Family Musings

Over the summer I began swapping childcare with a mom who lived nearby. One of the swaps we do is for a date night, about once a month. The first few months it was enough to just have a meal together and hang out... but now that we've been doing this consistently for several months, we need to mix things up and make them more interesting for both of us. It is just too easy to let all of the conversation be about things that we need  to talk about, like the children, budgets, or our schedule for the coming week. Inspired by a good price on Arts Cow  playing cards, I decided to create a set that we'd be able to use for playing games on our date nights. The first date night we use them might be the most fun though, because I designed these cards with room to write on the back of them. The plan is for each of us to get 2 suits of cards and then write out one thing on the back of each card that we love about the other person. I think fine tipped permanent markers would work be...

I've wanted to share this homemade gift idea with y'all for weeks! But too many people on my gift-giving list were getting these and I didn't want to spoil the surprise. This gift is great for teachers, people with mobility issues, parents of toddlers, or people who are just too lazy to bend over and pick up a fallen dish towel! Hanging Towel Not only are these gifts useful by anyone with a kitchen, they are also super easy to make. I whipped up a whole stack of them in about 30 minutes. And, if you don't have access to a sewing machine, these can be done by hand if you needed to.  First, start with a coordinating dish towel and pot holder. You need the kind of pot holder that has the loop in the middle. Corner loops will not work for this project. I bought these 5 piece sets at Wal-Mart and was able to get 1-2 gifts out of each set. You can also buy the dish towels and pot holders at dollar stores to save a little more money. I think I spent $6 on this 5-pac...

After watching a couple of the documentaries on the list I shared last week , I think I want to start juicing. I'm up in the air as to whether or not it will just be a breakfast kind of thing, or if I might want to try a 5-15 day juice fast. I'm also wondering how something like juicing might affect my hormones and brain chemistry, as related to my depression. I've spent nearly 2 hours on Amazon.com and a couple of other sites between last night and today trying to figure out which one I want to get. I've read almost every review on Amazon for the 15-20 juicers that had a 4-star or higher rating and I think I've narrowed the list down to 4 possibilities. Except for one, they are all in the $135 range. The reason I'm doing so much research is that I don't generally have $135 laying around to just go buy something on a whim. In fact, I'm clearing out some clutter in our house with the intention that it might fund this purchase. I need to ensure that I...

Sometimes it takes a personal story for us to really see the need when other people are experiencing a tragedy. Today, even though I had been aware of the horrible after math of the recent tornadoes in Joplin, MO, I finally saw the human side of it. My friend Tracey shared about the moms of young children in Joplin who had lost their homes. It hadn't occurred to me, but these moms probably didn't crawl into their bathtub or basement with their baby's lovey or pacifier. And of course, the Wal-Mart suffered a lot of damage so they couldn't just go out and replace these items easily. They can't really do any of the daily stuff of raising preschoolers easily. So Tracey, because she is awesome and responded when she saw the need, created an Amazon.com Wish List for the moms of Joplin, MO . On this wish list are things like pacifiers, diapers, blankets, and other items that moms will need in the coming weeks but won't have easy access too. The MOPS group of Jo...

Do you know what a seasonal consignment sale it? I do, and I love them!!! And I love giving away gift certificates to my readers! (Keep reading for details.) March and April are the most popular months of the year for these sales as moms start looking to pack away the parkas and mittens. Fortunately, Lakeland is blessed to have a couple of these. The first consignment sale of the season is Savvy Shoppers . It was started by my friend Debbie and I am pleased to tell you more about it. Savvy Shoppers Children's Consignment Sale March 24-26, 2011 90 Lake Morton Dr. Junior League Building (near the Lakeland Public Library) This is what Debbie has to say about Savvy Shoppers: We are here to help during these hard economic times. Moms need to make their dollars stretch. By consigning your gently used clothes, toys, games, etc., with Savvy Shoppers you will earn 70% of your sales. You can increase your earnings by volunteering at the sale. You can shop out great selection at aweso...

A long time ago, I made Salmon Croquettes following a recipe from Paula Deen. They came out really good and were a frugal choice for lean times. Well, lean times continue so I began looking for more frugal, yet tasty recipes. After looking at several chicken croquette recipes, I combined what I liked best about all of them, using only what I had on hand. The canned chicken goes on sale BOGO at Publix often enough and the rest of the ingredients are what I consider pantry staples. Except for the red peppers, I picked those up at Big Lots a while back and have been looking for an opportunity to use them. Our dinner last night was the tasty result of my searching and pantry pilfering. Even Mary ate about 1 1/2 of them, though Charlotte didn't care for the soft texture on the inside. Jennifer's Chicken Croquettes 1 stick butter 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup chicken stock 3 cans chicken, drained (about 3 cups of chicken) 1 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs 1 egg, lightly ...

I didn't plan to write a second post today, but I know so many people who are in school or preparing to go on to graduate school that I absolutely had to share this link to 136 free Kaplan test prep books . (Parents of small kids scroll down, I have a free book for you too!) I have had a Kindle for a little over the year and use it weekly. I have never paid for a book, ever. Currently there are more than 100 books on my Kindle and I take it just about everywhere I go. It always excites me when I see people sharing links to free Kindle books, but this one, because I know it can help so many people who want to improve their lives by getting more education, gets me really excited! The free books are test prep and college guides for the following tests - GMAT, SAT, GRE, MCAT, NCLEX-RN, AP, and maybe some more that I missed. I know the AP ones will come in handy at our house and the rest of these will help lots of people since this is the season for testing. Follow this link to fi...

I discovered the joy of making your own granola bars this week. And I might be hooked now. The recipe is super easy and highly customizable. I am looking forward to trying lots of different variations of it. Plus, it is highly frugal to make your own granola bars. For the cost of one box at the store I can make this recipe, which gives you any where from 24-30 bars depending on how you cut them. My friend Kim gave me the recipe, but she got it from someone else. So I'm just calling this Someone Else's Granola Bars. They come out soft and chewy and addictive. Someone Else's Granola Bars 4 cups rolled oats 1 cup whole wheat flour ¼ cup wheat germ or flax seed (I have used flax meal) ½ tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup sunflower seeds, pepitas, walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc… any kind of nut. 1 cup any – craisins, raisins, dried apricots, dried apples, etc… 2/3 cup peanut butter 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 egg, slightly beaten ¼ cup water ½ cup hone...

Our budget is tight and if my husband's employer has anything to do about it, the budget will be getting tighter. That's why I was so glad when I got my Shutterfly email today because it included a code for a free gift! Today I took advantage of that and planned ahead for a birthday gift. I don't think the recipient reads the blog very often, so hopefully she will skip over this post and not notice her name! Lovebird Toile Pink Thank You Card Turn your photos into thank you cards by Shutterfly. View the entire collection of cards.

I think I might be crazy, but I've decided to take up running again. You may not know it, but in 2006, when I was 8 weeks pregnant with Charlotte, I ran the Disney half-marathon with my friends Angela and Kelly. She is a runner. I am not. But I did it. Well, I jogged the first 8 miles and split the last 5.1 miles between walking and jogging. As soon as I got to the end (3 hours and 5 minutes later) I swore I would never do it again. Then, one day a couple of months ago, Charlotte grabbed my hand and said, "run with me Mommy." And I did. And for some reason, it kind of felt good. So I started thinking about running again. Then I realized, I can't run and wear a baby at the same time (I'm not as awesome as my friend Kelly who wore her 2 year old during the Disney half!) So I set out to find a jogging stroller. After a lot of research, I decided the BOB Revolution Duallie was the one that fit my list of needs best - high quality, turning or locking front wheel, f...

This isn't a frugal blog, or even a deal blog, but I do love a good sale! Until February 14th, if you shop at Old Navy via Ebates , you will get 20% cash back! That is an awesome discount on Old Navy. I looked around and found clothes that would make Charlotte the dancer happy. The pink ballet leotard is also adorable. And, it comes in sizes that both Charlotte and Mary can wear. I think I'll be using my Old Navy gift card to stock up on some matching outfits! Maybe I'll get this rash guard swim suit for both of them. Wouldn't they look cute at the pool or on the beach together in their blue floral swimsuits? I always prefer the shirt style tops for my girls because it protects them from the sun better and is more modest. To take advantage of this deal, all you have to do is sign up for Ebates and then do a search for Old Navy. Once you click on the Old Navy result, wait for the page to load and start shopping. Ebates puts a special tracking code on your visit w...

While Bruce was home for his 2 weeks of "Winter Break," I made him take us strawberry picking at a local organic, hydroponic farm. We ended up only paying $1 per pound of strawberries and came home with 30 pounds! I canned about 10 pints and then froze another 6 pounds, leaving the rest to be eaten until we turned red! Unfortunately, not quite all 30 pounds were edible. It took Charlotte a little while to understand that we didn't want green or white strawberries. Even after Bruce had her taste an unripe one, she still tried to pick them.

I love making photo books. They are a quick and easy way to document a major event or even the small events throughout the year. Especially when you don't have any room or time for serious scrapbooking. While I like making photo books, I often need a little nudge to get them going and done. In case you are like me, you might need some help too. So here are some ideas for making a themed photo book: based on the months of the year and various activities you did in each month; an ABC book with something about your child that relates to each letter of the alphabet; or you could also use a photo book to chronicle a major event in your life, such as a vacation, wedding, or the birth of a child . And here is some more of a nudge from an email I received today... " Snapfish has launched an effort with Rachael Ray in which Snapfish is giving viewers the opportunity to receive 50% off their own customizable photo book [no limit either!] using promo code from November 25-December 2, a...

How to Save Money with Coupons - Part 1   Before I go on with the how's of saving money, I'd like to address the very important "why" of saving money. If you will, please allow me some liberty as I re-write on of my favorite passages of scripture, 1 Corinthians 13.1-3. If I speak in the tongues of coupons and of sales, but have not love, I am only a squeaky cart or a clanging cash register. If I have the gift of savings and can fathom all FLIPs and all sales ads, and if I have a stockpile the size of a mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my stash to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. You see, it does us me no good to spend $8 for $100 worth of groceries if there is no love in our my heart. It does me no good to have 40 cans of green beans, 28 boxes of cereal, and 10 tubes of toothpaste, if  I don't also have a giving heart to go along with it. We are clearly taught by the Bible to be good...

I have been asked several time recently how I manage to find such great deals at grocery and drugstores. And the answer is always the same. I combine coupons with store sales to get the best deal possible. It isn't rocket science and it doesn't have to be scary. But it does take a small investment of time. I'd been thinking about sharing my tips here for a while and then a few nights ago, I went to a class on how to use coupons. The teacher is obviously a mega-couponer with a few years experience and no babies or toddlers at home. But, in my opinion, she gave the class too much information considering most of the attendees were coupon novices. So, now, I want to share my ideas with my friends near and far so you can bring down your grocery budget without having to buy 200 boxes of cereal. Today, I'll just share a few tips to get you started. Let me know if you have any questions. First, and most obvious, buy a Sunday newspaper for the coupons. Actually, buy 2. The...

During Charlotte's nap time, I ran through my list of usual coupon/ sales websites and came up with my plan of attack for both Publix and CVS. I didn't really need much, just a few staples and then I had extra money to play with. I try to keep my grocery bill under $60 a week right now, considering our currently unemployed situation. At Publix, I spent $38.81 and got the following: 8 boxes of Frosted Mini-wheats cereal, 2 loaves of bread, 2 bags of Doritos, 2 boxes of reduced sugar Pilsbury cake mix, 2 cans of Muir Glen tomato sauce, 1 can of Muir Glen tomato paste, 1 avocado, 6 peaches, 1 gallon milk, 2 bags of mini chocolate donuts, 2 boxes Starkist Seasations, 1 package of sliced cheese, 2 packages of Lunchable Jrs, 4 boxes of Yoplait GoGurt, and 1 dozen eggs. When I looked at my Publix receipt, I realized that one of my B1G1 Free items didn't ring up properly, so my total should be $3.86 less. I'll take it back and fix it later. Usually I am pretty good at catc...

After my quick success sewing up a few skirts for myself last week, I decided to tackle a small project for Charlotte using my sewing scraps. I sincerely had no idea what I would end up making her when I started. A dress? A skirt like mine? A summer shirt? I just started throwing some pieces together, trimming them, and adding a couple more pieces until I liked it. I added some eyelit to dress it up a little too. Fortunately, I had a willing model and these photos are the result.        This dress is so far from perfect it is funny. I can't even begin to list all the mistakes and problems with it. Overall though, I like the concept and will try it again with far better execution. What do you think? What do you do with your sewing scraps?

Why does it have to be so hard for a short girl to find well-fittting maternity clothes? Seriously? Is it too hard to make maternity clothes in petite lengths? I don't think I am asking too much here folks. After finally being frustrated with the state of maternity clothes for short people, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I made myself 5 new skirts (inspired in part by my friend Katie ) with on sale fabric. Each of these skirts cost me about $5 and took less than 35 minutes to make (once I got the first one done, which required 2 redos). Are they going to win an award on Project Runway? Not a chance. Tim Gunn would be all over the fact that I used black thread for all three skirts. But the first two skirts were black and I was too lazy to switch the thread out. However, they are long enough for me to sit on the floor tailor style while playing with Charlotte and still cover me. Plus, I made them super comfy, giving my belly plenty of room to grow. To the right i...

I've had a lot of people ask me what I planned to do with Charlotte this summer. And given our currently unemployed situation, I tried to find several items that were free or nearly free to entertain us. Of course, I am also trying to limit our trips out by doing more things at home. In no particular order, are some of the ideas I've found for entertaining children in and around Lakeland this summer. Explorations V Children's Museum - I have written about this place a gazillion times already, but at $5/day or for the cost of a relatively cheap annual memberships, this place pays for itself in no time flat. We especially enjoy the 10:30 programs each day. They are included with the cost of membership and engage all different styles of learners Gym Etc - If you've been reading Family Musings for a while, you know Charlotte loves to jump and hang and fly around the local gymnastics studio. $4 for open gym on Wednesdays, 10-11 am Cobb Theatre - What isn't t...

My family calls me the CVS Queen. Let me show you why. Pictured: 4 Colgate toothpastes, 6 G2 flavored water, 1 32-oz Propel, 3 bars of beauty soap, 4 bags of tootsie rolls, 1 Tylenol Rapid Release, 1 dye-free Children's Mortin, 2 bath poufs, 4 cans of Progresso Light Soup, 2 Blade Body Sprays, 1 box of Just For Men (which comes with an $8 rebate) and 2 travel size Christophe Products. Not pictured are 2 more bags of Tootsie Rolls, and 2 Reinventing Beauty magazines. Would you believe that I only paid $11.09 out of pocket for ALL of this?? My receipts say the retail value of it all is $71.43. Plus, on top of that ridiculously low price, they paid me another $13.69 in ECBs ( Extra Care Bucks ) just to take this stuff out of their store. That means, I netted $2.60 this week! I'd say that covered my gas for the three trips I made, but I walked to CVS 2 of those times. (Now aren't you even more impressed with my frugality?) And I still have an $8 rebate to submit, which means I ...