Kitchen Gadgets Giveaway: Part 2.

 

I used to use my bulky mandoline slicer all the time to make our zucchini into pasta.  You can read about that by clicking here. 

I really like my mandoline, but once I got my Zoodle Slicer, there was just no going back!  I’m using smaller sized zucchinis than I was with the mandoline, which I’ve found I actually like better!  The flavor is more pleasant and the seeds aren’t even an issue in these little guys.  Once the garden comes in I’ll have to remember to pick my zucchinis before they get giant (which can happen the matter of a day)!

 

What makes the Zoodle slicer so great? 

·         This little thing takes up a tiny fraction of cupboard space.

·         It makes nice firm ‘noodles’.

·         It’s easy to use.  If you can sharpen a pencil, you can use this little gadget.

·         You can use it for other vegetables too.  It makes a julienne cut or a flora cut, depending on what side of the gadget you use. 

·         We’re inspired to eat more zucchini by using this!

·         I consider it safe for my preteen to use under light supervision.

·         It’s also safe enough for my husband to use.  Kidding, Kidding.  No I mean, I’m not really kidding… he does just fine with it! 

 

If you’ve been around here awhile you know that when I fall in love with a product I want everyone I know to know about it so they can experience the awesomeness too!

 

That’s why I’m hosting a giveaway for a Zoodle Slicer. 

You can win by visiting my Facebook page and liking/commenting on the "Giveaway Time" picture, or by commenting on a blog post last week or this week!

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. CHECK BACK OFTEN FOR MORE GIVEAWAYS, TIPS, AND INSPIRATION***

They aren’t too expensive, but wouldn’t it be fun to win one?  Especially if you’re on the fence about it, it’s better to win and give it a try, than to buy.

I’m obviously no salesman, just a frugal rhyming housewife!

If you do decided you’d like to buy one, I’d love it if you’d come back here and purchase it through my Amazon affiliate link.  That’s what helps me create revenue to host these giveaways and run my web-site.  You can read about that by clicking the “disclosure” tab at the top of this page.

  

Yummy Zoodles!

After you have a bundle of zoodles cut, put them in a pan with a jar of spaghetti sauce and heat them up.  Delicious!

Kitchen Gadgets Giveaway: Part 1.

I recently picked up this set of 3pc Fruit Scoop Set from the consignment shop, NU2U in Forest City.

NU2U is a well-organized second hand store on the main street of town, and they run SALES!
 The prices are great anyway, but once you add in the sales, it’s like a total no-brainer to shop there! I love getting our kids clothing there and love it even more when I find a little something for myself too.

  Friendly Tip: If you're in Forest City, IA visiting NU2U, check out the adorably fun ice cream shop called Scoopy Doos, which is just two doors down. we.love.that.place.  If you're a coffee lover and Java Chunk is one of the ice cream options when you visit, GET IT.  You will not be sorry!


  I first heard about fruit scoops from my friend Amy, over at Modern Rural Living. When I saw the fruit scoops on the shelf I knew I had to buy them, and I couldn’t want to tell Amy about the sweet deal I scored on them ($6 for the set of 3! Brand spankin' new in the package! PLUS they were like 20% off or something that day too).

 Unfortunately I never did get a chance to tell her :(  (you can read about that here). I'm hopeful that she can somehow read this post and know I'm thinking of her!

The fashionista and I were making one of our Saturday morning thrift store runs last weekend when I decided to pop into the grocery store for some cantaloupe, avocados, and kiwis, just so I could give my new fruit scoops a try.

You guys, these things ROCK! There is so much less waste when using them because you can get right up to the peel.

 

They aren’t sharp, so I have no problem letting the kids use them too.

 I’m all for having the kids in the kitchen, even though that almost always means that the meal prep takes longer, and the mess is much bigger. It also means more family fun, and education about our food!

I wouldn’t say these scoops are my favorite kitchen gadget, but they are sure fun and useful!

  I’ve recently added quite a few new things to my kitchen arsenal: I’ll do separate posts on these later, but here is a sneak peek of some of my new toys:

Hamilton Beach K6080 Large Cordless Kettle

THE ORIGINAL ZOODLE SLICER - Premium Vegetable Spiralizer, Spiral Slicer, Zucchini Noodle Pasta Spaghetti Maker

Crock-Pot SCCPCCM350-CH Casserole Crock Slow Cooker, 3.5-Quart, Charcoal -I'll be honest, this one was an impulse buy, and I still have no idea what to make in it!

Oster TSSTTRJBG1 Jelly Bean 2-Slice Toaster uhhh, Hello Beautiful!

 GE Motion-Activated LED Night Light-  These are all over the place here, not just in the kitchen.  I love them!

MaxiMatic MST-900V Elite Platinum Slow Cooker, 8.5-Quart, Stainless Steel- We often have big groups of friends/family here and this crock is perfect for simmering crowd-pleasing soups!

What are your FAVORITE or most useful kitchen gadgets right now?

 

Comment below for a chance to win your very own ZOODLE SLICER, which is honestly my most loved and used kitchen gadget right now.  I'll post on that soon!

This post does contain my affiliate links.  No biggie, you can read all about them here.



Why I'm Pulling Back the Shades and NOT Seeing 50 Shades of Grey

Ladies, we need to talk.  Grab a cup of coffee, this may take a while. 

I know many of you are really looking forward to seeing the 50 shades of Grey movie this weekend.  But can I just ask, WHY?  What about it is appealing to you?

Now before you envision me sitting up high on my soap box writing this to you, I want you to know that I too was tempted to see the movie, read the books, and fall victim to the ridiculous amount of advertising the brand has put out there.  I even bought all 3 books for my own mother!  Clearly I didn’t know what they were about or I wouldn’t have bought them for her.  For a friend maybe, but my mom? ewww. 

From what I know, the story line that goes along with 50 shades has left me with this feeling of being ever so thankful that my husband isn’t a dominant man who pushes me around in the bedroom, or anywhere else. 

50 shades is a fantasy that takes you on an unrealistic journey.  Or at least that’s what we would hope.  But for many couples, that’s their reality.  And it isn’t healthy.

My husband and I have had to work to overcome our intimacy and sexuality issues.  Body issues, experience and lack of experience issues, etc., etc.  

We’ve been together 11 years and are at a great place in our marriage, so I honestly believe I would be okay watching the movie.  BUT why risk all that we’ve worked for?  This stuff is bad folks, really bad. 

My real issue with this movie, and just the view that society has on sex is that it’s just that.  It’s just sex.  Worse than that is how Mr. Grey presents himself as this dominant controlling man. 

I pray to God that my daughters NEVER see this movie, or get the idea that marrying a man in this image is okay. 

I’m honestly worried for the young women watching this film and how they’re going to think this behavior is okay.  It is NOT okay.  It is NEVER okay to be taken advantage of.  I’ve read the 50 shades advocates saying “but he offers to have her sign a contract”, “she knew what was coming”.  Honestly, you think that makes it okay? 

Sex is not meant to be separate from LOVE.   I’m promoting the book called Pulling Back the Shades and doing a book study on it.  The authors do a great job of explaining it like this:

“Your sexuality was never meant to be separate from your deepest spiritual and relational longings but to be an expression of them.”

Think about what that means.  Analyze it and apply it.   

I have so much more to say on this, but I don’t want to get too graphic or too wordy.  The PBTS book does such a great job explaining and teaching about this that I’ll just refer you on to that. 

I’ll be hosting a giveaway for the book PULLING BACK THE SHADES!  Check back HERE or my FACEBOOK page for more details coming soon!

 

Ps.  As I’m editing through this I want to tell you more, give you specifics, open my heart wide and pour it all out.  Honestly I’m too scared though.  Satan has been attacking me hard through this whole Pulling Back the Shades journey.  I’ve missed countless study groups, church services, and dates to meet up with women and talk about the book.  Satan knows how powerful this book is and he will stop at nothing to keep us from sharing God’s truth on intimacy.  I have felt so defeated by this, but I have a great group of women praying for me and encouraging me to just keep pressing forward.  The harder the enemy fights us, the more we know this is exactly what God wants us to be doing. 

Amazon Printer Paper Deal

 

If you need to stock up on printer paper, act quick!  The current $12.83 price tag is a great deal to me, especially considering I don't have to load this heavy box of paper and a toddler into a cart to get this deal.  Prices change quick on Amazon, so be sure to snag this quick if you need it!
 
This is my affiliate link, which you can read all about here.  Basically I get a small commission for you using my link above.  I use this towards running this blog, and hosting monthly giveaways on my Facebook {www.facebook.com/ASlightlyBetterWife}.

Necklace Giveaway

Check out my Facebook page for a chance to win this great necklace!
Www.Facebook.com/ASlightlyBetterWife

Birthday Giveaway: Seasons of a Mother's Heart

 

This post contains affiliate links. A Slightly Better Wife (Quincey B.) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

I wanted to hop on and share with you quick where I'm finding my homeschooling encouragement today!

I'm a part of a book club on Instagram (use hashtag #HomeEducator to find us and other excellent homeschooling posts) where we are working through the book called Seasons of a Mother's Heart, 2nd edition.  There is still time to join in, as we check-in each Tuesday to discuss what we've read.  I'm acting all cool like I'm a part of the group, but to be honest, I just got my book YESTERDAY!  haha.  So to all the members who have been a part of this since day one, THANK YOU for welcoming me in! :)

Even if you aren't interested in joining the book club or can't find time to fit it in right now, I think this is an excellent book full of encouragement that all homeschooling moms should have on their bookshelves!  This is the perfect book to loan out when you encounter a momma who confesses that she could use a little inspiration in the homeschooling department.  I love what a tight-knit community we are, don't you?  :)

As promised, I am hosting giveaways to celebrate MY BIRTHDAY!  So this first giveaway is for your very own copy of Seasons of a Mother's Heart, 2nd edition! 

If you're interested in entering, use the Rafflecopter link on my facebook page: www.Facebook.com/ASlightlyBetterWife
or ---> http://tinyurl.com/oqjdxpy

If you'd like to buy the book, would you consider purchasing it through my Amazon Affiliate link (by clicking on any of the book links above, or clicking on this picture below)?  You can see my post here about my affiliate relationship with Amazon.  Basically your purchases provide me with a little extra income to help support our homeschool journey! 

Birthday Giveaway!

 

It’s been 1 week since I celebrated my BIRTHDAY with my friends and family. Now I’d like to celebrate with YOU! Every so often I’ll be giving away one of my favorite things! It may have to do with any of my hot topics: Marriage.Homeschool.Motherhood, or it may not! Sometimes it’s a big ticket item, most times it’s not. How fun/random is that? Keep an eye out {HERE ON MY BLOG} for details on how YOU can enter to win!

Facebook Feedback: How to STOP being CRANKY

I asked this question on my Facebook page “Last week we talked about what makes us crabby. Now the question is, what can we do about it? Really, I want you to pause for a minute and think about it. How can you STOP being cranky with your spouse, kids, or even yourself when you're in those high trigger situations?”
There are some good answers there, go see for yourself.

Notice the IKEA ANRIK Coffee Press on the counter.  I LOVE that thing! 

Here is my answer:

One way I've found to stop being cranky with my kids is by choosing to be silly instead.  I can yell that they left their socks shoved in the couch (again!), or I can be goofy and put their socks on my ears while I say something ridiculously funny.  They prefer the funny, and I do to.  I mean discipline has its place, but sometimes we moms just need to lighten up.  WARNING:  My kids are not teenagers yet, so I don’t know, this trick may not work for everyone.  Try it, & let me know how it goes over.

As far as how to quit being cranky with my husband?  I kinda like to impress him. ;)  This is a new thing.  For some time I really didn't care.  I mean REALLLLLLY didn’t care.  I knew he’d be there each night when we went to bed, and he’d be there when I woke up in the morning.  And during the in between hours he’d surely be doing something to tick me off (he really wasn’t, I was just way too particular.  Me: “Honey, did you put the carrots on the 3^rd shelf again?  You know they go on the second shelf, all the way to the right so they don’t get too cold being by the freezer”). 

I figured we're married; we love each other, so why even try?  But now I have decided that I really DO want to earn his love and attention.  My husband is a VERY laid back, forgiving guy.  At first it was hard to tell if my actions made a difference, but after a while it was clear to see he smiled more, made more jokes, and get this, he was more confident! 

It’s not cool to think about how much I was tearing him down without even trying.  Not trying- is a problem. 

One more thing.  I'm hosting a giveaway on my Facebook Page for all the locals.  If you're a local, go check it out! 

$5 Amazon Gift Card Winner

Hello Fans, Friends, and Family! I really quickly wanted to announce the winner of the $5 Amazon Gift Card GIVEAWAY!

The winner is my friend Autumn! Yay! Congratulations Autumn! I'll be sending the e-card your way shortly!

There were *SO* many great responses.   I've been away all day and am really longing some family time before the kids go to bed, so I'll real quickly sum up the tips I received:
*Try not to run the air as much as possible
*Don't use lights unless it's dark outside! And then we usually only use enough to see.
*When we are putting things away after meals, we try to gather all refrigerator items, so we only have to open the fridge once.
*Clean your air conditioner yearly and change the filter monthly.
*Use quilted window curtains.
*Turn the Heat down in Winter.
*Set air hotter in Summer and use your fan on slow or medium.
*Keep curtains on sun side of house closed.
*If the humidity isn't too high, once the temp drops in the evening, turn off the air and use fan on low.

Here was my favorite tip of all:

Invite my daughter over; then she unplugs everything.

HAHAHA! I wonder who wrote that one... hmm ;) I love my mom!

Thank you to all who entered! I look forward to hosting another giveaway in the future.

  Have a Happy Fathers Day weekend! 

Don't forget to take time to thank your Heavenly Father for all you have, and wish Him a Happy Fathers day as well.

Celebrating with a GIVEAWAY!

I just got an e-mail from our electric company.... our bill last month was just under $100!  This is cause for celebration in our house! 
Especially throughout the spring, summer and fall months we all work extra hard to keep the bill down, with the less than $100/month goal in mind.  We used to celebrate with ice cream, but these hot summer days ice cream is almost a part of our regular routine.  So we just do a happy dance & pat ourselves on the back. 

Some of the very simple things we do are:

• Keep the heat/air off-  With being pregnant this year, July in our house might be a different story!
• Dry a majority of the laundry outside- Last year it was all done out there, but again, being pregnant I sometimes opt for convenience.
• Switch lights off & open the curtains instead.
• Take shorter showers to reduce the amount of time the hot water heater has to work. 

These are all super simple folks, you can do it! 

What are some ways you save on your electricity bill? 

Fill out the form below & be entered to win a $5 Amazon.com gift card.  I ♥ Amazon and am happy to offer this gift to my readers for your support of visiting my blog & sharing your input.

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