Catching up

Hey! I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water lately, and have barely had time to sit down and think about what I'm going to do next let alone blog! I was able to check out this book from the library, and I'm already enjoying it a lot. I'm trying to remind myself to be still and breathe every once in a while. Seems like it shouldn't be hard to do, but it is...

Happy Weekend!

It's already that time again! This week has gone by so fast – we spent lots of time outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather. Here are a few links I've found interesting this week. Have a great weekend!

A beautiful essay about being a mom.
How much does your credit score matter?
A fun toddler project for a rainy day.
These doodles are amazing!


Image from here.

Fair and Square

I've been seeing the new JCPenney commercials and ads and they peaked my interest, so I decided to stop by a store and check them out. The styling in their ads and circulars looks super fresh and fun, and reminds me more of J Crew than what I've typically thought of from Penneys. (Wondering if it has anything to do with their new leadership.) If you're not familiar with their new pricing structure, here's how it works. I found the visit super pleasant: they've decreased the amount of merchandise on the walls and racks, so it feels a lot less crowded. And the addition of Sephora mini-stores in the center of the store is meant to attract a younger buyer. I picked up this coat and shirt: the coat/cape was $50, and the shirt was $11. I left very satisfied with the trip and will definitely be back!

Menu Plan Monday: 2.20.2012

The weather here has been so strange, just like most of the country. Warm one day, freezing the next. Today while I was planning my menu it was very cold, so I planned a few slow cooker recipes to make us feel warm and cozy!

Slow Cooker Rotisserie Style Chicken
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
French Onion Soup with French Bread
Spaghetti with Bolognese
Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

Check out more delicious menu plans right here!

Happy weekend!

I've decided to start sharing a few links on Fridays of things I've found interesting, informative or inspiring during the week.

An easy dinner to cook for one.

No heat curl tutorial.

The comments section of this post is so interesting. How much do YOU spend on housing?

Super fun and relatively inexpensive art for your walls. There are so many ways you could make this project your own!

Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Image from here

Unextreme Couponing: Soup, Toothpaste and Razor

I made a stop at CVS to work a few of the deals I saw in Sunday's circular. I'm collecting some canned goods for a food drive in my area, so I got some soup, and I also needed to add to my stockpile of razors and toothpaste:

Transaction 1
Toothpaste, on sale for $2.75. Used MQ for .75 off.
Paid $2.00 OOP and got $2 ECB's back.

Transaction 2
Razor was $10.49, used a $2 off MQ. Soup was on sale for .59 a can, used a MQ for .40 off 4.
Used $5 in ECBs I had from previous weeks, plus $2 ECB's from Transaction 1.
Paid $3.70 OOP and got $4 ECB's back from the razor!

Crafty Things: Heart Crayon Valentines

In honor of one of my favorite holidays, I thought I'd show you the Valentines I made for a little party my daughter was invited to with her play group. I've seen these crayons all over the blog world, so I picked up the ice trays at Target for $1, and had the rest of the supplies on hand making this a super cheap project. I used the instructions here, and was really happy with the way it turned out! And with the kids in the group all being so little, I think this is better than candy! I'll post pics of the finished crayons all packaged up soon. Hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day!