Summer Decor Peek

 This year I kept my Summer decor super simple - with a rambunctious, two-year-old, little boy running around I figured it was a smart move on my part.  I love decorating, but little touches here and there to freshen things up is rapidly becoming my new style.  Above is my china cabinet; all I did was add some greenery sprigs, and a flag star, but those little touches really make a difference in how 'fresh' things look.  Below are a few more spaces in our home that I 'freshened' up for Summer.  I hope you enjoy these peeks into our decor and can glean some inspiration from them...

Also in the kitchen, I switched the flowers in my little rooster pitcher.

Right outside the kitchen in the hall, I changed my shelf decor a little.  I switched the porcelain flower arrangement that was my grandmother's for a cute little wooden patriotic house.  Oh, and that shelf, handmade by me circa 1997.

Howard's room got a little sign my mom painted added to the shelf above his crib (which, by the way, I have had SO much fun decorating these past two years).  

Lastly, by the front door we have an antique wardrobe that we keep our coats in.  On top, Joe displays some of his lanterns, and I add a little bit of seasonal decor in front of them.  The two Heinz tins were my mom's.  I especially love the one with the condiments on it - cracks me up every time I put it out for some reason.  

Have you put out any Summer decor yet?

What have you done recently to 'freshen' up your decor? 

Menu Plan Monday: 06/20/2016

We are still trailer-bound this week due to renovations in our apartment - whomp, whomp.  But we are making the best of the situation, and Howard is LOVING all of the outside playtime he's getting.  I am trying not to 'cook' too much because it heats the trailer up so bad, so I tried putting the crock-pot outside and it works wonderfully, plus the trailer stays cool.  Full-time RV living has quite the learning curve.  We are use to vacationing in the trailer for about 10 days, where we mostly eat out or have easy things like sandwiches, bagels, and grilled food, so RV meals that require actual cooking but are easy and require few ingredients are a bit foreign to me.  I'm starting to get the knack of things, but if you have any advice or recipes to share, please leave them in the comments below, because I need all the help I can get.  Below is the menu for this week, I kept things simple again, cause that's how I roll...

• Breakfasts: Fruit, and PB Toast for Me; Pop-Tarts for Joe; Turkey Sausage Links, Mini Muffins, Fruit, Fruit and Grain Bars, and/or Peanut Butter Fiber Bars for Howard
• Lunches: Leftovers, Canned Soup, Salad, Misc. Frozen TV Meals, PB and J Waffle Sandwiches, and/or Ham or Roast Beef and Cheese Sandwiches
• Dinners:
• Sunday - Crock-pot Chicken Fajitas, Fresh Tortilla Chips, Guacamole

• Monday - Chicken Fajita Dip (made from leftovers), Fresh Tortilla Chips
• Tuesday - Leftovers -- clean out the fridge!
• Wednesday - Take-out
• Thursday - Crock-pot Pork Chops and Mushroom Gravy, Jasmine Rice, Steamed Green Beans

• Friday - Leftovers
• Saturday - Pizza Night!

 

 

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!

Weekly Spending Report: 06/12-18/2016

We had to quickly move into our trailer this week because of some renovations that are being done in our apartment, so my pictures are missing quite a few items because they were already unloaded into the trailer.  I am hoping to be more thorough next week.  There weren't a whole lot of deals this week, but I needed produce, as well as easy lunch (sandwich fixings), and breakfast (muffins, bars, fruit) foods for eating in the trailer.  I was surprised by how much I spent this week, but that is the cost of convenience sometimes.  Now that we know the duration of our 'vacation,' shopping should be a little easier and cheaper next week.  Below you can see all the great deals I did snag this week, including money-maker Dove dry shampoo, grapes that were only $0.89 a pound, and many other items...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $9.50 oop, Earned $5 ECB's (Dove)

• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $44.31 oop (Included, but not pictured are 8 gallons of H2O, 1 jar salsa and queso, 3 boxes of PB Bars, 1 box Pop-Tarts, 1 block colby jack cheese, 1 box mini muffins, 2 packages of sandwich flats, 1 bag chocolate covered pretzels, 2 packages of sliced cheese, 1 box of deli ham, and 1 box of popcorn)

• Sunday's Giant Trip: $30.12 oop, Earned $0.20 Mobisave Rebate ($0.10 each for Apples and Bananas), and $1.50 Checkout51 Rebate ($0.50 each x 3 Luna Bars) (Included, but not pictured are 1 package of 'day old' cookies, 2 bags chips, 1 bag of goldfish, 4-12 packs of soda, 2 packages of marked-down italian sausages, 2 apples, and a bunch of bananas)

Total OOP: $83.93
Total Earned: $6.70
Total Remaining: $193.55

Linked to Couponaholic, I Heart Publix, and many more! 

Menu Plan Monday: 06/13/2016

This week we are hanging out in the RV while some renovations are going on in our apartment, so my meal plan is a little loose to say the least.  This is a new to us trailer, and it's the first time we've stayed in it, so I will be spending most of the week getting things organized and set up for the long-haul.  Because of this I kept the menu super simple and added in more take-out than usual -- but sometimes you just have to be real with yourself, and not over-reach on your expectations.  We also won't find out the duration of these renovations until tomorrow, so I'm not really sure how much I need to bring with us -- I'm certainly not going to bring out extra appliances and clothes if it's only going to be a week or two.  We'll have to wait and see.  So, below is my loosey-goosey-tentative menu plan for this week...

• Breakfasts: Fruit, and PB Toast for Me; Pop-Tarts for Joe; Turkey Sausage Links, Mini Muffins, Fruit, Fruit and Grain Bars, and/or Peanut Butter Fiber Bars for Howard
• Lunches: Leftovers, Canned Soup, Salad, Misc. Frozen TV Meals, PB and J Waffle Sandwiches, and/or Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
• Dinners:
• Sunday - Leftovers - clean out the fridge
• Monday - Chick-fil-a at the Playground!
• Tuesday - Grilled Hotdogs, Pasta Salad, Veggies and Dip
• Wednesday - Take-out
• Thursday - Leftovers
• Friday - Pizza night!
• Saturday - Crock-pot Fajitas, Mexican Rice, Salad

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!

Weekly Spending Report: 06/05-11/2016

The cupboards were looking a little bare this week - we needed food for snacks, breakfasts, and lunches, as well as fresh produce.  I also decided to cash in on quite a few mobile-app-rebates.  I think I am finally getting the hang of how to use these new app rebate programs to my advantage by pairing them with sales and coupons.  They are also nice because they offer rebates on milk, bread, and produce - things we never really get coupons for.  I just wish that Ibotta would work with ALDI since we get most of our produce and dairy there, but you win some and you lose some.  I also cashed in a giant coupon for FREE iced coffee - yum-o!  Below you can see how my shopping went this week.  I spent more than I would have liked, but I am pleased with the amount I was able to purchase.

Did you get any great deals this week?

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $10.10 oop, Earned $11 ECB's ($5 Pharmacy Rewards, $3 Ziploc, $2 Powerade, and $1 Hershey's)

• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $54.74 oop (included but not pictured are 8 gallons of H2O), Earned $0.10 Mobisave Rebate (Sandwich Flats)

• Sunday's Giant Trip: $25.88 oop, Earned $10 Saving Star Rebate (Smart Ones), $1 Ibotta Rebate* (Power Bars), $2 Mobisave Rebate (Power Bars), $0.50 Checkout51 Rebate (Luna Bar)

Total OOP: $90.72
Total Earned: $24.60
Total Remaining for June: $277.48
*Use this link to sign up for Ibotta and get a $10 bonus!

Linked to Couponaholic, I heart Publix, and many more! 

Menu Plan Monday: 06/06/2016

I have a full work schedule this week, we have a work meeting to attend, Joe has a dentist appointment, and I am trying really hard to get some household projects knocked off my list.  Our week isn't as crazy as some we have around here, but it is still plenty full.  I planned out meals using mostly what I had on hand, and I even worked in a summertime favorite (chicken salad) since the weather has warmed up and seems to be behaving.  We also tried something new last night - pasta in the crock-pot - which worked fairly well, but needs some tweaking.  I am hoping to share that recipe with you all the next time I make it, barring it turns out like I want it to.  Anyway, below is my menu plan for this week; I hope you can draw some inspiration from it!

• Breakfasts: Fruit, Eggs, and/or PB Toast for Me; Pop-Tarts for Joe; Turkey Sausage Links, Fruit, Fruit and Grain Bars, and/or Peanut Butter Fiber Bars for Howard
• Lunches: Leftovers, Canned Soup, Salad, Misc. Frozen TV Meals, PB and J Waffle Sandwiches, and/or Tuna/Chicken Salad Sandwiches
• Dinners:
• Sunday - Pasta, Marinara Sauce, and Meatballs in the Crock-pot, Garlic Bread, Salad

• Monday - Crock-pot Chicken Fajitas, Salad, Mexican Rice

• Tuesday - Fruited Chicken Salad, Chips, Salad
• Wednesday - Crock-pot Pork and Sauerkraut, Crock-pot Mashed Potatoes
• Thursday - Day working at Pap's --> Out :-)
• Friday - Pizza, Veggie Dippers

• Saturday - Crock-pot Meatloaf, Salad, Baked French Fries

For more AWESOME menu plans, visit Org Junkie!

Weekly Spending Report: 05/29-06/04/2016

This week began our June grocery budget, with a bonus $123 leftover from May!  Having the leftover is especially helpful for June since there are 5 weeks - the extra basically covers the fifth week, so that worked out pretty well.  I didn't really need a whole lot this week other than some produce, and chips for our taco salads, so I decided to stock up on some awesome coupon and sale deals, like grass-fed beef, organic chicken breasts, Benefiber, and Joe's espresso coffee.  I spent more than in the past few weeks, but it all balances out over the course of the year.  Below you can see how my spending broke down this week...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $7.23 oop, Earned $8.75 ECB's ($4 x 2 Benefiber rain check, and $0.75 Snickers)

• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $40.94 oop (included, but not pictured are 8 gallons of H2O)

• Sunday's Giant Trip: $46.10 oop, Earned $0.25 Mobisave Rebate (apples), $0.25 Ibotta* Rebate (apples), and $0.50 Checkout51 Rebate (Luna bar)

• Tuesday's Dollar Tree Trip: $11.42 oop (included, but not pictured is a 4th bottle of powder)

Total OOP: $105.69
Total Earned: $9.75
Total Remaining for June: $368.20
*Use this link to sign up for Ibotta and get a $10 bonus!

Linked to Couponaholic, I Heart Publix, and many more! 

Goals Update: May 2016

 

May was even more crazy than April - we had our first two events of the year at the museum, I worked a tea, and there have been S-O M-A-N-Y school tours.  Plus Joe's mom went on vacation for a week so we had Pap-babysitting duty.  We are still down a docent at work, so I am pulling double-time, Joe and I both had doctors appointments, and Howard has so much energy - if I could just bottle some of it!  So, needless to say, we have been busy.  June should be a slower month tour-wise, and there should be a new docent hired, which means I should have more down-time!  YAY!!  With all that being said, I didn't get a whole slew of things accomplished in May.  I am hoping for a more productive June, but, for now, here is how things progressed in May...

Personal:

• Lose 20 lbs (about 1.5 lbs a month) -  I have lost 11 1/2 pounds!  I have been scouring sales ads and the thrift stores for new clothes.  Even though I haven't lost much, I must have lost inches as well, because a LOT of my clothes are baggy enough they look bad on me.  I am trying to stick with staple pieces from the thrift stores because I know that I will need to buy new clothing again before my weight-loss journey is done. 
• Exercise 292 days - In May I exercised 26 out of 31 days.  For a total of 123 for the year.  I'm right on track with this goal!  I feel great!  I am so much stronger and more limber than I was when I started in January.  I have decreased hip and back pain, and my feet are actually starting to feel better as well - which is a weird side-effect, but I'll take it! 
• Drink at least 70 oz of water everyday - I did so much better with this goal in May.  I probably reached this goal 20 out of the 31 days.  

 Financial:

• Coupon and deal shop to stick to my $350/month budget - I shared my budget update for May here.  If you click over, you can see all of the great things I was able to stock-up on while still staying $123.89 under budget!  This included tons of fresh produce, frozen meals, shampoo, meats, and a variety of other items.
•  Earn at least 6 - $25 Amazon gift card through Swagbucks - No gift card again this month, which puts me behind one.  I am hoping that I can make up for this in June.  2 Down, and 4 to go.
• List at least 10 things per month online or 120 for the year - I didn't list anything online in May, but I am still on track to reach the 120 items for the year.  I am hoping to list a few books and some sewing patterns online in June.  January - Check (23), February - no check (0), March - Check (43), April - no check (1), May -no check (0)
• Set up at 6 Flea Markets/Shows to sell our wares - No shows this month.  Joe decided not to set up at the one we had planned to do this month.  I am hoping we will be able to find an additional one to do later on to make up for this one.  Total for the year = 2

Household:

• Completely declutter the entire house - I am almost done the bookcase - I'm just waiting for Joe to go through a basket of his stuff.  Then it's onto the cedar chest. 
• Finish my 2016 project list - I have my project list update posted separately.  However, I will share that I was able to get quite a few new-to-us toys washed, had some pictures printed, and I was able to make a dent in a few other things on my list.

Blogging:

• Post at least 3 times a week - I posted at least 3 times per week again in May.  All totaled I shared 13 posts in May, which averages to over 3 a week!  I enjoyed being able to share my ideas for frugal toddler birthday gifts with you all!
• Do a 31 day series in October - Not there yet.  I have been working on some ideas in my blogging journal though. 
• Set up a Facebook page for my blog - Still not done.  I looked into the process one night, and it was too much to do that close to bedtime.  I plan to get this done one day in June during Howard's nap time.  

How is everyone else doing with their goals?

Anything new or different you are trying this year?

Share some of your goals in the comments...

May 2016 Budget Update

May ended with over $100 left in the grocery budget -- wahoo!  That is totally amazing!  I am so thankful for the amazing deals that I have been able to find, and the ability to just keep rolling the excess grocery money into the next month's budget.  I am hoping that by the end of the year I will be able to do a massive Amazon order and a large BJ's trip to help replenish our pantries and freezers to keep them well-stocked.  I am so pleased with my grocery deals this month.  I was able to stock up on laundry detergent, sunscreen, frozen meals and veggies, and lots of fresh produce!  Below is the weekly breakdown for the month budget-wise; feel free to click the weekly links to get a more detailed listing of my purchases and to see more pictures.

• Week #1: $82.95 oop, Earned $2.25 Mobisave Rebate, $0.25 Ibotta Rebate, $15 ECB's, and $9 Saving Star Rebates 

• Week #2: $64.80 oop, Earned $9 ECB's, $0.50 Find and Save Rebate, $1 Saving Star Rebate, and $1.25 Ibotta Rebate*

• Week #3: $71.20 oop, Earned $0.50 Saving Star Rebate, and $0.25 Ibotta Rebate

• Week #4: $69.93 oop, Earned $2 ECB's, $1 Saving Star Rebate, and $0.25 Find and Save Rebate

*Use this link to sign up for Ibotta and get a $10 bonus!
 

Total OOP: $288.88

Total Earned: $42.25

Total Remaining: $123.89!!!!!

How did you do with your budget this month?  

Did you get any amazing deals?

Share in the comments below...

Menu Plan Monday: 05/30/2016

I have a full work schedule this week, plus I have planned to tackle a few household projects with Joe's help this coming weekend.  I am in the process of getting caught up on my coupon clipping/filing, the house is cleaned, and the laundry is folded - yay!  I feel like the clouds have broke and the sunshine of progress is shining through!  I am praying that I can keep the momentum going this week so I can steam through my many to-do lists.  Since I am hoping for a full week of accomplishments, I kept my menu simple, and filled with family favorites.  Here's what's cookin' this week...

• Breakfasts: Eggs, Bacon, Peanut Butter Toast and/or Fruit for Me; Pop-Tarts for Joe; Fruit and Grain Bars, Mini Muffins, Peanut Butter Fiber Bars, Fruit, and/or Turkey Sausages for Howard
• Lunches: Leftovers, Salads, Canned Soup, Sandwiches, Misc. Frozen TV Dinners
• Dinners:
• Sunday - Crock-pot Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy, Rice, Steamed Broccoli

• Monday - Taco Salads

• Tuesday - Leftovers
• Wednesday - Crock-pot Meatballs and Marinara Sauce, Pasta, Garlic Bread, Salad

• Thursday - Take-out!
• Friday - Pizza

• Saturday - Sautéed Turkey Kielbasa, Scalloped Potatoes, Broccoli and Cheese  

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!