I Found It!

You might ask, "What is 'IT'?"

Well...since moving to Raymondville, I've had a difficult time purchasing meat. The meat departments at our HEB Grocery Store and our Wal-Mart leaves a lot to be desired. My favorite cuts of meat are AWOL-absent without laughing. At least, I'm not laughing. Read the labels and you'll see why. Tripe (beef stomach and intestines), beef tongue, beef and pork feet, ox tails, milanesa (thin cut of cheap steak), fajita meat, skirt steak, short ribs, etc.

Today I found a meat market. They actually have large hunks of meat, and they will cut off whatever cut of meat you want. For me...today I asked for a beef roast and 1-inch thick New York Strip Steaks. I will go back for more. They grind their hamburger fresh daily, and will grind chuck or sirloin on the spot if you request it. AND they are reasonable for the quality of meat you get.

They also have special package deals. I might order the Family Pack next time: chuck roast, steak, pork steak, hamburger, and more.

If this is as good as I think it is, I feel like I've uncovered a gold mine!

Yippee!!!

After-Christmas Sales Anyone?

I have to work today, so I decided to go to our local (very small) Wal-mart in our (very small) town, to fill my shopping basket with (very huge) savings.

I figured if I had to work today, the only way to feel like I was extending my holiday spirit was to buy some items with slashed prices.

Let me tell you some of my deals:

I bought lots of bath and body types of products for half price, and to be honest, the way they were packaged as sets, there's no way I could buy these individually any other time of year for this low of price. This will make good gifts all year round (and nice for my own simple indulgences as well!).

I needed a shower caddy, and found this one gift set that had a chrome shower caddy to hook over the shower head, along with cream bath, bath soap bar, shower gel, body lotion, scrubby puff, and flower shaped soap for only...drum roll please...$2.44! That's right, two dollars and forty-four cents! AND the B&B products came in a green color that will go with my master bath. How cool is that?!

I also purchased some candle sets that I had been eyeing before Christmas but couldn't bring myself to purchase at full price. At half price they were much more enticing! One came in a white ceramic container that will be perfect in my guest bath with hand towels, wash cloths, and B&B products stuffed inside. It also contained the kind of cermaic burner that holds a tea candle below and those wax muffin thingees on top that melt and make the whole house smell good. I had some muffin thingees but nothing to burn them in. Now I do! And the set came with some candles inside mini-tea cups that will work nicely for an upcoming tea.

I purchased foot bath fizzees on the cheap too. Perfect for an upcoming makeover night with our ladies.

I could go one and on, but all I can say is, I bought several pairs of socks for Russ, And a big coffee-flavored gift pack filled with 6 boxes of goodies for him, a stuffed animal, 3 rolls of wrapping paper and tags, 6 bath and body type gift sets and two extra large gift sets of various candles and containers, packing materials, extra tea candles, and a citrus reamer (our grapefruit are ready), all for...(imagine that drum roll again)...under $70!!! I don't even know HOW I managed that, but I'm stoked!

The store was not crowded at all. I started shopping at 7:30 AM and was out the door by 8:15 AM. Now I'm ready to work, with a little extra cheer buzzing around my head and heart!

Merry After-Christmas!