This weekend, I'd had it with my hair...for some unknown reason, I go through goofy phase every couple years where I think I should grow my hair out and try to have long, flowing locks. Well, that's never gonna happen...genetics are NOT on my side for long flowing locks. I'm cursed with fine, thin hair and no matter how hard I try or what magical products I try, when my hair is long it has no body and looks stringy...ick! The good lord above did bless me with the knack for cutting hair though, and I figured that if I cut both kids' hair and Curt's, why not attempt to cut mine in the cute style I'd envisioned. After all, it's only hair and if I screw it up too badly, I can always call the salon. I'm so tickled to report that the haircut was a huge success, and it's just what I wanted and the best part....it was FREE! Love that. Check out the pic and tell me what you think....
OK, OK, I know not everyone can or will cut their own hair, but I just had to share my happiness over the haircut experiment's success :)
Now, onto other cheap thrills that you can all do. First of all, I hope you're all getting a kick out of Cassie's coupon tips and tricks. She's teaching me to really be coupon savvy! I saved $24 at the store on Friday with coupons, and I was so thrilled. I've found a website that I just adore for coupons and free samples...check out www.allyou.com. Just like the magazine, it offers daily free samples and printable coupons as well as lots of easy, do-able money saving ideas. I love love love it! Sign up for the daily email reminders regarding the daily free samples, then you won't ever miss out!
This weekend was "Freezer Stocking" time for me. Every now and then, I make a big ol' crockpot of my refried beans (recipe is here on the blog!) and a stockpot full of my Homemade Pizza/Marinara Sauce. Once both are done, I divvy up the goodies into quart size freezer bags and lay them flat for freezing. This way, they take up less space and stack nicely in the freezer. It's all about the organization girls! The pizza sauce is the result of playing around with several recipes until I came up with a recipe that we all loved. It's a sweet marinara, so if you prefer a more savory sauce, just play around with the ingredients and cut down on the sugar added. I suggest you leave some of the sugar, as it helps cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Having this in the freezer makes homemade pizza night a snap! I simply mix up my crust in the Kitchen aid mixer, let it rise and then defrost the sauce. So easy, and so yummy!!
With Spring comes the urge to purge...closets, cabinets, you name it. I started my Spring purging this weekend in Jack's room...wow...4 totes of garage sale stuff and 2 large trashbags later, I'm ready to move onto the next room. Do this every Spring/Fall and you'll be amazed at how your clutter levels will start to drop dramatically. Here's how to do it....First, pick a room to start with. Gather totes for garage sale items, trash bags for Goodwill items and trash bags for actual trash. Do it one room at a time, or even on closet/drawer at a time. Each time you finish a task, you'll be so fired up to continue..I promise! And onto garage sales...People often ask me how I price my items. I follow a simple rule I read about years ago. Try to price items at least 75% off retail. Of course, if the item is damaged or dented, scratched, etc...knock more off. And be reasonable! If you've made the decision to get rid of it, price it to go. Do you really want to put it away and drag it out again? Nope!! Another great tip that I personally do and love is that at the end of your sale, go through everything and donate a TON of it to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or your local women's or homeless shelter. The less you have to store for the next sale, the better. Good luck, and happy garage sale sorting!
And now...the most exciting cheap thrill this blog has ever offered.....A GIVEAWAY! Yes friends, you read that right. But here's the catch...you're gonna have to help me on this one. I know many of you read this, but not many of you are "followers" here on blogspot. My goal is to get at least 50 followers by the end of the month. If we hit that number, yours truly will be giving away something super fun and cute.....a handmade set of 6 Note Cards in your choice of colors, made my moi! These have been a hit with those nearest and dearest to me, and I've even sold some sets recently. So spread the word...get your friends to follow this blog. Put links on your FB pages, shout from the rooftops, take out ads in the paper....OK, kidding about the ad...:) One of you will be chosen at random at the end of the month if we can hit 50 followers. And after that, each milestone we hit will be accompanied by another giveaway...fun, huh??! This pic shows one of my designs...and it could be YOURS!!
Cute, huh? And making these is my creative therapy :)
OK, get out your stockpots and whip up a batch of the Homemade Pizza/Marinara. It's super cheap, super easy and super yummy. I will tell ya, I'm a dump and cook kind of girl, so measurements are a guess. Do what I do...I taste it as I cook it and add seasonings as I see fit. You can't go wrong!
Homemade Pizza/Marinara Sauce
3 small cans of tomato sauce (.39 cents each at Meijer!)
3 small cans of tomato paste (.25 cents each at Meijer!..told ya this was cheap!)
4-5 cups of water...depending on the thickness you prefer
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
3 T. basil
3-4 T. Italian Seasoning
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 cup white or red wine, optional
Mix all ingredients in a large stockpot and stir until smooth. Simmer over medium low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Make sure you taste test and get the seasoning to your tastes. Let cool and package in 2 cup portions in quart size freezer bags. Be sure to remove all air from bag, then lay flat to freeze. Makes about 5 freezer bags of sauce.
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