Make it From Scratch

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Go to Blog Carnival-Make it From Scratch to submit your post!

It can be anything you like, but it has to be made from scratch by you! You can check out the "rules" at Stop the Ride

Frugal Friday #8

Oh my am I behind!

My tip for today (since I need to go clean out the fridge) is what to do with leftovers so you or your family will eat them...

My favorite use for leftover chicken or steak is Quesadillas:
Dinnertime Quesadillas from Kraft is a good basic recipe. I use whatever cheese & veggies I have on hand as well.

Leftover meat is also good on salads & in soups. I have been caught adding leftover chicken to a can of Chicken noodle soup. Toss in some canned carrot slices & maybe some extra noodles & you can hardly tell it came from a can to begin with!

I also go the casserole route with leftovers. If I can toss it in a baking dish add a can of condensed soup, water, rice and cheese we are set!

Sometimes I toss leftover veggies in a bag in the freezer, occasionally I remember to use them in my soups, before they are frozen beyond recognition!

Make it from scratch #10

Make it from Scratch is up at Stop the Ride

So far I have had my tummy grumble, & discovered a new resolve to learn to use those knitting needles.

Listerine Agent Cool Blue Recall

Listerine's Agent Cool Blue has been recalled as of now. If you haven't already stopped using it, please do. I guess their preservative was inadequate Press Release

This affects all flavors & all lots. There is a form that you can mail your upc to to get a full refund.

According to their press release no one has gotten sick yet and the risk is very low to most people.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you probably don't have it! My kids are obsessed with it, just love to turn themselves blue!!! The Princess got into it 2 weeks ago while we were waiting for the bus & turned the bath rug blue... not sure I'll be buying it again.

Another contest!

The girls over at 5 Minutes for Mom are offereing up another comment to win! While it isn't as sexy as a new vacuum it is pretty cool! They were asked to review & given samples of Flavor It by Flavorx. I can say that I wish I had heard about this a couple months ago. The boy was on penicillin & I could barely stomach the taste, it was so nasty. It seems that they are offering a kit for home as well as installing systems into the pharmacy. I'd love to be able to change the taste of some OTC meds. The cough medicine always seems so nasty!

All you have to do is comment at the linked post to be eligible to win!

New job, for me too???

I have been offered up to hubby‘s new employer like food on a platter! Their food show is May 6th & 7th, and since they need help, dh offered my assistance! So Sunday & Monday I‘ll be doing whatever they decide I am best suited for & helping out. Not sure where they’ll have me, dh finds out his assignment in the next day or two. The kids will be going to my Mom's. Thankfully the boy will have school Monday & has after school math club so it won't be both kids all day for 2 days. It would really stink if there was a freak snow day!!!

I love trade shows. It's probably why he offered me to help. Especially food ones! Who wouldn't, all the food you care to sample… But Home & Outdoor shows are cool too!

We went to a food show last year with our previous food supplier for the ice cream shop. We weren't interested in most of the Trade Show Displays but we managed to sample most of the offerings anyways. And why not, that’s what we were there to do, sample!

I found that I was really attracted to the displays that had color and movement. It was much easier to grab & go the info at some tables, especially if they were busy. Getting time with a rep to ask a question was next to impossible unless they had really specialized items. We were also annoyed by the layout of the show itself, the design seemed to create bottlenecks. It didn't work that they put a paper product distributor at the END of a row next to 2 food vendors. You had to squeeze down the isle to get to the last tables.

Displays you could walk into were nice, but if they were for a popular item were hard to get through. If there was a rep out in front of the booth they were easier to talk to. Most people wanted to be behind the table & talk over it, but the ones that attracted me were reverse. The table to the back with displays & the reps in front seemed most inviting.

It seemed like the longer the vendor had been attending trade shows the better their set up was. I guess there is probably a learning curve & also better funding for the nicer displays is a plus.

Frugal Friday Tip #7

My tip for the day is for crafters & artists alike. A "frugal" or "cheap" solution to storage of any flat project requires a trip to your local pizzeria. Pizza boxes, with a little folding, can be perfect for storing anything from quilt blocks, to canvas.

I was introduced to the idea at the sewing store I used to work in, we gave them to students who signed up for a Federation Quilt class. This quilt involved highly elaborate embroidered blocks. Pizza boxes were the best, cheapest solution the owner had.

I also just ran across it here at Organizing Junkie. Laura uses them to store her scrapbooking supplies. Hmmm, I think it has unlimited possibilities, plus they come in multiple sizes.

We didn't have any problem buying a few off the local Pizzeria, but if you do, there are other ways to buy them. I bought a bunch at a local wholesale supply shop, of course we actually put pizzas in them...I bet I have a few left...oh boy PROJECT!

Home Security Frugal or Not, You Decide

PowerLinx Announces Groundbreaking New Audio and Video Products for 2007

Let’s start with the coolest home security system I’ve seen in a while! Secure View is security made easy. If you can screw in a light bulb you can install this security system. Because all you need is the “screw in” light bulb camera & the decoder. It seems to operate using the wires in your house! They have indoor & outdoor models available. I think they are a steal at $129.99 which includes 1 light bulb & 1 decoder.

Coming soon in 2007 is their IP net Cam, which uses your homes wiring to allow you to monitor the streaming video from up to 8 different cameras. All you do is plug the companion Ethernet bridge into any electrical outlet, and connect to your network or cable modem. It sounds like the plug & play ability of the software would even allow me to be able to install it. For the price of $249.99 I’m not sure how frugal it is, but it is certainly less than my homeowners deductible. This product is coming in July. They will also be offering new audio & video equipment, including a device that will let you transmit MP3/ipod or PC music to any room using your existing wiring.

I’m not sure you can put a price tag on good quality home security & not everyone can afford to pay for around the clock monitoring. I know even in our small township we have had several break-ins during the day & while the homeowners were home. I have been locking my doors more because of it, but I’d feel that much safer if I could monitor the outside while I’m in! I think it would be great to monitor the kids outside as well. We have several blind spots & not that I’d ever let them go outside un-attended for long, it would be nice to be able to get the dishes done while they played safely in the sandbox once in a while!

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

What not to buy for Mother's Day

Or more appropriately a note to my hubby, let's hope he's reading!

I am pretty sure that there are Mom's out there who would maybe want a new vacuum for Mother's Day, but there are rules... it shouldn't be a cheap $42 number that's gonna give her more head aches than help, right? Right! (nod head now)

Great Gift Ideas For Mom - DirtDevil.com although the boy did expess interest in the "non-powered" Dirt Devil my Grandma has, not having to vacuum as much myself, not a bad gift idea...

Again, there are probably more than a few who would disagree with me on this one too, but I'm not gonna be happy if I wake up to a man inspired beast of a grill, unless it comes with a written contract stating that the giver will be cooking on said beasty 4 out of 7 nights a week...
11% off The Grill and Cooler Combo

How about some flowers - Shop Mother’s Day Flowers from $23 at Walmart.com, but you know I'd prefer plants, even indoor ones would be great!

or maybe something from Overstock - Find something Mom wants only at Overstock.com

I'd LOVE a MP3 Player - Only at Walmart.com: mobiBLU 1 GB Cube Digital Audio Player, $129.72

or how about some new porch furniture, because you know how much I love the white wicker stuff that's out there now...
Wal-Mart: Three-piece patio sets from $89.86

Mortgage Low Down Review

Mortgage Lowdown is a blog about mortgages & is now hosting the Carnival of Home Improvement. I think I need to get in on that one! I have a ton of finished & upcoming projects. Plus we are looking for a lender & advice on what we should or shouldn't do, regarding our house. This looks like the spot to lurk! I need to go surf the 2 Carnivals that are up, maybe someone will have a quick fix to my sagging dropped ceilings (some people should need to take a test before they buy power tools!)

Gas Prices Climbing again

Frugal For Life posted a poll to see if or at what $ you'd change your habits due to the gas prices...

I had to say that I already have. The gas prices really put a damper on our ice cream/food business. So much so we decided not to open this year at all. We didn't feel that the traffic through the Park would increase much from last year, especially since gas will probably be priced the same or more.

That said, hubby's new job is 45 minutes from here, so we are now having to pay for more gas than we are used to. The price of gas jumped 3 cents yesterday. I don't know what it is exactly here, but if it is $2.81 in PA it's probably pushing $2.99+ here. Estimating the math he is using 3 gallons a day so ruffly $10 a day in gas, eek!

Monday Monday, laa laa laa la la laa

The boy is off to school, thankfully we didn't get the nasty stuff, that's all east of us. Hubby starts work tomorrow, yippeee!!! It was kind of nice to not have him heading to the office at 11PM last night. I still think it's gonna take a while to get used to though!

I finished hemming his pants yesterday afternoon, so I don't need to deal with that today. I do need to get them completely ironed though, I do so dislike ironing. Love to do it when I am sewing, pressing, sorry, it isn't ironing if you are pressing... I still have a stack of unfinished projects up here I can work on, but I think I am heading downstairs to clean the living room. It needs a good vacuum & with the shop vac it'll take me awhile. Probably hit the couches too, it's been a couple weeks since they got vacuumed. I hope that it helps them last longer, like they say, but they'd last forever if I didn't have 2 monkeys jumping on them everytime I am out of the room...

I am going to get a menu plan done for this week. I'll be posting it over at Lisa's Cookbook when it's ready. I think I need to go inventory my pantry & freezers though.

Melissa at Little Wool Gatherings is writing a book about pregnancy, she gives us an excerpt & is still looking for stories & ideas to add.

Comments...

I really do love getting comments! Really! It is just that I don't always remember to read them, since I started using the haloscan thing at least so here are some of the more recent...


Are you giving your 3 year old an allowance? I have been toying around with the idea to help her learn the concept of money. I am wondering if it is too soon????
Julie Cutting Back 04.10.07 - 3:20 pm #

I am going to start, once we get everything situated. We are also going to have to give the boy an increase because I am going to expect more from him. I am thinking that I'll give the Princess $3 a week in quarters or change, she likes putting it in the bank. The boy will probably get $5, & extra if he does other jobs.

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LOL! I can just imagine what a pain it is to vacuum with a shop vac. I hope you get a replacement belt soon for your regular one.
Donna Crafting Mama 04.11.07 - 10:27 am #

I don't think it would be terrible if it didn't work so well, the nozzle keeps falling off, because it gets stuck on the carpet! Oh well I can rejoice in knowing that the carpet will soon be gone & I will be able to sweep the dirt away, very soon!!!


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I just don't know how you keep up with it all! Melissa Little Wool Gatherings

I'm not sure how any Mom does!!! I guess we just keep going & going until we either explode or get a vacation!!! BTW, my lymph node thing isn't really bothering me, but I didn't have any illness that brought it on, so that is the concern, otherwise I feel fine, tired but fine!!!


To all on the Technorati Fave exchange I think I faved everyone from the Frugal Momma site, I still have to check my others to look for new ones! Thank you all! It is really fun to find new sites!

The great migration...

Ah Sunday! The boy goes back to school tomorrow, dh goes to work Tuesday, life will get back to normal soon! Yippeee!!!

I have only one must do mission for today & that is to begin the great migration of fabric to the upstairs from the basement. I have set up my machines, iron board & started thinking about layout. We have very little left to move furniture wise, now it's just the "stuff."

It has snowed here again, I really wish it would stop & be spring once & for all. We ran out of coal & in protest started to burn wood! I really do not want to have to buy another bag, it is April 15th for pete's sake!

I also have to do laundry today, the Princess had an overnight "accident" of course she was in my bed when she did...

Rethinking the Costs of Child Care and Considering Some Major Choices was a read worth sharing!

I am going to work on a menu plan, It has been too long since I've used one. Now I have a full panrty I need a direction or I'll stand there and be like "we have nothing to eat"...typical!

Frugal Friday #5

I am a day late!

My frugal tip of the day is probably more for us country folk, unless you have a little bit of garden in the city.

I compost, there I said it, we are a composting family.

A few years ago we picked up a compost bin & ever since we use it to dispose of any not-meat waste. Of course it is primarily coffee grounds, banana peels & egg shells, sometimes I do have to toss older fruits & veggies, peels & scraps. This coupled with the fact that we save everything paper to be burned in the furnace & potty training is complete we are down to a small bag a week for trash. We also throw yard clippings in there when we have them & every fall it gets filled to the brim with leaves (we have way more leaves than we do room in the bin!)

Thankfully we switched to a garbage pick up that recycles so we aren't throwing away the 3 milk gallons or 2 juice bottles we use every week .

The best part, I get rich compost for my garden, for FREE!!! Can't beat free, frugal & green all at the same time!