Checking In

I just realized that I haven't written a post in 3 weeks! Life just runs away with you when you let it. Nothing really big has happened but we are getting close to some! In 2 months we take a nine day European trip to 4 countries. In 3 months my little boy turns 5, and in 4 months we will once more pursue IVF. Right now is kind of a limbo between calmness and our life possibly changing in a huge way.

Bradley is growing by leaps and bounds! He has gotten very good at reading and sounding out simple words. Every where we go he points out words that he can read. He loves books and LOVES school. He was pretty sad during spring break when he had to stay home. We went to his parent-teacher conference a couple of weeks ago and his teacher said the only thing he needs help with is his social interaction....ha! Just like his momma and daddy. He is still learning how to control his emotions and how to interact with several children, but I told his teacher it is not something we can work on at home because we don't have other kids! He is already enrolled in Kindergarten and will be in school all day in August! I know he will love it.

I am still doing both recovery room and ICU nursing. It is working out well so far and has really helped me get more hours in at work. I love having my life back since I cut way back on how much call I take and have actually turned my pager OFF. I went from being on call around 15 days per month down to about 3-4 days per month.

We are all looking forward to the springtime and I have already started some seeds indoors. I don't have a green thumb by any means so I'm hoping that at least a few sprout! Not too much longer and I will be planting lots of pretty things outside when the nights warm up a bit more.

Thank you for reading!

Super Easy Homemade Slice and Bake Cookies

 This isn't so much a "recipe" as it is a neat trick! My first time trying this turned out just as I imagined so I thought I would share it for anyone else out there interested in making homemade food a little easier.

First you take any of your favorite cookie recipes and double it. When it is all mixed up and ready to drop onto the cookie sheet you stop and divide it in half. Take a large piece of plastic wrap and plop one of the halves onto it. Then you fold the wrap over the mound and start to work it into a log shape. It will be very soft and squishy so just work with it until it is a log then cover it all up with the plastic wrap. Write the temperature and time that it needs to bake (and what kind of cookie it is!) then throw it in the freezer! It should look like this:

The roll I baked today had been frozen around 3 months and tasted just fine. I probably would not recommend freezing longer than 6 months for taste. When you are ready to bake, take it directly out of the freezer and unwrap it. While your oven is preheating you just slice it up into 1/2" thick rounds and place on a cookie sheet. You will need to bake it a few minutes longer than the original recipe (because they are frozen) so keep a close eye. Cool on a cookie sheet like normal and enjoy!!

 This is the perfect way to have cheap homemade cookies with almost ZERO effort. I have started doing this any time I make cookie dough. This batch pictured is peanut butter cookies, and I also have a log of chocolate chip cookies frozen. Homemade is best!

Easy Stuffed Mushroom Caps

I am not usually one for mushrooms but as I have gotten older I have tried to be more open minded about them. I have come to realize that it is not a flavor issue, but more of a texture issue. I don't really like the sponginess of them however I do eat them more now than I used to. This brings me to stuffed mushrooms!

I made these for the first time a few weeks ago when I had family over for dinner. These white crimini mushrooms go on sale frequently at my local Aldi for only .79 so I couldn't pass them up to try a new recipe! I didn't really end up using a "recipe" but winged it and did my own thing. They were a huge hit so I am making them again today for a big birthday dinner.

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

2 packs 8oz crimini mushrooms

1/4 c Italian breadcrumbs

1/2 tbs garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 c shredded cheddar

2 tbs grated Parmesan

Wash and dry the mushrooms. Gently remove the stems and keep most of them (about 3/4).  Put them in a food processor and pulse a few times until they are minced. In bowl add minced stems and remaining ingredients. Blend well with fork.

 

Using a small spoon, scoop a spoonful of stuffing and gently compress with your fingers into opening of each mushroom cap. Don't push too hard or the caps will break!

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and caps are tender. You can also put in the fridge after you stuff them to bake later!

There are several variations on stuffed mushrooms but this was just a quick and easy version that I came up with for the ingredients I had on hand. A delicious dish for only $1.60? Yes please!

TTC Update

It's not a big update, but an update nonetheless! You may remember from my last post about TTC that we are scheduled for IVF in August. Well I got the fever and called yesterday to bump it up to July! I was going to do June but it won't work since we will be out of the country for the first week of June.

The plan is for me to call next month with my day 1 to schedule a baseline US and blood work. I will start BCP and shots in June, then stims and IVF in July! I know it will be here before we know it so I'm trying to be patient. That gives us 3 solid months for nature to do her thing before we have to take the plunge and blow our savings on in vitro again......

My Preschooler

This post is all about my big boy and how much fun he has at school! He just loves school, and I love watching him learn something new everyday and interact with other kids. It has really helped him learn structure, communication, interpersonal relationships, and not to mention academics! He is already reading simple words and knows how to sound out many other. I know when he starts kindergarten and gets serious about reading he will pick it up in no time. I was a huge reader when I was younger and caught on very quickly. I would check out tons of books at our library, then stay up all night reading them by nightlight!

We got his class picture in his school folder last week and it is adorable! He is seated on the front row with a HUGE smile on his face.

Last Friday was his school Valentine's Day party and I was one of the helpers. Nick and I showed up early with cupcakes and pretzels, and helped the other moms get each setting ready for the little ones to come back from recess. Brad had fun filling out his cards before school.....

The kids got lots of yummy snacks at the party, and of course there was a lot of chocolate involved too!

 

I can't believe his first year of school will be over in just a few short months, then before we know it he will be starting full-day kindergarten! I know he will love it and learn so much. My, how the time flies!

Life and Stuff

Things have been staying pretty busy around here. I am sooooo very glad our kitchen is done and everyone who has seen it in person just loves it. I am proud of the hard work we put into it! Now we can rest and enjoy the fruits of our labor--at least until our next project!

One big thing that is new is my job! No, I didn't change jobs, more like added on to it. I still work in the recovery room, but I have also started working a night shift in the ICU once a week. I do it for many reasons--extra hours, the experience, new environment, different routine. I did ICU at my old hospital for 5 1/2 years but I have been out of it for 2 1/2 years and was ready to ease myself back in. I don't have any intentions of relocating but I am keeping all doors open! It seemed like the manager of the ICU was happy to have someone with a lot of valuable experience among the new grads.

It is a little difficult switching from night shift to day shift but I would SO much rather stay up all night than have to get up before dawn and be gone all day. No thank you! This is also enabling me to FINALLY cut back on all of the call I take in the recovery room. For the last 3 years I have been taking up to 15 days per month of call--with most of those being weekends which are 24hr call days. Being on call for the recovery room basically means that I can get called in to work as many times as they need me, for as long or as little as they need. There have been days where I was called in 3 separate times! I drive about 50 miles roundtrip each time I go to work so that really adds up on my odometer and gas tank. I will happily pass the torch to all of the other nurses who want it! Starting next month, I am only signed up for 2 days of call :) I will have my life back!

I recently got a membership at a local gym with my mom (that was one of my birthday presents to her). We have been several times together and it is so much fun to work out next to each other! We can easily spend a hour and half trying out different machines and chit-chatting. They are opening a branch close to my house so I will be going with Nick occasionally also while Brad is in school.

We have gotten a few snow storms here in the last couple of weeks and the Pierces have really enjoyed it! Brad was very upset when his school got cancelled for 2 days, but he still had a great time playing in the snow and making snow angels. We drank hot cocoa, built a fire in the fireplace, and ate hot soup. We don't get very much winter weather around here so we enjoyed it while we could! My poor little chicken had to stay cooped up in our garage with a heating pad for almost 2 weeks because most of the nights were below freezing. Some nights had a windchill of below 0! It is warming up now and supposed to be in the 60s this weekend so the chicken is back outside and we are going to open our windows! Such crazy weather in Oklahoma.

In other news we are counting down to our big Europe trip! Only 3 more months!! I am very excited to go and can't wait to see all of the new places and people. I am a little intimidated since we won't have the comfort and security of a tour guide but I know we will be just fine.

Thank you for reading, and check back later!

Kitchen Remodel: COMPLETE! Before and After Pics + Total $ Spent/Saved

The moment of truth is finally here! Our DIY kitchen facelift is finished and it was a success! You can start at the beginning here and read about each step of the way. I am happy to share the official before and after pictures!

BEFORE

 AFTER

 

BEFORE

 AFTER

 

BEFORE

AFTER

Here is everything we did:

1. Removed old oven and stovetop and replaced with ceramic top range
2. Installed custom cabinet where old oven was
3. Installed custom shelves for cookbooks
4. Replaced microwave
5. Replaced fluorescent light over sink with pendant light
6. Replaced all knobs and drawer pulls
7. Rebuilt vent hood over range
8. Painted and antiqued all cabinets and drawers
9. Relaminated countertops
10. Tiled backsplash
11. New outlet covers

I think that about sums it up! Now for the best part--how much did we save? I will break down the cost of each step followed by a conservative estimate of how much it would cost for a contractor to have done it instead.

Step 1, 2, and 3: My new range was $379 (on sale + coupon) and we payed Nick's dad $300 to help us with the custom carpentry and electrical wiring. ((contractor estimate apprx $1500))

Step 4: New microwave $65

Step 5 and 6: Pendant light and knobs/drawer pulls found online for $75

Step 7: Free! Nick did it. ((New vent hood was $400))

Step 8: The paint kit we bought was $150 ((contractor paint estimate apprx $1000))

Step 9: New laminate and glue was $400 and we paid Nick's dad $200 to help us. ((contractor estimate to replace counters apprx $1000))

Step 10: Tile and supplies were $240 ((contractor estimate apprx $600))

Step 11: We spray painted the existing covers with bronze metallic paint for $5 ((New outlet covers $35))

Grand total for DIY =  $1,814

Total *conservative* estimate for contractor = $4,675

I can happily say we have an modern and updated kitchen now for LESS than $2000. Thank you for following along our latest project!

Kitchen Remodel Phase IV: Tile Backsplash

We have finally started the LAST phase of our kitchen updates! The last post I made here was Phase III where we finished the countertops right before Thanksgiving. Our intentions were to finish the backsplash and be done before Christmas.....needless to say things did not work out that way because the holiday season is crazy! So early in January we regrouped and came up with a plan of action. God bless my sister-in-law Teri for loaning us her wet saw and tiling supplies! We officially picked out our tiles but discovered that the 1/4 round tile we wanted for a transition piece had to be ordered. They told us it would take 2 weeks to come in but ended up taking 3.....we picked it up last week and got to work!

Here is a reminder of the "before" shot with white laminate backsplash all around.....

A few things I want to state before going on--we have never done tile work before. We basically watched tons of videos and how-tos online to teach ourselves the tricks. We did not remove the laminate but we did sand it. The counters are not the most level (which we discovered while relaminating them) and neither is the backsplash. Nick was afraid that regular mastic (used to adhere the tile to the wall) would not stick well to the laminate so he decided we should use Liquid Nails....don't judge!

We have 3 walls that have a backsplash--two are pretty long, and one is shorter and hidden beside the fridge. We started with that short wall just in case anything messed up and so we could get used to the routine.

First we glued down a row of the 1/4 round black tile as our transitional piece. They are 6" wide and 1" tall. This took a couple of hours because we had to figure out how to use the wet saw, how we wanted to glue, if we wanted to go from left to right or vice versa.....we may or may not have argued a bit....The next day we glued the 1/4 round tile along the rest of the edges on the other 2 sides, then came back on the short wall (that was now dry) and began the row of our 6x6 tile.

We immediately encountered some pesky outlets and switches to cut around but thanks to my crafty mind we did that without troubles. I measured/traced the outline, and he cut.

On the long wall above our kitchen sink we had to maneuver around outlets AND a wonky window sill which left us with a tile that had to be cut like this.....

When we moved the stove out I had to get creative because there was no counter for the tiles to line up with and rest on while drying. I nailed our level onto the wall and used that for my temporary "counter" to maintain my straight line across the wall.

The weather was so cold the last couple of days that the water froze in the lines of our wet saw! We had to postpone tiling until today when it was a bit warmer. We finished up the last few 6x6 tiles on one wall then began the strip of mosaic tiles! They are a combination of stone, metal, and glass tiles that go perfectly with our new kitchen. They cut much quicker than the porcelain tiles and are almost like fitting a jigsaw puzzle together! We are saving every little piece that gets cut off to use for filling in gaps around edges and outlets. The mosaic tile was the most expensive of all the tile so we don't have any room for mistakes on it.

Today we finished the mosaic tile on two of the walls, and ran out of glue before we could finish the third long wall. Tomorrow we will get back to it and start on the next row of more 6x6 tiles. I am off this weekend and hoping that we will get it DONE.

A Night of Great Music

On Sunday I took my mom on a roadtrip to Tulsa for one of her early birthday presents--a Tony Bennett concert!! We both love his music and of course he is a classic from the good ole' days. I picked her up and we hit the road in the afternoon.

 Before the concert started we found the venue (Tulsa Performing Arts Center) downtown and figured out where I would park. After that I felt a little more relaxed that we knew for sure where we were going so we stopped at a Spaghetti Warehouse for some appetizers and drinks before going to the show.

We parked right across the street and joined the crowds of people going into the theater. Our seats were in the balcony so we got comfy in our seats and waited for the show to start at 7pm.

 

His daughter Antonia Bennett sang for about 30 minutes before Tony came out. It was the same style of music but I didn't really care for her voice. Tony came out around 7:30 and he stole the show! He was amazing and surprisingly spry for being 87 years old!! His voice was like velvet and he sounded just like he does on the radio. He sang song after song and danced around on the stage. It was a simple band, and some songs he sang with just the guitar or piano. The very last song he sang without a microphone and he just belted it out! We had a fantastic time.

On our way out we passed a building with my name on it so I had to take a picture!

 

 

11 Years and Counting

Nick and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary yesterday! We kept it low key and stayed in a suite at a Marriott in Edmond (about a 45min drive from where we live). It had a whirlpool tub and a hot breakfast--that's all we cared about! Our little one stayed with my mom overnight and I'm sure he had a blast getting spoiled by the grandparents.

 

After getting settled in and cleaning up, we ventured out into the town for some yummy dinner. On the way back to the room we stopped at a local market for some desserts to snack on later.

We may or may not have brought some adult beverages to put in the fridge for after dinner.......

 

It was a very nice suite and we slept like rocks. In the morning there was a delicious variety of foods for breakfast and we took our time before packing up and checking out. It's always a little sad when you take that last look back at the room before shutting the door and heading home! Our next hotel room will be in Dublin, Ireland in about 3 months :D

Yesterday was also 50s day at Brad's Preschool so we dressed him up for the part and he loved it! Too bad our '57 Chevy isn't running right now or else daddy could have made a show of taking him to school!

 

Tonight Brad is going to a school function to play with other kids at a gymnastics center for 4 hours so we will get to enjoy some more adult time! Tomorrow my mumsy and I and taking a roadtrip to Tulsa to see Tony Bennett in concert so check back soon for more pictures!

 

Frugal Living: Couponing

Couponing has become more popular the last few years. I believe it was also big a couple of decades ago and I remember my mom doing it for awhile when I was growing up. It faded out and has slowly been coming back with the poor economy and eternal search to save a few dollars. I will share my experiences with it today!

I am by NO means an "extreme" couponer. I do not have closets full of toiletry items, and my garage is not fully stocked to survive the zombie apocalypse. I do however have a full pantry of namebrand items, a freezer full of veggies and quick dinners, and bathrooms full of shower items.

For me it all started 4 years ago when I attended a free coupon class by the lady who runs this local coupon site. It opened my eyes on the right way to coupon, and how to realistically build up your stock over time. Within 6 months I had cut my grocery bill in half while at the same time switching to mostly name brands! I touched on some of this information in this post here, but I will go more into the actual couponing now.

Couponing has helped me:

• STOP shopping at Walmart for everything
• keep from running to the store when I use the last of toothpaste/soap/razor etc.
• use brands I would never buy before because of higher cost
• try new products I would have never looked twice at before
• have more ingredients available in my pantry for days I don't know what to cook
• be more picky in what I choose, instead of always having to choose based on price
• plan meals based on what I have, instead of having to shop for each meal's ingredients
• have more money available for things I want/need that I used to spend on food/toiletries

The gist of couponing is this--you match your coupons with items that are on sale. When I look thru the coupon inserts, I ask myself "If the price was low enough, would I buy this?" If the answer is yes, then I clip it and file it! I may never use the coupon, or I may use it that same day on a sale. I don't go buy that item just because I have a coupon for it. You will see certain coupons more at seasonal times, i.e. baking good during the winter holidays, razors/shaving cream during the summer, vitamins/protein bars during January.... Most coupons are good for at least a month so that is 4 weeks of different sales that you can possibly find a match. The store you should focus on shopping at is the one that will DOUBLE your coupon! Most stores that double coupons will do so for the value $1 or less. My local store I shop at is Homeland. CVS and Walgreens are also good for the occasional toiletry, but I only use CVS just to keep it simple (plus it is the closest to my house). Now, what are we couponing for?

1.  Food--This is the main thing I coupon for. The majority of coupons you see will be for food items--junk food, snacks, some fresh foods, frozen foods, quick dinners, canned/box food, and pantry staples. Sometimes there are coupons for drinks/juice/pop, and once in awhile you'll see some for meat. When I was just starting, not everything I got was healthy. As my stock built up I was able to be more picky and pass on the higher calorie options. I get all of my fresh food/dairy at Aldi because most of the time their regular prices are cheaper than I could get a name brand with a coupon. My pantry is full of cereal, rice, pasta, canned veggies, canned chili, salad dressings, BBQ sauce, PB, jelly, sugar, flour, cake mixes, and other staples. Couponing for food alone will eventually cut your grocery bill at least in half! Approximate monthly food budget = down from $400/month to $200/month.
2. Disposable kitchen goods--Here I am talking about sandwich bags, aluminum foil, cling wrap, dish soap, cleaning spray....all things that the kitchen must have! I used to buy generic everything, but now I have Hefty, Glad, Lysol, Dawn, and Finish (dishwasher soap) stocked up. I got them all CHEAPER than I used to pay for generic. I also have several of each so I don't have to worry when I use the last of one. Approximate savings = less than half of cost of generic items.
3. Toiletries--This includes bath soap, razors, shaving cream, lotions, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, chapstick, mouthwash, sunscreen.....It's the little things you need but you don't really think about. I used to buy mostly Suave brand or store brand of all these items. $4 for a bottle of Herbal Essence or Pantene? I don't think so! After several months of couponing you will slowly build up your stock of these things and notice that you have much nicer brands than you did before! I have even gifted bottles of Dove body wash to women I know would enjoy it, just because I had so many in stock! I used to never buy mouthwash because I thought it was unnecessary, but when I can get a huge liter bottle of Colgate brand mouthwash for 25 cents....yes please! I can even be picky and buy Gillette razors with 5 or 6 blades instead of Bic razors with only 3 blades. I probably have over a year supply of Pantene, Herbal Essence, and Garnier Fructis shampoos/conditioners. I haven't had to buy deodorant in months for me or my husband because I already have so many. Approximate monthly savings = down from $50/month to $10/month or less.
4. Restaurants--I try to keep a little pile of restaurant deals ready for that night when we don't want to cook and can't decide where to eat. The usual places I see are Olive Garden, Arbys, Long John Silver, McD, BK, Ihop, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Zios. I may never use it because we only eat out maybe once a week, and we rarely have fast food. But if I need it, it's there! When your bill comes to $30+ dollars, it helps to get $5 or $10 off with a coupon. 2 meals for the price of one is also nice too, or a free appetizer! Approximate restaurant savings = 10-30% off regular bill.

If you are wanting to try out couponing, my biggest advice is to stick with it! It can be overwhelming, and it may take several months to see the fruits of your labor. 6 months in you will notice more name brand items in your house, and that you have a couple extra things in stock of common items. 1 year in and you will be looking for way to organize your inventory and planning meals around your fully loaded pantry! It will become like a game--to see how much you can save in a coupon shopping trip. You will be bragging to your friends how you got something for free, or paid a quarter when the regular price was $5. Trust me! It's addictive. I have been doing it 4 years now and it has become part of my lifestyle. Just a few minutes out of the week to clip coupons and plan a trip, and 30 minutes in the store and you are done.

One of my biggest questions when I was starting out was "What should I consider a GOOD price on certain items?" Here is a list of common items and how much I don't pay more than:

Cereal--$1.50 or less

Salad dressing--$1 or less

Frozen pizza--$2 or less

Body wash--$1.25 or less

Deodorant--50 cents or less

Shampoo/conditioner--$1.50 or less

Toothpaste/toothbrush--50 cents or less

Cake mix--$1 or less

I hope this post has inspired and helped you a little bit! If you haven't already, feel free to read my other Frugal Living posts!

Homemade Pho and Spring Rolls

Today we ventured to the Asian market and picked up all kinds of treats! I got all of the goods to make sushi, spring rolls, and pho! For those unfamiliar with pho, it is a Vietnamese noodle soup that you can put chicken or beef in. I have made sushi before, but not the others. It all turned out delicious and my family loved it! Even my 4 year old who had never eaten pho or spring rolls.

The pho was pretty simple--I used a bouillon-type season cube to make 4 cups of broth. They typically use rice noodles in the soup but I subbed Ronzoni Smart Taste thin spaghetti take make it a bit more healthy. I cooked some strips of chicken breast with 5 Spice seasoning. I had all of this in the bowl with chopped green onions and poured the broth on top. We added a bit of hoisin sauce and bean sprouts to finish off the soup!!! It tasted exactly like the restaurant soup.

The spring rolls were a bit more involved but still pretty easy. It is the same concept as making egg rolls or burritos--you stuff them and wrap them up. For my stuffing I cooked some rice noodles and also used lettuce and the cooked seasoned chicken.

You soak the wrapper in a bowl of warm water for about 30 seconds for it to become soft and pliable. Then you gently take it off and shake off the excess water. Lay it on a plate and proceed to stuff it on one side with your ingredients. Then fold the wrapper tightly over your stuffing, roll and tuck keeping it wrapped tightly. Voila!

I did most with lettuce, rice noodles, and chicken but I also did some with avocado.

Everyone loved it and I was amazed at the replication of the restaurant flavor. Delicious!