Coupons Online

I was recently sent a list of online sites for coupons. Many of these sites have the same coupons available, but some vary from site to site. I'm new to the world of coupons (I know, shame on me!) so I'm trying to learn how to tackle this issue and get really good at it. I usually buy store-brand stuff, so I haven't felt the "need" to use coupons because I'm already saving a bunch with off-brands. I'm experimenting with couponing to see if it's something worth the time and effort (and if I will really save money)...

The list is:

ValPak.com
Coupons.com
CouponSurfer.com
MySavings.com
SmartSource.com
CouponCabin.com
FreeStuff4Free.com

Anyone have any other good online coupon sites, or a site they'd recommend with advice on using coupons? Help me out! :)

Homemade Produce Wash

Another thing to share from the wonderful folks at TipNut.com...

Homemade Produce Wash Recipe:

1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
2 TBS baking soda
2 TBS lemon juice

• Mix ingredients then pour in clean spray bottle. Spray fresh vegetables & fruit generously. Sit for 5 minutes then rinse off well.
• Note: Make sure to first mix ingredients in deep container since there will be some fizzing from the baking soda & vinegar.
• Do NOT use this with mushrooms - they will only absorb it.
  

You can also use a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar. Spray on fruits/veggies and let set for 10 minutes before rinsing well.

Fruit & Veggie Soak Recipe:

1/2 cup vinegar
3 TBS salt

• Mix ingredients to dissolve salt then add to (a clean) sinkful of water (stir to mix). Soak fruit and veggies for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove, pat dry.

Did You Know: You should wash the outsides of melons before cutting through them? If you don’t, the knife will drag the pesticides/dirt/bacteria from the outside rind into the fruit as you cut. Many melons share fields with livestock and their "droppings." Yikes! So wash well!

Organizing "Hair Stuff" for Girls

My daughter has gorgeous, long, blonde hair. Ever since she was little she has loved for me to do her hair up all cute. Granted, at 11, she's (sadly) outgrowing it... But that's beside the point of this post. I wanted to share a clever way to organize all the hair "stuff" that comes with having little girls.

I bought a little box with dividers from Ikea - it is in their kids department, and it is intended to hold arts & crafts supplies. (But I, regrettably, haven't been to Ikea lately so I don't know if they still have it.) I'm sure you can find something similar somewhere else. :)



Anyway, the box originally came with a lid, which I took off. I arranged the dividers to make a couple of large spaces for headbands and flower clips, then used the smaller spaces for elastics, ribbons, and barrettes. The whole thing slides into a bathroom drawer and it makes it easy to find what you need in a flash!

Our Week "Off"

So, we took a week off from television and the internet/computer last week. I appreciate that I haven't lost my wonderful readers in that time! At least, I hope I haven't. :) Here are a few things I learned about myself and my family during that week:

1. I like the quiet of the TV not being on.
2. I store a lot of my recipes on my computer. :(
3. I still love to read. (I read four of the Anne of Green Gables books in 6 days!)
4. My kids will not shrivel up and die without television, much to their surprise (but not mine).
5. My kids have a lot of great toys and we have a fabulous collection of board games.
6. A little television/internet is a good thing when it comes to the news/weather report -- it would have been nice not to be so surprised by the foot of snow we got on Wednesday morning. Yikes!
7. I really did spend more time on the computer than I was aware of. Not any more! (I got SO much done this past week!)
8. My kids play with each other more without the TV on. And most of the time, they get along!
9. The more time that went by without the television or computer, the easier it got.
10. I really like the option of turning on the television and/or computer every once in a while (I gotta be honest!) - but my time using each "modern convenience" will be significantly less than it was before this past week "off."

We decided as a family that we would take Sundays off permanently from TV and the computer/internet. I challenge anyone who wants to re-prioritize their time to consider taking a few days "off." It will really make a difference!

Time "Off"

We're taking a week off from TV and the computer/internet, so I'll catch you in a week!!

Divide and Conquer: Household Cleaning Routine

I've never been fond of housecleaning (is there anyone who is??). I've always taken a bit of a different approach to the whole nonsense. :)

I started by making a list of all the household duties that are required in keeping house. I then divided the list into 15-20 minute sets of chores. I assign these lists to days of the week, Monday-Friday.

The idea is that I take 15-20 minutes every day to do a few chores towards house cleaning, and by the end of the week the entire house has been cleaned without me having to take half a day to do it. Divide and conquer! :)

The only exception is laundry, which I [have to] do every single day. I have assigned a day to each person in the house, and their laundry gets done on that day. For instance, I do mine and hubby's laundry on Mondays and Thursdays, the boys have Tuesdays and Fridays, and my daughter gets Wednesdays (along with the towels). Sheets I do on Saturdays.

My schedule for house cleaning is as follows:

Monday: clean kitchen, vacuuming
Tuesday: mending, bills
Wednesday: clean bathrooms
Thursday: brush/bathe the dog, vacuuming
Friday: dust/polish, sweep entry

How to you organize your housekeeping tasks?

A Clean Toothbrush = A Happy Mouth

Did some research and found out that the best way to clean your toothbrush is to run it through your dishwasher every few weeks. Who knew?! **It's best to put it on the top rack, though, so it doesn't melt from the heating element at the bottom.** The dishwasher will sanitize your toothbrush.

Other ideas include soaking the head of the toothbrush in boiling water for a few minutes, or in Listerine. There's also a company that makes toothbrush cleaning tablets (kind of like denture cleaning tablets) ~ which I've used before and they work great. But heck, the dishwasher is free. :)

Another tidbit I thought worth mentioning is that it is not such a good idea to store multiple toothbrushes in one cup... They tend to touch and spread germs (ewww...). We used to store ours' all together and it finally dawned on us why we were always sharing each others' sicknesses. Yuck.

So, to keep your family healthy (or, at least, healthier), store toothbrushes so they don't touch, and run them through the dishwasher every few weeks or when someone in the family has been sick.

And, of course, as your dentists says, you should replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months.

Happy brushing!

Whistle While You Work...

... And get your hands super-soft too! Before you go to slip on those rubber gloves to clean your house, first slather on a generous amount of lotion or hand cream on your hands (use more than you usually would). Your hands may be tired from all the cleaning you'll accomplish, but they'll be baby soft when you're done!

Creamy Macaroni & Cheese

I learned a tip a few years ago on how to get the powdered cheese sauce on your kids' mac & cheese to not come out "lumpy" with chunks of the powdered cheese amongst the macaroni noodles.

After draining the water from the macaroni, put the butter/margarine in the pan with the hot pasta and stir till it is melted. Put the milk and powdered cheese sauce in a small bowl with a lid (one that seals well). Put the lid on it, then shake till all the powder is dissolved. Stir this into your buttered noodles.

Happy eatin', kids! :)

One of My Favorite Things: Reynolds Handi-Vac Vacuum Food Storage System

I'd like to introduce you to the Reynolds Handi-Vac Vacuum Food Storage System. This thing is AWESOME!! It cost me around $7, and the bags it uses are not that much more expensive than the regular ones.

It is a simple little gadget... All you do is fill the bag with your food item up to the "fill line" on the baggie. Then you seal the top and lay it down on a hard surface. You put the tip of the vacuum sealer on the round sealing vent and push the button. You stop when the sound changes (which indicates the air has all been vacuumed out).

It doesn't work for high-liquid foods like soups, etc, but I have LOVED all the things I've been able to toss in the freezer in them. My cheese lasts longer, my salad doesn't get soggy, and my leftovers taste fresh. Freezer burn no longer exists in my house. :) You can re-seal the baggies until your food inside is gone, but the manufacturer doesn't recommend washing/reusing the bags after that because of the possibility of food particles getting caught in the textured surface.

If I'm going to buy freezer bags anyway, why not spend a few cents more and get the kind I can vacuum seal shut?? The kids love to operate the sealer, and it doesn't take up a huge amount of counter space like those expensive vacuum sealers. I love it!

For more information, go to the website for the Reynolds Handi-Vac.

Fabulous Pot Pie - Finally!!

I love to bake. I've never really been a pie maker, though. I'm just intimidated by it, I guess. Pumpkin pies on store-bought pie crusts at Thanksgiving are the only pies I've made - and they don't really count since they're not "from scratch."

I also love to cook for my family. I've been trying to figure out how to make a fabulous pot pie. My favorite is turkey. I've made a couple of different recipes but none my family really liked -- until just recently. I compiled two different recipes (one for the crust and one for the filling) and it was a hit! To convert this recipe to other meats would be super easy. For chicken, you'd use shredded chicken and chicken gravy. For beef, shredded beef and beef gravy. You get the picture. Anyway, here are the recipes:

Never Fail Pie Crust (from AllRecipes.com)

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups butter flavored shortening
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup ice water
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, shortening, sugar and salt.
2. Add ice water, vinegar and egg. Beat to combine.
3. Either press into pans or roll out.
   

Makes 2 pie crusts, or as much as 4 if you roll it out fairly thin. *Roll out the extra pie crusts, layer them with wax paper in between and freeze them on a cookie sheet. When frozen, seal tightly in a large zip-bag for next time. :)

Leftover Pot Pie (from AllRecipes.com)

• 2 cups leftover turkey, chopped or shredded
• 2 cups turkey gravy or turkey stock
  
• 2 cups mixed vegetables
• 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie shells
  
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
• 1/4 cup water (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. If you are using stock, bring the stock to a boil. Add cornstarch to cold water, and blend until smooth; whisk into stock to thicken.
3. Line a 9 inch pie plate with pastry. Mix turkey and vegetables together, and place in pie crust. Pour gravy or thickened stock over turkey and vegetables. Cover with remaining pie crust. Cut slits in the top to release steam.
4. Place pot pie on a cookie sheet to prevent stock from over flowing into your oven. Cook in center of oven until crust is golden brown, approximately 1 hour. Slice, and serve hot.

I used about 2/3 of the pie crust dough, but could have rolled it a bit thinner and gotten four crusts out of it. With the filling, I just used canned gravy and omitted the cornstarch. I did add pinch or two of flour, however, to thicken the filling a bit. Next time I might use a little less gravy so the filling is thicker.

Yum!!