As if I haven’t taken enough of a break already!

Hey, Everyone! My youngest is sick, and I will not be blogging again for most of this week! I hope you all have a great week.  Thanks for continuing to read! Blessings!

Starting a Small Garden

When I met several of you at the Coupon Fair, many of you mentioned you wanted to begin your own garden, but did not know where to start or did not have enough room! I hope this post will encourage you to begin growing your own food!

• Start Small!

The first thing to do is to start small! It is so very easy to become discouraged when you are planning big and do not have any success.

Decide how large you want the garden to be. Then, choose a location. Remember you want a sunny area preferably going from North to South so that it will get the most amount of sun.

• Amend the Soil

You can get a soil test from your local extension office and check the soil to see what you need. You want a nice loamy soil which is rich in organic matter. You can order mushroom compost and till it into your soil. However, remember there is a lot of nitrogen in the mushroom mix and peppers and other plants do not do as well in a lot of nitrogen!

• Prepare the Beds

One of the best ways to prepare the beds for a small garden is to put down cardboard as a weed barrier. Then, you can add your compost or other soil on top of the cardboard. Plant directly into the cardboard which is easier to do if you water it in first!

• Begin Planting

Some seeds can be planted directly into the soil while others need to be started indoors from seeds and transplanted later. You can get an update each month on which plants to directly seed and which ones to start in doors from my Monthly List of Garden Chores Post.

• Remove Weeds Early

By removing weeds early, you will prevent having monstrous weeds and not being able to tell where all your crops are! You can use a hoe or your hands or even a tiller. We have a manpowered cultivator our children LOVE to run through the rows as the little weeds start sprouting!

Freebie Friday- Via The Freebie Blogger!

I am so thankful for my friend, Wendi, at The Freebie Blogger! She has an awesome site of freebies and has offered to begin a short Freebie Friday Post for me each week! What a blessing! There are lots of freebies out there to be found, and I certainly cannot keep up with all of them! For more freebies, please go to The Freebie Blogger! Thanks again, Wendi!

• This summer, children can bowl 2 free games each day at select bowling centers. Click here for more information.
• Sign up to receive a free Special K Meal Bar and 2-$1 off coupons.
• Eagle One is offering a Try Me Free Rebate (up to $10) on their Gel Wax product. Offer ends 5/1/10.
• Sign up for the Quiznos eClub and receive a coupon for a free sammie as well as a coupon for a free cookie on your birthday.
• Nutra Salt is offering a free sea salt sample through 4/1/10.
• Need a grocery list? Then visit FreePrintableGroceryList.com for blank lists, lists by category, specialty lists and menu planners.
• Sign up with Skintimate to receive special offers and possible free stuff.
• Get any size of Olay Quench Body Lotion (excluding trial size) for free after mail-in rebate. Offer ends 4/16/10.
• The Atlanta Bread Company is offering a printable coupon for a free cookie on their Facebook page. Offer ends 6/15/10.
• Request a free sample of CPR cleaner/polish for either carpet, granite or leather.
• Borba is offering a free Age Defying Concentrate sample and catalog.
• Have you adopted a pet recently? If so, click here to learn how you can get free cat food, dog food and coupons from Petco.

Friday Freebies are courtesy of Wendi at TheFreebieBlogger.com.

**If you find you cannot use some of the freebies, you can still get them and use them as gifts or fillers for gifts! Also, donating to the service men and women or some other charity may also be a possibility!**

Take a Friend to Lunch for Free

Free Sandwich, Wrap, or Panini with purchase of one sandwich from the deli. Go here to sign up for Earth Fare Freebies!

Earth Fare Coupon Update_ Use It, DON’T Abuse IT!

Use It - Don't Abuse It! from Earth Fare on Vimeo.

Hey everyone! Watch the Video above about Earth Fare’s coupon policy. Apparently, they really do only want you to use one coupon. Also, they want YOU to sign up for their freebies here in order to get their coupons.  I greatly apologize for posting you can use more than one. I had not been using but one. However, a cashier had extra coupons one day and asked me if I wanted to break my purchase up and use another coupon. I said, “Sure, but I did not realize you can do that!” She told me as long as you have a different transaction for each coupon, you can use however many you want. Well, according to the CEO of Earth Fare in the video above, you can only use one coupon and YOU need to sign up on their website to get it. From now on, I will not post the link to the coupon, but the link to where you can sign up to get coupons emailed to you. I will still post links to tweebie Friday coupons. According to their facebook post, there will be a new Earth Fare coupon policy out soon. I will update you as soon as I find out all of the details.

Wednesday Words of Wisdom- Cherish Every Day

Last week I lost two relatives, and aunt and an uncle. The aunt who lived in another state I was fairly close to and the uncle I had not seen in years, but am close to his daughter who is my cousin.

My aunt always made me feel special from the time I was a small child. She would sew special clothes for me when I was a child. I still have a vest she sewed me which I wear around Christmas time. She also made cookies each year and sent a big box to my brothers and me. Since I have children of my own, she started writing me often as well as sending a package of books to the children every few months or so. We were delighted to receive these things from her!

Unfortunately, I did not get my last thank you card in the mail to her. She sent us a package near the end of February. I wrote her a letter, but the children were working on letters too, and I promised I would not send mine until their letters were ready. I was going to put the letters in the mailbox on Friday. However, on Thursday evening, I learned she had passed away of a sudden heart attack! I was shocked and upset with myself that I had not sent the letter to her yet! It was also yet another wake up call on how I take life for granted on a day to day basis. Aunt Margaret was 89 years old, soon to turn 90! I was going about as if she would always be  here!

The biggest lesson I have learned from these deaths is to live each day cherishing it and cherishing the people with who you are spending it! I know I will see Aunt Margaret in heaven again one day, but it would have been nice to tell her I love her one last time! I know she would never blame me or hold it against me! It is me who will feel the guilt and the pain! I am going to start concentrating on the things which matter the most in life and letting the little things go! I challenge you to do the same!

UGO Deals Sunday, March 21- Saturday, March 27

Here are the UGO Deals for the week. Remember UGO specializes in closeouts and overstock. As a result, UGO has items at rock bottom prices and DO NOT accept manufacturer’s coupons. Also, items vary by store and region. Remember, if you think something should be priced lower (i.e. expired date, damaged packaging, etc.) JUST ASK! Also, not all stores have fresh produce or meat. Let me know if you find any other deals! Oftentimes, they have great organic deals. Also, not all locations have a fresh produce or fresh meat section. Go here for the complete ad. Go here for a store near you.

Best Deals:

48 oz. Ice Cream $1.49

Apples $1/pound

Avocadoes $0.59 each

Russet Potatoes $1.99/10 pounds

12 oz. evaporated milk $0.69

Red Grapefruit or Navel Oranges 3/$1

Drumsticks or Thighs $0.79/pound

Assorted Chips and snacks $0.89 each

7 oz. Colby Jack Chunk Cheese $1.29

Shop Towels $0.89 each

6 count micro fiber towels $1.49

8 roll Paper Towels $3.49

Easy, Frugal Way to Start Seeds

I said a while back, I was going to post how to start your own seeds. I am sorry I never got around to posting it! Finally, here is the post!

Materials

Potting Soil, compost, or other sterile soil

Egg Cartons

Seeds

Solid Trays or Plastic Tote lids

Garbage Bags (I prefer white or clear, but black works well too.)

Sharpie Marker

Procedure

Place Egg cartons on trays or lids. Fill with warm, moist potting soil. You can either warm it near a heater or add warm water to it. One of the best ways to warm the soil is to fill a spray bottle with hot water and spray each cell. You can wait until after you plant the seeds to spray them with water.

Poke a hole in each individual egg cell with finger.

Place one seed per cell if possible. With carrots, lettuce, and other small seeds, it is sometime impossible to get just one seed per cell unless you have a mini seeder.

Cover seed with soil.

Label carton so you know which seeds you are planting!

Water if you did not do so earlier.

Place egg carton on trays in garbage bags in a well lit area or under a growing lamp if you have one. A lamp is not necessary.

Make sure egg cartons and trays are labeled. Read label to see how long each seed takes to germinate (most are 7-10 days). Check on seeds in a few days. When seeds get their first set of true leaves (which is the second set of leaves the first set of leaves are called cotyledons), you can remove from the garbage bag.

Once removed from bag, continue watering until the seedlings become large enough to transplant in your garden. You may want to harden off the seeds before you plant them in the garden. Hardening off is a way for the seeds to get used to less than ideal and different conditions outside. One way to harden them off is to allow them to set outside a few days in their egg cartons before transplanting.

Transplant seedlings to larger containers or directly in ground in the garden.

Are You Digging and Planting?

Have you started your garden this year? We were able to get a few things planted on Saturday before the rains came. We hope to get some more things planted this afternoon as it is sunny and is supposed to rain again soon! It was actually snowing yesterday after temperatures in the 70s over the weekend!

Here is what we have planted so far:

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Onions

Brussel Sprouts

Garlic

Shallots

Here is what I plan to plant this afternoon:

Turnips

Box Choy

Peas

Beets

Carrots

Radishes

Lettuces

Potatoes

Greens (Kale, Collard, Mustard)

Hopefully, I will have pictures up soon! Happy Gardening!

In Memory of Uncle Ralph and Aunt Margaret

Last week, I lost two family members from my dad’s side of the family! They will be greatly missed! I am comforted by the fact I will see them in Heaven one day! I know they are safe in the arms of Jesus! Uncle Ralph (married to my grandmother’s sister) was 88 and Aunt Margaret (married to my grandmother’s brother, but divorced years ago and still part of the family!) was 89 and would have been 90 in June. Please continue to pray for the family in this time of loss!

Homeschool Freebies

• Make your own abacus here!
• 15 homemade math manipulatives here!
• Shape Study Download- Shape Cat here. 
• Free homeschool resources here.
• Homeschool Freebie of the Day- a new freebie each day
• Blue Behemoth- a new freebie each day
• Sign up here for Freebie Fridays,  Teacher's Toolbox, and  for Special Offers from The Old Schoolhouse. Freebie Friday now arrives in your email inbox on the first and third Friday of the month only. On the second Friday of each month, you can receive a FREE E-Book and unit study from our Teacher's Toolbox newsletter. The fourth Friday will remain open for a possible special mailing.
• Free stuff from Home-Edutpia.com
• Sign up here for free samples each Friday from Dover.

Become a Fan on Facebook!

Follow Me on Twitter!

Blog/Business of the Week- Gluten Free Goodies

This week I want to highlight an awesome local business who specializes in making gluten free foods. This week’s business of the week is Gluten Free Goodies in Knoxville, TN. This past week I was able to get some cupcakes. They were amazing! Not only did Rachel make them gluten free, but she was also able to accommodate my soy and dairy free request.

They serve lunch daily from 11am-3pm. There are many different things on the menu including soups and sandwiches. All of the bread is homemade in the restaurant. Gluten Free Goodies is located in the Bearden area of Knoxville. I am not as familiar with that area, and found it difficult to find. They are in a shopping center on Kingston Pike across the street from The Shrimp Dock and Ace Hardware. There is a small pink sign, but it is very difficult to see amidst the busy traffic on Kingston Pike. If you are going East, it is on the left and it is on the right if you are going West.

The food is excellent as well as the service!

Monday Menu from the Farm

Monday

Breakfast- Oatmeal

Lunch- Almonds, Apples, Cream Cheese

Supper- Beef and Turnip Stew

Tuesday

Breakfast- Eggs, sausage, hash browns

Lunch- Salmon Salad on Celery

Supper- Leftover stew

Wednesday

Breakfast- Granola and milk

Lunch- Hamburgers and potatoes

Supper- Baked Chicken, carrots, green beans

Thursday

Breakfast – On the go Trail Mix

Lunch- We have some free coupons for some children’s meals which expire at the end of the month. We will be using those.

Supper- Chicken rice and cheese casserole, turnip greens

Friday

Breakfast- Muffins, fruit

Lunch- Chicken Salad on Rice Cakes

Supper- Homemade Pizza

Saturday

Breakfast- Grits, fruit salad, eggs, sausage

Lunch- Spaghetti, cheese biscuits

Supper- Leftovers

Menu From the Farm

Monday

Breakfast- Eggs, fruit salad

Lunch- Peanut Butter and Jelly Tacos

Supper- Burger King

Tuesday

Breakfast- Homemade granola, milk

Lunch- Chicken Salad tortillas

Supper- Tacos

Wednesday

Breakfast- Sausage , biscuits, gravy, jelly, hash browns

Lunch- Salmon Melts

Supper- Roasted Chicken, Strawberry and Orange Salad, green beans with almonds

Thursday

Breakfast- Applesauce Blueberry Muffins

Lunch- Trail Mix, apples

Supper- Chik-Fil-A birthday party for nephew

Friday

Breakfast- Pancakes, fruit

Lunch- Apples, almonds, cheese

Supper- Costume Party at niece's house

Saturday

Breakfast- Grits, muffins, fruit salad, eggs

Lunch- Salmon Salad with pecans and strawberries

Supper- Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, cottage cheese

Kids Eat Free at Earth Fare on Thursday!

Starting on March 18, from 4-8pm, and each Thursday hereafter, kids eat FREE at Earth Fare with the purchase of an adult meal of $5 or more! The kids meal includes any kid's sandwich or 1/2 wrap served with chips. You can request anything at Earth Fare to be made gluten free as well! Limit of two children per adult!

Homeschooling for Free or Really Cheap!

Technically, we are a second generation homeschool family as my husband was one of the first to be homeschooled in the Knoxville, Tennessee area.  However, I was raised in public school in a town just outside of Knoxville. I also received my teacher certification in May of 2001! As a teacher and a co-developer of one of the Tennessee State Curriculums for High School Horticulture, I decided I would also develop my own curriculum as I journeyed through teaching my children at home.

Currently, my oldest is 8 years old and my youngest is 14 months old. We have a total of six children with our seventh child due in August, 2010! We do not have the money to pay thousands or even hundreds of dollars each year on a curriculum which may not even suit the learning styles of the children after all! Therefore, I decided to find frugal ways to homeschool and still give my children a quality education!

One of the most important resources in the library! If you live in Knox County, membership to their entire Knox County library system is FREE! They have a vast supply of educational materials for ALL grades! I am out of county, so I pay $25 per year, but it is worth it! Knox County also has many curriculum books which you can try for yourself for FREE before you go out and purchase them! One of the many I tried was Alpha Phonics by Samuel L. Blumenfeld. It worked with my oldest and with my second born. I later found the book in NEW condition for only $1 at a local used curriculum sale in Knoxville! It has not worked with my third born, but at only $1, I feel I have overly received my money's worth because two children did have success! Another benefit of Knox County is they will transfer from any of their branch libraries for FREE! you can get books from any other library in the system! They have an online search engine and you can even reserve them online! I love my local library as well. However, they are much smaller than Knoxville, but do still have a great selection of materials and books to use for homeschooling. Our local library as well as the Knoxville library also have story time for children of per-school ages. However, at our local library children of all ages are more than welcome to attend! In addition, our library has a Friends of the Library Club who will often have book sales where I have purchased many useful books for really cheap and even gotten some for free! Our library also has a discarded book section where they give away books as well as videos! I have found many treasures among the free book pile and so have my children! I love my library and cannot do without it!

Another great resources in the internet! There are many great resources for homeschool ideas and curriculum which are FREE on the internet! Each Tuesday, I have a post called Homeschool Freebies! There are several resources which have DAILY freebies! These include:

• Homeschool Freebie of the Day- a new freebie each day.
• Blue Behemoth- a new freebie each day.
• Sign up here for Freebie Fridays,  Teacher's Toolbox, and  for Special Offers from The Old Schoolhouse. Freebie Friday now arrives in your email inbox on the first and third Friday of the month only. On the second Friday of each month, you can receive a FREE E-Book and unit study from our Teacher's Toolbox newsletter. The fourth Friday will remain open for a possible special mailing.
• Sign up here for free samples each Friday from Dover.

Garage sales, thrift stores, children's consignment stores or sales are also wonderful sources for free and/or really cheap materials for school! I am shocked at how cheap people have books at their yard sales. In fact, I went to one a couple of summers ago and asked him how much he would take for a complete set of children's books. He said, "You can HAVE all the books here! No one ever buys books!"  I was thrilled to get the books for free, but sad to learn no one ever buys books! Books are usually where I spend most of my time whether it be at a yard sale or in a thrift store! You can NEVER have too many books!

Used book stores are another source to find cheap items for your homeschool. We are fortunately in the Knoxville area to have McKay's Used Book Store! It is always crowded, so it must be the place to purchase books and not yard sales! I have found many workbooks for $1 or less! The books were brand new with NO markings! Also, Cedar Springs Christian Store in Knoxville will buy and sell your used homeschool curriculum. I have found a few items here, but the prices are usually more than I want to pay for a used item!

I have mentioned many places to get books, but books are NOT the only things you need to homeschool. School supplies such as crayons, pencils, scissors, glue, etc. are also needed. Until I started regularly shopping at CVS and Walgreens last year, I always stocked up on school supplies when Wal-mart had their Back-to-School sales. a 24 pack of Crayola crayons are only $0.20! One subject notebooks are only $0.10 and there are many other deals there. However, I was able to get MANY things for FREE at Walgreens and CVS this past year! I used my register rewards and extra bucks in addition to their sales and clearances. I was also able to get paper and ink and other items for FREE at Staples and Office Max too using their Rewards Programs! Office Max even has one for Teachers (homeschool teachers are included!). I have many different school supplies which will probably last me for a couple of more years! This fall, pay attention to all the Free after Register Rewards and Free after ECBs items!

Many blogs will often list FREE items which will qualify for school use! I have received free videos, note pads, pencils, and a host of other items by just taking the time to fill out a form and hit the submit button! Again, I list Homeschool Freebies every Tuesday!

We use a lot of paper! I recently went to a local print shop and asked them how much they would charge for all of their scrap paper. I told him I homeschool, and we use a lot of paper. He is GIVING me paper! Some of the paper is even in original condition! They just throw it away! They send it to recycle, but get NO compensation! There was even some paper which they discontinued and some which had a slight defect and they could no longer use! This paper was in excellent condition to me! It NEVER hurts to ask!

I have spent very little for the education of my children thus far! Last year, I spent less than $125! $70 was for registering my children with a school, $25 was for my library dues, and with all the freebies I found on the internet, at the library, and the store specials, I spent less than $25 on all other supplies for school! My goal this year is to only spend what it costs to register my children and the library fee which will be $125 because my third born will be officially registered this year. Fortunately, the school where I register only charges a maximum of $100 per family! Obviously, there are many resources out there for FREE items and for homeschooling for free! I am sure I have left out something! If you have any questions about homeschooling, please let me know, and I will be more than happy to answer your questions or point you to someone who can!

Tweebie Friday at EarthFare tomorrow!

• Go here for free bottle naked juice with purchase! Good only tomorrow Friday, March 12, 2010!
• Go here for 50% off the olive bar! Good only tomorrow Friday, March 12, 2010!

Go here to take the boot challenge and get FREE cookies! The coupon expires March 17, so hurry! They also have gluten free available! The Gluten Free Vanilla Creme are delicious!

• Go here for the coupon to get free potatoes with purchase!! As well as a coupon to save a $1 off beef brisket and corned brisket!
• Go here for the latest Earth Fare Deals and Coupon Match-Ups!
• Sign up here for to start a Health Journey Account!
• Follow Earth Fare on Twitter here
• Follow me on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook!

Free Cookie Makeover at Earthfare!

 

• Go here to take the boot challenge and get FREE cookies! The coupon expires March 17, so hurry! They also have gluten free available! The Gluten Free Vanilla Creme are delicious!
  • Go here for the for free potatoes with purchase coupon! As well as a coupon to save a $1 off beef brisket and corned brisket!
  • Go here for the latest Earth Fare Deals and Coupon Match-Ups!
  • Sign up here for to start a Health Journey Account!
  • Follow Earth Fare on Twitter here
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Become a Fan on Facebook!

Free Potatoes with Purchase from Earth Fare

 

• Go here for the coupon! As well as a coupon to save a $1 off beef brisket and corned brisket!
• Take this week’s boot challenge here!
• Go here for the latest Earth Fare Deals and Coupon Match-Ups!
• Sign up here for to start a Health Journey Account!
• Follow Earth Fare on Twitter here
• Follow me on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook!

Thank you!

Thanks to all of you who have sent emails with your concern! I want to say the circumstances had nothing to do with the blog itself, but it is something going on in the community. Anytime we stand up for what we believe is right, we are bound to be persecuted or harassed which was my family’s situation. However, I spoke with the Sheriff today and everything is taken care of for the time being. I hope to back to regular posts tomorrow! I am going to try to catch up on the last two days as well!

I appreciate all of your thoughts, prayers, and concerns! I have received to date 57 emails regarding my last post! I have not had a chance to respond to all of them at this time, but I am working on it and hope to have a response to each of them soon!

I feel so loved! Many of the emails are from people who I do not know and who I have never met! Thank you for your concern! Please continue to pray for our family. Everything is fine. God is taking wonderful care of us! Thanks again!

Apology

I apologize for the lack of posts. We have had some personal things going on in our community since yesterday, and I have not had time to blog! Hopefully, I will have things back to normal next week. Due to the circumstances, I will be posting LESS personal information and opinions for a while but NOT permanently. Hopefully, all will be straightened out soon. I also plan to delete and/or change some of my more personal posts which may list names of family members. I may possibly share more of the story next week as I get more details. Thanks for understanding. In the meantime, feel free to visit the following lists of blogs for great deals and other information!

Couponing in Critical Times

Coupon Mommie

Knoxville on a Dime

The Freebie Blogger

Coupon Katie

Knox Mamabelle

Living on More for Less

Frugalissa Finds

Cheap Knox

Southern Savers

Frugally Farming Family Loves……

• Warm weather! We really need some soon! :)
• Coupons for free items!
• Prayers from friends and family!
• Daffodils sprouting and starting to bloom!
• All of my readers, follower, and fans! Thank you!

Chick Days at Tractor Supply!

One thing I forgot to mention in my month of chores post was purchasing chicks if you want them! Tractor supply has their chick days now! If you are interested go here to learn more!

Here is a statement directly from their site:

“Ready to start your own backyard flock? Chick Days are here at your local Tractor Supply store. Live poultry* is available in-store for a limited time only. Check your local store for availability of live baby chicks, baby ducks and a broad assortment of poultry supplies. You can special order from a broader assortment of chickens, ducks and turkeys year-round.

*Poultry is sold in minimum quantities of 6 and should be purchased for agricultural purposes only. Small children should not handle live poultry. Don't forget to wash your hands and use hand sanitizer after handling live poultry. Children should not kiss or nuzzle baby chicks or ducks.”

All You Subscription Deal for Only $0.70/issue!

Thanks to Jennifer at Coupon Mommie for telling me about a great offer for All You magazine. All You is a magazine loaded with coupons! Many times there are even free product coupons and each month usually has high dollar coupons. If you are interested in subscribing or renewing your subscription, check out Jennifer’s post here for more information!

Extra Cash Back from Mr. Rebates for St. Patrick’s Day

Mr. Rebates is similar to Shop At Home and Ebates. You can sign up for free and get a $5 bonus when you sign up as a new customer! Before you shop online, just go to Mr. Rebates, choose the store from which you want to make a purchase, and click to shop! It’s very easy! They also offer bonus coupons to save even more! I go back and forth among the three sites (Mr. Rebates, Shop at Home, and Ebates) as sometimes one will have a better deal than the other! 

It's your lucky day at Mr. Rebates with daily chances at winning $100 bonus prizes plus extra cash-back at over 175 stores!
Enjoy increased cash-back at over 175 stores plus get a chance at winning $100 on each store click.  You can get more details on how to win this contest by clicking here. This special runs until St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, 2010.
Remember, extra cash-back stores will have a symbol next to their name.

Some of the stores include Wal-Mart, Barnes and Noble, Cabela’s, Sally Beauty Supply, Sephora, Shoebuy, Shutterfly, and many more!

Free Granola and Coffee with Purchase at Earth Fare!

• Go here for free Coffee and Granola at Earth Fare!
• Go here for the latest Earth Fare Deals and Coupon Match-Ups!
• Sign up here for to start a Health Journey Account!
• Go here to take the latest boot challenge for free products!
• Follow Earth Fare on Twitter here
• Follow me on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook!

UGO Deals February 28-March 6, 2010

Here are the UGO Deals for the week. Remember UGO specializes in closeouts and overstock. As a result, UGO has items at rock bottom prices and DO NOT accept manufacturer’s coupons. Also, items vary by store and region. Remember, if you think something should be priced lower (i.e. expired date, damaged packaging, etc.) JUST ASK! Also, not all stores have fresh produce or meat. Let me know if you find any other deals! Oftentimes, they have great organic deals. Also, not all locations have a fresh produce or fresh meat section. Go here for the complete ad. Go here for a store near you.

Produce

• Fresh Lettuce $0.49/head
• Assorted North Carolina Apples $0.49/pound
• Fresh Mineola Tangelos 4/$1
• 10 pound bag Idaho Potatoes 2/$5
• Texas Sweet Onions $0.89/pound
• Fresh Avocados $0.59 each
• Fresh Broccoli Crowns $1/pound

Dairy

• Fresh Grade A Large Eggs $1/dozen
• 15 pk. 6 oz. Variety Pack Yogurt $3.99

Frozen

• 1 pound Easy Peel Shrimp $3.99
• 26 oz. Sauté Steak with Vegetables $4.99

Meat

• Boston Butt Pork Roast $0.89/pound

Grocery

• 14.5- 16oz. Chili Beans, Pinto Beans, Black Eyed Peas, Hominy, Green Beans, and Green Peas 3/$1

Wednesday Words of Wisdom-Never Stop Learning

One day last week one of my children asked me why a certain person with whom we are associated seems to act like they know everything even when what they are saying in wrong. I tried my best to explain to my child that some people really do believe they know all and have learned all there is to know about life and everything else out there. I emphasized the importance of continuing education throughout your lifetime. I was not talking about going to college for the remainder of your life! I was talking about keeping your mind open to learning!

I strongly believe one of the problems in American Society is we think we know it all! We have the world by the tail and there is nothing new we need to learn! There are people in my family who are this way! Trying to teach them something new or to introduce an idea they have never heard of (such as not eating bread or any gluten!) is impossible! Trying to explain why I try to eat organically and naturally as well as take vitamins and other supplements and exercise as well as make time for spiritual matters, is a lost cause! These same people are the ones who are overweight, take lots of medication, have many health problems, have financial problems, and just cannot quite cope with life even as an adult. I am not saying everyone has to take vitamins or eat gluten free, but everyone should at least care for their health!

I am not perfect! I make lots of mistakes! Sometimes I even eat a candy bar or a piece of cake made of wheat flour! I will drink sweetened tea from time to time and skip my exercises because I just do not feel like doing them! However, I try to find a balance in indulging and living a healthy life style. At times it is difficult, but I keep trying! I often think of the verse, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you and ye are not your own?!?!” I Corinthians 6:19. God dwelling in me is reason enough to carefully consider what I put into or on my body whether it be food, music, TV, etc. The problem comes when we are indulging excessively. Not only does it take away from the good times we can have in our lives when we are healthy, but it also takes away from our spouses, children, friends, and even God! I want to make sure I am in excellent physical, emotional, and spiritual condition at all times to insure I can serve HIM to my utmost at all times! Again, I am not perfect. However, to achieve this goal, I must constantly be learning! I learn something new almost every day and I am almost 30 years old! I hope in another 30 years I will still be learning something new everyday!

My son was happy with my answer. He thought about the person he had asked me about and the life they live. He realized it was/is NOT something he wants his life to be like! I know not everyone who has the problems I mentioned above can be lumped into this category! However, there are many people out there who no longer have a desire to learn or the will to learn! My son and I have been praying for these people! I have been praying for my children and myself as well that we will always have an opened mind to learning!

I hope my Wednesday Words of Wisdom are encouraging! I never intend for them to be anything else! Most of the things I write about in this section are things which apply to me! Yes, a few years ago, I thought I had this parenting thing figured out! God showed me I was wrong! He gave me my fifth child who is nothing like any of my other children (and should not be)! This little girl is stubborn and unpredictable. However, she is also a blessing! She has helped me reestablish humility! She has helped me grow closer to the Lord and seek his council quite often in matters which concern her behavior! I love this little girl! She can be so sweet and such a wonderful helper as well as a challenge all in one day even within a few minutes! I am not perfect and neither is my family! If we were, we would be in Heaven! We try to do our best each day and give God the glory in the good and in the bad!

Guest Post on the Coupon Mommie- “Homeschooling for Free or Really Cheap!”

Jennifer at Coupon Mommie recently asked me to do a guest post. I decide to post about Homeschooling since it is a big part of my life! You can go here to read the post! Those of you who follow my regular Tuesday “Homeschool Freebies” Posts will notice familiarities!

I finally was able to meet Coupon Mommie on Saturday at the Coupon Fair along with many other local bloggers and readers! If you missed the Coupon Fair, you can email me for a copy of the handout which I had there. It was about shopping for Organic foods and them being affordable. I did a similar post here!

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Homeschool Freebies

• Alpha Omega Publications (AOP)- Enter here to Win AOP’s New Monarch Curriculum!
• Earthquake Unit Study Resources here.
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March Month of Farm and Garden Chores

I am praying for warmer weather this month so I can get started in my garden! We have had unusually cold weather and lots of snow and even ice this winter season! It actually snowed for most of the morning today, then turned to rain! I am far ready for Spring! Here are this month’s chores to work on for your gardens and farms. I also want to add, do not feel like you HAVE to do EVERYTHING on this list. Choose the most important which apply to you and your farm or garden. There are many things I list on here which do not even apply to me, therefore, I am sure they will not apply to some of you either! Let me know if you have any questions!

Garden

• Prepare your beds if you have not done so!
• Turn or till in “green manure” or compost at least two weeks before direct seeding.
• Cut down cover crops with a scythe or mower.
• Direct seed: Peas, beets, carrots, onion sets, leeks, radishes, turnips, potatoes, greens, spinach, arugula, leaf lettuces, oriental greens, collards, chard, cilantro, dill, parsley, white Dutch Clover in pathways.
• Start seeds indoors: tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, eggplant, basil, annual herbs.
• Transplant: Broccoli, Asparagus, Garlic, Fruit Trees, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Head Lettuces, Summer-Flowering Bulbs.
• Harvest: Asparagus, Spinach, Kale, Chives, Parsley.
• Prepare Beds for: Beans, Corn, Lettuces, Root Crops, Perennial Herbs, Strawberries
• Make Compost
• Feed Birds
• Take a soil sample to see where you are nutrient deficient. You can go through your local extension office.
• Remove Mulch from Strawberries.
• Spread Compost on beds before direct seeding. Add compost to hole when transplanting.
• To protect transplants and seedlings from pests and frost, cover with row covers.

Farm Chores

• Lay Plans for the coming season. If possible, think of every important thing, and keep a memorandum of whatever is deemed most essential and the order in which it should be done. In case of necessary absence, these plans will allow whoever takes your place to accurately work without supervision if a definite plan is made and talked over beforehand. “He who works with a steady aim attains the greater success with much less labor!”
• Working Stock should be fitted for hard labor by increasing their grain and accustoming them gradually to severer demands upon their strength and endurance. Horses shoulders are apt to gall, and oxen’s necks will become sore if they have done little work in the winter. Look for such troubles and bind on wet cloths at night, greasing the spots when the yoke or harness is again put on; but above all have well fitting yokes and harness.
• Milk Cows- Now is the time to make sure your cows are being fed well! They are getting ready to calve and will need the extra energy from the feed to have a healthy delivery and great milk production upon calving.
• Calves- Be sure to check for newborn calves if this is calving season for your cows. Make sure they are nursing and being taken care of by their mothers. If you are going to castrate the bull calves, it is best to do so while they are young and easier to handle, than waiting until they are older and you have to catch them!
• Sheep- Watch for early lambs. If they are chilled, bring them into the house and keep them warm. You can also keep them warm by rubbing them and keeping a blanket on them.
• Swine-Breeding sows should be places isolated, in war, well-litters pens several days before farrowing. Keep sows well fed and in the best health!
• The Currycomb, card, and Brush, are among the best friends of the farmer and his stock, especially when the young animals are shedding their coats. Every horse young and old should have good grooming daily, dairy cattle twice, and hogs once a week. If you show your beef cattle, it is best to groom them once a week as well! Carrots have a remarkable effect upon the coats of cattle and horses!
• Buildings- It is a great time to work on outside painting or any repairs which need to be made.
• Manure- That not intended for immediate use may be forked over and laid up in good sized heaps well trodden down to undergo another fermentation before its use in May or later in teh season. Manure that cannot be plowed under, harrowed in or in some way immediately incorporated with the soil, should not be spread in the field, but left in heaps until it can be incorporated with the soil. Ashes, phosphates, fish manure, bone meal, etc,, if purchased at reasonable rates are economically applied at this season. Be sure and take a soil sample to know what amendments must be added to your soil.
• Pick Up Stones- As soon as the surface is thawed, the stones will be loosened and may be picked up and laid in heaps or at once loaded into wagons or boats and removed. Children are great helpers to pick up stones! My children love making little campfires with them. We also will put larger ones in the flower beds to keep the cats from digging it up!
• Work for Odd Times- The weather and other things will cause unavoidable delays, but few compared with our own improvidence or thoughtlessness. As with any farm, there is always something to do during odd times! Here are a few things you can do during odd times; work over manure; prepare composts of hen manure for corn, or for top dressing grain or grass; collect chip dirt where old wood piles have stood; make ditches to spread the wash of highways over the grass; get out pea brush and bean poles, trimming and sharpening them ready for use; and clean out the well and cistern if necessary and applicable.

Notable Knoxville Earth Fare Events for March

 

Turkey Creek Location Events for March. Go here for all of the events for March!

• Gluten Free Living- First Meeting 7-8pm Thursday, March 11.
• Homeschool Social Group- Friday, March 12, 10:30am- 2pm Homeschool Social Group gives homeschool children an opportunity to socialize while sharing foods to celebrating this months holiday.
• Kids Cooking- Saturday, March 20, 11am-12pm Zucchini Muffins. RSVP to knx400community@earthfare.com.
• Autism Society Saturday March 27, 6:30pm-8:30pm

Bearden Location Events for March. Go here for all of the events of March!

• Health Screenings Wednesday, March 10 and 24, 2010 4pm-6pm

A representative from Dr. Fair, DC's office will be present doing complimentary health screenings at no cost!

• Family Dinner Night Thursday, March 18 and 25, 4pm-8pm

Introducing Earth Fare's Itty Bitty Bites! This program is geared towards fighting childhood obesity one "Healthy Meal" at a time! Every Thursday night, your child can eat for free! Plus fun family entertainment that goes along with it!

• Fit Kidz Adventure Saturday, March 20, 10am-12pm Calling all kids!  Earth Fare and the Knox Area Coalition on Childhood Obesity invite you to join us for a Fun and Fit Day.   An interactive store tour where you touch, taste, and investigate your way around the store, a fitness walk on the Third Creek Greenway, and a Healthy Lunch, provided by Earth Fare.  Please RSVP by calling 865-558-1432, or email knx405community@earthfare.com.

Blog/Business of the Week- Benefit Your Life

On Saturday after the Coupon Fair, I attended the Gluten Free Vendor Fair. While there, I discovered many local businesses which have gluten free products! I had heard about Benefit Your Life before, but could not remember the name once I got home. I asked others, and they would not know details either. Anyway, I am excited to share information about Benefit Your Life with my readers.

“Benefit Your Life is home to an amazing range of products where every item is individually and specially selected because it is Natural and will Benefit Your Life.  Products in this store are Fair Trade, Natural, Organic, Recycled, Allergen-Free, Manufactured in small batches or produced from a small family-owned business.

You can buy Natural Clothing, Eco-Friendly Shoes, Natural home products, Natural health products, Exclusive Natural Products and even quality food at Benefit Your Life, Natural Lifestyle Market. Benefit Your Life is the place to visit for Natural Products with Luxury Results. It’s the perfect shopping place for something Natural and Beneficial for yourself or your loved one!”

I love supporting local businesses since we have one ourselves! I plan on trying to visit the store this week. They are located on 620 North Campbell Station Rd. Suite 24 in Knoxville, TN. They are near the Cracker Barrel on Campbell Station Rd.

They also have a blog here. You can also purchase products from their website here. I hope to be able to be able to post their deals and sales as they have them. I am happy to find another health food store in the Knoxville area. They offer products which are Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Yeast Free, and Diabetic Friendly. They also have a bakery where you can dine in or take out! 

I am interested in checking out this store. Unfortunately, their products are a little more expensive, but if they are good quality, it may be worth the extra price! Hopefully, I will be able to check out Benefit Your Life this week. If any of you have ever been there, please let me know what you think!

Monday Menu from the Farm

Monday
Breakfast- Oatmeal, eggs
Lunch- Apples and Peanut butter
Supper- Carrots, cheese cubes, almonds
Tuesday
Breakfast- Homemade Granola and milk
Lunch- Celery and homemade pimento cheese (given to us from a friend)
Supper- Mini burgers, sweet potato fries (I fixed extra a few weeks ago and put them in the freezer!)
Wednesday
Breakfast- Hash browns (the last of our Kennebec potatoes from the garden), eggs
Lunch- Friend’s house
Supper- Salmon salad on rice cakes
Thursday
Breakfast- Applesauce Walnut Muffins
Lunch- I am going to surprise the children by getting them something from a restaurant. I learned of several gluten free places on Saturday, so I hope to take them to one of those!
Supper- Cottage Cheese and Fruit
Friday
Breakfast- Blue Corn Grits with cheese
Lunch- Peanut Butter and Jelly Tacos
Supper- Homemade Cheeseburger Pizza
Saturday
Breakfast- Blueberry Smoothies
Lunch- Grilled cheese tortillas, homemade tomato soup I canned
Supper- Spaghetti and Michaela’s cheese biscuits!