Atlanta's Frugal Mom

With summer peeking around the corner, it's almost time again to share those good report cards!  With those good grades comes great rewards, aside of course, from the vast knowledge acquired represented by said good grades.  Here is a current list of  FREE  rewards for kids who bring home good report cards!  Consider using them as incentives to motivate your kids to finish the year odd strong! (Teachers, feel free to share this with your coworkers, students, and parents!) I HIGHLY suggest calling ahead to be sure that your area business is participating in these promotions!!   And if you know of other freebies not mentioned here, please comment on the blog (here), on the Facebook page , or Tweet them to me.  :o) Many thanks to Saving Dollars and Sense for compiling such an extensive list!

I am super-excited to bring you an extensive list of "birthday freebies" you can snag on the day God put you on this great green earth!   Let me know which ones you've gotten, which ones look promising to you, OR if you know of any more birthday freebies to add to this list.  :o) Thanks, Sarah's Deals , for sharing this wonderful list!!

As fast as things have gone  with my daughter, now three,  it seems like my son  is growing up at warp speed. Happy Wednesday, y’all! Keep on saving!  :o) –Barbara   **This post may contain affiliate links.**

As fast as things have gone  with my daughter, now three,  it seems like my son  is growing up at warp speed. Happy Wednesday, y'all! Keep on saving!  :o) --Barbara  

I’ve not done a “Wordless Wednesday” before, but I couldn’t resist after this scene this morning.  I love my goofy kids! How would YOU caption this one? 🙂 Keep on saving!  :o) –Barbara   **This post may contain affiliate links.**

I've not done a "Wordless Wednesday" before, but I couldn't resist after this scene this morning.  I love my goofy kids! How would YOU caption this one? :-) Keep on saving!  :o) --Barbara  

What can I say? I'm hardly a fashionista. Perhaps a fashion victim? More specifically, I'm a victim of my own cheap nature when it comes to fashion. But with my daughter, the sky's the limit. Let's face it: a three year old girl is just more fun to dress up anyhow. So when Ross Dress for Less approached me with a challenge to find shoes for under $25, I was initially quite giddy. Particularly so, since I just recently shared with y'all how very long it's been since I've bought a new pair of shoes for myself! However, I failed. And by no fault of the store's. Ross had rows and row of cute, cute shoes, all priced under $17! But when you wear a size 4, and seem to be content to be a fashion victim in flip flops and sneakers, it's just hard to find a new pair of shoes. *sigh* On the upside,my daughter certainly benefitted from my dismal attempt to find a pair of shoes. She got a pair of flip flops, a frilly fashionable skirt with match...

One of our favorite quick simple dishes that works great for busy nights is my Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe.  It is literally one of those recipes where you dump the ingredients in, mix it up, and serve.  The part that takes the longest is boiling the noodles, and while those are going you can get everything else opened up and ready to go!  This is a recipe that can easily be made by a younger child that wants to be independent and helpful (my 9 year can make it all by herself) but it’s also one that my 4 and 5 year olds can “make” with my help. Creamy Chicken Pasta Ingredients: 1 pound of pasta (we <3 penne) 1 can chicken (in the tuna/chili section) 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 can evaporated milk 1 Tbsp cornstarch 1/4 cup water 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 Tbs garlic powder 1 Tbs parsley 1/2 Tbs onion powder Directions: 1. Cook pasta according to directions, drain and set aside. 2. Heat chicken, tomatoes, evaporated milk and soup to...

When the time came to plan for my daughter’s third birthday party, I knew one thing was certain: I didn’t want it at MY house!  With a newborn son and a highly energetic three year old, the last thing I wanted was to set up and then clean up for a party.  However, I wanted something special for my daughter, as we’d never really had a party for her yet, and since she’d had a big year, complete with becoming a big sister and all. Within the span of a month, we took her to a -um- certain dark play place with a big mouse, and later to bouncy-type place featuring a particular primate.  Then we were invited to birthday party at Catch Air in John’s Creek location, and suddenly the choice was clear: my little girl was going to have her birthday party at Catch Air John’s Creek. Catch Air, a combination bouncy house and indoor playground, had something to peek the interest of any child.  Plenty of inflatables throughout the facility for jumping,  along with sim...

When the time came to plan for my daughter's third birthday party, I knew one thing was certain: I didn't want it at MY house!  With a newborn son and a highly energetic three year old, the last thing I wanted was to set up and then clean up for a party.  However, I wanted something special for my daughter, as we'd never really had a party for her yet, and since she'd had a big year, complete with becoming a big sister and all. Within the span of a month, we took her to a -um- certain dark play place with a big mouse, and later to bouncy-type place featuring a particular primate.  Then we were invited to birthday party at Catch Air in John's Creek location, and suddenly the choice was clear: my little girl was going to have her birthday party at Catch Air John's Creek. Catch Air, a combination bouncy house and indoor playground, had something to peek the interest of any child.  Plenty of inflatables throughout the facility for jumping,  along with simulated...