Weekend Update 06-18-11

So I am starting to think getting these posts done on Monday is a bit too ambitious :)

We had a lovely weekend. Friday I came home from work and made lunch. Burgers, hashbrowns, beans and corn on the cob. I did some other chores and got ready for the night while hubby napped. When he woke I gave him a much needed haircut. Have I ever mentioned how fast his hair grows and how trying to get his consent to a cut is like pulling teeth? Literally I have to start mentioning it WEEKS in advance. Anyway, it's done now.
Friday evening we went to a friend's house for a game night and "Brinner" (breakfast for dinner) potluck. The food was sooo tasty! I definitely need to get a few recipes. There was an awesome breakfast casserole with a croissant bottom and sausage, egg and 3 cheese filling. There was a cinnamon french toast casserole with a praline topping. John's favorite were souped-up grits with Rotel tomatoes, crumbled sausage and Velveeta. They were tasty and had a kick! We also had fruit, juice and sugary cereal (Cinnamon Toast Crunch complements of moi) :)

Saturday we only went to a few yard sales because John had spent most of his money at Friday yard sales. I don't remember getting anything awesome. In fact I'm not sure I got anything at all... oh wait, I do remember. We got Eby a stuffed bear for a chew toy. After seeing her maul her cousin's tiny stuffed animal we decided she needed one too. "Bear" has been the highlight of her weekend. She hasn't managed to rip him open yet, but she sure gives him a lot of "death shakes" and growling. It is too funny. I feel sorry for the future kids' stuffed toys. They better not be left in reach of Eby :)
We took a short nap after the morning's errands. Then we finally got around to using our Groupons (that were about to expire) to tour our local historic village. It was about a 90 minute guided tour through some re-furbished and re-production historic homes. Our guide was very knowledgeable and other than the heat (a couple stops weren't air-conditioned) we had a nice time.

A British well. How do they know? The British build square wells whereas the Spanish and English build round ones.

Rope tied bedframe with a mattress made from Spanish Moss. And of course mosquito netting. No thank you!!! She told us the meaning of the phrase "sleep tight". It's because the ropes would slack with use and the mattress would sag. So they would use a tool to tighten the ropes. Sleeping on a "tight" bed was the most comfortable. Perhaps the "don't let the bedbugs bite" comes from sleeping on a stinkin' bed of bug-ridden MOSS!!!!

Home of a wealthier family

WWII washing machine. Praise the Lord for advancements in technology!

It was kinda weird to think that the items in the WWII exhibit were things my grandma would have grown up with. Like ration books and dangerous looking kitchen and beauty appliances. Even my mom still says "ice box" on occasion.
Saturday evening we just piddled and such.

Sunday after church we stopped by mom's house to see how all the construction is going. It looks complete! The sodding and landscaping are in, the mailbox is up, floors are done, appliances in, cabinets, countertops and light fixtures in. Everything is painted. It's supposed to be fully finished by the 28th!
Sunday afternoon I made a pretty tasty lunch from our E-Mealz menu. This has been so nice for variety in our diet we don't have to think or plan for. It was a low-fat "Fruity chicken salad". I will post the recipe next. The rest of the day was spend perusing the Sunday sale ads and a trip to WalMart. Can I say I had my first breakdown over couponing? I mean, I full-on cried. As you all know I've been frustrated with the whole process and envious of the major deals others are getting and wondering how they do it! It did not help that the local blog I follow did not do a post on the CVS sales this week :( So I felt a little lost. Anyway, I was just frustrated by spending 2-3 hours a week looking at ads, trying to get printable coupons, making lists for each store, clipping coupons, keeping my grocery journal and having to make several shopping trips to get what I need. Combine that with trying to search for deals on the things on our E-Mealz menu while trying to stay within a food budget that is taken up just by E-Mealz alone and you have one frustrated girl! 2-3 hours of work to save 5-15 bucks did not seem worth it. So John suggested that for July we plan our meals according to only what is on sale and couponable, and just use the E-Mealz menus to make what we already have in our house instead of worrying about buying certain things each week. This way I can hopefully maximize our grocery savings and I won't feel so defeated.

CVS does have milk for 3.39 this week! Limit 2 per card.

I've been given some advice by FB friends after lamenting, so maybe it will go easier this week.

Also, we have an opportunity coming up that we are thinking and praying about. It could possibly really help us out! I will let you know as soon as we decide!