My Great Retreat

Monday Madness: 5/24/10

2010-05-24T07:14:00.000-05:00

MGR is looking for a resident designer for our forum! If you're interested, please click here. Now on to the fun Monday Madness!

What is Monday Madness?

Monday Madness was created by us: mommy bloggers Micael and Meghan. Mommy, daddy, single, stay at home parent, working parent, blogger, non-blogger, pie lover, pie hater (who hates pie, seriously?).... it doesn't matter who you are or what you do, Monday's tend to be crazy, right? So we thought we would bring a little fun into your Monday routine. And at the same time you'll get to check out new blogs, network with others, make new friends and connections - multitasking at its best!

So what do I do to participate?

It's really easy to participate with us! Just follow the steps below and you'll be set!

Follow the hostess blogs at Saving Obsession and The Tuckers Take Tennessee for some Madness Lovin'.
Grab the McLinky code and make a post on your blog about Monday Madness, so more people can join in the fun! Also grab the Monday Madness button on the right.
Add your blog name and link to the McLinky below.
Check out some of the blogs on the list and follow ones you like. Leave a comment to let them know you're from Monday Madness.
If someone follows your blog, follow them back to keep the Madness going.
Each week we will "feature" a new blog right below. Who knows, it could be you next week!
That's it! Visit and follow as few or as many blogs, twitter pages, and facebook pages as you'd like!

This week's featured blog is JanDee Crafts Make sure you check out her blog! It's definitely worth the follow!

New Friend Friday & Follow Me Friday 5/21/10

2010-05-21T07:39:00.000-05:00

Two awesome linky parties today! Make sure you join in the fun. Click the buttons below to add your blog! As alway, come join us at My Great Retreat www.mygreatretreat.com

Little Painted Polka Dots opened her co-op today. Everything is 30% off!

Weekly Deal Wednesday: Crazy 8 Shorts Just $9.99!

2010-04-21T14:16:00.001-05:00

It's time for another great round of Weekly Deal Wednesday! This week, what are some of your favorite deals that you have found?

My Great Retreat has an awesome Deal Diva named Micael. She knows everything about deals, saving money, and the latest in coupons and codes to help save you moo-la!

Who is a fan of Crazy 8? I know alot of us moms are! They have adorable and reasonably priced clothing for our little ones. Crazy 8 is owned by Gymboree so you know you're getting nice clothing when you buy from them.

For a limited time only, check out all the spring markdowns and the shorts for just $9.99! www.crazy8.com has more details!

2010-04-19T09:37:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Monday Madness!

Hosted by: Saving Obsession & The Tuckers Take Tennessee!

What is Monday Madness?

Monday Madness was created by us: mommy bloggers Micael and Meghan. Mommy, daddy, single, stay at home parent, working parent, blogger, non-blogger, pie lover, pie hater (who hates pie, seriously?).... it doesn't matter who you are or what you do, Monday's tend to be crazy, right? So we thought we would bring a little fun into your Monday routine. And at the same time you'll get to check out new blogs, network with others, make new friends and connections - multitasking at itsbest!

So what do I do to participate?

It's really easy to participate with us! Just follow the steps below and you'll be set!

Follow the hostess blogs at Saving Obsession and The Tuckers Take Tennessee for some Madness Lovin'.
Add your blog name and link to the McLinky below.
Grab the McLinky code and make a post on your blog about Monday Madness, so more people can join in the fun!
Check out some of the blogs on the list and follow ones you like. Leave a comment to let them know you're from Monday Madness.
If someone follows your blog, follow them back to keep the Madness going.

That's it! Visit and follow as few or as many blogs as you'd like!

The McLinky will be open every Monday from 8:00 AM (Eastern Time) until Midnight (Eastern Time), that way nobody feels like they have to stay awake the night before to try to get a hot spot on the list!

Tasty Tuesday-Breakfast Cookies

2010-03-30T21:38:00.000-05:00

You can have cookies for breakfast!!! This is a great recipe that your kids will love. My kids really liked the breakfast cookies from Quaker, but they were a little pricey and you only got 5 in a box. I went searching and found this recipe

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food (I sometimes use 1/4 cup canned pumpkin that I have left over from pumpkin bread)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup bran cereal flakes
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant and chopped
(I leave out the raisins and nuts because my daughter is allergic to nuts and add 1/2 cup chocolate chips instead)Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Coupon Communities

2010-03-29T09:00:00.001-05:00

I have been a member at A Full Cup for a long time now, and I have to say it has been incredibly helpful. When I was just a beginner at coupons, so many wonderful people helped answer my (what I realize now were silly) questions. It really set me on my path to learn more about couponing, and then later to start teaching others how to save in my community.

Besides that (and a lot of other things), they offer a fun thing called 'Coupon Trains'. They are vary on how they work (since they are run by individual members) but they have the same basic idea. It's a group of members that agree to send an envelope chock full of coupons that you want - and you send an envelope out to someone with coupons they want. It's a great way to get multiples of those coupons you really use all the time - all for the cost of a stamp! And if you don't want to join a train, you can just post up trades with other members!

And I love their coupon database! When I do my match ups for Weekly Deals, that's the database I use for about 95% off it!

It's a great site, and if you're just getting into couponing or are a seasoned veteran - you should still check out A Full Cup!

P.S. - These opinions are my own and I'm not being compensated to brag on them. I just wanted to share one of my favorite resources!

If you ever have any questions about coupons, or what to see some hot deals, be sure to visit me at my blog, SavingObsession.com!

Amazing Toy Story 1 & Toy Story 2 movie deal!

2010-03-26T08:20:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry for not posting this sooner, but you have until Saturday that you can do this!

If you own Toy Story 1 or 2 (dvd or vhs) you can join http://www.disneymovierewards.com and enter their bar codes. When you enter the bar code you can get a coupon for which ever movie you entered for $10 off the dvd/blu ray combo pack. If you can get both, here's an awesome deal for you....

Go to Toys R Us (with both coupons!)
TS1 and TS2 combo packs are $29.99. But for purchasing BOTH at the same time you'll save $13 off of each! Plus you'll have your coupons. So this is how it will look:

TS1 combo pack - $29.99
TS2 combo pack - $29.99
Total before discounts/coupons - $59.98 + tax
Minus - $26.00 (for buying both)
Minus - $10.00 (TS1 combo pack coupon)
Minus - $10.00 (TS2 combo pack coupon)

Total after coupons - $13.98 + tax! (or $6.99 each)

That is AMAZING for a DVD/Blu Ray Combo pack!!! That's saving over 75%!

But wait! There's more!

Each TS combo pack comes with a code for a FREE MOVIE TICKET to go see Toy Story 3! So if you got both movies, you'll have $17 in free movie tickets! Making everything wash out to be FREE!!

P.S. - if you don't own the Toy Story movies to get the bar code, ask friends or family. That's what I did. Each coupon can be printed a limit of 2 times! So what I did was my friend gave me her codes, I printed (2) TS1 coupons and (2) TS2 coupons - then went and did our deal (part of the dvd awesomeness) for her. So it was coupon sharing love! Want to see how I did my deal? Click HERE!

Need help understanding this? It's ok - I know it's a little complicated, but worth it and you'll totally get a couponing rush! So please feel free to come HERE and ask questions!

THIS DEAL WILL END ON SATURDAY MARCH 27TH!

Want to see how I did my deal? Click HERE!

Thrifty Thursday

2010-03-25T09:43:00.002-05:00

Please check out our great What a Deal forum at My Great Retreat!
While there, don't forget to join our 2010 Savings Challenge!
Also, check out this thread that lists some great coupon sites!

Great Huggies coupons!! (you can print each of these 2 times) They expire on Apr 5
coupon 1
coupon 2
coupon 3

Free Photo book
just pay $8.99 shipping thru 3/31 Enter code AFFLGB when checking out!

GREAT deal on an Ergo baby carrier

What A Deal! April-June Blog Advertising Spots Now Available!

2010-03-23T15:52:00.000-05:00

Every three months or so, we're going to feature a new type of business, blog, site to advertise on top of the normal advertising spaces. Just a way to pay special focus to all kinds of sites out there and offer discounted pricing.

So April-June, we're going to focus on blogs. Want to drive more traffic to your blog? Then join in and get this spot!

If you want to advertise on our site but are wanting to advertise something other than a blog, please click here for our rateshttp://www.mygreatretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=19

We will have the following available. First come, first serve.

If you prepay for all 3 months, there will be discounted pricing:
*Option 1 pricing will be $10.00 instead of $11.25
*Option 2 pricing will be $8.50 instead of $9.00
*Option 3 pricing will be $5.50 instead of $6.00

If you have any questions, or are ready to get your spot reserved, please PM me.

Month of April Spots:
(OPTION #1) $3.75
3 spots available in the very top header (This is prime advertising space!)

(OPTION #2) $3.00
2 spots available right above posts/threads

(OPTION #3) #2.00
4 spots available on the footer of each page

Month of May Spots:
(OPTION #1) $3.75
3 spots available in the very top header (This is prime advertising space!)

(OPTION #2) $3.00
2 spots available right above posts/threads

(OPTION #3) $2.00
4 spots available on the footer of each page.

Month of June Spots:
(OPTION #1) $3.75
4 spots available in the very top header (this is prime advertising space!)

(OPTION #2) $3.00
2 spots available right above posts/threads

(OPTION #3) $2.00
4 spots available on the footer of each page.

Win It Wednesday: Dee's Bugaboo Boutique

2010-03-17T09:51:00.000-05:00

This week's giveaway is for Dee's Bugaboo Boutique cards. Enter by 9pm CST tonight for your chance to win!

Click here to enter.

Where's Your Focus?

2010-03-11T14:44:00.000-06:00

focus: 5 a : a center of activity, attraction, or attention b : a point of concentration... Merriam Webster dictionary

Today I want to talk to you little about focus. When I'm taking a picture I ask this question often... where's your focus? Usually, I'm taking portraits of my kids and so I want my focus to be on their face and more specifically on their eyes. Since people are generally who we want to focus on in our photos that's usually where we want our focus to be but sometimes we want it elsewhere to draw our attention to the story behind the photo..

Every camera is different and therefore your settings are different but in general every camera has a focus point which is normally in the center for p&s cameras or you can have from 3 to several focus points in higher end p&s camears and dSLRs. Your goal is to use that point to get the most tack sharp focus exactly where you want your focus to be... Many cameras allow you to pinpoint your focus area, press the button down halfway and then you can move the camera around to get the composition you want before pressing all the way down to take the shot and your focus will stay on the object or person that you had locked in the focus on.

In my photos I want to bring your attention to something... so most of my photos will focus on a child's face and more specifically the face... but sometimes I want to tell a story with my photo so I'll focus on that storytelling part of the photo... take this photo for instance... I want people to see how messy my sweet boy is... I have the focus on his messy hands after eating but you can still see that it's him who is being the messy boy. So, I set my focus point to focus on his hand and I set my aperture pretty wide so that the rest of him is blurry but you can still tell it's him.
Here's another example, again of my sweet boy... this time focusing on the fact that he bent the drill bit, so I took a picture of his hands playing with the drill and my focus is on the hands not his face or even his whole body or the whole scene... can you tell he's my little trouble maker?
Normally, this is what my photos look like... a picture of my child with the focus on their face and more specifically on their eyes, although in this photo, I could have told the story by focusing on the ASL "I Love You" sign but chose to focus more on my sweet girl by focusing on her eyes showing how happy she is
and here is another one not focusing on the face but focusing on something on his face to show the story... my child has a snotty nose and he's reaching for kleenex... is that what you see with this photo? Is your attention drawn to the snotty nose?
OK, here's your assignment... take a picture that tells a story, drawing our attention to something or some place using the focus point(s) on your camera. Post the photo here in this thread for us all to see.

Tasty Tuesday: Blueberry-Almond Granola

2010-03-09T07:45:00.000-06:00

This recipe comes from one of our members, Kristin! Thanks for submitting such a great recipe.

Do you have a recipe you love and want others to enjoy too? Post it in our Cookbook forum.

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 T vegetable oil
2 T honey
1 cup dried blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350*. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss oats, coconut, and almonds. In a small bowl, stir together oil and honey. Pour over oat mixture and toss. Bake, tossing occasionally until lightly toasted, 16 to 20 minutes.

2. Place mixture in a large bowl and stir in blueberries. (To store, keep in an airtight container, up to 1 month.)

Win It Wednesday: Saving Obsession!

2010-03-03T12:27:00.000-06:00

This week at Tuckers Take Tennessee there is an awesome giveaway going on. Saving Obsession has donated one of her adorable binders. Its perfect for coupons and comes with coupon items that make your grocery shopping trip easier on you!

Come check it out and enter! Winner will be chose after 9pm CST tonight. (3/3/10)

MGR Monday: March 1, 2010

2010-03-01T10:55:00.003-06:00

MGR has lots going on in March and we want to make sure you know about it all! It's madness!

1. Weekly Auctions. We just concluded our first MGR auction. Micael won an adorable custom vinyl wall hanging from one of our members, prariestorm! Make sure youre around and checking out the upcoming auctions. They will be in the Coffee Talk forum!

2. Co-ops: Carey has some great co-ops planned. We just concluded "Naturally Pampered" and "Everyday Minerals". Some of the upcoming ones are: CraftMonkey (applique tee's), Prairiestorm Designs (vinyl lettering), Little Painted Polka Dot (adorable stamped jewelry and gifts), Frontier, A Time To Dye, and many more! Check out the co-op forum for more details!

3. ATTENTION ALL SITE SUPPORTERS! You now have a forum just for you! If you are a site supporter, please make sure you can see the forum. Instead of sending out PM's to all the site supporters about when their account is up for renewal, we've created a forum for you to subscribe to. (I got this idea from a friend on another forum and am so thankful for it!) :) If you aren't already a site supporter and would like to know the perks that come with being one, click this link: http://www.mygreatretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=118

4. We are looking for a Resident Designer. Please click here if you are interested. http://www.mygreatretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=4008

5. 7 Days Left to get in on the special for banner advertising. Click here for more details: http://www.mygreatretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=3957

6. MGR has social icons for you to share on your blog, website, etc! Click here to get the coding for them! http://www.mygreatretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=4015

7. Make sure youre a follower and read the MGR blog! http://mygreatretreat.blogspot.com

8. Subscribe to the MGR tweets! http://www.mygreatretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=3682

9. As always, you can become a fan of MGR on Facebook. Just type in "my great retreat" and join.

10. There are TONS of great ways to win prizes on our forum right now. (1) Picture Play Contest, (2) Blog Assignments, (3) Scrapbooking Assignments, (4) Photography Assignments, (5) And the newest is the Chat For Fun Contest (located in the contest forum). Great prizes!

We hope you have a great March and hope Spring reaches you very soon!

MGR Team

MGR Monday: February 22, 2010

2010-02-22T13:02:00.000-06:00

MGR has a hashtag to use on Twitter!

When you post to another MGR member or link back to our site, www.mygreatretreat.com , use #mgr or #MGR in your tweet. It will help create a bit of buzz and will help us find each other on twitter.

Money Saving Monday: Stretching that dollar at Target

2010-02-22T10:51:00.001-06:00

Would you believe me if I told you that I think shopping at Target (or Super Target) is actually cheaper than Wal*Mart for your groceries and household goods? Probably not. But more often than not, it's true. In fact, I find it so true, I no longer shop at Wal*MArt, for anything.

At the beginning of my coupoing journey, I dragged my mom along for the ride. My mom, mind you, was a die-hard Wal*Mart shopper. Every Friday we'd load up and head to FIVE different grocery stores for "the best deals". (Of course my argument was if Wal*Mart is so great, why are we spending hours driving to all these other places??). It was all this crazy running around, and my being immensely pregnant with baby #3 that made me say "Enough!" and I learned how to coupon the right way. Within a couple weeks I stopped going to all those stores and forced my mom into going alone. Two whole months later I *finally* convinced her that we could get our groceries for cheaper at Publix (and the occasional trip to Super Target) than Wal*Mart or any of those other places. She now never shops at Wal*Mart. Hooray!

Now during the time I was teaching/convincing my mom we did a little recon at Super Target. I am like a human price book when it comes to the things we frequently buy (yes, as in I remember the prices not only for my families items, but my moms as well, lol). So she would point out something there, look at the price, and I'd tell her Wal*Marts price. But that's not all. It's not just the everyday pricing that has me loving Target more (or the cleaner stores, or the friendlier service....) but it just so happens that Target has a *fantastic* coupon policy. (You can check out their policy HERE) They allow you to not only use a manufacturer coupon per item but you can also use a Target coupon AND manufacturer coupon per item! Wal*Mart has no coupons folks, so right there alone Target has them beat.

There are now 2 great ways to get Target coupons. You can either print them from HERE or you can now receive Mobile Coupons that you can sign up for HERE.

I wanted to show you how great some deals can be with these Target coupons.
Gillette Venus Embrace Razor (purchase 2)
Sale Price: $6.99
Use: (2) $2/1 mfr q (2/7 PG) AND (2) Free Olay Body Wash wyb Venus Embrace or Breeze Razor (2/7 PG)
Receive: Free $5 giftcard with purchase of any 2 Gillette products listed
Final Cost, OOP: $9.98
Final Cost after GC: $4.98. or $2.50 each
*Sweeten this deal and save an additional $2/1 if you've signed up for Target Mobile coupons. *

Gillette Fusion Razor (purchase 2)
Sale Price: $6.99
Use: (2) $4/1 mfr q (2/7 PG)
Receive: Free $5 giftcard with purchase of any 2 Gillette products listed
Final Cost, OOP: $5.98
Final Cost after GC: $0.98
*Sweeten this deal and save an additional $2/1 if you've signed up for Target Mobile coupons. *

I have also already taken the time to do some manufacturer coupon match ups with the current Target mobile coupons:
$2/1 Gillette Fusion Razor
Pair up with: $4/1 Gillette Fusion mfr q from 2/7 P&G insert

$2/1 Gillette Venus Razor
Pair up with: $2/1 Gillette Venus mfr q from 2/7 P&G insert
AND
with: Free Olay Body Wash when you purchase a Venus Razor mfr q from 2/7 P&G insert

Yesterday I got these:
$1/1 Kraft Cheese (chunk or shredded)
Pair up with: $1/2 Kraft mfr q from 1/24 Smart Source insert (or check here or here)

$1/1 Planters food products (5oz or larger)
Pair up with: $1/2 Planters mfr q from 1/24 Smart Source insert

$0.75/1 M&Ms Premium chocolate candies (6oz or larger)

$3/1 The Fragrance Collection by Glade (excludes 2 oz mini candle)
Pair up with: $3/1 The Fragrance Collection any product mfr from 2/7 Smart Source insert
OR
with: $3/1 The Fragrance Collection any 10oz Candle or Reed Diffuser mfr q from 1/24 Smart Source insert

Quite a few good deals! The Razors would be wicked cheap (especially with the current Gift Card deal going on) and using the $3 off mfr q for any Glade should mean a free or very cheap candle!

I hope I have opened your eyes to stretching your dollar when shopping at Target!!

Please feel free to check out my blog, Saving Obsession, and become a follower to see hot deals and coupons every day!

Happy Savings!

Calling All WAHM's! We'd Love Your Help!

2010-02-19T08:52:00.000-06:00

MGR would love to help you get your products out there!

Calling All WAHMs!

My Great Retreat needs your help!

This is growing into such a wonderful and loving community, which is just what we want! The problem is love alone doesn't cover the cost of running a board, and this is where we need your help. My Great Retreat is going to be offering a host of different raffles and/or auctions to keep this site alive and well! We are currently looking for any WAHM who is willing to donate one (or more!) of their items to be raffled or auctioned here on the site. It doesn't have to be anything large, or high dollar (although a minimum of $10 value would be appreciated).

Just think, not only will you be helping out our great community, but you'll be getting your business out there as well! And we all know that WAHM's can use all the advertising they can get.

So please, I hope you'll consider helping us out. If you would like to, please just shoot me a PM! Thank you!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We've decided we'll do 1-2 auctions/raffles per week as donations allow. If you're going to donate, please PM me the following info:

Item(s) to be donated (if more than one please let me know if you want them auctioned together or separate)
Retail Value
Shipping Costs to winner
Website (if you have one)
Picture of item(s)
When the items will be available

Weekly Deal Wednesday: Publix Shoppers!

2010-02-17T09:35:00.001-06:00

Let's just get to it shall we? There are some great deals this week!

Acronyms found here
Order extra mfr coupons from here or here
And remember, if your store doubles coupons, your final cost will be less than what I've stated (lucky you!)

Chapstick Medicated
Price: $1.49, Buy 2
Use: (1) $0.50/2 mfr q (12/13 RP) AND (2) $1/1 Publix q (Green Adv. Flyer)
Final Cost: $0.48, or $0.24 each

Chapstick Original, Cherry, or Moisturizing
Price: $1.49, Buy 3
Use: (1) $1/3 mfr q (1/31 RP) AND (3) $1/1 Publix q (Green Adv. Flyer)
Final Cost: $0.47, or $0.16 each

Classico Pasta or Alfredo Sauce
Sale: BOGO Price: $2.49
Use: (2) $0.75/1 mfr q (1/10 SS)
Final Cost: $0.99, or $0.49 each
OR use (1) Free Pasta Sauce wyb Alfredo Sauce (1/10 SS)
Final Cost: Free (if you live in FL)

Nestle Coffemate Chilled Creamer
Sale: BOGO Price: $2.19
Use: (2) $0.75/1 mfr q (Print IP) OR (1) $1/2 mfr q (Print IP)
Final Cost: $0.69, or $0.34 each OR $1.19, $0.59 each
*If your store accepts Food Lion as a competitor use (2) $1/1 FLIPs combined with either of the above mfr q to get free creamer! Or use them alone to get creamer for $0.19!

For the rest of my Weekly Deals, click the button below to check them out on my blog!

Win It Wednesday: MLK Designs

2010-02-17T08:58:00.000-06:00

Come check out the awesome giveaway on Meghan's blog at Tuckers Take Tennessee

This week, get a FREE design by MLK Designs! Enter now through 9pm CST tonight!

Intro to Money Saving Monday

2010-02-15T10:00:00.001-06:00

Hi! My name is Micael (or The Deal Diva as they call me over on My Great Retreat)! Each Monday I'm going to be bringing you a little slice of what I talk about on my blog: saving money...and a lot of it!

A little about me: I'm about to be 26 (!), I have 3 lovely daughters, and I am a busy busy busy stay at home mom to them. I love to sew, craft, create, bake, sleep, be outside, and wouldn't you know... I love coupons too. ;) I got into couponing in November 2008. But I failed miserably at it. I did all the common mistakes most newbies make and ended up spending way more than I normally would, so I quit. But in March 2009 I took another stab at it, and by George I got it! It took countless weeks of research and loads of trial and error, but I got it. (Don't worry, I'm currently putting finishing touches on my couponing E-book that simplifies couponing by giving you detailed information all in one spot so you don't have to waste all that time!) From March - December 2009 I was able to save my family just over $6,000.00! That's no typo, I really saved 6 thousand dollars in 9 months! I always get asked "But can you get stuff you really need?" And the answer is a big fat YES! Do you use household cleaners? Do you use toiletries such as shampoo, razors, and toothpaste? Do you eat things like Kelloggs, Post, or General Mills cereal, fruits and veggies, crackers, soups? If you answered yes to any of those, then I've proven my point: you can use coupons for things you use. (Please note: that is a ridiculously small list in comparison to things you can indeed buy with coupons and smart shopping!!)

On Money Saving Mondays I'm going to post on several different topics. It could be a tip for when shopping with coupons, tips for maximizing your dollars, hot deals, or anything else that I can come up with the help save you money!

Here's what I'm going to tell you today to prep you for the beginning of your saving journey:
1. Where ever it is you do your grocery shop, find out their coupon policy. (And in most areas I will tell you that you can save more at your local grocery store than even Wal*Mart. Yes, I'm serious.)
2. Start making sure you receive at least 1-2 Sunday newspapers (the best source for your coupons!). If you live in Central Florida, click here for discounted rates I can give you!
3. Join in on our Savings Challenge! All you have to do is set a personal goal for your family for the year, and post each month how much you've saved. Sign up here and I'll be answering any questions you may have here. (If you're not a member of My Great Retreat yet, come join us! It's free, and lots of fun. In the referral box let them know Micael sent you!)
4. Start reading things on my blog to see what types of things I'll be teaching you!

Alright, so who's excited to start saving money?!

Scrappin' Sunday: 2/14/10

2010-02-14T20:15:00.000-06:00

Book Of Me Prompt For This Week:

Scrap about your favorite color and post it here for us to see!

Some of the ones that have already been submitted are:

Fun Friday!!! What Does your Candy Heart Say About You??

2010-02-12T06:06:00.000-06:00

I thought this would be fun for Valentine's Day. What Does your Candy Heart Say about you?

Your Candy Heart Says "Hug Me"

A total sweetheart, you always have a lot of love to give out.

Your heart is open to where ever love takes you!

Your ideal Valentine's Day date: a surprise romantic evening that you've planned out

Your flirting style: lots of listening and talking

What turns you off: fighting and conflict

Why you're hot: you're fearless about falling in love

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Blogthings: We'll Tell You The Truth... Someone Has To!

Thrifty Thursday-February 11, 2010

2010-02-11T10:28:00.000-06:00

Please join us at My Great Retreat for our 2010 Savings Challenge

Here are some savings you can find this week:
Preschoolians shoes-overstock sale 30% off plus free shipping

1-800-FLOWERS free shipping/no service charge (no code needed)

Free Ecards

Restaurant.com-
The new 80% off discount code for Restaurant.com is: HEART

free bowling at Brunswick Bowling

Walgreens.com
25 free 4X6 prints when you buy 25 or more (exp 2-13)
Coupon code Love10

Win It Wednesday: Bebebows!

2010-02-10T10:50:00.000-06:00

Meghan has great giveaways on Wednesdays!

This week Bebebows is giving away a $30 voucher to their store! Adorable products for your little girl or great for gifts too!

Enter here for your chance to win!

http://www.mygreatretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=4210

Tuesday's Top Ten: 2/9/10

2010-02-09T10:50:00.000-06:00

Come check out Tuesday's Top Ten at MGR! Some of the items that made this week's list are below! Adorable products and top notch sellers!

MGR Monday: February 8, 2010

2010-02-08T15:27:00.000-06:00

Whats going on this week at MGR?

Join in our Referral Contest! Winner gets $25 cash via paypal! Click here to join in!

A great prize is being given away in February for the Facebook contest! Make sure you're a "fan" of MGR on Facebook and answer the QOTD's when they are posted, to get your chance to win! Click here!

Come get to know "OhhMomma". She is our member of the week!

Do you have recipes? Want some new recipes? Come here and enter your recipes for our site's cookbook we are having printed later this year.

Are you a WAHM and like to get your name out? We'd love to help! Click here for our banner advertising or visit our WAHM forums for free advertising.

We are looking to add another Resident Designer. Do you love to design signature, banners, avatars? Come help us out! Click here for more info.

Do you love natural bath and body products? Come join in our co-op with Naturally Pampered! Great discounted prices!

Hope your week is great! Happy Valentines Day!

Fun Friday!! What Flavor Toothpaste Are You?

2010-02-05T18:04:00.000-06:00

My kids had to go to the dentist the other day for a checkup, so I thought this would be a fun quiz. What Flavor Toothpaste are You?

You Are Bubblegum Flavored Toothpaste

You are impulsive about most things in life, and you can't say no to fun! You are always in search of a new adventure.

You try to lighten up every task and bring a little zing to your day. You like whimsical little treats, like bubblegum

Like everyone else, you have your struggles and problems in life. Unlike everyone else, you don't let the difficulty of life get you down.

The world may be a harsh place, but knowing that you can bring sunshine into other people's lives keeps you going.

What Flavor Toothpaste Are You?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

Tasty Tuesday: Rib-Eye with Whiskey Cream Sauce

2010-02-02T14:18:00.001-06:00

I have loved every recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Yesterday was my husband's birthday, so I decided to give this recipe a try. I made some modifications but it turned out great!!

Rib-Eye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce
5 tbsp butter
3 tbsp diced onion
1/4 cup whiskey (I substituted a dry white wine)
1/4 cup beef stock
salt and pepper
1/4 cream
2 rib eye steaks
**I also added some chopped up mushrooms when I added the onion**
Melt 2 tbsp butter. Add onion (and mushrooms) and cook until brown. Turn off burner and add whiskey (or wine) Turn burner back on and add beef stock and salt and pepper. Whisk in 1 tbsp butter and allow to bubble for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low and whisk in cream. I then covered while I cooked the steaks.
Melt 2 tbsp butter in large skillet. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Add steaks to hot skillet. Pioneer Woman recommends 2 minutes on each side for a thin steak to be cooked medium rare. A thicker steak will be 3-4 minutes. After the steak is done, cover with the sauce and enjoy!!!

MGR Monday: February 1, 2010

2010-02-01T15:34:00.000-06:00

We have lots going on and many new members! Thats awesome!

So a little rundown about the happenings on MGR...

1. We have many new members who haven't gotten involved or posted an intro yet. If this is you, we really are excited you are here and cant wait to get to know you and see you more involved. Check out the "Getting To Know You" forum and post an intro today!

2. An awesome co-op is going on right now. Naturally Pampered. To join in and get some great deals click here: http://www.mygreatretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=4039 Our next co-op this month will be with Everyday Minerals. Make sure to check out the Co-op Calendar for more details.

3. WAHM Banner Advertising Special! We have a special going on for our WAHM's! If you are a WAHM or own a business/blog and want to advertise for an affordable price on our forums, then this is for you! Check out this thread for more details: http://www.mygreatretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=3957

4. We have several swaps going on this month. Right now you could join in the "All About Kids" Swap. Click here to join: http://www.mygreatretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=4017 Also, later this month we'll be having a Pamper Mama Swap. Don't miss out!

5. Love to send little somethings to others anonymously? Or do you have a few things that you are in need that you would love to receive from someone randomly in the mail? Join in the Blessings forum. Click here for more details: http://www.mygreatretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=122

6. Our Referral Contest is now open! You could be the winner of $25 cash via paypal from our admin! Make sure you check out this thread to see how you could win! http://www.mygreatretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=4041

7. Make sure you're a follower of our blog! http://mygreatretreat.blogspot.com

We hope you have a great month and can't wait to see you around!

MGR Team

Are You A Follower & Fan?

2010-01-31T14:13:00.000-06:00

Did you know that you can join our Facebook fan page or follow us on Twitter?

If you aren't already a "follower" or "fan", do it now!

Be a fan on Facebook We'd love to get to 100 fans by the end of March!

Win It Wednesday: What Is It?

2010-01-31T14:11:00.002-06:00

Every Wednesday, Meghan picks a new WAHM (Work At Home Mom) or business owner to feature on her blog for a giveaway. It's called Win It Wednesday.

This week we'd like to display some that have been featured in the past as well as let you know how you could get involved in this great and fun way to get your business name out there.

In the past, the following have been featured:

1. Stitchen Mama

2. The Lil Shoppe

3. The Salty Peanut

4. dotcomkari

and many others!!!

So, how do you get involved? Here is how:

1. Send Meghan a message telling her you'd like to get involved.

2. Please include your name, store web address, a short description of what you sell, and the best way to get in contact with you.

3. A date will then be picked that works for both.

4. You will then send a short bio about your store, your store web address, and a few pictures of what youre going to do for the giveaway and if its a custom item, similar pictures of products you've made in the past.

5. The contest ends on Wednesday nights at 9pm CST. A winner will be picked using www.random.org

6. Meghan will then contact you to give you the email address of the winner. It's then up to you to get in contact with the winner and ship their item.

Banner Advertising SPECIAL!

2010-01-31T13:40:00.000-06:00

New Years Special!

Advertise with us by March and you'll get special pricing!

*Buy a month of advertising, and get the 2nd at 50% off ($9 for two months!)

*Buy 3 months of advertising, get the 4th FREE! ($15 for 4 months!)

NORMAL PRICE LIST:

1 month: $6

3 months: $15

6 months: $28

12 months: $50

Are You Ready?
1. Please send Meghan a PM stating you'd like to advertise with us and the amount of time you'd like to use.

2. Your banner will be up for the given amount of time you have payed for.

3. Please note that we are currently accepting 468X60 banners. Please do not send any other size banner besides that. (if you do not already have a banner that size, our Designers can make one for you for $3 for non animated and $5 for animated).

4. When you send the banner, please provide the direct link for the image that you are using for your banner as well as the site you'd like the banner to be connected to (your personal site you will be advertising for). Also let me know where you would like to advertise on our forums. (very top of pages, above index and forums on each page, incline-in between several posts in each thread, or in the footer of each page). If you purchase more than one spot for more than 1 month, we will give discounts.

If you have any questions, please let us know!

Tasty Tues: Chicken Chili

2009-11-17T01:53:00.002-06:00

Nothing beats a huge bowl of chili on a cold winter's day and my husband is the biggest chili fan! I was sick of the classic chili over and over again, so I created this chili myself using chicken instead of burger to spice things up! I find it has just the right kick of spice for our family!

NEEDED:
4 breasts cooked and diced
1 can chicken broth (used to cook the chicken breasts)
1 can chili beans
1 can navy beans
1 can black beans
10 oz can of enchilada sauce
2 cans mexican style stewed tomatos (with chilis in it)
1 1/2 cups grated monterey jack or coby jack cheese
2 cups salsa (can add more if you like yours spicy!)
Chili Powder to taste (more if you like it spicy, less if not)

TO make:
Place all items in a giant pot on your stove. Simmer on med heat for about two hours stiring every so often to prevent sticking. Serve with corn bread or bread sticks. Also great with tortilla chips..or Fritos.. topped with a bit of left over grated cheese and sour cream! mmm good!

Tasty Tuesday: Cheese Burger Chowder

2009-11-10T01:51:00.002-06:00

Here is one of my family's all time favorite soups. Perfect for chilly fall days like today! it is so creamy and just plain amazing!

1/2 pound hamburger meat
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped finely
Salt and pepper to taste
Dried basil and parsley to taste
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced potatoes or a bag of frozen hashbrowns
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

To Make:

1. Brown the hamburger on medium to medium-high heat.
2. Drain the ground beef, but retain a bit of the fat to sautee the vegetables.
3. Add onion, carrot and celery to the soup pot. Add salt, sautee on medium low heat until onions are soft.
4. Add basil, parsley and pepper, and cook for a minute or two more, and add the broth and potatoes.
5. Return the beef to the soup pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer while you make the cheese sauce.
6. While the soup is simmering, melt the butter in a medium sized sauce pan.
7. Add the flour to the butter a small amount at a time, being sure to stir it in completely before adding more.
8. After all the flour has been added, cook the mixture for a minute or two. This will remove the raw flour taste.
9. Remove the flour/butter mixture from the heat. Add milk a bit at a time, making sure to stir completely to remove lumps.
10. Once the milk is added and the mixture is smooth, return it to the heat. Once it is hot, you can start adding the shredded cheese a bit at a time, making sure it gets melted in before adding more.
11. Add a cup or so of the broth the cheese sauce to help thin it, and to raise the temperature.
12. Add the cheese sauce and the sour cream to the soup.

Notes If you want to turn this cheeseburger soup recipe into a bacon cheeseburger soup recipe, then cook up some crispy bacon and sprinkle it into the soup just before serving.

Also, if you really miss the bun, try serving the soup with some toasted sourdough bread. Great for dipping into the soup!

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Chip Candy

2009-11-03T13:49:00.001-06:00

I have a sweet tooth.. a really bad sweet tooth! So when it comes to easy candy to make.. this one is on the list!

1 (18 ounce package) of chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (choose your favorite, I LOVE lightly salted cashews)
1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

To Make:
Mix chips over low heat with your sweetened condensed milk. Remove from heat and stir in the nuts and vanilla. Spread the mixture over a wax paper lined 8x8 inch cookie sheet. Chill

Tasty Tip:
Make a bunch and wrap them in pretty colored wrap as gifts for teachers, friends or even neighbors.. or you could always send some to me!

Tasty Tues: Jar Mix Cookie

2009-10-27T06:00:00.002-05:00

Staying with the theme of cookies! (I can not get enough of them!) I thought it would be fun to share a Jar Mix Cookie Recipe with you!

Jar mix cookie recipes have grown in popularity over the past few years; their origin born from the idea of making gift giving simpler.

Giving cookies to friends and family will always be part of the Holliday tradition, the problem is trying to find time to bake with our ever busy fast paced life styles.

Jar Mix cookies have made life so much easier. Not only do they make a great looking homemade gift, but over the years their recipes have improved, and delicious cookies often result.

The orange dreamsicle jar mix cookie recipe combines orange flavoring with vanilla baking chips for a great taste!

ORANGE DREAMSICLE COOKIES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup powdered orange flavored drink mix (I used Tang)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups vanilla baking chips
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Hardware
1-quart mason jar or larger canning jar
Funnel (optional)
Paper for tag

TO MAKE:
Step 1: In a bowl, combine the flour with the baking soda and baking powder. Then in your jar : Start first layer with powdered orange flavored drink. Then add the sugar. Follow with vanilla chips and ending with the flour mixture. Pack down firmly after each addition.

Step 2: Attach tag with the following instructions:

Orange Dreamsicle Cookies

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer cream 1 sticks (1/2 cup) of softened salted butter or margarine with 1 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat well.
Step 3: Gradually add cookie mix, stirring until ingredients are well mixed.
Step 4: Roll dough into tablespoon size balls. Place 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Step 5: Bake 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on cookie sheet. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling surface.

Makes about 24-30 cookies.

What Office Supply Are You?

2009-10-24T00:00:00.004-05:00

You Are a Coffee Mug

You have loads of energy and stamina. You can zip through the most boring of tasks with complete enthusiasm.

You are also great at motivating a group. You are a fearless leader.

You are efficient and productive. You don't put off tasks or procrastinate. You actually enjoy working.

You would make a good small business owner or startup employee. If a job requires blood, sweat, and tears - then you have some to give.

What Office Supply Are You?

Adobe Lightroom 3 Beta

2009-10-22T09:48:00.001-05:00

I love Lightroom 2 for photo editing. I do pretty much all of my photo editing in LR and found that I rarely use Photoshop Elements anymore unless I want a specific action or for digi scrapbooking. I follow the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Killer Tips Blog and was really excited to see that they have a Beta version of Lightroom 3 that is available to everyone not just existing LR users. If you're interested in giving LR a try, I highly recommend downloading this program. Now remember it's a Beta version and not the final version so there may be some quirks, but think it's great for deciding if you want to add LR when the completed version comes out.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Beta

Tasty Tuesday: Cookies!!

2009-10-20T06:00:00.002-05:00

Did you know that October is NATIONAL COOKIE MONTH! .. just what you needed to hear right?? of course I have never needed a reason to bake.. but this little tid bit made me drool and want to bring out the cookie sheets even more!

So in honnor of celebrating National Cookie Month.. I decided I would share my personal favorite cookie recipe with you!

Monster Cookies

Needed:

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup MnM candies

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup raisins, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant!)

To The Baking! :

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. (or GREASE YOUR PAN WELL)

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal.

Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake.

Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

It makes 3 dozen cookies!!! but trust me these cookies move so fast.. that you will be glad you have a lot! because that way you may actually get one! *L*

Cookie Tip:

One of the most frequently asked questions when baking cookies is: how do you cut down preparation time for parties or special events? The answer is simple; freeze your dough or cookies ahead of time.
Most cookie dough freezes extremely well and can be kept frozen for up to 4 or 6 weeks. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the dough will absorb any odd odors present in your freezer if it's not properly wrapped and sealed. To prevent odors from creeping into the dough, as well as preventing freezer burn, wrap the dough securely twice. Also make sure that the dough is placed away from fish or any other strong smelling items in the freezer. Oxygen is another leading cause of freezer burn. If you should decide to put the dough into a freezer bag instead of wrapping with plastic wrap then follow this tip: when closing the bag, leave a ¼-inch gap in one corner. Insert a drinking straw, suck out all excess air in the bag, and then close tightly.

When you are ready to bake, simply let the dough defrost in the refrigerator. It will take several hours to thaw the dough, so plan ahead. The types of cookie dough that freeze the best are shortbreads, chocolate chip, peanut butter, sugar, and brownies, just to name a few. The types of cookie dough that do not freeze well are those for cake-like cookies and cookies that have a very smooth, runny batter.

Freezing baked cookies is a great way to preserve their freshness. Baked cookies will keep in the freezer for up to 3 or 4 weeks. Follow the same steps as when freezing dough by double-wrapping the cookies. When you are ready to eat your frozen cookies, just let them come to room temperature. Or for you impatient types, pop them in the microwave on high for about 30 seconds. We still haven't come across a baked cookie that doesn't freeze well. So when planning your next special event, think about preparing and freezing ahead of time.

Using scrapbooking templates in Photoshop Elements

2009-10-15T16:41:00.001-05:00

I've had many friends ask me how to do digital scrapbooking and I've shared that I started out using templates. I like templates because the layout of your page is already done for you and all you have to do is add the pictures and elements where indicated. I only know how to use Photoshop Elements so that is what this tute will be written for.

First, there are two shortcuts that I find to be really helpful.

Free Transform - Ctrl-T (PC) or Command-T (Mac)... I use this to make the picture fit the photo spot before grouping and also to size the elements .

Group w/ previous - Ctrl-G (PC) or Command-G (Mac)... this is used a lot in templates to group the paper with the element below it and the paper automatically becomes that element w/o distorting or frustration trying to size it to fit the element... you'll see what I mean when we start going through this tute.

OK, let's get started. I picked out a template that had lots of different colors so you can see a little easier how this all works.

Once I picked out my template, I opened the .psd file... this is important because then you can see all the layers, so make sure you open the .psd file and not the .jpg file. You'll see in a bit why you need the layers.

On the lower right hand corner you can see all the layers for this particular template. See the little "eye" icon? You can click/toggle each layer on and off depending on if you want that particular layer in your layout. You can also drag each layer up or down to move that layer above or below another layer. You will be clicking on each layer in that corner depending on which layer you are working on at the time.

Click on the pictures to see them full sized

I like to work from the bottom up... the background to the top layer. So, I will pick out a background paper and open that .jpg or .png file up. I will then drag or copy/paste it on top of the background layer. Make sure that your new layer is above the background labeled layer and below all the elements... In this example I also grouped it with the background layer by hitting Ctrl-G/Command-G... see how the layer thumbnail moves to the right and then has an arrow pointing to the layer below. You don't have to do this with the background... I just did this so you see what happens when you group w/ previous.

OK, some people start from the bottom and go up the layers, but this is where I like to add the pictures in. This particular template only has one photo slot, so I go and find the picture that I want and also the photo layer in the scrapbook page. I drag or copy/paste the picture above the photo layer. I then free transform by hitting Ctrl-T/Command-T. You will find a box around your picture and it is important to keep the proportions the same so that you don't distort the picture, you can do this by using the corner boxes to resize the picture. The picture needs to be bigger then the photo slot, otherwise you'll have white space (or whatever color the template is). Click on the green check mark when you've completed your free transform.

When you have the picture in the desired spot then "group w/ previous" by hitting ctrl-g/command-g and voila! Your picture fits in the photo layer. Now you can still change and move around the picture by pressing ctrl-t/command-t and move around or resize, just make sure again that you keep the picture proportions the same.

You'll soon see that I didn't like the picture that I used so I changed it by deleting the picture from the layers and doing the same thing again to add a different picture.

Now the fun begins... we're going to change the elements on this template. Now that you learned how to "group w/ previous" the next few parts are really simple. Now we're going to change the paper elements from the solid color blocks to paper blocks. We'll do the same thing we did with the picture only I normally don't resize the paper.

The next step is to decide what papers you want to use for the paper blocks. Then you will drag or copy/paste the paper over the block layer. Next you'll group w/ previous (ctrl-g or command-g) and voila you have your paper block... sometimes I do want certain parts of the paper to show like a big flower so I'll free transform (ctrl-t or command-t) until I see what I like as you can see in this example.

You'll keep grouping papers with the blocks until you have what you like.

paper layer above paper block layer on the lower right hand corner

after grouping w/ previous (ctrl-g or command-g)

another example... paper layer above paper block layer in your layers

after grouping w/ previous

and another example...

You can even do it with the other elements, not just the paper block elements. For instance, I really liked this frame so I found a paper I liked that went with the rest of the papers and thought it would work great for the frame.

paper layer dragged or copy/pasted above the frame layer

and group w/ previous

Now you add your embellishments or whatever you want to your page by dragging or copy/pasting in the layers and free transforming (ctrl-t or command-t) and moving and resizing them around... you can also turn them by hovering around the outside of the the box until you see a bent arrow. and turning the box to the angle that you like.

Here I've added a journal embellishment on top of the journaling layer and will turn the eye icon off of the journal layer to remove the "journaling".

Here I'm adding the Title using an alphabet that matched the papers. I use free transform to resize and move into the position I want each of the letters... this alpha was the perfect size as is, but normally I have to resize it to the desired size. Sometimes I use the bent arrow to turn the letters a bit too. When I have my title in place then I'll turn off the "eye" icon on the sample title layer.

Here I am putting button embellishments in place of the flower elements using free transform to move and resize them and toggle off the flower element layers...

I like to add a drop shadow to all of the elements so when I have everything in place, I'll highlight each of the elements and then in the "Effects" palette above the "Layers" palette, I'll find the box with the "low" drop shadow, click on that and then click on apply and it instantly adds a drop shadow to the element. I usually add one to all of the elements so I'll go down the list until everything that I want to have a drop shadow has one. After I have the page exactly the way I want it the I will flatten the image which will delete the hidden (eye icon toggled off) layers and will combine all the layers into one. Be sure that you have the page exactly like you want it before doing this though. I sometimes will do a "merge visible" first to to make sure I don't want the hidden elements before I finally will do a "flatten image"

Here is my final page... I had added some journaling and another button after I had already flattened the picture but normally I have it all finished before flattening. Click on the picture to see it full sized.

Photography Tip #2

2009-10-08T07:43:00.002-05:00

Get out of your comfort zone and try some of the manual settings. I learn best by playing with them... take an object and start taking pictures of it at different apertures to see what happens to the picture at the different settings. Be sure to write down your settings and find one that you really like and note what that setting is especially the aperture. I found that I like to have my aperture set around f/2.8 and f5.6. The change will be more noticeable if the background is a pattern of some sort.

Then I want you to play with the shutter speed and take pictures of water. You'll find that with the faster shutter speed the water is really crisp and frozen in time. With the slower shutter speed the water will almost look like cotton candy.

Tasty Tuesday: Easy Manicotti

2009-10-06T12:49:00.002-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to cook! I have been fond of cooking ever since I remember. My father was the great cook in our household, my mother never did cook well at all, and I remember being a little child and helping my father in the kitchen creating one of his masterpieces. He installed in me his love for cooking and taught me tons of little tad-bits and secrets about creating amazing food in the kitchen.

Today, I still love to cook and I still use those same secrets my father shared with me way back when I was young. But, along the way I also picked up many more tips and helpful hints from others around the world to better myself in the kitchen.

I have also picked up many amazing recipes along the way to serve to my family. Of course, I hold dear the recipes passed down to me from my family, but I also enjoy learning new recipes. There is nothing greater than creating something new and exciting for your family to try.

I am happy to share my love for cooking with my own children as my father did with me. My children love to help me out in the kitchen and while it might take longer to create supper with their help, I enjoy sharing my knowlege with them. My daugther has that same passion for food as I do. I can see already that she loves to cook as much as her mother. And let me tell you this, my son can flatten cookie dough into perfectly shaped cookies in no time flat!

From now on, every Tuesday.. I plan to share a recipe with my friends here at My Great Retreat blog. Call it Tasty Tuesday... along with these great recipes, I will share one tip I have learned along the way to make things easier for you around the kitchen.

This week's recipe comes from my amazing sister. She is a huge pasta fan and loves to make Manicotti. This is her personal recipe!

My daughter and her just surprised me last night with a batch of this yummy stuff. My sister taught my daughter how to make it and allowed her to create her own pan to take home for dinner. My daughter was ever so careful to stuff the noodles so they would not break and my sister showed her how to use a mixer to get the cheese nice and creamy! My daughter was so proud of herself for making dinner for the all of us.

Easy Manicotti

12 large manicotti or Large Shell noodles (I always make a few extra noodles in case of noodle breakage!)
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese or cottage cheese.. or a mixture! *L*
2 tablespoons basil
26 ounces pasta sauce
parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook manicotti shells per the instructions on the package. I tend to watch them carefuly as you do not want them over-cooking.. I find that firmer noodles are easier to work with.
Rinse pasta, let cool, and pat dry.
Combine mozzarella, ricotta cheese, and basil in a bowl. (If you do not have 2 cups ricotta, I have used 1 cup cottage cheese and 1 cup ricotta as well). I like to mix the cheese with a hand mixture to make sure the
mixture in nice and smooth.
Stuff manicotti shells with cheese mixture. Spoon works good! You have to be very careful with stuffing the shells, as they tend to break easy.. and trust me I have broken quite a few in my day!
Spoon some pasta sauce on bottom of greased 9x13-inch pan. Make sure bottom as a layer of sauce.
Add stuffed pasta to pan and pour remaining pasta sauce over the top.
Bake at 350°F degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.
Serve with breadsticks or garlic bread!

For More great recipes and kitchen tips check out My Great Retreat

DIY Sunday

2009-10-04T07:32:00.002-05:00

The DIY section on My Great Retreat is probably my favorite place to hang out. It is a place to share with others tutorials that you find on the net, current projects or ask advice about how to accomplish something.

I personally love upcycling and it is something that has gained popularity in the last few years. There is nothing more satisfying than digging through the shelves at the local thrift shop and finding something that can be transformed into a bag, dress for my little ones or a funky hat!

We would love to get more fiber artists who knit or crochet and people who have ideas of inexspensive and fun activities to do with kids. And visit us to find some great tutorial links. This is one of my favorite tutorials http://www.mygreatretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=272

There are also a lot of digital scrapbookers who have fabulous links to free templates and other fun stuff.
I hope to see you over there and here for crafty stuff from me!

Photography Tip #1

2009-10-01T12:08:00.002-05:00

Photography is one of my favorite hobbies and I'm really excited to share this hobby with you. Be sure to check out the photography forums at MGR for lots of fun and exciting things. Picture play is so much fun, you can post a picture that you like or don't like and see what everyone does to edit it. I've seen some really fun and funky edits to really nice general edits. Also, check out the critique corner, post some pics and people will give you constructive advice. There's also a place for general photography chat and a place for photo editing advice and questions. You can also find a section for photography tutorials and links to tutorials. Lastly, my most favorite section is "This Week's Photography Assignment". Every week there is a theme and you can take and post new pictures you took that week that go along with the theme. It's fun to see the many interpretations.

OK, on with the first tip...

I want you to get close to your subject... I mean really close and when you think you're close enough, get even closer. Fill the whole screen up with your subject and maybe even closer by just taking a picture of their face. Many times we just take a picture but there are things in the background that distract us away from what we want people to see. If you get closer those distractions disappear and the focus of what you're trying to communicate in your picture becomes more clear. Sometimes you want to take a picture of your subject's smile but if we don't get in close it's hard to see the smile. If we get in close to where we're only taking a picture of the face, you see that smile nice and big. Remember this is only a tip, it's not a rule, sometimes a picture is better at a distance.

OK, you can do this two ways, one way is to physically get closer and the other is to use your zoom. Fill up your screen as much as possible with your subject. Practice this tip this week and post a link to your picture in the comments here. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

First is an old example from before I learned to get in closer. I should have zoomed in so that you only see all of her instead of the bouncer, coffee table, rocking chair, toy, etc... The second example is getting in closer so you see only his face and not the stroller. You can see his expression without any distractions.

Top 5 Reasons Why MGR Is Great!!!

2009-09-30T00:40:00.001-05:00

1. The members. It's like we're all one big family who is constantly growing and welcoming new members. I've made many close friends from www.mygreatretreat.com and cherrish every friendship.

2. The fun challenges. Whether you're into scrapbooking, photography, crafting, sewing, blogging, you name it, there is something for EVERYONE at www.mygreatretreat.com

3. The contests/raffles. There are some great prizes to be found on the raffles and contests at www.mygreatretreat.com . Currently, the prize is a $25 Amazon gift card to the member who brings in the most members.

4. The "other" forums. There are so many forums at www.mygreatretreat.com , there is always something to talk about. From kiddo chat, to yummy recipes, to questions we might have about womanhood, to for sale or trade forums, it's all good!

5. Easy and FREE signup and registration. It's easy and takes all of 5 minutes or less to sign up and its FREE! Alot of times I dont like to join sites or forums because it takes a while for activation to be made on my account. Activation at www.mygreatretreat.com happens so quickly!

Digital Scrapbooking

2009-09-29T15:55:00.001-05:00

If you are like me , in today's world you do not have much time for anything let alone sitting down to create a scrapbook for your family and friends. With a busy day full of picking up kids from school and running from here and there all those precious photos are just going to waste.

Well.. there is an answer. Digital scrapbooking. Yes, digital scrapbooking. Digital scrapbooking is just like regular scrapbooking, but it is done all on the computer! No real papers needed nor even a scissors! Digital scrapbooking is basically creating scrapbook pages using photos you have stored on your computer or photo CD along with graphics from the web to create wonderful lasting memories in the form of a scrapbook page. To create one of these master pieces all you need is basic computer skills and a digital graphics program such as Paint Shop Pro or Adobe Photoshope (or Elements)..of course other programs can be used also.

There are so many advantages to ‘digi scrapping’, for one thing, there’s no glue, no mess! If all of your photos exist on your computer, why not keep them there and scrapbook them? Other than an inexpensive graphics program, there is no further cost to digi scrapping. Once you have created your digital layouts, you can put them into a digital album, upload them to your photo sharing website, burn them onto a CD or DVD, and there’s no bulky albums taking up shelving space.

To get started all you have to do is take the photo you wish to scrap and find a cute scrapbook kit to work with in your graphics program. There are a lot of awesome digital scrapbook kit designers out there that sell papers, alphabets, wordart, templates, quickpages and Embellishments. You can even find mega kits for sale for a good price if you look hard enough!

Don't have the cash to buy some scrapbook kits to start with? Well.. there are many sites out there on the web that also offer free downloads! You can find loads of free kits to use!

At My Great Retreat there is an amazing forum just for crafts and digital scrapbooking alike! Here you will find links to free digital scrapbooking sites amd Tutorials. My Great Retreat even has amazing weekly Digital Scrapbooking Challenges in which you can take part and show off your skills.

For anyone who has said “digi scrapping” is too hard, too expensive, or too time consuming – it simply isn’t true and it’s getting more and more exciting and easy as more and more people discover this truly wonderful form of scrapbooking... so give it a try yourself and see what all the craze is about.. but be careful as it quickly becomes addicting!

This Week At MGR: September 27th

2009-09-27T17:30:00.001-05:00

Lots going on this week at MGR ! Come join in on the fun!

1. Member of the Week is: Jaime!

2. This Week's Blog Assignment is: Favorite School Subject

3. This Week's Photography Assignment is: Sports!

4. Raffle donations due this week. Raffle

5. Win $25 Amazon Gift Card in our Referral Contest

6. As always, visit our FSOT forums for great deals, craft forums for great ideas for new projects, photography forums for tips and tutorials to better your photography skills, WAHM forums to help get your products out there and to share your favorite WAHM products with us, and all the other great forums we have.

www.mygreatretreat.com

Welcome!

2009-09-27T16:32:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the My Great Retreat blog!

This will be the place to come for interesting articles related to our site, newsletters, favorite threads and posts from our forums, and more!

We hope to make many friends from this blog!

If you haven't already done so, take a chance to check us out! We'd love for you to sign up (It's FREE!) and we can't wait to get to know you!

www.mygreatretreat.com