Nicole

Peeps Fruit Kabobs!

Good evening, savvy savers! I wanted to share another tip with you tonight, as part of my Easter Projects and recipes Series, this time my Peeps Fruit Kabobs! I just love this idea! I use lemonade and watermelon flavored peeps, along with cut kiwi, strawberries, tangelos, and wooden barbeque skewers to make a snack that’s as fun as can be! This has always been one of my go-to Easter treats, especially while dying eggs! This idea is customizable, and easy to make up to a day ahead! If you also want an extra treat, try drizzling chocolate sauce over the fruit as well!

Here’s to Easter!

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DIY Off! Botanicals Spray!

Good afternoon, savvy savers! For this weeks Thrifty Thursday post, I want to bring you my recipe for Homemade Off! Botanicals Insect Repellent! Why share this blend so early in the season? This past weekend, I saw the first skeeter of the year! This hack was created last summer, as we in Mississippi had a very mild winter, and the droves of bugs did not have a chance to die off, and so I needed a blend that was both economical, as well as organic and pet, child, and elderly safe!

I am able to make this repellent for $0.15 for 3 cups of repellent, which is a 99% savings over the 1 ounce Off! Botanicals, which costs $6.98 here locally! I mix up a large bathc at a time, and using spray bottles from the Dollar Tree, I keep batches on my patio, garden area, mood room, garage, and one in the car for trips! This blend is a lifesaver for my family!

A word to the wise, this blend does have a slight odor, due to the vinegar, but dissipated within 10-15 seconds of spraying. I have used this blend on everything from myself, family, pets, and even garden plants and water fountains!

Here’s how I make it:

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 table spoons vegetable glycerin
1/2 cup witch hazel
1 green tea bag
12 drops citonella essential oil
12 drops lemon essential oil
dried rosemary

Here’s how to make it:

1) Boil 1 cup water, and when water turns to a boil, turn off your stove. Add your green tea bag and dried rosemary, and steep for 5 minutes.

2) Remove your tea bag, and strain your tea of rosemary over a sive, then let your tea cool for 20 minutes.

3) Add your vinegar, glycerin, and essential oils.

4) Then add this blend to your spray bottle, then carefully add your witch hazel to your bottle.

5) Carefully swish your blend together, but do not shake your bottle.

6) Let the blend meld for 1 hour.

7) Shake bottle-up at this point.

8) Enjoy!

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Fit Fruit & Vegetable Wash Hack!

Good morning, savvy savers! Spring has sprung, and fresh produce is soon to be in even more abundance in the home of millions of American homes! With this in mind, for this weeks Cleaning Solutions Post, I wanted to share with you a hack for the Fit Fruit & Vegetable Wash! I make my homemade, DIY version for $0.12 a bottle! Compare this to the $9.99 price tag for the leading brand, and you are at a 99% savings! I generally even restore my product back in my original FIT bottle as well!

Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons salt

Instructions:

1) Mix all ingredients up, allowing the baking soda and citric acid to neutralize for 2 minutes, and then store in a spray bottle.

2) In a glass bowl, place all produce and spray with solution, then let sit for five minutes.

3) Rinse all Produce, dry in a vegetable strainer, salad spinner, or dry on a paper towel.

4) Store solution in the refrigerator, up to 1 month.

5) Enjoy!

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Easter Candy Cones!

Good afternoon, savvy savers! I wanted to take time this afternoon to share with you another one of my favorite Easter crafts, my Easter Candy Cones! What’s cool about this project is that all of the supplies can be purchased at the Dollar Tree, for under $5.00, and will make you 12 cones customizable candy cones! These cones make for excellent church gifts, thinking-of-you surprises, or a treat for the parents of wee-ones Easter egg hunting this coming weekend! I always love how they turn out, whether individually or in a basket, whomever receives one, is guaranteed to smile!

All you need to make them is a box of waffle cones, candy, paper shreds, wrapped candy, Easter gift bags, clear packaging tape, and creativity!

Just fill each cone with a half handful of paper shreds, add the candy, and then place the cone in the gift bag; twist the gift bag in a cylinder and secure with clean tape and twist tie the top closed!

Easy peasy!

Here’s to Easter!

(Photo Bunting Credit, Hallmark Cards)

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Start Saving Tax Receipts From Donated Stockpiled Goods

Good morning, savvy savers! For this weeks Wednesday Ways to Save, I just wanted to give everyone a quick reminder to start saving receipts for all of the donated food that you donate for the remained of the year! Assuming you have decided to donate food and non-perishable goods, even toiletry products, to a local food bank, federally you can request a tax receipt for up to $200.00 annually!

With so many savvy savers undergoing spring cleaning this season and clearing out pantry shelves, why not earn a few extra dollars for all of your hard-earned, couponed goods? If you decide to donate food, make sure you do so with a repetitive 401-c3 non-profit group, and kindly ask for a tax receipt! You are allowed by law to receive the Fair Market Value of your goods, at the time of donation! Most tax software programs and internet tax tools are set up to handle any donation receipts you have accumulated over the past year.

This $200.00 can pay to reimburse yourself for the fuel, paper, and ink costs which go into couponing throughout the year while helping others at the same time! Remember to also keep your receipts in a safe place for next tax season! Now I have to ask, what tax deductions do you have ready for this coming years tax season? I’d love to hear about it below!

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Crockpot Lasagna!

Good afternoon, savvy savers! Today I would like to share with you all my recipe for Crockpot Lasagna! This recipe is lower in fat, as I use ground turkey in liue of ground beef, which can be purchased for $1.00/lb. tubes at your local Save-A-Lot; the cheese can also be purchased for $1.00 there as well! All other ingredients can be purchased at your local Dollar Tree; recently my Dollar Tree started carrying ricotta cheese, which I stockpiled, and froze! I love that this recipe does not require boiling the lasagna pasta, which is a great time saver in the winter, and helps to eliminate heat in my kitchen, in the warm southern summers!

I can make this recipe for under $4.00, and it will 6.

Here’s how I make it:

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey
4 tablespoons dried onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (12 ounce) package lasagna noodles
12 ounces cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions:

1) In a large skillet, over medium-low heat, brown your ground turkey.

2) While browning, add your dried onion, oregano, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and salt.

3) Stir well, and heat through for 5 minutes on low.

4) In a seperate large bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese.

5) Next, place a small layer of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the slow cooker.

6) Now, add a double layer of the uncooked lasagna noodles; break the noodles up to fit the shape of the crockpot.

7) Now, add a layer of the cheese mixture. Then continue to layer the meat, noodles, and cheese mixture until add layer are finished.

8) Cover, and cook on low setting for 6 hours.

9) Pair with a salad and garlic bread.

10) Enjoy!

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DIY Easter Egg Garland!

Hello again, savvy savers! Today finds us with another Easter Craft Project, this time a Paint Chip Easter Egg Garland!

To make this project, simply acquire paint chips (you will need 8 per foot of garland), I used Behr paint tri-color swatches.

Now, using this awesome egg pattern from nuttinbutrpreschool.com, you will cut out your eggs, and using a small hole punch or exacto knife, on a cutting pad, cut out two hole, 1/2 inch apart, as seen, and string through craft twine, through the hole, stringing the garland as you go along! This project is easy, but time consuming, and I was able to create 12 feet of garland in the time it took me to watch 2 movies this past weekend!

As well, please be sure to ask paint store employees if it is alright to take that many samples before hoarding the stash, if you will!

Here’s to Easter!

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