Menu Plan Monday

Tonight's dinner is in the crock pot and I can't wait to eat! It sure smells good.

Monday ~ crock pot hawaiian chicken, rice

Tuesday ~ pork fajitas, chips & salsa, grapes

Wednesday ~ spinach salad, fruit

Thursday ~ chicken caesar burgers, parmesan fries, pickles

Friday ~ ...free for all...

Visit Org Junkie for more recipes!

Honey Coconut Salmon

Several of you mentioned the honey coconut salmon looked good so I thought I would supply you with the recipe!

1 1/2 cups butter
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flaked coconut
4 (4 oz) salmon fillets

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, mix in honey, brown sugar, and coconut. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Cool slightly. Place the salmon in the baking dish and pour butter mixture over, making sure salmon is good and coated. Cover and marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Remove baking dish from fridge after 30 minutes and let sit for a few minutes before placing in the oven.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until the salmon can be flaked easily with a fork. Discard leftover marinade or bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes and spoon over salmon.

Enjoy!

Creative Corner...scrap club

I like to do a family scrapbook for each year but am always falling way behind. Since I have had my little girl I am trying to do a scrapbook for her and a yearly album as well. Since I don't have much time to scrapbook this can become quite overwhelming. Well...my friend Jamie and I started a scrap club in January! Guess what...do to this I am caught up for the year (my daughter's album is another story!). We design 2 two-page layouts a month, so I fill 4 pages each month. We assemble our pages so the participants in the club have ideas of how to put their pages together. I have posted the 1st page of the main layouts below.

For more details on our scrap club and to see Jamie's layouts click here.

Walgreens Hot Buys!

I just received an email showing some hot buys for 4 days only at Walgreens! View the printable coupons here. Don't miss out on these deals today through Saturday only.

If you plan your shopping trip on Friday or Saturday you can also take advantage of some Easy Saver overlap deals. I plan on picking up some Alavert less the $4 coupon you can print here, $4 April ES coupon and $3 March ES rebate. Also, Scott TP is on 7 day sale(with coupon) 2/$5 less manufacturers coupon and $1 April ES rebate.

Let me know of any great Walgreens deals you come across!

How do I leave a comment?

I have had several questions on how to leave a comment on a blog post. So....I will do my best to explain.

At the bottom right of each post there is a link that says "comments". Click on this link. You will be taken to a page showing any comments that have been made so far. There is a box that says "leave your comment". Type your comments/questions in the box. Next you will have to enter the letters/numbers you see in a box (to prevent spam messages). Then you must "chose your identity"...the easiest would be Name/URL or Anonymous. If you chose Name, just enter your name and leave the URL line blank. If you chose Anonymous, make sure you sign your name in the comment box so I know who is taking to me! Finally, click "publish your comment".

Also, if like to keep up with my posts, you can register on the left hand side of the home page. Simply type your email in the box under "sign up here". Then anytime I add info to my blog, you will get an email letting you know!

Deals of the Day...Walgreens, Meijer, Target

Yesterday I made it to Walgreens to pick up some of their weekly sale items. Excedrin was on sale for $1.99 and I had $2 off coupons...so 2 boxes for free! I also picked up a Venus razor. It is rumored that they are honoring the ES rebate from last month. I am going to try it, I'll let you know what happens!


Today I had to get to Target for some formula 'cause we were about out. (I think I have mentioned before that we use the Target brand...similar to Enfamil for about half the price...and think it is just great!) I also picked up a couple bags of the Market Pantry frozen chicken breasts for $5.99 each.


Then it was off to Meijer. I was just going in to pick up some lunch meat and fruit. However they were having their 10 for $10 sale with 11th item free. Check out the picture for an idea of what you can get!

Mail Call...

I opened up the mailbox today and was greeted by lots of fun stuff! Sample of coffee, granola, drink mix, $5 Sears card and coupons! I love days like this...no bills just freebies!

Other freebies you can request:

Free Sample of Total Cranberry Crunch Cereal

Free Sample Of GoodNites Sleep Pants for Boys and Girls

Menu Plan Monday

Well, plans changed this week with getting ready for Easter and the salmon got booted again! So, it will definitely make the menu this week.

Monday ~ pot pies, fruit

Tuesday ~ honey coconut salmon, rice, corn, rolls, rice,

Wednesday ~ pork chops, herbed potato wedges, fried zucchini

Thursday ~ chili, cornbread

Friday ~ leftovers

Visit Org Junkie for more recipes!

Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons...

Did you know that you can use Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons even after they expire? Also, you can use more than one coupon per transaction! I get them in the mail all the time and just throw the old one away when I get a new one, NOT ANYMORE! So start keeping those coupons and rack up the savings! Check out more tips at Megan's Bargains and More.

Freebies!

OK, the past librarian in me is coming out. "Check out" these free reading related items!

Free Book: The Ten-Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer

Free Reading Resource Kit: Drop Everything And Read Day Kit

Free Cookbook: Gooseberry Patch Fall Favorites with Sun-Maid Raisins

Also, don't forget another great resource...a LIBRARY CARD! Take some I.D. and get into your local library today to sign up for one.

Happy Easter!

Hope you all have a blessed Easter!

1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...

Creative Corner...storing memorabilia

Do you have items that you want to keep in your scrapbook but don't actually want to adhere to the actual page? Cards, ticket stubs, brochures...to name a few...are items I find myself wanting to hang on to but not necessarily put on my scrapbook pages. Most of the time I use albums with top loading pages. I have just been sticking items down in the page protector, behind the scrapbook page that the memorabilia happens to correspond with. Just recently I had the idea to adhere an envelope to the back of my page and stick the items in there. You can't see the items but they are securely attached to the scrapbook page. This seems to be working out great! Do you have any other ideas for hanging onto that memorabilia you just can't part with?

Deals of the Day...Walgreens

Check out what I got at Walgreens today for only $2 after sales, coupons, and rebates! What a steal!!!

Freebies!

There are so many freebies online available for request. This is a great way to try things before you buy and get coupons along the way. Most of the product samples I receive include a coupon for the full size version of the item. I will list a few wonderful samples from time to time. Enjoy!

From Freebies 4 Mom:

Request your free sample of the Dove go fresh Ultimate Clear Deodorant and the Dove go fresh Therapy Energize Shampoo and Conditioner.

You get to choose your "flavor" of deodorant - cool essentials (cucumber & green tea), refreshing (waterlily & fresh mint), or energizing (grapefruit & lemongrass). Talk about some innovative deodorant scents - sounds like aromatherapy for your underarms! Don't forget to check the box for your shampoo & conditioner sample! Yes, Dove just wants to help keep you looking (and smelling) beautiful! Do you need to catch up on getting all the freebies from Dove?

Other Freebies:
Free Vaseline Intensive Moisture Lotion Sample

Free Sample of Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste

Free Sample of Maybelline Mineral Power Foundation

Menu Plan Monday

Plans changed last week and I didn't get to the salmon...so it made the menu this week!

Monday ~ honey coconut salmon, brown rice, corn, rolls

Tuesday ~ FCA Banquet

Wednesday ~ sloppy joes, fries, pickles, fruit

Thursday ~ pizza, salad, fruit

Friday ~ eating on the road...heading to our parents for Easter

Don't forget to check out Org Junkie for more menu ideas!

Creative Corner...no "h"

Would you ever know that I didn't have an "h" sticker to complete this title on one of my scrapbook pages? It is frustrating when you go to spell something out and you don't have enough stickers to make it work. To solve this problem, I took a "n" and "l" and put them together. Then I put a sticker where they intersected and you would never know it wasn't an "h" to begin with! Some other ideas...turn a "u" upside down for a "n" or cut the bottom off of a "j" to make another "i". Get creative and see how you can save some cents by repurposing those unused letters!

Hippos...

For some reason I have an obsession with hippos! I really don't know how it started but I just think they are so cute! So, of course I have to make my daughter like hippos as well. She has several stuffed hippos, books with hippos, clothes, etc. It never seems to end. When I was in Target the other day, guess what I found...HIPPO EASTER EGGS! I definitely snagged those babies up for her Easter basket, not that she cares but mommy thinks they are way cool!

Deals of the Day...CVS and Target

Well, yesterday I finally got to CVS for the week. I know some people make it to CVS several times a week or even day to snag up deals but I do good to make it once a week. When I do get there I always keep my fingers crossed that they will have what I want. This time was a success. The best deal was the "Be Fine" skin care packets I had read about on another blog. They are only 1.99 and you get 3 ECBs back!

Next, I was off to Target! My main purpose for going was to pick up formula for my daughter. I have been using the Target brand (similar to Enfamil) for some time now and it seems to work just great. It is about $12 a can, a great bargain compared to the name brand price of about $24. I also picked up a few other things I needed that were on sale this week. My best find was face cleanser. I use Olay facial cleansing cloths...usually around $5 for a box. I found these for $1.61 a box!!! Not clearance or anything, just regular price marked on the shelf! Don't know why the huge markdown but I sure snagged them all up! Plus, I had 2 coupons to take extra off!

Scattergories

Tag, your it!

If you are reading this, copy and paste this post onto our own blog. Then leave me a comment here so I can come read yours :)

This actually took a little thought. Have Fun. Scattergories... it's harder than it looks! Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following... they have to be real places, names, things.. Nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person you got this from had the same first initial. You can't use your name for the boy/girl.

1. What is your name? Mandy
2. 4 letter word: More
3. Vehicle: Motorcycle
4. City: Miami
5. Boy's Name: Mark
6. Girl's Name: Melissa
7. Alcoholic beverage: Margarita
8. Occupation: Massage therapist
9. Something you wear: Makeup
10. Celebrity: Madonna
11. Food: Meatloaf
12. Something found in a bathroom: Mirror
13. Reason for being late: Missed the bus
14. Cartoon Character: Mickey Mouse
15. Something you shout: Make it stop!
16. Animal: Manatee
17. Body Part: Mouth
18. Word to describe you: Merry

I found this on JujuBoo's blog....check it out to see other results!

Deals of the Day...Walgreens

Have you made it to Walgreens yet for your free Jane makeup? Remember it is B1G1 Free on all Jane makeup at Walgreens this week. Plus if you print and use these $2/1 coupons you can get practically free makeup! I got 4 items of Jane for about $1.98 and Puffs tissue for $.72 each, after Walgreens deals and manufacturers coupons!

Menu Plan Monday

More yummo recipes I am ready to get going on this week!

Monday ~ ham & mushroom calzone, salad, grapes

Tuesday ~ chicken & turkey pot pies, orange slices

Wednesday ~ honey coconut salmon, brown rice, corn, fresh bread

Thursday ~ easy garden bake (using this recipe with a few add ins of my own), fresh bread

Friday ~ leftovers

For more menu ideas, visit Org Junkie.

Creative Corner...50 cent flowers

Remember to keep your eyes open for clearance stickers! Using prima flowers and rhinestone brads, I made the embellishments on this scrapbook page for just cents! The flowers came in a box of about 35 for 50 cents! and the brads came in a package of about 60 for $2.

Mocha Chip Scones

Just had a desire to make scones the other day and found a recipe on Food Network. I tweaked it to fit what I had on hand. Several of my friends have been asking for the recipe, so here it goes...

1/2 cup brewed coffee, cooled
2 tablespoons milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup swirled milk chocolate & caramel morsels
white decorating sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine coffee, milk, egg, and vanilla extract; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combing Bisquick, sugar, and choc/carm. morsels. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until you have a moist dough. Drop scone mixture on parchment lined baking sheet using an ice cream scoop. Dip fingers in water and round out scones so there are no harsh edges. Sprinkle tops with decorating sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about a dozen small to medium scones. Enjoy!

The Ultimate Blog Party 2008

Discovering new blogs and a chance to win prizes...who doesn't that sound good to?! Stop by 5 Minutes for Mom and check out The Ultimate Blog Party 2008.

I just got back from scrapbooking with some friends and we were talking about our new found love of blogs! I have just recently started blogging and it is fun! I don't know if anyone is actually reading it, but I love to do it anyway! If you do stop by and read some of my posts you will find: deals of the day, recipes, creative corner, and other random thoughts. Hope you enjoy!

If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe for email updates and/or pass along the info to a friend! Thanks for stopping by.

National Craft Month!

March is National Craft Month! Make sure you spend as much time crafting this month as possible. I try to scrapbook as much as I can anyway but to have a month dedicated to it is awesome! I get more motivated to scrapbook when I am surrounded by other crafters. You can share ideas, tools, supplies, etc....SO schedule some time to craft with your friends this month. I know I will!

Watch for many Creative Corner posts this month!

Deals of the Day...CVS!

CVS is just awesome! Who can pass up getting free stuff?! I try to put together a deal scenario before I head to CVS based on how many Extra Care Bucks I have to spend. They do tend to run out of the stuff you get ECBs on so I always have to tweak my purchase plans once I am in the store! Didn't do too bad today though...

All this for only some cents out of pocket, after my manufacturers coupons, $5/$15 CVS coupon, and $15 CVS bucks. Plus I got $24.46 back in ECBs!!!

Creative Corner...recycled cards

Don't throw away the cards you get in the mail from your friends and family! They are great to reuse for new projects. I took a thank you card that I got in the mail a week or so ago and cut the front off. Next, I mounted it on some brown cardstock and used decorative edge scissors to dress it up a bit. Then I adhered it to a white card base. This would have been fine as is but I wanted to accessorize...so I added some ribbon and rub-ons to get a great new creation for no cents at all!

Garlic toast

Well, I went to make dinner last night, opened the freezer for the garlic toast and we were all out! For some reason when I was planning the menu for the week I thought we still had some in there. I went to the store in the morning and didn't buy any bread or rolls cause I was making bread machine bread today for the rest of the week. So...I got creative and made my own! Just used regular bread, buttered both sides and topped with garlic powder, mozz cheese, and some parsley. I baked for 5 minutes at 450 degrees and it turned out great! No more buying frozen garlic toast for us!

Menu Plan Monday

Another week...another menu. I have several dishes that I want to make I had a hard time narrowing it down for the week! Here is what I came up with...

Monday ~ capellini pasta & shrimp w/alfredo sauce, salad, garlic toast

Tuesday ~ meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, italian herb bread (in the machine bread)

Wednesday ~ tacos, salsa, brown rice, refried beans

Thursday ~ crunchy garlic chicken, corn, ramen oodles, italian herb bread (baked on Tues.)

Friday ~ leftovers!

For more menu ideas, visit Org Junkie.

Deals of the Day...Walgreens, Office Depot

Ok, so these aren't actually today's deals but I didn't get around to posting last night!

I went out shopping by myself...little one at home with daddy! My main purpose for going out was to pick up a few deals that were ending last night. I snagged the Sharpie deal from Office Max actually at Office Depot!...read about that adventure over at Milk Allergy Mom. I thought that would be my best deal of the day but while I was in Walgreens picking up the Celestial Seasonings Tea for .45 cents a box, I came across MY best deal of the day!...Walgreens Replacement Easy-Flex Heads.


We use an Oral B electric toothbrush at our house, which is great for your teeth, but we usually pay $20 for 3 replacement heads. Occasionally I use the 20% off coupon from Bed, Bath & Beyond, but they are still $16. I never knew or even thought to look for generic. The Walgreens ones were marked $15.49 at my store, which is cheaper than the discounted price I usually pay. Plus, there was a $2 off coupon in the ES Catalog. But....when I got up to the checkout they rang up as $11.99 plus $2 off. So, the best deal to ME of the day was replacement toothbrush heads for only $9.99!!!