Easter Sunday

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I’m not very good at taking pictures and don’t have a shot of their Easter baskets.  I bought plastic bucket style baskets at Walmart for $.97 each. They look just like ice cream tubs but say Happy Easter and have spring things on them.  I intended to sew covers for ice cream tubs I already had on hand, but I decided it was better to be cheerful and sane and have dinner on the table.  (My 10 year younger self would have made a different choice, lol.)

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The tubs were all the same so I bought a different color of plastic grass for each one.  They will turn these items in in the morning and I will stack everything into my spring bin for next year so I don’t have to spend the money on it again.

Heather Easter 2013

I filled their tubs with:  silly string; bubbles; assorted chocolates from Dollar tree; Easter theme pencils; matchbox cars for the boys; and hair stuff for the girls.  They had choir practice early this morning so instead of hiding them, I stuck them right in front of their faces so when they woke up it was the first thing they saw.  It was very effective–almost more fun than a hunt.

Heather and Heidi Easter 2013

The Easter photos are on the porch at Mom’s house.  Heather’s dress came from Costco ($16.99) and Heidi’s came from Target ($20.00 on sale.)  We also bought Heidi a skinny belt to got with the dress and she wore her shoes from last year.  We would have all been happier if Heidi’s dress was about 3 inches longer.  Hello, Designers.  Are you listening? It was 3 inches longer than the other dresses being shown.

Angela and Darren

I wore a skirt I ordered from Kohl’s when they had 20% off their sale prices plus free shipping.  If I had shopped for it in store I wouldn’t have purchased it because the fabric is so thin that it shows every lump.  I had to iron my slip because the wrinkles from being in my drawer showed through! I love the stripes though.

The tank has lace at the top and bottom and was from my maternity pile (though I don’t think it is a maternity tank.)  The sweater came from Target last week ($15 on sale.) And the shoes I’ve had for years but rarely wear them since they are linen and I’m afraid to get them dirty.  I wore these footbed sock liners with them instead of hose and they were very comfortable all day and not at all sweaty.

Heidi and Heather

It’s hard to see but I found a huge coral stone necklace at Forever 21 that was the inspiration behind the sweater and them some white stone earrings in a similar style at Target.  Anyway, this is probably the most I’ve purchased for Easter–we usually sew and don’t go for jewelry much, but it was a nice change of pace this year.

Grant Hunting Eggs

The boys weren’t into dressing up and since I’ll being buying Brandon (5) a black suit in June to be a ring bearer, we held off on the new stuff right now.

We had a lovely service at church with the children’s choir and adult choir providing ministry.  Darren was an advanced greeter (code name for the security team) so spent the service standing outside wearing an ear wig to make sure that everyone inside was safe.  That left me juggling the children and I’m glad I sat in front of my brother who could grab Brandon by the neck when he got squirrely after I left to take Grant out.

Dub and Grant

After that we headed to my mom’s with my brother and his family for a roasted chicken dinner with scalloped potatoes; homemade rolls; fruit salad; lettuce salad; cheesy broccoli; green beans; and 3 kinds of dessert.  Plus all the chocolate candy we could want.  And I didn’t cook any of it, although I did set the table with my Sister in law’s help.  (Does that count for anything to keep me from total slacker status?)

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It rained a lot yesterday, so Mom planned an indoor egg hunt.  Each child had a unique color egg to hunt for.  That way we could hide the eggs simply for Grant and super challenging for Heidi.

Heather

After the egg hunt we sat around in the living room and took turns talking and napping until the evening was well on.  The children spent the entire time playing out in the yard leaving the house quiet and perfect for adult conversation.  Interesting that not one of them came in muddy after all the fuss of having an indoor egg hunt, lol.

Happy Easter to you and your Family.

Jesus is Alive and is preparing a place for you and me, our loving advocate with the Father who has won the victory!

The Cookie of all Cookies?

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I found this pin:

Source: vintagerevivals.com viaAgnes onPinterest

And the description said: Swig Sugar Cookie Recipe. This is the cookie that all other cookies for the rest of your life will be compared to.
So I had to bake it and find out. I tell you, it was hard not to change anything about the recipe. It’s completely out of character for me. I’m not sure I have ever followed a recipe exactly before, ever.  I even went to the store to buy real full fat sour cream, just so it would be perfect.

 

The dough came out super fluffy and so easy to work with.  Not sticky at all.  And my cookies ended up just like the ones in the picture above (except that the photographer was not nearly as gifted :).).  I put them in the freezer, so they would be cold (like the recipe insists–and yes that was a great idea!)  Then mixed up the frosting and set out for folks to DIY on their cold cookies.

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Next was to round up a house full of taste testers.

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The verdict:  These were really hard to stop eating.  Maybe because I told them they were the cookies to compare all cookies to, and no one could decide if that were true after just one cookie.  While everyone decided the cookies were excellent, it was hard to say they were better than a really good chocolate chip cookie.

We had lots of frosting left over and  I wondered if the recipe could be improved on.  So Sunday afternoon we made a new version of the cookies in a smaller batch:

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 Tbs vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

2 1/2 cups flour

Cream the butter, yogurt, sugars, vanilla  and egg until light and fluffy.  Add remaining ingredients until a soft dough forms.  Drop by Tbs onto a greased cookie sheet and press flat with a glass dipped in sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Cool on a rack then freeze until cold.  Frost as desired.

The verdict:  The finished cookies looked almost exactly like the original.  The flavor was much better (and they had half the fat of the original cookie),  but the warm cookie texture was not quite as good.  The texture improved a lot after cooling and then again after freezing.  They ended up with a nice crisp edge with a soft interior. The vanilla was an excellent addition.  The dough was not as easy to work with–it was a lot more sticky.  Chilling a bit would have helped this.  If we bake them again, we will use our second recipe–they went over smashingly with the family who wished I had baked a bigger batch :). And I STILL have frosting–so looks like more baking in our future.  Look out kid’s at school–we need a place to share all these cookies :).

Bountiful String Quartet Winner and Sponsor Love

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We have a winner!  Chosen completely randomly by rafflecopter, Heidi Wiskur won a digital copy of Bountiful String Quartet‘s New CD.  I know she will enjoy that!

We are swamped with schoolwork at the Grocery Shrink house.  And I’m having too good a time cleaning, doing laundry, and catching up on my mending basket to blog.  Oooooh, and I got a new laptop! Darren accidentally dropped my old one and while we got it to come back on, it wasn’t working quite right.  He came home with a mac instead.  It’s quite an adjustment but I’m already in love.  I told him, “once you go mac, you’ll never go back, lol.”  Now I’m trying to figure out how to buy him one too.  But until then I’m figuring out how to use this thing :).

I’d also like to give a shout out to my Sponsor’s:

First is Sandi Sullivan at MomCEO.com If you are looking a way to earn money from home while using natural cleaning, beauty, and nutrition products, you should see what she has to offer!

Next up is Your Jamberry Nails Consultant, Heidi Perkins.  She can hook you up with fashionable and long lasting nail decals.  I tried them out personally at Christmas time and loved them.  The company has since improved them to make them even easier to apply!  And the designs are buy 3 get 1 free.  Think how popular you would be at the next slumber party!

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Of course, there’s our favorite personal trainer, Holly Rigsby from Fit Yummy Mummy. Holly’s program is designed especially for the busy mother who’s willing to trade in hours of cardio for 90 minutes of her specially designed workouts a week.  I took the plunge 18 months ago and will never look back!  Goodbye belly.  Hello muscle.   I write more details about my Fit Yummy Mummy journey over at my second blog:  Centsablyfit.com

breadclass.com 2If you are a beginner and want to bake light, tender 100% whole wheat loaves of bread. Then Breadclass.com is the place for you. Lori Viets will teach you in her easy video lessons how to save money and bake your family delicious and healthy bread.

GSP Button2Don’t forget about Grocery Shrink Plus.  Where members download weekly meal plans that include 7 days of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks; gluten free and dairy free modifications.  Helps for the Fit Mama; a shopping list; a meal plan at a glance and an action plan at a glance.  You won’t believe your eyes when you see how affordable it is!

And then there’s Swagbucks.  Swagbucks is a search engine similar to Google, except they pay you in swag bucks for using it.  You can trade your bucks in for gift certificates to places like Amazon and Target.  There’s no adware and they don’t sell your email address either.  It’s the real deal.

Then there’s Zulily.  Zulily is a bulk buying coop for baby, maternity, lady and kids stuff.  Since it’s a limited time bulk deal, they can offer reduced prices.  Just recently I bought 2 spring jackets for $15 each and a stretched canvas wall art for Heather’s room remodel.  I’m just in the planning and gathering stage for this so far :).

One kings lane button

One King’s Lane is like the zulily for home decor.  I haven’t actually ordered from them yet, but I love to get their emails and look for ideas.

Chevron Chrocheted Throw Tutorial

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Crochet throw 290

Crochet throw 292

Crochet throw 304

My husband called me a yarn hoarder.  That’s how it began.  He quickly repented since hoarding isn’t something you joke about in my family.  It’s a real possibility–and it runs deep.  I have rules to follow to make sure I’m not hoarding, like 1.  Don’t buy more than 6 months worth of something and 2.  It doesn’t matter how good a deal it is, don’t buy it unless we NEED it.  But hoarding still scares me.  My grandmother had an entire bedroom filled with yarn–we think there was a bed in there, but we can’t be sure, since you opened the door to a wall of yarn.  There was a small head space to the room so you could climb up on the pile of yarn and go inside and pick out something to work with.  If I show any signs of that kind of behavior, drive me to Mr. Neubauer’s office (the best therapist in town). If I refuse to go, just tie me up and throw me in the car. He’ll know what to do.

So when I was cleaning out my office and found two large  packages of cotton yarn that I purchased 10 years ago, I knew something had to happen.  Either that yarn was going into the yard sale, or it was going to BE something.  I made a statement about a month ago that I don’t make afghans.  They take too long.  So I decided an afghan would be the best thing to make–makes perfect sense right?  I say things like NEVER right before I do that exact thing.  Like two weeks ago when I said I’d never be in a flash mob dance…but I digress.

 

(Scrappy would be cute too!  My heather would love all sorts of bright colors on a throw for her room.)

I had the yarn for 10 years because it was beautiful–100% cotton.  I purchased 1-10 pack of white and 1 of ecru when it was super cheap at Cargo Largo. It was too special to use on just anything so I was saving it for the perfect thing.  The perfect thing will never come, because it doesn’t exist on this side of Heaven.  Thanks to the Nester I’m embracing imperfect beauty.

 

Source: r.ebay.com via Annslee on Pinterest

 

I enjoy chevrons right now too, so a simple chevron pattern was easy to decide on.  If I were buying exactly the yarn I wanted, I’d buy navy and white so the chevron’s would really pop.  But remember, this isn’t about perfection, It’s about not being a hoarder and using up what I have.  So I have a very subtle white and ecru throw that looks amazing on my chocolate leather sectional instead.

The Pattern:

Any worsted weight yarn (I used cotton–alpaca would be my second choice–soooo soft!) Approximately 20 oz of each (This is the weight of cotton–other yarns weigh less per yard—not sure how to advise you on them since my balls of cotton did not have a yard amount on them. I’ll bet an internet search would show how many yards of worsted cotton per ounce–if you find out leave it in the comments part.)

Size F hook or any size to achieve gauge. (Gauge doesn’t really matter–it’s a throw, but if you crochet super tight you’ll use up too much yarn and make your throw too small and heavy, so might as well check and go up a hook size or two if you need to.)

Gauge:  4 rows is approximately 2 3/8″ tall; 26 stitches is approximately 6 3/4 inches wide.

Finished dimensions: 43″ x 60″

Foundation : Ch 169 (or any multiple of 13–39 chains would make a perfect scarf :).)

Row 1: Dc in 4th ch from hook. Dc in next 3 st; 3dc in next st; *dc in next 5 st;  sk next 2 st; dc in next 5 st; 3dc in next st* rep from * to* 12 times. dc in last 5 st.

Row 2: Ch 2; turn. Sk next st; dc in next 5 st; 3dc in next st; * dc in next 5 st; sk next 2 st; dc in next 5 st; 3dc in next st. * Rep from *to* 12 times. Dc in next 4 st; dc 2 tog.

Repeat row 2 until throw is as long as you like. I switched colors every 2 rows and twisted the yarns together at the ends so I didn’t have to cut the yarn at every color change.  Bind off and weave in ends.

 

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Here’s a tip on switching colors from row to row, so you don’t have to cut and weave in ends all the time.  Twist the color you aren’t using around the color you are at the end of the row, so that it carries up with you as you go.  It will barely be noticeable and saves yarn and time.  (Photographed above.)  The very last yarn pull through on the last row before the color change should be with the new color.

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When You are at the end of the ball of yarn (see above) save the very last pull through and use the new yarn.  (Below)
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Then tie the two ends of yarn together in a single knot (this is an extra step that makes extra sure nothing will unravel.)

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Then as you finish the row, crochet over the two short ends to hide them in the stitching.  Then you won’t have to go back and weave them in later.  This saves soooo much time!
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Here’s a close up on the pattern (above).  Notice the 3dc section always happens in the center dc of the 3dc section from the row before it.  Sometimes I would be watching TV or talking while I worked and lose count, but as long as I got that 3dc in the center of the row below it, it all worked out.

Gorgeous Music Find

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I’ve used music in so many ways in my life.  When I taught school I played instrumental hymns like the one on the video as my students arrived each morning.  The lights were low, and a nice room scent floated in the air.  The kids came in quietly, put their things away and got to work.  I didn’t have to say anything.  Amazing!

When my babies learned to sleep in their own room, music like this made the transition easier.  And when it’s time to get up on Sunday morning and get ready for church, listening to this music helps us stay in the right frame of mind.

High quality music trains the brain for mathematics and reading.  I used it as part of Heidi’s therapy to eliminate her learning disabilities and we still enjoy listening to it, even though she’s 99% better. And training musicians who listen to high quality music, become better musicians.

I’m privileged to know each member of the Bountiful String quartet personally.  The two violin players are brother and sister.  Their other brother is my children’s violin teacher.  The viola player and cellist are husband and wife and go to church with me.  The quartet arranges all their own music and it is amazing!

Their first CD debuts on the 20th of this month, and one lucky reader will win a digital copy!

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Scouting Out Spring Styles

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We still haven’t purchased any of our spring clothes, but I’ve been searching the web for things we like.  I’ve noticed some definite trends in what is showing–not sure how I feel about things yet. The hi-low skirt idea was ruined on me in High School when my best friend’s dad named them the saggy diaper dresses, lol. It seems like we’re seeing a lot of early 90’s styles resurface this spring. The nice thing about recycling 90’s trends, is there is bound to be treasures to find at thrift stores :).

I’ll be honest, I’m living in yoga pants and t-shirts right now.  I’m focusing super hard on fitness and not many of my real clothes fit.  I’ve been trying to get back into them for 2 years and had them for many years before that–so I’m tempted to just chuck them all (garage sale and donate for coupons to use at the thrift store) and reward myself with a new wardrobe when I reach my goals.  All of that will be done frugally of course.  I’ll recycle the money I earn by selling the clothes and sew what I can too. Here are some of the trends I’m seeing this spring:

1.  Hi-Low Skirts:  High in Front and Low in Back.

Source: shopruche.com via Angela on Pinterest

 

2. Peplums (also last considered fashionable in the early 90’s…)

Source: shopruche.com via Angela on Pinterest

 

3. Narrow Elastic Waists either worn plain or with a fabric or thin leather belt. (My grandmother had a closet full of these….I’ll have to regroup my thinking on them if I’m going to wear one, lol.) But they look comfy, reasonably flattering and a BREEZE to sew.

Source: shopruche.com via Angela on Pinterest

Source: shopruche.com via Angela on Pinterest

Source: shopruche.com via Angela on Pinterest

 

4. Cute Ballet Flats in bright colors:

Source: target.com via Angela on Pinterest

Source: target.com via Angela on Pinterest

Source: target.com via Angela on Pinterest

These are best worn sockless. Payless carries little footlet socks that aren’t supposed to show in shoes like these. Our experience is that they do show AND they tend to come off the foot as we walk. Pretty annoying little things. I recently purchased washable terry cloth food bed liners instead (from Amazon.) I’ll let you know how they work.

It looks like Maxi skirts/dresses are back again, as is navy and white stripe or chevron prints.  Mint, turquoise, coral; and watercolor florals are everywhere too.

With jewelry anything goes.  Chunky or slim, bright colors are in (even chartreuse and bright bold yellow).  And gold is back in a big way.

Most of the cute dresses I found were in a super mini length (33″).  This would cause an awkward moment if a spring breeze came up. They remind me of the length of dress Shirley temple used to wear when she was 6–with the ruffled panties underneath.  It just doesn’t have the same charm on a grown woman.  Fortunately, another popular length is the midi dress which is between 36-37 inches and hits most ladies near the knee.

I also saw a lot of jewel necklines which are rarely flattering on anyone.  And fit and flare styles that could be a lot of fun for girl’s with narrow waists and wide hips that would melt away under fluffy skirts.

Have you seen trends I didn’t find?  What’s your favorite spring look?

Weekend Links: Easter

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Easter is early this year.  I’m still not sure what to do for Easter clothes for the kids, but I’m thinking a thrift store-a-thon is called for.  Then we might check out Kohl’s, Sears and Penny’s.  And if nothing will do within our budget, I’m reserving staying up all night sewing as a last resort.

Do you already have your Easter outfits ready?  Don’t tell me if you do.  Never mind, Do tell me and then send me where to go for the fashionable and frugal.  I’ve been shopping online at various places like Old Navy and Kohl’s, but am pretty disappointed in what’s available for the teenage crowd.  Hello!  I don’t want my daughter showing up anywhere strapless or haltered and her skirt mid-thigh.  Especially not to church.  She’s gorgeous already and way too valuable to flaunt around. On the other hand, no need to wear gunny sacks or quilts when there’s modest fashion to be found…..uh, where do you find it?

And then, it’s quite possibly going to be cold.  We have 2 feet of snow on the ground today (I’m posting ahead–it’s late February to my fingers but mid March to my readers.) I like the Easter outfits to be something that will boost the summer wardrobe.  So do tell.  Did I ask that already?

Anyway, here’s what I’ve been pinning to help me get ready for Easter.  And note, I’ve been pinning, not so much doing.  But I’m sure the doing will come later.  I’m a good last minute sort of motivated person :).  I have my ideas all jotted down for the kid’s baskets, I’ll share what I’m actually doing later.

 

Source: bhg.com via Angela on Pinterest

Source: juxtapost.com via Angela on Pinterest

 

Peanut Butter Apple Oatmeal

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You look hungry.  Come on in and have some breakfast.

Apples and Peanut Butter Oatmeal

This is one meal that will stick to your ribs :).

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It’s sugar free and high in protein.  But we don’t have to tell the kids.March Blog photos 026

The apples are cold, sweet and crunchy.March Blog photos 027

The peanut butter oatmeal is warm and creamy.March Blog photos 028

Dairy free?  Perfect.  Gluten Free?  Take a huge bowl.March Blog photos 029

Yes, it’s Fit Mama approved.  No guilt here.

Print
Apples and Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 6 minutes

Yield: 1

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups (all of it)

Calories per serving: 341

Fat per serving: 13g

Apples and Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats (I use quick oats, but you can use any kind. If you are gluten free, be sure to get specially marked gluten free oats.)
  • 1 cup milk (I use almond milk since this is a cooked recipe and can only drink cow's milk when it's raw.)
  • 1 Tbs stevia (I use Aldi's brand of stevia in the raw)
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbs peanut flour (Peanut butter will also work. I use peanut flour because it is higher in protein and lower in fat and calories without sacrificing peanut flavor. It is all natural and can be purchased online from Southern Grace Farms.)
  • 1/2 chopped tart apple (I like Fuji, Jonagold, or Braeburn)

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan whisk together egg, milk and stevia. Stir in rolled oats. Cook and stir over medium high heat until thickened and creamy. Stir a lot so it doesn't burn on the bottom.
  2. Remove from heat and take a few tablespoons of oatmeal and stir the peanut flour in until it is smooth. Then return to the entire batch and stir in. (If you try to stir the peanut flour into the whole batch, you will get powdery clumps that never seem to stir in.)
  3. Roughly chop the apple and sprinkle over the top.

Notes

41g carbs including 9g fiber; 20g protein!; and 48g of calcium 🙂

http://www.groceryshrink.com/peanut-butter-apple-oatmeal/

What’s your favorite breakfast?

Meet Work at Home Mom, Lori Taylor

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MomCeo has been our longest and most loyal sponsor of the GroceryShrink blog.  Many readers here have started their own home based businesses with her support.  One of these mom’s is Lori Taylor.  Come on in and meet her below:Dec 2011 133
My name is Lori Taylor. I’m 42 and headed into my 20th year of marriage. The funny thing is,I still feel 30 and most days my husband still amazes me like he did way back when. I think a big part of staying young is children and we have 4 of them.  Seeing the world through their eyes is always an adventure. 
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Hannah our oldest is 16 and then there is Perry Austin who is 15.  So this past year we have been working on driving.  I can laugh or yell.  Most of the time I laugh.
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IMG_4483Then we have Laney who is 10. She is our quiet, analytical kiddo that we all want to be like.  When she was born we called her the grand baby because she was so easy and still is. Since Laney was so easy we figured we had the parenting thing figured out and went for number 4. We found out quickly it was not our parenting.

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Ella our 7 year old is wide open. Everything in life is an adventure and she has us all running to keep up with her.

Before I began working part-time from home I  home-schooled our children for 10 years and before that I was an elementary teacher for 10 years. In November of 2011, I  found out about MOMCEO from my friend Danielle Ray. At the time I was homeschooling two of our children, plus chauffeuring children to baseball, football and cheer practice. I was very busy, just like everyone, but busy is also a matter of perspective. My friends, Danielle and Brandie McNeal, introduced me to MOMCEO and Sandi Sullivan. At the end of October I met Sandi and realized what she was doing made complete sense.  I can remember lying in bed one night and being more afraid of not making the most of the opportunity and teaming up with Sandi and my friends than I was of doing it. My husband, Perry, told me to try if for three months and see what happens.
I had no idea what 2012 would hold for our family nor what my home-based business  would come to mean to us financially. In January we hit a major financial snag in our traditional business. It took a huge financial and emotional toil on our family.  While my husband battled that, I continued to consistently work my part-time business. Soon I had others that wanted to team up with me.  I saw that others had needs greater than mine and my part-time business quickly became about others and not about me.  So through 2012, my part-time business paid our bills, kept us from dipping into our savings, kept us from all credit card debt, and allowed us to continue our tithe as a testimony to God’s faithfulness. On top of that, our efforts have blessed others. It truly amazes me how God used us in our need to help others.

Our children have been challenged this year. Being a stay at home mom allowed me to be available to them and to accommodate them and all of their activities.  This year they had to pull together to help both me and their dad.  They learned that life was not all about them.  We started putting monthly goals on the refrigerator and they began to help me with meeting those goals. They give me names of their friends parents and tell me to call them. “Mom, you need to call Anslee’s mom.  She is working three jobs now and she needs to do what you are doing. You can help her.”

So, knowing what I know now, what advice would I give someone considering starting a home based business?  First of all, know why you would want to do it.  It has to be more than just money.

Second consider the timing. I’m not talking about hours in your day. A major life change could be a reason to begin a home-based business or it could make a great opportunity a flop. Thirdly, know and evaluate your business…does it make sense, what does it require financially and timewise. Is it backed by a reputable company.  Is it financially sound? And I guess last, will it make a difference to others and do you believe in what you are doing?

With the company I work with I have no doubt that what I am offering to others is the best and nothing compares. I have great confidence in what I am doing and I believe others can do the same.

Featherlicious finds at Cargo Largo

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Cargo Largo and I have a love hate relationship.  It’s a railway salvage store that carries odds and ends of stuff.  You can find food, beauty supplies, clothing, furniture, tools, books, etc.  If you saw my episode on TLC’s Extreme Cheapskates, Cargo Largo is like a clean Dirty Don’s.

My problem with Cargo Largo is their prices.  They want to charge retail or higher for damaged, dirty, smashed and otherwise lesser quality goods. On the other hand, you can occasionally find a good deal if you know your prices.

I recently went inside after my Sister-in-law called me with a good find on protein bars.  I ended up passing up the bars because they weren’t my favorite flavor, but found real feather throw pillows for $2 each instead!  They are West Elm brand too.  They also had larger versions in Pottery Barn brand for $5.  After seeing this post at The Nester, I’ve been on the search for cheap feather pillows.  I paid triple that for faux feather pillows half price at JoAnn, so am super excited about the feather inserts.

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I’ve been allergic to feathers since I was a kid, but after I purchased a real feather duvet by accident (I thought it was faux down and since it was at Cargo Largo–there was no label or package information–but it was also KING size and only $35) and had no reaction to it, I decided to try pillows too.  Now I’m convinced that I’m not allergic to feathers, just DIRTY feathers.  And I’m really encouraged by the Nester’s reports that she machine washes her feather pillows with good results.  Who would have thought?  (Need a tutorial on sewing a pillow cover?  I have one for you here.)

Anyway, the trip also resulted in Zand brand zinc lozenges for just $.50 a package (normally $2.99) and gum for Easter baskets $1.99 for 3 large packages, large spice bottles for $1 a jar, sliced almonds ($1.50) and a box of overnight size diapers for $7.99 (regularly $13.50.)

I still plan to mostly stay away from Cargo Largo, it’s better if I don’t find too many good deals, lol.  But it was a happy skip home today :).