Monday, June 27, 2011

Pssst...Special Delivery from General Mills!


I love being a Pssst member because I get cool new special delivery products from General Mills to try! I recently was sent a package of new Cocoa Puffs Brownie Crunch cereal to try and it was delicious!

With the delicious taste of brownies "baked" into every bowl, Cocoa Puffs Brownie Crunch is a delicious chocolate-y cereal ready to be enjoyed for breakfast or as a satisfying snack on the go. With the combination of whole grain goodness and delicious chocolate flavor in every bite, it'll sure be a hit with your family too!

Cocoa Puffs Brownie Crunch has at least 8 grams of whole grain (48 grams recommended daily) and a good source of calcium and Vitamin D in every serving! Be sure to visit http://www.growupstrong.com/ and http://www.wholegrainnation.com/ for fun recipe ideas and information about Big G cereals.


Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Healthy Home Party Kit - TONS of samples and coupons!

I just received my Healthy Home Party Kit!

What’s in the Healthy Home Party Kit?

The Healthy Home Party Kit includes a ‘Wake-Up to 5 Easy Steps’ DVD, a 5 Easy Steps guide, one set of pocket guides, Healthy Child brochures and 5 Easy Steps flyer, ‘Creating Healthy Environments for Children’ fact sheet, 5 Easy Steps on ‘How to Host a Healthy Home Party’, and product samples and collateral from our sponsors.

Here are some product samples that I received:
20 Luna Bars (10 white chocolate macadamia, 10 nuts over chocolate)
20 clif kid organic twisted fruit bars in strawberry
3.5 oz. HappyBaby food pouch in apple&cherry
Clean Well Instant Hand Sanitizer in Orange Vanilla
20 Clean Well Hand Sanitizing Wipes
1 Revolution Foods Jammy Sammy in Grape Jelly & PB
1 Plum Organics Baby Food Pouch in Just Peaches
12 oz. Klean Kanteen + 20 $3 off any Klean Kanteen
ECOS Earth friendly mini home kit
Mohawk floor essentials starter kit
20 Episencial Samples
20 Earthbound Farms coupons and organic seeds
Bamboo Nature Disposable Diaper Sample
+ LOTS of COUPONS!!!!


What's a Healthy Home Party?

Healthy Child Healthy World, LUNA, Klean Kanteen, and Earth Friendly Products share your passion for creating healthy environments for children. We want to help you raise awareness through community education. With the information provided in a Healthy Home Party Kit, you can educate and empower your family, friends, schools, and community to protect children’s health and development from common toxics. YOU can make a difference by inspiring others to take Easy Steps to create healthier living environments.

Our Healthy Home Party Kit is available for a minimum tax deductible donation of ONLY $20, thanks to great sponsors such as: Klean Kanteen, LUNA, Earth Friendly Products, Organic Valley, Plum Organics and many more.

For more information on how to get one yourself, visit http://healthychild.org/.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Recipe: Pork Chops & Apples & Roasted Potatoes

Pork Chops & Apples


Ok, so this isn't the best picture.
But this recipe was really good and I added it to my recipe box.
Have you used those McCormick Recipe Inspirations with the recipes on the back?
It was the first time I used one and it turned out really great.
I decided to start with the McCormick's Apple & Sage Pork Chops.





What You Will Need:
1 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
4 boneless pork chops, 1 inch thick
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 red apples, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tbsp. brown sugar

Directions:
1. Mix flour, all of the Spices and salt in small bowl.
Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with 1 tablespoon of the seasoned flour.
2. Cook pork chops in hot oil in large skillet on medium-high heat until
browned on both sides. Remove from skillet. Add onion; cook and stir
3 minutes or until tender. Add apples; cook and stir 2 minutes.
3. Stir in juice, sugar and remaining seasoned flour until well mixed.
Return pork chops to skillet. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low;
cover and simmer 5 minutes or until desired doneness.

Result: With the combination of the sauce and the seasonings, it was really tasty.
I really like the addition of the apples and the sage in this dish.
It was sweet, and sour (with the apple) and spicy with the sage and garlic.
I give this dish a thumbs up.

Want to make this dinner even more awesome?
Add some roasted potatoes to the dinner table!




Oven Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

1 small bag of Yukon Gold Baby Potatoes
Olive oil
salt
pepper
Dried Rosemary
Dried Thyme

Directions:
Scrub the potatoes and cut out any bruised parts.
Cut the potatoes in quarters unless they are small.
Put the potatoes on a baking sheet or 9 x 13 baking dish.
Drizzle potatoes with olive oil (about 2 tbs.).
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with dried rosemary and thyme. (about 1 Tbs. each).
Cook for 30-40 minutes until golden brown at 400 degrees.

Mmmmmmmm!



Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Help Children Feel Better with Children's Claritin Allergy


Part of my job as a mom is to make sure I have medicine on hand to sooth and comfort what my child is ailed by. This spring, I want to make sure that we have allergies under control. I will be ready this season with the help of Children's Claritin Allergy. Since my son is two years old, I'm excited that there is a quality product out there that can help even the little-ist noses.

Here's some great info about Children's Claritin Allergy Syrup:


Children’s Claritin® allergy products are the only over-the-counter children’s brand that provides powerful 24 hour, non-drowsy relief for a child’s worst seasonal and indoor allergy symptom. So, with Children’s Claritin® Grape Syrup, you get a safe and effective way to help kids as young as 2 to turn their focus on being kids, and not on their allergies.

Also, you'll be happy to know that it's also:

Dye-FREE
Sugar-FREE
Alcohol -FREE

Temporarily relieves:
runny nose
sneezing
itchy, watery eyes
itching of the nose or throat

Take a look at all the info that's located on the back of the box:



So much stuff!

Want to get a coupon for yourself so you can give your kids relief too?


Click HERE to save $3 on your next puchase!


Disclosure: I received a 2 oz. bottle of Children's Claritin Grape Syrup and coupons to share through my affiliation with BzzAgent. To check out more info about BzzAgent, go to their website. All opinions expressed above are 100% mine.

Slow Cooker Recipe: Pot Roast & Veggies


Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Veggies

Ingredients for Pot Roast:

1 boneless beef pot roast (about 2 lbs, trimmed of fat)
1 cup Beef Broth
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon parsely
1 large yellow onion, largely sliced
1 bag baby carrots
6 small Yukon Gold potatoes (about a pound), cut into cubes
salt/pepper
1 Lipton Onion Soup Seasoning Packet

Directions:

Place wedges of sliced yellow onion onto bottom of slow cooker.
Place boneless beef pot roast on top of onions.
In small bowl, mix together broth, mustard, parsely and garlic.
Pour over beef pot roast
Place carrots and potatoes in slow cooker.
Sprinkle onion soup seasoning packet over beef, carrots and potatoes.
Cover.
Cook on low setting for 8 hours.

Directions for brown gravy:

Remove beef and vegetables from slow cooker and place in platter.
Put in oven covered with foil to keep warm (on low about 170 degrees).
Strain any fat from liquid in slow cooker.
Pour liquid into 1 quart saucepan.
Heat to boiling over high heat.
Reduce for about 5 minutes.
Pour into gravy boat or serving bowl.
Whisk in a pinch of flour and stir until thickened.

Serve brown gravy with beef and vegetables.

Rating: We LOVED this recipe! I loved how I just threw everything in the slow cooker
and then it was ready and waiting for us when we got home from work.
This was a 10 out of a 10! My husband said he was thinking about it all day
and when we had it for dinner, he said it did not dissapoint!
Winner Winner Pot Roast dinner!!

Today's Mailbox Freebies!


The freebies I received in my mailbox today were:

Purex + Zout Sample - no longer available
Kellog's Cereal Sample - VocalPoint

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Covergirl NatureLuxe, Use your $2 Off Coupon!


New COVERGIRL NatureLuxe Collection just hit the store shelves!

  

What's all the buzz about?

 Provides a smooth, silky feel
Contains refreshing cucumber water to help balance the creaminess on application
Made with hints of jojoba and rosehip extracts
Available in 14 shapes ranging from light to dark tones
Oil-free, SPF 10 and dermatologically tested
Suggested to retail for $11.99





What's all the buzz about this new lip gloss:

Combines the sheer color and shine of a gloss with the soft moisturization of a balm
Available in 16 versatile, beauiful shades
Formulated with SPF 15 for added protection
Suggested to retail for $6.49

I've been a COVERGIRL user since I was allowed to buy my first lipgloss.
I have really sensitive skin and I've always been impressed with the
quality of the COVERGIRL products, from their foundation to their lipgloss!

Use your $2 Coupon found in your Sunday newspaper!

Disclosure: I received a free sample through my affiliation with BzzAgent. All opinions expressed above are 100% mine. For more information about BzzAgent campaigns, visit BzzAgent.

Country Crock: Get Recipes and .40c off coupon

Country Crock has been a staple in my home for many years.
When I use Country Crock I remember my childhood.
My mom would bring out the tub of spread and we would put some on our bread at dinner.

Now that I'm a busy mom and cook dinner for my family almost every night,
I am always searching for quick and easy recipes to use during the weeknight.
Country Crock has a wonderful website with mouth-watering recipes.
You can make delicious food with 70% less saturated fat and 30% fewer calories than butter.







Disclosure: I received a free sample to facilitate my review through my affiliation with Smiley360. All opinions expressed above are 100% mine. Visit www.smiley360.com for more information.


Monday, April 25, 2011

Available Coupons at TideCare.com


I'm always looking for coupons on the products I already use at home.
Go to http://www.tidecare.com/ to fill out a form and receive $3 worth of coupons for Tide products!

You can also choose an option to be notified about money-saving offers from OneCare.


Mailbox Monday: Sample Showcase, BzzKit and More!



It was Christmas in April when I opened my mailbox today!

Here's what I got:
Yoplait Greek 2x Protein Snack Pack
USPS Sample Showcase
BzzKit for Claritin's Children's Allergy

I got the Yoplait Snack Pack from pre-registering for a twitter party!
I got the Sample Showcase by signing up here.
I am a BzzAgent and signed up and received my BzzKit


Here is a list of what I got for the Sample Showcase:


Wisk Deep Clean Liquid Detergent - 1 Load
1 Biscotti
CoffeeMate French Vanilla Creamer - 2 samples
Gum Soft Picks - 1 Sample
Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant
$1.50 Coupon for Starbucks Via Coffee
.55c Coupon for Gum Soft Picks


Anyone else get some awesome freebies this week?

Mother's Day Gift Suggestion: The Night Night Book


The Night Night Book
by Marianne Richmond

Bestselling author Marianne Richmond, continuing in the vein of her other books such as "If I Could Keep You Little," creates vibrant, eye-catching art and beautiful verses in The Night Night Book. This tender, evocative picture book brings the entire family together as the perfect story before bed.

"Comfy bed,
all tucked in.
Cozy blanket,
toes to chin.

Night night sky.
Night night moon.
Dear tomorrow,
see you soon!"

This book takes readers on a tour of the house as everyone settles in. Whimsical artwork and comforting scenes show kids it's time to say goodnight. It's a must-have bedtime accessory for any parent. It would make a great gift to give to any Mother, Grandmother or caregiver for Mother's Day.

Now that my son is at the age where he loves to flip through the pages of his favorite books, this book was an instant hit with him. With the colorful pages and wonderful story, the book became part of our bedtime routine. After bathtime, I pull this book out and we sit in our reading chair and read about going night night. It's an adorable story about bidding farewell to the day and resting up for the next day.

You can purchase this book through Amazon for $7.95.



Disclosure: In exchange for my honest opinion, I was provided a copy of "The Night Night Book" for review purposes. All opinions expressed above are 100% mine. Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing the product for me to review. 

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Frugal Recipe: Homemade Pizza Dough


Homemade Pizza Dough



Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups Water
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Honey
4 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Yeast (2 pkgs.)

Directions:

For this dough, I used my bread machine since I didn't want to do it by hand. I went by my manufacturer's suggestions on how to add ingredients to the bread machine for pizza dough. It was simple. It told me to add all the wet ingredients, then the dry (except the yeast) and then make a well in the middle of the flour and add the yeast in. Then, I set it on the pizza dough cycle and went about my day for about an hour and a half. When it was done, I took the dough out and put it into a bowl (first oil it) and covered it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. I let it rise for about 20 minutes. Then I punched it down and let it rise for another 15 minutes.

Then I divided it into four parts. This made somewhat thick crust (eqivalent to hand toss at pizza hut) but if you wanted it thinner, you could roll it out thinner.

I rolled the dough out on my counter using my rolling pin and placed it on a greased pizza pan. I poked the dough with a fork so it wouldn't rise too much and then brushed it with a little olive oil.

Place in a preheated oven at 475 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.


Thanks to Good, Cheap Eats for providing the awesome recipe!

My Target Trip - Diet Pepsi/People Magazine Deal


Here's what I bought:

2 - 4pks of Diet Pepsi in Skinny Cans - $1.99 each
1 - People Magazine - $4.49
1 - Mio Water Enhancer - $3.49

Coupons Used:

1 - B1G1 Diet Pepsi Coupon
$2 People Issue Coupon (printed through Target)
$1 - Mio mfr Coupon (exp. 4/30/11)
$1 - Mio Target Coupon
-$3 automatic deducation taken at register (People promo)

Total Spent: $2.97
Total Saved: $8.99

I Jumped on the Spring Cleaning Bandwagon! + $1 off Coupons!

                                           



Spring has sprung! For me that means spring cleaning begins. There are a few rules that I go by when cleaning my home:

1) Always clean from top to bottom
2) Use old worn washcloths as cleaning rags to reduce waste
3) Store cleaning supplies in a toiletry carrier with a handle so you can take it with you from room to room
4) Buy cleaning supplies on sale throughout the year so your not buying them last minute at full price
5) Create a cleaning schedule so you aren't overwhelmed by all the various cleaning tasks
       (i.e. Mon. - Fans, Ceiling Corners, Tues. - Blinds, Air Conditioning Returns, Wed. - Windows, Thurs. - Vacuuming and Floor Boards, Fri. - Couch Cushions, Furniture)

Some of my favorite products that I am using this Spring:

 



Wanna jump on the Spring cleaning bandwagon too?
Here are some coupons to get you started:



*Look for more coupons in the April 3rd inserts
as well as coupons.com starting May 1st!

Disclosure: I received free samples and coupons to try out through my membership with BzzAgent. All opinions expressed above are 100% mine.  
   

My Quick Trips to Walgreens and CVS


My first trip was to CVS just to pick up some CHEAP toothpaste!


Bought two Colgate ProClinical White Toothpastes - $4.89 B1G1
Used two $2 mfr printable coupons (printed through coupons.com, no longer available)

Total: $.89!


I love me some almost FREE toothpaste!
Now my stockpile is pretty big so I won't be getting toothpaste for a while unless I get it for free for donations.







Next, I went to Walgreens to pick up some cheap PUREX laundry detergent...


Here's what I bought:

1 - Purex (33 loads) Detergent - $1.99 (with in-ad coupon)
1 - Lylol Neutra Air Spray - 2/$5
2 - Air Wick Oil Refills 2/$5
1 - Blendy Pen Mini Book (filler)

Coupons Used:

$1.99 in ad coupon for Purex + $1 mfr coupon
$1 off two air wick refills
$1.50 off Lysol Neutra Air Spray
$1.50 off Walgreens Coupon

Total Spent: $7.48

Monday, March 28, 2011

Current Walgreens Deals - Save Lots of $$$

During my lunch break, I was able to check out some of the deals at Walgreens!

While I was there I was able to pick up their new April Coupon Booklet worth over $235.


Some of the awesome coupons you will be able to find:

 $1/2 M&M’s 9.9 to 12.6 oz.

 $1/1 Whitman’s Sampler 10 or 12 oz.
 $1/2 Skittles, Starbust, Life Savers or Hubba Bubba Easter Item

 $.50/1 Pledge Fabric Sweeper, Wipes 18 or 25 pack or Spray 9.7 or 12.5 oz.,   Drano 17 or 32 oz., Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Foamer or Shout Color Catcher 24 pack


$1/2 Glade Scented Oil Candles Glass Holder, Tin or 4 pack Refills, Plugins Scented Oil Refill, Relaxing Moments Spray 9.7 oz., Candle 2 or 4 oz. or Sense & Spray Refills



Should make for some great deals!

Now, onto the deals that I thought were worth paying for:


Walgreens Brand Diapers

Regular - $8.99
Sale - $5.99
Use $2/1 Walgreens Brand Diaper Jumbo Pack
= $3.99

Buy $25 in Walgreens Brand Diapers, Get $10 back through Mail-In rebate (prints at checkout).







Renuzit Super Odor Neutralizer Spray




Regular $2.99


Sale 2/$2.99

Buy 1, Get Same Item Free

*Use the $1 Off Coupon Found Here

Just pay .99c for two!!





Also, this is probably regional, but check the toy sections in your local Walgreens. I found an abundant amount of toys at 75% off:

I found the Mickey Mouse Junior Laptop for 75% off and bought it for only $2.50!

Right now, you can purchase this toy on Amazon.com for $19.99!!!

Now, that's a bargain!!

I also found a ton of other Mickey Mouse, Princess
and other licensed type toys there too.

Have fun shopping!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Yummy Recipe: Monkey Muffins


I needed to make something for a breakfast meeting so I searched around for something I could take with me and people could each have their own. I went to my number 1 resource for yummy, delicious food...Pioneer Woman. I've made her monkey bread recipe before but when I saw that she turned it into monkey muffins, I was sold! You've got to try this one weekend for your family, they are delish!


Monkey Muffins

Ingredients:

1-Can Refrigerated Biscuit Dough (cut into thirds)
Unsalted Stick Butter
Sugar
Ground Cinnamon
Sweetened Condensed Milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Add 1/2 tsp. pat of butter in each muffin tin.
Add 3/4 tsp. of sugar to each muffin tin.
Add 1/4 tsp. of ground cinnamon to each muffin tin.




Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place into each muffin tin.



Add another 1/2 tsp. pat of butter over top of dough.
Add 1/3 tsp. sugar over top of dough.
Sprinkle generously with ground cinnamon.

Pop into 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.


Pour sweetened condensed milk over top of each sweet, yummy muffin. About a Tbs.

Then, pull apart and enjoy!!!





Saturday, March 19, 2011

I went Shopping at Walgreens - Cheap Diapers and Toothpaste!




Sometimes I don't get to go shopping right when the deals come out so I was lucky to grab the last packages of diapers that was on the shelf at Walgreens. This deal was super HOT! Here's how my shopping trip went:

What I Bought:

2 - pkgs. of Walgreens Brand Diapers - $8.99 B1G1
1 - Oral Health 6 oz. Walgreens Brand Toothpaste - .70c clearanced!
1 - Crest Pro Health 6 oz. Toothpaste - $2.99

Coupons Used:

- $2 Off Walgreens Brand Diapers (from Infant Care Coupon Booklet)*took $4 off!
- $1 Mfr Crest Coupon*from P&G Savings Booklet

Total Spent: $7.68 + tax

Total Saved: $17.08!!

Did you get in on any good Walgreens Deals this past week????

I Went Shopping at CVS - Free Candy Bars and Gain Dish Soap!



One of my favorite places to get free items is CVS. Here's how my shopping trip went:

Items Bought:
6 - Milkyway Candy Bars - .99c each
2 - Gain Liquid Dish Soaps - .97c each
1 - pkg. Milano Cookies  - $1.00 each

Coupons Used:

- .25c CVS Coupon for Milkyway Candy Bars (printed out at Magic Coupon Machine)
- .50c Mfr Coupon for Milano Cookies
- Mfr B1G1 Free Milkyway Candy Bar Coupon x 2 (Exp. 3/19/11)
- .99c Mfr Coupon for Gain Liquid Dish Soap (x 2) *from the P&G Saver Booklet

Total Spent: $2.23 + tax

Total Saved: $8.44

I love CVS!

Monday, March 14, 2011

My Philadelphia Cooking Creme House Party


Here's what my House Party Kit came with:

4 - gratuity coupons for Philadelphia Cooking Creme
1 - GreenPan Signature Stainless Steel Skillet
1 - GreenPan Signature Stainless Steel Skillet pamphlet
1 - Philly Cooking Creme Oven Mitt
16 - Philly Cooking Creme coupons
16 - Philly Cooking Creme recipe booklets
16 - Philly Cooking Creme magnets
16 - Philly Cooking Creme cooking spoons
16 - Home Shopping Network coupons

Since the house party kit came with a recipe booklet, I really couldn't wait to try out
all the recipes! Everything looked so good but I ended up making:

Baked Penne

What You Need:
1/2 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion and green pepper
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce
1 Tub of Philly Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme
1 Cup Kraft Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
3 Cups Cooked Penne Pasta

Make It:


Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown ground beef with vegetables in large nonstick skillet.
Stir in spaghetti sauce, 3/4 cup cooking creme and 1/2 cup mozz cheese.
Stir 2 to 3 minutes.
Add cooked pasta.
Stir to combine.
Spoon into 2qt. casserole dish.
Top with remaining cooking creme and cheese.
Cover.


Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.
Uncover after 15 minutes to let cheese melt.

Guest thoughts: They absolutely loved this recipe.
It was a huge hit and I will be making this again and again and again!

Want to host your own House Party?

Check out more awesome recipes using Philly Cooking Creme!


My Nutella MommyParty



Here's what I got for hosting the Nutella MommyParty:

1- 26.5oz jar of Nutella hazelnut spread
(10) Nutella spread sample packs and coupons
(10) Nutella spread guest bags
(10) Nutella spread tumbler mugs
(10) Nutella spread spreaders
(10) Nutella spread tip cards
Recipe ideas

Some friends and close family were able to enjoy an awesome Nutella spread brunch bar. Here's what I had:

Whole Wheat English Muffins
Blueberry Waffles
Bagels
Bananas
Strawberries

I laid out a toaster in case guests wanted to toast their english muffins and bagels. Everyone loved that they were able to mix and match their favorite foods with the nutella. Most of my guests had never tried the Nutella spread before so it was fun to see what they thought of it. They loved that their guest bags were filled with a sample for them to take home with them to enjoy again.

Here are the guest bags all laid out for the guests:

Want to know more about MommyParties?


Want to know more about Nutella?

Check out their website and find out where you can get some Nutella of your own. 

Disclosure: The opinions expressed above are 100% my own. All opinions written are based on my own experience and may differ from others. Thanks to the Nutella, Mom Select and MommyParties for providing me with complimentary bags with samples and products!