Weekly Menu Plan: Oct 28, 2012- Nov 3, 2012

Another week, another menu! 

I realize it's too cold by usual standards to have cold noodle salad- but that stuff is so good I'm craving it! I'll be posting the Recipe for it later today!

Also, I'll be creating a category underneath Homemaking for my weekly menus so you can view my older ones easily.

Stay Glamorous!

Home Made Easy: Quick Tip #1

Hello!

To a lot of you- this probably already makes a lot of logical sense. You probably even do this already! However, when I was growing up I know that I wasn't taught this, even if it seems like common sense. 

So here's my first Quick Tip about stacking Cutlery aka Silverware in your Dishwasher!

When organizing your cutlery/silverware- separate out the spoons, forks and knives into separate compartments in your caddy. Then, when your dishes are shiny and clean and ready to put away- you can easily put your spoons/forks/knives back into your cutlery drawer in seconds (without having to rifle through a handful of them and organize them all one by one!).

Trust me, this saves time and energy! As you rinse off each piece of cutlery in your sink- put it in your allocated slot in your caddy to begin with and your life will be made all that much simpler. It will save you a few seconds a day in the long run, and if you're anything like me, those seconds count :) 

Hope that helps!

Stay Glamorous!

Weekly Menu Plan Oct 14, 2012- Oct 20, 2012

Good Morning!

I'm not sure about you, but I know that if I don't stick to a menu plan my grocery budget goes haywire. I should have uploaded this on Sunday, but I just wanted to share with you how I do my weekly menu plans. Here is the one for this week:

To be perfectly honest, I normally don't eat Lunch myself (I know, I know, I should) but I may have some fruit or berries and a cup of Soy Milk. Speaking of which, I'm so glad that Silk 'Nog is out again! I can't wait until Holiday Season each year when Silk 'Nog (Vegan Egg Nog) hits the shelves! So delicious! 

I do however pack lunch for my husband each morning so the lunch category is what he gets. If I'm using a Hoagie or Sub type roll I just give him a single sandwich, or if I'm using regular bread I make a Club Sandwich for him. 

As for breakfast, I'm usually the one eating the oatmeal and Jon is usually the one who opts for cereal, although sometimes he does feel like oatmeal. I just play that by ear. Also, I always give him coffee- I take my pick whether I want tea or coffee. 

Also, most weeks I'll make a sweet such as a fruit Pie of some description or Cake but this week I haven't yet, in spite of good intentions. (That's probably a good thing, I don't need any extra calories!). 

Speaking of calories, I'm honestly not sure how many our meal plan adds up to. I really don't count them. I used to, and I should probably start again since I want to shed some pounds but it's not like I eat unhealthily to begin with. Too many carbs is probably my primary curse! 

Anyway, I think I might start posting my menu plan every week. 

In the meantime, Stay Glamorous!

So Simple Pumpkin Spice Cookies

These are the easiest Pumpkin Spice Cookies you will ever make! When I was a working gal, I loved to bake but oftentimes looked for shortcuts to make my life a tad easier. So whether you've got a hectic work schedule or you just like simple recipes, this should work for you!

Last year, I brought these into work for our Thanksgiving Meeting and they disappeared within minutes! They are perfect for your Fall / Autumn Party!

INGREDIENTS:
1 (18oz) box Spice Cake Mix
1 (15oz) can Solid Pack Pumpkin
1 cup Chopped Walnuts
1 cup Cream Cheese Frosting (for Vegan, see my recipe!)

METHOD:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F
2) Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
3) In bowl, combine Spice Cake Mix and Pumpkin with fork until well mixed
4) Stir in Walnuts
5) Drop by tablespoonfuls onto baking tray, with about 1" between each cookie. Do not press down, but try to be neat (how you drop them is how they'll appear once cooked!)
6) Bake for 12-15 minutes or until tops of cookies feel just set
7) Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks.
8) Allow to cool completely and then drizzle with Cream Cheese Frosting to serve!

Frugal Fridays: Vintage vs Flat pack Furniture

Good Day Glamour Dolls!

It's another installment of Frugal Fridays! Today I am going to be discussing a topic that I am very passionate about and that being Vintage vs Flat pack Furniture. By Flat pack, I mean the cheap plastic / mdf stuff you buy in boxes at Walmart / Target / Ikea and assemble yourself. 

When I first moved to the U.S. my apartment was predominantly flat pack because I honestly didn't know any better. 

Now, my house is filled with Mid Century Modern Amazing that is worth more than flat pack, is better quality than flat pack and I paid less than flat pack.

I'll show a few photos of some of my furniture in my current (tiny) North Carolina house.

I'm sorry for the shabby photo quality- I had taken these on my phone. Obviously my China Cabinet now houses all of my Fiestaware. 

Also, the Dining Room chairs had been reupholstered by the previous owner, and the covering on the table was a fitted table cloth (which also belonged to the previous owner) and is there to protect the beautiful wood underneath.

I also have a bedroom set (Bed, Nightstands, Vanity Table and Dresser) in the same collection which is Drexel Counterpoint by John Van Koert from 1957. The wood is solid mahogany and cherry and photos simply cannot do it justice. I love this stuff. 

It will look SO much better in my new, beautiful house in St. Louis (obviously I'll provide photos once it's in there!) but for now, this shabby little house is what I have to work with! 

So, next question, how much did I pay for all of this? Which includes:

-Sofa

-Armchair

-Side Table

-Coffee Table

-Buffet

-China Cabinet

-Dining Table

-4 Dining Chairs

-Vanity Table

-Double Bed

-Full Dresser

-Mirror

-2 Nightstands

$800. Some of the items I bought from one seller (an elderly lady moving into a home) and other items I picked up by chance at a Brick a Brack / Flea Market type store that astonishingly were from the same collection.

After I started collecting Drexel Counterpoint, I realized how much it was worth (a lot- a bit of googling will tell you that!) but it's value is unimportant to me as I'm never parting with it anyhow! The quality and usability is the important thing!

Now, let's say we were to go to Walmart and buy similar items but in Flat pack (and modern, and not designer, and inferior quality). How much would that cost us?

-Sofa  $996.99

-Armchair $169.00

-Side Table $168.00

-Coffee Table $279.99

-Buffet $583.99

-China Cabinet $612.99

-Dining Table $599.00

-4 Dining Chairs $258.00

-Vanity Table $792.00

-Double Bed $375.00

-Full Dresser $129.00

-Mirror $139.99

-2 Nightstands $519.99

GRAND TOTAL: $5623.94

Which means that my Retro Bargain Hunting potentially saved me over $4800! And I didn't have to assemble any of it!

So how do you find these retro bargains!? Try the following!

Craigslist: If you live in the U.S. this website could be your best friend! There are often multitudes of bargains to be had. Just find your local area and type in 'vintage' or 'retro' or 'mid century' and you'll get a tonne of search results! Obviously not everything on Craigslist is a bargain but there are often a lot of Estate Sales or people who need to get rid of stuff quick and are willing to take bottom dollar. Just make sure that you use discretion when purchasing off Craigslist. If you are going to a seller's house, take your husband / significant other / friend / family member with you. Unfortunately this is 2012 and you don't know who's out there!

Flea Markets: I am a HUGE fan of Flea Markets! It often takes a lot of sifting through junk to get to the quality items but more often than not there are bargains to be had. Not all flea markets are equal though- some are better than others. Just start searching what Flea Markets are happening in your local area and decide which one you like best! 

Antique Malls: Sometimes these places can be outrageously expensive because the dealers know the value of the merchandise. However, that's not to say you can't pick up a bargain from time to time! Also, you can usually haggle the price down (which you can also do at Flea Markets).

Classifieds: Where I live in NC there is a 'yardsales' online classified ad service which also allows listing of various furniture / other items up for sale. In St. Louis, there are free newspapers which have classifieds of everything from cars to furniture to jewelry. As with Craigslist though, use discretion if you're going to anybody's house! 

Charity Shops: Such as Goodwill or Salvation Army- they often have amazing furniture bargains! Some of the stuff is junk, but you just have to educate yourself as to what is quality and what is worth your hard earned cash!

After all is said and done, don't just buy furniture that is 'good enough for now'. If you start buying cheap (under $100) plastic furniture, it's probably going to break or look shabby in a year or two and you'll have to replace it. You're better off buying quality from the beginning- something that you can keep forever! Obviously I learned this the hard way myself! 

Remember, quality doesn't necessarily mean costly! Just check out the places I suggested above and you'll never know what you may find!

Stay Glamorous!

OrganizHer Haul + Mini House Update

Hey There!

Gosh I really don't blog often enough. Things have just been super hectic with the house and trying to get everything straightened out! Today though, I went to Target to buy cat food and a ledger (to track the household expenses) and another file box to keep receipts and ended up coming across these super nifty little organization books called OrganizeHer. I ended up buying four of them and have spent the afternoon getting my receipts, contractors phone numbers and account numbers in order in them! 

The paper trail in owning your own house is ridiculous. At the house my husband and I have been renting we only have four main household bills (Rent, Electric, City Water, Internet). Now at the house we bought we have:

-Electric
-Water/Sewer
-Waste Collection
-Internet
-Gas
-Home Owners Insurance
-Home Warranty Plan
-Security System
-Furnace Service Plan

In addition to the fact that I've had bills for the Furnace Repair, Electrical Upgrade, Plumbing Upgrade, etc etc. 

Obviously, my husband and I do not have a mortgage (thank goodness) but we will have to pay Property Taxes at the end of the year as well. Also, we don't have a TV or any satellite/ cable set up of any kind- and haven't done so in three years. Personal preference. 

Anyway- I organized all of my receipts and paid bills into file boxes (I'll picture those another time) and am hoping that these little organizers will help keep everything else in check:

And now a closer look at each! 

First of all- this one is pretty much your run-of-the-mill daily organizer for the most part. It's divided into months/ days but each section is separated into Mine, Theirs, Meals which is pretty neat! In other words, if I had something going on I'd write it in the Mine section or anything my husband had to do in the Theirs section. 

I really like the fact that there is a section for Meals though. I've been trying to get more organized as far as menu planning goes. I'll be fine for about a month and then I'll go totally off track! Menu planning is so important though when you're trying to stick to a budget! I'm usually pretty good about making grocery lists and sticking to them- but I feel this will help me stick to our planned meals more! 

Next up, is a mini Calorie Tracker. This is so basic but it was cheap and I thought it was cute. I need to start counting my calories again because after losing a tonne of weight a couple of years ago, I've piled a lot of it back on! I want to get healthy again because Jon and I want to start trying for a baby. Yes it's official- we're trying for children! That's why I want to shift some pounds in a healthy way first to ensure I have the best chances possible of getting pregnant! 

Next we have an Expense Tracker. The pen in the side wasn't included- I just shoved one in there after I filled out a few things pertaining to the house repairs and bills! I'll probably try and find a pretty pink or grey pen to match the book eventually. Again, it's very basic but very useful- it reminds me of the little books that used to come when you ordered a cheque book to track your expenses! Very cute! 

And yes- I have spent a LOT of money this month- this is not a normal month by any means! Getting the house taken care of is VERY expensive!

The column on the far left is whether expenses are planned or unplanned- which I think is a neat feature! So far I've only had one unplanned expense this month and that would be the sewer overflow. Our home warranty covered most of it but I still had to pay a deductible out of pocket :(

Last but not least- an address/ contact book! The first section is pretty normal and straight forward- but it also has a section for Services where I've filled out all of our utilities with the contact details and my account number for each (I didn't take a photo of that because you don't need to know my account numbers! Unless you wanted to pay the bills for me!). 

Overall though it's very cute. I hate relying on my smartphone to store all of my relevant billing information. In the last 3 years I've been through 3 phones- they've all either died on me or spazzed out in some way or another. Keeping a paper backup therefore is vital! You never know when your much loved technology will fail!

Overall- these are very, very cute products. They feel decent quality (not superb but not cheap) and I really like the colors/ designs of the front of the books. 

I've made a pledge to myself to keep organized in my new house- these are part of the first baby steps! 

I'm not saying that my old house was disorganized- it was always neat and I always knew where everything was at least but part of the problem was that due to lack of space and lack of storage areas became multi use (for instance, my husband's Marine Corps Documents, College Documents, Health Records and Car Magazines were all in the same section at the bottom of the bookshelf... which made sense to me in my strange mind, but not to him!). Now that we are moving to a house over 3 times bigger- I'm hoping we'll be able to get a lot more organized!

Moving on... next up- I wanted a hammer, a tape measure, some picture hanging stuff and pliers- and instead came across this for $29.99 which had everything I needed and more in it!

I've seen similar before- but for the price I figured I couldn't beat it! And with Pink Tools there is no way they can get mixed up with my husband's stuff. Again, for organization's sake it's important that I have my own in the house. He can keep his in the garage and do as he will with them! I'm pretty sure the quality on this isn't great- but it will be useful nonetheless. After I've used it for a while I'll let you know how it goes!

Finally- I thought I'd give you a quick bathroom update! I finished painting in both of the main floor bathrooms and they look so adorably retro!

First of all- the Master Ensuite in Gentle Dreamland Pink (to match the vintage commode although due to the lighting you can't really tell)

And then the Guest Bathroom in Swimming Sea Turtle Green (although it looks more blue against the green of the tiles!)

Bathrooms aside- I came across a fabulous Danish Modern sectional sofa- it is huge but perfect for my formal living room! I took a photo of it after delivery- but it's not where/ how it's going to be placed and arranged permanently. It's just there for now until the other furniture gets moved in! 

Kitty Von Dee has already given it her seal of approval, too!

That's all I've got for now!

I am LOVING being back in St. Louis though- so much that I don't want to return to North Carolina at all! I know I have to- to pack and get my furniture... but ugh... St. Louis is so much better! 

Until next time, Stay Glamorous!

Mini- Grocery Haul!

Good Afternoon!

Enjoying your lunch? I just got back from Food Lion and decided to share with you the Groceries I bought! Call me a dork but I am always really curious when it comes to what other people load their grocery carts with- so I thought you might be interested in what I bought from the grocery store! Or you'll be totally bored (in which case you can skip this post altogether!). 

As Jon and I will be going to St. Louis in 5 days time, I wanted to minimize the amount of Fresh Produce that I bought because there is no way it will keep fresh while we're in St. Louis for two weeks! Therefore, I upped the quantity of staples, frozen and canned products so that I won't need to do a grocery shop immediately when we get back from our trip- but we'll still have plenty of yummy things to eat between now and then!

First- some photos! (click to view larger)

The List:
Bertolli Marinara Sauce $2.50
Lipton Onion Soup $1.25
KCups Green Mountain Breakfast Blend $7.99
Gensoy BBQ Soy Crisps $2.69
2 Metromint Waters $3.18
Dole Field Greens $2.60
Morningstar Chik'n Nuggets $1.69
Morningstar Chik'n Patties $1.69
Hard n Soft Taco Kit $2.29
Morningstar Meal Starters $1.69
Almonds $4.29
Stir Fry Corn $1.59
Red Beans & Rice $1.19
Minced Garlic $1.79
Sweet Relish $1.79
Gourmet Garden Cilantro $3.97
Gourmet Garden Ginger $3.97
Nasoya Tofu $2.50
Matchstick Carrots $1.55
Bush's Chick Peas $1.19
Smart Balance $3.49
Diced Onion $2.61
Sliced Green Onion $2.69
Steam Fresh Green Beans $2.79
Corn on the Cob $3.19
Chopped Walnuts $1.79
Flaked Coconut $1.59
Green Apples $2.50

Total: $72.87 (inc 2% sales tax)


I didn't need to buy bread or soy milk this trip and Jon picked some up on his way home from work yesterday (otherwise there would be no sandwiches for his lunch today or milk for his cereal!). This was definitely not the most frugal shop- I didn't use any coupons today but I did take advantage of a sale on Morningstar Vegetarian products! 

Also, over the last few months we've been using a water filter as opposed to buying water. Metromint water though is so dreamy I sometimes pick up a couple of bottles as a treat. They're actually zero calories and all natural (the ingredients read purified water, mint and cocoa) but I usually can't justify paying for water. 

Finally- you'll notice that I opted for pre-prepared veggies today as opposed to Fresh. Why? Well, for starters I can't chop onion to save my life. I know that everyone cries when chopping Onions- but with me it's literally painful and more like Niagra Falls. My eyes get so bad I can barely see! Therefore I always opt for the pre-chopped in Onions to avoid my eyes freaking out. As for the Carrots- I've got a super busy week getting ready to go back to St. Louis so I opted for these as a time saver. I really, really don't see anything wrong with going for the pre-chopped vegetables if time isn't on your side. Sure, you'll save money by slicing and chopping your own, but if you know you have a busy week ahead you don't have to.

Plus- Fresh Produce at Food Lion is far from great. Unfortunately my only local grocery options as before mentioned are Food Lion and Walmart (and Piggly Wiggly but I don't shop there) and neither have a wonderful or extensive produce section. 

Believe me- if I had a Whole Foods or something similar near by, my cart would be filled with beautiful fresh produce!

Anyway- until next time, Stay Glamorous!

Festive Fiestaware

One year ago or so, I don't think I even knew what Fiestaware was. It wasn't available to us in Australia, and despite living in the United States for a number of years now, I was yet to 'discover' it. Then, a friend bought me a Sunflower Fiestaware pitcher- and I was hooked! My wonderful inlaws started buying me more Fiestaware for my collection and then I got a motherload of it at Christmas from them and my husband! It definitely makes me easy to buy for. Buy me Fiestaware and I'll be happy! 

Sorry about the glare from the glass on my display cabinet and the low photo quality:

Obviously the black and red bowls down the bottom and the red jug are not Fiestaware- they're just 'filling up space' right now until I obtain more Fiesta to put there. 

The colors I collect are:

Sunflower (yellow)

Tangerine (orange)

Lemongrass (green)

Scarlet (red)

Peacock (blue)

Plum (purple)

I currently have 10 five piece place settings (with teacups)- 1 in each of the colors (and then 4 double ups in Peacock, Tangerine, Scarlet and Sunflower), a 9" x 13" Tangerine Baking Dish, Scarlet Salt & Pepper Shakers, a Lemongrass Condiment / Small Oval Baking Plate, a Peacock Pasta Bowl, 8 Gusto Bowls, Sunflower Oval Serving Platter, and the Sunflower Pitcher that started it all!

If you don't use Fiestaware already- I highly recommend it for the following reasons:

1) It's super pretty. The color brings a brightness and 'festive' quality to your table.

2) It's retro! Fiestaware started in 1936 and spiked in popularity in the 1950s.

3) It's Made in the U.S.A! Show some patriotism!

4) It's amazing quality! It's Microwave Safe, Oven Safe and Dishwasher Safe. Can't beat that! 

5) Almost every serving dish or baking dish you could ever want, is available in Fiestaware!

On the flip side, Fiestaware is expensive- but you have to pay for quality! Oftentimes however, Macys or Amazon will have extraordinary sales on Fiestaware with as much as 50% off- otherwise a place setting will run you about $50 a piece. 

Serving food on Fiestaware and eating off Fiestaware makes me super happy. I can't wait until Christmas, because I'm certain to get more :) 

So, ditch your cheap plastic plates and add some Festive Fiestaware to your wishlist today! 

Stay Glamorous!

4th of July Creations!

Just quickly, I wanted to share a couple of the dishes I made to bring to the 4th of July party a couple of weeks back! Needless to say, they disappeared VERY quickly! I'll post the recipes at a later date!

Veg*n 7 Layer Fiesta Dip:

Patriotic Flag Cake:

I also made a Patriotic Red, White & Blue 'Jello Shot' Layer Cake using Jeannie Vegan Jello Substitute but unfortunately didn't get any decent photos of it! I realize that my flag cake isn't the 'prettiest' (I'm impatient when it comes to decorating!) but it was still delicious!

Stay Glamorous!