Where is Isabella the Elf?

Isabella the Elf has been at our house for several weeks now. Buying the Elf on the Shelf was the best decision ever made. My daughter is excited every morning to get up and go look for Isabella. We did not want to scare our daughter, so for the first several weeks, we started off with simple placement of the Elf.
One mistake I have already made is that I forgot to move her one night. Usually my husband will pick up my slack, but both of us forgot that night. Our daughter woke up and found her in the same place. I had to think of something real fast, so I said to our daughter: I thought you walked by her last night and accidentally brushed her with your arm. My daughter was devastated. So I told her to go tell Isabella what she wanted for Christmas and that she was sorry that she accidentally touching her. When my daughter was eating breakfast and not looking I rushed to move the Elf.


Isabella on our Christmas Tree.
  We have noticed that Isabella has a thing for our living room and all the Christmas decorations.
Isabella must miss Santa. We find her by the many Santa's a lot.

She sometimes hangs out in the kitchen above the sink.

Isabella wanted to wrap up in a towel too.

 Here lately Isabella has been sorta silly.
Above the stove, she is watching to make sure our daughter cleaned her plate at supper.

She found a toy.


This was where Isabella sat the first day.


 I will post more as the of the spots Isabella appears in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This is so much fun.





I have linked this blog to following blogs:


Raising Imperfection

A full bodied parakeet barked

Good Evening everyone. I am trying to sign up for PayPerPost. I was told during the application process to create blog post using the sentence below to see if my blog is a real blog.

A full bodied parakeet barked

If a full bodied parakeet barked at me, I think I would run. I am terrified of birds and will not get near them.
So there would not be any parakeet barking at me.

Have a Great Night.

Mid Week Inspiration

Today the Nifty Thrifty Family turned 3 months old. I am still just a baby blogger in a big sea of bloggers, but I am thankful to make it to this milestone. Thank you for helping me make it this far. Today the Mid Week Inspiration comes from the book of 1 Thessalonians.  

In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

Utilizing your Smart Phone

I hope everyone got everything they needed for Christmas on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. I am almost done with my shopping. I just wished my husband would tell me what he wants for Christmas. If you are not done shopping, I hope this post will help you save money. I only try to buy items that are on sale. But sometimes the sale price in one store is not the best sell price out on the market. Instead of running from one store to the next looking for the best price, utilize your smart phone. There is some great apps that are awesome and free, that will show you where the best deal is at. I have four apps on my phone that I use and they are:

Snaptell
Lets you take a picture of the item, scan a bar code or enter a title or bar code number. This app will give you online prices and local prices.

Red laser
 lets you type the name or the bar code or scan the item.

Amazon app
allows you to scan the bar code  or type in the product. Here you can see what is selling for online.

eBay
is another great app. If the buy it now price and shipping is cheaper you can save some big bucks.

If you know of any other good apps please let me know. The above apps are for an IPhone. But I am sure if you have another phone there is apps that will do the same thing,

Please note I am not being paid or compensated in any way to talk about these companies. I am only sharing ways to help you save money.

Pat's Yummy Meatballs

Meatballs are the best thing to serve at parties. One of my friends gave me this recipe and it is the bomb. This recipe can be prepped in under 2 minutes flat. This recipe would make for a great addition to any Christmas Party or New Years Eve Party.

Home style meatballs from your local grocery store. I buy from Kroger and I purchase the ones that are made with Romano cheese
1/2 cup Smucker apricot preserves
1/4 cup Heinz chili sauce.

Place all ingredients in the crock pot on low until they are warm.



 I have linked this to the following parties:
http://raegunwear.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-we-wore-read-and-made-link-party_27.html

My Christmas Decor in my living room

This is my favorite time of the year. I love Christmas. This year has been more exciting for me than ever. I have a new home that I have never decorated before for Christmas. How exciting is that? Since I am a big Black Friday shopper and I have family that comes from out of town to go shopping with me, I try to have my Christmas decor out, so they can see it and enjoy it.

Check out our clip of Black Friday shopping that the Courier Journal newspaper took of us shopping at Kohls Thursday night. Yes my family was 2nd in line.
Louisville shoppers seek big deals in the wee hours

This year decorating was a challenge within its self. My previous home had 9 foot ceilings and I own a 9 foot Prelit Christmas tree. My new home has 8 foot ceilings. Since my husband and I are trying to become debt free, buying a new Christmas tree was out of the question. Thoughts of trying to cut my Christmas tree came to mind. But I was thankful this year, because my Mom had a 7 foot tree in her attic. She had not used that tree for years and after many weeks of begging, she finally gave it to me.
So no more waiting here is my inside Christmas decor in my living room.

My Christmas Tree
My Banister
Top of Banister looking down

Inside view of banister

Bottom of the Banister

My Daughter had to have her Christmas Tree in the Living Room with the big tree


I have a lot of Santas.

















My sofa table, that we will be hanging the stockings for Christmas Eve. 


That's it folks. This is my living room for Christmas.
Merry Christmas!

I have linked this post to the following Parties:
 http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

http://www.mygirlishwhims.com

 http://www.houseontheway.com/deck-the-halls-party-featuring-christmas-trees/





Mid Week Inspirational Quote - Thanksgiving

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday in America, I am thankful for my wonderful family. I am so blessed to have a magnificent husband..  A delightful, beautiful daughter, who lights up my world everyday. I am blessed to have a roof over my head, a job, health insurance and wonderful friends.  This Thursday as we sit around the table and fill up on turkey and all of the fixings and start to stand line for Black Friday sales, we need to be thankful for the Pilgrims and the Founders of our Country and our Creator and Maker Jesus Christ.


We give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The one who is and who was and who is to come, Because you have taken your great power and reigned. Revelation11:17 NKJV

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.

I would love it, if you would  leave a comment, post on the Nifty Thrifty Family Facebook page or Tweet @NiftyFamily, what you are thankful for? God Bless.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

One of my good friends made this cake several years ago and I fell in love with it. I have made this cake several times and it is a big hit with my family. This is going to be one of my desserts for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. I believe this cake is on the weight watchers program, I recall my friend telling me something about that when she was telling me how to make it years ago. Who cares weight watchers or not it is fantastic and your family will truly enjoy this dessert.

Ingredients:
1 box Spice Cake
1 can pumpkin
1 tub of Cool Whip

Combine Pumpkin and Spice Cake mix together and bake per instructions on the cake box. Do not follow the cake ingredients on the box, just the time. Take out of oven, cool, and serve with Cool Whip.



Ranch Pork Chops

Last Saturday I made the best pork chops ever.  It took me less than 3 minutes to prep the meal. What I loved most about this recipe was that it was made entirely in the crock pot. If you have never made pork chops in the crock pot, just let me say pork chops + crock pot = yummy. All you need is four simple ingredients.




Packet of Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix
1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 packet of pork chops (It can be with or without the bone)
water

Just place all of the ingredients in the crock pot and fill the left over can of Cream of Chicken Soup with water and pour in. Make sure you mix the ingredients up well. Cook on low for 7 hours.




This meal would be great with mashed potatoes, rice, or if your family is like mine pork chops and butter noodles.  I have to give thanks to Pinterest and the Picky-Palate for this yummy recipe. Please let me know what you think of the recipe if you try it.
Enjoy!

Money Saving Tip #3.

When you move to another home you get to see first hand how much of a hoarder you have become. We lived in our first home for nine years and we accumulated quit a bite of stuff. I am also one of those people who can not let go of things very easily either. Just ask my sister n law, she had a field day helping us move. It was one junk drawer after another. I knew I had a lot of stuff, but I did not see it until we moved. I literally had a moving sale and was selling most items for 25 cents.When the moving sale was over there was a ton of stuff left over and I still did not get rid of the stuff (Hint hoarder). Well I would like to say there is no more hoarding. I loaded up my SUV and made a trip to the Goodwill. It felt so great to be free of that stuff. I am so blessed, I wished I would have gave that stuff away sooner.

So the money saving tip of the week is..... Donating clothing, household goods, cars, and etc is a great way to remove the clutter in your home and it is a tax write off too. My family is always looking for ways to itemize on our tax’s. When donating to the Goodwill or most other places they give you a receipt for your tax’s. Make sure you just don't lose the receipt, because it is the only one you will receive.
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Mid Week Inspirational Quote

Mid Week Inspirational Quote 

 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. Philippians 3:13 KVJ

I think I really need to read this verse everyday. I need to learn that I need to not dwell in the past.

Money Saving tip #2

Money Saving tip #2 

Have you ever thought about dropping your cable or satellite provider? I pondered on this for almost a year. We were paying $170 for basic cable, dvr, 2 box’s, cable internet and home phone. Finally I had enough with our cable provider, they were raising our rates every year. I decided to drop cable and our home phone. That was $130 a month in savings, that is $1,560 a year. We have not missed it one bit, and we have enjoyed the extra savings. It has actually made our family closer. With all the extra money I have noticed we go to the movies and we buy videos more. Don’t think we are totally with out television. We do have a digital antenna (scored that on eBay for $7). We also stream a lot of stuff on the computer and on our ipad. Did you know you can watch Disney Junior, Disney XD, Disney Channel, ABC Family, and ABC on the internet? If you own an apple product that streams you can stream all of your apps thru an Apple TV. If you are serious on getting out of debt or just saving money, I highly recommend thinking about giving cable a boot.

Where is Isabella the elf at today?

Today my family started a new tradition. An elf named Isabella appeared at our front door this afternoon.  When I got home from work today, I place the box and the package of the skirt on the front porch. I rang the doorbell and ran to the back door. My daughter meet me at the back door telling me that the door bell was ringing. So my husband and her went to check out who was ringing the bell. To all of our surprise, Santa had sent Isabella the elf to us already. So we had to start our new tradition today.

We placed her skirt at the bottom of the lamp, so when she flies back to the North Pole tonight she will magical put her skirt on.
I wonder where Isabella will be out tomorrow? I will keep you all posted at least once a week or more, of all the places that Isabella the elf has decided to sit.

Yummy Pumpkin Pie Bars


Yummy Pumpkin Pie Bars



1 1/2 cup of sugar
2 large eggs
1 can pumpkin (15oz)
1/4 cup water
2 cups self rising flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice

Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan

In a bowl, mix 2 eggs, pumpkin, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and water, mix well. Place mixture in a greased 9x13 pan.

In seperate bowl, mix cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. I tried to place the cream cheese mixture over the pumpkin mix in the pan. It did not turn out so I just stirred the cream cheese mixture in with the pumpkin.



Before baking I sprinkled some pumpkin spice on the top. (This is optional)
Bake for about 40-45 minutes.

Let cool and then cut in to bars.

Enjoy!!!



Hill Crest Avenue 2012

Halloween Night 2012

Hi everyone! We went to a street that is called Hill Crest Avenue on Halloween night. This street totally gets into the spirit of Halloween and I wanted to show you some of the pics that I took of the homes that was there. The homes on this street goes all out. It is amazing to see some of the decorations.

This picture and the one below is all from the same house. This was my 2nd favorite one.

This decorations is totally neat. Who would have thought to dig a hole and place a skeleton?

This was my favorite decoration.

The Grim Reaper in the picture is real. He would try his best to scare you. He would stand still unto you walked by.

Look at the detail to those skeletons. WOW!

This one was very neat too!

We had a blast on Halloween night and I wish I could share the rest of the pictures with you. I took so many that I had to pick out my favorites. If you notice the pics were taken during the evening hours, because this street gets very crowded and very scary when the sun goes down. With having a four year old it would have been way to scary for her. Hope you all had a Happy Halloween.