Let's Go for a Drive....

I am a mom of 6 children who grew up in a family of 5 children. One thing you never saw in our car was our mother sitting in the backseat while one of the children sat in the front passenger seat with our dad. When we were out as a family, we took our places in the backseat while our parents took their respected seats in the front. I can't stand to see families out on the road with some spoiled brat child in the front seat while his mother sits in the back like she is inferior to this child. Where has the respect gone these days?! I remember seeing this when I was a child myself and actually being appalled at only 6 years of age. When did the child become the parent taking his place above his mother? When did the parent lose all of her power to this child? Take a stand parents of 2010...don't let your children walk all over you!

Now that I have gotten this rant out of the way, don't get me started on the car I saw at the market with the husband up front, wife in the back.......... and their poodle in the front passenger seat.

What a Find!! Weekly Bargain Finds from Thrifty Places :)

I was so psyched this week to come across some awesome bargains! If anyone knows me, you know that I can never pass up a good bargain :) I made a trip to Goodwill in Peters Twp, Bon Ton at Uniontown Mall and also went to yard sales over the weekend. Check out my finds:

For the Home:







Fall Berry Wreath (Peters Twp Goodwill) $1.99








Tall Contemporary Candle Holder (yard sale) $2






Set of 2 Rust Metal Potted Vines Wall Art (yard sale) $2







Black square in square large metal wall art (yard sale) $2








Wood and metal squares large wall art (Bon Ton clearance sale-Retail $100) $4.95





Live and Wish Birds (Bon Ton clearance sale-Retail $16 each) $1 each





For Me:






Charcoal Pea Coat (yard sale) $1









For the Kids:


Skateboard/Scooter Ramp Set; 2 large ramps, 2 flat platforms w/stands, small skinny scooter ramp, (yard sale) all for $10







Miscellaneous:





2 Old Porcelain Water Bowls (yard sale) $1 each

A Hidden Agenda?

I absolutely love going to Kings for dinner in Bentleyville. Why do you ask? Is it the daily specials? (They are yummy!) The frownies (Mmm, chocolate!) The dinner rolls (So soft!) The red-wine vinaigrette (Tasty!) The free kids meals once a month? (Oh yes, I have to say) Now that I have named off everything I love about Kings Family Restaurant, what is it particularly that I love about the one in Bentleyville? Is there a hidden agenda in my plot to go to dinner there? There most certainly is...The Pilot Truck Stop across the street. Seriously!!



When I was a kid, I was always one of those who sat on the school bus watching out the window for one of those big trucks to pull alongside. I would then raise up in the seat, put my arm up in the air beside my head and pull down twice like a trucker would their horn. I would giggle so much when one would see me and honk. How tickled was I that I could show my kids this little trick and get so much laughter and joy out of it?! After dinner, we walk out to the car while my husband is paying the bill and wait for each truck to pull up so we can get in our stance. It is so exciting! To some it may just fall under the funny category, but to me there is more...the waiting gives me the same delight that I used to have watching my dad's airplanes slowly roll down the runway to turn around and then come flying down for the amazing takeoff. My kids seem to be in that same frame of mind when they see the trucks. Very quiet, hold your breath, two pulls, honk-honk!!

This is one memory that will always stand out among the rest, a memory of all of my babies smiling at once with their mommy :)

Tried Something New...

I have been following a blog of a lady who does what she calls a "Shopping Cart Challenge" Her blog is entitled: Feeding a family of 6 for under $60. Now, from what I can tell by reading her blog, she tries to stay under $60 per week for her family of 6. Everyone knows that I go grocery shopping every 3 months to save money and I do it very well spending no more than $250 for 3 months of groceries for a family of 8. When I calculated this woman's $60 a week for 3 months, it came to around $720! I put her to shame!! I did decide, however, that maybe before I speak I should experiment and just see if I could make that much of a savings going to the grocery store outside of my every 3 months trip. Here is what I ended up with, did I do a good job?





Cheerios $1.50
Cheerios $1.40
Cinnamon Toast Crunch $1.30
Cocoa Puffs $1.50
Cocoa Puffs $1.50
Fruit Rollups $1.50
Gushers $1.50
Act II Microwave Popcorn .60
Hamburger Helper .50
Hamburger Helper .50
Hamburger Helper .50
Hamburger Helper .50
Hamburger Helper .50
Hamburger Helper .50
Hamburger Helper .50
Hamburger Helper .50
Hamburger Helper .50
Hamburger Helper .50
Hamburger Helper .50
Hamburger Helper .50 (my husband/kids love these on Thursday fend for yourself night, I rarely use prepackaged meals)
Good Seasons 4 Pack-$1.50
Totinos Pizza .92
Totinos Pizza .92
Totinos Pizza .92
Totinos Pizza .92
Totinos Pizza .92
Totinos Pizza .92
Wacky Mac Pasta .00
Wacky Mac Pasta .00
Wacky Mac Pasta .00 (that's right! All three were free!)
Yoplait Yogurt .28 each x 20 $5.60
Cascade Action Packs $3.50
Cascade Action Packs $3.50
Head and Shoulders $2.00
Head and Shoulders $2.00
Suave Kids $1.00
Suave Kids $1.00
Suave Mens $1.00
Suave Mens $1.00
Dawn Dish Detergent .75
4 Cup Plastic Measuring Cup $1.00
Daisy Cottage Cheese $1.60
Suave Deodorant .50
Colgate Total Advantage Toothpaste .00 (Another free one!)
Colgate Total .50
Sliced mushrooms $1.00
6 Pack Scrubber Sponges $1.00
Vegetable Egg Timer $1.00
Giant Eagle Shredded Mozzerella Cheese $1.50
Giant Eagle Shredded Mozzerella Cheese $1.50
Green Onions .50
Xtra Large Cucumbers 3/$1.00
Baby Carrots $1.00
Baby Carrots $1.00
Hilighter .09
Hilighter .09
Hilighter .09
Hilighter .09
Hilighter .09
Penway 2 pk Erasers .29
Penway 2 pk Erasers .29
Penway 2 pk Erasers .29
15 ct Erasers .39
15 ct Erasers .39

Grand Total $58.58!!

Well, I definitely did better than the lady whos blog I follow. Again, her challenge is to spend only $60 per week on a family of 6 and I spent less than $60 in 1 week for a family of 8!! Will I start doing this instead of my shopping...no. If I spent this way weekly, I would be up around $700 for 3 months...I much prefer my $250 every 3 months. Should I still scout out the greatest deals in the world? I will say that if I find an item that is regularly $2 and can get it for .50 or less...look out!

Even older than my 12 year old!

I have a lot of cleaning supplies I use for random cleaning in my home. The most trusty item I have is my container of Comet. I could not live without it! I have wiped many walls down in 3 different houses...which came to make me realize something. Though I love my Comet with the passion...I have only ever bought 1 can. Now, I mentioned before that I have used it in 3 different houses and anyone who knows me, knows that I have only lived in 3 different houses since I got married 15 years ago. So what does this mean? My canister of Comet is 15 years old!!

Melissa and Joey Rock!!

I don't know about anyone else, but I am just tickled to death about the new upcoming comedy series "Melissa & Joey" that premieres Aug 17 on ABC Family. Call it obsession with my past, but I just absolutely love a good comedy with people I watched on TV when I was growing up. Joey Lawrence on Gimmie a Break & of course, Blossom :)



Melissa Joan Hart on Clarissa Explains it All



I didn't get into Sabrina the Teenage Witch much because I didn't like the rest of the cast. I am hoping that this series takes off..there are not many good comedies left out there considering that the majority of tv is nothing but reality shows.

A glimpse into the future (Aug 17 at 8pm) takes me way back, except this time we are out of the teen topics and Joey Lawrence has lost all of his gorgeous hair!

Tune in :)

Thomas the Train

My kids have many toys in our house. Actually we have a load of toys on all 3 floors of our humble abode. Blocks, dolls, you name it, we probably have it. What has always seemed to excite me about the toys in our house are the ones that my kids have a special attachment to. I never know what initially draws my kids to these items, but they won't go a day without them! Brandis loves these 2 little Thomas trains:



These were a gift from Mommy and Daddy to Brandis and Reiner this past Christmas. Reiner gets use of his train on his track during the day, but at night, Brandis takes it over. You absolutely cannot get him down for a nap or his nighttime sleep without these trains and it has to be both of them! If you lose or misplace one, you will have one grumpy kid on your hands. I don't know if it is some kind of "Obsessive Compulsive" reaction, but he just has to have them laying down next to his face on the bed. By nap or night's end, they always end up falling down between his crib and the wall with how much he rolls around the bed. So, everyday, I have to pull the crib away from the wall and squeeze myself in between to grab these 2 little trains that will become my son's nighttime pals. Head down, lights out, choo-choo....