Menu Plan Monday: 03/14/2016

This week I kept meals super simple, as usual.  I filled the menu with family favorites, including homemade Alfredo, which I rarely make.  Howard is becoming a picky toddler when it comes to food -- sometimes he eats and loves everything, and other times, not so much, and there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it.  He will pretty much always eat meat, and he is warming up to rice, but fruit and veg are almost always a no go.  We offer him some of everything, he eats what he wants and we don't worry too much about it at this point.  He's not quite two yet, so we have time to work with him on his eating.  Anyway, I digress, here's what we're eating this week...

• Breakfasts: Waffles, Bagels, Pop-Tarts, Mini Muffins, Fruit and Fiber Bars, Strawberries
• Lunches: Leftovers, Canned Soup, Misc. Frozen TV Meals, Salads, Tuna Salad or PB and J Sandwiches
• Dinners 
• Sunday - Homemade Alfredo, Linguine, Garlic Bread, Caesar Salad
• Monday - Tacos, Leftover Salad, Mexican Rice
• Tuesday - Take-out
• Wednesday - Leftover Buffet
• Thursday - Crock-pot Mushroom Gravy and Pork Tips, Jasmine Rice, Steamed Broccoli
• Friday - Pizza
• Saturday - Crock-pot Baked Ham (leftover in the freezer), Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans

For more AWESOME Menu plans, visit Org Junkie!

Weekly Spending Report: 03/06-12/2016

I really wanted to keep my spending low this week, but there were SO MANY AMAZING DEALS!!!  CVS has some alright sales, including a decent priced razor for Joe, $0.99 shampoos, $1.99 Zantacs, and some really cheap candies for Easter baskets.  Next stop was ALDI, where everything is always a great price - I just picked up the items I needed for my meal plan there.  Last place we stopped on Sunday was Giant.  I am really loving the coupons that you can add onto your Giant card, and then pair with a sale, and a manufacturer paper coupon!  I was able to score 6 boxes of Eggo's for $4, juice for $1.88 each, 4 containers of disinfecting wipes for less than $1.40, 2 large laundry detergents for around 4 bucks, and 2 contact solutions for $0.99 a piece!  Like I said, it was an AMAZING week!  Even though the last two weeks have been a little heavy on the spending side, I have the rest of the month to balance the budget back out.  Here's how my spending when this week...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $2.39 oop, Earned $7 ECB's ($2 Gillette razor, $1 Hershey's candies, and $2 x 2 Zantacs)

• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $48.38 oop (Included, but not pictured are 8 gallons of H2O), Earned $0.95 Find and Save Rebate

• Sunday's Giant Trip: $27.24 oop

• Saturday's Dollar Tree Trip: $18.84 oop

Total OOP: $96.85
Total Earned: $7.95
Total Remaining for March: $207.36

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

Frugal Toddler Easter Basket

I wanted to share with all of you how I created an AWESOME Easter basket for Howard for under $10!  Pretty much everything was purchased at the Dollar Tree, except for the chocolates which I got a great deal on at CVS.  I started looking for basket fillers the beginning of February, picking up a few things here and there, and mostly just kept in mind what he likes to do -- puzzles, coloring, playing with flashlights -- as well as things I thought might be fun for summer, like bubbles.  Most of the items I purchased say for ages 3+ on them, but since he will be under my supervision while we play with these toys, I am alright with that.  Let me tell you a little about the items I picked up...

1 Blaze Reusable Bag to serve as the basket $1

2 Board Puzzles (1 dogs and 1 cars, both of which Howard is really into right now) $1 each = $2

1 package of 400+ stickers (we LOVE stickers, and trucks) $1

1 Mickey Play Pack (I'll keep this in the diaper bag for when we are out to eat or shopping, the Dollar Tree has these in a large variety of characters) $1

1 Bubble Gun (I don't know how well this will work, but it looked like fun, and it will be awhile until he can blow bubbles himself) $1

1 pack of Crayola Pip-Scents Markers (I could not believe I found these at the Dollar Tree!  Howard loves to color each night before bed as our 'quiet down' activity, so I thought these might be fun, especially with the scents!) $1

1 Small LED Flashlight (Howard loves to play with Daddy's flashlight, so I thought having one of his own might be nice.  They also have plastic kid ones with characters, but this one is studier and more like Daddy's) $1

1 LED Frog Light (This is for Howard's room, kind of like a night light, and much more fun than the one we have) $1

1 package mini Hershey's bars from CVS (Although I don't think an Easter basket should be exclusively candy, I also think it shouldn't be without any.) $0.75 

Grand Total: $9.75 

($10.33 with Tax)

I also made the super cute tag you see below, I'll share that in another post.

Menu Plan Monday: 03/07/2016

This week we are finally tackling the chest freezer.  I am so excited to have an inventory of what is actually in there; it's going to make meal planning so much easier!  It will also be nice to have the space that the ice chunks are taking up.  We need to make a trip down to Joe's grandfather's house this week.  We have to unload from the flea market we did in February and load for the tool show we're doing this weekend.  I also work two days this week.  I am hoping to get some more decluttering done as well!  I like to keep my menus fairly simple - it makes them doable - this week is no different...

• Breakfasts: Waffles, Mini Muffins, Fruit and Grain Bars (from ALDI), Sausage, Bacon, Eggs, and/or Mini Bagels
• Lunches: Leftovers, Quesadillas, Misc. Frozen TV Meals, Hot Dogs, Canned Soup, PB and J Waffles, and/or Salads
• Dinners: 
• Sunday - Leftover Buffet
• Monday - Crock-pot Meatloaf, Baked Tater-tots, Salad
• Tuesday - Crock-pot Chicken Fajitas, Mexican Rice, Salad
• Wednesday - Homemade Alfredo Sauce, Pasta, Texas Toast (from ALDI, and SO good!), Broccoli
• Thursday - Take-out
• Friday - Pizza
• Saturday - Cheesy Baked Pork Chops, Rice Pilaf, Vegetable

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!

Weekly Spending Report: 02/28-03/05/2016

This week was a little spend heavy, but I couldn't pass up the sale on ground beef.  We didn't need it per-say, but it's been awhile since I have seen a sale, so I grabbed a couple packs to help get us through until the next sale.  I also stocked up on Joe's deodorant, and hand cream, and frozen vegetables for only $0.50 a box!  Other than that I mostly just bought things we needed for the week - breakfasts, lunches, snacks.  I am hoping that next week I can spend on the lighter side, but we'll see, the boys are eating me out of house and home.  Here's how my spending broke down this week...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $10.61 oop, Earned $12 ECB's ($3 gum, $4 Dove deodorant, $5 Pharmacy Rewards), and $1 Saving Star Rebate (for Dove deodorant)

• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $46.38 (Included, but not pictured is 8 gallons of H20), Earned $0.40 from Mobisave (for bacon)

• Sunday's Giant Trip: $32.85 oop (Included, but not pictured is a 35 pk bottled H20)

Total OOP: $89.84
Total Earned: $13.40
Total Remaining for March: $304.21

Linked to I heart Publix, and many more! 

Goals Update: February 2016

February was a very productive month!  I am making a lot of progress in the exercising and decluttering departments.  I've also got a great start on my household project list.  I am loving the new bare spaces in our home, and they really make a difference when it comes to keeping the house tidy.  I was so surprised to come in under budget again this month because we bought SO MUCH!  I am also very proud to say that I have kept up with my blogging goal.  Here are how the rest of my goals are playing out so far this year...

Personal:

• Lose 20 lbs (about 1.5 lbs a month) - I have still not lost anything.  I have a mess of blood work scheduled for March, the doctor is leaning towards either hormone or thyroid problems, so we will see.  It is just very frustrating to be exercising almost every day, and eating right, and not see any weight loss.  I am hoping to have answers soon so I can get some of this weight off!
• Exercise 292 days - In February I exercised 24 out of 29 days.  For a total of 44 for the year.  I'm right on track with this goal!  Exercising doesn't make me feel great, but I do feel stronger - my hips hurt less, my legs and back don't give out like they use to - but I also feel so tired and sore all over.  If I was doing some kind of crazy aerobic exercises I would understand, but I basically do stretches and ride the bike, so, yeah, anyway...  #outofshape
• Drink at least 70 oz of water everyday - I have made some progress with this.  The days I work I definitely do better than the days I don't.  The problem is that it's just so cold in the house that I just want to curl up with a blanket and some hot tea, not an ice water.  But with warm Spring weather fast approaching, I should be able to master this goal in no time.  

 Financial:

• Coupon and deal shop to stick to my $350/month budget - I shared my budget update for February here.  If you click over, you can see all of the great things I was able to stock-up on while still staying $44 under budget!  This included diapers, frozen vegetables, laundry detergent, vitamins, and organic chicken breasts!
•  Earn at least 6 - $25 Amazon gift card through Swagbucks - I am well over 1/2 way to another gift card, so I should be able to get another one in March.  1 Down, and 5 to go.
• List at least 10 things per month online or 120 for the year - January - Check (23).  In February we sat up at a flea market, so I didn't get anything listed.  I did get a LOT ready to list though (4 bags of baby clothes, some sweaters, and a coat).  I have already taken the pictures, so I'll be listed these things online in March. 
• Set up at 6 Flea Markets/Shows to sell our wares - We set up on February 20th at an indoor flea market.  We did fairly well.  We got rid of a LOT of junk that we have been carrying around for awhile, so that always makes me happy!  Total for the year = 1

Household:

• Completely declutter the entire house - I have made a LOT of progress on this in January and February.  I should be able to cross this goal off by the end of March/beginning of April.  I still have some cabinets and drawers in the kitchen to do, two spots in the laundry room, and a few spots in the nursery.  But overall, the house looks amazing, and it is much easier to tidy things up at the end of the day!  I really cannot believe the amount of stuff that we've been able to get rid of - I just don't where it all comes from!

Kitchen China Cabinet After

Living Room Cube Storage After

• Finish my 2016 project list - I have my project list update posted separately.  However, I will share that I have made a lot of progress in the decluttering department of the list, and got a 'new' kitchen trash can.  I shared quite a few pictures of my progress here. 

Nursery Dresser Drawer #1 After

Blogging:

• Post at least 3 times a week - I posted at least 3 times per week again in February.  All totaled I shared 12 posts in February, which averages to exactly 3 a week!
• 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 - I didn't get to this again in February, but it is at the top of my list for March!

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...

Household Project List 2016 -- February Update

 

In February I was able to finish most of my decluttering, but I just don't feel like I got much accomplished.  I know that I did, and I can really tell a difference in our home - it's easier to tidy, pretty much everything has it's own place, and there are bare spaces - but I just don't feel as accomplished as I did in January.  Not sure why, but any way...  Decluttering-wise I only have a few spots left: the kitchen, the laundry room, and a couple of things in the nursery/office, which is great!  I am right on track to start my painting projects in the end of March or beginning of April.  I also wanted to get the chest freezer done this month, but it's looking like that isn't going to happen, since Monday is the first of March.  But as long as everything is crossed off by the end of December, that is really all that matters.  So, here's how things went in February...

• Bedroom: 
• Declutter 2 Dressers, 1 Chest of Drawers, 2 Nightstands, 1 Closet, and Under the Bed -- I was able to finish both dressers, the closet, and under the bed to get this one crossed off in February!
• Steam off the crappy boarder
• Re-glue the wallpaper seams
• Change the wall art

• Hall: 
• Declutter Hall Closet, Desk, and Coat Closet -- I decluttered the desk in February and was able to fit all my linens into a tiny bin in Howard's closet.
• Sell desk, and move in a bench
• Build another shelf in the hall closet -- Since I made enough room in Howard's closet for the linens while decluttering we don't need to build a shelf.  So, I'm crossing this off the list!

• Bathroom:
• Declutter the Bathroom Cabinets and Drawers
• Touch up the paint (Joe and I might actually repaint the entire bathroom, as the color scheme is not great, so this will happen last, if at all - we might just wait and repaint in 2017)

• Living Room:
• Declutter 8 Cube Baskets, 1 End Table, and 3 Dresser Drawers -- I went through the cubes this month and resorted the toys by type.  I had them sorted so that I could just get out one cube and then switch it for another cube every couple days, but each cube has WAY too much in for that.  Now I just open all the cubes, pick an assortment of toys, and then push them back in.  I still rotate the toys every few days, but this allows me to make sure he gets a variety - usually including a puzzle, something with wheels, a 'puzzle-type' toy (stacking rings or shape sorters), and one that makes noise.  Plus a couple of books.  It just made more sense to me to put like with like.  It also makes cleaning up easier at night when he decides to dump a couple cubes out while mama isn't looking.  I've also been working on the dresser drawers; I have 2 done and 1 to go.  I need to purchase another large CD case to put our "series" DVDs in, and then I will be done!

• Finish adding pictures to our 'mural' wall
• Paint the letter 'R' on our 'mural' wall
• Find new art for behind the futon

• Kitchen:
• Declutter 35 Cabinets, 1 Pantry, 1 China Cabinet, and 11 Drawers
  
  Pantry Before and After
  
  China Cabinet After
• Get a new trashcan -- We had purchased a new trashcan for diapers in Howard's room, and it broke practically right away.  Joe said, no problem, he can fix it, that was in October.  Well, since then we have been using a small wicker trash can for diapers, and it's been working great!  We use old grocery bags in it, and when Howard does his stinky for the day, we tie it up and add it to our kitchen trash can (which gets emptied every couple days).  We have had NO problem with smell.  So, when Joe finally glued our practically brand new stainless steel trashcan back together, I took it for the kitchen.  And, I LOVE it!

• Steam the wallpaper off our microwave table, and repaint it
• Paint the windows/sills/trim
• Clean out the chest freezer and defrost it

• Nursery/Office:
• Declutter the Closet, Dresser, Desk, Chest of Drawers, Bookcase, Sewing Table, and Cedar Chest -- I finished the dresser this month.  This is probably where I spent most of my time; it took days to do.  The dresser holds all of my crafting supplies as well as my in-progress scrapbooks.  So, I went through tons of papers, stickers, punches, glues, scissors, and more - three diaper boxes full of stuff left for sale!  I also reorganized my sticker and decal collections while I was at it, and they turned out amazing!  The dresser was a major time-sucker, but I am so pleased with how well it turned out.

• Go through the CD 3-drawer organizer and combine into a large CD case 
• Install new curtain rods and tie backs; Hang new curtains
• Make a new curtain for the closet; Hang
• Buy new Lamp/Shade for the Dresser
• Re-glue wallpaper
• Bring in new chest of drawers (#2)
• Build new shelf (or two) above the desk; Add books to shelves
• Paint the windows/sills and the closet door frame 

• Laundry Room:
•  Declutter Desk, 3 Drawer Stand, Bookcase, and Closet (including stored Christmas decorations)
• Touch up paint from renovation
• Hang art -- still deciding on if this is necessary
• Wash box of new-to-us toys 

February 2016 Budget Update

This month I managed to stock-up on SO many great deals, AND I came in under budget again!  This year is going so well budget-wise; I am glad I made the decision to up my budget by $50 a month, it is making a huge difference.  Howard seems to eat all the time, but still stays skinny, one of the many joys of toddlerhood I guess.  I am also trying to eat better - more water and salads.  Little by little I'm getting there.  Any way, here's the budget break-down for February... 

• Week #1: $64.44 oop, Earned $9.75 ECB's, $3 Saving Star Rebate, $1.50 Checkout 51 Rebate, and $0.25 Ibotta Rebate 

• Week #2: $108.49 oop, Earned $16 ECB's, $2.50 Checkout 51 Rebate, and $0.40 Find and Save Rebate

• Week #3: $98.66 oop, Earned $5 ECB's

• Week #4: $70.00 oop, Earned $10.99 ECB's

Total OOP: $341.59
Total Earned: $49.39
Total Remaining: $44.05!

Menu Plan Monday: 02/29/2016

As of right now this week is sizing up to be a fairly easy one!  I have been dealing with the flu for the past few days; I seem to be on the mend, but I am going to continue to take it easy for a few more days just to be sure.  I am hoping to be well enough on Wednesday to spend the day in Hanover, but we'll see.  I also have two work days planned, but other than that, nothing but some cleaning and decluttering!  I planned some family favorites and plenty of crock-pot meals this week...

• Breakfasts: Waffles, Bagels with Cream Cheese or Butter, Bacon/Eggs/Toast, Muffins, Fruit and Grain Bars (from Aldi), or Pop-Tarts (for Joe)
• Lunches: Leftovers, Salads, Frozen TV Meals, Canned Soup, Hot dogs, or French Bread Pizzas
• Dinner: 
• Sunday - Leftover Buffet
• Monday - Leftovers, again
• Tuesday - Crock-pot Meatloaf, Baked Tater Tots, Vegetable
• Wednesday - Crock-pot BBQ Pork Loin and Baked Potatoes, Vegetable
• Thursday - Take-out
• Friday - Pizza Night
• Saturday - Canned Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!

Weekly Spending Report: 02/21-27/2016

Yeah for meat sales!!!  If you have been following along, you know that I have been waiting for a meat sale for weeks -- this was finally the week!  Instead of paying $8.99 for each bag of organic boneless skinless chicken breasts, I only paid $5.44 after sale and coupon!!!  Needless to say, I bought 4.  Since we are still eating through the freezers and pantries, I mostly just purchased our needed breakfast, lunch, and snack items along with a few deals.  I was able to stock up on chicken, diapers, and frozen meals.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I got for so little money this week...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $11.27 oop, Earned $10.99 ECB's ($0.99 Reese's Egg, $10 Huggies) (Included, but not pictured is a Reese's Egg)

• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $19.12 oop (included, but not pictured are 4 gallons H2O)

• Sunday's Giant Trip: $39.61 oop

Total OOP: $70.00
Total Earned: $10.99
Total Remaining from February: $44.05!!!

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