1-10-10

Woke up to Tony's pager going off.
Oh goodie!
Then I started getting blurred
vision which usually means a
migrane is on it's way.
I have learned over the years
how to stop it before it
starts by taking a couple
Tylenol or Ibuprofen immediately.

Today I have a ton of laundry to do.
I love doing laundry during the warmer
weather. Smaller articles of clothing
and smaller loads of laundry.
Come Winter I have a hard time
keeping up. Large, bulkier clothes
that are changed a couple times a day
due to getting wet. Bulkier clothes
lead to more loads of laundry due
to their size. I sometimes try to
reduce the amount of laundry by
having the family hang back up pants
after one wear if they are not soiled
or smelly. Now shirts, socks and undies
I wash on a regular basis.

Do you know I get paid to do laundry???
I have a small container with lid
that I sit on the dryer. Each
time I find money in the washer or
dryer I put it in my little bank!
If you don't empty pockets before I
do laundry then I claim the money
and it goes into the laundry fund.
Today was unusual as I found $11.47
falling out of the dryer when opened.
Woo Hoo!

I've noticed I'm running low on fabric
softener. If this happens to you,
you can use straight vinegar in your
rinse cycle.
But hey I raised enough from doing
laundry today to buy some fabric
softener.
Walgreens this week has a store
coupon to get Suavitel buy one
for $2.79 get one free. Limit 4.
$1.40 each sounds good to me.
Sauvitel is my favorite anyway.
I like it better than Snuggle or Downy.
The smell, I think, seems to stay
in the fabric longer.

Weather.com says it's 9 degrees out
but feels like 0. BRRR!

It's cold in our basement this time
of year and another reason for not
liking to do laundry now.
I have noticed the windows down there
are leaking in cold air. We had discussed
the option of getting glass block windows.

I priced them at homedepot.com for
a complete glass block window from
$60 to $109 and those included a vent in them.
Times that by 6 windows is $360 to $654
just to start and doesn't include other
supplies needed to put them in, and
we don't have the experience in doing so.

So one of our goals this year is to go around
and caulk all basement windows. Then maybe
get sheets of plexiglass and have it cut to
the size of the windows. Then caulk that
in place in front of the other window making
it like a double paned window.
Then go around with a can of spray foam
insulator and spray it into any cracks from
where wires, cables and pipes run through the walls
in the basement.

--------------------------------

Like I said before I ALWAYS research items
that we consider purchasing. I want the best
bang for my buck.

So my research for today is about portable
heaters.

-How much of an area do they heat?
-How much do they cost?
-What kinds are there?
-How much to run?
-Safety features?
-Does it actually save you money to run them?

I have found these web sites to be very
informative. At the moment I am still
researching a couple different products.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/good-questions/good-questions-best-space-heaters-004646

http://www.alternative-heating-info.com/Small_Space_Heaters.html

Stores will eventually be moving out Winter
stock and setting up Spring items.
So I would like to be on the lookout
for portable heaters to be marked down.
Timing is everything and finding the right
sales at certain times of the year can
save you lots of money.

------------------------

I'm slowly moving around today trying to get
things done. My stomach has been hurting,
I haven't any energy and am having bowel
problems to put it nicely. Hubby said I
should call the doctor and make an appointment.
I'm not one who goes to the doctor. I will
wait out my problems for a week or two
to see if they clear up and they usually do.
Could you imagine how much I would be
forking over to a doctor every time I had
an ailment if I did!! But some others out there
are like hypochondriachs
and run to the doctor if they get a paper cut.
And people wonder why doctor bills and insurance
are so high! Unnecessary visits to the doctors.
It's a no wonder they drive Porsches.
Now I know if I need medical attention right away.
It takes common sense for that!
I just figure the problems I have now are the
results of much stress from the past week or so.
Doctor's usually don't tell you about home remedies.
Why would they? They don't make money off you if you
do. So go to the library and look for home remedy
books or search it online before heading to a
doctor.

-----------------------------

I got my dishes put away and another load
in the dishwasher. To save money make sure
you run full loads in it! Never run a load
only half full!
I also got tired of kids dirtying every cup
in the house every time they wanted something
to drink. I took 2 plastic cups, and with a
sharpie marker, wrote their names on them.
This is now their own personal cup!
Now if they want more to drink, we wash or
rinse out the same cups.

I also made up a batch of Teriyaki deer jerky
and have it in the dehydrator. So much cheaper,
and probably healthier for you, than store bought.
I used:
2 pounds of deer burger at $2.00 then teriyaki
sauce for 1/3 cup probably cost about .60 cents.
So look how much jerky I made for $2.60.
Next time you're at the store see how much
they want for some!!


---------------------------

Yesterday in the mail we received from
Hellmann's Mayo a taste test to see if
we could figure out which packet was light
and which one was regular mayo. We nailed
it correctly! One was more saltier than the
other while you could taste the imitation
sweetener in the other.
These results come from a family
with a diabetic who uses things
like Splenda.



Next we received a packet from the
Arbor Day Foundation.
In this packet was a free sheet
of address labels.
Then if I send them a $5.00 donation
and fill out a questionnaire I get
these items free:
-10 free trees specifically chosen
for the area we live.
-free purple Lilac
-free Arbor Day magazine subscription
-free copy of The Tree Book

Then if I am one of the first 50
to respond (not likely) I get a
year's supply of Arbor Day Specialty
Coffee.

I might do it then maybe they will
keep me on their mailing list and I
can get more free address labels, lol.
Just be sure to read any small print
to see what you may be getting into first.
And make sure it's a reputable company,
one you've heard of!



--------------------------------

Tried to make a quick trip to Kroger today
to get some more Big K pop while it
was on sale for .59 cents.
While there we found Kroger brand
sour cream chip dip for .50 cents each.
Picked up one for our chips
then another one to use on some
baked potatoes.
I'm already thinking of meals to make
this coming week.
One night will be pork chops with
baked potatoes.
Then the pager went off in the store
so we rushed to get checked out.

----------------------------

Then another recipe came across a Yahoo groups I want to try.
This way I can use up some more leftover ham I have
in the freezer. I also have a 10 pound bag of potatoes.

Crunchy Potato Balls

2 cups cooked, stiff mashed potatoes
2 cups finely chopped, cooked ham
1 cup (4 ounce) shredded Cheddar or Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups crushed cornflakes

Combine potatoes, ham, cheese, mayonnaise, egg, mustard and pepper in mixing bowl. Mix well. Add enough flour to make a stiff mixture. Chill.

Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll in crushed cornflakes. Place balls on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

Serve hot.

Makes about 6 dozen.

-----------------------------------

I can't wait til tomorrow. That
will be the end of being on call
for Tony for at least another 4-6 weeks.

I hope he doesn't get on call when we
have a thawing of ice and snow.
That's when roof leaks will appear!

From what I have figured up so far he's looking
at 22 to 25 hours overtime. The day is not
over with yet and he just got paged out
yet again!! So more hours will
be added on top of that time.

----------------------------

Sitting here for a moment waiting
for the loads of laundry to end.
Tony has me addicted to this one
game called 8 Ball Quick Fire Pool!
We used to shoot in real pool tournaments
years ago but don't anymore due
to kids and not having the money
for the extra expense.
So for now we like to play
Yahoo Pool or Mini Clip pool online.

Give it a try and see if you can beat
my score of 32,850. No one else
here can, LOL!
My longest streak to continuously
hit balls into their pockets
without missing is 48 balls!
My top rack to reach is rack 8.

http://www.miniclip.com/games/8-ball-quick-fire-pool/en/

-------------------------------

At the moment me and my oldest son
are discussing using these plastic
cards for different stores.
Every time you use them you get
savings or points.

At Kroger using your card you
get sales prices and double coupons
with it. It also keeps track
of how much you spend so you
can earn discounts on gas.

http://www.kroger.com/in_store/fuel/Pages/columbus_program_details.aspx

I think Giant Eagle has
a card that can be used
towards discounted gas.
I don't shop there so don't know
exact details about it.

http://www.gianteagle.com/fuelperks/home

At Speedway you can use your
card for every purchase except
alcohol or cigarettes. You
accumulate points to get free
merchandise, gasoline discounts
or coupons for free drinks and such.

I got an email stating if I purchase
something from Speedway 10 different
times in 3 weeks using their card I
will receive 7,000 bonus points.
I told Tony to be sure to use his
card when he goes there!
Currently we have 55,605 points.
We've already turned in 50,00 points before
that for a free cell phone awhile ago.

Sign your card up at SpeedyRewards.com
In doing so you can keep track of your points.
Also if you lose your card you can get a
new one and transfer your current points
to it. I've lost mine before!

---------------------------

We don't rent movies or order them
from the pay per view channel as those
are extra expenses. Instead we watch
movies online for free. They may be older
but hey it's probably something we haven't
seen yet, lol.

Also when the kids have the tv tied
up with game playing we can still
watch our favorite shows online free.

http://www.hulu.com/

http://www.fancast.com/

http://www.joost.com

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/4od

http://www.nbc.com/video/library/full-episodes/?__source=front-door|video|video-library

http://www.cbs.com/

http://www.thewb.com/

http://www.fox.com/

http://community.abcfamily.go.com/watch

http://www.syfy.com/rewind/?__source=Syfy_Global_Nav


Every once in awhile we'll take the kids to
the movie theater. It's a special event
if we do.
Our movie theater of choice is
Cinemark Theater on Bethel Rd.

http://www.cinemark.com/theater_showtimes.asp?theater_id=172

.75 cent admission on Mondays.

Bargain matinee before 6pm $1.50
for Friday and Saturday.

Senior day is all day Monday anytime of day for $1.00.

----------------------------------

Getting close to bedtime.
Thinking about cuddling
up under the covers to keep warm.
I have plenty of blankets for everyone.
I'm a blanket addict, lol.
Even though we have a small house with limited
storage other than the basement, I have found
a way to store several blankets.

In the kids room I take off their mattress
and lay all the blankets as flat as possible
over the box springs. Then return the mattress
on top. To keep it from looking ugly on the sides,
I throw a fleece/velour type blanket over top their
mattress and sheet sideways so it hangs down
the sides of the bed to cover it up. Kind
of like a larger dust ruffle.
Plus this blanket on top of their sheet
helps to keep them warmer at night when
sleeping on it.

We use electric blankets and heating pads
if needed because sometimes the bedrooms
feel a little chillier than the rest of the
house.
If you don't have one you can make a
microwavable bed warmer with white rice,
NOT instant. Put drops
of essential oils on the rice before sewing it
up. You could use the legs off an old
pair of jeans and sew tunnels in it to
distribute the rice. Don't pack them too full
leaving room for the rice to move around some.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5364928_make-microwavable-bed-warmer.html

http://makeitdo.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/make-it-do-gift-cozy-bed-warmers/

------------------

I don't buy regular pj's for the kids.
They are too clingy and the kids don't like them.
So instead of pj's they have designated sweat pants
and shirts we use at bed time. They are roomy
and plenty warm!
Hubby's parents got him a sweat suit for Christmas.
He doesn't wear sweat suits so tonight I am wearing
it to bed. Love it! I call it my Snuggie PJ's
considering they are about 2 sizes too big on me, lol.
Had to roll up the legs and arms.

1-9-10

LIVING WITH THE BASICS

Some of us don't have money to
purchase whatever we want.
We have to live with basic items.
So here is a challenge I thought
of for today...

If you had a fire in your home today
and the fireman said to grab only
5 items from your kitchen, what
would you grab?
These 5 items
would last forever and could be
the only 5 things you could
use the rest of your life for
cooking or baking. This would
not include your silverware,
steak knives, plates, soup bowls or cups.
But would include small appliances.

What would those 5 items be???


Here is my list:

1. Crock pot.

2. My largest casserole dish.

3. My largest soup pot. (not a canning pot)

4. Microwave

5. Manual or electric can opener

-------------------------------

Been a slow day. Tony got called out on a page
about 30 minutes after crawling out of bed.
He got another emergency call while out.
Another one of those calls that makes
you wanna shake your head!
He was told there was no water coming from
the bathroom sink. So he ran right over
thinking it was frozen pipes.
Come to find out the aerator wasn't spraying
water out properly.
DA DUH DUH DUH!!!

I started dishes in the dishwasher and put
the clean ones away.
Then I got 3 large pork chops in
the crock with a can of cream of chicken soup.
Might serve with some rice and green beans.

Then for dessert I made up a cookie bar
from one of Betty Crocker cookie mixes.
The house is smelling so good at the moment.
Here is the result of my bar cookies


I have a question...
What happened to Kroger brand cookie mixes??????

I used to buy those to save money instead of
Betty Crocker brand. But I noticed yesterday
they no longer existed. I am bummed and wonder
where they went.

--------------------------------

I took a nap for a little bit not long ago.
When I awoke I started flipping through channels
on the tv and landed on the The Antique Roadshow.
This lady had a set of 4 Jade pieces.
They were appraised at $700,000 to over a million!!
That's when I think I would draw a line between
family mementos that are passed down and
the time to sell them so my family could be
better off!!
I would have crapped myself hearing the appraisals!
You would have had to pick me up off the floor.
It would have been like hitting the lottery!!

In the second video below they question her
after the show to find out what it is like
to be the person who had the highest appraisal
in Roadshow history.
Come to find out she has more jade pieces and
other oriental items at home that may hold more value.

Time to sell, sell, sell!!!

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/200902A05.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/video/AI_200902A05.html

1-8-10

No Columbus City Schools today!

Staying inside, keeping warm and don't have
any intentions of going anywhere.

Kids have been playing PS2 most of the day.
For 8 and 10 year olds they are pretty
smart to get online and find cheats
for the game they are playing.

----------------------------
Whenever I research something for whatever reason
I will post the results here.

This morning I see an infomercial for the
Heat Surge "Fireplace".
Made by the Amish in Ohio it claims.

Well these folks in the commercial
didn't look like Amish to me unless
they turned to the traditional
American lifestyle.

I never trust infomercials so started looking
at online reviews about it.

Amish people don't like their photos taken
let alone they are being shown on tv in this
commercial???

Amish don't use electric but are making
electric heaters???

It claims it is fully assembled by the Amish.
But the heater portion is possibly made
by China or another source.

It also claims to use as much electric
as a coffee pot.
The Heat Surge uses 750 to 1500 watts
depending on the setting.

You could get an electric space heater that has
the same amount of wattage starting around
$19.99!!
from your local store with no shipping!

The Heat Surge only has a 30 day money back
warranty. From reviews I have read, their
customer service sucks! If it breaks
they make no parts for it!

This unit does not heat your whole home, only
the small room it is in, if that.

I don't see where you are saving electricity.
Some people claim they actually saw their
electric bill triple!!

The commercial claimed it would only cost
as little as .09 cents an hour.
So let's do some figuring...
.09 cents x's 24 hours is $2.16 a day
x's 30 days is $64.80.

Is that really saving you money???
You still need to run your furnace to warm
other areas of your home. You wouldn't
dare to turn your furnace off to run this thing.
Your pipes would freeze and burst and cause
more chaos if temps were freezing.
My husband is a maintenance man for a complex
of around 800-900 units. We see this all the time
when people leave and turn their heat off to save
money.

My heating bill average for the last
couple of month's has been $106
for a 930 sq ft home.
I have the thermostat set at 72-73 degrees.
The temps outside the past month have been
freezing or below. It has snowed the last
12 days straight.

So you can see where I am going with this.
$64.80 to run this Heat Surge Fireplace in
1 room does not seem practical.

My electric bill is around $75 for a family of 5.
And that includes running an electric blanket
at night, and sometimes a few heating pads.

My opinion...

Would you be saving money buying this product?
Probably not.
Maybe a slight slight decrease in your
gas bill if that.
But your electric bill will go up at least $65.00
a month.
So to me that is not practical!!!

In all reality I would recommend cuddling
up with an electric blanket.
I researched that also and found they run
about 40-50 watts per hour on low.
That's what setting I use mine on.
Now compare that to 750 to 1500 watts per hour!
http://electricblanketinstitute.com/energy-savings.html
Or
getting yourself a Snuggie or a couple
extra pairs of thermal underwear.

Save that $300 to $600 in one or two of these
electric fireplaces and invest in:
electric blankets,
caulk, plastic window film,
door seals and/or insulation to winterize your home.

Close curtains at night, use draft stoppers on doors,
hang blankets up over windows or doors,
Close doors to basements and closets.
Use a ceiling fan to blow warm air that
rises up, back down. Use vaporizers for humidity.
Wear layers of clothing. Leave oven door
open after baking, arrange furniture so they are
not blocking any vents.
To cut back on gas, turn your thermostat down
3 degrees.

--------------------------

Here is another infomercial that is a joke to me...
Draft Guards
$20 plus another $8 shipping for a total of $28!!


Make your own!!
And I'll get your started with a web site
that has directions to make them.

For starters I did more research to price
some items needed for this project.

At Lowes they have a 1" thick foam pipe wraps
in 6 foot lengths for $1.26.
I wanna say an average door width is
3 feet wide. So one of these 6ft
pieces of foam wrap would be enough
for one door.
Windows would be another story
as those would vary in size.
You can use anything for fabric.
What about the legs of an old pair of jeans?
Even if you don't know how to sew you
could hot glue the fabric together and
around the foam pipe wraps.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/notmartha/sets/72057594068949613/

-------------------------------

Well looks like we need to cut back just a tad bit
more around here. While hubby still makes the same pay
they upped his health insurance and increased other
things. Great!
Looks like his paycheck will be $100 to $200
less each month than what we are used to.

He does get overtime about every 4-6 weeks due
to being on call at work. This time of year
there's lots of overtime to be made with the
freezing temps and snow. But what about the
rest of the year???

Some people don't want
to look at the overall picture and plan for
the future. They live day to day or week
to week. If they have money
now, they spend it now! Why wait to til
the money runs out to realize, hey I need food,
gas money to get to work or need my medicine
refilled. Plan ahead
now so you have a cushion to fall back upon.
Anything can happen!! Be prepared for something
to need fixed in your home, your car to break
down, someone to get sick and so on.

I sometimes get call Gloomy Gus because
I always worry about not having
enough money for things that could happen.
I'd rather save up money rather than
spend it on myself or luxury items.
Once in awhile is ok as long as I feel
we have enough of a savings to still get
by on. And even then I won't feel good
for awhile wondering if it was a good
decision to make that purchase.
That's me, that's reality.

There was times I would go to garage
sales and thrift stores and buy things
just because it was a good price or
looked interesting.
I have changed my way of thinking with
buying things.
Now if I go to the thrift stores and
start grabbing things I'll walk
around the store for awhile
with them in my cart
thinking about what I have in there.
Right before checking out I'll take
inventory of what I have and ask myself...
Does it have a practical purpose?
Is it something I will really use?
Will it end up sitting in a corner somewhere?
Do I really need it or is it a compulsive
purchase because it was a good deal?

By the time I check out I have put back about
half, if not most, of my cart!

There are so many people that are compulsive
buyers!! TV, radio and advertisements has that
affect on them. They don't need half the stuff
they buy but get it anyway because it's the
in thing.

Here is an example of someone I know:
They bought a truck, then added rolls bars,
huge mud tires, big lights on top
and a winch on the bumper.
Was it really neccessary? NO!
and probably cost a lot!
Why do we need all this in the CITY!!
In the country on a farm, yes.
So to me this is considered a waste of money
to have something just for looks and no purpose.

----------------------------

Time to get my coupons rounded up even more
in the near future!!
For a family of 5 with 2 pets for a normal week
(this does not include holidays)
I try to spend no more than $35 for
total groceries and non groceries!!
I shop at Meijer, Kroger and Walgreens at times
in one week if the sales are good.
Luckily they are all within minutes from home
so it's not like I am wasting gas to get those
savings.
So as I get back into the coupon habit I will
be posting sales items matched with coupons.

------------------------------------

Snow is still falling.
You know there are still some good hearted people
in this world! Not long ago I kept hearing this loud
noise and went to the window to see a neighbor from
across the street, snow blowing peoples walks, including
up to their doors. He was doing our walkway as I looked
out our window and came clear up to the door with the
snow blower. From what I can see he has done almost
the whole block we live on. It's freezing cold and then
some out and there has to be at least 20-30 houses
from one cross street to the next!

Snow pics from this morning about 8:40AM.

Truck's grill is starting to cover up with snow.




How much snow has collected on top of bird feeder.



--------------------------------

It's now 2:15pm and the snow is getting
a little heavier.
Tony's been plowing about half the day.
Most everyone at his work called off.
It's pretty much him and his supervisor
running the show with emergencies,
plowing and work orders.
Sounds like it's gonna be another long
night. He didn't get home last night
til after 10pm.
He went in an hour early this morning
to start another round of plowing.
Ok this snow can stop anytime now!

Snow is drifting outside.
See it accumulating around the trucks tires.


Wind chill is 7 degrees in our area.
We have a winter weather advisory until 4pm.

We did have a level 1 snow emergency last night
and this morning.

Here are what each snow emergency levels mean:

Level 1- roads are hazardous and people should drive with caution.

Level 2- driving is discouraged and you should call before heading to work.

Level 3- only emergency vehicles should be on the roads. People could be arrested if they decide to drive on local roads.
----------------------------------

Pillsbury has just released it's 100 finalist in
their Pillsbury Bake Off.
http://www.pillsbury.com/bakeoff/finalists.aspx?WT.dcsvid=MjA5OTIzMDE2MwS2&rvrin=08D2AE72-8994-DC11-920E-00110A5B41E6&WT.mc_id=Newsletter_PB_01_08_2009&rvrin=08D2AE72-8994-DC11-920E-00110A5B41E6

-----------------------------------

Tonight we all went with Tony who got paged
out on an emergency maintenance call.
Me and the kids hadn't been out of the house
all day so figured it was time to get some
fresh air.
We drive from NE Cols to NW Cols on a
call where a lady claimed her fridge quit working.
And get this, we get there to discover the
fridge didn't quit working, the light bulb
in it burnt out!!!
Could she not hear the fridge running or
feel that her food was still frozen????
Sometimes I wonder about people!!!


While out and about I decided to stop by Kroger
in Upper Arlington, our old neck of the woods.
I ran out of cat food today and needed
to get some more.
I can go in Kroger for one thing but
have to run around the store checking
for manager specials.
Tonight I found:

Cereal for .79 cents a box (got all 5 boxes)
Regular $1.69 each.
Saved .90 cents more than half off!

package of 2.82 lbs. pork loin assorted chops $3.86
Regular price was $9.56!!!
Saved $5.72 more than half off!
Probably about 2-3 meals per pork chop package.

package of 3.14 lbs pork loin assorted chops $4.30
Regular price $10.64!!!
Saved $6.34 more than half off!

11 ounce package of dates $1.29
don't know before price but needed them for cookies.

Ranch flavored Kroger Tortilla Chips $1.39
Regular $2.69
Saved $1.30








---------------------------

Tonight's supper was under $3 for 4 people.

Family sized salisbury steak entree.
Put the meat on bread with a piece of cheese.
Poured gravy on top.
Put each plate in microwave to melt the cheese.

Served leftover mashed potatoes and potato soup
from last night as a side.
Sprinkled crumbled up ranch Kroger doritos on top.

It was a rib sticker of a supper. I'm still sitting
here in agony, lol.

-------------------------------

Anyone ever seen the show HOARDERS on Discovery Health?
I have watched it several times.
I have even known someone who had it this bad!
After watching this show it'll make you
want to go through and clean things
out of your home!
Tonight's show at 9pm is about a family in Columbus Ohio!

If you miss the show here is a short preview
of what it was about...It's the first video.
health.discovery.com/search/results.html?Ntt=hoarders&N=8121&search=search&query=hoarders&site=DHC&Ntk=All&Nty=1&search.y=0&Ntx=mode+matchany&search.x=0

I also found an article from the Columbus Dispatch
that came out November 29, 09 about Hoarders.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/home_garden/stories/2009/11/29/HOARD.ART_ART_11-29-09_H1_22FPT4C.html

I posted the above because I feel sometimes
people with limited or low income could
fall into the hoarding category.
If you don't have much money
you tend to hold onto items afraid
to get rid of them for fear of not
being able to afford or acquire
another one.
So they hold onto things just to be
safe. And after awhile the start
to accumulate. Items could start
out simple such as plastic bowls,
and canning jars like what was shown
on the show tonight.
Some people have a hard time
throwing away good things.
If that is the case do what I do
and donate items to a charity
that will come to your house and pick
them up or take them to many drop
boxes located throughout Columbus.
Thrift stores will even allow you
to drop off unwanted items.
Or you could even Freecycle them.
You can even claim your dontaions
on your taxes if you keep tract of them.

----------------------

I'm one who likes to watch a variety of shows
on tv to learn things.
We'll let's see tonight I have watched:
Hoarders,
Ghost Adventure,
Smithsonian Hidden Treasures &
Man vs Food

-------------

Today I finished watching Super Size Me.
It's about a guy who started out healthy
and to make a point about how unhealthy
fast foods are, decided to eat McDonalds,
3 meals a day, for 30 days straight.
He had three different doctors
keeping tract of any health issues along the way.
Let's just say his results weren't good and
the doctors even recommended that he stop
trying to prove his point at around day 23.
He went on and made it to day 30.
He had to eat at least one of everything
off the menu.
If McDonald's asked him if he wanted to super
size his order then he had to do it.
Doctor's said his liver was going downhill
about like an alcoholic. They don't think
some of the health problems he developed along
the way with this experiment will ever be
reversible. He gained weight, had heart
palpitations, depression, sexual problems,
lost energy and so on.

Did you know there is 80 something
McDonalds located on New York's,
Long Island??
They also show you in the movie how
McDonald's is geared towards luring
kids into eating bad food by offering
happy meals, a clown (Ronald), playgrounds,
parties, toys and dvd's.

Those so called healthy items McDonald's has
to offer on their menus aren't so healthy after
all. They said some of those items has more
calories and fat than a Big Mac.

It was a very informative movie!

I'm still trying to get hold of Food, Inc
to watch.

1-7-10

With all this talk about cookies I decided to post an easy cookie recipe.

This one is made with a Jiffy pie crust mix.

JIFFY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
makes about 18 cookies
Tip: add water slowly and don't over mix.
Allow cookies to completely cool before removing.

Ingredients

* 1 (11 ounce) package pie crust mix
* 1 cup peanut butter
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 3 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the pie crust mix, peanut butter and brown sugar. Incorporate the water, one tablespoon at a time, while mixing gently. Roll into 1 inch balls. Place onto a cookie sheet and flatten slightly with a fork.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

---------------------------------

It's 1:00pm and the snow is starting to fall pretty good.
Columbus city schoolers who are in junior or high school
are letting out early. I looked out the window and seen
school buses going by.
I haven't seen any plows yet but have seen a truck on our
street putting down brine, the liquid salt.
Calling for around 4 inches with heaviest
snowfall between noon and 6pm.
Another 1-3 inches expected overnight.
Blowing snow possible with wind gusts
tomorrow of up to 30mph.
A low of 0 tomorrow with wind chills reaching -10.

1PM



And here is one from 3:25PM. Snow is slowing building up on the truck.


4:35PM Slowly losing sight of windows.


4:45PM
Just measured snow on hood of truck
at about 5.25 inches.


Any guess as to what this vehicle of ours used to be before the snow???


----------------------------------

Just let out my abusive dog.
I was on the cell phone
holding it between ear and shoulder
when trying to let her in. I bent over and grabbed her
cable getting ready to unhook her while on the stoop.
She was bound determined to dart in the house while I had hold of her
cable. She pulled me with her and made
me bang my head on the door frame. Now I have
a knot on my head! Bad Dog!

----------------------------------

Got one batch of cookies done today.
I send samples to Tony's work to see
what the guys think. Upon those reviews
is when I decided whether or not I enter
it into the Betty Crocker cookie contest.


--------------------------------

The other day I mentioned the web site about $1.00 store recipes.
Tonight I found another site called Dollar Store Crafts.
http://dollarstorecrafts.com/

--------------------------------

1-6-10

Happy 10th Birthday to Christopher today!!!

I got most of his cake made yesterday.
Got it in the freezer filled with ice cream
All I need to do now if frost and put candles on it.

For his birthday supper I decided to make
macaroni and cheese pizza like they have at Ci Ci's Pizza.
Red Barron pizza was on sale at Meijer for $2.99
so picked up 2 four cheese pizzas.
Then got a box of Kraft Delux macaroni and cheese to
put on top of the pizza.
Weird I know but it was pretty good at Ci Ci's.
But hey if the kids like it, it's all good.

Today I stopped in Meijer to get things for
my upcoming cookie baking. I have about 4-5 ideas
so far for the Betty Crocker Cookie Contest.
I don't reveal my recipes til after the contest over.
But I can post photos of what I make.

------------------------------

COOKING/BAKING CONTESTS

It never hurts to enter any recipe contest!
Takes all of a couple of minutes.
Who knows you may be the next winner!!
Even if you don't think you are the
greatest cook. That is what I thought!

One is Betty Crocker
Due by January 31st.
Prize- $100 to $5,000
http://www.downy.com/en-US/designyourdowny.jspx

Taste of Home magazine has 8 different contests going
at the moment: Casseroles, Christmas Cookies,
Slow Cooker, Holiday Dinners, Make it Healthy
From Scratch, Citrus and Cheese.
Prize- $500 to $600

OTHER CONTESTS

Then there was the Downy scent contest which ended not long
ago. Winners will be announced sometime
between February 8-26th.
I submitted 113 scents!!! So will keep watch on that.
http://www.downy.com/en-US/designyourdowny.jspx

---------------------------

Christopher's 10TH Birthday








--------------------------------

FORECAST FOR TOMORROW FROM CHANNEL 10's JIM GAHNAL...

CENTRAL OHIO An Alberta Clipper is on track to come through Ohio.

These are consistent compact little storms that always bring gusty winds, especially in the wake of the storm.

I expect us to top out at 30 mph NW winds Friday into the weekend.

Temperatures always go up a bit ahead of them, even at night, then fall afterward—dramatically.

Clippers move quickly, but the effects of this one will exceed 24 hours.

Snow has been falling for 11 straight days in Central Ohio, and with the cold this will be another fluffy snowfall that will allow for considerable blowing and drifting afterward.

Solid 4 inches of snow tomorrow all day, some may areas hit 6 inches. Another inch on Friday coming off the lakes again.

Wind chills will be near -10 by Friday night as lows drop to 0. Record low for today though is -20 here.

Snow starts at the end of the morning rush Thursday morning then tapers to snow showers after midnight. This will put us 2/3s of the way to a normal winter snow season total with about 100 potential snow days left in the winter.

-------------------------------

1-5-10

Walgreens is running a very good sale on men and women's sock.
10 packs of either crew, ankle or footie socks are $3.99.
You save $2.01 off the regular price of $6.00.

I purchased a bag this morning for the boys and they seem pretty good
as I just opened them and checked them out.

You can't beat .40 cents per pair of socks!!

If you don't receive the weekly ad for Walgreens you
can check it out here...

http://walgreens.shoplocal.com/walgreens/default.aspx?action=entry&pretailerid=-99389&siteid=434&storeID=2565745

The socks are on page 14 for those interested.

While there I notice they have Christmas items 50% off.
Mom got some Christmas potholders.
Normally 3 for $2.00
NOW 3 for $1.00
cant's beat .33 cents for a new potholder.


------------------------------------

I'm gonna start on Christopher's birthday cake today.
He'll be turning 10 tomorrow.

I'll be making a Devil's Food ice cream cake with
Dean's Candy Bar Overload ice cream.

I'll be using one of those Betty Crocker
Bake'n Fill pans. I picked mine up from the thrift
store for around $4.00 still in the box unused.
They probably run about $20 plus shipping
unless you find it in stores.
There are 4 pieces in the box along with directions,
insert pan, tall pan, base pan and dome pan.
2 different size cakes can be made with this kit.

For those that happen to find this set at a yard sale or
thrift store without directions here is a web site
that has them. It also includes some recipes with it.

https://media.primetimesolutions.net/images/bakenfill.com/downloads/booklet.swf



----------------------

I keep reading about people getting good deals at Target.
I'm gonna have to try it soon.
Mom pointed out when at Target they have a grocery section.
They have many printable store coupons which can be
combined with manufacture coupons.
Just a note-
I don't think Target doubles coupons so those
are used at face value.
There are 8 pages of coupons to print.

http://coupons.target.com/mcp/pd.cfm?encp=bw3Edh8NsU3vzmfu%2BCqxk1gE5kAdfbx6dC45DH8m6FuvNQDwYVl3xOH31DkRj79yzb%2BSNmiA400O%0D%0ABmnS5K0e6cYTtzrdUNC2

----------------------

Here are other deals I have found at stores.
They are in store AND online deals.

KOHLS.com

Has Gold Star Clearance and Final Clearance
on some items from 60% to 80% off.

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/clearance/homestore1.jsp

--------------------

TARGET.com

Has clearance items 15% to 75% off.

http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/?node=1038626&ref=sc_iw_ss

--------------------

KMART.com

Clearance items:

http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/sbh_10151_10104_Clearance?adCell=WH

-------------------

BIGLOTS.com

50% Off Entire Christmas Stock*

* Wrap, Bows, Tissue, Ribbon & Boxed Cards
* Light Sets
* Outdoor Light Sculptures
* Trees, Wreaths, Garland & Floral
* Plush & Animated Figures
* Décor, Tree Skirts & Stockings
* Ornaments & Tinsel
* Party Goods
* Dinnerware
* Table Linens
* Rugs
* Kitchen Textiles
* Music CDs
* Candles & Candle Holders
* Pet Toys
* Watches & Jewelry
* Fitz and Floyd Items
* NBA Christmas Figurines

* Limited to Christmas themed merchandise only. Selection varies by store.

30% Off On Christmas Gift Sets*

Includes:

* Food, Bath, Fragrance & Cosmetic
* Popcorn Tins

* Limited to Christmas themed merchandise only. Selection varies by store.

More great clearance items include...

* iRobot® Roomba®
* Select Frame Sets
* Select Camcorders
* Select Toys
* Select Apparel Items
* Select Books
* Select Video Game Titles

Check with your local store for assortment and availability while they last!

-------------------

MEIJER.com

75% off all Christmas items

online clearance items:
http://www.meijer.com/catalog/section.jsp?categoryId=1110&N=4320&Ns=PRODUCT_HAS_IMAGE|1||PRODUCT_SALE_PRICE|1&icmpid=TNSeasonal

-----------------------------

Tonight's Supper...

I had to make a space in my freezer to be able
to put the ice cream cake in there.
(currently cooling as I type awaiting
the ice cream filling)
Took out a bag of chicken wings and
had those for supper.

BBQ Wings- kids
Hot Wings-adults
3 Cheese Ranch Dressing Dipping Sauce
Scalloped Potatoes
Creamed Grean Beans with Mushrooms
Cantelope, Honeydew and Watermelon chunks

---------------------------------

Do you know what I consider a luxury in this house...
A Hot...Realaxing...Quiet...Bath!!
I don't think that is possible for moms!

I have to keep the bathroom
door unlocked because I have little boys that
seem to have to pee every 5 minutes. If I lock it
they would bang on the door continuously till I had
to get out of my hot bath water to unlock it or they'd
be threatening to pee elsewhere and we only have one
bathroom!
When the door is closed the dog goes nuts wanting
to be near me. So I can hear her sniffing and scratching
at the door out in the hallway.
I'm sitting in my hot bath and close the shower curtain
to put up a privacy screen for all those who may enter.
In all reality that's great
when taking a bath because it holds the hot steam/air in!
Also helps to break up any congestion you may have.
It's like when the kids hear water running they have
an instant instinct to have to pee!
I hear the door open. In comes one kid to pee. Tagging
not far behind is the dog who's been waiting patiently
for the chance to come in. She sniffs at the shower
curtain and pokes her head around the side. She pants
happily because she found me, but
the dog breath near the hot moist air in my bath
isn't what I want to be smelling! Yuck!
They leave and in walks another kid to pee who thinks
it's funny to turn the bathroom light off when leaving.
I yell for him to turn it back
on. He does but walks out not shutting the door all the way.
Now the cat comes creeping in to see what I am doing.
This is a cat who likes to prop her front paws up on the
toilet to watch the water swirl down when
flushed. She now has them propped
up on the side of the tub. I sit in fear of the cat
wanting to walk around the sides of the tub, threatening
to fall in with claws out ready to give me a bunch of
shots all at once. I yell for the kids to come get her.
Now it's a family affair as hubby has to come see
what all the yelling is about.
The dog again following behind him. So now I have a cat, dog,
hubby and two younger kids in the bathroom with me while
taking my hot, relaxing bath. They all leave except for
one kids who thinks he's sneaky but I can hear him moving
around on the other side of the shower curtain! Next thing
I know from under the shower curtain comes a fleet of boats
into the tub and some giggling. So here I sit in my hot
bath with a kid who wants to play boats in the water.
He eventually gets bored and leaves me with all these
colorful ships to play with, how nice of him.
The other kid returns to the
bathroom for a second pee and sees the boats in the tub.
He gets the idea to strip naked and wants to join me in the
tub to play with them! This is when I decided my bath time
is over with and get out.

This is the result of my so called hot..relaxing...bath!!!
Calgon take me away!!!

1-4-10

Went to Meijer today. They had their Christmas items
marked down to 75% off.

I'm going to start buying Christmas things throughout
the year this year, or even birthday gifts.

A 2 liter bottle of pop fell off the conveyor belt
and popped me in the ankle.
Then when I got home I slipped on the step getting
in the door falling into the house banging my shin.
Almost fell on my mom's deck but caught myself
before going down.
So be careful out there today, it's very slippery!!

After purchasing everything below I got a $5.00
catalina off of $25 general merchandise. Wish I had
one of those before buying all this!

I spent $80 today which seems like a lot for me.
But when you break it down as to what I got
it looks better.

-2 birthday gifts for 2 different birthdays.
-5 Christmas presents to put back for 2010 Christmas
-2 pairs of Skecher tennis shoes

Plus whatever groceries I bought below along with:
gallon of milk
8 two liters of pop
tub of frosting
1/2 gallon of ice cream
betty crocker sugar cookie mix

Betty Crocker's cookie contest has started. Seems
they have changed a few things. I'm reading the
contest starts today and runs til the end of the month.
I thought in the past they ran it a couple months.
Now it says:
10 honorable mentions get $100
4 runners up gets $500 (in the past it was 15.
I know I was one of them)
1 grand prize is $5,000

TIME TO GET BUSY WITH MORE HOMEMADE COOKIES OR BARS!!!
Need ideas quick! Having brain fart!
http://www.bettycrocker.com/baking/cookie-contest.aspx

Oh yeah my Betty Crocker recipe from 2008
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/boston-cream-dessert-cups/5d8028de-5096-4f46-be9f-a8d55a4d2a75



Here are my deals found today...

10 pound bag potatoes
regular $3.00
sale $1.49

------------------

Tony and Damien love BOD body sprays.
These were included in the 75% off sale!
I bought all they had to put back for their birthdays
and Christmas.
There was actually another set of BOD
that was missing a bottle. I asked a salesperson if
they could mark it down even more due
to the missing bottle. I was told they
could not sell it that way and never saw
the set again. Told mom it will probably
end up in the mark down bin tomorrow or
be thrown away!

Regular price for all cologne sets
bought today was $42.00!!
I paid $10.50
saving $31.50!!


BOD man cologne set
-Fresh Blue Musk body spray 3.4 oz
-Fresh Blue Musk deodorant spray 4 oz
-Fresh Blue Musk body wash 5 oz
Regular price $9.00
75% off price $2.25
I saved $6.75

BOD man cologne set
-Black body spray 1.8 oz
-24K body spray 1.8 oz
-Really Ripped Abs body spray 1.8 oz
Regular $7.00
75% off price $1.75
I saved $5.25

BOD man cologne set
(bought 2 of these sets that's why there
is a double listing)
-Black body spray 1.8 oz
-24K body spray 1.8 oz
-Really Ripped Abs body spray 1.8 oz
Regular $7.00
75% off price $1.75
I saved $5.25

BOD man cologne set
-Black body spray 1.8 oz
-Really Ripped Abs spray 1.8 oz
-Fresh Blue Musk spray 1.8 oz
Regular $7.00
75% off price $1.75
I saved $5.25

BOD man cologne set
-Black body spray 1.8 oz
-24K body spray 1.8 oz
-Really Ripped Abs 1.8 oz
-$$$ body spray (new scent with dollar signs) 1.8 oz
-Fresh Blue Musk body spray 1.8 oz
Regular $12.00
75% off price $3.00
I saved $9.00


4 bags Cinnamon Imperials
regular .99 cents each x's 4 is $3.96
75% off .25 cents x's 4 is $1.00
I saved $2.96

4 Meijer Candy Cane Chocolate Cremes Cookies
Regular $2.38 each x's 4 is $9.52
75% off price .59 cents x's 4 is $2.36





Then I found these girlie items for 75% off.
Picked these up for the bosses daughter for next Christmas.

2 sets beaded pony tail holders
regular $2.oo x's 2 is $4.00
75% off .50 cents x's 2 is $1.00
I saved $3.00

Cupcake Bake Shop Lip Gloss
was $3.49
75% off .87 cents
I saved $2.62

----------------

Found these items in the scratch and dent bin:

Betty Crocker Pumpkin Spice cookie mix
$1.29

29 oz can Yellow Cling Peach Slices
.97 cents

Meijer New England Clam Chowder 18.5 oz
.94 cents

Progresso New England Clam Chowder 18.5 oz
$1.29

Campbells Chunky Chicken Corn Chowder 18.8 oz
$1.22

Meijer Naturals Italian Style Stewed
Tomatoes with oregano and basil 14.5 oz
.58 cents


-----------------

And found these items marked down in the produce:

Large bowl of mixed melon chunks
regular $4.90
marked down to $2.94
I saved $1.96

1/2 Watermelon
regular $2.16
marked down to $1.30
I saved .86 cents



-----------------

There was clothes and shoes marked down everywhere.

I got 2 Sketchers Tennis shoes for the boys.
Well one will be considered a birthday present.

Was $30 x's 2 is $60
marked down to $15 x's 2 is $30
I saved $30 on 2 pair shoes


------------------------

Anyone seen the Pepsi Throwback on the shelves yet?
It's Pepsi and Mountain Dew that has real sugar in it like the past
instead of corn syrup. I haven't tried any yet.
It says they will start coming out May-June this year.
I know I saw it at Speedway already but couldn't remember which one.
It was sometime this past weekend so had of either been in Hillard
or one on Cleveland Ave.
It will only be out in 20 ounce bottles or 12 packs from
what I read about it. What I saw was the 20 ouncers.


----------------------------

I think tonight I will make goulash for supper.
I haven't had that in awhile and it's easy enough to make.
Well at least my version is.
Macaroni and cheese,
diced tomatoes,
diced onions
and ground meat

Then I picked up 4 pounds of deer burger from mom's.
Going to make some more jerky. This time
around I am going to use teriyaki with garlic
instead of the soy sauce.
I'm sure you can make it different ways.
I also thought about hot sauce and bbq sauce versions.
I think I have some hickory powder somewhere I could
throw in also to give it a smoked flavor.
You could also add in worchestershire sauce.

-----------------------------------

Woo Hoo! Today I got my $20 rebate from Kraft in the mail.
I like those days when I get other things in the
mail besides bills!

Need to head to the bank tomorrow to deposit my
rebate check and other checks from surveys.

It's a good day!


-----------------------------------

Last week I bought one of those bags of cinnamon
pine cones from Kroger when they were discounted.
I love the smell of them but don't like the
price of $5 for them at Christmas so wait til
after Christmas to buy a bag cheaper.
They kind of lost the strong smell of cinnamon.
I put the whole bag on one of the registers
and now when the furnace kicks on it blows hot air
into the bag heating up the cinnamon and scenting the air.
It smells real good in the bathroom since
it's a small space!

------------------------------------

Due to the dry air in the house I have 2 vaporizers running.
Helps keep the house humid and warmer.

A good way to maintain them and keep them clean and
disinfected is to pour about 1/4 cup vinegar in them
and run them.

Sometimes I like to spray a few pumps of a
smelly body spray in the water to give the
air a smell.
If I have no perfume then I have poured a tablespoon
or two of vanilla extract in there. Or what
about a small amount of liquid potpourri.