10/17/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg

Sometimes I have to remember to give myself some grace. Last week was full of stuff, and we didn’t end up sticking to the meal plan, however, I did some batch cooking Friday. I made a huge batch of red sauce/gravy, and a huge meatloaf.

Most of the sauce went into the freezer for future meals. We had some of it for dinner on Sunday.

The meatloaf was had for dinner Saturday, with leftovers being used for meatloaf sandwiches for lunch this week. I individually portioned and froze servings of leftovers for weekday lunches.

I grocery shopped Saturday morning and meal prepped on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. We’ve got a lot of fresh fruits and veggies this week.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

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 try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

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 are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch from home daily, and the littlest buys her lunch at school about half the time. In California, all public schools provide breakfast and lunch for free.

Dinner: This week is packed as far as appointments, so I’m leaning on stuff that’s easy and tasty. I prepped fruits and veg over the weekend and made up the last Dream Dinner and portioned it into lunch-sized servings.

  • Monday: The Best Salad Ever, garlic bread, butter noodles (Bitty Bird’s request)

  • Tuesday: Moosie’s Pot Roast, Roasted Veggies

  • Wednesday: Nuggets, fruit, crackers, and cheese

  • Thursday: Breakfast for dinner (I’m hoping for omelets and sourdough toast)

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:   Soup and sammiches, and fruit
  • Sunday:  Leftovers

Atkins Coupons!

I know a few people who follow the Atkins Diet, and while I don’t, I really like the Atkins treats. Perfect for times when I want a little sweet snack or treat, but don’t want lots of sugar!

Choose Get Atkins Coupons for Free!   Submit your email address to print coupons for discounts on Atkins products.

Save on your next purchase of Atkins snacks, nutrition bars, shakes, and meals, as well as get access to our online community!

  • Save $2.00 on any ONE (1) Atkins®Bar, Shake, or Treat Multi-pack.
  • Save $1 on any ONE (1) Atkins Frozen Entrée

 

Tryazon: Build Outside the Box with Squaregles Building Party!

We’ve been participating in Tryazon events for three+ years. We’ve gotten to try all sorts of fun toys, games, and food.  You can learn more about Tryazon here.

Play beyond the build with a new Tryazon Featured Party opportunity from Squaregles! Squaregles have strong magnets that allow kids to build interactive structures so they can play with what they built. They have more ways to play with characters, comics for adventures, paperboard for doodling, tracks, cars for action, and more! Artists and storytellers can draw their own features on panels that pop in and out of magnetic frames so kids can build, play, re-design and repeat. Let kids get lost in play with Squaregles!

Tryazon has 100 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those selected get to receive a party pack with a variety of Squaregles sets to sample and share with friends and family, valued at $360+ in total!

Learn more and apply here.

10/14/2022 Friday Freebies and Deals!

This was a week of appointments and business. I apologize for the lack of posts over the past few days, hopefully, this batch of fresh Freebies and deals will make up for it.

Don’t forget all of the 2022 Birthday Freebies! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.

Freebies:

Free Subscription to Out Magazine
Free COLUMBUS Craft Meats Charcuterie Board
Free Colive Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Free wood Puzzle, Cinche Bag & Markers at JCPenney
Free Hefty Trash Bags at Select Stores
Free Trick or Treat Wall Décor Craft at Michaels
Free Last Bubbles Bouchon
Free Coffee Every Friday at Cumberland Farms
Free Speck iPhone 14 Phone Case
Free Nature’s Fynd Meatless Breakfast Patties
Free ILY Stickers
4+ Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Injection Serum & Mask + $50 Amazon eGift Card
Free eos Stickers (Email)
Free Light & Lean Recipe Booklet
Free Above MS Recipe Book
Free 19 Crimes Coasters, Hat, Tumblers & More
Free L’Oreal Le Color Gloss Sample
Free Green Garden Freeze Dried Herbs
Free Darkwood PC Game
Free CeraVe Skin Renewing Eye Cream
Free iPhone Phone Cases & Protectors
Free Halo Top Light Ice Cream Chatterbox Kit
Free Sample of L’Oreal Revitalift Triple Power Moisturizer
Free Lancome La Vie Est Belle Fragrance Sample
Free Mountain Dew Baja Blast Freeze at Taco Bell
Free Marco Sweet & Spices Internationally-Inspired Ice Cream
Free Fenty Fat Water Toner
Free Sample of Erborian CC Creme
Free Sample of AERIN Amber Musk Eau de Parfum
25 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free 3-Months of SiriusXM – $54 Value w/ No Credit Card Needed

Deals

Champion Women’s Crop Top T-Shirt ONLY $8.69 (Reg $25)
LOL Surprise OMG Movie Magic Doll ONLY $14.78 (Reg $37)
Vera Bradley Large Travel Duffle Bag ONLY $74.68 (Reg $155)
Revlon Root Booster Styler Brush ONLY $32.49 (Reg $65)
Infrared Motion Sensor Trash Can Set ONLY $61.75 (Reg $110)
OneSpace Craft Station w/ with Blue Glass ONLY $100 (Reg $205)
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Martha Stewart Holiday 2-Pc Cocottes ONLY $14.99 (Reg $50)
Chefman Countertop Blending System ONLY $29.99 (Reg $80)
Kate Spade Perry Small Backpack ONLY $79 (Reg $329)

Dream Dinner October Mini Bundle Offer!

It’s back! Dream Dinners is now offering Smaller Minimum Orders for a limited time*! Beginning this week until October 21 you can order Eight meals for Only $189

The October Dinner Bundle includes:

  • Parmesan Herb Crusted Chicken with Oven Roasted Broccoli
  • Cranberry Buttermilk Chicken with Almond Green Beans
  • Maple Pork Tenderloin with Bountiful Baked Beans
  • Firehouse Three Cheese Pasta with Meatballs
  • Maple Bourbon BBQ Chicken with Bacon
  • Old Fashioned Meatloaf
  • Autumn Chicken Pie
  • Tortellino Al Forno

This offer is not available online. To place your order call/text 619-460-6800 or email lamesaca@dreamdinners.com.

*This offer is only available for a limited time. Contact your store by Friday, October 21st at 9 am to place your order. The bundle offer includes 1 of each entree listed. Any changes or substitutions will be subject to the current retail value of the entree.

 

If you are new to Dream Dinners, check out my amazing giveaway here!

Mabel’s Labels 2022 Holiday Collection Is Here! Get 10% Off Selected Holiday Products! #Sponsored

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Mabel’s Labels has released its new holiday labels!

This is the perfect time to stock up early on all your holiday stationery and gifting needs!
Now through 10/31/2022, save 10% Off Mabel’s Labels’ select holiday products.

Check out the Holiday Products here!

What is included:
• Holiday Return Envelope Labels
• Holiday Gift Tags
• Stocking Stuffers
• Return Address Stamp  (This is my favorite product)

October 2022: New Healthy Freebies From Social Nature!

 If you are into Organic/Natural/Healthy products, then Social Nature is right up your alley. Sign up and apply to sample products that you are interested in. I get probably 1-2 products to sample each month. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

Social Nature has rounded up products that are available to try at a local grocery store or mass merchandiser near you.  Apply to Try the products that interest you to see if you’re a match here.

Here are some of the new sampling opportunities:

      • Veggie Pasta by Veggiecraft Farms
      • No Sugar Bacon by Pederson’s Natural Farms
      • Uncured No Sugar Kielbasa Sausage by Pederson’s Natural Farms
      • Almond Yogurt by AYO Almond Yogurt
      • Squeezable Smoothie by Sweet Nothings
      • Barley Milk by Golden Wing
      • Plant-Based Protein Bar by Lupii
      • Quick and Easy Breakfast by Belgian Boys

And More!

And one of the things I love about Social Nature is that they don’t leave our friends with food allergies out.

There are sampling offers for Gluten-free, nut-free, and meat-free foods frequently.

Canadian Friends- You are in luck, there are sampling opportunities for you too! So if you love trying new products, check out Social Nature!

Giveaway: Meal Prep Starter Pack from La Mesa Dream Dinners!

I am so excited to share this giveaway with you! I’ve partnered with La Mesa Dream Dinners to give away a Meal Prep Starter kit that contains 4 medium meals (a medium meal feeds 2-3 people, but in our family of 4 it usually feeds all 4 of us with a couple side dishes added) or 2 Large Meals, which feeds 4-6 each.

Y’all know I love Dream Dinners. Dinner is on the table in 30 minutes or less, and there is no chopping, measuring, or shopping for ingredients. It’s awesome for us busy folks- I put 1-2 Dream Dinners in the fridge to defrost Sunday night, and we’ve got easy meals for our busiest nights.

With the kid’s extracurriculars and therapies, every day is busy right now. I’m up at 5:45am making breakfasts and lunches, washing dishes, and feeding the kitty. By the time 5pm rolls around, the last thing I want to do is spend an hour plus in the kitchen.

Dream Dinners is cheaper than takeout, healthier, and many times, it’s the same amount of dishes to wash. Yes, I serve takeout on plates and use silverware. I’m not eating Chinese takeout out of the little paper boxes with my hands.

If you are new to Dream Dinners, check out my post here with all the details, and how they compare to other meal kits.

Onto the Giveaway- Enter using the Rafflecopter widget/link (it’s not mobile-friendly) below. For a mobile-friendly entry, click here.

The first and easiest entry is to check out the October Menu here and leave a comment on this post letting me know what you are most excited about trying. Then click ion the Rafflecopter link below and complete the remaining entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Fine Print: This giveaway will run from 10/11/2022 until 10/19/2022. A winner will be chosen at random on 10/19/22 and will be notified via email. The winner must reside in the San Diego, CA county area and pick up their prize directly from La Mesa Dream Dinners. The winner’s contact information will be supplied to La Mesa Dream Dinners to coordinate the delivery of the prize.

This contest is not sponsored or endorsed by WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

10/10/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis coming week is full of extra appointments and errands, so I’m leaning heavily on the meal prep I did yesterday, and stuff that can be cooked quickly.

We’re leaning heavily into the pantry this week as well, and I found a large package of ground beef in the freezer (under a few large bags of frozen veggies), so we’ll be using that to make both meatloaf and a big batch of bolognese sauce (half will go into the freezer for future use).

The big kid and I went to the grocery store yesterday, redeemed a bunch of coupons (thanks to Social Nature), and did our usual weekly shopping.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

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 try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

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 are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch from home daily, and the littlest buys her lunch at school about half the time. In California, all public schools provide breakfast and lunch for free.

Dinner: This week is packed as far as appointments, so I’m leaning on stuff that’s easy and tasty. I prepped fruits and veg over the weekend and made up the last Dream Dinner and portioned it into lunch-sized servings.

  • Monday:  Soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit

  • Tuesday: Waffles, eggs, bacon, fruit

  • Wednesday: Nuggets, fruit, crackers, and cheese

  • Thursday: Meatloaf, Roast Veg, Rolls

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Spaghetti Bolognese, garlic bread, salad
  • Sunday:  Leftovers

Cents of Style Clearance- OVER 100 Items ONLY $10 (up to 80% OFF)!

Favorite Tops** This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Cents of Style is hooking us up this weekend.  Their  MOST POPULAR and BEST SELLING items are ALL $10!

This amazing $10 collection includes tops, sweaters, shorts, cardigans, pants, sets, and dresses.

There are OVER 100 different items to choose from with TONS of colors and sizes ranging from S-3XL.

The best part: There is no code!! This ENTIRE collection is marked at ONLY $10– that’s up to 80% OFF!! The sale is valid until 10/11/22 at midnight! FREE shipping for purchases over $40.