On to my two-week meal plan:

Sunday–Turkey Spinach Burgers and salad
Meatless Monday–Portabello Fajitas, brown rice, black beans
Tuesday–Caesar salad with grilled chicken
Wednesday–Beef Tacos (from the freezer), corn shells, fixings, black beans
Thursday–Cheese tortellini tossed with pesto and peas
Friday–Taco Cornbread Casserole and salad
Saturday–Pulled Pork Sandwiches, chips, corn and broccoli slaw

Sunday–Spaghetti & Meatballs, broccoli
Meatless Monday–Spinach & Feta Pasta Salad
Tuesday–Slow Cooker Chow Mein with pork
Wednesday–Chicken Sausage with peppers, mushrooms, onions and potatoes
Thursday–Homemade pizza on wheat pitas with peppers, mushrooms, and olives
Friday–Eating out
Saturday–Balsamic Mushroom Pork, baked potatoes and green beans

What’s on your meal plan this week?

Linked up to Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.

The post Two Week Meal Plan for Spring appeared first on Moneywise Moms.

With the weather heating up and all the fresh veggies now in stores (and soon in our garden), we all need a secret weapon to give food great flavor with very little effort. I’ve got just the thing–Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing.  I’ve been using it for years–it’s our favorite for salads, but I use it for cooking, too–so I was excited to join the #GetZesty campaign. Kraft Zesty is one of the easiest ways to add flavor to food and get zesty with your taste buds! Here’s how I do it:

4 Ways to Get Zesty with Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing

1) Use Zesty as a marinade for meat or chicken before grilling. Just add both to a zipper bag and keep in the refrigerator for 30 minutes-2 hours before grilling. Yum!

2) Add Zesty to leftover pasta and vegetables for a cool pasta salad. Sprinkle a little cheese on top for a great vegetarian main dish or side. I’ve used Kraft Zesty on my Spinach & Feta Pasta Salad for years! This Primavera Pasta Toss looks like a great combo, too.

3) Use Zesty to spice up fish. The Kraft Recipes site has lots of great suggestions, including this easy One-Dish Italian Fish with tilapia and rice that you cook in the microwave. Quick and easy!

4) Brush Zesty on fresh vegetables and grill on skewers. You get a light, spicy flavor that jazzes up any meal. It sure works to get my kids (and my husband) to eat their veggies!

See how easy it is to use Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing to zest up your meals? Now let me introduce you to my new friend, The Zesty Guy:

You’ll see The Zesty Guy on TV commercials and on social media, encouraging you to add a little zest to your everyday. You can send a Zestygram, check out some zesty recipes, or just enjoy the eye candy! Connect with The Zesty Guy:

     Twitter      |     Facebook     |     YouTube     |     Recipes

Now for the giveaway! Kraft and The Zesty Guy want to surprise one lucky MoneywiseMoms reader with a bottle of zesty Italian perfume (such as Versace–a $100 value!). To enter, do one or both of the following, and leave a comment for EACH entry that you complete:

1. How do you zest up your life? Tell us in the comments below.

2. Follow MoneywiseMoms on Twitter and tweet the following: 4 Ways to #GetZesty with Kraft and @MoneywiseMoms & enter #giveaway for $100 perfume: http://bit.ly/GetZesty   Then leave a comment below with the link to your tweet.

I’ll choose the winner of this giveaway on Thursday, May 23rd, at 11:00pm EST. Thanks for reading MoneywiseMoms, and good luck!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored campaign on behalf of Mom it Forward and Kraft. While I was compensated for this post, all words and opinions are my own.

The post 4 Ways to Get Zesty with Kraft + $100 Perfume Giveaway appeared first on Moneywise Moms.

We’re in the home stretch of our debt payoff, as I’ve been documenting along with our yearly Financial Goals. We’re so close, I can taste it. We’re finally under $10,000 on our final debt, my husband’s school loan. We’re on track to pay it off by July 31st, just like we planned.

So why am I surprised that all heck has broken loose?

Yesterday I took my van for an oil change, what I thought would be a quick and relatively inexpensive visit. $400 later, I’ve moved the van from my local mechanic to the dealership to see if they’ll fix the larger problem ($1500) under our warranty since the van only has 29,500 miles on it. I got this great call this afternoon from the dealer: “Well, it would be covered under the warranty, but the warranty says 36,000 miles or 36 months, and your 36 months was up last November.” Two different mechanics (ours and the one at the dealership) both say that this thing that’s broken should not be broken in a car this “young.” I’ve left a message with the manager to see if there’s anything they can do. Between that, the two new tires we need, and a transmission fluid problem, it’s gotten very expensive.

My husband says, So we’ll be a month late on the payoff.” But I don’t want to be a month late. I want to be done! We’ve worked so hard for so long. I’m getting so burnt out on all the extra things I’ve been doing to bring in extra income, but I’m doing it because we’re so close to the end.

Sorry that I’m venting. I’m very frustrated.

The post In the Home Stretch appeared first on Moneywise Moms.

Cinemark Theatres offers Summer Movie Clubhouse for $1.00/show or a $5.00 pass for the whole summer, purchased in advance. The start date varies depending on what part of the country you’re in (what date school gets out).

Classic Cinemas (IL) offers their Wednesday Morning Movie Series for $1.00/show at 9:00am every Wednesday, starting June 12th. You can go early and see costumed characters.

Clearview Cinemas (NY & NJ) has FREE movies every Wednesday and Thursday at 10:30am starting July 10th.

Dickinson Theatres offers a Summer Vacation Movie Series with FREE movies and a $4.50 concession special. You’ll need to click on your local theater to download the schedule.

Harkins Theatres has Summer Movie Fun every weekday at 9:45, and you can purchase Season Tickets for all 10 shows for less than $1/show, or pay as you go for $2/person.

Malco Theatres offers $2.00 movies every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:00am, with a portion of the proceeds going to local Children’s Hospitals. Click on your local theater to see the schedule.

National Amusements will offer their Bookworm Wednesdays program, starting July 10th. Kids receive FREE admission when they present a completed book report. Children under 6 do not need to complete the book report.

Regal Theatres offers Summer Movie Express all summer on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:00am for $1.00/person. Choose from a G or PG movie each morning, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Will Rogers Institute.

Click through to your local theater chain to find the closest location. Have fun at the movies!

Original image by atomicjeep at Flickr

The post Summer Movie Programs 2013 appeared first on Moneywise Moms.

I’ve been buying a four-pack of boneless pork loin roasts from Costco since they’re priced at $1.99/lb. Between this, the Slow Cooker Pork Ragu & Fettuccine, Pineapple Pork Chops, and Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches I’ve got a whole month’s worth of pork meals in my rotation.

This Herb Roasted Pork recipe is linked up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and Fluster’s Creative Muster Party at Fluster Buster.

The post Herb Roasted Pork appeared first on Moneywise Moms.

Free Arts & Crafts at ACMoore:

ACMoore holds monthly craft demos and projects, but the schedule varies by location, so check your local store’s calendar. Their next national event is Saturday, May 25th, where kids can purchase and decorate a foam visor.

Free Storytime at Barnes & Noble:

Most Barnes & Noble stores offer a weekly storytime for preschoolers around 10:00am, though the day varies depending on the store. Check out your local store’s website for details.

Free Special Events at Disney Store:

Head to the Disney Store website and down at the bottom, click on Store Locator & Events. There’s nothing this Mother’s Day weekend, but they usually offer 1-2 events per month, so keep an eye out for the next FREE event.

Free Building Projects at Home Depot:

The first Saturday of the month, you’ll find a FREE Kids Workshop at Home Depot. You now need to register (just tell them a number of kids ages 5-12 who are attending), then go anytime between 9:00am-12noon. On their first visit, kids receive a Kids Workshop Apron, and every week they can take home their craft, commemorative pin and certificate of achievement. The next one is a pencil holder on Saturday, June 1st, plus you’ll get a FREE Kids Ticket (with purchase of adult ticket) to LegoLand, Sea Life, or Madam Tussauds.

Free Arts & Crafts at Lakeshore Learning:

Every Saturday from 11:00am-3:00pm, kids 3 and up can make arts & crafts at your local Lakeshore Learning store. This weekend, there’s a cute Mommy’s Memories Photo Frame for Mother’s Day, and you can see the projects ahead for the next two months.

Free Building Events at The Lego Store:

At most US Lego Stores, there’s a Monthly Mini Build on the first Tuesday of each month. Check with your local store for start time, since the kit is while supplies last. We’ve shown up 30 minutes in, and the line is so long that they tell us that they’ll run out of kits before we get to the front. It’s a very popular event, so show up early!

Free Building Projects at Lowe’s:

The Lowe’s Build & Grow Workshops require registration, and they fill up quickly, so keep a note on your calendar to register online weeks ahead of time. Workshops are typically at 10:00am on every other Saturday, but last year they offered extra workshops during the summer on Sunday afternoons at 2:00pm, so keep an eye out for that. Check the full schedule for upcoming projects. This Saturday, May 12th, kids can make a Sweetheart Frame for Mother’s Day.

Free (and Low Cost) Arts & Crafts at Michael’s:

Michael’s has changed up their craft offerings for kids; while they still offer a few freebies each month, they now also have a Kids’ Club where you pay $2/child and they create crafts while you shop. Kids Club is every Saturday from 10-noon, so check your local store for the schedule and type of craft.

Free Storytime & Other Events at Pottery Barn Kids:

This Saturday, attend a Mother’s Day Doll Tea Party at your local Pottery Barn Kids; in June, they’re hosting a National Geographic Kids event for World Oceans Day. Some events are FREE while others have a fee; all require an RSVP.

The PBK Storytime is every Tuesday at 11:00am. Each week has a different theme and often includes a small art project and stickers; there’s also a gift after five visits.

Free Kids Club Events at Whole Foods Market:

Some Whole Foods locations offer a Kids Club, including FREE events like Cooking with Kids! and craft projects. Each store has a different schedule, so you’ll need to locate your store and check their calendar for details.

Let me know if you find other FREE activities for kids at stores near you!

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. Thanks for supporting MoneywiseMoms at no cost to you!

The post Free Activities for Kids appeared first on Moneywise Moms.

Living in the DC area or planning to visit? One of benefits here are the many FREE museums owned by the Smithsonian Institution, like the National Gallery of Art. My kids like art museums, so we were excited to visit. My son had just completed an artist biography project on Georges Seurat, so we checked out the NGA website ahead of time to find the gallery that had the Seurat pointillism paintings.

Compared to other museums we’ve visited (like the Walters in Baltimore and the Delaware Art Museum), the National Gallery seemed very old fashioned. It’s perfectly laid out for the large throngs of tourists that visit daily, but not so good for three active kids. Room after room are laid out the same way, with a couch and many paintings to look at.  After the 25th room, my kids took to sitting on every single couch they could find, sighing heavily. There was no kids’ room or anything hands-on to engage them. There was one nice surprise–to me, anyway–I didn’t know that the only Leonardo daVinci painting in America is at the National Gallery, Ginevra de’ Benci, and it was incredible to see.

Outdoors–we did a little better. The Sculpture Garden houses 17 works, all of which my kids found interesting. They especially liked the stainless steel tree, “Graft,” by artist Roxy Paine.

I love the optical illusion “House” by Roy Lichtenstein. Once you’re outside, there’s room for the kids to run and stretch, and make a little more noise than inside the museum. Unfortunately, this art museum wasn’t a big hit with my family as other, smaller museums have been. We did only see the West Building with the older works of art. We’ll need to give the modern art in the East Building a try before it closes for a three-year renovation.

What art museums does your family like?

Whether you’re local or just planning to visit the DC area this summer, find more posts on Day Trips from DC:

• Washington DC Memorials with Kids
• National Aquarium in DC
• National Building Museum
• Walters Art Museum (Baltimore)

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