Publix Deals

Just thought I would post a quicky on some deals that I will be going back for this week (I went already on Monday--didnt take a pic this week, but spent $28 and Saved $90ish). If you haven't seen on iheartpublix, there is a good deal for the Scrubbing Bubbles Power Sprayer Starter priced somewhere around $7.99. If you have the One Stop, One store book (I got one Monday at Deerfoot in Trussville Publix) there is a $3 off store coupon, and then you can stack that with a $5 printable coupon, making it free :)
Southernsavers has a great matchup for the new green adv. flyer out (got one of those monday too)--check out the free Reach Floss, Midol, Prevacid, and Bayer--there are others too I think, but that is what I have in front of me printed or clipped ready for the store).
Lastly, I will leave you with a link for Heinz Vinegar printable, which is supposedly priced at $1, making it free after doubling :) We will be using this vinegar on Sat. night, as our family continues our tradition of making resurection cookies. If you have not heard of this, check out this link. We started doing this last year to try to incorporate ways to share the gospel with Sarah Kate in ways that children can really understand.
If anyone checking out my blog is interested in one of those $3 off Scrubbing Bubbles coupons (if you didn't get a booklet at your store), let me know, I have an extra I can share :)

Homemade Laundry Detergent

So Sarah Kate and I are hanging out this morning, while Michael is up at the church work day. I thought it would be a good day to try out this whole homemade laundry detergent. I had heard of this some time back, but got reintroduced to it talking with a friend while in Mississippi a couple of weeks ago. She sent me the link for this blog about how to make it. On her blog, I was able to find this website for a recipe to make the laundry detergent. A couple of days ago I headed to Walmart (I know, I really REALLY don't like that store and normally do not ever shop there) to get the things I would need to make it. After finally finding borax (on the laundry aisle) and having to call Kim to find the washing soda (PH-up, found in the swimming pool section--random, I know), we headed home. I must say, the hardest part was grating the soap bars, which I discovered in the midst of making, that if you are not using the felts soap stuff (I used soap bars instead, as it said on that blog) you need to use 2 soap bars (not 1/3 like the other stuff). That is a lot of grating!! So, now the bucket sits in my sink, as it must sit for 24 hours and then tadah! you have laundry detergent. Overall, you have to put out about $10 for the supplies to start, but these supplies will last for quite some time and make plenty more batches of soap.
I must say, I do love my ALL laundry detergent, and if I can get it for really cheap, I might still occasionally get some, but making it was so easy and quick! Maybe I am done with buying it, I will make my final decision after I was some clothes with it and see how that goes :)
Next, I plan to try making household cleaner (as found on my link to simplemom's blog on the right) and glass cleaner. Sarah Kate is definitely getting at the age where she is wanting to help when I clean, and I want to support that if she is interested. Therefore, I want to have cleaners that are safe for children and won't harm her!

Sarah Kate--21 months!

So I thought I would update on what my Sarah kate is up to these days. I thought this might be a good way to look back and remember what she was doin and this age, cause I am not good at writing these things down. I can't believe my baby will turn 2 this summer!

1. We love to feed ourselves and think we are too big for a highchair. She sits on her knees at the table and either uses a fork/spoon till she might give up and resort to using fingers :)

2. Talking up a storm! She is puting words together trying to make sentances: our first sentance (that mommy is calling a true sentance) "Daddy...fix it!" She is really trying to put words together and talk to us or tell us what she needs or wants. "Mommy get it", "Jesus loves you", "Happy Birthday", and lots more, those are just a few.

3. She is taking an interest in the potty, or at least beginning to. She likes to sit on it, but has yet to actually tee tee in it, we shall see when that big day comes. I am not trying to force potty training, she just sees it in the bathroom and likes to talk abou it :)

4. We are taking 1 nap a day now, which normally lasts 1 and 1/2 hours at least which is lovely for mommy :) She loves to rock before getting in her bed, but likes to get in still awake and tell me night night and "love you".

5. She is not much for riding in the cart at the grocery store or wherever we might be, she thinks she should be able to walk, which most of the time she stays right beside or close to me, so I let her down most of the time (what other choice do I have really :)). She likes to push the buggy down the aisle even though she cant see who she is pushing it into (we make lots of friends in the grocery store)

6. She loves everyone! She loves her family, but she can be anybodys friends if they will let her. She says hey and byebye to everyone we meet or just pass as we are walking along in the store or at the park. And she will talk to them and tell them all about whatever is going on in her little brain if they will listen (or even if they won't sometimes :)).

7. She loves to read! We went through quite a few books on our 2 recent roads trips to Miss. and MO. She can stay quite entertained if she has enough books. She loves for me to read to her, but she is pretty content to sit there and read them by herself too!

8. She loves water! She will pull the kitchen chair up to the sink when I am cooking and want to play in the water or watch me cook and wait for me to turn the sink on so she can splash in it. It will be fun to see her this summer get to play in the sprinkler and pool and everything :)

9. She is getting quite the sweet tooth. She loves "Icing!!!" as she says when she sees it. She knows to ask for icecream when we go to chic-fil-a. If she sees mommy or daddy eating a cookie or brownie she is at our feet in seconds saying " bite, please!!!" How can we refuse such a cute request?

10. Toys she loves to play with: sidewalk chalk, tea party table and tea set, coloring (more with pens than crayons), balls, movies (veggie tales, angelina, between the lions), babydolls(taking care of them with her highchair and feeding them).

So that is what little girl is up to these days! She is lots of fun and it is so fun to see her start to play with others and interact with her friends. We are loving this time with her and can't believe we are about to start planning her 2nd bday!

Paperless Kitchen==Frugal Idea!

So as I started couponing last year, I began to think of ways our family could cut expenses and lower our grocery budget. I decided to try to go paperless in our kitchen (meaning no paper towels or napkins). Sounds crazy, huh? Well, I loved it! I decided (from an idea found online=can't remember where) to pull out my cloth napkins, which I had plenty of from wedding presents and use those at meal times and cleaning up. I found that if I kept 2 baskets in my kitchen, one at the sink, and one under the sink, I have easy access to towels for cleaning up a dirty child's face from a meal, and access to towels used for cleaning the counters and table. It actually turned out to be pretty fun to have friends over and have them ask where the napkins were for dinner and I pulled out the "pretty" napkins. Overall, it really doesn't add any more loads of laundry, I add it to a load I am already doing. Savings have been great though! Just think, A roll of paper towels go for about $1 right? You go through 1 a week (if not more), plus the napkins, and that can really add up! And I have found that if I don't have them, I don't miss them. The same goes for paper plates and such, do you really need all that? Yes, there are certain parties that paper is just easier, but for my family, it is worth the few minutes to load the dishwasher to save the money. And, I will "buy" napkins or paper towels if they are free at the store, I just won't put out money for them any more :) When we are trying to squeeze our budget, this is something that really has helped us!
So, I encourage you, find things around your kitchen, maybe paper products, that you really don't have to have and see if you can go without it, even if you just give it a try, you might find it to be fun!
Whether we need to save some money or not, we are all called to be good stewards of the money God has blessed us with. When it boils down to it, it isn't really our money anyway.
Proverbs 3 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, ad he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine."
So I encourage you this morning, search your heart (as I daily try to search mine) and see where in your life you can Honor the Lord. He will bless you! We are called to seek His face daily (or really each moment of our lives) and live out the gospel through all aspects of our lives!
Well, the little one awakes and we shall go get some breakfast, y'all have a lovely day, go outside--the sun is shining!! It's going to be a lovely day!

Diaper deal at CVS

Hey Yall! We had quite a morning going to CVS and Publix (and a side trip to TJMaxx)! We did good at Publix, esp. getting another $50 gas card, for $40! It's nice to save on gas occasionally! I got diapers at CVS and Publix today! We are stocked up on diapers now, if we weren't already! Publix had a coupon book out with some store $3 off coupons that I stacked with tthe awesome $3 Manu. Coupons found online lately--AND, on top of that I will mail my receipt in and get $10 back in a rebate--so total for 2 boxes will be $18 (or $9 each)! Today's pic, must be awarded to CVS though! Diapers are a great deal there this week if you are in need (we acually are no where near running out, but I will stock up when they are a deal like this!-esp. for Pampers) So here is the deal:

Pampers Jumbo packs: 8.97 X2

Get $3 ecb back and use $3 and $2 off manufacturer coupons

I also got Colgate toothpaste on sale $3.99- get $3.99 ecb's and used a $1 off coupon (making it a $1 moneymaker!) and Crest mouthwash $3.99-$2 man. coupon and got back $2 (making it free) and Dawn Hand Renewal soap .97 cents on sale-$1 coupon= free!

So, total with tax: 4.17 ( I had a $4 off $20 coupon and was rolling $12 bucks from last week)

AND, I got back $12 ecb's!

Good Week!!

Yummy Dessert!!

So, I got this idea from a friend, and took a spin on it last night. This came about from 2 different recipes, but of them yummy! The first recipe uses crescent rolls with a large marshmallow rolled in butter and cinnamon sugar rolled inside. They are cooked in a muffin pan (dab butter on top and some more cinnamon sugar if you would like :) Then, you make a powder sugar icing to go on top when it is done cooking (delicious). The other recipe, used crescent rolls (2 cans). The first can you roll out on a 9x13 pan. Then put cream cheese and sugar (mixed) in the middle and another can on rolls on top of that. Then, you butter the top and sprinkle cinnamon sugar all over the top and cook. So, last night, I was thinking about this recipe, and didn't have cream cheese, but did have a bag of small marshmallows. Here is what I came up with:


Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
roll out 1 can of crescent rolls.
coat marshmallows in butter, then cinnamon sugar and spread on top of rolls in pan
roll out 2nd can of rolls to cover marshmallows. Spread butter on top and cinnamon sugar.
cook about 20 minutes :)


I would show you an amazing pic, but here is what we have left of it this morning (after i had some for breakfast :)

Go make it, you won't be disappointed!

Home, Sweet Home!

Well, we are finally home! What a whirlwind the last couple weeks have been. We spent last weekend in Jackson, MS, and this week in St. Louis, MO. We had a great time as a fam on both trips and made some great memories, but I sure am happy to be in my bed tonight :) Here is a short list of fun things from our trip in st. louis:

1. Sarah Kate looking out of our window in our room and begging to go swing and play on the playground!--She got to play a lot on this trip, which she loved :)

2. The joys of having a nearly 2 year old in a car for 8 hours: here's how it would go:

"Mama, drink?"

"Mama, book?"

"Cracker, please"

and so on, and so forth. We got request every 30 seconds it seemed, but she was good overall, considering she is nearly 2 and was stuck in her seat--though, she did discover how to get her arms out of the straps on the way home. OH! and use her foot to reach the button to open her window--that was quite funny!

3. Sarah Kate's face when I let her try Root Beer at Fitz (a fun place we ate the first night there). Let's just say I think she will follow her daddy's footsteps and not like root beer :)

Overall, it was a wonderful trip! As we came home last night, we pulled up to a sale sign in our front yard. We don't know where the Lord is going to lead us, but we are excited to see what He has in store for our family. Now I will end with some pics from our trip!

Where we stayed on campus

Daddy and Sarah Kate at the arch