I posted earlier today about the free Idahoan potatoes. Well my husband will be proud. I managed to get him 24 packs for his food drive. I also snagged several other great deals.

Here is what I got...

24 packs of Idahoan potatoes
See my post here on how to get these FREE
This gave me $6 in catalinas

2 Glade scented oil candles $4.99 each
Used BOGO coupon (See my coupon bar)
and $2/1
Final $3 for both

1 Betty Crocker Frosting $1.59
For some reason my eSaver coupon did not come through
and $.50/1
Final should have been $.09, but came out $.59

1 gallon organic milk marked down to $3.99

1 string cheese (Not in the picture. I got hungry on the way home)

I did several transactions and ended up only paying $4.02 total.

I also have Starbucks Chocolate in the picture that I got at Target.
I bought 12 and used 12 $1/1 coupons and ended up paying $.30 each.
I plan to use these for stockings.
Find out where to get these coupons here.

How did you do this week? I would love to hear.

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I was amazed at how many people entered my first blog giveaway. Thank you so much to everyone who participated. I had a lot of fun reading everyones comments. If you did not win come back next week to see what I am giving away.

The winner is.... Kathy (Big Family of 8) I will be sending an email to you soon. If I do not hear back from Kathy by Monday I will go on to the next person.

Again thanks to all of you who entered.

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My husband told me yesterday that his college is having a food drive and they are asking all faculty to bring 20 of something so they can be a good example to the students. I was totally on board with him, but not sure what we could get 20 of without spending quite a bit of money. He told me that someone was already bringing canned veggies. Today I found a great deal that will fulfill this need as well as make us a little money to spend on next weeks groceries.

If you go to the Idahoan potatoes web site you can click on the get coupon link and take a very short survey to get $.75 off of any product. Make sure to select other or store brand. Dillons has Idahoan packets on sale this week 10/$10. If your Dillons (Kroger) doubles these will be free. The best part is that when you finish the survey a print box will come up that will allow you to print out as many coupons as you want.

It gets even better. If you buy 4 at one time you get a $1 catalina toward your next purchase!

Thanks to Sarah for pointing this deal out.

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Part 2-

Ask yourself these questions...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not

lean on your own understanding. In all your ways

acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Do you find it heart wrenching every time you have to leave your precious children in the care of someone else (sometimes a stranger) everyday as you leave for work? Do your children beg you to stay home and not leave? Do you cry all the way to work? Do you simply want to follow the teachings of the Lord and become a keeper of the home?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then you need to read this series. I decided before I had children that I wanted to be a SAHM. When career day would come around in high school people would ask me what I wanted to do for a living. The only thing that I could ever imagine was a mother. Oh, I had dreams and interests in other fields, such as medicine, but nothing ever felt as right as being a wife and mother.

After I got married I knew that I would have to plan in advance if I wanted to make my dream come true. Unfortunately the man I married did not understand my desire and expected that I would always work. I had to do a lot of praying for the Lord to change his heart. After the birth of our first child my husband had come around and I am now doing what I had always said I would do as a child.

So how did I get to where I am today? Planning and Prayer. I can not emphasize enough that you must plan ahead or you will most likely fail. The first thing you need to learn how to do is adjust to living on one income before you quit your job. Sit down with your spouse and plan out a budget using his income alone. For great information on budgeting visit Dave Ramsey's site on money management.

The second thing you need to do is set a realistic date to quit work. If you have a goal in mind you are more likely to reach it.

Next you need to build an emergency fund to cover anything that may happen that you will need to pay for once you actually quit work. I would also recommend using your current income to pay off debt. You are learning to live on just your husband's income alone so you should be able to put anything extra toward paying of debt. You want to make sure that you can have the least amount of bills possible for you husband's income to pay.

The last thing you need to do once you have come home is try to get into a routine. It is really easy to just let yourself become lazy and get nothing done. You will find yourself at lunch time still in your PJ's and the house a mess and your husband may stop in for lunch. He will wonder what you have been doing all day and if having you home is really going to work. You managed to keep up the house when you were working. You need to be able to do the same thing once you are at home. Your new "job" is to make sure that you spend time with God daily, then your husband, then children, and then the house. Find someone who has been a SAHM for awhile and get her advice.

Next Friday I will begin to go into each of these steps a little more in depth. Keep praying about your decision. God will provide a way if this is truly the desire of your heart.

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I had planned to have these posted way before now, but 2 little children and a pile of laundry won over my attention the last 2 days. These are the best deals that I saw. Let me know if you notice anything else. For those readers in the Wichita area these are the same deals I found in the Dillons ad. Remember my Kroger doubles coupons up to $1.

Ground Chuck $1.99 lb

Dillons Gallon Milk $2.99

Pilgrims Pride Chicken Breast $1.99 lb
There is a $.55 coupon here.
I am not sure how this affects the price per pound.

Kroger 5 lb bag potatoes BOGO (Great time to make soup and baked potatoes)

Yoplait Yogurt Cups 2/$1
Use $1/4 coupon here
Also $.40/6 at Shortcuts (Thanks to a reader for letting me know)
Final 4/$1 or $.25 each with just the $1/4
Final with both coupons 6/$1.60 or $.27 each

Libby Vegetables 2/$1
Use $.50/3 coupon here
Final $.50 for 3 or $.17 each!

Hot Pockets 3/$5
$1/2 or $.55/1 from 9/28 Red Plum
Best deal-if you have 3 $55/1 you get 3/$2 or $.67 each

Pop Tarts 3/$5
Use $1/2 or $1/1 or $.55/1 from recent Red Plum
Final could be 3/$2 or $.67 each

Pillsbury Crescent or Sweet Rolls 3/$5
There are many coupons for these the best I found was $1.00/1 here
Combine with e-coupon $.50
Final $.17 each

Betty Crocker Frosting $1.59
Use $.50 from 10/19
Combine with $.55 e-coupon
Final $.09 each!

Healthy Choice Entrees 5/$10
Lots of coupons for these. The best I found was $.30/1 from 10/19 Smart Source
Final is $1.40 each

Purex Laundry Detergent 24-40 load $1.99
Use $1/2 or $35/1 from 10/5 Smart Source
or $50/1 from 8/10 Smart Source
Final varies from $1 to $1.30!

Boneless Pork Loin BOGO

Campbell's Soup 10/$10
Use $.40/1 from 9/7 Smart Source
Final $.20 each!

Nestle Fun Size ??Unsure of price??
Use $1/1 printable here
Final Varies Should be around $1

Kroger Cream Cheese 10/$10

Kroger Frozen Veggies 10/$10 Stock up for Thanksgiving!

International Delight Creamer $1.99
Use $.55/1 from 10/12 Smart Source
Final $1

Land O Lake Half and Half
Use $.75/1 Here
Final $1

Tyson Anytizers $2.99
Use $2/2 boxes
Final 2/$4 or $2 each

Tyson Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs BOGO!
I love it when they do this. I always stock up.

Private Selection Whole Turkey 50% off. Buy now for Thanksgiving

Cooks Spiral Ham 50% off. Again buy now for Thanksgiving

Herbal Essence Hair Care 3/$8
Use $3/2 from 10/12 P&G
Combine with $2/2 eSaver
Final $.33 for 2! That is $.17 each!

Sunsilk Hair Care 3/$8
Use $1.50/1 printable here for hairspray
Final $1.16 each

Aussie Hair Care 3/$8
Use $1/1 from 10/12 P&G
Final $1.67 each

Cheerios 2/$5
Use $1/1 printable here
Final $1.50 each

All General Mills Cereal 2/$5
Numerous printables here, and here.
Final $1.50 each

Ozarka Water 24 pk $4.49
Use $.50/1 from 8/24 Red Plum
Final $3.39 or $.14 each Much cheaper then buying them singly

Pillsbury Cake Mixes $.94
Use $1/3 from 9/7 insert
Final $1.82 or $.61 each

Nestle Morsels 2/$5
Use $.75/1 printable here
Final $1.50 each

Kroger Spices are 33% off

Campbell's Tomato or Chicken Noodle $.69
Use $.40/4 from 9/7 Smart Source
Final $1.96 or $.49 each

Don't forget about the Cellfire deals going on right now. You can read about them in my post here. FREE vitamin water, FREE oatmeal, $1 overage for 4 pk Cottonelle, and more!

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Today I would like to take a little break from posting deals and refocus on helping moms make that huge transition from work to home. I know that many of you out there are wondering how you will ever make it on one income. The answer is planning and a budget. I will expound on a budget later next week. Today's series is about finding a way to make a little side income while still being able to be home with your kids

Right now this is a hot topic. Many work at home jobs offer a huge income with little work involved. If it seems too good to be true then it probably is. You should NEVER pay a company for a job. They should be paying you not the other way around. So what is a mom to do to find that elusive job?

There are several places you could start. The first is the website WAHM. Their site is dedicated to helping moms, such as yourself, find legitimate jobs. Most of them have been checked out to make sure they are not a scam. I would caution you to still check out any job offer with the Better Business Bureau first. Some woman have been so desperate for jobs that they have taken a job offer that ended up getting them jail time for transferring funds.

Another site I would tell you to check out it Violets College Fund. Emily is a work at home mom with lots of experience and ideas on where to find a good job. I have enjoyed getting inspiration from her. I am hoping to have her do a guest post for me soon.

Hopefully this short post will give you a few places to get started on your search. I am planning to post new work at home job opportunities every Thursday, or more often if I see a really great one. If you have any questions or need some encouragement I love to hear from my readers. Feel free to email or leave a comment.

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In the last several years there has been major growth in the number of moms who are leaving their high paying jobs and returning home to care for their children. Why has this been happening? I believe that many people are realizing that the decline in stay at home moms has been a major factor in the decline of the American family. In the past several decades we have seen a significant rise in the rates of crimes, teen pregnancy, childhood behavioral disorders, and violence.

I think that many moms have decided that enough is enough. They have decided that their children should be raised by a loving, nurturing mother and not a cold, impersonal daycare. I realize that there are some daycare providers that truly do love the children they care for, but unfortunately many only think of it as a job.
I feel that if we can educate mothers on how to manage a household on 1 income again the way our grandmothers did we will be able to make a difference. If you were to ask your grandmother if she would trade her time home with her kids for any of the toys or so called "needs" that many of us think we have to have today, I think she would say not a chance.

We only get one chance to raise our children. We only get one chance to teach them right from wrong and the way the Lord would want them to act. Readers I urge you to help keep this movement going. We can make a difference even if it is only in the lives of our own children. Who knows maybe someday they will be the one to touch the multitudes. God has a plan for each of them.

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I thought my readers might enjoy getting to have a small look into my life. I know I love it when the blogs I visit have a few family pictures for me to see. It helps me feel like the person who is behind the blog is a real person and not just a blog. Notice how I am only in one of the pictures. Guess who was taking all of them :)

Jack helping mommy cook

Madison helping make the cookies pretty

Jack and his first pumkin

Making smores in the backyard

Deep in thought at the pumpkin patch

Such a funny boy

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I had planned on posting the Kroger deals for this week sometime today, but it still has not happened. I will have them up as soon as I get a chance. For now I am going to bed! Make sure to check out my Super Saving Saturday post on what I got this week. I did REALLY well.

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I decided to use the $1 off Lipton tea coupons at Target the other day and boy was I excited when I found $1 peelies on some of the boxes as well as two flavors on sale for $2 each. That meant I was getting FREE tea for my hubbie.

Check your stores and see if they have the same deal going on.

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You might want to keep an eye on your mail box to see if you get the coupons that I did today. I guess this time of the year Bath and Body Works really cranks out the coupons. I bet that is especially true this year with people not wanting to spend as much.

Well today I got 2 coupons in the mail. One for a FREE antibacterial item of my choice up to a $5 value with ANY purchase. I know that they have a couple of items that are only priced at $1.50. I don't usually care for antibacterial products because I believe that it kills the good bacteria on our hands along with the bad, but that is a topic I will post on another time. Even though I don't like antibacterial I know people who do and would love to get it as a gift.

The other coupon that arrived today was for $10 off a purchase of $30 or more. I wonder if they would let me combine the 2 together? Yep, I just read the fine print and you can combine the two. YEAH!!

Happy shopping

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I was so excited to pay only $1.95 a gallon for gas this afternoon. I told my husband that I am going to save the receipt and frame it to show our kids someday.
How much is gas in you area?

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I read at Common Sense With Money today that Target is giving away a $5 gift card with a purchase of any 4 holiday Glade scents. I have been keeping my eye out for any good gift card deals at Target and this is the first decent one I have seen since the Kashi gift card awhile back.

The best way to make this a great deal is to go to my coupon bar on the right and print out 2 BOGO glade coupons.

From what I hear the scented oil starter kits are $2.50

Buy 4 and use 2 BOGO coupons.

Total $5 plus $5 gift card

To make this deal even better I have seen at the Kroger stores a little blinkie that has $2 off coupons for these. So use 2 BOGO and 2 $2/1 coupons and only pay $1 and get a $5 gift card back.

I think I will head out to Target tonight. These oil warmers make great Christmas gift.

Thanks Mercedes for letting us all know about this deal.

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We have finally made the leap to no longer having a trash bill! I know it sounds a little bit strange, but this is something that my husband and I have been trying to do for several months now. I first got the idea after reading Tammy's blog and how she did not have a trash bill. At first I thought she was crazy, but after I thought about it for awhile I realized that it was actually a really smart idea.

Here is what we did...
-We realized that we had mandatory recycling in our city and we pay for it every month so we might as well use it.
-We made our goal to only have 1 bag of trash per week.
- I set up a recycling bin in the garage right off the kitchen.
- We recycled everything we could...paper, junk mail, glass, tin cans, and aluminum.
-My husband made a compost pile on the side of our house for the garden.

We decided to see how things went for 2 months and then make our decision. Since we try to buy as few prepacked foods as possible and reuse as much as possible we quickly realized that we would probably be able to easily meet out goal.
The result-2 months later we had managed to consistently have 1 bag of trash per week.
What did we decide to do with it? Well, we would prefer to burn it and not have to deal with it at all, but in our small suburb that did not seem like a good option. So instead we have been taking the 1 bag to my mother's house and adding it to her trash cart.

We did not see a reason to pay a trash company to pick up 1 bag a week. As of mid October we no longer have a trash bill. That is a savings of $35-$40 a month or $480 per year. This may not seem like a lot, but it is little things like this that add up to big savings. Especially if you are trying to save money so you can be a SAHM. Not to mention the way it helps our environment that God gave us to take care of.

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I was at Walmart today and noticed that Hunt's tomato sauce was $.34 each. You can print a $1/2 any Hunt's tomato product here. That means you get 2 cans of tomato sauce FREE plus a $.32 overage! I guess you could get 3 or just apply the overage to the rest of your cart. I used 2 coupons today and it worked great.

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Sorry if you did not get in on this. Check back next week to see what I am giving away.

I am so excited to be offering my first giveaway. This week I am offering 1 Bath and Body Works Scent Port along with numerous Bath and Body Works coupons, including 2 coupons for a FREE scent port with any purchase. I know that these coupons are no longer available. If you were not able to get in on this coupon here is your chance to get 2.

The other 3 coupons are for 1 FREE product with a $10 purchase, 1 coupon for $10 off a $30 purchase, and 1 coupon for $15 off a $50 purchase.

You could very easily combine some of these for a great deal!

To enter all you have to do is leave me a comment below and on Friday I will randomly chose a winner. Good Luck!

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I always try to use as much of the chicken as I can when I am cooking so that I do not waste anything. I also do not want to spend any more on groceries then absolutely necessary. Lately I have been making my own chicken broth when I cook a whole chicken. I usually freeze it for later use.
One of the reasons I make my own broth is so that I don't have to buy chemical laden broth from the store. Organic broth is usually more then I am willing to pay and coupons are scarce for this item.

The second reason I make my broth is the nutrient content is so much better then that of store bought or chicken bouillon. The nutrients for a good broth is found in the bone. You need to make sure to break the bones to help the nutrients get into the broth. If you would like more information on why I chose to cook this way for health reasons I would recommend the books The Maker's Diet and Nourishing Traditions. Both are excellent sources of whole food education.

Chicken Broth is so easy to make. All I do is put a whole chicken in a crock pot and cover with filtered water. You can chose to add celery, carrots, salt, and pepper for flavor. You could be creative and add any number of spices to change the flavor.
After 8 hours of cooking on low you have very tender chicken to add to one meal and several quarts of broth. All for the price of a whole chicken.

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This is my first week posting about Walgreen deals. These are the best deals I found. Let me know if you have anything to add.

Maybelline Cosmetics Buy 1 Get One 50% Off

$3/1 coupon in 10/26 Red Plum
Final Price Varies

Walgreen Nuts 2/$5
Use $1/1 coupon in Walgreen pharmacy coupon
Final Price 2/$3

Palmolive Dish Soap $.99 with coupon
$1/2 coupon in 10/26 Smart Source
Final Price 2/$1

Hot Pockets 2/$5
$1/2 coupon in 9/28 Red Plum
Final Price 2/$4

Lean Cuisine 2/$5
$1/2 Printable Here
Final Price 2/$4

Campbells Tomato or Chicken Noodle $.59
$.40/4 coupon in 9/7 Smart Source
Final Price $1.96 = $.49 each

Air Wick Oil Refills 2/$5
Use two $1/1 coupons from 10/19 Smart Source
Final Price 2/$4

Revlon $3 Off
$1/1 coupon from 10/12 Smart Source
$3/1 Tearpads have been reported
Final Price Varies

Sally Hansen Nail Products BOGO
$2/2 coupon in 9/28 Smart Source
or $.50/1 in 9/28 Smart Source
Final Price Varies

Benadryl $3.99
$1/1 Printable Here
Final Price $2.99

Puffs Tissue $.99 with ad coupon
$.25 coupon in 9/28 P&G
Final Price $.75

Blue Diamond Almonds BOGO with ad coupon
$.75/2 from 10/19 Smart Source
Final Price 2/$2.49 = 1.25 each

Register Reward Deals

Pedialyte 2/$9
Get $2 Register Reward
Use two $1.50/1 Printable here
Like paying $4/2 with Register Rewards and coupons

Claritin $24.99 30-42 count
Get $5 Register Rewards
There are some coupons out for this
Final Price with Register Rewards $19.99

I have not had the chance to get to the FREE after rebate items for the month of November. I will post them when I have them together.

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I thought I would share these questions with everyone because I am sure that there are others who are wondering the same thing.

Reader Lisa asked,

"I wonder is it ever too late to become a SAHM?" and "Is it possible to give up high paying job and live on a teacher's salary?"

I think it is NEVER too late to become a SAHM. Our children need us no matter what their age. I am sure that you would love to be able to go on field trip, games, and other events with your children during their school age years and not have to worry about taking time off of work. I would refer you to Titus 2. I am sure many of you have already read it, but it only confirms that the Lord meant for the wife to be at home taking care of her family.

I know that many woman worry about the loss of income that would come with them quitting their job. I would advise you to take it to the Lord in prayer and trust him to take care of your finances. He has said that he will provide for all of our needs.

I can understand how busy a mom gets with her job and taking care of a family. My mother is the Facility Administrator for 3-4 dialysis units in our city. She is in her 60s and has know idea when she will be able to retire. She is stressed and tired. At her age this should not be the case.

I heard a preacher say once that husbands should do everything they can to support their wives being at home because asking her to work and take care of a household is literally slowly killing her due to increased stress and lack of rest. I realize that there are circumstances when a wife must work or her husband is not supportive of her decision. This is when I would again recommend prayer. Ask the Lord to soften your spouses heart. He sure did a number on my husband.

As to the question of being able to make it on a teacher's salary I can say first hand that YES you can. My husband is a teacher at a technical college. We are able to take care of our monthly bills and still have some money left for paying down debt.
The way we are able to do that is by the choices we make. Often times we are asked to go out to dinner or on vacation and we have to say no. We are sometimes looked down on, but we know that 10 years down the road we will be debt free, car payment free, and mortgage free, and our friends will still be in the same place they were.

In conclusion, remember that you can fulfill your dream of becoming a SAHM at any stage of you life and you can learn to live on one income. It is all a matter of where your priorities are. When your children are on their own are they going to remember the "stuff" you bought them or the quality time you spent with them.

I would love to hear back from you. Let me know how things are going on your journey. No matter what choice you make you have to do what is right for you and your family. Remember to take it to the Lord in prayer. He knows your heart.

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I am just curious to see how many of my readers have blogs. I have put up a poll to help me get an idea. If you do have a blog please feel free to leave me a comment. I would love to feature some of you on my site. I think it might be fun to interview some of you for future posts.

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This will be my first menu plan monday post. I hope that you will be able to find some inspiration to make your own weekly menus. They are so helpful in keeping the budget in line. I also feel that you can serve your families more nutritious meals this way. There is less temptation to go through the drive through if you have a plan. Thanks Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday.

I try very hard to serve my family only whole and organic foods. The organic part does not always happen, but I strive to at least feed them only whole foods. We do eat pre-packaged foods at times, but I try to keep it to a minimum. I am trying to find a happy medium between serving only organic, natural foods and staying within budget. I hope that you will join me on my journey.

Side note: I am currently working on an ebook that deals with this exact subject, how to feed your family whole foods on a budget. I plan to have lots of recipes. I will let you know when it is complete. Now on to this weeks menu.

I am afraid this menu is not one of my most exciting. I tried to keep it simple and use what we had and make it as frugal as possible. We often eat vegetarian meal, so if you are looking for a menu that uses little meat this is the one.

Monday:
Breakfast-Scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit
Lunch-Salmon sticks and peas
Dinner-PB&J, carrots (my husband works until 10:00 on Monday nights so I make a kids friendly dinner)

Tuesday:
Breakfast-Crock pot oatmeal, banana
Lunch-Homemade chicken nuggets (with a veggie snuck in see fish stick recipe for how to do this), green beans
Dinner-Tai chicken, brown rice, and mixed veggies

Wednesday:
Breakfast-Yogurt, fruit, toast
Lunch-Turkey sandwich on homemade bread, carrots, apples
Dinner-Vegetable soup with homemade biscuits

Thursday:
Breakfast-Cottage cheese (my kids love it!), fruit
Lunch-Baked potatoes, broccoli, cheese
Dinner-Red beans and rice, peas

Friday:
Breakfast-Egg in a hole, home canned applesauce
Lunch-Left over chicken nuggets, green beans, fruit salad
Dinner-Pasta with beans and veggies (I made up this recipe, it was so good) strawberries

Saturday:
Breakfast-Pumpkin pancakes, oranges
Lunch-Boiled eggs, mixed veggies
Dinner-Baked potato soup, homemade biscuits, and a green veggie

Sunday:
Breakfast-Cereal or toast with fruit (Something quick before church)
Lunch-We eat at my mom's every week with family
Dinner-Chicken stir fry with brown rice

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I rarely buy my family prepackaged, frozen fish sticks. I will admit that occasionally I do when there is a great sale and I need something for those days when I do not have time to cook, but I try to avoid them.
When I plan ahead I try to always have some sort of fish in the freezer so that I can make some homemade fish sticks instead. They are so much healthier and not that much more expensive to make. You can also sneek a veggie into them. The way I do that is to either mix a pureed one into the fish cake or roll it in a pureed veggie and milk bath before coating in bread crumbs.
I made these the other day and my daughter could not believe that I made "pink" fish sticks, her favorite color.

Salmon Fish Sticks
2-3 salmon fillets cooked (You can use any kind of white fish as well)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
Garlic salt and pepper to taste

Coating:
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup pureed veggie (I often use zucchini, cauliflower, or sweet potato)

Breading:
2 cups bread crumbs (Preferably homemade)
Salt and Pepper
Any other spices your family likes

1.)Take the cooked fish and coursly chop it in a bowl. Add the egg, bread crumbs and salt and pepper. Mix well.
2.)Form the mixture into fish stick shapes and set aside. If you are having trouble getting the sticks to stay together try adding more bread crumbs or milk depending on if they are to dry or to wet.
3.)You will need 3 plates. Fill one with flour, one with breading mixture, and one with the coating mixture of pureed veggies and milk.
4.)Take each fish stick and roll it first in flour, then in the veggie puree, and next into the bread crumbs and place on a cookie sheet.
5.) Cook at 350 for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

This is a recipe I made up as I was going along the other day. You may have to tweak it some depending on your taste and how big your fish fillets are.

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I have been tagged by Emily at Violet's College Fund. This kind of reminds me of playing tag as a kid. Sounds like fun, I think I will join in. Thanks for the compliment Emily. Here are the rules:

• Link back to the person who tagged you and share the rules on your blog.
  


• Share seven facts about yourself.
  


• Tag seven people and list their links in the post.
  


• Tell those seven people they've been tagged by commenting in their blog.

7 Things About Me:

1.) I used to ride horses and I was trained by an Olympic hopeful. He was planning to go, but unfortunatly his horse was killed in a tornado.

2.) I love to eat peanut butter by the spoonful.

3.) I am constantly thinking about new business ideas. Hopefully one of them will work out someday.

4.) I have lived in the same city my entire life.

5.) I have 3 brothers and zero sisters. My youngest brother is 6' 9". He is such a gentle giant.

6.) Before having children I held many jobs-veterinary receptionist, dialysis technician, substitute teacher, waitress, and flower shop.

7.) My husband and I have dreams of owning our own small farm someday. My daughter keeps asking me when we are going to move to our farm so we can have animals. I even asked the city we live in now if we could have chickens in our back yard. They said NO! I live in a small suburb of Wichita where you are allowed to have up to 3 hens and they are considered pets. Oh well, maybe someday soon.

Here are the blogs I have tagged:

If you are reading this then consider yourself tagged (If you have a blog). Leave me a message and let me know who you tagged.

Lizzy's Language

A Stitch of Faith

My Penny Pile

Passionate Homemaking

Stretching a Buck

Be It Ever So Humble

Freebies 4 Mom

For some reason I can not get the colors on these tagged sites to change. Sorry they look funny.

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This is a recipe that my mother-in-law gave me. It is actually supposed to be for pork stew, but my family does not eat pork, so I have decided to substitute chicken. If you use pork it is really good and looks like pulled pork. This is a family favorite and easy to make because it uses a crock pot.

Thai Chicken Stew

2 lbs of chicken cut up

2 cups of sliced red bell peppers (I usually omit this because I don't have it on hand)

1/4 cup teriyaki or soy sauce

2 Tablespoons rice or whie wine vinegar

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I use all natural)

6 cups hot cooked rice (I use brown)

1/2 cup chopped green onion

2 Tablespoons chopped peanuts (really for garnish, but gives a nice crunch)

1.)Place the first 5 ingredients in a crock pot (chicken through garlic). Turn on low and cook for 8 hours. Remove chicken and coursely chop. Add peanut butter to liquid in crock pot and stir. Stir in the chicken.

2.)Spoon chicken over hot, cooked rice in bowls and top with onions and peanuts. If you like you can put a lime wedge on each bowl for each person to squeeze fresh lime juice on top of their stew.

There you have it, a frugal, quick, yet nutritious meal. You can always add a side of veggies.

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I am starting a Sunday series to help give encouragement to anyone who needs it to start their weeks out right. I am planning to use notes from the sermons I receive at church on Sunday mornings. Today though I am going to make it short and just leave you with an inspirational verse about what the Bible says about stay at home moms.

Titus 2:4-5
"Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children. To be self-contolled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

God has called us to be keepers of the home. There can be no higher calling.

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I found out today that you can add coupons to your Kroger card using cellfire. These can be combined with P&G esaver or Shortcuts coupons as well as regular paper coupons for some really great deals! Thanks Lizzy

****Edit-It appears that you may not be able to combine both of the ecoupons. Some readers, myself included, have had some trouble with the shortcuts not being applied. I am not sure if it is a problem with just the shortcut or if you can only use one ecoupon.****

Deals I noticed...
Free Naturally prefered H2O water
Combine with recent BOGO coupon
2 Free!

Free Active Lifestyle Oatmeal

$1 off Kotex...combine with $1/1 coupon here
Kroger priced around $3
$1 each

$.50 off Cottonelle...combine with $.50 ecoupon here and
print $.50/1 here-will double (There are 2 coupons. You can print each twice. It resets every month)
Kroger sale $.99 for 4 pack
Free plus $1 overage!

$.50 off Goldfish on sale for $1 at Kroger
$.50

$1.50 off Deli Pizza

$1 off Huggies...combine with $1/1 ecoupon
combine with $1/1 9/28 Smart Source
Total $3 off

$1.50 off Huggies...combine with $1.50 ecoupon
Combine with $1/1 9/28 Smart Source
Total $4 off

$1 off Pepperidge farm bread

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I decided to do run to Kroger for some laundry soap and milk and came home with all of this!


When I checked out the cashier mentioned that I saved more then spent. She was shocked. I love it when that happens.

Here is what I got and what coupons I used...

All Free and Clear 64 load on sale for $6.99

Betty Crocker Frosting on sale for $1.59
-$.55 e-coupon here
-$.50 coupon
-Total $0.04

Electrosol Tabs on sale for $3.99
$2.25 coupon

Duncun Heinz cake mix on sale $1.25

Private Selection organic milk $2.89

3 boxed Green Giant Veggies $1.00 each
2 $.50/1 IP coupons
$.50/2 e-coupon here
Total for 3= $.50

2 Private Selection H2O water $1 each
BOGO coupon from paper

4 pack Cottonelle $.99
$.50 e-coupon here
Total=$.49

3 boxes Ronzoni Pasta $1.44 each
3 $1/1 coupons from paper
Total=$.44 each

Total before coupons and sales $39.66
Total after coupon and sales $17.76
Total saved $21.90

Not too bad for just needing soap and milk. I could have easily spent that on those 2 things alone. Stay tuned each week as I try to put together the best deals in the Kroger ad.

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My 3 year old decided that we needed to have macaroni and cheese for dinner last night. I realized that I did not have any so we made a quick run to our local Dillons (Kroger). I prefer to buy organic when I can, but it is usually too expensive. Boy was I surprised to find Annies on sale. I then realized that I still had coupons from Earth Day.

The coupon is for $1 off 3 Annies products and Annie mac and cheese was on sale for $1 each. Even though my coupon expired August 31 it went through without any problems. I ended up with 3 boxes of organic mac and cheese for just over $2. That may not seem like a deal to some, but for organic I think it is a great deal.

So if you still have some Kroger Earth Day coupon books around check to see if you have this coupon. Even without it I think it is a good price. The nonsale price is $1.99 each.

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I love free products and this is a great one! From now until November 23 Bath and Body Works is giving away free scent ports with ANY purchase. I plan to find some clearance items and stock up for Christmas. I have sometimes found items as low as $1, so this could really be a great deal. All you have to do is print out this coupon and take it in. It gets even better. I noticed that this is the type of coupon you can print out as many times as you want. So if you have a store, or several, near you happy shopping. Thank imommies for the head up on this deal.

****Update, It appears that this was a hot deal. The web site says that this coupons is no longer available. I hope you got yours printed early.****

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Part - 1
Is staying at home for everyone and why do you want to do it?

"I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord,' plans for your

welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."

Jeremiah 29:11

I thought that since I had taken some time off I would start the transition from work to home series over again. I am sorry if any of you have already read it, but I did not want to leave anyone out. If you are looking for some inspiration about transitioning from work to home you need to read Larry Burcket's book Woman Leaving the Workplace. This book is where I have found a lot of my info for this series.

I have always loved this verse. It has helped me through many difficult times. When there are days that I do not know how my husband and I will be able to afford for me to stay home I think on this verse and remember God's promise to take care of his children. If you are struggling with the decision to come home, you are not alone. God can and will take care of those who put their trust in him.

I hear of more and more women lately that are wanting to leave work and become a SAHM. Unfortunatly many of them do not see how this can ever be possible. As a nation we have come to believe that to make it in life we need to be a dual income family. Some women have supportive husbands and others do not. It is possible financially to live on one income. I am not going to tell you that this will come easily. As with anything worth having you have to work at it.

Statistics show that the number of women quitting their jobs is on the rise. Mothers are looking at what has happened to our nation's children when their mother's are taken out of the picture and not raising them at home under their loving care.

There are many mothers today, especially in the Christian community, who feel that they are supposed to stay home, yet they feel like they are letting their families down because they work out of the home full time. There are many mothers who have tried to quit, yet have had to return to work because they did things out of order and did not completely prepare themselves and their families for the transition.

I can only give suggestions to help you with your transition in this series. There is no guarantee that this will work just like there are not gurantees that staying at home with your kids will ensure that they grow up to be model citizens. Please do not take your decision lightly. Make sure that you pray before any final decisions are made. Only God knows the plans that he has for us.

Through out this series I would like to touch on the topics of having a supportive spouse, fears, budgeting, homeschooling, income earning ideas, and when to return to work. Stay tuned until next Friday for the actual planning process and what steps to take first.

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If you have dreams of being a full time stay at home mom and feel you will never be able to do it, there is hope. I read the book Woman Leaving the Workplace by Larry Burkett and it changed my life. If you are serious about wanting to learn how you can quit your job and stay home this is a must read. I would recommend getting it from your library to save some money. The inspiration for my Transition to Home series has come directly from this book. It worked for me so I know it can work for you.

On a side note I am hoping to add a series on work from home job ideas. If you need a good resource for this you should try out the web site Work At Home Moms They have a ton of work from home opportunities that have been tested to make sure they are not scams. Lets face it, if you want to stay at home most of us are going to need to help bring in some extra income, myself included. It's nice to know there are blogs out there that you can use as resources for finding these highly sought after jobs.

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