Menu Planning

Let's be honest...I am a slacker when it comes to maintaining a blog and I apologize.  I have grand ideas for this blog but lack the energy and desire to share them on a regular basis.  Forgive me.

So, my friend Amanda asked me to share my menu plan.  This plan is a little time consuming in the beginning but makes your life so much easier in the long run.  I basically sat down and made a list of all of the meals that we like to eat.  I broke them up by categories:  ground turkey, chicken, pasta, ground beef, pork, fish, soups/misc and meals to try.  You could also get creative and come up with fun categories:  meatless, crock pot, ethnic, etc. 

Here is just a sample of mine (and does not include all categories/meals):

Pasta

• spaghetti with meatballs
• lasagna roll-ups
• penne pasta

Ground Turkey

• taco salad
• turkey burgers
• turkey burger steaks

Chicken

• shredded BBQ chicken
• Rosemary chicken
• chicken nuggets
• salsa chicken
• Chicken 'n Dumplings

Soups/Misc.

• Chili
• Chicken noodle soup
• potato soup
• Lentil Soup
• Fried Rice
• Pintos

Sides include: mashed potatoes, crock pot mac and a large variety of veggies.

Mr. Clark gets paid every other week so I buy groceries for two weeks.  I sit down before each payday and make a two week menu.  I use the list above to select my meals.  I try to use one meal from each category, that way we're getting a variety of foods and we're not getting bored by eating the same meals over and over.  

It is seriously so easy.  I pretty much remember the ingredients needed for our favorite dishes so making my shopping list is a snap.  You could make a master shopping list for your meals to make it even easier on yourself.

For printable menu planners go here and here.  Have fun ladies - and share some of your favorite recipes so we can shake up our own menu plans!!

Thirty-One Party

Hello ladies!  I just wanted to share with you that I am having a Thirty-One catalog/online party.  This will save on everyone driving up the mountain for an actual party at my house.  You can browse the catalog in person or online and decide if you're interested in ordering something.  No obligation to buy!

Here's the deal...

• If I get at least $500 in orders I will get free shipping so you can have your products sent to me and you'll pay no shipping fee.
• The June special - if you spend @ least $31 you get their Large Utility Tote (regular price is $30) for only $9!!  This is a really great deal ladies!!
• To shop go here.  If you order online make sure you chose Heather Clark's event when you're checking out.  If you would like to look at the catalog in person call or email me and I'll meet with you.
• Thirty-One has an amazing selection including:  purses, wallets, cosmetic bags, laptop cases, weekend totes, backpacks, thermal totes (lunch sized to market sized), utility totes (in a large variety of sizes), aprons, kids products and much much more!!

I have my eye on these products:

I want to use this when I'm getting groceries for my cold/frozen products.  It'll also be great to take to picnics, etc.

I plan to get Apple Blossom for Hannah & Playful Robots for Sam.    I'm going to fill them with all kinds of fun stuff to keep the kids amused while we're waiting at restaurants, doctors offices, etc.  (I've got bags now that I have crayons, stickers, note pads, stencils and mini etch-a-sketches ready for the kids!  These little pouches are just so much cuter than what I've bought!!!)

Again, I plan to use this tote for grocery shopping.  It'll also come in handy when we're going to picnics or swimming.  There's a multitude of uses for this cute.  Remember it's only $9 if you purchase at least $31 in products!!!

As you can see, Thirty-One has a wonderful selection of products and they all come in a variety of designs.  Make sure to check it out!!  And please call or email me if you're interested in ordering something!

Summer Crafts

With summer upon us I'm sure you're all trying to figure out fun activites for your children.  We've been spending much of our time swimming but some days it's just too hot to step outside.  On those days we stay in and work on crafts.

Two of our favorites are home made Play Doh and dyeing noodles.  Both are simple and fun to make and provide hours of entertainment for little ones.

homemade Play Doh

 Ingredients:

3 c. flour

3 c. boiling water

1-1/2 c. salt

6 tsp cream of tartar

3 TBS oil

food coloring

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, cream of tartar and oil.

2. Add boiling water and mix well. You can knead dough on floured surface until no longer sticky (do not add too much flour or dough will dry out).

3. store in air tight container or ziploc bags.  (I re-purposed the containers our lunch meat came in...)

**I added different extracts to ours to make them smell good - coconut extract to our blue doh, peppermint to our red doh and orange extract to our yellow doh.


Dyeing Noodles
Ingredients:
ziploc bags
any style noodles (we used bow ties, wagon wheels, and elbow noodles)
rubbing alcohol (and lots of it!)
food coloring

Directions:
1.  Double the ziplock bags because they tend to leak if you don't.
2.  Place noodles in the ziploc bag (just one kind or mix 'n match) and then fill bag with rubbing alcohol. 
3.  Add food coloring (more or less depending on how light or dark you want your noodles).
4.  Leave noodles in alcohol filled baggies at least overnight.  The longer you leave the noodles in the liquid the darker the color will be.
5.  Carefully drain the alcohol liquid and then place noodles on a baking sheet covered with wax paper to dry.  Once they're dry you can play with them alone or make a craft with them.

**Don't forget to scroll down and enter our June Giveaway!!**

Coupon Expiration Dates

Per Jenny's request, I have made a list of coupon books and their expiration date.  If you guys will remind me I'll try to make a note each Sunday (or Monday) of the recent coupon books + expiration dates.  Hope this helps you guys out!

4/17/11
Smart Source Green exp. 7/31/11
Red Plum (TV on cover) exp. 7/31/11
Smart Source Safe Kids exp. 7/31/11
Red Plum (Honey Baked Ham) exp. 8/31/11

4/10/11
Smart Source exp. 7/31/11
Red Plum exp. 9/30/11

4/3/11
Proctor & Gamble exp. 4/30/11
Smart Source exp. 12/31/11

3/27/11
Smart Source (New Mio) exp. 6/30/11
Red Plum exp. 7/31/11

3/20/11
Smart Source (Easter Seals) exp. 6/30/11
Smart Source (Vision Works) exp. 8/31/11
Red Plum exp. 5/31/11

3/13/11
Smart Source exp. 8/30/11
Red Plum exp. 5/31/11

3/6/11
Smart Source exp. 6/6/11
Red Plum exp. 10/31/11

2/27/11
Smart Source exp. 6/1/11


2/20/11
Red Plum exp. 6/30/11

2/13/11
General Mills exp. 5/7/11
Smart Source exp. 6/30/11
Red Plum exp. 4/30/11

2/6/11
Smart Source exp. 4/30/11
Red Plum exp. 6/30/11

1/30/11
Smart Source exp. 6/30/11
Red Plum (Unilever) exp. 5/31/11
Red Plum (Nestle) exp. 4/30/11

1/23/11
Smart Source exp. 7/31/11
Red Plum exp. 7/31/11

1/16/11
Smart Source exp. 4/30/11

1/9/11
Smart Source (Resolve to Save More) exp. 4/30/11
Smart Source (New Year, New You) exp. 7/31/11
Red Plum expired.


1/2/11
Smart Source (New Year, New You) exp. 4/20/11
Smart Source (Nestle) exp. 4/31/11

12/12/10
Smart Source expired

11/8/10
Smart Source exp. 6/30/11

10/31/10
Red Plum exp. 4/30/11

That's all I've got ladies.  Most before October 2010 are already expired.  I truly hopes this helps you to get organized and ready to save money.  Coming soon I will show you how to use the Southern Savers website.

Attention!

I totally missed the Home School Conference this year - even though two different ladies invited me!  I've had several problems with forgetting dates the past two months and I even have a calendar!  

Anyway, I received a message on facebook about a used Home School Curriculum sale and I'm determined not to miss this event!  We're going to be traveling a lot in April & May so I hope we'll be in town for this sale.  (It just happens to fall on Mr. Clark's and my 10 year anniversary!)

Here are the details...

Family TOUCH's Annual Used Book and Curriculum Sale

Thursday, May 19, 2011

5:00 to 7:30 pm

Taylors First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall

 This will be the same format as last year - a one time consignment sale.  Seller sign ups will open Monday, February 21, 2011 with a deadline of April 17th.

Please email angiesburnett@att.net if you would like to be added to their email distribution list for the book sale.

Couponing 101 | Getting Started

"Money is of no value; it cannot spend itself.  All depends on the skill of the spender."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have tried every thing imaginable to upload the couponing video that I made but no dice.  So...I will just write about what we do instead.

Couponing has been such a blessing to our little family.  We stay stocked up on groceries and cut our grocery bill in half!  You all need to be doing this!!!  So I'm just going to share what Mr. Clark and I did to get started.  I'll also share some tips and tricks that we've learned along the way.  

I do want to start out by saying that we use SouthernSavers.com and the lady who runs this website does do seminars to teach you how to coupon.  She also explains on her website how to get started if you're interested in checking that out.  I'm sure she provides a lot more information than I will in my series (especially about CVS, Walgreens, etc.)  I'm just going to share with you what we do and what works best for us.

Here is what you do to get started:

• Go to Ingles every Sunday and buy the Greenville News.  Ingles sells the G'ville News for 97 cents instead of the $1.50 that you would pay at news stands or other stores.  We buy two copies but you can get more or less - it depends on what is going to work best for you.  Just remember that you will also be able to print coupons as well.  Before you purchase your papers, make sure that you check that all coupon inserts are there!  People have been stealing the coupon inserts from the papers so make sure that they're all there.

• Remove the coupon inserts from the paper and label each one (you will have several coupon inserts so make sure you label every single one of them!)  with the date that you purchased it.  Mr. Clark had the brilliant idea of looking through each coupon book to see what is the latest expiration date.  So now I write that expiration date on a sticky note and put it on the front of that coupon book.  That way, I'll know when it's time to toss that coupon book so my coupon binder won't be full of expired coupons!  Mr. Clark is so wonderfully clever.

Just click on the picture to enlarge it so you can see all of my notes.

• Don't cut any coupons from your coupon books!  Once you've labeled each coupon insert, just file them away.  I use a huge three ring binder to store my coupon inserts.  After I've labeled them with the date, I slide them into clear covers and put them in my binder.  I like the clear covers & the binder b/c it allows me to easily flip through and see the dates so I can quickly find the coupons I'm looking for.

I labeled my coupon binder "Coupon Currency".  Once you get started and you're saving tons of money you'll realize that it is just like cutting (or printing) your own money!

That's it...it's so easy to get started.  Next time I'm going to show you how to use the Southern Savers website so stay tuned!  You really need to buy about three or four weeks of papers before she starts getting to the ones that you have. 

Organizing 101

I've recently started getting our household organized.  You know what I'm talking about.  I've been working on schedules for cleaning, menus, etc.  I've done this before and I love it.  It takes a lot of the stress out of running our household.  I keep all of my information in a 3 ring binder so that it's all in one place and Mr. Clark can find it if he needs to.

I've always loved the website organizedhome.com and just today I re-discovered its awesomeness.  There's a section for constructing your own household notebook and they even have printable worksheets for each section.

As I prepared my notebook today I utilized some of their ideas/worksheets but I also created sections of my own.

Here is what mine looks like:

weekly menu planner & grocery list
     Mr. Clark gets paid every other week so we buy groceries for a two week time period.  We use
     SouthernSavers.com to plan our shopping trips so it's always good to know what we're going to
     be eating and what groceries we're going to need.

Herb Research
      I am really interested in natural herbal remedies and I've been doing a lot of research on them.  I
      keep all of my information in this section as well as "recipes" I would like to try.  I'm planning to
      make my own calendula salve as well as my own elderberry syrup.

Cleaning Supply Recipes
      I've started copying down recipes for my own, all natural household cleaners.  So far I've got
      recipes for my own dish detergent and washing powders.  I'll share some as soon as I test them for
      myself!
      I also have a weekly cleaning checklist in this section so I know what "chores" I have to do each
      day.

Cooking Recipes
      This is a list of our favorite recipes as well as some recipes I've copied from the internet.  It's
      convenient having this near my weekly menu planner.

To Do/Ideas
      This section is pretty self explanatory.  I have a list of things I need to get accomplished each
      week.  I also have craft ideas, etc.

What does your household notebook look like?

{even if you're not interested in making a household notebook you should as least check out some of the worksheets & planning pages organizedhome has to offer.}