Wednesday, November 30, 2011

11-30-11

Me, mom and my childhood's friend's girlfriend
all went thrift store shopping this morning.
We went to two Ohio thrift stores but only
one had the 50% off most of the store.
I found this sheet with pink cabbage roses
on it for .99 cents. I thought it paired nicely
with the one I had already bought. Plan
to make potholders and aprons and possibly
fabric tote gift bags from them.



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I also found this fabric shower curtain
I can use for a living room decoration,
whether it's a padded bench seat, pillows
or part of a wall hanging. I thought
the colors went with what I had in the
living room. I paid $3.00 for it.
It was $6.99, marked down to $5.99
and I got it for 50% off at $3.00.


Then in the Christmas area I found a couple yards of
this pretty, sheer like fabric that has candy canes
on it and is sparkly for .99 cents.


Well it's 2:30pm.
About time to go pick up one kiddo from
the bus stop. I got a few other items from
the thrift store so will post those once I get back.


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3:00pm

I also found Christopher a pair of tennis shoes
for half price at the thrift store. I took
a chance at getting them because normally I
cannot find the right fit for his feet.
They fit perfectly!!
They were $10.99 but I got them half price
at $5.50 and looked almost new.


I found Jonathan this skateboard game that
hooks up to the tv. He's been wanting one
for the XBox360. Going to try and get one
tomorrow at Kroger with the holiday bonus.
But just in case they don't have any more
I got this one instead even though it's
just a plug and play game.
I paid $4.99 for it.
They go for $43 new!


Even though we only hit two thrift stores
I was so tired and my back was hurting from
walking around them. I got in a nap before
the kids got home from school. Still feels
like I could sleep for a lot longer.


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I don't know if many of you know about Freecycle.
I have used it many times before but not recently.

You need to sign up for Freecycle through
Yahoo groups.


Once you sign up be sure to check your email
for a confirmation email.

Columbus Freecycle is a place where you can post things
you want to get rid of. They have to be free of course.
You place the post of the item you want to get rid
of and people will respond to it (sent to your email)about wanting it.
You arrange a time and day for pick up with the person you
chose.

You can also post wants. For example-
Wanted- Dresser. But I think in order to start
posting any wants you have to at least post
one item that you are wanting to get rid of.
And I think wants are limited to once a week.

You want to make sure when you arrange a time
for a pick up that you make sure you do it.
You can be banned from the group for being
known as a no show. Other members can report
you if you don't hold up to your end of the
agreement. It becomes a waste of people's time
and gas so that's the reason for banning people
who don't follow these rules.

Everyday through your email you will get the posts
people make of things they want or things
they are getting rid of. You can always
respond to those by email. You are not always
chosen for the items but once in awhile you
get lucky if you respond fast enough.
And even though you write to the person saying
you would like the item they are giving away
don't always expect a response even to say,
sorry it's been taken. When freebies are posted
MANY people can respond to those posts
and it's not quite possible for the giver
to respond to each and every person who write them.

I used to get many things off Freecycle such
as beds, outdoor patio furniture, a gazebo,
wooden train table play set, clothes,
craft supplies, toiletry items. Once I even
requested a cell phone for my step-dad who broke
his and someone gave me one!

Don't get your hopes up if you post wants.
Sometimes you'll get lucky if someone has
the item you are looking for. But sometimes
you may not get the first response.

If anything just sign up for the group and
confirm you email to become a member to be
able to see the daily posts of freebies and
wants that you can respond to.



Another site I use to browse freebies is Craigslist.
You can check out the free section HERE.


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


5:05pm

For about the last hour I worked on making some
wall art for the living room. If you've ever
priced wall decorations or even pictures
they are very expensive. I cannot afford them
unless I find something cheap at a yard sale.
So instead I make my own.

I used 4 wooden photo frames and covered them with fabric.
It was made from a shower curtain.




I ripped out all the fabric I had in the window
frame and replaced it with the shower curtain fabric.
The window frame I found along side of the road.


And I still have some extra fabric left over
should I decide to make a padded bench seat
for the bench that I found for free this past Summer.



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9:00PM

It's been a good evening. With Thanksgiving, our trash
day has been pushed ahead a day. And with that comes
an extra day of trash around here causing an overflowing
trash can. So we took a trip to my hubby's work
to throw away excess trash. Hubby told us there
was a move out and they left a ton of stuff behind.
So my ears perked up when he said that.
So tonight we got to what I call apartment dive.
The apartment I guess had already been picked
over by other employees but I was able to still
find a lot of needed things.
I ended up with the back end of the Suburban full
of freebies. The furniture was in poor condition
so I didn't put claims on any of it. There was
a dresser but it looked like a dog chewed up
the bottom of it pretty good. When I apartment dive
the main thing I look for is food, cleaning supplies
and toiletries. Any other thing is a bonus.

I can show you the refrigerated/ frozen food items
I found since those items needed put away.
The other stuff I will go through tomorrow
and will post what I found. Too tired at the moment
and are just now sitting down to eat supper.

Tony got an emergency page while we were at his work
and then we had to go to Kroger to pick up
a few things like cat food and basic stuff.

Well I am off here. My show Ghost Hunters is on.

-4 pound bag of chicken breasts
-chicken breast strips
-4 fish fillets
-Italian sausage
-Banquet entree
-bag of onions
-2 jars bacon bits
-Swiss cheese slices
-2 bags mixed veggies
-Tropical fruit cups
-Bella cheese
-bag of carrots




Oh yeah, and one more thing, Tony's boss
gave him a box of Christmas light because
some of our strands of lights quit working this year.



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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

11-29-11

8:55am

So ready to just go back to bed.
I'm so tired and haven't been sleeping well
for about the past week. Muscles from my back,
hips and down both legs ache so bad that it
prevents me from getting a good night's sleep
or even going to sleep.
I'm back on the Pentasa medicine and are going
to try and stay on it awhile. It's supposed
to help with any inflammation in the intestines.
I don't know if that causes all the other
muscle aches and pains but it all seems
to be related with one another since it
all comes about at the same time.


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3:15pm

Gosh you don't realize just how old you are
until you figure out that you've known your
childhood friend for 27 to 28 years, maybe longer,
WOW!!

My 14th birthday 1984.
Charles on the right.




1988 graduation.



Ok is it just coincidental that I have
a Charger and Trans Ams in the backyard
like this video? Ok who's living in the 80's, lol!
Also loved the show C.H.I.P.s which had
a Trans Am in it which Ponch drove. Also had a Chevy stepside
like the one John drove, LOL. Oh dear I am getting old.




And now a days we have this-
a combination of a Smart Car and the General Lee.



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4:50pm

Tonight's supper is sliced up Italian sausage
and potatoes fried in Italian dressing with
seasoning salt, pepper, and onion powder.
Plain & simple.
Don't want to stand too long due
to my left hip hurting. I wish this crap
of all the aches and pains would go away!!
Tony says go back to the doctors. Why.
What's he gonna tell me that he hasn't said
already. He just plays guinea pig with
me because he doesn't know what exactly is
wrong with me. He tells me Irritable Bowel Syndrome
but that doesn't explain all the muscle aches
and pains. I just feel like I have to learn to
deal with it like Tony deals with his
nerve damaged feet from diabetes and
arthritis in his hips. Sometimes there
ain't a cure for things and people have to suffer
through all their symptoms.


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


5:00pm

I see it's going to be a long night.
Tony got paged out just as he left for
work and had to go back.
Someone's fridge went out. Hopefully he
can fix it. If not he'll have to replace
a fridge in a top garden apartment.


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


Heading to the thrift store tomorrow.
I'm thinking that it's half price for the
whole store tomorrow. I could be wrong.
I do know it's one day during the last week
of the month. Need to find a few Christmas presents.
Still don't have anything for my step-dad or
father-in-law. Oh well, it's always an
adventure even if it's not half off day.
They still have certain colored tags
marked 50% or 75% on things.
If I can't find anything there, there's always
another 7 more thrift stores in the area
to browse another day.


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


This is a very good song. I have been broker than
broke and still have managed to help people out.
This year is hasn't been a good year for us
with the pile of doctor bills accumulating
and the bank account dwindling down.
If the whole world would act this way it
would be a much better place instead of many
people thinking about themselves and material things.

The Chain of Love

To continue the chain of love I have donated
blankets to the church for families in need,
I have canned goods to donate to the school
for their food drive and now
I have this mystery box that is filled
with things from my pantry and stockpile
that will go to a family that will put it to good use.


When you coupon like I do and get lots
of things for free or cheap and get an
excess amount of things then you should
share them and pass them on to people who
can use it.

I don't have much money but I still find ways
to give :0) God has given us so many blessings
and you should always find time to pay it forward
because you never know when you could be
going through rough times. I know we have
been through it and still are going through
it. I know we have been worse off but are
thankful to have food in our bellies,
a roof over our head and a job.


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


6:45pm

Hubby is still not home yet from work :0(
Oh well got to think of the overtime he will
be getting.

I took a 4-5 hour nap today and still feel
like I could go to bed early.
I think for now I'll settle for a hot bath
to soak all the achy muscles.


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BestBuy on Facebook has 8 movie in 8 days

that you can download for free.


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7:30pm

Tony finally made it home only to inform me
that he saw the first salt truck, ahhhh!
The weather is supposed to turn colder
tomorrow with snow flurries. There, I said
the bad four letter word.


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Monday, November 28, 2011

11-28-11

I need to make a run to Kroger this morning
and only pick up a handful of items.
Need to put my blinders on and stick to
my grocery list.

On Thursday Dec 1st I have another trip to Kroger
Marketplace to work on getting things
with the Kroger Bonus Holiday money.
I should have $40 to spend.
Last Friday we went there to pick up
a couple things and had the kids browse
the toy section to see what they liked
and they each made a wish list.


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11:50pm

Back from shopping. Mom also took me
out to Tee Jays. We split a Barnyard Buster.
From there we decided to check out the
Five and Below store at Easton.
I got the boys some headphones ($5 each)
and Tony a Trans Am car ($2.50) for Christmas.




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Free Fancy Fest Holiday Ornament
limit of 7,000 daily free ornaments.


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4:00pm

Well I was going to have sauerkraut potato cakes
for supper but realized after I thawed out the bowl
that said pork and kraut that there wasn't much
sauerkraut. So instead I am making what I call
Rib Busters. I shredded up the pork ribs
and added a bottle of brown sugar BBQ sauce.
I've got a pot of potatoes on the stove
that I'll make mashed potatoes out of.
Then I spoon the bbq pork over each serving
of mashed potatoes.


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I had a friend of mine from high school stop by
tonight. I haven't seen him in 16 years.
Him and his girlfriend were having car problems
and needed a place to check over the car out
of the rain.


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I've been having flashback moments so started
working on different play lists of music I like
which is all different kinds.

Today's play list is 80's rock.


Get a playlist! Standalone player Get Ringtones

Sunday, November 27, 2011

11-27-11

2:30pm

My friend and her husband stopped by today.
Her husband looked at our dryer and could not
find what was wrong with it. I'm going to
probably go ahead and get the hi-limit
thermostat and thermal fuse kit from
the appliance parts store and see if that
does anything to fix it. It's what I read online
that could possibly be what's wrong with it
and for about $25 I willing to try that option
at the moment.

My friend also dropped off a bunch of clothes
and a box of food for us. I feel like crap at
the moment so will go through those items
later on. I feel so tired, my body feels achy
and I'm a little chilled with some stomach pains.
I don't think it's anything like the cold or flu
but feels like all the symptoms of IBS once again.
Might go lay down for a bit and wrap up in the
electric blanket.


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6:00pm

I went down to the freezer and pulled out
the big turkey, almost 23 pounds.
It's gonna take 3-4 days to
thaw so figure I'd get started now.
This should last our family for about
a week. I have a bag of potatoes
that needs used up so will make those into
mashed potatoes. Got a large bag of bread cubes
for stuffing. The other day I found a 1.5 pound
container at Kroger of diced up celery, onions
and seasoning for .99 cents. I should of
picked up a few more of those because those
would have worked out really well for soups!


Didn't have anything planned for supper
nor do I really feel up to making anything.
I found a big container of bean soup
in the freezer so that's what we're having.
Thawing it out in the microwave now.
Will have that with some leftover
rolls from Thanksgiving.





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8:20pm

I had a sweet tooth and came up with this
really simple and cheap treat to make.

Boston Cream Dessert Cups

1 pkg. sponge dessert cups 6 count
1 small box vanilla pudding
1/4 cup chocolate frosting, melted in microwave 25 secs.

Make pudding according to package directions.
Spoon pudding into middles of dessert cups
overflowing the top. Spoon melted chocolate
frosting over top.




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8:50pm

Was sitting here going through the recent edition
of the Taste of Home magazine that mom gave me.
I saw this recipe for Sauerkraut Latkes,
Latkes is potato cakes. It sparked my interest
because I just pulled a bowl of pork & sauerkraut
from the freezer earlier.

It calls for peeled apples but I only have
a can of apple pie filling. And I might use a
package of instant potatoes that was in the
food box my friend gave me today instead of
shredded potatoes.
Sometimes you can't always follow recipes to a T
so have to make changes with what you do have
in the cupboard.


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


11:00pm

I'm in music or flashback mode.

So love this song!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

11-26-11

I got my electric bill yesterday.
It had been running high for some unknown reason
and I have been trying like heck to unplug things
and turn things off that we don't use.
I've been unplugging microwaves, coffee pots,
turning off lights/tvs in rooms we weren't in and so on.

Kids especially have a bad habit of leaving
their rooms and leaving everything on.
I told them, unless you want an electric bill as a
Christmas gift, you better start turning
things off when leaving your rooms!

In September it ran about $112 & October $92.
And now November's bill is right about where
it normally is at $76.00.

So even though everyone looks at me like
a nagger about turning everything off
it finally is paying off a little.
I managed to shave $36 off the electric bill.


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1:00pm

I am getting an early start on laundry.
I have decided that I will hang whatever wet laundry I can
on the clothes bar I have in my laundry room
and run a fan to dry them.

Still digging some Christmas stuff out,
not too much though. Still hanging lights
on the gutters, bushes and fence.
This year we decided not to put out the
blow up decorations and any other light
up decorations like candy canes or
trains in the front yard. Something
is better than nothing and it will help
the electric bill not to rise as much
with all the extra decorations.


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


3:30pm

Got all the lights hung outside then worked on
cleaning the carport area up. It such
a nice day outside for November!

Getting ready to make a run to Tony's work
to throw out a bunch of stuff in the big dumpsters.


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Stopped by Tony's work. Tony was telling me about
a glider rocker someone threw away yesterday
and he asked if I wanted to check it out. He said there
was a glider foot stool but someone must of took it.
because we couldn't find it.
I loaded up the glider in the back of the truck.
It looked like solid oak and needed a few screws
adjusted. Still had the pads with it.
Tomorrow I'll give it a wipe down and steam
the pads. It looks similar to this below but
has floral pads with it.





While at his work I was able to check out a bicycle
one of the residents left behind when they moved out.
Tony has been keeping the bike in the shop.
We plan to give it to Jonathan for Christmas.
Looks like this one below.






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9:45pm

Well all it's about my bedtime. I had a hard time
getting to sleep last night. My brain just wouldn't
shut down thinking about things. I'm pretty sure
it was after 2am that I got to sleep.
I'm stressed, tired and my body hurts all over.
Going to pop a few ibuprofen. I need to get some
sleep tonight minus a few body aches and stomach pains.


Oh, one more thing, if you happen to read some of the
older posts from earlier this year, you will notice that I had to remove some
photos from the blog. I had reached the storage limit
of how many photos I could post today so decided to remove
some from the older photos so I could keep on posting
newer ones.



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Friday, November 25, 2011

11-25-11

9:50am

I told the kids we'd put the Christmas tree up today.
I know you see the ads and shows on tv for Christmas
but the reality doesn't sink in til you start getting
the stuff out and putting it up in your own home.

Tony has to work today so it's just me and the kids
putting up the tree. This weekend me and him
will work on getting the lights put up outside.

It just feels good that one holiday is out of the
way and now have to figure out how to get through
the next one.

Oh gosh, just the thought of digging all the Christmas
stuff out of the basement makes my head spin.
I see the house looking like a war zone before
it's all said and done. So much to do and not
enough energy to do it all. Still have some
stomach pains that come and go and a hip that
feels like bones are rubbing together.
This will be an interesting day if I survive it, lol.
Oh yeah, add in a cat that I worry will mess with
the tree once up. Need to get me a water spray
bottle on stand by.


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


12:05pm

Got the Christmas tree up, plugged in and fluffed
and that's about as far as I've gotten with it.


I'm sure I'll rearrange it a few more times
before getting it the way I like it.
I found 4 strands of christmas bulb garland
last year on a 75% to 90% off clearance.
And I found 4 strands of crystal like garland
at a yard sale this year for .50 cents each new.

Having lunch now with some leftovers from yesterday.
Homemade jumbo rolls topped with turkey, stuffing,
velveeta, salt, pepper & butter.

By not having Thanksgiving at our home this year
I sure do miss having all the leftovers.
We did manage to bring home some though.

I still have a turkey in the freezer that needs
used up soon so plan on having that within
the next week with our own little Thanksgiving dinner.

I buy groceries in advance before holidays, sometimes
a year in advance if I find the cheap sales and stock up.
I buy an extra turkey each year to have the
following year. So this year, with having
Thanksgiving at my brothers at almost a last
minutes notice, I still have my turkey
in the freezer. So if anyone wonders why I would
make a turkey not long after Thanksgiving
that's the reason.


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


free can of Purina Pro Plan cat food

when you like them on Facebook.


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


1:05pm

Was rearranging the garland on the tree when some of
it got caught and tangled in the branches to the
point I couldn't get it off. I thought I could
snip a piece of the tree fluff off to get it undone
and the next thing I know is I hear- ding, ding, ding,
ding, all over the flour. I accidentally snipped
part of the bulb garland instead and half the strand
came undone hitting the floor bouncing all over the place
like little balls. AHHHH!
Now I've got about 20-30 little red balls rolling all over
the floor and the cat's batting them around everywhere!
I dread putting up Christmas decorations!


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


4:00pm

Tony just called from work. I guess they are doing
their yearly health insurance enrollment thing.

You thought I was stressed and ready to bawl my
eyes out with my dryer going out last weekend?
Well what he told me about our insurance just
took any Christmas spirit out of me.
I thought our health insurance was going
to go up to around $480 a month, WRONG!
Try $600 a month!!
I am totally freaked out about it.
You're so screwed if you don't have
health insurance and so screwed if you do.
I'm cutting back even more than before
and now I have to worry about an extra
$200 coming out of our pay each month.
What's it going to be next year or the
following years???
This is crazy crap to put it nicely.
I still forked out $3-$4,000 this past year
for prescriptions, doctor, & hospital bills WITH insurance!
And I still owe probably about $1000.

For the past 3.5 years I've been trying to pay
an extra $150 a month more on the house
payment. With the insurance going up
I see that going out the window and just
paying the regular payments a month.
So much for trying to have the house paid off
before retirement huh. Totally screwed
no matter how hard I try.

Mom's calling me trying to talk and
I'm just not in the mood. She's telling
me that they want to get me a new dryer
for Christmas. I'm just getting
more irritated by the minute with every
little thing that is going on.
My dryer is fine and I'm sure it can be fixed
for around $30. I don't need someone spending
money on me like that for a new dryer which
costs about $300 to $400.

I just feel like there is a big ass curse
hovering over our heads at the moment.
I'd love to see a little glimpse of light
at the end of the tunnel.

Mom's telling me not to go overboard on
Christmas this year to try and cut back.
What do I have to go overboard with???
Is there a money tree out back that I don't
know about yet? I'm using my survey money
for Christmas, gift cards from surveys
and work, speedyway rewards for a gift card,
and the extra $40 I should
be getting from Kroger for Christmas.
Anything else I'm either baking or
sewing from scratch. I don't have any extra
money to go overboard with.

Hey Kendra if you are reading this,
add a ham to my Christmas wish list
if you are heading to the meat market
next month. You can take off a roast
or pork chops or whatever if you have to.
At this point in time I cannot even afford
a ham for Christmas :0(
Doesn't have to be nothing fancy or big.
Just a plain ole, small and simple, ham with bone in.

Well I better jump off here for now
because I'm not in my right mind to even
think straight. Not in the greatest
mood at the moment!


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Thursday, November 24, 2011

11-24-11

11:35am

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!


I worried all night about those darn deviled eggs.
I had two dishes full of them and they looked
like crap almost stacked upon one another.
This morning I found a large round plastic tray,
lined it with scrunched up plastic wrap and
was able to get all the eggs on it.
I didn't realize the picture was a little blurry.
They are all wrapped up and ready to go
so can't take another at the moment.

Got the green bean casserole baked.
It smells so good! I guess you'll have
that when you starve yourself for a
Thanksgiving meal. I put tin foil over top
then wrapped the casserole dish in a thick
bath towel to help keep it warm during our
hour drive. Plus we laid a comforter down
in the back of the Suburban to help keep
things from shifting around.


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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

11-23-11

11:15am

Squirrely found the flopped apple pie in the
casserole dish this morning.
I think the wild cats may have
also helped with its disappearance overnight.
It's pretty much gone and they've
been licking the bowl clean, lol.



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


1:00pm


I got my green bean casserole done.
It's not made with cream of mushroom soup
or french fried onions.
Instead it has sour cream mixed with a little
flour, onions, salt, sugar, a pound of
bacon cut up and fried, and topped
with 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese then
ritz crackers crushed up with a little butter.


I got the pickled eggs out of their jars
and dried them off and sliced them up.
They look pretty.


I was working on my regular deviled eggs
but had to walk away from them when, once again,
they weren't peeling right, grrrr.


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


1:45pm

How would you like to have this butthead living
on your street???
It's 25mph on our street.
This isn't a one time thing either,
it's everyday.
This is why we need speed bumps!

Ok for starters let's show you what 25mph looks like.



Wonder how fast butthead goes???




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Stopped in the thrift store this afternoon.
I needed some nice pants to wear to Thanksgiving dinner.
Most of my pants have stains, rips or are just
wore out or are sweat pants.
I found these pants below for $1.99.


I also splurged and found this flat sheet
(either a queen or king) for .99 cents.
I can makes some mini totes to put baked
goods in for Christmas gifts along with
matching aprons.


My biggest splurge of the day
and because I couldn't pass up this deal
was a 100% human hair clip on extensions
for $3.93!!! Brand new in the package!!
I know these could easily cost hundreds
of dollars for real hair!
I think there's about 8 pieces in this kit.
Check the ones out on Ebay if you don't believe me.




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


8:00pm

Got my peaches and cream pie made and baked.
It has a flour mixed with a box of vanilla pudding
for the bottom of the pie, then topped with peach
slices and on the top is a mixture of cream cheese
with some sugar sprinkled with a cinnamon sugar mix.



8:25pm

Going to go work on another dozen boiled eggs
and see if I can get them peeled nicely
for deviled eggs.


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10:500pm

Someone please remind me next year not to
volunteer to bring the deviled eggs.
What a pain in the ass they have been to make!

I have discovered I'm not a deviled egg maker.
I added 1/2 of an olive to each, sprinkled with
paprika (which by the way has very big holes
in the bottle, grrr) and sprinkled with bacon bits.


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


I found this post very interesting and so true.

20 Reasons You Are Not Getting the Same Results as You See on TLC Extreme Couponing

While I do admit I at times watch the show
and it makes me sick! You'll find me yelling
at the tv like a football game is on.
Extreme Couponing has almost ruined it for
us everyday couponers. Coupon limits have changed,
some stores have stopped doubling, and if you use
coupons the employees watch you like a hawk like
you are some kind of criminal.

I agree with all the points made in the post.
They don't tell you how much people have spent
on purchasing some coupons which should be added
to their total when shopping. And what disgusts
me the most is stores like Kroger are always
on that show and there is no way in heck
that my Kroger stores around here would allow
even a fraction of what goes on in that show!
Do you think even for a moment they would allow
me to buy 500 toothbrushes and use coupons to
get them free??? NO! You'll be lucky if you
can use 3 to 5 like coupons.

This show is totally insane and while Kroger
and other stores promote it on the show
they've stepped up their game and cut back
usage for regular shoppers out there who may
want to buy a month's worth of food or supplies in one shopping
trip. They are only hurting their business and
making people shop elsewhere where those
coupons will be accepted for normal amounts
of items.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

11-22-11

7:00am


This will be an interesting Thanksgiving.
I am trying my best to get things made to
take to my brothers. My Irritable Bowel Syndrome
seems to be acting up once again. My belly feels
raw and is constantly hurting with more trips
to the bathroom. It's waking me up at night.
It's probably caused by all the stress I've
been having about the holidays and wondering
how to get through it all with what little we have.
Every day I am counting down til we get our
tax return which will help out lots! Only about
2 1/2 more months to go which seems like
a very long time.


I got the rolls made
and might make up a second batch just to make
sure I have enough so that everyone can have
at least 2 rolls each.
I have decided that I'm going to make up
another apple pie since the last ones flopped.
I don't have any more fresh apples but do have a
a couple cans of apple pie filling and
a can of pears. So thinking about an apple
and pear pie with the no roll pie crust.
It's the same crust I used for the turkey pot
pies, the only difference is that you add
a teaspoon of sugar to the crust when
making it for desserts.
I still have a peaches n cream dessert to make,
deviled eggs and a green bean casserole.

Oh yeah, I still have my hair to color.
I have a nice supply of hair colors that I got
either really cheap or free. The hair
color I will be using today or tomorrow
is a Clairol Nice & Easy that I picked up
at a yard sale for .25 cents!

Mom called last night and wanted to know
if I wanted to go out to breakfast today
with them at Bob Evans, their treat.
I told them yes last night but might
call and cancel going this morning.
I feel like crap with stomach pains,
tiredness and trips to the bathroom.

I started back on the Pentasa medicine last
night which is for inflammation in the
intestines. This medicine costs me $100
(with our health insurance!)
for a months supply so I try to take it
only when I need it. It requires
taking 8 pills 4 times a day! And while I don't
recommend taking someone elses prescription
medicine, I am so thankful that a friend
gave me a months supply of her medicine
for free that is exactly the same medicine
I am taking. That helps out soooo much because
I don't have an extra $100 to buy medicine
at the moment! Without insurance this medicine
originally cost $875!!!!! CRAZY!


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9:45am

Got another round of roll dough going.
Currently it is sitting on the stove
waiting for it to rise and double in size.
Since it can be a little chilly in here
I turned the oven on until I heard the
preheat beep go off then I turned off
the oven. This will give a little warmth
to the stove top (with oven door cracked open)
to allow the dough to rise. (plus puts a little
more heat in the house)
Or you can do like I did yesterday,
I put the casserole dish on top of
the heater vent while waiting for it to rise.
I did that when I got the rolls made
and waited for the second rise before baking.


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10:55am

Got the rolls divided up. This time around
I am using a cupcake pan. I took a 1/3 measuring
cup and added dough to it then kneaded it some
to get the rounded shape. This way the rolls
would all be the same size. Still might make up
yet another batch of these later on and put
the other rolls I made yesterday into the freezer
for ourselves. They are great to make breakfast
sandwiches out of.



I don't think little squirrley is liking this rain.
He's been out underneath the carport.
Actually he's been trying to get into the bird food.
No matter where we put the tote with the bag in it
he always seems to find it. Tony put some chicken wire
over the tote recently and this squirrel has been
trying his darndest to get into it.
I gave him a Thanksgiving treat of a casserole
dish full of flopped apple pie. So waiting
to see if he digs in, lol.


I'm gonna go lay down.
I'm tired. My stomach aches kept
waking me up throughout the night
making it hard to sleep. Trying to
get one last nap in before the
holiday weekend.


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Possible new Axe Fixers Body Wash on Facebook.

Be one of the first 2000 fans each week to complete
the quiz and coupon claim form and we'll send you a
coupon* to try the eligible AXE Fixer of your choice for FREE.


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


3:25pm

Got my rolls baked and they turned out beautiful.
About time something came out right!
These are some big bubba rolls. No need to go back for seconds!
I brushed the tops once out of the oven with
some melted butter mixed with just a pinch of
garlic powder.





So I'm hearing some noises and rustling coming
from the kitchen. I do a little investigating
and this is what I found-



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


Grab a few Blockbuster codes for FREE movies on Thanksgiving.
Pop in a movie for your guests to watch or
to keep the kids entertained.
These are for the $1.00 movies.


Codes Expire 11/30

* 1ZW5FT
* 42IMX7
* LXNA40
* TWILIGHTSAGA (Good for any Twilight Movie)


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


Here's something you can make for cheap
Christmas gifts-

1 cup salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup water
paint

Preheat oven to 250 F.
Mix together, salt, flour, and water until a dough is formed. Knead the dough on a floured surface until the mixture is elastic and smooth. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with flour, continue to do so until stickiness is gone. BE CAREFUL. Do not add too much flour, this will dry out the dough and will cause it to crack before you get a chance to bake it.

Roll out on floured surface and cut with cookie cutters.
If using or giving as an ornament make sure to
make a hole for some ribbon to go after they are
baked and painted.

Paint as desired and allow to dry.

THIS DOUGH IS NOT EDIBLE, though it won't hurt you or your kids, it just won't taste very good!

Check out a variety of ornaments HERE
to get some ideas of what to make.

I was thinking about maybe making some pen/pencil
toppers like THESE but making them
in the shape of a hammer & screwdriver
for the maintenance workers at my honey's work.

One year I made rice filled hand warmers
that they could put in the microwave
and then put in their pockets when out
working outside.
You could use old flannel shirts or sheets
for the fabric.


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


I don't do Black Friday sales, even if I had
the money to do them. I don't like crowds,
traffic or long lines. Last year I did discover
that if you really wanted to do a store
for Black Friday that Pep Boys is an easy in,
easy out and no crowds!
That had lots of deals, mostly with rebates.

HERE are their ads. One is for Nov. 25 through Nov. 27th.
But watch the store hours when these sales are available.

Was considering these deals.
We got them last year.

5 quarts Castrol GTX oil with Purolater filter for $7.00
after $10 mail in rebate.
You can't beat this deal! Oil is generally about $4+ a quart!!

CHAMPION PLATINUM SPARK PLUGS
Free after $2.00 mail in rebate
limit 16

Peak 50/50 ANTIFREEZE & COOLANT
Free after $5 mail in rebate


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


5:20pm

Got the apple & pear pie made.
I made the no roll pie crust and
pressed it into the pie pan.
I then dumped a can of apple pie filling,
a large can of pear halves (cut each one into thirds),
a teaspoon of vanilla, 1/4 cup brown sugar
& 2 teaspoons of apple pie spice
in a saucepan and mixed altogether til warmed
and sugar dissolved.

I also used a crumb topping with
flour, oatmeal, cinnamon & melted butter.

I was thinking about drizzling some melted
cream cheese frosting over top the pie
once it cools.


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


Last night I had Tony remove some metal bars
that were on the foot board of our bed.
The welds came off them and they were just
hanging outwards. I was afraid someone was
going to get hurt by them so he took
them all off. Instead of throwing them
away I made wind chimes out of the metal
tubing.






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7:40pm

The apple-pear pie cooled and I put frosting on top.
I spooned some cream cheese frosting into a
zip bag and piped lattice lines across the top of the pie.
I thought it needed a little something something
to make it look fancier :o)



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


8:15pm

I'm now working on coloring my hair.
Figured why not while I have the energy.
One less thing to worry about tomorrow.


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


9:50pm

Hair's all done.