I can't believe it's been so long since my last post! It's been a busy week, but tomorrow more updates & pictures will be coming... especially my CVS deals (I came home with over $200 worth of goodies AND $98 in Extra Bucks!!) WooHoo!! :)
I also found this amazing recipe at one of my favorite sites Full Bellies, Happy Kids! and she posted a recipe for Breakfast Delights. If these don't make your mouth water, I don't know what will!! I can't wait to make them for breakfast in the morning!!
Here's the recipe:
BREAKFAST DELIGHTS
2 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2 c. sugar, divided
1 egg yolk
1 t. vanilla extract
24-oz. loaf sliced bread, crusts trimmed
cinnamon to taste
1 c. butter, melted
Mix together cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Spread one tablespoon mixture on each slice of bread. Roll slice from one corner to the other.
Mix cinnamon and remaining sugar together in a shallow bowl. Dip rolled bread in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place rolls on ungreased baking sheets.
Freeze rolls for at least 20 minutes. Bake at 350ยบ for 8 to 10 minutes until hot and bubbly. Makes about 2 dozen.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Swinging Saturdays & Strolling Sundays
It has been a beautiful week here in SC. Last Saturday the sun was shining so I decided it was perfect weather to take a trip to the local park and take Jolie for a swing/stroll. I had planned to go to Heritage Park in Simpsonville, and I thought I knew where it was but due to me being directionally challeneged, after I was there I realized it was the old park in, but either way there was a walking path so no loss. First we took a walk around the baseball fields where there were a few little league games going on. Then we tried the swings. This was Jolie's first time in an outdoor swing and she LOVED it. She was giggling like crazy. She definitely didn't want to leave but it was almost lunch time so after 30 or so minutes of swinging we packed up and headed home.
Ready for a walk!
Yay for swings!
Weee!
After we got home I wanted to continue the fun at home so we had some lunch then headed out to Toy's R Us to get our very own swing for the backyard. I thought about buying a swingset but after taking a look at the prices for a nice wooden set ($2,000!) I decided to opt for just the baby swing and look for a better "deal" on the swingsets.
Our very own swing
While I was at Toys R Us I also picked up a swim school (it's a float that helps get babies aquainted with water and has a few blow up toys to keep them occupied too) I figured this would be perfect for our upcoming trip to Orlando. I have a feeling she is going to love the pool if bathtime is any indication of her feelings toward water! :o)
Sunday was yet another incredibly beautiful day outside. I was talking to my brother on the phone and he mentioned that him and Celeste and her 2 boys were going to go to Cleveland and Falls Park downtown so I asked if he minded if Jolie & I tagged along and of course Uncle Timmy said sure! I had been wanting to check out the park there but I had never been there and I didn't want to venture out there on my own so this was the perfect opportunity! I hadn't been downtown in such a long time that I had NO idea how beautiful it is down there now! They have really done an amazing job of re-doing the downtown area. I had been to the baseball stadium when Joe had a game there last year but never explored any further. Well once we arrived at Cleveland Park we got Jolie in her stroller and headed on one of the many paths. I think everyone in Greenville had the same idea as we did because the park was packed! Strollers, rollerbladers, walkers, joggers, bikers, you name it. It was such a gorgeous day though so I can't blame everyone for wanting to enjoy the fresh air. It was at least 70 degrees out but for some reason I decided to wear a sweater. Not one of the smartest things I've done but anyhow.
Once we started walking, we decided just to continue on to downtown Falls Park which is just a little over a mile walk between the two. It was really nice being able to spend time with my brother and Celeste. He's usually working during the week so we don't get to spend as much time as we used to. Here's a few pictures of our trip.
After all that park hopping, Tuesday came about and I had asked Granny Betty (my step dad Paul's mom) to show me how to make her southern banana pudding. I had a taste of some at Michelle's baby shower and have been craving it ever since! Granny Betty doesn't have a written down recipe though. She's been making it so long that she can eyeball it and say "a little of this a little of that" so that proved a little tough but I just went behind her and measured everything the best I could. It turned out so yummy! Since I was so impressed with my new baking skill I decided to try it out for my grandparents, dad, and brother over at my grandparents house the next day. It didn't turn out quite as good as the day before, but Granny Betty assured me each time I make it that I would get better. It still tasted great, just didn't look as good but no one complained! I've been trying to get more organized so hopefully next week I won't have to jam pack the whole week into one post but until then hope you don't mind reading my blog "book" :)
Ready for a walk!
Yay for swings!
Weee!
After we got home I wanted to continue the fun at home so we had some lunch then headed out to Toy's R Us to get our very own swing for the backyard. I thought about buying a swingset but after taking a look at the prices for a nice wooden set ($2,000!) I decided to opt for just the baby swing and look for a better "deal" on the swingsets.
Our very own swing
While I was at Toys R Us I also picked up a swim school (it's a float that helps get babies aquainted with water and has a few blow up toys to keep them occupied too) I figured this would be perfect for our upcoming trip to Orlando. I have a feeling she is going to love the pool if bathtime is any indication of her feelings toward water! :o)
Sunday was yet another incredibly beautiful day outside. I was talking to my brother on the phone and he mentioned that him and Celeste and her 2 boys were going to go to Cleveland and Falls Park downtown so I asked if he minded if Jolie & I tagged along and of course Uncle Timmy said sure! I had been wanting to check out the park there but I had never been there and I didn't want to venture out there on my own so this was the perfect opportunity! I hadn't been downtown in such a long time that I had NO idea how beautiful it is down there now! They have really done an amazing job of re-doing the downtown area. I had been to the baseball stadium when Joe had a game there last year but never explored any further. Well once we arrived at Cleveland Park we got Jolie in her stroller and headed on one of the many paths. I think everyone in Greenville had the same idea as we did because the park was packed! Strollers, rollerbladers, walkers, joggers, bikers, you name it. It was such a gorgeous day though so I can't blame everyone for wanting to enjoy the fresh air. It was at least 70 degrees out but for some reason I decided to wear a sweater. Not one of the smartest things I've done but anyhow.
Once we started walking, we decided just to continue on to downtown Falls Park which is just a little over a mile walk between the two. It was really nice being able to spend time with my brother and Celeste. He's usually working during the week so we don't get to spend as much time as we used to. Here's a few pictures of our trip.
After all that park hopping, Tuesday came about and I had asked Granny Betty (my step dad Paul's mom) to show me how to make her southern banana pudding. I had a taste of some at Michelle's baby shower and have been craving it ever since! Granny Betty doesn't have a written down recipe though. She's been making it so long that she can eyeball it and say "a little of this a little of that" so that proved a little tough but I just went behind her and measured everything the best I could. It turned out so yummy! Since I was so impressed with my new baking skill I decided to try it out for my grandparents, dad, and brother over at my grandparents house the next day. It didn't turn out quite as good as the day before, but Granny Betty assured me each time I make it that I would get better. It still tasted great, just didn't look as good but no one complained! I've been trying to get more organized so hopefully next week I won't have to jam pack the whole week into one post but until then hope you don't mind reading my blog "book" :)
Monday, March 3, 2008
The thrill of a good bargain!
I've heard about people getting really good deals at CVS, Walgreens, Target etc so I wanted to give it a shot. I've been learning the ropes for 2 weeks now and have been getting some good deals but today I think takes the cake. Here's how our day started. First I went to Target. Here's what I got:
30 Individual String Cheese
2 Bottles Sunsilk Super Straight Shampoo
1 Bottle Excedrin Migraine
1 Bottle Excedrin Extra Strength
2 Johnson & Johnsons Buddies Soap
4 Glade Wisp Flameless Candles
my total BEFORE coupons: $58.14
and my total AFTER coupons:
$4.37!!!! The Flameless Candles alone are $9.99 regularly priced. I was in awe of the savings so I decided to continue on the bargain hunt...So I headed to CVS.
Now at CVS they have these things called Extra Care Bucks or ECB's which you can use for your next purchases. They work just like cash. You get them when you buy certain items. Say for instance this week, Colgate Toothpaste is $2.99 but you get $2.99 in ECB's for each box. So its like getting them for FREE! So here's what I was able to get at CVS today:
2 Febreze Noticables
2 Oral B Crossaction Toothbrushes
1 Lypsl Lypmoisturizer
1 Crest Pro Health Night Rinse
1 Crest Pro Health Rinse
5 tubes of Colgate Total Advanced Whitening
2 Gillette Mach 3 Razors
1 Swiffer Extendable Handle Duster
1 Swiffer Duster Refill
2 bottles of Downy Fabric Softener
1 Pampers Baby Dry 40 ct
1 Infant Motrin Drops
1 Infant Tylenol Drops
3 Johnson & Johnson Buddies Soap
Now granted I did this at 3 different CVS in 5 different transactions but I added up all my receipts and....
my total was $107.68
but after using some of my ECB's and coupons, my final out of pocket cost was:
$8.73!!!! AND I still have a $10 ECB from the Mach 3 Razors that I didn't realize was on the bottom of one of my receipts so in reality I could have gotten all of that for FREE!! I can hardly believe it myself! All that planning was DEFINITELY worth it. And all of my friends who laughed at me for clipping coupons are probably jealous now haha (love you still!) I was just so excited I had to write about it. I learned exactly how to do all this and with a little working in of my own from Money Saving Mom and The Censtible Sawyer. Two FABULOUS sites. I'm heading back tomorrow to work on some more deals too and to use my $10 ECBs I have still! WooHoo! Well thats all for now. I hope this inspires you to get out and bargain shop. I'll post a pic tomorrow of my stash! Good night! :)
30 Individual String Cheese
2 Bottles Sunsilk Super Straight Shampoo
1 Bottle Excedrin Migraine
1 Bottle Excedrin Extra Strength
2 Johnson & Johnsons Buddies Soap
4 Glade Wisp Flameless Candles
my total BEFORE coupons: $58.14
and my total AFTER coupons:
$4.37!!!! The Flameless Candles alone are $9.99 regularly priced. I was in awe of the savings so I decided to continue on the bargain hunt...So I headed to CVS.
Now at CVS they have these things called Extra Care Bucks or ECB's which you can use for your next purchases. They work just like cash. You get them when you buy certain items. Say for instance this week, Colgate Toothpaste is $2.99 but you get $2.99 in ECB's for each box. So its like getting them for FREE! So here's what I was able to get at CVS today:
2 Febreze Noticables
2 Oral B Crossaction Toothbrushes
1 Lypsl Lypmoisturizer
1 Crest Pro Health Night Rinse
1 Crest Pro Health Rinse
5 tubes of Colgate Total Advanced Whitening
2 Gillette Mach 3 Razors
1 Swiffer Extendable Handle Duster
1 Swiffer Duster Refill
2 bottles of Downy Fabric Softener
1 Pampers Baby Dry 40 ct
1 Infant Motrin Drops
1 Infant Tylenol Drops
3 Johnson & Johnson Buddies Soap
Now granted I did this at 3 different CVS in 5 different transactions but I added up all my receipts and....
my total was $107.68
but after using some of my ECB's and coupons, my final out of pocket cost was:
$8.73!!!! AND I still have a $10 ECB from the Mach 3 Razors that I didn't realize was on the bottom of one of my receipts so in reality I could have gotten all of that for FREE!! I can hardly believe it myself! All that planning was DEFINITELY worth it. And all of my friends who laughed at me for clipping coupons are probably jealous now haha (love you still!) I was just so excited I had to write about it. I learned exactly how to do all this and with a little working in of my own from Money Saving Mom and The Censtible Sawyer. Two FABULOUS sites. I'm heading back tomorrow to work on some more deals too and to use my $10 ECBs I have still! WooHoo! Well thats all for now. I hope this inspires you to get out and bargain shop. I'll post a pic tomorrow of my stash! Good night! :)
Saturday, March 1, 2008
It's my party and I'll eat cupcakes if I want to
Yesterday Jolie turned the big 1/2 a year! So, naturally we decided to celebrate. Hey, you only turn 6 months old once! And since it is leap year she won't have an exact 1/2 year birthday on the 29th for 4 more years so why not! Earlier in the day we headed up to Pickens for a consignment sale called Weecylced Wear. I had never been to anything like this but a friend of mine suggested I check it out. I'm so glad I did! They had everything from clothes to furniture. I found quite a few super cute Gymboree outfits for spring & summer! I can't wait til she wears them... Then we stopped by Soby's to visit Uncle Timmy at work for a bite to eat and to pick up some cupcakes for later. Once we got home and had dinner a little bit later the "party" begun. Here's how it started...
Hey, I'm 6 months old!
"WHAT? No cupcakes for me?!"
Before the destruction...
Hmm, this looks interesting
Contemplating...
Squishing cupcakes is so much fun!
But eating them is SO much better!
Milk, please!
I'm fully aware that you aren't supposed to give babies sugar for at least a year but I figure a tad won't hurt. And today she's just as happy as ever so no worries! :)
Hey, I'm 6 months old!
"WHAT? No cupcakes for me?!"
Before the destruction...
Hmm, this looks interesting
Contemplating...
Squishing cupcakes is so much fun!
But eating them is SO much better!
Milk, please!
I'm fully aware that you aren't supposed to give babies sugar for at least a year but I figure a tad won't hurt. And today she's just as happy as ever so no worries! :)
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