Apr 15

Here’s Your Edible Stimulus Package

Deal of the Week, Wildcard Wednesdays No Comments »

Businesses are offerly tax relief for customers today — Tax Day — to help cushion the blow of paying Uncle Sam. Check out some of these awesome deals and FREEBIES.

Baja Fresh - $2.00 Burrito

Boston Market coupon- Buy One Meal – Get One Free

Chik-fil-A - Free mini-biscuit – 6:30AM -10AM. Not all are participating, call ahead.

Cinnabon coupon – 2 Free Cupcakes

McCormick and Schmick’s - $10.49 dinner plus get a $10.40 tax relief certificate good towards your next visit.

McDonald’s coupon- Buy One Big Mac – Get One For $.01

Starbucks coupon- Free Coffee – bring in your own mug

Taco Del Mar – Free Taco

PF Chang’s – 15% off food purchases
Thank you One Momma Saving Money!

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Apr 12

Locked Out

Mommy Monday 2 Comments »

Our daughters used to have an obsession with locking themselves in their room. Unfortunately, they were old enough to lock themselves in their room but not old enough to figure out how to unlock the latch and get out. So, after several dramatic, tear-filled weeks in a row of picking the lock or taking the entire knob off the door, my husband decided to reverse the knob on our daughters’ door so that it locked from the outside only. Sounds like a genius, fail-proof plan right? Yep. Until my precious, innocent, little Irish twins closed the door behind me once and locked me in.

No big deal, right? I said to myself. I can handle this. No one’s life is in danger. It’s a simple problem to fix. No big deal. I’ll just talk them through it and they’ll be able to unlock the door. Who was I fooling? After lots of crying (mostly by me) the door was still locked and now everyone was hungry (mostly me). Did I mention that I was about 6 months pregnant? That explains the crying and the hunger, right?

So, I looked at my options and decided that if I stood on the toy box I could get enough height to hop out of the first-story bedroom window. I pried off the screen and opened the window without much problem. I was feeling confident my plan would work until I heard my pants split as I was coming over the window. Darn those Dairy Queen cravings from Week 14, I thought.

But the split in my pants was the least of my problems. I was still a good five feet off the ground and I’m pretty sure this little adventure was not on my doctor’s list of approved activities for my prescribed modified bedrest. I thought to myself, Just stay calm. Think of the positives. What on earth could be a positive right now? Hmmm … Think hard, I’m sure there’s a positive somewhere in this situation. At least there are no witnesses to this event. That’s a positive.

With that thought in my mind, I courageously took a death-defying leap and crossed my fingers that I could stick my landing in flip flops despite my protruding baby belly. To my surprise, I not only kept my balance, but I was also greeted by a chorus of cheers from my neighbors who had somehow caught a birds-eye view of the whole show. Where did they come from? I asked myself. And why didn’t they come help me? I’m pretty stubborn so I probably wouldn’t have accepted the help even if they had offered it.

I’d love to say that this was the only time that I’ve been locked in a room at the hands of my children. Once I was locked in my friend’s daughter’s bedroom on the second story. (There was no leaping  from tall buildings for me.) We were at the mercy of our two mischievous toddlers – 12 months and two years at the time. We had no phone, no food, and no hope for help for hours. Lucky for us, we had been assembling an IKEA bookshelf when the door locked behind us so we did have a large pile of tools to help us make our escape in time to pick up our older children from school and to keep the preschool aged rascals from getting into more mischief. They were pretty pleased with themselves when they figured out that they’d locked us in.

Years later, and with no children under the age of 4 living under my roof, I think maybe I’d like my kids to lock me in my room—especially if it was quiet, filled with fluffy pillows and large quantities of chocolate.

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Apr 09

12 Ways to Cook With Tortillas

Foodie Fridays 3 Comments »

 

A few days ago I griped about the checker at the grocery store making fun of me for buying 20 boxes of cereal. (Read about that one HERE.) But in my earlier post I didn’t mention the great deal I snatched up right before Super Bowl Sunday.

Tortillas were on sale for 59 cents for a pack of 15 tortillas. You can’t even buy a bean burrito from Taco Bell for that price! There was a limit of 10 per purchase, so you can assume that I being the deal master that I am, I stocked up and bought 10 packages.

A bunch of 20-something guys replenishing their alcoholic beverages were in front of me in the checkout line. They found my stack of tortillas fascinating. After they tired of hitting on the checkout girl, they became completely distracted by my giant pile of tortillas. (Maybe they thought the packaging said “tequila” and not “tortilla?” Hmm…)

These guys were thoroughly amused that anyone would buy that many tortillas in one trip to the store. In turn, it amused me that I went home with a trunk load of groceries for the same price as their tequila.

Even when tortillas aren’t on sale for 59 cents, they’re still pretty cheap, and you can freeze them. Also, if you buy them in low-carb or whole wheat varieties they’re much healthier. Here are 12 things I whipped up as I worked through my stockpile of tortillas.

  1. Quesadillas
  2. Eggsadillas for breakfast
  3. Wraps (Use sandwich meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes)
  4. Chicken, pork or beef soft tacos
  5. Homemade tortilla chips
  6. Cinnamon crisps
  7. Fajitas
  8. Enchiladas
  9. Breakfast burritos
  10. Mexican casserole (Shred up the tortillas and use them to layer the casserole)
  11. Bean & cheese burritos
  12. Monster burritos (filled w/ all of your favorites)
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Apr 08

Are You Prepared?

Tried and True Thursdays No Comments »

I’ve lived in earthquake country my whole life so I’ve heard the “be prepared” mantra a few hundred times. I’ve lived through earthquakes, tornadoes and other natural disasters.

After the big rumbler in Mexico on Easter Sunday – which I felt – I’ve had my emergency kit on my mind. Is it ready? When was the last time I checked out the contents? What else do I need to add to the kit to be sure we’d have everything we needed if disaster struck? What about our car? Do we have enough supplies to keep us safe and fed for 72 hours?

Here’s a list provided by www.ready.gov. Check it out and see if you’re ready.

Recommended items to include in a basic emergency supply kit:

  • Water—one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
  • Food—at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
  • Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • First-aid kit
  • Whistle to signal for help
  • Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
  • Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
  • Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
  • Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
  • Local maps
  • Cell phone and chargers

Additional items to consider adding to an emergency supply kit:

  • Prescription medications and glasses
  • Infant formula and diapers
  • Pet food and extra water for your pet Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
  • Cash or traveler’s checks and change
  • Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov
  • Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
  • Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes.
  • Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
  • Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
  • Fire extinguisher matches in a waterproof container
  • Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
  • Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
  • Paper and pencil, books, games, puzzles or other activities for children
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Apr 07

Eat Cereal and See Toy Story 3 For FREE

Deal of the Week 1 Comment »

I recently bought 20 boxes of cereal for $1.50 a box and the checker thought I was insane.

As he shook his head in disagreement and disgust I was shocked to hear that I was the first person to redeem that awesome deal. What kid doesn’t love cereal? And if you buy the healthy varieties it makes a great snack. (He wouldn’t last a week as a babysitter in my house.)

Also, you can store it up and it doesn’t go bad for months. I held my ground, and my head high, as I walked out of the store with my awesome cereal deal.

So, here’s another way to stock up on cereal and earn a FREE movie ticket to see Toy Story 3 at the same time. Check out the details HERE.

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Apr 06

Get Everyone to Pitch in Around The House

Tidy Up Tuesdays 1 Comment »

Who couldn’t use more help around the house? Maybe this chart will help. My friend just shared this link on Facebook for a FREE chore chart. Check it out HERE.

Need other ideas to motivate your kids to help out around the house? Here are a few other ideas.

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Apr 05

Baby Mama: Where do Babies Come From?

Baby Mama Series, Guest Blogger 1 Comment »

Here’s another great post from guest blogger, Tara, who is sharing her “Baby Mama” perspective with us as she journeys through her 25th week of her second pregnancy.

Gem, my two and a half year old daughter, goes around announcing that she is a big sister now that my husband and I are expecting our second baby. Gem doesn’t really know what it means to be a big sister, but, we have told her that is what she is, and she believes us.

Below are a few of the interesting things we have encountered as we have tried to explain to our toddler the big change that is coming to our family: 

  • She seems to understand that the baby is in my “tummy.” We have told her the baby is too little to come live with us yet. We explained to her that when the baby gets bigger it will come out of mommy’s tummy and come home. She obviously got something out of that because when she said her prayers that night she said, “Bless da baby get big da get out da mama’s tummy.”  
  • We have told her that the baby will be living in Gem’s room. She is very excited about this stewardship she has been given, and she reminds me at least twice a day that “da baby sleep na Gem’s room.” Even for a while she said the baby was going to sleep in her bed until I explained that the baby is going to have its own baby bed.
  • We will be having a little boy, so we decided we probably better explain to Gem that there are two kinds of people in this world: boys and girls. She now knows that daddy is a boy, mommy is a girl, Gem is a girl, and the new baby is a boy. However, if she is asked about anyone else’s gender, she looks at the person in a dumbfounded way for a while until she forgets the question. Clearly she does not understand the boy/girl concept yet.

I realize that nothing can really prepare Gem for the big change that is coming in her life, but it sure is fun to talk about it with her.

Click HERE to read Tara’s previous post.

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Apr 02

Need Ideas to Help The Kids Enjoy LDS General Conference?

LDS 2 Comments »

Here’s a link to several coloring packets for kids of all ages for this weekend’s LDS General Conference. CLICK HERE.

Also, read this post HERE for more ideas on how to help everyone in the family get the most out of this weekend’s conference.

Never heard of General Conference? Click HERE for more information.

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Apr 02

5 Great Ways to Gobble Up Hard-Boiled Eggs

Foodie Fridays No Comments »

It’s so much fun to decorate hard-boiled eggs at Easter that a dozen never seem to be enough at our house. So we end up making loads of eggs. Sound familiar? The only problem is then you have to find ways to eat them up before they spoil, and not everyone in my household is a huge egg fan.

Here are five ways to incorporate that eggs-tra protein into your meal plan for the week.

1.       Deviled eggs. I know this is so obvious, but it’s amazing that my daughter, who claims she HATES hard-boiled eggs, will devour a half-dozen deviled ones in one sitting. Family Fun magazine had some cute ideas for re-creating the “egg wheel” on this hors doeuvres. Check out the article HERE.

 2.       Chef salad. Slice up a few of these hard-boiled gems into a chef salad with some of that leftover ham. This will make for an easy dinner the day after Easter when you’re wiped out from making a big feast.

3.       Egg-salad sandwiches. Obviously this is for die hard egg lovers. There are tons of varieties and recipes floating around, so you can add in as much or as little to suite your tastes. They’re high in protein, extremely filling, and use quite a few eggs so it’s a great way to use up your edible Easter creations.

4.       Potato salad. Tired of eating leftover ham and potatoes? Make a slow-roasted pork sandwich in the crockpot, or grill up some burgers with a side of potato salad. Many recipes call for hard-boiled egg, so this is another great way to use them up in the those few days after Easter.

5.       Breakfast. Even the pickiest eaters can’t resist the chance to take a bite of something they created. They like to pull off the shell that they colored and see what’s underneath. Who knows—they may even like it this time around! Pair your leftover au gratin potatoes and ham with a few hard-boiled eggs and you’ve got a full breakfast in no time at all.

Question: What do you do with your leftover Easter Eggs?

Need more ideas on how to serve up eggs for breakfast? Check out this post.

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Apr 01

Got Stress? Ten Ways To Snap Out Of It In 10 Minutes Or Less

Tried and True Thursdays No Comments »

Women carry the weight of the world on their backs.

Between family life, professional strains, and a to-do list a mile long, a woman wouldn’t be considered human if she didn’t succumb to the stress on occasion. 

If counting to 10 no longer works to relieve your stress or helps you to refocus then consider a new strategy for managing your daily stress. Whether you’re a full-time stay-at-home mom or a multi-tasking wife, mother, and business executive, every woman experiences stress from trying to juggle all of the titles of her day-to-day life.

Think you don’t have time to take a break? You can’t afford not to put these 10 ideas into place. Besides, each of these 10 tips will help you de-stress in 10 minutes or less.

1.       Go outside. A crying infant will calm down once she takes a deep breath of fresh air and feels the sunshine on her face, and it can help to bring Mom’s heart rate down too. Step outside for a few minutes and take a few deep breaths. Even if you just sit on the front porch, the new perspective will energize you to return to your routine.

2.       Exercise. Getting your heart rate up will get those endorphins pumping. It’s a natural stress reducer and energy booster. Can’t sneak away for a workout? Run around the park while your kids play, run up and down the stairs, turn some tunes on and dance around the house, or play a couple of sets of tennis on your kid’s Wii.

3.       Get it on paper. Worried you’ll forget one of the zillions of things you’re supposed to do today? Is your mental to-do list overwhelming you?  Then take a minute and write down all of the things you need to do. Next put a star next to the three most important items and then get to work on them.

 4.       Laugh. It really is the best medicine. Use those 10 minutes while you’re kids are brushing their teeth and getting dressed to find something that will make you laugh. Lock yourself in your room after they’re tucked in and watch a few minutes of a “Seinfeld” or ‘Friends” re-run, read funny jokes online, or peruse the cartoons in the paper.

 5.       Close your eyes for 10 minutes. It’s amazingly refreshing to spend 10 minutes just lying on your back with your eyes closed. You can feel all of your muscles begin to relax and your breathing slows down. Giving yourself a mental and physical break can allow you the chance at a second wind later.

 6.       Call a friend. Need to vent? Did something upset you and cause your stress level to shoot through the roof? Then call a trusted pal and get it off your chest. Once you’re done ranting, thank them for listening, and then change the subject to a happier note. You’ll feel better and your friend will still want to take your calls.

 7.       Hop in the shower. Washing away your bad day or a stressful situation can be done literally as well as metaphorically with a quick shower. The steam helps you breathe a little easier and it relaxes your muscles which tense up when you’re under the gun.

 8.       Pop in the iPod. The kids are playing happily but they’re wound-up and rowdy. The dog is barking at your noisy neighbor. The dishwasher is running and the TV is on and you’re trying to focus on getting a few things done. If the distractions are stressing you out, then pop in your ear buds from your MP3 and tune it all out.

 9.       Reaching relaxation. Remember those stretches from your yoga or Pilates class? Strike a pose or two and feel yourself slip into a better, more Zen-like state.

 10.   Let it go. Is it all too much? Is the list a mile long? Does the possibility of bedtime seem like mission impossible? Then free yourself from frustration and decide to not do it all. Remind yourself that if it doesn’t get done, it doesn’t get done. Think about the consequences and decide which objective is more important – getting it done or piling on more stress? If the answer isn’t to add more stress then you’ll have to find another way or time to get the rest of it done.

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