Thanksgiving Drugstore Plans

I am very, very short on funds this Christmas - so I need to make do with the little I have!!!  Here is my plan for Thanksgiving shopping at Rite Aid and Walgreen this year!  Going to do 2 trips to each store.

Rite Aid - 1st Trip

1 pair of ear buds (asked for by my daughter)  5 dollars (receive 5 dollars back in +up rewards)
2 bottles of Revlon Top Speed nail polish (for myself!)  6 dollars (receive 4 back in +up)
2 Dove deoderants (a necessity with 3 girls) 4 dollars (receive 2 back in +up)
2 Wet N Wild 9-piece Little Luxuries nail polish (Christmas gifts) 6 dollars (receive 4 +up)

1st trip:  Out of pocket cost:  $21 dollars - receive back in +up $17.50

Rite Aid - 2nd Trip

1.99 for 18-pack of Scunci bands (Stocking stuffers) (get 1.99 in +up)
1.50 for 2 Hot Wheels (stocking stuffer for my nephew) (get .50 +up)
5.00 for 2 Secret deoderant (get 3 in +up)
Fuzzy socks 4/2 (stocking stuffers)
2/3 throws (always need more blankets!)
3/2 VO5 shampoo & conditioner (get 1 +up)

Out of pocket  -  ZERO (pay with +ups) and receive back 6.50 +ups for next week



Walgreen - 1st Trip

2 Secret Body Splashes (ss for girls) 7.50 (get 550 back)
Revlon lip gloss (for me!) 4.99 (get 4 back)
Covergirl Wetslicks (ss for girl) 3.99 (get 2)

Out of pocket cost:  16.50 & get 11.50 back in rewards

Walgreen - 2nd Trip

Walgreen pain reliever PM .99 cents w/ coupon x2 = 1.98  (I use these)
32-count eyeshadow kid (Gift for daughter) 2.99
Tuf paper towels x2 w/ coupon = .78 cents
Oral B toothbrush 1.50 (get 1.50 back)
Cottonell bath tissue 12-pack 3.24 (with WG coupon & .75 manu q)
2/3 Scunci hair bands (more ss) (get 3 in rewards)

Out of pocket 75 cents!  Rewards for next week $4.50


So for $37.50 I will have:

6 small Christmas gifts
12 stocking stuffers
2 bottles of nail polish and a Revlon lip gloss for myself
4 sticks of deoderant
2 papertowels
12 rolls of toilet paper
1 toothbrush
2 bottles of pain reliever PM
3 bottles of shampoo/conditioner

and another 11 in rewards to spend next week :) 

I know I am not the best shopper and definitely not a coupon queen - I am sure that many others will show better deals and spend nearly nothing -  but I am happy with what I can do with what I have!!

Sherry

Menu Plan Monday - Getting Organized!

Autumn is my favorite time of the year.  I always feel encouraged to get organized and bring out my control journal and start menu planning again.  This year I want to keep those good intentions going and carry them through into the new year!  I am linking this post with Laura at Menu Plan Monday at the Org Junkie blog!

SUNDAY:  Today I am going to make a pot of soup.  There is a chill in the air that none of us can deny and it always makes me crave soup! 

Tuscan White Bean and Cabbage Soup

The soup is for lunch today and leftovers will serve for lunch several days this week. 

Dinner tonight will be Rachel Ray's Buffalo Chicken Chili Mac and roasted vegetables

MONDAY:   I'm making one of my absolute favorite meals (very tasty and cheap!)  Lentils and brown rice topped with salad

(It looks a little something like this - trust me it is really delicious with the salad on top!)

TUESDAY:  Haluski with Polish Sausage  ( I do NOT use all the butter in the recipe!  I use hardly any at all and it is still delicious)

WEDNESDAY:  My boy has a football game so it is a perfect day to use the Crockpot!  One of my very favorites is turkey ham, potatoes, corn, and mushroom soup.  Yum!  Green salad on the side.

FRIDAY:  Kid's night!  Turkey burgers, baked french fries, raw broccoli and carrots

THURSDAY/SATURDAY: We have dinner with my parents :) 

Breakfasts this week will be either oatmeal with fruit or  yogurt and fruit.  One morning I will make breakfast burritos and since I have a lot of bread getting stale soon, french toast!!!

Lunches will consist mostly of leftovers.  On Saturday I do plan to make some toasted subs with the kids!

Have a wonderfully blessed week!  Take time to really appreciate your family and friends.  Notice all the blessings in your life and give thanks! 

Sherry aka The Blonde Muse :)

Women in the Word Wednesday

.................why are you fearful? - Jesus

I've been really fearful lately. I've been saturating my thoughts and actions with the rapidly spinning whirlwind of my emotions. I worry about my finances. I worry about how my children are growing up. I worry that the man in my life doesn't truly love me. I worry that my health may fail. I worry about my parents. I worry about not knowing. I worry that I worry too much. I worry that I will have a breakdown.

But I am a strong woman. I sometimes forget that. I am strong because my foundation is the Lord. He is my strength, my help, my calm in any storm. He is what holds me up when I am falling apart. If God is for me, who can be against me? What can I NOT get past?

I just started reading Joyce Meyer's "Battlefield of the Mind".

I am a big fan of Joyce's. She tells it like it is. She doesn't sugar-coat what needs to be done. And I really like that a lot.

I am also re-reading the book of John. It seems to be the absolute best place to start reading the Bible. After that I am going to re-read the book of Acts. My church is in the middle of a big move. They purchased a building, but before they can move in, they are currently utilizing the local high school. Reading Acts, seeing how the first churches were "built" - well, it just feels timely!


I feel a little lost right now - but I know where to look in order to find my way again. The Lord is steadfast and will never let me down. He is always good.

There is nothing worse than not knowing (i.e. feeling insecure or unstable) to get my emotions to defeat me. I feel like I"m currently in a battle with my emotions. They are trying to overrun me.

I put far too much weight on certain areas of my life. I let them rule over every other area. There is so much goodness and beauty in my life - and I am greatful for everything. I truly am. But I have GOT to defeat this negativity that is trying to ruin me!

One thing I heard today on a Joyce Meyer CD really made me think. I am paraphrasing: It's not what you do when you are at church that shows what type of Christian you are - but what you do when you are all alone. She said to tell yourself 20 times a day: God is right here with me! He sees what I am doing right now! I put something away in the wrong spot at the grocery store today because I was too lazy to walk back to the right place. I looked around to make sure no one was watching before I slid it on the shelf. But you know what? God was watching. HE knew what I did.

Sorry I am rambling. I have so much going on in this battlefield I call my mind.

S

A Walk Through the Graveyard

I've been thinking about death a lot lately. My grandmother passed away 2 months ago, my Dad wrote his will, all of the tornadoes, tsunamis, and tornadoes.... It makes me realize how delicate life is.

My girls and I went for a walk in the cemetary today. It got us all thinking about life and death. One thing I realized is that I want to be buried somewhere under a tree. I want windchimes, bird feeders, and bird houses hanging above me.

I want a cemetary that has beautiful stained glass in the chapel. One with somber church bells ringing.

I want a cemetary where people who loved me can leave flowers - and hopefully be able to plant my favorite flowers near my headstone; tulips, daisies, hyacinth and other colorful springtime blooms.

This, That, and the Other

First of all, let me tell you that I made this Crockpot Chicken Parmesan (pretty much same as recipe, added more cheese, because I live dangerously) and served over spaghetti. It was SO SO SO rich and yummy and delicious! It will definitely be added to my "life recipe book"!

Secondly, I have been working all day. Ok, between Facebook and Google Reader breaks :) And finally feel like I've got a foot up on the paperwork that always threatens to disintegrate me.

Tomorrow I work in the office for awhile. The weather is still that in between hot and cold stuff that is so hard for me to dress for. I will probably opt for black pants, a blouse and for the chilly morning a cardigan. Business casual go to outfit, lol.

Emily has to take her placement tests tomorrow as well. We are doing an accredited online school this year and she will be auditing classes in the local public schools. She is still SO incredibly shy and to throw her into a classroom of 30 kids and a possibly disinterested teacher - I just don't think it's gonna happen. So we are going to do this in order to make sure she is up to par on all her subjects and that she is learning the same things as her peers. This does not mean, however, that I will not be adding in additional homeschool subjects! (Post on this later) Definitely doing religion, extra language arts (lots of reading) and nature study, etc.

I also have a lunch date this Wednesday! GASP! Yes, with a MAN! lol A smart, handsome, triathalon-competing man for that matter :) Now let's pray things go well and a second date arises. LOL

My local FlyLady group is going to have a meeting this week too! I'm so excited. it is really motivating to talk to other friends about getting everything organized!

My son has a football game on Wednesday night! I'm very excited for that too. He started school at 4 (Oct b-day) so most of his teammates had a big growth spurt over the summer! He, unfortunately, did not. Now instead of being one of the biggest kids, he's one of the smallest! Hopefully his will kick in soon!!

I guess that should do it for an update. I know I rarely blog anymore, but I would truly like to get ack into the swing of things!

Blessings!

Sherry

Healthy Recipes

These were found in the comments here:

All the Weigh – Kenz’s Blog

Breakfast cups
Course: breakfast
PointsPlus™ Value: 1
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 12 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup(s) Egg Beaters Southwestern, refrigerated
1/4 cup(s) onion(s)
3 serving(s) John Morrell canadian bacon
1/2 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup(s) spinach
Instructions
Wilt spinach in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Drain and squeeze excess water out with paper towels.
Mix together all ingredients and pour into 12 greased muffin cups.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until center is firm.
Notes: Spray muffin pan really well – Pam for Baking works best. Let muffins cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing.

 

No-Cook Asian Peanut Sauce
Makes 6 servings
PointsPlus™ value | 2 per serving
Ingredients
* 1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter*
* 3 Tbsp reduced-sodium vegetable broth
* 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
* 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
* 1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
* 1 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
* 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
* 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tsp hot red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco sauce
* 1/2 tsp sugar
Instructions
* Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. To store, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days; whisk before using again.
Serving size: 2 tablespoons

Asian Lettuce Wraps
Sorry, I don’t have actual measurments for this, as I didn’t follow a recipe, but here goes:
About 16 onz lean ground turkey
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 shallot – finely chopped
1 large carrot – jullienned
1 cup bagged coleslaw
1 cup -ish chopped fresh mushrooms
one large handful of chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp chinese 5 spice powder
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 head of bibb lettuce
Spritz a non stick pan with some olive oil. Cook the garlic, ginger and shallot until soft. Add the ground turkey. Cook until browned. Add carrots, mushrooms and coleslaw and cook until wilted. Add hoisin, 5 spice powder, soy sauce, cilantro and sesame oil. Heat through.
Serve in lettuce leaves.

 

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

Southwest Chicken Salad

Garlic Chile Shrimp w/ veggies and rice

Chile Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

 

Enjoy!

 

Sherry

Back in Action …… Again.

So I start and stop.  Start and stop.  Start and stop.  I don’t know if I’m a failure because I keeping giving up or determined because I keep coming back. 

 

I have gained back 5 or 6 pounds since February.  I could beat myself up over it or I could just accept it and move on.  There have been so many changes in my life

in t his short period of time that I’m surprised that I can even keep up, let alone get back on track.  But I’m ready.  Most definitely ready.

 

The place where I work had a monumental event happen in March and 31 people out of 40 people were let go.   Praise God I am still there; however, they are

filing for bankruptcy and hoping to carry on – but my job is still in a very precarious position.  So that is super stressful. 

 

I’m also in a long-distance relationship and having a whole lot of trouble keeping negative thoughts out of my head.  If he misses a phone call or doesn’t

text me with the same amount of exuberance I text him with – all of a sudden my mind is telling me he is cheating, that he doesn’t love me, that I don’t

deserve him, etc. etc.  Even though I know he’s a good Christian man, my gut is just telling me there is something wrong.  Whether it is because I am very

insecure due to a lifetime of being overweight, or if there is something more to it than that – I just don’t know yet.  So my emotions are just going wild.

 

So lately I have been immersing myself in the Word and in Bible study.  I am reading Joyce Meyer’s “Battlefield of the Mind” and she just has a way of

making me understand the Bible.   I have also been reading (on my Nook, which I love) “Made to Crave”, which is about turning to God instead of food

when you are depressed, sad, celebrating, etc. 

 

Anyway – I joined a 90-day challenge through my church, which starts the first week of June.  I really need the added help because I am really struggling. 

 

I’m sorry I keep disappearing and coming back.  I hope to stick around for good this time.

 

Sherry