to rescue disappearing dollars...

In case you haven't heard or felt it yet, fuel and grocery costs have all been sky-rocketing in the past month.  When I filled the gas tank in our mid-size sedan this weekend it cost me over $62.00 at $3.699 a gallon for regular.  And, it's still on a rapid rise.  Wallet fail!

Although I work part-time, my commutes are long. Forty minutes to my home office and two hours on my Brooklyn days (about once a week).  That makes the pump, in addition the grocery check-out, painful.  There isn't anything I can do about my gas consumption as I need to get to work and have no one around me for carpooling (and it doesn't help that we live in one of the gas cost "red zones").  But groceries?  I can save there. 

Now, I'm no extreme couponer.  Not even close.  Over the past few years, I have clipped coupons here and there and, occasionally, even remembered to use one or two at the check-out. Since the beginning of this year, I have been much better about both clipping and using coupons but, they have been less than organized.  Basically a big jumble of clippings thrown in a zippered pouch in the diaper bag.  Not really helpful when I needed to put my hands on a particular slip of paper.

This week, determined to put some order to the chaos and start shaving some more off of our grocery bill, I finally sat down, labeled my coupon wallet and got them all sorted. 

I have my coupons separated into the following categories:

• Baby
• Baking
• Breakfast
• Cans
• Condiments
• Dairy
• Frozen
• General Grocery
• Snacks
• Paper Products
• Cleaning/Laundry
• Toiletries/OTC

The store where I most frequently shop prints relevant coupons at check-out that are good for a limited time and only at that store so, I've added those right in the front so they are easy to spot. The space right behind the zippered section I'm earmarking for dining out coupons. 

What's the plan from here?  This weeks' grocery list is written out and I've noted "coupon" and the brand next to each item where I have one on-hand.  Before I go shopping, I'll take those coupons out of my organizer and clip them to my list so they are handy and get used.  I'll have the wallet with me in case I need to pull out something extra. I'm hoping that between shopping sales, meal planning and couponing, I can spare my bank account some of the economic sting this month has in store!

I'll update now and again with my savings and any tips that would be helpful to pass along.  If you have any tips to share, please leave a comment!

project simplify: or, we really need to get rid of this stuff...

We are three people living in a cozy condo. 
We are looking for a new home. 
We need to get our current home together and on the market. 
We have too. much. stuff. 

Enter Project Simplify.  I've been a reader of the Simple Mom blog for sometime and when i read about this challenge, I knew the timing couldn't be better.  Yes, I already have a lot on my plate and, proven in February, am not the best at following through on goal setting but, this simply needs to get done.  I'm joining in.  I'm not going to lie, I'm terrified about the "Before" photos part.  Terrified.  But, I need to see the results and the "Afters".  Here goes nothing...

How it works, direct from Simple Mom:
For five weeks, we’ll work together and tackle different areas of our homes. Be encouraged and inspired, knowing that there are other families around the world rolling up their sleeves and working alongside you!

1. On Monday, I’ll announce that week’s “hot spot” project.

2. You’ll have the week to declutter, clean, and organize that area — don’t forget to take “before” and “after” photos (no straightening up ahead of time, either!).

3. On Friday, I’ll reveal my own “before” and “after” photos.

4a. You’ll also post your photos and write about your experience on your own blog, then link to it on Simple Mom.

4b. If you don’t have a blog, you can share your “before” and “after” photos in the Simple Living Flickr pool, describing your experience in the photos’ description. (You can also do this even if you have a blog.)

5. Rest from the week’s hard work by browsing everyone else’s photos (and find inspiration for the next project!).

6. Cross your fingers in hopes that you’ve won that week’s giveaway.

This weeks Hot Spot: WARDROBE

I think I may have breathed an audible sigh of relief when I saw this week's Hot Spot revealed.  Why?  Mr. Boom and I both already tackled this task over the past few months.  Just this past Thursday I dropped a huge bag of my own clothing off for donation.  But, it seems there is always more to do so, though the closet is in decent shape right now, I'll tackle my two remaining messy dresser drawers this week.  Specifically, my sock and underwear drawers.  And, no, I won't be posting an after of that ;-)

take-out at home: simple slow cooker chicken teriyaki

Sometimes I want take-out without the expense, the pick-up drive or delivery wait.  Sometimes chinese food at home sounds like a good idea.  So, I came up with this slow cooker version of chicken teriyaki.  We got two plus tasty meals out of this for less than the cost of one chinese order.  This is my first Messily Ever After original recipe - please let me know what you think!

Simple Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki
A Messily Ever After original recipe

2-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken pieces (I used 1 lb. breasts, 2 lb. thighs)
1 lb. bag baby carrots
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
20 oz. can pineapple chunks, in juice
1 cuup teriyaki sauce, low-sodium
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce (found in the Asian section in your grocery store)
1 tsp soy sauce, low-sodium
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker and cover with vegetables.  Add pineapple and juice.  Pour remaining ingredients over the top.  Cover and cook on LOW 6-6 hours or HIGH 4-6 hours.  Serve over hot rice.

friday favorites: possession, celebration and gift...

Favorite or most prized possession (must be an object, not including photos): There were so many different ways I could have gone with this one and I almost chose my volumes of scrapbooks.  Not quite cheating because, while they contain do photos, they are also so much more. As dear as those scrapbooks and the hobby and memories they represent are to me, they sit on a shelf.  The possession that is most prized is one I have with me, worn on me, everyday.  My wedding set. Yes, I love the design and the sparkle. Oh, the sparkle! 

What is most prized about these two rings was what my husband and I just celebrated this past Monday: our marriage and the commitment to be together, raise and family and to be true only to one another.

Favorite holiday: Thanksgiving.  No hesitation, no compromises.  I love Thanksgiving. The food, the family and laughter.  No pressure to decorate, find the perfect tree, gift, card or ornament.  Just a day with people I love sharing amazingly delicious food. 

Favorite gift you've ever received or given (life doesn't count): I have been blessed and fortunate to have received some incredible gifts in my life so, I'm keeping this one fairly recent.  And, I'm using two for this one because, well, it's my blog and I can *wink*  One tangible and one an experience.

1) My beloved camera, a gift from my wonderful husband on the day of my baby shower.  The gift that keeps giving day after day as I capture images of our world, our family and strive to learn more and more.  Canon 50D along with the Canon 50mm f/1.4 and Tamron 28-75 f/2.8

2) BON JOVI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (No, there are not too many exclamation points)  For your second wedding anniversary Mr. Boom got us tickets to see Bon Jovi live in concert in early May.  Bon Jovi.  I have wanted to see them in concert since seventh grade.  That, my friends, is a long wait finally come due.  Wooooooot!

(My apologies for the original post that was riddled with spelling errors - fixed now!)

3 in 30: update and what's next...

At the beginning of February I posted about this challenge and spelled out my three goals for the month. So, how did I fare?  So-so.  I did scrapbook some by working on Project Life and will be keeping this as one of my monthly goals until I find a real rhythm and routine for making it a priority. The shelves in the bathroom were purged of numerous half-empty and expired bottles of toiletries.  It's ready to be removed and the remaining contents added to the drawers of a much smaller piece.  Lastly, the dresser top.  February's nemesis.  It just didn't get done. I'm still planing to go there but getting to organize the bedroom (the one completely un-baby proofed room) is easier said than done.  Ah well.

March is a new month and, with it, comes three new goals. This month will be busy with going away one weekend to visit family and working another but, there are things that still need to be accomplished:

1. Scrapbook at least one page/layout each week:  Whether a week in Project Life or a traditional layout this is one I need to get done.  I have several page ideas sketched out in a notebook along with journaling and need to translate a few to paper.  A step ahead, most of the photos are already printed!
2. Bring lunch to work each day: For health and for being budget conscious as we move forward house hunting, this just has to become part of my daily routine.  I'm giving myself one exception - I eat out the one day a month that I work at Wall Street.  Trecking my lunch through the subways = gross.  And I just don't want to give up that one lunch at Pump.
3. Participate in Project Simplify: Look for my first post on this on 3/8/11...

george, meet george...

G has taken an interest in trains. When we are out running errands, I try to plan them around a stop at the bookstore so that he can get some playtime at the Thomas table. We had picked up a few generic Target brand trains to keep in the diaper bag for the days that the official Thomas trains are missing from the play area but, he already knows the difference.  It's the faces.  He likes holding up the trains and having conversations with their round plastic faces *dies from cuteness*

One day, I'm sure he will amass quite the collection of Thomas trains. I'm not too keen on making that huge investment right now when our little guy is still very interested in exploring everything with his mouth.  $20 trains with teeth marks?  No thanks. But Mr. Boom managed to find a couple of deals on eBay and, last night THE 'train' arrived. 

Our George was introduced to George the Steamroller...

He played with the packaging for awhile, taking it in and out, over and over... 

  

Oh the joy!

Hmm, wonder how this works? 

Good job Daddy! This gift was a big hit.

recipe: convenience food turned homemade...

With work, keeping up with a home and chasing after a very active toddler, time is at a premium.  Admittedly, there have been evenings where I have turned to convenience foods or meal kits in a pinch.  It's something I have never liked to do, knowing they are packed with sodium, fat and processed junk ingredients.  Using the slow cooker is great when planning ahead but, sometimes a meal needs to be put together on a shorter timeline and still be appealing to everyone. 

Surely, something like a Hamburger Helper could be made out of pantry ingredients, right?  I looked for a basic recipe online, came up with a few and played around to make my own version.  It took 30 minutes from start to finish, ended up tasty and made enough for two plus meals for our family of three.  The guys were happy with the flavor and I was happy to find a quick, healthier alternative to a meal in box.  The ingredient list may look long but, many are spices. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Cheesy Beef and Macaroni

1 lb. box elbow macaroni
1 small onion, diced
1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1.5 cups skim milk
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp parsley
2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese, (8 oz. bag)

Brown meat in skillet with onion.  Add peppers and saute 4-5 minutes until tender.  Meanwhile, boil pasta in a separate pot.  Drain and set aside. 

In pasta pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk milk, flour and all seasonings together then add to pan with butter.  Once milk mixture is warm, add cheese and whisk until melted. Add pasta and meat mixture and stir.  Serve immediately.