Freebie Friday! JCPenney, Thirty-One, & Dove

November 9th, 2012 Jessica

It’s time again for Freebie Friday!  This week’s round-up included some really great stuff!

  • Magazines: Ski, Ski Utah, Popular Science, Parenting, Family Fun, Entrepreneur, Better Homes & Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, and All You
  • Eucerin (2) and coupon (2)
  • JCPenney $10 Gift Card (for completing a Stonebridge Life Insurance telephone survey)
  • JCPenney $10 Rewards
  • Dove Deoderant
  • $33 Southwest Rewards (Has anyone done this before?  We haven’t claimed our rewards yet, but we like flying Southwest.)
  • Root Awakening Shampoo (2)
  • Garnier Fructis Shampoo & Conditioner and coupon
  • Thirty-One Nail File
  • La Petite Robe Noire Perfume by Guerlain
  • Duck Socket Sealers and coupon (2)
  • Taco Bell Locos Tacos (4)
  • 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life E-book (A perk of being an affiliate!)
  • Frumps to Pumps E-book (My 1st time as a Money Saving Mom Giveaway winner!)
  • Schick Hydro 3 Razor (and coupons)
  • Ghirardelli 5.3 oz bag of dark & mint chocolate squares
  • $0.12 Dora Halloween activity booklet
  • Pond’s Luminous Clean Cream Cleanser (and coupon)
  • Green Mountain Coffee Original House Blend (and coupon)
  • Bear Naked Nut Cluster Crunch (and coupon)
  • Jennifer Lopez “Glowing” Perfume
  • Halloween: FREE Harvest Festival at a local church with Trunk-or-Treat, Games, & Activities for little ones
  • Sikh Parade: FREE Starbucks Frappuccinos, Gatorades, Capri Suns, Apple Juice, Tootsie Rolls, Curly Fries, and Indian food (Samosas, Bananas in Curry Sauce, Chickpeas in Curry Sauce, Yogurt, Trail Mix, Desserts, and more)
  • Election Day: FREE 4 cookies at the Cookie Tree (for showing our “I VOTED TODAY” stickers and 2 cupcakes at our polling location from one of the officials.

And some freebies from this morning’s visit to the dentist:

  • Johnson & Johnson Total Reach Care Floss
  • Colgate Total Floss
  • 6 Boxes of Sensodyne
  • 1 Box of Colgate Total
  • Listerine Total Care
  • Colgate Wave Toothbrush

What FREE things has your family received or enjoyed recently?

 

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Acorn Squash Soup with Kale (Only 7 Ingredients!)

November 9th, 2012 Jessica

After our very popular Acorn Squash with Sausage Stuffing last year, our Compost Garden produced a bumper crop of Acorn Squash (16 Cups Frozen!).  I decided that I wanted to try something new this year, so I found this recipe for Martha Stewart’s Acorn Squash Soup with Kale on Pinterest.  My first attempt was a little too bland, so I did as the commenters suggested and added more salt and substituted chicken broth for the water.

After some tweaking it is now a family favorite!  We also get a thrill out of knowing that this is cooked with food from our own garden.  My mother and grandmother recently taste-tested this soup, and promptly asked for copies of the recipe to take home with them too.  I hope you will enjoy it as much as our family has!

Acorn Squash Soup with Kale

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 4 strips bacon, 4 ounces, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 pound kale, thick stems removed, leaves finely chopped (about 8 cups)
  • 4 cups Acorn Squash Puree, or 2 packages (12 ounces each) frozen winter squash puree, thawed
  • Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 3 cups chicken broth

Directions:

  1. Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside.
  2. Add onion to fat in pan, and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add kale; cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Add squash puree and 3 cups chicken broth (or more if necessary to achieve desired consistency); bring just to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, garnished with reserved bacon.

Enjoy!

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How I Made $222 in October!

November 7th, 2012 Jessica

In July I made $170.

In August I made $200.

In September I made $221.

In October I made $222!

Here is how I did it:

  1. Amazon Books: Brad cleaned out the garage, and I sold 11 books on Amazon in the past 2 weeks! ($170)
  2. Chase Rewards: I cashed out our credit card rewards again. ($27)
  3. JCPenney Rewards: JCPenney’s sent me a $10 gift card in the mail.
  4. JCPenney Gift Card: Stonebridge Life Insurance gave me at $10 gift card for completing a telephone survey.
  5. Swagbucks: I earned another $5 Amazon Gift Card on Swagbucks this month by completing daily polls, NOSO’s, and web searches.

My main sources of income this year have been Craigslist, Amazon, Credit Card Rewards, Swagbucks, Blogging Affiliates, Refinancing our Rental Property, Recycling, Substitute-Teaching, and doing Odd Jobs.  So the moral of the story is, utilize multiple streams of income!

Also, keep trying new streams of income!  You never know what small step in the right direction will lead to more money in the future.  It’s been almost 3 years since we first dreamed of being debt-free, and we’re still learning new ways to make or save money every day.

What creative or new ways have you found to earn money recently?

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2012 Goals: October Update

November 5th, 2012 Jessica

As many of you know, I am a big fan of goal-setting.  I’ve learned that one of the best ways to achieve my goals is to begin by writing them down!  At the beginning of the year I typed up a list of goals, and pinned it to the bulletin board over my desk.  Each month I cross off my goals as I achieve them.  Many goals have gotten bumped to the next month (some more than once!) but I keep on plugging away at them in hopes that I will reach them before the end of the year.

I frequently called October my “Home Improvement Month.”  I knew my parents, grandmother, youngest sister, and youngest brother were coming to visit us from October 25-27, so I spent the rest of the month getting the house ready.  I had a number of things in mind that I wanted to do, and their visit gave me a great deadline.  We also had fun this month doing some fall activities and visiting some new places in California.

January

All-Staff Conference, Meet My Sister’s New Baby, Substitute-Teach in Maryland, Find New Doctors/Dentists

February

Substitute-Teach in Maryland, New Driver’s Licenses, New Registration, New Auto Insurance, New Keys, Have Truck Weighed/Smog-Checked

March

Study for and Pass the CBEST, TB Test, Fingerprinting, Order and Install Blinds, Letter to Naomi, Letter to Oliver, Invite Someone Over, Visit Factory

April

Attend BSF Bible Study every Week (Complete All Homework), Visit Community Museum, Invite Someone Over

May

Attend BSF Bible Study every Week (Complete All Homework), Attend Sacred Marriage Couples Bible Study every Sunday (Prepare a Dish), Visit Fort Bragg with friends, Invite Team Over, Pay Off Citimortgage (2nd Mortgage), Apply for Refinance (1st Mortgage), Try Using Cash for Groceries and Gas, Weed Flower Beds, Transplant Bulbs, Make Mother’s Day Gifts

June

Attend Sacred Marriage Couples Bible Study every Sunday (Prepare a Dish), Attend My Sister’s Wedding in Maryland, Orioles Game, Take Kids Swimming Every Friday, Invite Leaders Over

July

Purchase Black-Out Curtains for Kids’ Room, Birthday Letter to Naomi, E-mail Landlord Photos of House, Renew Lease on our Rental Property, Apply to Substitute-Teach, Take Kids Swimming Every Friday, Invite Leaders Over

August

Sell Washing Machine/Grill/Books On-Line, Visit Lake/Park/California State Railroad Museum, Clean Out Garage, Install Kitchen Cabinet Handles, Repair Diaper Hamper, Make Toilet-Paper Holder, Clean Truck Interior, Mount Carbon Monoxide Detector, Mount Curtain Rods and Curtains in Kids’ Room, Hang Naomi’s Stars and Brad’s Schedule, Frame 8×10 Photo, Clean Fridge Interior, Take Kids Swimming Every Friday, Get Texting for Brad, Substitute-Teacher Orientation, Apply New Blog Theme, Link Blog to Facebook, Link Blog’s Facebook to Pinterest, Invite Leaders Over

September

Visit River/Old Sacramento Gold Rush Days, Create Blogging Masterminds Facebook Group, Re-Write English Curriculum, Invite Team Over, Swap Regular/Maternity Clothes in my Dresser, Purchase Tickets for Flight to Maryland in November, Renew Substitute-Teaching License in Maryland, Create Painting for Church, Decipher Substitute-Teaching Documents, Close on Refinance (1st Mortgage), Hang White Board

October

Decorate for Fall, Attend Church Membership Classes, Attend Women’s Retreat, Find Halloween Costumes, Visit Pumpkin Farm, Prepare for my Family visiting, Visit Fort Bragg, Visit Chandelier Drive-Thru Redwood Tree, Visit Pumpkin Farm, Visit Lake Tahoe, Attempt to fix Oliver’s Dresser Drawer (I finally threw it away), Install Door-Stoppers, Sell Books On-Line, Brown Spot-Painting on Woodwork Around House, Re-Paint Hallway, Paint Birch Tree Murals in Kids’ Room, Hang Clock/Batteries, Take Truck to Mechanic for “Check Engine” Light, Repair Lamp with JBWeld, Hot Glue Broken Butterfly, Wood Glue Broken Bulletin Board, Apply Felt Pads to Bottoms of Chairs, Vacuum Furnace, Start Purchasing Christmas Gifts

November

Make/Purchase Christmas Gifts, Visit Family in Maryland for Thanksgiving, Visit Historical Society/Community Museum/Sacramento Zoo, Create More Detailed Budget, Try Crown Mvelopes..

*These items seem to keep getting bumped from month to month: Find New Home-Owner’s Insurance, Investigate Long-Term Plans, Drill Holes for 4 Handles in Bathroom, Spackle/Sand Bathroom, Cover Back of Medicine Cabinet, Paint Inside Bathroom Cabinets/Drawers, Paint Kitchen Cabinets, Install Child Locks, Learn to Use Sewing Machine, Attach Kids’ Dressers to Walls, Babysit/House-sit/Pet-sit, Find Cheaper Auto Insurance, Apricot Preserves

December

Make Anniversary Plans, Brad’s Family Visiting, Prepare for Annual Christmas Party, Visit Museum

 

Have you created a list of goals for 2012?  I’d love to read an update on your progress in the comments below!

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How do you DO it all?

November 2nd, 2012 Jessica

“How do you DO it all?”

I have to smile whenever someone asks me this question, because I know that I really don’t “DO it all.”  I think bloggers in general fall under the misconception that we do more than most people, because our lives are posted on the Internet for all to see.  (By the way, with the help of WordPress I can schedule blog posts weeks in advance.  I can sit down to write when I have the time, and stay away from the computer completely for days if necessary.)  In reality, bloggers don’t necessarily DO more than others, they just photograph it and write about it afterward.  Like everyone else, choosing to DO one thing, means that I am choosing not to DO another thing.

Here are a few of things I DO:

However, there are a lot of things I have chosen not to DO:

There are only 24 hours in each day, so each of us must choose what to do with those hours.  Recently I have been reminded again that “Comparison is the Thief of Joy” and that saying “No” is not always a bad thing.  If you find yourself envying others, and wondering how they “DO it all,” take some time to reevaluate your priorities.  Are you making the time to DO the things that you value most?  If so, then be content with what you DO, and don’t worry about the things that you don’t DO.

What are some things that you have chose to DO or not DO at this time in your life?

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Peace. Love. Swap!

October 31st, 2012 Jessica

This Sunday is one of my favorite frugal events to attend: Peace. Love. Swap!  Our local swap meets about once every other month, and is usually hosted by a local business.  Participation in the Swap costs $5, but the fee is waived if you are willing to volunteer during drop-off and clean-up.  Drop-off usually begins a couple hours before the Swap, and the Swap itself usually takes less than an hour.

At Peace.Love.Swap, Swappers bring as much or as little clothing (clean, gently-used, on hangers) or other maternity, baby, and child items as they would like to the swap, and leave with as much or as little as they would like.  I often come home with other fun items too, like vendor samples and door-prizes.  I found my local swap through the Peace.Love.Swap. website, and I keep up with dates and times using their Facebook page.

I have been especially grateful for Peace.Love.Swap. in finding clothing for my almost 2-year-old son Oliver.  Although 3-year-old Naomi has plenty of hand-me-downs and often receives clothing from her grandmothers and aunts, Oliver always seems to be short on clothes.  Peace.Love.Swap. allows me to keep him fully-clothed from one season to the next!

How do you save money on your children’s clothes?

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Book Review: Mountains Beyond Mountains

October 29th, 2012 Jessica

Way back in 2008 we were traveling across China by train, when I asked our friend Wil about the book he was reading.  It was Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder.  Wil raved about the book and has, in fact, followed in Paul Farmer’s footsteps as he recently graduated from medical school.

Mountains Beyond Mountains is just that kind of book.  It is a New York Times Best Seller, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize.  It is the biography of Dr. Paul Farmer, a man who fell in love with the country and people of Haiti.  As an anthropologist turned doctor, Farmer seeks to care for the poorest of the poor, widows, orphans, and prisoners.  In his journey to cure infectious diseases (primarily TB & AIDS), he finds he must solve the problems surrounding them…living conditions, religious beliefs, political turmoil, family relationships, transportation, education, health programs, financial need, and more.

“Doctor Paul” is no Savior, but he serves the people of Haiti, and later the world, as we all should serve others.  Every person becomes his patient, receiving top-notch care equivalent to what one would expect in the world’s best hospitals from the world’s best doctors, at no cost.  Like a modern day Robin Hood, he asks (or occasionally takes) from the rich to provide an option for the poor (“o for the p”).  His work takes him from Haiti to Boston, Peru, Russia, France, Africa, and more.  As the work of Partners in Health (PIH) expands to include international initiatives and funding, he talks about Haiti with everyone from the least to the most powerful in our modern era.

Paul Farmer and his team at PIH will inspire and challenge you to reconsider how you can get involved in resolving global inequalities…through compassion, kindness, sacrifice, hard work, persistence, team work, gratitude, passion, creativity, and thoughtful consideration for each individual.  Encountering Paul Farmer in the pages of Mountains Beyond Mountains will convince you once again that one person really can make a difference.

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Freebie Friday! Use Those Freebies!

October 26th, 2012 Jessica

Although I have been collecting free samples of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, facial cleansers, hair serums, body wash, make-up, and more since early 2010, I saved up many of the products for excursions away from the house like camping, air travel, and road trips.  They accumulated in gallon-size plastic bags in a plastic tub in our bathroom.  However, when I ran out of my usual bath products in early June of this year, I decided that it was time to start using up some of my freebies instead of purchasing new ones.  Well, I had no idea how long they would last!  Now, almost 5 months later, I still have not run out of free samples.  New ones continue to arrive in the mail on a weekly basis.  I can usually get 3 uses (3 days) out of even the smallest samples.  So my advice to you is, Use Those Freebies Today!

 

Here is the round-up of recent freebies!

  • Horse Magazine
  • Nivea Lip Product and 2 coupons
  • Kleenex tissues
  • Ball-point Pen
  • What to Expect When You’re Expecting (A Maternity Management Freebie from our Insurance Company)
  • Lindt Lindor Mixed Chocolate Truffles

What freebies have you received recently?

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Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo (Only 8 Ingredients!)

October 24th, 2012 Jessica

I was looking through my (FREE) October 2012 Better Homes & Gardens magazine when I stumbled on this recipe in a Campbell’s Soup advertisement.  It looked easy and yummy, so I tried it a few weeks ago.  It was an instant success, and we’ve had it at least 3 times since then.  I actually don’t make it with Campbell’s soup, because the generic brand works just as well for less money.

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

Prep: 10 min.  Cook: 20 min.  Makes: 4 servings.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 of a 1-lb. pkg. linguine (I use the whole thing and serve it 2 nights).
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli florets (I double the broccoli too).
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1 1/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell’s condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Prepare linguine according to package directions in a 3-qt. saucepan.  Add broccoli during last 4 min. of cooking time.  Drain linguine mixture.
  2. Heat butter in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook until well browned and cooked through, stirring often.
  3. Stir soup, milk, cheese, black pepper, and linguine mixture in skillet and cook until mixture in hot, stirring occasionally.  Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

See?  Easy-peasy.  Bon appetit!

What new recipes have you tried on your family recently?

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21 Days To A More Disciplined Life: Giveaway!

October 23rd, 2012 Jessica

The Book:

As most of you know by now, I am a big fan of Crystal Paine at Money Saving Mom.  That is why I am so excited to be announcing the release of Crystal’s newest e-book, 21 Days To A More Disciplined Life today!

In November 2011 I joined Crystal in her journey toward a more disciplined life.  Her articles have influenced my goal-setting and writing here at The Abundant Wife as I have sought to instill more self-discipline in my own life.  I began this year by creating a year-long plan of monthly goals, and I have periodically added to those goals when I recognized other areas for growth.

21 Days To A More Disciplined Life will help you to take your big dreams, ideas, and mega-projects, and break them down into bite-sized pieces.  If you often feel overwhelmed by the things you hope to accomplish, or give up every time you try to transform your life, then you will enjoy this book.  Each day of this e-book includes 3 “homework” assignments that will help you to accomplish a series of small changes and one mega-project by the end of the month.  This e-book will also help you to prioritize, expose & conquer obstacles, stop making excuses, get the job done, find accountability, and stay motivated.

The Special Offer:

For the first 3 days, get 21 Days To A More Disciplined Life for just $0.99!  On Friday, the book will go to the regular price of $4.99, so I would buy it at the current low price while you still can!

The Giveaway:

I am also excited to give away 5 FREE copies of 21 Days To A More Disciplined Life!  Please share 1 way that you could use more discipline in YOUR life in the comment area below before midnight on October 26.  I will choose 5 winners at random from the commenters, and then e-mail you your coupon code. 

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