easy

Do We Really Need 64 Ounces of Water and a Giveaway!

Abby H.Leave a comment

Everybody knows the adage about drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day, but where did it come from?

According to this NPR article, in 1945, the US Food and Nutrition Board decided that 1 mL of water per calorie was what people needed to stay hydrated. This is approximately 64 ounces of fluid per day. And this stuck.

Per the Mayo Clinic, whats counts as water may surprise you: Any liquid, including foods that are high in liquid, like soups, smoothies, fruits, and vegetables like melons, citrus, and tomatoes, are excellent sources of liquid. This means you don’t need to chug a huge 64-ounce bottle of water every single day. As long as you are consuming foods that are high in liquid, you are getting enough hydration for your body

Too much of a good thing? Yes, you can be overhydrated, and that can cause an electrolyte imbalance, which can lead to cloudy thinking, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and even muscle cramps. This isn’t gonna happen unless you’re drinking over 4 L of water an hour. Overhydration does not happen often, but it can occur.

If you’re looking for ways to add hydration to your day, here are a few ways:

And now for the Giveaway! I’m giving away this 40-ounce reusable cup with a lid, and an assortment of my favorite sugar-free drink mixes!

The prizes will be mailed directly from Amazon to the winner.

To Enter:

  • Comment on this post with how you stay hydrated. (1 entry)
  • Comment on one of my previous blog posts (1 entry per blog comment)
  • Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Each one of these is 1 entry EACH.

I’ll choose a winner on February 1st in the evening. I will email or DM the winner to confirm their mailing address.

National Peanut Butter Day Recipes!

Abby H.Leave a comment

Today is National Peanut Butter Day. For those of us who love Peanut Butter, this is definately a day to celebrate.

I’ve rounded up a few recipes for y’all to try:

If you love Peanut butter but need to avoid the natural fat/oil, I use PB2 in my protein shakes. If you also need to avoid added salt, Peanut Flour is a great option in place of PB2.

I love having Peanut butter on hand in my car snack box, so I use these Jif Cups or these By Nutz pouches.

Recipe: Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Abby H.Leave a comment

This is a very simple recipe, and it has a lot of variations for budget, and if you are trying to use up what you have in your pantry and fridge.

I got a package of rotisserie chicken pulled off the bone from Costco not long ago. I defrosted it, and now I’m ready to start using it.  If you don’t have a rotisserie chicken, you can substitute 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken or 2 small cans/1 large can of canned chicken, drained, rinsed, and shredded.

Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked/shredded chicken
  • 1 19-ounce can green enchilada sauce
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups shredded sheese, divided (I used 1/2 Cheddar and 1/2 Asadero)
  • 10-ish corn tortillas, cut or ripped into bite-sized pieces (You may need more or less depending on how big your pieces end up)
  • Topings/Garnishes: Salsa, Sour Cream, shredded lettuce, diced onions, or picled onions (Your choice)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix together the enchilada sauce and sour cream. Taste and add any additional seasoning as desired (onion or garlic powder, white pepper).
  3. In a 13×9 pan, coat the bottom with 2-3 tablespoons of enchilada sauce.
  4. Layer tortilla pieces, chicken, cheese, tortilla, and sauce until your pan is full.
  5. Top with any remaining cheese.
  6. Tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake covered for 35-40 minutes.
  7. Remove foil and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese on top is browned and bubbly.
  8. Serve with toppings/garnishes as desired.

 

This meal serves 6-8, depending on the sides you choose to serve.

Leftovers can be frozen.

 

 

Score Deals with Amazon Haul!

Abby H.Leave a comment

I had never heard of Amazon Haul until earlier this week, when a co-worker told me she scored a box of 40 name-brand mechanical pencils for less than $10.

Amazon Haul is Amazon’s take on discount goodies, similar to Temu and Shein. Most everything is $20.00 or less. There is a section at the top of the Amazon Haul page with $1 & under deals! These items are limit 3 per customer.

I’m always on the lookout for inexpensive pencils for work and for my kids, so I had to give it a gander.

Here are a few of the sweet deals I ran across. I separated them by less than $1 and over $1.

In the $1.00 or less category-

Over $1.00, and still a good deal:

And there are thousands more deals in almost every category on Amazon Haul– It is definately worth a peek.

Regal Cinemas: Celebrate National Popcorn Day on January 19!

Abby H.

National Popcorn Day is January 19th, and Regal Cinemas is helping you celebrate!

Dress up in your favorite costume and head to a Regal near you on January 19 to score a FREE large popcorn.

To sweeten the deal, tag them at your local Regal in costume on National Popcorn Day in an Instagram post (IG Username: Regalmovies) for a chance to win 3 FREE months of Regal Unlimited.  10 winners will be selected starting at 10 AM ET on 1/20/26.

1/11/26 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgMeal Prep and Meal Planning is back for 2026!

I prepped Taco bowls for my work week lunches, I’ll taco home made guac and tortilla chips with me as well.

I’ll post the taco bowl recipe this week. They are super good (I had one yesterday for lunch).

I also cut up a lot of fruit for the week- I’ve found if it’s grab and go, the kids and I are more likely to eat it,

To keep my grocery budget down, I shop at Aldi (using Instacart, I wrote about how to do it here), our local Grocery Outlet, and use cashback rebates that offer a lot of 100% back (I wrote a post about some of my favorite apps here).

I hit up Aldi on Saturday and restocked a lot of pantry staples- canned tomatoes in various forms, several types of beans, and rice. I also picked up corn tortillas, cheese, and bread. We go through a lot of bread because my oldest has a sandwich every day for lunch. I was out the door for $74.13, just under my budget of $75.00.

Breakfast: The kids tend to eat cereal, a bagel, or an MBS (Mrs. Bear Special) each morning for breakfast. I usually have a proffee and a slice of toast with goat cheese and spicy honey.

Lunch: M-F I pack myself and the kids’ lunches. I bring 5 lunches to work on Monday and stash them in the fridge. I pack the kids’ lunches each night before bed, except for the cold stuff and ice pack- those I put in when I get up in the morning. This week, my lunch is taco bowls.

Dinner: This week, dinners are pretty simple. I’m easing back into meal planning in 2026, and not planning any complicated dinners that involve a lot of steps.

If there is something that one of the kids ends up not liking, they can have a sandwich or a fruit and yogurt smoothie.

  • Sunday:  Homemade Soup (thanks mom!), and homemade bread. The big kid had a smoothie.
  • Monday: Mac n’ Cheese, Meatloaf, and Fruit

  • Tuesday: Breakfast for Dinner (Waffles, Eggs, & Fruit)

  • Wednesday: Skillet meal- Maybe Chicken Tetrazini

  • Thursday: Chicken strips, mashed potatoes, fruit smoothies

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Palooza and whatever leftover fruit is hanging around.

National Spaghetti Day Recipes!

Abby H.

Today is National Spaghetti Day, and what better way to celebrate than sharing some of my favorite recipes that feature the long, skinny pasta that almost everyone loves!

And if you are looking to try some different brands of spaghetti, here are a few of my favorites:

January 2026: New Healthy Freebies From Social Nature!

Abby H.

 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 usually receive 4-6 offers/freebies per month, sometimes more if I have time to shop. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

In addition to the offers where they mail you a coupon for a free product, Social Nature has started offering 100% cash-back, similar to Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. I love this because I can select exactly what I want, Social Nature tells me which local stores have it, and I can add it to my next shopping list.

And it’s just as easy as Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. Snap a pic and upload it. You can select Venmo, Paypal, or an Amazon Gift Card for your rebate.

There are so many offers this month! Here are the Free/100% Cashback offers available now:

Zero Calorie Sweeteners by Whole Earth Brands
Organic Chocolates by VGAN
Chocolate Natilla Custard by Senor Rico
Protein Packed Feta by Athenos
Gluten-Free Whipped Feta by Athenos
Alpine Cheese Blend by Roth
Caffeine-Free Herbal Teas by Teeccino
Low Sodium Sauces by Tia Lupita
Zero Sugar Rice Pudding by Senor Rico
Protein Pasta by BRAMI
Fresh Microgreens by 80 Acres Farms
PAW Patrol Gel Cups by Winky Desserts
Non-GMO Crackers by Back to Nature
PURE Coconut Water by ZICO
Crisp + Clean Salad Kits by 80 Acres Farms
Bold & Rich Latin Coffee by Sello Rojo
Shots: Energy/Focus/Relax by RYDE
Premium Cold Brew Coffee by Cameron’s Coffee

Not all offers are available in all areas. 

How I’m Earning Extra Money in 2026 (& You Can Too)

Abby H.

As prices continue to increase and wages stay the same, some of you, like me, need to find a few ways to make a little extra money.

I’m not talking hundreds of dollars a week, I’d like to make an extra $20-$30 a week without having to DoorDash, drive for a ride share, or be an Instacart shopper. Any of those would take me away from my kids and cause me to spend money on childcare. I’ll be doing some side hustles from the comfort of my couch (or desk in my bedroom).

My plan for 2026 consists of using the following methods. I’ve posted links for as many sources as I have. Some of these links may be affiliate/referral links that may give me additional points or a few dollars as a reward. These points/rewards help me pay for my website hosting fees and occasionally a cup of coffee.

Surveys: If you’ve read my blog for any amount of time, you know I love me a good survey.

MyPoints: Do 4-5 short surveys per day. I’ve been doing it since Thanksgiving break, and I’m able to earn the equivalent of a $5 gift card in about 40 minutes. Sometimes I earn more points, but 4-5 surveys in one sitting while I watch an episode of something on TV is pretty decent.

Paid View Point: They email me a few times a day to remind me I have new surveys to complete. My plan for 2026 is to do the surveys as I am notified via email. The cash-out threshold is $10, and that’s pretty easy to get to.

Pinecone Research: I’ve been using them for as long as I can remember, probably close to 10 years. I receive notifications via email every couple of days, take a few surveys, earn some points, and cash out about $10 every month or so. It’s quick, and it’s pretty easy. You can save up your points to purchase stuff from their digital catalog, or you can have them send you funds viaPayPal or Venmo.

PRC, Advanced Opinions, Focus Group Connection, and Ascendency Research are all companies that run market research, research studies, and group bulletin boards for brands and companies. I apply for as many as I can that I think I would be a good fit for and that fit in my schedule. And I try to post many of these opportunities on my blog when I feel they would be of interest to my readers. My goal for 2026 is to do at least one of these per month, as long as it pays over $150.

Verasight: Verasight is a company that works with all sorts of people and companies. A lot of the time, it’s people who are doing surveys as part of their PhD or master’s research. The surveys are quick, often less than 10 minutes, and they pay about a dollar each. Cash out is $10, and I am able to cash out about once a month. For 2026, I am going to continue to do surveys with them, and my goal is to make a payout every two weeks.

Beyond surveys, another way that I make money passively is through the Small Business Knowledge Center. I have been a part of them for I think about 10 years at this point, and I send them my junk mail and my junk email, and occasionally do missions for them. It’s a pretty easy way to get rid of your junk mail and earn a $20 gift card about every two or three months. When we refinanced last, it led to a large increase in junk mail, and I was able to do a couple of special projects for SBKC, and I was able to earn an extra $40.

This is one of the most passive ways I make extra money. In 2025, I made $120 from SBKC, which is the most I have ever made. We just got tons of junk mail, and my inbox was slammed with spam.

Another way that I will be earning a little bit extra in 2026 is by taking advantage of companies that are looking for micro influencers. These don’t tend to pay cash, but they offer free products in exchange for social media posts or reviews on social media. I can get free products that I might otherwise not be able to afford, but need or want. A couple that I use is Stack Influence, Ripple Street, Influenster, Tryazon, Home Tester Club, and Smiley360.

Getting free products saves me money, and posting a review or something on social media will take me less than an hour. I tend not to review products that are below $30 unless it’s something I really want or need, because my time is valuable. I don’t want to spend half an hour to 45 minutes making social media posts for a three-dollar bottle of juice.

And for 2026, I will be bringing back my monthly posts where I disclose how much I made each month. My reason for this is two-fold: Transparency for my readers, and to prove to myself that I can do it! I’ll be keeping a Google Sheet to track my earnings.

 

This post contains affiliate links. For more information about the use of affiliate links and partnerships, visit my disclosure page. 

December 2025: New Healthy Freebies From Social Nature!

Abby H.

 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 usually receive 4-6 offers/freebies per month, sometimes more if I have time to shop. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

In addition to the offers where they mail you a coupon for a free product, Social Nature has started offering 100% cash-back, similar to Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. I love this because I can select exactly what I want, Social Nature tells me which local stores have it, and I can add it to my next shopping list.

And it’s just as easy as Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. Snap a pic and upload it. You can select Venmo, Paypal, or an Amazon Gift Card for your rebate.

Here are just a few of the Free/100% Cashback offers available now:

  • George’s Farmers Market Humanely-Raised Chicken
  • ZICO PURE Coconut Water
  • Señor Rico Chocolate Natilla Custard
  • Tia Lupita Low Sodium Sauces
  • Rio Mare Wild Tuna in Olive Oil
  • Vgan Organic Chocolates
  • Truly Indian Indian Street Wraps