Family Finances

  • Recipe: No Bake Cookies

    I always loved it when my Mom made No Bake Cookies when I was a kid.  It has been fun making these cookies with my girls now.  I had some oatmeal and peanut butter I needed to use up recently so I made these cookies for one of our recent road trips and for a friend who had a baby.   These cookies are delicious and inexpensive to make.  The most important step of this entire recipe is making sure that once the first set ingredients is boiling to allow them to boil for 1 minute, if you do not let it boil for 1 minute the cookies will be runny and not set up well.  These cookies are a perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter.

    No Bake Cookies:

    • 2 cups Sugar
    • 4 tablespoon Cocoa
    • 1 stick Butter
    • 1/2 cup Milk
    • 1 cup Peanut Butter
    • 1 tablespoon Vanilla
    • 3 cups Oatmeal

    In a heavy saucepan bring the sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk to a boil.  Let them boil for 1 minute.  Stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and oatmeal.  Lay out the wax paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonful and the cookies have cooled.  The cookies will harden as they cool.

    Photo by alibree

  • Summer Activities: Picnics on the Porch

    Brina and Karlie are having a "picnic" on the front porch. Skipper, the girls faithful outdoor friend, is nearby in case they drop any crumbs!

    A new favorite spot for the girls to eat their snacks, lunch, and goodies is on the front porch. A couple years ago my parents got me a glider for the front porch and it has been a huge hit with the entire family. The girls like to sit on the glider and eat because Skipper is not trying to snatch their food but they can still eat outside. Their drinks are usually on the table next to the glider whenever they are playing outside to help remind them to stay hydrated.

    I have a sneaking suspicion that Skipper gets her fair share of extra food from the girls.  On the hot days when the girls spend a lot of time outside all three of them (the kids and dog) crash by the evening.  One time after a full day of playing with the girls we watched Skipper walk up to the front door mat (where she enjoys napping) and literally flop over in exhaustion.  She’s enjoying all the attention but it wears her out too.

    Does your family have a favorite spot to eat picnics at home?

  • Fresh & Healthy: Our Garden – Leafy Lettuce, Zucchini, Summer Squash, Purple Beans, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Green Beans, and Snow Peas!

    We are loving the fresh vegetables from our garden!  This week I did better at taking pictures of the items our family picked.  We were traveling for a few day.  Hopefully my brother who was watching the house was able to get a few items out of the garden to use for their family.

    Here are some of the fresh veggies we were able to eat and share this week:

     

    Fresh from the Garden - Leafy Lettuce, Zucchini, Summer Squash, Cherry and Roma Tomatoes, Strawberries, Green Beans, and Purple Beans.

    We got two more big bags of leafy lettuce before we had to pull the stocks because they were flowering.  The zucchini and summer squash are starting to picking.  We’ve been getting a few strawberries and a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes more regularly now.  We have both green and purple beans producing now in the garden.

     

    Big Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Purple Beans, Summer Squash, Leafy Green Lettuce, Snow Peas, Strawberry and Green Beans from the Garden

    The snow peas have been amazing and delicious to eat fresh for snacks and in baking, however, they are pretty much done producing.  The lettuce is slowing down too but we hope to get a few more salads in before it completely wraps up for the season.  On a more positive note the tomatoes, beans, and squash are still going pretty strong despite all the storms.

    We were able to share some of the veggies this week with family, friends and people at our church.  During the summer months our church does a “Corner Harvest” where people can share fresh produce from their garden.  It is neat to see what other families are growing and share our produce.

    What are you eating out of your garden this week?

  • Summer Activities: Fun Family Day at Home!

    School’s out and the summer heat is here. We love spending time as a family outside, however, some of that time involves finding cool activities to do during the summer heat.  There is always something fun to do during the girls summer vacation away from school.  Below are some of the fun adventures we did on a recent Saturday together.

    Swimming in the Pool

    Brina and Karlie Swimming in the Pool!

    Eating Ice Cream

    Daddy, Karlie, Brina and Skipper enjoying a bowl of ice cream on the front porch!

    Napping in the Hammock

    Karlie snoozing in the shade on the hammock after a swim in the pool!

    Playing Under the Jungle Gym – Sand Fun

    Brina "cleaning" the sand off the Jungle Gym after swimming in the pool!

    Science Experiments

    Growing Rocks in a Rainbow of Colors! Since one of the girls is into "sharks" I choose a shark background for this experiment.

     

    Brina and Karlie watching the rocks grow! It was an interesting experiment over a couple days!

     

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of June 22 – 28, 2011

    The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience.   There are a lot of great deals that are continued this week at Save A Lot for $1.00. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!

    Meats and Seafood

    Eckrich Hot Dogs or Bologna (16 oz) – $1.00

    Carolina Ground Turkey (16 oz ) – $1.00

    Butterball Turkey Bacon (6 oz) – $1.00
    Use $0.65/1 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/10/11)
    $0.35 each after coupon

    Gwaltney Pork Sausage (12 oz) – $1.00

    Center Cut Beef Spare Ribs – $2.49 per lb

    Ground Beef (1 lb) – $2.49

    Sugardale Bratwurst – $1.99

    Smoked Sausage – $0.99

    Chicken Breast Strips – $0.99

    Meatballs (8 oz) – $0.99

    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 – $1.00

    Reser’s Assorted Salads & Coleslaw – $1.00
    Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Coupon Web
    Free after each coupon

    Minute Maid Lemonade or Fruit Punch – $1.00

    Tony’s Crispy Crust Pizza – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/31/11)
    Use $1.00/5 coupon from insert 4/17 Smart Source (Expires 7/9/11)
    Use $0.50/4 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 8/13/11)
    As low as $0.67 each after coupon

    Totino’s Pizza Rolls – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/31/11)
    Use $0.50/4 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 8/13/11)
    As low as $0.66 each after coupon

    Banquet Dinners – $1.00

    Fisher Boy Fish Sticks – $1.00
    $0.75/1 printable coupon Fisher Boy
    $0.25 each after coupon

    T. J. Farms Sweet Potato Fries – $1.00

    Party Treats Ice Cream Sandwiches (4 count) – $1.00

    World’s Fair Orange, Grape and Cherry Popsicles – $0.99

    Lemonade – $1.99

    Home Churned Squeeze Spread – $0.99

    Bright & Early Beverage Drink – $0.99

    Household

    Poly Steel Sandwich Zipper Bags (50 count) – $1.00

    Joy Dish Liquid – $1.00

    Produce

    Fresh Express Coleslaw (16 oz) – $1.00

    Fresh Express Salad Mix (12 oz) – $1.00

    Baby Carrots (16 oz) – $1.00

    California Cherries – $1.99 per lb

    Roma Tomatoes – $0.89 per lb

    Red & White Grapes – $1.29 per lb

    Grocery

    Knorr Side Dishes – $1.00

    Hamburger Helper Dinner – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/16/11)
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Smart Source (Expires 6/25/11)
    Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Smart Source (Expires 6/25/11)
    As low as $0.67 each after coupon

    Save A Lot Apple Juice (64 oz) – $1.00

    Sundia Fruit Cups (8 oz) – $1.00

    Red Gold Ketchup (40 oz) – $1.00
    Use $0.50/2 printable coupon from Red Gold
    $0.75 each after coupon

    Woeber’s Mustard (24 oz) – $1.00

    Kurtz Sweet Relish – $1.00

    Shasta Soda (4 pack) – $1.00

    Deer Park Spring Water (3 liter) – $1.00

    Crunch & Munch Butter Toffee – $1.00

    Dippables – $1.00

    Mantia’s Pasta Sauce – $1.00

    Shelby’s Grove Sliced Peaches – $1.00

    J Higgs Pretzels – $1.00

    Chicken of the Sea Chunk White Tuna – $1.00

    Allure Zero Calorie Sweetener – $1.00

    Jade Dragon Soy Sauce – $1.00

    Kraft BBQ Sauce – $0.88

    Bugles – $0.79

    Harvest Select Juice Cocktails – $0.99

    On the Go Powder Drink Sticks – $1.00

    Crisp Lemonade – $0.99

    Swift Mac – $0.75

    Toast Em Strawberry or Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Ups – $0.99

    Malt O Meal Cereal – $0.99

    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.

  • Pampers Gifts to Grow – 5 Free Points (Expires Tonight)

    Receive another 5 free points from Pampers with the a new Gifts to Grow code!

    This code is different from the previous codes I have given.

    Use Code:  TWITTERKEYWALET

    The code expires on 11:59 PM EST  on June 21st so make sure to add it to your account within the next few days!

    You can save up the rewards to purchase gifts!

    For more information about the Pampers Gift to Grow Program and how you can start earning Pampers “Gifts to Grow” Rewards for your family go to Pampers Gifts to Grow!

  • CVS: Spent $0.99 and Got $6 ECB’s Back!

    Hershey Bliss Deal at CVS this week!

    I had to run into CVS real quick to check on another item and picked up this deal. Today I was able to get the Hershey Bliss for $0.99 plus tax ($0.00) making my out of pocket cost $0.99 and received $6.99 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.  Here is what I purchased.

    • 1 –  Hershey Bliss Dark Chocolate for $5.99

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $1.00 Hershey Bliss Manufacturer Coupon

    I received $6.99 ECB’s back today:

    • $5.99 ECB’s for Hershey Bliss Products
    • $1.00 ECB’s for Green Tag Reward (every 4th visit you use your Green Tag you get a $1 ECB)

    Today I was able to save $5.00 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons.

    When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club).  As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS.  Plus you can use the additional ECB’s you receive towards your next purchase.  You can pick and chose what is best for your family.

    I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week!  For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week!  Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household.  In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.

  • Fresh & Healthy: A Refreshing Twist to Ice Water

     

    Summer Time Favorite Drink - Ice Water with Fresh Lemon Slices!

    One of our favorite inexpensive, easy, and refreshing summer drinks we like to serve at our house is Ice Water with Fresh Lemon Slices!  Lemonade is delicious but can be a little too sweet at times.  Many times on the hot summer days the kids just want ice water so to add a little more to their drinks we will buy lemons when they are on sale, slice them up and add them to the water pitcher.  It is very refreshing!

    Refreshing and delicious - Cool lemon water on a hot day!

    I need to look for some more lemons on clearance!  The girls and I drink this a lot since we spend some time almost every day outside!

  • Pampers Gifts to Grow – 5 Free Points (Expires Tonight)

    Receive another 5 free points from Pampers with the a new Gifts to Grow code!

    This code is different from the previous codes I have given.

    Use Code:  TWITTERDIPEWIPE

    The code expires on 11:59 PM EST  on June 20th so make sure to add it to your account within the next few days!

    You can save up the rewards to purchase gifts!

    For more information about the Pampers Gift to Grow Program and how you can start earning Pampers “Gifts to Grow” Rewards for your family go to Pampers Gifts to Grow!

  • CVS: Spent $1 and Got $14 ECB’s Back!

    CVS Deals!

    CVS has a few good deals this week.  I was happy to stock up on some items including fingernail polish and shampoo this week while utilizing a few of my coupons.  The girls had fun picking out the finger polish today.  I see a pedicure and manicure happening in the near future with blue and purple colors!  Today I was able to get the items for $1.73 plus tax ($0.12) making my out of pocket cost $1.85 and received $14.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 1 –  Pantene Shampoo 2 in 1 Classic for $3.49
    • 1 – Pantene Shampoo 2 in 1 Clean for $3.49
    • 1 – LA Looks Power Spike Gel for $2.99
    • 1 – Revlon Scented Fingernail Polish (Blue) for $4.99
    • 1 – Revlon Scented Fingernail Polish (Green) for $4.99
    • 1 – Irish Spring Hair and Body Wash (15 oz) for $2.99
    • 1 – Colgate Toothbrush 360 for $2.79

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $3.00 Pantene Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Colgate Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Revlon Nail Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $1.00 Revlon Nail Manufacturer Coupon
    • Used $17.99 ECB coupons from prior purchases

    I received $14.00 ECB’s back today:

    • $2.00 ECB’s for Pantene Products
    • $2.00 ECB’s for L.A Looks Products
    • $6.00 ECB’s for Revlon Products ($3.00 each)
    • $2.00 ECB’s for Irish Spring Products
    • $2.00 ECB’s for Colgate Products

    Today I was able to save $33.80 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons.

    When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club).  As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS.  Plus you can use the additional ECB’s you receive towards your next purchase.  You can pick and chose what is best for your family.

    I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week!  For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week!  Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household.  In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.