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Recipes for the Week with Weekend Prep – Easy and Budget Friendly

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September 12, 2013 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Frugal Living, Pinterest, Recipe

Five Recipes for the Week with Weekend Prep
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The school year can be hectic and when life isn’t settled, it is very easy to to let your budget and money-management go by the wayside.

This week we are going make 5 delicious and simple dinners. We’ll start with a shopping list for all ingredients, and then move on to prep. From the time I spread all my groceries out on the kitchen table until I wiped down my prep table, and swept the floor, cleaning a bit as I went, for all 5 dinners! After the initial prep each meal will only require a few minutes of time on busy work nights.

Here is our menu for the week:

Shopping List:

1 lb. ground chicken
1 lb. chicken breasts/tenders
1 pack bacon -you will only need about 6 pieces)
1 small pack pepperoni (again will only need a small amount, freezes great!)
1 8 oz. can tomato paste
1 8 oz. can diced tomatoes
Chicken broth
Milk- whole, skim, almond, whatever you prefer
Bottle of buffalo flavored hot sauce
Pack of tortillas
Small tub Greek yogurt
Grated Parmesan cheese
2- 8 oz. bags of shredded mozzarella
4-6 green bell peppers
1 oz. bag frozen broccoli
1 large onion
1 bunch of romaine or bag salad
1 large tomato
1 avocado
1 garlic bulb
3 zucchini

Pantry Ingredients*:

Salt
Pepper
Oregano
Garlic salt
Dried parsley
Garlic paste
Vinegar
Dill

* If you don’t have these add them to your shopping list!

These meals are based on 4 people with a little leftovers – perfect for a lunch the next day-double duty meals! They are easy to adjust to take out or add in ingredients based on your family size and needs.

Follow all Recipes on Frugal Coupon Living as well as FCLAsh on Pinterest.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Dollar Tree Fall Decor – Decorate with Autumn Candles on a Frugal Budget

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September 12, 2013 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Crafts, Halloween, Pinterest, Thanksgiving

Dollar Tree Fall Decor

I love when it is finally far enough into the fall season that I can begin to bring out the pumpkins, and leaf décor without looking like a crazy person. I really love everything about fall; pumpkin flavored everything, autumn decorations, the crispness that comes to the air, and cozy pretty sweaters. Alas, I live in Florida so I only get a touch of those last two, poor me. But I can bring the beautiful look of fall right indoors, or even onto my front porch. Also, I am cheap frugal so I love doing it on a budget, I took a drive down to my local Dollar Tree for a little inspiration and was able to come up with a few pretty, inexpensive and quick fall crafts. They have a lot of plain candle holders that make a perfect blank canvas to build upon.

So in my buggy I tossed a bag of raffia, 4 candle holders, 4 candles , a small bag of coffee beans, a roll of fall ribbon, 2 bags of large silk fall leaves, bag of popcorn, and a few bags of beans ( I had most of them already in my pantry) I spent $15 on my 4 candle holder projects, with the exception of the candles, and candle holders all items can be used on multiple projects, so if I use my remaining supplies they each really only cost a couple dollars each. And if you have any of the items on hand you can lower your total even more. Look at you being thrifty!

Grab your glue gun and let’s get this crafty party started!

Fall Leaf Candle Holder

Take 4 of the large leaves, cut off the stem right at the leaf edge. Turn your candle holder upside down, apply a thin bead of hot glue to the bottom rim about ¼” from the edge. Press each of your leaves into the glue, overlapping them. Turn your candle holder over run a thin line of hot glue up each leaf where it branches, press into glass, you will need to overlap leaves a bit again. Wrap candle holder in 2 lengths of raffia 2 or 3 times, tuck ends under and place a dab of hot glue to hold them down- use a pencil or something to press down while it dries( not your fingers, trust me)

Coffee Bean Candle Holder

Fill jar about 1/3 of the way full with coffee beans. Place your candle on top of the beans, tap down gently, centering candle. Fill between candle and jar with more beans, up to the rim of glass. Wrap candle jar with 2-3 pieces of rafia, tuck and in and secure with a dab of hot glue. Alternatively you can tie your rafia ends into a bow, I just liked the clean, simplicity of the raffia this way- I put a row of 3 of these down the center of my table as my centerpiece.

Harvest Corn Candle Holder

Measure your wide wired ribbon by wrapping it around the jar and overlapping about 1”, cut. Draw a thin line of glue down one end of the ribbon, press onto the back center of glass jar. Wrap ribbon around fold the end under about ½” and run a line of glue down the end, press into other side of ribbon to overlap. Like the coffee beans, fill jar 1/3 of the way full with unpopped corn kernels Place your candle, centered on top of the corn, fill the sides between candle and jar up to the rim with corn kernels. Place a sticker or I used a chipboard letter for our family initial, they don’t stick well to fabric so use a couple tiny dots of hot glue on the back to affix firmly. You could do Halloween themes and place Halloween stickers like witch heads and bats on top.

Autumn Layered Bean Candle Holder

This is such a simple craft but it makes a big impact in pretty fall colors, lending your table or shelf some beautiful textures. I used a taller candle holder I purchased at Dollar Tree to create a little more drama. Simply layer dry beans in 2” layers, using at least 4-5 various colors and textures for variety. I used; black beans, kidney beans, green split peas, yellow spit pits, northern beans, and pinto’s. Even 2 colors alternating would be a pretty decoration. Choose colors from your home décor, use year round.

Pin Dollar Tree Fall Decor to Pinterest for future use! Be sure to follow Frugal Coupon Living (FCLAsh) on Pinterest.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Fall Recipe Round-Up – 15 Savory Recipes for the Autumn Season

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September 16, 2013 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Halloween, Pinterest, Recipe, Thanksgiving

Fall Recipe Round-Up

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Warm Savory Dishes, Caramel Apple and Pumpkin Flavorings, and Rich and Hearty Soups – have I taken you to a time of the year? Chances are, you likely are thinking of Fall. Take a look below at the round-up of Yummy Fall Recipes.

Caramel Apple Pork Chops by Mommy Musings

Homemade Utah Scones by Bakerette

Poppy Seed Chicken by Julies Eats & Treats

Skinny Sweet Potato Toscana Soup by One Creative Mommy

Apple Pie Baked in the Apple by Frugal Freebies and Deals

Potato Casserole by A Night Owl

Holiday Leftovers: Turkey-Potato Patties by The Sweet Spot

Pumpkin Apple Cider Bundt by Vegan Mother Hubbard

Monster Munch by Julies Eats & Treats

French Onion Beef Stew {No-Fuss Gluten Free} by One Creative Mommy

Apple Crumb Muffins by Cincy Shopper

Shredded Potato Casserole by Julies Eats & Treats

Miniature Apple and Cinnamon Pies by Adventures of a Couponista

My Secret Weapon Sweet Potatoes by Frugal Freebies and Deals

DIY Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice Cider by Cincy Shopper

Mini Pumpkin Muffins With Cinnamon Chips {Made With Applesauce and Greek Yogurt} by Pandoras Deals

Pumpkin French Toast by Julies Eats & Treats

If you try one be sure to tell us which dish! I am excited to make the Pumpkin French Toast myself!

Find these and more recipes on Pinterest. While on Pinterest, be sure to follow FCLAsh.

Happy Fall!

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Back to School | Raising and Parenting The Class Clown

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September 14, 2013 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Back to School Series, Free, Pinterest

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Back to School – Raising and Parenting The Class Clown
Lessons from a Former Teacher and Current Mother

Yep, those are my girls and yes, the child on the right is our little clown!

Growing up I had a friend that was totally incapable of being serious. He would try but somehow it just would not stick. You could give him something as simple as a math problem and he would have to find a way to make a joke of it. Teachers got furious and would inevitably punish him. I always felt sorry for him. I knew him outside of school and I knew he meant no harm. He simply got nervous about learning and social situations. Watching this class clown taught me some things over all those years. What he needed was a teacher that was up to the task.

During our fifth grade year, Jeff (we will call him Jeff) and I ended up with the same teacher. She was a pretty cool teacher because she wore blue jeans to school. It seemed all the other teachers were much older and not nearly as stylish, so we were drawn to her. Almost immediately, Jeff challenged her patience with his comedic antics. That teacher was smart, however, and she quickly ran the class and Jeff’s commodity routine.

The first week of school, she pulled Jeff to the side in private and told him that she thought he was massively talented. She asked him if he would do her the favor of putting on a show for the class. Needless to say that was something that Jeff loved the idea of and he quickly agreed. Then the teacher told him that there was only one catch….Jeff had to behave all week and make his grades to get that time at the end of the school week. (Note: to monitor this, set up a checklist with you and your child or you and your student.)

It was like she had created a new student completely. Jeff not only became a solid student. He continued to be one even after he had moved on and lost his comedy shows. Jeff is now a lawyer that has tried cases you almost surely have heard of… some would say he still is juggling a lot of tricks in front of a “courtroom” full of his peers.

The bottom line here is this. Parents should not panic if their kid is the class clown. Class clowns are inevitably the most creative people in the class…after all, wit and humor cannot be taught. Teaching our clowns a time and purpose for everything, however, is quite important. Class clowns need a release, they need a time where attention is granted, and they also need to be able to conform to society’s rules – for example, not talking or being silly in the middle of a writing lesson.

My youngest, is our silly little girl. When being spoken to in a stern manor, she smiles. She is not being disrespectful, it is her way of handling the situation. Her sister and I are very serious. We tend to be Type A and over worry and over do. It is nice to have the balance of a sister/child that can bring laughter to our day – after all, hasn’t our doctor told us “laughter is the best medicine?” When correcting this child, I have to remind myself not to kill her spirit. I love this joyful heart she has, but I need to teach her as as a toddler how and when is best to use this funny behavior.

Tips for Your Class Clown:

Don’t ignore the Student/Child – This personality does “need” attention.
Have a cue or hand movement between you and the child so they know when to stop – They will love this “Secret” only you both know.
Set a conference – A time for you and the child to meet and find the appropriate time and place for their humor to be displayed.
Praise the good in what you see around – That child will want the praise too and will “perform” to what you are giving attention.
Provide an outlet or a time for “performance”

As parents you can do the same thing for your class clown. Take the time to allow your class clown to let out energy. This could be in the form of acting, karate, gymnastics or something else that allows them to perform and move around. That outlet made it possible for Jeff to calm himself in anticipation and he learned to focus his talents into a skit each week.

Find more on Frugal Coupon Living in the Back to School Series.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Back to School Money Saving Tips

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September 4, 2013 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Back to School Series, Free, Pinterest

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Back to School Money Saving Tips
Lessons from a Former Teacher and Current Mother

There was a time when a back to school list consisted of a box of crayons, a pencil and some paper. It seems the “needs” of your child’s school supply lists can at times feel ridiculous. The bottom line, knowing how and when to shop for Back to School Supplies, might not make you dread the never ending list of supplies.

Take inventory before you go shopping

Nothing stinks worse than paying full price for something that you have tons of up in the closet. Go through the list carefully and find out what you can use from the previous year. Also take a look on what you have in supplies. I keep a bin in my gift closet labeled arts and crafts and school supplies. This saves on future lists. You might be surprised what you have on hand.

Take advantage of mark downs

Don’t shop right away! Wait. When the school year gets rolling, retailers are ready for Halloween and Christmas – they have to clear the shelves and will begin to see back to school merchandise go on “mega-clearance.” Grab what you can at reduced prices and put them away at home for the coming years or to replenish your supplies halfway into the year. Focus on the staples and not the peripherals. Book bags may not be in style the next year, but pencils, pens, paper and notebooks will always be needed. When items go this low, this is when I stock up for next year. Next August, you might find you need nothing on your list because you have it all already.

Save larger purchases for tax-free sales

If you intend on buying higher ticket items like a laptop or a scientific calculator, make sure you save those purchases for tax free day if possible. That alone can save you hundreds depending on what you buy. Also consider looking for big purchase items on Craigslist or Consignment Area Facebook Groups. *Use wisdom when buying from these places online. Never meet someone at your home or alone.

Stick to a list

Take the grade list that is provided by your school and stick to it like glue. What kills parents during back to school shopping are the funky extras that kids are excellent at begging for. If your child comes to you begging for that troll pencil topper with neon green hair, just say nay! They will get over it, I assure you. Stick to the budget and list and you will save money.

Invest in quality

When it comes to certain items, it pays off to buy quality. Book bags that are simply a base color are great examples. If you buy a high quality one, you might get extra years out of it. The same goes for calculators and other electronics. Pencils and paper can be any quality and it won’t really matter. They will be lucky to still have those at the end of the first day. I also tell my shoppers, it is better to buy one quality pair of shoes than three cheap pairs.

Saving money on back to school is simply about paying attention and taking advantage of the opportunities that are out there. Use wisdom, buy then then price is right, and stock up!

Find more on Frugal Coupon Living in the Back to School Series.

Hello Kitty Cookie and Sandwich Cutters $4.59

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August 28, 2013 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Amazon, Online Shopping, Pinterest

Check out these fun Set of Hello Kitty Cookie and Sandwich Cutters for $4.59 with FREE shipping. This is an Amazon Add-On Item, so be sure to fill up your cart with items in value of $25+.

You could fill your cart with all these other Hello Kitty Deals.

Thanks Passion for Savings.

I check check out Pinterest and found A LOT of adorable Hello Kitty Party Ideas. The one above is from Karas Party ideas – cute cute cute. More Party Ideas found on my Pinterest Board.

These cookie cutters would also be good for our Back to School Series and Project Lunchbox! Use the cookie cutters to shape sandwiches like we did above in the Bug Theme Lunch.

Follow Frugal Coupon Living on Pinterest. Head to Amazon for a look, find more Amazon Deals on Frugal Coupon Living.

Chalkboard Contact Paper Sale for $8.38 Per Roll with Craft Ideas

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August 26, 2013 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Amazon, Crafts, Online Shopping, Pinterest

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Chalk Board Contact Paper Sale

Perhaps we can blame Pinterest, perhaps there is no need for blame but truth is Chalk Board Contact Paper is all the rage! There are ENDLESS ways to use it and the best part of all is it easily helps you become organized and looks great. It also is very easy to use/shape and cuts just like wrapping paper.

Uses:

*Frame it and use as a memo board

*Use as canister Labels

*Place inside your cabinets for writing boards

*Place on a door or wall for signs

*Place on a board or cookie sheet for a cheese board

… and so much more.

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Look how I designed my kids crib using Chalk Board Paint (but could be just as achievable with Chalk Board Contact Paper!

Right now you can pick up Chalkboard Contact Paper, 18″ x 6′ for $8.38. Get FREE Shipping with Prime or when you spend $25.

Product Features:

Tough, durable and repels stains. Wipes clean easily.
Lets you turn anything into a writing surface
It’s easy to apply, easy to remove and easy to keep clean.
Size: 18 inches x 6 feet (45 cm x 183 cm)
Features an easy-to-peel liner and an adhesive that allows it to be repositioned during installation without leaving a sticky residue. Simply cut to length or shape for a custom application.

Product Description:

Con-Tact® Brand lets you turn anything into a writing surface with this self-adhesive chalkboard. Perfect for home, school, or office. Cut to any shape and size. Peel position and reposition. Write and wipe.

Find more Amazon Deals on Frugal Coupon Living and be sure to also follow on Pinterest for other crafty ideas – I am all about simplicity!

Head to Amazon for a look.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Dr. Seuss What’s in the Cat’s Hat Game $9.99 from $24.99

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August 16, 2013 by FrugalCouponLiving Filed Under: Amazon, Birthday, Education, Kids, Online Shopping, Pinterest

Check out the Hot Deal on this game! Grab Dr. Seuss What’s in the Cat’s Hat? Game for $9.99 from $24.99! We have another Cat in the Hat Game and they are great fun!

Learning fun, sensory skills, memory and deductive reasoning, creativity, answering questions accurately
Product contents hat, 33 cards, game rules manual, age 3+, number of players to 4
Awards won Oppenheim Platinum Award, 2010 Creative Child Game of the Year Award, Parents Choice Silver Award, 2010 NAPPA Honors, 2010 The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, Play Advances Language Award
Gets 4.5 stars – awesome!

Head to Amazon for a look!

And you can still take advantage of this awesome offer from Dr. Seuss!

Pick up 5 Dr Seuss Books for $5.95 plus get FREE shipping! Not only that, you’ll get a FREE Activity Book AND a reduced rate on 3 Bonus Books ($7.48 instead of $14.96). So that’s 8 books plus an Activity Book for $1.49 per book!

When my oldest started reading, these were some of the first books we got to help her stretch her skills a little! And for those using the Accelerated Reader List for school reading, these are all on the list to read for credit toward your child’s Accelerated Reading Goal. They are all in the First Grade range.

Here’s what you’ll get:

The Tooth Book
Go Dog Go
Ten Apples on Top
The Cat and the Hat
Mr. Brown Can Moo

This is a subscription with 3 new books each month but you can cancel at ANY time and just keep the original 5 books and activity book with no extra charge! You can cancel anytime with no purchase commitment and control your membership online – love that!

Pick up your Dr Seuss Book Offer today.

Take a look at these fun Dr. Seuss party ideas on my Pinterest board!