Trader Joes Tuesday- Pancakes!

I usually make my pancakes from scratch. But since going Gluten/Dairy free that is no longer fun for me. So a few months ago James brought home the Buttermilk Pancake Mix from Trader Joes. I whipped some up the next morning and my kids chowed them down. So I snuck a piece. Sure enough it tastes exactly like my homemade from scratch ones.

They are super easy to make. You just need a griddle, some Pam, an egg (I made a double batch), water, mixing bowl, whisk and spatula.

Add water and eggs to the mix and whisk.

This batter is too thick. For great pancakes your batter should be the consistancy of a yummy milkshake.

Just right! Now time to get them on the griddle.

Here's a tip for when to turn them. See those little bubbles. When they start popping lift up the edge and peek at the bottom. They should be ready to turn.

When they are done put them on a plate and add peanut butter and syrup! (Trust me, it's good.)

My most favorite pancake tip of all (especially if you have to cut up a lot) is to use a pizza cutter. I also use the pizza cutter to cut up sandwhiches. (I have more than one kid. LOL.)

Now, if I was smart I would have had my husband bring home some a frozen fruit medley so I could make a yummy fruit compote for the top. Maybe next time!

Snow Angel Video Tutorial

To continue my video tutorial series here is a fun one I did for a friend. Hope you like it Bells!

A Restart On Old Habits.

I have gotten out of the habit of couponing. My old system just wasn't working for me anymore. I really wanted to try the binder/baseball card holder system but since I'm doing the Dave Ramsey thing I don't have a lot of extra cash. My good friend Erin sent me her binder/baseball card system and I got it in the mail a few days ago.

The binder itself is pretty awesome. Loads of places for pens/scissors/small calculator. But do you see that huge pile of coupons? That will take some time to cut out.

See how I have this organized? It's broken up a lot more than my previous system. Also, I can take my binder with me so should I see something on sale I can just flip and see if I have a coupon. Sometimes stores don't always advertise all their sales. I hate it when I go to buy something... see that it's on sale and THEN remember that I have a coupon for it. At home.

If you don't see me for a few days it's probably because I am still cutting out coupons. :)

Trader Joes Tuesday- VIDEO TUTORIAL- Candy Cane Joe Joe Truffles

Candy Cane Joe Joe Truffles are AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!

And now for my first video tutorial! I'm not sure why we didn't think of this sooner. My husband did go to film school after all. Forgive the quality of the footage. We obviously need a new camera. Or at least one with more than 8mb of memory on it.



So, what do you guys think? Should we do more videos?

Awesome Deals at DaveRamsey.com

I just found out about this great deal for Dave Ramsey books. I’ve ordered a set for us. In addition, they are having lots of his other products on sale for only $10. I might have to go back and order the kids one as well.


You can purchase the following items for about $34 shipped (it varies depending on your tax)



Add to your cart:



Baby Step Bundle - Normally $91, on sale for $29

It includes the Total Money Makeover book, workbook, Financial Peace book and the software.




High Performance Audio CD - $10



Personal Finance Software CD - Normally $24, on sale for $10






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Enter the code MORE and the book “More than Enough” ($16) will be added free to your cart



Enter the code BONUS49 and the audio CD will be free



Enter the code BUDGET and the software will be free


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Shipping is $4.95, unless you get expedited shipping.



So your totally should be about $34 or less for everything!



Normally this would have cost about $140, so you save around $105! AMAZINGLY AWESOME DEAL and if you already have a few of these items you can give away the new stuff and change someone else's life!

Are you checking in with Reality?

Reality. A funny little word for those of us who are Virtual Realists. Often Reality gives us a good swift kick in the hiney to make sure we are paying attention. Reality right now is having me check in with myself to make sure that I'm balancing my IRL (In Real Life) world with my Virtual one.

For us Momprenuers our reality at any given time could be a number of things. Are the kids fed? When was the last time I showered? Oh crud, I haven't updated the Etsy site in a few days. What's for dinner? Man, this workroom is a disaster! Seriously Facebook... I only popped on for 5 minutes and now it's three hours later.

Often because of all that I have to do in a day some things get left out or forgotten. A few weeks ago it was an online meeting. I failed to check my calender that day and decided to take the kids out of the house. It was a beautiful day! But the reality is that I could have done both that day if I had CHECKED IN with my calender (which is REALITY in a nutshell) and made it home in enough time to also go to my meeting.

So my new goal is to Reality Check twice a day. Once in the morning as I'm eating breakfast and once again at night right before bed. I'll give you an example of my morning Reality Check. I spend some time (about 10-20 minutes) working on schedule and to do lists.

Family
1. Check calender for any meetings/appointments/special things at school/work/church.
2. Make the Schedule for the Day (I need this otherwise I might get distracted... facebook. Craft blogs. Ravelry.)
3. What's for lunch and dinner? (I have my menu for the week done but I need to get out the stuff for dinner now. Before I forget. Yet again. And I absolutely detest meat that has be thawed in the microwave.)
4. What do the kids need? How are they doing emotionally/physically/in school/at church? Etc.

Business
1. Check calender for any upcoming deadlines.
2. Review the PoA (Plan of Attack) that I made during the previous nights Reality Check.
3. Points to Ponder- For example... Does my schedule work for me? Should I do that craft show? What about putting my stuff in the shop downtown that does consignment. What stores are low on product? New ideas for product, etc.

House
1. Are there any super huge messes that need to be cleaned up?
2. Cleaning Schedule- I do one BIG deep clean a week. The whole house. Top to bottom. It works better for me but I know a fair few people who like to do a little bit each day. I prefer to straighten up rooms every night before bed and make sure my dishes are clean. I leave the heavier stuff for my Cleaning Frenzy day.
3. What maintenance/projects need to be done? Put them on the schedule to tackle.


I've found if I take the 20 minutes at breakfast and the 10 minutes at bedtime to go over these things that the important things to me are always being carefully considered. I might also add finances to this list. That seems to be a big thing for me right now. Hmmm... something to ponder tonight!

I need another set of eyes. And more color!

Here's what the workroom looks like RIGHT NOW. (Yes, I decided to take the big plunge and move it downstairs so I can work and be close to the kiddo's.)

Ok, ready... set... go! Hit me with your ideas. (For furniture placement and where to put the computer. I have ideas to add color.)