I "THINK" we're getting back to our regular schedule around here.

You know that the little boy has been quite sick.

Thankfully he's doing much better.

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Wednesday night my older daughter went to the ER with what the doctor called a "wicked" ear infection. She's doing okay, but her ears hurt.

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Then Friday we ended up at our doctor with my younger daughter because she also has an ear infection.

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Needless to say I've not gotten much done around the house this week.

Today I'm catching up on laundry and picking up the odds and ends that have wandered away from their proper homes. I also plan to vacuum and mop. The house looks SO much cleaner when the floors are clean.

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I'm not sure that next week will be back to normal either. My older daughter has a re-check at the doctor Wednesday. Thursday I'll be going to Harris Teeter for triple coupons. Friday my littlest child has a speech evaluation and then some time Friday or Saturday I want to go to Bloom for triple coupons.

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I'll just have to keep up those basic morning and evening routines and try to get back to deep cleaning the following week.

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Quick reminder....don't forget to get your Sunday papers! With the triple coupon deals going on you'll want to make sure you've got plenty of coupons to use to build up your stockpile ;-)

Do you ever feel like THIS?

Well, that's how I feel this week!

I seem to be falling farther and farther behind.

I was doing so well with the de-cluttering and cleaning until my little one got sick. Now I don't seem to be able to accomplish anything.

Why is that? Why is it SO easy to get derailed?

I know that one problem this week is that my schedule is "off".

I went to the grocery store on Monday instead of Tuesday.
I got a late start and the little boy got very cranky and that makes for a trying trip. I didn't get anything accomplished at home that day.

Tuesday was speech and our instructor was running late. That threw my day behind again. I ended up making a BIG pot of soup and basically goofing around in the kitchen.

Today my daughter had to go to the doctor to see about her foot. After going across town, seeing the doctor, taking her out for breakfast, back across town to school and home I was NOT interested in starting a project at home.

Sometimes all you can do is sit back and laugh and try again the next day.
Here's a "funny" all you moms can relate to:

I think I need to spend a little time doing this...


and asking God for a productive day tomorrow ;-)

Oh how I love the Soup, Salad and Breadsticks at Olive Garden

My favorite soup is Pasta e Fagioli.
This soup is white and red beans, ground beef, tomatoes and pasta in a savory broth.

You want to know what I don't like? The price....
$4.65 per bowl. YIKES!

I think even when you get the soup, salad and breadsticks deal it's still kind of pricey...
maybe $5.99 or $6.99? Then add in a Sweet Tea and you're up to $7.50 for lunch.

Well, I found the Copy Cat Recipe and gave it a try for lunch today.

Oh My Goodness!

It was dead on perfect! Yumm-O!


Would you like to know the cost?


Really....would you like to know?


I mean, I don't HAVE to tell you if you're not interested.;-)

Okay, if you insist.

Try $0.50 per cup of soup!!!!!!

This recipe makes 9 quarts of soup. That's a lot, but we all know that soup freezes very well.
I added a salad on the side to go with my soup. I don't have the break down on the cost of the salad, but really, we're talking maybe another $0.50 and probably much less.

I made my own Italian salad dressing using THIS recipe ( I added a little extra sugar) using items I all ready had on hand.

And the Sweet Tea? Well, again you're talking pennies per serving.

If I had 1 cup of soup, salad and sweet tea I'm looking at less than $1.50 for lunch.
If I had that same lunch plus bread sticks at the restaurant it would be over $8.00 plus tip.

Frugal? Yep, I'd say so ;-)

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Grocery Cart Challenge

Last week I had Tilapia on the menu, but due to a sick boy and a LONG day for mom we ended up doing the fish thing at Long John Silvers. So this week the Tilapia returns :-)

Also, this will be the second week that I am trying to eat mostly out of the freezer and pantry.
I few weeks back I bought a huge pack of cubed steak. This will be the 3rd time it's been on the menu because of that purchase. BBQ and ham will be from the freezer, too.

Here we go .... no particular day, no particular order this week:

• Hamburgers, baked beans, french fries