Matt's Girls

moving

2010-08-05T23:30:00.001-04:00

moving over to www.kmthornton.wordpress.com

it will be a while before everything gets updated, but decided it would be a lot less crazy to just do one blog. :-)

smile

2010-05-30T20:13:00.002-04:00

Menu Plan

2010-05-25T13:44:00.003-04:00

Trying to get back to posting this, as it really does help me stay on track. Here are my plans for this week.

Tuesday
B - Kashi
L - Black Bean Burritos from freezer with tomatoes
S - carrot sticks and cheese
D - grilled eggplant/feta stacks with green salad and olives

Wednesday
B- egg muffin
L- leftovers from Tuesday dinner
S - cheese sticks, ww crackers
D - crustless veggie quiche with salad

Thursday
B- oatmeal or egg muffin
L- taco salad w/ homemade tortilla strips
S- carrot sticks and cheese
D- leftover quiche, salad

Friday
B- cereal or oatmeal
L- grilled tilapia and chicken breast with grilled veggies (grilled brussels sprouts?)
S- nuts and carrot sticks
D- BOOK GROUP

Saturday (make a big batch of marinara and a crock pot of taco meat)
B- out or egg muffin
L- leftovers from Fri lunch
S- nuts and carrots and cheese
D- baked spaghetti squash with meatballs and red sauce

Dinner

2010-05-06T23:21:00.006-04:00

helping set the table

We've been doing a little unit study on A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno. Tonight we took a trip to Japan. Bathrobe "kimonos," a table made of boxes, and a bunch of new (to Autumn) foods, made for a fun evening. And she not only tried the new stuff, but liked it! Especially the miso soup, dumplings, and sushi. :-)

ready to eat

chopsticks practice

Outside Today

2010-05-04T16:52:00.003-04:00

Autumn ADORES her sandbox. She would happily spend 24 hours a day in it if I would let her.

First of the Day Lilies to bloom.

A couple raised beds. I'm not sure why one of them is so much more productive than the other one. Since they're basically the same. I think the second one must just need more compost.

And a Few More Pics From the Farm

2010-04-21T17:52:00.003-04:00

More Pics From the Farm

2010-04-21T17:46:00.003-04:00

Pics From the Farm

2010-04-21T17:39:00.003-04:00

The Princess In the Bouncy House

2010-03-31T14:44:00.002-04:00

Frugal Gardening - Starting Seeds - Part 2

2010-03-09T08:51:00.005-05:00

A note on seeds: Even most small seed packets come filled with far more seeds than one average gardener can use. Save more money by splitting seeds with a friend! You can also save seeds from many plants in the fall and then plant them the next spring. Visit WinterSown for more information and ideas.

Once you have your seeds planted, use duct tape to tape the jugs closed.

I generally put a plant marker in each jug, but I also write whatever the plants are on a piece of duct tape and attach it to the bottom of the jug, just in case it fades too much from the sun.

As long as there is condensation on the inside of the jugs (as shown in the top picture), you don't need to water the plants. If they look dry, either spritz or drip water in until all the soil is moist.

According to what I've read, if you live where it's colder, you can leave these containers out all winter in the snow and everything. We don't really have much winter, so ours grow pretty fast. Once your plants are big enough, you can remove the duct tape and let the little plants get some sun during the day, then just tilt the top back over for protection at night.

I don't follow any hard and fast rules about when to transplant from the containers into the garden soil, but generally if the plants have some secondary leaves and the weather is good enough, and they have been "hardened off" by having the tape removed for several days or a a week, I will transplant. The little swiss chard seedlings in the photo above will go into the ground sometime this week.

Another one of my favorite containers to plant in is foam cups with clear lids. These are great for plants that need a little more space, like tomatoes. You can plant just a couple seeds in each of these. There is a great step-by-step tutorial at WinterSown for these.

Frugal Gardening - Starting Seeds - Part 1

2010-03-09T08:15:00.006-05:00

Disclaimer: I'm sure there are just as many ways of doing this as there are gardeners, but this is how I do it. I am by no means an expert, just someone who likes to garden. This is the process that works for me. For more information, I highly recommend you visit WinterSown. You can learn all about winter sowing as well as get free seeds to use in your own winter sowing efforts.

Supplies Needed:

milk jugs (or cartons, or tall foam cups, or any other container you can re-use that will hold at least 3" of soil, plus plants)
good quality potting soil (go ahead and buy the good stuff, you'll save enough everywhere else)
heavy duty kitchen shears or a utility knife
duct tape
plant markers (optional) and a marker
seeds

First I gather a lot of milk jugs and other containers. I don't like having these sit around all year, so I just ask friends and family to save them for me for about the month before I plant. I always end up with enough. Make sure these are SUPER CLEAN. I wash them out beforehand and then after cutting them to make sure they're really clean.

Start by cutting slits in the bottom of the container for drainage.

Then, pinch the corner of the jug that is opposite of the handle about halfway up the jug. Snip with your shears.

From the snipped point, cut around the jug, leaving the handle section intact.

Fill with at least three inches of good quality potting soil. Soil should be moist before you put it in the containers. Not dripping wet, but damp.

Next plant your seeds in the dirt according the the package directions. I plant a lot more than the package calls for, and then divide them when I transplant. But how you do this is really up to you.

Butterfly House

2010-03-07T17:27:00.004-05:00

We loved the butterfly house - so fun! Next time we may try to visit on a day that isn't quite so sunny though, since there were not as many butterflies as we were hoping would be out and about. It was just too bright out from what I heard. The ones we saw were beautiful though!

So Far Behind...

2010-03-07T17:14:00.004-05:00

Here are some pics from January. These are taken at Callaway Gardens. We did a day trip since they were having free admission in Jan and Feb. Had a great time and plan to visit again! The birds of prey show was better than any I've been to before-the birds were flying through the audience the whole time.

Hitting the Pause Button

2010-02-15T17:26:00.002-05:00

I've been under the weather for weeks now. Bronchitis didn't totally clear up after the first round of medicine and came back hard along with a sinus infection. Now on a stronger and longer round of antibiotics, but still mostly useless. Lying on the couch and watching tv is about as much as I have energy to do.

No school.

No shopping.

No cooking.

No scrapping.

Life is on pause.

Mini Vacation

2010-01-23T19:38:00.002-05:00

Having a little mini-vacation this weekend. First weekend all to ourselves in what, five years? Really wishing I wasn't sick with bronchitis and laryngitis, but still having a very fun time.

Week Two Wrap Up

2010-01-15T23:36:00.004-05:00

Spending for week two $5.65! We bought quite a few freebie groceries, but only had to pay for half and half and soyoy bars. So we're now $25.16 under budget for the challenge. On to week three.

Freebie Shopping

2010-01-12T08:33:00.003-05:00

So, I am doing the pantry challenge to clean out our excess supply of food, but couldn't resist picking up FREE stuff at the store. Believe it or not, we have just about used up the yogurt and we only got it three days ago. It's AWESOME! So I will be getting quite a bit more of it this month. :-) It's great because the Greek yogurt is so thick and tangy, you can use it in place of sour cream as well. Actually, I think it tastes better!

Another Pantry Meal Plan

2010-01-12T07:54:00.002-05:00

So, we have a lot of leftovers and we'll be eating a lot of those for lunches. Also getting a bunch of delicious Greek yogurt free after coupons, so we'll be eating that for breakfasts. I LOVE Greek yogurt. And I made homemade granola yesterday to top it with. YUM!

Breakfasts: fruit, greek yogurt, homemade granola, waffles

Lunches: leftovers, tuna, PB&J, out on Wed

Dinners
Sunday: "Leftover Buffet"
Monday: Shrimp Pasta (ended up getting a free pizza instead)
Tuesday: Chicken Cordon Bleu, Collard Greens, Homemade Pear Sauce
Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner
Thursday: Asian Pork Tenderloin, Steamed Veggies, Rice
Friday: Fried Rice
Saturday: Leftovers or Baked Potato Soup

School

2010-01-08T23:24:00.003-05:00

Autumn working on her math activity book today. I'm trying to figure out what we're going to be doing for school next year, but I have a feeling the decision is going to take me a couple months to make. There are a lot of things I DON'T want to do, but still not sure what I DO want to do. If you have any curriculum suggestions, especially for math, I would love to hear them!

A Pic For Tonight

2010-01-07T23:31:00.002-05:00

Autumn and Miriam the night before Tristan's wedding

Week One Wrap-Up

2010-01-07T23:16:00.003-05:00

Week one of the pantry challenge was a success! We spent a total of $9.19 this week on groceries.
What did we buy? Dairy: milk, half and half, organic greek yogurt. Produce: pears, apples, shredded cabbage, big tub of baby spinach, and a tomato.

I can see that the pantry stockpile is dwindling, but the freezer is actually filling up more! Not what I expected. But as we've been trying to make the most of what we have, we've been ending up with lots of leftovers. We now have baked potato soup, vegetable soup, lots of collards, and pizza sauce all added to the freezer this week.

I'm going to be cutting the budget to $20 a week for the rest of the month and rolling over the extra from this week into next week, since there are some extra things we will need to buy next week like dog food.

While we had been planning on not doing the pantry challenge at all while we go on vacation later this month, I think we will try to take enough food with us that we only go out once a day. Hopefully will have a free breakfast at the hotel and I will plan either lunch or dinner from our pantry, with the other meal being out.

Pantry Update and Menu Plan

2010-01-03T21:56:00.004-05:00

So, only a few days in, but so far so good! We've spent a total of 1 cent so far on groceries (soyjoy bar deal at CVS). And the food so far has been great (if I do say so myself). I will have to do a little shopping either tomorrow or Tuesday so we have milk and produce, but here's the simple menu plan for this week:

Monday
(B) oatmeal/smoothies
(L) tuna and veggie wraps
(D) homemade pepperoni pizza

Tuesday
(B) homemade toast or rolls with preserves
(L) baked potatoes with steamed broccoli
(D) Indian-spiced turkey burgers with veggie dippers

Wednesday
(B)toast or soyjoy bars and fruit
(L) out for playdate? or PB&J
(D) pasta with homemade marinara sauce and meatballs and salad

Thursday
(B)cereal
(L) "snack tray"
(D)barbecue chicken sandwiches

Friday
(B) waffles
(L) potato and kale soup
(D) broccoli cheese quiche

Saturday
(B) cereal and fruit
(L) leftover quiche
(D) tacos

Happiness Is...

2010-01-02T23:11:00.003-05:00

A morning spent thrifting with the best husband in the world.

Happiness Is...

2010-01-01T23:21:00.002-05:00

...a surprise birthday cake made from clay and the sweetest "happy birthday" song ever.

January Eat From the Pantry Challenge

2009-12-29T16:03:00.003-05:00

So I'm going to take a stab at the pantry challenge for January. We've actually been eating mainly from the pantry and freezer for all of December, so I don't have much of a stockpile, but I do really want to work through what we have and also put together a donation for a local food pantry.

My goals:

Keep grocery spending under $25 a week for the month of January. This will be mostly produce and dairy.
Clean out the freezer in preparation for defrosting and a thorough cleaning at the end of the month.
Work through pantry to avoid having food expire.
Inventory freezer, fridge, cupboards.
Gather and deliver food pantry donation.
Grocery budget money will go towards supplies for the garden. I want to add another raised bed and we also need to purchase another truckload of mulch/compost as well as plants and seeds.

24 Days of December

2009-12-01T19:44:00.002-05:00

Check out my scrapping blog for lots of tutorials, gift ideas, and recipes leading up to Christmas!

Baking Day - Cookies

2009-11-30T21:53:00.003-05:00

I'm planning on using this month's OAMC day to do most of my holiday baking. I'll also be trying to find the time to make some tutorials, create gift tags, and get gifts shipped out.

So here's what I'm planning on:

Cranberry Pecan Biscotti
Lemon Meltaways
Pecan Tarts
Ginger Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
Carmello Candy
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies*
Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies*
Homemade Bread

*from pre-made dough

Craftday - Part One

2009-11-18T16:43:00.003-05:00

Not feeling great, so not getting much of my to-do list done for craft day, but here's what I did the first day.

Finished off these kusudama origami ornaments for my etsy shop (all the folding was done already):

Made these altered letters for a gift exchange:

And put together a banner that I don't have pictured yet.

Then, in the middle of the night, dealing with insomnia, I did all the folding for another kusudama. Hoping to get it done tomorrow.

Indian-Spiced Turkey Burgers

2009-11-16T12:57:00.004-05:00

Those of you who know me know, that while I love to cook, I don't buy cook books. Most recipes I can find online for free. But a while back, I did purchase a copy of Anjum Anand's "Indian Food Made Easy" because I really wanted to learn to cook the Indian food that we enjoy so much when we go out to eat. Everything I've made from the book has been delicious and enjoyed by all of us (as long as I make milder versions of the spicy dishes for Autumn).

I adapted her Chicken Burger recipe from the book to make turkey burgers for lunch today and they turned out soooooo yummy. I'd love to try the original recipe as it's written in the book, but adapted it to use what I had on hand in the house. Here's my version from today (oh, and this made about 13 burgers, 10 of which I'm sticking in the freezer for quick lunches):

2 lbs ground turkey
1 1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 small onion minced
2-3 large garlic cloves minced
handful of fresh parsley leaves and stalks finely chopped
2 heaping teaspoons salt
1 1/2 t garam masala (common Indian spice combination - you can find this one in the grocery store)
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 t ground cumin
2 t fresh lemon juice
1/2 - 1 t ground red pepper
2 T EVOO, plus extra for oiling pan

Pre-heat oven to 400. Mix all ingredients together with your hands until well-combined. Shape into patties and place on an oiled pan. Cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve on toasted buns with tomato, lettuce, onion and (herbed) mayo.

"Baking Day" Part Four

2009-11-04T19:36:00.004-05:00

Wednesday afternoon after grocery shopping, I came home and started browning ground chuck for the pasta sauce in the crock pot. Made sauce with lots of fresh herbs from the garden, then added it all together with spinach to simmer in the crock pot.

Baked two loaves of oatmeal bread and two more batches of muffins for the freezer. (not pictured)

Cooked pasta and assembled baked ziti with lots of cheese and popped them in the oven. Made four-six meals worth of baked ziti. Some below.

Mixed up four batches of pizza dough, freezing three and making BBQ chicken pizza for dinner.

Baked a couple dozen pecan tarts, but the rest will have to be for tomorrow. I'm just too tired! I'm hoping to put together a complete list and how much I spent, but again, just too tired.

"Baking Day" Part Three

2009-11-04T19:26:00.003-05:00

Wednesday morning it was great to start with a clean kitchen after cleaning up the night before. Started out by packaging up and freezing five meals worth of black bean soup that had cooked in the crockpot all night! (No picture)

Then I mixed up oatmeal bread dough and set it out to rise.

Mixed up five batches of blueberry waffles and ate some for breakfast and froze enough for five more breakfasts.

Rolling out and shaping bread for baking.

Processed the rest of the garden tomatoes that I had had sitting on the counter to make the beginning of pasta sauce and off to storytime @ the library and the grocery store.

"Baking Day" Part Two

2009-11-04T19:04:00.004-05:00

Tuesday evening I started out by removing the bones and shredding all the chicken and adding seasoning to taste. Looks nasty, I know, but it really isn't. Enough for four meals for the freezer, with some left over for dinner Wednesday.

Sauteing sweet potatoes and onions for black bean soup.

Then it was time to chop up the precooked bacon, dice up leftover steamed veggies, and mix up the egg/milk/cheese for quiche.

I had pillsbury pie crusts from a freebie deal this week, so I guess I cheated a bit. :-) Here are the crusts with veggies and bacon layered in them.

And one of them finished. I made four, three for the freezer and one for dinner (and lunch Thursday from the leftovers).

Got everything in the freezer and mixed up a batch of pecan tart dough.

Also put all the black bean soup ingredients in the crock pot to cook overnight - smells good!!!

Oh, and made two experimental batches of muffins, trying to make my own recipe...

"Baking Day" Part One

2009-11-04T18:54:00.003-05:00

I joined in moneysavingmom's Bakingday on twitter over the last couple days. Too exhausted at the moment to clean up the mess from today, so I'm blogging some of what I got done.

Tuesday morning I started out by soaking black beans, pre-cooking bacon in the oven, and starting a whole crockpot full of BBQ split chicken breasts, before making lunch and heading to home-school co-op for the afternoon.

Rain Rain

2009-10-19T00:28:00.003-04:00

We've been getting a lot of rain lately. It's too cold now, but a couple weeks ago, it was perfect for playing in. And Autumn loved it. Catching raindrops on her tongue.

Standing under the drain spout to get SUPER wet.

Peeking around the corner.

Using an old broom and puddles to "paint" the floor of the carport.

The artist at work.

Starting School

2009-09-14T22:13:00.003-04:00

We got a little bit of a start on school today...at the dentist's office. :-) We did a little reading lesson review and art appreciation in the waiting room while Matt was having some work done.

And tomorrow is our first day of co-op! Autumn is really excited about "going to school", but bummed that she doesn't get to ride on a school bus.

I've always been a big believer in not starting school this early, but Autumn is obviously ready. She asks for reading lessons frequently and is always asking me how to spell things and write letters, so it seems that we're starting school.

So far, this is what I'm planning on doing this year...

Unit Studies - "Teach Me Mommy" (nature, rhymes, songs, activities, read-aloud time, etc.)
Reading/Writing - "Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons" (part of this will be review)
Art Appreciation - the "Come Look With Me" series
Bible - probably will just be doing "The Bible Story" series a little every day
Math - "Math Play" and some basic workbooks/activity sheets to help recognize and write numbers

Homeschool Co-op once a week (Playtime, Science, Storytime, Arts and Crafts)
Storytime/Computer at the library once a week

Family Favorite Sweet Zucchini Recipes

2009-08-07T19:22:00.002-04:00

Okay, granted, not exactly healthy, but these are super yummy!

Basic Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar (i use less)
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 T cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup nuts (i use more)

Beat eggs and add in sugar, vanilla, oil, and zucchini. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Bake in two greased loaf pans or muffin tins at 325-350 for about an hour (less for muffins).

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 T vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
nuts (i use a lot)

Follow directions for zucchini bread, but pour into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake at 350 until done, center will bounce back when touched.

Remove from pan and cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or a powdered sugar glaze.

A few more Indiana Pictures

2009-08-03T09:35:00.001-04:00

A few Indiana Pictures

2009-08-03T09:29:00.002-04:00

First Cleaning

2009-07-13T17:59:00.002-04:00

No Cavities! :-)

Crazy Kroger Shopping

2009-07-12T21:18:00.003-04:00

Okay, don't ask me how I did it because this one was complex involving the mega-deal overlapping with a catalina deal ending today and TONS of coupons. Oh, and three transactions.

Total Saved: $84.56
Total Spent after cats, etc: $3.38 (and I even included taxes!)

15 bags Kraft cheese
4 boxes mini wheats
3 bottles A1 sauce
4 bags chex mix
1 box special K bars
2 bottles Sobe (one pictured, we drank the other one)
1 bag Quaker snacks

Friday Shopping

2009-07-12T10:50:00.002-04:00

So Friday I really made the rounds, but only got a picture of the Publix stuff.

Publix
Spent $10
Saved $61

-4 half-gallons of milk
- 3 kashi waffles
- 4 peanut butter
-8 smart balance
-1 pack cinammon sticks
-1 pack dentyne (not shown)
- 2 huggies bath products
- 5 packages of kids yogurt

Wal-Mart
Spent $4
Saved $17

-8 tubs of starbucks ice cream
-1 box of hefty bags

Kroger
I don't have receipt info, but basically spent $8 for about 12 pounds of chicken breast and some apples.

Walgreens
-headband ($1 moneymaker)

CVS
-lots of free after ECBS febreeze products

Shopping Trip Wednesday

2009-07-08T21:11:00.003-04:00

Publix

Okay, so this totally looks like an ad for Smart Balance, but they had some really good coupons out for freebies, so I bought the spread at a discount price and will pass along to family members and friends who use it. We're butter only people. But I'm excited to try the peanut butter, popcorn, and the milk.

Spent: $12.62 after tax
Saved: $49.52

4 large tubs of SB
8 small tubs of SB
2 boxes of microwave popcorn
4 half-gallons of milk
2 jars peanut butter
2 boxes Kashi waffles
2 bottles of Huggies wash/shampoo

Shopping Trip - Wednesday

2009-07-08T21:05:00.002-04:00

Walmart

6 containers Starbucks ice cream
6 boxes of Hefty one-zip bags

total: $3
saved: $18

play

2009-07-03T21:36:00.003-04:00

My Survey - earn cash for easy surveys

2009-07-03T19:17:00.003-04:00

I can't remember if I posted about this or not? A couple months ago I earned my first $10 check from My Survey and today I earned another one! It's a totally legit survey site, and I get maybe 3 or 4 surveys a month in my inbox. Sometimes they are really short and only take two or three minutes, sometimes they are longer more in-depth surveys on products that haven't yet hit the market or new advertising campaigns. (Kinda funny, cause I've seen commercials on TV that I saw online through My Survey in advance.)

The best part about My Survey is you earn cash! Every 1000 points can be turned in for a $10 check! Now, it does take some time to accumulate, but it's super easy to earn and any extra $$ that comes in right now, is always great.

My Survey does not have a referral link system, but if you would like to sign up, just let me know and I can send you an email!

Running Water...

2009-07-03T19:12:00.002-04:00

...is one of those things you don't really think about until you don't have it. And then you lose your mind. And turn into a crabby monster you don't recognize.

Thank goodness, the plumbers are now officially finished. And there is no more galvanized pipe. The entire house (and the line to the road) have been converted to PVC pipes. And there are new valves, handles, and showerheads in both showers. And new valve and faucet in the sink in the half-bath. And the kitchen sink has FINALLY STOPPED DRIPPING. Oh, and we can actually use our master bath again!

YAY!

Life

2009-07-01T07:50:00.003-04:00

If I owe you a phone call or an email or anything, I'm sorry. Life has been way way too busy lately and I feel like I'm going to be playing catch up for a long time.

In an attempt to simplify things, I have resigned from a design team this week. But, things aren't slowing down immediately.

Today the plumbers are coming in to get started on replace ALL the pipes in our house as well as lots of valves. This is also going to involve tearing up the front lawn as they replace the pipes from the road to the house. And tearing up some walls as they get access to the valves. Which also required emptying nearly all the closets in the house, so there is stuff piled EVERYWHERE. Oh, and did I mention that the roofer is coming to give an estimate as well?

Meal Planning

2009-06-28T23:39:00.003-04:00

Last week's menu plan got all messed up. Hopefully this week will go more smoothly. It's going to be a crazy busy week though. 4th of July stuff, plumbing stuff, roofing repairs, etc.

Monday (clean house, clean out fridge, make croutons)

Lunch - peanut butter crackers, cantaloupe (leftovers)

Dinner - Baked Potatoes & veggies

Tuesday (bake bread)

Lunch - garden salad with homemade croutons, strawberries (leftovers)

Dinner - pasta with veggies

Wednesday (craziness)

Lunch - Grilled cheese, mangoes/cantaloupe

Dinner - Italian pasta salad with tons of fresh veggies (leftovers)

Thursday

Lunch - leftover pasta salad

Dinner - quiche, salad

Friday

Lunch - leftover quiche

Dinner - pepperoni pizza, salad

Saturday

burgers, hot dogs, salad, fresh fruit, dessert

Groceries:

-eggs

-parmesan

-pepperoni

-broccoli

-hot dog and hamburger buns

I heart SwagBucks!!!

2009-06-26T14:25:00.003-04:00

Okay, so maybe I'm a little weird, but I am so excited!! I've been using SwagBucks for a while now, running a search or two on it every day. And I finally turned my points in for Amazon giftcodes...$25 in Amazon gift codes to be exact. They showed up today in my inbox, ready to be redeemed and I went over to Amazon to browse around.

I have wanted an immersable blender since last fall when we made pear butter and I borrowed my friend Michelle's. I put it on my Christmas list and everything. But there never seems to be enough spare cash to get one.

On Amazon.com they had the $55.00 Cuisinart one for $29.95 and free shipping! So I was able to get a blender that was far nicer than one I would have gotten for myself under normal conditions and I was able to get it for $4.95 shipped after my swagbucks gift codes!!!

I LOVE SwagBucks! Want to join? It's so easy. Go here to signup: SwagBucks (this link will add me as your referral.)

How does it work? You just run your searches through swagbucks.com instead of Google or another search engine and you win SwagBucks that can be redeemed for all sorts of prizes and giftcards. You can even install the SwagBucks toolbar so you can have the search box always available at the top of your window.

Right Now

2009-06-24T15:26:00.003-04:00

Being inspired by Ali Edwards to blog right now.

Autumn and I have been cleaning her room today and re-organized her kitchen. I have to say that in now looks 10 times better than my real kitchen.

We even got out the label maker to assign baskets and bins to her pretend food, dishes, pots and pans. We just got finished and she's super proud of her work!

Today's Grocery Trip

2009-06-22T15:53:00.003-04:00

Didn't really need much for this week, but had a lot of soon-expiring coupons and a great deal on the only hot dogs I like. :0) Stocked up for the summer.

We do still need lettuce and milk, but I'll have DH pick those up later in the week.

Total after taxes, coupons, and rebate: $16.18
Total saved: $80.40

Domino's American Legands Pizza Party - Part 1

2009-06-20T16:32:00.003-04:00

Today was the day for our Domino's American Legends Pizza HouseParty! It was HOT today (heat index was 106), so I was really glad we planned on playing in the sprinkler/kiddie pool. :) Despite the heat, I think we all had a good time and the pizza was great!

Votes for favorite new pizza were pretty evenly divided between Cali Chicken Bacon Ranch and Philly Cheese Steak.

Best part? DD and MIL do NOT eat pizza. And they both enjoyed the Philly Cheese Pizza. DD wouldn't try it at first, but when I told her she had to taste it, she gobbled it down and begged for more! MIL said that it was good because it was more like eating a sandwich on a pizza.

Here are some pics from our party. :)

Pizza's Here!!!

Kiddie Table

DD actually eating pizza!!! She loved the Philly Cheese Steak.

No issues with pizza eating here!

Say "pizza" :)

Domino's American Legends Pizza Party - Part 2

2009-06-20T16:25:00.002-04:00

Coupons courtesy of Domino's and Zobmondo games!

Printed off kids activity sheets and crayons/markers. These ended up going home with guests, as the kids just wanted to stay in the pool and sprinkler!

Trying to stay cool in the shade with popsicles and fudgesicles.

Domino's American Legends Pizza Party Photos - Part 3

2009-06-20T16:20:00.003-04:00

Domino's House Party

2009-06-19T15:39:00.003-04:00

So...if you follow me on twitter or facebook, you already know all about it, but if you don't...

I was chosen to host a Domino's American Legends House Party! And it's tomorrow! We're going really relaxed and low-key. Decided to have a lunch, instead of dinner, since it's mostly moms and kids coming. Pizza, salad, watermelon, popsicles, and drinks.

And it's going to be around 100 without the heat index, so we're also going to be setting up fans in the carport and a sprinkler for the kids. Thinking I may need to fill the kiddie pool up too!

We got a party pack including a $75 gift card to purchase American Legends pizzas (will probably be getting a couple plain ones too-picky kid), and I think it will be a lot of fun. :-)

This post making you hungry? Go here to order your own pizza: Domino's (And check out the pizza tracker-so cool!!!)

New Etsy Goodies

2009-06-18T09:46:00.001-04:00

Check them out: www.smartlilcookie.etsy.com

This week's menu plan (pantry edition)

2009-06-16T15:02:00.002-04:00

soooo...I'm trying to keep the grocery budget as tiny as possible this week, due to the fact that I did some unbudgeted spending and I have to buy some things for a party on Saturday.

breakfasts will be any of the following: cereal, oatmeal, toast, yogurt, fruit (whatever I find on markdown at the grocery store)

Tuesday (bake bread, make paneer)
-Lunch: loaded baked potatoes or peanut butter crackers and apples
-Dinner: grilled cheese with tomatoes and pickles on homemade oatmeal bread & carrot sticks

Wednesday (grocery shopping)
-Lunch: PB&J with sliced apples and carrot sticks
-Dinner: grilled paneer and veggie skewers with homemade flatbread or tortillas

Thursday
-Lunch: vegetarian baked nachos with fresh salsa
-Dinner: pasta primavera with fresh veggies

Friday
-Lunch: grilled fish and sweet potatoes
-Dinner: brocolli beef skillet meal

Saturday
-Lunch: pizza party with a big salad, drinks, and popsicles
-Dinner: leftovers

Groceries needed:
-markdown produce
-red leaf lettuce
-tortillas?
-beverages for party
-paper plates for party
-ice for party

Bye-Bye Stripes!

2009-06-14T16:09:00.004-04:00

This room has been in a state of limbo for a while now. Once it was Autumn's nursery and we spent a LIFETIME measuring, taping off, and painting all these stripes.

Then, the window was knocked out and a couple doors put in when the addition was added. Autumn moved to the former master bedroom, and we got a new space.

No one really sees this space except us, so it's taken a while to get to.

The goal: office area for Matt as well as a space for the couponing/rebating to happen, and an area for shipping supplies for etsy/ebay/amazon sales when we get back into that.

Obviously, the stripes are not very condusive to actually working, so they had to go. They are being replaced by a simple pale gray, since there is no natural light in the room and we want to be able to see.

After looking at options for months, this will be Matt's new desk. Shelves to hold the printers, supplies, etc, and still a nice open desk area.

http://www.ikea.com/PIAimages/82078_PE207481_S4.jpg

Hummus Recipe

2009-06-12T18:30:00.004-04:00

Okay, I make this differently every single time I make it, but it always turns out good. This is one of Autumn's favorite foods when we go out to eat. It's hot down here and after a busy week, I decided on a no-cook dinner for tonight.

We'll basically be having apps from our favorite (no longer in business) restaurant. Homemade hummus, toasted pita bread and veggies for dipping, salad, greek olives. YUM!

So, tonight's hummus recipe...sorry, no actual measurements as I just dumped stuff in.

2-6 cloves of garlic peeled and quartered
1/3 cup or so of fresh lemon juice
2 cans garbanzo beans (chick peas) rinsed
1/2 - 2/3 cups tahini (sesame paste, the only pricey item in this recipe)
a couple tablespoons olive oil (optional)
a bit of water to help with blending, maybe a 1/3 cup?
a few dashes of ground cumin (optional)
salt to taste
fresh greek oregano, olive oil, ground black pepper or paprika for garnish (all optional)

-Put all the ingredients except water, salt, and garnish into blender. Begin blending and adding water bit by bit to work through all the ingredients. Add salt to taste. Blend some more until you get a consistent creamy consistency, scraping sides and stirring occasionally.

-Pour into containers and chill. Add olive oil, oregano, and pepper or paprika just before serving as garnish.

-This recipe makes a lot. You can keep in the fridge for up to a week or freeze. (But it never lasts long enough in our house for that)

two years

2009-06-10T23:56:00.004-04:00

Just found the picture of this same bed not long after I put it in. Yeah, definitely need to thin things out a bit.

Gardening Update - Part 5 - Finished...sort of

2009-06-10T19:09:00.003-04:00

Had to snap a picture of one of the magnolia blossoms in the big tree out front. They're so gorgeous right now.

This is the big bed along the carport I put in two year ago. When I put it in there was a total of three canna plants. There are at least 60 now. Nothing has stopped this bed. I pretty much neglected it since putting it in since we have had drought watering restrictions, but it doesn't mind at all. Everything in it has thrived. Too much in fact, all the bulbs in here really need to be divided.

Roses are taller than the roof of the carport now.

Oregano has turned into a huge plant as well. No matter how much I use I can't keep up.

Gardening Update - Part 4 - New Plantings

2009-06-10T18:59:00.003-04:00

These all look a little sad right now, as they're waiting to get established, but this is where the bulk of the work has been over the last few weeks. I've completely dug up these beds by hand and amended the soil and taken out all the old stuff and replanted. It has been incredibly hard intense work, but I'm hoping it will pay off by next year. We've already had butterlfies, bees, and a hummingbird visiting the new plantings. :-)

Gardening Update - Part 3

2009-06-10T18:54:00.003-04:00

Autumn loves helping me plant, especially when it means she gets to play in the sprinkler in between. Her attention span only lasts a few minutes on any task, but she still loves playing in the dirt. Today we were adding mulch to the little beds I put in around the trees a couple years ago. We also planted some annuals in after mulching, but I don't think those made it into the pics.

Gardening Update - Veggies Part 2

2009-06-10T18:46:00.007-04:00

This is the third raised bed I put in this year. This one obviously made of cinder blocks. Two more cages of tomatoes, more zucchini, more eggplant, a few sunflowers, a few carrots, LOTS of garlic, a big bunch of tarragon (thanks Michelle!)

There is also a large section of the garden not pictured that has blueberries and lots of random squash/pumpkins/vines growing.

Gardening Update - Veggies Part 1

2009-06-10T18:23:00.005-04:00

It's been taking just about every moment of my time lately, so I thought I would add some updated pics.

Please ignore the weeds and stuff. I'm in the process of adding more boxes/newspaper/leaves to the areas between the beds to keep the grass and weeds down, so that's what all the messy stuff is that you see in the pics.

First, this is the strawberry/herb bed. LOTS of strawberries, but we have yet to get one to eat. The squirrels have gotten them all before us. See how big the rosemary has gotten? We use it frequently, but can't keep up. This was a baby plant three years ago.

The first raised bed I put in this year. Made out of old yard timbers we pulled from a neighbors' trash pile. Five types of heirloom tomatoes (started from free seed in stryrofoam cups using the winter sow method), Zucchini, a bunch of herbs, bell peppers, chard. The tomatoes are really getting big and I think just about all have baby tomatoes on them. The cages I use are 5 1/2 feet to 6 feet high and are homemade out of concrete reinforcing mesh.

Second raised bed I put in this year, also made from old yard timbers. four more cages of tomatoes, hot peppers (we used a lot), eggplant (a bunch), okra, a little baby basil. And a bag of grounds from Starbucks waiting to be added in. :-)

The other side of the same bed above. You can see some of the buckets I made into planters to hold overflow items. Mostly basil. Autumn also has a bucket with collards growing in it. The board across the bed is so I can get to the middle without stepping on stuff.

Oven-Fried Chili Chicken Recipe

2009-06-09T22:52:00.001-04:00

Here's a link to the recipe for dinner tonight: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/ovenfriedchillichick_86437.shtml

We also had Basmati rice, spinach, and fresh cherries-YUM.

Life With The Girl - Thumbsucking Edition

2009-06-09T08:30:00.002-04:00

We've been going through a kind of traumatic time lately. A couple weeks ago, Autumn fell and nearly knocked one of her teeth out against a piece of furniture. She cut her gum pretty badly as well. The tooth tightened up again pretty quickly, but the gum has taken longer to heal.

As a result of the super-loose tooth, we put medical tape on her thumbs to try to keep them out of her mouth. You have to understand she sucks either one and one of them is in her mouth pretty much all the time. The tape has been a great reminder not to suck them.

And she hasn't. Not for the last couple weeks. Which I'm thankful for....

and also about to go crazy!

No sucking thumbs means its harder for her to go to sleep. And when she wakes up in the middle of the night (which inevitably happens...at least twice) she can't suck them to comfort herself back to sleep. Which means that she cries until she can think of something she has to tell me, then she screams her way to my room to tell me whatever it is.

Waking up several times a night to deal with a hysterical kid is really getting old.

Today's Publix Trip

2009-06-08T20:08:00.004-04:00

Thankfully, Matt had Autumn tonight, because this one was really complex. 32 coupons and had to ring a raincheck 8 times as well. Also had to make sure I got just the right items in the right amounts to get a $10 rebate gift card back.

Total after coupons, rain checks, rebate, and taxes: $30.51

Total savings (not even counting clearance items): $102.44!!!

Not only that, but after adding that coffee to my accumul8 rewards account, I'm one bag away from a $25 visa gift card!!!

Would have saved even more, but I got several items without coupons.

Menu Planning

2009-06-07T22:07:00.003-04:00

Things are so busy around here, we're going super simple this week. Breakfasts will be cereal, oatmeal, and/or waffles from the freezer.

Monday-(bake bread)
Lunch: PB&J, veggies
Dinner: brocolli beef meal from the freezer

Tuesday-(shopping day)
Lunch: penne with olive oil and veggies
Dinner: oven-fried chili chicken and salad

Wednesday-
Lunch: BLTs and fresh fruit
Dinner: baked potatoes with toppings

Thursday-
Lunch: potato and egg skillet with toast
Dinner: leftover pasta from tuesday

Friday-
Lunch: lemon pepper fish and roasted veggies
Dinner: hummus, pita, and veggies

Saturday-(paint office!)
Lunch: pasta with sauce from the freezer
Dinner: lentil soup with ham bone (lots of extra for freezer)

Sunday-
Lunch: lentil soup leftovers
Dinner: tacos with fresh salsa

Groceries Needed (we're running really low on fresh produce, so we'll have to buy a bunch)
-fresh ginger
-fresh green chilies
-lemons
-apples
-carrots
-cherries
-potatoes
-limes
-fresh cilantro (not getting enough from the garden)
-parmesan cheese
-tahini
-half and half
-milk

random

2009-06-01T23:16:00.000-04:00

This Week's Planned Menu

2009-05-31T21:26:00.003-04:00

Breakfasts will be either cereal or toast and yogurt. Trying to plan meals for Matt while he's working too, so that I'm not throwing stuff together for him to take at the last minute.

Monday (bake bread in the morning)
-Lunch: BLTs [lemon-pepper fish and veggies]
-Dinner: BBQ turkey meatballs with rice and garlic spinach

Tuesday (pick up markdown produce)
-Lunch: garden salads with garlic cheese toast
-Dinner: PB&J and fruit [leftovers]

Wednesday
-Lunch: whole wheat penne and sauce with steamed veggies or salad
-Dinner: cheese pizza and salad [leftovers]

Thursday (make Paneer)
-Lunch: egg sandwiches and fruit [leftovers]
-Dinner: penne with sauteed vegetables and parmesan

Friday (pick up spices)
-Lunch: out? or
-Dinner: Paneer and vegetable skewers

Saturday
-Lunch: away [leftovers]
-Dinner: away [out]

Sunday
-Lunch: sandwiches
-Dinner: mac and cheese and brocolli

Grocery List

Indian Spices
Onion
Green Pepper
Fruit
Tortillas
Parmesan Cheese

Getting there....

2009-05-29T22:48:00.004-04:00

This has been one of my major projects lately. And I won't lie. It's been backbreaking. The monkey grass is nearly impossible to divide and all those little trees you see? Many of them had root systems three feet long! It was a lot bigger project than I was counting on, but it looks so much better, even without being planted yet.

After digging up all of it by hand, I added around four inches of composted wood shavings/manure over shredded paper and a little kitchen compost.

Before:

After:
The monkey grass looks a little raggedy here, but it will come back really fast and really full, like it always does.

Princess Hair

2009-05-22T20:06:00.003-04:00

Glad Autumn has a lot of patience when it comes to her hair. It doesn't take too much time, but lots of hairspray afterwards if I don't want it to all blow away.

Salsa Recipe (Courtesy of Michelle)

2009-05-22T19:51:00.004-04:00

So...I gathered a few handfuls of fresh spinach, lettuce, and cilantro from the garden to go along with the quesadillas I was making for supper. There is something that just makes me happy about using fresh produce right from the garden! :-)

I also made some salsa using a recipe from my friend Michelle. I LOVE this salsa--something about the cilantro and lime makes it taste so fresh and summery. Instead of the tomatoes, chiles, and jalepeno, I used a can of Rotel (I have a ton of it from a Kroger deal a while back). I also added extra garlic and onion, because we really like both of those. :-)

Salsa

1 14 oz. can whole tomatoes

1 4oz can whole green chiles – diced ok if whole not available

1 clove garlic

½ jalepeno

juice of ½ lime

1 handful cilantro

salt to taste

1 teaspoon finely chopped white onion

Toss all ingredients (except onion) in blender. Pulse to desired consistency, and then add finely chopped onion. Serve with favorite tortilla chips

Savannah

2009-05-21T10:50:00.005-04:00

Last week we were in Savannah for the state GOP convention.

Pretty cool, because the convetion took place in the trade center on a little island in the harbor. After it was over on Saturday, we hopped on the ferry/water taxi and went over to River street. Had lunch and then stopped for a treat before heading home. Matt and Autumn had ice cream. I had a praline-yum!

The highlight of the whole trip for Autumn was throwing crusts of her sandwich to the pigeons and sparrows while waiting for the ferry back.

Cinnamon Sourdough Waffles...

2009-05-20T20:07:00.006-04:00

I had a ton of friendship bread starter that REALLY needed to be used. No desire to make a zillion loaves of bread, so I stuck one cup of starter in the freezer for future use, and mixed up bunches of waffles with the rest of the starter. There are several different recipes online, but this is what I did. All measurements are approximate, since I don't measure much when I bake.

-2 cups friendship bread starter
-1 1/4 cups flour
-1/4 cup oil
-2 eggs
-1 or 2 T sugar
-1 t salt
-1 1/2 t baking soda
-1 t vanilla
-1 t cinnamon

These make really light fluffy waffles. Each batch made 7 in my belgian waffle maker. I'll freeze them for later use. These would be good with nuts added.

Tiny Treasures

2009-05-20T00:07:00.004-04:00

Lately we've been finding lots of little egg shells in the yard, leftover from hatching songbirds.

Autumn collects them like the little treasures that they are.

When we picked this one up, there was an extra surprise.
Inside was the tiniest cricket I have ever seen.

Meal Plans for the Week

2009-05-18T22:13:00.003-04:00

I'm behind this week after being sick for the last several days. Trying to get a meal plan together though, because it really does make the week a lot easier.

We really stocked up on yogurt over the last couple weeks, so it looks like that will be making up a lot of our breakfasts. :-)

I'm trying to play with a new recipe at least once a week.

Tuesday
Breakfast - yogurt and granola
Lunch - PB&J on homemade bread (Matt gets pasta and meatballs)
Dinner - vegetable red curry with Jasmine rice

Wednesday
Breakfast - yogurt and homemade toast
Lunch - leftover curry
Dinner - garden salad and garlic cheese toast

Thursday
Breakfast - cereal or oatmeal
Lunch -BLTs on homemade bread (matt will get steamed fish and rice)
Dinner - homemade hawiian pizza with salad

Friday
Breakfast - yogurt and granola
Lunch -whole-wheat pasta salad with lots of fresh veggies
Dinner - chicken quesadillas with fresh salsa

Saturday
Breakfast - cereal or soyjoy bars
Lunch -leftovers
Dinner - Chilean chicken and brown rice

Sunday
Breakfast - soyjoy bars
Lunch - out or sandwiches
Dinner - leftovers

can you say precocious?

2009-05-18T13:54:00.002-04:00

So, we're leaving the grocery store and the cashier waves at Autumn, "Bye-bye."

Autumn smiles and says, "Goodbye! See you later, Buttercup!"

Where did she come from?

Sick

2009-05-14T19:51:00.003-04:00

Autumn and I both have a cold. Yuck. One of those nasty ones that settles into your sinuses and makes it feel like your head is a very very heavy balloon. Autumn is also coughing constantly.

Priscilla's Red Velvet Cake

2009-05-13T11:53:00.002-04:00

RED VELVET CAKE

2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour

1 cup of buttermilk

1 ½ cups of sugar

1 ½ cups of Wesson oil

1 teaspoon of soda

1 teaspoon of vinegar

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 teaspoon of cocoa

2 eggs

1 bottle of red food coloring (1 ounce)

Sift flour, sugar, soda, salt, and cocoa together. Add the buttermilk, Wesson oil, vinegar, vanilla, eggs, and food coloring in order and mix thoroughly. Bake in 3 layers. Grease and flour the baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes.

Frosting

1 stick of margarine

1 box of confectioners sugar

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese

½ teaspoon of vanilla

1 cup of chopped pecans

Soften margarine and cream cheese at room temperature. Mix together. Add confectioners sugar and mix well. Add vanilla and pecans and mix well.

making the day a little brighter

2009-05-13T11:49:00.002-04:00

Something that will make even a rough day a little brighter...no matter what.

Beautiful glads from the front yard.

I think I'll go cut some orange daylilies in a bit, too.

Baby Burp Cloths

2009-05-04T17:12:00.002-04:00

Digging through Autumn's desk to set it up for an art center and found embroidered burp cloths in one drawer. She wanted to know what they were and how to use them, so we had a lesson on burping baby dolls. Isn't she a cute "mommy"?

Artscow Photo Printing

2009-05-01T10:11:00.001-04:00

First things first, yes, it's a weird name. But it's a GREAT service!

Yesterday I processed my monthly photo order for 100 more free photos. (50 4x6s and 50 5x7s) I try to do this at the end of every month. Keeps me up to date on photo printing and ensures that I get the most out of my 1200 free prints.

Shipping is a bit higher from Artscow, since it is international, but I always calculate shipping into the cost of any photo printing service, so ArtsCow is still a great deal. Especially considering that you get 5x7s, too!

I have been very impressed with the quality of the product I've received from Artscow. I have never had any issues with them and the prints are perfect, crisp, and clear. Very high quality.

If you would like to sign up with my referral link and get your own 1200 free prints, you can do so here: Artscow

Menu for the next week and a half

2009-04-29T15:35:00.004-04:00

getting this done late, so I'm doing the rest of this week and next week. this is always subject to change based on matt's schedule. :-)

Nicest thing is, other than lettuce, greens, and bean sprouts, all of these ingredients are in my freezer and pantry.

Today

Dinner - Turkey Taco Salad

Thursday

Breakfast - Oatmeal
Lunch - Grilled Cheese (homemade bread) and Tomato Soup
Dinner - Steamed Thai Tuna over Rice with Asian Veggies

Friday

Breakfast - Banana Nut Muffins
Lunch - Leftover Turkey Taco Salad
Dinner - Skillet Meal or OUT (maybe a date night?)

Saturday

Breakfast - Leftover Muffins
Lunch - PB&J, Fruit, Rice Cakes
Dinner - Chicken Dinner (pick up for crop)

Sunday

Breakfast - Toast with Pear Butter
Lunch - Sandwiches or out with family
Dinner - Asparagus Quiche and Salad

Monday

Breakfast - Oatmeal
Lunch - Taco Soup
Dinner - Penne with sauteed vegetables and garlic

Tuesday

Breakfast - Oatmeal or Cereal
Lunch - Leftover Taco Soup
Dinner - Pecan Crusted Pork Tenderloin and Steamed Rice and Broccoli

Wednesday

Breakfast - Toast with Pear Butter
Lunch - PB&J, Fruit, Yogurt
Dinner - BBQ Tenderloin, Sweet Potatoes, Greens

Thursday

Breakfast - Oatmeal
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Homemade Pizza and Salad

Friday

Breakfast - Oatmeal or Cereal
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Pad Thai with lots of Veggies

Saturday

Breakfast - Oatmeal or Cereal
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Lemon Pepper Tuna with Rice and Veggies

Vocalpoint - Free Samples and Coupons

2009-04-29T14:44:00.003-04:00

If you're not already a member of Vocalpoint, you should really check it out! It's a free program designed to advertise products via word of mouth. They send free samples and coupons out every so often and surveys occasionally as well. I LOVE them! It's not a points or cash earning opportunity, just a chance to try new products and get coupons.

To join go here: http://site.vocalpoint.com/guest/index.html

Just this morning, Autumn had a bowl of frosted mini-wheats for breakfast that came in the mail yesterday along with coupons. (You can also learn from Vocalpoint-I had no idea that a bowl of mini-wheats with milk had the same amount of protien and fiber as an egg and two slices of whole wheat toast!)

Visit to Dauset Trails - part 2

2009-04-28T21:29:00.002-04:00

Lovin' a day out with Daddy. Totally stole the idea for this photo from my friend Kim.

Visit to Dauset Trails - part 1

2009-04-28T21:26:00.002-04:00

Great free wildlife park we visited to see the birds of prey (we're studying them in pre-school).

Tonight's Publix Run

2009-04-28T21:10:00.002-04:00

Gotta love BOGO sales with coupons!

2 boxes Teddy Grahams
2 cans Almonds
2 jars Premium Peaches
2 jars Skippy Peanut Butter
10 boxes Frozen Marinated Fish Fillets

cost: $5.21
tax: $1.17

saved: $80.32

Autumn's Invisible Friend

2009-04-21T14:45:00.003-04:00

He's been around for a while, but I only recently found out that he is a "he".

She talks to him a lot. I'll hear her babbling on and ask her what she's talking about, only to be informed that she was not talking to me, but to him.

Yesterday I was told that his name is Wilbur.

He is currently "at work and [she's] talking to him on the phone" while she cleans up her legos.

Sometimes he is big. Sometimes he is small. She can pretty much always tell you where he happens to be standing and sometimes it's the most unlikely place...

...considering that no matter what other aspects of him change he is always a cow.

don't forget...

2009-04-21T12:34:00.001-04:00

...to get your .50 iced coffee at Dunkin Donuts today! :-)

after the rain...

2009-04-03T10:50:00.002-04:00

we went outside and were walking around the yard looking at all the late-blooming azaleas and yellow iris...and we walked under the flowering pear (?) that is in our yard. autumn was complaining about the mess under the tree and i explained that those were just flower petals that had fallen because of the rain. apparently, that was a little over her head...

because she keeps talking about playing in flower puddles instead.

Got Flowers?

2009-03-10T17:49:00.002-04:00

There are plenty in my etsy shop! www.smartlilcookie.etsy.com

It's Snowing?!?!?!?

2009-03-01T11:11:00.002-05:00

What on earth????

TONS of snow...TONS OF IT falling from the sky. And it's starting to stick. This is insane.

For those of you who don't know, we start planting a garden in February here. Snow does NOT happen in middle GA!!!

a few vacation photos from last month

2009-02-26T23:36:00.001-05:00

in st augustine

just because i have a few minutes...

2009-02-26T23:33:00.003-05:00

making bread (autumn makes her own little loaf every week)

and, yes, it's true. we STILL don't have a backsplash in the kitchen. if someone wants to come teach me how to tile, i would love to learn!

ugh...

2009-02-26T23:31:00.001-05:00

we've got a bug at our house again. actually sitting here waiting for my nyquil stuff to kick in so i can breathe and go to bed. autumn is miserable. the house is falling apart. ugh.

m-a-t

2009-01-21T13:41:00.003-05:00

so every time autumn sounds out the word "mat" she gets so so excited because "that's my daddy's name!!! i read my daddy's name!"

she cracks me up.

(fyi-we're doing "teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons." not my idea to learn to read this early. it's autumn's. she's been begging for months, so we're playing around with it. she loves the book.)

Valentine's Goodies

2009-01-03T17:49:00.001-05:00

check them out.

What Winter?

2009-01-03T17:42:00.003-05:00

Visiting the Hay House and having a tea party with the girls. In late December. Seriously. Someone needs to create a line of Christmas-y clothes for girls who live in the South.

Matt's Girls

moving

smile

Menu Plan

Dinner

Outside Today

And a Few More Pics From the Farm

More Pics From the Farm

Pics From the Farm

The Princess In the Bouncy House

Frugal Gardening - Starting Seeds - Part 2

Frugal Gardening - Starting Seeds - Part 1

Butterfly House

So Far Behind...

Hitting the Pause Button

Mini Vacation

Week Two Wrap Up

Freebie Shopping

Another Pantry Meal Plan

School

A Pic For Tonight

Week One Wrap-Up

Pantry Update and Menu Plan

Happiness Is...

Happiness Is...

January Eat From the Pantry Challenge

24 Days of December

Baking Day - Cookies

Craftday - Part One

Indian-Spiced Turkey Burgers

"Baking Day" Part Four

"Baking Day" Part Three

"Baking Day" Part Two

"Baking Day" Part One

Rain Rain

Starting School

Family Favorite Sweet Zucchini Recipes

A few more Indiana Pictures

A few Indiana Pictures

First Cleaning

Crazy Kroger Shopping

Friday Shopping

Shopping Trip Wednesday

Shopping Trip - Wednesday

play

My Survey - earn cash for easy surveys

Running Water...

Life

Meal Planning

I *heart* SwagBucks!!!

Right Now

Today's Grocery Trip

Domino's American Legands Pizza Party - Part 1

Domino's American Legends Pizza Party - Part 2

Domino's American Legends Pizza Party Photos - Part 3

Domino's House Party

New Etsy Goodies

This week's menu plan (pantry edition)

Bye-Bye Stripes!

Hummus Recipe

two years

Gardening Update - Part 5 - Finished...sort of

Gardening Update - Part 4 - New Plantings

Gardening Update - Part 3

Gardening Update - Veggies Part 2

Gardening Update - Veggies Part 1

Oven-Fried Chili Chicken Recipe

Life With The Girl - Thumbsucking Edition

Today's Publix Trip

Menu Planning

random

This Week's Planned Menu

Getting there....

Princess Hair

Salsa Recipe (Courtesy of Michelle)

Savannah

Cinnamon Sourdough Waffles...

Tiny Treasures

Meal Plans for the Week

can you say precocious?

I heart SwagBucks!!!