Saturday : Five Favorite Finds Online

Thought I'd try this summary idea on the weekends when I normally don't have time to post anything... Here are some favorites that I discovered online this week.  Some from Pinterest, some from just searching around the web here, there and everywhere...

1.   Pros and Cons of Homeschooling  or Why be crazy enough to homeschool?

pursuitoftitus2.com

2.   A pretty Easter dessert and healthy, too:  Fruit Pizza

3.  Easter Craft: Calvary's Hill or Easter Empty Tomb Garden

4.  How to Clean Windows with Vinegar, liquid dish soap and water

I  started spring cleaning this week and cleaned my windows as she recommends.  They look GREAT now.  :)

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-clean-with-vinegar.html

5.  Personalization Mall -- an online site to personalize all kinds of gift items.  I went to a graduation party last spring where everything had the graduate's name on it. VERY cute ideas.

Check back next Saturday for more of my online finds!  Leave a comment with one or more of your favorite sites as well!  :)

Project 52 / Week 13 Details

Our theme for  Week 13 in  Project 52 is Details.  [I am # 61.]  Nothing like last-minute photos but it's been a busy week.  I walked through our living room early this morning and thought of this one.  Look at the details in the stained glass hanging in the center of our windows as the photos get closer.

The closer you get, the more details you can see in this beautiful glass, 

an anniversary gift from my husband a few years ago.  :)

Click HERE to see my other photos in this weekly photo project.

Orlando Grocery Savings Nation Workshop Schedule 2012

This is a workshop that I'll be attending on  April 12, 2012.  Great tips for saving $$.    You won't want to miss this one.

Orlando Grocery Savings Nation Workshop Schedule

• DealPro Expert: Toni Anderson, www.TheHappyHousewife.com
• Date: April 12, 2012 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Location:   Eastmonte Park,  830 Magnolia Drive, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701

If you don't live in Orlando, that's OK because there are workshops coming to Texas (tomorrow night, March 30), Cincinnati and Los Angeles.




Click HERE to register.  Use the promo code SAVINGS for 50% off your $10 ticket price at any of the workshops mentioned above.

Aldi Product Review: Brown & Serve Rolls

Just a quick post... These are on sale for 4 /$1.00 right now. The cheapest I usually see these is 99 cents each and that is during a holiday season. They store great in the freezer until you need them.

Hurry, while supplies last!

Make Someone Feel Special / Use Your Good China and Crystal

What are you saving your good china and crystal for? (I know, the preposition should not be at the end of the sentence.)    Make someone you care about feel loved and special, ESPECIALLY your own family and friends.

I often use our dining room table as a place where I do paperwork, write letters and other projects.  I cleared it off and invited a friend over for lunch.     This table set for two was for a birthday lunch for a friend who works nearby.  She only had an hour to eat so rather than go out to a restaurant, we "ate in".   Even turkey sandwiches, chips, green peppers and fruit taste better on pretty dishes.  For dessert... a small plate of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies.  :)    Good friends and conversation with special little touches made for a very pleasant meal AND good digestion!

So,  please stop saving your "good" dishes for something in the future and use them... THIS week.  :)

NOTE:  Those are our homemade Resurrection eggs as the centerpiece.

Piano Lessons in My Home / Maitland Area

Just a plug for my piano lesson home business.  This will be in our neighborhood newsletter next month for a few months.   Please pass on to parents of students who may be interested in piano lessons for their children.  I also teach adults as well.  It's great to start students over the summer during their break and often have lots of extra time on their hands.  If they are doing well, they can continue into the school year with a "head start".

Reviews can be read HERE.

Ad Designed by my son
http://www.behance.net/evantravelstead

Aldi Product Review : Fresh Navel Oranges

These navel oranges from Aldi are delicious!  My rotation shopping between Sam's Club and Aldi for this product continues and Aldi wins out on this one.  These oranges (10 in the bag) were $1.99.

They are about the size of a tennis ball but compared to the ones I bought at Sam's for $7.98 which were larger but with THICK rinds, these were a better bargain.  

They are juicier, easy to peel and just the right size for a snack or to add as an edible garnish or additional to a fruit side  for your meal.  Enjoy!

Changing Your Air Conditioning Filter / Where To Buy A/C Filters

I used to buy A/C filters at Home Depot or Lowe's until we moved into our home.  The ones they sell did not fit so I had to hunt for a place that sold filters that did.  Our air conditioning maintenance man used to get them for us each year at about $90 for a box of four.  These were the special MERV 7 filters that you replace every three months.   I started picking them up myself but the store is about a half hour away or longer.  With my limited use of a car during the day, I really wanted them delivered WITHOUT charge.

I looked online this year to find a place where I could buy them less expensively and have them delivered as well.   Voila!   I discovered Discount Filters.    These are guaranteed to fit (which they did) AND were cheaper AND were a higher MERV 11 rating AND were delivered to our door within 3 days with FREE shipping.   $51.95, a savings of about $38.00.  Check out this site if you need A/C filters OR if, like me, you share a car with a teen who drives it more than you do!  :)

RECIPE: Salmon Salad

Just a quick photo of the Salmon Salad I mentioned in my previous post.

Just use leftover fresh broiled salmon  [you could substitute canned salmon or  tuna, chicken or beef as well] and add your favorite salad mixings.  This one has:

• Romaine lettuce
• Purple lettuce
• Spinach
• Grape tomatoes
• Fresh pineapple
• Feta cheese
• Green peppers

Served with Aldi  imitation "Triscuit" crackers and wine.  It's a very filling salad and good for you, too!  :)

Recipe : Fresh Summer Squash with Onions

I love fresh summer squash.  I purchased a package of squash and a bag of onions at Aldi last week so I could make it for dinner.  This is one of my mother's recipes and I think it's delicious.  Very light and easy to prepare, only using four ingredients plus seasonings--4-5 yellow squash, one large onion, one egg, butter.

Slice the onion and squash.  Boil for 45 minutes, then drain.

Add one egg, the butter and the salt and pepper.

 Stir well. The stirring "cooks" the egg, so don't worry about eating a raw egg.

This makes a great side dish or just eat it by itself for a light lunch  (which I like to do).    Here's how I served it most recently at home.     Menu:  fresh broiled salmon, rice pilaf, fresh green beans, fresh fruit salad and wine.

Sam's Club : Fresh Broiled Salmon

I shop at Sam's Club once a week.  As you may know, Sam's and Aldi's are my main grocery stores these days and thankfully, both are very convenient to our home and only two minutes from each other.

This week fresh salmon was finally a reasonable price. I've been craving it but refuse to ruin our food budget for it.  This large piece of salmon was about $14.00. At a restaurant, that would be less than one meal!

This is my husband's recipe and is the easiest and tastiest way to prepare salmon for baking or grilling.  We took a family trip to Washington State and Canada several years ago and my husband was "on the hunt" for the best tasting salmon there.  Honestly, this was better than any we had out west.

You only need three ingredients:  cinnamon, olive oil and honey.  Sprinkle / pour these on BOTH sides of the salmon.  

Rub it in with your hands really well.  

Let it sit for an hour or so.  BROIL one side on the low setting (this may vary depending on your oven)  for 7 minutes, then broil on the other side for 10 minutes.

Cut it in good size sections to serve.  You will LOVE this.    I served it with summer squash, rice pilaf, green beans,  fresh fruit salad and wine. [Everything on our plates and glasses came from either Aldi or Sam's Club.]

This one fish made enough for three meals and I made salmon salad from the two leftover pieces the next day.  Recipe forthcoming.

True Life Choice / Walk for Life 2012

This morning my husband and I and several hundred others walked around Lake Eola to show support and raise $$ for True Life Choice, a crisis pregnancy center here in Orlando.    If you would like to support this worthy cause in protecting the unborn and assisting young mothers, click HERE.

The Walk for Life provides funds for True Life Choice to continue offering FREE life-affirming services to over 1200 women, men and children in the Orlando community each year.These FREE services include:

• Pregnancy tests

• Pregnancy options counseling

• Ultrasounds

• Baby clothing and furnishings

• Parenting education

• Maternity clothing

• Post-abortion recovery groups

• Men’s ministry

A few photos from our walk this morning...

Project 52 / Week 12 Hunger

This week's Project 52 theme is Hunger. [I am # 32.]    I assume that was selected this week due to the blockbuster movie that opened last night at midnight titled The Hunger Games. Haven't read the books but the reviews have been very good for this trilogy (yes, another one) that has captured the attention of teens and adults.

I have visited South America and seen extreme hunger but those photos are so old, they don't meet the guidelines for this week.  I am enjoying the recent ones at the P52 site that are more current of the increasing need for food in so many parts of our world.  May God have mercy and provide.

Other than those, all  I could think of for this week's theme was a good photo shot of a nice meal which I prepared last night.   Salmon was a reasonable price at Sam's Club yesterday (and I've been craving it), so I bought some since I knew we'd all be home for dinner at the same time.   With a teen working a part-time job, there are very few evenings during the week that we all have dinner together; even fewer when my older son is home as well.  :(  

RECIPES:  fresh salmon and  Southern  summer squash.  [Please excuse the tip of my camera case in the photo-- my family was in a hurry to start dinner when I took this!]

To see my other photos in this project, click HERE.

FlyLady : Helping You Keep Your Home Clean and Organized One Baby Step at a Time

FlyLady..

A bit strange for a logo, for sure...

http://flylady.net/

 ...but this pleasant  little lady is a huge help in keeping your home clean and organized.

Marla Cilley, the REAL FlyLady

FLYing means Finally Loving Yourself.  Peace of Mind, Pride in my home and a Passion for Living.

I stumbled across FlyLady at the library last year and checked out one of  her books.  If you're not online much, a book might be more helpful.   Of course, if you're reading this, you're online, but you may know someone who is not  and who prefers a book to a site or an app.  I don't use her site all the time but when I'm starting my thorough spring cleaning (March is the month for it), I love it to help me stay on track and yet, not get overwhelmed by how much there is to do.  I tend to follow her guidelines again starting again in September.  I have regular weekly  routines myself as to when I vacuum, clean and dust but some areas do tend to get overlooked.  They don't however, using her weekly calendars.

Your home is broken down into zones focusing on one each week.  Of course, you have to wipe the bathrooms and clean your kitchen each day, but for thorough cleaning and organizing, this SITE [click on TODAY]  or APP helps a great deal.  This week's zone is the Master Bedroom and I've already gotten a LOT done in there.   For me, it's a "starting point" and I usually do more than she recommends, but I'm a Type A and tend to be that way.  Do whatever works for you.  If you have young children at home, or have a full-time job outside the home, just do the "baby steps" as she says to get you started.   You can do anything in 15 minutes is one of her favorite mottos and it's true, so get your timer ready and begin today.

Click HERE for answers to FAQ.

1/2 Price Tuition Private Christian Schools in Orlando Area March 12-31, 2012

I listen to WTLN regularly each morning until about noon while I'm going about my day [that's how I won the tickets to the Michael Card concert last weekend].   I heard this incredible offer yesterday on the station-- 1/2 Price Tuition at several private schools for one year for new students. This offer is valid March 12-31, 2012. Private schools in our area are VERY expensive, even for the younger grades, so  if you are considering sending a student to private Christian school, be sure to take check out this amazing offer. 

Schools participating:

• Markham Woods Christian Academy
• Cornerstone Theological Seminary
• Reformation Bible College
• The Geneva School (our older son attended here for 5 years)

And others...

You must be a new student and pass all the required applicable admission requirements for the schools.  

*Application, registration and other fees (housing, books and other materials) not included.

Go to THIS LINK for more information. There are a LIMITED number of 1/2 Price Tuition deals available.

Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival 2012

We had such a busy four days but everything we did we so enjoyable... One of those was the 2012 Winter Park  Sidewalk Art Festival.  Here are just a few photos.  The remainder can be seen at THIS LINK.    Some years it's just OK, others it is fantastic.  This year had displays of some very creative, original and beautiful artwork.  On top of that it didn't rain (it has in years past) and was a gorgeous Florida weekend.

Sweet Shot Tuesday 3.27.12 Photo.  

Silken threads in the process of being woven into artwork.  Beautiful!