$0.50 Grilled Cheese at Sonic (12/30/15)

Whether you're still on vacation or headed to work, stop by your nearest Sonic Drive-In today for $0.50 Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.  Just mention the deal when ordering!  Limit is 5, tax and add-ons are extra.

Kids Eat FREE at IKEA (12/28/15 - 1/1/16)

Taking the family out to "window shop" at IKEA is something we always enjoy.  You can spend hours in this store checking out the display rooms and all the great items they have.  But what else do they have there?  Why else would you spend an afternoon walking through this giant furniture store?  For the food of course!  IKEA has a great restaurant that is typically right in the middle of the store and more often than not, they run great deals.

Right now, you can take the family to IKEA and kids will eat FREE from today, December 28th, through January 1st.  Not a bad way to end the old year and bring in the new year.  

Fresh & Inexpensive Produce at ALDI Grocery Store

Now that Christmas is over, a lot of us are going to try and go to a bit of a healthier way of eating.  That doesn't mean that we are going to cut out all "junk food" but we want to try and add more fresh fruits, vegetables and other "good for you" foods to our diet.

ALDI grocery stores are the perfect place to help you do that and it won't take a big chunk out of your wallet.  

For example, this week at ALDI you can get avocados for $0.39 each, cucumbers for $0.29 each and a 2 pound bunch of organic bananas for just $0.99.  Pretty good, right?

And when it comes to meats, ALDI tends to run pretty good deals too.  Right now you can get a 5 pound roll of ground beef for only $9.99 and packages of chicken thighs run $0.49 per pound.

So if you're looking to add fresh and healthy to your meals, then head on over to your local ALDI and give your family fresh foods for less.

$0.79 Jr. Deluxe Cheeseburgers at Sonic (12/23/15)

On Wednesday, December 23rd, you can get a Jr. Deluxe Cheeseburger for a mere $0.79 at Sonic. This special will run all day but you must mention the deal when ordering and there is a limit of 5. Tax and add-ons are extra.  

Shared Blessings

Sometimes, during the holiday season, we get super busy and start to feel overextended with all that has to be done.  But try not to let that happen - try not to get so caught up in the "holiday fever" that you forget about those that might be a little less fortunate.

Last week, we were Blessed with a little extra money for the holidays so last night, when we were at our local Wal-mart, we noticed that the food pantry from our area was there and they were doing their once a year food drive.  They stand out there from 6am to 8pm collecting donations that will be used here in our local area and to be honest, I can't think of a better place to share our Blessings with than right here in our own neighborhood.

The kids and I looked at the list the food pantry was handing out and then we got right to it.  We ended up with 2 bags of flour, 4 packets of cornbread mix, 2 bags of split green peas, 2 bags of lentils, 2 cans of corn, 2 cans of green beans and 2 cans of peas - all for a mere $10.04.  And while it's not a shopping cart full, I don't think we did too bad and I'm sure that some family or person will appreciate it and it will go to good use.  

So if you can, share a little something this holiday season with your local food pantry - you never know who it might go to help and how much they might really need it.  As you can see - it sometimes doesn't take more than $10.00 to help those in need.

Try This Game - Crowd Squeezer

Here's another great game for you to play with your family and/or relatives this Thanksgiving holiday......and it won't cost a thing!  It's called "Crowd Squeezer" and all you need are people and a blanket.

Spread the blanket out on the floor - everyone gets on top of the blanket with no body parts hanging off.  If you succeed with this, then everyone gets up and the blanket is folded in half.  Now put the blanket back down and same thing - everyone gets on top of the blanket with no body parts hanging off.  If you are able to do it again, then the blanket is folded in half one more time.  You keep going until the blanket is as small as you can go with everyone on it.  What interesting combinations can you come up with to get everyone on!!

Leftovers Made New

Thanksgiving is almost here and some of you are about to have a house full of relatives that are ready to celebrate with you as we give Thanks for everything we are Blessed with in our lives.

But Thanksgiving also means - LEFTOVERS!!!!!!

Instead of getting everyone "sick of turkey" - turn the leftovers into a fun, family event that won't cost a thing!  Take those leftovers and any other ingredients you have in your kitchen and host a "Thanksgiving Leftover Cook-Off".

Divide up the relatives into cooks and judges - see who can come up with the best recipe and the best way to use up some of those leftovers.  Not only will you have fun and laughs but everyone will be able to try "something new".

Cold Weather Fun For Indoors

It's that time of year again where the weather tends to keep a lot of us indoors - and you know what that can mean - cranky, bored children!

So lets give them a fun outlet that isn't the same old thing - put away the video games, the dvds and get together for some silly, cheap fun.

Pull out some inexpensive, brown paper bags, markers, leftover yarn and any other scraps or craft materials you have hanging around and make Paper Bag Puppets!

And when they are all done, have your kids do a little puppet show that you can record and share online for all your friends and family.  Cheap entertainment for everyone!

Or what about this classic -

Thumb Wrestling!

Make it even more fun by adding faces to the thumbs with ink pens.  Cute, fun and cheap!

Bertolli Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

If you just read my last post about how I got my kids involved in the kitchen the other night, you might be having a craving for some easy, delicious spaghetti and meatballs right about now.  No worries, here is the recipe that we used - like I said - it's super simple for the kids to do and if your kids are older than mine, then they should be able to make the pasta as well.  Great times, lots of laughs and good food - time spent with family doesn't get any better than that.  Enjoy!

RECIPE SERVES: 4

PREP TIME	20 Minutes
COOK TIME	20 Minutes

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serving Size1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	600
Calories From Fat	180
Saturated Fat	7 g
Trans Fat	0.5 g
Total Fat	20 g
Cholesterol	130 mg
Sodium	1150 mg
Carbohydrates	66 g
Sugars	19 g
Dietary Fibre	6 g
Protein	40 g
Vitamin A	25 %
Vitamin C	10 %
Calcium	25 %
Iron	40 %

Bertolli Spaghetti & Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. garlic
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 jar Bertolli® Tomato & Basil Sauce
• 8 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine ground beef, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, water, egg, garlic and salt in medium bowl; shape into 12 meatballs.
2. Bring Sauce to a boil over medium-high heat in 3-quart saucepan. Gently stir in uncooked meatballs.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are done, about 20 minutes. Serve over hot spaghetti and sprinkle, if desired, with additional Parmesan cheese.

Cost per recipe*: $8.39. Cost per serving*: $2.10. *Based on average retail prices at national supermarkets.

Get Kids Involved

Spending time with your kids is very important.  You all need to "disconnect" from technology every now and again to actually spend time together.  Sitting down at the table to have a family meal is a great place to start, but what about getting your kids involved in cooking the dinner with you?   It not only allows you to spend time with each other, but they end up learning valuable skills that will help them as they become young adults.

The other night, I decided to pull my kids away from the televisions and get them involved with making our dinner.  We decided on a simple Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe that we found in a Bertolli ad.  It wasn't difficult, it didn't have a lot of ingredients and that meant it wasn't going to cost a lot of money to make.

While I got the pasta cooking, the kids measured, mixed and rolled the meatballs.  Then they lowered them into the sauce where the meatballs cooked.  When everything was finished, we sat down together and shared this fabulously fun meal.  Not only did it taste good, but the kids were really proud of themselves and felt a great sense of accomplishment.

So get your kids involved - you might be surprised at how much fun you have with something as simple as cooking together.

10th Annual Halloween Hoopla

Halloween will be here before you know it and if your house is anything like mine, you've got little goblins and ghouls begging to go out for some devilish good times that end in a pile of sweet treats.  But in this day and age, it's hard to know if you're neighborhood is a good place to go trick or treating - is it safe?  Are the neighbors participating?  Or will your monster crew be disappointed?

Enter your wonderful community.  Lots of churches and local parks & recreation centers host alternative trick or treating events for you to take your kids to - a place where you can feel safe and enjoy yourselves.

Harker Heights is no exception:

Saturday, October 31, 530pm-830pm

10th Annual Halloween Hoopla

Harker Heights Community Park

1501 E. FM 2410

The city of Harker Heights will be hosting a fun-filled evening to provide the youth in the community with a fun, safe alternative to door-to-door Trick or Treating.  Games, inflatables, candy, activities and other forms of entertainment will be present.

And as always, this is a FREE event so get out there and have a spooky good time!

Get Involved - Volunteer

Sometimes, getting involved by volunteering can also lead to FREE fun-filled activities.  Check out your local activities center, library or city hall to see what opportunities there might be.  It's a great chance for you and your family to make friends, do something together and help out those in need.

Here are some great volunteer opportunities in Harker Heights:

Tuesday, October 27th, 5pm-730pm

Candy Bagging

Create 1,000 Bags of Candy

Saturday, October 31st, 430pm-845pm

Halloween Hoopla

Game Attendants

Saturday, November 14, 10am-11am

Tree Planting

Plant Trees

Friday, December 11, 430pm-9pm

Frost Fest

Holiday Specialists

Monday, December 14, 530pm-845pm

Heights Lights on Parade

Judges

Thank A Police Officer Day (9/19/15)

Today is national Thank A Police Officer Day so if you are out and about, make sure you tell one "Thank You".  They don't have an easy job and those simple words mean a lot to them.  So thank you to our local police officers for all you do in keeping our neighborhood safe!

Check Out Your Local Library

Lots of people think a library is just a place to go when you need to do homework, research something or use a computer - but the library can be so much more. They are a great example of FREE entertainment that can be found right in your local community.

The obvious entertainment they offer is books - all kinds of books that can either entertain you as is or help you with an interest.  For example - if you are a reader, like me, they have shelves upon shelves of great fiction and non-fiction books that you can check out and read where ever you are most comfortable.  Read at home in the evening to help you relax after a long day at work, take a book with you to the pool or beach and read as you soak up some rays - what about taking a book to the park where you can sit under a shade tree, enjoy some fresh air and get lost in the words of your favorite author?  

But what if you aren't a reader - well no worries there.  The library offers tons of books that can help you with other interests you may have.  They offer lots of cookbooks if you are interested in trying a new recipe with your kids, gardening books if you'd like to start a container garden and graphic novels of all kinds if you are still into comic books - and it's absolutely free to check them out.  All you have to do is take a few minutes to sign up for a library card.

However, the FREE entertainment doesn't stop there!  Almost all libraries have a DVD section where you can check out movies or t.v. series and some libraries even have a section of CDs for your listening pleasure that can be checked out too.

And when it comes to kids, there is generally always a fantastic kids' section with books, DVDs, CDs, toys - sometimes they hold special events with activities and costumes too!

Recently our local library had a whole month of super-hero Saturdays where both the staff and attendees dressed up.  They had story times, activities, snacks - it was so much fun and the kids really enjoyed it.

If you're lucky, your library might even offer "gaming" weekends, LEGO building or host other activities like when one of the local pizza companies came and taught kids about dough and how pizza is made.  

So get out there and see what the local library in your area offers.  You might be surprised to find that fun and FREE was right in your own neighborhood the whole time.

Out the Mix

Oh it's been too long!  We have been seriously out of the mix for almost two whole months!  We do apologize for that but life sometimes gets in the way of the things.  

There was the end of summer activities, getting everything ready for the new school year, actually starting the new school year and I myself started a new position - needless to say it's been go, go, go with barely time to breath.  

But now that the dust has finally started to settle, we will be able to get back to showing you how to live a fun filled life for less.

We hope you all had a great summer and a seamless reentry to school life - but now, lets get back to basics and save money while getting what we need and doing what we want.