6-30-11

9:00am

We give the gerbils

cardboard tubes from toilet paper,

wrapping paper & paper towels.

Sometimes just pieces of cardboard

from boxes.

I also use shredded up newspaper

for their bedding and get some sticks

from the back yard for them to chew on.

It's free so why buy chew sticks

or bedding from the store?

They got a watermelon treat this morning.

Yesterday it was a piece of broccoli.

------------------------------------


Freebies I got online today-


Downy Unstoppables Sample on Facebook
Starts at 10am and limited
to 500,000.


------


Free Middle School T-Shirt
"The worst years of my life"
free to first 1,000.
Approximate value $20.

 ------

Like Oscar Mayer on Facebook

to get .75 cents coupon.

Watch them on Facebook to see

if coupon value increases to FREE!

 ------

Target has a coupon for $1.00 off 
any Hot Wheels item.
Hot wheel cars can usually be found for
$1.00 each so with coupon it
would make it free.


------


Free Ocean Spray Sparkling
Cranberry Sample. 

------

I got an email from Pantene today
and this is what it said-

save $3 on any full-size styling product*

experience Herbal Essences for even less! don't miss

your coupon in the July 3 paper.

So be to check your paper tomorrow.

------



Free packet of Sunflower seeds.http://www.somersaultsnackco.com/





----------------------------------



Each morning WTTE FOX 28
shows a photo on their newscast.
You can go to their Facebook page
and write a caption during that
news hour to possibly be chosen.
This morning's photo was

WTTE FOX 28

Caption This! Give us your best caption for this picture. We will then pick three finalists and your votes will pick the winner.

Wall Photos

My captions (didn't win unfortunately)
that I thought was cute and funny
and even Germain Toyota on Facebook
said they liked it, was-
"I had the right to remain silent so I played
with the markers very quietly while
you were busy"
and
"I want my lawyer...DADDY!!"



-------------------------------------

12:50pm


Went over to help a neighbor put
some things in a U-Haul truck.
They are moving because the oldest
daughter is going to college
and they are downsizing their home.
Whew it's starting to warm up out there.
And oooh doggies, that blacktop in the 
street and their driveway sure was hot.
I went barefoot.
Tomorrow, Sat & Sun are supposed to be
mid to upper 80's.  Time to tuck away
inside and keep cool.  Got the air condition
set on 76 and it feels pretty good in here.

----------------------------------

4:40pm

It doesn't seem as if I have done much
of anything today around the house.
Mom's need a break every now and then.
I think I was tuckered out from 
going through stuff yesterday around
the house trying to declutter.
We ended up taking half the stuff
I boxed up to the donation drop
box and half to the dumpster.


I did go across the street and have a 
chat with our 90 year old neighbor
for about an hour.  I haven't talked
to her since the last snowfall, lol.


Tony's doctor's appointment is
at 4:40 so we'll see what the outcome
of that was and having a new doctor.


------------------------------------------


$1.00 off a pkg of Fruit of the Loom socks.



------------------------------------------

6:30pm

Tonight I made a simple supper due
to my butt dragging.
Fried up some breaded chicken patties
in a skillet then served on bread
with mayo and cheese.
Had a side of mac & cheese.


I had some leftover strawberries
I needed to use up so I threw this
dessert together-

Made up a package of sugar cookie
mix according to directions.
Spread in a greased casserole dish.
Bake.
Then allow to cool completely.


In a bowl add an 8 ounce package of
cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup powdered sugar
and a teaspoon of vanilla and beat together
with mixer.


In anther bowl cut up strawberries
into small pieces.  Stir in a small
package of strawberry jello
(I used strawberry-banana jello).
Add 1/2 cup hot water and stir
til combined.  
I did this earlier today and refrigerated.


Spoon cream cheese mixture
on top of cookie.
Then top with strawberries.


-------------------------------------


Tony's result from the doctor was
that he still has pneumonia.
He had a go round of antibiotics for
10 days, didn't get any better,
another stronger dose of antibiotics
for 10 more days along with 
an antibiotic shot for another 10 days,
getting somewhat better but not completely.
Now another go round of more
antibiotics for another 10 days!!!
 AND
pills to prevent any thrush which
could develop from all the antibiotics
and a medicine to help him
sleep through the night.


His one arm has been hurting
and doc told him he had tennis elbow.
It can't be treated at the moment
with steriods because he is on
antibiotics and you cannot combine the two.


He also had lab work done and
we are waiting for results.
And tomorrow he has to go 
in for some chest xrays to check
the pneumonia in the lung.
He goes back to the doctor in 5 days
to get the results.


I, myself, still feel like my pneumonia
has not gone completely away either.
I still have coughing fits and phlegm.


-------------------------------------

6-29-11

7:55am

During the warmer weather I haven't

done as many surveys.  I do the ones

that pay well like the ones that offer

$3 a survey, Pinecone Research

and E-Rewards which offers

gift cards for GameStop. 

I also do Opinion Outpost but not

as much during warmer weather

because they can take longer to do.

While these surveys do not make you rich

it allows you to get rewards and

a little cash.

Since the beginning of this year I have-

$50 from one, $114 from another

and are working on $75 worth of

gift cards for GameStop.

I can then use them at Christmas time.

It's kind of like a Christmas savings

account for us.

Plus some of these surveys send

you free full size products to try

and give your opinions on.

Cool deal, I just saw that on the one
survey site they will be offering
Blockbuster Express rentals
as one of their rewards.

----------------------------------------

9:50am


Weeding through clothes.
Getting rid of ones that are too small
or stained.  Plus trying to weed
stuff out of the bedrooms.


I got out a tall dresser that I found
years ago and decided to use it for
a sock and underwear dresser.
It's all of about 12 inches wide,
which I love because it doesn't
take up much space.
Anything to help keep things organized.
I need to rearrange the actual drawers I see,
lol, because I took them out when I moved
it and didn't think anything of it when
I put them back in.  It's missing one small
knob but still serves its purpose.

------------------------------------


11:35am


Was rummaging around the fridge
trying to decide what to have for lunch
and supper today.
I saw that I had a half stalk of lettuce
that was starting to wilt and wasn't 
very crisp anymore.  I didn't want
it to go to waste so I chopped it all
up and put it in a bag and put in the freezer
for soups later on.

So far I have managed to weed out
enough stuff to fill a large tote and box.
I packed them up in the truck.
Should my hubby get paged out one evening
we can toss it in the dumpster
at my husbands work.  


Got supper in the oven now baking
before any heat of the day.
Then this evening all I have to do
is warm in microwave.


Corn dogs 
(hot dogs- free, cornbread mix- .70 cents), 
baked beans ($1.30) & 
macaroni & cheese (.59 cents)
with watermelon for dessert ($2.50).

Total cost $6.20
Makes enough for 8 servings
(leftovers will go towards
tomorrow's lunch)
@ .77 cents a serving.


I mixed up a package of Jiffy muffin mix
and put a teaspoon into 
mini muffin cups.
I took a package of hot dogs and
cut each one in into thirds then 
inserted each half into
the muffin cups and baked.

-----------------------------------


1:20pm


Almost got the back end of
the Suburban filled up with stuff
I weeded out of here.
I figured I'd better make a full run
when I go to dump this stuff.
I saw that gas today jumped up
from about $3.14 a gallon to
$3.45 a gallon overnight.
A difference of a .31 cent hike.
Is that crazy or what??!!


---------------------------------


2:45pm


Back end of Suburban is fully
loaded, and that's with the third row
seat out. Out of breath and out
of steam so gonna slow it
down for the day.

I also got the basketball pole/hoop
took apart and under the carport.


--------------------------


3:30pm

Freebies I got today online-


Free Aussie product when you like
them on Facebook.
Coupon good for up to $3.99.

First 75,000 only.
They will send you an email
confirmation to let you 
know the coupon is on it's way.

Join Old Orchard Fan Club, click on the verification link email and finish setting up your account = 1,000

Take THIS survey = 1,000

Cash in on a FREE 64 oz bottle of Old Orchard coupon!

Like Herbal Essences on Facebook 
and get a coupon good for up to $3.99.
First 125,000. 



------------------------------------


5:30pm



Chillin out back in the shade
watching the birds and squirrels.

----------------------------------------


10:40pm


Woo hoo, I just read that the show
Two and a Half Men will be coming
back Monday, September 19th
for season 9.
I heard on tv last night that Charlie Sheen
will not be allowed back on the show.
They are writing it that he is killed off
the show maybe by driving his car off
a cliff.  I don't remember what the other
options were.
They also said they might add in Ashton Kutcher
as maybe Raymond on the show.
I think he buys Charlie's house after he dies.
Not sure so we'll have to wait
2.5 months to see.


-----------------------------------------


I've been reading that in this past
Sunday's paper there was a coupon
for .50 cents off of 2 Musketeer candy bars.
They are .50 cents at Kroger.
Coupon doubles to $1.00
making both candy bars FREE!


------------------------------------

6-28-11

One of my kids has a rash of some

sort on their cheek.  

Not sure what it is though.

Don't know if it is poison ivy

because it isn't blistered.

It does itch though so last night

I started the first go round of

a homemade treatment of grinding

up oatmeal real fine in the food

processor.  I then added some to

a bowl with some hot water

and applied this paste to his face

with a really soft brush and allowed

it to dry.

Other things you could do to treat

an allergic plant reaction:

-a paste of baking soda & water.

-vinegar on rash.

-rub insides of banana peel on rash.

-dish washing liquid because it has

anti-grease agents to help draw out

the poison.

-baths with baking soda or oatmeal.

Put ground up oatmeal into a sock.

Tie the top off.  When taking a bath

squeeze the sock into the water.

---------------------------------------------

9:00am

I've been in the bathroom
trying to finish painting it.
Paint is still wet in the photo.
Still have over the sink mirror,
which requires standing on the sink,
and around the toilet, not
my favorite parts to do.
I have carpal tunnel so have to
paint a little at a time due
to hands going numb.
I don't have a paint roller
so all paint is going on with brushes!
Before

After

Before

After

-------------------------------

We might be in the market for
a new mattress for our bed.
Starting next week Big Lots is
having a sale on their Serta mattresses.
They are marking them down
$20 to $120.
Queen mattresses run $179 to $299
after mark downs.
I don't know where else to look
for a cheap new mattress.
We've had ours for 6 years
and it was given to us by my brother
who had it for I don't know how many
years.  I think it's time for another one.
I read that the average mattress
lasts 7-10 years before it loses it's
comfort and support.  Maybe more now
with the newer mattresses.
Some of us aren't that lucky to be
able to replace one that often.
Ours now has a double sided mattress topper.
So every 6 months we're flipping and
flopping this thing which is a pain in the rear
to do in our small bedroom.
These newer mattresses don't require flipping
and now have fireblocker on them
so they don't burn as fast in case of a fire.
I hate spending that kind of money
but will bite my lip and do what
we gotta do.  I'm tired of us waking
up with backaches!
But I have to research them first.
It's just like buying a car.
I want something that will last
a little while with little maintenance.


I learn something new every day so thought
I would pass this onto you.

Mattress Naming:
-Generally the further into the alphabet you go with mattress names, the better quality and comfort you get. For example mattress model names of the same brand starting with “V” are better than mattress models of the same brand starting with the “B.” However, just because a mattress has a letter like “S” does not mean it is more comfortable to you. A notable naming exception is the Stearns & Foster Plaza Hotel line for Sleepy’s in comparison to other S&F beds. Treat the “Plaza” line like its own brand.
-Generally the first letter of the model name is the same across different stores.
-Generally mattresses further into the alphabet are softer and have more/thicker layers.


----------------------------------


My $3.00, yard sale find, solar fountain.
I want to find some small rocks
to put around the outside of the fountain
along the edges.
The stronger the sun shines,
the higher the fountain goes.
It came with 3 different innerchangable
spout heads.
Head #1

Head #2

Head #3

-----------------------------------------


10:50am

So as if my one child doesn't have enough
problems with the rash on his face,
he also has what appears to be
a wart on the palm of his hand.
You don't get warts from frogs
like the old wives tail!
Warts are a virus that enters through
cracked or cut skin.


I bought some CompoundW's
Freeze Off for warts.
I think it was around $13 at Walmart.
It says there is enough in the bottle
to do 8 treatments so that's $1.62 per wart
removal.  Cheaper than a doctor's visit
if it works.  You attach
a swab thingy majigger to the end of
the aerosol can and and press for 2 seconds.
Then take the swab and apply it on
top of the wart for up to 20 seconds.
It freezes the wart.  But it takes 
10-14 days for it to fall off.
So we'll see how well this money was spent.

Oh I also got me another hair color
from Walmart last night.
For some reason you couldn't
even tell I colored my hair 
the last time I did it.
So this time around I went
with a lighter blond.
I might do that later on today or tomorrow.


----------------------------------

11:50am

I got my 4 lower cabinets cleaned
up and weeded out.
I had an empty box laying around
so decided to fill it up with crap
to get out of here. 
Taking a break for a moment
then will fix some lunch.


--------------------------------


1:00pm


Put a pork shoulder blade roast
in the crock with a can of
cream of chicken soup, some water
and salt & pepper.
Will have with some boiled up potatoes.
Use the soup as a gravy
and a side of homemade broccoli salad.

-------------------------------


Freebies gotten off the internet today-


-free year's subscription to Super Chevy.

-free year's subscription to Popular Science
Just enter some bogus job title! 

-Free coupon by snail mail
for a bottle of Pantene Shampoo or conditioner
up to $4.99.  You have to like them on
Facebook.

-Get 2 free DVD rentals at your local Blockbuster Express! Simply use codes 26KBDJ5 and 25NCRP6. Expires 7/4/11 at midnight.

-Free sample of Honey Nut Cheerios

plus .75 cents coupon.

-Free year's subscription to ESPN.

Tip- to sign up for offers like
these make up a couple different
emails for things just like this so
you don't get spam or junk mail.

------------------------------------


5:40pm


Supper


Broccoli Salad

2-3 heads of broccoli cut up
2/3 cup mayo
tsp or so of splenda
tsp or so of red wine vinegar
about 1/4 cup chopped onion
parmesan cheese
shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper


Removed pot roast from
crock and set on a plate to let it
rest before cutting.
I then added some cornstarch
mixed with a lil water and
added it to the soup
in the crock to thicken for the gravy.


In another pan I beat up the
potatoes with butter, milk
and salt.  I didn't have enough potatoes
so found a packet of sweet
mashed potatoes and threw them
in there as well.
Shhh, the kids think it's
cheesy mashed potatoes, lol.

--------------------------------------


This evening we stopped in the newest
Turkey Hill not far from here that just
opened up.  I can't say I've been in a Turkey Hill
gas station that is a convenience store also.
The only ones I've been to looked like
a little shack with a man behind the window
taking your money for gas.
It was weird seeing most merchandise
was Kroger brand.  I had a hankering
for a Little Debbie or Hostess cupcake.
You won't find one in that store.
But hey I did find my favorite Kroger
brand cookies.
The best part of this convenience store
was that it didn't have convenience store
mark ups.  It had the same prices
as the regular store.  
They carry fountain drinks and
slushies as well.  .79 cents for a 32 ounce.
They also have a deli type area with
subs and sandwiches and even rotiserri
chickens.
Gas was $3.14.  It's slowly coming down.
By shopping at Kroger I qualify to get
.10 cents off per gallon.

My whole idea of going to Kroger
tonight was to stop by the Red Box
machine.  When I signed up with
my email they sent me an email
with a code for a free movie.
I got Social Network, it's about
how Facebook got started.