Our Favorite Quick & SUPER EASY Chili Recipe! (Great Halloween Tradition!)
I wanted to share one of our family traditions, we always head out trick or treating after we’ve had a warm bowl of soup! And with the super cold temperatures coming up I thought it was fitting to share our favorite and SUPER EASY recipe with you. Plus when it’s a special occasion like today, I’ll snag soup bowls to put it in which my kids love (and I’ll admit, I love it too!). Enjoy!
Jody’s Chili
2 Chili Mild Seasoning Packets
1 Big Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Big Can Tomato Sauce
2 Cans Black Beans
2 Cans Pinto Beans
2 Cans White Beans
1 Pound Hamburger
Simple brown your hamburger and combine everything in your pot (we’ll even throw it all in the crock pot before we head out too). Warm and serve with sour cream and shredded cheese.
Budget Friendly DIY Christmas Gifts
It’s no secret that it has been a very rough year for many of us. So much has happened over the last 7 months that I cannot begin to understand the struggles that everyone is going through. I know my family and many others that I know are taking their budgets far more seriously right now as well all of us should.
One thing that we are doing to make sure we are sticking to our budgets a little bit more these days is by shopping early for Christmas and for many of the gifts we are giving this year, we plan to DIY them. I don’t know about you, but I love a good DIY gift.
Here is a great list of DIY Gifts that many people in your life will likely love!
Budget Friendly DIY Christmas Gifts
Funfetti Bath Bomb Cubes
Okay, I know we talked about these just the other day, but I have made them for gifts several times in the past and they have always been a huge hit! I have two sisters in law as well as a niece that is almost a teenager and they all love gifts like this.
DIY Coffee Scrub
Coffee lovers can’t help but love this DIY gift! I mean, sugar scrub itself is awesome and who doesn’t want to wake themselves up with the delicious aroma of coffee? It’s invigorating.
Peppermint Foot Soak
Peppermint is totally refreshing on your skin and honestly, it’s simply perfect for Christmas. Relaxed feet for Christmas? Yes, please!
Easy Hot Chocolate Gift
Okay, serious question. How many people do you know that don’t like hot chocolate? I bet it’s very, very few. That’s why this Easy Hot Chocolate Gift is such a perfect DIY for your gift making this holiday season!
I have made each and every one of these DIY projects with my kids and they have all been hits!
What is your favorite DIY project to make as gifts?
Budget Friendly Breakfast that The Whole Family Will Love
Image by Seksak Kerdkanno from Pixabay
School is at home, we rarely go out to eat and frankly, I am looking for all of the budget friendly foods that I can find in order to save my family money. How about you?
I have 3 kids and two of them are growing boys who EAT A LOT. Our grocery bill can easily reach 4 figures per month if I let it, that’s why I prepare food intentionally and I have been putting extra focus into adding healthy into the budget friendly portion of the menu goals. These budget friendly breakfasts that the whole family will love will also be loved by you, because you know they are healthy.
Budget Friendly Breakfast that The Whole Family Will Love
Healthy Gluten-Free Mini Applesauce Muffins (Vegan, Allergy-Free)
My kids love muffins and I love how easy muffins are to grab and go on busy mornings. Even these days when we are rarely “on the go.” Even though school is happening at home, our mornings are busier than ever. Plus, I have kids with allergies and these muffins are awesome for a no-stress meal.
Blueberry Breakfast Bars
These Blueberry Breakfast bars are great for families who deal with allergies. They are also well loved with non allergy sufferers because, well, they are delicious! The blueberry amp up their sweetness, while filling them with healthy goodness to get them through their days successfully.
Ham and Cheese Frittata Muffins
These Ham and Cheese Frittata Muffins are packed with protein, delicious and perfect for anyone who might be following a low carb or keto diet. Do your kids like egg muffins?
I have made every recipe on this list and they have all been successful with my family. It’s also worth noting that I have some seriously picky eaters in my family, so when they all love them, I consider that a hit.
4 Things You Need to do NOW Before Prime Day & Target Deal Days
Now that it is October, holiday deals are starting to take shape. We’ve heard that Prime Days & Target Deal Days are happening on October 13th and 14th, so now is the time to get ready for these deals and save a ton of money. There are 4 things that you can do before these big deal days that will help you get ready.
- Make a list for the holidays. Have each of your family members write down their holiday lists. I know it seems early, but because of the pandemic we may not have the typical Black Friday week like we have in years past. It sounds like it will be spread out more. So we are starting early. Writing down a list will let you have a feel for what you need to watch for.
- Set a Budget. This is always a good thing to do before the holidays. Get a number that you don’t want to pass when shopping. Hopefully these deal days will help you snag those items on your list for cheap, so you can get more for your money. Staying on budget will help you enjoy the holidays more and not stress!
- Sign up for emails and store cards. If you’re going to be shopping Target, Best Buy and Walmart a lot, then be sure to sign up for their emails and special offers like Target’s RedCard and Target Circle. Right now when you sign up for a RedCard you can get a $40 off a future purchase of over $40 when you’re approved for the RedCard. That’s free money right there. You can choose the debit card if you don’t want the credit version.
- Become a prime member. If you’re not an Amazon Prime member, then this is a great time to join. You can test out Amazon Prime for only $1.99 for one week period. You can see if you like the benefits. Then after that it’s the $12.99 per month. I use Amazon Prime almost weekly for household items, gifts and snacks. It’s a great place to find a good variety of items too.
DON’T Throw Away Your Green Tomatoes! Here’s 2 Great Green Tomato Salsa Recipes!
Summer is winding down which means your tomatoes are probably about done. But that doesn’t mean you need to throw away all your unripe tomatoes, you can make a simple Green Tomato Salsa to use those up! Here are two different recipes you can try out this fall on all your green tomatoes!
Green Tomato Salsa
- 8 ounces green tomatoes (about 5 small)
- 1 jalapeño pepper (without seeds)
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 1 medium white onion
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Get a baking sheet out and place the green tomatoes (quartered), garlic (peeled), onions (quartered) and jalapeno (seeds removed) on the sheet. Broil for 4-5 minutes just until they start to blacken. Flip and rotate the veggies and broil another 4-5 minutes. Transfer everything to a food process or blender (except 1/2 of the jalapeno) including the rest of the ingredients and blend until desired consistency. If you’d like it spicier you can add in the other 1/2 of the jalapeno.
Green Tomato Relish
- 2 cups green peppers (3-4 med peppers)
- 3/4 cups red peppers (1 large pepper)
- 2 cups onions (2 large onions)
- 7 cups green tomatoes
- 1/4 cup pickling salt
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 cups cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbsp mustard seed
- 1 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 3/4 tsp turmeric
Grind vegetables. Place all together in large bowl and add salt. Stir well and let set over night or for 5-6 hrs. Blend the next ingredients and pour over vegetables which have been rinsed and rained. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes stirring frequently. Ladle into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/2″ headroom. Wipe top of jar and place lid and screw on top. Set out to cool. (Method for hot water bath: at the point where you combine all the prepared ingredients boil only for 5 minutes then fill jars. Place in boiling water bath and boil 15 minutes for pint and 1/2 pint.)
Budget Friendly Snacks the Kids Will Love
With the kids doing their schooling at home, it can be overwhelming to deal with their non-stop eating. I have three kids that eat nonstop, so I get it. It can not only become exhausting to constantly be up preparing food, but it can also get to be very expensive.
That’s why I like to keep budget friendly snacks the kids will love on hand all the time. This keeps the kids well fed and happy. It keeps me less stressed and it keeps my wallet happier too.
Budget Friendly Snacks the Kids Will Love
Healthy Gluten-Free Mini Applesauce Muffins (Vegan, Allergy-Free)
If you have kids with allergies, as I do, these muffins are a perfect snack to have on hand for the kids! They are healthy and super delicious.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Very few kids will turn down something with Chocolate Chip in the title. These chocolate chip cookie bars are so good that you might have to portion them out so they don’t all disappear at once.
Blueberry Breakfast Bars
These Blueberry Breakfast bars are delicious as well as gluten free and vegan. That means that they are perfect for those with food restrictions and allergies. Plus they are packed with flavors!
Single Serve Banana Bread
This single serve banana bread is a great snack to make last minute when you don’t have other snacks on hand already. I love mug recipes like this because they are so quick and easy!
Lemon Date Balls
Do you ever make energy balls? They are so good, easy to make and easy to grab and go when you are on the go. These Lemon Date Balls are the same. Yummy and packed with nutrients to give you a boost.
All of these recipes are easy to make and I have found that my kids love being able to just grab them during one of their many hunger raids.
DIY Beauty Products
What was the last DIY project you finished? I have so many DIY goals to accomplish, but I feel like I get so busy planning them that I don’t have time to get any of them done.
That’s why I have decided to avoid Pinterest for the next month while I actually put together all of these DIY projects that I have on my list to complete. This week my focus is going to be on DIY beauty products and I could not be more excited! Plus, I have a 16 year old daughter who loves getting crafty with me so she is going to join in!
Here is my list of DIY beauty products that I plan on working on this week.
DIY Beauty Products
Funfetti Bath Bomb Cubes
Okay, I have made these before, but you can bet they are on my list to again. They are seriously cute! Plus, they make excellent gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, or even shower gifts. They are so much fun!
DIY Coffee Scrub
Sugar scrub and coffee….two of my favorite ways to treat myself. Mixed together they make just about the most perfect combo ever. I don’t think I’ll be gifting this one, because I will most assuredly be using it all myself.
Peppermint Foot Soak
Is it just me or do your feet hurt the older you get? Lately my feet have been killing me by the end of the day and I absolutely love foot soaks to rest them up and give them the spa treatment at home.
Gingerbread Bath Bombs
If you want to make some gifts in advance of Christmas, these are perfect! Gingerbread Bath Bombs are super cute and smell divine! I can’t imagine anyone not loving opening this up for a gift. I plan to make them for all of the ladies in my family and in my friend group.
Homemade Natural Lip Balm
Do you ever use lip balm? I love it, but I am also very particular about what I put on my lips. That’s why I am so excited to make my own so I know every ingredient that goes in it.
DIY Stress Relief Bath Bombs
I know I am not the only one that could use some stress relief. I wish we could just bathe all of 2020 in some stress relief bath bombs, don’t you? These will be great to keep for ourselves or to give for gifts.
I am so excited to make all of these great things! Aren’t you?
Free Halloween Printables
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
You didn’t think we were done talking about Halloween stuff to keep us busy, did you? Today I was thinking about fun little ways to keep the kiddos busy for Halloween, but this time I wanted to find stuff that will be free and less time consuming for me. I have so much stuff to do that mama needs to find time for herself too!
That’s why I decided to put together a fun little list of Halloween printables that could keep the kiddos having fun and keeping busy doing Halloween stuff.
Free Halloween Printables
Sugar Skull Coloring Pages
Are you digging this new sugar skull craze? I know we have seen them around a bit over the last couple of years, but I have seen Sugar Skulls everywhere this year. Every single store I have been to lately have had massive sugar skull displays right in the front of the store. These sugar skull coloring pages are great for the kids to color, but they are also fun for you!
Pumpkin Carving Stencils
Pumpkin carving stencils are a game changer when it comes to carving those pumpkins and here are some really fun ones! Even if you aren’t ready to carve pumpkins yet, you can let the kids choose the ones they want to do and get them printed out and ready to go.
Halloween Tic Tac Toe
Didn’t we all love Tic Tac Toe as kids? You can print out a Halloween version for your kiddos to keep them busy and playing!
Halloween Memory Match
Memory was always my favorite game as a child (ironic since I can barely remember anything anymore). If your kids love to play memory, this printable memory kit is perfect for them!
Halloween Coloring Pages
Here are even more Halloween Coloring pages for your kids to spend time on! Which ones are your favorite?
Halloween Bingo
The kids are going to love this super fun Halloween Bingo game! When was the last time you played Bingo?
Have some Halloween fun, my friends!
Fun Halloween Recipes for Kids
Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay
Okay, I’m calling it. It is officially late enough in September to begin making Halloween goodies. Are you on board with me? I have had enough stressful stuff going on, I say it’s time for fun and sugar!!
I told my kids to start deciding what types of Halloween goodies they wanted to make this weekend and they did not disappoint. They came up with an awesome collection of fun Halloween recipes for kids and tasty goodies that should leave us in a fun sugar coma, with smiles on our faces.
Fun Halloween Recipes for Kids
Easiest Halloween Rice Krispie Treats
These Halloween Rice Krispie Treats are so much fun to make and even more fun to eat! I am a big rice krispie treat fan anyway, but add frosting and cute eyeballs and you have a Halloween winner! (hmmmm….maybe these aren’t just kids treats after all).
Ghost Mini Muffins
These Ghost Mini Muffins with fondant look pretty easy to make and they look delicious! I love the fact that you don’t even have to do the baking if you don’t want to! Just head to the store to buy your favorite mini muffins or cupcakes and add the ghostly decorations!
Halloween Candy Wreath
No baking to do, no ingredients to mix. Just grab your favorite snack sized Halloween candy and make these fun and tasty Halloween wreaths for a fun decorative Halloween that everyone will love.
Meringue Mummy Cookies
If your crew loves mummies, look no further than these spooky fun meringue mummy cookies! They are easy to make and will look great at your Halloween treat table! Oh, and guess what?! These cookies are low carb and sugar free so even those of us who have to steer clear of carbs and sugar can enjoy these. I don’t know about you, but as a person with food restrictions, I am also careful to include recipes like this in case my friends with other food restrictions stop by to enjoy our Halloween goodies with us.
Have fun making goodies, my friends!
5 Canning Tools You’ll Want to Buy
With the pandemic going on, canning is suddenly the new norm. I’ve heard many people say they want to start canning or they have already canned some fruits and veggies. If canning is new to you then you’ll want to check out these 5 canning tools that make it SO much easier and quicker. I’m all for that!
- Five-Piece Home Canning Kit. This set is awesome and will save you so much time. It includes a Canning Funnel, Magnetic Lid Lifter, Jar Lifter, Jar Wrench and Jar Cleaning Brush.
- Jar Labels. This is SO nice when you are making different kinds of jams or salsa. Especially if you have hot/spicy salsa or mild. You’ll want to know what is in each bottle. Grab these cute labels. They are easy to read from the shelf!
- Pressure Cooker. This makes canning so much faster. You could definitely do it the old fashion way, but the pressure cooker makes sure your food will be processed correctly. There are so many great pressure cookers, read the reviews and see which one sounds best for your canning.
- Canning bottles. These have been hard to find online, but you should be able to see them at your local Walmart. Grab these bottles for all of your canning needs. Choose the sizes you would like depending on what you are bottling.
- Canning Lids & Bands. Along with your bottles, you’ll want to get some lids and bands. I always like to have a few extra of these just in case they get ruined. Grab the correct size which would fit on your bottles.
Virtual Learning Tips To Help You & Your Students!
This year has been the year of transition for many, including our children. They’ve had to adapt to virtual school, in person school, remote learning and even home school. Even though we’ve all had different options in how our children get their education, many are having to spend some time online with virtual learning so here are some tips to help you and your student succeed!
- Give Yourself Grace – this is most important in my option. There are many challenges and hurdles you’ll face so take it one day at a time. Each child learns differently and finding the way your child learns best will be so rewarding in the end.
- Help Your Kids Focus with Sensory Toys – I have a daughter that definitely works best when she has some type of sensory toy in her hands to keep them busy while she reads and studies. Many teachers use these in their own classroom and can have many benefits. You can find some great sensory toys right on Amazon with quick shipping options.
- Find a Reward System – I remember my children coming out after school so excited to show me what they earned out of the classroom treasure box. So we took this same concept and came up with a reward system at home. For some kids this is little toys, treats/candy or extra time on the gaming system. Find what helps motivate your child and run with it.
- Take Breaks – Kids have breaks at school, they’re going to need them at home too. Find a routine that works for you but don’t get caught up in following it exactly. If you find they’re getting extremely frustrated while working on math, take a break. Let them run out back for a minute or grab a snack. Just a quick break can do wonders for your child and yourself.
- Get Some Good Blue Light Blocking Glasses – This is a different kind of learning for our students in which they’re spending a lot of time on screens. Investing in some good blue light blocking glasses can help decrease headaches, dizziness and even help with sleep.
- Make Sure to Have a Clean Working Space – We’ve been going at this virtual learning for awhile now and I’ve seen my kids learn and can concentrate so much better when their working space is clean from clutter. So we always take 5 minutes to do a quick clean up before we start our school work.
Halloween Crafts for Kids
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
Have you and your kids started your Halloween crafting yet? I am so loving the change of seasons right now. With the summer that we have had the newness of Fall and the upcoming fun holidays, my kids and I are needing some fun things to do! That’s why we started a list of Halloween crafts that we are going to work on over the next couple of weeks.
The following crafts are all easy to do and can be created with craft supplies that we have on hand. Have you made any of these before?
Halloween Crafts for Kids
Popsicle Stick Monsters
These cute little scary monsters are super easy to make and just a lot of fun. My bigger kids can make them super easily, while my little one just had a blast making the silly faces. Your kids will love these too!
Monster Face Painted Rocks
Don’t you just love painting rocks? I do! My kids and I have had so much fun painting rocks throughout the years, it only makes sense for us to do it for Halloween. We have painted them for all seasons and holidays. I think our favorites have been the ladybug rocks that we painted for our garden.
3D Toilet Paper Roll Pumpkin Craft
Everyone has toilet paper rolls on hand, right? Instead of throwing them all in the trash, put them to crafting use! These 3D Toilet Paper Roll Pumpkin Craft looks like so much fun!
Pumpkin Toilet Paper Roll Lantern Craft
Here’s another cute and fun craft to make out of those toilet paper rolls! C’Mon friends, I know you don’t just want to throw them away, right? This Pumpkin Toilet Paper Roll Lantern Craft is fun because you can make this to use as garland, you can put them on your Halloween table (is that a thing for everyone, or just me?) or give it out as gifts to others.
Have fun crafting, friends!
Hacks that Will Help You Reach Your Savings Goals
How are you doing with your savings goals? Are you finding yourself struggling to make ends meet? Don’t fret, we have all been there. There is a reason we are all here trying to save money and I want us to work together to reach our goals.
No matter if the goals are saving money for our future, for fun money, or you simply need to have enough money to get your bills paid, these tips from various savings bloggers will help you!
Hacks that Will Help You Reach Your Savings Goals
How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
If you have kids in the house, especially teenagers, you know how expensive your food bill can be! Grocery prices are pretty high right now, but there are things that we can do to save money big in this expensive area of life.
How to Save Money on Diapers
Do you have a baby or toddler at home? Did you know that the annual cost of diapers for a family with a single child in diapers at home is between $350 and $600 per year? That is a lot of money and if you have twins, or multiple young children, that number jumps even higher. These tips for saving money on diapers are awesome because, I don’t know about you, but I desperately wanted to cut back on these costs when I was buying diapers for my kiddos.
Tips for Saving Money on Kids Clothes
It sure costs a lot of money to clothes kids that are just going to grow out of them quickly, doesn’t it? I’ve always been all about saving as much money as possible when it comes to dressing my children. I refuse to spend big money on clothing that they will wear for only a couple of months. If you struggle with this too, these tips will help.
Easy Meal Prep Tips to Save Money
If you don’t meal prep now, you need to start! Meal prep makes life easier and makes family meal time so much better! Did you know though that meal prep can also help you save a substantial amount of money? It can! These tips will show you how.
4 No-Fuss Super Cute Little Girl Hairstyles You’ve Got to Try
If you have a little girl, then you’ll know that doing their hair can become quite the chore! The hard part for me is just finding cute, yet easy hairstyles that I can do in a matter of minutes. My little girl only sits still for that long. So, I’ve found these 5 super cute hairstyles that really anyone can do! They take little time and look so cute.
30 Self-Care Ideas For The Fall/Winter Season!
Days are getting colder and shorter. There’s no better time to put together ideas of some self care and ways to lift your mood. This time of year can be hard for so many, including myself. With the lack of sun and the winter blues you need to give yourself a little TLC. So here’s a list to get you started!
- Declutter your closet cleaning out your summer clothing
- Find a fluffy blanket and curl up in it
- Enjoy a nice hot cup of hot chocolate (or whatever your drink of choice is)
- Light a yummy fall smelling candle (Bath & Body Works has my favorites)
- Go on a walk and crunch the leaves
- Do a face mask
- Paint your nails
- Make a pie
- Start a gratitude journal
- Go without your digital devices
- Buy your favorite flowers
- Take a new exercise class
- Watch a romance movie
- Listen to a podcast
- Get a massage
- Take a hot bath
- Practice mindful thinking
- Find new dinner recipes for the crock pot
- Put together a puzzle
- Plan a do nothing day
- Reach out to a friend/write a letter
- Paint something
- Come up with a fall bucket list
- Visit the library
- Create a vision board
- Open up the windows
- Drink apple cider on the porch
- Make a fall craft
- Sign up for an online class
- Declutter your home
So if you’re starting to feel a little down as the weather changes, the stress of the holidays picks up or life takes over, make sure you take a break and give yourself some self care.