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!

Shop for a Cause with ConAgra & Meijer! #ChildHunger

Disclosure: I participated in this program on behalf of ConAgra Foods and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

More than one in five children, including more than one in four Latino children, in the U.S. may not know where their next meal is coming from. That’s nearly 16 million children, a number that could fill 8,000 playgrounds.

Children who experience even intermittent struggles with hunger may suffer serious, long-term consequences to their health, well-being and educational achievement. What’s more, being hungry robs kids of the promise of childhood – the ability to play, grow and learn.

At ConAgra Foods finds this unacceptable. That’s why they partnered with P&G to build a community of people to make a difference and help donate up to 7 million meals through the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign.

• Enter Codes to Trigger Donations. It’s easy to make a difference: Look for the red pushpin on participating product packaging for a code found on these specially marked ConAgra Foods and P&G products. For each 8-digit code entered at www.ChildHungerEndsHere.com from March-August 2014, ConAgra Foods or P&G, respectively, will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal to Feeding America.

  

• Join the Community and Get Involved. One of the easiest ways to learn how to get involved is to join the Child Hunger Ends Here Facebook community at Facebook.com/ChildHungerEndsHere or follow the news on Twitter and Instagram at @ChildHungerEnds.

• Community Food Donations. ConAgra Foods is donating 50,000 meals to community food banks on behalf of Meijer, in appreciation for their fantastic partnership to end child hunger!

2) Deals at Meijer for ConAgra Foods Products and P&G Products Eligible for Child Hunger Ends Here Code Entry:

Active Offers	Start Date	End Date
Banquet Homestyle Bakes: Buy 1 for $2.99	4/6	6/1
*Orville Redenbacher’s (6pk or larger): Buy 1, Save $1.00	4/13	5/31
*Hunt’s Ketchup (24oz): Buy 2, Save $1.00	5/1	5/31
Parkay (41 oz tub): Buy 2 for $5.00	5/4	5/24
*Healthy Choice Modern or Traditional Classics, Café Steamers, Baked Entrees or Greek Yogurt: Buy 6, Save $1.50	5/4	5/31
*Lofthouse Cookies: Buy 1, Save $0.75	5/11	5/31
Egg Beaters (16 oz): Buy 2 for $5.00	5/18	5/24
Hunt’s Tomato Paste (12oz): Buy 4 for $5.00	5/18	5/24
*Chef Boyardee (15oz): Buy 5, Save $1.00 Heads up: Chef Boyardee Easy Open Lids are coming back! Look for the Chef Easy Open Lids beginning to appear on shelf at Meijer this month!	5/18	5/31
*Snack Pack (4-pk): Buy 5, Save $1.00	5/18	5/31
Hunt’s Tomato Sauce (15 oz): Buy 4 for $5.00	5/19	6/15

*Must be an mPerks Member to Enjoy These Deals

I love using mPerks to save money at Meijer, but it's even better if I can save on products I already use PLUS enter the code for donations.  I know money is tight for a lot of people, so being able to contribute by buying foods you already use is SO helpful.

The twins are officially done with preschool (*tear*) and are headed to kindergarten in the fall.  I cannot wait to help out in their school.  I hope to help with the Kids' Food Basket program near our school to help provide meals for kids after they leave school.  I know with my coupon savvy skills, I can revamp the program and help more families than ever! 

Although the mPerks deals end soon, you can always find coupons for your favorite ConAgra products in the Sunday paper and enter codes through August!

Let's help them reach their goal of 7 million meals!

How to Make Turkey Tacos {Plus a Stuffed Pepper Recipe!}

I thought I might write a few recipes focused on ground turkey.  In our house, we don't eat too much ground beef--it's all turkey.  Once you know how to season and cook with it, you'll be a fan too!  It's cheaper, healthier and can replace any meal made with beef. 

To start off, I thought I would give some tips for buying ground turkey.

• Most packages are 1.25 lbs.  It's a bit of adjustment to season if you're used to just 1 pound packages of beef.  When seasoning ground turkey, you do need to add a bit more than you would for other ground meat. 
• Start off with "Lean" labeled packages (or 93/7).  Extra lean is quite dry if you don't know how to cook it.  Sometimes premade burger patties will use both dark and white meat and they will be a fattier variety.  I prefer just making my own burgers.
• Keep your eyes peeled on the Sunday paper coupons or on Coupons.com....very frequent coupons lately!  Pair with a sale and stock up!

Our favorite recipe: tacos!  Serve with some pantry salsa and you have dinner in less than 20 minutes! 

What you'll need:

• 1 package of Lean ground turkey
• 1 can (4 oz) of green chiles
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (about 1.5 packets)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Optional: 1 can rinsed black beans + 1/2 cup frozen corn

1.  In a large pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat.  Add onions, green chiles and garlic. (Also corn, if wanted) Cook 3-4 minutes, until soft.  Add package of ground turkey.  Use a spatula to break up turkey as it's browning.
2. Season with cumin and taco seasoning about halfway through cooking.  (Since you don't drain it, you can season early).  Cook about 3-4 minutes longer.  Add water and turn to low heat.   
3. Optional: Add black beans.  Cook on low for 5 minutes. 
4. Serve on taco shells or in a taco salad!

Tired of tacos?  Make some stuffed peppers!  I love to make these when I find markdown produce pepper bags and I'll freeze half of the batch!

This recipe is perfect for a quick and healthy dinner.  I added quinoa instead of rice to keep it light.

Here's what you need:

• 1 cup of quinoa, cooked as directed with 2 cups chicken stock
• Turkey taco meat (see recipe above) making with black beans and corn- I used about 2 cups for my peppers and had plenty left over
• 1 cup shredded Mexican Cheese
• 5-6 green peppers- poblanos or red peppers work great too!
• Garnish: cilantro, salsa, guacamole, green onion, sour cream/Greek yogurt

Let's Cook!

1. Cook 1 cup of quinoa as directed with 2 cups chicken stock (there will be some leftover)
2. Preheat oven to 400*.
3. Cut peppers in half and seed them.  Place in a sprayed 9x13 pan.
4. In a large bowl, mix 1 cup cooked quinoa with about 2 cups taco mixture.
5. Fill peppers generously.  Top with a sprinkle of cheese.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and peppers are browning. 
7. Top with favorite garnishes and serve with a salad!

What's your favorite way to enjoy turkey? Head on over to my FB page to answer that question and I'll draw one lucky winner on Thursday (5/15/14) to get 4 FREE product coupons for Jennie-O Turkey products!

Stonyfield Yogurt Pouches {Road-Trip Friendly Snacks!} #Sponsored

DISCLAIMER: I participated in a Blogger Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Stonyfield. I received coupons to facilitate my shopping trip and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Next week we are headed on our first family roadtrip to Hilton Head Island, SC.  Just call us the Griswalds! 17 hours in the car with two 5 year olds and a 2 year old should be...interesting.  When we made this trip pre-kids, we would blast our favorite music and have a nice relaxing road trip.  Now, I have a feeling we will be stopping more and hearing quite a bit more chatter-- or "are we there yet?"   I'm trying to stay optimistic!

Since we are staying at my parent's condo, we can come prepared.  I'm planning on bringing cereal and other breakfast goodies, plus plenty of beach friendly snacks.  For the car ride, I want healthy, yet filling snacks for us to grab easily.  My go-to product so far has been from our beloved Stonyfield yogurt.

We are loving the new Stonyfield organic yogurt pouches and they are actually quite road-trip friendly! I'm freezing a bunch for our cooler. They will also double as ice packs!  These come in great flavors for everyone...not gonna lie, I have tried a few myself while driving.  Our favorite is the Strawberry Beet Berry.  They are perfect for healthy snacking and almost mess free. 

Aside from the yogurt pouches, I'm making up a few batches of Greek yogurt banana bread and muffins.  The protein will keep us full, without being stuffed.  I really don't want to have to stop for fast food.  Another snack I'll be packing is some veggie dip made with Stonyfield Greek yogurt, dill and lemon for some crudites.  I'm sure I'll get get some major eye-rolls from the Mr. for my healthy snacks...but he'll thank me when his stomach starts growling around hour 2.  His version of snacks are a case of sugar free Red Bull and Munchies snack mix. (Let's be honest, that Munchies snack mix is ah-mazing...but doesn't make you feel so hot a few hours later)

If you want more information about Stonyfield organic yogurt products, check out their website.  They have coupons to print too! 

Other ways to connect:

• Stonyfield Facebook
• Keep up on Instagram to watch their fun adventures!
• Twitter
• Pinterest

Do you have any fun trips planned this summer? What's your go-to snack?