Solutions for Sanity

I've loved Target since I was a senior in high school.  I took my mom to Target to get all of the items on my list, throwing things in the cart and laughing while she started to sweat.  Oh, the years when the things I put in the cart weren't being paid for out of my own pockets!  Don't worry mom, payback is coming, having two girls of my own. I'm sure I'm not the only one sucked in by the bulls-eye from the parking lot. I love Target even more now because it's so easy to save money. 1. Target takes your manufacturer's coupons.  Print them on your computer, cut them out of the paper, however you would like to do it...Target will take them! 2. Download the Cartwheel app on your device.  There are deals on there, clip up to a certain number and use them in conjunction with sales and your paper coupons!  The Target associates are more than willing to help you get the deals on there so if you have any issues, please ask.  I have NEVER seen a pla...

Since moving, money has been tight.  We've had new needs in our new home to set it up and make it work, on top of lots of unexpected fixes that our lovely home inspector "overlooked".  Hubby works even more hours for the same salary pay.  I still carry on multiple part time jobs from home when I can.  We found out the house is in need of a big project that is a bit outside of the emergency fund at this point, so we're doing what we can to save for that one day soon when that big purchase will be made.  With the kids in school, I've been searching for ways to save even more money.  Coupons are not as helpful in this area - even with most stores doubling up to 75 cents.  Sale prices are even double of what I used to pay at Kroger on a great sale.  I've found myself shopping a lot at Costco & Sam's Club and filling in at Aldi.  So I'm going back to my old standby ways of saving money, like I did when the kids were small and the diaper prices...

It's been a busy week and I'm finally home today.  What task do I get the joy of completing, you might ask?  Laundry.  Family of 4.  We produce SO much laundry.  School clothes, sports clothes, pajamas, work clothes, play clothes, grass cutting/oil-changing clothes.  That's not including towels, sheets and everything else.  Unless you're rich and have a maid, you know the drill...SO much work!  So today I'm talking laundry.  Not dirty laundry, like most of Facebook is sharing these days. You hear me say it over and over, but in our new home, we love the layout so much more.  Not the upgrades, but the space.  One big gain for me, was the first time ever, not having a laundry CLOSET, but a real laundry/mud room.  Space for my washer and dryer, it even had a folding table (which I exchanged for 2 huge shelves for pantry storage) and space for a sorter!  This is my sanity for laundry - the sorter. We have a laundry chute, ...

I'm not big on technology.  I have a smart phone, smart TV, but my kids know how to work these tools better than I do :)  Such is life these days.  But I'm always interested in learning more.  I had heard a few friends talking about podcasts and figured out recently that Android phones can listen to podcasts through extra apps (and there was one on my phone already called "Play Music")...when I'd always thought it was an iphone thing! Travis has been listening to audiobooks a lot since he drives all over for work and it keeps him entertained for the hours he's in a car.  Well, in discovering podcasts, we both are enjoying listening almost every day. We both love true crime TV.  Dateline.  Those sorts of things.  So the podcast we are both into these days is "Up and Vanished".  You may have already heard about it...like I said, we're slow!  I'd heard of things like Serial and other podcasts like that. But oh-my-goodness, this is an am...

I promised a post last week on how we do schedules around here.  I have to make things simple and not just for myself but for my family. As much as I look at these people online who do the fancy journals with to-do lists and wish I had the time, talent or ability to do all of that, I have to keep it within my reach.  And my husband's!  So what we have set up is Google calendar.  I have a calendar.  Travis has a calendar.  We "share" our calendars with each other and we have our individual colors so we know who has added that event to the calendar. This helps SO much because if we wanted to plan something like a girls' night out or guys' night out, we can just look at the calendar before we talk about it.  As the kids get older, they'll get their own calendars too.  We just aren't on opposite schedules yet - they have basketball together, piano lessons for Maddy just mean that Lucy's with me...  I tried sharing with my parents because I do...

So I love this purple bottle!  I can't remember who introduced me to it for the first time - I honestly think it was a stranger because I went looking for the purple labeled carpet cleaner. No name. A color was what I was searching for.  It has changed my life.  Even in my old house which had less than half the square footage in carpet, when I first discovered it, it changed my life.  I had to share with my readers, all 3 of you, because today I had a unique situation and this stuff saved my carpet. So my kids have a playroom in our new home.  It's a decent size, and compared to our old house, they finally have the space to play with their Legos and Barbies, just in time to grow up and not require that space anymore...but that's another story.  They are in charge of keeping it clean, and don't always do the best job (that's me being nice).  I have to walk through it to get to the garage or laundry room from the kitchen and the rest of the hous...

Today was just one of those days. I can't even tell you what was accomplished from my To-Do list other than emptying the dishwasher and doing 4 loads of laundry.  Ok, maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought.  But with the kids in school, I feel like I should attempt at least one grand activity each day and I should have a clean house to show for my time spent alone at home.  One thing that I accomplished as setting up our schedule.  I've been wanting to volunteer at my kids' school but they require a ton of paperwork and clearances from the state - all of which take time to receive back in the mail.  Yesterday I finally compiled all the paperwork and dropped it off.  I can officially step foot in the building now, so I'm set up to volunteer. I called to volunteer at the library and how they do it is every other week with your child's class and the next class.  So I'll spend every other week  helping out and seeing my kids' classes at their library...

I hate going to the dentist. My kids have no fear, even though each has had a tiny cavity or two. I blame all the gummy vitamins and sugar, but in all honesty, my kids have really "groovy" teeth.  Since getting battery operated toothbrushes they have cut down significantly on dental issues because, well, they just work better!  That moving brush can clean a lot faster and better than you can with your hand.  Well, I was giving them new toothbrushes every 3-4 weeks and at $5 each (on sale) it was starting to get a bit ridiculous.  Changing batteries, having the heads chewed up (yes, they're kids!) and everything else was getting ridiculous.  And then I found these!  Dentist recommended, rechargeable with removable heads, and just a little bit more than the battery operated ones.  My kids absolutely love their new toothbrushes and I know they're brushing the full 2 minutes with the buzzing sound it makes at the end.  And guys, they make ...

If you're like me, meal planning isn't as simple as everyone makes it out to be.  I have a system and I'll be posting on it within the next few weeks, however one kitchen tool that has literally changed how we eat is the Instant Pot. The instant pot is my most utilized kitchen tool, even more than a skillet or sauce pan.  This thing does it ALL.  My favorite aspect is that it can cook even frozen meat in 30 minutes or less, depending on the weight.  You'd never know it was cooked with speed, in that it tastes just as delicious as slow cooked food. My favorite "recipe" is to take chicken (frozen or thawed) and a jar of salsa (we like medium for extra flavor) and salt to taste.  Sometimes I will add a half cup of water if the salsa is super thick.  Then set to poultry (add some time if it's frozen) and shred when it's cooked through.  Less than 30 minutes and dinner is made.  Cook some rice while you wait or serve with taco fixings. S...

I *HATE* cleaning but when you visit my home, I hope you never notice.  Just like the kids this time of year enjoy their new school supplies, a house needs some new cleaning supplies to get you excited again.  My 8 year old Dyson bit the dust, or rather, stopped sucking it up.  We'd tried servicing it ourselves by blowing it out with an air compressor among other things, and I gave up.  Back to the older cheap vacuums I went.  After a quick poll of my Facebook friends, I found the Shark brand to be very popular. This bad boy has changed my life. I can't even begin to explain how much I enjoy vacuuming again. My friend bought it the same weekend that I did and we compare notes on how much we love it.  She has nicknamed hers "Robin" as it is her trusty sidekick.  I'm not sure I could go back to another vacuum.  And at a fraction of the cost of the Dyson, even if this lasts 2 years I feel like it's well worth the investment. Here are s...

Welcome to my NEW blog! I've started this page to help my friends and hopefully their friends with some helpful tips and products that make our household run much more smoothly. I'm no professional - so please bear with me as I work through the layout of this site and get acclimated to posting :) I LOVE to try new things, and I never pay full price for anything so I thought I would share findings of deals, products that help us around the house, and other helpful tips here for all of you to enjoy.  That said, sit back with a cup of coffee and enjoy the tips that will follow! Erin