My mom visited recently and was really surprised when I pulled out a ham steak to make for dinner.   I guess she’s never served these before!

I buy these ham steaks about once per month.  They usually cost around $5, but go as low as $2.50 and $3 on sale.  That’s when I try to stock up on a few packs because the expiration date is almost always for another month or so.  We use them in soup and as the main entree for a lot of our meals.  My kids love to “paint” the ham for a Green Eggs and Ham dinner, too!  I’ll post about that another time. [Read more…]

My daughter is taking Valentine’s Day in the classroom seriously this year. Last year she had to make a cardbox-box mailbox for the Valentines she received from her friends. We glued some construction paper to it, decorated with some foam heart stickers, and she went on her merry way. When I visited her classroom for the card exchange, I was astounded by the Etsy-quality mailboxes the kids had. Clearly their moms had raided Hobby Lobby for every stitch of ribbon and spot of glitter because those mailboxes were magazine photo-shoot worthy. Ooops. This year my daughter is determined to have some cool Valentines to share, as well as a great box to collect hers. Since I”m not ambitious enough to do all the adorable ones I’ve seen on Pinterest, I’m thinking that we’ll order some of these great Tiny Prints cards. My son is getting the mustache cards (because we obviously like that theme). As for my daughter? This year, I’m letting her choose!  I’m not bringing shame upon our family this year.   If you are not familiar with Tiny Prints, these are seriously some of the cutest cards ever. And you can completely customize with your child’s pictures, your own text, and text and fonts that you choose. 

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Do you remember the gas prices ten years ago?

Today I filled up at the gas tank and reminisced about the days when gas was affordable.  In college, a gallon ran about 88 cents  It made me wonder what gas prices were like 10 years ago, so I looked it up.  According to this article, gas prices shot up to $1.72 in 2003.  I vividly remember the day that I saw the sign change over to $2 per gallon.  [Read more…]

Welcome to the The Give A Hoot Giveaway Hop brought to you by A Spectacled Owl and Kids, Clutter & Chaos! Every participating blog in this hop has a prize related to owls. Whether you think they’re wise or cute, owls are cool right now, and you’re going to love these prizes! Be sure to enter the giveaways on the linky below after entering mine.

Paper Coterie is offering one reader a pack of owl notecards.  If you haven’t yet written your Christmas thank-you notes, these would be perfect to get you motivated! Send one to a friend to make her smile, or drop one in your child’s lunchbox. There are so many ways to use these cute cards. One lucky winner will win these cards. The giveaway is open to readers (ages 18+) in the US and Canada; however, shipping is NOT included for Canada winners. Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck! [Read more…]

I have been the proverbial ball and chain to my husband for 15 years. He’s never complained about it, he’s ALWAYS so sweet, but I know that I’m hard to live with. Sometimes it’s hard to admit that I’m not really all-powerful mom.  The hardest lesson I’ve learned so far in my marriage is that even though I push myself to my limits, I just can’t keep up with everything that needs to be done.  I was raised by a single mom who never took a day off.  She made it on an income that was far below the poverty level and never let us forget how lucky we were to make it.  Now that I’m an adult, I feel like I owe it to my mom to be the same kind of tough woman that she was.  Sometimes I forget that I don’t have to do it alone….my husband is there to support and help, too. [Read more…]

Since I’ve been diagnosed with liver disease, I have to be very careful about the medications I take.  Illness doesn’t care about liver disease, though, and there are times when medicine seems to be the only thing to help me.  Using natural products is my best alternative.  While my doctor said I could take pain relievers to ease pain if I’m completely miserable, I really try to avoid taking it when possible.  I’ve done a bit of research on natural pain relievers, including those that reduce inflammation.  There are lots of herbs that can be incorporated into the diet that help with inflammation (which is what’s wrong with my liver.)   I’m not really a fan of ginger but it’s supposed to be quite effective for pain, so I might have to learn to like it.  Garlic and rosemary are on the anti-inflammatory list, too. I’m planning to grow some in my herb garden this summer and try to use them in more of my recipes.  I’m also eating salmon on a weekly basis and have found lots of great recipes on Pinterest.    I also avoid fried foods which are supposed to make inflammation worse.  I’m thinking about trying an elimination diet to see if I might have a sensitivity to some food that’s making the inflammation worse. [Read more…]

If you’ve been wavering about getting a pricey item like a fabulous glider for the nursery or a Stokke Sleep System, this might be the perfect time for you to spring on it.  Through January 30, when Amazon Moms sign up for Amazon Prime they can get 20% off their purchase!  Moms are eligible to receive up to $100 savings using code BABY2013.  Note that if you join Amazon Mom or Prime after this promotion has started you will need to wait 24 hours for the promo code to become active.    This discount is open to moms who signed up for the free 3-month trial of Prime, too!!   There are thousands of eligible items, including car seats, furniture, and more.  If you’ve been waiting to get a big-ticket item, check it out with this deal!   This would also be a great time to stock up on your cloth diapers stash.  You can read all the details about the Mom Appreciation Event by clicking here.

We had the Chicco KeyFit 30 Travel System with our youngest and it was FABULOUS.  I would purchase it again in a heartbeat.  Saving 20% on it is HUGE!

So what will you buy with your 20% off? I’m excited to hear about all the great deals you find!

My kids will probably look back on their childhoods and feel like they got the shaft, but I’m not that creative when it comes to birthday parties.  You know those adorable themed parties that you’ve seen on Pinterest?  They’re not mine.  I’m lucky if the plates match the napkins.  Somehow I missed that gene when it was being passed out.  Lucky for me, BirthdayExpress makes it so easy, and dare I say it?  even fun to have a themed party!   I had the opportunity to try one of their party kits and I’m sold, baby.  I chose the very first set I saw on the website because it is stinking adorable — I Mustache You to Come to My Party!   Isn’t this the cutest thing? [Read more…]

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Welcome to the 3rd Annual Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop! The event takes place from January 18th to 24th.  It’s hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Co-hosted by Reviews by Martha’s Bookshelf.   One lucky winner will win a pair of books from author Daris Howard. The prize package includes When The World Goes Crazy (Life’s Outtakes – Year 1): 52 Humorous And Inspirational Stories From Year One and Super Cowboy Rides.  I enjoyed both of these books and hope that you do, too!   You can read my reviews by clicking here. [Read more…]