Today's ALDI Trip

I braved a shopping trip to ALDI today with J-Dub.  Not my favorite place to go, but they have great deals and it's worth making the trip.  If you haven't given ALDI a chance, you might try it out.  And don't give up after the first trip.  You may start finding things you like there.  Four things you should know before you go, though:

1. You have to deposit a quarter to get a cart, but don't worry - you can get it back when you return the cart at the end of your shopping trip.
2. They DO NOT bag your stuff up for you (like at Sam's).  You can purchase bags (paper or plastic) at the register, but you will roll your cart over to a counter to bag up your stuff if you choose to.  I bring my own recycled shopping bag.  Usually 1 does the trick for me because I don't purchase very much.
3. You can pay with cash or debit.  No credit cards.  No coupons.
4. The store isn't huge.  They don't carry hardly any name brand stuff.  Most of their products are sold under the ALDI brand (Fit and Active, Mercer, etc.).  BUT, ALDI works with big national suppliers to produce their products.  I pulled this from their website: 

ALDI partners with the best suppliers in the country—often the same ones that produce national brands. In addition, we have a test kitchen to ensure that our products meet or exceed the quality and taste of the national name brands.

 So, here's what I typically get when I go there:

1. Milk - Thanks to ALDI's presence in the market, milk prices have come down.  For a long time, you could get milk just about anywhere for about $1.  I've noticed that just recently, Walmart has increased their milk price to almost $2.  ALDI's price for a gallon of milk is $0.99.
2. Eggs - ALDI's egg prices have crept up, but I think they are still a reasonable price.  Eggs were $0.49 a few weeks ago and I think are now about  $0.79?  I didn't check because I didn't need any this trip, AND I know I can get them cheaper at Walmart right now.  Especially with my INCREDIBLE EGG coupon I printed a while back! 
3. Produce - This week (which I think the new ad cycle starts tomorrow, so really through the end of today), you can get a 6 pack of Roma tomatoes for $0.65, a 3lb bag of yellow onions for $0.75, a 3 pack of red/yellow/orange bell peppers for $1.69, and cucumbers for $0.55.
4. Snacks (mostly for J-dub) - Apple juice, Applesauce cups, graham crackers, chips (their Sour Cream and Onion, and BBQ chips are VERY similar to Lay's brand - I haven't tried their baked chips), dried fruits, nuts, granola bars.... we are NOT a fan of their "goldfish sharks" or their animal crackers.  I'm a cereal snob so I've never tried any of their cereals.
5. Boxed Pasta - very similar to Pasta Roni.  We fix this on lazy dinner nights.  Usually the Parmesan flavor and we'll throw in peas and shrimp, and fix a salad.  I think it's about $0.69 or 0.79 a box.

I haven't braved getting meat there yet.  And really, I think you can get a better deal elsewhere by checking ads.
 
I hope this posting gives you some courage to try out an ALDI near you.  If you've shopped there before and have favorites you buy at ALDI, please do share!
 
P.S. Please don't be like my friend Whitney and buy a CHEESEBALL on your first ALDI trip!  It'll keep you away forever! :)  Love ya Whit!

Valentine's Day at the Park

I know this post is LONG over due, but at least I'm getting it in before the end of the month!

A few of the girls in our Sunday School class got together last minute for a park playdate on Valentine's Day. It was a PERFECT day to be out!  The park had a sand volleyball court that Jack LOVED playing in.  We brought buckets and shovels and trucks for the boys to play with.

 Here's J-Dub with his buddy C.  These two have the most fun together!

 This picture cracks me up.  It looks like J is saying, "What are you doing over there, C?  I wonder if I should do that, too."

Can't wait for SPRING!  (And Summer, please don't come too soon because I don't like to sweat.)

Michelle's MUST-HAVES

Kelly's Korner's Show Us Your Life this week is... Beauty Secrets.  I'm linking up even though I'm probably NOT the most qualified to share any information on beauty tips!  I don't use a lot of beauty products.  I like makeup, but use the same 5 items: concealer, foundation, eyeliner, mascara and blush.  Always the same colors.  Nothing different unless it's a special occassion.  I sometimes go to bed without washing my face.  Gross, I know.  If I wash my face, it's just a Neutrogena cleanser.  So, you may not want to read any further, but I DO have a few MUST-HAVES that I can't hardly live without.

1. Clinique Superfit Foundation

I LOVE this stuff.  UNFORTUNATELY, it's been out of stock for the last year or so.  I've been salvaging what I have left (only DROPS) and have been holding out on trying something new.  The saleswomen at the department stores kept telling me that Clinique was just having a production issue with the product and that it may go back into production "soon".  A year later... and I didn't have any luck finding it until a couple weeks ago, but didn't know my color off hand so I couldn't get any.  From their website, it sounds like they aren't going to restock the product anymore.  Bummer.  I think a few places may have just gotten a small stock of it, so I may try to find my color for one more round of this awesome foundation.

I have SUPER STRAIGHT HAIR which means my hair lays FLAT on my head.  SO, when I want to feel pretty with super model hair, I use one of these products.  They both work great!

2a. Aveda Volumizing Tonic

2b. John Frieda Luxurious Volume Lavish Lift Root Booster

I have SUPER STRAIGHT HAIR which means my hair lays FLAT on my head. SO, when I want to feel pretty with super model hair, I use one of these products. They both work great!

After towel drying my hair, I'll spray either of these products to the root of my hair, working the product in.  Then, I blow dry my hair upside down and then style it as I usually would with a round brush.  What I love about both of these products is that they aren't sticky and don't leave flakes in your hair.  I don't use hairspray in my hair because of those reasons, and the smell of hairspray is too strong for me.

3. Biosilk Silk Therapy

I also have random hairs that stick straight up at my part line. I like this stuff to tame my "fly-aways".

This product lasts FOREVER because you don't need to use a ton of it.  I can usually get away with squirting less than a dime size into my palm to work into my hair.  And it doesn't leave your hair feeling greasy.

4. Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner

I ALWAYS had trouble with smudgy eyeliner until my friend Tasha told me about this stuff. (By the way, she also introduced me to the Biosilk!)  I heart this eyeliner!  I think it's the best "over the counter" find ever!

Can't wait to read about everyone else's beauty secrets!!

What's Cookin'?

J came home tonight from being gone a couple of days on a recruiting trip to the Motherland, i.e. College Station.  Yes, I was jealous.  He got to eat at Wings and More and saw some of our old professors and friends from college.  Trips like this make me miss working in the Construction Industry... almost.

Anyhoo, I figured since he probably ate out every meal that he should have a meal at home.  So I fixed this for dinner.

BBQ Chicken, Roasted Asparagus, and Biscuits

Nothing super fancy.  It's kind of a random combination, but it's what we had in the fridge and needed to use.  I didn't want the asparagus to go bad.  Ever run into that situation?

I marinated the chicken with Stubbs Chicken Marinade overnight.  J LOVES this stuff.

Then, 10 minutes before it was done in the oven, I brushed the chicken with some BBQ sauce.

On the asparagus: I tossed it on a baking sheet with some olive oil, sea salt, and course pepper, then cooked it in the oven on broil.  It took about 8-10 minutes.

The buscuits were frozen.  I'm all about easy there.

We didn't have anything for dessert, so I suggested we go around the block to McDonald's for some soft serve. 

Doesn't this photo make you salivate?  I LOVE McDonald's soft serve ice cream.  I even think it's better than Dairy Queen's!  If you've never had it, please go try some... and invite me along.  We were shocked when our two cones rang up for $1.06.  Not sure if the cones go on "sale" for the winter, but we were pleasantly surprised!

The only thing that stinks is I have to share my cone with J-Dub.  But he's worth it!

February Special - FREE Digital Files with Photo Session

My friend Liana is running another GENEROUS special for the month of LOVE.

If you book and pay for a photo session during the month of February, she will THROW IN all the edited, high resolution files from your session, WITH a copy of her signed release form for F-R-E-E!! The CD will contain anywhere from 25-35 photos, depending on what she is able to capture during your shoot.

The only requirement is that the session must be completed by the end of May 2011.

Here is a photo from her latest shoot. Isn't it precious?So book TODAY!! You can find out more information about the February special by clicking here.

I'm guessing you wish you had a generous friend like mine. :)

*Please note that the February special may not be combined with the Free Newborn Special offer.

Little J with Santa

I know it's already February, but I HAD to share these pictures because J-Dub looks like such a big boy! Here he is with Santa at Josh's company's Christmas party. I didn't get to make it with Josh this year, but our good friends the Kaminski's were able to take a few pictures of J-Dub for us. Thanks Erin and Russell!

"Who are you, and why is your hair so white??!""Oooo.... PRESENTS.....""A reindeer!"Doesn't he look so grown up?Love you J-Dub!