No Spend Month: Week 2

This week, our budget is a very generous $87.50.  That accounts for 25% of our overall budget of $350 for the month.  Keep in mind, this includes gas and groceries.  Bills are not included in the no spend.  I know that $350 seems like a lot of money, but it goes quick with a family of 5. 

Day 1: It's a beautiful morning.  I am still pumped about having $4.09 leftover last week, so I am looking forward to this week for sure.

I had planned on making these awesome Pioneer Woman French Breakfast Puffs for breakfast, but the kids wanted graham crackers and carrots, so that is what they got.  Sometimes I just don't understand these creatures children.

I got a jump start on supper by tossing a Perfect Pot Roast into the crock pot before getting the kids dressed for church.

For lunch we kept it simple by throwing together some awesome grilled cheese sandwiches.  My mother in law bought me a grilled cheese press for Christmas.  Most people would be upset to receive an appliance, but she knows that I LOVE kitchen gadgets and appliances.  I love that she knows me so well.

Just before supper time, I tossed some rice in to cook and serve with the roast.  Mmmmm, the house smelled so good by this point that we were all starving.  To make sure we had enough for leftovers, I actually pulled out half of the meal before I served it.  You would be amazed at the difference in the amount your family eats based on availability.  We have a tendency to keep eating after we get full because we enjoy the taste.  By pulling out half, everyone still gets full, but you have food left for the next day.

Day 2: Morning got off to a pretty good start.

Breakfast was cheesy grits...these are a favorite across the board.

I was able to use up some fabric I have had around for a while today by making an apron for myself and cutting pattern pieces for several other projects to work on soon.

Lunch was the other box of organic mac n cheese that I had picked up for super cheap a couple weeks ago.

This afternoon, I ran Laney to soccer.  I also had to stop and pick up milk.  Our first money out for the week.  Can you believe it was $4.09 this week?!?! What is it with that number? That means that with tax I spent $4.38 on milk this week already.  Unbelievable. 

At supper we had leftover Perfect Pot Roast....which is even more yummy the second day, by the way.

Sorry my post is sort of short and sweet today....it was kind of a rough day.  There's always tomorrow!

Day 3: Woke up determined to have a better day than Monday, but I didn't really feel well.  I got some chores done early on and got to work on a few sewing projects.

Breakfast was cereal.  I had planned on scrambled eggs, but the kiddos had other plans.

Lunch was PB&J and popcorn. I make our jelly homemade...there is nothing like it.  You have to try it if you ever get a chance.

Supper was bean tostados.  This is one of our favorite cheap meals.  You just throw flour tortillas into jumbo muffin tins, fill them with refried beans, and bake at 350 until the edges of the tortillas turn golden brown.  Then top with whatever you like...cheese, salsa, tomato, lettuce, sour cream, etc.

After supper, I started work on next week's menu.  Oofta, I hope I can get the ingredients we need and stay under budget!

Day 4: Still didn't feel fabulous when I got up.  I had to just suck it up though.  I had a ton to do today to prepare for an event for my home based business.

The kids convinced me to give them cereal for breakfast again today.  I'm starting to wonder about my cooking.....

For lunch I threw together some jambalaya rice.  I can't tell you how much they love that stuff.

I tried to get some more work done on my sewing during nap time.  I know you have to be getting curious by now about what I could possibly be spending so much time sewing.  You will have to wait to find out.

For supper I made a chicken and broccoli ring on my favorite piece of stoneware.  The kids and I love broccoli, but hubby is not a fan.  Overall though, it went over well.

I am so excited that tomorrow is payday and that I have a personal business event.  I need a pick me up.  Going on two weeks with no Monster coffee, and the no spending has gotten to me a little this week.  Almost at the end of week two, and I am starting to feel like some of my wants are really needs, haha.  I NEED fancy coffee creamer, right?  Ok, maybe not.  At any rate, I am in deep need of some time out of the house and a reminder that this month is going to be worth it.

Day 5: Getting kind of bogged down, but hoping for a great day.

Breakfast was scrambled eggs and lunch was sandwiches, nothing exciting to speak of.

At supper time, I had a business event to attend, but the family had leftover chicken and broccoli ring.

Day 6: Toast and jelly and out the door to run errands...no time to gather my morning thoughts, haha. 

Bank, grocery store, gas station this morning with the kiddos.  We spend $37.42 at the store, then put $41 in the gas tank.  That with the $4.09 from earlier in the week would have put us at $82.51 and well under budget, but hubby called and said he found a great deal on gas that he couldn't pass up.  He put $59 of gas into his truck, so we are officially $54.01 over budget.

That would be getting me super down, but my fabulous mother and stepdad bought my my yearly supply of pumpkin spice coffee, so that softens the blow A LOT.

I had a business event around dinner time, so hubby rounded up any remaining leftovers for the kiddos and himself.

Day 7: Just kind of coasted through the day.  Feeling pretty awful about going over budget, but I know it means we will keep under budget the next week.

Hey!  We made it halfway!!!!

How are you doing with your no spend month?

No Spend Month....the first week.

Our goal starting this week is for the whole family to spend $70 or less, which is about 20% of our month long budget.  Hubby got a $50 allowance for the week.  I got the remaining $20. Wish us luck.  Here we go!

Day 1:  I woke up this morning with that awesome feeling that comes with every new adventure.  That unwarranted pride and false sense of hope.  It is just like the first day on an awesome new diet that you just know is going to work. 

For breakfast, we all had leftover cupcakes (I know, mother of the year).

Lunch and supper consisted of leftover party food.  (get ready to hear that a few more times)

Day 2:  Still feeling unwarranted accomplishment.  Energized and ready to do this!

For breakfast, the kids had scrambled eggs and fresh strawberries left from the monster party.  Eggs are always an awesome cheap/free option at our house because we own our own chickens.  Eggs are always just a chicken coop away.

 

 

I had a cup of coffee and a little fresh fruit.

I had to run a couple of errands today, but I stayed as close to home as possible to keep my gas consumption down.  I had to run to my daughter's school, the pharmacy, and the grocery store.  Of course, the grocery store means I had to spend a little of our budget.  Luckily all we needed was milk.  Unluckily, the milk cost $4, bringing us down to $66 left for the week, $16 left for me.  Technically, the milk was $4.28 after tax, but I had change rolling around in my wallet to cover the tax.  Is that cheating?

Side Note: I spoke to my friend in California today....apparently their milk only costs $2...super jealous.  I guess California really is where happy cows live.

For lunch, the kids grabbed some meat, cheese, crackers, and carrots while I had some carrots and celery and a turkey wrap.

Had to burn a teeny bit more gas bringing the star athlete to soccer practice.

Supper consisted of leftover croissant sandwiches from the birthday party with veggies, chips, and fruit as sides and cupcakes for dessert.

Day 3: Still feeling pretty great about our decision to have no spend month.  I know this feeling will be traded for misery and panic in a few weeks, but I'm enjoying it now.

Kids had cereal and fruit for breakfast while I had fruit and...you guessed it...coffee.

Lunch consisted of leftover croissant sandwiches, chips, and veggies. I think we MIGHT have bought a few too many.  Oh well, it is helping out with week one of no spend month.

Very near being burned at the stake, we had MORE leftover sandwiches for supper.  Last time, I promise!

The only gas I had to burn today was to go to a monthly training meeting for my personal business.  Since the gym is on the way home, I went by there so that they wouldn't forget my name.

Side note: I think I am going to quickly grow frustrated with how fast we burn through a gallon of milk around here...probably going to have to pick up another gallon tomorrow or Thursday.

Day 4: Found out hubby didn't fill the tank up before we started our adventure.  He had to drop $20 into his gas tank.  Looks like I'm "winning" for now.

Kids had toast with homemade jelly for breakfast.  I just grabbed a cup of coffee.

Lunch consisted of a box of organic mac n cheese shaped like bugs.  Had it lurking in the back of the pantry.  Ironically the organic mac n cheese is cheaper overall and per ounce than the blue box.

To avoid murder, I prepared chicken tortellini from supplies we had on hand.

I had to run into town for a business meeting, but had a friend headed the same place.  I just met her up the street and we rode together to the meeting as well as to the gym.

Day 5:  Still trying to be as on top of things as possible.  It has been kind of a rough day, so it is a little tough to be excited about sticking to the plan.

Breakfast for the kids was the last of the cereal.  I had....wait for it...coffee!

For lunch, we had cheese and crackers and apple slices.

Supper consisted of barbeque pork chops, whole kernel corn, and butterbeans...all of which we had stored up in the freezer.

Hubby had to stop on the way home to pick up more milk, so we took another $4.28 hit and are now  down to $41.72 for the week and 321.72 for the month.

Day 6: Still feeling pretty good about the no spending concept overall, but definitely ready for a weekend.

Breakfast was cheesy scrambled eggs for everyone.

Lunch was a box of jambalaya rice we had stored in the pantry.  My kids LOVE jambalaya without meat in it, so this was actually a nice treat for them.

For supper, we had leftover pork chops and veggies from the day before.

After supper, I had to run a few business related errands....my gas tank is in tears, but I got a lot accomplished.

Stopped by the store for bread, cereal, dry pinto beans, chicken, and refried beans.  Ended up spending $9.34 total.  That would have left us with $32.38 for the week, but hubby's group did their employee of the month event today, which set him back a whopping $20.  Still, we have 12.38 left!

Day 7: Feeling tired.  Glad it is the weekend for sure.

Breakfast was cereal.  After breakfast, the boys headed to work on vehicles while the girls hit the soccer fields.

Had to stop at the dollar store for a small pack of pullups.  They set us back $8.29, leaving us with a whole entire $4.09 left in our weekly budget!

Lunch consisted of cheese, crackers, and veggies.

For supper, we went over to my inlaws for catfish, potato salad, okra, and hushpuppies...mmmm...good food and good company.

WE SURVIVED OUR FIRST WEEK! 

Not only did we survive, but we had $4.09 left in the budget despite hubby's rule breaking!  That gets me all pumped up and ready to go for another week.

Next week's budget is 25% of the monthly budget, which is $87.50.  I considered rolling the $4.09 into the next week, but I think I'll hang onto it in case we need it at the end.  I would hate to get the urge to splurge. 

I cant wait to share our next update with you.  Hopefully the next time I post, we'll still be on track!

No Spend Month: The Challenge

As I write this, my family is preparing to start our very first no spend month.  For one entire month we will not purchase any extras whatsoever.  That means we will spend money only on bills, gas, and groceries.  In addition to cutting back to only those things, we are also going to do our best to cut down on the gas and groceries.  Time to send that poor piggy bank to the doctor!

The bills are obviously the bills.  We have tried over the last several months to streamline those as much as possible, but for the most part those will be the same as they are every month.  They are excluded from the budget that I am setting up for no spend month.

We live fairly far from civilization, so a large portion of the gas we burn is completely necessary.  Our plan to cut down on that is to carpool, combine trips, and not go on unnecessary trips.  We are both starting the month with full tanks as well.

Groceries are going to take the largest hit.  We are going to see just how little we can get by with.  Starting this adventure the week after a birthday party was a good idea since we will have party leftovers for at least the first two days of this challenge.  My plan is to use items already in our pantry and freezer as much as possible, plan and prepare meals that are inexpensive, and to really find and cut back on grocery items that are wants more than needs.  I can tell already that this is going to greatly effect my coffee habit.  Coffee will probably be my biggest sacrifice for the month.

Let's face it...you can't spend absolutely $0 for an entire month.  The idea of no spend is to spend $0 on extras and to live on only the necessities.

I have seen other families out there who burn only $200 for their entire no spend month.  Of course, those families are families of three.  We are a family of five and this is our very first no spend month, so we are setting our budget a bit higher.  Remember, this budget has to cover gas AND groceries for the ENTIRE month.  I'm not joking when I say that there are times we spend that in a week.  Our budget for our very first no spend month is......$350. 

My plan to stick to it is to go plastic free.  We will pull out cash to dole out as the month goes along, but the debit cards are getting locked away for the month.  Why?  I feel like using a debit card gives a false sense of security.  If you walk into a store with a debit card and go over budget, no problem.  If you walk into a store with cash and go over budget, you have to put something back.  My mother in law uses this genius envelope system that I may eventually have to try out.

I plan to post weekly updates as the month goes along to let you know how we are doing.  Deep breath...here we go!

Who's with us?!?!

Bathroom Step Stool for Under $2

For those of you who know me...I have a deep love for PROJECTS!  If I can tackle a new project or new hobby, I somehow feel so very accomplished.  My most recent hobby is carpentry....very light carpentry of course, but carpentry nonetheless.  I was browsing Ana White's website and found a building plan for this adorable little bathroom stepstool and couldn't resist.  This is just what I need at my house as I attempt to potty train one child and prepare to start potty training another.

Here is the link to her plans: http://ana-white.com/2012/01/plans/bathroom-helper-step

Here is what you will need: (I had everything on hand but the lumber)

2 1x2 boards @ 8 ft (94 cents a piece at my favorite blue store)
A power drill/screwdriver
1 1/2 inch wood screws
finish or paint of your choice
120 grit sandpaper

Even if you had to buy your sandpaper and screws, this would still cost you less than $10.

& if you are cutting your wood yourself...a saw, eye protection, and hearing protection

I had my boys at my favorite blue store cut my wood for me...they do it for free and it saves SO much time and cleanup.

Cut List:

5 @ 17 1/2 inches
2 @ 16 inches
4 @ 11 inches

Cut these in order for the best results.  I had a pretty nice sized scrap piece leftover.  You could use it for two additional 11 inch pieces if you wanted to make your stool a little taller, but I'll tell you where to do that as I tell you about the process.

Here's what you do:

Start by attaching two 11 inch pieces to the outside of your two 16 inch pieces, forming a rectangle frame.  Predrill all holes before attaching, and check for square after this step.

Attach your first slat to the top of the frame, predrilling holes.  There should be no overhang on the sides.

Next attach the slat on the complete opposite side in the same manner.  This will allow you to space the slats evenly between the two outside edges.

Install the remaining slats, evenly spacing them across your frame.  Then turn your work over.

Attach your remaining two 11 inch pieces as risers for the stool.  At this point, if you need for your stool to be higher, you would add an additional two pieces to the bottoms of these.  I felt this would be high enough for us.

Sand your project down and paint or stain as you choose.

VOILA!  You completed a bathroom step stool....and it cost you less than $2 to make!!

 My little man says no to pants much too often!  This stool is just the right size for him to get onto the potty or wash his little hands. 

Did you try this?  Post a pic or tell me about it!

                                                          

Bow Drawer to Bow-tique

For years, I have stored bows, headbands, head wraps, ponytail holders, and more in the top dresser drawer of my daughter's room.  Lately, with two girls, it has gotten to be quite a huge mess to dig through in the mornings.  As I was rearranging the girls' room this week, I decided it was finally time to do something about the mess.

I started by attaching three vertical ribbons to the left side of the dresser, which was a whiteboard.  I did this with a staple gun and staples, but your method may vary based on the material you are attaching to.

All of the bows on the two ribbons to the right are alligator clip bows.  The second from the left are barrette closures.  The far left are assorted, oddball closures along with snap clips and bobby pins.  Hanging from the far left ribbon is a ponytail holder with all of their claw clips clipped around it.

This is WAY more attractive than the giant mess the drawer was before.  I wish I had taken before pictures.  It was ROUGH.  Look again...I even color sorted each bow style.

That was great for the bows, but the girls still had a ton of headbands and head wraps to organize.  After a few minutes of scratching my head, I headed to the kitchen to grab a paper towel holder.

Perfection!  This worked great for all of their headbands and headwraps.  This may be a temporary solution depending on how well it works out, but so far it is amazing.

Last, but not least....I needed something to do with the 85 million ponytail holders.  You have no idea how serious I am...but you are about to.  Since I had already robbed the kitchen once, I headed in there again for a finishing touch on the girls' bow-tique.  A ROLLING PIN!  You can buy a cheap one if you don't have one in the kitchen to spare.  This is an antique one that was given to me as a gift. (I have five rolling pins)

This is probably my favorite solution out of this whole project.  It fits perfectly inside the front of the top drawer too! 

This made the bows much easier to see and access.  It also protects her headbands from getting all smooshed and broken like they have been getting lately.  The best part though....it freed up almost the entire top drawer for swim suits and accessories!  Every girl needs a little more storage space.

Let me know if you use any of these solutions for yourself or your daughter.  Keep crafting, and have fun!

T-Shirt Tote Two Ways

Twice a year at my house, we go through everything, purge, and donate things we no longer need to charity.  Normally this goes off without a hitch.  This spring, however, my daughter had a few shirts that she just didn't want to let go of.  We went round and round about these shirts.  Finally I just decided to leave it alone.  She had to go to school sometime, so I decided I would just sneak them out after she had forgotten about them.

While I was waiting ever so patiently for Laney to forget the shirts, I remembered seeing several things online about using t-shirts to make totes.  When she went to sleep Sunday night, I decided to get to work.  I sneaked into her room under cover of night, and confiscated the shirts in question, then I made two very cute, very different little bags.

The first tote took less than five minutes, and is a simple tote for library books and such.  The other is a little more purse-like to carry any summer goodies as we are out and about.

What you will need:
One t-shirt (adult or child)
Sharp Scissors
Sewing machine
coordinating (or not) thread

Here we go!

TOTE ONE: Just a simple tote

Start out by laying out your t-shirt.

Cut the shirt sleeves off.  Then cut to scoop the neck down further.

Now turn your shirt inside out, and stitch up the bottom hemline to close the bottom of your tote.

Now turn your completed tote right sides out and fill it with whatever!

For a more durable bag, you can top stitch the bottom seam while the bag is right side out to have a stronger seam line.  You can also zig zag or serge around the handles to reinforce those if you choose.  I just kept this one simple.  Due to the nature of knit, the fabric will not unravel at the raw edges if you choose to leave them without additional stitching.  This is going to be a perfect library book tote for summer reading program!






TOTE TWO: A purse-like little tote



Once again, start out by laying out your shirt.

Cut off the sleeves, but leave the neckline in tact.  You will also need to cut the bottom of the shirt off to around a half inch longer than where you would like the bag to stop.

Save the sleeves, but you can throw out the bottom strip of the shirt or toss it into your scrap stack. (I tossed mine into the scrap stack to use for another adorable project)


Stitch up the shoulder part of your sleeves to close that end. Fold the hem end of the sleeve in half.

Turn your shirt inside out, then securely pin your folded sleeves into the shoulder of the tshirt.

Stitch the sleeves into the shoulder, making sure to stitch below the line of the sleeve hem.  Then stitch up the arm holes and bottom of the shirt.

Turn right side out, tie the sleeves into a cut knot, and fill with goodies!

At the end of the day, Laney was VERY excited that we had saved her shirts in a way that she could continue to use them....and I was VERY happy to be done with the t-shirt battle of 2013.

I hope you enjoy this project as much as we did!

Softball/Baseball Team Snack: Sugar Cookies with Flood Icing

This year, my oldest decided to give up dance and gymnastics to try softball.  We have had a fun year so far. Here's a shot of her hitting her first ever single at her first ever game during her first ever at bat.

Every game, a different parent is responsible for the team snacks.  Most moms bring Capri Suns or juice boxes accompanied by some sort of bagged chip or cookie.  I wanted to shoot for something a little bit more personal.  I originally intended to make baseball cupcakes.  They seemed easy enough...white icing and pipe on some red lines.  Laney, however, had a completely different plan.  She wanted baseball cookies.  The problem....I had no idea how in the world I was going to make baseball cookies.  I did some internet research and flipped through a few cookbooks before finally deciding I was up for the challenge.  You ready to make your own?  Here we go.

Tools and supplies needed for entire project:
Mixing bowls
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Baking Sheets
Oven (oven mitts are helpful too)
Cooling racks
3 ziploc baggies
a toothpick

Start with your favorite sugar cookie recipe for cut cookies, not drop cookies.  I am going to be honest here and admit that I used a Betty Crocker mix to save time.  Prepare the dough and roll it out on a floured surface to around 1/4" thickness.  Using a round cookie cutter, cut the desired size cookies.  I used my small biscuit cutter.  Transfer dough rounds onto a cookie sheet and bake according to mix or recipe directions.  Let cool on a rack until completely cooled.

For the icing, here is what you will need (per batch):

1 c. confectioner's sugar
1 Tbsp. light karo syrup
1 Tbsp. milk (plus a little extra for flood batch)
One drop of lemon juice
Red food coloring (only for laces batch)

Mix up your first batch of white icing using 1c. confectioner's sugar, 1 Tbsp karo syrup, and 1 Tbsp milk and one drop of lemon juice.  The acidity in the lemon juice cuts the sweetness by just a teeny bit and adds depth to the flavor of the icing.  You will not taste lemon when you eat them. You may need to add about a 1/2 Tbsp more milk if the mixture is too thick.  Transfer this mixture into a ziploc baggie and snip off the very tip of the bottom corner so that you can use it like a fancy piping bag.  Trace around the outside edge of the top of your cookie, making sure to close the circle all the way. Somehow, I didn't end up with a photo of this step.

While that is drying, mix up a second batch of icing.  This time, you will need to add around a tablespoon and a half of milk to the original recipe in order to get the consistency needed.  You want it to flow freely without being really runny either.  Good rule of thumb is that if you scrape a spoon across the bottom of the mixing bowl, you want the line to fill in within five seconds.  Transfer this batch of icing into a new ziploc baggie, snipping the corner as we did before.  This time, you can cut a little more of the corner off since this step requires less precision.  Pour a generous amount of this icing inside of the ring you drew onto each cookie.  After the first one or two, you will get a feel for how much it will take to fill the circle up without going overboard.  Once you have poured the icing in, use a tootpick to spread the icing to the edges of your outline and pop any air bubbles that may be present.  I did about 8 of these at a time until I finished.  The icing starts hardening fairly quickly, so I don't recommend doing too many more than that before smoothing with a toothpick.

This step will take a little longer to dry, so I worked on the rest of the snack while I was waiting.  I'll tell you about that when we finish working on our cookies.

When the icing has set up from your last step, go ahead and mix up a third and final batch of icing.  To the original recipe, you will not add additional milk.  You will add red food coloring.  (I recommend a gel coloring as opposed to a liquid due to the changes in consistency it will make to your icing.  You will see that my icing spread a little more than I would have liked because I used liquid coloring.)  Once again, transfer the icing into a plastic bag and snip the corner.  This time, you will want to snip only a tiny bit so that you have a finer stream of icing coming out.  Carefully draw your lace lines onto each cookie.  Moving quickly and confidently works best for this.

I left my cookies just like this, but if you wanted, you could add the detailed lace lines.  I just felt like it was a little too much.  Had I used gel coloring rather than liquid, I possibly would have like the result better.

As you can see, some of my cookies have little drip drips or crooked lines.  Never let perfection ruin a good project.




I made enough of these that each player had three cookies.  Once the cookies had completely dried (just under an hour) I stack them three high in red and white cupcake liners for easy transport.  In addition to the cookies, I also gave each child a Capri Sun and a baggie of pretzel stick "bats" with a "great game" note attached.

While my flooding step was setting up, I made and printed the little business card sized notes that said "great game," filled snack sized bags with pretzel sticks, and stapled the notes to the baggies.

I was very pleased with how everything turned out, and the other parents all had a fit over how cute it all was.  I hope your snack day is as much of a success as mine was.

Read Across America Week: Seussical Celebration

I love love love Dr. Seuss.  As most of you know, Saturday was his birthday.  That means that last week was Read Across America week.  Children all across America celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday at school.  Since we have been working toward a more preschool style routine at our house during the day, I figured my munchkins would love to get in on the festivities.  I had so much fun with all of this that I just had to share some of it with you.  I'll skip the hard learning parts and just share the Seussical parts!

I picked a different book for each day of the week.  Monday, we read Horton Hears a Who.  Tuesday, we read Go Dog Go (yes, technically by P.D. Eastman, but the boy loves dogs). Wednesday, we read The Lorax. Thursday we read The Foot Book. Friday we read One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish....AND....The Cat in the Hat (of course).

Here are two of the projects we did.  There were others, but we were having so much fun, I forgot pictures!

We started out by drawing a hat outline on red construction paper.  Next, we cut stripes from white paper and glued them in place.  Once the stripes were in place, we cut out the hat shape.  We then attached the hat shapes to the fronts of our paper plate rings.  (before we started, I cut the center circles out of red party plates)  This project was easy and fun.  The boy didn't take his off ALL...DAY...LONG!

The pictures just don't do this cutie justice.  I absolutely adore hand print projects.  The hand prints just add such a personal touch and make things such a keepsake.  I plan to hand these out to the grandparents as we do more and more of them.  Anyway...this was just as simple as orange pieces of construction paper and yellow, white, and brown paint.  I painted his hands yellow and helped him stamp them onto the paper.  Then we used his index fingers to make the eyebrows.  After that, I helped him use round foam brushes to stamp on the white and brown making the eyes and nose.  I think I had as much fun with this as he did.  When we finished, I let him just stamp to his little heart's content on another sheet of paper.

There were so many other fun things we did.  Maybe one day I will post the rest of the projects and activities along with any others I come across. 

Happy reading, everyone!

Don't Eat Pete! Family Game Night

We have recently instituted a family game night.  We found that we were spending too much time just living in the same house and not enough time enjoying being a family.  So...on our very first family game night...this is what I chose!

The game is called Don't Eat Pete.  All you need to play is a sheet of paper and a bag of M&Ms (the size of the bag depends on how many people are playing, how long you want to play, and how many M&Ms you want to eat).  I picked up a medium size bag of Valentine theme ones at our local Fred's.  Of course if by chance, you aren't an M&M person, you could always use Skittles or other candies...just make sure that you choose something that can be eaten quickly without problem.

On the sheet of paper, you need to draw a large tic tac toe style grid taking up the whole paper and leaving nine squares.  Then place one M&M inside each square.  Have the first player leave the room while another player chooses one M&M to be Pete.  Now have the player return to the room.  Chant "go, *player's name*, go" while they begin eating as many M&Ms as they can before picking Pete.  When the player chooses Pete, everyone says "Don't eat Pete" and the player must stop.  Refill the board and move to the next player.  Continue until all M&Ms are gone or everyone has a sugar rush!

This was such a simple game to set up for and play, but we all had the absolute best time playing.  My husband was particularly awesome at not eating Pete and ended up eating the majority of the candy by himself....not that he minded that one bit.

After we finished playing Don't Eat Pete, we watched the kids play Just Dance 3 on the Wii until bedtime.  Our first family game night was a huge success and we are all looking forward to next week!  I hope you and your family enjoy this game as much as we did.

TP Tube Turkeys

These adorable little guys are a great, quick and easy way to add a little handmade charm to your Thanksgiving table.  You can even get the kids in on the action.

Here's what you need:
toilet paper tubes (enough for the number of children you have)
Construction paper or scrapbook paper in yellow, orange, and brown (or other desired colors)
Scissors
A pen
Sharpies to make the faces
Elmer's glue

Ok, so start out by tracing the hands of your little people or having them trace hands themselves if they are a little bit older. 

I have a little boy who is two and a little girl who is one, so I traced their hands for them....five points if you can accurately guess which is which....I know, right?

Go ahead and cut out the handprints or if they are old enough you can have them cut these out themselves.  I cut one handprint out of each color that I planned to use for the tail feathers.

Once you have all of the handprints cut out, arrange them in whatever order you want and fix them together with Elmer's glue.

Now you will affix the toilet paper tube to the front of the hands.  I will tell you....since our handprints were so tiny I chose to only use half of a tube per turkey, so you may want to decide whether to cut the tube in half or whether to leave it whole depending on the size of your handprints.  I also glued the part where the paper is glued to the tube down so that I didn't have to worry about any remaining pieces of toilet paper showing.

Now you are going to either let them draw their own faces with washable markers or draw faces on with Sharpies.  Since my little people are so little, I chose drawing the faces myself.  I just let them scribble their own little artwork while I did this.

Now just incorporate this into your table decor or put wherever you want to showcase your little one's "hand"-y-work. 

Did you do this with your munchkins?  Do you have another Thanksgiving TP craft to try?  Let me know about it.



5 People, 7 Days, 21 Meals, Under $75

I have to say....even I was skeptical of whether or not I could pull this one off.  Could I really make 3 people breakfast and lunch, 4 people snacks, and 5 people for seven entire days for $75?  Why yes....apparently I can.

Here is what our menu for the week included:

Breakfasts:
Scrambled Eggs & Fruit
French Toast & Bacon
Wild Berry Muffins (from a mix...so ashamed)
Blueberry Grilled Cream Cheese "Sandwiches"
Fried Bologna, Biscuits & Fruit
Toast with Jelly
Pancakes & Fruit
(most of the breakfast fruit consisted of clementines...you can get them for fairly cheap this time of year, and my kids LOVE them.  If another type of fruit is on sale in your area, use that instead)

Lunches:
Grilled Cheese
Hot Dog-topuses
Cheese & Crackers
Egg Salad Sandwiches
Leftovers
Bologna Sandwiches
(yes, I know there are only six lunches here...I clean houses once a week, so my inlaws feed the kidoodles lunch that day, but in the event that they were home, we would probably do leftovers or egg salad again)

Snacks:
Clementines
String Cheese
Apples with PB
Carrots with ranch
String Cheese again
Celery with PB or with Ranch
Clementines again
(can substitute fruit with anything that is on sale in your area)

Suppers:
Tetrazini Casserole *1.87 per serving
Meat Loaf Casserole *1.96 per serving
Tuna Noodle Casserole *1.32 per serving
Beef Taco Bake *2.42 per serving
Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole *3.29 per serving
Easy Grands! Chicken Pot Pie *1.81 per serving
Bean & Bacon Soup with Noodles *1.13 per serving

Notes:  We have chickens that supply the majority of our eggs.  I make my own jelly and salsa.  I also have a well stocked pantry with most of the common items needed already available.  $75 includes purchasing a dozen eggs, but does NOT include any common pantry items that I already had available.  If your pantry is not similarly stocked, you may have a small additional expense.

Ok, so you have the plan....now you need recipes for the not so obvious menu items....

Blueberry Grilled Cream Cheese Sandwiches (recipe for one sandwich)

two slices bread
1 Tbsp cream cheese
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
handful of fresh or frozen blueberries (i used frozen that had been collected over the summer)
butter

Mix cream cheees and powdered sugar together & spread on one side of each slice of bread.  Sprinkle berries onto cream cheese and press slices together to make a sandwich.  Use butter to lightly coat the outside of both sides of your sandwich.  Grill in a pan or in a sandwich press until golden brown.  Serve with additional powdered sugar topping if desired.


Hot Dog-topuses

Hot dogs
Spaghetti Noodles
Butter and Salt to taste

Slice hot dogs into chunks.  Poke spaghett noodles into the hot dog.  Boil according to pasta directions, salting water to taste.  Drain, add butter to taste, serve.


Supper recipes are dead serious from Walmart.com....who knew?  I made substitutions for store brand wherever it saved money.

My Shopping List: (please note that not all items needed are listed here...only the items that I had to purchase...make sure you review the recipes and meal list before making your own list)

2 gallons milk
1 tub cream cheese
sliced cheese
string cheese
bologna
hot dogs
chicken breasts
Tyson grilled chicken breast strips
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can golden mushroom soup
2 cans bean and bacon soup
1 can vegetable soup
1 can tomato soup
2 cans Progresso thick and hearty chicken pot pie style soup (yeah, that is pretty specific)
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1 can of cubed chicken
1 small jar pimientos
2 cans tuna
muffin mix
crackers
bread
tortillas
frozen peas
frozen mixed veggies
frozen biscuits
carrots
apples
clementines

Happy shopping and happy cooking!  I hope this helps your family the way it helped mine!

Have you tried this or other budget meal plans?  Let me know about it! I love to hear from you!

Photo Shelves (2 for under $10)

I HATE drilling holes in the walls!  I don't hate it because I am making a hole.  I hate it because inevitably I end up changing my mind on where something should go or what should hang there.  That means I have to fill the hole, paint the hole, and make a new hole.  So frustrating!

These easy and affordable photo shelves are the perfect solution.  Now I can move frames around on the shelves, change out photos easily, and decorate for the seasons if I want without unnecessary damage to my lovely walls!

What you need:
2- 1"x3"x8' boards
1- 1"x2"x8' board
80-120 grit sanding block
1 1/2" long wood screws
Drill/Screwdriver
Stain or paint of your choice
Liquid Nails or other wood glue

I had the lovely men at my favorite big blue store cut these boards in half for me.  If you just want to do the extra work...go ahead and cut these in half.

Tip on selecting boards:  Your life will go so much easier if you select a board that is straight and has very little rough to the edges.  Otherwise, this whole project may be just a teency bit harder.

The 1x2 was $1.97 and the 1x3s were $2.97.  I had the screws, liquid nails, and some stain around the house.  That means that I built TWO of these awesome shelves for around $8!

Ok...so here is what you do:

If you didn't have your nice boys in blue do it for you, cut your boards clean in half.

Mark and predrill holes in each of your backboard pieces at 1/4" from the long edge spaced evenly.  I used five holes for each backboard.  Make sure you have a hole fairly close to each end.

One you have predrilled your holes, line your backboard up with the shelf board making an L shape.  Attach the board securely with wood screws.  Repeat with the other shelf.

Now attach the 1x2 pieces across the front of the shelf board with liquid nails.  This board will not need to support significant weight as it serves as a simple ledge for your shelf.  You could substitute a piece of thin decorative molding of your choice, but you will pay more for that option.  You should now have a modified U shaped shelf.  Let the liquid nails dry and set overnight before you continue.  You may want to use clamps to hold the piece in place.  I just wedged it against a wall.

Once the liquid nails is dry and your shelf ledge is secure, use your sanding block or sandpaper to sand down all of the rough edges and soften any sharp points. Vacuum or blow away any sanding particles and wipe your project with a barely damp cloth to remove any remaining particles.

Now you are ready to paint or stain your project.  I had this stain lying around.  I had originally intended to paint these white, but I think this worked out nicely.  I couldn't locate our extra white trim paint (shame, shame, I know).  Paint or stain your project as desired and let sit to dry for the recommended time (in my case 24 hours) before installing.

It is important to plan out where you want your shelves.  You want to make sure that mine were screwed into wall studs so that if you ever decide to put anything heavy on them, you are good to go.  Put a piece of tape onto the wall where you want your shelves.  Find the studs, marking the tape where they are located.  After that simply tape the tape onto the backboard of the shelves to predrill your holes and then screw the shelves to the wall.  Don't worry about being able to see these screws...once you have things on the shelves, you won't see them at all.

Now, just throw together the items you want!  I picked items all of the same color, but this would also look great with bright, contrasting colors.  Laney loved these so much she has requested them in their room.  I may be making shelves for their birthday girl collections soon.

Now, get out there and try it!!  Let me know if you tried this project at your house.  Pictures welcome!  I love to hear from you.