Tuesday Archive Link Up Party 10/30

Happy Halloween fellow bloggers! Hope you are having a spooktacular Tuesday!


It is Tuesday so time again for the Archive Link Up Party because every post deserves a second chance. Hosted by:

Me!

Jessica, author of Sugar In My Grits

Anne, author of Life On The Funny Farm

Angelica, author of My Daily Pages

Debbie, author of Wrinkled Mommy

So link up a post that you think should see the light of day again.

And then make sure to visit the other blogs and let them know you found them on TALU!

Six Word Saturday

Times a changin' in this life.

 

(my 6WS)

I don't like change.  I am not sure many people do.  We get comfortable, complacent, used to the same ol', same ol' and there is nothing wrong with that HOWEVER I know that when times a changin' unless you adapt, you will get left behind...and nobody wants to be left behind, right?

Not to be too cryptic or anything but I "think" there might be some life changin' coming my way in the near future.  I can't divulge too much because I believe there might be some eyes reading this that would use the information to my demise as awful as that sounds but.... I need to protect myself and those around me.

Let's just say the ship is sinking and I refuse to go down with it. If you know me personally you will know exactly what I am referring to...if not, it will be divulged soon enough.

Other than the upcoming changes...life has been, good.  Crazy, hectic, exhausting but good.  The littles have been driving me a bit batty but that is par for the course.  Lov'em forever!  We *finally* found their Halloween costumes.  Hayden will be a dinosaur.  And Kaylyn a caterpillar.  Found them at the local Goodwill: both under $10!  Score!  And they are the warm costumes which is what we need around these parts since it has been getting very chilly at night.  It is supposed to be pouring down rain on Halloween so not sure how much trick or treating we will be doing. 

And I just realized my 2 year blogoversary is TODAY.  Happy Blogoversary to me!  Wow, it is interesting to see how far I have come but yet still have to go. 

Hope you are having a FAB weekend so far.

How do you adapt to life changes?  Kick and scream or go with the flow?

 

 



I am linking up with Cate at Showmyface.com for 6WS.

Painless Budgeting Tips

I recently had a conversation with my cousin about budgeting.  Now don't misunderstand I am by no means a budgeting guru but I have picked up a few things over the years that have helped our family stay on budget (most of the time). 

Here are a few painless tips I gave her to help her family budget better.

:::::First and foremost you need to know WHERE your money is going.  Keep a journal and/or spreadsheet outlining all of your spending for a full month.  By knowing where it is going you can hopefully make a budget that is more realistic to your lifestyle and therefore not set yourself up for failure.

::::Once you have determined WHERE your money is going, then you can start trimming the fat.  You might be surprised where a good portion of your money goes.  Fast food trips?  Mini mart trips for soda, chips?

::::Sign up for a FREE online budget program such as Mint.com.  Here is a link to the top 10 FREE budget programs.

::::Menu Plan. Menu Plan. Menu Plan.  I can't say that enough!  I Menu Plan weekly.  Some Menu Plan monthly.  Do whichever works for you and your shopping habits.  BUT DO IT!  This is the #1 best way that our family stays on budget with our groceries and not eating out.

::::Take stock of your pantry/refridgerator BEFORE you make your Menu Plan and head to the store. AND make sure you bring a list.  A written list.  Not the one in your head.  If you can, order your groceries online for delivery.  I have done this and found it kept me on track because less chance for impulse buys.

::::If you work out of your home, PACK YOUR LUNCH!  Pack it the night before while making dinner.  It can be  left overs, a sandwich, piece of fruit, baby carrots.  But pack it!  Those lunchtime Subway runs ADD up quick.

:::::Make your coffee at home or at work in break room but DO NOT BUY coffee out everyday.  Again, this may not seem like a lot to begin with if you are stopping by 7-11 for $1.00 coffee.  Heaven help you, if you are getting a Mocha or Latte at Starbucks every day.  Every cent counts when you are trying to stay on track.

::::Buy used.  I love me a good  resale store.  The kids have been growing like weeds so anything that I can buy second hand clothes wise, I am all over it.  Amoung many other things.  Have you heard of thredup?  I have used them multiple times and I can say I am impressed.

::::If you want to *indulge* in a night out for dinner, hit a happy hour.  We spend 50% less (or more) by going to a happy hour and ordering off the happy hour menu.  Plus the items are so cheap, you can get a few items for the price of a normal dinner entree.  If fast food, order off the dollar menu rather than the full meal "deals".

::::Stop buying books!  Go to the library.  Most libraries even have ebooks now that you can download on your ereader.  Check it out!

Of course there are many more tips and tricks where these come from but these are just a few that have a quick impact to your bottomline.


What budget tips does your family use in helping make ends meet?



Source

Disclaimer:  This is not a paid endorsement for any links or sites I have mentioned.  These are my own opinions based on using the services.

Tuesday Archive Link Up Party 10/23

Goooooooooooood Morning Tuesday! Let's do this!


Here we are for another addition of Tuesday Archive Link Up hosted by:

Jennifer, author of I Am Not Superwoman

Jessica, author of Sugar In My Grits

Anne, author of Life On The Funny Farm

Angelica, author of My Daily Pages

Debbie, author of Wrinkled Mommy

So link up a post that you think deserves another chance at glory. And of course make sure you hop around and check out some of the other links. Tell them you found them on TALU.

Have a GREAT day!

Six Word Saturday

It's a sad day in Troutdale.

 

 

 

This past week our city and the surrounding City of Gresham

had been taken over by fear.

 

 

Fear of the unknown of what happened

to a beautiful 21 year old on her way to work Tuesday morning.

 

We were glued to the twice daily news conferences,
internet news sites, Facebook pages.

 

 

All wondering what happened to Whitney Heichel?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now we know.

 

It is not the outcome that anyone wanted.

 

A beautiful, outgoing, compassionate shining star taken

from her family, her friends, her community senselessly.

 

She had so much of her life left to live.

 

 

Like her mother said in a recent news conference,

"She is not just a picture, she is a daughter, a sister, a wife."

 

Our community is mourning with you and for you Whitney.

 

Gone in body.
But will forever remain in spirit.

 

To her husband and her family:

May you find peace and love in the memories you cherish of Whitney.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal,

love leaves a memory no one can steal."

- Anonymous

I am linking this up with Cate at showmyface.com

 

 

 



Discombobulated

I love that word.  My dad used to always say it when I was younger.  I didn't know what it meant for the longest time.

Of course now I do.  And I am discombobulated.

Definition of DISCOMBOBULATE

: upset, confuse

 

 

That is me these last couple weeks.

 

Confused by so much that is going on.  Upset because the wind is blowing the wrong direction.

 

I had a weekend away this past weekend to our yearly Women's Retreat**and I thought that that would help clear my head, but it didn't.

 

I thought I had everything lined up, all the balls in the air, ducks in a row, doing the right things, giving all that I have and all that I am but yet it doesn't seem like it is enough.  A ball always drops somewhere, a duck gets knocked out of line.  Someone is disappointed.  Someone feels left out.  Someone is short changed. 

 

I am struggling.

 

I am a bit overwhelmed but I am not sure by what.  There in lies part of the problem.

 

It is almost as if I feel like I am having a bit of an identity crisis.  Not knowing all of a sudden where my place in the world is.

 

I have my faith.  I have my family.  I have my health.  This I know. 

 

But everything else?  Not so much.

 

 

Discombobulated.  My word for 4th quarter of the year.  My original word of the year was Gratitude.  And I have that.  Gratitude for all that I am.  All that I have, don't misunderstand.

 

Do you ever feel this way?  What do you do to get passed it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Did you know my 2 year blogoversary is coming up?  I started this blog almost 2 years ago after returning from our Women's Retreat.  The theme that was selected for the retreat was my suggestion....I Am Not Superwoman.  And voila, this blog was born shortly thereafter.  I am still a work in progress because I still fall into the "be all, to all" syndrome as you can clearly see from the post above.

Archive Link Up Party 10/16

Good Morning Sunshine! It's Tuesday and you know what that means, right?

You don't? Well let me tell you then.....It is time for the Tuesday Archive Link Up Party hosted by me and the following awesome bloggers:

Jessica, author of Sugar In My Grits
Anne, author of Life On The Funny Farm
Angelica, author of My Daily Pages
Debbie, author of Wrinkled Mommy



Link up a favorite post that you thinks deserves some more love. And then visit some of the others. Make sure to comment and let them know you found them on TALU.

Ready, set, GO!

Frigo® Cheese Heads®--America's Favorite!

This includes our family.

We love cheese, well, me the most, and since I am the *cook* cheese happens to end up in many (most) of my recipes.

I especially love Frigo^® Cheese Heads^®string cheese for my own "quick and easy while on the run healthier" snack.
 
Throw a few into my purse as I am frantically running out the door, no fuss, no mess.  Peel the wrapper back. Eat.  Easy peasy.  Fits perfectly into our crazy life style.  And the kids love them too!  They especially love the Swirl variety.  Mozzarella AND Cheddar.  What is not to love, right?

Frigo^® Cheese Heads^®

• Made with real milk (so high in calcium)
• No preservatives
• Good source of protein
• And 100 calories or less for many of the different varieties.

You can now get Frigo^® Cheese Heads^® 

• Light
• Swirl
• Mozzarella
• Variety Pack

Frigo^® String Cheese also fits perfectly into several recipes.  Check out their pinterest page for some awesome ideas.


I recently made some Mozzarella sticks and dipped them into some homemade dipping sauce made from tomatoes fresh from our garden.  Delish!

I also make a mean String Cheese Pasta.  Yummy!

Check out the Frigo^® website for more product details, recipe ideas and promotions.





Full disclosure:  Saputo brands provided me with Frigo^® String Cheese products mentioned above for free. All opinions are 100% mine.

Stop Bullying Now!

 

 

October is Bullying Prevention Month.

It should be EVERY month.

 

I ran across a sad video on one my friends FB pages about a 15 year old girl who used to live in our area, she has since moved to Vancouver Canada to try and escape the bullying she was receiving on a daily basis, at school, on Facebook, everywhere she turned.

 

It followed her.

 

She ended her life on October 10, 2012.

 

This could have been prevented if the bullying was stopped early on

but the kids continued to haunt and taunt her everywhere she went.

 

Where are the parents of those that were bullying her?

 

How on earth can those kids/parents, think that this behavior is acceptable?

 

How can they sleep at night knowing they had a hand in

a young girl ending her life?

 

NO human being deserves to be treated like her.

 

She may have made a few adolescent mistakes but she didn't deserve this.

 

She was young.

 

She was vibrant.

 

She had her whole life ahead of her.

 

She ended her life on October 10, 2012.

 

Watch her video here.

 

She posted this a month ago.

 

RIP Amanda Todd.

 

Remember her like this.

 

Stand up to bullying.

 

Talk to your kids about it.

 

We have to stop this from happening to another daughter, son, friend, neighbor.

 

 

Tuesday Archive Link Up Party 10/9

It's a party over here, party over there!

Come link up with us for the Tuesday Archive Link Up Party! Because every post deserves to see the light again. Make sure to visit the other blogs that have linked up and let them know that you found them on the TALU.


Hosted by me and these other lovely bloggers:

Jessica, author of Sugar In My Grits
Stephanie, author of Our Marriage Adventure
Anne, author of Life On The Funny Farm
Angelica, author of My Daily Pages
Debbie, author of Wrinkled Mommy

Menu Plan Monday

Burnt out.  I have been burnt out on some of my vegetarian recipes of late.  We have had chili and veggie stir fry in our rotation for too long.  I am going to switch it up a bit. 

This week my plan is to not only cook a few different meals but also be very budget conscious.  I have picked some recipes that are less than $1.00 per serving. So here it goes...Are you with me?


Sunday

Red Robin Birthday Celebration

Monday

Spanish Beans N Rice
Cheesy Tortilla Roll Ups

Tuesday

Rainbow Orzo (Orzo w/Green & Red Peppers, Spinach, Onion, Garlic)
Grapes

Wednesday

Brocolli Casserole
Applesauce

Thursday

Baked Spaghetti
Green Beans

Friday

Off To The Beach For Mom--Whatever Dad Is Making.

Saturday

Still At The Beach---Whatever Dad is Making.


What are your budget friendly go to recipes?



I am linking this up with Laura at I'm An Organized Junkie.



Ticker Tape Ramblings

My brain won't shut off.

So much to do this week.

Can't sleep, as usual.

Didn't slow down at all this weekend.

Saw Taken 2 with oldest children.  It was an kick butt movie.  Liam Neeson he's the man!

Took 14 year old and a few of his friends to dinner on Sunday to celebrate his birthday which is this Wednesday. Wow!  He will be 14! 

Went to his football game on Saturday.  He's the man!  LOL.  The team is doing awesome.  T had  several great passes for a couple touch downs.  That kid has an arm. 

Thinking about sending him to another high school this next year with a really good football program. 

PAL meeting this week, not sure if I am going to go.  Feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment.

Two friends from church have died from cancer in the past two weeks.  Ugh!  Cancer just sucks.  Which really make my issues seem so minor, you know.  Cancer: it is a 4 letter word!

My husband skipped church yesterday morning, super tired, but when I got home, house was spotless.  Love it! 

This next weekend is the yearly Women's Retreat.  SO.CAN'T.WAIT.  I soooo need this now.

I have a few reviews I need to get done before than.  Maybe I should be doing those now, when I can't sleep.  Hmm, a thought.

We did a family photo shoot on Saturday morning.  I am so excited to see how the pictures turned out.

Kaylyn has decided she won't take naps for me....just me.  Anybody else she will but me. NOPE.   I can't get her to take a nap to save my life.  I was so tired on Sunday afternoon and wanted to take a nap too.  Begging her to sleep.  LOL. 

I really need to get some new curtains for our living room.  So indecisive of what I want.

It's almost 4am.  I am getting a little sleepy now of course when I have to get up in an hour or so.  Nice how that works.

Good night or morning.

Talk at you again real soon.

 

 



Source

Ha!  I got a laugh out of that.  Counting Tofu instead of sheep.  LOL.

Whistling A Different Tune

We all have them.  
.
.
.
.
.
Memories. 
.
.
.
.
.

Memories of course that we cherish and maybe a few that we would like to forget.


Might it be a smell, a song, a picture, a meal, a place, that takes you back to the day...yesterday, last week, last year, 10 years ago.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.


Growing up my family was not very well off so something that triggers memories for me as an adult are certain foods that we or other family members ate on a regular basis...and when I mean regular I mean, sometimes it was several times a week even, because that is all that there was.




Braunschweiger. I *heart* my grandpa but man have you ever smelled that stuff?  Disgusting.  But yet I can see him clearly sitting at the kitchen table spreading the liver concoction on a cracker, devouring it quickly.  He ate that and bologna ALL.THE.TIME.  I remember he would go to the local market down the street and he would buy the bologna from the deli, thin slices with the red plastic still attached to the outside, that we would peel off with our teeth as we were slapping it on a slice of bread with a spread of mayo or mustard.   I can not stomach the smell of either and refuse to eat it now as an adult.  Even if it was the last thing, the only thing in the refridgerator, I don't know if I could do it.  I know that might sound really selfish since there are so many people that would love to have that for a meal....but not me.  Not now.  Not sure if ever.

Sh*t on a Shingle.  Do you know that recipe?  Hamburger, rice, cream of mushroom soup, poured over bread or biscuits.  My step mom/dad used to make that all the time for us kids when times were lean, which was often.  I am certain my dad and grandpa picked this up from their military days.   I guess it is better than going hungry, right...but again, not happening anytime soon in my kitchen.

And we can't forget TOP RAMEN.  OhhEmmGee!  Top Ramen a staple in many starving college students apartments or heck many regular households now, I am sure, because of the unemployment rates and economy.  But not in this one....until now.  I have actually purchased it before since the kids like it but have not eaten it myself up until just recent when I improvised and added it to my vegetable stir fry.  I usually put the stir fry over rice but ran out of rice so I used the ramen noodles without the seasoning instead.  And it was good!   I was a bit surprised.

I didn't realize how many Top Ramen recipes there are until I started writing this post and checked some out.


Budget101 has 137 recipes listed and that is just the tip of the iceberg.  Here are some odd ones I found.

# 37 Chocolate Peanut Butter Ramen
#60 Fried Ice Cream Ramen (Really?)
#101 Ramen Spam Doodles
#106 Sloppy Joe Ramen
#131 Trail Mix Ramen

I might need to take it pretty slow while I get reacclimated to ramen so I don't think I will be making any of these recipes anytime soon.

Do you have any food aversions as an adult because of your childhood eating habits?  Or do you have any Top Ramen recipes you want to share?

Apple iPad 3 Giveaway!

Welcome to the iPad3 Holiday Giveaway Event!

Hosted by Mom Blog Society

Special thanks to our lovely co-hosts Mom to Bed by 8, Thinking Outside The Sandbox, Moms Living Thrifty and Food N Service for their help bringing this giveaway to life!

Apple iPad Wi-Fi 16 GB – 3rd generation

Pick up the iPad and suddenly, it’s clear. You’re actually touching your photos, reading a book, playing the piano. Nothing comes between you and what you love. To make that hands-on experience even better, they made the fundamental elements of iPad better – the display, the camera, the wireless connection. All of which makes the third-generation iPad capable of so much more than you ever imagined. Everything you do with iPad, you do through its large, beautiful display. And when the display is better, the entire iPad experience is better. The Retina display on the iPad features a 2048-by-1536 resolution, 44-percent greater color saturation, and an astounding 3.1-million pixels – in the same 9.7-inch space. That’s four times the number of pixels in iPad and a million more than an HDTV. Those pixels are so close together, your eyes can’t discern individual ones at a normal viewing distance. When you can’t see the pixels, you see the whole picture. Or article. Or game. In ways you never could before.

Product Features

• 9.7 Retina Display; 2048 x 1536 Resolution
• Apple iOS 5; Dual-Core A5X Chip with Quad-Core Graphics
• 5 Megapixel iSight Camera; 1080p Video Recording
• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n); 16 GB Capacityes: 1 x Headphones – Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Docking / port replicator – 30-pin dock connector
• Up to 10 Hours of Battery Life; 1.44 lbs

One lucky reader will receive an iPad 3 Generation {16Gb, Wi-Fi}!

Giveaway ends November 1st at 11:59pm, open worldwide, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

Tuesday Archive Link Up Party 10/2

It's Party Time!

Link up an older post with the Tuesday Archive Link Up Party: because every post deserves a second chance.

And make sure to drop a comment here or there on the others that have linked up too. Will you tell them you found them on TALU by adding that to your comment. Please and thank you.

Menu Plan Monday

Ahem, yes once again...it is late in the day in these parts before I got this post up.



So without further Ado....



Sunday

Tortilla Rolls Stuffed w/Chili & Cheese

Monday

Vegetable Stir Fry (carry over from last week)*


Tuesday

Football Game--Left overs

Wednesday

Green Bean & Potato Casserole
Applesauce

Thursday

Vegetable Bagel Sandwiches (Cream Cheese, Garden Fresh Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Cheese)
Carrot Sticks

Friday

Spinach Omelette's
Vanilla Yogurt

Saturday

TBA

*Funny story about an addition to this stir fry; something I swore I would never ever eat as an adult but did....Check out upcoming post to figure out what is it.


I am linking up my Menu Plan with Laura at I'm An Organizing Junkie.


Hope you have a great Monday and a better Tuesday!