Freebie Friday: April 27, 2007

Don't forget to download your free menu planner & grocery list for the week!

If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to read our article on internet safety and your children. It is an important piece that you shouldn't miss!

Health & Beauty:

Try 24 hour fitness for 10 days. Free. To get this special deal fill out the form and select a club near you.

To receive a FREE* Trial Pair Certificate for ACUVUE® ADVANCE™, ACUVUE® OASYS™, ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ for ASTIGMATISM, ACUVUE® 2, ACUVUE® 2 COLOURS™, ACUVUE® BIFOCAL, or 1•DAY ACUVUE®, please fill out the form.

Register with AMBIEN CR & Receive a Free Trial.Why spend another sleepless night? Sign up now and receive 7 days of prescription of AMBIEN CR free and talk to your doctor to find out if AMBIEN CR is right for you.

Thousands of women have tried Olay Total Effects and have fallen in love with our moisturizer. We think you'll love the age-defying benefits, too. If you would like to try a free sample of Total Effects, just fill out the brief questionnaire.

These lathering, dual-textured cloths fight seven signs of aging as they cleanse, condition, exfoliate, and remove makeup. Olay Total Effects Daily Cleansing Treatments have a smooth side that infuses skin with the Olay Vitamin Lipid System (Vitamin E, Pro-Vitamin B5, and lipids). They also have a textured side that exfoliates to reveal newer skin. If you would like to try a free sample of Total Effects Daily Cleansing Treatments, just fill out the brief questionnaire.

Sign up to receive a free seven day sample of Move Free Advanced.

Try a sample of Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely Perfume.

Entertainment:

Join Regal Crown Club and earn rewards for going to the movies. Free movies, popcorn, soft drinks and more!

If you live near one of the selected cities, you can get passes to an advance screening of Shrek 3 to be held in May 2007.

Receive a free one-year subscription to ShowBoats International Magazine. ShowBoats International sets the editorial and marketing standards for the luxury yacht industry and dominates the market of exclusive yachts. No publisher in the world understands the megayacht market better than ShowBoats International! You will NOT receive any additional magazines and you do NOT have to cancel a subscription. We will not be accepting feedback on this magazine. This subscription to ShowBoats International has been purchased on your behalf by Restaurant.com.

To get your complimentary one-year subscription to Home Business Magazine (and to find out what FREE trade magazines you could receive), simply complete the following information.

Get a complimentary subscription to Western Outdoors Magazine for one year. Just fill out the survey.

Receive 18 free issues of Boating Life: Boating Life is the authority on recreational boating. Inevery issue of Boating Life, you'll find new product reviews, sound advice on buying a boat and tips for maintaining your boat. From deck boats and run-abouts to skiboats, fishing boats and pontoons, Boating Life is like the knowledgeable friend you consult before buying that brand-new model, tackling that maintenance project, getting water-sports gear ofr the kids or planning the dream boat trip.

Join the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program. Fostering a love of reading and its rewards, the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program is popular with both students in the first through sixth grades and educators throughout America. Last summer, we provided 190,000 free books and participants read 2.3 million books! This year, children can join Jack and Annie from Mary Pope Osbourne’s Magic Tree House on their summer adventure as part of their own journey in our Summer Reading program.Participation is fun and easy for kids to earn free books! They simply read any eight books — library books, books borrowed from friends or books bought at Barnes & Noble — write about their favorite part, and bring a completed Summer Reading in the Magic Tree House Journal tear page to a Barnes & Noble bookstore. Children can then choose from a list of paperback books. We’re confident there will be plenty of titles they will like.

Have your children start a lemonade stand for charity. To request your free Sunkist Take a Stand Kit please fill out the pledge form.

Families, schools, and organizations alike are invited to see great kids’ movies -- for FREE -- during AMC Summer MovieCamp®. Available at select AMC Theatres, this fun-filled program brings you: FREE movies from June 27 – August 15*. Shows starting at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday. A great opportunity for field trips – start planning today. Groups can reserve tickets for all seven weeks of movies, starting on June 20. Check back soon to see our film lineup and download fun kid’s activities like word searches, art projects, and more. AMC KidsPack™ are also only $3.00 for one small drink, one small popcorn, & kids’-size snack. Participating cities are listed on their site.

Get a free book! LIVING BEYOND THE LIMITS: A LIFE IN SYNC WITH GOD. God wants you to experience life to its fullest…but rather than experiencing peace, joy, and excitement, maybe hints of emptiness, boredom, and frustration nag at you. Maybe you find yourself asking, “Is this all that life has to offer?”In Living Beyond the Limits, Franklin Graham focuses on God’s principles and promises essential to a full life. He relates real-life examples of men and women who have put God’s Word in to practice under some of the most challenging circumstances imaginable. You’ll be amazed by their stories. You’ll also be stirred and challenged as never before. Limit one per household. Book shown is hardback, but shipped copy will be paperback.

Food:

Host a Pepperidege Farm Spring Dessert House Party. If selected as a host, you’ll get...Samples of Pepperidge Farm Black & White Milano, Chessmen, and other cookies to taste, exclusive coupons to purchase more cookies for your party, ribbon and decorative cellophane to make take-home favors, online dessert recipes and party-planning tips, a free party website, where you can send invites, share photos and videos, and interact with partygoers nationwide & the chance to create and submit your own dessert recipe, featuring Pepperidge Farm cookies, to be spotlighted on Artofthecookie.com

Pet Needs:

Receive a free four pack of The Original Scoopex Pooper Scoopers.

The Dollar Stretcher Tips 04.26.2007

For a sample copy of The Dollar Stretcher newsletter, send $2 to: Dollar Stretcher Sample, 6695 Cortez Road W., Bradenton FL 34210. Copyright 2007 Dollar Stretcher, Inc. Visit The Dollar Stretcher for even more tips & ideas!

Designated Shopper

I try to stay out of the grocery store after I have done my weekly shopping. If I do go for a loaf of bread, I wind up spending much more. To solve this problem, I have my husband go instead. He hates grocery shopping so much that if I send him for bread, he will run in and come right back out with a loaf of bread. It's kind of funny really, but it's also great for the budget.
Janet S.

Cheaper Futon Cover Choices

We have a futon in our loft that serves as extra seating as well as a makeshift spare room for guests. The covers can be very expensive, but I have found two great alternatives. I was using a full-sized fitted sheet and this worked quite well. They are very inexpensive if you shop sale or clearance. I decide I wanted an even better fit and tried a full/queen size duvet cover that I found on clearance for less than $10. It works great! These two options are much less expensive and the choices in patterns and fabrics are endless.
Karissa W.

See Through!

When cleaning windows, eye glasses, shower doors, mirrors or anything glass, I've found that using rubbing alcohol does the trick! It's cheaper than those "commercial" glass cleaners, takes less wiping and it's streak-free. Obviously, take appropriate care for pets and children.
Julee

Super White

We like our white clothes to look the whitest they can so I keep a five-gallon bucket in my laundry room sink. I fill it half full of water and one scoop of BIZ. When we change white clothes, I put them into the bucket until wash day. Each time I add clothes, I swish them around to get the full benefit of the BIZ. Sometimes you may need to add more water and don't forget to swish them when you do. Wash as usual. It may take a couple of soakings to get them as white as new.
Janice H.

Self-Cleaning Worthwhile

I have a self-cleaning oven, which can be expensive to operate. To make the best use of the energy requirements, I do two things. First, I only clean the oven after it's been used for cooking a meal. The oven is already partially heated and I can reduce the energy consumption of heating it up from cold. Second, I throw in my enamel on steel broiler pan, baked on enamel roasting pans or BBQ racks so they get cleaned too.
Cindy B.

Sticky Labels

Have you ever had a label that didn't want come off of a jar, a sticker that your kids placed on a mirror, or a bumper sticker you didn't want? Simply heat it up with a blow dryer. When the adhesive starts to melt, the sticker will peel right off!
Susan S. in Florissant, MO

Sweet Ride

In the mail and at department stores, I often receive those small papers with the perfume sample inside the flap. Place one on the floor of the car or in the air vent. Not only will your car smell wonderful, but also you're able to "try on" a new perfume to see if you like it.
Karen B. in White Bear Lake, MN

Grad Gifts

We are approaching high school/college graduation time. My favorite high school graduation gift was from my grandmother. She filled a storage crate with shampoo, lotion, rolled quarters (for laundry), laundry soap, snacks, etc. Gram made a crate for each semester that we were in college. I now like to give a crate or laundry basket full of supplies that a college student would need to start school. This gift can be given to someone that is moving into his/her first apartment or house.
Heidi W.

Cheaper Cereal

My husband only likes cereal for breakfast (and boxed cereals are expensive, even with a coupon). Instead, we now go to our local co-op and buy oats in bulk at 59 cents per pound. This is even cheaper than the generic brands in the canisters at the grocery store, which are usually 99 cents per pound. It also saves us on the cost of milk since oatmeal takes less milk than a bowl of cereal!
Julia in White River Junction, VT

Amy's Notebook 04.26.2007

Be Mom of the Year:

The Cozi Connection has a great list of items you should add to your family calendar so you don’t miss a single important event. This one is a wealth of information!

Genki Desu Yo shares some tips to get your kids moving on doing chores pay per post style. This is an awesome read and much cheaper than hiring a cleaning service.

Be Cheap:

Scaling Back has a great post on how to scale back on electricity. They got familiar with the electronic meter outside and are hoping to lower their electricity bills.

Zen Habits share a simple way you can save $3,000 a year, without a lot of effort on your part.

Lifehacker shares tips for how to remove car dents on a budget. This is the kind of information every frugal gal needs (especially if you bang up the car and don’t want your husband to know!)

Spending Smart has a great list of frugal cell phone tricks. I like the Craigsnumber one that is listed- check it out!

Have a Martha Moment:

Frugal Upstate has a recipe for making homemade lemonade- yum!

Craft Magazine features an entry on some great sewing accessories you can make. I love the bag idea!

Home Ec 101 shares some ironing tips for fixing those crazy polo collars that won’t lay right. I use the iron so rarely that my son asked what it was one day. Hmm… oh well!

Craftzine shows how to make beautiful fabric brooches. This is a great way to use up some of that scrap fabric you have laying around.

Get Inspired:

Creative Organizing has a great post on how to tame kitchen clutter. There are some great ideas in this one!

Design Mom has some great solutions for inexpensive window coverings, although the expensive solutions are extremely beautiful too!

Why Being Thankful is So Important

I just began the greatest book called, “For the Love of Letters” by Samara O’Shea. It is a guide to the art of letter writing and I am totally in love with this book already. The book is filled with ideas for writing every kind of letter you can imagine- an apology, a letter of thankfulness, a message of sympathy…any kind of letter you could ever dream of is in this book.

Growing up I never had a choice about writing letters of thanks for things that we received in our life. It was always ingrained in us that writing a thank you letter was just essential. Only those who are thankful and express their gratitude can graciously receive something else in their life.

As I have grown up though, the written word has been disappearing. Letters have been replaced by digital media and cell phones. Why take the time to write a letter when you can just shoot off a quick email and get on with your life? I imagine that this is going to be one of those things that I will have to work extra hard on with my children, as text messaging and chatting in code has replaced the formality of actually penning a response.

One of the most practical reasons for being thankful is because the act of being thankful makes people want to give to you again. And again. And again. A handwritten note, a special phone call to thank someone for something they have given you, a small token of gratitude for what they do for you- this is not only thoughtful, but also a necessary part of your life.

One example of a time of gratitude in my life was when we were expecting our second child. When we found out we were having a little girl, I was so thrilled, but I also knew that many of our boy things would have to be replaced by little girl items. I had that nervous feeling about our finances and how we were going to swing an entire new wardrobe. I knew that we could make it work, but I also knew that starting over can be pretty expensive. Cue the windfall of clothing. Do you hear it? People from all over started just giving me things. I had a girlfriend who loaned me her daughter’s entire wardrobe for the first year. Then I got that nervous feeling again. Cue another windfall of clothing from someone that was a friend of our family, and feel that sense of relief again.

When my grandmother brought over a bag of clothing from someone who didn’t really even know me personally, I wept. I was so touched that someone would give us so much and not even ask for anything in return. I called her as soon as she left and thanked her, blubbering the whole time. I asked what I could do for her- if I could offer her a gift card or a sum of money. She did not want anything from me, but thanked me for calling. I sat down and penned a note to her and thanked her family for what they did and sent off a couple of handmade hair bows to her daughters. It was a small gesture compared to the enormous gesture she offered me, but it made a positive impression. She later told my grandmother how nice it was to give to someone who was so appreciative and that she planned to give us her children’s clothing as her daughters outgrew them.

Had I just took the clothes with an open hand and never sent her a note of gratitude; I would not have received anything again from her. She would probably give the clothes to someone else, someone who would have acted like they cared & appreciated what she was doing for them.

I see this often in my life, and I try to keep this in the back of my mind.

Writing a letter of gratitude is also a great, great thing when you work from home and are trying to build your business. When someone sends you something or does something for you in your business, you should always send them a note of gratitude. It leaves the other person with a positive impression of you and also makes them want to do more for you in the future. Imagine that you are laying bricks for a pathway to your house and each letter is one of those bricks. That pathway will eventually lead you to many great things. Those positive connections will be wonderful for references or networking in your home business, or serve you well when you return to the workplace.

Have you ever received a letter that you never forgot? Do you still write letters to people in your life?

I hope you can check out this book! Not only is it a beautiful book for your coffee table, it is also a great guide to pulling off a letter of thankfulness or any other type of letter you can imagine!

New Article: Online Safety Chat

I got the opportunity to interview Brandon Watson, CEO of IMSafer and board member of the Family Online Safety Institute on online safety for children. He was kind enough to answer all of my questions from when is it appropriate to have a computer in your child's room, how to respect your child's privacy but keep them safe, & basic things that we should teach our children about being safe online. Don't miss this article!

For parents of older children, I am curious if you have had this talk yet with your child? What did you teach them? Do you have parental blockers on your computer? Do you monitor their chatting or just trust that they are doing the right thing?

For those of us who love a freebie, IMSafer offers a free membership or you can take advantage of a premium membership for only $30 a year.

Many thanks to Brandon for giving us the opportunity to get answers to these important questions!

Product Review: Philips Digital Picture Frame

Philips contacted us and gave us the opportunity to review their 9" Digital Picture Frame, which we were extremely excited to try out. A digital picture frame has been on my Mother's Day gift list for a long time so we were excited to receive one of these.

Philips is a fabulous company and one thing that I really appreciate about them is their knack for design. This photo frame is sleek looking and has nice clean lines. The stand is made to to lock into the two positions depending on how you want to stand it. Overall, it is just an amazing looking frame.

Unfortunately, I am technically challenged and I was very anxious to begin loading our pictures onto it when I received it, but the software was extremely confusing for me. I waited until my tech-savvy husband got home and had him try his hand at it. I had resolved it was due to my poor technical skills, but he was in agreement that transferring photos was confusing and the software that is included was not user-friendly. We had a lot of trouble figuring out how to transfer the photos from our PC. An easier option would be to transfer your photos to a memory card, which can then be stuck in the back of the frame, which simplifies the process compared to utilizing their software.

Once we figured out how to load the pictures, we could plug it in and begin displaying them. I was extremely impressed with the quality of the picture and how vivid the colors were on the screen. Not only were the colors extremely bright, but the transitions between photos were well done and did not have too long of pauses between photos or any hokey transitions between the photos.

This frame will store up to sixty photos on it, which can reduce a lot of cluttered frames in your home without taking up too much space. You can keep the frame running on a provided AC cable or on the rechargeable battery that is included with each frame. The frame also includes a very smart feature that will allow you to only run the frame at certain times of the day, like only when you are home, to save on electricity.

The Philips digital picture frame would make a fabulous gift for the grandparents, a wonderful Mother's Day or Father's Day gift, or a gift for a special graduate in your life. The frame is currently on sale for $199.04 with free shipping through the provided link above.

Many thanks to Philips for giving us the opportunity to review such a wonderful product. We were not disappointed!

If you would like us to review a product for your company, please send inquiries to amy@momadvice.com. We look forward to reviewing products that mothers would love to hear more about!

Cheap Date Night

Restaurant.com is running a 60% off coupon from April 23-30th of the month. The 60% off code is APRIL and can be applied at check out. In addition, they are offering a free $10 certificate with your order. This discount makes the $25 value dining certificates that normally sell at their store for $10, a mere $4 each. What a savings!

These would make a great inexpensive Mother's Day gift or a gift to a graduate.

We use these on all of our date nights and save a ton of money. We get to eat at places we could never otherwise afford and for a fraction of the cost that everyone around us is paying. We have never had an issue using these anywhere or poor service because we were using these certificates.

For a review of our first experience using these, you can visit this past entry.

Note: We do receive a small credit for being affiliated with this program, but I only highlight things like this if they really are a good deal- I promise!

Ask Frugal Momma: The Amazing Toaster Oven

I have a toaster oven, but it is barely functional, at best. I got it for five dollars from the thrift store and was excited to upgrade from the standard two slice toaster to the toaster oven. It was quickly evident why this appliance had been donated as I burned the toast the first time. There is no signal to let us know when it is done toasting. You have to keep an eagle eye on our toaster to make sure your toast is perfectly toasted. I am thinking of just forging ahead and getting a new one though…one that actually works. Ironically, the question of the day comes from a reader who was interested in learning about the toaster and how to care for it.

The toaster oven can be used for a variety of things, not just your toast or bagels in the morning. In fact, toaster ovens are not necessarily the best option if you are looking for an appliance to just toast bread. A toaster will actually toast your bread, while a toaster oven will provide a good toasting on one side, but takes twice the time as the traditional toaster. If you are just looking for some good toast, stick to the regular old toaster.

There are many uses for the toaster oven and it is great for when you are dining alone, want to throw together a simple appetizer, need to heat a few chicken nuggets for the kids, or don’t want to heat up the kitchen. A quick search on Google for, “toaster oven recipes” will yield a ton of ideas for things you can prepare in your toaster oven.

Consumer Reports did a testing on toaster ovens, and surprisingly some of the better performing toaster ovens were the cheapest options. Consumer Reports named the Procter-Silex Cool Touch a best buy at only $15 & the Oster Counterforms 6335 at $40 as the best deals for your money.

When it comes to electricity though, which is the cheapest option to use? Compared to your oven rage, which can use more than 3, 500 watts of electricity, a toaster oven uses only 1,350-1,500 watts. Comparatively, a typical toaster only uses 900 watts so using a toaster for toasting is the cheapest option of all when it comes to the perfect bagel. For bigger jobs though, relying on your toaster oven is a much cheaper option, particularly during the summer months when heating up your kitchen requires more wattage and makes your air conditioner have to work overtime.

Cleaning a toaster oven is very easy. First, unplug the unit and make sure it is completely cool before cleaning. If you wipe spills up as they occur, it will be a lot easier to keep this appliance clean. Wash the racks in warm soapy water. Use a damp soft cloth to clean out the interior and never ever submerge your toaster oven in water. If burned food discolors the paint on your toaster oven, you can try using a liquid degreaser to help minimize the discoloration, but nothing will remove it entirely.

To clean the standard toaster, again make sure the unit is unplugged and completely cool. Carry the toaster oven to the sink, and slide out the crumb tray (located at the very bottom of the toaster) and dump out the crumbs. Next turn the toaster upside down and let any remaining crumbs fall into the sink (if you have a disposal) or over your trashcan. Wipe the exterior with a soft cloth that has been dampened a bit with water & dishwashing soap. The chrome surfaces can be wiped down with a little all-purpose cleaner sprayed on a cloth. Don’t spray into the unit, just spray on the cloth.

How often you should clean your toaster oven depends on how often you use it. We usually wait until we can see a load of crumbs on the bottom or start to smell a burnt toast smell when we run the toaster. We probably should clean our toaster oven more often, but with all of the other things demanding my attention, this usually does not top the priority list in our house.

I do remember eating at our grandparent’s house and after every breakfast, our grandmother would clean it out, wipe it down, and then put it up in her cupboard. This was just part of her morning routine, just like taking out the trash or anything else. Her toaster always looked like new, my toaster…not so much. Follow her example if you want a sparkling toaster.

For some great toaster oven tips, visit Real Simple’s Versatile Toaster Oven article. It has some really wonderful ideas for using that toaster oven of yours!

Toaster Oven Recipes:

Toaster Oven Pizza

Mini Meat Loaves (You could probably try this recipe with my own mini meat loaves recipe)

Toaster Oven Easy Muffins

Do you have any tips to share? What do you use your toaster oven for? Please share!

Keep those questions coming! Submit them to amy@momadvice.com on any topic related to cleaning, money, or food. I love to answer these and hope that this information is useful for you & your family.

Freebie Friday: April 20, 2007

Don't forget to print out your free menu planner & grocery list!

Next week we will be running a great article on how to keep your children safe on the internet. Be sure to check back for this informative piece!

Health & Beauty:

Sign up for Oil of Olay’s new Regenerist Eye Derma-Pod. Please limit one per household and the offer is good only while supplies last.

Sign up to receive a free sample of Pepcid Complete. Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery.

Wal-Mart is offering a free sample of Crest Nature’s Expressions. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Try Dial Antibacterial Deodorant Soap for free. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Wal-Mart is offering a free sample of Tylenol Extra Strength Rapid Release Gel Tablets. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Sign up for a free sample of Head & Shoulders Restoring Shine Shampoo. Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery.

For the Home:

Register for the Home Depot Garden Club and you will receive free gardening advice, coupons, and savings.

Sign up for a free Redwood Creek Vintage Print offer. These are really cool!

Home Depot is giving away free compact fluorescent lights on Sunday (April 22nd) in honor of Earth Day. Visit their site for details.

Food & Drinks:

Sign up to be part of the Smoothie King mailing list and receive a free 20 oz smoothie and other frequent discounts & promotions by email.

Get a copy of Ohio Wine Guide for free.

Entertainment:

Order the free Exposed DVD from Kodak. They asked 14 of the television industry’s renowned producers and cinematographers from around the world to reveal their thoughts about film and electronic capture. They talked to us about their experiences with both. What works for them and why. What they like– and don’t like. Where they see things going in the future. And how they make their choice in the first place. Their answers, presented in engaging and informative vignettes on this DVD, may surprise you.

Claim a complimentary subscription to New Man Magazine. You can just answer, “No, thank you” to the offers. Please allow six to eight weeks for processing.

Baby Needs:

Sign up to receive a free Pregnancy & Baby Wellness Kit which will include tips for a healthy pregnancy, samples of pregnancy & baby related products, & coupons for services & pregnancy/baby items.

Join the Earth’s Best Family and receive a free sample of rice cereal.

Pet Needs:

Celebrate the 20th Birthday of Petsmart on April 24th from 6-8 PM. This is an in-store event where you will receive a free Polaroid picture of your pet & free party hats & goodie bags and fun party games with prizes. While supplies last!

Iams is offering a voucher for a free 4lb bag of either dry dog or dry cat food (up to $6.50 for dog & $10 for cat). Your voucher will be mailed to you and can be redeemed at participating retailers. For a limited time. Please limit one free dog or cat food voucher per household.

Fill out the form to receive a coupon for a free 4lb bag of The Goodlife Recipe food for dogs or a 3lb bag for cats.

Sign up to receive a complimentary entrée of Sheba Premium Cuts for your cat. Please allow four to six weeks for delivery.

The Dollar Stretcher Tips 04.19.2007

Do you guys still want me to continue publishing these? I wasn't sure if you were getting anything out of these. Just let me know by leaving a comment!

For a sample copy of The Dollar Stretcher newsletter, send $2 to: Dollar Stretcher Sample, 6695 Cortez Road W., Bradenton FL 34210. Copyright 2007 Dollar Stretcher, Inc. Visit The Dollar Stretcher for even more tips & ideas!

Child's Play
My four-year-old daughter loves to play outside after school. To keep her wardrobe in good condition and to cut down on clothing expenses, I came up with a way to help her change into "play" clothes. When I'm taking care of our laundry, I fold her play clothes inside out. That way, when she's pulling clothing from her dresser drawer, she knows which items are okay to wear for play outdoors. I considered keeping them in a separate drawer, but they could easily get misplaced. My inside out plan works perfectly, and she's proud of her new independence. Valerie in Michigan

Extend Your Mattress' Life
It's hard to remember to flip and turn your mattress, but it's well known that this is the way to extend the use of this expensive part of your home. Use Daylight Savings time changes to help you remember. Spin in Spring so that the head is now at the foot of your bed. Flip in Fall to bring the underneath side to the top. Over the course of two years, your mattress will be back where it started. Sharon F. in Coronado, CA

My Allowance = Impulse Control
I have a calculated allowance that I grant myself every week that I keep in a separate wallet. I then remove all credit cards (leave them at home) and only keep my bank card for emergencies. I find that when I have a set amount of money for spending, I only look towards that wallet, and if the item I want goes over what's in there, I find it easy to keep away from the impulsive purchase. Annette

Boxes-of-Boxes
When it's time to relocate to another home or apartment, finding an inexpensive source for moving boxes is always a challenge. I found the perfect solution with my last move, and that is the shoe store! Each day, shoe stores receive dozens of large boxes filled with nothing but smaller boxes (which in turn are filled with brand new shoes). Though I'm not ordinarily a "dumpster diver," my local store manager gave me permission to take whatever I needed from his bin outside. The boxes were clean. Best of all, they were plentiful and free! Glenda in Chicago


Breastfeeding Pumps
Here's a quick idea on breastfeeding. You can borrow a breast pump or get one used and replace the tubing, which is where the sanitation issues lie. The pump itself is nothing more than an engine to get the pump to work. I did this with my second child and saved hundreds of dollars on buying/renting a pump. JHM in Boston, MA

Outbound!
We placed a cork board on the front door so that we can see it as we are leaving the house. On this, we post a monthly calendar where we list all of our activities and are able to post notes. We also have a slot that we can put rented movies or other things that need to be returned. This has saved us a lot in gas by not having to travel back home because we forgot something. It also saves in late fees from forgetting returns and helps our family of 5 (all going in different directions) run smoother. Theresa G.

Got It Covered
After Hurricane Isabel flooded our home, our furniture needs were so great. We got a fantastic deal on several pieces with a local furniture store. With five children, we were concerned about them scratching the coffee and end tables with their toys. We invested less than $50 on used plastic sheeting (Lexan) from a company that considered it scrap. We cut it to the right length and placed it on the top of the tables. We used little felt 'feet' attached to the bottom of the plastic to lift it off of the tables. That allows for air flow. The plastic does not affect appearance, is waterproof for drinks, and has protected the surface from scratches, crayons and markers. Not only is it saving the furniture, but also it saves time in cleaning. I can pick up the plastic sheeting and see exactly where it needs to be wiped off. It's been well worth the small investment to protect our tables. Wendy A. in Hayes, VA

Let's Do That Again!
My favorite time tip is to put little post-it notes on the pages of my favorite recipes in my cookbook. It's great when I'm feeling uninspired or need something new to make for dinner. I just flip through the tabs where I've marked our favorite recipes and choose something we haven't eaten in a while. Kathy

Fresh Flowers Plus
I've always loved having an arrangement of fresh flowers, but the cost was too much for me. Also, they would die too quickly! Now I indulge myself without guilt. I buy a small potted flower and set this on my dining room table to enjoy for about a week. Then I plant it outside. My yard looks beautiful! Lataine from N.C.

Family On a Mission
Because we live frugally in order to homeschool our kids, we as a family understand this mission and everyone is expected to contribute. When my 12-year-old cleans the kitchen, I am able to have more time to cook from scratch instead of getting tired from doing all of the chores and ordering pizza. When my 8-year-old picks up after the dogs and cleans the yard, my husband has more time to fix the lawn mower rather than drop it off at the repair shop. Additional benefits include having two sons who can fend for themselves, aren't scared of hard work, and are always courteous guests. Rachel in St. Louis, MO

Garden "Beds"
We started our first vegetable garden after reading the book "Square Foot Gardening." We built one 4x4 bed as outlined in the book (using cedar) and used an old waterbed frame for the other. (We posted for one using freecycle.org and received several offers.) We had great results in both beds and received many compliments. No one had realized that one of the beds was literally a bed frame simply tossed onto the yard and filled with old newspaper and soil. If we can grow a great garden in our small yard, almost anyone can. Mary in IL

Amy's Notebook 04.19.2007

Be Mom of the Year:

The Goody Blog has a great entry on some tips for your next Disney vacation and how to maximize your visit there with your children. These are great tips for anyone going to an amusement park this summer. Don’t miss our article on the ten best activities for children at Walt Disney.

Make your kids some S’mores Cupcakes courtesy of Sew Darn Cute. Yummy!

Be Cheap:

The Family CEO has an excellent post on twenty-five easy things she does to save money.
Poorer Than You has five quick tips for cheap air travel.

Have a Martha Moment:

Pleasant View Schoolhouse has a great entry on making a chicken pot pie. Yummy!

My Home Redux has a great post on how to quickly update rooms in your house. Guess what? They are cheap!

DIY Maven has found some new uses for tin ceiling tiles.

Design Mom points out how to make fabric covered push pins. These are so cute!

Get Inspired:

Zen Habits has come up with a great entry on steps to make mail & paperwork painless.

Lifehacker has a great post on some tips for organizing your desk. I try to organize this area of our home, but somehow it always goes back to mad chaos!

Shakhammer has a great post on adding crown molding to your cabinets. This is something we
would like to do when we renovate our kitchen.

The Simple Dollar has a great list of fifteen free things to do during a money-free weekend. I love the idea of a money-free weekend and am hoping to try this with our family.

In the Trenches of Motherhood has an excellent post on taking good photographs. This is first in her series and she is beginning with framing your subjects. I am looking forward to future posts from this series as I don’t like to pay for professional photos.

Apartment Therapy has come up with compact solutions for changing stations.

Home Ec 101 has a great post on how to keep that smelly cat litter box clean.

News You Need to Know:

Punny Money (one of my favorite fun reads!) has debunked the myth that receiving a tax refund is bad for you.

The Good Blog shares tips for talking about tragedies with your children. How sad that this needs to be discussed right now…our prayers are with these families.

Prepping for Garage Sales

And, no, I will not be hosting a garage sale. My prep work involves everything that I need to know in order to truly maximize my visits to other people's garage sales. I am not ambitious enough to have a garage sale myself. I prefer to donate our items and take the tax deduction. It might be the lazy person's way of decluttering, but it works well for us!

I love to garage sale during the summer. I, in fact, look forward to garage sale season all year long. In the interim, I do a lot of thrift shopping until I can take advantage of all of those great garage sale prices.

I do most of our clothes shopping for the kids by visiting the thrift store often throughout the year. We also have friends & family who pass on their clothing to us, which is a huge financial help. All of these clothes were folded in several boxes in our basement, but I had never taken inventory of what we already had.

This weekend I pulled out all of the boxes and started grouping things together. All of the dresses in a pile, all of the pajamas in a pile, and so forth. And remember when I mentioned that I got some great organizing units from a university student? Well, in her stash were large three drawer rolling carts that would be perfect for organizing the kid's clothing.

I used my label maker and labeled each drawer with the child's name and the size of the clothing. All of the clothes were neatly sorted into the drawers, instead of thrown into boxes that might have been forgotten.

I also got out a piece of paper and wrote down what I have for each child. It was time-consuming and a pain to do, but now when I hit those garage sales I will know just what my kid's need. I realize that ten summer dresses are enough for one little girl, but one pair of jeans won't cut it. I know that my son is great for the fall, but his summer wardrobe is really lacking. This information will really help me when I go to the sales this summer.

Take inventory of what you already have in your house and make a list of things to look for when you go to the garage sales. Try to stick to the list, or only buy things that you will really and truly use in your house. Even if it is only ten cents! Do not buy things that will not have a purpose in your home. A deal is not a deal, if it is just taking up space and collecting dust on a shelf.

Do you have any tips for preparing for garage sales? Do you have a way of tracking the inventory in your homes? Please share! Your comments are invaluable!

Don't forget to swing by Rocks in My Dryer for all the other wonderful participants!

Real Simple Magazine Features

The folks over at Real Simple Magazine contacted me and asked that we share some of the items that their editors have been tirelessly working on. Here are some of the great articles & tips they have added to their site:

Home Inventory Worksheets

Sources for Evening-Garden Plants & Pots

Dreaded Cleaning Tasks Made Easier

What is Your Favorite Speed-Cleaning Trick?

The Best Cleaning Wipes

A Chaotic Laundry Room Gets Organized

Solutions to the Most Vexing Pet Problems

Environmentally-Friendly Tips

New Uses for Clocks

Update Old Furniture With New Knobs & Pulls

Dealing with Mice, Bats, Deer, & Other Pests

I love Real Simple Magazine and have been a subscriber for years. My mother-in-law got me hooked on the magazine and she has given this subscription to me as a birthday gift every year. How wonderful is that?

Here is a tip for all of you other subscribers out there. The pictures in this magazine are beautiful and I love to hang on to my magazines and utilize them in other ways. If you notice in the front of the magazine, there is an index of what is in the issue. In the index, are tons of cute pictures that are the perfect size to be reused for cute gift tags. I cut these out and mount them on card stock to make cute tags for my gifts.

Anyone else subscribe? What has been your favorite tip from the magazine?

Free Vacation? Seriously?

I really can't believe that I am writing this. All of this is seeming very surreal and I am still trying to digest this. My husband and I are going on an all expenses paid trip to Las Vegas. And I do mean ALL EXPENSES!

My husband entered a web design contest last year that he worked really hard on. It consumed his days, his nights, and his every waking moment for months. He sketched out drawings, he tried to make everything perfect, he busted his rear on hopes that he would win an honorable mention. He received nothing.

This year he mentioned that he wanted to enter the contest again and I will be the first to raise my hand and say that I discouraged him from entering. I begged him to just let it go and enjoy a year off without participating. The bitterness and the grumbling for an entire six months afterwards was enough for all of us. I pleaded. I begged.

He agreed to devote very little time towards the project and he followed through with it...If you can believe it, he was actually a grand prize winner this time!

He won enough money for the two of us to take a trip together. We are flying (FLYING!) to Las Vegas and staying in a suite at the Venetian. He receives other perks too, but the main perk is the fact that my husband and I get to be together for three days alone. ALONE!

We were not going to ask anyone to help us and Ryan was going to go alone. I was bummed, but that was life. Ironically, Ryan's grandparents were coming for a visit around the same time and were willing to extend their trip to care for our two children while we go on vacation together. Alone. ALONE!

Yes, it is still unbelievable. When are we going to ever get an opportunity like this again? Would we ever actually go to Las Vegas? Would we ever throw money into the wind with wild abandon? Probably not! That is why this rocks!

You can view his winning entry here.

I will still be blogging and checking the site, but will be out of town from April 29-May 3rd. Out of town...in VEGAS. ALONE!

No, it still has not sunk in!

Organizing Your Laundry Room

Tis the season for college students to began moving out and that means loads of great deals on organizing units and apartment style furnishings. Not only that, but many kids just offer up the stuff for free to rid themselves of having to lug the stuff home and back to school again. Keep in mind all those students who are graduating and don't think they will need their furnishings in their new & more lucrative lives. It is a bargain-hunters dream so be checking the local papers and the free online classifieds for all these goodies.

Last weekend I scored several very nice organizing units and I was able to revamp some of the organizing systems in our house. The first organizing system that I created, was a unit that I purchased for our laundry room.

I saw this organizing idea on one of those organizing shows on television and thought, "I should do that!" The show was about a mom who just couldn't keep up with her laundry and she had no good laundry system in place. She had a laundry area in her basement (just like me!) and clothes were piled everywhere. She had no idea of what was clean or what was dirty and the basement was a disaster.

The team came in and renovated her laundry area and added a shelving unit that assigned each person in the house a shelf for clean laundry. They used baskets to organize and made things look very pretty.

I loved this idea, but I wasn't willing to fork over the big bucks for a huge unit like that. Lucky for me, a graduating university student had an organizer that she didn't need anymore and I was able to score this unit for only twenty dollars.

My husband reassembled it in our basement and I set to work on creating a system for our own family. Each person has a tag now for their respective shelf. The top shelf is for our linens and then we go down the line for the family members.

Some other features that I added to my station are:

- A small dish tub, that rests below, that houses a small sewing kit and is reserved for items that need mending. Mending must be simple, but those items are now separated and have all the materials needed for a quick & easy repair.
- A larger tub for ironing. I don't iron, but someone else in the family can now find anything they want to iron themselves. Aren't I thoughtful?
- A bin for the, "Lonely Socks Club." We sort socks at the end of all our loads, but all socks who are missing a partner are now located there. It makes finding matches much quicker.

The unit is only a holding station for the family. This is not a storage facility. When the kids get a little older, everyone will be responsible for clearing their own shelf and and putting their own clothes away. Baskets are neatly assembled beside the unit and each family member has a basket for themselves.

What are some ways that you organize your laundry area? What are some important items that you keep in your laundry room? Any systems that work great for you? Please share!

Making a Safe Haven for Baby

My daughter is in that lovely stage where she is in everything, and I do mean everything. I recently had posted about creating a kid-friendly office, and now I am just sharing some easy ways that we are making things a little safer around our home for Emily.

One of Emily's favorite hobbies is yanking down all of the items on our bookshelves. She rips out the papers and has a blast shredding our magazines. To make it safe for her (and to save our precious mementos!) I cleared the bottom shelves and filled them with things just for her. Pictured on this shelf is a basket full of toys that she can play with and several of her board books for her to read. This makes her feel like a big girl, and gives her some things to do while I am working.

One of Emily's other favorite things to do was to tear apart the DVD cases and the inserts that came with them. I found our movies were getting banged up and things were getting mixed up. My husband's games for his Playstation and the memory cards were also fair game in the mixing-up-discs game.

I headed over to Target and got this CD case for $9.99. In the first half of the case, I filled it with the children's movies so that they would be easily accessible for us and anyone who happened to be helping us with the kids. The second half of the case was filled with my husband's games and his memory cards, so they wouldn't get destroyed or lost.

This was a great solution for baby-proofing, but it was also a great way to cut down on some clutter in our entertainment unit. I went ahead and tossed all of the cardboard covers to our videos and stacked them on a high shelf away from little hands. On each side of the VCR is a stack of movies. On one side are the older kids movies (for my son) & on the opposite side are all of the baby movies (for our daughter). It has made things easier to find and also reduced the amount of clutter around our television.

Emily also loves to help out in the kitchen while I am getting our dinner prepared. I leave access to some of the fun cupboards for her to play in. These just contain the kid's plates and cups or our bins of plastic containers. I also have a container filled with her little Leapfrog alphabet sets for her to play with while I get everything ready.

What are some creative ways you make your home safe for your children? Any helpful tips for mothers in the trenches right now? I am all ears!

Freebie Friday: April 13, 2007

How do you like the new Freebie Friday logo? My fabulous web designer hubby came up with this and I am so thrilled to have an official logo to go along with the freebie day. Let us know what you think!

Health & Beauty:

Sign up to receive your free sample of AMBI® EVEN & CLEAR™ Exfoliating Wash and AMBI® EVEN & CLEAR™ Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30 along with a $1.00 off coupon immediately, which can be used now for any AMBI® Skincare product (except Specialty Bars). This sample mailer will be sent via U.S. Postal Service to arrive in 4 – 5 weeks.

Sign up for a free sample of Aquafresh White& Fresh toothpaste. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Sign up for a free sample of Sensodyne Pronamel toothpaste. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Sign up to receive a sample pack of your favorite Sunsilk threesome. Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery. This packet includes shampoo, conditioner, and hair crème of your choice.

Sign up to receive a free sample of Dove Cool Moisture shampoo & conditioner. Please allow eight to twelve weeks for delivery. (Hint: creating an account with Dove makes the whole process go really quickly. Just be sure to select, “no” to the offers).

Order a free sample of John Frieda Curl Around Style-Starting Daily Shampoo & Conditioner. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Order a free sample of Ban Deodorant. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Try a sample of Celine Dion’s Enchanting Perfume for free. Available only while supplies last.

Print out this coupon for a free purse size Clinique Happy Perfume, to be taken to any Clinique counter. Good only while supplies last.

Calgon has introduced three juicy new scents. Get juic’d and receive your free sample today. Good only while supplies last- hurry!

Caress has free Exotic Oil Infusions. These are available upon registering on their site and then clicking the Free Sample box at the bottom of the page. You can skip through the intro. These samples will arrive within six to eight weeks.

Wal-Mart has a printable certificate for a free trial pair of FreshLook Color Contacts. This certificate expires on September 30, 2007.

Try the Miracle Set Anti-Aging Cream from Mary Kay. This offer is good only while supplies last.

Clothing & Jewelry:

Sign up for a free bracelet for your child. These are for anyone who has a loved one who is deployed. Please be respectful of this criterion.

Sign up to receive a free Coors Beer T-Shirt. Sign in and then scroll to the bottom. A small box should pop up while you are the bottom of the screen with the freebie.

For the Home:

Sign up to receive a free sample of Pledge Multi-Surface Dusting Wipes. I have run this freebie before, but this one is through another site. Good luck!

Google launched a free 411 phone service. Get the scoop from TechCrunch.

Food & Drinks:

Enjoy a free sample of Nescafe Taster’s Choice coffee. Offer good only while supplies last.

Sign up to receive a free sample of Kashi Go Lean Cereal. Please allow four to six weeks for delivery.

Chipotle is having a tax day promotion by offering a free burrito on April 16th. To get your free burrito all you need to do is buy a burrito on April 14 or 15th and bring in the receipt. Don’t forget to ask the cashier for you receipt.

Just a quick reminder: Ben and Jerry’s is having their annual free cone day on April 17th from 12 PM till 8 PM. Mark your calendars, folks!

Not technically free, but a BOGO free on Slurpees at 7-11. That’s a great deal!

Entertainment:

Between May & April, you can sign up for free passes to see the Waitress movie. These passes are only valid in certain cities- please check listing for applicable areas.

Sign up for a free subscription of Liz Is Magazine. This is filled with smart advice, smart products, & smart women. Be sure to get your free subscription today!

Get a free Gallery Welcome Kit from Kodak. It is filled with an instructional mini photo book plus a sample Photo Greeting Card, sticker set & 20% savings.

Sign up to receive a complimentary one-year subscription to Interview Magazine. Just answer, “No, thank you!” to all the offers.

Sign up for a free subscription to The Good News Magazine. Yup, a magazine filled with only the good news! Enjoy!

Baby Needs:

Print out this certificate for a free can of Enfamil Formula. This freebie has to be given to you by your child’s doctor.

Eat Better America

General Mills has started a new site called Eat Better America, where they are trying to encourage people, of all walks of life, to begin taking care of themselves and their bodies by making better food choices.

The website has sections dedicated towards fitness, eating well, & a community section.

Their recipe section includes specific recipes for heart health, diabetes, weight management, & vitality. Not only can you utilize their recipes, but you can also submit your own recipe that you would like them to "healthify." Some of the recipes that are already included are healthy recipes for French toast, lasagna, and macaroni & cheese.

As a mom, I try to encourage my children to make healthy food choices. Some of the snacks that we keep on hand in our house are:

Carrot sticks
Wheat crackers
Trail mix
Granola Bars
Cheese Sticks
Yogurt
Applesauce
Cereal Bars

What are some snacks that you keep on hand for your children? How do you make eating fun in your house? Please share by leaving me a comment!

Don't forget to sign up for their free personalized newsletter where you will receive a monthly dose of advice and recipes that match your specific health goals. The sign-up for this newsletter is located on their homepage.

New Menu Planner & Grocery List

The weekly planner is now up over at "the Aldi Queen." Make sure to print out your copies for the week and enjoy a week off from planning or writing lists.

I will be doing the, "Ask Frugal Momma" columns on Mondays now because I have been on the computer all day and it will give me something to work on over the weekend. It is sad that it is now two o'clock and I am still sitting in my pajamas trying to get all of this stuff up. We won't even address how bad the house is looking, as it looks like a tornado hit this ho