REVIEW OF PUREX TRIPLE ACTION LAUNDRY DETERGENT !

A few weeks ago I was offered by PUREX INSIDERS the chance to review their newest product. TRIPLE ACTION PUREX MOUNTAIN BREEZE. The first thing I noticed when I opened the bottle was the scent. Then I read on the label that it is formulated for performance in all types of washing machines. The triple actions are bright, white, clean.
My clothes came out wonderfully clean and smelling great. I will be using this from now on. It is a great value , too.
I was given a product for this review and I have not been compensated in any other way. My opinions are all my own.

VERY EASY DAY COOKING ON CHRISTMAS !!!

We have been on a roller coaster this past week. Bobo and Sissy have been sick right through Christmas. Mommy and Daddy were sick,too. It still was a nice Christmas. We had decided this year, thank goodness. to make it as simple as possible.
One of the gifts that I, Nana got for Christmas from my sister was the cookbook called 365 Slow Cooker Recipes. I had thought for 3 days what recipe I wanted to use for Christmas. We were already having a turkey so I wanted a different kind of meat. Mommy and I decided to get a pork loin. The recipe was so easy I am going to use it all the time and by just changing the spices it is a different taste every time. We took the 2 pieces and rinsed them off. I don't know why, I just did because Mommy said to! Then we put them in the crockpot . We sprinkled garlic powder, some parsley and some rosemary. Then we put in about 1/2 cup of water. We put it on low and 4 1/2 hours later just when the turkey was done we took it out. It was delicious and was so easy. I envision next time using dill and many other different spices.
The starch was baked potatoes with different toppings. How much easier could this be? I was able to enjoy the day with Bobo and Sissy! I will even use this on any occasion where I want to get other things done while cooking a nice deal.

REAL TEA PARTY WITH CHINA AND BEAUTIFUL TABLE !

When Sissy was born I, Nana decided that we were going to have tea parties as much as we could. I bought her a China Tea Set just after she was born. When she was smaller she got a plastic one that she used to play tea party. Now that she is older the other day she came over and I took out the China Tea Set. I washed every piece (some were really small!) and dried them. I put real sugar in the sugar bowl and real cream in the pitcher. I took my glass measuring cup and boiled some water. I put a tea bag in and poured some into the tea pitcher.

We did this on a TV tray. A few days ago I found this table at a secondhand store for 3 dollars. I fell in love with it!!! It is just the right size. Auntie Lala is enjoying her tea with Sissy in this picture but rest assured every family member got their turn! The picture doesn't do the table justice. I has a wood top and metal legs. The top has sparkles all around it. I cannot begin to explain how happy I am whenever I see this.

OH NO! CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE !

Oh my gosh ! I , Nana have been running around like crazy trying to get to all of the deals I can. JC PENNEY has a $10 of $25 purchase and includes sale items!!! Target has on line coupons for $4 and $3 off some apparel items. These also include sale priced and clearance items. I cannot list what I got because some people , I won't mention who, like to read this blog. There are really huge clearances in both of these stores right now. I think I might go back tomorrow.
I cannot believe that Christmas is only a couple of days away! Poor Mommy has been ill for the past few days so she hasn't been able to get out and get some last minute shopping done. Hopefully by Wednesday she will feel better.
They are saying we might get some snow on Saturday or Sunday. Here's hoping for about 2 inches. Nana

Winners!

These are the winners of my 12 days of Chist mas giveaways!
Day 1 - dunkin donuts gift card- Dolphin Guy
Day 2 - turtles - vinci
Day 3 - creamers- Dutch girls
Day 4 - Gold Doves - Vivacious gold
Day 5 - lifesavers - Andrea
Day 6 - good n plenty/ pillow - vivacious gold
Day 7 - white swans - vinci
Day 8 - cow milkers - ruthhill74
Day 9 - Snowam figs. - ruthhill74
Day 10 - cutting board - LMAO in East Hartford
Day 11 - Cake pan/candles - andrea
Day 12 - drums - LMAO in East Hartford

$10 DUNKIN DONUTS GIVEAWAY TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS HOP !!

As I promised, because I did not do the first day of Christmas a Partridge in a Pear Tree , I decided to Giveaway a $10 Gift Card to .........drum roll.............my favorite place (and I hope yours too !!


DUNKIN DONUTS YEH !


There are 3 ways to enter this giveaway !!


1.Follow this blog and send a comment telling me !


2. Follow Mommy's little sister's blog at http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/ and send a comment telling me.


3. Send me a comment telling me how much you love DUNKIN DONUTS.


Giveaway ends on December 15th and will be chosen at random....Good Luck

DAY 12 OF TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS HOP 12 DRUMMERS DRUMMING

Today is supposed to be the last. I am going a little backwards though, because I came into this a day late. Tomorrow I will be giving away something special. Don't forget to stop by and enter !!!! Today is Day 12. These are 2 little plastic storage boxes and 2 Christmas pencils. These simulate drums and the sticks. These will look great on any desk to hold small items. The pencils are really cute. There are 3 ways to enter this giveaway. 1. Follow this blog and send me a comment telling me. 2. follow Mommy's little sister's blog www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com and send me a comment letting me know. 3. Send me a comment about anything you saw in the giveaway that you liked.Winners will be chosen at random December 15th, Good luck !

DAY 11 GIVEAWAY OF TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS HOP

For Day 11 I decided to give away these 2 foil pans with lids in the shape of Christmas trees. I thought of Pipers Piping. I also have 2 beautiful GLADE CANDLES. They are both part of their Holiday Collection, both Apple Cinnamon . These smell wonderful.


There are 3 ways to enter this giveaway. 1. Follow this blog and send me a comment telling me. 2. Follow Mommy's little sister's blog www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com and send me a comment telling me. 3. Send me a comment telling me your favorite scent. Winners will be chosen at random December 15th. Don't forget to enter all of the giveaways for a better chance to win .

REAL TEA PARTY WITH CHINA AND BEAUTIFUL TABLE !

When Sissy was born I, Nana decided that we were going to have tea parties as much as we could. I bought her a China Tea Set just after she was born. When she was smaller she got a plastic one that she used to play tea party. Now that she is older the other day she came over and I took out the China Tea Set. I washed every piece (some were really small!) and dried them. I put real sugar in the sugar bowl and real cream in the pitcher. I took my glass measuring cup and boiled some water. I put a tea bag in and poured some into the tea pitcher.

We did this on a TV tray. A few days ago I found this table at a secondhand store for 3 dollars. I fell in love with it!!! It is just the right size. Auntie Lala is enjoying her tea with Sissy in this picture but rest assured every family member got their turn! The picture doesn't do the table justice. I has a wood top and metal legs. The top has sparkles all around it. I cannot begin to explain how happy I am whenever I see this.

MAKING A REINDEER ORNAMENT JUST LIKE WE DID WHEN MY CHILDREN WERE LITTLE!

Mommy is a room mother at Bobo's school, just like I (Nana) was when Mommy and her brother and sisters were little. When we were thinking about a craft to make in the classroom we thought of a reindeer made out of the round head clothespins that Mommy made in Girl Scouts. As you can see in the picture you will need 3 for each reindeer. Two are glued together facing the right way to form the 4 feet. It is a good time to cut a gold twine and put it between the 2 clothespins when you glue these for a hanger for the ornament. Then you take the other clothespin and glue it to one side of the other clothespin head to head and the rounded head pointed up to form the face and the antlers. Time for the fun decorating. We used pom poms on the back for a puffy tail. We used magic marker for the eyes instead of small beaded eyes because the kids were small. Then we made a face . When I took out my ornaments the other day and I found the one that Mommy had made. I was brought back to when she made this. It is fun and makes a lasting memory when you take the time to make ornaments with your children and your grandchildren. We made one with Bobo and Sissy, too. What a great afternoon !! Let me know if you want a picture of the finished product .

DAY 10 OF TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS HOP GIVEAWAY LORDS A-LEAPING

Day 10 is Lords A-Leaping............A beautiful Glass Cutting Board with a picture of an elves feet . I am so in love with this. Who can't use another cutting board or a small serving tray. There are 3 ways to enter this giveaway..1. Follow this blog and send me a comment telling me......2. Follow Mommy's little sister's blog www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com and send me a comment telling me. 3. Send a comment about dancing or cooking or whatever you want. Winners will bw chosen at random on December 15th at random. Good luck !!

DAY 9 OF TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS HOP 9 LADIES DANCING

Today is Day 9 so I have 2 cute little ornaments dancing...........There are 3 ways to enter this giveawy...!. Follow this blog and send me a comment telling me...2. Follow Mommy's little sister's blog www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com and send me a comment telling me. 3. Send a me a comment about dancing .Winners will be chosen at random onDecember 15th.Good Luck

DAY 8 OF TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS HOP 8 MAILS A-MILKING

Oh my gosh ! I am in love with these little cow milk pitchers. These are just the right size for a cute little luncheon, breakfast or tea party . Just the thing for 2 people to have their own !!8 Maids A-Milking !! As ususal there are 3 ways to enter this blog. 1. Follow this blog and send me a comment telling me . 2. Follow Mommy's little sister's blog www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com and send me a comment telling me. 3. Send me a comment about cows or milk!! Winners will be chosen at random on December 15th . Good luck. Don't forget to enter for all the days.

DAY 7 TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS HOP SWANS A SWIMMING

I decided to give these gorgeous ornaments out today. Yes there are twelve but I guess that's okay because 12 days of Christmas. They are very dainty and will look great on any tree or decoration. There are as usual 3 waysto enter this giveaway.

1. Follow this blog and send me a comment telling me that you are.

2. Follow Mommy's little sister's blog www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com and send a comment letting us know that you are.

3. Send any comment about swans or swimming.

prizes will be drawn at random December 15th Good Luck

DAY 6 TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS HOP GIVEAWAY

As usual I tried to think of something with the Twelve Days of Christmas song.....So I have a gorgeous hand made pillow with a picture of 2 geese. Then I thought of geese a laying and I though of eggs. Then I remembered that hens lay eggs of different colors. I wasn't really sure if geese did so I decided to buy these anyway. So I have a beautiful pillow trimed in lace and a bag of GOOD AND PLENTY CANDY !

There is 3 ways to enter this giveaway ...........1. Follow this blog and send me a comment telling me that you are.

2. Follow Mommy's little sister's blog www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com and send me a comment telling me.

3. Send a comment about geese, or GOOD AND PLENTY . I remember going to the movies with my then future husband and eating these. Gosh they were and still are delicious ! Nana

DAY 5 TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS HOP GIVEAWAY

I was trying to think of a way to incorporate 5 golden rings into this giveaway today. So I immediately thought of LIFESAVERS CANDY . I was looking at the big bags and I couldn't believe it when it said 5 flavors. I especially love these during the winter when my throat gets dry from too much heat in the house.

There are 4 ways to enter this giveaway . Follow this blog and send us a comment that you are. If you already follow send us a comment that you are. Follow Mommy's little sister's blog www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com and tell us that you are. Send us a comment about what your favorite flavor is of LIFESAVERS. Prizes winners will be drawn on December 15th .Good Luck.

DAY 4 TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS HOP GIVEAWAY

Today because it is day 4...........Four Calling Birds, we have 4 beautiful gold bird ornaments. They could be used on your tree, on a christmas gift to make it special or hanging on a door. There are many ways to enter this giveaway.

Follow this blog and send a comment saying that you are.

Send me a comment saying that you are already following this blog.

Send me a comment that you are following Mommy's little sister's blog http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/ Just send me a comment about your favorite bird

The winners will be drawn on December 15th . Good luck to all

BOOK REVIEW OPAL MOON BY KIANA SIM

I started to read this book a few weeks ago and I loved it. I have always been interested in reading about Emperors with their wives and children and how they live in a harem. This book tells about what goes on behind the curtains, so to speak. It has all of the elements of a good historical romance. A young girl of 14, Opal Moon is rescued by the Emperor's Fourth son Yin-chen. He cannot help himself and cannot bear sending her away so he keeps her with him by making her dress and act as a boy. He soon comes to realize that he cannot hide the fact from himself. Everyday he finds himself more and more drawn to her. I really enjoyed this book and anyone who loves historical romances will find this a very entertaining book.
I was given this book by by The Dorrance Book Review Team. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS HOP GIVEAWAY. DAY 3 . !

Hi welcome to our next day in our Twelve Days of Christmas Hop. Today is 3 french hens. So we are giving away a box of French Vanilla creamer singles that do not have not to be refrigerated. There are 3 ways to enter this giveaway. Send an comment saying you are following this blog. Send a comment saying you are following Mommy's little sister's blog www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com . Send a comment talking about what your favorite flavor of coffee is. Prizes will be chosen at random on December 15th. Good luck to all !

THE 2ND DAY OF CHRISTMAS, 2 TURTLE DOVES...

Wow! This is the very first time that I have ever been part of a Twelve Day of Christmas hop, thanks to http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/ who is Mommy's little sister. Because I have started on day 2 (I will make up for it at the end!) I decided to use a box of Turtles. Who doesn't like chocolate? Get it? 2 Turtle Doves . Because we are just starting out there are 3 ways to enter. Just send a comment with a note saying that you are following this blog. You can also send a comment saying that you are following http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/ The other is to send a comment about Turtles !! I really think that this is going to be a lot of fun seeing a different item each day that is linked somehow to the song. The winners will be chosen at random December 15th. Good luck to all !

GREAT HIGH DOLLAR COUPONS AT TARGET !!

It is still time to get some really great buys at TARGET. On their website under their printable coupons they have a great bunch right now! There is a coupon for $5.00 off of any plus size women's apparel item and a coupon for $4.00 off of any women's sweater. There are others listed like $3.00 of any women's sleepwear and a lot of coupons on food and makeup items.
I would also like to mention that they are having a great clearance sale right now. They even have some items marked so low that they will be practically free or for only a few dollars. A great way to get some shopping done and save some money.

UNCLE LALA AS SANTA !!

This is a picture of Uncle Lala so that we could take pictures , It is a lot cheaper than going to a store and we get to pick from about 100 photos and poses !

POWER OUTAGE TRYING TO STAY WARM !

This is Sissy and Auntie Lala trying to stay warm during the power outage we had. This is Auntie Lala's dog Rusty. If you look in the background you will see the fireplace on.

THESE WERE THE MINI APPLE PIES WE MADE !!

These were the mini apple pies we amde for the holidays!! They were a lot of fun and delicious, too.

WOW WHAT A WEEKEND ! NANA NEEDS TO REST !

My day started out yesterday when I ran to SHOPRITE to get the last minute deals on VANITY FAIR NAPKINS, INTERNATION DELIGHT CREAMERS AND BETTY CROCKER INSTANT POTATO POUCHERS. The sales are over ut you can still download $.75 coupons for the creamers and $.40 coupons for the instant potatoes.
Then I went over to see Bobo and Sissy. It was a beautiful day so we decided to take out Bobo's battery powered car and their beautiful bikes that Nana's sister bought them for Christmas last year. They are still a little small to reach the pedals but there was no stopping them on the car!
We decided to put up the THOMAS THE TRAIN blow up decoration in the front yard. Bobo and Sissy loved it , it even had Sir Topem Hat on the side . We had a lot of fun putting up lights, too. We even raked up some leaves and they jumped into the piles with Mommy, Daddy and Auntie Lala and Uncle Lala.
Auntie Lala wanted to make a great snack called REINDEER FOOD. The funny part is that earlier in the day while Nana was on her way over to see them a deer actually ran past her a few houses from them.
It was really good and the kids put them into containers for everyone. Nana was able to grab some of the M&M candies before they were all gone.
Today we went over to Mommy's brother's house and Uncle Lala dressed as you know who ! We took tons of pictures. Sissy and Bobo were fooled, they really thought he was Santa. At first Sissy was scared but after a few minutes she was happy. Then we all went over to Nana's and she cooked dinner. I am so tired I am ready to go to bed. But first, I have a few more gifts to wrap...

YESTERDAY WAS THANKSGIVING !!

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. It was also my (Nana's) birthday. We won't discuss how old I was but I was very happy that all of my children and grandchildren were there! Boy were we all stuffed. Then we had a huge Italian rum cake for me and Mommy, who's birthday was on Monday. Nana's sister Lisa's birthday is today. We were all born in the same week. Bobo and Sissy were very happy to help us blow out the candles.
The really strange thing though, was that it was over 50 degrees. That made the house hot, way too hot for November. I can remember when we used to have fires in the fireplace on Thanksgiving because it was soo cold. Heck a few weeks ago we had the freak snowstorm that made us all lose power for over a week! I guess we really have a lot to be thankful for.
Mommy and her sister, http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/ decided to go out after we all ate dinner to get some bargains. Nana was too tired to go out. I was told they got some great bargains. I waited until today and went to a few stores to use my coupons before they expired. I was surprised to see so many people in the grocery stores.
I hope to go out tomorrow and try to get more shopping done. I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving and all get home safe.

IT'S MOMMY'S BIRTHDAY !!

Today Monday November 21, 2011 is Mommy's birthday. On Friday while Bobo was in school and Mommy was volunteering at his school, Sissy and I (Nana) went to get her a present. I told her it was a secret but the minute we picked her up and she got in the car she told her mother that we had a gotten a flannel nightgown for her birthday. Then she told her it was red! Mommy laughed. The we picked up Bobo and she told him too! I guess I better finish my Christmas shopping without Sissy. She can't wait to tell a secret. A typical little funny girl. Happy Birthday, Mommy . We love you !!!

BIG Y GROCERY ADS //// FRESH EVERGREEN WREATHS AT STORES , ARE YOU KIDDING ME ?

Nana , Mommy and Sissy spent the day catching up on errands while Bobo was in school. We were able to get to BIG Y to get 3 more pounds of butter for each house. While we were there we saw that they had RITZ CRACKERS our favorite for the holidays $1.48 each with a limit of 2. There was a coupon in Sunday's paper for $1.00 of 2. So we paid $1.96 for both. The last thing we bought were GREEN GIANT FROZEN VEGETABLES for $1.00 each . Paired with the coupon for $1.00 off three. We were able to get 12 of these .




Total paid : $12.00 for frozen vegetables




$3.96 for crackers




$5.97 for butter




Used 4 coupons $1.00 for vegetables crackers $1.00 butter on sale $1.99 plus 3 online store coupons




before coupons $21.93




after coupons $14.38 A great day of shopping.









There is a coupon right now on the HORMEL website for $3.00 of 1 party tray. We were able to print 2. Within the next couple of days we are going to check TARGET and WALMART to see what their prices are. These will be great to keep on hand if anyone stops over and we want a quick snack.




Is it just me or is The Christmas season out of control? It's bad enough to see some decorations at the stores and watch all the ads on TV. But do I really have to see fresh evergreen wreaths for sale on racks outside of the grocery store. What a joke! They should at the very least wait until Thanksgiving. Maybe it's just me , but I want to be able to enjoy the season not just run to see if I can beat someone else for a sale.

BOOK REVIEW VENGEANCE IS MINE BY MARIE WEEMS

I received this book Vengeance is Mine by Marie Weems because I am part of the Dorrance Book Review Team at www.dorrancebookstore.com. This begins as many other books do of it's kind. A young woman is waiting for her love to come back to her from the war so that they can be together. She is devastated to find out that his plane has gone down with no survivors. She goes on to surmount many obstacles in her way. She meets a young man who believes that they should be together and he says he loves her. Will she be able to love again? This story is a story which makes for a good read. The problem is that this book needs to be edited by a professional. There are spelling errors and errors in the copying of pages etc. It still although being a little hard to follow this is still a great read . The opinions are all my own.

BIG DEAL AT BIG Y ON BUTTER THIS WEEK !

This huge bargain is courtesy of Nana's sister. BIG Y has their own brand of butter on sale this week for $1.98 a pound with a silver coin. On their website under coupons they have a coupon for this for $.85 cents off one. This means that each will be $1.13 for a pound of butter!! Yoo hoo, just in time for the holidays ! There is a limit of 3. I am going to get these to start to fill my freezer, right now it looks pretty bare because of the storm 2 weeks ago. Thanks Lisa !!!

BOOK REVIEW THE CHRISTMAS NOTE BY DONNA VANLIERE

I was very excited and happy to be able to read and review THE CHRISTMAS NOTE BY DONNA VANLIERE. She has written so many Christmas beautiful stories and I have equally enjoyed each and every one. This is about an unlikely friendship that is between 2 women. They go on to form a friendship that changes them both forever. Gretchen Daniels has moved into a new community and is starting a new life with her 2 children. She has done this to be closer to her mother. There is a young woman living next to them who is very mysterious. She keeps to herself. One day her landlord knocks on Gretchen's door for assistance. He wanted to tell Melissa that her mother has died. Gretchen reaches out to Melissa and offers to help her empty out her mother's apartment.When they get there the apartment has nothing really worth saving. There are a few photos and a note discovered on a crate beside the bed. It is not finished . There are 2 scribbled lines. When Melissa reads the note she finds out secrets about her family that she never even knew. These 2 very different woman set out on a journey to explore a need for hopes. redemption .
The book goes back and forth writing as Melissa and them as Gretchen. I really would have wanted to be under one person but I think it was necessary in this book. It is a heartwarming story of family loss, family finding family and most of all love .

I was provided this book to review for www.booksneeze.com

FILLING THE FREEZER, AGAIN !!!

So, now after almost 10 days we finally got power and we are trying to get back to normal. It really isn't as easy as you think. I have an empty refrigerator and a empty freezer to fill. I have decided to go easy and to use coupons to stockpile once again. We lost power 2 months ago during Hurricane Irene and I was just building it up to have to start all over.
I read as many on-line coupon blogs I can find and I plan what I am going to get before I go to the store. Today Mommy, Sissy and Nana, (me), met at BJ'S WAREHOUSE and we got LAND'O'LAKES American cheese for $3.49 a pound. We bought 4 pounds. Sissy and Bobo loved grilled cheese sandwiches! Mommy and Sissy got frozen stuffed shells and frozen manicotti so that they can make these with the homemade sauce Mommy made and filled the freezer with.
If anything good can be said about this experience it is that we all seemed to have a wonderful time just enjoying each other. The kids were very good considering they had to spend the night at different relative's houses. I just thank goodness that we are all safe and our homes were okay.
Now we have started to think about Christmas and the holidays. I guess like all of Connecticut residents we will be cutting back. I think back to the days when Mommy and her sisters and brother were small. We always seemed to be able to get what they wanted by shopping the ads and being able to run to the store in the morning.
I remember standing in line for hours to be able to get a CABBAGE PATCH KID. I had to get three!
So, I guess my first step in preparation for thr holidays is to do what Sissy and Bobo do. Sit down, play a game and think about what I really want to do first. Sometimes kids have all the answers!

FINALLY WE HAVE POWER !!

We finally got power on Saturday morning exactly a week from when we lost it. Some of our family members still don't have power. The light company has a lot to answer for. Sissy, Bobo, Mommy and me Nana spent the whole week together! First 2 days were at their house with all Nana's children and grandchildren because they had a fireplace. Then Sissy, Bobo Mommy and Nana along with Mommy's sister www.dealsharingaunt.blogspotcom went to a hotel. We stayed for 3 nights. Then we came home . Mommy Sissy Bobo stayed at Nana's son's house who had power. Nana stayed home. That morning we woke up to power. That night they stayed at Nana's house. Sissy and Bobo were so good. It was really hard for them because they really wanted to go home. Today they were able to.
So here we go again. Just 2 months ago we had hurricane Irene and lost all of the refrigerator and the freezer contents. We will have trouble filling it up again so soon so I started looking for coupons. I guess it will keep us busy for a few weeks. I am so very thankful that we are all okay and no one got hurt. I am praying everyday that the rest of our family members get power soon . The kids have been out of school for over a week. I certainly hope we get back to normal soon.

WITHOUT POWER FOR ALMOST A WEEK WITH NO END IN SIGHT

well we got the SNOW and I do mean SNOW! We have been without power since Saturday with no end in sight.It has been very cold at night so we have had to go to a hotel for a few days. I never realized how much I depend on food, (cold and hot) lights, grocery stores, mail and more. Our town is 99% out of power as is the towns that surround us for miles. It actually looks like a tornado went through some of our streets. There are 2 power lines down on our street that I know of. I again within 2 months have had to throw away hundreds of dollars of groceries. It is getting to be a bad habit. Thank goodness I like to use coupons. But it really is becoming a necessity to do so. Sissy, Bobo Mommy and Mommy's sister www.dealsharingaunt have been staying together at a hotel. It is nice but we miss Daddy and the rest of the family. We are all worried about each other too because the towers are down and most of the time we do not even have cell service.
It is sooo bad that they aren't even picking up the rubbish and we have shelters set up all over. i just hope it all ends soon and it is a distant memory . Nana

OH NO SNOW !!!!

All week they have been talking in Connecticut about the possibility of snow. What's that you say? You don't believe it, well neither did I. At about 6pm tonight we looked outside and it was snowing. I hope this isn't a preview of what is in store for us thie winter.
Today was one of my son-in-laws birthdays. Earlier this week was my daughter over at www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com wedding anniversary. We decided that tomorrow after everyone gets home from work we would have a small get together and have some cake etc. I am really tired of the same old cold cut sandwiches so Mommy , me and Sissy, with ideas from Bobo have decided we want to try something different.I will update you in a day or 2 what we had and how delicious it came out, (we hope!)
I have started to read the book THE CHRISTMAS HOPE BY DONNA VANLIERE which I received free from www.booksneeze.com . I have not been able to put it down. I love her books. I'll let you know in a few days what I loved about it.
I really love to read!

BOOK REVIEW TIMELESS FRIENDSHIP BY MICHELLE LE BLANC

I just finished reading a book called Timeless Frienships by Michelle Le Blanc . I really enjoyed the book as it was written to show that a group of high school friends can endure through hardships and trials. This book although shows this , I felt it was a little to sad for me. There was too much suffering, death and accidents that seem to hit each member of this group. It lives up to it's title though and I could relate to some of the group members , but I had a hard time getting over some of the pages without wanting to sit and cry. I would have liked to see a little more happiness and not having to feel as if I was waiting for the next shoe to drop. It did however give me a chance to read a different kind of book than I ever have before. I also did find myself thinking back to my own experiences in high school. If that was the point of the book then I guess I really got the point.
This book was published by http://www.dorrancebookstore.com through their Dorrance Book Review team . I was provided this book free of charge. The opinions were all my own.

SHOP RITE DEALS AND OUR PERSONAL COUNTDOWN TO THE HOLIDAYS!

I am sorry that I keep talking about SHOP RITE but I can't seem to help myself. So I have to tell you if anyone says that the 4 week catalina deals are a waste of money tell them that they are missing out on some great buys. Three weeks ago SHOP RITE had a sale that gave you 4 $5.00 catalinas off of KRAFT AND NABISCO products for the next 4 weeks. Well guess what ? This week they had RITZ CRACKERS AND CHIPS AHOY COOKIES for $1.99 a box. These are both NABISCO products so I got them free ! Starting tomorrow they have NABISCO single serve cookies and crackers 12 pack for $2.99 each. So I can get 2 and only pay $1.00. These catalinas have been really great for me these past couple of weeks.





Today Bobo and Sissy came over and we took out Sissy's china tea set and Bobo's racing car set. They played for hours. Earlier they went to a Haunted House put on by Bobo's school and they had a ball. They even painted Sissy's nails. Bobo had fun in the Haunted House. Today is Auntie Icky http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/ and Uncle Mike's 6th Wedding Anniversary. We are probably going to wait until later on next week because Uncle Lala's Birthday is Thursday. This is the official start of our birthday anniversary countdown to Christmas. In less than 2 weeks are Great Nana and Great Pops Anniversary , a week later Great Nana's birthday , another week Mommy's birthday , 3 days later Nana's birthday and the next day Aunt Lisa's birthday. The same week as Thanksgiving. A week later is Mommy's brother . It would have been Poppies birthday the next week but we lost him a year ago. Then 2 weeks later we are at Christmas. When people tell me they have trouble Christmas shopping they have no idea! We have birthdays every week sometimes 2 . Who has time to think about Christmas shopping ?


All kidding aside I wouldn't want it anyway. We have great excuses to stop enjoy and celebrate with all of the family before Thankgiving and Christmas. I wouldn't want it any other way !

SHOP RITE JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER

We are now in the 3rd week of the promotion which gave 4 $5.00 catalinas for your next 4 weeks of shopping. The catalinas are for Kraft and or Nabisco products. Guess what? This week they have Ritz Crackers and Nabisco Chips Ahoy cookies for $1.99 each. I will be able to buy one of each or 2 of the same for free. I can also buy 3 and owe just under $1.00!
Catalinas are a great way to buy something that you really need but there are no coupons for them.
When I made supper tonight I had to think fast. We had already taken 2 pork steaks out of the freezer. I rinsed them off with cold water and put PLANKO bread crumbs in a baggie. I put the pork in and shook them until the were coated. Then I put them on a cookie sheet. I sprinkled a little dill seasoning on them and then I sprinkled some balsamic vinegar on them. I put them in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for 1 and 1/4 hours. These have the reputation for not being a soft meat. but when they were cooked like this they were delicious. The other time I cooked these I put them in a crock pot. They were more tender in the crock pot but it took longer to cook and I did not have the time to cook them that way this time.
I was really a little upset this past week when I went into a store and they were putting all of their Christmas items out. I really wish that Sissy and Bobo were able to enjoy Halloween and Thanksgiving before they get entranced with Christmas. In my opinion we are moving to fast and we need to slow down and enjoy every moment we have with our friends and family.

DEALS AT SHOP RITE , AND STOP & SHOP THIS WEEK AND END OF SUMMER

I was hoping to have a slow week shopping this week but the deals at SHOP RITE and Stop and Shop just keep coming. At SHOP RITE this week they have SCHICK HYDRO 3 Razor for $2.99 each. There was a coupon in the insert this week for $2.00 off one. So you pay just $.99. The COVER GIRL COSMETICS are 50% off selected varieties. They are starting at $1.64. I am not sure of the face products that you could use the 2 for $8.00 coupon in last weeks paper but you could still use the $1.00 one that we got a few weeks ago. I used all of my 2 for $8.00 coupons this past week when this store has face blush for $3.99 each so I got them free !I could go on and on. It is a great week to stock up.

I am also really excited that STOP AND SHOP has a fill your freezer deal . When you buy any 6 participating products you get $5.00 off instantly . I am still trying to fill up my freezer after I lost it all when we had the hurricane awhile back.

I still want to make another trip to the cider mills and orchards in the area to get the last of the fresh fruits and vegetables. I love the smell of cakes and pies cooking during the fall. I don't know why but for some reason I have always been rejuvenated in the fall. I love the warm days and crisp nights. I love to have the children get excited over Halloween and the holidays. Mommy and I are trying to teach Sissy and Bobo how much fun and learning it can be in the kitchen. The only problem is that Sissy likes to cook but Bobo only like to eat . I guess maybe someday they will learn to like both. They are still in the process of deciding what they want to be for Halloween.

The Farmer's Almanac is saying that we are going to have more snow than we did last year. Well here's one New Englander who is not at all happy about this. I always worry about all of our family members that have to go to work. Hopefully school will be cancelled when they are forecasting a storm. There were many times when Mommy and her brother and sisters were in school that I decided to keep them home. Almost everytime they were dismissed early and other parents had a lot of trouble getting their children home or spending time worrying about them being on the bus. I have always believed that I, as the parent could and should rely on my own instincts and decide to not send them to school if I think it is wrong decision to have school.

As a former Board of Education member I have always tried to get more parental involvement in our schools

GOING CRAZY FOR SHOP RITE DEALS THIS WEEK

Oh my gosh I have not had time to post on this blog because I have trying to go to the SHOP RITE GROCERY STORE as many times as I can because there are some shoppers who wipe out the shelves of the specials and leave nothing for others. I have gone more than once because I have not been able to find the items to get the deals the last 3 times that I have gone to the store. I have 2 in my area and I still cannot find them. I have been able though to get free gravy and free COVER GIRL BLUSH. There was coupon 2 weeks ago that said buy 2 COVER GIRL FACE ITEMS and get $8.00 off. The blush is $3.99 each so you get them both free.
I am going to try again tomorrow afternoon and see what I can score. If you have A SHOP RITE in your area going to their store this week is certainly worth the trip!

FREE GRAVY AT SHOPRITE THIS WEEK

We went to SHOPRITE today to use the first of 4 weekly $5.00 catalinas that we received when we bought items last week/ The catalina says that you have to use the $5.00 on a Kraft or Nabisco item. They had Kraft packaged cheese 2 for $4.00 this week. We bought 2 packages and 1 package of cream cheese.
I guess we will be doing a lot of shopping this week at SHOPRITE . There is a catalina deal that if you buy 5 certain Heinz items you get $5.00 on your shopping trip/ There is a deal that will make you actually make a few cents on the deal. Heinz gravy is $.99 each this week. Buy 5 for $4.95 . Then get a $5.00 catalina back. Who doesn't like free gravy? There are also a few other items that you can mix and match to take advantage of this deal. We also have the $5.00 catalina this week to use on Kraft and or Nabisco items.

CHEAP PILLSBURY CAKE MIXES AT STOP AND SHOP

When I read in the flyer for STOP AND SHOP GROCERY store this week that there was a special section with mostly baking products on sale we got really excited. The ad said that if you buy any 10 of the listed items you would get $5.00 back instantly with your STOP AND SHOP card. I needed cake mixes because we really like to bake in the cooler months. The PILLSBURY CAKE MIXES were 10 for $10. So that is actually $1.00 each. When I checked the dates they were good till December 2012. I went to the register and when the cashier hit the total button they were only $5.00. We were able to get 10 cake mixes for $.50 each. It has been a long time since I have seen these that cheap without coupons.

Today Mommy used some of the apples that we bought on Sunday. She made apple butter which had to cook for 10 hours in the crock pot. We cannot wait to see how it comes out when we cool it overnight. She also made apple pies and applesauce. Sissy was helping Mommy cook while Bobo was in school when Nana came over. Nana remembered that when Mommy and her brother and sisters were little she sent away for a children's recipe booklet that got so tattered she didn't remember what had happened to it. But, Nana remembered that it had regular size recipes and small recipes versions. We decided to try to duplicate what Mommy and Nana made when she was little. We took PILLSBURY REDI-CRUST and rolled it out. Mommy had small 5 inch non stick pans. We sprayed them with PAM and put the pan upside down. We went around the pan and cut the dough as we were doing this. We took some apples that Mommy had already cut and prepared for one of her pies and cut them into smaller pieces. We were able to get 6 small mini pies or pie tarts as some people like to call them. We had saved some of the pie crust and we cut it in small strips. We did a criss-cross lattice on the top of the pies. Then we cooked them until the crusts were a little browned. Wow they were delicious. The best part was that Mommy was carrying on the tradition with Sissy !

OUR FAMILY TRIP TO GET PUMPKINS AND MORE

We had really planned to go to PUMPKINTOWN U.S.A. on Sunday but the weather did not cooperate. So we decided to go to another orchard near our house instead. It really turned into a family day. All of Nana's children and grandchildren came. All of the in-laws came too. Even Nana's brother and sister came. We bought pumpkins, apples, pears, apple butter , pumpkin butter and apple cider. We were very excited when baskets of Paula Red apples said $10.00 a basket buy one get one free. We bought 6 baskets altogether paid for 3. Then we went to Mommy's house and let the kids separate them for each family.


This is such a great way to save money. Mommy makes great apple pies. Nana makes apple crisp. She is not able to make good pies. Nana has found tons of uses for the apples. We love to use them in fall cooking, and put them in the crockpot with chicken and pork. They make a great sauce and add a great flavor to the meal.


Then we stopped at another cider mill on the way home and pulled the kids in a wagon to look for more pumpkins. Halloween is one of our favorite holidays. When we went back to Mommy's, Bobo's and Sissy's we made pasta, with Mommy's homemade sauce and salad. Then we had 2 cakes to celebrate 2 birthdays within 2 weeks of each other.


Fall in our family signals a start to 8 birthdays before CHRISTMAS. Nana has always tried to teach the kids to buy presents all year long. You can get some great presents really get ones you like and save some money along the way. We also save gift bags and use them again and again. Some of these are really beautiful.


We all missed Poppie every minute that day. He so loved Halloween. I know he was there in spirit.

BOOK REVIEW WHERE HAS OPRAH TAKEN US? BY STEPHEN MANSFIELD

When I started to read this book WHERE HAS OPRAH TAKEN US? THE RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS WOMAN BY STEPHEN MANSFIELD I was not really sure what I would really feel about this famous woman of our time. I learned a lot more about Oprah Winfrey than I ever thought I would. What more does anyone have to utter but her name "OPRAH" to have someone shake their head and picture her face in their mind? For years we watched her on TV talking to some of the greatest people of our time. Through all of this she makes it look easy. She makes her everyday life look easy.





She was a woman we learned that had a terrible, terrible childhood. Her childhood ended the same day she lost her innocence when she became pregnant at the age of 14 years old by a family member. The most horrible in all of this is that no one believed her, not even her other family members who were supposed to help and protect her.


There was nothing else for her to do but to carry on. She was and is a strong woman . As a child she was taken every Sunday to Church. At the age of 21 she continued to go to church but no one was fooled, her faith had changed.


She has become to all of us a strong woman, a woman of courage, a woman who wants and does help the people who she believes need her help. But through all of this she seems to have chosen her own Religion , her own beliefs and her own ideas about spirituality. One of her biggest beliefs is her belief in the power of destiny. She felt that way ever since she was four years old and had a conversation with her grandmother. The problem is that when someone is as well known and people look to them for guidance than it is much more important what their feelings are about spirituality. She is a story of hope and triumph. But there is also a feeling of not really knowing what it is all about.


A book which left me asking; who really is the real Oprah and where has she really taken us?

This book was sent to me without charge by Booksneeze.com to read and review this book. The opinions are all of my own .

DOING FUN THINGS WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN

Well we have been planning what we hope will be a fun weekend. It seems like my grandchildren are growing soo fast that if I blink they look totally different. My husband Poppie who died a little over a year and a half ago loved Halloween. When Mommy and her brother and sisters were little he went all out. One year he bought a black cauldron and a fake hand at a costume shop. I thought he was finished but then he brought dry ice home the afternoon of Halloween. He then showed us a mask which was the grim reaper. That night he delighted in scaring the kids who came to trick or treat. One mother got so scared that she ran 2 houses up the street and had to come back to get her child.
Last year our first Halloween without him was really hard. We are so happy that we found PUMPKINTOWN U.S.A. about 20 minutes from our house. This year we hope to bring our newest family member to have some fun. Hopefully we will have good weather. Then on the way home we will stop at a local orchard and buy some great items like pumpkin flavored syrup, apple butter , pumpkin butter and more . I know that Poppie will be watching us. Nana

GOING TO PUMPKINTOWN, U.S.A.

We really can't wait until this weekend. If all goes as planned and it doesn't rain we all want to go to PUMPKINTOWN USA in Ct. We all went there last year and it was a blast! The kids could not have had more fun. There was small mazes for the kids, life size stuffed pumpkin headed people dressed as policemen. firemen , a bride and groom and more. There is a store where you can buy awesome pumpkins, winter squash, all different kinds of butters and more. They have a car shaped like a pumpkin.

OUTBACK HERE WE COME !

Today in the mail I got my coupon for a free steak dinner at OUTBACK RESTAURANT !What a great company. A few weeks ago they had a special giveaway. It was If you were one in a million. At first I had trouble because the website was so busy. But I was able to get through. I am very pleased that I got the coupon in only a few weeks. I even got an email telling me it was on the way. What a great company. We went there a few weeks ago and it was delicious. This gives us another great reason to go back !!!!

WALMART DEALS

The WALMART near us is changing over to a super WALMART. The other day I stopped there to see if any clothes were marked down for the grandchildren. I was so excited I couldn't believe my luck. There was a sign that said that for that day only all red sales tags were half price. Between the clothes, adult and children, and the toys I was able to do some Christmas shopping. I always try to get some done starting around September because it is a great way to save money by buying an item when you see it on sale. It also is easier to budget so that you have to spend your budget all at once. Mommy and http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com went later in the day and found out that some items were actually 75% off . All in all a lot of great deals. You never know what you will find when you go shopping .

STAINED GLASS HEARTS BY PATSY CLAIRMONT BOOK REVIEW

When I first starting reading this book I really did not understand what the title was all about. Stained Glass Hearts. What is stained glass really? It is the power of God being able to pick up the broken pieces of our lives and put us back together again. There is a time when all of us need to be put back together. She has been there herself, and this gives her an edge, a way to explain how we can really do this .
Her beliefs are made clear is this statement, "What if God has a plan for this brokenness?... Stained Glass Hearts offers the hopeful message that God is ready and willing to mend us and then mold us for His glory."
This is her third book which deals with the topics of redemption and light. The paragraph which stood out most to me was "When I felt scared or angry, I attached danger to my feelings, creating a firestorm of terror...When I admitted to myself that I had suffered through hundreds of anxiety attacks and yet I was still alive and sound of mind, the entrenched, scary thoughts began to lose their power over me."
I myself have treid this whenever I am nervous. I keep telling myself that in a few minutes I will be laughing about this. The book is a very heart healing story. It is wonderful for someone who feels that they are broken beyond repair in more ways than one.
Disclosure , I was given this book free to review by http://www.booksneeze.com .The opinions are all my own

BUSY DAY CAMPAIGNING AND RESTOCKING FREEZER AFTER HURRICANE IRENE

Wow, I have had a couple of busy days. My daughter ran for office yesterday , did not win but I am very proud that she even tried. It was so hot that we decided to get CEASARS PIZZA. Ready whenever you are and just $5.00. Can't beat that price ! Today Mommy decided to go to Big Y . They had steaks on sale with a silver coin. Mommy got 5 steaks for $12.00. I was so glad so we could try to restock some of the FREEZER after Hurricane Irene. They also had butter on sale for $3.00 and you can print out Big Y coupons on their web site. Makes it $2.00 a pound and freezes well. We went to a vegetable stand today and got quite a few items. We love to buy in bulk and spilt to spilt it up among the families.
The other day I was going to be home all day Sunday so I decided to cook chicken in the crockpot. I put drumsticks in coated with honey barbeque sauce. Then I cut up into 4 pieces 2 gala apples that Mommy , Bobo, Sissy, Daddy, Aunt and Uncle LaLa picked. when the apples cooked they blew off the skins and the apples became like applesauce. I love the fall, apples , pumpkins and wonderful smells of cooking again because the days and nights are cooler.

FUNKY MONKEY T-SHIRT REVIEW

Oh my goodness . I was sent a t-shirt from http://www.tshirtprinting.net to review. It was the funky monkey. It was just the right size and did not fade or shirt when it was washed. Everyone commented on the monkey logo. If I ever needed a T-shirt with any kind of printing or logo I would certainly go right to this company. They come in a lot of different colors . I was sent the gray color. I guess all the kids will be fighting for this one.

I was sent this t-shirt free from www.tomoson.com for a review. All the opinions are my own and I will post reviews that I have done .

BRAWNY PAPER TOWELS AT SHOP RITE !

Tomorrow we will be going to the SHOP RITE grocery store. We really need paper towels and they have Brawny Paper Towels 8 PACK for $5.99. If you spend $20.00 you get back $5.00 coupon for your next purchase. So we will each by 4 packages for $23.96. Have 2 coupons for $1.00 off 2 . $21.96 get $5.00 back . Not a great deal but I really need paper towels. So they are about $.60 a roll.
I hope all of the rain is over. We have flooding all over .

On another note I love the fall. I love pumpkins, apples , cider and more ! We will start to share recipes, ideas and thoughts soon.

I can't wait ! Our kids , grandkids are getting excited . One of my daughter's , Mommy's sister has been eating pumpkin doughnuts, pumpkin muffins and pumpkin flavored coffee . All at DUNKIN DONUTS . Tomorrow we will start on the apple treats. i want to go to an orchard this weekend and get some great fall foods . Yeh !! What great fall ideas do you have ?

THIRD DAY OF SCHOOL , BOBO AND SISSY REALLY MISS EACH OTHER

Today was the third day of school for Bobo. He really wants to stay home with Sissy and Sissy wants to go to school with him. I am really sad when they are separated in the morning. But I am sure the school year will go fast and Sissy will be going before we know it. Mommy and her brother and 2 sisters grew up while I blinked. I was shocked on the second day of school when Mommy opened his backpack and there was a fundraiser already. Hello, he is too little! It seems a little too soon for me. I guess Mommy and me have some work to do , lol.
As your children are growing up you think you will never get through it. Every day seems to run into the other. Now I (Nana) like other Grandmothers I am sure wish that those days were back.
So I would just like to reflect on my first Grandchild's experience on his third day of school. I hope it doesn't go by too fast and I hope we can stop and enjoy every minute. Nana !

ARE UNIFORMS A GOOD IDEA FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ?

About 5 years ago when Nana (me) was on the Board of Education in our town we kept on discussing and coming back again and again to this very question. There was a meeting where many many students and parents came to voice their opposition.





Well, this year after all these years of discussion it has finally come to fruition. I always understood the reluctance of some to give up wearing their own choices ,who believe that this is a way to show their own identity, but of more importance I believe is the fact that school work is more important than a fashion show. What some do not understand until they participate is that it is a lot cheaper to cloth a child with uniforms then it is to have to have different cloths each day.





When a child wears uniforms you need probably 5 shirts, 3 or 4 pairs of pants and or skirts if a girl. Someone may think that because the shirts might be about 20 dollars each that you were not going to be able to afford this. It equals out to be about $250.00 for the whole year. There is no way that I know of that I would be able to use only this amount for a whole school year





The students all look similar, and there is no peer pressure because of the cloths. They are able to concentrate on their schooling. I totally believe that uniforms are a great idea for our children. I would hope that all schools entertain the idea .

HOW TO RESTOCK YOUR FREEZER WHEN YOU HAVE LOST IT ALL

I have really been trying to figure out how to restock my refrigerator and my freezer the cheapest way. So what I have been doing is reading the ads and going store to store. We went to BJs Club Warehouse and bought big tubs of cream cheese , and fresh muffins. We also bought garlic , onions ,bananas and more. We went home and separated it for each house just like we did the tomatoes and peppers we picked. We are going to go to our local produce stand and divide all of those up also. It is usually almost always cheaper to buy in bulk. If you do not have a large family or people to share with it probably will not save you any money. Tomorrow BIG Y starts their weekly ad and it is buy 1 get 2 free. I will certainly be getting a lot there. SHOP RITE has an ad until Saturday and they have Black Bear Hot Dogs in a 3 pound box for $6.99. I'll buy these separate them and freeze wrapped separately.


Have to make sure I have lots of freezer bags and plastic wrap.

THANK GOODNESS THAT'S OVER !

Well the day of the hurricane Sunday morning we woke up to zero power. We didn't even have a phone. I started to get hysterical because I couldn't even check on my children and grandchildren. I was so happy when I finally reached them (by cellphone ) and found out that the whole family had lost phone, internet and power except my babies.


Right then and there I was okay. You see like most mothers and grandmothers we don't care about ourselves but our babies.


They were so worried about me that they sent my parents over to check on me. My son and Mommy had power through this whole ordeal. http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/ my youngest daughter is still without power. My other daughter is also okay.


I have no frozen food, and empty refrigerator but I have my family. And that is all that counts.


I am on my way to the grocery store because I really need cream for my hot coffee. Thanks for all the well wishes across the country. Nana

HOPE ALL PEOPLE ARE SAFE FROM HURRICANE

I've been watching TV and hoping that people are safe and are prepared. I know from the ice storm we had years ago that we were without power for over a week. They are telling people to get prepared to lose power but there really is no way to prepare to lose power for that long.
When you think a head always and have a stockpile you are that much more prepared. I buy batteries when they are on sale, I always have a stock of canned foods like soup , tuna and spaghetti. You can always use your grill outside to cook these items. When I was first married in the winter we used to cook a turkey a day or two before and have leftovers if we could not get out of the house. You can always eat peanut butter ! I also always have cans of fruit , they do not have to be refrigerated. I am soo happy that I do not have to run to the store and be disappointed because they do not have anything that we need.
Not to mention the money that we save. We hope that everyone is safe.

WAITING FOR HURRICANE IRENE TO HIT CONNECTICUT

I guess that Hurricane Irene is coming to visit , probably on Sunday. We have been getting ready for a few days. This is rare in New England . We have made sure that we have flashlights and batteries. I hope we don't lose power ! We have water and some easy things we can make , sandwiches etc. We also can use the barbecue outside if we don't have power for a few days. They said that the winds might bring down trees and power lines.


What a weird week. First we get an earthquake then a hurricane . Some schools that were supposed to start on Monday have already delayed opening till Tuesday. The Governor has already declared a State of Emergency. Tomorrow we will make sure we have all we need to stay safe. Thank goodness we have a good stockpile. There is no bread or water on the shelves in some stores until tomorrow. I cannot imagine running around at the last minute.


We might go and pick some tomatoes and peppers tomorrow if the weather is okay like the weatherman said. I guess we will pray for the best .

BOOK REVIEW FRESH-BREWED LIFE NICOLE JOHNSON

I was in love with this book from the moment I picked up and started reading it. I have recently lost my husband so I was ready to read this kind of book . I looked at the back cover something I have seemed to do since I was in high school .
The back asked questions which seemed to pertain to me . "Are you sleepwalking through your days?" "Are you on the sidelines of your life as a spectator instead of fully participating ?" I answered yes to these questions.
I learned to relax and not worry so much about the little things I could not change and to move forward with the things I could. I learned to try to be involved more with my family , to step up and be a part of it, not sit and let my life pass me by day by day.

I recommend this book for anyone who has suffered a loss and has tried to move ahead. For someone who just wants to reflect on what they need to feel good about themselves. It will help in many ways .
Disclosure I was sent this book by booksneeze.com for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own

WHAT I PLAN TO COOK THIS WEEK

I feel like summer is ending. When the kids go back to school and we begin to pick apples I always start to feel like cooking again. Maybe it has something to do with the cooler air.
Monday , hamburgers , beans and tossed salad
Tuesday, sausage and peppers and onion grinders
Wednesday,chicken in the crockpot
Thursday , meatloaf with homemade potato salad which I will make in the morning to save time
Friday , usually pizza
Saturday , depends on the weather if a tag sale or not

I will go on Wednesday to SHOP RITE GROCERY STORE , they have fresh hotel style breast for only $.99 cents a pound . A 4 lb breast would only be about $4.00. A great way to stretch your grocery bill because this will be for a few meals .
I might end up buying more than one and put them in the freezer

SATURDAY TRIP TO ALDI'S AND VEGETABLE STAND

Yesterday I felt like making sausage with peppers and onions. I had gone to this wonderful Italian store about 15 minutes from our house and bought their sausage links. I stopped at ALDI"S and bought a big bag of onions. Their onions were really big and normally I would by smaller ones but when you need a lot it is so much easier to dice them if they are big. I stopped on the way home at our local vegetable stand. They were picking your own but it was too for me so I got a half bushel for only $5.50 . I filled up 2 of those plastic bags full .What a bargain !
Today I diced the onions, put them in a big frying pan with olive oil waited till they were very soft and diced the peppers and put those in. While this was happening I was frying the sausage in another pan. As the sausage seemed to be cooking I cut them in pieces to cook the inside a little faster. I then put them in with the peppers and onions......Could eat them in grinders with sauce or just alone. I had extra left so it will be for another meal. I am going to pick my own tomatoes tomorrow and whatever else they are picking.

SHOPPING FOR SCHOOL SHOES AND SNEAKERS

Well , today we decided that we better get in gear and go to get shoes and sneakers for Bobo and Sissy. We went to STRIDE RITE SHOE STORE near our house and it was a great surprise to see that they were running a sale buy one get the second pair half price. We were able to get a really cute pair of loafer boat shoes and a great pair of NEW BALANCE SNEAKERS for Bobo. The sneakers were already half price so we got a really cute pair of NEW BALANCE SNEAKERS for Sissy that were pink and purple to use the special.Then we took them for a ride on the merry go round . It was a great day. Tomorrow , if it doesn't rain we hope to go apple and vegetable picking. Then we split up the baskets. We really save money by doing this. With all the rain it has been very difficult to be able to go out. Here's hoping !

BOOK REVIEW THE HARVEST OF GRACE BY CINDY WOODSMALL

I cannot say enough that anyone who has fallen in love against all odds , or who wants to fall in love should run out and get this book ! I received it only a week ago and I have already finished reading it cover to cover . Once I started to read it I could not put it down.
Although it is a story of true love it is also a story of love , forgiveness and loyalty to family. Sylvia is a woman different from other Amish women from when she is a little girl. She enjoys working hard , on her family's farm. After an incident that she had little control of stopping she feels she must run away to protect the feelings of her family. When she leaves she is able to find another family farm where she is treated like a daughter. All is well until the son of the owners comes back after an absence to right that he feels he did wrong. This leaves Sylvia in a precarious situation. What will she do and where will she go ? Although she wasn't looking for love and neither was the son after rubbing each other the wrong way they begin to feel an attraction to each other.
But they both realize thy must have the forgiveness and understanding from both of their familes before they can let their true feelings show.
Although a reader of love stories may be put off by the cover showing an Amish woman on the cover I do not feel that it was your typical Amish love story.
Icannot say enough about this book.

'Disclosure I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah for this review." The opinions are 100% my own .

WHAT WE HOPE TO BE EATING THIS WEEK

We have been having rain for so long that we have been getting flood warnings. That means no playing outside on our toys. So we have been reading and getting ready for school.
Today we were all tired from the dreary day so we had soup and bread and butter for supper, applesauce.
Tuesday , I really want some chicken of some kind. I really love chicken and there are so many ways to prepare it.
Wednesday, I think we will have hot dogs and beans, If I am really ambitious we will have potato salad.
Thursday , pasta with a nice green salad , I love fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden , Sissy loves them too.
Friday , we will be getting ready for the tag sale, let's all hope the rain stops. On Friday we usually have pizza.
Saturday , tag sale we hope, I usually try to make french toast for Bobo and Sissy (everyone else too) and sandwiches for lunch. Supper ?
Hope everyone is not having a lot of rain like we are.

BIG Y BUTTER FOR $1.50 A POUND !

First of all I have to thank my sister Lisa B., for this great deal. She also loves to use coupons.For those of you who have a Big Y grocery store near you there is a great deal on their butter, They are on sale this week 2 lbs for $5.00. If you go onto http://www.bigy.com/ and at the top click on coupons. Drag the coupons over that you wish to print. There is a coupon for $1.00 off of each and you can use up to 5 coupons for each butter with your card! So that means you can get 5 for $1.50 each ! I haven't seen it that cheap in a long time ! I am going to freeze mine. We have been freezing butter for a long time and never had a problem.

TAG SALE TOMORROW !

We are getting ready for our tag sale tomorrow. They are saying that it would be a great day weather wise. We all hope that a lot of people go out shopping. It is a lot of work to do a tag sale but it has a lot of rewards. You can make money by selling things you no longer need or use. It is also nice to recycle and let someone use something and save money . All in all I think it is a win win for all concerned. You also get to meet mostly a lot of nice people.

SHOPPING FOR SCHOOL CLOTHES

Today we spent the afternoon going through winter clothes that we have stored away for Bobo and Sissy. We were very happy that the winter coats we bought at the end of the winter last year were great fits. We saved a lot of money buying them ahead. Now tomorrow we will going to look for shoes and sneakers for school. If we have time we are going to look for school clothes. I really don't want Bobo to go to school. He is my first grandchild and he will always be my baby. We will be driving him because we do not believe that they are old enough to ride on the bus and be safe. Oh how I wish I could go with him everyday. Going to shop for school clothes can be happy and sad at the same time. I wonder how other mothers feel ? I guess being a Nana is still a time to worry. I hope I never stop worying about all of my children and grandchildren !

WHAT WE WILL BE EATING THIS WEEK

It was so hot today just going from the car to the house I started to get a headache from the heat. Then it poured for about 4 minutes and it was hotter than before. It was too hot to cook and to hot to even take Bobo and Sissy out. So we stayed in and took leftover rotissere chicken and made chicken salad with our Bullet . The Bullet is a great way to blend great foods and drinks.


So we will be starting our weekly menu planning

Tuesday ;
we will have hamburgers and beans
Wednesday ;
we will have macaroni and a green salad
Thursday ;
we will be having something in the crockpot
Friday ;
we will be having our usual pizza for supper
Saturday ; we will be having a tag sale if it doesn't rain

SCHOOL GIVEAWAY & CAMPAIGNING

I just wanted everyone to see over on my other daughter's blog www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com the great back to school giveaway that she is giving away ! Everything you need to go back to school and then some. Don't forget to enter . It might save you money and time shopping for the much needed items.
This week we have spent a lot of time working on my other daughter's campaign. We can't wait until she wins .
Tomorrow I am hoping to get a little rest .
Are all of you ready for school or do you wait until the last minute ?

UPDATE ON BOBO'S AND SISSY'S GARDEN !

It seems as if we are picking out of the garden everyday. We have had peppers. tomatoes, summer squash , eggplant, and cucumbers ,(which were prickly and the kids didn't want to touch.) there were also some beans. But the biggest surprise of all is the corn. It is taller than the kids and they are forming ears and silk tops. Everytime I have had corn growing it seems to get harder and harder to keep it from getting slugs and other insects.

I am soo very proud of the kids and what we have accomplished. There are still lots of vegetables to be harvested. But we have all learned a lot from each other and the garden. We certainly , hopefully will continue next year and many years from now.

WHAT WILL WE BE EATING THIS WEEK ?

Okay so it looks like another HOT and I mean HOT week !


Monday ; will have chicken put into crock pot with instant potatoes and a can of corn


Tuesday ; we will have left over macaroni from Daddy's Birthday party Sunday


Wednesday ; I will make stew early in the morning and it will be easy to heat up in the microwave in the evening without heating up the kitchen


Thursday ; Hamburgers , chips and beans , I'll also make a fresh garden salad


Friday ; usually get together with everyone to get ready for the tag sale Saturday , usually get pizza at LITTLE CAESARS PIZZA . for $5.00 each. How can you go wrong ? Ready when you get there , no wait and you do not have to heat up the house.


Saturday ; usually have sandwiches during the tag sale

SURVIVING YOUR SERENGETI REVIEW

Oh my gosh. The book I chose to review was Surviving Your Serengeti by Stefan Swanepoel .


It states on the front cover 7 Skills to Master Business and Life. It talks about the 2 million animals that go a thousand miles across the Serengeti. The journey is full of many dangers for these beautiful animals.


The book explains that there are different animals and each have their strengths and weaknesses but they all bring their own to the table. It asks questions which cause you to think about yourself. "Are you an enduring wildebeast who understands that any goal worth achieving requires pressing on despite the hardships?" "Do you take brave gambles like the risk taking mongoose ?"


There are other magnificant animals on this trek and all are compared to trails that we all have or hope to have. It is a journey of discovery , just as we do everyday. It speaks about troubles and problems we face in all of our lives.


The author Stephan Swanepol made me think about my own struggles and skills. He believes as I do that you cannot sit back and be afraid to take a risk because you might fail . Rely on youself and think about the good and the bad facts to bolster your personal decision. You might fail but you must keep a positive attitude.


We are faced everyday with challenges and problems. I believe that it is not only the outcome of our decision but it is also the journey that gets us there. We must believe as a people that there must be a risk taken to be able to have a successfuk outcome. Just think of all of the discoveries that would have not be made if we were not all different but working together.


I found this book to be full of compassion , friendship and a new sense of what can be accomplished in life. I really loved the way each animal had it's own traits. It is a wonderful book and really made me ask myself questions.

Disclosure I received this book free from the publisher through the Booksneeze@.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with The Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR , 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising ."

BACK TO COUPONING AND GREAT DEALS !

Today , I (Nana ), made a decision , I used to always use all of the coupons I could find, in the paper and those I could download. The other day PIER 1 offered a coupon for $10.00 off any purchase $10.00 or more. I walked up and down those aisles and could not decide what I wanted. I finally settled on a really cute set of 4 ceramic bowls. They were beautiful cream colors. They would be just right for soup, a small salad or ice cream on a hot summer day. They were $12.99 so I got them for $2.99 plus tax. I was so excited and I really loved them. I am hooked again. Why did I ever let some go ?





PS : I just got my mail with a $10.00 off anything in the J.C. PENNEY STORE no exclusions ! Yippee ! I guess I'm going there tomorrow . Too bad I still didn't work there !

THE BIG BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION !

Yesterday was Bobo's and Sissy's together birthday celebration. I must say that birthdays at our house look too much like Christmas . It sometimes can be overwhelming and they are tired by the end of unwrapping all their gifts. One of the gifts they received was a LITTLE TIKES BOUNCING HOUSE as they called it. Blows up a minute and gives hours of fun. They also got books which we had to read right away, and puzzles of course. Helmets for when they ride their bikes, THOMAS THE TRAINS AND BARBIE DOLLS. There were of course sentimental gifts too. There were also clothes. It was a little hot but we cooked on the grill fast and used our hot dog roller appliance for the hot dogs. The cake had been ordered from BIG Y and it was a half a sheet. Bobo picked out a edible picture of THOMAS THE TRAIN for his half with blue decorations on the white frosting. Sissy picked out a PRINCESS edible picture with pink frosting on white for her half. Because their birthday's are soo close this was a very frugal way buy a cake. Last week on Bobo's real Birthday we had sandwiches and ice cream cake, tomorrow we will have pizza and ice cream cake on her real birthday.

WHAT WE DID FOR DINNER WHEN IT WAS 100

It was so hot today when you walked outside it was like a wall of heat was pushing against you. No breeze just hot air. Mommy decided to go to SAM'S CLUB and bought 3 rotisserie chickens. We just added a vegetable and rolls and voila no cooking . For $4.99 each you can't go wrong. Whatever was left we are going to make chicken salad tomorrow. Tomorrow we will be getting ready for Bobo's and Sissy's birthday party Saturday. We are keeping it simple. The heat doesn't seem to bother kids like it does us older people. It really saves money and time if you decide what you are going to cook for the next few days or a week. I have been trying this for awhile now and it is saving me time and money !

WE ARE TRYING TO STAY COOL

Yesterday was Bobo's birthday. He was 5 years old. We had a small party but it really looks like the one we will have on Saturday . After we realized that it was too hot to even cook out or bake a cake Mommy and me decided to have make your own sandwiches with chips etc. Then we decided to surprise everyone with a CARVEL ICE CREAM CAKE for dessert.It was wonderful and a big hit. I cannot wait until Saturday when we celebrate Bobo's and Sissy's Birthday party. It is supposed to be record hot temperatures here for the next few days.I do not like oppressive heat. I guess we will have to stay inside where it's cool.

WHAT WE WILL BE EATING THIS WEEEK

Tomorrow is Bobo's birthday ! Yeh ! Usually ever since our children were little we had a large extended family party on the weekend and on the real birthday we had a smaller version. So with that said here goes ...
Tuesday probably sandwiches and an ice cream cake
Wednesday maybe go out to eat cause Daddy is on vacation
Thursday some kind of chicken
Friday we usually get pizza
Saturday big cookout party hope the weather cooperates
I, Nana, looked at my grandchildren this weekend and thought a lot about Poppie. It has not been that long since we lost him and I really hope that my grandchildren remember some of the things he taught them . He loved all kinds of parties, especially when he had an excuse to get the kids a present. Thank goodness our children are lucky enough to have a chance to tape their loved ones with their voices. We only had movies without sound.

OMG TARGET WE LOVE YOU !!!!

This is what Sissy helped buy today !! We are teaching her well !

What a day we had at Target! We did not know that there was such a huge sale. Almost everything was 75 % off. The ice cream maker, snow cone maker, & blender were $4.99 each from $20.00. The glad summer collection storage containers were $. 74 each. We even had coupons that were expiring today $1.00 off 2. So we paid $.48 for 2 ! The sets of 3 balls were $1.99 each, put away for birthdays. Tablecloths were also marked down . The hopper balls were $1.25 each. The canister was $.50. Then we went and got 2 pairs of denim shorts . We bought them for $3.18 and used the Target coupon for $2.00 off one . Paid $1.18 for each pair.
Now we have to find a way to store these .

BIRTHDAYS ARE ALMOST HERE AGAIN !

I cannot believe that in a few short weeks it will be Bobo's and Sissy's Birthdays. They were born a year and a week apart ! They act like twins, always watching out for each other , and always wondering where the other is and when the other will be home. Last year Bobo wanted a Thomas the Train cake and we did our best to make one. Sissy wanted a Cinderella cake . We made that one , too !You can see pictures of both of these cakes (which I think came out pretty good for a first try) on Mommy's sister's blog http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/ . It is a lot more frugal to make your own cake for someone's Birthday instead of buying one . Once you buy the special cake pan the only cost when you use it again is for the cake and frosting mixes. When Mommy was little, Nana (thats me ) , went to the Wilton Cake Decorating Store , which happened to be in our town at the time , and bought the carriage and horses for her cake . I never attempted a castle cake . I was happy to put the coach and horses on the cake. Not sure what they want this year, we are still thinking about it . There is nothing more fun and memory making when my grandchildren decorate their cake the way they want it . We make a mess but oh what fun we have making it !

I WANNA GO TO FRIENDLY'S LOL

The other day we decided to go to Friendly's before our coupon wasn't valid. The coupon was for $1.99 for a kid's meal including drink and dessert. This is a great coupon , the kids love it. We also had a great lunch. All I can say is they wore most of their ice cream, as did Nana (me ) when they decided to rub their faces on my shirt !