Getting out in front of it!

I have made a real effort this year to get out in front of Christmas.  Meaning not waiting to the last minute (for once) and making December a month for enjoyment.  I was so uplifted to read this post about just that idea!  November was a busy month filled with planning, parties, and sickness for my whole family.  High and low moments for sure.  Here's a quick recap.

My husband turned 30 the week before Thanksgiving, and we enjoyed a fun morning at the park with a (thankfully) healthy Amelia.

I can't believe he's 30!  I know it's still young, but I've been dating my husband since we were 16 and it's just amazing to me how quickly the years have flown.

I sent him out that afternoon so I could work my trickery.  He was pleasantly surprised to come home to family and friends!  I even found his college roomie who he hadn't seen in over 6 years.  Score one for me!  He truly deserved to feel loved and blessed, and I'm so happy he had fun.

Dirty 30 Pudding cups!  Thank you, Pinterest.

A collage of pics on the front door to greet him.

Another Pinterest score!  Had to make it my own with these delicious organic pops!

Thanksgiving!  Mission accomplished.  If you read about my fear of cooking a large, dead, naked bird you will be pleased that we succeeded in roasting it to a golden brown.  I'm not ashamed to say that I hid in the other room while my husband prepped it.  I was just relieved to shove it in the oven!  But, man, it was delicious.  Well worth my fretting.

We had a lovely holiday weekend with my in-laws.  Amelia was content to check out the Black Friday ads and build play-doh every morning.  

I have a few more Christmas goals to mark off my list before December rolls in next week.  

• Complete decorating the house
• Get Christmas tree next weekend (if available from our favorite church)
• Buy stocking stuffers
• Wrap Christmas gifts 
• Mail gifts 

That sounds like a tall order, right?  I'm just relieved to have the major shopping completed (I love you, internets) so I can stay out of the malls and not suffer from a case of Want-itis this year.  It's challenging not to impulse shop for everyone right until the last frenzied moment.

We are working hard on baby step 2 and are getting close to getting that credit card down to a $0 balance - hooray!

What are you goals this week?

Eat Your Greens.

This weekend has been rainy, dreary, and downright melancholy.  There's really only one cure for that.

Soup!

I adore Olive Garden soups, especially the Zuppa Toscana.  I made a fake-it recipe for a friend's baby shower last year, and it was a big hit.  I have been craving it ever since the clouds turned gray outside, so I gathered all the ingredients today.

What's that you say?  You have been searching high and low for a nutritious and cheap green to feed your family? One word.

Kale.

Behold it's many powers.

(Aren't you just overcome?! I wish I could photoshop a lil cape on it's back.  Super Kale!)

But, really, all silliness aside, this is a fantastic veggie.  It packs a major dose of beta carotene and Vitamin C.  Another super power?  It contains sulforaphane - a chemical some people believe to carry anti-cancer properties.  Wow.

Plus, I think it just tastes way better than spinach or broccoli.  Especially in a pot with sausage, potato and bacon.  Mmmmm.

(Try not to overcook it!)

Today, I snagged a whole bag (or maybe a bushel?) of kale for about 70 cents.  It weighs nothing, and even the organic kale is super cheap.  I have some leftover that I might throw into a casserole this week.  I'll let you know how that turns out.

(My husband's bowl.  He's really into red pepper flakes.)

I tweaked the recipe a bit by adding turkey bacon and 1/2 cup of whole milk.  No cream in the fridge, but I think the milk gave it the right consistency.  

Don't forget to include an ice cold Dogfish Head Punkin Ale with this soup.  It screams Fall. Yum!

The Art of Couponing: Digging Deeper

Welcome back to The Art of Couponing series!  If you missed the last posts, you can check them out here and here.  We have covered where to find coupons and how to organize them without losing your mind.  Hopefully by now, you have a good stash growing and are starting to get organized.  Let's see if we can find you even more.


Sneaky Ways to Save:

Loyalty Cards

Sounds obvious, right?  Your grocery store really values you as a customer, and they need your business.  They all compete for you by advertising the best deals.  BUT, you have to use their card!  Most stores tell you how much your card saves you at the bottom of your receipt.  Don't underestimate how much these can save you.

Got Mail?

Have a favorite brand or company you love?  Tell them about it!  Write or e-mail the company and tell them how much you love their product.  Also mention you are interested in trying more, and would appreciate a coupon to try something new.  I have had luck with Applegate Farms for organic meats.  The chicken nuggets are delicious! Buitoni pasta also sent me several coupons when I had a problem accessing their online coupon system.  Most companies love to hear from their fans.  Wouldn't you?

Subscribe & Save

I suggest having at least one e-mail account solely for collecting coupons.  Many companies prefer to e-mail you their coupon, and you don't want to litter up your personal account.  You can also subscribe to newsletters and bulletins, so you can see any new deals or specials they might be running.  I LOVE checking my coupon account and finding several new gems.  Oh, the joy!

You can also register your account with your favorite grocery store chain.  If there is a big event happening, a Super Double coupon day for example, you'll be the first to know.  They also reward their loyalty card holders with online coupons and deals.  You can even charge coupons to your loyalty card (see above) to stack coupon power! (more on that later...)

Recyclebank

Recyclebank is teaching about green living and rewarding members.  Start an account and start earning points to put towards coupons, gift cards, and other deals.  You watch simple, educational commercials and complete short quizzes to earn points.  You can also pledge to recycle to earn points.  They are always unveiling new ways to earn!  I love this site's message, and I have earned several Kashi coupons and $5 off at my local grocery store.  They mail you your goodies, so it's another mailbox present.  Can you tell I love getting mail??

Facebook

Woohoo!  Facebook is really impressing me lately with all their online coupons.  "Like" a certain product or brand on FB, and print off a high value coupon.  Sometimes there are technical glitches and they do go quick.  Be on the lookout, you might be surprised what you find.

(It's funny because it's true.)

But, all the coupons I see are for junk food.  What if I want to eat healthy food?  You can't ever save on those, it's just too expensive!

In my gathering of coupons, I soon learned that certain healthy or organic products were really hard to find.  Since that is a staple in my house, I made it my mission to find them.  Here is a short list of some of my favorite brands that are very coupon friendly.  Check out their sites for coupon deals and subscriptions:

• Organic Valley
• Horizon
• Stonyfield
• Coleman 
• Kashi
• Earth's Best Organic
• Annie's
• Revolution Foods
• Mambo Sprouts

Next time, we'll talk about coupon lingo. Use 2 Qs on a BOGO! Say what!?  

Thrifty Thursday: Homemade Foaming Soap

How much hand soap does your family use during a month?

How much do you spend on hand soaps?

Do you notice fancy hand soap when visiting someone's bathroom?

Am I the only one who thinks about these things!?

Don't answer that.

In an effort to trim our household budget, I was really inspired to make our own homemade foaming soap after reading this DIY post from Live Renewed.  I took the tip and bought some Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap in a lavender scent.  It smells fantastic and I am anxious to try it out.  For now, I'm trying to use the rest of our Dial soap.

Okay, maybe I'm using an extra pump or two so I can empty the bottle quicker.

Have you ever used Dr. Bronner's soaps?  It's made from organic oils and I like that there are only 10 ingredients.  I also just like to say the word, jojoba.  Try it.  Rolls off the tongue.