Pre-fense Hand Sanitizer

I was recently given the opportunity to try out pre-fense hand sanitizer.  It is a revolutionary new hand sanitizer.  It is alcohol free and foams.  I love foaming soaps!  (blog post)
One of the things I like about this soap is that 1 application lasts through 10 hand washings.  For me, that means that 1 application will last me most of a day.  I like how this sanitizer doesn't leave a sticky residue on my hands.
We went camping last weekend and it was the perfect place to try out pre-fense.  I knew that my family would be protected from all the germs we would come in contact with.
If you'd like to read more about this revolutionary hand sanitizer head over to pre-fense and check it out!  I think you'll love it as much as my family does!
**Thank you to pre-fense for the free sample!

Want Free Salad?

Fresh Express^® salads washed in Fresh Rinse^™ are ready to eat...not ready to wash.
We're giving away coupons so you can try them for FREE.

www.vocalpoint.com/FreshSavings


Fresh Express^® has developed a breakthrough, eco-friendly produce wash called Fresh Rinse^™ that is 7x more effective in cleaning salads than traditional chlorine wash,¹ but is still gentle on lettuce.

• Environmentally friendly
• Acceptable for use on organic produce

¹Based on average reduction of bacteria (Total Aerobic Plate Counts,
and indicator for the level of microorganisms on a product)

*Must be a Vocalpoint member; limited quantities available. Only one package will be mailed per member. Please allow 5-7 weeks for delivery. Offer only available in certain areas.

Crazy Summer

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am still here.  Our summer has been off to a crazy start.  We have moved my in-laws and then moved ourselves.  We will be getting back to normal very shortly.  Thanks for your patience.

MommyParties ZhuZhu Babies Party!

Recently my Mom's group was given the opportunity to host a ZhuZhu Babies party.  We were so excited to get chosen for this party.  It came at the perfect time because my kids have just discovered the ZhuZhu pets (I know.  We are behind!).

We got an awesome party pack that included:
ZhuZhu Babies
Baby Outfits
Newborn Nursery Playset

The kids really enjoyed playing the games that were included in the party pack.  One of the favorite games was "ZhuMama, May I?"  The kids took turns being the ZhuZhu Mama.  The little girls favorite game to play was dressing up the babies in their different outfits.  Since the party my kids have taken scraps of material and paper and made outfits for the babies as well.  But, no matter how many games we played, the favorite things to do were hamster races. :-)

No party is complete without food.  For our party we used some of the recipes that came in the party pack.  Some were also adapted from the recipes.  We made piggies in a blanket and nanners pudding.

The party was a wonderful experience and we can't wait until we have an opportunity to host another one.  Thank you to MomSelect for the party!  If you would like to host parties for your mom's group, you can sign up at MomSelect.

GoGo's Crazy Bones Bonanza

We were recently chosen by Child's Play Party to have a GoGo's Crazy Bones Bonanza.  We had some friends over with their children to see what GoGo's Crazy Bones were all about.  My children were especially excited as we had never heard of GoGo's Crazy Bones before!

The GoGo's are a lot of fun.  They are very small little plastic pieces in hundreds of colors and designs.  They each come with a unique name, design, personality and special ability.    GoGo's are a modern version of old school favorites like marbles or jack.  They are small plastic pieces designed and shaped so that you can throw them with one finger.  The kids really seemed to have a lot of fun playing with the GoGo's. 

The kids all had a good time playing with the little GoGo's and trying out some new games.  They loved the books and stickers that each GoGo came with.  The sticker books had a place for a sticker of each GoGo and also told a little about each one.  One of the things that I really liked is that we got so many GoGo's and there were very few duplicates.  There are a total of 80 different GoGo's Crazy Bones to collect and trade in Series One. 

This was a fun party.  I am pretty sure that my kids will be looking for more GoGo's when we go to the store.  :-)

She Speaks Hormel® Compleats® Kids Microwave Meals

I have been really lucky getting to test products lately. Another campaign that I joined was the Hormel® Compleats® Kids Microwave Meals campaign from She Speaks.  The meals come in 4 different varieties:

• Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Pasta and Chicken
• Beef Ravioli
• Macaroni and Beef 

We were given one of each variety and a couple of buy one, get one free coupons. I was excited to get these meals to try because I always seem to be rushed when it is mealtime.  I thought it would be great to be able to microwave lunch for the kids on one of my busy days.  I love the fact that the meals only take 45 seconds to cook.  The meals got  mixed reviews around here.  The Spaghetti and Meatballs and Macaroni and Beef were the favorite meals.  Beef Ravioli and Pasta and Chicken didn't go over so well.

All in all, I don't think these meals are something that we will use regularly in our home.  I can see buying them a few times when we are really busy or if we were needing a fast meal on the run.  I am really glad we had the opportunity to try them.

She Speaks Johnsonville Italian Sausage Program

I recently was given the opportunity to try Johnsonville Italian sausage through a She Speaks campaign.  We were given several free coupons to use and also a few $1.50 off coupons.  My family enjoyed the sausages.  There have 7 different varieties of sausages:

• Mild Italian Sausage Links - Authentic Italian flavor with the perfect blend of spices that’s sure to please!
• Hot Italian Sausage Links - Made with crushed red pepper, Johnsonville Hot Italian Links are sure to make them stand up and take notice!
• Sweet Italian Sausage Links - Italian flavor with fresh, sweet basil for a one-of-a-kind Italian taste!
• Four Cheese Italian Sausage Links - The perfect blend of Mozzarella, Romano, Parmesan and Cheddar cheeses ramp up the flavor of Johnsonville Italian Sausage.
• Mild Ground Italian Sausage - Mild Italian Sausage is now available in an All Natural Ground that adds flavor to any recipe.
• Hot Ground Italian Sausage - Hot Italian Sausage is now available in an All Natural Ground that adds flavor to any recipe.
• Sweet Ground Italian Sausage - Sweet Italian Sausage is now available in an All Natural Ground that adds flavor to any recipe.

My family isn't the biggest fan of Italian sausage.  They did eat it, though, so that means it was pretty good.  We liked the mild sausage and the four cheese variety the best.  (Sampling this Italian sausage inspired us to try other brands of Johnsonville sausage as well.  We recently had my parents over to eat some of the Johnsonville Better with Cheddar sausage.)

If you are interested in this sausage, here is a delicious recipe you might want to try:

Italian Sausage w/Peppers, Onions and Penne Pasta

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound Johnsonville Italian or Sweet Sausage
• 2 medium green and/or red peppers, cut into 2-inch strips
• 2 medium onions, thickly sliced
• 1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce
• 3/4 pound uncooked tube-shaped pasta (penne or ziti), cooked and drained
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage in 2 batches and cook until it's well browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining oil. Add the peppers and onions and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Stir the pasta sauce into the skillet. Heat to a boil. Return the sausage to the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve over the pasta and sprinkle with cheese.

Green Works New to You House Party

If you haven't signed up with House Party yet, you should give it a try.  I was recently chosen to host a Green Works New to You House Party. 

It was fun to get to try out the green cleaning products.  Everyone wished that there had been bigger samples of the new products.  It was nice to get to talk about trying to live a greener life.  It was also good to get to swap ideas about ways to be more green. 

Swagbucks

Have you tried swagbucks?  I have been using them for a year or two.  I love to save up my bucks and cash in for Amazon gift cards.  You can use their search engine to get points.  Also, they post swagcodes daily that you can enter for swagbucks as well. 

On Fridays they give you extra swagbucks for searching.  If you haven't tried it, you should!

Go here to get started.

Granola Bars

After I made the almond butter, I used it to make granola bars.  This was my first attempt and I am pleasantly pleased with the end result.  I googled "homemade granola bars" and took a few ingredients from each recipe.  I plan to keep tweaking the recipe until they are absolutely, positively delicious.  The kids and my husband said they were good enough to share now, so here is how I made them:

Granola Bars

2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick cook oats)
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 + 1/4 cup honey (you could use 2 different sweetners for more flavor)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pkg (6 oz) dried cherries, chopped
1 cup almond butter

Get a big bowl and mixed all these ingredients together.  After they are thoroughly mixed, line a 9" x 13" pan with parchment paper.  Press the mixture into the baking pan until the mixture is evenly distributed throughout the pan and tightly packed. (Mine didn't quite reach the edges on all sides, but I didn't worry about it. It just made for a couple of odd shaped bars when I was cutting them out.)
Bake at 325 for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven, cool in the freezer until the bars are firm.  Lift the parchment paper out of the pan, remove, and cut into bars.  I think it made about 20 bars.  I forgot to count last night and now there are only 13 left. :-)
Store bars in an airtight container.  I put them in those little ziploc snack bags.  Bars may be frozen for up to a month and thawed as needed.

If you try this recipe and tweak it some, please let me know so I can try your ideas!

Almond Butter

Yesterday I decided to make almond butter.  It was so easy and delicious.

Almond Butter

bag of almonds (I used a lb)
food processor

Spread the almonds on a cookie sheet and roast in a 350 degree oven.  This does not take long - maybe 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Pour almonds into food processor and blend.  Don't lose heart when they turn to dust, just keep blending them.  After a few minutes they will turn into almond butter. 

Stay tuned for what I did with the almond butter!

Kraft First Taste

Would you like to know about new products as soon as they are available?  You might want to check out Kraft First Taste.  This is what it says on their homepage:

"There's always something exciting happening at Kraft Foods! So join Kraft First Taste today and you will be among the first to learn all about the latest products and newest programs from Kraft Foods. Plus you'll be able to post your opinions and read other members' ideas on what's hot and what’s not. 
Join the community today! It's fast and easy — and before you know it, you'll be learning all about the latest and greatest from Kraft Foods."

If that sounds like fun to you, then head over to Kraft First Taste today and become a member!

BzzAgent

If you're not a member of BzzAgent, you should check it out.  It's a word of mouth marketing network.  They send you free samples to test and give feedback.  They often send extra samples and coupons you can share with friends.  I got a Maybelline SuperStay 24 2-Step Lipcolo BzzCampaign last week.  Then yesterday I got the Smart & Easy Spring Cleaning from SC Johnson BzzCampaign:

Homemade Foaming Hand Soap

In my new quest for a healthier lifestyle, I read about making your own hand soap.  I tried it yesterday.  It was so simple and so easy that I almost can't believe it's better for you than store bought soap. :-)

Ingredients:
Castile soap (available on amazon; I found it locally at Target.  It was $15.99 for 32 oz, but I think it will last forever)
water
empty foaming soap bottle

Simply add 3 squirts of the castile soap to the empty bottle and fill with water.  It's that easy.

Homemade Soap

Breakfast Cookies

Giant Breakfast Cookies

1 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups whole rolled oats
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips

Mix butter, honey, eggs, salt, cinnamon, soda, vanilla and buttermilk.  Stir in flour and oats.  Fold in raisins or chocolate chips. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool 3 - 4 minutes on cookie sheet before removing cookies to cool on a wire rack.
Makes 18 cookies.
I found this recipe at Heavenly Homemakers.  She has lots of yummy recipes posted and I can't wait to try more of them! 

$1 for 3 Redbox Rentals

If you haven't tried Groupon yet, now just might be the time.  They are offering 3 Redbox rentals for only $1.  Sign up for Groupon here and then you will be able to purchase the Redbox Groupon.  It is available until March 1st.

You can purchase one per person, but you are allowed to purchase up to two additional Groupons to use as gifts.

Breakfast

I hate breakfast!  I hate thinking of what to make, making it, eating it, cleaning up after it.  I just hate it!  BUT, I think it's important for my kids to eat it.  Lately they have been "forgetting" to eat breakfast, so I thought I should make something so they can't forget.  Today I made a breakfast casserole and it was pretty good.

 


Easy Hash Brown and Sausage Casserole

1 lb. mild or hot ground pork sausage (I used mild)
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 cups frozen cubed hash browns (do not thaw)
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (I used mild cheddar, and only about a cup)
1 3/4 cups milk
1 cup all-purpose baking mix
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs (I skipped this step)

Preheat oven to 350.  Brown sausage with onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until meat crumbles.  Stir in hash browns, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink and potatoes are lightly browned.  Drain mixture on paper towels; spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
Whisk together eggs and remaining ingredients; pour evenly over sausage mixture, stirring well.  Bake, uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven, and let stand 5 minutes.  Garnish, if desired.

FREE Challenge Tuscan Style Butter

Use this $2 Challenge Butter coupon to get FREE butter at H.E.B.
I found the butter at H.E.B. for $1.97, but some Walmarts carry it as well.
(Coupon doesn't expire until 1/31/2012!)

Target Deals

There are actually a few good Target deals out now.  I had stopped going to Target because they gave me such a hassle with coupons, but they have such good deals out now that I tried again.  And, didn't have any problems!  Maybe I'll become a Target shopper again!

Miracle Whip 30 oz Jar $2.50
Use the $1/2 Select Kraft product (Miracle Whip Included) Target store coupon found here
Plus, use 2 $1/1 coupons found here
Final cost $1 each!

Up & Up Dental Floss (50 Yards) $0.89
Use the $1/1 Up & Up Oral Care Coupon found here
(This coupon will automatically adjust itself down)
Final cost FREE!

Up & Up Mouthwash (16.9 oz.) $1.37
Use the $1/1 Up & Up Oral Care Coupon found here
Final cost $0.37!

Up & Up All Purpose Cleaner with Bleach $1.37
Use the $1/1 Up & Up Cleaning Product coupon found here
Final cost $0.37!

Up & Up Liquid Dishwashing Gel $2.59
Use the $1/1 Up & Up Cleaning Product coupon found here
Final cost $1.59!

Up & Up Bleach $1.47
Use the $1/1 Up & Up Cleaning Product coupon found here
Final cost $0.47!

Up & Up Dryer Sheets (40 Ct.) $1.37
Use the $1/1 Up & Up Cleaning Product coupon found here
Final cost $0.37!

Up & Up Cotton Balls (100 Ct.) $1.29
Use the $0.50/1 Up & Up Cotton Product coupon found here
Final cost $0.79!

Up & Up Plastic Cotton Swabs (300 Ct.) $1.42
Use the $0.50/1 Up & Up Cotton Product coupon found here
Final cost $0.92!

Up & Up Pantiliners $0.87
Use the $0.75/1 Up & Up Feminine Care coupon found here
Final cost $0.12!

Tony’s Crisp Crust Pizza 9.73 oz 5/$5
Use the $0.50/1 coupon found in the 2/13 SS
(There is also a $1/2 coupon found here)
Final cost $0.50 each!
**Or if your Target is offering up the *HOT* Frozen Foods gift card promo, buy 7 pizzas and use the coupons above to score them all FREE (+ make $1.50!) after the $5 Target gift card!

Finish Jet Dry PowerBall Tabs OR Gel Pacs 20 ct 2/$5
Use the new $1.50/1 Finish Target store coupon found here
Plus, use the $1/1 coupon found here
Final cost FREE after coupon stack!

Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers 7 oz $1.43
Use the $1.50/2 Target store coupon found here
Plus, stack with the $0.50 coupon found in the 1/30 RP (exp 2/27!!)
(or use the $0.75/2 coupon found here)
Final cost as low as $0.36 for 2!

Welcome!

Welcome to my crazy world!  We are a one income family in a two income world.

I hope to share some good deals, coupons, recipes, craft projects....just a little bit of anything that happens to be on my mind.  I hope you enjoy it.  I'd love to hear any ideas or suggestions you have, too!