Aldi Feature: Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad

This is another Aldi product that I love.

I also like the regular chicken salad, but this one recently appeared in the store.  If you are a fan of a little sweet in your chicken salad (like me), this is definitely for you.  Just like the regular chicken salad, this one is all white meat chicken.  The cranberries and almonds gives it just the right bit of sweet and crunchy.  The price is also fantastic at under $5 for two pounds.  If I were to buy that much chicken salad at the deli counter of my local grocery store it would be more than twice that much.  This is perfect for a special little something for your lunch.  It's a treat I like to give myself on Saturday after being good all week!

Real Life Just Fab Boots

I joined Just Fab about eight months ago after seeing an ad on Facebook that promised no pair of shoes was priced over $39.95 and that if you bought one pair at regular price, the second pair was half price.  Intrigued, I promptly visited their website only to be disappointed that there were no real life shoes on the site.

Real life shoes?  That's what I said.  I know, I know - I see women wearing heels in real life often.  All I can say to that is, I don't know how they do it.  I can wear low heels all day at work but am usually sorry that I did at the end of the day.  I have LOTS of pairs of high heels, but they are NOT for my every day real life in which I actually have to DO things that consist of work.  They are for church or weddings or a rare date night with my husband.  There were lots of high heeled shoes and boots at Just Fab, but if I'm going to spend $40 on shoes, I need to get more wear out of them than that.

About three weeks ago, I got an e-mail from Just Fab.  They noticed I had registered for an account but had never purchased anything.  They offered me a sweeter deal - my first pair for $19.95 and free shipping.  Okay, now I was sure I could find something.  I was tickled to see this pair of lace up boots.

These types of lace up boots had been popular when I was in high school and college.  Apparently, they are back.  I have seen them in many fashion layouts this fall.  I felt eighteen again.  Well, not really.  But that's okay.  Eighteen wasn't the greatest for me anyway.  I did love these boots, though.

 They can be worn cuffed down like this or laced up all the way which makes them versatile.  They were perfect for a day at the pumpkin patch today and comfortable.  Real life shoes. 

Kim       

A Wreath for All Seasons

I saw several initial wreaths on Pinterest that inspired me to make one of my own.  Some of the wreaths I saw were selling for quite a bit of money on Etsy sites.  There really wasn't that much to them.  I decided to give it a go myself.  I had a grapevine wreath I had found at Dollar Tree, a wooden letter H that I bought at Hobby Lobby for 40% off thanks to my handy cell phone coupon app, and some fabric daisies that I thought would be nice for June.  I painted the H a cream color, wired it on, and stuck the daisies through the wreath.

I was pretty happy with the results especially since I got the job done for under $10. Then it occurred to me, I could keep changing this throughout the year.  I bought another H, painted it red, and found some red, white, and blue roses for July.  Total price for the changes - about $6.

Next up was August.  At my house, it's all about sunflowers in August.  This was a simple re-do.  I used the same letter from June and bought one of these huge burlap sunflowers for about $4.

With September came apples...same red letter from July and some plastic apples on the branch.

 

 

 

For October, I was thinking plastic pumpkins, but I ran across some fabric flowers at Dollar Tree that I really liked.  I had never thought about how nice purple is with orange, but I really like the way this turned out.  I went with these fall flowers instead and painted over the cream H with some orange craft paint I already had.  Total cost for the revamp - $3.

I may or may not change the wreath for November.  A lot of my October decorations for my house also work for November.  I have some pumpkins I switch out with turkeys and pilgrims.  This version would be fine for November, but I may find something I like better.  Another plus with this system is that I don't have to find storage for five (so far) different wreaths!  I have a box that I'm keeping all the monthly doodads in.  Next year, I'll just stick them back on.  Perfect!

Please take a minute to follow my blog!  I'm just getting started!

Kim

Aldi Feature : Beaumont Pumpkin Spice Coffee

I am not a big fan of flavored coffees.  The majority of the time, I can't even tell the difference in the flavor.  With a lot of flavored coffees it's more about the smell than the taste in my opinion.  During my weekly Friday trip to Aldi I came upon this:

I am so ready for fall.  This has been one of the hottest back to school years in my teaching career.  The idea of a pumpkin flavored coffee said "fall" to me.  I thought if I made this, it might magically trigger the weather to what it should be in October.  When I brewed a pot of this coffee this morning, I could definitely smell the pumpkin spice.  What surprised me was that I could also see and taste the difference in this coffee.  It was a beautiful amber colored brown as I poured it into my cup.  I added my stevia and creamer (both from Aldi incidentally) and tasted it.  It was ahhhh-mazing!  Even my husband, who loves his standard coffee, liked it.  What a great fall treat!  Best of all?  Only $4.99 for the bag!  I think I'll be picking up a few of these for some autumn-themed gift baskets as well.  Kim

Thrift Store Thursday: Brown Zebra

I bought this skirt this summer for $3 at my local thrift store.  I am such a sucker for animal print: leopard, zebra, python, tiger - just about anything you'd find at the zoo.  I also picked up a brown Anne Klein top at for $3 to go with it.  Then I started looking at different fashion blogs and realized how boring this combo was.

My eight year old son took this picture.  I was laughing at something he said.  Also, take note of the photobombing black pug to the left.

 

 

I never realized how safe I play it with combinations I put together until I started looking at these other blogs.  I decided to try something I never would have even considered before and paired this skirt with a dark chambray shirt.

 

How did I never think of this before?

 

Kim       



Thrift Store Thursday: Black and Cream Giraffe?

This outfit came in at under $7 before tax.  I kid you not.

Love the print of the skirt. It's giraffe....maybe.

 

 

The top is from The Limited. I loved the neckline and am amazed that it covered my bra straps.  When I saw it on the hanger at the thrift store, I liked it but was sure I would have to get a special bra to wear it with.  "Why is it so much trouble to be a woman?" I thought to myself with a sad inward sigh. I was wrong, though (about the top anyway- I stand by my comment that  it is a lot of trouble to be a woman).   This makes it even more perfect as far as I'm concerned.  Price? $3.50.  The skirt is from the Merona line at Target.  While these skirts are reasonably priced at retail, it makes it all the more sweet when you find one in mint condition for $3.00 at the thrift store. I'm a big fan of animal print.  Okay, I'm not actually sure it is animal print.  It kind of looks like giraffe, but it's black and cream.  Either way, I love it.  It's hard to see it, but I am also wearing a fabulous green enamel flower pin I found for $1 on the cowl of the blouse.  I have a collection of pins and am trying to wear them more often. 

 

Kim

 

 





Thrift Store Thursday : Anniversary Shoes

If you would have told me that a year ago I would be buying shoes at a thrift store, I would have thought that meant that I lost my job at some point between then and now.  Rest assured, I am still gainfully employed, but since then I have found many a great pair at my favorite thrift store.  I found these great Jones New York heels for about $8 this summer.  They looked like they had barely been worn. I love these because not only are they a little sexy, they are super comfortable.  You don't believe me, right?  They really are.  And I am a person who gets extremely crabby if my shoes are hurting my feet. I'm not sure why they are so comfortable.  They certainly don't look like they should be.  I have worn these to church and to the theater (Spamalot! - I definitely recommend it!) and out to dinner and a movie to celebrate my eleventh wedding anniversary.

You can almost see them here.  Our ten year old took this picture of us before we went out on our anniversary date.

 

Kim

 

 



Bistro Set Take Two

We bought this little bistro set four years ago.   We had a small deck area where we needed some seating. It was lime green when we bought it.  Weird, I know.  Most bistro sets like this are black.  When we got it home, I promptly asked my husband to spray paint it black because of this.  Unfortunately, that did nothing for it.  It sat on our small deck for four years and was never used. I always like the flowers on the back of the chair, though, and the price was right.   This set was about $70, if I remember correctly.

 

Sad, old bistro set

 

Fast forward four years. We now have a larger deck my husband built that attaches to the small deck area we had before.  I decided I could revive this set for more much-needed seating.  Rather than ask my husband to spray paint it again, I decided I would do it myself.  I found some bright, cheery chair cushions that were on clearance at Wal-Mart.  I decided to spray paint the table and chairs with two different colors from the cushions.  My husband looked at me like I was nuts when I told him I was going to paint the chairs a different color than the table. I reminded him that he is color blind.  Really.  Like he flunked the test with the numbers and the green and orange dots.  He came around when he saw the end result.

 

 

 

Happy, new bistro set

 

I used Krylon's Cherry Red and Blue Ocean Breeze.  I was so happy with the results and the fact that I didn't have to buy new furniture.  I love this more than anything new I would have found!

 

 

Kim

 

 

 



Thrift Store Thursday: Not Your Basic Black Pencil Skirt

I bought this black skirt this summer for about $6. 

There are many things I love about it.  Here are just a few:

1. The price, of course
2. It's a basic that can be worn with all kinds of things
3. It has some stretch to the waistband.  That's always a good thing.
4. The detail at the hem

As the title suggests, it's more than just basic.  It has this little pleating around the hem which makes it just a little sexy-secretary-esque (I make up words sometimes.  Just go with it.)

You can see that detail a little better here.

Even though I got it back in June, I hadn't worn it until September.  It seemed more like a fall/winter item.  I wore it to church last week.  Can you see my awesome Sofft shoes?  I wrote about those on my other blog.  You can find that here. 

I probably wouldn't have tried this skirt on in a department store because:

1. Too expensive - It would've have cost a LOOOOOOT more.
2. It wouldn't have wowed me on the hanger.  The effect is much better when you're wearing it.
3. I would have been drawn to a lot of other stuff in a department store like the things I already own.

Number three on that list is one more reason I like shopping at the thrift store.  The selection is limited, so you find yourself trying on things you normally wouldn't.  Sometimes what you're drawn to becomes all you own.  It's good to expand your horizons.

Kim

Homemade Crockpot Applesauce

A co-worker of my husband's owns what used to be an orchard.  He hasn't kept it up since it wasn't profitable, but there are still a number of trees that are producing.  This week this is what he gave my husband on Thursday.

Free fruit?  The answer is always yes.



These apples are on the smaller side, but they pack a punch in flavor.  I knew it was time to get out the crockpot and make some applesauce.  After searching Pinterest for a recipe, I noticed they all had pretty much the same ingredients.  So I just peeled and cut up 20 apples, dumped in some white and brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and a bit of water.  I tasted one of two of the apple bits to see if it was sweet enough.  Tasted good to me, so I popped on the top of the crockpot and let it cook on low for about six hours.

I actually could have just eaten this with a spoon.  I always use a crockpot liner.  These things are one of the greatest inventions ever!

 

We had a football game to go to but when we got home the house smelled amazing.  I mashed up the apples with a potato masher and then ran them through my food processor.  Ta-da!  Homemade applesauce.

 

We'll leave one out to eat and freeze the rest.  We have a food saver that vacuums all the air out of bags and seals them.  This has been a great investment.  We use it for when I make a big old pot of soup or lasagna.  Half of it goes into the freezer for a quick meal at a later date.  My husband had the brilliant idea to freeze more liquid-y things in containers first, then pop them out and vacu-seal them.  This is great because you don't have to worry about the liquid getting sucked up into the machine.  So I put the applesauce into these two little containers.  Once they're frozen, they'll go into a food saver bag to be vacu-sealed.

 

 

These containers were what my deli lunch meat comes in at Aldi.  I've been washing them out and saving them.  They are perfect for freezing things that are made in big batches into reasonable portions.  I used them for the salsa we made and then froze a couple of weeks ago. I also use them when I make a huge batch of refried beans in the crockpot.

Now I only have to do this about ten or fifteen more times to use up all these apples.  Hmmm.  Maybe I better get back to Pinterest to find some other recipes.



Kim

I Heart Aldi!

I had only been in Aldi a couple of times before last spring.  It seemed a weird set up to me.  I knew a couple of people who shopped there who loved it.  That's why I thought it was worth a shot.  But after going in and out a couple of times, I just didn't get it.  I left both times and went to Wal-Mart like I always had.

And then I came across this post by Gimme Some Oven.  Her three part series which includes "Why I Shop at Aldi", "How To Shop at Aldi" and "What To Buy at Aldi" is more comprehensive than anything I could put together here.  You should just read it.  Sufficed to say, I get it now.  Thank you.  I even get such satisfaction now out of taking my own bags and containers.  No more overflowing drawer of Wal-Mart of Kroger bags.  Thank you.  Thank you so much.

My plan is to highlight items I've purchased at Aldi that I love or meals I've made with items from Aldi.  I hope these posts will help convince you to try it.  I wish I had years ago!

Kim

Thrift Store Thursday : Open House Dress

I haven't always been a thrift shopper.  I am a recent convert.  You can read about my introduction to my thrift store on my personal blog here.   I love my new thrift store.  It's like all the best stuff at a rummage sale without all the crap and having to wake up at 5:00 A.M.   I'll be trying to share my nifty thrifty finds in my weekly feature Thrift Store Thursday.  Maybe I'll convert a few newbies out there to give it a shot.

I'm not sure why I can't get a smile I like in a photo. :/

I found this dress for $8 at the beginning of the summer on my second or third trip to my thrift store.  The brand is Spense, which they sell at Macy's among other places.  I love polka dots.  I also love that is has a kind of retro fifties vibe.  I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a dress like this on Mod Cloth for ten times the price I paid for it.  I've worn it to church.  It also rated high enough with me to be my Open House dress at the beginning of the school year.  Not just any dress gets to be my Open House dress.  It was surprising cool for Open House (nothing like the heat wave we've experienced this week) so I paired it with a yellow cardigan.  I also plan to wear it with a red cardigan and red flats once it gets a bit cooler out.  Can't wait for that!

Kim

Aldi Feature: Chicken Caesar Salad

Today I'm sharing a favorite meal we had this summer featuring some products from Aldi I love!  Using their romaine hearts...

Tuscan Garden brand Caesar salad dressing...

 

 

Tuscan Garden croutons...

and shredded Priano parmesan cheese...

 

Just dump them all together on your plate, add some grilled chicken (sorry Aldi, I get my chicken breasts from Market Day to help out my kids' school), and you've got yourself a restaurant quality Caesar chicken salad.

 

Seriously, so good.

 

I like a little bread with my salad.  Who am I kidding?  I like a little bread with everything.  I used a store bought French bread loaf to make this recipe from The Pioneer Woman for the bread.  So easy and so worth it.

 

As I mentioned, this is especially good for those hot weather days when you just don't want a hot, heavy meal.  Hope you'll give it a try!

 







Kim

Aldi Feature: Milk and Cookies

I am so enamored of these cookies it's somewhat embarrassing.  That being said, I love to bake so finding store bought cookies that are better than my homemade cookies is not an easy task.  These do the trick.

 

I'm not sure if these are a year round item or not.  They've been there since I started shopping at Aldi in the spring.  Right now they are a "special buy" at $1.99 a box.

 

The maple cream in the middle is what makes these cookies so special.  It's rich. It's decadent. It's maple-y (?). It's plentiful.  The vanilla sandwich cookie is crunchy but not too sweet.  One or two (or three) of these is my treat on a Friday after work. The cookie is great with a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk.

 

Speaking of milk...

 

This is a crazy good price for milk.  I used go out of my way to go to Walgreen's or CVS when milk was on sale, until I discovered it is always 10 cents cheaper at Aldi where I was already making a weekly stop. But this is an even better price than usual.  We're talking about 80 cents cheaper than it usually is at Aldi! We're big milk drinkers at my house, so you can bet I loaded up on this sale.  But wait...

"No way!" is what I literally said out loud when I saw the price for skim milk this week.  My husband and I both drink skim milk, so we actually go through more of it than the 2% the kids drink.  I bought 5 gallons of  milk this week.  The limit was 6, and I'm thinking I should have just gone ahead and hit the limit.  We have an extra refrigerator in our garage so there's not a storage problem.  So now I have ice cold milk to go along with my incredible cookies! What could be better?

Kim





Welcome!

Hi! I'm Kim.  I blog over at An Antisocial Butterfly.  I decided to start another blog where I would just focus on budgeting and bargaining.  I'm a wife and mother of two.  I've been an elementary school teacher for going on 19 years this fall.   I didn't marry until I was 32 and had my daughter and son at 33 and 35.  After only being financially responsible for myself for about ten years, I had barely gotten used to running a two person household when I got married before I had a full fledged family.  As my kids got older and started school and we moved into a larger house, I realized we needed to make adjustments in how we budget our money.  I'll be sharing some of the things that have helped me over the past ten years or so.  I hope you'll stop by often A Bargain Butterfly often!

Kim