Do you do a lot of baking? What about around the holidays?
Try making your dough ahead of time, or doubling your recipe when you are making cookies. Take the extra dough and roll it out into a block about an inch thick and the size of the bag you want to store it in. Score the dough (you can take something as simple as a toothpick to score it), then freeze the dough and simply snap off however many frozen cookie dough blocks you need later on!
You can also put the dough in ice cube trays and flash freeze it. Then pop the dough out of the trays, put them in a freezer bag or food saver back and stick them in the freezer until needed. It will save you a lot of time, mess and money later on!
-Kristen
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Christmas Advertising
I remember when I was younger- tearing in to my stocking on Christmas Morning. There it was- that shape, that size- it couldn't be...but no, it had to be!
"OH MY GOSH!" I would jump up and down and scream, the excitement threatening to stop my young hear- "Look! Look what I got! It's a toothbrush!"
Uh no. I don't think so.
I was flipping through a magazine and saw an ad for Colgate spinning toothbrushes....advertised as stocking stuffers.
Really? What kid has ever put a toothbrush on top of their list to Santa?
Advertisers are getting more and more odd in their attempts to sell us things. I'm fairly certain that no 8 year old is going to beg his mom to buy him a $4.00 container of shampoo to put under the tree for Christmas. Men, if you give your wife pots and pans, a vacuum, teeth-whitening strips or anything vaguely related to cleaning supplies, you're in for a very un-Merry Christmas indeed.
My second favorite commercials are the kind where someone buys someone else a $35,000 car for Christmas, without their knowledge. Then puts it in the front yard with a big bow on it and again, they have no idea. You know, because half of all households get a new luxury sedan for Christmas without one party consulting the other in any way.
Ahhh Christmas Advertising. How I didn't miss you at all, but here you are, early to the party again.
-Kristen
"OH MY GOSH!" I would jump up and down and scream, the excitement threatening to stop my young hear- "Look! Look what I got! It's a toothbrush!"
Uh no. I don't think so.
I was flipping through a magazine and saw an ad for Colgate spinning toothbrushes....advertised as stocking stuffers.
Really? What kid has ever put a toothbrush on top of their list to Santa?
Advertisers are getting more and more odd in their attempts to sell us things. I'm fairly certain that no 8 year old is going to beg his mom to buy him a $4.00 container of shampoo to put under the tree for Christmas. Men, if you give your wife pots and pans, a vacuum, teeth-whitening strips or anything vaguely related to cleaning supplies, you're in for a very un-Merry Christmas indeed.
My second favorite commercials are the kind where someone buys someone else a $35,000 car for Christmas, without their knowledge. Then puts it in the front yard with a big bow on it and again, they have no idea. You know, because half of all households get a new luxury sedan for Christmas without one party consulting the other in any way.
Ahhh Christmas Advertising. How I didn't miss you at all, but here you are, early to the party again.
-Kristen
Friday, November 9, 2012
Shopping
Contrary to popular belief, I do enjoy shopping- if I have a good enough coupon.
I had one of these for Kohls recently- one of my favorite clothing stores. Not only were they running their "Kohls Cash" promotion (purchase $50 in items, get a $10 coupon back for use the next week, no limit), there was clearance around- and I had received a 30% off coupon in the mail.
Yes. It was clearly time to go clothes shopping.
Now, to begin with, there is one thing they do not tell you about Kohls cash. It has to be $50 after coupons. I've always thought that was kind of tacky. It isn't like other stores where you can stack a manufacturer's coupon with a store coupon and really walk away with a steal- you can only save as much as they let you, because they control the coupons and the wording.
Hmpf. But anyway-
I found several things I wanted, then headed to checkout. My total rang up around $75 and I probably whipped out my 30% off coupon.
"Oh, are you going to use your Kohls Charge?"
"Nope!" I had been planning on using my credit card, which is netting me 5% cashback currently. Take that Kohls and your tacky policy.
"Oh- to use this coupon you have to use the Kohls Charge."
Eurgh. I will some day remember to watch the fine print on those stupid coupons they send me. So fine, I whip out the Kohls Charge, because saving 30% is better than 5% cashback and my total before tax drops to $50.10- just enough to get me that $10 in Kohls Cash. Buwahaha, couldn't have worked that out any better if I'd been using a calculator.
Much to the annoyance of the cashier, I insisted on turning around and paying off my charge balance right then and there. See, that's yet another tricky thing about Kohls. You can only pay off your balance with cash or a check. It takes a magic trick to figure out that the interest rate is 21.9% on that card- 24.9% if you are late making a payment.
Coupons are all well and good, but I don't play the interest game. Because I know I have to look for a separate bill (one I am not used to seeing and wouldn't notice if it was missing) if I use the Kohls charge, I insist on paying the balance off 100% at the time of purchase, even if it takes two transactions to do it. I'm a pain in the rear that way. Having been burned once with an unscrupulous credit card company that would hold transactions until right before they came due, charge them to the card, then hit me with 20+% interest, I tread very lightly.
So- moral of the story is always read the fine print. I guess. Not really sure what the moral of this post is, other than I got some new clothes on discount! Buwahaha.
-Kristen
I had one of these for Kohls recently- one of my favorite clothing stores. Not only were they running their "Kohls Cash" promotion (purchase $50 in items, get a $10 coupon back for use the next week, no limit), there was clearance around- and I had received a 30% off coupon in the mail.
Yes. It was clearly time to go clothes shopping.
Now, to begin with, there is one thing they do not tell you about Kohls cash. It has to be $50 after coupons. I've always thought that was kind of tacky. It isn't like other stores where you can stack a manufacturer's coupon with a store coupon and really walk away with a steal- you can only save as much as they let you, because they control the coupons and the wording.
Hmpf. But anyway-
I found several things I wanted, then headed to checkout. My total rang up around $75 and I probably whipped out my 30% off coupon.
"Oh, are you going to use your Kohls Charge?"
"Nope!" I had been planning on using my credit card, which is netting me 5% cashback currently. Take that Kohls and your tacky policy.
"Oh- to use this coupon you have to use the Kohls Charge."
Eurgh. I will some day remember to watch the fine print on those stupid coupons they send me. So fine, I whip out the Kohls Charge, because saving 30% is better than 5% cashback and my total before tax drops to $50.10- just enough to get me that $10 in Kohls Cash. Buwahaha, couldn't have worked that out any better if I'd been using a calculator.
Much to the annoyance of the cashier, I insisted on turning around and paying off my charge balance right then and there. See, that's yet another tricky thing about Kohls. You can only pay off your balance with cash or a check. It takes a magic trick to figure out that the interest rate is 21.9% on that card- 24.9% if you are late making a payment.
Coupons are all well and good, but I don't play the interest game. Because I know I have to look for a separate bill (one I am not used to seeing and wouldn't notice if it was missing) if I use the Kohls charge, I insist on paying the balance off 100% at the time of purchase, even if it takes two transactions to do it. I'm a pain in the rear that way. Having been burned once with an unscrupulous credit card company that would hold transactions until right before they came due, charge them to the card, then hit me with 20+% interest, I tread very lightly.
So- moral of the story is always read the fine print. I guess. Not really sure what the moral of this post is, other than I got some new clothes on discount! Buwahaha.
-Kristen
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Black Friday Ad- Walmart
Walmart has already released their 2012 Black Friday Ad.
Not only that, some of their deals start at 8:00pm on THANKSGIVING DAY. Target is starting their sales at 9:00pm, from what I've heard.
I think this is a huge shame. It's not enough that Christmas items are being put in stores before Halloween even arrives, but now the sales are starting at 8:00pm on Thanksgiving? One of the few holidays we have that aren't centered around buy, buy buy?
I'm all about saving the money, but hey- can't we keep the sales to "Black Friday"? Why rush through one of the (probably) few meals the entire family gets to anymore, to go get some discount DVDs? Some people will spend all of Thursday and perhaps a good chunk of Wednesday lining up outside of stores to be the first in to the sales.
I get it. Times are hard for a lot of us. To give your kids the Christmas you think they want or deserve, you're willing to make a lot of sacrifices and that includes giving Thanks for what you do have and spending time with your family, but c'mon retailers! We'll all get up at the crack of dawn on Friday- don't push this to Thursday.
I feel bad for anyone that works in retail right now. Think of the people who won't get the choice to spend time with their families because they have to work.
It just makes me sad.
-Kristen
Not only that, some of their deals start at 8:00pm on THANKSGIVING DAY. Target is starting their sales at 9:00pm, from what I've heard.
I think this is a huge shame. It's not enough that Christmas items are being put in stores before Halloween even arrives, but now the sales are starting at 8:00pm on Thanksgiving? One of the few holidays we have that aren't centered around buy, buy buy?
I'm all about saving the money, but hey- can't we keep the sales to "Black Friday"? Why rush through one of the (probably) few meals the entire family gets to anymore, to go get some discount DVDs? Some people will spend all of Thursday and perhaps a good chunk of Wednesday lining up outside of stores to be the first in to the sales.
I get it. Times are hard for a lot of us. To give your kids the Christmas you think they want or deserve, you're willing to make a lot of sacrifices and that includes giving Thanks for what you do have and spending time with your family, but c'mon retailers! We'll all get up at the crack of dawn on Friday- don't push this to Thursday.
I feel bad for anyone that works in retail right now. Think of the people who won't get the choice to spend time with their families because they have to work.
It just makes me sad.
-Kristen
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Holiday Bucks are back at Petsmart!
I am so inordinately excited about this deal from PetSmart I just had to write up this blog immediately.
Holiday Bucks are back at PetSmart! Basically, when you buy any of the products above, you look for a little red ornament shaped logo on the Purina or Science Diet products that mentions $5 Holiday Bucks.
Use your PetSmart PetPerks membership when you buy one or more participating items and a $5 coupon will print on your receipt. This receipt coupon is good on your next purchase of ANY Science Diet or Purina Purchase.
My recommendation is that you "roll" this $5 forward by only purchasing one eligible item per transaction to get the most "bang for your buck", since you will only get one coupon per Purina and/or Science Diet item purchase, no matter how many items you buy. The last time this was around, I stocked up on a mountain of cat litter- $5 off each bucket except the first one I bought, plus they are stackable with manufacturer's coupons.
This really is a great time to stock up on cat litter, or buy a few bags of food for your pets as long as you have a good place to store it. With three dogs and three cats, storage isn't much of a problem around here, as my guys can really put away the food.
-Kristen
Monday, November 5, 2012
Reusing Cat Litter Containers
We have three cats. Believe me when I say we go through a lot of Tidy Cats. So often, we have a ton of large, plastic storage containers sitting around and there is a ton you can do with them. First though- wash them out with the hose. Then pour in some vinegar, swish it around, add some water, swish it around, dump it, rinse it, rinse it again, maybe add some bleach, add some water, rinse, rinse, rinse. It never hurts to be too cautious in making sure these are completely clean.
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| Not my picture- wish it was! |
Planters! Rather than going out and buying large tubs to keep your plants in, why not repurpose something you have already paid for? Yes, they could be more attractive, but hey, feel free to cover them.
Animal Food Storage. I keep our rabbit and chicken feed in these containers, but know plenty of people that pour cat and dog food in to them as well.
Garden Harvester. If you have a large garden, a clean cat litter container (especially the smaller ones), could be excellent to help you bring your harvest in.
Compost buckets. This one seems self explanatory.
Cat Litter. Yes, you heard me. Sometimes there are awesome deals on cat litter, but only the kind that comes in bags. I hate those. Why not just pour the bagged cat litter in to the better containers? Simple.
-Kristen
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Finding the Beauty in Winter
Why, Hello there November. Are you here so soon? It seemed like just a few weeks ago I was seeing the back end of you and your vicious cold weather friends December and January, yet here you are again.
Today is cold. It's also the first time I've seen most of the sky a color other than gray and it is beautiful- a beautiful "Carolina" blue with wisps of gorgeous white clouds dotted here and there. The air is crisp, but it's clean.
I'm trying to learn to appreciate winter- to find the beauty in it.
It's easy to find Spring beautiful. There is a riot of colors as the flowers bloom and the trees bud. The weather warms, the grass comes back and of course, the wild animals wake up, the birds come back and everywhere little creatures emerge.
It's easy to find Summer beautiful. The skies are blue, the grass is soft and green under bare feet and it's the time to play. Days are long, temperatures are warm and we still have flowers to enjoy, not to mention the beautiful colors of a garden ripening. We are treated to such beautiful, golden sunsets.
It's easiest to find Autumn beautiful. The temperatures are perfect, the skies are still blue, the gardens are winding down, but they are still producing. The colors of the trees rival the beautiful range of spring flowers. The wild animals are everywhere as they prepare for the winter. The sunsets come earlier, but they are still beautiful- not as golden as those in the Summer, but fiery in their own right.
It's hardest to find Winter beautiful. A newly fallen snow beautiful- but it is soon melted and muddied, it's pristine beauty ruined by dog tracks and people tracks. The winds are harsh, the temperatures cold. The animals are gone, hibernating or in the warmer places they've migrated to. The colors are gone- the only greens the evergreen trees. The rest of the trees are stark against the cloudy skies, bare of leaves and birds. It seems like the world is painted in muted tones and gray.
This year, I will find the beauty in winter.
-Kristen
Today is cold. It's also the first time I've seen most of the sky a color other than gray and it is beautiful- a beautiful "Carolina" blue with wisps of gorgeous white clouds dotted here and there. The air is crisp, but it's clean.
I'm trying to learn to appreciate winter- to find the beauty in it.
It's easy to find Spring beautiful. There is a riot of colors as the flowers bloom and the trees bud. The weather warms, the grass comes back and of course, the wild animals wake up, the birds come back and everywhere little creatures emerge.
It's easy to find Summer beautiful. The skies are blue, the grass is soft and green under bare feet and it's the time to play. Days are long, temperatures are warm and we still have flowers to enjoy, not to mention the beautiful colors of a garden ripening. We are treated to such beautiful, golden sunsets.
It's easiest to find Autumn beautiful. The temperatures are perfect, the skies are still blue, the gardens are winding down, but they are still producing. The colors of the trees rival the beautiful range of spring flowers. The wild animals are everywhere as they prepare for the winter. The sunsets come earlier, but they are still beautiful- not as golden as those in the Summer, but fiery in their own right.
It's hardest to find Winter beautiful. A newly fallen snow beautiful- but it is soon melted and muddied, it's pristine beauty ruined by dog tracks and people tracks. The winds are harsh, the temperatures cold. The animals are gone, hibernating or in the warmer places they've migrated to. The colors are gone- the only greens the evergreen trees. The rest of the trees are stark against the cloudy skies, bare of leaves and birds. It seems like the world is painted in muted tones and gray.
This year, I will find the beauty in winter.
-Kristen
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