Unique Moms

Free Coupon Book from Betty Crocker!

2010-02-12T23:10:00.001-06:00

Get your free coupon book here from Betty Crocker. You can also sign up to get great recipes and offers sent to your email box each week in a Newsletter.

http://freecouponbooklet.bettycrocker.com/BettyCrockerCouponBook/

ICM Halloween Party Tomorrow!

2009-10-30T11:30:00.002-05:00

If you are still looking for something to do with the kids tomorrow in the Iowa City are and don't have Hawkeye tickets the ICM is having their Halloween Party tomorrow. Should be a good time with lots of activities. Some stores at the mall will handle out goodies too. This was up on the webpage:

HALLOWEEN PARTY!
Date: October 31, 2009
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: The Iowa Children's Museum
Description:
You and your little goblins, superheroes and princesses are invited to the best Halloween celebration in town! Have fun with costumed museum staff as you dance the Monster Mash! Visit the not-so-scary Haunted House for a thrill! Win Halloween prizes, play Putt-Putt Pumpkin Golf, Make a Pasta Skeleton and Create a Candy Corn Picture Frame. But that's not all ... play Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin, Skeleton Scavenger Hunt and more! Celebrating Halloween at your favorite place to play is great fun for all the little ghosts and goblins in your life! Join us from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday, October 31st. All activities are free with museum admission.

For more details go to:
http://www.theicm.org/calendar/view_event.asp?CalendarID=3406

Happy Halloween!

PLACE Cash

2009-09-13T22:09:00.003-05:00

In select stores now for a limited time. Spend $40 and earn a $20 off Place Cash Certificate!!!

Spend $40 before discounts and tax in a single transaction to earn a $20 off coupon good off your next $40 purchase during September 29-October 31st. The offer cannot be combined with other promotions but with all the great Fall Sale items at The Childrens Place it is an awesome deal! Plus, new holiday preview lines are out NOW in stores and the full holiday line will be out starting September 28th. So you can buy your fall essentials (which just had major markdowns!) and use the coupon on some great winter necessities like hats and coats or even holiday dresses!
Happy Shopping!

Happy 4th From Disney!

2009-07-01T14:05:00.003-05:00

Disney's Store is having 4th of July Sale thru the end of the week (Sunday July 5th at 11:59 pm PT). Go to http://www.disneystore.com/ to shop and get 15, 20, 25, and even 30% off! Also, they have a special promotion for $5 shipping when you spend $89 or more.

A Sweet Treat for Baby

2009-06-29T13:33:00.003-05:00

And its not loaded with sugar either! We just purchased this Swirlin' Surprise Gumball Machine from Fisher Price and the boys love it. It features 4 fun roll-a-round "gum balls" that roll and spin on the floor. When you pull the lever the machine drops them and plays music and flashes. Our baby boy enjoys catching the balls. Our older three year old loves it too and likes to help the baby put them back in again. It is sure to be a toy that stays around for a while. And even better, Fisher Price has a big line of Roll-A-Round ball toys that are compatible with the balls.

ToysRUs sells it for $22.99 here:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2265240&CAWELAID=107524551

New Johnson's Baby Product

2009-06-16T15:53:00.003-05:00

YAY for one bottle of soap for babies! Johnson's just rolled out a new 2-in-1 baby product that is both a bubble bath and a baby wash. It has that same wonderful baby smell and fills the tub with bubbles still. We used it last night during the boys bath and they loved the new bottle. In fact, our 3 year old loves that its BLUE bath soap. The baby however, was just happy to splash and play with the bubbles as usual.

Diapers.com Sale

2009-06-12T12:23:00.002-05:00

Diapers.com is running a sale right now on TONS of items ranging from baby gear, clothing, formula and of course diapers. The sale ends July 2nd. And as always they offer FREE 2-day shipping when your order is more than $49.

Go here to check it out the special coupon codes and promotions they are offering.

http://www.diapers.com/semiannualsale.aspx?cm_sp=NVHP-_-Z2-_-SemiAnnual

ICM Pajama Party Saturday June 13th!

2009-06-11T15:56:00.005-05:00

The Iowa Children's Museum in Coralville, Iowa is having a "Pajama Party this Saturday from 6:30-9:30 PM. This is a great activity for older children and a fun way for parents to get a little free time to shop or enjoy a dinner without kids. You have to register your child before hand so make sure to call by tomorrow afternoon.

This is the description off the ICM website. The description doesn't say what the age limit is, but typically these events are for children ages 5 and up. Go to http://www.theicm.org/ for more information or call the ICM to register your child.
_____________________________________________
ICM PJ Party!
NEW evening drop-off program for kids!
Saturday, June 13th, 20096:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Kids! Put on your pajamas and come play at The Iowa Children's Musuem without Mom and Dad! ICM staff will provide outstanding fun and games, as well as an evening snack!
Cost is $20/child
Members receive 10% off
Reservations are required
To register, please contact Lori at 319-625-6255 ext 209 or lkaemmerer@theicm.org.
_____________________________________________

Great Father's Day $10 Gift Card Offer at Target

2009-06-09T23:34:00.005-05:00

Check out this week's Target ad if you are still looking for a great father's day gift idea. Target is offering a $1o gift card when you buy a pack of golf balls and any golf apparel item. This would make a great gift for any dad that loves to golf or would be great for anyone who just enjoys golfing. The offer is good thru this Saturday. Go to http://www.target.com/ and view your local ad for more information about this promotion.

North Liberty, IA Fun Days

2009-06-09T23:28:00.003-05:00

North Liberty has their annual Fun Days Celebration this week Thursday--Sunday. The parade is Friday evening and the event will conclude on Sunday with fireworks. There are LOTS of family activities to enjoy as well as live music perfect to listen to on a warm summer night.

For a listing of events and more details visit this website:

http://www.northlibertyiowa.org/fundays/

JJ Cole Diaper Bag

2009-06-08T12:06:00.003-05:00

Well it was finally time to retire the old diaper bag. It was stained, ripped and torn to pieces. We finally had to put it down. RIP old diaper bag, but we will not miss you.

At least we won't any way because I found a new one that I love. This JJ Cole Collection diaper bag clips onto your stroller or shopping cart. Plus the diaper changing mat has a magnetic clasp, so it folds back together very neatly with little fuss. How cool is that?

I got the polka dot pattern one but more styles can be found here.
http://jjcoleusa.com/mode-tote-bag

Homemade Yogurt Pops!

2009-05-28T00:02:00.003-05:00

Every summer Thomas and I make our own popsicles from fresh seasonal fruits and yogurt. All you need is your favorite yogurt flavor, fresh fruit if you would like, something to use for the mold and popsicle sticks. To keep it super simple I like to use the yogurt containers, although you can even buy molds for super cheap at Target or Walmart. Just dice up the fruit into small pieces and blend with yogurt in a blender. You can also use ice cream, sherbert, juice or smoothie mixes and ice chips. Then pour your mixture into the cups, add a popsicle stick, and freeze until solid. Depending on how big they are, it shouldn't take more than 4 hours to freeze. Best part is, these make a guilt free snack that is perfect for a hot summer day! The bonus is they are budget friendly and kids love them too!

IPTV Kids Day May 30th at the Blank Park Zoo

2009-05-26T23:14:00.005-05:00

I'm thinking of doing this with the boys in Des Moines this weekend. IPTV is having a Kids Day at the Zoo. Kids can meet Dan Wardell from the Kids Clubhouse and "Duck" from Word World from 10-4 PM. There will be other activities as well. It looks like it will be lots of fun, especially if the weather stays nice. Maybe we will make the drive out there and see some animals and have some fun!

More details can be found here at:
http://www.iptv.org/iptv_news_detail.cfm?id=3776&type=press_release

Awesome FREE Target $5 Gift Card Offer

2009-05-25T14:44:00.002-05:00

Every once in a while Target offers a FREE giftcard with a select purchase. It usually isn't worth my time unless it involves Pepsi products or snack foods my husband and kids will eat up before I can tell them I bought them.

Well this week Target will give you a FREE $5 gift card when you buy any combination of 5 select Kellogg's snacks at $2.33. The offer is good on Cheez-it 9 oz pkgs, 12 ct Pop Tarts, and 11.5 oz Fudge Shoppe cookies. Since Cheez-It hands down have the least sugar I had to go for those. Not to mention how we happen to love them so much!

I happened to have a $5 gift card from a previous deal so that made each box roughly $1.33, plus I got another gift card out of it! Hurray for cheap snack foods!

Our Budget Saver of the Month: $40/week Groceries

2009-05-25T14:06:00.005-05:00

As part of overhauling our family budget this month, I cut back at the grocery store.

For the first week of May, I spent $61.01. This week was a little higher than most because I was taking advantage of a big sale to stock up for the month. I also had to replenish a lot of our pantry items that were running low. Not a bad deal though, since I was able to completely stock up for the month at some very low prices at HyVee.

The second week of May I spent a whopping total of $21.79. I didn't have much to buy this week but took advantage a sale on bagels for $1 and some inexpensive meat and grilling items.

I skipped out on grocery shopping the following week. Our refrigerator was full of items still and this became our "No spend" week of the month. We also had lots of leftovers to use up.

This week I spent the most but I made it worth my money. I made a trip to HyVee and spent $33.01 on groceries. Not bad, since I had to replenish a lot of necessities from not shopping the week before. It was a great weekend to shop with all of the Memorial Day sales. There were some fantastic snack and pop deals at Walmart, Target, and Kmart so I took advantage of those. All together I spent about $20 on pop and $10 on snacks for our many trips to the park that we take in the summer. I also picked up some Organic Gerber baby food items at ToysRUs (BRU has the same deals). That totaled $10 but I won't have to buy baby food for a LONG time now.

Everything averages out to under $40 a week! Which is a HUGE change for us. We had been spending about $50-80 a week, sometimes much more if we were stocking up on items. And that didn't include pop. So we did a fantastic job this month. I will of course still be on the look out for this Wednesday's ads from Fareway and HyVee. I am hoping for some great sale prices following Memorial Day weekend. :-)

Pepsi 12 packs on sale at Kmart

2009-05-24T21:19:00.003-05:00

Pepsi product 12 pks are on sale for 4 for $9 at Kmart through tomorrow 5/26. If you haven't already taken advantage of this offer and need some pop for the weekend, head on over to get some cheap pop. We stocked up on some diet pepsi, which we drink religiously around here!

Also, some Walmarts have Pepsi and Mtn Dew 24 packs for $4.98. Yesterday I picked up some for my husband. This doesn't beat the Kmart deal but if you can't get there before tomorrow's holiday you can try Walmart for inexpensive pop.

Pampered Chef Stoneware!

2009-05-08T16:42:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to cook with this! I got this covered baking dish from Pampered Chef. It can be used in the Microwave and in the Oven. Plus it comes in cranberry red which is my favorite kitchen color! LOVE it!

Link: https://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=13833&catId=9&parentCatId=9&outletSubCat=&viewAllOutlet=

Pop Your Own Popcorn!

2009-05-05T22:28:00.003-05:00

Love popcorn but hating paying up to $3 a box on just 2-3 microwaveable bags? Get your own popcorn machine and save money! Our popcorn machine is a Waring Pro machine we got at Tanger Outlet at a Kitchen Store. The outlet has a coupon for 20% off any item in any store every month and we took the opportunity to buy ours at $99 and pay only $79!

If you do the math, each of those popcorn bags will cost you on average of $1 a bag at a bare minimum. To buy a 4 lb bag of kernels costs under $3 and to buy pour over butter costs no more than about $4, and will last you approximately 3 months. So buy the popcorn machine on sale and your cost over 3 months is $86. If you eat 7 bags a week like we do (we would normally pop 2 bags to fill up a large bowl) it takes you about 3 months to break even. And you still have a popcorn machine. So if you LOVE popcorn for movie nights like we do you can expect to save money around the 4th month into your investment. Don't eat that much popcorn but enjoy a couple bags a week? You will break even around 7 months.

Popcorn machines make a great gift and you can even shop for them online. Check out Amazon here at: http://www.amazon.com/Waring-WPM25-Professional-Popcorn-Maker/dp/B001G8Y2Y0 to check out our popcorn machine.

Bella Tunno Binkers!

2009-05-04T22:52:00.003-05:00

These pacifier clips are so cute! They clip on to your child's clothing and come in TONS of different designs. We have two we ordered through Baby Gap's home collection. They start at $8 but are very well made and high quality!

Bella Tunno also sells a number of other baby products as well. You can check them all out at: http://bellatunno.com/products.asp

Fisher Price Precious Planet Jumperoo!

2009-05-02T22:27:00.003-05:00

This jumperoo is super cool! We decided to try it after seeing how much my nephew Noah liked his. My almost 5 month old LOVES to bounce around in it! I'm suprised we never had one with our other son. We got it for 15% with a mailer coupon from BabiesRUs but Amazon and Target have it at decent prices right now too. Its great for newly mobile babies and has 3 different settings for height which makes it the perfect toy to "grow" with your baby.

BabiesRUs Sweepstakes

2009-05-02T22:22:00.004-05:00

BabiesRUs is having a Mother's Day sweepstakes. No purchase is necessary. Go here to enter and read more about the details: http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3100133. You must enter by May 9th!

Babylegs!

2009-05-01T21:38:00.001-05:00

I soooo want to buy more babylegs for Oliver. I think they are addicting!!! We have a green froggie polka dot pair and they are super cute on him with his chunky little thighs. Plus, we have hardwood floors and they protect his knees so well. If our Target carried more styles and color options I would totally buy them all! If only I could sew I would be able to make my own. I am so tempted to buy a bunch online at http://www.babylegs.com/. I won't, but might invest in some when he starts crawling everywhere.

Iowa Children's Museum

2009-04-28T21:57:00.005-05:00

Calling all fellow Iowan moms! If you have not visited the Iowa Children's Museum in Coralville, Iowa then you really are missing out. The museum is in the Coralville Mall outside of Iowa City, IA off of I-80. Admission is $6 for ages 1-59 and $5 for seniors 60+. Infants under 1 are FREE. Also, the last Friday of every month is FREE admission as part of Family Fun Night in the mall. If you decide you love the museum as much as we do, get the Family Pass. It is $100/family (includes 2 adults and all children) and comes with several discount offers. So for our family of 4 (with our baby under age of 1) we simply must go 6 times a year to meet that price. That is only 1 time every other month, which is a great value!

Regular admission or the family pass covers a wide variety of activities for children of all ages. Some of the activities kids can do are:

See real fish and turtles

Put on their own puppet show with TONS of puppets

Build with legos and blocks

Visit the construction room

Go down slides upstairs or through tunnels

Plant and harvest their own "crops" in the farm room

Visit the motion room with all things related to physics

Play at the Thomas the Train table

Visit the special exhibit room that changes annually

Read books or listen to stories in the reading area

See several shows that vary month by month

Do MANY kinds of arts and crafts projects

Build their own "pizza" in the pizza eatery

Grocery "shop" in the mini grocery shopping center

Pretend to be a doctor, dentist, or ambulance driver at the health center

And much much more!

To learn more visit http://www.theicm.org/ Click on the membership tab to see all the details about the family pass. Also note that the children museum is not open on Mondays and has special hours that are different from the rest of the mall on the other days.

Barbecue Season is Here!

2009-04-27T22:27:00.008-05:00

Tonight the warm weather finally got to me and I cooked up some great summer barbecue items. We ate a yummy potato salad and oh so good turkey sloppy joes. Both recipes are really great for graduation parties, showers, and grill nights. Enjoy!

Potato Salad

You will need:

A large 10 lb bag of potatoes, I use russet but some like red potatoes just as well
8 eggs

Mayonnaise or light mayonnaise

Dijon mustard

Vinegar

Parsley

Sweet relish

1/2 an onion, very finely chopped

Salt and Pepper

Alternative seasonings--dill, paprika, etc.

Directions:

Bring to boil a large pot of water. Add potatoes one by one carefully (unpeeled or cut). Boil for 20-25 minutes. Potatoes should be tender and skin should come off easily. Drain water and let cool.
In a smaller pot place eggs in gently. Cover with 1 inch of COLD water. Add a pinch of salt or 1 tsp. of Vinegar. Place on high heat for 15-20 minutes. When eggs are fully hard-boiled switch to a bowl filled with ice water OR alternatively set pot in sink and run very cold water over, draining hot water from pot. Let eggs cool.
When potatoes are cooled, peel with a potato peeler. Dice potatoes into pieces of desired size. I like 1 cm x 1 cm cubes. Place into large bowl and set aside.
Once eggs are cooled, peel them. To remove shells the easiest hit eggs on bottom of counter or sink peeling bottom first. Rinse under water.
Dice up eggs. Add 2 cups of mayonnaise, 1/8 cup of dijon mustard, 2 tsp. vinegar, 2 tsp. parsley and 1 tsp of sweet relish. Stir together.
Add mixture to potatoes using a spatula. Add in onions. Mix together. If too thick add 1 tsp of water or vinegar at a time to thin out. If too thin, add more mayonnaise until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to your preference.
Serve at room temperature or chilled. Keep refrigerated when not in use in air tight container for optimum freshness.

Turkey Sloppy Joes (I double this recipe)

You will need:

1 lb ground turkey

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup bbq sauce

2 tsp mustard

2 tsp vinegar

2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 an onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup red pepper (optional)

Ground Pepper

Directions:

Brown ground turkey in skillet. Once meat is no longer pink, season with ground pepper. Put on medium-low heat and saute onions stirring every couple of minutes.
Mix all other items in a small saucepan, stirring frequently. Bring to a simmer. Then pour into skillet with meat and onion. Stir well together so all meat is coated in sauce. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Let cool.
Serve as a sandwich on toasted bun or texas style thick toast. You can also add shredded cheese and lettuce. Great for reheating up and very easy to do in a crockpot on low heat settings.

Walmart Reusable Grocery Bags

2009-04-27T21:08:00.004-05:00

Our family officially went "green" this weekend.

My husband and I agreed to buy our first reusable shopping bags at Walmart. I was surprised to find that they are actually very durable and have lots more room than your average plastic bag. In just one blue tote we were able to fit to large bags of Ruffles chips, bread, english muffins, and hot dog buns. And there was still plenty of room left for lots more!

We figure we use on average 8+ plastic grocery bags every time we go shopping for groceries (not even including basic toiletries or non-grocery shopping items). And if we go shopping on average 4 times a month that is 32 bags minimum a month and 384 in a year!

Now the trick is to keep them on hand so we can use them each time. We stored all 4 bags in the trunk of our van for when we go grocery shopping. I can't wait to use them the next time we go grocery shopping.

Hyvee 3 Day Sale

2009-04-24T16:21:00.003-05:00

Today was a great day to pick up some basics at Hyvee! A LOT of items were very cheap in their ad this week. This week was supposed to be our "no spend week" but Hyvee has a 3 day sale going on thru tomorrow (Saturday). Since I had to run in to pick up some necessities anyway I went ahead and did some light shopping. Plus, we have company coming into town this weekend so we wanted to get some meat to grill out since the weather is just so amazing today! Hard to believe it is almost 90 degrees as I type this!

Here is what we got for under $55

Dairy

2 gallons of Country Fare skim milk @ $2.25 each
1 Hyvee sour cream @ 58 cents w/ in-ad coupon

1 Hyvee strawberry yogurt @ $1.77

1 Country Fare cottage cheese @ $1.48

1 Hyvee eggs @ 97 cents

Frozen

2 Jacks frozen pizzas @ 1.99 each

Grocery & Pantry Items

6 Taco seasoning mixes for at 3 for $1 = $2

1 Hyvee White Sandwich bread @ $1.18

8 boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese @ 48 cents each

Produce

Fresh green beans for 99 cents/lb

2 lemons @ 2 for 59 cents

Oranges for 69 cents/lb

Meat

Chicken Family Value Pack @ 97 cents/lb

Ground Turkey 2 for $3

3 Ribeyes @ 5.99 each

They were sold out of their 3 for $1 baked beans and Kraft Singles for $1.99. But it was still a good trip for us. Next week is another "no spend" grocery week and we are going to try and stick to basic items again. Barring no amazing deals you won't see me heading out anywhere for groceries! :-)

I love Hotslings!

2009-04-22T20:21:00.003-05:00

Seriously I don't know what I did without this product when my first son was little! It is so awesome. I can pop the baby in the sling and be free to do dishes, vacuum, and cook. It honestly has kept my house running these days! It comes in different sizes and you can find the sizing directions and wearing guide online.

I have the Tokyo print Everyday Collection sling. I love it!

Go to http://www.hotslings.com/ for more information!

What's For Dinner Monday!

2009-04-20T21:48:00.005-05:00

It was a bit chilly today so we cooked up so comfort foods today. There is nothing like Mexican Goulash and Cornbread so we made big batches of both! It was so yummy!!!

Here are the recipes and some pictures:

MEXICAN GOULASH

Ingredients:

1 chopped up green pepper

1/2 chopped up white/yellow onion

3 Roma Tomatoes, seeds washed out, diced

1 lb ground beef

Mexican seasoning (I use a liberal dash of Emeril's Southwest Seasoning)

Dash of Garlic (if using fresh-1 clove)

1 can (16 oz) petite diced (crushed can also work) tomatoes (do not drain)

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1 can corn (drained)

2 cups of elbow macaroni

Directions:

1. Heat up olive oil in skillet. When ready brown beef in LARGE skillet.

2. In a large pot bring water to a boil, add elbow macaroni.

3. Add to skillet pepper, onions, and fresh tomatoes to browned beef. Season. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Vegetables should be well-sauteed.

4. Reduce to low heat and add remaining ingredients to skillet. Heat up in skillet for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside when done (all items should be well cooked and hot).

5. Drain macaroni in strainer. Return to pot once cooled. Pour skillet mixture into pot and fold items together so noodles and meat and veggie sauce are well-mixed.

6. Serve warm or cold.

SUPER MOIST CORNBREAD

Ingredients:

2 packets of Betty Crocker Corn Meal Mix

1/2 cup of cornmeal or whole wheat flour

2 spoonfuls of sour cream

2 Eggs

1/2 cup of Milk

4 tbsp of butter (melted)

1 can of creamed corn

Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheeses (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 11x11 baking dish with non-stick spray or Crisco.

2. Mix together all ingredients except shredded cheese. Do not over mix, should have dry crumbles.

3. Pour into pan. At this point you can lightly sprinkle over the shredded cheeses if you would like. Bake in oven for 15-20 minute until golden brown.

4. When its done use a knife around the edges of the baking dish to "cut out" bread. Flip immediately over a cutting board (so corn stays evenly distributed and keeps it moist. Remove from pan completely and let cool for at least 15-20 minutes or until cool.

5. Cut and serve.

BOGO 1/2 off Shorts @ Gap Kids and Baby Gap

2009-04-18T23:58:00.004-05:00

We are set for this spring and summer as far as apparel but for those of you that still need to get out and buy some shorts for you kids, Gap has a great promotion right now on shorts. When you buy 1 pair of shorts you can get your 2nd pair of equal or lesser value for 1/2 off! The offer is limited to Gap Kids and Baby Gap lines. However this is really great for older kids if you need shorts for school uniforms or if you just love Gap's toddler and baby denim collection like I do!

One more option is that some of the 2 for $20 collections seem to be included in the offer online so you might be able to knock that down to 2 for $15 instead!

Happy Shopping!

Kohl's Cash April 22-27!

2009-04-17T23:20:00.004-05:00

That's right! All of you that love to shop Kohl's will be happy to hear that Kohl's Cash is back April 22nd-April 27th both in-store and online. The redemption period runs April 28th-May 6th. Also, they have some great clearance offers so if you have been waiting for a good sale this is you chance to do some shopping and get a deal. Happy Shopping!

Restaurant.com

2009-04-17T22:01:00.003-05:00

I had to share this amazing offer from Restaurant.com! Right now they are offering an additional 70% off gift certificates to local restaurants. Use the code: FEAST to get 70% on the gift certificates. The offer is good for a limited time.

We used it to buy$25 gift certificates at $10. We bought 4 total and with the additional 70% off we got $100 in GC's for $12!!! The best part is they are to my favorite local restaurant! Their are some restrictions on each restaurant but it ends up being a good deal. For the restaurant we picked you have to spend $35, have a 18% gratuity, and the gift card is not good towards alcohol.

Designer Floral Kimono! So Cute!

2009-04-16T13:48:00.003-05:00

During my free time I love to find cute baby clothes. Check out this kimono style romper at Asian Baby Style! This is so cute for little kids. Its only available in 3-6 months and 6-12 months in a floral pattern but they have lots of other cute Asian designs on their website.

To find this product go to: http://www.asianbabystyle.com/asian_baby_clothes.htm

How to freeze strawberries!

2009-04-15T22:38:00.007-05:00

What is more enjoyable in spring than fresh strawberries! We bought LOTS of super cheap strawberries recently at HyVee. And this week they are selling a 4 lb package for $4.68. So here is how you can make those strawberries last for you to use year long:

Step 1: Wash strawberries in cold water and use paper towel to pat dry. I also let mine drain in a strainer over the sink for 5 minutes. Make sure to toss or use any that show any sign of major discoloration or damage--the freshest kind work best. Then use a knife to remove the tops, stems, and leaves.

Step 2: Place berries on a baking sheet, cut side down so that they lay flat. They should be close together but not touching each other. For an easy clean up place nonstick wax paper on the baking sheet.

Step 3: Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until well chilled, then transfer sheets to the freezer for 6 hours or overnight.

Step 4: After they have been frozen you can remove the berries from the baking pan and place them into a freezer proof ziploc bag or airtight freezer container.

Step 5: Mark container with the date you froze or bought them.

TIP: Strawberries last up to 1 year after freezing if done immediately, but I recommend no longer than 6 months. They are really great for smoothies among other things!

Kmart Double Coupon Event--Davenport, IA

2009-04-15T22:28:00.004-05:00

Kmart is offering double and triple coupons again at select locations around the US. I didn't believe it myself so I emailed customer service to find out if it was true. Unfortunately the locations are limited in my state. However my husband happens to be traveling through the one city that week so I am going to make him pop in if there are any good deals with matching coupons to use.

Here is the email customer service sent to me:

Thank you for contacting Kmart regarding the Kmart Double Coupon Event. We appreciate you interest in this promotion.

Our next double coupon event starts on 4/19/09 and will run until 4/25/09 . The following IA store is participating: Davenport

EASY 1 Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Dinner

2009-04-14T23:39:00.002-05:00

We made this yummy chicken and rice combo tonight. It was delicious and super easy to do.

Ingredients:
1 Family Size pkg of Chicken Drumsticks (2-3 lbs)
1 can of Swanson chicken soup stock (I used garlic flavored)
2 pkgs of Uncle Bens 6 oz. boxes of wild rice (any flavors work)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
Assorted Seasonings (salt, pepper, paprika, emeril's original essence, etc)

What I did was combine all of these ingredients in a covered baking pot for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

I placed everything but the chicken in and stirred it up well with a spoon. Then I laid the chicken in and seasoned it how I like it but you can also use your own favorites. I then used the same spoon to pour some of the sauce over the chicken a couple times. I checked on it every 20 minutes to stir the rice and flip the chicken. I baked it for just over an hour but if you use closer to 2 lbs instead of the 3 we used it will be done right at 1 hour.

Hope you enjoy!

Weekly Groceries for under $55

2009-04-14T23:20:00.002-05:00

Cooking at home this month has made me much better at grocery shopping! We have not dropped a dime to eat out since March 31st with the exception of Sunday night on our long drive home from Easter weekend. This week I spent under $55 on a total of 37 items at HyVee. My total was $54.76 with tax and it included:

1 dozen eggs
1/2 gallon orange juice
2 4 packs of Imperial margarine sticks
2 pkgs of Birdseye frozen peas
1 pkg of frozen spinach
4 Jack's frozen pizzas
4 cans cream style corn
4 cans green beans
1 loaf of Sarah Lee white bread
2 boxes of Stove Top chicken stuffing
1 gallon skim milk
1 Roberts sour cream
1 Kraft Velveeta cheese
4 pkgs of California strawberry
3 lb pkg of baby carrots
1 onion
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 lbs roma tomatoes
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Chicken Drumsticks
1 lb ground beef

Not bad! Normally I would have to buy at least 1 more gallon of milk but since we were out of town for the weekend, we still had a gallon left to use. I'm enjoying this challenge this month of cooking at home and trying to cut down on grocery costs. I have been trying lots of great new recipes and searching sale ads for the best prices. Its been quite the fun quest so far! I think we might try to make this a regular thing for our family.

DSW Clearance Event

2009-04-08T09:02:00.005-05:00

DSW has a promotion for 30% off all clearance thru next Monday, April 13th, 2009. Use the code SPRING30 to save.

Also, DSW will give you free shipping when you spend $29 or more. Use the code FSDSW.

Bonus tip: sign up for their DSW rewards card and get a coupon for $10 off your next purchase and receive special offers.

Shop now at: http://www.dsw.com/

How to create & maintain an ORGANIZED coupon book!

2009-04-08T01:23:00.007-05:00

I recently redid my coupon book. Here is a few tricks of how to keep couponing as simple as possible for your next trip out to the store:

1) Create a coupon book: For beginners start with a mini file fax arranged by type of coupons you most frequently use. I started with Target coupons, BRU coupons, and common baby products. For the more advanced couponer or grocery couponer--use a 3 ring binder or very large file fax. Use clear baseball card holders to contain your coupons.

2) Decide how to organize your coupons: Organize your coupons and divide them up into categories or groups by expiration date, brand name, product type, or by store name. If you have LOTS, alphabetize your coupons. I use a few of these strategies. First, I separate store brand coupons from my manufacturer coupons. Then I alphabetize each category. Within each letter I group together items by brand name. So for instance my target coupons are grouped A-Z and on the "C" page I have all my Clorox branded products grouped together.

3) Utilize folders: For when you don't have time put your coupons where they belong, slide coupons into a closeable pencil bag or folder. Then devote 1 hour a week to "maintaining" your coupon book. This will also allow for time to throw out expired coupons. I also have a folder for random coupons. This is because I receive TONS of emails with coupon codes to retailers. If something interests me I print it out and put it in my book for just in case I need it. By doing this I can keep my mailbox from getting too full of retailer emails, but I can still enjoy the special offers they send out. Also, use a folder or the front pocket to keep store ads incase you need to refer to it while at the store.

4) Store your coupon book wisely: To store my coupon book, I like to use a tote bag. I have one bag set aside next to my purse for when I walk out the door to go shopping. Also, you can hang it on a hook next to your keys by your main entryway. I also keep a spot in between my front seat clear for my tote bag to easily fit into next to my purse. This way my coupons are not getting in my way at home or in my car.

5) Keep what you need with your book: I keep a pair of scissor and a grocery pad and pen with my coupon book. If I need to cut a coupon out on the fly I have it right there. The pen and paper is for me to write out a makeshift list if I am on the go. Also, its a good idea to have a calculator if you are using coupons to budget.

6) Don't shop without a plan: Flips through advertised sales in your newspaper ads as well as online. Once you have a list of deals you would like to get, you can then from there check your coupons. Also be sure to check blogs and websites like couponmom.com for additional special deals or ways to save you more money.

7) Make your grocery list functional: After you have sorted through your coupons write up your grocery list. Instead of just listing the item though, list with it the brand name and the specific of the coupon. For example if you have a coupon for $2 off/4 cans of Progresso microwaveable soups write: Buy 4 PROGRESSO microwaveables *Use coupon* instead of soups. Also be sure to include sales prices if they are applicable.

8) Still frustrated with your coupon book? Create a table of contents! I have a cheat sheet at the front of my coupon book that tells me where I can find something. If you would like you can type up an alphabetical list to tell you wear to find what you are looking for.

Get this free download from Walmart!

2009-04-08T01:20:00.002-05:00

Dealseekingmom originally posted this and its a really neat deal so I have to share it with all of you too! Walmart will allow you to download Still Feels Good by Rascal Flats for FREE. Its a good song too! I really love it! And make sure you check out the rest of her blog, its filled with deals and freebies!

http://www.dealseekingmom.com/free-rascal-flats-download-still-feels-good/

FREE HUGGIES

2009-04-07T12:43:00.003-05:00

I heard about this on several different baby blogs. Get a sample 3 pack of free Huggies diapers! Only available is sizes newborn-2. Huggies will also send you a coupon! Go to this website to get yours:
http://www.huggiespureandnatural.com/FreeSample.aspx

Got my new Huggies and Target Baby Coupon Mailers today!

2009-03-31T23:45:00.004-05:00

I love getting coupons. When I think about it, I think coupons might actually make me spend more money than I need to sometimes...got to have that amazing deal you know?!

But I haven't always been a coupon junkie! Until about a year ago I had no idea places would send you LOADS of coupons if you just sign up for them. Usually all you have to do is give them a couple of the following: your address, email address, and full name. Sometimes they will want you to fill out a rewards or "loyalty programs," survey. But its usually just a couple questions of why you enjoy their product(s). If you ever get asked by a cashier to join a rewards program, and the program is free, do it!!! I get coupons and promotional or special sale offers monthly, sometimes even as much as every week from companies. Here are a couple of my favorite rewards programs:

1) Your bank--most banks will let you earn rewards for using your debit card. You have to look into your bank's specific conditions, but a lot of the time you can earn cash back or gift cards and travel miles for just using your debit card for every day things you need anyway.

2) Hallmark Rewards--Hallmark has one of the BEST reward programs I have ever run across. You get coupons and deals every month and for the points you earn you can get an "upgraded status" that earns you even more rewards. They have a program you pay for as well but unless you shop there a LOT, its not really necessary. Also--at the end of the year they tell you how much you spent with them--which is great for helping you budget for the next year.

3) Perks Place at The Children's Place--With this swipeable pass you earn point on each person. Spend $150 and get $10 back. Best of all its free, you don't need to get their store credit card! And they will also send you exclusive coupons in the mail.

4) BabiesRUs and ToysRUs--you can sign up for a rewards membership online. They track how much you spend and send you coupons for $ off any purchase and will send you coupons in the mail along with a booklet of upcoming sales.

5) Gap Credit Card--This is quite the investment and normally I would say DON'T do a credit card. But if you are like me and like to order things online--this credit card has free shipping offers. I save myself about $100 annually off of shipping costs and don't have to drop $100 to get the "free shipping" bonus that most stores make you use. And because this a store I frequent ALL the time, I save money by shopping online so I won't overbuy. Because we all for that trap on at least one item. But if you do a credit card, make the purchases worthwhile by not carrying a balance. ALWAYS pay your balance in full.

6) Huggies, Similac, Enfamil, Pampers....anything baby! You can sign up for vouchers and coupons at all of these websites.

7) P&G Coupons--Proctor and Gamble will let you sign up for mailer coupons at their website. These are very handy and can save you money on things ranging from Tide to Cereals.

8) Barnes and Noble Rewards--If you read a lot of books this is a great offer. But it ALSO can save you money off of toys, puzzles, calendars, music, and dvds. Can't afford the annual $25 membership? Try and find someone who has one because you just need to know the phone number to look up the account. For instance I have frequently let my mom or closer friends use mine. Best part is you always get 10% off. And often times they run promotions of up to 40% off or send out coupons to your email address. This is especially great for purchasing textbooks if you are a student. Barnes and Noble has special section online for getting reduced price text books that are old or new. You get to use your discount and they will sometimes throw in free shipping.

9) Your most used grocery product--Mine is Rogers Dairy, I eat their yogurts and drink their milk DAILY. I checked out their website and discovered they also have coupons they mail out occasionally. All I had to do was give them my address and they send them to me in the mail.

10) Target--when you register for a baby registry or wedding Target will send you coupons after you have "completed" it. After my wedding, target sent me a coupon for 20% off anything remaining on my registry and I could still access it. I needed a new camera since mine broke. So I added it and saved $50 plus got free shipping. Also, you can sign up for coupons and even print some off online at Target.com.

BONUS TIP: Any place that asks for your email address wants to send you a coupon! So always give them it. For instance, Bath and Body Works, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Victoria's secret will always ask for your email address. When you give it to them they sign you up for email offers and send you coupons. Banana Republic actually gave me one for 20% off online! You can also find most of these offers by googling but companies are getting smarter about encoding them and limiting them by using bar codes so my best recommendation is to sign up for your favorites yourself. Take advantage of all the great deals to be found out there, especially in this economy when companies will do back flips to keep you as a customer.

Got my Free Diet Dr. Pepper Today!

2009-03-30T23:19:00.002-05:00

Have you got your FREE Diet Dr. Pepper yet? I have. Request your coupon for a free 2 liter or 16 oz bottle at http://www.freedietdrpepper.com/. Your coupon will arrive in the mail in as few as 7 days!

10 Ways to Save Money this Spring!

2009-03-29T23:45:00.004-05:00

Declare a spending freeze--no shopping except for bare necessities and stay out of the malls and stores. See how long you can stay away from your favorite place to shop.
Cheap entertainment-- Don't pay when you can have fun for free. Try game nights, movie and popcorn nights, walks to park, and getting books from the library.
Pantry-only cooking--no grocery shopping except for basics like milk, eggs, butter for 1 week during the month
Drive less--don't go to places that are not necessary and save on gas money. Plan any trips out so you are not wasting time driving back and forth.
Drink less sodas and pops--switch to waters, koolaids, and crystal lite instead. You can even try making your own lemonade for a nice spring treat.
No eating out--cook at home instead or bring a lunch to work. Try some new recipes to keep yourself from getting bored.
Clean out the closets--sell items for cash or give away. An extra bonus: this declutters your home and you will have your spring cleaning done!
Pay with cash--Try to not use your debit card and pay with cash. You will be more conscious of what you spend when paying with cash.
Use coupons--Utilize your local newspaper and clip coupons and plan plan plan to save money at the store. Also try looking online for coupons or savings codes.
Invest wisely--To make it all worthwhile put 90% of the savings into a savings or power checking account to earn interest. Then treat yourself to something nice after 1 month of saving money!

Yummy Taco Foldovers!

2009-03-29T23:32:00.002-05:00

I needed to use up some ground beef from the freezer and didn't have a lot on hand. So I decided to make taco meat and use it to make taco foldovers. I used crescent rolls (you could also use your own homemade dough), shredded cheeses, and the seasoned taco beef to make them. I also set out sour cream, queso dip, and salsa for dipping with the foldovers and some tortilla chips. To make the queso dip I used up the remaining meat, added some velveeta cheese, spices and some salsa and green chilies and then microwaved them for 2 minutes. Together everything was delicious! My 3 year old ate over 1/2 of the foldovers and my husband wants me to make them again sometime instead of our regular tacos that we normally have once a week. Next time I am going to sneak in some green and red peppers and try it with fajita seasoning and chicken!

If I had a million dollars....

2009-03-29T11:00:00.001-05:00

I would give it all to families trying to rebuild their homes in Cedar Rapids, IA. Cedar Rapids had record flooding last summer and still isn't back to normal. The downtown area is empty and its a sad sight to see. These families could use money like this to rebuild their homes, clean up their community, and make their neighborhood better for their kids again. This is an investment everyone can benefit from. Our kids will benefit and will give back more than a million dollars in gold.

If you give a mouse a cookie brings me back

2009-03-29T01:04:00.001-05:00

Today I love reading this book to my son. It was my favorite as a child and now I can read it to my son too. We also try to make chocolate chips cookies and drink milk before reading it. It's just great to have before bedtime and goes perfect with this book!

I love this book because it reminds me of Kindergarden. What person doesn't remember reading this book in class as a child? Even better is now the book has its own series. So when my 3 year old asks for another book I will just read another one!

AMAZING stroller hooks!

2009-03-28T23:26:00.004-05:00

These are so awesome!!! Every mom needs 1 or 2 sets of these! My husband and I were always agitated when we went shopping at the mall because our double stroller had no where to store our bags. The storage bin on our stroller is under the two kids seat and a pain to get to. But we found these at Babiesrus and oh my I am so so so grateful to have found these! We tested them out yesterday and this morning and they hook right on to our bar and our shopping bags easily fit on the hook. Even our bulky diaper bag still stays on them. I might just have to buy another set because they are just that helpful!

Link: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2792276

Need a new baby wearer

2009-03-27T23:51:00.005-05:00

So I'm looking for a new sling or baby carrier. I have a hot sling but I feel like I need a little more versatility. I looking at this Moby Wrap. I like the moss and aqua colors, but feel like black or navy blue would be more practical. I think it would enable me to keep up with my 3 year old more since the baby wants to be held a lot. Plus it holds up to 45 lbs, 35 comfortably, and will likely last until this baby doesn't want to be held so much anymore. I can't wait to get one, it will be the perfect thing to have this spring and summer when the weather warms up and we go to the park again. And its only $40 so I can definitely afford it.

www.mobywrap.com

In love with Pandora

2009-03-26T23:35:00.005-05:00

So I recently rediscovered Pandora. If you have not yet heard of Pandora, basically it allows you to listen to music for free online. You type in a song or artist you love and it plays similar songs in that genre. You can set up your own "stations" and decide which music you like or dislike. Based on that, Pandora makes new recommendations for you to listen to and compiles a list of music they think you might enjoy. So if you type in Lily Allen, it will play a song by her and then continue to play music based on what you rate 'like' or 'dislike'. And for those of you that want to buy the music you really love, Pandora can link you directly to iTunes or Amazon to buy that cool new song or album you just have to have. Make your own account and Pandora will record your preferences for you to listen to wherever you log in at. The best part is its free and you can enjoy whatever you want when you want to.
Try Pandora now at: http://www.pandora.com/

Janie and Jack Friends and Family Offer!

2009-03-25T15:04:00.005-05:00

Janie and Jack have a friends and family sale this weekend from March 27-March 29th, 2009. Enter the code JJFriend for 25% your entire online purchase. They are also offering free shipping off of orders greater than $100.

Details:

1. FREE SHIPPING OFFER: Offer valid between 3/27/2009 12:01 a.m. ET and 3/29/2009, 11:59 p.m. ET. Free standard U.S. shipping applies automatically to orders of $100 or more at checkout. Shipping rate is calculated from merchandise subtotal (less discounts, if applicable) and does not include tax or purchases of gift cards. Valid on each shipment with a merchandise subtotal of $100 or more. Promotion not valid on international shipments. Not valid for cash. No shipping adjustments on previous purchases. Offer is non-transferable. Not valid at Janie and Jack shops. Janie and Jack reserves the right to change this promotion at any time. Not combinable with any other offer.

2. FRIENDS & FAMILY: Coupon is valid for one transaction only and only one coupon may be redeemed per customer. Valid only on listed dates. To redeem online, enter: JJFRIEND into the promotion code box at checkout. Online orders must be placed between 3/27/2009 12:01 a.m. ET and 3/29/2009, 11:59 p.m. ET in order to receive discount. Discount will not be applied toward shipping charges, taxes, gift cards, in-store phone orders or donations. Original coupon must be presented and will be collected at time of in-store purchase. No adjustments will be made to prior sales. Purchases made with this offer are not eligible for a price adjustment. May not be combined with any other offers. Coupon may not be redeemed for cash. Lost, stolen, expired, or destroyed coupons will not be replaced. Offer may not be transferred in any way. Use of this coupon constitutes acceptance of these terms and conditions, except where prohibited by law. Janie and Jack reserves the right to change these terms or cancel this promotion at any time. Employees will receive their standard employee discount on all regular priced items and the Friends and Family discount on all sale items. Not valid at Janie and Jack Outlet.

Free Shipping at Target

2009-03-24T21:50:00.007-05:00

I LOVE Target!

My husband and I ordered this highchair from Target last week. Only we ordered a cherry colored version of it. We decided after watching Jon and Kate +8 that we wanted to try using a wooden high chair instead of a big bulky plastic one for this baby. The plastic ones are more than double, sometimes triple the price of this one at $39.99. We waited for it to have a special or promo code for free shipping and ordered it first thing on Monday last week. We got our highchair in the mail today and it is gorgeous. I couldn't believe it only took my husband 10 minutes to set up and the wood is very high quality too! Target still is offering free shipping on select items for a limited time, so if you know you need something order it now!

Link to highchair:
http://www.target.com/LA-Baby-Stackable-Restaurant-Highchair/dp/B000KU796S/qid=1237949360/ref=br_1_9/185-3914151-3606041?ie=UTF8&node=1041930&frombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=1041930&rank=pmrank&rh=&page=1

FREE Bath and Body Works Item! Thru 4/12

2009-03-23T14:39:00.003-05:00

Print off this coupon to get a free Bath and Body Works Signature Collection item up to $12 when you spend $10 or more! Good thru April 12th!

I have discovered how to make my homemade cleaning product smell better!

2009-03-21T23:42:00.002-05:00

I use 1 part vinegar and 1 part baking soda and water to scrub down my bathroom and kitchen. I had been putting Dawn lemon-scented dish soap in it and using a spray bottle. But I switched to using fresh squeezed lemon and orange juices instead. Not a lot, but just enough to rid it of that vinegar smell (about 2 tablespoons). I love using the orange the best, it gives off a super clean scent in my kitchen! Plus my son loves oranges so one more orange a week is an easy and cheap buy for me since I buy the big bag of oranges every time I go to the grocery store! I just dump my mix every couple of days or so if I have any leftovers so I can clean out my sprayer to keep it from getting clogged. When I dump it, I also use that to clean my kitchen sink!

Yes I might be a shopaholic but....

2009-03-21T23:26:00.004-05:00

I am a very good one! Today I headed to our outlet mall and found some AWESOME deals. I have bought Thomas's entire fall/winter wardrobe for next year for super cheap and am proud to say I am done for a while. And I am going to list them here for you because I like to share!

Old Navy--They had a whole wall of infant and baby items for $5 each. It didn't include toddler sized items (only up to 24 months included in the sale) but I needed some spring and summer items for Oliver so I picked up some 1 pieces, shorts, and Oliver's Easter outfit. Oliver's Easter outfit from head to toe totalled only $20! And its going to double as his baptism outfit so I totally scored!

The Children's Place--They did it again! All the winter clearance items were $2.99 and under. So for $25 I was able to get 5 pairs of corduroy pants, 2 matching velvet blazers for next Christmas AND some footed pjs for next winter! And I earned rewards points by swiping my Children's Place Perks pass. So I will be earning my next reward very soon! LOVE it!

Carters Outlet--I love Carters rewards cards. I get the email offers and they always send me $10 off coupons but this time I also got to use 2 $10 off a $35 purchase coupons that they gave me for shopping a couple weeks ago. I still have one left to use and they are good through April 4th. All together I saved $30 making my total $60. Everything I had was 70%+ off so I got lots of inexpensive finds for both boys next winter and fall.

Back from a long vacation!

2009-03-21T23:22:00.003-05:00

Its been quite a long hiatus for me these last couple of months. Oliver is now here and Thomas has kept me busy too so things are different in our wild household. But....I will be posting my bargains again!!! That and *ahem* all the pretty things I would love to buy but my husband would scream at me if I actually did. :-)

Fall Fashion Tips

2008-10-05T21:27:00.005-05:00

Here are some quick tips to save a little money and extend that summer wardrobe you loved to your fall wardrobe as well as some buying tips for those must-haves you really want to get.

1) Layer Layer Layer! You can still wear that cute short sleeved top--just pair it together with a thermal or long sleeved tee and a jacket for cooler days. Everything from your summer skirts to tanks can be worn in cooler weather with a little bit of layering. This works especially great for kids too, who look extra cute when you layer their clothes and bundle them up!

2) Color--Use it! Don't be afraid to use bold jewelry and accessories that are traditionally summer-inspired. A pop of bright red next to all your neutral browns and earth tones you wear in the fall can be gorgeous. So don't put away all those accessories that you love, break one out every now and then. The bonus to this is that on a rainy or extra cold and dreary day its a nice boost to be surrounded by lots of color.

3) Buy the basics! If you must add on to your wardrobe, this is the year to do it on staples like an extra-long cardigan which will be super comfy or a nice pair of jeans that you can wear through the whole year. Cardigans, especially long ones which are in right now, are great for throwing on as you head out the door. These are great buys because you can enjoy them when you lounge around the house or well through spring. Jeans are a good investment too if you are in need of a new pair. Make sure you try a cute boot fit to go with all the boots you have been wanting to wear this fall that are in style. Basic things are what is most in style this fall so there is no need to break the bank this fall on anything out there. Simple sweater dresses, cardigans, denim, bulky sweaters, and leather boots are the hot trends this fall.
--The Unique Mom

'Not-so-guilt-free' Mashed Potatoes

2008-09-18T19:14:00.004-05:00

The best thing about fall is all the wonderful, hot and fresh comfort foods on the table at dinner. A family favorite for us is potatoes. Mashed, baked, grilled, sauteed or even in a salad--we eat probably way too many of these. Tonight, just because we all were craving something special, I whipped up some mashed potatoes. Here is the recipe, its very easy to adjust to whatever dinner you are having. Just try not to overdo it since it is soooo rich and creamy.

Ingredients
About 2 lbs of potatoes--peeled and cut into quarter sized pieces
1 pkg. of cream cheese
3-4 large spoonfuls of butter
2 large spoonfuls of sour cream
Salt, pepper, parsley, garlic and other spices to taste

Directions
In a large pot cover potatoes with cool water. Bring to boil and cook potatoes until fork tender. Drain potatoes and place back in pot. Mash potatoes with a fork or potato masher. Then add cream cheese, butter, and sour cream. Mix together until smooth. Add seasonings. You may also add fresh cheese, herbs, and garlic.
Tip: Make in bulk and store leftovers in casserole dish. Then for next night's dinner you can cover the mashed potatoes with cheese and bacon crumbles. Bake in oven until cheese is fully melted. Serve as loaded cheesey mashed potatoes. Voila~a new side dish!
--The Unique Mom

Fun and Simple Treats

2008-09-11T10:31:00.004-05:00

Every once in a while our family ends up with 4-5 boxes of cereal that no one is interested in eating anymore. Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Chex, Golden Grahms...you name it. So to cut down on all those gigantic boxes of cereal, I make treats with them. Here are two of our favorite quick and easy treats that use things we already have around the house and help us clean out our pantry faster. They are great year round because a couple of changes make them fun seasonal treats for our family to munch on during our favorite holidays.

Monster Trail Mix
Ingredients: Assorted Cereals, Marshmallows; Chocolate Chips; Raisins, dried fruits; M & Ms, small candies

Directions: In a zip lock gallon sized bag, pour in all ingredients. Have kids shake bags to mix everything. Makes great on the go snacks for kids, just pour a little into a small plastic bag or plastic container and take with you.

Seasonal Tip: For a seasonal treat, use colored candies like red/green m&ms for Christmas, or candy corn for fall. Also, if you use marshmallows, pick ones that come in fun holiday shapes like trees for Christmas and ghosts for Halloween.

Cereal Bars
Ingredients: Assorted Cereals (Rice Krispies, Chex, etc), 3 Tbsp. of butter, 1 bag marshmallows or 6 cups of mini-marshmallows, and for optional add-ins: chocolate chips, raisins, dried fruit, m&ms, small candies, chocolate pieces

Directions: Melt butter in a large saucepan on low heat. After butter is melted pour in marshmallows. Stir mixture often. When all marshmallows are melted, you may add chocolate pieces and melt those into mixture if you want it to be extra chocolate-y. Pour in cereal(s) and turn off heat. Stir mixture so all cereal is coated. At end you may also add in candies and other optional items. Then quickly remove to a well greased cooking pan or casserole pan and spread evenly. You may pour additional candies or toppings on top of mix. Let sit until completely cool all the way through (approximately 1-2 hours).

Seasonal Tip: Melt chocolate pieces into marshmallow mixture before adding cereals. This will make bars "black." Then add orange candies or candy corn at the end to make a special Halloween snack. Or around Thanksgiving make as directed but instead of adding in candies, add dried cranberries and your favorite type of nuts. This works best with Cheerios as the cereal. Be creative and make something different every time.

--The Unique Mom

Creative Play

2008-09-03T21:55:00.008-05:00

One thing my son loves to do is to dress up and play pretend. We have lots of costumes and outfits that he likes to try on during pretend time. Creative and pretend play can be really great for toddlers and preschoolers because it gives them the chance use all the new vocabulary and things they are learning. It doesn't have to be very expensive either. Here are a couple ideas you can use to 'build' your pretend play resources at home for your little boy or girl:

Start a pretend toy box or bin. Putting all pretend toys and outfits in place will help your child be creative easier.
Don't throw out old Halloween costumes. Save them and add them to your pretend play bin. If your child has outgrown it, donate it or give it to a friend with smaller children so they can enjoy pretending too.
Buy Halloween costumes on sale. Starting around the last week of October, Halloween costumes go on clearance since stores want to get rid of all those extra costumes taking up space. Often prices are slashed quite a bit and you can find very inexpensive finds this way. Year-round you might also find deals by searching online.
Use things from around the house. Old aprons, worn out Tupperware, extra measuring spoons, old spade and gloves, and even shoes you no longer wear yourself can become great sources of inspiration. Common things around the house can be great for getting children to explore new ideas and new things.
Make your own costumes. This can be as simple as taking an old undershirt or a shirt that you can't get a stain out of and letting your child make their own masterpiece from it. You can let them color on it with markers, tie dye it, or even buy patches or cut out felt pieces and help them attach them. So if your child likes dalmatians, cut out little black pieces of felt or even sew on black buttons.
Don't forget the accessories. Have cheap jewelry you no longer wear? Or broken watches? Things like old purses, ties, hats, shoes, jewelry, or even spare change for older children, can help make creative play more interesting and fun for kids. Kids like to be like mom and dad and what better way to do that than to dress up like mom and dad! Just don't be surprised if your child decides to be your pint-size double after that!
Check out your local party supply stores. We were able to find lots of toy badges and party hats for super cheap that doubled as great dress up costumes. Even small finds like these can be great for kids.
Play with your kids! Dress up is even more fun with a friend. Get involved by dressing up with your child and making up detailed stories about what a fire fighter or a tiger does. Make it an adventure for your child by encouraging all kinds of creativity!

Happy Playtime!
--The Unique Mom

Back from our vacation!

2008-09-02T10:08:00.002-05:00

Well we are back! My husband and I had a nice little vacation in the Caribbean and now its back to everyday life. *Sigh* We are just about back to normal, which pretty much means everything but our laundry is all caught up on. We have a lot going on right now, with my cousin having her twin babies premature, my sister due any day with her first baby, and school in high gear. Plus its thesis prep time so I need to really start hitting the books.
But to keep me sane I will keep this blog going. So look forward to seeing some new posts again very soon. I hope to post some fun things and activities to do this fall for you as well as some very cute baby and toddler trends. Hope you all will check it out!
--The Unique Mom

Easy & Fun Painting for Kids

2008-08-11T08:52:00.003-05:00

Our son loves to color and paint. We do crafts several times a week but painting is the messiest. For quick and easy clean-up, I take 1/2 of a dozen egg carton and put a little bit of each paint color in each hole. I can also mix colors fast this way. Just have a container of water, paintbrushes, and paper ready. Once our little picasso is done making his masterpiece we just toss out the egg carton and hang his art to dry.

--The Unique Mom

Mmmmm Smoothies!

2008-08-08T11:51:00.002-05:00

It's Friday and I am wanting a cool non-alcholic drink and a smoothie sounds perfect! I have a couple of favorites, but this one is based on the original Orange Julius. My husbands makes it all the time for me. I LOVE it. When I am feeling different I just play around with it and make up my own smoothie. Sometimes I will just opt for fresh fruit instead of sugar and othertimes I will mix myself up something completely different. The great thing about smoothies is they taste great no matter what.

Ingredients
6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

8-9 ice cubes

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in blender.

2. Blend for about 1-2 minutes, adding ice cubes one at a time.

--The Unique Mom

Taggies

2008-08-07T23:41:00.004-05:00

I LOVE taggies. These things are amazing. My son got his first Taggie as a gift from a friend at his baby shower. I have been loving Taggies ever since then. Taggies now offers lots of clothes, gifts, and blankets just for baby and kids. Their new colours collections is the best though. I love the bright and fun colors. Its great because it offers lots of sensory development for young babies.http://www.taggies.com

--The Unique Mom

Just for Mom!

2008-08-06T08:15:00.004-05:00

Okay maybe I am just addicted to this stuff but I love Bath and Body works mentha lip glosses! They are so smooth and are a quick and easy touch-up when I am on the go. My faves are the coral and pink tinted ones but they are all great. Perfect for summer or winter, these are a must have!

http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/

--The Unique Mom

Hit the road junk!

2008-08-05T08:30:00.006-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me how much junk ends up in our car. Our van is full of essentials but they end up all over the place, especially right by the kids seats. I decided its time to get organized! We found these car organizers at One Step Ahead and they are perfect for our van. There is enough room for my son's wipes and diapers plus his books, cars, mini-maginoodle, sippy cup, and snacks. Now if I could only get this summer weather to cool down!

www.onestepahead.com

--The Unique Mom

Bobux Shoes

2008-08-04T21:55:00.003-05:00

I found these at a little boutique and just had to get them! I have a rugby striped orange and white newborn one piece for our baby on the way and these match perfectly. They are sporty and fun and I can't wait to dress up our baby boy in his new outfit! I LOVE it!

http://www.bobuxusa.com/site/index.html

--The Unique Mom

Zutano Clothing

2008-08-03T22:22:00.005-05:00

I spent the weekend shopping with friends and I can't wait to share all of the fun things I found. My favorite find was Zutano baby and kids clothing because it is so soft. If you haven't discoverd Zutano yet, you are missing out. Zutano has a huge selection of bright and fun clothing for little girls and boys. Also, Zutano has recently expanded by adding a newborn collection to its already big collection of infant and toddler clothing. I really love the Itzy celery dot sytle. You can find Zutano brands in select online stores or boutiques. Check them out, they have the cutest clothes!

http://www.zutano.com/pages/

--The Unique Mom

Super Soft Baby Gifts

2008-07-31T09:57:00.006-05:00

I love baby clothes because they are so cute and tiny and have the softest fabrics. These Bunnies By The Bay items are perfect because of just that. They offer silky-soft, rich and luxurious gifts for baby and mom. My favorite is their cuddle coats. They are adorable, very soft, and machine washable with special care. They make a perfect baby gift or even keepsake item for the nursery. Check them out!

http://www.bunniesbythebay.com/index.cfm

--The Unique Mom

Splash Into Summer!

2008-07-30T16:09:00.005-05:00

What's a better way to beat the heat than to go swimming! It's fun for babies, toddlers, kids, teens, and adults! Here are some things you might want to bring or try at the pool this summer:

First off, don't forget the sunscreen and a hat! You can never be careful. Remember to reapply often.
Bring cups, buckets, and plastic containers. Little kids love dumping out water into other containers. My two year old can play for hours with these.
Bring soft, cushy balls to toss. These are fun for little and big kids. Big kids can throw these around to play catch and little kids like to make the water squirt out.
Bring squirties. These are fantastic for both the bath tub and at the pool. We bring enough to have a little squirting war. Also great for when mom is sitting on a pool chair and wants to cool down--just spray and enjoy!
Snacks and water to drink if your local pool will let you have it on-site. Our pool doesn't mind if little kids have sippy cups or baggies of small cheerios. These are great for a quick snack during pool checks.
Your child's favorite plastic toy. This will provide endless hours of entertainment. For us cars and trucks are wonderful but for a girl it might be her favorite plastic baby doll. Because its plastic, it won't hurt for it to get wet.
Try showing your child how they can play in the water. Scoop up water with your hands and show them how to use their hands to do this. Or show them how to make waves in the water. You can even make a game of it by encouraging him/her to make the smallest or biggest waves. Be creative and have fun!
A giant beach bag and towel. Pack in a freezer size ziplock bag to put all your toys in so they don't get everything wet and pack a plastic grocery bag if you need to change out of your wet swimming suit.

Have a Safe and Cool Summer!

--The Unique Mom

"Kids" Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-07-30T08:34:00.007-05:00

This special recipe my son loves to eat up. Its extra chocolatey and super fun to make. You just take a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe and make a couple yummy changes. But try not to eat the whole plate right up!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup cocoa

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Several varieties of chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate chunks, etc.)

Chopped nuts or small marshmallows (optional)

2 tsp. Hersey's chocolate syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. **Note: For best results chill dough before baking for 1/2 hour.**

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add chocolate syrup. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, marshmallows and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets, or use an icecream scooper for perfect shape and easy scooping.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until done in center. Cookies will be a medium brown. Cool on baking sheets and remove to wire racks to finish cooling. Serve warm with glass of cold milk. Yum!

--The Unique Mom

Picture Pefect Bows!

2008-07-29T09:57:00.006-05:00

I found the cutest little girls bows while looking for a children's boutique in my homestate of Iowa. The Pink Hippo is located in my hometown and offers adorable baby girl and big girl accessories as well as fashion items. I adore their custom made-to-match Gymboree selection of bows and their Iowa Hawkeye and Iowa State Cyclones bows. With the big game coming up this fall between the two teams, I will be recommending this to everyone I know with a little girl. They are too cute!
http://www.pinkhippobows.com/
--The Unique Mom

Fun Playtime Tee-Shirts

2008-07-28T16:18:00.005-05:00

These days everyone wants to make a statement. Although I don't always go for the sayings tees, these are pretty cute! Food fight tees offers a huge selection of onesies and tee shirts for babies and kids. I really love their Olympic tee shirt. What better time of the year to wear that than right before the Olympics! My other favorties are their organic and big wheeler tees. Check them out, I had fun just looking!

http://www.startafoodfight.com/

--The Unique Mom

Quick & Easy Craft Tips

2008-07-28T09:47:00.005-05:00

If your child loves arts and crafts, here are some quick tips. There will probably still be glue on the table or crayon marks on your walls (thats where wipes and magic erasers come in handy by the way), but here are a couple of neat tricks to keep you organized and your kids happy.

1) Start a craft bin--buy a tote or plastic bin with a lid and use it to contain all of your kids fun craft things. I actually have two, one for all of the crayons, sticker, markers and miscellaneous things we use for crafts and one for anything I have planned for a special project or that needs kept separate. I keep paper plates, plastic baggies of rice and beans, a stapler and tape, and pre-cutouts of shapes from construction paper in this bin.

2) Try something different--don't use just plan old crayons and markers even though they are wonderful. Use glitter sticks, finger paint, watercolors, felt pieces, glue, playdoh, used egg cartons and toilet paper rolls, etc. Anything around the the house can be a new craft!

3) Do art with your kids--this will keep them occupied for longer and give you an opportunity to teach them something new. You don't have to be an aspiring artist to teach your kids something. You can show them how to mix paint to make a new color or show them how to draw silly faces. Staying involved will make it lots more fun for both of you.

--The Unique Mom

Fun Playtime Toys!

2008-07-27T20:28:00.004-05:00

These are not your average stuffed animals! These handknit toys are just adorable and come in four different jungle animals to choose from. Plus Pokkadots has lots of other neat baby and kids items to choose from!

http://www.pokkadots.com/index.cfm

--The Unique Mom

Retro in the Kitchen

2008-07-26T11:37:00.004-05:00

I love to cook but I never find really cute aprons and find myself always spilling something on me while cooking. These however are so orginal I want one so bad! Stitch Thru Time offers a huge selection of old-fashioned aprons for moms and daughters. I really love the holidays ones but this red kitchen cherries one is very cool! I might have to get this one!

http://www.stitchthrutime.com/

--The Unique Mom

Mmm! Monkey Bread!

2008-07-25T16:09:00.005-05:00

A long time ago I came across this recipe. It is so sweet and delicious no one wants to miss out on it. It's the perfect way to start your Saturday or Sunday morning!

Ingredients:
4 cans refrigerated biscuits (Use the mini biscuits, not Grands or the flaky biscuits. I buy a 4-pack of mini biscuits.)

2 sticks butter

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bundt cake pan.
2. Shake up cinnamon and white sugar in a freezer size plastic bag. Cut the biscuits into quarters. Break apart pieces and put in bag. Shake up to mix and coat all pieces.

3. Place coated pieces in the bottom of the greased pan. Layer them until full. Sprinkle extra cinnamon/sugar mix over pan.

4. Melt the butter on the stove with the brown sugar over low-medium heat. Let cook and bring to boil for 1 minute but don't overcook.
5. Pour mixture into the pan coating all pieces. Bake for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Pull apart and enjoy!

--The Unique Mom

Fun Rain Gear For Kids!

2008-07-25T11:05:00.005-05:00

Its been raining a lot here in the Midwest lately and I haven't been quite able to find a cute rain jacket and umbrella for my son. I have been hunting for a cute one and could not believe it when I found this set. My son LOVES frogs right now and this is just too cute for a little boy. Coco Bonbons carries the cutest things for both boys and girls! I also love their other rain gear collections, which all offer matching rain boots, umbrellas and jackets! It's a great way to brighten up any rainy day!

http://www.cocobonbons.com/

--The Unique Mom

Cool Baby Shower Gift!

2008-07-24T10:27:00.006-05:00

Looking for a cool baby shower gift? Are you hosting a baby shower and looking for a cool centerpiece?

I am! My sister's baby shower is coming up and I am hosting it. Well I found a really cool diaper cake website and since her baby shower theme is baby jungle animals I could not pass this one up. But the website offers all sorts of other themed diaper cakes. I already ordered! Now I cannot wait for it to arrive!

http://www.lilbabycakes.com/

--The Unique Mom

Mama Mia!!! Easy Pepperoni Rolls!

2008-07-23T17:18:00.008-05:00

I make these for my son ALL the time. We call them "baby pizzas" and he eats them right up.

What you need is:
--A can of Pillsbury crescent roll-ups (not the crescents, but the mini rolls)
--A can of pizza sauce or your own (a quick tip for picky eater is to puree veggies into the pizza sauce)
--Mozzerella shredded cheese
--Diced Pepperoni (regular is fine, you will just have to cut them into halves)
--Assortment of any other veggies or toppings you like
--Cookie Sheet & non-stick spray
--Cutting board or clean lightly floured surface
--Seasoning if you prefer, I use garlic and italian seasoning

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to about 350 degrees F. Spray non-stick cookie sheet and set aside.
2) Open rolls over cutting board or clean lightly floured surface. Separate rolls and peel out so they lay like flat sticks of dough. Line them all up together so that they lay next to each other on surface
3) Spread sauce over dough. Sprinkle seasoning and toppings on top at this time. Don't put too many toppings on.
4) Next add cheese so that it light coats strips. You should be able to still see the red sauce through the cheese.
5) Now individually roll up the rolls from one end to the next, like a spiral. Place onto baking sheet with the spiral side visable from a birds-eye view. Finish the rest. Evenly space on sheet.
6) Pop in oven and cook for about 8-10 minute or until golden brown and done in the center of the dough. Let cool and enjoy with fresh fruit!

--The Unique Mom

Fun & Funky Clothes For Kids!

2008-07-23T16:03:00.006-05:00

I have been ordering from the Polkadot Patch Boutique for a long time now. They offer so many cool and fun items I can't resist! I love it because they have the COOLEST stuff for kids. I love their clothes because they are so bright and colorful. They are so original and you can't find items like this anywhere else 99% of the time. I especially love their custom-personalized onesies for infants. I bought one for my sister who is expecting! It came all cute and wrapped up like a piece of hard candy! It was a perfect shower gift!
http://www.polkadotpatch.com/

--The Unique Mom

The CUTEST little girls dress up clothes!

2008-07-23T15:31:00.003-05:00

How adorable is this!?? I have completely fallen in love with this company's tutu's and dress up clothes for little girls! Check it out--they have tutus for infants all the way up to big girls!
http://lilyannaforgirls.com/shop/index.php
--The Unique Mom

Introduction

2008-07-23T14:55:00.000-05:00

My name is Jessica. I am young mom to an almost 2 1/2 year old little boy, happily married, and living in the Midwest. I am also expecting in December 2008 my second child. I am a modern mom who is also currently busy finishing up my degree. I have passion for parenting--and everything that comes with it. From teaching my kids their ABC's and numbers to showing them the value of love and friendship--being a parent is amazing. I especially love to shop around for my children and family and find one-of-a-kind items. Even if I don't buy things, I enjoy the search for something different. Fashion is something I have always loved and although I am no celebrity, I have a knack for finding really cool things. I am also interested in politics and international issues so I consider myself a pretty hip and global mom. I love to travel, whether locally or abroad. I some day hope to open my own boutique but for now I enjoy shopping in them. I hope to share on this blog not just all the neat things I find, but also maybe a little bit about myself and what is going on in this big crazy world. Hope you enjoy!

--The Unique Mom