Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Weekly grocery haul - Lots of different stores this week

This week was a wild one.  Son got Strep throat for the first time in his 10 years of life.  He wasn't a happy camper.  So basically Tuesday we had our last homestudy visit before our homestudy is written.  About an hour later we went to grab some food and K said his throat was hurting.  As the night went on it was only getting worst.  He tried to sleep but he was struggling with that and told me he needed to go to the ER.  I calmed him down finally about 2 AM.  I was online seeing if we had a walk in open for him and found nothing.  I knew it wasn't ER important.  Finally got him to sleep around 3 AM and I laid with him.  Waking up every hour checking on him.  At 8 I was up and calling the ped's office to get him in.  Yup, what I thought it was.  STREP THROAT!  Got him on medicine ASAP and loaded up on soft foods and drinks. 
 
As you can see in the first photo there are LOTS of soft types of foods.  Think we only got 2 things in this first haul that actually goes with meals on the weekly menu.
So Wednesday and Thursday when K didn't feel like eating much hubs and I just ate subs and salads.
Friday we went to Disney so we ate in Orlando.  - 21 burgers and K was feeling much better and apparently very hungry for burgers as he downed the whole burger and fries.  That's odd for him we almost always need to take the rest to go.  Maybe the burgers we're just AMAZING.
 
 

First Photo is from Publix $12.76, Wal-Mart $30.16 and Target $29.13 <-- got storage bins and dish soap as well.
What we got
T-Raviolis
P- Cheetos puffs
P- 2 lemonades
T - Pumpkin spice bagels
W - banana's
T - 2 Gatorade
T- Snap pea crisp -YUM!
W - Motts apple juice
W - Cadbury Chocolate
W- Feta Cheese
T - Kerry Gold Butter
T- Ice cream topper (Just ran out so getting a replacement)
P - Triscuits
W- pop tarts
W- cheese blocks (Colby and Mozzy)
W- String cheese
P and W - Yogurt
W- sleepy time tea
W- Pizza
W-Gogurt
T- Kid zone protein bars
P- Pudding
T-Leachable treat trays (For Halloween week)
T- 4 Mac and Cheese
T- 2 Plastic containers
T- 2 Dish Soaps

Publix Savings $4.63, Wal-Mart savings $0.00 Target Savings $3.74

After Disney we headed to Dinner and some grocery shopping at Wholefoods.  Ok mainly there to get honest Lemonade.  Its my favorite so when we're in Orlando I get a couple.  We also like to stock up on Kid z bars.  Yeah we could buy them in boxes at target but we like to have a variety and for $.69 a bar at wholefoods we actually save money. 
Saturday errands included a trip to SAMS for a couple of things we were running low on.



Wholefoods $33.45
Cat food (No wheat, byproducts or corn cat food) Not in photo
Cheap bottle of water for ride home.  Not in photo I drank it :o)
2 Blackberry water -YUM!
4 Lemonade
Pumpkin pie spice.
8 kid Z bars

SAMS $43.42
Ground Beef
Nutella
Raspberries
Romaine Lettuce
Block of cheese not pictured
Halloween Book.  This was impulse but we really enjoyed the Christmas book last year so when I saw this one we wanted it.


                                       This weeks Grocery/household TOTAL $148.92

                                                    See you next week!

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Weekly Grocery/household Haul - Target

 
Target (non-super center)
9/30
 
Things were just off for me as I was breaking routine and going a day early.  Didn't think much about it but you could just feel the change in routine.  K was with me as his dad happened to work over time and couldn't watch K.  The reason I went a day early was that we were having our 2nd homestudy visit the next day.  That ended up getting changed as well.  That's just another story when I write about our adoption process.
 
So K and I went shopping and found almost everything we need to complete dinners on the menu for the week.  We ended up with lots of fall treats as well.
 
Here is our Weekly shopping haul
 
Motts juice- the deal was really good this week.
Garlic pwd -Got to keep the vampires away ;o)
Milk
Apple cider -This just screams FALL
Fun size candy and M&Ms for all the fall baskets around the house
Hotdog buns
Triscuits - you'll see these almost week.  A staple for son and I
Pop-tarts
Brats - planned meal
Tilapia - another planned meal
2 trail mixes - Snack drawer
Pumpkin bagels - YUM!
Chili
Yogurt
Dish tabs - because we ran out
Kandoo - great for kids bathrooms
Baby wipes - For the van for the sticky fingers or messy faces
My little treasures
Cute pencils for my desk, note cards to send (RAKS and selling old school books) <-- blog about later. Cute PINK polkadot socks.
 

                                                Total = $74.92 (before Cartwheel)

                                                            Paid = $49.42

Don't know about you but that's $25.50 that we can spend on other things for the family

We did grab produce else were which came to be another $15 (Asparagus, Sweet potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, raspberries)

Total spent on grocery's this week $65

                                                        See you next week with our grocery haul!

Monday, October 6, 2014

New Fridge review

Introducing our brand new fridge.  So excited to have our first brand spanking new fridge.  Something about having that shinny thing in the kitchen.  Since our family cooks most of our meals from scratch we needed more room for our growing family.  We did have to make the wall next to the fridge larger to get the old fridge out and this one in.  Now just need hubs to finish a small part of the wall.  He wants to do that when we update the kitchen.  We'll see, just depends on when that project starts.  We've had the fridge for 5 months now and we are still in love with the room we have.

Come with me as I show you in side this GEM

Door has filtered water, ice, door alarm if door is left open, and best thing is a measuring feature.  Son uses that feature a lot.  He loves going in and getting so many ounces to drink.  I love it because it encourages son to drink more water.
                                                   


The top of our French door fridge is the fridge.  No bending down or cramming things into a side by side.

Can I hear the Angels sing when you just look at this fridge.  I am blessed to have such a nice energy saving fridge.  Produce actually last longer.  Old fridge if a produce wasn't used within 3 days it was wilting or turning colors.  Not in this fridge!  We can take advantage of the salads from Sams now and not worry about them going bad so quick.  Best of all we have enough room in our fridge that we can grocery shop once a week and see what we have.  That last part is the best thing "SEE WHAT WE HAVE" We now reach for those left overs and everything else. We even have a deli drawer and we use that A LOT.  No wasted space in this fridge.
 
 The 2nd best part of this fridge is coming next.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Wait for it!
 
 
 
 
 
Wait for it!
 
 
 
 
 
Ta da!
 
The Snack Drawer
I fill this weekly where its lacking.  Yes, I did just fill the drawer!  I try to keep somewhat healthy options for us to grab quickly.  This was a major selling point for us.  Some of you may know that we are in the adoption process and we wanted to have a drawer that the kids can open and grab what they need.  The rule for this drawer is that "if your hungry you can grab something from the snack drawer"  As you can see we do have Soda in there but that can change if that gets out of hand.  Love the fact that son can grab something to eat when he's hungry and its leaving the main part of the fridge still closed.  Energy saving drawer.
 
The freezer


We don't keep the meat and frozen veggies in here.  We keep quick breakfast meals, fries, corn dogs etc. in the drawers.  Pizzas in the pizza slot in the door.  Ice cream, popsicles, frozen fruit, smoothie packs etc. in the bottom drawer.  We keep our meats, veggies, freezer meals in another freezer that we only open maybe once a day to take something out.  This helps keep the kids out from leaving the freezer door open searching for a treat.

I wouldn't change a thing.  If you don't have a 2nd freezer than the drawers might be a little shallow if your like us and cook a lot.
 

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Weekly grocery Haul -Target

Target Grocery shopping
9/24
 
This week we are trying to clear out the meats we already have so only needed a few staples this week to complete meals.  Most of this will be used in the next couple of weeks not just this weeks menu.
What we got
6 Frozen veggies
Cheese ravioli
Tatar tots - for Tatar tot casserole
Hash browns - Breakfast burritos for the hubs to take to work
yogurt for my yogurt loving child
Pumpkin yogurt - because I am in love with pumpkin
shredded cheese
ground beef
box of sugar. Oh I mean Trix
Pumpkin spice bagels - Umm these are AMAZING!
tortillas in two different sizes
trail mix - I divide this up into snack bags and throw into the snack drawer (future post)
Pesto - We love our pesto chicken
salsa
plain bread crumbs
pumpkin pie pop tarts
Mac and cheese - not planned but a nice staple in the pantry for THOSE days you don't feel like cooking much.
Black beans - Staple
Red beans - Staple
Gatorade and some chews we got for free
Cute clipboard needed for school (me)
 

                                                Total -$75.92 before using cartwheel App

                                                                         Paid - $67.59

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Weekly grocery haul -Publix

      Well I'm going to give grocery hauls a whirl.  What can I say I'm a mom and I love to see what other moms are buying.  Yup sometimes I just want to be snoopy. Not competing with them just like to see the behind the scene of other families.  So lets get to it!
 
         This weeks haul didn't consisted of any meat as we are trying to clean out the old freezer.  The freezer products we did get don't go into that freezer are only snacks/lunch food.
Our every 2 weeks grocery budget is $150-$200 for a family of 3 and I'm  not afraid to use coupons.  If I can save money. I'm all for it!  Couponing takes me maybe 20 mins a week to gather what I need.  I use sites that do all the matching for me.
 
What I got this week (9/17)
 
Chili frozen meals -perfect for lunches but wont buy again due to the high sodium
Fries - are a staple in our house.  At least once a week we have fries
Grapes
Pizza rolls - Great deal only reason we got so many.  Will last a while.
3 mix veggies
2 yogurt - for my yogurt loving child
Mashed potatoes- for those nights that I don't have time to whip them up from scratch
crackers  -  Son loves these
Kerry gold butter- on sale for a lot less than Wal-Mart and its the only butter we use
dry pasta - a staple for those nights you don't feel like cooking much
Fresh pasta - a couple of planned meals
Bushes beans -Mexican dinner nights
 
 
Total After deals and coupons
$45.27
 
Saved
$49.76

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Goodbye 2013 Hello 2014

Goodbye 2013 Hello 2014

               2013 will always be a year that we will always remember.  We bought a bigger home where we can build our family via adoption.  We went from a 2 bedroom 1 bath home that was 800sq ft to a 1500 Sq ft home with a 500 sqft garage 3 bedrooms 2 bath rooms with a school room/playroom.  We have gained awesome neighbors which was a positive to the new house for the year.  Hubs was kept on with his job when they closed the plant.  Such a blessing in our life.  Getting back on our Debt free financial track since moving and getting caught in all the moving expense's and learning a whole new pay schedule. <--- just threw me off for a month or 2.  Had to retrain myself to what bills came out when.  We had our first home remodel of opening up the kitchen so that I could be in there cooking or cleaning and still see what the child/ren are up to.  Now to just finish the kitchen but that is on the back burning until after the adoption process.

                       Speaking about the adoption process - we are fully funded for the home study.  Huge thing when adopting.  I wish I could say I'm not nervous but I am.  Not loosing sleep over it yet but its not yet scheduled.  We are scheduling by the end of Jan, 2014.  So exciting but so nerve racking.  Goodness I hope this is a normal reaction to having a first time home study done.  K is excited to having brothers and sisters join our family.  This is going to be a huge adjustment for him so we are trying to talk him through the process as its happening.  We've had lots of talks about how he's going to have to share his parents and he says hes fine with that but I know once they are here the adjustment for him will start.  Praying this is our last year as a family of 1 child to love.  We have room in our hearts for as many as GOD feels our family can handle.

My personal goals for 2014 is to

House - Finish the Kids/guest Bathroom, Have Kids rooms painted, Girls room closet put together
Health - Eat breakfast
Family - Go out on a date with the husband at least once a month, welcome a son or daughter or both :o),
Pets - Get Ponce Fixed
Blog - Write more
Baby steps - Fully Funded emergency fund

Stay  posted for more updates on the happenings in the family