Author: Abby H.

Bringing it Back: Meal Plan Monday!

Abby H.

DSC07997

 

It’s back! After a long hiatus, I’m back to meal planning! If you are new to meal planning, check out my article on how to get started here.

This week I’m starting off by doing a quick fridge and pantry inventory, and making a batch of cookies.

Monday:

  • D:Baked Ziti, steamed veggies

Tuesday:

  • D:  Indian food (Chicken Korma, steamed rice, steamed veggies)- I have a kit!

Weds:

  • D: breakfast for dinner (probably pancakes, eggs, and sausage) and fruit salad

Thursday:

  • D: Salsa Chicken with brown rice

Friday:

  • D: Bean and veggie enchiladas, green salad

Saturday:

  • D:Veggie and cheese egg bake

Sunday:

  • D: Leftovers

Lil’ Man has started eating a small toasted bagel with cream cheese for breakfast along with yogurt and fruit.  Mr. C has been eating Oatmeal (from a awesome recipe I found online and altered) every AM, and I usually have an HMR Protein Shake, or I’ll make myself a bagel too.

Lunches for Lil’ Man are usually a grilled cheese, yogurt, a granola bar, and fruit (cut up apple, orange, or banana).  I have leftovers or a frozen entree, and Mr. C usually a salad or leftovers or an HMR protein shake (He did  the program last year and really digs on the shakes), or he has a business lunch and opts for a salad and lean protein.

Now I’m off to make a big ol’ batch of cookies!!

 

 

Review: #KABRITA Toddler Formula (Thanks #MomsMeet!)

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2016-04-13 at 5.39.47 PM

Recently I received a neat little box on my porch from Kabrita and Moms Meet.

It contained a canister of KABRITA Goat Milk Toddler Formula and fruit & yogurt pouches.

Immediately, Lil’ Man snagged one of the three pouches (well, not until I got this photo), and he retreated to the table to enjoy it. I gave the mixed berry to Itty Bittums, and she gobbled it up!

In the afternoon, I gave her a bottle of the Goat Milk Toddler Formula after she had some puffs and banana slices. She loved it, and I loved that it didn’t give her a rumbly tummy or gas. She’s got a sensitive tummy, and we had tried countless formulas to find one that made her tummy happy. Now that she’s getting older and is branching out to table foods, we are finding that some cow’s milk based products don’t agree with her.

Screen Shot 2016-04-13 at 6.25.09 PM
Someone did not want their photo taken today while enjoying her “milkies” as we call them

That is not the case with the KABRITA Goat Milk Toddler Formula! She is a happy little girl, and I’m a happy mommy! It’s super easy to mix up- Just one scoop per ounce of water. There is a handy little scoop in the canister.

What I love about the fruit & yogurt pouches is that they are great cold, frozen or at room temp. They come in three yummy flavors:Banana and Natural Vanilla Bean, Mixed Berry, and Mango Peach. I toss them in the freezer and slip one into Lil’ Man’s lunch bag, by lunch time, it’s nice and slushy! A perfect, healthy way to finish up lunch.

Did you know that Kabrita has a trial offer? You can learn more about it here.

Disclosure: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.

Easy One Pot Meal: Salsa Chicken

Abby H.3 Comments

01128This is one of the most popular recipes that I’ve ever cooked! It is a family favorite and is very popular for meal trains and freezer meal swaps!

I’m constantly tweaking and improving my recipe, so I wanted to share this recipe with you. I cook this all day in the crockpot and it makes the house smell sooooo good!

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 lbs of frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts (rule of thumb for this recipe 1/4 lb of meat per person, plus an extra 1/4 lb of meat for leftovers or seconds)
  • 3 cups of your favorite salsa
  • 1 bag frozen tri colored peppers and onions

Optional ingredients:

  • 1/2c. chicken broth
  • 1 cup rice or 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1/2 C shredded cheese

Directions:

  1. In a crockpot, place the first four ingredients.
  2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  3. (If you opt to add the last two ingredients) About an hour before serving add rice or quinoa to the crockpot along with the broth and turn crockpot up to medium or high. Meal is done once grain is done to your liking.
  4. Stir before serving.
  5. Ladle into bowls.
  6. Top with cheese (optional, but tasty) and serve.

Makes 6-8 servings. Sometimes I turn leftovers into quesadillas, or add more broth and some C&W Southwest veggie blend and it transforms into a hearty soup! It’s so versatile and easy to make!

Review: Freshly

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2016-04-11 at 11.02.14 AM

Have You heard of Freshly? It’s a gourmet fresh meal delivery subscription service. Every Freshly meal is free of gluten, wheat, refined sugars, peanuts, artificial colors & artificial flavors. And as a bonus, most of the meals are Paleo too!

Packed with veggies and lean proteins, these meals are low in calories too, especially when compared to other fresh meal delivery services. What I love about Freshly is their four company tenets:

Screen Shot 2016-04-11 at 11.04.53 AM

It’s nice that a company is concerned about what goes into it’s food!  We tried six meals, and here are the two I was able to photograph before they seemingly evaporated (into our tummies, that is).

Grilled Chicken Breast Fajita
Grilled Chicken Breast Fajita
Grilled Chicken Breast Fajita after heating for just 2 minutes
Grilled Chicken Breast Fajita
Grilled Chicken Breast Fajita
Grilled Chicken Breast Fajita

 

 

 

Chicken Rustica with Roasted Cauliflower
Chicken Rustica with Roasted Cauliflower
Chicken Rustica with Roasted Cauliflower
Chicken Rustica with Roasted Cauliflower
Chicken Rustica with Roasted Cauliflower
Chicken Rustica with Roasted Cauliflower

The Grilled Chicken Breast Fajita was very moist and juicy- and the chicken breast was HUGE! The rice with the sauce was super tasty!

Hubs gobbled down most of the Chicken Rustica with Roasted Cauliflower– The sauce was so rich and creamy!

They have breakfast entrees too!

While I love to cook, I know that some people don’t. And for those people who crave healthy food and either can’t or don’t cook, Freshly is a great option! They are a bit pricey compared to frozen entrees in the grocery store, but honestly, the portions with Freshly are 2-3 times bigger that that frozen entree in your freezer! And they are delivered FRESH to your door!  These entrees were perfect for the week when Hubs was working 14 hour days, between his day job and rehearsal for the play he is in.

To check out their current offering of entrees and any deals, visit their website at https://www.freshly.com.  I don’t have a coupon code to share with you, like I usually do with my reviews, but you may be able to find one with a quick google search.

Disclosure: I received six meals free from Freshly in order to facilitate this review. I received No financial compensation, and all opinions are my own.

Free Snackies at 7-11!!

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2016-04-07 at 4.18.06 PM

SQUEEE!!! Free noms! Celebrate 7RewardsSM Week April 11–17. Come in for a FREE 7-Select® product (under $2) when you buy any 7-Eleven® cup and scan the app.

Oh yeah, the 7/11 app is rad! Buy 6 cups (hot or cold beverage- Any size!), and any 7th cup is FREE when you download and scan the app at checkout.

How to make money: 6 tips that really work (because I do them!)

Abby H.

money-coins
So last week I wrote about ways to save money without coupons, today we are talking about ways you can actually make money.

These are all things that I do. None of them are iffy, weird, or involve you selling your blood.

  1. Surveys online. Here are two fer shure, legit companies that I use. Pinecone Research (they are always looking for 12-24 or Hispanic demographics) pays $3.00 paypal per survey! My other favorite is PaidViewPoint– They only send you surveys that you qualify for, so there is no wasted time. Payout is only $15.00, so I make payout about every other month. It’s not tons of work, and every little bit helps!
  2. I use cashback apps. My full list of favs can be found here. No lie, I cash out about $50.00 a month between all of the apps downloaded onto my iPhone!
  3. Recycle... Return your bottles and cans for their deposit money. You aren’t really making money so much as you are getting your deposit back. Depending on how much soda/bottled water you consume.
  4. Secret shopping. There are tons of apps and websites that will help you find secret shopping gigs. I recommend checking out Volition.com for a listing of secret shopping companies (and reviews). A few of my friends recommend jobslinger.com as a great resource. I earn about $25.00/week doing secret shopping and that’s for less than 1 hours work! Oh, and I can take Bitty Bird along with me!
  5. Clean out your Closets! About once a month, it seems the kids have grown out of something. Whether it be clothes, toys, or gear. I clean it up and take it to the resale shop. I can either get store credit or cash. There are resale shops for adult clothing, sporting supplies, even furniture!
  6. Turn your Junk Mail into Cash! I’ve been doing this for YEARS, and I love it. You can learn all about Small Business Knowledge Center here.  I just got another $20 Visa GC in the mail yesterday! My second this year!

There are other ways to make money: Have a garage sale, Drive for Uber or Lyft (our friend Brittany does it. She loves it driving for Lyft- she makes her own hours, and gets to meet all kinds of people).

 

How do you make extra money?

Better than free shampoo at Target!

Abby H.

IMG_4385WOOOHOOO!!

Just as my stockpile starts to dwindle, my fav shampoo and conditioner comes up free! Through Saturday night (remember, Target sales start anew on Sunday morning), when you buy 4 13 oz Garnier Fructis Shampoo and conditioners at $2.97 each, you’ll get a $5.00 Target GC. It’s all of the 13 oz varieties, I just took a photo of this one shelf tag.

Deal:

Buy 4 13 oz Garnier Fructis Shampoo and conditioners at $2.97 each= $11.88

Use 4 $2.00/1Garnier Frucits Shampoo, Conditioner or Treatment (excludes trial) – from the 3/6/16 Red Plum

Pay $3.88, get back a $5.00 Target Gift card for your next purchase. Now that’s a deal!

I bought 4 (the coupon limit on the coupon is 4 like coupons per day), but I may buy 4 more tomorrow when I go back to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription! It’s deals like this that help me re-stock my dwindling stockpile.

50% off at Schoola!

Abby H.

14_MAR_SpringBreak_HERO_Blogger

SQUEE! It’s back! 50% off at Schoola!  Just use Coupon Code  SPRINGBRK at checkout. And in addition, if you are new to Schoola, they are offering $20 free and free shipping when you sign up here.

In addition to offering awesome gently worn kids clothes, Schoola also gives a percentage (40%) of each sale to a school. So you can feel good twice: Once while your saving $$, and again because you are helping support a school in need.

To get started, click here. And I can’t wait to see what you have scored!

6 Tips to Save Money WITHOUT Clipping Coupons!

Abby H.4 Comments

file000739624389

Trust me, it can be done! There are lots of people who ask me about saving money, but they announce that they don’t want to bother with clipping coupons. They either lose them, forget them, or are embarrassed to use them. That’s ok. There are still ways to save money!

Here are a few:

  1. Use money saving apps. My list of favs (and links) is here. I use these in addition to coupons and I save a ton. I was at Target buying shampoos and body wash the other day. After coupons and other discounts, I paid $14.86. After submitting my receipts to Ibotta and SavingStar, I got back and extra $7.99 in my paypal account!
  2. Don’t forget your loyalty card! Some stores like Vons, Ralphs, heck even Best Buy have loyalty cards. Some offer discounts on the spot, and some accrue discounts to more you shop and scan your card!
  3. Don’t forget your discount! Some stores offer discounts to military, teachers, and peace officers. And if you are a senior citizen there area plethora of discounts waiting for you!
  4. Buy what’s on sale! If you have a choice between an item that’s on sale versus an item that is full price that is comparable size….
  5. Check out the Price per Unit to see what is the best deal. Bigger isn’t always better!
  6. Reusable bags can net you some savings….In addition to helping Mother Earth, some stores (like Target and Sprouts) offer a discount of .05 per re-usable bag used. A nickel isn’t a lot of money, but over a year, they can sure add up! I use between 5-10 bags each time I shop.

 

Price Per Unit: Is Bigger Better?

Abby H.4 Comments

random-aisle-photos 013The price per unit helps you determine if the jumbo sized drum of applesauce is a better deal than a regular sized jar. How to determine the price per ounces is easy, most of the time stores do it for you! Take a look at the shelf tag- it should give you a price per unit, usually in ounces (oz.) or pounds (lb.).

If the price per ounce/pound on the larger container is smaller, then it is a good deal. When comparing, make sure both containers are using the same unit of measurement

Here is an example of what the shelf tags can look like:

Screen Shot 2016-03-27 at 2.54.29 PM

The majority of shelf tags will list:

  • The Item
  • The size of the container (in ounces, pounds, or units)
  • The Price of the item
  • The price per unit (in ounces, pounds or units)

This is also a great strategy to see if the store brand or a brand that isn’t your usual brand is a better deal than what you normally buy.

If your store doesn’t have shelf tags that break down the price per unit, here is how you can figure it out- I recommend using a calculator.

Take the price of the item and divide it by the number of ounces/lbs/units in the package.

Let’s use for our example the Uncle Ben’s Buttery Ready Rice, pictured above on the left.

$1.93 divided by 8.8 ounces equals .219, which is 21.9¢ per ounce.

If you keep a Price Book, you might want to  include a space for unit price, you would write 21.9¢ in the Unit Price Column. You can round up, or leave it as a fraction of a cent, to get an exact price for comparison. Learn more about price books here.