5/10/2020 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI’ve started doing weekly meal planning on Sundays. It’s easier to do it while I’m writing up the kids at home learning schedules, and prepping the snack box for the week.

I’ve been buying snacks in bulk and only putting weeks worth out in the snack box. It keeps us out of the stores, and its healthier.

And I’ve been trying to visit the store once a week or less. I stocked up yesterday on stuff the kids love (and eat a lot of), so we should be good for the 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.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day: Right now our local school district is serving lunch for a drive-through service for kids 18 and under M-F. It’s great because it helps stretch our budget and it gets the kids out of the house for a few minutes. They also include a cold lunch (usually cereal and milk and a piece of fruit) for the next morning. Often times, the cereal ends up being a snack for late afternoon.

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. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

We’re on week 4 of distance learning. It’s finally become a habit, and there are plenty of chances to play and get our wiggles out. I bought the kids a kiddie pool for the patio and that is totally helping them get out the pent up energy.

  • Sunday:  Cheeseburger Salad (It’s a cheeseburger served sans bun on a bed of greens). The kids will have chick’n nuggets as Big dude is a vegetarian, and Bitty doesn’t like red meat.
  • Monday: Cheesy Chicken Broccoli casserole, fruit salad, Texas Toast and leftover nuggets. The casserole has a very small amount of chicken, so I can scoop some out for the big kiddo and he can have some meat-free.
  • Tuesday: Bean, Rice, and cheese bowls with grilled veggies
  • Wednesday:BBQ chicken and veggie bowls (with rice)
  • Thursday: Pizza Night!
  • Friday: Leftovers
  • Saturday: Waffles and fruit salad

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

Recipe: Hearty Veggie Soup

Abby H.
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This soup is vegan and high in protein!

I made this last month while it was cold and rainy. I keep forgetting to post this recipe. It’s so tasty. And easy. The leftovers (if there are any) freezes well.

 

It’s vegan and gluten-free as is, but you can make changes and use bone broth if you want, or even add meat of your choices I think kielbasa pieces would be really great in this soup!

I used Right Rice in this recipe in place of regular white rice. What I like about Right Rice is that it’s made from Lentil Flour, Chickpea Flour, and Rice Flour.  Those ingredients mean that this “rice” is high on protein! The “rice” thickens up the soup for sure.

 

AAVS2954.JPGI found Right Rice at Grocery Outlet, but you can also order it on Amazon.  You can substitute canned chopped tomatoes for fresh tomatoes- Use what you have on hand.

Hearty Veggie Soup

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup bell pepper, diced (I used green)
  • 2 T. cooking oil (your choice)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 green or yellow zucchini (whatever is in season or you have on hand)
  • 2 quarts veggie stock
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes (you can also use a large can of diced tomatoes)
  • 1 14oz.-ish can of tomato sauce
  • 1 small can of tomato paste
  • 2 cups Right Rice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 T. Penzeys Forward Spice Blend
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a large, heavy-bottom stockpot, heat oil.
  2. Saute carrots, celery, bell pepper, and onions until onions are soft and clear, about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant.
  4. Add remaining ingredients and spices. Cook on low for 20-30 minutes, or until right rice is done and soup has thickened up.
  5. Soup can simmer on low as long as you like. I let it simmer on low for about 45 minutes.
  6. Serve with bread and butter and salad.

IMG_9957.JPGForward Seasoning blend contains extra bold black pepper, onion, paprika, garlic, turmeric, spice extractives (including oleoresin of celery, rosemary, black pepper, thyme, basil and paprika).

Turn Your Junk Mail into Rewards!

Abby H.

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I love sharing all the ways I earn extra money, especially when they are quick and easy. The Small Business Knowledge Center (SBKC) is my ace in the hole! I’ve been participating in their program for over 10 years, and I earn on average $120/year.

It’s simple. As a panelist, you will earn rewards by sending SBKC direct mail and email communications that you might otherwise disregard. SBKC mails you postage-paid envelopes, you stuff your junk mail into it and drop it into the mail. I send one envelope each week. The more you mail in, the more you earn!

The Small Business Knowledge Center (SBKC) studies marketing techniques and practices.  They securely dispose of your junk mail after they are done with it- no need to worry!

pngYou will receive points for your junk mail, and once you receive 2000 points, you will receive a $20 pre-paid Visa GiftCard!

You can also forward emails to SBKC as well.

They email you once a month to update you on the number of points you have and with any special projects they have going on. A few times a year they look for special types of mail, open enrollment solicitations, IRA, or other investment/retirement info. When they want those materials, they’ll email you and let you know- usually, there is a bounty of extra points available too!

Unlike many other programs, you can sign everyone in your home who is over the age of 18!

If you are interested in signing up, visit the SBKC page here and click on the JOIN NOW button. In the box next to: How did you hear about the SBKC Consumer Panel? Please type my name: Abby Hewes. I get points for referrals, and once you sign up and refer your friends, you will too!

 

BIG NEWS from Fetch Rewards: Earn points at ALL stores and restaurants

Abby H.

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Every store. Every restaurant. Every time.

It just got way more rewarding to snap your receipts. That’s because now you can earn at least 5 points no matter where you shop or dine. Pretty exciting, right?

  • Enjoying a burger at McDonald’s?
  • Updating your wardrobe at Marshalls?
  • Grabbing some toys from Target?
  • Loading up on groceries for the week?
  • Getting your favorite pizza delivered?

These are just a few of the unlimited number of places you can earn points. So be sure to save and snap your receipts every time you shop or dine. You’ll be picking out your next Reward in no time.

 

If you haven’t signed up for Fetch Rewards yet, or want to learn more, check out my post here. Find the Fetch Rewards app in your app store, and when you download it, use my code ND2TB when you sign up and you’ll score Bonus Points.

In 2020, I’ve earned $35 in Amazon Gift cards! Sometimes there are extra point offers for buying specific brands or items, which is how I’ve earned extra points- but it was stuff I was buying anyway!

**Fine Print for this deal: The receipt processing function for the expanded set of retailer types and restaurants is currently only available on iOS devices on version 2.32.1.1, and only valid on receipts dated 4/27/2020 or later. At this time, we only accept paper receipts for these new retailers and restaurants.

Book It: Enrollment is Open for the 2020-2021 School Year

Abby H.

BOOK-IT.pngHey, Homeschoolers…Book It Enrollment is Open for the 2020-2021 School Year!unnamed.jpg

And if you aren’t a home schooler, You can still participate! New for 2020-2021:

Enroll your own class: Book It no longer accepts campus-wide enrollments. Please select the option that works best for your classroom and only enroll classes you teach.

New and Improved Digital: The updated parent approval process no longer requires parent emails. Just share a personalized link with parents to gain approval or print blank certificates to ensure that all students can be rewarded for their reading accomplishments.

 

More ways to celebrate your students: With the digital program, parents can use digital certificates in person, over the phone, or online, for carryout, delivery or dine in providing even more ways for them to celebrate their child’s reading accomplishments.

Get Started here!  And remember to share this post with your teacher friends!

Everyone loves pizza- and nothing is better than FREE PIZZA!

 

Fetch Rewards: Earn 4,000 points per referral

Abby H.10 Comments

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Fetch Rewards is at it again! Woo Hoo!

Earn 4,000 points for every friend you refer to Fetch – now through 4/29/2020. There’s no limit to the bonus points you can earn, and your friends each earn 2,000, too. So, tell everyone!

3 referrals = 12,000 points = $12 in gift cards*

With hundreds of gift cards to choose from, including Amazon, Target, and Walmart, you’ll always find one that’s just right for you.

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If you haven’t signed up for Fetch Rewards yet, or want to learn more, check out my post here. Find the Fetch Rewards app in your app store, and when you download it, use my code ND2TB when you sign up and you’ll score Bonus Points.

In 2020, I’ve earned $35 in Amazon Gift cards! Sometimes there are extra point offers for buying specific brands or items, which is how I’ve earned extra points- but it was stuff I was buying anyway!

4/24/2020 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

bright boxesFriday Friday Funday as my son says.

We finished up our week of distance learning with Zoom classroom time with his class this morning.

Now it’s time for the best freebies and deals!

 

Freebies:

Deals

Warrior Shirts from Cents of Style!

Abby H.

GraphicsI love the shirts from Cents of Style! I am super excited that today’s weekly sale is some incredible Warrior Women shirts. While these shirts are in ladies’ sizes S-3XL, a lot of these shirts are great for anyone!

They sent me this shirt with a quote attributed to Joan of Arc: “I am not afraid. I was born to do this.”

Right now, we are all warriors, fighting for ourselves, our families, our health. In the past 6 weeks, our lives have all changed so drastically. We have all had to step up in various ways. I am proud of all of you. I see so many friends and family members struggling, and I am proud of what you do every day: Going to work as essential employees, taking care of family and friends, supporting and lifting up others in need.

Here is my other favorite shirt:

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If you want to express your inner warrior, Cents of Style is having a sale on these shirts right now:

Take $9.95 Off + FREE Shipping w/code: IAMSTRONG

This sale is going on through 4/30/2020.

I will be picking up a couple of these shirts for friends and family members during this sale. If you want to see how the shirt fits on me, check out my Instagram feed here. I took a few pre-coffee pics with Little Bit this morning. For reference, I ordered a size 3xl because I like my shirts loose/baggy. Let’s face it, I am not an Instagram model, but I am digging this shirt.

 

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Talk Back: I would love to hear about how you are a warrior through these crazy times. 

Earn Amazon GC with UpVoice (New Referral Program)!

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2019-08-26 at 8.06.04 AM.pngI posted about UpVoice last fall (see my original post here), but there have been some changes to the program that I had to share! Now you can refer friends and family and earn more gift cards!

Do you spend time on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Linkedin, and Amazon? If you do, consider joining UpVoice! UpVoice is BrandTotal’s user panel. They use the data that they collect from the UpVoice panel to build special insights for brands on their advertising activities and the ad campaigns of their competitors.

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I’ve been a member since August 2019, and I’ve earned over $100!

All you have to do is:

  • Click on the extension’s icon and go to the new “Referral” tab on the dashboard.
  • Copy your unique referral link.
  • Share it with your people through text messages, email, social media platforms, or any other way.

That’s it! Earn $5 (300 tokens) for every referral who fills out the qualification form on the website, installs the Chrome extension, and gains their first 100 tokens. You earn rewards for up to 20 successful referrals.

To get started, click here.

 

This post contains my referral link- if you click on it an install, I may earn a referral bonus.

Kids Learn to Read in 30 Days for Free with Reading Eggs!

Abby H.

ReadingEggsLogo.jpgLittle Bit is 4 and Kindergarten is in the fall for her. We want her to be as prepared as possible, which is why we are excited for her to start Reading Eggs!

Reading Eggs is the multi-award winning reading program for ages 2 to 13 that uses scientific research to help your child learn to read, in just weeks!

I’m excited because we can unlock the complete reading and math adventure with a 12-month Reading Eggs subscription, plus get a BONUS 12-month Mathseeds subscription absolutely FREE!

Their mission has always been to make learning easy and fun for young learners, and they feel there’s never been a more important time to do this. That’s why they’re giving you 30 days’ free access to the Reading Eggs and Mathseeds online learning programs.

This is Reading Eggs effort to ensure your child can continue learning at home with a quality educational resource designed by experienced educators and used by over 10 million children worldwide.

And there are tons of great resources too! Free downloads for Grades K to 6th. Reading Eggs just compiled a comprehensive list of FREE resources for parents!

I’ll be reporting back with an update in a few weeks or so. Fingers crossed we’ll have a reader!

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Details: 12 Months of Reading Eggs and Bonus Mathseeds for $45 – 12 months of Reading Eggs + BONUS Mathseeds – Unlock the complete reading and math adventure with a 12 month Reading Eggs subscription, plus get a BONUS 12 month Mathseeds subscription absolutely FREE – valued at $108.95, pay only $45!* New Subscribers only. Offer for 1 child only. Customers can only claim a maximum of 2 promotional codes per year. These offers cannot be claimed in conjunction with any other offer and are only available to United States and Canadian residents.