Lemonade out of Lemons Photographer

Have you ever had a photo session with your child when nothing was going as planned and you thought, "Total waste of time!"? Bobby's one-year pictures at Sears Portraits was one of those memories. Crying, comfort, crying, snack, crying, walk around the store, crying...for an hour. When Devin and Brooke were ready to have their one-year pictures, I dreaded a repeat. But thankfully, not all photographers are created equally.

When Bobby was 2 1/2, I discovered a photographer with a gift for capturing real expressions and unguarded moments in a woman who just so happened to be my next door neighbor. Mitzi Bodie of Bodie Photo has subsequently taken the 3 month, 6 month, 9 month, and one year photographs for Devin and Brooke. She always says, "They're so easy," but I know it's HER easy demeanor that makes the difference.

Mitzi was presented with her greatest challenge recently for Brooke's one-year portraits. Though it was typically a good time of day for Brooke, she was particularly fussy that morning. Brooke greeted Mitzi--a face she knew well--with guarded skepticism. She played along with props of books and was intrigued by Dancing Elmo, but Brooke forfeited only one smile the entire session--which Mitzi managed to capture beautifully. See above.

Shortly after, I changed Brooke into a dress that I wore as a baby. I really wanted pictures of her in this special dress bought by my grandmother and carefully preserved all these years. Brooke began to wail. Only my arms would comfort her. Her whimpering face read, "I just want to nurse and nap; no more, mommy."

I started to apologize and cut our session short, but Mitzi encouraged me to stay. I nursed Brooke in private and she fell asleep in my arms. Mitzi quietly appeared with a pillow and asked if I could transfer her. As Brooke slept like an angel, Mitzi went to work. She probably snapped three times as many pictures of her asleep as awake. She captured what is quickly fleeting--that precious baby vulnerability, lying in total peace.

Mitzi allowed Brooke to sleep in her studio as long as we liked. There was no pressure of the next appointment, and even though Mitzi had other plans for her day, she showed great patience. Brooke's one-year pictures aren't what I had expected; they are far more special. And for that, I dub Mitzi Bodie the "Lemonade out of Lemons Photographer."

On the Hunt for the Hunts

The Dilemma: what to stuff dozens of plastic eggs for 3 kids for 4--maybe 5 Easter egg hunts over 2 weeks.

The Environmental Concern: don't want to buy stuff that will be thrown away instantly

The Taste Concern: don't want to buy candy just because it's cheap; I'll only buy what I eat

The Time Crunch: three days 'til my first hunt and I only have an hour to shop

The Cost Cap: $10 (preferably $5-$10)

In years past, I've opted to stuff Easter eggs with Dove miniature chocolate eggs--my favorite! However, when I started calculating how many I would need this year (2 dozen, per kid, per hunt), my eyes glazed over and the chuh-ching rang in my head. With my new good deal sleuthing skills, surely I'd be successful in finding a solution.

I began with trying to find coupons for Dove on their website; none to be had. I then saw CVS has Dove candy on sale this week for $3 a bag and if I buy 4 bags, I earn $3 ECBs (Extra Care Bucks). So I suppose that's like getting my candy for $9, but I'm still out $12 initially. Seems a bit much.

Downgrading chocolate choices, I printed a couple coupons for $1/2 Nestle eggs. Target has them on sale this week for $2.69 each, bringing my costs to $2.19 a bag; ok price. Walgreens also has a $1/2 coupon in the March coupon book. IF they go on sale for $2/bag, that would make them only a buck a bag with both coupons. The problem is they're not on sale this week and I need something by Friday. Hmmm. So I emailed a few friends for help and got some good ideas I hadn't considered.

Heather Robinson of The Mommyhood said she uses a variety of stickers, coins, tattoos, and candy. This year she was considering adding little stamps with ink in the cap that can be found in the dollar bin at Target. Last year she had bought bunny ears for the kids but the adults were the ones wearing them; fun.

Gabrielle Blake of Couponing in Critical Times commented that stickers have been the biggest hit at her hunts in years past. They're easy to find, you can cut the sticker pages so that each egg has a variety, they're inexpensive, relatively eco-friendly, and the kids love them. SOLD!

Following my rule of clustering errands to save gas, I planned around the consignment sale at Central Baptist Church in Bearden. Tip #1: It's going on again tomorrow (3/10 from 9:30am - 2pm), has a decent collection of clothes (no toys), and the check-out line wasn't bad. Tip #2: Krispy Kreme is across the street. If your kids received any free donut valentines, they expire 3/16. Brooke and I shared a free donut after the sale; a nice reward for both of us! Tip #3: If you missed this sale, don't worry. There are loads of others before Easter; follow Knoxmoms for details.

But back to my main mission. Before the consignment doors opened, I stopped at The Dollar Tree and A.C. Moore on Morrell Road. I wasn't too impressed with the Easter themed sticker choices at The Dollar Tree, but I was excited to see several packs of 100 autocollants (shiny) stickers already separated: Spider Man, Sponge Bob, Barbie, Disney Princesses, Thomas, and Scooby Doo--score! I picked up three packs to give whoever opened it something they'd like.

Next door, A.C. Moore had a good collection of 506 Easter stickers and 136 shiny cute insect stickers for $1 each (look near the registers). I'll have to cut these up, but I have a great variety now. I'll likely stash some away for art projects or maybe even next year's hunts.

Thankfully I have all the plastic eggs I need from buying after-Easter sales last year. So for just $5, I now have nearly a thousand stickers! That should do it. I'll miss having a stash of Dove chocolates to nibble on, but this is a far wiser choice for my bottom line and my bottom. ;-)

Better Choices One at a Time

Reading some of my fellow mom bloggers' posts, I confess I'm feeling inferior. I can't fathom spending only $350 - $400 a month on groceries AND household items, and even though I recycle and compost, others are leagues ahead of me environmentally. So here's what I've decided: it's not a contest (thank goodness, because I surely wouldn't win), and it's best to take baby steps toward making better economical, healthy, environmentally responsible choices. So here's my baby step of the week.

This week at Earthfare I picked up some Rice Select arborio rice for half off. Note: I have no affiliation with this company and this is not meant to be a company endorsement. I admit I love boxed rice mixes (that shall remain nameless) and have been cooking them for years. Plain rice is so boring and never has the texture the others have provided. But I'm trying to keep an open mind these days, and this time I was pleasantly surprised on five fronts.

1. Cost: Comparing costs of the Rice Select and my typical boxed rice, I would have to buy 5 boxes to equal this one container. Even not on sale, the Rice Select is cheaper. However, since it was on sale and I had a coupon, the cost was more than HALF that of my old favorite.

2. Health: I've always known the boxed rice was full of preservatives and the first ingredient is "enriched parboiled rice"--not so appetizing when you hear it that way. In total, there are 19 ingredients on the box; Rice Select has only one: arborio rice.

3. Local: Rice Select is grown in the USA; I have no idea where the other comes from.

4. Packaging: Though I recycle cardboard, every environmentalist knows it's better to choose products with less packaging in the first place (1 vs 5). And this container is clear and a good size for helping my husband organize things in his shop; so it will be reused and then recycled.

5. Taste: My biggest hang-up up 'til now has been taste, but I LOVED the end result. Following the instructions on the package, I sauteed some onion and cooked one cup of homemade stock at a time (3 cups total) until it absorbed. It was a little more effort than "cover and simmer" but an occasional stir did the trick. The risotto came out creamy and delicious--rivaling anything I've found in a box. I'm looking forward to trying all the other varieties. For anything you'd want to know including recipes for the 40,000 varieties of rice, click here.

My switch to a new form of rice is not a big deal, but it's a step in the right direction. What baby step have you taken this week?

Meals from Deals

We all know that a deal isn't a deal if we don't use the food before it goes bad. But sometimes, that's my hardest challenge. When meal planning, I usually start with what's on sale, what's fresh, or what in my freezer should be cooked and go from there. So here are a few ways I'm making the most of the recent deals I've written about.

Since I have 6 packs of Pillsbury Grands biscuits and some free shredded Kraft cheese, here' a great dinner recipe for both the kids will love. Since this is one of my freezer meals, you can double it and save one for dinner again in 2-3 weeks. I'll admit it's not a healthy meal, but who doesn't love these biscuits upon occasion?! I feel a little better, having served them with steamed carrots.

Meat Pies

1 lb ground beef browned

1/2 onion chopped

1 green onion chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

dash parsley

shredded cheese

Mix together and form into small patties; freeze what you won't cook tonight. Take 1 or 2 cans of biscuits and flatten them out. Tip: Using a mallet here is a great way to get out frustration if you've had a bad day! Place the meat onto one flattened biscuit, sprinkle with shredded cheese, top with another flattened biscuit and pinch the sides closed. Bake according to can directions.

Moving on, this week I picked up 5 packs of mahi mahi, which I throw directly into the freezer. The butcher at my Kroger said they should have it on sale for a few more weeks or until supply dwindles. Since asparagus was also on sale this week, I Googled a recipe that uses both and found this delicious one. It's a great option for meatless Fridays during Lent or if you just want a light, healthy meal. I served rice with it as well.

Some may shy away from chicken breasts with the bone, but I prefer it, especially since it's cheaper. Since Tyson breasts were on sale this week, I picked up 2 packs (6 breasts) which I'll use for 4 meals. I roasted all 6 like I would a whole chicken in my roasting pan. I used some basil pesto I made from the garden last summer but any spice will do. I threw in the bottom of the pan some sliced carrots, onions and organic potatoes that are pretty inexpensive. Dinner on Thursday was the first meal.

After dinner, I deboned the remaining breasts and made stock out of the bones (another reason to cook 6 at once). The leftover veggies and 1 1/2 breasts gave Bob and me lunch on Friday--meal two. Tonight I'm looking forward to making pizzas from the free dough and cheese I picked up at Earthfare. I'll also use some of the chicken diced (meal three), the roasted onions from last night, and some mushrooms I picked up on manager's special.

On Saturday and Sunday we'll take a rest from chicken but on Monday I'll chop up the remaining meat and mix it with cooked pasta, alfredo sauce, and a variety of veggies like broccoli for meal four. I think the variety of uses for the chicken takes away the feeling of, "Chicken, again?!"

Since Saturday is going to be a busy day for us, dinner will be simple. I'm serving the remaining spinach stuffed pork tenderloin I cooked on Wednesday, but I'll cook fresh risotto rice I picked up on sale at Earthfare. One cup of rice requires three cups of stock, exactly what I made on Thursday night. I'll steam some green beans for a quick veggie.

Since I try to do one special breakfast on weekends, I'm planning smoothies and cinnamon rolls on Sunday morning. The smoothies will use the free blueberries I got at Earthfare a few weeks back and the cinnamon rolls were one of the almost free Pillsbury deals.

Finally, I'm planning to eat another of my free Healthy Choice dinners I bought awhile back when Bob has a dinner meeting this week. I can't say frozen dinners are for me; the small portions are ridiculous, but I can't argue with free and easy upon occasion.

And I have decided this is a week I will forgo my regular trip for groceries and focus on what I can prepare from what's already in my pantry or freezer. I'm calling it "Shopping in my Garage." I already have the menu laid out; so I know it's doable. Check back soon for that post. Have a good weekend.

Saving $ at the Pump-BUYER BEWARE

A couple weeks ago I posted details of how to save money on gas using your Kroger Plus card at Shell stations. I still think this is a great idea, but they're lacking in supporting it in practice. The first time I went, the machine would not read my card. When I typed in my number, it worked. Today when I tried the same thing, it wouldn't acknowledge my number. The cashier commented, "Yeah, they're not working; just come in and I'll take care of it." But I couldn't seem to figure out how to get the gas pump to start without swiping my credit card. Once I did that, the cashier couldn't give me the discount.

HEY, KROGER AND SHELL REPRESENTATIVES, THIS IS A PROBLEM!!!!

Though I'm bummed about missing out on savings today, I will go again in two weeks and save even more then. None of my points will expire between now and then; so I technically haven't lost any money--just delayed my savings. However, I would have used a cheaper station down the road and that would have saved me. Live and learn.

As for having to go inside to take care of the transaction, that is not a practical option for me. I'd either have to tote two kids inside with me and wait in line while they squirmed or leave them in an unattended car--I don't think so.

SO, KROGER AND SHELL, FIX IT OR YOU'RE LOSING ME AS A CUSTOMER!!!!

Have you had any problems with this new promotion?

FREE to nearly free Granola Bars

Just back from Kroger. Here are my best finds this week. The Stock the Cart event (which does not require you buy a certain number of items) makes for some good deals and may go on through next week; not sure.

Now is the time to stock up on granola bars. I know they're not that healthy, but I like to have some on hand in the car or for kids lunches. This week, there are four ways to save on every box of Nature Valley or Fiber One bars.

1. They're on sale for $2.29 each.

2. If you've been loading Cellfire and Shortcuts deals, you should have 3 $.40 e-savers for both Nature Valley bars and Fiber One bars.

3. You can find $.40 coupons in most papers or online, but recently I found 4 $.50 coupons for Nature Valley Sweet & Salty and 2 $.50 coupons for the lower calorie Fiber One bars. Kroger had also sent me a coupon for one free box of Fiber One. And remember Kroger doubles all of these.

4. Since they're having a catalina deal on both products through March 21, I earned $3 from buying 4 NV boxes and $1.50 for buying 3 FO boxes. Tip: If you'd prefer to stick to 3 NV boxes, you still earn $2.

So when you break it down, my 3 Fiber One bars actually made $.12 ($6.87-$2.29-$1-$1-$.40-$.40-$.40-$1.50 catalina=-$.12) and my Nature Valley bars cost $.24 each ($9.16 -$4 in doubled coupons -$1.20 esavers -$3 catalina=$.96 or $.24 each).

If you only have the $.40 coupons, you can still get some deals. Just make sure you have an e-saver and coupon for every box you buy and that you buy at least 2 or 3 boxes to get one of the catalina deals detailed here:

Nature Valley: buy 2, get $1; buy 3, get $2; buy 4, get $3.

Fiber One: buy 3, get $1.50; buy 4, get $2.50; buy 5, get $3.50.

If you insist on organic granola bars, pick up 2 Cascadian Farms boxes for nearly half off (2/$5) and use a $1.50/2 peelie to make them $1.75 a box.

There are also a few other freebies to be found. Chex Mix is on sale for $1.50. Use a $.50 coupon that doubles and a Cellfire or Shortcuts $.50 savings and they're free. Just remember you can only use 2 internet printable coupons. You can also get a Fiber One yogurt multi-pack for free. They're on sale for $2, use a $1 printable, and $1 esaver from Cellfire or Shortcuts.

The large boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios are also a deal right now. They're on sale for $2.99, I had a $1/2 coupon and 2 $.55 esavers. That brought my total to $1.94 a box (but these are twice the size of a typical box--so a great deal).

Marcal toilet paper, made from 100% recycled paper, is also a good deal. Twelve large rolls are on sale for $6.49 and the paper had a $2 coupon a few weeks back. It's a good way to support the recycled products industry. If we don't buy, they won't make it.

Some other deals: Thomas bagels are 2/$5, Barilla pasta is $1 each, and Progresso soup is $1.25 each but when you buy 2, you can save $1.50 through coupons and esavers.

Mahi mahi is $3.99 lb (about half off). I recommend buying the smaller packs that are already vacuum sealed and put them directly into the freezer. I've got a great recipe I'll share in a future blog with the asparagus that's also on sale for over half off.

My total was higher than usual since I stocked up on lots of items: $189.67 but I saved 42%. Looks like I'll need to try one of my "skip a week at the stores plans" to stay on budget for the month. Happy saving.

Saving 35% at Earthfare

If you've shied away from Earthfare because of the prices, I have proof that you can save the same percentage here as at Kroger if you're willing to shop the sales and use coupons. Thanks to Hannah at Frugally Farming Family, I learned about some sales and where to find specific coupons through March 30. For the weekly deals and best freebies, sign up for Earthfare emails. They usually come out on Wednesday.

Today was the last day for the free pizza dough and fresh mozzarella with purchase of red sauce. Using that coupon alone saved me $7.16 ($4.19 for cheese, $2.49 for dough, and $.48 on sauce on sale). I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

I saved $5 on 2 packs of Organic Valley sharp cheddar cheese because they were on sale ($1.50 off each) and I used a $2/2 coupon found on the back of the children's activity book Three River Market was giving away at the coupon fair. Organic Valley usually has lots of good coupons and is a good foot in the door if you're looking to try organic foods. You can also find them at Kroger occasionally on sale.

I was pleased to see Eden beans were on sale. I've read they're the only canning company that doesn't use BPA in their lining. They're a winner in my book.

Frontier Fair Trade Organic Vanilla Extract was $2 off a bottle. Since I still have two holiday Earthfare coupon books, I saved an additional $2 (bring my total to $6 savings on 2 bottles).

Earthfare pasta was 3/$5, saving me $.64 on two pounds of pasta. I'm noticing a lot of pasta companies are switching to 12 or 14.5 oz packages; so watch your comparisons.

The Rice Selects risotta was $1 off and I had a $2/1 coupon found here, bringing more than 2 pounds of organic rice to only $3.

I got 2 cans of Muir Glen organic soup for $1 each through a sale and 2 $1/1 coupons found here.

I paid full-price for organic apples and potatoes but since I bought the 3 and 5 pound bags, the potatoes were just over $1/pound and the apples were $1.76 a pound. After reading this article, I've decided these are the two produce items I'm willing to insist are organic. We've also switched to only wild salmon as well.

Total spent: $49.85, total saved: $26.28, giving me a percentage of 35% savings (my typical savings percentage at Kroger). I admit I'm paying more than what non-organic counterparts at Kroger would cost, but you can save and splurge at the same time when organic matters to you.