Weekly Coupon Shopping

This week I made use of a lot of app rebates, through iBotta, SavingStar, and Checkout 51.  I mostly use these if something pops up that I'm already buying. I just scroll through the offers before I toss my receipts, and scan accordingly.  Occasionally, though, I do plan to get some of the deals in addition to my normal shopping. This week was a mixture of both of those.

Walmart

Along with our regular mid-month grocery shopping, I was able to use a few coupons to get some deals:

• 2 Naked Juices: $2.78 each. Used two $1/1 printables, and submitted for $2.00 in iBotta rebates ($1.00 for each one) = paid $3.56/2, got $2.00 back.
• 2 Farmland Bacon: $4.98 each. Used two $1/1 printables (zip code 85254), and submitted for $5.00 Walmart egift card rebate here (which you can do twice, so I'll probably do it again next time!) = paid $7.96/2, got $5 gift card back.
• Angel Soft Toilet Paper 24 pack: $10.97. Used $0.55/1 printable, and submitted for $0.25 in Checkout 51 rebate = paid $10.42, got $0.25 back.
• Bar-S Hot Dogs: $0.88. Submitted for $0.25 Checkout 51 rebate.

Walgreens

I was excited for this week's Walgreens deals, because they included the Starbucks Iced Coffee, which I recently tried and really like!  

• 2 Kellogg's Cereals: $1.99 each. Used two $1.50/1 printables (Kellogg's Rewards redemption) = $0.49 each!
• 4-pack Starbucks Iced Coffee: $3.99. Used $1/1 printable = $2.99.
• Starbucks Iced Coffee Single: $1.99. Used $1/1 printable, and submitted for $1 SavingStar rebate = free!
• 2 Nestle Crunch Girl Scout Bars: $0.39 each. Used $0.50/2 (SS 7/13/14) = paid $0.28/2!
• 6 Stride and 3 Trident Gum: 3/$2, get 2,000 points when you buy $6.
• 1 Coke: $1.69. Bought this for a friend since it has her name on it.
• Total spent: $13.11, got back $1 SavingStar and 2,000 points.

CVS

We've been having some issues with absorbency and stink in our cloth diapers, which regular Tide is supposed to fix.  Here's hoping!  Otherwise, we normally stick to the free and clear detergents.

• Reese's Cereal: $1.88. Used $0.60/1 printable, and submitted for $0.50 SavingStar rebate = paid $1.28, got $0.50 back.
• 3 Kleenex 85 ct.: $0.99 each. Used $0.50/3 (SS 7/13/14), and submitted for $0.75 iBotta rebate = paid $2.47/3, got $0.75 back.
• Tide 40oz.: $4.94. Used $1.50/1 printable = paid $3.44.
• Also used $6.50 in ECBs = paid 1.07, got $1.25 back!

Other Coupon Shopping:

• Kwik Trip: Used $1 off gasoline coupon I got via text. I also submitted my receipt for $0.25 back for tomatoes and $0.25 back for bananas from Checkout 51.

On Feeding A Gluten-Free Child

Shortly after we started feeding Hannah food from the table, she started having digestive issues.  Without going into too much detail, she had a hard time pooping.  After following her diet more closely for a few weeks, I narrowed the problem down to grains, although I wasn't positive which ones.

So we eliminated.  For about two weeks, we cut out all grains.  Then we added back in oats, with no problems, and rice, with no problems.  We added back in whole wheat products, and there were the issues again.  So we eliminated them.

I've spoken with our pediatrician about this before, although we hadn't done any elimination diets yet at that point.  She pretty much told me to try what I want, and report back next time, or sooner if we had bigger issues.  I don't think this is a full-blown allergy, because there would be other issues and reactions.  And since we've eliminated gluten, I don't think we can test for an allergy or intolerance, unless we add it back in (unless I'm mistaken about how that test works?).  I plan on talking to the doctor again at our next appointment in a few weeks, but in general, simply eliminating gluten from Hannah's diet seems to have everything working fine, so I don't necessarily see a reason to test right now.

So how does that work in our day-to-day life?  In this case, I'm thankful that we have been eating fairly close to the Paleo diet at least part of the time, because those are all foods that Hannah can eat.  The times that we do have something different, such as the turkey wraps pictured above, I will give Hannah the filling/toppings, but not the tortilla (or the pizza crust, or the pasta).  If that doesn't seem like enough food, I'll add an additional fruit or veggie.  Since we only have those items a few times a month, it hasn't been that hard to adapt her plate.

Breakfast is a bit more of a challenge, since I do like to include baked goods once a week, plus cereal once or twice.  Sometimes I'll feed her eggs or oatmeal while the rest of us have the others, and we have tried a few of the gluten-free cereals like Chex, which seem to be fine.  Soon to be tried: oatmeal pancakes!  I have my tried and true recipes for pancakes and waffles, so I hadn't really looked for other ones, but baby girl should get to enjoy those too!

All in all, it's a bit more work to make sure we always have something around that Hannah can eat, but her tummy is much happier, and that's certainly worth it!

Obviously, I am not a doctor, and none of this should be taken as medical advice.  I am simply sharing what works for our family at this time.

Menu Plan July 16-31

It's time for another menu plan! I usually ask everyone if they have any meals they would like to eat this time around, and try to incorporate those.  This time Jesse actually stole my notebook and filled in several days for me!  I shifted them around a bit to fit better with weekly produce shopping, but that was a nice break for me to not have to do the whole thing!  He also made sure to inform me of the weather forecast, since the last few times I haven't looked and we've had soup on some rather warm days...Here's the plan:

Wednesday, July 16
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Ham and Bean Soup, Easy Cheesy Biscuits

Thursday, July 17
Breakfast: Leftover Muffins from the Freezer
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Leftover Ham and Bean Soup and Biscuits

Friday, July 18

Breakfast: French Toast (with strawberries if I remember to thaw them)
Lunch: Turkey Bacon Wraps
Dinner: Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Saturday, July 19

Breakfast: Baked Strawberry Oatmeal
Lunch: My 10 Year High School Reunion Picnic
Dinner: Leftover Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Sunday, July 20

Breakfast: Leftover Baked Strawberry Oatmeal
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Chicken, Poblano Sweet Potatoes

Monday, July 21

Breakfast: Eggs and Leftover Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: Area Pastors Picnic
Dinner: Eggplant Lasagna

Tuesday, July 22

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Eggplant Lasagna
Dinner: Black Bean Burgers, Chips

Wednesday, July 23

Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon, and Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Chicken Fajitas (Mix is already in the freezer)

Thursday, July 24

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, Hot Dogs
Dinner: Crockpot Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions, Rice

Friday, July 25

Breakfast: Yogurt, Homemade Granola, Fruit
Lunch: Chicken, Black Beans, Mexi Rice
Dinner: Fish Fry (we haven't been to one for at least a few months)

Saturday, July 26

Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Leftover Chicken, Black Beans, and Mexi Rice
Dinner: Leftover Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions, Rice

Sunday, July 27

Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Quesadillas
Dinner: Dinner out for our 7th anniversary! We might even get a baby-sitter...

Monday, July 28

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Chicken and Black Bean Taco Salads
Dinner: Sausage, Egg and Cheese Sandwiches on these Biscuits

Tuesday, July 29

Breakfast: Winter Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Leftover Taco Salads
Dinner: Chicken with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

Wednesday, July 30

Breakfast: Leftover Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Mini Pepper Nachos (this time with a chicken and black bean mixture)
Dinner: Homemade Pizza - Chicken Bacon Ranch Mushroom

Thursday, July 31

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes
Dinner: Pancakes, Eggs and Bacon

Iron Craft Challenge #14: All Natural

I read the description for this challenge, to make something with natural materials, and I was stuck.  So I figured I would go with wood, because I have a big bag of old-fashioned clothespins, and a Christmas ornament, because that seems to be the kick I'm on lately.

I started with pretty simple materials: a couple wooden clothespins and a wooden circle bead, blue cloth, and hot glue.

 First I put together the baby.

 Then the Mary and Joseph.

 And the whole family!

 I call it my natural minimalist nativity scene.  Simple but cute!

Anyone else making Christmas ornaments in July?

What I'm Reading...

It has been a busy week! We decided to homeschool Jonah this coming school year, and started looking into the details on that. I started getting rid of craft materials after realizing that I've held on to things for too long. And we had our big ultrasound for the baby and found out it's a girl! Wow! Even so, I was able to get some reading in earlier this week, and found all sorts of good things.

To Know Them Is To Love Them. "When our loved ones detect how well we're paying attention, it fuels their tanks." (The Art Of Simple)

What If We Gave Them The Benefit Of The Doubt? I've caught myself in this a lot this past week, and I'm trying to remember that my little people are just trying to figure out the world, and are not always deserving of yelling and punishment. (Life Your Way)

Why Memorization Gets A Bad Rap In Modern Education. The difference is the desire behind it - do you want facts spewed back, or do you want a framework for learning? (Life Your Way)

Setting Powerful Short-Term Personal Finance Goals...And 25 Examples To Get You Started. This is a really good list of short-term challenges to boost or improve your finances. (The Simple Dollar)

Is There A Natural Alternative To Pediasure? I've never used Pediasure for my kids, but I'm all about real food alternatives to fake processed things. (100 Days Of Real Food)

On Craft Stash Busting And Letting Go

As I was reading through the book Zero Waste Home (look for the full review at the end of the month), one quotation from the section on Crafts really jumped out at me:

"As I let go of potential/unfinished projects and seldom-used materials, I let go of frustrations and expectations. I had realized that the unused art supplies had been nagging at me. They were just sitting there, waiting to become something better, something artful, something amazing, something that would allow me to vanquish my fears and exceed my abilities."

I think this is one of the issues I have with the craft supplies I still have. I have gotten rid of many, but I still have quite a few, and sometimes seeing them just sitting there when I don't have time or energy to create anything causes more stress than joy.

So I started grabbing things to get rid of. The first bag was easy. Some empty tins, small ribbons, bits and pieces of old projects that I had gotten from someone and never done anything with.  And I felt lighter.

Then I organized some of the bigger categories I had left, and made a list of what projects had been started and what needed to be done to finish them.  And it was still a long list, but I like having lists. It gives me something to work towards, a visual way of seeing what I couldn't see when it was bagged and boxed up on my shelves.

I don't know what's next. I know there are more things I can get rid of. Just writing the last few paragraphs, I've thought of a few that I know I can use to start the next bag of giveaways.  I know that the baby wipes tubs don't work for storage, because I forget what's in them, even with the labels.  I know that once I finish some projects, there are tools and materials I probably won't use again.  I know that at some point, we're going to need the space for a desk for Jesse to work at home, or storage for homeschool supplies (yes, homeschool...more about that soon, I hope).  So it's good for me to continue to narrow things down.

I'm excited for a few of the bigger projects that I gathered together, some of which I had planned awhile ago and forgotten.  I'm excited that I found and organized my stationary and envelopes so I can hopefully start writing letters again.  I'm excited that I was able to finish a few quick stash-busting projects with materials that I had saved for a specific purpose.  But mostly, I'm excited that I was able to start letting things go.

4th Of July Fun!

Jonah and Matthew love when I get out the paint shirts and the newspaper. They think painting is the best project in the world. It's messy, so it doesn't happen very often, but they love it.

I had a red lid that came with a Christmas cookie container, but the container itself had broken. But the lid was pretty, and I thought I could probably make something with it, so I saved it.  I decided to paint a flag on it.

Since I was painting, I decided to let the boys help, so I pulled two oatmeal canister lids out of the recycling for them, and gave them some red, white, and blue.

Then I put it all together with a little bit of ribbon, and hung it on our front door.  A little bit of festive fun for the season, and they were so proud when they saw their artwork on the door!