Spend Less 2 Save More

Let’s Save Some $$ - Contact Your Cable Company

2012-02-11T11:12:00.000-05:00

Recently I had a very positive experience in lowering our cable/internet/phone bill. Recent bills had been $119.96 before taxes. When I received our February bill, it had jumped to $129.99. I was a bit irritated at the $10 per month increase and was ready to switch. In our area we have two competing cable companies. I searched the internet site of the competing company and they were offering $89.95 per month for the same bundle for 12 months! Wow – I want to switch now! Then I thought of all of the hassles of switching companies. I decided to call our current supplier.

When I was talking with the Customer Service Representative he explained that our bundle pricing has expired and hence the increase we received. I asked for a better package. He came up with a cost before taxes of $123.96. Not much of a savings I explained to him. I then let him know what the competing company was offering. Quickly he said, “well we have competitive price matching let me see what I can do.” He quickly came back with $93.00 before taxes.

So with a 5 minute call, I was able to save $36.99 per month off of our cable/phone/internet bill!

Progresso Souper You Contest

2012-02-07T21:03:00.000-05:00

This year, the Souper You® Contest will provide three lucky winners with an ultimate makeover experience in Hollywood; this includes a trip for 2 to Los Angeles, California where the winner will receive a head-to-toe makeover including hair and makeup, guided shopping spree with a $1,000 fashion retailer gift card, $1,000 spending money and 2 tickets to this season´s live finale of NBC´s The Biggest Loser

Progresso is asking fans to visit www.SouperYou.com and submit their photo with a brief essay about why they love Progresso soups and why they deserve a makeover, by no later than February 22nd

Fans can check back on March 12th for the announcement of the top ten finalists, and to vote for their favorite finalist until March 25th

In addition, visit http://bit.ly/ProgressoCoup to download a printable coupon for $1.25 off the purchase of four (4) cans of Progresso Soup today, and feel free to share with your blog readers so they can take advantage of the savings as well

Also, tune into The Biggest Loser on NBC Tuesdays at 8/7c

Click here to watch this amazing video of the 2011 winner experience.

This information was provided to me by Progresso through MyBlogSpark.

Menu Plan Monday - Week of February 6, 2012

2012-02-06T08:14:00.001-05:00

You name it, we've had it! Fevers, colds, runny noses, coughs, sore throats, pink eye, ear infections, sinus infections, and stomach bugs! It has been a rough month around here. Just when we think we are all better, someone comes down with a new ailment. I am ready to kick these germs out of our house! The weather has been crazy, 50 one day, 30 the next. It is time to rid this winter goodbye and welcome spring and better luck! So after a menu-less week last week, I am attempting to cook this week, wish us luck!

Monday - Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Tuesday - Chili Ranch Pork Chops
Wednesday - Chicken and Dumpling Casserole
Thursday - Beef Stroganoff and Crescent Rolls
Friday - Jambalaya!
Saturday - Parents Night Out!
Sunday - Turkey Breast and Mashed Potatoes

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Blog's I'm Following!

2012-02-05T23:08:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I've listed some of the blogs I LOVE to read. I have some new ones I think you will enjoy checking out, they are some of my new favorites!

Family Balance Sheet

The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a Second Time Mom

The Fiskerelli Bellies

Check them out today!

3 Free Bagels at Bruegger's on 2/9!

2012-02-05T16:02:00.000-05:00

Thursday, Feb. 9, Bruegger’s will celebrate National Bagel Day and its 29th birthday with a FREE food offer for all of its guests. Through 2 p.m., guests who bring a coupon to any of Bruegger’s 300 locations will receive three free bagels to take to the office, home, or enjoy all to themselves.

It's not too late to join Bruegger’s “Fresh News” email club. If joined by 11:59 February 7th guests will receive the coupon via email. This is a great chance to remind your readers of Bruegger's "Fresh News" email club. Those who join will also receive a coupon for a free bagel and cream cheese as a thanks for signing up.

Guests can also download the coupon from the “Birthday Bash” tab on Bruegger’s Facebook page or pull it up and show it on their Smart Phone.

Winners, Winners!

2012-01-30T11:02:00.000-05:00

The winner of the Purex Crystals and Jockey Sports bra is hewella1@!
http://spendless2savemore.blogspot.com/2012/01/purex-crystals-jockey-review-giveaway.html

The winners of the Purex Ultrapacks are Digicats@ & daniellex@!
http://spendless2savemore.blogspot.com/2012/01/purex-ultrapacks-review-giveaway.html

E-mails have been sent to the winners! Please claim your prizes by 1/31/12!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of January 23, 2012

2012-01-23T01:23:00.002-05:00

Going to be a busy, busy week ahead! My oldest son is turning 6! Yes S-I-X! Where does the time go? When we were in church yesterday, I noticed how incredibly tall he is getting. He will definitely be taller than his Mom and his Dad at the rate he is growing. So we will be doing some celebrating this week as well as two birthday parties for him on Saturday! One party for the kids and another for family.

Don't forget to enter my TWO giveaways! One is for Purex UltraPacks and the other is for Purex Crystals with a Jockey Sports Bra! Have a great week!

Monday - Beef & Noodle Soup (using the left over roast beef from Sunday)
Tuesday - Breaded Pork Chops and Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Wednesday - Beef Tips and Noodles
Thursday - Birthday Dinner out at Chick Fil-A (he picked!)
Friday - Pizza Night!
Saturday - Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas, Beef Enchiladas, Tacos, and Taco Salads (Party Day!)
Sunday - Late lunch with family after church, help yourself for Dinner (if you are hungry)!

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Why We’re Glad to Have an Emergency Fund!

2012-01-21T20:54:00.000-05:00

Whether you have consumer debt or not, it is important to have an Emergency Fund. Ideally you should have 3 – 6 months of expenses put away in an accessible savings account, just in case! Even if you only have $1,000 in an Emergency Fund, sooner or later you will be glad you have it!

2012 is starting off as an expensive year for us! First my husband’s truck needed a new exhaust system and catalytic converter. We were glad to have an Emergency Fund when we received the $340 bill! Its hard to part with the money, but that is why it is there, for an emergency!

Well this week, our furnace started acting up again. When we bought our house 4 years ago, we were warned it was a 20 year old furnace on its last leg! Somehow its last leg has lasted us more than 4 years. We considered us lucky. Yesterday morning (when it was 20 degrees out) the furnace was “coughing” as our favorite furnace repairman told us. He was able to clean it out for $80, but on his way out he gave us the news. Your furnace is going to go at anytime; there are no replacement parts available. He provided us the nice estimate of $2,800 for a whole new 95% efficient furnace and told us to call him when we were ready!

So it looks like we will be dipping in the Emergency Fund again in February to have a new furnace installed. When it rains, it pours! Here’s to a cheaper 2012!

Purex Crystals & Jockey Review & Giveaway!

2012-01-20T20:53:00.002-05:00

I love being a Purex Insider! I get the opportunity to try new products before they are released to store shelves. Purex and Jockey have teamed up for a great giveaway for Spend Less 2 Save More readers! This week I was able to try the fabric softener Purex Crystals Tropical Splash and the new Jockey Tech Terry sports bra featuring moisture wicking technology!

The 2012 Jockey Tech Terry Performance Sports Bra was amazingly comfortable to wear! It has moisture-wicking technology that helps keep you cool and dry! Whether you are running, doing a spinning class, or walking on the treadmill like me, you will love the way this bra looks and feels! The sports bra is machine washable and can be dried!

Now normally you should not use fabric softeners on performance sportswear because of the oil content prevents the wicking process. Purex Crystals does not contain oil, so it can safely be used on all laundry including athletic wear, towels, children's sleepwear and everything else including your Jockey sports bra!

Jockey and Purex are offering a 20% off coupon for your next Jockey purchase compliments of Purex Crystals, go here to get yours now!

Would you like to receive a new 2012 Jockey Tech Terry Performance sports bra and a full size bottle of Purex Crystals Tropical Splash? One Spend Less 2 Save More reader will win this prize pack compliments of Purex and Jockey!
To enter (leave a separate comment for each entry):
1. Tell me why you love Purex Crystals in the comments!
2. Become a Facebook Fan of Spend Less 2 Save More and leave a comment!
3. Become a follower of Spend Less 2 Save More and leave a comment (link is in the sidebar)!

Contest will end at midnight on 1/29/12! Good Luck!

Jockey & Purex provided free samples of their products so I could review them. However, all of the opinions express here are my own.

Winners of Purex Triple Action!

2012-01-13T10:22:00.000-05:00

I am loving all of these giveaways that I am having lately! Stay tuned, I will have a really good one coming up sometime this weekend!

The winners of a free bottle of Purex Triple Action are:

mami2jcn@
Heather - I do not have an e-mail address so please send me an e-mail at spendless2savemore@gmail.com!

An e-mail has been sent to you to claim your prize!

Purex UltraPacks Review & Giveaway

2012-01-11T20:51:00.003-05:00

I love being a Purex Insider! I get the opportunity to try new products before they are released to store shelves. This week I was able to try the new laundry detergent Purex UltraPacks! I was able to try the Free & Clear formula since I have some little ones with some sensitive skin in our household.

New Purex UltraPacks are ultra convenient in pre-dosed liquid detergent packs that make doing laundry easier than ever! No more mess, no more spills, no more heavy jugs of laundry detergent! Just throw the packet in with the laundry and it dissolves quickly once the washer is started even in cold water! This new formula will be rolled out across Purex's line in February so soon you'll find it in your favorite store in Mountain Breeze and Free & Clear! Just like all of Purex's current detergents, new Purex UltraPacks are specifically formulated to work in both traditional and HE washers.

Now I have 2 young boys that know how to get dirty! I need a detergent that is strong on stains, but won't irritate their smooth skin. I was very pleased with the results from Purex UltraPacks! It left our clothes clean and smelling fresh! I am going to save a few for when we go on vacation this spring! They will be easy to pack and easy to use!

Beginning in early 2012, you will be able to get free samples of the new Purex Triple Action here! I will be sure to give you the "heads up" when the site is up and running! Everyone loves free detergent samples to keep the grocery budget under control!

To celebrate the launch of new Purex UltraPacks, two Spend Less 2 Save More readers will win a coupon for a free package of Purex UltraPacks!

To enter (leave a separate comment for each entry):
1. Tell me why you love Purex in the comments!
2. Become a Facebook Fan of Spend Less 2 Save More and leave a comment!
3. Become a follower of Spend Less 2 Save More and leave a comment (link is in the sidebar)!

Contest will end at midnight on 1/25/12! Good Luck!

I was provided a full size package of Purex UltraPacks for my own use from Purex Insiders. The views are 100% my own and are no way influenced by Purex.

6 Ways to Cut 100 Calories

2012-01-06T09:23:00.000-05:00

I found these tips and I thought they were helpful for those New Year’s Resolutions!

1. Eat a sandwich without bread. Instead of bread eat your sandwich on a bed of lettuce or wrapped up in lettuce.

2. Use skim milk in your coffee.

3. Fill half of your plate with vegetables thus reducing the amount of carbs and meat you can put on the plate.

4. Skip the cheese on your sandwiches.

5. Drink diet soda instead of regular.

6. Order a low calorie appetizer such as shrimp cocktail.

Menu Plan Monday - Week of January 2, 2012

2012-01-02T11:48:00.002-05:00

Oh my oh my, where did 2011 go and where did our Christmas vacation go??? Tuesday is approaching way too fast and it is back into the swing of things with school and work. I am not looking forward to Tuesday morning when that alarm clock goes off at 5:45! However, one thing that makes our weeks a lot less chaotic is our menu plan! Menu planning helps us stay grounded and on track and ensures dinner is on the table every night!

Be sure to enter my Purex Triple Action Giveaway!
Monday - Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup with Garlic Cheese Toast
Tuesday - Taco Night
Wednesday - Pancakes & Sausage
Thursday - Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot with Mashed Potates
Friday - Mom's Night Out
Saturday - Chicken Enchiladas from The Happy Housewife (using the leftover chicken from Thursday)!
Sunday - Eat Out!

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T09:49:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year to you and your families. May you have a very blessed, happy, and healthy 2012!

The Money $aving Mom's Budget Book Winner!

2012-01-01T09:37:00.000-05:00

Of the 191 entries for this book giveaway, the winner is....

"i follow u on gfc" (dealbunny20@)

An e-mail has been sent to you to claim your prize. I was amazed at the support and the comments for this giveaway. Many of you are struggling and I wish you much luck in the New Year that you have a fresh start. Budgeting is difficult, but if you stick with your plan, you will succeed!

If you didn't win this time, you can still enter my Purex Triple Action Giveaway!

Our 2011 in Pictures

2011-12-30T10:22:00.000-05:00

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

What a great year we had! I cannot wait until 2012, more great things to come!

Happy New Year!

New Purex Triple Action Review & Giveaway!

2011-12-29T10:46:00.001-05:00

I love being a Purex Insider! I get the opportunity to try new products before they are released to store shelves. This week I was able to try the new and improved Purex Triple Action formula! I was able to try the Free & Clear formula since I have some little ones with some sensitive skin in our household.

New Purex Triple Action leverages the best parts of the current formula, combined with new additions, to deliver great cleaning plus improved brightening power. This new formula will be rolled out across Purex's liquid detergent line so soon you'll find it in your favorite scents including Mountain Breeze, After the Rain, Lavender Fresh, Original Fresh, Linen & Lillies, and Lilac & White Lavender! Just like all of Purex's current detergents, new Purex Triple Action is specifically formulated to work in both traditional and HE washers.

Now I have 2 young boys that know how to get dirty! I need a detergent that is strong on stains, but won't irritate their smooth skin. I was very pleased with the results from Purex Triple Action! It left our clothes clean and smelling fresh! I also had some tough laundry to tackle with the stains of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! Purex Triple Action had no problems tackling our laundry issues!

Beginning in early 2012, you will be able to get free samples of the new Purex Triple Action here! I will be sure to give you the "heads up" when the site is up and running! Everyone loves free detergent samples to keep the grocery budget under control!

To celebrate the launch of new Purex Triple Action, two Spend Less 2 Save More readers will win a coupon for a free bottle of new Purex Triple Action!

To enter (leave a separate comment for each entry):
1. Tell me why you love Purex in the comments!
2. Become a Facebook Fan of Spend Less 2 Save More and leave a comment!
3. Become a follower of Spend Less 2 Save More and leave a comment (link is in the sidebar)!

Contest will end at midnight on 1/11/12! Good Luck!

Purex provided me a free sample of their Triple Action laundry detergent so I provide a review of the product. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own and are not influenced by Purex.

Have You Thought About Re-Financing?

2011-12-27T12:33:00.000-05:00

Have you thought about re-financing? I know you hear everywhere that now is the time to consider re-financing your home loan. Interest rates are at record lows making it a great time to consider your home loan. If you think you won't save money, it may be worth your while to call around and get some estimates. We just refinanced our loan into a smaller term loan and our payment are less than what we had been paying. Here are some of the other benefits we will be experiencing with our loan re-finance:

Shaved multiple years off our home loan.
More of our monthly payment goes directly to payoff the principal.
Enjoying an APR more than 2% less than our old APR.

You really need to think if you plan to stay in your home. With the real estate market the way it is, we have no plans of ever moving. We are in our house for the long haul, unless of course someone else has other plans for us!

You also get to skip a house payment while the loans transfer, so this could be a great way to free up some extra cash to pay down consumer debt!

Our personal goal is to have a mortgage completely paid for before our oldest son goes to college, so it is time to buckle down and get serious!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of December 26, 2011

2011-12-25T22:31:00.000-05:00

So I have been off my menu planning for most of December. Things has been really chaotic and we have a lot of (good) things happening! But I found out, when you don't plan, you regret it with way too many nights of "let's run out and get something"! So I am starting the final week of 2011 right and planning my menu. We had an easy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day since we did not host either. So we had the pleasure at eating at others' houses and not having to cook or clean up! So this week I am off of work, so I have no excuses, I must cook!

Monday - Turkey Roast and Mashed Potatoes
Tuesday - Beef Enchilada Pie
Wednesday - Mom's Girls Night Out!
Thursday - Pizza Night!
Friday - Beef Stroganoff
Saturday - Celebrating the New Year with Friends!
Sunday - Crock Pot Roasted Chicken

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Taking 10 minutes to plan your menu each week will guarantee to save you time, money, and sanity during the week!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T08:56:00.000-05:00

Wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas. May you enjoy this blessed holiday season with good times, good food, and the wonderful people in your lives. Remember the blessings you have and be thankful for them!

Merry Christmas!

Baked Chicken Thighs with Dijon & Lime

2011-12-23T13:03:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:
6 -8 chicken thighs, skin removed
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lime, squeezed
3/4 tsp pepper
salt
Dried parsley

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse chicken and remove all skin. Pat dry, place in a large bowl and season with salt. In another bowl combine mustard, mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, and pepper. Mix well and then pour over chicken. Coat chicken in sauce. Line a baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken on the pan in a single layer. Sprinkle with parsley. Bake until cooked about 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics

2011-12-21T13:43:00.000-05:00

If you have a young-school aged child (recommended for 1st - 6th grades), then I highly suggest checking out the upcoming Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics! First off, they are FREE! Child and parent attend on a Saturday morning and receive a kit to build together. They even get a cute apron and safety goggles. Coming up in Janaury are:

Castle on 1/14/12
Build-a-saurus on 1/28/12

I recommend registering early since they only allow 50 kids per store. Go here and check it out!

Christmas Cards

2011-12-21T07:33:00.001-05:00

I absolutely love receiving Christmas cards this time of year. I think it is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. Now I am one of those gals who LOVES to get the mail. If I am home and hear the mailman, I dart outside to get it! You never know what surprises will be in your mailbox!

I personally open each Christmas card and become excited to see what is inside. My absolute favorite are the photo Christmas cards. It is so enjoyable to see children grow up, especially ones you do not see a lot. They have a much more 'personal' feel to them and you know the senders took a lot of time to select the just perfect photo. I know I do!

This year I received my annual Christmas card from a woman I use to work with when we first graduated college. We have not seen each other in about 6 years, but we still send our annual Christmas cards. I guess it had been awhile since I e-mailed here, because here she had another baby girl! I was so excited and immediately we began chatting on e-mail again!

We also receive cards from a few of our old neighbors. We moved a little over 4 years ago and it is amazing how much their children have grown! I'm sure they say the same thing about our family. This year for my parents for Christmas, we did portraits with them and the grandchildren. They used this photo as their card this year!

We display our photos on the door in our kitchen that leads to our basement. It is so much fun looking at every one's card and it brings extra joy to the house. After Christmas, I keep all the photo cards in a special box. This is a fun way to spend a Saturday looking over previous years' cards. The remaining cards I keep for the boys (as I do with all greeting cards). We use these for crafts and projects through out the year!

Where do you hang your Christmas cards?

The Money $aving Mom's Budget: A Review & Giveaway!

2011-12-17T20:56:00.002-05:00

I have always been a huge fan of MoneySavingMom.com! This was the first site I started to frequent when I began to explore the use of couponing to save money. I still check the site multiple times a day because Crystal posts all the current deals, freebies, and household tips!

I was elated when I was given the chance to preview Crystal Paine's new book, The Money $aving Mom's Budget. It was an incredibility quick read for me because I didn't want to put it down. I needed to keep reading to find out some more of Crystal's tips on how to create a budget and save money!

Crystal begins the book with goal setting. As she puts it, "If you don't know where you're going, any train will get you there." She encourages you to set big goals. Then cut that goal into bite-sized pieces so you can achieve them. I believe it is important what your goals are in life and that you and your spouse are headed on the same track.

Crystal also talks about how to create a budget. She encourages you to start with a grocery budget and stick to it! Don't create a budget that is unachievable, but one you can stick to in the end. Once you get the grocery budget down, then you will be able to make the leap and create an entire budget for your household and tell your money where to go each month! I know this has helped my family tremendously. We use a spreadsheet every month to track what comes in and what goes out and where!

Finally, Crystal shares some of her amazing tips on how to save money! These are things that she has tried and believes they will work for everyone. The tips include how to use coupons, play the drug store game, and how to save money on household items.

Overall, this is an extremely well written book and was enjoyable to read. I highly recommend it if you are searching for ways to save money each month!

The book is scheduled to release January 10, 2012. One lucky Spend Less 2 Save More reader will receive a free copy of this book to enjoy!

To enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post on why you need this book (mandatory)
2. Become a Spend Less 2 Save More Facebook Fan!
3. Follow Spend Less 2 Save More (in the sidebar)

Good luck, the contest will end 12/31/11 at midnight!

I was given a preview copy of the book to read and review. All views are my own and were not influenced in anyway.

Enjoying a Simple Season

2011-12-14T20:33:00.000-05:00

It’s difficult in the world we live in not to become wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Unfortunately, a lot of this “fast-paced” movement is surrounded around not celebrating the true meaning of the Christmas season. A popular quote, yet it was up on the electronic sign at my son’s school as I drove by yesterday, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season”. This serves as a reminder to me and hopefully others that drive by on that busy road why we celebrate Christmas. It is truly a religious holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus. I try not to be too religious in my views on this blog, but truly Christmas is a celebration of new life and the birth of Christ!

My husband and I strive to celebrate a “simple season” with our children and provide them with the true meaning of Christmas. Yes, they believe in Santa Claus and he brings them gifts on Christmas day, but they also know we celebrate Christmas day with Christ at our church Christmas morning. We celebrate with family on Christmas Eve and Christmas day and we say Grace before our meals. We are thankful for Mary and Joseph and for bringing us God’s only son.

I find myself frustrated this time of the year with the traffic around my house. Yes, it does not help that I live behind a very popular mall, but is all this rushing to get into the mall to buy gifts really worth it? I was appalled on Thanksgiving evening the line of people already gearing up to get into Best Buy to be the first to get the season’s hottest gifts. And even the fact that Best Buy this year had a giant screen in their parking lot to entertain the wary shoppers while they waited. We spent the day after Thanksgiving by sleeping in until 9, enjoying breakfast as a family, staying in our jammies until noon, trimming the Christmas tree and displaying our Christmas decorations, enjoying leftovers from the day before for dinner, and attending a local lighting ceremony in the evening! The best part of the lighting ceremony was the beginning, when the Mayor turned the microphone over to our local Pastor and he said a prayer and blessing over the entire crowd. I was in amazement! Yes, they got it right, even in the world we live in today with people worrying about offending others, they started a public ceremony with prayer. I was truly proud to have my children and attendance and it was a topic of conversation between my husband and I before bed that night. “What an awesome way to start the holiday season”! By the way, the lighting was amazing; compete with fireworks, Santa riding in on a fire truck, and a horse drawn wagon ride!

We were able to enjoy a wonderful Breakfast with Santa complete with food, games, crafts, and pictures with Santa himself. Luckily both of my boys were excited to sit on his lap this year. We have visited many Christmas light displays and the boys enjoy flipping the switch every night to turn on our lights and watch our huge blow up “Frosty” rise from the ground. However, I am a bit concerned on how some people have like 10 of these giant blow up characters in their yard? I just received a December electric bill and “yikes”! You would think we were running the A/C! We have been listening to Alvin & the Chipmunks Christmas songs for weeks now; it is the only thing the boys will listen to in the car. Yes I know the words and yes I catch myself singing the songs often for no reason!

This morning, my husband and I were able to enjoy with the Grandparents a wonderful Christmas Music Show put on by the kindergartners and 1^st graders at my son’s school. My son did warn me ahead of time that I was “not allowed to do any of the motions from my seat”. I behaved and just watched and listened to the beautiful Christian Christmas songs. It even brought a tear to my eye at the beginning, but I am a very emotional person, so that was expected! The boys are geared up for our ride on The Polar Express this weekend. I have to admit I am excited too! We will also be baking some cookies this weekend in preparation of the big day. We need to make sure we leave Santa plenty of cookies and milk to drink!

I hope that everyone has a very joyous holiday season and I wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas!

Purex is Giving Away 20,000 Subscriptions to Better Homes & Gardens!

2011-12-07T20:51:00.000-05:00

Enter to win a 1 year subscription to Better Homes and Gardens magazine. You could be one of 20,000 winners! You could have a whole year free of smart, approachable articles on design and individual style, decorating and gardening, food and entertaining, and personal and family well-being from your friends at Purex. Enter before December 20th for a chance to win.

Go here to enter!

It's My Birthday!

2011-11-29T13:32:00.000-05:00

Yep, today is the day! I am taking it easy except for the fact I had to take the annual trip to the license bureau! I thought it would be fun to share all of the FREEBIES I have received in my inbox just because it is my birthday! I was shocked at the number of them I received them just for signing up with companies and their rewards programs! Here we go...

50 Swag Bucks! If you haven't joined yet you are missing out, you can earn gift cards by just searching the internet!
BOGO Blizzard from Dairy Queen!
Free movie rental from Red Box!
200 Bonus Points from Speedway's Speedy Rewards!
Free Desssert from Applebees!
$5 Coupon from Red Lobster!
Free Birthday Burger from Ruby Tuesday!

We'll be eating well for awhile!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of November 28, 2011

2011-11-28T01:05:00.000-05:00

Wow - that was a whirlwind weekend. We were busy constantly with places to go, people to see, and things to do! Luckily I have two more days off of work, so I can rest and relax. I did manage to get in a few naps this weekend. I love an afternoon nap on the couch! I actually look forward to the days I know I will be able to sneak one in! An hour is all I need to recharge my batteries!

It's my birthday on Tuesday and I will be the big 34! Yikes, where does the time go, I haven't a clue. My baby is also turning 3 next weekend! I have held off long enough, his "big boy" bed is being delivered on Friday. This should be an adventure, not sure if he will stay put, he is our wild child!

Hope you have a great week!

Monday - Creamy Turkey Rice Soup
Tuesday - Out for Dinner & Ice Cream for my Birthday
Wednesday - Dijon Baked Chicken Thighs (new recipe, I'll post later in the week)
Thursday - Sloppy Jo's and Baked Potatoes
Friday - Pizza Night!
Saturday -Date Night
Sunday - My Son's 3rd Birthday!

This post is linked at MPM at I'm and Organizing Junkie!

What to do With the Leftovers?

2011-11-25T09:54:00.000-05:00

The feast is over, and if you're like me you have a refrigerator full of leftovers! This is by far not a bad thing, but a chance to make some wonderful meals for your family! On our menu today is:

Lunch - Turkey Sandwiches
Dinner - Creamy Turkey Rice Soup (an absolute favorite in our house)

Here are some other great recipes I have found to use up your leftovers:

Pierogi Casserole

Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole

Turkey Lasagna Soup

Turkey Tetrazzini

Southern Ham and Cheese Pie

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T05:22:00.000-05:00

I am wishing everyone a healthly, happy, fun Thanksgiving day! I hope you are able to enjoy the day with friends, family and good food! I am thankful for the fact that my Mom's is hosting this year because our dishwasher decided to break on Tuesday! All kidding aside, this year I am especially thankful for:

1. Good health for my family!

2. My amazing Father who had lost over 80 pounds!

3. My loving, supportive, always there for me husband!

4. My wonderful boys who are my entire world, I could not even imagine life without them!

5. All the ways God continues to provide for my family in ways that often "sneak" up upon us!

6. The memory making vacation we got to take to Disney World today, I still cry at the Disney commercials!

7. Living a life I have always dreamed about, I wouldn't change a thing!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of November 21, 2011

2011-11-21T01:26:00.015-05:00

Yeah - it is Thanksgiving week, my favorite holiday! We will be celebrating Turkey Day at my parents since it is also my Dad's birthday! I also get to enjoy a few days off of work and my son gets 3 days off of school to enjoy the holiday!

Hope you have a great weekend an a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Monday - Taco Night
Tuesday - Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup
Wednesday - Chicken Breast Divine
Thursday - Thanksgiving Dinner, i will make the appetizer, Bacon Cheddar Pinwheels
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Celebrate my Birthday with my Family!
Sunday - Creamy Turkey Rice Soup with Biscuits

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Thanksgiving – My Favorite Holiday

2011-11-19T11:26:00.000-05:00

When asked what your favorite holiday is, I am sure most would answer the obvious, Christmas. However, I tend to answer differently; I would say Thanksgiving in an instant. To me Thanksgiving is a holiday that is much more focused on family and brining everyone to celebrate with food, fun, and conversation. Yes the preparation the day before and the day of is hectic for the host and hostess, but once everyone is seated at the table, the atmosphere is relaxed, fun, and an overall great time of the year. No one expects gifts; they just expect good food and spending quality time together.

I love to host Thanksgiving at my house. There is something about the smell of a turkey roasting in the oven all day. Yes the kitchen gets chaotic, but the end result is well worth the effort. Plus, the leftovers stay at home for extra meals worth of Thanksgiving food and fresh turkey sandwiches for lunch for the rest of the weekend. I admit it; I love the turkey sandwiches and will eat them until the turkey is gone!

This year, I will not be hosting Thanksgiving. We will be celebrating at my parent’s house. My Dad’s birthday also falls on Thanksgiving this year, so we are able to celebrate with him on the same day. I am responsible for the appetizers, which I already have some ideas I want to try like these Bacon Cheddar Pinwheels! I will still buy a turkey this year when the prices cannot be beat. We will just roast ours on another day and have our own “mini” Thanksgiving.

We normally eat out Thanksgiving dinner around 2 pm. We spend time going around the table telling something that we are thankful for this year! We then say Grace as a family before digging into our feast. Our feast consists of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing (both inside and outside of the bird), green bean casserole, rolls with turkey shaped butter, and the traditional cranberry sauce (I prefer it right out of the can with the lines on it)! After dinner, the women normally do the dishes and the men watch some football. The kids run off and play. Dessert is served later in the evening and this year it will be birthday cake and ice cream for my Dad! We normally end the evening with some games or a heated competition on the Wii. Whatever is done, we are together as a family and that is all that matters.

I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving and is able to spend it with family and friends and enjoy a day of great food, conversation, and fun!

Need some Thanksgiving meal ideas? Check out the post on Family Balance Sheet on 30 Thanksgiving Meal Ideas to Feast On! She was nice enough to link to one of my recipes!

The Money Saving Mom's Budget

2011-11-16T20:55:00.000-05:00

When I first started getting into "heavy couponing" a little of 2 years ago, the first blogger I started following was Money Saving Mom! To this day, I still check her site multiple times a day and it remains my favorite blogger to follow! She always has the latest deals, freebies, and coupons, that this site is a one stop shop for us couponers out there!

Well now, there is a new book, The Money Saving Mom's Budget! I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy and will be reviewing it on my site in December! However you can also own this book by pre-ordering it here! I cannot wait to share this book with you! It is guaranteed to energize you to save money everyday and put it away for the future!

The winner is...

2011-11-16T20:47:00.002-05:00

jenny_anwar@

for the Renuzit Fresh Accents giveaway! A e-mail has been sent to claim your prize!

Earn Free Books From SunnyD!

2011-11-15T20:58:00.000-05:00

Now through 11/30/11, you can help your child's classroom earn free books through the SunnyD Book Spree. By collecting just 20 labels, your child's classroom can earn free books! Hurry, this expires at the end of the month and all labels need to be counted by 12/30/11! Go here for the details!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of November 14, 2011

2011-11-14T01:45:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe it is mid-November already! We had our first snowfall on the 11th and the boys were so excited. Too bad it melted before noon! This past weekend also kicked off our "birthday season" as I like to call it. My family is "BIG" in winter birthdays. We seem to be celebrating almost every weekend from now until mid-February!

Don't forget to enter by Renuzit giveaway, it ends November 15th! You can win some free coupons from Renuzit air fresheners just in time for the holiday season!

Monday - Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Tuesday - Breaded Pork Chops and Crunchy Potatoes
Wednesday -Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
Thursday - Tomato Pasta Soup with Garlic Toast
Friday - Boys Help Themselves
Saturday - Eat Out
Sunday - Turkey Roast and Mashed Potatoes

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Taking 15 minutes to plan your weekly meals, makes dinnertime a whole lot smoother!

Sunday Funday - The Toledo Zoo

2011-11-13T01:57:00.001-05:00

Welcome to another week of Sunday Funday! My family is out to find adventures every week at local places in our area. I will be featuring a trip we took each Sunday. We live in the Cleveland, Ohio area so most of the locations will be in this area, unless we get adventurous and travel further! If you ever visited the place that is highlighted, let me know you experience in the comments!

Location:
The Toledo Zoo
2 Hippo Way
Toledo, OH 43609

Admission:
$11 for Adults
$8.00 for Children (2 yrs - 11 yrs) and Seniors (60+)
FREE for Zoo Members and Children under 2 years.
*Admission and parking are free for all Toledo Zoo members.

There are group rates available on the website!

Accessibility:
Stroller and wheel chair rentals are available at the zoo. The zoo is very accessible with access ramps into all buildings.

Hours of Operation:
The zoo is open every day of the year except
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

Labor Day to Memorial Day: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Memorial Day to Labor Day: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

May & September:
Weekends – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday – 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Visitors have one hour after the gates close
to complete their visit.

Atmosphere:
Outside and indoor animal exhibits. There are also food places and concession stands.

About:
With over 9,000 animals representing over 800 species, The Toledo Zoo is one of the world’s most complete zoos—it’s also the region’s top family destination! Let The Toledo Zoo take you from the Arctic tundra to the wilds of Africa, from the tropical rainforest to the Sonoran Desert and all points between—all in one great day.

Each year nearly one million people come to The Toledo Zoo to experience the wonders of the natural world, stroll our beautiful grounds and explore our historic WPA-era buildings. As you do, you'll encounter animals ranging from mammoth African elephants and majestic bald eagles to tiny toads and delicate moon jellies.

The Toledo Zoo is also proud to be at the forefront of many conservation efforts, working to preserve endangered and threatened species from butterflies and birds to toads and elephants. Fully accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), The Toledo Zoo is involved with breeding animals through the Species Survival Program that is helping to ensure a future for some truly amazing species.

My Kids’ Favorites:
1. The Safari Railway that goes around the African Animal Exhibit - Normal price is $2, but it was only $1 on the day we went.
2. Playing with the animal faces!

My Favorites:
1. The zoo is not too large and overwhelming, we did the entire zoo in about 4 hours!
2. Stroller/wagon accessibility
3. You are truly up close to a lot of animal, a lot better views then at other zoos!

Time Commitment:

We spent about 4 hours at the zoo. We packed our lunches and ate while we were waiting for the train!

3 Free Cards at CVS - Last Day

2011-11-12T14:35:00.000-05:00

If you haven't done this deal yet at CVS, I would highly recommend it! You earn $3 in ECB's when you buy 3 American Greeting Cards. Look for the section of the $0.99 cards! This works, buy 3 of them for $0.99 each and get back $3 for your next trip!

Well worth it!

Bruegger's Free Coffee 11/9

2011-11-07T21:34:00.000-05:00

This Wednesday, 11/9, is Free Coffee Day!

As you know, the holiday season is upon us! So why not treat yourself – and the children of the community - with free coffee on November 9 – and throughout the year. Bruegger's is encouraging guests to make a donation to the local children's hospital in their area.

This week begins Bruegger’s second annual fundraising campaign for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The bagel chain, with 300 locations in the US, hopes to raise $100,000 for Children’s Hospitals across America.

My readers can get Free Coffee on November 9 – at all of Bruegger’s 300 locations – and donate to the local children’s hospital.

Even more, your readers can treat themselves (or a friend) to free coffee ALL YEAR, if they purchase a 2012 Bottomless Mug, for about $159, depending on location. Members of the “Mug Club” get refills of coffee, tea or soda all year and, for every Mug purchased, Bruegger’s will donate to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of November 7, 2011

2011-11-07T01:25:00.001-05:00

What a beautiful, fall weekend we had! We even managed to sneak in an impromptu trip to a new zoo that the kids had never been before! Since they came home exhausted, I put them to bed an hour early thanks to the time change! Ha - one of those secret Mom tricks! Be sure to enter my Renuzit giveaway before November 15th!

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Monday - Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Tuesday - Angie's Baked Cheddar Chicken with Sauce
Wednesday - Eat Out
Thursday - Crockpot Ravioli
Friday - Beef Tips and Noodles
Saturday- Celebrating Mimi's Birthday!
Sunday - Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Turn Your Clocks Back!

2011-11-05T23:13:00.000-04:00

Thank goodness! The kids were up late watching movies at their Mimi and Papa's while Mom and Dad bowled and ate dinner with adults. At least we gain an hour!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T20:30:00.000-04:00

I hope you had a wonderful Halloween and your kids are fully recovered from their sugar high! I ate too many Laffy Taffy's at work today, thanks to a co-worker bringing them in. They are my weakness and I cannot resist, especially the banana ones!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of October 31, 2011

2011-10-31T01:01:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween! My kids are geared up and ready to go trick-or-treating. We will have a Rex from Toy Story 3 and Thomas the Train roaming our neighborhood in search of sweet goodies! I personally have my favorites and secretly search my boys' bags for these goodies which include Laffy Taffy, Nerds, anything gummy, and Kit Kats! Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to enter my Renuzit Fresh Accents Giveaway!

Monday - Pizza and Wings
Tuesday - Meatloaf with Broccoli and Cheese Sauce
Wednesday - Chicken and Tortilla Enchilada Bake
Thursday - Ham and Potato Soup - trying again, we did not get to make this last week!
Friday - Eat Out
Saturday - Date Night
Sunday - Turkey Roast and Mashed Potatoes

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Renuzit Fresh Accents Review And Giveaway!

2011-10-29T15:08:00.002-04:00

There is a new Renuzit air freshener product now available just in time for the holidays! Renuzit Fresh Accents is an attractive new air freshner that offers:

Stylish versatile two-sided holiday design
Two holiday fragrances - Winter Berry and Festive Snow
30 days of continuous frangrance odor elimination
No plugs, batteries, or flames needed

I was able to try out both fragrances of Renuzit Fresh Accents. I put the Winter Berry in the window of my kitchen to give my kitchen a festive aroma! The sun was shining through the air freshner which gave the effects of snowflakes due to the backlighting effect of the holder. The scent was amazing and lasted the 30 days as promised!

I cannot wait to purchase more of these for the holiday season. The best part is Renuzit Fresh Accents are about 1/3 less than the competitors at around $2.00! What an amazing deal is that!

Everyone can try this product for free with the rebate found here!

~~Plus, 1 lucky~~ ~~Spend Less 2 Save More~~ ~~readers will win 2 coupons for a free Renuzit Fresh Accents compliments of~~ ~~Renuzit~~!

~~To enter:~~
~~1. Follow~~ ~~Spend Less 2 Save More~~ ~~(in sidebar) and leave a comment~~
~~2. Like~~ ~~Spend Less 2 Save More on Facebook~~ ~~and come back here and leave a comment~~
~~3. Link to this giveaway on Facebook and leave a comment here that you did so~~

~~Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on 11/15/11!~~

Renuzit brand provided free samples of Fresh Accents air freshener so I could review them. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

New Ebay Listings

2011-10-28T21:37:00.000-04:00

Time to declutter for Christmas! I just posted some hot items up on ebay! The sad part is they are all brand new with tags still on them. Its amazing what you can find in your closets when you start to clean them out and de-clutter!

NWT Size 4T Overalls

NWT 3T Pajama Sleepers

2 NWT Pajama Sleepers Size 4T

New in Package Poinsetta Table Cloth

Size 24 Months NWT Overalls

Menu Plan Monday - Week of October 24, 2011

2011-10-24T01:05:00.001-04:00

So I've been MIA for a week, sorry about that. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. Life just sometimes gets busy and other things need to take a back seat! On the other hand, I had a wonderful night out with a dear best friend this weekend and we went and saw Footloose. I had serious doubts about this movie, because I loved the first one so much. Well, I LOVED this one too. I honestly cannot say which one I like better. I would go see this movie again. Such a great, cheer you up kind of movie, I think I had a smile on my face the whole time in the theater. I would recommend checking it out!

I will have a giveaway coming up this week compliments of Purex Insiders, so stay tuned! Here is what is on the menu this week!

Monday -Chili and Cornbread
Tuesday - Ham and Potato Soup
Wednesday - Sharon's Macaroni Casserole
Thursday - Beef Enchilada Pie
Friday - Grilled Cheese and French Fries
Saturday - Eat Out
Sunday - City Chicken and Mashed Potatoes

This post is linked at MPM on I'm and Organizing Junkie!

The Winner..

2011-10-16T13:20:00.000-04:00

of the Freschetta prize pack is Jessica (reklaw422@). An e-mail has been sent to you to claim your prize! Congratulations and thanks to all that entered!

Cheerios 4 for $6 Starting 10/13/11

2011-10-12T20:41:00.000-04:00

I am so super exited about this deal, it is unreal! You can get 4 boxes of Cheerios for $6 at Giant Eagle starting on 10/13/11! That is an amazing stock up price! Even better, I am completely out of them and am in desperate need of them!

Make the deal even better by using coupons:
$1/2 from the 9/25 SS

Menu Plan Monday - Week of October 10, 2011

2011-10-10T01:06:00.010-04:00

We go from a cold, windy, rainy weekend last week, to a gorgeous sunny, warm weekend this week. Nothing like unpredictable weather in this part of the country! But then again it is October, so I will take another day anyday to wear shorts and flip flops! It's the last week to enter my FRESCHETTA Prize Pack Giveaway to win FREE pizza! Here's to a great week!

Monday - Hamburgers (taking advantage of the warm weather)!
Tuesday - Taco Tuesday
Wednesday - Frozen Pizza Night from FRESCHETTA (Enter to win your own frozen pizza night here!)
Thursday - Grilled Chicken and Easy Seasoned Potatoes
Friday - Meat Manicotti and garlic bread
Saturday - Eat Out
Sunday - Roast Beef and Mashed Potatoes

This post is linked at Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Sunday Funday - The Jump Yard

2011-10-09T01:56:00.000-04:00

Location:

The Jump Yard
13700 York Road
North Royalton, OH 44133

440-237-8100

Admission:

Children under 30” and parents always FREE
Children 30”-35” - $8 weekday / $10 weekend
Children 36” and over - $10 weekday / $12 weekend

Discounts:
Yard Card! – 10 visits *anytime *no expiration - $80 (up to $40 in savings!)

Accessibility:

Free parking is available and it is a short walk to the door.

Once a month, The Jump Yard hosts a Sensory Night which is closed to the public but open to families with special needs.

Hours of Operation:

Monday & Tuesday – Closed
Wednesday thru Friday – 4 pm until 8 pm
Saturday – 10 am until 8 pm
Sunday – 11 am until 6 pm

*Hours are subject to change; check the website for the weekly Open Play schedule!

Atmosphere:

Large inflatables to jump on plus a Toddler play area for the smaller guests. There are tables for the parents as well as private rooms for parties.

About:

Striving to be a community leader of indoor entertainment, healthy lifestyle activities and fun for all age groups, we offer an exciting blend of attractions, including:

a variety of unique and exciting inflatable play structures
an infant/toddler area for kids 3 years and under
a parent lounge, including complimentary WiFi and flat screen TVs
a concession stand featuring delicious treats and healthy snacks

My Kids’ Favorites:
1. Everything – my kids love to jump and slide on inflatables, this is their type of paradise!

My Favorites:

1. Parents are free and can go on slides/inflatables with their kids.
2. Large open area where you can view your children on different inflatables at the same time.
3. Great for different age groups, my 5 year old 2 year old can both enjoy themselves.

Time Commitment:

We normally spend about 2 hours at The Jump Yard. Sooner or later the kids have to tire out!

Weekend Website Walk

2011-10-07T23:46:00.007-04:00

I love to follow blog links and check out others blogs and recipes. Here is a new one I found this week that would be worth your while to check out:

$300 A Month to Feed My Family of 5 - I struggle to stay under $350 for a family of 4 so perhaps I can learn some new tips here! The write of the blog Sara won the 2010 All You Grocery Challenge!

Don't Waste It...

2011-10-06T08:23:00.000-04:00

I had to post this in honor of Steve Jobs, something we all struggle with on our daily lives.

Kid's Resale Shops

2011-10-05T20:51:00.000-04:00

I consider myself lucky, I have two boys ages 5 and 2 both born during the winter season. What this means to me, is that boy #2 gets all the "hand me downs". When he needs "new" clothes I just go down to the basement and bring up the next size from our bins of clothes. I never need to buy him anything, except socks! Sometimes I feel guilty, but then again I get to use all my clothes twice and it a great budget saver!

Now for my oldest son, I need to shop for him and one way I like to shop is at resale shops. We have a wonderful one in the city where I live in which I frequent every couple of months. Now granted, I do not believe you purchase your child's entire wardrobe at a resale shop, what I do believe is that you can pick up a couple pieces to add to his closet.

Well today I stopped into browse, and I found 3 really nice items. One of which (the blue polo) still had the original Old Navy tags, BINGO! I ended up spending $12.55 for a pair of dress pants and two polo shirts. Now that is what I call a bargain!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of October 3, 2011

2011-10-02T23:42:00.003-04:00

Rain and more rain! It's been a rainy week here and we have had 2 soccer games rained out and practice! This weekend was also cold! After we enjoyed a trip out for some ice cream Friday night, we returned home and on went the furnace! The weather is suppose to be more seasonal this week with some sunshine, so hopefully those soccer fields can dry out and the boys will be able to finish their season! Have a good week everyone!

Monday - Hamburgers and Oven Baked Parmesan Seasoned Fries
Tuesday - Beef Enchilada Pie
Wednesday - Frozen Pizza Night from FRESCHETTA (check out my giveaway!)
Thursday - Skillet Lasagna
Friday - Eat Out
Saturday - Date Night
Sunday - Dinner with Family

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Beef Enchilada Pie

2011-10-02T13:39:00.000-04:00

What’s a girl to do when she wants enchiladas but she only has 6” fajita shells? Make a Beef Enchilada Pie! All of the same ingredients in traditional enchiladas but layered and baked in a pie pan! Genius and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

1# ground beef
1 Tbsp taco seasoning
1 can of enchilada sauce (I used mild and mine still had a “kick”)
½ cup salsa
¾ cup water
10 flour tortillas (I used the 6” fajita ones)
Non-stick cooking spray
1 ½ cups shredded cheese (I used the Mexican blend, but cheddar will work fine)

Directions:
1. Brown beef in a skillet and drain off fat.
2. Add taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, salsa, and water and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350F
5. Warm your tortilla shells in the microwave for 30 seconds.
6. Using a pizza cutter, stack the tortilla shells and cut into 2” strips.
7. Spray bottom and sides of pie pan with non-stick cooking spray.
8. Arrange half of tortilla strips on the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan.
9. Pour half of the beef mixture on the tortilla strips and top with ½ cup shredded cheese.
10. Layer remaining tortilla strips on top of the cheese and top with remaining beef and cheese.
11. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, slice like a pie and enjoy!

Sunday Funday - The Children's Museum of Cleveland

2011-10-01T23:54:00.001-04:00

Location:

The Children’s Museum of Cleveland
10730 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106(in University Circle)
Phone: 216-791-7114

Admission:
$7 per person (children and adults)
Infants 11 months and under are free!
Memberships are available

Discounts:
Discounts are given to AAA members
There are often coupons in various coupon books such as “Enjoy the City”.

Accessibility:
Ample free parking is available on the east, south and west sides of the Museum.
The Museum is accessible to people with disabilities. Numerous groups of children with physical and developmental disabilities visit the Museum each year with special attention given to their individual needs.

Hours of Operation:
Monday – Sunday
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m
Exhibit areas close 15 minutes prior to museum closing.
Closed on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, Installation and Removal of our Sand Exhibit (dates vary)

Atmosphere:
Indoor exhibits on multiple levels throughout the museum.

About:
Exhibits include the Big Red Barn, Bridges to Our Community, House and Hospital, Safe Rides For All Kids, Splish Splash, and a seasonal exhibit that changes.

My Kids’ Favorites:
1. Splish Splash – kids get to put on their rain coats and play in a large water table to learn about water transportation, weather, and the earth’s water systems.

2. There is a seasonal sand exhibit in the winter where kids can dig in the sand and build sandcastles. It is literally a huge room filled with sand!

My Favorites:1. Parking is convenient to the front door.
2. Easy to see multiple kids playing at the same time in different areas
3. Great for different age groups, my 5 year old 2 year old can both enjoy themselves.

Time Commitment:
We normally spend about 2 -3 hours at The Children’s Museum of Cleveland. Make a day of it and pack a picnic lunch! There are picnic tables outside as well as inside by the Splish Splash exhibit.

Freschetta Proud to Support Pink Kit Giveaway! - EXPIRED!

2011-09-29T07:52:00.002-04:00

October is National Breast Cancer awareness month and Freschetta is doing their part to support research by presenting the FRESCHETTA PROUD TO SUPPORT PINK Program! From September 25 - October 31, when you buy specially marked packages of FRESCHETTA pizzas you will be helping reach a goal of a $50,000 donation to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Each marked package are printed with codes that can be entered at Proud to Support. For each code entry, FRESCHETTA will donate $1 to the center to support breast cancer research!

Since I am a member of the FRESCHETTA FRESH CONNECTION Community, my readers get access to a great giveaway! One Spend Less 2 Save More reader will win a FRESCHETTA PROUD TO SUPPORT PINK Kit which includes:

A coupon to try a FRESCHETTA pizza, 12 oz or larger
Two pairs of FRESCHETTA PROUD TO SUPPORT PINK earphones (one pair for you and one pair to share with an in-real-life pal or family member as a reminder of proactive health)

~~To Enter:~~
~~Entry #1 (Mandatory Entry) - Like my~~ ~~Facebook Page~~ ~~and leave a comment that you did in this post.~~
~~Entry #2 (After completing #1) - Like the~~ ~~FRESCHETTA Facebook~~ ~~page and leave a comment that you did on this post.~~

~~Contest ends at midnight on 10/15/11, Good Luck!~~

Disclosure: The makers of FRESCHETTA Pizza contacted me and provided products for my review,
but the opinions/thoughts/ideas that I provide are strictly my own.

Menu Plan Monday - Week of September 26, 2011

2011-09-25T23:44:00.002-04:00

Beautiful weather, leaves are turning, fall is in full swing in our house! We had a wonderful LONG weekend! I vote for 4-day work and school weeks every week! I think it is tougher to go back to work and school after a long weekend, but we will push through and make it! Hope everyone has a fun week enjoying the fall colors!

Monday - Grilled Chicken and Baked Cinnamon Apples
Tuesday - Ham and Potato Soup
Wednesday - Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Thursday - Pepperoni Pizza Wheels
Friday - Eat Out
Saturday - Family Party
Sunday - Crock Pot Roasted Chicken and Mashed Potatoes

This post is linked at MPM on I'm an Organizing Junkie, check it out for hundreds of menu plan ideas each week!

Sunday Funday – Pick “n” Save Orchard

2011-09-24T23:55:00.001-04:00

Location:
Pick “n” Save Orchard
1222 Ledge Rd.
Medina, Ohio 44256

(330) 239-1480

Admission:
Pick your apples at $0.95/#
Pick your pears at $1.29/#
Pick you Raspberries at $3.00/pint or $5.00/quart
Pick your Pumpkins - $0.45/#

Accessibility:
Parking is in the grass and it is a short walk to the main building. Wagons are available to go out to the apple trees. Golf carts are on site when requested. They will offer assistance for those requiring help with their apples or walking.

Hours of Operation:
7 days a week

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m

Atmosphere:
Outdoor orchard with a building to weigh and pay for what you picked.

About:

There are over 850 semi dwarf trees and all have been trimmed to a 7-foot height, which make the harvesting much easier. The orchard is all trimmed grass, which gives it a park- like setting. Children can visit the pumpkin patch and pick their own Jack-o-Lantern.

Customers pick all apples, but upon request they can have apples ready and bagged for sale. All fruit is weighed and sold by the pound. Raspberries and Blueberries are sold in quart and pint containers, also customer picked.

My Kids’ Favorites:
1. Running up and down the rows of apple trees and seeing the horses in the distance.
2. Carrying their own buckets and picking their own apples.

My Favorites:
We had a wonderful time. We ended up picking 27# of apples, way more than we could use, but the kids had a blast and so did my husband and I. We also got a lot of nice fall pictures of the kids. I was able to make homemade applesauce, apple pie, and cinnamon apples with our apples!

Time Commitment:
We spent about an hour picking our apples. We will be returning to do pumpkins.

You can also use this site to find an orchard close to your house!

Baked Cinnamon Apples

2011-09-23T10:09:00.000-04:00

So after picking 27# of apples and making applesauce, I am continuing on my mission this week of being a Domestic Diva! I prepared Apple Pie Filling for the Freezer for 2 pies (Thanks, 5 Dollar Dinners)! I decided to do a twist on that recipe and make some Baked Cinnamon Apples for the freezer to pull out for the holidays. Here is my recipe.
Ingredients:
8 apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 Tbsp butter (I used this LOL Cinnamon Sugar spread I got for FREE)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and store in a zipper freezer bag. When ready to cook, pour mixture into a baking pan and cook at 350 for 30 minutes! Hot, delicious Cinnamon Apples!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of September 19, 2011

2011-09-19T02:21:00.003-04:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their last Sunday of summer! We had beautiful weather here and was able to enjoy homemade applesauce and apple pie for dessert. We went apple picking at a local orchard on Saturday and managed to pick 27 lbs of apples. I still have a lot left, so their will be more apple dishes for this week! Enjoy your week!

Monday - Grilled Chicken and homemade slow cooker Applesauce
Tuesday - Meat Manicotti
Wednesday - Beef Tips and Noodles
Thursday - Ham and Potato Soup with Garlic Bread (let the soup season begin!)
Friday - Eat Out
Saturday - Annual Clam Bake
Sunday - Chicken Broccoli Bake

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Keeble Granola Fudge Bars - Free After Rebate!

2011-09-18T22:17:00.000-04:00

What's better than free after rebate items? I found these rebate forms for a free box of Keebler Granola Fudge Bars today at our local Marc's store. Purchases must be made before 10/1/11. Be on the look out at your store for a display with a rebate tear pad.

I have 2 extra rebate forms, so the first 2 people to e-mail me their address to spendless2savemore@gmail.com will be sent one of my forms for their use!

27# of Apples and Applesauce

2011-09-18T14:25:00.000-04:00

We went apple picking yesterday and picked 27 lbs of apples. The kids, my husband and I just kept picking not realizing how much we had picked! Oh well, I guess we will be eating apples for awhile. This morning I made some Crock Pot Applesauce and ooh does my house smell delicious! Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
8 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into cubes
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup water
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Put all ingredients in Crock Pot and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Stir every few hours which will break down the apples. Enjoy hot or cool in fridge!

Sunday Funday - Lake Erie Nature & Science Center

2011-09-17T23:54:00.002-04:00

Welcome to a new feature on my blog, Sunday Funday! My family is out to find adventures every week at local places in our area. I will be featuring a trip we take every Sunday. We live in the Cleveland, Ohio area so most of the locations will be in this area, unless we get adventurous and travel further! If you ever visited the place that is highlighted, let me know you experience in the comments!

Location:

Lake Erie Nature and Science Center
28728 Wolf Road
Bay Village, OH 44140

Admission:
Free
Donations to the Owl Collection Box are encouraged and greatly appreciated

Accessibility:
Stroller and Wheelchair Friendly

Hours of Operation:
Open Monday through Sunday
10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Closed major holidays:
Easter - April 24, 2011
Memorial Day - May 30, 2011
Independence Day - July 4, 2011
Labor Day - September 5, 2011
Thanksgiving Day - November 24, 2011
Christmas Day - December 25, 2011
New Year's Day - January 1, 2012

Closes at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Atmosphere:
Indoor and outdoor animal exhibits

About:
Different varieties of turtles, snakes, frogs, fish, and lizards in the indoor exhibit including a children’s play area with a puppet show house. Outdoor exhibits include birds, ducks, a bald eagle, hawks, wild turkeys, a red fox, deer, a skunk, and rabbits. There is also a planetarium with daily shows.

My Kids’ Favorites:

1. The indoor turtle exhibit – there are at least 7 large turtles in an open exhibit.

2. The outside bridge going over a small pond full of fish and turtles outside.

3. The planetarium show and walk through area where you “glow” in the dark.

My Favorites:

1. Admission is FREE!

2. We’ve gone on weekdays and weekends and never have had to deal with any crowds.

3. Parking is convenient to the front door.

4. Very stroller and wheelchair friendly, all on one level inside and outside.

Time Commitment:
We normally spend about 2 hours at the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center. Make a day of it and pack a picnic lunch! There are picnic tables located by the parking lot.

Bruegger's Joins Share Our Strength's Dine Out For No Kid Hungry Week® Sept. 18–24, 2011

2011-09-17T07:40:00.001-04:00

Bruegger’s Enterprises Inc. will join in a fight against childhood hunger during Share Our Strength’s annual Dine Out for No Kid Hungry Week®, a week-long national restaurant event in cities across the United States. Scheduled from September 18-24, 2011, the event raises funds for No Kid Hungry™, Share Our Strength’s national campaign to end childhood hunger in America by 2015 and help connect kids to the food they need to live healthy, active lives.

Bruegger’s is asking its guests to join in this important cause. Beginning September 18, guests can purchase coupon books in any of the chain’s 300 plus locations. A $20 value, the book is filled with discounts and free items to be used throughout the year. Most importantly, all proceeds from the $3 book will go directly to Share our Strength and its important mission of ending childhood hunger. More details will be available on Bruegger's Facebook page.

Dine Out for No Kid Hungry hopes to raise $150 million by 2015 in order to ensure that 17 million children in need have the food they need each day. Each year, generous restaurant partners donate a portion of the week’s sales, offer special promotions or collect donations from their customers to help Dine Out for No Kid Hungry achieve its mission!

Check out the press release here, this is a great opportunity to help a wonderful organization while saving money for yourself!

Plum District - Get Any Pair of Shoes or Handbag from JustFabulous for as low as $11.90!

2011-09-16T10:54:00.000-04:00

PlumDistrict has a great deal today for JustFabulous.

You can get any pair of shoes or handbag from JustFabulous for $19 – free shipping included!!

If you are new to PlumDistrict you will get a $5 credit to your account making this only $14!

Plus, use coupon code: fall2fab to get an additional 15% off!

JustFabulous is a great site where you complete a quick fashion survey and they will show you a ton of great suggestions for shoes and handbags. Now, for someone like me who loves to buy handbags, this could be dangerous…lol

This would be a great way to stretch your money and buy a great Christmas gift!

Fall Family Fun!

2011-09-15T07:43:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again; time to start the fall festivities! One of my favorite activities as a family is picking apples. We will be heading out this weekend to pick some apples. Pick Your Own is a great resource for finding locations in your area to pick apples, find pumpkins, or take in an autumn hayride. Check it out today to plan your family next's adventure!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of September 12, 2011

2011-09-11T23:59:00.001-04:00

I did some recipe surfing this week and found some new recipes to try! I hope they taste as good as they sound! Enjoy your week everyone!

Monday - Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
Tuesday - Sloppy Jo's
Wednesday - Shake and Bake Pork Chops
Thursday - Simple Bean Tostadas
Friday - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Saturday - Eat Out
Sunday- Roasted Chicken and Mashed Potatoes with Gravy (back to classic Sunday dinners!)

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

10th Annual World's Largest Ice Cream Social at Cold Stone

2011-09-10T08:56:00.000-04:00

We attend this event every year! It never seems to be crowded! You get free ice cream and they only ask for a donation to Make-A-Wish! Click here to find a participating store!

Flip Flopping Summer

2011-09-10T08:40:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, one of my favorite parts of summer and warm weather is the ability to wear flip flops (or flippies as we call them in our house) everyday. I live in an area where we have all four seasons, so when the weather hits 65 degrees, I am breaking out my flip flops.

I detest wearing socks and shoes! All winter long, I either have to wear socks or nylons to work! I am just not a big "confined feet" person. I am one of those people who like to take their shoes off when I am sitting. So more than likely you will find me shoe-less if you look under my desk or at my feet in the car! First thing I do when I come home, take those shoes off!

Flip Flops allow my feet the freedom they need! They are so easy to slip on and off in an instant! Plus they allow me to show off my perfectly pedicured toes. I love a good pedicure and how my feet look and feel after I am done. So today I am a bit sad, because I fear flip flop season is coming to a close. I will have to soon put my favorite shoes away again until spring rolls around! Even though I still have the dark tan lines on my feel from my flip flop straps.

My husband does not understand my obsession with flip flops. He is strictly a socks and tennis shoes kind of man. Even when we go on vacation, the only time he will wear flip flops is when we go to the beach or the pool. All other times he is fully dressed with socks and shoes! It annoys me as I am sure it annoys him as I am ALWAYS in my flip flops!

I've started a flip flop revolution in my house. Both of my boys, ages 5 and 2, are also flip flop fanatics! I think this also annoys my husband, because these are the only shoes my 5 year old will wear all summer. If he happens to fall off of his scooter, it is often my fault because it would have never happened if he was wearing socks and shoes according to my hubby! Whenever we leave the house, you are guaranteed to hear "put your flippies on"!

My five year old is quite hard on his flippies. He has officially worn through 2 pairs this year! I am not sure how, I have never worn through a pair, but he has developed holes in 2 pairs. I am blaming it on the fact that he rides his scooter around the block at full speed in his flippies. And yes, it is always the flip flop on his foot used for making his scooter go "super fast".

My favorite time of the summer is the Old Navy $1 Flip Flop sale! I am there every year and I get my limit of 5 every year. Next year I will have to bring my hubby so we can both get 5 pairs since we are wearing through them so fast!

So long summer and so long flip flops, I will miss you and I will see you soon!

Bob Evan's Farm Festival Contest

2011-09-09T08:51:00.000-04:00

Just submit a photo of your favorite farm memory and you could win an all-expense-paid family trip to the Bob Evans Farm in Rio Grande, Ohio for the 41st Annual Farm Festival!

Winner receives:
• $250 gas card
• Two-night stay in nearby hotel
• Weekend passes to Farm Festival
• Weekend meal vouchers
• Exclusive invitation to our Friends of the Farm party on Oct. 14
• $100 Bob Evans gift card
• VIP access to Farm Festival - Ringing the opening bell, lunch with chefs, behind the scenes tour

Go here to enter!

$10 Gift Card Offer From Sam's Club

2011-09-08T20:50:00.000-04:00

From now until October 2, 2011, get a $10 Sam's Club gift card when you buy any 2 qualifying baby items. The picture shows Pampers, Similac, and Dreft, check out the details here.

Menu Plan Monday - Week of September 5, 2011

2011-09-05T20:39:00.000-04:00

Wow - we definitely had a strange weather weekend! We had this mini heat wave and hit mid 90's and a heat index of 107 on Friday and Saturday! Today was a briskly cool day. I had the windows open for awhile, but then ended up shutting them when the house got too cool!

I hope everyone got to enjoy a nice, long weekend and are ready to start the shorten school and work week! We got together with family and friends and got to grill out several times. I also tackled a few projects on my "To Do" list including cleaning out the fridge! How I love a clean fridge!

Enjoy your week!

Monday - Spaghetti at my parent's house
Tuesday - Grilled Chicken Legs and Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
Wednesday - Crock Pot Roast and Mashed Potatoes
Thursday - Grilled Cheese and Macaroni Salad
Friday - Eat Out
Saturday- Party at Friend's House
Sunday - Beef Stroganoff

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Extend Your Budget with Groupon

2011-09-04T16:02:00.000-04:00

When living on a tight monthly budget there are often times I just want to splurge! I remember the days when we lived "budgetless" and I would go shopping just because and go out to eat just because we could. Now I think back at all the money we wasted! Having a monthly planned budget is stressful, but in the end it is so worth it!

One way we splurge now is buy purchasing Groupons! We get to go out to dinner still and get it for half price! I get to go shopping and get my items for half price! I still get a manicure/pedicure and guess what? They are half price!

If you have yet to check out Groupon, now is the time. Check out some of the deals now!

AquaFresh Little Steps Program

2011-08-30T22:57:00.000-04:00

The Little Steps for Oral Care program provides parents with age-specific information about oral care and positive routines for children ages 0-9.

Regular email communication provides insight and advice from our child behavioral expert, Dr. Abi Gewirtz, as well as oral care tips from our dental experts. You’ll even get valuable coupons and new product offers!

Go here to sign up!

Secret Deodorant Deal at Marc’s

2011-08-30T20:56:00.002-04:00

If you live in NE Ohio by a Marc’s store, you can score some really cheap Secret deodorant this week. Marc’s has Secret 1.7oz solids on sale for $0.88 with a limit of 4. Use the $1/2 coupon from the 8/28 P&G insert to get deodorant for $0.38 each!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of August 29, 2011

2011-08-28T23:37:00.000-04:00

School is in full swing at out house. If you missed my post on the first day of kindergarten, check it out here! I again have a busy week at work with some sales training, so it will be hopefully a simple dinner week. We are still adjusting to the new school schedule and soccer practice! Hope you have a fun, safe week!

Monday - Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Tuesday - Chicken Breast Divine
Wednesday - BLT's with garden fresh tomatoes
Thursday - Meat Manicotti
Friday - Pepperoni Pizza Wheels
Saturday - Family Party
Sunday - Eat Out

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Meat Manicotti

2011-08-27T14:36:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
1# ground beef of turkey
1 box of manicotti noodles
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Directions:
Brown ground beef or turkey in a pan. While browning, boil noodles to package directions (use the low end, so if it says 8 -10 minutes, stop at 8). Drain noodles and rinse with cold water. Preheat oven to 350F. Drain fat off beef or turkey and mix in remaining ingredients.

Pour some sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Fill each manicotti noodle with meat mixture and lay in pan. Pour remaining sauce over noodles. Bake for 30 minutes. Sometimes I will add shredded mozzarella the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Enjoy!

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-24T07:44:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe this day is here. Today is the first day of kindergarten for my oldest son! It went smooth and he was so excited to get on that bus! I was able to hold back tears until after the bus pulled away. I am so proud of him and how independent he is! He is gong to love kindergarten and I cannot wait to share in all of his experiences!

I hope he has a great first day and I will be waiting for him when he gets off that bus to give him a big hug!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of August 22, 2011

2011-08-21T23:22:00.005-04:00

It is our first "official" back to school week. My son starts kindergarten this week! We need to keep it simple so we can slowly adjust to our new state of normal! I also need to learn how to pack lunches! Should be an adventure. Enjoy your week!

Monday - Angie's Taco Salad
Tuesday - Grilled Chicken Legs & Wings (I got some amazing marked down Nature's Basket chicken at Giant Eagle this week!)
Wednesday - Meat Manicotti (recipe to follow - I cannot believe I never shared this one!)
Thursday - Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Friday - Beef and Mushroom Kebabs
Saturday - Eat Out
Sunday - Family Get Together

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Free Peanut Butter at Giant Eagle Thru 8/31!

2011-08-21T15:16:00.000-04:00

If you got the Sunday paper, than hopefully you got the coupon from $0.75 off Planters Peanut Butter! Now through 8/31 at Giant Eagle, they are on sale for $1.50 which means after doubling the coupon = FREE! I went today and there were only 2 jars remaining on the shelves, both Crunchy which made my hubby's day! He asked, "why did you buy crunchy peanut butter, I could like eat this jar in a day?" My response, "because they were free." Enough said!

Join Recyclebank!

2011-08-19T21:47:00.000-04:00

I am kicking myself for not joining Recyclebank soon! I just earned enough points to cash them in for a free smoothie at McDonald's! I love free stuff, especially when it is so easy to earn! Now is a great time to join Recyclebank! You can earn enough free points also by joining and participating in The Green Your School Year Challenge! What are you wainting for, join now!

Geoffrey's Birthday Club

2011-08-19T21:30:00.000-04:00

If you have kids and live near a Toys R Us, I highly recommend joining Geoffrey's Birthday Club. Both of my kids are in it and they normally receive a $3 coupon on their birthday! Click here to sign up!

Tomatoes are Abundant!

2011-08-19T02:21:00.000-04:00

WOW - we have had a really good garden year. We are now "knee-deep" in tomatoes! We had a really good harvest of zucchini and cucumbers and now the tomatoes are coming in and they keeping coming!

We have cherry, romas, and some good old Better Boys!

I also have 1 lonely green pepper (those did not do so hot) and a few jalepenos! I made one batch of salsa last week and another one is on the horizon!

How is your garden growing?

Fruit Pizza

2011-08-18T14:19:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
Roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
5 oz Cool Whip
1/2 cup sugar
dash of salt
1tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup water
Various types of fruit cut up (I like bananas, kiwi, strawberries, blue berries, mandarin oranges, etc)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350F. Roll sugar cookie dough flat on a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 10 -12 minutes.
Beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar, fold in cool whip.
Spread onto cooled cookie crust.
Arrange fruit on top of cream cheese mixture.
Combine remaining ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 2-3 minutes in microwave until thickened. Pour over fruit.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours before cutting and serving!

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of August 16, 2011

2011-08-14T23:59:00.000-04:00

I am throwing a menu plan out there for this week, but I am not sure how well it will be followed. I have a sales meeting at work so I will more than likely be home late two nights this week. This means Dad is in charge, and often Dad decides he and the kids need a break and they head out to eat! We will see what happens!

Monday - Spaghetti
Tuesday - BLT's with garden fresh tomatoes
Wednesday - Steak Fajitas with garden fresh green peppers and homemade salsa!
Thursday - Grilled Pizza with Chicken, Avocado and Tomato
Friday - Eat Out
Saturday -Steaks and Potatoes
Sunday - Chopped Spinach Salad with grilled chicken

This post is lined at MPM on I'm an Organizing Junkie!

thredUp - Its Easy Being Green!

2011-08-10T21:52:00.000-04:00

thredUP is an amazing site where you can choose boxes for gently used clothing for your kids! I just sent my first box throught thredUP and it was so easy. If someone chooses your box, simply print the label and pack in the box provided for you! thredUP will even schedule a USPS pick-up at your home!

I have also received a box from thredUP and I got about 5 quality clothing items for my five year old! Once someone picks a box, you get to pick another one for yourself! If you are looking to cloth your child without breaking the bank, I suggest checking out thredUP!

This is the Day I Married My Best Friend!

2011-08-10T01:57:00.002-04:00

Nine years ago today, I married my best friend, the love of my life! We have known each other for over 16 years, time sure flies when you are spending your days with an amazing man. Who knew when we met when we were 17 & 18 working at a grocery store, that things would turn out the way they have!

Since we were married, we have owned 3 homes, have 2 dogs, and now have 2 wonderful sons. My husband and I both completed grad school after we were married, and now my husband stays home full-time with our boys.

He is also supportive of me and my choices as am I with his. We have a wonderful relationship which allows us to share our feeling with each other openly, we have no boundaries.

I only hope that the foundation that we have built will support many more years of happiness and bliss!

$50 Voucher to JCP.com for only $15!

2011-08-09T08:40:00.000-04:00

This is an amazing deal! You can get a $50 voucher to JCP.com through Plum District. Go here to sign up and you will get a $5 bonus, plus use promotion code blogher to get an additional $5 off! GO get your deal now!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of August 8, 2011

2011-08-07T23:49:00.006-04:00

I have been picking cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers from the garden, so you will see some "common" items in our menu this week! Hope summer is treating you well and you have safe, healthly, and fun week!

My husband and I are celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary this week, so hopefully (keeping my fingers crossed) we will be able to go out to dinner by ourselves!

Monday - Turkey Cucumber Wraps
Tuesday - Steak Fajitas
Wednesday - My Husband and I's 9th Wedding Anniversary - Restaurant TBD!
Thursday - Pepperoni and Fresh Mozzarella Paninis (I saw this recipe and have to try it!)
Friday - Mini Taco Bowls with garden fresh tomatoes & jalepenos!
Saturday - Bowling for Austim Speaks Event!
Sunday - Eat Out

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie! Wonder where I get a lot of my recipe links? Check it out above!

Turkey Cucumber Wraps

2011-08-03T13:49:00.000-04:00

This is a quick, easy summer meal especially if you have cucumbers available in your garden! I made these for lunch on Sunday and everyone enjoyed them!

Ingredients:
4 flour tortillas
4 tbsp softened cream cheese
1 cup finely diced cucumber
slices of turkey deli meat (amount varies on the size of your slices)

Directions:
Combine cream cheese and cucumber and spread on tortillas. Layer turkey meat on top of cucumber mixture. Roll up the tortillas and enjoy!

I think these will also make great appetizers! Just wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. The slice into bite size pieces!

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of August 1, 2011

2011-07-31T23:14:00.000-04:00

I had to take a double-look at the calendar, August 1st? How did that happen? In 23 days my oldest will be starting kindergarten. He is very excited, so am I, just a little nervous about the whole school bus thing. But he insists on riding the bus, so I will oblige and swallow my pride and put him on that bus! Then I will wave goodbye and watch the bus drive away with my baby, and then... Yes I know I will be balling my eyes out! Okay, I totally went off on a tangent there!

It's summer, it's hot, we are still grilling! I actually picked up 2 roasts this past weekend because they were BOGO at Giant Eagle and I could not pass that up! I am kind of excited to make one in the crock pot once the weather cools down!

Alright then, here is what is on the calendar for this week!

Monday - Simple Bean Tostadas
Tuesday - Pizza Party at the Rec for the end of T-Ball!
Wednesday - Beefy Zucchini (fresh from the garden, of course!)
Thursday - Steaks and Easy Seasoned Potatoes (I put these in a foil pan on the grill)
Friday - Hamburgers
Saturday - Eat Out
Sunday - Family Picnic

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Free Sample of Kirkland Diapers from Costco

2011-07-30T12:54:00.000-04:00

Go here to request a free sample of Kirkland diapers from Costco. No membership number is required! There are other samples available too, check it out!

Everybody Loves a Freebie!

$1 off Kikkoman and MIR for Grilling Tools!

2011-07-27T16:05:00.000-04:00

Right now there is a $1 off coupon for any Kikkoman product on their website! Also when you buy 3 sauces, there is a rebate available to receive a set of grilling utensils. You only need your receipt(s) for submission.

If you live in the Cleveland, Ohio area, Marc's stores have these priced at $1.29, so with coupon it is only $0.29! This is an amazing deal!

Walgreens - Friends and Family Sale

2011-07-25T20:22:00.000-04:00

Now through July 30th, you can save $10 off a $50 online purchase at Walgreens with code FAMILY10 at checkout!

5 Months Until Christmas - Have You Started Saving?

2011-07-25T18:20:00.000-04:00

Yes, you have only 5 months to Christmas! Have you started saving yet? When you are on a monthly budget, you track where every penny goes! So how do you prepare for larger events, like Christmas or a vacation when it simply does not fit your budget?

You plan ahead and you save little by little!

Last Christmas was amazing for our family. It was paid for before the holiday shopping even began! There were no post-January bills for us to deal with after the holiday season. How did we do it? We saved for 6 months ahead of the holiday!

This year we knew how how much we needed to save and we started saving in February! Yes, February, this way we know we will have all of our Christmas shopping money ready to use by November! How do we save? We use SmartyPig! We set our goal up in February and every month we have an amount debited from our checking account and it goes directly to our Christmas Fund at SmartyPig! You can watch your piggy bank grow at SmartyPig!

The amount deducted is part of our monthly budget, so we can afford it every month! This plan has worked for us for the past two years. Plan ahead and have the money ready to spend!

At SmartyPig, you can open a free account and earn 1.10% on your balance. This is a lot better rate than you will find at most banks! You can also earn rewards when you redeem your balance on gift cards! How easy is that? What's holding you back from saving today?

Menu Plan Monday - Week of July 25, 2011

2011-07-24T22:52:00.004-04:00

All I can say is HOT HOT HOT! I sure hope we can take another week of all grilling, because it has just been too hot to cook in the house! It getting to the point where all we want to do is go out and eat! Luckily I scored a few good Groupons this past week, just in case, the Menu Plan goes by the wayside! So this is what we are planning, here's to sticking to the plan! I also picked quite a few zucchinis from the garden, if you didn't guess by my menu!

Monday - Chicken Caesar Wraps and Zucchini Bread
Tuesday - Hamburgers and Twice Baked-Grilled Potatoes
Wednesday - Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Thursday - Summer Layered Chicken Salad
Friday - Eat Out
Saturday - Family Wedding
Sunday - Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Garden Update & Zucchini Bread!

2011-07-23T14:19:00.000-04:00

So my garden is doing great thus far! This week we picked 5 zucchinis and one cucumber. The cucumber was a bit on the small side, but the boys really wanted to pick it and have it for lunch. Which they did, they ate it up!

So with the zucchini's this week I made these Baked Zucchini Sticks and today I made 2 loaves of my Zucchini Bread! My house smells amazing and I cannot wait to cut into the bread!

I have lots of green tomatoes, some jalapenos, and loads of small cucumbers. I anticipate being able to pick some more zucchinis and cucumbers this week. Perhaps in two weeks my tomatoes and jalapenos will be ready and I can made homemade salsa, my absolute favorite thing to make with garden fresh veggies!

Enjoy!

$1 Off Goldfish Bread

2011-07-23T11:03:00.000-04:00

Okay, this is SO super CUTE! There is a $1 off coupon on the Pepperidge Farm Facebook page for Goldfish Sandwich Bread! My son will love this on his first day of school, what a cool suprise in his lunch box it will be!

FREE* FRESCHETTA® By The Slice Pizza Event - August 4th

2011-07-22T22:01:00.000-04:00

Event Details:

Date - August 4th, 2011

What - FREE* FRESCHETTA® By The Slice pizza event

Where - From the comfort of your own home

FRESCHETTA® will be giving away thousands of slices of our delicious By The Slice pizza in a special live online event. The FRESCHETTA® By The Slice pizza will be given away in 5,000 increments every half hour. There will also be fun, interactive contests where you can win additional coupons.

On Thursday July 28^th, 2011 the website www.FreeFreschetta.com will be available for people to sign up for a reminder email and view a preview of the events to come with host Mike Rylander. On August 4^th the reminder email will be sent to those that signed up, and the event will be live at 11 AM on this day for all to sign up! This event is a great way to try out FRESCHETTA® By The Slice and get to do so for FREE! On the day of the event there will also be fun, interactive contests where additional coupons will be awarded.