Family

  • Book: “There’s a Wocket in My Pocket” by Dr. Seuss

    Our family enjoys quite a few of Dr. Seuss’s books!  His book There’s a Wocket in My Pocket! by Dr. Suess has been a favorite for a long time.  When Jake and I were dating in college I purchased this book and a small stuffed frog for his “Zillow on his Pillow”.  We have read the girls the book and told them the story of Daddy’s “Zillow” many times.  They now have “Zillows” of their own after reading the book and hearing  Daddy’s story.  It is a great kids book that’s fun to read with them!

  • Family Recipe: Luscious Baked Chocolate Cheesecake

    My mother in law, Kay, is a wonderful cook.  I didn’t grow up making cheesecakes but have made a few since marrying into the family.  Kay makes amazing cheesecakes, however, her Luscious Chocolate Cheesecake is my favorite!  For those of you who enjoy chocolate and cheesecake this is a recipe you need to try, it’s delicious!  Add a few fresh strawberries to the finished product and you have an awesome dessert ready for when guests arrive or to celebrate a special evening with your family.

    Luscious Baked Chocolate Cheesecake:

    • 1/3 cup Margarine or Butter, melted
    • 1/4 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
    • 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
    • 3 – 8 oz packages Cream Cheese
    • 1 – 14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
    • 1 – 12 oz package Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, melted OR 8 – 1 oz squares of Semi-Sweet Chocolate melted
    • 4 Eggs
    • 2 teaspoons of Vanilla

    Preheat the oven to 300°.  Combine margarine, crumbs and sugar; pat firmly into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.  In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Add condensed milk and beat until smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes or until the cheesecake springs back when lightly touched.  Cool to room temperature.  Chill.  Remove the side of the pan.  Garnish as desired.  Garnish Ideas – chocolate curls, syrup, fresh strawberries, white chocolate sprinkles, whipped cream, or anything that compliments the chocolate cheesecake.

    Photo by CEThompson

  • Summer Activities: The Girls First Greenville Drive’s Baseball Game

    Greenville Drive Stadium - Fluor Field

    We were able to get tickets to a Greenville Drive Baseball through a work contact so we decided to take the girls to their first Greenville Drive’s Baseball Game.  The Greenville Drive is an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox’s Team.   Like with any outdoor event such as baseball you are subject to the weather conditions. The girls were super excited but after the game got delayed followed by wind, rain, hail, and thunder they had to cancel the game for the night. Although it was a fascinating experience watching the workers drag the huge tarp out onto the field the game being cancelled was a disappointment. The girls handled it fairly well and we were managed to squeeze in a few minutes of another special activity. We were able to get another set of Drive tickets for a double header so their first Drive game was postponed temporarily.

     

    Having fun on the playground at the Greenville Drive Stadium!

     

    Saying "HI" to Reedy the Greenville Drive mascot before the game!

     

    You guessed it! The girls first Greenville Drive baseball game and was pouring rain and hail. The giant tarp was not coming off the field that night!

     

    Brina had a moment of sadness because it rained and the baseball game was cancelled.

     

    Daddy trying to cheer up Karlie despite her obvious disappointment that the game was rained out!

     

    Since the game was cancelled we managed to squeeze in ice cream sundaes and a little bit of play time at McDonald's indoor play area! Can you find them? (Hint - look at the ceiling)

     

    WAY up high!

     

    They like to be up in the high towers, can you tell!

  • Fun Activities on the Last Few Days at School

    I was able to go spend a morning volunteering at the girls school recently. Thankful that I have had a number opportunities throughout the year to participate in their classroom. One of the benefits to having twins in the same classroom is you don’t have to split your time between several different rooms. The girls LOVE it when Mommy hangs out with them at school and Mommy is excited they still want to have me be a part of their school group. The last several days of school are always busy with extra activities. One of the days I was able to help out with was their annual Field Day which is a full day outside competing in a variety of kid games.

    Karlie working at a picture for one of her friends!
    Brina thrilled that Mommy is taking a moment to watch her draw while helping with their class!
    Karlie and Brina resting in between games on Field Day!
    Brina's turn to carry the bean bag in the relay for her team on Field Day!
    Karlie was one of the few kids that made it all the way hopping down and back without losing the ball between her knees. I was pretty impressed, probably couldn't do that myself!
    Brina doing the sack race, she was a trooper for her team!
    Almost to the finish line! Go KARLIE Go!!!

    It is hard to believe the school is done and they are out for the summer.  We have many fun activities already planned for the summer and I know we’ll come up with even more stuff to do.  They have already listed several things that we did last summer tat they want to do again (guess that’s good because last summers memories were positive)!  Glad they enjoy hanging out with Mom because I love these months at home with the kids!

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of June 8 – 14, 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 Red Plum (Expires 7/10/11)
    $0.35 each after coupon

    Gwaltney Pork Sausage (12 oz) – $1.00

    Fresh Pork Tenderloin – $3.88 per lb

    Boneless Chicken Breast – $1.88 per lb

    Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs – $0.88 per lb

    Half Boneless Pork Loin Roast – $2.49 per lb

    80% Lean Ground Chuck – $2.88 per lb

    Simmons Buffalo or BBQ Boneless Wings (32 oz)  – $6.59

    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 $1.00/5 coupon from insert 3/20 Smart Source (Expires 6/11/11)
    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

    T. J. Farms Sweet Potato Fries – $1.00

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

    Tombstone Brick Oven Pizza – $2.49

    Curly’s BBQ Pulled Pork or Beef – $3.99

    Crisp Frozen Lemonade – $1.19

    World’s Fair Sundae Cups – $2.49

    Household

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

    Joy Dish Liquid – $1.00

    Bounty Basic Paper Towels (6 count) – $5.99
    Use $2.00/2 coupon from insert 4/10 Red Plum (Expires 6/30/11)
    Use $1.00/1 coupon from insert 4/10 Red Plum (Expires 6/30/11)
    As low as $4.99 each after coupon

    Produce

    Iceberg Lettuce – $1.00

    Fresh Tomatoes (3 pack) – $1.00

    Baby Carrots (16 oz) – $1.00

    Seedless Watermelon – $3.99

    Fresh Strawberries – $1.99

    Valencia Oranges (3 lb) – $1.99

    Vidalia Onions (4 lb) – $1.99

    Grocery

    Pringles (Original and Sour Cream & Onion) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 6/30/11)
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Proctor & Gamble (Expires 6/30/11)
    As low as $0.50 each after coupon

    Knorr Side Dishes – $1.00
    Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 6/19/11)
    $0.75 each after coupon

    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 4/17 Smart Source (Expires 6/11/11)
    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

    Kellogg’s Cereal – $1.88
    Use $1.00/2 printable coupon from Kellogg’s
    Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Kellogg’s
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/15 Red Plum (Expires 6/26/11)
    As low as $1.38 each after coupon

    Hawaiian Punch (1 gallon) – $1.88

    Baumann’s Best Barbeque Sauce – $1.19

    Cowboy Billy’s Baked Beans – $0.79

    Bakery

    Mini Cupcakes (12 count) – $2.49

    Bundt Cake – $5.99

    Bakery Fresh Cherry or Apple Pie – $2.99

    Sliced Loaf Cake – $2.99

    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.

  • Summer Activities: Enjoying our First Juicy Watermelon of the Season

    Thanks Daddy for the Yummy Watermelon! Yes I made the girls eat it outside, we know how messy they can get with this juicy treat!

    As a special treat Jake brought home a watermelon recently!  It was our first watermelon of the season so we were super excited to dig into the juicy melon.  The last watermelon I purchased wasn’t great but this one was AMAZING!!!!  Maybe the key is to have dear hubby pick them out in the future.

    Eating watermelon brings back memories…..the first few watermelons the girls ate were the sweet yellow watermelons because we got a bunch on sale at the local Farmer’s Market.  When we gave them the regular “pink” watermelon for the first time they didn’t believe us at first that it really was watermelon because it wasn’t yellow!  Every summer season we enjoy sharing our first watermelon together, this year we kicked off the season with a traditional seedless pink one.  Maybe we’ll have to head to the local Farmer’s Market and get yellow to enjoy soon.

    Brina munching away on the sweet watermelon! Too busy eating to even look at the camera!

     

    Karlie licking off her sticky fingers! Ummm.....Mom where's the napkins? She was more concerned about the mess she was making!

    Thanks babe for the delicious treat, it hit the spot on a hot day!  All of us enjoyed eating our first watermelon of the season and are already looking forward to the next one!

  • Book: “Living in Love” by James & Betty Robison

    I recently read the book “Living in Love” by James and Betty Robison who are Co-Hosts on TV’s “Life Today”.  Having a healthy marriage is important to me so I thought this book would give new insights or provide great reminders on ways to strengthen our marriage relationship. I enjoy having a chance to read a chapter or two of a book each day and was excited to check this one out.

    James and Betty Robison grew up in very different family environments, James was the son of a single Mom and Betty grew up in a church going family.  In the book they discussed their backgrounds and how they met.  The book has a unique layout and more conversational.  It shows Betty’s insights and James’ viewpoints by putting a headline at the top of each section.

    Although I have never watched their show I appreciated that they encouraged couples to work on their own hearts first and stop trying to “fix” their spouses.  Both James and Betty recommended praying for your spouse, marriage and family.  Each family member brings a variety of dynamics to the relationship.  They discuss topics that we don’t hear a lot about in our culture when it comes to marriage – selfishness, commitment, trust, communication, and confrontation.  When married couples have solid God centered foundations in place we have more opportunities to grow and work together as a cohesive team.  James and Betty do not claim to know everything but are thankful for God’s hand working in their lives as individuals and as a couple.

    A couple of my favorite quotes from the book:

    “An unhealthy self-focus can show up in marriage in many ways, but the one I observed most frequently is people trying to shape their spouses according to their own expectations.  This is always a mistake.  Instead of trying to change your mate it is best to allow God to shape you.”

    “Trust is built on the foundation of commitment – first and ultimately, to God and then to each other.”

    At the end of each chapter they added a few questions for each couple to answer separately or together.  Overall the book is a great resource to read for those going into marriage or for couples wanting a gentle reminder of ways to build a healthy foundation in their marriage.  If you cannot purchase the book I would recommend checking it out at your local church or community library.  It is a pretty quick read and it never hurts to be reminded of ways to keep the communication open between you and your spouse.

    Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah.  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.”

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Another week of doing Groceries $40 for 4. I was able to stock up on some items for our pantry so we should be good for awhile now. Most of the items I stocked up were non-perishable products this week.  A lot of the items we picked up will be great for the upcoming road trips we have this summer!  Below are my grocery shopping adventures for the week!

    Walgreens Grocery Deals!

    Groceries from Walgreens:

    • $2.71 at Walgreens for 2 Pure Bottle Water Packages (24 count each), 4 Sugar Free Strawberry Jello, 1 Sugar Free Orange Jello, 1 Walgreens Cashew Halves, 1 Celsius Ice Tea, 1 Arizona Tea with Blueberry, 1 Arizona Tea with Pomegranate, 1 Arizona Tea with Raspberry, 1 Arizona Tea with Lemon, and 1 Illy Cappucino Coffee Drink.   With upcoming road trips and hot months these will come in handy.  I spent $2.71 but received $5 in Register Rewards back to use on future purchases.

    Walmart, Dollar Tree, and Save A Lot | Riteaid Groceries

    Groceries from Walmart:

    • $0.90 at Walmart for French Bread on Clearance

    Groceries from Dollar Tree:

    • $1.01 at Dollar Tree for 1 loaf of Nature’s Own Whole Wheat Bread

    Groceries from Save A Lot | Riteaid:

    • $21.64 at Save A Lot | Riteaid for 1 Whole Chicken on clearance, 5 packs of Hotdogs ($0.69 each), 1 bag of Carrots, 1 package String Cheese, 1 block of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 1 can Pringles, 1 package of fresh Mushrooms (on clearance), 2 Ham Lunchables, 1 bag Red Delicious Apples, 1 bag Granny Smith Apples

    I am excited to be doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget.  This week I spent $26.26 on groceries.  Even though I was under budget I was still able to stock up on a couple items.  Thankfully I was able to keep the amount within reason and I was able to have a extra left over for those weeks when I find a really good deal or go a little over.  I am grateful for the coupons and Register Rewards I was able to use this week on the few items I purchased.

    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: Grandma Willa’s Peanut Butter Cookies

    Grandma Willa has a delicious peanut butter cookie recipe.  These are great cookies to make for an after school snack or to take with you on a trip or to a picnic in the park.  The best part is they are easy to make and you probably already have the ingredients in your fridge and pantry to put them together!

    Grandma Willa’s Peanut Butter Cookies:

    • 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
    • 1/4 cup Shortening
    • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
    • 1 Egg, well beaten
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
    • 1 cup sifted Flour

    Cream Peanut Butter and Shortening together.  Add sugar gradually, continue until mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the egg, sifted flour and baking soda.  Mix well.  Drop mixture by teaspoon onto a cookie sheet.  Bake 10 to 15 minutes at 350°.  Yield’s 4 1/2 dozen.

    Photo by Maggie Hoffman