Thursday, June 27, 2013

Nothing is faster than the speed of life

 
 
 
He is ten months old and is starting to follow the same steps as his sister. 

"Cruising" around the living room (she was walking by ten months).
 
A mouth full of teefers (same as she had at this age - six pearly whites).

An aversion to anything "baby": no more formula, baby food, and he even hates diapers (she gave up baby milk at ten months and was eating table food a bit earlier than a year as well....excruciating diaper rash put her in cloth diapers but she never hated having her butt covered).

Today, I bought his first gallon of big boy milk. I bypassed the baby department totally then remembered he needed some sippy cups (which he's unsure of).

Now days he crawls at full speed when I go to pick him up.

He wiggles away during diaper changes.

He laughs at things he should laugh at.

He arches his back and screams when he has to get into his car seat or nap time is approaching.

When he is sad he wants his ma-ma.  When he's playing he calls for da-da. 

The speed of babyhood is brutal and will leave you sitting in a rocking chair with a boppy, bottle, paci, bib, sippy cup, blocks, and four different size diapers on your lap questioning where the last 10-12 months exactly went.


Immensely critical is it for a ma-ma and da-da to live in the moment that is the here and now - do not be foolish and try to speed it up - these are indeed the easy days for many of us and what lies ahead is going to be on a higher level of difficulty and heartache (growing pains).  Love these moments before they are thirteen and would rather be banished from the earth than to be seen with their ma-ma.  Love these moments before they are seventeen and testing boundaries harder than ever before while they taunt you with phrases that begin with "when I am 18..."  or  "when I'm outta here...."  Wallow in the hugs and kisses and ideas that - yes their moms and dads are the "end all be all".  These are the moments you will cling to and reminisce of when you see that little girl or little boy start pulling away in the direction all children naturally go as they begin their trek to independence and young adulthood.


xx
Brownie



Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Primitive Planning

Today I am on a mission!  It is of primitive proportions. 

I'm working on planning a weekend of "roughing it" - getting back to nature - living like a caveman.  Ok lets just scratch that caveman part. 

When my little girl and I made our Summer Fun To Do List she said she wanted to camp

In 2013 the word "camp" takes on so many meanings.  It could mean:

You all pile in an RV, fully equipped with a microwave, couch, and cable television with running water, and a/c and park it in the woods - that also just so happens to have a nicely placed hook up for electricity and water next to it.   







Or it could mean you don't have the money (or you are too cheap) for the hotel so you stay at the motel that may be lacking a modern swimming pool, elevator, and toiletries in the bathroom. 

Finally, we go back to the idea of a camper and camping as spending time in a camper that you haul down the road as a compact little square and when you hook it up to water you also use the hand crank to pop out the sides....Been there done that never going back folks.

We don't have an RV or Fifth Wheel or even a Pop Up.  Needless to say most of our stays are in motels (remember I am Queen of the Tightwads)!  When we made out our Summer Fun To Do List my little girl said she wanted to camp..... out in a tent.  I told you my mission was of primitive proportions!

I have never camped in a tent.  Seriously - never.  I may have fallen asleep outside when I was a college kid due to stupidity in excess but never did I set out to camp in a tent.  The idea of sleeping on the ground where animals could very well surprise me by joining in on a cuddle didn't appeal to me - ever.  You know bears can manipulate a zipper people!  Now I have offspring that wants to spend a night in a tent.  ???




Ok so just set it up in the backyard - right?

Wrong!

We're making a little adventure out of this!

Being a stay at home mom has made the idea of primitive camping more of an "ok lets do this" - some days I don't get to shower and the idea of sleeping with baby puke on my shirt along with some poop from trying to hog tie the kid to get a diaper on is no longer a big deal.  I am finding out that after a busy day of baby wrangling and repeating myself thirty-seven times for my five year old - sleeping in a tent with some mud on me from the river is not a big deal.  It has seriously equipped me for some time sleeping on the ground with bugs, bears, and black snakes a bit more do able.

I'm on a mission to find a good location to camp in the NC mountains.  It will afford us the chance to do some things I like to do (canoe/tube) and our little girl will get to tent camp in a fun location.  My husband is all for it too.  

So far I have found these resources to share with any of you who are up for the challenge as well:

Great Outdoor Recreation Pages: NC & SC Camping

Best Campgrounds in NC by Trails.com

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xx
Brownie



Tuesday, June 25, 2013

BBQ Smellin' Skin & More!

I haven't had many issues with my skin since I turned 16.  I get an occasional, hormone induced pimple but other than that I am pretty lucky to have clear skin.

Up until last week....

My husband pointed out my new face freaks - a family of pimples popping up around the side of my mouth and under my cheek.  (Why do you have zits?) 

Then I noticed I had four, itchy, red mosquito bites on the under side of my jaw.

I know I am thirty-one years old but I seriously do not feel any older than about twenty-five so I was just thinking my skin felt the same and wanted to be youthful and adolescent for a bit!  However, like adolescents it quickly became annoying.

A trip to the store was in order - Cetaphil wasn't working for cleaning my summer skin.  I wanted some tea tree oil based cleanser that St. Ives used to make - but of course I could not find it anywhere.  So I left the store empty handed.  I couldn't bring myself to pay $6 for the coveted Oxy Pads that I remember oh so well from the tender age of thirteen.

When I returned home I did an inventory of my face.... we'll call it Facial Issues At Hand:

Pimples along the right side of my face - check
Mosquito bites along jaw line - check
Shine - check

Then it hit me: the cure to this summer skin issue(s) was in my kitchen cabinet!  It was right in my home and did not require a trip to any store!  The solution was white vinegar!  (Disclaimer:  you know you're own skin if you have uber sensitive skin then you decide if this would work - and always try it on a small area before you do the whole shebang.)

1 tablespoon of white vinegar
2 tablespoons of water
Cotton ball - wipe, wipe wipe

It basically was my astringent.  I covered my face in it and let it sit for ten minutes then went back over it with a tad bit of Cetaphil and some water (to moisturize lightly).  The end result:

Mosquito bites gone - check!
Pimples hasta la vista baby - check!
Shine subdued - check!

And my husband said if I want him to ever leave me alone - just wipe that stuff on my face again in his words:  I smelled like barbecue gone wrong.

Another awesome facial from the kitchen include making a baking soda paste with water and using it as a mask.  Its gentle enough for all skin types and leaves your skin super fresh and clean.

Got eggs?  Make an egg facial to help tighten and refresh your skin and add in the aid to eliminate acne!  Crack the egg, whisk it up, and paint it on.  Let it sit for about ten minutes before washing off. 

If you are being attacked by the B-52 Mosquitos add some Super B Complex to your day (if it is ok for you to take it, check with your doc) and you'll notice the bites decrease.  B vitamins make our skin give off an odor (humans cannot smell it but bugs can) that keeps the biters away.  It's like a human citronella!

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xx
Brownie

Monday, June 24, 2013

Just Peachy!

I know Georgia claims itself as the peach capital but South Carolina is really giving GA a run for the title!  I have had some amazingly delicious SC peaches so far this summer.

Our neighbors are a small produce and garden stand.  I buy my produce there because it beats supermarket pricing.  They have obviously caught on to the fact that in the summer I live off of two things:  tomatoes (called maters like on Disney's Cars) and peaches.  I need nothing more (than some rum) and I'm set for summer.  Knowing that my existence depends on the pitted fruit they tend to give me free peaches with my order - it is critical folks, I need them to survive <wink>. 

In college I worked at one of the Farmer's Markets that the NCDA operates.  I adored that job!  I sold tomatoes (regular garden variety and specialty) and flowers.  I also assisted with one of NC's largest peach growers booths (ever heard of Johnson's Peaches?).  My payment for helping with the peaches?  Free pecks every day and when I got a grumble in my tummy I was always given more peaches!  I could not complain and totally expect to come back in my next life as either a peach tree or a peach farmer.

Now days I pay for most of my peaches and now I have two babies who adore peaches just as much as I do! We eat them daily.

I prefer to wipe my peach off and eat it, skin and all (good nutrients in the skin).  For the little ones I do peel it - choking hazard for the baby and the girl doesn't like the fuzz.

Other things I love to do with peaches include:

Peach Cobbler
Adult Peach Smoothies (questionable on the wellness content)
Grilled peaches

Recipes anyone?

Peach Cobbler *using my late Mammaw Nancie's recipe

3/4 stick of butter
1 c self rising flour  
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c milk
1 to 1 1/2 cups of fruit (always use more....just sayin')
 
Melt butter in a eight or nine inch baking dish while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees - after melted set to the side.
 
Combine your flour, sugar and half of your milk - stir until the dry is moistened.
 
Add remaining milk and stir til smooth.
 
Pour batter over your melted butter.
 
Put the fruit on top.
 
Bake 30-40 minutes (depending on oven).  Look for a light brown on the pastry and the center to spring back when you touch it.
 
Mmmm mmmm good eatin'!

Adult Peach Smoothies
 
4-5 Very ripe peaches
1 Bacardi Mix (daiquiri or fuzzy navel)
8oz rum
1 cup of ice
 
Put it all in the blender, blend on high until its "smoothie" texture.  (Alcoholic beverages should be made to your liking, you may want less rum....just play with it.)
Picture of Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon Sugar Butter Recipe
This is a picture of Bobby Flay's grilled peaches:  visit here for his recipe!

Grilled Peaches
 
Use firmer peaches - not overly ripe or they will fall apart.
 
Slice your peaches and discard the pits.
You do not have to remove the skin - only if you want to.
 
In a bowl combine  1 tbsp. of vanilla flavoring with 1 tsp of cinnamon with 1 tbsp. of dark brown sugar (or light brown it doesn't matter).  Whisk it all together.  Throw your peach slices in and shake or stir around to coat.
 
Medium High Heat on the grill - give it about ten minutes to get there.
 
Grill 4 minutes - 2 minutes per side.
 
Delish!

Happy eating!

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xx
Brownie

Friday, June 21, 2013

VBS Snack Making

Another Vacation Bible School ended last night for my little lady.  We are on the VBS circuit all summer long because my little girl loves VBS so much!  This year attendance has dual roles: fun for my little girl and checking out new places to worship in our area. 

This one that just wrapped up is one of her favorite because it also happens to be where she spent her last year of preschool!

I enjoy seeing her on the last night of the event with her little friends.  Normally it is her friends who do the songs and dance while she opts to sit out - this baffles me, my kid is anything but shy!  However, last night she was jumping, singing and dancing all around! 

To wrap up the week, after the program we had snacks in the fellowship hall.  Participants were to bring in a favorite snack.  I didn't have any mixes on hand and wasn't feeling making anything too elaborate (it is summer) so I opted to make a fun, cheap, and quick recipe! If you have three bucks you can do this too and it only takes about five minutes.





Cookie Dunkers

1 1/2 Cups of Plain or Vanilla Yogurt
 1 container of Cool Whip
1 Box of Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix

Dump everything into a large bowl.
Stir until smooth.
Refrigerate until cold (minimum of an hour).

Serve with animal cookies, graham crackers, whatever tickles your fancy.

It is pretty yummy!


 
Just note that it does "rise" as it "sets up" so after you pull it out don't be surprised if it is a quarter to half an inch above the bowl top!  I didn't know how folks to take to seeing this - it does look mysterious but when I went to load it up I had four people ask for the recipe (and they were all over the age of 25 hehe).
 
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And to wrap up this week of posting a few pics of my babies from yesterday....my little guy will be turning 10 months in just a few days.
 


She loves to mop....thank God!
Lil mess

Harper likes to help load up the dishwasher....and unload....and hide there.....

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xx
 
Brownie

Thursday, June 20, 2013

THX & Serious Guilt Trip!

I have hit over 5000 views on the blog.  I want to say thank you so much for reading this little nook and or cranny on the web.  My readers mean a lot to me - you are all appreciated.



I never in a million years would have thought I'd have anybody read this thing.  Wowzahs!

One thing I appreciate from my readers is feedback, which I get a lot of.  I have people message me on Facebook and Twitter asking me questions and I enjoy "chatting" and comparing notes.

This week I have been focusing more on the whole reason I started my blog - memories.  I figured with Father's Day starting off the week it would be a great time to get more family stuff on here.  When my numbers began to go higher than I thought they would and the feedback started coming in I started veering away from the true purpose of my blog and that was a bad idea.  So in the coming weeks and months you'll see more family stuff on here.  I've found out you guys like that too....and I get that totally.  I love to read blogs that give me ideas on things to do around the house and with the fam as well.

So thanks so much.

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Now let me share my current feelings with you.

I'm in a big, fat slump.  If you are a working mom or dad you probably fall in that slump of "working parent guilt" where you wish you were home with the kids.  Well guess what....stay at home moms hit slumps too and I am in it pretty deep.

I want to preface this by saying:  I am blessed beyond measure with two healthy, cognitively on track, beautiful children and a super good hubby who I love to no end.  This is not a woe is me blog post.

OK.... 

Here's the deal...I feel like I am not giving my family my best.  Rearing my kidlets is an important and critical job and only I will do it the way I see best --- however I feel like I need to be doing more.  More means bringing in some money.

The weight of the world of finances is on my husband.  It is my job to manage the finances.  I just feel so disgusting since I am not assisting in bringing in some finances. 

Why do I feel this way?  Its simple - I've always worked.  I entered the world of working when I was thirteen and my grandma would drive me to my payroll processing job every afternoon at 3:00 and I would work until 5:15.  I worked in middle school, high school, and college.  When I had my daughter I was unemployed for a blippit of time before heading back to work.  Last May I was laid off (yes at six months pregnant.....could have sued but that's not my character).  So here we are 13 months later and I'm constantly fighting a battle of looking for part time job opportunities for when the midget starts to kindergarten and that leads into finding a trustworthy person who would be able to watch my baby for me to go bring home a drop in the proverbial bucket so that I feel a little better about what I am doing for my family.

Then the guilt really hits -"I'm saying I want to let someone else have precious time with my last baby while I go to make $100 so I can feel more worth my salt..." 

Then the reality hits - "Would I just be making money to hand someone else to watch my child?"

And the guilt continues...

See working parents, its not just you who feel guilty.  Some of us stay at homes are feeling pretty darn guilty ourselves.

I'll continue to try to keep my focus up:

I am doing something that will not last long.  Babies grow very fast (my up and coming kindergartner should not be much older than my nearly ten month old) and this job will be obsolete one (very quickly approaching) day. 

When I worry about finances I have to remember that God always provides as long as we remember He does.

I will never be pulling a Scarlett O'Hara digging up potatoes in the dirt (but if I did I'd make it more fun than she did).  I just have to remain positive - this is just one lily pad I will sit on before it is time to jump forward and there will be a good opportunity to jump forward if I stay alert, focused, and happy as a frog in a fly pit. 

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xx
Brownie
 

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Chickens n Babies

I love this time of year because I can get out and spend time with my bitchens.  If you are a new reader that is what I call my chickens.  I have eleven hens - a brown sex link who is my favorite, a couple Australorps, some RI Reds, and one that well I'm not sure what her breed is.  I've been told Leghorn but I'm not so sure.

My little girl loves her chickens.  I've got countless photos of her playing with her birds.  She enjoys going in the coop to be the head hen in charge. 

Yesterday, I finally had a chance to really introduce the baby to our birds.  He's seen them before through the wire and he's touched them when I pick them up and bring them out to him but this time he got on their level.  His big sister was at her Nana's for the day so he and I took to the coop.

He loves the birds and they like him too.

Over the weekend a friend of ours brought the riding toy to us.  Its been a major success as far as riding toys go.  He loves it.  We call it his farm truck now.






After we cleaned out the coop and rallied up the free rangers I took a couple fun pictures....


Do you see her?



She is our most stubborn in the group.  She has been here three years and is deathly afraid of us while the others don't even pay us any attention.  I cannot catch her to get her back in the coop so she'll forever be a yard bird I guess.



Have a great day


Brownie (the bird)

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

All Boy

Poor little fella.  He got his first shiner today.  I was working out and he was in the little child area.  Apparently he was going for a toy and slammed his little face against the cubbies.  They said he screamed but when I came in he was playing and happy and swelling a little. 

Babies are tough cookies. 


I imagine this will be the first of many black eyes for this guy.  He is curious and into anything and everything - curiosity killed the cat and it will get you in a some pickles at times too. 

I see a future of bloody noses, black eyes, urgent care visits, fractured bones, bloody lips and lots of ice cream.

He's not like his sister - I doubt he'll be anything like her.  She's careful and thinks things (well most things) through before doing something.  She's more methodical and calculating. 

He's what they call - all boy - even at nearly ten months you can tell he's going to be in it to win it and possibly minus a game plan.  You know the kid who thinks - that would be fun - and goes in head first. 

That style of thinking isn't praised too much.  Just jumping in and not testing the water can be disastrous - and I agree.  However, there is something very refreshing about that approach to life.  It isn't necessarily having no fear but more of just not being afraid to try something that may be a little off the path.  It could lead to a richer life if you ask me.  If you aren't constantly crunching on an idea but if you actually go through with it. 

How many good ideas are lost to the fear of actually trying them?

How many great achievements are never met because there's that one tiny detail that stands in your way of getting up and getting going?

We should all be more - all boy - and take a few more "risks" each day.  No, not going and putting your life in danger, but doing something we really want to and not worrying about the negatives (as long as it is in reason).  We may find ourselves actually living this life we've been given if we do that.

As far as my little man goes - he'll give me more greys to cover up and drive me to chug that extra glass of rum in the evenings but if he can work out an alliance with this methodical sister he should be a bit safer than on his own.

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Brownie

Monday, June 17, 2013

Father's Day Weekend

How was your weekend?

I seriously cannot find one complaint about mine.  It was a great couple of days in June.  I got to do a few things I love to do....play with my chickens and now pig (did I not mention that?), play with my mini humans, and spend some time with my family as a whole (kids + hubby). 




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I had no plans for Father's Day.  All I figured I could do was grill some steaks (no propane), hang out by the pool, and let him work on whatever he wanted to or watch whatever he wanted to on tv (with no complaints from me). It isn't because I'm inconsiderate, that I made no plans, its because I have no money!  Honesty is brutal.  Its true.  I don't make money he does I just pay the bills and run the roost.  I think it would have been quite tacky for me to buy him something with his own cash so I opted against purchasing anything.

Don't misconstrue that as I don't really care about Father's Day.  I do...now.  It is a day where good dads should be rewarded for being good dads.  Not everyone gets a quality father when they're dealt their parental cards.  Trust me. My husband is an excellent dad.  He loves his kids and tells them and shows them.   He spends time with them and they adore him.  There aren't many dads that do that out there. 

I helped my little girl make a "Daddy Survey" for my husband for Father's Day.  I found it on Pinterest and it basically was about ten questions your child answers about his or her dad. 

Some of my favorite questions and answers -

How old is your dad?  She said 26 (he wishes) :-)

What does your dad do really well?  She said hula hoop (he looks more like he's going into a grand mal seizure when he tries to hula hoop).

I couldn't bake him a cake or anything because he has an aversion to sweets.  So .... yeah.

When we woke up on Sunday he offered up a trip to IHOP.  Who says no to pancakes?  No one in this house.  After he loaded up the kids he said we would go to Dan Nicholas Park too.  That's a favorite of ours: bears, rides, and the playgrounds check!  After time well spent and the baby falling asleep we went to the pool for an hour and then to visit his dad.

The night ended up with two munchkins asleep and us old farts sitting on the couch.  My husband watched Trouble With The Curve while I read the paper.  (Sorry but I cannot stand Clint Eastwood's theatrics...a little too cheese ball for me).

If you can't see the beauty in this day then you're missing the forest for the trees.  My hubby could have said -I'm going golfing see ya in ten hours or he could have opted to do a blue million things on his day minus me and the kids...but he didn't.  He spent Father's Day doing daddy stuff - eating pancakes with two little crumb crushers, looking the bears, bobcats, and birds, swimming around a cement pond, and putting the two little jewels that allow him to celebrate this day to bed.

I love my husband.  He's an awesome dad.

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Brownie

Friday, June 14, 2013

That's Zesty - Slap.

Here's the link

Hello and no that is not too zesty, if it were a woman with a drape over her boobs and vajayjay we'd hear nothing about it. All of a sudden you cover a guy's junk up and put him on display and its a big fat no no.

The good ole American Double Standard does still exist!

If it were a woman we wouldn't be like - Oh I'm so repulsed!  We would be like - well her boobs are too big or too small, she has cellulite there, look at that zit, bad hair for that shot.

If it were a woman the media would say - oh that's nice, they'd laugh and move right on to the next piece of "pressing news" ---- and the guys would make a joke "she can picnic with me any time"....

But no....its a man.  A man who has his pee pee covered.  A ripped, cut, good looking guy who is selling dressing by doing what ad agencies know women do incredibly for sales - undress.

Get over yourself fellas.  Just because you hate the idea of a buff dude catching your girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, or mistresses eye because you are so insecure with your spare tire, double chin, and back fat doesn't give you a right to raise hell over a picture of a human Ken doll.

Get over yourself women who find this to be "infuriating" - I'm sorry your libidos are dead, your sense of humor has rotted away, and your personality lacks anything magnetic.

My kid saw this picture and what did she say - "He's having a picnic!"  She didn't even notice what everyone is so worried about.  You know why? She gave the picture all of two seconds and went back to her sandwich.

America is a piece of work, I swear.

As Kmart says - Don't ship your pants....ok maybe its the other way around for that ad.....

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Have a good weekend, from a girl with some common sense area of the brain.


Brownie

Thursday, June 13, 2013

A quick post about grocery shopping per requests!

So we all must be on the same page today - grocery shopping.

I cannot tell you how many emails and FaceBook messages I get of readers asking me more about saving money.  I wish I held all the answers!!!  So today's quickie is a general response to the messages and questions I have received about saving money at the grocery store. 

"I like how you coupon and don't hoard up fifteen tubes of toothpaste and twenty-two deos like the person infront of me at ___ did the other day."  Kathleen, Greensboro, NC

Thanks Kathleen - me too.

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I don't hoard up.  I don't stock pile.  Nothing against those of us who do - its just if I buy fifty cans of something chances are it will go bad before we go through it - and canned stuff lasts a long time.  I'm not big on eating the same thing over and over and I'm a big fan of mixing things up every so often so yeah I'm not cut from the doomsday prepping cloth others are.  ;-)  If you are, yes you're right, I WILL be knocking when I need some Poise Pads and a can of Beanie Weenies during Armageddon.

My coupons, alone, on average save me close to $10 a trip.  The average person saves around $4 per trip with coupons.  The major couponer probably saves gazillions if they are "buying" thirty five boxes of taco kits and using coupons to pay nothing. 

My rewards cards (MVP, Lowes Foods, VIC) save me $8-$10 more in a trip.  Do the math and I'm saving close to $20 each time I shop.  That is pretty nifty for someone who doesn't coupon as a religion.

I never buy anything that is not on sale I try to purchase items that are both on sale and I do have a coupon for.

I have typed this numerous times:  link up your rewards cards to the grocery stores websites they are good for.  MVP = FoodLion.com, VIC = Harristeeter.com, Lowes Foods Rewards = Lowesfoods.com (links at the end of the blog)

This will enable you to get extra deals on the weekends and during the circulars good for dates that you cannot get by not registering online.

Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods will email you on Fridays extra deals that have been linked to your card.  Moolasavingmom.com will let you know about coupons that can be matched with those deals.  (Her link is at the bottom as well!)

Food Lion will email you coupons on Tuesday good for your purchases starting on Wednesday and ending the next Tuesday.

You can save money by taking ten minutes to link up.  Do it.

Food Lion also has kiosks in their stores now to scan your MVP card to get you even more coupons.  I have saved a lot of money thanks to that kiosk.

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Let other people do the work for you.  Use moolsavingmom.com and southernsavers.com to map out your shopping list and trip.  These women work hard to get you the best deal by telling you what is on sale and what coupon to print and use or clip and use.

They make it so easy!  Their links are below.

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When you see what is on sale and what is a good buy you can start to build your menu for the week.  The biggest way to save money is to go in armed with a list and sticking to it.  You'll save so much freakin' money.

Don't fall for junk food gimmicks.  Yes, the kids are home and no, they don't need Little Debbie to babysit their tummies.  If you want to have junk food - buy a couple brownie mixes for dirt cheap, cut them up after baking and bag them.  You made 24 brownies for less than 50 cents a pop!  Plus if you substitute apple sauce for oil you are doing them a favor on calories and fat grams. 

Buy big bags of snacks and divvy them up in smaller bags.  Buy fresh produce (or frozen) and do the same divvy routine after you have cut them up.  It is way cheaper to do it that way than to buy "individually wrapped" stuff.

I hear a lot of people complaining about their grocery bill since the kids are home.  Yes, you may be feeding them a bit more than when they were at school - I get that.  This translates to a Costco or Sam's trip as long as the price is worth it.  You must do comparison shopping and make sure it is not the same price as Walmart.  Use your basic math skills and write down how much the regular size is at Wally World and then compare it to the grande size at Sam's, BJ's, or Costco.  You can easily get ripped off if you aren't paying attention.

Kids should be drinking water.  Just a friendly reminder.  Sodas, juice, and "sports" drinks shouldn't be their main life line for cellular function.  Water is free people and it will make your kid a bit healthier plus it will hydrate them correctly.  Flavor it with fresh fruit (squeeze a lemon, use some strawberries, blueberries or grapes, squeeze an orange into it, get creative).

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Hope this helps.  Thanks for reading. 

Here are some links for you:

Food Lion
Harris Teeter
Lowes Foods
Moola Saving Mom
Southern Savers
Coupons.com


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Brownie


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

A couple quickies & Father's Day Thoughts

Here's what I fixed for dinner last night.  I liked it....the kid and hubby didn't care for it.  Its a cheap, quick meal that we had with chopped cucumber and ranch.

Turkey & Balsamic Onion Quesadillas

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Here are some quickie housekeeping tips I use regularly to keep myself ahead of the game. (30 minutes total)

1.  Laundry - I used to have a mountain range in my laundry room called The Dirties and then the erosion of that range led to the beginning of the formation of the AhhhpaleeseIdon'twannafoldthese.

So now I do this:  Every day I do one load of laundry.  That translates to I wash one load, dry and fold.  That way I'm not swimming in an ocean of detergent and lint traps.  In all it takes me two minutes to throw a load in the washer and about five minutes to fold it up a couple hours later.


2.  Make beds - my daughter makes her bed and I make ours - it is the quickest way to make the room look neater.  It takes maybe two minutes to make up a bed.  After we make our beds we check for any dirty laundry and that is where this ties into number one.


3.  I vacuum the floors.  I have hardwoods and laminate so that means the vacuum cleaner is my buddy.  Every day I take five minutes and vacuum the kitchen, living, bathroom, and hall way (most heavily trafficked areas).

4.  I wipe out the sink and counter tops (right before I vacuum so it can suck up the crumbs).  Nothing makes your kitchen smell and look better than clutter free counter tops (never mind my stay clutter free for about ten minutes and then its back to the clutter zone.)

Now with all that being said, if you live in my area and are looking for a housecleaner I have a friend who has a few openings for new clients.  Send me an email!

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Father's Day is coming up.  I had decided after my sucky Mother's Day I wouldn't do anything for Father's Day then I realized I cannot just do nothing.  My husband does a lot for us - a whole lot - I cannot let Sunday pass by with no mention of "his day".  Today we are working on a Father's Day surprise for my husband (who reads my blog....so act surprised).  With that said I will not say much more.  You will see it next week.

I do wonder why everything Father's Day has to do with ties.  My grandpa wasn't a tie man, neither of them were...my great grandfathers weren't tie men either.  My dad was not a tie man (more like a tie one on type but that's a whole other writing journey there).  My husband is not a tie man at all (we cannot even tie a tie...) 

I come from a family of blue collar boys.  They were farmers, store owners, horticulturists, saw millers, carpenters, graders and excavators.  Ties were set aside for funerals and even then they didn't like wearing them. 

Mother's Day has the flower - you get your mom a bouquet or a plant because all moms must adore some roses.  Ok, no not every woman likes flowers like I do.  But at least it stretches a tad bit further than a neck decoration.

Most men seem to despise the tie (just the way the men in my family do/did).  They call them neuses and cannot wait to loosen them or take them off entirely.  Is that the best object we have to describe fatherhood?   A silk rope that you tie around your neck that you cannot wait to take off at the first chance you get?  Epic fail I'd say.

I also see other things that are to be relatable to dads.  Like grills, chef hats, and oven mitts.  I get those items since my hubby loves to grill.  However, my husband does not wear a chef hat when he grills....that doesn't mean I think he wouldn't. 

Like ties not all men grill.  I have a friend that told me her husband has only grilled a couple times since they have been married and I would guess they have been married over 9 years.  We have other friends who don't grill much because they "don't know how"....so would a tie be more fitting?  As I sit here and contemplate the guys and the tie.....no.  Not at all. 

The last thing I see very popular for the fashion of Father's Day is something that may stretch a bit farther than the tie and grill ever could.  The one thing you can pick up nearly anywhere for that perfect last minute gift.  It brings a smile to the face and a chuckle under the breath. It won't last forever so don't think you are spending a lot of money. 

Yes....the convenience store genius......beer. 

There was a Hallmark card I saw out the other day that was in the shape of a mug of beer and you pulled up the center to reveal the message - "Didn't want to wish you a happy Father's Day until you had a beer in your hand" (or something like that)....

I guess that speaks loads about our society.

I gave my dad a six pack one or two times in college.  It was fitting for a college kid to give their dad something they both enjoyed and the cost was right on budget and the convenience of grabbing it in a store you went to daily was incredible. 

I see adults do that too - give their dad a case of beer or a bottle of Crown or Maker's Mark.  The liquor, in some circles, is classier than the beer I guess. 

The only time it bothers me - alcohol as a gift - is when you see a little kid give it.  You know, a kid who cannot buy it legally let alone carry it.  There's a fine line between funny and trashy

So if you decide against the tie, the new grill, the Kiss The Cook apron and hat, and the Number One Dad grill mitt and opt for the case of Old Milwaukee (do they still make that?), Sammy Adams, Flat Tire, or Yuengling make sure you give it and your child gives him the coolest gift possible ---- something made by their little hands or straight from their big hearts. 

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This has been from the desk of one Brownie thanks for sharing!


Brownie