Magazines I read

I have mentioned before how I put magazine clippings and articles in my journal, instead of keeping magazines.... Many people have asked which magazines I read regularly... so since I was journaling today, I thought I would post a quick post about them.

Missouri Life- I started this through a Groupon, I believe.  I wasn't sure about it when I got it, but glad I did.  I love it.  Last month there was a great artcile about Missouri Castles and the Top 10 Women who changed Missouri.  This month has an article about the War of 1812 and hiking trails of Missouri.  It also has a calender of events which is nice because it always lists festivals and such, which Chad and I love to go to (especially free ones= free date days!)

Life: beautiful- When talking about this, I tell people it's like a Christian version of Ladies Home Journal and other such magazines.  It has a lot of neat things.  This month there was an article about all the different names of God.  They also have bible studies in it, and commentary from Joyce Meyers and other religious speakers.  They also have tons of beautiful quotes that are almost always the first things I rip out to put in my journal.

All*You- this is a new magazines this year.  But it's great.  it is filled with budget friendly tips, tricks, recipes and tons of coupons.  Some of our recent favorite meals have come from here.    This month features an article about cleaning supplies and also how to save on car care, and how to banish clutter in 30 days.

Cooking Light- this is one I got through a fundraiser through my nephew's school, lots of yummy recipes and other cooking tips and tricks.

This Old House- another one through my nephew's fundraiser.  Lots of good DIY home repair and maintenance tricks.

Real Simple- This was a gift subscription from my sister (she might of gotten tired of me stealing hers!)  I always have liked this magazines... finding good tips and recipes.  Fell in love with the wedding book they release every year when planning my wedding... Lately haven't found so much but I still like it.

ShopSmart- This magazine, released by Consumer Report, is fantastic.  I think I rip out 2/3 of the magazine.  Great tips and full of product reviews.  This month there was an article about coffee.... found out the coffee my dad buys (and drinks never-ending) was rated lowest for value and taste... found 2 alternatives for him that will save him some money.  Lots of good tips for saving money.

I
reland: of the Welcomes-  My husband and I saw this magazine while at the book store.  He fell in love (he's irish).  I went ahead and subscribed... its a little more expensive then some of the others, but it will make his day every month when it comes in.  Full of alot of Irish history.  This months issue features stories about how Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated around the America, as well as an article about Irish proverbs and Legends of Ireland.  I haven't got to read it yet.  I told him to make sure he was done with it, before giving it to me.  Because it will be ripped apart and the articles I like put in my journal, just like the rest of the magazines.... we don't keep magazines lying around... we save what we like and recycle the rest.... SAY NO TO CLUTTER :-)


There might be a few others, but I already cut up this months issues and next months haven't arrived yet, so going by memory... though this will change, I am working on a list of the magazines and when the subscriptions are up, so I can make sure to budget for renewals.

I did just purchase a Living Social deal for Martha Stewart Living and Everyday Food Magazines.  I debated this for awhile.  I am not a Martha fan.... don't get me wrong she has great tips and ideas... but her personally, I don't like, and I don't agree with the slap on the wrist she got for her indiscretions.... If it would of been someone like you and me... we would of gotten much worse.  But anyways, I am chalking it up to Magazine Addiction.  We will see if I like them when they start arriving.

Other magazines we get from the store when we see them:

Anything that talks about Organizing on the cover.... my favorite topic :-)

Better Homes and Garden does a special on organizing a few times a year... i love when I see this magazine at the store.  Wish they allowed subscriptions to this... I would jump on board immediately.

Better Homes and Garden also does recipe special editions that I can't stop buying.  Seriously.  We have Party Food, Diabetic Slow Cooker, Chicken Dinners, Eat Well Lose Weight, Skinny Slow Cooker, Creative Slow Cooker, Shortcut cooking(my newest one, can't wait to try some recipes out) and Soups  Again wish they would make a way to do subscriptions for these.  I know I have missed some.  I check everytime I am at a store.  90% of our monthly menus come from these books. And I just looked on the website and they are having a sale on these... so I might have some on the way, within the hour :-) The funny thing is... I don't like their normal magazines, just the Specials.

I am however, contemplating subscribing to their Do it Yourself magazine... I have picked up a few and found alot of things I liked in them.   Maybe.

My mother in law subscribes to Ladies Home Journal, better Homes and Gardens, and a few other magazines that she gives me when she is done.  I get some good articles and recipes out of them, but not enough to subscribe.

UPDATE:  I just subscribed to Eating Well.  I also just bought more Better Home and Gardens Recipe magazines including: Desserts, Comfort Food, One pan, and Casseroles.... Yum

So that is it, for now.  What magazines do you like?  Any that you think I should check out?

Break

I am taking a Blogging Break right now.... Yes, I know I didn't post alot over the holidays...but at the moment things are pretty busy.  I watch my 6 month old nephew 3 days a week and he doesn't nap as much anymore and is at a fun playing stage, so I don't get much done while with him.  The other 2 days I am taking classes in sign language.  I am also subbing about once or twice a month.

 On top of the that I am going on week 4 of a major cold.  It ended up turning into bronchitis then pneumonia.  While I am starting to feel better, still really tired.  Also, Chad and I really need for me to get a teaching job next school year so he can continue to work part time while in nursing school.  We want to be able to pay down some debt and either prepare to move out as soon as he graduates or move out sooner.  To be able to get a job, I am taking two state exams in April and I still have to finish my Teacher Work Sample.

Super busy!

I might still post recipes over on the Food Blog, but we shall see.  Not sure when I will return yet, but I hope you will keep checking.

Valentine's Day Part 2

So as mentioned before, I am unemployed and our funds our tight.  But, we still wanted to enjoy our day.  Due to some excellent timing, we were able to add more to our date than originally planned. 

We started the day at California Pizza Kitchen... ignore the bad picture, remember both sick!  We had one of our dates at a Tapas restaurant years ago and since then we love making our own tapas meals....

We got four appetizers and shared them... wonderful lunch.  During lunch Chad received an envelope.

 

Inside  was this...

We were about to go on a bookstore date!  I got the idea from here.  Really fun.  There were 2 other envelopes that had the plans.  Here are some pictures from our bookstore date, if you want to know why those pictures... check out the link above!

And yes I know the pictures are bad.... my medicine had worn off by this point...


For Part 2 we each had 30 minutes, and $10 dollars to run through the mall and buy each other a present.....

 I got Chad a cookie.....

 And a small container of olive oil from an olive oil store he loves.

And in true Irish fashion, Chad got me some clover earrings and some green nail polish to wear during March!  Now, I only need to learn how to paint my own nails.

For dinner, we went to our favorite deli, Molldeli's and got some pizza and sides for take out.  Since we were out all day and sick, we decided to spend the evening at home.  We watched Breaking Dawn and enjoyed time together.  It was a great Valentine's.

Valentine's Day Part 1!

Wow, it's been awhile. Seems holidays, illnesses, school, and well life have gotten in the way.  Hopefully things calm down now and I can start updating more regularly.  I have a lot to post.

First up, Valentine's Day!  Well some background for our day... we were both sick.  Chad was starting to feel better, I was doing horribly... in fact the next night I spent in the emergency room.  But that's a different story.

Sunday night I left this on our coffee table for him to find Monday morning.  It was sitting on top of the cup below.  At that time, only one slip was in the cup.  The rest were scattered around- on the toothpaste, in his lunchbox, wallet, on the cat food box....  They say such things as "I love you because..."  "You are an amazing..."  Etc...

Because of my unemployment and our tight money situation, we had said we would make gifts, not buy them....  Couldn't spend anything on them.  This was one of mine.  The cup was from a box full of valentines decorations my mom gave us at one of our wedding showers, the XO rocks I got from Target dollar bins a few weeks ago when I put all the Valentine's decorations up.  The rest I printed on the computer.  Monday night when he got home from work (really early Tuesday morning, since he doesn't get home till after midnight) we exchanged gifts. 

 This was one of the ones he made for me.  It says different thing as you spin it around.  Most of it he printed, but the little tab in the middle, holding it together is apparently from work, something medical, i think a vial cap or something.

 This was his other gift to me.  A year work of coupons for different things...  I have already used a foot massage one (and yes, he spelled it message, he didn't notice till after he printed them and didn't want to re-do them).  I have wanted to use others, but we both feel too miserable right now..

This was my second gift to him.  I will post a how-to for this one later.  It's a deck of cards that I put different things that I love about him on each card.

This was Chad's "illegal" gift to me.  I say illegal, because he spent money on it and we weren't supposed to!  I love it though.  Very beautiful and unique ring.  And it's orange...

This was my "illegal" gift to him... bathtub crayons.  We have been using them to write jokes, play games, and other silly things on our shower walls.


So that's the gifts... stay tuned for the fun, fairly inexpensive date!

Catch up

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.  Things have been quite busy for us since Thanksgiving, so I apologize for not getting anything new posted.  My goal the rest of this week is to get caught up.  I have a good sized list of posts for this blog as well as lots of recipes to go up on the food blog.  I was sick the whole week before Christmas and still feeling pretty out of it, so I am off to take a nap before I get started.