Things We Love Thursday!!

We are going to start posting things we love on Thursdays. We are going to post about anything and everything, so check back, you may be surprised! We would love to know what you love, so feel free to share with us back! We are open to anything new!
My favorite thing is turkey bacon; sounds funny, right? Well, I was sitting here thinking about breakfast and I started to think about why I love turkey bacon. Well, there are many reasons, turns out!

1. Inexpensive! 2/$4 is generally the deal!
2. Not greasy!!! Not before during or after the cooking process. There is no greasy fingers, walls, stoves, ovens, etc.
3. So Easy!!!! Cooks in the microwave perfectly...pop it in for 3 minutes, give or take a minute and it is done. It is not over cooked and it is certainly not under cooked (yuck!)
4. Kids love it and I do no worry about them getting sick from it (under cooked, etc.)
   
5. Delicious and much healthier than regular bacon!

So, there it is....turkey bacon! If you have not tried it, you certainly should! I am telling you, you will love it and your heart and figure will love it as well! Do I miss real bacon? Occasionally, I will order it out to eat, but at home, it is turkey bacon all the way!!!!

Fall Premieres!

Watched "Do Not Disturb"....I always know if something really has my attention, I just keep turning it up to drown out the kids =)...but, instead, it kind of just annoyed me. I thought it was kind of funny, but I do not think I will put it on the dvr list!
On the line-up for tonight is:

• "Hole in the Wall" at 8:00 p.m. on Fox. Ok, I am not sure about this? It is about actual people who are trying to fit a "mold" of a person in a wall? Human Tetris, it has been described as. I need to tune in because I just do not get it!!!
• "Kitchen Nightmares" at 9:00 p.m. on Fox. I love Chef Ramsey....always watch Hell's Kitchen!. On this show, he is trying to fix troubled kitchens. Sounds good?

Let me know if you have watched any or what you think about the ones coming up! Happy Watching!

Fall Premieres!

Ok, tonight's TV line up for premieres are as follows:

• "Til Death", which is on Fox at 9:00 p.m. . It is about two "middle-aged" wedded warriors! I have watched this before and I find it hilarious! Worth the watch!
• "Do Not Disturb", which is on Fox at 9:30 p.m. Jerry O'Connell stars in this comedy about a swanky New York City hotel named The Inn. Looks funny! I may have to catch this one! Oh, and if you are a "The Hills" fan, (I am a closet one!), Audrina Patridge landed a guest spot on this sitcom!

Has anyone watched the other premieres yet? I have not, but I may try to catch these tonight! Let me know what you think!
If you need to check the fall TV schedule click here!

Trader Joes Tuesday! (on Wed. Sorry=)

Shredded Carrot Salad
The crunchy texture and sweet taste of shredded carrots is complemented by the light bitterness of broccoli slaw and the rich sweetness of plump, juicy raisins in this vibrant, fresh salad. Accompanied by a citrusy-sweet orange pineapple dressing, our new Shredded Carrot Salad makes a quick, healthy snack, light lunch or elegant side dish. It’s delicious as is, but you can add tofu or grilled chicken to enhance the heartiness. Or mix it into a bed of greens to brighten up the salad bowl. We’re selling each 4.75 oz container of our Shredded Carrot Salad for $1.99 – a light price for such lively fare.

This looks delicious! For 1.99, how can you go wrong and I bet you could put this in a stir fry, salad, use as a side, maybe even throw it in a homemade soup! Definitely worth it! Thanks Trader Joe's!

Pays to be Nice

So, I am going to start a series about "being nice". Yes, I know it sounds trivial and simple, but it is...all too often we get caught up in the wear and tear of the world and forget about actually just "being nice". I received an article in "Real Simple" "48 Ways to Be Nice and Improve the World Around You" and it explains ways to be nice. I read over a few and, can honestly say, was surprised at how little I do in the being nice department. It is easy to "be nice" when someone asks a favor, but to go out of your way and actually "be nice" unexpectedly? Wow, that seems unheard of these days! So, here is tip #1:

• If you come across a magazine or newspaper article that reminds you of someone or makes you think of them, cut it out, print it out, etc. whatever you have to do...and send it with a little note that says "though you might enjoy this", or something along that line...shorter than a letter, but easier! What a simple way to tell someone you were thinking of them and that you pay attention to know what they are interested in!

Now, I would love it if you would comment on things you do (or would like to do=))to make the world just a little friendlier!!!

Works for Me Wednesday

So, this is my first time posting on WFMW, so I am going to start off simple.. I am stay at home mom with two young children. I rarely get to leave the house with ease and certainly have a difficult time getting anything done inside the house! So, I was struggling with the chore list and keeping up with everyday housework! I could not get anything done and felt kind of like a mess! Well, it was then that I realized that I needed a schedule. As a SAHM, we have the "luxury" of putting anything and everything off until tomorrow. If I did not feel well, I could do laundry tomorrow. If I was tired, I could do it tomorrow....Well, this was just making for unproductive days and piles of everything! So, I put a weekly calender together (printed one from a template in my Microsoft Works program) and now I am organized! I know what I have to get done and when and it makes for so much more consistency. My kids know what to expect, I know what I am looking at and it is a little bit everyday! I am no longer overwhelmed and have a clean house, clothes, etc. at the same time!!!
Look for other great tips for WFMW here at "Rocks in my Dryer".

Sidenote....Have you ever looked at the Microsoft Works templates? Wow, they have everything, children's chores list, grocery lists, coaching lists, award templates to print out, I mean everything....So cute! Check it out if you have Microsoft Works!!!!

Giveaway! Kiss My Face Products

A fellow blogger is running an awesome giveaway! She is over at "Stretching a Buck", a great resource for saving money! It is for "Kiss my Face" products. They have an awesome line of all natural products that are healthy for us and the environment. This company has a line for children as well as for adults! You can check out their website and enter the contest by clicking here.
GOOD LUCK!!

ZIPLOCK OMELETS

These are so cool! I think it would be fun for a weekend morning with your kids, maybe if you have company, etc. They are called ziplock omelets and they allow everyone to have an omelet "made their way" with out you having to stand at the stove making them. They are all ready at the same time too, so everyone can sit down and eat together!


Have guests write their name on a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker.

Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (not more than 2) shake to combine them.

Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, mushrooms, jalepenos, and the list goes on and on!

Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.

Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes . You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.
Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily.

This sounds like a great fun way to have a fun weekend breakfast. Breakfast, for me, is hard to cook..the kids need things, want to help, etc. but what can I have them do? well this allows them to help by putting the ingredients in the bags! I am going to do this this weekend and I will post pics, etc. !
Oh, and cleanup? One pot of hot boiling water...What a breeze!

Premieres are Starting!

Ok, so here we go...premieres are starting! The Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles began last night. Did any one watch?
Tonight at 8:00 pm, "Fringe" is on Fox. It is supposed to be an FBI meets strange events. Add a mad scientist and a con-man son and I guess that sums it up!
Also, at 9:00 "Priveleged" is on the CW. It is about a young woman who becomes a tutor for twins who are pretty much rich. It shows her adjustments to being around the rich and powerful. Looks pretty cute?
I won't be watching either one of these programs. Gosh, I need to get back into a system where I actually can watch things! I haven't really kept up on anything this summer, so television isn't really in my routine..Better start though, I will not be missing Grey's or Desperate Housewives, to name just a few!
Let us know if you have watched any of these and what you thought!

Being led astray by false idols

Sorry we are late on the Sunday sermon posting. However, not too late to start your week with a serving of scripture!!

Yesterday's church message was very impactful (as always) and also very relevant today. Oprah has been an inspiring and (obviously successful) role model for people everywhere. However, it is easy for people to sometimes become sucked into all of the hype and fall victim to false teachings. There is a lot of hype out there about "bettering your inner-self", etc..and so much of it is not Bible or God based. We have to be careful!

It's important for us all to remember that there is only one God and one truth and that is found in the Bible. Not in a random "self-help" book written by a successful person.

Zechariah 13:2 (Whole Chapter) “And on that day,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will erase idol worship throughout the land, so that even the names of the idols will be forgotten. I will remove from the land both the false prophets and the spirit of impurity that came with them.

All Natural

Well, I did it...I am currently in the process of switching over to homemade cleaning products.. Those of you that know me are probably saying..."WHAT...NO WAY!!" Not really something I would do, but I have been researching the benefits and, as long as the end result is as good as before, I am all for it. We would benefit cost wise and safety wise, so it seems like a win win situation here! So the things I purchased this weekend were:

• Fels Naptha (1.29)
• Borax (3.29)
• Vinegar (2.19 for a huge bottle!)
• Hydrogen Peroxide (.50 for a regular bottle)
• Lemon Juice (1.00)

So here are the things I have done so far with it:

• Washed whites with one cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle. ( I don't know if I did this right, it did not really notice a difference?) I will have to go back and make sure I did it right.
• Put vinegar in my rinse aid for my dish washer. Worked like a charm! No spots!
• Put Borax in a load of warm water clothes. Seemed to make them somehow fresher? But, Borax is a laundry booster, so I think it worked!
• Mixed half vinegar, half water for an "antibacterial spray".
  

I am going to make my own bleach alternative for clothes and laundry detergent. I will post and picture when I do about the process. I have been reading and all of these cleaning products (store bought) are so harmful to your children and the environment. It is so easy to research. Click here for all the uses of vinegar (you'll be surprised!)
Also, my husband has a shirt with grease stains all over it...Happens to be a nice shirt that would be nice for church, dinner, etc. so, I am not willing to give up on it yet. So, I rubbed Fels Naptha, just the actual bar on each of the stains and it worked!!! This shirt has been stained for a long time!!! It is really amazing!!!!

Meijer Sales

There are some really good deals at Meijer's this week, we are going to just post about a couple of the ones that we thought were significant...

• If you buy $10 in Nabisco cookies and crackers, you receive $10 off fruit-of-the-loom products for the family (which are also on sale, some for 3.99). So, to work the deal, you need to buy 3 packages of fruit of the loom and $10 worth of Nabisco. If you have Nabisco coupons, you could end up with a great deal here. We decided having just white fruit of the loom t-shirts are great to lounge around in or even sleep in, so soft and comfy..oh and who doesn't love a pair of brand new white socks?

• The next deal is Electrosol. There was a coupon in the paper for 2.25 off! They are on sale for 2/$6 so .75 for dish washing detergent!
• Lysol cleaning products are 50% off, and there were tons of coupons in the paper, so you are looking at under a dollar for any of these cleaning items! We could all use more bacterial wipes..right?
• 10 for $1, get the eleventh free....wow, this is great, especially if you have coupons, which there a lot floating around out there for these! Some things on my list are carrots, broccoli, bagged lettuce (yes, only 1.00!!), Kleenex, paper towels...to name a few!

Get a complete list of more sale items at Thrifty in The Cincy, click here and here to see them!!!!!
Oh, and Kroger had papers for .99 cents this week!! What a great deal for all those coupons!!!

Fall

Well, if you could not tell, we are soooo excited for fall to get here...We are sure you can tell my our blog page.. so, no more sweating on the "kid" walks and just wanting to be inside where it is cool. No more getting "eaten alive" by bugs...gosh we really dislike bugs!!!! We have gotten pretty good at this blog thing, well the layout portion of it at least! We are trying to give good input and relevant information, so hopefully you are all enjoying. Again, we love comments and want to hear your input to see if you are enjoying what you are reading. Thanks for visiting!!!! We also take requests, so let us know if you if there is something you want us to look into or talk about!!
Thanks again!!!

Pottery Barn end-of-season

Ok since my sister-in-law shared her "favorite thing" I thought that I would post mine as well; Pottery barn picture frames. Visit http://www.potterybarn.com, they are having an awesome end-of-season sale and their picture frames are fantastic!! Check it out!! Also, don't be afraid to mix the colors..they are fun and colorful and a great accent to any decor`.

Brownie in a Coffee Cup

I was just looking through my favorite blogs and saw this crock pot recipe on the "Year of Crock Potting" blog. This is so neat!! I cannot wait until it is cold and snowy, or we are skiing somewhere, to make this!!! If you have kids, (or not) this is way cool and worth checking out!!!
Be sure to check out this link here.

Favorite Things

I think a "favorite things" posting every now and again will help to explain who I am. The thing I am going to talk about today is one of my very very favorite things! I do not know what I would do without it! It was a gift from my mom (thanks mom and sister!) with a very long story about how I ended up with it..I did though, so we will pick up from there.
It is my Furi Rachael Ray Knife. Now, I do not give in to gimmicks and things like that, but this knife puts my "chef skills" ten fold when I have it in my hand (or at least I think so!) I feel like I can cook anything, chop anything and I feel like I look like Rachael Ray while I do it. (She looks cool, doesn't she?) So, here is one of my most favorite things, I would recommend to anyone who loves to cook!!! If you know a cook, it would make a great gift too!
(it is pictured here with the actual sharpener that goes with it...I love that too..it is not electric, so it is so easy to use and pull out of the drawer!)
Happy Chopping!!!
Please click on comments below and tell us what your favorite things are!!!

Home Grown Tomatoes

My neighbor just brought over a whole batch of homegrown tomatoes. I love the flavor home grown tomatoes give to any sort of sauce. It always seems so much fresher than even store bought, so to me, this was a real treat! Last time, I cooked pasta sauce with fresh rosemary and basil from my garden! Delicious!!
Well, I have lots of peppers in my refrigerator (thanks Kroger, $1 per red, yellow or orange pepper!!!) so, I wanted to utilize both...well, crock pot stuffed peppers! I cut everything up (including the peppers) and threw it in. Added a little garlic, chili powder, cumin, corriander, salt and pepper. I am good to go. I plan on serving it over brown rice. It was so easy. It has all of the ingredients as regular stuffed peppers, just in a different form =). I'll report back on how this turned out, pictures included!!!!

Kraft Foods

If you have young children in your home, you probably have a lot of Kraft products in your pantry and refrigerator. If you don't have young kids, you still probably do! Kraft has a magazine they publish for FREE and you can get their recipes delivered right into your mailbox. I love this magazine! you sign up for free and they send it to your REAL mailbox!!! (If you are like me, things that get sent into your "inbox" are harder to appreciate and read!) The recipes are sooo easy and things you probably already have n your refrigerator. Click here to register for the magazine.
They also have my number one appetizer on their Kraftfoods.com website. I love this website too. When I am having company I always browse around on it to find something simple and delicious to make. Listed below is a sure fire crowd pleaser!!!! So easy too!!!!

1/4 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 loaf (1 lb.) French bread, cut in half lengthwise

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

3 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped pitted ripe olives

1 cup chopped plum tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Mix oil and garlic; spread onto cut surfaces of bread. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

MIX cream cheese and Parmesan cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Stir in olives.

SPREAD toasted bread halves with cream cheese mixture; top with tomatoes. Cut into 24 slices to serve. Sprinkle with basil.

Yummy!!!!

Recipe compliments of Kraft Foods.

Meijer Organics

Meijer's has an awesome line of organic foods. Seems so expensive to go organic, you have to shop at Whole Foods and spend double for something. My children can only drink organic milk. My mother was the first to give my son milk and it happened to be organic. Well, now that is all he can drink. We tried to give him regular and it was something out of the "Exorcist" movie..needless to say we have not tried again!!!! While the price is annoying, all of the things you hear about milk and what they put in it,makes me happy my mother made that decision for us long ago (thanks mom!). So, while it is a little pricy, definitely one of those extras that is worth it!!!
So, I found organic milk at Meijer which is on sale 2/5! That is a great price on milk for me! Listed below are there other deal on their organics line...Sale ends Sat.
Organic Bread 2/$5
Organic yogurt 10/$6
25% off organic cheese and crackers
Organic cereal 2.49
Organic frozen veggies and fruit 3/$6
Organc peanut butter and jelly 2/$5
Organic milk 2/$5 (half gallons)
Organic pasta sauce 1.59
Organic pasta 1.79
Organic apple juice 2.99
Organic mushrooms 4/$5
These are some great prices..haven't tried everything, but I am confident it would be worth a try!!!!

CVS

So, I had my first official CVS experience yesterday. I have to say I think I did well, although I am not thoroughly impressed yet. I had a few coupons, not printed off of the internet, real manufacturer coupons, and the manager had to come out and help. (She was very nice and did get everything to register!) I am not giving up, I am chalking it up to, I tried to do too much, so I will break it down into smaller trips I guess....
BUT...They do have an awesome clearance on summer things...75% off. I got kid lawn chairs, kids hats, flip flops, bubbles, all for very cheap! So it may be worth checking it out for there for sure. I guess I am going to try another CVS or maybe break my trips down....Does anyone have some advice on this? It was kind of weird...My receipt says I saved 60 some dollars, so I know I did somewhat well, but why the headache with the coupons?
Thanks for your advice in advance!