Go Phils!

Although I am completely NOT a baseball person, I do root for the home team... especially when they are in the world series. So, to that I say...

Go PHILS!

Goodwill Finds

I stopped at Goodwill the other day on my lunch hour and was SHOCKED to see how picked over evreything was. There was literally nothing in the way of children's clothing or shoes and the housewares department which is usually overflowing with things was sparse to say the least. This is my indicator on how crappy our economy is. When Goodwill is full the economy is good, when Goodwill is empty the economy is in the crapper.

Anyway, I was able to scrounge up a few good deals for myself...


-- 1 pack of assorted greeting cards
-- 1 glass trifle dish
-- 3 2-packs of wooden hangers with monkey faces for children's clothes

My total was under $5.00.

Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

I have actually been able to do a little baking recently. I don't know how it happened, but I have learned not to ask such questions. I made a German Chocolate Cake for Goodie day at work, I made Amy's Peanut Butter Cookies, I made waffles for breakfast yesterday, and I made these super easy yummy chocolate pumpkin muffins.

1 box devils food (or any chocolate) cake mix
1 15oz. can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

-- Combine the above two ingredients.

-- Spoon mixture into greased muffin tin

-- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

These muffins are wonderfully moist and dense and I guarantee you cannot taste the pumpkin.

Help Ratchet (and Others) Come Home

Help a soldier who rescued a puppy in Iraq bring the little guy home with her. You can read the whole story here:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/14/iraq.puppy.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

And get more information here: http://www.baghdadpups.com/

Baby Bargains

Yesterday was Yom Kippur which usually means a day of fasting and atoning for one's sins. Since I am breastfeeding I do not fast, and instead on atoning for my sins, I decided to fix some of them.

I spent yesterday at the salon getting my hair colored and cut and my eyebrows waxed. it was my way of atoning for the sin of "letting one's appearance slip." (It's a sin, go look it up ;))

On the way home from the salon I stopped at Kid to Kid and found some great baby bargains. Why is it so much easier to spend money on your kids then it is to spend money on yourself?

Anyway I found this Build and Spill Turtle (retail $30, resale $12.00) for grandma's house:

This Melissa & Doug toy I had my eye on (retail $20, resale $7.50):

The cutest Robeez winter boots (retail $39.00, resale $9):


A new book (retail $7, resale $1):



And finally, Mini Boden pants to grow into (BNWT) (retail $30, resale $7):


What I would have spent (without tax): $ 126.00

What I actually spent (without tax): $36.50

Better than Baking Soda

As we all know, baking soda can do just about anything. I keep it in the house for baking, for cleaning, and of course there are boxes in my fridge and freezer for deodorizing.

That was until I saw Ted Allen's new show of the Food Network, Food Detectives. Ted was testing whether or not baking soda was the best deodorizer for the fridge. It turns out that although baking soda will absorb some odor, the best deodorizer out there is activated charcoal or activated carbon. Now, you can buy little balls of activated carbon to put in the freezer, but I thought I could make my own .

So, I thought I would do my own test. I bought some of this:


Activated charcoal/carbon can be found in pet stores, or the pet section of department stores because it is used in fish tank filters. it is a little more expensive than baking soda, but it works better for longer, and you only need a little bit so you get a lot of uses out of one container.


and found some old knee highs (I used black, but color really doesn't matter):

and proceeded to make my own deodorizing carbon balls.

Step 1: Cut the knee high in half

Step 2: Spoon approximately 3 Tbs. of activated charcoal into the toe of the knee high. (If you are using the non-toe end of the knee high, tie it off first before spooning in the charcoal)

Step 3: Tie off knee high

Step 4: Toss carbon ball in the fridge, freezer, diaper pail, trash can etc.


So far, so good. I threw one in the kitchen trash can and one in the trash can/diaper pail in the baby's room. Neither can has been very odoriferous of late, so I think they are working. I still have to make one for the fridge and one for the freezer.

Nursing Bras on the Cheap

I don't know if I will actually try this or not, but here are instructions on how to turn a regular bar into a nursing bra: http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/braconvert.html

Happy Anniversary, Baby!

Love You!

Huggies Deal & Thanks

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Stephanie at Stop the Ride for posting about the Huggies deal at Rite Aid this week.

I went today a picked up my three packs. Here is my breakdown:

3 pack of Huggies for $33.00 (2 size 3 and 1 size 4 = 114 diapers total)

- the $10 rebate

- $4 in coupons

-$3 from Caregivers Marketplace

= $16.00 (or $5.33 per pack or $0.14 per diaper)

That's a pretty good deal!

Recycling

In my community we have two options for recycling. Paper, clear glass, aluminum and bi-metal, and #1 and #2 plastics are picked up curbside. Colored glass can be taken to the municipal building and recycled there. But what about "other" things, specifically plastic that is not a #1 or a #2?

Sine BPA is making the news more and more and the jury is still out about whether or not there are long term effects from exposure, I err on the "better safe than sorry" side and have removed or replaced all of the harmful plastic from my house. This leaves me in a quandary. I don't want to donate said items to goodwill or to a shelter since they may be toxic, that doesn't seem right. but on the other hand, I don't want to throw them out either, that doesn't seem frugal or green. SO what is a girl to do?

Well, the state of PA has a website that will let you search for recycling facilities throughout the state by the type of items they recycle. This is a Godsend!!! I selected the type of material I was interested in, in this case #7 (other) plastic and it gave me a big long list of all the facilities where those items can be recycled. Low and behold there is one not too far away.

YEAH! I can rid my home of potentially harmful plastic and be environmentally friendly!

In case you are interested, here is the list of places in PA that recycle #7 platics:

Bethel Township Municipal Building
	1082 Bethel Road BOOTHWYN (Bethel Twp.), PA 19061
Materials
	7 Plastic (Other), Brown Glass, Clear Glass, Electronics, Green Glass.
Notes
	•&nbspink cartridges •&nbspPlease rinse •&nbspcell phones •&nbspPlesae rinse
Bethlehem City Drop-Off Program
	635 Illick's Mill Road Bethlehem, PA 18018
Materials
	2 Plastic (HDPE Clear), 2 Plastic (HDPE Colored), 3 Plastic, 4 Plastic (LDPE), 5 Plastic (Polypropylene), 6 Plastic (Polystyrene), 7 Plastic (Other), Aluminum Cans, Brown Glass, Cardboard, Clear Glass, Clothing and Textile Donation, Reuse, Computer Paper, Mixed Glass, Mixed Paper, Newspaper, Tin or Steel Cans, White Office Paper.
Brandywine Recycling Inc.
	YORK, PA 17402
Materials
	1 Plastic (PETE), 2 Plastic (HDPE Clear), 2 Plastic (HDPE Colored), 3 Plastic, 4 Plastic (LDPE), 5 Plastic (Polypropylene), 7 Plastic (Other), Aerosol Cans, Aluminum Cans, Brown Paper Bags, Car Batteries, Cardboard, Chipboard, Computer Paper, Drink Boxes, Aseptic Containers, Ferrous Metals (Steel,Iron), Magazines and Catalogs, Mixed Paper, Newspaper, Nonferrous Metal (Alum, Copper, Brass), Paperboard, Plastic Bags, Propane Tanks, Telephone Books, Tin or Steel Cans, Used Tires, White Goods (Non-Reusable Large appliances), White Office Paper.
Notes
	•&nbspThis site accepts steel, iron, cast iron, stainless steel, old cars, car parts, and other scrap metals. •&nbspThis site accepts copper, brass, aluminum, old cars, car parts, and other scrap metals. •&nbspThis site will only accept propane tanks if they are cut in half. •&nbspThere is a small disposal fee per used tire. •&nbspThis site accepts all appliances with and without freon.
Cass Township Municipal Building Drop-off Recycling Site
	1209 Valley Road, Pottsville Duncott, PA 17901
Materials
	1 Plastic (PETE), 2 Plastic (HDPE Clear), 2 Plastic (HDPE Colored), 3 Plastic, 4 Plastic (LDPE), 5 Plastic (Polypropylene), 6 Plastic (Polystyrene), 7 Plastic (Other), Aluminum Cans, Brown Glass, Cardboard, Clear Glass, Computer Paper, Green Glass, Magazines and Catalogs, Mixed Glass, Mixed Paper, Newspaper, Telephone Books, Tin or Steel Cans, White Office Paper.
Notes
	•&nbspThis site will also accept junk mail.
Cougle's Recycling
	1000 South 4th Street HAMBURG, PA 19526
Materials
	1 Plastic (PETE), 2 Plastic (HDPE Clear), 2 Plastic (HDPE Colored), 3 Plastic, 4 Plastic (LDPE), 5 Plastic (Polypropylene), 6 Plastic (Polystyrene), 7 Plastic (Other), Aluminum Cans, Brown Glass, Cardboard, Clear Glass, Computer Paper, Ferrous Metals (Steel,Iron), Green Glass, Magazines and Catalogs, Mixed Paper, Newspaper, Nonferrous Metal (Alum, Copper, Brass), Paperboard, Telephone Books, Tin or Steel Cans, White Goods (Non-Reusable Large appliances), White Office Paper.
Notes
	•&nbspThis site accepts junk mail and catalogs. •&nbspFreon must be removed from refrigeration units.
East Penn Recycling Center Drop-off Site
	4687 Hanoverville Road Bethlehem, PA 18018
Materials
	1 Plastic (PETE), 2 Plastic (HDPE Clear), 2 Plastic (HDPE Colored), 3 Plastic, 4 Plastic (LDPE), 5 Plastic (Polypropylene), 6 Plastic (Polystyrene), 7 Plastic (Other), Aluminum Cans, Brown Glass, Clear Glass, Green Glass, Newspaper.
Notes
	•&nbspThis site also accepts aluminum foil and pie pans.
Eastside Recycling Program Drop-off Site
	BLOOMSBURG, PA 17815
Materials
	1 Plastic (PETE), 2 Plastic (HDPE Clear), 2 Plastic (HDPE Colored), 7 Plastic (Other), Aluminum Cans, Brown Glass, Clear Glass, Green Glass, Magazines and Catalogs, Newspaper, Tin or Steel Cans.
Notes
	•&nbspPlease rinse plastic clean and remove all lids. •&nbspPlease rinse aluminum cans clean. This site does not accept aluminum foil or trays. •&nbspPlease rinse glass clean and remove all lids. This site does not accept broken glass, windows, plate glass, light bulbs, crystal, or ceramics. •&nbspPlease bundle newspapers or place them in brown paper bags and keep them dry. •&nbspPlease rinse tin and steel cans clean. This site does not accept foil, trays, aerosol cans, or paint cans.
Frattarolis Recycling
	YORK, PA 17402
Materials
	1 Plastic (PETE), 2 Plastic (HDPE Clear), 2 Plastic (HDPE Colored), 3 Plastic, 4 Plastic (LDPE), 5 Plastic (Polypropylene), 7 Plastic (Other), Aerosol Cans, Aluminum Cans, Brown Paper Bags, Car Batteries, Cardboard, Chipboard, Computer Paper, Drink Boxes, Aseptic Containers, Ferrous Metals (Steel,Iron), Magazines and Catalogs, Mixed Paper, Newspaper, Nonferrous Metal (Alum, Copper, Brass), Paperboard, Plastic Bags, Propane Tanks, Telephone Books, Tin or Steel Cans, Used Tires, White Goods (Non-Reusable Large appliances), White Office Paper.
Notes
	•&nbspThis site accepts steel, iron, cast iron, stainless steel, old cars, car parts, and other scrap metals. •&nbspThis site accepts copper, brass, aluminum, old cars, car parts, and other scrap metals. •&nbspThis site will only accept propane tanks if they are cut in half. •&nbspThere is a small disposal fee per used tire. •&nbspThis site accepts all appliances with and without freon.
Illick's Mill Recyling Drop Off Site
	Illick's Mill Road Bethlehem, PA 18017
Materials
	1 Plastic (PETE), 2 Plastic (HDPE Clear), 2 Plastic (HDPE Colored), 3 Plastic, 4 Plastic (LDPE), 5 Plastic (Polypropylene), 6 Plastic (Polystyrene), 7 Plastic (Other), Aluminum Cans, Brown Glass, Brown Paper Bags, Cardboard, Chipboard, Clear Glass, Clothing and Textile Donation, Reuse, Computer Paper, Green Glass, Magazines and Catalogs, Mixed Paper, Newspaper, Nonferrous Metal (Alum, Copper, Brass), Paperboard, Telephone Books, Tin or Steel Cans, White Office Paper.
Notes
	•&nbspThis site will also accept books. •&nbspThis site will also accept junk mail and paper with a glossy finish. •&nbspPlace in brown paper bags or tie in bundles with twine.
London Grove Township Drop-off Site
	372 Rose Hill Road WEST GROVE, PA 19390
Materials
	3 Plastic, 4 Plastic (LDPE), 5 Plastic (Polypropylene), 6 Plastic (Polystyrene), 7 Plastic (Other).
Recycling Services Inc.
	365 Elm Street POTTSTOWN, PA 19465
Materials
	1 Plastic (PETE), 2 Plastic (HDPE Clear), 2 Plastic (HDPE Colored), 3 Plastic, 4 Plastic (LDPE), 5 Plastic (Polypropylene), 6 Plastic (Polystyrene), 7 Plastic (Other), Aerosol Cans, Aluminum Cans, Book Donation, Reuse, Brown Glass, Brown Paper Bags, Cardboard, Chipboard, Clear Glass, Clothing and Textile Donation, Reuse, Compact Discs (CD's), Computer Paper, Computers (donation, reuse, recycle), Computers (donation, reuse, recycle), Cooking Oil, Drink Boxes, Aseptic Containers, Electronics, Eyeglass Donation, Reuse, Ferrous Metals (Steel,Iron), Green Glass, Household Batteries, Household Item Donation, Reuse, Innertubes, Magazines and Catalogs, Metal Clothes Hangers, Mixed Paper, Newspaper, NiCd Batteries, Nonferrous Metal (Alum, Copper, Brass), Other Batteries, Packing Peanut Reuse, Paperboard, Propane Tanks, Rechargeable Batteries, Sporting Goods Donation, Reuse, Telephone Books, Tin or Steel Cans, Used Tires, White Goods (Non-Reusable Large appliances), White Office Paper.
Notes
	•&nbspThis site accepts some plastic #7 items. •&nbspThis site accepts empty aerosol cans. •&nbspThis site accepts aluminum cans, pie plates, foil, and trays. •&nbspThis site does not accept window glass, Pyrex, or mirror glass. •&nbspThis site accepts clean clothes, textiles, and shoes. •&nbspThis site does not accept containers with brown linings. •&nbspThis site does not accept window glass, Pyrex, or mirror glass. This site accepts both green and blue glass. •&nbspThis site accepts some household items. Please call for more information and the collection schedule. •&nbspThis site accepts button batteries. •&nbspPlease remove the valve from each propane tank. •&nbspThis site accepts sporting goods including shoes and skis. •&nbspPlease rinse tin and steel cans clean and flatten if possible. •&nbspThis site accepts appliances provided they are fifty percent or more metal.
Superior Waste Services Curbside Program
	NORRISTOWN, PA 19403
Materials
	1 Plastic (PETE), 2 Plastic (HDPE Clear), 2 Plastic (HDPE Colored), 3 Plastic, 4 Plastic (LDPE), 5 Plastic (Polypropylene), 6 Plastic (Polystyrene), 7 Plastic (Other), Aluminum Cans, Brown Glass, Brown Paper Bags, Cardboard, Chipboard, Clear Glass, Computer Paper, Green Glass, Magazines and Catalogs, Mixed Paper, Newspaper, Paperboard, Tin or Steel Cans, White Office Paper.
Upper Frederic Municipal Building Drop-off Site
	3205 Big Road OBELISK, PA 19492
Materials
	1 Plastic (PETE), 2 Plastic (HDPE Clear), 2 Plastic (HDPE Colored), 3 Plastic, 4 Plastic (LDPE), 5 Plastic (Polypropylene), 6 Plastic (Polystyrene), 7 Plastic (Other), Aluminum Cans, Brown Glass, Clear Glass, Mixed Paper, Newspaper, Tin or Steel Cans.
Notes
	•&nbspThis is open to Frederic Township residents only. On the 4th Saturday each month there is assistance for unloading. •&nbspThis is open to Frederic Township residents only…. •&nbspThis is open to Frederic Township residents only. On the 4th Saturday each month there is assistance for unloading. This includes junk mail.
Williams Township Chrin Landfill
	635 Industrial Drive Easton, PA 18042
Materials
	1 Plastic (PETE), 2 Plastic (HDPE Clear), 2 Plastic (HDPE Colored), 3 Plastic, 4 Plastic (LDPE), 5 Plastic (Polypropylene), 6 Plastic (Polystyrene), 7 Plastic (Other), Aluminum Cans.
Notes
	•&nbspThis is for Williams Township residents only. •&nbspThis is available to William Township residents only.

Organizing Menus

I decided to sit down the other night and organize all of our menus. We order out with some frequency (more than before Nate was born, that's for sure) so we have a lot of menus, all of which were stuffed in a pocket of my Longaber Large Desktop Basket. This meant that every time we wanted to order food we had to rifle though all of the menus to find the one we wanted. it was not a very effiencent system.

So I purchased one of these:

And a pack of these:

And these:

And got to work.

I slid each menu into its own page protector. If I could unfold the menus and fit them in that way I did, if not, I slid them in folded up. I then divided the menus in there sleeves into categories according to cuisine. In our case there were four categories: Asian, Deli, Continental, and Italian/Pizza. I wrote the categories on the tabs, stuck the tabs on the first page of each section, put all of the sections in the three ring binder and VOILA! organized menus.

If you have a Home Management Binder or a Flylady Control journal this could be its own separate section.

Do you know they sell menu organziers for $20.00 (plus shipping of course)? My homemade version comes in at half that. Less if you happen to have the supplies on hand.

I Love My Librarian!

The Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times has announced the




"Librarians in our nation’s 123,000 libraries make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans every day. Now is your chance to tell us why we should shine the spotlight on a librarian at your public, school, college, community college or university library. Nominate your librarian for the Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award!

Up to ten librarians will be honored. Each will receive $5,000 and be recognized at an awards ceremony hosted by The New York Times at TheTimesCenter in December 2008."

Of course, I am a librarian, and I am fabulous (if I do say so myself) and would love to be nominated, but I am really just trying to spread the word so that the librarians who have made a difference in your life can get the recognition we all deserve!

Keeping it Real

I don't know who started this, but I found it on Charming the Birds from the Trees. I guess the impetus was to show the world that even though some bloggers seem to have their acts together (I don't know that I come off as one of them) they may not or they may be just like you and I. A snap shot of your refrigerator and freezer say volumes about who you (I guess). Anyway, I thought it was a interesting idea so here they are...

The Fridge

I am proud of all the produce, the Green Juice and the kefir. The chocolate Reddi Whip belongs to hubby and the coffeemate was free :)


The Freezer

Lots of veggies here too. Homemade beef stock on the door and bags and bags of sour cherries that hubby picked from the neighbor's tree (with permission of course).

What does your fridge and freezer look like?

Bright Idea -- Good Idea

I was trolling random blogs and clicking on links to other blogs and found this great idea for recycling, or really extending the life of your favorite scented candles... check it out!

Will Catch Up Next Week

I know I have been MIA, but there has been too much going on and I have been too tired (Nate refuses to sleep through the night, I (hubby too) was up 4 times last night) to be creative and funny and blog. Next week I am on vacation and might be feeling chipper enough to post something.

Sorry.

Wolf Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free family tree - Free family tree software

Cockpot Babyfood!

Stephanie, at my favorite blog A Year of Crockpotting, has done it again.

As if making your own Haggis isn't enough, she has saved me with her instructions for how to make baby food in the crockpot.

Check it out!

Oh Baggu Bag... How I Love Thee

For the holidays last year, my friend Steph bought me 2 Baggu re-usable shopping bags. I have to admit that I did not use them at first. I didn't use any re-usable shopping bags at first. In fact, and I am completely embarrassed to admit this, the idea of hauling my own bags to the supermarket and seeing people with piles of bags in their carts annoyed me to no end. I actually got irritated when I saw people using re-usable bags. I have absolutely no idea why. It was completely counter to my environmental leanings... but anyway...

I have since gotten over this feeling and have embraced the re-usable shopping bag movement. I have a combination of bags that I keep in my car and take shoping with me. Some are canvas LL Bean-like totes, others are the free giveaway conference totes, but my favorite by far are the Baggu bags.

They are made of rip stop nylon, fold un teeny tiny so I can keep them in the diaper bag or even in my purse. The hold a ton of stuff and are easy to load and unload.

The website offers a ton of funky colors and at $8 each (less if you buy three of six at a time) I think they are a good deal. I am thinking of buying a few more for myself and maybe even giving some as gifts/stocking stuffers this holiday season.

Happy Mommy, Happy Baby

Fun Stuff!

Bridget over at Purity Seekers is having a contest to win some of her homemade goodies. For anyonw who cloth diapers, you should see the wool longies she knits they are all TOO CUTE.

Kids Craft Blog

A friend of mine recommended this Kids Craft Blog called No Time for Flash Cards... it is full of great, timely ideas for fun educational activites and crafts to do with the preschool set.

Be sure to check out the video of the Shark Attack Song!

Hallmark Deals

I was out over the weekend and stopped at one of my local Hallmark stores (Lisa, its the one in Lawrence Park) which usually has GREAT sales on all of their Vera Bradley. I was thinking about stocking up for the holidays. Well, the day I was there nothing in the Vera Bradley section caught my eye, but I was drawn to the huge 75% off sign at the back of the store.

I got two rolls of "self adhesive" wrapping paper, a pack of recipe cards, and a little coupon organizer for $5.57. I was so excited.

Then I saw the sign that said 50% off Yankee Candles, so I ended up with 2 of the really big jar candles in Vera Cruz Vanilla (or something like that) for the price of one.

The candles and the recipe cards will probably end up as gifts.

Hooray for clearance sales!

Crockpot Quinoa

I am thoroughly addicted to A Year of Crockpotting. I was looking, the other day, for a recipe for something involving quinoa and a Crockpot and Stephanie was obliging enough to provide this little gem. I thought that it looked really good and was planning on making it, except I didn;t have half of the things it called for and the other half I didn't think hubby would like (the feta cheese for example). So, I adapted and tweaked this recipe until it became my own and here it is:

-1 1/2 cups Quinoa
--3 cups broth (I used vegetable, but anything would work)
--1 T olive oil
--1/2 t salt
--1/2 t cinnamon
--1 block frozen spinach
--1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes (chopped)

The Directions.

Rinse the quinoa. I don't know why but that is what everyone says to do and in this case I am listening to everyone.

Put all ingredients in the Crockpot

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-4. You will know the quinoa is done when all the broth has been absorbed and you can fluff it with a fork like rice or cous cous.

Serve.