The Pulse: Wins, Wings, and the $1 Protein Goal

The past week flew by, but not without some serious "Organista" wins. My weeks are usually top-heavy with clients from Monday to Wednesday, but Thursday always provides a lil reprieve—a chance to run errands, make a platelet donation, and tackle the "computer work" that keeps my household systems humming before I round out the week and hit the weekend.

The "Convenience Store" Strategy

I’m currently maximizing a monthly $10 benefit and a $10 quarterly credit across two of my Chase credit cards for convenience store purchases. I usually balance this between letting the boys pick out a treat and stocking up on my own favorite splurges.

This month was my turn! I’m always aiming for my protein supplements (drinks or bars) to hit about $1 per 20–30g of protein. Store sales, benefit stacks, and DoorDash cash made the score an out-of-pocket cost of $15.11 (usually runs $33 + tax). I managed to make that happen with a strategic Speedway order while I was out. Now, I have high-protein treats at the ready for when the afternoon chaos hits.

Pup Perks & Walmart Wins

Even the dog scored a win this week. We participated in a Native Pet campaign for their calming treats. Ora is a finicky girl, so the fact that she actually ate them is a miracle—the hope is they’ll take the edge off her "diva" energy!

While submitting my review for that rebate, I stumbled upon another score: a few of my prior Walmart purchases had incentives attached. A few quick clicks later, and I have two $5 promo codes ready for my next Walmart run.

The "Twin-Takeover" & The One-on-One Goal

While the systems keep the house running, my heart is really in the one-on-one time with my boys. Ideally, I aim for individual date nights with each of them, but this weekend turned into a special "littles only" adventure with the twins. My parents swung by the baseball games on Saturday, and afterward, we split paths—L got some "big kid" time with his grandparents, while I took M and N out for a day of their favorite things.

Since N is a huge fan of all things locomotive, we made our way out to Townsend to visit the Little River Railroad and Lumber Museum. It’s a great free local gem! We followed it up with a walk along the Little River Trail and Arboretum. We rounded out the evening with a "pick whatever you want" dinner at Applebee’s—and yes, I used some of those fuel-point gift cards I’d stockpiled a while back. We grabbed snacks for their upcoming turns for snacks at baseball and listened to their go-to audiobook, The Mysterious Benedict Society, before turning in.

Sunday morning was the perfect "lazy" reset: cuddles in bed, breakfast, a bit of Minecraft, and a quick trip to the Dollar Tree before the chaos of afternoon baseball practice started up again.

The Bingo Card: Freezer Edition

The "Clear the Freezer" Bingo spot is progressing nicely. Sunday meal prep involved wrapping up the remaining leftovers for early-week lunches and smoking some pork belly for my solo meals. I’m currently experimenting with different "bowl" combinations to keep that pork belly interesting all week!

The Kroger "Double-Dip"

My Kroger pickup was delayed, but the wait was worth it for the stacking opportunities.

• The Dos Equis Rebate: I layered a Dos Equis rebate onto my order, turning it into a "money-maker" (essentially free beer). These rebates are redeemable monthly, so I’m officially stocking up for Cinco de Mayo and my looming 40th celebration! You can find this rebate and others on their site.

• The Gift Card Haul: I did an in-store stop to grab gift cards during a 4x Fuel Points event. All the gift cards I purchased had 200 bonus points as well. I focused on lower-value cards for the apps on my phone and a Lowe's card to help fill in my landscape beds. Between the bonuses and the 4x event, my next 35-gallon fill-up is going to be significantly cheaper. (Let me know if you want to join me at the pump! 😉)

• The Creami Trial: I also grabbed some Blue Diamond almond milk (an Ibotta money-maker, check your Kroger coupons to see if you have this freebie. If not, you can easily stack it with normal store coupons and within the Ibotta app) to test in my Ninja Creami. Last week’s iterations—Pistachio Cherry, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Pineapple Lemon—were hits, and I'm looking for a lower-calorie base to swap in.

The Sunday Reset

The rest of my morning was spent in full "Mom Mode": prepping Monday's client files, making the dog’s food, and "incentivizing" (bribing) the boys with screen time to clean the playroom. We knocked out laundry and dishes just in time for flag football and baseball practices. Then we'll end the weekend with a pizza movie night!

I’m fighting off a bit of a cold (or maybe just East Tennessee allergies?), so I’m looking forward to starting the week a little slower with a laid-back spin ride. Speaking of which, tomorrow's Playlist is live and embedded below!

That's it for now - all the hugs - Sam