Annie!

With Hailey home for the holiday, I couldn't resist when I saw that "Annie" was coming to a nearby theatre. We are all "Annie" addicts....tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow!

My prayer was for some female bonding between these new sisters and God answered that prayer!
Rahel was overwhelmed by the sight of a downtown, much less the inside of a theatre. She sat quietly and just took it all in. Hailey was great at making her feel more comfortable, she is very personable. I kind of wonder what Rahel is feeling when she watches this story unfold, maybe someday she'll share.

Here's Rahel and Meredith goofing off, isn't this hilarious?

The musical was very well done and we had a great time!

Kelly

Thanksgiving at the Morristribe

It's Thanksgiving evening here at the Morristribe and we're digging into our second helping of dinner. We usually eat early on Thanksgiving and leave the rest of the day open to munch again.

I didn't sleep much last night as I tried to stay up and wait for Hailey to get home. She didn't walk in until 1am, just as I had decided to go to bed. We stayed up drinking tea until about 2am, then I was back up at 6am to pull my turkey out of the oven. I cook my turkey overnight at a low temperature, have for years. by 8am, the turkey was completely cut and sorted and the carcus in the crockpot for stock.

We sat down to eat at about noon. As we usually do, once we got a few bites in hungry little mouths, Mark went around the table and asked what everyone was thankful for. The kids are required to give an intelligent answer according to their ability and age.

As we went around the table, the comments ranged from being thankful for ice cream from the 5 year-olds to being thankful for food and shelter. Rahel's comment was particularly touching as she said that she was thankful for the cross, as she spread her arms out in symbolism and broken English. She also said that she was thankful for her new brothers and sisters.

I pondered as everyone took their turns giving thanks, looking at each face. The realization that many women never become mothers just overwhelmed me. I have struggled with pregnancy and miscarriages all of my child-bearing years. I didn't have my second child until I was 31 and my sixth at the age of 42. Due to low hormone levels and genetic abnormalities, I have miscarried a number of times. Of the biological children I gave birth to, it's nothing short of a miracle that they were all born 'normal', relatively speaking that is.

Being blessed with three more children through adoption this year is something that, once again, few people experience.

It is humbling to come to terms with the fact that I'm the mama to all these people. When I think about the memories, good and bad, that my extended family left me with, my position scares me. What will they remember most about me? What memories will they share with each other when I'm dead and gone? Will they model my behavior and should they? Will I leave them with a Godly example of what motherhood means or will I leave them with the impression that motherhood is a miserable job.

I am left to consider this and pray today....sort of somber, I know, but it's important to me. My greatest desire in life is to please Jesus and leave a legacy for my children that will be pleasing to him.

I am humbled by and grateful for every reader who clicks on this blog and I pray that you'll be blessed by it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kelly

PS I will be sleeping in tomorrow morning, just in case you were wondering!

Announcing the Morristribe December Giveaway

Bath & Body Works Gift Set

Warm Vanilla Sugar!

You will love the feeling at the end of a tough day when you pamper yourself

with this luscious gift set featuring shower gel, body lotion and fragrance.

With all the holiday planning, cooking and hosting you're doing, treat yourself to

this wonderful gift!

I was told by B&BW that if Warm Vanilla Sugar isn't your favorite fragrance, you

can just take this gift to any B&BW store and they will gladly replace it with whatever

fragrance you like.

I'm all about re-gifting and you won't hurt my feelings if you use this prize for that,

BUT you won't want to!! You'll want it too much for yourself!!

To Enter:

Tell me about your favorite holiday treat that you can only get around the holidays!

For example, mine is Gingerbread Lattes at Starbucks and Panera. I just get them every time I'm near one or the other, they just make me feel so good! Another one for me is the B&BW scented liquid soaps in Christmas fragrances, I love those too!

How about you?

For another entry, post on your Facebook, linking them to Morristribe!

Another entry for posting on your blog and linking to Morristribe!

There you go, three ways to enter and win! The contest will end December 10th at midnight and I'll announce the winner on Friday, December 11th.

Kelly

Want to know what else the Morristribe is up to?? Go here and see for yourself!

More Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving at the Morristribe is just our immediate family, so I cook for the 11 of us. No one brings anything, I cook it all. I really prefer it that way, having control. I guess I'll enjoy it until I have to deal with daughter-in-laws.

Meanwhile, I'll share a couple of more recipes that we enjoy. You'll notice that I keep things pretty simple. I've learned with my family not to try a lot of new things, they like their favs. It's a pretty starchy menu, but this is what they like.

Sweet Potato Casserole

#3 (about 8) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1/2 c. whole milk
4 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
salt/pepper to taste

2 c. marshmallows

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place sweet potatoes in large saucepan, cover with 1" water extra. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer and cook 15-20 minutes until soft. Drain and return to pan. Smash potatoes and add other ingredients, except marshmallows. Put in greased casserole dish, cover with marshmallows, bake for 20 minutes. Serves 8.


Pumpkin Pie

3 cups pumpkin
7 large eggs
1 tbsp. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. and 2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbs. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups evaporated milk

Mix the pumpkin and eggs together well, then add everything else. Bake in a pie shell and bake according to pie crust recipes. Insert a knife in the middle to make sure filling isn't gooey before removing from oven. You may need to cover your crust edges with foil.


Cherry Cheesecake

24 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
16 oz. cherry pie filling
graham cracker pie crust

Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs one at a time. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 250 degrees and continue baking for 30-40 minutes. Let cool, then chill for an hour or so, then add cherry pie filling on top. Serves about 12.

*****

My mashed potatoes are simply made from boiling the potatoes, about #5, until soft. I whip them in the mixer if I have time or smash them if not. I'll add 1/2 butter, some yogert and cheddar cheese, if I have it and maybe some garlic. I just use whatever I have on hand. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

I hate to admit it, but we eat canned cranberry sauce. I have made cranberry relish before but no one will touch it. The kids want at least 1/2 can each of the stuff, seriously! I have to buy like 6 cans of it, jellies and whole.

We also have green bean casserole, made with canned green beans and cream of mushroom soup, real gourmet like! Don't forget the fried onion rings!

As for veggies, it just depends of what mood I'm in and how much energy I have. I have to give myself permission to be very flexible.

I hope you have a great day with you and yours. For those of you with less than perfect family members, remember that more than likely, they'll continue to act the same as they always have. The family alchy will act like the family alchy, the gossipy aunt will continue to behave the same way, however, they don't have to ruin your holiday.

The key to peace is acceptance of the way things are. Accept life on life's terms. Remember that they'll leave at the end of the day (hopefully!) and try to find what's good about them, enjoy it and leave the rest.

Take care,

Kelly

Making Cornbread Dressing

The first step in making Cornbread dressing is making the cornbread. For many years, I bought cornbread stuffing mix from the store. But one year I took the extra step to make my own cornbread and what a huge difference it made. I was sold. Here's my Eli, who loves to bake, making our cornbread after dinner.


Meanwhile, Meredith was grating soap for detergent making, I am almost completely out!

Here's the final product, nothing fancy really but it takes great made for stuffing.

Buttermilk Cornbread





4 tbsp. melted butter


2 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal


1 1/4 tsp. salt


1 tsp. sugar


4 tsp. baking powder


3 large eggs


1 1/4 cups buttermilk





Preheat oven to 425 degrees, grease 8" square pan, set aside.


Wisk together cornmeal, salt, sugar and baking powder in a medium sized bowl. In a separate bowl, wisk together eggs, buttermilk and butter, then add to cornbread mix. Stir until combined well, bake for 25 minutes or until done.

Cornbread Stuffing





4 tbsp. unsalted butter


2 onions, finely chopped


4 garlic cloves, minced


4 stalks celery, finely chopped


buttermillk cornbread


1/2 c. finely chopped parsley/flat leaf


2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme


2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh oregano


4 large eggs


2 c. chicken stock


1 1/2 tsp. salt/ 1/2 tsp pepper





Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in sauce pan. Add onions, garlic and celery, cook over medium heat until tender, 8 minutes or so.





Crumble cornbread in large bowl, add onion mixture, parsley, thyme, oregano, eggs, stock, salt and pepper and combine well. Transfer into 2 quart, oiled casserole dish and bake until golden brown or about 45 minutes.





Enjoy! More recipes tomorrow!





Kelly

New Winner

Amanda Mae is the latest winner of the Pampered Chef package! Please contact me and give me your shipping info!!

Congratulations!

Kelly

Family of 15 with $65 Heating Bill???

Go here to read about this exceptional family. They have a 3,000 square foot home and plan to further reduce their bill!

Granted, you may not be willing to go to the extremes they have, but you can always get inspired!

Thanks Frugal Hacks!

Kelly

Morristribe Thanksgiving Meal Plan

Today I am making lists, shopping and starting to cook for the big day!

Hailey will be home Wednesday night and I just can't wait for everyone to be together! I must get some kind of look on my face when everyone is home because Mark always looks at me and says something like "Are all of your chicks in the nest now?" to which I begin to weep. Yep, I like 'em all in the nest, it's just a mother thing. That being said, I know that they grow up and need to fly, like Hailey is and I enjoy her now more than ever.

Anyhoo, let's look at the menu. Martha Stewart I am not. With a large brood, I tend to make just a few things but plenty of them. Everyone has their particular favs so I make sure they see those on the table as well.

First, obviously, the bird. Here's where I'll confess my crime that could be punishable by crucifiction by the "Couponers of the World" organization.......I don't buy sale turkey. *GASP* I know, I know...frankly, I'm afraid to. I've done it before with about a 50/50 rate of success. Thanksgiving is just too important and I want everyone to drool over the bird, so I go and pay $1.79# at Trader Joes for my turkey. Year after year, it's incredible and it's worth it to me.

My method of cooking the turkey is one that my dad gave me. He knows that I'm not all that good with cooking meat, so this simple process makes the turkey excellent.

First, I thaw and wash the turkey (obviously). Then I take a couple of lemons, split them and turn inside out. I rub the lemons all around the inside cavity of the turkey. This is supposed to help with samonella. Then I take olive oil, a cup or so, and rub the turkey with it, everywhere but the cavity. Really massage it in! Then I put it in a baking bag and cook it overnight at about 300 degrees. I put it in as late as I can stay up, like midnight, then come down about 5am and it's done. The aroma will wake you up, let me tell you.

Then after it sits out of the oven for a bit, I cut the turkey up. No, we don't do the Norman Rockwell photo opp, my husband has never cut a turkey in his life. I slice the turkey for dinner and a bit more for seconds and sandwiches, then I stand there and completely debone the bird. I put everything in freezer bags that I don't intend to use in the next couple of days.

Then I plop all the bones that I can fit into a big pot and/or my crockpot and make broth, adding a little vinegar to draw out the calcium.

Isn't that easy?? The turkey just falls off the bones and everyone loves it.

Here's the rest of the menu and I'll be posting recipes as the day goes on:

Cornbread stuffing made with homemade buttermilk cornbread

Sweet Potato casserole

Green Bean casserole

Mashed potatoes

Gravy

Homemade cranberry relish and canned cranberry sauce

Homemade rolls

Dessert: Pumpkin pies and cherry cheesecake

Gotta get on my list, talk to you soon.

Kelly

Are these not just the cutest

things?? They are canvas

"Family Rules" done by Mary

at Owlhaven. Go here to see

how they're done. Cute!

Mary, how do you have time
for things like glue?? :)
You have as many kids as I do!
More power to ya, baby!

Final Call for Giveaway Winner

Jenna!! I need to hear from you by end of business today or I'll draw the next winner for the Pampered Chef gift package. Email me at morriskelly62@yahoo.com.

Kelly

Saturday at Kid's Against Hunger

Here we all are, filing in to the "Factory", a donated Kroger building

where we pack food and feed the hungry.

Here's Pastor Larry Bergeron, one of the most humble men I've ever met. He has a bio that would intimidate most of us, but God got a hold of his heart about 20 years ago and Larry uses every bit of intelligence and talent that God have him to feed the hungry children of the world.

Here, Larry is giving a bit of a presentation for people who haven't been there before. He usually shows a quick video showing some of the children we'll be feeding.

I was quite surprised when I looked over to see Rahel sobbing. Not just a few tears, she was a mess. Mark put his arm around her as she wept and I held her next.

Then a few minutes later in the ladies room, she just couldn't hold it in and she cried in my arms for several minutes.

I encouraged her to let it out. This has been the greatest show of emotion I've seen from her since she's been home. When I asked her what she was thinking about and feeling when she saw those pictures, she said that life before coming to the US was like those pictures. Seeing them brought back much pain, I'm sure, as she thought about friends that she left behind and well as the tremendous tragedy of hunger that she and her brothers experienced.

I explained to her that God had her here with our family for His purposes and that 'those' days were over, she would never be hungry again. We want her to heal. God can use HER now, to encourage and feed those in need, as someone with personal experience.

We have been involved with KAH for a couple of years now and I told her that before she and her brothers came, that we had a burden for the hungry and that maybe God will use her later in life to feed those from her home country.

Soon, we were all finding our ways into production lines. We had everyone working except Ephy, one of Larry's sweet daughters kept him in the playroom.

Here's Bereket, Eli, Mark and Isaac peeking behind.

Meredith and Rahel worked in my line. Meredith was so sensitive to Rahel, every once in a while, she would go over and hug Rahel and ask her if she was alright.

Soon, I noticed a smile of joy on Rahel's face. She kept looking over at me, grinning. I just winked and smiled back.

Our line packed 11 boxes! Each person working a two-hour shift fed 1 child for an entire year!

The recipe we pack was designed by two famous food manufacturers and contains a large percentage of protein, minerals as well as 6 vegetables to sustain life for impoverished people.

We love this ministry because the food goes straight to those in need!

Here's Rahel, Meredith and another sweet little girl in our line with me.

Everyone felt great knowing that our hands touched the food that would save someone's life in Guatemala, which is where this particular shipment is going.

Want to know more? http://www.achildshopeintl.org/

Take care,

Kelly

All The Best Thanksgiving Dowloads

Go here to access some of the best Thanksgiving downloads, free!

Black Friday "Sleezy"?

CNN describes Black Friday as "sleezy" and not what consumers expect...read this!

http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/20/news/economy/black_friday_doorbuster_secrets/index.htm?cnn=yes

Kelly

Free EO Organic Hand Sanitizer

This offer has now expired Go here to get your free sample! I just got mine!

And the Winner Is......

The winner of the Pampered Chef package, offered by Melissa Einersen is....

Jenna!!! Congratulations!

I don't have your email so please contact me with your shipping information!

Kelly

Friday Round-Up

I totally enjoyed the post about re-ordering my priorities and dumping baggage that doesn' t belong to me here.

Is this the cutest little scarf or what??? Learn how to make it here!

Want to plan a Girl's Craft Night? Read about it here.

I just discovered this site and love it! Learn 11 Myths to De-Cluttering here.

Learn simple ways to find cash for the holidays here.

Get some perspective here.

Have a good Friday!

Kelly

Awesome Pizza Night

We had some great pizza tonight! Are they pretty???

My hubs got me a gift card for my birthday to a snooty, culinary store. I have struggled to spend it because the prices are so outrageous! Anyway, I finally broke down and bought couple of pizza stones as well as a 4-pack of egg rings.

I have been wanting to make pizza night more enjoyable. My pizza is mediocre in my book although the kidlets always scarf it up. I just don't enjoy it because I don't have a 'to-die-for' crust recipe. But I do now, go here to see what I used.

Beyond that, I just put pizza sauce and a pizza cheese blend on them. I would like to have more variety and I plan to sit down soon and google some recipes.

The pizza smelled so awesome and the fam just raved. It really was the best pizza I've ever made. The crust is the key.

On another note, the pizza really stuck to the stones. I have never had one of these before, but I've heard that they need to darken. I'll need to google this as well, unless someone can lend some insight.

Take care,

Kelly

Rahel

This is one of my virtual 13 yo twins, Rahel. She is a beautiful young lady.

She has only been in this country for 7 months, but already she has learned much about life in America. She studies hard to learn English and other subjects that before life in the US she had never heard of.

She has lived a very rough life most of her 13 years on this planet. Rahel bears scars that only God and time will heal. But she is a stubborn one and wants to learn, wants to grow and succeed.

The last 30 days or so, I believe Rahel's heart has changed. She finally decided that we were her family, down in her heart. She did a 180 and has been a much more pleasant teenager to live with than the first 6 months. We are laughing together and she is sharing much more about her painful past with me.

That kind of trust can't be purchased and I am humbled that she confides in me.

Many times what she tells me is difficult to hear, even more confusing to process in terms of what she needs now.

But God put her here, with me, the imperfect mother of the year.

As I told her one day, "I'm not what you expected, nor are you what I expected.

But I'm HERE, committed and we traveled half-way around the world to get you. We spent our own money to rescue them. What I lack in perfection, I make up in committment." Ever since that talk, she changed.

I love you, Rahel. Dad and I are glad you're ours.

Four Free Samples

Go here for free samples of Caress products, Hellman mayonnaise, Pond's moisturizer and Degree Women Fine fragrance line. I just got mine, super quick and easy.

Enter and Win $100 Border's Gift Card

Here is a sweet little giveaway for Borders! Check it out!

http://www.freebies4mom.com/

Black Friday Update List

Are you chopping at the bit to get out there next Friday and get some hot deals? Well then, check out Mommies With Cents right here for the latest!


http://www.mommieswithcents.com/2009/11/black-friday-deals.html

Rite-Aid Sweep

To be quite honest, I don't go to Rite-Aid very often anymore.

I have just found the service to be poor and the prices very high.

However, I will use my $25 coupon for a new or transferred prescription whenever I can and then just do my best with rebates and coupons to stock up.

Here's what I found today, all for $8.85 after a $2.00 rebate. I thought I had $7 in rebates, making my oop even sweeter, but I had hornery little boys with me and I failed to read the fine print well enough. Still a pretty good deal. I had the $25 gift card and the $5/$25 purchase.

Fun!

Financial Goals at This Stage

Financial goals are something I've been chasing all my life. As a child, my dad encouraged me to save some of what I earned mowing lawns and to take care of what I had. This was the man who timed our showers right outside the bathroom door. Even after Dad excelled in business, he still continued to be thrifty in many ways. Actually, the more money he made, the worse he dressed. He said he found it difficult to keep friends if they knew he had money.




Later, in my twenties, I began to resent large incomes. I made the connection between Dad's success and my parent's divorce, although in hindsight, there was much more involved.



Around that time, I began reading Syvlia Porter books on money, fully planning on retiring by the age of 40. I even had a subscription to the Wall Street journal. To be honest with you, in my twenties, I didn't understand much of what it talked about, but I kept reading it and learned a lot.



My mid to late twenties held much in the way of personal tragedy. I had no money, I mean none. I could go on and on about how I didn't eat so that Hailey could, how I got a big wrench and had to turn the water in my house back on because I hadn't paid the bill, or and the car accident I had after my insurance had expired because I couldn't pay. My financial goal? Survival.



Then I met Mark. By then, I was making twice what he made. I guess I was a bit of a 'Sugar Mama'. But once we married, we felt that God wanted me to be home with our Hailey and soon-to-be-born Trevor in 1993.



I left a lot of income on the table to come home. It made things quite uncomfortable for several years while my husband started a new business. We scrimped in every area and sometimes I was depressed about it all. Here I was in my 30's still pinching every penny. I felt we should have been further along that that. Oh, did I mention the mountain of debt I brought into the marriage? Along with back taxes?? Fun, fun, fun was the word as we paid, paid and paid some more for our past mistakes.



New Years Eve 1996, we paid off our last debt. We were still renting, but absolutely everything was paid and it felt great. Now what? We had three kids at the time and wondered how much longer our very small, 2 bedroom rental would last us.



Fast forwarding a bit, we bought the house we live in now 13 years ago and it's paid off. Once again, cutting every corner for many years, we've gotten to this point. Our only debt is just a bit on a big, honkin' van we just bought was we now have 9 children to haul around, but our goal is pay that off in a few months.



So now what? We have dreamt for many years to have a little land in the country and a bigger home. Now that housing prices have softened, we are seriously looking around to see what God may have for us. Honestly, I hate the thought of a house payment. Wait, don't pull out your violin yet! Keep in mind that with 9 kids, we have at LEAST $800K in college tuition to look forward to! Don't forget that we're still recovering from our adoption costs, that 3 of them need braces, etc....sometimes I wonder how families do it with debt. It makes life much less fun.



What are your goals? Remember, we're all at different stages. Your goal may be to just stay employed, or to pay the light bill this month....been there, done that. So where are you at financially?



Kelly

Hailey

Hailey ~ Our First Born Child

I had a very hard time choosing just one picture of my
Hailey because she

is just so beautiful.

I am going to sound like a proud Mama but I can't help it.
Mark and I are SOOOOO proud of Hailey and the young woman she's become.

Hailey is a leader and a hard worker. She isn't afraid of a challenge and is willing to take on new opportunities.

She is still in college majoring in linguistics, she hopes to be a translator on some level. This field holds many opportunities for her.

Hailey is very loyal, dependable and honest. She keeps her committments to people. If she says she's going to be somewhere, she
moves heaven and earth to be there, early. She is a wonderful friend to anyone who needs her.

Everything she does is with integrity, energy and grace.



Hailey loves to travel and has no fear. She used to take missions trips while in high school and make me worry sick. All she needed was her toothbrush, a pair of flip-flops and her passport. She doesn't carry large amounts of baggage, and while she's a complete lady, she knows how and when to 'rough it'.

I love to hear about her latest adventures as she travels around to visit friends she's made. Here she is in New Orleans, visiting an old friend. They had a great time.

I look forward to the next season of Hailey's life as she finishes school, experiences work life, possibly marries and has children.

Regardless of how her life plays out, I am still proud to call her mine.

Love you, Hailz!

Gap: New 20% off Printable Coupon

Gap: New 20% off printable Coupon (exp 1/30/10)

Gap has an awesome new printable coupon available: save 20% off your entire purchase!

The best part--this coupon doesn't expire until 1/30/2010! This coupon also doesn't exclude clearance or sale items, so you're bound to get some sweet deals--Think Black Friday and after Christmas Clearance! Dude!

Thanks, It's Hip to Save!

Kelly

To Die for Holiday Recipe

Oh my gosh, when I just saw these on www.owlhaven.net, I started salivating right away.....I totally love these!

Candied Almonds

2 pounds raw almonds (or pecans), about 7 cups

1 egg white

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon water

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

Separate the egg, setting aside the yolk for a different purpose. Beat water and egg white until frothy. You can do this by hand or with a mixer. After mixture is frothy, add almonds and stir by hand until they are all well coated with the egg white mixture. In a separate small bowl mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour sugar mixture over top of almonds and stir by hand until well coated.

Spread nuts evenly on a dry baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour in a 225 degree oven, stirring half way through the time. Remove from oven and scoop onto some foil or waxed paper to cool.

Package in one or two-cup quantities in clear cellophane bags decorated with curly ribbon.

Thanks, Owlhaven!

Kohl's Power Trip

Kind of freaky with just my eyes, eh?? Sorry the camera was too close, I didn't have Eli the camera man with me.

I accidentally had my credit card info on the receipt so I had to chop it out, sorry about that. Here's the run down of what I saved:

Subtotal: $100.93

Minus Kohl's cash $50.00

Minus 30% off coupon $15.28

Total: $37.97 with tax

Had I forgone the sweater and earrings for me, I would have just about broke even. I don't buy much for myself in terms of clothes, and I buy from Walmart, Kohl's or garage sales when I do. I tend to buy good quality sweaters and wear them out. I must wear my favs 3-4 times a week

Go here to see what our family did today...it was totally cool!

Sears and Kmart: Shop Your Way Rewards Card

There is a new rewards card at Kmart. It’s called Shop Your Way rewards and is simply a way to earn discounts off of future purchases by shopping at the following locations:

Sears
Kmart
Land’s End at Sears
Sears.com
Kmart.com
Mygofer.com

You will earn 1% back on qualifying purchases and bonus rewards during exclusive promotions. You can use it on your next purchase or save up your rewards for a future purchase. Another very cool benefit? You can return items without a receipt!

Thanks Cha-Ching on a Shoestring!

Click

here to sign up!

The Limited, JCPenney and Chadwicks: Hot Coupons

Use code GR8VALUE at check-out at JCPenney.com to save $10 off a $10 purchase. Plus, if you shop today through ShopatHome, you can earn 6% back instead of the usual 3%. (PLUS a $5 bonus just for signing up!) Thanks, Shannon!

Use code CH15OFF to save $15 off a $15 or more purchase at Chadwicks.com. Shop through ShopatHome, you can earn 4% back. (PLUS that $5 bonus just for signing up!)

Use this printable coupon to get $15 off any purchase at The Limited! Or you can opt to save $30/$100 or $50/$150 purchase. Some restrictions apply.

Thanks, Cha-Ching on a Shoestring!

Are You Eating Your Lipstick?

Burt’s Bees coupons are hard to come by, but RedPlum has just released TWO of them:

$1/1 Burt’s Bees Lip Glimmer or Lip Gloss
$1/1 Burt’s Bees NON-LIP product

I am a Burt's Bees fan!! A while back, I was reading about how much lipstick women 'ate' daily and how hard the petroleum was on their livers. OK, kind of weird, but true! This is an area that I try to stay natural. I also give it to my girls.

I love BB because they have great colors and they are very reasonably priced! And NOW a coupon, which I've never seen. I think I need a new color.....

Kelly

UGH~ I have Blogger spacing problems, it's not me! Anyone out there know how to fix that?

Cash is King for the Holidays

I found this article interesting and refreshing, that Americans are changing their mindset and spending within their limits! Too bad it takes a recession to change people. This is a quick article worth reading.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/17/news/economy/Holiday_shopping_credit_cards/index.htm

Free Lipton Green Tea Sample Pack

Get a FREE Lipton Green Tea sample pack containing 4 teabags of the flavor you select. Choose from the following flavors:

Lipton Mixed Berry Green Tea

Lipton Orange, Passionfruit & Jasmine Green Tea

Lipton 100% Natural Decaffeinated Honey Lemon Green Tea

Lipton Green Tea with Citrus

I love green tea and drink a lot of it!

Thanks, Deal Seeking Mom!

Random Money Saving Habits

Before I ever even thought about a large family, I've been counting my pennies. Life has taken me down many paths and seasons in my 47 years and many of those I've have found myself looking for ways to save money.



There have been times when I've had more than I needed, other times when I was continually behind on bills. Nonetheless, for me, it's not about whether I have money to spend or not. My motivation is stewardship.



To be a steward means that you are in the role of management rather than ownership. God owns it all, even our ability to earn an income is a gift from Him. So my desire is to be the best steward of what He gives us that I can be.



That being said, I am at a stage in my life where I cannot sprint around to 9 different stores each week, I'm lucky to get out of the house at all. I commonly shop with 7 kids in tow! That alone can tax my very ability to think and match coupons. When I go alone, obviously, I am much more effective, but that's once in a blue moon.



Couponing is just one modality of savings for me. Sometimes, I just decide that rather than spend money on something because it's a great deal, I'll do the ultimate money-saving trick and just not go...spend nothing. Some of the ways I save money aren't necessarily about what I do, it's more about what I don't do.



I don't buy laundry detergent, I make my own: I don't care how many coupons you can clip for detergent, NOTHING beats 10 gallons for under $3. That lasts our family for about 6 months. I'll be re-doing the laundry making video soon, meanwhile check out YouTube here.



I do not take the children to get haircuts: Once I had little boys, I realized how quickly their hair started to look ratty, about 3 weeks after the cut. To take them back to a salon everytime I wanted to was costing us a fortune. When Trevor and Colin were babes, I went to Meijer one day and got a Wahl hair cutter that came with a video. I had NO IDEA how to cut hair, but I am a good student. I totally screwed-up Trevor's hair the first few times, but then I got it. I've been cutting all the kid's hair ever since.



I get my hair cut professionally, but I do my own color. Once again, it takes a little practice, but it's really not that hard. If you're unsure, have a girlfriend or sister help you out. But seriously, I only pay $7 every 8 weeks to color my own hair. And think about it, if you're a shade or two off, make the best of it, enjoy the change and in a couple of months, try again. It's just hair.



I do my best not to have to replace things any sooner than I have to: I am diligent about maintenance of household items as well as car maintenance. I polish my leather couch with vinegar and oil, I run vinegar through the coffee pot and dishwasher once in a while, I use a knee-high nylon on the end of my washer hose to catch lint (avoiding plumbing problems!) and so on. If something is broken, I try my best to fix it myself. I have a little battery-power checker thing-a-ma-bob (ok, ask your husbands!) so that I can check if a battery is truly bad or not. I'm certain that before I had this thing that I threw away tons of good batteries. Otherwise, how do you know? When the printer says the ink cartridge is low, I take it out and shake it, then put it back in. I get a few more copies this way. I've never heard anything good about refilling those, so I don't do that.



I am the one around here who changes furnace filters, another good way to save on energy. In other words, I will do just about anything to have to not call someone for a service call or to have to buy something new.



Those are just a few things that reflect my mindset. Save on purchases when I can, but also avoid 'buying traps' if possible. Either make it last longer (repair and maintenance), use less, buy it cheaper or do without.



I'm sure that many of you have some great ideas to share, let's open up the conversation and learn from each other!



Take care,



Kelly