Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.

Dose of scripture with your morning coffee

There are many life-related topics covered in each Sunday service at the church which we attend. At a recent service, among those topics was...yes the "dreaded conversation" of MONEY. This is a very relevant topic in part because of the slowing economy and cost of necessities on the rise; but more importantly because there is a "handbook" on how we should view money. That handbook is the Bible, it is there and only there will we find the answers to every single question that we have about money and debt.

The pastor asked a question to the congregation at the closing of last Sunday's service.
"When you meet God and He asks you what you did with the blessings that He gave you, what will you say?"
This question provoked me to ponder on this into deep thought and conversation.
I think that it is an important question that we all need to ask ourselves. It can be a battle in today's world to decipher between careless spending and meeting our needs. With credit card debt among families consistently on the rise, it seems that it is not difficult to lose site of what really matters in life. Loving God, loving our families and friends, and spending time enjoying life and enjoying our loved ones.

I think that it is a good reminder for us to count each blessing, and try (as hard as it is) to not love money. To take each day, one day at a time...and let tomorrow worry about itself.

Please take a few moments to read some scripture posted below...and have a great day!!!


Acts 8:20
But Peter said to him, Destruction overtake your money and you, because you imagined you could obtain the [free] gift of God with money!

1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many [Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon.] acute [mental] pangs.

2 Timothy 3:2
For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.

Mathew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

update!!!

So, I have not posted in a few days..gosh, all of this change..kids going back to school, etc. It is really a hard transition to prioritize here. I want to be on top of the game, but want to relax a little too, spend quality time with the kids.. So I am trying to find a happy medium.
I did get the old navy jeans...very hectic, but what a great purchase! They seem really nice too. So I am happy about those.
There is one really good coupon this week.. .50 cents off cottonelle toilet paper. They sell it for .99 at Kroger, so when the coupon doubles, it will be free! yeah!!!
There are a lot of other grocery deals, check out the two frugal blogs listed at the sidebar of this page! Great deals.
Oh, and one last thing, those grapes on sale at Kroger are awesome!!! I froze half, what a great summer treat, and just left the other half in the refrigerator. They are so sweet and wonderful!!!

Old Navy Sale

Saturday only!!!!! Old navy is having a huge jeans sale. Kids jeans are $7 and adult jeans are $12!!! What a steal!! It is Saturday only, in store and online. I can't really see what exactly is on sale yet, but I am sure it is worth checking out!!! Limit 3 pairs total per customer! I'll be there when it opens!!!!

CROCKPOT!!!

My sister-in-law emailed me the other day about a woman who had been on the Rachel Ray show. She runs a blog where she posts crock pot meals. It was her 2008 New Year's resolution to cook one everyday for 365 days! Gosh, I love crock pot meals. To know you can do it on your time and, at any time in the evening, you can enjoy a hearty, hot meal! If your husband is running late, it is ok! If the kids are hungry early, it is ok! Anything goes in terms of the crock pot and I appreciate when I don't have the 5 o'clock scramble trying to get a healthy and delicious meal on the table! All, while the kids are sort of restless, my husband may or may not be home on time and, quite frankly, I am tired by that time! So I am going to add it to my blog roll and I guarantee, there will be a lot more days when my crock pot will be sitting on my counter simmering all day!!!!
*as I said before, I don't know how to put a link on here yet. she is at
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com

A Frugal Saver's Dream

So, I stumbled onto something tonight and I am not even sure how? I am so excited to try and use this tool, that I forgot where I was or why I found it. You need to go to smartsource.com and click on grocery circulars, it will give you a list of all of the sale items at your area grocery stores and compare them! (sorry, I am new and have not figured out how to put a link in my blog yet?). This is how you do it....type your zipcode when it prompts you and all of your stores are listed. I clicked on manage my stores, as I do not shop at them all. I choose the ones I normally look at. I then clicked on the "beginners list" and it has all of your basic grocery category's, which you click on and it gives you a list of all sales and at what store!! It is awesome and I was wishing for something like this! So, when I need an item, or have a coupon for something, I can search for it on there and it will come up where I will get the best deal! This is too good to be true! Yeah!!!
*I went back and found this info on comicalcouponcents.blogspot.com Thanks!!!

Saving on Fuel

As we all know fuel costs are at an all-time high. One thing that I have found helpful is to fuel up at speedway stations. They offer a "speedy rewards" program that is quite useful! You earn points for every dollar that you spend, including not only fuel, but purchases in the store as well. Plus, if you purchase a speedy cash card (gift card) you can earn 1,000 bonus points instantly!! However, you must put at least $50 on it in order to receive the bonus points. The rewards program is completely free of charge and you can rack up those points over time to earn free fuel cards.

Trader Joe's Tuesday

Trader Joe's is one of my favorite stores to shop at. If there was one closer, I would be there at least once a week. We are going to start a feature Trader Joe's Tuesdays, where will be post about new products, sales, great existing products and recipes there. I have tried a lot of items at Trader Joe's, (they have a return policy..if you aren't 100 % satisfied you return the item no questions asked) but, I have not been disappointed. What I try there is, usually, above my expectations. They have so many easy to prepare jarred sauces, heat and eat food, and the best frozen peirogies I have ever had!!!! So, I am going to post a little bit about some certain "back-to-school" items that may work in your budget and be a healthier alternative.
TJ's Mac and Cheese:
No artificial flavors, colors or preservatives and at .99 a box....a steal!
TJ's organic alphabet pasta:
No preservatives, all natural and organic. Kids will have fun with this alphabet pasta and only 1.49 a box! Can't go wrong!
TJ's applesauce cups:
Made from organic sweet apples, these are not boiled or steamed as with most applesauces. They peel the apple and then just crush them naturally. The end product....A much sweeter and fresher tasting applesauce your kids will love! For only 2.29/4 it's a "sweet" deal!

*courtesy of Trader Joe's Aug/Sept 08 newsletter

Scrapbooking...thing of the past

So, I read about this website on my favorite celebrity gossip website www.imnotobsessed.com/ (there is a roll on the side bar from it=)). It is blurb.com. It is awesome! Our "resident designer" is finishing up one right now and it is going to be awesome! It is a more presentable form of scrapbooking. You put your pics on there, sayings, scripture, stories, etc. Whatever you want!!! They have beautiful, cute, cool templates, so you can design it however you feel. It is super easy and user friendly! The end result? A beautiful book, with a hard cover, you can put on a coffee table, give as a gift, etc. The opportunities are endless. You can start your own "family encyclopedia" with seasons as volumes. I love to scrapbook, but lets face it...it's difficult to start, getting everything you need, the mess, kids getting into it, etc. As bloggers, one thing is for sure, we all love our computers! So, using this system allows you to make high quality "scrapbooks" with the convenience of everything you need at your fingertips!!! And, the cost...so reasonable and possibly less than an actual scrapbook..It averages around 50.00 give or take, but don't we all spend that on scrapbooks, stickers, paper, pictures? We will post about it when we actually receive it to see the actual quality, etc. !!!

Back to School

So, back to school time is here. The kids around here were picked up by their yellow school buses this morning. How weird to hear the sounds of those buses coming down the street. It really feels like yesterday they were let out for summer break. I remember feeling like summer break was 6 months long, when I was a child. What happens to time when you get older. It just goes away so fast! So, my son is starting preschool this year and I have such mixed feelings! I am so sad for him to not be with me everyday. He is always here with me, my "little buddy". I know from here on out, he only gets busier and more away from home...Did i cherish the first four years he was with me? Did I say one too many times, "Can't wait until I can go to the grocery store alone!", because he is starting now and I know I am gonna miss him...I still have my little girl, and it will be awesome having alone time with her, but I have to say I am still sad about my "little buddy" growing up!!!! Any good words of wisdom or stories about your "little guys"?

Healthy Green Tips

With all of the "e-coli" and "salmonella" outbreaks in the news lately, purchasing produce from anywhere can be scary. I never wanted to pay premium prices for the "fruit and veggie wash" you could purchase in the store, so I sort of have been scrubbing them with a little bit of dish detergent. Well, my sister-in-law has been doing a lot of research on "cleaning green" and has passed along a great fruit and veggie rinse to me. There are two: the first being a mixture of 2tbsp white vinegar to a pint of water. The other is a mixture of 3% hydrogen peroxide mixed with water in equal ratios. You can store either mixture in spray bottles. All you need to do then is spray the fruits and veggies, rinse and eat! Be sure it is the 3% hydrogen peroxide... Interestingly enough, hydrogen peroxide breaks down into oxygen and water! Doesn't get much purer than that!!! I am working on a lot of great "green cleaning" tips and recipes so check back for those! Tell me if you have any suggestions on this subject!!!

Saving tip

This is a little tip for those families, like mine, on a tight budget. Many area restaurants offer deals, for example, free child's meal with the purchase of an adult meal. Many times this is one day a week, maybe every Tues. or something likewise. If you call, they will tell you over the phone. This allows you to have many options to dine out during the week, saving some work in the kitchen and some money in the pocket book! My family of four can easily run us $40-$50 for a simple meal with no "bells and whistles"! This would definitely contribute to good quality family time too...enjoying a meal and not having to slave over the hot stove! I will be checking out some options and would be more than happy to post if you seem interested!!!

Fun tips

So, I came across a little tip..Maybe I live under a rock and everyone knows this, maybe not, but....if you purchase your coffee (unbrewed) from Starbucks, they will give you a free cup of coffee. I am all for this, as Starbucks is a bit of a splurge for me, so I can cross something off of my grocery list and have a treat at the same time!!!! I have not done it yet, so if anyone has or knows if this is true or not please comment!!! Thanks!

Summer Olympics

Yah for the USA!!! Michael Phelps took home 8 gold medals!!Don't forget to weigh in on the Olympics to the left of the page!!

Design Tip

So, as promised here a few tips to help transition your home into fall with style. A few great colors that have that warm fall feeling and favorites of mine are: Relic Bronze SW6132, Tassel SW6369, SanAntonio Sage SW7731, and Sycamore Tan SW2855. So, check them out..and keep in mind if you don't have a local Sherwin Williams store, you can take the color swatch into the big home improvement stores and ask for a "color match". Also, to add some interest to a room..add wainscoting to the walls and you will see a major improvement in the look and feel of the space. This can be done in many ways such as; wood paneling, extra base and trim pieces, and crowmolding...just to name a few. Home Depot has a great website with ideas in this area. So, check these out..have fun, and check back for more tips!!! I hope everyone has a great week.

Guilty pleasures

So, I am confessing one of my guilty pleasures here....Celebrity gossip. While I do not let it run my life, I have to say, I do like knowing how things are going in Hollywood land. I am a hopeless romantic and am always crushed when my favorite Hollywood couples split..I mean, if Brad and Jen couldn't make it, who can? I've now replaced that with...if Brad and Angelina can't make it, who can. Oh well. So, I have put on the sidebar, a feed from my favorite celebrity gossip website.....Im not obsessed dot com. The owner is down to earth, practical and does not feed off of negativity. She does not just focus on gossip. She does fashion pieces and also runs fabulous contests! So, if you are like me and need your daily dose of Hollywood, check it out!!!
Also, while I am confessing here, what are your guilty pleasures?

Homemade pizza

So, the sale at Kroger this week has really payed out for me. The thing I think I love the best are the Pillsbury 10/$10 crusts, biscuits, etc. I had my coupons from the Pillsbury website and the weekly circulars, so I was ready to save. (I visit www.stretchingabuck.blogspot.com to find all my weekly coupons and savings. She posts them right there, you click and print!!) I purchased a variety and thought I would try the pizza crusts. They had a regular one and then a thin crust. I tried both. While I would probably never have tried these, (I like to homemake things like crust), I had the coupon making them from 30-60 cents. What did I have to lose? Well, I definitely made out....these are delicious! They are light, cook nicely, soft and moist..all the things you want your pizza dough to be! I made the kids regular pepperoni, which were delicious, so much better than the frozen variety!! Then I made some "adult" ones....recipes below..

Buffalo Chicken Pizza:
Pillsbury pizza crust
Buffalo sauce
Crumbled bleu cheese
Cut up grilled chicken from the night before

This was delicious..topped with diced tomatoes and ranch dressing!! Yum

Caprese Salad Pizza:
Pillsbury pizza crust
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Sliced Roma tomatoes
Fresh Basil (from my garden)
Fresh mozzerella

This one also, was delicious! So light and tasty! Big hits with the family!

So, do you have any homemade pizza recipes you would like to share? They are so easy to top with anything you like, after all, anything tastes good with bread!

Wedding Favors

So, I have a very dear friend to me who is in the process of planning a wedding and she has come to the part where you figure out what your wedding favors are going to be. While she has some good ideas, I feel as though she is hesitant about them all and I was wondering if anyone has seen or heard of anything that was really cute or practical. She will have a beautiful wedding, she has very good taste in everything, so I am sure it will be gorgeous! It is at a country club, so that may help you picture what sort of wedding it will be. If you have seen anything lately that is worth buzzing about, please just leave a post here, so I can pass it on to her! Thanks!!!

Changing it up

So, while I was doing my daily cleaning today, I was thinking about trying to keep the kids occupied long enough so I could finish it completely and move on to the next part of my day. Well a little tip that helps me is to have separate totes filled with toys that you pull out periodically and rotate. If you are like me, we have more toys than our kids can possibly play with at once, so I put only some out at one time. Of course their favorites are never put in totes, but sets of things, etc. i put in separate totes and rotate in and out. So, when I begin a project, cleaning, cooking, anything of the sort, I pull out a tote for each of them and they are occupied for a fair amount of time. When children do not see something for awhile, they act as though they are new toys!

bakespace

So, I just learned about a new website...it is called Bakespace.com. It is my space for people who enjoy cooking. I checked it out and it is really neat. You don't have to join to look at recipes, etc. They have info on everything from cooking to home, health and cleaning. They have a mentor program where a person with a certain "expertise" puts themselves as a mentor on there and you can join up with them so they can help you. It is definitely worth looking into and browsing around a little bit. Enjoy!!!

The best thing I ever did was listened to my mother when she told me to plant some garden herbs. I am not really the sort of person that thought I could just go outside, cut some garden herbs and cook with them. She was purchasing some things for me for my birthday, I asked her to help me with my garden, so I went with it...Well, how many times have I used them? Numerous!!!!!! I have basil and rosemary.. The rosemary goes on potatoes, chicken and in many marinades. The basil goes in anything and everything...Caprese salad, Lemon basil pasta salad, homemade pasta sauce..etc...When I am in a bind..I know I always have these, so I plan my menu around them and WOW....it tastes homemade, fresh and gourmet. I am saving so much money, as I used to purchase these things, use half and discard the portion I did not use....and these plants are growing like crazy..When I cut some off, it seems as though it multiplies!!! So, do not be wary of these grown in your own garden, hey are better than things grown on a farm somewhere with unknown chemicals, etc...My lemon pasta consists of:

1 box of the pasta of your choice
Juice from 2 lemons
1 bar of mozzarella cheese
A few Roma tomatoes
A small can of sliced olives
10 leaves of fresh basil chopped julienne
Splash of olive oil

Cook pasta according to box. Drain. Combine the rest of the ingredients.

Extra tip....After many times of cooking this, it tastes best with a splash of lemon juice from the "real lemon" squeeze bottle that can be found in your produce section. It adds a bit of sweetness to your pasta salad...

Enjoy!!!

Design on a Budget

It's almost that time!! As fall and back to school are quickly approaching...it's nearing the time to pull out those seasonal decorations. We will be posting tips on how to create a fantastic space with your items..without it looking like a garage sale!! As you may be feeling that your space is drab and in dire need of a "sprucing up"....remember that painting your walls is an easy and affordable way to give you a fresh look as we approach a new season. We will be posting sales at local stores on items that would definitely personalize your home. Check back for the latest on color trends for your home!!

Green Tip

Have you ever found yourself asking your children to go in another room because you are spraying some sort of cleaning product that may not be safe to "inhale"? Well, we have a sister-in-law that has been doing a lot of research on this, and she has come up with some awesome things! These are environmentally friendly and will definitely be kind to your pocket book! In many cases, it is proven that these are more effective than the products we pay top dollar for!! We plan on posting these simple recipes for cleaning products that will clean your entire home! We will break down the dollar amounts on the quantities and show you how you can save a lot of money!! Not to mention breathing easier in the home!! Check back periodically for green tips and recipes!!!! Let us know what you think and what you would be interested in finding out about!!!

Saving on Utilities

Saving on utilities can be easier than you thought. Did you know that several service providers such as; phone and satellite companies will offer deals on your bill? You don't even have to "bundle"! In many cases these companies are affiliated with each other and will offer money off of your actual bill every month. For example, our local phone company offers a credit every month on your bill if you are a customer of Directv! It's definitely worth the phone call to your providers to see what they offer. Many of these offers are not advertised!!

Green Tip

We are all feeling the pressure to go "green" and help the environment.
I have a little tip that I wanted to share. Did you know that most energy companies will come to your home and do an inspection at no cost. They will let you know if you are conserving energy to the fullest potential of your home and family. I think that it's a great idea for everyone..plus the lower the energy costs, the happier the bank account!!

Summertime blues

Does anyone have the "summertime blues"? I know it is supposed to be the winter time blues but I feel so much pressure in the summer with small children to always be outside! Where we live it is pretty much hot and sunny everyday (I know, who's complaining about that..right?), but sometimes I secretly wish for a rainy day so we can stay in and just relax. Plus, how can i do laundry , dishes, etc. from outside. I often remind myself about the things in life that really count..not clean clothes or dishes, but moments in time when children are laughing and having a blast! So, I am ok then...but I am longing for fall....when the bugs are not as bad, the temperatures are cooler and everything is so beautiful! A slower pace time..this summer has been so jam packed!

Our Mission

This blog is being created to help anyone and everyone from the single to the corporate ceo, a stay at home mom to a full time working mother. We will be focused on the struggles of everyday life and frustrations that come with it to life's little rewards. Life is too short to be unhappy and hopefully this blog will continue to help women find the light on days when there seems to be darkness. We have a small database of knowledge, from interior design to cooking to cleaning and so on. We will talk about everything from television to children to work, etc. Our site will be open to participation from viewers, actually encouraging viewers to share in their experiences! We look forward to providing you with useful information and possibly a little bit of entertainment!