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Frugal Novice

Delicious Pulled Pork Slider Recipe

May is National BBQ month – and here in Texas we sure do love our BBQ. I grew up eating mostly beef brisket, but my husband and his family love pork, and I’m finally coming around to appreciate a broader range of barbecue. :)

Tony Roma’s was kind enough to provide this recipe for me to share with you all – it’s a flavorful alternative to your typical BBQ sandwich. Enjoy! (And don’t forget to check out this recipe for sweet & spicy pulled pork tacos, too!)

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Total time: 30 hour

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients: 

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Three Tips for Sprucing up Your Space

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We love our home, and one of my favorite things to do is to find ways to make it unique and special for our family. We’ve added a reclaimed wood wall and a large vintage-style chalkboard as just two ways of making our house our own.

Decorating is fun, but it can also be hard to find time to do lengthy projects. Since we’re so busy, it’s crucial for us to find ways to make an impact without having to spend a ton of time working on the updates.

Even if you don’t have a lot of time, you can still use these three tips to give your home some style:

1. Add style to necessities. Things like hand soap, salt and pepper shakers, and even Kleenex can impart your aesthetic. Kleenex Perfect Fit Tissues are one of my new favorites – they’re cute and compact, and they fit in well with our decor.

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If you want to snag your own Kleenex Perfect Fit Tissues, they’re available at your local Sam’s Club only through this month so be sure and get to Sam’s by May 31.

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Guest Post: Laurie’s Weight Loss Transformation {#TransformationTuesday}

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I’ve been working on losing weight this year – I made that cliched resolution to get healthier, and so far it’s been sticking. If you’ve ever been on this journey, you know it can be really easy to get off track. I truly think a large part of the difference for me this time around has been watching people who are success stories; those who’ve been on this same path, who’ve stuck with their goals, and who have results to show for it.

My friend Laurie is one of those people. She works full time, she’s got three kids, yet she’s still managed to succeed – triumphantly – at her weight loss. I’ve been really inspired by her, and I asked her if she’d be willing to share her story because I think you’ll be inspired, too. Thanks to Laurie for agreeing to write this guest post!

Laurie’s Story:

I never had a weight problem. All of my life, I ate what I want, when I wanted and I was still able to maintain an average-sized frame. Don’t get me wrong, I was not a bikini model, but I did not gain weight very easily. I was happy with my body. I enjoyed eating junk food. I never had to think about what I was putting into my body and if I wanted an ice cream, I ate that ice cream. If I wanted to eat potato chips and soda before bed, I did.

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Pregnancy: Where it All Started

I got married when I was 23, and soon after, I found out I was pregnant with our first child. When I was pregnant, I took that as the chance to continue eat whatever I wanted, times two. I didn’t hold back at all. By the end of my pregnancy, I had gained over 70 pounds. This was my first pregnancy and I figured this is just the way it goes: you gain weight. I didn’t think I’d have a problem with the weight coming right off, because I never had issues with weight before.

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Cleaning Calendar – Free Printable!

I saw a quote going around recently on Facebook that said, “I don’t want to brag, but I’m pretty mediocre at housekeeping.” It resonated so much with me that I shared it on the Frugal Novice page.

Brian and I both work full time, and we’ve got three fairly young children. We just don’t want to – and frankly, aren’t willing to – spend our whole weekends cleaning, when we could be spending quality time with the kids.

Three years ago I had the idea to create a printable monthly cleaning calendar to help myself break housework up into small, manageable pieces. It just requires a little effort each day, and it means that we’re still able to spend the most time on our priorities – namely, our family time. It’s also a way to make sure you don’t overlook something (not that I’ve ever gone months without dusting the fan blades… not me!).

Many of you probably remember my free monthly calendars; I got many emails requesting updates, and I’m thrilled to know they were helpful to others! I got behind in creating a new one each month, though, and so the idea for a perpetual cleaning calendar was born.

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Carrot Cake Cookie Recipe – Sneak Fruits & Veggies in for Your Kids!

In case you didn’t know, this is National Raisin Week! To celebrate, I thought I’d share a recipe that features a lot of raisins, and is delicious – carrot cake cookies. 

I grew up eating carrot cake, and never even really thought about the fact that it had veggies in it. I just loved the cinnamon flavor and juicy raisins, which is why I think my kids will love these carrot cake cookies. Since they’re crispier than cake, I think the texture of the carrots will be hidden even better – and who doesn’t love raisins in cookies? I even added rolled oats for a little extra fiber and texture!

Here’s the recipe for you to try:

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Gymboree Partners with Kiwi Crate & KaBOOM! to Make Sure All Kids Get Active Play!

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Note: I received a promotional item to facilitate this post. All opinions are honest and my own. 

With summer right around the corner I wanted to get some new clothes for the kids, so my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and I headed off to Gymboree. I noticed a display of bright & cheery play clothes from Gymboree’s new Hop N’ Roll line, and found a ton of great items for E, our two-year-old. You can check out all the Hop N’ Roll clothes online, or find them in your local Gymboree.

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When we went to check out, I saw a sign promoting Gymboree’s partnership with KaBOOM!, with a focus on giving kids the playspaces they need. I’m a firm believer that kids need play time for many different reasons developmentally and socially, so I absolutely love this!

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All the way through May 31, Gymboree will be supporting KaBOOM! with a series of programs and activities – including donating a percentage of proceeds from the Hop N’ Roll line and creating an exclusive arts & crafts box with Kiwi Crate – with the goal of raising enough money to build a place to play for 10,000 deserving kids in 2015. We tried out this special edition mini Kiwi Crate, and you’ll just have to see what craft we got to do, and how much fun the kids had:

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Make Traveling Headache-Free with a Free Trial of the CLEAR Airport Security Pass

It’s going to be 80 degrees this weekend, so summer has basically already arrived in Texas. There’s about a month of school left, which means summer vacations are right around the corner. I’m sure you can hear the collective sigh of relief heard ’round the country – we all look forward to getting away as a family!

As any parent knows, though, traveling with children (especially young ones like ours) can be stressful. There’s so much to pack (which, seriously, how can such little people require SO much stuff?) and if you’re flying there are even more things to navigate before you’re on your way to relaxation. It’s important to have some travel tools up your sleeve, and thankfully, programs like CLEAR exist to make flying a much more pleasant experience. CLEAR is a membership-based service that allows travelers to get through airport security faster.

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Encouragement Quote: Don’t Give Up!

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I’ve been losing weight since the start of the year – almost 25 pounds so far. I made the clichéd resolution to get healthier, but unlike other years I’ve been successful this time around. I’ve found a free app online to track what I’m eating, and a workout DVD that I actually enjoy (while simultaneously hating it sometimes – makes total sense, right?). My husband has been so supportive, working out with me and letting me ramble on about the calorie count of various foods.

What it all boils down to, though, is mindset. In previous weight-loss attempts I would use mistakes as an excuse to give up altogether. I mean, I’d already screwed up, right?

Now I get it. Mistakes happen, but they don’t have to shape your journey – or stop it. I hope this quote below helps encourage you with any change you’re wanting to make in your life, whether it’s losing weight, quitting smoking, making it through college, or whatever your personal challenge is. You’ve got this. Hang on to those eggs. 

If you drop one egg, you don't throw the other eleven on the floor. We ALL make mistakes. Don't let one slip-up derail you completely! Hang on to those other eggs.

Free Printable – and Gift Ideas – For Teacher Appreciation Week!

Teacher Appreciation Week is right around the corner – I’m room mom for both my boys’ classes, so I’ve been getting emails from the PTO reminding me that it’s approaching. We love their teachers and I am so glad for an opportunity to thank them for all their hard work!

I’ll share some gift ideas that I’ll be doing for our kids’ teachers below, but first let’s talk about this fun printable. I think it’s great to have the kids give their teachers something especially from them, so I came up with this adorable free printable you can have your child customize for their teacher. You could even print one out for each student and then bind them into a little book for their teacher to keep.

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Nerd Block, Jr. – for the Little Nerds in Your Life

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Note: We received a Nerd Block, Jr. box to facilitate our review. All opinions are honest and are our own. 

There are lots of subscription boxes out there – Brian and I both receive a box each month, but we hadn’t gotten one for the kids until we tried the Nerd Block, Jr. box.

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Take Your Kids on a Fun Journey into History with Jurassic Quest

Note: We received tickets to this event to facilitate our review. All opinions are honest and our own.

When the weekend arrives, it’s easy to fall into a rut with your activities – but every now and then it’s nice to change things up! If you’re looking for something unique and fun to do with your kids, keep an eye out for when Jurassic Quest will be heading your way. We recently had the opportunity to attend, and it was a great departure from our typical weekend activities! We went with some friends and it was a great outing for us all.

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Dove Advanced Care Anti-Perspirant/Deodorant for Moms On-the-Go!

Note: I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Dove. I received a product sample and promotional item to thank me for my participation.

As a busy, full-time-working, freelancing, mom to three kids, I’m always on the go – there just isn’t much down time, and I think many of you can relate to that feeling.Baseball practice, time with family, church, and more baseball practice keep us out of the house many evenings each week. I’m also in the midst of doing a 30-day workout video, so many nights I’m sweating it up while burning off some calories!

Needless to say, I need a good deodorant – I think all moms do! – so that I can avoid being a sweaty mess while I run around doing all that I do. I’ve tried lots of different deodorants over the years, and was really intrigued when I heard about Dove Advanced Care Anti-Perspirant/Deodorant. I heard that it provides 48-hour odor and wetness protection, which means I can be out confidently all day long and not worry about sweat – but beyond that, it has NutriumMoisture, which is made up of ingredients known to moisturize skin. This means that not only do I get long-lasting benefits you typically associate with deodorant, I’ll also get softer, smoother underarms during the process. With summer coming up, tank top season is right around the corner, so underarms need to be in tip-top shape!

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