Finding Deals....Just a snapshot!

Okay, by special request from SEVERAL of you, I thought I'd just write out a few of my tips...feel free to add to the list or even ask questions...I posted this note to Facebook a while back so you may have already read this.

1. Where to find coupons?I usually buy at least 2 Sunday papers. Our Dollar Tree sells the Sunday paper for yes, $1! I use several Internet printables (www.coupons.com and www.smartsource.com) I also LOVE to check out different blogs that cover the different sales and deals going on. My favorites are listed on the side of this blog. They usually link the Internet printable directly to the coupon needed. ***Secret...you can print an Internet printable twice. After it prints hit the back button and refresh it*** Also, there are now e-coupons that can be loaded directly to your Kroger card (www.pgesaver.com, www.cellfire.com, and www.shortcuts.com)

2. What is my favorite grocery store?Due to the fact that our options are limited here I chose Kroger! Wal-mart is sometimes difficult about accepting Internet printables and Kroger is usually great about my coupons! Kroger changes their add every Wednesday. I usually just view their ad online and make my list that way. Now, several of the blogs I mentioned go through the Kroger ad and match the sales with coupons. This takes a little getting used to to understand the lingo, but keep at it, and soon it will be easy to understand!

3. The secret to the CHEAP deals...The secret is buying the things you regularly use while they are on sale. Also, I have gotten to the point where I'm not so brand loyal to things...for example, laundry detergent..I buy what is on sale and I have a coupon to match with it. However, I still must have my Crest toothpaste :) I do shop a little differently now. I try to plan my menu before shopping and I plan it around the sales that week. Also, when i have something I use a lot I stock up on it with the coupons I have.4. How do I stay organized?I actually use a 10x10 scrapbook album that I have labeled and then I sort everything and stick it in the pockets....I do pull the coupons I plan to use before going to the store, but I bring my binder just in case I find a good deal. I use to be embarrassed until I started saving crazy money and then I got over it!

These are just a few points to get you started...there will be more to come. I'd love to have suggestions from you on what you want to learn more about and any questions you have!

Mommy Moments - POPCORN!

This picture was taken last Friday night. Let me set the scene for you. Chris was at a corn maze with the kids at church and I was home with Jack TRYING to study for a ladies Bible lesson I was giving the next day. I thought that popcorn and a movie might keep Jack entertained while I studied. Well, as usual nothing is ever easy with my sweet Jack and this is the mess that was created in an attempt to help mommy make some popcorn the old fashion way. I LOVE making popcorn fresh in a pot NOT in the microwave. It is one of those small pleasures that is actually much more cost effective than buying the popcorn in microwave bags!! This was a complete accident and you should have seen the sad look in his little eyes when he realized what he had done...after some tears of embarrassment I loaded him in the car and we went to the Dollar store to buy some of that popcorn in a bag...I then swung by the Red Box for a movie that he hadn't seen a million times. In the end we were both happy as Jack sat on the coach with a tub of popcorn and I studied my Bible lesson. Sometimes the plan changes unexpectedly and we just have to adjust.....if only I could be that accepting of all change.

Don't you love this popcorn tub! It was my fun find at the Dollar Tree last week! I bought two for family movie nights!!

Recipe Shout Out - Poppy Seed Chicken

Okay so it has been several days since my last post....you know when you don't have any time to do the things you want to do? Well, that is how the last week has been. I haven't forgotten the blog, in fact I've totally been missing it! I hope to get caught up on some things I've been wanting to post in the next few days!

Here is a good comfort food from my childhood. My mom's recipe for poppy seed chicken. I've seen several recipes for it, but mom's is the easiest and it tastes the best!!! I used to only fix it for potlucks or special occasions but now I tend to make as one of our regular dinners just because it is super easy!! Plus, you know when you bite into something and it brings back good memories...well this recipe does that for me! Takes me back home, and I love it!

4-6 boiled chicken breast

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 16 oz sour cream

2 tbs of poppy seed

(I eyeball this, they are expensive so I've cut down on the amount)

Now, there are two ways to prepare the chicken after cooking it. You can cut it into chunks like my mom, or to serve more people shred your chicken. Then mix in the ingredients above and pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish.

For the topping you will need:

1 sleeve CRUSHED Ritz Crackers

1 stick margarine/butter

Melt butter and mix in crushed crackers. Place on top of chicken mixture and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Traditionally I serve mashed potatoes and green beans with this meal!! Yummy!

Tip: To make healthier, use fat free soup and sour cream. I like to use the whole wheat Ritz crackers, and you can also use 1/2 a stick of low fat butter/margarine and it will turn out okay!!

Recipe Shout Out - Broccoli and Cheese Soup

OK, now this recipe goes back in time to my days of potluck meals at my childhood congregation. This is Mrs. Cole's broccoli and cheese soup. I write that with a heart full of love for the entire Cole family! Growing up I always looked up to their girls Christie and Cindy. Mr. and Mrs. Cole were my Bible class teachers, and Mr. Cole was also my psychology teacher in high school. They are those people that LOVE the Lord and LOVE people! I will forever be grateful for the footprints they left on mine and my families' hearts! Every time I make this recipe I can't help but think of the Cole's and I'm reminded of the impact we as Christians can have on this world! Enjoy and remember to ask yourself what kind of impact are you having on the world around you...

Step 1 - Combine the following ingredients in a large pot:

3 cans chicken noodle soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can chicken broth

1 cup of milk

1 cup of water

1 lb. of Velveeta

Heat the above ingredients until the cheese is melted.

Step 2 - add approx. 5 oz. egg noodles and 10 oz. chopped broccoli.

Heat Until the noodles are soft.

TIP: Cook on fairly low heat because it will stick and scorch on the bottom easily!

Mommy Moments - So sweet, So STILL!

This is a mommy moment that most of us have experienced at one time or another. Anyone that knows my Jack knows that he is a live wire! Always moving and into something...I'm hoping that is a sign of intelligence :) I can be sooooo frustrated with him and so tired with the constant moving, talking, cleaning up messes that I forget how absolutely precious he is! I took this while he was napping....this was a rough nap time I must add. He screamed at me for an hour and a half to get up....I'm completely stubborn and REFUSE to give up nap time already. So, this is what I got after much persuading that he needed to sleep! His face here reminds me of when he was just a tiny baby in my arms. It brought tears to my eyes as I thought about how absolutely wonderful he is and the joy that he brings to my life. You know those mommy moments when you think your heart could absolutely explode because you love something so much!

There you have it friends, a precious boy with a matchbox car and John Deere shirt on....Mommy moments don't get much better than this!

Random acts of Kindness

We've had a VERY long week this week! Jack woke up Sunday with a fever that lasted 3 days! One of those nights we ended up in the ER for the first time ever with my child gasping for breath! He had a bad case of croup but we are definitely on the upswing now! I know this because Jack was into everything today and talking NONSTOP! Whew...I'm TIRED!

I say all of that to bring up a point I've had on my mind this week in the middle of the madness! Wednesday afternoon I discovered this precious, green bag hanging on my door knob. It was addressed to Jack by his sweet Bible school teacher, Mrs. Mary Lynn. You need to know that Mrs. Mary Lynn is one of the sweetest ladies I believe I have ever met. She speaks in a soft tone...and when she speaks the children LISTEN! I am so thankful she is having an influence on my child's life! Ok....back to the bag....inside the bag was a matchbox car and a note that said she missed Jack and hoped he was better soon so he could come back to Bible class. I know there are many people like Mrs. Mary Lynn out there in the world, but there seems to be fewer and fewer people willing to perform acts of kindness.

I really got to thinking about kindness and the little green bag that showed up on our door step this week and I began to examine myself. Am I LOOKING for opportunities to show other's kindness?? Sadly I began to see a life PACKED full of places to be and things to do. My to do list doesn't often have random act of kindness written down. However, I will say that after I spoke at a ladies day a few weeks ago I have tried to do better and will continue to look for more opportunities.

A beautiful example of a woman of kindess can be found in Acts 9:39-41.

" Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. "

Dorcas is an example of a woman who LOOKED for those she could help. As I read this text a few weeks ago I really began to imagine the sadness these widows experienced when they discovered their Dorcas was dead. It says they stood weeping...I don't imagine that was just a few tears, I see a picture of women mourning the lose of a woman they had grown to love very much. They had the evidence of her good works not only in their hearts and memories but also in their hands! Do we have evidence that we have been kind to others by looking for opportunites to fulfull needs whether they be physical, mental, or spiritual? What would be said of us if we were to pass away today? Would we have evidence that others could show that proved we had been kind to others?

Read Matt. 25:31-46 and ask yourself these questions. Are good works required of me? Is showing others kindness important to our God? Who will others see living in us by our good works?

When is the last time you left a simple green bag on someones porch to find? Are we looking for opportunites to do good unto others, or are we using the excuse "I don't know what they need." I'm challenging each of you that read this to perform two random acts of kindness this week....I'd love to hear how you feel and how your acts affected those around you!

I leave you with one last question...Will it be said of you in the end by our Lord, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Crocs DEAL!

20% OFF PURCHASE

Valid Oct. 9-Oct. 12 2009

Use code friend20 at checkout at crocs.com or I think you can register in store for a coupon.

Okay, so as I come across various deals I like I will be sure to post and share them with you all. I rarely buy anything full price so when I find a deal on things that I'd love to have I get excited!! I've had my budget money for Jack's winter shoes set aside for a few weeks now and even though I had to use some of it to buy him medicine this week, I still have a good amount left! I'm on the hunt for one pair of tennis shoes, one pair of everyday shoes to go with jeans, and a brown pair of church shoes. I came across this deal at DealSeekingMom today and I'm soooo totally taking advantage of it! I noticed all the new crocs have FREE SHIPPING and with the discount that really is not a bad price on most of them!! I'm digging the precious courdory slideons for boys! Enjoy!

Mommy Moments

As I've read through many mommy blogs, several like to post pictures on Wednesday with no caption just a picture. They call it "Wordless Wednesdays." Well, knowing myself enough to know that I will forget to post every Wednesday or maybe it will be too stressful for my perfectionism to find the "perfect" picture that can remain wordless....I decided for my blog I would randomly post "Mommy Moments" as they happen.

That's right, you know what I'm talking about. Those days when things happen and you feel as though you are standing at the fork in the road.....your child has just done something that can send you down the road of screaming and fussing as you fix what they've just done or you can choose the road of picture taking and laughing (without them knowing if possible). With my precious Jack around I have these moments often...me being use to them enables me to laugh most times while Chris struggles with his reactions.

I've decided to take both roads in the past...today, I decided to take the picture/laughing road. I mean really, it was innocent and what a great alternative when you mommy keeps telling you that you can't play outside because you are sick. I'm just trying to be thankful that he is creative!

(Hint: the dirt in the dumptruck is from that sad looking plant I rarely water....actually Jack finally asked me last week if he could water the plant it was so sad looking!)

ENJOY your mommy moments, there will come a day when those precious little hands are grown and gone. (sniff, sniff)

Recipe Shout Out - Itailian Roast

I hope to be able to share with you each week one of my favorite recipes I am making that week! I LOVE to share recipes!!



There are a few things you should know about my recipies:

1. They are ALL EASY!!

2. I don't make anything that isn't EASY!

3. They have regular ingredients which makes them EASY!



So, there you have it! I hope it is something you will enjoy. I have several friends that have asked for this recipe and make it frequently!

Italian Roast

Ingredients:

Beef Roast (I usually just use a chuck roast)

1 can cream of mushroom

1 pkg. Zesty Italian dry mix

1 pkg. Onion soup mix

1/2 a jar of Pepperoncini Peppers

Step one: Place roast in a crock pot and sprinkle the zesty italian and onion soup on top.

Step two: Put cream of mushroom soup on top of the roast

Step three: Pour in 1/2 the jar of pepperoncini juice

Step four: Put on lid and cook on low for 8 hrs.

(you can cook on high if you need to shorten the cooking time)

Step five: When you have one hour left of cooking add the peppers to the roast. This keeps them from getting soggy! Yuck!

When cooking time is up I like to shred the roast and serve with

mashed potatoes and green beans!!

If you fix this recipe please come back and leave a comment. I'd love to hear how your family liked it!!!

Here goes nothing...

Okay, so I tend to LOVE a good project! I've been a blog addict for a little over a year now...I feel like I need a group meeting! I actually maintained a personal family blog for a little over two years now, but I've been entertaining the thought of my own blog for a few months . I find myself lost in blogs reading about other moms and their families searching for a link that we share in common. It is fun when you discover someone you connect with. I think being a stay-at-home mom brings with it many challenges and adult communication is one of those! Blogs tend to be an outlet for lots of women and I hope I can help others as I put my own life out there for you to learn, laugh, and connect with. The plan for this new blog is to have a place you can come and learn more about family life, cooking, money saving deals, and spirituality. I know you're thinking...wow, that is quite a list, but I tend to be a person that bites off more than she should!

So, as you read over this blog in the coming days my vision is that you see a mom that isn't perfect but is trying everyday to connect the pieces to this thing we call life. Some pieces are bigger than others, while some are also prettier than others. However, at the end of the day with the pieces all put together, my prayer is that it is a beautiful life....hence the name...

"A Mosaic Mom"