Frugal Friday-Lights, Audience, Action! "Free" theater tickets!!

One of our favorite ways to celebrate the holidays and save money on quality, family oriented entertainment is to volunteer at a theater in a large town not far from us. We are privileged to have access to a high quality, Christian based theater that produces season after season of fun, thought provoking and highly rated entertainment. We began ushering about 12 - 13 years ago when our girls were just old enough to take tickets, greet people at the door, work the concession at intermission or assist people to their seats. It has been a rewarding experience on several levels; creating family memories, usually spiritually uplifting, and last-but not least-financially beneficial. My husband and I have also organized group trips to the theater for our home Bible Study group and often several of us will usher in lieu of paying the $70/per couple or so for tickets. Here's how it works: we call ahead to secure the time slot of the show we would like to see. (They usually take about 6 volunteers per show.) We arrive one hour before curtain time, discuss our position for the evening with the house manager and then work our "spot". At curtain time, we are then released to find empty seats and sit amidst the audience to enjoy the show. During intermission, a few of us serve drinks at the concession stand. We then join the other patrons to enjoy the rest of the production. At the end of the show we stand by the theater exits and thank people for coming, then proceed to clean up trash and position seats in preparation for the next performance. For our volunteer time we are reimbursed, not only with free admission to that shows performance, but we are also given vouchers to return to the theater to watch the current offering again. This covers us if the show we usher for is totally sold out and we are unable to find seats to sit and enjoy the show the evening that we are there working. (this has never happened to us) So, in effect, we are each given two opportunities to view the show in exchange for about 1 1/2 hour of volunteering. At $32-$38 per ticket...you can see what a GREAT opportunity this is for a family to attend the theater for "free" and also have tickets left over to use again or give away. The Christian theater we attend (The A.D. Players) is rated one of the BEST in the entire country and we really enjoy our involvement with them. This theater was founded in 1967 by Jeannette Clift George who "pioneered a unique style of theater committed to producing plays and programs that uphold human value, offer creativity, and promote literacy and education." You may recognize Jeannette as the lead actress (Corrie Ten Boom) in the movie "The Hiding Place". So... get out the phone book, look in the newspaper and check around where you live to see if there are any untapped opportunities yet to be discovered! If you currently have a theater or symphony your family enjoys attending, call and see how you would go about signing up for their ushering program. Your quest may bring you to an enjoyable endeavor that also becomes a favorite family tradition...especially around the holidays!!

Frugal Friday-Going, Going, Gone!!!

Thanks to Crystal @ Biblical Womanhood for hosting a list of ideas related to making those hard earned dollars stretch just a little further! Since this is a "Frugal Fridays" post, it is apropos to mention one of our favorite cost cutting activities: Friday night auction!! When we were first married, we-like so many young couples, furnished our home in what we affectionately called "Early Attic". Most of our furniture came from either garage sales or used pieces no longer needed by our parents. We were thrilled to acquire such pieces and begin incorporating them in to our "newlywed decor". Often times the item would need refinished, reglued or redone in some fashion...but hey... the price was right and we were motivated! As time went on and our family grew, we added household items or retired other pieces as needed. Several years back, as our girls began "leaving the nest" for college and needed assistance in setting up their own living arrangements we felt like it would be a good time for a decor change for us as well. Now it was our turn to pass on those familiar items that the girls grew up with and would enjoy mixing "the old with the new" in their own homes. We began re-evaluating and plotting our style change. So, from time to time when we were in the market for a piece of furniture or other household type item, we learned to check out the local auction houses first. One of the advantages of living near a "port city" is that we have a large selection of local auction houses that import a nice collection of furniture from over seas. We have been lucky enough to win the bid on one beautiful French Armoire, one French sideboard, a nice bookshelf unit, and as of last Friday night we are now the proud owners of a new, 100% wool oriental rug for our living room. We had been avoiding the auction house for the past several months as we didn't have the money saved for the next items needed on our "wish list". But last week was the week we could begin attending auction...and we hit the jackpot! We have been remodeling and the next two items from our wish list were things that could possibly be purchased at auction. The rug we won the bid on last week was there on consignment from a local oriental rug shop that is closing it's doors. We got to speak with the owner and get information on this particular rug before we bid. We won the bid within our limit, purchased it for 86% off retail price (we have spent hours shopping for rugs so we knew the value going in) and walked away happily marking one more thrifty purchase off our list! If you are in the market for household items and tired of running from garage sale to garage sale or looking in the newspaper for quality used items... try looking in the yellow pages or search the internet and see if you have any reputable auction houses nearby. It makes for a fun Friday night date and you just may land yourself a great deal!!
Suggestions:
**Know the market, shop around enough to know what is a good value and help you establish your price range.
**If you are new to auctions and bidding... plan to attend auctions for several weeks just to watch how to go about bidding. There are a few "tricks of the trade" that are helpful to know.
**When you become an informed buyer, you will know basically what "ceiling price" you are willing to pay for the desired item. Stick within your budget!! When we bought our French Amroire, we had been looking for just the right one for over a year. When we saw this particular piece, we knew this was the one!! Because another bidder also wanted the piece, it soon became a "price war". We did end up going a little over our originally desired budget, however, we also knew that we would still be getting the piece for about 1/2 of what we would have to pay in a store. Because it was exactly what we had been waiting patiently for, and we knew the value of the piece, we were willing to increase our amount enough to win the bid. On the other hand I have bid on several items over the years and let them go to another bidder because the price climbed over our limit. So, know your market and be willing to wait for that "perfect piece".

"The Scandal"

I'm sure most of you have heard of the news this week of Ted Haggard. Please remember to pray for Ted, his wife Gayle, and their church-New Life Church. Tim Challies wrote a gracious and thought provoking article for your consideration: http://www.challies.com/archives/002181.php
As a married woman, my heart goes out to Gayle and the difficult road ahead for her personally and for their family. An article from our Monday's newspaper quotes her as saying: "My test has begun; watch me. I will try to prove myself faithful..." Although I don't know these people personally, I want to join others in praying for God to intervene and show HIS FAITHFULNESS in their lives. May God be given the glory through these hard times.

Crock Pot Recipe - Easy Beef

Another addition to sharing favorite crock pot recipes...

Crock Pot Easy Beef
(Can freeze leftovers)
Use any cut of meat (roast, round steak, etc)
1 can French Onion Soup
1 can Golden Mushroom Soup
1 can Beefy Mushroom Soup
1 (4oz) can of mushrooms
(Optional – thin with 1-2 cups water)
Cut meat into “stew” size pieces. Place meat and soups in crock pot. Cook on low all day. Serve over mashed potatoes, noodles or toast. Enjoy!! Freeze any leftovers for a future “fast meal”.

Crock Pot Tangy BBQ Sandwiches

This one is from my dear sister (who never comments on my blog-but I love her anyways ;-)

Crock Pot Tangy BBQ Sandwiches
3 c. celery, chopped
1 c. onions, chopped
1 c. ketchup
1 c. BBQ Sauce
1 c. water
2 T. vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. chili powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 boneless chuck roast (3-4lb), trimmed
14-18 hamburger buns
In a slow cooker, combine 1st 12 ingredients, mix well. Add meat. Cover and cook on high setting 6-7 hours or until tender. Remove roast; cool. Shred meat and return to sauce; heat through. Serve in buns. Makes 14-18 servings. FROM: Taste of Home. NOTE: This makes a lot and freezes well. The meat is pull apart tender! From: Lynda, September 2001

Hobby Lobby and Bed, Bath & Beyond Coupons

I am always surprised to find out how many people have not heard about coupons for these two stores, so I thought I'd post the info here.
Bed, Bath and Beyond: where we live this is a common place for girls to register for wedding gifts. They have a very nice collection of kitchen/household stuff. I have signed up for their mailing list and we regularly get 25% off and $5 off coupons in the mail. The part that most people don't realize is that they still accept coupons that have expired. (at least the stores I've been to do) I've used year old coupons there...so check with the store nearest you. It's a good place to buy nice stuff for gifts or your own home. They also accept coupons from Linens and Things (another local store). PLUS...you can use one coupon per item...so one time while shopping for wedding/shower gifts I walked in there and used six coupons at one time!!
Hobby Lobby is another great place to shop when you are in the market for a gift or household item. Sign up for their weekly email sales flyers and they send you a coupon to be used in store during that week. Often times it is for 40% off any regular priced item. This is a store that you NEVER have to pay full price in. They always are running half of the store on sale at 40%-50% off!! I LOVE to stop in an get fresh inspiration for our home.

Funny Phrases....

Ok...Andrew & Bee have recently made comments/references to "old tyme sayings" from their mothers or grandmothers and it has me thinking. What are some fun sayings you've grown up with and do you know the original meaning? One of the things I picked up from my Dad is the saying "Lord willing and the creek don't rise". I did a search on the phrase and realized there is actually a possible interpretation going around that is different to the obvious meaning of not being able to do something due to a stream of water rising and preventing your plans from taking place. Here is the alternate explanation...what do YOU think? Any fun sayings of your own?

Phrase
Lord willing and the Creek don't rise, Good Lord willing and the Creek don't rise
(colloquial, US) Barring unforeseen circumstances. This refers to the Creek Indians, not a small stream. "Creek" should be capitalized. Lord willing and the Creek don't rise, we'll have that new barn finished in time for the harvest.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Lord_willing_and_the_creek_don

OR~

"A professor based in Oklahoma contacted us about a phrase he wasn't certain was local: "I'll be there if the good Lord's willing and the Creeks don't rise." He was curious about whether the Creeks mentioned refer to (as he put it) "small, gentle waterways that become wide, fast-flowing rivers following strong rain storms, becoming difficult or impossible to cross," or (and we quote again) to "an Indian tribe which might become angry and rise up with weapons against the neighboring white settlers."
Although the powerful Creek confederacy did have some success in fighting, it wasn't any bellicosity on the part of those peoples that gave rise to today's phrase.
In fact, we've always heard the expression as, "The Lord willing and the crick don't rise." The pronunciation \CRIK\ belongs not to the Native American peoples (who were dubbed Creek by the settlers because of the impressive number of waterways running through their original lands), but to the name of the stream of water.
Should a crick (or creek) rise, bridges and fords may be flooded, making passage difficult if not impossible. So "the Lord willing and the creek don't rise" is a more conditional statement of intent than the categorical vow "come hell or high water." http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/wftwarch.pl?122603

Crock Pot Recipe - Turkey Ranchero

Ok Sarah, this is an EASY one...recipe #2: (I recently received a request for some of our favorite crock pot recipes from a dear friend (Bee) and her newlywed daughter (Mrs. Hart). So, for the next several days I will share some recipes from our family cookbook. ) If you have any recipes you would like to share with us...please post them on your web site and leave me a link under my "comments" section so we can all enjoy them!! Thanks!

Turkey Ranchero
1 1/2 lb Louis Rich Breast of turkey (or I'm sure you could use some leftover Thanksgiving turkey!!)
salt & pepper
1 can Enchilada sauce (or 1/2 c. water & 1 envelope enchilada sauce mix + 1 (6oz) can tomato paste)
2 c Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
1/2 c. yogurt or sour cream
1/4 c. each: green onions, chopped & sliced ripe olives
Slice turkey breast in 1/3” pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in electric slow cooker. Pour enchilada sauce over meat. Cover & cook on low 6 hours or until tender. Turn control to high and add cheese. Stir until cheese melts. To serve: spoon yogurt over each piece, sprinkle with onions & garnish with olives. Serves 6. (this one originally came from "Miss Renee" :-)

Crock Pot Recipe #1 - Peggy's Chicken

I recently received a request for some of our favorite crock pot recipes from a dear friend (Bee) and her newlywed daughter (Mrs. Hart). So, for the next several days I will share some recipes from our family cookbook. If you have any recipes you would like to share with us...please post them on your web site and leave me a link under my "comments" section so we can all enjoy them!! Thanks!

Thanks to Heidi, my sister-in-law for this family favorite! This one is easy and YUMMY!!!

Peggy’s Chicken ~ Crock Pot
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T. margarine or butter, melted
Salt & Pepper
2 T. dry Italian Salad dressing mix
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup – undiluted
6 oz cream cheese, cut in cubes
1/2 c. wine-any kind (I use white)*
1 T. onion, chopped

Wash chicken & pat dry. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Place chicken in crock pot. Sprinkle dry salad dressing mix over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. About 45 minutes before serving, mix soup, cream cheese, wine and onion in a small sauce pan. Cook until smooth. Pour over chicken in pot. Cover and cook 30 minutes on low. Serve with rice, noodles or any type of potatoes. Makes 4 – 5 servings.
*I buy those small bottle of wine for cooking that come in a 4 pack. That way if I only need a small amount...I don't have to throw away a large bottle. I like the flavor wine gives in some recipes, but don't care for the taste to drink straight. :-) If you are oposed to using wine, you could try apple or other juice.

Crock Pot Recipe - Taco Soup

Another family favorite...

Crock Pot Chili Taco Soup
2 lbs ground beef
1 sm onion, chopped
1 (4oz) can green chilies, chopped
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
3 (14 1/2 oz) cans Rotel or regular stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (15oz) can jalapeno (or regular) pinto beans, undrained
1 (15oz) can white hominy
1 envelop taco seasoning mix
1 envelop dry Ranch dressing mix
1 1/2 c. water
Brown ground beef with the onion and green chilies in large skillet. Drain the fat if necessary. Place all ingredients in crock-pot and cook all day on low. Serve with corn bread.

John Kerry...shamefully amazing...

This picture is worth 1,000 words!