Last summer we gave our oldest a fun backyard birthday party.  He picked a Transformers theme and we had a lot of fun with it. 

My husband has become quite the pinata maker.  The year before, he made a Dr. Octopus pinata for a Spiderman themed birthday party and then he made this amazing Soundwave pinata for the Transformers birthday party.  He used balsa wood to construct a frame and covered it in paper mache.  He put so much detail into making this pinata.  He even made a "cassette tape" and "tape deck" that opened.  Finally, he painted the pinata to look like Soundwave.  Well done, Honey!  

Who's ready for some pinata action?  I don't know much about Transformers, but apparently Soundwave is a Deceptacon which means that he is a bad guy so he is a perfect candidate for a pinata (since pinatas get beat up).  

Dive in!

I was trying to be clever here, but I am not educated in the language arts of Transformers.  Also, I didn't realize at the time that I put a Deceptacon (bad guy) image on the container.  It was however, a nice way to distribute loot bags and make sure that names were on the bags.  I bought solid color bags at Dollar Tree and glued on a transformer image that I found online.  The bags were sold in 10 packs for $1.  

I was really proud of my Transformer wrapping job and then found out that I unknowingly glued a Deceptacon on the package instead of an Autobot.  Oh well, the colors are really pretty together.  

My cousin loaned us this awesome bounce house for the party.  The kids loved it and played for hours.  

And lastly the menu... I don't have any fabulous food pictures to share.  To simplify things, I combined a few homemade dishes with some easy store bought snacks.  I used paper products form Oriental Trading Co.  Another fun blog post if you haven't read it already.  Oriental Trading Co. sent me some great Transformers products to review.  They have a nice selection and my son was thrilled.  

The menu:
Chips and Dip
Vegetables and Hummus
Watermelon
Blueberries
Cheese and Cracker tray
Honey Chicken Kabobs
Pigs in a Blanket
Hot Ham Sandwiches
Corn and Black Bean Salad

I went really easy with the cake for this party.  I made chocolate cupcakes and frosted them with vanilla bean icing and sprinkles in the party theme colors.  The link to the recipe is for a chocolate cake, so if you bake the recipe as cupcakes, bake for a lot less time.  I think these took around 20 minutes.  

We also made an Angel Food cake in a 10" square pan.  This is two Angel Food Cakes stacked together to get the desired height.  My sister-in-law actually frosted this for me (It's nice having help on party day.) with chocolate frosting.  I cut the autobot symbol out of a black sugar sheet I purchased at Walmart.  I used a print-out as a stencil and cut the design out with an exacto knife on a cutting board.  

Sugar sheets come in this packaging and are usually sold one sheet to a package.  I have seen them in craft stores, Walmart, and Meijer.  They are versatile, edible,  and come in handy when cake decorating.  


Disclosure:  I was not compensated for anything in this post.  All opinions are honest and are my own.  


Linking up here:  Monday linky:  Boogieboard Cottage, Twelve0eight Craft-O-Maniac,  DIY Home Sweet Home,  Deceptively Educational

Tuesday Linky:  One Perfect Day

Woah-super dark picture.  You can see enough to get the point.  There are some good coupon deals on Baby Ganics diapers at Target.  Not sure how long the sale will last, but Baby Ganics diapers are on sale at Target and you can stack Target coupons with manufacturer's coupons.  

Baby Ganics big box on sale for $23.79
Baby Ganics regular pack on sale for $8.49

Total = $32.28
I used two $4.00 Target printable coupons -$8.00 = $24.28
and a peelie manufacturer's coupon (it was attached to the box) for $5 off $30 Baby Ganics purchase making the total = $19.28 for both packages 

Here are some diaper coupons from Deal Seeking Mom.
BabyGanics Diapers, $8.49 ea.
$4/1 BabyGanics Diapers Target printable coupon
$2.50/1 Babyganics coupon (Boost this coupon value from $1.50 to $2.50 on Hopster)  I had trouble printing the Hopster coupon, but maybe it will work for you.  
$2.99 after coupons!

Pull Ups Jumbo Packs, $7.64 ea.
$2/1 Pull-Ups Products Target printable coupon
$2/1 Pull Ups printable coupon or
$2/1 Pull Ups printable coupon
As low as $3.64 after coupons!

"Like" Yes to Carrots on Facebook to enter to win some FREE Yes to Carrots Facial Wipes today!  Complete the entry form and join the #YESTOMOVEMENT for your chance at winning one of 100k coupons for a free packet of wipes.

Thanks, Deal Seeking Mom!

Disclosure:  Purex Laundry Detergent provided me with Purex coupons in exchange for sharing the Purex Make-A-Wish Campaign.  However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.  

To honor the millions of children whose clothes we help keep bright and clean every year, the Purex brand is teaming up with Make-A-Wish to bring bright wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. 

Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illnesses, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family.

Purex will pay a minimum guarantee of $250,000 to Make-A-Wish, but you can help make a difference and get the payment up to $400,000 by purchasing Purex liquid detergent or liquid fabric softener between February 1st 2014 and February 28th 2014. 

* Purex Liquid Detergent
Purex will pay $.05 to Make-A-Wish for the first 4 million bottles of 75oz+ liquid detergent sold from February 1 – February 28, 2014, and will increase the payment to $.10 for every bottle above 4 million, with a minimum guarantee of $200,000 up to a maximum of $300,000.

* Purex Liquid Fabric Softener
Purex will pay $.08 to Make-A-Wish for the first 620,000 bottles Classic and Ultra Lines in Mountain Breeze and Lavender fabric softeners sold from February 1 – February 28, 2014, and will increase the payment to $.10 for every bottle above 620,000, with a minimum guarantee of $50,000 up to a maximum of $100,000. 

Be sure to stock up on Purex during the month of February as every bottle helps in our effort to support this great cause.  

I have been a longtime fan of Purex detergent.  I usually use my homemade detergent or Purex.  Purex is economical and it does a great job.  Enter to win a coupon for a free bottle of Mountain Breeze Purex.  

Disclosure:  Purex Laundry Detergent provided me with Purex coupons in exchange for sharing the Purex Make-A-Wish Campaign.  However, all the opinions expressed here are my own. 

We are finally done battling the flu in our house so I am back to work.  I want to wish a big congratulations to entry #2805 Michelle for winning my giveaway for a $50 Walmart gift card.  The winner has been contacted.  

I have been to the pharmacy twice this week to get prescriptions for sick children.  On one of my trips I was able to pick up some good deals while waiting for my prescription. 

There is an Extra buck deal this week on Huggies Products.  If you spend $20, you get $5 back in extra bucks and if you spend $30, you get $10 back in extra bucks. 

Here is what I bought:
Onion rings (not pictured, so bad I know-but so yummy) = $1.00
Sally Hanson Cuticle Gel (75% off) = $1.75
Sally Hanson lip balm (75% off) = $1.25
Palmolive soap = $0.99 - coupon machine coupon for $0.25 = $0.74
Huggies Goodnight Pants = $9.99 - $2.00 manufacturer's coupon = $7.99
Huggies Pull-UPs = $9.99 - $2.00 CVS home mailed coupon = $7.99
Huggies Slip-On Diapers = $9.99 - $0.75 peelie coupon = $9.24
Snickers Dark Chocolate (75% off) = $0.29
Huggies Wipes = $3.49 - $3.50 CVS home mailed coupon = free
Ponds BB Cream = $12.99 - $2.00 printable coupon and $5.00 off $15 CVS cosmetics coupon from the CVS coupon machine = $5.99

I also used (2) $10 Extra bucks = -$20 off my total bill

My total before tax was $16.23 and I earned a new $10 Extra bucks to use on my next shopping trip.  My receipt said I saved $53.56 (77%). 

For The Mommas posted some good Huggies printable coupon links.  You will have to scroll down through all of her CVS deals this week, but you will eventually get to the Huggies coupons. 

We have two little ones who are recovering from the flu and so far our oldest has remained healthy.  The little ones went to the doctor and are feeling better after getting their medications, but we are still taking some preventative measures to keep the flu from spreading. 

My husband looked it up and flu germs can live on hard surfaces for a few hours up to 24 hours. 

1.  Wash hands frequently and make sure little ones are washing their hands too.

2.  Replace toothbrushes for anyone who has been sick.  Wash toothbrush holders too. 

3.  Clean and disinfect frequently touched hard surfaces like door knobs, faucet handles and light switches.  If you have stairs, don't forget to wash the stairway railing. 

4.  Keep up with the laundry as much as possible making sure to wash bedding, towels, and pajamas too.  Wash in hot water to kill any germs. 

5.  Take care of yourself.  If you are caring for sick loved ones, you can find yourself getting overly exhausted.  To help keep your immune system in top shape, try to get some extra rest when you can.  Also, drink plenty of water and make sure to get some extra vitamin C. 

Did you know that you can buy a whole ham at the grocery store for a fraction of the cost of buying ham sliced in the deli?  Your store may even slice it for you while you shop (for free!).  You can save significantly and freeze the meat to have it on hand when you need it. 

I selected my ham and took it over to the nice man at the deli counter and asked him to slice 1/3 of it thicker (1/2" for soups and casseroles) and 2/3 of it thin (for sandwiches). 

As you can see I paid a lot less than I would have paid per pound for ham at the deli counter.  I had a coupon for $1 off Kretschmar ham from coupons.com too so I actually paid $19.99 for 10.55 lbs. of ham. 

I packaged the ham in quart freezer bags and then put the quart bags into gallon freezer bags to keep them organized in the deep freezer. 

I don't buy much in bulk, but I do buy a few things that can be frozen or have a long shelf life.  I bought raspberries when they were on sale and in season and froze them.  I buy meat when it's on sale and freeze it.  I also purchase bulk rice and yeast at Sam's Club.  What do you buy in bulk?

I love chicken pot pie.  It is one of my favorite comfort foods.  I adapted this recipe from one a friend gave me years ago when she brought us a chicken pot pie after we had our second child.  (Thank you Malorie.  It was wonderful.)  This recipe is great for when you want to take a meal to someone because it is easily portable.  

This pie crust recipe is my new favorite.  The first couple of times I made it, I made it by hand using a pastry blender which worked fine, but it is so much easier to make in a food processor.  

The picture above was taken right after it came out of the oven.  If you let it sit and rest for a few minutes it will set up more.  Also, I cut the chicken a little large in the pictured pie.  I prefer it cut smaller and more uniform.  

This really is a perfect Pie Crust
All Butter Crust for Sweet and Savory Pies
Make the first recipe in the post.  

Ingredients for filling:
1/3 cup butter (5 1/3 Tbsp.)
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2 cup frozen mixed vegetables or peas and carrots

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2.  Saute chicken in small amount of olive oil or butter until cooked through.  Set aside.
3.  Saute onion in butter about 2 minutes.
4.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended.  
5.  Stir in milk and broth.  Cook and stir until bubbly and thick.  
6.  Stir in chicken and vegetables.  
7.  Spoon filling into crust lined pie pan.  
8.  Cut slits in top crust.  I find this easier to do when the crust is rolled out on the counter.  (You can use small cookie cutters like I did or just cut it with a butter knife.)  Top pie with second crust.
9.  Seal and crimp edges of pie crust.  
10.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.  During last 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edges with strips of foil to prevent burning.  
11.  Let pie rest for at least 5 minutes after removing from the oven before serving.  It will be too hot to eat right away and will thicken up more as it rests.  

We have been eating pretty well around here so I thought I would share our menu plan again.  I have been making large meals and we have a young family, so with little mouths to feed we often have leftovers a few nights a week.  

Sunday and Monday:  Beef and vegetable soup (with ground beef)  This is one of my most pinned recipes on pinterest and the boys love it.  I actually made a double recipe and mixed deer meat from my parents with ground beef.  It is always a hit.  

Tuesday and Wednesday:  BBQ Beef Open Face Sandwiches.  Delicious slow cooker BBQ beef piled on top of mashed potatoes and bread.  We had glazed carrots as a side one night and baked acorn squash the next.  

Thursday:  Baked Rice, Baked Salmon,  Brussel Sprouts

                                                                   Friday:  Leftovers

Saturday:  Crock Pot Lemon Chicken over Linguine, Sugar Snap Peas, Cranberry Sauce

This was not my favorite recipe because the chicken was dry, but I used boneless chicken breasts.  Bone-in chicken may be less dry.  I loved the sauce and noodles and may try a variation of this on the stove top next time.