Weekly Menu Plan 12/9-12/15

Dec
8
2012
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healthy spaghetti (1)

Wow, it seems like it's been forever since I've posted a menu plan - or any post for that matter! Going back to work full-time after being off for two years has definitely proven to be a challenge. But, we're making it. :) I can tell you that meal planning has been the biggest challenge for me so far. I was soooo exhausted the first couple of weeks that I really didn't know how I was going to make it. Slowly but surely I am falling into a routine. I've been using my Crock-Pot every chance I get, which has been a tremendous help. I am also planning a couple of mini freezer cooking sessions soon, to give me some quick and easy meal options for those nights that I get out of work late. I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Weekly Menu Plans

What I Learned From the Unprocessed Challenge

Nov
19
2012
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reading labels

As most of you know, my family and I participated in the October Unprocessed Challenge this year. It was a really interesting challenge for me, as I went into thinking, "I already eat unprocessed foods, so this should be a breeze...". I had no idea just how much our family needed this! What I learned from this experience... I can teach my children. After participating in the October Unprocessed challenge for only one week, my kids were already feeling deprived. How discouraging, that our children feel deprived when forced to eat whole foods. This was a huge eye-opener for me. I began having my kiddos read food labels with me. Not just to teach them about unhealthy ingredients, but … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health Nut

A Season of Thoughtful Giving

Nov
14
2012
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food donations

My kids' elementary school is currently having a food drive, to help stock our local food pantry. As I was gathering items from my pantry this morning, for my kids to take to school, I was reminded of an article I read last year that shaped the way I view food drives. Last year I came across this article from Lynn at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures and it really had an impact on how I choose what foods to donate to food drives. I thought with Thanksgiving right around the corner, this would be a good time to share this article with you all. I will admit to being one of those people that used to quickly grab a few items from my pantry, with little thought as to who would be receiving the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Random Stuff

Weekly Menu Plan {11/5-11/11}

Nov
4
2012
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weekly menu plan_NEW

Well, it's our first full week of being off of the Unprocessed Challenge. I can tell you that this challenge has definitely made me start reading labels again. I am really glad that we participated and are now back to an all-natural way of eating. No more artificial ingredients for us! Yay! I'll be writing about that experience really soon. For now, we're going to enjoy lots of new-to-us recipes, as well as some old favorites... Here’s what our menu looks like this week: Breakfast for dinner: Biscuits & gravy, scrambled eggs Healthy Ramen Noodle Soup (my kids love ramen noodles, but they're horrible for you, so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it!) Potato … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Weekly Menu Plans

How To Do YOUR OWN Coupon Match-Ups (In 3 Easy Steps!)

Nov
4
2012
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how to do coupon match-ups

I announced recently that I will no longer be doing coupon match-ups. While I will admit that I kinda miss doing it, I cannot express enough just how easy it is to do. Time consuming, yes...but also very simple. By doing your own match-ups, you have the freedom to do them whenever you want and on whatever products you choose. So, as promised, here are some very simple steps and tools to get you doing your own match-ups: Get your ads and make your list. Most stores have their ads online, but I prefer to use a printed ad, since I can circle the products I am interested in. Printed ads are also nice because if there is a coupon available for a product, you can just jot down the coupon … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Coupons, Getting Started

What’s For Lunch? (10/29-11/2)

Nov
4
2012
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lunchbox 11-1-12

As you can see, I've started including a juice box in my son's lunchbox (actually, the girls get one, too). This is because I did something really dumb. If you follow Saving Stace on Facebook, you probably heard me talk about trying raw milk recently. My son has suffered from moderate to severe asthma, allergies and eczema for the past 4 1/2 years and raw milk is known to help with these symptoms, since it contains more nutrients than pasteurized milk. So I drove to a local (and by local, I mean about 40 minutes away) farm that sells raw milk and raw milk products (yogurt, cheese, etc.) and picked up some raw milk and raw milk cheese. It's fabulous and our family is really enjoying it. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Lunch Box Ideas

What’s For Lunch? (10/22-10/26)

Oct
27
2012
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lunchbox 10-23-12

Here was our lunch box menu for last week... MONDAY: Leftover spaghetti (using all-natural pasta and sauce), homemade applesauce, mixed veggies TUESDAY: Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza, homemade peach cobbler, corn WEDNESDAY: PB&J sandwich, Triscuits, all-natural fruit cup THURSDAY: Turkey lunch meat, all-natural string cheese, apple slices, Triscuits FRIDAY: PB&J sandwich, baby carrots, tortilla chips … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Lunch Box Ideas

The Times They Are a-Changin’

Oct
23
2012
3 Comments
time for change

It's Off To Work I Go... I am happy to announce that I begin working full-time tomorrow. (Yay!) While I love being a stay-at-home mommy, I feel like it's time for a change. My children are in school all day and I have been blessed with a wonderful job opportunity that I would be silly not to accept. What This Means For Saving Stace When I started this blog, my goal was to write about what I am passionate about - raising three fabulous (but slightly crazy ;)) kids, my journey in healthy eating and wellness and saving money along the way. I will continue to write about my experiences and I would love for you all to join me in my adventures! I know that many of you utilize my weekly … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Random Stuff

What’s For Lunch? (10/15-10/19)

Oct
19
2012
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lunchbox 10-19-12

What a fabulous week! The weather has been gorgeous and the leaves are changing. I loooove the trees this time of year - orange, red, yellow, green. It's beautiful! Well, we finally got out of the PB&J rut that we were in last week. Although, I can't really call it a rut, since we all love PB&J here and my kids don't mind having it a few days each week. But we do love to try new things and change things up so that we don't get burned out. This week we tried organic yellow baby carrots for the first time. I was kind of bummed when my kids didn't like them very much, but they are very good sports about trying stuff, so I can't complain. :) Here was our lunch box menu for last … [Read more...]

Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Lunch Box Ideas

Dillons Weekly Deals 10/17-10/23

Oct
17
2012
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dillons weekly deals

Here are my favorite coupon match-ups (and other great deals) at Dillons this week.  Please keep in mind that this is not a list of every sale item. You will still need to browse the Dillons ad before you head out to the store. :) You can learn how to get the most for your money at Dillons by clicking HERE. If you are new to the couponing world, you can familiarize yourself with the coupon lingo by clicking HERE. BUY 5 NOW & SAVE $5 ON A FUTURE SHOPPING TRIP. Store coupon printed at checkout. Participating items are marked below with "BUY 5, SAVE $5"  PRODUCE Bartlett Pears - $1.49/lb Gala, Red or Golden Delicious Apples - $1.49/lb Wonderful Pistachios … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Deals & Steals, Dillons, Store Deals
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