Welcome to the NEW Tuesday’s Trips Blog Hop hosted by The Coupon Challenge and Mom on Dealz! Instead of a shopping trip linky we’ve decided to change over to a traditional blog hop.

Each week we will be visiting a new social network. Make sure you check back each week to see where we’ll be!

• Follow your hostesses in the #1 and #2 spots
• Leave a comment, so we can follow you back
• Only link up to the network we are visiting for the week
• It’s always appreciated that if someone follows you, you follow them back (we all love to find new friends!)

I had a pretty slow mailbox week again, but did get a couple products for review/giveaway.

-Forbes Magazine
-All You Magazine (free from promo I did with Willow House)
-Kohls coupons
-Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons
-TRESemme samples & coupon
-Garnier sample & coupon
-Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 Disk (review/giveaway coming in December)
-EZ Sox – LuLu took those already 🙂 (review/giveaway coming in December)

1. Follow the hostesses in the first four spots (We will follow you back! Just please leave a comment letting us know that you are following us!)
2. Please only link up the network that is being hopped that specific week.
3. No spam please. These will be removed. 
4. It would be wonderful if you are linking up this week if you could add our button to your sidebar or in a post to help spread the word! 🙂 The more people that join, the more fun it will be! (Plus if you add our button to your sidebar you can grab 5 extra entries into any ONE giveaway!)
5. If someone follows you please feel free to follow them back! If you follow me and leave a comment you are guaranteed a follow back!

Welcome to the last post of the How to Save on Meat series!  Today I’ll finish up saving on meat in the kitchen. You can read the previous saving on meat posts if you’re just tuning in.

–Make meat a side: It seems customary to think of meat as the main dish, so it’s usually the largest portion served in meals.  Instead, use smaller meat portions and load up on the veggies.  You may also want to cut large pieces of meat such as chicken breasts in half before serving.

–Use less meat in meals: Consider using less than the recommended amount of meat in prepared meals.  You can add in additional veggies, carbs or beans to compensate for using less meat.

• use less in soups
• use less in casseroles
• use less in pasta dishes

–Use the crockpot:  The crockpot (or slow cooker) is great for cooking meat!  It helps all the meat to literally “fall off the bone” and keeps everything tender & juicy.  You don’t want to trash bones with good meat still on them! A few other ways to reduce meat waste:

• Use drippings to make soup or stock
• Boil a chicken carcass for Chicken Noodle soup
• Boil a ham bone for Navy Bean soup

–Freeze before spoils: One of the biggest ways to waste money on meat is to not use it (and other foods) before they spoil.  Make sure to freeze leftovers that will not be consumed within a few days.  You can always freeze the last little bit of meat with extra potatoes and corn together in a foil pan making a frozen dinner.  The portion is perfect for sending as a work lunch or as a quick dinner.

Next up, Saving on Produce

What are your tips for saving on meat and produce? Comments left that are not on my notes, will be added in a separate post at the end of the series.

This post is linked to Life as Mom,  Madame Deals and My Coupon Teacher

The holidays are approaching, FAST.  I’m working on getting my house (and the blog if time) more organized.  I’m sure many of you have family coming into town, will be hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas or just need to get ready for the mass amount of stuff the kids will be getting this Christmas. 

I’ve decided to tackle a room every other day or two.  Today was the dreaded playroom.  I thought I just did this?!  I was able to sneak a ton of stuff into the yard sale pile and the trash.  LuLu and I were finally got all the toys back in their designated baskets and containers after 2 hours! 

I still have 2 containers full of puzzle pieces that will be a family activity tonight.  What better way to spend an evening than having a family fun night with a huge pile of puzzle pieces in the middle of the floor?  Maybe I should just trash them all and go to the Dollar Store?  Hmmm

A few of the rooms will be easy and take 30 minutes.  My office may take 3 days.  Okay, maybe 2.  I think I’ll save that room for last…

Let me know if you’ve been getting organized for the holidays!

Photo Credit: SmartMall

I recently had the opportunity to try SafetyTat Temporary Tattoos.  I believe SafetyTat products could be beneficial to your family, so I wanted to mention the new line of peel-and-stick safety tattoos available.  Quick Stick Write-On! is now available with new Princess designs, new Sports designs, new Zoo designs, and a whole lot of Variety!

SafetyTat also offers free shipping on orders over $19.