Birthday celebration and sleepover

To celebrate Emily's birthday, she and the kids came over and Nick babysat while we went out to dinner and to the mall. We went to Ippolito's, where we went for my birthday back in November. It was delicious! We split their delicious rolls, Chicken and Spinach Cannelloni, Chicken Gorgonzola, and Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake. Mmmmm!!

Then we headed to the mall where we bought (sales and coupons, of course) some clothes (including a matching shirt - picture to come at some point). We closed down the mall and are now watching a chick flick together (we sent Nick into the office to play some video games). Nick did an excellent job babysitting while we were gone. Dave is out of town so she and the kids are spending the night. Sleepovers are fun!

Ouch

Today I had an appointment with the dermatologist to remove a skin abnormality that he found during my check up a couple of weeks ago. I was pretty nervous because I HATE all things medical, but I made it through without fainting. And now I have a huge bandage and thirteen stitches to show for it. Now I'm just waiting for the numbing to wear off and the stinging begin. Ouchie.

Another way to use ECBs

Today I ran to CVS and used my ECBs in a way that I usually don't. For the most part, my goal is to "roll" the ECBs, or purchase an item with an ECB that will then produce another ECB. Even better is when I can "make" money by using coupons on deals that are advertised to be "free after ECBs", therefore earning me larger ECBs than I use to purchase an item.

But this week at CVS is a dud for deals like that. However, I had a $3 ECB that was expiring, and since letting it expire is like throwing away three dollar bills, in my opinion, I needed to find a way to use it.

I walked around CVS for a few minutes, with various coupons in hand, deciding what was the best course of action. I had two options - spend it on something I needed that would not produce ECBs or spend it on something I didn't need that would produce a few. I opted for the former and purchased two boxes of Ziploc gallon freezer bags. I was out of them, I rarely find a great deal on them anywhere, and I spent $0.00 out of pocket after using my ECB and CVS gift card.

So while CVS didn't make me any money today, it did allow me to get something I needed completely free.

New background!

I needed a fresh look! I get bored too easily!

Plus, I'm sitting around on the couch blowing my nose, so this gave me something to do!

What do you think?

Sick

This poem is one of my favorites (I memorized it in the second grade) and pretty accurately describes me today. I seem to have a touch of something that I picked up somewhere and I'm sick enough to stay home and not do much of anything today, but I'm enjoying my sick day by watching movies, reading magazines, and playing online.

SICK

"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay,
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash, and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more--that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue--
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke--
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is---Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

~Shel Silverstein~

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Poppyseed chicken, white rice, green beans
Tuesday - Pancakes, bacon
Wednesday - Chicken nuggets, fries
Thursday - Steak strip salads in salad shells
Friday - out to eat with Emily for her birthday
Saturday - Grilled chicken sandwiches, oven fries
Sunday - lunch at church, chicken quesadillas for dinner

Publix and Kroger savings bonanza!

Trying to take advantage of the best deals at both Publix and Kroger today, I ran in to get a few items from each store. At Publix, I purchased:

• 5 Smart Ones meals - $1.80 each after sale and coupon
  
• Smart Ones breakfast item - FREE after coupon
  
• 2 Green Giant veggies - FREE after sale and coupons
  
• Tortilla chips - $0.01 item of the week
• 2 cans Progresso soup - $0.40 each after sale and coupons
• Progresso broth - $0.40 after sale and coupon
• Progresso bread crumbs - $0.40 after sale and coupon
• 2 bottles Smart Balance oil - $1.50 each after sale and coupon
• 10 bags of shredded cheese in differing varieties - $1.20-$1.60 depending on type after sale and coupons

My total was $28.77 and I saved $48.32, a savings of 62%.

Then, at Kroger, I purchased:

• 

• 6 pack Pepsi - $3.34 on sale
• 1 gallon of milk - $2.59 on sale
• 8 lbs of chicken @ $1.99/lb on sale
• 5 Pillsbury biscuits/crescent rolls - $2.50 total after sale and coupons
  
• 4-pack Yoplait Fiber One yogurt - $0.25 after sale and coupons

I had to get a raincheck for tuna, which they were out of, so I'll be going back at some point to get that. When all was said and done, I paid $23.98 and saved $27.90, a savings of 54%. I also got back a coupon for $3 off my next order at Kroger, so I'll use that on the tuna!

No CVS today. I do have an ECB to roll, but there aren't that many good deals this week so I'll just go by on my way home from school Wednesday. Nothing earthshattering I have to run over there for.

Happy birthday, Emily!!

Today my best friend turns 29!!

This picture is a few years old, but we look the twinkiest in it!!! No one will believe that we didn't plan to dress alike that day, but we did buy the shirts at the same time so I suppose we don't have much of a case. Emily and I have known each other for 10 years now, and have been best friends for 6. I don't know what I would do without her daily phone calls, inspiration to coupon and save money, and cooking help. And I'm responsible for a lot of her wardrobe choices, reading material, and newfound love of Vera Bradley!! :) So you see, we need each other!!

Happy birthday, Emily!! (Here is another picture to prove that we don't always dress alike!)

Sunday lunch for $0.75/person

Emily's family comes over here each Sunday afternoon for lunch and fellowship. They live quite a distance from the church so it is easier on her kids to be nearby for naps as well. Plus we just like hanging out with them. Each week we take turns planning and executing the meal for us to eat. This past week was a team effort, however. Using items we got for cheap or free, we made a meal of BBQ sandwiches, salad, macaroni and cheese, and lemon cake for dessert.

Boston Butt roasts were on sale for $0.99/lb last week at Ingles, a grocery store near my house, so I picked one up.

It made enough for four meals.


Here is the breakdown of the meal:

Pork - $1.43 (5 lb roast divided into four meals)
BBQ sauce - $0.05 (1 bottle divided into four meals)
Buns - $0.59 (on manager's special)
Salad - $0.67 (1 head of romaine lettuce)
Dressing - $0.06 (1/10 of the bottle, which was on sale)
Croutons - $0.05 (1/10 of the bag, which was on sale)
Cake - $0.01 (1/4 of boxed cake, on sale for $0.05)
Icing - free
Lemon Jello - free
Oil - $0.12 (2/3 cup, on sale)
Eggs - $0.40 (4 eggs, on sale)
Macaroni - $-0.10 (overage on box)
Milk - $0.10 (1 cup)
Cheese - $0.35 (1/2 bag, on sale)

So the total meal cost us $3.73 and per person, that makes it $0.75/person. Not too bad for a Sunday dinner!

New running shoes

Little did I know when I started running a year and a half ago the things I would find out were necessary to the sport.

Running = No equipment necessary, right?

Wrong.

Apparently when you run you wear out sneakers much faster than normal, so you have to replace them about every 300-500 miles. I bought my current running shoes last January, and if I average 7 miles per week (which is on the low side - it is probably more like 9-10 miles per week on average), I'm well over 300 miles by now. The outside of my current shoes are pristine, because I literally only wear them while running, and since I do most of my running at the gym, they don't get dirty. The insides, however, are very worn.

So I started the hunt for a new pair. Another thing I learned about running is that not just any old sneaker will work. I typically wear a 9 narrow, but running shoes should be about 1/2 a size longer. I had to get specially fitted (the shoe salesman actually videotaped me running and then measured how I place my weight so they could find the right fit for me) when I bought my current shoes, and after trial and error, found the right brand for me. Since I have extremely narrow feet, Nike running shoes fit the best and don't give me any shin splits (like my old pair did).

In order to not have to go through the fitting process again, I went on an online hunt for my exact pair. I found them (above) in a different color from my current ones and they were on clearance!! Even better!! Today they came and they fit just like my current pair (but with MUCH better cushioning since I haven't worn it all down to nothing). Now I'm ready to continue my training and retire my current shoes (I'll now wear them out and about since they are no longer earmarked only for running.).

And hey, new shoes are always fun, even if they are for a specific purpose!

Friday fondue night!

I couldn't wait to try out my new fondue pot, so I decided to have cheese fondue for dinner. I used this recipe and we dipped steamed broccoli, potato wedges, sliced apple, grilled chicken, and crusty bread in it. It was SOOO delicious and will probably become a favorite!!

Target

I'm sure at this point in my blogging, I'm made it clear how I feel about Target. I love that place. Even though I always spend more money than I intend to, I can never go in that place and not find something I have to have. I'm sure their marketing department will be thrilled that I feel that way, because I know there are others like me.

Today I was on the hunt for a couple of items: a fondue pot and bath mats. Not exactly thrilling items, but it was fun picking out the colors for my bath mats (our current ones are falling apart and moldy underneath - ew) and getting a new kitchen appliance as well. Here are pictures, just for fun:
Aren't you excited to have seen pictures!! :)

Day trip and deals

Today I drove a couple of hours away to visit two of my college roommates, whom I haven't seen in over a year. We realized today that we roomed together in 1999, so I've been friends with them for 10 years now! Time sure flies!! We caught up on old times, enjoyed a delicious lunch, and talked coupons for a little bit before I headed home. I took my camera to get a picture, but alas, like always, forgot. Nevertheless, it was a fun trip and I enjoyed getting to spend some time with them both. While there I passed by my college, which looks SOOO different. It was sad to see it so changed, but also brought back so many great memories of being there!

On the way out of town heading home, I passed by a Walgreens, and took a quick detour to get some Schick Titanium trimmers that were on sale this week. After sale and coupons, I paid just $4 each for them and they normally run $11-$12, so I consider that a great deal, especially while Nick keeps up his beard.

After I got home, I just couldn't resist a sale on www.verabradley.com to get this purse, saving $36!! (Really I just wanted to be like Emily):Now I'm all ready for spring!!

Running

My 10K training is going well so far. In fact, doing the beginning training plan is pretty simple. Today's instructions were to run 2 miles, which isn't any big deal - I typically run 3-4 at a stretch. So I decided to push myself and run at a faster pace. I used the track at the gym and did 2 8-minute miles! That isn't a spectacular pace for runners, but for me it is!! I'm really pumped that I did that!

This is such a great day for staying in (rainy and dreary), so I think I'll dedicate today to working on a paper for one of my classes. I have a couple of errands to run, but they can wait.

GREAT week at CVS!

At CVS today, I bought:

• 6 12-packs of Coke products (ECB deal = buy $20 get $10 ECBs)
  
• 4 Herbal Essences shampoo/conditioners ($2.99 each, get $1 ECBs back on each)
  
• 2 Colgate toothpastes ($2.99 each, get $2.99 ECBs back on each)
  
• 1 CVS mouthwash
  
• 1 Suave body wash
  

I used 2 $3/2 Herbal Essences coupons, 2 $1/1 Colgate coupons, and a coupon for a free Suave (I forgot to use a coupon that I had that would make the mouthwash free, but it worked out anyway). At the CRT machine, a $5/$30 purchase spit out, which was so exciting! It brought my total to just under $20. I had a $19.96 ECB and paid $0.42 on my CVS gift card. The best part - I got back $19.98 in ECBs! So I didn't lose any ECBs on this deal, despite buying all that Coke!! Woohoo!!

Great day for me and CVS!

My new ride

Does this seem like my kind of vehicle? I thought not. This is a rental for the next week while my car is being fixed. I start laughing every time I look at it - it's just not me. But I'm secretly enjoying it in a strange redneck way anyway.

10K training

I've decided to run a 10K on April 18. I've been wanting to find one that was relatively nearby, and I found one that starts near my parents' house and will end up at the park where Nick proposed to me. Very familiar ground, which is nice. So I'm in training for a 10K (for you non-Canadians, that is about 6.2 miles), and today was day 1 of my training plan. I'm really excited to have a purpose for running - I've been running for awhile now, but it is easy to let myself slack off when I don't have something to aim for. So if you see me, ask me how it is going and keep me motivated!!

Menu Plan Monday

My meal plan is a little sad this week, but I am on vacation and wanted to make it easy on me and use as much food as I already have in the freezer/fridge/pantry too.

Monday - chicken and cheese quesadillas
Tuesday - grilled chicken, rice, broccoli
Wednesday - cheeseburger roll up, salad
Thursday - chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese
Friday - hamburgers, fries
Saturday - FFY
Sunday - BBQ sandwiches, cole slaw, baked beans

Bowling Party

Yesterday Nick and Will and I joined some friends from church at the local bowling alley for some fun. Since there were mostly kids there, we had the gutter guards up, which made it a much better game for me (normally at least half the time I roll the ball down it ends up in the gutter). Afterwards Dave and Emily and the kids went to Stevi B's for dinner with us across the street for all-you-can-eat-pizza. It was a fun way to spend Valentine's Day!

Will and MarcEmily bowling a strike
Nick and WillCaleb bowling using the special ramp

Emptying my camera

Here are a few shots from the past week or so:

Making peanut butter bars
Enjoying my reading nook with a good book and some warm cats:
Fat Scout stretching:
A recent pic of my stockpile. I'm getting a bit low on toilet paper, don't you think?

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Valentine's deliciousness

My mom and dad went out of town this weekend and so Will is staying over here while they are gone. To thank us and to say happy Valentine's Day, they got us 1/2 a strawberry cake from The Blue Rooster Cafe, a little restaurant/bakery near my mom's school (they took the other half with them on their trip). I've had this cake in the past, and it is AMAZING! I'm looking forward to devouring it over the weekend and just thought I'd post a pic of it!

New coupon binders

My coupon binders were looking rough. A lot of the pockets were bulging, there were teeth marks on the sides (my cat likes to chew on plastic), and 1 1/2 inch binders just weren't doing the job. You can see here they wouldn't even close more than this:


So, I added some pages, freshened up the ones I had, added new categories and split others to make fewer coupons per slot, and came up with cute labels for them as well. Here is the finished product:


Much better!

More free stuff at CVS

Today Emily and I took meals to a friend from church who recently had a baby. Then we met another friend at a park nearby and had a picnic. It was such nice weather we wanted to take advantage of it. On the way home, I ran a few errands, including CVS, where I purchased:

• 5 boxes Ritz
  
• 5 boxes Wheat Thins
• 4 bags Stayfree pads

I paid with 5 $2/2 Ritz/Wheat Thin coupons, 2 B1G1 Stayfree coupons, $7.58 in ECBs and $2.10 on my CVS gift card. I got back $8 in ECBs for next time, along with some good CRTs.

I also stopped at Walmart for new binders to reorganize my coupons. They are getting a bit out of hand these days. 2 three inch binders have become necessary to hold them all. Yikes! I'll post pics when I'm done.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm back at it. For now, anyway: Here is what we are having:

• Monday - Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas (recipe below - they were YUMMY!)
• Tuesday - Steak, baked potatoes, green beans
  
• Wednesday - Monterey chicken, oven fries, salad
  
• Thursday - Pot roast, brown rice, broccoli, rolls
  
• Friday - Chicken nuggets, fries (my brother is spending the weekend with us, so lots of unhealthy food ahead!)
• Saturday - Stevi B's pizza
• Sunday - Fried chicken, mashed potatoes biscuits, green beans

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

I made two pans of this and froze one. Even still one half-pan would feed 4-6.

• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 (7 ounce) cans jalapeno salsa
• 2 (7 ounce) cans prepared green chile salsa
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
• 1 onion
• 12 (6 inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. To Make Sour Cream Mixture: In a blender or food processor, puree cilantro, sour cream, jalapeno salsa and 1/2 can of the green chile salsa. Set aside.
2. To Make Chicken Mixture: In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, onion and the remaining 1 1/2 cans of green chile salsa. Mix well.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Heat tortillas in conventional or microwave oven until soft. Pour enough of the sour cream mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish to coat the bottom. Place 2 heaping tablespoonfuls of the chicken mixture in each tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Pour remaining sour cream mixture over all and top with shredded cheese.
5. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 30 minutes, or until dish is heated through and bubbling.

It's early

I'm up very very early on a Monday. Nick is still sound asleep and usually he is already at work by the time I rise on Mondays. But today I have a doctor's appointment and then I'm headed to my mom's library to do some homework for one of my classes. I'm looking forward to spending the day with my mom. It should be fun to work on a project together. But right now it just feels really really early. Yawn!

Coffee

I have a Senseo coffee maker, which is convenient for a quick cup of coffee (since Nick doesn't drink it), but very expensive to buy the pods (it is $4.49 for 15 pods at Publix).

Today I happened to see these at the store:

which are disc filters for certain coffee makers. I experimented a bit today and think I can get them to work in my Senseo coffee maker with regular ground coffee. I'm still working on the amount of coffee to make it strong enough, but looks like a good option. Best part = $0.89 for 100 filters! That is MUCH cheaper, particularly when I get ground coffee on sale.

Amish Cinnamon Loaf

I have probably said this before, but unlike some dear friends of mine, I don't like to bake. I have to be in a particularly strange mood or be forced into it before I decide to make something that requires exact measurements. Cooking is ok. I don't mind following a recipe and even experimenting sometimes. But baking takes precision, and more importantly, patience. And I'm not all that patient. However, 10 days ago, I was given a starter:


along with a set of instructions like "mush the bag". If the person who gave it to me is reading this blog, don't worry. I've forgiven you! Really! :)

I followed the instructions exactly and today, day 10, was baking day.


Hopefully, I measured everything correctly (don't worry - the Sharpie wasn't in the batter - it was just on the counter when I took the picture).

Here is the bread as it was coming out of the oven:
It smells delicious, and hopefully it will taste yummy as well.

Oops!

Last night was probably NOT the night have the heat turned off in the house. I turned it off Sunday afternoon because it was so warm outside and I didn't want to be too hot. But I'm pretty sure it got down in the 20s last night so when I got up this morning, it was 48 degrees in my bedroom. No wonder I was so chilly!

I haven't had very many topics to talk about lately -- yesterday I spent 4 hours working on a paper for school. So I was productive, but not with anything anyone would want to hear about!! Though if you'd like to read it, I'll be happy to email you all 11 pages.

Today I think I will be finishing up a presentation I have to give in class tonight. I know how excited you all are for me.

Have a great Tuesday!

Menu Plan Monday

I have no idea what we are eating this week. I think I'm going to play it by ear and just make what I feel like from what we have on hand. (I know, shocking.)

I'm not planning to go grocery shopping at all this week, so it might get a bit interesting by the end of the week. But since I have enough food to feed a small army for several weeks, I think I can find enough to feed the two of us for one.

In the meantime, I'm going to crawl into my paper-writing hole and work on a big paper that is due next Tuesday for one of my classes. Should be very long and boring.

Day of babysitting

Yesterday was quite a busy day. In the morning, my friend Annette came over for me to keep her company. She had just had surgery and her husband was going to get their son, so she just needed someone around in case she needed anything or had trouble. Here is the back of her head at her sick station:


Later in the day, Dave and Emily brought Caleb and Alexa to our house to watch them overnight while they went on a date.

Nick teaching computer programming to Alexa:
Caleb fresh from his bath and all ready for bed:
Popcorn and movie time!
All ready for church this morning!!
We had a good day babysitting all our charges, young and not-so-young!!