Thoughts of THAT Mom

SOS Mom Saver: What Flowers Say "I Love You"?

2012-02-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

I have to be honest here. I think Valentine's Day is a farce created by Hallmark and FTD. Isn't my husband lucky?

He's actually even luckier than that. I don't like roses. I'd much rather have carnations, tulips, or lilies. I'm so easy. And cheap. (Okay...that didn't sound quite how I intended it to.)

There will be some women who expect flowers on Valentine's Day. They don't just want flowers, though, they want the coveted red rose. Except their husband forgot to order ahead. Save for a lone, sad rose or two in the gas station, there aren't any available in the entire city. What's a guy to do?

He can pick one of the other flowers that means love. You can find complete lists at About.com and from Tara Florist in St. Joseph, Michigan. I'll make it easy for you, though. Here are several that stand out:

White Chrysanthemum: Truth, Loyal love
Calla Lilly: Magnificent beauty
Orchid: Rare beauty, love, refinement, beautiful lady
Red Tulip: Declaration of love
Yellow Tulip: Hopeless love, There's sunshine in your smile

If all else fails and you can't find any flowers, get her a cactus. No. Seriously. It stands for "endurance".

(Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for your wife's actions should you actually bring her a cactus for Valentine's Day. I wouldn't actually advise doing this unless she has requested that you do so. This is not official medical advice and I'm not the attorney general, but bringing your wife a cactus for Valentine's Day may be hazardous to your health.)

SOS Mom Saver: Affordable Healthy Eating

2012-02-02T16:06:00.001-08:00

One of the best ways to eat healthy is to eat fresh fruits and veggies. Um. Duh, Amy. (Yes, I said "duh".) We kinda already knew that. Do you KNOW how expensive that is, though? (Just ignore the Christmas tree in the pic. This pic was taken a week before Christmas after we had just done our shopping for the week and had just gotten our co-op order from Azure.)

Honestly, if you're eating conventional produce, it's really not that expensive. It's fairly cheap if you shop sales and shop seasonally. A lot of people just don't have the time, energy, or desire to shop the sales every week, though. Even if they can just price-match all of the other ads at Walmart. (Which is, by the way, an excellent way to do one-stop shopping.)

An excellent way to eat the same regional, conventional produce you'd eat from the grocery store is to purchase your produce from a company like Bountiful Baskets. The way they work is simple. You pay them $16.50 a week ($15 + a $1.50 fee) for a basket of conventional produce. They do all the work for you. They find the best deals for the week, do your shopping, & put all of your produce together in a basket that you just go and pick up on Saturday morning.

The concept here is good. They do the shopping for you saving you time and energy. The get fairly good deals saving you money. There are some potential "bads" to shopping this way, though. You don't get to choose your produce. If your family is picky and only likes certain fruits and veggies and isn't willing to try new stuff...then you may not see the same savings as others. On the other hand, a family who eats a wide variety of fruits and veggies or doesn't mind trying new foods would enjoy the convenience Bountiful Baskets can bring.

Is it really a cost savings? Yes. If you normally just go to the store and buy what you want that week and never shop sales then this will save you money. If, however, you regularly shop sales or your family isn't adventurous food-wise then you'll likely do better shopping on your own.

What if you want organic produce? Bountiful Baskets offers an organic basket as well. They charge $26.50 ($25 plus a $1.50 fee) for that basket. If you eat exclusively organic and only shop at local grocery stores, then you will likely save more money by going through Bountiful Baskets. The downside of not being able to choose your own foods might hinder some and limit their savings, though. If, however, you order your produce through a co-op (which I'll discuss in a bit), then you're likely to save more by going through the co-op.

Now...on to the organic options.

One of my favorite ways to get local, organic produce is through our local co-op, Azure Standard. A There are three main co-ops in the US. Of course, there's Azure. There's also United Buying Clubs and Country Life Natural Foods. I have personally used all three of them; depending on where we have lived and have been very pleased with all of them. With Country Life, I actually went directly to their farm which was only 40 minutes from my home to pick up my foods. They don't all offer fresh produce. That will depend on whether they contract with a farmer in your area or not. The only exception is Azure. If you can get a co-op order from them, you can get produce.

I want to add here that some people have smaller health food stores in their area that are ALSO called "co-ops". These are NOT the same as the co-ops about which I'm discussing. In fact, the co-ops that I've mentioned are where most of those smaller health-food stores get their produce. Some of them will also sell produce from local farmers, but often at a mark-up that's a good bit above what you'd pay directly from the farmer, at a farmer's market, or through a CSA. Basically, these are just local health food stores. They're the Mom & Pop version of Whole Foods.

My other favorite way of getting local, organic foods is through a CSA. "CSA" stands for Community Supported Agriculture. They generally offer a certain amount of "shares" for sale at the beginning of the season. People front a certain amount of money (usually around $300-$500 for 3 months). The farmer uses this investment to purchase seed and other supplies. In return, each "investor" gets a share of the harvest; equally divided. There is a risk here. If there's a flood or other natural disaster that destroys the crop...you're out of luck. You've spent the money and you won't get it back. However, I have never had that happen in several years of buying through CSAs.

Remember those local health food stores (also called co-ops in some cases) that I discusses above? Some of these local stores will also be the "hub" for farms that are further out of town. You'll meet there to pick up your CSA shares. However, if you're not picking your produce up directly from the farm, the cost will often be higher so keep an eye out for that when signing up for the CSA.

And of course, you have farmer's markets. I love being able to talk to the farmer from whom I'm buying the produce. A hint here: If you don't mind non-perfect produce, wait until the end and offer to buy the "seconds" or ends from a farmer for a discounted price.

To find local or regional farms in your area, you can go to Local Harvest. They'll give you the names of local farms in your area that either sell produce directly, through a farmer's market, or through a CSA.

Eating healthy (even organically) doesn't have to be expensive.

How do you save money on produce?

How My Children Disappoint Me

2012-02-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had that moment where you're just so utterly and profoundly disappointed in your children? For some, it's when they hear their child is drinking, doing drugs, or having sex.

If only.

The other day, my teen says to me, "So, Mom, I was talking to my friends the other day..."

Sigh.

How many times am I going to have to tell this child? We're HOMESCHOOLERS! She's not supposed to have friends!

*Off to try and unsocialize my child some more.* ('Cause based on the number of friends my children have, I'm clearly a complete and total failure as a homeschooling parent.)

Food Storage Saved Dinner!

2012-02-01T18:53:00.000-08:00

That sounds so dramatic, doesn't it? I picture a 6 gallon bucket with a red cape flying into the kitchen with a magic spatula. (Some of you will get that. The rest of you are trying to figure out why we would have a 6 gallon ANYTHING in our home.)

That's not really what happened, but it sounds so much more grand than my simple story.

I frequently fight with my 13yr old over who is going to cook dinner for the night. By "fight", I mean she says, "Mom, can I cook dinner tonight?" To which I respond, ~~"Um. No. That's MY job! Get out of the kitchen!"~~ "Um. Duh. Of COURSE you can. If you need me, I'll be ~~watching TV while eating bonbons~~ cleaning something so as to look as productive as my 13yr old daughter who is slaving over dinner."

Tonight was no exception.

Have I mentiond that I love that my 13yr old daughter loves to cook? Because she does. And I do. You know, love that she loves to cook.

No. She is not for sale. Although she wants to own a restaurant or catering business one day...so she might hire out her cooking skills.

Anyway...she was cooking lasagna tonight. That's her favorite meal to cook. We order our cottage cheese from Azure Standard. She'll typically make lasagna once a week for the next 2-3 weeks; depending on how long the cottage cheese lasts. She also follows my "cook once, eat twice" philosophy & will double the batch making one to freeze each time she cooks.

She's going to make some guy fat and happy one day. My guess is, an Italian will taste her lasagna and marry her on the spot.

Oh please don't tell her Daddy I wrote that part. He thinks she's still of the "Ewww...I'll NEVER do THAT even when I'm married" belief. Even though she's not. But don't tell him that either.

So...she starts cooking lasagna. She pulls out the ingredients and knows she has everything. Except she doesn't. Someone left the cottage cheese out overnight...and then put it back in the fridge hoping they wouldn't get caught...and it got moldy. Thankfully. You know, so we didn't all DIE from eating it!

She's starting to panic. No worry. Mom will find a recipe. Surely there's a substitute, right? Nope. No yogurt in the house. Nope. No tofu. (Do people really eat that? Or do they just say they do so their vegan friends will think they're cool?)

Now, back to where I look like a Mormon. Without the cool underwear. I have a friend who IS a Mormon. I was griping about how I really wish there was a bouillon that was msg and soy-free. I have several mixes I make where I had to leave OUT that ingredient because we couldn't use the store-bought stuff.

She told me how one of her favorite companies, Shelf Reliance, had this line of food storage products that was largely free of artificial junk and soy. A food storage company? What? What was that? I mean, sure we buy our grains and some other things in bulk from Azure, but we're not Mormon. I don't do that 8 years of food storage thing. I don't buy freeze-dried pickles and hot dogs. ('Cause that's what I thought Mormons did. My friend laughed at me. Come to think of it, she laughs at me a lot. Probably out of pity.)

I was thrilled to find that their chicken bouillon was soy-free and msg-free. While browsing their site, I also discovered a sour cream powder. "How cool would THAT be?" I thought to myself. (Yes, I just quoted myself thinking to myself. 'Cause that's how I roll.) I hate sour cream and thus never cook with or even buy it. However, some of my family members DO like it. This would allow me to give them what they want without having to worry about countless tubs of sour cream going bad because I forgot about them. Not that this has EVER happened...


Picture courtesy of Shelf Reliance

And that...is where food storage saved the day. I went online in search of an answer for my daughter. After much searching, I found two recipes that contained ingredients that we had on hand. I combined parts of the two...because that's ALSO how I roll. (Read: I have control issues and don't like people telling me what to do even in recipes.) We had 1/2 a bar of cream cheese left and combined that with re-constituted sour cream powder to make the lasagna.

And it was good. (I think that's a verse in the Bible, but I'm not quoting the Bible. I'm saying the lasagna was good. Very, very good. So good, that we might even add sour cream to it in the future. And I don't even like sour cream. Go figure.)

And thus is my story of how food storage saved dinner!

SOS Mom Saver: Homemade Oatmeal Packets

2012-01-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

My family LOVES oatmeal. This is great as it's incredibly healthy. Unfortunately, they also like the convenience of oatmeal packets.

But..have you looked at the ingredients for those packets lately? Yeah. Um. Not exactly healthy...or even pronounceable in some cases. Even those that are organic or healthier are full of refined sugar.

Even if you did find a healthy packet of oatmeal with only good ingredients, I challenge you to find one that's reasonably affordable.

So...I set out to make the bulk oatmeal also convenient. I have promised a couple of friends who have asked that I will detail out the process with cost and pictures the next time we make packets. In the meantime, here's a basic ingredient list for each of our 3 favorite oatmeal packet "flavors" (which are pictured above):

Oatmeal Raisin:

1/2 cup oats (I put these in the food processor and pulse them a couple times to break them up some. That's not necessary if you're using quick oats.)
1 TB ground oats (see note below)
1 TB ground flax seed
1 TB cinnamon (You can use 1 tsp to 1 TB; depending on your taste preference.)
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 cup raisins

Strawberries & Cream:

1/2 cup oats (I put these in the food processor and pulse them a couple times to break them up some. That's not necessary if you're using quick oats.)
1 TB ground oats (see note below)
1 TB ground flax seed
1/4 cup freeze-dried or dehydrated strawberries processed in the food processor to your desired consistency (We've also used blueberries in this recipe instead of strawberries. YUM!)
1/4 cup powdered milk

Apple Cinnamon:

1/2 cup oats (I put these in the food processor and pulse them a couple times to break them up some. That's not necessary if you're using quick oats.)
1 TB ground oats (see note below)
1 TB ground flax seed
1 TB cinnamon (You can use 1 tsp to 1 TB; depending on your taste preference.)
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 cup freeze-dried or dehydrated apples processed in the food processor to your desired consistency

Put all ingredients into a sandwich-size baggie. Close the baggie, shake to mix the ingredients, & you're ready to go. I do re-open the baggie after mixing the ingredients so I can get the air out before storage to save space. I'll typically do a couple hundred packets at once. No. Really. That means I don't have to do them again for awhile. We keep them in a food-grade storage bucket that we got from a local donut shop for $2.

To cook, you simply dump the oatmeal packet into a bowl and add 1 cup of hot water. (We use the hot water from our water cooler right now, but have used water from our stove-top kettle in the past.) Stir and enjoy! Yes, you MUST enjoy. We also add honey to ours when serving. We don't typically use much. A 2 lb container that we use only for oatmeal lasts us a couple months.

A note on the Ground Oats: You know that powder that you see in store oatmeal packets? That's what this is. It's a combination of the sugar...and some ground oats which helps your oatmeal be more "mushy". If you like mushier oatmeal, then you'll want to add some of this to each packet. (It doesn't take much.)

The thing to remember here is that these recipes are VERY forgiving. You can add healthy things (like the flax seed) that your family likes and take away what you don't want or like. You can add different fruits to suit your liking. Experiment and find what your family likes best.

Exactly HOW healthy is our oatmeal? The oats, flax seed, and raisins that we use are organic. The powdered milk isn't organic, but is rbgh-free.

Like I said, I will detail out the exact cost in a later blog when I do our next batch. The estimated cost here, though, is about 36¢/packet. If you include the cost of the honey, it makes it a little over 38¢/packet. Note that this is for largely-organic oatmeal that contains only ingredients you can pronounce.

SOS Mom Saver: Make BPA-Containing Plastics Safer For Your Family

2012-01-19T16:20:00.001-08:00

Are BPA-containing plastics as bad as they've made out to be? In short, yes. They are really bad for you. Ideally, you should change out all of the BPA-containing plastics in your house over to BPA-free varieties or glass.

And now, I introduce you to...reality.

Unfortunately, most of us don't have the money to change over all of the plastics in our home at once. It's...um...kinda costly. Trust me, I know. I've tried to switch over literally every piece of plastic in my home that contained BPA. It's not nearly as easy as you'd think. I'd venture to say that most of society has no idea how many of the plastics we encounter on a daily basis contain BPA.

If you can only afford to change a little at a time, I always recommend starting in your kitchen. Specifically, with dishes that you eat on daily or storage containers that you use on a daily basis. (Rubbermaid now makes a fairly affordable BPA-free line.) The starter set is only $10 at Walmart. However, our favorite storage containers are glass. We have a ton of canning jars, but will also re-use old pickle & applesauce jars.

In the meantime, what do you do? Just keep exposing your family to the BPA and pray for the best? Well yes, but there's also more you can do to ensure that you are lessening the exposure they may have to the BPA in the plastics.

The number one thing to remember is that heat is what causes the BPA to leach into your foods. In order to minimize the likelihood of that happening, you can do one of two things.

Hand wash your BPA-containing plastics. We all put our plastics on the top rack of the dishwasher, but if that plastic has BPA...you don't want it exposed to the heat of the dishwasher at all!
Don't put hot foods in any plastics that contain BPA. Save those bowls for cereal, ice cream, or other room temp or cold foods.

That's it. Those are the two main rules to remember when using BPA-containing plastics if you hope to minimize your family's exposure to the BPA in those plastics.

I do recommend that you change over the BPA in your kitchen as soon as possible. In the meantime, do what you can to help your family be safer and healthier.

Open Christmas Packaging With Ease

2011-12-26T13:36:00.000-08:00

I have to admit I'm a little jealous that they didn't have this when my kids were little. I cannot tell you the number of packages with hard plastic that I have suffered through opening with scissors and/or knives.

Well suffer no more! (Geez...I sound like an infomercial, don't I?) They have a nifty new product out called the ZipIt Opener.

Photo courtesy of Amazon.

This product is designed specifically to open those hard-to-open plastic packages. It's kind of a can-opener for plastic.

I want one.

(Disclaimer: The link above is a referral link. If you click on that link and buy one of these nifty devices through that link then I will get a percentage of the sale (2%-4%) back as a referral credit. You are not required to buy the item or to buy it through the link should you buy it. The link is only there for your convenience.)

Dangerous Pizza (i.e.-Where Has Common Sense Gone?)

2011-12-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

Want to know one HUGE reason I have chosen to homeschool? Common Sense. Or the SERIOUS lack thereof.

The point at which you are suspending a child for bringing a Lego gun to school is the point at which you should stop and re-evaluate what you are doing.

But no. That's not enough.

Neither was suspending a child for having bloodshot eyes from crying because his father had been murdered over the weekend. (Which they knew...because the child's mother had called them that morning to inform them of the situation.)

Perhaps they'll re-evaluate their policies when they suspend a child for touching a pill after someone else placed it in her hand. (Especially when they suspended her despite the fact that she immediately gave the pill BACK to the ACTUAL drug dealer...a fact which the school doesn't deny.)

Nope. They're not done yet. They'll keep going and give a child detention for having a piece of candy. No. Really. A young girl was given detention for having a Jolly Rancher. Unfortunately, you read that right.

Should I keep going because the stories just keep rolling in. There are too many to count or possibly list here. Children suspended for doing drugs because they took 2 Advil for cramps or a Tylenol for a headache. Kids kicked out of school because they took Sudafed for a cold or Benadryl to help with allergies. Heaven forbid a child get caught with a Claritin! These kids should be ashamed of themselves!

But hey...at least THOSE kids aren't farting on a bus. Or in a classroom. That one got a kid arrested. No. Really. I can't make this stuff up. Wouldn't think to. Because it's so far-fetched it would never have occurred to me in my wildest dreams that things like this would happen. For the record, I believe every guy in my senior class and at least 1/2 the girls belong in jail for this same offense. Add burping & good-heavens...I think we'd ALL have been in lock up!

One thing we should really all remember, though, is that religion doesn't belong in the schools. An 8yr old boy learned that the hard way. He was sent home from school and forced to undergo a psychological evaluation because he drew a picture of a stick-figure Jesus on the cross. Based on what this boy had to go through, I can only imagine their punishment for Mel Gibson for The Passion. They'd have probably hung him on a cross. Wait.

But let's not forget what really started this all. Guns. They're all so dangerous that no one should ever own a gun. Guns are bad. Guns kill people. If no one ever owned guns, there would never be any violence because no other weapon is ever used for violence.

I'll give you a minute to stop laughing.

You might think that as long as children didn't bring the actual weapons themselves to school then they'd be okay. I mean, the kids who got in trouble DID have actual guns even if they were tiny guns attached to plastic green army men or a Lego gun. If a kid were to use the imagination God gave them and pretend and make a gun with their finger, that wouldn't be bad. You know, like when playing cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians? I mean, it's JUST a finger, right?

Ha. Ha. Ha. That would imply sense that is not quite so common any more. A host of 6 and 7 yr old kindergarten and first grade students have gotten suspended or kicked out of school for making a weapon with their fingers. There was the kid in Michigan, the one in Texas, and the one in Oklahoma. I can only imagine being one of these parents and being told that my child was being suspended for this "offense". I would probably laugh at the administrators right then and there, sure that they were joking.

Never would I imagine, though, that a slice of pizza would get a kid suspended. That'll show HIM for getting the pepperoni! I sincerely hope he learns his lesson as he sits there in silence learning how to socialize with other children.

Wait.

I feel certain after reading this that my children wouldn't survive even one day in public school.

My son would make a finger gun while farting and eating a jolly rancher. And drinking a cup of coffee. Which alone would probably get him life in prison at 9. Based on what I find regularly when doing laundry, he'd end up at school with rocks, Legos, dog food, and a fork in his pocket. And possibly a half-eaten pb&j that may or may not be in the shape of a gun. During math, he'd draw a picture of monsters, dragons, or aliens (or some combination of the 3) battling. With guns.

And that's just my son.

Which is why we homeschool.

Gas Station Gift Ideas for Husbands

2011-12-21T16:20:00.000-08:00

You realize it's Christmas Eve and not only do you not yet have a gift for your wife, but all of the stores are closed. For the record, we wives know what you're doing when you suddenly need to fill the tank up at 11pm at night to ready us for the 15 minute drive to Grandma's the next day.

Regardless, I like to think myself a helpful person. In that vain, I'd like to offer a few tips to men who might be doing a bit of last-minute gas station shopping.

These are things you shouldn't (that means should NOT) get your wife from the gas station:

A can of SlimFast because she's always talking about how fat she feels.
An energy drink with a note that you noticed she didn't have the energy to do the dishes last night after dinner.
A container of Clorox wipes since it's obvious from the house that she must be out of cleaning supplies.
Breath mints to help with that "morning breath" problem she has.

On the other hand, here are some things you might consider getting her:

A package of Hostess cupcakes with a note, "Sweets for my sweet." That looks like you put thought into her gift and didn't actually go out to the gas station at the last minute to get her something.
A gift card to her favorite restaurant (many gas stations sell these) for a night out with you or her friends. Bonus points: Arrange for a babysitter too!
The makings for breakfast which you then cook yourself the next morning...and serve to her in bed.

You get the idea. Think..."Will she want to make me sleep with the dog if I get her this gift." If the answer is anything other than an unequivocal "no", then you should probably keep searching.

Other Things the Government Should Ban

2011-12-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

I just read a thought-provoking article on CNN about 8 Other Things the Government Should Ban. I'd like to add to this list.

First and foremost should be the banning of anyone smoking within 100 yards of a building. Poison yourself and your loved ones somewhere else, please. I don't smoke. I have made the conscious decision to NOT poison my children with cigarette smoke (I much prefer to do so with food from McDonald's). I have made the decision not to poison myself with cigarette smoke (chocolate tastes MUCH better). So please...take your poison of choice elsewhere. I don't force you to eat McDonald's or chocolate. I'd like the same respect, please.

TVs in vans & various gas-guzzling vehicles. First, it's just pretentious to have a TV in your vehicle and thereby single-handedly make me look like a bad parent for not giving the same to my child. There's nothing more degrading as a parent than your children asking you to move the car a little to the left so they can see the movie in someone else's vehicle. Nevermind that I'm also trying to watch the movie. While driving. Could you also please not speed? I don't know how I'm going to explain to the cop who pulls me over that the reason I was speeding was so I could keep up with your van because the movie that I was watching while driving was so interesting. But I digress...

Having a clean car without stickers on the window if you are a parent. I mean come ON! First you've got the TV in your van and now you tell me that it's ALSO free of randomly-placed window stickers and crayon marks? What do you do...put your children in straight jackets while you're driving? Wait. You have a TV in your car to keep them occupied. Nevermind.

I'm sure there are more things we could think of to ban. If we don't, the government will so we might as well beat them to the punch.

What would you ban?

Bliss in a Box

2011-12-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

We're on our way Tulsa to visit family right now. Let me tell you...that picture...is pure traveling bliss in a box! It's full of ear bud headphones & headphone splitters.

They bring quiet.

And peace.

And cure boredom.

They're like magic.

Pure traveling bliss in a box.

High Chocolate Consumption Is Good for Your Health

2011-12-02T08:07:00.000-08:00

I gotta be honest with you. Stories like this just warm my heart. According to that article in Medical News Today, high chocolate consumption reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke by one-third.

Let me go over that with you again. That's not just chocolate consumption in general, but HIGH chocolate consumption. I will now judge my husband's love for me based on how much chocolate he brings me. If he really loves me and wants me to live a long, healthy life...he will bring me much chocolate.

Here's my question, though. How does one get in such a study? This seems like the PERFECT study for me. I hereby willingly offer myself as a sacrifice for all of humanity by agreeing to participate in future chocolate studies.

Does my selflessness and humility not underwhelm you?

SOS Mom Saver: Make Packing for a Vacation Effortless

2011-12-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

For some reason, we (apparently) like to plan vacations and trips to Tulsa at the last minute. True to form, we've decided fairly last-minute to go back to Tulsa. We didn't really want to make the 20+ hour drive in the winter due to hazardous road conditions. However, serious grandparent-sickness has struck. (That's similar to home-sickness, but specifically involves grandkids and great-grandkids who just MUST see their grandparents.) We need to go back. The kids need to go back. And so we are; during our already scheduled vacation.

Again, I'm thankful for advance preparation. Has anyone ever NOT been thankful that they prepared in advance? Last October, the same advance preparation allowed us to get packed in an hour to go home when my mom passed away.

Every time after we get home from a trip, I unpack our stuff and put it away. Then, I REPACK our toiletries bag and our bin of travel food. I started doing this some time ago to make sure that we didn't forget things like allergy medicines that we don't normally use, but always need when traveling because of changes in climate. It also helps spread the cost of food for our trip out over several months...instead of in the month OF the trip...when we're already strapped for cash. Food is typically a fairly big expense for us when traveling because of food allergies. We either take it with us or have to buy it when we get there.

There are some basics that we all use that can be packed for a future trip:

Toothpaste
Toothbrushes (we put new ones in a baggie)
Shampoo
Conditioner
Soap
Lotion (coconut oil for us)
Sunscreen
Hair stuff (ponytails, headbands, bobby-pins, etc)
Small brush
Hair gel
Razor
Medicines for the trip (For us, that means allergy meds, 1 month of maintenance meds, and extra nebulizer mask for our son.)
Socks (For some reason, this flip-flop family nearly always forgot socks...so we pre-pack them. We barely wear them so we've got extra to keep packed.)

We also keep a bin ready with foods that we use for a trip. I figure out what we're missing and fill it back up in the month or 2 following a trip. We keep the following items in there:

Cereal
Granola bars
Fruit leathers
Dried fruits
Canned fruits
A small can opener
Oatmeal
Bags for trash
Travel bowls and silverware (we keep a cheap set for travel)
Extra blender (smoothies are a regular part of our diet and family members don't have a blender so this is a necessity)
Shelf-stable milk like rice milk (I was missing this for this trip, we took cold milk instead.)

Because of our daughter's allergies, it's vital that we be prepared food-wise.

The extra that add for a winter trip is winter stuff "just in case" we get stuck somewhere. Here in Vegas, we just keep all of our winter stuff in a bin year-round anyway because...well, we never need it. (Please don't hate me, Michigan friends.)

I cannot tell you how valuable it is to have our toiletries bag almost completely packed and our food and food supplies already gathered in one place. I pull them out, added clothes for the trip and we are ready to go.

What things do you do to make travel easier on your family?

"Xmas" Need I Say (or Write) More?

2011-11-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

"Xmas" Need I write or say more?

I didn't think so. Most of us do one of two things when we see or hear “X-Mas” (or “Happy Holidays” for that matter). We either roll our eyes as we know the comments that will inevitably come from the person who is “deeply offended” by the fact that someone “took Christ out of Christmas”.

For the record, I'm the one rolling my eyes. I think the offense people take to this is lunacy. There are bigger things to be concerned with. Besides, I think their offense is due to a misunderstanding.

Still, let's not even go there. For a minute, let's examine if anyone is REALLY taking Christ out of anything when they say or write “Xmas” or “Happy Holidays”.

I'll cut straight to the point. Christ wasn't born at Christmas. Christmas didn't start as a “Christian” holiday. It started as a PAGAN (i.e.: secular, or not related to Christ) holiday. Somewhere back in the glorious middle ages, the Catholic Church recognized the depth of this holiday & wanted to find a way to claim it as their own in hopes of drawing more people into the church. To do so, they decided that they would celebrate the birth of Christ during this pagan winter celebration.

Back in the day, the Catholic church had a way of taking over things if/when they wanted to. And thus, Christmas as we know it today was born. Well, not exactly as we know it today because today people spend unGodly amounts of money on presents and completely forget about the created reason for the season in the process.

Side note: Yes, I do believe it is UNGodly amounts of money. Seriously? How much did you give to feeding the hungry? Helping those less fortunate? Yet you're going to max out your credit cards for gifts? Why? Any rate...that's a horse for another blog.

When WAS Christ born? It has been theorized that he was born in the fall, around September or October. Although some say it was likely closer to spring or summer. Regardless, ALL are certain that according to the Biblical account of his birth and the events surrounding it, there is NO WAY he was born in the dead of winter. I'm not Presbyterian, but they do an excellent job of breaking down the details of when Christ was likely born.

For a minute lets put aside that you cannot take a person out of something of which they were never a part in the beginning. Let's say that because the Catholic church brought Christ into the holiday He is now a bonafide part of the holiday and as such shouldn't be removed from said holiday by crass use of “Xmas” or “Holiday” instead of the full “Christmas”. (By the way, celebrating Christmas was made ILLEGAL by the colonists because they felt it was an unholy, pagan celebration. But I digress.)

Still with me? If not, here's a review. We're now ignoring the FACT that Christ was NOT born at Christmas and are instead pretending that He was. Based on this premise, we have reason to be mean and unChrist-like in our response to people should they use the “unGodly” “Xmas” or “Holiday” instead of the MORE Godly “Christmas”.

We've already established that it is, in fact, NOT wrong to use “Holiday” instead of “Christmas” because that's exactly what the day started as...a “Holiday” that had nothing to do with Christ. Even if we say Christ is now a part of Christmas, most of us can concede that those who aren't Christians would prefer using “Holiday” over “Christmas”. Still, what CHRISTIAN wouldn't WANT to use the full “Christmas” instead of “X'ing” Christ out of Christmas by saying or writing “Xmas”?

But wait. Is it really unGodly to say or write “Xmas” instead of “Christmas”? Is it really “X'ing” Christ out of Christmas as so many proclaim?

The word for “Christ” in Greek is “Xristos”. During the 16^th Century, “X” was used in place of the full “Xristos” as a form of short-hand. It was understood that the “X” stood for “Xristos” or “Christ”. People even referred to Christians as “Xians”. It was a commonly referred to abbreviation.

A quick online search will reveal to you how that abbreviation continued on through the years.

I would really encourage you to do a little research the next time you're tempted to attack another follower of Christ out of offense. I would encourage you to stop ANYTIME you're attempted to attack another and behave in a rude or unChrist-like manner even if you KNOW you're right. Even if you ARE right, there is NO justification for treating another human (Christian or not) in a rude or unChrist-like manner. As Christians, we are to be held to a higher standard. I am a FIRM believer for standing for what's right. I am ALSO a firm believer of doing so in a Christ-like manner.

On that note, Merry Christmas, Merry X-Mas, Happy Holidays, and Happy Festivus.

SOS Mom Saver: Shop Black Friday Without Leaving Your House

2011-11-17T16:20:00.000-08:00

This was my "haul" last year on Black Friday.

Did you know that most Black Friday deals that are in the stores are ALSO found online? This doesn't apply to some of the biggest sales & limited-supply items...but usually those only constitute a handful of things from the ad. Nearly everything else you'll find in the ad...and even most of the door busters can also be found online.

There's even an unknown bonus to shopping online. Often, the stores will open up their online Black Friday sales at midnight. For stores that are still opening at 4am or 5am, this means you get a good 4 or 5 hour jump start on those waiting in line.

Anyone who has shopped Black Friday online in the past knows that sites slow down considerably once their sales go live. There are a couple of things you can do now to make sure that your online purchases go as smoothly as possible:

Peruse the ads beforehand and know what you're looking for from each store. Make a list just as if you would if you were going to the store itself. This helps you stay focused and makes sure you don't overspend. (Which is very easy to do on a sale day like this!)
If you don't already have an account with the stores from which you want to purchase items, open one now. (Typically, online stores don't hold any Black Friday items in your cart. They're not really yours until you hit the "submit" button to finalize checkout. If you don't already have an account, that could add 10 minutes between the time you put the item in your cart & the time you checkout. On Black Friday, that 10 minutes is a LOT & someone could easily buy the item out from under you. Having an account already set up speeds up your checkout time considerably.)
If you do have an account, log into it now to make sure you remember your password and are ready to go. It take so little time to make sure you get in & out quickly (and back to bed) on Black Friday.
How will you pay? If you pay through Paypal, Google Checkout, or any other way...make sure that your account has current info, all cards are current (I just had to update the expiration for mine on Paypal), your mailing address is current, etc. Again, log into it now to make sure you remember your password and are ready to go.
You don't want computer issues like an outdated browser or Java to slow you down when sites will likely already be bogged down. Update your IE, Firefox, or Chrome as well as Java now to ensure you don't have issues on Black Friday.
As you get closer to the day (like...while your husband is watching a game on Thanksgiving. Okay...just typing that made me laugh hysterically. If you know my husband...you know why. He is so NOT a sports guy.)...anyway, you can go to the actual item and save the URL. When the sales go live, you just enter the URLs in and proceed to check out. If the store creates a new item number for the Black Friday item, you won't be able to do this, but I'd still try.
Some stores will let you save the item to your cart NOW. Some will actually clear all carts of that item. Yet other stores will create an entirely new item number for the Black Friday sale item. So...it's worth a try to add the item to your cart now, but it might not work.
Many stores have free shipping offers on Black Friday. You'll often find these on their home page. Be sure to look for them before checking out!
Don't forget to check for any additional coupon codes that you can usually use in addition to the sale prices. (A bonus of buying online!) RetailMeNot is my favorite site for finding online codes.

Do you shop on Black Friday? Do you do so online or are you brave enough to go in person?

SOS Mom Saver: Grocery Items to Stock up on Now!

2011-11-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

Any seasoned couponer can tell you that there are grocery "seasons". There are certain times when you should buy certain items. For example, cereal is cheapest in August, September, & January. You can't beat the deals on hot dogs at the end of May & first of July. Want chips and dips for cheap? The end of January is when you'll want to shop.

So what's best to buy NOW? Well, as we approach "Turkey" day, I would think that one great deal item is obvious. (For my new and thus sleep-deprived moms...that would be turkey.) You can expect prices as low as 29¢/lb; depending on your area. We've already seen 59¢/lb here. And that's not even including the "Buy $100 in groceries per week for 4 weeks get a free turkey" deals.

What else is a good buy right now? Between now and Christmas, you can expect deals on the following items:

Turkey
Stuffing
Baking Items

Corn Starch
Baking Soda
Corn Syrup
Sugar
Flour

Canned Gravies
Green Beans
Cranberries
French Fried Onions

A good rule of thumb with this season is that if you typically see it around the holidays (Thanksgiving & Christmas) then it's on sale.

I'm curious...are you baking this holiday season? What are some of your favorite things to bake? I've got a ton of new things I want to try out saved over on my Pinterest page. Check them out if you haven't yet. I spend way too much time there!

SOS Mom Saver: Save Your Child's Life!!!

2011-10-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

Do you have more than one story on your house? Then you NEED this:

Kidde KL-2S Two-Story Fire Escape Ladder with Anti-Slip Rungs, 13-Foot

Photo Courtesy of Amazon.com

No, Really.

You do.

This won't save you time or money, but it very well could save your life or that of your children. It's not a gimmick. It's a safe way out of the house should a fire leave you or your children trapped in a room.

You can buy the one linked above at Amazon.com or you can purchase one in person at Walmart.

Ideally, you should have one for each bedroom that is slept in. If you can't buy all of them now, start with one. One is better than none...and at least gives all of you an escape should you be trapped upstairs.

No, this isn't a pleasant topic, but it's an important one. After hearing yet another story of a child dying because they didn't have a way to escape from a second floor bedroom...it was time to broach the topic. I was shocked to hear a friend say that she didn't even know these existed.

Well now you know.

So go buy one!!

Disclaimer: If you click on the above link and purchase the ladder, then I will get credit for that purchase as a part of the Amazon affiliate program. However, I don't care if you purchase through that link. I DO want you to buy this item if you don't already have one and live in a multi-story home but could care less whether you do so through that link, by going directly to Amazon, or by driving to your local Wally World! Just please buy one. K? Thanks.

SOS Mom Saver: Clean Your Ceiling Fans Without Making a Mess

2011-10-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

SOS Mom Saver: Semi-Annual Consignment Sales

2011-10-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of buying used and saving the difference. In years past, this has been more like, "buy used because we don't have the difference". Many of us have been there at one time or another. One of the biggest such sales is coming up this weekend here in Vegas. (If you're just looking for that info, you can scroll down to find the info on it below.)

There are many such sales throughout the country throughout the year. Most of the bigger ones hold two main sales a year. One, in the fall, features Halloween costumes, fall & winter clothes, and baby items. The other, in the spring, features spring & summer clothes and baby items. Some sales offer maternity clothes while others don't.

Some of these sales only charge an entrance fee on the first day of the sale. Others charge every day of the sale, but only charge you once for the entire sale. (In other words, you can pay on Friday & get a ticket allowing you to come back Sunday without having to come back again.) Still others only charge for early entrance into the sale or early entrance on the last day when a good portion of the items are marked down to 50% off. Discounts or free admission are usually offered to the military and sometimes new moms &/or new foster moms.

All of them allow you to earn early shopping privileges by volunteering early. Consignors usually get early shopping privileges as well as do new moms & new foster parents. Some also allow offer early shopping privileges on barter if you provide supplies they need for the sale &/or bring food for the employees and volunteers.

Where are these sales?

Vegas:

As They Grow Kid's Consignment, Las Vegas
Friday, October 14th - Sunday, October 16th
Fall/Winter Sale features:

Baby & children's clothes to size 16 for girls & 20 for boys
Halloween costumes (I was there today. There are a TON of them!)
Every baby item you could imagine (strollers, playpens, swings...and everything in between)
The only item missing is cribs because of recent federal regulations that prohibit the resale of cribs

The sale is at 7570 S. Dean Martin Dr. in Las Vegas (89139)
The entrance fee is $2. However, that covers ALL days of the event. In other words, if you go on Friday then you don't have to pay again to go to the half-price sale on Sunday.
On Sunday, many items will be 50% off.
The deadline for consigning at this sale has passed, but they'll have another sale again in the spring. We'll talk later about what you can do to prepare between now & then.
I two of the "founding" ladies today. They are Christians and SOS listeners. I'm happy to support them!

Everywhere Else:

Several cities throughout the US have their own semi-annual sales similar to As They Grow that are individually owned. A quick Google search should reveal if there is one in your area.
Just Between Friends

The link above will take you to their sale-finder page. Currently, they have sales semi-annually in 24 different states.
This is the sale that I started out at "way back when" in Tulsa, OK. I remember their early (and much smaller) days well.

Do you have a sale in your area? Feel free to post it here, on Facebook, or Tweet or e-mail it to me. I'll get them on here so we can come up with a nationwide list of these sales.

SOS Mom Saver: Saving Money On Health Costs

2011-10-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, we cannot avoid expensive medical procedures. If you have a low or no deductible, then there's likely no stress when this happens. If, however, you have a higher deductible, the cost of these procedures matters greatly.

Did you know that you can negotiate health care costs? Before you start attempting to do so, though, you'll need to know a few things. Most of them can be found out by calling your insurance company.

Is there a co-pay for the procedure you're needing to have done. You may find that for some procedures that there is a co-pay. If, for example, the co-pay for an MRI is $100, then you likely can just stop here. You're not going to get an MRI for cheaper than that.
What is your deductible & how much of it have you met to date?
After you have paid your deductible, what is your co-insurance amount? (In other words, what percentage of the cost do you have to pay after you have met your deductible. This is typically 10%, 20%, or 30%.)
What, if any, is your total out-of-pocket max for the year? (For example, a person might have a $1,000 deductible and a co-insurance after of 20%, but they don't have to pay more than $5,000 total out-of-pocket every year.) Usually, this number does not take into account co-pays which aren't included in your out-of-pocket maximum.
Is there a facility you must use for the ordered procedure?

Once you know these questions, you can then call the facility you must use for your insurance and ask them the last question:

What is the contracted amount with your insurance for the procedure?
They may try to tell you that this will depend on your benefits, etc. The contracted amount is a pre-determined amount that they have agreed they will charge. This doesn't change according to your benefits. The only thing your benefits determine is how much of that contracted amount YOU will pay. Tell them that you know your insurance benefits & just need to know their contracted amount. If they won't give it to you, go in & request it. (Although I have always gotten the information over the phone.)

Once you are armed with this information, then you can know...UP FRONT...how much you will be required to pay. Here's how you figure that out:

You have a $1,000 deductible and 20% co-insurance. The contracted amount for the procedure is $1200. You have not yet met any of your deductible for the year. You will be required to pay $1040. (Your $1,000 deductible and 20% of the remaining $200.) Here's another example:
You have a $1,000 deductible and 20% co-insurance. The contracted amount for the procedure is $1200. You have met $600 of your deductible for the year. You will be required to pay $560. (The remaining $400 of your deductible and 20% of the remaining $800 charge.)

If you are not comfortable with what you will be required to pay, then you can proceed from there to find a cheaper rate elsewhere. It is vital to know what you will actually pay before continuing, though. Attempting to find a cheaper rate is simple:

Call providers in your area who provide the procedure you have been asked to have. (Don't forget to also call the place that is contracted through your insurance.)
Ask them what their cash price is. It really is that simple.
Don't forget to ask if the price they give you includes contrast if that will be required (such as for an MRI).

If you find someone with a cheaper cash price than what you'll be required to pay using your insurance, you just take the order your doctor gave you to that facility and pay cash instead. Don't even mention to them that you have insurance.

The only bad I have ever seen to doing things this way is that the cash you pay won't go towards your deductible or yearly out-of-pocket max. We've had some plans with deductibles as high as $8,000 so for us...it just wasn't necessary to worry about a particular procedure's cost going towards that deductible.

Disclaimer: I am not suggesting that you do this without fully understanding the risks involved (that the money you pay won't go towards your deductible &/or yearly out-of-pocket max). "They" always suggest that you consult with your doctor, insurance provider, &/or financial provider before deciding to move forward with anything like this. We decided that moving forward with this was beneficial to us and our situation. As I cannot look at everyone's situations, you must decide for yourself whether this is a good idea for your family or not.

Recommended Books for Teens

2011-09-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

I mentioned several books for teens on the show today. You can find them on Amazon by clicking below. (Please note that you are NOT obligated to purchase through Amazon or through the links I have provided if you do purchase from Amazon. The links are purely for your convenience. If you do decide to purchase through the links, then I will make a percentage of the sale which will be put towards the operating costs for the site.)

Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations

(Picture from Amazon)

Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are

(Picture from Amazon)

Uncompromising: A Heart Claimed By a Radical Love

(Picture from Amazon)

Find out more about Alex and Brett Harris and how they are encouraging teens to live for Christ by going to their website: Rebelution.

SOS Mom Saver: Using Coupons & Saving Money on Groceries Part 5: Where Do I Find Coupons?

2011-09-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

I think this is one of the most commonly asked questions about couponing.

What good is knowing the coupon policies at your stores and how to handle any problems you may encounter while couponing...if you don't have coupons? They're kind of an important part of couponing!

So where do you get coupons?

The easy answer to that question is to buy the paper every week. However, that is not the only way to get coupons...and there are even specific papers you can buy to increase the likelihood that you'll get good, high-value coupons.

So...Where do you get 'em?

Buy a paper (of course).

If you have a choice, you should get a bigger city paper like the Chicago Tribune or the LA Times. These papers are going to be more likely to have higher-value coupons (and more coupons period).
The big thing to remember when buying papers is to check for the coupons BEFORE you buy them. This is VITAL. There's nothing worse than paying for a paper (or several) only to find out you didn't get the coupons you paid for.
Some papers will offer a discount if you buy multiple subscriptions. Call & ask. The bonus here is that they'll deliver the papers to you! (But it also means you get the paper even on weeks when there are no coupons. And it's up to you to follow-up with the paper if you happen to not get coupons in one (or more) of your papers on an given week. (Before subscribing, make sure that the paper still includes the coupons in their delivered editions. Some don't.)

Buy whole inserts from a place such as Whole Coupon Inserts.
Buy just the individual coupons from a place like The Coupon Clippers.
Get coupons on Ebay (I wouldn't recommend going with any seller who has less than a 100% rating with no negative reviews.)
"Blinkie" coupons which are right by the products in the stores (These are the coupons with the red borders that are right on the store shelves. They used to be in red machines that blinked (hence the name). In many areas, however, they're now in cardboard boxes.)
"Tear Pad" coupons which you'll find on the shelves or on the door of a cold case in the stores. Don't forget that you can even find these at some gas station chains. (I know Shell and Speedway have them.)
"Peelies" which are coupons that are attached to the product in the store. Note: These are not a part of the box or container, but are a sticker that is attached to the product.
Booklets in the stores. Some of these will be up at the front right by the ads. Others will be on special displays throughout the store.
Catalina coupons

These are the coupons that print out at the register at your grocery store
They're called "Register Rewards" at Walgreens, but these are also Catalina coupons
Check with your local grocery store to see if they will take a Catalina coupon that printed at another store (even Walgreens) in their store. If they say "manufacturer coupon" on them, then many grocery store chains will take them. (Those that I know do take Catalina coupons even if they weren't printed in their store include Kroger/Smiths/Food-4-Less & other stores in that chain, Albertson's/Jewel & other stores in that chain, Vons/Dominicks/Safeway & other stores in that chain, Family Fare & other Spartan chain stores, Meijer, Publix, & Walmart if it's off a specific product.) Don't be afraid to ask. The worse they can say is no.

Call or e-mail companies for your favorite products (or ones you're brand-sensitive on) and ask them for coupons.
Go to online sites to print coupons:

Go to the website for your local grocery stores. Many of them offer printable coupons. Here are a few:

Go to the website for your favorite companies. Many of them offer printable coupons. Examples:

Load coupons onto your store card. You can do this from many store websites as well as from these 3rd party companies:

The above sources are not an extensive list of everywhere you can go. The number of places to get coupons is far too numerous for me to put them all here. They are merely a starting point to help you know where to find coupons.

Be sure to check out all of the posts in this series:

Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 1: Don't Be a Brand S:nob
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 2: Know Your Coupon Policies
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 3: What if I Have a Problem?
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 4: Store Cards
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 5: Where Do I Find Coupons?
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 6: Price Matching

SOS Mom Saver: Homemade Dog Bed

2011-09-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

I was at the pet store the other day looking for a new bed for my growing puppy. While there, I started unzipping the beds to see what was inside them. I was trying to ascertain if the bed would be an easy-to-wash bed because...well...they're dogs and as such, they roll around in the dirt and mud.

As I was doing this, I had an epiphany! I had just unzipped a bed that had an egg crate mattress pad in it. The bed was one of the cheaper ones there because it was on sale for $24.99 (normally $39.99). It occurred to me when I saw that bed that I could do this myself for MUCH cheaper.

(Are you surprised that it would occur to ME to make something myself? Didn't think so.)

The bonus in making the bed for myself is that I could make TWO beds. Our other dog has a bed, but it doesn't have a removable cover & thus isn't as easily washed as I would like.

Here's what I did:

I got an egg crate mattress pad. (Like the one pictured below.) The one below cost just under $17 at Amazon. However, they have the cheaper ones for $10 at Walmart.

Picture from Amazon

Get the pad pictured.

I took the twin-sized pad I got & cut it in half (we have big dogs). If you were so inclined, you could sew a "real" cover to go over one of these. Instead, I chose to take the easy way out & just used a couple of old fitted sheets. I wrapped those over the beds & kept it simple. If you didn't have a couple of old sheets to use, you can usually buy a fitted sheet at a thrift store for $2.

If you had to buy a couple of fitted sheets, your total out-of-pocket would be around $15, including taxes. If you just had to buy the pad, your cost would be even lower (just over $10). Keep in mind, this is for TWO beds! That means you're total cost PER ped would be $5-$8...for a bed that costs almost $40 brand-new!

With that lower cost comes MUCH less stress should a new puppy happen to chew the bed or have an accident (our older dog will throw up if she happens to eat something that doesn't agree with her).

SOS Mom Saver: Thrift Store Shopping

2011-09-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

I love shopping at thrift stores and garage sales. I go about once a month to garage sales (which I'll address in another post) and once a month to my favorite thrift store.

There are things you should keep in mind when trying to bargain shop at thrift stores and garage sales, though.

The main thing? What they are selling there is not always a bargain. I have seen things at greater than what the new price would be. Seriously. One local thrift store is particularly prone to this. I have yet to see a regular-mouth quart canning jar at this particular thrift store for less than $1.99. They have regular-mouth pints at 99¢-$1.50. Kerr/Ball brand regular-mouth pints are 58¢ each and regular-mouth quarts are 66¢ each at Walmart. So why, pray tell, would I over-pay just because something is at a thrift store? I wouldn't. I wait until my once-a-month trip to my favorite thrift store and get them for 50¢ each. And that's just one example. KNOW what things are new!!!
Don't only know the full-price new, but also what you can expect to pay for something on sale as well as what (if any) coupons are frequently out for those items.
Check the condition. Something isn't a deal if it's broken or will require a good bit of time or money to fix & bring it up to usable condition. You can expect to find some items needing cleaning at a thrift store, but they should be working. I've yet been to a thrift store that won't let you plug electronics in & test them. Same for garage sales. If they won't let you test the item...RUN!! It's not worth your money!
And again I say...check the condition. This time, on clothes. Check for holes, stains, tears, fraying...in general, make sure the item is actually a good buy keeping in mind the current condition & the knowledge that you can regularly get things fairly cheap on clearance at Target & Kohls (my favorite places for kid's clothes).
Make sure all of the pieces are there. The only exception I've made to this is when a 1/2 game that I know we're missing pieces on is on sale for 25¢ or I can get a brand-new pad of playing sheets for the same price. (In our case, it was a game of Yahtzee where some dice had gotten lost in a move. As a bonus, we got almost an entire pad of new playing sheets. I've also bought Clue for 50¢ for 2 new pads of sheets because I couldn't copy them for that cheap.) So...if you make an exception, just make sure it's worth it.
Don't be afraid to ask them to negotiate...even at a thrift store. For example, I've recently been on the lookout for a full-size ironing board. I already have a pad for one that someone gave me so I really just needed the board. The board with a pad retails new at Walmart for just under $14. They don't sell the ironing boards new without pads. I found one at a thrift store that didn't include a pad that was listed for $10. My goal is to never pay more than 50% of the best retail I know I can get (sale or regular price.) I asked if they'd take $5 pointing out that it didn't even include the pad that comes with it in the stores. (They didn't need to know that I had one at home.) They said they'd give it to me for $7. BINGO! I just met my goal AND got something our family wanted.
Keep a list. I have a running list of things we're looking for. My husband loves camping, fishing, and hunting so I'm always on the lookout for gear related to that. (At least until he stops telling me he "needs" stuff.) I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for canning jars and new lids. Always. I'm sure you CAN have too many jars, but I'm not there (yet). Sit down and write out what you're looking for so that you go in with a plan. This will help you eliminate unnecessary spending on "stuff" that you don't really need. It will help you go in focused.
Don't be afraid to walk out empty-handed. It's not uncommon for me to come out with nothing or have a garage sale day where I don't buy a thing. And that's okay. I'm not out there just to buy stuff. I'm out there to get a good deal on stuff that my family has already determined in advance that we need or want.

What tips do you have for thrift store or garage sale shopping?

SOS Mom Saver: Freebies

2011-08-25T16:30:00.001-07:00

It's so stinkin' hot here that save for a fantastic deal, I pretty much stop all couponing for the summer. The heat doesn't really leave me itchin' to get out & grab the deals.

Then, the unthinkable happened. I realized when I went to replace mine, that we had no more toothbrushes. And, um, I really don't want to stop brushing my teeth and don't yet have a snazzy homemade alternative to the toothbrush. So...to the coupons I go. (I'm certain that's not grammatically-correct. It's like 180 degrees outside. Work with me here.)

One thing I learned years ago is that even when I stop couponing, I need to keep getting the coupons every week. Without fail, every time I have not done this, I have regretted it when I started couponing again.

So...I quickly perused my favorite sites, cut the coupons I needed...and off to the store I went. (I didn't have time to spare. I had already thrown my old toothbrush away.)

A couple hours later, I came home with 3 tired kids and this...

Paid $1.47 total for all of this!

Well, actually, I had more than that...but I tried to keep the 3 aforementioned kids calm by bribing them with some of the Gatorade drinks and energy bars. (Tip: Before trying such a thing, you should first make sure that what you are offering your children ACTUALLY tastes good. Don't say I didn't warn you.)

Some of these deals were one-day deals (like the Dove soap which was an almost $3 money-maker). However, others (like the toothbrushes, hair gel, & deodorant) are deals that you can get through this Saturday at least. Some are good until Tuesday or Wednesday; depending on your area.

Here are the deals:

Walgreens:

Degree Deodorant

You're getting the ones that the ad says are 2/$4 with a $1 register reward...but you're going to get a better deal.
Buy 4 of them (not the 2 listed in the ad) $8 - 4($1) 7/31 Unilever - ($4) register reward = Free!
Some areas only got the $.75/1 coupons in the same insert so your total would be $1.

Colgate 360 Pro-Relief Toothbrush $4.99 - ($1) 7/31 ss - ($4) rr = Free + 1¢
Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief Toothpaste (4oz) $4.99 - ($1.50) 7/31 ss - ($4) rr = Free + 51¢
Crest 3D White Toothpaste (4oz) (buy 2) $5 - 2($1) 7/31 pg - ($3) rr = Free
Keri Lotion (15oz) $8.49 - ($2) 7/17 ss or ($2) 8/21 ss - ($5) rr = $1.49 (Or even better, Free + $1.01 if you got a raincheck when they had them on sale for $5.99 a couple of weeks ago...like I did.)
Check your Walgreens sunscreen and clearance sections for the sunscreen. The face stick alone normally retails for $6.99. The combo packs were from $1.87-$2.74 each. The sunscreen I got doesn't expire until 2013 which makes this an AWESOME deal!
Gatorade deal has run out of prints so it's over. Sorry. (They were all free.)
Dove deal is also over. Sorry.

Food4Less:

LA Looks Hair Gel (20oz) $1 - ($1) 7/31 rp = Free!
Motts Apple Juice (64oz) (buy 10) $1.28 ea - 5($2/2) MDA bklt found at Safeway stores (Vons, Dominicks, etc) = 28¢ each (This is only available at stores in some areas. Other areas have Hansen's Apple Juice for $1.48 ea wyb 10.)

These are the deals I got this week. I haven't checked the other grocery stores yet and CVS had nothing worth mentioning this week.

School Supply Freebies and Deals 8/21-8/27

2011-08-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

Please note that the deals do vary in different areas of the country (I recommend you check your ads or visit each store's website to confirm the deals before you head out to shop.). The deals I list are what is valid in the Las Vegas area.

Staples: (Teachers are allowed to get 25 of each of the Extreme Deal items; regardless of limit.)

Spiral Notebooks (1 subject) 1¢ w/$5 minimum purchase (lt. 6)
Zebra Z-Grip 0.7mm Mechanical Pencils (7 ct) $3.99 - ($3.99) ESR = Free (lt. 1, teachers too)
Sharpie (2 pk) 25¢ (lt. 2)
Mini Composition Notebooks (2 pk) 25¢ (lt. 2)
Poly Binders 25¢ (lt. 4)
Dual Dome Pencil Sharpener 50¢ (lt. 2)
8 1/2" x 11" Photo Paper $14.99 - ($14.49) ESR = 50¢ (lt. 2, teachers too)
Pencil Box 50¢
Jumbo Paper Clips (50ct) 50¢
4" x 6" Photo Paper $13.99 - ($12.99) ESR = $1 (lt. 2, teachers too)
Poster Putty $1 (lt. 2)
Highlighters $1 (lt. 2)
Mini Binder Clips (40ct) $1 (lt. 2)
Multipurpose Paper (1 ream) $5.99 - ($3.99) ESR = $2 (lt. 2, teachers too)
Avery Note Tabs $2 (lt. 2)
Flash Drive (4gb) $6.99
Backpacks 25%-50% off

Office Depot:

Spiral Notebooks (1 subject) 1¢ (lt. 3)
Pencil Eraser Caps (12 ct) 1¢ (lt. 3)
Vinyl Ring Binder (1") 50¢ (lt. 3)
Glue Sticks (4 ct) 50¢ (lt. 5)
Multipurpose Paper (1 ream) $6.49 - ($5.99) Rebate = 50¢ (lt. 2)
Sharpie Highlighters (3 ct) 50¢ (lt. 3)
Flash Drive (8 gb) $9.99

Walgreens:

2-pocket folders $.17 w/ac
Papermate Pens (10ct) 29¢ w/ac
Poly Folders 29¢ w/ac
Index Cards (70-100ct) 29¢ w/ac
Pencils (10ct) 39¢ w/ac
Scotch Tape 39¢ w/ac
5-tab dividers (10ct) 50¢ w/ac
Colored Pencils (12ct) 50¢M
Most of their backpacks are $9.99 & b1g1f which means you can get TWO backpacks for under $10!!!

I would encourage you to do deals for extra-cheap school supplies or free products even if you won't use that item. You can donate what you cannot or won't use to others. SOS is accepting donations in their office for school supplies from 9am-5pm M-F (until this Friday). You can also donate them to most food banks. Find one in your area by going to Feeding America.

If you have any questions about a particular abbreviation or word, check out my coupon definitions. If you still can't find the answer, post here or shoot me an e-mail. Want to see the best grocery deals for your area? Check out Savings Angel. I use them when I'm short on time or not feeling well but still need groceries for the week.

SOS Mom Saver: CFLs

2011-08-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

In just a few short months, you will only be legally allowed to purchase CFL or LED bulbs. Most of us cannot afford the $7/bulb that LED bulbs cost. As a result, we have to either massively stockpile incandescent bulbs or learn how to properly handle CFLs. (I have chosen a mixture of both.)

Most of us have heard of the danger of CFL's because of the mercury they contain, but many have no idea how to properly dispose of them. Most people don't know that you're not even legally allowed to throw the bulbs away in many states. Even less know the proper clean-up procedures should you happen to break a bulb in your home. Yes, there's an actual procedure. You cannot just sweep up the glass and call it a done deal. If a CFL has broken, you have just released mercury into your home.

Cynthia Perkins at Holistic Help has given step-by-step instructions for disposal of CFL bulbs.

Our short-term solution to this new law has been to stockpile the incandescent bulbs and use those exclusively in areas like bedside, desk, and end table lamps that are more likely to be knocked down by a child or lab tail. We are using CFLs in bathroom fixtures and other higher lights that are less likely to be broken.

Our long-term solution is to buy one LED bulb a month until all of our homes are eventually run on LED bulbs only. This past summer, Costco had a decent deal on the LED bulbs where we could get 4 of them for $15. We got all 4 because you just cannot beat that deal. The bulbs are regularly priced at $7/bulb so most months, we just get one.

Do you plan to continue using CFLs? Will you make the change (as we are) slowly to LEDs? Or do you have a 10 year stockpile of incandescent bulbs? Ahem. Like someone I know. Just kidding. We don't have a full 10 years worth.

School Supply Freebies and Deals 7/24-7/30

2011-07-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

I was awakened early Sunday morning by my husband. I was delirious, moaning in my sleep, and burning up. My temperature was 104.9. Sorry, the school supply deals weren't getting done. Nor were they any other day as my temperature continued to stay high. After a trip to the doctor, my temp is below 103 for the first time today. Except for going to work, I've been at home & in bed most of this week.

I've had several people asking me for the deals which I did start to type up on Tuesday...and then lost when a child accidentally closed the file without saving. I don't have the deals for you this week, but you can find a comparison list of all the sales at Pocket Your Dollars:

Price Comparison List of School Supply Sales 7/24-7/30

I apologize for not getting them out this week. It's been a week. We've all had one of those.

SOS Mom Saver: Selling on Craigslist

2011-07-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

After a cousin posted today in frustration that her items listed on Craigslist didn't sell, I figured it was about time that I post about how to sell on Craigslist. I don't post only as a seller. I post as a buyer. If you understand how the mind of a buyer works, then you can make your item appeal to them...even if it's a little bit out of their price rage. Well, unless they're me. Because I'm cheap. And stubborn. And will wait nearly forever for the "right" price. But it will work for a "normal" person. Which I have been told I'm not.

The MOST often overlooked item when selling on Craigslist is a picture. People want to see pictures. Pictures immediately make your listing stand out. It makes your listing real. Plus, if you don't include a picture many people won't even SEE your item as Craigslist has the option of ONLY viewing listings with pictures.

Did you hear that? If you don't have a picture on your listing, many people (me included) will never even see your post because we filter it out!

When you're selling on Craigslist, what you hope to get for the item will largely determine how detailed your listing needs to be. If you have a cheap blender that someone can get for $20 at Walmart, then it doesn't really matter if you include great details. It's a blender that someone will probably be willing to pay you $5 for. I want to know if it works and I want to see a picture. End of story.

If you're selling expensive items, it's very important to list the brand name and as many details as possible. Tell me it's only been in one home so I know it hasn't been damaged in 10 moves. The more details you give, the more you can get. Most buyers won't take the time to ask questions. If it's not listed, we assume it's not. (i.e.-brand, solid wood, etc.)
The typical Craigslist buyer is expecting to pay no more than 50% of the original retail value unless the item is new and in the box. I'm specifically speaking of higher-end items here. For example, if something retails new for $1,000 then I wouldn't pay more than $500 on Craigslist. However, the person who will get the sale from me is the one who has a detailed listing with pictures and is listing it for $475.
Sometimes, however, items are so available on Craigslist that you won't get but 25%, if that, of original retail value. Which items these are will vary by market. However, things like treadmills usually fall into that category.
Don't list an item for $75 if I can get it new for $80. You're wasting your time and mine.

Be creative with your pricing. Say something retails for $600. You want to list it for $300. Instead, list it for $299. I know that's only a dollar difference, but that's a HUGE difference in the mind of buyers. That means they're only paying $200 for something instead of $300. And that makes them feel good. It's totally psychological. But if they're going to think that way, why not play to it?

Even better, offer that item for $275. You'll catch buyers who have a budget of $250...but are really willing to spend a little more. You should know, though, that this buyer might also try to negotiate with you to stay within their budget. Usually, they'll still buy if you're willing to meet them halfway.

When you do finally get an inquiry on your item, be wise. There ARE scammers out there. Make sure you're talking to a real person and only deal with people who are currently local. NEVER allow someone to wire you money or give you a check for Craigslist items. And NEVER send money back to them. Most transactions through Craigslist should be cash only...and in person with you directly dealing with the buyer who pays you and immediately takes his/her stuff.

Transactions involving large sums of money (such as for a vehicle) should be conducted at the bank where the buyer will be withdrawing his/her check so that they can do so IN FRONT of you. You should also have the bank notary notarize the title change over and bill of sale at that point.

And speaking of protecting yourself...don't be afraid to meet in a public place if you're at all uncomfortable. Buyers are used to this in bigger cities. If you're selling furniture and they must come to your home, have someone else there with you. Don't be alone when they come.

Be wise and protect yourself!

SOS Mom Saver: Fun in the Sun for Kids

2011-07-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

This is a repost of an oldie, but a goodie. It's hot outside...so why not take advantage of it? Have fun outside with your kids...while utilizing that sun for some good!

Bake some cookies, brownies, or a cake outside. If you're worried about bugs, put the pan on the dashboard of your car. You can then tell your friends that you have taught your children about "going green" and solar cooking. You'll instantly be "hip" and "relevant". (You know, if those are things you aspire too. I gave up on such titles years ago.)

Not in the mood for sweets? Repurpose broken, useless bits of crayons and turn them back into useful crayons.

It's SO incredibly simple to do!

You just need some muffin pans or another type of silicone or metal pan (I have several that I've gotten at thrift stores for $.25-$1 each).

Silicone Solutions 12 cup Mini Muffin Pans

And of course...the broken crayons!

You put the broken crayons in the pan (whichever one you chose). Be creative! You can either mix colors or put all of the same color or variations of the same color into one section.

If you live in Vegas or another REALLY, REALLY hot area, you just put the pans out in the sun or on the dash or hood of a car. If not, you can put them in an oven on 250. (Some people will put the oven as high as 350. We don't only because the silicon we use is not mean for high heat.)

They're starting to melt!

You can stir them every 10-15 minutes until they're completely liquid or you can just let them sit until they're liquid. You can see the one at the top left corner that has been stirred (by my 8yr old boy...so it's not the neatest stir).

Once they're done, bring them in and let them cool. If you live in a warmer area or just want them to cool more quickly, you can put them into the fridge or freezer to speed up the cooling process. This may cause some cracking, though, if you don't let it sit on the counter and at least come to room temp first. When you're done, you have a new, fun crayon shape!

They're done! As you can see, we lost a snowflake. We'll still use the bigger chunk, though, and put the smaller pieces into a baggie to use next time around. These are the same molds we use when we make soap...aren't they pretty? And so festive!

Look at the detail on that snowflake! We make these to put on top of gifts at Christmas time or for birthdays instead of a bow. It's much more useful than a bow!

Here you can see the front (pretty) side of the star as well as the back (not-so-pretty) side of the star. You could use a knife to make the back side look prettier, but it would still look fine if you didn't.

When the crayons you made break down again, down, repeat! The great thing about silicone is that you can usually just pop them out without hurting the shape. I do pop them out slowly, though, especially with more brittle shapes (like the snowflake that we lost this time around).

This is a fantastic way to do a fun craft with the kids while being frugal and using up all of what you've got!

Disclosure: Some perfectly good, non-broken crayons were harmed in the making of this post. However it was a sacrifice they were happy to make on your behalf.

Puppy Love

2011-07-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

SOS Mom Saver: Christmas in July, Part 3

2011-07-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

You've now got all of your Christmas cards addressed, right? Yeah. Neither do I. I'm one step closer to being ready, though. My lists are made and I now have a more solid idea of what I'm giving to each person. I've made a list of what I need to buy and what I already have.

Next?

Start planning what you're going to do when you get your gifts.

My favorite thing to do? Wrap them as soon as they get in the home! I will write the name of the recipient in pen or pencil in a bottom/underside corner of the gift. I mainly do that so it's not quite so obvious who it's for. (You know...for snooping kids? Not that I have any of those, mind you. Ahem.) Except they read this blog. Perhaps telling you guys wasn't the wisest idea.

I already have my wrapping paper because I bought it on clearance last January. I also have scotch tape from a deal a couple months ago. What I do now is make sure they're all in one place (with scissors, of course) ready for me to use when gifts come in. I also select a couple of bins in which to hide the wrapped gifts.

This not only keeps the gifts well hidden from snooping children, but it takes you one step closer to being ready for Christmas without a ton of extra work in an already busy season!

Miss parts 1 and 2? Check them out here:

*Christmas in July, Part 1
*Christmas in July, Part 2

School Supply Freebies and Deals 7/10 - 7/16

2011-07-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

The school supply season has officially started. Please note that the deals do vary in different areas of the country (I recommend you check your ads or visit each store's website to confirm the deals before you head out to shop.). The deals I list are what is valid in the Las Vegas area.

Staples: (Teachers are allowed to get 25 of each of the deal items; regardless of limit.) Sun-Wed Only

Staples Cap Erasers (12pk) $.01/ea w/ $5 min. purchase, lt. 2
Bic Round Stick Ball Point Pens (8pk) $.01/ea w/$5 min. purchase, lt. 2
Staples School Glue (4oz) $.01/ea w/$5 min. purchase, lt. 2

Staples: (Teachers are allowed to get 25 of each of the Extreme Deal items; regardless of limit.)

2-pocket Poly Folder (these are the better, stronger ones) $.25/ea, lt. 2
Staples Stickies 1/2" tape flags (125ct) $.25, lt. 2
Bic Mechanical Pencils 0.9mm (5pk) $.25, lt. 2
Slider Pencil Case $.25, lt. 2
Staples Multi-Purpose Paper (500 sheets) $5.99 - ($5.74) esr = $.25, lt. 2 (Teachers lt. 2 also)

Office Depot:

Office Depot Multipurpose Paper (500 sheets) $6.49 - ($5.49) rebate = $1, lt. 2
Office Depot File Folders (100ct) $6.99 - ($6.99) rewards = Free, lt. 2 per day (must have their card)
Mr. Sketch Scented Markers (12 ct) $7.99 - ($7.99) rewards = Free, lt. 2 per day (must have their card)
PaperPro Compact Stapler $9.99 - ($9.99) rewards = Free, lt. 2 per day (must have their card)
Uniball Vision Rollerball Pens (12 ct) $17.99 - ($17.99) rewards = Free, lt. 2 per day (must have their card)

CVS: (Thanks to I Heart CVS for the following deal information.)

Balance Bar (1.76oz) $1.69 - ($1.69) ecb = Free
Complete Multi-Purpose Solution (12 oz) $7.99 - ($7.99) ecb = Free
Lumene (any) Buy $20 get $5 (buy following combo of items):

Lumene Wipes (buy 5) $4.19 - 5($4) 6/19/11 ss - ($5) ecb = Free + $4.05
Lumene Creme (buy 7) $2.99 - 5($4) 6/19/11 ss - ($5) ecb = Free + $5 (Most CVS stores will not give you overage on coupons. The computer automatically adjusts them down...which is why I say to use 5 rather than 7 coupons for this transaction.)
There are other combos of deals, but you get the idea. Find the best combo utilizing the $4 coupons that you have to (ideally) pay no more than $5 before ecb yielding you free products. (Or even better...profit up to $5 after ecb!)

Walgreens:

You can find deals for Walgreens at I Heart Wags.

I would encourage you to do deals for extra-cheap school supplies or free products even if you won't use that item. You can donate what you cannot or won't use to others. SOS is accepting donations in office for school supplies. You can also donate them to most food banks. Find one in your area by going to Feeding America.

If you have any questions about a particular abbreviation or word, check out my coupon definitions. If you still can't find the answer, post here or shoot me an e-mail. Want to see the best grocery deals for your area? Check out Savings Angel. I use them when I'm short on time or not feeling well but still need groceries for the week.

SOS Mom Saver: Christmas in July, Part 2

2011-07-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

Why Christmas in July? So you can enter the holiday season debt-free and with little (if any) stress. How awesome would THAT be?

If you haven't yet, make a list of who you need to purchase gifts for. If you made a list earlier in the year, update it. Make sure you any new family members are added and gifts already purchased are recorded (including their storage location if need be!).

Update your Christmas card list (or make one if you don't have one yet). Add new friends or family members, delete those who made you mad (just kidding), ensure addresses you have are current, and gather needed addresses.

If you already have your Christmas cards, start addressing them now. Make a goal to do a couple a day. Before you know it, they'll be done. You can even put stamps on them now so that come the first of December, they'll be ready for you to mail. Wouldn't you love that?

If you do picture cards for Christmas, you can take them and have them printed now (or within the next couple of months) so you can have them addressed, stamped, and ready to mail come December. Why wait until the last minute when everyone else is trying to schedule pics and get them printed in time for Christmas?

If you do a Christmas letter, you can start that now too. Get the stationary, address and stamp the envelopes just like you would "regular" cards. Write updates through now and add a little each month until it's time to print and mail them. You might even buy an extra ink cartridge to ensure effortless printing when the time comes.

Next Tuesday, we'll have part 3.

Be sure to check out previous posts in this series:

Christmas in July, Part 1

SOS Mom Saver: Christmas in July, Part 1

2011-07-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

You thought yesterday was a holiday. Nope. Today is...the beginning of Christmas in July; a MomSaver series.

What does that mean for you? It means that you need to start planning NOW for Christmas. It will help you avoid debt and go into the holiday season with little (if any) stress. If retailers are thinking about Christmas (and our money) now...then why shouldn't we?

The first step? Start planning what you will get your kids for Christmas. Toy clearance starts at most stores now as they prepare to clear out last year's stock in preparation for this Christmas.

Most stores will be at 30% now, but will eventually go as low as 75% (Target & Wal-mart) and 80% (Kohls). However, if there's something that you know you definitely want for your child then it's usually best to purchase that item at 50%. If it goes lower, you can always purchase the item at the lower price and return the first item you bought. (Make sure you keep your receipt!)

Thursday will bring part 2!

SOS Mom Saver: Find Out If a Movie is Family Friendly

2011-06-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

To find out about new movies, you can always listen to Plugged-In on SOS Radio every Friday at 6:40am PST.

Sometimes, though, your kids want to see an older movie that you haven't seen. When that happens, I go to the Internet Movie Database at IMDB.

You enter the movie into the search window. Click on it, then scroll down to the "parental advisory" section. They'll give you specifics on what's in the movie rather than just another rating.

I love that they do this as it allows parents with differing standards to decide for themselves what they would rate the movie (and if they'd find it appropriate for their child).

SOS Mom Saver: Free & Cheap Summer Activities for Kids

2011-06-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

Summer can often mean bored kids. Bored kids means you need things to do. The cheaper (or free-er?) the better. Yes. I know "free-er" isn't really a word. Work with me here.

There are a good bit of free (and often air-conditioned) activities for kids in the summer; regardless of where you live. Here are some that are offered in our area or have been offered in other areas where we've lived:

Movie theaters run free movies...or cheap $.50-$1/movie (sometimes includes $1 concessions too)
Rec centers usually have activities & classes that they charge for, but look closer...they often also have free events & classes throughout the summer as well
If you're going to pay for a class at the rec center, check ALL of the rec centers that are within easy driving distance of your home. In our area, there's one pool that offers swimming lessons for $12 a child...versus $32 per child at every other area center. That's a HUGE difference when you've got 3 kids taking lessons!
Reading programs at the library & at book stores with prizes for the kids including free books, kids meals, movie tickets &/or tickets to local attractions or events
Cooking events just for kids at local health stores
Local attractions will often have free or reduced days or times during the weekday (local zoos, aquariums, etc). Usually, these will be during their usual slow times. The free or reduced rate is an attempt to drum up business that they wouldn't have otherwise had. If it's free, they're probably hoping you'll buy something in the gift shop or concessions to cover their losses...or it's a day that's been sponsored by a major company.
Be on the lookout for reduced swimming passes. If you know your kids will be at the neighborhood pool every day, it very well may be cheaper to buy a summer pass than to have them pay each day they go. A bonus is finding a place that offers a pass like our rec centers. We buy an all-access pass that works for swimming & fitness use, doesn't expire, and isn't exclusive to one person.
Restaurants will often have cheap or reduced drinks ro desserts during the summer. Again, you'll find these promotions happening during their typical slow times or what they call a mid-day "happy hour" from 2-4.
School districts or rec centers will often have free or reduced lunch programs for kids at local parks. The bonus is that they'll also usually have some sort of activity or even a day camp during the time/hours they are there for the lunch. You can usually participate in the free activity even if your child doesn't get a lunch.

What are some of your favorite free or cheap activities for kids during the summer? Post here, on Facebook, or message me & I'll add them here.

SOS Mom Saver: Reduce Pesticide Exposure When Buying Non-Organic Foods

2011-06-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

Last week, the new Dirty/Clean List came out for produce. I love that guide because it helps me decide where it's worth it for me to spend more money on organic produce.

I remember what it was like in the "good ole days", though when we couldn't afford ANY organic produce; regardless of how "dirty" the produce we were buying may have been. However, I also shopped as wisely as I could for that non-organic produce in attempt to limit my family's exposure to harmful chemicals. I also diligently processed the produce to further reduce exposure.

Here's what you can do to limit your family's exposure to chemicals if you can't buy organic:

Soak your fruits & veggies in vinegar. This will help remove much of the chemical residue.
If you can peel it, then do! Taking the outer layer off of produce such as apples & peaches will help remove a HUGE chunk of the pesticide residue that sits on top of the produce.
Buy frozen! That's a HUGE one! With the exception of green beans, domestic blueberries, and some squashes, produce that is frozen has significantly less pesticide residue largely because they don't require as much chemicals when they're being grown. You don't need plump, juicy strawberries that will stay that way for weeks when you're freezing the produce immediately or shortly after harvest.
The same goes for canned produce, but the canning process also removes a LOT of the nutrients...and adds a whole OTHER worry with the chemicals in the can itself (unless it's canned in a glass container). If you're going to choose a processed food, frozen is ALWAYS better!
Buy local and ask what they use and WHEN. This can be key! There are some local producers who will spray fungicides just before or after planting and will spray while the produce is sprouting, but won't spray from around 3 weeks before fruiting until harvest or from fruiting until harvest. This produce will still have some chemicals, but it will have less than traditionally and mass-farmed produce.

We are now able to buy organic for the "dirty dozen" items most of the time. We still employ many of these methods, though, when we purchase non-organic produce...even those on the "clean dozen" list.

SOS Mom Saver: Buy a Gift Card, Save Money at the Grocery Store

2011-06-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

At least a couple times a year, grocery stores non-typical promotions involving gift cards, a freezer, or something else you don't usually find in your weekly ad.

You'll usually find freezer promotions around March and gift card promotions around tax time. Albertsons is currently running one such promotion. If you buy $100 worth of gift cards to OTHER stores (found in their "Gift Card Mall" display), then you get a coupon for $20 off of a future purchase. (You can also find this deal at other Sav-On stores such as Jewel Osco. Call your local store to verify that they're participating before you purchase your gift cards.)

Are these deals worth it?

That depends. If they offer gas cards or cards to stores you would have already spent money at then you'll spend no more than you previously would have but will get a bonus for having bought the gift card at Albertsons first.

At our store, they offer gas gift cards to Shell or Arco gas stations. I can take my regular monthly gas budget of $200 and use it to buy gift cards. In return, I get $40 back to spend at Albertsons. I've just made $40 to spend on groceries without spending anything I wouldn't have otherwise spent.

We're also going to be replacing our washer. I've done the research and know that after price-match, guarantee discounts, coupons, and taxes we'll pay just over $400 for the washer we want at Lowes. Since our Albertsons also offers Lowes gift cards, we'll spend our $400 there first on gift cards. For doing so, we'll get back $80 which is a bonus savings on what we were already going to spend...just for buying a gift card first.

The gift cards offered at each grocery store CAN vary even within the same chain. In this promotion, buying a gift card to Albertsons is not allowed. (Previous promotions at tax time have allowed you to buy an Albertsons gift card.) At my store, they have gift cards to Shell, Arco (both gas station chains), Lowes, Home Depot, Sears, Kohls, several different fast food restaurants (like Jack-in-the Box), sit-down restaurants like Olive Garden, sporting goods stores like Cabellas, mall stores like Disney (which can also be used to purchase tickets for a Disney trip), and Southwest Airlines.

If you have extra money, you could really capitalize on this deal by buying gas gift cards for a couple of months so you can get the bonus now. This deal runs through Saturday, June 18th.

SOS Mom Saver: The Dirty Dozen (i.e.-Which Produce to Buy Organic)

2011-06-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

The newest dirty dozen list is out. No, I'm not talking about the mob. I'm talking about the list put out annually by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

They tell you which fruits & veggies have the highest concentration of pesticides and which have the lowest. This is incredibly helpful for those who cannot afford to buy 100% organic produce.

You can see the list yourself at the EWG site: The Dirty (and Clean) Dozen list.

The Dirty Dozen:

Apples
Celery
Strawberries
Peaches
Spinach
Nectarines (imported)
Grapes (imported)
Sweet Bell Peppers
Potatoes
Blueberries (domestic)
Lettuce
Kale/Collard Greens

The Clean Dozen (items you're okay buying non-organically as there is little to no pesticide residue on the portions you eat):

Onions
Sweet Corn
Pineapples
Avocado
Asparagus
Sweet Peas
Mango
Eggplant
Cantaloupe (domestic)
Kiwi
Cabbage
Watermelon
Sweet Potatoes
Grapefruit
Mushrooms

If you can count, you'll notice that they actually gave us 15 "clean" items. I won't complain about knowing I can safely buy even more items non-organically (and save TONS of money in the process)!

Why are these items "clean"? In most cases, it's because you don't eat the outer portion which does contain pesticide residue (such as with the onion, sweet corn, mango, etc.). In other cases, it's because that particular item (like mushrooms) grows incredibly well without any help from pesticides. There isn't much residue because they don't use them.

Where do I stand? We're a mixed-produce shopper. I buy local, organic produce as much as is possible in an attempt not only avoid pesticides but also have food as close to the source as possible. I almost always buy the top "dirty" 12 organically only. However, I almost always buy those fruits & veggies on the "clean" list non-organically (but still try to get them as locally as I can). Even better, I try to grow as much as I can myself!

Where do you stand?

On The Importance of a Comma

2011-06-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

I read an enlightening article last night on Yahoo News. It appears as if our president is a cross-dresser. Specifically, he likes dresses from Gap.

You can see the entire article on Yahoo Shine. Let me quote a specific section for you:

"On Friday, Obama left for Camp David with the president wearing a blue-patterned dress from the Gap."

This sentence proclaims, quite boldly I might add, that the president left for Camp David on Friday while wearing a blue-patterned dress from the Gap.

The sentence would have been entirely different had they simply put a comma after the word "president". Doing so would have then indicated that another Obama (Michelle would be assumed in this case) went to Camp David with the president...and that the OTHER person (as opposed to the president) was wearing the aforementioned blue-patterned dress from the Gap.

Who knows? Maybe the absence of a comma was intentional because the author knows something that we don't. Perhaps President Obama is attempting to reach out to cross-dressers in his own personal way.

Or perhaps they just forgot a comma.

SOS Mom Saver: Get Rid of Fruit Flies (The Easy Way)

2011-06-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

Even though the hottest temperatures aren't yet upon us, summer is here. With summer, comes fruit flies!

YUCK!

They're nasty. They're disgusting. They're nasty. They're unsanitary. They're nasty. They make your house feel dirty (at least they do to me). Did I mention that they're nasty?

So what do you do? I've read and tried just about every solution out there. Some of them are really effective, but they're also really complicated or require materials that I don't usually have on hand or want to dedicate to fly-catching all summer. I want effective AND easy.

I can be picky that way.

The solution I've found is cheap, effective, and easy. Plus, if a child or dog should happen to get into your mixture, it's not going to hurt them.

You put apple cider vinegar in a bowl. Add a couple drops of dish soap and watch. Well, you don't literally have to watch. But if you're easily entertained you can. I keep a natural, chemical-free dish soap just for this purpose so that my mixture really is non-toxic. You know, except for the dead flies floating in it.

In other words, you can't really catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Well, you might attract just as many, but they won't go into the honey and be trapped by dish soap and die a brutal death of water-boarding with honey. They'll just sit on top and breed while laughing at you for thinking that the honey would actually attract them INTO it and kill them.

Don't ask me how I know this.

What can I say? I'm a curious sort. And I talk to flies. Apparently.

And also, I hate fruit-flies. Therefore, I have no qualms about experimenting with ways to kill them.

Wow. That makes me sound really sadistic, doesn't it?

Don't worry. I'm just that way with ~~small children~~ fruit flies.

SOS Mom Saver: Homemade Brown Sugar

2011-06-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

I mentioned homemade brown sugar last week and promised that I would show you how to make it.

Do me a favor. Grab a bag of brown sugar from your cabinet. There should be only 2 ingredients listed; sugar and molasses. It's really THAT simple. You take sugar and molasses and mix it together. Yet you pay a premium to have the store pre-mix it for you.

Plus, if you buy pre-made brown sugar, you have to do something to keep it from getting hard. We've all been there. You have to add bread or something else to keep it soft. Why not just make it yourself right when you need it? It requires very little extra work. (You can make some to store, but I find this so easy that I just mix it myself right when I need it.)

For light brown sugar, you mix 1 cup of sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses. Add the molasses to the sugar and mix until it's blended. If you want a darker brown sugar, you double the molasses to 2 TB. The 1 cup/1 TB ratio is what's common for light brown sugar you find pre-made in the store.

An added bonus is that you can use raw sugar instead of processed sugar making your brown sugar even healthier.

I'm often amazed at how simple most homemade items are. We tend to think that we can't live without pre-made products when the ingredients to make those products are so simple to store and keep long-term...while the pre-made product will go bad fairly quickly.

SOS Mom Saver: Creative Line Drying

2011-06-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

We've line-dried our clothes to some degree for several years. In Michigan, we didn't do it year-round because I was a bit scared of setting up a line inside. Would it be too heavy? Would the clothes drip on my floor? I just didn't want to deal with it.

Fast forward to Vegas. It's summer. A HOT summer. I hear tales of clothes drying with lightening speed here in the hottest parts of summer. But there's also the wind. And the sand. Lots and lots of sand. Combine the wind with the sand and you have once-clean clothes that are now nicely dried...with sand on them. Add to that combo your friendly, neighborhood HOA (that's Homeowners Association for those of you blessed to NOT live in an area that has one) and you have a recipe for fines. Lots and lots of fines. Almost more fines than the sand on your clothes after you've dried them on a windy day.

But I want to line dry!!! (Insert toddler-like whining here. WAAAAHHHH)

Okay. I'm done. Thank you for indulging me.

So is it a lost cause? Nope! Of course not! You can spend bukus (is that even a real word?) of money on fancy gadgets. They have freestanding wooden drying racks, wooden drying racks that fit over your tub or in your tub, and drying racks that will attach to a wall or door and fold up when you're done using them. There are also retractable lines which are great for garage or basement areas, but few of us want a retractable lines in our main living areas and adding them to a typical bathroom won't yield you much more space than a shower rod. So why not just use a shower rod? Or several?

I stood at a garage sale one Saturday morning and had one of those "DUH! Why didn't I think of that before?!" moments. In front of me were 2 shower rods for 50 cents each. We have a bathroom with a tub that only gets used to bathe the dogs or by guests. (I promise we clean it before you come visit, Nana. Really we do. WHAT!?! Stop looking at me that way!) So that bathtub became our inside drying rack.

I liked it so much with 2 rods to dry that I added 2 more. And then I added 4 to our main shower (just a shower) as well. That gives us 8 rods in the bathroom if we don't also use the rod the shower curtains are hanging on.

A benefit to using your shower to dry is that if you have someone coming over, you just shut the shower curtain and the clothes are hidden. You don't have wooden things all over the house or a line going across your entire bathroom forcing your guests to walk under your drying clothes to utilize the facilities. Plus, you can dry year-round this way!

I do still occasionally put some items outside on one of our wooden racks. It's not a permanent drying rack and isn't usually out for more than an hour...a couple at the most...so it's allowed. I do this with white items that I want the sun to naturally bleach for me.

Why line dry? Besides the obvious energy savings from not using your dryer, your clothes will last longer. Think about it; you don't have to remove lint from your drying line or rod like you do from a rod. What is that lint? The fibers from your clothes that have been broken down by the dryer.

If you don't line-dry, why not? Is there something keeping you from doing so?

Don't forget to check out my Facebook page as most conversations about my blogs happen there.

SOS Mom Saver: Cookie Dough That's Safe to Eat

2011-05-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite guilty pleasures is oatmeal/chocolate-chip cookie dough. YUM!!!

I don't eat the store-bought, unsafe cookie-dough, though. I make my own...that is made for the express purpose of being frozen and pulled out eaten as dough. While some of these have made it through to baking, my favorite way to eat them is as cookie dough!

We all know that the reason cookie dough is bad to eat is that the raw egg in it poses a risk of salmonella. I avoid this risk by eliminating the egg. Who wants to waste an egg on cookie dough that's never going to be cooked, anyway? An egg substitute added to your favorite recipe is the easiest way to make any recipe cookie-dough safe.

You know I won't leave you hanging there, though. I've got my favorite recipe along with my usual substitutions for you!

My favorite oatmeal, chocolate-chip recipe is on All Recipes. I typically make some alterations to almost everything we bake. Back when I first wanted a raw cookie dough recipe that was healthier to eat, though, I was vegan which meant a good bit of substitutions. What I created, though, was an excellent frozen cookie dough without any danger of salmonella.

Below, you will find the recipe with the substitutions I use right beside each ingredient in italics:

1 cup butter, softened (I almost always use coconut oil for oil or butter when baking. You should know, though, that this is not a great substitution in the hottest parts of summer in Vegas. The coconut oil will become liquid even in baked cookies.)
1 cup packed light brown sugar (If I'm baking these, I will put the full amount of brown sugar in. If I'm not, however, then I'll usually cut it in half. I also like to use my homemade brown sugar. I thought I had already told you guys about that, but evidently I haven't. Now you know what Thursday's MomSaver will be! It's incredibly easy!)
1/2 cup sugar (Even if I'm baking these, I cut the "regular" sugar in half. I use evaporated cane juice which you can find at most health food stores.)
2 eggs (I will use an egg substitute (which you can find linked above) when I'm baking just about anything but brownies. Brownies just don't seem to come out right without at least one egg.)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I haven't made my own yet, but would love to! It's SO easy! In the meantime, we use a gluten-free real (or pure) vanilla extract as opposed to a fake extract. You can find the real stuff in just about any store now.)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (We use spelt berries which we grind into flour ourselves because of our daughter's gluten-intolerance. Anyone can make any flour-based food healthier by buying the wheat and grinding it into flour yourself. You can find wheat at Wal-Mart, Costco, & Sam's locally in many areas. However, it will be far cheaper through a co-op such as Azure Standard where they have 50lbs of wheat for under $20. No, this isn't officially "all-purpose" flour which is actually a combination of red & white wheat. However, you can create that mix yourself by grinding half of each. I don't usually bother, though, since I don't usually cook these.)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (I always use sea salt for cooking.)
3 cups quick-cooking oats (Here again, you can get the oat groats and roll your own oats. However, I usually just buy the oats themselves. We go through a TON of oats! "Quick-cooking" oats are just rolled oats that have been chopped after being rolled to make them smaller and therefore quicker to cook. I just use regular oats because I'm a rule-breaker like that.)
1 cup chopped walnuts (I don't like nuts in my cookies, but it was part of the recipe so I included it here. I'd save my walnuts for fudge or eating plain.)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is my favorite brand of vegan, gluten, and soy-free chocolate chips. They are now available in pretty much every store, but are expensive. They're one of our few guilty pleasures.)

When I make my cookie dough to freeze, I'll roll it into a log, freeze it for 1/2 an hour to make it easier to slice straight and then slice it about 1/4 inch thick. I'll freeze those on wax paper on a cookie sheet before throwing the slices into a freezer bag. This way, I can indulge in one of my favorite snacks, but still easily control my portion size.

In case you didn't notice, I have a bit of a problem being told what to do. Hence my never following a recipe verbatim. Ever. In my entire life. What can I say? I have issues.

SOS Mom Saver: Homemade Popsicles

2011-05-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

I've been getting ready for summer by dehydrating foods we'll eat while out and about this summer. Now, it's time for me to fill my freezer with healthy popsicles.

Feed my kids popsicles for breakfast? Why not?

(What kind of a mom ARE you? You'd feed your kids POPSICLES for BREAKFAST?!?! I'm not sure I can keep reading your blog!)

I promise. I'm not crazy. In fact, I can almost guarantee that YOU will feed YOUR kids popsicles for breakfast too after I'm done with you. These aren't your typical "is there even any actual fruit in there" popsicles. These are popsicles that you and/or your kids make from scratch. And it's EASY!

The easiest way to make popsicles at home is to use pre-packaged fruit juice that you'd buy at the store. If you purchase a juice from the "Simply" juice line, the Lakewood "Just" juice line, or the Knudsen "Pure" juice line, then you'll be giving your kids pure fruit juice popsicles. (The Minute Maid "Simply" juices would be the cheapest of the above. They're also found at almost all grocery stores. The others are more costly and aren't carried in all regular grocery stores, but also come in organic varieties.)

I like to go a step further here, though. I like to find creative ways to use the fresh fruit that I get...especially as it gets past its prime. (I know every one of us has that apple that gets lost in the back of the fruit drawer in the fridge.) Many people think these fruits are trash. The opposite is actually true. The riper the fruit gets, the sweeter it becomes. I wouldn't eat it plain, but I'll freeze this fruit straight to use in smoothies or...my kid's favorite...puree the fruit and make homemade popsicles.

The ingredients are incredibly simple:

A blender, food processor, or smoothie maker
Popsicle holders (or small cups)
Lids for the popsicle holders or small popsicle sticks
Fruit...Be creative!
Some sort of liquid: Yogurt or Kefir can be used for a thicker popsicle. Juice or water can be used to make it more light.

We got these molds on sale at Albertson's for $2.49 each, but you can find them at Wal-Mart, Target, and other discount stores as well. WARNING: The lids typically do NOT hold up well! I would highly recommend that you have wooden sticks on hand because the lids WILL eventually break on these cheap holders.

The fruit is in! It's ready to go!

It's blending! (The blender pictured has long since died. I now have the mother of all blenders; a Vitamix...which I LOVE! Someday, I will update these pictures.)

Ready to pour! This is when the kids run over and try to eat some before we pour. They usually end up eating a good bit of this "fruit sauce" before I get it all poured. I fought them off this time just for you. You should feel special.

Children have been fended off and pouring begins!

They're all poured now and ready for the freezer. Wasn't that easy?

Once you put them in the freezer, they'll be ready in about 12 hours...although my kids are usually trying to grab their first one well before that.

Doesn't that look delicious! And it's FULL of nothing but fruit! How awesome is that? So go tell your kids they can have popsicles for breakfast now, K?

The Milk Fight

2011-05-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

Raw milk.

And now let the fighting begin.

No. Really. Let's fight about milk. It seems to be one of the government's favorite fights. Let's gather up all of those horrible farmers who own cows, are milking them, and are selling the milk. The HORROR!

The Washington Times recently put out ~~an incredibly biased~~ piece about one such fight involving a farmer in Pennsylvania who was daring to sell his raw milk across state lines.

I love how they list everything that COULD happen if you drink raw milk and barely list one instance where raw milk can be better than pasteurized milk.

Here's the bottom line for me: It should be our choice. WE should decide whether we or our families drink raw or pasteurized milk. Heck, we should have the choice to purchase someone's CAT'S milk if we so desire! It should be OUR choice...not one the government forces upon us. Nor should we have to jump through numerous hoops & regulations (or drive 3 hours) just to obtain raw milk if we choose to drink it!

While they're listing stats about bad things that could happen to you, I'd also like them to include the stats for those who get sick from the over-processed food and chemicals masquerading as food that they sell in the grocery stores. Or how about the numbers from those sickened due to poisons put in food manufactured in China? From chemicals they spray in the air? On our food? Try to get us to take or inject into our bodies? I could go on. I think the raw milk is the least of our worries! (For the record, I am not completely against immunizations or medicines. I rely on a heart medicine daily. However, I believe we should FULLY understand ALL of the risks to everything we put in or on our bodies. That way, we are TRULY making an informed choice...and not one that someone else has forced upon us. The only thing I am 100% against as far as immunizations go is a parent making a choice to give or not give said shots without first understanding ALL of the risks involved both in choosing and rejecting them.)

I will ALWAYS err on the side of an individual making the choice for him/her self regarding what goes in or on their bodies. I don't believe the government has the Constitutional right (or moral right) to tell US what we can or can't do with our own bodies. (The only exception being a person having the right to kill someone ELSE who is living IN her body. You don't get to decide for someone ELSE'S body any more than THEY would or should get to decide for YOURS! Nevermind that murder is ALREADY illegal yet not being enforced when a mom is choosing to murder her own child. But that's a horse for another thread...)

I just don't understand why this raw milk "issue" is even up for debate. It's MILK. If you're interested in obtaining raw milk, Real Milk lists the sources for raw milk in each state and various countries.

Want to do more research?

Real Milk and Raw Milk Facts have information on the health benefits of raw milk and why you should drink it over pasteurized milk.
The CDC will tell you everything bad that could possibly happen if you drink raw milk.

Please keep in mind that I am NOT against you choosing to drink pasteurized milk. I simply believe that you should only make that choice after becoming informed. Regardless of what you eat yourself or feed your family, you should only do so after first researching that food item so you are making an informed choice. (Notice I didn't just give you the site stating the benefits of raw milk. I gave you the site that will tell you the bad stuff too because I feel you should know THAT as well so you can make an informed choice about drinking raw milk.) An informed choice can only happen when one knows the benefits AND the risks to their decision.

We DO drink raw milk and eat raw milk products in our family and have for years. At one point, we only consumed raw goat milk products. However, I would never advise you to make any changes to how your family eats without fully understanding the risks and benefits of that change. You should never make the decision to do or not to do something simply because ONE person said so. Do the research yourself!

And above all, I would encourage you to join us in the fight to gain the choice to decide for ourselves how we feed our family. How? Contact your state representatives (this is a state issue) and tell them that you want the right to choose for yourself whether your family drinks raw milk or not and ask them to work towards making it legal to sell and consume it in your state if it isn't already. (You can do this even if you would never choose to drink raw milk yourself.)

What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you have personal experience with raw milk that you'd like to share (good or bad)? I'd love to hear from you!

Have Healthy Foods Even in the Heat of Summer

2011-05-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

One of the hardest things to do is to give your family healthy foods even when you're out & about in the heat of summer. It doesn't matter where you are, foods like to go bad quick in the summer!

To get around this, we dehydrate many fruits & veggies so we can safely take them anywhere with no fear of them going bad while we're at the park or running errands on a hot summer day.

I could go item-by-item and tell you how to best dehydrate each food. However, someone beat me to it! (And for this I'm grateful!)

Dehydrate 2 Store has a wonderful website and YouTube channel dedicated exclusively to teaching you how to dehydrate. She not only gives you instructions on how to dehydrate in general but goes through different foods telling you how to dehydrate each one. Her site provides a wealth of information on this subject.

Don't feel overwhelmed by her expensive dehydrator and vacuum-packaging machine. You can get the same results with a cheaper Nesco dehydrator. (I know; I have one.) I do now have a Foodsaver, but it's only because I got it for $15 at a local thrift store. Until then, I just put my foods in clean jars. We went through the foods quickly enough that it wasn't ever a problem.

Deal Sites: Are They Worth It?

2011-05-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

It seems like there's a new deal site popping up on a regular basis now. Are they worth it? Are they legit? How do you know?

First let me say that I only currently recommend Groupon (If you join Groupon after clicking on that link, I will earn a referral commission for your doing so. I do appreciate this, but it is not required. You can just go directly to the site to get more info or join should you so desire.) and Living Social. They have been around for quite awhile and are, by far, the most reliable deal sites out there. There are other sites out there, but they are newer and don't have the same track record that Groupon and Living Social do. Are they bad? Not necessarily. They might even be better than the two I mentioned. However, I won't spend my hard-earned money to find out until they're proven. I'm ~~cheap~~ frugal like that.

How do they work?

It's fairly easy. They offer, for example, to give you 5 Netflix rentals for the price of 2. The good deals are usually fairly cut & dry like that. My favorite, by far, was a $50 gift card to US Cellular that I only paid $10 for. I was able to gift that to my grandmother to help pay her cell phone bill. I've gotten a $20 gift card to Amazon.com for only $10 (we buy some of our gluten-free products from there on a regular basis). They've had a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble for only $10. I got a $20 gift card to our local health foods store for only $10. We buy our honey there. It never goes on sale; except now I get it for half price!

I'm sure you can see a pattern here. Usually, what they offer is half off the retail price.

Are they worth it?

That depends. Are you spending money that you weren't planning on something you don't really need and wouldn't normally buy? If so, then you ARE wasting your money and they're really not worth it. I only take advantage of ANY deal; whether an online one like this or one in the store if we would have already purchased that item. (Unless, of course, the item is free or is a moneymaker. But you won't find either of those in these deals.) I would recommend you go into these with just as much caution as you do any other purchase. It's a LOT easier to make an online purchase in your pj's at midnight than it is to take the time to go into the store to make the purchase. Sometimes, it pays to plan ahead and know what you're going to buy BEFORE the offers even start coming in!

I included my referral link for Groupon above. Be aware that if you DO join & then (for example) also have your husband join that you can get referral credit if he joins through your referral link. The referral will give you $10 to spend on any Groupon which will give you an opportunity to try the site without spending any money.

What are your favorite deal sites?

Our Newest Family Member

2011-05-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

The Girls (Sasha & Sally)

Sasha LOVES her new big sister. I'm pretty sure Sally is equally as happy to have a little one she can "mother".

Sasha is a pure-bred black lab. Sally is 3/4 chocolate lab & 1/4 golden retriever. Sasha was beginning to look SO big to us next to Coco, the wonder cat. Now, though, she looks so tiny again next to her big sister.

SOS Mom Saver: Make Full Use of Your Library

2011-05-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

People don't realize all of the resources that are available at the library. The library is no longer just a place to go and do research papers. You can get so much more. Here's what's available at my local library:

Books

(of COURSE)...but I couldn't leave it out!

E-books

You know...the kind you'd have to pay for on your Kindle? Get them from the library instead!

Movies

Yeah...They've got every Veggie Tale video ever made. Did you know, however, that you can get new releases there? They have to wait the "typical" 28 days before they can get new releases (the same time-period that must be observed by Redbox and the like). After that, though, they'll have the new releases. Forget $1 for a day. You'll get 3-7 days for free!

CD's

Here again, they'll have every Veggie Tale CD ever created. But did you know that they'll ALSO have your current artists...in pretty much any format.

Magazines

They'll usually have the current issues for reference only. However, once the new issue comes out, you can check out the old issues just like a regular book.

Software

From language programs to typing software, you'll be surprised at what your library has to offer! These are FANTASTIC finds for homeschoolers on a budget!

What happens if they don't have a book, CD, magazine, or movie that you want to see? You ask them for it. Many times, all it takes is ONE request for them to order that particular item. Bottom line? It never hurts to ask. The worst they can say is no, but you might be the request that gets that item ordered!

SOS Mom/Kid Saver: Create a Chalkboard on Any Surface

2011-04-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

In honor of "Take Your Child to Work" Day, my eldest is writing the ~~Mom~~ Kid Saver today. Without further ado, I give you Kirstie:

As a kid, I know it can be very tempting to look for ways to ~~destroy~~ add personality to your room or your house.

I was ecstatic when my mom told me about chalkboard paint. You can put it almost anywhere and that spot becomes just like a chalkboard. How cool is that? You can put it on walls, desks, doors, the side of a dresser, a chair...almost anywhere.

A friend had this on her desk and LOVED it! It saved her parent's money because she didn't have to use nearly as much paper when doing her schoolwork. Plus, it was really convenient. She used her desk for "scrap paper" & erased it when she was done.

Doing this is really cheap, too! The paint is as low as $12 for a quart which is more than enough for a small surface area. (Mom here: Do a search for or ask for "chalkboard paint" & you'll find it at places like Home Depot, Lowe's, & Wal-Mart.) You can usually get a 12 pack of chalk for $1 at the Dollar Store. In other words, guys, this is something you should be able to easily convince your parents to let you do. If they won't buy the materials for you, it's cheap enough that you can easily save for it yourself.

-Kirstie :-)

What a GREAT idea, Kirstie!

SOS Mom Saver: How to Make Sure Your Wireless Router is Secure

2011-04-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

A recent story of the FBI visiting the home of someone because of what their neighbor did is sadly not a solitary one.

It's happened before.

Your wireless isn't secure...and so a neighbor or another individual "borrows" your wireless signal and engages in illegal activities while online. The problem with this scenario is that the signal originated in YOUR home from YOUR router...so YOU are the guilty one as far as the police or FBI are concerned.

That's a hard one to defend. You're better to protect yourself ahead of time to prevent such an event from happening. It is VITAL to ensure that your wireless connection is secure. Yes, that security CAN be hacked...and rather easily. However, someone isn't going to bother hacking you when there are 4 other people in your neighborhood who don't have to be hacked because their wireless signals are open. Don't be one of those 4. Be the one who is passed by.

How? You can easily ensure that your signal is secure.

Most wireless routers have a "default" address. That is "192.168.1.1" (without the quotes). If that doesn't work, then you can find your individual ip by going to Check Your IP. The number that pops up in the top, left-hand corner is your ip address. Enter that into the address field to access your router.

Once in this window, you can click on “wi-fi protected set-up” to ensure that your security protections are enabled. On mine, there are two different settings that should be enabled to ensure that we are fully protected.

The bottom line...make sure you're protected!

SOS Mom Saver: Freebies!

2011-04-21T16:30:00.001-07:00

After a much-needed couponing and shopping sabbatical, I am back to doing the deals. That's part of the beauty of couponing. If you need a break, you take it. (And in most cases, your grocery budget doesn't have to rise because you can just use the stockpile you already have on hand.)

If you don't already have coupons on hand, but sure to look for the "no coupons required" or the coupons listed only as "ip", "ivc", "hhay", "ac" only, "blinkie" and "peelie" coupons as these are deals that you can get NOW without a previous stock of coupons. The coupons are available online, in a booklet in a store, in the store's ad, are on the outside of the product itself, or are in a box attached to a shelf near the product.

Non-coupon items you'll find great deals on this week include vinegar and eggs. (There are coupons on for Heinz vinegar online.) The day after Easter, you can expect all Easter items to be 50% off.

Here's what you can get free from just CVS and Walgreens JUST this week:

CVS: (When I'm busy, I head to I HEART CVS for a quick list of the freebies. I HIGHLY recommend them! The deals I'm listing today are straight from and with much thanks to I Heart CVS.)

Green Bag Tag $.99 - ($.99) ecb = FREE (lt. 2) (No coupon required.)
Mars Easter Singles $.50 (buy 2) (lt. 8 total, choose from the following coupons):

- ($1/2) 3/20/11 RP = FREE
- ($1/2) 4/10/11 RP = FREE

Reach Total Care Toothbrush $1 - ($1) 10/10/10 RP = FREE
Reach Total Care Floss (55yds) $1 - ($1) 10/10/10 RP = FREE
Reach Total Care Toothbrush $1 - ($1) 4/17/11 RP = FREE
Reach Total Care Floss (55yds) $1 - ($1) 4/17/11 RP = FREE

Walgreens: (When I'm busy, I head to I Heart Wags for a quick list of the freebies. I HIGHLY recommend them! The deals I'm listing today are straight from and with much thanks to I Heart Wags.)

Always Leak Guard Plus Pads (22ct) $3 (buy 2) - 2 ($1) 4/3/11 P&G - ($4) rr = FREE
Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste (4oz) $3 (buy 2) - 2($1) 4/10/11 SS - ($4) rr = FREE
Colgate Total Gum Defense Toothpaste (4oz) $3 (buy 2) - 2($1) 4/10/11 SS - ($4) rr = FREE
Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste (4oz) $3 (buy 2) - 2($1) hhay - ($4) rr = FREE
Colgate Total Gum Defense Toothpaste (4oz) $3 (buy 2) - 2($1) hhay - ($4) rr = FREE
Goody Ouchless Hair Accessories $3 - ($3) rr= FREE
Neilmed NasoGel Drip-Free Gel Spray $4.99 - ($1.50) peelie on some boxes - ($5) = FREE + $1.50 PROFIT (if your store has boxes with peelie coupons on them)
Reach Total Care Floss (30yds) $2.99 - ($2) 10/10/10 RP - ($2) rr = FREE + $1 PROFIT
Reach Total Care Floss (30yds) $2.99 - ($1) 4/17/11 RP - ($2) rr = FREE + $.01 PROFIT
Reach Total Care Toothbrush $2.99 - ($1) 4/17/11 RP - ($2) rr = FREE + $.01 PROFIT
Reach Total Care Floss (30yds) $2.99 - ($1) 10/10/11 RP - ($2) rr = FREE + $.01 PROFIT
Scotch Magic Tape $1.99 plus b1g2f (w/ac) (buy 3) - 2($1) ip = FREE (You should be able to print & use 2 of the coupons even on a b1g2f sale. Just make sure you give both manufacturer's coupons FIRST before you give them the in-ad coupon.)
Green Giant Vegetables (14.5-15.25 oz) $.49 (w/ac) - ($.50/2) = $.24/can (not free, but a good deal)
Aquafresh Kids Toothpaste (4.6oz) $1.99 - ($1) 4/17/11 RP - ($1) rr = FREE + $.01 PROFIT
Aquafresh Training Toothpaste (1.5oz) $1.99 - ($1) ivc - ($1) rr = FREE + $.01 PROFIT

If you have any questions about a particular abbreviation or word, check out my coupon definitions. If you still can't find the answer, post here or shoot me an e-mail. Want to see the best grocery deals for your area? Check out Savings Angel. (That is an affiliate link and I will get credit if you click on that link and subscribe to Savings Angel.) I use them when I'm short on time or not feeling well but still need groceries for the week.

Where Can You Mail Your Taxes Tonight?

2011-04-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

Are you a last-minute tax filer? Need to know where to mail your taxes tonight?

The USPS provides you with a comprehensive, nationwide list of post offices that will be open after 6pm.

I've got it for you right here: Nationwide List of Post Offices Open After 6pm Tonight

SOS Mom Saver: Cook Once, Eat Twice!

2011-04-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

My philosophy is if you're going to do something, you might as well get as much mileage out of what you do as you can. That goes for cooking dinner too.

If I'm going to take the time to cook dinner anyway, then I'm going to take a little extra time to double what I cook so that I also have dinner on another day when I don't feel like cooking or don't have the time to cook. (I'll also usually make enough to cover lunch for the kids and I the next day.)

Doing this is as simple as gathering twice the ingredients and freezing one of the meals. You can cook the extra meal first and then freeze it or you can freeze it uncooked putting instructions on how to cook it on the package.

You can find great recipes that freeze well on Once a Month Mom or Once a Month Cooking.

Don't get overwhelmed by those sites, though. You don't have to use their recipes, but you will find some great tips from them on how to make your freezer-food taste fresh.

Do you cook ahead for your family? How much? Do you just double or triple your meals or do you cook for a week or a month at once? I'd love to hear from you!

SOS Mom Saver: Effortlessly Clean Your Microwave

2011-04-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you're not supposed to use chemicals to clean your microwave? Don't worry. A lot of people don't know that.

The reason is because chemical residue will be left in the microwave and will be cooked into your foods.

So how do you clean your microwave if you can't use cleaners?

Of course you can use vinegar, but there's an even better and easier solution.

Put an uncovered bowl of water in the microwave for 2 minutes. This will loosen any foods stuck on your microwave. Most of them should wipe right off.

Now how easy is THAT?

SOS Mom Saver: Easy Pancakes From Scratch

2011-04-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

I am all about convenience. However, I'm also all about saving money. How do I combine the two?

Is it really possible to turn this into a convenience food?

But of course! You turn your from-scratch cooking into convenience foods.

Today, I'm doing that with pancakes! Store-bought, gluten-free alternatives are expensive, to say the least.

The first thing you do is make your own pancake mix (similar to Bisquick...you only need to add the wet ingredients when it comes time to cook them).

For me, the first step is grinding my grain.

Here is my favorite mix:

Ingredients

-12 cups flour (we use freshly-ground spelt flour)

(If you are wheat or spelt berries, you will only need 9 cups pre-ground)
-4 cups powdered milk
-3/4 cup baking powder
-3/4 cup sugar (You can use as little as 1/2 cup. We use evaporated cane juice.)
-2 Tbs sea salt (or any other salt)

***For 1 batch, add:

-1 ½ cups of the dry mix

-1 cup water

-1 egg

-2 Tbs oil (We use olive or coconut oil; depending on what we have on hand.)

Directions

-Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container until ready for use

-To make pancakes, add additional ingredients to make 1 batch

-Cook on med-high heat as you normally would pancakes

Mix it all together!

You can stop once you've made the dry mix if you like. Store it in an air-tight container. Just add the wet ingredients when you're ready to make pancakes.

I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to drop mine onto the griddle.

If you want to make the mix even more convenient, then you can divide the mix now into individual batches before storing them.

Or...you can take it even a step further (which is what we do now). We go ahead and cook up ALL of the pancakes now and freeze them. When we're ready for pancakes, we usually just throw ours in the toaster oven to warm them up. You could also wrap them in foil and warm them in the oven or pop them in the toaster just like you would waffles.

I put a towel on a plate & just stack them up as I cook them.

Once I'm done, I put them on a parchment or wax paper-lined cookie sheet & throw them (single layer) into the freezer to freeze them before putting them in a baggie or other container for storage (this keeps them from sticking together).

Fair warning...pancake thieves tend to come out of hiding when you're busy putting a new batch on the griddle and can't smack 'em to keep 'em away.

Disclaimer: No pancake thieves were actually smacked in the making of this blog or the pancakes.

SOS Mom Saver: Used Pet Items

2011-04-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

I am a firm believer in buying second-hand. It not only saves you money, but also helps ensure everything that's produced is used to its fullest instead of dumped in a landfill with tons of life left.

I've been talking a LOT about our new puppy lately. I felt it only prudent that I mention precautions that should be taken with ANY new-to-you (but really used) pet items to be safe.

There is one nasty virus that puppies can be susceptible to if not properly protected. One of those protections is ensuring that anything you get for your new puppy is properly cleaned before it even comes in the house. Honestly, with pets running around the pet store, I see this as being a wise thing to do even with NEW pet items.

That nasty virus, Parvo, is best killed with bleach. You know I am ALL about natural when natural is possible. However, in some cases, it's best to go to the chemical. I wouldn't run to the doctor and demand an antibiotic for a cold, but you bet your BIPPY (yes I said "bippy") that I'm going to take one for strep throat. In the same manner, I would use vinegar, lemon juice, & my other "standards" for cleaning most items. However, when I have new or used pet items, they're getting washed with bleach before my new puppy uses them. To me, it's just not worth the chance.

So buy away on Craigslist, ask for what you need on Freecycle, or scour every garage sale in town...just make sure you are properly cleaning your great finds so that your pets are fully protected!

SOS Mom Saver: Improve Your Gas Mileage

2011-03-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

As we come upon summer, we're again watching the prices of gas go up. For most of us, that means we need to find a way to make every mile count to save money on gas.

The US Department of Energy has a site dedicated to helping you get the best gas mileage out of your car. Who knew our government had an "official source for fuel economy information"?

Among the suggestions?

Put away the lead foot both when driving and breaking. This can save you $.18-$1.16 PER gallon. Do the math on THAT one...and that's just the first suggestion.
Slow down. Every 5 miles that you go over 60 costs you an additional $.24 per gallon. Looks like Grandma may have the right idea after all!
Clean your car. The more you have in your car, the more you'll pay in gas. Every 100lbs you remove will save you $.04-$.07/gallon.
Don't idle which does nothing more than waste gas.
Drive in overdrive. It lowers your engine speed saving you gas.
Cruise when you're on the highway. It will keep you at a constant speed which saves you money.

What do you do to save money on gas?

SOS Mom Saver: Where To Donate Non-Food Items

2011-03-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

I have frequently talked about where to donate food items you might get for free or make a profit on. (Feeding America lists food banks nationwide for those who've missed it.) I've had several people recently contact me to ask where to donate non-food items.

Some food banks will also take over-the-counter meds, health and beauty items, and paper products. For those that won't (or if you'd just like another resource for donating), you can also donate most of those items to Ronald McDonald House Charities. For those who are unfamiliar with what they do, they house families of children who are in out-of-town hospitals. I have witnessed first-hand what a blessing the Ronald McDonald House can be to families. To get an idea of what families spend while staying there, think for a minute how much more it costs to care for your family when you're out of town. Ronald McDonald house does offer meals for the families, but the families are on their own for toiletries, health and beauty items, etc. Any items you donate help a family that is likely already incredibly financially strapped &/or in deep financial debt because of a sick child. They also enjoy donations of toys, coloring books, crayons, sippy cups, formula, bottles, and the like for young children staying there with their parents.

Your local nursing home, assisted-living facility, or retirement community welcome donations; especially of health and beauty items and over-the-counter medical products. These largely consist of seniors on a fixed income. Every little bit helps. They find donations of diabetic monitors especially helpful as this is an expensive product that many will go without if they don't have the money to buy. Some will also take over-the-counter meds, but you'll have to check with each individual facility to find their restrictions and needs. I find across the board that they need any medical products donated to be in their original packaging with no damage to the box. In the case of diabetic monitors, they won't even take it if the UPC is cut off or if shrink-wrap is supposed to be there but isn't.

Homeless Shelters are another excellent place to donate. What they will take and when will vary by shelter. Your best bet is to contact the shelter you want to donate to directly to see what their needs and guidelines are.

Low cost medical clinics will sometimes also take donations of over-the-counter medicines and other medical products if you show receipt of where you purchased it and give it to them in the original packaging.

Domestic violence shelters have unique needs. Women and children who come there have often left literally everything behind. If you need it to live, they'll need it from clothes to diapers & wipes to food and kitchen items.

Of course many churches always have donation programs. Contact your local church and see what their needs are. You might be able to help by donating to their food pantry or you might be able to help reduce the church's operating budget by providing a years worth of Clorox wipes for the nursery.

You can also always ask around. You might have a neighbor who HAS to use Allergra (a medicine that's a current money-maker at CVS). Even those who don't normally coupon would welcome a generous donation of an expensive over-the-counter medicine.

Above all, remember, a food pantry is not usually JUST a food pantry. They usually accept many more items than food...and are often low on those other items because people DON'T know that they accept these items. There are even some pantries and organizations who will take frozen or refrigerated items. Don't be afraid to ask! The worst they'll say is no...but you might find a new place to bless in an unexpected way!

Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 6: Price Matching

2011-03-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

There's one more aspect of couponing that deserves a blog all it's own. Price-matching.

If you live in an area with Publix, nothing beats their price-match and coupon-acceptance policies. For the rest of us, there is Wal-Mart. (Meijer also price-matches, but only on General Merchandise items.)

Those who don't have the time or desire to figure out Catalina deals or go from store to store often just stick to price-matching and using coupons at Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart will price match on pretty much any item in their store. Here's an outline of their policy:

They will not match b1g1f items, loss-leaders, (Those items typically on the front page which are sold at a loss to try & get you in the store.), % off, $ off or free items. Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds. Their policy is pretty standard & is actually a good one.
They will match the sale price for generic items from another store on their generic items.
They will price match items in an ad...however...they will also match non-ad items if they can call & verify that is the current price on that item at another store. Typically, they'll only do this on big items like computers & cameras and such.
They will match produce sales.
They DO typically match even loss-leaders. As I've been told, that restriction is there to allow them to limit should they feel it necessary on loss-leaders.

As a bonus, their coupon policy is fairly decent. IN THE POLICY, they say they will give you the overage on coupons. In other words, if you buy an item for $.99 and have a $1 coupon, they will give you the extra penny towards your other groceries. Still not sounding good? Let's say you have an item that's $1.54 & there is a $2 coupon out for that item. You're now getting $.46 to put towards your other groceries. Now, let's say you have 10 of those coupons. You've just gotten an additional $4.60 to put on ANY items that you buy from Wal-Mart.

If you are only going to shop sales and use coupons at one store, then I'd recommend you go to Wal-Mart...but take your ads from the other stores with you so you can get those sale items at Wal-Mart.

What's next? I've had a lot of people ask me how to organize their coupons. Those who have come to my couponing classes have seen first-hand all of the different ways one could organize their coupons. The methods are so varied, it will be easier to describe each method in a separate blog post. Those will follow soon.

If you have any specific questions about couponing, send them my way.

Be sure to check out the previous posts in this series:

Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 1: Don't Be a Brand Snob
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 2: Know Your Coupon Policies
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 3: What if I Have a Problem?
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 4: Store Cards
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 5: Where Do I Find Coupons?

SOS Mom Saver: Do Your Taxes For Free

2011-03-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

It's that time again. Tax time.

I'll give you a minute to contain your excitement. If you're ~~cheap~~ frugal like me, you want to save money everywhere you can. To that end, I have exciting news for those who are lucky enough to have simple tax returns. You can prepare and electronically file your taxes for free at several different places.

Some places have income limits, but TurboTax doesn't. If it's a simple return, you can prepare and file your Federal taxes for free through them.

What other tips do you have for saving money at tax time?

SOS Mom Saver: Preserving Water In An Emergency

2011-03-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

Anytime a big emergency happens, people start to think about emergency preparation. What can you do to make sure that your family has what you need should the unexpected happen?

One of the first things we temporarily lose in an emergency like an earthquake is water. That's why "they" (various government and emergency agencies) say we should have at least 3 days worth of food and water on hand for an emergency.

Sometimes, though, we're caught unaware and don't yet have what we're supposed to have for an emergency. What do you do if you're out the ONE thing our bodies cannot survive without? You clean your water yourself.

If the water is unclean, you can purify it by putting in 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water. This way, if you have bleach on hand you'll have what you need to purify water "just in case" you don't have what you need in an emergency.

HUGE Money Maker...Possibly Today Only!!!

2011-03-10T18:08:00.000-08:00

I mentioned today on Gary's show that there was a HUGE moneymaker on food that we DON'T EVEN EAT!!! Yet I'm still buying it!

Why? Am I crazy?

The crazy part is debatable, but I still buy the items for a specific reason. We can turn around and donate the food to someone who will. Feeding America lists food pantries all across the nation. I encourage those who find foods that are free or close to it to buy it even if your family won't use it...because someone will.

That's part of the beauty of couponing. You can help those that maybe otherwise you wouldn't have been able to help.

Now...the deal. I would like to thank Mashup Mom for posting the details of this HUGE moneymaker at Walgreens as it came in. You can find the details on her site: Post Moneymaker at Walgreens.

SOS Mom Saver: Freezer Savings

2011-03-10T16:30:00.000-08:00

We have a massive freezer. This helps us save money by enabling us to stock up on good sales. It also gives us the ability to cook things like pancakes, waffles, breads, meals, and other foods in bulk ahead of time to save us time and money later.

If your freezer isn't full, though, do you know that it can actually cost you MORE money to run it? If you have empty space in your freezer, fill empty milk, water or juice bottles 3/4 way full with water and put them in the freezer. This will fill the space which keeps the freezer full and costs you less to keep it cool.

A bonus to keeping your freezer full whether with food or bottles is that your food will stay frozen longer in a power outage.

The same principal applies to the freezer attached to your fridge AND your fridge. The fuller it is, the less empty space there is and the less it costs to keep it cool.

What do you do to save money on or with your appliances?

SOS Mom Saver: Save Money At the Vet

2011-03-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

Owning a pet can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be nearly as expensive as you might think.

One of the most important up-front costs for a pet is vaccines, spaying/neutering, and/or declawing. Most people have heard that some shelters or pet stores will offer reduced vaccines. These are definitely good options. However, many don't realize that vet prices can vary wildly for these early pet care items. Just as an example, when calling about getting our new puppy vaccinated, I was given prices ranging from $154 for the 2 vaccines and a fecal sample all the way down to $45 for the exact same services...all prices from local vets some within blocks of each other. The prices for spaying/neutering and declawing vary just as much.

So what's the difference? Why is one vet so expensive and the other isn't? Here's the bottom line: There are no insurance companies padding pockets here. Vets have to compete for your business and they know it. It's reflected in their prices. How can you save money at the vet? You'll have to start by taking some time to make phone calls. So what specifically are you asking when you call?

How much do they charge for vaccinations? (Ask for specific prices if they don't have a set price for all vaccinations.)
Do you charge for an office visit if we're just there to get vaccinations? (This is HUGE and made for the biggest price difference when I was calling around.)
What do you charge for a spay/neuter (depending on your pet). (Be sure to ask if the price goes up by weight if you have a large-breed dog. It's not hard for some breeds to be in the higher-weight price-range by 6 months. Also, ask what that quoted price includes. Some will give you a low-ball price but it doesn't include anesthetic, post-op care, required antibiotics or pain meds, or follow-up visits. If the price doesn't include any of those items, then ask what the charge for those items is.)
What do you charge to de-claw a cat? (Again, be sure to ask what the quoted price includes and ask for the price on any items not included.)
Do you have any reduced-fee days for vaccinations or spay/neuter?
What do you charge for a office visit? Are the office visits less or more if the visit is for vaccinations only, it's just a check-up for the pet, or the pet is sick?
RUN don't walk from a vet who doesn't want to be up front with you about prices. Any good vet will happily give you the prices over the phone, will direct you to a website with listed prices, or will offer to e-mail you their price sheet.
If you really like a vet, but they charge more for a particular service, don't be afraid to ask if they'll price-match another vet. We plan on doing that. Our vet doesn't charge an office visit for vaccinations or fecal checks and only charges $10 for each vaccine. However, they charge close to $100 more than the lowest vet quote we got for a spay. We really like them, though...so we're going to ask if they'll match the other vet's price. They might say no, but they MIGHT say yes. It never hurts to ask; especially if you tell them that you really WANT to keep your business there.

Equipment such as pet bowls, a kennel and/or carrier, a leash, collar, beds, and toys can further up the cost of owning a pet. Don't forget that many people have had puppies who quickly grow out of their necessary supplies. You can often get puppy items on Freecycle for free. What you can't get there, you can likely get at a reduced cost on Craigslist. Just remember to properly wash any used kennels or carriers with bleach as that will kill parvo and keep your pet safe. You can throw stuffed toys, leashes, & collars in a hot washer to kill germs.

We've had Coco the Wonder Cat for years, but we're just entering the puppy realm with our lab. What have you done to save money on your pet?

How to Crate Train Your Child

2011-03-05T22:09:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you a little story.

It all started with a puppy. A tiny puppy.

Who clearly won our hearts.

We got her a kennel so she would have a place to sleep.

Let's try that again. We got her...the PUPPY...a kennel so she would have a place to sleep.

They think they're pretty clever. For the record, little ones can lock themselves inside kennels. Please, don't tell the CPSC. They might recall the kennel. The kennel which clearly some of my family members love.

Just for kicks and grins, we're going to try this one more time. We got the DOG a kennel.

Which eventually she was allowed to use too.

Our Family is Growing

2011-03-03T22:32:00.000-08:00

Her name is Sasha.

Westboro aka Why I'm Ashamed of Americans

2011-03-02T22:22:00.000-08:00

This isn't what you think it's going to be. No. Really. It's not. You might not even like me very much after I say what I'm going to say.

Americans...I am ashamed by you.

As if it wasn't enough that there were such deplorable people as those at Westboro Baptist...there are those who think themselves so much better than those at Westboro that they have the right to threaten to KILL those of Westboro simply because they do not agree with their speech or their actions.

Really, people? Really?

OUR response to people who are behaving in a reprehensible manner in the name of Christ...is to threaten to KILL them just because we don't agree with their speech or their actions?

Don't get me wrong. I DO think those of Westboro are behaving in a reprehensible manner. What they are doing is nothing close to Christ-like.

However, someone ELSE'S reprehensible behavior does not excuse OURS. And I DO find threatening to KILL someone utilizing an object that your 2nd amendment rights guarantee you JUST BECAUSE they are exercising THEIR 1st amendment rights to be reprehensible.

Here, I'll say it again. Reprehensible.

Voltaire once said, "I disagree with what you're saying, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." I find that appropriate here. I don't agree with what Westboro Baptist does or says, but I DO defend their Constitutional right to say it.

SOS Mom Saver: How To Minimize the Impact of Rising Produce Prices

2011-03-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Back in January, the big news was that a freeze in Florida had destroyed much of their crops. No biggie. They'll just import more from Mexico. And then the freeze hit Mexico and was so bad that it even took their greenhouse crops.

They say this could affect produce like green beans, eggplant, and asparagus. The hardest hit is expected to be on cucumbers, various squashes and peppers, and tomatoes. There's no panic expected here, but they do expect prices to go up significantly until they can re-grow the crops which could take as little as 60-90 days. In the meantime, we could expect that prices will go up on cucumbers, squashes, green beans, and tomatoes...all favorites that are frequently used at our house.

You can't do much about the fresh produce. If you want it, you'll have to pay the temporarily increased prices. However, you CAN take fresh produce that you get now and preserve it so you at least have that produce in a fresh-frozen form to use in cooking.

I actually do this a lot and it takes very little time and no special tools!

My favorite things to pre-dice are onions and bell peppers. I cut them as soon as I get them and toss them in the freezer in small baggies. When I am in a hurry but want the "fresh" produce, they're ready to go...and don't require any pre-processing!

Any other produce will require blanching before freezing, but that is incredibly simple. You cut the produce as you want it (shredded, diced, etc). Once the produce is cut, you throw it in a pot of boiling water. After boiling for the required amount of time, you submerge the veggies in ice water to stop the cooking process. Once that's done, you freeze. This gives you fresh-tasting veggies from the freezer. The "Southern Food" section of About.com gives detailed instructions on freezing just about any vegetable.

You can use glass jars to freeze things in (be sure to leave an inch of head space or empty room) or you can use baggies. (You can freeze them in portion-sized small baggies then put those small baggies in a gallon freezer bag to prevent freezer burn.)

This can not only help you keep those veggies in stock even if prices go higher for a bit, but will also save you time on prep later!

Legislation That Makes You Go...Um...WHAT?

2011-02-28T21:01:00.002-08:00

There are few things that leave me speechless. At times, I think I'm a woman of too many words. Then, I read House Bill 1 (2011) which was recently presented in the Georgia State Assembly by Georgia state representative, Bobby Franklin (R-43).

I have to say. When I first read this piece of legislation, I was impressed. Mr. Franklin did a fantastic job of fully supporting his position. That man definitely knows the Constitution of the United States. Impressive is an understatement.

And I agreed with him.

At first.

But then I kept reading.

Let me backtrack for a minute. I first became aware of this legislation because someone messaged me and asked me to look at it. She had heard things about it. She thought that surely what she were hearing wasn't true. She didn't know much about political things and bills and such, though...and wondered if I'd take a look at the bill. So I did.

What had she heard? That this piece of legislation (which is applicable to the state of Georgia only) would outlaw prenatal murder in all forms including abortion and spontaneous abortion otherwise known as miscarriage.

Wait. What?

I messaged her back. Yeah. I was pretty sure that someone had misread something and/or was blowing something WAY out of proportion. NO ONE would propose a law that DARED say that women who suffered from miscarriages had committed MURDER and were equal to women who CHOOSE to have their children killed. Still, I'd find the legislation and look it over just to be sure.

In my search for the bill, I found several people talking about it. They said that the bill wouldn't hold women who had suffered miscarriages responsible if THEY could prove that there was no human involvement in the miscarriage.

Again, surely these people were blowing something out of proportion. Surely they were. They HAD to be.

Right?

Sigh.

I wish I could come to you and tell you that what people aren't saying isn't true. I really wish I could.

Sadly, I cannot.

I truly believe that the author of this bill did not INTEND for his bill to be interpreted as it has. I HAVE to believe that. There's a saying when it comes to legislation, though. Don't leave ANYTHING up for debate or future interpretation. If you do so, then you are leaving it up to others who may or may not believe as you do to interpret things as they so desire within the confines of the law. There are too many open clauses. Too many "what-ifs". Too many things that are not clearly spelled out. Until those issues are fixed, I cannot support what I think is otherwise an excellently written piece of legislation.

(Lest someone bring up the fact that I don't currently nor have I ever live in Georgia...I believe that we should all be concerned about legislation in every state. What happens in one state tends to trickle down to the others. Plus, you never know when you or a family member may end up living in a particular state. I think it's prudent for us to keep abreast of other state's major issues as best we can.)

For those who thrive on the details (ahem...like me), I've got them below. To make this easier on myself, I'm just going to include the page number & line number. The bill's not incredibly long (just 10 pages total) so it should still be easy to read with that info even if they make some changes. My comments will be in bold italics.

(Page 3, Lines 118-120) "Such term does not include a naturally occurring expulsion of a fetus known medically as a 'spontaneous abortion' and popularly as a 'miscarriage' so long as there is no human involvement whatsoever in the causation of such event." (This part in read...what does that mean? Well...I know what it means and what I assume the author of the bill meant. Unfortunately, this isn't a clear definition. It leaves something open for interpretation. Who decides that there was no human involvement? How do you define human involvement? Who has to prove that there was no human involvement? I speak from experience here...when a woman has a miscarriage, she already questions everything. And I do mean everything as in every. single. thing. that she did to try & figure out why? Was it something she did? Something she didn't do that she should have? Could she have prevented it? There are some women who still have periods and/or don't have positive pregnancy tests until they're further along. They might drink, smoke, not take prenatals, have aspirin, ibuprofen, eat bad, not get enough sleep...and the list could potentially go on. The problem with the statement above, as written, is that it leaves the possibility out there that a woman could be jailed for a miscarriage if she unknowingly did something that could have...but didn't necessarily...cause the miscarriage. Like I've said before, if the possibility that something COULD happen in legislation then we have to assume that it WILL when determining whether or not to pass it as is.)

Please keep in mind that the above analysis doesn't even begin to cover this issue.

There are so many others that COULD come into play. What happens if a mom who lives and/or works in Georgia goes across state lines for an abortion that is legal in that state and is then charged with murder upon returning home. That one act could bring this issue before the Supreme Court...Constitutionally.

The bottom line, though, is that I don't believe this bill will pass as written. It might get through the house, but I doubt it would actually make it into law as written. I will be very surprised if it does.

What are your thoughts on this issue? What other issues do you think could arise from this legislation? Do you agree with it? Why? Why not?

Why I Will Never Make a "Good" Recipe

2011-02-25T20:04:00.000-08:00

The way to guarantee that I will never make your recipe on All Recipes is to classify it as the "Best Ever" or the "Most Outrageous" or "Tasty". Putting those words on the recipes implies that the end result MUST be good.

What happens if it's not?

I could just be normal and say the recipe was crap and was never good in the first place; let alone the "Best Ever". I could say that by "Most Outrageous" you actually meant...worst recipe anyone would ever make. I could assume that when you said "Tasty" you meant to the neighborhood dog.

The problem...is that I have issues. Normal has never come close to describing me. If the "Best Ever", "Most Outrageous", and "Tasty" recipe came out bad then I would assume that I had made a mistake. This assumption would confirm that I am the worst cook ever in the history of cooking. My self-esteem would take a nose-dive.

Look. I said I have issues. I don't kid about such things.

If you want me to try your recipe, label it as "Horrible", "Tasteless", "Bland", or "The Worst Recipe Ever". This almost GUARANTEES that I will try your recipe.

If I manage to make the end result edible, then I feel GREAT! I took something that was horrible and made it edible. Talk about an ego booster!

And FYI: If you tell me in the recipe that I "may NOT" make substitutions or that "no substitutions" are allowed, you have GUARANTEED that I WILL substitute. Just because I can. So take THAT! I don't EVER follow a recipe exactly as written so why would I allow you to DEMAND that I not substitute? Psh!

What? Don't look at me like that! I TOLD you I have issues! One of those issues happens to be over-analyzing recipes. And not doing what I'm told. And changing things just because I can.

God bless my family who eats my concoctions.

SOS Mom Saver: No More Hectic Mornings

2011-02-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

I'm fairly certain I don't need to detail how stressful mornings can be. If you have kids, you already know.   Years ago, I picked up a hanging shelf for the closet that significantly de-stressed our mornings.

I couldn't find the exact shelves that we use (each child has one), but it was a 7-shelf unit like this one at Walmart. However, they have the days listed (all 7) similar to this one on Amazon.   Ours have the velcro attachment like in the first one. I was worried about this at first, but it is surprisingly strong.

Of course, just having the shelves wasn't the convenience and time saver. We had to use them in a productive way in order for them to do that.

Every Saturday, the kids would pick out an outfit for each day of the coming week. (We hung any dresses or shirts that we couldn't fold right beside the unit.) At this time, I also confirmed that all outfits needed for weekly activities were clean and in their proper days.   For example, if my son had karate on Tuesday then his karate uniform along with any necessary supplies were put in his Tuesday section along with his "regular" clothes on Tuesday. On Sunday, we would put in church clothes and play clothes. On ballet day for the girls, they'd have their ballet shoes, leotards, and tights along with their "regular" clothes for the day.

When I say we put all of the clothes we would need in there, I really mean all. Underwear, socks or tights, and any special clothes were all put in their days. We also picked out a pair of pj's for them to wear for the week (or daily with extra sheets when I had a bed-wetter). If any uniforms or clothes were missing, we washed them right then. We didn't go to bed on Saturday until everything for the coming week was taken care of.

We homeschool so this pretty much took all stress out of our mornings. If there was any other prep needed for the next day (homework, lunches, snacks, etc), then we took care of that the night before.   These changes have made mornings virtually stress-free!

What do YOU do to save time and reduce stress in the mornings?

SOS Mom Saver: Save Money When Dining With Kids

2011-02-22T16:30:00.000-08:00

Dining out can be incredibly expensive! I would love to sit here and tell you that we never go out. We have gourmet meals at home every meal of the day every day of the week. (That sound you hear...is my husband laughing.)

In other words, it just doesn't happen all the time. When we DO eat out, though, we try to do so in as economical a way as possible. Namely, by eating at places where kids eat for free or for no more than $1.

But which restaurants offer these deals? When? What are the policies?

It would be wonderful to be able to list the free and cheap deals at every restaurant in every city.

Unfortunately, that would be nearly impossible as even within the same chain, the deal, day, & policy can vary.

Here's an example: Denny's in one city offers kids eat free on Saturday from 4pm-10pm. It is limited to 1 free kids meal with each adult meal purchased. In another city, Denny's offers kids eat free on Tuesday and Saturday from 4pm-10pm with no limit on the number of kid's meals you can get for free AND no requirement that the adult order a meal. They just have to order a food item. Same restaurant chain, VERY different policies.

Instead, I'm going to send you to the sites I go to when we travel or just move to an area. I always recommend that you call the restaurants in your area to confirm the deal, days for the deal, and all pertinent details. We also always double check by asking when we get there if that deal is still in place. That way, we can know before we're even seated and are free to leave if the deal has changed or is no longer in place.

There are several sites I reference because I have found that not one of them is 100% accurate. Each site has something that the others don't listed so to be safe, I check all of the sites. What I love about these sites is that rather than give a general, "Dennys has a kid's eat free night", they allow you to search by zip code &/or city so you can find deals for local restaurants as well.

Remember to ask if drinks are included before ordering them. They aren't always part of the kids meal when it's free even if they normally are. We always just order water if drinks aren't free. Because we're THAT cheap. (Or maybe it's just that the drinks are THAT expensive!)

Also remember that most of the "Kids Eat Free" promotions limit you to ONLY that deal so if you have another coupon or a Restaurant.com certificate, you'll be unable to combine it with the free kid's meal.

What else do you do to save money when eating out?

SOS Mom Saver: Chemical-Free WD-40

2011-02-17T16:30:00.000-08:00

I try to use as few chemicals as possible in our home. Hence my discovery of yet another homemade product!

A LOT of figuring out what will make a homemade product is first figuring out what's in the chemical product. (Example, the main ingredient in Windex is vinegar so you use vinegar to clean your windows.) WD-40 is pretty much a mix of oil & vaseline along with a bunch of other chemicals as preservatives.

What can you use instead?

Oil. Really, any oil will work (including the baby oil used in WD-40). I use olive oil because it's the cheapest oil that we have on hand. You CAN just use olive oil in a spray bottle. That's what I have always done. However, some will add 3 parts oil to 1 part water.

You can spray the oil on bike chains, squeaky hinges, basically anywhere you'd put WD-40. Our experience thus far has shown that it works just as well as WD-40 without the chemical additives!

Do you want to know a chemical-free homemade version of a particular product? Let me know. You can connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, comment here, or shoot me an e-mail at amy@thoughtsofTHATmom.com! I love hearing from you!

SOS Mom Saver: Freebies!!!

2011-02-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

People are clamoring for another freebies post...or so they tell me. Why haven't I done them in awhile? Because I haven't been shopping much! I've had a trip here or there, but we have been using most of our grocery money to restock our bulk goods many of which we were completely out of!

I'm not used to buying all of them at once so it was a big couple of months grocery-wise for us.

And now our stockpile of shampoo is running low! EEK! So back to the freebies we go!

CVS: (2/13-2/19)

Colgate Sensitive (6oz) or Total Advanced (5.8oz) $3.79 - ($1) mc (listed below) - ($3.79) ecb = FREE + $1 (lt. 2)

($1) DAY (Colgate Total)
($1) 2/6/11 ss (Colgate Sensitive)
($1) 1/30/11 ss

Listerine Zero (16.9oz) or Reach Total Care Floss (30yd) $3.99 - ($2) mc (listed below) - ($2) ecb = FREE + $.01 (lt. 2)

($2) 9/19/10 rp (Listerine Zero)
($2) 10/10/10 rp (Reach Total Care floss)

Speed Stick Stainguard Deodorant (2.3-2.7oz) $2.99 - ($.50) 1/30/11 ss - ($2) ecb = $.50 (lt. 1) (not free, but great deal if you're brand-sensitive)

Walgreens: (2/13-2/19)

Reach Total Care Toothbrush or Floss $2.99 - (mc listed below) - ($2) rr = Free $.01-$1.01

($2) 10/10/10 rp (Total Care floss)
($1) 10/10/10 rp (floss or toothbrush)

Quaker Quick One-Minute Oats (18oz) $1.50 - ($1) 1/2/11 rp = $.50 (not free, but a good deal for someone who's brand sensitive)
Walgreen's Brand Diapers $9.99 (b1g1f) - 2($2) infant care coupon booklet in stores = $3 a pack (not free, but a good deal for someone who can use generic diapers)

Walgreens: (2/20-2/26)

Rephresh ph Tampons $5.99 - ($1) ip - ($5) rr = FREE $.01

If you have any questions about a particular abbreviation or word, check out my coupon definitions. If you still can't find the answer, post here or shoot me an e-mail. Want to see the best grocery deals for your area? Check out Savings Angel. I use them when I'm short on time or not feeling well but still need groceries for the week.

We Fight aka A Valentine's Day Special

2011-02-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

Doesn't that sound all nice & "lovey"? We fight. We have disagreements. Yup. That's our dirty little marriage secret.

Fights, disagreements...they happen in EVERY marriage. There have also been the occasional times when I have felt like throwing my husband out the window. I know he's felt the same about me. (Especially when I'm hormonal. Thankfully, he knows better than to point that out when I am, though...)

What leaves us free to fight? Free to disagree? Free to occasionally feel like we want to throw the other out the window?

We're not going anywhere. We both know that a fight or disagreement doesn't equal divorce. It doesn't mean the other wants to leave or that the love is gone.

And there is comfort in that.

Don't get me wrong. We're not having "knock-down drag-outs" every day. Or...um...ever? But we do disagree. We're two different people of two different genders. We won't agree on everything. But that doesn't mean we don't love each other. It doesn't mean we don't want to be together. It just means that although we love each other, we're two different people and as such, won't always agree.

Now, we have had our tough times. Our trials. We've come to a point where a decision had to be made. Do we say that this difficulty equals impossibility? Or do we say that this will be difficult, but that it CAN be done? We CAN restore our marriage...and make it better than it was before. Thankfully, we both chose the later. We chose to face the difficulties head-on. To deal with them. So that we could move through them, and eventually past them. It wasn't easy. It was very hard. VERY hard. But it was worth it.

My heart breaks for so many today. So many who no longer have marriages because one or both of them chose to NOT face the difficulty. They chose to believe that difficulty means impossibility. They chose to not stick around to see that although it would have most definitely been difficult, it would have most likely been possible to restore their marriage.

What saddens me more is the expectation so many have of marriage. They have this misunderstanding that marriage will be all lilies and roses. That if you are "meant" to be married then you won't fight. You won't disagree. Things will always be peaches and cream. And, well...that's not reality. But because that's what so many expect, they never try. Marriages are never given a chance to survive because too many don't have a realistic view of marriage.

Here's reality: Marriage is HARD. You will not always agree. You WILL fight sometimes. There WILL be times when you want to run from the room screaming or throw your spouse out the window. But...you CAN learn to communicate. You CAN learn how to work through disagreements. You CAN build a STRONG marriage that survives.

Years ago, we went to a Family Life marriage conference. I remember them saying, "It's not IF you will fight because you will. It's HOW you fight." My how those words ring true. You WILL disagree. You just need to learn how to do it.

This coming June, we will have been married for 14 years, together for 16. I can honestly say that I don't regret even the tough times (which were very, very tough) because it's those times that have grown us as people and have made our marriage what it is today. I love you, babe.

SOS Mom Saver: Alternative Uses for Dental Floss

2011-02-10T16:30:00.000-08:00

WARNING!! WARNING!! If you are a dentist, a dental hygenist, a dental technician, play one of the aforementioned on TV, or dream of being one of the aforementioned professionals, you probably don't want to read further. Don't say I didn't warn you!

I fully and readily admit that I don't floss ~~at all~~ as the dentist recommends. I know. I'm a horrible person. I completely and totally understand if you'll now never want to read my blog again. Don't mind me. I'll be the blogger crying in the corner because she drove all of her readers away with her stark confession.

Since I no longer have any readers I guess now is a good time to mention that I'll be giving away a million dollars to the first reader to publicly admit that they're still reading. Of course it's a million dollars in Monopoly money, but who's counting? Especially now that I've admitted that I don't floss. At all.

However, I'm a super-couponer and as such have a ton of dental floss that I got for free. So...what do I do with dental floss if I don't floss my teeth? (I'm told I can't say or even insinuate that my family members also don't floss their teeth either. At all. So I won't. Ahem.)

Yes. I know. We're horrible people. This is why I told the dentists & other dental-type people to stop reading. Oh come on! I know I'm not alone! There are others of you out there. (Many who can't believe I actually said this "out loud". It's called "shame", people. And I have none.)

But I digress...

Where was I? Oh yes. What to do with dental floss that seems to have no "proper" use in our house.

Did you know that in a pinch, you could actually SEW with dental floss. Well you can. I've not yet tried it, but I intend to. The next time someone looses a button in my house, I shall sew it back on with dental floss. That way, we'll have the appearance of minty-freshness. Only it will be our clothes that will be minty fresh; not our teeth. And believe it or not, this is thought to be stronger than thread. It even works for repairing a tear in a play pen, a backpack, or an outdoor umbrella because it's stronger than your basic thread.

My best find so far, though, is using dental floss to cut soft cheese, a hot cake, or cheesecake. Seriously. It works, and does so much more cleaning & precisely than a knife.

Have a cookie or two that is just stuck to your pan & won't come off? Use dental floss. Slide it right under the cookie. It will loosen it without damaging the cookie like a spatula would.

My girls' favorite use? As string for necklaces. MUCH cheaper than "actual" jewelry string, but honestly, doesn't look or feel much different.

Have you ever used dental floss for other than it's intended purpose?

SOS Mom Saver: Never Have a Watered-Down Drink Again

2011-02-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

This is so amazingly simple that when I first heard it, I was baffled I hadn't thought of it myself. Really? That's IT?

Seriously. It's THAT simple.

Take whatever drink you're having & freeze some ice cubes with that drink. Use those ice cubes (made from the drink you're having) instead of "regular" ice cubes made from water in your drink.

If there is a drink like tea, a pop, or a flavored drink that you have on a regular basis, freeze a gallon-size baggie full of those ice cubes so they're always available when you want a drink.

See. I told you it was amazingly simple!

SOS Mom Saver: Natural, Chemical-Free Eye Make-up Remover

2011-02-03T16:30:00.000-08:00

I don't wear a lot of make-up. As a result, it didn't make much sense for me to have eye make-up remover on hand that would likely go bad between uses. Not only that, but I want to use as few chemicals as possible. Plus, if I find a use for something else in my house then that's one less product I have to buy & keep on hand.

The answer? Olive oil. I like to use what I already have on hand which is cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil. This is what we buy to eat and on the rare occasions when I wear make-up, it's what I use to remove my make-up. I have heard people talk about using coconut oil and almond oil for this purpose as well, but I have only personally tried using olive oil.

It's incredibly easy to use. Just put a little oil on a cotton ball, wipe it over your closed eye. After the make-up is off, use a warm wash cloth to wipe off any remaining oil.

Contrary to what many say, olive oil will not clog your pores. Chemical-laden, store-bought make-up removers are more likely to do that. (And ironically, they won't do as good a job of removing the make-up either.)

A bonus to using olive oil is that it conditions your lashes when it takes the make-up off which helps repair any damage done by the make-up itself.

SOS Mom Saver: How to Make Mustard

2011-02-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Part of being frugal for me means learning how to use up everything that I have in my house. I also want to learn how to do as much from scratch as I can simply because then I (and not some big corporation) control what goes into our food.

Don't get me wrong, there is a time and a place for everything; even pre-made foods. I do use store-bought, pre-made products when I get them free or get paid to take them through couponing. However, I still see a tremendous benefit in knowing how to make our own foods and even more...in learning how to use everything that we have in our house.

One particular item has been sitting unused in our house for nearly 14 years. It's a jar of mustard seed that came with the spice rack we got as a wedding gift. I realize that this seed may have lost some flavor because it's so old, but according to my research, it should still be good. So...what do I do with it? Logic would state that mustard seeds are used to make...oh gee...I don't know...mustard?

Remember, everything that we eat now was at one time or another made from scratch. So it can't be that hard, can it? Much to my delight, I found that making mustard from scratch is even easier than making ketchup or mayo from scratch which is saying a lot because those are both fairly easy to make.

The easiest way to make mustard involves only two ingredients:

Mustard seeds (There are several different types you can use each of which or the combination of which will give you a different flavor.)

Yellow will yield the least spicy & most traditional "mustard" taste
Brown will give you a dijon-type mustard taste
Black will give you the spiciest mustard
You can also combine the 3 mustards in various ways to create different tastes

Water

The instructions are equally as simple:

Grind the mustard seeds (ideally using a mortar & pestle or a coffee grinder, but if necessary a blender or food processor may be used)
Add enough water to the mustard seeds to create a paste of desired consistency

If you like thicker, spicier mustard then you'll use less water
If you like a thinner or less spicy mustard, you'll use more water

But...(you know there had to be a "but", right)...there are many different variations for mustard. Using just water will yield the spiciest mustard. This is part of what I LOVE about making things from scratch, though. I can change the flavor to suit my family's tastes.

The biggest way to change the flavor of mustard is by using vinegar instead of (or with) water to make the paste. The type of vinegar you use will change the taste of the mustard. There is "regular" distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, raw apple cider vinegar (which has a much stronger, more distinct taste), white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar.

There are also other ingredients you can add to your mustard in varying combinations. Here are several of them:

Salt (Here, the flavor can vary based on whether you use table salt, sea salt, or another type of salt)
Pepper (Freshly ground peppercorns will provide more flavor than pre-ground pepper.)
Turmeric (This spice has a "mustardy" smell & taste. It's used in mustard mainly to give it the "mustardy" color.) Is "mustardy" a word? I guess it is now.
Paprika (This is used in traditional store-bought mustard.)
Ginger (This will "spice-up" your mustard)
Garlic
Honey (You would use this for a honey-mustard. As if that wasn't obvious.)

It's not required, but if you want to really amp up the flavor, let the mustard sit in a glass jar in the fridge for 2 weeks before using it. This will allow the flavors to really come out. The mixture will keep for 3-6 months in the fridge.

I would recommend that you mix your mustards up in small batches (using only a tablespoon of mustard to start) until you find the flavors that your family likes best. This way, you won't feel terribly guilty about tossing the mixture if your family doesn't like it.

If you prefer not to eat the mustard seeds but still want to use them, you could put the ground mustard seeds in your socks to prevent cold feet in the winter. No. Really. That's apparently what they did in the "good ole days". Don't you ever wonder how people knew about neat tricks like that back before the internet? I'm just sayin'...

SOS Mom Saver: Saving Money on Fresh Produce

2011-01-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

Most of us have heard that the best way to save money on produce is to buy in season.

But what does that mean?

How do I know what's in season when? Does that mean in season here or in season in another state? Well...Yes.

The closer to the source of the produce, the cheaper it will be. If you're in California or Florida where they grow oranges, then they're going to be cheaper for you than if you're in Michigan. If gas costs are up, then those oranges are going to be even MORE expensive in Michigan.

The oranges are going to be cheaper for everyone when those oranges are in season because they grow with less assistance and in greater quantities when in season.

There are a lot of variables that can affect produce prices. A hurricane that wipes out the citrus crop in Florida is going to affect us all by raising prices or causing a shortage as would a flood, drought, or fire that destroys crops in California.

The bottom line, though, is that all other factors aside, buying when the produce is in season will save you the most money.

I couldn't possibly list what is in season in every area of the country every month. I could tell you some general guidelines to go by. For example, oranges and other citrus fruits will be in season in the winter, melons and berries will be in season in the summer, and apples and different squashes will be in season in the fall. Your BEST bet, though is finding out what produce is in season in your area. If nothing is currently in season in your area, find the state closest to you with in season produce and know that those items will be your cheapest buys.

Epicurious and Sustainable Table will give you a general idea of what is in season in your area each month. Local Harvest goes one better, though. It will direct you to farms in your area. Many of those farms list what they grow each season on Local Harvest. Even better, many will let you buy directly from them to save even more money. Plus, you'll be getting the produce directly from the source which is ALWAYS best!

If you can't buy directly from a farm in your area, check your grocery store sale ads. Typically, the produce that is currently in season will be the cheapest! In the summer, we stock up on berries when they're $.99 for 6oz to 1lb (depending on the berry) and freeze enough to get us through the winter.

This was our first cucumber ever!!!

And of course the BEST way to save money on fresh produce is to grow it yourself! I'm excited about learning the ins & outs of gardening in Vegas this year. It's always a little scary at first to start gardening; especially if you've never done it before. I promise you, when you see the fruits (literally) of your labor, the hard work will have all been worth it!

SOS Mom Saver: Homemade Deodorant

2011-01-25T16:30:00.000-08:00

We've been using homemade deodorant for over 2 years now. We love it. I've done a lot of research in this arena because our first batches of deodorant which included baking soda really irritated both of us.

There is a quick and simple spray deodorant recipe that many people like. We'll use it occasionally, but usually only when we're just hanging out at home as I don't find it to be as effective as some of the other recipes.

Spray Deodorant:

1 part vinegar or apple cider vinegar (either will work) (for example...1 cup, but this will vary depending on the size of your bottle)
1 part water (for example...1 cup, but this will vary depending on the size of your bottle)
Spray on after toweling off from the shower. Let it dry while you get dressed and you're good to go. You will NOT smell like vinegar once it dries. However, some smell will remain if you use apple cider vinegar.

Homemade "regular" deodorant:

3 tbs coconut oil
1 tbs cornstarch
Mix together (read below for variations & detailed instructions)
Put in a container to apply by hand or in an old deodorant container (more about that in a bit)
If you live in a hot climate or don't run your ac in the summer, you might need to keep your deodorant in the fridge in the summer.

Seriously...it's as easy as that!

There are some things that people add to help make it more effective for them. I encourage you to keep trying until you find the recipe that works for your family. Make small batches at first so you don't feel bad chucking it if it doesn't work out well. For example, we used to use baking soda. It gave both my husband and I a rash, though, so we had to ditch it.

Here are some variations to the "regular" deodorant recipe:

1 tbs baking soda (This was in the original recipe we used, but like I said, we just couldn't use it.)
1-5 drops of tea tree oil (This is anti-bacterial like the coconut oil. I recommend adding it slowly if you do as it can be irritating as well.)
Use cocoa butter or jojaba oil instead of coconut oil (I've never tried this, but many do with great success.) The point here is that it needs to be an oil that is solid at room temperature.
1-5 drops of an essential oil such as lavender (Again, use with caution and add slowly as all essential oils can be irritating...although tea tree oil is one of the worst.)

Tropical Traditions is my favorite coconut oil. I use the gold label for eating and the green label as a lotion, in my deodorant, as an antibacterial...pretty much everything but eating. I pictured the gold here only because my green bottle broke in our move and the gallon bucket of it just isn't as pretty as the jar. The best way to know if you're getting a quality coconut oil or not is that it should smell like coconut. If it doesn't, then it's been overly processed & likely posseses little (if any) nutrients.

You can use any old deodorant container for your deodorant. Just make sure that you wash it thoroughly. If you keep twisting on most containers, then the insert that supports the deodorant and allows it to move up and down should come out. Once it's out, you can properly clean both the insert and the remainder of the container. To replace the insert, just place it back on top of the plastic screw and twist from the bottom. The insert will re-attach itself. Go ahead and twist it all the way down to the bottom so it's ready when your deodorant is done.

There are a couple of ways to mix the deodorant. Some will tell you that you HAVE to liquify the coconut oil and then add the ingredients. I'm all about simplicity, though, so I wanted to know if you could mix it with the coconut oil still in a solid state. I have done so successfully many times since then. I don't know if other oils would be as pliable as the coconut oil is, though. You might have to liquify cocoa butter. I use a spatula to mix mine simply because I'll end up using a spatula to get it all out of the bowl and into the deodorant container. Why use a spoon AND a spatula when I can just use the spatula?

If you keep the coconut oil as a solid, you'll know it's fully mixed when it has the same consistency as icing. I don't know how well you can tell from the pic, but it's a pic of the coconut oil and corn starch fully mixed together and ready to go into the deodorant container.

Obviously, if you've liquified the oil, you'll just pour it into the container.

After I have all of the mixture in the container, I'll twist it up (if I've done a small batch) and try to even it out. (Although that's not necessary unless you're a perfectionist like me.) You can put it in the fridge to solidify or just let it sit and harden if your house is below 75 degrees.

Have you ever made homemade deodorant? Do you make any homemade personal products? I'd love to hear from you!

SOS Mom Saver: Using Your Water To Its Fullest

2011-01-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

Out here in the desert, water is a premium. I want to make sure that I make the best use of it. To make the best use of it, I want to make sure that no water goes to waste.

In our house, the biggest water waster is the shower. In the winter, we must run it for a couple of minutes in order for the water to warm up. Instead of letting that water (& the money it cost) go down the drain, I decided to make use of it instead.

Simply stick a bucket or a bin in the shower to collect the water. Remove the bin or bucket from the shower before you step in. Later, you can use this water to feed your animals or water your garden. If you've collected it in a food-grade bucket, you can even use it as drinking or cooking water!

Another favorite way to save water is to collect rain water in a barrel. This makes perfect plant water! Plus, if there are restrictions on watering in your area then the barrel gives you the ability to water your lawn, garden, or flower bed even during a restricted time.

Do you save any of your water? How do you save your water & what do you use it for?

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-01-14T15:30:00.000-08:00

I would have thought that you'd have learned with facebook. You left your blog signed in. I'm taking over.

Well, mom, you're turning 34 29 today! I just thought I 'd wish you a happy birthday and say I love you!

-Kirstie Faith (aka Tootsie :-)

Using Coupons & Saving Money on Groceries Part 5: Where Do I Find Coupons?

2011-01-12T11:19:00.000-08:00

What good is knowing the coupon policies at your stores and how to handle any problems you may encounter while couponing...if you don't have coupons? They're kind of an important part of couponing!

So where do you get coupons?

The easy answer to that question is to buy the paper every week. However, that is not the only way to get coupons...and there are even specific papers you can buy to increase the likelihood that you'll get good, high-value coupons.

So...Where do you get 'em?

Buy a paper (of course).

If you have a choice, you should get a bigger city paper like the Chicago Tribune or the LA Times. These papers are going to be more likely to have higher-value coupons (and more coupons period).
The big thing to remember when buying papers is to check for the coupons BEFORE you buy them. This is VITAL. There's nothing worse than paying for a paper (or several) only to find out you didn't get the coupons you paid for.
Some papers will offer a discount if you buy multiple subscriptions. Call & ask. The bonus here is that they'll deliver the papers to you! (But it also means you get the paper even on weeks when there are no coupons. And it's up to you to follow-up with the paper if you happen to not get coupons in one (or more) of your papers on an given week. (Before subscribing, make sure that the paper still includes the coupons in their delivered editions. Some don't.)

Buy whole inserts from a place such as Coupons and Things by Dede.
Buy just the individual coupons from a place like The Coupon Clippers.
Get coupons on Ebay (I wouldn't recommend going with any seller who has less than a 100% rating with no negative reviews.)
"Blinkie" coupons which are right by the products in the stores (These are the coupons with the red borders that are right on the store shelves. They used to be in red machines that blinked (hence the name). In many areas, however, they're now in cardboard boxes.)
Booklets in the stores. Some of these will be up at the front right by the ads. Others will be on special displays throughout the store.
Catalina coupons

These are the coupons that print out at the register at your grocery store
They're called "Register Rewards" at Walgreens, but these are also Catalina coupons
Check with your local grocery store to see if they will take a Catalina coupon that printed at another store (even Walgreens) in their store. If they say "manufacturer coupon" on them, then many grocery store chains will take them. (Those that I know do take Catalina coupons even if they weren't printed in their store include Kroger/Smiths/Food-4-Less & other stores in that chain, Albertson's/Jewel & other stores in that chain, Vons/Dominicks/Safeway & other stores in that chain, Family Fare & other Spartan chain stores, Meijer, Publix, & Walmart if it's off a specific product.) Don't be afraid to ask. The worse they can say is no.

Call or e-mail companies for your favorite products (or ones you're brand-sensitive on) and ask them for coupons.
Go to online sites to print coupons:

Go to the website for your local grocery stores. Many of them offer printable coupons. Here are a few:

Go to the website for your favorite companies. Many of them offer printable coupons. Examples:

Load coupons onto your store card. You can do this from many store websites as well as from these 3rd party companies:

The above sources are not an extensive list of everywhere you can go. The number of places to get coupons is far too numerous for me to put them all here. They are merely a starting point to help you know where to find coupons.

Be sure to check out the previous posts in this series:

Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 1: Don't Be a Brand Snob
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 2: Know Your Coupon Policies
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 3: What if I Have a Problem?
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 4: Store Cards

SOS Mom Saver: Make Plastic Wrap Easier To Use

2011-01-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

I have always gotten SO frustrated with plastic wrap! It's so hard to manage and sticks to itself and (it seems) everything else BUT the dish I actually want it to stick to! There are easier-to-use options like Press & Seal wrap, but it's often more expensive for less product.

Not what this frugal mom wants!

I have seen ideas like using a big rubber-band & cloth napkins or dish towels as more frugal (and reusable) plastic wrap options. Those are great ideas if I don't have any plastic wrap on hand.

However, I do occasionally get some for free. And when I get something for free, I stock up! Which means I have a lot of frustrating stickiness on hand.

So...how to make the "real" stuff easier to handle?

Put it in the freezer. No. Really. It's THAT simple. Keep your plastic wrap in the freezer, pull it out & tear off what you need then throw it back in for next time. It makes it amazingly more easy to handle!

Sometimes I'm amazed at how simple the solution to a problem is!

Using Coupons & Saving Money on Groceries Part 4: Store Cards

2011-01-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

You're almost ready to get coupons. I'll tell you where to get them in the next segment in this series.

When finding out the coupon policies at your stores, you should have found out if they require you to have a store card to get the sales.

If one or more of your stores requires a store card and you haven't signed up for it yet, you should do that now. You'll need it in order to get some of the coupons I'll tell you about later this week.

While most stores do allow you to sign up for their card online, I HIGHLY recommend that you do so in store. Signing up in store gets you a card right away. I personally recommend putting the card on your key chain. Anyone who knows me in "real life" knows that I follow this advice. My keychain proves it!

As soon as you get home with all of your cards, you should then go online to the store's website to register your card online. This will allow you to take advantage of any digital coupons offered.

Once you've done this, you'll be ready for Part 5 and on your way to saving money with coupons!

Be sure to check out the previous posts in this series:

Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 1: Don't Be a Brand Snob
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 2: Know Your Coupon Policies
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 3: What if I Have a Problem?
Using Coupons and Saving Money on Groceries Part 5: Where Do I Find Coupons?

Using Coupons And Saving Money On Groceries Part 3: What If I Have a Problem?

2011-01-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

I'm sure as you can tell by now, I am all about being prepared. Before you jump in 100% to couponing, you should have all of your ducks in a row. You need to know the couponing policies at your stores...and you need to know what to do should you have any problems at the store.

I would love to tell you that you will never encounter a problem using coupons. I really would. Unfortunately, I can't. You might get lucky. You might be in a wonderful area where everyone loves and supports coupon use. I have lived in one of those areas before. You might not, though. If you're not in one of those "coupons are awesome" areas, then you need to know what to do should you encounter a problem.

The most important thing to remember if you do encounter a problem is that you want to shop at this store again. You don't want the cashiers to run and duck for cover when you walk in. You want to be the person that they know coupons...and will be polite and respectful should there be a problem. The person that they, inevitably, come to and ASK about how to use coupons. (Which they WILL eventually do after they see your savings week after week.) Be THAT person...not the one who hollars, screams, huffs and puffs, and is an embarassment. I know it can be frustrating to encounter problems, but handling it the right way...through the proper channels..means that you will have a successful, long-term couponing career at that store.

Also, remember that the cashier is likely doing as they were trained. If there's a problem, it's not typically at the cashier level. There's usually a problem higher-up with a manager who doesn't understand the store's coupon policy.

If you have a problem...call and ask for the manager explain that you talked to "Mary" (or whomever you talked to), have an e-mail from corporate with the written policy, or have a print-out of the policy posted online (whichever applies). Ask what the two of you can do in the future to ensure that all cashiers are aware of the policy so that customers like yourself no longer have delays when checking out which then causes delays for non-couponing customers also.

Anytime I encounter a problem with coupons, I am always polite and respectful. I don't push an issue unless I know 100% that I am right. If I'm not sure, then I'll ask for a manager and let them know that I'm not sure. If they still say no...then I respect that and either buy the product anyway or let them know that I'm no longer interested in the product.

If, however, I am 100% sure that I am right, then here is my chain of command with couponing issues (I pretty much keep going until I have fully resolved the issue.):

While in the store:

Ask for the manager (whether or not I have a written copy of the policy with me). (if still no resolution...)

And I do NOT have written proof of their policy with me then I ask for the name of the manager I talked to, leave my merchandise there (unless I would have purchased it anyway without the deal or coupon), thank them and leave.
And I have the written proof of their policy with me:

Then I will ask for his/her manager. (if still no resolution...)

Then I'll ask for THEIR manager.

If there is a higher manager and I still get no resolution then I ask for THAT manager's name, the store director's name, and the store phone #. Unless I would buy those items anyway without the deal or coupon then I leave my merchandise there, thank them and leave.
Often, however, at this point you'll be told that there isn't a higher manager. This is VERY likely to happen. If this happens, I ask for the name of the highest manager I talked to, the store director's name, and the store phone number. Again, unless I would buy those items anyway without the deal or coupon then I leave my merchandise there, thank them and leave.

If I didn't receive resolution in the store (whether I was able to obtain a written copy of their policy or not), then I do the following:

Call the store and ask for the store director (or ask for him by name).

If I never could get a written copy of the coupon policy then I ask for one now explaining how it could perhaps help everyone if the policy was in writing. Explain my frustration at trying to follow their policy...but not knowing what it actually is.
If I have a written policy, then explain the situation and how I felt it wasn't honored. Ask what can be done to ensure that all of the cashiers know the policy and how we can solve the issue I had while there (saying that I'd LOVE to come back in and make my purchase).
If everyone I encounter (cashiers, managers, etc) was polite and respectful even when there was a problem, then I make sure to point that out and thank the store director for that. I might also say what I like about the store (good gluten-free or organic selection, great sales, etc) and how I really want to resolve this so I can continue shopping there.
Then I'll confirm the store director's name and title (get it if I don't have it) and ask if there's anyone above him at the store (there shouldn't be). Whether or not I feel like there was an acceptable resolution, I'll then ask for the name and number of the district or regional manager (whoever is next up the chain) for reference and/or to give compliments if I feel the resolution up to this point has been acceptable. I always remain polite and respectful...even if they aren't (and then later vent in frustration to my husband usually...bless his heart). (if still no resolution...)

I call the district or regional manager (whoever is next up the chain):

Often they'll tell you that they'll redirect your concern to the store director. I always make sure to tell them that I have already spoken to the store director giving them his name and summarizing my conversation with him if it's still not resolved. Regardless, I'll let them do their job in the way that they think they have to...even if they DO ultimately redirect me back to the store manager.
Make sure you tell them what you expect them to do or what an acceptable resolution is to you.
If you don't have a written copy of the policy yet...ask for it again at this level.
If you do have a written copy, explain where it wasn't honored and ask how the cashiers and managers will be educated so that you don't face delays at the register which also holds up non-couponers and reflects poorly on the store.
If the cashiers and managers up to this point have been polite and respectful (even if the issue wasn't resolved)...then say that and thank them for that. (If still no resolution...)

I call the district or regional manager back:

I explain that this is my 2nd call to them and that the previous attempt at resolution was unsuccessful (usually this happens if they simply threw the case back at the store director who was already unsuccessful at resolving the issue).
Remind them that you spoke to the store director before calling them the 1st time, then they redirected it back to the store manager who had already not successfully resolved the issue and that you'd now like it handled by the district/regional office themselves.
As before, make sure you tell them exactly what the problem was and how you expect it to be resolved.
Again...if you've received polite and respectful treatment (even if the issue wasn't resolved), then tell them that and thank them for it. (If still no resolution...)

Then I'll call customer service (the corporate number you can find online at their website).

They'll usually point you back to the district/regional office and/or store director so it's very important to let them know what attempts you have made thus far at resolving the issue.
Again...be very clear about the issue and your expected resolution...and ask again for a written policy if you still haven't received one.
Don't forget to compliment the store and tell them if the cashiers and managers you have spoken to thus far have been polite and respectful (even if they haven't resolved the issue). (If still no resolution...)

E-mail customer service. The first e-mail I'll send will be through their website usually. However, when I e-mail, I compliment them if necessary, detail the issue and my expected resolution, detail every attempt I have made thus far at resolving the issue. I'll usually write this e-mail in Open Office then save it. I'll copy and paste it into my e-mail. This way, I also have a written copy on MY end...that I can use again should I encounter a problem with this or a different store in the future.

I'm sure this all can seem overwhelming. I'm simply trying to help those who are lost when they encounter a problem know what they should do to find a resolution.

I'm as detailed as I am because I want to make sure that I have done everything in my power before I give up on that store. Usually, though, following the proper channels in a polite, respectful manner resolves the problems at that store.

Be sure to check out the previous posts in this series:

Using Coupons Part 1: Don't Be a Brand Snob!
Using Coupons Part 2: Know Your Coupon Policies

SOS Mom Saver: Get Smells Out Of Your Fridge

2011-01-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

Every once in awhile, something gets lost in the dark and dreary corner of our fridge.

And it smells.

Bad.

And sometimes, I think even a truck load of baking soda wouldn't help. Which is when I pull out the big guns: Charcoal. As in the charcoal you would use to grill outside. Just plain old, non-"enhanced" charcoal. (In other words, don't put charcoal that was bathed in lighter fluid in your fridge.)

You just put a couple of briquettes in a bowl in your fridge. Leave them there. If the smell is bad, I'd put a couple on each shelf. They will absorb the odors & help keep your fridge smelling good until you find the culprit.

You can use this all the time instead of baking soda for odors in your fridge. Just change the briquettes out once a week!

SOS Mom Saver: Get Hard Water Stains Off Your Dishes!

2011-01-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

If you live in an area with hard water then you TOTALLY know what I'm talking about. You put your dishes in the dish washer only to have them (it seems) come out looking dirtier than when they went in.

Sure you can hand wash your dishes and prevent a lot of the problem, but who wants to do THAT all the time? (Answer...NOT me!!)

Do I hear some of you out there who know our family quite well snickering? You're thinking, "Wait...she doesn't do the dishes in her home!" And you would mostly be right. When I'm cooking or baking, I actually do a fairly good job of cleaning up after myself including washing dishes as I use them. Everything that I wash is hand-washed. I don't mess with the dishwasher. My husband does that! Still, I have to use the dishes that he washes in the dish washer & BOY HOWDY do they come out needing help in this hard water!

There are a couple of ways to clean dishes with hard water. The easy (but not nearly as effective) way is to put a cup of vinegar in the dishwasher & run a load of clean (other than the hard-water stains) dishes. Don't put soap or anything else in; just the vinegar. However, it may take a couple of loads to get them all clean.

The other way is to fill your sink with vinegar & drop in the clean dishes with hard-water stains. Let them sit overnight. In the morning, rinse & dry them. Viola! They'll be clean!

You can help prevent the hard-water stains by using vinegar as your rinse aid all the time. Just put it where you normally would the (expensive) store-bought rinse-aids. A bonus to using the vinegar as a rinse-aid is that it also helps keep your dishwasher lines clear and free of gunk! Some people also add a lemonade packet (without anything added) to their detergent mix to help with hard-water stains. I have not personally tried that, though.

Some people have reported that their water is so hard that vinegar just in the rinse-aid container isn't enough. They actually add from 1/2 cup to every load of dishes to keep them clear. Others say that they just add that 1/2 cup all the way up to a full cup every 3-5 days & that this in addition to the vinegar as a rinse aid is enough to keep their dishes clear..

Bible Reading Plans

2011-01-01T00:02:00.000-08:00

Last week, Gary & I talked on the air about different Bible reading plans. Anytime I get a new "smart" phone, one of the first things I always do is download the free Bible onto it. The software I use from You Version includes tons of options including a Bible search feature and TONS of different Bible reading plans (that's a direct link to them) from time-based plans (like reading the Bible in 90 days) to individual studies on certain topics and even "overview" plans like the "essential 100".

What I love about this software is that once I create an account (for free), my information is saved and I can start right where I left off should I get a new phone. Plus, I can access & update the info online just as I do on my phone.

And I would like to take this time to give a shout out & say thank you to Life Church TV for providing this resource. They do it for free so that people can have better access to the Bible and the resources they need to study it. How awesome is THAT?

Disclaimer: I am not in anyway affiliated with Life Church TV or You Version. They didn't ask me to write this review. I'm certain they probably don't even know about it. I just love and have utilized their product for close to 3 years now.

And a Child Shall Lead Them

2010-12-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

So...life...happened. And then?

My ever-wise son (truly...the child is wise beyond his years) looked at me and said, "Mama, are you saying there's no more hope?" I looked at him. Speechless. I hear his voice again, "Mommy, with God there's always hope. We can't give up hope."

And what do you say to wisdom like that?

SOS Mom Saver: How to Use Up Everything In Your Kitchen

2010-12-30T16:30:00.000-08:00

http://www.supercook.com/We've all had that random can of food that has been stuck in the back of our pantry for months. Perhaps you purchased it for a special dish that you never made. Or..you're a super-couponer like someone I know & got paid to take something home...but don't quite know WHAT to do with it. Or maybe you're just having a tight month. You have GOT to make the most out of every ingredient in your kitchen. But how?

(imagine cheesy movie-announcer voice) SuperCook to the rescue!

No. Really.

SuperCook is a cook's best friend!

You can enter in ANY ingredient (or several) into their recipe search. It will give you a list of what items you can cook with that ingredient. It will start with the recipe(s) that require nothing BUT what you entered. If what you entered alone can't make a meal, it will give you results starting with recipes that require the least amount of ingredients to those that require more.

You can also add exclusions so that the recipe results that come up will only be those that fit with your family's dietary needs. (For example, ours says no shellfish because I have an allergy, no gluten because our daughter has an allergy, & no soy because it's a migraine trigger for me. If I'm cooking for others, I'll often remove the gluten exclusion.)

When you enter an ingredient, it will also ask if you have other items that would be useful for creating recipes with that ingredient. It might help you remember that you have butter, olive oil, or a specific spice...but forgot to add them.

I think my favorite feature for those on a budget, though, is the "shopping list" which you can get if you sign up (for free). You enter the ingredients that you have on hand & they'll give you suggestions for what you should buy to make the most of the ingredients you already have on hand.

Seriously AWESOME site!

(Non-necessary but necessary disclaimer: I don't have any kind of a relationship with SuperCook other than the fact that I love their site and they don't appear to mind. They didn't compensate me for this review or ask me to do this review. In fact, I'm fairly certain they don't even know about its existance. If, however, they would LIKE to compensate me for this review, I would not be opposed to that & would be happily willing to change my disclaimer.<-------That's a hint, SuperCook!)

Let's Talk Christmas!!!

2010-12-28T16:30:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas clearance...but that's almost like a second Christmas to me!

Now is the time to think about Christmas NEXT year. Do you need more ornaments? Garland? Lights? A new tree? Look NOW for what you'll need next year! You can save at least 50% in most cases and sometimes as much as 75% or 90% off the regular sale price of an item!

Don't just think about Christmas, though. Think about gifting throughout the year. Need wrapping paper? A spiderman lover isn't going to question snowflake-shaped webs on his wrapping paper (I speak from experience). Look for character paper with as little "holiday" flare as possible for birthday gifts in the coming year. Don't forget to also stock up for wrapping for next Christmas as well! You'll also find gift boxes, gift bags, tissue paper, & tape on clearance. Yes...even tape!

Not only that, you'll find holiday-themed anything on clearance. From dishes to baggies to clothes and non-holiday food items that simply have a holiday-themed package. And don't forget the toys! You'll only see lower clearance prices on toys (from 15%-30% off) until the major Christmas clearance is done. After that, stores hit the toys hard! They very quickly go from that 15% mark to 50% off & from there to 75%-80%; depending on the store...and at some stores, they'll hit their biggest percentage off as soon as the middle of January! This clearance happens MUCH more quickly than most of their toy clearances.

Above all, though, remember that it's not a savings if you don't have the money...so plan appropriately, but don't go into debt just to "save" in the future. If you don't have the money in cash...it's not a deal!

What We're Reading: Devotionals

2010-12-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

In my (oft-humbled) opinion, it doesn't matter what we use (or if we use anything) so long as we're reading the Word of God. I also don't think God puts a time or verse requirement on us. He just wants us to spend time with Him. To have a relationship.

Right now, I'm reading "Bad Girls of the Bible and What We Can Learn from Them" by Liz Curtis Higgs.

I'm only part-way into the book, but so far, I'm really enjoying it. There are also other books in the same series including "Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible: Flawed Women Loved by a Flawless God" and "Really Bad Girls of the Bible: More Lessons from Less-Than-Perfect Women". They also have workbooks that correspond to each of the books. Based on the first book, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series as well.

My girls have been working in the God & Me Devotional series for quite awhile. Both of them as well as my son asked for new devotionals for Christmas. How can a mom say no to a request like that? (She can't.)

We're getting our son one of the first boy's devotionals in the "God & Me" series. I'm really excited, though, about what we're getting the girls. We found them a devotional that goes in-depth into the book of Proverbs and applies the book to the lives of tween & pre-teen girls. PERFECT! This sounds like something they'll BOTH love...and something that will really help develop their character and as they grow into young ladies.

The devotional is called "Between God and Me: A Journey through Proverbs".

If you're interested, you can actually read parts of all of the books I've listed above on Amazon. (If you click on the links I provided above and then purchase the books after clicking on those links then I will get affiliate credit for your doing so. However, the links are provided for your convenience and you should feel no obligation to purchase through those links. While I do purchase many items (and some books) Amazon, I utilize Half.com or Paperbackswap for most of my book purchases.)

I pray you have a very Merry Christmas!

SOS Mom Saver: Wrapping Paper Scraps & Other Useful Ideas

2010-12-23T16:30:00.000-08:00

At first, today's Mom Saver was going to be quite simple. What can you do with those extra scraps of wrapping paper? Simple. Easy Peasy. You use them as gift tags. Ingenious, right? You don't have to buy gift tags (which if you do buy them are only $1 for 100 of them at the Dollar Tree), AND you are a wise steward of the money you spent on the wrapping paper by using up every last bit of it.

Of course, you can avoid wrapping paper altogether and utilize one of my creative gift wrapping ideas.

Those times when you do decide to utilize "real" wrapping paper, however, you want to use it to it's fullest.

But here's what happened. I had an epiphany. I'm The Mom Saver!!! (Picture a "Super-Mom" with a cape made of receipts.) Or not. You know. Whatever.

Anyway, I'm The Mom Saver. I can come up with something BETTER than utilizing your wrapping paper scraps for gift tags. I can find ways to re-use your OLD wrapping paper! Yes! By golly! I'll DO IT!

Except that when I started searching for ideas, I came up with...well...some...interesting finds...

Of course there's the practical "You can make a bow" instructions which I'm sure would be incredibly helpful for someone who wants to take the time to do that. But those instructions looked incredibly time-consuming and intense. And I'm all about simplicity right now.

No fear, though. There were some...ahem...other...ideas...

My favorite? Utilizing foil wrapping paper as home-made solar panels. No. Really. I actually saw that. I'll give some chocolate to the person who actually tries that idea...and gets it to work. Heck...I'll even take you coupon-shopping with me. Trust me. It's funner (is that a word?) than it sounds. Much more funner. There. That's better.

Still, that idea takes work. And climbing a roof. Neither of which really appeals to me right now. (At least not like sitting around eating chocolate appeals to me.)

My favorite idea, by far, is utilizing wrapping paper as snow. I know some of you actually have snow on the ground in your house. Still, you can use this idea. Because really, who wants to go outside in the snow & get all cold just to have a snowball fight? And bringing the snow inside just isn't the same because then you have to clean up the mess. (There's that work thing again...and if it doesn't involve sitting & chocolate right now...Just sayin'...)

So what do you do? Wrapping paper snowballs! Viola! Genius! You ball up the wrapping paper & throw it at each other. I know. I'm a veritable genius.

Disclaimer the legal department (husband) forced me to put up: Before throwing wrapping-paper snowballs, please make sure to remove all breakable items from the home. (Bah humbug! Where's the fun if you're not trying to dodge a family heirloom?) Also, it is not recommended that you throw any wrapping paper snowballs at any faces. And also...we're not responsible for any injuries or broken items as a result of your fun. So basically...play at your own risk. (Look...I know the guy's no fun. What can I say? He wanted to shoot SANTA tomorrow! And what can you say to a guy like that?)

Another Word About X-mas

2010-12-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

I must first apologize. I was wrong. I didn't lose any subscribers this year because of my X-mas post. Not one. Perhaps you guys are just used to me now?

I did want to clarify, though, for a couple of people who sent me e-mails. I was NOT saying by my X-mas post that we shouldn't celebrate Christ or His birth at Christmas. Not at all! I was only saying that we, as Christians, shouldn't beat each other up over this.

There WAS a valid reason that "X" was used instead of Christ "back in the day". Christmas WASN'T the actual birth day of Christ. That doesn't mean that we can't choose to celebrate His birth then, though...or any other day for that matter. Just know, that when people say that wasn't when Christ was actually born, that they're right...but you can still choose to celebrate then should you so desire (we do).

But please, pretty please, please with a cherry on top...eh. Forget that! Please with chocolate on top. Just don't call another Christian unChristlike or say that they're taking Christ out of Christmas just because they used "X-mas".

I mean really! Use that time to go feed the homeless or buy a gift for a child on the Angel Tree. Or something. Anything. Seriously. Nearly anything would be a better use of your time than attacking another Christian over something.