The First of June

I haven't shared a grocery store shopping photo in awhile, so here is one, actually two, from my Aldi trip today.

$26 on this-

You see some cottage cheese in there, eh?  I'm cooking for others this weekend and I don't want them to feel punished too much by my food guidelines :)

and $22 on this-

I'm saving my receipt and if it is not worth it, I will return it.  They guarantee their products!

In other news today: I haven't watched much TV in a long time, like months, for a variety of reasons.  But tonight I watched one of my favorites - SYTYCD :)

My Favorite Summer Shoes

I love cute shoes.  Who doesn't?  But for my everyday shoes, when push comes to shove, utility wins out over pure aesthetics.  (I'm on my feet a lot for work.  It's a super casual, jeans and t-shirt work environment.)

Last summer, my go-to footwear were these Reefs.

They were the best $25 I've ever spent on flippy-floppies.  Completely worth it.  Possibly the most comfortable set of footwear I've ever owned.  Why did it take me so long to get some?

A few weeks ago, in my search for some "comfort" summer shoes in the "brown" category, I purchased these Sanuks.

I love that they were made to be worn barefoot, so hopefully they won't get super stinky.  They run big.  I typically wear and 8 and 1/2 for dress shoes, 9 for regular shoes, and 10's for running shoes.  Yes, I have long, skinny feet.  But I wear an 8 in these Sanuks.  So far, I am loving them, and the jury is still out on if they will bypass the thongs for the title of "My Favorite Summer Shoes".  I'll keep you posted.

What are your favorite shoes?  For any reason or season....

Everybody likes a good shoe recommendation.  At least I do!

5 Minute Easter Basket

Used some leftovers supplies...

 ...to create an new basket when I suddenly realized that her old basket was too small to use for the Easter Egg hunt I had promised we would go to in 45 minutes...

This'll do!

Groceries for Week 3

Here's what I purchased early this past week, using the leftover grocery money from the past two weeks and some entertainment money.

Aldi: $13

Costco: $52

They still had organic Braeburn apples for less than $1/lb. - yay!

OK.  Then, to delve into the week 3 grocery budget, here's what I purchased late this week for the weekend and to start the coming week:

Hy-Vee: $13

A note: Since I can't get all the farm fresh eggs we want (without going to lengths I am not willing to go), I have decided that the remainder of our eggs (after our weekly dozen from the farm) should be omega-3 enriched eggs, as recommended by most Paleo folks.  These are a compromise and are priced between the farm fresh ones which are $3.75 a dozen and the conventional ones which are close to $1 a dozen this time of year.  I went to Hy-Vee for the strawberries ($3.99 for 4 lbs.) and the omega-3 eggs ($1.96 a dozen on sale).  They were out of the eggs, so I talked customer service into substituting another omega-3 variety in their place.  Gotta love Hy-Vee customer service!

Aldi: $34

I am so happy that Aldi sends me their mailers now (no idea why) so I know what the produce specials are.  I think it is weird that the flyers in-store don't show these.  Once again, strawberries and pineapples for $.99!  Plus sweet potatoes 3 lb./$1 and celery $.69.

Price Chopper: $12

A weird assortment, most of it on sale, saved $6 with store specials.

I will probably go to Costco early next week to round things out.  So far, I've spent $59 of this week's $100 budget, but I can throw a little extra in there for my Costco trip since we are having a houseguest and I am spending less at the farm than budgeted for (because of buying less farm eggs than originally planned).

One more week of Paleo style eating... Are you sick of hearing about it yet?

Happy April!

Hello, blog.  I've missed you.

I don't have any April Fool's Day pranks for you.

Just some scatter-brained musings.  Because these past few weeks have been a little crazy.  Sometimes I miss the simplicity of winter.  Things are always busier at our house when the weather is warm.  But don't get me wrong, I don't want to trade it :)

I think we are getting into a groove with the Paleo thing.  It took me about 3 days to get into it, to get over cravings and not feel like I was totally dragging.  It took my husband about 5.  My daughter still asks for granola, or a sandwich, or pizza now and then, but I just tell her we don't have any right now, and she gets over it.  It is not as hard as I thought it would be (as long as there is enough food around).  I have been reading some new blogs to go along with this to get inspiration for cooking and such.

I am setting a new (obviously higher) goal for the grocery budget.  But, I think it will all even out when we take into consideration that my husband is now spending very little money (compared to before) on eating out while on the job.

I am tired.  As I mentioned, for no particular reason, these past few weeks have been packed and I have not been getting to bed as early as I need to.  Like I am 2 hours short every night.  And I'm still not getting everything done.  Guess I should work on that this coming week, huh?

Here's something... I had my blood drawn to check my cholesterol, etc. this morning.  Last fall when I had it done, even though my numbers were better than ever, my LDL remained in the high range.  (You can read more about why I was not that worried about it here.)  Well, as of this morning, my LDL is still slightly high, but ALL my numbers (including LDL) are even better than before.  Everything was a PR, so to speak.  (That means personal record for you non-running folks.)  I've had my bloodwork done for the past 7 years, I think.  This new PR is on a diet that includes lots of meat, eggs, nuts, raw whole milk, butter, and coconut oil, folks.  (We have to go get our bloodwork done for a discount on our insurance.)

I also went shopping today at Aldi and Costco.  Here is a picture.  I spent $81 altogether.  A couple pieces of chicken, some apples,  bananas, a bag of carrots, and a container of guac are missing because my husband took them.  I wanted different eggs, but had to go with what Costco had.  Yes, that is 4 lbs. of regular bacon.  No, we will not eat it all in one week.  Good deals on produce at Aldi, once again.  Overall, I was pretty happy with the shopping trip.

I am so thankful for Jillian Michaels.  That sounds silly, but it is true.  She has just about the only workout DVD I can handle doing without hating or being annoyed.  I'm happy to say I've gotten 4 coworkers into doing her workouts, too.  The 30 Day Shred got me through the winter when I couldn't run outside.  I just learned she has a new Shred DVD out.  I will have to remember that for next winter, because in a sense, I think I have worn out the one I have.  I've been getting interested in CrossFit lately.  My husband does their workouts sometimes.  Some I can not even attempt, but I am still interested.

Ok, gotta go.  Thanks for humoring me.  Have a great weekend!  Cloth diaper tip coming sometime soon.  And hopefully a crafty project, too.

March Groceries, Week 2

Hy-Vee

Peanut Butter was 99 cents/jar, and I am sure we will eat it again someday :)
Grapes 99 cents/lb.
Organic Granny Smith apples 88 cents/lb.
Cabbage 19 cents/lb.
Spent $44

Aldi

Pineapples were 99 cents each
Oranges were $1.49 for 4 lbs.
Avocados were 29 cents each
Spent $21

Price Chopper

Boneless skinless chicken breasts $1.19/lb
Strawberries $1.49/box
Spent $13, saved $25!

I also got 1 gallon milk and 1 dozen eggs from the farm this past week.  Spent $7.  And spent $13 at Target on toilet paper.  I think I somewhat hoard toilet paper.  I like to keep large reserve.

Total so far: $260 spent, out of $400 for March groceries.

Tuesday Brain Dump

I am the meanest mom.  I just put all my daughter's toys on top of the fridge indefinitely.  Long story short - she was NOT a "big girl" today.

I made this gourmet garlic chicken pizza (a Papa Murphy's copycat recipe) on Sunday night because we had already eaten everything on the menu plan and I didn't want regular pizza.  Fortunately, I had the makings for ranch dressing (double the spices) as well as sundried tomatoes (subbed for fresh) in the fridge, and the cooked chicken, chopped green onion, and mozzarella were in the freezer.  It hit the spot.  I loved it and am already looking forward to making it again.  I used up all our jarred garlic on the potatoes last night, though, so I need to get some more.  I don't know if garlic powder would cut it.

I am trying not to make desserts that hang around the house.  Like right now, I have the munchies, but I am going to go get a glass of real milk instead... We'll see how well that goes.

I have not tried these, but this seems like an AWESOME price for new cloth diapers.  Amanda likes them.  I kind of wish I needed to order some more cloth diapers... makes me a little sad :(

I just realized that all these "paragraphs" start with "I".  Oh well, it is my brain dump session after all.  And I guess I didn't have as much to say as I thought... So... so long for now.

Grocery Recap, Menu Plan, and an Aspiration

Guess who's back?  (Back again...)

Smoothies!!

Why oh why does that song get stuck in my head?

Hey, we came in under the grocery budget for December by about $25.  How did that happen?  I am wondering.  Well, it was overshadowed by the appliance repairs.  Even when my husband can fix things, washing machine parts are costly!  And we've decided to fix our microwave while we're at it (even though I haven't missed it and don't want to use it much).

OK, so then I started off the January budget by spending about $230 on Friday between Costco, Aldi, and Wal-Mart.  I had to go to Wal-Mart anyways to get some stuff for my husband's work; that stuff is not included in the total.  It took me forever to get to all three stores because everyone was out shopping on Friday, but it was okay because I was kid-free.  It took me 4 hours, total.  Needless to say, I did not feel like taking pictures when I got home.

But, I think the multiple stores were worth it.  Here's my reasoning:
Probably took me an extra 2 hours to go to 2 more stores in addition to Wal-Mart.  Remember, I was uncommonly kid-free that day.  If I saved $100 (which is totally possible), or even just $50, doing something that had to be done anyways, that is a great  return for 2 hours of work by me.

The best deal was 25 cent clearance cottage cheese at Aldi.  The box at the front was dated Jan 1 (the very next day); hence, the clearance price.  But the box at the back was dated Jan. 10.  So, I dug out 3 cartons of those.  I didn't get a ton, because their cottage cheese it not the best quality (I've found Daisy brand to be the purest as far as conventional store-bought varieties go in terms of ingredients) but we can still enjoy a bit of cottage cheese this week.  And some will be for lasagna next week.

I also was swayed by the marketing in the Costco magazine where they highlighted their canned peaches.  Since it is winter after all, and fresh produce it not at it's peak around here, I decided to try some.  I bought the kind in the glass jars that are in very light syrup.  They are supposed to be very high-quality (fancy grade) and only 5 ingredients (peaches, water, sugar, abscorbic acid, and citric acid).

So, this past weekend, we have had cottage cheese and peaches for lunches.  Along with some pumpkin bread from a neighbor, topped with peanut butter.  Yummy.

Oh, and I spent $5 on a gallon of milk from the farm.

Here is the plan for the coming week.

Breakfasts:
I was bummed that Costco no longer has the Kashi Autumn Wheat cereal I like.
Waffles with Syrup
Granola with Milk (It has been awhile, don't know which recipe I will use this time...)
Smoothies  (Yay!  We have blender after going about a year without one because it broke!  Thanks, sis.)

Lunches:
Sandwiches or Leftovers
Veggie Straws or Carrots with Ranch
Fruit

Dinners:
Monday - Homemade Vegetable Soup, Tuna Melts, Salad
Tuesday - Quesadillas, Salad
Wednesday - Leftover Quick and Easy Alfredo Pasta, Salad
Thursday - Out to Eat
Friday - Dinner with Parents
Saturday - Dinner with Friends
Sunday - Homemade (Thin Crust) Pizza, Salad

Goal for the new year:

• I have no "blog" goals for the new year.  This is just a hobby.  I seriously feel like I gain more than I give in the blog world.  Nonetheless, I sincerely hope you enjoy and keep reading.  Thanks for the encouragement you offer!
• As far a related things go, on the natural foods front... Last year I tried (and have happily continued with) raw milk, pastured eggs and chicken, and 100% grassfed beef for our family.  This year I want to try fermented cod liver oil.  At some point.

Hope everyone has had a good weekend!

Crafty Christmas Project #2: Fabric Covered Bulletin Board

Or Art Board or Cork Board.  Whatever you want to call it.

I am all about gifts being practical for kids.  At least some of the gifts.

We don't have much wall space at all in our kitchen.  We don't have an office.  We don't have a mudroom.  We don't have very much wallspace in the hallways, either.  So, the little wallspace we have, I don't want crammed full.  Having some clear space on a wall is calming to me.  And the fridge can only handle so much, too (I only allow the sides to have things on them.)

So.  My daughter needs some place to display her artwork.  Because I think that having a place to show it off gives kids some incentive to do quality work (that is the 1st grade teacher in me coming out I guess.)

So.  I made this Christmas present to go on my daughter's wall in her bedroom.  It was easy.

(Oops!  I just realized it is upside-down in the picture.  Sorry!)

1. Iron and starch the fabric.
2. Use a combination of duck tape and hot glue to attach it to the back side of the corkboard.

It's the same method I used to make this easy and cheap wall art for my little boy's nursery.

I will have to take another picture once it is hanging in place on the wall and put to proper use.  I hope she likes it!

Crafty Christmas Project #1: Beaded Jewelry

I like to handmake a few Christmas gifts for my kids, while they are young enough not to care :)  But unlike the Halloween ballet slippers, I am only attempting these projects right now if they are fairly quick, cute, and useful.

Showcasing Crafty Christmas Project #1: beaded neclace and bracelet for my daughter.

Ha.  You can hardly call this crafty.  Even 3 year olds string beads!  Although I'd like to think I am advanced because this requires a little bit more of the fine motor skills since the string and holes are on the small side...  Right?

I got these colored wooden beads for $2 when they were 50% off at Hobby Lobby.  I probably have about 1/3 of the bag leftover still.  I already had stretchy jewelry elastic that I used for the string.  You could use regular string or lanyard cord if you don't care if it is stretchy or not.

So, the whole project cost me about $1.50 out of pocket, and I made the necklace and bracelet while watching a quarter of a football game this afternoon.

What do you think?  They look like cute stocking stuffers to me!  I hope my little girl likes them!

Quality Toys for Preschoolers

I appreciated and enjoyed Sarah's round-up of toys her family likes... especially since she has 5 children and knows what will stand the test of time across the age ranges.

I have shared about a few particular toy items before:

Green Toys Tea Party Set

Radio Flyer Tiny Trike

Here are a few more thoughts on quality toys...

Last year for Christmas we got our daughter (then 2 years old, now 3) this Schwinn Roadster.  It did not disappoint!  It was a little big and heavy for her at first, but now she has learned to pedal and can manage it just fine.  It looks so fun and fast (and very shiny and retro, too) - I wish they made them in my size :)  I am hoping for several more years of use out of it for her, and our little boy, too.

This year, I would like to get them a good snow sled or saucer, so I have been scouting things out in this area...

Ok, now to backtrack a little bit.  When my daughter was 18 months, I asked co-workers for recommendation on toys for Christmas that would stand the test of time.  One suggestion that we listened to was a play shopping cart.  I had originally wanted a classic metal or wooden version, but in the end, I am glad we have a plastic Little Tikes one because it has run into the walls many times!  My kids both seem to love push toys, so a shopping cart is a good gender neutral one.

A no-brainer item that both my children like is play food!  The younger one just likes to take the pieces in and out of bins, while my older one likes to take my order and make me lunch with them.  We have a couple differenct sets that people have gotten for us - my favorites are the wooden ones with non-toxic paint.  My 3 year old loves the slice-able kind, but we have to watch the little pieces with my 1 year old, so this is a special toy we get out for when she wants to play with it at the kitchen table.

As far as books, we love the P.K. Hallinan books as well as I am a Bunny (a family favorite).

What recommendations do you have?

If you write a related post, be sure to link up over at the end of Sarah's original post... it will be up and running for awhile.

Un-Green Confession

I like wrapping paper.  I like using wrapping paper to wrap presents.

Now, sometimes I am feeling thrifty and I like to reuse materials we already have, like brown paper from brown paper bags that have been cut to lay flat.  And then I tie up the package with yarn.  Hey, "Brown paper packages tied up with string... These are a few of my favorite things!"  Sorry, I couldn't resist.

And sometimes, I think of doing things like making some reusable Santa Sacks.

But other times, I am not so thrifty or earth-friendly.

Today, I was at Hobby Lobby today on a work related errand, and I perused the aisle of Christmas wrapping paper.  Where have I been?  The have the most gorgeous wrapping paper!  I wanted some, badly.  One $8 roll has 100 square feet of potential.  (Call that a $5 roll if you print off one of the 40% off coupons from their website.)  They have the most enticing patterns, from playful, to modern, to sophisticated, you name it.  All in clean, crisp patterns.  Some I wanted for wallpaper!  I was kicking myself for already picking up 4 little rolls of wrapping paper from the Target dollar spot a few days ago.  One roll from Hobby Lobby would probably take care of everything I need to wrap this Christmas.  Seriously, if you like cool patterns, go check it out and get you some.

PS - After I inquired, the random Hobby Lobby worker dude said he thought it would probably go on sale in the next few weeks.  I might go back :)  Maybe I should have a gift wrapping business...

Grass-Fed Beef Sale

For those who are interested, I happened to see on Whole Foods' website that all their U.S. stores are having a  one day grass-fed beef sale on Friday, 9/3.  Looks like the ground beef will be $3.99/lb.  If this is 100% grass-fed, this is a pretty good price.

(I don't know if you can get the typical additional 50 cents/lb. off for purchasing a family pack of 3 lbs. or more, but it is worth asking about at the butcher counter...)

Divided Lunchbox Container

I think I'm gonna like these...

...considering I pack 4 lunches somedays.

I've been wanting something like these for awhile, so when I found out Ziploc is making some that are approximately $1.25 a pop, I got a couple.  Now I am thinking, "Why oh why did I only get 2, instead of 4?"  I don't know where my brain was at the time.

Thanks to Jessica at Life as Mom for the heads up on these containers.

Re-purposed Starbucks Bottle

About a year ago, I bought a pack of Starbucks frappucinos as a treat from Costco.  I removed the labels and saved the bottles. (I wish I had saved the lids, too!)  I have used the bottles for plant starters, flower vases, and now for drinking glasses for my 3 year old.  They are the perfect size for her little hands to fit around and can be used with or without a straw.  I sometimes even screw a baby food jar lid on (from the smallest size baby food jar) when she is finished and save the rest of her drink in the fridge.  We served lemonade in them with straws for the kid cousins at my son's birthday party. To wash, I run them through the dishwasher with nearly everything else.  Cheap and cute!

Groceries: 3 Stores

So, I eat my words about no longer frequenting the conventional grocery stores.  I made it to 3 in one morning this week, with the kids!  The sales were too good to pass up.  I put a cooler in the trunk and off we went for 2 hours and 15 minutes.  Everyone cooperated and the service was great; phew!

The sweetest deals: peaches (regionally grown) for 68 cents a pound, cantalope for 99 cents apiece, lettuce for 38 cents apiece, and fresh Italian sausage (no fake ingredients; I checked) marked down to $1.49 a pound because it needed to sell.

Have you ever looked at the ingredients in cottage cheese?  We love cottage cheese around here, but one time I looked at the ingredients of the kinds from Costco and Aldi and was appalled: artificial flavors and colors!  Who needs those in cottage cheese?  The kind I purchased this week was on sale at the grocery store for the typical Aldi price and appears a little less modified.  My best bet would be to buy it from the farm with our milk, but it is pretty expensive there, compared to what I am used to.  I have been getting yogurt from the farm, though.

I spent 90 cents on 3 boxed dinners that I figure we can save to donate.  The sugar and Kool-Aid are for when we get together with friends and need to provide drinks.  They were a great sale.  The bag of chicken breasts is not my favorite purchase because they are enhanced with so much solution, but they will come in handy when I need to make some meals for others (who don't really care about where their chicken came from).  I don't mean that to sound harsh; I'm being honest.  The Sara Lee bread is a Michael Pollan no-no, I know, but it was on sale and my husband likes it.  Although, after watching some videos that I will share with you soon, he wasn't so excited about some of the treats that I brought home for him.  I'm ok with that.  Actually, I'm a little pleased!

Total: $53 and change, including tax.

I calculate that I saved about $40 by strategically shopping at these 3 stores.  And that's without using any clipped newspaper coupons or printed internet coupons.  I did use store coupons from the sales flyer at one store and a frequent shopper coupon at another.

It was a satisfying shopping excursion.

Super Savings

I think I scored some good deals at a consignment sale last week. That was the first time I’ve bought anything at one. I had the kids with me – so the little one went in my mei tai carrier (in front) and the bigger one went in the stroller. We went late in the day when it wasn’t crowded, so it wasn’t as stressful as I thought it would be. I had an awesome gift certificate from a blog giveaway to spend. I was looking for winter boots for the kids but didn’t find any. I did find them 3 winter coats (two in different sizes for my daughter and one for my son), snow pants for my daughter, and a cute purple Addidas track suit for my daughter. The total was $24.99 and I had a $25 gift certificate!

Mid-week Musings

I guess I may as well accept the fact that I am blogging lightly this summer and stop feeling guilty about it.  There are just too many other things that deserve my time.  When colder weather rolls around, there will likely be more time for the computer.

No menu plan this week.  I have been just emptying the fridge and freezer for awhile.  Didn't really think there were that many feasible meals in there!  And we have been doing some travelling, so that makes things last longer, too.  It is now time to go shopping, though!

Ah, yes. The annual rummage sale at my place of work. For $7, I got a gold edged oval wall mirror ($3), brass chandelier ($3), and like new hardback children's book ($1).  Now, to paint, or not to paint, the mirror?  I'm thinking paint, since the other hardware in my daughter's room is silvery or glass. But I'm not sure.  Color? And the chandelier, also for her room... what color?  I go round and round. Can't decide.  Please help. Especially you people with an eye for that.... Hello, Lori?  Oh, wait, I guess I should share some recent pictures of her room, first.  Except it is too dark for that right now.

I'm hungry!  And there is nothing to snack on as well as nothing for breakfast except fruit.  I think I will make some blueberry muffins, now!

My Costco List, Updated

Mmm.  I like Costco a lot these days.  It helps simplify my shopping.  It is a great place to get staples as well as some occasional specialty splurges to mix things up a bit.  When I first started shopping there, my list was pretty limited.  Then, I also added some of their meats.  Those weren't too shabby, but not I am trying to get those locally.  Here's my latest list of items I like to get there.

I don't always get all these items, obviously.  These are things that if I need to buy them, I much prefer to get them at Costco, due to the combination of quality and price!

• Kirkland Trash Bags
• Toilet Paper
• Kirkland Dish Soap (lasts us a year)
• Oxyclean
• Cheddar (various blocks)
• Mozzarella (sometimes the block, sometimes shredded, maybe we will try fresh one of these days)
• Shredded Mexican Cheese
• Feta Cheese
• Kerrygold Butter (for spreading)
• Kirkland Butter (for baking)
• Daisy Sour Cream
• Plain Yogurt
• Milk (for husband)
• Frozen Green Beans
• Frozen Organic Broccoli
• Frozen Blueberries
• Frozen Strawberries
• Frozen Waffles
• Organic Salad Greens
• Bananas
• Frozen Fish
• Nitrate Free Hot Dogs
• Quaker Oatmeal
• Cheerios
• Organic Strawberry Spread
• Coffee
• Izze
• Honey
• Raw Almonds
• Organic Tortilla Chips
• White Wheat Bread
• Flour Tortillas
• Veggie Straws (I am bummed these are being discontinued!)
• Multi-Grain Crackers
• Organic Salsa
• Ultra-Grain All-Purpose Flour
• Sugar in the Raw (turbinado)
• Brown Sugar (Although lately I've been buying rapadura elsewhere when the budget allows.)
• Powdered Sugar
• Organic Lemon Juice
• Cinnamon/Spices
• Vanilla
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Baking Soda
• Vinegar
• Pasta
• Organic Quinoa (My husband is not a fan, so I'm trying to use it up.)
• Deodorant
• Toothpaste
• Vitamins
• Fish Oils
• Granola Bars (for my husband when he is working)

Some notes, of course:

We are contemplating switching dog food brands so we can get it at Costco, but don't know if it is worth the hassle, since what we give our dog is working really well right now.  It is just pricey.
There are other things I add to this list if I am at Costco and not wanting to make a stop elsewhere.

Also, there are definitely more items at Costco that are a good deal.  These are just the items we get on somewhat regular basis.

I really like the coupon booklets that Costco sends out, because they encourage me to try new things :)  I know that is part of the marketing plan, and it works... When I have a coupon for something fun and not too unhealthy, I will use it to add some variety into our menus... that's why we have some take & bake pizza and grilled chicken & mozzarella ravioli in our fridge right now!

Ok any Costco lovers, because I loved your input last time, what else do you think I should add to my list to try?

Pink Peonies!

My husband brought some peonies home from his parents' yard.

Inspired by John and Sherry's budget blooms, I made 4 arrangements out of the original, seen below....

One for my daughter to enjoy at her level,

another for a bedside table,

plus another small one for our bathroom vanity, and the remaining ones in the kitchen on the table!

Fresh peonies are a finer thing :)