Kids Skate Free this Summer

May 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Kids Skate Free

Kids Skate Free

Want to go retro with the kids this summer? I can hear the ’80′s music now! Kids Skate Free provides FREE passes to a participating roller skating rink near you. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Find a participating center near you. Here in Northern Virginia, the closest participating center is in Manassas.
  2. Register directly on the skate center’s website. Your passes will only be good at the center you’ve chosen and for the days and times you’ll see listed.
  3. Each Sunday night, you’ll receive an email with that week’s passes for up to four children to skate for FREE. You will have to pay for skate rental unless you bring your own.

The Kids Skate Free program runs through September 30th (for most locations). You’ll see the information and age requirements (most define “child” as age 12 and under) when you click on your local skating center.

Have you done the Kids Skate Free program in your area?

I’d love to hear your experience!

 

For more FREE kid activities this summer, check out these posts from the past month:

Filed Under: Frugal Fun, Kids

Two Week Meal Plan for Spring

May 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Sticking with a two-week meal plan for spring is working for me. I plan my grocery list around everything we’ll need for the two weeks, then make a quick trip to the store during the second week to replenish dairy and produce. Pasta salads and simple slow cooker meals are just perfect for our busy weeknights when we’re rushing in the door from Tae Kwon Do and other activities.

two week meal plan for spring

On to my two-week meal plan:

Sunday–Turkey Spinach Burgers and salad
Meatless Monday–Portabello Fajitas, brown rice, black beans
Tuesday–Caesar salad with grilled chicken
Wednesday–Beef Tacos (from the freezer), corn shells, fixings, black beans
Thursday–Cheese tortellini tossed with pesto and peas
Friday–Taco Cornbread Casserole and salad
Saturday–Pulled Pork Sandwiches, chips, corn and broccoli slaw

Turkey Spinach Burgers

Sunday–Spaghetti & Meatballs, broccoli
Meatless Monday–Spinach & Feta Pasta Salad
Tuesday–Slow Cooker Chow Mein with pork
Wednesday–Chicken Sausage with peppers, mushrooms, onions and potatoes
Thursday–Homemade pizza on wheat pitas with peppers, mushrooms, and olives
Friday–Eating out
Saturday–Balsamic Mushroom Pork, baked potatoes and green beans

What’s on your meal plan this week?

Linked up to Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.

Filed Under: Home Cooking, Meal Planning

4 Ways to Get Zesty with Kraft + $100 Perfume Giveaway

May 18, 2013 By 12 Comments
Let-s-Get-Zesty

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Mom it Forward and Kraft. I chose to do it because I was already a huge fan of Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing and buy it all the time! All words and opinions are my own.

get zesty

With the weather heating up and all the fresh veggies now in stores (and soon in our garden), we all need a secret weapon to give food great flavor with very little effort. I’ve got just the thing–Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing.  I’ve been using it for years–it’s our favorite for salads, but I use it for cooking, too–so I was excited to join the #GetZesty campaign. Kraft Zesty is one of the easiest ways to add flavor to food and get zesty with your taste buds! Here’s how I do it:

4 Ways to Get Zesty with Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing

1) Use Zesty as a marinade for meat or chicken before grilling. Just add both to a zipper bag and keep in the refrigerator for 30 minutes-2 hours before grilling. Yum!

2) Add Zesty to leftover pasta and vegetables for a cool pasta salad. Sprinkle a little cheese on top for a great vegetarian main dish or side. I’ve used Kraft Zesty on my Spinach & Feta Pasta Salad for years! This Primavera Pasta Toss looks like a great combo, too.

get zesty

3) Use Zesty to spice up fish. The Kraft Recipes site has lots of great suggestions, including this easy One-Dish Italian Fish with tilapia and rice that you cook in the microwave. Quick and easy!

4) Brush Zesty on fresh vegetables and grill on skewers. You get a light, spicy flavor that jazzes up any meal. It sure works to get my kids (and my husband) to eat their veggies!

See how easy it is to use Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing to zest up your meals? Now let me introduce you to my new friend, The Zesty Guy:

get zesty

You’ll see The Zesty Guy on TV commercials and on social media, encouraging you to add a little zest to your everyday. You can send a Zestygram, check out some zesty recipes, or just enjoy the eye candy! Connect with The Zesty Guy:

     Twitter      |     Facebook     |     YouTube     |     Recipes

 

Now for the giveaway! Kraft and The Zesty Guy want to surprise one lucky MoneywiseMoms reader with a bottle of zesty Italian perfume (such as Versace–a $100 value!). To enter, do one or both of the following, and leave a comment for EACH entry that you complete:

1. How do you zest up your life? Tell us in the comments below.

2. Follow MoneywiseMoms on Twitter and tweet the following: 4 Ways to #GetZesty with Kraft and @MoneywiseMoms & enter #giveaway for $100 perfume: http://bit.ly/GetZesty   Then leave a comment below with the link to your tweet.

I’ll choose the winner of this giveaway on Thursday, May 23rd, at 11:00pm EST. Thanks for reading MoneywiseMoms, and good luck!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored campaign on behalf of Mom it Forward and Kraft. While I was compensated for this post, all words and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Home Cooking

In the Home Stretch

May 16, 2013 By 9 Comments
MoneywiseMoms van

MoneywiseMoms van

We’re in the home stretch of our debt payoff, as I’ve been documenting along with our yearly Financial Goals. We’re so close, I can taste it. We’re finally under $10,000 on our final debt, my husband’s school loan. We’re on track to pay it off by July 31st, just like we planned.

So why am I surprised that all heck has broken loose?

Yesterday I took my van for an oil change, what I thought would be a quick and relatively inexpensive visit. $400 later, I’ve moved the van from my local mechanic to the dealership to see if they’ll fix the larger problem ($1500) under our warranty since the van only has 29,500 miles on it. I got this great call this afternoon from the dealer: “Well, it would be covered under the warranty, but the warranty says 36,000 miles or 36 months, and your 36 months was up last November.” Two different mechanics (ours and the one at the dealership) both say that this thing that’s broken should not be broken in a car this “young.” I’ve left a message with the manager to see if there’s anything they can do. Between that, the two new tires we need, and a transmission fluid problem, it’s gotten very expensive.

My husband says, So we’ll be a month late on the payoff.” But I don’t want to be a month late. I want to be done! We’ve worked so hard for so long. I’m getting so burnt out on all the extra things I’ve been doing to bring in extra income, but I’m doing it because we’re so close to the end.

Sorry that I’m venting. I’m very frustrated.

Filed Under: Family Finance

Summer Movie Programs 2013

May 15, 2013 By 1 Comment
Summer Movie Programs
Summer Movie ProgramsAre you thinking about how to stay cool and keep the kids entertained this summer? These Summer Movie Programs should fit the bill!

Cinemark Theatres offers Summer Movie Clubhouse for $1.00/show or a $5.00 pass for the whole summer, purchased in advance. The start date varies depending on what part of the country you’re in (what date school gets out).

Classic Cinemas (IL) offers their Wednesday Morning Movie Series for $1.00/show at 9:00am every Wednesday, starting June 12th. You can go early and see costumed characters.

Clearview Cinemas (NY & NJ) has FREE movies every Wednesday and Thursday at 10:30am starting July 10th.

Dickinson Theatres offers a Summer Vacation Movie Series with FREE movies and a $4.50 concession special. You’ll need to click on your local theater to download the schedule.

Harkins Theatres has Summer Movie Fun every weekday at 9:45, and you can purchase Season Tickets for all 10 shows for less than $1/show, or pay as you go for $2/person.

Malco Theatres offers $2.00 movies every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:00am, with a portion of the proceeds going to local Children’s Hospitals. Click on your local theater to see the schedule.

National Amusements will offer their Bookworm Wednesdays program, starting July 10th. Kids receive FREE admission when they present a completed book report. Children under 6 do not need to complete the book report.

Regal Theatres offers Summer Movie Express all summer on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:00am for $1.00/person. Choose from a G or PG movie each morning, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Will Rogers Institute.

 

Click through to your local theater chain to find the closest location. Have fun at the movies!

Original image by atomicjeep at Flickr

Entertainment Book 2010

Filed Under: Favorite, Frugal Fun, Kids

Herb Roasted Pork

May 14, 2013 By 1 Comment
Herb Roasted Pork

This Herb Roasted Pork is one of my family’s favorites because of the flavorful rub and how tender the meat comes out. I love it because it takes minutes to prep and then the oven does all the work. It does have a long cooking time (1-2 hours), so keep that in mind when adding it to your meal plan. This spicy Herb Rub would taste great on chicken, too, if you’re not a fan of pork! With the warmer weather upon us, it’s time to switch from the oven to the grill, and this recipe should transfer well. Just make sure you use a thermometer to check that your pork reaches a safe cooking temperature.

Herb Roasted Pork

Print
Herb Roasted Pork
Serves: 6
 

Ingredients
  • 2 lb Boneless Pork Loin Roast
  • 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp basil
  • 2 tsp rosemary
  • 2 tsp thyme
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Rinse the pork loin and pat dry with a paper towel.
  3. Combine all the spices and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl and combine to make the Herb Rub.
  4. Apply to all surfaces of the pork roast and place in shallow pan (I use a 9×12).
  5. Roast in oven for 1-1.5 hours (approximately 20 minutes per pound), or until temperature reads 145 degrees.
  6. Remove roast from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

 

I’ve been buying a four-pack of boneless pork loin roasts from Costco since they’re priced at $1.99/lb. Between this, the Slow Cooker Pork Ragu & Fettuccine, Pineapple Pork Chops, and Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches I’ve got a whole month’s worth of pork meals in my rotation.

This Herb Roasted Pork recipe is linked up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and Fluster’s Creative Muster Party at Fluster Buster.

Filed Under: Home Cooking, Recipes

Free Activities for Kids

May 9, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Lakeshore Crafts

free activities for kidsTime to think about summer! If you’re not already enjoying these free activities for kids at stores nationwide, bookmark the store websites for your summer calendar. They’re an easy way to shake up those long summer days for FREE:

Free Arts & Crafts at ACMoore:

ACMoore holds monthly craft demos and projects, but the schedule varies by location, so check your local store’s calendar. Their next national event is Saturday, May 25th, where kids can purchase and decorate a foam visor.

Free Storytime at Barnes & Noble:

Most Barnes & Noble stores offer a weekly storytime for preschoolers around 10:00am, though the day varies depending on the store. Check out your local store’s website for details.

Free Special Events at Disney Store:

Head to the Disney Store website and down at the bottom, click on Store Locator & Events. There’s nothing this Mother’s Day weekend, but they usually offer 1-2 events per month, so keep an eye out for the next FREE event.

Free Building Projects at Home Depot:

The first Saturday of the month, you’ll find a FREE Kids Workshop at Home Depot. You now need to register (just tell them a number of kids ages 5-12 who are attending), then go anytime between 9:00am-12noon. On their first visit, kids receive a Kids Workshop Apron, and every week they can take home their craft, commemorative pin and certificate of achievement. The next one is a pencil holder on Saturday, June 1st, plus you’ll get a FREE Kids Ticket (with purchase of adult ticket) to LegoLand, Sea Life, or Madam Tussauds.

Free Arts & Crafts at Lakeshore Learning:

Every Saturday from 11:00am-3:00pm, kids 3 and up can make arts & crafts at your local Lakeshore Learning store. This weekend, there’s a cute Mommy’s Memories Photo Frame for Mother’s Day, and you can see the projects ahead for the next two months.

 free activities for kids

Free Building Events at The Lego Store:

At most US Lego Stores, there’s a Monthly Mini Build on the first Tuesday of each month. Check with your local store for start time, since the kit is while supplies last. We’ve shown up 30 minutes in, and the line is so long that they tell us that they’ll run out of kits before we get to the front. It’s a very popular event, so show up early!

Free Building Projects at Lowe’s:

The Lowe’s Build & Grow Workshops require registration, and they fill up quickly, so keep a note on your calendar to register online weeks ahead of time. Workshops are typically at 10:00am on every other Saturday, but last year they offered extra workshops during the summer on Sunday afternoons at 2:00pm, so keep an eye out for that. Check the full schedule for upcoming projects. This Saturday, May 12th, kids can make a Sweetheart Frame for Mother’s Day.

Free (and Low Cost) Arts & Crafts at Michael’s:

Michael’s has changed up their craft offerings for kids; while they still offer a few freebies each month, they now also have a Kids’ Club where you pay $2/child and they create crafts while you shop. Kids Club is every Saturday from 10-noon, so check your local store for the schedule and type of craft.

Free Storytime & Other Events at Pottery Barn Kids:

This Saturday, attend a Mother’s Day Doll Tea Party at your local Pottery Barn Kids; in June, they’re hosting a National Geographic Kids event for World Oceans Day. Some events are FREE while others have a fee; all require an RSVP.

The PBK Storytime is every Tuesday at 11:00am. Each week has a different theme and often includes a small art project and stickers; there’s also a gift after five visits.

Free Kids Club Events at Whole Foods Market:

Some Whole Foods locations offer a Kids Club, including FREE events like Cooking with Kids! and craft projects. Each store has a different schedule, so you’ll need to locate your store and check their calendar for details.

Let me know if you find other FREE activities for kids at stores near you!

 

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. Thanks for supporting MoneywiseMoms at no cost to you!

Filed Under: Favorite, Frugal Fun, Kids

National Gallery of Art–Washington DC

May 8, 2013 By 2 Comments
National Gallery of Art

National Gallery of Art

Living in the DC area or planning to visit? One of benefits here are the many FREE museums owned by the Smithsonian Institution, like the National Gallery of Art. My kids like art museums, so we were excited to visit. My son had just completed an artist biography project on Georges Seurat, so we checked out the NGA website ahead of time to find the gallery that had the Seurat pointillism paintings.

National Gallery of Art

Compared to other museums we’ve visited (like the Walters in Baltimore and the Delaware Art Museum), the National Gallery seemed very old fashioned. It’s perfectly laid out for the large throngs of tourists that visit daily, but not so good for three active kids. Room after room are laid out the same way, with a couch and many paintings to look at.  After the 25th room, my kids took to sitting on every single couch they could find, sighing heavily. There was no kids’ room or anything hands-on to engage them. There was one nice surprise–to me, anyway–I didn’t know that the only Leonardo daVinci painting in America is at the National Gallery, Ginevra de’ Benci, and it was incredible to see.

National Gallery of Art

Outdoors–we did a little better. The Sculpture Garden houses 17 works, all of which my kids found interesting. They especially liked the stainless steel tree, “Graft,” by artist Roxy Paine.

National Gallery of Art

I love the optical illusion “House” by Roy Lichtenstein. Once you’re outside, there’s room for the kids to run and stretch, and make a little more noise than inside the museum. Unfortunately, this art museum wasn’t a big hit with my family as other, smaller museums have been. We did only see the West Building with the older works of art. We’ll need to give the modern art in the East Building a try before it closes for a three-year renovation.

What art museums does your family like?

 

Whether you’re local or just planning to visit the DC area this summer, find more posts on Day Trips from DC:

Filed Under: Frugal Fun, Kids

Slow Cooker Moo Shu (Chicken or Pork)

May 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Slow Cooker Moo Shu

Need a quick & easy meal to save you on a busy weeknight? This Slow Cooker Moo Shu can be made with either chicken or pork and is super simple! The slow cooker is such a lifesaver on the nights that we have sports practice around the dinner hour. By setting up the slow cooker earlier in the day, I can walk in the house to a great smelling dinner. I love it! Since we always order Moo Shu when we do Chinese takeout, I knew a home-cooked version would go over well. I adapted this Slow Cooker Moo Shu recipe by simplifying this recipe from Taste of Home.

Slow Cooker Moo Shu

Print
Slow Cooker Moo Shu
 

Ingredients
  • 1 lb. pork loin or boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 jar Hoisin Sauce
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 bag broccoli slaw or cole slaw
  • 8 whole grain tortillas

Instructions
  1. In large slow cooker, combine meat with Hoisin Sauce.
  2. minutes before serving, add broccoli or cole slaw to slow cooker.
  3. Serve wrapped in tortillas.

For more easy meals to save your busy weeknights, take a look at my readers’ Favorite Recipes of 2012 or my Recipe Index.

Slow Cooker Moo Shu is linked up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting MoneywiseMoms at no cost to you.

Filed Under: Home Cooking, Recipes

Summer Reading Programs 2013

May 6, 2013 By 5 Comments
Summer Reading Programs

Summer Reading ProgramsSome parts of the country are already talking about summer vacation–we go well into June here in the mid-Atlantic–but it’s never too early to think about how to encourage the kids to read over the summer. Every summer, we find a balance of family reading (we’re on book 3 of the Harry Potter series right now), independent reading (my kids like to come home from the library and curl up on pillows and blankets together on the floor), and the summer reading programs at our local library as well as around town:

Summer Reading ProgramsBarnes and Noble
Kids who read 8 books and keep track on this printable Reading Journal can head to a Barnes & Noble store to pick out a FREE book from their selection (you’ll see it on the journal). The program runs May 21st through September 3rd, and the limit is one FREE book per child.

 

Chuck E. Cheese
Not just a summer program, Chuck E. Cheese is offering 10 FREE tokens to kids each time they read for 2 weeks in a row. Kids can earn 10 FREE tokens every time they read for 2 weeks in a row. Download a Reading Rewards Calendar (there are others if you’d like to reward another activity). Limit is one of any FREE token offer per child, per day. Food purchase is required.

Summer Reading ProgramsScholastic Summer Challenge
Scholastic has a FREE online program this summer, where kids can sign up and log their reading minutes to win rewards. You can download suggested book lists for all age groups, and you can download a FREE Reading Timer App so kids can track their reading no matter where they are.

Summer Reading Programs

Showcase Cinemas
Starting July 10th, kids receive FREE admission to Bookworm Wednesdays morning movies when they present a completed book report. Children under 6 do not need to complete the book report, and accompanying adults also get FREE admission. No food purchase is necessary.

I’ve started a new board on Pinterest called Summer Fun 2013 where I’m collecting ideas for the kids–science projects, outdoor games, simple art projects, and more. Hope you’ll follow me there (I follow back!).

 

Original image by FutUndBeidl at Flickr

Filed Under: Favorite, Frugal Fun, Kids

Spring Meal Plan: Oven vs. Grill

May 5, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Spring Meal Planning

With the spring weather so up and down, I find that there are days to turn the oven on and days to grill. So I’m keeping my two-week meal plan flexible. That means that I can move things around as desired, but I’ve already bought all the groceries we need to have all of these meals. I make a second trip to the grocery store during week two of the cycle to replace our milk and produce, but I’ve been great about sticking to our $600/month grocery budget so far this year. If you’re thinking about reducing your grocery spending, first learn How to Set a Food Budget. Then, you can watch my short series of videos Grocery Savings Strategies and learn how to read store circulars, prep your grocery list, and more.

Spring Meal Plan

Here’s my two-week meal plan:

Sunday–Grilled Mediterranean Chicken with peppers, onions, and mushrooms and feta, pita bread
Meatless Monday–Spinach & Feta Pasta Salad
Tuesday–Pork Roast, baked potatoes and green beans
Wednesday–Spaghetti & Meatballs, broccoli
Thursday–Chicken Fajitas in the DCB, black beans and brown rice
Friday–Baked Mac & Cheese Casserole with broccoli
Saturday–Green Chile Chicken Casserole and salad

Spinach Feta Pasta Salad

Sunday–Chicken Penne al Fresco in the DCB and green beans
Meatless Monday–Crustless Italian Spinach Pie and cornbread
Tuesday–Meatball Subs and salad
Wednesday–Slow Cooker Pork Ragu & Fettuccine and cauliflower
Thursday–Beef Tacos (from the freezer) with fixings, black beans and brown rice
Friday–Leftovers from the week
Saturday–Shepherd’s Pie

What’s on your spring meal plan?

Linked up to Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.

Filed Under: Home Cooking, Meal Planning
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