If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

2 product reviews

We took a quick trip to Texas and we wanted a snack on the drive back. We got this box of Pepperidge Farm cheese crisps at a travel stop. They taste very good but they sure don't look like the picture on the box.


Mess-free fingerpaint by Crayola is something my 4 year old granddaughter brought here. She had a day off from school so we happily spent the day together and did lots of crafty things.
The mess free paint squirts out of the tube as a beige looking substance. Then it gets smeared onto the special paper that goes with the paint. The paper has a hidden design that shows up when the paint touches it.
Elizabeth had a great time with this but I kept expecting the next sheet of paper to have a different  background design. All of her packet had rainbows. Rainbows are one of her favorite things and she likes them but I think the product would be more interesting with multiple design sheets.
After she did all these blob paintings, she started doing her handprints.
The paint really was mess free. It smells like play dough and I did have to help Elizabeth wash her hands as she had done a thorough job of covering her hands. 



2014 fall decorating

I didn't buy or make a single new thing- I just opened up the storage tub from previous years and put out the things that I still like and still look fresh. (Some stuff from the tub went in the trash)
Wreath on the front door
Dining room - oops, there are some the new things. The owl print vinyl tablecloths were purchased this month at Walmart. 

The patchwork pumpkins wall hanging was sewn by my mom. 
This is our first year to own the  hutch_we found it at our favorite thrift store this year and it was fun to decorate. 

I have a really nice Thankful banner made by Debby and will put it on the mantle when it gets closer to Thanksgiving. 

I like to have seasonal things out, I think they make a room look more cheerful. But I am just not going to do anything elaborate, I've decided everything for a holiday needs to be easy to put out and it all needs to store away in a single storage tub. 

Monday, October 6, 2014

CVS deals -last week and this week

No extreme couponing here but I do try to do deals at CVS when I can buy things we need at a very low cost.
The trick to consistent savings at CVS is to do a deal every week or so so that you can use the Extra Care Bucks earned one week on a different deal the next week that will also generate more Extra Care Bucks.

SuperMomOf3plus1 on Youtube


This YouTuber does a good job at CVS. She usually buys different things than I do but she spends very little and gets a lot of good stuff for her family.

Shopping at CVS regularly adds up as they pay quarterly bonuses, I think it is 1% of all your purchases every 3 months.
They also pay beauty bonuses, $5 for every $50 spent on beauty products and that is more that just cosmetics, it is also hair care, skin care and maybe other products that I just don't know. 

Last week 
Our laundry room has several containers of detergent already but I saw how cheap I could get Tide with coupons and an ECB from the previous week, I happily did this deal.
After coupons and sales, the 4 Tide and 3 Dawn were $8.10 and I got $5 ECB.



This week- I had a CVS scanner coupon for $5 off any $15 cosmetic purchase and I had $1 ECB when I filled a prescription last week.  So, I used those and the $5 ECB and 2 coupons on 2 mascaras. 
The 2 mascaras were $3.42 and I got a $5 ECB for next week.


Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Pumpkin Muffin Tops

Hello everyone! September was really a bust with not but the necessities done but I feel good again and am hoping October will be much better.   I have missed you all and plan to now be back blogging and reading your blogs with my pre-crash regularity. 

Here is a recipe I tried and baked the last part of September and they turned out great. 



I had less than a cupful of canned pumpkin in the refrigerator leftover from a pumpkin scone recipe I tried that was not wonderful.  But I saw this Pumpkin muffin recipe and thought it sounded like a good recipe and would use up the leftover.  

I mixed up half a recipe and changed it a bit.  They turned out great and I will be making them again. I think mashed Banana or applesauce could be used instead of the pumpkin.  The muffin tops bake up much faster than a whole loaf. 

My small batch version - I mixed it all up by hand with a fork and spatula

1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
Stir all these ingredients together until blended
1 cup flour
3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/8 t cloves
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined and sort of smooth. 
Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans 
Use a large cookie scoop and put batter on a greased or parchment lined baking sheets. They won't spread much but they will rise a little. 
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven about 16 minutes until done. 

The original recipe has a topping but we liked them plain. 




In the photos, they do look like cookies but they really have a muffin taste and texture. 

Friday, September 12, 2014

Highlights and low spots from the last 3 weekends

I did not mean to take such a long blogging break. 
3 weekends ago, we had a big group here for a meal - I think there were 16 of us. 
The main course was make your own taco salads. 
The day before, I cooked a Dutch oven full of seasoned ground beef. We also had Ranch style beans, tortilla chips, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, assorted salsas, grated cheese and sour cream. 
This menu was easy and a crowd pleaser. This is son Bobby showing his Taco Salad. 
The 2 oldest grands were just amazed at how large some of the adults made their salads. They were giggling as they described the big salads as volcanos with lava on top and running down the sides. 

This is a silly selfie that I took in the bathroom after Andie took a bath - I love this little sweetie! 


2 weekends ago, I went to my parents house with my husband and son Jimmy.  We visited and I did a little cooking and we all cleaned out some more storage spots. 




1 weekend ago, my husband and I were out to do a couple errands. We were traveling south on a 4 lane road. Another driver was going north on this same road. Then she decided to turn west and she turned right in front of us. My husband tried to stop but it happened so fast and we collided. 
That's our car- a 2014 Juke with 6000 miles- 
Both our airbags deployed and that is an experience I hope I never have again.
This is the other drivers car. Her daughter was in that car seat during the collision. They were both unhurt except for a cut on the little girls head where the broken window glass blew in on her. 
I still can't believe this young mother was so reckless to turn her car into ongoing traffic, especially on the side where her daughter was.  
If my husband had not braked as much as he did, we would of collided where the child was and I think she would of had much worse injuries. I am so thankful it was not as bad as it could of been. 


The airbag deployment hit me hard. I went to the ER and was Xrayed. Nothing is broke or fractured but  I have acute sternal contusions - meaning deep bruising that still has me sore and doing everything a lot slower. 

The mother was ticketed and we all have insurance so all the vehicles will get repaired or replaced.
I just hope when she is back behind the wheel that she drives a lot more cautiously. 




And a funny for you - those grandchildren sure get old fast, don't they? 


I'll be back blogging but it may be awhile.......