Making Monday....

For the baby…

Pureed Green Beans

Prep your area....

Ingredients:

- (1) package of fresh or frozen green beans

-Water

-A little sprinkle of garlic and a tip of butter (My Disclaimer: many people are against adding anything, however I researched and this is okay because I breastfeed. So baby has had all of these ingredients plus more in her system. Speak with your doctor and do your own research before adding anything to your baby’s puree).

*I would NEVER add salt!!

1.Boil Green Beans on high for about 10 minutes (save the water!)

2.Let cool

3.Add to food processor (pour some of the water into the processor - the water contains the nutrients released from the veggie during the boiling process)

Spoon into containers/trays Once they freeze, you can pop them out  of the ice tray into the freezer bags so that you are able to re-use your trays to make additional baby foods.
*I wrap mine up in freezer bags for protections and to keep them as fresh as possible

Store in the refrigerator up to 5 days, or freeze.

Frugal Fridays!

Tip: Buy a Sunday Newspaper!!! It's worth it!

I mentioned before that I am on a journey to saving money, paying off debt and becoming as frugal as possible. So, I have decided to invest $1.50/week into getting the newspaper. This was my VERY FIRST time purchasing a newspaper. LOL Really, it is. I mean I used to sit at the table in my younger days and help clip coupons with my dad on Saturdays, I just thought it was something fun to do. But now, I will be adopting this tradition and have my son help. He loves helping! So I an sure he will be excited to add this to our list of things to do together.

Ok, so I know you say “duh, people have been doing this for years”. Yes, I know! But I wasn’t! I was only using coupons that were emailed to me! But guess what, you can combine coupons! You can use store coupons, on top of manufacturer’s coupons!

I was SO anxious to see what kind of coupons I could get my hands on! As I opened the newspaper, I was super excited every time I came across a coupon that was of use to me and my family! Toothpaste, paper towel, diapers, wipes, nail polish, baby Aveeno baby wash, and the list goes on and on! These are products that I purchase monthly!

I am so excited to go shopping! I now can say “YES” when the cashier asks me “Do you have any coupons”?

Yayy!!! I’ll be back to share with you next Friday how much money I saved once I combine them with store coupons and savings club cards!

Baby Ear Piercing...

The tradition in my family has always been my mom getting all the little girls ears pierced when they are about 3 to 4 months old. So while I was pregnant, I thought I would go along with the tradition..that is until my hubby let me know that his daughter was NOT getting her ears pierced until she was older and able to make that decision for herself. I was like
 "WHAT?!"
"HUH?!?".
"It's our TRADITION!!!"
"All little girls want their ears pierced!"
"We ARE NOT waiting that long!!"

Those were my thoughts. I was soooo annoyed!!!

Okay, so moving along. After having Bria and watching her get shots. I was now agreeing that okay, we can wait. I just couldn't bare watching her in pain!!! So there we had it,. we agreed. no earrings until she was older.

Well, at our daughters  doctors appointment, I hear hubby asking about ear piercing. And then again, I hear him talking to his aunt about ear piercing. And thennnnn, he brings it up and tells me to see who can pierce her ears.

But wait, what? Is there a change of heart hubby?  So we ARE getting her ears pierced?! Just when I was OK with waiting, hubby switches it up on me! But wait, now I am against it and scared because I don't want my darling little princess to suffer!! (ok, I am exaggerating, but you know what I mean). So, I came back to my original feelings and contacted our doctors office. They let me know that they don't pierce ears, but they do have someone they recommend.

So, on Saturday October 22nd...we got our baby girls ears pierced! Yayy!!!

This is hubby holding her right before the action!

And this is her later on that day...so cute!!!

I'll have to post the video of the actual piercing later, but she did really good! She cried for about 5 seconds, and then done!!

Pure L.O.V.E. from a child....

I know I already posted about this last week, but it is just so special to me...

My little guy wrote me this letter a few weeks and handed it to me. I decided to bring it to work and place it at my desk as a reminder of the most important things in life to me.

My son is 6 years old and I swear he is the sweetest little boy, EVER!

This is just an example of how sweet and genuine love is from a kid.

He loves to hug you, give you a kiss on the cheek and hold hands. Last night, he asked me to tuck him in and though I was exhausted, I got out of my bed, tucked him in..kissed him on the cheek and let him know how much I love him.  I realize that in a few years, getting tucking him in will be a thing of the past.

I also cherish our walks from the bus stop. I make sure I hold his hand because I know in a few years; he will think it’s embarrassing to walk holding his mom’s hand.

 I also try to take time to read him a book before bedtime. Because I know once he starts talking on the phone to girls, it won’t be me he falls asleep on.

I just love an adore being his mom, and I just know he loves and adores me because quite often he says to me “You’re the best mom ever”, and I believe him.

Making Monday...

Red Lobster Chedder Bay Biscuits!! Yum....

Okay, so these are sure to be a hit at your next potluck!!! I made these for my husband and his friends and they ate all 24 biscuits! LOL

I plan on making some of these for Thanksgiving!! My family will love them!

For The Biscuits:

2 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix

1 Cup Cheddar cheese; Shredded

3/4 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons butter

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder For The Glaze:

1/4 cup butter of melted butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 dash of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine Bisquick with cheddar cheese, milk, 2 tablespoons of butter that has been melted in the microwave, and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder in a medium bowl. Mix until well-combined. *with your hand or a spoon, the consistency should be like dough

3. Drop approximately 1/4-cup portions of the dough into a baking pan

4. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

*While the biscuits are baking….

5. Combine 1/4 cup of melted butter with 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, parsley flakes and salt in a bowl. Brush this mixture over the tops of each baked biscuit.

Serve warm.

Frugal Friday's

Fridays are dedicated to helping YOU save money! I will list out a tip of the day in hopes that my tips will help save you some dough!

1. Let the deals come to you!!!

Below I have listed some of the sites I have signed up to receive emails from. Typically I receive a email from these companies twice a week. Most of the time, each email contains awesome deals or coupons! I check each email, print the coupons or immediately take advantage of the deal (if it applies to me). I take full advantage of as many deals as possible. Sure, it is annoying to receive so many emails. But the benefits outweigh the cost of only having to click delete. Remember, I have GOALS! I really want to be DEBT free and a HOMEOWNER in my very near future.

Sign up and be patient! Trust me, it is really worth receiving the abundance of emails.

http://www.babiesrus.com/

http://oldnavy.gap.com/

http://www.travelzoo.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/

http://www.hotwire.com/

http://www.retailmenot.com/

http://www.ruelala.com/

http://www.cheapcarribean.com/

http://www.babysteals.com/

http://www.kidsteals.com/

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/

http://www.cruisesonly.com/

Happy Saving!!!!

It's the small things...

My son walked into my room the other day and handed me this....

It's suppose to say "I love you mom". This is from my 6 year old son. He is so special to me for so many reasons. This is by far, one of the cutest, genuine things a kid could do...I just adore him.

 me: "aww little guy, this is so sweet..so tell me whose these people are, left to right"

 him: "well, there is me, then you..than dad (then he skips over the other person)..and the little one is baby sister"
me: ok, cool..but who is the other person next to your dad and baby sister?"

him: "umm, well..I don't know... maybe it's a cousin or something..."

me: lol, ok..doesn't matter..it's very nice of you to draw this for mommy.. I Love you kiddo..."
him: smile :)

I just love kids!

Apple Orchard or Cider Mill???

OK, what is it really? An Apple Orchard or Cider Mill??

Every year during the fall, my family, friends and I visit an Apple Orchard. Some of us like to hit the hayride and pick apples.

My step dad loves making apple jam and stores them in mason jars. He usually gives them out to the family.

 Some of us like to take our kids, so they can connect and have fun.

My son always insist on making one of those little sand “thing a ma jigs’” with the different colors (see pic below) .

My nieces and nephew love to play in the play area on the slides!

Some of us love the fresh warm donuts and hot chocolate. I usually head straight to the donut stand!I just can’t resists the smell of the fresh donuts being made! I love donuts and hot chocolate.

Some love the wine (my mom) and some just simply go because it’s a tradition. Typically it’s between 10 to 20 of us that meet up and spend the day together. It’s really a fun time.

So, my question is what is it really? What’s the difference between a Cider Mill vs. Apple Orchard? All the ones that I have been to have he same offerings. Hayrides, donuts, face painting, cider, fun areas, apple picking and pumkin patches. What should we call it? Does it really matter? I hear some people say they are going to the Apple Orchard and some say they are going to the Cider Mill, what’s the difference?

I decided to look them both up in Wikipedia and Online Dictionaries… and I also decided to ask some “online friends" of mine.

A Cider mill refers to the location, structure, or machinery used to crushed apples into apple juice for use in making apple cider, applejack, hard cider, apple wine, pectin and other products derived from apples. The mills used to manufacture the juice products, ferment them, store them and ship them, are usually located near apple orchards. Historically, the types of structure and machinery have varied greatly—including horse powered, water driven, and machine operated mills. The presses can be fixed or portable.

*source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cider_mill

	1.	Apple orchard - a grove of apple trees               orchard, woodlet, grove, plantation - garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth
*source:		http://www.thefreedictionary.com/apple+orchard

My online friends say they prefer to call them “orchards” because if there is no cider press, than it just makes more sense to call it an “orchard”.

Maybe I could make up a new name, The Apple Orchard Cider Mill? No? Okay, maybe not....

 I guess I’ll stick with what I have been calling them. The Good Old Apple Orchard. J

Making Monday....

Now that I am back to blogging, I thought that it would be cool to do a "Making Monday". Making Monday's will show off things that I have made by myself. And because I'm NOT that crafty, typically my "makings" will be about something I Loovveeee......and that is FOOD!!!

So let's begin...

Today, I am going to talk about making Homemade Baby Food. While I was pregnant, I did a lot of reading. I read Internet blogs, participated in baby online group discussions, and read a lot of magazines. There was so much information out there that really focused on (1). Healthy Lifestyles (2) Eating Organic (3) Saving Money & (4) DIY (Do it Yourself). Reading all this stuff convinced me that a. I was definitely going to breastfeed, and b. I was going to try out making my own baby food. Both would save me a lot of money!!! Sometimes I do feel guilty that I didn't research all this incredible information while I was pregnant with my son (whom I breastfed, formula fed and fed him store bought baby food), but he is healthy and doing just fine.

With my baby girl, I am exclusively breastfeeding, pumping every 4 hours and making her, her own homemade baby food. Making homemade baby food is really easy and not that time consuming! I really enjoy making homemade baby food because I know the ingredients that are in everything I am feeding my baby, and that makes me feel more comfortable buying food that I have no control over. This way I am able to avoid pesticides, baby food recalls, etc. I am NOT knocking anyone that uses store bought food, not at all. This is just a personal choice of mine. And to be quite honest, there may be a time that I am unable to make my own food and may have to purcahse a few organic jars of baby food. I'm just being honest. So my first week, I made a banana puree for my baby girl. She loved it!!!


What you will need. A Blender, food processor, Bullet or Baby Bullet. I chose to purchase a baby bullet set for a few reasons. We typically use our blender for mixing drinks, and I don't want to make baby's food with a blender that has been used with making alcoholic beverages. Also, the  baby bullet comes with everything you will need to blend and store your baby food! It only cost $59.99 Babies R Us or Bed, Bath and Beyond. you can use a Bed Bath and Beyond coupon at both of these places. I used a 20% off coupon!

Here is the baby bullet and all the component's:

This week I made:

 Homemade Sweet Potatoe Puree.

Ingredients: Sweet Potatoes and Breastmilk
Instructions:

1. Peel and wash your sweet potatoes

2. Cut up sweet potatoes in small chunks

3.Pour sweet potatoes into boiling water

4. Remove sweet potatoes and pour into blender (save and use the water while blending because the water contains healthy nutrients that were released from the sweet potatoe) *Also, I use a little bit of breastmilk for added taste. You can also use formula.
*Blend for about 15 seconds or until the sweet potatoe turns into a puree.

***If you really want to give baby a treat, also add a little banana in there to really give baby a yummy taste of healthy food!

5.Pour your puree into the baby bullet containers to store in the refrigerator:

6. Store the rest in the freezer ready containers:

I also purchased some additional little ice trays from the dollar store:

Last, but not least..FEED to baby!!!! S/he will love it!!!

P.S. It gets a little messy ;)

Frugal Friday's

I think that if I could, I would change my middle name to Frugal...seriously.  Past post prove that to me, it is very important to save $$$ where you can.  Now lets be clear, I am NOT CHEAP, however, I have found that using coupons, joining discount/frequent buyer programs and shopping on the for sale racks only- make a huge impact on saving $$$.

I give my mom credit on my non materialistic lifestyle. She raised us to be thankful for what we have and to not fall into the "have to have designer" pit.

I have so many financial goals, that need to be reached - and being frugal throughout my life will definitely pay off! My husband and I are in the process right now of taking the necessary steps to reach our goals of living a healthy, debt free lifestyle so that we will be able to secure not just our futures, but for our kids as well.

So anyway, I have decided to dedicate future Friday posts exclusively for subjects related to being FRUGAL!!! So, if you are ready to save some money, hit my blog up on Fridays for tips on HOW TO SAVE!!!!!!

Getting back to blogging!!

Ok, so you may have been wondering where the hell I have been for almost a year...well, I may just have to give you a photo recap of how my life has changed. I've been very, very, busy!

One of my last blogs stated that I had some things that I had been working on. Well, lets just say I succesfully fufilled those "things" I was working on and it produced a human being! LOL Take a look at what hubby and I made while on our honeymoon.....

YUP, so on our actual honeymoon (in the bahamas) we came back to the states with an additonal person...growing in my belly!!

Let me just give you a photo recap of the past year...

And here we are...My complete little gorgeous family!!

Yeah, so PLEASE FORGIVE me...as you can see, life has changed quite a bit for me, but I LOVE to write and I have SO MANY things to share with you! I can promise you that I AM BACK!!!
Welp, the blog name speaks for itself..the honeymoon AINT over in our household! We have proof!!!


Oh, and yes..thank you..I am so glad to be back!!!