weekly lesson #5

My AAA membership is awesome!

Patrick has had us enrolled in the program for several years now, and each year I happily place my new AAA card in my wallet. Before this week, the card has just sat in my wallet...I didn't realize I actually had a reason to show it off.

That all changed when I was shopping at New York & Co. They had an awesome sale going, 50% off of EVERYTHING! We're having professional beach pictures taken at the beginning of June, so I've been on a mission to find cute clothes for the entire family to wear during the shoot. Well, I stopped in here to see if they had anything for me, and they did. We're going with khaki and white clothes for our pictures, and I found a really cute pair of khaki dress Capri pants. They were $34.50, but with 50% off, I thought $17.25 was a steal. Plus, I found another cute top that I had to have.

When I went to the checkout, the cashier asked me if I had a AAA card. I'm sure I looked at her weird, but told her I did and dug it out of my wallet. She looked at it for a brief second, and told me that the card would score me another 15% off my purchase!

I've been on www.AAA.com a few times since then trying to find out where else I can shop and receive the AAA discount. You know me, I love coupons, and getting a deal, so I'll probably just start asking anywhere I go if they offer a AAA discount. The worst they can tell me is no.

american idol anyone?

It's down to the top 3.

Casey James. Crystal Bowersox. Lee Dewyze.

Who is your favorite? Who do you think will win?

I'll admit it. I'm one of those people who religiously watches the show. Well, I religiously watch it once it gets dwindled down to the top 12, and then I usually only watch the Tuesday night show. I prefer to skip the results show, or if I'm lucky, happen upon the last 5 minutes. Typically, my mom fills me in on who was sent packing. Also, I'm not one of those viewers who actually votes for a contestant (unless that contestant is from Alabama).

This season I've watched, but haven't really had a favorite. Now that it's down to these three, I would have to say that Lee would get my votes (if I actually voted:)) However, my prediction is that Crystal will win in the end.

Who knows though! I think last year's winner was a complete surprise, so who knows what will happen until it happens!

the wednesday dish

This week I'm sharing the meatloaf recipe I mentioned last Wednesday. Shame on me because I do not have a meatloaf picture to share. I did make it in the last week, but things have been wild around here, and we ate it, before it even entered my mind to photograph it! So, you'll just have to use your imagination this week:)

This is the only meatloaf recipe I've ever used, and to be honest, I made my first meatloaf only about 2 months ago. I always assumed preparing a meatloaf would be difficult and time consuming, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. If you have a delicious meatloaf recipe of your own, please share it with me!

By the way, what makes preparing a meatloaf worth all the effort is enjoying meatloaf sandwiches the rest of the week!

Kristen's Meatloaf Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground turkey or beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup uncooked oats (I add more oats in the end to get the meatloaf the consistency it needs to be)
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
• 1 medium tomato, pureed
• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 small can green chili peppers, undrained
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Mexican blend seasoning (I use Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime)
• Non-stick cooking spray

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into a loaf and place in a baking pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for one hour.

*BOOK REVIEW* The Money Answer Book by Dave Ramsey

This book offers concise financial advice. Dave Ramsey uses a question and answer format in this book in an effort to address some of the questions he is most frequently asked. There are chapters on topics such as bankruptcy, investing, saving for college, retirement planning, and good ole budgeting. There are easily 100+ questions presented in the book, and each question is accompanied by an easy to read answer.

I liked this book. It was the first Dave Ramsey book I've had the chance to read, and because I enjoyed it, I'm sure it will not be my last. Some of the chapters were irrelevant to my specific financial situation (bankruptcy), other were a little over my head (investing and retirement), but others hit home (how to save for college and budgeting advice). Overall, I think this book is a good resource to add to your library. I definitely know I will hang on to it just in case I need to consult it further in the future.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not asked to write a positive review, but simply, an honest one.

weekly lesson #4

This week I have learned that no matter how much I may want to blog, I do not always have the time!
There are several reasons I have not blogged much this week:

1. writer's block-I hate when this happens, but every now and then it does! I have a book review that needs to be finished and published, but every night this week that I've tried to work on it, I've just come up blank. Hopefully, it will get published by Monday, so stay tuned:)

2. exhaustion-I hate it when this happens too, but with two small kids using up all my energy and then some, I'm finding myself exhausted more and more. This past weekend, Griff (my 19 month old) came down with conjuntivitus. Thankfully, the drops our pediatrician's office called in have worked, and worked quickly. They have definitely been miracle drops! However, my little guy has not slept well all week, and so, neither has mama!

3. blog reading - I get so caught up catching up on some of my favorite blogs that time gets away from me. Sometimes, it is just easier to read other blog posts instead of creating posts of my own! Plus, I'm always finding new blogs to read...so many blogs...so little time!

So there is my lesson - or should I say confession - of the week!!!

top 3 thursday

This week's Top 3 Thursday question is:

Where are the Top 3 places that you would most like to visit?

#3 Alaska - To cruise here is something my husband and I both want to do! Maybe, someday we'll get to.

#2 New York City - I've been there once, but it was almost 15 years ago. It's high time I go back:) While there I definitely want to go to the Regis & Kelly Show and ice skate in Rockefeller Center.

#1 Hawaii - We went to Oahu on our honeymoon - it was beautiful. I would love to be able to visit each of the other islands too.

Where would you like to go?

the wednesday dish

This is a recipe I've made a handful of times. I found it in a magazine, thought it sounded simple enough, and gave it a shot. One of these days I plan to substitute the frozen meatballs for homemade ones. This meal is pretty good with the frozen ones, so I'm sure it will be out of this world if I take the extra step and prepare homemade meatballs! I actually have a tasty meatloaf recipe (that I plan to share next week) that I think will be perfect for the job!

Italian Meatball Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 jar (26 ounces) marinara sauce

1 pound frozen pre-cooked Italian-style meatballs

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/3 cup sliced ripe black olives

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

6 hoagie buns

6 slices mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients (except hoagie buns, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese) in a large saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat about 15 minutes or until meatballs are hot. Place two pieces of cheese on the bottom of each bun. Spoon meatball mixture into buns and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.