Friday Favorite: Simply Lemonade

About …

All four varieties of Simply Lemonade and Simply Limeade are made with not-from-concentrate juices and pure ingredients. Available in both multi-serve and single-serve carafes, you can enjoy delicious refreshment throughout the day!

Our Thoughts …

We love Simply Lemonade at our house. OK, we love all of the Simply Orange products but the lemonade is my favorite for sure. I love that we can have it as a treat at dinner some nights or I can buy it for a party as I did for the Spa Party I hosted. Another reason we love Simply Lemonade is that it is a great budget friendly price at Sam’s Club every day in the twin pack they sell. I don’t have to wait for a sale to get a great price! We can feel fancy (as Grace would say) any day with a sweet and slight tart lemonade drink that we all enjoy!

Here is a budget friendly tip as you travel this holiday season … Grab bottle (or two!) of Simply Lemonade and put it in a cooler in your car. Instead of paying $1-2 per drink when you stop to eat or take bathroom breaks during trip, use refillable cups for you and the kids to add more Simply Lemonade to the cups and keep traveling!

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 love Simply Lemonade at your house? Leave me a comment let me know!

Friday Favorite: Betty Crocker Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix

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.

 

Going to Walmart alone is dangerous. Dangerous in that I buy stuff not on my list because I can actually look at where I am walking and am not trying to count the three to make sure I have all of the kids constantly. I saw pumpkin and had stop. I have this problem with fall and the problem is pumpkin food. Anything … well anything besides coffee … and pumpkin makes it even more amazing. I admit I have a problem with pumpkin and that is a start, right?

Look what I found last week …

 

The kids and I had fun one evening when Brian wasn’t home. I had three helpers … OK, they were only helping so they could lick the bowl out.

I totally cheated and bought the Betty Crocker Cream Cheese frosting to go with these cookies. They are so pretty … and so yummy!

Are you a pumpkin junkie like I am? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Friday Favorite: How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

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.

Details …

In each playful spread of this read-aloud bedtime book, parents are ready to put their kids to bed — but these youngsters just happen to be dinosaurs! And though they may stomp and slam their tails a bit, in the end they act a lot like people: they give a big kiss, turn out the light, and whisper “good night.”

Our Thoughts …

Matthew is in a huge dinosaur stage right now. He has rediscovered this book and loves it at bed time. If he is luck, Brian and I both read it to him once at bedtime! He will say “nooooooo” when the questions are asked in the book which makes me smile at his response to understanding the book. The book ends “Good night. Good night, little dinosaur.” If I say the first “good night” he will finish that last pages and it just warms my heart to hear him say that.

This book is a good buy over on Amazon right now so check it out!

We are excite to have this boy bedtime story in our children’s book collection. I now what to add the other books in this series to our collection. Do you have favorite bedtime stories at your house? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Friday Favorite: Frosted Zucchini Brownies

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.

 

A few weeks ago, I started searching for a recipe for Zucchini Brownies. I found one by Mommy I’m Hungry that was inspired by one from blogchef.

So I started to make the recipe … I had written it down and everything and then it didn’t look right to be brownies so I started changing the recipe. This recipe makes a cake-y brownie. If you like a fudge-y brownie you might try the original recipe!

This picture isn’t going to win me any awards but it does show how yummy these brownies are so I hope you keep reading!

Frosted Zucchini Brownies

½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups zucchini (shredded)
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 eggs

Chocolate Frosting-

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup butter
2 cups confectioners sugar
½ cup 2% milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with the spray+flour (or flour after spraying). Mix together oil, sugar, eggs, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Add flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Mix in zucchini and walnuts. Spread into the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes until a tooth pick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

In a small saucepan, over low/medium heat melt together the cocoa powder and butter (this took a lot of stirring and I upped the heat some to get it moving along but kept stirring so it didn’t burn!)  Let cool (so you can touch it and not think it is hot). In a medium bowl mix confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir in the chocolate mixture. Pour over the brownies and move the pan around to cover the tops. This icing pours out over the brownies and super yummy. I loved. Brian didn’t. The second time, I used less milk 1/4 cup and it was more of a traditional spreadable icing that Brian liked better. (I still loved the poured version as it reminds me of the icing my mom puts on her Texas Sheet Cake!)

What have you been making with zucchini? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Friday Favorite: Bugables

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.

 

Details …

  • Mosquito repellent stickers
  • Helps repel mosquitoes for 72 hours
  • Wear on t-shirts, shorts, hats, sneakers, and socks
  • Emit aura of plant based essential oils effectively making you smell like a plant and invisible to biting bugs
  • Scientifically tested and proven to repel mosquitoes naturally

My Thoughts …

I bought these for Girl Scout camp. I hate spraying the kids with bug spray so I thought these would be great. Then we had a super cool and not buggy camp week (YAY!) Since then the heat has arrived and so have the bugs. I have used these on the kids when we are out in the yard for awhile several times. On the 4th of July when Brian set off the small package of fireworks, I actually just set these on the deck rail as the kids and I stood there watching. I will say the sticky doesn’t seem to hold them enough for my crazy active kids so I have use double sided tape and that works pretty good. Brian also suggested putting them on the kids’ backs instead of the front of their shirts (like church nursery, daycare, etc.!) These work for 72 hours so if you keep them in a baggie you can put them back on the next day which makes them reasonable for your budget!

I found these at Harris Teeter and they were on sale that day. You can find them for a little more on Amazon if you can’t find them in your local stores though!


What bug repellant solution does your family use during the summer? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Friday Favorite: Vera Bradley Zip Around Wallet

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.

Details …

Vera Bradley Zip Around Wallet

  • cotton
  • Dimensions: 7½” x 4¾” -6″ wrist strap
  • Nine pockets including six credit card slots
  • Convenient I.D. window
  • Interior slot for checkbook
  • Material: 100% Cotton; Care: Machine wash cool, gentle cycle. Air dry. Do not bleach

My Thoughts …

The wallet pictured above isn’t my wallet. If you know Vera Bradley, then you know the prints change often. Mine is older. The thing is mine looks like this …

It is worn for sure but it held up amazingly! I have another one to trade out to when I get the chance but I LOVE the space in this wallet.  I have room for my credit cards, cash, I can even fit my checkbook in there if I want. I have been know to grab my keys, sunglasses, and wallet and run out the door (mostly without kids!) Since this wallet zips up, I know the contents aren’t falling out in my purse or if I just grab my wallet on its own!

These products are available in many local shops but you know I have an obsession with Amazon so here they are there …

Do you love Vera Bradly products? What is your favorite? Leave me a comment and let me know!

 

 

Friday Favorite: Fisher-Price Cheer for Me! Potty

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.

 

Details …

  • Provides realistic toilet elements mixed with fun rewards and encouragement
  • Includes a retractable toilet paper roll holder and a fully functioning seat with lid
  • Toddlers are rewarded with five phrases and two sing along training songs
  • There are two stages of use starting with beginner

Our Thoughts …

This is our second potty like this. Now the first potty didn’t break but we lost the boy splash guard. That is what happens when you have two girls. I am sure we will find it approximately five seconds after we decide Matthew is potty trained though. So back to this potty, I went and got the same potty because we has such great success with the first version with our girls. I will admit that the talking feature of this potty has the potential to drive you completely insane. After a week, I turned it off. I couldn’t handle it any more. Matthew hasn’t asked about it after about the first two days it was off when I used the mommy-lie that it was broken. All is well now with the noise-less potty.

I like this potty because it is easy to clean which is very important when potty training it seems. It also sturdy enough for little man to just sit on it as hard as he can without paying any attention to what he is doing. This new version uses real toilet paper on the roll holder which I honestly admit I wish was there when we were potty training little girls.

Overall this potty is a success at our house and little man is well on his way to being fully potty trained (YAY!!! We have been buying diapers for 6 years straight at our house this is HUGE news for our budget!) While I love how effect this little potty is in helping my little man, the true success will be the day I pass it along to another family to use and we don’t have it our house!

After some price checking, I bought this potty online at Amazon. When I went to post this Friday Favorite, I noticed they have a $4 off coupon right now so be sure to check for the link to click to get that deal!

 

Have you encountered the potty training challenge yet? What has worked for you when potty training? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Friday Favorite: Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop Kit

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.

 

Details …

  • Save more, waste less, and keep your floors looking great
  • Durable, lightweight mop kit lets you customize your cleaning
  • Safe for use on all hard floors, including tile, laminate, hardwood, and vinyl
  • Includes mop handle, 2 refillable bottles, and 3 microfiber wet mop pads
  • Pad dimensions are 16.5 x 5.5 inches

Our Thoughts …

We actually picked this up at Sam’s a few weeks ago. Brian was tired of buying the Swiffer pads for cleaning the hardwood floors and laminate floors. They were adding up in our budget for sure. With this Rubbermaid, Reveal Spray Mop, we are able to wash the microfiber pads and use any cleaner we want for the wet mop! So we can buy a big jug and it will last us for a super long time. We have found the pads wash really well but I could see having to replace them at some point as they do wear from using and washing but even we do that this is a budget saver product for us for sure!

This is a great deal over on Amazon right now so if you aren’t headed to Sam’s Club soon go over to Amazon and check it out there!

 

Have you tried the Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop? What do you use to clean your hard floor surfaces at your house and stay on budget? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Friday Favorite: Sony EarBuds

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.

Details …

Product Features

  • 13.5mm driver unit, neodymium magnet, 1.2m cord
  • Wide range of colors to choose from
  • Enjoy powerful bass on the go
  • Pair with a music player
 Technical Details
  • Brand Name: Sony
  • Model: MDRE9LP/PNK
  • Color Name: Pink
  • Item Weight: 0.01 pounds

My Thoughts …

I have a thing for pink accessories … especially at the office. I have my pink mouse and these pink earbuds. I listen to internet radio or audiobooks as I work and I find these earbuds to be really comfortable. They are reasonably priced too. Sure they are $2 ones but the less than $10 price for quality earbuds that don’t fall apart on you is a good deal.

They are a great price on Amazon too!

 

Do you have a favorite pair of earbuds? What is your favorite feature? Leave me a comment and let me know!

 

Friday Favorite: 3M Mouse Pad with Gel Wrist Rest

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.

Details …

  • Beach design
  • Soothing gel comfort encourages neutral wrist posture
  • Clear gel is easy to keep clean
  • Fun design brightens up the workspace
  • Non-skid base

Our Thoughts …

This is a replacement mouse pad for us. You see we had this mouse pad for years (8 years?) Brian LOVES the gel wrist rest. It recently broke so I decided to try to find him a new one. I was so excited to find this almost exact replacement for him. It has been update a little but the old one had a beach picture too!

Looking for a new mouse pad? You can find this one on Amazon …

 

Do you have a favorite mouse pad? Do you use a gel wrist rest? Leave us a comment and let us know!