Thrifty and Frugal Living

Free Sample of Nescafe Taster's Choice

2013-05-18T06:36:00.003-04:00

Sign up for a free sample of Nescafe Taster's Choice and you will be sent an assortment of single-serve stick packs for free!

Naturals Sweetener Review & Giveaway

2013-05-18T06:17:00.000-04:00

I love tea and I drink it at least once a day (normally Chai, but I like a variety of different teas). As long as I can remember I have never used sugar in my tea, I have always used a sweetener. Throughout the years I have tried just about every sweetener on the market. Some of them have funny aftertastes, some of them supposedly increase your chance of getting ~~swine flu and hemorrhoids~~ cancer. Everyday Doctors seem to recommend a new sweetener and discredit another one. I remember being frustrated and thinking "Why on earth isn't there a NATURAL sweetener on the market yet? There seems to be a natural version of everything else". Well, guess what? Now there is a Natural Sweetener!

“Naturals™ from the maker of Equal®, provides a tasty new zero-calorie sweetener for those looking people seeking natural products,” says Lael Edelstein, registered dietitian. Naturals™ can be used as a substitute for sugar in coffee, tea and other beverages. Or, use it on cereal and fruit. The new sweetener can also be used as a natural alternative when making a variety of recipes that call for sugar. Each packet (80 per box) sweetens like one teaspoon of sugar.*

Naturals™ is 100% natural and made with a Stevia blend and Monk Fruit. Check out the nutritional information:

Just three ingredients! The Fructose is used as a bulking agent to make it easier to pour and measure according to the Naturals website. China has been using Monk Fruit as a sweetener for hundreds of years and I have always wanted to try it. Naturals sent me an awesome package with a box of Naturals and a cool coffee/tea mug that has a removable spoon. I didn't waste anytime trying it in my morning pick-me-up:

I used my normal two packets of sweetener per cup of tea. How did it taste? Quite different from the other sweeteners I have used, but in a good way. It makes your tea sweetened but not overly sweet. It definitely tastes more natural and seems to draw out the flavor of the tea. Plus, it doesn't have an aftertaste. I really like it! I have completely switched over to Naturals now for my sweetener. I am hoping that they will have bags and a brown sugar version in the future so that I can use it more in recipes. I am also hoping that it will be available nationwide soon so that all of my readers can try it.

Naturals™ from the maker of Equal® is now available at select retailers in Tampa and Orlando in 80-ct boxes for a suggested retail price of $3.49. Retail prices may vary by market.*

GIVEAWAY:

One lucky reader will receive a 80-ct box of Naturals and the Naturals Coffee/Tea Mug pictured above!

**TO ENTER- Enter using the Rafflecopter below. Note: It may take a moment for the Rafflecopter to load. If you are reading this via RSS or Email, please visit the website to enter**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Statements from Naturals Media Release

Disclosure: I received the above product(s) in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are completely my own.

Free One Year Subscription to Red Bulletin and Men's Fitness

2013-05-18T03:35:00.000-04:00

Go here and enter your information for a free one year subscription to Red Bull's Magazine: Red Bulletin. I have this magazine and it is fun to flip through. You can also get a free subscription to Men's Fitness through Rewards Gold. Keep in mind that you will have to do a few short reviews in order to get the Rewards Gold subscription.

Don't forget that some of the other magazines that I previously posted about are still available too. Enjoy!

Take Me Out to The Rays Game + Rays Money Saving Tips

2013-05-18T02:57:00.002-04:00

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited by the Tampa Bay Rays to come to a game in exchange for this review. I was beyond excited and while I was secretly hoping for great seats, I had no idea what to expect. We arrived at the gate and we were handed AMAZING tickets. We were sitting about 20 seats up from home plate. How awesome is that? I felt like a 16 year old little girl that just won tickets to see her favorite boy band. : ) I had never been this close before. I generally sit in the cheap seats in the 310-312 section. While the view is good from anywhere in the Trop; these seats are worth the extra money. It's going to be hard to go back to my 300 section now.

We were close enough to recognize our players by their faces and not just their jersey numbers! I took a ton of pictures, especially of this guy:

Even if you are not a Rays fan, you have probably heard the name Evan Longoria. He is arguably the best player that has ever played for the Rays. When Tampa area residents hear "Down and Out" by Tantric (Evan's Walk-Up Song), they go crazy. I always joke with my Husband about how I hope to hear that song someday at the mall just to see what happens. Will people instinctively start screaming? I probably would.

We even had a great view of the Rays dugout:

This game (5/09) was a rarity because our pitcher David Price and Toronto’s R.A. Dickey both are Cy Young Award Winners. David Price has been struggling so far this year, but we went in with confidence and ready to fully support him.

We started the game off right by striking out Jose Bautista (who is an amazing baseball player and my biggest worry when we face Toronto) and ending the top of the 1st quickly. Then we proceeded to get 2 runs in the first inning (thanks partially to Evan Longoria of course). I am not going to bore you with baseball stats and the breakdown of runs. Let's just say this was one of the most exciting and stressful games I have been to. We were back and forth the entire game. Winning by 2 in the 1st inning, losing then tied in the 3rd inning, losing in the 5th and so on most of the game. At the end of the 9th we realized that this would be an overtime game. I personally get a little excited for overtime games because I never want the game to end. I told you, baseball turns me into a 16 year old girl.

The first half of the 10th inning went quickly with Toronto batters being popped or grounded out. Then came our chance to steal the game. I was hoping for an epic homerun, but what I got was almost better. Evan Longoria got a double, James Loney was intentionally walked (what were they thinking?), Ryan Roberts was walked to load the bases and then.....Luke Scott was walked. Yup, Toronto walked in our win. :)

Guess what? The Rays have also provided me with some unadvertised money saving tips for their games! Check it out:

*Fans are allowed to bring food into Tropicana Field for individual consumption. All food should be wrapped and bagged in collapsible containers. You may also bring in sealed water bottles and children’s individual juiceboxes. This is a great way if a family has a picky eater or would like to save some money at the ballpark!

*Parking: On Sundays all cars with four or more people will be able to park for free as a part of the Tampa Bay Times Family Sunday. Throughout the week parking prices vary based upon the lot you choose.

*Tampa Bay Times Family Sunday: Also on Sundays all of the games for kids in the concourse will be free. An additional aspect of Family Sundays is that there are autographs pre-game by two players, post-game kids can run the bases and play whiffleball in the outfield.

*Raymond’s Activity Book a book that includes mazes, word scrambles, coloring pages, crossword puzzles and much more can be purchased to entertain kids at Gate 1 and Gate 3 guest services stands for $1.

*Special Events: This year there are tons of special events or fun theme nights at the ballpark. The Rays offer a ticket and additional item in the package. The events can be found here.

*Promotions and Giveaways: Here is the list of promotions this year!

These are some great tips! I have been to dozens of games at the Trop and I had no idea that we could bring food in! I personally recommend hitting up the Everglades BBQ Nachos while you are in the park, but it is nice to have that option. You could save a lot of money using the food and parking tips.

I always have so much fun at Rays games. If you haven't been yet this year, you are missing out. Thanks to the Rays for a fantastic night out. Feel free to invite me back anytime. : )

Disclaimer: The Rays invited me to this game in exchange for my honest opinion. I also received a swag bag. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are completely my own.

GO RAYS!!