sponsored post Archives - Atlantas Frugal Mom

How Mosquito Prevention Helped My Kids Play Outside

07/01/2018 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Mosquito Joe. I’ve received a form of compensation in exchange for this post; however all opinions, experiences, and bad puns are 100% my own.

Y’all may have noticed, I have two redheaded children, right? What you may not know is all the fun little trivia facts that come along with being a ginger. For example, worldwide, redheads make up only 2% of the population, while in Scotland they’re 13%, followed closely by Ireland at 10%.

Another little tidbit of trivia? Redheads are more susceptible to bug bites. In my kids case, they’re magnets for mosquitoes. Not only are my kids apparently like a nice little dessert for mosquitoes, my daughter also has strong reactions to mosquito bites. About half the time, a single bite will swell up on her. The first time we saw this, she was about 3, and she had a bite on her tricep that swelled up the size of a golf ball. That prompted a weekend trip to urgent care, where we started to learn about her reactions, and how to handle them with OTC allergy meds. Once, she got a bite a few inches above her eye, and her entire forehead swelled up! [Read more…]

Keep on saving! :o)
--Barbara
**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Filed Under: household services, sponsored post, Summer

Staying Hydrated in Georgia Heat

08/18/2017 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Y’all, it’s hot as blazes out there in Atlanta right now. And when it’s not hot, it’s ridonkulously humid, which just adds a whole new layer of hot to Atlanta heat – am I right?? I’ve given y’all many ways to keep cool this summer, but we all know we also need to keep ourselves properly hydrated when it’s so stinkin’ hot, right? Have I mentioned I have a terrible habit of drinking entirely too much soda and sweet tea? Neither of which are good for you in the first place, but both are even more dangerous if you’re trying to stay hydrated.

So, when I was sent SweetLeaf Stevia Water Drops to try out, I thought this might be the perfect opportunity to try to replace the soda and sweet tea I’ve been consuming with something better-for-me. (Disclosure: SweetLeaf sent me the water drops to try out, in exchange for a review on this here blog. However, all opinions, commentary, and bad puns are 100% my own.)

Here’s what I’ve learned so far: [Read more…]

Filed Under: health and fitness, sponsored post, Summer

Kid-Friendly Southwest Dip

10/23/2016 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kroger. The opinions and text are all mine.

My kids love to eat. Anything in “dip form” will get demolished in a matter of mere seconds with this crew. Moreover, I love to find ways to create things with them. ….and if I happen to sneak in some extra little nutritional boosts, well, then that’s even better.

So this week, we headed over to Kroger, and created a fun, delicious southwest dip. We even got creative and made it into a cat-faced southwest dip. ….unfortunately, I first created another installment of “How Not to Cook”. (Remember my infamous meatball debacle? Or the overly-cinnamon’ed Vitamix applesauce?)

When I was asked to create a kid-friendly activity using things I got at Kroger, it seemed like a no-brainer. I decided to go with a southwest-style dip and home made baked tortilla chips, which is an easy recipe for the kids to get involved with, AND which I could get everything I need at my neighborhood Kroger store. Y’all already know I love Kroger, not only because they have competitive prices, but because Kroger helps me to find healthy options for me and my family.

kid-friendly-southwest-dip_baked-tortilla_banner

Making our own tortilla chips was a snap. It was basically what we did when we made tortilla strips for our chicken tortilla soups. Using Halloween-themed cookie cutters just added to the fun, too!

But first I had to “pull a Barbara”, and take too many liberties in what I created. I found a handful of taco dip recipes, calling for cream cheese and refried beans, along with salsa, and other garnishing. But I decided I wanted to make a healthier version, and replaced the refried beans with black beans and added corn, as well. It didn’t turn out too well, but it made for a great conversation about how we dust ourself off and try again when things don’t go as planned. This was actually perfect timing, since I’m trying to work with my 4 yo son on tackling the monkey bars at school. He’s been reluctant to try them because he’s afraid of falling. I’ve been encouraging him to try them, and that the worst that would happen is he drops to the ground and gets up and tries it again. (His feet dangle about a foot from the ground on the monkey bars at his school, fwiw.) So when my initial crack at this recipe was less than stellar, I made a big stink about getting right back in there and trying the recipe again, figuring out what I did wrong, and how I could make it better the next time.

I digress.

kid-friendly-southwest-dip_makingseasoning

We made our own taco seasoning for this recipe, thanks to a super-simple recipe I first heard about from Krystyn of Really Are You Serious. It was an easy and delightful task for my son!

Here’s what how we did it. There are plenty of opportunities along the way to get the kids involved with each step, depending on their age, your comfort level, and their abilities – and perhaps your threshold for messes.

Kid-friendly Southwest Dip

8-oz sour cream
1 tbs. chia seeds
1 tbs. flax seed
2 tsp. taco seasoning mix (Did you know how easy it is to make your own??)
1/2 c. salsa
1/4 c. sliced ripe olives (+4-5 individual olives on reserve)
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/2 c. black beans
1/2 c. sweet corn
1 c. chopped lettuce or spinach (or let the kids use scissors to snip it in to strips)
2 cherry tomatoes
tortilla chips (It’s super easy to bake your own tortilla chips!)

Mix the sour cream and taco seasoning until well-blended. Spread as bottom layer of dip in your deep dish. Next evenly spread salsa over cream cheese mix, then sprinkle chia and flax seed over the salsa. Layer the beans, then the corn. Top with shredded cheese. ….now for the fun part. Have kids create a face: use the tomatoes (cut in half) to create eyes, then place olive slice over tomato. Cut olive slices in half to create a mouth.

Pin me!

I ended up sticking ours in the oven with the baked tortilla chips for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese. This is completely optional.

Giveaway opportunity:
I want to give one of y’all a chance to create something with your own kiddos, so I’m offering you a chance to win a $50 Kroger giftcard. Simply comment below with your favorite Halloween activity or recipe to do with your kids. Then fill out the form below. See? Simple!

Remember, you can earn extra entries daily, so make sure to stop back in and update your form to increase your chance of winning. Good luck, y’all! 🙂

Filed Under: Frugal Parenting, Kroger, picky tot pleasers, recipes, sponsored post Tagged With: Halloween

Ranch-Flavored Broccoli Cheddar Bites

02/02/2016 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Disclosure: This is post is sponsored by Naturally Fresh® dressing – in exchange for this post, I received a form of compensation. However, all opinions, ranch-flavored broccoli cheddar bites recipes, and bad puns are 100% my own.

Rumor has it, with football season winding down, there’s going to be some sort of BIG sendoff for that final game. Something super, I’m told. 😉

Last year, I shared with you my game day better-for-you baked ranch quesadillas – which are still one of my favorite quick meal ideas to whip up, particularly for my picky tots. So this year, when the folks at Naturally Fresh® asked to team up for another game day creation, I wanted to try to kick up the healthy factor a little more. Initially, I set out to create a ranch-flavored broccoli cheese quinoa creation, but it didn’t turn out as I expected. So back to the drawing board.

I knew I wanted something with veggies, so a broccoli cheese appetizer sounded like a good idea. Thankfully, these easy broccoli cheese bites sort of created themself. So eventually, I created ranch-flavored broccoli cheddar bites!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: recipes, sponsored post

Orkin’s Guide to Ousting Bed Bugs

04/08/2015 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

So if you’re at all like me, the title alone of this post just sent you spiraling in to an upheaval, complete with the childish on-the-chair “it’s a bug” dance. What? No one else does that? Mmkay…

Recently, Orkin hosted a blogger event for Atlanta bloggers. In exchange for sharing skin-crawling information during the event and in this post, I receive a form of compensation; however, all opinions and bad puns are completely my own. I also wish to note, as I’m typing this, I’m listening to the clickety-clacky crunchy sound of stink bugs fluttering around my den. Bonus points?? [Read more…]

Filed Under: giveaway, health and fitness, household services, sponsored post

Painting with a Twist

03/27/2015 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Painting with a Twist in Buckhead. I’ve received a form of compensation in exchange for promotion; however, all opinions and bad puns are completely my own.

As a mother, I think it’s important to find ways to do “grown-up” things with other grown-ups, without a hint of kids around. Ok, fine, sometimes I consider a trip to the grocery store good escape… But now Buckhead has another great place for you to escape: Painting with a Twist. Here, you can paint on a canvas, enjoy good music, wine or beer, and create unique, personal masterpieces they can take to their homes or gift to others. The artwork ranges from landscapes, abstracts and cityscapes, to creative renderings of animals, iconic buildings and florals. [Read more…]

Filed Under: around town, giveaway, sponsored post

Better-for-You Baked Ranch Quesadillas

01/29/2015 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Yep, I used the phrase “better-for-you” and “ranch” together. And I mean it, y’all! I recently had an opportunity to create a recipe as part of the blogger program by Naturally Fresh® and The Motherhood, who compensated me for my time and the development of this recipe. However, all opinions, experiences, photos share here, and bad puns are all my own.

So how on earth can I make “better-for-you” baked RANCH quesadillas? It’s simple: with Naturally Fresh® Lite Ranch, which is made with Naturally Fresh®’s own nonfat buttermilk cuts the calories in half, and it’s made with real, wholesome ingredients. You’ve got to look in the refrigerated section at Publix or Kroger to find Naturally Fresh® products – and you can also utilize the Naturally Fresh® App to find products near you.

With a little thing called The Super Bowl coming up in a few days, I thought baked ranch quesadillas – with my own twist – would be a great snack for any party. Wouldn’t these be the perfect appetizer to serve? More importantly, with a few tweaks, I created a better-for-you appetizer (or meal!) and gave it some healthier updates.

Better-for-You Baked Ranch Quesadillas

You’ll need: [Read more…]

Filed Under: giveaway, recipes, sponsored post

Alpha-Bits Spelling – Encouraging Emerging Readers

04/03/2014 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post from Post Alpha-bits cereal and the Little Free Library. I was given a form of compensation in exchange for this post.

My freshly-five-year-old daughter is becoming an emerging reader, and thus an emerging speller these days. (Yep, I’m gonna pat myself on the back just a little bit for that!) We’ve practiced sight words to no end, but now that she’s interested in spelling, I decided it was time to start seeing what she could do with her writing/spelling skills.

Yesterday we had the perfect opportunity to play around with her spelling skills. And snack a little too. We used a little glue, cardstock, markers, sight word cards (for reference), and assorted Post Alpha-bits cereal pieces. We dubbed it “Alpha-Bits Spelling”. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Frugal Parenting, literacy, sponsored post

LeapFrog LeapReader™ “Ready, Set, Read & Write!

10/18/2013 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Disclosure: I received free LeapFrog LeapReader™ products in order to host the LeapFrog sponsored MommyParty. The opinions expressed here, as well as (some of) the cute kids are all mine.

When a big ol’ box of LeapFrog LeapReader™ products showed up at my door recently, I literally did the happy dance. (…and just be glad no one was around to see that sad mess…) I had the distinct pleasure of being chosen to host a LeapReader™ party, a privilege given to only select bloggers, as I later learned! Included in my party kit were:

(2) LeapReader™ Reading and Writing Systems – each includes a LeapReader™ device, pre-loaded with books and learning apps, as well as two USB cords for charging the devices
Disney-Pixar’s Monster’s University 3D book (and 16 pairs of 3D glasses!)
Get Ready for Kindergarten book
Talking Words Factory flash cards
(2) LeapReader™ sampler book
LeapReader™ Write It! Talking Factory Writing Workbook
LeapReader™ Write It! Learn to Write Letters Writing Workbook
audio book apps, including Ozzie and Mach, and T. Rex’s Mighty Roar
LeapFrog Learning Songs music app
Animal Facts trivia challenge trivia app
a plethora of activity sheets [Read more…]

Filed Under: books, product reviews, sponsored post, Whatcha Reading

Dirty Secrets: My Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine Review + giveaway

08/19/2013 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

I was recently given a complimentary use of the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine, in exchange for this review. All opinions, and nasty carpet pictures, are completely mine.

I have a terrible confession to make: in over six years living in our home, we’ve never cleaned our carpets. For over four years, they’ve been riddled with little kid grime; yet, we somehow just never got around to getting the carpets cleaned, even though it was always on our long list of things to do. *sigh*

I digress.

When I was approached with an opportunity to try out the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine in my home for a trial period, my husband and I both eagerly jumped at the chance! Tanya from Fizz Word of Mouth Marketing dropped it off, and that very weekend, we got to cleaning!

Well, actually, I was putting the kids down for their naps, and my husband took over the carpet cleaning duties. To be honest, I never got to even TOUCH the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine during the entire trial period — my husband was in. the. zone. So, to be perfectly clear, this review is really a second-hand account of HIS use of the machine. But I assure you, it was an incredible experience. 😉

The Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine proved to be light weight, even when full of the sloshy water and cleaning fluid. I’m not sure if you were supposed to vacuum the carpets before hand -remember, my husband took control and you know men and directions…. In any case, we didn’t, but the dirt was just effortlessly pulled away from our carpets, rugs, stairs (all three flights!), and couches.

The day we did this, it was overcast outside (imagine that, during this summer in Atlanta!), so it was difficult to get great pictures contrasting the clean and dirty carpets. But I managed to capture a few, mainly the rugs in our den. First, my husband did the big one, so I put the runner OVER it afterwards, for comparison purposes. You can clearly see the difference! This is in a super-high traffic area, but those filthy rugs didn’t stand a chance against the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine!

With enthusiasm -and the “help” of our daughter, dressed as Princess Merida- we tackled the whole house: all the carpet upstairs (including four bedrooms and a super long hallway), all the downstairs rugs, our carpeted dining room and formal living room, the finished basement (half carpeted), as well as front stair case, back stair case, and the basement stairs.

All in all, each time we poured that nasty water tank in to the laundry room sink, we were assured that we were successfully lifting the grime out of our house. Okay, and we were equally disgusted with the level of filth we’ve been walking upon, and our KIDS had been playing in! With each dumping of the water tank, we felt a little -um- relief knowing that the grimy layer of disgust was literally going down the drain and OUT OF OUR HOUSE!

Enter for a chance to win a rental of the
Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine!

Would you like a chance to try out this bad boy? I’m offering five vouchers each good for a 24-hour rental period (a $24.99 value) of the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine. It’s super simple, just comment below on which room(s) you’d most love to tackle with the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine, then fill out the entry form here.

And even if you’d don’t win, grab this coupon, good for $5 off your rental. Your local Lowes Home Improvement store offers rental of this machine, as well as the Bissell Pawsitivity Clean Machine, which is designed for pet owners. …..now, go enter to win a free rental trial!

Entry -Form