Works-for-Me Wednesday: I'm a Cheap Date

I'm a cheap date...when I want to be. I'm usually not too cheap on a Thursday night because I like to go out to eat (spending $10 at our favorite restaurant - for the two of us). But, we've been cutting back on the spending so we're not eating out like we used to. So with the help of Redbox and Target here's the cheapest movie date ever:


Monday night movie and popcorn
- Redbox movie using the free code texted to my husband's phone every Monday
- Target's popcorn and a soda combo $1.50

That's right people! A movie, popcorn and drink for $1.50!! Can you get more frugal than that?! I'd like to see you try! Let me know if/how you've become a cheap date.

Check out We Are THAT Family for more frugal tips on this week's Works-For-Me Wednesday.

**I know that you can make popcorn at home and watch a movie from the library (and have a FREE date), but there's NOTHING that can beat movie theater popcorn...except Target.

Works-for-Me Wednesday: Favorite Uses for White Distilled Vinegar

When I was a little girl, I remember my mom mopping with vinegar. It just smelled so clean. But as we got older my mom stopped using it and used a "real" cleaning product to mop the floors.

Now, that our budget has changed I've stopped buying "real" cleaning products and started to make my own. And white distilled vinegar is in almost all of them. I've had to start buying the larger size because we use it often.

Here are some of my favorite uses for vinegar:

• Mopping the linoleum floor: 1 cup vinegar to every 1 gallon of water and 3 tbsp baking soda
• Removing the "ant" scent after an infestation: spray undiluted vinegar to the "ant trail" and the source (will not kill the ants, but will remove their scent and deter them from coming again)
• Cleaning my counters and spot cleaning the floor: spray equal parts vinegar and water over areas and wipe **DO NOT USE ON MARBLE**
  
• Remove mineral deposits in the coffeemaker: fill the water reservoir with 1 cup or more of white distilled vinegar and run it through a whole cycle; run it once or twice more with plain water to rinse clean (make sure to check the owner's manual first)
• Remove body odor or pit stains (and ring around the collar) from shirts: spray undiluted vinegar onto affected areas before washing
• Laundry rinse (removes build-up which can lighten your darks, acts as a fabric softener, removes musty smells from clothes): add 1/4 cup vinegar to rinse cycle
• Wash fresh veggies: add 1 tbsp vinegar to 1 1/2 quarts water
• Preserve flowers or liven up droopy ones: add 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp vinegar to 1 quart water

Here are some ideas that I'd like to try:

• Rinse your hair for increased shine: mix equal parts water and vinegar to a bottle and keep in the shower, rinse with mixture after washing (courtesy of Pioneer Woman)
• Clean deposits off your teapot: add 1/2 cup vinegar to water and let sit overnight, rinse well
• Clean dishwasher: pour 1 cup vinegar in empty dishwasher and run through a cycle, do monthly
• Clean the wheel of a can opener: using vinegar clean with a toothbrush
• And Many More!!
  

White distilled vinegar is an amazing product!! Most of these ideas come from Vinegar Tips.

Do you use white distilled vinegar in any exciting ways?

For more Works-For-Me Wednesday tips head over to We Are THAT Family.

Works-for-Me Wednesday: DIY Recipe Card Holder

I have many cookbooks, cooking magazines, printed out recipes from blogs, and recipes in my recipe box neatly printed on recipe cards. I have a nice cookbook holder from Williams-Sonoma, but my recipe cards fall through the holder because they're too small.

I think I first saw this idea on Martha Stewart's website and I thought it was great...and I think it looks kind of cute.

You take a fork and place it tines-up in a glass or a jar. You then slide the recipe card between the tines and you have a recipe card holder. It's really slick, really easy, and doesn't cost a cent. And that works for me!!


For more Works-For-Me Wednesday tips head over to We Are THAT Family! Have a great day!!

Works-for-Me Wednesday: Make Your Own Cake Stand for Only $2

I've been wanting a nice cake stand for a while now but it's not on my "need" list so I've been living without..or borrowing from friends (thanks!!). Until now.

My husband and I recently MC'd our good friends' wedding reception. I talked to her ahead of time and asked her how planning was going and what she planned for the reception. She said that the centerpiece on the table was going to be cheese cake on cake stands of different heights and that's when she told me her secret: a $1 dessert dish, a $1 plate from Dollar General and a little hot glue (you can use glue that's made especially for glass if you want it more permanent).

So, her mom gave me one to take home after the reception and here's all you need to do for your very pretty $2 cake stand:

Buy a glass plate and dessert dish and make sure you have a glue gun or some glass glue.


Tip the dessert dish upside down and apply hot glue to the rim.


Press the plate into the glue while centering it on the dessert dish. And there you have it!! A $2 cake stand. That totally works for me!


Here's how my friend's looked at her reception (notice the one closest in the picture; it's made with a sundae dish to give it more height):


For more Works-For-Me Wednesday tips head on over to We're THAT Family.

Works-for-Me Wednesday: Preventing Bikini Bumps

When I was a kid I loved watching the Miss America Pageant. My favorite was the Evening Gown Competition. They just looked so elegant. Several years ago they interviewed some of the Beauties and asked what their favorite beauty tip was and there's one that I've been following ever since:

using powder deoderant on your bikini area after you shave: it will prevent those nasty red bikini bumps

It really works. I use powder deo anyways so this was an easy addition to my morning routine. Just add a little deo to the bikini area. I have sesitive skin so I continue to apply deo for a few days after shaving. Really, this works!!

For more Works-For-Me Wednesday tips head over to We Are THAT Family!

Works-for-Me Wednesday: The Biggest Loser Workout

I have two shows that I take pretty seriously:

The Amazing Race - CBS
The Biggest Loser - NBC

I don't get to watch The Biggest Loser as often because we have Growth Group every other Tuesday night, but I watch it when I can.

We can't afford to have a gym membership right now so we borrow workout DVD's from the library. My husband knows that I love The Biggest Loser and cry at the end of every episode to prove it so when he saw The Biggest Loser Workout Vol. 1 at the library, he knew that I would like it. I did. I was hooked. We had to pay a fine because I didn't want to return it. So, we searched on Amazon and found ourselves a copy.

The thing I like about this DVD is that there are several different workouts that you can do and you can add them together in any order you like:

Warm-up
Low Intesity Cardio
High Intensity Cardio
Scultpting
Bootcamp
Cool-down

They also have a preset program for 6 weeks.

I've done it a few times before (inconsistently) and it kicks my butt. But I need to get into a workout routine so this week I started putting stickers on my calendar (just like a kid) on the days I work out to the video. So far, two days in a row! Yay, me!

Anyway, there are a few more Biggest Loser workouts and I can't wait 'till I'm "bored" of this one so I can try something new.

The Biggest Loser: Workout Vol 1 (2004)
The Biggest Loser: Workout Vol 2 (2006)
The Biggest Loser: Workout - Cardio Max (2007)
The Biggest Loser: Workout - Power Sculpt (2007)
The Biggest Loser: Workout - Weight Loss Yoga (2008)
The Biggest Loser: Workout - Boot Camp (2008)

For more Works-for-Me Wednesday tips head over to We Are THAT Family (she posted how she made the cutest Easter/Spring wreath).

Works-for-Me Wednesday: Free Money

Several months ago we switched banks. We attended Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey (a whole Works-For-Me Wednesday on its own) and finally went through all of our bills with a fine toothed comb. We realized that our current bank was charging us a fee for our debit cards because we didn't keep a "minimum balance" in our checking (even though we had free, no-minumum balance checking and savings). We didn't know that we had been paying that monthly fee for over 4 years. That's a lot of money. We called the bank and asked if they could wave our fee and they said "No." So we went bank shopping. We found a nice bank close to our home that won't charge us "hidden fees" and there were a few perks:

• a fee tote bag or a travel first aid kit (we chose the tote bag)
  
• up to $25 back for your old checks and debit cards (they would dispose of them for us)

Well, our old bank is finally closed out and my husband went to our new bank with all our old stuff and this is what we got:


YAY!!! What a blessing during "No Spend March." I had set aside some money for my son's birthday party at Valentino's and now, I'm going to use this $25 instead. And I think I can even get balloons! God is so good.

PS. Valentino's doesn't do balloons

For more Works-For-Me Wednesday tips head over to We are THAT Family.

Works-for-Me Wednesday: Weekly Home Blessing

FlyLady. I could post a year's worth of Works-for-Me Wednesdays just on FlyLady. If you want that much detail, you can just go to her site and check it out for yourselves. It can be very overwhelming at first, but it's been a great resource for me.

I've been trying to get into the groove of the Weekly Home Blessing and this week I have accomplished it. I guess it was hard to get into because I've been decluttering and trying to get things clean enough to clean...if that makes any sense. You spend a maximum of 10 minutes on each item (some take less). You set your timer for 10 minutes and get to work. If you're not finished with a task by the time your 10 minutes is up, you stop where you are and start there next week. I also pray as I work which really makes it feel like I'm blessing my home. Here's the list:

1. Cull/toss old magazines - this doesn't take much time because we don't get the newspaper and I don't get many magazines. I use this time to weed through any reading materials that have stacked up in our living room. It usually takes about 3 minutes to sort and about 3 minutes to put away.
* During this time I pray for God's blesssing on our country and in our world. I pray that the missionaries He has sent out can be reaching others for Christ. I pray that we may not be so focused on what the world's "standards of living" are but that we may have a Christ-centered home.

2. Change sheets - I think this is a great routine to get into. We have a few sets of sheets so it's not such a tragedy if they don't get laundered completely before bed, but starting the morning by clearing your sheets and putting them in the wash is a great way to get it done quickly.
* As I'm changing the sheets, I pray for my marriage. I pray that I will continue to put my husband before my children. I pray that God will bless our time together as a husband and wife. I pray that I may be Biblical submissive to my husband and that He may be blessed by it as well. I pray for my husband, that he may be the loving leader that our family needs and that God requires.

3. Empty all the trash - I didn't know if this one was so necessary as we empty when it gets full. My husband usually empties the trash, so on Mondays, this is my job (he gets to do it any other day of the week ;) )
* This is where I pray for God's daily blessings. I thank Him for our food, clothing, shelter. I ask God to continue to take care of our daily needs.

4. Vacuum all rooms - this is NOT a deep cleaning. It's just vacuuming around the living room, hall, bedrooms, dining areas and bathrooms. You don't have to move any furniture to get this done. It just cleans up the general living area.
* As I vacuum, I thank God for the luxeries: our television, our comfortable (falling-apart) recliner, our new mattress, our children's toys.

5. Mop kitchen and bath - I am terrible at this. I think I hate it so much because just when I get it cleaned, someone spills a gallon of milk, an entire bowl of spaghetti, a jar of jam (I'm exaggerating here, but you get the idea). This has kept me focused on at least once a week getting on my hands and knees to really scrub the floors. I don't do this every day and spot clean throughout the week. This just ensures that there's a clean base to begin the week with.
* While I mop, I ask God to continue to use my gifts for His glory. I pray that I can do a good job of cooking and cleaning as a Proverbs 31 woman. I pray for God to bless my kitchen and the work that is done there and all the enjoyment we have as we sit at our dinner table.

6. Clean mirrors and doors - this wouldn't be so bad, but our bedroom closet doors are large mirrors that our boys love to dance in front of...inevitebly getting fingerprints, nose markings, and some spit on them. It's a quick thing and my best tip for spotless glass - mirrors and other glass items - clean with warm water and Dawn dish soap. Spotless every time and no smears.
* Blessing my children is "easy" when I'm wiping their dirty fingerprints off my mirrors and doors. I praise God for the little hands that touch our lives. I ask God to bless my arrows that our parenting will be God-honoring and that we may be training our little hands to be warriors for the Gospel.

7. Feather dust furniture - again, this is not deep cleaning, this is dusting the areas that people will see. Decluttering your home and removing unimportant knick-knacks is a great place to start.
* I ask for God's blessings our our family as there are a lot of pictures in our home that need to be dusted. I ask for God to keep our family safe and say a special prayer for family members going through trials or tough times. I ask God to grace their lives with His presence.

This should take about an hour. I usually do it in the afternoon during nap time. It's been a great time saver and keeps me off the hook for the rest of the week (I still do the Zone Cleaning, but at least my surface cleaning is done). It's always easier when you set the timer.

Check out We Are THAT Family for more Works-for-Me Wednesday tips.

Works-for-Me Wednesday: Meal Planning

Well, I've been promising to put up a post about my meal planning. It really isn't too complicated.

First, I made a list of our favorite meals, main dishes and side dishes. I included the cookbook and page where they can be found, or if the recipe is on a recipe card in my box.

Second, I created a weekly calendar that hangs on my refrigerator door. It has a section at the bottom for "next weeks grocery list."

Third, I created a spreadsheet for the grocery store by aisle. I put all of our "usuals" on the list and nothing "special." That way, I don't get sidetracked and focus on the things we need instead of the things we want. (I'll see the things I want anyway.)

Fourth, I fill in the dates on the calendar and add any evening events that may affect our meal schedule.

Here's the process:

Sunday - usually homemade pizza and a side salad. We have church stuff most of the day so it's an easy homemade meal for us in the evening that doesn't require a lot of time or work.

Wednesday - the little boys and I will have breakfast. We'll choose something like omelets, waffles & bacon, etc. Dad has youth club that evening so he isn't home for dinner. I like to make something easy. And I'll usually do a double batch of Bisquick items (waffles, pancakes, etc) to put in the freezer for another week.

Thursday - date night. My husband and I usually go out on Thursday nights to give me a break from the kitchen. We don't spend a lot when we go out but we make it a priority. Anyway, I'll have leftovers or sandwiches ready for the kids, or some nights they'll get something "special" like hotdogs (since we rarely ever have those around because of my food allergy).

So, those nights are covered. That leaves Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. Not too bad.

Next, I'll look at the calendar and see if we have anything going on the rest of the evenings. Twice a month we have small group on Tuesday, so either I'm cooking for a large group, or we eat at their house. And if there's a sports event for the middle school or high school I'll factor if we have to eat early, take something along, eat there, or eat when we come home. That determines how much time I have to cook something. And if there's anything else going on that will change a meal-time, I'll add that to the list.

Then I look at our tried-and-true recipe list. I try to vary the beef and the chicken. Sometimes it's vegetarian and sometimes it's fish. About every week or every other week I add in something new (probably a recipe out of my Food Network Magazine, Cook's Country Magazine, or from one of your blogs). That way, we don't get too sick and tired of the food we eat at home.

Then I fill out the master grocery list. I put on all the meat, most dairy, some fresh, and all of the non-perishables. Then I look at the weekly needs and add it to the bottom of my weekly calendar that hangs on the fridge. I can add items that we need to that list throughout the week, if we run out of cinnamon for example.

This is what it looks like for the next two weeks:

Sunday, February 22
Side: dessert
Main: appetizer x2 (layered taco dip, Chex and City Mix)
Veggie:
Oscar's Party

Monday, February 23
side: potato chips
main: BBQ sandwiches (cook the roast on Saturday and shred the meat)
veggie: cole slaw
AMS BB 8th 4:30p
Jess TCHLTB meeting at 6:30p

Tuesday, February 24
side:
main: leftovers
veggie:
Jess gone for baby shower

Wednesday, February 25 - new recipe
side: breadsticks-Mrs. D's recipe (freeze half)
main: penne w/ white beans and baby spinach-Short Stop's recipe
veggie:
Youth Club
Hubby's mom in town

Thursday, February 26
side: "potato ole's"
main: tacos
veggie:
Hubby and I gone until Saturday 1pm
Grandma to sit

Friday, February 27
side: chips
main: hotdogs
veggie: veggie sticks (celery, carrots)
Hubby and I gone until Saturday 1pm
Grandma to sit

Saturday, February 28
side: breadsticks (in freezer)
main: spaghetti
veggie: side salad

Grocery List for Next Week:
potatoes
P's apple sauce

-----------------------------------

Sunday, March 1
side:
main: homemade pizza
veggie: side salad

Monday, March 2
side: baked potato
main: porcupine meatballs
veggie: dilled corn
meal delivery (double batch for dinner)

Tuesday, March 3
side:
main:
veggie:
meal at growth group

Wednsday, March 4
side: toast with homemade strawberry jam
main: omelets
veggie:
Youth Club

Thursday, March 5
side: cheesy potatoes
main: baked ham and cheese buns
veggie: peas
Date Night

Friday, March 6
side: baked sweet potatoes
main: beef wellington
veggie: fresh green beans with toasted almonds

Saturday, March 7
side:
main: leftovers
veggie:
TCHLTB - Jess gone

Grocery List for Next Week:
sweet potatoes
onion
celery
carrots
milk

As for saving money during this process, I just save by sticking to my list. I'll also check the ads before I get to the store to see if anything I want on the list is on sale or if there's a coupon. If there's a really good deal, I might stock up on something (10# 93% lean ground beef for $2.79/#). Sometimes I might alter my list if there's a good deal and change things around. I always make my list in pencil so I can move meals around if I want to or add something different.

Hope this helps...as I write it out it seems more confusing that it really is.

For more Works-For-Me Wednesday tips head over to Rocks In My Dryer.

Works-for-Me Wednesday: Bucket of Shoes

Our older son has a LOT of shoes, thanks to his wonderful Papa and Nana. My mom is the best second-hand shopper around. It helps that there are three clothing consignment shops in my hometown and they're all really good quality. Anyway, I'm off the topic.

My parents had gotten our son some summer toys for his Easter basket when he was 2 months old. The toys are in the shed now waiting for another Spring where they can bring joy and delight to (now) two little boys. But I saved the bucket for the house. The shoe-bucket now sits by the door with ALL his current shoes in it. I change out the shoes for the season and sometimes the bucket goes in the big basket (which is now housing the hats, scarves, mittens, and gloves). I take joy in this little bucket because it saves me from the headache of finding his shoes so we can run out of the house because we're late...again. But more than that, I smile at this wondering how many years will his shoes fit in this little red bucket...'til he's 10? 16?


Check out Rocks in My Dryer for more Works-for-Me Wednesdays.

Works-for-Me Wednesday: Reheating Popcorn

We don't go to the movies much anymore. Usually it's hard to find a babysitter so we can eat dinner and see a movie because it gets kind of late. Also, going to the theater is expensive. We do have a "dollar theater" in town that plays movies that aren't in the regular theater and they're not released on DVD yet. It's only $2 to get in, but there's still the time factor. And then if you want popcorn!! YIKES!! That can get spendy fast!

What we've been doing is getting a movie from Redbox for $1 a night, or using the codes for a free movie on Mondays. Then my wonderful husband will stop at Target, if I remind him, to get a bag of popcorn for $0.50 or so. Yumm! It's just like the theater's popcorn. Popcorn is my favorite snack so sometimes I ask him to grab two bags and save one for later in the week. I keep it in the paper sack and then put it in a zip-lock bag. Later in the week, I'll line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, set the oven to 250 degrees and pour my popcorn onto the baking sheet. You bake it for about 10 minutes and Voila! you have that movie theater popcorn all over again. It really is good!!


For more Works-for-Me-Wednesdays head on over to Rocks in My Dryer.

Works-for-Me Wednesday: Kitchen Face-cloths

This is my first Works-For-Me Wednesday and I decided to participate because of all the wonderful advice I've read through Rocks In My Dryer. On to what works for me.


I get really grossed out by the kitchen washcloth. It's used for washing dishes and wiping counters. I try to get a clean one out every night because I can't stand that dirty wash cloth smell. Eww!!

I also use washcloths to wipe my kids' faces after eating. I started using regular washcloths but never knew which one was for the face and which one I was using to wash the bowl that just held raw meat. See what I mean? That's gross!!

My solution is to use baby washcloths in the kitchen. I buy the really cheap colored ones and keep about 10-15 in my kitchen linen draw. (I use only white baby washcloths in the bathroom so when I'm folding laundry I know where they go.) It's been a great way to keep our kids from the stinky washcloth in the sink. I've started bringing my own face washcloths to other people's houses because a lot of times they'll just use the kitchen washcloth for my kids' faces. YUCK!!

For more Works-For-Me Wednesdays check out Rocks In My Dryer.