Contact us to do the things you really don’t want to do or don’t have the time to do!!  Wouldn’t you like to go home after work and not have to run a bunch of errands?   On Saturday wouldn’t you like to p lay with your kids instead of running all over town or cleaning your house?  Camouflage Concierge can help you by giving you the luxury of time!!

www.CamouflageConcierge.com

This tip came from my Dave Ramsey counselor, Brenda Williams

“I thought this was a neat tool and am passing it along to help you get the best deal on gas in your area.  I know it’s a concern for me as we approach $4.00 a gallon!” And now go over!!

http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx

4920 Plainfield Ave. NE
Suite #8
Grand Rapids, MI 49525

(If anyone needs help financially, I highly reccommend seeing a financial counselor and getting on a budget!!  And PS  Brenda is awesome!!) 

More gas info…

Analysis on companies that purchase or do not purchase their oil from Saudia Arabia, Iraq and other OPEC countries
www.boycott-middle-east-oil.com

Preferred stations – these stations buy less oil from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and other fascist Islamic countries. Click on the link to check if one of its brands is available in your area:

Citgo
Conoco
Phillips 66
Sunoco
Coastal/El Paso
FyingJ
Sinclair Oil
Vitol
ConocoPhillips (Union 76)
Tesoro Petroleum
Hess
Wal-Mart

Borderline gas stations:

BP
Amoco

Planning your vacation?     http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/   See approx how much fuel will cost you using your vehicle information and the nearest major city!!  Pretty Cool!

YOUR MONEY
Smart consumer tips and strategies from Eyewitness News Online
Gas Saving Tips

Jim Kliesch from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) says one way is to keep your speeding down: “Today’s cars and trucks are really designed to operate at about 55 miles per hour, most efficiently. Above that speed, fuel economy drops off rather quickly.”

So, if you’re driving 65-miles an hour, instead of 55, your fuel economy will be cut by ten percent.

Steady Speed

Another tip, plan a route that lets you travel at a constant speed. Speed fluctuations and stop-and-go driving generally will burn more fuel, says the ACEEE.

Roll up Windows

If you’re on the highway, consider keeping your windows closed. Open windows can cause drag.

Empty Trunk

Start unloading your trunk now. According to the ACEEE, the heavier the vehicle is, the harder the engine is going to have to work. So, having additional weight in your trunk acts as a penalty.

Maintain Your Car

Keeping your car in good shape is also a gas saver. Get regular tune-ups and car maintenance checks. This will help your car’s performance as well as its gas mileage. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a poorly tuned engine can increase fuel consumption by as much as 20%. Check your owner’s manual for recommended maintenance schedules. By following the suggestions, you should avoid fuel waste caused by worn spark plugs, dragging brakes and low transmission fluid.

Also, Make sure to pay attention to your tires. “Every 3 pounds per square inch lower than your recommended tire pressure your fuel economy will drop,” says Kliesch.

Time of Day

Believe it or not, WHEN you buy your gas can make a difference. Experts say it’s best to buy your gas first thing in the morning. That’s when gas is densest, so you’ll get more for your money.

Avoid unnecessary idling

http://www.wvah.com/newsroom/money/030408.shtml

Cheapest Day & Time of the Week to Buy Everything From Groceries to Gas
Thanks to online coupons, price-comparison search engines and reward memberships, savvy shoppers can pay less than full price on any day that ends in “y.” But depending on what you’re planning to buy, some days of the week may yield better bargains than others. We talked to the experts, and narrowed down the best days of the week to buy certain items. If you want to buy a car shop on a Monday, if you need gas get it Thursday’s before 10am, the best deals on clothing are Thursday evenings, and the best time to eat out is Tuesday’s.
The Cheapest Days to Buy Certain Items – SmartMoney.com

Gas

When to Buy: Thursday, before 10 a.m.
Why: The price of oil isn’t the only factor influencing costs at your local pump. Consumer usage plays a role, too — and weekend demand is high, says Jason Toews, co-founder of GasBuddy.com, a price-monitoring site. Prices usually swing upward on Thursdays as travelers fuel up to head out the following day. By hitting the pump before 10 a.m. (when many station owners change their prices), you’ll beat the rush and the price jump.

Hypermiling : Ways to decrease your fuel consumption

First (and most important) step: Start recording your gas mileage. Easiest way? Use your trip odometer. Method to check your MPG

Second step: Do you drive agressively and not know it?

>> The third step: How long are you sitting still at red lights?

>> The fourth step: Keeping moving in traffic congestion

>> The fifth step: Slowly accelerate after stops

>> The sixth step: Your cruise control saves gas (but not by using it they way you might think)

http://www.hypermiling.com/car-mpg.html

This CNN.com Article gives a fantastic explanation of some of the basic concepts behind hypermiling.

 Let me know what you think!

Take time to stop and smell the lilacs!!

And pass this blog site on to your friends . . .  www.camomama.wordpress.com

• Normally an open house takes place on the weekend and lasts roughly 4 hours. Party at Home recommends having yours from 1 to 5 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. 
• Don’t limit your entertaining space to the inside of the house. If possible, let the party flow outdoors. This will provide even more room for your guests to enjoy. 
• Design a menu that can last through the party with a minimum of fuss and can be prepared and frozen in advance. To show you care, prepare something special that is impressive and tasty yet simple to make. 
• To eliminate all those trips to the kitchen, be sure to provide food outside that can be set out beforehand. 
• Pick a variety of places — indoors and outdoors — to serve refreshments.

It’s important for your guests to feel comfortable and completely at ease during the party. Remind your granduate to do the following:

•  
  • Greet guests at the door 
  • Make introductions 
  • Keep mingling and thank them for coming when it is time for them to leave.

Be sure to plan your party well in advance. You want to allow enough time to be able to make your preparations at a leisurely pace to avoid burnout and stress.

Create a menu that you can easily prepare. Practice ahead of time, if necessary.

Shop and cook before the day of the party, and freeze what you can.

Accept help wherever you find it. Order out if it keeps you ahead of the game and feeling calm.

For an open house, stagger your invitation times between the hours of your party to keep guests flowing throughout the day.

Set food on tables all around the house, not in just one place. Be sure to have plates available wherever there is food.

Enlist the help of a friend to cut cake and serve food. Also have someone available to whisk away the dirty plates to facilitate easy cleanup after the party.

Keep the music low to allow for conversation among your guests.

Most important, relax and have a good time. The purpose of a party is to have fun with friends!

If you have a baseball fan, take advantage of the All Faiths Night savings!!  Half Price! 

Games are at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, MI!  They do a great job of entertaining . . . http://www.whitecaps-baseball.com/TICKETS/INDTIX/tixspecials.html

Their next Test N’ Tune at Berlin is the 13th of May.  Gates open at 3pm, It’s free in the grandstand!

Pretty cool if you like racing and you won’t feel too bad when the kids have had enough and want to go! 

Test & Tune

Tuesday, May 13

Rain date: Wednesday, May 14

Gates: 3:00 p.m.

Cars on Track: 5:00-9:00 p.m.

Pit Pass: $20

 
This Saturday is Ladies Night at Berlin… which means $5.00 ticket for ladies 13 & up (could be 12), plus half off alcoholic beverages, all smoothies, and 22 oz. pop.

Saturday, May 10: Spring Showdown view full schedule

Spring Showdown featuring Coors Light Late Model, Engine Pro Super Stock, De-Jay Slick Truck Pro Stock and Burnips Equipment 4-Cylinder races! It’s also Ladies Night which means that ladies get a $5 ticket and ½ off drinks all night (excluding Happy Hour). Tickets are $13 for adult general admission, $6.50 for kids 6 to 12 and free for kids 5 and under. Pit passes for those 14 and over are $25. Gates open at 12:15 p.m. and the first race begins at 7 p.m.

•    Location

     The first and biggest decision is ~ when and where to hold your Open House.  First thought is your home, however some are now holding their Open House at another location.  Your church or local centers or even a park are viable options and you don’t have to clean your house!

     There are two parts to the when decision 1) a date and 2) the time.

      Some people like to get it done and over with right away ~ we waited a little while and did our Seniors’ OH later, when we didn’t think there would be as many going on.  Breakfast is a newer trend for your OH.  Food typically costs less for this meal and you won’t have trouble with late coming teenage party crashers!

       A week or so before your party, walk through the area during the party times.    Where is shade?  Where is the sun?  Decide where to put tables and chairs.  Will you need a canopy or a tent?   Set out some chairs in a shady area for visiting.  If you need extra tables borrow the neighbor’s picnic tables, check with your church or e-mail me (I’m in Sparta, MI) Our 4-h Club has 8 tables, 24 chairs and a canopy to rent (donation to the Sparta Livestock 4-H Club)

•   Invitations

      Be creative!  Follow your theme and find some fun invites that reflect your Seniors likes.  A western invite for your horse lover.  Or take the school colors and make something on your computer.  www.vistaprint.com has great prices for their printing and you can customize your cards!

      Remember to include all of the needed information . . .W W W W H   Who it is for . . . What it is . . .Where is the party . .  When the party is (date and time) . . . and any extra details such as where to park, bring a swimsuit, dress to play volleyball etc.  And always invite the neighbors ~ they will be less likely to complain about all the cars and the noise!

•    Decorations & theme

     Some Open House parties are quite elaborate.  If you want to go that route check out www.orientaltrading.com for great luau or western themes!  We attended a party where they had clear plastic over the tablecloths and had pictures of the graduate under it.  Very Cool!  We put our Christmas lights in the bushes for fun decorations at night.  And I borrowed lots of hanging flowers from my neighbor, who also happens to be my Mom. 

      We didn’t really have a theme for our last Open House just her favorite colors.  Gr,Bl,Ye&Or  We took mason jars and put yellow and orange flowers in them with a blue ribbon around it.    We also used colored tablecloths from the dollar store. Simple but it looked very nice.  Andicott Floral on Plainfield has gorgeous flowers for a decent price.  They are great to work with but find out when they get their deliveries in and have them hold yours, or your selection may be low.

     I picked all our favorite cd’s and brought my player out to the garage only to have it not work.  I only had jostled the cd’s enough that the door wouldn’t open but we went without music all night because I couldn’t figure it out so plan ahead!

•   Food

      For a great website on food for large groups check out “Growlies for Groups”  I don’t have the site address I just search for it.  Use what you have a lot of , or pick things up on sale ahead of time.  www.allrecipes.com is a great resource for recipes and you can type in an ingredient and it will bring up all kinds of recipes.  You can even increase the servings and it will recalculate the recipe! 

     So, if it is strawberry season, use all recipes to find a great shortcake recipe and increase the servings to 50 or 100 or 150!!

      Everybody likes cake!  But if you have other desserts you won’t need a large decorated cake.  One hot item at our last OH was cookies – chocolate chip and no bakes!!  

      We used a water tank for pops and water but it was too deep and you froze your hand trying to get your drink.  I would suggest using a kiddie pool instead!  And keep it cold.  Punch allows kids to not hit the pop so hard.  Have lots of drinks especially if it is hot!  People always drink more than I expect.

      A really easy way to have a pig roast . . . Go to Sam’s club and buy the large pork loins.  (Even cheaper if you buy them by the case) One large pork loin will feed around 30.  Figure around 4-6oz per person.  Put loins in a foil pan, season to taste – I just use Canadian Steak Seasoning – and bake for 4 hours at 350 degrees.  You can do this a day ahead or a week ahead and freeze it!  It shreds wonderful for BBQ or serve it plain (our favorite)  It’s just like having a pig roast only without all the work J

     Be sure to have freezer containers on hand for the leftovers.  It’s better to have too much than run out!  You can e-mail me at camopant@yahoo.com if you have any questions and I will try to help!  We do about 10-12 dinners and/or pig roasts for family and friends a year ~ serving from 50 EASY to 600 not so EASY but still simple!

•   Help

       Parties are a ton of work!!  The majority of the work falls the day before, the day of and the day after.  Be sure to recruit help ahead of time so you don’t end up in the garage all night like I was!!

     You might even consider hiring someone to keep things full and do the running for you during the open house!  Or hire a cleaning service for the day before or the day after!!  This way you can enjoy more of your child’s special day and enjoy less stress!  If you do, and you are in the North West Grand Rapids are consider   www.CamouflageConcierge.com  my business.   “Working in the background…   For YOU!  Like a concierge at a fancy hotel who gets things done for you so you can relax and enjoy your vacation, Camouflage Concierge will get the busy work done for you so you can relax and enjoy the luxury of MORE TIME!!

•  Activities

     One Open House we went to was at a park.  There was a playground for the kids, bocce ball and croquet.  At ours we had volleyball, a bean bag toss and the ladder game.  When the kids have something to do, the grownups get to visit a little longer J

     We even had a party after the party where my daughters’ friends were invited to play volleyball, have leftovers, enjoy the campfire and see the fireworks!

How Much Food?

Here is a guide to help you estimate your food quantities for either a buffet or a sit-down dinner.

For individual meats, fish, poultry:

5 – 6 ounces per person

If the cuts of meat have bones in them, consider adding more weight per person

For multiple meat meals and buffets:

4 – 6 ounces per person

For pasta dishes:

For a sit-down dinner, a pound of pasta will serve 4-6

For a buffet, a pound will serve 8-10 people

For vegetables:

With a premixed salad, estimate one handful per person

One head of lettuce will feed approximately 5 people, 4 medium heads will serve 15-20 people

For appetizers:

Estimate about 10-12 items total per person.

Make 3-4 of each item per person, keeping in mind that everyone may not take all of the items

For desserts:

Calculate one full portion of dessert per person

For multiple desserts, people will taste smaller portions of each item

A normal cake will serve approximately 10, but 15 will be fed if you are also serving pie

Doubling Recipes

http://www.reasontoparty.com/quantities.htm

PLANNING FOOD FOR A CROWD

Use this handy guide when planning food for those special celebrations, family reunions and summer get-togethers.

MEATS AND CHEESE

(Allow 2 to 3-oz. meat or cheese per serving)

3 to 4 lb. ham, turkey, cold cuts = 24 servings

l 1/2 to 2 1/2 lb. cheese = 24 servings

HAMBURGERS

(Allow 1/4 lb. per serving)

6 lb. ground beef or turkey = 24 servings

BUNS

(Allow 1 1/2 sandwich or 1 burger bun per serving)

3 dozen sandwich or dollar buns = 24 servings

2 dozen hamburger buns = 24 servings

FRUITS

(Allow 1/2 cup per serving)

18 1/2 lb. watermelon = 16 cups

4 lb. pineapple = 5 cups

3 lb. cantaloupe or honeydew = 4 cups

1 pint berries = 2 cups

1 lb. grapes = 2 cups

4 kiwi fruit = 2 cups

VEGETABLES

(Allow 4 to 6 pieces per serving)

2 lb. broccoli or cauliflower = 32 florets

1 lb. carrots = 65 sticks

1 3/4 lb. celery = 100 sticks

1 pint cherry tomatoes = 25 tomatoes

1 1/2 lb. cucumber (3 medium) = 50 slices

1 lb. zucchini (2 medium) = 50 slices

DIPS

(Allow 2 tablespoons per serving)

3 cups dip = 24 servings

CONDIMENTS

(Allow about 1 teaspoon per serving)

1/2 cup mayonnaise = 24 servings

1/2 cup mustard = 24 servings

1 quart pickles = 24 servings

BAKED BEANS, PASTA SALAD OR POTATO SALAD

(2/3 cup per serving)

1 gallon = 24 servings

CHIPS

1 1/2 1b. = 24 servings

CRACKERS

1 1/2 1b. = 24 servings

COFFEE

(Allow 3/4 cup brewed coffee per serving)

1 to 1 1/2 cups coffee and 18 cups water = 24 servings

ICED TEA, LEMONADE, MILK OR WATER

(Allow 1 cup per serving)

1 1/2gallons = 24 servings

PUNCH

(Allow 1/2 cup per serving)

3 quarts = 24 servings

From: Recipelink.com

Source: Recipe booklet: Grilling, Picnics and Camping, Pillsbury Classic Cookbook, May 1998, #207

Welcome to ‘Growlies for Groups’

Camouflage Concierge – - -     Working in the background… For You! 

Ph# 616-887-1278      www.CamouflageConcierge.com  

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                                                        Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God!