Awesome CraigsList Score!

I was looking at Oompa Toys at their awesome Kettler tricycles yesterday. I decided I wanted one for my soon to be one year old. On the wishlist it went, knowing full well I'd never buy one.

Then, I went over to Craigslist to see what was out there. There were several listed! The one closest to us was listed for $35!!! Even better. This is a tricycle that retails for around $200.

We called and were told that 9 other people were ahead of us. :( I was sad. Then, we got a call right back saying that if we could come and get it before the day was over it was ours!!! I guess they got stood up and we were the easiest number to find. What luck!

So, my beautiful little boy is getting a tricycle for his birthday. They have already tested it out since it was a little hard to hide. My 4 year old daughter loves it, too.

Denver Botanic Gardens

Today we went to the Denver Botanic Gardens with our playgroup friends. It was a FREE day which is awesome. We haven't missed TV at all this week. Activities like this make it easy.
There were a ton of people and we had to park several blocks away, but it was not a big deal. Lots of strollers and wheelchairs everywhere.
The kids enjoyed playing in a sandbox, rolling down a hill and walking through a tropical rain forest.

Menu Plan Monday 4/21

This week should be interesting. We will be going TV free all week and I'll be limiting my computer time. That should mean more time to cook, right? We'll see about that!
I am trying to eliminate dairy from my diet this week to see how it effects the baby. My husband is planning to do some sort of elimination diet where he drink water with lemon and lime and a couple other things. HA! We'll see how long that lasts. But, it will make dinner difficult. We might be in for lots of leftovers. ;P


Monday: Leftovers-Potato soup for the kids, lots of fresh produce

Tuesday: Tacos with homemade refried beans, Mexican Rice

Wednesday: Chicken, rice, veges

Thursday: Turkey burgers on homemade buns, salad

Friday: Homemade Pizza, canned pineapple

Saturday: Turkey meatballs, brown rice, fresh veges

Sunday: Vegetarian chili

Other things I will cook this week: Sourdough Bread (2 loaves), cookies

To see other menu plans, visit I’m an Organizing Junkie.

National TV Unplug Week!

My family is participating in National TV Unplug Week this week. I am very excited about it and I've been looking forward to it for a few weeks now.
We already have been doing TV free weekends since February with great success. We get a lot more done and enjoy doing things together more.
As part of this unplugged week I will be spending far less time online. I could do without TV just fine, but the Internet is my weakness.
We put together a schedule of activities and things to accomplish this week. We are lucky that the weather is supposed to be nice so we can go to the park and take walks when boredom hits.
Here are some of the things we plan to do:
*Library
*Botanic Gardens-Free day!
*Pirate Ship Pool (community center)
*Chuck E Cheese (just play, free tokens and coupon)
*Yard work
*Grocery store
*Michaels-free crafts on Saturday + buy a few crafts for home
*Cub scouts-Pack meeting

Have you ever done a TV free week? Are you unplugging your family this week? What are some free or cheap entertainment ideas you have done together?

Menu Plan Monday 4/14---a little late

The menu planning is getting easier. We have started to change our eating a little bit around here. My husband and I are counting calories! I'm trying to gain weight while he is trying to lose. Sounds crazy, right?
We are trying to eat more protein which is a struggle for me. We tend to eat very little meat. Good thing I got a deal on tuna a couple weeks ago! Tuna salad will be on the lunch and snack menu a lot.

This week is a busy one.

Monday: Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Tuesday: Chicken, yams, veges

Wednesday: Women's Group Meeting/Dinner---leftovers

Thursday: Meeting/Dinner----leftovers or macaroni & cheese

Friday: Church Family Dinner & Dessert Auction

Saturday: Cranberry BBQ Turkey Meatballs, brown rice, canned pineapple

Sunday: Chili & cornbread

Other things I will cook this week: Sourdough Bread (2 loaves), beet puree, yam puree

To see other menu plans, visit I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Super Savings Saturday!!! Walgreens

Well, I don't have a photo today. I sent hubby to Walgreens last night so we could take advantage of the $5 coupon. We did really well!

*2 pkgs Pull-Ups
*toothpaste
*4 tweezers
*2 nail clippers
*nail polish
*4 small lotions

We spent $21 and saved $24! We got a $10 Register Reward and have just under $7 in rebates. It worked out well that I had a raincheck for the tweezers and clippers making them free!

See how others did on Super Saving Saturday at Money Saving Mom.

Walgreens Coupon! $5 off April 11th

Just saw this great deal on Money Saving Mom.

Print your $5/$20 coupon here to use at Walgreens tomorrow (Friday, April 11, 2008) only.

What a great deal! For maximum savings you can use it to buy the current best deals.

Financial Check Up

March went pretty well. We have been following Dave Ramsey since January 2007 and it has been going great. My husband really didn't know that is what we were doing until this year. lol

We went over on the grocery budget. I just took money from the misc category to cover it. I just had a hard time passing up deals plus our freezer was pretty depleted. I am still in stocking up mode, but think that by next month I will be able to lower my food budget and stick to it.

Our mini van needed repairs. We spent $750 to fix it. YIKES! Before Dave Ramsey this would have been devastating. We used half from savings and half from our budget that would have gone into savings. Phew!

We were able to stay under on our dining and entertainment budget. We only spent a couple dollars of the $50 we allow. We also were under on our allowances. We did spend most of our clothing budget, but got a lot of great deals.

It feels so good to have money in the bank for emergencies and pay cash for the things we need. We are truly blessed.

Check out how others are doing and gain some inspiration at Money Saving Mom!

My New Master Closet

I am thrilled with my new closet! Last week I purchased a closet organizer at Costco for $59.97 plus tax. It is the bomb!

I had seen it a couple months ago and when I went back to buy it it was gone. I was devastated. So, when I saw it again (this time for $8 less) I jumped on it. I originally had budgeted $800 for a custom closet early next year. This saved me over $700 and many months of waiting.

I couldn't wait to install it, so I did it myself on Saturday. It was very easy and my kids had fun helping me. It is adjustable to allow many different configurations. Did I mention how much I love it?!? It can with 3 shelves, 3 rods and 2 basket drawers along with the vertical poles.

Now I just need to get wooden hangers from IKEA. My mom is going to California next month, so I'll see if she'll get them for me. :P I especially need to get pants hangers so my husband has a better solution for his pants.

This project goes along perfectly with Organizing Junkie's April Monthly Organizing Round Up! I am so excited to participate. I've been decluttering for what seems like forever. I thought I had my master bedroom done, but when I installed the closet I found even more things to get rid of!

Menu Plan Monday 4/7

Well, last week went pretty well. I did not make Monday nights planned meal, opting for a Bertoli frozen meal instead. The rest of the week was switched around a little, but I did it! This week I know not to put a time consuming meal on Monday night. It felt really good to focus on meals that used ingredients I had on hand. I also enjoyed making so much from scratch.

So, without further ado, here is this weeks menu.

Monday: Spaghetti, peas, sourdough bread

Tuesday: Chicken, scalloped potatoes, corn on the cob

Wednesday: Tacos with homemade refried beans, Mexican Rice

Thursday: Split Pea Soup, oyster crackers

Friday: MorningStar corn dogs, tater tots, mixed veges

Saturday: Homemade Pizza, canned pineapple

Sunday: Leftovers or sandwiches

Other things I will cook this week: Sourdough Bread (2 loaves), granola, baby food (peas)

To see other menu plans, visit I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Super Savings Saturday!!!

Wow! The King Soopers deals were awesome this week! I am going to go back for more.
My King Soopers is running the mix & match buy 10 get $5 off sale this week.

I spent just over $20.69 and saved over $111. I got 49 items. I am so happy and excited. I was able to get so much for free it is astonishing.

We found organic milk and whipping cream in the clearance section. I had coupons to match from here and here so we got a gallon of Organic Valley milk for $1.69 and the little cartons of Organic Valley whipping cream for $0.49 each! I'm officially in savings heaven!

The Knudsen sports drinks were 10/$10 and I had coupons that doubled to make them free. I also got a few more free Clif Kids bars. Yeah, I'm addicted to free stuff.

Oh, I also got my $0.40 bag credit for bringing my own bags. I love bag credit.

Check out what others have saved this week at Money Saving Mom!

Homemade tortillas and refried beans. YUM!

I am a day behind on my Meal Plan. But, I am sticking to it a lot better than I thought I would. Yay!

Tonight we had homemade tortillas and refried beans for our taco & burrito night. They turned out really well!

I used two recipes from www.recipezaar.com. I love that site!
Here is the flavored tortilla recipe. And here is the refried beans recipe. For the tortillas I used red pepper that I had previously pureed and I had to add a bit more water (1/4 C).
With the refried beans, I used dry pinto beans instead of the canned beans. I omitted the salsa and cheese since we were putting them in burritos. I think I made about 5-6 cans worth! I also had 1 1/2 cups to puree for the baby and large amount to make chili with later.

The best part about making this all myself is that I used primarily organic ingredients and nothing artificial. For the shortening I use Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening. It works great and I frequently find it on sale and printable coupons.

I am very pleased with how everything turned out. From now on I will keep refried beans in the freezer so I don't have to make them from scratch each time we want them. I have been wanting a tortilla press and hope to find one at a garage sale this year!

Free Clif Kids Products!!!

I am so excited about this deal that I have to share it!
If you get the Mambo Sprouts coupon book (available by mail or at Whole Foods) there is a coupon for $0.50 off one Clif Kids product.
My local King Soopers (Kroger) carries these products for around $0.69 each. They also double coupons. That means FREE treats for my kiddos. Woohoo!

Check out more great Kroger deals at Money Saving Mom.

Menu Plan Monday - March 31st

I have a confession to make. I have a hard time sticking to a pre-planned menu. What I normally do is make a list of all the meals we like to eat and just go through the list and find what we have the ingredients for. However, I've been inspired by I'm an Organizing Junkie who hosts Meal Plan Monday on her blog.

So, we'll see how this works out. I hope it helps me focus on some of our more frugal recipes.

Monday: Split Pea Soup, oyster crackers

Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Burgers on homemade buns, corn on the cob, canned mandarin oranges

Wednesday: Tacos with homemade refried beans, Mexican Rice and avocados

Thursday: Leftover Night

Friday: Company for Dinner- Hawaiian Haystacks

Saturday: Homemade Pizza, canned pineapple, baby carrots

Sunday: Leftovers or eat at my parents house

Other things I will cook this week: Sourdough Bread (2 loaves), granola

To see other menu plans, visit I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Consignment Sales

One way to get nice clothing at great prices is buying at consignment sales. It's also a great way to earn a little money back on your own outgrown clothes.
One of the schools in our area has a yearly kids consignment sale. This is the second year and my second time participating. I'm really looking forward to it.
I will be volunteering to help for 2 hours. When you volunteer to help with the sale you get to shop the night before the public! I'm hoping to find some great deals this way.
Each seller was given a packet of tags, instructions and a seller number. I really like the packet. It gives all the information needed to participate in the sale.

First, I have gone through all my kids outgrown clothes and toys. We pulled out everything we don't need or want. Then, I sorted things that are ready to tag and clothes that need to be soaked in oxy solution.
I'm starting to fill out the price tags during TV time. At this rate it'll take awhile!
I will end up spending a couple hours when all is said and done, but I feel it is time well spent.

Check out more frugal ideas at Biblical Womanhood.

Saving $ on Organic Milk

Mu husband scored at the grocery store last night. He found organic milk marked down to $2.69 for a gallon and some half gallons as low as $1.19! I had him get 5 gallons worth. I am tempted to send him back for more since there is still room in the freezer.

The only down side is that we had already used our Organic Valley $1/1 coupons from here. But, I suppose I'll live. ;)

We go through about a gallon of milk a week. That means I have a good month supply which will give us time to catch another round of markdown milk.

Long live markdowns!!!

Yummy Homemade Bread

I just love baking bread. Actually, I love all baking. I am into scratch cooking in a big way. I have even been tweaking my recipes to make them healthier and cheaper. It is so fun!

I am very pleased with how this batch turned out. I made some changes to a favorite Pampered Chef recipe. Next time I plan to reduce the sugar by half and add some ground flax. I love to bake bread in my Pampered Chef mini loaf pan. The bread turns out perfect every time.

I get zucchini in the summer for free from friends. I shred it and freeze it in 3/4 cup portions for this recipe. When thawed, I get extra liquid that I use to replace part of the milk. Just pour the liquid into your measuring cup first and fill to the 1/2 cup mark with milk.

Here is the recipe with my changes.

Spiced Carrot-Zucchini Bread

2 1/4 Cups flour-I use a mix of whole wheat and unbleached white
1 Cup sugar-I will try 1/2 Cup next time
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
3/4 cup carrots, finely chopped
3/4 cup zucchini, shredded or finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup carrot puree
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk and zucchini liquid mix
2 eggs


Preheat oven to 350
Spray bottom only of Stoneware mini loaf pan. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, flax, salt and spices. Finely chop carrots and zucchini (or use previously shredded zucchini). Coarsely chop walnuts. Add carrots, zucchini, walnuts and remaining ingredients to the bowl. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon into loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pan; place loaves on cooling rack. Cool completely.
Makes 4 mini loaves or 1 regular loaf

What's In Your Pantry?

I have always liked having food storage in our home. For the past 9 months I have been using The Grocery Game, a subscription based site, to stretch my grocery budget and get a nice stockpile of food set up. My most recent favorite find is Money Saving Mom. She has links to all sorts of great coupons and deals!

I have nearly cut my grocery budget in half and I'm bringing home more than before. I never knew I could get so much for free! Getting free groceries has almost become addicting...okay I am addicted. This week I'm getting free tuna fish.

I love that by stocking up when prices are rock bottom I never pay full price for groceries!

New Clothes on a Budget

We went to the Colorado Mills Mall on Friday to get some things for the kids. There were a few needs and then I made a little splurge purchase, too.

We went to The Children's Place and found racks and racks of markdown clearance stuff. Many things were $1.99, but not what we needed. I also had a 20% Off coupon from the Birthday Club. Here's what we did get.

3 pairs of tights
1 onsie
1 4T shirt
1 pair 4T jeans
2 pairs baby sunglasses
1 baby golf style hat---splurge

Regular prices added up to over $48
Total spent $30.23

Then we headed to Target to get a shirt for my oldest son. It was $5.39.

Our last stop was the Gymboree Outlet. Now, I never shopped there before a few months ago! I had been in a few times years ago and was blown away by the high prices. Well, it turns out that you can get some killer deals on the clearance racks, especially with a coupon. Unfortunately, they do not take coupons at the outlet store.
Okay, the Gymmies were not a killer deal, but my youngest needs new pajamas. We looked at several stores and the Internet before making the purchase. I will pick up a few more pair second hand next month.

1 pair Two-Piece Gymmies (reg. $19.50)
Total spent $8.63

More to come on how I keep the clothing budget down...

It's All Too Much! Getting Rid of the Clutter!

I have been on the road to recovering from my clutter addiction for years now. I've finished reading It's All Too Much twice now. It is so well written. Not only is it motivating, it gives a clear cut answer to solving the clutter problem once and for all.

I find the more I get rid of the happier I am. My home feels more peaceful and comfortable. It is easier to clean and much easier to find things. I haven't missed anything that I have tossed. This process has helped me really focus on what we need and how we really want to live. In this world of "more is better" I have found the opposite to be true.

Not convinced to declutter your own home, yet? I also have more time to enjoy my family. Our relationships are stronger and more fulfilling than ever before.
We can invite people over without worrying about being embarrassed, too!