October Favorite Photos

October was a crazy month! There was a lot going on every single day. It is my favorite month though. I love the cooler weather, and Halloween too. I even got a few favorite photos to share.

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The kids were so excited for Halloween this year. Thade was Harry Potter, Dylan was Buzz Light-year, and Agnes was a Green Bay Packers Cheerleader. I don’t know why she was looking so somber in this photo, she only smiles when she gets to take the picture.

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Agnes was pretty excited about her 2nd birthday.

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Miss Agnes snuggling in her new coat.

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We were at Thade’s Halloween Parade, and it was so cold. I only got one single picture, that parade was moving fast.

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I took this one of Dylan at the Fort, he absolutely loves the Fort.

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This sweet photo is of Agnes and Daddy, we were outside on a warm Autumn evening.

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The big kids received Transformers masks from Grandma, and as you can tell from this photo, they really love them.

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These are the bricks from my neighborhood.

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My very favorite spot in town.

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Downtown at dusk.

And you know, just because there aren’t enough kitties on the interwebs.

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My lil guy, who hangs out by my desk at night.

Nov 3

We Have Too Much!

I never thought I would say this but… We have too much!!!

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Too much Halloween Candy!

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I bought a lot, Grandma brought a lot, and the kiddos trick-or-treated a lot, and well there is just a crazy amount of candy going on in the house.

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I decided to dump it all out, and organize it a little bit. Too see just what we are working with.

I moved all of the inedible goodies (pencils, plastic toys, cups) into a big bowl. I then separated out all of the fruit candies, gum, and fruit chews into another bowl. Lastly I sorted through all of the chocolate. Dylan has a peanut allergy, so I separated any of the peanut butter/peanut candies into a gallon sized bag. I put the chocolate M&M’s into another gallon sized bag for baking, and treats. Lastly I combined all of the rest of the candy bars into it’s own gallon sized bag. It is still way too much candy.

O.k. so I know I’m a mean mom, I don’t want my kiddos to eat all of this candy, but I don’t want to see it all go to waste. I’m trying to think of a few recipes/activities to use up some of this candy. I also have to keep my ideas Peanut free for my little Dylan.

Candy Bar Cake, could be tasty
M&M Oatmeal Cookies, would use up some of those M&M’s
M&M Chocolate Chips cookies, another good use of those candies
A special treat jar: filled with the gum, smarties, lollipops, and tootsie rolls
I’ve also seen a few Candy Advent Calendars, you use the favorite candies to count down to Christmas

What about you… What are you doing to creatively use up all that extra Halloween candy?

Nov 2

The Coupons Strike Again

Maybe it was because October was such a long month. Maybe it was because October was filled with holidays and birthday celebrations. After I did the shopping and crunched the numbers the coupons won again!

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I had three more shopping trips in October than I had in July. Grocery prices have also increased a lot since July, so that is a bit of a bummer too. I have one more month left on my project. I’ve already decided that December is stressful enough, I’m taking that month off from obsessive spreadsheet work.

I would like to see frugality reign supreme for at least one month of my project, so I’m going to see if this works. I’m stocking up at Family Dollar, and Dollar General for paper goods, and planning a monthly run to Aldi. I have a big list planned, and I hope that this will help me save a bit. We’ll see what happens though, November is a long month filled with more celebrating…

Wish me luck!

Nov 1

November’s Monthly Menu

November brings cool weather, family activities, holiday celebrating, and holiday decorating too. Also school is out for a bit, so I’ll have everyone home for a long week. We are also switching up our take-out night, from Thursday to Tuesday. I think it will work out, and break up the week a little bit too.

I’m excited that Fall is here with all of the favorite Fall meals that come along with it. I’ve got a pretty tasty menu planned too. So here we go, it’s November’s Monthly Dinner Menu.

11/1/2011: Take-out Tuesday!
11/2/2011: Nacho Bar
11/3/2011: Beef Stew and Homemade Bread
11/4/2011: Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
11/5/2011: Pancakes, Bacon, and Fresh Fruit
11/6/2011: Pot Roast with Potatoes, Homemade Bread, and Chocolate Pie
11/7/2011: Cheese Quesadillas, Bean & Cheese Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
11/8/2011: Take-out Tuesday!
11/9/2011: Nacho Bar
11/10/2011: Salmon Cakes, Corn, and Macaroni & Cheese
11/11/2011: Pulled Pork Tacos, Bean & Cheese Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
11/12/2011: Bacon Breakfast Potatoes, Muffins, and Bacon
11/13/2011: Homemade Pizzas: Cheese, Pepperoni, Triple Meat, and BBQ Chicken with Bacon
11/14/2011: Chicken Burritos, Bean & Cheese Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
11/15/2011: Take-out Tuesday!
11/16/2011: Nacho Bar
11/17/2011: Chicken Chow Mien, Chow Mien Noodles, Rice, and Sugar Dumplings
11/18/2011: Tostadas, Bean & Cheese Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
11/19/2011: Sausage, Biscuits & Gravy, Fresh Fruit, and Muffins
11/20/2011: Chili, Saltines, and Brownies
11/21/2011: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
11/22/2011: Take-out Tuesday!
11/23/2011: Nacho Bar
11/24/2011: Happy Thanksgiving! Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Homemade Bread, Pumpkin Pie, and Chocolate Pie
11/25/2011: Beef Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
11/26/2011: Bacon, Cinnamon Rolls, and Breakfast Potatoes
11/27/2011: Turkey Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, and Homemade Bread
11/28/2011: Chicken Enchiladas, Bean & Cheese Enchiladas, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Guacamole
11/29/2011: Take-out Tuesday!
11/30/2011: Nacho Bar

I’m planning on making a big trip to Aldi, and stocking up on staple items for the month, just in case the weather turns. Late Fall in KS, can mean snow at any minute. Happy November everybody!

Oct 31

Halloween Parades and Parties

This year the boys Halloween Parties and Parades were scheduled at the exact same time. I was really bummed that I wouldn’t be able to make it to both. This is Dylan’s last year at his preschool, and Thade’s last year at his Attendance Center, so I was one grumpy momma. James and I decided for one parent to go to one, and the other parent go to the other. He got to go to Dylan’s and I went to Thade’s.

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