Homemade Croutons

Someone asked me about making croutons so I thought that I would share.

It is really silly to spend money on croutons. They are cheap, easy to make, and can be better than store bought croutons!

First, take some bread.  Personally, I like to use leftover hot dog or hamburger buns- you know, the enriched kind...  Yes, it is not nutritious but I am not here to discuss nutrition with you.

Crumbled the bread into bite size pieces and put it in a big skillet.
Then lightly drizzle some good olive oil on it.
Then, I like to add garlic powder, pepper and a little salt.
Then, just stir and toast. 

You will get something that looks like this:

Top to your salad and enjoy!

The Wrought Iron Nightmare

The little man is on his way to crawling VERY soon.  A little too soon in my mind but there is no slowing him down!  He is getting up on his hands and knees and rocking back and forth.  He then plops on his belly and rolls or scoots backwards.  Every now and then, I see a scoot forwards.

Yesterday, I noticed that he moved his hands in a forward direction while on his hands and knees.  It is really interesting to see it all take place.

So, our dilema in this house for quite awhile is how to block the stairway from the baby.  It is one of my biggest fears that he is going to get to it when I turn my back for just a second.  My nightmares are are the worst!  See that brick wall of the fireplace at the bottom of the stairs and the ceramic tile?  What a landing that would be!   For anybody...
 

Stairway with Wrought Iron Railing in Main Hall

The problem is two fold:

1.The gate has to attach to the wall on one side and the vintage wrought iron post on the other.

2.  The railing ALL THE WAY AROUND is not "code".  He could easily army crawl under it OR slide through the railing.

So there are a few products our there that we are going to use for a temporary solution.  My husband wants to design something later to look better and match the decor.  However, right now, something just needs to be there for his safety.

Stairs and Nursery View

Here are the products that we are using:

1.  Banister Guard (Found at http://cardinalgates.com/ks15.html  )

The Banister guard is a sheet of plastic that is attached by zip ties.  Cutting it to fit has been a pain and I am not sure that it is going to work because of the gap at the bottom of the railing.   I have a feeling that this is not going to be in place long.

2.   Kidco Safeway Gate (Found at http://www.kidco.com/products-page/hardware-mount-gates/g2001/)

I like this gate for one reason- it attaches to the wall and the post.  I do not trust those compression type of gates for the stairs especially for this type of railing.  A piece of wood will most likely have to be attached to the wrought iron post.  Because of the dimensions, the post will have to be taller than the iron railing which will look strange.  However, as long as it works, I don't care at this time.  It will put my mind at ease so much if the gate was up. 

I will keep you posted on the progress of the gate/guard and Mr. Man's mobility!

Let's Talk Coupons

I am no coupon queen and I have lots to learn.
However, let me share with you a few things that I know.

1.  Internet Shopping:

If you are going to purchase things online, take 2 minutes and look for a company coupon code.

There are great deals out there online and you can easily find coupons for free shipping, 5-20% off your order.  These deals are usually not on the company's website.  The fastest way to find a coupon code?  Google it.  Then during the checkout procedure, apply the code.  It is so easy and it can really save you some bucks!

2.  Buying coupons on Ebay:

I am pretty new to this little gem but it has save me some dough lately.

For instance, I wanted to print off some pictures of the little man on Shutterfly.  However, my bill was coming to over $50.  I looked for coupons online and didn't find any that worked for what I was purchasing.  I searched Ebay and found 2 good coupons ($20 off my order and also 200 prints free).  My bill ended up being 49 cents plus shipping!  I looked for a free shipping code but couldn't find one.  :(   I wasn't certain at the time if Shutterfly would take both coupons but it was worth a try and it worked!  I paid $2 for each coupon on Ebay.

More great coupons to get on Ebay are formula coupons and checks.  This has REALLY saved me some money.  I signed up on Enfamil.com and they sent me Enfamil checks to use when I buy formula until the baby was about 4 months old and then they stopped.  Every now and then, I get a coupon but no checks.  What is the difference you ask?  You can use both a coupon and a check at the time of purchase.  The coupon is a regular coupon but the check is used just like a personal check you write.  Yeah, it takes a little bit longer at the checkout but if I can knock $10 off my formula purchase, it is worth it to me. 

3.  Newspaper Coupons

Of course, the newspaper is a great place to get coupons.  However, I am never at the store on Sunday morning and I rarely remember to buy a newspaper.  Some may go dumpster diving for discarded newspapers and its coupons.  However, I am into easy.  If it is an easy process and I can save a few bucks, I am in.  I don't want it to become a hassle. 

4.  Matching Ads

My mom matches ads a lot because the grocery stores are limited in her area and this helps to save money.  A few dollars can really add up over time!  However, I must tell you a secret, I don't even look at ads.  It is a hassle to me nowadays.  I barely have time to myself and during that time, I don't want to be looking at ads.  It is hard enough to make a shopping list!

5.  Printable Coupons

I admit that I like this option.  Nowadays, stores will take printable coupons and I rarely have any troubles using them.  For instance, if I need cream cheese, I may get on the Kraft website to look for a coupon.  A lot of coupons out there you can find on the company's website and then just print it off.  Usually, the printable limit is 2 coupons.  Also good places to look for coupons are the following websites:

www.coupons.com
www.couponmom.com
www.printablecouponsanddeals.com

so many, many more...

6.  Sign up!

Sign up on a website if you use the product a lot and usually the company will email you (or mail) coupons to you.

For instance, we drink a lot of eight o'clock bean coffee in our house.  I sign up on the website and they periodically send out coupons by email.  They used to have a rewards program too and I wish they would bring that back...