The Happy Dance of Couponer

please ignore the cupcake :)

Hi All !

I hope you had a nice day. Its cold here !! Oh my...I thought I get away from the cold weather.

Its been a while I didn't post about couponing. I had a nice deal between two stores Kroger and CVS that I want to share with you. I spent $1.56 for all the stuff ( and $.86 goes on taxes ) so basically I paid more taxes than the stuff itself.

At Kroger I bought :

2 All detergent $3.49
1 Ajax $1
2 Softsoap Hand soap $1 @

Coupon Used
1 eKroger all  $1.50/2
1 eKroger All $2/1
1 Mfc All $3/1
1 Mfc Softsoap $1/1

Paid $2.93  And Get $1 back from Ajax and $1 from All through savingstar final cost $.93

At CVS I bought :

2 Down Dish soap $.99 each
1 Colgate toothbrush $2.99
1 Colgate Toothpaste $2.99

Coupon Used
1 Colgate toothbrush $1/1
1 Colgate toothpaste $1/1
1 Down $.25/1
1 Down $.50/1
1 ECB from previous shopping $5

Total paid $.63  and get $4 ECB back for next shopping trip.

Yay....happy dancing happened here. I always exciting when I can get nice deal out there :)
Consider I'm not extreme couponing like you see on the TV show.

I hope you can get some nice deals out there and stay warm  !!!!

 

Linking up to :

themodestmomblog

Weekend Blessing !!

Isaiah 1:18

 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

 

5 Ways to Use Orchid for Decoration

Orchid has been in my mind since I went to see the beauty of orchid this past weekend at our local garden. I've browsing and searching how people use orchid for decoration either around the house or for party. Orchid is one of those flower very unique. I mean this flower very pretty and elegant as it is. You don't need to add anything to make it looks attractive to your eyes. I got  2 pots of them and been blooming for a couple of times. I just love them.

Here are 5 ideas to use orchid for decoration. Of course you can use it more than 5 ways but I just want to share 5 of them with you.

1. Centerpiece

Part of the fun of having nice dinner or lunch is the centerpiece ( well for me at least :) You can use potted orchid or even arrange them. Don't you just love it when you get invited to dinner or lunch.

2. Orchid chair back.

The chair with orchid in the back is so pretty and great idea to embellished the chair for any kind of party.

Photo Credit

3. Cake topper

I love the idea of using it as the cake topper. As a matter of fact I did this at my wedding cake. I choose a green orchid around the cake. It was so beautiful.

Photo Credit

 

4. Put it on Coffee Table

 

What a beautiful thing when you put those orchid on the coffee table. It such a great compliment to the room.

Photo Credit

 

5. Put it on console table

 

You can put them on the console table by the entry table. What a great way to greet your guest with those beautiful elegant flower.

Photo Credit

 

Lewis Ginter Garden and Orchids

This past weekend we went to Lewis Ginter Park in Richmond Virginia. They have special FREE admission. The nicest thing is the place just around the corner from us. Not surprise if you see me one those people who will take advantage of this program. The weather was a little bit cold. Thank God for the beautiful bright sun. After all we still had a great time.

There was not much plant around because of the cold weather aka winter. But they have orchids exhibition. You know how much I love orchid. I had such great time taking all the pictures. They have good varieties of orchid in the garden.

 

They still have their Christmas tree up and their theme of course is garden. I love how they use insects and all the flowers.

 

All the orchids are just perfect and beautiful. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoy them.

 

Weekend Blessing !!

 

Psalm 27:4

 

One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

Chunky Beef Chili

Happy Friday All !!

Wow....can you believe it !!! We are in the middle of January already. Thank God we don't have much snow so far. We had a little flurry yesterday. I hope and pray that's all for the whole season.

On this cold weather my husband love to have chili.  We found this recipe a while back and twisted a little bit not on purpose.

We went to the grocery and looked at the ground beef price was crazy expensive. We compared with the chunky beef much cheaper so we go ahead and used it. And we were glad we did it. So is kind of stew chili if you will : )

Instead of cooking on regular pot on the stove I cooked it in slow cooker on high for about 4 hours.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced (1 cup)
• 1 red or green bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
• 1 cups celery ( diced )
• 2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 to 1,5 pound chunky beef
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

Heat the oil in large pot. Add the onion and chunky beef until the beef no longer pink. In the crock pot put bell pepper, celery, carrots, all the beans and crushed tomato. Add the beef and onion. Also all the spices and water. Turn on the slow cooker on high for 4 hours.

 

 

Enjoy with your favorite corn bread recipe :) cheddar cheese and sour cream for garnish !!!

 

Linking up to :

livingwellspendingless

 

HGTV Dream Home 2014

 

Hi All !! 

 

It's the time again for HGVT with their sweepstakes dream home 2014. I love the house style from last year. Most of all I love the location and the climate weather. Congratulations to the winner !!!

This year they choose the place in Lake Tahoe California. I love this house as well. But if you give me the choice I will choose the one from last year. Well if I won this one I will be grateful to:). After all is a dreaming home ( so you allowed to dream :).

I hope you enjoy all the pictures as much as I do. And having fun to enter the sweepstakes. Who knows one of us will win :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linking up to :

shabbynest

Weekend Blessing !!

My uncle with the fish that he caught from his farm !!

Philippians 4:19

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Martabak Manis ( Indonesian Pancakes )

Happy Friday All !

I hope your area is getting warm this weekend. Ours is getting warm although will be rain for the whole weekend. Well I guess you have to take it over the freezing weather.

Speaking of cold weather don't you like to relate it with food ? When I was in my country this martabak manis is one of my favorite delicatessen food. I have never made it there. We always bought it.

Since I cant found it anywhere in bakery here where I live. I tempted to made it myself. Sure, was not as good as the one sold in my country. Or Indonesian food store in NY. But it was close enough to satisfied my craving. My husband love it as well. The one with coconut filling.

Martabak Manis ( Indonesian Pancakes )

 

Ingredients :

1/2 tbsp instant yeast

1 cup warm milk

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tsp margarine (and more for brushing pan and pancake

 

 

Possible Filling Combinations

Margarine

Peanuts (crushed)I used walnut

Chocolate rice ( I use chocolate chips)

Shredded cheddar cheese

 

Directions :

1.In a small bowl sift sugar, salt, flour and salt.
2.  In a big bowl mix all the ingredients with warm milk,egg and let it sit for 1-2 hours place it in a warm/room temperature.

3. Preheat the skillet or griddle with LOW HEAT. Grease the pan and sides with a little margarine. Pour the batter, cover and cook until you can see bubbles start to form. This will take approximately 10-15 minutes or until top is full of holes. Ensure that your heat is LOW so that the skin doesn’t burn. The level of the batter should not exceed half the height of the skillet.

4. Spread margarine on top and finally sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese, chocolate and crushed peanut. Remove from the pan and fold it in half immediately like the shape of a semicircle. This will prevent the cake from cracking.
 

Spread the outer surface with margarine to keep the cake moist. Best served warm! Enjoy !!!

Random Things and Bargain After Christmas Sale

Hi All !!
I hope you all had a wonderful day. I know some part of the country been dealing with this extreme cold weather. I hope you all stay warm. Ours is colder than usual too.

I don't  know about you after the busyness from the holiday since Thanksgiving to Christmas. I feel want to take a break from blogging and I feel out of the ideas.
 

I did some cleaning and organized my closet and extra closet bedroom ( our storage ). I didn't realize how much stuff I have in the closet. They just sitting there. I found this nice shaving bag that friend of ours gave to us when moved out from NY. Can you imagine is been in there more than 2 years.

This magazine just came in perfect time with all their delicious slow cooker recipes for this cold weather. I got the magazine for FREE :)

I went for after Christmas shopping. I found a pretty good deal at Target, Wal-Mart and some drug stores. Thank God for gift card that I got from Christmas. I didn't spent much money and had so much fun with shopping. I already finished with my OCC shoe boxes. We will fill 6 boxes this year.

I paid around $2 for all these stuff using coupons at CVS. I will put the dolls inside the shoe boxes.

I was so glad with this purchased at Rite aid. I just paid $.31 for all of them. Is about 91 % discounts. I did this purchased this past weekend with my husband before we went for our walk at our local park. He was so surprised and blew his mind :)

I saw this sign and make me smile. You only find this in Wal-Mart their bargain always interesting :)

Linking up to :

livingwellspendingless
themodestmomblog



Weekend Blessing

 

John 4 : 14

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

101 in 1001

Happy New Year All !!!

I hope you had a great time last night to opening the new day in 2014. My husband and I had a great relaxing evening together.

Instead of doing New Year resolutions. I found this 101 goals in 1001 days idea and I will attempt to give it a try. I will start today January 1, 2014 and will end September 28, 2016. Lets pray and hope I will reach the goal :)

101 in 1001

Spiritual

1.       Read entire bible

 

2.       Make a prayer journal

3.       Take a couple retreat

4.       Find a new home church

5.       Get involved with new ministry

6.       Make prayer list for family and friends

7.       Memorize at least 20 bible verses (0/20)

8.       Make subway art bible verse/display

Discipline/Save

9.       Take a break from technology for the whole week

10.   52 weeks challenges saving

11.   Save all my change for 1001 days

12.   Make retirement plan

13.   Go on a month only spending on grocery, and gas every other 3 month

14.   Not going anywhere on a weekend for a month every other 3 month except church

15.   Couponing

16.   Make pile stock

17.   Take a course /class online

18.   Take a craft class at Michaels

19.   Find another job field

20.   Read at least 20 books ( 0/20 )

21.   Limit time online/internet

22.   Sell at least 2 furniture in a month

23.   Learn how to take better picture

24.   Learn how to type

25.   Learn how to swimming

26.   Learn new language Spanish or Chinesse

27.   Have a yard sale

28.   Ebay selling

29.   Go to yard sale-ing every Summer

30.   Make a craft at least once other month

31.   Buy a house

32.   Have a garden

33.   Fixer upper ( project )

34.   Establish new tradition

35.   Painting

36.   Make a new subway art about John and I

37.   Plant Magnolia

38.   Buy more orchid for the house

39.   Buy new bedding

40.   Buy a new computer

41.   Buy a new set towel

42.   Buy curio

43.   Clean out  closet

44.   Learn how to sew

45.   Make my own Christmas tree skirt

46.   Try to make homemade Christmas gift

47.   Visit Indonesia

48.   Visit old childhood neighborhood

49.   Visit 2 new State

50.   Visit NYC more often ( family and friends )

51.   Explore out State

52.   Have a picnic

53.   Have Christmas somewhere just the 2 of us

54.   Get our own tree (go to the mountain cut it out )

55.   Camping

56.   Go see Live Bible show

57.   Go to movie theatre with John

Cooking

58.   Make a new healthy habit ( cut sugar  and eat brown rice )

59.   Lose 20 pounds

60.   Start drinking 2 % fat milk

61.   Try new recipe

62.   Make Indonesian meat ball/soup

63.   Learn how to make tempeh

64.   Make a bread

65.   Make donut

66.   Try 10 new recipe (0/10)

67.   Cook with crock pot only for a month

68.   Try 3 local restaurant

69.   Pay toll or buy coffee for people behind me Pay someone coffee behind me

70.   Help orphanage in Indonesia

71.   Visit Nursing home

72.   Volunteer  for Holiday either Thanksgiving or Christmas

73.   Inviting church friend for dinner at least 4 times

74.   Make 3 good friends

75.   Have a couple( husband and wife) good friends

76.   Call, text Family and Friend in Indonesia more often

77.   Meet FB friend in person at least 1

78.   Get in touch with old friends

79.   Sending 10 hand written birthday card ( 0/10)

80.   Sending 10 card thinking of you hand written (0/10)

81.   Host Christmas dinner for friend or family

82.   Make a gift for neighbor ( cookie/flower )

83.   More serious with blog

84.   Comment another blog at least 2 per day

85.   Buy a new purse/hand bag

86.   Dye hair…???

87.   Learn how to apply better makeup

88.   Paint my toe nails all summer

89.   Have a new boots

90.   Doing 37 things on my birthday

91.   Try new facial treatment

92.   Be in bed 10:00 pm for a week

93.   Learning tennis or just play

94.   Go bowling

95.   Learn to understand football go to training camp ( Redskin )

96.   Make a love note to John

97.   Read a book for a couple

98.   Have a nice candle light dinner at home at least every other month

99.   Go to dentist and not procrastinating

100.                        Buy fresh flower for our house

101.                        Make new 101 list :)