resolute

dinner with the family, fireworks on the beach, mexican train dominoes, an herbal neck wrap, and a cup of cocoa. happy new year.
~type to you soon~

my favorite shop

i am so sad tonight about a favorite of mine that is closing. there is a little shop that i frequent and it is the highpoint of a gloomy day. it is a lovely little shop that makes anyone who enters smile. the lady that works there is more lovely than a spring day. her kindness and disposition are such a sweet reminder of the way we are to treat others. she always has a lollipop for my children when we come into her shop. when i heard this sad news all i could think of was another favorite of mine, the movie "you've got mail". kathleen kelley tried her hardest to make her lovely shop around the corner a success admist the big book store, fox books from taking all of her business. i think it is such a sad state of affairs. a small business rarely makes it among all of the supercenters and chains. i have learned through this that i am going to have to support people and places that i love.
~type to you soon~

clip 'em

I looked through the adds today, yes while on vacation because I am serious about this saving money thing. I went to Publix, CVS, and Walgreens tonight. For $73.00 I was able to buy the following:
(2) 38 count Dixie plates
(2) large bags of fresh spinach
nail polish remover
dawn dish soap
6 Christmas cookie tins that originally retailed for $10
80 Christmas napkins
Angel soft toliet paper (4 rolls)
4 boxes of Kleenex tissues
45 box of Glad trash bags
(2) bags of Lays potato chips
(2) Publix baby wipes unscented
Jumbo pack diapers
(3) Cascadian Farm organic granola bar boxes
(3) cans of Pringles
(2) Sweet Baby Ray bar-b-q sauce
St. Ives face scrub
Blistix Soothing Herbal Chapstick
(2) Pace Salsa jars
4 pack of energizer batteries
bag of black eyed peas
(2) bags of Chex Mix
(2) boxes of frosted mini wheats
1 box of frosted flakes
cotton balls
My point in listing all of this out is to show my massive following :) that clipping coupons, shopping sale items only, buying enough to last for a while, and shopping at a few stores if time allows will save quite a bit of money. Had I purchased these items at the regular retail price I would have paid $61 more. Imagine your savings over weeks, months, and years. thegrocerygame.com has helped me imensly with my efforts. If you sign up please fill in my email address for your referal friend, domesticchick@yahoo.com. The clipping really does not take that much time once you get into a grove. You can also find many coupons online or in your grocery store. Save ones that you think you might not use. You would be surprised how many items you can get for free or pennies when it is on sale and you have a coupon. You might be willing to try something new if it is free.
~type to you soon~

little g's light

the other day little g found a light on the tree that was not working. his solution to the problem was the ceiling fan remote. i can hear the logic rolling around in that little head...this turns on the light up there so it will fix this little light here. i am going to press this button until the light works or my fingernails turn pasty white.
~type to you soon~

a simple pleasure

i have found game night with the family is even better with snacks. colors inspired by the season. nothing like fresh fruit dipped in chocolate. a simple pleasure.

~type to you soon~

happy birthday Jesus

we were at the beach yesterday and i was watching my youngest play. i was sitting there observing the way little boys move around, curiously looking at the sand, birds and waves. i thought, mary watched Jesus the same way that i was watching little g. i am sure at the time she could not fathom the impact her little boy would make on the earth. the changes He would make in all the hearts that He penetrated. the lives that would radically be different after knowing Him. i looked at the footprints in the sand that little g made and i realized that all mothers hope their child will make a stamp on the world. a stamp of greatness, kindness, and holiness. oh the joy mary's heart must have known as her son, Jesus Christ, changed the world one sinner at a time! please celebrate this christmas knowing we have been given the greatest gift ever given. a savior in a manger.
~type to you soon~

delicious treats and book

warm weather and hot cocoa go hand in hand, right? we did some baking today using my favorite baking book. betty crocker's cooky book is by far the best baking book there is. it is vintage, copyright 1963. today was spritz cookie day. the baking was made even sweeter by the new cookie press we found at marshall's for a fraction of the cost. it is stainless steel and super nice! the other delicious treat on the plate is a wonderfully easy carmel corn that my friend tara passed along. we even used microwave popcorn for the recipe. the popcorn we used was simple with no added flavor. the recipe is below. a cup of hot cocoa is calling my name. ~type to you soon~

Microwave Carmel Corn

Spray a brown paper bag with PAM and set aside
Pop 6qts of Popcorn ( 2 – 3quart pans) Put in bag
In a microwave safe dish put :
1 stick of butter
1 Cup brown sugar
¼ Cup light Karo corn syrup
½ tsp salt
Microwave for 2 minutes remove and stir and Microwave for another 2 minutes remove and add ½ tsp of baking soda continue stirring until it because light in color and fluffy. Pour over Popcorn in bag and stir with a wooden spoon. Fold bag closed and microwave bag for 1 minute remove and shake bag and microwave for another minute. Shake and pour out on counter or tear bag open and spread popcorn out to cool.

sleep little g

we left friday at 2:30 pm and little g didn't take a nap. we stopped for dinner around 6:30 and i thought surely it would be an early night for little g. no sleep anytime before 10:30. little g was wired for sound. he was doing push ups on my chest at 3:30 am illegally. sleep did not come for little g until close to 5 am, yes 5 am. sleep for little g, sweet release. praise the lord! little g has recovered quite nicely but next time little g requires travel over 8 hours, little g will be on a plane with momma.
~type to you soon~

free shipping day

December 18th is free shipping day for over 200 stores. You can find those stores here http://www.freeshippingday.com/. Enjoy this little money saving tip and have a wonderful Christmas with those you love. With or without gifts from the stores above.
~type to you soon~

dinner out, anyone?

here is a great deal for a nice dinner out with your family. restaurant.com is offering a promotion right now. if you purchase certificates from the site for restaurants that you enjoy and use the SANTA code in the promotion code box a $25 gift certificate will cost you $2. you will have to spend a certain amount at the restaurant to use the certificate but usually it is only $25 or $35 dollars. so, you get a $50 or $60 meal for $27 or $37. you can't beat it! check it out. i just purchased some certificates for some places in florida we will try on vacation. if you are in my area, indigo is on the list of restaurants that offer the special promotions. special thanks to katie at cincinnati cents for the tip!
~type to you soon~

laundry mondays

this is the story of my life on mondays, and tuesdays, and wednesdays... i think you get my drift. 3 children, momma, and daddy for 2 days without the washer running = this!!! my laundry room was spotless on friday night. what happened? how long does it take for you to aquire this much monday bliss? oh the joys of really being needed!
~type to you soon~

nancy's spinach salad

my friend nancy walker makes the best spinach salad in the world. the dressing is really what makes the relatively ordinary salad extraordinary. here is the recipe:

1 pound of spinach torn

1/2 can bean sprouts (optional) drained and chilled

8 slices of bacon fried and diced

3 hard boiled eggs chopped

and now the the dressing*:

1 cup of canola oil

1/2 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of ketchup

1/4 cup of vinegar

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp minced onion

1 tsp of worchestershire sauce

be sure to whisk this dressing with a vengeance -incorporate ladies, incorporate.

*only use half of the dressing for this size of a salad

~type to you soon~

up & running

i have finally done it...created a blog of my own. i look forward to posting about my life as a child of Jesus Christ, a wife, a momma, a friend to some of the greatest girls in the world, and all the domesticness (if that is a word) i can manage to conjure up in a day.

~type to you soon~