Family Fun
New Upromise eCoupons for February 2012
Upromise has posted their new eCoupons for the month of February 2012. Remember to activate your eCoupons to get additional savings. If you have not yet signed up for Upromise you can get more information regarding on our experience or directly at the Upromise website.
This month they have 22 coupons you can activate for bonus savings. Once you activate your eCoupons all you have to do is scan your rewards card or purchase the items at the store and the cash will be added to your account. You don’t even have to carry any coupons to get the rewards!
You can go to their website for more information on the Upromise program, it’s free to join.
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
Lunch Box – Chicken Salad Sandwich, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Banana, Yogurt, Lime Jello, CheezIt Crackers, and Boost
With the second semester of school in full swing I am back to doing school lunches again every day. Someone asked me what I send with the girls in their lunch boxes and asked if I could share some of my ideas. Their lunches are not fancy, but I try to make them well balanced and fun. Here is another post on school lunches. In every lunch I pack a meat or protein, diary, fruit, vegetable, snack, and drink.
Lunch Box – Chicken Salad Sandwich, Banana, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Yogurt, Lime Jello, CheezIt Crackers, and Capri Sun Juice
Occasionally I will pick up some character sandwich bags at the Dollar Tree or other stores just for fun to add to the girls lunches. The girls love getting Princess, Dora, Tinkerbell, Lightening McQueen, and a variety of other character lunches baggies in their lunch boxes. Sometimes I will get great sandwich bread on clearance at the store and make what the girls call “football sandwiches” for an special treat as well (pictured below).
Princess sandwich bags
Giveaway: “Dining On A Dime” Cookbook by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper
I am doing another giveaway on Blessings Multiplied! The winner of this giveaway will receive a copy of Dining On A Dime Cookbook by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper! As a Mom, wife and homeowner I am always looking for ways to eat better and spend less. After reading Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper’s cookbook I know many of you will enjoy this book too! Here’s how to enter the giveaway:
- Sign up to follow my blog (if you haven’t done so already) and leave a comment below telling us how you follow Blessings Multiplied. Sign up to receive Blessings Multiplied via email or like on Facebook.
- You can get a bonus entry into the drawing if you leave a separate comment below sharing what one way you save money while buying groceries or cooking.
All comments must be made by February 29th at 10:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing.
You can learn more information about this great book and my review on Dining On A Dime Cookbook by Tawra Kellam and JillCooper.
*A special thanks to Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper with Living on a Dime for providing this book for the giveaway!
CONGRATULATIONS to Our 5 “Money Saving Mom’s Budget” Book Winners!
The names have been drawn for the giveaway!
CONGRATULATIONS to
Melissa Donovan
Bonnie
Brooke Butcher
Lisa Smith
Angela W
for winning a copy of
Money Saving Mom’s Budget by Crystal Paine!
Thanks for making a comment in honor of our Giveaway!
An email has been sent to you with more information*
Enjoy Reading Your Next Book!
Don’t forget to enter our next Giveaway (the next giveaway will be announced later this morning)!
*Giveaway must be claimed within 5 business days of the prize being announced. Failure to claim the prize within the allotted time frame means you forfeit the prize.
Organized Chaos: Lunch Box Items
I found a great spot for lunch box items in our kitchen!
Since the majority of our family packs a lunch for school and work nearly everyday of the week it is important that the items for packing lunches are accessible as well as our time spent putting them together is used efficiently. As I was brainstorming the different ways to make the lunch packing task more streamlined for our family I came up with a solution that has been really successful for our family. I found a perfect location for all the non-perishable lunch box items in our kitchen and before long had a lunch box making system that has worked really well.
Even though these drawers are organized in our kitchen the kids do not get something from each drawer every day. The idea is to keep a small stockpile of items necessary for lunches handy so when I need something to put in their lunch I can get to it easily. I purchase items for the drawers only when they go on sale so it stays within family’s grocery budget.
The majority of the week they get fresh fruits & vegetables, water bottles, and no dessert. I do however try to give them one snack item every day in their lunch whether it be a granola bar or pretzels or something similar in their lunches. Every day I make a lunch I use these drawers for something whether it is to grab a sandwich container, lunch bag, granola bar or another item!
Below are the labels I have for the drawers as well as pictures to show you what I put in them:
- Granola Bars / Snacks
- Sandwich Containers / Bags
- Cookies / Desserts
- Fruit Snacks
- Drinks
- Miscellaneous Snacks
Granola Bar & Snack Drawer
I put all the sandwich containers and brown bags into the container drawer. Even the two new ones I picked up fit well, we had the perfect number of sandwich containers for the drawer!
Toy Story brown lunch bags (picked up at the Dollar Tree) are fun to occasionally use for your kids lunch plus they fit nicely beside the sandwich containers in the drawer.
Sandwich Containers & Bags Drawer
Cookies & Desserts Drawer
Placed the fruit in the drawer (applesauce, raisins, cup of fruit).
Fruit Snack Drawer
Placed lunch box drinks (with exception to their water bottles) in this drawer (Chocolate Milk, Gatorade, Juice Bags, Juice Bottles, etc…).
Drink Drawer
Miscellaneous Snacks Drawer (includes items like pudding or jello cups, teddy grahams, pretzels or other bagged snack item)
The last several months we have been using this system and it has been very beneficial for the entire family. Plus if the kids want a snack they can grab a granola bar from the drawer instead of digging through the pantry trying to find a snack. I do try to keep the drawers stocked and rotate (the newer items go in back so the older items get eaten first) the products in the drawers.
My best piece of advice is that you find a system that works well for you, if what you are doing is not going smoothly or you want to find a better way to do it try something different and you may be surprised at how more efficient it is for your family. I already had the items on hand all I did was pick up the two containers on clearance around the beginning of the school year. I would love to hear your tips on keeping all your lunch box items organized and accessible.
- Granola Bars / Snacks
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week we made a quick trip out to the midwest, Nebraska & Kansas, to attend a Pro Ag conference with my family. The girls had a blast with Grandma while Jake and I (along with other family and friends) attended the conference. We learned a lot of great information (still processing all of it) they covered a lot in a short period of time. We were also able to squeeze in some time to spend with extended family during the trip too. It was a quick and busy trip but we were able to fit in some fun along the way! 🙂 Now that I am back home I have a pretty big week planned out, praying I will be able to tackle the majority of the items on the list for the week!
Here is the update on last weeks goals:
Family Goals
- Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday – I was not able to do this with the conference last week
- Read a book to the girls everyday- during the conference they were with Grandma so they probably had books read to them but I didn’t read them
Spend some time with extended family
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – did well until all the traveling
Read and listen to the next section of Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
Home Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
Business Goals
Attend the Pro Ag ConferencePay all bills that come in the mail this week
Ministry Goals
Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requestsMeet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – still working on this one
Here are my goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
- Read a book to the girls everyday
- Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
- Schedule a Date Night with the Girls & Re-Schedule My Date Night with Jake
- Finalize the Girls Birthday Party Items
- Set up a dentist appointment for the girls
- Pick up the girls new glasses
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
- Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday
- Finish reading Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk
- Read and listen to the next section of Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
- Set up an appointment to get updated on shots / vaccinations
- Finalize Upcoming Travel Plans – dates set / plane tickets purchased / visa
Home Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
- Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
- Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
- Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the Master Bedroom & Bathroom
- Get the majority of our 2011 Personal Taxes completed
Business Goals
- Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
- Write a Guest Blog Post
- Schedule Meeting with Accountant for Business Taxes
Ministry Goals
- Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
- Email Alms & Legs Ministry Team regarding our upcoming meeting
- Put together the Alms & Legs Meeting Agenda
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses
- Start working on our personal 2011 taxes
- Put money aside for upcoming trips
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results
Use what talents you possess….
Book: “Dining On A Dime” Cookbook by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper
If you could save $10,000 a year on food without cutting coupons would you be interested? I had the privilege of receiving Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper’s newest edition, November 2011, of their Dining On A Dime Cookbook Eat Better, Spend Less! The authors packed in more than 1200 great recipes and money saving tips in this cookbook. One of the challenges they gave is to see how much you could save in one year by cutting out just one thing. For example, by reducing the amount of meat you eat each week by 1.5 pounds you could save over $400 a year. They cover a variety of recipes and tips in their book, here are a few:
- How It Adds Up
- Basics of Frugal Cooking
- Beverages
- Breakfast
- Breads
- Soups & Sandwiches
- Vegetables, Beans, Pasta, & Rice
- Salads, Dressings, Pickles, and Dips
- Meats & Main Dishes
- Cakes, Pies, Candy, Cookies, & Desserts
- Mixes, Gift Baskets, & Jars
- Kids
- Cleaning Cents
- Pretty for Pennies
The authors challenge you to take small steps to change your life. Whether you start with planning your meals, organizing your home, or saving money it is the little steps over time that give you results. Their menu planning ideas include recipes you can make for picky eaters or quick dinners for those busy days. I like that they have sections on using up your leftovers, making your own cleaning & beauty supplies, gift baskets, and more. They use a good mix of great information and light hearted humor.
Here are a couple of quotes / tips that made me smile:
If you want to see a cup runneth over, let a child pour his own soda.
When your house looks like a bomb hit it and company calls from a block away set your vacuum by the front door and say, “Come on in! I was just cleaning”
You have two choices for dinner. Take it or leave it.
The problem – how to get 2 pounds of chocolate home in a hot car. The solution – eat it in the parking lot.
Some of the information and recipes made me laugh out loud…..”Elephant Soup” simply hilarious! One of my favorite non-food recipes was their “Recipe for a Happy Marriage” (loved that one). While they may not have convince me to try “Liver and Onions” again Tawra and Jill did a wonderful job putting together a useful and entertaining cookbook to have in your kitchen. The best part is their recipes only require a handful of ingredients and most (if not all) of the items you will find in your kitchen pantry.
At the end of the book they have separate indexes for looking up tips, leftovers, and recipes making it easy to look up what you want. I look forward to trying more of the recipes, tips, and seeing if these help our family save even more. This cookbook would be a great wedding gift or birthday gift for those who are beginning to cook or a novice. It offers practical tips, great recipes, and may even make you smile!
Please visit Dining on a Dime Cookbook’s website if you want to learn more about this book.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Box Tops for School
The girls are always on the look out for Box Tops for their school! A couple months ago I spent an evening with the girls gluing all our box tops onto the sheets. Every full box top sheet (50 box tops per sheet) gave the girls an entry into a drawing and a little special toy.Since I have two kids I wanted to fill at least two sheets. Each box top gives $0.10 cents to your child’s school so by filling up two pages our family would be helping the school get $10 to use. Since it takes our family awhile to build up our stash of box tops I typically do this activity once a year, but when the girls went to bed we only had 88 box tops, we were still 12 short of filling up 2 sheets (100 box tops). They were disappointed that we didn’t have enough for both sheets but went to bed hopeful.
After the girls went to bed I went through the pantry looking for all the extra box tops still on the boxes of food. And guess what!? I found 12 more to put onto the sheet for them to take to school. The girls were so excited to see the completed box top sheet on their bar stools at breakfast the next morning. Love being able to make my girls smile, even if it means removing the box tops off the items still in the pantry.
To get more information on Box Tops and how you (and your school can participate) can be found at Box Tops for Education.
Versatile Blogger Award!
I was excited to receive the Versatile Blogger Award from Save Green Being Green. Thanks! Please check out Jessica’s great blog when you have a chance!
The rules for this award are:
1. Thank the person that nominated you with a link back to them. (see above)2. Tell 7 things about yourself. (see below)3. Pass this award on to 10 newly discovered blogs and let them know that they’ve received an award.Seven Things about Bridgette:1. I started my first business Junior High School and second business in College.2. I grew up on a farm in Kansas (the closest Walmart was an hour away).3. I saw ocean for the first time in Aruba when I got engaged to my handsome man!4. I love traveling around the world but my favorite place is to be home with my family.5. I have fraternal twin daughters who light up my world.6. I know how to drive a Combine Harvester.7. I love playing board games with family and friends.10 Blogs that I have awarded the Versatile Blog Award are….
Confessions of an Overworked Mom
Take a minute to check out these neat blogs!
