This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Navy Federal Credit Union. All opinions are 100% mine. Have you ever just looked at your finances and started panicking just a little? It’s easy to allow money to get out of hand. One minute you’re doing okay financially and the next you don’t really know what’s going on. Here is how to spring clean your finances. Go on a Spending Freeze One thing to do is to go on a spending freeze. By going on a spending freeze, you can really spring clean your finances. This simply means that you don’t spend any money, unless it’s necessary. Budget for Future Expenses Most people find themselves in financial trouble, when they don’t budget for important expenses. Don’t wait until those expenses sneak up on you; budget for them. … [Read more...]
Cruise Cheap – How to Take a Cruise on a Budget
I don’t know about you, but I would love to go on a cruise right now. Cruises are so relaxing, fun, and a great way to see the world. However, they can be pretty expensive if you don’t know what you’re doing. I'm going to share with you how to take a cruise on a budget or in other words how to cruise cheap! Cruise Cheap - How to Take a Cruise on a Budget How do you know what you can afford if you don’t have a budget? Determine how much you want to spend on your cruise. This should include the amount you want to spend on gas, airfare, food, drinks, and anything else. Once you have set a budget, you can start looking for deals on that budget. Look for All-Inclusive Deals I cannot express how important it is to look for all-inclusive deals. All-inclusive means your room fees, food, … [Read more...]
Every Hero Sweats with Gillette & Operation Homefront
This is a sponsored post between Gillette and The Frugal Navy Wife. All opinions remain my own. I’m sure you have heard me mention Operation Homefront before. This is a nonprofit that works hard to "build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect." I support any program that helps military families but it’s not an easy job! Being a part of a military family is a big deal, and it’s always nice when you can be apart of something big like Operation Homefront. I know many people that have benefited from this organization. What’s even cooler is that two of my favorite brands are merging together to create something even more awesome! Gillette Deodorant & Operation Homefront Did you know … [Read more...]
Lesson Plans for Farmer Boy By Laura Ingalls Wilder
In the book Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Laura introduces us to Almanzo Wilder and shows us what life is like for him growing up on a farm in New York. We learn about his daily chores and see how much he wants to prove he is responsible enough to have his own horse. Give this book a read, and then try these three activities to help you explore the text further. Lesson Plans for Farmer Boy By Laura Ingalls Wilder After we finished out Little House in the Big Woods Lesson Plan we moved on to the next book in the series, Farmer Boy By Laura Ingalls Wilder. The kids liked this one and learning about old-time farming. We also used the Guide for Using Farmer Boy in the Classroom (Literature Units). They have activities and worksheets for each chapter along … [Read more...]
Easy Instant Pot Lasagna Recipe
As a mom of 5, I LOVE easy Instant Pot recipes! They are easy and forgiving of me when I forget to pull the meat out of the freezer, which is several times a week! This easy Instant Pot Lasagna has quickly become a family favorite! Easy Instant Pot Lasagna Recipe About 3 years ago I broke down and bought an Instant Pot and ditched my traditional slow cooker and I haven't looked back. You can make just about anything in your Instant Pot. It has so many settings I used it to make rice, as a slow cooker, and I even have recipes for Instant Pot yogurt! Related: Easy Instant Pot Chocolate Cake Recipe I even learned I am able to can jam in my Instant Pot. Talk about easy! my Instant Pot gets so much use now it pretty much stays on my kitchen counter. I love … [Read more...]
Easy Meatless Chili Recipe with BUSH’S® Chili Beans
This post is sponsored by Savings.com. Many of you reading this grew up on BUSH’S® Beans. You had it in dad’s famous Chili. You had BUSH’S® Beans in your favorite version of beanie weenies. These beans were a staple in our childhood, but they are also a major part of my life now! My kids enjoy these beans too, which is great because we eat a lot of beans! Easy Meatless Chili Recipe with BUSH’S® Chili Bean Favorite Recipes It’s important that I have BUSH’S® Chili Beans in my house because we use them in so many recipes. I have at least 5-10 cans in my pantry at all times. These beans are an excellent hearty add for meals or just to serve by themselves because they are so delicious I have been known to eat them right out of the can. I can tell you that these beans go in many of our … [Read more...]
Little House in the Big Woods Lesson Plan
Little House in the Big Woods is the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life living on an 1800’s frontier with her homesteading family. This book tells about the adventures Laura and her family enjoy while living on the homestead and gives a glimpse of what their daily life was like through the eyes of young Laura. This book is ideal for teaching kids not just more about the life of a homesteader, but what life was like for children living on the frontier in the late 1800’s! We love this series and put this Little House in the Big Woods Lesson Plan together to go with it. Little House in the Big Woods Lesson Plan We started by reading the book twice. Once we read as a readout loud just for them to hear at night. The second time we read it to study it. As we read the … [Read more...]
Easy Chicken Pot Pie Casserole + Tips to Making Dinner When Life is Busy
Thank you Idahoan® Mashed Potatoes for sponsoring this post. Idahoan® Mashed Potatoes are real potatoes, real easy, delivering homemade taste on demand. If you have children, life is busy. If you have five children, life can be complete chaos at times. I have to say that dinner time has to be one of the most chaotic times of the day. When it comes to making dinner, I have to get a little creative. I don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen, so there are some things I like to do to make dinner easier when life gets busy. Easy Chicken Pot Pie Casserole Let me share some tips for making dinner easy. Because as a mom of 5 kids easy dinners are my go too! If you are looking for the recipe it's right below! First Some Tips to Making Dinner When Life is Busy Do a Little … [Read more...]
Copy Cat Melting Pot Love Martini Recipe
With Valentines Day coming up The Melting Pot has shared some of their great recipes! Why not spoil each other at home all year with this Melting Pot Love Martini recipe? How yummy does this sound? Strawberry, Coconut, Peach, Cranberry YUM! Copy Cat Melting Pot Love Martini Recipe A long time ago hubby and I decided we were NOT going to try to go out on Valentines Day, or the weekend before or after it. The crowds were crazy! So we started to find meals at home. As we had kids we would put the kids to bed early and have an at-home date night. Related: Copy Cat Melting Pot Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fondue We went to the Melting Pot on date night often before kids but I just don't feel like it's a place to take kids. People want to relax, there are a lot of hot things … [Read more...]
5 Tips for a DIY Indoor Herb Garden
Establishing an indoor garden is a great way to not only grow your food but also cut down on the grocery budget. Indoor herb gardening is an easy way to add flavor and spices to a meal as well. Growing any food at home, even if it is a small amount, can be helpful in becoming making the most out of what you have to use at home. Consider these tips on how to start your own do-it-yourself indoor herb garden. 5 Tips for a DIY Indoor Herb Garden Find A Spot Indoor herb gardens are usually quite small in size and don’t require much room to grow. A perfect spot would include the windowsill of your kitchen window or a sunny place somewhere else in the home. Consider choosing a south facing window if you live in a colder area as that will help keep the plants warm enough to survive all year … [Read more...]
Be the Best You This Year with Publix
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Be The Best You Available at Publix. The opinions and text are all mine. When you’re a mother to five children, you need to have a game plan. My game plan has always been Publix. This store has been a lifesaver on many occasions, especially when we need to make a late-night sick kid run or a last-minute Sunday dinner run. I would say it’s easier than ever to Be The Best You at Publix. Here is why you can Be the Best You at Publix: All of the food and drinks Our family lives for food and drinks, and as you can imagine, five kids go through a lot. I also enjoy having snacks on hand. Publix allows us to “Be The Best You” because we don’t need to go to five different stores to pick up our … [Read more...]
Easy Slow Cooked Pork Chops Recipe – Only 5 Ingredients!
If you know me, you know I love my easy slow cooker recipes and break them out weekly! This easy slow-cooked pork chops recipe is only 5 ingredients and it's super easy and even the kids liked it so that's a major score! Easy Slow Cooked Pork Chops Recipe - Only 5 Ingredients! Keep in mind if you have thinner pork chops you will want to cook them a bit less. I got some a few months back on sale and forgot to adjust the cooking time so they were a bit dry but still just as good! It's easy to adjust the salt and pepper to taste and I've adjusted this recipe adding things in. In fact, this has been known as This and That Pork Chops in my house. Related: Brown Sugar Glazed Garlic Pork Chops These pork chops go really good with my 7 Up Biscuits Recipe. It's a great … [Read more...]