Hammer time!

I was having a hard time trying to decide what to get for my hubby for our anniversary.  He's the type of guy that likes useful and practical presents (asks for new shoes and rechargeable batteries for his power tools at Christmas).  While I was pondering what to get for him, he posted it to my wall on Facebook!

We are in the process of demolishing the lovely red brick bar in our basement - and removing that lovely red shag you see there in the lower right.  Hooray!  We've reached that point in our lives where it's time to turn the adult lounge into a playroom.  :)

So a bigger hammer, huh?  I can totally do that!  And I'll even find a cute little saying on the Internet that I can use to make a cheesy card!  Except when you do a Google image search for "hammer Valentine", you get this guy . . .

Not exactly what I was looking for.

After continued searching for cards with hammers (that didn't include some reference to getting nailed), I came up empty.  So I had to use my own creative juices instead.  While it isn't an earth-shattering little tag line, I thought I'd better post it just in case there are other ladies out there who have the need to purchase a sledge hammer for their one and only.  

Because he does!  He's always doing things for me around the house and he's a super-great dad.  Being around him makes my whole day better.  On the inside I wrote, "Here's to many years of wild & crazy projects together!" because I'm the dreamer who comes up with the ridiculous ideas and he figures out how to make them a reality.

I sneaked it into his car so he'd find it this morning when he left for work.  Then I had a nice laugh when he went down the back basement steps and took a few swings with it.  The baby and I were just sitting there eating breakfast when we heard a giant "BAM! BAM!".  He said it works like a dream and he was bummed that he had to go to work and delay the demolition fun for a few hours.  :)

Coupon Conundrum

Last week I attended a couponing class offered by our county Research & Extension office.  I was intrigued to see if they could teach me anything I didn't already know, but it was also a great excuse to get out of the house by myself and not have to spend money to do so.  It was a good intro level course and I learned a couple of new tidbits, but what really stuck was the story of another woman in the audience. 

She added a few insightful comments throughout the presentation and so I could tell she knew her stuff.  At the end of the class, we discovered the woman she attended with was her mother-in-law, who shared her two-cents at the end of the class about why it's not just a silly hobby.  She told us that her DIL was 32 years old, had three children that she stayed at home with, and had just paid off the family mortgage.  When pressed for more details, the woman told us how she did it and talked about the total freedom it afforded them.  They paid off cars, a boat, and the house - and when all that was done 9 months ago they took two extravagant family vacations to celebrate - and paid with cash.

So I checked out one of the books recommended by the library where the class was held, devoured it in a day, and have officially decided to give coupons another chance.  I was also inspired enough to schedule a day of future planning with my hubby to revisit our financial goals.  Sounds romantic, huh?  I'm thinking next Saturday might not be, but a 10-year anniversary trip to Jamaica would if we get debt free in the next two years.

Today was my first attempt at scoring a deal.  I used all of my resources (acquiring my coupons from my in-laws Sunday papers = free, matching them against the grocery sales ads, checking the online matching sites for anything I missed, etc.)  My summation is that I still have a lot to learn because this took me way too much time.  But I suppose that's to be expected when you're trying something new like this and math wasn't your strongest subject.

Here's the fun part.  I decided that I would only try to conquer Target today.  So I collected my coupons for the deals I was interested in and headed out.  Actually, I think I did pretty good!  First, I discovered a way to combine coupons with the current Target promotion that gives you $5 gift cards when you purchase certain quantities of Glade holiday candles.  I love these anyway, but wouldn't need ten for myself.  Fortunately, it's almost time for Christmas gifts!  So here they are, ten yummy-smelling Glade candles.  And the grand total was:

$3.97!!! Ten cents for each of the scented oil candle holders (w/ candle) and fifty cents for each of the jar candles plus applicable taxes.  Less than the cost of one of the scented oil candles at regular price.  (Now if I can just do this for diced tomatoes!)

Then I had this $10 rebate and a $5 Target store coupon for Crest White Strips.  To just buy the box of strips was $35, but I found this kit on clearance at the end of the aisle for $32 and it included toothpaste, rinse, a toothbrush, and a coupon book.  So in the end, my strips cost me $17 and I almost made that back in freebies.  Did I need the White Strips?  Probably not.  But since it was a good deal I went for it. 

Which brings up the one issue I have to address to be successful here.

My conundrum with coupons is this: how does one use coupons to purchase items for deep discounts and stockpile them for future use without ending up purchasing something you would never have purchased in the first place?  My eyes get dazzled by the $$ saved and forget that it isn't really money saved if you never would have bought it in the first place.

So what do you think?  Are they worth the time and energy?  How have your coupon experiences gone?

A happy little envelope

My little corner of blog-land has changed and grown with me in the days since I became a "grown up".  I've toyed with devoting my writings to a particular topic that I love (food!), shared our family's adoption journey with those who care about us, and now I'm trying to fashion a way to showcase me and the things that make me smile.  It gives me joy to share a great recipe or crafting project, since I benefit so often from the advice and help of other bloggers.  And what an immense and wonderful world there is to explore!

However, in all of the convenience and intrigue of the internet, I lament that it seems a piece of my communication with those I care for has somehow fallen by the wayside.  I used to send things that required a stamp.  I'm not talking about bills!  I mean letters, cards, and silly little notes.  Those envelopes that you used to receive in the mail with your name handwritten in the style of someone who loves you.  The best of those envelopes came when it wasn't even your birthday - just a note to say "hello".

I especially remember receiving these special bits of paper when I was a student at a university several hours from home.  Oh, how those cards and letters blessed me as I pulled them from the mailbox and read them over and over again.  They were words of encouragement, promise, and love - and they connected me back to where I came from and who I was.

Recently, I discovered an fantastic online community of awesome women who share their hearts with others on the web.  As I browsed the pages of (in)courage, I stumbled upon their Inspired Deals page.  How appropriate - as this month featured the opportunity to receive a set of cards from Dayspring.  I completed the online form and promptly moved on without giving it another thought.  A few days later, my husband returned from work and brought in a package from the porch with a "what did you order?" sort of question.  Puzzled, I opened the box to reveal the most adorable set of Really Woolly cards.  Yahoo!  How fun is that?

 Now I've got the perfect tools to brighten someone's day with a handwritten envelope and a stamp.  And I know just the mailboxes that deserve them!  So I'm saying "goodnight keyboard" - it's time to find my favorite ink pen again.

Please note: While Dayspring kindly gifted me with these cards for review, all opinions and thoughts are mine.  If you’re interested in doing a review for Dayspring in the future, check out October’s opportunity here!

Bierrocks

A few days ago, I posted a picture on Facebook of my bierrock creations and it seems that for those who knew what they were, everyone wanted the recipe.  If you aren't familiar with bierrocks, here is a little brief history provided by Kansas State University's Research and Extension department:

Bierock History
Both the bierock and the runza sandwich have German-Russian roots going back to the
18th century. The term ''bierock'' comes from the Russian word ''pirogi'' or ''pirozhki'' and is
the name for any food consisting of a filling stuffed into dough. The recipe was passed
down from one generation to the next, and was brought to the Midwest of America, and
particularly to the states of Kansas and Nebraska, by the Volga Germans. Originally
bierocks were served to ranch and field workers for lunch.

I know that you were dying to know, right?

My original recipe was adapted from a version that I found at AllRecipes.com.  I tend to find a lot of my first attempts at recipes here, but I tend to change them up a bit.  Let's be honest though - when do I ever follow a recipe that doesn't involve baked goods to the letter anyway?

Nearly Nell Style Bierrocks 

Ingredients 
2 bags of frozen dinner rolls (not Texas-sized; approx. 24 rolls)

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound pork sausage

5 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 slices of American cheese, cut into quarters

1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Allow rolls to rise according to package directions, or for 2-3 hours on greased baking sheets.
2. In a large skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium heat until browned; make sure there is no remaining pink color. Stir in cabbage, onions and salt with meat. Saute for about 20 minutes. Turn down heat to warm.
3. Take ball of dough and stretch it to form a 4-5 inch square.
4. Place one piece of cheese in center of square and top with a tablespoon of meat filling. Seal dough by bringing the four corners up and then overlapping them. Place pastry upside down on a baking sheet; repeat with remaining rolls.
5. Brush each roll with melted butter.
6. Allow rolls to rise for an additional 30 minutes and then bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 20-25 minutes.

Note: You'll also see a few in my picture that have some cheese melted on top.  Those are ham & cheddar cheese pockets!  Yum!  They are a great way to use up the rolls!  These also work great for the freezer.  Just make as directed, freeze, then microwave for about a minute and you've got an easy lunch!

Finally got to make my motorcycle!

I have had this adorable idea to make a diaper motorcycle in my back pocket for a long time thanks to Pinterest.  I finally got my excuse to make one for my sweet friend that is due on Halloween and gave it to her yesterday evening.  I had so much fun putting it together and it really wasn't even too taxing.  Wanna make one too?  Visit Sweetaprils' blog for a fabulous tutorial.  Isn't it nice that she shared?

Since I know that some mommies are particular about what bottles they get for their little ones, I decided to use a sippy cup instead.  I actually ended up liking it better because I used the cup's two little handles to hold onto the blankie and keep it secure.  It also saved me having to purchase a package of washcloths to only use one to wrap around it.  Now I'm going to have to keep an eye on baby sales and discounted stuffed animals so that I will have my supply stash ready for the next little one!