Thrifty Thursday

Um, where did Wednesday go? I completely forgot that today was Thursday!! So sorry for my late post, but here are a few shopping tips that I've found to help save extra $$. Remember- a little goes a long way. 

• Before you purchase an item, think about how many hours you had to work at your job to earn the money to buy the item. Sometimes, when you think about it that way, you're more likely to only purchase it if it's a necessity, or at least try harder to find a bargain.
• Are you looking for grocery coupons? Visit CoolSavings where you'll find grocery coupons for brands you love and trust! Find great savings on food, baby needs, bath & body products, cleaning supplies, vitamins & more! Hurry, offers are limited! (US only) Go to http://tinyurl.com/ypjla for more information!
• If you go to yard sales/garage sales when it's raining, you'll have a better chance of getting a better deal. Most people won't go to one of these sales when it's raining, and the people that are holding the sale know that too. Therefore, you have much more room to bargain.
• Check with your local newspaper to see if they offer a Sunday only delivery. This can cost less than purchasing each weekly paper individually and is usually less than a full paper subscription.
• Before going to yard/garage sales, make sure that you know your stuff. There are plenty of sites on the internet that you can go to for information on different items. If you know your stuff, you will be better equipped at knowing a real bargain, as well as giving you leverage in trying to negotiate a price.
• To save money on meats, try cutting up your own meat. For example, a whole chicken costs less than a cut up chicken. Also, if you do it this way, you can bag the pieces up into the size that would meet your family's needs best.

Happy Shopping!! More to come next week!

Too Sweet Tuesdays

Last year I got a fabulous gift from my sister-in-law. The book The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman (purchase here: The-Love-Languages-Secret-Lasts). I enjoyed it so much I read it twice just to make sure I didn't miss anything. It really showed me how different DH (Dear Husband) and I really are. He needs things from me emotional that I hadn't thought of--things that help him know he is loved, but I never knew "he" needed. So, a couple months ago I strolled by this app called Love Language Challenge (you can also go to the website: Love Language Challenge). So, the first step is take the quiz and have your spouse take the quiz. If it doesn't sound like something he'll do, then you can take it for him and just think like him. So each week it gives you a challenge and it walks you through step by step and they are usually very simple. Like the first week for me was to leave notes around (DH's love language is words of affirmation) letting him know how thankful I am for certain things. So, I stayed up late one night and put notes in his wallet, on the door, on the alarm, in his lunch box, in his car, in his pants pocket---you know just to let him know how thankful I am for the things he does for me. He of course LOVED it and in return left me some. Trust me, try it and you won't regret it---this will strengthen your marriage no matter how long you've been married. 
Praying for you and your spouse as you begin this challenge.  

April Calendar-- Full of Fun!

I don't know about you, but I'm excited about our new calendar! Here's what in your in for:

Menu Mondays- recipe planning and recipe ideas

Too Sweet Tuesdays- places to go and things to say to keep your loved one close by. 

What I Love Wednesdays- anything and everything we love

Thrifty Thursdays- tips and tricks on how to save money

Fun pinteresting news Friday- interesting things we've found on pinterest. 

Enjoy my friends!! 

My Menu Monday

Happy Monday, cuties!  I hope you all had a HOPPY Easter!  My little one got so hopped out, he is now feeling pretty yucky and we have a doctor's appointment later today!  Boo for Springtime allergies in East Tennessee........beautiful flowers and trees = sneezing, watery eyes, and congestion!  Ah, the price we pay for the beauty of nature!


Anyway, I thought you all might like a little peak into my dinner menu for the week.  This is a CRAZY BUSY week for us because Noah's 4th birthday party is Saturday and I have 6,845 things left to do on my to-do list!  We also have out-of-town family coming in on Thursday.  So, here's what I'm planning to cook this week (with "planning" being the operative word here, people). Maybe it will give you a few ideas for your menu too!

☀Monday: Chicken Noodle Soup & Rolls (to make Noah ALL better)

photo source

Ingredients:

-1 bag Egg Noodles

-3-5 lb. Frozen Chicken Tenders

-1 T Butter

Directions:

1. Boil chicken tenders for 45 minutes or until tender.

2. Remove chicken and shred into small pieces.

3. Add 1-2 C water to remaining chicken broth.

4. Add salt, pepper and 1 T butter & bring to a boil.

5. Add egg noodles , stir, and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

6. Add shredded chicken.

***Optional: add a mixture of milk and flour to make soup thicker.

☀Tuesday: Sloppy Joes, French Fries,  & Corn

Recipe from Taste of Home

☀Wednesday: Homemade Chicken Nuggets, Mashed Potatoes, Biscuits, Cranberry Sauce

Recipe from Super Healthy Kids

☀Thursday: Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches, Baked Beans, Potato Casserole

Recipe from Kevin & Amanda

☀Friday: Going Out

☀Saturday: Party Time

☀Sunday: Left Overs

Have a happy day!

Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick Sequence Activity

Here is something I'm using at school today. I'm going to have them color them, write their name and cut them out. Then we'll sequence them and put them on a sentence strip. You could also do this with long construction paper. Enjoy my friends! Click the chick to download! 

Easter Egg Hunt & Freebie

Last year, we had our first Egg Hunt at our house and all the little bunnies had SO much fun!  Take a look at all the "egg"citing festivities!

I covered my table in a canary colored tablecloth and bought some iridescent  rainbow fabric to cover my foam board for the backdrop.  I made the chocolate bunny banner and the tent food tags.  I found faux grass place mats at Hobby Lobby to give my table a natural Spring-y feel.

Served inside a tall cylinder vase were my "Bunny Tails" which were lollipop sticks topped with white powdered donuts.

For the carrot patch, I filled triangle cello bags with goldfish crackers and tied them with green ribbon.

I found the recipe for this super simple and ultra yummy Jelly Bean Bark on Pinterest here.

Here's the highlight of our party...hunting for those eggs!

 I downloaded the cute bunny photo props free from Frog Prince Paperie.

How cute is that?

Here's my little bunny searching for the perfect Easter eggs.

If you want to put together an easy egg hunt for your little bunnies, you can download the food tags, and bunny banner FREE here.  All I ask is that you become our follower, if you haven't yet, before you download.

FREEBIE

I cannot believe that it's already time to do end of the year testing. Tomorrow we will begin testing and I am so excited to see their progress! Here is a color the sight word activity that I created to give my kids some extra practice. They LOVE these!! Also, I am including the April Behavior Calendar--enjoy! 

Here's an additional freebie I thought you would enjoy! April Homework Calendar-