Monday, May 30, 2016

MEMORIAL DAY 2016

Doing some shopping this Memorial Day?  Here is a list of that I have compiled for you.  Hope you all enjoy your day!  











I was also sitting here thinking that I could blog on and on about all the great deals that are going on, because of Memorial Day, but it just didn't feel right. I happen to have the privilege of living right across the road from my small town's local cemetery. The flags are waving gaily in the breeze, and it just looks so serene and peaceful. There are older people buried there, young infants (how heartbreaking for those parents), young adults, middle aged people, and those who died in wars. Each grave tells a story; it just isn't always printed on the stone. I look at the dates and calculate how old the person was when he/she died, and I have also learned that dates are very meaningful. A lot of people passing away during the same time frame can signify an outbreak of some kind (like flu) or war. There are a lot of military personnel from our small town who died in the line of duty. As they lie there, day after day, year after year, I am especially reminded of their service during the days leading up to Memorial Day, because the cemetery staff raise all of the flags and also put small flags on the military tombstones. Regardless of how each of us feel about war, we should never forget those who died. Because of their actions, we still have our freedoms today.

"Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner yet Wave? O'er the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave."


My thanks go out to all who are currently serving our country; May the Lord be by your side always!!

A. Marie

Monday, May 16, 2016

FREE COZI FINDS AND FREEBIES

I love these Cozi Finds and Freebies that I read about over on COZI/Real Simple.  I already filled out the form to get my sample of Fiber Choice Flavor Drops.  *Hint:  When you fill out the form, you must say that you use fiber daily. Otherwise, the survey won't let you continue.  
fiber-choice-flavor-drops-free
Today's Find: May 16, 2016 

Free Samples Available! Grab these free health and wellness products from Target before they're gone! Just answer a few survey questions to see if you qualify. Fiber Choice Flavor Drops & Advil Film-Coated Tablets.  


This is only a partial list of their samples.  Head on over to COZI Finds and see all that you can sign up for.  And It's FREE!!

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Liquid Amazon Subscribe & Save

I love finding great deals with Amazon's Subscribe and Save!!  This is a terrific price for a 3-Pack of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap, Rhubarb,12.5 Fluid Ounce.  There are other scents to choose from, including Honeysuckle and Lavender.....my son just happens to love the Rhubarb scent!  :)

**Note, if you order the Lemon Verbena scent, there is a 20% coupon applied to first delivery of this subscription.  Nice!!

Amazon's prices fluctuate, so snag this deal while you can!  


Wednesday, May 4, 2016

MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS FROM THE HEART

Flowers, Chocolate, Jewelry. Those items spell one thing to me. Money. It's nice to be acknowledged and appreciated on Mother's Day, but I always hate for my offspring to dole out cash for material items.  Yes, it is sweet that they are thinking of me, but you know what? The BEST gifts are those that come from the heart.  

My favorite Mother's Day gifts from my kiddos have been the ones that they made themselves.  When my two were little, they'd color me pictures, pick flowers from the yard (yes, even dandelions, LOL) that I would put in a vase and admire, or even make me a snack to eat for breakfast: I say snack, because one year it was peanut butter crackers.  But those were the BEST peanut butter crackers I ever ate!  :)

This year, instead of focusing on what you can buy your Mom, think outside the box.  Write her a little note and let her know how much you appreciate her. Call her on the phone and ask her about her day, instead of the other way around.  If she lives nearby, take her a plate of homemade cookies and include a framed pic of the two of you that she can display on her table.  Better yet, attach a magnet to the back of it and she can hang it on her fridge!  Is Mom a gardener or enjoys flowers?  Instead of spending big bucks at the florist, visit your local greenhouse and pick up some pretty potted flowers (or herbs).  It only takes a little bit of time and creativity to make an inexpensive gift that Mom will surely love.  Check out these creative ideas to wrap potted plants.

Love using essential oils?  There are many ways to make inexpensive gifts using those oils.  One of my favorites is to make a linen spritzer.  It's so easy to make and so appreciated as a gift, especially if you make one that uses essential oils that are calming and relaxing.  And we all know that if there is one thing that Mom's crave, it is peace, quiet, and calm!  :)


Momma's R&R Linen Spray

1 Cup water
1 tablespoon inexpensive vodka
40 drops of Lavender essential oil
8 oz spray bottle

To use, just shake & spray!

You can even mix and match to create your own one-of-a-kind blend! For example, use Lavender&Geranium, Lavender&Rose, Lavender&Sage....the possibilities are endless. Wrap a bit of twine or a piece of lace around the neck of the bottle, attach a little card and voilà...beautiful, handmade gift!

I have a Organic Carrier Oil Giveaway going on right now over at my other blog! There are eight days left to enter!!  Be sure to head over HERE and get in on the action!!!  :)

Saturday, April 30, 2016

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE AMAZON 5 DOLLARS AND UNDER


My Money Mission Amazon's Subscribe & Save


I love using Amazon's Subscribe & Save program.  Currently, Amazon is offering an extra incentive to their program:  If you order 5 or more items, you will save an additional 10%!!  Their normal percentage off is 5%, so this is a great deal!

Today, while putting together my 5 items, I was having a tough time trying to find a 5th item.  I didn't want to spend a ton of dollars just to get 15% off of my order, so I started looking for items that were $5 or less....and I found quite a few of them!  I compiled a list to help you meet your "5 a month" goal so you can get your 15% off!!

Prices as of today ($5 and Under), 4/30/16:

Maxwell House Iced Coffee Concentrate

Yogi Honey Lavender Tea

Queen Helene Cocoa Butter

LÄRABAR, Gluten Free Fruit & Nut Food Bar

Seventh Generation Laundry Sheets

Dial Complete Foaming Antibacterial Hand Wash

True Lime/Cherry Limeade Stick Pack

Fiber One Chocolate Chunk Cookie

Simply Organic Turmeric Root Ground

Simply Organic Ginger Root Ground

Annie's Chewy Gluten Free Granola Bars, Double Chocolate Chip

CLIF CRUNCH - Granola Bar - Peanut Butter

Suave Men 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner

Vaseline Lip Therapy, Creme Brulee

One of the best things about Amazon's Subscribe & Save?  You can cancel anytime! So, if your order comes and you decide you don't want to continue with it at all, or want to change our your items for different one, it's no problem!  The flexibility of the program is awesome!

Let me know what great deals you found that were $5 and under for Subscribe & Save.  I'd love to hear about them!  :)




Friday, April 29, 2016

10 TAX RETURN IDEAS

10 HILARIOUS WAYS TO SPEND YOUR TAX RETURN


This morning, I woke up feeling the need for laughter...seriously...sometimes I just crave something FUNNY!  I also knew that I wanted to post something on this blog about tax time.  It is already April 7 and the tax deadline is coming closer and closer....and for some people, that means REFUND (providing that the government doesn't shut down).....that's a whole 'nother story!)

Anyhoo....I was cruising the internet highway and found some really hilarious tips on spending your tax return over at Won't Change The World.  I made a few changes here and there, to the original find.  Hope you enjoy them!!

1.   Give your tax return to me.  Seriously!  I'll spend it wisely!!  ;)

2.   Twinkies. Spend the entire return on Twinkies. I know food is often not a long term investment. Trust me when I say, Twinkies will last longer than you do. HA!

3.   Adopt fifty cats. This is a win for everybody involved. The animal shelters are over crowded and the cats need a home. Some people spend all their lives becoming the Cat Lady (or Man), you can do it in a weekend!

4.   Keep buying the same pair of pants from Goodwill and donate the pants back anonymously. Watch with pleasure as you confound the staff. The pants will become legend.

5.   Spend the entire wad on stamps and thank you cards. Thank random people listed in the phone book for strange things. “Ted, love the chinchilla!”

6.   Buy everyone at a bar a drink… of warm milk. Sing lullabies until you are kicked out.

7.   Hire a bodyguard to follow you around work. When co-workers inquire, look around, tell them the location of your last vacation, touch your nose, and scamper away. Then use all your vacation and sick time to disappear for a while. Let one of your co-workers “discover” you in the parking lot, disheveled and in tattered clothing.

8.   Married by Elvis in Vegas. Sometimes, memories are worth more than money.

9.   Give it to your dog to invest...he/she could probably do a better job than some of those fancy-pants financial advisors....and, it'd be cheaper!!  :P

10.  Hand random strangers dollar bills...tell them it fell from the sky.  Watch as everyone starts looking up.  Walk away...far away...  ;)


Feel free to add your own Funny below...Keep it Funny, though; anything serious will be deleted ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................>



HAHA!!! GOTCHA!!  ;)

Thursday, April 28, 2016

DUSTING OFF THIS BLOG

It certainly has been awhile since this blog has seen any action.  I thought I'd post a recipe that was popular with reader's a few years back.  It still is as yummy today as it was back then!  

SOUP SUPPER



I love to buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store....I can serve the chicken for supper one night, along with potatoes and a vegetable, and then I can use what is left from the chicken to make soup!  If you don't care about the extra fat in your stock, you could make this all in one day.  However, I like to "de-fat" my stock, so it takes a bit longer.
Ingredients:
1 leftover store-bought rotisserie chicken
1/2 bag (6 oz) extra wide noodles
2 quarts chicken broth (boxed/canned or from bouillon) 
2 big carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds or half-rounds
salt and pepper

In a large stockpot, place the chicken along with the sliced carrots.  Add enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.  I like to simmer until the chicken comes off the bones easily.  I then take the chicken out of the broth, remove all of the meat, and return the bones and skin to the water.  Put the meat back in the fridge and simmer the stock for about 4 hours.
**I've found that if you put the leftover chicken pieces in with the bones while you're making broth, the chicken meat tends to lose nearly all it's flavor. Better to save it & add in later.
After the stock is finished, strain and cool.  Then I refrigerate the stock overnight and the next morning, I take off the fat that has risen to the top.  I save this in a container, in the freezer, to make suet for the birds.*Recipe for that coming soon!
I place the stock back on the stove and add the canned broth (if you want a thinner soup, you can add more broth after the noodles are cooked).  After the stock has started boiling, I add the noodles and cook until tender.  Then I cut the chicken up into cubes and add it to the pot.  Heat on low until chicken is warmed through.  Salt and pepper to taste and Voilà!!  SUPPER!!!!