POP!

Bubbles, could life be any better?

Need to make some awesome bubbles? try this.

6 cups water

2 cups dish soap

1 cup Karo syrup

pour Karo syrup into water and mix well, then add dish soap and gently stir trying not to make foam up. enjoy!

A new first for Eli

Its been a while since Eli has had a first anything. First teeth, first steps all that is behind us, Long behind us. But today he did have a first. His first day of preschool!

I was so excited for this day to come. It means that my little boys is starting his journey of learning. From this day forward for the next 13 years (at least) he will be attending a place of learning and getting to explore new things. He now gets to forge his Independence and find things that interest him. He gets to meet new friends, friends that mommy didn't know first! He gets to practice learning how to solve problems on his own and work out his differences with others. I know that he will be great.

But I still cant help but feel a little nervous too. I wont be able to always be he one to guide him, and teach him, and help him. I wont always be in control of what he sees and hears. Its a little nerve wracking to know that sometimes his feeling are going to get hurt, that someone doesn't want him to play with them, to not get picked first. But I realize that these are the things we all had to learn and that's what makes us who we are. If it wasn't for struggle we can never triumph. Good Luck little man, but I know you wont need it ;)

On a memorable note. In their first class they were to make fruit loop necklaces to bring home. Eli's slip said that his necklace was made with 5 fruit loops. None of which were on the necklace by the time we picked him up!

Menu plans and shopping round up

Since breakfast and lunch are kinda predictable (sandwiches, eggs, cereal, etc) I wont go into details and highlight just our dinners.

M - Lemon Pepper chicken
T - Crock pot potato soup
W - Crock pot BBQ chicken burgers
TH - Crock pot Mac and Cheese
F - Crock pot Lasagna
S - Mom and Dad date night at Chopstix!
S - Pizza

Notice the theme this week? without much thought my crock pot will be getting a workout.

Shopping Trip

Winco
2% Milk gallon - FREE
Nonfat milk Half gallon - 1.51
CoffeMate creamer - 2.50
Eggbeaters - 2.27 ($.50 off coupon)
Bacon - 2.18
hash browns - 1.50
ricotta cheese - 2.33
28oz crushed tomatoes - 1.86
BBQ sauce - 1.28
peroxide - 1.04
butter - 2.00
3.5 pounds sugar - 1.66
bread - FREE
onions - 1.13
english muffins - 1.77
lasagna noodles - .51
mozzarella - 1.69
2 cheddar cheese - 3.38
elbow macaroni - .70
2 broccoli crowns - 1.01
green onions - .38
2 pound baking soda - .86
4 pound naval oranges - 2.98
cream cheese - .98
cheerios - FREE
grape tomatoes - 5.49
apple juice - FREE

total $40.50

Costco

Bananas - 1.32
tillamoos - 8.99
grilled chicken strips - 14.45
crinkle fries - 5.99
salad - 3.99

total $34.74

weekly total - $75.24

over budget by $15.24
(had I left the husband at home some of those overages wouldn't be there :))

menu plan and shopping trip round up

For a few months now I have been following this blog Grocery Cart Challenge and striving to spend only $60 a week on food. This feeds all four of us 3 times a day plus snacks 7 days a week, although I do allow us one meal out! So far I have done great coming out at a average of $59 and some change. Its been challenging but fun, and we actually are getting to eat a lot of new meals since I have had to get creative a few times. Its basically done by menu planning around what you already have at home. Here is this weeks menu and shopping trip totals.

Breakfast
M - egg scrambles
T - Cereal
W - Dawn Mcmuffins (like a healthy verzion of a egg mcmuffin)
TH - Chocolate chip muffins and melon
F - Eggs and toast
S - Big apple french toast casserole
S - out to eat

Lunch
we mix it up between sandwich's, chicken nuggets, burritos etc

Dinner
M - We had a coupon and went out for mexican!
T- Tuna noodle casserole
W - Shrimp scampi
TH - Lemon garlic chicken
F - Guy night (means the boys eat what they want, usually mac and cheese!)
S - Italian style turkey burgers
S - Crockpot roast chicken and veggies

the roundup

Winco
frozen chicken breast (6 lbs)- 11.96
Shrimp (1 lb)- $3.50
Milk - FREE
White vinegar - 1.98
Corn Syrup - 2.12
Hersheys - 1.68
apple juice - FREE
provalone - 3.48
Dill relish - 1.65
Egg beaters (2) - 4.54
Cream cheese - .98
tomato sauce (4) - 1.12
salad dressing - 1.88
rotini pasta (.84 lb)- .66
penne pasta (.90 lb)- .67
Powdered sugar (3.25 lbs) - 2.24
broccoli (1 lb) - 1.17
tomatoes - .78
bread - FREE
Cereal - FREE

total $40.41

Costco
Milk - 3.96
cheese - 5.69
salad - 3.99
croutons - 5.35

Total 18.99

Fred Meyer
36ct Eggs - $3.00

Total $3.00

weekly total = $62.40



To see how this is done and how others do it check out this blog Grocery Cart Challenge

Who is this kid? and where did my baby go?

We cut Kai's hair and all of a sudden I went from shaggy little baby to clean cut toddler.

primadonna

He just HAS to blow dry his hair after his shower!

Arghhhhhhhh.

Pirates descended the small town of Anacortis, WA on August 13-15th. We were in that floatilla somewhere. The folks went to the 9th annual Latitudes & Attitudes pirate cruising party and invited our family to join them for a overnight on the boat. The weather couldn't have been nicer and the boys had a blast playing with the other little pirates and raiding the village.