End of the year catch up

Hello everyone, I didn’t Blog much in December but that seems to be almost the norm for a lot of bloggers like me.  I’m still here and we’re all fine.  

I am still shopping at CVS.  In fact, one of my plans is to shop for everything a lot more carefully.  

This is what I bought early this Sunday morning, on our way to church....

Before the total was a lot, about $130 ish.  

I had a few coupons, some extracarebucks from previous weeks,  some coupons from the CVS red box and 2 emailed coupons, a $10/60 and 30% off non sale items.  

After all deductions, I paid $32 in cash and got back $32 in Extracarebucks (that was just a coincidence the amounts were the same. ) 

One very easy deal for every CVS card holder is to get the $3.99 toothpaste Coupon from the CVS app and load it to your CVS card.  It makes a tube 100% free. 

Some other careful shopping was how I spent $70 in birthday money.  (My Birthday was a few days before Christmas and I turned 60 😱) 

I shopped sales and used coupons as well as a military discount at Rack Room Shoes.  

The sandals and boots were both originally $69 a pair. 

At Bath and Body Works, the big candles were in sale for $10 and I used a $10/40 Coupon. 

The double wall water bottle is from Walmart and was just $4.94

And I have $5 left

We are having really cold weather right now,  like most of North America, and the boots are really keeping my feet warm and cozy.  

With the New Year,  I have plans to do several home projects, like organizing.  

These are before photos of my laundry room.  I cleaned it all up Wednesday but haven’t had a chance to take after photos yet because.......

......my husband was out of town, 2 grandsons came to stay for a couple days,  we had an impromptu birthday party for my dad and............

We adopted a new puppy.  A friend posts him on Facebook.  He was found in the country and his owners couldn’t be found.  We suspect he was dumped off. 

She told me he was a sweetheart, but her parents couldn’t keep him because they were getting ready to downsize to a motor home.  

So I got him because he looks like a perfect pup for our home.  

He’s been to the Vet.  He weighed 7 pounds, could  be 6 weeks to 9 weeks old,  may be schnauzer or wire hair terrior and some mutt. He had worms and was treated for those and for his first puppy shot like a trooper. 

He’s eating great and doing good with house training.  He was around 5 grandchildren at one time and their noise and noisy toys didn’t bother him a bit.    

 our new puppy Ducky 

So,  I’ll take the laundry room after photos soon and Hopefully lots other before and after was January goes on.  

I’ll update my 100 day sewing challenge too. 

Goodbye for the last time in 2017.  

Very easy Faux Gingerbread houses

First, this is not my original idea.  I’ve seen variations of them in multiple places.     

I bought a box of Aldi graham crackers and broke them all to make squares.  

Each house uses 6 squares.  If you use every cracker in an Aldi box, there will be just enough for 9 houses. 

Then I made some Royal Icing with 4 cups powdered sugar, 3 egg whites and 1 teaspoon cream of tarter.  I used a hand mixer to beat it.  The recipe said for 5 minutes but mine was “right” after 30 seconds.  

Now,  take 6 cracker squares and shape your houses, using the icing to hold the pieces together,  you could use a bag but I used a knife for some and just dipped the edges for some.  You will have to hold the pieces for a few seconds while they set but mine set up fast.  

Each house was made on a disposable plate.  

Then I looked to see what candy was lingering in our pantry.  I found plenty.   I opened or unwrapped as needed and put the candy on divided dishes.  

Then I called in the 5 grands that were here.  

The houses are very simple but these were two were very excited about them.  

I sat with them and spread the icing on their houses so they could stick on candy.  

This was fun and much simpler than baking a gingerbread head from scratch.  

Any old candy is fine.  The kids didn’t are at all that they had a jumble of candy with no rhyme or reason,  they just like the hands on decorating part.