Beautiful day here in the South. 75 and sunny. Mike is mowing the lawn; daffodils, tulips, forsythia and red buds everywhere! So, the perfect day for yard sales Abby just asked me last week to pick up a pair of white retro roller skates (not blades) if I found them. I told her that wouldn't be an easy find. Guess what I found-in her size- at the very first yard sale for 50 cents??? Woot! Lots of baby clothes for a friend and like new jeans and shorts for the boys. And one pair of running shoes. I think I spent about $12.00 all told. Just love being out there!!
Appreciated all the meal planning posts. I think most of us are about the same. "Loose" plans, but nothing super structured. That would be how I do it. I generally shop on Monday mornings. (It was Friday for years.).Sunday night I look in the freezer and see what needs to be used up and what I need to fill in around the edges. Then I check all the sale papers and see what I can put together. I rarely think of something I want and just buy it. (Exceptions are special days: eg. I always have corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day and the kids get to pick their birthday meal) It's all about what's on sale. I try not spend over $4.00 total for the whole evening meal (for 7 of us). I put a plan on paper, but rarely follow it all the way through. Things come up and change as the week progresses.
I try to shop weekly, although being so close to many stores makes it easy to pop in if a super sale comes up. We do eat together 98% of the time and try to make this a priority. It's not the same time every night, but we are together. I am so aware of the fact that there won't be many years left with everyone around the table and I want to make it last as much as I can.
There have been times in my life (esp when I had 4 kids 5 and under, or even during the homeschool years) when I cooked more ahead. Now, when I get up in the morning I look at schedules and the "loose" plan and unthaw meat, make sure I have ingredients, etc. That way, I'm not crazy at night. If I'm working, I'll try to use the crock pot....a girl's best friend!!
In the summer we eat veggies from the garden. We don't have a very big garden spot here, so I try to grow super productive plants: green beans, tomatoes and cukes top the list. When we lived in the country, I had a huge garden and canned and froze lots of stuff. I miss that, but I do what I can with my little spot here.
Did I hit it all? I'll wait until tonight to draw the winner of the book and will post it tomorrow! You all are the best!! Make sure to check out http://www.southernsavers.com/ for this weeks drug store deals!
Print the form (click here: http://www.olay.com/Club_Olay/march2010/images/Quench_Forn ) for a full purchase-price rebate on Olay Quench Body Lotion "Quench for Clunkers" (4/16/10) It started yesterday. Void in ME. It says buy any size so buy the biggest. Get a full rebate with this form. There is a $1 coupon on Quench in the (PG 3/7) insert. This is not a money-back guarantee. It's a straight-forward full refund for everyone whether you love it or hate it. I personally love this lotion, so this is a really good rebate. Use the coupon and you'll make money!
Don't forget free cone day at Ben and Jerrys on March 23 from 12-8. On that same day, Starbucks is having free pastry day with purchase of a drink, click here: http://www.starbucks.com/freepastryday . Only good from opening until 10:30 am, so hurry in!
so jealous, mowing lawn, flowers and most of all yard sales already...isn't it amazing how God gives even the most specific things we want sometimes..cool about the skates..and what is up with void in Maine..boooo....lol
ReplyDeletePicked up a Cowboy Cookbook, a Fix Anything book (Z is off to college in a couple years and will need this kind of thing, and a $1 DVD. Can't rent a movie for that price. I only went out for about an hour. Not much this week, but my $30 air filter for $0.75 last week more than makes up for it. Congrats on the skates, that does seem like something that should take a while.
ReplyDeleteOK. First, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to call you on your "girl's best friend" comment. I, as one half of the cooking staff at Wayfarer House, use the crock pot all the time. In fact, my split pea soup is to die for!
ReplyDeleteSecond, do you have farmshares down your way? We are incredibly fortunate to have a plethora of such things within a short drive, and we find them to be wonderful options for fresh veggies. The cost is all up front, but there are usually ½ shares and, if you like fresh produce, they can work out to be dirt cheap over the course of the growing season--and beyond. We are still going through the onions and garlic from last fall, and there are two squash still perfectly good in the larder! There are also farmshares for meat in our area, although we haven't bought into one yet. This year, perhaps.
Wayfarer...so sorry! You are right, I should have said "a cook's best friend!" I have not yet looked into farmshares. One of our biggest problems gardenwise is that we go to Maine for a big part of the summer...
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