Going Without Prescription Coverage

(originally aired: October 14, 2007)

I debated a long time about whether or not to post this, but I figured it might help someone else out there so I thought I would share my experience.

When my husband started his new job, we started a ninety day lapse in insurance coverage. We have purchased a temporary policy with a high deductible, but we are going without some of the perks that we had with our old policy. One of those perks was a reimbursement program on my prescription drugs.

I do want to begin by saying that the medication I was on was not working for me. I have IBS and I have depression and the drugs that my family physician had me on were not helping me at all. If there was a side effect listed with the medication, I had it. I am one of those people who experiences terrible side effects, which makes me hesitant to ever fool around with a good thing when it comes to my medicine. Unfortunately, since I have had Emily, I have not found that magical sweet spot where I have felt good and we have been bouncing me around on all sorts of medicines and no relief from either ailment. When my stomach medication was pulled by the FDA due to people dying from complications, I threw my hands up in the air and knew that I needed to make a change.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I talked with a girlfriend who is a firm believer in homeopathic remedies. My feelings towards these types of treatments have always been disbelief. I will admit it, I have always considered many of these remedies a waste of money. Her sister-in-law has three homeopathic practices and a long line of happy clients, so she said she could ask her some of the things that I could take after I explained everything that I was looking for, what wasn't working, and so on. I remember thinking that if it sounded too "weird" or "out there" that I would not take them.

Another important element to me was that I was not paying more for my treatment than I was for the prescription drugs. Always the frugal girl, I wanted my treatment to be affordable, but also to feel better.

My friend gave me a list of what she had suggested and none of it was strange or unheard of. For my stomach, one of her recommendations was a cup of hot water with lemon before bed (how frugal is that?) She also had a substitute for my anti-depressant and a few items that would boost my immune system.

I have been doing this for about a month now and I have never felt better in my life. My constant tiredness and that cloudiness that I felt is gone and I am feeling more like myself than I have ever felt before. I am amazed at the difference that I feel and how I react towards my family. I am experiencing no side effects and I see a noticeable difference in myself. I feel like me again and it has been a long time since I have felt that way.

The icing on the cake is the extra $200 that will be sitting in my account each month. My new medicines only cost me $50 each month! What a savings!

If medications aren't working for you, homeopathic remedies might be worth looking into. My depression and stomach problems were mild, but were having a negative effect on my life. With care from an expert in the homeopathic field, you might be able to relieve yourself of your symptoms and keep a little extra money in your pocket at the same time.

If you do have to take medications though, my articles on going without health insurance and my article on going without prescription coverage might provide some help! I also blogged on treating ailments when you are without coverage or are looking for the cheapest way to treat sickness.

Have you ever substituted homeopathic remedies for prescription drugs? What are your feelings towards these types of remedies?

A Yearly Recap: MomAdvice.com '08 Edition

Here are my proudest moments on my blog for 2008! I hope that this helps our newer readers get acquainted with what great things our site has to offer. It is also so great for me to reflect on what has been accomplished this year with our site.

I will not lie, I worked harder than I have ever worked before on my blog and website. With hard work though comes great rhythm, more consistency to my work, and a deeper sense of commitment to my readers. Without you and your comments, of course, there would be nothing to work towards. I look forward to your comments more than I can say- it means so much.

2009 is going to be a great year, I can already feel it. I have great dreams of success and ideas for how I can make this year better. My only hope is to continue to grow our community and that the site continues to inspire you.

Without further adieu, here are our highlights of the year!

Homemaking Highlights

Our New Workspace
Patio Renovation on a Budget
Dressing Up the Front Step for Fall
Gardening for Fall
Finding Beauty in the Ordinary
There are Holes in My House Where My Clutter Used to Be


Crafty Highlights

I Learned to Knit
Rainy Day Survival Kit
Sponge Ball Bullseye
Inexpensive Wall Art
Being a Crafty Parent When You Just Aren't
Rainy or Snowy Day Scarf
Project Linus Security Blanket
My Hostess Gifts This Year
Round-Up of Homemade Hostess Gifts

Kitchen Highlights

Vanilla Scented Granola
Homemade Pitas
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Adventures in Breadmaking: Artisan Bread in 5
Cracking the McDonald's Coffee Code
Piggy Pancakes
Fast Peanut Butter Cookies
Fast Coffee Cake
Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Homemade Vanilla Chai Tea
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Our Favorite Cocoa Mix
Lovely Little Birthday Cake

Frugal/Money Highlights

Our Debt Free Party
35 Ways to Save On Your Grocery Budget
Vrooming Through Our Debt
This American's Dream
Leaner Ground Beef for Less
Snow Days for a Frugal Family
Getting to Know Your Dishwasher

Mommy/Family Highlights

Just Call Me Ticketmaster
We Need to Work On Our Letters
Family Night: Earth Hour
Something Exciting is Happening
Summertime Planning
Dad's Day Out & Mom's Day In
And My Heart Breaks...
At the Car Wash
At the Car Wash Part II
Popcorn Fun
An Olympics Family Night
My First Notre Dame Game
A Family Day at the Pumpkin Patch
Making Simple Holiday Memories

Professional Highlights:

Becoming the Home Management Expert for the Kenmore Team
Listed in the Top 10 of the Top 100 PF Blogs
Listed as One of the Top Ten Most Powerful & Influential Women In Social Media
The MomAdvice Big Give for Faith Mission
Suave Glamour Reel Moments PR Trip
Being part of the Walmart 11 Moms
Visiting the Walmart Headquarters
Speaking on a panel for the ad:tech conference
Demoing crafts & recipes at the American Baby Faire on behalf of Kenmore
Guest Blogging for Martha Stewart
Guest Blogging for the Right@Home Team
Serving on the Advisory Board for Divine Caroline
Writing Monthly for Michiana Family Magazine
Editing for the Family Bliss channel
Public Speaking Engagements for Churches & Mom's Groups on Saving Money
Meeting Paula Deen

An Apron Full of Giveaways 12.30.08

Welcome to our round-up of contests and giveaways! I love sharing all of the contests with you and getting to see what everyone is giving away on their site.

Be sure to enter to win a year subscription to GoTrybe to get your kiddos moving and shaking. This contest will end tonight at 8PM EST. We also just started two new giveaways focused on family safety. One giveaway offers a trio of child safety products to help keep your little ones safe. The other, a year membership to Family Safety Report to help keep your family safe. I am loving that a 24 hour nurse is included in this subscription. That is a hotline I would use often in our family!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, "MomAdvice (Christmas Movies)."

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you! Happy holidays, everyone!

To enter, please follow the links below. (photo credit: jek in the box)

Homemade Play Dough: A Play Dough Recipe Round-Up

We had a birthday party to attend last week for my sweet friend Michelle's daughter. I had recently bookmarked a chocolate play dough recipe, from A Foothill Home Companion, in my notebook entry that I thought would make a fun birthday gift.

I love to make play dough for my kids and usually use my Fruity Play Dough recipe, but I wanted to try something different for this party. Although this play dough wasn't as pretty as my usual colors, the fact that it smelled like a little bit of heaven seemed to trump it's, less than appealing, shade of brown.


This play dough smells divine. In fact, both the kids came upstairs and begged for some of the chocolate cake I was making. It was quite disappointing to see that it was only play dough that I was cooking and a batch that wasn't even for them.


We packaged this up with a set of pretty cookie cutters and a copy of the recipe so that their family could replicate the recipe in their own kitchen.

I love to make gifts like this for birthday gifts because it is affordable and a gift that they can use more than once. Ethan drew his own birthday card for the birthday girl complete with a princess tiara and money... because that is apparently two items that princesses possess. Having him make the birthday card added a special touch and saved on the cost of a store-bought card.

Here are some other fun play dough recipes:

Pumpkin Pie Play Dough (@ Like Merchant Ships)
Homemade Play Dough (@ Skip to My Lou)
Play Dough Tips & Tricks (@ Organizing Connection)
Edible Play Dough (scroll down a bit)
Perfect Play Dough (@ Family Fun)
Natural Play Dough Recipes (@ Nature Moms)
Gingerbread Play Dough (@ Recipezaar)


What is your favorite birthday gift to give or a favorite gift that your child received for their birthday?

Redbox Code: 12.29.08

Today's Redbox code is 545DZ9. This code can be used all day until midnight at any Redbox location.

In addition,Redbox is giving free movie rentals at Walmart Redbox locations. These are good on Sunday's only for one free rental.

I hope these codes help make the holidays a little brighter- Merry Christmas!

Week 5 (Sunday 1/4/09) - 11moms4uA (good for that day only)

Go to redbox.com to find a redbox location at a Walmart near you.This promo
code is valid at redbox locations in Walmart stores only and cannot be redeemed online. Promo codes are valid for the first night of rental only. Your credit or debit card is necessary to redeem your promo code, and will be charged $1 plus tax, if applicable, for every subsequent night after the free rental period. Promo code is not transferable, not for resale, and cannot be combined with other offers. Limit 1 promo code per transaction.

Side Notes:

- If you want to rent more than one movie for free, bring more than one credit/debit card. You can use the same promotional code, you just will need different cards to charge it to. The charge will be zero as long as you return your movie on time for the next day.

- When entering in your free movie code, you need to enter it FIRST before picking the movie. On the very first screen, click the, "Rent with Promo." Enter in the above code and then make your selection- the amount should then total zero.

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Don't forget to enter our giveaways! We have a Go Trybe One Year Membership This contest end at 8PM tonight!

For a full list of great giveaways, visit our apron full of giveaways linky list and check back tomorrow for a nice fresh list for the week. Happy Holidays and Good Luck!!

My New Year's Resolution for 2008: Simplify

Each year I make a list of resolutions for the New Year and I am usually pretty good at keeping to my resolutions. My resolution this year is really only one goal with a few subcategories... to merely simplify my life.

I have great ideas for how to implement my goals and would love if you would join me on my journey this year. These are the three main categories for my goals this year.

Simplify my life by bringing in more organizational strategies and reducing the clutter.

Simplify my life by gaining more control over my finances and committing to at least one no spend month this year.

Simplify my life by making my self-care a priority this year.

There are so many elements to this and with the new goal in mind, I am planning to take you on a journey by sharing how I work towards my goals of simplifying the routines in my life.

I have thought a lot about how I could take you on this journey with me and an opportunity has arisen to begin my own podcast show in this new year through Blog Talk Radio. Starting in January I will be broadcasting through an Eleven Moms channel through Walmart where we can each have our own show or partner up on shows with one another.

My show will be The MotherLoad Simplified where I will be sharing ideas and be interviewing other great bloggers on how I can reach my goals towards simplifying routines like home organization, beauty care/fashion, simplifying the dinner hour, and simplifying the family finances. I think it will be a great way to engage with our readers in a new way and will showcase our goals for the New Year. This new adventure will be starting sometime in January and I will keep you posted as details develop. Of course, I will be blogging my journey too and keeping to our website themes of basic home management.

What is your New Year's Resolution(s) this year? Is there something you would like to simplify in the upcoming year?

(photo credit: Ani)

Meal Planning Monday: 12.29.08

Here has been our menu plan for the past two weeks with recipes!

1. Deli Sandwiches With Chips (for shopping day)

2. Herb Baked Tilapia, Rice, & Corn

3. Roasted Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, & Peas

4. Rotini Pasta With Turkey Meatballs & Garlic Bread

5. Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole Over Egg Noodles (Scroll Down to View)

6. Sloppy Giuseppes With Oven Fries (Scroll down to Meal #8)

7. Ground Beef Tacos With Tortilla Chips

8. Italian Chops Over Spaghetti

9. Yeast Waffles with Orange Juice

10. Chicken Enchiladas With Homemade Enchilada Sauce

11. Skillet Chicken & Ziti with Broccoli & Homemade Breadsticks

12. French Bread Pizzas

13. Chicken Parmesan Over Spaghetti

14. Chicken Wings, Celery with Ranch, & Cheese Quesidillas

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Please visit "I'm An Organizing Junkie" for a round-up of great menu plans!

Freebie Friday: December 26, 2008

Happy Freebie Friday, everyone! I hope you all are enjoying the holidays with your families. A big thank you to Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, for sharing her freebie list with us. I am so thankful for her friendship and for partnering up with us each week. Please visit her site for all the latest and greatest in the freebie world!


Health & Beauty
Vaseline Intensive Therapy Lotion (enter Alaska sweeps)
Pantene Pro-V (Walmart)
Escada Moon Sparkle fragrance
Degree Men deodorant

Food
Dunkin' Dark Coffee
True Lemon
Splenda with Fiber

Entertainment
More Magazine 10 free issues (StartSampling)
Robb Report 1 free issue (StartSampling)
Field & Stream 12 free issues (watch ads at AdPerk)
Paper Plane by Scala & Kolacny Brothers free music download

Home & Garden
Lysol Healthy Habits Kids Activity Booklet
Velveeta Game Day House Party

Upcoming Freebie Events:

JANUARY
1 - Free Diet Dr. Pepper
3 - Home Depot Kids build Helmet Bookends 9 to noon
10 - Lowe's Kids build a Time Capsule 10 - 11am

Amy's Notebook: The Merry Christmas Edition

Merry Christmas to you & your families today! Please enjoy the day with your families and thank you for your friendship!


I am in love with this block calendar (@ Lark & Lola)

I think this cake plate is beautiful (@ elsie marley)

These sewn envelopes are a creative way to wrap gifts (@ Wild Olive)

I love this ornamental wreath made from wire hangers (@ Eddie Ross)

This holiday garland made from recycled holiday cards is so cute (@ craft stylish)

I think my kids might have trouble not eating it, but this chocolate play dough sounds like so much fun (@ A Foothill Home Companion)

I want to learn needlepoint and this post inspired me to try it (@ Grace Violet)

This hot cocoa bar of goodies looks wonderful to keep us warm this winter and this peppermint popcorn would make great gifts (@ Dukes' & Duchess)

This texture box is such a genius idea (@ The Felt Mouse)

These festive handprint onsies are darling (@ chica shmica)

This knitting wreath is so stinking cute (@ Craftster via Craftzine)

I am bookmarking this tulle tutorial (@ Design Mom)

This celery stamped gift wrap is beautiful (@ Make)

I love this idea for wrapping cookies and might have to try this next year (@ Purl Bee)

This candy cane snowflake bark would make a great little hostess gift (@ Diary of a Crafty Chica)

Here are ten more great gift wrapping ideas (@ Mighty Girl)

I am in love with these ornaments filled with scrap paper (@ The Hybrid Kid)

This gingerbread biscotti looks so delicious (@ Annie's Eats)

A Clark Kind of Holiday '08

We opted to celebrate our Christmas this Sunday instead of waiting until the actual Christmas because we have so many family festivities to attend. The kids love getting their presents a little early and I love keeping them busy as we prepare for all the hustle and bustle of the season.

Our annual cinnamon roll Christmas tree was made for the children to devour it. It is so simple, but the entire family loves it and looks forward to it each year. To make it you just need two containers of cinnamon rolls and make a shape into the tree. Serve with oodles of hot cocoa and watch the children bounce off the walls in delight and sugar-infused fun.



Sometimes it is hard to say what the favorite present is, but this year there were two clear winners with the kids. The first one... the infamous superhero cape. I got Emily a princess cape, but she wanted to try on brother's cool cape instead. Ethan has pledged his loyalty with Batman forever and I am sure we helped seal the deal with a Batman Lego Set & a Batman Shake & Rattle Car, but the kid hasn't taken the costume off since he got it. He has been pretending to fly around the house rescuing us all from the unnecessary evils of the world.

The other true winner was the Baby Alive Doll. We aren't giving her the food and things like that, but I love that she can make the baby pretend to go potty since she, herself, refuses to go on the potty. I am hoping it will bring her inspiration, but until then she can play with her baby. She loved this baby so much that she refused to open the rest of her gifts. "Emily, do you want to open one of your presents?" "NO, MOMMY. YOU STOP! I WANT TO PLAY WITH MY BABY." Ah, the joys of turning three!

I will definitely share our favorite presents of the year after all of the present opening has been done and will write them down for gift ideas next year for our blog.



After all the presents were opened, they grabbed their new sleeping bags and pillows from their bed and camped out to rest. They watched their new box set of Max & Ruby Christmas specials and enjoyed a leisurely afternoon after all the festivities.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I'm Speaking, Ya'll: Blissdom '09

I am so looking forward to the Blissdom '09 Conference that is coming up on February 6-8 and am honored to be speaking on two panels with some of the most amazing women on the web. I will be sharing my experience with content & readership as well as navigating the social media world to grow your site and/or blog.

I am particularly looking forward to meeting some of the women I have secretly worshiped and adored from afar on the web- Meredith, Shannon, Tsh, & Marie... just to name a few! Seriously, it is about the best round-up of speakers you will ever see!

If you register before December 31st, you can take advantage of the Early Bird Special rate at $100 for the conference.

I hope some of you will be there because I can think of nothing better than meeting all my friends in person.

An Apron Full of Giveaways 12.23.08

Welcome to our round-up of contests and giveaways! This week is a little slower week, but we have two giveaways ending tonight and a new one for this week that we are excited to share.

Be sure to enter to win our SmartShopper electronic grocery list, a PeaceLoveMom mommy t-shirt, and our new one-year membership to GoTrybe to get your family active this year!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, "MomAdvice (Christmas Movies)."

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you! Happy holidays, everyone!

To enter, please follow the links below. (photo credit: Saídos da Concha)

A Miscellaneous Post of Thrifty Holiday Ideas

The gifts are wrapped and tucked beneath the tree. I opted for reusable grocery bags in lieu of the traditional gift bag this year. I am such a fan of the Target bags and the clever designs that they implement into their bags. These fold up into the size of a small cosmetic case and had a pocket in the front too, perfect for tucking a gift card or a note of appreciation to someone. These were only $1.50, but everyone was so excited to get these this year. There are just a couple of pieces of tissue paper at the top, but the bottom was stuffed with newspaper that would have gone in our recycle bin. The newspaper helped these stand a little more upright since they were not flat-bottomed. I felt proud about my eco-friendly alternative and am hoping to convert some of my plastic-bag-lovin' family members over to the joys of reusable bags.

We did not buy any new decorations this year, but I opted to decorate with what we already had instead. This wall of pictures behind our Christmas tree needed some sprucing up so I covered the photos with some leftover holiday wrap and bows. I thought it tied in the Christmas spirit beautifully and look forward to doing this each year!

I did my annual gift exchange with my best friend. Do you recognize the pom pom? It is made from Target bags and was featured in our notebook. She was so proud to give it to me and I was so excited to see how her "notebook experiment" turned out. Tucked inside was Better Homes & Gardens Ultimate Cookie Book, 2-at-a-Time Socks, a gorgeous teal velvet blazer (found at the thrift store), and a set of note cards with shoes on them. Now THAT is a friend that knows you well! We put a $20 dollar limit on our gifts and always try to outdo each other with our thrift store finds and killer deals.

We worked on mailing and addressing all of our holiday cards for the year. Ethan helped me put on the stamps and we created an assembly line of stamping; he stamped with his stamps and I stamped a snowflake rubber stamp on each and dropped them in the mail. I mailed off my friend's baby blanket and noticed that shipping costs have been reduced for people who do online mailing versus bringing your items into the post office. I was able to save some change on the mailing and was once again very thankful for my handy little postal scale.

Ethan had his holiday show where he sang a beautiful song about snowpants and a song about special, special,special me. He invited Ryan & I to come to his show where he would "dress up fancy and sing special songs." He was so proud of his song and to give our cozy holiday gift (tucked in a reusable bag) to his teacher. We celebrated his special, special, special performance with a budget-friendly Junior Frosty from Wendy's.

Instead of our holiday photo books this year, I decided to make a DVD of our year for each set of the grandparents. I set it all to holiday music and sent it off to our out-of-town relatives with a message for each of them about how special they were. Shipping costs were greatly reduced and it is something that they can view over and over again or share with their friends.

What is your proudest thrifty holiday idea this year? Did you do anything out of the ordinary to save a buck? Please share!

Redbox Code 12.22.08

Today's Redbox code is EC22KP. This code can be used all day until midnight at any Redbox location.

In addition,Redbox is giving free movie rentals at Walmart Redbox locations. These are good on Sunday's only for one free rental. All of the codes for the appropriate Sunday's are listed
below.

I hope these codes help make the holidays a little brighter- Merry Christmas!

Week 4 (Sunday 12/28) - 11moms4uT (good for that day only)

Week 5 (Sunday 1/4/09) - 11moms4uA (good for that day only)

Go to redbox.com to find a redbox location at a Walmart near you.This promo
code is valid at redbox locations in Walmart stores only and cannot be redeemed online. Promo codes are valid for the first night of rental only. Your credit or debit card is necessary to redeem your promo code, and will be charged $1 plus tax, if applicable, for every subsequent night after the free rental period. Promo code is not transferable, not for resale, and cannot be combined with other offers. Limit 1 promo code per transaction.

Side Notes:

- If you want to rent more than one movie for free, bring more than one credit/debit card. You can use the same promotional code, you just will need different cards to charge it to. The charge will be zero as long as you return your movie on time for the next day.

- When entering in your free movie code, you need to enter it FIRST before picking the movie. On the very first screen, click the, "Rent with Promo." Enter in the above code and then make your selection- the amount should then total zero.

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Don't forget to enter our giveaways! We have a SmartShopper electronic grocery shopping list & a fun mommy t-shirt from PeaceLoveMom! These contests end at 8PM tonight!

For a full list of great giveaways, visit our apron full of giveaways linky list and check back tomorrow for a nice fresh list for the week. Happy Holidays and Good Luck!!

Our Birthday Brunch Bash (With Recipes)

Our famous birthday banner was hung high this weekend for Emily's 3rd birthday. Sprinkled all over the house were purple birthday balloons and pretty purple ribbons tied on anything and everything that I could tie to. In the background was playing a slide show of our sweet Emily (thanks to my friend Rachel for that great idea!) with a collection of photos of our sweet girl growing up.

Just before her party, Emily and Ethan bonked heads so hard that they both were crying uncontrollably leaving Ethan with a goose egg on his forehead and Emily with what appears will soon be a black eye. That is always good for those birthday photos!

The anticipation of waiting for our guests was almost too much to bear. The roads were sheets of ice and accidents were witnessed by many of our party guests on their way to Emily's party. We were so thankful to everyone that came and drove on the treacherous roads for our celebration.


I decided to do a brunch this year because I could prepare all of the food the day before and brunch is an economical dish to serve for a crowd. I made an Overnight Breakfast Casserole, a French Toast Souffle, Holiday Punch, and purchased (at a 40% discount on the marked down items in the bakery) croissant pinwheels, coffee with flavored creamers/syrups, and our birthday cake. All in all, I spent about $30 on all the food & decorating supplies to serve sixteen people. We kept it simple by just inviting family this year and opting for some playgroup fun around the holidays instead of a friend party.

Emily opened her presents which were filled with more princess stuff than you could shake a wand at. The hit of the party, a very special pair of princess shoes of which I am quite sure she will be toppling over and getting a matching black eye as she traipses along her imaginary runway.

Happy 3rd birthday, Miss Emily! You are loved and adored by all who have the pleasure of knowing you!

French Toast Souffle

10 cups white bread cubes (I used a loaf of French Bread)
2 Tablespoons each of sugar and cinnamon
1 (8 ounce) package low fat cream cheese, softened
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup half-and-half cream
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Maple Syrup for topping

Place bread cubes in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Pour sugar and cinnamon on the bread and lightly toss with your hands. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in milk, half and half, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over the bread; cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, remove souffle from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Immediately after removing from the oven, drizzle maple syrup over the top (it will melt into the souffle). Using a sifter, shake the powdered sugar all over the top.

Side Note: I had some trouble with the cream cheese mixing in & not making it look curdled so I followed another recipe that suggested leaving the cream cheese as a block and cutting small cubes of cream cheese to dollop between the layers of bread. You can do whichever you prefer!

Overnight Breakfast Casserole

1 pound sliced ham (lunch meat)
2 teaspoons mustard
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
6 slices white bread, toasted & cut into cubes
8 ounces mild cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl, mix together mustard, salt, eggs, and milk. Add the ham (cut into cubes), bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to cat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13" baking dish. Cover & chill in the refrigerator for eight hours, or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover and bake 45-60 minutes. Uncover and reduce temperature to 325 and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until set.

Amy's Holiday Punch

1 (2 liter) bottle cherry 7-Up soda
1 liter (half a bottle) raspberry flavored soda (I found this at Walmart)
1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 (12 ounce) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate
1 (1 liter) can pineapple juice

Mix all the ingredients together for the punch. This will fill one large punch bowl or two smaller ones. Rum can be added for a spiked punch, but that would be super inappropriate for a princess party! This will convert the non-punch lovers in the group, I promise!

Lovely Little Birthday Cake

Emily celebrated her third birthday this weekend and made a few special birthday requests. She wanted presents, a party hat, a purple cake, and purple balloons.

I headed over to Michael's and got the supplies to make this cake. I baked a white cake (using the white cake mix from Aldi) and baked it in a 9x13" pan. While the cake baked, I made two batches of frosting. I tinted one cup of frosting white, two cups yellow, and three cups purple.

I let the cake cool and then popped it in the freezer (I froze mine overnight). In the morning, I put on a layer of yellow frosting and then piped rosettes as a border on the cake. The top was then covered in purple rosettes and then sprinkled generously with rainbow sprinkles.

To make the rosettes, I used a 1M tip bought at Michael's. If you desire a smaller size rosette, you can use a #18 tip, which would be great for cupcakes or adding a little addition to your border.

To make a rosette, fill your piping bag with icing. Hold your bag at a 90 degree angle, with the tip slightly above the surface. Squeeze out the icing to form a star and without releasing pressure, move the tip in a tight complete rotation, starting at 9:00, moving to 12:00, then to 3:00, then 6;00, and then end it back at 9:00. Stop the pressure and lift your tip away. To see how to make these in pictures, I found this great little tutorial. If you want to fancy up the rosettes, you can add a dot in the center in a contrasting color.

I am no pro at cake decorating, but I have found the cake decorating classes offered by craft stores to be an invaluable tool to help me feel more confident in making birthday cakes for my children. It has really helped when my kids have come up with more unusual cake requests (like a Lego cake, for example) and it has saved us a lot of money over the years.

Here is the recipe for the frosting that I used for this cake!

Buttercream Frosting Recipe

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar (approximately 1 pound)
2 tablespoons milk

Cream the butter and shortening with an electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all the sugar has been mixed in, the icing will appear dry. add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. (Yields 3 cups). Store icing in the refrigerator when not in use. Rewhip before using.

For Chocolate Buttercream Icing: Add 3 oz. melted unsweetened chocolate and 1 tablespoon more milk to the Buttercream Icing recipe.

For Stiffer Frosting (if needed when decorating): Substitute all vegetable shortening and 1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring.


Do you make birthday cakes or opt to buy them? What are some ways you save money on birthday celebrations?

Freebie Friday: December 19, 2008

Happy Holidays and Happy Freebie Friday to all of our readers and visitors! Thank you bunches to Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, for assisting us with our freebie list this week. You won't want to miss Heather's list of reasons on why she reads blogs & how it saves her money.

Just as a quick reminder, we are happy to share some exclusive Redbox codes for our readers through the Walmart Eleven Moms project. Please make sure to jot down a code for each Sunday in December. You can find all the codes for the month right here!

Be sure to also visit the Apron Full of Giveaways for loads of fun giveaways to enter. We are giving away a fun mommy t-shirt from PeaceLoveMom and a SmartShopper electronic grocery list maker. Just follow the links for how to enter.

Health & Beauty

Fabulosity fragrance
Stetson Rich Suede cologne
Cosamin DS (Costco)
Food

Emergen-C drink mix
Bear Naked Granola

Entertainment

LOVE 12 free song downloads (Cartier)
Oprah Holiday Hits 2008 free music download
5 Free Issues of Cosmopolitan Magazine
The Magazine Antiques
Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine
Amazon 25 Days of Free Music Downloads (one for each day of December)

Home & Garden

Amy's Printable Weekly Planner (& more printables on MomAdvice)
Ziploc Home Organization House Party
Healthy Bones for Life 2009 Pocket Planner (National Institutes of Health)
2009 Women's Health Calendar (WomensHealth.gov)

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Michiana Moms- don't miss a fun free event happening in Michiana!

Notre Dame Bookstore Holiday Open House

December 20th-

9-11 Story time and arts and crafts with Cheri and
April Hallwood.

11:00 Storytime with Father Jenkins

12:00-5:00 Stations to make Christmas treats:
reindeer food
cookie decorating
Christmas ornament

12:00-2:00 Photo with St Nicholas Photos available
from Lighthouse Imaging with $5.oo donation to United
Way

2:00-5:00 book launch Take Ten and the