Meal Plan Monday(or Tuesday....)

Since the holiday was yesterday, I took the day off from blogging! So, today I'll post our meal plan for the week.

Monday: Memorial day! We had a wonderful BBQ with family at my parents' house
Tuesday: BBQ london broil with box car potatoes and peas
Wednesday: Slow cooker buffalo chicken legs with buttered noodles and carrots
Thursday: Pan fried whiting fish with spinach and brown rice
Friday: Pizza night!
Saturday: Off to a free music feastival in the park of my hometown! BBQing with family again
Sunday: Mom's down day! Probably will eat leftover BBQ

ShopRite Deals 5/29 to 6/4

Fisherboy fishsticks- .99
use 1.00/1 coupon from 3/13SS- FREE

Mennen speed stick- 1.49
use .50/1 printable coupon doubled- .49
use .75/1 coupon from 5/22SS doubled- FREE

Hefty trash bags- 1.34
use 1.00/2 coupon from 4/10RP- .84 each
use .55/1 coupon from 4/10RP doubled- .24

Chinet plates- 1.34
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- .34
use .55/1 coupon from 4/17SS doubled- .24

Pepperidge Farm goldfish- 3 for 6.00(must buy 3)
use .75/2 printable coupon doubled- 1.50 each
buy 6, use 2 printable coupons doubled-.50 each
buy 6, use 3 printable coupons doubled- .25 each

This week's frugal link ups

These are some great posts I've come across the past few weeks within our frugal community and I thought you all might enjoy them.

Mommy Moment teaches bloggers how to put their own social media icons on their blogs...for free! Somehow I still messed it up, but that's me. Tech stuff makes me itchy no matter how free it is.

A Kludgy Mom lets us in on one of my favorite apps, gas buddy. I mentioned it during travel week but Gigi breaks it down to the nitty-gritty. And includes pictures.

Money Saving Mom puts up a guest post sharing 3 ways to cut down the meat in meals without decreasing nutrition. For veteran frugal mavens, these are tried and true tips.

James from Freakonomics tells us why he would never donate to a charity. Pretty interesting point of view and I caught myself nodding in agreement a few times.

If you love numbers, consider an online accounting degree to get into this fast-growing, well-paying field of study. Especially if you don't have time to go back to school full time, it is often a more frugal way to go. To begin your search, a great resource is GuideToOnlineSchools.com.

An about me VLOG?!

This week, I decided to participate in mama kat's writing workshops.  I love the ideas she gives us, and this week, she had a great idea for a vlog entry. I completely DISLIKE doing videos because I just blubber on and feel like a fool talking to something that doesn't talk back. But, the idea of an about me Vlog just made sense to me. So, here's my entry for the week and please forgive the blubbering and the million "umms". It's my first time.

And the winner is....

We have 2 winners to announce today! Thanks to everyone that entered the Food Should Taste Good giveaway and the Kung Fu Panda giveaway. And now, the winners:

The winner of the Food Should Taste Good snack pack is:

Entry number 9, Cheryl F.!

And the winner of the Kung Fu Panda prize pack is:

Entry number 2, Sonya!

Both winners were chosen through Random.org. Congratulations to Sonya and Cheryl F. and I have contacted them both for their information. If I don't get a response within 48 hours, I'll pick another winner.

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 30

Make it happen

It's the last day! This challenge was so much fun and very informative. A big thanks to Kristen for putting this together.

This last challenge seems simple enough. Everything that we learned, we need to continue past the month. I've learned some great new ways to communicate with my Husband, and I hope he's learned so new ways to communicate with me also. I have to say, this challenge has made me want to learn more with my spouse, whether it's a new game, a dance class we take together, or finally doing that marital seminar at church. It seems like we are good at doing these types of things together, and no matter how much we think we know how to interact with each other, there is always something we don't know. As the say goes, you don't know what you don't know, and if we can learn what we don't know together, I see our relationship lasting a long time.

Extreme couponing: do men do it better?

Two weeks ago, we were given the pleasure of meeting Chris, a Pennsylvania man going to school for ministry and who turns out to be one of the greatest couponers I've seen. In the original special, we also met Nathan, founder of weusecoupons.com and also a super couponer.  We were able to see them in all their glory, and even better, as extreme givers. Just from viewing thier two episodes, could we assume that Extreme Couponing is trying to show us that men just may do it better?

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 29

Go to bed together

We're almost done! This second to last challenge is a difficult one for us, especially during the week. Hubby is an early bird and I'm a night owl, so I tend to stay up at least 3 hours after he goes to bed. In order for this to happen, I'd have to go to bed with him, since he can't stay up any longer than he does. The problem won't be me going to bed at the same time, it's that I'll be laying there, eyes wide open, wanting to get up.  We have tried going to bed at the same time before, but I guess it's time to give it one more go.  If it doesn't work, we always have the weekend.

Want to try the Be a Better Spouse challenge? Click here to get started.

Travel Week- A Recap

I hope everyone enjoyed the travel week series and got at least one great piece of information out of it. If I can direct you to at least one money saving travel secret, then I feel like I've accomplished something.  For those that may have missed a part of the series, here are the posts in order:

Our vacation plans
Giveaway: Kung Fu Panda prize pack(ends tonight!)
Cheap vacation tips
Redweek review
Cheap vacation tips(part 2)
Cheap vacation tips(part 3)

Also, don't forget to enter to win a Box of Food Should Taste Good chips! I don't think I've ever been so excited to give away food. These snacks are to die for!

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 28

Read a self-help book(or blog)

This is a really interesting challenge. Usually I would say that I don't have the time to sit and do this, and well, I don't. But with the invention of the kindle app, I've been able to read books that I've wanted to sit and read while at the grocery store, doctor's office, at the base or in the car while Hubby drives us all over the place.  So, I think I will take Kristen up on this one. I have researched a few books about marriage that I've always wanted to read, so now is the time to review that list again. Kristen mentions her book and I've read a few reviews on it. It looks like it's mostly based around new moms trying to get back into the swing of things in their marriage right after delivery, so I may not be the right audience for that one. We also have great classes on marriage and communication at our church, but again, it's all about time with that one. With the kids and Hubby working and going to school at night, we've yet to make it to a session in 6 years. I do have a blog or two I frequent to read up on marital strategies so I'll continue to read those as well.

Meal Plan Monday

Monday: Grilled Cheese paninis with tomato and corn soup
Tuesday: Chicken and rice enchiladas with side salad
Wednesday: Crockpot cream cheese fish with brown rice and spinach
Thursday: BBQ london broil with macaroni and cheese and broccoli
Friday: Pizza night!
Saturday: Breakfast for dinner- whole wheat pancakes, strawberry syrup, sausage, eggs and fruit
Sunday: Happy Memorial Day weekend! Grilling out at my parents' house

Dessert: Banana nutella quesadillas(my mouth is watering)

Travel Week- Cheap Vacation Tips(part 3)

This is the last part of the Travel week series. If you missed any previous part, click here.

The final section of our series will focus on how we can eat like kings during our travels with staying on a pauper's budget.

Find out who's "on the take"
A little known secret about big vacation spots is that local restaurants or attractions actually offer payment to hotel staff if they send you their way. The doormen, check-in staff, and even the cleaning staff are all usually part of these deals.  Ask the staff and make sure to let them know that you're aware of the incentives they may receive. For example, if a lovely cleaning lady tells you about a great restaurant down the street, you can say "so, should I tell them that you sent us their way?" If they smile and say absolutely, then you know you've got them. The advantage to doing this is that if they are on "the take" they'll be happy to either call into the restaurant and get you reservations and discounts, or they may already have an agreement with the establishment to give whoever shows up from referral a special discount. Lobby attendants are the easiest to figure out when it comes to these tricks because they tend to always have acutal coupons for certain places right at the front desk. Since they will have quite a few discounts available, they can actually tell you which restaurants are worth your time. Even on vacation, it's all in who you know.

Be a better spouse challenge- Days 26 and 27

Get some rest

This was a perfect challenge to do on the weekend. We already have an agreement that on saturdays I am allowed to sleep in as long as I want, which stemmed from Hubby seeing how frazzled I get if I have to wake up with the kids 7 days a week. For those of you that follow me on facebook and twitter, you saw me mention how I missed out on the great weather Saturday because I slept in. I had no qualms missing it though; the weekdays really take a beating on me sometimes and I need a good recharge. Hubby doesn't really have the ability to sleep in since his body wakes him up at 6am, no matter if he has work or not. But, I do make sure to let him take a nap or at least rest back in our bedroom sometime during the weekend.

Find the core issue

This was a tough one to do on this particular day since we had so much to do within one day(family breakfast, church, bowling tournament) so the kids would already be an issue, and little did I know, my fatigue would too. We ended up having a tiff, OK a full-blown argument, by the end of the day and it was basically from how tired I was from the day and some other little annoyances he managed to do during the day. The "tea kettle" in me unfortunately lets this happen every once in a while, which is one of the reasons I wanted to do this challenge.  We still haven't talked about it; he fell asleep while I was cleaning up the kitchen and this morning he was running late, so no time to talk about it before work. Maybe I'll e-mail him later today and he can read it during his lunch break or something. We both know what our "core issues" are already, it's just a point of acknowledging them when they cause a strife during the day.

Travel Week- Cheap Vacation Tips(part 2)

If you missed the last installment, click here

Today we'll discuss some of great ways to keep within your budget on lodging and food while on vacation.

Finding the perfect place to stay when planning a vacation can be just as nerve-racking as figuring out how you'll get to your destination.  You want to be able to treat yourself, but you don't want most of your vacation budget to just go to where you will lay your head at night. Here are a few ideas I've tried when planning our summer trips.

ShopRite Deals 5/22 to 5/28

NEW! Borden cheese sensations- .99
use 1.00/1 coupon from 5/22SS- FREE(thanks readers!)

McCormick grill mates(jar version)- 1.00
use .75/1 coupon from 4/10RP doubled- FREE

Mueller's elbow macaroni- 1.00
use 1.00/1 printable coupon(sign up and click link in e-mail sent to you)- FREE

Heluva good dip- 1.49
use .50/1 printable coupon doubled- .49
use .75/1 coupon from 5/15SS(DND5)- FREE

Ball Park franks- 1.69
use 1.00/2 coupon from 5/1RP(DND5)- 1.19 each
use .75/1 printable coupon(should be for ANY ball park frank) doubled- .19

A big win for frugal moms and formula

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of storebrandformula.com for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's no secret that I have 2 wonderful, healthy children. But one aspect of their growth I may not have discussed is that they are both formula-fed babies. I was able to breastfeed them both for the first few months of their lives, but due to medical reasons, I had to stop around their 3rd and 2nd month, respectively.

This is why I am so grateful for good quality baby formula. I have to admit with our Son, I was convinced that the brand name, expensive formulas were the best for him and exceeded our budget in order to get him top notch nourishment. Store brand formulas were a no-no and I was so convinced that they were sub-par; I mean, that's what all the name brand formulas were telling mothers, so it must be true, right? By the time our little girl came around, I knew better.

Recently, Store brand infant formulas won a major victory when a U.S. Circuit Court upheld a $13.5 million false advertising claim against Mead Johnson, the makers of Enfamil. Mead Johnson had been publishing false advertisements stating that their product was superior to store brand formula. The truth is, because of strict laws, all formula needs to provide the same nutrients to babies, whether it's a store or name brand.

Why is this a win  for frugal parents? Store brands are obviously more budget-friendly than most name brands. As parents, we want to offer the best of everything to our children, and that includes what they ingest. Thanks to this ruling, we know that we can stick to a budget by buying the store brand and still give our children all that is required for them to grow and be healthy.

more information  can be found on Business Week.

Do any of you parents give, or gave, formula to your children? Were you customers of store brands or did you feel the need to be brand loyal?

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 25

Saying sorry

This is a challenge that will be so hard to do. Not because we don't say sorry here, we do. The problem is the way we say it. Either Hubby or I could be sorry about an argument or some quick tiff that pops up, but we are too quick to say an apology. What's worse, they apology comes out in a firm, angry tone because we just want to give up the "sorry" as soon as possible and move on. Even if we are still upset about the situation. Kristen makes a point of saying that taking a breath or two before the apology is key, and I think that's what we need to do here. They would come out in a better tone and they would seem heartfelt to the other person, rather than seeming like a necessity in order to end the conversation.

Travel Week- Redweek review

One of the biggest expenses when it comes to a great vacation is where to stay. Even when our family travels just to see the in-laws, we always realize that our biggest expense while we are there will be the price of the hotel. Even with my military discount, and booking the reservation through ebates, it can still sometimes bust our vacation budget.

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 24

Be spontaneous

This is most definitely a hard one to do and I have to admit, I didn't do it today. I just couldn't! We are ruled by our routine here and if it isn't followed, things fall apart. I do plan to try this sometime this weekend though. I don't know what I'll be doing, but I guess that's the spontaneous part. The sad thing is, if Hubby ever tried something spontaneous with me, I'd be upset! I'm weird like that. Anywhoo, I hope this challenge went well for you all.

Food Should Taste Good review and giveaway!

I have a secret addiction: I'm addicted to chips. Kettle, sour cream and onion, whatever; I love them all.  The unfortunate thing about having this addiction is that my thighs love them too. They tend to swell with anticipation from just the thought of eating a few handfuls of crunchy delight. I think I lucked out when I found Food Should Taste Good at the grocery store.

One of my local grocery stores had them on sale so I decided to give them a go. I read the back of the bag and really got excited. Gluten Free? All ingredients I can pronounce? High fiber and low in cholesterol? Sounds good so far. My only issue was the vast amounts of flavors. You can't go wrong with a sweet potato or blue corn ship, but The works was calling my name too. I settled on the blue corn and olive varieties, just to tickle my fancy. That weekend, instead of having our usual buttered popcorn or kettle chips during movie night, we tried out the olive chips. Fantastic taste and I didn't feel bad about the amount I ate. It peaked Hubby's interest and he asked what kind of chips they were. I showed him the bag and he replied "the name is kind of silly, but the chips are really good." Silly? Well, yeah, but so is the word didgeridoo and those are awesome. I rest my case.

After that encounter, I just had to contact the company and let them know how we felt about the product. They not only thanked me for responding, but asked if I'd like a box of chips mailed to me for a review on my blog. Uh Yeah! I was almost embarassed to get it, since I had started a small stockpile of the chips already. Then I got over myself, and decided to try any flavors we hadn't tried and pay it forward to my readers!

So, one person will win a box of Food Should Taste Good chips from my own personal stockpile! Included in the box are these wonderful flavors:
Blue Corn
Olive
White Cheddar(hubby's fave)
Sweet potato(my fave)

Run over to Food Should Taste Good's facebook page and like them. Leave them a note on their wall and let them know 4 Hats and Frugal sent you! Leave me a comment here letting me know that you liked them. Don't forget to leave a junk e-mail if you aren't part of google or blogger!

Contest will be open until 11:59pmEST on Wednesday, May 25th. One entry per household.

*Disclaimer: Food Should Taste Good sent me product for review, but the actual giveaway prize is directly from 4 Hats and Frugal.

Travel Week- Cheap Vacation Tips

For the first time in 3 years, over 60% of Americans are reporting that they will be taking acutal vacations this year instead of opting for the "staycation." Along with vacation planning, is planning to lose lots of your savings trying to make a memorable trip. This doesn't have to be the case. There are many ways to enjoy a high-class, fun vacation on a dime. The idea that a great vacation equals a great amount of money is a thing of the past. Here are a few tips I've learned over the years on how to keep traveling budget friendly but make the most out of your time away.

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 23

Get away

This is one of my favorite challenges because we already do this lol. We are so lucky and blessed to have my parents just two towns over and thank goodness, they love having the kids over. They actually make us come over every sunday for dinner. Truthfully, I know that it doesn't matter if Hubby and I even go; all they care about is seeing the kids at least once a week.

We also get lucky that Hubby's family in Ohio loves to see the kids and whenever we visit, my Mother-in-law practically steals my children and keep them with her during the whole visit. We make a point to ask her if she'd like us to take them off of her hands at any point, but we get shooed away and she basks in the crying, crankiness that is my children.  Kristen says to make a point of planning some time away with just each other, and even if that doesn't happen until 2012, at least start the planning to get the fire sparked.  We'll be taking our trip together for a blog conference this summer and will be alone for at least 2 and a half days. I'm pretty excited about that and so is hubby even though he'll be spending lots of time in the room waiting for me to get out of classes.

Want to try the Be a Better Spouse challenge? Click here to get started.

Travel week giveaway- Kung Fu Panda prize pack!

When traveling with kids, you have to make sure they stay entertained. A bored kid can equal an annoying kid and a much annoyed parent.  We were lucky enough to get a portable DVD player as a Christmas gift a few years ago, and thank goodness we did. We've been able to keep Sonny Boy occupied with his favorite movies and TV shows.

This is why I'm so glad that MyBlogSpark contacted me with this awesome giveaway. The Kung Fu Panda/Dreamworks team has partnered with General Mills to celebrate their new movie Kung Fu Panda 2.  They are including a cool spin fighter toy with select General Mills cereals and there are cut outs of the characters on the back of boxes. Kids can have a ball shooting the targets with the fighter toy! What a great activity to do while at a rest stop or waiting for food at a restaurant!

MyBlogSpark, Dreamworks and General Mills are offering a great prize pack to one lucky reader! You'll get one of General Mill's cereals with the Kung Fu Panda theme and fighter toy. You'll ALSO get a copy of the original Kung Fu Panda movie! Here's how to enter:

Leave a comment on this post letting me know what your child's, or your, favorite cartoon movie is. Are you a Disney person? Has Pixar gotten your attention these past couple of years? How about those Looney Tunes? I'm curious!

Please make sure to use your google screen name to enter so I can contact you through e-mail without you advertising it. If you don't have a google account, please leave a junk e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

This contest will be open until Tuesday,  May 24th at 11:59pm EST. Good Luck all!

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 22

Business time

Well, I figured Kristen would get to this eventually. Um, sexy time. Yup, she's making us go there. Obviously, i'm not going to give you all the blow by blow...ahem...of this, but we will make sure to work on this the rest of the week. That's all I'm gonna say about that. Feel free to NOT leave comments on this particular assignment. It won't hurt my feelings lol.

Travel Week- Our vacation plans

This year will be full of new experiences for our family when it comes to travel. We always do the usual trip or two to my in-laws in Ohio, but this year we decided to make some experiences that Sonny Boy will remember for a long time. Also, he'll be spending half the summer at home with me(camp won't start until mid-July) so we all will need some real breaks.

Be a better spouse challenge- Days 20 and 21

Find a hobby

I do love this challenge but I have to admit, once I thought about it, it was very hard to do.  I considered my grocery hounding and blogging a hobby, but once I decided to take both to a higher level and be a little more serious about them I really can't consider them as hobbies.  That means that I have to really think of something I want to do. Once I did actually think about it, I realized that I do already have a hobby I take up when I need a break. I even told you all about it in a post awhile back.  So, whenever I need a break, I can treat myself to a coffee or tea at Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, use their free WIFI and play words with friends in peace.

Meal Plan Monday!

It's going to be a pretty easy week. I'm going to make a double batch of chili and use part of it for taco potatoes the next day. I'll even use the dried pinto beans twice and make red beans and rice with some of them.

Monday: Grilled Chicken Parmesan with buttered noodles and side salad
Tuesday: Slow cooker chili with cornbread
Wednesday: Taco potatoes with a side of broccoli
Thursday: Red beans and rice with side salad
Friday: Pizza night!
Saturday: Shrimp fried rice with egg drop soup
Sunday: Annual Family bowling competition! We'll be eating "fun" food at the bowling alley and battling my cousins in a tournament lol

Dessert of the week: Banana nut sticky buns(a new recipe I put together. If it works out, I'll post it for ya!)

Travel Week!

With the upcoming vacation season, I know that we all want to figure out how we can take advantage of our time off without spending most of our summer salary.  These past few years, my husband and I have figured out some great strategies to having wonderful experiences and not breaking the budget.

This week, I decided to dedicate my posts to all things travel.  I'll share with you all what we are planning to do this summer when it comes to family vacations, and how we'll keep it frugal. I also have 2 reviews of some great products that will help you stay on track this summer and help you find great destinations on a dime.  I'll also be doing a giveaway for those moms and dads that have to travel with kids. I just might have a cool giveaway for those without kids as well. We'll see! I have a new recipe that will take you to Spain but on a pauper's budget. Also, I'll be giving you a post with lots of references of online guides for all things travel.

I hope you all are as excited as I am!  I'll see you all tomorrow with our first post.

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 19

Be Thankful

I do love how nice and naughty Kristen gets with this challenge, but she does have a good point. It's always nice to have anyone say thank you to you, so why not have your spouse or significant other say it to you every once in a while.  I do agree that it's also nice to show you appreciation as well, whether that's a hug, a peck or...whatever else you may want to do.  I try to do this as much as possible since I know that my husband really does appreciate when I acknowledge that hard work he does outside and inside the home. We both deserve the praise and we both need to be the ones to give it to each other.

Want to try the Be a Better Spouse challenge? Click here to get started.

ShopRite Deals 5/15 to 5/21

NEW! Combat ant traps- 1.49
use 2.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Texas toast croutons- .99
use .50/1 coupon from 4/3SS doubled- FREE

Colgate toothpaste- .99(with an additional 10.00 purchase)
use .75/1 coupon from 5/1SS doubled- FREE

Diet Pepsi 2L- 5 for 5.00(must buy 5)
use .55/1 coupon from 3/6SS doubled- FREE

Comfort 3 BIC razors- 1.99
use 3.00/1 coupon from 4/10SS- FREE

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 18

Eat together

I just now noticed that blogger "ate" my friday post for this series so I guess I have to write it again....

I love this challenge because we already do it! 6 out of 7 nights a week we all eat dinner together, but usually after we put the kids to bed, we like to have a dessert together. We do this at least 2 or 3 times a week. Whether it's fresh fruit or some special dessert I made for the week, we like to just sit together, have a chat and eat it together.  Whatever dessert I feature in my Meal Plan Mondays is usually what we nosh on together after dinner. I think it's one of the most fun things we do together because we always end up talking about something lighthearted or making each other laugh in some way. Since we can't always get out to have a proper dinner-date, this is the next best thing for us.

Extreme couponing: questions and answers part 2

If you missed the last installment, reader Lenny asked some wonderful questions about couponing and I decided it would be best to break them up into a few posts. Click here to view the last post.

Today, we'll delve into the second part of Lenny's question:

I think my main question at the moment is when to know the best time to use your coupon is, trying to utilize it at the lowest price offered over a given period of time.

This is a great question and very easy to answer. Coupons should be thought of as a deck of cards, and like in the game of poker, you have to wait for a great hand to pop up in order to win big.  One of the biggest mistakes that beginners make is they get the Sunday paper, they see the coupon and then use it right away on a product that isn't even on sale.  To attain that perfect hand, you have to hold on the coupons and wait to use them when a price is at rock bottom or close to it.

How do you know if it's rock bottom? Keep a price list. When you get the circular for your store each week, take out a notebook and write down the prices of the items you use the most. Do this every week for 12 weeks. This is called a sales cycle. Prices tend to circulate in a 12 week rotation, so within that 12 weeks you will see the lowest price those items will reach at least once. Once you know your sales cycles, you'll know how long you need to hold on to those great coupons.

The best part about being a frugal shopper these days is that if you don't have time to do all of this, there is someone on the internet that is willing to do it for you. Sites that list coupon match ups(like I do for ShopRite) keep track of sales cycles, and the best ones will let you know when you need to stock up on items, even meat and produce.  Please take advantage of these sites. It will save you some sanity and help to get you acclimated to using coupons at the right times. The main equation for extreme savings is: saved coupon+lowest price= free or cheap items.

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 17

Give them space

This is something that I make sure to do for hubby but I tend to not do for myself. By the time he catches on that I need space, it's usually too late and somebody ends up upset.  The idea of catching me before I explode was also brought up during out last anniversary conversation. He's been doing well with reminding me to get my space, and I continue to do the same. I really benefit from 10 minutes of peace, whether it's sitting in the bathroom on the side of the tub or running to just sit in the car and catch up on e-mails. I even ran away from home one time just to attain some type of sanity during a hard day.

Swaggrabber is celebrating! $5,000 in prizes!

Swaggrabber is one of my favorite sites to find great online deals. Sheri is quite a deal hound; sniffing out some of the best finds for super cheap.

Well, Swaggrabber is celebrating! They've reached 7,000 friends on facebook and Sheri is giving away over 5,000 dollars in prizes today. Want in on the action? Like Swaggrabber on facebook and keep an eye on the page all day for updates on when the giveaways go live. It's already close to 11am and she's given away 3 prizes already!

While you're on facebook, hop on over to the 4 Hats and Frugal page and like me too ;).

Good luck to you all and I hope you have fun today!

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 16

Listen

Sounds easy, right? This I have to admit, is something I struggle with. I HEAR him, but I seldom listen. He knows this though, and if it's something really important, he always asks me if I heard what he said. If I didn't, I'm truthful and say no. Then the cycle begins again.  The issue is that I look him straight in the face when he talks, but I hear the long list of things I have to do in my head instead of what's coming out of his mouth. He's a bit of the opposite. He'll sit on the couch, staring at the TV while I jabber about something important, and I'm sure he didn't hear a word I said. I'll ask him, he'll say he did, and then go ahead and reiterate everything I mentioned and listed. It embarasses and amuses me each time he does it. So, I guess he is the better listener in the relationship and I do have to work on this. Granted, I have been working on it for about 5 years, but I'm sure I'll get it eventually. Maybe this month is the month I finally learn to clear my mind and take in what he's actually saying to me. Maybe.

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 15

Say what you mean

Halfway through! I have to say, I've learned a good amount just from these past 15 days and can't wait to see how the second half goes.

Kristen has us piggyback on the day 14 challenge. Saying what we mean is something that I have no issue doing, even if I sound like a jerk saying it, but my husband does have a problem with it. He likes to just say that everything is fine and go about his business, but because I know him, I can see when an issue is really bothering him no matter what he may say to me.  Because of this, I asked hubby to work on this during day 15. Nothing really came up where he needed to do it, so at the end of the day I asked him if he could at least implement this for the next two weeks. He agreed and we shall see how it turns out.

Want to try the Be a Better Spouse challenge? Click here to get started.

Extreme couponing: questions and answers

Since the extreme couponing show has popped up on TLC, I've gotten lots of questions from friends and family, and even some from new readers who'd like to know the ins and outs of coupon usage from a sane person. Here is a question from a reader:

Do-it-yourself hair

One of our biggest expenses before we became frugal was my "feminine up-keep." Manicures and pedicures, acrylic tips, hair appointments every 2 weeks and spa appointments every 3 months kept us in the red constantly.  I was working a 50 to 60 hour job, plus doing my weekend time at the military base, so it would seem like the money would be there for all of these things, but it just wasn't. And I had it in my mind that I needed all of these things.

Once I can to my senses, and lost my time-consuming job, I figured out that these necessities were frivolous wants. The main one that irked me so was my hair.  I had found a wonderful hair stylist, who I actually modeled for quite a bit, and he's known as one of the best in the business for my hair type. The issue was that he was 30 to 40 minutes away from where we lived, and once I got there, it cost to park our car. It also took about half of my day from me from the traveling to and from, and waiting for hours to get my hair coiffed. I did this every 2 weeks. After all expenses, it took about 100 dollars out of our budget twice a month. Now, any woman can tell you that a good stylist is so hard to find, and any woman of color can tell you that a stylist who can work with coarse, kinky hair is even harder to find. But I had to find a better solution, and fast.

First, I realized that my short hair was a problem. To keep it up and keep the length, I had to go get it cut every two weeks. So, out with the short and time to grow it longer.  I also invested in a book that could tell me how to take care of my particular type of hair at home. I've made back that investment 10-fold since. With a little internet research, help from hubby when it's time to relax my hair(he used to work at his Dad's salon) and a little planning for a designated "hair day" every week, we've saved and estimated 4,800 hundred dollars since I stopped going to the stylist.

Here are a few tips I've learned about do-it-yourself hair:
1. Hair color is always on sale...somewhere, and it's easier than ever to do. I actually don't color my hair because my particular type doesn't do well to over-the-counter dyes, but I've talked to other frugalistas that swear by the box coloring from the drugstores. The new foam application ones seems to be the biggest hit. So, don't be afraid to try it, and if you are, all coloring kits have 1-800 numbers to call for step by step help from the company.

2. Be creative; if you don't like a style you can always take it out and not feel guilty about the money you may be wasting.  Also, because you know what you like and don't, you can expiriment with ideas that just may stick and keep away from the crazy ones you may see celebrities doing in magazines. You know, the ones that stylists try to convince you to do to go with you "beautiful cheekbones" or "the faaabulous shape of your eyes."

3. Pay attention to the people around you; they may have hidden talents! When I was younger, we never went to the stylist. My aunt went to beauty school, so she did our hair. I've never had anyone do it as well as she did since then. Now, I have my husband put in my relaxer every 6 weeks. I found out after we were married that he used to work in his Dad's salon and he used to always do the relaxers for his grandmother and aunt when he lived with them. I had a professional right at my finger tips for years and didn't know it. Ask around; you may find a friend or family member who can help you stretch your budget and keep you pretty at the same time.

4. When all else fails, find a beauty school! This is a great hidden tip. Beauty schools are constantly looking for customers to work on and the best part is that it is usually FREE or super cheap. The only downside is that it may take a bit longer to get things done since they want to make sure they do it right, but it WILL be done right. You have a student eager to learn and a teacher who has been in the business looking over the shoulders of the students. We have a beauty school right near our home and I now go there for manicures and pedicures when I have the time. For 10 bucks I get both done wonderfully. I've seen the work they do with hair and every woman that leaves looks so glamorous and has the biggest smile on their faces. Wouldn't you if you got a 150 cut and color for free?

Looking for a few ways to do your hair yourself? One of my favorite new sites is called beautylish. They recently did a great post on brunch hair for Easter. These ideas would also work for any weddings, bridal or baby showers you have coming up.

How about you all? Do you go to get your hair professionally done or have you found a way to do things yourself?

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 14

Ask for what you need

I think this is one of the easiest challenges.  If we can ask for what we need in a material fashion, why should it be hard to ask for it when it comes to feelings? This is something that I don't know everyday, but do bring up on occasion just to remind Hubby of what I really need from him. I think Kristen wants us to do this every time we think of something to share, but for some reason that just doesn't sit well with me. I like taking the time out to bring it up every once in a while and really talking in depth about it.  Even though it probably won't be, I feel like it may turn into a nag-fest. I do appreciate the idea of telling how you feel asking for what you want in return. It does work around here.

Want to try the Be a Better Spouse challenge? Click here to get started.

Meal Plan Monday!

I made dinner, cleaned up and sat down to catch up on an old magazine and realized....I didn't post our plan for this week! Here it is:

Monday: Chicken Alfredo primavera with side salad
Tuesday: Homemade Salisbury steak with gravy, mashed potatoes and green peas
Wednesday: Baked ravioli with side salad and garlic bread
Thursday: Brown butter tilapia with brown rice and lentils
Friday: Pizza night! I have some fresh mozzarella I got for .99, so we'll have pizza Margherita
Saturday: Off to a 50th birthday party
Sunday: Dinner at my parents house

Dessert of the week: fresh fruit! We have mangoes, bananas, oranges and apples to get through
(P.S.- I had half a mango sprinkled with kosher salt today....absolute heaven! Salty, sweet, yum!)

Be a better spouse challenge- Days 12 and 13

Day 12: Tech turn off

Whoa Nelly, this is a hard one! Kristen does make a point of saying that if we couldn't do this particular challenge on this particular day, that it was OK. We still should plan a day where we will eliminate all tech gadgets from being on for at least 5 to 8pm.  We couldn't do this on Saturday because Hubby went out with friends and didn't get in until late. Today is mother's day, so we won't be home this evening.  I'm thinking of scheduling this time for next Friday, when we won't have to worry about vegging out in front of TV, phones, etc. in order to unload the day.  Plus, we can spend that time talking about all the things that happened during the week and maybe do something fun with the kids without the use of leapster or baby Einstein.

Day 13: Reach out and touch that someone

This challenge isn't really a challenge for us. We tend to do these things quite a bit. One tip I learned at church when we were first married is the importance of touch. Not in a, ahem, really personal way, but in a way to show your better half that you are sincere. When asking for help with something or telling Hubby about a great thing that happened during the day or that he did, I always proceed to give him a touch on the arm, shoulder, hand, etc. It personalizes the comment and the brain actually connects the phrase or question said with the great feeling a touch gives the body. Also, Hubby is a big burly guy, and well, I'm not, so he tends to pick me up like the kids every once in a while, just to keep me on my toes. I do agree with Kristen; this is great for the kids to see. Sonny gets a kick out of it every time and now Duchess does too. It makes them happy to see Mommy and Daddy "play" the way we each interact with them.

My frugal Mother's day

This holiday is something that I love and loathe at the same time. Mostly because Mothers should be celebrated all year! Also, because no matter how much I try not to get excited about the day, I still do, hoping that I'll get something amazing or have a great day. After a few years of being a mother under my belt, I've decided to let the day be and see where it takes us. If I end up doing all my usual "mom" things all day, oh well. If I don't, then that's great too. Today and yesterday, I took the reins a bit and decided to turn this holiday into a frugal but fun one for me. Here are a few things we did that made the holiday a success(so far).

ShopRite Deals 5/8 to 5/14

Similac ready to feed formula- 4 for 19.99(must buy 4)
use 4 5.00/1 coupons from 4/3SS- 4 FREE

Degree deodorant-  .98
use 1.00/1 coupon from 4/17RP- FREE

Allen's frozen vegetables- .99
use .55/1 coupon from 3/6RP doubled- FREE

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 11

The feeling formula

I really liked this particular challenge. It is sometimes difficult to place your feelings at the beginning of an issue with your mate or spouse. Most of us usually say "you left your socks on the floor again. Can you please not do that? It annoys me."

Pandora's radio box

One of our biggest passions here in this house is music.  When Sonny was home with me, we had music mondays and even Hubby is a music producer.  It's in our blood and we do love to make a song out of anything, which has been helpful with a crying, teething baby taking over the house.

Mother's Day? Already?!

Since Easter just past, It's hard to wrap my brain around the fact that mother's day is this coming weekend. Where did the time go?  It seems like every year it gets a bit harder to find gifts for the 6 women in our lives, not including me!

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 10

Let them parent

This is one thing that I had such a hard time with when Sonny was younger. Once I got off of maternity leave and needed to start back up at the Base, I just panicked over the idea of leaving him with his father. I never knew why; he's a great person and a wonderful dad, but I just was so afraid of him doing something "wrong" with our child. Whether it was a change in Sonny's schedule, Daddy giving him the worst food while I was gone, or having them both lay around in underwear all day, I just couldn't handle the thoughts.

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 9

Change your definition of equal

This is what Kristen has to say at the start of this challenge:

"The logical part of me thinks "two people = 50/50" when it comes to a relationship, but I can't say I've ever actually seen that happen. Someone else is always giving more. Or taking more. And it's never really even.
That's not a bad thing. Life is fluid. So are relationships. You can't split everything 50/50. I just don't think it's humanly possible."

Be a better spouse challenge- Day 8

Pick your battles

I think this may be the first challenge that I've all the magazines, TV shows and marriage gurus talk about most.  This is also something we worked on quite a bit during the first two years of our marriage. With a newborn running the show, we just didn't have the time or the option to argue about silly things. And now, with another kid under the belt, we have even less time to spend on arguing, especially over petty things. Just to follow along with the challenge, I did think about what things I can just let go and not use to create drama. My husband is much better at this than I am, but after the years I've learned how to let these things roll off my shoulders as well. There were a few new issues that I decided to not argue over anymore. I think since I'm going to commit to putting those on the back-burner, it should give us both more peace of mind.

Want to try the Be a Better Spouse challenge? Click here to get started.

Meal Plan Monday!

I'm actually getting this up on time this week! I guess it's because I already had it figured out last week so it's easy to just sit down, type it out and add the links this week. Planning ahead is awesome! lol

Monday: Homemade fish sticks with brown rice and sweet peas
Tuesday: Slow cooker stuffed cabbage with homemade wheat rolls
Wednesday: Lazy Mom's potato soup
Thursday: Cinco De Mayo! Shredded beef tacos with all the fixins! Sopapilla cheesecake for dessert!
Friday: Pizza night! Gonna have super cheap frozen pizza I got during triple coupon sale last week
Saturday: Celebrating Mother's Day! Hubby is taking me out somewhere for dinner...yay!
Sunday: Mother's Day! We'll be having whatever MY Mom wants for the day. She's the Queen, ya know...

Dessert of the week: Sopapilla cheesecake

Be a better spouse challenge- Days 6 and 7

Day 6- Say Goodnight

Seems simple enough, right? Just offer a good night to your spouse before you end the day. I have to admit, this is something that we just don't do around here. We(well, I) always kiss the kids good night, but we seldom do this for each other. We do always say good-bye when leaving each other for the day, but good night is something that we tend to skip for some reason. We do go to bed at different times, sometimes 3 to 4 hours of a difference, so "good night" may seem relative. I do think that we need to start making this a priority. Whenever we do say good night, it always puts a smile on our faces, so why wouldn't we do it everyday? It's a simple thing to do but it makes a good huge difference in how we interact with each other.

Day 7- Make a pledge of respect

This challenge was a very good learning experience. Hubby and I actually talked this one out for a bit, because it was something that we both felt passionate about and it happened to be part of our Pastor's sermon on Sunday.  Kristen asks us to answer 3 questions:

1. How are when will you fight? Disagree?
2. How will you speak to each other?
3. Any "code" words, signs, messages, that you can give so the other knows to back off?

We pretty much knew all the answers to these questions, but it was great to get everything all out on the table and make the rules official.

Want to try the Be a Better Spouse challenge? Click here to get started.

In the news today....

In the past 10 years, my life as a military woman has been so eventful; whether it was leaving home for the first time, shooting my very first gun, and oh yeah, fighting in a war against terrorism. I have to say that today is one of the best days I've ever had as a Servicewoman.