Living Simply with a Handful and Quietness

GOOD day :)

handfulofquietness — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:30:50 +0000

This morning I realized that we are low on diapers in Ryan’s size. I have oodles of diapers for Ethan but not Ryan. I also was down to my last box of wipes. I haven’t purchased wipes since well before Ethan was born, so I guess it was time. So off I went…praying I could get a really good deal.

First was BabiesRus – our insurance company sent us a 35$ gift card to BRU for completing the baby program. I went and planned on getting some of their brand – I had a $2 coupno which would’ve made each pack roughly $6. Then, they had a promo going where you bought Pampers brand – for every 3 you got $15 gc back. So I went and after much headache – they are SO unorganized, let me tell you – I ended up with 3 huge box of Pampers wipes ($11.99 each minus the $2) and a pack of pacifiers for Ethan to try. My total was $34 and I got $1 back from my GC, then also received a $15 GC that I will go back (it didn’t activate for 6 hours) and use the $2 coupon to get 3 packages of their wipes for $5.99 and pay $3 oop and end up with 6 giant boxes of refill wipes AND a thing of expensive pacifiers for $3 YAY!

Then on to Target – I have found that PER diaper, Target brand around here are the cheapest. Walmart’s Parent’s Choice and Target’s are neck and neck, but I prefer Target’s quality, personally. Anyway:

Target Diapers – jumbo box $13.69
Bacon – $2.79
2lb carrots – $2.50
Command Hooks – $3.03
Fire Screen – $7.48
2 pks index cards $.94
Total $32.86

I also stopped by the bank and opened up our Christmas account to save for Christmas 09! I ate with my grandparents for breakfast, and she gave me a bag with a bunch of bananas, a thing of nilla wafers, a whole chicken, some girl scout cookies & a thing of pepperidge farm wheat crackers! YUM!

I’ll amend the totals on the side in a few…not bad though considering I’m almost halfway through my month!

Menu Plan Monday!

handfulofquietness — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:27:54 +0000

Menus for February 15 through February 21 !

Sunday

Teriyaki Chicken, Stirfried Veggies & Rice ($3.43)

sauce was $.39/bottle, chicken was $2.64, veggies were .40 and rice was free!

Monday

Grilled Deer Tenderloin, baked potatoes, fried squash 1.50

Deer was given to us so free, baked potatoes – $.10 each, squash $1 with breading

Tuesday

Sauerkraut, Weinies, Fried Potatoes, Cabbage & Cornbread 1.17 – .29

Sauerkraut – $.50, weinies free, potatoes $.10 each, cabbage free from garden & cornbread is $.27

Wednesday

Hamburger Helper, Corn on the Cob & Garlic toast – .75

HH was free, hamburger was $.35, free corn from the garden & toast is homemade bread with free butter and cheap cheap garlic!

Thursday

Dinner provided at bank meeting $0!

FRIDAY

Fried Fish, oven Cajun potatoes, leftover veggies – 3.96

Fish is $3.46, potatoes $.10 each, veggies are free.

Saturday

Hamburgers, Chips & yummy dill pickles! 3.55

Hamburgers – $2.50, chips $1 & dill pickles are $.05!

Total: $14.36 for dinners & DH’s lunches! I make the dinner and then pack a plate for his lunch! Not bad!

DS and I are eating leftovers and spaghetti for lunches, breakfast for DH was made for the week out of leftover sausage from Saturday, cheap Publix biscuits & cinnamon rolls, so nearly no cost on those!

For more menu’s, visit www.orgjunkie.com!

Publix 2/14 :) yes, i’m going backwards!

handfulofquietness — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 22:26:18 +0000

Last night I ran into a Publix that isn’t my normal store, but they are soo friendly when it comes to coupons! I loved it! I found some things I didn’t have my coupons for with me, but today when I went back they allowed me to adjust and I got my cash back! I went ahead and figured those into this so it’s just the one post. Here’s my loot, sorry no picture on this one!

4 Kraft Mayo’s – clearanced at $1.99 each
2 Molasses’s – clearanced at 1.35
8 Lipton Tea Bags – $2.59 BOGO
4 Ken’s marinades – 1.40
4 Ziploc ZipnSteam bags – clearanced at 1.35 each
3 Chex Mix winter mix clearanced to 1.27 each

- 4 $1 Ken’s MArinades
- 8 $.50 Lipton Tea doubled
- 2 $.50 Chex Mix doubled
- 4 $.75 Kraft Mayo
- 3 $.40 any ziploc doubled
- $.55 ziploc zipnsteam

Total before coupons: 81.96
After Coupons: 15.76
Total Saved: 66.20 – 81%!

Publix 2/15

handfulofquietness — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 22:12:23 +0000

I had it all typed out and lost it – whoops!

Spent: $23.38 – saved $45.60, will get $10 gc back!

handfulofquietness — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:14:53 +0000

Well, I ended up having to make a quick run to the end of the street grocery store this morning. This store is known for higher prices – it’s privately family run and owned, so they do what they want to. However, at 7:30 in the morning, I did whatever I wanted to and decided that I would mcuh rather hurry and get home. So I bought a few things and hurried home to make breakfast.

Crisco – $4.48
“Purple Juice” for DS Vday – $.89
Beef Stick for DH – $.99
Marked Down squash – $2.00
Starburst Gummies for DS Vday – $.76

My total was $10.04

And just for the record….my husband is grossed out majorly by pink biscuits. The heart shape didn’t even redeem them – he just nearly hurled. Ryan thought “pink bikits” were super cool.
Somehow eating them with gravy just didn’t quite sit well.

Happy Valentines Day!!

Shopping – 02/11/09

handfulofquietness — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:28:03 +0000

Just recording…..Sorry, no pictures this time!!

Dollar General

2 boxes Magic Erasers – $4 (eek, I need to check the prices elsewhere for sure!)

3 containers garlic powder $1.50

125 Paper Plates – $3

Honey Buns for DH – $1.50

Italian Seasoning – $.50

Vanilla Extract – $1

3 cans chunky ham (6 breakfasts worth) $3

Fudge Covered cookies – $1.85 (splurge, whoops!)

Milkshake – $1.80 (and it wasn’t even good – bah!)

SAMS

2 gallons milk – $2.19 each so $4.38

120 Trash Bags – $836

2 16 pks of hamburger buns at $1.79 each so $3.58

Giant Beef Bouillon $4.87

Giant Taco Seasoning $4.02

Pair of Men’s jeans for DH $12.91

Total with Tax: 41.13 ($13.50 from clothing, rest from Grocery)

JCPENNEY

2 men’s shirts for FIL’s birthday this week. Watch carefully:

Original price with tax: $97.20, yes 97.20 for two shirts!

Clearance price with tax: $17.22 savings of 79.98!!!! WOW! (had budgeted $20!)

YAY! Today went well. I went with a plan, and a budget and stuck to it. I’m not going for much this month – trying to clear out some excess in the pantry and freezer. That’s really the first time I’ve bought beef boullion & garlic in literally 4 years! Those giant things last foooorever! The Birthday gift was just an amazing thing – I saw that JCP was having a sale, and knowing that I had commited to getting FIL a new shirt for his birthday, I went over after Sam’s last night to get his gift. I only saw the clearance price – tbh I never even looked at the original price. When I got in the car and saw the “SAVINGS” on the receipt, I nearly choked. WHO pays $100 for two shirts?? Seriously – do people do that? *gasp.*

At any rate, I got him the shirts, plus a 15% coupon for next time. Good thing since my dad’s birthday is at the end of the month – he needs other things besides shirts I’m certain.

Also – God is good – I sent my taxes in Monday, they were accepted yesterday and praise God we’re getting only $700 short of our mortgage! We’re going to be 100% debt free by February 23!!! I can’t wait.

More musings from me later – my oldest little was supposed to stay at my IL’s house last night, and I have to confess I was looking forward to a little extra project time today, and I was selfishly going to sleep in this morning. 10pm last night brought someone knocking on our front door – nearly scaring me senseless as I was in the kitchen for a late night snack, but it was our sweet MIL and our little – he had cried too much to come back home and she made the late night 30 mile trek back to our home. So wake up time was at 6 as expected. Anyway…..

Honestly….

handfulofquietness — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:01:39 +0000

This motherhood thing is just sometimes HARD. Ryan has been sick for four days, and when he’s sick he WHINES – a lot. This morning, I was in the middle of working on my Home Blessing because the house gets MESSY on the weekends, and I had Ryan eating breakfast. First, he woke up before DH ever left the house – at 6:30. Then while I was cleaning the bathroom, he decided that breakfast wasn’t good enough on the plate and in the bowl – he put his english muffin on the table and politely dumped his full bowl of rice krispies and milk on top of the muffin. That became nice finger paint for him – which is where I walked in. Um…No, not in our house.

Otherwise, it’s just another day in the house. I had really been praying about God helping me – I am a believer of modest dress. I only wear skirts, as that’s what is best for me. I wanted a couple of jumpers or dresses – I’m still a nursing mom though so I needed a)comfortable, b) accessible, c)Modest, d) durable and e)CHEAP! I went to the thrift store on Saturday and walked away with a skirt, two jumpers and a long sleeved dress for less than $10. YAY! me! I have been on this clothing quest for several months – needing to find clothes that make me look like a modest, Godly and yet mom clothes. I am too often found in my jammies during the day because they’re comfy and I don’t mind stains. But with these new clothes…I don’t mind stains either – they are my mom uniform! Tangent there, sorry.

Anyway, All is well – I am doing home blessing, filing taxes and shipping out Ebay sales today – I had quite a few things sell last night so they need to be on their way to their new homes.

menu plan monday again!!

handfulofquietness — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:25:40 +0000

Sunday

Roast, Potatoes, Carrots, Broccoli & Corn on the Cob

Monday

Cube Steak, Baked Potatoes, leftover pintos & leftover cornbread

Tuesday

Fried Pork Chops, Mac’n’cheese, field peas with leftover cornbread

Wednesday

Shake’n’bake Chicken, California Blend veggies, Fried Potatoes

Thursday

Chicken Quesadillas, Chips with Homemade Salsa

FRIDAY

Turkey, Dressing & such at Betty’s – FIL’s birthday dinner

Saturday

Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Breakfasts

Cereal with milk & fruit

Pancakes with Sausage

Turkey & Cheese English Muffins

Breakfast Burritos for DH

Sweet of the week

Snickerdoodles and brownies - neither lasts all week so I need two!

For more menu’s - look up MPM at OrgJunkie.com!

How did we do???

handfulofquietness — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 16:18:12 +0000

Sunday

Pizza & Salad CHECK!

Monday

Biscuits, Sausage, Gravy & Scrambled Eggs or hashbrowns

(extra for DH’s breakfast through the week) CHECK

Tuesday

Grilled Steaks, Baked Potatoes & Roasted Rosemary veggies CHECK!

Wednesday

Vegetable beef Soup & Cornbread CHECK

Thursday

Olive Garden, honey! CHECK

FRIDAY

Chicken Quesadillas, Chips & Homemade Salsa

Fried Catfish, Pinto Beans, oven fries

Saturday

Cube Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans for lupper

I fixed cheesey eggs for breakfast with toast, our fridge is full of leftovers so we’re cleaning out the fridge today!

Menu planning was a success this week! This week marks 3 weeks since we’ve been out to eat other than the one preplanned anniversary meal, which we paid for with a gift card and coupon!

handfulofquietness — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:40:38 +0000

Honestly I do NOT like the way my house looks right now. I don’t feel like it’s decorated in a style that reflects ME – some of it does but I don’t know if my tastes are just changing or what. I feel cluttered. *sigh* Still…here it is – we’ve lived here 11 months, and I was sick for most of that on bedrest so I am just now getting around to doing the needed things.