Couponing for the Rest of Us

FREE 1-Month Netflix Trial (New Kids Section, Great for Summer!)

The kids are out of school – and that means long hours spent playing outside, swimming, and of course…  the ever-popular refrain of “Mom, I’m boo-oored!”  Instead of scrolling through the channels hoping to find something age appropriate for a little downtime – check out the fantastic new Netflix “Just for Kids” section!  It’s built for kids 12 and under, with nothing to worry about as far as inappropriate titles – and you can have it for 1 Month for FREE!
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Of course, you’ll get the regular Netflix experience along with it – with movies and shows you and the hubby can watch at night as you unwind – but this added feature of a “Just for Kids” section really makes me love Netflix that much more.  As usual – there are NO COMMERCIALS!  (That’s something I truly love).

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If you decide to keep Netflix after your trial, it’s only $7.95 per month – which I find to be very worthwhile.  We are usually able to find plenty of fun choices for a movie night and rarely have to leave the house to rent a flick.


Filed Under: Frugal Family Life
May 31, 2012 by 2 Comments

Free ‘Adventures in Odyssey’ Downloads!

If your kids like the Adventures in Odyssey series – then head over HERE to download a few episodes for FREE!

This would be nice to have a long for a long trip – rather than a barrage of cd’s with shrill childen singing “Wheels on the Bus” and whatnot…. ;)

Filed Under: Frugal Family Life
May 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

DIY Lamp Shade Revamp with Spray Paint!

DIY Lamp Shade Revamp

Hi! I’m Amber Anderson, I am a pastors wife, mom of 2 lovely boys, and an avid DIY’er. I post regularly about DIY projects, crafts and family life on MotherhoodMusings.com.

Raise your hand if every lamp shade in your house is cream, beige, tan, or white. Hands down. Now raise your hand again if you wish they weren’t. Perfect! This is the DIY for you.

It’s 2 steps, and can be done by anyone. Ready?

What you need:
Old lamp shade
Spray paint
Plastic bag
Tape

1. Tape off the top with any type of tape and a plastic grocery bag.

2.  Spray lamp shade in even coats until completely covered. And your done!

*Tips* To check if you have enough coats: Replace shade and turn on the lamp. The shade will be slightly splotchy if you need another coat.  Also, I suggest a lighter color paint so splotchy spots are minimized and light can come through better.

I also suggest doing this the first time with a shade you aren’t necessarily in love with in case spraying goes astray. :) Better safe than sorry!

Filed Under: DIY, Family Life, Frugal Family Life
May 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Fandango: $5 off Movie Tickets (3D or IMAX)

Here’s a great way to save some money on the theater this summer!  Right now you can head over to Fandango and purchase IMAX or 3D movie tickets at a $5 Discount  (Maximum of 2 discounts)

  1. Just GO HERE and search participating theaters by zipcode
  2. Buy up to 2 Tickets at the discounted price
  3. Promo expires on June 17th

We usually don’t see the 3D versions (with 4 kids, it’s just a little too much extra added up) but with this discount we might be able to do that!

Filed Under: Frugal Family Life, Online Deals
May 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Crockpot Lasagna Recipe (Perfect for Busy Nights!)

Photo Courtesy of BettyCrocker

Depending on where you live, or if your kids are in city or county schools, this might be their last week of school – which means you’re probably running around like a crazy person trying to show up for Field Day, Awards Ceremonies, Class Trips, etc….  It seems like a perfect time to share one of my favorite “busy night” crock pot meals  – Crockpot Lasagna!

This recipe is super easy – and super yummy – plus the slow cooker won’t heat up your kitchen nearly as much as the oven would.  Serve with a salad or a bag of ‘steam & serve’ veggies and dinner’s on the table in 5 minutes flat!

*Recipe Courtesy of Betty Crocker, and tweaked to my liking ;)

Crockpot Lasagna Recipe

  • 1 lb Cooked Sausage or Seasoned Ground Beef or Turkey
  • 1 Large or 2 Reg. Size Jars Pasta Sauce (You’ll need about 45 oz total)
  • Garlic, Onion, Oregano, Basil (Italian Seasoning)
  • Ricotta or Cottage Cheese, 15 oz Container
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese
  • Box of Regular Lasagna Noodles (You’ll need 15 or so)
  • Mushrooms, Onions, Spinach, etc…. (Optional)

Step 1: Brown meat and stir in pasta sauce, toss in some italian seasoning for good measure – then let your meat sauce simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Step 2: Mix Ricotta/Cottage Cheese with Parmesan Cheese and 1 Cup of the Mozzarella in a bowl and set aside.

Step 3: Pour 1/5 of your meat sauce into the bottom of your crockpot and top with a layer of dry noodles.  They won’t fit perfectly, you’ll need to break off bits and pieces all over the place (I’d consider wearing safety goggles for this job) and overlap them some – but no worries, it’ll all work out in the end.

Step 4: Spread a layer of cheese mixture on top the noodles (this isn’t easy since the noodles are now in pieces, so if wetting the cheese mixture a little bit helps, then by all means, stir in a little bit of water or even an egg). Then top with any veggies or extras you like to sneak in.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have 3 layers of noodles or are simply out of ingredients.  It’s hard to mess this up – the most important part is to make sure there is a layer of sauce touching each layer of noodles so that it will “boil” while cooking.  Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.  During the last half hour, pour the extra 1 Cup Mozzarella on top so it will melt and look lovely by dinner time :)

Filed Under: Family Life, Frugal Family Life, Recipe Box
May 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment

DIY Hanging Wall Planters from Mason Jars!

DIY Wall Hangers

Hi! I’m Amber Anderson, I am a pastors wife, mom of 2 lovely boys, and an avid DIY’er. I post regularly about DIY projects, crafts and family life on MotherhoodMusings.com.

I decided this week I’m going to give out my little secret. (Ok, its not really a secret BUT I haven’t told my readers how to make it yet!) The how-to on my Etsy wall planters. I ship approximately 2 of these out a week thanks to my Etsy shop. Thank you Etsy.com for being the easiest place to sell homemade goods, ever! These are awesome little hangers that can be used for much more than plants or herbs, alot of my customers use them in the bathroom for toiletries.

This DIY is a little bit different than my normal crafts because it involves some power tools! One thing I’m not the best at, so you’ll notice my handy husband in the pictures. :) But if you like this look, go for it. It’s definitely worth the effort.

What you need:

  • Old pallet or any other weathered wood
  • Wide mouth Mason jars
  • 3.5 inch diameter metal clamp
  • Screwdriver with drill bits
  • Screws
  • Handsaw
  • Flat head screwdriver

Directions:

 1. Start with your pallet, we used a crowbar to separate the wood from the pallet.

 2. Using your handsaw cut a plank of the pallet wood to a desired size, I usually make mine around 16 inches long.

After you have it the length you want, measure how where you want to place the jars. I like to keep mine 3 inches from each end and about an 1-2 inches apart. (If any of you are like me, this is the hardest part, I don’t specialize in mathematical measurements)

3. Drill hole in clamps to prepare for the screw, to do this I used a drill bit proportioned in size to the size screw I would be using to attach clamp to wood. Below is what your hole would look like.

4. Once your holes are cut, drill your clamps in your measured areas. I would suggest using shorter screws to avoid poking out the back side of the wood.

 5. Last step! Place your Mason jars in the clamps and tighten with a flat head screw driver.

 Tips:

Don’t worry if your measurements are off, just unscrew and try again. You can probably eye it better than you can measure.

If you are using these as planters; hang the plank where you want, put your soil in the jars separately, then tighten them into the clamps.

 I absolutely love these planters,  Enjoy!

 

 

Filed Under: DIY, Family Fun / Kid's Crafts, Family Life, Frugal Family Life
May 16, 2012 by 1 Comment

DIY Kids’ TV Snack Tray

DIY Kids’ TV Snack Tray

Hi! I’m Amber Anderson, I am a pastors wife, mom of 2 lovely boys, and an avid DIY’er. I post regularly about DIY projects, crafts and family life on MotherhoodMusings.com, and you can find me and all my stuff over here!

If any of you are like me, you have a constant flow of crumbs surrounding your couches and rugs from the kids eating snacks. In my case, I pretty much let Jude (my 2 year old) eat whatever, whenever and where ever he wants it. This is mostly because he never wants to eat, so when he does, I happily oblige. So with him, I decided to come up with something that would allow him to snack without having to sit at a table (which is a struggle all of its own).

This DIY can go with any style though, I can picture it on an ottoman with some magazines and a candle, or used as a breakfast tray on special occasions. My creative sister-in-law, Jillian, even decorated hers with a paper map of Detroit.

What you need:

  • Tray (I got a cheap tray from Ikea, around 8 bucks)
  • Paint (I always shop the oops paint at Home Depot, a small jar is .50!)
  • Fabric
  • Mod Podge
  • Foam brush
  • Scissors
  • Polyurethane/Clear coat
Directions:

1.  Lay out your fabric over the tray, do a quick trace around the bottom edge, so you’ll know where to cut. As you can see, mine did not turn out perfect..don’t sweat it!

2. Paint around the entire upper part of the tray. In the picture, I have the tray taped off BUT you do not need to do this. I found out afterwards that since my fabric did not fit exact, it looks better if you paint around the base of the tray also. (See picture in Step 3)

 3. After the paint is COMPLETELY dry, pour Mod Podge onto the tray and completely cover over the entire base with a foam brush. Lay fabric back down and smooth out with your hands until it is completely stuck to tray.

4. After the fabric and Mod Podge is hardened and dry, add more Mod Podge to the top of the fabric. Coat and smooth over with foam brush.

 5. After its completely dry you can spray the whole thing with a clear coat spray, or you can brush on a polyurethane coat. Whatever you think would be easiest to clean.

 

Here is my finished product, we would love to see yours!

Filed Under: DIY, Family Fun / Kid's Crafts, Family Life, Frugal Family Life
May 9, 2012 by 1 Comment

FREE Udder Covers Nursing Cover ($32.50 Value!)

If you are a new mom or know someone who know someone who is, Udder Covers has a great offer available right now! Get a free premium nursing cover (regularly priced at $32.50).

- Made of 100% breathable cotton / Machine Washable
- Stainless steel d-rings allow a fully adjustable neckline
- Rigid neckline bows giving you direct eye contact with baby while keeping you covered..

Just GO HERE and use promo code “onefree” and it brings the price from $32.50 to $0!  

Choose Your Pattern: Polka Dots, Flowers, Modern Black & White, Dainty Pink & More!

How to order:

  • Go to Udder Covers
  • Choose an udder cover you like and add to cart (Warning, some styles are already sold out for now!)
  •  Use promo code “onefree” and pay only the S&H
    *S&H is $11.95, however that is a great price to get this gift shipped.

This would be PERFECT For a Baby Shower Gift, New Mother, or just to keep in the gift closet for one of unexpected showers or hospital gifts :)

Filed Under: Baby Deals, Frugal Family Life, HOT Deals, Online Deals
May 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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