Shopping Trip...Sept W2

A few things... I went shopping today; Costco and Fry's (Kroger?).

At Costco, I had a specific list and I let no one come with me; they tend to deviate from the list.

Diapers (Kirkland brand = 35.99. OMG, Huggies were 42.99 wow!)
BabyWipes
Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts (frozen)
Hamburger Meat
Krusteez Pancake Mix
2 things of bread (4 loaves total).

The cost? $100.61. Darn! .61 cents over budget.

While getting a temp card (I always forget mine) - they sold me an Executive Membership (2% Cashback). It cost $13.94 until December (prorated). It will cost me $100.00 in January. I did it. #1 We buy gas at Costco. And #2 We buy diapers, and dog food, and birthday cakes - oh my! We will try it out for a year, and see how it goes.

Then... I had to go to Fry's (after dropping the stuff off at home of course). This time, I went $20 over budget. But, it's all stuff I needed, nothing frivolous. I did have a few coupons, and managed to save $31.00 from the coupons and SavingsCard. My total was $93.00. Not bad for a family of 5.

Jr. and the kids stayed home (thank gosh) to start clearing out the garage for the big move. We will be having a garage/yard sale next week (I think). This morning we cleared out the playroom and packed it up.

So, a busy Saturday for us so far.

Mmmm. Yummy!

So. I shared my Menu Plan with you all on Monday. There's been no meat included in our meals thus far. Tonight's dinner? Cheese Crisps (Quesadillas) with homemade Pinto beans (soaked them for several hours, added garlic and salt - then simmered it for an hour and a half), and corn with red bell peppers. We also had Sour Cream and Salsa. Very festive. And it was a hit!! =)

I know I said we won't be going out to eat again for a long while. BUT... my parents are leaving for New York for 2 weeks - so I wanted them to see the kids before they left. So we made plans for Saturday. We will keep it cheap though!

I can't remember if I mentioned or not - but we are moving in mid-October back to the other side of town (we are currently 25 miles from our family and jobs). This is going to be a great move for us. We need to declutter, have a garage sale, and get organized. We've packed a total of 3 boxes so far. :( lol... We need to get it done!

Alex's birthday is on Halloween, so I need to start planning that as well.

It's going to be crazy few months.

Menu Plan Monday

We did our grocery shopping over the weekend, but for the most part - we are going to be digging through the pantry (in preparation for our move!).


http://orgjunkie.com/menu-plan-monday

M - Mac N Cheese, Green Beans and Apple Sauce
T - Pancakes and Fried Potatoes
W - Cheese Crisps, Pinto Beans (homemade) & corn w/red bell pepper
Th - Papas con Carne (hamburger, potato and taco seasoning soup)
F - Chicken and Salad

We are NOT going out to eat. Ever. I am tired of throwing my money away. Dinner at home, every night.

What are your after dinner routines?

I have to admit - things around our house right now are a bit unorganized. We tend to play "catch up" with just about everything.

It's Sunday night. My husband got home about an hour ago; dinner was on the stove. I had my daughter set the table and then we ate. Most times, I am so tired from work (Monday through Friday, anyway) after cooking dinner, I just want to sit on the couch and do nothing (except for watch television, of course). However, that action is what gets me into trouble. I really want everyone to help out with our after dinner routine. My older two (almost 13 and 9) can certainly help - however, they feel they are overworked. I can see how they would think that, since we are behind on things; there is always something to pick up or put away. I am working on an organization plan for each day of the week. I probably won't be able to create a set schedule, but at least several things that need to be done as a minimum. I also want to create a 'every other week' and 'monthly' cleaning schedule. Who ever thinks to clean the fan blades?

So, what are your after dinner routines? How do you ensure a clean kitchen and clean kids (don't think I haven't thought about knocking it out at once! Could you imagine the suds?).

Coupon Sunday

Well... today is Sunday. I spent a few minutes going through the beginning of my coupon collection - not much there, yet. I just went shopping yesterday, so we won't be going again until next weekend which gives me a few days to add to my collection.

Stay tuned for Menu Plan Monday, tomorrow.

Neat Idea

As I was reading through some blogs this morning, I ran across a few that showed pictures of their kitchens (and how they were set up). There were some beautiful kitchens, that's for sure. One of the things I loved was a potato, onion and other non-refrigerated fruits and veggie holder. I was showing my husband and he agreed, it was a nifty idea. Sad to say, the bag of potatoes we currently have is shifted from one room to another (okay, between the kitchen and the laundry/pantry room). It would be neat to have something I could keep on my counter. My husband said he would make me one (uhem). In the mean time - I think I will start looking to buy one. Here is a sample of what I will be looking for: Sample. This is RuthAnn's house. It's gorgeous. You will need to scroll down a ways to locate the item. It's red, wooden, and delicious! =) Although, I may have to settle for plastic until my husband is ready to get the tools out.

My 1st Post

I am addicted to blogs. In fact, I own quite a few; there is my finance blog, my family blog, and of course...who could forget my long ignored weightloss blog?! I have spent all morning creating a new blog - all because of her. RuthAnn is tooooo cute. And I am now addicted to her blog. She writes about the life I wish I had. I know, the grass isn't always greener. But, I do live in Arizona and she in Missouri - so technically... =)

I love all things Americana, country and crafty (I just never admitted it before now). I am a mom with many interests but never enough time. In the next year or so, my husband (of almost 14 years) and I hope to buy our very first house. And then I want to turn that house in our home. I am going to use this blog as a {Hope Chest} of sorts. And a long the way, my daughter and will probably share some crafts, I may post pictures of something I will just have to have in the future - or I may post about a million other things (perhaps even consolidate a few blogs).

If you happen across this blog, please leave a comment. Although I've done a great job pretending I am writing to an audience - a real one would take the cake!