My First Guest Post

Michelle at Scribbit graciously opened up her blog to guest posters a while back and, given my love of sharing great deals, I jumped at the chance to talk about some of the low-cost, fun options for families in the north Florida area. I know there are tons of places I didn't cover, so feel free to comment here or at her place to give everyone a chance to know about your favorite, cost-effective family-oriented activities!

Menu Plan Monday

Well, I've been out of pocket with Menu Plan Monday for quite some time. And, for quite some time my dinner hour has been hectic! I didn't realize how much easier it made my life to know what is for dinner each day. I could just write it down on our family calendar, and maybe I will start to do that, but I'll try posting it each week again first to see how it goes. I used to try to incorporate lots of new things into my menus, but since my husband has been off work (and, therefore, home in the evenings) I don't experiment as much. Kitchen experiments do not make him excited like they do me and the kids! We normally made Mondays meatless, but during the transition we are still figuring things out. This week it's Thursday, but that just doesn't sound catchy--"Meatless Thursday." It's not working for me. I'll have to change that next week back to Mondays. It's hard to get into a new dinner groove when you're husband has worked nights for the last 12 years!

Monday: Hamburgers, home fries, fresh fruit
Tuesday: Chicken and rice, peas, homemade rolls
Wednesday: It's So Easy BBQ Ribs, baked beans, garlic bread, green beans
Thursday: Blender Whole Wheat Pancakes with blueberry or raspberry syrup
Friday: Homemade pizza with lots of toppings
Saturday: There's no telling....maybe take the kids out to eat
Sunday: Beef stew in the crock pot with potatoes and carrots and a fabulous dessert of some kind that I'll figure out later...suggestions anyone?

Thrift Thursday: Mastering Coupons

Since this time last year, I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to master the coupon game. At first, I tried to do it all--I tracked deals at CVS, Walgreens, Publix, and Winn Dixie, as well as several online deals. After several months, it became overwhelming. To solve the problem, I started focusing on one store at a time. I mastered that store's policies and developed a general strategy for getting the best deals. Then, I added another one. I have found this is much easier! So, my advice to you today if you are new to couponing is to begin with one store and add on others as you become more proficient. Below are links to a couple of sites that will help you get started with CVS.

Couponing 101 - CVS
iheartcvs.com - CVS for Newbies

Website Wednesday: LDSJournal.com

So, a blog is sort of like an online journal, I guess. But there are just certain things I'd rather not publicize to the world. I've seen some of the online journaling sites and always felt like they were too vulnerable. I guess I still think they are. But, I recently attended a Time Out for Women event in central Florida and learned about LDSJournal. I poked around the site tonight to see what all the hype was about. The thing that caught my eye the most was the beautiful bound book on display at the conference. It was gorgeous and seemed very reasonably priced; a great way to preserve memories for future generations.

Now, I know I'm starting to sound like a commercial, but I can promise you that's not the case here. I haven't made the leap into hawking products or making money from ads on this blog. I just think modern technology is pretty neat and sometimes I can't help but tell other people about the cool sites I visit.

While I'm still not sold on the whole journaling online thing (I don't care how secure the site is, I don't think anything is really "private" online), I do like how easy it is to use. I have to admit, though, that some of the neatest things I have in my possession are samples of my deceased grandparents' handwriting from old letters and recipe cards. All of that nostalgia is lost in online journaling. Maybe one day I'll be converted, but not today.

An Article that Sparked My Interest

I came across an article today on Pioneer Thinking that caught my eye. I could have saved the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute a lot of work on their study about how tracking your calories and exercise helps you lose more weight! I had no idea I was letting everyone in on a secret when I posted this the other day. I love SparkPeople! (By the way, this is not a paid advertisement!)

Life Imitating Art

This is what happens when you leave your husband in charge of the kids for 36 hours (and this was after soaping up). Do the words 'The Dog' mean anything to you? Take a look here.

Ugh...My Appetite is Ruined

I mentioned several weeks ago that our hamster had two babies. Unfortunately, one died due to a wound on its back and the other was apparently consumed by its mommy. I've heard of something being so cute you wanted to eat it up, but this was ridiculous. We reunited mom and dad hamster shortly after this incident due to dad hamster constantly escaping and winding up in mom hamster's cage any way. And, what do you know!....now we have seven baby hamsters. A week later, I am happy to report that all are accounted for and appear to be doing well! We finally figured out how to keep dad hamster away, and I think it will remain that way forever. And ever.