[HBHW News] Summer Fun, Staycations and Smoothies

Published: Wed, 07/16/14

Editorial

Hello , 

Hi there and welcome to the next edition of the HBHW newsletter. Summer kicked into another gear around here and it is just plain hot. It got so warm yesterday that the rear view mirror in my car fell off... it was glued to the windshield and the glue melted off. Thankfully my wonderful husband is already working on gluing it back on (before it gets too hot again). 

The warm weather has our eating habits changing again. Grits, hot oatmeal and eggs are giving way to smoothies and overnight refrigerator oatmeal when it comes to breakfast. I'll share some of my favorite smoothie recipes with you in today's newsletter and we're chatting about breakfast on the HBHW Facebook page. 

Don't miss this week's featured Kindle Cookbook - it's all about delicious Smoothies, perfect for summer breakfasts and snacks. 

We're also talking about ideas for summer vacations, staycations and having fun as a family with some good old fashioned board games. I hope you enjoy browsing through this week's edition as much as I've enjoyed putting it together for you this morning. 

Until next week, 

Susanne - The Hillbilly Housewife
www.HillbillyHousewife.com 


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Inspirational Quote

"Too often. . .I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen.

 - Louis L'Amour

Featured Recipe of the Week

Coconut Mango Green Smoothie 

Ingredients: 

  • 8 ounces coconut milk (unsweetened) 
  • 1 mango, peeled & pitted 
  • 1/2 lime, peeled & seeds removed 
  • 1/2 banana (frozen works best), peeled & sliced 
  • 3 cups kale 

Directions: 

In a blender, first add the coconut milk then add the fruit and then the greens. Cover and blend on high for 

1 minute or until desired consistency is reached.


A Few Related Recipes 


You're welcome to share the recipe on Pinterest, Facebook etc. I'm also sharing a lot of recipes on the HBHW Facebook page. Click on through to check it out. As always, likes, comments and shares are much appreciated. :)

Smoothie Recipes

Kindle News

35 Simple Smoothie Recipes - The Quick & Healthy Smoothie Recipe Book

We love smoothies at our house. I don't know about you but between a picky eater husband and a preteen, I have one heck of a time getting them to eat their servings of fruits and vegetables on a regular basis... unless I stick quite a few of them into a yummy smoothie. It's been working so well that it's inspired me to put this little book together for you.

Here are just a few of the recipes you'll find inside:

  • Blueberry Smoothie Recipe
  • Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie
  • Papaya Mango Smoothie
  • Almond Butter Smoothie
  • Peach Smoothie
  • Berry Smoothie
  • Coconut Mango Green Smoothie
  • Passion Fruit Green Smoothie
  • Cucumber Kiwi Green Smoothie 

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/smoothiebook

35 Simple Smoothie Recipes
The "Everything But The Kitchen Sink - Never Gonna Happen Again" Sale

It Wouldn't Have Been Possible Without You!

I would like to take a minute to thank each and everyone that ordered a copy of the Kitchen Sink Bundle. 

Without your help, it wouldn't have been possible to fly to Germany and spend some time with my family. 

I can not tell you how much I treasured the afternoons spend sitting and chatting with my grandmother, shopping and cooking with my mother, watching soccer with my dad and so much more. 

My daughter and I had an incredible two weeks and it would not have been possible without your help. 

Thank You!!! 

Frugal Fun on Facebook

We're having a lot of fun talking about all things frugal and homemaking on Facebook. Join in the discussion at the Hillbilly Housewife Facebook page. Be sure to like the page so you don't miss a thing. Here's just one of this week's topics. 

Summertime Breakfast
Frugal Tip

Have A Family Game Night

Summer around here always ends up being much busier than I anticipate. We end up doing lots of running around and traveling. It's nice to slow things down and have fun playing board games. This is perfect for a rainy afternoon or as an "after-dinner" activity for the whole family.

Dust of those old board games or grab a deck of cards and get set at the kitchen table. Introduce some of your favorite games from childhood to your kids, or let them pick and start playing.

Family playing a board game.

Do your best to make sure the games are fun and appropriate for everyone in the family, but don't feel like you're limited to just Candyland. Start there if you have very young children, and then move on to something more complicated like monopoly and have the youngest family member play along with a parent if things get too hard for her.

If everyone is having fun (I'm sure they will), consider making this a weekly family tradition. What a wonderful way to spend time together and create memories.

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Featured Article of the Week

Summer Vacation Time Is Here - Are You Making Plans?

Kids are out of school in most areas by now and parents are looking at each other wondering "now what?"  If you haven't already made vacation plans for the family, you may be wondering what you can do to make a vacation possible.

The yearly vacation is a special event that the entire family should enjoy. Get the most out of it by developing a family vacation budget. It will help give you the means to enjoy this special family time each year.

After working for months the idea of a family vacation can seem like the ideal reward.  A week or two in a sunny climate in the middle of a cold and snowy winter is the icing on their yearly cake.  Vacations are usually costly though and if your job is set a family budget, you'll want to get the most out of each dollar you've allocated to the vacation fund.

There are many important factors to consider if you've decided to set up a financial plan that includes money for vacations. It isn't enough to just take a percentage of each paycheck and put it in a separate bank account that you'll turn to at the end of the year.  With the proper planning techniques in place when you set a family budget you'll be able to execute a trip that will be unforgettable.

One important consideration is timing.  Most people want to venture out on a holiday at the same time each year.  The travel industry refers to these times as peak periods and they generally fall in December, March and again during the summer months.  The reason for this is because more people are tempted to take off on a trip when their children aren't in school.  The travel industry knows this and prices are considerably higher during these times.

Although school work is most important, planning a trip during a non-peak time and preparing beforehand might be the most economical answer.  Research is fundamental when planning any trip. There is an abundance of information on the internet that can give you an idea of the total cost you will be facing for your trip.

If you do decide to travel during a non-peak time and you have children enrolled in school, there are steps you can take to assist them with their studies. Talk to their teachers and have them assign homework for the trip.  This is a wonderful method of not only keeping the children up to par in class but it gives them something to focus on during the car or airplane ride.  Children can become agitated easily when expected to sit still for prolonged periods of time, but if they are engrossed in studies, the time moves along much more quickly.

Another consideration when you set a family budget that includes a vacation fund is to consider traveling to a destination that offers all-inclusive vacation packages.  This includes not only your airfare and accommodations but can also include meals and beverages.  The savings with this type of vacation plan can be considerable.  It also offers up the benefit of pre-planning all related costs.  You'll know how much you need to save each month to reach your vacation goal.

One of the things that people often overlook when considering vacation expenses as they set a family budget is the benefit of visiting relatives.  A destination that involves family members can result in a considerable savings in accommodation costs.  Most people welcome the company of relatives for a few days and if you buy them dinner or surprise them with a thank-you gift they'll invite you back time and time again.

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Feet in the grass
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A Little Something Inspirational...

Staycation Tips

Final Thought

That's it from me for this week. I hope you have a wonderful a week and are enjoying your summer. We're getting back into a summer-time routine here at home and are spending quite a bit of time in the garden. The tomatoes are starting to ripen and we continue to get quite a few zucchini.