A Bag Full O'Fun

I'm always surprised at how creative kids are in making fun out of whatever is around them. A few weeks ago I picked up an order of grain and after transferring it all to storage containers, had the sacks left to recycle or reuse. The kids wasted no time in putting them to good use. A good evening was had by all.

love this freckled girl!

Menu Monday - Putting Food on the Table

I have really been lacking in the menu planning department. While we have been eating at home in a reasonably healthy manner, my life just works better if I plan it out. So this weekend I did a lot of prep work which included cooking and portioning two big pots of beans, making a batch of bread that produced 2 pans of buns, 1 loaf of bread and 2 pizzas, cooking meat for 2 meals, making up 2 dozen burritos for the freezer and forming 2 meals of hamburger patties. With that work done, I'm hopeful that we'll be able to stick to the menu until the end of the month and avoid making any more trips to the grocery store. You may notice the menu this time incorporates quite a few beans and regular leftovers, too. We are doing a bit of a staycation over the long weekend so we may eat out a couple times also.
5/23
B – cereal & yogurt
L – french toast, green smoothies
D – Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli, cheese bread, watermelon/ I keep the pasta and soup separate so each person can choose their amount of pasta, and it keeps the leftovers from getting mushy.

5/24

B – blueberry muffins (made w/whole wheat flour & leftover s.c. oats), yogurt
L – leftovers, veggies & dip
D – Colorado White Chili, carrot sticks, chips & sour cream / I think the soup is from this book.

5/25

B – oatmeal, berries, yogurt
L – ham sandwiches, veggies & dip
D – beef & pinto burritos, spinach salad, chips & salsa

5/26

B – cereal & yogurt
L – leftovers or tuna wraps, fresh veggies
D – spaghetti & meat sauce, spinach salad, bread?

5/27

B – w.w. pumpkin waffles, yogurt
L – school's out celebration lunch - out
D – burgers on w.w. buns, chips,veggies

5/28

B – waffles, fruit, yogurt
L- brats, pasta salad with peas/carrots/cheese
D – orange chicken, broccoli, brown rice, rhubarb berry crisp

5/29

B – steel cut oats, berries, yogurt
L – leftovers or out
D – homemade pizzas (buffalo chicken & pepperoni)

5/30

B – cereal & fruit
L – hot dog rolls (make w.w. bread: this meal, cinn. rolls, ham & cheese pockets, 1-2 loaves)
D – pork loin, rice, green beans, rolls

5/31
B – cinnamon rolls, yogurt
L – ham & cheese pockets or out
D – burritos with whatever odds & ends we have left

Seeking Shelter

Yesterday afternoon the sky grew dim and the wind and rain came. I pulled out the weather radio which had been unused for a season and within 5 minutes the warning came with a tornado warning, one had been spotted on the ground and we were advised to take cover immediately. This threw my children into a frenzy and got this mama's heart pounding as I got us all to the the basement. We had sort of settled into our positions of safety when the phone rang and my husband reported that there was one spotted on the ground at a junction just a little over a mile from our home. We prayed and sang our Bible memory songs and I kept reminding the kids that God is our refuge. It was good to seek shelter, but even better to consider the strength and sovereignty of our God. To be honest, our basement is in a bit of disarray and while we made do, we should give a little more thought to its function as a shelter and clear out some space for that purpose for times like these. And I see an application in my relationship with God. I need to prepare my heart with His word and trust in Him during the calm so when the storms of life rage it is second nature to cling to Him.

April Grocery Check-In

I've been slow to post this because:
a) I know it is likely boring to anyone who may stumble across this place
b) I've been disorganized and receipts have been left all over the place
c) the recording is getting a bit tedious and I know I'm no extreme super shopper
d) I don't want to face reality that I've spent.too.much yet.again.

Ah, well, moving on.

4/1 - Costco - $76.47
*coupon
24 ct. box Sunchips - individual bags*
32 cans Dr. Pepper - old habits die hard*
1 gallon dill pickle spears
2.5 lb. Tillamook cheddar cheese
2 large bags tortilla chips
6 ct. frozen OJ concentrate - these are larger than the normal size at the grocery store
1 pkg. corn tortillas (100)
48 oz. Ritz crackers *
3 lb. fresh garlic
42 oz. shaved honey ham
3 lb. bananas
36 ct. flour tortilla
4 boneless pork roasts - slightly less than 2 lbs. each, $1.99/lb.
Also purchased on this trip: 6 pk. of socks, 2 pillows.

4/1 - King Soopers - $18.94
3 boxes Rice Krispies
2 boxes Corn Flakes
2 gallons milk
2 packages clear cups (for party)
2 packages foam cups (for party)
4.2 lb. grapes

4/9 - Walmart - $16.47
4 toothbrushes (needed due to packing error...yet another sign that I do not have it together)
1 toothpaste
1 floss
1 box girl stuff
13 jars baby food
6 - 2 pks. baby food (away from home and needed the variety and convenience)

4/12 - King Soopers - $13.80
15.7 lb. organic apples

4/14 - Costco - $89.27
*coupon
25 lb. flour
2 lb. yeast
*2.13 lb. Jarlsberg cheese
2 lb. mozarella cheese
*3 lb. Hebrew National beef franks - might have been 4 lb.
*2 - 96 oz. white grape cherry 100% juice
36 ct. flour tortilla
2 gallons 1 % milk
10 lb. organic carrots
1 lb. organic spinach
3 lb. bananas
*4 - 12 oz. cans Pam cooking spray
2 lbs. croutons
6.5 lb. individually frozen chicken breasts ($2.46/lb. but no waste since they are very well trimmed)

4/14 - King Soopers - $30.31
2 boxes Chex cereal
2 boxes Fiber One bars
1.75 qt. ice cream
4 lbs. 93% lean ground beef patties (markdown)
3 toothbrushes
2 - 55 yd. floss
1 deodorant
2 - 6 oz. blackberries
10 lb. potatoes
1 fresh salad dressing (markdown)
8 ct. donuts - Oh, the perils of shopping with no willpower! The kids were just asking today for donuts, so their wish is granted. (markdown)
1 bunch parsley
3 Oroweat HealthFull bread
3 small packages M&Ms - 1 free w/coupon
2 Dove chocolate bars - free w/ coupon
2 Joint Joice single serve bottles - free w/coupon (markdown)

4/18 - King Soopers - $43.34
2 gallons milk - marked down
16 oz. sour cream
1/2 gallon buttermilk - marked down
1 gallon chocolate milk - marked down
1 single-serve yogurt - marked down
1 loaf french bread - marked down
12 oz. turkey bacon
8 oz. pepperoni
2 large hams (15 lbs. total) at $.99/lb.
9.53 lb. spiral sliced ham at $1.49/lb.

4/20 - Costco - $47.94
1 big bottle Naked juice smoothie
1 really delicious strawberry cheesecake
2 lb. good herb roasted deli turkey
12 ct. croissants
1 big bag Kettle chips
1 lb. organic spring mix
This was definitely a splurge trip. Someone in our home turned the big 3-5 and that was worth celebrating. Also purchased on this trip: lots of CFL light bulbs which were a good buy after the Earth Day promo from the local utility company.

4/23 - Whole Foods - $5.00
2 - 32 oz. organic yogurt
also purchased 2 pizzas with the dining out budget

4/27 - Target - $30.47
6 lbs. Challenge butter - about $2/lb. w/coupons I had
1 qt. coffee creamer
4 big jars baby food
2 2pks. baby food
2 lb. rice
6 ct. English muffins
7 - 4 pks. yogurt

4/28 - Costco - $12.97
2 gallons milk
1 lb. organic spinach
large bottle of Panda Express orange chicken sauce (birthday meal request)

Grand total for April = $384.98
$2.14/person/day

I {think} this is an accurate total, but like I said, I was really disorganized so maybe some receipts have gone missing. This is not bad considering that we had two birthdays this month, traveled a bit, helped host a party, hosted friends for Easter and took a dinner to another family. On the other hand, we were also staying with family for a few days, so that could have reduced our expenses, too. I am not including a big purchase of vitamins for the family. I'm not sure what budget these should be coming from. Where do you put vitamins and supplements in your budget?

How is your grocery budget going?

Upcycled Bibs

Sometimes crafting out of need is a good thing. Our little one has had access to lots of great hand-me-downs from his brothers and friends, but the bibs we have left are shot. So I took an hour one night to make some to meet the need.

Materials:
old t-shirt
scraps of thin fleece
random buttons
pattern made from tracing a full coverage big

Getting to work...
One of the finished bibs
While they aren't going to win any baby style points, they are quite functional and the fleece is very stain resistant which is a bonus in my books.

Of course, use your safety common sense with buttons and babies. As they go through the wash, I ensure that the buttons are still fully secured and won't be a choking hazard.

Living Room Mini-Makeover

After living here for seven years, I'm ready for some simple and inexpensive updates. Last month I wanted to lighten up our living room, so it was out with the old....



and in with the new....


The new curtains are drop cloths I picked up compliments of a Plastic Jungle giveaway I was blessed to win via Half Pint House. I washed them up on hot with lots of fabric softener and sewed casings for the rods to slip through. They are not perfect as the dropcloths were not exactly the same size or the same weight and a couple had flaws, only visible after I had washed them. But I think the change opens up the room and the neutral tone will allow for other little updates down the road. Because at this stage in life, time and money just allow for incremental changes, not whole room makeovers done in a day. Next step: blue accents. Further down the road: one really comfortable couch.

March Grocery Check-In

This is not the most riveting post you'll read all day, but I've decided to keep a clear log of my grocery shopping activities in hopes of improving that area of life this year. The last few months have been eye-opening and I hope by the end of the year I will see some progress.

3/4 - Costco - $94.30
5 lbs. organic frozen green beans
1 bucket animal crackers
75 ct. Good Earth tea
3 ct. English cucumbers
1 large can tomato sauce (gallon?)
3 lbs. bananas
4 pk. large jars organic applesauce
8 lbs. butter
1 package deli ham
2 large bags tortilla chips
1 lb. organic spring mix
3 bunches celery
1/2 gallon organic half & half
5 pk. avocados
33 oz. sulfate & paraben-free shampoo - This is the Kirkland brand and I think it has been good for my hair. **

3/5 - King Soopers - $7.74
2 - 24 oz. cartons cottage cheese
1/2 gal. organic whole milk
2 deodorant
1 bodywash
1 toothpaste
8 lbs. sugar

3/5 - Safeway - $30.77
12 boxes of non-sugary cereal
4 boxes Simply Fruit roll-ups
3 lbs. cheese sticks
3 packages breaded fish
2 cartons ice cream

3/5 - Whole Foods - $11.76
1 organic green leaf lettuce
1 carton organic chicken broth
9.5 lbs. organic apples

3/7 - Safeway - $13.27
8 boxes cereal
3 individual size frozen Asian entrees
1 bunch of bananas
32 oz. yogurt
4 100% juice cranberry concentrates
1 individual CPK pizza
1 family size bag chimichangas
2 rolls Mentos (free)
1 box flushable wipes (free)

3/10 - Costco - $15.45
2 gallons milk
18 ct. Yoplait
2 jars pumpkin maple butter

3/12 - Whole Foods - $9.10
organic apples & minneolas - $1/lb
1 bakery cookie - We were on a rare date.

3/15 - Costco - $22.53
4 gallons milk
9 lbs. bananas
18 ct. Yoplait
1 lb. organic spinach

3/17 - Safeway - $19.42
6 boxes cereal
8 boxes simply fruit roll-ups
6 baby food 2-pks.
15 jars baby food
1 canister DHA rice cereal

3/21 - King Soopers - $16.51
12 boxes pasta
1 cherry pie - marked down to $1.49
1 package bakery cookies - marked down to $1.49
4 - 16 oz. cottage cheese - marked down to $.59each
2 - 12 pks. soda - marked down to $1.19 each
3 - 32 oz. yogurt
3 - 4 pk. yogurt

3/21 - Costco - $116.92
all were items were on coupon except for the water bottles & sweet potatoes
96 oz. honey
72. oz. chocolate chips
400 ct. beverage napkin
32 - 14.5 oz. cans organic diced tomatoes - stocking up for the year
40 ct. Rice Krispie treats
212 ct. size 3 diapers
900 ct. baby wipes
3 stainless steel water bottles - $6.97 total
10 lb. sweet potatoes

3/22 - Costco - $16.75 - Having a sick baby necessitated going to the pharmacy for a prescription and finding a quick dinner.
1 rotisserie chicken
2 loaves sourdough bread
2 ct. infant pain reliever

3/26 - Safeway - $32.54
2 bags Doritos
1 hot sauce (free)
2 bags Wheat Thins
1 kleenex hand towel
4 lbs. frozen vegetables
4 Grands biscuits
3 Freschetta pizzas
3.75 lb. green grapes
1 4-pk. yogurt
8 oz. bag pistachios
1 lb. beef franks
3.7 lb. lean ground beef

3/26 - King Soopers - $28.04
5 lb. clementines
3 lb. Smart Balance sticks
39 ct. Band-Aid
3 lb. brown rice
18 boxes pasta - most whole grain, at 49 cents/box this is likely one of the lowest prices of the year so stocking up seemed prudent
1-2ct. Dole fruit crisps
3 - 4ct. yogurt
1 - 24 oz. yogurt
4 - 32 oz. yogurt
1 small pack Skittles

3/27 - FarmCrest -$12.00ish
4 gallons milk

3/30 - World Market - $25.96*
8 - 12 oz. bags whole bean coffee
*This was a one-day sale, otherwise I totally would have delayed this purchase. This amount of coffee will last us a good long while.

total for March = $473.06
$2.54/person/day

A few realizations in reviewing purchases for this month.
1. I'm still shopping too frequently.
2. I need to keep at least a couple easy dinners in the freezer for days when there are sick kids and other extenuating circumstances.
3. I am spending more than I think I really need to because we are budgeting more than the bare minimum. We do use a cash budget for groceries but whatever cash we get out of the bank does get spent. If I want to spend less, I need to have less cold hard cash in my hand when I am shopping, plain and simple.

I'll keep plugging along.
- - - -
**Very much off topic, but I just wanted to mention that as I post about grocery shopping here, that is only a sliver of what is happening frugality-wise in our home. Yes, I spent about $9 for a really big bottle of good shampoo. And yes, I likely could have picked up some acceptable shampoo for pennies if I still played the drugstore game. But I get about 3 haircuts per year at a place like Supercuts, with coupons whenever possible. So I'm spending at most $45/year on haircuts, not $45 for a haircut and style every 6 to 8 weeks. Every person and family needs to go with what works for them in that season and with the resources they have available. So all that said, I won't feel the least bit guilty for that $9 bottle of shampoo.