Happy Halloween! Happy Harvest!

For those of my readers who celebrate it, Happy Halloween! For those that don't, I hope you have a blessed Saturday, and Happy Harvest!

I'm prepping the candy cauldron, and hoping the weather stays dry today. I may switch out the munchkin's costume and put on a warmer black dress with striped tights, and of course, the witch's hat. I'm thinking the witch costume we had planned will be just too thin. :( Oh well, that's Halloween for you! The corgi's are going as Super Corgi and Fairy Corgi. I don't think with all that fur we need to worry about them being too cold. ;)

I'll be putting on It's The Great Pumpkin this afternoon, followed by Hocus Pocus (Bette Midler is just hysterical in that movie!), and of course our old favorite, The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Stay safe, everyone!

Giveaway: Lipo-Flavonoid Plus

OK, maybe being married to a guy in nursing makes me enjoy learning health and medicine stuff a little more than some folks. ;) I was really surprised to learn that an estimated 50 million people here in the US suffer from tinnitus, which is that ringing noise you feel/hear in your ears. Something tells me that the old wives tale of the ears ringing means someone is talking about you, isn't what a lot of these folks want to hear. I'm pretty sure we all get it here and there - I know mine do it - but man, that has to be rotten if you have it ALL. THE. TIME! What's worrisome is that less than of half of sufferers ever mention it to their doctor.

(Really, we have to get over our fear of asking about stuff to our doctors and nurses. That's what they are paid for! My DH will tell you no question is too weird.)

A little more about tinnitus: It can also be buzzing or whooshing, not only ringing in your ear. And while it can occur with age or being exposed to loud noises (that would be you with the loud speakers over there... lol), it can also be a symptom of something else more serious, so this is why you need to discuss it with your doctor.

Lipo-Flavonoid Plus is a nutritional supplement (a vitamin blend, not a medication) recommended by some doctors and available over the counter that can help some people feel some relief from tinnitus. It's supposed to help improve the circulation in the inner ear for overall ear health. Recommended for adults and kids over the age of 12, you may want to discuss using Lipo-Flavonoid Plus on your next doctor's visit if you feel like you have tinnitus. It does seem to take 3 to 6 months of using Lipo-Flavonoid Plus to see a noticeable improvement, although some have felt it right away.


There is a quiz you can take on their website to help you decide if you're at risk for tinnitus. You might want to discuss the results with your doctor.

My take on this: If you're suffering from annoying ringing on a near daily basis, it's worth it to give Lipo-Flavonoid Plus a shot for a few months after discussing it with your doctor, and see if it makes a difference. I really hate to see anyone suffer needlessly! If you are suffering from ringing in the ears and you are pregnant, please do not take Lipo-Flavonoid Plus without discussing it with your OB first! (I hate to say it, but it's symptom that will go away in a few months. You'll live. Promise ;) Always be careful by not taking any vitamin or medication without asking your OB first)

Lipo-Flavonoid Plus is available at most drug stores, including CVS and Walgreens, for $29.99 for 100 tablets. You can also purchase Lipo-Flavonoid Plus online.

This is not a review - just product information for a giveaway, and my thoughts on the condition. I have not tried Lipo-Flavonoid Plus. Your mileage may vary on how well it works for you.

Win it! One reader will win a 100 ct box of Lipo-Flavonoid Plus. I'm making this one simple: To enter, just tell me how your day is going. (more than one word, please) You can tell me if you took the quiz too if you want. (Apparently I'm at risk!)

As always, you can receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway (leave the link or @psychotichouse me)

That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends November 7th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)

Giveaway: Cystex

Did you know that half of us women will have a Urinary Tract Infection sometime in our life, and many will have it happen more than once? Even worse, 20% of us wait 3 days or more to go to the doctor when we have a Urinary Tract Infection? Ouch! That's three days of suffering too long! As women we have the maddening habit of putting everyone else before our self, and sometimes, that's not such a good idea - especially when it's something like this that makes you absolutely miserable!

When you have a UTI, you really need to get to a doctor pronto to verify it really is a UTI. There is a product called Cystex Urinary Pain Relief Tablets that are available over the counter to help relieve your symptoms while you wait to get into the doctor. It helps inhibit the pain and slows down the progression of the infection with an antibacterial agent - in fact, it's apparently the only OTC available for UTI with it. Cystex will also not change the color when you, uh potty ;) unlike other OTC urinary pain meds tend to do.


I never actually thought to keep a medicine in my medicine cabinet for UTIs, but now that I know this is available, I plan to keep a package in it just in case. A 40 ct package is just $9.99 or so, and is available at most drug stores. (plus, you can purchase online through their website if you're embarrassed) The package I got expires in 2012, so there's a long time to keep it on hand before it expires. (just check the date before buying if you're not needing it immediately like me) I'll suffer through a lot, but I refuse to suffer for a UTI - I'm pretty sure most of you feel the same way!

Disclaimer: This is not a review. I haven't personally tried Cystex because I haven't had a UTI since I found out about it. As this is a mediciation, you may want to learn more about Cystex before using it -please check out their website. I choose to share this information with you because I don't like the knowledge that folks are suffering for several days before seeing a doctor when there's something that might help them feel better.

Win it! For those who also want to keep a package on hand just in case, Cystex is letting me give away a package to one lucky reader. (I guess this is a weird win, but useful for preparedness maybe?) To enter, tell me how often you clean out your medicine and first aid cabinet. Do you try to keep stocked up on some things before someone in your family gets sick, or are you more of a run out and grab in the middle of the night when someone's sick?

As always, you can receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway (leave the link or @psychotichouse me)
-Add my blog to your Technorati favs (leave your username)

That's five (5) possible entries! Giveaway ends November 7th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)

Food Storage Friday

With rising prices, bad weather, unstable job environments, one of the best things we as women (or men) in charge of our homes can do, is work on our food storage to ensure our family will continue to eat well no matter what the circumstance is. It doesn't take a lot to organize your pantry and make a little room for extras, and with the help of coupons and sales, can be done very cheaply. Every Friday, I'd like to encourage you to join in with me to do one or two little things to add to or work with your food storage.

So how did you do last week cleaning out your cabinets and organizing them? Did you find a lot of expired things?

I found a can of evaporated milk that expired in 2008! Oops!! My pantry system really needed the organizing - it's been crazy since we went to move and didn't. Everything was just haphazrdly on the shelves. Now I can tell what I really need to restock on! Here's my after picture:


How does yours look? (If enough of you want to play along, I can add in a Mr. Linky so you can link up!)

I'd like to share with you a few tips for food storage:

When purchasing items in boxes and cans, look out for dents in the cans, and boxes that look like they have been crushed. If there's a really good deal on dented cans, they are usually safe to purchase (beware of rust or bulging cans though!), but be sure to place them at the front of your food storage and use them quickly.

If you're storing food on shelves like me, never place food items on the lowest shelf unless there is at least 1"-2" of space underneath to allow the air to circulate. (Never place food directly on the floor, either, even if it the flat box) Use the bottom shelves to store items like toliet paper, paper towels, aluminum foil, etc. (That's what is on mine!)

Don't store food in areas of the house that aren't temperature stable. The lifespan of foods is greatly reduced when the temperature gets hot or cold. For this reason, avoid storing food in places like the garage or attic. (besides the fact that you might encourage critters or bugs!)

This week, I'd like to encourage you to sit down and think of 3 meals you create on a regular basis. (If you menu plan, this should be easy!) What ingredients do you use in the recipes that store for more than a few weeks? Most people make a dish at least every 2-3 weeks that use pasta as an ingredient. This makes pasta an item you can always stock up on when on sale - plus, most packages of pasta have Use By dates 2 years from when you buy it! Try to come up with at least 5 items that you can stock up on extra of when it's on sale. So what's on your list? Buy an extra of one of these items (if it's a great price) on your next shopping trip.

It's Time For Another Random News & Cool Stuff Post...

Instead of overwhelming us all with a million and one posts, I'm going to include some of the cool things that have landed in my email box over the last few days!


I may have to get this for DH: WEAR YOUR MUSIC sells recycled guitar strings from artists such as Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, and more, woven into bangle style bracelets. 100% of the profits goes to each musician's charity of choice, such as UNICEF, ROCK the VOTE and hundreds more. Granted, these are a little pricey, running around $100-200 each, but really unique. (I see one from Kerry King from Slayer!!!) They also have fashion bracelets that run $9.99 that are made from guitar strings too. I love these! The Rock Star Red one is definitely on my wish list.

For those that are also into their music (hopefully you get to go to more than we do these days!), here's a nifty iPhone application called Concertmatic. It scans your playlists, remembers the bands and music you like and then notifies you when they are playing in your area - and you can even purchase your tickets through the app.

ID Me Labels, which makes specially laminated so they’re UVA-resistant, waterproof, microwave- and dishwasher-safe, has free shipping on all orders over $50 in the US. Also, if you use promo code IDME10 , you'll be able to save 10% on your order. These look cute! They even make a photo label - I guess there's no mistaking it belongs to your kid if their picture is on it! (Do be careful the amount of information you put on it though, just in case the wrong person gets ahold of it)

If you're in need of new shoes, all styles of Nine West shoes will be just $19.95 Friday October 30 on 6pm.com. It sounds like you might want to get up early if you wear a popular size - it starts at midnight PST if you're a night owl too. I see some cute "granny style" boots that are just up my alley... I will not buy more shoes... I will not buy more shoes!

ShopAtHome's $1,000 giveaway ends November 4th, 2009, so there's still time to get your entry in if you haven't already. You do have to be a member of both ShopAtHome and Facebook, so check out the website to find out more details and get your entry in. (This would be good for holiday shopping, wouldn't it? It's almost tempting to get a Facebook account... lol)

Just in case you're one of the few who haven't heard about it, Redbox features DVD rentals for just $1 per night, and can be found at many grocery stores, as well as Walgreens and some McDonald's. Just swipe your debit or credit card, and your movie will be vended! You can even reserve movies online, and pick them up at the kiosk of your choice. There's always lots of new releases to choose from, many of which are family friendly. If you haven't already, sign up for their email list, and you'll receive a code for a free 1 night rental. There's also a code released every first Monday of each month that you can rent a free movie with! We love using Redbox, it's a cheap way to have a fun evening with homemade pizza and popcorn!

If you're guilty of overindulging in candy this Halloween season (don't look at me! LOL) CalorieCount.com has the nutritional facts for all your favorite candy, and offers weight management tools, social support and nutritional information. A tip to avoid extra calories: stick to hard candies and lollipops. Not only do they last longer, but they are generally low in calories.

Review & Giveaway: Certain Dri Solid Anti-Perspirant

I am paranoid about my personal body odor. (which is weird, because I love the smell of my DH when he's a little smelly. LOL) It's one thing to be a little stinky after working out or a major cleaning job, it's another to be really stinky when out in public. I think this all stems from high school, when one day I had on a brown-ish shirt, and arm pits ended up wet. It was a hot day (we didn't have air conditioning in our schooll - the horrors! lol) but still... ever since then? I've got to have a good deodorant/antiperspirant, and I apply it twice a day. It's not that I sweat a lot - I really don't. It's just the paranoia.

I was offered the chance to review Certain Dri Solid Anti-Perspirant. It's supposed to be the #1 doctor recommended over the counter brand. Unlike the current batch of clinical strength anti-perspirants that have been hitting the market over the last year, Certain Dri contains 25% aluminum sesquichlorohydrate, and is the strongest over the counter anti-perspirant on the market. (a personal warning: there have been questions of aluminum causing breast cancer even though there isn't really any evidence yet, so if you're not a medium to heavy sweater, you may want to avoid using this strong of a brand).


What I really liked, is that Certain Dri Solid Anti-Perspirant is supposed to offer up to 72 hours of protection - any other campers and hikers really like that? It's recommended that you apply this anti-perspirant sparingly at bedtime so it can work overnight. Apparently, it won't wash off if you shower in the morning, and you can follow up after showering with your favorite deodorant.

So I gave it a whirl. I liked that the scent was almost a basic baby powder smell, nothing overpowering. I being the good little reviewer I am (LOL) sniffed my pits several times over the following days and didn't smell any rankness. ;) Remember, I'm not a heavy sweater, so your mileage may vary.

Now let me confess that my DH has the maddening habit of using MY deodorant sometimes. He says women's work better. Fine... if he wants to smell all pretty, I'm not going to stop him! LOL He also gave this a whirl, not the recommended way however. He used it before going to work. Again, being the good little reviewer I am, I sniffed my DH's armpits when he came home that night. (Really, I should be paid for this stuff sometimes! LOL) No smell, other than a hint of baby powder. Seriously, now that is impressive. Sometimes, the guy comes home rank, and yeah... there's a limit to the smelliness that I love. (Did I scare you away? lol)

Anyways, if you do sweat heavily, even while just working out, or if you live in a more humid environment, you may want to give Certain Dri Solid Anti-Perspirant a try. Certain Dri Solid Anti-Perspirant retails for about $5.99 each, and you can purchase it at your local grocery store, drug store, or big retailer like Target or WalMart.

Win it! If you're interested in trying out Certain Dri Solid Anti-Perspirant, here's a giveaway for you! One winner will receive Certain Dri Solid Anti-Perspirant to try out for free! Because I don't want to embarrass anyone, I'll let you just tell me if you do any outdoors activities throughout the year that you think this would come in handy for. (Of course, if you want to tell us your embarrassingly stinky story like me, feel free!)

As always, you can receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway (leave the link or @psychotichouse me)
-Add my blog to your Technorati favs (leave your username)

That's five (5) possible entries! Giveaway ends November 7th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)

National Cat Day

Today, October 29th is National Cat Day.

I know, I had no idea either. Weren't we just celebrating International Cat Day a few months ago?

Well, in honor of this special day, you're stuck looking at a couple of photos from my little cat posse. I'm also going to urge you to do one thing in honor of this day too. Could you click on either of these links here? One is for Free Kat Kibble, where you can donate kitty food to a shelter for just playing their little trivia game each day. The other is The Animal Rescue Site, where a click helps donate food and help for shelter pets (not just cats). Both won't cost you a cent, just a few seconds of your time.

Please remember that with this economy, shelters are struggling as donations are down, and pet surrenders are up - way up. If you can donate food, or your time to volunteer to a local shelter or rescue group, I know they will appreciate it. Maybe you hate cats (what?! lol), you'd rather work with dogs. Or rabbits. Take an hour every couple of weeks and just go visit them!

And just one reminder for fellow black cat (really, all cats) owners: keep your kitties inside over the weekend, just in case. Mean people use this holiday weekend as an excuse to harm our pets.

I was going to share cute Halloween photos of our cats, but no one wanted to pose. Booo! I miss my old man cat, he never turned down the chance the dress up and pose. So I'll leave you with this photo instead:


Well, old evil cat sort of posed:

Thrifty Thursday - Involving Kids

This week for my Thrifty Thursday post, I'm talking about saving money with your kids help!

It's easy to make saving a family affair if your kids are old enough. There are so many ways to encourage them, it just depends on your financial situation to begin with!

Have your kids help cut up the coupons from the Sunday paper, if they aren't old enough - show them what the red "blinkie" machines look like in the grocery store, and have them point them out to you! Some stores such as Fred Meyer, use bright orange tags on many of their markdown items - you can have your kids be on the look out for these deals from the cart while you shop. Kids love to help, and that's a super easy way to get them interested in the shopping trip, too.

Encourage them to buy used video games, instead of new. Visit places such as Game Stop, etc, and give them a small allowance to pick out a game or two. (If you still have a Playstation 2, many of the used games are under $5!) You can turn it into a math lesson by giving them $5, and letting them see how many cool games they can come up with for that $5! Visit thrift stores - $5 can also go a lot further on toys, games, and books there, than at Toys R Us. It's the thrill of the treasure hunt!

A great way to reward kids is to take all the money saved from not eating out week after week, and letting the kids vote on what to do with all that money every several months. You'd be surprised at how quickly that adds up! (and of course, encourage them to use coupons if possible if they choose a fun outing like a trip to an amusement park)

Don't forget that there are little ways your kids can help you save around the home - such as turning off the water while brushing their teeth, and remembering to turn the light off in their room when they aren't in there.

Above all, don't be afraid to share with your kids frugality and saving money. I learned all about coupons when I was little - there was a coupon exchange bin at a local grocery store, and my mom would always let me pick out coupons we could maybe use - and it's stayed with me all these years, and I'm doing the same. Teach your kids the value of that hard earned dollar!

Review & Giveaway: Progresso Panko Crumbs & Broth

I recently received a gift set from the folks over at MyBlogSpark containing a box of Progresso Panko Bread Crumbs, and a container of Progresso Chicken Broth (as well as some kitchen goodies you'll see down below).


I've actually never used panko style bread crumbs before. (Was I missing out?) I usually use the regular Progresso Bread Crumbs, unless I have bread I need to use or lose, in which case I make my own. Apparently, Panko is Japanese style bread crumbs, and made from the inside bread, not the crust. It's supposed to make lighter, crisper breading texture. (You learn something every day!) Progresso's Panko Bread Crumbs comes in plain and Italian - I received the Plain to try.

I tested it out on some pork steaks for DH. Now when I use bread crumbs to coat my meat, I usually avoid the extra calories of flour and egg to do so. I found out this doesn't work so well with the Panko crumbs. You really do need to use the egg and flour method to use them. You'll see I added a little bit of Italian seasoning to give it some oomph, but this is how it turned out without extras:


DH says it came out great and would love it again, so that's good! Next time, I'll break down and use the egg and flour.

Now I've used Progresso broth in the past and love it. Available in chicken flavor, as well as reduced sodium chicken and reduced sodium beef flavors, I like to keep it on hand. If I'm not making my own broth, I like Progresso's, even if it's a little more expensive than several other brands. I use it to make instant mashed potatoes, to flavor my rice, and when I'm making stews in my slow cooker. If you've never used chicken broth to make instant potatoes, you're missing out! Switch out the milk (or water, if it's only made with water) and you won't want any gravy!

If you're looking for some new recipes to try, visit Progressofoods.com, where you cam find some from celebrity chef Michael Chiarello, who you might recognize from the Food Network (how I miss cable!). You can also print money saving coupons from Progresso, as well as other Betty Crocker brands here.


Win it! One lucky reader will win this Progresso prize pack, courtesy of MyBlogSpark. It includes Progresso panko, a carton of Progresso broth, a measuring cup, slotted spoon, soup ladle and a little sheet pan for baking. To enter, tell me how often you use bread crumbs or broth in your cooking at home. Do you have a special recipe you make often?

As always, you can receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway (leave the link or @psychotichouse me)
-Add my blog to your Technorati favs (leave your username)

That's five possible entries! Giveaway ends November 7th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)

Blog Tour & Review: Evenflo Smart Steps

Mom Central recently asked me if I wanted to be a part of the Evenflo Smart Steps Tour. Since the munchkin is in the age range, and I know a lot of you have children in the same age range, I figured I'd join in!

I received the insulated sippie cup, stacking snack cups, the discovery spoon set, and the writable labels for the snack cups. All are part of the new Smart Steps line to encourage exploring food options, knowing portion sizes, and serving themselves amongst toddlers, ages 1 to 3.

First of, I was super happy to see that all the items were BPA free. I'm not really fond of plastic to begin with, but it's kind of a necessity when you have little ones. At least if I have to use more plastic, it better be BPA free!


The sippie cup could not have arrived at a better time. I was getting annoyed at the teeth marks in the plastic of some of ours and was about to clean house! (I hate that. I really really hate teeth marks on sippie cups - the thought of germs being harbored in them? *shivers*) I liked that it was vibrant colors and design (and character) free. The insulated neoprene sleeve had me really wishing we'd had this when it was in the 90's! The little handles on each side are easily held by the munchkin, and are non-slip too (a plus for sticky little fingers, lol) It is top rack dishwasher safe, so you can easily sterilize it. (Make sure to remove the neoprene skin so both parts get washed!) You can wash the neoprene cover in the washer, and line dry it. Also, you can put warm liquids in it such as chicken broth, or older toddlers could have a bit of hot chocolate in it. (for obvious reasons, skip the marshmallows kind lol)


The Discovery Spoons come in packages of two and are "ergonomically designed" and also have easy grip handles so little ones can clutch them and try to feed themselves (or the dog LOL) There is very little of a dent in the spoon itself so the food can go easily in their mouths - it's almost flat. (It says its flat, but it's not quite flat) These are also top rack dishwasher safe so you can disinfect them if needed, but to prolong their life, I'd suggest hand washing in hot water as much as possible.



I will say that the stacking snack cups drove me nuts trying to open the package. I argued with it for about 10 minutes before I finally sprung them loose. I understand high security packaging on electronics, but this was a little much. How about a little less packaging on these, pretty please? The environment thanks you! ;) They were said to be skid free, and they did a really good job of not skidding and easily stick to their lid. In fact, my pile of them even tipped over in the fridge, and all 3 did stay stuck together as I was able to grab them before they fell off the shelf - bonus points! (hey, it saved me from mopping the floor again! lol)

I liked that the labels were easy to write on, and that I could easily write the date that I prepared the dish/snack on it. If you have little ones visiting a babysitter or going to daycare, I think you'll get a lot of use out of the labels especially. I've stored everything from cut up fruit to yogurt to cheerios to cold pasta pieces in ours so far. The snacking cups are also kind of sheer, so you can see what's in them if you are too lazy to look at the label. ;) I'll actually be buying a couple extra packages of these for sure so I can keep snacks and meals ahead. (and of course, spare sippies! They also have a nifty freezing tray that I would really like to try!)

If you'd like to purchase some of the Evenflo Smart Steps pieces for your toddler too, here are some printable coupons in PDF form!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Evenflo and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

TV Review: WordGirl Tobey's Tricks & Treats

My family was recently given the chance to watch the Halloween showing of WordGirl, featuring the episode Tobey's Tricks and Treats and Escape Wham.


If you've never heard of WordGirl, it's a PBS show featuring a little girl called Becky Botsford, who is really an undercover superhero named WordGirl from the Lexicon. She has a "pet" monkey named Captain Huggy Face (who apparently also has an alter ego of his own LOL) and together they stop the bad guys using - yes, you guessed it - words! It's a super silly show that helps kids learn bigger words, geared really towards ages 6-7 and up. From a parent's point of view, it's good learning, albiet a little boring for us to watch along with them.

On this special Halloween set of episodes, Tobey, a spoiled brat at school with a kind of English accent, gets cranky when he loses the costume contest at school that he just KNEW he should have won. He sends out his robots he made (dressed in costume, of course! lol) to steal all the candy and run amuck to ruin Halloween. Violet, another girl from the school is dressed in a WordGirl costume for Halloween, and is mistaken for the real WordGirl, and attempts to help save the town... while the real WordGirl sneaks in to save the day. In the second part of the show, Escape Wham, WordGirl is trying to stop two bad guys named Chuck and The Whammer, who are attempting to steal Henry the VIII artifacts. The two bad guys end up going against each other though - it turns out they weren't working together all along!

So if you're looking for a cute Halloween themed show this week that's free of the usual ghosts and vampires, or in search of a new learning show for your kids to watch, you might want to check out WordGirl.

Word Up!

Do I Look Delusional?

I mean seriously folks, DUH! I never thought Baby Einstein would help make my daughter a genius.

However, if given the choice between plopping my kid down in front of a soap opera, or a DVD that has something that maybe she might learn one or two things from so I can go to the bathroom... I'm going to choose the DVD. Background noise can be a good thing some days, and that's a whole lot better for my kid than say... Judge Judy. (Forgive me, we don't have TV here other than DVDs, so I have no clue what shows are still on the air, lol)

I don't see why folks are up in arms over the whole Baby Einstein thing and now going OH! I need a refund! They LIED TO ME! Are they seriously that delusional to begin with?

Oh wait, they are.

They are the annoying parents who think their kids have to be number 1 in line for every activity at school... the ones with kids who can never sit on the sideline while playing sports... the one with the kid that couldn't have started that fight.

*snicker*

Or maybe they are the ones that expect the TV to be their babysitter, and plop them in front of the TV for 16 hours a day while the parents do nothing but pick their noses, talk on the phone, etc.

I've done a review of a Baby Einstein here. The TV can answer the gibberish sentences for a few minutes while I put the dishes away!


(Just in case you came to this post looking for a link to the refund, here it is. For Baby Einstein's thoughts on the matter, click here.)

Wordless Wednesday - Zombie Cat Sticks Out Her Tongue

LOL!

That Will Make You Pee Your Pants...

or skirts in my case.

We spent the day out and about running errands and ended up in Gig Harbor. As we were coming up out of the harbor area, some idiot guy in a sports car stopped incredibly quickly right in front of us, and DH barely had time to react. The slamming of the brakes and missing him by an inch or two wasn't the scary part... it's the giant multi-ton bus right behind us that almost hit us!

Time to replace our brakes now. I hope that guy has an itchy tush for a few weeks! ;)

Random Thoughts Tuesday - Mmm Chocolate!

I am seriously losing my mind. I'll try to say something, then what comes out is nowhere near what I was trying to say. It takes me 3 or 4 tries to get the right words out - what on earth? It's like mommy brain X100! My DH is going to need a translator to figure out what I am trying to tell him, LOL

In the spirit of zombie preparedness, I decided to write on the bottom of each can exactly what was in it during my Food Storage Friday quest this past week. For those totally lost now, in the 3rd Resident Evil movie, the one guy is always shaking cans and guessing what's them, before handing them out to people to eat. We got a good laugh out of it this weekend. (actually, I usually take the labels off before opening them, and sometimes I get distracted when I have 2 or 3 cans for a meal and forget which is which. It's so my brain dead self isn't so lost! I swear! LOL)

Speaking of zombies, my DH now has himself a new zombie loving friend at work so they can discuss their plans to survive the zombie invasion if they're boxed in at work.

All this zombie talk around here week after week, I might as well have a zombie in my blog logo.

So pet updates: Psychotic corgi boy is doing very well after his surgery. We have one more day of meds and we're through! The Grumpy Princess has turned into Miss Independent - with those adorable little stairs we bought, she knows goes up and down off our bed as she pleases. She spends all afternoon snoring away, four paws in the air. Mystery is growing like a weed - it's hard to tell the difference between her and the runt cat if you're not looking from the front... and she's discovered begging from the fridge. I had bought some shrimp the other day for Old Evil Cat, and tried to see if any of the other cats wanted some too... well, Mystery fell in love and now thinks she deserves shrimp every time you open the fridge. We went from never actually hearing her meow, to hearing this HUGE meow two months later! (Can you believe it's been 2 months?) Nothing wrong with her little lungs!

Why is it that every time there's something fun on Freecycle, it's always on the other side of the county? I want everything to be here in my backyard! lol

Why is it the library's website is always down when I have time to log on and renew things? Always, always, always! It's driving me crazy, it's like the website only works during normal business hours. Well, what about those of us who have different schedules? Hello!

I'm not really expecting any Trick or Treaters again this year. Last year we didn't have any. :( I thought maybe the part-time girls next door might be out, but when we asked them if they were planning to, they said they don't do Halloween. So I guess we'll leave the light on, but I'm not going to buy any extra candy. (My waistline probably thanks me for that one, lol)

...now I want chocolate!

I Really Hoped It Wouldn't Come To This...

but I no longer have any choice. When I got married, I "adopted" my grandmother's cat that I actually helped her rescue - this would be Old Evil Cat. I brought her along with me to WA because the corgi I had at the time just "loved his kitty". Old Evil Cat just loved herself.


Over the last three and a half years we have struggled and struggled with her attitude. If it was just a matter of her hissing, it wouldn't be a big deal... I might even be able to deal with her trying to scratch if the munchkin deserved her vengeance for pulling her tail. But no, she's continued to refuse to use the litter box even when one was put right by her favorite hiding places. She's trashed cat beds, perches, and my flooring in corners are a mess. If there's a box left open, she'll use that. I wish I could say that it's just been since we took her in, and she just hates us, but she used to do it at my grandmother's too. I'm sure she did it more than I even knew, and maybe my grandmother just never noticed.

I am not one to throw in the towel easily... I've taken in lots of critters with issues, but this is one time where I have to say that I know some cats just can't be worked with. We've tried in the past when she's run out the door to just let her stay out there, but she stays outside the door and YODELS at the top of her lungs.

So my choices are either to A) take her to the shelter where she will be put down immediately at her age, and her issues or B) make the best of it until we move next year and have more land where she can be a barn cat.

Obviously, I'm going to take option B. My DH and I just discussed buying one of the large cat cage houses like pet stores use (poor guy got another sobbing phone call a few minutes ago) - but cheaper than that link, HOLY SMOKES! - and using that until we move. I'll disinfect it every few days, and hopefully it will survive enough that I can use it as a indoor hurricane home in case of emergency for my CHICKENS when we move! (LOL, I will have chicks if it's the last thing I do!!)

I'm really at a loss as to anything else I can do. She's too rotten to even try to place with someone as an only cat - and being an only cat isn't the problem since she's done it even when she was the only cat. I feel bad. :(

*Just in case someone mentions it, we have five litter boxes, and they are cleaned out twice a day.

Review & Giveaway: Silk Heart Health Soymilk

I recently received several coupons to try out Silk Heart Health soymilk and write a review.


According to Silk, Silk's Heart Health soymilk is the first soymilk in the US to offer both soy protein, and Phytosterols (a naturally sourced plant protein). So it sounds healthy, alright, but does it taste good? That's always the million dollar question around here. I'm always fighting a battle with my DH to get him to eat more natural and organic foods, so if it doesn't taste good, it will be a losing battle.

We had tried Silk's chocolate soymilk in the past, but never the Heart Health, so I was curious. It comes in Vanilla flavor. Evil me, I let my DH be the guniea pig try it first with his morning cereal. He said it was perfect, that he couldn't really tell that there was supposed to be a vanilla taste at all.

I decided the next test would be to cook with it: I tried with from the box mashed potatoes (hey, it was late at night!) and a cheesey hamburger helper dish. Both came out perfect, with no vanilla aftertaste. This was good, because I don't really want to be buying two separate milks - my fridge isn't that big! I've also baked with it, and used it to make a cream of soup. I didn't have any problems, and seriously, could not tell the difference in taste.

The color is a little different from regular milk - it's a little more beige, so if you're trying to sneak it past your kids, you might have a little trouble. (who's to say you can't make silly milk and add in a tiny drop of food coloring, if your kids aren't sensitive to dyes? *wink*)

Silk is right now sponsoring the Silk Million Hearts Challenge, where you can enter to win the Ultimate Weekend Getaway for you and five friends! Visit their website for more information, and good luck if you decide to enter!

Win it! I'm getting to have my own Silk giveaway, too! Two lucky readers will win two coupons to try Silk Heart Health soymilk for free! To enter, tell us what you do to keep your heart healthy. Are you eating and using more organic and natural foods? Exercising more? Getting your daily 15 minutes of sunshine for proper vitamin D consumption? (well, Washington folks, I know that's kind of hard here LOL) Share!

As always, you can receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway (leave the link or @psychotichouse me)
-Add my blog to your Technorati favs (leave your username)

That's five possible entries! Giveaway ends October 31st at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)

Recipe: Strange French Toast (LOL)

I admit it, when I first made French Toast several years ago, I had to google it! I had no idea how to make it, lol. Here's my slightly off the wall recipe for those that have no clue, either. ;)

3 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup flour
bread
butter


Slowly beat the flour in with the milk. Then mix in the eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla together in a bowl that is large enough to place the bread in. You can use any kind of bread, from white, to french bread. I usually use whatever bread is leftover - if it's a little drier (well, just not moldy green - ewww!) it tends to soak up the mixture more. (Yes, you'll see in my photos I did it all together. You'll end up with teeny tiny flour clumps. You can do it like me if you don't care. lol)



Melt a good sized pat of butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place a slice (or more, if you are using a larger frying pan/smaller bread) and allow to brown - it will take a few minutes. Flip over and brown the other side.



You can substitute orange instead of vanilla, for a really different taste.

You can also freeze these easily for quick breakfasts! After making them, let them cool to room temperature. Place sheets of wax paper between (so none of the toast is touching each other), then place in plastic ziploc bags before placing in the freezer. Re-warm in the microwave or toaster oven.

I served ours with some blueberry syrup. Yum!

Free Flat Rate Shipping Kit

I kind of hesitated to post this one since it asks for a business name (you could write your blog name, or if you have an etsy/ebay name, use that), but you can receive a free flat rate box kit from the USPS. It contains 4 different boxes for shipping flat rate Priority Mail ONLY. It also comes with several different offers for online postage (most of which the average person doesn't need, unless they also run a business). I'm posting it since the holiday season is just around the corner, and who wants to run into the post office to pick up a box or two, just to find out they are out of the size you want?

If you didn't know, you can not only register to print your postage online - where they give you a small discount for doing so, usually about 50 cents or so on the postage cost! - but you can also schedule a package pick up by your mail carrier so you don't even have to visit the post office. You don't have to have a business to take advantage of either of those!

Hurry though, because this offer is only good until October 31st!

New Printable Rice Works Coupon

Fill out your information to be able to print a coupon to save $1.00 off your next purchase of Rice Works healthier snacks.

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!

Please note: I take the time out of my busy schedule to share coupons that have landed in my email, I am not affiliated with the companies. Some coupons may be only available for a limited amount of time or for a limited amount of prints. If you come across a coupon that is now dead, please let me know, either by leaving a comment or sending me an email so I can fix the post. Thanks!

All That Wasted Space...

...it makes me want to bang my head against the wall! I'm disgusted and amazed at the same time with how much wasted space that has been in all these totes that my in-laws packed. I can definitely tell that they have never really moved before! I really tried to behave myself and not make any comments (really, I tried! I was a good girl!) and my DH apologized a lot yesterday for everything that happened.

I threw away/recycled a whole pile of junk in the trash today (expired coupons, papers) and started another pile of items to donate. There were totes that I hadn't touched yet that were only 2/3rds full, breakables in with heavy books that would have broken them (oh, I was mad about that one!!!) We condensed a bunch of things, I found my clothes (hurray! I have more than 2 outfits to wear again! LOL), and the winter jackets are out before we all freeze to death. We still have a way to go, but I feel good now that there is not a single cardboard box in there. (just the ones left that you see below!) It was scaring me, having that as a fire hazard!

So I'll leave you with something fun for reading this post: See this pile I am supposed to be working on right now? Find the kitty:

Review: Tiger's Milk

I recently received some Tiger's Milk nutrition bars to review.


I don't know about y'all, but I remember as a kid when we would go trick or treating, there was always one house that would give out full size candy bars. Believe me, that was the most popular house on the trick or treat route in town every year. ;) We'd get home, go through our loot bags and trade for candy we liked from each other. Luckily for me, my brother liked candy I didn't like, and vice versa. But there was always a pile of candy left over that neither of us really cared for - just too much sugary junk. (Chocolate is gooood, but some of that stuff you see? Yeah, yuck!)

One of the things I really liked about Tiger's Milk was that it was suggested Tiger's Milk makes healthy Halloween Treats, and that they are already dressed up, since the wrapper has their trademark tiger stripes all over it! Now I'm not really sure that every kid would consider you the best house in the neighborhood if you hand these out, and it might get a little pricey (they retail around $1 each), but with the emphasis on being more health conscious these days, I think the parents might just thank you!

I actually didn't know that Tiger's Milk is one of the oldest nutrition bars, either. It's known as "America's Original Nutrition Bar", because they were created back in the 1960's! (There's your Trivial Pursuit trivia for the day) We received 3 flavors to try out: Peanut Butter, Protein Rich, and Peanut Butter & Honey, in both regular size and king size. All the regular size average about 140-150 calories, and has 16 vitamins and minerals, as well as up to 10 grams of protein. Now taste wise, my DH and I didn't notice much difference between the Peanut Butter and the Peanut Butter & Honey flavors. I didn't get to try the Protein Rich because he stole those and took them to work (stinker!) but he says it tasted just as good as the Peanut Butter flavors.

If you've never tried a nutrition bar before, let me warn you that there's a bit of a difference between nutrition bars and the snack bars most people eat. They may be an acquired taste for some. Nutrition bars are more smooth to me, and more filling for sure. They are a bit higher in calorie content than say a Special K crunchy bar for instance, but they have more protein and that's what makes them more filling. If you're skipping a meal and looking for a replacement, I've always felt that nutrition bars are a smarter choice. (That's just my opinion though, you may feel differently) I actually wish I had known about nutrition bars when in I was in school and was skipping lunch because the food was so hideous. I discovered them when I was working retail full time years ago, and they became my go-to food. It was super easy to snack on them throughout the day with a gulp of water, and I was never hungry, even when working open to close shifts. A few Tiger's Milk bars kept in your child's backpack would be great, especially in emergency situations. (Look at how many times there are lock downs now a days!) So from a preparedness standpoint, having one or two in bags or purses would be a great idea!

You can purchase Tiger's Milk bars at many grocery stores, as well as drug stores and places like Costco in bulk. For local folks, both Fred Meyer and Albertsons carry them. (Albertsons has them on sale more often)

Menu Planning Monday - Can You Tell Chicken's Been On Sale?

LOL Seriously, I seem chicken heavy this week with all the chicken I've stocked up on. (Tuesday's recipe involves chicken, too) I may end up changing out one of the days as the week goes on if we get tired of it. ;)

Monday: orange chicken, rice, spring rolls

Tuesday: recipe of the week

Wednesday: Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

Thursday: Meatball subs, homemade seasoned fries

Friday: Deep Dish Pizza

Saturday: Alfredo Chicken Pasta, garlic bread, salad

Sunday: roast, veggies & rolls


Check out Organizing Junkie for other great Menu Plans!

I Know I'm Sort Of AWOL This Weekend

but we're working around the house organizing for winter, and turning the munchkin's room into storage for winter. It was full of the totes we hadn't gone through since the move fiasco, so we're just organizing them better, and moving the ones that were out in the storage shed, into there. We figure we're all either in the living room/kitchen, or our bedroom, anyways - so why should we try to heat a room that's not really being used? Hopefully by Spring, DH will have figured out whether he wants to try to find land here, or back in Texas (at least he's agreed to looking into other areas of Texas, so we're not just right in my in-laws back yard, lol)

Plus, I'm still working on my Food Storage Friday... I'm slow I know - hey, at least I admit I'm the queen of procrastinating. What did you think that crown was for up on my blog title logo? ;)

Fred Meyer Deals 10/25 - 10/21 2009

Not a lot in the ad this week. I haven't listed the party platters since most folks don't usually have that on their shopping lists.

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

Foster Farms Whole Fryers
$0.69 lb (limit 3)

Honeycrisp Apples
$1.28 lb

Halloween Hershey's Snack Size Candy
$9.99 (large bags)

Contessa Dinners
$4.99

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
2 for $5

Ore-Ida Potatoes
2 for $5 ($1.50 off 2 MC)

FM Breakfast Sandwiches
2 for $5

Tombstone Pizza
4 for $10

Michelina's Entrees
$0.78

TRESemme Hair Care
$2.49 after in store MC

Aleve, Bayer, or One-A-Day
$5.99 after in store MC

Clairol Perfect 10 Hair Color
$7.99

Olay Total Effects or Regenerist Skin Care
$16.99 ($1.00 off MC, Free Secret Deodorant WYB Total Effects Facial Cleanser MC)

Sensodyne Toothpaste
$3.99

Aquafresh Toothpaste
$1.99

Old Spice or Noxema Disposable Razors
$1.99 after in store MC

Secret, Dove, Degree, Gillette, Right Guard or Dry Idea Clinical Strength Antiperspirants
$6.99

Old Spice, Ivory, or Gillette Body Wash
2 for $7

Alli
$49.99

Asparagus
$1.68 lb

Organic Anjou or Bartlett Pears
$1.28 lb

Private Selection Organic Salad
2 for $5

Hothouse Tomatoes
$1.29 lb

Baker Potatoes
4 lbs for $1

Strawberries
2 for $4 (1 lb)

Jumbo Pomegranates
2 for $5

Knudsen Organic Apple Juice
$3.88 (96 oz)

Endangered Species Chocolate
2 for $3

Yaya's Popcorn
$1.29

Javatopia Organic Bird Friendly Coffee
$6.99 lb

Garden of Eatin' Tortilla Chips
2 for $4

Oregon's Wild Harvest Herbal Supplements
Save 30%

American Health Vitamin Supplements
Save 30%

Country Oven or Vita*Bee Bread
4 for $5

Swiss Miss Cocoa
4 for $5

Duncan Hines Cake Mix
10 for $10

Pepsi Products or Aquafina 12 pk
2 for $8

Lay's or Lay's Kettle Chips
2 for $4

Bounty Paper Towels
$5.99 (6 or 8 pk) ($1.00 off MC)

Nutra Nuggets Dry Dog Food
$21.99 40 lbs

Kraft Shredded Cheese
2 for $6 (16 oz)

Langers Apple Juice
3 for $5

Pork Loin Assorted Chops
$1.98 lb

Beef Cross Rib Roast
$2.48 lb

Fresh Extra Lean Ground Beef
$3.18 lb (3 lb flavor seal package)

Beef Rib Eye Steaks
$5.99 lb (family packs)

Wild Jumbo Snow Crab
$3.99 lb

Wild All Natural Bay Scallops
$3.99 lb

Wild Alaska True Cod Fillet
$3.99 lb

Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon Fillet
$7.99 lb

Wild All Natural Colossal Mexican Prawns
$7.99 lb

Hillshire Farm Lil Smokies
2 for $5

Lloyd's BBQ Meats or Chi-Chi's Taco Seasoned Meats
$3.99

FM 1/2 Gallon Milk or Orange Juice
10 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 10)

Bar S Hot Dogs
10 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 10) ($1.00 off 2 printable here)

Tums
$3.49 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4) ($1.00 off MC printable here)

Lean Cuisine or Stouffer's Entrees
6 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 6)

Child's Play Mixed Bag
$4.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 2)

Kashi Products
Save 40% w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Big K Pop 12 pk
6 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 6)

Kellogg's Cereals
5 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 5)

FM Canned Tomatoes or Beans
2 for $1 w/ in ad coupon (limit 10)

Gatorade 8 pk
$3.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 2)

Alfresco Smoked Chicken Sausages
$3.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Chicken Tenderloins 3 lb bag
$6.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Mars Fun Size Halloween Candy
$1.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 3)

All Laundry Detergent or Snuggle
$2.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 2) ($1.00 off Snuggle at coupons.com)



All Home clearance is 40% the lowest marked price! Clothing Clearance is 60% off!

The new reward cycle begins today. Look for your rewards certificates from last cycle in the weeks ahead!

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!

Grrr! That Bank Of Mine!

I know I've posted on here in the past about Chase bank and the fact that I absolutely loathe them. Now, my electric bill was 3 days late posting, which luckily I didn't seem to get slammed with a late fee, but still - it's the principle of it. I'm not one to be late with our bills, no matter how hard it is, so to have the bank be the ones to make it late? Yeah... not happy. Not happy at all.

Now when I was checking over our latest statement, I realized our savings account pays us 0%! Yes, zip, zilch, nada! Not even 0.000009%. 0%!

Um, that's a little startling. We have $25 automatically put into our savings every month (large total, I know. lol) and honestly, it never accumulates very far before we end up taking most of it back out to fix the latest damage caused by Murphy's Law... so it's not like I expect to make a killing off of it. Still 5 cents every year would nice, right? ;) I might as well be keeping it all in a change jar at home!

So pfffft to Chase. I'm withdrawing that $25 right back into my checking account every month now, and putting it into things we need around the home. It seems to me that extra package of toilet paper, diapers, or cat litter on sale goes a lot further in the way of savings than sitting in a bank account making nothing!

Free Kashi TLC Granola Bar

Fill out your mailing information to receive a free Kashi TLC Chewy Granola Bar in your mailbox! You don't have to sign up for an account if you don't want to - that's optional.

Food Storage Friday - The First Edition

With rising prices, bad weather, unstable job environments, one of the best things we as women (or men) in charge of our homes can do, is work on our food storage to ensure our family will continue to eat well no matter what the circumstance is. It doesn't take a lot to organize your pantry and make a little room for extras, and with the help of coupons and sales, can be done very cheaply. Every Friday, I'd like to encourage you to join in with me to do one or two little things to add to or work with your food storage.

To start off, I'm going to go through our cabinets and make sure nothing is past the expiration date. If I have bought something that I don't think we'll be using, I plan to donate it to the local food bank (provided it's before the Use By date, of course!) I hope you'll join me and do the same!

If you're feeling extra motivated, I plan to write the expiration/use by date on the top of all the cans or at the top of boxes in dark Sharpie so I can easily see if it's something I need to use ASAP. I'll also be organizing it by the Use By date on the shelf. (cans of soup that expire the next few months on the front rows, etc)

Book Review: How To Roast A Lamb by Michael Psilakis

I recently had the chance to receive a copy to review of an incredibly beautiful cookbook, How To Roast A Lamb by Michael Psilakis.


Michael Psilakis is chef and owner of Kefi and Anthos, located in New York City. How to Roast a Lamb contains Greek cuisine recipes from not only his restaurant, but his home. I always love it when I hear of a new chef who admits they have absolutely no professional experience and have never attended a chef's school - it means their recipes are usually easy to follow and not full of a million and one steps, so I might actually have a chance to create the recipe properly. Michael Psilakis is one of these chefs.

I also loved that this cook book was full of personal photos and stories, as well as more in depth talk about the recipes. Each chapter of the book starts off with a personal story. There were many how-to parts for those of us who are newer to the kitchen (how to clarify butter in the microwave, for instance) The recipes are easy to follow, with clear instructions, and plenty of extra details - a must in any cook book as far as I am concerned. If I have to google half of the recipes instructions to figure out how to make a dish, it's merely a dust collector on my shelf. That isn't a problem with this one!

Now the recipes don't exactly lend themselves as the cheapest in the world - like all Greek recipes, everything is made healthier, with fresh ingredients that will bring your grocery bill up - however, they are perfect for special occassions or entertaining - or if your budget allows, every day. A lot of the recipes contain goat and lamb, which aren't exactly every day meats here in the US. You may have to visit a butcher, or place a special order for the cuts of meat with your local grocer. (I do know Albertsons here in Port Orchard carries some lamb cuts)

I drooled over so many of the dishes, and I cannot wait to make Whole Chicken Soup with Avgolemono & Orzo - it looks and sounds delicious! (Plus, this recipe is actually one of the more frugal ones in the book, if purchased with the chicken on sale) Many of the recipes are perfect for a romantic date at home - choose one to make, and follow with a DVD borrowed from the library featuring travel spots in Greece!

So if you'd like to introduce Greek cuisine to your family, or you're in seach of a perfect holiday gift for a cook, this book is a good one to pick up. If you're a cookbook collector, definitely add this one to your collection! If you're family is so-so on new meats, you may want to skip it. (though there are plenty of chicken recipes in it)

How To Roast A Lamb by Michael Psilakis retails for $35.00 (much less over at Amazon right now!)

If You Participate In Rewards Programs

of any kind, such as MyPoints, SwagBucks, Memolink, or through your credit card company, etc - if you are wanting rewards in time to use for the holidays, make sure you are cashing out over the next few days in order to receive them on time! Many companies take up to 8 to 10 weeks, so you'll be scraping by. If you wait, you may not receive them on time, as lots of other folks will be cashing out in November too.

If you're looking for a few easy programs that don't take much work, I recommend SwagBucks, where you can earn gift certificates for just doing your searchers, and MyPoints, where you earn points from reading emails, participatin in surveys, and shopping online. I have an older post here, where I talk about several survey programs more in depth, and this post, where I talk about points programs too.

My Swagbucks link up there is a referral link, I'd love it if you joined under me, but you don't have to! :)

Would You Take My Survey Please?

It's a short, itty bitty 4 question survey about my blog that I'll have up for the next few days or so. Since I know some folks don't like to leave comments, I'm just asking what you'd like to see more of or less of here on my blog. It's completely anonymous, and you don't have to give your email address, etc.

If you decide to take it, thank you! :)

I Covet This Beauty..

Can you see the drool? lol This Burgundy & Taffeta Dress is available over at The Pyramid Collection if you're drooling too.

(and you can enter to win a $100 gift card from them if you sign up for their mailing list! IThat's definitely one contest I would love to win!)

Free Plus S&H Bread Cookbook

I don't normally post about freebies that require a shipping fee, but since it's only $1, and I know a lot of you also look for cookbooks, I thought I would share. You can get an 8 recipe cook book entitled The Bread Breakthrough featuring recipes from baking expert Nancy Baggett. (She also has a full book you can purchase if you like these recipes). Fill out your mailing information, print out the PDF form, and mail it in with your $1 shipping cost.

Thrifty Thursday - Home Energy Audits

This week for my Thrifty Thursday post, I'm talking about saving money with a home energy audit.

Many electric companies will do a home energy audit every few years for free - all you have to do is ASK! What they will do is come into your home, and check for areas that could be worked on - for instance, they may point out that changing your light bulbs to a different wattage will help you save money, or show you where there are drafts located in your home. They may be able to show you that upgrading a certain appliance will actually save you money over the course of time.

If you don't want someone coming over to your home, check with your energy provider's website - many have online calculators and scenarios, as well as checklists, that can give you ideas as to how to save money on energy, and if your home is as energy efficient as you think it is!

It's Alive!

Tehehe! My laptop is back to normal - whew!

I still feel like dirt, but just not as bad. Luckily, my medicine chest is stocked up with some good stuff, so hopefully I headed it off before it was any worse for us. We entertained ourselves with a few DVDs, including breaking out the sparkly red shoes to watch The Wizard of Oz. ;)

Would you believe I managed to GAIN weight according to the Wii fit, even while sick? Boooo!

Psychotic boy corgi met with yet another new vet on Monday, and we made an appointment to have his toothies cleaned Wednesday, at half the cost the last vet was quoting. I wasn't keen on having it done, but since no one can rule out if it was the cause of his bacteria infection last week, we're kind of stuck. I KNEW I should have gotten insurance on that little bugger! Poor little guy is miserable right now :( (Though, don't tell him - I'm kind of glad he's been quiet, instead of his usual hyper self the last few days... it's made things a little bit easier)

As Murphy's Law is always ready to strike here: now our car's gas electronic gas gauge is all messed up - it won't go down. Who wants to take bets on the first time DH forgets to pay attention to how far he's driven, and runs out of gas? lol (Don't worry, he has AAA and a gas can) As soon as we recover from the financial blows over the last few weeks, we definitely have to get a move on the new (or new to us) car.

And I have a ton of reviews and giveaways to get posted over the next few days, so get your lucky typing fingers ready! :)

Computer Problems

Yes, already - typing this with the Wii. :[ Cursed :[ We're all sick with germies too - will be back blogging as soon as I can.

It's Time For Menu Planning Monday

Monday: Costco rotisserie chicken & a side dish

Tuesday: recipe of the week

Wednesday: Fiesta Meatloaf

Thursday: spaghetti, salad, garlic bread

Friday: lemon pepper roast chicken, veggies, roll

Saturday: Southwest Stuffed Tortilla Wraps

Sunday: Slow Cooker Lasagna


Check out Organizing Junkie for other great Menu Plans!

Review: SeaPak Shrimp Scampi

I was recently asked if I wanted to review the SeaPak frozen seafood family of products. I was sent a coupon to try any of their products, so I choose the Shrimp Scampi.


I've mentioned on here before that I don't really do a lot of recipes at home that involve seafood products. It's kind of A) I don't want my entire home to smell like a fish market, and B) I really don't know how to make a lot of seafood dishes.

In glancing at the Shrimp Scampi box, I realized that making it wasn't really that hard. The shrimp is frozen with the sauce already made for you - so short of overcooking the shrimp, there really is no way to mess it up!



I ended up making it with some spaghetti noodles and my garlic cheese biscuits, and my DH came out and said it was actually better than the popular seafood restaurant with a color in the name. ;) For less than the price of one lunch dish (it was $7.99 regular price, on sale for $4.99, plus the cost of the pasta), we had ourselves a really nice dinner that didn't take as much work from me as I feared it would! I also liked that it contained 180 mg of Omega 3 fatty acids with each serving.

The only thing I want to warn you about: I didn't do the dishes until the following morning, and I discovered that there was a bunch of solid grease on the plate (due to the butter used in it). Be careful that if you wash your pans and plates right after the meal, that if there is any leftover sauce, that it doesn't go down your drain and clog it once it solidifies.

If you'd like to try SeaPak products yourself, you can print a coupon off their website. (If you have problems getting it to print (I just did) or have a store that doesn't accept printable coupons, you can contact their customer service, and they will send you a coupon in the mail!)

Dance, Dance, Do The Winners Dance!

And here is the latest round of winners:

The winner of the Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters Outdoor Goodies Prize Pack is:

medictom said...
I think I would love the cashews one most due to the salty sweet flavor cashews have! I love the fall, because we often take long drives just to see all the colors in the changing of the leaves! No real destination, just to drive and look!

The winner of the WAT-AAH! prize package is:

Sonya said...
My kids would love Bones!

The winner of the My Little Pony Twinkle Wish Adventure DVD is:

onangelwings said...
I am a new subscriber.

And the winner of the You Can Make This $50 Halloween bundle of craft e-books is:

Colleen said...
My daughter is going to be cinderella for Halloween and my son is going to be a pumpkin.

Congratulations everyone! I'm sending each of you an email, and need to hear back from you in the next 48 hours.

If you didn't win (or even if you did), I'm getting ready to post a bunch of great giveaways over the next few days that you might want to enter!

Another New Printable Lean Cuisine Coupon

This time the printable coupon is $1.00 off your next purchase of any five Lean Cuisine entrees. (It's a Brick's coupon for those having problems with Smart Source coupons)

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!

Please note: I take the time out of my busy schedule to share coupons that have landed in my email, I am not affiliated with the companies. Some coupons may be only available for a limited amount of time or for a limited amount of prints. If you come across a coupon that is now dead, please let me know, either by leaving a comment or sending me an email so I can fix the post. Thanks!

CD Review: Five For Fighting - Slice

I have to admit, being the hockey fan I am (Go Leafs!) I got a kick out Five For Fighting's name when I first heard it years ago. I really liked the song "Superman" too, though I couldn't really tell you about any of their other songs. So when One2One Network asked me if I was interested in reviewing Five For Fighting's new CD Slice, I figured I'd give it a shot and listen. This is actually FFF's 5th CD.


First I'd like to say I was really thrilled that it arrived in a digital file so I could pop it straight onto my iPod, instead of a regular CD - I thought this was a really environmentally friendly way to do a review. Kudos, One2One and Five For Fighting.

The songs on the CD are piano heavy - it doesn't sound anything really like "Superman". If you like the adult contemporary genre, you'll probably enjoy Slice. It fits my thought of being a good CD to relax too, just enough upbeat that you won't fall asleep to. ;) The messages in the songs are really uplifting, especially in the track "Hope".

Here's the track list:

1. Slice
2. Note To The Unknown Soldier
3. Tuesday
4. Chances
5. This Dance
6. Above The Timberline
7. Transfer
8. Hope
9. Story Of Your Life
10. Love Can't Change The Weather
11. Augie Nieto

I was really happy to read about how John Ondrasik (aka Five for Fighting), has performed USO concerts around the world. He also came up with the idea and produced For the Troops, a compilation of artists that is available FREE to every active service member here in the US. Any time an artist helps support our wonderful troops, they always get my backing!

If you'd like to visit Five For Fighting's website, click here. Slice is available on Amazon for $9.99 right now. (You can hear some clips from the CD there, too) Seattle area folks, FFF will playing at the Crocodile on November 5th.

I did receive the download of this album for free.

Printable Duraflame Coupons

I'm excited to share these Duraflame firelogs printable coupons with you, because these are some great ones! I recommend having a case of these Duraflame logs around if you have a fireplace in case of emergency. They are easy to light, and burn warmly. Available to print are:

$3 off a case of Firestart Firelighters
$3 off a case of Anywhere Indoor or Outdoor Firelogs
$12 off 2 cases of 5 or 6 lb firelogs

Fred Meyer sells the Duraflame 5 lb logs for $16.99, so that's almost getting a case for a couple of bucks if you buy another one!

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!

Please note: I take the time out of my busy schedule to share coupons that have landed in my email, I am not affiliated with the companies. Some coupons may be only available for a limited amount of time or for a limited amount of prints. If you come across a coupon that is now dead, please let me know, either by leaving a comment or sending me an email so I can fix the post. Thanks!

Fred Meyer Deals 10/18 - 10/24 2009

It's the 87th anniversary sale this week, so there are lots of deals throughout the home, clothing, and outdoor/sporting section. You can also enter to win a $200 gift card just by using your Fred Meyer shoppers card - 75 will be given away. See store for more details.
See the entire circular online here or here's the food & home highlights with coupon matches if available:

Beef Loin New York Steaks
$3.99 lb (family pack)

Jumbo E-Z Peel White Prawns
$3.99 lb

New Crop Apples or Pears
$0.68 lb

Medium Peeled Avocados
2 for $1

Peeled Mini Carrots
2 for $1 (1 lb bag)

Fresh Express Salad Kits or Blends
BOGOF

Refrigerated Salad & Dip
BOGOF ($1.00 off any Litehouse Product MC, $$1.00 off 2 Litehouse printable here)

Grape Tomatoes, Tri Color Grapes, Hothouse Peppers
$2.87 (2 lb)

Del Monte Gold Pineapple
$1.98

Tillamook Butter
4 for $5

Tillamook Yogurt
10 for $4

Tillamook Cheese 2 lb
$3.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 2)

Dove Bar Soap or Body Wash
$3.99 after in store MC

Fusion MVP, Fusion, Venus Embrace or Spa Breeze Razors
$6.99 ($4.00 off Fusion MC, $2.00 off Venus MC)

L'Oreal Preference, Feria, Excellence, or Natural Match Hair Color
$5.99 after in store MC

Pantene Hair Care
$2.99 ($1.00 off 2 MC)

Prilosec
$14.99 (28 ct) ($1.00 or $3.00 off MC)

Speed Stick Deodorant or Antiperspirant
$0.79 after in store MC

Slim Fast Ready to Drink Shakes
$3.99 after in store MC

Colgate
$0.79 after in store MC

Marcal Small Steps Bath Tissue
$4.99

Amy's Kitchen
Save 40%

Nature's Path Products
Save 50%

Organic Valley Milk
Save 50%

Nature's Way
Save 40%

Clif, Luna, or Mojo Bars
$0.79

Quench Sports Drinks
$0.79

Alacer Emergen-C
$8.99

Foster Farms Fresh Fryer Breasts
$0.97 lb

Rotisserie Chicken
$4.99 (deli)

Wild Alaska Whole Sockeye Salmon
$2.99 lb

Wild Alaska Troll Caught Silver Salmon Fillet
$4.99 lb

Fresh Lean Ground Beef
$1.59 lb (3 lb flavor seal pack)

Farmland Bacon
2 for $4

Carl Budding Meat
2 for $4

Minute Maid Orange Juice
2 for $4

Tully's Coffee
BOGOF

Mother's Cookies
3 for $5

Orbit, Extra, or Altoids
BOGOF

Chicken Tenders
$3.99 lb (deli)

Dreyer's Ice Cream
2 for $4 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Coke 24 pk
2 for $9 w/ in ad coupon

Campbell's Chunky Soup
10 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 10) ($0.50 off 4, $1.00 off 4 MC)

Tree Top, Langers, or Ocean Spray
2 for $3 w/ in ad coupon (limit 8)

Franz Bread or FM Peanut Butter or Preserves
10 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 10)

Propel Water
3 for $1 w/ in ad coupon (limit 9)

Tide Laundry Detergent
$9.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 2) ($1.00 off MC)


All Home clearance is 40% the lowest marked price! Clothing Clearance is 60% off!

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! The current reward cycle ends October 24th.

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!