Countdown to Christmas Giveaway Linky - GIFTS ONLY

Hard to believe that we are ready to start Counting Down to Christmas, but if you are a smart shopper and want to get something for everyone on your list, you better start looking now! And what better way to get someone something better or more than your budget affords you than to win it? OutnumberedMama (from Guide to Surviving Motherhood) and Multi Mommi (from Multitasking - All Day, Everyday) are hosting a GIFTS ONLY Giveaway Linky that will stay live through Dec. 24th. So if you have a giveaway that would make a great gift (and be real people - no one really wants cleaning supplies under their tree ;), please link it up below. Come back any time between now and 12/24 to add your giveaways. *We will do our best to delete expired giveaways.

Giveaway contest are a great way to earn Christmas gifts.  My sister's blog The Guide is hosting a Christmas gift giveaway where she will be reviewing and giving away great gifts for the holidays.  Right now she is giving away a Chugginton die cast set which looks great for a boy over the age of 3.  Check it out here and enter to win.  Also, check out the other contests she has going on.  I will be letting you know when new giveaways become available.  Good Luck!

HAPPY MONDAY!

Fun Fall Family Stuff!

Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year.  I love the changing color of the leaves,  the crispness in the air, the fact that most of my kids are in school for part of the day.  One of my favorite things to do this time of year is visit Apple Hill.  Apple Hill is a mountain side community of farms and orchards in Northern California and fall is the best time of year to visit as far as I am concerned!  There are craft fairs, fruit stands, pumpkin patches, train rides, wineries, Christmas tree farms, and of course APPLES!  If you have something like this nearby please take advantage of it.  It is fun for the whole family, supports local agriculture, and provides beautiful photo opportunities.  Also be on the lookout in your local paper for fall festivals in your area.  Many times these are free events and what a better way to get out of the house!  If you are in my area and haven't been to Apple Hill check them out here.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

It's Raining Let's Make Chili!

The weather is cooling down and it happens to be raining today.  To me this all spells comfort food.  I actually make this chili recipe year round because not only is it good on its own it is great with BBQ, on baked potatoes, chili dogs, etc.  It is also a recipe that can be multiplied quite easily for parties!  My mother-in-law taught me this recipe and her mother-in-law taught her.  Hopefully she won't be upset that I am sharing with you!  So...here you go:

1 lb. ground beef

1 can pinto beans

1 can ranch style or chili beans

12 oz. salsa

chili powder to taste

Brown the ground beef until fully cooked.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until heated through.

See?  It is SO easy!  And it tastes great!  You can easily substitute other ingredients such as ground turkey or pork for the beef,  Mexican style diced tomatoes for the salsa, or you can even add corn.  Sometimes I just have a bowl with a bit of shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream and sometimes we use it to make burritos.  I hope you enjoy this chili as much as my family does!

HAPPY THURSDAY!

A/N:  I think I screwed up the scheduling thing on here because this was supposed to post yesterday...sorry.

Applying Eyeliner Who Me???

Okay, so I think we have established that I am not a girly girl who wears make-up and has perfectly coiffed hair every day.  That does NOT mean I don't like to look nice for special occasions and when I am out and about for lunch, dinner, movies, etc.  I am also really cheap and purchasing beauty products is not very high on my priority list so you can imagine how excited I was when my sister had an extra Glambox by Smashbox from her recent giveaway.  My daughter and I had a mini-makeover session immediately and we both love the whole line.  The mascara is great giving length, volume, and color without feeling heavy or clumping, but my favorite item was the Jet Set Waterproof eyeliner in Vamp.  It is a cream based eyeliner that is applied with a brush.  I was a little skeptical at first because I suck at applying liquid eyeliner and figured this would be a similar situation.  I was so wrong!  It went on very smoothly and since it is a cream/powder you are not dealing with the harsh lines of liquid liner.  Even my daughter was impressed with my eyeliner applying skills!  Another thing I noticed about SmashBox cosmetics is that it feels good and light on my skin I hate that feeling of heavy makeup...it makes me want to wash my face all day long.  So if you get a chance, go check them out on FaceBook just enter SmashBox into the search function.

Fan-fic rec of the week:  Trust, Loyalty, Commitment by belli486

Bella, Director of her church'e Afterschool Program, has been faithful to her commitment to remain a virgin until she is married.  Tallahassee Police Officer, Edward Cullen's charm and sex appeal severely challenges her resolve. AU/AH Rated M for adult content

This is a great story dealing with so many different issues like faith, religion, interracial marriage/relationships, and falling in love (of course).  There is also an amount of mystery/crime due to a stalker.  While there is some smut it is very tastefully done and an integral part of the story...I mean Bella is 23 and a virgin.  Take a look this story is sweet, intriguing, and eye opening.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

Happy Wednesday!

Spring Cleaning...er...Fall Cleaning

I am sure most of you have heard the idea of Spring Cleaning and yes I do subscribe to the notion of some deep cleaning now and then.  Early October is also a good time to get some deep cleaning done as well.  Many of us have family and friends who visit during the holidays and how embarrassing is it when you pull out your sofa sleeper for a guest and there are food crumbs lodged in there!  Or something rolls under the couch and your guest has an allergy attack trying to retrieve it due to all the dust bunnies collected under there.  Or when you have guests over for Thanksgiving dinner and you pull out your turkey platter or gravy boat only to find they are covered in dust and possibly a dead bug...gross! This is why I take some extra time over the first couple of weeks in October to get all those places I don't get to on a daily or even weekly basis.  Here is a list of things I plan on getting done over the next two weeks:

vacuuming out an spot cleaning the couches

moving furniture and vacuuming/mopping underneath

dusting and wiping clean all of the air vents

cleaning out and wiping down the insides of the kitchen cabinets and drawers

same in the bathrooms

cleaning and wiping down the floor boards throughout the house

paint touch-ups

getting rid of all the too small, ratty, summer clothes in preparation for cooler weather clothing

eradicating broken, outgrown toys in preparation for holiday gifts

Having all of this done well in advance of holidays visitors and/or parties will make those visits so much less stressful and you can concentrate on entertaining your guest instead of worrying about dust bunnies and dirty serving dishes.  What are some things you do in preparation for the holiday season?

HAPPY TUESDAY!

Time to Clean Out Those Expired Coupons!

So if you don't already know, the October Proctor & Gamble PriceSaver came out yesterday.  This means last months coupons are expired.  So take the time, go through your coupons, and trash all of the expired ones.  This also helps to make space for all the new coupons.  I don't know if it was a nationwide thing or not but there were some extra inserts in our local paper (SacBee) this weekend including a Pepsico one.  

If you are new to couponing may I give you some advice?  Get a big D-ring binder, some dividers, and some baseball card sheet protectors.  Since I have taken to buying several Sunday papers it has really helped to have my coupons organized this way.  It makes the coupons easy to see at a glance and keeping them organized by category makes it even easier to find a particular coupon.  This is helpful when standing in the middle of the store with a couple of kids hanging off the cart begging for toys and candy!  You never know when you might run across some clearance items or an unadvertised sale, so ALWAYS bring your coupons with you.  Here is a list of categories I use in my coupon binder:

Safeway

Walgreen's

Target

CVS

restaurant coupons

refrigerated

frozen

condiments

snacks

grains (this includes rice, pasta, bread, cereal)

beverages

baking supplies

canned and boxed dry goods

medicines & vitamins

health and beauty ( I separate within this section by dental, shaving, makeup & facial treatments, hair care, body treatments, personal products)

household ( I separate with in this section by (paper goods, office supplies, fragrance)

cleaning products ( separated by laundry, dish-washing, bathroom, kitchen, misc.) 

  

I hope this helps with your coupon organization.  If you have a tip please leave a comment.  HAPPY MONDAY!