Picture of the Week

Today's POTW will be a little different. We wanted to share some pictures of Sarah's oldest brother, Phil. He passed away 3 years ago today from Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Phil holding Sarah the day she came home from the hospital.

Phil's birthday-showing off his ND coat!

Christmas (One of Sarah's favorite pictures of Phil.)

Sarah's high school graduation.

The day Phil's daughter, Hannah, was born.

Sarah with her brothers on our wedding day.

4th of July with his daughter.

Send a little Greeting

#6: Make your own greeting cards

Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, parties, do I seriously need to keep going?! There are so many family members and friends and there are so many important dates that we had to keep adding to our calendar, that we finally decided that we were sick of going out and getting a card each time. Plus, once we got to the greeting card section, we could never find the card that said exactly what we wanted. That is when I decided that I would make my own. You always have a card on hand, you don't have to waste time searching for the "right" one, and you don't have to worry about anxiety when you flip that card over and realize that the "right" one is in the wrong price range. So, see for yourself! It's pretty simple and you'll save more money than you could ever imagine.

Picture of the Week

One thing we love about this time of year is football! This week's POTW is of Matt Grothe & BJ Daniels. We went to the first game of the season two weekends ago and were able to sit on row 3 right behind the team. Sarah was able to snap this picture of Grothe telling Daniels that it was his turn to go in.

Crock Pot Chilli

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 lb. ground round

* 2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce

* 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with onion and garlic (or you can add onion & garlic separately)

* 2 cans (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

* 1 envelope McCormick chili seasoning

* garlic powder to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon

* 2 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste

* salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

Brown the hamburger. Drain. Add hamburger and rest of ingredients to slow cooker/Crock Pot and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.

Cake Mix Cookies

I forgot to post a recipe last Friday, so this week, you will get two new recipes. I made these cookies on Tuesday and they were wonderful and so easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix (any flavor)

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

*I also added Reeses Peanut Butter Chips to the recipe. Feel free to experiment!

Preparation:

*Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

*Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl

*Drop by spoonfuls on greased pan

*Bake for 10-12 minutes

Enjoy!

A penny saved is a penny earned...

Money saving tip #5: Make your own cleaning solution

I use white vinegar and water to clean counter tops and tables. It also adds a nice shine to the stainless steel faucets. Do you have a mess in your microwave? Easy! Just add 2 tablespoons lemon juice or baking soda (Using lemon juice leaves a nice fresh scent!) to 1 cup bowl of water and place in your microwave. Heat on high until the mixture boils, then let it boil for 5 minutes so that the steam accumulates on the walls and door of the oven. Remove the bowl and wipe down the interior. Do you hate dusting? Save those used dryer sheets! They work really well on your electronics. The static electricity will repel the dust so you won't have to dust as often. They also work well on blinds.

If you have any money saving tips about cleaning (or anything else!), send them my way. Others might like to read them too!

Picture of the Week

Today's picture was taken yesterday afternoon in the parking lot of Olive Garden. We were walking to our car and heard all of these birds chirping. We looked up, and the trees were full of parrot-like birds.

Cut your costs!

Money saving tips (continued):

#4- We cut our own hair

Actually, Sarah cuts the hair. It's really easy! For men, just use hair clippers with guards. They also have tapered guards that you can use around the ears. For women, if you're wanting a nice layered look, flip your hair over and cut straight across. When you flip your hair back over, you'll get the perfect amount of layers. If you get really good at it, start your own side business!