$5 Taste of Home Sale through February 25

Looking for new recipe books to give you fresh ideas for dinner? How about a homemade pasta maker? Taste of Home is having a BIG sale on their site selling things for only $5! Here are some of the items that I would I would love to get with this sale:

Everyday Slow Cooker & One Dish Recipes 2011
325 scrumptious recipes for your slow cooker, skillet or oven–it’s like getting 3 cookbooks in one!
Meal-in-one convenience with lots of casseroles and one-dish meals

Regular Price: $24.99
Sale Price: $5.00

Pasta Maker

Make your own pasta right at home.

Regular Price: $49.95
Sale Price: $5.00

Just One Pot cookbook

This cookbook has more than 320 recipes, and as the name implies is cooked in one pot, so dinner is simple and easy. Yummy!


Regular Price: $16.95
Sale Price: $5.00

Comfort Food Diet Cookbook 2011

This is a great book for someone trying to cut calories while still eating traditional comfort foods. I know I would love it :).



Regular Price: $24.99
Sale Price: $5.00

The best part about this sale is you can stock up on a bunch of cookbooks and then give them as gifts throughout the year. Most women welcome a fresh set of recipes and you could cater the book you choose to their favorite things to make, whether slow cooker meals, desserts, or comfort foods. Word of caution, though: Perhaps avoid the "light" and "diet" books as gifts. You wouldn't want to imply that the recipient needs to lose weight, LOL :D.

Thanks, HappyMoneySaver, for sharing.

Amazon Deals for Moms: 2/15/13

Looking for a way to get some exercise in with little children? After having MW, my mother-in-law bought me a jogger stroller. Best thing ever! I was able to fit the car seat carrier into the stroller and take MW for a walk or a jog.

One thing I would recommend when looking for a jogging stroller is to be sure that it can have either a fixed wheel or a swivel wheel. You need to wheel to be fixed when you're jogging or else the whole stroller will shake uncontrollably, but you want it to be able to swivel if you're just going for a walk so you can easily go around corners without having to pick up the wheel and move it. The one I have has a lever that makes it easy to switch between these two modes.

Right now Amazon has jogging strollers and bike trailers for up to 30% off. Here are some of the best options:

The Schwinn Turismo Swivel Single Jogger is one great option if you're looking for a single stroller. Right now it's only $140, at 30% off. Users rate it at a 4.4/5, so it's well liked by those who've bought it. It even has built-in MP3 speakers so you can hook up your player to the stroller and keep your child entertained with you're jogging. If you need a double stroller, the same jogger, Schwinn Turismo Swivel Double Jogger, is available in a double version as well.

InStep also has their own version of the jogger stroller with the InStep Swivel Wheel Jogger. You can find a double jogger stroller as well. Rated at 4 out of 5 stars, some versions of this stroller come with MP3 speakers and faux lambskin seats.

Of course, another great way to get exercise with little ones is with a bike trailer.

Rated at a 4.9, a great option is the Schwinn Trailblazer Single Bike Trailer at only $91.

A less expensive option, though still rated as a 4.5, is the InStep Sync Single Bicycle Trailer at only $63.

Of course, double trailers are available as well from Schwinn and Instep if you have two little ones to be hauled around. Bike trailers are also a great option if you want to take your kids to a park that is close by as a well to get out of the house.

Though weather might not be ideal right now for jogging or bike riding, you should take advantage of the prices now, which will undoubtedly go up once the weather warms up.

Cutest Valentine's Day Video Ever!

I just found the cutest Valentine's Day video and I had to share. Here you go: What kids think about love and smoochies:



Aren't they the cutest!

What Valentine's Day Means to Me

Image via Flickr by Illusive Photography

When you think of Valentine's Day, what comes to mind? Is it Cupid and his quiver of arrows? Red roses, boxes of chocolates, heart-shaped jewelry?

These things certainly are associated with Valentine's Day, but to me today is more than just about showing your sweetheart how much you love them. I'd like this day to be about showing everyone how much you love them.

There are many types of love that exist in this world. There's the romantic love you feel for your sweetie, the parental love of a child, familial love of a sibling or parent, and friendly love of a close friend. 

How My Mother-in-Law Shows Love

Image via Flickr by butterflysha

All of us love receiving fun mail—a card, a letter, a package. Something that you can open and enjoy reading rather than just junk mail or bills. This was especially true when I was a kid before the prevalence of computers, the Internet, and cell phones. It was exciting ... especially if there was a present or money inside. 

Since we got married almost 11 years ago, that's not so expected. With email and texting, most of my communication takes place electronically. No need for stamps. No delay for the recipient to get what you sent. And yet on almost every holiday, in the mail I find a card from my mother-in-law wishing us a happy birthday, a merry Christmas, a happy Valentine's Day, and even a happy Thanksgiving (yes, they make cards for that. Who knew). 

I always thought it was kind of a waste. A waste of money for the card. A waste of stamps to send it. But after being married over a decade, I realize that this is her way of showing she cares for us. It's the time she takes to pick out a card, pay for it, write a message inside, and send it with enough time to reach us before the holiday. It tells us that she's thinking of us and loves us. Sometimes she'll include pictures from our last trip or pictures of her and her husband. It means a lot to her to send those cards, and it means a lot for us to send some back to her. 

It may be a little thing. We may just throw the cards away after reading them (and we may not). But she uses it to connect with us.

What Love Can We Show on This Valentine's Day

Is there something we can do on this Valentine's Day to show our love? Not just to our one true love, but to everyone? It may be too late to send a card this year, but even just a quick text to say, "You are a dear friend. Thanks for being there for me" may just lift the spirits of a friend who is feeling unloved. Writing on a Facebook wall, "Hey, friend. How are you? Let's make plans for next week" may help someone feeling lonely. You never know the impact of a quick message of love.

Share Love Freely

Image via Flickr by vmiramontes

What I've found over the years, though, is that we should share love and admiration for others freely. Don't be reserved thinking that the other person will be put off by that expression or think you strange. It's possible, but that shouldn't stop you from sharing. Nine times out of 10, their hearts will be lifted by what you say. Your friendship will grow and you'll both feel a little more joy. 

With family, saying I love you to your family members is great, but you know what means more? Saying why you love them. For Valentine's Day this year, my husband took nesting boxes and put my gift in the smallest one. On each box, he took a sticky note and wrote a reason he loved me—one for each year of our marriage. Opening a present is wonderful, but knowing things about me that made him happy he married me meant more than the present alone. I can keep those sticky notes and read them again and again. I feel much more loved today than I did just from the present.

Take the time to share with your siblings, parents, and children what it is about them that you love. What qualities do you see in them that you wish you had? What things about them make you smile and make you want to be with them?

What about your friends? Often we take friendship for granted. Why not tell your friends why you're so glad you know each other and what makes them a great friend. Don't be afraid to tell a friend you love them. 

Share Love with Everyone ... Even Those You Don't Know

Via Desktopas.com

It's easy to share love with those you know and love dearly, but what about those you don't know? In Matthew 22:37-39, it reads, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

So who is your neighbor? Anyone you see and come into contact with. According to Jesus we should love our neighbors as we do ourselves. I think "thyself" could be interpreted to mean your family. Do you love your neighbors like you do your own family—your own household? If not, what can you do for your "neighbors"?

It could be simple as a smile. It could be paying for someone's groceries behind you. It could be dropping cookies off at a neighbor's house that you don't know. 

When it comes to loving those around you, for me it's about treating others how you want to be treated. The typical golden rule. It's not treating others how you are treated. It's not treating others like you're worried they will hurt you. It's about finding Christ's love and showing it to those around you.

"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

"Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

"Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

"When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

"Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."'

Matthew 25:34-40 

Via GregOlsen.com

So for this Valentine's Day, let's share more love into the world. And if I haven't told you lately, I love you!

Hearty Oatmeal Applesauce Pancakes

Looking for a way to make pancakes heartier? Pancakes are definitely a family favorite, whether for breakfast or dinner, but if you're trying to find a way to make them better for your family, here's one delicious way:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup quick cooking oats

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon (depending on preference)

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

1. In a large bowl, mix together both flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together applesauce, sour cream, egg and vanilla. 
3. Combine applesauce mixture with flour mixture and milk till just mixed. If possible, let stand 5 minutes before cooking pancakes (I used the time to clean up the mess I made ;).
4. Use a 1/4 measuring cup and scoop onto a heated griddle (lightly oiled. I used coconut oil, though if you look at the picture, I used way too much. Whoops :P). 
5. Once golden brown on one side, flip and cook other side till golden brown. Note that these won't bubble like typical pancakes.

So now that I've covered how to make them, let me just say that these were SO GOOD! I was doubtful about the sour cream (not a big fan), but you don't taste it at all. The oatmeal gives it a great texture and adds something more to the pancakes. I added blueberries to some and that was pretty good too. I bet these would be great with some sliced bananas as well. 

(And yes, I need to do better about taking pictures, but I was too busy enjoying them to stop and take pictures of it.)

(Expired) Hot Deals on Amazon: Heart Pendants for Valentine's Day

This deal is now over. Hope you were able to find something while it was still on :).

Still not sure what to get the woman in your life for Valentine's Day? Check out Amazon's sale on heart pendants going on today. The best part? FREE 1-day shipping, which means there's still time to order and receive it before the big day.

Whether you need a gift for a wife, girlfriend, friend who's a girl, daughter, mother or grandmother, there are many pendants to choose from that are beautiful. Here are some of my favorites:

For those looking for something a little different, the Sterling Silver Black Diamond Heart Pendant Necklace is a beautiful design that pulls away from the typical colorless diamond pendant. For only $75, this pendant is available 50% off.

Another great option is the 10k White Gold Diamond Double Heart Pendant, available in both white gold and yellow gold. This pendant is available for 70% off—only $100 instead of $345. What a great deal for a beautiful pendant.

If you're looking for something with color, consider the Fuchsia Swarovski Elements Heart Pendant. Besides the color shown here, you can choose between aurora borealis and red pendants as well.

I think that the one I like the most, though is this 14k Rose Gold over Sterling Silver Open Heart Pendant that says "You hold my heart forever." How sweet is that. You can choose between rose gold plated, yellow gold plated and sterling silver, and it's only $20, which is 60% off!

Of course these are just a few choices available. Check out the sale and order soon. These deals are only good for today, February 11.

7 Free Printable Valentine's Day Cards for Kids to Take to Class

Are you looking for a cheap and easy way to create Valentine's Day cards? There are free printable designs found online by those who are creative and talented at graphic arts. Here are some I've found that would be easy and cute.

Owl and Monster Valentines

If you have a daughter, maybe an owl-themed valentine is more her thing. Check out this cute owl design from Deal Wise Mommy:

If your kids are more into monsters, then Deal Wise Mommy has that covered too.

Other designs from Deal Wise Mommy include a mustache design and a rock music design. 

Bug Valentines from Ellinee

Another fun design comes from Ellinee.com:

Or enjoy some with jungle animals from the same site:

Both are so cute, I don't know how to decide which I like best!

Geeky Valentines

If you or your kids enjoy the geeky things in life, check out the free printables from Epbot, which feature Portal designs. 

Boy Valentines

If you're looking for printable valentines for boys that are more "manly," check out these ones from One Charming Party featuring dinosaurs, superheroes, and diggers:

With so many fun designs, you should have plenty of choices for your kids' valentines day. I so wish I'd had these when I was a kid! Which design did your kids choose for their Valentines?