Birthday party savings!

We had Austin's birthday party over the weekend. As hard as my pregnancy is getting, it was important to have a nice party for Austin so he had something special before the baby comes. 

I had lots of help with the preparations between my student aides at school and hubby, so I just had to shop and make the cake. 

I also spent very little by making everything myself. The most money was spent on pizza, but even that was still reasonable. The entire cost of the party was around $80. 

Austin chose a Mario theme. I found great ideas on Pinterest for fun and simple games.  

Mario bingo:  Free online printable and one of my aides prepped the entire thing. We used pennies around the house as the markers. 

Stomp the Gumba: I had several students blow up the ballons and then cut out the faces from a printed pic and glue them. We tied string to the balloon and then to each kid's ankle and they ran around the yard while trying to pop the balloons. 

Fireball toss: I printed and laminated the piranha plant and taped them to these buckets from Dollar Tree. The kids tossed cheese balls into them. 

Piñata: my awesome hubby made this from scratch! 

For the decorations, I just made a birthday sign. One of my aides traced the characters on the projector and colored it for me. 

The goodie bags were made with punches. I put some chocolate gold coins, a Mario notepad, and stickers in them and then the kids also put their piñata candy in them as well. 

I made the cake from scratch. I piped the grass and road and put a few of Austin's Mario toys on top. Super easy!

I'm so happy at how it turned out!  

Who will profit this holiday season?

I know... it's been awhile since I've updated Viva Mom.  It's been crazy around here and I'm still trying to process that this baby will be here in just about 6 weeks!  Even though I'm six months shy of "advanced maternal age", I am still considered high risk due to my medical history.  This means that I am now weekly with my OB and twice a week for fetal monitoring with the perinatologist.  I also have been going to the chiropractor and getting accupuncture weekly to help manage my pain.  If I learned how to relax, I would probably be much better off, but I can't sit still and have been busy getting things ready on the home front and at work for my long term sub.

So now that the holidays are upon us, I have some things on my mind.  My question is, who will profit from this holiday season?  We've seen the Christmas candy and decorations go up right after Halloween, we've seen Facebook blow up with how great Costco is that they are still honoring Thanksgiving for their employees and we've seen the "leaked Black Friday ads".  I used to love Black Friday.  In fact, it was a tradition growing up.  I used to do Walmart's Black Friday just to get great deals on general items when I was still building up the things I needed for my house.  I had all sorts of great strategies to guarantee I got what I wanted and get in and out as quickly as possible.  Well, as my family has grown, and the crowds have become increasingly insane, it just takes too much time away from my family.  With my current lifestyle, shopping in general has become a time burden to my personal productivity, so I mostly shop online, make it myself, or buy in bulk.

This year, I want to make sure my family profits from this holiday season.  I refuse to be a holiday shopping season statistic.  When Austin was much younger we started to guide him in thinking about a really good gift to ask Santa.  I try to encourage gifts that will last or foster education or activity.  In the past, he's received a bike (still riding 2 years later), Leap Pad (still using 3 years later and now Amilia uses it too), Nintendo DS (last year), and train set (still playing this after 4 years).  I like learning/gaming systems because they can grow with the child and new games keep them interesting.  The "Santa gift" is the main splurge we spend on our kids.  They get around 3-4 simpler gifts from us that might be a clothing item, book, small toy, or handmade item.  We plan ahead for the expensive purchases and complete our shopping in October.  This year, all of their gifts were purchased online from Amazon or from friends on Facebook that have small businesses.  I am also making something for each of them.  I ordered their books from the Scholastic book order through Austin's teacher, so his teacher will profit from the purchase with points for free books for the classroom.  I only do consumables in their stockings such as toothbrush/paste, character kleenex, lip balm, activity book, or candy.  I try to encourage grandparents to keep the gifts simple.  Sometimes we coordinate gifts that will go together such as Amilia is getting a play kitchen this year, so my mother in law is getting dishes to go with it.  Austin still loves his Nintendo DS, so I gave her some suggestions for new games that he would like.  My mom set up mutual funds for the kids, so she puts money in their accounts and gives one small gift.

For other family members, I try to find something thoughtful or unique.  Grandparents always get updated pictures of the kids and will give cash for my older nephews.  In the past I've also done handmade gifts with the kids' prints.  One of my favorite businesses on FB is "Metal Stampin Mama". She makes great personalized jewelry creations and occasionally posts specials on her page.  All the females in my family have received a creation by her at one time or another!  It gives me so much joy to support small businesses, especially when they are moms raising their kids at home and working hard to contribute to their family. Ryan and I decided this year we would wait to see what his year end bonus is going to be and hopefully get a new computer as our gift to each other.

So now that the shopping is done, my family will profit from this season.  I will plan ahead to avoid all stores during Thanksgiving weekend so we can spend it together baking, crafting, decorating, and attending some of the local holiday events.  This month we have been writing and sharing our blessings and next month we will continue the tradition started last year which is writing and sharing our acts of kindness and service.  Then, by the end of December, we will meet our baby girl, which is the greatest gift we could ever hope to receive.

My wish for you all is that these next 6 weeks will be filled with love and joy and that it will be you and your family profiting from the season.

My 100th post!

It's always so fulfilling to look back on a vision and know that I have actually seen it through! When I started this blog in January 2013, I was a Hamburger Helper/McDonalds drive thru cook with shopaholic tendencies. Now I can cook from almost scratch, watch what I spend, and have avoided fast food meals for nearly a year!  

Many of my readers have asked how I find the time to do all of this while working full time. Well, sometimes it works out and sometimes it's hard. I've learned to be realistic with what I can actually accomplish and constantly prioritize what needs to be done. When I have the energy, I can "make time", which usually includes staying up till midnight, skipping my TV shows and extreme multi-tasking.  I refuse to bring work home with me or stay late, so I maximize my time at work by working through my lunch break and doing any work I can while students are busy doing independent activities.  I also rely heavily on the help of my husband who usually gladly does the dishes in exchange for a delicious meal. However, there are still times when the dishes fill up the sink for a few days, the laundry to be folded stays in baskets throughout the house until we run out, and sometimes we just call in a pizza because it's been that kind of day! And as I sit back and poison myself with a diet Pepsi reflecting on whatever drama happened at school and the insanity of the evening with my children, I recognize it's just a day and tomorrow can be better if I choose to let it be. 

I have found I also save time when I prepare and plan ahead and live to regret it when I don't. It's usually the mornings when Ryan calls me from work to ask what he needs to send the kids with because I totally crashed the night before and didn't get it done. I'm not a big fan of having routines, but I have learned that having one (or attempting to have one) helps get through the day.

One of the greatest blessings from this journey is that it has brought more happiness and health to our family. We are learning how to be grateful for what we have and have spent more quality time together in our home. 

This past weekend was especially nice as Austin didn't have school on Friday, so we all took the day off and went to see some new things at the Springs Preserve. I renewed our family membership which is a great deal for $60.  I paid an extra $20 for a guest add-on so Austin can bring a friend or we can take a relative along!  The membership pays for itself after 2 regular visits and one event. 

The new butterfly habitat. 

We did a family trip to Costco because I'm trying a new strategy of "buying what we need for the month" and "when it's gone, it's gone".  We will see how that one goes over! So I figured out what we needed that can last a month (I will still have to get milk and produce at the grocery store a few times as well), and we filled up a cart and flat bed and stocked up on some of the good coupon specials for the month. The new coupon book comes out this week, so I am waiting to get Amilia's pull-ups until then as they are going to be $6 off. 

I didn't expect to get much done on Saturday as Austin was supposed to have a double header soccer game, but thanks to the flash flood, no games. 

One of the projects I've wanted to do was make freezer pizza kits. Someone put this idea on Facebook and I thought it was a great idea! I made pizza for dinner so I just made extra dough and shredded a whole block of cheese with my kitchen aid shredder attachment and sorted them out. I made homemade pasta sauce from The Prudent Homemaker link to recipe and measured out about 1.5 cups of sauce in freezer bags and set them in a pan so they could freeze flat. I put the dough, sauce, and shredded cheese in a gallon ziploc after they were all frozen and now I can pop a kit in the fridge to thaw and quickly assemble a homemade pizza. 

You can also add some frozen meat to your kits. 

Pepperoni and BBQ chicken pizzas! 

My dough recipe: (I got the basics of an easy yeast dough from my Norwegian brother in law.  He made yummy pizzas on the BBQ grill on a family vacation.)

Proof 1 tsp yeast in 1 cup warm water

Add 2-3 cups flour and 1 tsp salt 

I use my dough hook on the kitchen aid

Knead and add more flour if too sticky 

Spray your pan then sprinkle some corn meal on it. Roll dough and place on pan.

Add toppings and bake 400 degrees for about 15-18 min until crust and cheese gets light golden brown. A friend of mine shared that if you have a pizza stone, you can get the stone really hot first by baking it for about 5 min in a 500 degree oven and then place the pizza on the stone. It gets the crust nice and crispy and bakes in only 5 min. I won't be trying that one in Vegas until December!

I also made bread, pancakes, lavender body wash for me, foaming hand wash, and kid shampoo/wash. For the kid's wash, I use a 3 to 1 water to Castile soap ratio and splash a little olive oil for moisture and some essential oil for scent (about 2 drops for every 4 oz of liquid). It gets just enough suds to wash their hair and skin, but rinses easily and is very gentle. If my little one gets ahold of it and dumps half the bottle before I notice, it's not the end of the world, just a few cents worth. When I used to buy $15 bottles of Burts Bees baby wash, it was another story. 

Dinners for the week:

Monday: Italian casserole with salad (I will freeze 1/2 of the beef I brown for another meal)

Tuesday: chicken and rice bake with veggies (steam rice and veggies, boil/shred a breast, stir in with some cheese and cream of chicken soup and bake for a few minutes at 350)

Wednesday: Buffalo Chicken casserole 

This is from Pinterest, shred your cooked chicken and add buffalo sauce to it and stir in hash browns, shredded cheddar, and ranch dressing, bake in a pan 350 for 30 min

Thursday: one pot pasta with veggies

Friday: pizza kit

Saturday: white chicken chili with cornbread (I plan on making a double batch do I can also freeze a few quarts)

Sunday: family dinner rotation 

Beef is still really high, so once a week is plenty and usually I'm only using 1/2 a pound in the dish. I thought about getting a roast at Costco but they were $5 a pound! I find if I do enough variety with my chicken dishes and alternate in the other types of dishes, we don't get tired of it. 

Ready for cooler weather

This week went by insanely fast! I had my school open house and  have started getting leg cramps at night, so by Thursday, I needed a night off. I was hungry for Mimi's Cafe corn chowder, so sent the hubby for take out. Other than that, I was good about cooking all week!

Friday night I had a great time with my Bunco group and tied for first place. I lost the roll off but still won my money back plus a little more. 

Austin had his soccer game on Saturday morning.  It was ridiculously hot and humid, so I brought the kids suits so they could run around in the splash pads at the park after the game. That night, my mother in law watched Amilia so we could take Austin to Dolphin Tale 2.  He has been doing great and was selected by his teacher to be the student of the week!

Cooling off at the park!

Accomplishments and savings this week:

*Ryan cut Austin's hair 

*Made a casserole for a funeral at church so doubled it for our weekend lunches 

*Made French toast and pancakes and froze the leftovers

*Made banana oatmeal muffins with the bananas getting too ripe

*Austin and I worked on a craft project together.  We reused a cardboard box and covered it with scrapbook paper to make a doghouse for his stuffed dog

*Used my Children's Place cash to order pants for Austin and a birthday gift for my neice

Dinner menu:

Monday: lemon penne pasta and salad 

Tuesday: chicken enchiladas from freezer

Wednesday: hamburger stroganoff and salad (Freeze half of the beef)

Thursday: chicken vegetable soup with French bread

Friday: tacos with other half of beef cooked on Wednesday 

Saturday: homemade pizza

Sunday: it's our turn to cook, I will be making crockpot chicken and dumplings 

Cream of Chicken soup mix

I love this mix recipe! It takes a little more time versus using condensed soup from a can, but it is healthier, less expensive, and takes up less pantry space.  This recipe replaces about 9 cans of cream of chicken condensed soup and can be stored in a plastic container or quart sized mason jar.

Here is the link to the original recipe:  Make ahead cream of chicken soup mix

Cream of Chicken dry mix

Stir together and store in airtight container:

2 cups dry milk

3/4 cup cornstarch

2 Tbsp dried onion

1/4 cup chicken bouillon powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp ground thyme

I also like to add a little garlic powder (about 1 tsp)

Stir 1/3 cup dry mix with 2/3 water in a small pot over medium heat until thickened and add to your recipe. This replaces a can of condensed soup. 

Here are links to my favorite recipes using the mix:

Hamburger Stroganoff http://www.julieseatsandtreats.com

Crockpot chicken and dumplings  http://www.imitationbydesign.com
*I also add some chopped carrots and celery to the crockpot in this recipe

I also use the mix in my own recipe "Crockpot Tangy Chicken"

2 chicken breasts
4 peeled potatoes
2 peeled carrots cut in large chunks
cream of chicken soup mix with water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp dried onion
1/4 c white vinegar

Spray bottom of crockpot and add chicken breasts.  Place potatoes and carrots on top.  Add 1/3 cup dry chicken soup mix to 2/3 cup water in a pot and cook on medium heat until thickened.  Stir in vinegar, garlic powder, and dried onion.  Pour mixture over vegetables and chicken in crockpot.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.

Other recipes: The mix is great in whatever version of hashbrown casserole you like (I make mine with hashbrowns, cream of chicken soup, sour cream and cheese)

You can also use it as your soup base for creamy soups.  I add a little more milk, some chicken broth, seasonings and peeled/diced potatoes and carrots for a potato soup.

...and I even ironed!

It was a most productive weekend! We went to a birthday on Friday night at my cousin's house and the kids had a great time playing together.

Austin's first soccer game was Saturday morning. It was thoroughly entertaining! He played goalie and did a great job for his first "real game". The coach asked him at half time if he wanted a break and he said no, so he played the whole game. He said he was so tired, I asked why he didn't take a break, he said "My team needed me!"

Is this my kid or what?

After the game, we had a fun lunch at Firehouse Subs then headed home to get some work done. I got most of my list checked off including laundry, some cleaning, and I even ironed everyone's clothes for church!! 

By 9 pm, my back was screaming, so I iced it and took a shower and crashed. 

Our Sunday was enjoyable as well. We got together with my cousin's family and his inlaws who also live in town for dinner and fellowship.

Here are my efforts and savings this week:

*Baked 2 loaves of whole wheat bread. Measured dry ingredients to freeze for a future batch. 

*Made homemade granola bars

*Made cream of chicken soup dry mix *I love this mix, it's much cheaper and healthier than canned soup! Here are the directions on how to make it and my fave recipes using the mix Cream of Chicken Soup Mix

*Made pancakes for the freezer

*Made a double batch of dish washer detergent. 

*Finished a project I've been planning for awhile with Austin's artwork.  I will be posting details in a future post. 

*Cut up the face wipes I use to remove my eye makeup into smaller squares and put them in an airtight container. 

I had my first stamp club this week ad had a great time crafting with friends! I played with some of my new products from Stampin Up and made this cute little banner to hang by my classroom door for fall. 

Dinners this week:

Monday: tonight I made cheesy chicken rice with broccoli

Tuesday: tacos with leftover frozen meat

Wednesday: Italian casserole with salad

Thursday: baked potatoes with veggies/salad

Friday: homemade pizza

Saturday: white chicken chili and cornbread 

Sunday: family dinner

I compared beef prices at the grocery store and they are worse than Costco. In addition to 2-3 meatless meals a week, you can freeze 1/2 of the beef when you brown a pound to use for another dish. 

Have a great week!

Fun and yum!

It was a nice week and great weekend! 

Friday night, I was exhausted and didn't feel like cooking but did not want to spend money to eat out. I ended up making French toast for us with my homemade bread. The kids thought it was great. Once the kids were winding down, I worked on cards and projects for my upcoming stamp club. 

On Saturday, I needed to make a delivery to a customer who lives south of the strip. It was a free weekend for teachers at the Shark Reef, so I took the kids with me so we could go after and combine the trips. I get free admission for myself and a guest and Amilia is free anyway, so I didn't have to pay a thing!  I had to make the delivery early, so we had breakfast at Ihop after and went shopping until it opened. Austin needed shin guards for soccer and the only place nearby where I could get them was Target. I have been avoiding that store ever since the data breach but I didn't have an alternative, so I just used cash. I was glad I went because they had all their dollar bin stuff on sale for 70% off. I let the kids pick out a few things that ended up being 30 cents each with the sale.  I found battery operated tea lights for a fall craft I'm planning, so each tea light was 15 cents!

Having fun at the Shark Reef!

The octopus was out from hiding!

Saturday afternoon I took a nice siesta with Amilia. We both slept three hours! It was wonderful. That night we enjoyed a BBQ at the park with Austin's soccer league. 

I didn't need to do much baking, but did manage to accomplish some things over the weekend. Here are my savings for the week:

*Combined trips to save gas and miles

*We only ate out for one meal this week 

*Baked a double batch of pumpkin choc chip muffins to freeze for breakfast or a treat

*I was going to freeze my bananas that were over ripe; but then saw a recipe shared on Facebook for banana bread 

bars. Gave them a try and they were awesome!

Oh yeah!!

*Used up the last of my foam hand soap, so I rinsed out the dispensers and made my own. I filled the bottle 3/4 with water and then filled the rest with Castile soap. Put a few drops of citrus essential oil and now I have hand soap for just a few pennies!

*I'm planning 2-3 meatless meals per week now. The cost of beef has gone up at Costco. So far chicken has stayed the same. 

Dinner menu:

Mon: baked potato soup

Tues: lasagna (using the last one from the freezer) with salad

Wed: chicken enchiladas (I will be making a double batch so I have a freezer meal to have on hand)

Thurs: veggie one pot pasta

Fri: homemade cheese pizza 

Sat: hamburger stroganoff with veggie sticks

Sun: eating with my cousin's inlaws, we are going to start a Sunday dinner rotation between our three families

Back to school!

Well we all survived our first week back in school. My high school autism class has the same students I had last year minus one who aged out over the summer, so we pretty much picked back up where we left off. Austin had a great week in first grade, he loves his teacher, and also started practicing with his soccer team. We joined the NW Las Vegas Youth Soccer league and it was very reasonable for the three month season. Practice will be twice a week with games on Saturdays, so it will be just enough activity for us. 

This weekend was mostly spent cleaning and organizing with a few errands here and there. I'm trying to keep my energy up, but it's hard with this baby. She is a strong kicker, at 22 weeks I can now see and feel the kicks from the outside. I didn't need to do much baking except for a batch of pancakes to freeze for the week and a chocolate pudding pie for Sunday dessert. 

I made crockpot meals all weekend since it was so hot. I had some leftover burger buns that needed to be used so I cooked and shredded some chicken in the crock and added some Parmesan, parsley and a little ranch dressing for chicken ranch sandwiches. I saved my beef stew for tonight and will serve it with a loaf of french bread. 

This week's Dinner menu:

Monday: crockpot beef stew

Tuesday: cheesy chicken rice and salad 

Wednesday: hamburgers and veggie sticks

Thursday: crockpot chicken and vegetables with tangy sauce (cream of chicken soup mix with a little white vinegar)

Friday: pizza 

Saturday: going to a BBQ

Sunday: chicken Parmesan, French bread, and salad

Viva mom returns!

It's been too long since I've posted! May was crazy with school and being horribly sick in my first trimester. By June I was feeling better and ready for a productive summer. Well, quite a few summer plans fell through when my hubby ended up getting a work detail for two months in Southern California.

 

We travelled almost every weekend to see him and then I drove to Montana with the kids for two weeks in July.  While in Cali, we got to go to the zoo, aquarium, Legoland, Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, and the beach. The per diem Ryan received helped fund our fun. We researched coupons and deals and packed our own snacks and lunches where we could to save money. 

We found out in late July that I am having another girl. Due date January 4, but for me, that means around Christmas!  I saved all of Amilia's baby things, so we are mostly set for our needs. 

One thing I did accomplish this summer was making more homemade bath products. I successfully mastered homemade body wash, deodorant, and lotion! I attempted shampoo but it was not good for my hair. It works well for the kids, so it won't go to waste. I will just have to splurge on store shampoo. I was able to do a few classes for my little side business and I am excited to start my first Stamp club in a few weeks!

I have continued to struggle with trying to get rid of Austin's recurring wart on his thumb. After 4 dermatologist visits, it is still there. I also had to file a complaint with my insurance due to the Dr trying to charge me for both a dr visit and surgical procedures (apparently putting two drops of blister beetle juice on a wart is a surgical procedure)! Thankfully, they resolved it, but even with the $20 copay per visit, I paid way too much for a problem that could be treated with a $5 remedy!  After researching remedies and trying oregano/melaleuca with no result, we found that apple cider vinegar was the answer! Simply dip a small piece of cotton in the ACV, place over wart, cover with a small bandage and secure with duct tape. Do this each night for a few weeks, the wart will turn black and can gradually be scraped off. 

In August, we welcomed Annie into our family. She is a Yorkie-Maltese mix puppy. The kids just love her and we have been working on training her and establishing a routine to get ready for the new school year. 

For the first time in my career, I did not go in to work before my contracted start date. I am also going to try very hard to get out on time at the end of the day. I will need this time to run home and let the dog out and take care of a few chores before picking the kids up. 

I spent all last week making mixes and meals to have on hand:

*Baked 8 small loaves of French bread to freeze

*Baked two loaves of whole wheat bread, one for this week, one to freeze for next week

*Made brownie and chocolate pudding mix to have desserts on hand

*Made pancake mix along with a large batch of pancakes to freeze for breakfasts

*Made 2 large pans of lasagna and enchiladas for freezer meals 

*Made homemade pasta sauce and froze in pint size mason jars

*Made homemade chocolate sauce for making chocolate milk

*Made a double batch of laundry soap and dishwasher soap

I also stocked up at Costco on good snacks/lunch box items on coupon. Great deals on Gogurts, Snack Packs, Capri Suns, Rice Krispies treats, and fruit by the foot!

What's for dinner this week?

Monday: we ate out to celebrate Amilia's birthday and surviving the first day of school

Tuesday: freezer enchiladas 

Wednesday: chicken stir fry

Thursday: freezer lasagna with French bread and salad 

Friday: pizza and movie family night

Saturday: crockpot chicken and dumplings

Sunday: Crockpot beef stew (I made a roast last week and shredded the leftover meat and saved the liquid from the pot to freeze and use for another meal)

Soo ready for summer!

This was me last week!

Between my students at school being in rare form, Austin being sick again, and Amilia getting into everything, I lost several of my marbles this week! To top it all off, Ryan spent several evenings painting the exterior of the house. He finished Saturday, but I'm glad he was able to finish before it gets too hot. Oh, and then we smelled gas in the house and it was coming from the oven which had started doing weird things, so that needed to be replaced. 

Austin had a low fever and was sent home from school last week. Ryan stayed home with him and the next day he still had a temp and was very tired so he stayed with Ryan's mom. Apparently he had too much fun because that night I said he was probably well enough to go to school but he said "No, my brain really hurts when I shake my head".  Ok fine, one more day. 

Savings:

*I got a membership to The Joint which is a chiropractic place. I was a year overdue for an adjustment but the place I went was quite a drive and a $20 copay. Now I get a weekly crackalackin for $12 and the place is on the way to get Amilia from the sitter. I am feeling so much better!

*Made pancakes and breakfast muffins for the week. 

*I trimmed my bangs and waxed my brows and face. 

*Ryan found us a great deal on an oven at the new Sears outlet that opened close by. It was $500 less than comparable models at Lowes/Home Depot. His dad helped him pick it up and install it so we were only out an oven for one night. 

*Austin needed shorts and shoes for school. I searched coupon codes and store coupons and was able to get some stuff online and in store. I bought his shorts a size bigger in elastic waist so he can also wear them in the fall. Having school uniforms has saved a great deal of money on clothes for us!

*I baked 2 loaves of whole wheat bread. 

*Made a double batch of laundry soap and dishwasher detergent. 

*Took the kids to the free HomeDepot kids workshop on Saturday. The project was a flower pot and they also got a free plant to put in it. We had a great time!

*Handmade several Mothers Day cards to send out this week. 

*Got some free oils from my DoTERRA rewards points with my monthly order. 

*Visited my friend and got more lettuce and green onion from her garden. Made a pasta salad with some of the chopped green onion...very tasty!

Dinner Menu:

Monday: Cinco de Mayo!! Chicken enchiladas, chips, salsa, and guacamole!!

Tuesday: daddy grill night, polish sausage, boiled potatoes, and asparagus

Wednesday: stir fry with quinoa

Thursday: crockpot chicken and noodles

Friday: cheese pizza 

Saturday: lemon Parmesan penne with steamed veggies and chicken (recipe from theprudenthomemaker.com)

Have a wonderful week!

Responsible savings and oils to the rescue!

We had hoped to go to Hawaii with the kids this summer, but we made the responsible decision to put the money toward a vehicle to replace our truck we have had for nine years. I am sooo happy to have that beast of a truck out of my life and garage! 

We wanted to invest in something that will last and will hold more passengers, so we got a 2013 Durango. It has very low miles and great features.  With the truck trade-in and down payment, we still have a steep payment, but it will fit into our budget nicely because we won't be paying tuition for Austin next school year. 

My other savings:

*Did a massive stock-up at Costco and Winco to fill the pantry and keep us out of the stores. Also stocked up on Capri Sun drinks for 99 cents at Smiths. These will be good for our summer pool trips. 

*Baked whole wheat bread and buns. I used the double recipe but took 3/4 of the dough to fill my huge bread pan and it finally produced a good sized loaf. I was able to make 6 buns with the leftover. 

*Made more pancake mix and pancakes to freeze for the week

*Made granola bars 

*Ry cut Austin's hair

*Made a batch of homemade tortillas 

*The windy weather kept us indoors most of last weekend, but it calmed enough that we could take the kids out to fly a kite I bought on clearance a few years ago. The kids had a great time. 

*I had 2 workshops last week for my side businesses. I did a card class and lip balm class. I had a great turn out and am excited to keep growing!

*I fought my allergies and cold last week with the doTERRA oils and did not have to use any medications. Lavender calmed my sneezing, Breathe helped my wheezing, and I added honey and 3 drops of lemon essential oil to hot water to soothe my throat. I experimented and added a drop of On Guard protecting blend to the mix and it added a nice little spice flavor and will help fight the germs. 

*The baby had a bad diaper rash from overnight BMs, so I added a few drops of lavender to a tbsp of fractionated coconut oil in a container and rubbed some on.  It cleared right up! I wish I started doing this a year ago when I was spending a fortune on various creams. 

*Took Austin to his last dermatologist apt for his wart issue. The oregano/melaleuca blend I have been using made a huge difference. There was one last little bit that needed removal so now I need to be diligent with the oils so I can save the gas and co-pay in the future. 

*My friend gave me some lettuce from her garden! Yum!!

*Ryan is getting ready to paint the exterior of our house.  He is doing the work with his dad's help which will save a ton. It's hard to believe we have been in this house for 9 years!

*I have been diet soda free for over a month! I confess I did sneak a sip last week but it was disgusting! I drink sprite if I am out with the kids so we can all share. That way we are all only having a small amount. 

Spring Break and Easter savings

Had all sorts of fun ideas planned for this week, but for the first five days, someone in the house was sick! Amilia had a fever again and had no appetite and was very cranky. I had a horrible stomach bug, then hubby got it, then Austin!  Mid-week I was feeling better, so I cleaned the whole house with DoTerra Purify and On Guard, changed all the sheets and did multiple loads of laundry.   I made a flu bomb treatment in a veggie capsule to take using 2 drops of each: lemon, melaleuca, on guard, and frankensense to fight off my sickness. 

This whole time the weather was absolutely gorgeous, so finally on Thursday the kids were well enough to go to the park and enjoy a nice picnic. The water play area was on and they had a great time!

Savings:

*Made Easter crafts with things on hand at home

*Made several loaves of bread

*Registered the kids for summer swim lessons with City of LV. They have the most reasonable prices for quality lessons. I was able to find a time when Austin could do a lesson while I did a parent-child lesson with Amilia so I only have to make one trip. This will save plenty of gas $!

*Made two pans of lasagna and froze one for a future meal. Had some leftover ingredients to make 2 lasagna rolls for work lunches. 

*Made breakfast muffins and pancakes for the week. 

*Made crepes from scratch for Easter breakfast and put strawberries on them that were 97 cents a lb at Albertsons. 

*Used a $10 off coupon at Kohls to get some denim capris that were also on sale. 

*Waxed my brows and did my own nails. 

*Worked on designs and prep for my Stampin Up workshop. 

*I'm now making 2 meatless meals a week.

*Made homemade spaghetti sauce and placed in mason jars to freeze. Was able to get 6 pints for the price of a #10 can of tomato sauce from Costco plus a few other ingredients on hand. 

Dinner menu:

Monday: chicken enchiladas (these were frozen ahead from the last time I made them)

Tuesday: baked potatoes and veggies

Wednesday: lemon Parmesan penne with chicken and broccoli 

Thursday: ground beef tacos 

Friday: cheese pizza and veggies 

Saturday: crockpot chicken and noodles

Cute and Simple Easter gifts and crafts!

Here are some super simple, inexpensive, and cute Easter crafts or gifts for the kids!

1. Wax crayon eggs

Draw an egg shape on wax paper and fill with shavings of used crayons. Place a piece of wax paper on top and then sandwich the wax papers between some cardstock and then lay a towel on top. Iron on high for a few seconds until crayons are melted. Cut out the egg shape, punch a hole and add yarn or ribbon. 

My little guy had fun with this!

2. Egg shaker people

Place some rice or beans in a plastic egg and glue it closed. Draw a funny face with permanent markers. 

3.  Pipe cleaner bracelets

String pony beads on a pipe cleaner and then string the excess sides back into the beads to form a circle. 

4. Stick puppets

Use whatever you have on hand to decorate animal faces on felt circles. Cut a circle out of thin cardboard for the middle and glue the felt on both sides with the stick tucked inside. 

Survival

This was me today. It's been a rough few weeks! Ryan has been working major OT and has been out of town working for the past week. Took the baby to the ER with a high fever last weekend and had to keep her home so I called in sick at work which means I am no longer in contention for earning 4 personal days. But I can still get 2 days if I use less than 5 sick days in the year, so I took today off and went to the chiropractor for an adjustment that's been about a year over due! It was so nice to be alone after being a single mom all week!!  Four more work days until Spring Break!

I have also been busy with my little business ventures with DoTerra and Stampin Up!  My first event was a great success and tomorrow is my first paper craft workshop. 

We drove to where Ryan is staying Saturday night so we could visit him. I took care of his grocery shopping and laundry and we got to do a little swimming. The place we went also had an awesome Dollar Tree nearby so I stocked up on some great finds!

I made these amazing homemade peanut butter eggs and took some to Ryan. They were unbelievably delish!!  

Link to the recipe here  The only thing I did differently was add coconut oil to the chocolate instead of shortening.

Savings for the past few weeks:

*Baked pancakes, muffins, wheat and French bread

*Made granola bars, dry soup mix, and pancake mix

*Trimmed my bangs, forget saving $, I don't have time for a hair cut anyway

*Austin has been wanting sack lunch 3 days a week now so that saves $9 per week on hot lunch

*Made sugar scrubs and gave them to some of my coworkers. 

*Made lip balm with my new lime and citrus bliss oils

*I gave up diet Pepsi and have been off it for three weeks!

*Made homemade tortillas 

*Friday nights have become pizza and movie/Wii dance party night

*Made a big pot of potato soup and froze some in jars so I have some decent lunches at work this week

*Ryan bought some jeans and work shirts before he left town at Kohl's.  He earned $30 in Kohl's cash which I used to put toward his birthday gift.  He is getting ANOTHER wedding band since the original was lost in the ocean last summer and the one he got for Christmas is too big.  This time he tried a few on so they fit and he will be surprised with which one I chose for him.

*Been using a blend of oregano and melaleuca essential oils diluted with fractionated coconut oil for Austin's wart on this thumb.  Hoping it will finally get rid of it!

*I have been rubbing Breathe essential oil blend on the kids every night and diffusing it in their rooms while they sleep and have not needed to break out the allergy meds.  For me, a dab of lavender on my nose keeps the sneezes away.  Much cheaper than Allegra!

*I have been diffusing On Guard blend in the house afterschool and Purify on the weekends to clean the air in the house and support our immune systems.  

*For myself, I put 2 drops of each: oregano, On Guard, and Melaleuca in a veggie cap every night because I cannot afford to get sick right now!

Menu for the week:

Last week was a bit of a disaster with being on my own, so nothing was organized.  However, I am back on track so that my kids don't get too attached to mac and cheese and chicken nuggets!

Monday: tonight we had italian casserole and I froze half of the ground beef

Tuesday:  we are eating out so that my clean house is not destroyed for my Stampin Up workshop

Wednesday: tacos with the frozen beef

Thursday:  one pot pasta with chicken

Friday:  pizza

Saturday:  chicken and noodles with vegetables in the crockpot, I use the same chicken and dumplings recipe but use whole wheat egg noodles instead and it is equally as good

Sunday:  we are going to visit daddy and start our SPRING BREAK!!

My dream is coming true!

When I shared my goals for the new year, I mentioned that I wanted to look in to being a consultant for DoTerra and demonstrator for Stampin' Up.  Well, I am officially on my way to achieving that goal!  I signed up with DoTerra at the end of February and I will be getting my registration for Stampin' Up processed next weekend!  

I am so excited to start this journey!  For several months I have envisioned a way to mesh the two businesses together in a creative way.  So I came up with the name "Paper and Potions".  I will be having two monthly clubs; the Paper Club will be exclusively Stampin' Up and each participant will make 2 cards and a treat holder and the Potions club will involve learning about oils and making homemade health and beauty products using DoTerra and introducing Stampin' Up with making fun packaging to give one of the products as a gift.  

I have my introductory class event set for next week and I am beyond excited to start my clubs, meet new friends, and create!!

In the midst of setting all this up, I was still able to hold down the fort at home and get plenty of stuff done (and have some fun, too).

Accomplishments and savings:

*Made a big batch of pancakes and more pancake mix.

*Made homemade tortillas and made 2 pans of chicken enchiladas for future meals.

*Made 2 loaves of bread on Monday afterschool which turned out great and they were both gone by the weekend.  I made 2 more loaves on Sunday but they didn't rise right, I think I killed the yeast. I will cut it lengthwise to get sandwich sized bread.

*Made dry cream of chicken soup mix.  I have been making soup once a week and using this as a base.

*We did not eat out all week.  Austin had great behavior, so I took the kids for ice cream at the Burger King playplace one day afterschool and another day afterschool we got ice cream from the McD's drive thru and went to the nearby park to play.  

*We went on a family outing to the Springs Preserve on Saturday.  I made a picnic lunch for us to take with us.  It was gorgeous weather all weekend!

*I got free tickets and took Austin to a magic show at one of the casinos on Fremont Street with my Houseseats membership.

*Made a lime cheesecake with some cream cheese that was close to expiring and added 2 drops of lime essential oil and took it to my in-law's for Sunday dinner.  It was delicious!

*I've been using lavender oil to help with my allergies this week.  I rub some on the bridge of my nose and diffuse it in the house.

*I made my own natural perfume with an oil blend cut with coconut oil.

*I ordered some glass spray bottles online and made some sanitizing sprays with DoTerra OnGuard and Purify oils.

*Ryan cut Amilia's hair, there was some uneven growth so it was getting a little wild.  I attempted to trim it first but she was moving all over the place so, it didn't go so well, so he fixed it while I held her.

Menu:

Monday:  Chicken enchiladas that I made over the weekend.  Ryan can throw these in the oven while I'm heading back from Austin's dr appointment across town.

Tuesday:  chicken parmesan and salad

Wednesday:  creamy vegetable soup with bread

Thursday:  hamburger stroganoff and salad (cook 1 lb of beef, use half and freeze the other)

Friday:  pizza  (We are going to do this every Friday night because everyone enjoys the crust I have been making.  I think it kinda tastes like Little Caesar's.  All the recipes I found called for oil in the crust, so I played around and came up with my own oil-less crust)  I add 2 tsp yeast and 1 tsp sugar to 1 cup warm water and let it bubble.  I pour it over 3 cups unbleached flour and mix and knead.  I spray my pan and sprinkle corn meal on it then roll the crust over the corn meal and add the toppings.  Bake 400 degrees for 

15-20 min until cheese is lightly browned.

Saturday: crockpot baked potatoes (peel potatoes and toss with a little olive oil, parsley, and garlic, cook on low 6-8 hours) serve with toppings and a salad for the side.

Sunday: in-laws

Missing my hour!

Ah...daylight savings time is upon us again. The first day is always exhausting, but I planned ahead and tried to get most of my to-do list checked off on Saturday.

The past two weeks have been insane with my hubby working extra hours for a federal assignment, meetings and testing at the high school, and my mom coming to town for my sister's bday last weekend.  

Accomplishments and savings:

*Made homemade tortillas for enchiladas because I did not want to go to the store for them. They were easy and delicious so I made them again by adding some whole wheat flour. 

Homemade Tortillas: 1 c wheat flour, 2 c flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 c warm water, 1/3 c oil

Mix dry then add wet in mixer with dough hook.  Form in large ball and refrigerate 30 min. Cut in 16 equal pieces, roll in balls, roll with rolling pin as flat as you can get and cook on hot skillet. 

*Made breakfast muffins, granola bars, and pancakes. 

*Made a big pot of white chili and put the leftovers in mason jars to freeze for work lunches. 

*Things are blooming in Vegas which means allergy season in our house. I diffused lavender essential oil in the house all weekend to help combat the allergies and massaged Breathe blend diluted with oil into the baby's feet and sinuses to help with her stuffy nose. 

*Ryan's parents watched the baby so we could take Austin on a date with mom and dad. He wanted to see the Lego movie, so I got the discount tickets at Costco. 

*Ryan cut Austin's hair. 

*We did not eat out this past week. 

I helped out at a McTeacher night at McD's for my school. I bought the kids ice cream cones and the happy meal toy for a treat instead of happy meal. My kids and I have not eaten fast food in 2014.  Each week that Austin has a good report at school, we get the toy and a cone from the drive thru and I take them to the park. This is my compromise so I'm not completely depriving my kids. 

*I made some games for the kids that I shared in a previous post. 

Dinners this week:

Monday: Italian casserole with salad using 1/2 lb ground beef in the freezer 

from a previous meal

Tuesday: chicken tacos 

Wednesday: cream of broccoli soup with homemade bread and salad

Thursday: crockpot chicken and dumplings

Friday: homemade pizza with cheese and turkey pepperoni

Saturday: BBQ chicken sandwiches with homemade buns

Sunday: dinner at the in-laws

Handmade games

I have been searching for some fun activities for toddlers that can be done independently. 

The first idea I liked was using a tube as a drop for Pom poms. I originally taped it to a door but Amilia kept pulling it off. That is when I came up with this 

The tube was reinforced with duct tape and taped to the inside of the can. She enjoys repeating the simple cause and effect of this game.

I wanted something she could do with her hands that wouldn't be messy, so I found this idea on Pinterest. 

The paint is inside the bag. I sealed the top so it can't be opened and then you can draw on it and the paint moves around.  I made a few in other colors. This keeps the kids occupied while I cook dinner. 

This is a reading game I made up called "Middle Sound Mixup". I wrote each vowel on a separate clothes pin and made several CVC word sticks by writing an initial and and final consonant with a space in between for the vowel clip. The game is played by clipping a different vowel clip in between each set of consonants and reading the word and deciding if it is a real word or a nonsense word. So out of c and b you can make cab, cob, cub, and nonsense words ceb and cib.  This game could be modified for initial sounds with word families. 

I poked holes in the lids of these containers. One is for pushing little pom poms and the other for small pieces of pipe cleaners. 

These are discovery bottles I made to give to the nursery kids at church. I hot glued the lids on so nothing spills. You can put anything inside the water like glitter, beads, shells and add a few drops of food coloring to tint the water. 

With a little creativity and resourcefulness, you can make fun and educational activities using things on hand or recycled materials!

Savings and menu for the week

I love three day weekends, but it seems that the four days of work are always exhausting!

I ran a few quick errands and met a friend for lunch Saturday and used the rest of the day to clean and bake. That gave me a little time on Sunday to take a nap. I napped so hard I drooled all over my pillow!

Accomplishments:

*Made a batch of granola bars

*Made 2 loaves of whole wheat bread with a mix and recipe from my cousin. I finally made a decent loaf of bread!

*Made an apple crisp for Sunday dinner with some Granny Smith apples I needed to use up. 

*Attended a DoTerra essential oil class and got some free gifts. I signed up for their membership program and discussed becoming a product consultant with the teacher. I am taking the first steps toward this goal!

*I did some research on a good oil to help with the recurring warts Austin has been getting on his thumb. I've been to the dr multiple times and the creams (which are quite expensive) only cause the skin to rapidly regenerate and does not actually kill the virus. Oregano oil has been found to kill viruses so I added 5 drops to 1 tsp of olive oil to spread on his thumb twice a day.  It's looking better so far. 

*I also mixed some of the stronger oils with olive oil and put them in roll-on bottles.  I use an oil blend called Breathe quite often when the kids get stuffy. Allergies are bad here now, so I've been rubbing the oil on Austins feet, chest and nasal bridge and also diffusing it at night. I'm hoping this will help so he won't need to take Singulair. 

*I diffused a blend called On Guard to fight germs and boost the immune system. I added some drops of it in a spray bottle of water to sanitize the table and counters. I put some in a roll-on bottle to rub on the kids' hands. There is a stomach virus going around Austins school, so hopefully this will protect him. 

*Ryan and I were able to attend the Temple this week. 

*I made some handmade games for the kids and made a reading game for Austin to practice decoding CVC words. 

Menu:

Monday: lasagna roll ups and salad (I made these last week with the leftover lasagna ingredients and froze them). 

Tuesday: baked chicken strips, boiled potatoes, salad

Wednesday: I am going out with a friend, so I have frozen cooked beef for Ryan to do tacos with the kids

Thursday: broccoli cheddar soup and bread (I will use my dry cream of chicken soup with some broth as the base and add some shredded cheddar cheese and steamed broccoli and carrots)

Friday: eating out with my sister for her birthday with the family

Saturday: eating out again with my sister for her girls night on her 30th bday

Sunday: tangy crockpot chicken and salad

This is an eventful week. At some point I will also be making Kimi's cake and making a banner for her party. 

Three day weekend savings!

I ended up staying home most of the weekend as Amilia got sick so I didn't want to travel. Austin was bummed he didn't get to go to Cali, so Ryan's parents offered to take him to Disneyland with them. The 2 day park hopper was worth the price so I could actually clean the house without him messing up every other room!  I also did a major cleaning in his room too! Amilia took some nice, long naps so I had plenty of uninterrupted time for cooking, cleaning, and laundry. 

My accomplishments this week:

*Baked a double batch of pumpkin muffins for breakfasts

*Made chili and cornbread with enough leftovers for a few lunches. 

*Made lasagna for Sunday dinner and an extra pan plus some lasagna roll ups to freeze. 

*Ryan and I went to a free comedy magic show downtown with my house seats membership for a date. 

*Ryan finished the tile in the hall and bathroom!

*Made a double batch of laundry soap. 

*Made pancake mix and cooked a dozen to freeze. 

*Made cream of chicken soup mix

We had a fun Valentine's Day! I brought the kids each a balloon and got Ryan a quart of his fave Golden Spoon yogurt. 

My roses from Costco were gorgeous, but the best gift was a list of the 14 things that my husband loves about me. 

What's cooking this week:

Tonight: buffalo chicken wraps 

For a quick meal, boil a frozen breast and shred and mix in seasoning or a sauce. Add cheese and lettuce in a tortilla. 

Tuesday:  Citrus Chicken and salad

This is from Kraft recipes and is so moist and yummy. I have one more box of Stovetop from the Thanksgiving sales to use up. Butterfly 2 chicken breasts in a pan. Melt 1/4 c butter and add 2/3 c OJ and 1/2 c brown sugar, pour over the chicken. Add 1 1/2 c hot water to the Stove Top and pour over the chicken mixture. Bake 350 for 30 min

Wednesday: meatless night, one pot pasta with veggies

Thursday: hamburger stroganoff with grilled asparagus (I will freeze 1/2 of the cooked beef for another meal)

Friday: chicken teriyaki with veggies and quinoa 

Saturday: BBQ chicken pizza

Another crazy week

The living room and kitchen tile is done! Ryan just needs to put up the baseboards and change the hinges out on the pantry door. My man has worked every spare minute to get this done. Next weekend he will finish the hall and guest bathroom. 

I was still able to do some baking this week in the evenings and used Saturday to catch up on laundry and do Valentine crafts. 

Here's the accomplishments of the week:

*Made pancakes and banana oat muffins for the week

*Made granola bars

*Made choc chip cookies for my Primary Sunday school class

*Made Vday gifts and Valentine box for Austins class party, all with things on hand

*Enjoyed a girls night out with some coworkers Saturday night while Ryan and the kids went to dinner with his parents

*Got my first delivery from Winder Farms, so I did not need to go to the store this week, I got several items free or at a discount for my first order

*Ryan found a deal on an inversion table. I've wanted one for several years, so hoping it helps my back. 

Austin is loving his daily heart on his door and started one for me. Too cute!

Menu:

Monday: I'm making a big batch of creamy one pot pasta with veggies to take to my monthly card club potluck. I will make some chicken for the portion set aside for the family

Tuesday: beef pot roast with vegetables 

Wednesday: taco salad with leftover beef

Thursday: chicken Parmesan with salad

(I got several delicious pears in my Winder Farms fruit box, I've been adding them to my salads)

Fri-Sat: I will be going to visit my gram with the kids

Have a great week and Happy Valentines Day!

Valentine Crafts!

We have been busy getting ready for the big heart day! Valentine's Day is such a fun celebration for kids and my Austin was very excited to make his own Valentine holder to take to school next week. 

This is a Valentine ladybug. We limited our creations to what we already had on hand at home. 

We made these cute matchbook style Valentine sticker books. I wanted to go candy free this year, so I bought some Mickey Valentine stickers that we placed inside with three sheets of white paper.

  Instructions: cut paper 3"x10.5" and score at 4.5 and 9.5. I designed the front logo on Photoshop. The white paper behind the sticker sheet is 2.5"x4.25"

I made some cute heart wall hangings for teacher gifts this year. I cut a whimsical heart from a thin cardboard box and Decoupaged patterned paper over it. I sprinkled glitter all over and made a border with glitter glue. I hot glued a button that was finished with thin ribbon and thick ribbon on the back for hanging. 

I thought they turned out adorable! I was excited to use this coral colored chevron ribbon that I bought on sale a few months ago from Stampin Up!

Whatever you do this Valentine's Day, I hope you are filled with love and happiness!