Keeping little ones busy during dinner prep

My little boys can sense when I need a time in the kitchen to make lunch or dinner. Sometimes it seems like they're planning my meal demise. What to do, what to do. Well, there are tons of sites out their with busy bag ideas and others with quick printables.

Here's a connect-the-dot that Henry happily completed today while this mama finished making lunch.

Target

Target  has new coupons up!

Did you know you can combine a Target coupon and a manufacturer coupon on one item?

Be sure to read Target's coupon policy.

Happy couponing!

 

Welcome!

I guess I should have started my blog out with a welcome, but it came about in an accidental sort of way. I've been blogging our family life for a few years now and recently posted more organizational entries on my family blog. I started following Jen's blog about a year ago and I've been happily implementing a little organzing around my house while I stay at home with my boys.

The other day I decided that it would be best to keep family in one blog and my other loves in this blog. I'm excited to have the opportunity share my love for photography, scrapbooking, couponing, and general family life with others.

In the right place at the right time

The boys and I went to Hy Vee to pick up a few items the other day and came across a deal.

It was originally $2.99 and marked down to 99 cents. Well, I just happened to bring my coupons in with me and I had a coupon for $1.00 off this item, which made it free.

I'm looking forward to finally trying this product and the best part is that it was free!

Organizing Recipes

I found myself searching through a mess of recipes on Friday. This shopper had purchased everything needed for making spaghetti and meatballs for our family dinner before Trick or Treat on Monday. Then I went to make the meatballs, but couldn't find the recipe. Grr.

Ugh. Just look at that unorganized stack taking up precious cupboard space.

So can you guess what happened? Yep, I decided it was time to finally conquer this task that Jen had mentioned earlier this year.

When Matt and I were married we started out with the traditional recipe card box, but then once we discovered the Food Network we started printing off recipes and then added them to a binder.

Last night I spent I weeded out the recipes we've never used or tried once and didn't like. That left a bit more room in the binder or some dividers.

I used my handy dandy label maker to label each divider.

Now all of our recipes are in the right place and I have a little extra room in my cupboard.

Freezer Inventory

The big moment finally came today. I decided it was officially time to inventory the contents of our freezers. Yep, big excitement here today. And, yes, I said freezers. We are the proud owners, well, I'm the proud one and Matt is just co-owner, of a fridge/freezer in our kitchen, another in the garage, and a deep freeze in our basement.

I say proud because the deep freeze was free (thanks, Aunt Angie!) and the fridge/freezer in the garage was purchased second hand and so we spent way less than if we had bought it brand new.

Having the two additional appliances has allowed us to stock up when grocery items are on sale, provide extra food storage room when hosting a get together, and to store extra milk, oj, and such, which can translate into fewer trips to the store.

Before:

The kitchen fridge/freezer.

Target had a good french fry and ketchup promotion the other week, okay?

The deep freeze in our basement.

The garage fridge/freezer.

I took all of the food out of the deep freeze and some out of the other two, moving a few items into different locations, based on how often we use certain items. As I started that process and was considering how I was going to reassemble the deep freeze I began to understand just how helpful an inventory of freezer food just might be.

Earlier this year I came across the idea of a home/family organizer here, in which a freezer inventory was mentioned. Then the idea of organizing this cold space to save money, make meal time more functional and just make life easier was blogged about.

After:

French fries and hashbrowns are all together out in the garage, so now I can see my supply and know when it'll be time to stock up again.

The cupcakes went to a smaller container and the ginger crinkles are out on the counter top now.

I love that now when I open the deep freeze I can see how much butter we have on hand and can quickly find the bacon (yes, all 13 packages), flour, hamburger, and so forth. I also opened up space by taking out six plastic containers, like the Coke bottle. (We add water to milk jugs, Coke bottles, etc and then freeze them. This little trick and a cooler make it possible for me to stop at more than one store when I'm in town.) Now we have two "ice packs" ready to go, instead of eight.

I typed up my inventory so I can print it out and add it to our family binder, which should help in planning our weekly menus and thus prevent me from buying something we need that isn't on sale. Just today I was making out the grocery list for Hy Vee tomorrow and I was planning on buying sausage to make meatballs with, but guesss what I just happened to have in my freezer that I'd forgotten about? Ha! In the future I'll be able to check my list to see what we have and plan meals around already purchased items.

If you'd like a blank copy of the inventory go here. Happy organizing!

Planning ahead

Halloween is just around the corner and I've been working on my "Week in the Life" albums from 2009 & 2010. Just a little behind there.

 So, while I'm wrapping those up I'm also trying to plan ahead for Christmas. This is my current favorite organizing blog. The blogger, Jen, is so down to earth, but organized. She's shared so many great ideas, which spurred me to make a gift giving list today.

I'm going to attempt to share it here. It's super simple. Maybe it can help you in your birthday planning or holiday planning.