frugal

Fun with National Day: Today is National Argyle Day!

Abby H.

file0001631089542.jpgI bought this calendar a few weeks ago, and it lists several non-holiday “days” each day. I thought I’d share some with you each month.

I love “National Days“- they are so much fun, and some of them are really silly. It’s a great way to get the kids out of a funk, especially when there are no holidays or fun days for a long stretch of time. It’s also a fun way to teach kids little facts. For example, Pancake Day usually coincides with the start of Lent (Shrove Tuesday) .

Today is Argyle day. We are all celebrating by wearing argyle socks. Mr. has a vast array of argyle socks. I bought him these last year.

It’s also national Bubble Bath Day! The kids will be celebrating later with a “disco bath”- that’s a bubble bath with a few glow sticks thrown in. Even the big kid can’t resist a disco bath. In addition to this bubble bath, which the kids love, the big kid is a fan of these bath bombs.

Friday the 10th is Houseplant appreciation day, I’m not sure what we’ll do to celebrate, but if I figure it out, I’ll post about it on Facebook or Instagram.

12/20/19 Freebie Friday!

Abby H.

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This is the last freebie Friday before Christmas! I’ve tried to include a variety of fun samples, events, and a couple deals.

Freebies:

Deals:

 

12/16/19 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

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I spent Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday feeling sick, so the last few days of our meal plan went out the window. Saturday I dragged myself into the kitchen and made chicken vegetable soup in the hopes it would make me feel better.

This week we’ll be eating a lot of soup- We’ve got 3 different kinds in the freezer, and it’s been getting cold here at night. I’m also going to try a few new recipes, if they work, i’ll post them on the blog later this week.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

You may notice a lot of plant-based meals- We are not vegetarian (well, the big kid is, but the rest of us aren’t), but I am trying to get more veggies into our diet. I do a lot of cooking from scratch- I find it easier to get veggies and fruit into recipes that I can have 100% control over.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day:

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix).  I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular.

Lunches are leftovers, salads, or soups for me and Bitty. The big kid takes his lunch to school, but once in a while, I can convince him to buy his lunch.

For dinner, when we’ve got busy days (like Mondays), I’ll try and put something in the crockpot in the morning, or pull something I’ve already prepped out that can be quickly cooked. We’ve got a bunch of stuff in the freezer, as I’ve been portioning out 2-3 adult-sized entree portions from several meals a week and freezing them for later meals.

  • Monday: Leftover Chicken and veggie soup with hot croissants
  • Tuesday: Baked Potatoes with assorted toppings (we’ve got leftover BBQ pork, broccoli with cheese, bacon bits, cheese, caramelized onions).
  • Wednesday:  Soup & Grilled cheese sandwiches- and a big green salad!
  • Thursday:   Smoothies and bagels (or toast)- This is pretty popular at our house.
  • Friday:  Pecan crusted salmon, roasted veggies (carrots, potatoes, onions, celery), brown rice (we didn’t make it last week)
  • Saturday:  Pizza time (also salad will be served)
  • Sunday:  Leftover fiesta!

Talk Back: What are you planning to cook this week?

12/14/19 Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

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I usually post this first thing on Friday Mornings, but yesterday we had a Field Trip to the San Diego Zoo, and I am sick, so I came home from the zoo and went to bed.

This week’s Freebies and deals are on the small side. I wanna go back to sleep!

Freebies:

Lowe’s Build & Grow Clinic – Free Holiday Train

Free Subscription to Allure Magazine

Free Waterless Hair Care Products

Free Tabasco Sauce Sample at Walmart

Free Sample of Garnier Ginger Recovery Hair Conditioner

Free Girlie Fragrance Sample

Free Photo with Santa & Surprise Gift at Kohl’s

Free Crafting with Candy Event at Joann

Free Hanukkah Craft Event at Pottery Barn

Free Coffee or Tea at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Free Sample of Downy Unstoppables at Sam’s

Free Spring & Vine Shampoo Bar

Free Levi’s Holiday Shirt Event at JCPenney

Free Schär Game Night Box

Petco – Free Puppy Playtime Events

Free Holiday Maker Fest Crafts Event at Michaels

Free Rooted Rituals Hair Care Products

Free The Cool Bean & Serious Goose Event at Barnes & Noble

Free Subscription to Outside Magazine

Free Plant- Based Burritos from Social Nature!

Abby H.

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This offer was in my inbox yesterday, so I thought I’d share it, because, really, who doesn’t love free food?

I signed up to receive a FREE plant-based burrito from Alpha Foods and Social Nature. They have lots of burrito love to share! These bad boys are VEGAN! Woo Hoo!

Just click here to ‘Want It’ and see if you’re a match!

This offer is only valid in the US.

TalkBack- Did you sign up? Which variety are you excited to try?

Join the Shmear Society & Get $5 Off Your Next Order at Einstein Bros. Bagels

Abby H.

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Hey- Do you like bagels? We do, more specifically, Big Kid does. If you cut him open, he’d be at least 55% bagel.

If you have a bagel connoisseur in your home, consider joining the Shmear Society from Einstein Bros. Bagels. When you join and make a purchase, you’ll score $5.00 off your next purchase. That’s a tasty breakfast!

They have an app too! And Shmear Society Members score a birthday freebie too.

So year, my carb lovin’ friends, there is no reason not to join!

 

*Disclaimer- I get $5 if one of you does this deal. And I know you all want to. Because… Cream Cheese.

YMCA of San Diego County- Cyber Monday Deal!

Abby H.

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We love our local YMCA- They have great exercise classes, awesome free events for members and the community, open gym for the kids to run and play in the gymnastics area three times a week, an activity pool that is open in the spring and summer, and I could go on and on.

We go to the Y 4-6 times a week for exercise and so the kids can play and socialize- this is a HUGE help during school breaks because the kids club/child watch has great programs and play opportunities- and it’s included in the price of membership. And it’s so much more than the kid’s area at most chain gyms. The folks at child watch and kids club do crafts, lead games, read stories, and teach the kids how to play new games, and take them into the gym area to bounce on the huge trampoline!

Today Only, December 2nd- Cyber Monday, New members pay no joining fee if they join online using our special My Y Code CYBR19. Your friend will save up to $60! And if you are a member and your friend mentions your name at sign up,  you’ll get a free month of membership! If you are going to sign up, mention my name, Abby Hewes. Any way we can save money helps our families bottom line!

For our family, YMCA is definitely frugal: for $75/month, I am able to go to the gym for 2 hours a day and the kids can go to play and have fun. Any of our other local gyms can’t touch that price, and they don’t have the other programs or benefits.

The YMCA offers scholarships and reduced monthly membership fees for military families, families that receive WIC, and many other programs- don’t forget to ask about them!

And if you are the parent of a special needs kid, let me tell you that our local Y has the most wonderful, caring staff that cares for all kids. My big kid is autistic and he loves going to Kids Club to hang out and play. He also loves the monthly Kids Night at the Y.

Dave & Buster’s Holiday Deals!

Abby H.

main-module-6-2.jpgThis is a great deal, even if you don’t plan to give it as a gift!

When you download the new Dave & Buster’s app (in the App Store or Google Play), you’ll score 50% off your first purchase. This offer ends 12/4/19.

 

If you need to buy a gift for someone on your list who loves video games, yummy bar food, and tasty drinks, this second deal is pretty good too! Buy a $50 Gift Card and get a $10 Free Game Play Card.

sub-module.jpg I love this deal because you can buy this as a gift, and keep the $10 card for yourself/your family and keep it for when you need a family night or a date night out, especially when you combine it with some of the deals/values below.
Here are a few everyday deals you can take advantage of:

The Eat and Play Combo is a great deal.

I recommend joining the Dave & Buster’s Rewards Club.  I love taking the kids during the summer when we get coupons.

  • $10 FREE Game Play with $10 game play purchase for joining
  • MONTHLY EMAIL SAVINGS and a first look at what’s new (the past few months it’s been deals like $20 free when you load $20 on a card!)
  • EARN $10 FREE Game Play for every $100 spent in-store†
  • PROTECTION for lost or stolen cards when registered online
  • 24/7 ONLINE ACCESS to your Power Card® or Power Tap® chip, ticket and Rewards point balances

Family Recipe: Cocoa Brownies

Abby H.

01389.jpgI love this brownie recipe- it is so versatile, and if you bake at all, you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry.

This recipe is so frugal, so much less than the $3-$5 for a brownie mix.

You can add chocolate chips, mint and chocolate chips (my kids favorite), and they are so moist and rich, there is no need for frosting!

Cocoa Brownies (makes 1 8×8 or 9×9 pan)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. shortening or room temp. butter ( DO NOT USE SPREAD/MARGARINE/OLEO*)
  • 1 c. white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 T. Vanilla
  • 2 T. Milk
  • 2/3 c. AP Flour
  • 1/2 c. Cocoa powder
  • 1/2 t. Baking Powder
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • Optional: 1/2 c. chopped nuts, chocolate chips, mint/chocolate chips, peanut butter chips (your choice)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the fat (shortening/butter) with an electric mixer until it’s fluffy, approximately 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add sugar and beat until combined.
  4. Add one egg at a time until combined well.
  5. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in any mix-ins (nuts or chips).
  6. Pour into the greased baking dish and bake 20-30 minutes. 20 for 8×8, 30 for 9×9.

Substitutions

  • If you are Gluten Free, you can use 1 for 1 GF flour
  • To make the dish dairy-free, use your favorite dairy-free milk.
  • The reason that spread/margarine/oleo isn’t used is because of its high water content. It will give the brownies a watery/smooshy texture.

Fall Recipe Round-Up!

Abby H.

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Thanksgiving in the US is just a few days away, and for most of us, it means cooking a HUGE feast to share with family or friends.

I wanted to share with you some of my family’s favorite fall recipes- They are all pretty tasty, and easy to make. Some are great for Thanksgiving dinner, and some are just tasty fall recipes.