Living Life With Less

Local Readers: Five Guys Burgers and Fries

2012-02-22T20:25:00.002-06:00

I rarely post press releases that I receive but I thought many of my local readers would love this one:

The Mall is excited to announce that Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a popular burger eatery, will open at the mall this summer. The 2,400 square foot space will be the newest addition to the lifestyle section of the mall on the east side of the property, next to Ann Taylor.

Stress Free Party Planning

2012-02-16T20:47:00.000-06:00

This week on Life Well Lived, they are discussing tips for how to host a gathering, get together, or party that is enjoyable and stress free for both the guests and host.

Pre-kids, I used to host a lot of gatherings at my house. Since having kids, I don't do this near as much simply because it takes too much work to clean my house and my kids tend to show their true colors when we have guests over.

However, in the past few weeks I've hosted two gatherings and we have a birthday party coming up next week so this topic has been on my mind a lot lately.

My first rule of hosting is to keep it simple. While I would love to lavish my guests with tons of great food, over the top favors, and a spic and span house, that just isn't going to happen in this phase of my life. I've learned to make one or two things from scratch and either buy the rest or make it a potluck gathering.

I also keep a great stock of disposable plates, cups, napkins, and utensils on hand. These can be found on clearance after every holiday or at the dollar store. By having these things on hand I have one less thing on my to do list and no dishes to wash after the party.

Finally, I've learned a great party can still happen even if your house isn't spotless. I try to clear the most noticeable places, wipe down the guest bathroom counter and restock with toilet paper, and light a candle so that the whole house smells great.

If I'm stressed from trying to do it all my guests will catch on and it won't be as fun of a gathering but if I keep it simple then we all can relax and have a good time.

Head on over to Life Well Lived and enter their sweepstakes or leave a comment sharing your favorite stress free tips for party planning.

Weight Watchers Muffin Review

2012-01-29T20:15:00.000-06:00

Weight Watchers recently added a few new muffins to their Weight Watchers Sweet Baked Goods line. I had the opportunity to try the Blueberry and Double Chocolate muffins.

While we are trying to get rid of processed food in our diet, I do keep a few items around for quick snacks. I found these to be a pretty tasty breakfast or snack and would probably buy them every now and then.

My five year old, who in no way whatsoever needs to be on a diet (we need him to gain weight actually), got excited when he found out we had blueberry muffins in the house. I usually have to beg him to eat breakfast but instead he was begging me to have one of these muffins for breakfast. He loved them and keeps asking for more.

I found the Double Chocolate to be my favorite. Last week I had a craving for chocolate cake with chocolate icing. I was telling my friends on Facebook about my craving and how it had been going on for days. While talking to them, I remembered I had these muffins. The chocolate one satisfied my craving and had a lot fewer calories than if I had indulged in the cake.

The only downside to these muffins is that they are pretty sticky. I wouldn't advise eating these on the go unless you have a wet wipe available but otherwise they are pretty tasty for a boxed muffin.

For those following the Weight Watchers plan, these muffins have a PointsPlus value of 4.

Disclaimer: I received muffins as part of a promotional program with Weight Watchers Sweet Baked Goods and MomSelect. Opinions are all my own.

Another Coffee Tip

2012-01-05T06:28:00.000-06:00

A few months ago I mentioned a great coffee tip where you put Splenda or Stevia on your grounds to cut the acidity.

Today I have another tip brought to you by my father in law. I've always noticed that his coffee tastes smooth and wondered his secret. He is not a coffee snob, can't stand flavored coffee, and buys only basic Folgers or Maxwell House coffee so I knew it wasn't some fancy brand that gave it this taste.

Turns out, he uses one or two shakes from the salt shaker on his grounds. The salt cuts the acidity and you would never know it is on your grounds. For those who do not like sweet coffee, this is a great way to make your coffee less acidic without making it sweet.

Epsom Salt

2012-01-03T06:10:00.000-06:00

In the process of changing our eating habits this past year, one theme kept coming up in all of my searches and in my daily life. When something pops up several times in life, my radar goes up and tells me I should research it a bit more.

The theme I'm talking about is detoxing our body. I'm no expert in this area but I wanted to let my readers know a little about what I've learned in the past year.

Our body is filled with many, many toxins that we come in contact with on a daily basis. These come from cleaning supplies, food, etc. We can reduce our contact with these toxins through natural cleaning products and food but unless you never leave your house, you will still come in contact with toxins through every day living.

I first heard of this concept through a direct marketing company. Then, it came up in an internet search. The third time I heard it was actually on a cruise my husband and I took this summer. Their fitness center put on a lecture about losing weight the natural way. The trainer said when he was working in a fitness center he had many, many clients who would get within 10-15 pounds of their goal and no matter what they did, they could not lose more weight.

His mom is a doctor so the two of them started talking about this and doing some research, which led them to detoxing. When he started working with his clients on this area, they easily lost those last few pounds. He said one area we hold a lot of toxins is wherever we have cellulite.

Of course, they tried to sell us a very expensive detoxing supplement, but I'm too frugal to buy anything like that without a ton of research.

I came home and started researching cheaper alternatives. It turns out Epsom Salt is one of the best ways to detox and it is cheap. Use about 2-3 handfuls in a tub of hot water, and soak for 20-30 minutes. To speed up the process, get a brush and brush your body before soaking. Start at the feet and work your way towards your middle, then do your arms and work back down towards your middle. This gets the circulation going in your body. Soaking 2-3 times a week is all it takes.

I started doing this immediately and noticed a little difference after a few weeks. Then, I went to see a massage therapist/natural healer for help with my foot. He immediately asked if I was using epsom salts for my foot because it is such a great way to reduce swelling and get rid of the "junk" in our body. He was pretty impressed that I was already doing it but suggested I up the amount of salt in the water simply because my body wasn't responding enough.

He also said when soaking, drink water to keep from getting dehydrated. Then, once out of the tub continue drinking a lot of water to rid the body of the toxins. Yes, you will go to the bathroom a lot, but this and sweat, are your body's way of getting rid of the toxins.

I realized some of you might not be in to detoxing, but at the very least, getting to soak in a warm tub 2-3 times a week is a great way to relax. I thanked my massage therapist for telling me I had to take a time out from life several times a week and spend time relaxing in a hot bath.

Disclaimer: Affilate links are used in this posting, see my disclaimer tab for more details.

New Approach to Goals for 2012

2012-01-02T08:31:00.000-06:00

I've talked several times in the past how I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions but I'm a huge fan of goals. This year I've decided to change up how I'm going to reach some of those goals.

In the past, I've set a few long term goals for the year and then tried to work on them all at the same time. This year, I've been inspired by Money Saving Mom's 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life series. In this series she encouraged everyone to work on changing one or two things at a time, not reinvent the wheel on life.

So, for 2012, I'm going to work on just one or two areas at a time. My first focus is going to be my health. Due to sitting on the couch most of December while I was healing from foot surgery and then eating way too much during the holidays, I'm feeling a little large right now.

I've mentioned in the past how I changed our eating habits this year to a more whole foods diet. If you would look in my cabinets right now you would wonder if this was really true. I could barely walk through a grocery store in December so a lot of junk food and quick, easy meals entered my house again. I'm ok with that for a season, but it is time to clean up again. This week I'm going to work on restocking my house with good foods.

I'm also going to work this week on a two week meal plan. Next week, my focus will be on restocking my freezer with several quick and easy breakfast and snack options. I made several of these items before surgery but they ran out very quickly.

While I would like to get back to the gym to work on the exercise part, I'm still very limited on what I can do. However, my focus for that area this week is to get my hand held weights out and do some upper body work at home. I figure a little bit is better than not doing anything at all.

I have plenty of other goals for this year, such as decluttering my house (I'm pretty sure I tell you guys this every year!), revamping my garden, and spending more quality time with my kids but I feel my whole family needs to get back on track with our health before I can begin working on other areas.

Feel free to post your goals in the comments section. I know I always stick with them better if I make them public. Nothing like exposing yourself to whole world to keep you on track!

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

BlogHer has a section on their site called Life Well Lived. One of my favorite sections is the one on getting organized. You've all heard me lament that organization is not my strong point. The problem they are tackling this week is:

The holidays make me so anxious! How can I stay organized this year?

My answer is on their blog post. I encourage you to head over there, find my answer, and join the conversation too. I've found some of the best solutions to my problems have come from blog comments.

Once you have checked out the post, I encourage to head over to their sweepstakes page and enter to win a $250 Visa gift card.

Still Alive

2011-12-12T12:47:00.001-06:00

Wonder where I've been? Losing.my.mind! A few months ago, God blessed us with finally receiving the therapy we've been working towards for our oldest. While a huge blessing, it is absolutely exhausting. Three days a week I have to find a babysitter for my youngest and pick my oldest up from school early. We drive to a town 20 minutes away for therapy, drive back, and then it is magically dinner time.

A fourth day, every other week, I get to car line early so I'm in the front of the line to pick up my child. We then race across town to therapy. I meet my husband in the parking lot of the clinic (he gets off work just after car line starts) so he can take the youngest home while I take the oldest to therapy.

I should also mention, my two year old has decided the only place he will take naps is in the van. For the past few months, we've been leaving the house around one to get him to sleep. This means I don't see my house again until dinnertime.

Since this didn't seem busy enough, we added therapy one day every other week for the little one too. His issue has to do with running and balance and won't be a long term problem but it still makes for a busy schedule. Luckily, they were able to schedule him at the same time as one of his brother's appointments so one less trip to the clinic.

On top of that, I had foot surgery at the end of November and have been stuck on the couch. I thought it would be wonderful to get a break, catch up on reading, blogging, etc. I didn't take in to account pain meds apparently mess with my mind. Twenty minutes after I took them I was sound asleep. Once I woke up I couldn't focus on anything. I sat and stared at Facebook half the day because I couldn't read a book or type more than a sentence or two at a time. Thank goodness I'm off those meds now because although the break from life was great, the fog I was in wasn't so great.

All this to say, I'm still alive and doing the best I can to keep up right now. I have some recipes and crafts I would love to share and hope to do that off and on over the next month. Considering the therapy is a long term schedule, unless someone gifts me with an ipad that I can take to appointments, I don't think consistent blogging will be coming back any time soon. You guys have been great to hang in there and check in every now and then though so please keep coming back as you get a chance.

In the meantime, I pray you have a relaxing, enjoyable Christmas. Remember that He is the reason for the season.

Proud to Support Pink: Freschetta Giveaway

2011-10-28T22:11:00.002-05:00

Freschetta is supporting Breast Cancer Awareness month through their Proud to Support Pink campaign. From now until Monday, Oct. 31, you can enter codes from Freschetta pizzas and crusts at www.proudtosupportpink.com. Each code entered will donate $1 to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, with a goal of a $50,000 donation.

I personally know several people who have survived breast cancer, some even my age. One simple way I can support them is by funding research. Freschetta is making it easy and even giving you a free code to enter to support research. Simply go to www.proudtosupportpink.com and enter FRESCH11.

Freschetta has also generously offered to give one lucky reader a coupon for a free Freschetta product and two pairs of Freschetta Proud to Support Pink earphones so you can share a pair with a friend.

This is a short giveaway and will only be open until Sunday, Oct. 30 at 9 pm CST.

To enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite kind of pizza. Mine would be ham & pineapple.

For extra entries:

Subscribe to this blog via RSS or email

Tweet about the giveaway and leave a link with the tweet

Disclaimer: I was given an identical prize pack as a thank you for my post.

Coffee Tip

2011-10-17T21:06:00.000-05:00

I've shared before that adding a sprinkle of Splenda to your coffee grounds cuts back on the acidity. I've been experimenting lately and discovered the perfect fall cup of coffee has a sprinkle of Stevia in the Raw, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Sprinkle these items on the grounds before brewing and you will have a wonderful cup of coffee seasoned to your taste.

Yoplait Giveaway

2011-10-07T08:10:00.001-05:00

Did you know that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime? I know several women, some even my age, who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Yoplait wants to do something about this. The Save Lids Save Lives program, ten cents will be donated for every pink lid redeemed. They can be mailed in by December 31 or redeemed online. Yoplait is even tracking lids by zip code so the funding can go back to local breast cancer programs.

Yoplait has generously offered my readers a .30/1 coupon.

They have also provided a giveaway to one lucky reader. This prize package includes two coupons for a free cup of Yoplait yogurt, a Yoplait pink lid collection kit, tote bag, heart shaped key holder, hope journal, and pen.

This giveaway will be open until Wed, Oct. 12 at 9 pm CST. Winner will have 48 hours to respond.

To enter, simply leave a comment telling me your favorite flavor of yogurt. Mine varies by day but I currently love any of the dessert flavors.

For extra entries:

Subscribe via email or RSS

Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link

Disclaimer: Yoplait and MyBlogSpark generously gave me a similar prize pack, opinions however are my own.

Giveaway from Doozy Cards

2011-09-26T08:15:00.000-05:00

Do you like to send ecards to friends and family? This week I am giving away a premiere membership to DoozyCards.com so you can send unique, creative ecards to others.

DoozyCards.com is a family owned and run company that designs and
produces all their cards in-house. Each card is full of original
music, cute characters and warm sentiments and is a great way to let a
friend or family member know you are thinking about them throughout
the year. Featuring Mariachi Pugs, Anniversary Swans, piano playing
lizards, and dancing cakes, Doozy is sure you'll find just the right
card for the right moment.

The Premiere membership you can win includes:

• Unlimited Access to ALL of their 1,600+ cards

• A Birthday and Holliday Reminder System

• An Online Address Book

• Original Artwork and Music

• Brand New Cards Created Throughout The Year

Doozy also recently launched a totally free ecard option with over
400+ Free E-cards that you can start using right away.

What You Can Win!

Two lucky readers are going to win a one year PREMIUM membership to
Doozycards.com!! A value of $19.95!

How To Enter!

To enter this giveaway please visit DoozyCards.com and choose two of your favorite cards, then come back and leave a comment on this post telling me which cards you like best.

Extra Entries!

"Like” Doozy Cards on Facebook and leave a comment that you came from
our site (3 extra entries)

Follow @doozycards on Twitter and tweet "Just entered the @doozycards
free year membership giveaway" (3 extra entries)

Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter…Make sure you leave the URL to
your Tweet in your comments! (2 tweets per day = 2 extra entries per
day)

Giveaway is open until Oct. 3 at 9 pm CST. Winner will have 48 hours to respond.

Homemade Granola Bars

2011-09-21T19:54:00.000-05:00

In an effort to eat better, I've been making more and more of our food from scratch. Snack food has been tough for me as my boys prefer all of the icky processed snack foods. I'm working hard to eliminate the processed foods though so I'm always on the lookout for new recipes.

This summer I posted on Facebook asking if anyone had a great granola recipe. My friend Jenn posted one and I've found it to be incredibly easy and versatile. One child will sometimes eat it but the other loves them and thinks he is eating cookies. I like them too because they are packed with protein and give me a sweet snack during the day.

Homemade Granola Bars
By Jenn

2 cups oatmeal (quick or old fashioned)
1/2 cup flour (can use whole wheat)
1/2 cup sugar (or honey, or agave, or splenda)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup applesauce (heaping)
1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Add applesauce and peanut butter mixing well.
3. Stir in craisins and chocolate chips.
4. Press firmly (can use a rolling pin) into a greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
6. Cut into bars after slightly cool.

Tips (from Jenn):
You can substitute the last two ingredients for lots of different things. I have used nuts, white chocolate, infused craisins, golden raisins, & dried pineapple. If you measure the applesauce first, then the peanut butter will just slide out of the cup when you use the same one. I like to roll them onto greased parchment paper so I can transfer them easily to my cutting board before cutting to save my non-stick pan.

Tommee Tippee Digital Photobook & Giveaway

2011-09-08T15:04:00.002-05:00

Tommee Tippee has come out with a fun new digital baby photobook. Here is how they describe this new photobook:

"...a simple way to capture moments of pregnancy and the birth day through the gathering of Facebook posts, a selection of birthday news and facts and the collection of precious memories through a pregnancy journal."

The best part - it is free!

Many times in the past, when I've had big news to share, I've wanted to save comments from Facebook. This new photobook does that for you. It also acts as a great way to document your pregnancy and those first few months of your newborn.

I have reviewed Tommee Tippee products in the past and have always been impressed with their product line. This new item just adds to the excitement of that line. In the US, Tommee Tippee products can be purchased at Toys R Us.

In celebration of the new photobook, Tommee Tippee is graciously offering one winner a newborn starter pack. To enter, tell me your favorite baby product - the one you couldn't live without or you always give as baby shower gifts.

For extra entries, like Tommee Tippee on Facebook and/or follow me via email or RSS. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

This giveaway is open until Friday, September 16 at 9 pm CST. The winner will have 48 hours to respond.

Disclaimer: Tommee Tippee provided this prize, no other compensation has occurred for my opinion.

Our Journey

2011-08-24T16:17:00.000-05:00

When I started this blog over three years ago, we were struggling to survive on a part time income. In order to keep our head above water, I learned all kinds of new ways to be frugal. I began making my own laundry detergent, wasting less, and meal planning around sales. As our income increased this past November, I still kept doing those things as they had simply become a way of life.

Something else had changed though. We were in the midst of discovering our oldest child was more than just an over active child, he was actually a special needs child. Since we began this journey about a year and a half ago to figure out his diagnosis, my reasons for making homemade items completely changed.

I started realizing just how many toxins and junk we come into contact with every single day. I kept up making the laundry detergent and other cleaners simply to remove the toxins from our house. I kept making food from scratch so I could avoid the processed additives we did not need in our diet.

As we keep going down this journey, I'm now working on reducing the amount of sugar in our diet. I'm spending more time in the kitchen (my favorite place to be by the way) in order to improve our diet. I'm also discovering that being frugal and being healthy go hand in hand.

Yes, many healthy items are not cheap but when you take the time to garden or make food from scratch healthy items can be affordable.

Going forward from here, I plan to share some of the information I have discovered over the past year or so and how I'm combining frugal with green, healthy living.

While I am certainly no expert in this area, I have learned a ton lately and I want to share it with my faithful readers. If there is any topic you would like me to cover, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email.

Vacation Tips & Giveaway: Meal Planning

2011-08-10T20:19:00.001-05:00

One thing I did not think about before going on vacation was what we would eat once we got home. I worked hard the week before we left to clean out the food in the fridge. When we arrived home I realized I needed to go to the grocery store if we were to eat more than frozen meals. I was too exhausted to come up with a meal plan though.

I've vowed that on our next vacation I will have a meal plan in place before we leave on vacation. I will do my best to have a grocery list to go with it too so I can ease back into life after vacation instead of being thrown back into it.

One thing that did help me get back on track after vacation was that Kroger started their annual Cart Buster event just days after I got home. This allowed me stock up on great name brand products at a reduced price.

The Cart Buster event continues through August 17 so you still have a few days to get in on the savings. Be sure to visit the Cart Buster website every day between now and August 16 to download the "Deal of the Day" exclusive offers.

Kroger and MyBlogSpark kindly provided me a gift card to share this annual event with you and they also provided a gift card for me to give to one of my readers.

To enter the giveaway for a $25 Kroger gift card, share one of your favorite vacation tips. It can be geared towards planning, places to go, how to survive with children, basically whatever you want to share.

For extra entries, subscribe to Living Life With Less via RSS or email.

Mention this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter.

This contest will be open until 9 pm CST on Monday, August 15. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: The Kroger gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by Kroger and General Mills through MyBlogSpark

2011-08-10T20:04:00.001-05:00

Vacation Tips: Cruise Excursions

2011-08-04T11:05:00.000-05:00

Our recent vacation was a cruise. I've been on several but we met many people on the ship who were cruising for the first time. Most of them assumed you had to do an excursion through the cruise line. In some instances I think this is fine but for the majority of excursions I suggest waiting until you get off the ship and seeing what is available.

For instance, we knew we wanted to go to the beach at one port. We asked the taxi drivers the price and then found someone to give us a tour of the island plus drop us off and pick us up for the same price the other drivers were giving us just for the beach. Another family joined us so the driver was still making a good profit.

In another country we knew we wanted to go cavetubing and researched several companies online before setting sail. Once there, we found some of the reputable companies and worked a deal. The price we paid for two tickets was equal to what the cruise was selling one ticket for. Also, while on the river the guide showed us where the cruises get out of the water, but we continued a bit further down the water and saw some beautiful scenery we would not have seen otherwise.

If you are going on a cruise or to a resort, I suggest checking it out online first and seeing what others recommend. This way you will know if you should buy an excursion or seek out something on your own.

Vacation Tips: Plan Ahead

2011-08-02T13:22:00.000-05:00

I just got back from a wonderful, kid free, vacation. It was much needed as now I feel refreshed and ready to face life again. My kids had a blast too as they got to spend a week with my inlaws at their farm.

I didn't have computer access while I was away (side note - it was wonderful to have a technology break for awhile) but I kept thinking of little tips that would be helpful towards saving money that I wanted to share with my readers. I'm going to share some over the next week or so and today I'm going to start with pre-vacation planning.

I don't know about you, but I'm always stressed with last minute to do's right before vacation. This time I started planning months ahead and it really helped.

We began by looking at how many days we would be gone and seeing if we had enough clothes to see us through. I realized I needed 1-2 more pairs of shorts and a wrap or cardigan so I set out to check out the deals. By not waiting until the last minute I was able to find rock bottom deals.

Once we had clothes under control, we moved on to the little things. A month before we left, we stocked up on any toiletries we were low on and refilled all medications that would be running low by vacation time. I'm bad about thinking of these things the week before vacation and then not having time to get to the store to get the needed items.

Finally, I dislike coming home to a messy house so we started cleaning it up a few week's before we left. It helped knowing that my kids and inlaws would be staying at my house for a day or so while we were gone. Nothing like the pressure of someone else living in your house while you are gone. By picking up the piles of junk ahead of time all I really needed to do before leaving was some quick maintenance cleaning.

Your list probably contains more than this but these are a few things to start thinking about. Before you leave on vacation, I suggest making a list of everything you might need to do and then breaking it down so that you can leave on vacation relaxed and ready instead of thinking of everything you didn't get done.

Cupcake Tip

2011-07-12T15:45:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am still alive. Summer has been a bit busy and by the time I get a moment to hangout on the computer I'm too brain dead to write anything.

I have a free moment though and I've been wanting to share a few new tips so here is one.

When making cupcakes, use an ice cream scoop to put the mix in the liners. If making mini cupcakes, use a melon scoop. We make a lot of cupcakes and muffins around here and scooping this way has saved me a ton of time and mess.

Fun & Easy Snack

2011-06-07T13:29:00.000-05:00

This week in "Mommy School" we are studying dinosaurs. Somewhere in my quest to find activities for this week I came across a great snack idea that can be adapted for any theme. Sorry there are no pics - I didn't even think of it until the kids were done eating them.

Take a piece of bread and toast it. As soon as it comes out, top with one slice of cheese. The warm bread will slightly melt the cheese, if you prefer it melted a bit more pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the shape of your choice.

We cut out dinosaur shapes and my oldest loved it. My youngest isn't a fan of cheese so he peeled the cheese off and just ate the toast. I will probably do this again with different shapes and just use jelly for my youngest.

Mommy School and a Dollar Store Find

2011-06-02T20:28:00.000-05:00

As of today, my oldest is officially a preschool graduate. He informed me a few weeks ago though that this summer we would be doing "Mommy School" every day. This is something he started one day when he was sick and we needed something to fill the day as he was really missing his friends from school. We've done it every day since that he is out of school.

Since I'm normally doing it only one day at a time, I usually just grab his Highlights High Five magazine and and pick a few activities out of it since he rarely looks at the magazine. If we've used up the current issue I print something off the internet or pull out a school project he didn't have time to finish.

Seeing as this is a whole summer, my usual plan just won't work. Mommy School is going to be based loosely off his school schedule he had this year since he loves that routine. The only main difference is that we will have a "field trip" almost every day as mommy needs out of the house.

I've created a theme for each week and I'm doing my best to incorporate some educational items, therapy, and fun into each day. I was searching the dollar store this week for some fun surprises and found out they have some homeschool type workbooks. I was able to pick up a few to use in Mommy School and I even found one that will work for my almost two year old.

They also had a ton of school related items such as charts, rewards, stickers, etc. I'm able to supplement our school at a fraction of the cost of what I thought it would cost.

My other major resource for school is the library. I've lined up books and movies based on our theme each week.

We will see how this goes. I plan to update in a few weeks and let you know if we are still doing Mommy School. I think he will benefit from the routine and I'm hoping it will keep us from going crazy each day.

Preparing for a Tornado

2011-05-22T21:04:00.000-05:00

I'm currently sitting in my basement waiting for a storm to pass by. It looks like the worst of it will not hit us but just an hour down the road was hit hard.

As I was preparing to head to the basement, it dawned on me that many people do not know what to do in a tornado. I happen to live in an area where tornadoes are a bit too common.

Growing up my family did not have a good place to use as a storm shelter in our house. The people behind us had a basement though and would leave the back door unlocked any time there was a threat of a tornado. For this reason, my parents always had us sleep with our shoes by our bed when there was a possibility of bad weather.

My husband thinks I'm crazy because every time there is a tornado threat I make everyone get their shoes on. I realize we have a basement now but having gone through a tornado that caused some damage to my house, I know how hard it can be to find what you need in the aftermath. Wouldn't you rather have a safe pair of shoes on instead of walking through debris in bare feet? So, my first tip is to find your shoes.

In this wonderful day and age of technology, I also suggest charging your electronics (cell phone, laptop, etc) if weather is supposed to get bad that day. It really helps in keeping in contact with others and you never know when you will get a chance to charge electronics again. I spent most of my evening tonight on Facebook and Twitter getting up to the date news from news outlets and friends. As an added bonus, it was kind of fun to get to bond with others over such a stressful event.

I also suggest having a few flashlights and candles nearby. Make sure the batteries work and/or that you have spares near by.

Finally, to keep my kids entertained I also bring snacks and a few toys or games to our storm shelter. Anything that helps them take their mind off what is going on is a huge help.

By the way, round one has passed us now and we are safe and sound. There was a beautiful double rainbow after it all passed. If you have any tips to share on how you prepare for a tornado, please share them with others in the comments section.

Quick Tip: Save on Soap

2011-04-28T21:01:00.000-05:00

Apparently this is a widely known tip but it was new to me so I thought I would share it with all of you. To reduce the amount of pump soap used, wrap a rubber band around the pump. This will allow you to only use about a half of a pump at a time instead of a full pump.

That is more than enough soap for washing your hands and now your pump soap will last twice as long.

Extreme Couponing Thoughts

2011-04-07T13:05:00.000-05:00

The internet is all a buzz with thoughts and reactions to the new TLC show Extreme Couponing that debuted last night. I finally had a chance this morning to watch last night's two episodes and I felt the need to share my two cents.

First, I think the next show TLC should come up with is Extreme Couponing: Hoarders Edition. It irked me to no end that these people had entire grocery stores sitting in their house and they continued to buy. One lady kept bugging her husband to put more mustard in the cart because she could get it for 39 cents each. He then commented that they don't even eat mustard and she said she tends to forget things like that when couponing.

I would have been ok with them wiping the shelf clean if they showed her donating the mustard to charity. Instead, I'm sure she added it to her stockpile. She was going for the thrill of the hunt instead of the practicality of buying something like 60 bottles of mustard.

Second, people said they dedicated their entire day to couponing so they could save money for their family. Yes, you can save money but if you do not need the massive amounts you are buying, are you really saving money? You can put your time and talents towards other things to help save money too.

I'm not knocking couponing at all. I am a couponer and love a good sale, I'm just stating that you need to be realistic with the amount of time you spend on it and how much you buy. If you find an amazing sale and you know you will not use it all then I suggest donating it to charity. In fact, I keep an area in my pantry that is just for charity and everything in that area was bought for probably a quarter or less.

I will continue to watch the show as I think it is interesting but I want everyone to know, this is not reality. Most of us couponers are not this obsessed and you can save money for your family without spending your entire week trying to do it.