I am Now Teaching Lunchtime Seminars

Free 30 Minute Lunchtime Seminars

Have you heard that children benefit tremendously from eating dinner together as a family? A recent BYU study credits family dinners with great benefits for working mothers by reducing conflict and strain from working long hours. "Parents, not just kids, benefit from time eating together”, says Jenet Jacob, an assistant professor of family science at BYU and lead author of the study.

Our company will teach your employees how to:

‘Plan Better. Shop Better. Live Better.’

Empower your employees to:

• Learn Menu Planning Skills
• Learn Shopping Strategies to save money at the grocery store
• Learn how to balance their time so they focus on work instead of what to fix for dinner

By teaching your employees that a little preparation can go a long way, our lunchtime seminars will help your employees feel less stress on the job and in turn, become more productive. This presentation is geared towards the person most responsible for the grocery shopping and meal preparation which could include anyone (women, men, married or single).

If you are looking for ways to help your employees be more successful at work and at home, please consider scheduling this valuable FREE presentation. Call Lisa at 801.836.2110 to schedule your lunchtime presentation today.

A Whirlwind Shopping Day!

Today was payday so it was time to do my twice-a-month major shopping trip.  I had already taken the following steps:

1. My Master Menu has been planned for the month of December
2. I had inventoried my Prepared Pantry to see what I needed to purchase to complete my meals for the rest of the month
3. I went through my coupons to match them to items I needed
4. I had made my lists for the 4 stores I was going to shop at to get the best deals possible
   
5. I had my shopping list ready to go at 9 a.m.  

My shopping list looked like this:

Smiths

• Pasta Roni - sale price 10/$10
• Cheese-its - sale price $2.69 each and after purchasing 3 I got $3 off - PLUS I had a $1.00 off 2 MANUFACTURER'S COUPONS
  
• Bananas - sale price $.39 lb
• Chef-Boy-R-De Ravioli - sale price 10/$10 plus I had a STORE COUPON for $1.00 off 5
• Kroger Butter 1 pound - $.99 - in store sale price
  
• Cutie Oranges - $3.99 plus I had a .55 off one MANUFACTURER'S COUPON
• Stouffer's Lasagne - $8.89 plus I had a 1.00 off one MANUFACTURER'S COUPON (FOUND ONLINE) - I bought 3 and received a $4 off my next shopping trip catalina
• I also bought some Kraft colored mini-marshmallows to make some fun Christmas cookies.

Retail total $94.04 - paid $61.86 - saved 35% - plus have $4.00 in free groceries next shopping trip plus I received a $.10 off fuel rewards up to 100 gallons

Albertsons

• Cheetoes/Fritos $2.89 each paid .99 with STORE COUPON
• Tropicana OJ $3.99 each paid $2.39 with STORE COUPON
• Tillamook Brick Cheddar 2 pound brick $6.99 paid $4.99 with STORE COUPON
• Darigold Butter $2.79 paid $1.79 with STORE COUPON
• Green Giant Steamers Vegetables $2.39 paid $1.59 with MANUFACTURER'S COUPON
• Tyson Bag Frozen Chicken Breasts $6.99 paid $3.99 with a CATALINA COUPON that I received on a previous shopping trip

$73.61 Retail paid $43.15 saved 42% PLUS I received a $5.00 off your next shopping trip catalina coupon to use on my next shopping trip!

Walmart

• Purchased several small trial size items for Christmas Gift Bags I am putting together, including Blistex Lip Balm that I had a .55 off coupon for
• Purchased stocking stuffers, including Chocolate Oranges for $2.88 and I had a $1.00 off coupons
• Air Freshener
• Several medications - I had MANUFACTURER'S COUPONS as well as a MANUFACTURER'S COUPON (FOUND ONLINE)
• I purchased 1 store brand and all the rest name brands
• Gum
• Wall Calendar & small message board
• A couple of last Christmas gifts

$116.54 retail and spent $93.04 saved 21% with coupon savings

Costco

• Tillamook Shredded Cheddar
• 4 packages frozen Egg Rolls (18 count) 7.59
• Christmas gift
• Head & Shoulders
• Hot Pockets & Lean Pockets
• Cottage Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Skim Milk
• Electrasol
• Mandarin Oranges
• 5 dozen Eggs
  

Spent  $128.62 (with $12.00 in COSTCO COUPON savings)

I checked at Walmart before I shopped at Costco to get a per ounce price and these items were all better priced - EVEN if I had used coupons at Walmart.

BOTTOM LINE: I spent 1 hour preparing creating the shopping list, matching coupons and doing an inventory of my pantry/freezer.  I spent 2 hours shopping and putting items away.  I will now only need to shop twice the rest of the month for milk and fresh fruits and vegetables.   Those trips should take less than 30 minutes total.  ALSO, I have $9.00 to use at the grocery stores for other items that I may need/want.

I have 4 teenagers (ages 12, 14, 16 & 18) and will have them home for 9 days at the end of the month for Christmas break so I needed to make sure I had items for lunches and snacks. Also, many of the items I purchased will last much longer than the two weeks for the pay period.

Retail cost of my items $424.81 and I spent $326.67 saving $97.84.  With 3 hours worth of work and a ton of time saved the rest of the month - I figure I just paid myself $32.61 an hour! 

Best Laid Plans

I heard a great story today in church (yes, I was paying attention).  It relates what it is like to raise a child with a disability.  As the speaker noted today, this could apply to any of our situations in life not just to raising a special needs child.

I always planned to live a long and healthy life; I never expected to get Multiple Sclerosis.  Instead of planning to go to "Italy and ending up in Holland", my life was planning to go "Finland" (I love cool weather) and I ended up in the tropical island of "Puerto Rico" and for those who know me, they understand my thermostat issues!  Thank you to Vikki who reminded me to count my every day blessings because at times, being in Puerto Rico is beautiful!

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by
Emily Perl Kingsley.

c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

http://www.our-kids.org/Archives/Holland.html

Mama's Holiday Wishlist

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year? 

• A roaster for big meals - the crock pot ain't cutting it anymore
• Gift card to Kohl's - I need a bit of wardrobe updating
• One day to scrapbook ALL DAY WITHOUT INTERRUPTION!
  
• Someone to do all the holiday washing dishes chores
• My family to have a relaxing holiday - no stress allowed!

What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?

• Actually it is a letter handwritten from my dad to me when I was 9.  He wrote a note to me when he gave me a gold bracelet and it was just from him, not from my mom.  I still have the bracelet (though it is too small) and the note.  He rarely writes anything down so this is a treasure!
  

What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?

• I would love to make a quilt for each of my 4 children.  A beautiful one that will be handed down for generations, but with a small one I attempted, it is not going to be an easy task.

What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?

• I got a doll that is chubby cheeked and just darn cute.  She sits on my dresser today.

What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?

• They want their own cell phones or an iPod touch.  They are all teenagers so this isn't a surprise. They won't be getting them this year. 
  

What is your favorite holiday food?

• I love Cathedral Window cookies (chocolate and colored marshmallows) and Honey Baked Ham!
  

What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?

• I will be remaking a wreath this year that has been on my front door for the past 18 years.  It has fabric on it and it has faded a lot over time.
  

What is your favorite holiday movie?

• I now love Elf but Miracle on 34th Street is my all-time favorite
  

Favorite holiday song?

• Winter Wonderland
  

Favorite holiday pastime?

• We put up the Christmas tree one evening while playing Christmas music.  Then, my husband dances around the room with my kids and then he likes to lay under the tree with the lights on.  It is Christmas.
  

To enter to win all these cool prizes below simply answer the questions in this meme, make sure to post links back to TodaysMama.com and Provo Craft (use this link: http://bit.ly/4ikY3c ) and tag your friends! 

Yummy Versitile Stew

I was watching Good Morning America last week and Jamie Oliver shared his basic stew recipe and variations on it.

Jamie Oliver's Basic Stew Recipe

I do not use alcohol in my recipes so the variations could include:

Beer/Ale: Chicken broth, beef broth, mushroom broth, white grape juice, ginger ale

Hard Cider: Apple Juice

White Wine: Water, chicken broth, vegetable broth, white grape juice, ginger ale, white grape juice

Red Wine: Red grape juice, cranberry juice, chicken broth, beef broth, vegetable broth, clam juice, fruit juices, flavored vinegar

My favorite soup - Olive Garden Gnocchi Chicken

I have been craving this soup for awhile now so I looked online and found the Top Secret Recipe. Our weather has changed into late fall/early winter so I am going to be doing a lot more soups. They are economical and yummy! I am lacking some fresh vegetables so I am going to break into my food storage and make it with the dried celery, dried onion and dried carrots. I also am going to use frozen spinach and shelf-stable cream from Gossners. I just don't want to leave the house today so this is my answer. I'll let you know how it tastes.

Serves: 6

1/3 cup butter
2 cloves garlic minced
1 pound chicken cubed
1/3 cup flour
1/2 carrot shredded
1/4 cup onions shredded
1/2 cup fresh spinach torn in pieces
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 pinch cracked pepper
1 17.6-ounce can gnocchi

On medium heat, melt butter in a soup pot, add in the garlic and sautee, add your chicken and cook through out. Add flour and stir in flour and mix well until the flour is cooked into the chicken. Next add your milk and heavy cream then add the veggies (Carrots, Celery, Onion, Spinach). Add three bullion cubes. Add your Gnocchi last it takes 3-4 min. to cook throughout. Mix ingredients well until soup thickens and stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

FoodStorage Express

I was recently introduced to this company out of Cedar Hills, Utah.  You and a group of friends place a bulk order for product and then it is delivered to your door.  The prices are extremely competitive and with not having to drive anywhere, saves you time and money!  A great idea for those who want to stock up on food storage items and become more prepared as a neighborhood.

Food Storage Express

Roasted Pumpkin Seed

I love pumpkin seeds!  I usually drizzle olive oil over the top, sprinkle salt over them and roast for awhile in the oven.

This year I found a recipe using BUTTER (Ooh La La!)!

* Take your pumpkin seeds and spread them out on paper towels to dry overnight
* Place them in a bowl and pour melted butter over the top
* Spread out on a cookie sheet
* Sprinkle Sea Salt over the top (could use all kinds of things, cinnamon sugar, parmasean cheese)
* Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, stir to evenly distribute salt, bake for 15 minutes more
* If still not done to your liking, roast for another 10 minutes

* ENJOY!!!!

Pumpkins!

Had fun today picking out pumpkins along with going through a corn maze with the family.  I have found a link to create fun cut-outs on pumpkins.  I am still deciding which to do so once I have I will post the photo.  Here is the link:

Pumpkin Carving

This is the pattern I have chosen to do... keep checking back to see if I actually accomplished it!

Savvy Shopping

I LOVE the Savvy Shopper website!  I am a moderator on the site and have been involved with the program for 4 years.  The website is a sharing forum for good deals found around Utah, but there are also links to coupons and deals online so they are available everywhere.

http://www.savvyshopperdeals.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,2/

I teach coupon classes all over Utah how to save money and create your Prepared Pantry.  I would love to help you learn how to do this to save money or how to get more for your money.

Fun Halloween Treats

Here is a link for some great treats for Halloween and many include pictures.

Halloween Treats

How to Freeze and Save

Found this video online. VERY INFORMATIVE!!

If you have ever wondered if something can freeze and for how long, watch Sara Moulton on Good Morning America give you the quick run down.

How to Freeze and Save

Shared via AddThis

Placemat Purses

I am helping some ladies at our neighborhood Super Saturday tomorrow to make these cute bags! Depending on how you decorate them, they can be very inexpensive to make. The red one on the left is 2 placemats sewn together. The blue one and lady bug one are both one placemat folded and sewn together.


* I found the placemats (14" x 19") at Walmart for less than $2.00
* I bought the buttons at craft stores such as Joann, Michaels & Roberts Crafts
* Use scrap ribbon, appliques, buttons or other crafts you have around the house to make them extremely economical


I made the ladybug one for my niece for Christmas this year and I am using the other one for my own purse. The ladybug bag cost me $6 to make.

Do you like our logo?

Have you wondered why we picked this logo for our business? We spent a lot of time on the logo. It reminds you of the story of the Ant & the Grasshopper by Aesop.



In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"

"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."

"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: "IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY."

Today was a good day

On my way to a PTA meeting this morning I picked up a prescription, dropped off something at my husband's work, hit the bank (made deposits) and stopped at the grocery store that had a great deal on Hunts Ketchup - that was the only thing I needed to add to my Prepared Pantry. I have been sticking around home this week so within 1 hour I had accomplished a lot by stacking my errands.

After the PTA meeting, catching up on emails, checking out Facebook, and working a few hours on business, I was really tired - the MS fatigue is catching me. I was so thankful that I was prepared for it by having my Prepared Pantry and I grabbed a pack of frozen hamburger that I had previously cooked and packed into a freezer bag in one pound packs and a can of Sloppy Joe Mix.

In less than 10 minutes, dinner was on the table and the husband was quite satisfied!

Grocery Shopping

A chore that never ends! A few simple tips will save you time and money.

Meal Planning

It is so hard to effectively manage your family's food budget unless you have a plan. Being prepared for the everyday emergencies (health, jobs, general busy-ness) is what you need to do.




Create a Master Menu - and Get a copy of Mine!

Creating a Prepared Pantry

Donna and I are going to give you a quick lesson in how to create a Prepared Pantry!




Create a Prepared Pantry with our Software!

Coupon Shopping Power Point

Here is a quick power point about coupon shopping



Coupon Organizer

Savvy Shopper Website

Pot Holder First Aid Kit

These are the instructions for our potholder first aid kit. We have created literally hundreds of them over the past four years and are so excited to share the instructions with you (so that we don't have to make anymore!)

There are literally hundreds of different items you could include in your kit and part of that depends where you will keep it. I always have medicine (ibuprofen and antacid) and band-aids galore!

When we made them and sold them we included over 40 items: sting relief pads, ibuprofen, hydrocortisone ointment, antacid tablets, triple antibiotic ointment, betadine pads, antiseptic towels, band aids (several sizes), 2” x 2” gauze sponges, non-aspirin pain relief, cotton tip applicators, silk tape, tongue blade, burn packet and non-latex gloves. This kit is excellent for emergency kits, work desks, diaper bags, purses or your vehicle.

Simply Living Smart

I am impressed with this company and their presentations on preparedness.

www.simplylivingsmart.com

Enjoy!

Lisa, Prospering Families

Dole Recipes

Another great link. I love pineapple!

Recipes
http://www.dole.com/Recipes/Recipes_index.jsp

Simple & Delicious

Here is another link to a website that offers budget-friendly meals:

http://www.simpleanddelicious.com/meal-ideas/budget-friendly.jsp?WT.mc_id=SD_Aug_09&WT.mc_ev=click

Enjoy!

Kraft Foods Newsletter

I get frequent newsletters from companies that share all kinds of ideas. I like the ones from Kraft Foods that gives recipes that stretch your food dollar. Here is the link to the most recent one. I can't wait to taste it!

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/italian-chicken-tomato-pasta-104997.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbe-_-new_fall_rcps-_-nomag

Welcome to my Blog!!

Since I have a wonderful business and love to help people, I thought blogging might be a good way to share some of what we have to offer. I get great links to many companies, products, time-saving and money-saving tips and I want to share. So, welcome!