Pallet for Home

There are a few deals worth mentioning this week at CountryMart.  Here's the link for the weekly ad.

Campbell's Healthy Request Soups, 10.5-10.75 Oz. Select Varieties. 10 FOR $10
 $.40/1 and $.50/1 1/03/10 SmartSource insert

Quaker Grits, Old Fashioned or Quick, 24 Oz. 99¢

Amish Classics Mini Cheese Horns, Colby Jack or Cheddar. $3.99 Lb.
$.50/1 on 8 oz. from a tearpad

Birds Eye Vegetables, 10-16 Oz. Select Varieties. 10 FOR $10

$1.00/2  from the 12-06-09 SmartSource expires 1/17/2010

 McCormick Mexican Seasonings, 1-1.62 Oz. Select Varieties. 2 FOR $1

Rice A Roni or Pasta Roni, 4.3-7.2 Oz. Select Varieties. 10 FOR $10
 on any 3 - 01-03-10 RedPlum insert $1.00/3 expires4/30/2010

Pilgrims Pride USDA Grade A Drumsticks & Thighs, VALUE Pack! 99¢ Lb.
  $0.55/1  internet printable here print after registration

Cutie Clementines, 3 Lb. Bag. $4.99 Ea.

Fresh Cherries, $3.98 Lb.

Fresh Cilantro, 3 For $1
This is a great deal, and you can freeze cilantro leaves when removed from the stems.

Fresh Cucumbers, 2 For $1

Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, 69¢

Fresh Lemons, Extra Large. 2 For $1

Fresh Yellow Onions, 39¢

Green Bell Peppers, Extra Large. 2 For $1

Green Giant Whole Carrots, 1 Lb. Bag. 79¢ Ea.

Rio Star Texas Red Grapefruit, 2 FOR 79¢

Washington Red Delicious Apples, 99¢ Lb.

One of the the things I love best about home educating is that we set our own schedule for school, and if we are wise, we recognize limits, observe our own boundaries, and take time to do what is important, rather than what is seems urgent. 

Being involved in co-operative classes with other homeschoolers meant that, this year, our semester started on January 4, much earlier than we have EVER started back to school after Christmas break.  With the wedding at the end of that first week, there was no way we were going to be able to do school well, so I made the administrative decision to add two weeks margin to our calendar.

The verse God has given me for 2010 is a clear guide and I'm listening.  Proverbs 31: 16 says:

16 She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.

With that in mind, and the fact that I had a migraine for two days after the wedding, I've taken some down~time to think about my goals for the upcoming semester, and year. Here are a few things I will be implementing:

1.  Simplify!  ~ This is an ongoing challenge for me, and one I'm working on in all areas of my life.

2.  Give! ~ I'm going to do my own "Big Give" in 2010, as part of the Declutter Challenge hosted by AmysFinerThings.  I don't have a garage, or time for a garage sale, so my goal is to give away 730 things from my home during 2010.  I know I can do this and I'm excited about the idea.  I've added a widget in the right hand column with a counter to track the progress of my giving.

3.  Read! ~ With a Lion/Beaver personality, and a love language to others of Acts of Service, I have a hard time justifying taking time to sit and read, other than studying my Bible.  I know that this is an area I need to improve, so I am committing to read one book a month from my personal reading list, (all school materials are excluded!).

4.  Say NO! ~ My husband was not pleased with my physical condition after devoting so much time and energy to a recent project, and has asked that I take some time away from say "no" when I am asked to help with projects in the future.  I don't know how long this sabbatical will last, and he didn't know about the Proverbs 31 verse, so it was just a confirmation that I need to be at home more.

We were quite busy last week preparing for the wedding, but still managed to do well with the Challenge.  My goal was $30 a week, and I'm happy to say that I finished under the budget, mainly because I was able to stretch what I had cooked to cover several meals. 

I must confess that we ate dinner Wednesday at the Bachelorette party, and Sunday's meals were all eaten at the facility, since we were there all day for prep and cleanup before and after the event.  School was cancelled Thursday and Friday because of the extreme cold, so we ate leftovers and potato soup with salad, which also lasted several days.

Overall, I spent $20.58 for the week on groceries and a little stockpiling, and $8.77 at ChickFilA for a missions fundraiser in which we participated.  I'm very pleased that we were able to stay under the budget!

Tonight, I took frozen turkey bones from Thanksgiving and made a simple turkey and rice soup with basil, the rest of the cheap shredded carrots and an onion.  It was filling enough to have with just a few crackers.

For lunch we had green salad with chicken breast I had fixed yesterday.  There were a few fresh strawberries left from the wedding, and we had those for dessert after our salad lunch, dipped in a small amount of chocolate.  What a treat!  We also brought home a little fresh pineapple and a cheese ball from the wedding, and have had that for snacks for the last few days.

I can't believe I'm raising a child here. Athsma and other breathing problems are ridiculously higher here and more than twice a week there are air quality alerts where driving is strongly discouraged. I have never had to see cardiologists before I moved here and now I'm going to live the rest of my life with muscular valve prolapse. A condition where your heart valve doesn't close properly and causes  terrible pain. I saw this post in the local paper and couldn't believe that we are now worse than Los Angeles and New York with a population less than 1/4 of the size.

Here is the news article.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=9300491

I'll be busy helping out with final preparations for our friend's wedding, so this will be my last post until Monday, and I have several things to share!  First, congratulations to Kevin & Chrystal!

We hit Woodland Hills Mall today and there were bargains to be had just about everywhere! 

Bath & Body's Semi-Annual sale is going on.  Look online because there are probably coupons to combine with the sale prices (up to 75% off...).  This could make for some fantastic deals.  Of course, there is no more Twisted Peppermint, so I'm not too happy. 

JCPenney's has MANY racks of dresses marked down 70% off original prices.  I purchase a $90 dress for just over $20 today.  It's what I'll be wearing to the wedding, and I was happy I waited until the last minute to look.  They had a very good selection in most sizes.  Penney's also had lots of shoes on clearance, including boots, so if you need those, go early for the best selection.

One more store we shopped was New York & Company.  They had lots of 40% and 60% off, plus BOGO.5 sales.  We purchased some cute teen stuff here, which is top secret until after the wedding. Sshhh!

In other exciting news, I've been told by Princess Amy from 918CouponQueen's site, that CountryMart is now doubling coupons up to, but not including $1.00.  So, if you have a $0.75 coupon, I'm told it doubles.  I haven't tried it for myself, and probably won't be albe to until next week, so if anyone confirms this is true in Coweta, please let me know and I will post it here.

Since I'm so busy, I'm not doing the coupon match-ups this week for CountryMart, but here's the link for 918's match-up page. 

And finally, Coweta Walmart has marked down their Christmas to 75% off or more, and I found some really great deals for things like bells to use on the wedding reception tables.  HobbyLobby is also doing their Bridal Event this week, with 50% off on all their Bridal/Wedding supplies.  This includes the pillow mints that we all use for wedding or baby showers, so if you are planning any type of an event that uses these, now is probably the time to buy them!

Happy Shopping!

Momease.com says making your own natural cleaning products is not only healthy and safer but you can save money too. Here are some recipes for easy to make cleaning products. Remember, you can reuse old glass jars and reuse spray bottles (make sure you rinse them out very well) to help cut down on the amount of trash you produce!




All Purpose Scrub

Equal parts distilled white vinegar and salt

Store in tupperware or glass jar.



Natural Glass Cleaner

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 TB Cornstarch

1 QT Warm Water

Pour into spray bottle.



Gentle Cleanser

(okay for wood)

1-2TB Dr. Bronner's Pour into warm bottle with warm water.

Shake and spray.



Anti-Mold Spray

2 drops of Tea Tree Oil

1 cup of water

**Pregnant women should consult a physician before using tea tree oil**



Strong Glass Cleaner

1 cup of isopropyl alcohol

1 cup water

1 TB clear & non-sudsing ammonia

Shake and spray.



Strong All-Purpose Cleaner

1 T clear & non-sudsing ammonia

1T clear laundry detergent

2 cups water

Shake and spray.



Furniture Polish

1 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

Shake well and apply a small amount to a flannel cleaning rag or cleaning cloth. Spread evenly over furniture surface. Turn cloth to a dry side and polish dry.



Microwave Cleaner

1 cup water

1 QT warn water

1/2 cup backing soda

To loosen dried-on food, put 1 cup water in a microwavable cup and heat in the microwave until it boils; turn off the microwave and let the water sit for 1 minute. Dissolve baking soda in 1 quart warm water and, using a sponge or cloth, wash the interior of the microwave with this solution to clean and deodorize it.



Appliance Cleaner

2 TB non-sudsy ammonia

1 t liquid dish soap

1 pint rubbing alcohol

1 gallon water

Store in a spray bottle.



Refrigerator Cleaner

2 T baking soda

1 quart warm water

Scrub stubborn spots with baking soda on a sponge.





Baking soda

Natural deodorizing & abrasive properties that make is a great replacement for scouring powders. Just sprinkle a little baking soda on the bath tub or in the kitchen sink, let stand for 10 minutes and scrub away any dirt, deposits or soap scum. Baking soda can also be used to help alleviate slowing running drains. Just pout 1/2 to 3/4 cup of baking soda into a drain and leave hot water dribbling to wash the solution down. 2 hours to overnight later just flush with hot water and your drain is not only working but it smells nicer too!



Rubbing Alcohol

You can use a bit of rubbing alcohol to help shine up chrome fixtures, windows, mirrors, ceramic tile or other shiny surface. Be sure to spot check first though!

From my friend, Jaime:

"Hey, saw something I have never seen before tonight. Wal-Mart in Coweta has cards on sale. I got those music/talking cards that are generally $5 for $2. Also, several of their other nice cards are $1 and they had any occasion you would ever need. Just FYI."

Thanks, Jaime!

We're having temps in the teens, and with tomorrow's high expected to be 11 degrees, I'm glad for opportunities to run the oven to keep the house feeling toasty warm.  Tonight's Pantry Challenge dinner was Any Meal Cheese Pie, Garden Salad, and grape juice. 

I was in a hurry to get the pie made, so I decided to skip the crust.  I'm glad I did!  It turned out great, and I really needed the shortcut, as I'm washing and packing all my serving dishes to use at a wedding we are attending this weekend.

I've done much better this week with my $30 budget, and was even able to stockpile a few items.

The Mrs. Renfro Peach Salsa was clearanced at $0.50 a jar, the carrots $0.49 and the peppers were free after coupons.  If your store has clearance items that are marked lower than the value of a coupon, and they are leery to give overage, ask if they will adjust the price to the coupon value.  I do that with the manager at my local store, which makes him happy and I still get to pay for the item with my coupon.  My total for everything above was $1.77. It's a win~win.

My goals for the Challenge are:
1. To spend a maximum of $30 per week on groceries for the family. (I spent $31.24 total for Week 1.)
2. To try at least one new recipe each week.   (I made Cranberry Orange Muffins last week.)
3. To use the small appliances I have. (I used my juicer.)
4. To save all the rebates I receive during the month. (Received 2 last week; deposited into savings.)
5. To send off atleast $50 in rebates during the month. (Sent for $16.00 so far.)

This will be a busy week because we're helping friends with a wedding, and school starts again tomorrow.  (Yes, I'm trying to be excited about that one!)  The menu I planned is pretty detailed, and I hope I can pull if off.  Here's the breakdown:

Breakfasts:
Eggs & bagels with fresh juice (two meals)
Cereal & milk (three meals)
Muffins (two meals)

We always eat cereal on mornings when we have classes away from home.  It's easy and we love our Shredded Wheat!   Plus with the Kellogg's Calendar Rebate going on right now, eating cereal is free.  I may change the muffins to waffles and use my waffle maker.  It depends how busy I get later in the week. 

Lunches:
Grilled sammies with veggies and ranch  (have canned soups to add if needed)
Any Meal Cheese Pie with salad and fresh juice
Swiss Steak with rice
Potato soup with carrots and cheese
Wendy's (on co-op day we have an hour to travel to our next class across town, and this is easy)
Leftovers (from any of the above meals)

Dinners:
Spaghetti with green salad and bread
ChickFilA (for a missions fundraiser we are working)
hamburger rice with carrots
Pigs in a Blanket, steamed cauliflour and carrots, stewed apples or fruit crisp
leftovers on Wednesday (this is Clean~Out~The~Fridge night)
King Ranch Chicken and green salad
Wedding food (which I will not be cooking!)

Several of my recipes are crockpot meals, and I will be cooking ahead when I can.  We also have navel oranges, and frozen berries that I will incorporate where I can.

I'm glad Week One is over!  I proved to myself that we can have nutritious meals from our stockpile and a few fresh items we have on hand.  Overall I did pretty well, but I did spend over my $30 goal for the week.  Here's the breakdown of my spending, and rebates:

$00.00   3 salsa for free with coupons
$  6.24   8 Starbucks Christmas blend 10 oz. bags/2 Kashi Go Lean Crunch
$  0.68   1 Cranberry Juice (paid with RR from Walgreens and will get a rebate)
$  2.66   2 Jello No-Bake desserts/ 1 box crackers (which will be part of a rebate)
$  3.25   1 Gallon milk
$  2.56   1 20 oz. Tortilla chips/2 Fuze beverage
$  0.00   Taco Bell item free Fresco Taco with printable coupon
$  1.40   Wendys snack while out shopping
$10.40   Bottled water (have some to carry into Week 2)/ ground turkey/ bullion for stew
$ 7.09    1 huge bottle Ranch dressing

$34.24  Total spending for Week 1


I was able to send for $16 in rebates this week.  These included:
$ 3.00   True North TMF, from a purchase earlier in the month
$10.00  Kellogg's Calendar Rebate (this is my 3rd one to send off.  There is a limit of 8 per household.)
$ 3.00   GingerAle Rebate NWPN rebate from Hot Coupon World

The cranberry juice I purchased will generate a $3.00 rebate, so I could take that off my total, which would drop my OOP to $31.24, so all in all I think I did really well.  I'm going to do my best to stay UNDER $30 for next week, though, for bragging rights and all!

I'm doing a test run on coupon matchups for CountryMart in the Tulsa area. If you sign up at the right to become a follower of my blog, you won't miss out on any of the deals or alerts! 

Sale prices are in black, and coupons are in red.  Printables mean internet printables and should be linked, or have an address provided.  These are not all the items on sale, just things I consider to be CM's best deals for the week.  If you find a hidden deal, let me know and I'll post it and give you credit.  If you use any of my info, please give me credit and link back to my post!  Thanks and enjoy the savings this week!

Sara Lee Bread 2 FOR $4
Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Bakery Products, $1.00/2 1/16/2010 Tearpad

Betty Crocker Corn Muffin Mix 3 FOR 99¢

Old Orchard Juices, select varieties 2 FOR $3
Old Orchard Pomegranate Blend, $0.50/1 NED Hangtag

Del Monte Tomatoes 10 FOR $10

Dinty Moore $2.39
Dinty Moore Beef Stew, 15oz, 24oz or 40oz. $0.25/1 NED

Wolf Chili 3 FOR $4
Wolf Brand Chili Grocery Product, Any $0.50/1 4/22/2010 Home Mailer

Alexia Snack Chips $2.29
Alexia Crunchy Snacks, Any - Smartsource.com $1.00/1 Rolling

Hershey's Pieces 2 FOR $5
Hershey's Product, Any – Found On Item $0.75/1 6/30/2010 Peelie

Amish Classics Hot Pepper Loaf $3.99 Lb.
Amish Classics Cheese 8 oz or more $0.35/1 12/31/2010 Tearpad

***Deal idea: Buy 8 oz cheese for $2.00
use 1 $0.35 Q, doubled to $0.70
Final Cost: 2.00 - 0.70 = $1.30 for 1/2 pound

Jose Ole Chimichangas or Burritos 88¢
various printables and home mailers
Jose Ole Entrees $3.99

Betty Crocker Potatoes 2 FOR $3
BCrocker Box Any(Except Buds) $0.50/1 5/24/2010 Home Mailer
BCrocker Potatoes, Any Except Buds(BettyCrocker.com) 0.40/1 Rolling

Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion $2.89
various insert and printables

Fresh Green Cabbage 39¢ Lb.

Fresh Kiwi Fruit 4 FOR $1

Premium Washington Gala Apples 99¢ Lb.

Wholly Guacamole 2 FOR $4
Wholly Guacamole Or Salsa, Any (SmartSource.com) $1/1 Rolling

Just received word from Hobby Lobby that all their Christmas, excluding fabric, is 80% off, so if you need something, hurry in!

There's nothing like seeing the project you've developed take wings and fly.  It's even more blissful when it's your own child who is soaring! 

As I announced in this post, we now have two bloggers living in our household.  My daughter launched her first blog, ContinuousDelights, about four months ago, and it was an instant success.  Her blog design and site traffic alone have proven that she has the ability to make connections and influence readers.  She now regularly participates in blog tours for several authors and successful publishing houses!

Blogging about Christian fiction, writing book reviews, and hosting book giveaways has brought Carman such joy that, a few weeks ago, after a moment of inspiration, she introduced her second blog, ChristianBookGiveaways, which will soon surpass the original blog in both readers and site traffic!

Blissdom is the premiere conference for women who find and express their bliss by publishing online. Blissdom ‘10, our third conference, is a welcoming oasis in the ever-changing blogging world. Speakers and panels featuring the best blogging, public relations and social media pros will be gathering to mentor new and old friends alike.

Attending Blissdom would empower her with the tools and education needed to take that next step on the path to making her vision a success, and inspire creativity to dream what is impossible and then take the steps to see that vision become reality.  To attend the conference together would be such an honor!

Like the founders of the Blissdom event, Steaz Tea understands that using creativity, direction and passion big dreams can be achieved!


We hope to be blogging from Nashville in about a month!  In the meantime, if you're a blogger who wants to enter the contest, here's the link for contest info, but you need to hurry because the entry deadline is January 7, 2010.