Best (and cheapest) grocery delivery service in RI, MA, and CT 🍉🍒🍓🌽🌭🌮🌯

The best grocery delivery service in RI hands down is Monroe Dairy.

We have tried Peapod and Blue Apron and we really disliked both. Pea Pod is expensive both the groceries and delivery fee...and you HAVE to be home to accept the delivery and they never arrive when they are supposed to. They cancel frequently  during snow events as well. Also you can't set up Peapod for a regular reoccurring delivery.....Blue Apron was a nightmare I will spare you all the details and get to the point.

Monroe dairy has changed with the times and they are now a full grocery needs delivery service....it's not just milk anymore. Monroe uses mostly local farms for its produce and many other items are produced and grown locally.

Monroe will leave your order you don't need to be home. You need to either buy one of their cute cooler boxes or you can leave a cooler outside and they will use that. We were too cheap to buy the cute Monroe box so I painted one of our existing coolers to match our house (less tacky) and put it by our garage.

Monroe will deliver a farm fresh load of groceries for you every week. The delivery fee is just $2.50. I am as 'cheap' as they come and I love this service, its an amazing value. You cant drive to the grocery store and back for $2.50 in gas let alone your time spent value! For us its great because we have about $35.00 of our basic staples delivered automatically weekly with the comfort of knowing if we get busy, or have a sick family member or its just a hectic week we will have a basic order there waiting for us for a very inexpensive fee. Some of their product prices are high but just shop smart! It's a no brainer parents! Monroe is super fancy now too and they have Venda Ravioli straight from the 'The Hill' on their menu! The grocery ordering form has an extensive inventory. Also if a storm is coming you can simply call your sales reps cell phone or send an email and they will beef up your order for you so you don't have to rush to the stores with all the crowds! Holla!

You have to buy groceries anyway, so shave off some of that annoying grunt work off your to do list, make your grocery store runs less burdensome and let someone else do the heavy lifting. It's like having a hired grocery assistant for a paid salary of between $5.00 and $10.00 a month depending if you get 2x per month or weekly. Do the math! 😂😅🤓🤑

Camp Cornell is GRATEFUL for Monroe Dairy and their innovative approach to our modern parenting times! This service is perfect for all including the new mom, the busy parent, the college student, the retiree, the elderly, the disabled....and those who cant stand shopping like me! So very awesome!

Their territories extend into MA, and CT and they make your delivery the same day of every week. You don't have to block time because you don't need to be home to accept the order! 😘

What I love most is that a portion of our grocery funds is going to a local company that has been in business for almost 150 years and our groceries are super fresh and local!

We still love our Trader Joe's, Walmart, Dave's, Aldi and Amazon but we certainly love our Monroe Dairy deliveries too!

Check out the menu.....

Quote for the day!

Ya'll there is almost always something to be grateful for! Even on the most grueling days of parenthood there is always the smell of sweet success right under our noses! Think of the silver lining and bright side in all aspects of life. A positive attitude will take you more places than talent will and it is certainly contagious!

The TB12 Method!

I love this book after only reading a few pages! Rocks! 👐🤓📚📖

Amazing advice from a person who has access to the best of everything. 

Grow your own food!

Here at Camp Cornell we are really getting into growing our own food! It's educational for kids, a productive hobby, and yields awesome organic food for your family! Today Katie and I planted garlic from an organic garlic bulb that we pulled apart and sprouted ourselves. Will it live??? I have no idea! 😂😝🙊🌱 We get an E for effort regardless!

Quote for the day!

Texas Roadhouse East Greenwich Rhode Island Monday Night Kids Night!

Texas Roadhouse does it again!

If this location would simply clean up the peanut mess all over the place this experience would be a 10. I don't love eating at chain restaurants but Texas Roadhouse really rolls out the red carpet for families and kids! Their family night on Mondays feature 99 cent kids meals that rock, their Armadillo mascot, free small toy gifts for kids,  a complimentary craft table, awesome small coloring book with games and crayons and unlimited bread and peanuts. The bill for our amazing dinner last night came to just $25.00 and we had a holy blast!

Texas Roadhouse gets it! They have our restaurant business!

#frugalmom #frugalliving #frugalfun

Hasbro Fun Lab - Toy testers wanted! Pawtucket Rhode Island. Free unique kids educational experience...and then some!

Little Rhody does it AGAIN! Are you always looking for unique and FREE educational activities to do with your kids!?!  Who doesn't love Hasbro toys and games!! Have you signed your kids up for Hasbro's Fun Lab!? So this is a program that involves the Rhode Island community in the process of Hasbro's toy marketing and development! Katie is enrolled in the FREE pre-school experience for the month of January 2018' where she will get to go and play with all of  Hasbro's toys and games while she is observed for market research. Many times children are scouted for Hasbro marketing campaigns from these FREE play groups and meetings. If  Hasbro really likes you and your kids they will bring crews to your home for more market research in a home based setting. I have heard from a little birdie that Hasbro is extremely generous to the families that participate in their Fun Lab programs! Children are given a little something neat (and free) to take home after they play! So fun!

Here is the link to sign up and get registered. Make sure you indicate every toy your child likes to help their chances of getting a phone call increase! What a cool experience for Rhode Islanders and surrounding area citizens! Sign up parents! They need kids of all ages! We can't wait to participate!

UPDATE! Jack received his first toy tester call back today! We are so excited! It's going to be a hard job but I'm sure Jack will be able to manage! 🎊🎉❤👐

Here is the web link to the program:

https://usfunlab.hasbro.com/


Good Luck! So fun!

Patriots Place 8th Annual Fall Harvest Celebration Foxboro Massachusetts October 14th - Free Family Event!

Will we see YOU at the 8th annual Patriots Place Fall Harvest Celebration? Ya'll this is a FREE event and its amazing! Check out the itinerary below! What a fun day they have planned! Moms don't forget Trader Joes is in Patriots Place...they have tiny carts for the littles! Get your grocery shopping in before the event! The kids will be exhausted after this jam packed day! Grab a family photo with Pat Patriot for your Patriots themed holiday photo! We love our Patriots! Remember your hand sanitizer for the petting zoo experience!!!


2017 FALL HARVEST CELEBRATION @ PATRIOTS PLACE

Activities Include:

SOUTH MARKETPLACE

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

• Ocean Spray Cranberry Harvest
• Photo Opportunity with Pat Patriot & New England Patriots Cheerleaders
• Bowling By The Bog
• Pumpkin Tic-Tac-Toe

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

• New England Revolution Goal Soccer Kick
• 4-H Club Animal Petting Area, bring non-perishable food items for the state 4-H Food Drive
• NRG Lock Room/Photo Booth

11:00 AM  - 4:00 PM

• Hayrides

NORTH MARKETPLACE
11:00 AM  - 4:00 PM

• Halloween Themed Carnival Games, outside Red Robin
• Pumpkin Painting, located between Red Robin & Muse Paintbar (while supplies last)
• Team FNV (Fruits & Veggies) Photo Booth, next to Godiva
• Dare Family Services, outside between TB12 & Olympia Sports
• Balloon Artist, located between The Artist Gallery & Express
• Face Painting, outside Charming Charlie
• Photo Booth, outside Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar & Grill

1:00 PM  - 4:00 PM

• The Art Gallery Paint Out, at The Artist Studio & Gallery

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

• Taste of Patriot Place: Enjoy a “Taste of Patriot Place” where our participating restaurants will turn the fruits of Ocean Spray cranberries into truly spectacular fall fare.
• Participating Restaurants Include:
  • Blue Fin Lounge
  • Capriotti's
  • CBS Scene Restaurant & Bar
  • Davio's
  • Godiva
  • Menchie's Frozen Yogurt
  • Moe's Southwest Grill
  • Red Robin
  • Scorpion Bar
  • Skipjack's
  • Splitsville Luxury Lanes™
  • Tavolino
  • Toby Keith's I Love this Bar & Grill
  • Twenty8

• Photo Opportunity with Pat Patriot & New England Patriots Cheerleaders, outside Life is Good
• Human Scarecrow Statue, roaming North Marketplace

Additionally, enjoy LIVE MUSIC outside Splitsville Luxury Lanes™ | Howl at the Moon.
Band Schedule:

• 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM: The Network
• 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: South Street Six

GO PATS!

Quote for the day!

It feels like fall!

Food prepping for the week ahead and football! Its our favorite time of year at Camp Cornell!

The sound of football and smells of fall are simply the best! 

Go Patriots!

Omg Y'all!

We have been so busy @ Camp Cornell! We had two amazing dinners and a sleepover this weekend with Katie's Grandparents, and spent yesterday at the Central Massachusetts Lyme Disease Conference, then finished the day with a beach walk and seaglass hunt! It's been a blessed weekend and it isn't even over yet! This morning I am finishing up this amazing book by Martha Stewart. If you haven't read it I highly recommend! There are many life tips littered throughout this book! Check it out from your local library like I did, or grab a copy on Amazon!

Coventry Rhode Island Walmart has Hatchimals and Squishy Toys

I've been getting a serious jump on my holiday shopping and I'm writing to report that Walmart in Coventry has a shelf full of glitter Hatchimals and an end cap and display full of amazing and colorful squishy toys. Jack was with me in the store earlier today and he went nuts over the squishy toys. What is it with these awful squishy toys that are so popular? They look like pet/dog toys to me! The squishy toys are $6.50 each which is expensive but they are rather large. Anyway these items won't be there much longer as we approach the crazy holiday season. FYI.

Cheers!

I forgot to add these amazing dinner tray sets that I bought yesterday at Walmart in Coventry. They are only $4.00 a set and each set includes 24 pieces! They are PBA free and my kids love them! Anything that I fancy up on a dinner tray is a hit! The rest of the pieces are great for picnics and whatever else. I mean for $4.00 each you can't go wrong! These sets are great! I swear Walmart is becoming the new IKEA. We used to buy sets like these at IKEA! 

Free Museum and Attraction Passes in Rhode Island and Surrounding Areas

Do you ever wish you could tour all of our fabulous local museums and local attractions free? Wouldn't it be nice not to spend what my friends call 'triple digits' every time you leave the house with your kids!? You totally can!

This is one of my very favorite activity hacks....

If you are a member of the Rhode Island library systems...or a library system anywhere in the country for that matter..... simply type in the words 'MUSEUM PASS' in the keyword search field and click enter on their website...

In Rhode Island you will be given a list of approximately 56 FREE passes that are available within the RI library systems. The online system will tell you which library to pick up the specific pass you want from. Some libraries are more fruitful than others and drive times for pass pick up will vary.

Some of the pass packages available are not free...however they are passes that offer steep discounts.

Most of the time these passes are just sitting at the library waiting to be picked up!

Make sure you pack a lunch to make your activity day completely free or darn close to it!

Southwick
Edaville
Roger Williams Zoo
Capron Zoo
New England Aquarium
Mystic Aquarium
Ecotarium
Biomes Marine Center
BMS
PCM
BCM
New Bedford Whaling
Pawsox

They are all there....and more!


Have Fun!

Quote for the day... Amen Ya'll

Best stain 'remover' ever! - Tie dye day @ Camp Cornell

Do your kids trash their clothes? Mine do! My kids are able to trash their clothes in a record few seconds. I have no idea how they do it! Sometimes it's a super bummer because it's a really cute fitting top or something brand new. Most stains don't come off especially the really bad ones...so I just tie dye everything that is just lightly stained to give it a new lease on life, ha! My kids both love all their tie dye dye pieces and this process is much better than having to throw clothing away (Salvation Army won't take stained clothing) and buying new pieces! My kids usually help so this hack doubles as an activity as well. If I don't feel like spending the money on an expensive craft store kit I just use kool-aid with a splash of white vinegar and that method works as well if not better than the fancy kits... it's nearly free...the Dollar Tree carries both the white vinegar and the small packs of kool-aid. So you can transform a pile of lightly stained clothes for just a few dollars! The best! If you buy a kit from a big box craft store make sure you use a coupon to save 1/2 the price! Oh and FYI wear latex gloves when you tie dye! BIG mistake if you don't! #learnedthehardway

Here is what the finished product looks like! 😘🤗🤓

Saying Goodbye to Bennys here in Rhode Island

So we all heard the news last week...our dearly beloved Benny's store chain will be closing forever in just a few months! It is the end of an era....but with everything sad there is always a silver lining..... and in this case it's SALES! Do your Christmas shopping NOW at Benny's and save big parents! Lego kits are 20% off which is a great deal because Lego brand really never goes on sale. Save up to 40% NOW on Benny's goodness while it lasts! I don't think there are any Benny's shirts or hats left as they are sold out, and if you don't 'get it' don't worry it's a Rhode Island thing!

We will miss you Benny's!

Johnston Rhode Island Apple Festival - Free Event 🍎🍏🍎🍏

The Johnston Apple Festival this weekend did not disappoint! Our kids had SO MUCH FUN! The festival itself takes place at Johnston Memorial Park which is littered with beautiful playgrounds, and amazing military memorabilia including tanks and cannons. The park even includes a baseball field which makes this festivals location absolutely ideal. The festival is adorned with mom and pop homemade goods from knits to fudge, farms, 'mom gig' vendors, churches, realtors, extra large blow up play grounds with slides, a mechanical bull, pony rides for just $5.00, food trucks, Dels Lemonade, and dozens of local companies handing out fun freebies. Our kids each left with a large goodie swag bag filled with squishy balls, pens, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, pencils, whistles, balloons, and let's just say LOTS of loli pops! The fair had a Build a Bear copy cat booth where you could make your own bear which was a monster hit with my kids. That part of the festival was definitely NOT free I think we spent $24.00 for two stuff your bears 😂😣! They both went crazy over the stuff your own bears. After leaving the festival we stopped at Rhode Island icon Luigi's in Johnston (Jack and Katie both insisted on building their bears @ Luigi's 😂) to indulge in some homemade mac and cheese and chicken noodle soup. It was a perfect day in the sweet town of Johnston Rhode Island! We loved it! We may or may not have come home with a homemade apple pie ☺! If you didn't make the apple festival this year, mark your calendars for next year! Extremely affordable  (free) family FUN!

Air Force One Experience FREE for New Englanders!

Are you looking for a once in a lifetime educational experience for your family? One that is FREE for a limited time only? The Air Force One Experience is letting 5,000 New Englanders tour their state of the art exact replica of Air Force One (JFK era) before it leaves to its permanent rotating homes in Washington DC and NYC. We are lucky in Rhode Island to get this inaugural opportunity because it was built/refurbished here in Quonsett Park across from Electric Boat! We will have this gem here for another few weeks...don't miss your chance to walk the rooms and hallways of this magnificent replica...how fun! Camp Cornell is going tomorrow and will post photos after.

Little Rhody does it again!

UPDATE! OMG what an experience!
AMERICA!

The AF1 experience has had interest beyond all expectations! If you would like to go....get on it...will be gone before we know it and the free tickets are going FAST! I loved seeing JFK's motorcade car..and the gift shop is adorable! For anyone who LOVES our country this is a MUST SEE! The exibit is not totally complete but it's close! My guess is that the real AF1 is a little but more luxurious (just a guess) but close enough and this is a 10 on the educational experience scale! WOW!

The concept behind this exhibit and project is to encourage our youth to become involved in their country, voting and politics.

PS I didn't plan Jacks Patriots jersey! Today was sports day at his school and du.....of course he going to wear a Patriots jersey on sports day! Well played though.....I have to admit! Ha!

Here is the link and info!

https://www.airforceoneexperience.com/