Feeding Munchkins

"If you find any baby deals let me know."  At first I thought this is best way to save money, make everyone in your family where baby clothes and feed them only baby food.  I'm sure my 16 year old would love this.  No really, but I did find this great one to share.  When my boys' were little I too made baby food, but not this good.  This is almost "gormet" baby food.

Check the link below and check out the guest post at Couponing To Disney.  Suzie from Kiddo Savings shows and I do mean shows (love photos) us how to make our own baby food. 

http://www.couponingtodisney.com/index.php/2010/01/25/guest-post-how-to-save-money-by-making-your-own-baby-food/

This also has me thinking on how I can use this idea for my own uses.  Gravies and puddings are the first that come to mind.  I'll be trying them out very soon.

Have a cold and snowy Tuesday!

Danielle

Free Meals

At our house I've been trying to save as much as possible. I have had some success and I know my weaknesses. Eating out! Why is this a weekness? I just don't want to cook sometimes and other times it's not cooking it's the cleaning up. But it costs way too much to feed us and we just can't do that anymore. So that being said, I have been trying to find free or close to that here in the Greenwood area.

Check out these link for details:

Steak 'n Shake

Smokey Bones

Max & Erma's

McDonald's-Trafalgar: during the month of October Happy Meals are $1.00 each tuesday.

So we are now trying (key word trying) to plan eating out on days that they have these specials going on. Let me know if anyone else has found any others in our area.

Danielle

Finding Money

It has come to my attention that I have figured out a few ways to save money. I would love to share them with my friends. Now remember this is only what works for me but hopefully these ideas might inspire you to try them.

1. Sign up for mailing lists. I know this requires work. But believe me spend some time and get online to your favorite stores. Sign up to get on their email lists. But remember if you don't want to get these emails mixed up with your personal ones get a new email account.
2. Cut out those coupons. I know this requires even more work. It works. I have been using them for months now and I have saved tons of money.

This is how I started and it has brought me great coupons and free items. For example I just received a book of coupons from Kroger. In this book I have a coupon for free grape tomatoes.

So get started and good luck!

Danielle

Day 1

I did it! I can't believe I actually did it! I'm so proud of my self. I did the workout DVD "30 Day Shred".




A few years ago I started to gain weight and it was completely out the blue. I was convinced I had some medical issue. I went to the doctor and had tests run. I was referred to another doctor who did even more tests. They agreed on a diagnosis...I was getting old. OLD...how can that be I was only 34 years old. I know darn well that these doctor's had to be really old then, if they had enough nerve to call me OLD! OLD!




So I've been told I need to "jump-start my metabolism". What in the world is that? I had visions of hooking jumper cables to my body and getting that metabolism going. Boy, was I wrong. EXERCISE! I hate to exercise! The last time I tried to exercise I got "tennis elbow". Now do you see why I think exercise is hazardous to your health. It gave me a disease.




Before I started the weight gain I weighed 125 lbs. When I was finally diagnosed with "being Old" I weighed in at 170 lbs. But today that will change! I did one day of jump-starting my metabolism and I feel great. You have got to be kidding me. I couldn't even put earrings in after drying my hair. Advil here I come. I'm hoping tomorrow to be able to get out of bed without help. And then Day 2 of Operation Jump-Start.




Danielle

Tender Moments

The joys of being a mother. Dad and son in front of the bathroom mirror. Dad teaching oldest son how to shave. These are the days when your heart just melts at over hearing the conversation. (sigh) I had to resist getting the camera out and documenting this right of passage to manhood.

Then as I sat there and reflected on how big my 15 year old really was. He's not only physically getting bigger, but also emotionally. It seems like he'll be going to college way too soon and I'm just not ready for that.

Just as I was having my moment it was cut short. My honor student comes out of the bathroom with a kleenex attached to his face. He has just shaved his unibrow and has cut his nose. He didn't realize he wasn't supposed to shave it.

I guess he still does need his mom after all.

Danielle

Today's the Day

I keep saying I'm going to start working out again. I had every intention of getting up this morning and starting the WII Fit again. And then I over slept and just felt like blah! So I talked to a friend who has gotten me inspired to get moving again. I don't know what she was thinking. I certainly don't know why I was listening to her. She had tried to use her DVD on Monday and it wouldn't work. They have had previous problems with their DVD player so she thought well, I'll do something else and try another day. Boy was she wrong it still didn't work today. So she tried a couple different DVD's and they worked. Ha! This is a sign from God! He does not want you to subject your body to this type of torture.

I personally will listen to His warnings and will NOT be working out any time soon. If I remember correctly the last time I tried this working out stuff I ended up with tennis elbow. I think exercise is a trick of the devil's.

Now back to reality...I guess I can try again tomorrow. But if the WII doesn't work I'm taking it as a sign.

Danielle

No more cheap TP!

Everyone knows the whole story about the economy so I'm not even going to touch that one. I have become coupon crazy at least that's what Kid #2 calls it. For the past 6 months I have created my own little system for using coupons. The rule is if it's not on sale or I don't have a coupon I don't buy it. So far it's working very well. I have gone from $600.00 month in groceries to around $425.00. My goal is to get it down to $400.00.

If you are wondering no I usually do NOT buy generics. But that has not stopped me from trying cheaper brands of certain items. My first experiment was toilet paper, I had a coupon and it was on sale. Double the fun, I say! HogFarmer is finicky about his toilet paper (TP). Who could blame him he said they used "sand paper" when he was in Iraq. So of course he was the first to complain, as always. But one by one each Kid started in too. For it to be a true experiment they were not told of the change in TP. I thought it wasn't bad but not great either, until I got sick. This episode has totally changed my mind, due to the fact I was thinking about using kleenex, tissues, whatever you want to call them instead of TP. So sorry cheaper brands of TP, we're going back to Charmin!

Danielle