Christmas Kitchen Cabinets

Hey all!

We all like to decorate for the holidays, but do we all decorate our kitchens? I know up until recently, I always seemed to not decorate my kitchen. But heck, we are in the kitchen 50% or more of the time, so why not???

It doesnt' take much. This whole look costs me only about $10.

Start with some regular wired ribbon. If its long enough, tie it on the inside of the cabinet. If its not, just tape it on the inside of the cabniet.

Next, simply place your bow, in the center of the cabinet, on the ribbon.

Hope this helps inspire you to decorate a room that you wouldnt' normally think of. Happy Holidays!

Stocking Stuffers for the Pre-teen

Hey all!
As you may or may not know, my oldest daughter is 11 yrs old. This is a difficult time because the gitfts she wants are now becoming more expensive. But one thing I know I can always knock outta the park, are the stockings for her. They are so fun and can be pretty easy as well. Afterall, girls know what girls like.
I have a list here with some ideas that you can use for your own preteen girl stocking:


*ear buds (most discount stores like FiveBelow have these in all colors and styles)

*funky socks

*chapstick

*anti bacterial gel (Bath & Body works usually has them 5 for $5, adn they are better then $1 at the dollar store)

*lipgloss

*mini body spray

*gum

Hope this list gives you a few ideas that you may have been looking for. Happy Holidays!!!

Is Thanksgiving lost?

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and for me, it means the beginning of the Holiday season. I know a lot of people don't want to think about Christmas or anything until Thanksgivings comes and goes, but for me, Thanksgiving is just the start of it all. But its true that, Thankgiving is getting lost.

Don't get me wrong, I still NEED to have a home cooked Thanksgiving meal. But I am not obsessed with making sure its a big deal of a dinner, as I remmeber from when I was a kid.

I think it comes from the fact that over the last 5 yrs or so, its been a struggle to figure out who is having Thanksgiving. Most of my family has apartments that are too small to hold us all. So we got a house finally, but not everyone seems like they want to come here every year. So the last few years, its just been us and my one sister. And although its great that she helps me keep the tradition of a real home cooked meal alive, its lost its flare.

I hope to one day, when my girls get older, re-gain the big family dinner event. but for now, I am OK with it being small. However, because I have grown to be OK with it, I feel as though I am slowly phasing it out. I can't let that happen, but its been hard.

But if you think about it, the way retail works, is not helping with families keeping the traditions of Thanksgiving alive. They push Christmas sooner and sooner. Which I personally find OK, because with limited income, I have to shop for Christmas throughout a couple months. I also love Christmas so much, I like that it lasts a little longer. Which is why I think of Thanksgiving as the kick off to Christmas.

I'm not sure where this rant is going, or even what my thoughts really are. But yes, Thanksgiving seems to be getting lost in the mix of Christmas. Both in the retail world and in the family gathering manner. 

My point I guess, is that we need to stop blaming retail for there not being a Thanksgiving anymore. Its up to us, to keep the family traditions alive and going. If we give up, we are allowing Thanksgiving to disappear.

Vent over.

Green bean casserole

Thanksgiving and Christmas come with a lot of traditions. Food being one of them. Growing up, every year I looked forward to my aunts green bean casserole.  And now as an adult, I make my own version of it, which has become a tradition for our holidays now as well.

Very easy and only take 4 simple ingredients.

Ingredients:
*1 can cream of mushroom soup
*1/2 cup of milk
*2 cans of green beans, drained (any cut you like. or you can use 4 cups of frozen or fresh beans, but  I suggest you cook them and drain them well before adding to casserole)
*French Fried Onions

Directions:
 *Mix the soup and milk together well (add salt/pepper to taste is optional)
*Stir in the drained green beans, until all is well combined
*Take just a handful of the onions, and mix them in as well (optional)
*Bake for about 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees
*Take casserole out and coat the dish with the rest of the fried onions on top
*Place back in oven for about another 5-10 minutes until the onions become browned a little

ENJOY!

'Tis the Season Bucket List

Tis the Season Bucket List

* Build a Gingerbread House 
 
* Bake holiday cookies
 
* Drive around looking at Christmas lights
 
* Drink hot chocolate
 
* Once your tree is decorated, shut off all the lights, and lay under the tree looking up
 
* Write a letter to Santa
 
* Have a family photo taken
 
* Make a craft or ornament
* Watch a Christmas movie or two
 
* Attend a holiday parade
 
* Read a Christmas story book with someone you love
 * Visit Santa and tell him about that special wish you have

Stockings for gifts

Do you ever realize that the older we get, the less joys of Christmas we get as well. For instance, Christmas stockings. Once the kids are grown up, do we really keep that tradition? Not all the time. But its still a fun tradition!

If you are feeling blocked on what to get someone, and  worrying about making sure its the perfect gift, try bringing back some Christmas magic. Fill a stocking for them, and give that as a gift.

You can find really cute stockings in the Dollar Tree around Christmas. you can also even find a few little items to throw in the stocking as well.

I did this last year for my parents, and they liked the idea so much, they asked me to do it again.

Here are a few idea of items you can place in the stockings:

*small candle
*wax melts for the person who has a wax warmer
*lighters/matches for those candle lovers
*book marks for the book worms
*pens or notebooks for writer
*For that diva in your life, make-up is always a great stocking stuffer
*small kitchen items like measuring cups or salt/pepper shakers for the baker in your life

Have fun with it!  Just because people might grow out of the stocking phase because the kids are all grown, or they don't have kids, or whatever the case may be, doesn't mean they won't enjoy a little stocking under their tree.

Simple way to Extending Christmas Morning

As a parent at Christmas time, we do a lot of work. Myself, for instance, I research gifts and prices and best deals for at least 2 months ahead of time. I have spreadsheets and lists galore.Then we spend hours wrapping each gift and trying to make it look perfect....just to watch the little buggers rip it to shreds in minutes. So I wanted to share some tips with you on how to make the Christmas morning with your kids, TRY to last a little longer.


In my house we have 3 kids all around the same age, and of course they all want the biggest and best, and well...we just can't swing it all the time. If we did get them that stuff, that would be IT. Nothing more. And my girls are still young enough to really enjoy the opening of many gifts. So I plan more on quantity. I make sure each child has the same amount of gifts under the tree and in their stocking.

Stocking tips:
*Wrap each item in the stocking. This can stretch out  the stocking process about 5-`10 minutes, while you grab your coffee real fast. It allows the kids to open something (aka keep them busy), while you wake up enough to enjoy the grand event.

*Do a lot of little items in the stocking (size wise). I typically try to make these just every day items they use, but in smaller versions. Typically bought at the dollar stores or at least costing no more then  $1. EX: hand sanitizer, chapstick, lipgloss, cool toothbrush, lotion, travel size body wash or body spray.  I know these seems boring, but with all the fun items they bring out this time of year, it makes it worth it.

One at a time:
(Disclaimer - this doesn't always happen in my house, and I only did it with my parents as a teen)
Have each person only un-wrap one gift at a time. Go around the room - Mommy, daddy, child, child, mommy, daddy...on so forth. This allows you to see & enjoy the persons reaction as they open each gift. And it extends the time of gift opening.

Scavenger Hunt for the big ticket item:
This can be done with any gift, but we did it when our daughter got a bean bag chair. You can't really wrap that and it doesn't fit under the tree. Instead, Santa left her a letter with a clue. Each clue led to another clue, until she found the gift on the back porch. 

Hope these little tips help you enjoy your Christmas morning, just a little longer.

Christmas Deals at Five Below

Hey all!

I hit Five Below last night to grab some stocking stuffers things for my girls and was pleasantly surprised at what I found.
I'm telling you, if you can, hit Five Below before the bigger stores. There were a few items I planned on getting the girls that were around $15-$25 each and I ended up paying way less.


Electronic Bejewled Blitz - i was about to pay about $15-$20 for this at ToysRUs. FiveBelow has it for $5.00

 I was going to hit another store to get the Frozen version of trouble for my daughter then say this for $5.00. Its a 3 pack of frozen games. The Pop-up games is not overly small either. So instead of one game for $15 I got 3 for $5.00.

A few other deals I got that are not pictured:

*Stompeez $5.00 a pair -- these are those slippers that have eyes and ears that pop open and closed as you walk. My twins have been wanting them, and there they were.

*Ear phones - the kids all share ear buds right now and I don't like having to constantly worry about cleaning them. And they hurt my one daughters ears. So I grabbed some cushioned earphones for each of them. $5 each. They also did have ear buds there as well.

A few other items that I like to go to Five Below for:
*nail polish
*lip balm
*cellphone cases - OMG they have tons of them there for all models of phones
*hair ties for the girls
*scarves - both for cold weather or for fashion
*socks
*PJ pants
*candy
*books
*art supplies
I could go on & one. But one last thing I want to alert people to.....their make-up!  Its pretty darn good. They have these palettes from Profusion, that are close to the Naked pallets. Colors are pretty close and there are the same number of shadow colors, for $5.00!!!!  Their eyeliner pencils are pretty good too and right now they have a 6 color set of eye liner pencils as well.

So if you have a Five Below in your area, I highly suggest hitting that store before going anywhere else. You never know what you will find!!

6 Quick Tips to Clean Your Bathroom Before Guests Come Over

We all have those times when we get last minute guests coming over. Someone who you haven't seen in a while. Someone you might want to impress, or at least not disgust.

As a mom of 3, I feel that people should be able to accept some level of messiness in my house. But for extra special guests, there is one room I like to not neglect - the bathroom.

Below are the steps I take to quickly clean my bathroom in 10 minutes or less.
A little tip...I have a 2 story house with only one bathroom - upstairs. So to make this process go faster, I always keep my bathroom cleaners and little trash bags near the bathroom. No reason for me to run downstairs and get sidetracked away from the task at hand.

1 - Collect all clothes, whether clean or dirty, and all the dirty towels. Place them in a laundry basket outside of the bathroom (unless you have a laundry basket with a lid so the clothes are not visible)

2 - Place any hair ties, hair brushes, make-up, etc in a near by drawer or basket in a closet or cabinet. (basically out of sight)

3 - Collect all trash and replace the full trash bag in the can with a new one.

4 - Use wipes to quickly wipe down all sink surfaces, soap dispenser, or any other items you need to leave out on the sink.  Also run a wipe over your toilet seat, toilet seat cover, and the tank and flush handle.

5 - Close the shower curtain. It makes the room automatically look better. And if people are looking behind your shower curtain, its their problem, not yours.

6 - Place out at least one clean towel.


This can also be used as a mid-week quick clean up as well. But in comes in pretty handy for those last minute quests cleaning jobs as well.  Hope you find this helpful, or find some helpful tips to use.


 

Examples of couponing

Hey all!
Life has taken some turns here recently that are making me HAVE to get down and dirty with coupons again, so you might see more posts from me coming up.
Below are a few examples of coupon deals that I am doing on my weekly grocery shopping. I thought I would show you the breakdowns, and money saved, so it might help you understand a little better of how it all works.

This is for Shoprite, my local grocery store. I used coupons cut from Coupons.com, along with digital coupons that I saved on my card via the app.

1 - Progresso Light Sou = on sale for $1.33 x 4 cans = $5.32  - $1 digital coupon - $1.00 off 4 printable == $3.32 for 4 cans ($.83 each)

2 - International Delight creamer = on sale $2.29 x 3  = $6.87 -  $1 off 2 digital coupon - $1.45 off 3 printable == $4.43 for 3pints ($1.47 each)

 3 - Skippy peanut butter = on sale for $2.99 - $.55 off digital cpn - $.55 printable (which will double to $1) = $1.44 final price

4 - Trix cereal = on sale for $3.39 - $.75 digital coupon - $.75 printable (which will double to $1)  = $1.64 final price

5 - Special K cereal bars = on sale 2 fro $3.48 - $1 off 2 digital = $1 off 2 printable = $1.48 for 2 ($.74each)

6 -  Betty Crocker instant potatoes packages == $1.19 - $.50 off 2 digital = $1.88 for 2 ($.94 each)

7 - Shoprite spreadable butter  = on sale for $1.88 - $1.00 digital cpn = $.88 final price

8 -  Shoprite Burgundy cooking wine = on sale for $.99 - $.50 digital coupon - $.49 final price

9 - Xtra laundry detergent, 75 oz bottle = on sale for $1.77 - $1.00 coupon = $.77 final price

10 - Lipton tea, 18 ct = on sale for $1.99 - $1.00 printable = $.99 final price

This is not all of the coupons, I used, but I wanted to show a few examples. This did offset the fee to do the Shop from Home option. If I went into the store, I would have gotten about $10.50 off from these coupons. And you can see some of the final prices i paid.

Again this was just a sample of what you can be doing as well to save some money. Feel free to message me with any questions or even share your own coupon ventures.

Are we allowed to be selfish? Or are we being selfsish with that thought?

I know that as I get older, this might get easier. But we are still in the new stages of this disease we call MS. Although I am not the one it directly affects, its my husband, who I live with, who I try to depend on for many things and now I feel as though I can't. So when he was diagnosed, I felt like the diagnosis was directed at us both.  I mentally and physically knew I had to take on a lot more then I already did. And I often feel as though, others don't really understand that. I try not to verbalize that too much because then I feel as though I look selfish.

Man, ugh...trying to find the balance between being there for my husband physically, emotionally, and everything and still come off as non-selfish and that is what I here to do. I married for better or for worse, in sickness and in health.....but its really hard sometimes. And those are the time I find myself alone, just crying about it all, trying to regain that inner strenghth that everyone needs me to have.

I feel like even the family and friends we have who have MS don't get it, because they aren't paralyzed the way my husband is. Not all MS is the same. My mom who can't walk tries to identify and all I can think is....you have had your life, you watched your kids and grand kids grow up, this man still has a young family and half his life ahead of him, you don't know exactly what its like.Then that thought makes me feel like I am being an ass to my mom.

I can sit there and clean all day, on top of working, and running the kids everywhere, and paying the bills, with the attitude of "I got this!!! "  But then he will come home from work, and I see him getting himself food and drink, but too lazy to get back up and put the stuff away (a fight we have always had), and I grow angry. I am sitting here busting my butt to try to do as much as I can do you don't have to, and you can't even throw your trash away.  Then I think how he just pulled a 8 hr work shift, dragging his leg around, running around a store with employees and customers who don't care. Why can't he forget to throw out his chip bag and put his cup in the sink? But its usually too late for that thinking, as I have already thrown a fit.  Then there is guilt.

I get jealous that he can just go up to his room and fall asleep for a nap whenever he wants like its no big deal. I wonder if he might want me to come and lay down with him if only for a few minutes. Then a child yells and needs tending to whether it be they are hungry or need help with homework. I can't just disappear - there are 3 young girls who parental attention....

OMG...parental attention. Bring on that guilt too. Trying to assure that each child gets the attention they need. And the one child who really needs it, is the one I tend to treat as if she is an adult already. Expecting that she knows better about things. And she's 11....i try to attend to her mood swings but its sometimes so hard. I find myself thinking "Really??? You are crying over THIS?? I cry everyday - you have no idea what real stress is about." Of course I don't say this to her but the thoughts are there.

People always say they are there for us and to ask for help but...i don't feel like I can. Other people can't ensure that we will each have a job 6 months down the line.Other people can't pay for us to have a new house or to pay for us to live in a nice apartment with no stairs. Other people aren't going to take my fears and worries away.  What I DO need from other people is something I can't ask. I need people to come and hang out more often without me having to ask & pretty bug nag and beg them, because when i do, they give me the run around (due to their own busy lives) and it makes me feel more like they really don't want to be bothered. I need other people to help me clean my house every few days, so i can stop stressing about it which ends up in me yelling at my children.I need people tp jump in and take over when I feel like I need a break. All selfish requests.

On top of it all...I fell like I am physically failing as well. And feel if I complain about it, I am being selfish because you know....at least I don't have MS. No, I don't. I have dental work that is very obvious as its front and center in my mouth. I have constant aches and pains that everyone attributes to me getting older or my weight, and I feel like if that is what I will be diagnosed with, I might as well not bother.  I feel as though I don't have the time to make it to the gym anymore because if i go, that load of laundry wont be done, or I will have wasted an hour and half when i could be doing something more productive. And with my health failing comes the thoughts of "what if my children don't have capable parent to help get them through their childhood"?

I am always analyzing everything I do and think -- is that selfish of me? Am I allowed to be selfish AT ALL anymore? Am I just supposed to now swallow who I am and what I feel and ignore ME? Or am I just being selfish for having selfish thoughts????

You are the devil!!!! (and the steps to take care of it)

The dreaded word that parents don't like to hear, and most of all don't like to have to admit or say -- LICE!!

I have had my fair share of the lice experience.I had it 3 times as a child myself. And the first time, my mother felt my long hair was the problem and chopped it all off. I was devastated and never got over it. And now I have 3 girls of my own with long thick hair.

A few years ago, I noticed my oldest daughter was infested. She was about 8 yrs old, and she was at the beginning of her "I want to bath myself" phase. She had been scratching a lot, but each time I checked, it was just dry scalp or she didn't wash her hair very well, so I stopped worrying for a little bit.  BIG mistake!!! I forced her to let ME wash her hair one night, because she was itching so bad it was knotting up her hair. Holy moly!!  It looked like someone dumped sand on her head.

I panicked and freaked and called for my husband to come verify what I was seeing. I also immediately started texting all my friends and family because we had her BD party just the night before and everyone was sharing dress up clothes & hats. OH NO!!!! (luckily it didn't pass to anyone else)   Well this went on & off for about 1-2 months. I pulled her out of school several times and never once did the nurse at school check her upon her return, or did we get a letter home about it. I spoke with her teacher who seemed to be puzzled but not real concern. (this is the same teacher/classroom we got it from this time as well - hmmmm)  REALLY???
I remember when I was in school and a child got lice, every kid in that class had to be checked daily for a few days, the classroom was scrubbed down, and noticed were sent home to warn other parents. I realized, that its become so common now, that school no longer really take responsibility for it?? UGH

Here we are, 3 yrs later, and its happening again. Luckily though, my now 7yr olds, still allow me to shampoo their hair, so I am always checking them to catch it early.  But it was about 11pm last night, Ava comes down to see when I am going to bed. She mentions that her head has been itching a lot lately.  So I check her and it didn't take long for me to see that she had lice!
I immediately jumped into action. I found the lice shampoo in the cabinet. Its expired, but its better then nothing right?  We also have this lice repellant shampoo still, so after the treatment, I used that on her. I then put this hair product on it to help your hair become smooth and soft, hoping the greasy-ness from it would help the bugs not be able to attach.
Luckily she had a very mild case, but still........I HATE LICE!!!!!

So, for any moms out there who have not had to deal with this yet, here are the steps to take if your child has lice. And you must move on it ASAP.

1 - Buy a lice treatment shampoo like Rid or NIX or any store brand, and apply as directed, right away.

 

2 -  Once the shampoo treatment is done, this is when you will have to sit there for hours and tediously go through your childs hair to get out all of the bugs and/or eggs you see. Most kits come with a comb, however, I find that my own nails or tweezers work better..

3 - You will need to strip all bedding the child has laid on in the last week or so, and clothes, jackets, hats, even stuffed animals......and wash them in hot water cycle.

4 - Once bedding is stripped, use a lice bedding treatment spray. If you do the bed stripping in the morning, you can spray the beds and pillows a few times throughout the day, as long as its dry for bedtime.

5 - Follow up the entire family for about a week with the lice repellant shampoo. We cant use this for too long, as it dries out our hair really bad, but it helps.

 

From here, you just have to check your child on a daily basis until there is no more lice. 

For moms, if you are due to have a color change of your hair, now would be the time to do it. Hair dye also kills them.  

Until you know its all gone, for girls, a good hair style to try would be a tight bun with a hairspray helmet. This will help keep any new ones out and prevent it from transferring to other people as well.

Boys, if they will let you, your best bet is to just shave their heads.

Also, if you find yourself in a bind, money wise, another option I tried, which actually DOES work, is to use Suave coconut shampoo. Oddly enough, it paralyzed the live bugs, so they are easier to remove. And it smells MUCH better. 

Hope this helped some of you parents out there who have yet to experience this. LICE SUCKS!

Maleficent - movie review

We were finally able to rent the movie Maleficent last week. My kids were actually excited to see it. They are 11, 7, 7 years old. None of them had ever even seen the original Sleeping Beauty. (which ironically was on ABC family this weekend, so they DID finally see it).

I really thought this movie was going to be dark and not really kid appropriate, but after hearing others reviews of it, I got intrigued.

The beginning is all the back story of how she became evil and who she  as a child herself. it also shows how she came to be associated with Aurora. Without a spoiler alert, there was one line that I found quite funny to hear Angelina Jolie say "I hate children". HA HA

The movie did have some times where smaller ones might get a little scared, but there were also funny parts as well.

I feel as thought the movie could have been a bit longer, but again, it is mainly meant for children, so I guess the hour and a half was a decent amount of time.

There was a twist in the movie, none like the original, but it brought everything all together.

I typically don't buy movies, but this one, I am considering. My girls liked it and I wouldn't mind watching it more than once either. 

Oh, and bonus point...there are not any overly annoying songs that the kids will want to sing over and over and over and over and over....you know what I am talking about!!!

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Adult content that even my 7 yrs old could follow.






Disclaimer: I am in no way being paid for this review. I just finally saw the movie this weekend and wanted to talk about it.

Thanksgiving decor

Hey all!  I don't know about all you, but something in me really really wants to decorate for Christmas now, but I CAN'T. I just CAN'T do it! Holidays all run in together now and each should get the respect they deserve. So this weekend, I decorated a little, for Thanksgiving.
All items, except the popcorn, I got from Dollar Stores. (most I bought last year) Yeah, so the popcorn....UGH...ended up paying $5 for it. No dollar stores had any. And the cheaper the popcorn I found, it looked more white then yellow and that is not what I wanted. But, it is what it is, at least I  can bag it up and save for next year.

Enjoy the photos of my creations and I hope they help inspire you for the kick off to your holiday seasons.



I don't know if you can see it, but I had little pine cones on top of the popcorn to help hide the green stems from the flowers (silk). 

I decided to use some more plastic pumpkins and a few I got from Dollar general, to make a little pumpkin patch around the main arrangement.

Most Dollar Trees now have bags of fake gourds and fall decor. I just packed them into the clear vases. To alter them a little, I filled once vase halfway with popcorn, then layered only acorns on top, then only pine cones of top of that. While the other two are a mix up.

Last but not least, don't forget you can decorate also, stacking up those cute tissue boxes that are out right now.

WTF?????

Ok, this is probably going to be a little embarrassing and people might think its gross but i don't care. i am a real mom with a real life and kids who only have respect at school. And I know I am NOT alone!!!
I am so tired of people preaching to make the kids do that and the other. And I know I have done it too. But OMG.........I have probably spent a small fortune trying to help my kids get organized and make it as easy as possible for all of us to clean up real fast. but my kids are soooo damn stubborn, I can't take it anymore. I don't want the be that mom, but I have no choice.
So back track to the last few days.......

I work a full time job.
My lunch break for that job is spent picking up kids from school.
The kids have been home pretty much all week...while I am working...
I have been trying to clean ALL clothes, so i can better sort through them to get rid of summer stuff and make a give away bag and organize the clothes we are wearing right now.
I have been trying to cook real meals, as we strayed away from that for a little while.
Bathing kids at night and making lunches.
Husband has MS and has been completely exhausted from his working hours, so I haven't asked him to do much of anything.
On top of the tired husband, we are in final stages of court issue with the ex-wife and she isn't going down without a fight. So to see her fighting for her ADULT child, while we are suffering and worrying about money and the fact that hubby needs to cut his hours back due to his health, but can't... and our 3 elemetary school children.....its been added stress.
I am ONE person. I scream and yell and my kids still don't listen because I can't "stay on top of them" because I AM WORKING!!!!! (btw, i work from home, but I am on the clock with real bosses)

With all that, this is what happens if I God forbid decide to relax and watch TV with the kids for a couple hours the last 2 evenings. Really?????????

I GIVE UP!!!!!!!!

Coupons.com tips

Hey all!  If you read my blogs, you know how I love to get my coupons from Coupons.com. I print from this site all the time. From my experience, there are a few tips with this site, that you may not know if you are new to printing coupons.

1 - You can print 2 of the same coupons, per computer/IP address. So if you see a great coupon, and would like to have 4 of them, you can't, you can only have 2. Unless you have another computer you can go to, to print more coupons.

2 - There are sometimes different coupons for different parts of the country or states. For instance, east coast coupons, might be different from the west coast coupons. So you can always try to add a different zip code in there, to see what might be available out there.

3 - They now have a Coupon Codes tab, where you can locate online coupon codes for sites you may frequently shop from online.

4 - Loyalty Coupons tab - this tab will show you coupons that are specific to the stores you shop at the most, and adds them to your card. However, these are also the same coupons that you can add to your card, from the stores website or app. Its not a way to add MORE coupons, it just ANOTHER way to add the e-coupons that are available.

5 - Card Linked offers -- this is something new and I have yet to try it out yet. What it is, is you can add your credit or debit card to your Coupons.com account, then add coupons for specific stores like Old Navy.  Once I have actually tried this a few times, I will be doing a review blog post about it.

6 - The coupons reset on the 1st of each month. However, they also add a few new ones mid-month. So what I like to do is print all my coupons in the beginning of the month, then go back at the end of the month to see what more might be there for me to add.

I hope these tips help inspire you to go and check out the new Coupons.com site. And remember, there is no need to pay full price for anything.
If you have any questions about this site you would like to pick my brain about, just let me know!

Thanksgiving crafts for the kiddies

Hey all! The holidays are upon us and in full swing now. The fun rush of Halloween is over, and we are moving on to Thanksgiving.  Its also that time of year when it seems like the kids are never in school. This week alone, mine have off 3 days out of this week.
So when the boredom sets in, why not have them do some of these cute crafts, that can be displayed for Thanksgiving. Or a few of these can be done for Thanksgiving dinner. A simple way to keep them busy and decorate your home as well. 
---- ------ -----

Have the kids make thumbprint turkeys, on index cards. Add a little saying and your guest name, and you have place cards.

 
Paper plates, constructions paper, and toilet paper rolls can go a long way.

A giving tree type craft, made from your child's hand prints. 

Thankful wreath for your entryway. most crafts stores have these foam shapes already cut out. Just have them write what they are thankful for on each leaf, and glue together in a circle.

Kids love this one because they can get messy. Simple foot print for the body and hand prints for the feathers.

 This is a good one for the younger kids. Have them collect leaves while on a fall walk to create this cute nature turkey.

Dollar Tree haul

 Hey all! I did a small little haul at Dollar Tree yesterday for a few items I needed.
Having s 2 story house, I try to keep certain cleaning items upstairs, so I have no excuse to not clean something.  I used to be that person who would forget to grab such and such from the kitchen. So now, I have a shelf in my hallway, with decorative bins, that hold bathroom extras and upstairs cleaning things.
But my point of this post, is to show you that you don't necessarily HAVE to buy certain items for more money.

First, was a little splurge. I like to keep the small jar candles on my desk while I am working sometimes. And I LOVE peppermint for the holiday season, so I grabbed this. I typically feel that Dollar Store candles don't smell as strong, but for $1, I thought I'd try it out. If I don't like it, I will go back to the $1 small jar candles from Walmart.

The kids ran out their oral hygiene products, so I picked some up for them.  Yes, that is Hello Kitty mouthwash and a brand name toothpaste for $1 each. We grabbed the cinnamon one as well.  I am one of those crazy moms, who doesn't like her children to use products that are too too harsh, as I don't want adult strength stuff to ruin their teeth faster. they are now at the age where they are really taking care of their teeth better (in hopes of avoiding the dentist - they get it now) 
The Dollar Tree also has kids floss picks that we get for them also. The love them and use them all the time.

Next some shaving products. I have bought the Pure Silk shaving cream before, and its typically about $3, when not on sale. So to see it for $1, I had to grab it. And the same with the razors. We have some now, but 5 for $1, need them.  And again, there is NOTHING wrong with these razors....as long as you know how to shave your legs. 

I typically love to use cleaning wipes for dusting purposes. My desk, electronics, window sills, etc. And again, i don't need big expensive ones, as these do the job just fine. I like to keep one for dusting and one for wiping things down real quickly in the bathroom, in between major cleanings. So I got 2 of those - one for each floor.  Sponges for the bathroom cleaning. That roll in the middle are trash bags. I used to be bad with emptying the upstairs trashcans, because I would always forget to bring up a bag.  However, these are just a roll of trash bags. Yes, they are thin, but we typically only have paper type trash upstairs anyhow. And since I always have them up there, the trash gets taken care of more often.

There you have it. I bought things that would normally cost about $30, for only $10.

Some other items that we typically grab while we are there is floss (its just string), glass cleaner (works just as well), cotton balls, cleaning rags, etc. 

I challenge you all to really browse a Dollar Tree sometime, to see what they have, that you CAN use. I know a lot of people go in there for just certain items, but I have REALLY been checking it out lately, and realized....a lot of things I used to go without because of money, I can get there.
Don't be ashamed to save money!!!