With the Holidays coming up. Many of us are continuing the Elf tradition, some of us are starting the tradition. Either way we are always looking for new ideas to keep things fun and interesting! Our family Christmas elf is called Mater. Yes, after the Cars Movie Mater. This is his 2nd year with us but he seems to have gotten in to plenty of trouble since then! Join us on our adventures! This one was all hubby's idea! Playing Xbox, he was actually trying to load Veggies Tales on Netflix but wasn't successful! I'd love to hear some of the great ways your elf has visited you!! Check out other Elf Ideas!! … [Read more...]
Elf Ideas: Elf Takes A Midnight Ride!
With the Holidays coming up. Many of us are continuing the Elf tradition, some of us are starting the tradition. Either way we are always looking for new ideas to keep things fun and interesting! Our family Christmas elf is called Mater. Yes, after the Cars Movie Mater. This is his 2nd year with us but he seems to have gotten in to plenty of trouble since then! Join us on our adventures! We have this horse from my grandparents and out elf took a late night ride! My daughter loves horses and thought it was the cutest things ever! I'd love to hear some of the great ways your elf has visited you!! Check out other Elf Ideas!! … [Read more...]
7 Tips For Successful Black Friday Shopping
Does the thought of Black Friday Shopping make your head spin? Do you feel lost when heading out at the crack of dawn? I have a few tips here from a veteran Black Friday shopper that will help you have a more successful trip this year. Breathe deep, drink your coffee, and relax- Happy Shopping! 7 Tips For Successful Black Friday Shopping Follow me on Facebook- and here on the blog (subscribe to our daily newsletter) for the hottest items, best prices, last minute sales, door busters, and more. Even if you aren’t going out of the house and plan on shopping exclusively online I can help you scout out the best of the best sales. Also follow the Facebook deal group. Pour over the ads- This gives you an idea of where the best sales are, who has the items you're looking … [Read more...]
How To Get Black Friday Prices Without The Crowds
As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us are already looking and anxiously awaiting the big Black Friday sales ads. If you don't like crowds, have to work or simply don't want to leave your family to stand in line all night, here are some great tips for How To Get Black Friday Prices Without The Crowds. These can help you get the best prices with the least amount of effort. How To Get Black Friday Prices Without The Crowds Know What You Want Ahead Of Time: Make your shopping list well in advance of the sales ads being released. Rather than waiting to see what is on sale and inevitably over spending, decide what you really want to buy in advance. Look for those specific items on sale in the weeks around Black Friday. Don't get sucked into the trap of, “it's a good deal so I should … [Read more...]
Reese’s Pieces Fall Recipe for Monster Cookies
These cookies can be switched around to make it fit any holiday. Red, green, and white for Christmas. Red, Pink, and White for Valentines Day. Red, White and Blue for the Summer and July 4th. This recipe for monster cookies is my favorite since it's perfect for fall! Reese's Pieces Fall Recipe for Monster Cookies If you love monster cookies I also have a great monster cookie recipe that we use all year long. Ingredients - 1 ½ C. creamy peanut butter 1 C. sugar 1 C. homemade brown sugar ½ C. butter or margarine, softened 1 tbs. sour cream 3 eggs ½ tsp. vanilla extract 4 ½ C. rolled oats 2 tsp. baking soda 1 C. chocolate chips 1 C. Reese's Pieces Directions - Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. #1. In a large bowl combine the creamy peanut butter, sugar, … [Read more...]
25 Days of Christmas Books for Children
Each year we like to share the meaning of Christmas with our kids. We have done fun Christmas stories in the past but this year wanted to focus more on the Christside of Christmas. In doing so we are not only making family time for the ABC Family 25 Day of Christmas movies we are also doing our own 25 days of Christmas Books that share different aspects of Christmas. We aren't reading them in any order we will actually stack them on our book shelf and let the kids pick one each night to read before bed . 25 Days of Christmas Books for Children We will also be working thru Getting Ready for Christmas by Yolanda Browne, this is a daily advent prayer & activity book for the family. God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS by … [Read more...]
Tips for a Less Stressful Move
Tips for a Less Stressful Move Tips for a Less Stressful Move Most military families must pack up their belongings and move on a frequent basis. Because they must move regularly, it can be a great help if they follow moving tips, like the ones listed below. Four Weeks Before Move When moving it is a good idea to start planning your move at least four weeks beforehand. You need to determine what you will move and what tasks you will have done by a moving company, like My Guys Moving. Notify your local post office of your planned move. You will also want to alert newspaper, magazines, the DMV, Social Security and other official offices in your area of the move. Decide what personal and household items you no longer need and sell or give them away. You can have a garage … [Read more...]
How We Did a 4 Day Road Trip for Under $800 with a Family of 5
How We Did a 4 Day Road Trip for Under $800 with a Family of 5 So we took a 4 day road trip to go visit family this past summer. This wasn't an overly planned trip but I'm still very proud if how well we did. There were 5 of us (and one more on the way!) because of the kids we chose to get a hotel vs trying to crash with family. Had we stayed with family this trip would have only cost us only about $420. Here is the breakdown of what we spent and how we saved money on it. Hotel We paid a bit more to make sure we had a small kitchen area with a fridge. We got free Wi-Fi and free breakfast in the deal as well. I want to point out we got one hotel room. Many places try to tell you with 5 people you need 2 rooms we booked 1 room and because really we have 3 small kids none of … [Read more...]
How to Save Money While on the Paleo Diet
How to Save Money While on the Paleo Diet The Paleo diet is a diet commonly referred to as the “Cave man diet”. Many people are starting to eat this way not only to lose weight but because of its health benefits. It is a more “raw” way to eat and therefore is often more expensive because it consists of lots of protein and lots of unprocessed foods. There are many ways people follow the paleo diet and some are more lenient than others. For the purpose of this post, I will share general tips. Learn to cook. Buying products that are labeled “paleo” are going to cost you more than just cooking the paleo way. Not only will you save tons of money cooking from scratch, but it will often yield better results and give you more variety as well. Use your slow cooker. You can get tougher … [Read more...]
10 Perfectly Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes
A few years back I went a little overboard buying pie pumpkins. We spend a good week cooking and scraping them. We had so much pumpkin I had to find ways to use it! These are a few of the pumpkin breakfast recipes we tried. The cinnamon pumpkin rolls were a big hit in our family! But hubby made the pumpkin donuts then he ate the whole batch that night, poor kids didn't even get any!! 10 Perfectly Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes I love that most of these pumpkin recipes are simple and easy and we can make them one day and have breakfast or snacks for the week. The pumpkin pop tarts were like that long with our second batch of pumpkin donuts! We were able to make many batches of pumpkin pancakes and freeze them to warm up as needed. Those were a favorite as well. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip … [Read more...]
How to Save Money on Potty Training
How to Save Money on Potty Training Next to diapering, potty training can be a big expense. You have the training pants to buy, undies that will inevitably get ruined in the process along with clothes and of course you have the potty or potty eat itself. Here are some ways to make your wallet happy about the process even if you find yourself pretty frustrated. Do it as early as possible, but don’t force your child if they are not ready. It is common sense math that tells us that potty training earlier will cut down on how many more diapers you will have to use, but forcing your child or making it unpleasant can backfire on you. Start by introducing the potty and leaving it in an area that is easily accessible to your little one. Let their natural curiosity take over. It will when they … [Read more...]
25 Easy Pumpkin Recipes for Breakfast
Ok who else loves this time of year?! Pumpkins everywhere and I am incorporating them in every meal! Here are some easy pumpkin recipes for breakfast that have been added to my to try list this year! Because we all know I am all for easy meals! 25 Easy Pumpkin Recipes for Breakfast These recipes are perfect no matter if you are using fresh pumpkin like I do or canned pumpkin. I keep canned pumpkin in y house all year because my husband is a huge pumpkin addict and like to have pumpkin pies at odd times of the year, so I have learned to stay stocked up. Pumpkin Pie Pancakes - Taste as you go Apple Maple Pumpkin Muffins- Cooking with Books Pumpkin Sticky Buns- Because I Like Chocolate Roasted Pumpkin and Eggnog French Toast- Farm Fresh Feasts Pumpkin Muffins- Farm … [Read more...]