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Today is National Peanut Day!

Abby H.Leave a comment

September 13th is National Peanut Day!

If you don’t have a peanut allergy, this is a great day to celebrate this tasty legume. The peanut isn’t botanically a nut; it is related to beans and lentils.

We can credit George Washington Carver for bringing the peanut into our everyday lives. To learn more about Carver and his incredible career in botany, check out this article.

Here are a few recipes that my family loves that feature peanut butter:

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.

 

 

 

Enjoy Potatoes This September!

Abby H.Leave a comment

September is National Potato Month. I love potatoes- they are full of nutrients, they are inexpensive, and a bag of taters lasts a while if kept in a dry, dark cabinet.

Here are a few family recipes that involve potatoes that are the best.

 

August 2026 Monthly Side Quest Totals

Abby H.

Quests require compasses and treasure chests, right?Why am I referring to them as “quests” and not “hustle“?

Hustling indicates moving quickly to earn money. This year, I’m doing a little bit every day, approximately 20 minutes on small surveys and small tasks. I may earn less daily, but overall, I can use small tasks to earn more through compounding.

For about half of August, I could dedicate a consistent block of time each day to earning extra money. My day job started again, so I probably won’t be able to dedicate as much time each day to my side quests.

  • MyPoints:  $15 Amazon Gift Cards
  • PaidViewPoint:  $10.26 Venmo
  • Fetch:  $15 in Barnes and Noble Gift Cards
  • Rebates (WeStock, Peekage, Social Nature, and Aisle ):  $38.94 in Aisle Rebates, $10.97 in WeStock Rebates, and $13.78 Social Nature Rebates
  • BrandClub:  $9.61 Venmo
  • TPT (I make worksheets/flashcards in my spare time for special ed classrooms). This side quest is definitely a slow trickle of money. $2.65 (My lowest of the year)
  • Verasight: $10 via Venmo
  • Receipt Hog: $5.00 Venmo
  • Ibotta: $25.00 Paypal
  • Evidation: $10 via Venmo
  • Gist: $20 Amazon Gift Card
  • Online Research Study: $25 Amazon GC
  • The Insiders: $30 Visa Gift Card

I spend about 20-30 minutes a day completing surveys, scanning receipts, and other tasks. It doesn’t take long, and it helps take a small load off our summer budget.

As always, the links above may be affiliate links, and I might earn money or points if you join any of the above apps or activities. This helps support my blog and family.

If you are interested in my full list of money-saving/money earning activites, I encourage you to check out:

September 2026: New Healthy Freebies From Social Nature!

Abby H.2 Comments

 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.

This month, there aren’t a ton of free/100% Cashback offers available, but I’ve listed them below.

    •  Sugar-Free Electrolytes by Instant Hydration
    • Wild Tuna in Olive Oil by Rio Mare
    • Functional Energy Drinks by Odyssey
    • Mental Performance Shots by Magic Mind
    • Ready-to-Bake Cupcakes by BunnieCakes
    • 12g Plant Protein Creamer by Laird Superfood
    • Skipjack Wild Tuna by Wild Planet
    • Italian Protein Pasta by BRAMI
    • Tuna + Red Bean Salad by Wild Planet

There are a lot more offers for BOGO or a percentage off, including brands like Daiyo, Ripple, Calafia Farms, SunButter, Back to Nature, and Javvy Coffee, to name a few.

If you are looking for other rebate sites similar to Social Nature, check out Aisle,  WeStock, or Peekage.

9/1/2026 It’s Sample Thursday with PinchMe!

Abby H.

Love samples? Check out PinchMe! Join PINCHme and receive free samples that you can provide feedback on.

PinchMe is awesome! Once you are signed up, they will email you reminders when new samples are about to drop, and remind you when it’s time to leave feedback.

Answer a series of questions about your household and shopping habits in the Member Profile. PinchMe learns what you like and offers samples just for you.

Once you’ve had a chance to try the samples, complete a short feedback survey to tell PinchMe what you think of the samples.

I get PinchMe samples every month. Here is a box that I recently received.

What are you waiting for? Sign up here and get on the free sample bandwagon! I’ve gotten all kinds of awesome sample/trial size items, as well as full-sized items to try out from PinchMe!

6/24/2026 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

Now that school is back in session, I’m going to be posting my weekly meal plans again. Breakfast and lunch at our house are usually the same each day- that’s how the kids tend to like it.

I do my grocery shopping usually early on Saturday morning, after I inventory the fridge, freezer, and pantry (the forms I used are in this post- they are FREE). This week I didn’t buy a lot. I want to work through what’s in the freezer. I did, however, visit Trader Joe’s and buy 10 bags of their frozen pizza dough- it’s always a good idea to have safe foods on hand, and pizza is one here.

Breakfast: The Big Kid has joined the Protein Coffee train with me. He has his with the equivalent of 2-3 shots of espresso in it, served hot. I take my Protein Coffee iced. 1 protein shake and 20 ounces of cold brew. The littler dude is on an Einstein Bros. Bagel kick. I buy them once every few weeks, pre-sliced, then I stash them in the freezer and pull them out and toast them as needed.

Lunch:  Monday through Friday, I pack my own 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 I have frozen entrees- there was a sale a few weeks ago, and I bought enough for the first 2 weeks of school. The big kid has basically the same lunch every day: Sandwich, drink, Quest Protein Chips, and a couple cookies or whatever I made this week. The little dude has cheesy popcorn, mandarin oranges (2), a cheese stick, a yogurt drink, a cookie, and a fruit snack. Whatever keeps them fed!

Dinner: The heat is so bad this week, so I’m trying to make as many cool choices or stuff that doesn’t require a lot of heat or stovetop time (and nothing in the oven!!).

  • Monday: Italian Night
  • Tuesday: Gyro, Rice, Balela Salad, Naan

  • Wednesday: Smoothies and Charcuterie plates (this has become a Wednesday special)

  • Thursday: Quesadillas, beans and rice

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Palooza
  • Sunday:  French Onion Beans with sourdough toast and fruit

Recipe: Country Pork Sausage Gravy

Abby H.

This is a very easy breakfast to make. It goes great on toast, biscuits, and crescent rolls.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Bulk breakfast sausage (I like Jimmy Dean)
  • 1.5 cups milk (I used whole milk)
  • 1/2 cup All-Purpose flour
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

  1. In a large skillet, brown and crumble sausage over medium heat.
  2. Once the meat has cooked through, sprinkle flour in the skillet. Stir the flour, coating the meat and absorbing the fat in the pan.
  3. Allow flour to cook and brown slightly, stirring frequently.
  4. Turn down the stove to low, and slowly pour milk over the mixture, while whisking. Stir constantly as the mixture cooks and the flour thickens.
  5. If the gravy is too thick, add a little milk (about 1/4 cup), and continue to cook until thick.

Subtitutions:

  • If you are dairy-free, use your favorite milk.
  • If you are gluten-free, use a 1:1 Gluten Free All Purpose Flour.
  • If you do not eat pork, turkey breakfast bulk sausage is a great replacement.

July 2026 Monthly Side Quest Totals

Abby H.

Quests require compasses and treasure chests, right?Why am I referring to them as “quests” and not “hustle“?

Hustling indicates moving quickly to earn money. This year, I’m doing a little bit every day, approximately 20 minutes on small surveys and small tasks. I may earn less daily, but overall, I can use small tasks to earn more through compounding.

July was so busy overall, but I made time for my side quests. I think it might have been my best month to date!

  • MyPoints:  $30 Amazon Gift Cards
  • PaidViewPoint:  $26.75 Venmo
  • G2:  $20 Amazon Gift Cards
  • Fetch:  $30 in Barnes and Noble Gift Cards
  • Rebates (WeStock, Peekage, Social Nature, and Aisle ):  $30.50 in Aisle Rebates
  • BrandClub:  $10.50 Venmo
  • TPT (I make worksheets/flashcards in my spare time for special ed classrooms). This side quest is definitely a slow trickle of money. I spent a lot of time over the summer making/uploading educational materials to my TPT account. $18.25
  • Verasight: $10 via Venmo
  • Receipt Hog: $10.00 Paypal
  • Class action lawsuits (I use SettleMate to help me find ones that I might qualify for): $22.26
  • Evidation: $10 via Venmo
  • Gist: $20 Amazon Gift Card
  • In-Person Research Study: $200
  • Recycling Bottles and Cans: $30

I spend about 20-30 minutes a day completing surveys, scanning receipts, and other tasks. It doesn’t take long, and it helps take a small load off our summer budget.

As always, the links above may be affiliate links, and I might earn money or points if you join any of the above apps or activities. This helps support my blog and family.

If you are interested in my full list of money-saving/money earning activites, I encourage you to check out:

August 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.

This month, there aren’t a ton of free/100% Cashback offers available, but I’ve listed them below.

  •  Seasonal Valencia Oranges by Sunkist
  • Zero Sugar Collagen Tea by Pretty Tasty
  • Non-GMO Macadamia Nuts by Mauna Loa
  • Avo Oil Tortilla Chips by Xochitl
  • Wild Tuna in Olive Oil by Rio Mare
  • Solely Organic Fruit Jerky by Solely

There are a lot more offers for BOGO or a percentage off, including brands like Daiyo, Ripple, Calafia Farms, SunButter, Back to Nature, and Javvy Coffee, to name a few.

If you are looking for other rebate sites, similar to Social Nature, check out Aisle,  WeStock, or Peekage.