Friday Frugal Tip - Saving at Costco

You may be wondering if I have a membership to Costco or the like. For a few years I enjoyed a Costco membership as a yearly Christmas gift from my step-father. I didn't pay for it and was grateful for the generous gift. I had never gone before and was impressed with the quality of products. Later our Christmas gift idea changed so I had to decide if I wanted to pay for a membership or not. At that time, there were only two or three of us in our family so I felt that paying for a membership was not as cost effective for me. Plus I was ramping up on coupon shopping and wanted to see where that would take me.

After my membership ended, we learned that you can still shop at Costco without being a member. How? Costco cash cards! I used to pay my mom to buy a cash card for me and then I would be able to shop there for the few things that I felt that the price and quality could only be attained at Costco. Using the cash card kept me on a budget since I only had a set amount of money on the card, I had to think of everything I was buying and how much it would add up to at the register. (Later I learned that you can use your debit card if your purchase goes over the cash card amount. I knew that you could probably do that for members but I didn't know you could do that for non-members.)

This cash card system worked for me for about 2 years. The only downfall with this system is that you can't use the many Costco services like the tire center, photo center, or shopping online. (Although you could still use the pharmacy since legally you don't have to be a member to use the pharmacy.)

Now that my family has almost 5 members, I have now decided to bite the bullet and buy a membership. I was able to get a "discount" membership through my step-father's business so it's not as expensive as it could have been. Since I'm attached to the business membership, he renews each year at his own will.

If I had gotten a membership on my own I have an idea on how to extend the membership one more month (someone please tell me if this works). Memberships renew the moment you pay for the next year. So if you're membership renews in January and you pay for another year on January 1st, then anyone that did not renew with you on January 1st is kicked off the membership. (I learned that the hard way when my step-father renewed and I thought I had until the end of the month to use my membership. After a few phone calls and finagling, I was able to stay on the membership for my last shopping trip that was at the end of the month.) Okay so here's my idea: Buy the initial membership in January (or whatever month) then go shopping on the last day of the month so you're stocked up for a while. The next time you need to go to Costco, renew your membership at that time. Now your membership expires in February (or whatever month you end up going back in.) I'm not sure if this idea works but it's worth a try. You might have to get a new membership number since you let your membership lapse, or Costco might just retroactively renew your membership from the renewal month. Someone try it and let me know! UPDATE: From the comment that Emily gave, looks like my idea to extend your membership a month or more won't work. Darn!

One more idea...
Costco stores only let you use your debit card or Amex. I seriously considered going to Sam's Club instead since they let you use a Discover card. I always use Discover card to build up the cashback bonus award and track my spending. What was I going to do? Well...Costco.com lets you use a Discover card. :) Now I use my membership to buy Costco cash cards online (with free shipping) using my Discover. I build up my cash back bonus award and still get to shop at Costco. Also, since I use the cash card, I still have the budget mentality that I only have a certain amount on the cash card. It works for me and it can work for you. How many times have you been able to get out of Costco under $100? Try the cash card system and you'll see.

P.S. - An obvious way to save money while shopping at Costco is to shop during their food sampling hours. Fill yourself up with appetizers so you won't eat so much at home!

02/02/09...Are we already starting the 7-year itch?

What were you doing 7 years ago today? If you knew me and Darrell at that time I hope you were attending our wedding festivities! It was (of course) a great day. People tell me that it was such a cold day but I don't even remember the coldness, my heart was warm and my head was in the clouds.

Happy Anniversary Darrell! I love you more than words can say.

7 1/2 years ago I made a website for the wedding. The website has long since been removed but I still have some of the content. Here is a clip of what I wrote:

Our Story

Heather's Version
I met him when I was in High School. He's two years older than me in school. I was a junior and he had already graduated. We had a mutual friend named Christian. Christian kept telling me about this "rad guitar player" named Darrell. So I had heard a lot about him. We finally met on February 22, 1997 at a small party that my friend Marie was having. Christian brought him along, he introduced him to all of my friends. We said "so this is the Darrell we've heard so much about!" Later we were all thinking "Christian didn't tell us he was cute!"

We got to be good friends. We would hang out all the time. We never dated or did anything of that sort since he was preparing for a mission, and I was having fun in High School. He left for his mission to Catania Italy on November 5, 1997. I went to go see him off at the MTC, and that was the first time he hugged me.

The next two years I wrote to him, the first year every once in a while, then for the second year, about every week. I wasn't "the girl he left behind" but if he had one, then I would be it. I still stayed in contact with his family, I'd hang out with some of his siblings, and friends.

He served his two years came home on November 18, 1999. I saw him the day after he came home, and the minute he saw me he ran up and hugged me. I only stayed at his house for 1/2 an hour, since I already had plans for the evening. The next day was the U of U vs. BYU football game. I went down to Provo with the Crimson Line, to watch, and perform at the game. The game was so awesome, that I lost my voice. I was cheering so loud for the U of U, and WE WON!!! The whole bus ride home, my friends were asking me how it went with my "missionary." I talked my voice to death, and the next day I had no voice. The next day happened to be Sunday, his Homecoming. I just smiled most of the day, since I couldn't talk. Everyone was at his house to welcome him home, but he told me later, the only person he wanted to be with was me.

Four days from he being home, the day after his Homecoming, he told me he loved me. I didn't know what to say, I guess I was scared. I was so confused about him and everything else. I had never told any boy that I loved him, so I wasn't going say that phrase lightly. He wanted to date right away, but I told him that he was still "weird" from being on his mission, so after he got settled into his own life, we could talk about ours.

We stayed friends for November and December. I was confused, and he thought I had rejected him. Finally on January 5, 2000, I invited him to go to lunch with me. We went to my house afterwards and had our "DTR" (Define the Relationship.) I was ready to date him now, to pursue a relationship. Our courtship was bliss. My mom told us that we should write a book about "How to Be Romantic." Darrell and I were always giving each other little notes and compliments.

On July 24, 2000, we had our first big talk about marriage. We both knew we wanted to marry each other, but just didn't know when. On October 17, 2000, we decided on February 2, 2002. We prayed about it, and knew it was the right date.

He gave me the ring and proposed officially on December 2, 2000, to find out how he proposed, go to The proposal [Pasted below]. We were engaged for 14 months. Everyone thought we were crazy for waiting so long, but we knew we could do it! Before we were engaged everyone kept asking us when we were going to get married, so instead of dating for two years, and making everyone wonder, we dated for a while, and were engaged for over a year so we could tell people our date!

Darrell is such a wonderful man. He is the most spiritual and romantic person I know. I'm so in love!

The proposal

It was Saturday December 2, 2000. Darrell and Heather had just gotten home to Heather's house from a Grizzlies game. Heather went downstairs to change the laundry while Darrell was still upstairs. She came up into the living room wrapped in a table cloth that she had just taken out of the dryer since she was cold.

Darrell had piece of paper in his hand. He wanted Heather to sit with him on the couch so he could read her a poem. Heather not thinking anything was going on since Darrell always does cute stuff like that.

Darrell told Heather to put her hand on his heart. She did so and it was pounding like crazy. He read Heather the wonderful poem and then got down on the floor and reached under the couch and pulled out a box. Darrell knelt down and opened up the box, inside was the ring and he said "Heather will you marry me?" Heather of course said "YES!"

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday. She is the greatest! I don't where I'd be without her. She's been my best friend for so many years, I cherish her friendship and love.

Here is a creative way to tell you about her:
E is for Everyone's friend - She is blessed with so many friends from all walks of life. Wherever she goes, she touches the lives of many and stays in contact with the friends too.
M is for Motherly - Obviously she is motherly to me since she's my mother but she is always taking care and fussing over others. She has to make sure everyone has everything they need.
M is Multi talented - If you start talking to her, you'll be amazed at all that she has done in her life. River rafting, syncronized swimming, baton twirling, and she can ever still touch her toes! :)
A is for Affectionate - She and I are snuggle buddies. Even in while I was attending college I would still go into her room in the mornings and snuggle with her before waking up fully. She has always told me that she loves me multiple times a day and I didn't realize that some families don't always do that. I am fortunate to have her love.
R is for Realist - My mom will tell you like it is. She is not "in the clouds" when it comes to ideas and she is good at telling you advice that is good real advice. She taught me to "own my own mind."
E is for Entertainer - She is always the life of the party and makes sure everyone is having a good time. She is a great hostess and can make a conversation with anyone.
E is for Empowered - She is quite a powerful woman. I'm amazed at everything she's knows and everything that she can do. She has always just picked herself up by her boot straps and kept on trekin'. She's been through a lot in her life and she never gives up.

I love you mom, Happy Birthday!

Top 10 reasons we love our midwife

Top 10 reasons we love our midwife:
10. It's a family affair - the whole family enjoys the 1 hour visit.
9. We spend quality time with her, not a 10-minute quickie.
8. She does everything (blood pressure, sampling, etc.)
7. Darrell gets to play around on the weight scale.
6. She has fun toys & books for the kids.
5. She is very informative and you never feel silly asking her any question.
4. Her birthing suite has a cozy atmosphere.
3. She gets to know me and the family, I'm not just a name in her file cabinet.
2. I can email her and she'll respond back.
1. We learn that there is no heart in your bum... (see video below)

The shelf

You know you're a big pregnant woman when random strangers start commenting on your belly. "Whoa that baby is low!"

I have quite the shelf now-a-days. Today in Primary I helped the chorister hold some laminated paper-sized posters and I didn't even need to use my hands, I just put them on my shelf. The kids and adults had a good laugh. :)

This is me on Dec 21 (29 weeks) compared to today at 34 weeks. I'm quite pointy and large.

What happened to the simple baby carriage?

First comes love, then comes marriage
Then comes a baby in a baby...carriage?

What ever happened to the simple baby carriage? Here is how my poem goes:

First comes love, then comes marriage
Then comes a baby in a baby...
crib, bassinet, pack 'n play, cradle swing, travel swing, infant carrier, mega saucer, jogging stroller, travel system, umbrella stroller, mei tai, moby wrap, ring sling, front carrier, back carrier, activity gym, johnny jump-up, bouncy chair, etc, etc, etc!

Today we got the crib out of the basement and set it up in the baby's room. I am now starting to remember how much STUFF a baby "requires" now-a-days. Every room will be crowded with some sort of extra baby accessory. I'm grateful that we have so much STUFF, since we have been given most of it, but I'm also getting a little nervous and claustrophobic! :)

The count down is on and I'm getting cold feet. At least they're not swollen...

Fiesta Chicken with Rice and Beans

Yesterday I discovered that your crock pot only works if you turn it on! I put the following recipe in the crockpot at 12:00 noon and then at 4:00 checked on it and realized that the crockpot was turn on "high" but not plugged in! I ended up switching to a casserole dish with foil and baking for 1 hr at 350 degrees, the took the foil off for another 10-15 minutes.

This food was pretty good, I'll make it again. I served this with tortillas and cheese, and the next day had it with nachos.

I found this recipe in the Albertson's ad last week. It came from allrecipes.com.

Fiesta Chicken with Rice and Beans

Submitted By: Albertsons
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 4 Hours

Ready In: 4 Hours 10 Minutes
Servings: 6
"Juicy chicken with a Mexican flair. . .all served with rice and beans."

Ingredients:
1 can (15 ounce) Tomato sauce
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 can Mild Green Chilies, undrained (I diced them)
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice (I used brown rice, of course.)
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, undrained (I cooked some dry pinto beans earlier in the morning then used 2 cups of cooked pinto beans.)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (I chopped the chicken to bite sized pieces)
1 (1 ounce) package chicken taco seasoning mix (I used 1/4 cup of taco seasoning)

Directions:
1. Combine tomatoes, rice, broth, beans, chicken, and seasoning mix in CROCK-POT slow cooker.
2. Cook on LOW setting for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours. Stir before serving.

ALT: Or put in casserole dish and top with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr, remove the foil then bake for 10-15 minutes.

I'm flying with flylady

For over 4 months, I have been following a cleaning routine in my house and it's actually working!

Some of you already know about this feat that I've taken on and I promised that I'd blog about it. I figured it would be a good thing to blog about (finally) in January since everyone is setting goals and this could help many people with their goals.

If you haven't heard of flylady, then you're in for a treat. Flylady is a woman named Marla Cilley who came up with a great way to keep CHAOS out of your life. (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome.) Not only is it a cleaning routine but it's a different way of thinking and looking at yourself and your household.

I heard of flylady a few years back and apparently was not ready for it. I thought she was too pushy since I didn't understand everything. All I knew was that she had a flylady yahoo group. I subscribed to get daily emails reminding me to clean certain things but I felt like that was too much pestering so I just unsubscribed and forgot about it.

Last summer I was talking with my friend Jodie and she asked me if I had heard of flylady or read flylady's book called Sink Reflections. I didn't know that she had a book! Jodie gave me her testimonial of flylady's book so it gave me enough courage to try flylady again. I checked it out from the library in July and couldn't get past chapter 1 since I felt the pestering again. Finally I picked up the book again towards the end of August and finished reading it within a week.

When summer was over and Salem started Kindergarten, I figured that then would be a good time to start a new routine. As many people say, 27 days makes a habit so I challenged myself to keep the house clean for 27 days in a row. I didn't even tell anyone what I was doing, not even Darrell. (Although I'm sure he noticed the difference.) I successfully kept my habit and have been keeping it ever since.

Okay, now you want to know the details right? I really suggest that you read the book since flylady says it so much better than I do, but here are some things that I picked up:

* Go Shine Your Sink - The name of the book "Sink Reflections" talks about going to shine your sink. I like that she doesn't just say "go do the dishes." She thinks of the positive end result of cleaning your kitchen and dishes. You get a nice shiny sink and you are supposed to keep the sink shiny. (I first was frustrated with this one since I have an old yellow sink that doesn't get very shiny, but over time I've learned to be happy with my sink and happy with myself.) Also, every room needs it's own "shiny sink," a focal point to keep clean like your dining room table, or the top of your dresser.

* Flying - She got her name "flylady" because she likes fly fishing. That was her nickname before she started doing cleaning routines and now it has just stuck with her. Later she and others came up with an acronym. FLY = Finally Loving Yourself. With this program you'll be FLYing and feel great about yourself and your house. I've (thankfully) had good self esteem over the years but I must say that I do feel better about myself when my house is clean and I am "put together." She emphasizes with her routines that we need to take care of ourselves, not just our household and family. The morning routines and bedtime routines include things other than just cleaning. She wants you to get up and get dressed with laced-up shoes, and make sure your hair & make-up are done before doing anything else. You can't make your house feel good if you don't feel good about yourself. (I thought that some of that was a little silly but I notice that when I'm dressed and ready to go for the day I more able and willing to do things and have more energy.)

* Don't be a martyr - This philosophy I have to repeat many times. She talks about forgetting about all the "crap" that you are doing for everyone in the house, and the complaint that "you are the only one" doing the chores, blah blah blah. Stop whining, and quit being a martyr. Just do your chores happily and when you get going on your routines, your family will soon follow suit. This may mean that you'll have to do more than the rest of the family for a while but I've realized that it's so much easier to do this than wait around for something to get done so you can do the next task. This has eliminated bottlenecks.

* Laundry...see it through - Don't even start a load of laundry if you can't finish it that day by putting it away in the drawers. I have kept up on my laundry and it's been great; the only downfall is that Oaklen wants to wear his orange sweatshirt every day since it's always clean! :)

* Weekly home blessing - Each Monday I do a "Weekly Home Blessing." This is just an hour of my time and I am able to dust, vacuum, sweep & mop the entire house. I feel so good after it's done. I don't worry so much about the floors the rest of the week since I know that they get cleaned at least once a week.

* Housework done incorrectly still blesses my family - Flylady teaches you to stop being a perfectionist. Here are three examples: 1. Since I know that I clean the floors every week, I can allow my children to help with the cleaning on other days. I ask Salem to sweep the floor and Oaklen to help with the dustpan. They are still learning and don't really do a fantastic job yet but it's okay because it at least got the floor a little cleaner than it was. 2. When I do my vacuuming, I don't move a ton of furniture around like a perfectionist would. If there is a toy in the way, then I just push it aside with my vacuum. I leave the deep cleaning to when I do the zone cleaning. 3. I never made my bed before doing the flylady program (yes Mom...shocker, I know.) because I guess I was being too much of a perfectionist. It bothered me that it wasn't going to look great so I just didn't bother with it. Now I make my bed every morning and some times the bed looks great, other times the blankets could use a little more straightening but that's okay, at least it got made.

* Zones - I mentioned zone cleaning. Each week she has a different zone to clean. Week 1 is a certain section of the house, week 2 is a different section. This allows you to do your "spring cleaning" all year long, but in manageable baby steps.

* Set the timer - If you think that you don't have time to clean, then set the timer for 10 minutes and see how much you can get done. It's amazing how much you can do when you dedicate your time to it and not get side-tracked.

* Babysteps - It didn't take your house a day to get cluttered so it's not going to take a day to get it clean. Doing baby steps by cleaning & tackling a little bit at a time will help free yourself of the clutter.

* Fling boogie - Along with the baby steps, and setting the timer, she talks about doing "fling boogies." Get a garbage sack and go through a drawer, closet or whatever and get rid of 27 things. Set the timer while you do this and don't look back. You'll accumulate 27 things to get rid of in no time.

* Does it make you happy? Does it bless your life? - When it comes time to getting rid of things, ask yourself "Does it make me happy? Does it bless my life or family?" If the answer is yes, then you may keep it. If it's "no" then fling it. I've struggled with what to do with Salem's artwork and school papers. One of her suggestions is that if you have 20 of the same type of thing, it won't be as valuable in years to come. If you only save a few precious papers then they will be treasured a lot more.

Last but not least...I'm not perfect - I've been nervous to blog about this subject because I'm announcing to the world that my house is "clean." I don't want any of you to come to my house with a white glove and get nit-picky about my so-called clean house. I'm only human and I try my best. I have made amazing progress and feel good about what I am doing. My challenge will be when the new baby comes. I wonder how this will effect my routines, but I promise I will keep trying and flying!

If you made it through this blog post, then good job! I wish you all the best of luck in your flying!

A mother of boys

I was just looking at a catalog and saw this quote:

"Mothers of little boys work from son up to son down."

I have heard this saying before but now I really understand. I'm tired...this 3rd trimester of my pregnancy is starting to slow me down. It's hard for me to have this nesting instinct and want to get so much done yet the simplest things make me so tired! 8 1/2 more weeks...will I last? I have to...mom's don't get a day off.

I only have eyes for...onions

Just when I thought I had everything I ever needed, Darrell goes and gets me something amazing! :)

One of the Christmas presents that I received from Darrell is a pair of pink swim goggles. (You're thinking huh? Heather doesn't really swim that much.) Well I don't swim often, but I do cut onions often! My eyes can't bear the onion fumes, they make my eyes water, so Darrell bought me pink onion goggles! I've tried holding a match in my mouth (it's supposed to eat up the gaseous fumes before it gets to my eyes), holding water in my mouth, going as fast as I can, using a food processor, etc. Nothing has worked as well as the goggles!

Last week I took a picture of how silly yet cool I look wearing the onion goggles. Enjoy the goofy picture, especially my puffy pregnant face.

Harmons Case Lot Sale - Think of Food Storage

I just got the Harmons ad today and was impressed with their case lot sale. It's for 3 weeks (Jan 5 - Jan 25.)

If you've always wanted to get a good start on your basic long-term food storage, now is the time. The wheat is only $19.99 for 45 lbs and it already comes in a bucket! I've usually been getting my wheat at the Bosch Kitchen Center during their semi-annual conference sales (April & October) for about $19.99 for a 50 lb bag. Then I'd have to transfer the wheat into durable containers. It's a deal at Harmons to get the wheat already in the pails!

(If you wanted to know, I prefer the hard white wheat. It's better tasting for making bread and as far as I've researched the nutritional value is the same as the hard red wheat. I have a lot of hard red wheat and now buy the hard white wheat to mix together to make the flour tastier.)

Since I make bread all the time now, I have started using a few extra ingredients like dough enhancer and vital wheat gluten that help the bread last longer, rise higher, and make me spend less time actually making the bread. These items are also on sale at Harmons too.

Other items are of course on sale. I think Harmons will let you buy only a few items at the same case-lot price if you don't want to buy the whole case. If you do end up buying the whole case, make sure you look at the "best if used by" date. If you & your family eat that much in that given time then go ahead and buy the case. I once bought a mac & cheese case when Salem was just a baby and we (actually I) only ended up eating a few boxes before the expiration date. I gave the rest away.

Here is the shopping list from PYP/Grocery Smarts though interestingly it doesn't include some of the food storage items that I just talked about.

Friday Frugal Tip - The Library

I absolutely love the library! We go to both the city library and the county library. I have learned some cool things about what the library offers, I even learned one today!

Here are some highlights about the library:

* Audio Books - Not only can you get books but you can get so much more! I love to get audio books and Salem also gets audio books that he can read along with the book & CD.

* DVDs - The city library lets you check them out for 2 weeks, even new releases!

* VHS - The county library now treats these like books and lets you check them out for 3 weeks.

* Holds - You can put up to 25 items on hold. I reserve the new releases (DVDs, audiobooks, books) and get them within a reasonable amount of time. Last time the latest Harry Potter book came out I reserved both the book and audio book and I got them within a week of the release.

* Magazines - You can check out past issues of your favorite magazines.

* Downloads - You can download eBooks or audiobooks from their website.

* Community Info & Events - The particular county library that I usually go to always has flyers about community events and info. We've gone to some fun activities because of this.

* Free events - The library is always having events. For example, I took my sons to a "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" animated book reading. They had a fun time. Look for event info here for the city or or here for the county or you can sign up to receive event info via email.

* Story time - Not only is it story time but often times they do other activities too. We got free big pumpkins in October and decorated them. They sometimes have a bubble machine for the kids, and other arts & crafts.

* Free Visits to Cultural Places - Today I learned about the Salt Lake City Library's Community Exploration Card. I "checked out" the CEC using my library card and received a one-month voucher to go (for FREE up to 4 people) to Discovery Gateway, Utah Museum of Natural History, Red Butte Garden, and Utah Museum of Fine Arts. (To provide equitable access to everyone, cards are limited to one per household in a six-month period.) I'll go this month and then try again in June. Apparently this program has been around for 3+ years and I just found out about it! It's not advertised very heavily since each city library branch only gets about 4 vouchers per month. I found out about it on a pamphlet where a bunch of other pamphlets are. I inquired with the librarian and was lucky enough to get the last one today.

* Performing Arts - They also have a similar program called the Performing Arts Experience voucher. This will admit two people (for FREE) to events listed on the voucher for the month. It could include Ballet West, The Grand Theatre, Plan-B Theatre Company, Pygmalion Productions Theatre Company, Repertory Dance Theatre, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Salt Lake Acting Company, and the Utah Symphony & Opera. I hope to try to get this in February for our anniversary, or in April for my birthday.

I know that I didn't cover everything that the library has to offer. These are things that I have been utilizing. Now it's your turn, what do you do at the library?

Christmas 2008

Here are some pictures from our Christmas 2008. We spent the 24th & 25th with our family. From Santa Oaklen got a Bob the Builder set and Salem got his "Spiderman set" that he wanted. :) Grandma Elaine made the pajamas and Grandma Josephson made them red hats. What a great Christmas.

2008 Blessings

Last night for FHE we listed some of the blessings that we received in 2008. I'll share some with you:

2008 Blessings (in no particular order)
* Heather became pregnant with boy #3
* Darrell received a new job position at his employer
* Salem started Kindergarten
* We received new windows and paint for free
* Darrell and I were able to go on a vacation to DC for our anniversary
* Salem & Oaklen were able to have a fun time with their grandparents while Mom & Dad were on vacation.
* Salem played tee ball in the spring
* Heather established a cleaning routine in the home, and it's working
* Darrell was not badly hurt in his bike/car accident
* Salem & Oaklen got to have free lunch at the park almost every day this summer
* Salem learned how to read
* We received free clothes, toys, food, and other things throughout the year
* Heather has been perfecting her bread making skills
* We were able to sell our car and buy a mini van
* The family got to go on vacation to Delta, UT
* Salem learned how to tie his shoes
* Oaklen learned how to ride a tricycle
* Salem learned how to roller skate
* Salem was able to take swimming lessons
* Heather was called as Primary President
* The family has been healthy all year with only a few bruises
* Darrell has been able to go running almost every morning
* Salem made more friends
* Darrell and Heather received no traffic or speeding tickets
* Heather continues to save money at the grocery store with coupons & sales
* Darrell installed a fence so now we can more safely play in our back yard
* Oaklen received an orange garbage truck for Christmas (We asked him what he was blessed with and that's what he told us.)

Merry Christmas 2008

Merry Christmas!

Sweater Brothers

Today was the last Sunday before Christmas and I always like to dress up for the occasion so my boys wore some "Christmas sweaters" to church. They looked nice except I couldn't convince Oaklen to wear black shoes with his black pants & socks, he insisted on his brown shoes that he wears everyday. They're still cute.

Tigger Bump

We have something at our house called a "Tigger bump." It's an gel cold pack shaped like Tigger the character. I got it at the dollar store and it has been a great thing to have. I've seen similar items at other stores for $2-3, so I'm glad that I found it for only $1.

Whenever Oaklen gets hurt, I rush to the freezer to get "Tigger bump." Within seconds of putting it on his wound, he is better. It even works better than "mommy's kiss better."

A few days ago, Oaklen was running on the slippery floor with his socks on and slipped and bumped his head. He got a goose egg for the first time in months. I got Tigger bump from the freezer and gave it him. He put it on his head for 1 second then said "But Tigger loves me!" What a cute kid...

Friday Frugal Tip - Vinegar

I'm sure many of you know of the great benefits of vinegar. I use this in my house everyday. You can get a big bottle of white vinegar for $2-3 and there are so many possibilities. I also like it since it's environmentally friendly, non-toxic and edible so I don't have to worry about my kids getting into it, in fact they use it all the time too! Here is a small list of ways I use it:

1. Dishwasher - I use my regular dish detergent in the soap compartment that closes, but I use vinegar for the other soap compartment used for pre-wash. It extends my expensive dish detergent and my dishes and glasses come out clear and shiny!

2. Vegetable & Fruit wash - I have a spray bottle of 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar in my kitchen and use that to wash my fruits & vegetables.

3. All purpose cleaner - Again, I have a spray bottle of 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar in my kitchen, and bathrooms and use it to wash everything. Sinks, toilets, tubs, floors, mirrors, walls, etc.

4. Remove odor - I spray my vinegar solution on things to freshen the smell. (It smells like vinegar for a minute but then neutralizes the odor.)

5. Relieve sunburn - I remember many times putting vinegar on my brother's neck to help his sunburn.

6. Disinfectant - Once in a while I spray vinegar on my toothbrush to disinfect it. Since vinegar is edible I don't have to worry about being poisoned. :)

7. Meat tenderizer - I don't cook a lot with meat, but I've noticed the few times that I've sprayed chicken breasts with vinegar, they're more tender. Then I always spray the cutting board and tools I used to cut the raw meat with vinegar to disinfect before putting in the dishwasher.

8. Buttermilk substitute - When we need 1 cup buttermilk for a recipe, we always use about a tablespoon of vinegar and then fill the rest up with milk. (You can do many substitutes with vinegar for things sour like lemon juice, sour cream, etc.)

9. Hard water deposit remover - I soak my shower heads in vinegar to remove hard water deposits.

There a ton of ways to use vinegar, above is just a sample. I've only brushed the surface. To dive in further just google uses for vinegar, you'll find a lot of info.

Friday Frugal Tip - Saving Money On Gasoline

Here are a few ways that I try to save money on gasoline.

1. Grocery Stores - Most of the time I buy my gas at Albertson's since it's close to my house. If I enter my preferred savings number then I get $.03 off per gallon. I never carry my preferred card around so I registered my phone number. (In fact, I think the card is hidden in a wall in my house. Salem played with my wallet once when he was a toddler and I haven't seen the card since.) I learned a trick once from one of the Albertson's employees. Since the pump machine won't let you type in just your phone number, all you have to do is type "4253" then your phone number. It works everytime! Smith's also give you a discount if you spend a certain amount at the store. I try to go there when I visit my mom since there's a Smith's with a pump nearby.

2. Gas cards - You can get a gas credit card that will give you a rebate or discount. I have one that gives me 5% cashback. I can use the card at most gas pumps as well as on any kind of purchase, but I usually only use it at the pump. I always pay the balance off every month and it's nice to see how much I'm spending on gasoline.

3. Warehouse Clubs - Most warehouse clubs usually have cheaper gas than other places. If you're already there shopping, you might as well fill up your tank.

4. Ferox - My friend introduced me to Ferox. These are little tablets that you stick in your tank as you fill up and it helps you get better gas mileage as well as help keep your engine & oil clean. She gave me some free samples a while back and I used them. Unfortunately I haven't done the analysis to see if it's worth the cost of buying the tablets for the savings I'd receive on gasoline. She gave me her analysis, and I believe her when she says that she is saving money. I've just been too lazy to do the analysis myself. So, you might want to check it out then let me know how it goes! :)

5. Gas price websites - There are websites out there that track gas prices. I honestly don't use them because I usually just fill up where it's convenient for me. It might be worth checking out if you're going on vacation and need to fill up the car, truck, or boat. I have noticed that certain parts of the valley have cheaper gas than other parts of the Salt Lake Valley. If you're out visiting dear Aunt Ida, you might want to check the gas prices out there compared to your region.

Happy Haircut?

Among my many talents, I also cut hair! (Please sense the sarcasm in that sentence.) When Darrell and I were engaged, he told me that he always dreamed/thought of his wife cutting his hair. I just laughed thinking that I'd never do that.

Well, he gave me enough courage (and the realization that we'd be saving money) that I started cutting his hair. Years ago I went to the salon and watched the lady cut his hair and then the next time around, I tried it. I've gotten better over the years and it looks pretty good, but I'm sure a good hair stylist would be able to spot the "home job" from a mile away. :)

I use scissors, clippers and have even tried using a flowbee that my former neighbor gave me.

This has now lead me into cutting my boys' hair. We usually use clippers with longer attachments for them so it's actually pretty easy...if they held still. When Salem was a toddler I put him on my lap and let him play a sesame street game on the computer while I cut his little hair. I stopped that after two times since I didn't want the hair mess on the computer. Now we do it in the kitchen or outside if it's warm weather.

Oaklen absolutely hates hair cuts, regardless if I use the clippers or the scissors. He screams bloody murder. A few months ago we cut it really short so we wouldn't have to cut it again for a while.

Oaklen's first haircut May 2007

Last night I cut Salem and Oaklen's hair. I had been meaning to do it for a week or two but I realized that I HAD to cut Salem's hair last night when I found a huge bald spot on the crown of his head! He has a habit of twirling his hair and he twirls it so much that his hair falls out. That's the reason we've kept it relatively short, but I always try to let it grow a little more each time to see if he'll stop the habit.

Salem's first haircut September 2004

While I was cutting Salem's hair last night, I discovered not only one bald spot but four! I felt so bad for him but it's his own fault. I'm sure others look at his hair with the bald spots and think "Geez, that kid got a really bad hair cut!" So, the next time you see Salem, remember that it's not a bad hair cut, I cut it as evenly as possible.