to have Jesus front and center.

When you are the one leaving I think the most important thing to remember is that you are leaving, so you no longer get a say. You need to focus on where you are going, clean break, yet still being available for anyone needing to resource you. You need to be 100% present at your new institution, they deserve it. Friendships don't need to be severed, but they do need to take on a purely encouraging role unless otherwise requested.

Of course this is my opinion, experienced opinion :)

Deals

2011-12-06T04:00:00.004-06:00

Vista Print: Embroidered Stockings for $7.99 each with free 7 day shipping!

Lemon: Perfect for tracking all that holiday shopping! Create your Free Lemon Account. Lemon is the sweetest way to keep track of your expenses. Lemon gives you the tools to collect all your receipts in one place.

Kohl's 20% off everything

Free 8x10 canvas-Canvas People

Free Red Robin Burger on facebook

Free Nivea at KMart

Homemade Christmas: 2 more drink mixes Chai and Snickerdoodle

2011-12-06T04:00:00.001-06:00

In addition to the Mocha Mix we made Chai Tea Mix. I also stumbled across a Snickerdoodle Coffee mix I had to try. Both would make awesome gifts alone or in a basket.

Tips: Mix up the mixes in a pitcher with a pour spout, it makes putting them in canisters much easier.

Use DECAF tea and coffee, that way your recipients can enjoy the mixes night or day!

Packaging: as you can see, I used tins and mason jars. The tins held about 1 C of mix and were $1 each at Dollar General.

Both Recipes are Gooseberry Patch:

Chai Tea Mix:

2 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 c instant tea mix
1 c powdered milk
1 c powdered non-dairy creamer
1/2 c vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer
1 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground cardamom
1/4 t ground cloves

makes 5 c mix

add 1/3 c tea mix to 1/2 c boiling water in a mug.

Snicker Doodle Mix:

1 C sugar

1 C powdered milk (I used non-fat)

1/2 c vanilla-flavored powdered non-dairy creamer

1/2 c baking cocoa

3 T instant coffee granules (I use decaf!)

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Meal Planning Monday

2011-12-05T04:00:00.005-06:00

Monday: Ham, asparagus, orzo pasta

Tuesday: Chicken and pasta w/italian herb cooking cream, bread, salad

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: staff Christmas dinner:enchiladas, spanish rice, black bean salad, pumpkin trifle

Friday: leftovers or breakfast stuff

Saturday: Brat burgers, sweet potato fries, veggies

Sunday: date night!

Weekend Round Up on Deals

2011-12-05T04:00:00.004-06:00

Free personalized video from Santa

possible Schick razor money maker at Walmart

This is a REALLY great deal on a Nintendo DS from Best Buy-$169 plus $50 gift card back!

$5 off $20 at O'Charley's (remember kid's eat free all the time!)

CVS has some fun freebies this week!

Book Review: The God Whom Moses Knew: A Novel

2011-12-02T04:00:00.002-06:00

I rarely read fiction, but the description of this book drew me in. I am really glad I read it, because the promise to understand the relationship between Moses and God differently was successful.

Nelson is very clear upfront that he did a ton of historical research to be as accurate as possible while describing things, but the conversations are his own thoughts of how things may have gone. Regardless, there are hundreds of references throughout the book which allows the reader to see exactly where author Nelson found the basis for his presentation.

I found the entire book to be engaging, and yet when I went back to my Bible to read the story in Exodus it did seem to be accurate in presentation. Including timelines, maps and drawings of the temple added to creating a full picture which allows the reader to better understand exactly what being with the Israelites might have been like.

Nelson also did an excellent job of helping me as the reader to understand the Israelite's perspective a bit better. Reminding the reader along the way that the story of Moses is a story of God re-introducing Himself. This is a story of God teaching His people what relationship with Him needs to look like, a story of God pursing His people.

I would suggest this book as a good read, I enjoyed it a lot! I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

This book was read in exchange for an honest review from Book Sneeze. The opinions are my own.

Deals

2011-12-01T17:01:00.003-06:00

Free Nutcracker Snickers from Walgreens

$2 subs 6 inch subs from Subway

Free Burger King Fries on Dec 16th

Free Baked Lentil Chips

Free One a Day Vitamin coupons at Target

Free donuts bag

Deals!

2011-12-01T04:00:00.000-06:00

Free Sample Nescafe Peppermint Mocha

20% off Kohl's in-store and online

30% off Yankee Candles

Deals!

2011-11-30T14:04:00.002-06:00

Did you know Vocalpoint members can receive a special offer this Christmas!

The eStore is an independent online retailer, owned and operated by eStore Retail Services,featuring P&G brands. Now for the holidays you can get FREE Shipping with a $25 purchase, as
well as 15% OFF and FREE gift wrap for Vocalpoint members.

Deals

2011-11-30T13:21:00.001-06:00

If you don't mind taking surveys you might want to check out this company!

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Deals

2011-11-30T04:00:00.004-06:00

Chili's has free chips and queso today!

Free movies from Best Buy to download 8 days in a row!

AKC Gold free bottle after rebate

Snapfish 100 prints for $1

Free Kid's meal from Denny's

Free Samples Hills Bros Cappuccino

Real Simple subscription $6

Free Christmas Music download from Amazon.com

Free Lego Magazine Subscription

CWW: post season

2011-11-30T04:00:00.001-06:00

Last week the boys were a little off. It was interesting to observe them transition to daddy being around more. My husband was able to be home in time for dinner all week. What was funny was that when he would walk in the door the boys would say "no practice today?" It wasn't that they weren't excited to see him, but daddy being home alters the afternoon/dinner routine. We have less space to move around in, our timing is different, and although we love having daddy around, there is always the adjustment period of finding the "new normal" routine.

One thing that helps a ton is that this time of year falls into the holidays, so we're all a bit off our schedules regardless of who is and isn't around.

My role in these times is actually to become a bit of a wall flower, to let them work out space and encroachment issues together and make sure the things that need to get done still get done.

Soon enough daddy will be off recruiting and missing dinners again. I'm hoping as the boys get older they will cherish these few days of family time and be a bit more tolerant of their schedules changing up...again.

Deals

2011-11-29T04:00:00.005-06:00

Huffy Tron 2 scooter $19.99

Vista Print 20 Holiday Cards for $7 Shipped!

Newest Coupons!

$1.25 off ONE Reynolds Wrap Product *HOT!*

$1.00 off one all Laundry Detergent

Buy 5 RiteAid photo cards and get 10 free cards

$1.00 off 2 Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

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$5.00 off one Water Jet System from Interplak

$5.00 off Thermaluxe Towel Warmer by Conair

$2.00 off Any Zeasorb Product

Homemade Christmas: Nuts 3 Ways

2011-11-29T04:00:00.003-06:00

When putting together a gift basket we girls couldn't leave out nuts. Instead of doing one nut the girls and I got a bit crazy and tried 3 different nut recipes. They were really different from each other, and yet all easy. Each basket now has 3 small bags of nuts in them.

Tips: Take your time, things get really hot when making these recipes. Also, temperature does matter, so use a thermometer where directed.

Packaging: Because the Coffee Walnuts need to stay refrigerated all the nuts were bagged in celo bags with ribbon. They can easily be pulled out and added to the basket upon gifting.

The recipes are: Chili-Spiced Mixed Nuts, Coffee Walnuts, Sugared Almonds

Chili-Spiced Mixed Nuts

1 tablespoon water
1 large egg white
1 pound raw, unblanched almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg white in a large bowl; stir with a whisk until foamy. Add almonds; toss well to coat. Place almonds in a colander, and drain 5 minutes.
3. Combine almonds, sugar, and next 5 ingredients (through chili powder) in a large bowl; toss to coat. Spread almond mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300° for 15 minutes. Stir almond mixture; reduce oven temperature to 275°. Bake an additional 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes. Break apart any clusters. Cool completely.

Coffee Walnuts:

1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. dairy sour cream
1 tbsp. instant coffee powder
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. walnut halves

In saucepan, combine sugars, sour cream and coffee powder. Cook and stir until mixture reaches soft ball stage (236 degrees). Remove from heat and add vanilla and walnuts. Gently stir until all nuts are coated. Pour mixture onto buttered shallow pan or platter. With two forks, separate nuts. Cool until set.

Sugared Almonds:

1 lb. pecans and almonds
1 egg white
1 tbsp. water
1 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat egg white and water slightly. Add nuts. Mix well. Mix sugar, cinnamon and salt. Mix. Add to nuts. Spread on foil covered pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Stir and bake another 15 minutes. Turn oven off.

Linking this with Tuesdays at the Table, Full Plate Thursday, What's Cooking Thursday

Weekend Round Up on Deals

2011-11-28T04:00:00.003-06:00

Wow, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I snatched up some awesome Black Friday deals from the comfort of my couch and I'm excited to see the UPS truck show up starting today and possibly every day this week! :)

Happy Cyber Monday to you, I'm sure there will be fun deals all day. I would suggest checking your email and favorite companies, I can't imagine there not being a sale! This website promises to let you know where all the best online deals are.

10 More Pampers Points

50% off one time at Michael's

40% off off one time at Hobby Lobby

Free Pantie at Victora's Secret (no purchase necessary)

Meal Planning Monday: leftovers remade addition :)

2011-11-28T04:00:00.001-06:00

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! I'm going to be using our leftover turkey this week in a few different ways.

Monday:

Farmhouse Chicken (using leftover turkey), broccoli, salad

Tuesday:

Ravioli and broccoli, salad, bread

Wednesday:

Turkey and Veggie Quesadillas, chips and guacamole

Thursday:

Turkey, asparagus and goat cheese frittata, fruit salad

Friday:

Pancakes, eggs, sausage

Saturday:

Bowling Bash day! Chicken Tortilla soup, beer bread, salad, sandwiches

Sunday:

leftovers!

Head on over...

2011-11-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

I'm writing today for Seeds of Faith Women!

Staff Gift

2011-11-24T14:25:00.007-06:00

2 Corinthians 5:20a We are Christ’s ambassadors,God is making his appeal through us.

I did this verse the same way I've highlighted in other gifts.

The Gingerbread men were from Market Day, along with the dip recipe.

I packaged the dip in a mini mason jar and along with the cookies packaged them in Gingerbread men bags.

Pumpkin Dip:

1 3 oz. pkg. softened	cream cheese

1/4 cup	powdered sugar

1/2 cup	canned pumpkin

1/4 teaspoon	ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon	ground nutmeg

dash	of cloves

1 8 oz. tub thawed	frozen light non-dairy whipped topping

Beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Stir in all remaining ingredients except whipped topping . Fold in whipped topping. Serve with cookies.
Makes approximately 2-1/2 cups.

Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce Pumpkin Walnut Bread

2011-11-24T13:44:00.006-06:00

Now, one of my favorite reasons to make cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving is actually to re-use it in other recipes! Last year I made this bread, and this year I made this peace of heaven:

I used this Pumpkin Bread recipe as my base, and this is what I ended up doing:

3 C sugar

2 eggs

2 C leftover Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce

3 1/3 C flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 15 oz can of pumpkin

2 C chopped walnuts

water as needed

Makes 3 loaves bake 55-65 minutes 350 degrees

Stretching the holiday budget using the internet

2011-11-24T09:40:00.000-06:00

I've done this post before, but it is currently fresh in my mind and I thought I would repeat it.

This year for Christmas I have been able to keep my budget right around $150. That is a bit up from previous years, but we've added 2 nieces to the list this year :) Here are my TOP TEN suggestions for saving money at Christmas:

I asked my sister in laws to create wishlists for my nieces and nephew and also we created them for the whole family. This allows for me to shop as items are on sale and ALSO ensures I will get something they like.

Swag bucks , My Points, and Inbox Dollars-the largest amount of money spent was actually money I earned on the internet. All year long I search using Swagbucks.com and read emails daily from My Points and Inbox dollars. In November I cash in all my points for gift cards and then shop using the gift cards. I have also given the gift of a gift card! I also store up coke rewards and pampers points for gifts. This year I cashed in enough combined points for 3 gifts and 6 $25 amazon.com gift cards!

Debit card points-our Chase debit card earns us reward points. I have to remember to ask for the debit to be run through as a credit card, but by doing so I earn points that can be turned into cash or gift cards.

Host a party and use the hostess rewards for gifts-this year I gave a gift to our teachers that included a cute gift fromUppercase Living. I hosted a party in October and instead of using the hostess rewards towards things for our own house I cashed them in for gifts.

homemade gifts-the other part of teacher gift included homemade syrup, pancake mix, and coffee mix. It was a hit and was VERY inexpensive to make. One thing that I did to make this less expensive-I bought the mason jars in August when they were on sale.

stash away a few dollars a month-this can be done through a Christmas club at your local bank or by having some money directly deposited into a separate account. One thing I figured out, if I have to transfer the money myself it's not going to happen.

search the deals-my dad is really big on getting the photo calendar for Christmas. He loves it, and it's a really easy gift for me to do. I am not brand loyal at all and every year I search the sites for the best deals. This year Vista Print offered a calendar for $5! It was really good quality and looked the same as the $20 from Kodak! I also used eversave and groupon for online purchases.

keep an ongoing idea list-if you have to get gifts for the hard to buy for person who always says they don't need anything keep a list bookmarked of possible things. This allows for you to confidently buy within your budget instead of panic buying in December.

don't forget the stockings! Dollar bins as the year goes on allows for us to have fun stockings and also partially fills the Operation Christmas Tree Shoeboxes without making a huge hit to the budget. I keep a box in the basement hidden where I can see it and no one else can.

Stick to the budget! I often feel that we, as a family, aren't giving gifts that are “good enough”. I have always felt that gifts are a way of showing graitiude and that can be hard when there just isn't enough money to go around. I have had to come to the conclusion that being present is part of the gift except that when the money is gone the money is gone. It's not worth it to have to pay off debt later simply because I'm feeling guilty!

Coupons.com Highlights

2011-11-23T04:00:00.008-06:00

New Coupons:

Thanksgiving Coupons:

Deals

2011-11-23T04:00:00.005-06:00

30% off Lands' End plus free shipping

15% off everything at Kohl's

Free Sweet Potato fries at White Castle

$5 off a Honey Baked Ham

Children's Advil 39 cents at Walgreens

CWW: The Victory Bowl

2011-11-23T04:00:00.002-06:00

This weekend our team who started the season 0-3 and ended 7-3 had the opportunity to participate in the Victory Bowl. We competed against Campbellsville University in KY, and NAIA school. Leading up to this game all season my husband has lead our team week after week onto the field with a confidence I think only he had. When depending on 18-22 year old boys to respond intensely week after week it's really a gamble. This generation has a hard time self motivating, simply because they haven't had to do much of it. They have walked through life with cheerleaders by their side encouraging them and frankly even stepping in and doing things for them. Well, that doesn't get to happen on the athletic field and it's a challenge to learn to self motivate at 18. Leading a college team now days takes a skill set I do not have, a confidence I haven't been able to muster, but one that I am SO happy to support!!! We won a few games in the last seconds, others a bit more easily, but regardless, we look at the beginning of the season and as a group, including our players we know that as the year went on we got better and better, and we all want those first few games back. Not that we are sure the outcome would be different, but because our team learned to put their best effort forward as the season went on. At 0-3 they didn't quit, they worked harder, watched more film, lifted more, and stayed focused.

The Victory Bowl is a very cool experience, it the true celebration of Biblical Football the team members from the 2 teams spend most of Friday working on service projects throughout the community. Some groups spoke in classrooms at the local Jr. High on character, others visited the nursing homes, there were some groups that did some physical labor, but the point is the teams do this together. Friday night there is a banquet where again, the teams sit together. Each coach spoke a bit (as seen in these pictures) and then there was a speaker from FCA. At the end of the game both teams meet in the middle for prayer.

It's a really cool experience, one I wish could be repeated more frequently. Not in the bowl sense, but in the service sense.

Homemade Christmas: Mocha Mix

2011-11-22T04:00:00.001-06:00

This last weekend some friends and I got together and instead of baking a lot of cookies we created a lot of perishable gifts. I'll be sharing all our recipes over the next few weeks, starting with this one! We packaged them 2 ways, the first was in this adorable jar. The second is seen below. We took pastry bags and filled them to create a cone. Sorry I missed the final product, it was taken from this idea minus the gum drop :)

1 1/4 cups instant coffee granules
7 cups dry milk powder
5 3/4 cups powdered chocolate drink mix
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 3/4 cups powdered non-dairy creamer

Directions

In a large bowl, mixtogether instant coffee, milk powder, chocolate drink mix, confectioners' sugarand powdered creamer. Store in an airtight container.
To serve, place 4tablespoons of mixture into a coffee mug. Stir in1 cup boiling water.

Deals

2011-11-22T04:00:00.000-06:00

Stampin' Up is having a HUGE online sale!

Snapfish B1G2 free photo books

20% off at World Market

$10 off $25 on Yankee Candles

Free $13 item with $10 purchase at Bath and Body Works

$5 off $10 at Hallmark

B1G1 free Philadelphia Cooking Cream

Food On The Table - Easy Meal Planning

2011-11-21T15:38:00.000-06:00

Food on the Table is an easy meal planning service that is based on sales at local grocery stores.

With Food on the Table, users will be able to:

- find thousands of easy, healthy recipes

- save money by knowing the items that are on sale

- simplify your shopping experience with a well organized grocery list.

It's free if you do 3 meals of less a week, for more than 3 meals a week and more recipes,

the member can upgrade to the premium version for a low introductory rate of $5/month.

For more info check out my button on the right side!

Vistaprint 10 FREE Holiday Products & Gift Ideas!

2011-11-21T15:34:00.002-06:00

10 FREE Holiday Products & Gift Ideas! Get our top 10 Holiday Products for FREE Today!

Choose from:

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Business Cards

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Order today; receive in as few as 3 days.

Weekend Round Up on Deals

2011-11-21T04:00:00.004-06:00

Free Dove sample from Target

Free Seattle's Best Coffee

B1G2 free Photo Calendars from Snapfish

Kleenex free sample

Free Baby's R Us formula samples

Free ebook-Salads for Every Season

Body Shop gifts shipped UNDER $4!

Free 8x10 canvas

Free Woolite Extra care sample

Meal Planning Monday

2011-11-21T04:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving week!

Monday: Ravioli and Broccoli

Tuesday: Quesadillas and chips and fruit and veggies

Wednesday: pancakes, eggs, bacon

Thanksgiving and Leftovers :)

So, I know this sounds a bit insane, but I'm not exactly sure what I'm making for Thanksgiving. At the point of writing this post I have a turkey thawing in the fridge. I plan to make Roasted Basmati Rice at the request of my family. Additionally I have veggies in the freezer to make a side dish and Market Day pies for dessert. I'm waiting for a final count of football players who will be attending before I decide which other sides I will attempt, the list of possibilities:

Sweet potato casserole

rolls

stuffing

cranberries

Since we are 3 days from the end of a pretty long and emotional football season I'm taking the focus off the meal and on the opportunity to have some time as a family just being together.

Hand Made Christmas: Embroidery

2011-11-18T04:00:00.002-06:00

One of the least expensive things I have figured out to do with crafting is to embroider. I have a ton of books with have designs in them, but often what I end up doing is printing a saying or verse out on paper, laying scrap material over it and tracing it with a fine tipped pen. I then use the back stitch to line the words. After that I will flip through my books and find a design to decorate the saying. After this step I often will frame the design, but you could also add it to a pillow!

The above design was gifted to the friend who game me this quote at a time when I really needed to hear it. She loves pink, so pink accents were a must!

Here's why I love it:

1) I have a ton of scrap material, so this is a great way to use it up.

2) It's quick

3) It's cheap!

4) It's personalized both with words and colors

5) It's super easy

This is a saying I saw on facebook and pulled off. I think it would make a great addition to a home! :)

Here is a great tutorial on embroidery

Deals

2011-11-17T04:00:00.002-06:00

Free photo book with Toys R Us purchase

2011 Martha Stewart recipe booklet (Thanksgiving)

Free Iron Man Sports Drink

Deal Seeking Mom free sample round up

20% off shopping pass at CVS

Food Saver mini for $21!

Deals

2011-11-16T04:00:00.004-06:00

$5 rebate on a bounce bar

Cars 2 mail in rebates!

$5 off $5 at Target plus 50% off

Free sunglasses from Sears Optical

40% off VeggieTales plus 25% off coupon

30% off Coach Outlet

$5 rebate off Butterball Turkey

CWW: Road Trip!

2011-11-16T04:00:00.001-06:00

(Here is most of the wives and a few really dedicated sisters of teammates!)

I had a special opportunity last week. With out giving you the whole long explanation, there were extra seats on the bus this weekend, and a complementary suite at the hotel the team was staying at. (Ahh...the perks :) Anyway, my darling husband some how convinced me that it would a really fun to:

Board a charter bus at midnight Thursday evening with 80 football players

drive 16 hours on said bus

attend a 7pm game in South Dakota (temp 30 degrees at game time)

and drive BACK 16 hours on said bus

You know what, he was right. We left the kiddos with a sitter and even though there was not a ton of alone time, the team was really excited to have fans on the trip. We browsed at malls on the stops, there was an Xbox tournament for the team, and I chatted with players, getting to know them better and allowed them to see another side of coach more closely. It was a great way to end the season...but it didn't! We're headed to post season play this weekend! Who would have ever guessed after such a rough start!

Next week's post...endurance :)

Deals

2011-11-15T04:00:00.004-06:00

Free Educational App MathBlaster HyperBlast

5 more Pampers Points!

Free Curly Fries at Arby's today!

Buy 2 get 1 free DS games at Walmart

$10 off $50 at Old Navy

Starbucks B1G1 free Holiday Drink!

Sugar Free Peppermint Syrup

2011-11-15T04:00:00.001-06:00

I was very excited when I saw this recipe from MomAdvice last week. So excited in fact I made a sugar free recipe that day. I think this syrup would make a great gift addition to a hot cocoa basket along with marshmallows, cocoa mix, candy canes and a mug.

Homemade Peppermint Syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar (I used SPLENDA)
1 cup water
2 teaspoons peppermint extract

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. Stir in the peppermint extract. Cool to room temperature and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to three months.

Additionally, I used by DOLCE-GUSTO Piccalo one pot coffee maker to make the Mocha. I used the Skinny Cappacino pods, added 1 T of baking cocoa and 2 packets of splenda. This is a new favorite!!! Here is the recipe if you don't have a one pot option.

I'm linking to Tuesdays at the Table, Full Plate Thursday, What's Cooking Thursday

Weekend Round Up on Deals

2011-11-14T04:00:00.002-06:00

Check out For the Momma's Black Friday ad's round up

$11.99 item for free from InkGarden.com

10 more Pampers Points

20% off at Gymboree

Meal Planning Monday

2011-11-14T04:00:00.001-06:00

Monday: Tacos, chips and queso (carry over from last week)

Tuesday: Sausage and Veggie calzones, sweet potato fries, asparagus

Wednesday: Eggs, Sausage Hash casserole, fruit

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: last game weekend, so I'm winging it!

Head on over...

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

To Seeds of Faith Women, I'm writing over there today!

Deals

2011-11-10T05:01:00.003-06:00

B1G1 free Sambazon juice

Free TRESemme sample

Pizza Hut is offering a special specific to it's facebook fans this Saturday!

Sam's Club offer for Military Personnel

50% off one item at Michael's through today!

Get at free can on instant snow from Yovdia

Free Waffle House waffle through 11th

Scotch-Brite free sponge from facebook

Deals

2011-11-09T04:00:00.004-06:00

Free ebooks!!!

More Pampers Points

$10 off $75 at Toys R Us

Free Coffee today at Bruegger's

Spend $50 get $50 at Ann Taylor Loft (today!!)

Free 10x13 at Picture Me People

CWW: Wives Chapel

2011-11-09T04:00:00.001-06:00

This past Wednesday the staff wives all participated in a Q&A panel for the team. We all were given the opportunity to answer some pre-arranged questions from the team about women. It was REALLY fun. The questions were read out by my husband, so they were pretty specific and covered a range of areas. We answered questions such as how do you approach a girl? What is a characteristic men should strive for? Do girls look at guys the same way guys look at girls?

My answer to how to approach a girl...go alone, face to face, look her in the eye and say hi. NO ONE believed that would work! Oh my they still have a ways to go. :)

We all were given the opportunity to answer the questions as throughly as we desired and tried to be really honest but also make them laugh.

The guys were GREAT. They mostly sat silently with their mouths open, they asked for clarification when needed, they did teased our husbands appropriately, over all it was a great experience I hope to repeat on a semester to semester basis.

At one point I looked to the back where the coaches were and saw them all taking notes... I guess we never fully figure out the opposite gender!

I consider it a huge honor to be able to take some time to encourage our team that they are on the right track in some areas and need to develop in some others. My prayer is that this panel will be a huge spring board for future discussions.

Quick Candy

2011-11-08T04:00:00.004-06:00

We had a group of football players over and I was in a bind to find something to serve, I pulled a few things from the pantry and looked like a rock star!

Dried diced mango

vanilla almond bark

honey roasted peanuts

I melted the almond bark in the microwave then added mango and the peanuts. I sprayed the foil with pam and spread out the creamy mixture until it was a thin, even coat. It looked a bit boring so I added mango to the top and let it cool. I broke it up into bite size pieces, it was a HUGE hit!

Linking with Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays, Full Plate Thursday, What's cooking Thursday

Deals

2011-11-08T04:00:00.003-06:00

Upcoming toothpaste Moneymaker at CVS

Free Nature's Path Granola Bar sample

Weekend Round Up on Deals

2011-11-07T04:00:00.004-06:00

15% off Kohl's online today only

30% off Old Navy in stores or online

Big Kashi deal at CVS

40% off Paint and Stain at Sherwin Williams through today

Top Restaurant Deals this week round up

Meal Planning Monday

2011-11-07T04:00:00.001-06:00

This week is a bit insane for me, I'm actually out of town Wed-Sun. Thankfully I cooked ahead so my family would have meals to pull out and my kiddos are in excellent hands!

Monday: brat burgers and sweet potato fries and peas

Tuesday: quesadillas, chips and queso, fruit and veggies

Wednesday: orange chicken, rice and broccoli

Thursday: Ravioli, chicken and broccoli

Friday: make your own pizzas

Saturday: tacos

Sunday: leftovers