Verdict - Cream Cheese Chicken

We had the cream cheese chicken this weekend while my sister was visiting. I let her pick three items off our October meal plan that she wanted to try. First thing I loved about this recipe was the simplicity! I threw a pound of frozen chicken breast into the crockpot. No need to thaw! Then covered that with one packet of dry Italian dressing mix, one can of cream of chicken soup, and one 8ounce container of cream cheese. Put lid on, set on low, and you're done.
8 hours later - with the house filled with a delicious aroma, we sat down to have dinner.
We had this over rice and it was awesome!You could even add some frozen peas toward the end of the cooking time to round out the meal.
While the kids are not big meat eaters yet and I still needed to give them some picky-eater pre-schooler staple like fish sticks, I did mix some of the chicken bits and sauce with the rice and Landon ate three servings of rice.
This was a hit and will definitely be added to a rotating monthly meal plan.

Free Tissues

You can get a FREE box of Kleenex cool touch tissues and also send one to a friend. Since I feel like I'm getting cold this weekend this couldn't come at a better time.

Request one here

Thanks Living rich with coupons!

Wordless Wednesday - Getting Big

FREE Progresso Soup

Right now Progresso soup has a rebate for a free can of Progresso Rich and Hearty Soup, any variety (up to $2.68)
Purchase must be made between 9/1/11-1/31/12
You can find the rebate form here.

Love soup in the fall and winter! Wish I could get the kids to like it more - maybe in time.

Thanks, Krazy Coupon Lady!

$1.00 off any 4 Scotties

$1.00 off any 4 Scotties tissues. Love these coupons - they had some great printable ones on their website a while back but for now they are gone. I do check now and then to see if they will bring them back - those were $0.50 off one which, doubled, made for free tissues.
For now I'll take this one, makes them only $0.75 each at my store.

Thanks, Printable Coupons and Deals!

QOTW - What do I love about fall?

Fall is my absolute favorite season. Something about the cool, crisp weather, the colors of the leaves changing, the fall holidays, and pumpkin anything. I even picked the first day of autumn as the day to get married.

I think my favorite thing about the fall season is the sense of renewal I feel. I know that most people view the spring season as the season of renewal but I think fall is the season of renewal. I think about the new school year starting and that fresh start you get from that. I work now in a organization where our year kicks off in the fall - so again - a new chance to reach goals, achieve things, begin something new.
The sound of a football game taking place, the smell of pumpkin pie, the taste of a juice sweet apple just picked from the tree, and seeing the kids jumping in big piles of colorful leaves brings me joy.

October Menu Plan

As a single working mom with two busy kids I thought I'd try to take up menu planning. I have some friends who are great at it - and I've been taking some advice and tips from them. Plus, menu planning is a BIG step in couponing and saving money. So, we're gonna give it a go. And, I'll do my best to give some reviews of new things we try. Since a lot of my menu planning will be focused on families with picky eaters.

1- Breakfast Biscuit Bowls, fruit

2 - Pizza Chicken, noodles (crockpot)

3- Spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread

4- Pierogies, vegetables

5 - Cream Cheese Chicken, rice (crockpot) (OAMC - make two, freeze one for November)

6 - Baked Mexican Penne, (OAMC - make two, freeze one for Nov/Dec)

7 - Goldfish Pizza, veggie sticks

8- Sausage and Pasta Skillet

9- Fish Sticks, rice or noodles, fruit

10- Spaghetti and Meatballs, garlic bread

11- Breakfast Burritos, yogurt fruit smoothies

12 - Ham and Pasta Skillet

13- Chicken Lickin drumsticks, rice, veggies

14- Unstuffed Shells, salad (OAMC, freeze one for November/December)

15- We're all staying at Grandpa's for weekend

16- We're all staying at Grandpa's for weekend

17- Spaghetti and Meatballs, garlic bread

18- Savory Italian Sausage Stew, pasta

19- Pierogies, vegetables

20- Chunky soup with rice

21- dinner out

22- Sausage Stroganoff (using Hamburger Helper)

23- Grilled Cheese sandwiches, soup

24- Spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread

25- Salisbury Steak, potatoes, vegetables

26- Frittata with broccoli and cheese, fruit, toast

27- Crescent Dogs, fries

28- fish sticks, rice or noodles, fruit

29 - Rigatoni with greens and beans (omit red pepper)

30- Pizza (Takeout)

31 - Monster Claws

Deals

best deals I found for myself today:

http://printablecouponsanddeals.com/2011/09/1-off-one-any-flavor-yoplait-frozen-smoothie.html - will be great with my breakfast for dinner day

http://thekrazycouponlady.com/2011/09/26/brita-pitcher-only-3-97-at-walmart-6-00-money-maker-after-rebate/ - already have one of these BUT it is a $6.00 moneymaker so may need an additional one.

Thanks, Printable coupons and deals and Krazy coupon lady!

Pork with Sauerkraut Recipe

Pork tenderloin - had a $1.00 of coupon for these making total less than $5.00
two bags sauerkraut - free from our Fun on the Farm excursion over the weekend
one apple - $1.00

Put all in crockpot. Cook on low for 10 hours.

Dinnner will be wiating for us when we get home. Just boil some water for some Idahoan bag potatoes.

Deals 9-26-11

My Deal of the day was Walgreens 24ct maxi pads - I paid $2.00 and got a $2.00 RR
Gotta love FREE.

Fun on the Farm

The kids and I went to a fun event this weekend called "Fun on the Farm." Every year a different local farmer hosts it and they have a tour of the farm, local farmer vendors, food samples, and education and awareness of farming. I figured since the boys love animals it would be a fun thing to do together.

We got to sample local apples, strawberry milk, and apple chips. And some cheese, which before I realized it, I gave Alex a sample of roasted garlic cheddar. I was fully expecting him to spit it everywhere but to my surprise he told me it was, and I quote, Yummmmy!

The kids played some fun farm games, like bowling with cabbage, and ring toss over milk jugs, and we won some bags of sauerkraut, and string cheese.

We saw some cows being milked and got to pet a baby calf.

We did not take a hay ride because Landon informed me that tractors drive too fast.

And, when we were leaving Alex told me that while we were in the milking barn he was sure one of the cows was going to start chasing him. What an imagination!

On the way back to the car we stopped at some HUGE tractors which they loved - anything trucks, cars, or machinery is amazing. Definate male mentality.

It really was fun on the farm. And we got to get out of the house, learn some new things together, and enjoy a beautiful fall day.

Deals 9-25-11

I only found one deal I was interested in today. A new coupon for $1.00/3 Furmano's canned tomatoes - I use these to make spaghetti sauce in big batches that I then freeze for the month.

http://www.livingrichwithcoupons.com/2011/09/new-13-furmanos-tomatoes-coupon.html

Thanks, Living Rich with Coupons!

Deals of the day

I check a lot of couponing websites on a daily basis to help with my couponing "habit". There are more deals out there than you could imagine. I wish I had known about all of these tips sooner - could have been saving a bundle for years.
I'm going to share my top 3 deals of the day - look under the deals of the day tab for these posts.
Happy shopping and saving!

Shopping 9-23-11

First trip was to Rite Aid - where I got pull-ups, wipes, tampons, tissues, and dishwasher soap. I am fully stocked up on the tampons, tissues, and dishwasher soap now for probably 3 months.
Total retail value was $77.48
My OOP was 32.37
savings of 55%

Then Walmart - I never really save a huge percentage on my walmart trips because they are big trips, meant for a purchase that will cover two weeks of food, and the kids are with me (and they are now able to throw things into the cart that they want - like yogurt smoothies, cookies, extra grapes, etc)
Between price matching and coupons I was able to save 13% off this trip as well.
Not too shabby.

You say it's your birthday....

Happy Birthday boys. I can not believe that you are 3.years.old Time goes so quickly - sometimes I look at you and I still can't believe that you are here. Other times, like when you're fighting over a toy, or WWF wrestling in the living room, the noise in our house makes it very clear that you are here.


I will never forgot what it was like to have a silent home.


And, I'll take the noise any day.





Happy Birthday. I love you both very much!


Mommy

4th Blogoversary

Tomorrow is my 4 year Blogoversary. Four years since I started writing as a way to sort out my feelings of despair as J and I struggled with infertility and how we would ever build a family.
I now struggle sometimes with continuing to blog - although I do love to write and always have found that I feel I can express myself best in writing. There are so many issues with maintaining a blog - time to write and whether or not anyone is interested in what I'm writing are the two main ones for me.
It is so often difficult to write, trying to raise two small children alone and maintain a household as well. So many times, I think to myself, "OMG, I'd love to tell the world about this." But by the time, we finish whatever it is that we're doing, and the boys get to bed, and I actually have some time to sit down and write, I'm often too exhausted to sign on to the computer and put our story down on virtual paper. I should try harder because 1. I hope that someday my children will be able to see this blog as a virtual memory book and 2. I don't want to use the excuse of having to raise two children alone as an excuse for not doing something. There are probably millions of people doing the same things every day - and I try to live by the idea that if something is important to you you will find time for it.
I guess the bigger issue for me now is whether anyone is interested in what I have to say. I guess I don't always feel like we have the most exciting life - I see it more as pretty average. With the one small difference being my children are twins. So most posts are about them and where they are at developmentally, pictures, etc. Nothing extraordinarily exciting. Except to me and the people who know and love them.
Before my blog turned into a parenting multiples blog the writing came so easily for me - I could spew off post after post about my subject matter - infertility - and I had such clear opinions on the subject. I also felt really confident in my knowledge of the subject matter - I felt like I was an expert on infertility - having been in the trenches for nearly 7 years. Now, with the parenting multiples blog, well, I'm not a parenting expert. I'm not an expert at raising kids. Hell, most days I feel like I don't know what the hell I'm doing and my kids will be lucky if we can get through to adulthood without major mistakes on my part. I yell sometimes when I probably shouldn't, I let them watch maybe too much t.v, and eat junk food snacks instead of apples, I just don't know how much I'm doing right or wrong.
So, that makes it even more difficult to write - like what the heck does this chick know about raising multiples?

But I do know that I am learning more and more about parenting multiples each day and maybe someday I will be an expert. Maybe I'll publish a book about raising twins and all the joy and chaos that goes along with that. Even if I'm not a one-day expert though, at least my children will be able to look back on this blog and have some evidence of the mistakes I made to use against me - and some evidence of my love for them as well.

Deal-breaker

I've been DVR'ing and watching Dr. Phil at night after the boys go to bed. It's my me-time (sometimes a drink, almost always potato chips, and Dr. Phil or a book - on the kindle)

Last night Dr. Phil said something that resonated with me -- "There are a few absolute drop dead dealbreakers in a marriage."

What J did was, according to Dr. Phil, a dealbreaker - so why can I not be more angry? Should I be? Every day I wonder if I'm handling the situation the way I should be. Everyone I talk to about it is biased - they are my family and friends. So, I've decided to seek out the opinion and help of a professional counselor. I need to make sure I handle this situation in the best possible manner for the boys and their future.

Savings 8-14-11

Grocery shopping trip this week included shopping at Rite Aid, Top's and Walmart - plus ordering pull ups from Amazon

Amazon - $21.11 for 96 count pampers pull ups - 21cents each

Total merchandise - $277.00
Total OOP - $202.00
Savings of $75.00 or about 27%

Wordless Wednesday: Learning to Ride

Staycation July 2011

We had a staycation this past week. Tons of fun! We did so much and it completely stunk going back to work. And try explaining to two 3 year olds why today is a work day and not another vacation day. Not fun.

To start off the week we spent the weekend at Grandpa's house visiting. We went to the beach - but once again the boys were not willing to go in the water, or even near the water for that matter. So, needless to say we didn't stay long in the 95 degree weather. I don't understand my children and their obsession with keeping their socks and shoes on. Must come from J. I prefer to go around barefoot as much as possible.

On Monday we visited Grandpa with the beard and then drove home, with Aunt Stef, to our house. This was the first visit with Grandpa with the beard that Alex did not cry at (those beards are a scary thing you know). He even was willing to ride next to Grandpa in the golf cart.

Tuesday the boys did go to daycare so that Mommy could car shop - the car is in desperate need of being retired. And we were able to find one so we should have it soon.

Then for the rest of the week we did different fun things.

We went to the fair, and saw all the animals, attempted rides but were too scared, and won a nemo fish by playing a ball toss game. Sadly though, Nemo wanted to go back to the ocean to visit his own Mom and dad so we sent him there by way of toilet flush the next day. We went to the play museum and saw Big Bird's nest, rode on a train, and shopped at the pretend grocery store. We went to the playground and the beach and actually went into the water (although we did keep our socks on) and had fun building a sand castle. If I tell my children I need their superpowers to help build the castle they are much more willing to go close to the water.

There was one incident where we got a little too tired and had a major meltdown. But luckily no one actually called the police on Mommy - they just thought I was abducting Alex from Walmart as he screamed at the top of his lungs, "No, No, Go back, No, I won't get in the car! I NEED a Toy!!" Good thing he threw in the last part about the toy or I seriously might have been sitting in a jail cell while Aunt Stef went to get the boys birth certificates for my proof of parenthood.

They say marriage is for better or for worse. So is parenthood I guess.

All in all it was a great staycation.

Wordless Wednesday - Hiding

Shopping plans 7-22-2011

I won't be buying much this week as we're headed on a road trip to visit family for the weekend. But there are two great deals I can't pass up.

Staples
Charmin big roll toilet paper 16 count $4.99
Use coupon from P&G insert
Final cost - $4.74 or 29 cents per roll

Rite Aid
Samy Fat Foam Hair color $8.99
Buy 2
Use $3.00/$15.00 order receipt coupon
Use (2) $3.00/1 coupon from Samy Fat Foam Facebook page
OOP cost - $8.98
Get $10.00 in UPR's
Final cost - FREE plus $1.02 money maker

Stocking up on toilet paper because I know that with two boys who will soon (read: hopefully) be potty trained we'll be using more of this. And, need those hair colors since single handedly raising two pre-schoolers seems to be causing a few (read: lots) more grays to appear on my head.

Savings 7-15-11

I shopped at Rite Aid, Tops, and Walmart this week. Trip included groceries for two weeks, toys for boys (two puzzles and two cars/truck), plus two t-shirts for Mommy.
Total merchandise $234.16
Total OOP $179.01
Savings of 23%

Not quite extreme couponing...but near a quarter % savings. Not bad.

Weekly Freebies 7-15-11

This week in my mailbox I got:
Sample pack of Playtex Sport tampons which included a high-value coupon for $1.00 off an 18count box
Coupon for a FREE Suave Naturals Body Lotion
Organize in STyle coupon book worth $35.00 in savings

What's normal for you may not be for me

We visted the zoo this past weekend. While watching the wolf circle around his area, Alex asked me, "Mommmy where is his twin?" I explained that maybe he didn't have a twin. Then Landon said, "well of course he does; he's right there" and pointed out the second wolf.
Cute that they think that everything has a twin.

Shopping Plans 7-15-11

So, as I mentioned in a previous post, I am seriously trying to save money and couponing has become my latest obsession. With being a single income household and two children to educate I've got to find ways to reduce my debt and build my savings and give us a little breathing room in our monthly budget so that I can sometimes buy that toy the boys want or maybe even take a little vacation. Couponing, from my brief research, seems to be a good strategy to start with.
I shop every other week - so I'll try to post some of my lists, and coupon strategies, and of course, what I saved. Maybe you'll find it helpful.

Plan for week of 7/15 -
Rite Aid
Simplicity toilet paper 24 rolls $5.00 (that is 21 cents per roll!) Buy 2
Purex laundry detergent $1.97 Buy 2
Total - 13.94
Use $4.86 UPR's from previous shopping trip
Total OOP - $9.08

Top's
I'll be buying some of the items listed here --
http://www.couponsforyourfamily.com/2011/07/tops-weekly-deals-710-716-free-pure-protein-bars-carefree-liners-and-more.html
Thanks Coupons for your family!

Walmart
Regular groceries needed (milk, half and half, eggs, pull-ups, meat, produce) I've got to organize my coupons for my Walmart trip myself sometime before this weekend.

I'll post after the shopping what my savings were.

Does this thing blow bubbles?

The new lawn mower arrived this morning. The boys were super excited about it coming and wanted me to open the box right away. No time though - had to get to work. So, after work tonight we'll be unpacking the mower, and READING THE DIRECTIONS this time, so that this mower might last more than a year. Who knows, maybe it will even last so long that one day in the future the boys will be fighting over who gets to mow the lawn.
Ha! Who am I kidding? I remember that chore as a teenager - it was great when I was in a "I'm getting in shape this summer" mode but that quickly got old, and then the cool air conditioner and daytime television began calling me....

While Landon loves to push his bubble mower around the yard now I'm sure that in another ten years, the mower will be in the middle of the yard, grass half-cut, and he will be in the house, on the phone, watching television, playing video games, or out playing with friends.
Alex has already laid his claim as the one who likes to watch his brother mow the lawn. His bubble mower had spider webs all over it from lack of use.

Happy 4th of July

The boys and I spent the weekend with family enjoying the zoo, the lake, making sandcastles and eating BBQ.
They had a ball seeing all the animals at the zoo and it never ceases to amaze me when one of them steps out of their comfort zone to do something I would have never thought they would. Alex, who is normally hesitant to try new things, loved petting the deer at the zoo. Couldn't get enough of it. He said it was, "Cool."

We made sandcastles at the beach and Landon counted close to 100 boats that went by that day. He has informed me that we have to get a boat. Sure, but first a lawn mower to replace the broken one so I can get the lawn mowed before I lose you in it.

I love summer.

New Hobbies

If you can call it a hobby that is. What with having two near-three year olds, working, and being a Mom thrown once again into single parenthood by a husband with far too many issues, I have taken up the "hobby" of couponing. It is quickly becoming an obssession with me - how much can I save, where can I find the best deal. I figure with two boys heading to college at the same time I need to get a jump on this savings plan NOW.
Landon actually called me the coupon lady the other day.

One thing that's come along with couponing is signing my self up for freebies everywhere I can. Today I found this
I look forward to getting my sample in the mail. I'm sure the bugs will love it and will tell you about it when they've tried it. Anything with less sugar is a good thing.

I'll post an update about the boys soon. They are up to soooo much lately - the conversations, the increasing independence, what a fun, fun age we're at!

Looking forward to a fun summer - the car's movie coming out, and winnie the pooh (those will be our first trips to a movie theater), going to our family's cmap at the lake, the splash park, zoo, and the Great American Backyard Campout (we're going to make S'mores!)

Serious Update

Seriously, I am the worst blogger on the face of the earth. I haven't posted since December - how can that be? Gosh, life goes by way to fast. So, for updates:
1. I see the last post had to do with my favorite holiday cookies. The bugs and I made them - and I am not a baker. LOVE to cook, but baking is not my thing. When the cookies were done I gave them to the bugs, who proceeded to spit them out and tell me, "Mommy, these are yucky." We won't try that again.
2. Christmas was fabulous! The first year they are beginning to understand about Santa. Spent way too much money and also way too much time putting together toys Christmas Eve night - while cursing a lot I might add - but their faces Christmas morning made it all worth it. And to this day, some mornings Landon still comes down the stairs and sees his toys and says, "Santa brought new toys!"
3. Went away for the first time leaving the bugs home for 4 days - for a work convention. It was scary anticipating how it would go and I missed them terribly. But we all survived. Them better than me I think.
4. We are still not interested in the potty. Nearly 31 months old and I'm told, "We like our diapers, Mommy." I try not to stress about it - they'll be out of diapers before high school, right?
5. We have become seriously picky eaters although we always have room for dessert. Hummmm?
6. We can count in English and Spanish, jump with both feet off the ground, climb stairs really fast, and basically make Mommy crazy with worry a lot.
7. We have already begun the, "He's touching me. Stop touching me." phase of our lives - if I remember correctly from my own personal experience with my siblings this will last until they turn 30 years old.
8. We are the best of friends (at times) and complete opposites. If Alex says black, Landon says white - often just to push the other one's buttons.


I will post a picture update post soon.

If this blog is ever going to become a story for my boys to look back on when their grown then I have got to get serious about posting more - so my goal - at least a once a week post. Starting NOW.