Roasted Honey Cinnamon Chickpeas

Since having my baby over 1 year ago, I have decided it is time to take back my body!  I can't blame my extra weight on baby weight anymore, I can now blame cookies and cupcakes!

I have a wicked sweet tooth, and I decided rather then totally cutting out sugary treats, I would replace them with something healthier.  Below is a recipe I recently tried, and is soo good!

Roasted Honey Cinnamon Chickpeas:

http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Roasted-Honey-Cinnamon-Chickpeas-27908653

This was such an easy recipe and inexpensive to make!!  And really good!  I keep them on the counter and munch on them all day, totally curves my urge for sugar!

DIY Air Freshener

Living with two children, a husband and a cat, my house can become a little smelly at times!  Air fresheners can be expensive and often times just mask the underlying smell.  So I did some research and experimenting, and came up with an inexpensive and fresh smelling DIY air freshener. 

Here's what you'll need:

1 Mason Jar
1 Cup Baking Soda
Essential Oil of your choice
Gift Bag
1 Toothpick

Take the mason jar and fill with baking soda.  Then add the essential oil of your choice; I used Lemongrass.  Depending on the size of your room and the strength of the sent you want, you can add more or less oil.  I put in 10 drops in my living room, and it adds a fresh sent when I walk in.  I suggest you start with 5 drops and add more if you want.

Once you have your baking soda and essential oil in the mason jar, it's time to decorate!  This is a great way to re-purpose old gift bags!  Take the gift bag and cut out a piece a little larger then the top of the mason jar.  Then place the lid over the bag, and trace the inside of the lid.

Place the paper in the lid, and screw on.  Then take the toothpick, and poke holes through the gift bag.

And there you have it, a great smelling, inexpensive DIY air freshener!!  The baking soda absorbs any smells and the lemongrass essential oil really makes the room smell great!

*I purchase the lemongrass essential oil on Amazon.  Here is the link,

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MGSJBY?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000MGSJBY&linkCode=xm2&tag=staathommom06-20

Flinstone Vitamins Coupons

Writing to companies is a great way to get high value coupons.  It only takes a few moments, and if you follow my blog, I share all of the companies that I have had good luck with.

Recently I wrote to Flinstones Vitamins.  I explained that I am a stay-at-home mom on a tight budget and that I have two young children who take Flinstones Vitamin daily (which they do).  I asked for any coupons or samples of their products.

Within a week or two, I received an incredible high value coupon!  I received a coupon for FREE Flinstones Multivitamins (up to $17).  I don't typically such great coupons, so this was really exciting, especially since this is something our family uses every day!

Here is the contact information for Flinstones:

http://flintstonesvitamins.com/contactus.php

**Please remember, just because one person received certain coupons or products from a company, does not mean that everyone will have the same results.

McCormick Coupons!!

More coupons in the mail today!!

Just a couple of weeks ago I wrote to McCormick for coupons.  I explained that I am a stay-at-home mom, on a tight budget, and would appreciate any coupons or samples. 

In the mail today I received 3 $.75/2 coupons for any McCormick products!!! 

Here is the contact information from McCormick:

http://www.mccormick.com/Contact

*Please remember, just because one person received a certain coupon or sample from a company, does not mean everyone will have the same response.

Easy Meatless Gluten Free Dinner

During Lent my family does not eat meat on Fridays.  For me, it's a small sacrifice that I traditionally practice.  However, finding meatless dishes my whole family enjoys is a bit more difficult, especially on a budget.  Here is one I came up with:

Crust-less Egg and Veggie Bake

Ingredients:

8 Eggs
1 Head of Broccoli
1/2 Pint of Grape Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Chop the broccoli into bite size pieces and cut the grape tomatoes in half.  Saute in olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Saute until tender.

Let cool for about ten minutes and then place the vegetables in a pie pan.  Then mix the eggs together and add cheese.  Pour egg and cheese mixture over the veggies.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked through.  Hope your family enjoys this as much as we did!  Enjoy!!

Top 5 Reasons I Coupon

Over the past couple of years, couponing has become part of my lifestyle.  I don't buy it unless I have a coupon!  Since I don't work outside of the home, my job is to stretch the money we do have as far as it will go!

Here are the Top 5 Reasons I Coupon:

1. Saving Money.  This is probably the most obvious reason.  On an average grocery trip I spend about $100-$150 and save at least $30-$40 with my coupons!  Check out my favorite coupon match-up site, livingrichwithcoupons.com.

2.  Stretching my Money.  Couponing allows me to stretch the money we have as far as possible.  As long as I am purchasing healthy food my family will eat, couponing allows me to buy more food at a lower cost out of pocket.

3.  The Thrill.  So this might sound kind of funny to non-couponers, but couponers know what I mean!  Since going to Las Vegas is out of the question right now, when I hand the cashier my stack of coupons, and I see the numbers go down on the register it is honestly exciting!  What's really cool, is when people stop and stare to see how low your bill gets!  I find it empowering that even though I'm not earning a paycheck, I can still contribute financially, by purchasing more food with coupons.

4.  My Own Time.  I know this may sound strange, but when I coupon or grocery shop, it's my time.  No kids, no distractions; just alone with my own thoughts and hand full of coupons!  I try and coupon at night after the kids go to sleep, and I always shop alone.

5.  Money for Other Things.  Since I am always saving money and couponing, I usually have a little bit of money set aside to splurge.  Going out to eat, for ice-cream or to a movie is possible because of couponing. 

Attention Target Shoppers!

Who knew there were so many ways to save money at Target besides cutting coupons!  Some really great tips on saving money at Target from thepennyhoarder.com, click on the link below.

http://www.thepennyhoarder.com/target-coupons/

Thepennyhoarder.com is also a great resource for saving money and living frugally, check them out!

More great coupons in the mail! Thanks Mt. Olive Pickles!

More great coupons in the mail!!

Just yesterday I received coupons from Mt. Olive pickles!  I e-mailed them a couple weeks ago, telling them how much I love their pickles, explaining that I am a stay-at-home mom on a tight budget, and asked for any possible coupons or samples.  It's that easy! 

They sent me 3 $1 off coupons in the mail!  My whole family loves pickles - and I love saving money, so this is a win-win!! :)

Here is the contact information for Mt. Olive:

http://www.mtolivepickles.com/contact-us

***Please remember, just because one person received a certain coupon or response from a company, does not mean that everyone will have the same result.

Valentine's Day "Kiss"

With Valentine's Day coming up, my kids and I have been doing lots of arts and crafts!  This is one of my favorites!  We made a "kiss" that I can save forever!

All you need is:

Construction paper
Tissue paper
Glue
Markers
Tin Foil

Since me kids are too little to cut our their own shapes, I did all of the cutting.  I cut out a "kiss", a piece of tin foil, and a heart on construction paper.

Then I took a piece of tissue paper, and cut a strip off.  I wrote on it "A Kiss for You"", because my little one can't write yet.  But, if you have older kids, they can write any message on it.

My little guy then glued everything together and decorated the heart in the middle. We then crumpled up the tin foil around his "kiss", to make it look like a real chocolate candy.

I think we are going to have one happy daddy tomorrow!!  I hope everyone has a Very Happy Valentine's Day!!  


**Please remember to vote for me at Top Mommy Blog!!!

Folgers Coffee Coupons

Writing directly to companies is a great way to get high value coupons!!  Last week I wrote to a bunch of companies, and yesterday my mailbox was full of high value coupons!  It takes only a couple of minutes, and I am happy to share what companies have responded to me with coupons!!

One of the companies I wrote to was Folgers.  As always, I complemented their product, explained that I'm a stay-at-home mom on a tight budget, and asked for any available coupons or samples they can send me.

I received a letter about 1 week later thanking me for contacting them, along with two $1 off any Folgers product coupons.  It's great when there's no size restriction on a coupon.  Now I'll be able to look for small sizes of Folgers product and spend less money out of pocket!  Woohoo!

Here is the contact information for Folgers.  Remember, that just because one person receives coupons, doesn't mean that everyone will have the same experience.  Good Luck and Happy Savings!

*To learn about other companies that have sent me coupons, click on the "Grocery Store Coupon Deals" link to the right.

http://www.folgerscoffee.com/contact-us/product

Valentine's Day Breakfast

With two little ones, cooking is probably the most stressful part of my day (along with eating, bathing, diaper changing, and everything else)!  So I wanted to come up with something cute and easy for Valentine's Day breakfast, and this is what I came up with:

Strawberry Heart Pancakes with a Mandarin Orange Heart

Choose your favorite pancake recipe, or you're favorite boxed mix.  Before you start putting together the pancake batter, take about 6 strawberries and mash them in a bowl.  I used a potato masher, but anything would work.

Then add the ingredients from your favorite pancake recipe. Try and leave out some of the liquid in your recipe, since the strawberries add so much.  The pancakes end up being more then crepes then pancakes, but you really need at least 6 strawberries to get that pink color.

Then I put the pancake batter into one of these cool "pancake pens" I have, but if you don't have this, you can use an empty ketchup bottle or even a plastic bag with the corner cut off.  

Make a heart in a hot, buttered pan.  (The one pictured was my 3rd try, so don't get discouraged!)

Then I took some mandarin orange segments and made a heart out of them, which made a perfect spot for the syrup!

There you have it, an easy, healthy and yummy breakfast, lunch or dinner!!  Good luck! :)

Tips to Save Money on Laundry

As a stay-at-home mom, I try and save money any way I can.  In my house, laundry pretty much consumes my day (or at least it feels that way)!  We are a family of 4, and I do at least 2 loads of laundry a day.  This is a huge expense, with laundry detergent, fabric softener, and electricity.

Laundry detergent is something that with the right sale, and coupons I am usually able to purchase pretty inexpensively.  My favorite coupon site, livingrichwithcoupons.com, breaks down deals at grocery stores and pharmacies, and locates the matching coupons.  I highly recommend this site!  I usually pay about $1-$2 for a 50oz. container.

However, for whatever reason, I'm not able to purchase fabric softener and cheaply as I can purchase laundry detergent, so I decided to make it myself.  And honestly, it works!!  It works better then some of the cheaper brands I have purchased!!

Here's what you need:

5 Cups Water
3 Cups White Vinegar
1 Cup Hair Conditioner (Any brand or sent you choose)

Simply put all of the ingredients into a container and mix well.  If you shake too hard, it can foam so be careful.  Use the amount that you typically would in the wash.  I put it in my Downy ball.  And it works!! 
*A quick tip - Put the ingredient list on the side of the container you used, so you can remember for next time.

As far as saving money on electricity, what I try to do is hang up at least one load of laundry a day.  In the summer I put the clothes on the clothes line outside, but in the winter, it's a little tricky.  In the winter I put at least one load a day on my drying rack downstairs.  It takes about 12 hours to dry, and cuts the electricity I would have used with my dryer in half.  It's really not that time consuming, and saves money!

A special thanks to CaliKim29 on YouTube for the fabric softener recipe!!

I hope I have helped inspire you to save money on laundry!!  Happy savings!

Kate

Top Mommy Blog

I am so excited to announce that I am now a part of Top Mommy Blogs!!  Top Mommy Blogs is a directory of mommy blogs that are ranked by popularity (popularity = incoming unique hits that are averaged over 30 days).

Please help me increase my rank by clinking on the Top Mommy.  If you are on your desktop, click on the icon to the right.  If you are on your mobile device, click here: Click here to Vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs!

By simply clicking, you are giving me a vote!  You can vote for me once a day, so please vote as much as you can!

If you are looking for my blog,  you can find me under the Frugal category, as SAHM with Money Saving Tips.

Thank you to all of my fabulous followers!!  I hope I have inspired at least someone to coupon and save money!!

Think Spring!!

Fun way to encourage your kids to eat fruit!! :)

DIY Cereal Bird Feeder

Anyone that has been following my blog knows we love to use Froot Loops for fun art projects.  About a month ago I scored Froot Loops at Stop and Shop for $.50 a box and the kids love doing art projects with them!

Since we have been stuck inside for the past couple of weeks with all of this snow and freezing cold weather, my 3 year-old was concerned about what the birds and squirrels were eating.  So we decided to make Cereal Bird Feeders!

What you will need:

4 Cups Cereal
3/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup water
3 T. Corn Syrup
Cookie Cutters

Put the cereal, flour, water and corn syrup in a mixing bowl, and mix with an electric mixer until everything is combined and cereal is broken down into small pieces.

Grease a plate and place the cookie cutters on the plate. Then stuff the cereal mixture into cookie cutters.  (My 3 year-old chose our Easter cookie cutters, so that's what we used.)  Then take a pencil or pen and make a hole at the top, so that a string can go through. 

We were able to make 6 bird feeders.  Let the bird feeders dry over night, so they can become hardened and more stable.

Then place a string through the hole, and hang outside!

This was a fun, inexpensive project that my kids enjoyed!!  It took a couple of days for the birds and squirrels to realize what was hanging from our trees in the backyard, but we woke up this morning to a bunch of empty string hanging from our tree, so I guess they figured it out!!  I love using up what we already have in our house and turning it into a fun, family activity!  ENJOY!!

FREE Alka-Seltzer Coupon

Contacting companies directly is a great way to score high end coupons!!

Recently I e-mailed Bayer Healthcare and asked for coupons for Alka-Seltzer products.  It took a couple weeks to get a response, but I just received some great coupons in the mail!!

They sent me a coupon for a FREE Alka-Seltzer product (up to $13) plus a coupon pack with $20 worth of coupons for other Bayer Healthcare products!!  Woohoo!

I don't have the original e-mail that I sent, but all I did was explained that I'm a stay-at-home mom on a tight budget, complimented their product, and asked for coupons.  It takes just a few minutes, and is totally worth it!!

Remember, that just because one person receives coupons, doesn't mean that everyone will have the same experience.

Here is the contact information to request your coupons for Alka-Seltzer:

http://www.alkaseltzerplus.com/contact-us/