Livin' Thrifty

I heart Goodwill

2007-10-08T17:19:00.000-07:00

We went to Goodwill today & I found:
some wooden bowls like my mamo always had for only $1 (2 of them)
a sandwich maker
shirts for my baby girl
1 shirt for my baby boy
1 shirt for myself (old navy! and only $1.50)
an apple shaped basket
a canister
a fischer price piano
2 picture frames
2 pairs baby socks (1 okie dokie brand still in the bag!)
1 pie pan .25!
1 pop up toy for dd for xmas
1 bouncing tigger for my neice
1 small pot
1 recipe box

and I got more (I think) but I cannot remember right now. HOORAY FOR GOODWILL!!!!! :-) Total was $31. They also had a recliner I wanted for only $25 but hubby wouldn't get it! Then we headed to the Dollar Tree where I got:

4 plastic cups for $1
1 travel pack snickers b/c im addicted
1 plush butterfly for dd
1 bag fall potpourri
1 huge pack of straws

I think that was it~I was looking for some Halloween stuff but didn't find anything I wanted. I will be going back there for xmas decorations though! Yes they already have them out~LOL

Gotta love Krogers :D

2007-10-05T19:02:00.000-07:00

Mil, baby girl & I went to Krogers earlier and I got 10 little poundcakes for $10! That should kill my sweet-tooth for a little while LOL we did get lots of fruits and veggies though hehe but I just couldn't pass up a good deal ;) A tasty one at that! And although I've been being frugal, I've made a few changes to my shopping. I've been buying organic milk & lean meats and WOW its amazing......I can drink milk again without puking! And my meat goes so much farther!!!!!! WOOOHOOOOO! Its so worth the extra dollars.

Sorry I've been MIA lately~been cooped in the house so I had nothing exciting to blog about inless you wanna hear about baby girl playing with her poo, the exciting 3 loads of laundry I did and the flies that I can't get rid of LOL sooooooo interesting!

Its not time!!!!!!!

2007-09-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

We had quite a scare last night......I started having BAD back labor that wouldn't go away. I made a rice sock and it helped a little but didn't make the pain stop, then I took a bath and got my hubby to massage my back. I was almost in tears.....and so scared but praise God it finally stopped after many many HOURS of pain :'(

This same thing happened when I was pg with my baby girl~I had to go to the hospital and get a shot of Bretene to stop the contractions. What happens is I get really addicted to ice-tea and thats all I drink. I completly forget to drink water for weeks.....and I get dehydrated and well.......this happens. :-(

Soooooooo hubby has banned me from drinking anything but water. We'd like our little guy to stay in there for 11 more wks. Anyways, it was quite a night.

Beware the MSG hiding in your fav foods!

2007-09-28T14:36:00.001-07:00

Click through to see the plexo

What to do with those (frozen) juice lids?

2007-09-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

Make kids crafts with them!

-Make refridgerator magnets by gluing small magnets on the backs and decorate the front with the following ideas:

~paint with different colors of fabric glue

~paint on a thin layer of white glue and cover with sand. shake off excess. when dry, paste on a cutout camel or other desert animal, or small shells!

~glue on a favorite, wallet sized photo (cut to the size and shape of the lid)

~create sorting toys for younger children. save any container that has a lid (oatmeal box, large yogurt container, etc) and cut a slit in the lid. let the little ones put the juice lids in the box one at a time.

(((also taken from Miserly Mom's book)))

Inexpensive Date Idea's!

2007-09-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

(from Miserly Moms)

-Go on a walk at sunset
-Pick a handful of wild flowers for your partner
-Go for a bike ride
-Go rummage through a flea market
-Visit a local art or naturall history museum
-Go to a local bookstore's reading of poetry-or just browse
-Go stargazing
-Go on a free tour near you (winery, factory etc.)
-Take a picnic basket to a park
-Go out for coffee and dessert instead of dinner
-Go to matinees vs. nighttime shows
-Go miniature golfing
-Use two for one coupons for resturants
-When its too cold to walk outdoors, walk in a mall
-Send the kids to someones house for the night & enjoy the silence
-Put the kids back to bed early and enjoy a candlelight dinner-alone.

Shes getting cuter by the day!

2007-09-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

(my baby girl, that is) this morning she grinned at me really big and said "wate-up momma, wate up!" (wake up) I just had to get some slobbery baby kisses for that LOL

Then she said "momma....dada.....whoagan.....bree (bree being her)" and was so proud of herself for listing off our little family. LOL

After we got up, she ran to the living room to her toy corner and searched for "PIG!" (aka, her stuffed piggy) until she found him then showered him in kisses (lol)

Ahhhhhhh the cuteness.....its killing me <3 I just wanna hug her & squeeze her every minute of the day!

In other news.....I've been having lots of braxton hicks contractions~they scared me at first then I realized that it was just my body's way of gearing up....barely 13wks to go and its looking like my body might actually go into labor on its own this time! (I hope and pray)

Babyfest 2007

2007-09-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Babyfest '07 and it was great! LOTS of yummy food and drinks (i stuffed myself lol) and I won 1 free basket, got a free gift bag and 1 other bag!!! Heres what was in them:

-johnsons baby wash (about 3 of them)
-johnsons baby lotion (about 3)
-2 packs diaper pins
-gerber prefolds
-2 homemade blankies (huge!)
-1 toothbrush for dd
-2 pairs homemade blue booties
-2 baby boy gowns
-1 pop holder
-a sucker shaped like a baby foot lol
-a nice magnetic frame
-the basket my freebies came in (i kept it and used it for potpourri)
-1 paci w/holder that clips onto baby's shirt
-some travel sized candy bars (yum!)
-a bottle
-3 baby washrags

WOW! And there were TONS of mommas and pg ladies there and soooo many beautiful newborns and toddlers <3

But...............

I went to use the bathroom and accidently opened the door of a stall w/a pg woman in it (eek!) I didn't see anything thankfully and the dern door kept opening so I had to go back & close it (BLUSH) LOL

DD stayed in the childcare area and I kept peeking at her....she was having a blast in the pop-up tunnel lol and stole a cookie right off one of the caretakers plates! *giggle* they came & asked me if she could have it so I said yes. Lil turd!

Now were watching the Sesame St. movie that I got from the library for my baby girl and I'm making some fettichini alfredo :-)

I'm BACK! Look what I've been up to....

2007-09-16T23:19:00.000-07:00

Well, thank God baby girl and I are almost over our colds (YAY!) but shes driving me NUTS! Why oh why does she insist on handing me EVERYTHING? (lol) its cute sometimes but not when mommy is doing something important like cooking, using the bathroom or trying to offer some advice and she screams until I take what shes offering. ((sigh))

Frugal wise-I decorated my house without spending a single dime, using things I had in my house already and I took pictures so you could see! I'm so proud of myself but had a few cramps while doing it (ouch) and had to take a few breaks. Also, had to remove the toddler from a few areas while trying my best to move this and rearrange that.....ugh.

Cooking wise-nothing exciting going on in my kitchen due to getting over my cold. Tonight I just heated up some pre-cooked pork chops (frozen from my pre-thrifty days) green beans, rolls and instant mashed potatoes. (it was good, I swear!) LOL

Thats all on my end (boring, huh?) I'll keep you posted on my pg though-next OB appt. is september 19th :-)

I've been MIA

2007-09-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

Ugh, life has been ROUGH lately...my baby girl puked too many times to count last night & I didn't get to bed until 6am (eek!) and thankfully shes doing great today BUT......

now I'M puking :-( Two times today.....mommy needs a break!

Will be back to my usual frugal posting soon :)

I made $10 today!

2007-09-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

I recently joined a site where you get paid to read email advertisements and I got $10 for signing up plus .01 per read email and its FOR REAL, I love love love it!!!

Check it out: http://www.hits4pay.com/members/index.cgi?EarthMama06

If you should choose to join, my username is EarthMama06~ :-)

Homemade Flavored Butters, yum yum!

2007-09-04T17:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.frugalvillage.net/2007/01/14/easy-homemade-flavored-butters/

Click the link, sounds so tasty!

Maybe I should've started a thrifty FOOD blog LOL

2007-09-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

Since I'm always posting my culinary creations ;) Tonight I made turkey-chili and cheesy corn muffins *drool* DELICIOUS!

TURKEY CHILI RECIPE

Prep: 15, Cook: 2 hrs or more
Preparation - Easy
Serves 6

Surprisingly tasty variation!

2 TBSP Vegetable oil

1 cup chopped green bell pepper (1 pepper, seeded)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cup chopped onion (a small onion)

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

3 16 oz (small) cans kidney or pinto beans, or mixed, drained

1/2 tsp oregano or thyme

1 1/2 TBSP chili powder or 1 packet chili mix

2 TBSP ground cumin

2 tsp salt more to taste

1/3 cup tomato paste diluted in 1 cup water

1 14 1/2 oz can chopped tomatoes

Casserole or saucepan with cover, large enough to hold all ingredients.

HEAT vegetable oil in a large skillet or saucepan large enough to hold all ingredients.

ADD bell pepper, garlic and onion.

SAUTÉ over medium heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally until onion is translucent NOT gold or brown.

REMOVE and set aside.

ADD turkey breaking up turkey with a spoon.

SAUTÉ till turkey changes color (light tan) and water evaporates (about 10 minutes).

SPRINKLE turkey with chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt

STIR for a minute or two.

RETURN sauteed pepper, garlic and onion mixture to pot. ADD 3 16 ounce cans kidney beans, or kidney and pinto beans.

ADD the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes.

BRING to a slow simmer, stir and cover.

COOK for at least 1 hour, the longer the more the flavors will combine. Stir occasionally adding water or broth if needed, you want mixture to be quite moist.

Can be cooked ahead of time and reheated. In fact best done that way.
Freezes well.
Serve with shredded cabbage sprinkle w/salt and lime or lemon juice
Chopped cilantro
Salsa
Avocado wedges
Tortillas

AND....

Cheesy Corn Muffins Recipe by evelyn/athens

12 muffins

30 min 5 min prep

3/4	cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2	teaspoons baking powder
3/4	teaspoon salt
1	tablespoon sugar
1/2	cup yellow cornmeal
1	cup cheddar cheese, grated
1	egg, beaten
3/4	cup buttermilk
3	tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 400F.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Stir in cornmeal and cheese.
Make a well in center of dry ingredients and add beaten egg, milk, and the melted butter.
Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Fill greased 2-inch muffin cups 2/3sfull.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until nicely browned.
Note: Crumbled bacon in the batter is a nice addition.

Find your local thrift stores

2007-09-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.thethriftshopper.com/

Just go there and type in your zip code or city! I love this site...its not always easy to find thrift stores in your phone book.

Make your own cleaners!

2007-09-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Never mix cleaning products containing bleach and ammonia as dangerous fumes will result.

OVEN CLEANER
2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
2 teaspoons borax
1/4 cup ammonia
1-1/2 cups warm water

Mix the ingredients together, apply to oven spills, and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Scrub with an abrasive nylon-backed sponge and rinse well.

GENERAL-PURPOSE CLEANER
1 teaspoon borax
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid
2 cups hot water

Combine all the ingredients. If you don't have washing soda (generally found in the laundry section of supermarkets), use 1 teaspoon baking soda instead. For a more pleasant smell, use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Be sure to label the bottle accordingly.

EASY SCRUB
3/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup borax
dishwashing liquid

Combine the baking soda and borax. Mix in enough dishwashing liquid to make a smooth paste. If you prefer a pleasant smell, add 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice to the paste.

JEWELRY CLEANER
1/4 cup ammonia
1/4 cup dishwashing liquid
3/4 cup water

Mix all the ingredients well, then soak your jewelry in the solution for a few minutes. Clean around the stones and designs with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Buff dry. (Caution: Don't use this with gold-plated jewelry; with soft stones such as pearls, opals, or jade; or with costume jewelry, because it could ruin the plastics or loosen the glue.)

HEAVY-DUTY DISINFECTANT CLEANER
1/4 cup powdered laundry detergent
1 tablespoon borax
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup pine oil, or pine-based cleaner

Slowly stir the detergent and borax into the water to dissolve. Add the pine oil (available at hardware stores and supermarkets) and mix well. For bathroom cleaning, use the mixture full strength. In the kitchen, dilute it with water.

More here: http://www.almanac.com/home/cleaners.html

I've yet to get brave enough to venture into homemade cleaners, but someday I will! Not to mention, I'm worried about the scents etc. and the effects on my little guy (belly bean)

Back to cooking

2007-09-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie w/biscuit topping *drool* and fried apples (canned) on the side. So good and easy!

Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie

Combine:

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 pkg. Frozen mixed vegetables

2 c. cubed cooked chicken

Pour into a 2 ½ quart casserole dish.

Mix together:

½ c. milk

1 egg

1 c. biscuit mix

Pour dough over chicken mixture. Bake at 400º for 35 minutes or until golden.

Biscuit Mix
(Cheap and easy substitute for Bisquick!)

10 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. baking powder
¼ c. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 c. shortening

In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Noooooo!

2007-08-30T15:42:00.001-07:00

My beloved nesting hormones are GONE! I feel so incredibly exhausted...I just wanna crawl back in bed and stay there. I attempted to nap w/Faithy but *sigh* she just wanted to nurse and play so we got up.

My plans for today....NOTHING! I'm attempting to relax. Finally did get to the library though, YAY!! I got "coupon mom" and an organizing book and about 10 books for Faithy hehe. I'm a childrens book addict....

I wanted to check out the Dave Ramsay book but DH had to get to work and I spent way too much time in the childrens books...I didn't get much of a chance to look for it :'(

Anyway...thats my boring day in a nutshell. Oooooh but I did take a belly pic! (23 1/2wks, 6 mths)

Dinner tonight...SO GOOD!

2007-08-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made pot roast w/red potatoes/carrots in the slow cooker with green beans on the side and corn-bread muffins. And for dessert...applesauce cake w/brown sugar topping *drool* Best thing about this dinner...it wasn't expensive! I got the chuck roast for only $4 where it was normally $14!
(about the black spots on my cornbread muffins....those are from my muffin pan *blush*)

APPLE SAUCE CAKE

1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. raisins

Cream shortening with sugar. Beat eggs and add to sugar mixture. Add apple sauce. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to apple sauce mixture. Stir in the raisins. Bake in loaf pans or square pans at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes. This cake is very moist. You can substitute nuts for raisins. It keeps well.

As for the pot roast, I did nothing special to it...just cooked my roast until brown (on high) then added 1 cup water, sliced red potatoes, onions and baby carrots then cooked on low for about an hour. (salted/peppered/sprinkle of garlic salt)

Almost fall!

2007-08-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

Just 23 days until my fav time of the yr!!! Can you believe it? My yard is already covered in leaves and I'm loving it!! Theres something about fall that I love....maybe its the smell of apple pies (ok, so apple candles...) colorful leaves decorating the ground w/all there beauty, the crisp air...aaahhhh I love it, just makes me wanna BAKE!

Anyways, thats all...thought I'd share my favorite season with you :-)

Classic!

2007-08-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

Ah, now this is what I call relaxing...listening to some Lynard Skynard while my little monster dances along, looking so cute in just a fitted diaper...with the smell of my homemade brownies filling the air (mmmmm) and the security of knowing I have food in the kitchen.

On the subject of food...we went to wal-mart and did some grocery shopping and only spent $150 (including meats!) I checked labels, bought near-expiration date meats to freeze and bought nothing extra (can't say the same for DH....he bought a game, oxy-pads and something else ~sigh~) But he did choose generic roast beef for his lunch rather than the expensive stuff that he loves....hes learning!

However, I just need to complain a sec here....why is it so hard to make generic toddler snacks? All I could find snack wise was banana cookies by beechnut~I thought they'd have more of a selection. So I ended up buying a few expensive Gerber snacks....looks like its time to stock up on some gerber coupons!

Anyways, I'm off to stalk the thrifty section of one of my favorite sites...diaper-swappers :-)

HA-HA, I just have to share this

2007-08-26T19:15:00.001-07:00

Everyone deserves a good laugh and this just cracked me up LOL

I've been a busy bee today!

2007-08-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

I cleaned out the freezer and all the freezer burnt foods, then organized the pantry and even organized my baby girls snack cabinet, LOL. Best of all, I filled another walmart bag full of food to donate...for a grand total of THREE bags of food that will go to a needy family. It feels so nice to give.

Also, I found a few old peanut butters and nutella containers plus 1 glass container of old alfredo sauce that was outdated and instead of tossing them I scrubbed and cleaned each one (except 2 because i got tired) WOOOHOOO, new drinking cups!

BEFORE (on top) & AFTER (bottom pic)

And....the other day, I cleaned out 2 old candles that were long gone~saved the wax (to make candles with) and the containers. (pics below)

Now I'm tired....its about 4pm meaning I have 2 hours to rest until time to cook dinner.

After-thoughts: I felt so guilty seeing all the name brand foods that had just been sitting around, I can't believe all the money we wasted... (bows head in shame) But you learn from your mistakes and you grow. The past month and weeks living thrifty have taught me so much & honestly, I can't see myself going back to the life-style of wasting money and food. I've learned to appreciate what I have and in that, have found peace.

Simply the best recipe site!

2007-08-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.bestsimplerecipes.com/default.aspx

it even has a link to click for recipes for 1wk and all the things you need to check your pantry for/buy!

Update on house hunting

2007-08-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

Ugh, still no luck here. The trailor we were supposed to look at is too far from DH's job. But I'm keeping my head up, searching still, and putting my trust in God. I have faith that somewhere out there, they're is something better....I just have to be patient.

In other news, my 22wk OB appt. went well...had a new doctor but he was nice. My little guys heartbeat was a healthy 150bpm and I've gained 4lbs in 1mth! Looks like the home-cooking is paying off!

And I stumbled upon a wonderful, frugal forum that I really like:
http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/index.php

check it out!

My mother-in-law is taking me to a consignment sale in September, I'm so excited! I'll be able to get winter clothes for the kiddos and I plan on hitting some thrift stores for clothes for DH.

Cheap AND tasty!

2007-08-24T17:07:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd share a few, tasty recipes/ideas that are cheap as well.

Deep-Dish Pizza Casserole Recipe #56451

4-6 servings

35 min 5 min prep

1	lb ground beef
1/2	cup chopped onions
1	teaspoon minced garlic
1 (15	ounce) can chunky Italian-style tomato sauce
1	can sliced mushrooms
	cooking spray
1 (10	ounce) can refrigerated pizza dough
1 1/2	cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425.
Cook meat and onion in a large non-stick skillet until browned.
Drain.
Return to skillet and add tomato sauce and mushrooms until heated through.
While the meat mixture is cooking, coat a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Unroll pizza crust dough and press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
Top bottom of pizza crust with meat mixture.
Bake, uncovered at 425 for 12 minute.
Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is browned.
Let cool for 5 mintues before serving

*Green Bean Casserole*

Ingredients

1	can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
3/4	cup milk
1/8	teaspoon ground black pepper
2	packages (9 ounces each) frozen cut green beans, thawed and drained or 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) cut green beans, drained
1-1/3	cups *French's®* French Fried Onions, divided

Prep Time	5 minutes
Cook Time	35 minutes


Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine soup, milk and ground pepper in 1-1/2-quart casserole; stir until well blended. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions.
Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes or until hot. Stir; sprinkle with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 minutes or until onions are golden.

Easy Hamburger Casserole
Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained, then chopped finely
1 can tomato soup (do not add water)
1-2 cans green beans, drained very well
Minced or chopped onion, as desired
Instant mashed potatoes, 6-8 servings (make and set aside)
Velveeta cheese

Directions:

Mix the first 4 ingredients well, then put in the bottom of a greased baking dish, 2-quart or larger. Top with mashed potatoes and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and add Velveeta cheese sliced thinly to the top and return to oven until cheese is melted and turning brown. Let cool, then eat! This one goes fast, if you have a large family you might need to make two!

http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalrecipes/hamburgercasserole.htm

Can you tell I'm a fan of casseroles? LOL

House-hunting

2007-08-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

Later today were going to look at a mobile home for rent, in hopes that the rent will be cheaper. Plus, it'll be even more in the country than we are now, which I'm excited about! But I must say...I'll miss the cows who live across the road from our current home, and I'll miss taking long strolls down the country roads w/my baby girl and just basking in the beauty. Maybe I'll get lucky & this place will have a nice country road, just perfect for walking as well.

Thats about all we have planned today....other than bathing dd~shes a sticky mess.....pancakes + toddler=MESS! lol but at least she ate.

Oh, I also have a few other actual HOUSES to call about later~its not cheaper than we pay now, but its a HOUSE instead of a trailor, WOOT!

Off to check the mail and wash one messy little monster!

Great frugal sites!

2007-08-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some great frugal sites you might like:
CookingByNumbers.com
The Dollar Stretcher
Cheap Eats Recipes : Cheap Eats
How to Make Easy Meals
Free Money Saving Recipes - Home Cooking
Make Your Own Cleaners
Welcome to ThriftyFun.com - A Gardening, Arts & Crafts and Frugal Living Community

Enjoy!!!

Welcome to my BLOG!

2007-08-18T18:14:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Livin' Thrifty~my brand new blog~so glad you decided to drop by!

As you can tell by the title, I'm doing my best to live thrifty so I thought I'd post my tips and experiences as well as life in general-ups and downs.

*A little about me*
I'm a SAHM to one sweet baby girl (16mths old) and due 12/24/07 with our first baby boy, also married to my one and only love for 2yrs but we've known each other much longer.

Now....to BLOG!