Welcome...Join The Party!

It's party time around blog land and I'm ready to join in!  Starting today and all next week it's the 5th Annual Ultimate Blog Party happening at 5 Minutes For Mom.  Go check it out...discover tons of new blogs and there's prizes too!

So, let's get this started...

(photo by Odd Dog Design & Photography)

Welcome to Home Matters.  I'm so glad you came by for a visit!

My name is Jennifer.  I'm married and have 2 sweet children, ages 10 and 7.  I'm an at-home mom and feel blessed that I can do that right now.  We're from North Carolina (I'm native but my hubby is originally from PA).  I love making our house a real home...not a perfect magazine-worthy home...but a real one with toys on the floor and fingerprints on the fridge.  And in the midst of all of that some nice stuff too :)

I love to cook and believe sitting down to dinner together is such an important part of the day.  I'm definitely not a gourmet chef and don't make anything fancy.  I love good food that is quick, easy and family friendly.  Sharing recipes is one of my favorite things to do with my blog. 

I also love to coupon and shop for deals.  And I like to share that with others.  That is actually why I originally started my blog.  But over time it has changed to reflect more about recipes and home stuff.  I do still add in some deal stuff too and am planning a couponing series to begin in a few weeks. 

My blog is all about real stuff, nothing fancy here.  Cooking, cleaning, deals and I'll be posting more about home stuff in the days to come.  And, once I find the right words, I will share about my son's Alopecia, which explains the cute little bald boy in my photo :)

I hope you'll come back and visit again soon.  You can keep up with what's going on here at Home Matters by becoming a "follower" through Google Friend Connect (that sounds like stalking...wish they'd change that wording), by subscribing to receive email updates or you can "Like" me on my new Facebook page. 

Thanks for stopping by.  I'd love it if you'd leave me a little "hello" in the comments :)

Hope to visit with you again soon!

Cracker Snackers

The countdown to the Super Bowl is on!  Whether you are hosting a party, going to a party or even just sticking close to home like I am, I have some yummy recipes to share with you this week that will be great for the upcoming big game weekend.  (Go Steelers!!!)  Sorry...I had to sneak that in. 

My husband made these yummy crackers during the Christmas holidays and they were a hit in our house.  We enjoyed them as a snack but they would also be good to use as croutons on a salad or bowl of soup. 

Cracker Snackers

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced  (we used minced since we had it on hand)
1 (11 ounce) package oyster crackers
1 (0.7 ounce) envelope Italian dressing mix (we used Good Seasons)
1 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 parmesan cheese

Combine oil and garlic.  Let stand for 30 minutes.  Discard garlic. 

Place crackers in a bowl and sprinkle with oil.  Combine dressing mix, dill, garlic powder, and cheese and sprinkle over crackers, stirring well.

Let stand for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. 

Store in an airtight container. 

Enjoy!

I'm adding this recipe to the Super Bowl Party Food linky party at Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms.

Friday Favorites

Wow, this week really got away from me.  It is Friday and I haven't posted one thing on here all week.  I sure do hope next week is not so full.  But, I can't complain.  It has been a good week full of good stuff. 

In the midst of a busy life this week I did somehow manage to find a "new-to-me" blog called Decor Chick and was excited to see the linky party she is hosting.  Now, first let me say that I love checking out a bunch of home blogs.  I love the ideas and inspiration, the photography and the little peek into other people's homes.  Sometimes I get a little nuts when I see the posts because it always looks so perfect and my home is nowhere near perfect.  I do know that their homes are not either but rarely do they show that part of it.

Until now.



 That's right, Decor Chick hosted a linky party to keep it real, folks.  It's all about Real Houses, Real Messes, Real Lives.  I love it!  It totally makes me feel better about the state my house is in right now. 

So, go check it out and feel better about yours too.  Celebrate that your home is LOVED and LIVED IN!!!

See you next week...I've got a bunch of posts for you!

Friday Favorites ~ It's Fall Y'all

(Willow House product photo)

I just LOVE fall, don't you? It is my favorite season. I especially love the warm, earthy colors. My home is filled with lots of browns and earthy colors year-round and I get excited when I can add fall leaves and pumpkins to the mix!

I know, I know...it's only August 27th, not fall. But the kids went back to school this week and that somehow plays with my mind that fall is here. Or at least right around the corner.

I'm not the only one anxiously awaiting the time to start pulling out my fall decor. Check it out...

One of my very favorites, Thrift Decor Chick, hosted an impromptu fall decor linky party on her blog the other day. Lots of people linked up with fall crafts, decor, Halloween stuff. You get the idea.

Hope you get lots of fall inspiration. I know I did. Now we just need some cooler weather around here!

A Little Something to Share...

I've been quiet the last few days between doing family stuff and then feeling under the weather. I missed writing up my "favorites" post on Friday. I will get back to that this Friday. I've already got some good ones to share with you all. There is one from last week that I planned to share that I'd like to go ahead and share with you now. I "met" Leslie last week through Amanda's Dishing It party. I am enjoying her blog and want to share one past that really caught my attention.


Leslie had me laughing last night when I read her post about her husband's project turning into what she called If You Give a Man Some Seeds from her post about her garden. This sounds just like something my husband would end up doing. Leslie is one of my new friends from the party this week. I just love her blog name...Goodbye, House! Hello, Home!

Welcome ~ Dishing It with Amanda

I am excited to be taking part in Amanda’s first Dishing It party at Serenity Now to get to know other bloggers. If you are stopping by from this party, welcome! And for my new subscribers (there have been several of you recently) this welcome is for you too!

First, an introduction…

My name is Jennifer and I am a 30something wife and mom in North Carolina. I’ve been married to my hubby for 13 years (time flies) and am Mommy to 2 kiddos ~ a 9 year old daughter and 6 year old son. My son has Alopecia, an auto-immune disorder that causes hair loss. I will share this on my blog in an upcoming post. I am blessed to be an at-home mom right now.

Some things I love are ice cream, pajamas, flip flops, getting lost in a good book, chick flicks, ice cream, home décor, and, of course, family and friends. Oh and did I mention ice cream?

I have been thrifty my whole life but really learned how to coupon and start saving a few years ago when my husband started his own company. Living off of unemployment and savings really forced me to look at how we were living and make some changes. So, I dove into couponing and once I learned the ropes I discovered how much I enjoy helping others do the same. Initially that was how my blog started but I am learning to branch out and share other parts of my home through my blog. I hope you will stick with me as I continue to grow Home Matters.

Now onto the party...For the first Dish It party, Amanda has asked us a few questions. Her questions are in bold followed by my answers.

I want to know about your blog!

~How long have you been blogging?

Hhmm, it’s been about a year since I first started Home Matters. Back in the fall, after some technical difficulties, I re-launched it. And now as I learn more about the blogging community I am beginning to grow it.

~Why did you start blogging?

I originally started my blog as a way to share some of my coupon info, deal shopping and freebie finds with my local friends. I thought it would be easier to put it all in one spot instead of sending out several emails each day. Eventually as they started telling their friends I saw my subscriber numbers grow. A few months ago I began adding some recipes to my blog and linking to a weekly recipe blog party. I began receiving comments (who knew I would get so tickled over a few little comments?!) and getting more subscribers. Hhmm, maybe I should learn a little more about this blogging stuff. So, I began blog hopping and finding SO many really awesome blogs out there. I am still learning a lot about blogging and am still trying to find my voice on here but I am excited about growing Home Matters, adding new features and beginning some giveaways. I hope you’ll stick with me!

~Tell me about your blog's title. Why did you choose it?

My family is number one for me, of course, and I strive to create a HOME for us, not just a house to live in. To me HOME conveys comfort, security and being surrounded by things and people you love. And I want to do all of this as inexpensively as I can since I have always been a very thrifty person. It just seemed like a good name to me J

~What do you blog about?

I love to share my couponing info and grocery deals and help others learn how to slash their grocery budget too. Plus, I like to share other deals I find and I am all about getting things for free (samples, etc). As much as I love to share this info I will never be the most thorough bargain blog out there and I am not trying to be. So, I love to direct readers to my favorite bargain blogs and give credit to them as much as possible. I am in the process of adding a new blog roll to my site for many of these fellow bloggers.

As I am learning about blogging and finding my voice, I am doing more with adding recipes each week and am getting ready to start showing my thrifty finds (aka Goodwill goodies) and showing some thrifty home projects we are working on. I guess my blog is a continual work in progress as I learn J

~What is your favorite thing about blogging?

I love sharing deals with others and hearing that I have helped them save money. And as I blog more I am learning that I love meeting fellow bloggers. There is so much out there that I love discovering and I am continually being inspired.

Be sure to head on over to Amanda's party and meet some other bloggers and share the love with them (and don't forget me too...we all LOVE the comments!).

Host a Little Taste of Summer House Party

I've mentioned House Party here before as I have been selected to host some of their events...most recently one for DiGiorno Pizza. It is always a fun way to get together with friends and the sponsors always supply you with lots of fun goodies to share with everyone!

Here is an opportunity to sign up to host a Little Taste of Summer House Party in May, featuring many of your favorite Kraft brands like Kraft cheese, Ritz crackers, Oscar Mayer, DiGiorno and Kool-Aid.

If selected as a host, you'll receive a FREE party pack of summer sun stuff for everyone.

Host Coupons

Guest Coupons

Napkins

Plates

Tote Bags

Frisbees

Beach Balls

Summer Entertaining Tips

and much more!

Space is limited so go here now to apply!

Harris Teeter week of 3/17

I've found some good deals at Harris Teeter this week. Here are some of the ones I will be taking advantage of...

milk $2.27 E-vic price (limit 1)

eggs 18 count $1.57 E-Vic prince (limit 1)

Dannon yogurt 6oz cups $0.30ea E-vic price (limit 10)

-$1/6 Dannon Light & Fit 6 oz cups printable

or use $1/10 insert coupon

Classico Pasta Sauce BOGO at $2.55 ($1.27 for one)

-$1/2 Classico Sauce printable (makes it 77¢ea)

Nature's Own Honey Wheat Bread BOGO @$2.79 ($1.39 ea)

Dannon Activia Yogurt 4 pack $1.66

use $1 off insert coupon (makes it $0.66 cents)

Mission Flour Tortillas 20 count Fajita Size $1.50

use $0.75 insert coupon (makes it FREE)

-.55/1 Mission tortillas printable (sign in)
-$1 off Mission tortillas SS 3/07or printable (sign in)

Barilla Pasta 4/$5

use $0.55 insert coupon (makes it $0.15)

80% lean Ground Beef $1.48/pound (limit 4)

(I will be stocking up since my ground beef freezer supply is getting low!)

I am scoring some other great deals this week thanks to some really great high value coupons and coupons for free items I have received thanks to House Party and in response to emails I have sent to various companies (it really pays to contact companies about products you'd like to compliment or if you have a complaint).

For a complete listing of deals at Harris Teeter, visit Southern Savers.

And stay tuned for details on my produce basket this week, as well as a quick Bi-Lo trip for a small handful of deals there...

House Party...Again!

I've mentioned House Party before in a previous post...have you signed up to be a host or have you attended a party yet?

It's fun, easy and you get some neat goodies too!

I've been chosen once again to host an upcoming house party...stay tuned for a giveaway coming soon!

In the meantime, check out House Party, see what kinds of parties are coming up and sign up!

House Party

Have you heard of House Party? This company selects thousands of people across the country to host parties to promote products, events, etc. Each event is sponsored by a particular brand and focuses on something the sponsor wants to share with its fans firsthand and to help spread the word (usually focuses on a new product or a tv event, etc).

I have hosted one for Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Kraft about a year ago...lots of coupons to give away, plus recipe cards and some other goodies.

Over the summer I was selected to host one for the tv premier of the Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place movie...my daughter was thrilled and invited her friends over for the premier. And Disney provided a bunch of awesome giveaways for the girls.

Yesterday I received a box of goodies for the latest House Party I have been selected to host in January. This one is for author Kristin Hannah to celebrate the release of her upcoming novel, Winter Garden.

If you like to try new things, receive samples and coupons and freebies, and get together with friends, you definitely need to check out House Party!

(Sign up to receive emails when they open up new events looking for hosts/hostesses. And be patient...it may take applying for a few before you get selected. )