DIY Glass Jar Halloween Luminaries

 

 

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a kitchen full of various sized glass jars that never get any use. Then the idea came to me: “Why not paint and decorate them for Halloween?”

Whether you use paint or decoupage, there are several ways to create unique Halloween glass jar lights. You can apply acrylic paint with a sea sponge, wait for your base coat to dry, and then either use paint, Sharpies, or paper to add your embellishments.

For instance, you can paint your jar orange and then add your jack-o-lantern face later. You can also use decoupage (equal parts of white glue and water) and tissue paper to cover your jars.

For a mummy luminary, cut out your eyes, nose, and mouth using black construction paper and tape it to your jar, then simply cover the jar in masking tape!

 

The jars shown above were made with:

• large glass jars
• party streamer paper from the $1 Store
• black construction paper
• Elmer’s Glue.

We covered the whole jar with glue, then placed strips of streamer paper in appropriate colors over the wet glue (overlapping the strips makes cool looking lines on the pumpkin)  Then we put glue in the area for the eyes, nose & mouths and stuck the construction paper pieces on.  Once it was all dry, we covered it with another coat of glue, added some colored string lights and had a really cool decoration for our front porch!!!

Get a FREE Personalized Halloween Tote & 60 4×6 prints (S&H as low as $3.99)

Right now, over at York Photo, you can get a FREE personalized Halloween tote, just pay shipping (as low as $3.99)

Plus, when you sign up you’ll get 60 FREE 4×6 prints!! What a great deal!!!

Use Code: TRICKTREAT Expires October 31st New Customers Only

It’s a great way to treasure and share your best memories and not spend a whole lot to do it!!

York makes it easy to upload your digital photos and turn them into cool mugs, cards, and calendars!

I love York and so will you!!!

CVS ~ Best Deals for the week of 9/22

 

Here are the Best Deals at CVS this week:

Week of 9/22-9/28

Full deals & match ups : HERE

FREE

~ Get $3 ECB wyb (2) Revlon Luxurious ColorSilk buttercream hair color 2/$9 Limit 1
$3/1 Revlon Luxurious ColorSilk Buttercream (SS 09/08/13) *exp. 9/22
Scenario:
Buy (2) x Revlon Buttercream = $9
Use (2) x $3/1 insert coupons, Pay $3, Get $3 ECB
2 x Free after coupons/ECB *counts toward beauty club

~ Get $4 ECB wys $10 on CVS Disposable Razors (excludes System), Edge, Skintimate or Schick shave gel 7-10 oz (excludes trial/travel sizes) Limit 1
BOGO Edge Shave Gel IP up to $3.50 (excludes 2.75 oz) : HERE
$1/1 Edge Shave Gel or Shave Cream, 5.1oz+ (SS 08/18/13)
Edge Shaving Gel psa. $2.99
Scenario:
Buy (4) x Edge Shaving Gel @ $2.99 = $11.96
Use (2) x BOGO IP’s (auto’s for $3.50, YMMV) and (2) x $1/1 insert coupons, Pay $2.96, Get $4 ECB
Free + $1.04 MM after coupons/ecb
*if you have a 25% off, Pay nothing, get $4 ECB = $4 MM after coupons/ecb

~ Get $2 ECB wyb Colgate 360 or Optic White manual toothbrush $2.99 Limit 2
$1/1 Colgate 360 Manual Toothbrush, Excludes Colgate Plus, Colgate Triple Action, Colgate Extra Clean, and Colgate Classic (SS 09/08/13 #2)
$1/1 Colgate Optic White Mouthwash, Toothpast or Toothbrush, 4oz, 5.5oz, 4oz twinpack toothpast and 1ct and twin pack toothbrush, ets IP : HERE (THIS IS A MFR COUPON)
Free after coupon/ecb

CHEAP

~ Get $5 ECB wys $10 on Colgate Total 4-7.8 oz or Total rinse 250-500 ml Limit 2
$2/1 Colgate Mouthwash, 8oz+(SS 09/08/13 #2)
Scenario:
Buy (2) x Colgate Total 250ml @ $4.29 each & (2) x Colgate Total 500 ml @ $5.79 = $20.36
Use (4) x $2/1 insert coupons, Pay $12.36, Get $10 ECB
4/$2.36 or $0.59 each after coupons/ecb
*if you have a 25 % off, Pay $7.27, Get $10 ECB = $2.73 MM after coupons/ecb

~ Get $3 ECB wyb (3) OR Get $6 ECB wyb (5) of these items : Limit $6
Speed Stick or Lady Speed Stick (excludes Twin pk.) 2/$3.98
$0.75/1 Speed Stick IP *NLA
$0.50/1 Speed Stick regular antiperspirant/deodorant or lady antiperspirant/deodorant 2.3oz+ (SS 9/22)
Scenario:
Buy (5) Speed Stick = $9.95
Use (2) x $0.75/1 IP’s & (3) x $0.50/1 insert coupons (-$3), Pay $6.95, Get $6 ECB
5/$0.95 or $0.19 each after coupons/ecb

~ Renuzit Adjustables 7.5 oz 3/$3
$1.50/3 coupon printing at the scanner 9/22
B3G3 Renuzit Adjustables Air Fresheners (RP 09/08/13) *exp. 9/22
B3G1 Renuzit Adjustables Air Fresheners (RP 09/08/13) *exp. 9/22
Save $5.00 when you spend $20.00 on any Henkel® personal care & household products including Combat®, Dial®, Dry Idea®, Got2B®, Purex®, Purex Crystals®, Renuzit®, Right Guard®, Soft Scrub®, Tone® and Zout® (SavingStar)
6/$1.50 with scanner/B3G3 OR 4/$1.50 after scanner/B3G1 coupons *counts toward SavingStar

~ Palmolive 10 oz or Just The Basics dish liquid 20 oz $0.88
$0.50/1 Palmolive dish soap (SS 9/22) *limit 4 ?
$0.38 after coupon

~ Xtra liquid laundry detergent 30 loads $1.49

~ Triaminic Night Time or Day Time liquid 4 oz $4.99
$7/2 Triaminic Product IP : HERE *NLA
$3/1 Triaminic product (SS 9/22)
2/$2.98 or $1.49 each after coupon

~ Get $1 ECB wyb Maxwell House coffee 10.5-11.5 oz (excludes Decaf), Post Honey Bunches of Oats, grape-nuts Fit, Cocoa or Fruity Pebbles 11-19.2 oz $2.99 Limit 1
$1/1 Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal, (SS 08/18/13)
$0.99 after coupon/ecb

~ Progresso soup 18-19 oz 2/$3
$0.50/2 Progresso Soup, exp. 11/2/13 (SS 09/08/13 #2)
$0.25/1 Progresso Light Soup, exp. 11/2/13 (SS 09/08/13 #2)
Save $1.00 when you buy FOUR (4) CANS or PACKAGES any flavor Progresso™ Soup (SavingStar)
4/$4 or $1 each after coupons/SavingStar

~ South Beach diet Good to Go bars 5 ct., Quaker Chewy or Dipps granola bars 6-8 ct. BOGO
South Beach Good to Go bars psa. $3.99
$1/1 or $1/2 South Beach Diet Good To Go Bars, (SS 08/25/13)
As low as 2/$1.99 or $0.99 each after coupons

~ ALL Gold Emblem Spices $0.99

~ Get $7 ECB wys $15 on Revlon Cosmetics (excludes clearance items) Limit 6
$4/1 Revlon ColorStay face product (SS 9/8/13) *exp. 9/22
Scenario
Buy (3) Revlon ColorStay Concealer or ColorStay Pressed Powder $9.99 = $29.97
Use: (3) $4/1 insert coupon, Pay $17.97, Get $14 ECB
3/$3.97 or $1.32 each after coupons/ecb *counts toward beauty club
*if you have a 25% off, Pay $10.47, Get $14 ECB = $3.53 MM after coupons/ecb

GDA

~ Get $5 ECB wys $15 on Fantastik 26-32 oz, Pledge 9.7 oz, Windex 10-26 oz, Scrubbing Bubbles 16-20 oz, gel discs 6 ct. or ANY Glade items (excludes clearance items) Limit 1
$1.50/1 Windex Touch-Up Cleaner, (SS 08/25/13)
Save $5.00 when you spend $20.00 on any SC Johnson Home Cleaning Products including Drano®, fantastik®, Pledge®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Shout® and Windex® products (SavingStar) 
Scenario:
Buy (3) x Windex Touch-Ups @ $4.99 = $14.97
Use (3) x $1.50/1 insert coupons, Pay $10.47, Get $5 ECB
3/$5.47 or $1.82 each after coupons/ecb *counts toward SavingStar
*if you have a 25% off, Pay $6.73, Get $5 ECB = 3/$1.73 after coupons/ecb

~ Get $5 ECB wys $20 OR Get $10 wys $30 on the items listed: Limit $10 *98% rule does not apply
Huggies diapers, Pull-Ups or GoodNites Jumbo Pk. $9.49
Johnson’s baby 13-15 oz, oil gel 6.5 oz or Desitin 2 oz $2.99
$2/1 Huggies little movers, little snugglers or overnites diapers (SS 9/22)
$2.50/1 Huggies Diapers IP : HERE *share
$2.50/1 Huggies Little Movers or Little Snugglers IP : HERE *share
$3/1 Huggies Little Movers Slip on Diapers IP : HERE *one per customer (ie. transaction) *NLA
$1/1 Johnson’s Baby Oil product, excludes 1-4 oz IP : HERE
$1/1 Johnson’s Baby Powder IP : HERE
$1/1 Johnson’s Baby Shampoo or Johnson’s Baby No More Tangles Product IP : HERE
$1/1 Johnson’s Baby Washcloths Product IP : HERE
$1/1 Johnson’s Baby Head-To-Toe Product IP : HERE

Scenario done in 3 transactions (only one CVS coupon can be used per transaction)

Transactions #1 & #2
Huggies Slip-On Diapers $9.49
Use $3/1 CVS IP & $2.50/1 IP, Pay $3.99

Transaction #3
Huggies Slip-On Diapers $9.49 & J&J Baby product $2.99 = $12.48
Use $3/1 CVS IP, $2.50/1 IP & $1/1 J&J IP, Pay $5.98, Get $10 ECB
(3) x Diapers & (1) J&J product for $3.96 after coupons/ecb

~ Get $4 ECB wyb Schick Hydro 3, Hydro 5 or Hydro Silk razor 1ct. $9.99 Limit 1
$4/1 Schick® Women’s Razor or Refill IP : HERE
$1.99 after coupon/ecb

THE TASTE KIDS WANT, WITH A LOOK GHOULS LOVE

A few weeks ago, I was accepted into the TruMoo^® campaign being offered from BzzAgent.  My family was so excited!!

For this campaign, we will be receiving a BzzKit that contains:

• A FREE coupon for a half gallon or larger of Halloween TruMoo^® in special edition Vanilla or Chocolate
• Pass-along coupons for $.75 off Halloween TruMoo^® to share with other parents (can’t wait to give those out!!)
• and Two TruMoo^® inspired recipes for enjoying and sharing

My daughter could not wait for our BzzKit to arrive and insisted that we go to the store to get the NEW Vanilla colored in Halloween Orange.  I have to admit, I was a little skeptical of drinking orange milk (I really don’t like orange flavored things) but Vanilla TruMoo^® is my favorite, so I gave it a shot and let me tell you, it’s REALLY good!!  It’s the true Vanilla flavor that I love, with the spooky orange color, perfect for the Fall & Halloween seasons!! 

I love the fact that its made with pure, fresh milk from our trusted dairy, with no artificial growth hormones and no high fructose corn syrup!!  TruMoo^® has the delicious taste kids go crazy for, now with 35% less sugar* than a leading chocolate milk brand.

To kids, TruMoo^® must feel like a trick — Mom’s letting us drink flavored milk again!? — but it’s really just a nutritious treat children and parents can’t help but agree on.

From now through October 31, any time you purchase a half gallon or larger of specially marked Halloween Edition TruMoo^®, you’ll find a code on your cap sticker — enter it over on the TruMoo^® TruMoo^® Facebook page or TruMoo.com for a chance to win a FREE Goosebumps Haunted Hollywood Vacation!!  

(You can enter as many codes as you want, and when you do, you’ll automatically receive a printable coupon for $2 off any Goosebumps DVD of your choice.)

Spaghetti Squash Italian Bake

It’s really cold here in North East Pennsylvania today, and I am in desperate need of going to the grocery store.  But the cold weather won and I’ve decided to stay inside.

I wanted something warm & yummy for lunch today, so I went looking in my fridge to see what I could throw together.  That’s how I came up with the Spaghetti Squash Italian Bake I’m posting today.  I hope you enjoy it.

**Please keep in mind, I threw this together from what I had in the fridge, so measurements are made at a guesstimate, you can adjust the recipe as needed, for your own taste.**

Spaghetti Squash Italian Bake

Ingredients:

• ½ of a prepared Spaghetti Squash (mine was already baked from a previous nights’ dinner)
• ½ cup of browned hamburger
• ½ cup of Bell Pepper (I had a red one in the fridge, but you could use whatever you have on hand)
• ¼ cup of chopped Scallions
• ½ cup of Spaghetti sauce (of your choice, I had some left over in the fridge)
• ½ cup to 1 cup of shredded cheese (I used a white cheddar, but this would be good with whatever you have on hand)
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder (to taste)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 & butter the inside of a baking dish

Mix together squash, hamburger, bell pepper, scallions, salt, pepper, garlic powder and spread out into the baking dish.

Sprinkle ½ of the shredded cheese over the squash mixture, then pour spaghetti sauce over the cheese/squash mixture and top it off with the remaining cheese. (I really like cheese, so I was very liberal in this last step)

Bake at 350 for approx 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted & bubbly

Serves 1-2 people, and you could always double to serve more.

Enjoy!!

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

In my search for low-carb side dishes, I came across this awesome recipe for these Baked Parmesan Tomatoes.  They are great to pair with a delicious steak or chicken meal.  I’ve even made them for lunch as the main dish.  They are quick to make and have a ton of flavor.

Our local farmer’s market has some really good tomato choices, I often get a few large beef steak tomato when I’m going to use them as a main dish, or if I’m using them as a side, I will use tomatoes on the vine. The fresher the tomato, the more delicious these will be.

I hope you make them tonight and get to enjoy them as much as we do!!

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

Makes: 4 servings

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tomatoes, halved horizontally
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Top with Parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and bake until the tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 91 calories; 6 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 4 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 2 gfiber; 375 mg sodium; 363 mg potassium.

Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 fat

Nutrition Note: What you get: Vitamins A & C, potassium, calcium.

Baked Cheddar-Broccoli Cauliflower Cups

Over the past few months, I have been trying to follow a low-carb diet.  I love all sorts of vegetables, so I’ve been trying to switch out my family’s carbo loaded side dishes like noodles, potatoes & rice with healthier options like spaghetti squash, broccoli & cauliflower. (Having some members of the family that really don’t like vegetables makes this sometimes VERY hard to do lol) It’s been a learning process and so far, we’ve had some great food adventures together.

In doing so, we’ve found so many great recipes that have quickly become family favorites. Like these Baked Broccoli & Cauliflower Cheddar Cheese Cups.  We have these at least once a week.  Its great hearing my daughter actually request that we have these, especially when we are having Parmesan Crusted Chicken!!

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!!

Baked Broccoli & Cauliflower Cheddar Cheese Cups 

Ingredients:
1 10 – ounce thawed broccoli
1 cup chicken/vegetable stock
1 cup riced cauliflower
1/4 cup Ranch Dressing
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup grated cheese (any of your favorite kind, we’ve  used a mix of Cheddar, Parmesan and Colby Jack)
1/2 tsp salt, pepper, garlic – to taste

Directions:
Prepare “riced” cauliflower (see below for instructions)

Let it cool for a few minutes

Throw in all the ingredients, but only use 1/2 of the cheese.

Grease a 8 cup muffin tray and make balls accordingly, thereafter sprinkling the rest of cheese on top.

Put in the oven for 25 minutes and bake at 350 degrees – until golden and crisp.

How to “Rice” cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 1 Head of cauliflower
• Seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic) to taste
• 1 Tablespoon of water
• Butter (optional)

Directions:
Cut the Cauliflower flowerettes off the large stem

Grate over a large whole cheese grater (you could also put in a food processor or cut by hand) into a microwaveable bowl

Add 1 Tablespoon of water and seasonings to taste

Microwave for 6 min

Stir in butter

Camelbeach Free for Rest of Season

More Perks = More Fun

There are a few more weeks of Summer left and with the 2014 Season Pass, you can come for the rest of the 2013 season and all of next year for only $89 (when purchased in groups of 4 or more)! Plus, the best perks are available now–including a FREE ticket to the full treetop adventure course at CBK Mountain Adventures, free snowtubing, free mountain coaster, 2 free Camelbeach tickets for your friends or family and parking in preferred parking!!!

My journey to eating healthy…….

For the past few weeks, I have been trying to follow the Somersize eating plan, where you eat certain combinations of food:

• Fruit should be eaten alone on an empty stomach
• carbs can be combined with vegetables (but never with fats/protein)
• fats/protein can be combined with vegetables (but never with carbs)

I’m loving all of the great recipes that I’ve been trying, I never thought “dieting” would taste THIS good!!!

Here is what I’m hoping to make for dinner this Thursday night:

 

Crab Stuffed Chicken Breasts

4 chicken breast halves
8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package Lipton Recipe Secrets savory herb with garlic soup mix
8 ounces imitation crabmeat
2 eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 Chop up Crab meat.
3 Combine crab meat, cream cheese and soup mix together with a hand mixer.
4 Set aside.
5 Make a pocket in each chicken breast.
6 This is done by slicing horizontally, but do not cut all the way through.
7 Stuff each breast with the crab mixture.
8 Coat each breast in egg, then in Parmesan cheese
9 In a nonstick frying pan, heat up the olive oil and fry breast until golden brown.
10 Place breasts in an oven safe dish and bake for 30 minutes.
11 Allow to rest for 5 minutes and DIG IN!