Menu Planning Monday - On Tuesday!

A bit of a surprise yesterday -- daughter's other daycare provider (babysits 3 days a week vs my 2 days) left her a message that she was going to visit her grandmother for 2-3 weeks. I had an unexpected visitor at 7am - Brayden Lee! He'll be with me from 7am to 5:30 pm for 5 days a week for the next few weeks. This means -- dinner must be quick and easy, as I'm usually quite tired by the end of our day together!

Monday
Boneless chicken breasts in Lemon Pepper marinade,
cooked on grill
Cheddar Brocolli Rice
Green Salad

Tuesday
Tuna Macaroni Salad*
Whole wheat bread, butter

Wednesday
Leftover chicken sliced on
Chef's salad

Thursday
Leftover Tuna Macaroni Salad
Ritz Crackers

Friday
Order-in Pizza

Saturday
Roast Pork Loin
Browned potatoes
Peas

Sunday
Stir Fry w/left over pork


This Tuna Macaroni Salad recipe has been in my family for at least 50 years. I remember my grandmother making it for any large family gathering in the summer. This is one of those dishes that always tastes better as a leftover, so I make lots so we can eat it for several meals.

RECIPE - TUNA MACARONI SALAD

Ingredients
2 cans tuna in water
1 can Veg-All
1 lb shell macaroni
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1 to 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup bottled Ranch Dressing
Salt, pepper, celery salt to taste
Optional: 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Cook shell macaroni according to pkg directions; don't overcook. Run macaroni under cold water to stop cooking process. Drain. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

In large mixing bowl, mix tuna (drained), Veg-All, celery and onion (optional eggs). Add macaroni. Add Mayo and Ranch dressing. Mix completely. Add salt, pepper and celery salt to taste and mix. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Serves 6-8 as a main dish.

Stocking up at Walgreens

There are some good sales at Walgreens this week. I apologize that I can't give you links to coupons that I use or dates they appeared in the newspaper. I just don't have time to keep track of things like that! You may, however, find several of the coupons to print off in the right column of this blog page. You can also print of Walgreens' coupons on their web site, if you don't get the Sunday paper before you go shopping. I used Walgreens sales today to stock up on pantry items. All are items we use on a regular basis. 4 Hellman's Mayonnaise 30 oz - Sale $2.99 3 Ragu Spaghetti Sauce - Sale $1.67 Total $16.96 Coupons Mayo - 1.00, .50, .40 Ragu - $.50 $3 Walgreens Register Rewards Out of Pocket $11.56 Rec'd $5 Walgreens Register Rewards Bic Soleil Razors - Sale $4.99 x 2 = $9.98 Walgreens Alum Foil - Sale $.49 x 4 = $1.96 Walgreens Storage Bags Sale .99 x 3 - $2.97 Total $14.91 Coupons Bic Razors $2.00 x 2 = $4.00 Walgreens RR $5.00 OOP $5.91 Edge Shaving Gel Sale $2.99 Easy Saver Coupon - $1.00 Mfg Coupon - $1.00 Walgreen Weekly coupon $1.00 OOP - FREE Total Merchandise $34.86 (sale prices) Cash Paid $17.47 50% saved on items we use every day!

Don't Overlook your local Hardware Store when being Frugal!

Ace Hardware has instituted a rebate program similar to Walgreens'. Purchase items, go online and put in for rebates, and get those items for a deep discount or free. Since house and car maintenance are an expensive part of daily life, it's great to have another store to turn to for these household needs. Similar to Walgreens and CVS, you need to sign up for an Ace Rewards Card to take advantage of these deals. You should be able to sign up online, though I've tried twice now with no luck. You can also sign up at your local store. In our area, ACE is having a huge "Grand Opening" sale on June 27, 28 and 29. Here are examples of what you will be able to get FREE AFTER REBATE (FAR): Rust Stop Spray Enamel for Grills - $3.99 - FAR OxiOut Emergency Stain Stick - $1.99 - FAR Jobe's Fertilizer Spikes - $99 - FAR Mr. Clean Auto Glass Cleaner - $2.99 - FAR Mr. Clean Car Protectant for rubber, plastic and vinyl - $2.99 - FAR GUMOUT Fuel System Cleaner - $3.29 - FAR These items are not free after rebate (though they could be if you have coupons!), but are deeply discounted: Sprayway Glass Cleaner - $1.99 - $1.00 rebate - $.99 final cost Murphy Oil Soap - $1.99 - $1.00 rebate - $.99 *Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner - $1.99 - $1.00 - $.99 *Shout Laundry Stain Remover - $1.99 - $1.00 - $.99 Fantastik Heavy Duty Cleaner - $1.99 - $1.00 - $.99 Poly Rope with Winder, 100'- $1.99 - $1.00 - $.99 Tire Wet Protectant - $1.99 - $1.00 - $.99 Fix a Flat - $1.99 - $1.00 - $.99 Elmer's Glue All 16 oz $2.99 - $2.50 rebate - $.49 *RayOVac 30 pk AA or AAA batteries - $9.99 - $5.00 rebate - $4.99 6 pc Double-Ended Power Drill Bit Set 7 pc Drill Bit Set 10 Pc Bit and Nutsetter Set - all $5.99 - $5.00 rebate - .99 each 1400 psi portable Power Washer - $84.99 - $25.00 rebate - $59.99 23 pocket Big Mouth Tool Bag - $9.99 - $5.00 rebate - $4.99 Sportsman Lantern - $9.99 - $5.00 rebate - $4.99 ACE Insecticide Spray - $2.49 - $2.00 rebate - $.49 (4 rebates) Cutter Back Yard Insect Spray - $9.99 - $6.00 rebate - $3.99 (2 rebates) ACE Home Insect Spray 1 gal - $6.99 - $5.00 rebate - $1.99 (2 rebates) *OFF Inspect Repellent Spray - $3.99 - $3.00 rebate - $.99 (2 rebates) ACE Weed & Grass Killer - $2.99 - $2.00 rebate - .99 (2 rebates) *These items have had coupons in recent Sunday paper flyers. Use the coupons and save even more and possibly get the item for free. I'm not completely sure how this rebate program works -- if you get your rebates on an ACE giftcard and have to spend that money at ACE, what the expiration policy is, what the "Rewards Points" are about, etc. I am going to my local ACE later today to sign up, and hopefully they will provide more information.

Frugal grandparenting

Who knew a two year old could be so much fun to take to yard sales?! My grandson loves cruising through other people's garages, and is amazingly picky about what he does or does not want to buy. Most kids spot ANY toy and yell and scream until they get it. Brayden says "Ummmmmmmmm...Nooooo" more often than not.

Friday morning (he'd spent the night with us Thursday night), we were up and ready to head out the door by 8:30am. First yard sale, Brayden spotted a box full of Army Guys that he insisted his grandfather would love (and he was right). But he didn't find anything there for himself, despite the yard sale advertising TOYS TOYS TOYS and there being plenty age-appropriate toys for him to choose from.

But at the second yard sale we got the deal of the day. A Little Tykes Kitchen, complete with "communications center" (the phone rings and tells you things like "It's time to wash the dishes" or "Let's get cooking!"), talking recipe book (Chef Tony give you step by step recipe to create spaghetti and meatballs or bacon and eggs with your plastic dishes and food), a microwave, stove (burners light up), sink (makes water sounds), refrigerator, oven, and more. It came complete with dishes, silverware, cooking pots and pans, cooking utensils, a huge amount of food, and more. It's not exactly like the one here in the picture (it's actually got more burners and more counter space), but it's close. The price? $15.00!

Today, Jeff and I went out to yard sales and once again, I had a GREAT find. I found a Kasey the Kinderbot (Toy of the Year in 2002), an interactive robot that teaches numbers and letters - for $2! Retail price for this on Amazon today is $199.00! It's perfect for Brayden, who is enthusiastically learning his numbers and shapes and colors. When my kids were small we had a similar toy, except not computerized, of course. It was a small "robot" in which you placed cards, and the child matched numbers or colors or letters and the robot beeped. Both my kids absolutely loved this toy, and really learned a lot from it. I think Brayden is going to love it, and it will really help quench his thirst for knowledge stage he's going through. He can now count to 19 and knows all his colors and shapes. I think that's pretty good for a 26 month old... but then, I'm his grandma, so I guess I would!

So, grandparents -- head to the yard sales! Toys are SO expensive these days and there are so many great deals to be had at yard sales and garage sales. The kids don't care if the toy is used, believe me!

BETTER THAN YARD SALE PRICES - FREE!!

Here's a Toys R'Us coupon for a FREE Thomas the Train toy - value up to $12.99! (Thanks to Money Saving Mom). Brayden loves Thomas the Train -- I think I'll do some frugal Christmas shopping!

Office supply savings - Frugal and FREE

If you're printing Internet coupons, you're going through a lot of printer paper! Wal-Mart has HP Printer Paper for $3.97, and you can print off a $3.00 coupon (several of them, actually) here! Final cost - .97 cents! Expiration date on the coupon is 12/31/2008, so you may want to print off extra and save for a sale! I love Post-It Flags. When I read magazines (especially quilt magazines that I never, ever throw away), I mark articles or instructions I want to go back to with Post-It Flags. They also make a marker that has little post-it notes in the tube of the pen! (Love it) Wal-Mart has them on sale this week for .97 cents. You can print a coupon for $3.00 off two here -- final cost - FREE! Thanks to The Centsible Sawyer for these coupons! Added Later: Go figure - MY WalMart did not have the Post-It Flag Markers or the printer paper on sale. The $3.00 coupon for HP paper is for paper that normally costs $5.27, so you still pay $2.27. The Post-It Markers were at regular price of $2.47, so I passed on those until I see them on sale. So your WalMart may or may not have these sales!

What was your favorite toy?

Brayden arrives in just an hour and will be here for two full days and overnight while my daughter travels on business. Last night I was thinking of activities for us to do, and started thinking about what I played with when I was young. My oh my, how times have changed. Here's what I remember were my favorite toys as a child.

• My bike - From the age of 5, I was on a bike and could go anywhere I wanted in my town with no fears. There were 3 lakes in town, and as young as 6 I would bike to the lake and spend the day with my friends.


• Roller Skates -- the old fashioned kind that you attached to the bottom of your shoes and yes, you had to have a skate key to do it. We lived on Main Street and the sidewalk in front of our house sloped down a slight hill. I can still hear the "thump thump -- thump thump" of rolling down that hill over and over and over and over.


• Anything to do with horses. We played horses, our bikes were horses, we actually rode horses. When I was about 5 I was given some little plastic horses and cowboys. I got a shoebox and some yellow construction paper and made myself a stable -- and sat for hours and hours cutting that yellow construction paper into straw.


• Snow - Born an brought up in New Hampshire where snow isn't a pain in the butt, it's a way of life that you adapt to and enjoy. We built snow forts, igloos, snow men, statues and whatever else we could think of. My brother and I even used to sneak into our neighbor's yard and pour water on the steep hill of his driveway so we could go sledding the next day. (He must have loved us!)


• Books - I was an avid reader then, and I still am to this day. A book and the shade of a tree on a hot summer day was life at it's finest. My all-time favorite book? The Counterpane Fairy by Katherine Pyle. Highly sought-after and collectible these days -- of which I have two first edition copies. A story of a little boy sick in bed visited by a fairy who takes him on adventures based on the quilt block he chooses from his counterpane quilt. Perhaps the basis of my love of quilting?


• Barbie dolls - My mom sewed two boxes of little tiny dresses and coats and negligees and gowns for me for Christmas one year. I played Barbies with the little girl two houses up from me -- Kim Lafferty -- day after day after day. In the middle of the night one night, Kim and her family moved. My barbies and all my Mom's sewing went with them. Kim -- if you're out there -- I want my Barbies back!


• Cards - My brother and I played cards a lot, as did my grandmother and I -- Rummy with our own rules, to be exact. I learned to play when I was about 4, and still love to spend an afternoon with my daughter now and then playing cards.


• Coke Truck -- One of my favorite Christmas presents -- probably around 1956. A coke truck that had sides that opened, a little cart, and tiny cases of coke bottles you could move around on the cart.


• Puddles - Our house was on the outside edge of a huge combination dirt road and dirt parking lot and after every rain storm, that parking lot was our world. Puddles - big puddles - everywhere. We waded in them, connected them, made bridges with sticks, built mud houses and more. My grandson has a serious love of puddles - I wonder if it's hereditary?

Honestly, I can't think of many actual store-bought toys, with the exception of the plastic horses, Barbie dolls and Coke truck, that gave me as much pleasure as the outdoors did!

What were your favorite toys as a child?

Picture(s) of the Day

Compliments of Splendid Pictures Around the Net