Your Laughter Of The Day

Feast your eyes on this one folks, but refrain from drinking anything while you visit this little story lest you spit it all over your screen:

Cops Bust Stool Fool


Genius for creating that, stupid for driving it drunk. What I want to know is how come they didn't impound it? If it was a car, they would have. (Course, I wouldn't want to have been the officer dropping it off at the impound lot. LOL!)

The Mac N Cheese Challenge Round Two

Alright here comes round two of the Mac N Cheese Challenge! Get out your box of macaroni and the following:


1 can mixed veggies ($0.50)
1 can cream of mushroom soup ($0.50 store brand Fred Meyer)


First things first, put the cheese packet aside for another recipe - you don't need it for this one. (It's great added to slow cooker potato stews or, add a little bit of milk and bake with sliced potatoes for homemade au gratin potatoes!)

Boil the macaroni as directed on the package.



Next, drain 95% of the water and add the can of soup, mixing thoroughly.



Next, add the drained can of vegetables, and mix.


Cook on low for five minutes.


Serve with a salad (small bag of lettuce is $0.79 at Fred Meyer) and corn muffins (mix box is usually around $0.40) If your budget allows, top this with shredded mozzarella cheese before serving. You can always add a second can of vegetables, or even half a pound of ground sausage or chicken as well. Also, feel free to substitute with whatever Cream of soup you have on hand - chicken and even celery would work just fine.

Thrift Store Tuesday

Welcome to another week of resale bargain shopping!

My question this week: Does anyone even care? LOL Honestly, I haven't had anyone link up at all since I've been doing this. Is it interesting at all to you folks reading this, or shall I nix the Thrift Store Tuesday posting?

Anyways, here's our lonely find for the week - A Molson beer glass for $0.69 at Goodwill. (Sorry, the photo is rather lousy, I know)



Did you score anything interesting this week?

Autographed Corneille CD Winner!

And the winner of the autographed Corneille CD giveaway is:

rubymoon said...
All Of My Love is a beautiful song snd his story is inspiring too.

Congratulations! Please get back to me in the next 48 hours with your mailing address.

Review & Giveaway: Spray 'N Wash Bright 'N White

I'm excited to tell you that I was recently selected to be one of the founding members of the Spray N Wash mom panel!

I'm amazed at the amount of laundry our little family has. I was even up doing laundry the other night at 2:30 in the morning, because DH needed something for work! (That's a rant for another day...)

It seems like I am always struggling with stains. I wish I could say that's all the little one's fault, but nope - the worst offender is my husband! At least once a week I seem to be saying a Hail Mary while trying to get a major stain out of his clothes. I love my husband with all of my heart, but boy, he keeps me busy!

That's why I was really excited to try out the new Spray 'N Wash Bright 'N White With Resolve Power, the new stain fighter designed to brighten and whiten clothes. Look at how cute the box was when it arrived!


Bleach terrifies me, so I don't like to use it on clothing. But did you know that 97% of clothing labels say Do Not Bleach? You'd think with all the years I spent in the clothing business, I would have known this, but I didn't.

Unlike bleach, Spray 'N Wash is safe for most clothing items. You can use it as an additive to your laundry detergent, or you can use it as a pre-wash spot treatment on the offending stain.

Being the chicken I am (ha!), I tested it out on a load of DH's mostly whites laundry. I did notice his white undershirts looked a little more alive than they usually did when I pulled them out of the dryer. I wish I had noticed before I started the load that there was an ink stain on his pants - I would have tried to pre-treat it. I could tell the stain looked better than it would have just using my laundry detergent, but it didn't take it out completely. I'm mad that I didn't get to try it out properly on the stain.

Round two with the next load of whites, I didn't have any major stains, just a few spots including one dinner stain. Again the load seemed a little brighter than they normally did, and the spots were gone.

Round three was scrubs. I hate scrubs. Scrubs attract stains like nothing else. Somehow, they always end up with greasy looking stains on them. I have to say, it improved some of the scrubs that I thought were on their last legs.

New Spray 'N Wash Bright 'N White With Resolve Power retails for around $4.99. You can visit their website to print a coupon to save $0.75 your purchase of Spray 'N Wash. Or...

Win it! The folks over at Spray 'N Wash have offered to share the love with two of my readers and send them their own mini washing machine with a container of new Spray 'N Wash Bright 'N White With Resolve Power! To enter, tell me your bleach or laundry horror story.

Here's mine: Just after DH and I were married, I did a load of our laundry at the laundromat. I had no idea bleach had been spilled along the edge of the washing machine. Guess what ended up with spots all over? His beloved Dimmu Borgir shirt. I still hear about that three years later! :(

For extra entries:
Subscribe to my RSS feed or follow my blog (subscribers always get extra entries)
Blog about this giveaway
Digg, stumble, kirsty etc this blog with a review (leave your username)

Contest ends April 6th at 11:59 PM PST. US only, sorry.

While you are entering my contest - guess what? You can take a picture of your bleach horror story victim and starting April 1st you can enter to win a laundry room makeover!

Review: Wanchai Ferry Dinner Kits

Chinese food that's not frozen? You're on! I tried Wanchai Ferry's Sweet and Sour version.

My first thought was that this isn't exactly budget minded, though at an average retail of $5.99 for the kit (plus the cost of chicken) it is much cheaper than take out for a family of four.


The package recommends you cook the rice on the stove, but if you have a rice cooker, I vote you use that instead. Trust me.

The kit also included the seasoned cornstarch to coat the chicken in. I used it for the sake of the review, but if you're cutting calories, skip over the cornstarch and frying section. Use a bit of coconut oil to cook the chicken instead.


Warning, warning: Ignore part of their directions and read all the way to the bottom. Seriously! Do not dump the cornstarch powder into bowl. I made this mistake before I realized it was too late. Empty the pouch into a large ziploc bag, then add the chicken and shake it. Trust me, you'll be muttering bad things if you coat the chicken using a bowl.

After that part, it's pretty easy to finish. It came out pretty well - I was pleasantly surprised. While it was more work than I care to from a dinner kit, it was delicious! I'll keep one on hand if I can find it on sale and combine it with a coupon.


The one thing I want to point out is that it's supposed to be 6 servings. Honestly, unless you are a portion control person, it's not. You either have to add more rice or add in some veggies if you have a husband like mine. It's certainly not going to feed six if one of those is a teenage boy - consider yourself warned. ;) I'd put it closer to four servings.

Want to try Wanchai Ferry yourself? Visit their website to print a coupon to save $1.00 off your purchase!

Revolution Foods Goodness

Remember my post on Moms of The Revolution? You still have time to get your entry in if you were planning to enter!

And guess what? You can now purchase Revolution Foods online through Drugstore.com or over at your nearest Toys 'R Us stores! DH is going to be happy - he's totally in love with their Jammy Sammys! LOL!

Menu Planning Monday

Tonight's round two of the Mac 'N Cheese Challenge.


Monday: Challenge Night, salad

Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Bake

Wednesday: recipe of the week - look for the post!

Thursday: rice, steamed veggies, lemon pepper chicken

Friday: DH plans to grill out

Saturday: pizza night

Sunday: steak, mashed potatoes, salad


Check out Organizing Junkie for other great Menu Plans!

The Trouble With Cats

For some reason, even though all our living pets have joined our family after we've been married, three out of the four cats are mine according to DH.

Back when we lived in the apartment, DH walked in the door one afternoon and said I found this under the car.

It was a scrawny looking black furball. Off to quarantine in the bedroom she went. One week later, still no owners found, we were stuck with her. How did we live in a third floor apartment and still manage to end up with strays?

She's still a scrawny looking furball almost two years later. The rabbit weighs more than her.

The rabbit is also less trouble than her.

She has claws that belong on a cat 20 pounds heavier than her. Because she's so small, she ends up in the strangest places. And apparently she never got the memo that she's spayed, because she does the heat yodel way too often for my taste. Did I mention for being scrawny, there's nothing wrong with her lungs? The neighbors can hear her yowl.

With the windows closed.

It never fails, at least once a month, she manages to dash out when the Pudgy Princess is going outside.

I've had it with her sneaking out, and I refuse to chase her around to get her back in the house. (well, unless it's below freezing, I'm not that cruel)

She did it again this morning, and I just stuck my head back in the doorway and yelled at the top of my lungs, BABE! YOUR ROTTEN CAT SNUCK OUT AGAIN!

Yes, the neighbors love me. *snort*

The poor guy comes out the door dripping wet in warm up pants. I guess he was in the shower. Oops, my bad.

You want entertainment? There's nothing like a half dressed, dripping wet guy calling here kitty kitty, chasing around a 4 pound cat who's running around the edge of the yard because she's not quite smart enough to figure out how to jump the darn fence.

Yes, she's a few fries short of a happy meal.

Yes, I just about peed myself laughing.

Never a dull day around here.

This Is Getting Old

Honestly, I'm getting tired of it.

Last week I had to deal with the coupon police at Safeway again. Apparently, the check out clerk thought that the no further discounts applied as part of their buy 10, save whatever it was promotion, also applied to coupons. I had her call the manager on over and listened to her tell the manager the store was paying me to take the groceries home. Um, no. Really, I wish lady, but you were being just a tad over dramatic. My bill was $4 after the coupons, and before tax. Sigh! The manager told her to accept the coupons and walked away. As the clerk handed me the receipt, she had the nerve to tell me they made a special allowance for me.

Say what?

I went to another lane a few days later and had absolutely no problem with the promotion and my coupons. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Now I absolutely loathe going shopping on Saturdays. People are just plain rude as they shop through the stores, and I don't want that nastiness to come into our life.

I needed to pick up the circular for this (next week at the time) week at Fred Meyer. While I was there, I figured I'd grab a few things with coupons that were about to expire at the end of the month. I found several Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom wipes that were clearanced to $1.89 plus I had $1.00 off coupons (I know, I know, not green, but there are times my bathroom seems like a warzone!!) I headed over to self checkout, started in on my merry scanning, and of course, Murphy had to poke his head into the transaction, and the Scrubbing Bubbles wouldn't scan.

Gritting my teeth, I called for help, which on a Saturday of course takes twice as long. Clerk says the sku is invalid (huh?) and decides to ring the Scrubbing Bubbles up as the Carefree liners I had in my cart and override the price. (Seriously, why not just peel the markdown sticker aside, and override THAT price? Hello?)

I finish scanning, and hand over my coupons to be scanned.

Yes, you guessed it, she had issues with the Scrubbing Bubbles coupons. "We can't take a coupon because it's clearanced"

I gritted my teeth and said yes, you can. I'm buying the item, it doesn't matter if it's on sale or marked down, you're getting the $1.00 back from the manufacturer.

She starts to argue with me again, my blood pressure is rising, and I was ready to take a page out of the munchkin's book and start screaming. For that split second I was reminded of why I like being anti-social sometimes! I told her to call customer service, who set her straight.

With coupon use on the rise, how hard is it to take 5 minutes to explain to your clerks how a coupon works in your store?

I keep standing up for myself because I feel like I need to stand up for everyone else who is trying to use a coupon, but I'm telling you, some days it gets old.

Printable Pedigree DentaStix Coupon

Pedigree has a printable coupon available to save $2.50 off your next purchase of Dentastix dental treats.

If you can find these on sale, you could get them for under $1 after the coupon! The Pudgy Princess will appreciate this coupon for sure. ;)

The Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest

Calling all home cooks! The 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest is open for entries and looking for the next $1 million recipe... all it takes is one simple idea! Entries are being accepted online between now and April 20th, 2009, at www.bakeoff.com. You'll also find contest details, including eligible products, prizes and the official rules, at the web site.

Check out last year's lucky winner showing us how to make her winning recipe - yummy!

I admit it, baking isn't my greatest accomplishment in the kitchen - but for $1 million, I think it's time to get creative! LOL Are you going to enter, or have you entered in past years?

Printable Rice Works Snacks Coupon

Looking for a healthier snack? Try Rice Works, and print a coupon to save $1.00 off your next purchase. You do have to fill out your information to print it.

Printable Wish-Bone Dressing Coupons

Visit Wish Bone's website to print a coupon to save $0.75 off your next purchase of Wish-Bone salad dressings. Simply click on COUPONS on the top right hand corner to print - no registration needed. (It's a Bricks coupon for those having problems with Smart Source coupons)

These are great to use in recipes as a marinade too, especially in slow cooker recipes. I love the Italian dressing on vegetables this way!

Fred Meyer Deals 3/29 - 4/4 2009

It sounds like a good week to stock up on chicken for the freezer. Me? I'm excited about the Friskies cat food. ;) There also seems to be some good deals for lunch foods.

See the entire circular online here or here's the food & home highlights with coupon matches if available:

*Foster Farms Fresh Fryer Breasts $0.99 lb (jumbo pack, bone in)
*Fresh Express Salad Kits or Blends BOGOF
*Hershey's Easter Bag Candy 2/$5
*Cadbury Mini Eggs 2/$5
*Cantaloupe $0.48 lb
*Schoolboy Size Apples $0.58 lb
*Carrots $0.39 lb
*Yellow Onions $0.39 lb
*Green Cabbage $0.39 lb
*Texas Red Grapefruit 3/$1
*Hothouse Bell Peppers 4/$5
*Organic Grape Tomatoes 2/$5 (1 dry pint)
*Organic Bartlett Pears $1.49 lb
*Nature's Way Select Vitamins or Supplements Save 30%
*Santa Cruz Organic Juice 32 oz 2/$5
*Frito Lay Natural Chips or Snacks 2/$6
*Helios Organic Kefir 32 oz 2/$6
*Nancy's Organic Yogurt 32 oz $2.69
*Amy's Burritos 2/$4
*Twinlab Supplements Save 30%
*Schick for Women Trim Style, Quattro Titanium Trimmer, Quattro, or Intuition Plus Manual Razors $4.99 after in store MC
*L'Oreal Feria Hair Color $5.99 after in store MC
*L'Oreal Dermo Expertise Revitalift or Age Perfect Skin Care $11.99 ($1 off MC)
*Secret, Old Spice, or Gillette Premium Antiperspirant, Deodorant or Body Spray 2/$7 ($0.50 off Secret MC, $1 off 2 Old Spice MC)
*L'Oreal Vive Pro Shampoo or Conditioner $2.99
*L'Oreal Studio Line Styling Products $2.99
*Sonicare Essence Rechargeable Toothbrush $59.99
*Neutrogena Cosmetics BOGO Half Off

***Earn 500 Bonus Rewards Points When You Buy 5 of the following items:
*Charmin Bath Tissue 12 Big Rolls $6.99 ($0.25 off MC)
*Bounty Paper Towels 6-8 pk $6.99 ($0.25 off MC)
*Febreeze Fabric Refresher $3.99 ($0.50, $1 off MC)
*Downy Fabric Softener $4.99 ($0.25, $0.50 off MCs)
*Bounce Fabric Softener Sheets $4.99 ($0.25 MC)
*Dawn Liquid Dish Detergent 56 oz $4.99 ($0.50 MC)
*Iams Dry Dog Food 15.5 lbs $16.99 ($1 MC)
*Iams Dry Cat Food 7 or 8 lbs $13.99 ($1 off MC)
*Pantene Hair Care 3/$10 ($1 off 2 MC)
*Crest Toothpaste 2/$5 ($0.50 MC)
*Gillette Fusion, Fusion Gamer, Venus Embrace, Spa Breeze Razors, Save $1


*Ground Buffalo $4.99 lb
*Buffalo Top Round Steak $6.98 lb
*Buffalo Rib Steak $11.98 lb
*Buffalo New York Steak $12.98 lb
*Durham Ranch Ground Buffalo Patties 2lb bag $10.49
*Pork Loin Assorted Chops $1.98 lb
*USDA Choice Beef Cross Rib Roast $3.49 lb
*Beef Loin New York Steaks $5.99 lb (family pack)
*USDA Choice Beef Loin New York Steak $6.99 lb
*Johnsonville Grilling Sausage $3.99
*Fresh Extra Lean Ground Beef $3.99 (flavor seal packs)
*Wild Alaskan Whole Sockeye Salmon $3.99 lb
*Colossal E-Z Peel White Prawns $6.99 lb
*Ahi Tuna Steaks $8.99 lb
*Wild Columbian River King Salmon Fillet $9.99 lb
*Rotisserie Chicken $6.99 (deli)
*Tillamook Cheese 2lb $4.99
*Ragu or Bertolli Pasta Sauce 2/$3
*Doritos Chips 2/$4 (Look for $0.55 peelies on some bags!)
*Pepsi 12pk or 6 pk bottles 2/$8
*CapriSun pouches $1.79
*Coffee-mate Creamer 2/$5 ($1 off printable coupon here)
*Fred Meyer Half Gallon Milk or Orange Juice 10/$10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 10)
*Kellogg's Cereals 5/$10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 5, lots of MCs available)
*Kraft Macaroni & Cheese 2/$1 w/ in ad coupon (limit 10)
*Big K Pop 12 pks 6/$10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 6)
*Fred Meyer Deli Meats 16 oz packs 2/$5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)
*Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs 3 lb bag $5.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)
*American Licorice Vines or Kroger Bag Candy $0.88 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)
*Friskies Cat Food 3/$1 w/ in ad coupon (limit 12)

All Home clearance is 40% the lowest marked price!

Don't forget to use your reward coupons - you should have already received them! If you have not received them yet, be sure to contact Fred Meyer!

Unfamiliar with Fred Meyer's coupon policy? They allow you stack a Fred Meyer store coupon (FM coupons as I call them) with a manufacturer's coupon. They do not price match to any other store's sale prices, and they won't take other store's sale coupons. You can however use a manufacturer's coupons on any sale or clearance items, but they usually won't allow any overage if the coupon is more than the sale price (sometimes it slips through the cracks, but don't expect it every time). Our local Washington stores do not double any coupons. They do accept the printed internet coupons if they have a barcode (like bricks coupons or from Smart Source or coupons.com if you are unfamiliar with them) so if you are having problems with a clerk not wanting to accept your coupon and you are sure it's legit coupon, please ask to have a manager come on over to verify it.

For more sites listing other stores sales ads and coupon match ups, please visit BeCentsAble - home of the original Grocery Gathering!

They Like Me, They Like Me!

Amy over at WebFloss and Nanci over at Beri Fields both gave me the Attitude of Gratitude award!

Shannon over at Shannon Blogs Here gave me the Sisterhood Award!


Thank you ladies!!!

I've found so many wonderful blogs and met so many great folks through blogging, that I don't want to leave any of you out! So I pass along both of these awards to anyone who's ever commented on any of my non-contest blog entries! LOL! :) (You know the drill, if you want to accept this award, post about it and pass it on, I'll add your link to this post!)

Giveaway Winners!

I feel like a casino with all these giveaways running lately and winners to announce! lol

With random.org's help, here's the lucky people:

The winner of the Protect-A-Bed giveaway is:

micaela6955/Michele P. said...
I subscribe to your feed!

The Eden Fantasys winner is:

CathyH said...
I think the games might be fun like
52 weeks of naughty nights

I need both of you to please get back to me in the next 48 hours with your mailing address!


If you didn't win either of these, don't forget, I have other giveaways running thanks to some wonderful sponsors and companies! :)

Zonked!

Yeah, that's me, sitting here with a bit of drool coming out of the side of my mouth I think - I'm exhausted from today! I'll get the winner of the Protect-A-Bed tomorrow with the winner of the Eden Fantasy giveaway tomorrow (Since, I have to count and recount several times after Random.org gives me the winning number - and as I'm half out of it, I don't trust myself to get the counting right!)

Don't forget to enter my other giveaways! :)

Friday's Featured Etsy: Metal Taboo

Welcome to my Friday's Featured post, in which I showcase Etsy stores and small businesses from folks like you and me. Recession, smession! ;)

This week's feature is an Etsy store called Metal Taboo .

Metal Taboo is owned by Tiffanie, who you may know from Eternally Linked. Metal Taboo is her alter ego, and makes fun hand stamped jewelery for your inner bad girl. ;) She uses top of the line natural materials to create her pieces. All items arrive in a gift box and organza bag perfect for gift giving. (Hint hint to all the husbands for Mother's Day coming up soon enough!)

Speaking of your inner bad girl, check out this Bad Girl necklace:


And for my fellow Rock N Roll girls, check out this necklace:


If earrings are more your thing, check out these cheeky handcuff earrings called Cuffed:


Stop by Metal Taboo today and have a look around! If there's a special phrase you'd like to have stamped, custom designs are always encouraged! I think I need something with Psychotic in it, don't you? ;)

Recipe: Cake Mix Cookies

I don't know about you, but I have a stack of cake mixes that I bought for virtually free doing deals as a couponer. Cake straight from the box just sounds so BORING. The cost for these cookies should be around or less than a dollar using stockpile deals making it a great frugal treat for the budget minded. It's also easy for kids to help make as there isn't that much to measure out. (Note: my cookies never look cookbook perfect!)

1 box of cake mix
1/2 cup chocolate chips or raisins (or any other choice, you can add more if you'd like to)
1/4 cup of oil (or half a cup of applesauce)
2 eggs
1/4 cup of water


Add the cake mix into a large mixing bowl. (I'm using white as it's the one closest to the date, but you can use any flavor including chocolate, even strawberry)


Add the eggs and oil.


Next, add the chocolate chips/fun additions (I also added coconut flakes as this was a clean out the cabinets treat for us) and water.


Mix everything together thoroughly (helpers come in handy for this part *wink*)


Place on a well greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.


Let them sit out of the oven for two minutes then place on wire racks to cool.

Hint: Have a white mix like mine and want to make the mix silly for the kids? Add a box of flavored jello to the mix. Lime makes great green Alien cookies! Strawberry or cherry makes great Ladybug tea party cookies - especially with the chocolate chips!

Printable Zyrtec Coupons

My fellow allergy sufferers are probably as happy as I am to see this printable coupon to save $2 off your next purchase of any Zyrtec product! You do need to register or sign in to access the coupon.

Printable Listerine Smart Rinse Coupons

Visit the Listerine Kids website to print several coupons, including $1 off Listerine Smart Rinse and $1 off Listerine Agent Cool Blue.

Printable Tasters Choice Coffee Coupons

Register or sign in to print a coupon to save $1.00 off your next purchase of Nescafe Tasters Choice.

Tasters Choice is available in 100% Columbian, Vanilla, Hazelnut, and Gourmet Roast flavors.

Printable Coffee-Mate Coupons

Register or sign in to print a coupon to save $1.00 off your next purchase of any size Coffee-Mate liquid or powdered creamer.

Did you know Coffee-Mate is great to add in recipes for extra flavor? How about a Cappuccino Cheesecake? (are you drooling yet?)

Thrifty Thursday: Keeping Vet Bills Low

This week's Thrifty Thursday post is about keeping your vet bills low.

Believe it or not, taking your pet for an annual visit to the vet generally will help cut down on your overall pet expenses by having the vet being able to catch problems in the early stages. Problems with the teeth are an expensive example. If the vet sees a build up of tartar for instance, instead of spending hundreds of dollars when it's out of control, simply switching the pets food to a dry food, chewing on a bone, or brushing your pet's teeth would save money.

Many pet stores such as the national chain Petco host a reduced rate vaccination clinic every month. I believe for around $42, your pet can receive all the major vaccinations, including rabies. This is more than half off the usual price of most vet clinics!

Another option if you have a cat is to cut down on the vaccinations. If your cat is indoor only, and doesn't come in contact with other pets, usually you can ask to receive just the Rabies vaccination. However, please keep in mind that some diseases can spread with a simple sneeze through a window screen, so take all things into consideration and speak with your vet if taking that option. I actually did this with my eldest cat who passed on a few months ago - as he got older, I didn't want to pump him full of drugs.

Also, contact your local pet shelter or rescue group. Often they can put you in touch with vet clinics who will work with you on any medical bills, or let you know of other reduced rate options. I often see free or reduced spay and neuter, and vaccination mobile clinics advertised through Craigslist in conjunction with certain rescue groups. The downside is you have to be there very early in the morning to be in line as only a certain number of people are accepted. But it's a great option for those who can't afford the bills but want to keep their pet as healthy as possible.

Printable Lean Cuisine Coupons

There's a new printable coupon out to save $1.00 off your next purchase of 3 Lean Cuisine meals. (It's a Bricks coupon for those having problems printing Smart Source coupons)

*This offer is now dead, but please add my blog to your favorites as I will post Lean Cuisine coupons as soon as I get notice of them! While you are here, don't forget to check out my other printable coupons to see if there are other coupons available to help you save on your grocery bill!!

Printable Birds Eye Viola Coupon

Print a coupon to save $1.00 off your next purchase of any Birds Eye Viola product.

While you are there, you can also enter to win a trip for 4 to California and a private tour of Paramount Studios!

Book Review: Two Snowflakes by Jennifer Miller

Twins run in my family like mad. My cousin was blessed to even land two sets of them in a row.

(Yes, that's seething jealousy you read there. Maybe next time? lol)

I'm happy to share with you fellow twin families this wonderful little story called Two Snowflakes, by twin mom Jennifer Miller. Jennifer has twin three year old girls that are the inspiration for the book.

Two Snowflakes is the story of two little snowflakes named Phina and Bella. As you know, no two snowflakes are exactly alike, but Phina and Bella seemed so much alike, just like identical twins, that everyone had trouble telling them apart!

This cute little story goes on to show the differences between the snowflakes, as well as between two twins named Grace and Jane. It's just the right length for a bedtime read, and a positive message about being an identical twin and different.

You can read Two Snowflakes online and even download it on your Kindle. It is also available in print form as a great gift for the twins in your life, and you can now purchase it at Amazon, where it's eligible for free Super Saver Shipping on order of $25 or more!

Review: PureGreen24

As most of you have probably guessed, I'm a big germophobe. I carry bottles of hand sanitizers in my bag and I use them frequently. I'm even addicted to my disinfectant wipes for cleaning my kitchen.

Being said germophobe, I was really excited to try out PureGreen24.

PureGreen24 is a disinfectant and deodorizer that is antibacterial, antiviral, and also antifungal. It's EPA registered with a EPA IV toxicity rating, the lowest rating assigned by the EPA. The active ingredient, SDC, is made up of silver ions and citric acid - both of which are natural in our environment, making it a greener product. It's even safe to use on high chairs and children's toys. And apparently unlike most sanitizers and disinfectants, bugs can't build up a resistance to PureGreen24 because of the silver ions.

Simply spray down the area to be disinfected, and allow to sit for two minutes to kill most bacteria, or ten minutes to kill fungi and viruses - including MRSA and flu viruses. PureGreen24 kills Staph virus for up to 24 hours after application. (hence, the 24 in the name) It's recommended you wipe it down with a dry clean microfiber towel to avoid build up, especially on things that might come in contact with your little ones.

As it happens, having my kitchen turn into a pit of nastiness with the clogs and leaks gave me a great opportunity to try it out. I don't even want to think about the germs that came up out of that drain *shivers* I sprayed pretty much everything down in the kitchen and let it sit for 10 minutes. Obviously, I didn't start a petri dish collection to see what was lurking before spraying it down, but I felt tons better after using it. There were no harsh smells either, like a lot of conventional disinfectants. (I used Steri-fab years ago in a job, believe me, that stuff could knock you over!)

I used it to wipe down toys, by spraying it on a cloth, and wiping it all over them like PureGreen 24 recommends. I even attacked the bathroom, and I hate to clean the bathroom, but I kind of enjoyed it just this once. ;)

I also received several smaller sized bottles perfect for fitting in my overgrown, carry half the house bag. (moms, you know it carries way more than just diapers, lol) I used this to spray down shopping carts when we went out shopping and even a scary looking booth when we went out to lunch the other day (Hey, I'm tired of getting sick!)

You can purchase large gallon bottles of PureGreen24 to refill not only your smaller purse sizes, but larger spray bottles for around the home, cutting down on waste.

I feel this is a good addition to not only your daily cleaning routine, but having the small bottle available in your first aid kit in case of infections, such as the flu. Who wants the nasty germs to hang around anyways?

Wordless Wednesday - Spirit of 76

Review & Giveaway: Shidonni

Shidonni is a new free virtual drawing game for kids that allows you to draw an animal, a place for the animal to live in, and you can even feed it! The animal comes to life and moves around on the screen, helping to promote your child's creativity. Everything in the animal's world is created by your child - if they want their dog to be purple with pink spots, they can!


(trust me, my pet didn't look that good! LOL)

Our little one is waaaay too young for this, so I played around with it - it's easy to use, and it's quite fun! (If you like the Sims games, you'll get addicted to this too) It's recommended for kids ages 5 and up, though I don't see why your three and four year old couldn't use it with your supervision. There is even a little bedroom area for your pet to sleep in - you just drag and place the pet you've created into a cute little bed.

I think this one's great to keep kids occupied during Spring Break. They can even add their friends by connecting with other unique usernames, and play little games in the galaxy.

To use Shidonni, you do need to have Microsoft Silverlight installed on the computer you'll be using to play around on Shidonni. Shidonni also has a pro account, that allows you to dress up your pets, and has different sets of creation tools.

Win it! The folks at Shidonni are offering one lucky reader a 3 month Shidonni Pro membership! To enter, visit Shidonni and take a look around. Let me know who this would be for, and what you think they'd create with it. If there's anything you don't like about Shidonni, you can let them know too through your post.

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This contest is open worldwide, and ends March 31st at 11:59 PM PST. Please leave your email address if you want me to email you if you win, otherwise subscribe to my feed or visit Prizey and remember to check back.

Preparedness Tuesday: Pets And Disasters

It's Preparedness Tuesday - each Tuesday I post one thing you can do to help prepare you and your family for everyday disasters - be it job loss, bad weather (between being stuck in the middle of hurricane season, and the coming colder winter we're predicted), or even that ugly recession they keep talking about (blech!)

Today I'm talking about pet preparedness.

If the situation is serious enough that you have to evacuate, that means your pets need to evacuate too. Be prepared by having up to date records taped to their travel crate. Use a ziploc bag or recycle the clear sticky envelopes packing lists come in. Also have your name and current address as well as contact number written on the crate itself in waterproof ink. Remember most emergency shelters will not accept pets, and the ones that do will ask for up to date vet records before allowing your pets in. Even most hotels will ask for up to date rabies information. You may not have enough time to search for their records, so by having a copy available with the carrier, you can save precious time.

If they aren't used to a crate, try to get them used to it. No emergency shelter will take a pet without it for safety reasons. If you can't afford one, try asking on Freecycle or Craigslist for one. The larger kennels are harder to come by, but if you have a small pet such as a rabbit, cat, or under 20 pound dog, it's much easier.

Each pet should have a nylon collar and leash set ready to go with their rabies tag, as well as an ID. If your pet usually wears a metal choke collar, replace it with the nylon collar in case your pet's fur is wet - you don't want metal against wet fur for several days while in a shelter.

Each pet needs to have a three to four day supply of food or water ready. The sample size bags, which you can often get for free from many pet shops, make perfect meal portions. We keep several in a giant ziploc ready to go. Remember, pet food has a shelf life of about 6 months, so try to remember to change them out when you change the batteries in your smoke alarm. It's not suggested that you pack canned food for every meal even if your pet doesn't normally eat dry food - during a disaster, your pets surroundings will be off and their stomachs quite possibly upset. Dry and bland is better during this situation.

If your pet is on medications, and you may be separated from your pet, have instructions written down. Just like with humans, never let yourself get below a one week supply of the medication just in case.

For cats, have a small litter pan with liners, and a small jug of clumping litter even if you don't usually use clumping. Tidy Cats makes a small 2 pound jug of litter that is perfect for emergency situations.

Also try to have something familiar for the pet if you have time to retrieve it - if they have a favorite blanket or toy, take that along. While I am not usually fond of rawhide, I've heard it recommended for dogs to take a little of their frustration out on in these situations, especially if they have separation anxiety.

For tornado and other home situations, make sure there is room in your safe space for your pets. Have a supply of water included for pets with yours, as well as a puppy pad or two for dogs, or the small litter pan and litter for cats. If you have small pets such as rabbits or ferrets that are usually in large cages, it's good to have a smaller "travel" cage for them to be in during situations like these.

For more random preparedness thoughts from my blog, click here.

Thrift Store Tuesday

I apologize for fogetting last week's edition again, oops!

Welcome to another week of resale bargain shopping!

My question this week: Have you ever found something you wanted to buy, but put it back because the price was just insane?

I have, plenty of times since we have moved to Washington. I think the thrift/resale stores up here are priced quite high.

Here's our find of the week (Can you tell we are just a bit corgi obsessed in this house?) I actually almost put it back because I thought it was priced too high, but DH insisted we needed it. ;)

The Mac N Cheese Challenge Round One

Here is the first recipe as part of my Mac N Cheese Challenge. Feel free to add an entire pound of ground beef if your budget allows for it, but in order to stay in my $1 budget as allowed by the challenge, I only used 1/4th a pound of ground beef. Ground beef can usually be found on sale for $1.99 a pound, and ground chicken or turkey may be even cheaper. You can also switch out a can of kidney beans (cost about $0.50) to make this dish vegetarian.

1/4 pound ground beef ($0.50)
1 can diced tomatoes (mine was free after coupon, often on sale 2/$1 or less)
2 tablespoons taco seasoning ($0.10)



Boil the macaroni as directed on the box.



While the mac is cooking, brown the ground beef, and drain. Mix in the taco seasoning.




Drain the macaroni almost all the way. Add the cheese powder and mix well.


Drain the can of tomatoes and add to the macaroni. Next, add the ground beef.


You'll get four servings from this meal. You can serve this with a salad ($0.79 for a small bag at Fred Meyer) and corn bread biscuits ($0.39 a box of mix) to have a well rounded meal for less than $3 (including macaroni and cheese mix)