Miss You Mama

May 21, 2013 by 1 Comment

image

The angels are rejoicing in heaven, since they have called a new one home. My mother passed away this Saturday and I will be taking some much needed time off. Her health has been declining over the passed years and god has called her home. I spent last week taking care of her in the hospital. I am so thankful to have that time with her.

I will be spending this week celebrating her life she spent with us making all of us who we are. I know I would not be the person I am today if my mom didn’t spoil me rotten when I was little. She was the glue that held our family together. I could just call her and she would tell me everything every one was doing. She also gave her thoughts on all of it too! Her brother passed away three weeks ago, so my mom’s brothers and sisters are grieving deeply at their loss. My mom had nine brothers and sisters now there are five left.

I love and will forever miss you mama.

Filed Under: Family

How to Have a Clean Shower: Soft Scrub Mold & Mildew Giveaway

May 9, 2013 by 8 Comments

Sponsored: I am glad Soft Scrub gel cleaner sent me the new Mold and Mildew bathroom cleaner for a clean shower. Our shower get the most use every week, since there are two of us using the shower often.

Despite my best efforts we will still get mildew around the edges of the shower. I tried the Soft Scrub mold and mildew cleaner on a spot that was starting to show up near the bottom of the shower. I don’t like using a lot of chemicals in my home, but I do like to bleach my shower from time to time to treat mold and mildew in areas. I love to have a clean shower.

Soft Scrub Clean Shower

I sprayed the Soft Scrub gel cleaner on the area that was starting to turn a little black with mildew. I noticed the nozzle on the bottle had a stream sprayer and an area sprayer on the nozzle of the Soft Scrub Bottle. I used the area spray and sprayed the entire shower to clean it. I left it on there for a while to soak in and remove the mildew. I think this product worked really well

Your Chance to Have a Clean Shower Soft Scrub:

Would you like to win Soft Scrub Mold & Mildew Gel cleaner to try for yourself? If you are already a fan, you are way ahead of everyone else. Just click the buttons below to be entered NOW! If you are not a fan of Pounds4Pennies, then I really need your help. I want to get to 2,500 Facebook fans! Can you help me get there? The more fans I have the better giveaways I can provide. Yes I am begging here. You can also enter to win by following me on Twitter or Pinterest. The easiest way to enter is to leave a comment, I hope to hear some funny stories. Where ever you like. All entries are verified and available to US residents 18 or older. If you tweet or share please leave a link in the comments, so I can find it easily. You cannot win if you don’t play by the rules!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Giveaways, product review

Ham and Cheese Muffin Tin Meal

May 7, 2013 by 3 Comments

I love anything served in a muffin cup these days and I thought of this wonderful idea of ham and cheese muffin cups. I have been been looking across Pinterest and my cook books to see if I can find anything. The muffin cups are pre-portioned, individual serving size for everyone. We have a lot of precooked ham, since our freezer when out about a month ago and I have been searching for some yummy recipes to make with ham to add to our rotation. I found a ham and cheese pie recipe and scaled it down to individual muffin cups. Yes this was a huge hit at my house.

Ham and Cheese muffin cups

Ingredients for Ham and Cheese Muffin Cups:

2 cups Homemade Biscuit Mix (you can use store bought package of 5)
1 1/2 cups finally chopped cooked ham
8 oz cheese (shredded or finely cut)
1 1/2 tblsp Onion (I sautéed mine for a bit)
2 eggs
1 Pinch of nutmeg

How to make Ham and Cheese Muffins:

Biscuits in muffin tins

1. Make the homemade biscuits according to directions. Cut out biscuits and cut them in half. Roll into a ball and stretch them or roll them out until they will fit inside a muffin cup. Spray muffin tin to avoid sticking. Using the homemade version I was able to make 12 biscuit cups. With the store bought you may only be able to make 10.

2. Finely chop the onion and start to sauté it now. This will be ready when you combine it all together. Cut up the ham and cheese. Since I had an 8 oz. block of cheese, I didn’t feel like grating it. I just cut it up into small pieces and threw all together.

3. Add the ham, cheese, eggs and onion all in a bowl and mix thoroughly. I just sprinkled a little nutmeg on top for an added layer of flavor. (My secret ingredient) If you have fresh grate just a little on top.

Ham and cheese breakfast cups

4. Now fill the biscuit lined muffin tins with the ham cheese mixture. If you have two empty muffin tins left, you can still put the mixture in there and they should pop out when done.

5. Bake at 350 for 22 minutes. To see if they are done make sure they are bubbly and brown around the edges. If not leave them in a couple more minutes. We served these with some pork and beans and corn for a quick and easy meal.

I was amazed at how little ham this recipe actually uses and great for a five dollar meal. This would be a wonderful recipe for leftover ham or even a great breakfast dish. We usually have a few leftover, so I will freeze the extras. Now I have a little something on those nights I don’t want to cook. That is what makes cooking in muffin tins so great. My daughter, who doesn’t like ham, even liked this recipe. If you put anything in bread for her, she will eat it. Little Face didn’t get to try it, since he passed out at 6:00 that night. We brought him to the table and he put his head on the table and slept.

Take a look at my Simply Homemade Food page for more ideas on how to make food on your own. This will help stretch your pennies a little farther and help you eat healthy. Take a look at my easy and simple recipes for more ideas on what to cook for dinner tonight.  PLEASE like Pounds4Pennies on Facebook. Yes I am begging! Follow me on Pinterest for more inspiration daily.

Filed Under: 5 Dollar Meals, Recipes

Mother’s Day Gift Idea from Massage Envy & Giveaway

May 2, 2013 by 27 Comments

I have had a little bit of a rough week and needed some relaxation time. Thanks to Massage Envy I was able to get an hour massage and tell you about a wonderful promotion they are having right now.

Massage Envy

My uncle passed away this past weekend. I went to his funeral this Tuesday, so I have been in a bit of a writing slump. For me to get away for a day to go to his funeral, as the mom and the keeper of the family schedule, I have to not only rearrange my schedule, but I have three other people in my home that need to have schedules rearranged. Needless to say I have been a little stressed coordinating all these efforts and making sure everything happened without any incidents while I was away.

I needed a little relaxation to help me decompress after a hard week, so when this opportunity came up I took this time to just relax. I hold a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders most of the time, so this was the main focus during my massage to help me relax from a stressful week. My massage therapist was mindful of pressure and made sure I was comfortable the whole time. When I left I was relaxed and feeling much better about the remainder of my week.

Massage envy Mother's Day gift Special

Massage Envy has a great Mother’s Day special going on right now from April 26 – May 12. You can purchase  a gift card for two hours of massage and get a sugar foot scrub for only $99. This is only good at the DFW Metroplex area locations. You can either take two hours of massage or you can break it up for two one hour massages. You decide your level of relaxation. Like Massage Envy’s Facebook page to stay on top of the all the latest massage deals.

How you can relax at Massage Envy

Mothers Day Gift Card

Now what is in it for me you may ask? Well Massage Envy is also allowing me to give away a massage to anyone in the DFW area. Don’t you need to relax or know of someone who needs to relax? Enter to win a FREE one hour massage from DFW Massage Envy. To enter to win leave a comment why you need to relax or why your mother needs to relax. Extra entries for tweeting #DFWrelax or sharing on Facebook. Please leave the tweet or Facebook link in comments. Contest ends on May 12, 2013 at midnight. Winner will be selected 48 hours after drawing is over. All entries are verified and available to US residents 18 or older. If you tweet or share please leave a link in the comments, so I can find it easily. You cannot win if you don’t play by the rules!

**You Must Be in The Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex area to win**

This is a sponsored post. I was given a free massage for compensation for this post. No other compensation was given. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are my own. Massage Envy is providing a free massage for DFW readers.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Great Gifts

Getting Clean With Dial Kids Body Wash and Giveaway

April 25, 2013 by 7 Comments

Sponsored: Thanks to Dial Kids Body and Hair wash for sending me a free bottle to try. This is the only compensation I was given.  All thoughts and opinions stated in this article are my own about Dial Kids Body Wash. I was provided with three coupons to giveaway to my awesome fans. Read my full disclosure for any more information. Find more Giveaways on my Giveaways Page. Be inspired and follow my Lifestyle Blog on Pinterest or follow Pounds4Pennies on Twitter, and LIKE ME on Facebook.

Dial Body Wash for Kids

Dial Kids Body Wash

I was able to try the new Dial soap for kids. I received the peachy clean scent from Dial to use while Little Face takes his bath. He just loves to play at bath time so much. We even used a little of the Dial as a bubble bath for him to play with the bubbles. I just love when he smells so clean. We like to snuggle on the couch. He doesn’t know it, but I am smelling his hair and just enjoying being with the little guy especially if he smells so good.

I used the Dial Body and Hair wash for both cleaning his skin as well as his hair. I am starting to teach him how to give himself a bath. So he can make bubbles all by himself with the body wash. When I wash his hair with the Peachy clean body wash, I like to make it as bubbly as I can. Then I scoop all those bubbles off the top of his head and give them to him to play with. He likes that they float on the top of the water and, in true boy fashion, smashes them. He is all boy sometimes.

Would you like to win some of this Body and Hair wash to try for yourself? If you are already a fan, you are way ahead of everyone else. Just click the buttons below to be entered. If you are not a fan of Pounds4Pennies, then I really need your help. I am just a few more likes away on Facebook from hitting 2,500 fans. Be sure to like me on Facebook. The more fans I have the better giveaways I can provide. Yes I am begging here. You can also enter to win by following me on Twitter or Pinterest. The easiest way to enter is to leave a comment, I hope to hear some funny stories. Where ever you like. All entries are verified and available to US residents 18 or older. If you tweet or share please leave a link in the comments, so I can find it easily. You cannot win if you don’t play by the rules!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Another way to win is Dial is hosting a sweepstakes. One grand Prize Winner will receive $1,000, while 250 additional winners will receive a coupon for a free bottle of New Dial Kids Body & Hair wash. So get out there for your chance to win.

Filed Under: Giveaways, product review

How to Make Peanut Butter: Simply Delicious

April 24, 2013 by 9 Comments

I am finding such great joy with so many things I can make myself at home like peanut butter. Just buying pure simple ingredients and processing them myself. I experimented with peanuts this week and we made peanut butter with honey. If you have ever eaten fresh peanut butter, you may never buy the store bought stuff again. We all thought the homemade peanut butter tasted amazing. You have just got to try this. Half the jar was gone within a week. Learn how to make peanut butter with the super simple directions below.

How to Make Peanut Butter

How to Make Peanut Butter Ingredients:

1lb Peanuts
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup honey

Directions on How to Make Peanut Butter:

Homemade Peanut Butter

1. Take one pound of roasted peanuts and put them in a food processor. (This is extremely difficult )

2. Pour the honey in with the peanuts. Use my method of pour the honey around the container twice. I rarely ever measure anything. Add more if you like a sweeter peanut butter.

3. Turn the processor on high for around 10 minutes. After a few minutes turn off the processor and scrape the sides and then turn it on again.

4. The peanuts will reach a magic moment where they will become a smooth round ball of fresh peanut butter heaven in the food processor. That is the magic moment they go from boring peanuts into peanut butter. Yes! Turn off the processor and scrape the sides. Be sure to get the little bits off the bottom. Keep on processing for a while until is it smooth and creamy. If you want an easily spreadable peanut butter add a little peanut oil. Then you will have smooth and creamy peanut butter.

I store my homemade peanut butter in the fridge. You may not need to do this, but remember there are no preservatives in this peanut butter. You won’t have to worry too much about it, since you will want to eat the entire jar at one sitting anyway. Seriously it is THAT good. You know you want to Pin this and give it a try. I am amazed how awesome fresh items taste. Just think of all the yummy recipes you can make now that you know how to make peanut butter yourself.

Want to know how to make more items yourself with out preservatives or chemicals? Check out my simply homemade page for more recipes and homemade items. Go ahead and Pin this you know you want to give it a try. Follow Pounds4Pennies on Facebook to get the latest in whole living or Follow Pounds4Pennies on Pinterest to be inspired.

Filed Under: Recipes

Natural Frozen Fruit Bars

April 23, 2013 by 2 Comments

I have struggled the past year to try to eliminate high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from our diets and treats including fruit bars and treats. It is very difficult to find sweet treats without HFCS and even more difficult to find frozen fruit treats. I will buy a few treats like the frozen lemonade and fruit popsicles during the summer, and sometimes I just make my own.

Waiting for Fruit Bar

Affordable Frozen Fruit Bars

fruit bar fruit

I was in Sam’s Club and found these Chunks O’ Fruti Fruit Bars. They are made with premium actual fruit and fruit juices. They have just a minimal amount of sugar added to enhance the fruit flavors. I love when a company just gets it right. How hard is it to take real fruit and blend it up and freeze it without tainting it with artificial colors and flavors at a decent price? I am glad Natural Fruit Corporation saw how easy this is to do and made these good for you frozen fruit bars. Stay in touch with Fruti by liking their Facebook page.

Frozen Treats

This weekend our big freezer went out and we desperately needed all the freezer space we could get. Most of the time at Sam’s club you have to buy items in bulk. This makes it difficult to find a spot big enough in the freezer to put a big box. This box of 16 fruit bars would not fit in our freezer without some major rearranging. I was happy when I opened the box to find four individual boxes inside, so I could tuck them in the little open spots in the freezer. These little boxes are perfect for any size freezer.

Frozen fruit Bars Good

Enjoying Fruti

I love that we are getting a serving of fruit in each of these frozen fruit bars. My daughter doesn’t really like fruit or veggies, but freezing fruit somehow makes fruit awesome. She thinks she is just getting a treat, but I know she is getting something good and healthy for her. She enjoyed the strawberries and cream bar. Little Face really liked the pinacolada the best! He loves fruit, so frozen fruit is just more fun.  Both my husband and I really enjoyed the pinacolada too.

Enjoying frozen treat

If you would love to try these for yourself Chunks O’ Fruti will be giving a demo with yogurt in Sam’s club on May 13th. Check out my shopping experience with my Google + album.

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Fruti #cbias #SocialFabric #FreshNFruti

Filed Under: Frugal living

How to Make a Japanese Fish Flying Kite

April 19, 2013 by 2 Comments

I love doing crafts with Little Face all the time. Sometimes it is hard to find a craft to work on and not throw away right away. I love when I find something where we can make a toy he can actually play with. This fish flying kite is perfect. I think it would be great a craft for any child.

Fish Kite

A kindergarten teacher once told me about tear art. This improves motor development and children do not get so frustrated trying to cut paper. Tear art also allows for great vibrant colors crayons usually can’t provide. And I am not crazy, I am not giving Little face markers. He just pounds them until the tips break.  He really doesn’t like to color much anyway. So I decided to cut out the scales for this project. We used crepe paper. I just love the bright colors available. This is a really light material and perfect for a kite!

Materials for fish flying kite:

Crepe paper (in at least two colors)
Paper fish – 2 copies.
Scissors
Glue
String or yarn
Small wooden dowel or straight stick
Hole punch
Duct tape

Directions for fish flying kite:

Fish Template

1. I used this fish printable as the basis of the flying kite. Make two copies. Cut out both fish shapes.

Crepe Scales

2. Cut out around 16 crepe paper scales in each color. I cut about 2 inches of crepe paper and just made a half round cut at the end. Trying to keep this simple.

Fish Glue

3. Next only glue the edges of the two blank sides of the fish together. Make sure the middle is not glued to allow air to go through the fishes mouth. One fish will be upside down. Don’t worry you child will not even notice. I found it helpful to put a pencil in between the two sides while it dried. I just didn’t want it to accidentally stick together.

IMG_8699

4. Once the sides are dry glue the colored crepe paper scales on the side of the fish in alternating colors to create an awesome looking fish.

5. Little face wanted to color the face, so I let him. As you can see from the photo at the top, he didn’t color much, but he loved it. I try to encourage his writing as much as possible.

6. Then cut streamers for the tail various lengths around 2 feet long. It looks so much better in the wind with different lengths rather than the same.

7. Punch a hole in the fishes mouth as far down as you can. For extra strength I put a little glue around the hole and let it dry. I knew he was going to be running with this and I didn’t want it to tear.

8. Get 2 pieces of string or yarn about 6 in. and tie them through the holes. Next use duct tape and tape the strings to the wooden dowel. For extra decoration I  added a few more pieces of duct tape down the dowel in his favorite color to finish off this fabulous flying kite.

Japanese Flying Kite 1

I love that he can fly this kite all by himself and he doesn’t need any wind just his little feet. As you can see, he has enjoyed running all around the neighborhood with his flying kite. He even said it looked like he caught a fish. The hardest part of this project is waiting for the glue to dry with a three year old around. Go ahead and PinIt, so you can make one of these with your little one. If you made this kite what colors would you use?

Filed Under: Crafts

Living Green With the Little Green Pouch

April 16, 2013 by 3 Comments

In honor of Earth day I wanted to be living green, and I was able to try this awesome Little Green Pouch. Let me tell you why I just love this product and I think everyone with small kids should get these especially if you try living green with less waste. Simply fill with your own yogurt, applesauce or baby food this this little portable, washable pouch.

How We are Living Green

Living Green

We had fun filling these Little Green Pouches with all kinds of goodies at my home. I love to make homemade yogurt. I made my strawberry yogurt and put this into the pouches for my kids. For Little Miss, my 11 year old, I called them drinkable yogurt, so she could drink them and not be embarrassed, since these were not in some cutesy container. We also filled them with homemade applesauce, which Little Face just loved. They both enjoyed taking them to school and eating with their lunches.
little green pouch
The opening at the top makes them easy to fill with whatever you like. Simply just use a spoon or you could even use a funnel. They hold up to 7oz of food. Put in a little or as much as you would like. Once they are used up, rinse them out and then put them in the dishwasher for easy clean up. They are dishwasher safe. I just have to say yes this is a great green product.
These eco-friendly Little Green Pouches are great for many age groups. I know I would love to freeze these and take these on picnics this summer. This makes them perfect to use for all ages, even adults. I would highly recommend this eco-friendly green product to make living green easy.
You know you want to these, so here it is. You can enter to win a set of four of these just in time for Earth Day. Imagine all of the pouches you would be saving and all the space in the landfills you will be saving.

How you can start Living Green

living green reusable food pouch

RULES for contest
Now for the fun part. The makers of Little Green Pouch are proving a free four pack of these pouches to giveaway for all my readers. The easiest way to enter is to just leave a COMMENT! I also need to you to help me spread the word about this fantastic way of living green.  Share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest! Support Pounds4Pennies to stay in touch with more great products and giveaways. You don’t want to miss what is coming up! All entries are verified and available to US residents 18 or older. If you tweet or share please leave a link in the comments, since all winners are verified. You cannot win if you don’t play by the rules!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can follow Little Green Pouch on Facebook to keep up with the latest news for them, or follow Little Green Pouch on Twitter. If you just can’t wait and would like to order a pouch right now, stop by their website to get your reusable food pouch now! Be sure to check out my other giveaways and follow Pounds4Pennies on Facebook.
Thank you Little Green Pouch for providing me with a sample to try and one to giveaway for my readers. This is the only compensation I was given for this post. All opinions expressed in the article are my own.
Filed Under: Giveaways, product review
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