Changed my profile today

Today I got to change my blogger profile today....we just passed Wedding Anniversary 22! (I think it is gonna last....truely, it just keeps getting better)

The Great Birthday Card pilgrimage

While visiting at home last week we celebrated my nephews 13th birthday with a card, and sheepishly I also presented a card to my niece, who turned 15 1/4. Of course, kids will take money any time it comes their way, but I am frustrated that I am always late with the birthday cards. I mean, really, it isn't like I haven't known for years that they would have a birthday again....it just seems that I let each birthday sneak upon me and stress me out that I have to go purchase a card, find a STAMP, and get some cash to stick in it.

Of course, once in the card store I could stand and read the cards forever, thinking 'Oh, this could be great for so-and-so, I need to remember this for their birthday'....yeah, right...THAT is really going to happen.

Pulling all these issues together, it dawned on me that I should make a single trip - a sort of pilgrimage - to the card store at the beginning of the year and give myself time to purchase cards for everyone this year....all at once! And since the US Postal Service so graciously created the Forever Stamp, I will pick up a book of stamps as well and put stamps on all the envelopes. I am planning this event for Saturday - think I will take my daughter, and may even get lunch out to celebrate! Then I just have to remember to get them in the mail a couple days before the birthdays....

A fun day out, AND a little less stress this year -- definitely Works For Me!

Meal Plan Monday - January 5, 2009

I just love the New Year...Christmas decorations are all put away, the house is cleaned up, and it is finally time to focus on all the excitement a new year offers. I am working to obtain a couple of big, exciting new projects by day, and Lily On the Fly has a few new tricks for 2009 up her sleeve that you will see rolling out over the next couple months....some fun website enhancements and new products to make your 'every day' easier! We are especially excited about a new partnership that will be 'going live' in March -- can hardly wait to tell you about it!

Surely glad to have a meal plan so I can focus good energy on all these fun projects!

Monday: LOTF Minute Steaks Monaco

Tuesday: (Big meeting at work with important customer!) LOTF Slow Cooked Chicken Burritos

Wednesday: LOTF Shepherds Pie

Thursday: LOTF Chicken & Dumplings

Friday: Frozen French Bread pizzas

Saturday: Visiting with Mom

Sunday: Sausage Gravy & Biscuits, Leftover dinner

Meal Plan Monday - December 29, 2008

What a wonderful Christmas we had! First I was overwhelmed with love for my church family on Christmas Eve, followed by a very fun morning with DH and 2 DD's. Traveled to Mom's house for Christmas Dinner, where I was only responsible for drinks, dinner rolls and cranberry relish...which I left IN THE CAR until half way through dinner! Yeeshk....no wonder I need a step by step meal planning system to get dinner on the table every night! The next day we traveled to MILs house for more great family time & food. How blessed we are.....

Welcome 2009!

Monday: Smoked Amish Chicken w/Fresh Broccoli (BOGO at local grocery...yum!)

Tuesday: LOTF Crispy Chicken & Mushrooms

Wednesday: New Years Eve (quiet evening at home w/DDs and friends) - LOTF Really Grape Meatballs, LOTF Nacho Ordinary Casserole, Vegetable platter & dip

Thursday: New Years Day - totally traditional Pork, Sauerkraut, Mashed Potatoes and Black Eyed peas -- we need all the luck we can get for this coming new year!

Friday: yeah, Frozen Pizza

Saturday: LOTF Chicken Star Soup using leftover Amish Chicken

Sunday: Brunch after church Sausage Gravy & biscuits; Leftover Dinner

We Wish you a Merry Christmas!

We wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas

and a

Happy New Year!

.....wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas, and many Hearty Meals!

Karen, Lily On the Fly

Meal Plan Monday - the Holiday Week!

What a crazy week for 'meal planning' and grocery shopping! Truth be known, I am only responsible for feeding my family all-by-myself ONE day this week....and I just know the girls are going to talk me into pizza already. Their favorite pizza joint has a great special on Tuesday evenings, this pizza place happens to be right next to the orthodontist...and guess where we are going at 3pm Tuesday? Monthly ortodontist appt!

OK - this is going to be fun --

Monday: Family-owned business Christmas Party - local buffet restaurant

Tuesday: Pizza (it is inevitable!)

Wednesday: Christmas Eve -- Homemade Wedding Soup and Beef Vegetable Soup before Christmas Eve services -- and homemade sour cherry pie & ice cream after services.

Thursday: Christmas dinner at Mom's house -- my job is bread, cranberry sauce & drinks (can do!)

Friday: Christmas dinner at MIL's house -- my job...chicken & noodles...can do again!

Saturday & Sunday: Way too many miles to travel before worrying about the weekend....

A new way to think about Grocery Coupons

I am so darned excited I have been busting to tell someone who would really understand.

I went grocery shopping on Sunday and saved $47 dollars -- taking my grocery bill from $99 dollars to $52 bucks!!

Here is my new strategy:
1. I have chosen ONE store to become familiar with and am working to take advantage of all their deals.

2. Their grocery ad comes in my mailbox on Tuesdays, and the sale runs from Thurs to Weds

3. I review their ad for the things that we need or great specials on items & brands I use -- then I go to eBay to find a coupon clipping service who has valid coupons for the items. I squwaked about this eBay coupon concept before, cause I think it is really cool!

4. So, on Tuesday evening, I ordered coupons, received them in the mail on Saturday and was all set to shop on Sunday.

5. Here is just one example:
I really like Birdseye frozen vegetables, particularly the corn. My chosen grocery store had Birdseye veges, 16 oz bags, at 10 for $10. Now, that is a pretty darned good price for namebrand products to begin with -- but I was able to purchase 5 Coupons for 50 cents off two bags of Birdseye vegetables - the coupons cost me $1. My grocery store will double coupons -- so, I got 10 bags of frozen vegetables for $10 - $5 (double coupons) + $1 I paid for the coupons -- or 60 cents per bag!!

It is fun to take advantage of these sales, and I think once I get in the swing of this, it won't be hard to know what coupons I am looking for and order them from the service each week. What an exciting way to stretch that grocery budget these days ---- and I feel like I am controlling the coupons instead of being confused and overwhelmed by them -- saving Big dollars!

So far, using a coupon clipping service for the items & brands we already used definately Works For Me!