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Food

Easy Meals by Formula

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Bean and Rice Bowl
Bean and Rice Bowl
It is always something that is challenging about making dinner every night. Life is busy and chaotic, and now it is getting hot. Which means you can’t just make a bunch of casseroles to throw in the oven because it is just too hot! But I have a way to have dinner solutions that are quick and easy! It is cooking by formula! What else do you expect from someone called NerdMom;)?

What is the formula? Well the basic formula for a meal always seems to have certain components:
1)Protein (this is always #1 in our house;)
2)Starch
3)Vegetable
4)Optional sauce

That is it. That is all a good, healthy dinner really breaks down to. So to in order to have easy dinners you need to stock the components. Then (looking at math;) you will have multiple different meals in a snap! Here is my ledger of components!

Proteins (usually in meal sized portions in the freezer):
1)Chicken (batch cooked in the oven or BBQ’ed)
2)Shredded pork (out of the crockpot)
3)Shrimp
4)Beef (batch roasted, BBQ’ed or crock pot cooked)
5)Beans

Starch:
1)Jasmine Rice
2)Brown Rice (that can be cooked ahead and stored in the fridge or freezer)
3)Bean Threads
4)Rice Noodles
5)Gluten Free Penne
6)Gluten Free Macaroni

Veggies:
1)Frozen Broccoli
2)Frozen Chopped Spinach
3)Corn
4)Asparagus
5)Zucchini

Sauces:
1)Red Pasta Sauce
2)Alfredo Sauce
3)Pesto Sauce
4)Butter and Garlic Sauce (I just melt butter, add garlic with salt, pepper & paprika. If I have an extra minute I might add white wine and let it reduce. And if I happen to have parsley on hand toss it in at the end;)

If you have some or all of the components you can whip up dinner in no time at all!!! This is so much better for you than fast food and cheaper too! It also doesn’t take an over or a lot of prep time at all! You don’t even have to have a meal plan!!!

Contesting Monday

Contesting Monday 5/13

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So here is the deal. If you are hosting a giveaway or have a post about someone’s giveaway just leave a link. Make sure this link is to the giveaway post itself and not just the blog or it will be deleted. If you listed it last week but your giveaway is still open, list it again! Also your link must be to something family friendly or it will be deleted.

Before you run off to enter all the fabulous giveaways make sure you enter mine!!! I am giving away a fabulous Wahl Hot-Cold Therapy Massager!!!

So now you need to add your giveaways and go enter some giveaways! Let them know that Contesting Monday sent you! Make sure you pop back later this week for a giveaway of my own!!!

 

As Seen on TV, NerdFamily Things

5 Steps for Simple Organization

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storageboxesStuff, stuff, stuff. We have too much of it. We love it and hate it all at the same time! Maybe I am just projecting but I don’t think that I am alone in this. So how do we deal will all that stuff so we can both enjoy the things we have AND also enjoy the space we live in? One word, and I swear it isn’t a dirty one, ORGANIZING. It doesn’t have to be complicated or hard. Use these 5 simple steps to have a more organized, decluttered space!

(Continue Reading on NerdFamily Things)

As Seen on TV, household, organizing, Smart Living Strategies

5 Steps for Simple Organization

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storageboxes
Stuff, stuff, stuff. We have too much of it. We love it and hate it all at the same time! Maybe I am just projecting but I don’t think that I am alone in this. So how do we deal will all that stuff so we can both enjoy the things we have AND also enjoy the space we live in? One word, and I swear it isn’t a dirty one, ORGANIZING. It doesn’t have to be complicated or hard. Use these 5 simple steps to have a more organized, decluttered space!

1. Decide on an area to sort and start kind of small, like a desk versus the whole office;).

2. Set up 3 containers: One for keeping, one for garbage, and one for donations (or yard sale;).

3. Go through everything piece by piece and decide which container it should go in. Remember, don’t keep it just because it is in good shape. If you aren’t going to use it, bless someone else with it!

4. After you go through everything then and evaluate what you are keeping. Then (and only then) decide on what containers you will need to fit the space and separate everything. Don’t worry if you can’t afford to buy containers, you can use free things too! Target will give you all the shoe boxes you can handle and in all different sizes too.

5. Put everything into containers and label them. Live in your organized space!!!

That is it!!! 5 simple steps to organization and sanity!!!

Contesting Monday

Contesting Monday 5/6

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So here is the deal. If you are hosting a giveaway or have a post about someone’s giveaway just leave a link. Make sure this link is to the giveaway post itself and not just the blog or it will be deleted. If you listed it last week but your giveaway is still open, list it again! Also your link must be to something family friendly or it will be deleted.

Before you run off to enter all the fabulous giveaways make sure you enter mine!!! I am giving away a fabulous Wahl Hot-Cold Therapy Massager!!!

So now you need to add your giveaways and go enter some giveaways! Let them know that Contesting Monday sent you! Make sure you pop back later this week for a giveaway of my own!!!

gift worthy, giveaway, household

Wahl Hot-Cold Therapy Massager Giveaway

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hotcoldFirst off I have to get some business out of the way! This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a Wahl Hot/Cold Massager for the purpose of this review.

Mother’s Day is coming!!! And with that comes talk treating moms to something relaxing and pampering. What can be better than something to have at home to relieve her aches and pains?

Ok, I know that I am not the only mom who has a variety aches and pains. And as I get older it seems to get worse! So when I go to try the Wahl Hot-Cold Therapy Massager I was quite excited.

This has a plate in the middle of the massage head that can go hot or cold (ie the name;) but also there are 4 interchangeable pads with different textures on it too. There are also 2 different speeds.

I have to say, I loved it! The first thing I tried it on was my neck that is still hurting from when I took a dive playing broomball a couple of weeks ago. And yes, that is a literal dive;). My neck felt so much better. Then I tried it on my achy knee! I find it is perfect to manipulate around the knee cap to really relieve the tightness!

Wahl’s Hot-Cold Therapy Massager is available at most retailers about $60 and you can pop out and get one as a present for the mom in your life.

But how would you like to win it?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a Wahl Hot/Cold Massager for the purpose of this review.

As Seen on TV, NerdFamily Things

Teleflora Mother’s Day Flowers: A Coupon and a Giveaway

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(I have been compensated to run this giveaway by Teleflora)

Flowers and Mother’s Day, those go together like peanut butter and jelly. For years people have chosen to shop Teleflora bouquets for Mother’s Day. In order to help out NerdFamily Things’ readers they are providing us with a 25% off coupon and a giveaway!!!

(Continue reading for the coupon code and giveaway over on NerdFamily Things!)

As Seen on TV, Smart Living Strategies

The Mysteries of Mystery Shopping

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greenShopping CartsI get a lot of questions about Mystery Shopping. Is it real? Is it something you can make a living from? Well I decided to answer a few of these questions!

1) It is real!!! Companies hire mystery shoppers (often through a mystery shopping company) to come in and evaluate specific products and services unknown to the employees. The companies may dictate when you go and what you buy.
2) You won’t get rich off of mystery shopping. Usually mystery shopping will reimburse you for a purchase and there might be a small payment. If it is someplace you are going already it will be worth it though! Mystery shopping funded out eating out in the first few years of my marriage because that was the only way we could afford it!
3) You can make very little in comparison to the time investment and that must be considered before you take any assignments. Usually in addition to the actual in establishment there is a report to fill out that can take some time.
4) You never pay for a mystery shopping job, ever!!!
5) But you will make your purchase for the assignment and then get reimbursed. That can take 30-60 days so you need to have room in your budget to wait!

Still interested? Here are a few companies whom you can mystery shop through! You will have to fill out an application and possibly give a writing sample.

–Shopper’s Critique
–Coast to Coast Scheduling Service
–IntelliShop
–Beyond Hello
–Satisfaction Services