Family Finances
Family Recipe: Scotch Shortbread
Jake’s Grandma makes awesome Shortbread cookies. These are a staple in our household especially around the Holidays, however, they are perfect any time of the year. My husband REALLY enjoys these cookies so they are fun to make at our house as a special treat for him.
Scotch Shortbread:
- 1 1/2 cup Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2/3 cup Butter
- 1/2 cup Confectioners’ Sugar
Sift flour, measure, add salt and sift again. Cream butter, gradually add confections’ sugar and continue to beat until light. Combine the dry ingredients and creamed mixture until blended thoroughly. Pat the dough into an ungreased 9 inch pie plate. Flute the edges with fingers, prick the surface all over with fork. Or use an 8×8 inch pan and mark into square or oblongs before baking. Bake in a moderate oven 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool before removing from pan. You can also do a variety of shapes with cookie cutters as well.
Photo by Angela Anderson Cobb
Craft Activities: Time to Paint
The girls enjoy summer and all the fun activities that come along with it! One of the activities they insisted on doing regularly was painting. They have a blast doing it and I like that it helps them work on their hand eye coordination as well as creativity.
Karlie concentrating on her painting project! Karlie had so much fun coloring her craft that she used up almost all the paint that came with it. She was really good about rinsing out her brush!
Brina carefully painting her craft! She wanted the picture to be perfect! Brina had fun painting her pretty picture.
I am thrilled to see how much the girls enjoy crafts. It is neat seeing them take time to be creative, neat, and make the craft extra special. They are even getting better about not making such a huge mess (which is nice for Mommy too). My babies are growing up so quickly. I am thankful for our time together this summer and will be sad to see them go back to school soon.
Delicious Butterfly – White Chocolate Raspberry Pretzels
White Chocolate Raspberry Butterfly Pretzel As a special treat a this summer the girls picked out these White Chocolate Raspberry flavored Pretzels to share when they were on sale. They were delicious! As they were snacking on the goodies the Brina pulled out this one, the butterfly. They were super excited that there was a butterfly in their container of goodies. The butterfly came complete with “beautiful wings”. They told me that they next time with make chocolate pretzels they were going to make a lot of butterflies! Even a butterfly pretzel can be a true source of enjoyment for the kids. It is the little blessings that come in small packages that bring smiles.
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of August 24 – 30, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. You do not need any coupons to get the Save A Lot Today prices. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Chicken & Thighs (5 lbs) – $3.95
Sugardale Bratwurst (Smoked, Stadium, or Cheddar) 14 oz – $1.99
Holten Extra Value Beef Patties (24 oz) – $1.99
Schooner Salad Shrimp or Imitation Crab – $1.00
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).
Fridge and Freezer
Oscar Mayer Lunchables (9.7 to 10.8 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.00/2 peelie coupon (Expires 9/30/11)
$1.49 each after couponReser’s Macaroni or Potato Salad – $1.00
Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Coupon Web – No longer available (thanks David)!
Free after each couponMr P’s Pepperoni or Supreme Pizza (6.5 oz) – $0.69
Party Treat Vanilla Sandwiches (4 count) – $1.00
Dannon NutriDay Yogurt (4 Count – 16 oz) – $1.00
Coburn Farms Yogurt (6 oz) – $0.39
Creamy Whip Whipped Topping – $0.95
Coburn Farms Sour Cream (16 oz) – $1.49
Save A Lot Today Pizza Rolls (15 count) – $0.99
Produce
Peaches, Plums or Nectarines – $0.79 per lb
Bartlett Pears – $0.79 per lb
Roma Tomatoes – $0.79 per lb
Jumbo Sweet Onions – $0.79 per lb
Mini Carrots (1 lb bag) – $1.00
Household
Save A Lot Today Bath Tissue (4 rolls) – $0.89
Save A Lot Today Laundry Detergent (45.4 oz) – $1.99
Grocery
JJ’s Snack Pies (Apple / Cherry) 4 oz – $0.33
Bugles (6 to 7.5 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 7/10 Smart Source (Expires 9/3/11)
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 7/10 Smart Source (Expires 9/3/11)
$0.50 each after couponMini Moon Pies (7.2 oz) – $1.00
Betty Crocker Bon Appetite (2.3 to 2.8 oz) – $1.00
Gatorade (Orange, Lemon Lime, or Fruit Punch) 32 oz – $1.00
Sundia Fruit Cups (8 oz) – $1.00
Nesquik Chocolate or Strawberry Milk (16 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 6/5 Red Plum (Expires 8/28/11)
$0.50 each after couponDuncan Hines Cupcakes, Brownies or Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix – $1.00
Use B2G1 coupon from insert 6/5 Smart Source (Expires 9/5/11)
$0.66 after each couponSave A Lot Brand Soda (2 liter) – $0.75
Lecour’s Cream Between Sandwich Cookies – $1.69
Shelby Grove Fruit Cups (4 count) – $1.79
J Higgs Corn or BBQ Corn Chips (10 to 12 oz) – $1.35
Mantia’s Pasta Sauce (24 oz) – $1.23
Mantia’s Spaghetti Noodles (16 oz) – $0.99
Del Pino’s Canned Pasta with Meat – $0.73
Senora Verde Taco Shells – $0.99
Senora Verde Mild Taco Sauce (16 oz) – $1.99
Marcum’s Taco Seasoning – $0.39
Senora Verde Refried Beans – $0.79
Kool Aid Bursts (6 pack) – $0.99
Island Orchard 100% Juice Mini Drink Boxes – $0.99
Arizona Iced Tea with Lemon Flavor – $0.79
Mrs. Freshley’s Swiss Rolls or Honey Buns – $1.00
Austin Crackers – $1.19
Crispeez Rice Cakes – $1.25
Gourmet Select Onion Rings (5 oz) – $0.95
Bumble Bee Tuna Salad Kits – $1.29
Ravello Microwave Mac & Cheese Cups – $0.75
Save A Lot Today Toaster Pastries – $0.99
Save A Lot Today Assorted Sandwich Creme Cookies – $1.19
Save A Lot Today Apple Juice Cocktail – $1.29
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
Love It – Skippies (Water Toys)
Our Skippies after a fun weekend in the ocean, still with some sand on them! My girls picked out a pool toy, Skippies by Fluid, to give to Daddy for his birthday a couple weeks ago and we got to try them out on our recent trip to Charleston. It was a BLAST playing with these floating discs!!!! I have to admit I was thinking of using the Skippies mainly for time in the pool because I thought we would lose them in the ocean with the waves. Since we didn’t have the opportunity to use them at the pool first we decided to test them in the ocean anyway. The whole family had a lot of fun playing with the “Skippies”! They floated really well, were bright colors which made them easy to spot in the water, and light weight so if one managed to hit you it didn’t hurt (we tested that theory, Jake even managed to hit me on the forehead one time). Plus they were easy to grab and throw even for the kids.
Several people in the water near us stopped us to ask about them. I was impressed with how entertaining they were and how easy they were to use even for our girls. It is a great time of year to check out these neat pool toys as the summer season begins to wrap up. They are not expensive and can provide a lot of fun entertainment for your whole family. I found them on clearance at our local Sports Authority when they were closing down the store on Laurens Road. I am looking forward to trying them out at the pool now that we tested them successfully in the ocean! They come in a pack of 4 and measure 3 inch in diameter. You can find them at Toy Splash!
“Love It” is a series of posts on items that I use regularly or seasonally in my household that I love! There are some items in our daily lives that make life more enjoyable, efficient, or just plain fun. I will be sharing with you some of the products that have been given to us (or to me) that have made it to the top of my list. It’s my way of giving a huge thumbs up!
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
We were back to traveling again for part of the week so it was more of a challenge getting the grocery shopping trip into the schedule. It was our last family trip before the kids go back to school which included some work, exploring the area and going to the beach. Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Ingles and BiLo Ingles Groceries:
- $13.37 at Ingles for 4 boxes Fiber One Strawberry Yogurt (4 count each), 4 boxes Danimals Yogurt Strawberry / Vanilla / Peach (6 count each), 1 Broccoflower (part Broccoli and part Cauliflower), 2 bags of Sugar Snow Peas, 1 container of Grapefruit Juice, 2 bags Broccoli Coleslaw and 2 chunky mild Guacamole Dips. (all the items were marked down on clearance for $0.50 to $0.99 or on sale plus I used a couple coupons from the yogurt boxes)
BiLo Groceries:
- $3.52 at BiLo for 1 gallon of Milk. (BiLo has the best prices in our area for milk, plus if you bring your own bag they will give you 5 cents off per bag you use, of course I forgot my bag in the van when I ran into get the milk real quick).
This week I spent $16.89 on groceries. Even though I was under my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items on clearance plus I will have a little extra left over for upcoming weeks. I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come under budget for the week even though we will have out of town guests staying with us for a few days.
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Family Recipe: Renelle’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
My cousin Renelle was the closest thing to a sister I had growing up. I grew up with three brothers so it was always a special treat to spend time with Renelle! We use to spend at least a week every summer hanging out together since I lived in Kansas and she lived in Colorado. She is an amazing cook and her Chocolate Chip Cookies are a favorite in our family! Hope you enjoy them as much we have over the years!
Renelle’s Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- 2/3 cup Margarine
- 2/3 cup Butter Flavored Crisco
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon imitation Rum Extract
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 package Chocolate Chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the margarine, crisco, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, rum and eggs together. Then add the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking soda) and mix. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drop by small spoonfuls onto the baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes depending on the oven. Serves 3 to 4 dozen.
I use the same recipe when making M&M cookies as well!
Thanks Renelle for sharing your recipe and for being such a wonderful part of our lives. You are a true treasure, encouragement, and friend!!!
Photo by SeriousBri
Craft Activities: Silly Yard Animals
During the summer I came up with a variety of fun activities for the girls to enjoy. As I was going through the craft cabinet I pulled out google eyes, fuzzy sticks, pom poms, and glue! A lot of fun crafty ideas can happen with all these great items but I had a specific purpose in mind – Rock Animals! Rock Animals are always a huge hit and can occupy the girls for hours. Here is how to much Rock and other Nature Animals!
Step 1
Items for the craft – Google Eyes, Fuzzy Sticks, Pom Poms, Scissors and Glue
We are ready to get creative with Fuzzy Sticks, Glue, Google Eyes, and Pom Poms! Step 2
Have each child gather a pile of rocks, sticks, leaves, sea shells and other items from the yard. The kids are usually so excited to get started this step only takes a few minutes!
Karlie gathered some rocks, sticks and leaves to make into fun animals! Step 3
Once they have a pile of goodies from the yard help get them started on making their “animals”. I make sure the glue is ready to go, the craft is going smoothly, and answer any last minute questions before giving them the freedom to be creative!
Brina creating her leaf animal. Step 4
Let the kids imaginations go wild creating their own animals! Here are a few of the creations our girls came up with during their craft time!
Karlie made a rock replica of Daddy (love the green glasses)! I was thrilled to see them come up with “glasses” for their animals especially since our entire family (including the kids) wear glasses!
Brina's silly stick animal. Brina found several sticks and had a blast creating animals out of them!
Karlie's "scary" shark animal. She started out making the three eyed alien from “Toy Story” but decided it looked more like a shark, one of her favorite animals (she has been fascinated by sharks since she was 3 years old).
Brina found a brick in the rock garden and made a happy brick animal out of it (with glasses as well). I was excited to see them find and create a variety of different yard objects.
Cute rock with pretty purple hair. They found the various objects and were able to create the animals on their own. Although we went through A LOT of glue, so make sure to have plenty on hand! The rock animal craft kept our girls entertained for hours! It was so much fun checking out all their neat animals and hearing their stories behind each one. They left several of their treasures on the front porch to show their friends, family and neighbors. Skipper decided the pom poms were too irresistible and managed to remove a few from their animals so the girls spent the next day patching a few of their rock animals. The girls had a blast and it only cost me a couple dollars for all the supplies!
Blockbuster Express: Coupon Codes for FREE DVD Rentals
Are you looking for a fun way to relax with your family over the weekend? Blockbuster Express has three free rental codes available right now:
- 29BRAB6
- 22JEAH4
- 58PPLA7
Coupon Codes are good through midnight Monday, August 22, 2011.
More coupon codes:
- 27TGAF6 – Expires August 19
- 34BCRD4 – Expires August 19
- 62BRAB4 – Expires August 19
- 98ARDQ2 – Expires August 19
- 92JEAH8 – Expires August 19
- 29SGJC3 – Expires August 19
- 65PPLA8 – Expires August 19
- 68HLG3W – Expires August 20
The coupon codes can be used to get DVDs from your nearest Blockbuster Express kiosk. Some codes may only work online so make sure to reserve your rental before picking it up. A credit card required to rent. The codes are not valid on Blu-rays or new releases.
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of August 17 – 23, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. You do not need any coupons to get the Save A Lot Today prices. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Chicken & Thighs (5 lbs) – $3.95
Sugardale Bratwurst (Smoked, Stadium, or Cheddar) 14 oz – $1.99
Holten Extra Value Beef Patties (24 oz) – $1.99
Schooner Salad Shrimp or Imitation Crab – $1.00
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).
Fridge and Freezer
Oscar Mayer Lunchables (9.7 to 10.8 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.00/2 peelie coupon (Expires 9/30/11)
$1.49 each after couponMr P’s Pepperoni or Supreme Pizza (6.5 oz) – $0.69
Party Treat Vanilla Sandwiches (4 count) – $1.00
Dannon NutriDay Yogurt (4 Count – 16 oz) – $1.00
Coburn Farms Yogurt (6 oz) – $0.39
Creamy Whip Whipped Topping – $0.95
Coburn Farms Sour Cream (16 oz) – $1.49
Save A Lot Today Pizza Rolls (15 count) – $0.99
Produce
Peaches, Plums or Nectarines – $0.79 per lb
Bartlett Pears – $0.79 per lb
Roma Tomatoes – $0.79 per lb
Jumbo Sweet Onions – $0.79 per lb
Mini Carrots (1 lb bag) – $1.00
Household
Save A Lot Today Bath Tissue (4 rolls) – $0.89
Save A Lot Today Laundry Detergent (45.4 oz) – $1.99
Grocery
JJ’s Snack Pies (Apple / Cherry) 4 oz – $0.33
Bugles (6 to 7.5 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 7/10 Smart Source (Expires 9/3/11)
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 7/10 Smart Source (Expires 9/3/11)
$0.50 each after couponMini Moon Pies (7.2 oz) – $1.00
Betty Crocker Bon Appetite (2.3 to 2.8 oz) – $1.00
Gatorade (Orange, Lemon Lime, or Fruit Punch) 32 oz – $1.00
Reser’s Macaroni or Potato Salad – $1.00
Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Coupon Web
Free after each couponSundia Fruit Cups (8 oz) – $1.00
Nesquik Chocolate or Strawberry Milk (16 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 6/5 Red Plum (Expires 8/28/11)
$0.50 each after couponDuncan Hines Cupcakes, Brownies or Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix – $1.00
Use B2G1 coupon from insert 6/5 Smart Source (Expires 9/5/11)
$0.66 after each couponSave A Lot Brand Soda (2 liter) – $0.75
Lecour’s Cream Between Sandwich Cookies – $1.69
Shelby Grove Fruit Cups (4 count) – $1.79
J Higgs Corn or BBQ Corn Chips (10 to 12 oz) – $1.35
Mantia’s Pasta Sauce (24 oz) – $1.23
Mantia’s Spaghetti Noodles (16 oz) – $0.99
Del Pino’s Canned Pasta with Meat – $0.73
Senora Verde Taco Shells – $0.99
Senora Verde Mild Taco Sauce (16 oz) – $1.99
Marcum’s Taco Seasoning – $0.39
Senora Verde Refried Beans – $0.79
Kool Aid Bursts (6 pack) – $0.99
Island Orchard 100% Juice Mini Drink Boxes – $0.99
Arizona Iced Tea with Lemon Flavor – $0.79
Mrs. Freshley’s Swiss Rolls or Honey Buns – $1.00
Austin Crackers – $1.19
Crispeez Rice Cakes – $1.25
Gourmet Select Onion Rings (5 oz) – $0.95
Bumble Bee Tuna Salad Kits – $1.29
Ravello Microwave Mac & Cheese Cups – $0.75
Save A Lot Today Toaster Pastries – $0.99
Save A Lot Today Assorted Sandwich Creme Cookies – $1.19
Save A Lot Today Apple Juice Cocktail – $1.29
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
