box of cream cheese

would you look at this cute appetizer for christmas.

read all about it HERE

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$5 subscriptions for a year

House Beautiful for a one year subscription $5 HERE

Real Simple for a one year subscription $5 HERE

thanks southern savers for the tip

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cuties coupon

produce coupons are so rare so i wanted to get this one to you. i think that they are on sale this week at kroger. don't forget to hit the back arrow in the top right corner of the page (about 3 times depending on your computer) to print another. do not exit out or you will only print one. you will need to register at the top of the cuties page to get the coupons. stock up this week while they are on sale. i think you can print 2 per computer in your home.

http://www.thethriftymama.com/2009/11/cuties-fruit-coupons.html

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great giveaway at keeper of the home

go HERE and sign up for this awesome giveaway. what a great way to be environmentally friendly, stylish, and health conscience all at the same time. i think these are great!

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advent calendar

HERE is an adorable advent calendar. you can print it for free. here is a cute picture showing what one lady did with the advent calendar.

special thanks to: ciciartfactory.com and modeco kids

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another giveaway

well lets do another pair of mugs just because it is almost Christmas time and there is no other time of year that is better to me. my sweet friend, Rachel over at Adventures of a Newlywed (listed in my delightful blog section) blogged about the weekend giveaway and she was just so sweet in her description of my blog i just had to giveaway two more. so comment away! if you entered the first giveaway and did not win enter again. and rachel...you go ahead and enter 3 times since you did all three the last time and i did not count it. anyone else that wants to add my button or blog about the giveaway can enter multiple times too! love you girls!

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photo credit: two preppy girls

Weekend Winner

the winner of the pair of mugs is Rebecca! Congratulations Rebecca! Rebecca is not only the winner of the mugs, she is a winner at life, a life worth living. You should go here and read her story. Rebecca and her husband are in the process of adopting more children, they have already adopted 3. I read her blog after she was chosen as the winner and i am amazed at God's hand on this family's life. Head over HERE to read all about Rebecca and her lovely family. Rebecca, you can email from the link on my blog and we will chat about your mugs.

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weekend giveaway

...just because i think your great!

2 monogrammed coffee mugs. one for you and one for a friend or loved one.

you can enter multiple times by doing one, some, or all of the following:

• leave a comment telling me your #1 gift wish for christmas
• post about this giveaway on your blog and leave the url for me in the comment section
• place my blog button on your blog

happy commenting:)

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photo credit: polkadotstationery

herbs

i just wanted to put the question out there...who uses fresh herbs in the winter? where do you place them in the house? what herbs do the best indoors? i have had great success with herbs in the summer during growing season but i have yet to bring them in for the winter season. let me know any tips that you have in regard to the topic. looking forward to the responses.

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catching up

man...it has been a whirlwind around here lately. my beds are still unmade today, that should speak volumes. anyway, i am sorry this week has been so light on the posts so i am going to do a multi-task post to catch you up.

first off...deals of the week. here are the best that i have found
kroger: HERE

cooking and baking for the week
made 2 chocolate pies this morning. i went ahead and made two by doubling the recipe. i am sold on the whole double the recipe idea. it is not any more difficult and really is a time saver down the road. by the way, we are still feasting on all of the breads, muffins, and granola that i doubled and tripled the recipes for in weeks past. it has really cut down on my time in the kitchen when preparing for dinner.
tip for the day:
a couple of weeks ago i ran up to trader joes. it is really my favorite grocery store. wish they doubled coupons:) and there was one closer. i specifically went for items that you can rarely find on sale and next to never have coupons for. on such items, i think that trader joes has very competitive pricing if not cheaper than kroger. plus most of the items were organic that i purchased. i have attached a picture of the items that i purchased that day. my total for all of the items was right around $100.00 which seemed like a huge amount of money to spend since i have been couponing. i will tell you that i got a ton of nuts and dried fruit. those things are always pricey no matter where you buy them. i usually try to make a trip like 3 to 4 times a year. that usually holds us over until the next trip and i find the quality of the goods far surpase the conventional goods that i could purchase at kroger. i would highly recommend doing a shopping trip like this if your family consumes these kinds of foods.
recommendation for the day:
HERE are the cutest little gifts you have ever seen. love this site!
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granola

this granola is the best i have EVER had. one of my dearest friends shared this with me. everything she makes is delish and this is no exception!

finished product...next time i will use quart jars instead of half gallon. it took some working with a butter knife to get the granola from the bottom of the jar.
loading the granola in the jars
mixing in the fruit once the granola is baked

granola baking in the oven

granola recipe:

1 18 oz. container old fashion oats

1 1/2 cups sliced almonds

1 1/2 cups pepitas

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans ( i omit these because my hubby does not like them)

1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut

1 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 cups of honey or maple syrup

3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 cups chopped dried fruit

preheat oven to 350 degrees. toss oats, nuts, coconut, cinnamon, and brown sugar until well mixed. heat the honey and oil until warm. pour over the dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are coated with honey mixture. spread mixture onto lightly greased cookie sheet with edges. bake, stirring frequently to brown evenly about 15-25 minutes. keep a close eye on the granola as toward the end of browning, it turns very quickly. remove from the oven and add the dried fruit and stir occasionally to break up clumps and cool. this is easily doubled or tripled and keeps for up to weeks.

walgreens- free tissues and cheap diapers

read all about it HERE.

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pumpkin

last week i tackled a new area of food preservation. pumpkins. the above picture is what i was able to freeze using 3 small pie pumpkins. i think that it was well worth the effort and i also toasted the seeds for a yummy snack. our children love toasted pumpkin seeds. here is a great post that walks you through pumkin preserving. make sure that you freeze the pumpkin instead of canning it. you can read all about it HERE. also, quite a few stores have pumkins really cheap right now. i paid $3 total for the pumpkins that i used to make this puree.

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last minute sew night

if there are enough people that are interested in a sew night on thursday i am more than willing to host one. it would be an "open sew". bring whatever project that you want to work on and i will assist. also if you would like to come and learn how to sew feel free. i have a machine that you can work with for the evening. let me know if you plan on coming.

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photo credit: slack daily

stockpile these

there are a few fresh items that i would grab at kroger this week to chop up and freeze for quick prep or for nutrients in a smoothie later.

bananas- freeze them for smoothies or bread. i bought 4 bunches. they are 39 cents a pound.

yellow onions in the bag - food process them. put the in cup size or 1/2 cup size portions in Ziploc and freeze for quick prep at dinner. you do not even have to let them thaw before using them in a recipe, especially if you are sauteing them.

land o lakes butter - usually $3.99 on sale for 1.99 think of all the holiday baking when you are gauging the amount you should purchase. butter freezes great. i do not think it affects it at all.

king arthur flour - it is on sale. if you are particular about your flour it is a good deal this week. i buy other brands but this is my favorite. there is a coupon out there for this and yeast in combination but i would only use the coupon unless you really need the yeast because you are not saving money buying that big container of yeast. the small packets are cheaper with an individual coupon for yeast.

pears - can be canned or frozen. HERE is a great post on canning pears.

cascadian farm cereal and granola bars - they are $2.99 and if you look there are pealies on some of the boxes for $1 off two. there is also a coupon in that pealie for $1 off 2 cascadian frozen vegetables. the vegetables are on sale too.

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go HERE to read how to buy 5 board games (nice ones) for $4.95 TOTAL!!!!!!! this is a great deal! perfect for classroom gifts, children's christmas gifts or even a hard to buy for adult. who doesn't like scrabble?

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boiron children's flu relief

i am thanking the Lord that we have not had to use the samples that i received in the mail a few weeks ago. i highlighted the products that i received HERE. well this week, starting on Sunday the flu relief product, Boirion Children's Oscillococcinum, is on sale at CVS for pennies compared to its normal price. see the information HERE on how to purchase it for very cheap. apparently there is another coupon that can be combined with the manufacturer's coupon in the CVS $100 flu booklet. Ask for it if you can't find it by the pharmacy counter. The coupon is for $2 off a Boiron Homopathic Item. If you buy two of these you will get $10 back in an ECB, use 2 of the coupons from the CVS booklet so that is $4 off and then use 2 of the online printable coupons found on the link that i gave you above and you will pay $16.oo and get $10 back in ECB's. So basically you will pay $6 for something that would normally cost $24.

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child's contribution chart

UPDATE...the pdf allows you to type the child's name and the contributions that you would like for them to make to the home. so nice!

i love this chart. it is super cute, free, and i love the reference to chores as contributions. go HERE to print it out. i saved the pdf to my computer so i can access it anytime.

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thanks to modeco kids and holy experience for the tip on the chart

vitamin A

here is the long list of ailments and benefits of vitamin A

• night blindness/other eye problems
• some skin disorders
• acne
• important in the formation of bones and teeth
• protects against colds, flu, and infections of the kidneys, bladder, and lungs
• guards against heart disease and stroke
• lowers cholersterol
• it is a wrinkle eliminator
• reduces fine lines in the skin
• helps fight age spots

antibiotics, laxatives, and some lowering cholesterol drugs interfere with the absorption of vitamin A.

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link for the old schoolhouse holiday christmas magazine

a couple of you have requested this...here you go.

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001_3wh4u6-fR9LapwmElAw5i1-GZPFFk7_1sg_HNhOmUGBfhBIIMhSrW8Xqze0PMkrQpVsOTcG7gnYIZxZrg23Oq9kwDs4W-inQU--cs0GaEbC4nS0jiIVEr4oy5Yx-6Nl

click the above link and it will open the magazine. i salved it as a pdf on my computer so i can refer to it quickly. and i am a fanatic about keeping my inbox clean. you would have never guessed that about me, i am sure:)

$5 off $20 at CVS

http://www.southernsavers.com/2009/11/another-cvs-printable-coupon/

deals-november week 1

couldn't help it...this just makes me laugh. this is me...in the greatest American hero's body. do you remember that show? it used to be one of my favorites. just thought you might need a laugh today. now down to business...

here are links with lists for the local stores and their sales this week. before you go to the stores visit coupon corner on the sidebar of my blog to print and load all of you coupons. read a little more about coupon corner here. you will also want to print off your lists for kroger, cvs, and walgreen's from the link that i am giving you on southern savers. there is a printable list icon at the top of the list. hope these links help make things easier. also if you are new to couponing read this post.


Kroger here
CVS here
Walgreens here
Whole Foods here


hey...if you are new to the blog, leave a comment and let me know other ways i can help or information that i can find and provide for all of you out there. thanks for stopping by! have a great day.


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how i feel...what i know

I saw this post over at incourage and it describes perfectly how i feel and the blessings that I have been given. just wanted to share it with you today.

"If I were to write a list documenting people, experiences, feelings, and items for which I am thankful, that list would number in the thousands. Friendship would near the top of the list...only a few notches down from God's grace, my husband's forgiving heart, and sound of my kids' belly laughter.
And friendship begets more list items like: words of assurance, understanding smiles, insightful conversations, extract-the-air-from-my-lungs funny moments, being handed a stain remover pen after spilling purple grape juice down my white shirt, and people who *get* me.

“As iron sharpens iron, so does one man (woman) sharpen another” - Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)

Friendship equals blessings...both being blessed and being the blessing. I find that when I spend time cultivating new friendships and time kindling friendships that span decades (and all those friendships in between) that feelings of warmth and gratitude increase.
This occurs not only because I am thankful for specific friends and memories, but because true friends encourage and inspire me to make better decisions, give more of myself, let go of unrealistic expectations, and cling tightly to what matters above all things.While calendar squares have a tendency toward overcrowding during the holiday season, scheduling time aside for fun with friends can increase joy. "

you can find the writer of this post here

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Old Schoolhouse Holiday Idea Book

the old schoolhouse is a homeschooling magazine that i have been introduced to through some of the blogs that i read. while i do not homeschool, i think that it is a noble calling and i also like many of the activities and information that is given in the publication. one of the resources that they have made available this thanksgiving and christmas season is a pdf magazine. it is 181 pages full of recipes, activities for the family or the classroom, and much much more. i encourage you to check it out and see what you think. if you would like to receive this email me and i will send you the pdf or you can comment with you email and i will send it. the magazine is absolutely free.

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photo credit: red bubble