. One of the first projects it had me make was a knitted dishcloth. This was my first experience using a knitted dishcloth and I have to tell you it was great. It is thick and durable and it scrubs so well. It is also safe to use on non-stick cookware without scratching it. Of course, as much as I love my knitted dishcloth, I have not had the time to make myself another one. Then, today, I came across a fellow blogger's blog, Home in the Mitten, and she makes crocheted dishcloths which she also sells. I am rather excited because now I know where I can buy some more great dishcloths. I love my knitted one, and I am pretty sure I will love crocheted ones as well.
19 August 2008
Knitted/Crocheted dishcloths
A few years ago I taught myself how to knit from the book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Knitting and Crocheting. One of the first projects it had me make was a knitted dishcloth. This was my first experience using a knitted dishcloth and I have to tell you it was great. It is thick and durable and it scrubs so well. It is also safe to use on non-stick cookware without scratching it. Of course, as much as I love my knitted dishcloth, I have not had the time to make myself another one. Then, today, I came across a fellow blogger's blog, Home in the Mitten, and she makes crocheted dishcloths which she also sells. I am rather excited because now I know where I can buy some more great dishcloths. I love my knitted one, and I am pretty sure I will love crocheted ones as well.
. One of the first projects it had me make was a knitted dishcloth. This was my first experience using a knitted dishcloth and I have to tell you it was great. It is thick and durable and it scrubs so well. It is also safe to use on non-stick cookware without scratching it. Of course, as much as I love my knitted dishcloth, I have not had the time to make myself another one. Then, today, I came across a fellow blogger's blog, Home in the Mitten, and she makes crocheted dishcloths which she also sells. I am rather excited because now I know where I can buy some more great dishcloths. I love my knitted one, and I am pretty sure I will love crocheted ones as well.
17 August 2008
Buying new clothes
I love being able to buy myself new clothes, especially when I get them for a great price. Sear's holds a special "Friends and Family" night several times a year. Tonight they had one and it happened to coincide with their summer clothing being deeply discounted. The clothes were already clearance priced 30-50% off their orignal price, but then the sale was for an additional 50% (ladies/womens were 50% off, other apparel departments was an additional 40% off) off the lowest marked price. That additional discount alone made the clothing a great deal, but there is more. On "Friends and Family" night, they take ana dditional 10% off just about anything in the store, including clearance and sale items, PLUS, my husband works for Sears so we got an additional 20% off as his employee discount. I walked out the door with brand new clothes, paying less than I would have for similar, used items at a yard sale. Tonight I found 2 skirts and 3 shirts, with each item costing me about $3. My daughter's also each got a new dress for about $3 each as well. Earlier this week I picked up two more skirts on clearance at another store for $5 each. I already said how much I love deals, so buying new clothes and getting a great deal in the process is a double bonus.
As you can see, I bought several new skirts. Wearing skirts has become another love of mine recently. There is something about wearing a skirt that just makes me feel better about myself and I personally find them extremely comfortable. When I buy new skirts, I get so excited just thinking about wearing them. I also find that when I wear skirts I am more likely to wear brighter, bolder colors and patterns that I normally would not wear. As for the new shirts, those are necessity as my shirts tend to get stained fairly quickly. I do have 4 young children, including one who is still nursing (spit up stains), so it is easy to understand where the stains come from.
The other thing I enjoy about new clothes is that with each outfit, I fell like a different person. When I want to go unnoticed or am having a more active day I will wear something more casual like my capris or a long, khaki skirt with a simple t-shirt. If I am feeling really good about myself I will wear a red shirt with a shorter (not mini, about knee length) skirt with a fun pattern on it. Adding to my wardrobe just helps me to have more ways to express how I am feeling that day. Being that I rarely buy myself anything, it is so nice to get something that is meant only for me and that no one else can "steal". I love buying new clothes.
As you can see, I bought several new skirts. Wearing skirts has become another love of mine recently. There is something about wearing a skirt that just makes me feel better about myself and I personally find them extremely comfortable. When I buy new skirts, I get so excited just thinking about wearing them. I also find that when I wear skirts I am more likely to wear brighter, bolder colors and patterns that I normally would not wear. As for the new shirts, those are necessity as my shirts tend to get stained fairly quickly. I do have 4 young children, including one who is still nursing (spit up stains), so it is easy to understand where the stains come from.
The other thing I enjoy about new clothes is that with each outfit, I fell like a different person. When I want to go unnoticed or am having a more active day I will wear something more casual like my capris or a long, khaki skirt with a simple t-shirt. If I am feeling really good about myself I will wear a red shirt with a shorter (not mini, about knee length) skirt with a fun pattern on it. Adding to my wardrobe just helps me to have more ways to express how I am feeling that day. Being that I rarely buy myself anything, it is so nice to get something that is meant only for me and that no one else can "steal". I love buying new clothes.
12 August 2008
Aprons, Cooking, and Contests
Ok, this is not my typical what I love post, but it does involve three things that I truly do love so here goes. I found a fellow blogger who is holding a contest to give away a vintage apron and a copy of Martha's Family Cookery Book. There are three ways to earn entries: 1)by posting a link to the contest (here it is) 2)include a wholesome recipe in your post with the contest link and/or 3) (for non bloggers) leave a comment on the contest blog. Well I love giveaways and the chance of winning useful items for free so of course I have to enter.
I also love aprons. They are something I recently began to truly appreciate and I especially like feminine aprons versus BBQ style aprons. Any which way, aprons are a great way to keep clothes clean when cooking and to protect them chemicals when cleaning. I really began to appreciate aprons after I got tired of finding favorite articles of clothing with either tomato sauce stains from cooking or bleach spots from cleaning. They are also just so cute!
So now onto the second part of my contest entry, a wholesome recipe, and another thing that I love, cooking. Cooking for me is such a release. I love taking raw ingredients and blending them together to create something my whole family enjoys. I also enjoy the challenge of using up certain ingredients that otherwise would go to waste. That is how I came to find the recipe I am sharing. Due to copyright concerns(I hope this still counts as an entry), I am linking to the recipe since it is not my own creation. I wanted to get my family eating Brussels Sprouts, but unlike most veggies, I knew they would never eat them plain. One day, I saw this recipe in the USA Weekend insert of our local Sunday paper and then stumbled across it on Allrecipes.com. Every member of my family, from my husband right down to my 20 month old, loves this recipe and now beg for me to buy Brussels Sprouts just so I can make it. So here is the recipe for Sweet & Sour Brussels Sprouts.
There you have it, three things I love rolled into one post and contest entry. I love giveaways and I really hope to win this one since I also truly love cooking and love wearing aprons.
I also love aprons. They are something I recently began to truly appreciate and I especially like feminine aprons versus BBQ style aprons. Any which way, aprons are a great way to keep clothes clean when cooking and to protect them chemicals when cleaning. I really began to appreciate aprons after I got tired of finding favorite articles of clothing with either tomato sauce stains from cooking or bleach spots from cleaning. They are also just so cute!
So now onto the second part of my contest entry, a wholesome recipe, and another thing that I love, cooking. Cooking for me is such a release. I love taking raw ingredients and blending them together to create something my whole family enjoys. I also enjoy the challenge of using up certain ingredients that otherwise would go to waste. That is how I came to find the recipe I am sharing. Due to copyright concerns(I hope this still counts as an entry), I am linking to the recipe since it is not my own creation. I wanted to get my family eating Brussels Sprouts, but unlike most veggies, I knew they would never eat them plain. One day, I saw this recipe in the USA Weekend insert of our local Sunday paper and then stumbled across it on Allrecipes.com. Every member of my family, from my husband right down to my 20 month old, loves this recipe and now beg for me to buy Brussels Sprouts just so I can make it. So here is the recipe for Sweet & Sour Brussels Sprouts.
There you have it, three things I love rolled into one post and contest entry. I love giveaways and I really hope to win this one since I also truly love cooking and love wearing aprons.
10 August 2008
Smiles
"A smile is the curve that sets all things straight" ~ Phyllis Diller
It is amazing how quickly smiles work. When someone is having a bad day, it can often be made a bit better if they receive a smile from a stranger. Finding something that will make them smile themselves works even better to brighten their mood. The bigger the smile, the better it is. So the next time you are feeling down, just smile and see if things don't turn around. You will probably feel better and a smile almost always improves how one looks. I love a happy smile.
It is amazing how quickly smiles work. When someone is having a bad day, it can often be made a bit better if they receive a smile from a stranger. Finding something that will make them smile themselves works even better to brighten their mood. The bigger the smile, the better it is. So the next time you are feeling down, just smile and see if things don't turn around. You will probably feel better and a smile almost always improves how one looks. I love a happy smile.
09 August 2008
I love a good deal
I have not been a "couponer" for several years. Sure, I used them occasionally, but I have not cut out coupons and prepared my shopping list using them for quite a while. The same goes for sales and rebates, but with the rising costs of everything, I have decided to go back to couponing, rebates, and sales. Well this week I am certainly glad I did. CVS, Walgreen's and Rite Aid all had phenomenal sales this week, many of which when combined with coupons, resulted in very little money, if any, out of my pocket, and much of the out of pocket money will be returned to me via rebates.
I will just share SOME of the deals I got this week at Rite Aid. I was very excited to find a 2-pack of newborn pacifiers on clearance for $1.99. In the past I have paid almost $4 for just 1, so this was a great deal that had not been on my shopping list. At one Rite Aid store there were store coupons good on school supplies. I got a 10 pack of PaperMate pens on sale for $0.99-$1 store coupon (free, plus overage) and a Mead composition book for $0.50-$1.50 store coupon (free, plus overage). I cannot complain about items that turn out to be better than free. Now for the planned purchases,
Renu Multiplus 2 pack (8oz bottles)
on sale for $9.99 with a $9.99 rebate and a $1 coupon=free plus overage
2pack GE Longlife light bulbs 100 watt
on sale for $2 with a $2 rebate=free
Gillette Fusion Phantom Plus Razor, plus bonus Fusion shaving gel
on sale for $9 with a $5 rebate and a $4 coupon=free
Clairol Nice N' Easy hair color
on sale for $7.49 with a $3.99 rebate, a $1.50 store coupon, and a $2 manufacturer's coupon=free
Charles Worthington shampoo, plus bonus leave-in conditioner
on sale for $4.99 with a $4.99 rebate (8/3-8/5 only)=free
Gilette Men's Shampoo
onsale for $4.49 with a $3.49 rebate and a $1 coupon=free
Infusium shampoo
on sale for $5.99 with a $1.99 rebate and a $3 coupon=$1
Revlon nail polish
on sale for $2.99 with a $2.99 rebate and a $1 coupon=free plus overage
Nature's Cure Acne Treatment, plus bonus 6 pens
on sale for $7.99 with $7.99 rebate=free
Old Spice disposable razors, plus bonus coupon for free can Old Spice shaving cream
on sale for $3.99 with $3.99 rebate=free
Olay face cleanser
on sale for $7.99 with $7.99 rebate and $1 coupon=free plus overage
In all, at Rite Aid alone, I spent $57.54 out of pocket, and will receive $54.41 back in rebates. That is $3.13 for $97.55 (plus the on package freebies of pens, conditioner and shaving gel) worth of products. To me this is something I have to do and when I get deals like this I wonder why I ever stopped doing it in the first place. My husband works very hard for our money and I love being able to stretch it out with good deals.
I will just share SOME of the deals I got this week at Rite Aid. I was very excited to find a 2-pack of newborn pacifiers on clearance for $1.99. In the past I have paid almost $4 for just 1, so this was a great deal that had not been on my shopping list. At one Rite Aid store there were store coupons good on school supplies. I got a 10 pack of PaperMate pens on sale for $0.99-$1 store coupon (free, plus overage) and a Mead composition book for $0.50-$1.50 store coupon (free, plus overage). I cannot complain about items that turn out to be better than free. Now for the planned purchases,
Renu Multiplus 2 pack (8oz bottles)
on sale for $9.99 with a $9.99 rebate and a $1 coupon=free plus overage
2pack GE Longlife light bulbs 100 watt
on sale for $2 with a $2 rebate=free
Gillette Fusion Phantom Plus Razor, plus bonus Fusion shaving gel
on sale for $9 with a $5 rebate and a $4 coupon=free
Clairol Nice N' Easy hair color
on sale for $7.49 with a $3.99 rebate, a $1.50 store coupon, and a $2 manufacturer's coupon=free
Charles Worthington shampoo, plus bonus leave-in conditioner
on sale for $4.99 with a $4.99 rebate (8/3-8/5 only)=free
Gilette Men's Shampoo
onsale for $4.49 with a $3.49 rebate and a $1 coupon=free
Infusium shampoo
on sale for $5.99 with a $1.99 rebate and a $3 coupon=$1
Revlon nail polish
on sale for $2.99 with a $2.99 rebate and a $1 coupon=free plus overage
Nature's Cure Acne Treatment, plus bonus 6 pens
on sale for $7.99 with $7.99 rebate=free
Old Spice disposable razors, plus bonus coupon for free can Old Spice shaving cream
on sale for $3.99 with $3.99 rebate=free
Olay face cleanser
on sale for $7.99 with $7.99 rebate and $1 coupon=free plus overage
In all, at Rite Aid alone, I spent $57.54 out of pocket, and will receive $54.41 back in rebates. That is $3.13 for $97.55 (plus the on package freebies of pens, conditioner and shaving gel) worth of products. To me this is something I have to do and when I get deals like this I wonder why I ever stopped doing it in the first place. My husband works very hard for our money and I love being able to stretch it out with good deals.
01 August 2008
I DO love my Dyson
Well we did finally end up getting a Dyson vacuum (we bought it, I did not win it) and I love it as much as I thought I would. It swivels on a ball so turning it is so easy. I also love that there are no bags to change and the suction on it is awesome. The hose stores inside the vacuum so it is never in the way. Of course it does have its faults as well, what doesn't? The canister is small so it has to be emptied just about every time I vacuum, but at least that is pretty easy too. It can be done with one hand and I never have to touch the yucky stuff that comes out of it.
If you have ever looked into buying a vacuum, the price tag can be a little scary, but rest assured it is worth every penny. Dyson also has a great warranty on their vacuums so you do not need to worry about replacing or fixing it in the next 5 years. There are also no belts or bags to ever have to buy again so that also helps offset the price. Watch for a sale and then jump in. You will not regret it. I just love my Dyson.
If you have ever looked into buying a vacuum, the price tag can be a little scary, but rest assured it is worth every penny. Dyson also has a great warranty on their vacuums so you do not need to worry about replacing or fixing it in the next 5 years. There are also no belts or bags to ever have to buy again so that also helps offset the price. Watch for a sale and then jump in. You will not regret it. I just love my Dyson.
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