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Shared Oct 4, 2012 comment

31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: Amazon’s Trade-In Program (Day 4)

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 4, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to October’s series on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas. In this series, I’m highlighting simple and legitimate ways you can earn extra cash in the next three months for those of you who could use a little extra cash to help you pay for Christmas — or just for your living expenses if you’re in a tight spot right now.

Want to earn some Amazon gift cards to help pay for Christmas gifts? You definitely must check out Amazon’s Trade-In Program. Here’s what reader Chelsea said:

Last week, I discovered Amazon’s trade-in store, and ended up having almost $400 worth of credit between six textbooks! After researching what the books were worth, I found that Amazon was offering me a very fair price. I was able to ship the books for free and quickly received the credit in my account.

Besides textbooks, Amazon also accepts electronics, movies and television series, video games, consoles, and accessories for trade. I would highly encourage MoneySavingMom® readers to check out this program. Paired with free shipping and price matching, the store credit could really come in handy. -Chelsea

Here’s how Amazon’s Trade-In Program works:

1. Gather Up Extra DVDs, Books, Video Games, and/or Electronics

Go through your home and find any DVDs, Books, Video Games, or electronics you no longer need or use.

2. Search For the Product on the Amazon Trade-In Store

Do a search on the Amazon Trade-In Store to see how much Amazon will pay you for a Trade In. If the price seems fair, click through to verify the condition, title, and price.

3. Print Your Shipping Label

Follow the steps to print the postage-paid shipping label. You can choose to go with free UPS shipping (you’ll need to drop your package off at the nearest UPS location) or shipping via the U.S. Postal Service (you can give your package to your mail carrier or drop it off at the nearest post office).

4. Ship Your Item

Ship out the item in a timely manner. Once it has been received by Amazon, they will check it to verify that it is eligible and in the condition you promised. Items considered to be not acceptable will be returned. Return shipping is free, but you will not receive any Amazon.com Gift Card amount for the returned items.

5. Once Your Item is Approved, Get Your Amazon Credit!

After your item has been received and approved by Amazon.com, they will issue your Amazon credit. You can use this credit to purchase anything on Amazon.com. I’d suggest hanging onto it and letting your credit build until you are ready to spend it on Christmas gifts!

It’s that simple! Here’s what Lydia from Five 4 Five Meals emailed into me:

Earlier this year I cleaned out our entire DVD collection by “selling” them to Amazon. In exchange for your DVDs they give you a gift card based on their resale value.

I made around $100 and decluttered our house. The bonus is you don’t pay shipping, Amazon does. -Lydia

Have you used Amazon’s Trade-In Program before? If so, I’d love to hear what your experiences — good or bad — have been with it.

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4 Pumpkin Recipes You Should Try

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 4, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We had our one-day, four-family garage sale today. And while everyone pitched in and helped a lot, I’m still wiped out tonight… so I’m skipping baking something with pumpkin and am instead going to share four pumpkin recipes I’ve posted here before. Enjoy!

These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are a family favorite and one of the most popular recipes I’ve ever posted. If you’ve not tried them before, you really shouldn’t wait another day to whip this recipe up.

Switch out the sweet potatoes in this smoothie for pumpkins and you have a delicious Pumpkin Smoothie — perfect for fall!

Looking for an amazing scone recipe? Go make a batch of Pumpkin Scones. These are hands down the best scones on the planet, in my opinion. SO good!

These Pumpkin Carrot Cake Muffins freeze well and make for a nutritious and yummy breakfast or snack.

Have you made anything with pumpkin this week? If so, tell us about it — and share the link to the recipe, if you have one.

Shared Oct 4, 2012 comment

Ask the Readers: Is it worth it to be in a direct sales business?

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 4, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s question is from Rachel:

I am thinking about becoming a rep for Thirty One products in order to make a little extra money. However, when I contacted some of my friends about whether they would host a party, many declined. Has anyone been successful in one of these direct sales lines? How do I go about lining up people for parties? Or should I just forget it and do something else? -Rachel

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Shared Oct 4, 2012 comment

Reader Tip: Make money with Teachers Pay Teachers

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 4, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Natalie emailed in the following tip:

I know many of you have some experience with education — either a degree in education, a job in the education field, or homeschooling your own children. If this sounds like you, then I’m excited to tell you about a great way to make a little extra money on the side: the growing teacher-created materials websites, Teachers Pay Teachers.

This website allows teachers/educators to post lesson plans, tests, worksheets, activities, clip art, room decorations, etc. for other educators to use (either for free or for profit). You must post at least one free sample item, and then after that, you may post additional items for a fee.

For example, if you have lessons that have worked very well in your classroom, a homeschooling lesson that was a hit, or you just really enjoy making clip art, you can simply upload a computer file (Word document or PDF) to your Teachers Pay Teachers account, or you can choose to list physical goods to ship out to buyers.

You may start with a basic free sellers account, which allows you to keep 60% of your earnings, minus a transaction fee. Or there’s a paid account option, where you pay a set fee for the year, but keep a larger percentage of your sales. There is also a section where people post requests for items and what they are willing to pay.

I am a school speech-language pathologist, and have been posting some of the items I created to use with my students. I’ve had my Teachers Pay Teachers account since August and even with my basic seller account, I will receive a check at the end of September for a little over $100! -Natalie

Shared Oct 4, 2012 comment

Do It Yourself: Homemade Nursing Balms

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 4, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

TheNerdyFarmWife.com shows you how to make three different homemade nursing balms.

Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

Click here to sign up!

Shared Oct 3, 2012 comment

31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: SuperPoints (Day 3)

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 3, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to October’s series on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas. In this series, I’m highlighting simple and legitimate ways you can earn extra cash in the next three months for those of you who could use a little extra cash to help you pay for Christmas — or just for your living expenses if you’re in a tight spot right now.

If you’ve found a great way to make extra cash before Christmas that doesn’t require an outlay of cash upfront, please email me your tip. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

Update on November 8, 2012: Unfortunately, it looks like Superpoints is no longer in operation, per a notice posted on their site.

I’ve been hearing a lot about SuperPoints recently and I finally jumped on board with them after getting an email from Carrie who blogs at Recipe For Life who said she’d earned $100 from it in the last year, mostly just by logging in and spinning the SuperPoints button every day.

I signed up and discovered that it’s similar to Swagbucks, except instead of earning Swagbucks by online searching, you earn points with SuperPoints by spinning the SuperPoints button. You’ll randomly be awarded points when you spin. I’ve been awarded an average of two points each day by spinning.

In addition, there are many other ways to earn — from clicking on links that they email you, taking surveys, watching videos, printing coupons, completing offers, or referring friends. You can cash in your points for Amazon gift cards, Paypal money, and many other rewards.

How Do You Sign Up for SuperPoints?

Just click here to sign up for SuperPoints. Once you sign up, just click on the link in your email to validate your account, and you can start earning points.

How Do You Earn Points?

The easiest way to earn points is by clicking on the SuperLucky button. When you first sign up, you’ll automatically get five clicks per day. However, if you take a minute to update your profile with your name, email address, and some other basic information, you’ll up your daily SuperLucky click limit to 25.

I earned 12 points just by doing this while we were watching the debate tonight. This might be something fun to have your kids do every day!

You can also earn points by clicking on the daily email that they send you. The daily email will typically award you between 2 and 25 points.

Plus, just like Swagbucks, you can also earn points by completing offers, watching videos, or referring friends. You’ll also have an option to unlock more earning opportunities when you refer more friends.

How Much Can You Earn?

By just clicking on the SuperLucky button and clicking on the daily email each day, I think you should come fairly close to earning a $5 Amazon gift card every other month, with the potential to earn more like $10 to $20 per month in Amazon gift cards if you refer a few friends who are active with SuperPoints (you’ll earn 25 points for every friend who signs up through your link and then matching points up to their first 1000 points earned).

What Can You Cash In Your Points For?

You can cash in your SuperPoints for Amazon gift cards, Paypal payments, restaurant gift cards, or even electronics. 600 points will earn you a $5 Amazon gift card. 689 points will earn you a $5 Paypal payment. However, please note that if you do not have any active referrals, you won’t be able to cash until for gift cards until you have a higher number of points.

Do You Need To Have Referrals To Really Earn Anything?

If you have a few referrals, it will help you unlock some additional earning opportunities and make it easier (and quicker) to cash in for gift cards. So I’d encourage you to invite your friends or post about it on your blog or social media outlets. If you have a few dozen active referrals, you can likely earn significantly more.

Have you tried SuperPoints before? I’d love to hear about your experiences with it and any inside tricks or tips you have.

(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read my disclosure policy here.)

Shared Oct 3, 2012 comment

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 3, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’ve tried a few recipes for Pumpkin Spice Latte in the past, but I’ve never been too thrilled with the outcome. All the recipes I’ve tried were time-consuming, tedious, and not very tasty.

But that all changed when I made A Farmgirl’s Dabbles recipe for making a Week’s Worth of Pumpkin Spice Latte base. It’s so easy to make a batch — and then even easier to make a single cup.

But it’s not only easy, it’s delicious. In fact, this is the first recipe I’ve found that actually seems to pretty closely mirror Starbucks.

And I’m guessing it’s quite a bit healthier for you than Starbucks, too! I think the Starbucks version might be a tad sweeter, but you could always add more sweetened condensed milk or sugar to the base batch or stir in some extra sweetener or coffee syrup to your cup when you make it.

By the way, when I told my husband that I was making this yesterday, he asked me all on his own if he could stop after work and get some dark chocolate for chocolate shavings on top. I kid you not. I love that man!

I followed the recipe exactly as written on A Farmgirl’s Dabbles. (Can you believe that? I actually followed a recipe. I need to print and frame the recipe and hang it on my wall or something as it just might be the first time ever!).

What are you waiting for? Head on over to her blog to check it out. It’s a winner!

Want something a little healthier, try this Real Food version of Pumpkin Spice Latte.

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2012 Goals: September Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 3, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

How are you doing on your goals for 2012? September was a hard month for us on a lot of fronts, so I didn’t make as much progress on my goals I would have liked to, but at least there was some progress. I’m trying to remind myself that progress in the right direction is always a good thing — even if I’m going at it a lot slower than I’d hoped!

Here’s my update for the progress I’ve made so far this year on my 2012 goals:

Personal
Read through the Bible in a year. {I’ve been keeping up with this faithfully.}
Read through the 24 books on my 2012 booklist. {Finished through September. I have also read quite a few other books!}
Listen to 12 audiobooks. {I’m still finishing up listening to August’s audiobook — hoping to finish that this week & start on the next audiobook.}
Run in at least one 5K race. {This goal has really been hanging over my head the past few months & I’m really, really hopeful to have it crossed off the list this month!}
Complete the Couch to 10K program.
Tackle 12 Do-It-Yourself Projects. {Still behind on this one, but I did make some progress in September!}
Focus on one habit per month. {Totally bombed this one this month. :(}
Learn to use my new DSLR camera (huge surprise Christmas present from Jesse!!) & improve my photography skills. {I’m excited to be seeing some improvement and progress with this! And I’m also excited that I’m beginning to feel more and more comfortable using my camera!}
Take at least one photo a day and put together a page every week for my Project Life album. {I’m behind on this one, too. But maybe I’ll catch up this month, maybe?}
Memorize Colossians using the plan and free download here. {I didn’t do very well on this one this past month; must make this more of a priority!}

Marriage
~~Go on the Love Like You Mean It Cruise.~~ {Done–read my recap here.}
Go on two Marriage Retreats {Went to Cincinnati together in April & we’re headed to Pennsylvania in a few weeks!}.
Have monthly date nights. {We had one date in September.}
Read four books together. {We’ve done two books so far this year and we’re working on a third.}
~~Read at least 3 books on marriage.~~

Children/Homeschooling
Continue regular dates/outings with each of the children individually. {I didn’t do so well with this in September, but that was mostly due to the fact that my usual babysitters were out of town & Jesse had to work long hours.}
Continue Grace and Truth memory book. {The children memorized a few verses in September.}
~~Ice-skating lessons for all three children.~~
~~Swimming lessons for all three children.~~
~~Finish second grade, begin third grade with Kathrynne.~~
~~Finish kindergarten, begin first grade with Kaitlynn.~~
~~Start preschool with Silas.~~
Go on at least one field trip every month. {Jesse took the kids to the fair while I was out of town one weekend.}
~~Go on at least one family vacation.~~
~~Finish at least 15 read-aloud books~~. {We’ve finished 23 read-alouds so far this year!}

Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family
Write at least two handwritten notes every month to encourage someone. {I wrote & mailed six handwritten notes this month.}
Continue being involved in our local church, homeschool group, young couple’s group, and blogging accountability group. {Ongoing}
Continue with weekly get-togethers with both sides of our extended family. {Ongoing}

Business/Blogging
Continue to take Sundays off from blogging/business work. {Ongoing}
Continue keeping strict Office Hours for the business/blogging time each day. {Still plugging away on this!}
Switch to a paperless planning system. {This is the one goal I think I’ve officially decided to drop this year as it just wasn’t working for me. Back to the paper.}
Follow my weekly blogging plan. {I mostly stuck with my blogging plan in September!}
Plan blog posts out at least a month in advance. {I’ve been doing much better about this — yay!}
Write and schedule blog posts at least a week in advance. {I’m not getting the posts fully written, but I’ve been at least briefly outlining things a good week in advance.}

Financial
Continue to tithe 10% of our income. {Ongoing}
Give generously to needs in our community and around the world, as God prompts us. {Ongoing}
~~Pay cash for a new-to-us vehicle to replace our family’s van.~~ {We bought a new-to-us vehicle in July — yay!}
Finish saving for and purchase a rental property with cash. {We looked at rentals this past month and have one picked at that we’re planning to put an offer on this week, provided the inspection goes well. We’re doing an inspection before the offer since you have to buy the house as is. I’ll keep you posted!}

How Are You Doing on Your Goals for 2012?

If you’ve posted goals for 2012, I’d love for you to post an update on how things are going and share your link in the comments. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to just leave your update as a comment. Let’s encourage one another to live lives of intention and purpose!

Shared Oct 3, 2012 comment

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Muffins

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 3, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

These pumpkin pecan chocolate chip muffins are absolutely delicious — and perfect for anyone you know with a gluten or dairy allergy!

Guest post from Michelle.

There is very little introduction that I need to do for today’s pumpkin recipe, except one. “Oh my!”

Cooking gluten-free, particularly if you have to substitute other allergens, can be a lot of trial and error. But once you have some base recipes that work time and time again, you have a good hold on gluten-free baking.

I have finally reached that point and you can too!

These Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Muffins are winners!

We were so delighted at how these turned out and how similarly they taste to regular pumpkin muffins.

This recipe will be my go-to pumpkin muffin recipe from now on!

Ingredients for Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

Wet Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup milk (cow, almond, rice)
3 eggs or EnerG egg replacer (4 ½ tsp powder + 6 Tbsp water)
¾ cup oil (I used grapeseed oil)
½ cup raw sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Dry Ingredients

1 ¼ cup brown rice flour
½ cup white rice flour
½ cup tapioca flour
½ cup oat flour
¼ cup ground chia seed or flax meal
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp black pepper

Optional Mix-Ins

¾ cup chopped pecans (optional)
¾ cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is dairy, gluten, & nut free)

Streusel Topping (optional)

¼ cup oat flour
¼ cup raw sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp non-dairy margarine or coconut oil

Chocolate Drizzle (optional)

1/4 c. chocolate chips

Ingredient Notes:

I use my own gluten-free flour blend because I find it cheaper than a pre-packaged blend. I buy many of my flours at an Asian grocer, like white rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour.

I do splurge on Bob’s Red Mill Brown Rice Flour from Amazon. I resisted this higher priced flour for a long time, but it really is a great gluten-free staple flour.

If you’d rather use a pre-packaged flour blend, simply substitute 2 3/4 cups flour for all the flours listed in this recipe, except the chia meal.

This recipe is also made without other allergens – dairy and egg being the prominent ones. If you do not need to avoid those ingredients, just sub its “real” counterpart back into the recipe.

Pecans are listed as an ingredient, but they aren’t a necessity. If you have a treenut allergy or simply don’t like them, leave them out or use another ingredient like coconut or raisins.

How to Make these Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.

3. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients

4. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until well combined.

5. Optionally add in pecans and/or chocolate chips.

6. Fill muffin cup to 2/3 full.

7. Add optional streusel topping (see directions below).

8. Bake muffins in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with dry crumbs.

9. Remove pans from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before removing muffins from pan to cool completely.

10. Once muffins have cooled, drizzle on melted chocolate if desired.

Directions for Optional Streusel Topping:

1. In a small bowl, mix together oat flour, raw sugar, and cinnamon.

2. Cut in margarine until crumbly.

3. Sprinkle evenly across muffins before baking.

4. Bake as directed.

Directions for Optional Chocolate Drizzle:

1. Put chocolate chips in a Ziploc bag.

2. Microwave the UNZIPPED bag for 15 seconds.

3. Flipped it over and microwaved for an additional 15 seconds.

4. Cut a slit in the corner and pipe onto each muffin.

I hope you give these easy muffins a try, and enjoy them over coffee with a friend.

You can even freeze them to enjoy another time!

Recipe

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

Author Crystal Paine

Course Bread, Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 22

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup milk cow, almond, rice
3 eggs or EnerG egg replacer (4 ½ tsp powder + 6 Tbsp water)
¾ cup oil I used grapeseed oil
½ cup raw sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Dry Ingredients

1 ¼ cup brown rice flour
½ cup white rice flour
½ cup tapioca flour
½ cup oat flour
¼ cup ground chia seed or flax meal
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp black pepper

Optional Mix-Ins

¾ cup chopped pecans optional
¾ cup chocolate chips Enjoy Life is dairy, gluten, & nut free

Streusel Topping (optional)

¼ cup oat flour
¼ cup raw sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp margarine or coconut oil

Chocolate Drizzle (optional)

1/4 c. chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.
In another bowl, combine dry ingredients
Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until well combined.
Optionally add in pecans and/or chocolate chips.
Fill muffin cup to 2/3 full.
Add optional streusel topping (see directions below).
Bake muffins in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with dry crumbs.
Remove pans from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before removing muffins from pan to cool completely.
Once muffins have cooled, drizzle on melted chocolate if desired.

Directions for Optional Streusel Topping:

In a small bowl, mix together oat flour, raw sugar, and cinnamon.
Cut in margarine until crumbly.
Sprinkle evenly across muffins before baking.
Bake as directed.

Directions for Optional Chocolate Drizzle:

Put chocolate chips in a Ziploc bag.
Microwave the UNZIPPED bag for 15 seconds.
Flipped it over and microwaved for an additional 15 seconds.
Cut a slit in the corner and pipe onto each muffin.

Notes

I use my own gluten-free flour blend because I find it cheaper than a pre-packaged blend. I buy many of my flours at an Asian grocer, like white rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour.

I do splurge on Bob’s Red Mill Brown Rice Flour from Amazon. I resisted this higher priced flour for a long time, but it really is a great gluten-free staple flour.

If you’d rather use a pre-packaged flour blend, simply substitute 2 3/4 cups flour for all the flours listed in this recipe, except the chia meal.

This recipe is also made without other allergens – dairy and egg being the prominent ones. If you do not need to avoid those ingredients, just sub its “real” counterpart back into the recipe.

Pecans are listed as an ingredient, but they aren’t a necessity. If you have a treenut allergy or simply don’t like them, leave them out or use another ingredient like coconut or raisins.

Nutrition

Love this recipe?

Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!

Pin Recipe

What are your favorite allergy-friendly recipes?

Michelle is blessed to stay home with her three children. She loves experimenting with allergy-friendly meals.

Shared Oct 3, 2012 comment

Hoping to be a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom in the future? Here’s some advice…

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 3, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’ve come to the place where I really dislike “labels” — you know “stay-at-home mom” versus “working mom” and such. Honestly, I think that the so-called “Mommy Wars” really do nothing profitable and serve to just divide and frustrate women, rather than building up and encouraging women.

That said, I know some of you have written in recently asking about how to make the jump from work-outside-the-home mom to stay-at-home, homeschooling mom. So, I wanted to pass along this post I wrote in response to a question that my friend Tricia received recently on how to prepare financially to be a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom in the future. If this is a subject you’re currently considering, I thought you might find this post helpful:

Considering make the switch from a working woman to a stay-at-home homeschooling mom? While it might seem daunting, it can be done — if you’re willing to get creative, put forth some effort, and think outside the box:

1) Get on a Written Budget

This is vitally important. If you don’t tell your money where to go, it will just slip through your fingers like sand.

A written budget puts you in control. No longer is your money just slipping through your fingers like sand. Instead, you are telling it exactly where to go.

The beauty of a budget is that it gives you freedom. You don’t have to worry that by paying one bill, you’re not going to be able to pay another important bill. Why? Because you’ve already allotted enough money to cover both bills in your written budget.

Read the full post here.

If you’ve made the leap from working outside the home to staying home, I’d love to hear your advice and thoughts on this. Any words of encouragement or counsel for other moms considering making the switch? How have you pulled it off financially?

OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!

Click here to download!

Shared Oct 2, 2012 comment

Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 2, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I saw this recipe on Pinterest the other day and knew I had to try it. Two ingredients? Brownies? Sign me up!

In similar fashion as the Three Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins I made recently, they don’t exactly taste like their normal counterparts. But if you eat them without expecting a normal-tasting brownie, they are quite yummy. Not anything as good as a regular brownie, but I think if you served them with ice cream and chocolate syrup or frosted them, that would improve the flavor and yummy factor!

Mix ingredients (one can pumpkin & one box brownie mix) together. If you don’t have a brownie mix on hand, you can make your own homemade brownie mix.

Spread into a greased baking pan. I made them in a 9×13 pan, but I’d recommend putting them in a smaller pan since mine were a little (er, maybe a lot) on the flat side.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until set. Can frost with this simple frosting, if you like.

Recipe from Cookies and Cups.

Shared Oct 2, 2012 comment

10 Creative Sandwich Ideas

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 2, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Brigette Shevy

If you’re looking for simple, lunch box-friendly, kid-approved sandwiches that require minimal prep time, this list is for you! Many of these sandwiches can be made in advance and frozen… and ALL of them can be eaten cold or at room temperature.

While there are many great sandwich ideas that involve peanut butter, I have purposely chosen to keep this list peanut-butter free (which wasn’t as easy to do as it sounds!).

Feel free to mix and match fillings with different types of bread. I’ve listed ones that pair well together, but the possibilities are endless. (Of course, a wet filling on absorbent bread can end up a soggy mess by lunchtime, so you do want to think through things like that!)

1. Fruit Pizza Bagel

Mix cream cheese with honey and spread on both sides of a split bagel (mini bagels work great for kids!). Top with small slices of fruit like pineapple, kiwi, grapes, mandarin oranges, or whatever your child will eat (pat the fruit dry with a paper towel if necessary) and sprinkle with shredded coconut.

2. English Muffin Pizzas

Spread English muffin halves with pizza/tomato/spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with cheese (and top with chopped veggies, optional). Bake or broil (or even microwave if you are really short on time!) until cheese is melted. Serve open-faced. Freezable.

3. Avocado Veggie Sandwich

Combine mashed avocado with a splash of lemon juice and a dash of salt. Spread on both sides of a hearty roll and top with whatever sliced veggies your child will eat (lettuce, tomato, pickles, cucumbers, etc.).You can also add cheese or deli meat if desired.

4. Pancake Sandwich

Spread applesauce on a leftover pancake. Sprinkle with cinnamon and chopped nuts (optional).Top with another pancake and cut into wedges. Freezable.

5. Apple Nut Rice Cake

Mix softened cream cheese with maple syrup, cinnamon and nuts.Spread on a rice cake and top with thinly sliced apple slices and additional chopped nuts.

6. Pesto Mozzarella Melt

Spread pesto on two pieces of french bread. Top each with sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese and a thin slice of tomato. Broil until cheese is melted.Serve open-faced if desired. You can also cook these in a skillet instead of broiling them.

7. Cheesy Pita Wedges

Fill pita bread halves with cheese and microwave until melted.Cut into wedges to serve. Freezable.

8. Double Decker Cream Cheese and Jelly

Spread one piece of cinnamon raisin bread with softened cream cheese. Top with another piece of raisin bread. Spread jelly on that piece. Top with another piece of bread.Cut into strips or wedges. Freezable.

9. Hummus Veggie Bagels

Spread bagel halves with hummus and top with whatever sliced veggie(s) your child will eat (such as colored peppers, sprout, tomato, or shredded carrots).Serve open-faced.

10. Chocolate Banana Roll-Up

Mix softened cream cheese with cocoa powder, sweetener to taste, and a little milk as necessary.Spread thinly on a tortilla. Top with sliced banana and roll up.

What is your favorite “creative” sandwich?

Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy (ages 5, 3 and 1). She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.

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Shared Oct 2, 2012 comment

10 Goals For This Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 2, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Last week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Read at least 8 chapters of A Way Through the Sea aloud to the kids.

~~2. Write a love note to Jesse.~~

Personal Goals

3. Finish reading ~~7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess~~ (re-reading for a project I’m working on), Whose Voice the Waters Heard, ~~The Husband Project~~, ~~Mended~~, ~~Shades of Morning~~, Now, Discover Your Strengths.

~~4. Listen to two chapters of Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.~~

~~5. Exercise at least five times.~~

Homemaking Goals

~~6. Finish 25 more rows of the scarf I’m working on knitting.~~

~~7. Make at least two new recipes.~~

8. Go through our house for our garage sale next week.

Business Goals

~~9. Finish the Lunchbox Freezer Cooking series.~~

~~10. Finish book proposal for my next book & submit to my agent~~ (Woot! So excited about the topic and contents planned for my next book!)

This week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Read 3 chapters of The Stolen Necklace aloud to Kathrynne. Read 3 chapters of Still More Stories From Grandma’s Attic aloud to Kaitlynn. Read 10 picture books to Silas. Read at least 3 chapters of A Way Through the Sea aloud to the kids.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

3. Have a playdate with friends.

Personal Goals

4. Finish reading Whose Voice the Waters Heard, Greater, Fully Alive, The Promise of a Mother’s Prayers, Return, and Now, Discover Your Strengths.

5. Finish listening to Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.

6. Exercise at least five times.

Homemaking Goals

7. Finish 25 more rows of the scarf I’m working on knitting.

8. Make at least two new recipes.

9. Have a garage sale.

Business Goals

10. Write three posts for other sites.

How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives!

You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.

Shared Oct 2, 2012 comment

Do It Yourself: Homemade Mod Podge

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 2, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

StayAtHomeMadeMom.com shows you how to make homemade mod podge.

Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Shared Oct 1, 2012 comment

31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: Jingit (Day 1)

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 1, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to October’s series on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas. In this series, I’ll be highlighting simple and legitimate ways you can earn extra cash in the next three months for those of you who could use a little extra cash to help you pay for Christmas — or just for your living expenses if you’re in a tight spot right now.

Many of these will be things we’ve discussed here at one time or another, but I thought it would be good to have them all in one complete series. Plus, even if you’ve been reading here for a few years, it’s easy to forget posts that were published months ago!

Idea #1: Earn Money By Watching Videos on Jingit

Jingit is a newer income-earning program that pays you to watch ads online. You can also earn money for downloading the mobile app, scanning items at Walmart, and answering a couple of questions.

How Do You Sign Up?

To sign up, just go here and click on “sign up now.” You’ll need to create an account, input your phone number, and type in the verification number they text to you.

How Do You Earn Cash?

Once you’re signed up, you can begin watching videos or doing store check-ins. You should be offered at least a few videos you can watch right away. It looks like they add a few new videos each week.

Plus, if you have a smartphone, you can download the Jingit app and get paid to scan grocery UPC codes while you’re in store.

How Do You Get Paid?

To get paid, you just register for a Jingit Visa Debit Card (costs $3 from your Jingit balance to request it) and then add cash for your online Jingit balance to the Visa card.

How Much Can You Make?

There is an earning limit of $15 per week. When you initially join, you’ll have a lower earning limit but this can be raised to $15 by inviting friends to join.

It looks like most people are only making $3-$5 per week with it, but that’s only by spending a few minutes of time each day — or less. So it’s not a bad hourly wage!

Candi commented on my post about Jingit last week and said:

I have tried it and found that it is really very easy to make a couple of bucks. They videos you watch are super short, so it really doesn’t take too much time. I have also done the “check in” feature which has you scan in items Walmart and answer a couple of questions and you get money instantly! Fairly simple, but I have had it not scan a couple of items. I will only scan items in store if I need to be at Walmart anyway, you are only going to make a buck or two at a time so it is in no way worth the trip to the store for that. -Candi

(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read my disclosure policy here.)

2hr Cleaning Checklist

2hr Cleaning Checklist

FREE DOWNLOAD: 2-Hour Cleaning Checklist!

1. Gather Up Extra DVDs, Books, Video Games, and/or Electronics

2. Search For the Product on the Amazon Trade-In Store

3. Print Your Shipping Label

4. Ship Your Item

5. Once Your Item is Approved, Get Your Amazon Credit!

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

How Do You Sign Up for SuperPoints?

How Do You Earn Points?

How Much Can You Earn?

What Can You Cash In Your Points For?

Do You Need To Have Referrals To Really Earn Anything?

How Are You Doing on Your Goals for 2012?

These Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Muffins are winners!

Ingredients for Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

Ingredient Notes:

How to Make these Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Wet Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

Optional Mix-Ins

Streusel Topping (optional)

Chocolate Drizzle (optional)

Instructions

Directions for Optional Streusel Topping:

Directions for Optional Chocolate Drizzle:

Notes

Nutrition

Love this recipe?

What are your favorite allergy-friendly recipes?

FREE 50+ Easy and Cheap Breakfast Ideas!!

1) Get on a Written Budget

OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!

1. Fruit Pizza Bagel

2. English Muffin Pizzas

3. Avocado Veggie Sandwich

4. Pancake Sandwich

5. Apple Nut Rice Cake

6. Pesto Mozzarella Melt

7. Cheesy Pita Wedges

8. Double Decker Cream Cheese and Jelly

9. Hummus Veggie Bagels

10. Chocolate Banana Roll-Up

What is your favorite “creative” sandwich?

Idea #1: Earn Money By Watching Videos on Jingit

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Ingredients