Froogie Boogie: Costumes

I shared our costumes from this year and last, and although they are not the most elaborate, at least we only spent $10 or less on each one. Of course thrift stores are yet again another great resource.



I got creative when thinking of how to tie my husband into the Chronicles of Narnia theme. I was worried that the beaver would be hard to pull off. In the end it cost very little and I think he did Mr. Beaver justice.



All we did to create this costume was have him wear entirely brown clothing and I bought a yard of felt material from Walmart for $3.00 and sewed the tail and the ears by hand. We created the teeth from a lemon peel. You can use a lemon wedge for all different kinds of false teeth, maybe you've done it for fun at a restaurant, that's how I learned. All you have to do is carve out the actual lemon and then cut the peel into the desired shape and place it in between your gums and your lips with the white side facing out.

Frugal costumes made at home are great because you get to be creative and you don't have to worry about matching anyone. It doesn't take much. Believe me I am no seamstress, but once again this proves that anybody can do it. Check out this clever idea from rocks in my dryer on how to get your children to keep there costumes within a budget.

Halloween

As promised here is the run down of The Messy Mom, Hubby, and Son halloween costumes.

Last year was the debut of our family costume. Baby Z wasn't even 2 months old yet. As you can see he was a monkey and my husband and I were Zoo keepers. It was so much fun we wanted to do family costumes again this year.


When I found this lion costume at the Gap Outlet in Kentucky I knew it would be perfect for baby Z. His favorite stuffed animal is a lion (it is to the right of the laundry basket in my header). After purchasing the $10 clearance costume I figured that we weren't going to do a theme this year because I couldn't think of anything to go with Lion. Then it dawned on me one night "The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis. I didn't even want to attempt the witch or the wardrobe so we went with Mr. Beaver and Susan Pevensie which are both charcters from the story.


I took the classic prep school look and added the bow and arrow which is the weapon used by Susan in the novel.



I would love to see your costumes if you want to post a link in the comment section or shoot me an email. Happy Halloween everybody!

Cowboy Stew Recipe

This week I am talking all about fall, which also means yummy soup. Here is my favorite fall recipe which is perfect for BooMama's Souptacular Crockpotalooza


Cowboy Stew

1 lb. Ground beef
1 15 oz. can Busch Original style beans
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can of corn
1 8 oz can hominy
1 8oz can of Rotel
2 "big" dashes of Soy sauce

Fry the ground beef until it is browned, dump it into the crockpot and add remaining ingredients. Stir and set temp at low for all day or high if you are going to eat in a few hours.

I got this recipe from my mom and she didn't specify ANY of the can sizes so those are just guesses. You really can't go wrong though with this recipe, it is so simply and there are many variations depending on your personal taste.

Fall Fun With FOOTBALL!

This week I am talking about all the fun activities that are available for families around this time of year and today I am featuring Football Games. With that said, I am not even going to pretend to know anything about the sport. I know there are a bunch of big guys on a big field and they score touchdowns, that's about the extent of it. That is not to say however that I don't get my fill of the game. I get plenty of exposure to the sport since I am married to a former football player. By former I mean 15 years ago, when he was in High School. I'd love to post a photo, but our anniversary is in a couple days and I don't want to ruin it.

Baby Z has gotten a lot of opportunity to get in on the football action too. Not only has he seen it on TV at home, but he has also gone to his 5 year old cousins games, and the local High school games too. So even if I am not the biggest fan of the sport I can not deny that nothing says fall like Friday Night Lights, and as an American living in Texas of all places (the football capital) I will pay my respects to the game. Since I am not allowed to post photos of my husband I will show off some my nephew's game that they won by a landslide. Go team go.

Why I love: The Starbuck's Rewards Program

With the fall season upon us it is time to warm up with some oatmeal and apple cider. That is what I had this Sunday at Starbuck's and the oatmeal was entirely free. All because I am a part of the Starbuck's Rewards program. There aren't any fees and it's not a credit card, but you do have to have a Starbuck's gift card. Once you purchase your gift card you can activate it online at starbucks.com and it's that simple. Some of the benefits of having a rewards card are free flavored syrup, unlimited drip coffee refills, a free beverage with purchase of any bag of beans, and more. So far I have gotten a free grande Vivanno Smoothie, a free chai latte and as of this week a free oatmeal. You will receive these special promotional offers either by email or at your home mailing address. Another benefit of having a rewards card is getting 2 free hours of internet access daily, which is actually a really great deal and can come in handy.

You don't have to keep a balance on your card, but if you want to get the special discounts then you will need to pay for it on your card so I just keep my charged with a monthly allowance. This has been helpful for me to keep track of my spending. I went a little over budget with Starbuck's this month. The new salted caramel signature hot chocolate has gotten the best of me. I highly recommend it.

As if I didn't already say the word free enough, I will say it one more time- getting stuff for FREE, that is why I love the Starbuck's Rewards program.

Fall Fun at the Fair

The State Fair of Texas is over now, but we were able to fit in a trip last minute so that baby Z could experience it for the first time. There is something nostalgic about going to the fair. In Texas, the fair has taken place in the fall for over 122 years. It's the one time of the year we get away from most of the technology and media of our culture to go back to the days of Ferris wheels, cotton candy machines, and simple tossing games with cheesy giant stuffed animal prizes.



They say everything is bigger in Texas and this is true when it comes to the Texas State Fair. It is the largest in the country including the 212 foot Ferris Wheel. I happen to love carnival rides and the state fair has over 70 to choose from. I happen to love the one that is shown in this photo. Although, make sure you hold down your Frito pie if you have a weak stomach.



I think the biggest icon of all though would have to be the legendary Big Tex. Big Tex is a 52 foot tall cowboy that wears size 70 boots and a 75 gallon hat. He has been a part of the fair since 1952. Baby Z was quite entranced by it all.



Another BIG part of the state fair, and a personal favorite of mine is the Auto show.

I pulled this info off of Wikipedia
The State Fair of Texas is the only fair in the country to include a full blown auto show, dating back to 1904. It includes over 300,000 square feet of new model vehicles, two buildings, a Truck Zone and a Test Drive Track. The State Fair has been the site for several international launches including the 2007 Chevy Tahoe, the 2008 Ford Sporttrac and the 1998 Chevy Blazer.

Pretty big deal, but what I enjoyed the most was being able to play the Ford version of Deal or No Deal for free.


I love Deal or no Deal and have always wanted so badly to be a contestant. This is probably the closest I will ever get. I had to choose between a 1 in 10 chance at $12.00 or a guaranteed prize of a Ford mini flash light. I took the flash light!



Then of course there is the food, which I have mentioned before. They've got every kind of fried food imaginable like fried Twinkies or chicken fried bacon. I know they might sound gross, but you never know what's going to catch on. Corn dogs actually originated at the Texas State fair in 1942 and now you can get them anywhere!



So even though the fair can be a little crowded, and over priced, and maybe it is kind of dirty too, but come on, it's the State Fair and there is nothing else like it anywhere!

Fall Fun Scrapbook

Do you have any old photo albums that are outdated or just plain ugly? Or maybe you have a scrapbooking project, but you don't want to spend a lot of money?
My solution- Decoupage!

You can spruce up a plain album, or even cover up stains and splatters on a worn out one. The possibilities are endless. You can use wrapping paper, photos, scrapbook materials, or magazines. It depends on the look you are going for. Since I am talking about fall this week, and I even mentioned my favorite place in the world; Vermont. I thought I would show my Scrapbook from when we went through the New England area in October of 2001. This was a very basic album on clearance. I wasn't too fond of the print so I just covered it up. It was very easy and the materials are so inexpensive.

Here is what I used:

Mod Podge craft glue
A paint brush to apply it
Red Tissue paper
A piece of torn copy paper
Leaves I gathered and dried flat in a hard book

I just covered the album with the paper and leaves and then I sealed it all thoroughly with a couple coats of glue. It makes this scrapbook a lot more personal. I love Vermont in the fall and this album brings back fond memories from cover to cover.



For more works for me wednesday go to rocksinmydryer.net

Fall Fun at the Farm

I know fall means summer is over and school is back in session, but that doesn't mean the fun has to stop. There are so many great fall activities that can be entertaining for the whole family. This year when we were visiting my family in Kentucky we took baby Z to his first Petting Zoo at Huber farms.


There are many orchards and farms all over the US that are open to the public and this is a great time of year to check them out. What do you do at these orchards? Well, for starters you can get in on all the fresh home grown goodies, like apples, pumpkins, and strawberries either from shops or by picking them yourself.


There are also fun activities like corn mazes, hay rides, and much more.


Animals are another therapeutically and recreational part of going to a farm. Whether you ride horses, feed ducks, or pet lamas, a public farm is a great way to get your fill of these friendly, cuddly, creatures.


We had so much fun at Huber Farms, Baby Z cried when he had to say bye bye to the tractors. I plan on making a trip to a local orchard a family tradition every fall!

Look Back and Laugh: Halloween Costumes

Halloween was not a big holiday in my conservative christian upbringing, but we did dress up for Church Carnivals and we even went trick-or-treating a couple times. Our costumes were very low budget, or should I say "creative." One year I was supposed to be a Hershey Kiss. It was pretty much a spur of the moment idea. I was wrapped in layers of aluminum foil and had a strip of white poster board on my head that said Hershey Kiss, which fell off almost right away. So I basically roamed the streets covered in aluminum foil being called everything from tin man to recycling bin. I got over it and tried trick-or-treating again a few years later.

This time we really raised the bar with a costume that I thought was blue ribbon worthy. My mom who worked for McDonald's at the time came up with a really great french fries costume. It was a great big red box with foam fries coming out the top and yellow and white stripes on the back just like you would see at McDonald's. Even then, I still was accused of being a carton of cigarettes. Really, what kid would go trick or treating dressed up as cigarettes?

Oh Well. That's why I call it "look back and laugh" it's funny now. Check back later this week to see this years costumes and maybe you can guess what/who I am supposed to be.

City of the Month #2: Woodstock, VT

This week is All About Fall. This is my favorite time of year. If I could pick anywhere to be in the month of October it would have to be Vermont. That is why I have chosen Woodstock Vermont for my featured City this month.

Woodstock Vermont is where my father went to collage and it is one of the most peaceful, charming, and beautiful places that I have ever visited. There is good reason it has been called “the prettiest small town in America”

Although it is a great place to slow down, and enjoy a museum or sleep in at a historic bed and breakfast, one of the best parts of Woodstock is being outdoors. You can do it all; fishing, hiking, biking, and skiing surrounded by breathtaking landscapes. I would recommend checking out the Queeche Gorge. It is pronounce “quee-chee” and that is short for Ottauquechee which is the name of the river that it overlooks. The queeche gorge is a mile long and 165 feet deep. Although it is an incredible site I don’t recommend it for anyone afraid of heights. The view makes me a little queasy myself. Maybe they should call it queasy gorge.

While you are in Queeche you have to stop by Simon Pearce . It was the inspiration behind the Glass Shop depicted in the movie Sweet Home Alabama. It features, pottery, rugs, and glassware all created by hand. The products themselves are VERY high dollar, but the fun part is watching the artisans as they spin the pottery wheel or craft a hand blown glass right in front of you. That area also has some great, unique restaurants and once again gorgeous scenery.

Woodstock Vermont is a place where you will find fall foliage so vivid and bright you have to squint to look at it, sharp cheddar cheese and maple syrup farms in the heart of the village, and Clydesdale horses pulling carriages over streets that are over 200 years old, do I need to say anything else?



These photos are from 7 years ago before I was into photography. I need to go back and take new photos!

Queeche Gorge

Simon Pearce balcony over the Quechee dam

New Year's Resolution Reversed (join in the fun)

One thing I have noticed since I started blogging is that the accountability factor is unrivaled. It has allowed me to accomplish things that I probably would have never stuck with otherwise.

One of my first blogs was The Restless Night Syndrome where after 11 months of our baby sleeping in our bed I was finally able to consistantly keep him in his crib for that week. It has been months since then and he sleeps through the night in his room EVERY night and it has only gotten easier, all thanks to blogging.

Fast forward a couple months and look at all I accomplished last week by cleaning up and documenting it.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

This is all from the fact that I lost my shoe and did blog reports while trying to find it.

Add to those two things, cooking, eating healthy, shopping thrifty etc. On the flip side, as I accomplish these endeavors it just makes me think of all the other things I want to try. That is why I am proposing a New Year's resolution in reverse.

Usually the concept of a New Year’s resolution is to start doing whatever it is you want to achieve on January 1st. Really though, how often does that work? So, I have decided to make January 1st the deadline instead of the starting point and I am going to come up with 5 things I want to do BY the beginning of the year. I know it’s crazy because we are about to enter into the busiest season of all, but I didn’t want to have an excuse to make the next 10 weeks of my life obsolete for anything other than the holidays. Don't to worry though, because the 5 assignments I am going to choose will be something simple and mostly fun, not daunting and overwhelming. I am going to announce them on Friday so feel free to come up with your own 5 assignments. This isn’t your everyday to do list. Think of something like scrapbooking, getting a new hair style, or running a mile or ten. If it happens it happens, if not it’s okay, no pressure. Let’s just see how well this blogging accountability works at allowing us to do the things we think about, but always put on the back burner. See you January 1st!

The Making Of…

I love to see behind the scenes. DVD’s have revolutionized my movie watching experience. Before “bonus features” it was rare that anyone ever caught a glimpse of how a film was produced. So, although my little productions done on my mac are a far cry from being a major motion picture, I would love to share with you “the making of the mysterious missing shoe.”

I was originally planning on focusing this week’s topic on cleaning out my closet-PERIOD. Then on Sunday when I couldn’t find my shoe I decided to add the element of the scary story just to make it interesting. I never intended to do a video blog until I cleaned out my closet and couldn’t find my shoe and my allergies were flaring up. I was sneezing like crazy from all the dust and cleaning products. It was something I thought would best be expressed through video, but by the time I decided to “roll tape” I had already stopped sneezing and so I went another direction with my vlog.

The next day I decided to check in my son's closet. I realized after seeing all of his baby items piled 4 feet high that this would also best be demonstrated in video and by that time I couldn’t leave it at that so I did the 3rd part of the series in the car. All the while my shoe had still not turned up and I began to get nervous.

Yesterday I searched everywhere I could think of and tried to get some more cleaning done along the way, but in my mind I was rehearsing how to let down my blog fans (both of you) with the news that I never found my shoe. HOW LAME IS THAT? I felt like I was being voted off my own reality TV show.

So I looked in my closet one last time after dinner last night. In there is a little cubbyhole that I guess I never checked and low and behold behind the big carrying case for my electric breast pump was my shoe. I took a photo of the shoes on the toilet lid (because I wanted a white background) and edited it. Then I came up with the story and sound effects in imovie. Mystery solved.

I can’t believe it took a whole week to find my shoe! It’s been fun though… Did I really just say that?

Deals for the Week

After taking a week off for the first time since I started CVSing 4 months ago I am back in business.

1st Transaction
1 Powerade $1.00
2 toothbrush 2 packs $3.99 each - 2, 75 cents Q
2 bags of candy corn $1.29 each
1 Colgate toothpaste $2.99 -$1 Q
1 Listerene mouth wash $4.49
1 Pumpkin pail 99 cents
2 Glow sticks 99 cents each
1 Power Bar .37 cents

-16.96 ECB's

Total OOP= $2.92

2nd transaction
2 toothbrush 2 packs $3.99 each - 2, 75 cent Q
1 Pumpkin Pail 99 cents
1 Atkins nutrition bar 57 cents

-$7.98 ECB's

Total OOP= .06

Saved $35.77 at CVS this week and spent $2.98

WALGREEN'S

Loreal towelettes $7.99 -$1.00 Q
2 bottles of Pert Plus $3.49 -2 $2.50 store Q and 2 $2.00 mnfc Q
2 Lindt Chocolate bars $2.49 each - B1G1 Q - .75 mnfc Q -2 store Q

Total OOP= $7.26
Total savings= $13.84
(I already claimed the rebate for the $7.99 spent on the Loreal so I should be reimbursed the entire amount, making this week a money maker.)


*I made a list of commitments last week to help me to become healthier. So this week I incorporated exercise into my shopping by WALKING to both CVS and Walgreen's. I just brought my son in the stroller and it was easy to lug all of my stuff home with me. Add to that MORE savings because I didn't even have to start up my car to score these deals. I feel blessed that I live in a low traffic neighborhood near a CVS and a Walgreen's.