Theresa's Mixed Nuts: August 2012

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Card Cubby Review


There are two things that annoy my husband when he is out shopping with me. The first is that I take way too long at the check out. My problem there is that I have so many cards in my wallet it takes me a really long time locate the one that I want to use. It’s embarrassing when I am holding up the line while I sift through each of my cards, and then have to apologize to the cashier for not being prepared to pay. The other is when he puts something in the cart and I tell him I have a coupon for that at home. Knowing we missed out on valuable savings simply because I didn’t have my coupon handy can really grate the nerves!

I recently had the opportunity to review Card Cubby. I was intrigued by their products the very first time I heard about them. The Card Cubby is sometimes described as a mini filing cabinet for your purse. It is actually a mini card file used for separating and organizing all the cards you normally carry with you. Now that is something I could really use!

I chose the Really Red Croc Card Cubby to review. There are many color and pattern options, like this fabulous zany zebra design, but I am a huge fan of the croc pattern, and I figured the red coloring of the Card Cubby would make it quick and easy to spot in my purse when I needed it, so the red was a great option for me.
card cubby
Card Cubby with matching alphabetized file cards.
card cubby
Clear pocket insert for I.D. Cards
When I received it, I was immediately impressed with the durable, shiny material and how easy it was going to be to clean. With just a damp towel I will be able to wipe it down quick and easy. I was happy to see that it was no bigger than the wallet I currently carry, measuring at 3x3x2”. On the front is a clear pocket to insert your I.D. card. When you open the Card Cubby you will see a little inside zipper to keep cash or spare change. But what makes Card Cubby so great are the alphabetized filing cards, which are actually color coordinated with the color of your Card Cubby! I alphabetically sort my cards and insert each of them into the proper letter slot. Now when I am checking out at the store it’s as easy as flipping to that stores first letter and whipping out my card. No more shuffling through cards, holding up the line, or embarrassment!
red
Does not take up a lot of valuable purse space!
The Card Cubby is quite roomy inside. Here you will see that I have over 25 cards neatly stored inside and I still had room left over for my cell phone.
croc, pattern, red


red, croc, pattern
So roomy I could fit in my phone also!
Even with all of my cards and cell phone stuffed inside, the magnetic clasp makes opening and closing a cinch! That is something that my current zipper close wallet does not do when I have a lot of cards tucked inside.

Another thing I love about Card Cubby is how versatile it is. You can use it for:
- Credit Cards
- Store Loyalty Cards
- Gift Cards
- Receipts
- Insurance Cards
- Discount Cards
- Business Cards
- Appointment Reminder Cards
and the Coupon Cubby line makes great coupon organizers!

The Card Cubby fits nicely inside your purse or diaper bag, or you can even use it as a mini stand alone purse! Think of all the money you will save by having all of your discounts within reach at all times! No more missing a deal because you forgot your gift cards, store loyalty cards, or coupons at home!

From now until August 31st, use coupon code CCB20 to receive 20% off your purchase for any Card Cubby product!

If you would like to learn more about Card Cubby you can find them on their Website, Facebook or Twitter.
card cubby
Disclaimer: I received the above stated product for review. No other compensation was provided. My opinions are based on my experience with the product and may differ from yours.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Staycation!

Since summer vacation is almost officially over, we decided to squeeze out one more round of fun this past weekend. We had a Hilton Hotel voucher for a free night that was set to expire next month. We thought it would be fun to drive to Indianapolis and visit the children's museum and use the voucher for an overnight stay. But, our dog sitting plans didn't pan out the way I would have liked, so we had to scrap that idea. Instead we opted for a staycation. I hate that word, by the way, but we actually had a lot of fun, and I hope the girls will remember this mini vacation for years to come.


We would have spent a tiny fortune going to Indy, so I was really excited that our 3 days of fun filled family time came out super cheap. If you haven't already, check out your local newspaper and tv station websites for exclusive coupon codes for area activities and attractions. Ours offers many deals like the ones you would find on groupon, only it's discounts for things to do locally. On our first day we were able to snag a coupon for b1g1 free day pass to our local indoor fun zone. For $36 total, the four of us were able to spend the day bowling, go cart riding, and black light mini golfing.

How cool is this mini golf?

golfing, kids, staycation, circus




The second day we used our free hotel voucher for the hotel about a mile down the road. We had a fun filled day of swimming, then Jason went home and we had girl time. We were party rockers until 2 am, which was a real treat since bedtime is always at 9pm!





Finally, on our last day of fun, we were able to snag some 1/2 price ice cream gift cards through the local news site.



















Then wrapped up the day store hopping scoping out the Halloween stuff. Yes, I realize that Halloween is months off, but it is our favorite to decorate for. We wait for Halloween decorations to hit the stores all year long. Plus, we like rocking the Batman masks :)


menards, halloween, bat


Did you take a staycation or have a last family fun day hurrah before the kids went back to school? What kind of local deals do you get and where do you find them?



Thursday, August 16, 2012

Blueberry Muffins

I hate to admit it, but almost every time I make blueberry muffins, they come from a box. I don’t know why, because from scratch always tastes better! I have been using this blueberry muffin recipe from AllRecipes for a few years now, and have yet to find one that tops it. They call it "To Die For Blueberry Muffins" which is perfectly named because these muffins are killer! So good, you'll want to make a double batch!



Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup.

Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Monday, August 13, 2012

DIY~ Doll Fire Pit & Smore's

Over the weekend our DIY project focused on making a fire pit for the American Girl dolls. My kids have been using a little Barbie doll fire pit that was not nearly big enough to suit an 18 inch doll.

What we did was found some rocks outside. I cut a circle out of some heavy duty cardboard for the base. (I am thinking that one of those round plastic things you buy to put a plant on to catch the water would work great too. Lowe's sells them right by the plants for about $1 each.) We then lined up the rocks the way they would fit well in a circle, then hot glued them together.

Next we put a little electric tea light in the center for the fire. (I bought a 4 pack at the hardware store for $3.50.) We then broke up some twigs for the logs and put them over the tea light. Very simple, and the girls have a doll sized fire pit.


Doll Fire Pit



I also decided to break out the polymer clay and make marshmallows on a stick as well as some already assembled smore's.


Doll Food


American Girl Doll Food



Thursday, August 9, 2012

Yard Sale Dud!

As some of you know, I love yard sales. Mariah completely bypassed my love of bargain shopping at yard sales, but Allison has really picked up on it. Every week she asks if we are going to hit up some yard sales on Saturday. Allison's problem is she wants every little thing she sees at each sale. In order to keep her purchases down and teach her the value of a dollar, I give her $5 each time we go out and she is able to buy anything she wants. I think this helps her with money management. She really needs to think about a purchase and if it's worth the price, or would she rather save her cash and see what the next sale has to offer. She knows once the money is gone, she's done for the day.

Allison really has a love for puzzles. It is the first thing her eyes stop on at each sale. She recently found a puzzle she had to have, and at 25¢, it was a real bargain.


yard sale


She was thrilled with the deal. She scooped up her puzzle, paid the lady, then ran back to the car.

Later that night she came out of her room and said:

"I got ripped off! There was no puzzle in the box!"

I ask, "Were there no pieces or are you just missing some?"

She then pops off the lid to show me the surprise inside:


yard sale, dud


She is now the proud owner of 2 ceramic chickens. She gave one to her sister, so now they both are displaying some very hideous chickens in their rooms lol.

yard sale, dud



So, lesson learned. Always make sure you thoroughly check over items at a sale before committing to buy!


Have you ever made a yard sale purchase only to find out later it wasn't what you expected? Tell me about your yard sale dud experiences!


Friday, August 3, 2012

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

My husband has been on a healthy eating kick lately. We have been trying to eat more chicken and fish, but after a while, it can get a bit boring. I found a basic pulled buffalo chicken slider recipe in a magazine recently and decided to give it a try. It was good, but a little bland. I added a few spices to it, and POW! It was delicious!






Ingredients:


4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1/2 cup Hot Sauce (I use Frank's)
2/3 cup Water
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
16 Dinner Sized Potato Rolls (I used Kings Hawaiian)
1 cup Blue Cheese Dressing



Directions:


Coat slow cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in a single layer in bottom.

Combine hot sauce with water. Pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on High for 5 hours or Low for 7 hours. Remove chicken to a plate and shred with two forks. (If you have a stand mixer, you can shred chicken while it's still hot by placing it in the mixing bowl and turning the beater on).

Return shredded chicken back to slow cooker. Add paprika and cayenne pepper. Stir.

Heat for an additional 1 hour.

Serve shredded chicken on the bottom halves of rolls and top each with 1 tablespoon of dressing.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Houston, We Have A Problem!

I am frugal. I cut corners wherever I can, use coupons, shop thrift stores and stress the importance to my children about buying on sale. My 13 year old seems to be following in my thrifty footsteps. My 8 year old seems to have missed the boat completely.


Some of you may remember my de-cluttering post a few weeks back. After Allison had lost her ipod and we had gone through the whole house getting rid of unnecessary space wasters, I set the kids down and had a discussion with them about how we have way too much stuff. We made a plan that we would start making big cut backs. I, for one, would rather spend money on experiences than on stuff that will soon be shoved in a closet and forgotten about. They agreed. Amusement parks, zoo trips and exploring museums all sound so much better than another toy they don’t need. We will be taking a trip to Disney in late fall, so we need to put money aside for that also. I felt good about our talk. I thought the message really clicked with both girls. That is until I was cooking dinner the other day and see Allison on the computer. What site was she on?


Yep, that’s Ebay! Apparently our talk has long been forgotten.


“What are you doing on Ebay?” I ask.

“I am looking for a new sewing machine. Mine broke.”

“What’s wrong with using mine? Get off Ebay!”

“I can’t. I love Ebay so much I’ve put it in my favorites on Google Chrome.”


*Sigh* At least she was looking for a bargain on the sewing machine, right?


I remind her of our talk. We aren’t spending extra money on things we don’t need. The message seems to click again. Or, so I think.


Sunday we were doing a little school clothes shopping. Allison asks, “Do you think it’s weird Mariah is a teenager and saves all of her money. I’m only 8 and I like to spend all of mine.” I tell her it’s a good thing Mariah is saving her money. She may want to buy something special some day or she might have an emergency and need that money. “Well, I don’t know what kind of emergency she would have. The only emergency I can think of is a SHOPPING EMERGENCY!”


Please, someone, tell me there is still hope for this child to change her financial ways! She’ll be filing bankruptcy before she hits 10.


Are your kids spenders or savers? How do you teach your children to be financially responsible?