"If you spend $100 a week...."

Is it just me, or does anyone else cringe when they hear this on the WalMart commercials? I know a lot of people do spend that much a week at the grocery store, but I would have a heart attack if my final bill was that high. If it were every week, well, I just wouldn't be here. My heart couldn't take it.

I guess I have been using coupons matched with sales for so long, that spending that kind of money on groceries is a foreign concept to me. Now, I am far from a super couponer and never get those huge carts of groceries for $2.50, but we manage to live quite well on $50 - $60 a week for groceries, household items, pet stuff and HBA. Even when the kids all lived at home, I rarely spent more than $75 a week.

I just don't think I could do it! (I am in no way judging anyone that does spent that at the grocery store. I just can't imagine us doing it.)

My hubby is so sweet!

Hubby went camping about a month ago, in between surgeries. LOL! While he was camping he lost his cellphone. (That is not the sweet part.) We have Tracfones, since we are not big cell users and he has had his for 3 or 4 or maybe more years. Oh, and it was free, so it is not like he lost an expensive phone. I don't think we can recover the minutes, since he doesn't remember how many he had on it, but we don't keep a ton of minutes on either phone. And we can recover the number. He said he doesn't care if he gets the same number, but I told him it would be easier for his mom. And I don't want to learn a new one, either. LOL!

So, Tracfone had a great deal last week. A Samsung T301G - it has a camera and web browser (refurbished, but looks brand new), double-minutes for life to double the minutes we add, a 60 minute card and free shipping for $18.XX (I had a coupon code.) It was a great deal!
So the phone arrives and it is REALLY cool. I kinda want it, but don't say anything. I show it to Hubby and tell him I will get it activated and transfer his number to it, then I will enter all the numbers he wants to put in it. Hubby likes a phone that you just pick up and use. None of this programming stuff.

I told him I thought it was pretty cool and he said, "Do you want to trade?" Huh? I like my phone, it is a little Motorola and kinda cool, but nowhere near this one. But I just got it a year ago, so don't plan to replace it soon. I told him no, that I got the new phone for him. And I did NOT say it in a whiney-I-wish-I-had-the-new-one way. LOL!

Then he said, "No, really, I like yours better. Can't we just trade?" I told him we could think about it. I could have my number transferred to the new one, then his number transferred to my old one, but I just feel kinda mean making him have an old phone and me get a new one when I just got a new one a year ago. He really doesn't use his a lot. I don't use mine much more, but I do always have it one, so people that have the number can always reach me.

So, I have to figure out is Hubby just being sweet letting me have the new cool toy, or does he really not care one way or the other. Either way, he is a sweety-pie.

Happy weekend to all my bloggy friends!

McVal is 300 today!!!

No, no, that's not it.



McVal posted her 300th post today!




Congrats to Val at Sew Not My Day! In celebration she is having a giveway! So, go on over and sign up and maybe you will win!

Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls Giveaway! Winner!

McVal is the winner of my Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark giveaway! Congrats, McVal!

I sent you an email!

Don't lose all respect for me....

See this:

This is the wagon I fell off of this week. Yes, I fell of the "Not spending money for takeout breakfast" wagon. I was doing so well, too! Here is how I did for 3 weeks:

Spent:
Week of 01/25/10 - $0
Week of 02/01/10 - $3.01
Week of 02/08/10 - $0

So I did really well for 3 weeks.

Then Hubby had surgery last Friday. I discovered, since then, just how truly spoiled I am. Though Hubby is in a wheelchair and is pretty self-sufficient, I have been having to do a lot of stuff that I don't normally have to do. Like running all the errands, getting the mail, picking up prescriptions, washing dishes, doing laundry, etc. It doesn't sound like that much, but I leave home at 7am and get back from work at 6 or 6:30pm. (9 hours a day and 1 hour commute each way. Though, part of my commute IS waiting at the bus stop.)

I really, really, really appreciate how spoiled Hubby has let me become and I can't wait for him to be back on his feet. LOL!

Oh, yeah, the wagon. This week, I bought breakfast 3 mornings, just because I didn't think to fix something to bring from home. I DID bring my lunch every day, so I didn't fall UNDER the wagon, just off of it.

I will be baking this weekend so I can get back to saving money.....that I will then have to pay for medical bills. Ah, such is life.

Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls Giveaway!

To start the week off right, take time out to create a sweet Sunday morning moment with your family with Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls. Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls are warm, fresh, and ready to serve in just minutes. With an ooey-gooey texture and a delicious orange icing, Orange Sweet Rolls have a mouth watering aroma that is sure to bring your family together like no other breakfast!

Packed with the love and flavor of a treat made from scratch, but without the time and cleanup, Orange Sweet Rolls are the perfect addition to your family’s Sunday morning traditions.

That is from MyBlogSpark. I received a great "Sweet Sunday Morning Moments" from Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark. Last night. It included a coupon for a free package of Pillsbury sweet rolls and a really great photo album to capture the sweet moments shared with family.

How, you ask, can I tell you about a product when I only got the coupon last night? Surely I did not run to the store last night and bake orange rolls this morning. Well, you are right. However, I have made Pillsbury Orange Rolls on many, many occasions, as they are one of my family's favorite sweet rolls. With their delicious orange flavor, I can't think of a more deliciuos way to start the day.

Sure, I could make orange sweet rolls from scratch. And I actually did....one time. LOL! I decided Pillsbury Orange Rolls were much easier to bake and just as delicious as my homemade.

Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark are giving one of my readers their own "Sweet Sunday Morning Moments" gift pack! For a chance to win, tell us about a sweet moment you have had with your family (or funny, or goofy!). That's all! No tweeting, blogging or following required. You can, however, enter more than once! One entry per story you share.

I will have Hubby pick a number Saturday night, February 20. If he picks your post, you will win your own gift pack from MyBlogSpark. (He doesn't read my blog, so there will be no cheating. It will be totally random.) I will announce the winner on Sunday and send you an email.

Good luck!

NOTE: I just can't help responding to comments, so if Hubby picks one of mine, I will have him pick again. LOL!

My Valentine's Day

Okay, so I am a few days late, but I have been busy....very busy. I was off on Friday, since Hubby had his surgery. He spent Friday afternoon and evening resting and letting the anesthesia wear totally off. I spent the afternoon and evening waiting hand and foot on him. LOL! I didn’t mind, since he usually waits on me.

We had stopped on the way back home from the hospital and picked up chicken sandwiches and tacos at his request. Since it was later in the afternoon, I didn’t make formal dinner, we just warmed up some leftovers from the fridge.

Saturday, I had t run a TON of errands. I don’t know why I have not learned the lesson before, but I learned to NEVER, EVER go to the grocery store the day before Valentine’s Day. UGH! It was crowded and busy. I was only buying deals, so didn’t even need to be there! I did buy Hubby flowers. His favorite, Oriental Lillies, and some matching carnations to make the pretty arrangement below. He loved them! (So do I!)
Saturday evening I did make dinner, but for the life of me, I cannot remember what I made. LOL! It must have been good, right?

Sunday, Hubby and I both got to relax. He is in the wheelchair again and is pretty self sufficient, though he cannot do stuff like laundry without getting up, so I did that this weekend. I DID make Valentine’s Dinner, though Hubby told me I didn’t have to go to all the trouble since I had been so busy all weekend.

I still made the requested manicotti. This is it:
It turned out great and I didn’t even use a recipe! I just mixed up a large container of Ricotta cheese, 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese and a 12 oz bag of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained). I stuffed that mixture into 14 cooked manicotti shells. I made 8 with Alfredo sauce (Ragu) and 6, in a separate dish, with red sauce, which I put in the freezer for another dinner. I sprinkled shredded mozzarella cheese on each.

I still have about a cup of the filling left over, so will add that the next time I make baked pasta. Yummy!

I had been racking my brain for days about what to make for dessert. Hubby said he wanted cupcakes. Cupcakes!! So, that is what I made. I did make them a little festive, though.

We put most of the m in the freezer, so we would not eat them all. LOL!

It was a good Valentine's weekend.

What sounds good for dessert??

Happy Thursday, everyone. I do not have to work tomorrow. Yippee! Of course the reason is not a good one. Hubby has to have another surgery on his foot tomorrow. Not Yippee. It is not major, thank goodness, but will be inconvenient as he will have to stay off of it for a while. Is it odd that we now consider surgery an inconvenience instead of a big deal?

So, it is left to me to make Valentine's Day dinner. Usually Hubby does this. I don't know that I have ever cooked on V day, so I asked what he would like and his response, "Cannelloni."

Ummmm...yeah....I have never made that. I have a vague idea about how to make it, so asked what he would like it stuffed with. His answer "cheese." Ummmm....Okay....what type of sauce, red or white? "White." As you can see, he was not giving very detailed answers. LOL! I went to the store and could not find cannelloni, but did find manicotti shells and later found out they are the same thing. (I was NOT making my own pasta sheets and wrapping them. Too much work for me!)

I also bough ricotta cheese, since I already have mozarella and parmesan. So, I will be making 3 cheese and spinache manicotti with Alfredo sauce. Yum! Yum! We will have a salad and garlic bread to accompany.

My dilemma, what to make for dessert. Hubby LOVES dessert. He loves ALL desserts, so would be happy with cookies, brownies, cake, pie, ice cream. You get the drift. But I would like to make some special dessert. Maybe it is too early in the morning to think about dessert, so nothing just sounds incredible.

So....can anyone give me some inspiration?

How to get beads at Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is not just for New Orleans. Mardi Gras is celebrated with a bang at Galveston, Texas every year. Last Saturday was the first weekend of parades. I posted about it last year here. So, I won't go into the whole history of me going to Mardi Gras. LOL!

Below is my darling hubby. No, he was not on drugs. Yes, he was wearing a pink wig and a fake chest. Yes, he flashed his "boobies" to get beads. The reactions from the people on the floats were hilarious! I got lots of pics, but thought this might be the least offensive to sensitive tastes. LOL!
This is me with my pink-haired honey. I never, ever, ever wear cowboy hats, but it was so sunny that I was blinded, even with sunglasses on, so I swiped Hubby's cowboy hat for the day.

We had a great time, catching beads and catching up with our friends. This was the first year that none of our kids came! Her 5 boys and our 3 kids were all too busy for us. We partied on without them. Yeah us!!

My breakfast savings update

Okay....I haven't saved THAT much, but I have been really good and brought my breakfast to work 9 days out of the last 10. Yes, I was a little bad and stopped and bought a couple of bagels this morning. I spent a whole $3. But they did not cost as much nor were they as fattening as the Whataburger breakfasts I had been getting.

I will start tracking just to see what I am spending and therefore be able to figure out what I am saving. I will start the week of 1/11/09, as previous weeks were holiday weeks and, well, 'cause that is when I want to start.

Spent:
Week of 01/11/10 - $9.69
Week of 01/18/10 - $11.19
Week of 01/25/10 - $0
Week of 02/05/10 - $3.01

So the first 2 weeks I averaged spending $10.44/week and the second 2 weeks, I averaged $1.50/week. I would say that is pretty darn good!! That is an average savings of $8.94 over what I was spending, which would add up to $420.18 in savings in a year. (I am only counting 47 work weeks, since I get 5 weeks of vacation.)

Holy cow! I was wasting a LOT of money.

I think this weekend I will do some breakfast baking so I can spend $0 on bought breakfast for the next few weeks.

Thank you all for playing. LOL!

I ate the fat!

I am not a huge beef eater. I would rather have poultry or fish, pretty much any day. But Hubby likes beef, so we have it on occasion. Usually, brisket is low on the scale of beef I want to eat, as it is usually a little tough. My MIL makes good brisket...according to everyone in the family...but I just find it tough and a little dry. But nothing that a little BBQ sauce won't help.

A while back I had found a good price on a small piece of brisket, so had gotten it and stuck it in the freezer, thinking Hubby could make it to take camping or something. Yesterday, Hubby put it in the crockpot and cooked most of the day. We ate it last night and that brisket was so good that I ATE THE FAT! I don't eat the fat on anything! LOL! But this was absolutely delicious!

I felt really bad today because I was so mad about a phone call from my sister-in-law that I forgot to tell Hubby how delicious the brisket was. So I called him today and he laughed at me for feeling bad. LOL! (He, apparently, knew that brisket was delish.)

Since I mentioned being mad about a phone call, I may as well take this opportunity to have a little rant. There is a long, long backstory, but I will not bore you with all the details. Cutting to the chase, our oldest daughter, Meredith, and her hubby recently moved back to Houston, as he got out of the Marines and is going to school full-time. Well, they have decided to split up. I don't know why they have decided to split, but they were staying with his dad and this weekend, Meredith and their 2 boys moved out. We think that she did not think this through very well, but she did not ask our opinion.

Meredith was working part time at a restaurant, but today started a full time job at Nordstroms and plans to continue at the restaurant for a while. We thought she had everything worked out since she found a 24 hour day care to take the boys when she was working. Then her hubby will take the boys when he is not in school.

Well, my mother-in-law, who has a heart of gold and wants to help everyone (especially her grandkids, sometimes to the point that those people never become responsible) told Meredith that she would keep the boys whenever Meredith needed her to. MIL is 75, and though she is quite active, keeping up with a 3 year old and a baby is a little much for more than a couple of days.

MIL called Hubby on Monday to tell him that the daycare had no room for Wyatt, the baby, so she, MIL, was keeping the boys. She had offered to take the boys on Sunday while Meredith moved to her new place, then according to Meredith, insisted that the boys spend a couple of nights with her. The boys' daddy will pick them up tomorrow after classes and keep them Thursday through Sunday.

So, everyone is up in arms since MIL cannot possibly handle this, but she won't tell Mere. Now to the phone call list night. SIL calls and starts to leave a message that starts with how wonderful the boys are, she kept them for 3 hours while MIL went to a dr appointment and then turned into a rant about how Hubby and I need to "step up to the plate". I picked up the phone, much to Hubby's dismay, and could immediately tell she was totally stoned. (I only hope she smoked her dope AFTER babysitting.)

She started over again fairly nice, then went into how Hubby and I needed to take care of this, since MIL is exhausted. I told SIL that I have a job during the day. So she suggested Hubby just drive to Meredith's everyday and watch the boys. I told SIL that he could not do that and she demanded to know why. Here is where it got a little tough, since Hubby has kept a lot of his health issues a secret from his family. They have no idea he had a surgery after Christmas, that he had a rather large piece of bone removed, has been on a wound vac for 4 1/2 weeks and is supposed to stay off his foot.

I was irritated, but did not tell her all this, as it is Hubby's info to share or not. SIL then started telling me what we needed to MAKE Meredith and her hubby do. I told her that they are both adults and we can't MAKE them do anything. Her reponse, "So that's how it is. Thanks." and she hung up.

Hubby heard my side of the conversation, but it was enough that he immediately went and called his mom and told her all about his foot, knowing she would tell his sisters. He was REALLY mad. And he is talking about going to SIL's house and showing her his foot, wound-vac and all. I was totally shocked that he would even think of this! It would be a shocker for her, since noone knows that he has no toes. (Hey, I made a rhyme!)

I don't know how everything will play out, but I was so mad that SIL had the NERVE to think she could talk to me like that that I had a hard time sleeping last night. But I will put it out of my mind and sleep better tonight. I am not going to let that stupid cow deprive me of sleep!

Rant over. Thanks for listening.