What I am into this month. . .November 2011

So I am switching this post from my personal blog to here.  Seems more appropriate. . .


This Month...

On My Nightstand: Okay I have three books waiting to be started.  But the one I am picking up tonight (since it is a library book and has a due date) is A Killing in This Town by Olympia Vernon

And of course I spent some time flipping through magazines like BabyTalk, Parents, and Prevention. 

Want To Read:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  I picked this book up in October at the EENC conference.  She is one of my favorite authors and I'll move onto this one next.  Hoping it inspires big changes for us and our garden this summer.

Movie I’ve Seen (In or Out of a theater):I went to the movie theater!!!  Yes, that is a big event.  No babysitter, no money for a babysitter = no movie theater.  But my wonderful hubby agreed to watch the kiddo so I could go out and see the new Twilight Movie.


We also have been watching episodes of the Tudors on Netflix.  Hooked.

TV Show Worth Watching: We love up all night.  It's nice to know that they made a show out of our lives (and I am fairly certain some other new parents).

In My Ears:

Hubby just bought the new Cold Play- Mylo Xyloto and Florence and the Machine albums.  So we are getting some play out of those.  Of course we are playing lots of Christmas music, and my sweet precious boy is singing along.  Belt it out boy!  Momma loves it!

In my kitchen:

Homemade pumpkin pies, broccoli casserole, soups

On the craft-to-do list for December:

Finish the advent calendar today.

Christmas wreath

Christmas gifts for three special little boys in my life (neigh, neigh is a hint :))

Wine Tags

Well. . .there are plenty of Christmas crafts to do, but I can't give away everything :)

What I'm Most Looking Forward To in December:

1. Family!!!  Seeing my mom, sister, nephew, Grandma, bestfriends. . .
2. Snow (fingers crossed)
3. Settling in with my new position
4. Taking care of myself
5. Baking cookies for the neighbors and friends!!!

Fresh Pumpkin

Fall is my favorite time of year, for a million reasons.  Leaves changing, cooler temperatures, apple festivals, and pumpkins!  I love pumpkin bread, pie, muffins, you name it.  So when my best friend invited us to grab some pumpkins out of her field we jumped at the chance.  Of course one will become a jack-o-lantern for Halloween, but all the others are quickly turning into pumpkin puree.  From one large pumpkin you can get about 5-6 cups of puree. For most bread or muffin recipes you will use 1-2 cups of puree.  This means lots of yummy pumpkin recipes! Fresh pumpkin is of course much healthier and tastier than canned pumpkin.  Not to mention much more sustainable to the local economy and environment.  There are several great pick your own farms in western NC or you can visit your local farmers market.

Conover Farmer's Market

Hickory Farmer's Market

Morganton Farmer's Market

Charlotte Regional Farmer's Market

Oh, and I would have grabbed a picture of the yummy muffins we made, but this morning I went to grab some to pack for my lunch (along with the veggie chili made last night). . .and all I found was an empty bowl!  Thank goodness we have lots of pumpkin puree to make more!

So tell me what is your favorite pumpkin recipe?

Newbie

Why not me?  I follow several coupon clipping sites: Smart Couponing, The Krazy Coupon Lady, Frugal Coupon Living.  I follow crafty, crunchy, money saving sites: WNC On The Cheap, SortaCrunchy , Crunchy Betty.  I would do anything to pinch a penny here, so I can spend a penny or extra time with my family, and I've been gracious enough to learn a few tricks of the family trade along the way.  So why not me???
::Deep Breath:: So I am going public!  Here is my blog. . .my very own blog. . .about saving some money so that you can do all those cool things with your kiddos that you have been wanting to do.  I have some pretty crafty friends that I am sure will join me along the way (groovy as my best friend says), so keep an eye out for them, and well enjoy the ride!  Thanks for stopping in. . .make sure to add me to your news feed and drop me a line anytime!

So for my first Trick of the Family Trade:

50% off admission to Aw Shucks® Farm in Monroe, NC.  As a kid growing up in Florida, we had a farm similar that we went to once the calendar marked Autumn (otherwise how would you know in Florida).  We had so much fun, so I was excited to see that there is something similar around here!  My boy would love this!  To find out more about the deal you can click the link- but it's $4 for admission vs. the normal $8. 

http://www.juiceinthecity.com/markets/south-charlotte/deals/50-off-admission-at-aw-shucks-farms

On the to do list. . .

- Logo
- FB page
- Spreading the word :)