March 2016 Frugal Chatter

[Angela273]

I just ordered 13 samples, but no magazines this time. Glad I got what I did.

[sweet sparrow]

Hope everyone got their samples!

Tonight, I'll have to make a quick stop at the restaurant where we had our take-out lunch from. Easter Sunday was the first time LO ate takeout. I forgot my mittens there and need to get back before they get tossed. It's an extra bus fare ($4) but worth it to get my mittens back that my mom mended.

She didn't like the steamed noodles. A few weeks ago was her first sit down fancy dinner at a restaurant. It was a celebration banquet so the entire restaurant was rented out. She had fun at the kids' table playing with Play Doh and activity books. I was happy not to have to clean up!

Lately, I've been feeling down about my aging parents. My dad reminded my sister to visit often as they don't have much time left. We weren't able to see them as we visited DH's family and can't do both in one day now that LO needs her naps. Hopefully, we'll see them in the coming weeks. I am SO not looking forward to explaining death to LO....

[jasperandchar]

I got 5 samples....oh well it's free.

[jasperandchar]

Sadly I just used up the last 3 jars of my homemade pasta sauce which dh loves, however, loves of frozen tomatoes that I can thaw to make more.

I have a pork loin in the oven will serve with the rest of the turkey gravy (haha) and French fries as a treat.

Wishing everyone a great day.

[Frugalbigmama]

Sadly I just used up the last 3 jars of my homemade pasta sauce which dh loves, however, loves of frozen tomatoes that I can thaw to make more.

I have a pork loin in the oven will serve with the rest of the turkey gravy (haha) and French fries as a treat.

Wishing everyone a great day.

So you canned your pasta sauce? (in mason jars?) We plan on making a crap load from our harvest (pray everything grows) but was going to freeze it. Hmmm. Which is best?

[Frugalbigmama]

Hope everyone got their samples!

Tonight, I'll have to make a quick stop at the restaurant where we had our take-out lunch from. Easter Sunday was the first time LO ate takeout. I forgot my mittens there and need to get back before they get tossed. It's an extra bus fare ($4) but worth it to get my mittens back that my mom mended.

She didn't like the steamed noodles. A few weeks ago was her first sit down fancy dinner at a restaurant. It was a celebration banquet so the entire restaurant was rented out. She had fun at the kids' table playing with Play Doh and activity books. I was happy not to have to clean up!

Lately, I've been feeling down about my aging parents. My dad reminded my sister to visit often as they don't have much time left. We weren't able to see them as we visited DH's family and can't do both in one day now that LO needs her naps. Hopefully, we'll see them in the coming weeks. I am SO not looking forward to explaining death to LO....

We are getting older and so is everyone around us. My sister and I were just talking about our mother the other day. (She told my B-I-L that she was tired and the stairs were bugging her etc.) She never complains about anything (to us) but my sister has a toddler and she has been helping her a lot so no wonder she is getting tired. She isn't young like she was when my kids were toddlers. Go visit

[Crochetlady]

I was offered 13 samples but only took 11. Knew I wouldn`t use the others.
Went to get an eye injection this afternoon but the Dr. advised me to wait another month. He wants to make sure it wont do any damage because my body has had so many metabolic changes in such a short time.

[Andit]

Good afternoon, everyone.

Hope the Easter bunny was good to everyone.

Got back last night, but I've been busy trying to clean up the place (fur & hair everywhere!). My Mom is holding her own, but has really slowed down from a month ago. Of course, she still insisted on making all the Easter meals (fish & potato salad on Friday, ham, roast potatoes, devilled eggs, carrots, cucumber salad on Sat, langos - basically fried pizza dough rubbed with garlic - to go with leftovers on Sun, and pureed chestnuts with whipped cream for dessert). I did some of the cooking (yes, everyone survived ) and we had some friends over (I usually go to bff's on the Sun, but all the relatives were sick, so bff came over to join us each day).

I'm off to see a play tonight (Judas Kiss) in a little while, once the brats are satisfied that I have spoiled them thoroughly.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

[jasperandchar]

So you canned your pasta sauce? (in mason jars?) We plan on making a crap load from our harvest (pray everything grows) but was going to freeze it. Hmmm. Which is best?

Long story short, I made some sauce "my own creation" stealing from various recipes, however, I put in olive oil in it while cooking.....olive oil cannot be canned but can be frozen (depending on how much research you do - haha) so once the 1st batch was done, I couldn't process via canning so I froze them in mason jars. I still have frozen tomatoes also in mason jars (much easier to store in the freezer) vs. baggies which tend to seep when thawing. I'm definitely going to make the sauce again this year via freezing in mason jars vs. canning as I don't want to alter the recipe as my dh loves the sauce AND he doesn't like pasta. He actually requests it about once a week. I send him with the pasta w/ the noodles also in mason jars for his lunches, he loves it.

I also did can whole tomatoes for soups etc which was tons more work but the plus side is they don't take up room in the freezer (so you gotta pick you battles) BUT I also have the flexibility to use those jars if I run out of the tomatoes in mason jars which are frozen. To be honest I was so fed up with canning the tomatoes in jars as I had a total of about 4 full size bushels that is why I froze the rest whole in mason jars.....blah blah.

[sweet sparrow]

We are getting older and so is everyone around us. My sister and I were just talking about our mother the other day. (She told my B-I-L that she was tired and the stairs were bugging her etc.) She never complains about anything (to us) but my sister has a toddler and she has been helping her a lot so no wonder she is getting tired. She isn't young like she was when my kids were toddlers. Go visit

We'd love to but with LO's nap in the middle of the afternoon and my parents being 1.5 hours away (one way) it's tricky. LO will not nap anywhere but her own crib and falling asleep is hard for her. We will be visiting within the month. We have to share our travel time with DH's family, who is also an hour away.

The other troubling thing is that my dad has become a hoarder in his age, so there are no surfaces to sit, or play on for LO. I fret that something will fall on her, some appliance sticking out that she'll grab, some pile of furniture or random things she'll try to touch. I didn't think it was as bad when we visited last month, but it's gotten worse.

[coupon girl]

sweetsparrow -its true ashlyn loves to sleep in her own bed -some days some days not -people say oh she will sleep in the car seat on our way to my daughters in toronto -1 hour drive for us -nope she didn't last month -we drove at 1.00 p.m left at 7.00 p.m at night she didn't sleep on the way home either and the next day my daughter-in-law payed for it with ashlyn being so crabby -so next time we will go to Toronto after her nap in her own bed at 3.00 p.m -its hard sometimes

[Frugalbigmama]

Good morning! Day is starting off sunny and blue sky. Not sure when the rain it going to start again.
Popped out to RCSS last night- needed bread-DS wanted a toasted bacon sandwich for his lunch today. Found 2Lb clementines for $2 a bag. PM'd strawberries $1.67 at FB. Loaf of fresh bread $1. Not bad for a quick shop.
Did some laundry last night. Towels folded and on dryer waiting to be put away. Tonight I will finish up the laundry. Don't think I will have enough for a load so will wait till tomorrow night to put one on.

[avoncallingu]

Sounds like good weekends (mostly ) with family for my SC friends.
Our doggie has rallied and is eating and drinking a bit. He still doesn't have regular bms, though. I take him out every 2 hours.
Today we are at chemo all morning, though, so I hope there are no problems when we get home.
He has NEVER pooped or peed in the house. He used to slink around guiltily when our other dogs would have accidents. "It wasn't ME - honest!"

Some friends from the K-W area came up yesterday and brought us supper and treats. They helped with some outside chores that had been neglected which was wonderful!

We reminisced about fun times in our youth and Dh was able to stay with us although he needed a sleep in the afternoon.

I didn't sleep well last night so I am going to have a rest when we get home from chemo. Dh had some mystery pain last night which was a bit worrisome. The Dr. at the chemo unit took an EKG to check cardiac issues and everything seems fine.

Hope babies , kids, and adults and fur-friends all get better, feel fine, and remain well!

[sweet sparrow]

Last night I traveled all the way back to the restaurant across town only to find that they were not my mittens. Hopefully, I left them at DH's parents or somewhere safe.

I found two FPCs for Saputo cheese in my coupon pouch, expiring tomorrow that I need to use. So far, they don't carry the 500 g size at SDM, FreshCo, or WM. Maybe I can get to RCSS if I take the bus on Thursday and then zip back to pick up LO at daycare before extra charges are incurred for late pickups.

[Frugalbigmama]

Went to GT- To redeem free coupon for chocolate covered almonds. Darn they are good.

Maple Leaf hams are $4.88. Is this in the flyer?? Good deal with the $2.50 off coupon. I bought 2 last week when on but wondering if I should grab a few. Even to cut up for westerns! $2.38 a ham is cheap!