Adventures of a Twenty Something Mother

Friends & Family Sale @ Crazy 8 - 25% off everything!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:05:00 +0000

If you have yet to discover the greatness that is Crazy 8, Gymboree's little (cheaper) sibling, then this weekend will be the time for you to check it out. Crazy 8's Friends and Family 25% off everything will start Thursday, November 12 and run through Sunday, the 15th. Enter code CZYEMAIL for the discount. Free shipping for orders over $75, otherwise it's a $5 flat rate charge.

Cookie Recipe Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:56:00 +0000

Do you have an awesome cookie recipe that is your go-to staple for the holiday season? Are you in search of a great new cookie recipe to dazzle your holiday guests or to hand out to your co-workers or neighbors? Would you like to win a new cookie recipe book for your collection? Well, here's how!

This is how it's going to go down: you submit a cookie recipe (with or without a picture) to adventuresofa20somethingmother@hotmail.com by November 21st at noon. Starting Monday, November 23 through November 30, I will post the recipes one by one for all readers to review. I will then open up the voting to all of you to vote on who has the best holiday cookie recipe! The winner will get to choose one of the following cookie recipe books:

Have thoughts? Sound off below!

Menu Plan Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Monday: Lasagna, salad, bread
Tuesday: Crock-Pot Indian Butter Chicken, brown rice
Wednesday: Tilapia, spinach salad with gorgonzola
Thursday: Baked chicken, sweet potato fries
Friday: Pizza out

Care.com Free This Weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:12:00 +0000

Sabrina over at Care.com wanted me to let all my readers know that you can join for FREE this weekend! Care.com is a great tool to search for trusted caregivers in your area! You can read and post reviews for babysitters, nannies and daycares in your area, as well as post a job of your own! Sometimes, it can be scary when you are trying to find a babysitter or a daycare-you search online, but it's hard to find trusted reviews and dedicated professionals to care for your child. There are even specified services, such as Special Needs Care, Tutoring and Private Lessons listings, Pet Sitter listing, Housekeeper listings, you name!

But you have to hurry! This offer is only good through Sunday, November 8th!

Holiday Shopping Advice, From Me to You

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:21:00 +0000

I am a sucker for the holiday season. In the past, I've literally gone nuts around the holidays, buying this or that for everyone in the family and spoiling everyone, including my sister in law, rotten. And what do I have to show for that, years and years of cheer? Mounting credit card debt that forced us to go into a DMP (debt management plan). Now, it wasn't the holidays fault that I couldn't keep my spending habits under control, but seeing the flashing lights of 'Sale!' and 'Buy Me! Your Kids Will Love It!' sure seemed enticing. And now that I am all grown up, I have to live within my limits. And with that, here is my holiday shopping advice, from me to you.

1. The best thing you can do for yourself, right now, is make a budget. If you don't have that budget, every spare dollar you have, you will spend on that French Press you think your mother in law would love for her study. But with the recession pushing fears inside the heads of every American, creating a budget that you can stick to will help in the long run. Promise.

2. Now that you have a budget, put together a list of people you'd like to buy presents for; now look at your budget again, and distribute a dollar amount fairly and appropriately. Also include those people you are just going to send a holiday card to, and make sure you factor that into your budget as well. We have so many family members that we barely see and live out of state that a photo card of the kids that they can hang on their fridge is just as lovely as sending them a candle basket.

3. I like to then get an idea of what I plan on buying these people, just so I can keep an eye out in ads and online sales, instead of randomly buying things. Like this year, I plan on buying Parker the Wonder Pets Fly Boat. I know, right now, Target is selling it for $36. So, my goal is to find it at a lower price. We won't be spending Christmas at my in-laws this year, so we want to get something that will be cheap to ship--we are going to order a personalized photo calendar through Shutterfly, which is about $20 (probably get some for the grand parents as well). Now the goal is to research and wait until the best price comes up (about mid November, according to Baby Cheapskate).

4. Now you are looking around, searching for the presents off your list, and you see a sale sign, full of glitter and sparkles and your instinct says to grab that item on November 6th, in fear you won't find it at a lower price. STOP! Drop the Zhu, Zhu pet, and walk away. Black Friday and beyond is where you are going to find the best sales on 98% of items. Yes, some places are doing pre-Black Friday sales early, but that doesn't mean that you should complete your entire shopping list already. If you are seriously doubting yourself, see if the item is available for a raincheck and if not, just keep the receipt to return or price adjust later (make sure to get the stores price adjustment policy). Keep an eye out for Black Friday sales here.

5. Don't forget to check online. The past two years, Black Friday sales have quickly crept online to the point where I don't need to get in line in -20 degree weather to nab that digital camera. I can get it online now. Target.com, Bestbuy.com, Amazon.com, all of these places have started putting their sales online and it isn't just reserved for that Black Friday through Cyber Monday-you will start seeing almost fire sale, daily prices, on hot items from about November 15th through two days before Christmas.

6. And one last tip: remember to check sites like A Full Cup to keep an eye out for hot sales. And not only for hot sales, but also places where you might be able to find a little extra change behind your ear for that extra special present-by using coupons. For instance, you can get Glade scented candles for a steal right now and be able to use the gift card you get to help buy your presents this year! And you going to start seeing a lot of that not only with stuff like candles, but also with food.

I also plan on doing a Holiday Gifting Advice post, as well as a Holiday Baking Advice post. If you have any suggestions (such as a Holiday In-Laws Advice post!) or have anything you want to see touched on, please leave a comment and I'll work on it!

Do you have any holiday shopping advice for me?

Walmart Pre-Black Friday Sale!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:18:00 +0000

Get ready for the non-stop, almost daily awesome 'deals' now that the holiday season is upon us! But be careful: a good deal isn't always the 'best' deal (I'll post more about that in a little bit). But, that doesn't mean retailers aren't going to try to entice you into their stores every week with new sales, and that also doesn't mean you should pass up a great deal.

Walmart, this Saturday, will be doing a Pre-Black Friday Sale. The best deal? Buy a Xbox Arcade system for $199, get a $100 gift card! Now, you could do a lot of damage with that $100 gift card, right? Right! Here's the catch-there is only going to be 10 per store. So, if you really want it, be prepared to camp out! Find more information about what else Walmart is offering this Saturday here.

Menu Plan Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:59:00 +0000

Monday: Pasta with roasted grape tomatoes, salad
Tuesday: Shrimp and crab bake, sauteed asparagus, homemade bread
Wednesday: Grilled beef tenderloin steaks, sweet potato fries, salad
Thursday: Baked chicken, couscous
Friday: Pizza out

Sorry!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:39:00 +0000

Hi guys! Sorry for the lack of posts this week. The family and I the past 2 weeks have been battling this illness or that illness...and now it's apparently my turn! but, i do have some awesome things planned for the holidays, so stay tuned! Hint: get your best cookie recipe ready :)

Hot Deal! 50% off at Payless!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:48:00 +0000

50% off at Payless, thanks to the Oprah show, between now and the end of the day tomorrow (10/31)! Go here to get your coupon!

Thanks to all the wonderful ladies at AFC!

Recipe of the Week: Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:46:00 +0000

Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia

4 Tilapia fillets
1/3 cup flour (if using all-purpose, add 1 teaspoon salt to flour)
1/2 cup cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Combine all ingredients. Dredge fish fillets in mixture and shake excess off. Saute in vegetable oil over medium heat for about 4 minutes per side.

The cayenne in this is just a hint of heat and not very spicy, but feel free to omit if you do not care for spice.

Menu Plan Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:42:00 +0000

Monday: Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia, Sweet Potato fries
Tuesday: Chicken burritos with salsa, Spanish rice
Wednesday: Pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions
Thursday: Breakfast for dinner
Friday: Dinner out

Baby Einstein Refund

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:37:00 +0000

If you haven't heard by now, Disney will refund your money on any Baby Einstein DVD purchased between June 5, 2004 and September 4, 2009, no receipt needed. Turns out, the guarantee to make your baby smarter was an over exaggeration. Go here to find out how!

Old Navy Mystery Offer

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:36:00 +0000

Check your email! Just received an email from Old Navy with a code to use online-enter the code at checkout and you could get up to 50% off your entire purchase! Code is valid for one-time use only and is available only through Oct. 27th!

Let me know what values you get!

Recipe of the Week: Stuffed Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:40:00 +0000

We love cooking burgers, but the same 'ol, same 'ol can get a little boring sometimes. I really like to spice up my burgers by stuffing them with all sorts of things. Here are some of my favorite ideas...

-cooked crumbled bacon mixed with a couple tablespoons of ranch dressing and American cheese
-blue cheese and sauteed mushrooms
-jalapeno peppers and any kind of cheese
-diced onions, sauteed

Use your imagination and be really creative, stuffing your burgers with your family's favorites.

Tips:
-Make thin patties (8 for 4 burgers)
-Stuff with a conservative amount of mixture (overstuffing creates a major mess, don't ask me how I know!)
-Press two patties together tightly

Menu Plan Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:03:00 +0000

Monday: Poppyseed chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes
Tuesday: Burgers with roasted sweet potato wedges
Wednesday: Chicken tacos, salsa and chips
Thursday: Braised pork chops, brown rice, salad
Friday: Dinner out

Glade Candle Deal is Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:45:00 +0000

Remember the past couple years at Target, where you would buy (2) Glade candles and you would get a $5 gift card? Well, the gift card deal appears to be back, but not as sweet as before. According to some folks here, buy (5) Glade holiday scents, get a $5 GC. Now, depending on your coupons and your Target, you might be able to make this a pretty good deal. I know there are BOGO catalina, $1.50/1 Q's, and $2/1 Q's out there. Now, according to some, not all Targets are doing this yet. So, either check it out while you are at Target next time, or go ahead and call your local Target. Report back your findings and your deals!

You can check out the Glade Holiday scents here!

$1.99 Pyrex Bakeware!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:41:00 +0000

Need some cheap Pyrex for the upcoming holiday season? Go here to find out how you can get $1.99 per piece Pyrex!

Coupon Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Every week, I clip coupons for myself, but I also clip coupons for my mother. She lives in rural Minnesota, where they get the Sunday paper, but not with all the great coupons. For some reason, even though she is only 4 hours away and lives in the same state, she gets different coupons than I do; actually, it tends to be a less amount of coupons. At either rate, I keep an eye out for my mother. She is disabled and lives on social security, which doesn't go very far. She worked 3-4 jobs all of her life to support my sister and I, so I feel that I need to take care of her. Without a lot of financial freedom myself, my way of helping her is showing her the ways of couponing.

She lives in a small town, so no internet printed coupons for her. But, if I see a snail mail coupon I know she would use and need, I will sign her up for it and sign myself up for it. And, about every other week, I send her an envelope full of coupons from my inserts. She gets so excited, seeing all the things she can save money on!

I decided to share this with all of you as well! Leave a comment here by Thursday, October 22nd, and you could win an envelope FULL of coupons! These are various coupons, from this week and previous inserts, from peelies in the store, from coupons found inside packages. Everything from baby needs to cleaning to groceries, they are in there! This is perfect for a new couponer ready to start and needs to build up a collection, or a veteran couponer who just would like to add to his/her collection!

Question: do you coupon? If so, does anyone else in your family coupon?

When you realize....

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:32:00 +0000

your baby is all grown up.

Parker will be 3 in February. And for the past 3 years, whenever I go to Target, I take the usual route: groceries, cleaning supplies, HBA, seasonal, toys and then baby. But today while I was taking my usual route, I realized the only reason I ever venture into the baby aisle anymore is for diapers, and soon Parker won't even need those. He is getting so close to potty training and while I was grabbing a pack of pull ups today, I had this profound sadness come across me...my baby is not a baby anymore! And I know this sounds a little pathetic, but I actually got a little teary eyed looking at the Halloween onesies.

Perhaps this was my intuition telling my brain that I really do want another child someday. As I looked around at all the babies and expecting mothers, I felt a little helpless. We are not rich; we are paying a steep price for the education we received, like so many others are...as much as we were taught growing up the decision to have a child shouldn't be a financial one, it so is in today's society. My co-worker is having another baby-8 years after she had her last. And when she asked me what the price for daycare was for a newborn, she almost choked on her soup in the break room. Remembering that diaper prices have went up 3 times since I found out I was pregnant with Parker is mind blowing. And it's not like one entity of the baby industry is to blame (hey, those child care workers are only making $12 or so an hour), but if it's so hard for us now, how long will we have to wait for our grand children?

Just some random thoughts in the aisles at Target :)

Menu Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:33:00 +0000

Monday: Sauteed pork chops with Dijon maple pan sauce, buttered new potatoes
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Baked Ziti, Salad, Garlic Toast
Thursday: Homemade pizza
Friday: Dinner out

Halloween!

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:58:00 +0000

Still having a hard time figuring out what you want to dress your little one up for Halloween? Disney Family Fun has some ideas here.

Think you don't have it in you to be creative and make your own costume for your kids? Parents Magazine highlights 21 parents and more who did it and struck gold here.

Keep your eye on Baby Age...I bought an adorable monkey costume a few years ago from them with a discount, free shipping, and a free book.

Are you making your own Halloween costume this year?

TicTagToe.com: Review and Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:50:00 +0000

Update:

The winners of the contest are Commenter 4, Laura, and Commenter 2, Noreen. I'll be contacting you soon!

In a desperate attempt to find great labels for my daughters' belongings when I send them to the church nursery, I stumbled upon TicTagToe.com. This website offers waterproof labels, bag tags, and stationary, all personalized to suit your personality.

I ordered a set of the small labels for each of my daughters with their names and a cute design each. I've been using them on the diaper bag, my 2 year old's backpack, bottles, and sippy cups. They have gone through the dishwasher several times and seem to be sticking on quite well. I've had a few issues with the label not fitting flush against a bottle that curves in the middle, but I've worked around it to find other spots to place the label. TicTagToe wants you to know that some newer dishwashers with more powerful wash cycles have been known to wash the print off of some labels. If you feel like you may fall into this category, hand washing is recommended. My dishwasher is only 2.5 years old and I've not experienced this problem yet.

TicTagToe is very easy to navigate and they have a wonderful tool so that you can build your own design and preview it before ordering. If you can't find a design you are looking for, they will happily come up with something you like at no extra cost. Their designs are so adorable and their prices are fantastic for the quality of the product. I highly recommend this site.

On another note, Koshii, the owner of TicTagToe is super wonderful to work with. After a few weeks of not receiving my order because of it being lost in the mail, I contacted her and she promptly reprinted my labels and shipped them to me within a day. You really cannot find this kind of customer service everywhere these days!

Now, for the exciting part! TicTagToe has generously offered to donate two of their products for me to give away to readers. I will be giving away one set of the waterproof labels and one bag tag. Want to win? Just leave a comment here by 11:59 pm on Thursday, October 15th. I'll use the handy dandy Random Number Generator to choose two winnners. Then, I'll get you in touch with Koshii so you can personalize your product!

This Week's Menu Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:48:00 +0000

Monday: Veggie Chili with rice
Tuesday: Tuna salad wrap
Wednesday: Kielbasa with fried potatoes and onions
Thursday: Chicken Curry
Friday: Homemade pizza

Menu Plan Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Monday: Grilled beef filet, mashed potatoes
Tuesday: Cheddar cheese soup, homemade bread, salad
Wednesday: Baked tilapia with Asian marinade, brown rice
Thursday: Homemade Buffalo chicken and Gorgonzola pizza
Friday: Dinner out

Recall Alert: Tylenol Products

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Yesterday, Tylenol released a list of children's medications manufactured between April and June of 2008 that are being voluntarily recalled due to one inactive ingredient not meeting quality standards. I say better safe than sorry, so head over to Tylenol and check out the list of recalled products here.