Get thyself to Publix and try their line of Latin-American-inspired flavors. The cartons look like this, with fun little yellow and orange bands at the top:

Eli, my cinnamon-lover, is addicted to the Churros flavor. The Coco Rico, Mango, Banana and Passion Fruit flavors are amazing, containing real fruit and creamed coconut. I was hesitant to try the Spicy Pineapple, but it was wonderful, too, combining cinnamon and chunks of pineapple, with a flavor reminiscent of pineapple upside down cake. And the Limonada Fresca, which combines strong flavors of lemon and lime, was better than some Key lime pie fillings I’ve had.

I was hesitant to try the Guava Pastry, having never eaten a real guava pastry in my life and having no clue what to expect. But I swiped a bite before giving my little one the carton tonight, and it might just be the tastiest of them all. Jonah agreed, polishing off the entire thing in minutes!

The only one we didn’t care for was the Prickly Pear. I’ve never eaten that fruit before, but I expected a strong, fruity flavor like the others we’ve tried. It was disappointing, with no real flavor to speak of. It was just bland and  sweet.

Anyhow, for around 40 to 50 cents a cup, these are decadent-feeling treats that really aren’t that bad nutritionally. As I said, the sugar content is a bit high, but not any worse than kids’ yogurts on the market. Plus, at least on the labels I read, these contain no HFCS.

My sympathies to those  who don’t live near a Publix grocery store! I guess you’ll just have to come visit us!

I picked up a tube of this on clearance the other day at Target. I’ve had the worst chapped lips this winter and nothing has helped them for long. But this stuff is amazing! I saw a difference in them the very first day I wore it. They are soft, not peeling, no longer cracked and hurting. LOVE this stuff! Must. Buy. More!

(And when I find something I love, I want to spread the love to my friends!)

You know it’s a slow 4th of July if I’m taking the time to blog about a few recent frugal finds, but hey…it is what it is. (More on that in tomorrow’s column.)

I love to save a few dollars when I can, but am on a tight budget so I’m often reluctant to spend our hard-earned cash on something that might not work. Unlike some people, I’m not overly brand-loyal, except on a few items. Until now, two of those were Tide laundry detergent and Almay waterproof mascara.

I just wasn’t in the mood to drop $10 on another tube of Almay the other day, so I started scouring the makeup aisles at Target to see what else I could find. When I saw this Rimmel of London 100% Waterproof Mascara for the bargain, non-clearance price of $2.24, I decided it was worth a try. I used it for the first time this morning and was MUY impressed.

You must understand that my eyelashes are virtually non-existent. I was dealt a horribly puny hand in the eyelash department, and besides the fact that they are short, thin and skimpy, they are also a lighter brown than the hair on my head. You’d think someone with naturally almost-black hair would have dark, visible eyelashes, but not me.  My eyes are a dark grayish blue, so without makeup, I quite resemble a beady-eyed rat staring at you, my eyes just two dime-sized dots lost in a wide, pale face. So good mascara is a must.

This Rimmel of London fit the bill. I had better coverage in fewer coats, gave me longer lashes and overall better results than the Almay that costs 4 times as much.

And when I was thinking about sharing that with y’all, I also thought it worth mentioning that my Tide addiction has been broken by Purex Laundry Detergent . I’d have never ventured to try it it if weren’t for this baby I’m carrying. We plan to cloth diaper the little guy (another frugal choice) and when I saw Purex Free & Clear recommended on many cloth diapering websites, I figured I should try it on the family’s laundry and see what I thought before I’m faced with cleaning a mountain of soiled diapers.

Again, I couldn’t be more impressed. Today I am wearing a white cotton shirt that I spilled yellow mustard on, then forgot to pre-treat before putting in the hamper. It finally got washed this morning and the stains are gone. It comes in yummy fragrances, like Linen and Lilies, Apple and Melon, Lilac and White Lavender. And it costs at least half what Tide goes for—and you can often find coupons, too.

So, it’s not the most interesting blog I’ve ever written, but if I can help others save a buck in this tight economy, I’m happy to share. Feel free to reply with any of your recent frugal favorites! Thanks!