Room to Grow

Annual Memberships and Passes Can Save BIG!

2010-03-14T10:00:00.002-06:00

I just got my family a membership to the Denver Zoo and to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
We have had one to the zoo before, but I do not renew it every year.

If you enjoy going someplace you have probably already figured out that an annual pass can save you a ton of money. If not, now is the time to look into it!

Things to consider:

*What types of activities does your family enjoy doing over and over again?

*How often are you really going to be able to go?

*What other benefits does the membership get you?

*Is it partially tax deductible?

Here in Colorado there are so many things to do and see it can be hard to narrow it down. You can get memberships for everything from the community center to the Art Museum.

I think it is always wise to only get a couple memberships a year that you will actually use. I also like to rotate-don't get the same memberships year after year unless it is something your family is passionate about.

Sometimes I actually have to do math to figure out if a membership or annual pass will save us money.
For example, we are going to take a trip to Mesa Verde this summer. We are planning to stop at several other National Parks and Monuments during the trip. I have been to the NPS website and looked up the entrance fee for each place we want to stop. I also decided we might do another camping trip at Rocky Mountain National Forest which is also part of the NPS. Even with all those stops it looks like the Annual Pass will NOT save us money.

Another example is the Denver Art Museum. They will be hosting the King Tut exhibit this summer and fall and I really would love to take the family to see it. However, we can go to the museum itself for free the first Saturday of each month (we went once last year). The exhibit would be discounted with a membership, but not enough to make it worth it. It is cheaper for us to just pay to see the exhibit.

For the Denver Zoo, it was a no brainer. It costs so much to take the family to the zoo that it will pay for itself in 2 trips. Plus, members get discounts and free tickets for friends. Our Family Plus membership will also allow me to bring a friend each time I go! This will come in handy in the summer when DH is working. One of my good friends has a membership, too, so we can go together. Oh, they had also mailed me a "special deal" so I only paid $99.

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is one I have not done before. We have taken the kids only a couple times, but it is so cool! A membership will get us a discount on IMAX and planetarium tickets as well as other perks. We've never taken the kids to IMAX because of the cost, but we will now! The Family membership I got will come with 3 adult entrance tickets I can use to bring friends. This membership will pay for itself after two trips and one IMAX movie.

One of the best parts about having a membership or annual pass is that you aren't pressured to stay all day to get your money's worth. You can drop in whenever you like for an hour or two or even just to see certain things and then go home. You also are notified of upcoming special events and member only activities.

Here is a great website for things to do in Colorado! Have fun!!!

Are You Camping This Summer?

2010-03-13T19:52:00.004-07:00

I'm very excited to have written a guest blog article for Amanda over at The Screaming Penny! It is about saving money camping. Camping is about the cheapest family vaction around. I have been planning our summer trip to Mesa Verde and pulled together some generic tips to help all you thrifty campers out there!

Check it out over at The Screaming Penny!

March Finance Talk

2010-03-01T17:31:00.005-07:00

February went really well! It feels so good to make our money work for us. We stayed on budget and had some leftover from a few categories. The leftover was rolled over to March.

Our snowball goal for February was $1379. We were planning on putting it all to debt, but we have changed our financial plans. I will explain in a moment.
We were able to have $1694.36 towards snowballing. We also had a couple hundred in our Health Savings Account (HSA) that we used and had a dental bill come up that we needed to pay.

February
*Dental Bill: $197.80 PAID OFF
*Hospital Bill: $819 PAID OFF
*Emergency Savings: $1000
TOTAL: $2016.80

We have decided to save up the snowball instead of using it towards debt. This is so that DH can switch jobs in the near future. We would like for him to get his LPN licence back and get a job nursing. Working at the factory is great for now, but will not work out long-term for our family. Plus, we are worried about the stability.
After DH gets a new job nursing we will put everything in the baby Emergency Fund towards debt (above $1000).

March goals:
Snowball: $2200 ---towards savings

We are very happy that we were able to sign up for health insurance benefits through DH's new job at the factory. We will be saving about $200 per month on premiums PLUS we now have dental insurance. We have a few people with bad teeth, so this will end up being a good savings, too.

The bad thing that we have learned about the factory job is that if they are running ahead of schedule DH will only work 4 days a week. This has happened a couple times and another time he only worked half a shift. So, we may not be bringing in the income we anticipated.

How does your March look?

Project #4: Homemade Birthday Invitations

2010-02-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

My daughter and I spent about an hour making invitations to her birthday party. She had a great time helping! It was nice to use some stuff from my craft stockpile!

I used some pink cardstock for the cards. We stamped them with a flower stamp and Versa Mark ink. Then I applied "heat & stick" and Kelsey heated it with the heat gun. Once it was sticky we poured hot pink glitter on them!

They turned out great and glitter is now everywhere!!!

Book #3: Girl with a Pearl Earring

2010-02-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

The third book I've finished this year is Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. It's a pretty short novel and very easy to read.

I found the story subtle and realistic. I could imagine myself in the scenes where the fictional tale takes place. There wasn't a lot of action or suspense. It is a coming of age story of a girl, Greit, living in Holland in the 1600's. In concequence of an accident her father suffers she becomes a maid for the famous painter Johannes Vermeer.

I was able to read through the book in 2 days. It is perfect for anyone looking for a little escape.

Book #2: An American Prophet's Record

2010-02-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

I have finished my second book! This one was 500 pages long.

There is a new series of books being published about Joseph Smith, the LDS prophet. He lived in the 1800's and started the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, sometimes called the Mormons.

Well, the Joseph Smith Papers Project is amazing in its scope. However, the books they are publishing are very much out of my price range! They have already published the first two books in the series which I periodically drool over.

I was lamenting the fact that these books wouldn't be gracing my bookshelves any time soon when someone pointed out that the journals of Joseph Smith can be had for a fraction of the cost. I quickly plunked down around $15 plus shipping for my own copy.

An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith (2nd ed), by Scott H. Faulring is a very easy to read book. I like how it was done, the language was cleaned up a bit and there are ellipses to explain some words to the reader. This can be helpful since spelling was not very important in the 1800's.

The journals are so interesting to read. There were parts that were super boring, like the minutes of certain court cases. I found other court cases intriguing, so I am glad they are there. You really do catch a glimpse of the life and beliefs of Joseph Smith and the early LDS restoration movement.

I did notice that there is a lot of overlap with the History of the Church, which I have read about half of. There are some differences in the recordings, so it is still worth reading both if you are an LDS historian or fascinated by LDS church history.

As always, when reading journals I wish there was more information and details recorded. I am glad for the records and journals that we do have, though! I guess that is the history lover in me. It is neat to see how people from another time and place lived and died.

Project #3: Children's Closets & Dressers

2010-02-09T13:35:00.005-07:00

This week I went through ALL the clothes the kids have. It took me two sessions. I think I spent about 3 hours total.

I wanted to get an accurate count of what they have so that when I am out shopping the deals I get things they need and don't overbuy anything. There are so many cute items out there and great deals that it can be tempting to keep buying even when we have enough.

So, now I have a huge pile of items to get rid of. Some I will take to the second hand shop. Everything that they won't take will go straight to the thrift store with the rest of the goods. Here is a picture of my beautiful pile!

The closets all look great and are filled with clothes that fit and look nice. Well, the play clothes may be ragged, but that is to be expected!

My oldest son's closet:

My daughter's closet. The rest of her clothes are in a dresser:

My youngest son's closet:

The clothes they have yet to grow into are in Space Bags on a shelf. This keeps them easily accessible for me and helps me remember that they are there. I love having everything organized!

Clearance Sale at BabiesR'Us

2010-02-03T19:44:00.003-07:00

I went to BRU to use a $5 ecard I got from them from Facebook the other day. They have some good sales going on right now.

There are a lot of clothes on clearance with an additional 30% off the clearance tag. There were outfits marked at $9 that were really cute. They would be $6.30 final price!!!

All the Gerber cloth diapers are B1G1 50% off. The packages run about $14.99 each, number in package vary. But this would be a very cheap way to get started cloth diapering. Or, you can buy some to donate to humanitarian efforts, which is what I did.

2-12 pack Gerber flat fold diapers $14.99 + $7.49
1 pair cute socks sz 36-48 months $0.70
TOTAL OOP after $5 off: $20.04

February Finance Talk

2010-02-03T09:30:00.001-07:00

Like most American's we have a lot of debt. Unlike many, our debt is not consumer credit card debt. We owe a lot of money on student loans and business loans.

Debt SUCKS!

I cannot stand it when I hear people talk about "good" debt. I am here to tell you that all debt feels bad. Now, maybe a mortgage doesn't feel this bad, but all my debt feels awful!

We are starting 2010 with nearly $200,000 in debt. Think about it. Paying minimum payments would never get us out of debt. We will die in debt unless we do more.

Some of you may know we have been following Dave Ramsey for several years now. I really like his approach to debt elimination. I like several other books by other authors as well. The plans I like are all so similar that we just stick with the DR plan. One of the great things about DR is that he is very motivational. His most popular book is The Total Money Makeover. I really enjoyed Financial Peace Revisited and More than Enough. More Than Enough has a lot of meat to it.

One thing I love to do is use debt elimination calculators to see what we need to do to pay off our debt before we are dead. There are several out there and some are better than others.
I really like the free one I use with Excel from Vertex24. I like using Excel beacause I can save it on my computer and make changes as often as I like. Some of the online calculators are nice, but you have to redo them from scratch whenever there is a change you want to make.

Current Debts:
Hospital: $819
Biz Overdraft: $8,911
Biz Loan #1: $25,660
Biz Loan #2: $40,000
Student Loans: $115,700
Total Debt: $191,090
Minimum Payments: $2667

Obviously, we need a BIG shovel to get out of this debt. We were not able to snowball at all last year, but we did avoid any new debt. This year it looks like we will be able to start our snowball back up. That is a great feeling!

With our snowball our goal is to knock out the hospital bill this month and the overdraft by October 2010. I wish we could get this debt taken care of faster, but with it being so large this is how it goes. The other debts will take several years. I'm hoping we will have everything paid off by New Year's Day 2018. GULP!

February Snowball Goal: $1379

Financial news for our family this month is that DH has been hired as a full-time employee for the graveyard (3rd shift) at a box company that he has been temping at for 8 months. This is great because he now qualifies for benefits and a pay raise! This will lower our health insurance and increase our income.

I started babysitting this year, but my days went from 4 times a week to 2. This lowered my expected income but frees up more of my days for other activities.

DH is still running his chiropractic office part time. He is bringing in enough to cover overhead. We also cares for my disabled sister at night and he transports her. This source of income has been a life saver for us, but will end in July this year. We've been using it to pay minimums on debt.

How does your February look?

Book #1: From Jesus to Christianity

2010-02-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

I have finished my first book of the year. I thought I would keep track here just for fun.

The book I read was From Jesus to Christianity: How Four Generations of Visionaries & Storytellers Created the New Testament and Christian Faith by L. Michael White. I thought it was well written and balanced. He took the time to present several different beliefs from Bible scholars on some of the controversial topics. He doesn't make his bias obvious he just presents what is known. Sometimes that is not very much! There was so much information presented in this book that it took me awhile to read it.

It was very exciting to learn more about what the world was like leading up to the time of Jesus and for the first few hundred years. I learned more about the culture than I knew previously. I enjoyed learning more about Paul and his writings and the forgeries. It is also fascinating to see the likely order in which the gospels were written. The author is able to show what types of beliefs and other writings that helped shape what we now call the New Testament.

This is a great book for Bible scholars, historians, students of religion or anyone who wants to learn more about one of the world's largest religions.

Project #2: Melt & Pour Soap

2010-02-01T15:03:00.007-07:00

I've been making Melt & Pour soap (M&P) for several years now. It is so easy and fun!

This year all the women at church are getting a bar of soap for their birthday and my mom volunteered us to make some. I have lots of bulk soap, fragrances and color on hand.

I often have people ask me how to make M&P soap. It must seem difficult, but it is very simple. Any beginner can do it or a child with adult supervision.

First: Prepare your area and gather everything you will need. Personally, I use the following.
*Scale
*Microwave safe bowl
*Silicone spatula
*Metal straight edge spatula (for cutting the soap)
*Soap molds
*M&P Soap base
*Fragrance oil or Essential oil
*Soap dyes and other additives
*Plastic wrap or something to wrap soaps in (soap for my own use gets put in a large pretty jar in my bathroom)

When I first started making M&P soap I just bought base at Michael's using a 40% off coupon. They sell a 10# bucket for $39.99. Now I use natural base from Wisteria Lane. I've been really pleased with the products I've purchased from them.
I could also use the Amazon GC's I earn from Swagbucks to get base for free!

Next: I use 2 pound cavity molds. Cut up the soap base into small cubes and weigh to make sure you have the right amount for the mold. Put all the cubed base into your microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on high in 30-60 second intervals. Do NOT allow the base to boil and do not over stir, to avoid bubbles.

Once the base is fully melted you can add your fragrance. I add 1 ounce of fragrance oil to 2 pounds of base. If you are using essential oils you will need much less.
At this point you can add any additives you may like. Do NOT use food additives that will go bad. I like to add extra glycerin, mica, glitter, shea butter, vitamin E, jojoba beads, seeds, etc.

If you add seeds or other additives that you want to suspend in the soap you will need to wait to pour your soap into the molds until it starts to get thicker. I try to pour it when it gets like pudding. If you wait too long it won't settle into the mold, you'll get strings. But, you can always warm it up a little in the microwave and try again.

If you don't put anything that needs to be suspended then you can pour immediately into the molds and let cool.

Finish: Once cool you can cut the bars if you have a mold like mine. Otherwise, just pop out of the cavities and wrap. You can get as creative as your imagination will allow when it comes to presentation.
I wrap in plastic wrap and put a label on the back with the soap information for the recipient.

Enjoy!

The Mini Social-$10 FREE

2010-01-23T18:21:00.003-07:00

Someone just pointed out this fun website with items for mom, baby and child. It's called The Mini Social.
Adorable tights in just about every color you can imagine! A selection of Melissa & Doug toys and beautiful jewelry. They've got some cute stuff!

Right now you can get $10 off your first order when you use the coupon code NEWYEAR10.

Hurry on over and see what you can find! There are many items for $10 and under. Plus, they have a referral program where you can get $10 in store credit when your friends place their first order. So join today!

A Green and Cheap Birthday

2010-01-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post about how to have a wonderful birthday celebration without breaking the bank. A lot of these ideas are also better for the environment because they include used and homemade items.

Kelsey will turn 6 in a month. I've already got her birthday (almost) done.

In our house we only have "friend" bday parties on the even bdays. This cuts down on cost AND how much crap my kids have!!! Of course, another way to do this is to post "no gifts please" on the invites, but most little children LOVE to bring a gift. I also limit how many children they can invite. I find that inviting about 6 kids will give us around 4 in turn out.

GIFTS for dd
16" Bike ($10 from Goodwill)
2 Color Wonder Sets (2/$10 from Walmart Black Friday)
Wooden Doll Highchair (traded at Once Upon A Child-value $5.50)
Gymboree terrycloth swim cover (traded at OUAC-value $6.50)

This gives me a total oop of $20. However, since I sold dd's outgrown bike on Craigslist for $15 it brings my oop to $5!!! We do need to possibly replace a tube in one of the tires of her "new-to-her" bike.

You will notice that the only new items she is getting are the Crayola sets. My kids have been getting used things for gifts all their lives, so this is not an issue for them. I highly recommend not making a big deal out of used vs. new or putting more value on new in front of your children. It is learned behavior to prefer new.

For the party:
Cake mixes are CHEAP! I get them year round for about $0.50 a box. I can get tubs of frosting for just as cheap. I bought the nice jars of food coloring paste at Michaels years ago with a coupon for about $10. I need to replace them, but they lasted over 10 years. It's a great deal and they make beautiful colors!

Activities: This varies greatly by age and number of children at the party. We usually do a little game and craft. I find that an hour and a half is a good amount of time for a party. Longer tends to make for bored children who rome the house looking for things to get into. This is long enough for a game, craft, food and presents.

Party favors are sometimes hard. This year I found a great deal at Lillian Vernon. I bought two packages of 4 little purses with bead necklaces. It was less than $1 per purse/necklace combo! They are cute and come in a variety of colors. I bought them with my Christmas purchases to get free shipping.

Some other fun party favor ideas are: homemade play dough, gak, silly putty, treats/candy, craft projects, stickers
At the Dollar Tree you can find some fun little things, too. The plastic whirly flyer things are fun-its just a propeler with a stick. Bubbles, puzzles, capsules that grow in water, etc.

Salem will be 3 on his next birthday.
His gifts will be a toddler scooter and a helmet. My mom will buy the helmet new and I have already started looking for a used scooter. I'm hoping to pay no more than $10-15.
I also found him a nice wooden rocking horse for $18 on CL, but I already gave it to him. He was turning all our furniture into "horsies" and so I couldn't wait!!!

I'd love to hear your ideas for keeping gifts inexpensive and under control.

Random Thrifty Thoughts & Cheap Family Night

2010-01-16T11:00:00.002-07:00

Tonight my family went out together to hang out. We had $11.75 left on a gift card that had started to lose money that we needed to spend.

So we went to Whole Foods to spend it because that is where we determined we could get the biggest bang for our buck.

We got:

*3 Free kid club HUGE bakery cookies
*some bulk cinnamon sticks 1oz $0.40
*new lid/cap for my SIGG bottle $2.49--got charges $3.99!!!
*Annies Bunnie Cereal ($1 coupon) $2
*Organic Ice Cream 1.5 qt $5.99

Okay, so I'm kinda ticked that our night would have been FREE if they hadn't overcharged me. I was too busy playing with my kids to notice.

Anyway, while I was there I looked at the Vanilla Beans to see if they sold them in bulk. HAHAHA! No.
Whole Foods brand sells ONE bean in a GLASS JAR the size of a regular spice jar. It cost $4.xx!!! Or Frontier sells 2 beans in a tube for $11.99!!!

No thank you!

When I got home I looked at Amazon thinking about my Swagbucks. I have been able to "purchase" some Amazon Gift Cards with my Swagbucks.

The best deal on vanilla beans is 1/4 Frontier "certified organic" for $35 (no free shipping) or 1/2 pound of premium for $24.99 (no free s/h).

Then, I went to eBay since that was the last place I bought them. GREAT DEALS!!! I can get 1/2 lb of extract grade beans for about $15 shipped. I will be purchasing these to make my vanilla extract for Christmas gifts this year. I need to buy soon so the extract can do its thing all year.

See how much money can be saved by research?!? It amazes me! Plus, this means I can save my Amazon GC's for a better deal in the future.

Thank you for reading my random thrifty thoughts. I'd love to hear yours!

The Thrifty Chicks! Cool Blog!

2010-01-15T14:46:00.002-07:00

I've discovered a thrifty blog that is simply divine! You must check it out!

The Thrifty Chicks

This inspiring blog is written by Shopping Golightly who lives here in the Denver area. She writes about all things thrift shop. I have read most of the posts on her blog and they really will motivate you to go check out what is in your local thrift shop.

After reading just a few of her posts I felt inclined to rededicate myself to buying second hand. I would love to see how little I can purchase first-hand this year. My family is already used to second hand, so it shouldn't be too much of a stretch.

If you're looking for ways to maximize your dollars or help the environment you've got to click on over!

Project #1: Declutter Revolution!!!

2010-01-07T21:56:00.003-07:00

This weeks project is not crafty and it didn't cost any money!

I have been decluttering for, well, years now. I'm getting close to a *happy place* but with growing children there will always be things to get rid of.

This week I have been listing things to sell online. LEGO are being sold on eBay and I've got some childrens items selling on a mothering forum. I may or may not find things to put on Craigslist. We took 2 boxes of stuff to Goodwill on Monday.

So far this week 4 boxes have left my house!!! Last week a box and a couple packages left. It feels sooo good to sell stuff we don't need anymore. Taking stuff to Goodwill feels real good, too.

Someone was telling me they have a goal to donate 2010 items this year. They got the idea from a blog I should try to find. What an awesome idea! I think I'm up to about 100 already. Yay!

Menu Plan Monday-January 4

2010-01-04T15:40:00.004-07:00

I'm trying to get back on track with menu planning. My mom and I cook a lot of dinners together so we are both going to make an effort to plan our shopping and menu. It seems like we've been making a lot of trips to the grocery store lately.
So, today my mom went out and spent almost $300 on food for the month. I'll go get some deals from King Soopers and whatever else we need during the month. We have a goal to stay around $400.

Dinners:

Meat Loaf (half turkey/half beef), scalloped potatoes and zucchini
Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Potato Cheese Soup
Lasagna, mixed veges
Ham and Pea gravy over biscuits
Homemade Pizza
Crockpot chicken and veges

Lunches:

Pasta Salad
Lunchmeat sandwiches
PB&J Sandwiches
Leftovers from dinner
Mac n' Cheese

Breakfasts:

Cereal
Toast with PB & J
Bagels
Oatmeal
Waffles

To see other menu plans, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T11:45:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone the best of New Year's!

May all your dreams become reality.

Some Books are Expensive!

2009-12-31T20:59:00.002-07:00

I'm putting together my list of books I'd like to read this year. Well, I found a list of books written by Albert Einstein.

COOL!

I totally didn't know he wrote some actual books that weren't all scientifical.

I thought the titles sounded good-yes, I judge books by their names!

Why War? was the first one I looked for on Amazon. HAHAHA! Here it is in collectible form for a mere $950! Don't you wish you had a copy?

Of course, there is a newer English version on half.com that retails for $11.99. BUT, they don't have any copies available.

I might need to check the library...

Hot Tip! Washing Hair with Baking Soda and Vinegar

2009-12-30T08:00:00.003-07:00

I've been using this awesome combination off and on for awhile now. I just restarted a few weeks ago and will not be returning to commercial shampoos. They were ruining my hair!

I use baking soda
to "wash" my hair and apple cider vinegar
to "condition" it!

For those who are wrinkling their noses right now, I tell you it works! My hair is soft and shiny and managable. Are you curious?

First, take some regular old baking soda. You can get adventurous and add essential oil to it if you like. I just use it plain. I keep it in a plastic container in my shower.

Then, get your apple cider vinegar. I put it (diluted) into an old Dawn squirt bottle. One of the little cute ones that I got cheap on sale with a coupon. LOL
I've heard of different dilution ratios, so you might want to see what your hair and scalp like best. I dilute to about 1 part ACV to 3-4 parts water. I keep this in the shower, too.

Having these made and ready ahead of time makes it more likely that you will use it.

Now, when you take a shower, get your hair wet like usual. Then pour some baking soda into your hand and make a wet paste. Scrub and massage it into your scalp. You do not need to do anything to the rest of your hair-just the head and root section.
Some people use a diluted baking soda solution and pour it on their heads. So, you can try that method and see which you like best.

Rinse with water.

Take your squirt bottle and squirt the top of your head. I start at the crown and then use shower water to rinse it down the length of my hair. Avoid getting it in your eyes because it is NOT tear free! This step is necessary to restore the pH balance of your hair and scalp, so don't skip it.

Your hair should be left feeling very clean and soft.

Now, I have never had any problems or "adjustment period" when using this method. However, many women do go through an awkward phase when their hair is kinda detoxing the gunk and the oils are getting used to the new way. Be prepared to wear a hat or ponytail for a little while.
Once your hair has adjusted you will not need to wash every day or even every other day! That is the magic! Your hair will be able to go days between treatments.

I washed my hair with baking soda and ACV on Friday, kept my hair out of the shower on Saturday, washed my hair with WATER only on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday I washed with baking soda and ACV again.

To wash with water I just massage my scalp during my shower with my hair fully wet. My hair looked great on Sunday and Monday. My daughter even told me I had soft hair Sunday night when I kissed her goodnight. :)

If you want to keep your hair looking great for pennies give it a try!

Converting Onsies into T-shirts

2009-12-29T08:00:00.002-07:00

I don't know about you, but I think a 3 year old is too old for a onsie! It makes potty learning a nightmare! But, maybe I am just dreaming about the potty learning thing. Salem is already good at using the potty, he just doesn't want to very often. I can get him to go all day dry...until about 3pm. Then we have several accidents the rest of the night. Gotta work on that!

I got a ton of wonderful hand-me-downs for Salem from a sister and a friend. Amongst the clothing were 4 cute short sleeve onsies, 3 in size 3T and one size 4T.

I spent about 4 minutes cutting the bottoms off to make a regular t-shirt. No sewing skills required!

First, lay the shirt flat on your cutting mat.

Next, take your rotary blade (or scissors) and cut just above the hip binding. Some people recommend gently following the curve down so the belly stays covered.

Voila! You have a t-shirt! Some lighter weight knits might curl a bit, but there should be no fraying or runs. If you don't like the unfinished edge you can hem it. If you have a serger, you could have just used that.

GOALS 2010

2009-12-28T08:00:00.003-07:00

This is the time of year I like to reflect and decide what changes or goals I want to set for the coming year. Looking forward can be exciting and fun. As we say goodbye to a decade we say hello to a new one.

It is my personal goal to accomplish 52 projects this year. They will focus mostly on making things that are useful and thrifty. This will mean finishing one project per week! I'm hoping this goal will keep me motivated and "slow and steady." Then I will blog about the projects!

I plan on reading 24 books this year. This one might be hard for me. I love to read, but I have been starting so many books before finishing others that I need to regroup (after I finish the book I am on). I have no rules as to genre, but I am in a non-fiction mode right now. Some of the books on my list will be ones I've already started, but failed to finish.

Financially, we basically need to start our Total Money Makeover all over again. We had to use our baby emergency fund and stop BS2 for awhile. We need to get back on the bandwagon and gazelle intense.
We will complete Dave Ramsey's baby step 1 by the end of January. That'll put us back to baby step 2. We owe a little bit more on the hospital bill, so that should be taken care of in a few months. Then, all we have left are the HUGE student and business loans.

I would like to continue participating in service opportunities in my own community by donating items I get for free and cheap at the store. I also want to get into the habit of clicking for cups of food every day-or close to it.
We have a kids service group in our area that I want to attend more often. They meet once a month and we've only been once.

My goal is to spend more one-on-one time with my children. This is easy with my youngest, but harder with the oldest. I want to spend 30 minutes with each child every day. Any one-on-one activity counts for this.

I want to limit TV time to 1 hour per child for a limit of 3 hours combined watching per day. This will be resisted by all, including the hubby. I must be vigilant! I have already installed a TV timer, but it has been over-ridden by Eric.

Our family needs to spend more fun time together. I am setting a goal of 1 fun family activity a month. This can be anything from hikes in the mountains to a day at the museum. No housework or yardwork!

What are your goals for 2010? Have you blogged about it? Do you have any tips for keeping the goals you set?

Earn Gift Cards Searching the Web with SWAGBUCKS!

2009-12-27T08:00:00.002-07:00

I've joined Swagbucks. I wish I had joined sooner!

You can earn points with them by searching the Internet. Something I do every day already. The points can be redeemed for gift cards and other merchandise.

It only takes a minute to sign up and they don't ask for very much personal info. All they needed was my name, email, state, zip code and a password.

After earning 45 points you can get a free $5 Amazon gift card!
You search the Internet anyway, why not profit from it by using Swagbucks?

The best part is that Swagbucks has a referral program. So let all your friends and family know about it and you can earn even more points.

This is a great way to fund Christmas and Birthday presents throughout the year. Especially for those of us on a tight budget. Or use the gift cards as "mad money."

I've already earned $25 in Amazon GC's and I'm on my way to another $5 card. So far I've used them towards books. I just make sure to get FREE Super Saver Shipping when I buy from Amazon (hint: add tape or something to your order if you are close to the $25 minimum!)

Holiday Baking and Cooking and Candy Making

2009-12-26T08:00:00.001-07:00

I love to create things in the kitchen. It is so satisfying! A couple of days ago I spent most of the day in the kitchen and these are some of the things I made.

Caramel
This was a disaster. I guess we overcooked it because it was hard. Jordan took a hammer to it and broke my 9x13 Pyrex dish! Geez.

Carrot Zucchini Spice Bread (Pampered Chef Recipe)

I love this recipe and it is super easy to tweak. I add things like puree's and ground flax and part wheat to it.

Ritz Cookies
These are sooo easy and a big hit with everyone. The only problem is that they take more time to make than to eat. Spread peanut butter on the cracker and dip in melted chocolate bark. YUM!!! I can do 2 sleeves of crackers with one package of bark.

Microwave Fudge
Another easy recipe. We discovered this last year. One bag of semi sweet chocolate chips and a can of sweetened condensed milk. I got the canned milk for free and the chips for $1 making this a very thrifty treat to give or keep!

Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches
These aren't exactly hard to make, but they take an ingredient I never buy-Marshmellow Creme. I have made them twice-once when I was a newlywed for Eric's birthday and then this week. You can add food coloring to the filling!

Jellied Cranberry Sauce(Ball Canning Book)
I started making my own cranberry sauce last year. I will be honest, I have always loved that jellied stuff shaped like a can, but after tasting this we won't go back to that HFCS crap! I can control what kind of sugar is used in this recipe. I got the cranberries on sale for $1.50 a bag and just used the sugar in the house. I can get 4 half pints for around $2. This years turned out a beautiful bright red!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2009-12-25T19:04:00.005-07:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Christmas is sucha magical, wonderful time of year. I especially enjoy watching my children frost cookies and open packages and put up paper decorations on the wall.

We had a great Christmas this year. My daughter, Kelsey, has dubbed it "the best Christmas ever!" This isn't a surprise coming from her. She tends towards the dramatic and days are either the best or the worst.

We seemed to get everyone toys they like and will play with a lot. That is always good. I can remember years where we had several misses or those "must have" toys didn't last long before breaking.

THis year hubby and I went to Walmart at 4:50am on Black Friday. People were mostly very pleasant, things were in stock, but the line wrapped its way through the entire store. It was totally worth it, though! I ended up getting most of the kids gifts for really good prices. I even did a price match for a toy that was on sale at Kmart. Worked like a dream!

Here are the things we (and Santa) got the kids:

Jordan-12
Scooter ($15)
Basketball ($11)
RC helicopters ($18)
Bakugan Gauntlet (grammy)
Bakugan 7 in 1 toy (grammy)
Starter Warm up Suit ($3)
Socks & T-shirt (around $8)
DS Game (I dunno, Eric bought it)

Kelsey-5
Pink Guitar ($15)
Littlest Pet Shop sets ($10 garage sale)
Crayola Glo Board ($15)
Bucket of Pink Girl LEGO (grammy)
LEGO people set (grammy)
Princess & the Frog color & sticker book (grammy)
Danskin Warm up Suit ($3)
Pink Sweater (? sale at Kohls)

Salem-2
Manny the Motorcycle Guy ($17.50 price match!)
Wooden Tool Box set ($18 Target clearance)
Little People Amusement Park (grammy)
Parachute with beanbags ($25 Lillian Vernon)
Plush Pirate play set ($8 LV)
Crayola Color Wonder ($5)
Starter Warm up Suit ($3)

They each got some fun things in their stockings, too, that they really enjoyed.

Luckily, we have been paring down on belongings for awhile. We got rid of more right before Christmas to make room for the new. Even still, I now have a bin of Pet Shop toys and a bin of Little People toys. Dang, those toys take up a lot of room!

Now, Eric and I mostly exchanged DVD's and stuff like that. I did make him two homemade gifts. He got a pair of flannel PJ pants from me that I started last year. They are made out of Yoda fabric! I made the waist too big, though, so not sure what to do to fix it. I also made him some chocolate sandwich cookies. Mmmmm!

Wow. So, I took a year off from this blog...

2009-12-25T19:02:00.002-07:00

I pretty much suck at blogging. LOL
I just am one of those people who goes in cycles with her hobbies. It is no different with blogging.

Plus, this past year kicked me in the butt. Well, the year before that, too. But, things seem to be settling back down and I am thinking about blogging more again.

We'll see how that goes!

Fixing a Split Toilet Seat with Duct Tape

2008-12-19T09:00:00.001-07:00

Well, our toilet seat split many months ago and we never got around to replacing it. Then, some little children (who shall remain nameless) would rip the vinyl every time they used the bathroom. Needless to say it was not very comfortable to sit on. LOL

So, what is a frugal mama to do?

Get out the Duct Tape(UNV20048G), of course!

Now my toilet looks oh so lovely, but at least nobody's bottom will be at peril whilst using the comode. I only wish I had fancy colored Duct Tape on hand! I could have created a designer bathroom.

Looking for more Frugal Friday inspiration? Head over to Biblical Womanhood.

Making Glow-in-the-Dark Star Ornaments

2008-12-15T09:41:00.003-07:00

On Saturday we made glow-in-the-dark star ornaments made from Sculpey. It was the first time I have ever used Sculpey, but it won't be the last.
Sculpey is a polymer clay that is pretty easy to work with. Just like most clay you have to work a little before it become malable. It was very difficult for the 4 year olds, but much easier for my 11 year old.
The hardest part was rolling it out by hand. It took a lot of effort and I would like to get a Pasta Machine for use with Polymer Clay for next time. That will cut the time and make it much more enjoyable!
After rolling out the Sculpey we used a star cookie cutter
to make stars.
All our projects were done on manila file folders. Once we had them roled, shaped and ready for the oven we just cut the manila folder to fit in my Pampered Chef jelly roll pan.
Then we just followed the directions for baking. A few of the stars did get baked too long, but they still look cute and glow-in-the-dark.

Glass Etching on Pyrex

2008-12-14T15:05:00.007-07:00

My friend and I had a craft day yesterday. It was a lot of fun, but my house did suffer for it!

One of the projects I did was etch some of my Pyrex and other glass dishes. It was very fun and easy. I tried doing it at an activity back in October but it didn't work. So I was determined to get it right.

I bought Armour Glass Etching Cream-22 Ounces and my friend bought me some Rub-on Designs for my birthday. I think the big bottle is going to last a long time. I got it to share with my firends. :)

The bottle and rub-ons say that they do not work on (all) Pyrex. Bummer! However, it did work on mine. I wiped it down with white vinegar first to take off any detergent residue. That is the key.
Next I chose and cut out the design I wanted. The easiest way to apply these rub-ons is to tape all around it before rubbing with the popcicle stick. If they shift at all the design can get messed up.
After the entire design transfers to the glass, remove the tape and paper. Then tape back around the design to protect the glass around it.
I used a sponge brush or cheap paint brush to brush the etching cream on. With the rub-ons it only take 60 seconds to work!!! I was a little skeptical, but they were right.

It was so fun to see the finished product that I went around my kitchen looking for more things to etch. LOL I still have several pieces to do, but I think I want some different designs. I think polka dots for my drinking glasses would be fun!

Cardboard Play Kitchen

2008-12-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

Eric made this adorable cardboard kitchen for Kelsey's 4th birthday! He used instructions I bought on here on Etsy.

I regret that we didn't make it three ply like the instructions called for. Other than that-it is cute, functional and cost less than $10 ($8 was the instructions).
I don't think we had to purchase anything from the store! I had all the stuff sitting around the house.

For more wonderful Frugal Friday inspiration head to Biblical Womanhood.

Menu Plan 12/8-12/14

2008-12-10T12:05:00.002-07:00

Well, it is already well into the week, but here is my menu plan. LOL

Monday-Taco Night
Tuesday-Chicken Noodle Soup and crackers
Wednesday-Barley Vegetable Soup
Thursday-Baked Ziti
Friday-Church Christmas Party
Saturday-Lentil Soup
Sunday-Leftovers

Weekly Grocery Trip-King Soopers $52

2008-12-10T11:20:00.002-07:00

I had a goal of spending about $50 at the grocery store this week. I redid my list a couple times until I figured I was about right.
We didn't shop last week because I spent $85 right before Thanksgiving-going over November budget by almost $100. So, I am tricky and counted the $85 towards December. LOL

Anyway, we did great! We ended up at $52.08 after tax! We saved over 60%. Woohoo!

No picture, but here is what we got.

3 boxes ice cream treats
2 Lipsticks (for my stocking)
2 bags mini marshmellows
1 bag lettuce
2 Tyson entrees
4 boxes Townhouse crackers
1 bag tortillas
3 boxes Kleenex
1 bag dried cherries
2 lbs organic gala apples
1 bag russet potatoes
2 boxes Candy Canes
2 toothbrushes
1 loaf organic bread
3 dozen organic eggs (CLEARANCE $1.50 each!!!)
3 jugs vegetable oil

Sewing Cloth Diapers

2008-12-08T09:00:00.001-07:00

I am not a very experienced sewer and I am able to sew really cute, functional diapers. I don't even own a sewing machine! I go use my moms. If I can do this, so can you.

There are tons of great patterns out there on the Internet. Some are free, others are for purchase.
Being my frugal self, I use the free patterns!

The first diapers I made were from Rita's Rump Pocket pattern. I love this pattern because it is for a one size diaper. A one size diaper should fit most babies from 8lbs to potty learning. I was also easily able to make this into a regular fitted rather than a pocket style fitted.

How much did each diaper cost me? About $1.50!

I used old cut-up chinese prefolds for the internal soaker (4 layers). I had old flannel sheets to use for the body of the diapers. I did buy cute flannel fabric at Jo-Ann's for the outside of the diapers (about $2 a yard). I bought Lastin at Kayla's Cloth Kits. I used thread my mom had on hand.

The hardest part for me was the Lastin in the leg openings. I did find a great tutorial online, but can't find it again. There are several out there so just check around.

The best part of making your own diapers is that you are in control over how thick or thin they are! You can adapt them to your child for the perfect fit and absorbancy.

I Love Making Jelly!!!

2008-12-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you have never made jam or jelly you really need to try it. It is so fun and satisfying. I'm going to admit right up front that my favorite part is listening to the jar seal (ping).
We have made tons of jam and jelly this year! We have been blessed with a great deal on pectin-I ended up getting it free after coupon at King Soopers! Plus free grapes and peaches from friends.

We've made grape jelly, strawberry jam, peach jam, vanilla pear jelly and a couple batches of jelly from organic juice I bought. I have dozens of jars in my food stockpile! I even made homemade jellied cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving this year. It was great! I made a couple batches and so I have 3 jars of it left. We have a favorite recipe that uses cranberry sauce so it will get used up pretty quickly.

I'm especially happy because the pectin we got was low/no sugar. I used about 1 cup of sugar where traditional recipes call for 4 cups!!! My family cannot tell any difference. It is sweet and delicious. I will never go back to full sugar. The cranberry sauce didn't even need pectin!

How did I get the pectin for free??? It is Ball brand. They put coupons inside the box. I bought 2 boxes on clearance at King Soopers for $0.90 each. They had $0.50 coupons that double at my store. So we just went back several times until we got about 20 free boxes! Even regular price I only pay about $0.79 after the double coupon.

How is the Family Room Coming Along?

2008-12-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been making sloooooooooow progress on the family room. We did the first mud & tape. Over the holiday weekend the whole family did the sanding. That was nice and messy, but fun!

Now we need to wipe down the walls and mud and sand and wipe down again.

Oh, Eric has put up the tile around the fireplace. It looks so nice!

Replacing Aluminum Windows with Vinyl Windows

2008-12-04T08:00:00.001-07:00

I am so happy with our new vinyl window! We put it in all by ourselves and that saved a bundle. The windows in the house are the beautiful aluminum ones from the early 1970's. The best part is that the aluminum was painted with the wall paint.

BEFORE

I want to explain how to do this, but I am not the one who actually did the work. LOL
Taking out the window was pretty easy. We purchased a little tool for the siding, but ended up not needing it! Yay! That means we didn't even have to mess up the siding. We did get a Sawzall to cut the window out of the casing. We also removed the lovely faux marble sill and installed a wood sill.

The window came out lickety split with that Sawzall tool!

Now installing the window was a little more complicated but we were able to do it without any additional help (Eric and my brother did it). The window was made for new homes OR remodels. In order to use it for a remodel we had to cut off the outer edge of the window (white part). The people at Home Depot explained how to do this. Lift it into the casing and screw it in.

Then we sprayed expandable insulation foam into it. That is about it for the window. The finish work is done when the mud & tape is done. We plan to redo all the windows in the house ourselves!

The Dave Ramsey Show

2008-12-03T09:52:00.003-07:00

I have been a follower of Dave Ramsey for a couple years now. He is a great financial "guru" in my opinion.
Anyway, I just figured out how to listen to his show a little over a week ago. I really wish I had figured it out sooner! It is really motivating and helpful.
Every once in awhile a caller will have issues similar to us and I am able to take a few tips from Dave. Yay!

So now I am able to listen to the three hour show every morning while taking care of the little ones or doing housework.

Christmas Spending

2008-12-02T08:00:00.001-07:00

Well, we are having a low budget Christmas this year. I have spent $46 CASH so far on the 3 kids. I plan to spend about $20 more on a main gift for Jordan. Then I am done.
Usually we spend around $300 on everything. So I am "saving" over $200 this year. That is good since I don't have $200! LOL
We will be making handmade treats and trinkets for teachers and friends and parents.

The hardest part for me was missing Black Friday. Man, there were some great deals at Walmart. Pajamas for $4, jeans for $8! But, I know I would have spent over $200 on all the "great deals." So I am proud of myself. Discipline is HARD!

It actually is kinda nice to focus on the true meaning of the season-Our Savior.

I'm Back

2008-12-01T14:54:00.002-07:00

Well, it has been over 2 months since I last posted. Why? Why, you ask?
Because I have computer issues. And time issues. Mostly, my computer needs more memory and the Internet likes to chut down every once in awhile. Very frustrating.
Oh, and I couldn't download my pictures for awhile. That was also annoying. What is a blog without pictures?!?
But, even with all my issues I am back. I have written lots of great posts in my head. Too bad I don't remember any of them!

Alternative to the $700 Billion Bailout

2008-09-26T10:50:00.002-06:00

I am beyond angry about all the bailouts on Wall Street right now. Suffice it to say I do not believe I should be extending money to companies that have poor business practices.
I have read an alternative plan on the Dave Ramsey website that I really like. It could work and save the taxpayers BILLIONS of dollars! The plan he proposes would cost about 5% of the $700 billion.
You can read the plan here on his site.
Here is the catch: You can't just read it and say "oh, that is nice." You must contact your congressmen and your senators! Tell them that you know there is an alternative and that is how you want them to vote. If enough of us do this they will have to listen!

DEBT SUCKS!

2008-09-12T21:05:00.001-06:00

That is all.

Target Kelloggs Deal

2008-09-06T13:43:00.004-06:00

Okay, I can't believe I actually did this deal. Poptarts are EVIL! But I got paid to take them home, so I did. It will make me feel better to say that I am sending Poptarts to school and Krispie treats to Scouts for Jordan's birthday on Tuesday. :)

Target had a deal on some Kellogg's items this week. Buy 4/$9 get a $5 Target GC for free! There were a bunch of Kellogg's coupons to match with the deal, plus the $10 mail in rebate.

Here is what we got:

10 boxes 12 count Poptarts
2 boxes 8 count Rice Krispie Treats
3 All Small & Mighty trial size
2 ice cube trays

Coupons:
10 $0.50/1 Poptarts Target coupons
$1/2 Poptarts MFC
$1/2 Rice Krispie Treats MFC
3 $1/1 All Small & Mighty MFC

TOTAL: $24.06
We got back three $5 GC's and I will get back a $10 rebate
I could have done better if they had the new Milkshake Poptarts-would have saved $2 more.

Scraping Off the Popcorn Ceiling

2008-09-05T13:44:00.004-06:00

Yay! It is gone!

It took a bit over an hour to scrape the ceiling. Of course now we have to do knock-down and paint it.

You'll need to seal off the room and ducts with plastic. You will need good eye protection and dust masks. We got the masks that are approved for asbestos since we are 99% sure we have it. We are disposing of the junk as if it contains asbestos.

Here is what we did. Spray the ceiling with water using spray bottle and super soaker water guns. LOL Then, we scraped it off using metal flat scrapers.

Time: over an hour
Cost: $80 for two masks (bought by my mommy) :)
So this project was free for us. Thank you landlord!

Removing a Brick Fireplace

2008-09-03T01:00:00.000-06:00

Well, I was going to take step by step pictures, but it didn't happen. You'll just have to use your imagination.

The first step to taking out a brick fireplace-the big obnoxious type-is to seal off the room and get dust masks. Eye protection is good too! To seal off the room we just taped a large sheet of plastic (think drop cloth) across the opening to the room. It worked well until people started using it as a door. Other things we found helpful were trash bags or boxes and a wheelbarrow.

Next you will need a chisel and hammer. We did not need anything heavier duty than that.
We took our mantel off first since it blocked access to the brick. It was a beautiful custom made mantel that Eric made when we moved in. The old one was UGLY.

We have a gas fireplace, so we took down the Wall O' Bricks with some care. This is a 13 foot wall.
Starting at the top, begin to chisel between the bricks. Our home was constructed around 1971, for comparison. It was very, very easy to chip away and loosen the bricks. My 10 year old helped A LOT. He found it to be great fun!
After getting a few rows off the top we were able to pull a huge section away from the wall. Of course, my brother let it fall and break into a hundred pieces. But still, there were some larger chunks which aren't as tedious as the one by one approach. Be careful if you are working with brick above your head! We are lucky that ours only went halfway up the wall.

The hearth that juts out was the harder part. Mostly because it was filled with a bunch of junk. Inside the brick we found sand, rocks, broken bricks and cinder blocks. This is where we started using the wheelbarrow.

Our fireplace was a two day project. We did one row on Friday, lots on Saturday and finished up Monday evening. The project was primarily worked on by my 10 yr old son and 17 yr old brother. If you had a one whole day to dedicate to this project it could easily be completed.

Time: One weekend
Cost: $14 for plastic and chisel, we already had everything else

D Day

2008-09-02T13:01:00.003-06:00

We spent a good part of the weekend destructing the TV/Play room. It is amazing how quickly things can get torn apart. Too bad construction takes so much more time and effort!
You can see the "before" is the picture with all the furniture and clutter. LOL Too bad I didn't have a before picture with the room clean.
The during picture is the one with all the people in it. We ripped up the carpet-you can see the original "brick" linoleum! I had already pulled down some of the paneling, but it isn't really in the picture.
The last picture is a panoramic shot that Eric took. He thought it would be funny to have my brother in it twice. Oooookay. We pulled down the brick fireplace that took up an entire wall. It was really pretty easy. The worst part is cleaning up the mess. Inside the hearth was sand, rocks, bricks and cement blocks. We dumped it all in the back to deal with another day. How fun!
We also took out trim and wood baseboard randomness that ran along the perimeter of the room.
Next up: Remove popcorn ceiling!

Sunflower Market-My new favorite store!

2008-08-23T14:12:00.002-06:00

My friends and I have a new favorite store. It is Sunflower Market! It is a new natural grocery store. They have now opened 16 stores and if you're lucky you'll get one soon.

They have unbeatable prices on produce. And it is GOOD produce. Just watch that you use it within the week because it is ripe! We have been loading up on grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, green beans, cucumbers, squash and bananas just to name a few.

They have a great bulk department. The regular prices are not as low as Whole Foods, but the sales make up for it. This week dry apple slices are on sale for $1.99 lb!!! They also had granola for $1.99 lb that my friends were going "gaga" over.

The first week they were open they had organic applesauce for $1.50 each. Big jars. I went nuts and bought, like, 30 jars. LOL I have been making fruit leather with it. There were about 5 different flavors, too!

I had recently started making my own organic refried beans from scratch, but I couldn't turn down the cans of organic refried beans for $0.79 a can. I stocked up and need to stop now...they are still on sale.

Oh, and they have great sales and regular prices on meat, too! I got salmon for $3.97 lb. And natural boneless, skinless chicken breast for $1.69 lb. Organic whole chickens are regular priced at $1.99 lb (same as Costco).

I was able to buy Monterey Jack and Meunster cheese from the deli for $2.99 lb. They had Brie for $3.99 lb and my friend was happy about that. I don't eat fancy cheese, so it wasn't as exiting for me. LOL

The best part about shopping at Sunflower Market is that if you go on Wednesday you get to shop TWO sale flyers! The sales overlap! It is a zoo on Wednesday, but totally worth it for the savings.

Family Reunion in Fruita, Colorado

2008-08-20T13:20:00.000-06:00

In August we had a great Anderson family gathering in Fruita. We had a blast!
We all stayed at a RV park where there were campsites, cabins and RV sites. We camped while everyone else stayed in cabins or an RV.
We got to see Colorado National Monument and Grand Mesa National Forest (or whatever it is).
Beautiful!
We took plenty of pictures and it was hilarious how obsessed the Anderson clan is with "the perfect picture."
The cousins had a great time getting to know each other better and exploring the area.
My favorite part was the last day when we went to Grand Mesa and had a campfire and lunch together.

Cherries are Yummy!

2008-07-31T11:59:00.002-06:00

Salem had his first taste of cherry today. He loved them and really chowed down.
Here he is hamming it up for the camera.
Cherries were on sale for $2.49 lb. That is the cheapest I've seen this year so we bought a bag.
YUM!

Back to School Deals

2008-07-29T21:11:00.005-06:00

We went to Office Depot and Office Max today for the penny deals. I spent around $11 for all this. I would have gotten 3 Office Depot glue bottles but they were out (a penny each).
Backpack
Accordion File
5 Crayola colored pencils
5 composition notebooks
3 blunt scissors
3 rulers
3 boxes of crayons
3 mini Sharpie highliters

Kelsey was wearing the backpack when we checked out and I didn't realize it until we were out the door! So we had to go back in and pay for the backpack. Luckily I noticed before we even got to the car. I would have been mortified if we'd made it home with a "hot" backpack.

Target Clearance is Rockin' this Week!

2008-07-29T20:52:00.002-06:00

I had to go to Target today to get some stuff for the kids. I ended up spending a long time looking through all their clearance items! I had to control myself or I would have spent a lot more. I actually kinda freaked when my total was so high, but a lot of this we needed or I am saving for next summer.

I spent under $100 for all this!

Boys Hanes socks (10 pk)
Girls Hanes socks (6 pk)
Boys dress socks (2 pk)
Baby socks (10 pk)-clearance $3
toddler socks (2 pk)-clearance $1.74
Princess Underwear (7 pk)
4 pair shorts for Kelsey (3 are long and modest!!!)-clearance 50-75% off
2 pair sleeping shorts for Jordan-clearance $1.98 each
Boys White t-shirt-clearance $1.48
6 pk Elmers Glue-Sale $1
5 pk of spiral notebooks-Sale $0.50
Black backpack-$19.99
Crayola foam sidewalk chalk refill-clearance $4.18
Transformer toy-clearance $1.74 (stocking stuffer)
Wooden Macaroni & Cheese Playset-clearance $6.94 (Christmas gift)
Boys Elastic waistband cargo type pants-clearance $4.48 (they are huge so I might return)

I am seriously tempted to go to a different Target and see if they have a better selection. I got size large for Jordan which is just waaay too big. I'd love to exchange for mediums. There are tons of toys on clearance, too. Like I said, restraint was used.

2008-07-28T15:31:00.003-06:00

Our summer vacation this year took us to South Dakota. We had a great time! We got to see Mount Rushmore and some of the attractions in the area.
This was our first family vacation since starting our Total Money Make Over using Dave Ramsey's plan. We paid CASH and it was great (ok, the cash was in our checking account, not actual cash). We actually stayed under budget.
We planned for $700 and actually spent less than $600. We drove our own car, camped and packed our own food. We did go to dinner twice.
Even though we had some thunderstorms and rain that interrupted our sleep I would totally do the camping again.
I would totally recommend going to Old McDonald's Farm when you go. My kids had a blast! Kelsey is obsessed with horses right now and really enjoyed the pony rides. The entrance fee lasts 3 days which totally rocks. Make sure to check the free coupon book by the front door BEFORE paying! It has a coupon for the entrance fee and free pony rides. There are baby animals to see and pet, pig races, a playground and covered picnic tables.
We went over the Fourth of July weekend. We missed the fireworks display at Mount Rushmore, but saw a great one in one of the nearby towns. We were parked on the lawn where they did the display. It was so awesome. I've never done that before.
Hurray for family vacations paid in cash!!!

Boy, oh Boy!

2008-07-28T15:24:00.002-06:00

Jordan is becoming a young man. He is cute, too! He is fun to be around and enjoys using humor to entertain people. I get comments from adults all the time about how wonderful he is. It warms my heart to hear that I'm raising a "good kid." He is a very good kid and for that I am grateful.

Those Eyes!

2008-07-28T15:20:00.003-06:00

Kelsey has the most beautiful blue eyes. You can't really tell in this picture because she is squinting. I'll have to find a better one some time. She has recently started wearing dresses and skirts a lot more often. I guess she is becoming a "girly girl." Her features are becoming more of a child than a toddler. She is a beautiful child and it is so fun to watch her grow up.

That Face!

2008-07-28T15:16:00.002-06:00

What's a mother to do? I just want to gobble him up! We took these pictures for Salem's first birthday. He is wearing a vintage baby outfit that I got from DH's mother. The shorts have built in plastic pants which is very convenient for cloth diapering.
This is my favorite picture from the bunch.

A Little Paint Goes a Long Way

2008-07-28T14:36:00.005-06:00

I have gotten into a upcycle kick lately. It is so fun to turn old things into something new and exciting!

My most recent projects include a couple of wood frames that I got free from my sister. They were black and I just painted them LIME green! They turned out so cool. These will end up in the garage or basement play room. If they go in the garage we will frame real bike parts.

The other project is one I have been meaning to do for a couple years. I got an old metal cart at a garage sale for $1. I think it used to be a sewing machine cart or something like that. Anyway, I painted it aqua blue. It is so pretty. I still need to paint it with polyurethane to seal it. It will end up a plant stand on our patio. Or maybe a snack table. I can't decide. I wish I had more of these!!!
I'll have to post pictures when they are totally done.

Right now on my patio I am taking the finish of a lamp table and paint off an old ammo metal box. The wood of the lamp table is so pretty I almost don't want to paint it. Maybe I will just restain it. The ammo box is going to be blue to match the cart. I think we will keep garden and work gloves in it so they don't end up all over the yard and garage!

Great Garage Sale Success!

2008-07-28T14:17:00.004-06:00

We had a huge garage sale over the weekend. It was a lot of work, but we did great!
It was a multi-family sale, so there was stuff from my mom, sister and a friend. Most of it was ours, though!
The total sales were over $1000!!!!!!!!!!! After paying for the newspaper ad ($60) my family made over $720. I was hoping for $600 so I am on Cloud 9.
The kicker-we still have so much stuff that we are doing it again in 2 weeks. Yikes! My sis and friend will have much more for the sale too.

It feels so good to be getting rid of this stuff. Let me tell you what kinds of things we got rid of. I quit selling on eBay so I had some merchandise leftover from that. My DH remodeled his office and the last tenant left a whole bunch of office furniture so we sold all that. Of course there was outgrown clothes from the kids and toys, games, puzzles, etc. We decided to get rid of (almost) all the VHS tapes. Boy they take up a lot of room! I also sold health and beauty items that I got free with coupons. That was fun! I also sold some Pampered Chef cookware and tools that I replaced at my Pampered Chef party in June.

What are we going to do with the money? Remodel our TV/living room. We want to redo the fireplace wall. We have wall to wall brick and want to remove it and put built-ins on either side of the fireplace. This is going to be a huge project. We are going to sell all our old TV and media equipment and get a new (to us) system. We are currently doing our research and looking for deals on CraigsList. I'll try to post pictures of the remodel (before and after).

One resource I find helpful in planning and holding a successful garage sale is this little booklet I ordered from the Internet years ago. It's called How to Have Big Money Garage Sales by Catherine R. Pedigo. It costs $9.95 and I think it is worth it, especially if you are new to the garage sale scene.

Frugal Friday: e-coupons are rocking my world

2008-05-23T12:13:00.004-06:00

I have just recently been introduced into the wonderful world of e-coupons. These things rock!!!
I used my very first ones, with great success, on Tuesday night. Saved myself an additional $4. The coupons are loaded on to your King Soopers Soopercard (or Kroger store). When your card is scanned at checkout the coupons will be automatically applied. HINT: Look for them just under the item you bought, not at the bottom with the rest of the coupons.

The best part about e-coupons is that you can use them in conjunction with paper coupons!!! Talk about maximizing savings. I see a lot more free stuff in my future.

Here are the sites I have signed up with:

Shortcuts
P&G eSaver
Unilever Making Life Better

With such a variety of coupons you are bound to find things you can use. I have noticed that so far there are very few food coupons. I hope the food coupons are forthcoming since I don't need all the Health & Beauty products!

For more wonderful Frugal Friday inspiration head to Biblical Womanhood.

Using Whole Chickens to Save $$$-WFMW

2008-05-21T10:06:00.004-06:00

Today is Works-For-Me Wednesday hosted by a great blog Rocks In My Dryer. You can check out what works for hundreds of other bloggers by going here.

Something that I have been doing for a long time now is buying my chicken whole. For a while I was getting conventional chickens when they went on sale for $.69 lb. Now I have upgraded to organic chickens from Costco. It is quite a bit more expensive at $1.99 lb, but worth it to me.

I boil 2 chickens at a time in my largest pot or pressure cooker. I use the recipe for Chicken Mix found in the Make-A-Mix Cookery cookbook The best part is that my DH picks all the chicken off the bone for me. I knew he was a keeper!
The broth is cooled in the fridge overnight and then I skim the fat and put it in jars the next day.

I usually end up with about 4 quarts of broth and 6 pints of chicken meat. I label it in glass canning jars and put it in the freezer. CAUTION-the broth must be in wide mouth jars and leave about 2-3 inches clearance at the top! I don't screw the bands on until after it is frozen. And, yes, I'm speaking from experience. lol

We go through about 2 chickens per month, maybe a little more some months. I like that we only have to do this once a month and have meat and broth when we need it.

Grocery Budget-We're Almost There!

2008-05-21T08:44:00.003-06:00

I just calculated in last nights groceries and now I'm a little nervous. We only have $30 more to see us to the end of the month. Eek!
Actually, I'm sure it will be fine. This weeks ads were very disappointing. Produce prices seem very high to me. Shouldn't produce be getting cheaper as we get closer to summer?!?!

Here are my plans with the remaining $30. Oh, plus $5 OYNO at King Soopers.
Organic whole grain buns (4 pkgs) $6
Organic crackers (4 pkgs) $4
Kraft salad dressing FREE
Produce (corn on cob, baby carrots...)

Hmmm, how many more days are left in May???

A Little Construction

2008-05-21T08:29:00.002-06:00

I am making some cosmetic changes around here. My friend Lisa showed me where I could get these adorable digi scrapbook papers and such to decorate my blog. Check them out here at Shabby Princess.

Clipping Coupons Isn't Worth It?!?!?!

2008-05-19T12:23:00.003-06:00

I have heard this from many people. Clipping coupons isn't worth their time. Or, the things they buy don't have coupons.

Well, I just noticed that I have saved over $300 using coupons this month! And the month isn't even over. I think that is worth the hour or so a week I spend finding, gathering, printing and clipping coupons.

I buy a lot of organic and natural items. I find coupons for those items online, the Sunday ads and at the grocery store. I especially love the Mambo Sprouts coupon book. The Organic Valley website has wonderful coupons you can print each month as well.

It looks like my hourly wage for clipping coupons is over $50 an hour! Not bad for something I can do from home in my jammies.

Menu Plan Monday 5/18

2008-05-18T19:40:00.001-06:00

I really like how I posted my menu last week! It just works better for me to be a little relaxed about which night we eat a meal. Our stockpile is getting pretty huge. I think I am going to need to start slowing down on some items and really paying attention to what we have and need. Like right now I have dry pasta coming out my ears!
I'm also thinking about getting a larger freezer. We have a small one from almost 10 years ago. It is getting stuffed quite full!

Dinners:

Ham & Pea gravy over homemade biscuits
Spaghetti with crescent rolls
Fast Fixin's chicken nuggets and veges
Potato Cheese Soup
Leftovers
Date Night: Hot Hunan Shrimp from Easy Entrees

Lunches:

Field Day-Lunchables (at school)
Pasta Salad
Egg Salad sandwishes
Leftovers from dinner
Mac n' Cheese

Breakfasts:

Cereal
Toast with PB & J
Bagelfuls
Oatmeal
Sourdough Pancakes

To see other menu plans, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Super Savings Saturday!!! Target, Walmart, Whole Foods

2008-05-17T18:36:00.004-06:00

I didn't find a lot of deals that were mentioned on Money Saving Mom. It amazes me how different prices and clearances are from region to region! This is why I don't go "chasing deals" anymore. I wait until I have a list of several things at a store before going. That way if a deal or two aren't available it's not a waste of time and gas.
Today I did some price comparing. I was very surprised at the results. The Gerber Graduates items are cheaper on sale at King Soopers than they are at Walmat! Earth's Best items are cheapest at Target-beats out Walmart and KS sale by FAR!
While I was at Whole Foods I asked about buying unbleached flour by the bag since we go through it so fast. I would like to get 100 lbs or so to have on hand. They will have someone call me!

Whole Foods
Organic Unbleached Flour -$.59 lb
Organic Long Grain Brown Rice -$1.59 lb
2 boxes Back to Nature organic mint sandwich cookies -sale 2/$5 -$1/1 coupons
2 boxes Back to Nature organic crackers -sale 2/$4 -$1/1 coupons
Fine Sea Salt -$1.69
2 free fruit leathers & 1 free cookie for kid club (we love kid club!)

Total $15.03

Target
Sandals for baby -$9.99 (birthday money)
2 boxes Earth's Best organic cereal Bars -$1.77 -$.75/1 coupons

Total $12.56 ($2.06 from grocery budget)

Walmart
4 trial size Old Spice body wash -$.97 -$2/2 coupons
Vanity lightbulbs 3 pk - $3.96
2 boxes LiveActive cereal - $2.98 - $3/1 coupons
2 boxes Kashi cereal -$2 - $2/1 coupons
3 boxes Kraft Bagelfuls - $1.98 -$1/1 coupons

Total $7.30

So that is $24.39 from the grocery budget. Not bad for all that boxed and organic food. I'm glad we still have some carrots, potatoes, lettuce and apples in the house.

Gerber Catalina Deal thru 5/20

2008-05-14T11:26:00.006-06:00

Okay, this is not a normal shopping trip for us. LOL We did our regular trip to King Soopers on Saturday and picked up a couple Gerber Graduates items for the youngest. He is self feeding now and desires more variety than I can come up with. A catalina (register coupon) printed out for $2 off our next purchase. I took a look at the deal and decided to stock up on some prepared foods for my little one that we can use on road trips and excursions this summer.

Here is the deal:
Spend $15 on Gerber products and get $2 off YNO
Spend $20 on Gerber products and get $3 off YNO
Spend $25 or more and get $5 off YNO
Participating products are: Gerber baby food, baby juice, Graduates, pacifiers, soothers & teethers, cups, dishes & utensils, bottle feeding and breastfeeding products.

So, I scoured the Internet for more coupons. I also had more of the snail mail coupons. I found some really great coupons at the Gerber website. I did have trouble printing a few, but the CS is very friendly and they will be snail mailing me more. Yay! There is also a great post with links to coupons on Hot Coupon World.
My King Soopers doubles up to $.50 coupons (and anything between $.50-$.99 is turned into $1).

The pictured trip cost me $20.53 oop and I got a $5 catalina! The Gerber products were $8.14 before tax with all the coupons I had. Several of the Gerber Graduates items are on sale through the 20th.

Here is a breakdown of how I worked the deal:
2 Graduates Lil' Entrees-sale $1.79 ea-$.75 coupon (2)
2 Finger Foods Puffs-sale $1.69 ea-$.75 coupon (2)
2 Graduates cookies-sale $1.69 ea-$1 coupon (2)
3 Graduates Lil' Sides-$.90 ea -$.50 coupon (3) (FREE with doubles)
4 Graduates Dices fruit-$.78 ea-$50/2 coupon (2)
2 Gerber Splashers -$1.99 ea-$1 coupon (2)
2 Graduates Mini Fruits-sale $5/2- $1/2 coupon (1)
Plus I used the $2 catalina from Saturday!
Before coupons=$25.14
After coupons=$8.14
Earned $5 OYNO

Meal Plan Monday 5/12

2008-05-12T11:39:00.004-06:00

Well, I think I've decided to just plan my meals for the week and be flexible on which nights I actually make them. That seems to be what works best for me.
I'm trying to be good about using the food we have, especially produce and things that will spoil.
Here is what I've come up with for the week.

Dinners:

Chicken Pot Pie (didn't make it last week)
Barley Vegetable Soup
Taco Night
Hawaiian Haystacks (didn't make this last time, either)
MorningStar corn dogs, Cascadian Farms Spud Puppies & veges
Leftovers
Pork Chops, rice & veges

To see other menu plans, visit I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Cloth Diapering for Thrift and the Environment

2008-05-09T09:15:00.002-06:00

Yes, I'm talking about cloth diapers! I'm sure many of you have images of Gerber prefolds, pins and plastic pants dancing around in your heads right now. I ask you to set aside your preconceived ideas and prejudices just long enough to read this article. I'm here to tell you cloth diapering has come a long way, baby!

There are now many options in cloth diapering; from thrifty to extravagant. You can use prefolds and covers with pins or a Snappi fastener. On the other end of the spectrum we have All-in-One (AIO) diapers that are similar to disposable because it is the diaper and cover all in one. In the middle you have fitted diapers. They are a shaped diaper that uses snaps or some other closure and you still need a cover.

Are you still with me? Great!

Much has been written on cloth diapering. There are forums and websites dedicated to the topic. Since I am limited in time and space, I'd like to share some great resources with you.
Diaper Swappers
The Pin
Fern and Faerie
Nicki's Diapers

I have cloth diapered all 3 of my children in one way or another. My oldest was in Gerber prefolds, pins and covers. It was functional, but not very fun. It was very cheap, too!
I was given some basic one size fitted diapers with my middle child. They were heaven compared to pins and prefolds. I still used the Gerber covers.
I really was committed to using cloth with my youngest. I knew there were more options out there so I entered the online world of cloth diapering. It has been so much easier to use cloth with him!

I actually use a mix of Chinese Prefolds and fitted diapers. I have even made my own! I use some PUL covers as well as some wool covers. I find myself reaching for the prefolds the most. They are so simple and easy...most of the time. If my little one is crying and squirming I go for the easiest snapping fitted to get the job done fast.

Washing them is pretty easy. I keep them in a dry pail in the bathroom until wash day. My pail is a trash can with lid from Target and a Wahmies diaper pail liner. I love my liner because I just pull it out and dump everything in the machine! I wash on Monday and Thursday each week. I like my routine because I never run out of diapers. There has been no change in our water or electric due to diaper laundry.

I hope I have given you something to think about if you are currently diapering a bum, or bums. Hundreds of dollars can be saved using cloth. But beyond that it is better for the earth.

New Mambo Sprouts Coupon Booklet! More Free Stuff!

2008-05-06T14:49:00.000-06:00

I just got my new Mambo Sprouts coupon booklet in the mail yesterday. Woot! You can get a booklet by mail if you sign up at www.mambosprouts.com or pick them up at Whole Foods.

For those living is areas that double coupons there are going to be some freebies!!!

Here are the possible free deals I see, lmk if you know of any other great deals. I'd love to hear what deals you get with these coupons!

These can be found on sale for 10/$10 frequently at King Soopers and other Kroger stores. The Clif Kid ZBars are always $0.69 each or on sale for $0.59.
$0.55 off Balance Bar
$0.50 off Mojo or Mojo Dipped Bar
$0.50 off any Clif Kid Product
$0.50 off any think5 Bar

There are also the following coupons:
$0.75 off any Rudi's Organic bakery product
$0.75 off any TWO Blue Diamond Nut Thins crackers
$0.70 off any Back to Nature product
$1 off any Fruitabu pantry pack item
$1 off any TWO Clif Builder's Protein bars
$1 off any Kashi organic promise cereal
$1 off any TWO Earth's Best Sesame Street Frozen Foods
$1.50 off any Organic Valley Butter
$1.50 off any Organic Valley Lactose Free Milk
$1 off any Organic Valley Eggs
$0.55 off any San-J Dressing, cooking sauce or tamari
$1 off any Boca meatless product
$1 off any TWO Ethnic Gourmet frozen entrees
$1 off any Country Choice organic product
Buy 4 get One FREE Silk Live soy yogurt
$0.75 off any Simply Asia product
$1 off any 8 pack R.W. Knudsen Sensible Sippers juice boxes
$0.75 off any Lundburg Rice Chips
$1 off any one 5.3 oz or 16 oz cup of Oikos organic greek yogurt
$0.50 off any FOUR Steaz beverages or ONE Four-pack Steaz sparkling green tea or Steaz Energy

Meal Plan Monday 5/5

2008-05-04T20:59:00.000-06:00

Last week we didn't make all our planned meals. I was in need of comfort food (and had potatoes sprouting), so we had turkey meatloaf and mashed potatoes one night. We also ended up with LOTS of leftovers and free food over the weekend, so I didn't cook.
This week I am planning leftovers in a lot more to be more realistic with the way we eat.
My baby turns one on Monday the 5th!!! He has decided he doesn't care for purees and would rather eat what we are having. I'm trying to figure out what he can eat without choking, etc. He also is not eating dairy since he is sensitive to it.

Monday: Mexican Fiesta! Tacos & Taco Salad with ground turkey and homemade refried beans

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Lasagna

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Saturday: Mexican again?!?!

Sunday: Probably Leftovers

Other things I will make this week: Jalapeño jelly, Sourdough pancakes, cook 2 chickens and freeze meat

To see other menu plans, visit I’m an Organizing Junkie.

We Did It! Unplugged Week is Over

2008-04-28T16:27:00.003-06:00

We made it a whole 9 days without watching TV! In many ways it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

My oldest did perfectly! So did my husband, baby and I.

My 4 year old was out of preschool for the whole week. She watched about 2 hours of movies on Wednesday. So she made it 4 days before that and 4 days after that.

I still count us as successful!

Home Decorations for Cheap!

2008-04-28T15:58:00.005-06:00

I love containers. I used to have quite the collection. I've gotten better about only keeping containers I need and will use. However, I did have a few containers waiting to be turned into something useful. Here is what I did!

The tall glass canister was a gift many years ago. I loved the glass container so much I have kept it with the intention of doing something with it. Well, as I was trying to decide what fun things to do to it I realized it would make a perfect sugar canister. Now it is on my counter with sugar in it.

I bought a square lampshade at a thrift store a couple years ago. I thought it was really neat and it was super cheap. I had seen a really cute idea in a Better Homes & Gardens magazine where they put a whole bunch of little colorful eyelets in the shade. I always wanted to do something similar. FINALLY I did it! I put a few black flower grommets in it using the Making Memories Grommet Setting Tool. It was a little hard to get it through the tough plastic layer, but I'm fairly pleased with the results.

The black canister was purchased about 13 years ago to hold utensils. I haven't used it for that since moving into our house about 3 years ago! So, I decided it would look cute with some ribbon around it and a white rub on flower. The flower is from Stampin' Up---my non-thrifty annual splurge. I got the inspiration from the Stampin' Up mini catalog and Michael's craft store.

The paint can was a gift for teacher appreciation week several years ago. I always thought it would be fun to re-embellish it. I decided to coordinate the colors with our tv/playroom. Or at least, what I would like the colors to be! It is currently holding colored pencils. I used Stampin' Up scrapbook supplies to embellish it. I should have used a different background paper because it is hard to read the word "friend."

Do you ever find old things around your house and make them new again?

Granola

2008-04-28T14:03:00.000-06:00

I started making this Granola Mix a few weeks ago and my family loves it. The recipe comes out of this Make-A-Mix Cookery cookbook written by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward and Madeline Westover. It was written 30 years ago and has since been republished. They also came out with a second cookbook titled More Make-A-Mix Cookery which I totally want to buy!
Anyway, this granola is pretty healthy. The recipe makes a HUGE batch so I cut it down to 1/4 of the original. I bake it on my Pampered Chef bar pan and it comes out perfectly every time.

Here is how I make it:

3 Cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 Cup sesame seeds
1/2 Cup sunflower seeds
1/4 Cup wheat germ
1 Cup chopped walnuts and/or almonds
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
1/3 Cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 Cup water
1/3 Cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons honey and/or agave nectar
2 Tablespoons molasses
1/3 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
raisins or other dried fruit if desired

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl combine oats, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, ground flaxseed and nuts. Blend well. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, water, oil, honey, molasses, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Heat until sugar is dissolved, but not to a boil. Pour syrup over dry ingredients and stir until well-coated. Spread onto a 13"x9" baking pan or cookie sheet with sides. Bake 20-30 minutes, stirring accasionally. Bake 15 minutes longer for a crunchier texture. Cool. Add raisins or dried fruit, if desired. Put in an airtight container. Label. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.

Hawaiian Haystacks Recipe

2008-04-28T13:21:00.004-06:00

We love Hawaiian Haystacks around here. We eat this meal at least once a month, usually 2-3 times. It is a great recipe to use when company is coming. It feeds a lot and most everyone can find something they like in it. We use organic brown rice from the bulk bins at Whole Foods, but you can use any rice you like. For company, I recommend doubling the recipe. It is somewhat flexible, you can add more broth/water or chicken depending on the consistency you like.

Hawaiian Haystacks

2 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth or water
2 cups diced chicken
4 cups cooked long-grain rice

Combine soup and chicken broth in a medium saucepan to make gravy. Stir to blend. Add chicken. Simmer about 8-10 minutes, until heated through.
Layer on plates-first stack rice, chow mein noodles and chicken gravy. Add toppings as desired.
Makes about 8 servings.

Topping choices
chow mein noodles*
diced or sliced tomatoes
chopped celery*
diced green pepper*
chopped green onion
pineapple chunks or tidbits*
shredded cheddar cheese*
slivered almonds
shredded coconut

*These are the toppings we always use. But, if we are out of something it really doesn't make that much of a difference to us.

Meal Plan Monday 4/28

2008-04-27T20:36:00.000-06:00

I'm going to try to really work with what we have this week. We have a lot! I just want to get some peppers and lazagna noodles, but I know I'll be tempted to get a few other deals. We'll see how that goes. Luckily, the sales aren't all that interesting this week!
I'm still trying to stay off dairy. I hate it! I am a cheese lover and with dairy being in sooo many foods and recipes this is HARD. I haven't noticed any difference in my baby, but he is teething and has a cold. Yuck!

Monday: Barley Vegetable Soup

Tuesday: Breakfast 4 Dinner

Wednesday: Lentil Soup

Thursday: Hawaiian Haystacks

Friday: Birthday Party-Mom's house

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: Lazagna

Other things I will make this week: Birthday cake, blueberry muffins, vanilla pear jelly, spiced carrot zucchini bread

To see other menu plans, visit I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Awesome CraigsList Score!

2008-04-24T08:57:00.004-06:00

I was looking at Oompa Toys at their awesome Kettler tricycles yesterday. I decided I wanted one for my soon to be one year old. On the wishlist it went, knowing full well I'd never buy one.

Then, I went over to Craigslist to see what was out there. There were several listed! The one closest to us was listed for $35!!! Even better. This is a tricycle that retails for around $200.

We called and were told that 9 other people were ahead of us. :( I was sad. Then, we got a call right back saying that if we could come and get it before the day was over it was ours!!! I guess they got stood up and we were the easiest number to find. What luck!

So, my beautiful little boy is getting a tricycle for his birthday. They have already tested it out since it was a little hard to hide. My 4 year old daughter loves it, too.

Denver Botanic Gardens

2008-04-22T22:05:00.003-06:00

Today we went to the Denver Botanic Gardens with our playgroup friends. It was a FREE day which is awesome. We haven't missed TV at all this week. Activities like this make it easy.
There were a ton of people and we had to park several blocks away, but it was not a big deal. Lots of strollers and wheelchairs everywhere.
The kids enjoyed playing in a sandbox, rolling down a hill and walking through a tropical rain forest.

Menu Plan Monday 4/21

2008-04-21T14:27:00.002-06:00

This week should be interesting. We will be going TV free all week and I'll be limiting my computer time. That should mean more time to cook, right? We'll see about that!
I am trying to eliminate dairy from my diet this week to see how it effects the baby. My husband is planning to do some sort of elimination diet where he drink water with lemon and lime and a couple other things. HA! We'll see how long that lasts. But, it will make dinner difficult. We might be in for lots of leftovers. ;P

Monday: Leftovers-Potato soup for the kids, lots of fresh produce

Tuesday: Tacos with homemade refried beans, Mexican Rice

Wednesday: Chicken, rice, veges

Thursday: Turkey burgers on homemade buns, salad

Friday: Homemade Pizza, canned pineapple

Saturday: Turkey meatballs, brown rice, fresh veges

Sunday: Vegetarian chili

Other things I will cook this week: Sourdough Bread (2 loaves), cookies

To see other menu plans, visit I’m an Organizing Junkie.

National TV Unplug Week!

2008-04-21T14:18:00.003-06:00

My family is participating in National TV Unplug Week this week. I am very excited about it and I've been looking forward to it for a few weeks now.
We already have been doing TV free weekends since February with great success. We get a lot more done and enjoy doing things together more.
As part of this unplugged week I will be spending far less time online. I could do without TV just fine, but the Internet is my weakness.
We put together a schedule of activities and things to accomplish this week. We are lucky that the weather is supposed to be nice so we can go to the park and take walks when boredom hits.
Here are some of the things we plan to do:
*Library
*Botanic Gardens-Free day!
*Pirate Ship Pool (community center)
*Chuck E Cheese (just play, free tokens and coupon)
*Yard work
*Grocery store
*Michaels-free crafts on Saturday + buy a few crafts for home
*Cub scouts-Pack meeting

Have you ever done a TV free week? Are you unplugging your family this week? What are some free or cheap entertainment ideas you have done together?

Menu Plan Monday 4/14---a little late

2008-04-15T16:36:00.002-06:00

The menu planning is getting easier. We have started to change our eating a little bit around here. My husband and I are counting calories! I'm trying to gain weight while he is trying to lose. Sounds crazy, right?
We are trying to eat more protein which is a struggle for me. We tend to eat very little meat. Good thing I got a deal on tuna a couple weeks ago! Tuna salad will be on the lunch and snack menu a lot.

This week is a busy one.

Monday: Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Tuesday: Chicken, yams, veges

Wednesday: Women's Group Meeting/Dinner---leftovers

Thursday: Meeting/Dinner----leftovers or macaroni & cheese

Friday: Church Family Dinner & Dessert Auction

Saturday: Cranberry BBQ Turkey Meatballs, brown rice, canned pineapple

Sunday: Chili & cornbread

Other things I will cook this week: Sourdough Bread (2 loaves), beet puree, yam puree

To see other menu plans, visit I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Super Savings Saturday!!! Walgreens

2008-04-12T09:19:00.003-06:00

Well, I don't have a photo today. I sent hubby to Walgreens last night so we could take advantage of the $5 coupon. We did really well!

*2 pkgs Pull-Ups
*toothpaste
*4 tweezers
*2 nail clippers
*nail polish
*4 small lotions

We spent $21 and saved $24! We got a $10 Register Reward and have just under $7 in rebates. It worked out well that I had a raincheck for the tweezers and clippers making them free!

See how others did on Super Saving Saturday at Money Saving Mom.

Walgreens Coupon! $5 off April 11th

2008-04-10T11:06:00.002-06:00

Just saw this great deal on Money Saving Mom.

Print your $5/$20 coupon here to use at Walgreens tomorrow (Friday, April 11, 2008) only.

What a great deal! For maximum savings you can use it to buy the current best deals.

Financial Check Up

2008-04-08T16:46:00.003-06:00

March went pretty well. We have been following Dave Ramsey since January 2007 and it has been going great. My husband really didn't know that is what we were doing until this year. lol

We went over on the grocery budget. I just took money from the misc category to cover it. I just had a hard time passing up deals plus our freezer was pretty depleted. I am still in stocking up mode, but think that by next month I will be able to lower my food budget and stick to it.

Our mini van needed repairs. We spent $750 to fix it. YIKES! Before Dave Ramsey this would have been devastating. We used half from savings and half from our budget that would have gone into savings. Phew!

We were able to stay under on our dining and entertainment budget. We only spent a couple dollars of the $50 we allow. We also were under on our allowances. We did spend most of our clothing budget, but got a lot of great deals.

It feels so good to have money in the bank for emergencies and pay cash for the things we need. We are truly blessed.

Check out how others are doing and gain some inspiration at Money Saving Mom!

My New Master Closet

2008-04-07T11:40:00.007-06:00

I am thrilled with my new closet! Last week I purchased a closet organizer at Costco for $59.97 plus tax. It is the bomb!

I had seen it a couple months ago and when I went back to buy it it was gone. I was devastated. So, when I saw it again (this time for $8 less) I jumped on it. I originally had budgeted $800 for a custom closet early next year. This saved me over $700 and many months of waiting.

I couldn't wait to install it, so I did it myself on Saturday. It was very easy and my kids had fun helping me. It is adjustable to allow many different configurations. Did I mention how much I love it?!? It can with 3 shelves, 3 rods and 2 basket drawers along with the vertical poles.

Now I just need to get wooden hangers from IKEA. My mom is going to California next month, so I'll see if she'll get them for me. :P I especially need to get pants hangers so my husband has a better solution for his pants.

This project goes along perfectly with Organizing Junkie's April Monthly Organizing Round Up! I am so excited to participate. I've been decluttering for what seems like forever. I thought I had my master bedroom done, but when I installed the closet I found even more things to get rid of!

Menu Plan Monday 4/7

2008-04-06T21:30:00.005-06:00

Well, last week went pretty well. I did not make Monday nights planned meal, opting for a Bertoli frozen meal instead. The rest of the week was switched around a little, but I did it! This week I know not to put a time consuming meal on Monday night. It felt really good to focus on meals that used ingredients I had on hand. I also enjoyed making so much from scratch.

So, without further ado, here is this weeks menu.

Monday: Spaghetti, peas, sourdough bread

Tuesday: Chicken, scalloped potatoes, corn on the cob

Wednesday: Tacos with homemade refried beans, Mexican Rice

Thursday: Split Pea Soup, oyster crackers

Friday: MorningStar corn dogs, tater tots, mixed veges

Saturday: Homemade Pizza, canned pineapple

Sunday: Leftovers or sandwiches

Other things I will cook this week: Sourdough Bread (2 loaves), granola, baby food (peas)

To see other menu plans, visit I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Super Savings Saturday!!!

2008-04-05T00:22:00.003-06:00

Wow! The King Soopers deals were awesome this week! I am going to go back for more.
My King Soopers is running the mix & match buy 10 get $5 off sale this week.

I spent just over $20.69 and saved over $111. I got 49 items. I am so happy and excited. I was able to get so much for free it is astonishing.

We found organic milk and whipping cream in the clearance section. I had coupons to match from here and here so we got a gallon of Organic Valley milk for $1.69 and the little cartons of Organic Valley whipping cream for $0.49 each! I'm officially in savings heaven!

The Knudsen sports drinks were 10/$10 and I had coupons that doubled to make them free. I also got a few more free Clif Kids bars. Yeah, I'm addicted to free stuff.

Oh, I also got my $0.40 bag credit for bringing my own bags. I love bag credit.

Check out what others have saved this week at Money Saving Mom!

Homemade tortillas and refried beans. YUM!

2008-04-03T18:50:00.003-06:00

I am a day behind on my Meal Plan. But, I am sticking to it a lot better than I thought I would. Yay!

Tonight we had homemade tortillas and refried beans for our taco & burrito night. They turned out really well!

I used two recipes from www.recipezaar.com. I love that site!
Here is the flavored tortilla recipe. And here is the refried beans recipe. For the tortillas I used red pepper that I had previously pureed and I had to add a bit more water (1/4 C).
With the refried beans, I used dry pinto beans instead of the canned beans. I omitted the salsa and cheese since we were putting them in burritos. I think I made about 5-6 cans worth! I also had 1 1/2 cups to puree for the baby and large amount to make chili with later.

The best part about making this all myself is that I used primarily organic ingredients and nothing artificial. For the shortening I use Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening. It works great and I frequently find it on sale and printable coupons.

I am very pleased with how everything turned out. From now on I will keep refried beans in the freezer so I don't have to make them from scratch each time we want them. I have been wanting a tortilla press and hope to find one at a garage sale this year!

Free Clif Kids Products!!!

2008-03-31T22:31:00.003-06:00

I am so excited about this deal that I have to share it!
If you get the Mambo Sprouts coupon book (available by mail or at Whole Foods) there is a coupon for $0.50 off one Clif Kids product.
My local King Soopers (Kroger) carries these products for around $0.69 each. They also double coupons. That means FREE treats for my kiddos. Woohoo!

Check out more great Kroger deals at Money Saving Mom.

Menu Plan Monday - March 31st

2008-03-31T21:50:00.000-06:00

I have a confession to make. I have a hard time sticking to a pre-planned menu. What I normally do is make a list of all the meals we like to eat and just go through the list and find what we have the ingredients for. However, I've been inspired by I'm an Organizing Junkie who hosts Meal Plan Monday on her blog.

So, we'll see how this works out. I hope it helps me focus on some of our more frugal recipes.

Monday: Split Pea Soup, oyster crackers

Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Burgers on homemade buns, corn on the cob, canned mandarin oranges

Wednesday: Tacos with homemade refried beans, Mexican Rice and avocados

Thursday: Leftover Night

Friday: Company for Dinner- Hawaiian Haystacks

Saturday: Homemade Pizza, canned pineapple, baby carrots

Sunday: Leftovers or eat at my parents house

Other things I will cook this week: Sourdough Bread (2 loaves), granola

To see other menu plans, visit I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Consignment Sales

2008-03-28T14:00:00.000-06:00

One way to get nice clothing at great prices is buying at consignment sales. It's also a great way to earn a little money back on your own outgrown clothes.
One of the schools in our area has a yearly kids consignment sale. This is the second year and my second time participating. I'm really looking forward to it.
I will be volunteering to help for 2 hours. When you volunteer to help with the sale you get to shop the night before the public! I'm hoping to find some great deals this way.
Each seller was given a packet of tags, instructions and a seller number. I really like the packet. It gives all the information needed to participate in the sale.

First, I have gone through all my kids outgrown clothes and toys. We pulled out everything we don't need or want. Then, I sorted things that are ready to tag and clothes that need to be soaked in oxy solution.
I'm starting to fill out the price tags during TV time. At this rate it'll take awhile!
I will end up spending a couple hours when all is said and done, but I feel it is time well spent.

Check out more frugal ideas at Biblical Womanhood.

Saving $ on Organic Milk

2008-03-26T15:34:00.003-06:00

Mu husband scored at the grocery store last night. He found organic milk marked down to $2.69 for a gallon and some half gallons as low as $1.19! I had him get 5 gallons worth. I am tempted to send him back for more since there is still room in the freezer.

The only down side is that we had already used our Organic Valley $1/1 coupons from here. But, I suppose I'll live. ;)

We go through about a gallon of milk a week. That means I have a good month supply which will give us time to catch another round of markdown milk.

Long live markdowns!!!

Yummy Homemade Bread

2008-03-26T09:24:00.000-06:00

I just love baking bread. Actually, I love all baking. I am into scratch cooking in a big way. I have even been tweaking my recipes to make them healthier and cheaper. It is so fun!

I am very pleased with how this batch turned out. I made some changes to a favorite Pampered Chef recipe. Next time I plan to reduce the sugar by half and add some ground flax. I love to bake bread in my Pampered Chef mini loaf pan. The bread turns out perfect every time.

I get zucchini in the summer for free from friends. I shred it and freeze it in 3/4 cup portions for this recipe. When thawed, I get extra liquid that I use to replace part of the milk. Just pour the liquid into your measuring cup first and fill to the 1/2 cup mark with milk.

Here is the recipe with my changes.

Spiced Carrot-Zucchini Bread

2 1/4 Cups flour-I use a mix of whole wheat and unbleached white
1 Cup sugar-I will try 1/2 Cup next time
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
3/4 cup carrots, finely chopped
3/4 cup zucchini, shredded or finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup carrot puree
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk and zucchini liquid mix
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350
Spray bottom only of Stoneware mini loaf pan. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, flax, salt and spices. Finely chop carrots and zucchini (or use previously shredded zucchini). Coarsely chop walnuts. Add carrots, zucchini, walnuts and remaining ingredients to the bowl. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon into loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pan; place loaves on cooling rack. Cool completely.
Makes 4 mini loaves or 1 regular loaf

What's In Your Pantry?

2008-03-25T18:37:00.000-06:00

I have always liked having food storage in our home. For the past 9 months I have been using The Grocery Game, a subscription based site, to stretch my grocery budget and get a nice stockpile of food set up. My most recent favorite find is Money Saving Mom. She has links to all sorts of great coupons and deals!

I have nearly cut my grocery budget in half and I'm bringing home more than before. I never knew I could get so much for free! Getting free groceries has almost become addicting...okay I am addicted. This week I'm getting free tuna fish.

I love that by stocking up when prices are rock bottom I never pay full price for groceries!

New Clothes on a Budget

2008-03-23T19:03:00.004-06:00

We went to the Colorado Mills Mall on Friday to get some things for the kids. There were a few needs and then I made a little splurge purchase, too.

We went to The Children's Place and found racks and racks of markdown clearance stuff. Many things were $1.99, but not what we needed. I also had a 20% Off coupon from the Birthday Club. Here's what we did get.

3 pairs of tights
1 onsie
1 4T shirt
1 pair 4T jeans
2 pairs baby sunglasses
1 baby golf style hat---splurge

Regular prices added up to over $48
Total spent $30.23

Then we headed to Target to get a shirt for my oldest son. It was $5.39.

Our last stop was the Gymboree Outlet. Now, I never shopped there before a few months ago! I had been in a few times years ago and was blown away by the high prices. Well, it turns out that you can get some killer deals on the clearance racks, especially with a coupon. Unfortunately, they do not take coupons at the outlet store.
Okay, the Gymmies were not a killer deal, but my youngest needs new pajamas. We looked at several stores and the Internet before making the purchase. I will pick up a few more pair second hand next month.

1 pair Two-Piece Gymmies (reg. $19.50)
Total spent $8.63

More to come on how I keep the clothing budget down...

It's All Too Much! Getting Rid of the Clutter!

2008-03-22T13:10:00.001-06:00

I have been on the road to recovering from my clutter addiction for years now. I've finished reading It's All Too Much twice now. It is so well written. Not only is it motivating, it gives a clear cut answer to solving the clutter problem once and for all.

I find the more I get rid of the happier I am. My home feels more peaceful and comfortable. It is easier to clean and much easier to find things. I haven't missed anything that I have tossed. This process has helped me really focus on what we need and how we really want to live. In this world of "more is better" I have found the opposite to be true.

Not convinced to declutter your own home, yet? I also have more time to enjoy my family. Our relationships are stronger and more fulfilling than ever before.
We can invite people over without worrying about being embarrassed, too!

The Clutter is Taking Over!

2007-11-18T17:48:00.004-07:00

I am currently reading It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh. I love reading books about decluttering and so far this book is no different. I purchased it on half.com to save money and received it the day after Peter Walsh appeared on the Oprah show. Perfect timing!

Compared to some, our clutter problem may not be so bad, however it is bad enough to bother me. I am always wondering where to put important papers or current craft project. It's driving me crazy! I think clutter breeds overnight. No matter how much I have gotten rid of in the past there is always more clutter.

I am on page 75 of It's All Too Much and we've already got plans to put Peter's advice into action. This week we are going to start in on the clutter using his F.A.S.T. method. Basically, we plan a time to get rid of all the surface clutter. That means things we haven't used in a year, things that don't belong to us and trash. He doesn't want us to make the tough decisions, yet. We are going to go systematically through the house together. I think I'll set up tarps in the garage or basement for keep, sell/donate, toss piles.

The goal is to work on this for at least 30 minutes every night until Thanksgiving. After we've stuffed ourselves with turkey we will come home and declutter for the rest of the day. Friday we will continue the project.

I have to read more of the book to see what comes next.

Finding Your Ancestors in Census Records

2005-09-05T16:37:00.002-06:00

Exactly how many children did Great Aunt Martha have? What year did Grandma and Grandpa get married? What did Great Grandpa do for a living?

All these questions, and more, can be answered by using census records. I am going to specifically speak on the U.S. Federal Census Records. There are many websites that have U.S. Federal Census records available for you to search. Some do it for a fee while others are free. You can also find census records at Family History Centers (operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), the public library, genealogical libraries and archives. Again, some of these places are free while others charge a small fee to use the facility or order microfilms.

There is a great Beginners Guide to the US Federal Censuses on the Tennessee GenWeb. It has a ton of useful information and a chapter on each census taken. This also gives some history and background information about each census.

When I sit down to do research in a census, I like to print off a blank census form from that year. I do it from my genealogy software program, Family Tree Legends. They have a section of 'Blank Forms' that you can print off and every census year is accounted for. It is a lot nicer than the way I used to keep track of what I found! I used to just make my own little chart on a blank piece of paper. This way is much more effecient and organized.

My two favorite websites for census research are Heritage Quest, which I get free from my public library website, and Ancestry, this is a subscription based site but you can use it for free at many public libraries and Family History Centers. The 1880 census is also available for free at FamilySearch. There have been many times when I can find an ancestor at one of these sites but not the others. This is because different people do the data entry from the microfilms. Sometimes the entry maker does a terrible job of spelling the name. So always check more than one site. If you find a name that had been indexed wrong, make a note on your paper of the mistake so you can always find it again (and tell other relatives how to find it). Searchable indexes are so much faster than trying to go through a census page by page. But you will often have to try many variations of name spelling to find the right person. I have never had much luck with the Soundex search, but do try it. This is a search for names that sound like the name you are searching. I have much better luck with typing in variations myself. Don't be afraid to play around and try several different searches. Sometimes the search I think is the most ridiculous is the one with the best results. If you can't find the family by searching the fathers name, try the mothers or a childs. A lot of genealogy research depends upon experimentation. If searching these indexed census records doesn't work you'll have to begin scrolling through the microfilms!

Using Photos in Your Famiy History

2005-09-03T09:25:00.002-06:00

When putting together your family history don't forget to include photos. We've all heard the saying "A pictures worth a thousand words." Photos of our ancestors are priceless. Now you might be thinking that you don't have any ancestral photos. Even if you don't chances are someone in your family does.

With todays technology there is really no reason that everyone in a family can't have a copies of all the ancestral photos. There are several options.

The photos can be scanned onto disks and given to each family member. This is my favorite choice. There are several advantages to the scan method. The photos will always be available. New disks can be burned at any time for new found relatives or if one is lost or destroyed. Copies can be printed off by each family member when they have the time and means to do it. You can make pictures any size and turn color photos to black & white. The list goes on. I also believe this is the most economical choice. It does take time to scan and label the pictures, but you will be so happy you did!

Pictures can also be taken to any store with a photo kiosk and prints can be made for everyone. This is by far the most costly idea. You would also have to take the time to go through each photo and label it. This idea is great if you only have a few photos to share and a few people to share them with.

Now you could also take all the pictures to a colored copy place and make colored copies with several on a sheet and label the paper as you go. This can be relatively fast and inexpensive, however the quality and longevity of the copies will not be very good.

I hope I have convinced you all to scan your photos and make them available to all your relatives. Family reunions and get togethers are the perfect opportunity to share these precious photos. I have been able to do it and it is very rewarding.

Are We Related?!?

2005-08-19T17:52:00.002-06:00

I was just thinking that I should post my surnames here so my distant cousins can find me. You can also visit my family tree at http://www.gencircles.com/users/erjand/1. There you can search my tree for common ancestors. I love GenCircles and highly recommend it to help you find distant cousins and clues to research. Anyway, here are some of my main surnames.

Pemberton, Westerterp, Baker, Murray, Kidwell, Gant, Bouwhuis, Robinson, Bosscheiter, Newman, Killian.

I have spent most of my time researching my husbands line. Here is a list of his surnames.

Anderson (Clausen), Sinamark (Sondermark), Mikisek, Nemec, Christiansen, Michelsen, Diedrichsen, Reisner, Rehwinkel, Mercer, Streepy, DeWitt (Witt), Current, Stanclift (Stancliff).

2005-08-19T14:55:00.000-06:00

Jay T Gant and wife Ethel May Robinson with children Frank and Arlene. Spring/Summer 1922

Getting Started

2005-08-19T14:02:00.000-06:00

The most important thing to do when beginning your family history is to gather the information you already have around your home. Everyone had birth, marriage and death certificates available for themselves and immidiate family members. Gather these together in one location, like your desk, file cabinet or a document box.
You will also need a Family Group Sheet and a Pedigree Chart. These are readily available to print of the Internet or at a Family History Center in your area. You can even download the Personal Ancestral File (PAF) software for free from familysearch.org. The PAF program allows you to print blank Family Group Sheets and Pedigree Charts. These sheets and charts are essential for anyone who wants to research their family history!
Now that you have your family records gathered together, use the dates and information on them to fill in the blank spaces on your Family Group Sheet and Pedigree Chart. Don't forget to record where the dates and other informaition came from! If another relative looked at your chart they would want to know where you got your info from.
Always start with yourself and work your way back to your parents, then to your grandparents, etc. Some people try to start with a fameous person from the 1800's and prove they are related. That will only get you frustrated and just doesn't work.
Once you have exhausted all the records at your own house you need to ask your parents or other living relatives for the information they have. Find out if there is a member in your family already doing genealogy and get in touch with them. Do NOT rely on the information from other peoples memories! Ask for records and documentation that you can then look up to PROVE the information they have shared. I have gotten plenty of misinformation from relatives. Whether the information is correct or not it gives you a great place to begin your research. Think of it as a clue in a mystery you are trying to solve.
This should be enough to get you started. Gather those records and start filling out your charts!