One Hundred Dollars a Month - Page 910 of 2143 - I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.

Nestle is Getting Rid of Artificial Colorings

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 4, 2015 · 12 Comments

Did you hear the news? Nestle is getting rid of artificial coloring in about 75 of their recipes, according to a recent NPR article. Petitions to remove the artificial dyes have been rollin’ in, and Nestle’s own research department has found that the presence of artificial dyes in products affect American’s buying patterns. I guess, in the end, money always talks.

Candies like my beloved Butterfinger, currently colored with a combination of Red 40 and Yellow 5 dyes will be replaced with annatto. {I really hope this doesn’t change the flavor of Butterfingers…what if I end up finding out it IS the red and yellow dyes that make it so darn tasty? That would be a bummer.}

Removing chemical/manufactured colorings and additives for more natural selections is not really a new thing. I feel like there has been a huge push over the past 5 years or so to move back to real food. Subbing natural dyes for artificial dyes does not automatically mean that downing a bag of mini candy bars turns into a health binge, though. One, the term “all natural” doesn’t really mean all that much, and two, as much as it pains me to write this, candy still has exorbitant amounts of the almighty sugar.

It does go to show, though, that every time you put something in your cart, you are making an investment in a company. If you stop putting their product in your cart, they’ll figure out a way to lure you back…and sometimes with a tiny shift in a more positive direction {until we find out that annatto causes cancer in lab rats:)}.

Thoughts?

~Mavis

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Our Visit to Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 4, 2015 · 3 Comments

The Girl and I knew that if we were going to take a trip to coastal Maine, at least one lighthouse had to be on the to-do list. We decided on Head Light in Cape Elizabeth.

The town owns and operates Head Light now. There is a little museum and gift shop attached, but they were closed for the season. Fort Williams Park is right next to the light house, so if you go, you can check out the light house and then take a hike, stroll, trippy trop {whatever floats your boat} through the 90 acre park. I imagine in the summer it would be a great place to have a picnic.

The construction of the lighthouse began in 1787 with just $750 start-up. The U.S. government took over the management of all lighthouses in 1790 and allotted an addition $1500 for it to be completed. I’m sure that was a ton of money back then.

There are actually two towers, but only the Eastern tower is still active. The other tower was sold to a private party in the 1970’s. Um, how cool would it be to live in a lighthouse?! Seriously, there are a million different ways to live life, and I am pretty sure I want to try at least 250,000 of them before I die. I wonder if the HH would let me add buy, renovate, and live in a lighthouse on the East coast? Somehow, I think it would be a tough sell.

Though the city has owned the lighthouse since 1990, the U.S. Coast Guard manages the foghorn and lights.

Maine. I LOVE YOU!!!!!

~Mavis

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Free Kindle Books, Free Museum Admission, Sony Action Cameras, Easter Sticker Books and More

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 4, 2015 · 1 Comment

Word of the Day: Ethereal Definition: Referring to the upper regions, celestial Used in a sentence: The ethereal music of the orchestra held him spellbound.

Yesterday The Girl and I took a road trip to the Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine and it was beautiful! We also stopped by another local food bank and made a donation and spent sometime in York as well.

Today we are planning to drive out to Boothbay and then explore the town of Brunswick on the way back. The Girl has mapped out a few thrift stores along the way so if we find anything good, I’ll let you know. {So far on this trip we have purchased a twin bed frame, a metal sunflower, a stoneware pitcher and fleece zip of jacket}. We LOVE Maine!

Have a great day everyone,

♥ Mavis

Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day – Over 40% Off Sony AS100 Action Cameras

Available Kindle Books I think are cool…

The Everything Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook $0.99
A Prepper’s Survival Guide To Emergency Food And Water Storage Free
The Red Letter Life Free
Carrots Love Tomatoes $2.99 {Great Price!!!}
Afghans: Afghan Patterns 101 Free
What If $3.99
Learn French in 15 Min a Day and Enjoy Your Vacation to Paris Free
Debt-Free Free
Charlie Wilson’s War $1.99

The prices on Kindle Books can change quickly, so grab them while you can. Don’t have a Kindle? Download the kindle app on your other devices. It’s easy! 🙂

Amazon has Apple Banana, Apple Berry, and Apple Mango GoGo SqueeZ Applesauce on the Go, 3.2-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 48) on sale for just $20.20 shipped when you use the subscribe and save option at checkout.

Season meats or veggies or popcorn or salad. The possibilities are endless with this DIY Italian Seasoning Mix. Find more spice mixes on my DIY Spice Mix Pinterest Board.

Amazon has the Neiko High Visibility Neon Yellow Zipper Front Safety Vest with Reflective Strips for just $7.24 as well as the Lighting EVER LED Headlamp for $6.99 and they both ship for FREE with Amazon Prime. These are a must have for your cars emergency kit! Better safe than sorry.

Print a coupon good for $1.00 off any TWO (2) KETTLE BRAND products

If you or your kids wear a retainer Amazon has the 96 count Retainer Brite Tablets on sale for $11.69. Both my kids and I both use these and they work great.

A little something to put in the Easter basket…

Easter Spot-the-Differences $1.20
Easter Egg Stickers $1.24
Easter Basket Stickers $1.50
Easter Activity Book $1.50
Invisible Easter Magic Picture Book $1.50
Easter Eggstravaganza Mad Libs $3.68

Do you let your kiddos help in the garden? Studies have shown that kids who grow their own vegetables they are more likely to try new things so if you haven’t already, checkout my post onGrowing a Children’s Vegetable Garden. It’s packed full of all sorts of great ideas.

Discount Mags is offering a 1 year subscription to Family Fun Magazine for only $4.99 a year when you use code MAVIS at checkout. This deal will expire tonight 3/4/15 at midnight EST.

Today is the last day Shutterfly is offering FREE Personalized Pet Tags when you use codeBESTFRIEND at checkout. You will need to pay a shipping charge of $3.99.

I imagine this hearty Farmer’s Breakfast Skillet w/ Sausage and Eggs is what all farmers eat each morning. Hence the name. But modern day farmers probably have fresh cut berries with almond milk. Who knows! Get the recipe HERE or Pin it for Later. Find more breakfast recipes on my Breakfast Pinterest Board.

REI Outlet Deal of the Day – Electric Tech One Polarized Sunglasses

Look for selected REI Outlet items marked EXTRA 35% OFF to save on the already low price shown. Simply enter coupon code OUT35 at checkout to get this special deal. Ends Friday!

Back in stock!!

Get the WEN Rotary Tool Kit with Flex Shaft for just $23.99! Ships free with Amazon prime.

Amazon has great Bulk Gummi Candy Deals… Here are my favorites:

5 Pounds Haribo Gummi Candy Gold-Bears $12.01 shipped with subscribe and save
5 Pounds Gummy Worms $12.93
5 Pounds Haribo Gummi Candy, Twin Cherries $15.73 shipped with subscribe and save

See more bulk deals on Gummi Candy

Groupon is offering a 48 Pack of Duracell 48pk (24AA & 24AAA) Batteries for just $16.99! New to Groupon? Join Groupon Here. Then go HERE to get the deal.

If you have a Bank of America debit/credit card, you can score FREE admission into over 100 museums this weekend as part of their Museum on Us program.

This awesome program allows Bank of America card holders to gain free admission into any participating museum during the first full weekend of every month. How cool is that? Don’t forget to bring your photo ID along with your Bank of America card to gain free admission.

Go HERE to see if your local museum is on the list!

Check out these New Printable Coupons:

$1.50 off canister of BOOST Nutritional Drink Mix
$1.50 off canister of BOOST Glucose Control Drink
$2.00 off any 3 Starburst Jelly Beans
$1.00 off any TWO (2) KETTLE BRAND products
$0.55 off JENNIE-O Turkey Bacon
$0.75 off ONE COVERGIRL Lip Product
$1.00 off On Any ONE (1) True Citrus Product
$0.75 off any ONE (1) Jimmy Dean Crumbles Product

Find More Printable Coupons

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Cooking From Your Pantry | Menu Plan Ideas, Freezer Meals and Simple Recipes Week 9 of 52

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 3, 2015 · Leave a Comment

I’m taking the week off from cooking this week but that doesn’t mean you have too. 😉 Check out the recipes below for some of my all time favorite easy weeknight meals. HUSBAND… are you reading this? You can do it!

3 Breakfast Ideas

Popovers -I almost guarantee you have everything you need to make a batch of these in your pantry/fridge. We like to slather them with jam or jelly for a quick breakfast. {Pin it for Later}

Leftover Ham Scramble – Since we have been eating a lot of eggs around here lately, I thought it was time to spice things up a bit and start tossing extras into our eggs. Even if you don’t have leftover ham, consider dicing up sliced turkey or roast beef–they both would be tasty too. {Pin it for Later}

Oatmeal Waffles – Once you make these, you’ll wonder why you ever bought waffle mix again. They are soooo simple and healthy to boot. {Pin it for Later}

4 Lunch Ideas and Dinner Ideas

Mongolian Beef Stir Fry – I love stir fries because the sides and the meal all get tossed into one easy dish. The fact that they are delish doesn’t hurt either. {Pin it for Later}

Black Bean Salsa with Corn and Avocados – Okay, I know what your thinking: “this is not a meal.” But it really can be. Put this stuff into tortillas or make yourself a taco salad out of it. We’ve been known to have chips and salsa for dinner around here too. {Pin it for Later}

Shepard’s Pie – I pretty much think anything topped with mashed potatoes is divine. {Pin it for Later}

Lentil Soup with Spinach – This soup is ridiculously filling–and packed with nutrients. {Pin it for Later}

3 Sweet Treats

Popcorn in a Bag– Okay, so not exactly a sweet treat–but sometimes salty is better. This is literally the easiest after school snack ever, and you don’t have to worry about any nasty chemicals. {Pin it for Later}

Basketball Rice Krispie Treats – Basketball season is in full swing {I know, because every time I go somewhere with a waiting room and cable, it’s on. So, if you have a sports fan in your life, you can wow them by tossing one of these into his/her lunch. {Pin it for Later}

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp – I love fruit crisps. In my mind, I could make a case for them being a breakfast food, but in the interest of non-judgement, I’ve decided to just make it a dessert suggestion. {Pin it for Later}

Featured Freezer Meal Recipe

Egg and Cheese English Muffins – I love to whip these up after a quick trip to a bread outlet store. They are like egg Mc’muffins, without the mc’nasty stuffins in them. {Pin it for Later}

Featured Canning Recipe

Blueberry Jam with Mint – If you are trying to decide what to can this year and want something that is just a little bit different than your standard fare, put this jam into the rotation. The blueberries and mint combo is unbelievable. {Pin it for Later}

What are YOU planning on making this week?

~Mavis

Find more recipes on One Hundred Dollars a Month as well as on my Pinterest Recipe Boards.

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.