It's Time For Random Tuesday Thoughts!

Let's play a game: Sunday I chopped off a good 8" off my hair. Now it's not like it's a bob, but the 8" is still pretty substantial. My DH still hasn't noticed.... let's see how long it takes for him to. In the interest of not cheating, I'm leaving it down as much as possible. Something tells me next RTT, I'll be starting it off saying he's still not noticed. ;) (and before someone suggests it, no I cannot donate my hair to Locks of Love, the reason I cut it was because it was too fried to do anything else with it. I've been dying my hair since I was 12, do the math of how many dye jobs it's seen since then)

As we were leaving the other day, we heard this huge POP! noise. I thought for sure DH blew a tire and went into panic mode. One of the neighbor kids left their toy in our driveway, and we ran over it. Not my problem... I'm sorry, but I wasn't allowed to leave my toys lying all over the yard (or neighbors yards for that matter!), and neither will my daughter. If you want your home to look like a pigsty, not to mention have ruined toys, then that's fine... but not ours. Put. Them. A.WAY! *said in her best Jeff Dunham and Peanut voice...*

I heart Jeff Dunham. Especially Achmed, the dead terrorist.


Direct link for the feedreaders

C'mon, doesn't that make you giggle? (Not for kids, a bit of bad language and off beat humor!!!!)

I kill you!

I don't know what is up with the library system, but it's showing online that I haven't returned the things I returned last week, and it's saying I'm racking up fees. Um, no. I walked those puppies into the library myself into their little chute, I know they were returned. I notice how they have the items I borrowed that day perfectly in their system though, grrrr!

Those of you suffering from a lack of rain, I really wish we could send some of ours your way.

You've got Jingle Bombs stuck in your head now, don't you? Bwhaaa!

Gaming Review: Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor (Wii)

On my family's quest to grow our Nintendo Wii family friendly game collection, we purchased Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor.


Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor is a search and find game. It allows for up to four players to play the game at once. While you do have to read a bit of text on the screen, for the most point, it's very simple - just point and click. Even smaller children can easily figure that out, even if older kids or Mom and Dad have to read the text to them while the whole family is playing. As the story progresses, you may have to shake your remote a little to ditch ghosts (more on that in a bit), but again, the game is simple, and there is no violence - the scariest part is the very cartoonish ghosts.

In Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor you are Mortimer Beckett, going through room by room of your eccentric uncle's house (that really looks like it needs to be on an episode of Hoarders, I kid you not!). You need to find pieces of the handy dandy Ghost Machine your uncle has created, and turn it on to rid the mansion of these pesky ghosts and free your uncle from their grasp. Sounds easy, right? Except to find the pieces, you are looking at some pieces that are split into teeny tiny pieces - for instance, a top hat might be throughout the room into 4 different pieces! Once you've found all the missing pieces in room and put them back where they belong - sometimes in other rooms - you can then solve the puzzle as how to get to the next level (or floor) There is also a secret code that you are finding all the letters to as you solve rooms.


The first few areas are easy, but as you go on, it definitely gets more difficult. This isn't a game you can solve in the first hour, (but rather over the entire evening) and it could easily be played over and over again if you play as a family - because by the time you get to the last room, you're going to forget where the items on the first floor were - especially if there are several of you clicking on items. You'll be paying attention to what you're finding, not what they are finding. Here's the thing: the bigger your TV screen is, the easier it is to find the pieces than on say a 26-27" screen. And also, the better quality screen you have, the clearer the picture is. If you have an older TV, you may want to stay away from this game because of it, otherwise you'll find yourself face first in front of the TV squinting, or clicking randomly saying Hail Marys.

Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor is rated E, for everyone, and has some silly Halloween style music throughout the game, but you can adjust the sound. It's not the most exciting game in the world, but it's fun to play as a family, and you can definitely waste away an evening playing it. As a value game - under $15, it's fun, but I wouldn't spend more than that. Amazon has it listed for $29.54, but we picked up our copy for half that at Target, FYI.

Disclaimer: I purchased this game with my own money, and was not compensated in any way for this review. It's my opinion only.

Featured Etsy - All Ribboned Out

Each day this week, I'm featuring a different Etsy store as part of my Holiday Gift Idea Guide! While shopping for handmade isn't always the cheapest gift, you'll end up with a unique gift and help support someone like you, instead of a big business. Please consider purchasing handmade gifts this holiday season!

Today's Etsy feature is a store called All Ribboned Out. All Ribboned Out is a local Washington Etsy crafter, and if you live in the Kitsap area, some of her creations can be found at New2You over on SE Mile Hill Dr in Port Orchard (by Goodwill and Save-A-Lot). We own some of her hair pretties, and they are adorable! S'te, the owner of All Ribboned Out, is the momma of 10 children added through birth, adoption and foster care!

This Rubber Ducky Your the One on a non-slip alligator clip is cute:


And you can choose whatever color you need to match your little one's holiday outfit with this Bitty Bitty Baby Bow:


And my military friends will appreciate her Remember Me Pillows:


Stop by All Ribboned Out and have a look around!

Menu Planning Monday - Thanksgiving Is Finally Here!

To all those visiting from the US, have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving Feast!

Monday: appetizer night (one is a review)

Tuesday: recipe of the week

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Simple Beef Stew

Thursday: Thanksgiving feast

Friday: Orange chicken, rice

Saturday: homemade pizza night

Sunday: Cheesy Burgers, pasta salad


Check out Organizing Junkie for other great Menu Plans!

Featured Etsy - Charitable Creations Jewelry

Each day this week, I'm featuring a different Etsy store as part of my Holiday Gift Idea Guide! While shopping for handmade isn't always the cheapest gift, you'll end up with a unique gift and help support someone like you, instead of a big business. Please consider purchasing handmade gifts this holiday season!

Today's Etsy feature is a store called Charitable Creations Jewelry. Actually, you can also find Charitable Creations Jewelry on her own website too, so if you don't have an Etsy account, you can still buy from her! Charitable Creations Jewelry is a shop full of hand stamped jewelry and hand made sterling silver and copper designs. She will gladly do custom orders - just convo her. Plus, 10% of your purchase from her Etsy store is donated to a charity of the customer's choice! The shipping costs are very reasonable, and this seller does ship international!

If you have a Twilight crazed fan to buy for this holiday season, you'll want to check out this Twilight - Look After My Heart Necklace. You can even choose between black or red for the cord.


Since you cannot forget Fido, this Small Sterling Silver Bone Pet Name Tag is nice present. I don't know about you, but I struggle with the tags that are like key rings - the lobster clasp she uses is so much easier to move from collar to collar!


If you're looking for a gift for Grandma, check out this Hand Stamped Necklace - Grandma's Angels Necklace. Up to 3 initial charms can be added.


And for the skull loving person in your life, these Hand Stamped Skull Earrings are a great stocking stuffer:


Charitable Creations Jewelry is offering a promo code for all my readers that will give you a discount of 10% off your order! Just enter promo code cph10 at checkout to take advantage of it!

Book Review: Bear Portraits By Jill Greenberg

I recently received a copy of the book Bear Portraits by Jill Greenberg to review.


Bear Portraits is a hardcover book full of stunning portraits of yep - different bears. I have to tell you the pictures are incredibly gorgeous! This is one where I cannot gush enough. There are pictures of cute and cuddly bear cubs to full grown grizzly bears, some in cute poses, some in reflective thoughts poses, even a few that the bear looks like it might eat you for dinner. There is some quotes throughout the book, but it's mostly just the pictures.

If you have someone who is decorating their home in the rustic cabin look, this book is perfect for them to have out on their shelf or coffee table. It's also great for kids to flip through (though, the scary ones might be too much for littles) Some of the photos almost look like drawings, they are just that beautiful. (alright, and maybe edited a bit) On a few pictures, I almost expected to see a little bit of the bear's dinner caught in the teeth in their mouth! This book definitely would make a nice holiday present.

Here's hoping Ms. Greenberg does portraits of wildcats next!

Bear Portraits by Jill Greenberg retails for $26.99, but Amazon currently has it on sale for $14.57.

Grrrrr...

The reason why I had no posts yesterday is because I seem to have picked up germ du jour. I spent as much time as I could resting in hopes I'm nipping whatever it is in the bed. I do not want everyone else sick! *cringe*

To make my day even more better, as I was trying to fix a shelf that hadn't been put back together yet, not only did I get my thumb with wire cutters trying to get a stripped screw out, but that rotten little kitten got behind the washer and dryer when my ADD kicked in doing laundry and I forgot to put stuff in the dryer. (How, I don't know, because they had been shoved so close to the wall!)

The dryer was on for 10 minutes before it clicked in that there really wasn't enough space and maybe she was UNDER the dryer. I turned off the dryer, went back to the shelf, and gave up at that point (on the shelf). I declared it nap time.

Kitten is still alive and in one piece, for now anyways. (Did she learn her lesson? Probably not! LOL I know now why I like to rescue adult critters and usually stray away from kittens or puppies - they're a handful!) My dryer is apparently a different story - now it's making a different noise and I think I hear a sad bugle in the background. I have NO idea what we are going to do, either. It's so old that it's not really worth paying someone to fix it - it's almost as old as we are!

Of course, it has to be that what was in the washer and dryer was my covers for the bed. We slept pillowcase-less because with my hand I was NOT moving totes around to figure out which one had my extra sheets in, and DH was too lazy tired to bother when he came home... or when he got up, either *throws hands up in the air* I'd pull the ignore cleaning or fixing anything and see if he does it, but I always give in before him.

Is 2009 over yet? Can I just hibernate in the bed until it is?

Fred Meyer Deals 11/22 - 11/ 28 2009

If the list below looks a little small, it's because the ad is pushing a lot of alcohol with the upcoming holiday. I personally do not like to blog them, as I don't feel they are really deals to begin with, and here in Washington there really aren't coupon match ups since we don't have wine tag coupons. Check your ad for the list of wines they are highlighting.

The best deals to me this week are the eggs at 99 cents and the 8" pumpkin at just $2.99. You still have this week to get a free turkey if you spend $150 in one transaction. Otherwise, it's $0.49 a pound if you spend $100, or $0.59 a pound if you spend $50. There's a limit of 1, and you'll need the in ad coupon to get the savings.

See the entire circular online here or here's the food & home highlights with coupon matches if available:

Butterball Whole Fresh Turkey
$1.79 lb ($2.00 off printable coupon at Smart Source here)

Foster Farms Fresh All-Natural Turkey Breast
$2.49 lb

Clementines 5 lb Box
$4.77

Satsuma Mandarins 5 lb Box
$4.77

FM Frozen vegetables
5 for $5

FM DZ Extra Large Eggs
$0.99

Nabisco Snack Crackers
3 for $5 ($1.00 off MC)

Florida Natural Orange Juice
2 for $5

Dole Pineapple
10 for $10 (**Freddy's monthly coupon book has $0.50 off 1 SC, combine with $0.55 off 2 MC)

Black Pearls Olives
4 for $5

Mrs. Cubbison's Stuffing Mix
3 for $5

Jell-O Pudding or Gelatin Mix
10 for $10 ($0.50 off 2 printable here)

Coke 12 pks
2 for $9

Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce
$0.99

FM Brown & Serve Rolls
4 for $5

Brawny Paper Towels 6-8pk
$5.99 ($0.50 off MC)

Mountain Dairy Egg Nog
2 for $5

Dixie Plates, Cups, Bowls or Napkins
5 for $10 ($1.00 off 2 MC)

Dove's Miniatures
2 for $6

Werther's Butter Candy or Riesen Chocolate Caramels
2 for $4

Bulk Walnuts
$2.99 lb

Bulk pecans
$4.99 lb

Prevacid 14 ct
$10.99

Sonicare Flexcare Rechargeable Toothbrush System
$129.99

L'Oreal Excellence Hair Color
$5.99 after in store MC

Fusion, Fusion Power MVP Razors
$7.99

Venus Embrace or Spa Breeze Razors
$7.99

Nature Made Vitamins
BOGOF ($1.00 off 1 MC)

Crest Speciality Toothpaste
2 for $5 ($0.75 off MC)

Always or Tampax
$6.99

Kroger Undergarments
$8.99

Sall Hansen Cosmetics
Buy 2 Get 1 Free

Honeycrisp Apples
$1.98 lb

Celery
$0.58 lb

Del Monte Gold Pineapple
2 for $5

Yams or Sweet Potatoes
$0.57 lb

Brussels Sprouts
$1.48 lb

Hothouse Bell Peppers
4 for $5

Broccoli Crowns or Cauliflower
$0.78 lb

Knudsen Sparkling Crisp Apple Cider
4 for $5

Hormel Party Trays
$9.99

Private Selection Cranberry Celebration, Cranberry Orange, or Ambrosia Salad
$3.99 lb

Pacific Foods Organic Broth
2 for $4

Green & Black's Organic Chocolate
2 for $5

Kettle Bulk Cashews or Deluxe Mixed Nuts
$4.99 lb

Kettle Brand Potato Chips or Baked Potato Chips
2 for $5

Dare Crackers
2 for $6

Kaukauna Cheese Spreads
2 for $6

Beef Loin New York Steaks
$4.99 lb (family packs)

Beef Cross Rib Roast
$2.99 lb

Boneless 1/2 Pork Loin
$1.99 lb

Farmland Maple River Boneless Whole Ham
$1.99 lb

Wild Alaska Whole Sockeye Salmon
$3.99 lb

Northwest Shrimp Meat
$3.99 lb

Wild Jumbo Snow Crab
$3.99 lb

Wild Alaska True Cod Fillet
$3.99 lb

Colossal E-Z Peel White Prawns
$7.99 lb

Jumbo cooked Prawns
$7.99 lb

F.G. Meyer Flame Crafted Spiral Sliced 1/2 Ham
Save $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 2)

Foster Farms Fresh All Natural Turkey, Norbest Refrigerated Tender Timed Turkey or Foster Farms Fresh Free Range Turkey
Save $5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 1)

Suave Shampoo or Conditioner
$0.88 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Ricola Cough Drops
10 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 10)

FM 1/2 Gallon Milk or Orange Juice
4/$5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 8)

Kellogg's Cereal
5 for $10 w/ in ad coupon (limit 5) (assorted coupons out there)

Kivu Bulk Coffee
$4.99 lb w/ in ad coupon (limit 2)

Dreyer's Ice Cream
2 for $6 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Oscar Meyer Bacon
2 for $5 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Jimmy Dean Sausage Roll
2 for $4 w/ in ad coupon (limit 4)

Hershey's or Cadbury's Large Bars
Buy 4 Get 1 Free w/ in ad coupon (limit 5)

FM Nice N Soft Bath Tissue (12 or 24)
$3.99 w/ in ad coupon (limit 2)

Right now, many local Fred Meyer stores are giving a 10% discount on items such as apparel, etc on Tuesdays if you were born in 1955 or before. Check with your store to see if they are participating, and for the full list of items you can get the discount on.

You should begin receiving your Fred Meyer rewards in the next week or so if you haven't already - contact Freddy's if it doesn't appear by next week!

Unfamiliar with Fred Meyer's coupon policy? They allow you stack a Fred Meyer store coupon (FM coupons as I call them) with a manufacturer's coupon. They do not price match to any other store's sale prices, and they won't take other store's sale coupons. You can however use a manufacturer's coupons on any sale or clearance items, but they usually won't allow any overage if the coupon is more than the sale price (sometimes it slips through the cracks, but don't expect it every time). Our local Washington stores do not double any coupons. They do accept the printed internet coupons if they have a barcode (like bricks coupons or from Smart Source or coupons.com if you are unfamiliar with them) so if you are having problems with a clerk not wanting to accept your coupon and you are sure it's legit coupon, please ask to have a manager come on over to verify it.

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering.

If you're interested in other grocery stores, please check out BeCentsable’s Grocery Gathering for an extensive list of grocery stores and blogs that cover the best deals!

Thanksgiving With Safeway

The folks over at Safeway recently contacted me to let me know about some of their wonderful Thanksgiving deals they have going on right now, and to share some budget recipes, as well their exclusive 2 hour turkey recipe.


Lately I've been shopping more at Safeway because I think their red meat is definitely the best in town - not only in taste, but in price. We've scored some great steak deals over the last few weeks. Plus, they've been lowering their prices throughout the store, so we've gotten some great deals. A few weeks ago they had Ronzoni pasta on sale for 79 cents a box, plus we had a 50 cent coupon. I picked up a couple of boxes at just 29 cents each! Now that's my kind of price!

Safeway sent me a $25 gift card to create a turkey feast using what's on sale this week, and to try out their 2 hour turkey recipe. Now this is my kind of challenge! I sat down with the circular, and this is what I came up with - the price is BEFORE coupons. I've put coupons I used in parenthesis so you're welcome to use them too:

3 7-Up 2 litres - on sale 3/$1 right now
Betty Crocker Potatoes 2/$3 (I used 2 $0.40 off MC)
Jello - $1
Dole Pineapple Chunks $1
Stove Top Stuffing $1.50
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls $2/$4 ($0.50 off 2 MC)
Lipton Onion Soup Mix $1.34
Wheat Thins $1.88 ($1.00 off MC)
Kraft Dressing $2.50 ($1.00 off MC)
Fresh Express Salad $2 ($1.00 off store coupon)
Safeway Brand Turkey on sale for $0.27 lb with $25 purchase $5.83
Total before coupons $25.05 ($21.25 after coupons)


I'll be honest, a few of the prices above are not the best deal in town, but for the sake of convenience and not driving from store to store, they are still good prices. I'll be using some of the 7-up to make the Jello fruit salad for dessert. No, not a lot of my feast is homemade from scratch, but it's a nice meal for us with a little less work. ;) If you'd like to check out what's on sale this week at your local Safeway, just click here to see all their deals. And if you're not feeling like braving the crowds, or you just want the convenience of shopping in your pjs in the middle of the night, you can always order online. (MyPoints members, go through there to receive points on your purchase!) Right now if you order $200 worth of groceries, you'll receive not only free delivery, but a free turkey! Plus, you'll receive a free Wishbone dressing too with a purchase of $150.

If you're looking for some great recipes to prepare for your Thanksgiving feast and get your menu plan ready for the week, you may want to check out Safeway's recipes online. They have some pretty good ones, including some vegetarian ones, and some for your turkey leftovers in the Leftovers Lounge the following the day. The Cranberry Tangerine Sauce looks pretty good to me!

By the way, if you're looking for clipless coupons that you can just add to your card and not worry about forgetting to use them before they expire (or lose them in your purse!), Safeway participates in programs such as Cellfire (where they are loaded to your cell phone) and Shortcuts (where they are loaded onto your Safeway Club Card).

Now onto the 2 hour turkey recipe: it's pretty simple to follow - and the ingredients are just olive oil, salt and pepper. (I actually used dried rosemary with my olive oil instead as I am not fond of cooking with S&P as my returning readers probably know) Here's what my turkey looked like when we pulled it out of the oven:


Let me give you a word of warning, before attempting this recipe, make sure your oven is perfectly clean. The high temperature for so long will cause some serious smoke and set off your smoke alarms... please don't ask me how I know this. Sigh! Also, start watching your turkey at just over the one hour mark. I know opening and closing the door causes heat loss, however your turkey may cook faster than the 2 hours.

So if you're looking for a quick way to make your turkey because you are running out of time, this way is certainly faster. However, I didn't have very much broth coming out of it, so if you're using it to make your gravy or other side dishes, keep this in mind. And because I am very honest, I preferred the soy brined turkey from the other day to this one. (I did use a Butterball turkey vs Safeway's house brand, but I'm not sure it made much of a difference - I think it was the brining)

Food Storage Friday - Storage Space

With rising prices, bad weather, unstable job environments, one of the best things we as women (or men) in charge of our homes can do, is work on our food storage to ensure our family will continue to eat well no matter what the circumstance is. It doesn't take a lot to organize your pantry and make a little room for extras, and with the help of coupons and sales, can be done very cheaply. Every Friday, I'd like to encourage you to join in with me to do one or two little things to add to or work with your food storage.

I had a comment about space issues last week, and I'd like to address it this week. Many folks make the mistake of thinking they don't have the room to store extra food, and it's really not as space consuming as one would think.

First of all, a lot of folks have unorganized cupboards and pantry shelves, which leads to a lot of wasted space. Organize your shelves by products, and you'll save a bit of room, like I did mine several weeks ago:


That's two standard entertainment bookshelves with food. I don't keep food in my (very few) cabinets outside of very few things because my cabinets are a royal PAIN to get into. I use them to store my kitchen pretties instead to keep my counters free for meal preparation. These shelves are just off to the side of my kitchen, and so easy for me to get into!

Our home is less than 700 sq feet for the 3 of us and 8 pets - if I can do it, so can you! Storing a bit of extra food can be done very easily - you don't have to have case after case of deals and food, but putting away and using the first in, first out method on your shelves, along with menu planning, makes a HUGE difference! Think of your extra food as insurance - you'll have a few extra days worth of food if the weather gets icy or stormy, or if your short on paycheck funds.

Since Freddy's had their canned veggies on sale again this week with a limit of 9, I picked up the limit to add to our food storage. I picked up some green beans, corn, and peas - all items I use on a regular basis. I'm also hoping to take advantage of some of the Thanksgiving sales and pick up a couple of extra boxes of stuffing and mashed potatoes.

This week, I'd like to encourage you to pick up 1-2 different canned goods that fit into your weekly meals. For instance, if you usually use fresh spinach in a pasta dish, pick up a can of spinach for use in a pinch. If you can use them on a regular basis, think about picking up extra stuffing and mashed potatoes too. It's the best prices you'll see all year, and most packages will be good for another 6 months after you purchase them.