Deal of the Week!

If you are near a Kroger…..RUN, don’t walk to it……NOW! But before you do, go into the app, and search the coupon section for Ghirardelli. There is a coupon in there that allows you to get a bag of their no sugar added chocolate chips (although it does say other items are eligible for the promotion).

Step 1: Go grab your FREE bag of Ghirardelli baking chips. THEN, go to Ibotta…where the deal gets even…sweeter. Side note: if you do not have Ibotta yet, use my referral code! Use code 9KAAGW

Step 2: Find the $1.75 refund on Ghirardelli chips (I found the no sugar added dark chocolate, as those are the chips I bought) and redeem by scanning your receipt! That’s right….today, I got PAID to get Ghirardelli baking chips….and girls, are they EXPENSIVE normally!

Step 3: Hail me as your wise new leader.

—Amanda

Holiday Hacks

Although Christmas is currently on the brain, these helpful ‘life hacks’ can apply to any holiday! If you are like us, you are always looking to make moments magical without breaking the bank!

1) Shop the after-holiday clearance: While it can be tempting to rush out the day after, stores just don’t discount things like they used to. I usually wait until items are 50-75% off before buying them. You may miss out on most of the candy that way, but you can usually find some treasures at the local grocery store, Target, etc.

2) Find a special place in the basement or a closet to store these things. Make it the same place every time so that you know where to look when holidays are coming up. I usually put things on a special shelf in the basement and/or in a tub in that same area. Then, before I do my shopping for that year, I check what I already have. This year, I didn’t have to buy any stocking stuffers!

3) Look for gifts throughout the year. While this is biggest for Christmas, it can also be useful for birthdays, Easter, etc. January is a great time for discounted electronics, for instance. Don’t just rely on Black Friday/Cyber Monday/December sales! They know you are shopping then. The lull that stores experience in January and February often result in big savings!

4) Catalog these gifts so you don’t lose track! I use “ColorNote” to make ‘post its’ in the app on my phone for free! Then, when a holiday or birthday is approaching, I look to see what I have already for the special people in my life.

5) Talk to relatives about switching to Secret Santa. When your family starts to grow, and your other relatives also start to grow their families, gift giving can get out of control! What we do on one side is have each kid draw the name of another kid. That way, each family buys as many gifts as their kids will receive. We all know they will get plenty other gifts from grandmas, aunts, and your personal family Christmas!

Do you have any helpful tips to share? Let us know!

-Amanda

Beginning the Journey

It all started with a comment I received while on the phone at my job: “You have a good voice for a podcast!” Is it true? Only time will tell, but it got the gears turning. Between Nici and I, we have a lot of experience in different career fields, parenting, life experiences, and more. Recent stories I had shared with the mom’s group we have at work also made me realize that Nici and I have a lot of content that is ripe for laughter.

Over the last couple of months, we have been busy setting up social medias, building a basic website, and getting ready to launch an already-delayed podcast (thanks beginning-of-the-school-year illnesses!). We hope that you will enjoy taking this journey with us.

—Amanda