Eat from the Pantry Challenge - January 2010


I am participating in MoneySavingMom and LifeasMom's Eat from the Pantry Challenge.  You can read more about it here.

Symhomemom's Plan:
  • Puchase dairy and fresh produce as needed each week.  I will be budgeting $25 each week for these purchases which will include:
    • 1 1/2 gallons Organic milk - $5.29 + $2.99
    • 2 gallons 1% milk - $4
    • Produce (or other) as needed - $12.72 or less
  • Inventory all food we have in our freezer, refrigerator and pantry (I started this and was amazed at all that was in our freezer alone!) 
  • Menu Plan for the following meals:
    • 25 dinners
    • 20 lunches
    • 20 breakfasts
  • For 2010 I am going to track all grocery spending on this blog.  (I currently track thru http://www.mint.com/).
I'm still working on my menu plan . . . hopefully I will be done before New Year's Day! 

Earth's Best Diapers $3.50 per pack


Babies R Us & Toys R Us
New Year's Weekend super buys
Jan. 1st - 3rd ONLY!

I'm sure there are multiple good deals this coming holiday weekend!  Here are a couple of highlights of Green deals available Jan. 1st -3rd ONLY!

$5 - ALL Earth's Best Jumbo Pack of Diapers (22-56 ct) Reg. 11.99, Limit 3
$1.50 off coupon available here

$44.99 - BORN FREE 6 pk. bottles Reg. 56.99

SAVE $2 on ANY $10 purchase of:

Ella's Kitchen 1.39-1.79 ea.
Happy Baby 2.99-3.49 ea.
Plum Organics 1.19-3.49 ea.

BUY 1 GET 1 FREE - ALL Babyganics items Re. 5.99-9.99 ea.

Whole Foods Market® - This Week's Hot Deals

You can check out all of Whole Foods Market® Hot Deals here.  These prices are valid from Dec. 30 th thru Jan. 5th.

This is a terrific price on Horizon™ Organic Milk Boxes . . . the best I've ever seen and Whole Foods always has the best price even at $13.99!!!

Horizon™ Organic Milk Boxes (18 pack/8 fl oz)
Choose from Strawberry, Chocolate, Vanilla, and 2%
Sale! $10.99 pk
Reg. $13.99 pk

RecycleBank



RecycleBank is the premier rewards and loyalty program that motivates people to recycle and to engage in environmentally virtuous activities.  The program has proven to more than double recycling rates in cities in 21 states across the country and the United Kingdom. Founded in 2004, RecycleBank’s mission is to get every house to recycle because everybody, everywhere can recycle and should be rewarded for doing so.



If your area is participating in the RecycleBank program, you can earn points towards more rewards by recycling. Check out more details here.

If your community is not current participating in the RecycleBank program, consider contacting your local municipality or refuge and/or recycling contractor to find out if they would be interested in participating.  I plan to contact both the City we live in and the company that collects our refuge and recycling.  Here is a link you can forward directly that will explain the program.  Check it out here.

To sign up for a FREE account:

::Go here and click on the "Sign In or Get Started" button at the top of the RecycleBank page.

::Click on the "Register" option and fill out your information.

::Once you've signed up, go back to the homepage here and sign in. Your account should be credited with 100 points for signing up.

::Click on "Get Rewards" and scroll down to the "Grocery and Food" category in the left column and choose which coupons you would like to request via mail.

I signed up on 12/19/09 and received my coupons in the mail for my FREE or almost FREE items on 12/28/09:
  • Coupon for FREE Seventh Generation Dish Soap
  • $2 off ONE Cascadian Farms product
  • Coupon for TWO FREE CVS Green bag tags earning $1 ECB for every two times you use a reusable shopping bag.

Menu Plan Monday



Sunday - Leftovers from Christmas Day dinner

Monday - Leftover ham, scalloped potatoes and broccoli in the crockpot

Tuesday - Simple-Beef-Stroganoff or Pasta with meatballs . . . I have some Muir Glen sauce I've been wanting to try . . . it has red wine in it.

Wednesday - Chicken Enchiladas (I will probably cook and shred the chicken in the crockpot), fruit

Thursday - New Year's Eve - my husband is doing the cooking! He will be making pasta with a red sauce (red and yellow peppers), salad and garlic bread

Friday - New Year's Day - Multiple Rose Bowl parties

Saturday - TBD - This will be determined as part of my participation in Money Saving Mom and Life as Mom's Eat from the Pantry Challenge.

I’m an Organizing Junkie is home to Menu Plan Monday.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!


After a blogging break to celebrate Christmas . . . I am getting re-energized on many fronts.  We enjoyed a playful day in the snow today and are looking forward to a relaxing week.  I am working on goal setting for 2010 which is something that I have not done before.  We will be setting goals at our house for our family, personal goals for myself and my husband.  I've been thinking a lot about our lives as good stewards to the Earth and brainstorming ideas to further our journey.  I received a gardening catelog today in the mail and it made me think it's not too early to start thinking about harvesting our own food in 2010. 

This week I am hoping to:
  • Spend lots of time with my Teenie Weenie Greenies.
  • Menu Plan for the entire month of January based upon my current stockpile (freezer and pantry).  I had been thinking about this because my freezer is incredibly full and we still have vegetables in their from our summer garden that need to be used.  I will be joining Money Saving Mom and Life as Mom in their Eat from the Pantry Challenge.
  • Launch my new blog:  Fifty Bucks a Week
  • Work on goal setting for 2010.

Menu Plan Monday



Sunday - Dinner at our neighbor's house

Monday - Barbeque pulled chicken, cornbread and peas

Tuesday - Simple-Beef-Stroganoff

Wednesday - Beef Enchiladas, fruit

Thursday - Christmas Eve Dinner at my Parents' house

Friday - Christmas Day!

Breakfast - Crustless Bacon & Cheese Quiche, Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Dinner - Baby Greens Pears and Avocados, Honey Glazed Ham with Pineapple Salsa, Corn Pudding, Green Bean Casserole, Crunchy Onion Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole, Pumpkin Dinner Rolls, Pumpkin Roll and Cherry Pie

Saturday - Leftovers! Ham & Broccoli Brunch Casserole

I’m an Organizing Junkie is home to Menu Plan Monday.

Green Holiday Gatherings

Mom Goes Green recently did a post on “It’s my party and ‘I’ll go green’ if I want to!”  As the Holiday Season and Holiday Parties are upon us she shares some great ideas to reduce Holiday related waste. 

Recently we had our Annual Cookie/ Beer Exchange using the following ideas:
  • Invitations thru Evite
  • Used cloth tablecloths on the tables
  • Decorated with Cookies on the tables
  • Used real tableware, silverware
  • For cookie take home containers I recycled large coffee containers, washed them, wrapped them with paper to make them more festive.
  • Showed "Polar Express" for the kids with a movie we checked out from the library
  • Recycled all bottles after the party
Our Menu utilizing as many Natural/ Organic food as the budget would allow:

Baby Greens with Avocados & Pears
Roasted Red & Green Pepper Quesadillas
Texas Style Chili

Originally posted April 2008:

When we think of large gatherings we think of paper plates, plastic cups, plastic silverware and disposable tablecloths! If it's a birthday party add to that greeting cards, wrapping paper, gift bags and bows! When it's time to party we often don't think about composting, recycling and being earth-friendly!


For our most recent gathering we used EarthShell products purchased at The Anderson's General Store in Columbus. For 25 plates or 25 bowls, the cost was around $3.50 per pack. Once I opened the packages there was a $2.00 rebate inside. If you purchase two packages you get a $2.00 rebate. Very reasonable for earth-friendly products! (Obviously the most earth-friendly would be to use real dishes, etc.) These plates quickly biodegraded in our compost bin outside. The plastic tablecloths, while not "earth-friendly" per say, will be reused as a drop cloth for planting and painting in the future.

In addition to our efforts to purchase products that could be composted, recycled or reused we made an effort to make as much of the food served Green! I purchased items like cheese and fruits on sale and organic for as much as the budget would allow.

FREE e-book: The $5 Dinner Mom Does Holiday Dinner

$5 Dinners is a terrific blog with great recipes and money saving tips!  There is a FREE ebook available The $5 Dinner Mom Does Holiday Dinner.

You can also purchase her new book to be released December 22nd here.

Sustainable Saturday - The Big Shoe Down - No Shoes Allowed!


As the Holiday Season is upon us and we just had our Annual Holiday gathering with friends last night, this article reminded me of something we have said that we will someday implement around here.  Several Christmas' ago I even purchased slippers in a variety of sizes on clearance after the holidays to in fact implement this very thing.  As with many things in our lives . . . we are still in the process of Getting to Green.  I'm thinking the "No Shoes Allowed" will be on the list for New Year's resolutions around here.  Some may think we're strange, but this is an important component in our quest to provide the healthiest environment for our kids . . . good indoor air quality and a home free of as many toxins and pesticides as possible . . . . I hope we can inspire you to be a little more Green.

Excerpt from The Big Shoe Down:

I love the environment as much as the next greenie; I'd just rather you leave it at the door. In other words, please lose the shoes before you cross my threshold. This policy elicits strong passions, both for and against. With holiday parties fast approaching, I decided to get to the bottom of the Great Shoe Debate.

The practice got its 15 minutes of fame in 2003, thanks to a memorable Sex & the City episode that, unfortunately, gave shoe-shucking a bad name. In order to enter the inner sanctum of a friend's baby shower, a horrified Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is ordered to add her Manolo Blahniks to a pile by the door. On the way out, she discovers her pricey footwear is missing, forcing her to head home in a ratty loaner pair of sneakers.

BTK -- Before the Kid -- my foot fetish only kicked in after the cleaning person did her magic, leaving us with a "go-ahead-and-eat-off-me" floor. On those occasions, I'd stop the DH at the door with an urgent "Take off your shoes!" Eventually, he got the hang of it.

But children really do change everything. Once I had a smiling, sweet-smelling babe scooting around on our wood floors, the thought of all the disgusting, uninvited debris visitors were tracking in made my skin crawl. Suddenly I was a lioness, willing to brave undarned socks and smelly feet -- not to mention nasty looks -- to protect my cub. Matthew's thumb-sucking only added to my anxiety. (On the other hand, some experts now say it's not a bad thing for kids to eat dirt -- that it might help build their immunities. I will try to remember this research when we're taking a second mortgage to cover his braces.) And so I embraced the shoes-off policy.

$2/1 Method Coupon! - Holiday Hand Soaps Reg. $2.99


Print a coupon for $2/1 Method product here. This coupon is for ANY Method product.  There is a large line of these non-toxic cleaning products available at Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond (Select Stores).  Hand soaps sell at my area Target for $2.99 making this a sweet deal!

You can combine a 20% off Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons with the $2 off coupon making this a terrifc deal on Method products!

Save 15% on Seventh Generation Product Kits


Looking for a last minute gift idea:  give the gift of "Green"!

Save 15% on Seventh Generation Product Kits!

Click here for more information and to purchase. Use code SGKITS15 at checkout.

A Low-Carbon Holiday Celebration

Christmas LightsWhen the family next door pulled out their holiday lights and trimmed the big pine tree in their front yard this year, it was a major happening. The thing was so bright and vivid that, as my neighbor's wife ruefully said, you could see it from space. I grimaced at all the electricity such a display must be consuming until it was pointed out that these were LED lights and using hardly any at all.

You can read more of this article on 7 Gen's Blog here.

As I read this excerpt from 7 Gen's Blog I immediately think of the Christmas Classic:  National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  We have ventured into the land of LED lights and reap the benefits of little to no impact on our electricity bill.  Our house is noticably different from our neighbors' in that it has a true white light where as the Christmas lights of the past have a yellow glow.  That's our Honda Civic Hybrid in the driveway . . . as 2009 draws to a close we really are Getting to Green . . . 

Check it out:


Mambo Sprouts - $1/1 Explorer's Bounty coupon


$1/1 Explorer's Bounty coupon available here.

Newman's Own Coupons!


In addition to the coupons available on Newman's Own website, redplum has also released a $0.50/1 coupon here.

Newman's Own coupons available here!

$1/2 on any TWO Newman's Own dressings, marinades, pasta sauces, salsa, popcorns or drinks.
$1/1 on any ONE Newman's Own thin and crispy pizza
$1/1 on any ONE sweet enough cereal

Stonyfield Organic Yogurt Coupons


Stonyfield Organic Yogurt Coupons available here.

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt (5.3 oz) - $1/ea
Use $0.50/1 here
Final Price = FREE


Several Varieties of Yo Baby & Yo Kids available at Whole Foods Markets - $2.99 - $3.49
Use $0.50/1
Final Price = $2.49 - $2.99

Menu Plan Monday



Sunday - Dinner at a friend's house

Monday - Chicken, vegetables, pineapple stir fry with rice.

Tuesday - Meatball Hash Brown Bake

Wednesday - Chicken Soft Tacos, fruit

Thursday - Simple-Beef-Stroganoff

Friday -We are having our annual Cookie & Beer Exchange with friends. 

Here is the menu:
Baby Greens with Avocados & Pears
Roasted Red & Green Pepper Quesadillas
Texas Style Chili or Texas Style Chili

Saturday - Leftovers!

I’m an Organizing Junkie is home to Menu Plan Monday.

Natural Home Remedies


This is an excerpt about Natural Home Remedies from a great blog, Mom Goes Green.

This especially hits home for us at this time of year as our son suffers from Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV).  Having children under 4 with a cough is frustrating because there is not much you can do to help them.  We have turned to home remedies to help our son thru RSV and the common cold.
  • Ginger – for congestion, throat irritation and nausea 
  • Garlic – for antibiotic and antioxidant properties, and cholesterol control
  • Honey – for an energizing immunity boost, coughs and colds
  • Turmeric – for antibiotic and antiseptic uses (you can find this in the vitamin section or in the spice section of the grocery store)
  • White Pepper – for improved digestion
  • Cloves – for antimicrobial, antifungal, antiseptic, antiviral and aphrodisiac properties
Excerpt from Mom Goes Green:

So, have you heard? It’s flu season!!! Yea, I know. If you haven’t, you’ve been inhabiting another planet! This year it’s especially “shoved in our faces” and it’s starting to make me a little crazy.

There’s no better preventative measure than washing your hands. Soap and water, and plenty of it. I used to hassle our kids about making sure they used the warmest water they could stand but, in reality, hot or warm water doesn’t cleanse a pair of hands any better than cold water… “it’s all about the friction, baby!” So (when you have access) soap and a good scrubbing at any temperature does wonders.

You can read more here:  Mom Goes Green

Menu Plan Monday



Sunday - Cinderella Tea Party, Cinderella Happy Birthday got delayed until Sunday due to illness in our house! It turned out to be a blast with 5 of my daughter's friends in attendence.

Monday - Leftovers from the birthday party including hummus, pita, fruit and sandwich wraps.

Tuesday - My daughter's Christmas Play at school so we will keep it simple with sandwiches and fruit.

Wednesday - Stuffed shells with ricotta and spinach, fruit

Thursday - Crockpot beef stew with potatoes and carrots

Friday - Homemade whole wheat pizza

Saturday - Simple-Beef-Stroganoff

I’m an Organizing Junkie is home to Menu Plan Monday.

Sustainable Saturday - Cookie and Brownie Mix in a Jar


All year we've been saving jars for Christmas gifts.  We're going to recycle our jars of jam, salsa, peanut butter and pasta sauce to make a variety of Christmas gifts for my children's teachers.  Not only are we reusing these containers, but we are going to fill them with healthy, natural and organic ingredients from our stockpile.  

The weekend of Dec. 12th and 13th will be our weekend to assemble our Christmas gifts.  We'll post an update then on what we made. 

There are lots of great ideas on Allrecipes.com.  Here are a couple of my favorites:

Cookie-and-Brownie-Mix-In-a-Jar
Hot-Cocoa-Mix

$2 off ANY method product!


Print a coupon here for $2/1 Method product. This coupon is for ANY Method product.  There is a large line of these non-toxic cleaning products available at Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond (Select Stores).  Hand soaps sell at my area Target for $2.99 making this a sweet deal!

You can combine a 20% off Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons with the $2 off coupon making this a terrifc deal on Method products!

Whole Foods Market® - Birthday Parties

As the weekend approaches and my daugher's 4th birthday party, I've got birthdays on the brain.  While on Whole Foods Market® website, I noticed that you can host a party right there in the store!  Thought it was an interesting idea to share . . .


Casual Café Party $50 for up to 15 children
·         Reserved Table in our Café
·         5 Balloon Bundle
·         Scratch-made Personalized Birthday Cake

Pampered Princess Party! $225 for up to 10 children ($10 each additional child)
·         2 hour party in our Private Cooking School
·         Personalized Party Invitations
·         Choice of a Whole Foods Market T-shirt OR Apron for the Birthday child
·         Keepsake Party Picture
·         5 Balloon Bundle
·         Each guest creates their own Homemade Perfume
·         Scratch-made Personalized Birthday Cake
·         Organic Juices or Milk

You can check out more party ideas/ options here.

Whole Foods Market® - the whole deal




 

If you like to shop at Whole Foods Market® you definitely need to check out the whole deal for recipes and money saving coupons.

December’s The Whole Deal is focused on festive “holideals” - sure deals that will have you entertaining with style and giving with thought all without breaking the bank.

Grab a copy of The Whole Deal at your local store for 16 holiday coupons, party recipes and lists of thoughtful gift ideas for $15 or less.

You can preview the whole deal here.

Whole Foods Market® - This Week's Hot Deals

You can check out all of Whole Foods Market® Hot Deals here.  These prices are valid from Dec. 2 thru Dec. 8.

Boneless Beef Sirloin Steak
Sale! $6.99 lb
Reg. $9.99 lb

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
Sale! $4.99lb
Reg. $6.49 lb

Florida Small Red Grapefruits
Sale! 2 for $1
Reg. 79¢ ea

Mexico Blackberries
Sale! 2 for $5
Reg. $3.99 ea

Pacific Natural Foods™ Organic Broth (32 oz)
Assorted Varieties
Sale! 2 for $5
Reg. $3.49 ea

RW Knudsen® Organic Juice Blends (32 oz)
Assorted Varieties
Sale! 2 for $6
Reg. $4.39 ea

Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes
SALE 2 for $4
Assorted Varieties
$1/1 Muir Glen Organic Products Printable Coupon is available here.

Muir Glen - Reusable Wooden Crate Gift Idea


Muir Glen - Reusable Wooden Crate Gift Package - only $7

Each 2009 Muir Glen Organic Reserve Gift Box Includes:

  • One 14.5 oz can Reserve Yolo Red Diced Tomatoes
  • One 14.5 oz can Reserve Brigade Whole Peeled Tomatoes
  • One 14.5 oz can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
  • One 14.5 oz can Adobo Seasoned Fire Roasted Petite Diced Tomatoes
  • Recipe Cards from Award-Winning Chefs
  • "Diary of a Tomato" booklet featuring more than 25 delicious tomato recipes
  • Packed in an attractive reusable wooden crate

Melissa & Doug 40% OFF


If you love Melissa & Doug products for your kids (like we do), you are going to want to take advantage of this sale at Light of Faith Resources!

Toys R Us is offering Buy 2, Get 1 FREE, but this is a better deal!  If you were lucky enough to order yesterday, you received a completely FREE puzzle ($9.99 value) with any order.

Bookmark this page and sign up for their email updates! 

This sale is only good thru the end of TODAY!

$1/1 Muir Glen Printable Coupon


$1/1 Muir Glen Organic Products Printable Coupon is available here.

You can find these at Kroger, Meijer and Whole Foods.  I recently purchased tomato sauce (no salt added) at Whole Foods for $1.59 for a 14.5 oz. can (less the $1 off coupon).  This is a really great deal on an Organic product!

Menu Plan Monday



We were out of town for Thanksgiving, so my menu planning is a little behind this week!!

Sunday - On the road again . . . back from Grandma's house

Monday - Dinner out

Tuesday - Grilled cheese and tomato soup

Wednesday - Mexican Casserole (from our last Freezer Cooking Day)

Thursday - Crockpot Beef something

Friday - TBD . . . the inlaws are in town

Saturday - Cinderella Tea Party - Cinderella Happy Birthday! (My daughter turns 4! and she is having a party!) Tea sandwiches, pita and hummus, veggies, fruit and cake of course!

I’m an Organizing Junkie is home to Menu Plan Monday.