The Bargainess is Delightfully Domesticated!

NEW BLOG!!!!

2012-02-01T23:05:00.000-05:00

Come and check out my new blog!

Sorry it has been so long, but I would love to have my old readers come and join me at my new blog adventure!!!

Please stop by and let me know you're there!

Purple Kale

Target's NEW change to their coupon policy...

2011-06-15T11:17:00.000-04:00

Here is the new change to the coupon policy!

Buy One Get One Free Coupons (BOGO):

· BOGO coupons cannot be combined (i.e. you cannot use two BOGO coupons on two items and get both for free). Unless stated otherwise on the coupon, the use of one Buy One Get One Free coupon requires that two of the valid items are presented at checkout of which one item will be charged to the guest and the 2nd item will be discounted by its full retail price.

· A second cents-off coupon of the same type cannot be redeemed towards the purchase price of the first item.

· If a Target BOGO coupon is used, one additional manufacturer coupon maybe used on the first item.

· If a Manufacturer BOGO coupon is used, one additional Target coupon may be used on the first item.

Internet (Print-at-Home) Coupons:

We gladly accept valid internet coupons that contain a clear and scannable bar code.

We do not accept internet coupons for free items with no purchase requirements.

Mobile Coupons:

· Guests can receive Target Mobile Coupons by signing up for Text Alerts at Target.com/mobile or by texting COUPONS to 827438 (TARGET).

· Message and data rates may apply. See site for full details.

· To redeem, simply show your coupon barcode to the cashier. With one simple scan, all applicable coupons are applied.

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Homemade Laundry Detergent!

2011-06-14T16:03:00.000-04:00

Today I posted a picture of my homemade laundry detergent and I was SHOCKED at how many people were interested in it! So here is what it looks like: (sorry for the crappy pic, it was from my cellie)

Here are the ingredients:

1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Arm&Hammer Washing Soda (This is NOT the same thing as baking soda. I found mine at Walmart in the laundry isle. It's in a bright yellow box)
1 bar of Ivory soap (grated)
Note*Do NOT use anything but 100% soap. You don't want anything with moisturizing properties because it WILL leave a residue on your clothes. You can even pick up vegan soaps if you are not wanting the animal products in it. I use Ivory so I can use it on my kids clothes, but you can use Felz Napa too (it's a laundry bar also found in the laundry isle at most stores. I found it at Walmart). Make sure you grate the soap very well. I threw it into the food processor to make sure it was as fine as possible.

You only need about 3 tablespoons for a heavy load less for smaller ones. If you have an HE washer, you only need about 1 tablespoon. In my picture above, I made 4 batches and put it into this plastic container I got from Walmart. A box of the washing soda is about 5 cups. That's a lot of laundry detergent! I saved money on this because I got the bars of Ivory soap for free using coupons! I have used this and I am very impressed at the results.

For tough stains, you can put extra Borax, OR a friend told me to make a paste from the Borax and pre-treat the stain. This will be great for all the kids clothes! Especially with Little C beginning to eat solids!

Also, you can put a 1/4 cup of Borax in the bottom of your dishwasher to help clean your dishes better! Our dishwasher has never worked that great, so I am running a load right now to see how well it does!

Food Lion, Walmart and Save-A-Lot

2011-06-11T09:36:00.000-04:00

Yup, three stores yesterday. It has be awhile since I have gone grocery shopping, so this was a much needed trip. Now, let me clear something up. You may see my OOP total and think that it is super high for someone who coupons, but be clear in that I STOCKED up on certain items. Formula and diapers being ones that did raise my total quite a bit. So here is the run down-

4 bottles of Tabasco Hot Sauce
2 J&J Floss
3 Cascade Sample packs
1 Pack Bic Razors
1 Box Nice and Easy Hair Color
2 Boxes Kellog's Fiber Plus Cereal
2 boxes Kellog's Mini Wheats with fruit Cereal
2 Jar Jif PB with Honey
1 Box Keebler Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 Bags Domino Organic Cane Sugar
10 Nestle Crunch Crisp Bars
2 Bottle Wishbone French Salad Dressing
2 Bottles Wishbone Ranch Salad Dressing
2 Packs Orbit Gum
8 Packs Bar S Hot dogs (eww, for Geoffrey ;)
2 Half Gallons Almond Breeze Almond Milk
2 Bags Birds Eye Steamfresh Mixed Veggies
2 Bag Pictsweet Edamame
2 Bag Pictsweet Sweet Corn
1 Marie Clander's Scalloped Potatoes Bake
1 Marie Calnder's Vermont Cheddar Mac n' Cheese
1 Sarah Lee Pound Cake
2 Packs Huggies Natural Diapers
1 Pack Huggies Diapers
2 Packs Pull-Ups
1 Large Bottle Tide Stain Release
3 Boxes Scott Natural Flushable Wipes
2 16ct. Charmin Toilet Paper
15 Packs Butterball Turkey Bacon (.35 a pack baby!)
10 Boxes Totinos Pizza Rolls
10 Bottles LALA Yogurt Drinks
2 Large Containers Good Start Soy Formula
2 Red Onions
5 lbs Bananas
4 Containers Organic Raisins
1 Box Rice Dream Rice Milk
4 Packets Ortega Guacamole Seasoning
5 Boxes Ronzoni Garden Fettuccine
2 Boxes Whitehouse Healthy Berry Applesauce
1 Bag Vigo Yellow Rice
1 Loaf Bread
1 Cole's Garlic Bread
3 Gallons 2% Milk
1 Box Off-Brand Trash Bags
2 Bags Shreaded Cheese
1 20oz. Sprite
1 Small Bag Combos (After 5 hours of shopping, I was hungry!
1 Can Ortega Diced Green Chilies

Total= 430.80
OOP= 189.97 Not my best, but definitely not horrible!

BTW, I also got a voucher for a child's ticket to see Cars 2 and a 5.00 catalina off my next purchase at Food Lion!

Coupon Fraud Part 1

2011-06-06T14:40:00.001-04:00

Thanks Zazzle.com

I wanted to write a quick article talking about this subject. Why? I am seeing it everywhere! This first article on the subject is going to introduce you to a list of fraudulent coupons that are circulating right now. Make sure you are NOT using them. The fine and potential jail time is just not worth it. My next article on this is going to be a bit longer, where we discuss what coupon fraud actually is.

The website is: http://www.couponinformationcenter.com/coupon-fraud-list.php?st=84bc3

Make yourself familiar with it!

ThredUp

2011-06-04T20:59:00.001-04:00

Wanted to introduce my readers to a super wonderful site. This site is for moms like me who don't want to pay full price for their kids clothes. It's also for moms like me who have no longer worn kids clothes that we don't know what to do with. Well, why not swap a box for 5 bucks? Doesn't sound like a bad deal huh? Well at ThredUp that is exactly what you can do!

Here is some information right from their site:

How does this work, exactly?

Very simply put, it works like this: pick a box you like, pay $5 plus shipping, prepare a box of items that no longer fit your child, when someone picks your box, send it for free. Here is the step-by-step version:

PICK - Browse boxes listed in the thredUP community and select one you'd like to receive. Hopefully, by now, you have your friends on thredUP so you can just pick their boxes. If you're busy, tell us your clothing preferences and the experts at thredUP can choose a box for you.

PAY - Once you've picked your box, all you pay is $5 plus shipping to have it delivered.

PREPARE - As part of this process, you are required (this is a swap after all!) to list a box of clothes that your child no longer wears. We'll ask for basic details such as types of clothing, number of items, colors, brands, season and sizes. Don't worry, the USPS will mail you empty boxes for your gently used clothes.

SEND - When someone picks your box, thredUP will alert you and ask you to send this box. It is free to send boxes on thredUP because the recipient pays the shipping. You'll be able to print the shipping label and schedule the pickup all in one click. Would you rather drop it off at the Post Office? No problem! Just cancel the pickup and leave a note for your postal carrier. As soon as your box is tracked by the USPS, you will see your box status has been changed to "shipped" in your thredUP closet

So there ya have it! You should really check them out. It's really worth it!

ThredUp is a sponsor, but all my opinions are 100% honest-no lies be told here.

Where I am hoping...

Drawing a Blank

2011-06-04T19:39:00.001-04:00

Thanks google.com

I sit here, and honestly, I have no idea what to type. I have one baby very irritable due to a runny nose, another baby covered in carrots and sweet potatoes, while the love of my life is knocked out in his recliner. My living room is destroyed with baby toys, bills, random odds and ends, throw pillows and bits of oatmeal all over the floor. The stairs have become the holding spot for dirty laundry while the hallway is home to piles of donations, consignment items and plain old trash. The dishes aren't done and God knows I just don't feel like dinner tonight.Well, welcome to my life. Not what you pictured huh? If you thought I kept a clean house or made a homemade meal every night, you have been misinformed. I am not a great housewife at all. I fail at cleaning and cooking more than you realize. I pray daily that God would give me more of a heart for this house-but it is hard. The lack of sleep or peach and quiet begins to get to you after awhile. Not only does this make for some gnarly dark circles around my eyes, but it also messes with your motivation level. Is this an excuse? Oh Lord no. Sometimes I wish I could put a fire under my own bottom. I don't like this about myself. I wish I could be Super Mom, but I am just not her. I desire to be her. I want to bake from scratch and sew my own clothes. I want to plant a garden and only serve the finest meals to my family. I want to get up every morning, take my kids for a walk, and finally loose this stinkin' baby weight. Uggh. Why is it so hard to "Just Do It"? I get really aggravated with how much time I want to spend out of the house just to get away from the house. I don't know. Typing on a blog is essentially not helping the situation-but it does help me see that this is pretty pointless. Whining about becoming the woman I want to be isn't going to give me the motivation to be her. So what was the point of this post?

I have no idea.

Change my heart O God...

2011-05-31T16:52:00.001-04:00

First off, let me begin by stating-My God is SOOOO good! He really is. I am astonished by the wonderful things He is doing in my life. He is bringing super sweet people, such as a new friend named Lisa. Although we have never met, nor live very close-He has used her to speak such wonderful things into my life. God has not only fixed out car, but our water heater too. He is bringing new Christians in our lives, and we are standing in faith that a new job and new location will be next. The doors and windows seems to be flying open around us. He has brought me into a new place of "awe" for Him.
There is something that keeps ringing in my head as all these things happen. I feel that God is telling/asking me- "Love, now that you see what I can do, could you PLEASE trust me-just a bit more?" It's true. My faith in Christ has seemed to dwindle. But that is what happens when you don't spend time with someone. You simply forget how awesome they really can be. It does come with a price. With all of these wonderful things going on, we have had some sorrow as well. I see so many of our family members and friends push us away. The more radical we become for Jesus, the more people don't want to be around us. But that's okay. Why on earth should we think that wouldn't happen? My love affair with Jesus seems to grow deeper and deeper, but the more I know Him, the more I understand when the Bible says He was a man of sorrow.
I have been listening/watching a ton of Francis Chan lately. He has been my church. We have yet to find a church that is SERIOUSLY radical for Jesus. We are simply tired of American Christians. No, we don't put ourselves on a pedestal. But I have been to India. I have seen what real Christians are like. They are the ones who could do what the rich young man couldn't do. Give up everything. Even their lives. I have seen people who live in sewers and under bridges praise Jesus as if they were Bill Gates. It astonishes me the complacency that we as Americans have come to. No one wants to actually do what Jesus says in the Bible. We make excuses for what He says. "What Jesus meant to say was..."," He was really speaking to so and so...", "I can't reach people for Jesus if no on likes me."

*sigh*

Back to Francis Chan. He convicts me. Hard. His love and awe of Jesus just spews it all over me. My heart longs for the love of Jesus to ooze outta me like it does this man. For a pastor, to look at his church-his flock, his sheep-and say, "I know most of you will die and go to hell," because of their lukewarm lifestyles...that, amazes me. That is courage. That is true love for those people. Hell is a subject most Americans think is too dirty to talk about. Just like homosexuality, abortion, a man's headship in his house, a woman's position as help meet, the true design on a church....the list goes on and on. I even read an article that says a pastor is teaching that he does believe that his loving God could ever send anyone to hell. Do you know what that is going to do to people? If people don't go to hell, then why on earth did God have to watch his only son be brutally beat and murder for all to see? Why? Please tell me this? My eyes are filling with tears as I type this because I don't think people get it. I don't think they get who this man was. This perfect man who did nothing wrong but love and love hard. A man who took on everything. Everything. You know those forbidden hurts you have since a child? He felt that. The heartache from your first breakup? He felt that too. Loosing your mom? Your child? Even your pet rat. He felt that. The moment you found out you were sick and didn't have long. The moment you realized your unborn child would not be born. The moment the love of your life walked out on you. He took that. He felt every bit of that pain. But he also felt the sin too. The time you lied about taking money from your mom? The time you just needed a "friend" to talk to. The time you hit your child out of anger and not discipline. The Holocaust. 9/11. Roe vs. Wade. He took that on all in a moment. Do you realize what that must have felt like? Do you understand what kind of stress your body must be in to sweat blood? This man was not a bedtime story nor a myth. He's real. And a relationship with this person that only happens on Sunday and before meals is crap. Yea, I said it. It's crap. You have to live this daily. You have to realize the price that used to be on top of your head and be grateful every second of everyday that you were not the one that had to pay it. Debt free has a whole new meaning.
Was this rambling? Maybe. But I couldn't go another day without getting this out. I want people to begin to examine themselves and their lifestyles. If you aren't stepping on people's toes, then you probably aren't really living for him. It's time to quit being baby Christians. We have it easy. No one is asking for us to choose between denying Christ or death. But if we can't live strictly for Him now, how on earth will we ever be able to really choose if and when that time comes?

Just a reminder...

2011-05-29T11:49:00.000-04:00

NO COUPON INSERTS TODAY!

Go and enjoy your family!

A month long vacay...

2011-05-28T15:38:00.000-04:00

I know. I disappeared again. I had to. Things were getting a bit out of hand. I needed a serious break from everything. I am still not totally in the groove, but I am slowly coming back. I wasn't sure if I wanted to blog anymore. It was becoming really time consuming, but also a little sad. I began blogging to document my journey as a crazy couponing, Jesus loving, traditional housewife-but also to meet new friends. I know you have heard me state before that I don't know very many people my age in this small town-so I wanted to connect with women my age, (or any age for that matter!) that believed the same way I did. I needed some social interaction. My 2 year old can only hold a conversation that isn't about Dora for so long. That wasn't the case. I don't get very many comments or feedback---so it's hard to think anything other than- "I must be totally boring."
Also, electronics have kinda taken over my home. From the Wii to TV to the Internet-it was becoming our idol. Housework was getting put off, as well as QUALITY time with our children. So we turned it off. TV hasn't been on more than a few hours in over a week. Little one gets to watch about one hour a day, less if she doesn't ask for it. But the computer was my vice. I was staying on longer and longer trying to build this blog up. So I am done. Not with blogging, but done with trying to fit into the perfect "mommy blogger" mold. I have met some really sweet girls through this and would hate to not be able to keep in touch over this. I may not be those famous daily bloggers-but I am here to stay...

He broke his head...

2011-05-06T18:15:00.000-04:00

Literally. I have spent the last two days getting my son looked at by half a dozen different doctors and specialists. So, this is what happened-

My husband was trying to move my son across the living room. He was strapped into one of those vibrating infant seats. Well, the corner of the chair got caught on the edge of our recliner. This yanked the seat out of his hands and it fell to the floor. The back of the chair hit our floor, followed by my son's head. This house is on a concrete slab. Can you do this math?

Let me spell it out for you. Concrete slab + son's head=

Yea. No joke. This sucker happened literally seconds after impact. You have no idea the meltdown my husband and I had. I have never heard such a scream come out of such a little body. We rushed him to the ER and I began to get sick. He was very alert until we got into the car. Then he started to get extremely lethargic. I looked at my hubby and said, "You have to hurry". That's all it took. G put the hazards on and we were there within minutes. They took him back and I stayed with our daughter. She was very upset. As was I. My mom showed up and we finally went back together. I was a wreck. They did a CT scan and it showed up not-so-great-but-not-so-bad news. He has a small skull fracture. Great. We broke our son. The PA decided to send us to an upper class children's hospital in Charlotte (Have you ever seen the movie The Ultimate Gift? That's the hospital we went to!) . G rode with little man in the ambulance, and I went with my mom. We get there and they drill my husband on his story. I understand. It's their job. I would rather them drill us to find that we are innocent, than to not do that and have some idiot who does hurt their child get away with it. (BTW, there were 3 police officers in the children's ER going after someone. REALLY tore me up inside) We saw PLENTY of doctors, residents, ER attendants, neurosurgeons and numerous other people. Every single one told us the same thing-he was gonna be just fine. They didn't even see a need for him to stay overnight. They did tell me that my son was "TV cute" and should have his own YouTube channel. I'll definitely look into that. Every doctor wanted to hold him and could not believe that he was so happy with that huge goose egg on his head. Trust me, this was 10000x's harder on mommy and daddy than this little one. He flirted with everyone that came into the room. My stomach was still in knots (and still is). I know without a doubt God healed our son. We woke up this morning and you can barely see any swelling unless you rub your hand around his already enlarged head. We took him to see his pediatrician today, and she was extremely optimistic. No need to worry. He'll be fine. What a relief. Now he can go about being a normal boy getting more bumps and bruises. Great.

Honeymoon.

2011-05-04T20:21:00.000-04:00

Since yesterday was my anniversary, I thought I would share some pics from the day after our wedding! My in-laws allowed us to use their timeshare down at myrtle beach. We had a blast. Swimming, shopping, and just plain goofing off. So here is a huge flashback for me.

On our way!

Ugliest glasses ever.

A super big chair at a tacky beach shop

Pirate exhibit at Ripley's Aquarium

Lunch at Planet Hollywood

Our last day!

3 Year Anniversary

2011-05-03T09:47:00.000-04:00

Yay! I have been married 3 years today! Let me give you a bit of background.

G and I knew each other for about 2 years before we started dating. We went to the same church, bible study and even hung out with the same people. We never paid each other too much attention. No convo, nothing. Then something happened. I was dumped. Yup, dumped and dumped hard. Through an email. Not gonna lie-that sucked. I cried, but I knew that meant that God had something better. So I vowed to not take another step into a relationship until He showed me "the one". I was dead serious. I had a precise list of things that my future husband should have. My mom had me write it in high school. 1. He must love Jesus 2. He must play guitar 3. He must sing. 4. He had to drive a Jeep Haha. Funny huh? My mom said I should have a list so specific so when he came along, I would know immediately. Shortly after this vow, I went to India (would you like a post on that?). I met the Lord face to face there. Everything that had been a distraction had been stripped away. I gave all my worries and cares over to Him. It was wonderful. When I came back. I began to run into G all the time. I worked at the Y and he played ball there. I suddenly thought he was super cute. I would purposely try and run into him. He never paid me any attention. Then one day I got online and saw that he had put me on his myspace. I clicked on his page and it happened to be a music page. He was singing a praise song he had written, and playing guitar. I thought that was pretty awesome. It wasn't until I clicked on his pictures that I had a meltdown. There in all its glory, was him, in a bright blue JEEP WRANGLER! I had known him for two whole years, and never knew that he drove a jeep! I put my head on the keyboard and cried-extremely hard. Through a series of events, including Geoffrey asking God to bring him his wife at the same time I was praying for my husband, six months later we were married!
Our wedding was totally un-traditional. My dress my navy blue, flowers were hott pink and yellow roses wrapped in hot pink feathers. My dad did out ceremony (We got married the day before at the courthouse. It was wonderful. The magistrate cried and ever prayed with us!) My dad and I wrote our ceremony. We did not make vows, but covenants. Covenants can not be broken until death. The best part of it all? G wrote a song for me as his "vows". I cried harder than ever. That man has been my best friend ever since. Marriage has been hard. It's hard to deprogram your mind to not work how the world tells you a marriage should be. So yes, there has been tons of growing pains. There are times that I don't FEEL like I love him like I did on our wedding day. That's when the Lord shows me that he never intended for love to be a feelings, but an action. I know without a doubt that this is the man that I was created for. I am his help-meet.

Why, what random thoughts you have!

2011-04-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

Completely angry. That was me last night. I was very upset with husband over something very small (sound familiar?). For some reason, I just couldn't get over it-until he walked in the door this morning. My hubs is on night shift this week and it's horrible. I hate it so much. But that isn't the point. The point is that I argued with my husband even as he was walking out the door last night to go to work. No sorry. No I love you. Nothing. When I woke up at 15 mins till 8am, I realized he wasn't home. That's odd. He is usually in bed by that time. I had to get my daughter ready to go with my parents so I jumped up and did so. Well two mins later that wonderful man that I married walked into the house, with this-

Please excuse the mess in the pictures. I live life in this house :)

Is it not completely gorgeous?!?! This put a huge smile on my face. What meant more was he just worked 12 hours, only to drive to Lowe's to get me this. He also wrote me a little love not saying he was sorry for what has happened. I melted. What can I say? I am a sucker for romance. And after being saturated in the royal wedding yesterday, I needed some from my own hubs. He did go. And yes, I apologized for being angry as well. And no, I don't need flowers to say sorry.

Now some randomness. This week has been really chaotic. I have been selling binders like crazy, teaching classes, and loosing my mind. How can you tell? When you gotta eat cereal out of a mixing bowl, things have gotten bad.

I have since done dishes, but wow-how did I get so backed up?

Also, have you tried this yogurt? It's okay-in a way. You can tell it has a ton of fake sugar in it. I was hoping for a healthy dupe for my Red Velvet Cheesecake Blast from Sonic that they no longer carry. *tear* (may be a good thing) This was a disappointment, but oh well.

So that is my randomness for the day. I am working or reorganizing my coupon binder. Will post about this afternoon (if I get it done!).

Super Doubles!

2011-04-27T19:26:00.000-04:00

Some of you may know, but today began one of my favorite times in couponing- SUPER DOUBLES AT HARRIS TEETER! Whoo hoo! Well, as happy as I was to back in the couponing game (we haven't gone grocery shopping in about 6-8 weeks. Just living off the stockpile!) the sales for this super doubles were not all that great. There were some things I picked up without coupons, but I also had a ton of items I got for free. I got right about $200 dollars worth for about $74. That is pretty much the highest that I go. I think that without the items I picked up without coupons, it would have been around $60 or less. So here is what I got-

-2 12 packs of La Croix sparkling water * (one)

-4 Propel Waters

-6 Fuze drinks

-12 pack Cottenelle toilet paper

-2 half gallons Silk Organic Soy milk

-1 half gallon Silk Almond milk

-2 boxes Gorten's Fish Sticks

-2 bottles Bailey's coffee creamer

-3 bottles McCormick spices* (one)

-1 4pk of Dannon yogurt

-2 cups of Greek yogurt

-1 Bottle Similac

-1 Secret Clinical Deodorant

-8 pks Gerber baby food

-4 Beechnut Steemies Toddler meals

-1 8oz. Sour Cream*

-1 Ortega Taco sauce*

-2 boxes Ortega taco shells*

-1 Ortega taco seasoning*

-2 Philadelphia Cooking Creams* (one)

-5 Ears of corn

-4 Tomatoes

-2 Bags of ripe bananas

-1 Can refried beans*

-2 Bottles Lysol toilet bowl cleaner

-3 Boxes Ritz Crackerfuls*

-2 Woolite Rug sticks (were 13.00, marked down to 6.00. I had two 1.00 coupons which doubled!)

-8 jars Beechnut baby food (I typically make my own. These are for on-the-go ease)

-1lb Flank steak

*-FREE

I have really REALLY missed couponing!

Reminder

2011-04-21T10:07:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to check out my etsy shop! This is where you can purchase The Bargainess' Fully Assembled Coupon Binder! This will have EVERYTHING you need to get started in couponing, including my extensive outline that I use for my classes, PLUS I give you a ton of coupons to get you started! Please check us out!

Dinner Time!

2011-04-20T14:04:00.000-04:00

Let's face it. I am no cook. I try, but it's just not in me. Now, my grandmother was a great cook. She could bake like no body's business! Who inherited that trait? Not me. My big sister. She is actually in school right now to become a chef. She's amazing! I am just trying to get by without always eating spaghetti. My hubs and I have realized we have begun to eat out more and more. The culprit-I haven't been cooking like I should. So here I am. Biting the bullet as they say. I have got to do better about this. My waist size and our wallets will thank me. So I recently got hold of a ton of cookbooks. (Our Food Lion had a huge box filled with box that were an EXTRA 50% off. I am talking cookbooks for 2.50!) I am going to try and cook from a cookbook a few times a week. Here is day one. I baked Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes. They turned out okay. Nothing great like I had hoped. They really just tasted like chocolate muffins. I couldn't taste cheesecake at all. For dinner I made Southwest White Chili. Chili in the summer? Yea, I know. But it sounded so good. Chicken breast, red onion, green onion, cumin, chili powder, cannellini beans, corn, cream of chicken soup (I opted for low sodium chicken broth) and cheese. That's it! Although it may not look that great, I heard it tasted really good. I wouldn't know. I took some to my sick grandpa, but I couldn't eat any because I had a class to teach. I let G take the rest to work for lunch. So....they said it was good. I hope they wouldn't lie.

Frugal Tips- Vinegar

2011-04-18T22:45:00.000-04:00

Thanks bathew.com

More Frugal Tips! YAY! Here is what I could find on vinegar uses! Enjoy!

Used as a hair rinse, vinegar neutralizes the alkali left by shampoos.

A quarter cup in a quart of water makes a good window cleaner. A reader adds: When you use vinegar in your water to wash windows, dry with newspapers. Your windows will sparkle!

Fabric softener and static cling reducer - use as you would liquid fabric softener.

Air freshener, used with baking soda - use 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 2 cups of water. After it stops foaming, mix well, and use in a (recycled) spray bottle into the air.

Chewing gum dissolver - saturate the area with vinegar. If the vinegar is heated, it will work faster.

Stain remover - for stains caused by grass, coffee, tea, fruits and berries. Soak clothing in full strength vinegar.

Corn and callus remover - soak a piece of stale bread (a cloth would probably do as well) in vinegar, and tape it over the callus or corn overnight.

Use diluted 1:1 in water to take pet odors out of carpets. Find the spot, and saturate it with about 1 1/2 times the original volume. Let set for awhile then blot up. Repeat if your cloth is very dirty after blotting. I make sure to turn on a fan and open a window, especially for large spots!

Splash vinegar on your varicose veins. The vinegar is supposed to reduce the veins and relieve the pain and swelling. Of course, you might smell like a tossed salad!

Use about a tablespoon of vinegar in the water when poaching eggs. It helps the eggs to keep their shape. No taste of vinegar either.

USE as a meat tenderizer. Add a tablespoon to water when boiling ribs or meat for stews, and even the toughest meat will be so tender you can cut with fork or will fall off the bone.

One teaspoon to one tablespoon of vinegar gets rid of hiccups. Another reader writes: I've found that gargling with cider vinegar will stop the most horrible case of hiccups!

Vinegar is great for removing calcium deposit build up. Use full strength and allow to set. Time depends on condition.

All purpose cleaner:

2 parts vinegar, 1 part water

Extra dirty spots:

Scour dirty areas with baking soda, then spray the all purpose cleaner (recipe above) over the area and wipe clean.

Floor cleaner:

Brew a cup of peppermint tea (use 1 tea bag: one cup for you, one for the floor). Squeeze half a lemon in to the floor mix, and add 1 cup of vinegar. Mop away with your solution; the vinegar disinfects, the tea has antibacterial properties and removes marks, and the lemon freshens & disinfects.

Remove labels from glass jars:

Saturate the labeled area in vinegar and scrape the stickiness right off.

Dirty pot bottoms and cooking utensils:

Fill the pot with enough water to cover the stain, add 1 cup of vinegar, and boil rapidly for 5 minutes. Let cool, then scrub the stains off. While you’re at it, put your stainless steel cooking utensils in the pot to get them sparkly clean too.

Dandruff treatment:

Using the same technique as the hair rinse above but with a higher concentration of vinegar, also acts as an effective dandruff treatment.

Acne treatment:

Apply equal parts vinegar and water to problem areas.

Facial toner:

Using vinegar as toner is a great (and inexpensive) alternative to using alpha hydroxyl based products.

Athletes foot (and other fungus):

Apply full-strength vinegar to the affected area twice daily until symptoms abate.

Updated Coupon Binder and Linky Party!

2011-04-15T10:06:00.001-04:00

Yup. Yet again, I have had to upgrade my coupon binder. You may remember this post about the video I did of my old one. Yea, that was THREE binders ago! From the normal 2" binder, I went to a 3". It was a plastic one that kept splitting. I then bought a 4". Once I got home and put everything in it, I realized that it wouldn't be too much long until I outgrew that one as well. So back to Office Max I went. I told the guy I needed a larger one, and his response was, "You must have had more paper than you thought huh?" All I could was giggle. He had no idea! So I had to fork out the $33 for a 5" binder. Can anyone explain to me WHY a binder is that much?! It makes no sense to me at all! It's plastic for goodness sakes! Arggh. Oh well. Can't complain now. So here it is!

Getting pretty full. I am still not done putting all my coupons back in. I have about 3 weeks worth left.

I gotta figure out a cool cover to make. Any ideas?

I use the side pockets for coupon booklets and rain checks. That zippered pouch hold my goodies that I don't go to the store without.

A nice calculator that you can even input the tax rate. I got this at Office Max for 6 bucks. A pen, a wrapping paper cuter (it's great for super fast cutting of coupons!) and my business cards! Cause when you are in the store with such a huge binder, people WILL ask questions! Which I love!

My pretty business cards that I got FREE through Vistaprint.com!

Of course I still have the baseball cards holders. This page is the very first one. It is all my absolutely FREE item coupons, or coupons that are high dollar that don't last long.

I also still recommend getting the dividers that are plastic opposed to the paper ones. They last a heck of a lot longer! Also, it's best to get the ones with pockets, they work great for those huge coupons that you don't want to fold up.

There it is in all it's glory! It may break my back, but it saves me money!

I would love to see YOUR coupon binder! Link up below!

My Heart-Melter

2011-04-13T23:10:00.000-04:00

Here is a pic of my little man! Can't believe he's already 4 months old! Not to mention, he's almost 15 lbs! NFL here we come!

Anti-Extreme Couponing

2011-04-13T22:38:00.000-04:00

Okay, I might have to drink some hater-aide for this one, but I do not like the TLC show, Extreme Couponing. There are a few reasons. For one, there are too many on that show that should really be on Hoarders, not a couponing show. Having 3,000 rolls of toilet paper to yourself is doing NOTHING in my eyes. That is not a great feat. But, to DONATE your entire shopping trip to your local foodbank (i.e. Joanie The Krazy Coupon Lady), not THAT is something worth watching. If that wasn't enough to iritate me, this article sure did. This is Jill Cataldo. She pretty much rocks at couponing. She wrote an interesting article exposing coupon fraud on this show. It's pretty insane. I advise that you check it out. If you are new to couponing, please note, coupon fraud is what it is-fraud. It really messes up the rest of us that are trying to do it the right way. When I teach a class, I definitely point out that I do not teach "coding" by any means. If you purchase an item other than what is on the coupon-it IS considered fraud. No if's, and's or but's. To think otherwise is crazy. Read the article. Tell me what you think.

Blessings flow...

2011-04-03T07:21:00.000-04:00

Yes. Lack of posts. Again. Hoping this is not a trend. I didn't realize how busy I had become. I am already up to teaching 6 couponing classes this month! It's insane! The Lord just seems to continually bless me with such awesome opportunities. The funny thing is, I find myself asking Him, "Why Lord? Why are you blessing me so much when I am failing You so much?" It's true. I seem to have gotten off my reading schedule and even my prayer time. Yet, He still shows Himself daily. If it was the other way around? I would typically give up and move on. I don't like waiting around for people to interact with me or people who claim to be a "friend" yet don't have much to do with you. Guess that is why He is God, and I am not. His grace and mercy has astonished me the past few days. I have even found myself getting angry with God because I am like, "Why are you doing this? I don't deserve it!"

Yet He keeps on. Now, I am not saying that these blessing are coming in spite of me not doing what I am supposed to, I think it has allowed me to get back on track. I don't want to be the lazy one in my relationship with the Lord. I don't want to sit back and be blessed without showing some dang gratitude.

With recent human being interaction (it's as generic as I could get it!) I have realized that MANY have become super lazy and content with their Christian walk. It's super sad. Things people would never do or say to their own flesh and blood-well, that doesn't seem to matter anymore. We have drunk deacons and flimsy marriages. Weak husbands and overbearing wives. Momma's boys (and not in the good way) and girls that have no idea how to be a girl. Brothers are turning against brother, long term friendships seem to dissolve too easy. And I swear I am seeing more and more people who super dependent on pain killers...the list goes on and on. I know that Jesus said all these things would happen, but yet I am still amazed. The lack of awe that people have for our Lord hurts my heart. Too many are caught up-too caught up-in themselves to even care about the damage they are creating. Maybe this is why the hubs and I don't really have friends our age. We are pretty much loners. (I know, you have heard this 12784684 times!) But I am starting to feel like God is shielding us from such hurt that I seem many family members and long distant friends going through. Maybe I should call it all joy that we don't have the opportunity to be disappointed with anyone?

Anyhow, God is doing something in our lives right now. It's almost like we are in a preparation period. Things are starting to change and He is opening doors I never thought would be opened. We are still praying for G to have a job where he is home at nigh. I know the Lord hear us, and I know he is going to bless my husband with a wonderful job. He has something up His sleeve and I can't wait to find out what it is.

Breakfast Time!

2011-04-01T11:34:00.000-04:00

I am planning on beginning my "YouTube Journey" with my March favorites. Favorite vids are definitely on the top of my most watched on YouTube. So be on the look out for that either today or tomorrow.

Now, a favorite that I won't be featuring in the video is what I have been loving for breakfast each morning. As you all know, I am trying super hard to change the way I eat. So I figured, why not start with the most important meal? I was typically eating a bowl of cereal with soy in the am, only to be starving an hour later. That has all changed! Here is what I eat now, and it stays on my tummy till at least 12-1pm.

Thanks betteroats.com

This is my FAVORITE oatmeal by far! It's the Oat Revolution! in Maple and Brown Sugar. Ohhhhh so good.

Because the packages are a bit small. I do add a bit of this-

Thanks google.com

This insures that I am REALLY full, without adding too much,

Now for the super yummy parts. I add one full scoop of-

Thanks eas.com

This chocolate soy protein pack 20grams of protein per scoop. It also tastes super good without that nasty after-taste that many protein powders have.

Now I add about 2 tablespoons of-

Thanks samsclub.com

Really, this stuff has no flavor-but it is really good for you!

For some crunch I add-

Thanks candiedpecans.net

I have some in my freezer than my aunt picked and shelled for me. They get soft with the hot water, but again, are really great for helping fill ya up!

Here is my favorite part. I add about 1 teaspoon (it's all you need really) of-

Thanks smartbalance.com

This peanut butter is my favorite! This pb is gluten free, lactose free, contains no hydrogenated oils, no partially hydrogenated oils, no trans fat, 320 mg of Omega-3, no cholesterol and has 7g of protein. I have never ate any other pb in besides Jif. I have tried them all and I have been a dedicated Jif girl-until I got this pb one day at Harris Teeter, free after a coupon. I have been addicted ever since. It just tastes great.

Do I put all of this in a bowl and add boiling water. This breakfast is quick to eat and tastes like I am eating a Reese's for breakfast-without the guilt! And when the jar of pb is finished, I cook everything in a bowl, then add the oatmeal to the empty jar. This gets EVERY BIT of goodness along the sides out!

So yup, my favorite breakfast to date. It really does stay on your stomach for a long time. I feel really satisfied after eating this. Not only does it keep me going until lunch without snacking, it satisfies that sweet tooth that is always torturing me!

Seems to be a trend around these parts...

2011-03-29T12:18:00.000-04:00

I have to say, everyone in bloggy world must have been hit with the "Spring Cleaning" bug the past few weeks. I was just looking on my dashboard at all my favorite blogs. Have of them have started out their recent posts with, "So sorry for not posting lately...", "I have been busy with this project and this project". Haha. Sound familiar? My hubby and I have been putting those tax dollars to serious use. We updated our living room and kitchen-big time. No big projects, but paint, new light fixtures, rug, kichen table, etc. I have also been spring cleaning as much as I can with a 2 year old and an infant. I am also working on a Home Management binder. Promise, these are all posts that I am going to share with you. My hubs is off for the next two days, so I will actually get a chance to take good pics of everything we have accomplished the past few weeks! Thanks so much for sticking with me on this. If it makes you feel any better, I have 6 weeks behind on my coupon binder. Yes. I have no clipped coupons or have I gone grocery shopping in SIX WEEKS! It's driving me crazy. Praise God I have to teach a class this weekend-so I don't have much of a choice but to get things in order!

Side note: Have you, as a SAHM, ever felt guilty about your child not having anyone to play with? Like feeling that it's your fault? I noticed at my niece's birthday party, my daughter played by herself the entire time. Granted, most kids were older than her-but I don't think she knew how to play with even some of the younger ones. Not that it seemed to bother her. But I know it hurts to not have close mommy friends around, I am just wondering if she feels "different". I could totally be thinking into this way too much, but it took everything in my power not to shed tears while watching her play alone. I know I am where God wants me to be, I am not questioning being a SAHM by ANY MEANS, but- I am just wondering if this is just one of the sacrifices we gotta make to ensure than she is raised right....any input would be great.

XOXO,
Dominique

Frugal Tips #4- Vaseline

2011-03-28T16:52:00.001-04:00

Thanks simonmeek.com

1. Put a coat on your eyelashes before you go to bed. Lots of people swear by this – and say it will make your lashes grow longer and thicker over time.

2. Put a coat of vaseline on your feet at night, cover them with socks and wake up to softer feet – every day!

3. Put vaseline on your elbows every day – they will stay soft!

4. Put Vaseline on your cuticles several times a day for softer and better looking cuticles every day.

5. Put Vaseline on chapped lips

6. Massage, baby!

7. Warmed up can be used as a night cream

8. Makeup remover

9. Protects skin exposed to adverse weather

10. Applied under eye shadow it can create a shiny effect

11. Applied on cheeks for a dewy look

12. Can be used to smooth and soothe skin after shaving

13. Conditions scalp pre-shampooing

14. Can help prevent chaffing

15. Aids with healing after cosmetic surgery procedures

16. Reduces scaling and itching associated with dandruff

17. Theraputic when applied to lesions caused by poison ivy

18. Can help improve condition of those with atopic eczema

19. Helps heal and protect new tattoos

20. Use a tiny dab to put a quick shine on your shoes and bags

21. Smear a tiny bit on your hands and scrunch through your hair for a choppy look

22. Use just a touch on the ends of your hair to hide dry and split ends

23. Remove makeup stains from clothing

24. Rub Vaseline on the neck of your nail polish bottles and they won’t get stuck to the caps

25. Make your week old nail polish look new again - rub a small dab over the polish.

26. Use a touch of Vaseline mixed with powder eyeshadow pigment to make new colors, or a more solid eyeshadow that won’t get all over your face when you put it on.

27. Stretch your favorite lotion by mixing it with Vaseline.

28. Put Vaseline on your lips, leave it a few minutes, then scrub your lips with a toothbrush to exfoliate and leave them SO smooth

29. Remove false eyelash glue from your lash line

30. Apply a small amount on dry spots on your body before fake tanning lotions are applied, and prevent uneven tanning!

31. Generously apply Vaseline all over before taking flights to combat associated dryness

32. Prevent car battery corrosion. Smear Vaseline Petroleum Jelly on clean car battery terminals.

33. Repair stains, rings, and minor scratches in wood furniture. Cover each scratch with a liberal coat of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, let sit for 24 hours, rub into wood, wipe away excess, and polish as usual

34. Remove chewing gum from hair. Apply Vaseline Petroleum Jelly and work into the hair until the gum slides off.

35. Stop a faucet from screeching. Remove the handle and stem, and coat both sets of metal threads with Vaseline Petroleum Jelly.

36. Keep shampoo from getting in a baby's eyes. Rub a line of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly above the eyebrows so shampoo runs off to the side.