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Category: money saving tips

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

posted in food, guest post, health, money saving tips, recipe by Hanna on
We’re thrilled to introduce Anne Imsick on the blog today who is sharing two healthy and inexpensive recipes that the whole family with love! For a little back story, Anne and I actually work together. As I’ve come to know her better she has become like my own personal dietitian. I love her food advice because 1) she loves great tasting food, and 2) she is a frugal shopper. On a “poor-college-student” budget I felt like it is almost impossible to eat healthy, but Anne provides some great tips on how to eat healthier while cutting some of the costs. She is so inspiring that we’ve asked her to share some of her healthy, money-saving tips on the blog.
Hi! I’m Anne, and I’m excited to share will you some simple healthy recipes and money saving tips. We don’t have children, but we definitely understand the concept of saving money when it comes to grocery shopping!  My main stores are Costco & Trader Joe’s.

For my main entree, I am presenting TWO different recipes that utilize the same ingredient list. I’m all about mixing it up without having to buy more ingredients.  The two entrees featured are: Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup & Easy Chicken Nachos!  Both are packed with veggies, protein, and the thing every kid loves…. CHEESE.  If you are dairy-intolerant, try Daiya brand (carried by Costco) which comes in various shredded flavors.
 
Recipe #1:

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup  (recipe adapted from food.com)::

– 1 (16 oz) can black beans
– 1 (16 oz) can niblet corn
– 1 (11 oz) can Rotel tomatoes & chilies (I add 1-2 cans depending on how much I want to stretch the soup)
– 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
– 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
– 1 (1 1/4 oz) envelope taco seasoning mix
– 1 (1 oz) envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
– 1 lb shredded chicken (COOKED)

NOTE: I buy pre-packaged Rotisserie meat already pulled off the bone from Costco.  It comes in a huge, vacuum-sealed package right by the actual Rotisserie chickens.  It’s ready to eat!  It has been a game changer in our household.
 

DO NOT DRAIN CANS!  Simply add every ingredient listed above to your slow cooker EXCEPT for your cooked chicken.  That’s right — just dump it all in, stir, and leave it alone!  Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.  You will add your cooked chicken during the last hour of slow cooking so it doesn’t get soggy. 

Garnish each bowl of soup with the following ingredients as desired:

– Crushed black corn tortilla chips (Trader Joe’s)
– Shredded cheese
– Fage Greek yogurt — YOUR NEW SOUR CREAM!  Jam packed with protein & it lasts a really long time.  Costco sells a massive tub of it.
– Salsa — green or red!
– Avocado slices

Recipe #2:
 
Easy Chicken Nachos

This is more of a free-for-all, decorate your nachos as you please.  Use the ingredients listed above as you like.  I buy a few extra cans of the beans & corn to use for the nachos.

Typically I use:
 
– black corn tortilla chips

– Rotisserie chicken from Costco
– cooked black beans
– cooked corn
– Salsa
– Fage Greek yogurt
– Salsa
– Shredded cheese
– Avocado slice

 
Warm your cooked chicken in the microwave.  Set aside.  Then warm your tortilla chips on a large plate (microwave or oven) & set aside; each person usually will eat 10-15 chips.  Set out your toppings buffet-style & you’re done!  Each person will grab a plate & fix their nachos as they please.
 
And lastly, what’s a meal without dessert? Here is an easy recipe that is sure to fulfill your cravings while still providing you with plenty of protein!
Chocolate Haystacks from thepaleomom.com 

– 2 oz. dark chocolate
– 1 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
– 1/4 cup shredded unsweet coconut
– 1/2 cup sliced almonds
– 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Line a baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper or wax paper.  Combine coconut, almonds, & walnuts in a bowl.
2.  Melt together the chocolate & coconut oil in the microwave (on medium) in a glass bowl.
3.  Stir nuts into chocolate mixture.
4.  Drop spoonfuls onto baking sheet while still warm; refrigerate until set.
5.  DEVOUR!
Anne holds a B.S. in dietetics from Texas A&M University.  She loves Jesus, her family and friends, running, yoga, exploring Oregon, playing piano, and cooking easy, healthy, and affordable meals.
~SARA
 
Linked To:

Confetti Dots Birthday Party

posted in crafts, diy, family, kids, money saving tips, party, sewing by Hanna on
There is NO shortage of cute parties that can be found scowering Pinterest so naturally I was having no problem finding ideas while planing one for my girl’s birthdays. However, when push came to shove I just couldn’t find something that was going to be easy, flexible and not over the top; meaning in money and time. Also since the girls are still so young I wanted to have a party for family and close friends to come celebrate with us so like Sara’s it needed to work for all ages.
My inspiration for this party finally came as I was wondering around Target and found some confetti, paper pails in the dollars section. I loved the idea of confetti dots and also the color scheme of the pails. So I grabbed a couple of those pails and ran with it, continuing on to the party section to grab balloons, paper lanterns and plastic table clothes. I walked out of Target with my party theme and most of the decorations for around $20. Thank you Target!
What I was able to learn from this experience is to not rely TOO heavily on things like Pinterest for my ideas and let the things around me by my inspirations. As a perfectionist, it became so much easier for me to create something new instead of trying to duplicate something someone else already did perfectly.
The invitations for this party were completely free as I made them myself on the computer and printed them from home on cardstock I already had. It also helped that we weren’t inviting that many people. I always prefer to have smaller and more intimate parties rather than huge friend parties for birthday’s which not only saves on the costs but makes for a little more meaningful and relaxing party.
 
As Sara mentioned in her post, I made this confetti dot, birthday banner for us to use for our party decorations. If you missed it you can download it HERE.
For the menu I wanted something that my girls really liked so of course we had Mac and Cheese; an all around kids favorite. However, since there were going to be mostly adults I put a “grown-up” twist on it and did a Mac and Cheese bar with different mix-ins. I used THIS recipe from Paula Dean but left out the eggs like most reviews suggested. It was a big hit with everyone young and old at the party! A Mac and cheese bar is also a meal that is very affordable and easy when feeding a crowd of people.
For dessert we had to have cupcakes since that’s all my daughter kept asking for whenever I asked what she wanted for her birthday. I made Strawberry Confetti cupcakes following THIS cake recipe by Heather Baird on her blog Sprinkle Bakes.
After stressing about the party and wanting it to look and go perfect, in the end I decided to just enjoy it and the people who came to share in the girl’s special day. So even though I couldn’t hold my party outside as planned and I didn’t get everything set up in just the right way I wanted I think it’s safe to say fun was had by all!
Lastly, if you’re wondering where I got Mia’s blue and white striped dress, I made it using the Sweet Simple Dress pattern by Allison at Freshly Completed. If you’re wanting to make a fun, summer dress for your little one then I HIGHLY suggest using this pattern. It only took a few hours to make, was super easy to follow and I’m just in love with how it turned out.
So here’s to a coming year with an adventurous 1 year old and a strong willed 3 year old. Should be fun…or at least interesting! Advice on how to survive these wonderful ages is always welcome. 🙂
Linked to:
http://theblissfulbee.com/work-it-wednesday-no-45/
http://www.tinysidekick.com/makers-link-party-15/
http://bloomdesignsonline.com/2014/05/link-party-71.html
http://craftdictator.com/2014/05/01/craft-frenzy-friday-37/
http://www.thepinjunkie.com/2014/05/friday-link-party-65.html
http://www.thecraftedsparrow.com/2014/05/creative-collection-link-party.html

Donut Miss This Party!

posted in family, food, friends, money saving tips, party, printable, recipe by Sara on
Hello again! As I’m sure many of you can relate to, life have been a bit busy…then again when is it not?! In the mist of all the working, blogging, and family time I got a little behind with some of my other responsibilities. There were heaps of laundry everywhere, the house needed a major cleaning, the fridge needed to be restocked, and I was literally running on fumes. I wish I was one of those super moms who could balance life perfectly and get it all done, but I am simply not one of  them. In fact, balancing life is quite a struggle for me. I sometimes get to the point where life is so out of balance that I need to step back, re-group, get organized, relax, and start again. Unfortunately, last week was one of those weeks. I wish I could say  that I’ve come back with all the answers on how to live a balanced life, but to be honest I’m not sure I will ever have all the answers. It is something that I strive to work at everyday; some days I succeed, and other days I fail completely. Such is the game of life I guess. Tomorrow is always a new day and a new beginning. As for today, I feel refreshed and so happy to be back!
During our week away, both Hanna’s daughters and my daughter all had birthdays! These little girls are growing up so fast! My little Addie turned 2, and I’m still besides myself at when my baby girl became a toddler! As you may remember from the Picnic Themed Birthday Party post I wrote several weeks ago, we’re not big birthday people. Growing up we always had quiet birthday dinners with our family, and while we still like to keep things simple, you know how we love to throw parties! So, this week we will be showing you some ideas on how to throw an inexpensive birthday party while still wowing your guests and making your child’s birthday special. 
While my daughter is still very small, I like to choose party themes that will entertain guests of all ages. This year I decided to go with an adorable donut themed party. Originally I had planned to have this cute little party at the park, but sadly due to a rainy forecast we were forced to move it inside at the last minute. With the last minute changes I didn’t have much time to plan out or decorate the new space, but in the end it didn’t really matter and every one seemed to have a good time… the birthday girl included! Any excuse to play with friends and eat yummy treats and my daughter is totally there!
As you can see, I tried to keep things fairly simple. Here is a tip: when doing a party on a budget, be sure to check out your local dollar stores and party discount stores for all your paper products and party decorations. That is where I bought 95% of my decorations, plates, cups, napkins, etc. The adorable striped straws I found at Target for $2.99 for a pack of 20. Sometimes Target will also have some cute party stuff in there dollar section. I was also able to find some darling donut printables from Oh Happy Day and Confetti Sunshine. Not only where they a perfect addition to the party, but they are completely free! You’ll definitely want to check these out!
As for the food budget, I didn’t have $50 to spend on six dozen donuts so I decided to “make” them myself for half the price. By “make”, I mean fry. I simply took the Pillsbury Grand Buttermilk Biscuits, punched a hole in the middle of each biscuit, and then fried them in a pan of oil. Within minutes you have yourself a perfectly golden brown, delicious donut. After letting the donuts cool for a bit, I frosted them with homemade cream cheese frosting. For the cinnamon and sugar coated donuts you’ll want to toss the donuts in the cinnamon sugar when they are still hot. 
Here is what I  used for the frosting:
Basic Cream Cheese Frosting
4oz brick cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup butter (softened)
2-3 Tbsp milk
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tbs vanilla
Added flavors:
Chocolate: add 2-3 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder, plus an addition 2-3 Tbsp of milk
Strawberry: blend in 1/4 cup of freshly sliced strawberries
Maple: add 2-3 Tbsp of pure maple syrup
Lastly, I topped off my donuts with sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, and almond slices.
To tie our two parties together, Hanna created this fun confetti dot banner. I mean seriously, what birthday party is complete without confetti?! You’ll see how Hanna used the banner in her party theme on Wednesday. If you love it as much as we do, we’ve created a FREE downloadable version below!
(click the text to download)
 Overall, I spent under $75 in total on the party. $30 was spent on the decorations and paper products, and the rest went toward the food budget. After it was all said and done, here are some tips to take away when planning a birthday party on a budget:
  • Shop at you local dollar store or discount party store when looking for decorations or paper products
  • Search your house for items you can re-purpose or use as decorations
  • Ask friends to borrow certain items you do not have instead of buying them
  • Search for free printables online or design your invites/banners yourself
  • Keep things simple (this will make your life and your budget a lot happier) 
  • Plan ahead, and shop sales!
While not everything went completely as planned, it was a great party celebrating a special little girl. While we are still fairly new-comers to the area, I felt blessed by the number of our new friends who came to celebrate with us.

The Pinterest Challenge: 6 Pins in 6 Weeks

posted in crafts, diy, inspiration, money saving tips, recipe, sewing, women's fashion by Hanna on
We love Pinterest. It is by far the best place to get inspired, no matter what your point of interest is. The hours seem to fly by scrolling through the endless supply of pictures that we fill up our inspiration boards with. But, for all the time we spend pinning various projects and recipes, how much of those pinned items do we actually complete? My answer… probably less than 10% of them.  In realizing this outrageous statistic, Hanna and I thought we’d bring back an idea that circulated through the blogosphere a couple of years ago; it’s called the Pinterest Challenge. Basically, you choose 6 pins to complete in 6  weeks. Pretty straight forward right? We’ve rounded up 9 awesome bloggers to join in on the challenge with us and invite everyone (not just bloggers) to join in too! 
Here is what we both have planned to complete over the next 6 weeks:

As I mentioned before, we have some great bloggers who are also taking on the challenge. They are:
Corey @ Tiny Sidekick
Megin @ VMG 206
The Sisters @ Sisters What!

Keep tabs on our progress over the next 6 weeks and get inspired by following our “Pinterest Challenge” board on Pinterest! There will be many awesome crafts, recipes, projects, and inspired ideas completed over the course of the challenge, so don’t miss out! Join in on all the fun by participating in the Pinterest Challenge with us! Send us a picture of your completed pins to share with everyone! 

Homemade Laundry Soap

posted in diy, home, money saving tips, tutorial by Hanna on
There seems to be a tutorial or recipe out there for just about any cleaning supply. I’ve never been one to quickly jump on board when I can just buy something for the same price or just a little bit more, especially when it will save me time. However, after watching my mom make her own laundry soap for the last couple of years and how much she is saving I decided I needed to give it a try. Not only does this laundry soap save money but it’s easy to make and works great for washing whites, colors and everything in between! Who’s ready to take the jump with me?
To make this you’ll just need a few supplies.

– 4 lbs Borax
– 4 lbs Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
– 4 lbs Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
– 3 bars of Fels-Naptha Soap
-large mixing bowl
-fine grater
– air tight container

*Just a tip, I was able to get all the supplies to make this in the laundry section at Walmart all pretty close to each other. It makes it that much easier!

Combine all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Using the fine side of a grater, grate the Fels-Naptha soap bars. Mix everything together and store in the air tight container.

Use 1/2 cup for a large load of laundry.
One batch filled three of the smaller containers that I used. It also lasts me around 4-6 months with doing laundry a couple times a week for a family of four.
Now that I’m trying some new things, I’d love to hear of other cleaning supplies that you’ve made that I should try too!
Linked To:
http://sparklesandastove.com/things-pretty-linky-party-51-features/

How to Save BIG on Your Children’s Clothes

posted in baby, kids, money saving tips, shop by Sara on

There is always talk about how fast kids grow up. They go from a small newborn baby to an energetic toddler in a mere blink of an eye! The hardest part about them growing up so fast is keeping clothes in their closet that actually fit them. It’s like I buy my daughter a new outfit and after a few wears it is already too small! Not only is my daughter growing out of her clothes faster than I can replenish them, but it also doesn’t take long before there is a giant stain on them either. Let’s face it—kids are tough on clothes! 

While clothing is a necessity of life, it is often hard to bring myself to spend a lot of money on baby clothes when I know in a month or two they will either be too small or too stained. After expressing my frustrations to a friend who has a 2 year old and a baby on the way, she gave me some great tips on how to buy new, name brand kids clothing for little-to-nothing. I’m talking amazing saving here! This woman is the queen of finding a great deal! Just last week she scored an adorable Baby Gab dress, regularly on clearance for $25, for less than $2! The best part of all… she agreed to share her great money saving tips with you too!

  • Think ahead and buy bigger sizes to put away for later—this will save you money in the long run.
  • Shop end of season clearance. Even though it’s end of season for stores, your child can usually wear the clothes for a couple more months and then next year too. For example, right now stores are discounting winter clothes to make room for spring/summer inventory, but it’s still winter clothing weather.
  • Go through your child’s wardrobe and decided what clothes your child needs(ex. 2 pairs of pants, a light-weight jacket, etc). This will help eliminate the compulsive desire to buy just because there is a good deal. 
  • Know the brand of clothes and styles that best fit your child. Every store’s sizes fit differently. For example, H&M pants run really big on my daughter, while Old Navy pants run a bit small. 
  • Look for things that make clothing wearable for longer—like an adjustable waist.
  • Know the stores you shop and when they have sales or additional off clearance items. For example: Dillard’s is an additional off all clearance the last week of every month.
  • Double-up coupons with sales or clearance. While I love extra savings, make sure you read the fine print as there may be some stores that will not allow you to use coupons on sale or clearance items.
  • Always buy the next size up from what your child is currently wearing. 
  • Clearance sale items are usually at the back of the store.
  • Look online for sales and additional discounts—usually stores will price match online prices.
  • Visit discount stores such as Ross, TJ Max, and Marshall’s. They even have clearance and marked-down items.


    I’d like to publicly thank my friend, Rachelle, for the wonderful tips and I hope you found them to be as helpful as I did. We love finding new ways to save money, so if you have any additional tips or know of any good sales, please feel free to share them with all of us in the comment section below! 

    Happy saving!

    Linked To:
    http://sodapopave.com/soda-pop-ave/2014/2/4/what-we-love-wednesdays-25
    http://myfashionforwardblog.com/things-pretty-46/
    http://www.delineateyourdwelling.com/2014/02/link-it-or-lump-it-party-no-24.html
    http://thewinthropchronicles.blogspot.com/2014/02/share-it-link-party-100.html
    http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/2014/02/whatever-goes-wednesday-208.html
    http://learningcreatingliving.blogspot.com/2014/02/linkn-blogs-link-party-11.html
    http://www.roubinek.net/something-fabulous-wednesday-3/
    http://www.thepinjunkie.com/2014/02/friday-link-party-53.html