Home Maid Simple

Day: November 12, 2012

  • Flirty Apron Sale – 15% Off total purchase

    Flirty Apron Sale – 15% Off total purchase

    Who doesn’t love aprons?  I absolutely love hanging out in the kitchen with the kids, and aprons always add to the experience. Earlier today I mentioned how cute neighbor gifts would be if you gave a baking mix tied up with an apron. And I even told you about a deal on Muffin Mixes.
    
     
    Well! Now I’m going to tell you about a deal on Aprons – Flirty Aprons that is!

     
    (And keep an eye out, because I hear some great sales are coming for Black Friday and Cyber Monday!)
     
     
    www.FlirtyAprons.com
     
    *This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing through the links on this page helps Home Maid Simple grow. Thank you!

  • Holiday Gifts for Neighbors #MompactLNO

    It’s snowing here. I was worried that we had moved too far south for snow, but we didn’t!  Once the snow starts, I really start getting into the Holiday Spirit.

    And that means Holiday Gifts for my Neighbors!  There are so many cute things out there. Thanks to pinterest I’ve got them at my fingertips.  Some of my favorite Holiday Gifts from neighbors are the ones with cute sayings.

    Like these Elf Kisses

    Or the classic Reindeer Poop
    
     
    As fun as these gifts are though, I also like the home baked goods. Something made with love, that’s healthy to boot.  My mother in law likes to make mini loaves of bread to share. I remember the first Christmas we were married and we went over to her house, there were just dozens of mini loaves on her table. Oh the smell itself was intoxicating! 
     
    If you don’t want to make anything, mixes are also a great gift! It allows the receiver to make it whenever they want. You can add wooden spoons, pot holders, or even an apron to go along with it. Just tie it together with a bow.
     
     
    Now as good as brownies are, I also enjoy the healthy treats.  I’ve just come across Miffy’s Marvelous Muffin Mix, and they are oh so yummy!  These would look really cute with a spoon added and tied with ribbon.  You could even add a cute note “Holidays are fun, but often make us stressed. Sit back and relax, enjoy these muffins with your kids”  (A good example on why I’ll never get a job with greeting cards)
     
     
    To get you started on your Holiday Gift Giving, Miffy is running a special sale during the month of November
    • 4 packs/$20
    • 6 packs/$30
    • 8 packs/$40 

    What do you give your neighbors? Do you have a favorite gift to receive?
     
    
    Don’t forget you can also win 2 packs of Miffy’s Marvelous Muffins along with some other great products from MomPact

  • Why I need a Menu Plan

    It’s been awhile since I started planning out my weekly meals. For awhile, I would just write out different recipes I’d like to try, buy the grocery items for them, and then improvise throughout the week.
    Then I found Organizing Junkie’s weekly Menu Plan, and thought it would be fun to join in. I’ve posted off and on with her linky, but I really should make it more of a priority.  After the last two weeks I’ve had, I know I need my menu plan!  Here’s why –

    • We eat better, and more healthy when I plan out meals
    • We actually have food in our house that can be made into a meal
    • I become more creative in the kitchen
    • I gain more confidence in my cooking skills
    • I spend less time trying to figure something out last minute
    • We save more money, by avoiding my stressed out “let’s just go out tonight” phrase

    If those aren’t good enough reasons to plan a menu each week, well, then I guess you don’t need to plan a menu.

    Life has just been so crazy around here lately. We finally closed on our house, and are no longer home owners (can I cry?).  At the same time, however, we found a house we think we can make our new home. So we put an offer on it, and I’ve been crazy busy, deep in paperwork from selling our house, and trying to buy a new one. 

    So of course, I thought I could skip planning a weekly menu. It didn’t work. We ate mac and cheese for dinner, ramen, and I won’t tell you how many times we went out or how many dishes didn’t turn out.  It just wasn’t pretty come dinner time around here.

    I’ve learned, the hard way of course, that I need my menu plan. Even if I don’t follow it to a T, it keeps me sane and my family happy with good dishes. So after a new hair cut today, and a serious kitchen cleaning, I’m back!

    Monday – Home Made Pizza
    Tuesday – Frozen Burritos (requested by Mark)
    Wednesday – Chili
    Thursday – Chicken and Corn Soup

    Friday – Slow Cooker Sesame Orange Chicken (but I’m going to use turkey)
    Saturday – leftovers
    Sunday – Chicken Taquitos

    I’m linking to Orgjunkie’s Menu Plan Monday