Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Raising Teenagers

Today, my baby girl turns 13 years old! Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

Wow, now both my kids are teenagers and I am in the midst of raising teenagers. I have heard so many people bemoan the teenage years as the worst time of their lives, but, although there are new challenges, I am enjoying watching my children grow up and become more independent. They are great kids and I enjoy them very much!

We spend alot of time together since we homeschool, but they also have many friends and are great kids - leaders amongst their peers. I hope to always be close to my kids and to enjoy these upcoming teen years as I watch them become the man and woman of God that He is calling them to be. I intend to enjoy my time with them, making the most of every day because we are not guaranteed any certain number of days. They grow up so fast and change every day!

I loved holding my tiny little babies in my arms! I cherished rocking them to sleep and singing lullabys to them. I enjoyed playing with them when they were toddlers and watching them explore and discover so many things. Through some tears and many joys, I watched them learn to read and then learn to enjoy reading!! I have watched them grow and learn, becoming more and more independent each year of their lives. I have watched them in many different situations and have seen how they are discerning and open to hearing God speak to them in a myriad of circumstances. They have given up many things already to follow God's leading in our lives. They have seen God bless them abundantly for their sacrifice and have watched as God has provided for every need in our lives. They have also been blessed when God has also given them the desires of their hearts.

Life has been an incredible adventure so far already! I am looking forward to many more years of adventure with these incredible gifts God has given me in my children!!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Best Grocery Deals in Phoenix Area

Well, I have resigned myself to receiving my Wednesday mail and sales ads late!!! Almost 5pm yesterday and my son had a football game (just on the sidelines due to injury) at 6pm, so I never got to post this yesterday.

Albertsons
Skinless, boneless chicken breasts $1.67/lb
Pork Loin Roast $1.67/lb
Lay's Chips or Breyer's Ice Cream $1.99
93% lean ground beef $1.57/lb (5 lbs or more)
Assorted Pork Chops $0.97/lb
Gala Apples $0.69/lb
Fresh Baked Cinnamon Rolls 8 ct $2.99

Bashas
Whole Chickens $0.49/lb GREAT PRICE TO STOCK UP!!
Chuck Roast $1.37/lb
Gala Apples $0.49/lb
80% lean ground beef $1.77/lb (4 lbs or more)
Farmland Bacon $1.99
Del Monte Vegetables $0.58
StarKist Chunk Light Tuna $0.58
Willow Brook Turkey Breast (sliced at deli) $3.99/lb
Del Monte Pasta Sauce 10/$10

Food City
Bone-in Country Style Ribs $0.99/lb
Gala Apples $0.49/lb
FUD Chicken Franks $0.39/each limit 6
Dole Juice Blends $1.99
Boneless Beef Stew Meat $1.99/lb
White Onions 5 lbs/$1
Bartlett Pears 3 lbs/$0.99
Lemons 3 lbs/$0.99
Peaches 2 lbs/$1

Fresh & Easy
F&E Pasta 1lb $0.88

Fry's
10 Item Mega Event - $5 off when you buy 10 mix or match
Kraft Salad Dressing $0.99
Kraft Mac n Cheese $0.49
Nestle Tollhouse Morsels $1.99
Ritz Crackers $1.99
Kraft Shredded or Bar Cheese $1.39
Nabisco Snack Crackers $1.49
and much, much more!!
Charmin Ultra Bath Tissue 4 roll $1.88
Large Eggs 1 dozen $0.77
1/2 gallon milk $0.77
Green Seedless Grapes $0.67
73% lean ground beef $0.99/lb (5 lb chub)
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts $1.57/lb

Pro's Ranch Market
Bone-In Chicken Breasts $0.98/lb
Boneless Beef Bottom Round Steak or Roast $1.78/lb
Cantaloupe 4 lbs/$0.99
Tomatoes 2 lbs/$0.99
Jenny-O Turkey Franks 2/$1
El Campero Long Grain Rice 4 lbs $1.39
La Costena Whole Jalapenos 26 oz. $0.99
Peaches 2 lbs/$0.99
Yellow Onions 5 lbs/ $0.99
Celery 2/$0.99
Kiwi 6/$0.99
Radishes 4/$0.99
Broccoli $0.69/lb
THURSDAY:
Bone-in Beef Shank $0.99/lb
Tilapia Fillets $1.89/lb
Chicken Wings $0.99/lb
Boneless Pork Legs $1.29/lb
FRIDAY:
Sunny Delight 48 oz. $0.69
Iceberg Lettuce 3/$0.99
Red Seedless Grapes 2 lbs/$0.99

Safeway
Navel Oranges $0.88/lb
Red, Green or Black seedless grapes $0.77/lb
Fresh Express Salad Blends Buy 1, Get 1 FREE
Campbells Soup - Tomato or Chicken Noodle 2/$1
72 Hour Sale FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY:
Oscar Mayer Meat Wieners $0.99 (combine w/coupon for FREE)
Hass Avocados 2/$1

Sprouts
Roasted Almonds $3.99/lb
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts $1.77/lb
Hass Avocados 4/$1
Bartlett or Bosc Pears $0.69/lb
Gala Apples $0.69/lb
Empress Plums $0.69/lb
Navel Oranges $0.88/lb
Vine-Ripe Tomatoes $0.88/lb
Large Green Bell Peppers 3/$1
Red, Green or Black Seedless Grapes 2 lbs/$3
Whole Cashews $3.99/lb
Colby Jack Cheese $1.99/lb
Wild Pacific Salmon Fillet $3.99/lb
Chicken Sausage (assorted) $2.99/lb
Wisconsin Blue Cheese $4.99/lb

Happy Grocery Shopping!!

Weaning Off of Crutches....Huh!

This morning, I took my son to see the Orthopedic Specialist who diagnosed his avulsion fracture in the hospital 2 weeks ago (can't really be that long, can it?). He was pleased with the progress over the last few days. You see, just two days ago, my son was able to move his leg vertically for the first time since his injury. And this morning, he forgot his crutches when he got up because his leg was working almost normally!! And the pain is almost gone, too!!

Well, he has to go 4 more weeks before beginning Physical Therapy, but this doctor is a real down-to-earth fellow, and he understands that it is next to impossible to keep an athlete off his feet for very long. He realizes that crutches are a pain to handle all the time and he is a realist. He told my son that he could begin to "wean himself off the crutches" over the next 2 weeks or so. And to let pain be his guide - if he feels pain, he is doing too much, needs to use crutches.

The weaning is very quick and short-lived in this house:-) He is loving not "having" to use the crutches around the house. I will still make him take them when we go anywhere and when he goes to football practice each day (only to watch, not participate:-).

We are very thankful to God for touching his hip and bringing about a quick healing! It has probably been much more traumatic for me, the mom, than for my son dealing with this injury. He doesn't like being incapacitated (who does!), but he is very gracious and undemanding. I have to keep asking him if wants/needs anything. I thank God for the strength and patience to deal with his injury. It has been a little overwhelming to me as the parent. I know he is frustrated and disappointed to be unable to play football right now. That is hard for me, too. I am sure you parents out there understand how hard it is to watch our children walk through tough times. I just pray that God will heal him quickly and teach Him gently those things he needs to learn through this time.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Yummy Baked Apple Pancakes for Breakfast

I tried a new recipe this morning and it was scrumptious! Baked Apple Pancakes! It wasn't very hard, took about 20 minutes to prepare and then 10 minutes to bake. Everyone loved it and said I needed to double the recipe! This is definitely a keeper and one that I will make often. I had some Gala apples I wanted to use, so I just went searching and found this recipe over at Recipezaar. Since this is the season for cheap apples, try it for your family!! And sorry, no pics, we ate it too fast for me to even think about photos.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

FREE Homeschooling E-Book!!

Has the new school year started with gusto at your house? Or guesses?

“I guess we’ll use this curriculum. I guess we’ll start on Monday. I guess we’ll use this folder, and I guess we could try unit studies this year.”

Does any of this sound familiar? Time for a change?

Get ready to plan a year of enthusiastic homeschool learning
with consistent input from the Lord!

Take the guesswork out of your planning,
systematically organizing your homeschool this year with the E-Book:

The New School Year:
Planning Your Course and Letting
the Lord Determine Your Steps


Get your free copy of the E-Book: The New School Year

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Apologies for Not Posting Grocery Deals

I need to apologize to any of you who count on me for your weekly grocery shopping deals list. I didn't get a chance to post it this week because of several things. First of all, last week my son was injured in his first football game of the season (after working hard for 8 months for this day). His injury will take 6-8 weeks to heal and we have been trying to adjust to dealing with this. The medical name for his injury is ASIS (Anterior Superior Iliac Spine) Sartorius Avulsion Fracture. In other words, the sartorius muscle (which is a rather small thigh muscle that runs from the inside of your knee to the outside of your pelvis) tore a piece of bone from the pelvis. Because of his age, it will heal all by itself (bone growing back to bone). However, in the meantime, he cannot lift his leg at all. That little sartorius muscle is the main one that enables you to lift your leg. So he is on crutches, but even that isn't easy since he can't lift his leg off the ground. And he is in constant pain, however it isn't sharp pain, just an ongoing aching - sometimes worse than others. So that has occupied my time and emotions lately.

Also, I didn't get the sales ads on Wednesday until the evening!! I don't know what the deal is, but Wednesdays are the day that the mail comes the absolute latest! Sometimes I think it isn't coming at all:-) So I didn't get to it on Wednesday and then it just slipped my mind (couldn't do any grocery shopping myself because of tight finances).

I sincerely apologize to any of you who may rely on my to provide the best deals! Please forgive me and I will do my best to get back on track next week.

Here are a couple of things not to miss:

Albertsons:
Milk $1.39/gal
General Mills or Post Cereals $1.50
Red, Green or Black seedless grapes $0.79/lb
Coke 2 liters $0.79
Hunt's Spaghetti Sauce $0.99

Basha's:
Milk $1.39/gal
Eggs $0.88/dozen

Food City:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts $1.39/lb
Bananas $0.33/lb

Fry's:
Milk $1.37/gal
Raspberries 6 oz/$1
Campbells Chicken Noodle or Tomato Soup $0.49
Maruchan Ramen Noodles $0.10
Bumble Bee Chunk Light Tuna $0.47
Kroger Value Sugar $1.69/4 lb
Vegetable Oil 48 oz. $1.99
Hunt's Snack Pack Pudding 4 pk $0.88
Tomato Sauce 8 oz $0.15
Gala Apples $0.77/lb
Bartlett Pears 2 lbs/$1

Pro's Ranch Market:
Green Grapes 2 lbs/$0.99
Bartlett Pears 3 lbs/$0.99
Plums or Pluots 2 lbs/$0.99

Safeway:
Pork Loin Chops $0.99/lb
80% lean ground beef $1.29/lb
Gala Apples $0.69/lb
Lucerne Milk $1.39/gal
Mission Tortilla chips $0.99 (limit 1 - Fri, Sat, Sun only)
Lucerne Cheese slices $0.99 (limit 1 - Fri, Sat, Sun only)

Sprouts:
Goji Berry Trail Mix $3.99/lb (my favorite - been waiting for a sale:-)
Pepper Jack Cheese $1.99/lb

Remember that WalMart price matches, as long as it is the SAME item. So you don't have to run around to different stores to get the deals necessarily.

Hope you have great grocery shopping deals this week!

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

$25 Gift Certificate for only $1.00!!!!

Restaurant.com is celebrating 9/9/09 with a first-time-ever offer of 90% OFF!! So you can purchase a $25 gift certificate to the restaurant of your choosing for only $1.00!!! You really can't afford NOT to purchase at least one - JUST IN CASE you ever get to go out and eat!!! It's only a buck and there are lots of restaurant options available. But don't wait!!! Restaurants only offer a limited number of certificates, so don't miss out on your favorites.

These certificates are good for a whole year, so you have plenty of time to use them. You can't use more than one per month per restaurant, but you could print several for your favorites and spread them out over the year.

I already went out and bought 3 certificates for "date night" with my husband!!! Check out Restaurant.com for your area and see what restaurants are just waiting to be experienced!!

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Best Grocery Deals in Phoenix Area - Labor Day Edition!!

Due to this being the week before Labor Day, there are a number of good deals you may want to stock up with this week! Yeah!!

Albertsons (COUPONS: Double up to $0.50, Triple up to $0.33, Quadruple up to $0.25!!!)
Rib Eye Steak $3.88/lb
Large Cantaloupes $0.99 ea
Blue Bunny Ice Cream 1.75 qt. $1.88
Coke 12 pack of cans $1.88 (4)
93% lean ground beef $1.77/lb (5 lbs or more)
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts $1.57/lb
Large Slicing Tomatoes $0.88/lb
Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage, Hebrew National Beef Franks, Ball Park Angus Beef Franks or Hormel Black Label Bacon Buy 1, Get 1 FREE
8 pc. Fried Chicken $3.99 w/in ad coupon
Nathan's Famous Premium Franks Buy 1, Get 2 FREE w/in ad coupon
Butter $1.99/lb

Bashas'
Fresh Pork Spare Ribs $0.88/lb (2)
Boneless Top Sirloin Steak $1.99/lb (2)
Chicken Leg Quarters $0.38/lb (10 lb bag) (2)
80% lean ground beef $1.38/lb
Whole Seedless Watermelon 12-16lb $1.99 ea!!!!(2)
Russet Potatoes 10 lb bag $0.99
8 pieces Fried Chicken $4.99
Hebrew National, Ball Park and Oscar Meyer 50% off
Food Club Cheese (chunks or shreds) 50% off

Food City
Chicken drumsticks or thighs $0.79/lb
Bone-in Country Style Pork Ribs $0.79/lb
Green Cabbage 3 lbs/$0.99
Avocados 2/$1
Dos Ranchitos corn tortillas (30 ct) $1.49
Cucumbers 4/$1
Broccoli or Cauliflower $0.69/lb
Peaches $0.88/lb
Red or Green seedless Grapes $0.99/lb
Tilapia Fillets $1.99/lb
WEDNESDAY ONLY:
Beef Back Ribs $0.79/lb
Boneless Top Sirloin Steak $1.79/lb
THURSDAY ONLY:
White Onions 5 lbs/$1
Granny Smith Apples 4 lbs/$1
Bartlett Pears 3 lbs/$1
Jalapeno peppers 3 lbs/$1
Valencia Oranges 3 lbs/$1
Lemons 3 lbs/$1

Fresh & Easy
Oscar Mayer Beef Franks $2.59
F&E Canned Vegetables $0.59
Hot Dog or Hamburger Buns $0.88
Grill Pack(4 Pork Sausages, 4 beef patties and 6-8 pieces seasoned chicken $5.99
Green or Red Seedless Grapes $0.88/lb
$3 off $30 purchase coupon in ad

Fry's - COUPONS: competitors plus Double, Triple or Quadruple Coupons!!
New York Strip Steak $3.77/lb
Pork Spareribs $0.97/lb
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts $1.67/lb
Hebrew National Beef Franks $1.97 (4)
Bar S Jumbo Meat Franks $0.57
Kroger Shredded, Bar or Deli Thin Sliced Cheese 6-8 oz $0.97 (6)
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce $0.88
Popsicle (12 ct) $0.88
Lay's Potato Chips $1.47 (2)
Bounty Paper Towels or Hefty Storage Bags $0.88
Breyers Ice Cream 48 oz. or Klondike $1.88 (2)
Fry's Water 24 pk $1.88 (2)


Pro's Ranch Market
Chicken Leg Quarters 10 lb bag $0.48/lb
Watermelon 7 lbs/$0.99
Bone-In Country Style Pork Ribs $0.98/lb
Potatoes 10 lb bag $0.89
Bar S Jumbo Franks $0.58
White Onions 4 lbs/$0.99
Mexican Limes 3 lbs/$0.99
Small Hass Avocados 4/$0.99
Carrots 1 lb pkg 3/$0.99
Celery 2/$0.99
BEST PLACE TO BUY FRESH TORTILLAS (corn and flour) and CHIPS!!!!
WEDNESDAY ONLY:
Strawberries $0.89/lb
Bananas 4 lbs/$0.99
Tomatoes 3 lbs/$0.99
Pasilla Chiles 2 lbs/$0.99
Red seedless Grapes 2 lbs/$0.99
Asian Pears 2 lbs/$0.89
THURSDAY ONLY:
Cornish Game Hens $0.98/lb
Pork Spareribs $1.48/lb
Tilapia Fish Fillets $1.98/lb
FRIDAY ONLY:
White Corn on Cob 4/$0.99

Safeway
(couple of good in ad coupons)
Ribeye Steak or New York Strip $3.77/lb
93% lean ground beef $1.99/lb
Boneless Beef Chuck Steak $1.99/lb
Avocados $0.77 ea
Tomatoes $0.77/lb
Hamburger/Hot Dog Buns $0.89

Sprouts
Avocados 2/$1
Sweet Corn 10/$2
Fresh Green Beans $0.99/lb
Large Vine-Ripe Tomatoes $0.99/lb
Cantaloupes $0.99 ea
Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese $3.99/lb
Raw Almonds or Walnuts 16 oz bag $3.99
Oldtyme Natural Steak Roundup 40% off
Hulled Sunflower Seedss $1.99/lb
Hansen's Natural Soda 6 pk 2/$4 (also coupon in Sunday paper)

Could you please leave a comment if this weekly post is helpful to you in your weekly grocery shopping??? I would sure appreciate knowing that it is being helpful to you!

Happy Grocery Shopping!! and Happy Labor Day!