July 2016 Frugal Chatter - all welcome

[coupon girl]

yeah just sold our wooden patio set 4 chairs and the table-had owned it for 21 years -40.00 it was too big for our patio out back and with kids all gone and no one using it much

[jasperandchar]

Evening all,

I'm alone until Wednesday or Thursday pm....yippee.

I made seafood chowder for myself from scratch for supper as no one else likes it. I have another large bowl for tomorrow's lunch/supper.

I'm hoping to get a few projects done while the guys are away, however, we will see how I feel as I still have a cold lurking.

Wishing everyone a great evening, I'm watching the new "Breaking Amish Season" love it.

Take care
@cath007 trading is different for everyone, I have the usuals I trade with because they are fair and dont' ask an arm & a leg. However, general for regular coupons which many people have I trade value for value or stamps. But for those coupons that I cannot locate but are not rare I do shell out a little more because in the end they save me way more $.
@Granger sounds like a lovely evening out with the girls. Have you gotten any more news about Crochetlady, I've been thinking about her so much, praying she's getting better.
@coupon girl , happy bday to your dh
@Angela273 sucks that you got a denial letter, insurance companies are awful to deal with.

[Angela273]

Dh took our son fishing for 3hrs today, around lunch time. He got a bit from a fish that took the tail off his gulp bait. Our son didn't know how to set the hook, so it got away before Dh could help him. While they were gone I had our twins down for a 2hr nap. I washed dishes, baked 2 dozen apple sauce muffins (I keep getting 50% off apple sauce offers to Sobeys from Air Miles), folded some laundry, and washed 2 more loads. I laid out all the flood damaged stuff and took pictures of it, this way we can get rid of it. We aren't expecting to hear back from PDAP for about 3wks.

[YOU AND ME]

Evening ladies

Well i have been fighting a migraine headache for the last 2 weeks it's the weather as i get this every year

A lady my sister knows dropped off 20lbs rhubarb and i made rhubard butter and the lady ended up paying me for 6 jars.

I sold a toaster oven $10,coffee maker $8 and 10 glade candles $10 on my facebook group

Angela glad to hear that your sil is on the road to recovering
Nancy oh peace and quiet isn't that wonderful unfortunately don't know what that is LOL

Well i'm off to bed as i didn't sleep well last night

[lilo0003]

Angela: that is great news about your SIL. Sorry to hear about the floods. Hopefully no treasures are lost.
J & C: I am not sure what I would do with a house to myself. But it has been quiet around here as Logan left Thursday for a friends cottage and returns Monday so no bickering.
The older child and I went to Buffalo yesterday for a day out and traffic was brutal. Then on the way back my truck went a bit crazy with some engine lights going on. Thankfully it was drivable and it's totally covered but the inconvenience of getting it in to service is just a pain.
I made an easy sale today with some lulelemon headbands that I recieved as a gift. But never used, they sold within minutes of posting. I would have never even tried if not for you ladies, 8.00 in my crap sold jar.

[sweet sparrow]

-shopped this afternoon -saved 8.25 from being a senior today at homeoutfitters and sweet sparrow they had a lot of sheets I bought one queen fitted single sheet for 11.99 reg 29.99 as my fitted sheet is getting very thin almost has a frayed hole so instead of buying new sheets I bought the one

@coupon girl : Can I shop with you? I went, but could only find a few cotton sheet sets in pear and a muted shade of pumpkin. I saw a comforter set that I thought was $39.99 but in 100% polyester. I passed it up, then went back on Sunday to see that it was $59.99, which I passed on. It was a waste of a trip, but reminds me that I should take more photos as I have a horrible memory these days. I picked up three sheet sets ($24 each for orange and green, then $31.50 for a grey purple) and LO can pick two on her birthday. I saved $35 with HBC points. At Walmart, the cost would be less than half, but the sheets they had felt so rough against the skin. Maybe I'll buy the Walmart comforter set and get a cotton duvet cover. After that, it might be worth it to get the Home Outfitters one for $60. I will have to save more HBC points....

The wedding count down is on. My sister is having some problems with the friends hosting the rehearsal dinner. I feel bad for the unneeded stress placed upon her. The short version: they know she is a control freak and decided to toy with her. They also gave her a shopping list (not toying with her) and this was supposed to be their gift to her. Sometimes I feel like my younger sister has no clue about the demands of my life with three really little kids...but, I have no clue about her life, at times, either. No person deserves how she was treated.

That sounds cruel. What odd "friends"!

I don't think anyone knows about life with little kids, even those who have little kids. My co-worker had three sons and thinks that it was dead easy. She said the more kids she had, the more they occupied themselves so she had more and more free time. I know other people with three and they say the opposite.

I have come down with the flu, who would have thought you could get a flu in July....ugh...I'm achy and got a rotten cold/cough.

I know you can. I have it now, along with pink eye and pregnancy leg cramps. Can you tell that I'm cranky from no sleep last night? I got up every 15 minutes to use the bathroom because I also have the pregnancy bladder. Goodness, I'm terrible when I have an audience to complain to!

Although I bake a lot, I don't tend to bake breads or cakes. I am looking for a good recipe for vanilla cupcakes and icing, probably buttercream. I want to practice baking cupcakes for our twins' 1st birthday at the end of the month. Any suggestions? I'm going to do 1/2 pink and 1/2 with blue icing. Dh laughed when I told him that we will sing them each happy birthday, even though they won't remember.

@Angela273 : You must have read my mind. I am also practicing for our LO's birthday at the end of the month with vanilla cupcakes and buttercream icing. Here's what I decided on for the cupcakes, though I took the sugar down to 1/2 a cup. I found with 3/4, there was a very sugary aftertaste.

http://www.glorioustreats.com/2011/0...es-recipe.html

http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/03/b...ream-frosting/

For the icing, I'm planning on using beets as a natural colourant and piping some designs on the top. Last year I made a lovely real whipped cream icing only to find out no parent wants their kid to eat icing so they ate all my plain ones. Lactose-intolerant me had to keep all the ones with cream!

-we took ashlyn to my hubby's niece house out in stoney creek -they have a pool so hubby enjoyed the pool but alas ashlyn wanted no part of the "deep water pool"we stayed from 11.00 til 2.00 then walking to the car to leave she was so tired and cranky but that's okay -my niece's hubby said "what a handfull she will be in a few years don't give in to her "and they have 2 boys age 6 and 8 -I was a little peaved at what he said as ashlyn clearly was wiped from playing in their small playground centre in their yard-she wanted to carry her small backpack to the car so I lt her all she said was "no nana I want to carry it" -well put her down for a nap from 2.45 til 4.30 -off to shoppers i went - I felt like you young mommy's so much on the go -did 2 loads of laundry for son -hubby got little cesars pizza for us -home at 8.30

People tell me my LO is a hand full ALL the time. It must be some generic statement about children. Yes, sometimes mine is, but I'm sick at the moment and exhausted from coughing and not able to sleep right now. I'd consider sorting mail a handful if you get me at the wrong moment. Oh, I so miss not being pregnant and being able to take something for this nasty cough! I want to sleep! Zzzz.....

I think you don't have a handful if Ashlyn naps. Mine fights sleep like an archenemy. Rest time is 12:30 - 2:30 at daycare. This weekend, we put her down at 1 PM. LO sang and talked to herself in the crib until 3 PM and then fell asleep. I was off looking for sheets for her bed and DH didn't wake her until 4:30 PM.

Yesterday we put her to bed 1/2 hour late as we were at my mom's birthday dinner. She lay awake until 9:30 PM, blowing kisses and talking softly to herself. Then when we woke her at 6:30 AM, she was even too tired to put up a fight. Other days, she has screaming meltdowns. It took ages to wake her though and she had to be carried everywhere. Some nights she lies awake for hours but is exhausted by morning, even though we try and keep a regular sleep schedule. I'm jealous of parents who have kids who nap!

[Granger]

No news about our friend!

Was thinking about her today.

My friend with 6 kids says it is not the age, its the phase! 1.5-4 years old is the busy-drive-you-bonkers age, don't-sit-down-you-have-to-get-back-up-exhaust-your-momma phase.

My older two don't nap, but I don't need them to. I can give them a bucket of books and tell them it is mommy's quiet hour and they will occupy themselves. Those who nap (or should) those are the tiring ones. Josie just started that phase and in my head I am thinking "oh yeah, I remember this...ugh...lol."

[sweet sparrow]

I always wonder what LO would have been like if she hadn't been in full time daycare for 10 hours each day since she turned 13 months. She's so loud now, as if she needs to compete with 15 other voices for any attention (and she does). She hits, back talks, and pinches as the other children have done to her early on.

We were booted out of her middle daycare early, but they had an emphasis on sitting and listening together, keeping calm and waiting turns. They would speak softly to children and children would have to respond in the same manner as if they were in a classroom unless it was gym or outdoor time. She was only there for six months, but by two, she learned her complete alphabet (speaking and recognizing the letters), counted to fifteen in two languages, and could memorize full books and recite them back. Now that she's been in her new daycare for over a year, there have been so many negative behavioural changes, she shouts all the time, and is very reluctant to listen most of the time. I literally have to wear running shoes around her in case I need to bolt after her in a parking lot or near streets.

But if you, Granger, say your kids do the same, I'll take it as just part of growing up.

It's not that she hasn't learned anything at the new daycare, it's just that she's not progressed in the ways she used to. Now she can count to 28 (or "twenty eighteen" as she calls the number after 27), use the bathroom by herself and knows how to wash her hands properly. She can also get her shoes on the right feet by herself and spell her name. That's pretty much all she's learned in a full year. I thought it would be more by how much she improved in six months at the old daycare, but maybe she's doing just fine? She likes being read to, but has no interest in learning how words sound or putting them together.

I think it was our playtime that taught her letters, not the daycare. The daycare teacher said she was surprised when LO could call out all the letters she was posting on the board. So maybe it's me that's doing more dishes and neglecting our time together and I'm not being as good a mum as I used to be? I have to try and get dinner ready so we can eat by 8 PM, which is too close to her bedtime.

[saundyl]

Spent the weekend prepping fir our trip. Cleaned the house..packed. garbageout. Toilet flushed. Dog water emptied. Plants watered

We weeded gardens. Happily in weeding we found that about 8 of our 15 lillies have finally come up. Our peas and carrots we think the magpies stole the seeds. Our potatoes are flowering as are the cucumbers and tomatoes. The squash are looking fabulous.

Our borrowing of a cap for the truck fell through but as luck woukd have it one was advertised on facebook for sale back in may that the guys sale fell through 10 times so we got it decently cheap. I was shocked to find out new in grey white ir black would be 2600 plus tax and if colour matched another 800 on top of that.

Looking forward to our holidays.

We unplugged the tv satellite etc, bedroom tv, boys night lights and such in their rooms, air filter, laptop cords coffee pot and ps4 chargers before leaving. We also set the water heater to vacation and switched the furnace to off.

Bfs brother will be popping by to water plants and check the house.

I got stung by a wasp while getting tubs out of the play housr last night. Bf got rid of the nest within minutes.

What prep do others do before leaving? Do you unplug things as well? Change settings to heat and water too?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Angela273]

Thank you for sharing the recipes Sweet Sparrow.

[lilo0003]

Sweet Sparrow: I find every age has it's own challenges and no two children are alike. We thought our old child was tough at 13 with the attitude. Ya no, Logan may not live to see the end of the week with his attitude. He makes the teen look like a model child. I just remind myself this too shall pass.

[cath007]

Apparently I have to own a numeric kodak or a cellphone to do exchanges of coupons on my Facebook french couponning group people dont trust people

And 2 people on the group tonight where ......ing another one because she have all the coupons and it is not from tear pads but she had like 15 chapmens and ect of HV COUPONS......

[Natalka]

It's a very hot week here, so I'm not impressed with that.

Not much shopping being done here - stocked up on TP, redeemed some FPCs, other than that, just loaded up on veggies.
Co-op has some meat on for decent prices - ground beef, pork loin, and back ribs, so we might pick up some of those. The back ribs are pricey at 8.80/kg, but they are so amazing compared to what you get at other stores (or side ribs at $7), when they are on sale, I like to pick up a few racks to keep for those 'special big meals', lol! They are just meaty and delish.

Have a great day, all!

[Granger]

I always wonder what LO would have been like if she hadn't been in full time daycare for 10 hours each day since she turned 13 months. She's so loud now, as if she needs to compete with 15 other voices for any attention (and she does). She hits, back talks, and pinches as the other children have done to her early on.
...
But if you, Granger, say your kids do the same, I'll take it as just part of growing up.
...
I think it was our playtime that taught her letters, not the daycare. ... I have to try and get dinner ready so we can eat by 8 PM, which is too close to her bedtime.

My daughters do all the aforementioned behaviours. They spent their first 4 years of life at home with mom or dad (once in a while a grandma who are stand up caregivers). We don't condone it. They are at church every Sunday. It's just kids. My kids are also able to push the worst in me out at times, I pick myself up and dust myself off and don't give up.

I don't think my 5 year old's reading progress is due to school. I think it is due to home reading. Research shows that the home has far more sway in educational achievement than the school. Not to say that schools don't teach, but if a child comes from an environment that does not foster learning, learning is more difficult. It is a team approach.

Ah the dinner struggle, last night my children ate left over soup, yogurt and crackers and cheese for supper. I had no meals in the house and was too exhausted in the afternoon to go shopping. Since it was DH's day off, I had a nap. I then did a meal plan for the week and groceries at 8pm and got him and I some take out. We ate dinner at 9pm. If he is late from work and I had a bad day...dinner isn't getting served until 7:00. We send the kids to bed between 7 and 8!

Sweet Sparrow: I find every age has it's own challenges and no two children are alike. We thought our old child was tough at 13 with the attitude. Ya no, Logan may not live to see the end of the week with his attitude. He makes the teen look like a model child. I just remind myself this too shall pass.

I tell myself, they will understand when they have their own. I tell my mom, I now understand all your motive and depth of your love and I got everything I deserved!!!

[coupon girl]

-lilo-its true everyage has its challenges
-my son was a handful -at age 2 and a half to 4 -his speech wasn't great so he bit,tantrums ,hard to toilet train (we worked with his teacher thru grade school on his speech at home every night -helped him a lot )she gave us a program to follow but he was an ideal teenager no problems at all -now at age 31 everytime he leaves from visiting me I get "bye mom" and a kiss on the cheek
-my daughter great as a little one (mind you they still had their little fights as brother and sister (2 and a half years apart in age)and my daughter blamed a lot on her brother when little -my daughter played independently on her own from an early age talked very well -mind you was always out spoken and she didn't like our rules from age 15 to 18 -staying out all hours etc so she left our house and went to my mom's apt and stayed for 3 days -hubby went and talked to her and brought her home -she then went on to university after highschool -got a post grad and is a successful career woman in Toronto

-so ladies with younger ones or teens -life raising kids is not always easy -it has its ups and downs -but in the end so much joy