Coupon Queen Meets Beano

132 count Beano pack. Just what the pinto bean doctor ordered.

Let's face it, coupons are cool.  If you don't think so, it's time to jump on the savings bandwagon.  I'm not coupon obsessed, but I love a deal and was definitely raised with the shoppers golden rule: never pay full retail if you can buy it for less.  Does this trace back to the Jewish or Filipino genealogy in me?  The stereotypical world may never know.

So of course I'm always super excited to see the Costco coupon book in the mail slot.  Before I slice through the sticky closure I pause for a moment.  That couple of seconds is reminiscent of walking through the glass doors at Macy's with the potential of finding a really great pair of shoes at 75% off.  With an additional 10% off with your Macy's card.  Hey, it happens.  As I flip through the pages, scanning for items, mentally crossing my fingers that I will find something my family can't live without, I always discover the same thing ...

There is this radio station 106.5 FM that broadcasts in the Sacramento area.  For about a year it played 80's and 90's music and I was honestly pretty psyched because it was nostalgic of my child-teen-hood.  A few months back I was driving through Stockton and discovered it now plays a collection of hits from the past 20 years.  Not the same.  Here's the really weird thing.  They always seem to play artists I enjoy hearing ... but never the songs that I like.  That's inevitably what the monthly coupon deals at Costco feel like.

$3.50 off a 5-pack of toothpaste.  Sweet.  Wait, we don't use that type.  $2 off inkjet cartridge refill service.  Okay, I'll give it a try.  Not for Epson cartridges.  $70 off any set of Michelin tires.  Awesome!  Just not in my size. 

You get the gist.   

This my friends is the coupon trap and should be treated with caution.  Whoa, whoa, whoa, don't fall in.  Costco is playing right into our marketing achilles tendon.  They know consumers love a deal.  But a deal on top of Costco prices ... ding, ding, ding.  Trust me, don't take the bait.  This from the person who has a case of Joint Juice on the verge of expiring in the pantry.  Make sure that you really need the item and you're not just buying the 132 count container of Beano because it's $3.50 off.  That is, unless you're on a diet of pinto beans. 

Lesson learned: step away from the discount.  Just 'cause it's on sale, doesn't mean you need it.  But if I do need it, get the heck out of my way!

Playdough From Scratch, Just Because

All three of my children attended the pre-school co-op Parents Nursery School in Palo Alto.  One of the greatest gifts we received from PNS was the recipe for making our very own playdough at home.  It is surprisingly easy and can save you a lot of money, assuming you have a child who likes playdough!  Added bonus: Playdough is the perfect homemade gift and makes for a useful, functional item for a party goodie bag.  Throw in a few cookie cutters and you're good to go.

Materials: 

1 cup flour

1 cup water

2 tsp. cream of tartar (Note: this is sold in the spice section and can be very expensive. If you have access to a grocery store that sells bulk items, I suggest you buy it from them).

1/2 cup salt

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

liquid water color or food coloring (Note: you can make really amazing, vibrant playdough with liquid water color. The best resource for buying is online at Discount School Supply. I used regular blue food coloring in the sample pictures).

Cooking pot 
Whisk and/or silicone spoon
Cutting board or cool counter surface

Materials for playdough.

Combine your wet and dry ingredients before you place the pot on the stove top.  It will help to keep the color more consistent in your final product and the heat will make the dough clumpy if you don't pre-whisk/stir. I suggest using a whisk but a spoon will work.

Whisking the wet and dry ingredients will keep the color consistent and won't cause the dough to clump.

Place your pot on the stove top on medium heat.  You need to stir constantly so your dough doesn't burn. You will immediately notice that it is thickening.  Stir and blend for 2 minutes until the dough has thickened. Immediately remove the dough from the pot so it stops "cooking".  I suggest plopping it on the counter or a cutting board so it can start to cool.

Dough before it cools.

While the dough is still warm, using your hands, knead it to make sure that there are no lumps and that it is smooth.  Lumps occur when the dough is over cooked or burned.  

This recipe will make approximately the equivalent to two containers of store bought play-doh.

The dough will immediately be ready for play!

If giving play dough as a gift, package in a sealed bag to ensure freshness.  If you are storing at home, make sure that you store the dough in a sealed plastic bag or in a container with a lid.  Enjoy!

Ready for play or gift giving

When Frugality Bites You in the Half and Half

I survived 15 years without drinking a cup of coffee.  This morning there was no half and half left in the refrigerator.  Repeat mantra: I survived 15 years without drinking a cup of coffee.

Non-Dairy Creamer = desperation
Photo by Taylor House

Before I was pregnant with my oldest son I loved coffee.  The smell, taste, caffeine.  I would spend hours in coffee shops communing with my mug while reading a book, working through an article, hanging with friends. Then a (+) appeared on a stick and a sneaky feeling called guilt slapped me hard across the face.  Hard.  I gave up coffee during my first pregnancy and never looked back.  That was, until last spring when I volunteered to make a Starbucks run and didn't come back with tea.  

In December I admitted that my coffee consumption could potentially wreak havoc on my family.  Not emotionally ... financially.  I made the mistake of reading one of those pesky "Forbes" articles that tell you the best places to cut household spending.  What was at the top of the list?  Daily stops at Starbucks and Peet's.  I immediately started doing the math.  Ugh.

Of course the answer to this expense is simple: make coffee at home and only buy coffee when out with friends, treating a teacher, schmoozing colleagues, hosting a meeting, entertaining family ... power walking with neighbors ... when someone is home sick and needs a pick-me-up ... if it's a special occasion ... ?

I am a frugal person. Not cheap, frugal. I hate wasting money with an unnatural intensity, so this cutback warranted a serious second look. I started out fine.  I can do this, I said. I can make my own coffee. I was genuinely excited and half and half even made it to the top of my grocery list.  Then it happened.  Christmas.  Not one, not two, but five Starbucks gift cards.  Slowly my car started veering uncontrollably toward coffee.  I was drunk with my coffee riches.  That is until the last card returned with a balance.  As I paid the difference I felt like I had just discovered Darth Vader was my father.

Fast forward to this glorious morning in late January.  As the smell of coffee permeated the kitchen I opened the refrigerator door and ... discovered an empty container of half and half.  Adding insult to injury, the last of the milk was used for cereal.  As I begrudgingly searched for a trace of non-dairy creamer, it occurred to me that I don't love coffee.  It's an illusion.  It's a caffeine crutch that filled the void when I gave up diet Coke.  An epiphany presented itself: I don't take cream and sugar with my coffee, I take coffee with my cream and sugar.  

This divine revelation can mean only one thing.  I don't really need coffee.  Coffee is just another pricey habit like mani-pedi's and facials and red Cole Haan shoes.  God help me, did I just say that?  Breathe, Taylor, breathe.  When these realizations present themselves, all you can do is go with the flow, put a huge star next to half and half on the grocery list and keep your car on the straight and narrow.  It's a good feeling and I'm going to be okay folks, I'm going to be okay.  Anyone want to grab some coffee?

Making Excuses for the Tooth Fairy

I was in the kitchen this morning hurriedly packing my kindergarteners lunch when my 11-year-old staggered sleepily into the doorway.  I greeted him with a chorus of "good-morning-how-did-you-sleep-do-you-want-cereal-or-a-muffin-for-breakfast?"  He slumped against the counter and dramatically announced, "I'm going to completely grow a new tooth by the time the Tooth Fairy comes to get the old one.  She didn't come last night.  Again."

My response, "Oh <think> nooooooo <think>, bummmmmmer <think>". 

Julian has been losing teeth with such frequency that we've started worrying permanent teeth are coming out with the baby one's.  When he lost this most recent tooth he texted me to say, "I just lost one of my remaining teeth and now I look like a freak".  Thinking back, he lost the tooth Sunday night.  Do the math Taylor, it's Wednesday. Damn Tooth Fairy!  Doesn't she realize we're dealing with a toothless freak here!

Clearly the Tooth Fairy has a serious problem with both her short and long-term memory.  It's the only response I can fathom.  Why else wouldn't she come and take the tooth of a self-conscious 6th grade boy who is starting to look like one of the characters on "Swamp People".  And I guess it makes sense, she is so unbelievably busy after all.   

At this point there is really only one course of action ... make excuses for the Tooth Fairy while she pulls herself together.

Step One: Blame the Victim

"Did you leave the tooth on your loft bed?"  <too hard for her to find>

"Did you put it in a plastic bag?"  <maybe she's confusing it with ... >

"Was it labeled?"  <grasping at straws>

Step Two: Too Many Excuses, Better Than Too Few

"It has been rainy and cold."  <flight and a potential frost risk>

"The LEGO mess in your room could be disorienting."  <revert to step one (blaming younger sibling in shared room), see step three>

"Didn't we just have a federal holiday? Maybe she isn't carrying enough cash". <back to grasping at straws>

Step Three: New Plan of Attack 

"Let's put the tooth in a baggie and write a quick note".  <easier to transport>

"How about you focus on cleaning your room when you get home so the tooth is easy to find." <encompasses all three steps>

"Remember, the best spot for easy access is on top of your dresser, right by the door". <easy access for Tooth Fairy>

Lesson Learned: considering my Blackberry never leaves my side, you'd think I could remember to set the timer and text a reminder to the Tooth Fairy!

4WNWZN7QK4ES

Wanted: Mom Friends Without a Death Wish

I've had a particular group of mom friends for about 10 years.  We have drinks, dinner, watch movies, occasional weekend excursion, you know, girlfriend stuff.  Within the last few years I have noticed that a few of these friends have started presenting new and exciting ways for us to end up in the emergency room.  A leisurely hike became a trip up Half Dome.  A stroll around the track became a 3.5 mile competitive race.  Suddenly sporadic and frankly, bizarre youtube videos started popping into my inbox featuring competitions like "Cheese Rolling" and <shudder> the word "training" has begun to seep into the conversation at an alarming rate.

The newest fascination is with a British Military Special Forces obstacle competition ... Tough Mudder ... touted as "probably the toughest event on the planet".  Huh?  10-12 miles of obstacle courses like: swimming through ice water, climbing through barbed wire and ending with electrocution.  Electrocution.  All in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains.  Oh good, a serene view as you limp, wheeze and bleed across the finish line.

I have come to the conclusion that I need new friends.  Ok, I'm only half-joking.  You see, this group is all on the edge of turning 50.  I'm the exception to the rule.  Am I really that naive?  I didn't realize that women suffered mid-life crisis', but apparently they do.  It's the only rational explanation I can come up with as to why any regular run-of-the-mill YMCA exercising, In & Out burger sneaking, suburban mom would want to attempt this competition.  The kids are getting older (you're not getting any younger) and suddenly you're ready for a good old fashion challenge.  Laugh in the face of death.  HaHaHa!  I on the other hand still look both ways when crossing the street. 


 

The clock is ticking to register for the September Tough Mudder.  These competitions sell out quickly.  Will I really register?  The logical Taylor says "No" (and probably with an expletive included for good measure).  <pause>.  9 months to train?  In the end it will probably be an extremely heavy gulp and a "Yes" when the pesky, curious, hates to miss out on the "fun" Taylor overrules.  If it's a "Yes", buy a new black dress or suit and plan to attend a simple yet classy affair ... and if you're bringing flowers, I like them wild.  What a surprise.

A Rectangular Peek Into Zen

Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park.  San Francisco, California
Photo by Taylor House

How to Can Grapefruit, Yes, You Can!

Approximately 18 pounds of beautiful whole fruit

My friend Adriana in Gridley, California picked these beautiful yellow grapefruits for my family. 

What you need to can fresh grapefruit ...

Fruit: This recipe calls for 18 pounds of whole fruit. Don't be fooled by the weight of a grapefruit, this recipe only yields 3 quarts of canned fruit.

3 Cups of Grapefruit Juice or Water: I caught the juice as I cut the segments of grapefruit. The fruit will be more flavorful with the juice but water works as well.

2 Cups of Sugar 

Tools for Canning: Large Pot for sealing jars, Canning Jars, Tongs

Slice your fruit well, the white membrane will make it difficult to cut whole pieces.

Prepare your canning jars and lids. For this canning session I used two sealing quart canning jars and one flip top jar that went immediately into the refrigerator. Make sure that your jars are sanitized well with a water bath in boiling water.

Wash the grapefruit well so you don't contaminate the juice when you segment the grapefruit.  

Segment your fruit. The most work will be segmenting the fruit from the skin and white membrane cover. Segmenting fruit takes a little practice but it is worth the work. Others have canned citrus without cutting the fruit from the membrane but I personally like the cleaner taste and texture of a cut piece of citrus.

** Quick segmenting tutorial: Slice a little skin off the top and bottom of the grapefruit. Trim the skin removing all of the membrane.  Try not to remove too much of the fruit. Trim any membrane spots (see picture above).  Use a paring knife and slice between the membrane and fruit. Remember to use a bowl beneath to catch the juice.  If your segment doesn't immediately pop out, use a scooping motion to release it from the core.  Continue around the entire fruit.

Segmenting the fruit takes practice. Make sure you use a bowl to catch the juice!

 

 

Fruit is gone and all that is left is the core and membrane.

Well worth the work.

 

Start boiling a large pot of water for sealing the canning jars.  You will need at least 2 inches above the top of the canning jar when you are sealing them. 

Prepare the syrup.  Why cover in syrup?  The syrup is not a preservative, it is a covering for the fruit that will help to retain the flavor of the fruit and shape.  Please note that you must follow sealing guidelines otherwise the fruit will mold fairly quickly. 

Bring 3 cups of juice (or water) and 2 cups of sugar to a boil. Stir well until the sugar has completely dissolved.  While the syrup is boiling, pack your fruit into the canning jars leaving about 1/2 inch from the top.  Do not over stuff them.  It helps to slide a knife along the inner side of the jar to make sure there isn't any trapped air that can create air pockets when sealing.  Pour the hot syrup over the fruit leaving 1/4 inch from the top.  Make sure that you wipe any juice off of the jar before you close with the lid and band. 

Process the canning jars in a sealing water bath.  Using tongs, place your canning jars in your boiling pot of water.  You will need at least 2 inches of water above the lid for a good seal.  Make sure that the water continues to boil for 10 minutes.  Note: this process is for sealing at sea level.  Lift the jars from the water and gently place them on the counter to cool.  Try your best not to move them until they have cooled over night.  Important: if the lid makes a popping sound they are not sealed.  Store for a maximum of 9 months. Enjoy!  

Voila! The final product.

LEGO's for ... "Girls"

Today Evan was invited to his friend Mathilde's 6th birthday party.  I'm not sure if you would call Mathilde "girly" because frankly, with three boys at home, all girls seem girly to me.  I was a little nonplussed as to the perfect gift so I decided to go directly to the source, Mathilde's mom.  I was instructed that she would love "anything with glitter".  So ... girly.

Evan and I headed to our favorite store Adventure Toys in Los Altos.  They have a great selection of gorgeous toys and their greatest selling point: they wrap your gifts.  During the drive I decided to ask Evan what he would like to buy for Mathilde.  His answer: LEGO's.  Big surprise.

LEGO's.  It would be an understatement to say that my children love LEGO's.  They have an obsession.  Star Wars is the most popular theme at our house but you name it, we have 'em.  Before I could respond he said, "Girl LEGO's".  <sigh>.   In case you haven't heard, LEGO has released a new set of toys for girls: "Friends". I have two issues with the "Friends" sets. 

1. While the sets are cute they don't offer room for creativity. When I was a kid we had a box of random LEGO's. Here is a roofless house. Here is a roofless school. Here is a roofless grocery store. (We never seemed to have enough panels to make a roof). These days sets are pre-designed which almost completely defeats the purpose.  But I digress. The "Friends" set is no different.  Not only that, they are really stereotypical. Cafe. Beauty Shop. Veterinarian. <snooze>. Bakery. Rock Star Stage. Lounging in the Pool. <what?>. Lounging in the Pool?  At least sets like Alien Conquest have a little imagination! How are budding engineers and architects supposed to gain inspiration from the "Friends" sets?
2. The Ladyfigs are bigger than Minifigs by 5mm.

If Adventure Toys stocks "Friends" LEGO's I didn't see them. Instead I searched high-and-low for something glittery while Evan perused the robot collection.  Glitter craft set.  Nope.  Nail polish and makeup?  Not from this mom.  Dress up clothes?  Hem haw.  In the end we chose an age-appropriate beaded necklace with a mermaid pennant and matching bracelet set.  Girly.

Lesson Learned: When creativity fails, jewelry wins.  

I'll Have a Turkey Sandwich and a Side of Staph Infection

Recently my children spent the weekend with my mother.  Once home Evan announced that Grandma had packed a present for our family.  My mother is a very generous person who loves to pass on items like: sweaters that don't fit. I'm 8 inches taller than her.  To my surprise he emerged with two Lysol No-Hand Soap Dispenser Kits.  This from the same woman who told me I should eat dirt during pregnancy to build up my children's immunities?

The dispenser's have been sitting by the kitchen sink and in the boys bathroom.  What have I discovered? 

a.) Because of the sensor we waste more soap than use when little hands decide to play how-fast-can-I-go.

b.) An 8.5oz refill cartridge costs more than a 34oz refill pouch from a competing brand.

c.) You can retrofit the original cartridge and refill it with different soap.  This requires a process with a power drill and grommet system.

d.) I hate processes that require a power drill and grommet system.

Lesson learned: Even with a fancy gadget, I still have to remind them to wash their hands.

Training Wheel Crisis on the Lane

As we rolled into the driveway this evening a gaggle of children biked up to see if Evan wanted to play chase.  Bike chase.  Not a training wheel in sight.  <gulp>.  I think it is safe to say that while Evan owns a bicycle, he isn't proficient.  Add that to the bad parent list, we just haven't committed the time to working with him.

Needless to say I was nervous.  We headed to the shed: bicycle, helmet, enthusiasm, confidence, check x 4.  By the time we reached the street confidence gave way to hesitation.  As the children urged him on, Evan's negotiation began.  I'll just watch.  I'll run alongside.  I'll walk my bike.  In the end the kids parked their bikes and chased each other up and down the street until their mom's started to call them in for dinner.  As they raced home Evan slowly and methodically rode the three house lengths home.  While we wheeled into the gate Evan announced, "Tomorrow I'm going to ride".  I'm sure he will.

Lesson learned: As long as you have the want to play, there's a game out there for you.

Leftover Egg Nog. A lot of it.

My son Julian had the great idea of trying eggnog for Christmas.  We each had a small glass, grinned through the thick liquid and quickly placed the container back in the refrigerator.  Fast forward to the first week in January.  I absolutely hate wasting food and the expiration date was looming at an alarming rate.  Alarming that it lasts so long!  After a quick google search I came up with a promising recipe on the blog "At the Baker's Bench".  For me, it encompassed all of the components I look for in a recipe: easy, fast, easy.  

The first batch looked and smelled wonderful and was destined to be the perfect breakfast treat for my kids.  Little did I know, as we slept snug in our beds our dog Rosie ate them.  All 12 of them.  Don't worry, there was enough eggnog for three more batches.

Lesson learned: next time you want to try something new, buy the pint versus half-gallon.

At the Baker's Bench: Eggnog Muffins

Past Our Prime

I had heard that blogs were passe. I hate to think I'm passe. Yet here I am starting one. Let's see where this takes us, shall we?