Thursday, April 23, 2015

DIY All Natural Self Tanner!


I hate to admit it but I am addicted to the tanning bed. For the record, I am not one of those people who goes 3 times a week but I do like to go once a week...set the timer for 15 minutes, plug in the headphones, and zone out. It is like therapy! Some say that it is because of the healthy dose of Vitamin K that the sunless bed's offer but even if that is true, I still worry about the harmful effects of the tanning bed. Don't worry...this is NOT that article.

Now, I know what you are all thinking-or at least those of you who have tried self tanners before are probably thinking the same thing. Most self tanners typically leave streaks and  are an ugly orange color. If you are watching the chemicals you put on your body...don't even turn over the bottle from the store. It is LOADED with chemicals!

This organic and all natural self tanning method is practically foolproof. I have tried a few others that were not foolproof! Now I will caution that this will not get you DARK but it will give you a healthy and radiant glow.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO DIY THIS AWESOME TANNER & BRONZER

Monday, April 20, 2015

How to Remove Crayon from Clothing! It's so Easy!

C'mon....admit it, it happens to you too!

You are on your last load of laundry and you pull the victorious load out of the dryer only to find that one of your lovely children had placed a crayon in their pocket and THE WHOLE LOAD IS COVERED IN RED WAX!

This happens to me frequently but today ...it was down right irritating! We are leaving for vacation tomorrow and this load was all of my oldest son's shorts and shirts that should be sitting safely in the suitcase. I also should mention that I JUST took the tags off and now the clothes look ruined.

Luckily for me...this saved the entire load! Click HERE to learn how!

Friday, April 17, 2015

Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Wagon Giveaway!

littletikescozycoupewagonLittle Tikes knows a lot of families will be spending time outdoors this spring and summer and has offered one of our readers a chance to win this adorable Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Wagon. See review here

These Little Tikes Coupes are amazing and they really are durable enough to last! I have 5 kids and each one has LOVED their wagon!

Feeling Lucky? Enter to Win!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: This giveaway is open to the United States Only for those 18 years and older with a valid email address. The contestant will be contacted via the email address they use in the rafflecopter form. All entries will be confirmed and a winner will be chosen within 48 hours of giveaway end date. The giveaway ends 5-05-15. Please contact MOHTHGiveaways@outlook.com for any information. Frugal Fit Family is not responsible for the distribution of this giveaway.

Time for the Let's Get Real Linkup!

Linky PartyLet's get this Friday started. Let's Get Real is all about Healthy Living. That's right! It's all about Real Food, fitness, health and wellness, and home life tips and tricks from Real people. That's you! Grab a cup of coffee (or other preferred beverage ). Relax into a comfy spot and take some time to get to know the great folks that link up here.

Click Here to get to the Party!

 

Monday, April 13, 2015

5 ingredient Homemade Mayo - Organic on a Budget!

This one came from  the archives...back to when I first started blogging..

As a family, we recently began reading labels and learning more about the foods that we were putting into our bodies. Am I a "hippe"? No, my husband likes to call me that though! We simply decided that our family ate too many convenience foods and WAY too many things that we couldn't pronounce! If my grandmother were alive today, she would shake her head at my old shopping carts. The woman lived 77 years and I am certain did not think that biscuits came from cans!

So, armed with a few hundred websites and a family of 7 behind me...I began tackling each item on our shopping list. This week, it was mayonnaise.

Click HERE to learn how to save money by making your own ORGANIC MAYO with only 5 ingredients!

10 things to do with JELLY!

I LOVE FARMER'S MARKET SEASON!

Not many people know that your local "farmers" market has way more than just locally grown fruits and veggies - but they should! Your local farmers market will typically have hand made baked goods, services, hand crafted items, jellies, jams, potions, and more!  To be honest, while I load up on the garden items, most of my favorites are the sweets that I find!
On my last trip to the West Chester, Ohio Farmers Market, I ran across some AH-MAZING pineapple-ginger jam from SMASHED JAMS & ASSORTMENTS (follow them on Facebook HERE.) They have tons of crazy flavors and some are even infused with liquor..Apple Bourbon Butter anyone?!  I quickly began  thinking of all the ways that I could use the jams and before long, I had quite a list of awesome ideas.

Just some of the flavors available from Smashed Jams & Assortments!!
  JELLIES and JAMS ARE NOT JUST FOR TOAST ANYMORE! 
 
Here are 10 Fun Ways to use your jam and/or jelly!
  
 
1. Stir Fry. You may have never realized this but adding jam and jelly to your stirfry will bring tons of life to it! Simply mix soy sauce with a few spoonfuls of jam along with some red pepper flakes and you have a fun twist on your normal dish! I recommend pepper jelly and orange marmalade for these but any will do!

2. Homemade dressing. I never used to be a vinaigrette person until I started making my own! Simply toss any oil and vinegar together and add 2 teaspoons of your favorite jam or jelly and any additional seasonings you may like and SHAKE IT UP! CLICK HERE FOR A QUICK AND EASY RESTAURANT QUALITY Farmers Market Spinach Salad RECIPE.

3. Marinade/Glaze. Bring new life to your grilled chicken, meats, and seafood! Mix together melted butter, jelly, seasonings, and maybe even a little bourbon and brush over your meats during the grilling process.

4. Cookies! Make a basic sugar cookie and make a small well with your thumb before baking. Fill them in with a little jam or jelly right before baking.

5. Fruit lemonade! Add a spoonful of your favorite fruity spread to a glass of lemonade and shake!

6. Mojitos! Probably my FAVORITE USE! To a shaker add 1 lime (juiced), 1 tablespoon of jam or jelly, some crushed mint, 2 oz of rum and ice. Shake! Then fill the remainder of the glass with soda water or sprite. YUM!

7. Fruit Pizza - Take any old pizza crust (healthy homemade yeast free- wheat crust HERE) and spread a thin layer of jelly (u can do a layer of cream cheese too if you want). Add some savory goat cheese, brie, bacon, or even just more fruit! bake and enjoy! This is a HUGE hit at parties! You can also use this super easy 2 ingredient Greek Yogurt dough recipe

8.  Fruit Infuse Your Next Cake! Thin the jam or jelly with a little warm water to make a syrup, poke holes in a still warm cake then pour syrup over the top. Add your icing as normal!

9. Berry good yogurt! Blend a teaspoon into your favorite yogurt! This will make a great flavored yogurt with less preservatives than the store-bought stuff AND you can save some money by buying the larger vanilla tub!


10. Crepes! Check out this super easy crepe recipe HERE.

11. Homemade Syrup. Take the jam and thin it with some warm water and butter. Heat and serve over pancakes, French toast, etc. SOOO good! Easy homemade pancake recipe HERE.

Okay, in reality...there are HUNDREDS of uses for jams and jellies but these are 10 (okay 11) of my favorites!




So, what will inspire you this week at the Farmers' Market? Stay tuned to see what inspires me each week at the West Chester, Ohio Farmers Market! You can follow the market on facebook by clicking HERE.  The website http://westchesterohiofarmersmarket.org/ has more information and details about dates and vendors!

Please be sure to follow me on facebook, twitter, whichever outlet you choose! I always share great farmers market inspirations, recipes, and money saving tips!


How do you use your jam or jellies...SHARE!











Friday, April 10, 2015

Time to PARTY!

Linky PartyLet's get this Friday started. Let's Get Real is all about Healthy Living. That's right! It's all about Real Food, fitness, health and wellness, and home life tips and tricks from Real people. That's you! Grab a cup of coffee (or other preferred beverage ). Relax into a comfy spot and take some time to get to know the great folks that link up here.

Click here to pass the velvet ropes and GO VIP to the Party!

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

10 Ways to Save Money on Vacation - Especially in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge

Growing up, my family visited Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and
Gatlinburg, Tennessee every year. My personal love for the destination was so strong that I convinced my husband to get married there! Now, 16 years later, we still go every year with our amazing family of 5 kids and try to get in as many attractions and sites as we can.
Vacationing can be costly for any family, especially a family of 7, so I have to be crafty to get as many things on our to-do list in OUR BUDGET! Luckily for me, both Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forget are FILLED with pocket friendly activities. While I have written these based on my family's destination of choice, you can actually use these tips and tricks ANYWHERE to save a little GREEN on your families annual trips!

They LOVE THE ANNUAL PHOTO in front of our Wedding Chapel - NOT!

1. BOOK VACATION STAYS WISELY - The internet gives you tons of options when it comes to where to stay AND how much to pay when booking a room. Check out HOTELS.COM for some great deals on rooms. If you really want to score savings, sign up and use EBATES to book your room through priceline. Not only will you find some awesome deals BUT you will also EARN CASH BACK (usually about 3%). Click here to sign up for Ebates. Of course look for places that offer free breakfast and even look for some that offer a dinner buffet or cocktail hours on a few nights.  They are out there and can save you big time.

PARKS ARE FREE!
2. Look for FREE activities in the area - this is where Google becomes your friend. There are always cool children's activities that can be found on the cheap! Local libraries and bookstores offer fun book reading activities, local park districts have nature walks and playgrounds, and you can even score free food of you are lucky enough to visit town during a food festival! Check the dates before you go!

3. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUTDOOR DINING! This is very doable - especially in high "tourist" traffic areas. While there are hosts of amazing restaurants to try when visiting... some of the BEST food can be found at cute "concession" style stands. Here you will find great prices, usually large portions, and NO tipping required. All you need to do is find a quaint place to eat and most of your tourist areas will have some picnic tables or benches for just that! My favorite stop on our last vaca was Donut Friar tucked back in The Village. Donuts ran us about $2 per person and we were able to eat them at a super cute wrought iron table in a beautiful setting. We did breakfast for UNDER $18 (including my packed juices of course)!!!



My real snack bag!
4. PACK SNACKS! I know that this one seems to go without saying but you just don't realize how quickly things add up. If you just pack beverages and a few light snacks for both your drive and your day trips, you will be surprised how quickly your savings can add up. The average price for a drink at a restaurant  these days is about $2 per person. If you have 5 people in your family and each soda stop is $10--that's gonna add up! Eliminating just ONE snack stop per day will stretch your vacation dollars. BONUS TIP- pack a few spare paper cups with you on day trips! Not many places offer kiddie sized treats (ice cream, slushies, etc) so having spare cups will allow you to split up jumbo sized treats and make them perfectly kiddie sized - not to mention stretch the cost! To learn more about how to MAKE MONEY At the Grocery..click HERE!

5. Take Advantage of LOCAL COUPON books! Stop by the gas station and grab a local paper or the local coupon guides. Here you will find discounts and deals that can really add up. On our last vacation, these coupons saved me over $50! I know, that doesn't maybe sounds like a ton of money BUT it was basically a free meal or a splurge afternoon for Mom!

Some coupon examples!


6. STAY AWARE - In the time leading up to your trip, visit sites like Living Social and Groupon. These sites sometimes offer EXACTLY what you are looking for at a HUGE discount! For instance, I knew that my kids were going to want to ride the go-karts in Pigeon Forge so I kept on checking out those sites and finally found a Groupon Deal for HALF OFF GO-KART RIDES and golf! With 5 kids - that was a HUGE DEAL!

7. GET THE MOST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK - Look for longer activities that will keep your family occupied  for extended periods of time. On our visit, we visited the Nascar Speedpark where each child cost $19.99 (after using a coupon LOL). For under $20 bucks, they got to drive go karts, mini golf,  and ride rides ALL DAY LONG! The other go-kart stops on the strip will run you up to $5 PER RIDE or mini-golf game! We started the day at the park at opening, left for dinner, and then returned for 3 more hours in the evening. That was 6 HOURS of fun for a fraction of what 6 hours would have cost us on the strip. They even offer a week long pass for only $31.99.  Finding an activity that costs the same or just a bit more but lasts longer will provide more fun and more money in your pocket!

8.  Make a LIST and CHECK IT TWICE - If you are like me, you ALWAYS forget something in your travel bag. Everyone knows that you need sunscreen, toothpaste, socks, etc. but how often do we forget one of these items? Buying these at a tourist stop will typically cost you more vs. a normal store AND will eat away at your travel budget. Be over prepared!

9 . SAMPLES are your friend! Not only can you find restaurants, retail stores, and even moonshine producers (seriously, more than 3 places where you can do FREE FLIGHTS of moonshine and/or wine) with FREEBIES but you can also take advantage of free "check me outs"! While visiting Pigeon Forge, you can see tons of awesome dinner shows and musical concerts BUT with my large family, they are all OUT of the budget. If you are walking down the strip, you can swing over by the Lumberjack Feud hall and sometimes see a short "sample" performance out front for FREE! You can also head over to the Dixie Stampede arena and pet the horses before shows. The new Island spot puts on an AWESOME light show in the huge fountain every 30 minutes. Be sure to visit at night and grab one of the many rocking chairs to watch.  There is also free live music both at the island and near the Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery throughout the day! No matter what town you visit, the kids will LOVE it so do some searching and find fun activities that won't cost a dime.

10. PLAN YOUR OWN ACTIVITIES - Taking your family on a picnic is a great way to spend an hour and sure, you can entertain the kids for an hour or two by the waters edge but if you really want to get a few hours of fun on the cheap...plan something like a craft, photo challenge. or scavenger hunt! Giving each kids a list of 10 things to look for at the park or while picnicking- or even while riding the trolley (only $.50) per person) will stretch your "FREE" time and offer tons of laughs. Taking a new board game is a MUST for us for the hotel - just in case of a rainy evening!


I hope this list gives you some ideas of how you can stretch your vacation dollars and that you have a  fantastic time while visiting Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, or your personal favorite Destination!

Blogger Opp for Little Tikes Cozy Coupe GIveaway!

635786-cozy-coupe-wagon_xlargeThis is a Blogger Opp for a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Wagon Giveaway. Retail value $79.99 hosted by Heather Jones from "Mommy Only Has 2 Hands".   

Team up with Heather from "Mommy Only Has 2 Hands"  to give a reader this fun wagon which is great for walks around the block or fun in the backyard, please sign up here. *The blogger that refers the most people will receive a free hosting page plus additional entry options on the giveaway form.

Sign up and get on board TODAY! 

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

How to Set Up your Kitchen to Eat More Meals at Home!

I hope you will all enjoy my guest post today from Jane Blanchard! Getting on and sticking with a healthy eating plan may start with food selection but a lot of it is what you do with those items in the kitchen!  Jane offers some amazing ways to set up and organize a kitchen to help us eat more foods at home! Check it out then swing over to Modernize.com  or follow them on Facebook or Twitter for more great tips, ideas, and inspiration!


Sunday, April 5, 2015

Fresh Thyme now open in Centerville, Ohio!

From the day that I learned that there was a new Fresh Thyme coming to my town, I have sat and waited  with extreme anticipation (insert impatiently stalking the construction  site).  I do not remember being excited for a new store like this since I was a kid. Most folks may say that I am crazy and remind me that, "it's just a grocery store" but I am here to tell you that THEY ARE WRONG!

Ever since my family started our organic eating journey, I have found grocery shopping to be a long process - I either go to 2 different grocery stores or spend way too much money trying to do it all at one store. One specialty "health food" store has higher prices and most of my items while the other "regular" store has better prices but only marks off some of my family's long grocery list. With the new Fresh Thyme in town, thank goodness - shopping can be EASY, AFFORDABLE, and HEALTHY!

If you haven't seen one yet, Fresh Thyme is an Amazing store! It's like a full sized grocery store but honestly more similar to a good old Farmers Market. From the minute you walk in, you will notice the difference - from the décor to the variety!

Since you may not have been yet, let me take you on a tour!


Fresh Thyme puts the veggies and fruits FRONT AND CENTER!
Typically, a grocery store puts the "fresher" items around the perimeter and then stuffs the huge center of the store with the convenience, prepackaged, junk foods causing you to spend  most of your trip loading up in the center and grazing the outside as a secondary thought - not at Fresh Thyme! In the heart of the store, you are going to find TONS of produce with most being grown locally. The perimeter is filled with even more goodness...

Step right up to the good ole' Meat Counter-it's nothing short of
amazing! Here you are going to find the freshest of naturally raised and organic meats. Tip - check out 1 of the over a DOZEN types of sausage made in house! The butcher (yep, not just "counter guy") was super knowledgeable and eager to assist in getting just the right cut!



Visit the artisan bakery! Here is another spot you will see Fresh Thyme's committment to your community! Not only will you find breads and goodies baked in the store BUT you may also see some local artisans items featured! Gluten free? NO WORRIES! Fresh Thyme has an array of specialty breads and muffins just for you that are taste tested and crowd approved!

Next, wander on over to the seafood department!  The fish served are sustainable AND directly sourced by the good people from Fresh Thyme. The fish is flown in daily so you are sure to get some of the best and freshest fish around.
 
How could I forget my walk down the dairy aisle?!  HOLY DAIRY DEPARTMENT BATMAN! Fresh from the farm…organic milk, cage-free eggs, greek yogurt, fresh juice and so much more! They not only feature TONS of fresh dailry goodies but also more - non dairy offerings that I have ever seen! My family chooses almond milk and with 5 kids- we go through a TON! It was nice to see that the prices didn't penalize me for making a healthy choice!

BUT WAIT...THERE IS STILL MORE!

Skip over to the Sandwiches counter and grab some amazing pizza or fresh made sandwiches! This stop is especially awesome for a busy family! I mean, who wants to cook after getting home with groceries?
 


AND really, THEY HAVE LOCALLY ROASTED COFFEE BEANS!

So now that I have given you the "Grand Tour" (trust, me there is so much more) I want to tell you a little about the prices!

THE PRICES ARE AWESOME TOO!

I was so happy to learn about DOUBLE AD WEDNESDAY! Every Wednesday, you can take advantage of both the outgoing and incoming sales flyers! Not many grocery stores are going to do that for their customers!

The regular prices were lower than the "specialty" health food store I shop at the sale prices were even better. They also have great ways to save money like Bulk Bins! My family scores tings like oatmeal, nuts, and even flour in these bins. We go through about 10 pounds of flour a week as a family (no lie, a lot of pancakes, muffins, and pizza dough at my house)  so these bins are a great way to buy!

There is so much more to tell you about Fresh Thyme but you should probably visit for yourself and see everything that they have to offer. I didn't even get to the safe and natural cleaning product section, the healthy and wellness aisles, the fresh squeezed juice, bulk candy, olive bar and so many other departments, Plan to get there early and take your time wandering, exploring, and finding gems...they are hidden in plain sight!

Oh, and lastly - FRESH THYME SUPPORTS LOCAL BUSINESSES!

Throughout the store you will find local honey, locally roasted coffee, local breads, dairy items, and so many more.

They even seem to have many of the locally made goods highlighted so you can easily find them and support those in your community.

I hope you have enjoyed this trip through Fresh Thyme and are able to visit soon!

Please let me know if you have visited!

Get Fresh with your Food and Save Money at the Same Time!


**This post was sponsored by Fresh Thyme but all of the opinions were strictly my own and never swayed.
 
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