Beginning, Meet End

Free Thanksgiving Craft Book

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:44:00 +0000

Download a free e-book here for 30 free craft projects for home decorating, gift-giving and fun crafts for kids. Could be a fun way to keep the kiddies occupied on Thanksgiving morning so the other adults can have their hands free to cook all the yummy food!

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Nesting and Resting

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:55:00 +0000

You may have noticed I have been a little AWOL lately. I wanted to let you know that my sporadic posting may continue for the next week or so. I am scheduled to have my baby mid-week next week and have family coming into town this weekend. Therefore, I am using every last ounce of energy I have to clean, organize, and clean some more in anticipation of my family's and new little baby's arrival. I am also trying to spend some extra mommy and daughter time with my 2 year old, since she will not be allowed in the hospital for the 4 days I am there and the thought of that is breaking my heart.

I am measuring 2 weeks overdue, even though I am still 2 weeks away from my due date, so you can imagine how very large I am and how exhausting the process of preparing my home is for me. When I finish one project, I have to rest before moving on to the next. I feel as though a snail has taken over my body, I move so slowly!

I hope that you will have patience and stick with me over the next couple of weeks while I prepare for and go through this major transition! I will do my best to post occasionally, although my hospital does not have internet access (gasp!) so I am not sure how often I will be able to post. I will do my best!

Meanwhile, feel free to have a look around past posts and know that I will be back full force as soon as I am able and out of the hospital.

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Video Monitor: $69.99

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:26:00 +0000

Kids.Woot has the BeBe Sounds Portable Color Video and Sound Baby Monitor for $69.99 today only. Shipping is only $5. Amazon retails these for $109, Target retails them for $160. I've been watching these monitors for 2 years- this is the best price I have EVER seen.

You've heard me say this before, and I'll say it again: if there is something you want, especially a higher priced item, wait patiently to buy it until a deal comes along. A deal ALWAYS comes along!

This was a deal I never expected to see. In fact, just 2 days ago I was talking with my husband about monitors and we decided to just keep using our old one because we couldn't find a good enough deal on a video monitor. I am a worrier, and throughout my daughter's infancy (and even now!) I wished many times for a video monitor. I told myself I'd buy one with the second baby. I had given up that dream just two days ago, and voila! Today a great deal comes along....and not a moment too soon, because the baby is arriving next week!

Don't you love it when that happens?

Thanks to PennyPinchingParent.com for the tip!

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Veterans' Day Free Food

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:48:00 +0000

Just a reminder that there are several restaurants offering everything from a free beverage to free meals on and around Veterans' Day for both active military and veterans:

Applebee's will be giving away a free entree to veterans and active military today. Proof of military service is required.

Outback is offering a free bloomin' onion appetizer and beverage to all veterans and active duty military today. Proof of military service is required.

Golden Corral will be having their annual "Military Appreciation Monday" dinner on Monday, November 16th from 5 PM to 9 PM. No identification is required for the service member.

From their website: "The free dinner meal is a special "thank you tribute" to any person who has ever served in the United States Military. If you are a veteran, retired, currently serving, in the National Guard or Reserves, you are invited to join us for Golden Corral's Military Appreciation Monday dinner."

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Works-For-Me-Wednesday: Why All My Children Will Play An Instrument

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:13:00 +0000

Now, before you start thinking "Well of course all of your children will play an instrument! You're a piano teacher for goodness' sake", hear me out. Yes, I do intend on making sure that all of my children are proficient in an instrument, but not simply because music is obviously my passion. I consider music lessons to be a major investment in their future, both emotionally and financially.

1. Music lessons will help my children be more well-rounded.

I believe education in the arts helps us appreciate the world we live in and makes us more sensitive and beautiful people. It gives us a place to escape to when we are sad, depressed, and lonely, and gives us an outlet for rejoicing when words just can't express our exhilaration.

2. It is a scientifically proven fact that music makes you smarter.

The act of playing a musical instrument activates the corpus callosum in the brain - the bridge that connects the left and right hemispheres. This allows both sides of our brain to communicate and exchange ideas. Did you know that as Thomas Jefferson was writing the Declaration of Independence, his landlady reported that whenever his mind became blocked, he would pick up his violin and begin to play? After a short time playing, he would again resume writing. And we all know what a work of genius that document is!

Einstein had a similar problem. At a school age child, his teacher recommended that he quit school and be put into the work force, as he was incapable of intelligence. Instead, his parents bought him a violin, and a miracle happened. All of the intelligent thoughts that existed in one side of Einstein's brain were able to travel over the corpus callosum to the side of his brain that controlled his able to communicate those ideas, Suddenly, he didn't appear so dumb after all!

3. Becoming proficient in an instrument will provide financial security for my childrens' future.

As I said, I am a piano teacher. Where I live, qualified teachers are a valuable commodity. Therefore, I am able to make a considerable contribution to my family's income by teaching a few afternoons a week, and I am able to do so from my home. The ability to do this has been one of the greatest blessings of my life, and I thank my parents for "sticking it out" during the years that I was a reluctant student so that I could gain the proficiency and musical knowledge I needed to be qualified to teach.Were it not for my ability to teach from home, our lives would be very different, since my teaching provides a necessary part of our family's income.

I intend on giving this gift to my children. I want them to have the freedom when they are adults to stay at home and still contribute if they so desire, whether it be to pay their mortgage and bills or simply to provide money for school clothes or vacations for their children each year. The beauty of teaching music lessons is that you can really choose what level of income you would like to bring in. I know a male drum teacher who makes $100,000 a year teaching lessons in his home for about 4 to 6 hours a day. Some teachers with other reliable sources of income in their family choose to teach only a small number of students and therefore may make a few thousand dollars each year to pay for their family vacations or Christmas. Most teachers fall somewhere in between the two.

I do not expect that my children will follow in my exact footsteps and get a degree in music. In fact, I will be the first to admit that getting a music degree is NOT for everybody! I do expect that they will reach the level of knowledge and hands-on experience that will qualify them to teach their chosen instrument through studying under excellent teachers.

Will it be an added expense for me? Yes, especially if I choose not to teach my own children and send them to another teacher, or if my children choose an instrument on which I am not proficient. Is it a sacrifice I am willing to make? Most definitely. In my parents' case, it was an investment that provided great returns for both them and me. I was able to have the last 3 years of my college education at an expensive private university completely paid for due to my piano ability. The first year was largely provided for as well due to tuition, piano, and voice scholarships.

I look at some of my friends who are suffering due to job layoffs and other recession woes right now - some of them are desperately looking for a way to make extra money without having to leave their children in somebody else's care. They often feel trapped because they view themselves as not having any skills that are marketable. Although teaching lessons is definitely not the only way to make money from home, for me it has been a reliable and sizable source of income through the ups and downs of the economy.

I never want my children to feel trapped. I want them to always know that should the need arise, they can turn to teaching and using their talents (freelance musicians can also make good money) to supplement their income.

So do the years of lesson tuition, of prodding and pleading with them to practice, the dozens of recitals, and the occasional temper tantrum on the way to lessons work for me? Yes, I am convinced they will - and they'll work for my children too!

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$25 Restaurant.com Gift Certificates for $2

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:01:00 +0000

Now through November 12, use the code "ENTREE" when ordering gift certificates from Restaurant.com and get a $25 gift certificate for only $2! Hurry, this offer only lasts through Thursday.

Click here.

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Glade Holiday Scent Coupons

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:54:00 +0000

One of my favorite parts of the holidays is the smell. I love the smell of fresh baked goodies, cold air, fires burning, and especially the smell of cinnamon. Every year I look forward to the different holiday scented plug-ins coming to the stores.

Right at Home has released some Glade coupons for their holiday scents on their website:

*Free refill pack when you buy any Glade® Scented Oil Candles holder

*Save $1 on a Glade® Scented Oil Candles refill pack

*Save $1.50 on two Glade® Candles

*Get one Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil Warmer free when you buy one Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil Refill

*Save $1 on two Glade® PlugIns® Scented Oil Refills

*Save $0.75 on two Glade® Aerosol Sprays

There were also several Glade candle and warmer coupons in the November 1st SmartSource!

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Free! 20 Copies of "The Christmas Box", $15 S&H

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:56:00 +0000

I just received an email from Richard Paul Evans, author of "The Christmas Box", a beloved book by many this time of year. He is offering a free box of these books - 20 copies- you just pay the shipping and handling fee of $15. That comes out to only 75 cents per book! 20 copies of this book would normally retail around $100.

I took advantage of this when he offered this deal last year and plan to use these as stocking stuffers, gifts for friends, etc (that's right- I still have some left from last year!).

Last year over 250,000 copies were shipped out in just 5 weeks. He only has 50,000 copies remaining and when they are gone, the offer will be over. For those who order 3 or more boxes, he will include a free copy of Paul Cardall's "The Christmas Box" CD.

Order your books here: http://richardpaulevans.com/freebooks

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One More Freebie for the Mega Event

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:15:00 +0000

Thanks to reader Elizabeth for alerting me to this freebie!

Playtex Living Gloves are $1 at Kroger stores as part of the Mega event - buy 10 participating products and get $5 off. There is a $1 off coupon in the October 4 SmartSource coupon insert, making these free!

Hurry and grab some before the Mega event is over!

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Hurry! Free Evap. Milk, Potatoes, Cheap Cookies!

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:29:00 +0000

Have you taken advantage of the Kroger/Fry's Mega Event yet? I finally had a burst of energy on Saturday and indulged in a little coupon therapy. It felt good! I scored some great deals at this event. Here were my 3 favorite deals:

*Carnation Evaporated Milk is on sale for 99 cents. If you buy 10 participating items, the price is lowered to 49 cents. You can print a coupon here good for 50 cents off of 2 cans, which Fry's will double to $1, making the evaporated milk free! Just in time for the baking season!

*Betty Crocker Potatoes are again free. You should NEVER pay for these. I used these as my filler items so that I had multiples of 10 to receive the $5 off for the Mega Event. Click here and print the coupon for $.40 off of one box or pouch. All coupons are worth $1 for a limited time, so this will make the potatoes free.

*Keebler Cookies are CHEAP! Print the coupon here for $1.50 off of 2 packages of Keebler cookies. Selected varieties are on sale for $.99 when you buy 10 participating items. With the coupon this makes each package a mere $.24 each. I felt a little silly because I bought several packages of these for my family to munch on while they are in town for the new baby and Thanksgiving. Since I obviously won't be able to cook and shop for them, I am trying to stock up on food now. I had to explain to the cashier that I would NOT be eating all of those cookies myself!

As far as I know, these deals will only last until tomorrow night. You never know with Kroger, though- they may extend the sale another week. But to be safe, I'd take advantage of these deals soon!

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Cheap Toys for Charity

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:45:00 +0000

'Tis the holiday season - the season of Christmas tree angels, Secret Santas, and church toy drives. My church is currently running such a drive, and I, like many others, often feel discouraged that I can't give because 1) All of my gently used toys will be used again by my second child and hopefully others to follow so I can't give them away; and 2) I can't afford to buy gifts for anybody beyond my immediate family, so how can I donate to others?

Well, here are a few toys you can buy for super cheap this week so that you can take part in the spirit of giving that comes with the season without breaking your wallet. Believe me, the children you help will not care if you used coupons to get the toys!

*You can get this fun Santa Mr. Potatohead Spud for a mere 99 cents at Target after this coupon here. Click on "Toys" along the left hand side if you'd like to avoid scrolling through page after page. (Thanks My Frugal Adventures)

*You can get 7 classic children's board games at Toys 'R Us for a grand total of $3.93. Toys 'R Us and Hasbro have teamed up to offer $2 rebates on classic games like Hi-Ho Cherry-O, Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, and Don't Break the Ice. If you buy the 7 different games priced at $3.99 at Toys 'R Us and submit for rebates on each of them (the rebate is only good once on each different game) it brings the price down to $1.99. Toys 'R Us is also offering a $10 gift card on a $25 Hasbro game purchase. This will bring your total, after all is said and done, down to a mere $3.93 for 7 games. (Thanks, Baby GoodBuys)

So for a grand total of $4.92 plus tax, you can brighten the Christmas of 8 children!

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Free Food for Active Military and Vets on Veterans' Day

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:15:00 +0000

There are several restaurants offering everything from a free beverage to free meals on and around Veterans' Day for both active military and veterans:

Applebee's will be giving away a free entree to veterans and active military on November 11th. Proof of military service is required.

McCormick & Schmick's is offering a complimentary lunch or dinner entree to all veterans and active duty military on Sunday, November 8th. Military ID will be required.

Outback is offering a free bloomin' onion appetizer and beverage to all veterans and active duty military on November 11th. Proof of military service is required.

Golden Corral will be having their annual "Military Appreciation Monday" dinner on Monday, November 16th from 5 PM to 9 PM. No identification is required for the service member.

From their website: "The free dinner meal is a special "thank you tribute" to any person who has ever served in the United States Military. If you are a veteran, retired, currently serving, in the National Guard or Reserves, you are invited to join us for Golden Corral's Military Appreciation Monday dinner."

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Family Friday: Gratitude

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:15:00 +0000

Ah, November. What a wonderful month. It's the time of year we all get to stop and think about what we are grateful for and about the blessings we've been given.

And what bigger blessing is there than that of family? So this week, may I suggest a family night about gratitude.

From a very early age, almost as soon as we can talk, we are taught to say "thank you". And well we should. Being thankful is a good thing. As Alfred Painter said, "Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality."

When we stop and take time to appreciate and be grateful, our spirits are lifted, stress is eased, and worries are lessened. I believe being grateful is a good way to stay healthy, and certainly a great way to be happy.

Lesson:

For your family night, have a discussion with your children about why showing gratitude is important, and what sort of things we can be thankful for.

For younger children, you may want to turn it into a game. After letting your child tell you some things they are thankful for, play a little game with them. Choose something you know they are not fond of - oatmeal, for example (although how somebody could dislike oatmeal is beyond me!). Say "I know you do not like oatmeal, but why can you still be grateful for it?" Their answer may be somewhere along the lines of "Well, I guess it is better than eating a bowl of dirt." Try thinking of other things they may dislike or that may seem to be more of an annoyance than an opportunity to be grateful, such as homework, having to take naps or go to bed early, or being required to clean up their toys-at least they have toys for the cleaning!

For older children, you may also want to start it out with a discussion about what they are grateful for. Try and encourage your children to think outside the box. Of course things such as family, food, a place to live, etc. will be on the list-and most certainly should be-, but what about things like being able to sit in a warm house on a cold night? Or the smell of a pumpkin pie baking in the oven? Emphasize that in every place and situation we can find something to be grateful for, something to appreciate. As Buddha said, "Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."

Challenge Assignment:

If you'd like, you can give each child a small notebook in which to keep a list of the things they find to be grateful about that week and give them a chance to share those things at next weeks' Family Night.

Game:

If you have the board game Scattergories, take the alphabet roller out of the game and roll a letter. Have each member of the family write down as many things that they are thankful for that begin with that letter. Set a timer, and when time is up, let each member share their ideas, giving points for each unique answer. If you don't have the dice, you can cut up the letters of the alphabet, place them in a bowl or hat, and let somebody choose a letter.

After the discussion and game, remind your children that there is one more thing to be thankful for: DESSERT!

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Toys/Babies 'R Us Coupons: Beginning and Ending

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:43:00 +0000

There are some good Babies 'R Us coupons ending today and some more good ones starting tomorrow if you have any baby or toddler shopping to do this weekend.

*Ending today is the $5/$25 coupon here.
*Ending Sunday is the extra 15% off clearance items coupon which can be found here.
*The good news is a new coupon starts tomorrow for an extra 15% off ALL clothing, including clearance. That coupon can be found here.

Other highlights include receiving a $10 gift card with the purchase of three 6-can or bottle cases of ready-to-feed formula, buy one get one 50% off toddler feeding items, and $5 off any two Gerber diaper packs (cloth diapers also make GREAT burp rags, especially when you sew some ribbon or other cute things on them!) Those coupons and more can be found here.

Also, Toys 'R Us has some good deals on toys right now. They have their Mega Bloks 80 piece set marked down to $14.99, which is the lowest price I've seen on it online or in any store in the 2 months I've been looking for them. I was going to use my Swagbucks gift certificates to buy these from Amazon, but with the sale this weekend, Toys R Us was cheaper.

Here is a link to more Toys R Us bonus coupons good today and tomorrow.

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Don't Give Up Too Soon... or: How I Saved Myself $500 Last Night

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:02:00 +0000

If you are reading this post, you are most likely sitting in front of a computer (unless you're one of the cool people who have internet on their phone, which I am not!). That computer probably cost you a pretty penny or two, but you get a lot of use out of it so it was worth it. And since it was an investment, and not necessarily a cheap one at that, you want it to last as looooong as possible.

At least that's how I feel about my computers - all 6 of them.

SIX COMPUTERS?!?! Let me explain...

You may remember me mentioning that I own a piano studio where I teach piano lessons. This studio is located in my home, so it enables me to bring in a steady income while being a stay-at-home mom. It is the one of the biggest blessings in my life (and I'm planning a little post about it for next week's Works-For-Me-Wednesday, so stay tuned).

Now, I LOVE technology. Love, Love, LOVE it! I don't have the latest gadgets by any means, but what I do have I take full advantage of. In my studio, I have three desktop computers that I use to help my students work on various things like music theory, music history, composing, etc. I won't get into my views and beliefs on learning styles and why I believe technology has an important place in music education right now...suffice it to say I use those 3 desktops to PIECES.

Well, a few weeks ago, one of those computers, all of which are about 5 to 6 years old, went berserk. I had powered it off, and when I came back to turn it on later, it would not boot up. Instantly I was hit with that dreaded feeling that this was going to be an expensive problem, one that would probably end with me forking over a bunch of money to buy a new desktop, something I was not prepared for.

In desperation, I began turning the computer off, then on, then off, then on...each time getting the same error messages. But then, after about 10 times doing this, the computer magically booted up, all my programs were still there, and it was working fine. PHEW!

For the past 3 weeks I have left that computer on constantly, too afraid to turn it off for fear it would never wake again.

Well, of course the inevitable happened about 3 days ago: it froze. I couldn't do anything. My only choice was to turn the computer off and try restarting. I figured I would probably be able to use the same trick to get it working again, but this time a completely new and never-before-seen (at least to me) error message started popping up- but only after 8 hours of the computer turning ITSELF on and off (I'm not kidding!).

My first reaction? That the computer had kicked the bucket, booted its last BIOS, wakened its last Windows, rammed its last RAM. I began looking online at the prices of new computers, convinced I would spend this upcoming weekend computer shopping. I was teaching too long for the next couple of days to find time to get to a computer store and buy a new one. I would just have to make do with what I had for a couple of days, somehow.

That turned out to be a very lucky thing for me. See, it gave me a couple of days to take a step back and mull over the problem, instead of being able to just run out to the nearest Best Buy and "fix" it immediately by buying a new computer.

That couple of days allowed me time to let my brain relax and think more clearly about the problem at hand. It also gave me some time to remember my goals about frugality and this journey I am on to becoming a more "enriched" person. How could I write a blog about frugality if I ran out and dropped $500 on a new computer at the first (well, second) sign of a problem?

I determined that I would do every last thing I could think of to fix this computer before buying another one. And then, if a new one was warranted, I would first check my local thrift stores to see if I could find a working CPU before running to a retailer.

Without getting into all the technicalities of computer repair (of which I know only a little), I was able, through internet searches about the error code, re-installation of software, and breaking a few rules, to get my computer up and running again. I was shocked- I thought FOR SURE this computer was done for.

And finally, the moral of the story...

This taught me a valuable lesson about not giving up too soon when it comes to our electrical and technological devices. By being patient and waiting for a couple of days, I was able to save myself the $500 it would have cost me for a new computer, not to mention the time it would have taken to find a new one. And the walking, oh, the walking I saved myself....(walking is my least favorite thing right now, considering I am nearing my due date and HUGE).

When you have something that breaks down, don't immediately rush out and buy a new one. Be PATIENT. I think patience is one of the most important values to assimilate if you want to be a money-wise person.

Give yourself a few days to think about alternative options. If it's technology and that isn't your forte, call a friend who is more experienced in that area and ask their opinion. If you break your beaters for your electric mixer (dealing with this right now!) don't feel like you have to buy a whole new mixer. Try your luck at Goodwill first and see if you can find replacement beaters, or call the manufacturer.

It's a good possibility most of you already think this way, and if so, that is excellent! But for me, this is a completely new way of thinking and living. And last night, it paid off in a BIG way!

Oh, and for those of you dying to know, the other 3 computers are laptops- one for my husband's work, one for my work, and one for general family use. :o)

This post is part of Frugal Fridays, hosted by Life as MOM.

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Old Navy Scarves $1 - November 7th

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Old Navy will have their performance fleece scarves on sale this Saturday for $1 each! There is a limit of five scarves per customer. I'm thinking these would make some very cute and stylish gifts for your favorite girlfriends, sisters-in-law, moms, daughters, etc.!

Thanks for the tip, Erin!

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Free Thanksgiving Recipe eBook

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:18:00 +0000

Quality Health is offering a free book of Thanksgiving recipes when you sign up for their email newsletter and complete a short questionnaire (about 30 seconds) here. I've perused the book and there are some VERY yummy sounding recipes in there. Also included with each recipe is its nutritional information, which is an important feature to me (or will be as soon as this baby is born - any day now - and I have pregnancy weight to lose!)

Click here to get yours.

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Make-Ahead or Make-It-Fast: Haystacks

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Haystacks are one of our favorite meals. Whenever we are in a pinch, we can usually whip this up in no time, whether we are making it from scratch or whether we are using some already prepared ingredients from our freezer.

There are very few necessary ingredients. Most of these we keep stocked in our pantry since they can be used in so many different recipes:

Basic Ingredients:

1. Chicken Breast
2. Cream of Chicken Soup
3. Chicken Broth
4. Rice

Optional Ingredients:

1. Chow Mein Noodles
2. Shredded Cheese
3. Diced or Chunk Pineapple
4. Chopped Celery, Tomato, Green Onion
5. Coconut
6. Almonds
7. The sky is the limit!

Boil your chicken until cooked through. The amount of chicken will vary based on the number of people you are feeding. One chicken breast per person is usually plenty, and you can even use less chicken if you'd like. The more chicken you use, the thicker the gravy will be. If you prefer a thinner gravy, use less.

While the chicken is boiling, start cooking the rice. I recommend 1 cup of cooked rice per person.

After the chicken is cooked through, take it out of the pan and shred it using a fork or cube it. I prefer it shredded.

*I suggest turning this recipe into a "make-ahead" recipe by boiling double the amount of chicken and freezing half of it for your next meal. After the chicken cools, I vacuum seal and freeze the rest of the shredded chicken.

You can also choose to make extra rice and freeze it for the next meal as well, although I prefer to make it fresh since it is so easily done in my rice cooker.

After your chicken is shredded, place it in a saucepan with 1 can of cream of chicken soup and 1/2 can of chicken broth, or as much broth as is needed to get your gravy to its desired consistency. Heat to a gentle boil.

When gravy is finished, serve over rice. Add any number of desired optional toppings. My favorites are shredded cheddar cheese, chow mein noodles, and chopped celery. To make "Hawaiian Haystacks", add pineapple, coconut and almonds!

This is also a fast and cheap way to feed large numbers of people. This is my go-to meal when I host birthday parties or other get-togethers, and it is always a HUGE hit!

This post is part of the Ultimate Recipe Swap, hosted by LifeasMOM.com

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Free Papa John's - Check Facebook today!

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:50:00 +0000

This is just a reminder to watch your Facebook status updates today for your free pizza code from Papa John's!

If you haven't become a fan of Papa John's on Facebook yet, go here to become a fan and you can get a free medium pizza with your online order of $10 or more.

This offer expires 11/9/2009!

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Works-For-Me-Wednesday: Planning for Christmas 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:18:00 +0000

This is being re-posted as part of "Works for Me Wednesday" hosted at www.weareTHATfamily.com

As I mentioned here, I had a goal this year to make enough money using various online survey, search, and other sites that I could pay for Christmas without dipping into my bank account. While I didn't do as well as I had hoped (due to my temporary abandonment/forgetting of this goal for 5 months), I still did well enough that I think it's worth a shot for next Christmas.

If you don't want to save for Christmas, that's OK! This can be your anything fund-use it for birthday gifts, everyday items that you need, or even use it as your "just for me" fund. I am a firm believer in a little indulgence here and there. :o)

If you'd like to join me at the beginning of this goal, follow these steps. Next year around this time we'll meet at the end and see how it went!

Sign up for a dedicated email address

Visit Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, or any other free email site and set up an email address that you will use solely for your online money making adventures. Make it cute, make it literal, make it whatever you want. I made my email address a play on words about making bits of dough (get it? Dough as in $?). You'll only make a bit of money from each of these sites, but when you add them all together, you'll have enough dough to make a very nice loaf of bread!

Once you have your email address set up.....

Begin signing up with different companies.

Some of my favorites can be found in my sidebars. I have also listed good starter sites below:

1. Swagbucks

I love this search engine! Although you don't earn physical dollars for using this search engine, you do earn "swagbucks" that can be traded for a number of different gifts and gift cards. My favorite is the Amazon $5 gift card for 45 Swagbucks.

Even if you only earned 1 Swagbuck a day, by this time next year you would have enough for $40 worth of Amazon gift cards, which would equal a present or two that you did nothing extra for (beyond signing up and downloading the toolbar-and trust me, you want to download the toolbar!). You'll be searching for things on the internet anyway over the next year, why not earn some free gifts while you're at it?

Want to read more about Swagbucks? See my previous post, or you can sign up here!

2.Opinion Outpost

Get paid to take surveys! I used to be skeptical of the whole surveys for money idea, but I am converted to it now! It is the way I earned most of my Christmas money for this year, and I plan on earning even more next year. Even with my 5 month sabbatical I still made $45 with them this year.

Read more about Opinion Outpost in my previous post, or sign up online by clicking here!

3. MySurvey

This is one of my favorite survey sites. You earn points whether or not you qualify for surveys. Another thing I love about MySurvey is that in addition to surveys, sometimes you are invited to test products for free, so while you're earning money for other people's gifts, you sometimes get a little gift too!

You can redeem your survey points for cash, prizes or charity donations. 1,000 points is equal to $10 cash.

If you'd like to learn more, see my post here. To join MySurvey, please click here. You'll get points just for joining. Take your first survey or download their survey alert messenger to earn more points right off the bat!

4. InboxDollars

Inbox dollars is another site I enjoy using. You earn money by reading emails (usually 2 cents an email- don't laugh, it adds up and only takes 20 seconds!). You can also take surveys, shop online and earn cash back through their site, play games, and complete free or trial offers.

This site isn't the biggest payload, but it is one of the easiest and quickest sites to use. Besides, slow and steady wins the race! They send emails directly to your inbox. All you have to do is click the confirm link within the email and you get paid. You can also go to the site and log in to your account to complete other cash offers.

You get $5 just for signing up! Click here to join.

*Note: On sites that have free or trial offers, please always read all fine print before completing the offer. Some sites, for example, will ask you for your cell phone number as a way to complete the offer, and will charge your cell bill a fee for this each month. Most of the time there are no charges associated with the offers, especially the 100% free offers, but it's best to read all fine print, just in case!

The sites listed above are some of the main sites I use for my long-term earning. I will post more sites that I enjoy using in later posts and will let you know when I find new opportunities!

After you have finished signing up for sites using your dedicated email address, the most important step is...

Check your email daily!
I'm sure checking your email is something you do at least once or twice every day. Now, you just need to remember to add your new money-making email address to the list of accounts to check. I recommend setting aside 10 to 20 minutes a day to go through the various emails and survey opportunities you will receive. You will want to try and check at least once a day since many of the surveys will close after they have received enough responses.

I find it easiest to check my money email address first thing in the morning before I get busy with the day. Since I'm a mom who still enjoys young children with afternoon naps, I will also sometimes use naptime as a chance to check my email. Look at your schedule and find a good time for you. If you can't give 20 minutes all at once, split it up- read paid emails in the morning, do surveys before bed, etc.

As you do this, the cash in your various accounts will begin to grow- slowly, but surely. If you stay on track and dedicated, by this time next year you should have a nice Christmas stash! Planning a year in advance for Christmas definitely works for me!

For other Christmas 2010 posts, click here.

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Free Whataburger Nov. 10

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:51:00 +0000

Wait! Before you put away your orange Halloween T-shirt for another year, you may want to take it out for one more run on November 10th. Just wear orange - and lots of it!- to your nearest Whataburger restaurant that evening between 5 and 8 PM and receive a free Whataburger!

More info on their site here. While you're there, sign up for their email newsletter to receive a coupon for a free food item EVERY OTHER DAY from December 1st until December 23rd during their "12 Days of Whataburger" celebration.

To see if there is a location near you, click here.

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Great Silverware Deal at Amazon!

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:23:00 +0000

If you are like me and have a dishwasher that is a direct portal to the Twilight Zone (or if you have a 2 year old that you suspect enjoys throwing forks away when you're not looking), you may be in need of a nice set of new, matching, silverware.

Amazon has a great deal going on TODAY ONLY on their International Silver Nouveau 65 Piece Flatware Set. This set features service for 12 - perfectly timed for use at Thanksgiving or as a gift for one of the many holiday weddings that occur this time of year - and a serving set that includes a tablespoon, cold meat fork, sugar spoon, butter serving knife, and pierced tablespoon. The set is on sale today for $39.99, marked down from a list price of $90.00. Shipping is free if you select Super Saver shipping at checkout!

If you are feeling a little daring, you can open an Amazon credit card at checkout and receive $30 off this order, making the flatware only $9.99! Just don't forget to pay it off right away!

Click herefor more info or to purchase!

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Free Redbox Code - 11/2

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:58:00 +0000

Redbox, how do I love thee? With a 2 year old who doesn't like loud movies in the theater and being VERY pregnant, you are the only way I get to see movies in any sort of timely manner.

And today only, you can enjoy a free movie from Redbox by entering the code TEGJ6FD before checkout.

Thanks, Common Sense with Money!

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Free Papa John's!

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:51:00 +0000

If you haven't become a fan of Papa John's on Facebook yet, go here to become a fan and you can get a free medium pizza with your online order of $10 or more. The code for the free pizza will be sent out via Facebook updates on Nov. 4th. This offer expires 11/9/2009!

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Day of Rest

noreply@blogger.com (Beginning, Meet End) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:21:00 +0000

As usual, Sunday is my day of rest so I will be taking a break from posting today.

Why not enjoy a little "you time" today too? Here's an idea: before it gets too cold to go outside anymore, put on a jacket or coat and go for a morning walk in your nearby park. Enjoy breathing in the cool air and use the time to clear your head of the worries of the week and prepare your mind for the one to come.

I'll be back on Monday!

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