Roadkill Rescue

First of all, I know it is only Halloween, but Christmas is sneaking up on us so fast!  I love making gifts and being creative (and saving money, obviously), so if I see something amazing, I promise to let you know!

I have a new obsession with this website Roadkill Rescue where crafty people share what they do with random furniture and other items they find being thrown away.  They also just share crafty ideas to re-purpose items.  Did you think I meant actual roadkill?  The website is super organized and you will find many great ideas! 

This website has definitely gotten my crafty and decorative wheels turning.  I have been watching my local freecycle like a hawk for items lately.  My first project is going to be this for our bedroom.  Hopefully....I need to find a door first!

Today, my inbox had this great idea for making your own family books for kids out of old board books.  Here is the link to Utah County Mom's amazing post.

What do you think?

Pin It

Vocalpoint giveaway: Flu season is here!

Vocalpoint (which you know I looove!) is offering readers a $4 off Vicks Nature Fusion coupon if you go here.  This should be a great deal anyway, but there is a 50 cent off Target coupon out there too!  I am hoping to get some free flu meds!

I wish I had this coupon now, I am fighting a cold. 

If you aren't familiar with Vocalpoint, here is a previous post with more information.  Definitely sign up for this website, they send out great samples and coupons!

 

Quick tip: what to do with markdown bananas

Do you ever see these in the grocery store? They are almost always available!

A lot of times, with markdown fruit you don't know what to do.  Most people assume the bananas inside the yucky peels are bruised, but for the most part they are perfectly fine!

What do you do with them?  Peel and freeze for smoothies, breads and other recipes.  You can save a ton of money this way!  I am addicted to frozen bananas in smoothies because they have a much creamier texture.

Other great items to pick up on markdown: meat, yogurt, zucchini, spinach/lettuce, mangoes, berries, potatoes and onions.

I peel and freeze them like this.  If they are flat like this, they barely take up freezer space.  Just take one banana out when you need it!

Do you hunt for those big Manager's Special stickers like I do?  I get so excited when I have a coupon to match!


Other posts you might like:

• What to do with grocery markdowns
• Smoothies (although I am posting an easier one this week!)

Pin It

Aldi for beginners

Happy Saturday y'all!  Are you going grocery shopping today? Read this first!

Aldi is one of my favorite grocery stores.  In the past, I've written an "Ode to Aldi".

I know I can't buy everything I need, but I can get great deals on staples.  As I was strolling down the aisles there yesterday, I saw an Aldi newbie looking confused and excited at the same time.  A huge light bulb went off in my head: I need to break Aldi down!  A lot of people are scared to go there and you really shouldn't be!  Here are my tips!

1. Always keep a quarter in your car.  You will need it for the cart!
• Don't forget your handy reusable bags too! You can also buy them there or find boxes within.
2. Shop here first, you can cross off a lot of your list
3. Don't be afraid to browse or try something new.  Here are my favorite items (just in case you didn't see my last post):
• I am a Kraft mac n' cheese girl, but their version HAS to be the same!  Its super yummy and at least 50 cents cheaper!
• Fit n' Active brand: chicken stock, egg beaters...pretty much everything is great
• Frozen chicken: tenderloin/breast and whole chickens.  Much cheaper than other grocery stores and I feel they are juicier! 
• Ground turkey
• Frozen burger patties.  I know grilling season is pretty much over, but these are great to have on hand
• For the kids: fruit snacks, granola bars, chicken nuggets
• Frozen veggies & fruit
• Bread, especially buns
4. If you really like an item, you may want to consider stocking up!  (Not crazy Extreme Couponing style, but you know what I mean!)
• I fell in love with their ranch rice cakes when I was pregnant and they are rarely there anymore!  If I see them, I buy at least 5 bags. 
5. Although they have sale ads, most of their prices are always the same.  I love this because you always know what to expect. 
• They don't accept coupons, but they really aren't needed anyway!

I could go on forever!  If you have never been, visit your local store!

Pin It

MYO Tortilla Chips!

 

Note: Watch these super close, they burn!  (see those few toasty ones)

After making my own tortilla chips, I seriously doubt I will buy them again, unless I'm in a time crunch.  Baked chips are SO good and much healthier than their fried alternatives.  Here are the easy steps.

1. Buy corn tortillas.  Super cheap, you can usually get 16-20 for less than $1.50
2. Preheat oven to 425
3. Cut each tortilla into 6 chips (cut in half, then 3 out of each half)
4. Place a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet, then add a single layer of chips
• This technique helps them get crispy on both sides, no flipping needed!  
5. Spray with Pam and a sprinkle of salt
6. Bake 5-8 minutes.  Watch closely!
7. Tada!  You have crispy chips.  Store in a ziploc bag for 1-2 days.

I'm known for my turkey nachos.  I would say they are 100% better with these chips!

Try them!  I'm sure if you ask nicely, I can share my nacho recipe!

If you are tailgating this weekend (Go Bucky!), make my guac too...here's the recipe

Sign up for One Kings Lane!

I must admit, I am a bit tired of the constant emails from the daily deal sites (Groupon, Living Social, etc), my email is FULL of them! 

I keep hearing great things about One Kings Lane, though, and I recommend you sign up now for a free $15 credit!  I'm sure there will be a great freebie with it.  It's worth the sign-up, especially now that it is Christmas shopping season (how is that possible?!).

Now that I am looking into decorating our house, any deals will be great.

Here is my personalized link:One Kings Lane

Let me know if you see anything great and I'll do the same!

All Michiganders: check your mPerks!

Hello all Meijer shoppers.  Just a quick reminder to check your mPerks for this weekend.  There are some good ones right now!

• 5% off your food purchase.  Every little bit helps, especially if you use coupons.  ONLY 10/15!
• 10% off seafood purchase.  ONLY 10/15!
• Extra 25% off costumes.  The girls want to be pirate princesses.  Yeah, not sure what that is either.
• 20% off Meijer naturals purchase.  Combine this with the buy 5+ get $3.00 back and that will be a great deal.  I love their chicken stock and canned tomatoes/tomato sauce.

Happy shopping!

If you aren't sure what mPerks is, here is my post on it (it's a bit old, but it will explain it for you!.  

Sign up here: mPerks 

Quick tip: HARO

Good morning!!

This post is mostly for my blogger friends, but it can be helpful for everyone who likes to share advice. 

There is a website Help a Reporter Out (HARO) which you can sign up for free updates daily.  There is a paid section, but I just stick with the free emails.  Basically, when a reporter needs help with an article or for more information, they submit queries.  A lot of the topics are looking for doctors or professionals of some sort, but there are also a lot of post looking for bloggers or parents to give advice.

Since I have joined the mailing list, I have had three people use my advice/info.  Very fun and a great way to get your name out and bring traffic to your blog!

Also, national talk shows post on there when they are looking for someone for a segment.  The inner star wannabe in me loves these posts...you never know, you might be on TV from this!

Have you ever heard of this website? Any luck getting something published?

Thank you Rachael Ray!

I absolutely adore cooking now.  Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration since I cook at least 3 meals a day for the girls.  But I do really love trying new recipes.  The past few years I have been really learning a lot about cooking, but 8 years ago I could barely make a meal without calling someone to ask how to make it.

One of my favorite stories is when I thought I would be nice and make a meal for my roomies. My sophomore year I decided to make lasagna for my 4 roommates.  Rachael Ray had not quite yet made her way into my life, I lived off of typical crappy college food.  I looked up a recipe online and headed out to the store to buy everything.  Gosh, I miss Woodmans (only the best grocery store EVER).

I started off great making a simple sauce with some Italian sausage.  Then it all went downhill.  When reading two cloves of garlic, I envisioned a clove as a whole BULB.  When I was trying to cook, I had no idea how to peel the cloves and it was a mess.  The lasagna was filled with the papery pieces from the garlic and it was inedible.  Can you even imagine how much garlic that is?  At least 20 cloves!

My hands reeked and I swear I had garlic coming out of my pores for days.  Our house smelled even horrible, as well.  The lasagna (needless to say...) was thrown out.  My brave roommate Silja was nice enough to try a bite, but the rest was quarantined.

After this incident, I decided it was time to learn how to cook.  I started to pay attention to 30 Minute Meals, instead of complaining, when my roommate Maggie watched.

This is why I would like to thank Rachael Ray.  She showed me how to actually peel and crush garlic properly.  She also taught me what EVOO is and what the heck to do with kale.


This post was for Mama Kat's Writing Workshop.  I chose to write about a recipe gone wrong.

Quick Tip! Make your morning coffee better

I have a 3 foot pile of magazines to catch up on and I just happened to find an article on salt.  One tip was to add a sprinkle of salt your coffee grounds to remove some bitterness.  I tried this for a week and I must admit, my coffee is amazing.  I don't know if it is really that much better, or its all mental (very possible...).  At least Ricky agrees with me!

Try it!

Call me crazy....

We have another new addition!  I mean why not throw another crazy thing into the mix.  Toddler twins and a 3 month old baby beast (she is almost 15 lbs!) isn't enough for me.

Meet Rambo!  Ricky is no longer the only male in the household.  Don't let the white "beard" fake you out, he is still a young pup.

I saw a post on Craigslist (seriously, I'm addicted...) for a free dog to a good home and it seemed too good to be true. I have been wanting a dog since our last one passed away 2 years ago, but living in an apartment we couldn't do so.  I think rescuing is the best way to find a new pet...although Rambo was in a great home. It may not be the best time to get a new dog, but there was something about Rambo that I knew was perfect.  Labs are great with kids and he is already trained.  With Ricky working all night, I really feel safe with a dog around again.


Long story short, we have a dog again!! His name is Rambo and he is almost 4 years old.  He checks on the ladies at night and he is so good with them.  Having Rambo around makes me a bit less insane during the day.  Bonus!