Since I spent the weekend at my parents' house, I got to do some out-of-town thrifting. It all started when I saw Rite Aid had a sale going on: 10 photos for 99c. I decided to get some of the pictures we took last weekend at Joel's baptism developed. On the way home, I ran across three garage sales. Yep, the first ones of the season for me! Nothing at the first or last ones tickled my fancy, however at the second one I picked up a thing of unused elastic and a frame for a quarter apiece. My dad had just said that he needed a frame so that he could take the pictures I was getting developed to work. Ask and ye shall receive!
I also saw the local thrift store has 50c sales every Monday. I told my husband we would just have to stay an extra day so I could check out the sale in the morning, so that's what we did. We slept in pretty late, and so we didn't get there until a little after noon and it was pretty picked over by then. All orange tags were 50c, and blue tags were 50% off. I got seven orange tags and one blue tag. All the summer clothes were nabbed by the early birds, so I had to settle for winter clothes. That's okay though because Joel will wear winter clothes too in about five months.
He's starting to fuss, so I better go and give him some milk!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Mother's Day Freebies
I am so glad I went through nine months of pregnancy hell followed by a torturous 23 hour labor complete with 2 hours of pushing, a vacuum extraction, and third degree tearing! Those battle scars have earned me the right to take advantage of several free offers these past few days! (Can I get a "Hell yeah!" ?)
On Wednesday, Walgreens gave free 8x10s to mommies. I got a pic of me holding my four-day-old Joel. Across the street at KFC, they were unveiling their new grilled chicken meals. I figured I would drop off the photo, grab some finger-licking goodness, and then go back for the photo. Little did I know that the entire east side of Columbus was gathering in that tiny KFC for some free food. I was in line for almost an hour. I can't believe I stayed in line that long for a measly meal. To top it off, I was supposed to get a thigh and drumstick or a breast and wing, but they gave me a drumstick (and a puny one at that) and a wing. Hmpf.
Today I got myself a free Mother's Day meal from Captain D's, and what a meal it was. I got some kind of uber-sensational seafood platter. I have never felt so fat in my life. There was enough greasy fried food in that take-out container to feed an army. A fat army.
As for my eating from the pantry challenge... I didn't do so hot. To my credit, I began mid-week and so everything I spent before I decided to join the challenge doesn't count, right?
I spent about thirty dollars at Target today, but I got ten dollars in gift cards to use at a later date, so really it was like I spent twenty. I got six boxes of Fiber One bars and two more boxes of Fiber One cereal. If you like Fiber One bars (they're delicious) or have a hard time "staying regular" and need some extra fiber in your diet, then you should go to Target and stock up! There's coupons online that you can print off for the Fiber one items, but my Target gave me a hard time about using them. The cashier called over her boss who told me that they're not supposed to accept printed coupons but that since she had already rang them up, she would allow it this time. I am pretty pissed about this because everyone else in the other corners of the globe gets to use computer printed coupons. *throws temper tantrum, rolls on floor screaming and pounding fists in the ground*
Ok, I'm putting on my big girl panties now and moving on...
I got some other things at Target like Wet Ones, Ban deodorant, Kashi Waffles, Quaker True Delight granola bars... all with coupons, coupons, and more coupons :)
The night before I made a run out to Meijer. I miss having Meijer right down the street. I now have to drive 15 minutes and pass four other grocery stores on my way there, so I don't make the trek that often.
Last night I spent a little less than fifty bucks but got meat. Lots and lots of meat, my friends. I got several packs of pork chops, steak, a roast, some sausage... all for cheap, cheap cheap! I also got twenty containers of Yoplait yogurt because of the awesome deal going on. For every ten you buy, a catalina for one dollar prints at the check out. I also used three coupons.... one required you buy eight ($1 off), and the other two required you buy six (80c off). With the doubling, that's an extra $4.20 off! Couple that with the two dollars of catalinas and the fact that the yogurt was on sale for 50c each, and I am quite pleased with my haul.
Maybe next week I'll do a little better with the whole not shopping thing and using what I already have. Maybe. I wouldn't hold my breath though if I were you.
On Wednesday, Walgreens gave free 8x10s to mommies. I got a pic of me holding my four-day-old Joel. Across the street at KFC, they were unveiling their new grilled chicken meals. I figured I would drop off the photo, grab some finger-licking goodness, and then go back for the photo. Little did I know that the entire east side of Columbus was gathering in that tiny KFC for some free food. I was in line for almost an hour. I can't believe I stayed in line that long for a measly meal. To top it off, I was supposed to get a thigh and drumstick or a breast and wing, but they gave me a drumstick (and a puny one at that) and a wing. Hmpf.
But just so you know, it was pretty tasty. I devoured it promptly.
Today I got myself a free Mother's Day meal from Captain D's, and what a meal it was. I got some kind of uber-sensational seafood platter. I have never felt so fat in my life. There was enough greasy fried food in that take-out container to feed an army. A fat army.
As for my eating from the pantry challenge... I didn't do so hot. To my credit, I began mid-week and so everything I spent before I decided to join the challenge doesn't count, right?
I spent about thirty dollars at Target today, but I got ten dollars in gift cards to use at a later date, so really it was like I spent twenty. I got six boxes of Fiber One bars and two more boxes of Fiber One cereal. If you like Fiber One bars (they're delicious) or have a hard time "staying regular" and need some extra fiber in your diet, then you should go to Target and stock up! There's coupons online that you can print off for the Fiber one items, but my Target gave me a hard time about using them. The cashier called over her boss who told me that they're not supposed to accept printed coupons but that since she had already rang them up, she would allow it this time. I am pretty pissed about this because everyone else in the other corners of the globe gets to use computer printed coupons. *throws temper tantrum, rolls on floor screaming and pounding fists in the ground*
Ok, I'm putting on my big girl panties now and moving on...
I got some other things at Target like Wet Ones, Ban deodorant, Kashi Waffles, Quaker True Delight granola bars... all with coupons, coupons, and more coupons :)
The night before I made a run out to Meijer. I miss having Meijer right down the street. I now have to drive 15 minutes and pass four other grocery stores on my way there, so I don't make the trek that often.
Last night I spent a little less than fifty bucks but got meat. Lots and lots of meat, my friends. I got several packs of pork chops, steak, a roast, some sausage... all for cheap, cheap cheap! I also got twenty containers of Yoplait yogurt because of the awesome deal going on. For every ten you buy, a catalina for one dollar prints at the check out. I also used three coupons.... one required you buy eight ($1 off), and the other two required you buy six (80c off). With the doubling, that's an extra $4.20 off! Couple that with the two dollars of catalinas and the fact that the yogurt was on sale for 50c each, and I am quite pleased with my haul.
Maybe next week I'll do a little better with the whole not shopping thing and using what I already have. Maybe. I wouldn't hold my breath though if I were you.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Menu Planning Monday, er Thursday
I’ve menu planned for a few years now. (*cough and sputter*) What I meant to say is that I’ve off and on menu planned for a few years now. Oh okay, I’ve more off than on menu planned for a few years now.
I always start out with good intentions. I use Microsoft Works Calendar and input recipes about every other day with the assumption that the in between days will be leftovers. (I just love leftovers, don’t you?) I try to plan it out for the whole month. I think this is my downfall.
You see, it’s hard to predict what you will have opened and needing to be used up when you’re trying to do it thirty days in advance. Every week I end up rearranging, pushing recipes back a week or two, and then coming up with new ones to use up what’s currently on hand. And then finally, enough is enough, and using my calendar goes by the wayside, and we fall back into our old habits.
I’m going to make more of a concerted effort to stick with it this time. Today and tomorrow what I currently have planned out is (1) stale bagel pancakes (doesn’t that just sound de-lic-ious?!) and (2) fish stick casserole. (I know, I know. I really know how to pick ‘em)
I think I picked the wrong time to start blogging about my menu planning since both of those things sound admittedly nasty. I have some items to use up though, and both of these recipes fit the bill.
For the pancakes, basically you grind them up, add milk, eggs, and spices, and fry like a regular pancake. As it turns out, they're pretty freakin' fantastic :) The only thing I would do differently is add a little more milk because the batter was pretty thick. If you click on the link above, you'll see he called for onion powder and sugar. Since I was using strawberry bagels, I figured the onion powder would be a no-no and left it out.
And as for the fish stick casserole… I don’t know why but awhile ago when I was at the grocery, fish sticks sounded good. Not surprisingly, they’ve sat in the freezer ever since. I found several recipes, and I liked portions of several of them, so I've combined them into my own concoction.
Basically what I'll do is crumble some hash browns into a 9x13 pan (actually I'll use chopped frozen French fries because that’s what I have). Pour over some milk (that about-to-expire half gallon should be gone after this recipe!), spices (whatever I feel like at the moment), and cheese (can use shredded or a can of Campbells cheese soup), maybe a can of cream of mushroom soup depending on the consistency thus far... perhaps throw in some veges from the freezer... and [in my best fake French accent] the piece de la resistance…. The ever-popular, four-star restaurant worthy fish sticks. Lots and lots of fish sticks. Pile 'em on top, bake, and voila, a not-so-nutritious but oh-so-delicious treat (hopefully).
These recipes are both great for the Eating from the pantry challenge that I’ve just begun. Hopefully they will not disappoint!
I always start out with good intentions. I use Microsoft Works Calendar and input recipes about every other day with the assumption that the in between days will be leftovers. (I just love leftovers, don’t you?) I try to plan it out for the whole month. I think this is my downfall.
You see, it’s hard to predict what you will have opened and needing to be used up when you’re trying to do it thirty days in advance. Every week I end up rearranging, pushing recipes back a week or two, and then coming up with new ones to use up what’s currently on hand. And then finally, enough is enough, and using my calendar goes by the wayside, and we fall back into our old habits.
I’m going to make more of a concerted effort to stick with it this time. Today and tomorrow what I currently have planned out is (1) stale bagel pancakes (doesn’t that just sound de-lic-ious?!) and (2) fish stick casserole. (I know, I know. I really know how to pick ‘em)
I think I picked the wrong time to start blogging about my menu planning since both of those things sound admittedly nasty. I have some items to use up though, and both of these recipes fit the bill.
For the pancakes, basically you grind them up, add milk, eggs, and spices, and fry like a regular pancake. As it turns out, they're pretty freakin' fantastic :) The only thing I would do differently is add a little more milk because the batter was pretty thick. If you click on the link above, you'll see he called for onion powder and sugar. Since I was using strawberry bagels, I figured the onion powder would be a no-no and left it out.
And as for the fish stick casserole… I don’t know why but awhile ago when I was at the grocery, fish sticks sounded good. Not surprisingly, they’ve sat in the freezer ever since. I found several recipes, and I liked portions of several of them, so I've combined them into my own concoction.
Basically what I'll do is crumble some hash browns into a 9x13 pan (actually I'll use chopped frozen French fries because that’s what I have). Pour over some milk (that about-to-expire half gallon should be gone after this recipe!), spices (whatever I feel like at the moment), and cheese (can use shredded or a can of Campbells cheese soup), maybe a can of cream of mushroom soup depending on the consistency thus far... perhaps throw in some veges from the freezer... and [in my best fake French accent] the piece de la resistance…. The ever-popular, four-star restaurant worthy fish sticks. Lots and lots of fish sticks. Pile 'em on top, bake, and voila, a not-so-nutritious but oh-so-delicious treat (hopefully).
These recipes are both great for the Eating from the pantry challenge that I’ve just begun. Hopefully they will not disappoint!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
I have some weeding to do
Here are some photos from my front yard:
But this isn't the kind of weeding I was referring to in the title! Although now that you mention it, I do need to tend to the flower beds too ...
Actually I was referring to weeding out unnecessary things from our budget. Now that I will be unemployed we have some reevaluating to do. Is Netflix really worth it? (My husband thinks so and is unwilling to give it up). I gave up my $200 ancestry.com membership. We're giving up eating out, and I'm slashing my grocery budget. I'm also cutting back on thrifting, crafting, and buying fabric. Yes, my friends, buying fabric is on the chopping block. I think four (er, five) super duper large totes filled to the brim is enough for now!
I had a long talk with my house and told her that she needs to hold it together for the next few years. I don't want to spend any more money on her for awhile. She already has a new roof, remodeled basement, new grout in the bathroom, newly painted kitchen cabinets, a new garage door, a window replacement, a new garbage disposal, a new fireplace mantel, new carpet throughout the second floor and basement, and a new fridge.
So I went through my old credit card statements for the past five months and added up how much I spent in four categories: eating out, groceries/toiletries/etc, gifts for others, and gasoline. Here's how we fared:
I think I can weed out quite a bit. Eating out will be reduced to almost zero. I'm aiming for under $200 for groceries. Gasoline will have to stay about the same, but we will not spend nearly as much on Christmas this coming year, saving us a great deal.
Also, this month I will be participating in the Eat from the Pantry Challenge. You're allowed to buy fresh produce and staples like milk, eggs, and bread, but other than that, you're supposed to avoid the grocery store like the plague. That's going to be difficult for me since I just found CVS-ing, but I think I can do it.
Must. Not. Spend. Money.
If it's practically free after coupons and catalinas then I will allow myself to buy it. Even if it is the seventeenth bottle of body wash in the cupboard.
But this isn't the kind of weeding I was referring to in the title! Although now that you mention it, I do need to tend to the flower beds too ...
Actually I was referring to weeding out unnecessary things from our budget. Now that I will be unemployed we have some reevaluating to do. Is Netflix really worth it? (My husband thinks so and is unwilling to give it up). I gave up my $200 ancestry.com membership. We're giving up eating out, and I'm slashing my grocery budget. I'm also cutting back on thrifting, crafting, and buying fabric. Yes, my friends, buying fabric is on the chopping block. I think four (er, five) super duper large totes filled to the brim is enough for now!
I had a long talk with my house and told her that she needs to hold it together for the next few years. I don't want to spend any more money on her for awhile. She already has a new roof, remodeled basement, new grout in the bathroom, newly painted kitchen cabinets, a new garage door, a window replacement, a new garbage disposal, a new fireplace mantel, new carpet throughout the second floor and basement, and a new fridge.
So I went through my old credit card statements for the past five months and added up how much I spent in four categories: eating out, groceries/toiletries/etc, gifts for others, and gasoline. Here's how we fared:
- $432 on eating out at convenience stores, fast food and sit-down restaurants. Average of $86.40 a month
- $1567 on groceries, diapers, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. Average of $313 a month
- $1184 on Christmas gifts as well as Mother's Day, Valentines Day, and five months worth of birthdays. (The Christmas number should actually be higher because I buy lots of Christmas gifts throughout the year so I don't have to cram it all in December).
- $409 on gasoline, most of which was spent by Jason. Average of $82 a month.
I think I can weed out quite a bit. Eating out will be reduced to almost zero. I'm aiming for under $200 for groceries. Gasoline will have to stay about the same, but we will not spend nearly as much on Christmas this coming year, saving us a great deal.
Also, this month I will be participating in the Eat from the Pantry Challenge. You're allowed to buy fresh produce and staples like milk, eggs, and bread, but other than that, you're supposed to avoid the grocery store like the plague. That's going to be difficult for me since I just found CVS-ing, but I think I can do it.
Must. Not. Spend. Money.
If it's practically free after coupons and catalinas then I will allow myself to buy it. Even if it is the seventeenth bottle of body wash in the cupboard.
Sew Easy Four-C Soup
Ok, it's not really sew easy, but it is so easy! I just had to add something about sewing into the title because I'm feeling guilty about not touching my sewing machine in weeks. I packed it away when I was cleaning for my friend's shower, and I hate to admit it, but I kind of like how clean it is when the sewing stash is put away. No more little threads on the carpet. No mile high stashes of fabric strewn about. I can actually eat on the dining room table because it's cleared off. *Sigh*
In other news, our levy went down yesterday which means the RIF letter I received several weeks ago will now be finalized. Jason is really stressing out about having to live on just his paycheck, but I think we can make it just fine. We have one year of his salary saved up in the bank as a rainy day fund... I'd say it's raining! I figure that when God closes a door, he opens a window; we just don't know what that window is just yet. Honestly, I'd like to try to make it without even touching our savings (and in fact, growing our savings).
They say your house payment can be as high as about one third of your income. Jason makes what I made when I started teaching and first bought the house, so we should be fine there. The only problem is that I was only one person, and now there's three people living on the same amount of money. With my frugalness, though, I think I can make it happen.
No more going out to eat, for starters! (Not that we really went out to eat very much anyway). I've been on a cooking rampage these past few days. I made (1) apple pie bread pudding. In case you're wondering, that's bread pudding with a diced up apple in it, but it wasn't sweet enough so I added a jar of pie filling on top. (2) Pepperoni and vege lasagna... yum! (3) Bacon and Egg Brunch Casserole (4) Homemade Vege Soup.
I bought a 1/2 gallon of milk that was almost to its sell-by date since it was marked down to 59c. I then had to come up with some recipes to use up this milk. I also had a head of cabbage to use up, as well as a dozen eggs, half a loaf of wheat bread that was getting stale, some celery, and an opened package of pepperoni. Other items in the fridge that need used up but will have to wait a few days include an opened jar of barbecue sauce and some sour cream.
Anyway, I knew I was going to make some sort of creamed cabbage when I found a recipe online for cream of cabbage soup. I can't follow a recipe to save my life, so I of course altered it to use up things I have on hand. It called for cream- I used my about-to-expire milk. Actually, I pretty much concocted my own recipe altogether because I didn't have what it called for on hand. The roux is the only thing I kept the same, except I halved it because I didn't want to clog my arteries with a whole cup of butter. Soup is supposed to be healthy, right?! Here's what I did in case you're wondering- it's really quite tasty! I can't wait until lunch so I can have some more :)
I boiled the rest of the celery in 2 cups of chicken broth. Meanwhile, I chopped up the cabbage and added it to the broth. Next in was a can of corn and a bag of frozen cauliflower. At this point I realized all the veges in this soup started with the letter "C." This wasn't planned but I thought it was funny so I named it Four-C soup!
I also threw in two packages of onion soup mix, some garlic powder, and dill (the original recipe actually did call for dill). While that was cooking down, I made a roux with half a cup of butter and half a cup of soy flour (though of course you could use regular flour). To that I added two cups of milk and two more cups of chicken stock. Oops, I lied. I ran out of chicken boullion so I used shrimp boullion instead.
Once thickened, I added the roux mixture to the soup and simmered on low for about five or ten more minutes. Very delicious!
In other news, our levy went down yesterday which means the RIF letter I received several weeks ago will now be finalized. Jason is really stressing out about having to live on just his paycheck, but I think we can make it just fine. We have one year of his salary saved up in the bank as a rainy day fund... I'd say it's raining! I figure that when God closes a door, he opens a window; we just don't know what that window is just yet. Honestly, I'd like to try to make it without even touching our savings (and in fact, growing our savings).
They say your house payment can be as high as about one third of your income. Jason makes what I made when I started teaching and first bought the house, so we should be fine there. The only problem is that I was only one person, and now there's three people living on the same amount of money. With my frugalness, though, I think I can make it happen.
No more going out to eat, for starters! (Not that we really went out to eat very much anyway). I've been on a cooking rampage these past few days. I made (1) apple pie bread pudding. In case you're wondering, that's bread pudding with a diced up apple in it, but it wasn't sweet enough so I added a jar of pie filling on top. (2) Pepperoni and vege lasagna... yum! (3) Bacon and Egg Brunch Casserole (4) Homemade Vege Soup.
I bought a 1/2 gallon of milk that was almost to its sell-by date since it was marked down to 59c. I then had to come up with some recipes to use up this milk. I also had a head of cabbage to use up, as well as a dozen eggs, half a loaf of wheat bread that was getting stale, some celery, and an opened package of pepperoni. Other items in the fridge that need used up but will have to wait a few days include an opened jar of barbecue sauce and some sour cream.
Anyway, I knew I was going to make some sort of creamed cabbage when I found a recipe online for cream of cabbage soup. I can't follow a recipe to save my life, so I of course altered it to use up things I have on hand. It called for cream- I used my about-to-expire milk. Actually, I pretty much concocted my own recipe altogether because I didn't have what it called for on hand. The roux is the only thing I kept the same, except I halved it because I didn't want to clog my arteries with a whole cup of butter. Soup is supposed to be healthy, right?! Here's what I did in case you're wondering- it's really quite tasty! I can't wait until lunch so I can have some more :)
I boiled the rest of the celery in 2 cups of chicken broth. Meanwhile, I chopped up the cabbage and added it to the broth. Next in was a can of corn and a bag of frozen cauliflower. At this point I realized all the veges in this soup started with the letter "C." This wasn't planned but I thought it was funny so I named it Four-C soup!
I also threw in two packages of onion soup mix, some garlic powder, and dill (the original recipe actually did call for dill). While that was cooking down, I made a roux with half a cup of butter and half a cup of soy flour (though of course you could use regular flour). To that I added two cups of milk and two more cups of chicken stock. Oops, I lied. I ran out of chicken boullion so I used shrimp boullion instead.
Don't tell my husband. He hates seafood.
Once thickened, I added the roux mixture to the soup and simmered on low for about five or ten more minutes. Very delicious!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Clipping Coupons and CVS-ing
My son was baptised this weekend at the same church that my grandpa, dad, and I were all baptised. Four generations :)
The church is up near my grandma's house... trips to Grandma's mean one thing: lots of coupons she's saved for me! I decided that I needed a new method for storing coupons, so I emptied out an old photo album from high school, and slipped the coupons into the slots. Voila! A coupon album :) I probably look like a freak carrying it with me in the grocery stores, but at least I'm a freak who's saving money.
So here's how CVS-ing worked out for me today: Frosted Flakes and Frosted Mini Wheats were three for $10, but you earn five bucks in Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) at the end of the transaction so really it's like spending five dollars. Couple that with coupons for all three boxes of cereal, and you get all three for a mere two dollars (after ECBs).
I also bought my hubby some Adidas deodorant- after ECBs and my coupon it was 99c. Colgate toothpaste was $2.99 but after ECBs and a coupon it was free :) All in all, I earned eleven ECBs today at CVS and used five $1 coupons.
Walgreens had similar sales in which I got a large bottle of Nivea men's body wash completely free, some Right Guard deodorant free, and two bottles of Pert Plus for fifty cents each. We now have seven or eight bottles of Pert under the sink. I think Jason is going to kill me.
I also used lots of coupons at Kroger. I got a heck of a deal on Cottonelle TP (the 12 double rolls). I bought eight packs. (Yes you read that right). Not to mention, earlier in the day I got a 9 roll of Charmin Basic for Jason (that's what he likes). So I now have nine packs of toilet paper and absolutely no where to store them. They'll just have to hang out in my car for awhile until we make room in the house. I'm probably going to get pulled over by some cop who thinks I'm going to go TP someone's house.
The other day I took advantage of the Special K sale at Target. You had to buy five boxes of Special K, and you received a five dollar gift card. I now have almost fifteen boxes of cereal in this house (remember I also bought Frosted Flakes and Frosted Mini Wheats, plus our cereal cupboard was already full before I went on this cereal rampage).
You can never have too much cereal, you know. At least that's what I'm telling myself these days.
Actually, ever since Jason has been on this funky shift at work, and he's been waking up at 11 am (heaven forbid he would miss the Price is Right), he's been eating cereal for lunch. I made tasty Pepperoni and Vege Lasagna the other day, and I've been the only one eating it because he keeps choosing cereal. Hmpf!
I kind of fell off the "Green Smoothie" train, unfortunately. I made a sweet potato and pear smoothie (not really green however, sweet potatoes are considered a super food), and it was really good. I discovered though, that it tastes even better warmed. I added extra milk so it was very liquidy. I popped it in the microwave and it was delicious! Don't forget to add spices like cinnamon and nutmeg :) This is the perfect warm drink to enjoy around a campfire on a chilly spring evening. Tomorrow I'm planning on making strawberry banana smoothies because I have two bananas that are going bad.
In other news, tomorrow the voters will decide if I keep my job or not. *Fingers crossed*
The church is up near my grandma's house... trips to Grandma's mean one thing: lots of coupons she's saved for me! I decided that I needed a new method for storing coupons, so I emptied out an old photo album from high school, and slipped the coupons into the slots. Voila! A coupon album :) I probably look like a freak carrying it with me in the grocery stores, but at least I'm a freak who's saving money.
So here's how CVS-ing worked out for me today: Frosted Flakes and Frosted Mini Wheats were three for $10, but you earn five bucks in Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) at the end of the transaction so really it's like spending five dollars. Couple that with coupons for all three boxes of cereal, and you get all three for a mere two dollars (after ECBs).
I also bought my hubby some Adidas deodorant- after ECBs and my coupon it was 99c. Colgate toothpaste was $2.99 but after ECBs and a coupon it was free :) All in all, I earned eleven ECBs today at CVS and used five $1 coupons.
Walgreens had similar sales in which I got a large bottle of Nivea men's body wash completely free, some Right Guard deodorant free, and two bottles of Pert Plus for fifty cents each. We now have seven or eight bottles of Pert under the sink. I think Jason is going to kill me.
I also used lots of coupons at Kroger. I got a heck of a deal on Cottonelle TP (the 12 double rolls). I bought eight packs. (Yes you read that right). Not to mention, earlier in the day I got a 9 roll of Charmin Basic for Jason (that's what he likes). So I now have nine packs of toilet paper and absolutely no where to store them. They'll just have to hang out in my car for awhile until we make room in the house. I'm probably going to get pulled over by some cop who thinks I'm going to go TP someone's house.
The other day I took advantage of the Special K sale at Target. You had to buy five boxes of Special K, and you received a five dollar gift card. I now have almost fifteen boxes of cereal in this house (remember I also bought Frosted Flakes and Frosted Mini Wheats, plus our cereal cupboard was already full before I went on this cereal rampage).
You can never have too much cereal, you know. At least that's what I'm telling myself these days.
Actually, ever since Jason has been on this funky shift at work, and he's been waking up at 11 am (heaven forbid he would miss the Price is Right), he's been eating cereal for lunch. I made tasty Pepperoni and Vege Lasagna the other day, and I've been the only one eating it because he keeps choosing cereal. Hmpf!
I kind of fell off the "Green Smoothie" train, unfortunately. I made a sweet potato and pear smoothie (not really green however, sweet potatoes are considered a super food), and it was really good. I discovered though, that it tastes even better warmed. I added extra milk so it was very liquidy. I popped it in the microwave and it was delicious! Don't forget to add spices like cinnamon and nutmeg :) This is the perfect warm drink to enjoy around a campfire on a chilly spring evening. Tomorrow I'm planning on making strawberry banana smoothies because I have two bananas that are going bad.
In other news, tomorrow the voters will decide if I keep my job or not. *Fingers crossed*
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Let Us Eat Lettuce: Green Smoothie Challenge
This past weekend was my friend's wedding shower at my place. It was a huge success :) Everyone commented on how they loved my basement and what a great space it is (I must say that I agree! It was 85 degrees on the main level of the house, but I bet the basement was 15 degrees cooler. It felt so nice!)
It was also fairly green. We only had to throw away napkins and waxed paper. I used my glasses and silverware; the pop bottles were recyclable (both glass bottles and plastic two liters). I had thrifted disposable wine glasses to use for the smoothies. I washed and kept them though (with the exception of one that broke and got thrown away). I also used the reusable burger baskets (lined with waxed paper) so there was no paper plates to throw away.
Here are some photos of the day:
The bride-to-be showing off the "french fry" cake I made
The divas... This outfit was definitely not flattering on me. I'm in need of losing weight (30 pounds, eek!) however I look even fatter than I actually am in this photo...
... which brings me to my next topic: losing weight.
I am taking the fourteen day Green Smoothie Challenge. It all began when I wanted to come up with a recipe to use up a little lettuce before it went bad. My husband's grandma loves to cook it in oil and eat it wilted. I don't think I can stomach that, so I called up my good buddy Google. He helped me find other ways to use up lettuce. Some people recommended blending it up and putting it in soup. That sounded good, however we have so many leftovers that I didn't want to make another main dish.
Next up: green smoothies. Sounds interesting. Just throw a bunch of raw veges in the blender, and voila, a good-for-you smoothie. I threw in the lettuce, some grapes that were a tad past their prime, three oranges, and milk.
It was a little pulpy. Ok, it was a lot pulpy. Jason had a sip and wouldn't drink it because it was so pulpy. It really doesn't taste too bad though, so I have thirteen more days to go. We'll see how much weight I lose. Today I weighed 175, just so you know. I still have to lose thirty pounds of baby weight to be down to a weight that looks good on me. (And just for reference, my son is 10 weeks old, and I've already lost 33 pounds. I doubt the next 30 pounds will be as easy to lose though!)
Wish me luck!
And just for fun, here's two photos of me... one before pregnancy, and one taken two weeks before Joel was born.
It was also fairly green. We only had to throw away napkins and waxed paper. I used my glasses and silverware; the pop bottles were recyclable (both glass bottles and plastic two liters). I had thrifted disposable wine glasses to use for the smoothies. I washed and kept them though (with the exception of one that broke and got thrown away). I also used the reusable burger baskets (lined with waxed paper) so there was no paper plates to throw away.
Here are some photos of the day:
The bride-to-be showing off the "french fry" cake I made
The divas... This outfit was definitely not flattering on me. I'm in need of losing weight (30 pounds, eek!) however I look even fatter than I actually am in this photo...... which brings me to my next topic: losing weight.
I am taking the fourteen day Green Smoothie Challenge. It all began when I wanted to come up with a recipe to use up a little lettuce before it went bad. My husband's grandma loves to cook it in oil and eat it wilted. I don't think I can stomach that, so I called up my good buddy Google. He helped me find other ways to use up lettuce. Some people recommended blending it up and putting it in soup. That sounded good, however we have so many leftovers that I didn't want to make another main dish.
Next up: green smoothies. Sounds interesting. Just throw a bunch of raw veges in the blender, and voila, a good-for-you smoothie. I threw in the lettuce, some grapes that were a tad past their prime, three oranges, and milk.
(And a scoop of ice cream). Shhh, please don't tell on me.
It was a little pulpy. Ok, it was a lot pulpy. Jason had a sip and wouldn't drink it because it was so pulpy. It really doesn't taste too bad though, so I have thirteen more days to go. We'll see how much weight I lose. Today I weighed 175, just so you know. I still have to lose thirty pounds of baby weight to be down to a weight that looks good on me. (And just for reference, my son is 10 weeks old, and I've already lost 33 pounds. I doubt the next 30 pounds will be as easy to lose though!)
Wish me luck!
And just for fun, here's two photos of me... one before pregnancy, and one taken two weeks before Joel was born.
You can't beat my Receipts
My husband got put on the night shift. He's been there longer than anyone else in the whole department, but he's the one who got screwed. He has also maxed out on his raises which pisses me off to no end that companies are allowed to do that. He thinks that his bosses are trying to get him to quit because he makes so much and is cutting into their bonuses.
His hours really suck, and this is only the fifth night of it. I know things could be a lot worse, like he could not have a job at all, he could be in Iraq and we wouldn't see each other for a year or so... but it still sucks. Ok, enough complaining.
I've been reading alot of blogs tonight, and I'm amazed at finding many blogs from people who write about their trip to the grocery store or drug store, and how much they've saved.
I love being frugal. I'm the first to admit that I'm a total cheap skate. So since I'm bored and husbandless and can't sleep, I think I will go through my wallet and look at old receipts. Not only will I look at my old receipts, but I also will write about them.(I have hit rock bottom, haven't I?) Let me first preface this by saying that my receipts are nowhere near as impressive as those people who really know how to work the system (like this gal). They can go into CVS and rack up Extra Care Bucks, stack coupons, and overall piss off cashiers so that they walk out with two hundred dollars worth of stuff for a nickel.
First receipt: Bed Bath, and Beyond. I bought a shower gift for a friend with a coupon. The gift was $32, and the coupon was for ten bucks off a thirty dollar purchase. Woot, woot!
Second: Aldi Grocery Store- twenty two bucks. I love Aldi, but I don't think they take coupons. They also don't accept credit cards which keeps cost down. That kind of sucks though because I generally charge everything so I can get money back. Every couple months I get a fifty dollar check back from my credit card company. I have never carried a balance, so they don't get any interest from me, yet I'm making money. They probably hate me.
Third receipt- fifteen dollar prescription from CVS. I had $14.35 left on a gift card from my last trip to CVS. I got that $25 gift card for getting a new prescription filled. Sweet. I had to pay a whopping 65c for my prescription.
Fourth receipt- a little over a hundred dollars at the post office. I bought twelve books of forever stamps since postage is going up again. The cashier probably thought I was getting married or something and needed all those stamps for invitations. Nope. I'm just hoarding the stamps, that's all.
Fifth receipt- Kohls. I bought three items of clothing, all on clearance, for a total of $14.70. I only went in because I had a coupon for ten free bucks, so I had to pay $4.70 for my purchases. I had a gift card from Christmas to cover it, so I actually paid nothing. I have over thirty bucks left on the gift card, too!
Sixth receipt- Babies R Us. I bought a box of huggies because there was a five dollar off coupon in the mail. It still came to $31 but I had a gift card from my shower to cover the cost. Cha-ching! I'm also looking into The Caregivers Marketplace, which gives you 75c back for every box of Huggies you buy (though I think it's only for the Jumbo packs, and I buy bigger boxes than that). Also, I am in the process of getting a frequent flyers card from Babies R Us for buying so many Huggies. I think the deal is buy nine boxes and get the tenth one free.
Seventh receipt- Target. I bought a thirteen dollar rug for a friend's shower gift. I had a gift card to cover that also, so I still didn't have to pay for it out of pocket :)
Eighth receipt- Sears. I bought a chemise on clearance for my friend's birthday. It was only five dollars because all clearance was an additional 50% off. (It's the same friend who's getting married, so I figured it would be nice for her honeymoon!)
And that's it. Too bad I didn't have my latest Kroger receipt still in my purse. I totally scored last time I was there. One of the things I was excited about was that I had a coupon for a razor or replacement blades ($4 off). It turns out, the razor with five blades included was on sale and was cheaper than if I had just bought the four pack of blades. I gave the razor to a friend because I didn't need a second one but kept the four blades. Oh yeah, and it also rang up wrong, I caught the mistake, and so they had to knock another five dollars off (that's their policy for wrong prices). You have to really watch because I find so many mistakes. It helps that I practically have a photographic memory for prices. I can't remember my husband's birthday, but I can remember how much Crest toothpaste costs according to the weekly circular!
Oh, by the way, those receipts were not all from one day! Those were a weeks' worth or so. Notice there wasn't a single thrift store receipt. I haven't been to the thrift stores for at least a week. I'm feeling the itch but am trying to hold out until Wed. This is the last Wed. of the month so two of the three chains are having their big "Half Off" sale. The other chain is having their half off sale tomorrow.
I'm so excited about these upcoming half off sales. The only thing that could make it more exciting is if thrift stores started accepting coupons! Actually, come to think of it, when I was in right before Easter, they had a special Easter egg promotion going on. You got to draw an egg from the basket right before you checked out. Inside the egg was a certain percentage off. I only got 10% but that's better than nothing!
I'm willing to bet that all this talk about thrifting will now probably make me dream about it. How much do you want to bet? Five dollars and that cute owl figurine you thrifted last week?
I'll take that bet and raise you a thrifted set of encyclopedias that's only missing G, M, and W!
His hours really suck, and this is only the fifth night of it. I know things could be a lot worse, like he could not have a job at all, he could be in Iraq and we wouldn't see each other for a year or so... but it still sucks. Ok, enough complaining.
I've been reading alot of blogs tonight, and I'm amazed at finding many blogs from people who write about their trip to the grocery store or drug store, and how much they've saved.
I love being frugal. I'm the first to admit that I'm a total cheap skate. So since I'm bored and husbandless and can't sleep, I think I will go through my wallet and look at old receipts. Not only will I look at my old receipts, but I also will write about them.(I have hit rock bottom, haven't I?) Let me first preface this by saying that my receipts are nowhere near as impressive as those people who really know how to work the system (like this gal). They can go into CVS and rack up Extra Care Bucks, stack coupons, and overall piss off cashiers so that they walk out with two hundred dollars worth of stuff for a nickel.
First receipt: Bed Bath, and Beyond. I bought a shower gift for a friend with a coupon. The gift was $32, and the coupon was for ten bucks off a thirty dollar purchase. Woot, woot!
Second: Aldi Grocery Store- twenty two bucks. I love Aldi, but I don't think they take coupons. They also don't accept credit cards which keeps cost down. That kind of sucks though because I generally charge everything so I can get money back. Every couple months I get a fifty dollar check back from my credit card company. I have never carried a balance, so they don't get any interest from me, yet I'm making money. They probably hate me.
Third receipt- fifteen dollar prescription from CVS. I had $14.35 left on a gift card from my last trip to CVS. I got that $25 gift card for getting a new prescription filled. Sweet. I had to pay a whopping 65c for my prescription.
Fourth receipt- a little over a hundred dollars at the post office. I bought twelve books of forever stamps since postage is going up again. The cashier probably thought I was getting married or something and needed all those stamps for invitations. Nope. I'm just hoarding the stamps, that's all.
Fifth receipt- Kohls. I bought three items of clothing, all on clearance, for a total of $14.70. I only went in because I had a coupon for ten free bucks, so I had to pay $4.70 for my purchases. I had a gift card from Christmas to cover it, so I actually paid nothing. I have over thirty bucks left on the gift card, too!
Sixth receipt- Babies R Us. I bought a box of huggies because there was a five dollar off coupon in the mail. It still came to $31 but I had a gift card from my shower to cover the cost. Cha-ching! I'm also looking into The Caregivers Marketplace, which gives you 75c back for every box of Huggies you buy (though I think it's only for the Jumbo packs, and I buy bigger boxes than that). Also, I am in the process of getting a frequent flyers card from Babies R Us for buying so many Huggies. I think the deal is buy nine boxes and get the tenth one free.
Seventh receipt- Target. I bought a thirteen dollar rug for a friend's shower gift. I had a gift card to cover that also, so I still didn't have to pay for it out of pocket :)
Eighth receipt- Sears. I bought a chemise on clearance for my friend's birthday. It was only five dollars because all clearance was an additional 50% off. (It's the same friend who's getting married, so I figured it would be nice for her honeymoon!)
And that's it. Too bad I didn't have my latest Kroger receipt still in my purse. I totally scored last time I was there. One of the things I was excited about was that I had a coupon for a razor or replacement blades ($4 off). It turns out, the razor with five blades included was on sale and was cheaper than if I had just bought the four pack of blades. I gave the razor to a friend because I didn't need a second one but kept the four blades. Oh yeah, and it also rang up wrong, I caught the mistake, and so they had to knock another five dollars off (that's their policy for wrong prices). You have to really watch because I find so many mistakes. It helps that I practically have a photographic memory for prices. I can't remember my husband's birthday, but I can remember how much Crest toothpaste costs according to the weekly circular!
Oh, by the way, those receipts were not all from one day! Those were a weeks' worth or so. Notice there wasn't a single thrift store receipt. I haven't been to the thrift stores for at least a week. I'm feeling the itch but am trying to hold out until Wed. This is the last Wed. of the month so two of the three chains are having their big "Half Off" sale. The other chain is having their half off sale tomorrow.
I'm so excited about these upcoming half off sales. The only thing that could make it more exciting is if thrift stores started accepting coupons! Actually, come to think of it, when I was in right before Easter, they had a special Easter egg promotion going on. You got to draw an egg from the basket right before you checked out. Inside the egg was a certain percentage off. I only got 10% but that's better than nothing!
I'm willing to bet that all this talk about thrifting will now probably make me dream about it. How much do you want to bet? Five dollars and that cute owl figurine you thrifted last week?
I'll take that bet and raise you a thrifted set of encyclopedias that's only missing G, M, and W!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Rabbit Eulogy
My pet rabbit passed away back in October. At the time, I was still suffering from morning sickness and wasn't in a bloggy mood. I was reading a blog by Queen of Fifty Cents (my personal hero, by the way) and she mentioned Joe the Rabbit (not to be confused with Joe the Plumber). That reminded me that I never did give Licorice the Rabbit a proper eulogy.
Licorice was a good rabbit. I got him back in 2000, and at the time he was one year old. I adopted him from the House Rabbit Society. In order to adopt a rabbit from them, you have to agree to keep the rabbit indoors. Rabbits are people too, and they deserve a nice warm home, not a cold wire hutch! (What do you mean rabbits aren't people?! Licorice was pretty sure he was a person). The House Rabbit Society even did a home visit like they were Children's Services or something. They wanted to make sure I indeed had him inside and was treating him right.
I've had five rabbits in my life. Our first was named Pugs, then came Cuddles, and then Rocket (got him on the fourth of July), and then Marble. Those were all family pets growing up. (Licorice was my pet I got in college). They all lived long and happy lives. Pugs wasn't an indoor bunny (I confess... we did the hutch thing back in the mid-80s). Cuddles started out as an indoor bunny but when he chewed a hole through my 4th grade cheerleading uniform, that was the last straw. He then had to go outside to live in Pugs' old hutch.
Rocket and Marble were 100% indoor bunnies. We actually had them at the same time. Funny story. We already had had Rocket for a year, and my brother wanted to play one of those games at the fair where you can win a rabbit. My mom said sure since she knew he wouldn't win. Wrong. First try and we're bringing home another rabbit. They died several years ago, both at the age of eight. My mom had them cremated, and she keeps the ashes in urns in her bedroom. I am not kidding.
Back to Licorice. He started out being caged because in college, my roommates had two dogs and two cats. We only let them out to be together when we were around. I realized this too was cruel and so when we were out of school and into our current house, I got rid of the cage and he had free reign of the kitchen.
It was like that until the day he died. His death came quickly. He had been having some hind leg problems for some time, however one night I came down to the kitchen to find he had fallen over and couldn't get back up. I stayed up with him instead of going back to bed for awhile and kept petting him and talking to him. I figured we'd go through that stage for awhile and he would keep falling over, and I would keep putting him back on his feet. The next morning he was tipped over again, but this time he could not stand on his legs, even after I put him upright. He was very lethargic. I called off work, balling my eyes out to the secretaries, and took him to the vet. She said his condition was severe. His heart-rate had slowed way down, and she said he was basically giving up. She said I could try some lifesaving measures but there was no guarantee that they would work, or she could euthanize him. I decided that he had lived a good life and that the humane thing to do would be to let him go. His back legs were a constant pain to him, and he wouldn't have to be in pain any longer. I tearfully kissed him on the nose, and she took him away. She brought him back in a little box with a Lily on it. Jason buried him in the backyard, and we put a tombstone-looking bunny statue over his grave.
Are you teary eyed yet?
Well here's a funny story about him that will make you smile. A couple years ago, our garbage disposal broke and my father-in-law came over to install the new one I bought. Since Licorice lived in the kitchen, he felt the need to investigate the tool box. He kept hopping in it, and I kept shooshing him out. Finally I gave in and let him sit in the tool box. Turns out, he just wanted to pee in the toolbox! Luckily my father-in-law is used to pets and so he didn't really mind!
One more funny story before I call it a night. Licorice had a baby gate to keep him in the kitchen, however sometimes we took it down. He still knew that he wasn't supposed to leave the kitchen, and when he did all you had to do was look at him and he took off running back to the kitchen. One day I was drinking a glass of ice tea, and I sat it down on the steps for a minute. Next thing I know I see Licorice with his little head shoved down in my glass of ice tea! When I yelled, "Licorice!!" he took off running down the stairs and back into the kitchen.
What a little stinker!
Licorice, I miss you, you naughty little rabbit. May you rest in peace in your clover field in the sky.
Licorice was a good rabbit. I got him back in 2000, and at the time he was one year old. I adopted him from the House Rabbit Society. In order to adopt a rabbit from them, you have to agree to keep the rabbit indoors. Rabbits are people too, and they deserve a nice warm home, not a cold wire hutch! (What do you mean rabbits aren't people?! Licorice was pretty sure he was a person). The House Rabbit Society even did a home visit like they were Children's Services or something. They wanted to make sure I indeed had him inside and was treating him right.
I've had five rabbits in my life. Our first was named Pugs, then came Cuddles, and then Rocket (got him on the fourth of July), and then Marble. Those were all family pets growing up. (Licorice was my pet I got in college). They all lived long and happy lives. Pugs wasn't an indoor bunny (I confess... we did the hutch thing back in the mid-80s). Cuddles started out as an indoor bunny but when he chewed a hole through my 4th grade cheerleading uniform, that was the last straw. He then had to go outside to live in Pugs' old hutch.
Rocket and Marble were 100% indoor bunnies. We actually had them at the same time. Funny story. We already had had Rocket for a year, and my brother wanted to play one of those games at the fair where you can win a rabbit. My mom said sure since she knew he wouldn't win. Wrong. First try and we're bringing home another rabbit. They died several years ago, both at the age of eight. My mom had them cremated, and she keeps the ashes in urns in her bedroom. I am not kidding.
Back to Licorice. He started out being caged because in college, my roommates had two dogs and two cats. We only let them out to be together when we were around. I realized this too was cruel and so when we were out of school and into our current house, I got rid of the cage and he had free reign of the kitchen.
It was like that until the day he died. His death came quickly. He had been having some hind leg problems for some time, however one night I came down to the kitchen to find he had fallen over and couldn't get back up. I stayed up with him instead of going back to bed for awhile and kept petting him and talking to him. I figured we'd go through that stage for awhile and he would keep falling over, and I would keep putting him back on his feet. The next morning he was tipped over again, but this time he could not stand on his legs, even after I put him upright. He was very lethargic. I called off work, balling my eyes out to the secretaries, and took him to the vet. She said his condition was severe. His heart-rate had slowed way down, and she said he was basically giving up. She said I could try some lifesaving measures but there was no guarantee that they would work, or she could euthanize him. I decided that he had lived a good life and that the humane thing to do would be to let him go. His back legs were a constant pain to him, and he wouldn't have to be in pain any longer. I tearfully kissed him on the nose, and she took him away. She brought him back in a little box with a Lily on it. Jason buried him in the backyard, and we put a tombstone-looking bunny statue over his grave.
Are you teary eyed yet?
Well here's a funny story about him that will make you smile. A couple years ago, our garbage disposal broke and my father-in-law came over to install the new one I bought. Since Licorice lived in the kitchen, he felt the need to investigate the tool box. He kept hopping in it, and I kept shooshing him out. Finally I gave in and let him sit in the tool box. Turns out, he just wanted to pee in the toolbox! Luckily my father-in-law is used to pets and so he didn't really mind!
One more funny story before I call it a night. Licorice had a baby gate to keep him in the kitchen, however sometimes we took it down. He still knew that he wasn't supposed to leave the kitchen, and when he did all you had to do was look at him and he took off running back to the kitchen. One day I was drinking a glass of ice tea, and I sat it down on the steps for a minute. Next thing I know I see Licorice with his little head shoved down in my glass of ice tea! When I yelled, "Licorice!!" he took off running down the stairs and back into the kitchen.
What a little stinker!
Licorice, I miss you, you naughty little rabbit. May you rest in peace in your clover field in the sky.
Cabinets, Schnabinets
Yes, folks, it's the long awaited light-blue-kitchen-cabinets-that-look-pretty-damn-white-to-me post.
I just had to throw in a picture of some thrifted milk glass spice containers and rack. I still need to put on labels because I took off the old nasty ones and ran them through the dishwasher. Does anyone have any ideas about how to put on the labels? Should I buy some plain labels at Staples or Office Max and then print out some of my own with cool fonts?
Speaking of fonts... this is pretty cool. You can go here and complete a couple steps and come up with your own font from your handwriting. I did it, and it's pretty neat.
I just had to throw in a picture of some thrifted milk glass spice containers and rack. I still need to put on labels because I took off the old nasty ones and ran them through the dishwasher. Does anyone have any ideas about how to put on the labels? Should I buy some plain labels at Staples or Office Max and then print out some of my own with cool fonts?
Speaking of fonts... this is pretty cool. You can go here and complete a couple steps and come up with your own font from your handwriting. I did it, and it's pretty neat.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
If Only I Could Knit...
then I would totally make my brother this hat for his birthday:
Thank you Extreme Craft for bringing this awesome hat to our attention. I don't know how I've been on this planet for 3 decades without ever having seen or heard of a beer hat. I now feel complete.
I think I would have picked yarn to match the can. Don't you think it would look just smashing with red and blue yarn?
And then of course there's always the crocheted beer clothing at stitchymcyarnpants.com.
Too bad my brother's girlfriend just had her birthday. I think they'd love to go clubbing together decked out in this apparel, don't you?
Thank you Extreme Craft for bringing this awesome hat to our attention. I don't know how I've been on this planet for 3 decades without ever having seen or heard of a beer hat. I now feel complete.
I think I would have picked yarn to match the can. Don't you think it would look just smashing with red and blue yarn?
And then of course there's always the crocheted beer clothing at stitchymcyarnpants.com.
Too bad my brother's girlfriend just had her birthday. I think they'd love to go clubbing together decked out in this apparel, don't you?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Happy Earth Day, my Peeps!
So did you do anything green today? I watched plenty of HGTV that was very green-oriented. That made me happy :)
"What?!" you ask. "What were you doing watching TV when you have a kitchen to redo?!" Well my friends, it is almost done :) And besides, when Joel is crying all I can do is sit on the couch and hold him (and have HGTV on in the background, of course).
So while watching HGTV, I discovered countertops made of recycled paper. How cool is that? I looked it up online and found this site. You should totally check it out. The first countertop on that website is made from recycled green glass. I totally love it, and want it! Too bad it's expensive.
So why am I now looking into countertops? Isn't painting the cabinets painful enough?
You all know from the other day that I was debating between white and blue for the cabinets. I decided to go with a very light blue that looked almost white so that it would look good against the white appliances and the beige colored countertops. (Yes, I know what you're thinking... how awful is it that the previous homeowner mixed white and beige?)
Now that the paint is up on the cabinets (for the most part), I can definitely see that the "blue" paint is not blue at all. It looks terrible up against the beige countertops. And I also discovered that the dishwasher is beige! I've lived here for seven years, and I always thought it was white. Geesh. Up against the stark white cabinets, the dishwasher looks very dirty. *Sigh*
If I have a job next year, I'd replace the countertops in a heartbeat. (I so, so, so want those green glass countertops!!!!) If not, I will have to live with it. Either that or go back to the store and get a darker blue paint I guess.
But who has the energy for repainting the cabinets? Not this gal!
Maybe I could just get some appliance paint and give the dishwasher a facelift. Or maybe I should just replace it since the house is twenty years old, and the dishwasher is most likely original to the house. We already replaced the fridge, and the previous homeowner had replaced the oven.
Speaking of the oven... they had replaced it but not the range hood, so the range hood was still beige (and really nasty at that). A couple years ago at a flea market, I totally lucked out and found the exact same model of range hood but in white for five or ten bucks. It sat around in my basement, not installing itself, for a long time until my father-in-law installed it last year. Woohoo! What a find :)
On another happy note, I do really like the new drawer pulls, and how they pop against the white cabinets :) Photos will come soon, I promise!
"What?!" you ask. "What were you doing watching TV when you have a kitchen to redo?!" Well my friends, it is almost done :) And besides, when Joel is crying all I can do is sit on the couch and hold him (and have HGTV on in the background, of course).
So while watching HGTV, I discovered countertops made of recycled paper. How cool is that? I looked it up online and found this site. You should totally check it out. The first countertop on that website is made from recycled green glass. I totally love it, and want it! Too bad it's expensive.
So why am I now looking into countertops? Isn't painting the cabinets painful enough?
You all know from the other day that I was debating between white and blue for the cabinets. I decided to go with a very light blue that looked almost white so that it would look good against the white appliances and the beige colored countertops. (Yes, I know what you're thinking... how awful is it that the previous homeowner mixed white and beige?)
Now that the paint is up on the cabinets (for the most part), I can definitely see that the "blue" paint is not blue at all. It looks terrible up against the beige countertops. And I also discovered that the dishwasher is beige! I've lived here for seven years, and I always thought it was white. Geesh. Up against the stark white cabinets, the dishwasher looks very dirty. *Sigh*
If I have a job next year, I'd replace the countertops in a heartbeat. (I so, so, so want those green glass countertops!!!!) If not, I will have to live with it. Either that or go back to the store and get a darker blue paint I guess.
But who has the energy for repainting the cabinets? Not this gal!
Maybe I could just get some appliance paint and give the dishwasher a facelift. Or maybe I should just replace it since the house is twenty years old, and the dishwasher is most likely original to the house. We already replaced the fridge, and the previous homeowner had replaced the oven.
Speaking of the oven... they had replaced it but not the range hood, so the range hood was still beige (and really nasty at that). A couple years ago at a flea market, I totally lucked out and found the exact same model of range hood but in white for five or ten bucks. It sat around in my basement, not installing itself, for a long time until my father-in-law installed it last year. Woohoo! What a find :)
On another happy note, I do really like the new drawer pulls, and how they pop against the white cabinets :) Photos will come soon, I promise!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Kitchen Cabinets "Before" Photos
My Rabbit Pepper Grinder. Notice the tuscan faux finish on the wall.
An overall shot of the kitchen
Notice the mismatched wood tones. I hate it. 
Please excuse the dust on the light fixture! I bought that one several years ago on clearance; there's another one on the other side of the kitchen. 
Another overall shot.
Yep, another one. Last one, I promise.Sunday, April 19, 2009
What Have I Done?
I am insane. Insane, I tell you. I went to Lowes and bought 20 new drawer pulls for the kitchen cabinets. They look very sleek and contemporary... not usually my style, but I've been watching so much HGTV that I'm convinced my house will never sell with its current "country" decor. I do like the knobs though, and they were only 97c apiece so I got them.
Keep in mind I'm throwing a wedding shower in a week. One Week. And it's at my house.
So I told my husband to put the baby down to bed and get ready to help me unload the kitchen cabinets because I'm going to wash them down, sand them, prime them, and paint them (two coats).
Yes, I have gone completely, utterly insane.
We now have food, glasses, plates, silverware, pots, pans, vases, cookbooks, and a heap of other things piled in the dining room and living room. My husband doesn't know it yet because he went to bed before I did, but I also emptied the entire cabinet of plastic containers into the playpen. It filled up the entire playpen. I need to get rid of some of this crap.
The good news is our local Volunteers of America is in desperate need of donations because they had a mercury spill the other day and had to throw away everything in the store (even the racks). Wait, nevermind. I can't believe I just called that "good news." Ugh. I cringe thinking of all that going to the landfill. And it wasn't one of those little stores either; it was a really big one.
Anyway...
I forgot to mention that I still am not done cleaning the grout on the bathroom floor (though thankfully the shower is done so we are able to shower at home again).
Pray for me this week. And don't expect to hear from me much for the next seven days. I will be busily tearing apart my kitchen and putting it back together.
Keep in mind I'm throwing a wedding shower in a week. One Week. And it's at my house.
So I told my husband to put the baby down to bed and get ready to help me unload the kitchen cabinets because I'm going to wash them down, sand them, prime them, and paint them (two coats).
Yes, I have gone completely, utterly insane.
We now have food, glasses, plates, silverware, pots, pans, vases, cookbooks, and a heap of other things piled in the dining room and living room. My husband doesn't know it yet because he went to bed before I did, but I also emptied the entire cabinet of plastic containers into the playpen. It filled up the entire playpen. I need to get rid of some of this crap.
The good news is our local Volunteers of America is in desperate need of donations because they had a mercury spill the other day and had to throw away everything in the store (even the racks). Wait, nevermind. I can't believe I just called that "good news." Ugh. I cringe thinking of all that going to the landfill. And it wasn't one of those little stores either; it was a really big one.
Anyway...
I forgot to mention that I still am not done cleaning the grout on the bathroom floor (though thankfully the shower is done so we are able to shower at home again).
Pray for me this week. And don't expect to hear from me much for the next seven days. I will be busily tearing apart my kitchen and putting it back together.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Chickening out
I'm worried that if I were to paint my kitchen cabinets blue, I would turn off potential buyers when we put our house on the market in a few years. I would hate to paint them blue for my taste, but then turn around and paint them white a few years later so that the house would sell easier. *Sigh* I think I'll just go with white cabinets. Not that that's a bad thing of course! I absolutely love white painted furniture. I'm quite shabby chic :)
Here's some inspiration.
Here's some inspiration.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Kitchen Cabinet Makeover
My mom hates painted wood. We've gone round and round through the past decade about it, since I love white furniture. She loves oak.
I hate oak.
If I have to have the real wood finish showing through, I like cherry or maple pretty well, and even a rustic pine is nice. But oak is just fugly.
I have wanted to paint my kitchen cupboards since moving into this house seven years ago, but was worried that if I did, I would never hear the end of it. The other day, she gave me the green light. She said that my house is twenty years old, and so I could paint the cabinets to give them a bit of an update. Woot, woot! I am so excited.
I am thinking of having a painting party, and y'all are invited. And by that I mean, how about you come over and clean and paint my cabinets?
Here's some pictures of kitchens I like. I always assumed I would go with a creamy white, but lately I've been thinking I'd like blue cabinets. My appliances are white, and the walls are faux finished with a tuscan plaster effect. I just can't decide on the paint color. What do you think?
I hate oak.
If I have to have the real wood finish showing through, I like cherry or maple pretty well, and even a rustic pine is nice. But oak is just fugly.
I have wanted to paint my kitchen cupboards since moving into this house seven years ago, but was worried that if I did, I would never hear the end of it. The other day, she gave me the green light. She said that my house is twenty years old, and so I could paint the cabinets to give them a bit of an update. Woot, woot! I am so excited.
I am thinking of having a painting party, and y'all are invited. And by that I mean, how about you come over and clean and paint my cabinets?
Here's some pictures of kitchens I like. I always assumed I would go with a creamy white, but lately I've been thinking I'd like blue cabinets. My appliances are white, and the walls are faux finished with a tuscan plaster effect. I just can't decide on the paint color. What do you think?
Thursday, April 16, 2009
An interesting Coincidence
I was just looking at a photo of the tombstone of Joel Shumaker, my great-great-great grandfather and the namesake of my son, and I realized that he passed away on the same day as my son was due. Joel Shumaker died on February 26, 1887 when he crossed the railroad tracks in front of a train. He was struck and instantly killed. What's especially sad is that Joel didn't die alone that day. Let me explain.
His son (my great-great grandfather)'s name was Albert, and Albert was married to Ella Rose Smith. Ella's father also was struck and killed with Joel on that fateful day. I can't imagine losing both my father and my father-in-law in the same accident.
His son (my great-great grandfather)'s name was Albert, and Albert was married to Ella Rose Smith. Ella's father also was struck and killed with Joel on that fateful day. I can't imagine losing both my father and my father-in-law in the same accident.
Cottage-y Cotton for my Cookie Cutters
I was inspired by Tabiboo to make a drawstring bag for my cookie cutters. I had them sitting in a basket on the ledge until the ant infestation a couple weeks ago. My husband went a little nuts-o with the bug spray and got it all over everything, so we had to wash all the cookie cutters and utensils that were sitting out on the counter. I finally got them washed today and was able to put them into these two cute bags. (I only meant to make one for them all to fit into, however it turned out a little smaller than I had imagined).
Thank you Tabiboo for the inspiration :)
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