Hello, friends! As you may know, this is my favorite month and favorite season of the year! I absolutely love it because it reminds me of so many fun childhood memories. One of my favorite days of the year is when we go to the pumpkin patch as a family. My kids are just as pumpkin obsessed as I am, which makes it really fun! I like to save money where I can so that we can fill our schedule with fall family activities, and that’s why we shop at Costco. We buy in bulk and get more bang for our buck with their great savings!
How to Take Time to Recharge As A WAHM
Lately, I have been feeling really tired and like I’m being pulled in so many directions. When I start feeling like this or get overly anxious, I know it is time to recharge. Sometimes that can be a very difficult task. I will soon have 3 kids – 3 years and under – and I work/blog full-time. It is not easy to always manage everyone’s schedules, work, cook, clean, do laundry, and all the other things that come along every day. When it gets to be too much, I like to take a step back, breathe and recharge my batteries. Here are some things I do to give myself a break:
Tips and Tricks to Save Money
Homemade laundry detergent.
-I started doing this about 2 months after I married Ryan. We were looking for ways to save money and I came across a recipe on Pinterest. Of course, I consulted my mom on whether or not it was safe and all that jazz. She said that people have used this forever. After using it for almost 3 years now, I can tell you that I love it. I haven’t looked back. It cleans the clothes just as well. I do add Oxi-Clean to mine and still use regular softener.
Coupons
– I’m not suggesting you become a crazy coupon lady, although I wish I had the time to become one myself. I do suggest that before going out to eat you look for a coupon or Groupon deal etc. This also applies to shopping. When shopping online, you can almost always find a coupon code for free shipping, a percentage off, or if you’re lucky, both! I also highly recommend you shop through Ebates when shopping online. They give you a percentage of your purchase back. I saved so much money Christmas shopping last year by doing this. There is literally no excuse not to use Ebates. You can also take these short surveys to gain access to great coupons and other deals. I love using this site.
Cook at home.
-We see a dramatic increase in our spending when we eat out more one week than when we eat at home. Groceries are expensive, but they are so much cheaper to buy and prepare at home than if you go pay $25 a meal. It is also a lot healthier.
Set a budget.
– I’ll be honest. When we first got married, we budgeted for our bills, but didn’t have an allotted amount for food/groceries or for our “fun” spending. Since we set a specific amount of how much we can spend on food and extra fun things/ gifts, we have saved a lot more money. I’ll save you my budgeting rant, but that is the biggest budget tip I can give you that has helped us.
Sweet and Sour
I am looking forward to a really fun weekend! We are celebrating my brother’s 25th birthday and we will be heading to a wedding shower on Sunday! Lots of fun celebrating loved ones. 🙂
FIVE.
Be sure to stop by and grab your free samples of Poise and your coupons for this delicious snack!
What are your plans this weekend?
Quick and Easy Snacks for Your Springtime Picnic + $15 Paypal Cash Giveaway
Springtime is officially here and in full swing! The weather has been so beautiful and WARM (finally!!!) this week! Warm weather makes me want to do two things: swim and go on a picnic! Hampton and I went on a picnic last week and had so much fun, but this time we included Ryan! We had the perfect afternoon snack-time picnic yesterday, and really enjoyed being together. Of course, savings at Publix (more on these savings later) and Klondike Ice Cream Bars added to that enjoyment! Ryan actually got me hooked on these after I met him. What a bad influence he is! haha They are definitely one of my guilty pleasures.
For healthier snack alternatives, we also pack:
-Yoplait
-Fiber One Chewy Bars
-Nature Valley Breakfast Biscuits
-Fruit
Publix is hosting a Snack Share and Save Event where you will save $5 on your purchase of $25 or more on participating snack items when you share with your friends! Find out more details here.
Giveaway Time!! Enter to win $15 paypal cash by entering in the rafflecopter below! I will choose a winner on April 23rd. Good luck!
P.S. Check out my post on How To Have The Perfect Picnic!
What do you like to take on your picnics? Don’t forget to check out these great savings at Publix!
Easter Treats with Kozy Shack Simply Well
There are so many stages of pregnancy. First you’re sick and don’t want to eat anything, then you’re craving everything in site, and then you are sick and so big and full with baby that you don’t want to eat very much again. While I am definitely in the later stage, I do still have an occasional craving for something sweet. So, why not these delicious Easter treats?
During my second trimester, I was still able to run a little bit and I allowed myself a few splurges here and there. One thing I figured out was that if I ate one bite of ice cream to get that craving fix, I found myself always wanting more. I decided to try Kozy Shack Simply Well Pudding because it is actually rice pudding in disguise. My mind and taste buds think I’m eating that sugary goodness of pudding, but my body isn’t getting an overload of sugar and is getting a much healthier alternative. Did I mention these are only 90 calories and gluten free? I can’t get over it! That’s less calories than the yogurt I usually eat. But it’s pudding. Mind blown.
Yesterday, I decided to spice up mine and Hampton’s snack time by adding a few things into our pudding to make it fun and festive for Easter! Needless to say, Hampton loved it! He giggled and thought I was crazy for letting him eat this for his snack. What he doesn’t know if that I’m totally okay with this snack for him. I try to feed him healthy foods only (of course we splurge every now and then) and this snack did not compromise his healthy diet.
The additives aren’t the most healthy of choices, but with Easter coming up this weekend, I thought it was okay to give Hampton a fun treat.
Giveaway Time! So that you can experience Kozy Shack Rice Pudding for yourself, they are giving away 2 VIP coupons worth up to $4.99 each! Just stop by here and leave me a comment telling me a fun fact you learned from visiting Kozy Shack!
* Giveaway is for US residents only. Coupons are not valid for redemption in California.
Good luck and don’t forget to check out Kozy Shack Simply Well!
Benefits of Eating Breakfast + Cheerios Publix Coupon and Giveaway
Print your Cheerios Publix coupon and Florida OJ Publix coupon today!
As a WAHM I totally get how hard it is to make time to eat breakfast every morning. It is so easy to get caught up in getting ready for the day, starting on your daily tasks and chasing a 16 month old around the house. Honestly, I am usually so worried about making sure Hampton eats his Cheerios for breakfast that I forget to eat myself. Do you know the benefits of eating breakfast? After you read these, you will not want to skip any more. I know I don’t. After all, it truly is the most important meal of the day.
Here are some benefits of eating breakfast:
-Improved concentration and performance
-weight control
-lower BMI
-lower cholesterol
-increased energy
-kick-starts your metabolism
-improved mood
With all of these amazing benefits, why is it that most Americans are skipping breakfast? Is it our busy lifestyle?
I’m not sure why I skip breakfast so often. Breakfast foods are my favorite. There is nothing better than eating a big ole bowl of Cheerios with my favorite Florida Orange Juice first thing in the morning. I’m trying to do a much better job of eating breakfast every morning, especially now that I am pregnant. I know my body (and baby) needs those extra healthy calories.
Did you know that Cheerios are made from whole grain oats and have only one gram of sugar per serving? Also, Florida Orange Juice is so full of vitamins – like Vitamin C, B, and potassium – which helps support a healthy heart.
Get excited, because I am giving away $15 paypal cash to one lucky winner to buy your own Cheerios and Florida OJ! Just enter in the rafflecopter below. I will choose a winner around April 5th. Disclosure: This giveaway is not conducted my General Mills.
Good luck! Also, don’t forget to print your coupons from Publix!