Friday Favorite: Bold Rock Virginia Draft Hard Cider

October 19, 2012 By 2 Comments

I admit that hard cider is one of my favorite parts of fall and I was happy to discover a new (to us), local hard cider this year! I know hard cider isn’t just for fall but it is a nice fall treat.

Bold Rock Hard Cider  describes the Virginia Draft as a smooth and distinctively hard cider that has supurb drinkability making it perfect anytime anywhere.

 

Some hard ciders have a rough after taste but this hard is so smooth. It is so smooth that you might forget that you are drinking a hard cider not a regular cider. I can tell you that we will be buying this cider again and I hope to find the Bold Rock Virginia Apple hard cider soon. As always, please drink responsibility!

What is Friday Favorites?

Friday Favorites is another almost weekly feature here at Simply Budgeted. The whole point of this feature is to share some of our favorite finds. Anything is game. Food. Cleaning supplies. Kid stuff. Garden favorites. Recipes. Anything that I really like and want to randomly post about.

Reminder/Disclaimer/Whatever: Everything in Friday Favorites is something that we use and bought on our own.

Do you have a favorite fall drink? Leave me a comment and let me know.

 

Filed Under: Friday Favorites, Memes, Simply Food, Simply Local Tagged With: , , ,

Update to the Missing Newspaper Saga

August 23, 2012 By 2 Comments

Last week, I finally posted about “The Saga of the Newspaper Subscription that Isn’t Delivered.” Well I have an update!

Shortly after that was published, we received a phone call asking about our problem. This was slightly humorous since the “problem” was documented with all of the reports of the missing newspapers. At the end of the call, Brian was told this problem would be resolved.

In the middle of dinner that night (everything always happens at dinner time doesn’t it?!), the newspaper delivery guy brought us the paper from that Thursday. We assumed he was notified of the problem … finally but still didn’t believe that would get the paper the following Thursday.

I am happy to report that the Greene County Record newspaper came last week  and again today with the other newspapers!

We are excited to finally get the newspaper I paid for two months ago but it is sad it took writing a post, sharing the post all over social media, and emailing it to the newspaper managers and editors for this to be resolved. Hopefully, the local newspaper will have learned a lesson in all of this though and follow up complaints from customers in a more timely fashion in the future.

I am happy I didn’t cancel but I still wonder if it was worth all of my time to resolve this situation. I hope I will see a Girl Scout picture in the newspaper soon and I will forget about all of the drama it took to finally get the paper delivered to our paper box!

Filed Under: Charlottesville, Simply Local Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Saga of Newspaper Subscription That Isn’t Delivered

August 10, 2012 By 3 Comments

Please see the update to this post published on August 23, 2012!

Back in May (May 14, 2012 is when our card was charged to be exact), I decided to be genius is and subscribe to the local newspaper. When I say local paper, it is a small town newspaper … publication is once a week. I had been trying to remember to stop by the paper box and use up my quarters to get a paper on Thursdays since the Girl Scouts were suddenly in the paper a lot. No more random stops on the way home and digging for quarters … this was going to perfect. Plus they were running a promotion when I called and it was half price. Even better for our budget plus my time being saved stopping every week!!

The first week, the paper came with our two other newspapers. Yes, we are newspaper snobs and get two other newspapers but they come DAILY (The Daily Progress and The Washington Post.) Honestly, we get The Washington Post for two reasons … the coupons (for me) and the crossword puzzle (for Brian). We get The Daily Progress to apparently keep up with what is happening at the University of Virginia (if I could skip that news, I totally would being a VA Tech alumna!) Yet, I digress. Here we were looking to get three newspapers one day a week but it only happened that first week … back in May!!!

For some reason the staff at The Greene County Record which is distributed through their “partner” The Daily Progress can’t get a paper delivered to our house. Instead, Brian or I call them weekly to say once again we have no paper at house.

Is it really a wonder why no one reads the paper any more? I can’t image why people won’t read something that they pay for and it doesn’t show up at their house.

Brian wants to cancel the paper. I refuse to cancel the paper because the delivery guy needs to do his job. It is simple … PUT THE PAPER in the paper box! The same delivery guy delivers all three newspapers! That means he is already at our house every single morning!! I know he has the Greene County Record in his car too … know how I know that?! The neighbors directly across the street from us get their Greene County Record every week. One of the nicer people I have talked in reporting this weekly even confirmed that we are assigned to the same delivery person as our neighbors (thank goodness because that would be completely crazy if we weren’t!)

So once again I get to sit here and wonder if my phone call today will result in a newspaper next week. It may or it may not. I can let you know next Thursday.

What would do? Would cancel the subscription like Brian wants to or would you keep calling and make the paper figure out why they can’t deliver your newspaper? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Filed Under: Charlottesville, Simply Local Tagged With: , ,

Wordless Wednesday: The Fair

August 8, 2012 By 2 Comments

We went to the county fair last week and the kids actually got into riding rides this year. It just about broke our wallet but they had a lot of fun. Next year, I will buy the ride arm bands in advance!

 

We hope you are having a great summer where you live!

 

Filed Under: Charlottesville, Memes, Simply Family, Simply Local, Wordless Wednesday Tagged With: , , , ,

Do you have Peppa Pig fan at your house?

May 4, 2012 By 1 Comment

First, do you live near Charlottesville, VA? If you do, you can get a free ticket to see Sid the Science Kid at the Carmike during the Saturday morning shows! Find details here! Don’t live near Charlottesville? Don’t fret! You can find a local theater near you here!

 

About Sid’s Backyard Campout

Pack some food and bring your backpack because Sid, Gerald, and Dad are gearing up for a big adventure!  They’re setting up tents for a campout in the backyard!  Dad is eager to share his love of nature and demonstrates how to have a great time outside with the simplest of necessities. They look for animals, cook their own dinner, marvel at the stars in the sky, roast marshmallows, and sing songs around the campfire.  Join the adventure and sing along!

 

About Peppa Pig …
Peppa is a loveable, cheeky little piggy who lives with her little brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. Peppa’s favourite things include playing games, dressing up, days out and jumping in muddy puddles. Her adventures always end happily with loud snorts of laughter.

Peppa Pig: Muddy Puddles and Other Stories shares 12 story vignettes with the Kidtoons family. Each story provides a peek into the world of Peppa as she encounters every day scenarios. As Peppa discovers the world around her, our young audience has many opportunities to learn and grow.

Sophie was sent Peppa Pig gift set with merchandise currently only available in the UK: Peppa DVDs, Peppa plush beanie, My Extra Special Sticker Book, Peppa portrait, Peppa coloring book, Peppa workbook and Peppa First Sleepover.

Sophie seriously loves Peppa Pig. She loves the oink, oink and is often heard saying that after the show. I can say there is a whole selection of Peppa Pig shows recorded to our DVR player for her enjoyment any time of the day! So to say she was happy to have a Peppa Pig DVD and book and other goodies is an understatement for sure! Want to see a happy girl? Here she is ….
Do you love Peppa Pig or Sid the Science Kid at your house? Leave a comment and let us know.
Filed Under: Charlottesville, Kids, Simply Family, Simply Local Tagged With: , , , , ,

Wordless Wednesday: Mud Warrior

April 18, 2012 By 18 Comments

Brian ran the Mud Warrior race last Saturday.

Before ... still clean ... did you check out the people in the back?!

 

Sliding into the mud pool at the end

More than a little muddy!

 

Let us know where your Wordless Wednesday post is …

Would you ever run the Mud Warrior and get that muddy? Leave us a comment and let us know!

 

Filed Under: Charlottesville, Health & Beauty, Memes, Simply Life, Simply Local, Wordless Wednesday Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Great Harvest Bread Company

October 29, 2011 By 1 Comment

  Details …

(Taken from GreatHarvest.com)
It all began back in the 1970s. Our founders, Pete and Laura Wakeman, were just a couple of college kids who baked amazing scratch-made whole grain bread to help pay their tuition at Cornell University. Newly married in 1975, the adventurous couple hiked the entire north-south length of Montana. They never left and they established the first Great Harvest Bakery in Great Falls.

We love whole wheat bread. It’s what made us famous and continues to endear us to a broader array of happy customers. That’s because we think whole wheat bread, when it’s made with fresh-ground flour and pure-and-simple ingredients, tastes incredible. There’s just something about the way that nutty, rich taste of wheat combines with honey, yeast and salt that keeps customers coming back.

Our Thoughts …

I had a chance to visit the Charlottesville, VA location of Great Harvest Bread Company. I had Sophie and Matthew with me and it was lunch time so we got lunch while we were there. The sandwich I got was one of the best sandwiches I have had in awhile. Why? It was simple with quality ingredients. That is all it took to make a great sandwich!

I was really there to get a loaf of bread though. I came home with a loaf of Dokata. It was a hard decision between this bread and the High Five. We had this bread with our dinner that night and it was beyond good. Beth and I both had a couple of sandwiches with this bread and the seeds on the top made it even better for a fall sandwich!

We can’t wait to head down near the local Great Harvest Bread Company again so we have an excuse to stop for another great loaf of bread.

If you are in the Charlottesville area you can find the Charlottesville location on Facebook and Twitter. Not in Charlottesville?  Find a location near you here!

 Have you tried Great Harvest Bread Company? Leave us a comment and let us know!

NOTE: We were provided with a free loaf of bread coupon to provide this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are our own.

Filed Under: Charlottesville, Promotional, Reviews, Simply Food, Simply Local Tagged With: , , , , ,

Friday Favorites: Apple Cake

October 14, 2011 By 2 Comments

Friday Favorites is another almost weekly feature here at Simply Budgeted. The whole point of this feature is to share some of our favorite finds. Anything is game. Food. Cleaning supplies. Kid stuff. Garden favorites. Recipes. Anything that I really like and want to randomly post about. Reminder/Disclaimer/Whatever: Everything in Friday Favorites is something that we use and bought on our own.

Up this week …

Apple cake

 In our house, apple season means the start of baking season.  Apple cake is one my favorite baking successes of the fall. I fell in love with apple cake I think seven years ago. It is a cake that is so simple to make yet so impressive. Plus is a cake that hardly anyone has had before so it a big treat to share. I have these new small bunt pans this year that I got one of those deal sites this summer. I had no idea what I was going to do them but they were a great deal so I bought two. I am so happy I bought to of these shallow bunt pans because I was able to split the recipe in half between them and ended up two cakes. One went to our new neighbors and we had the other one. These cakes weren’t as thick but you don’t really need them as thick. I use my apple peeler/corer to make the cake making process faster but you really only need like two decent size apples for the recipe. This is the recipe I use with the only variation being that I split the two layer approach into to pans this time. When I use one regular bunt pan, I would make the cake 3-4 layers (instead of the two) to get more apple taste in there!

What is your favorite apple recipe? We shared about our applesauce canning on Wednesday. Next on my list is a caramel apple pie. mmmm. Fall is just so yummy!! If you haven’t tried apple cake, you should … you are seriously missing out!

Filed Under: Friday Favorites, Home & Garden, Memes, Recipes, Simply Food, Simply Life Tagged With: , , , , ,

Wordless Wednesday: Applesauce

October 12, 2011 By 22 Comments

Just a little bit … OK, a lot of applesauce. Approximately two and half gallons of homemade applesauce was canned at our house on Sunday. This is what happens when you live in an area with so many apple orchards and you come home with a bushel of apples. (Not pictured are the 5 apple pie fillings that are now frozen for the holidays!) The apples are from Carter’s Mountain Orchard if you are wondering …

Let us know where you Wordless Wednesday post is so we can leave a comment …

Filed Under: Charlottesville, Memes, Simply Food, Simply Local, Wordless Wednesday Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Friday Favorites: Cville Saver

July 22, 2011 By 1 Comment

Friday Favorites is another almost weekly feature here at Simply Budgeted.  The whole point of this feature is to share some of our favorite finds.  Anything is game. Food. Cleaning supplies. Kid stuff. Garden favorites. Recipes. Anything that I really like and want to randomly  post about. Reminder/Disclaimer/Whatever: Everything in Friday Favorites is something that we use and bought on our own.

Up this week …

Cville Saver (cvillesaver.com)

Do you love deal sites? I do. I have a little obsession with those emails that show up in my inbox. And then there are ones that people post about on Facebook … umm, yeah. Small problem on my part. But this small problem has let us stretch our budget in some of those present spending budget pie areas … you know entertainment, eating out, and other “extras”.

I recently discovered Cville Savers. This is a deal site local to Charlottesville, VA. I love it. You see there is no Living Social or Groupon or whatever accounts for Charlottesville so I tend to buy the online deals at those sites. But with this site it is all local. I hear you, you aren’t from around here. That is fine. Check your area. I have heard of others on the radio recently and I am sure if you look or ask around you might just find a local deal site in your area!

So why is local good? Well I have bought a pass to Bounce-n-Play (the indoor bounce place in this area) and then summer dance classes for my girls at Charlottesville Ballet.  The Charlottesville Ballet deal is one of my all time favorites at it include the registration fee for the year which was a bonus added savings for us during the school year! Our summer budget has been tight so I have watched my deal site purchases but in these cases the deals were beyond their worth for sure since they involved activities for our kids.

Do you have a favorite deal site? Is it a big one or a local one? Or maybe you lucky enough that the big sites are in your area. Leave a comment and let us know what your favorite deal site purchases have been!

Filed Under: Charlottesville, Friday Favorites, Memes, Simply Local Tagged With: , , , ,
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