When I was in college, I was fortunate to be in an area with great music.  Every where you turned in Madison, there would be a show I had to catch.  Most of them were free, or super cheap!  One day crossing the street on my way to class, I passed Nikka Costa with her crazy hair.  I got my cheesy signature pose from Tim in Ok Go.  Selling merch, I met Matt Nathanson and Howie Day.  During a small show at the union, I realized I was standing next to James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins.  I miss those days!

Now that I'm old, concerts are a real treat.  Since tickets are so expensive, I have to REALLY like an artist to even want to consider going to a crowded show. 

Did you know that around 40% of concert tickets go unsold each year?  In this economy, I'm really not too surprised!  Score Big is a great new website that offers tickets at a reduced rate--up to 60% off!  Almost like a Priceline for event tickets!

How does it work?

You can search by location for selected events.  It's not just concerts, you can get theater and pro sports tickets too!  Unfortunately, there isn't much in the Grand Rapids area, but I don't mind making a trip to Chicago or Detroit for a fun show!

Not every concert in the area will be available, just ones they have tickets for.  I check about once a week to see what's new.

Before you get to pricing, you select what seating area you would like.  Sometimes only one area will be available and other events the whole stadium will have options.  No matter what area you pick, seats will always be together, which I love!  You just won't be able to pick exact seats.

There are two options for pricing: pay the fixed price, or make an offer.  I always try making offers, you never know how low the price can go!

It's definitely worth checking out!  I have found they are adding more and more each week.  Ricky is keeping tabs on some Bears tickets for fall.

What's the best concert you've ever been to?

Disclosure: I received a gift code as compensation for this review.  All opinions are my own!

Leftover Chicken? The BEST BBQ Chicken Nachos!

It's a given: if we go to a place that serves nachos, I'll order them.  I feel the quality of nachos tells you a lot about a restaurant.  Crappy queso, soggy chips and bland salsa? Not gonna fly in my book.  All chips and no toppings? No thank you.  I guess I'm what you call a nacho snob connoisseur. 

There are a million different ways to make nachos and every household varies a bit.  Growing up, my dad would always put toppings on each chip before melting the cheese.  Some people throw chips with cheese in the oven before adding other toppings.  To each their own!

When searching for the perfect nacho chip, you need one that can stand up to toppings.  I love to use my homemade baked chips for my normal ground turkey nachos...but BBQ chicken nachos need something different.  When paired with a honey chipolte sauce, you need a bit of flavor to them.  Enter Food Should Taste Good Kettle Corn Chips.  Sweet and salty pairs SO well with BBQ chicken for nachos. BAM! Recipe created.  This can be thrown together in under 15 minutes in you have leftover chicken on hand.

Have you tried Food Should Taste Good chips yet? They are SO tasty and made with ingredients that you can pronounce.  I have found them at Meijer, Target and Costco...and they are frequently on sale! Score!  My favorite flavors: Olive, Kettle and Sweet Potato.  You really can't go wrong.

Here's what you need:

• 1 bag of FSTG Kettle Corn Chips
• 1/2-1 pound of cooked chicken (leftover grilled chicken is perfecto!)
• 1/2-1 cup Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chipolte BBQ sauce
• 1 cup of your favorite nacho cheese 
• (What's your favorite cheese? NACHO cheese...couldn't resist!)
• 1-2 slices cooked bacon
• Tasty toppings: sliced avocado, sour cream, diced red onion, cilantro, green onions and salsa

1. Shred chicken with a fork.  Put in a microwave safe bowl with BBQ sauce and heat for 1 minute.  I like to add some chopped cilantro and green onions to the chicken mixture.
2. Heat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat (silicone baking sheet).  
3. Scatter chips around the baking sheet and top with BBQ chicken, bacon and cheese.  Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
4. Once removed from oven, shower the nachos with toppings!

Want to try out these tasty chips? I have TWO free product coupons to giveaway!  

Head on over to my Facebook page and comment on which chips you would like to try.  I'll draw a winner on Friday (June 20)!

Summer Fun in GR: Standale/Walker Concert Series!

 

We just made it through our first week of summer vacation and I am already going a bit crazy!  It's time to fill up our summer with some fun FREE events around town!  Nothing is better than some outdoor concerts during our short season of warm weather.

Details!

Where: Walker Community Park (700 Cummings Ave)
When: 7:00-9:00 PM

The Line-Up:

 
June 19 – The Adam’s Family (50/60's Music) 

• FB: facebook.com/theadamsfamilyband 

July 10 (– Deep Greens & Blues (Indie Folk Rock)

• FB: facebook.com/deepgreensmusic
• Twitter: @DeepGreensMusic

July 24 – FreeHand (40′s Music)
 
August 14 – Boogie Woogie Babies (Big Band)

August 28 – The LazyBlue Tunas (50-80's Cover Band) 
 

Bring your blankets and lawn chairs for an evening of music, food vendors, kid's face painting,  children's coloring contest and appearances by Chowie, the Chow Hound mascot. Note: this is an alcohol-free event.  

Rain cancellations will be posted on the Downtown Development Authority website at ci.walker.mi.us/business/dda.

Feel free to "Like" the Facebook page to keep updated on events! 

If you have any events you would like me to write about, feel free to email me: beingcheapiseasy (at) gmail.com!

What plans do you have for summer so far?

Fudgy Healthified S'Mores Brownies + Hamilton Beach Giveaways!

Disclosure: I am a Hamilton Beach brand ambassador and I received free products for review.  All opinions and tasty recipes are my own!

In my house growing up, my Mom was the best cook.  We were a family who sat down every night for dinner together to catch up on what happened that day.   My favorites were her spaghetti sauce, fried chicken and chicken enchiladas. I definitely got my cooking bug from her.  (Thanks Mom!)

When it came to baking, that was my Dad's niche.  Especially chocolate chip cookies!  Also, for Christmas baking, my Dad typically takes over.  To this day, I use the same cookie recipe and my girls love to have cookies at Grandma & Grandpa's.

You all know I love to healthify recipes and last week I came up with one by accident.  It seems that happens quite often!  I was craving brownies while Ricky was at work and I realized I only had egg whites and I remembered reading that you could sub black beans instead of eggs + oil (thank you Pinterest!).  I went through the pantry and voila! This recipe came about.  Yes, they are still a "sometimes food" as we call it...but at least they are a tad bit healthier!

My Dad is supposed to watch his sugar intake and I think I could make these without him noticing the difference!

These brownies came out fudgy, gooey and perfect for any special occasion.  Or if you get home from work before a party and realize "crap, I need to bring something!".  You can whip these up in less than an hour and be the star of a party.  Or if you want to binge watch Orange is the New Black and not feel guilty... (Season 2 is SO good!).

I also have a new giveaway for you! Hamilton Beach send us two awesome mixers to try.  The first one is a stand mixer which we've made our favorite pizza dough  with and it turned out perfectly!  We also got a hand mixer with soft scrape blades which I can make whipped potatoes in my pot without worrying about scrapes!

So are you brave enough to try these black bean brownies?  Olivia said "Black bean brownies? Mama you're CRAZY!"...but she gobbled them up!

Here's what you need:

• 1 box of your favorite brownie mix (We used the Fudgy brownies from Aldi!)
• 1 can of reduced sodium black beans, pureed (NOT drained!)
• 2 cups of Vanilla Wafers OR 1 sleeve of graham crackers
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1.5 cups mini marshmallows

1. Pour entire can of black beans in a chopper/blender. DO NOT drain! Puree until smooth.  Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375. Crush up crackers by hand or in a chopper.  Add coconut oil and mix together.  Press on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Bake for 5-7 minutes, until slightly golden. 
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl (or stand mixer), mix up brownie mix with black bean puree.  Pour over cracker crust in 9x13 pan.
4. Bake for 20 minutes.  Top with marshmallows and bake an additional 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.
5. Let cool for at least 15 minutes.  

I found that these got better the next day!

Now here's for the fun part! Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win one of TWO Hamilton Beach mixers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Warm Weather Has Arrived! Time to #SummerizeYourLegs {Plus Our Vacay Preview!}

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. 

Can you believe that we've had more than 5 consecutive sunny and WARM days?!  There were times this past winter when I would sit and dream of this weather.  During the cold days of winter, the last thing I think of is shaving.  The hair, like, totally keeps you warmer, right?!  Poor Ricky!

Two weeks ago, we took our first family vacation to Hilton Head Island, SC and while getting prepared for the trip, I thought "crap, my legs are SO not skirt ready".   It didn't help that it was still 40 outside when we left! 

After dropping the twins off at preschool, Gabby and I headed over to Walmart to pick up some supplies.  First on the list: sunscreen.  Back in the day, when I would go to the beach with my friends, it was all about the spray oil.  I've learned my lesson since and now it's at least 30 SPF for us and 50+ for the kids. I'm loving the new Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch because it goes on like regular lotion, not oily at all!  It smells ah-mazing too!  For the kiddos, I always do a combo of lotion and the spray for after they're sandy.

I also picked up an Intuition razor since I love how the soap is attached...it adds so much extra moisture.  The new Pure Nourishment has coconut oil in it, which I'm obsessed with.  It's great to travel with those razors! Of course Gabby saw a few must-have items from her "list": princess fruit snacks, a beach ball and new coloring pages for the car.  Whenever she flashes me that cute 2 year old smile, I can't say no!

To get my rough winter skin in shape, I love to follow the basic rules: Prep, Shave, Protect:

1. Use an exfoliating scrub in the shower BEFORE shaving.  I exfoliate 2-3 times/week in the summer. My favorite: Say Yes to Grapefruit Body Scrub.  I wait for a great coupon to get this!
2. While shaving, use plenty of gel or soap to keep legs smooth. Also, be sure to buy NEW razors.  Old ones aren't going to make it through your winterized hairy legs, girlfriend!
3. Lightly towel off, then instantly apply baby oil gel to damp skin.  Allow to absorb before generously applying sunscreen.  I've replaced my normal lotion with the Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch since it's not greasy!

For more tips on how to Summerize your skin AND a $2 coupon, head over to the Walmart page.  You can also enter to WIN a great prize pack!

After a long 17 hour drive, we made it to Hilton Head Island in one piece.  The girls actually slept for over 9 hours!  I was so nervous they would be up the entire time and we would have to listen to Frozen on repeat.  Whew!  Once I felt the warm air on my face, I was ready for a week of fun!

Beach days with kids are MUCH different, let me tell you!  Long gone are the days of frying out in the sun with my oil spray.  Now I'm in and out of the water every 5 minutes, checking my phone to see if it's time to reapply the sunscreen, building sand castles, etc etc.  I loved every minute of it!  By the end of the trip, the girls spend most of the day boogie boarding in the water.  They loved the ocean!  The Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen was perfect for the adults, we got tons of color and no burns.  I loved how it went on so smoothly!

Great way to start off the summer vacation: on the beach in SC! I promise, Gabby loved the water...hehe.

I promise I'll share more details about our awesome trip...I thought I would give you a little preview!  I'm so ready for a busy summer and you best believe my legs will be silky smooth for everything!

What tips do you have for Summerizing your skin?

Up to $3 Off Pull-Ups Coupon! {Plus Potty Training Tips!}

I am happy to announce that Gabby is officially potty trained.  About 6 months ago, she woke up one morning and decided she was ready to start going on the potty....and she has basically been going on the potty ever since!  Like I've said before, she's the world's easiest kiddo! Okay, we still buy Pull-Ups for bed time and long car trips, but she wakes up dry a majority of the time.  Do you know how AMAZING it feels to not buy diapers anymore?!  For the past 6 years, we've been buying them! I need to put the extra money in our Disney fund.

I thought I would share this awesome coupon with you all- $2 off Pull-Ups or $3 off if you share!  If you're close to a Meijer store, buy there and rack up your Baby Rewards. (Tip: did you know all mPerks rewards are taken BEFORE coupon!?).

Here are some simple tips I have if you're starting to think about potty training:

1. It cannot be forced.  You have to follow your child's lead.  If they're not ready, it's going to be a long and trying process.  As much as you'll want them out of diapers, if they aren't physically and emotionally ready, it's not really worth your time to train.  With the twins, Olivia was ready before Maddie, so no matter how many charts with stickers I made, it didn't matter.  Then, one day Maddie decided she didn't want to wear diapers anymore and she loved her new princess undies.  Voila, she was ready!
2. Head to the library!  We checked out as many fun books about going on the potty.  The ones we loved, we bought.  There are a lot of duds out there, so it's nice to try some out for free.  Our favorites were (Note: while these are mostly girl themed, they have boy ones also!):
• Elmo's Potty Time DVD
• Princess Potty by Samantha Berger
• A Potty for Me by Karen Katz
• Once Upon a Potty by Alona Frankel
• The New Potty (A Little Critter Book)
3. Toilet Seat vs Toilet Cover.  We've tried both and I think the toilet cover works best.  First of all, it goes right on the toilet, so it saves space.  Also, it's great to travel with and easy to clean. We have two soft seat ones that I traded in Pampers rewards for that are perfect!  They come in a variety of favorite characters...we have a Dora and Pooh one.  If you're going for a seat, make sure it has an easy to clean bowl! 
4. Don't Stress! While potty training is stressful (and messy at times!), keep calm as much as possible.  Yelling make your kid NOT want to go on the potty at all.  (Trust me, I've been upset and it's hard sometimes!).  Be your child's biggest cheerleader and they will love the support.  They sell pom poms at the Dollar Tree.  I may have a few "P-O-T-T-Y GOOO Potty!"cheers.
5. Invest in Wet Wipes.  No, not the super expensive toddler ones...just head over to the regular toilet paper section and pick up the Cottonelle or whatever is cheapest.  You get way more and they always have coupons!

What potty training tips do you have? I wouldn't even know where to start with training boys!

Don't forget to print your coupon while it's available!!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which help support my blog.  Click away my friends and I'll love you forever! All potty related advice is my own....and I have plenty more to share if you're interested!