New Article: The Benefits of Line Drying Your Clothes

We have a new article up! Please visit my new article on the benefits of line drying your clothing. There are some helpful pointers for how to hang your laundry and the reason why this will save your family so much money.

Please be sure to check out this article and let me know what you think! Do you have any of your own tips that have saved you time or money when doing this?

Sound off: Do you dry your clothing on a line? Outside, inside, or both? Please share!

The Dollar Stretcher Tips 05.31.2007

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!

"Uniform" Solution

I save a ton of money, time and energy at my office job by creating a work uniform for myself. I purchased five black slacks (the heavy-duty kind for construction workers as they stay pressed-looking after days of wear in an office) and ten polo shirts of different colors. I simply wash and wear. Before this, I used to get up early and try to coordinate slacks, blouses, belts and shoes. Lately, I realized that I just need to be clean, pressed and presentable. Every piece in my new work outfit is always perfectly interchangeable, and with the differently colored polo shirts, I never get bored with what I'm wearing. Now if I spend time or money on clothes, it's to wear for a night on the town where it really counts to look my best!
MM

Holey Half

When opening up a new box of cleaning powder (Ajax, etc.), leave half of the holes covered with the opening sticky paper. This way, you only use half the amount of powder to clean. I have found this to be enough to get the job done.
M.

Destination Savings

We were planing a trip to Orlando to go to Disney World. One of the biggest savers on our trip was getting on a national entertainment book website and ordering an Orlando coupon book. Most people only order these for their own hometowns.

By ordering one for the place you plan to visit, you will find all kinds of "buy one get one free" coupons for places to eat and things to do, as well as places to visit. Because these are "hometown" places, you can go where the locals eat instead of the tourist places that you would normally go to. You'll pay so much less, and by using your coupons, you'll save even more!

The book saved us a lot of money and we had a great time going to "off the beaten path" places instead of the crowed places most tourists attend!
Karen M. in Fairhope, AL

Party Planning

Two years ago when my high school son graduated, I bought all the party supplies that I needed. I hadn't planned ahead and bought at full price. What was I thinking??? I spent a small fortune. Do you have someone graduating next year? Be smart, buy the party items, plates, napkins, cups, picture frames and other fun stuff this year. Watch for clearance items at the end of this month. Just don't buy anything with the year on it. Party supply stores have lots of choices, and lots of items. No need to pay full price. For the stuff with the year on it, just wait until right after next New Year's!
Tammy A.

Better Bows

I have found a cheap and fun way to wrap gifts without buying expensive bows. After wrapping the gift in colorful wrapping paper and using thin curling ribbon to tie the gift in the traditional crisscross manner I use a bag of candy such as skittles or M&M's at the bow by the taking thin ribbon and tying the candy in the middle and curling the excess ribbon. The bag candy tied in the middle had the shape of a bow tie and the ribbon curls around it make it look festive. Kids are much happier with this than a bow they throw out and it is much cheaper.
Linda C.

Picnic Corn-on-the-Cob

One of my favorite picnic food items is corn on the cob, but it is such a hassle to spread butter on it. We've found that if you heat up water in a large metal can (old coffee can or large pork and beans can) and then melt butter in it, the butter stays on the top. When your corn is done, all you have to do is dip it in the butter/water and pull it out. It comes out nicely buttered with no mess or hassle.
Cindy M. in North Pole, Alaska

Reservations

My family recently decided to go on vacation. I found that if I looked up the rates from the hotels directly, I saved about $10 per room per night. But that is not my tip. My tip is to call your chosen hotels 1-800 number to make the reservation. Of the three I called, all three of them offered me freebies to book with them. The one I chose sent me $40 off for gas! And my children got to stay for free!
Devery J. in Houston, TX

Flea Market Garden

While weeding my garden from unwanted plants, I wondered if someone else would like some of my surplus plants. I had extra spearmint, garlic and chives. I put them in some peat pots, took them to a flea market, and sold them for $1.00 each. The money came in handy, and the buyers found plants that were less expensive plants than they could buy elsewhere.
Wilma

Basket Storage

Everyone has Easter baskets or other baskets to store. Instead of stacking bulky baskets and taking up a lot of space in a closet for storage, I hang mine from cup hooks inserted into a closet ceiling. This keeps them out of the way until I need them, and uses a usually unusable space.
Kris W.

Moving Kitchen Heat Outdoors

We live in Florida and try to avoid heating the kitchen in the summer. Cooking on a grill can sure help. Our children love grilled teriyaki salmon, BBQ chicken breasts and drumsticks, turkey legs, and London Broil (great for a crowd), corn in the husks, and foil packet dinners.

We often use a wood plank (cedar/alder), which keeps the meat moist, adds flavor and helps keep your meat from getting overdone while you're busy playing with the kids or puttering about the backyard.

Foil packets are great for vegetables (carrots, potatoes, peppers, onions) and fruits (pineapple, mango, apples) with your meat. Everything turns out tender and steamed to perfection. Again, like the plank cooking, you don't have to worry as much about flare-ups and burning your grilled items.
Michelle

Amy's Notebook 05.31.2007

I had hoped to have more time to put this together, but I had the opportunity to host a birthday dinner for my father-in-law so time ended up being limited today. I did manage to make a big tray of baked ziti, homemade bread, and a chocolate birthday cake in honor of his special day.

Regardless, I did want to share a few of my favorite reads for the week! Enjoy!

Stop the Ride! has a great entry on how to keep track of all of those library books. I love Stephanie's suggestion for book limits.

Happy Hearts at Home share a homemade version of insecticidal soap.

Simply Thrifty shares about a free donut day at Krispy Kreme. Yummy!

Jeri's Organizing Tips shares the importance of finding your colors to help you weed through your clothing and to help you when doing shopping in the future.

I'm An Organizing Junkie offers up a great idea for an inexpensive organizer for your wall. I am going to have to look for these when doing my thrift shopping.

The Frugal Duchess has a great listing of freebies you can score at your local hardware store.

INNside Innkeeping has a great entry on ways you can go green that will save you the most money.

My Home Redux shares some great ways you can decorate with garage sale finds.

Scribbit has a great tutorial on how to make your own dollhouse.

Home-Ec 101 has a yummy sloppy joe recipe posted.

Apartment Therapy has a fabulous entry on how to photograph your children chock full of great resources to help capture all of those precious moments.

Simply Recipes has a recipe for making juice popsicles. Be sure to read the comments as the readers seem to have lots of other great ideas for this summer treat.

Overcoming My Fears: Cutting Hair

I think I should just start a series on all of the things that I am learning to do that I was afraid to do. I certainly have enough entries on here to create a series: fear of working with dough, fear of gardening, fear of mowing, and now fear of cutting hair.

I hate to pay for hair cuts and had invested in buying a pair of clippers to do our son's hair and my husband's. I tried doing it once and just was too nervous and scared that I would mess their hair up to have done a good job. After attempting this a few times, I usually ended up taking our son over to a Super Cuts to correct my tedious and bad hair cuts. Just taking him over there instead of messing with it at home seemed to save me the time and hassle of attempting it myself.

We had been having my sister-in-law come over to help cut the boys hair and I would make dinner for her. It was a nice arrangement, but she is such a busy person that I felt a little guilty taking advantage of her free time. I still will have her do it, when she is available, but I wanted to learn how to do it myself so we could be more self-sufficient. I could also take advantage of the times when my son was in a good mood or when we had somewhere to go (pictures, family get togethers, etc..) where I wanted him to look his best.

I checked out a book entitled, "Cutting Your Family's Hair" and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is trying to learn how to do their own haircuts. The book offered a picture (not a drawing!) tutorial on step-by-step instructions for hair cutting. It also offered a listing of basic tools you would need to get the job done.

The tools that were suggested in the book were a good quality pair of scissors (purchased from your local beauty supply store), a comb, a cape & towel (the cape can be purchased at your beauty supply store), a spray bottle of water, & a pair of clippers. My personal addition to this list is a booster seat to get your child at the right height needed to cut their hair well.

For a basic clipper cut the instructions were:

1. Set clippers at a low setting. Begin at back, cutting hair short. (For my husband and son, I used a number three, to make sure it wasn't too close or too long- it worked well).

2. Use a comb to pull up the hair and move the clippers across the comb to cut the hair.

3. Continue up the back. Stop 3-4" from the crown.

4. Move to the sides, using the clippers to trim the hair above the ears.

5. Continue clipping up the sides 2-3". Leave the top hair to be cut with the scissors. Move around to the back, being sure all the clipped hair is the same length.

6. Cut hair at top back, pulling out hair with your fingers and cutting it to a one-finger length.

7. At sides just above clipper cut area, use a comb to pull out hair and cut (A one finger length is too long at the sides).

8. Cut the top guide line to the desired length, beginning at the crown. Here, it's cut to a one-finger length. Cut all hair then to this length.

9. Blend the hair that was cut with the clippers with the top hair, using scissors and a comb.

10. Comb front hair forward and trim.

11. Trim across the bottom of the back with clippers.

12. Use clippers to trim sideburns.

13. Hold ears forward and use clippers to tidy up behind the ears.

Although it is hard to go by the written instructions alone, it does give you a better idea of how the pros do it. I found the pictures to also be a great reference for me and it helped make me feel more comfortable doing it.

I did both Ryan & Ethan's haircuts this weekend and they turned out really well. I "practiced" first on my husband because I felt like I could really take my time and figure everything out. This is something I couldn't do with an energetic four year old who kept saying during his haircut, "Are we done yet? Are we done now? How about now? And now?" I took my time with Ryan and made sure I felt comfortable with everything and then did our son's hair after that. I must say, both of their haircuts turned out really well and I am really proud of myself for attempting something that is definitely outside of my box.

While I wouldn't be up to cutting my own hair, I did pick a low-maintenance style that allows me to go less frequently and I do color my hair at home to save myself quite a bit of money for the family. I also try to do weekly pedicures as a special beauty treat for myself. These savings alone are probably in the fifty-sixty dollar range monthly.

Do you do any of your own beauty treatments at home? How do you save your family money in this category of your spending?

Freebie Friday: May 25, 2007

I have your listing of great freebies for the week and I am hoping you guys might be able to help me out with something.

I am looking for really good outdoor recipes (grilling, pasta salads, picnic foods, etc..) for the next menu planner I am working on for the Aldi Queen blog. I am going to attempt doing an outdoor edition to give you guys some great summer recipes to try. If you have a tried and true recipe (or two!) to send my way, I would really appreciate it! Think summer foods! Think of old family favorites! Think of all the help you can offer me! Please email your recipes to amy@momadvice.com. Thanks a bunch!

Let's move on to what you are REALLY here for- those freebies. Enjoy, my friends!

Health & Beauty:

Print out this coupon for a free pair of Jockey Ultimates Panty on the Spot from your local Macy’s department store. No purchase is necessary and the offer is valid from 05/31 to 06/06. This offer is good in store only. This freebie is valued at $9.50.

Get a free 7-day supply of Clinique’s 3-Step Skin Care, available at selected Macy’s department stores. This offer is good one to a customer and only good while supplies last through June 2007.

Looking for free trial gym memberships? Visit GymTicket.com to find gyms in your area and receive their free trial passes.

Try a free sample of Mary Kay’s Private Spa Collection Satin Hands Pampering Set.

Get a free DKNY Be Delicious Gift exclusively from Sephora Cosmetics.

Join an elite group of DevOtees who we turn to for opinions on things that matter most. As a DevOtee, you will also get the inside scoop first, and have the chance to win great new products, samples and gifts as well as receive invitations to special O events. Please complete the following brief registration survey to ensure we have your current information. Survey participation is always 100% voluntary, and all information provided will remain confidential. As a thank you, all panelists who complete the survey will be entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win one of three $100 American Express Gift Cards.Home & Garden:

Sign up to receive a free 10-pack of HP All-In-One Printing Paper.

Yahoo is trying to get their readers to go green. If you complete three of their listed activities, you can get a free CFL bulb. And for every additional 500 credits you earn, they will send you another CFL.

Click on the link to enter the sweepstakes and receive a free sample of Reynolds Wrap Release Non-Stick Foil.

Mr. Cheap Stuff has a great post on a site that you can use to send free faxes.

Entertainment:

Print out this Chuck E Cheese coupon for 12 free tokens (a $3 value). This offer expires on 06/10/2007 and you can only use one coupon per family.

Claim a complimentary one-year subscription to Horse Illustrated Magazine. Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery.

Don’t forget about all of those free movies offered through select AMC Theatres for the kids during the summer! Check out their website for more details.

United Airlines is offering 10,000 Mileage Bonus Points to recent college graduates. Be sure to pass this offer along to any of the graduates you know! From their website: “We will help you celebrate your college graduation with 10,000 Mileage Plus bonus miles. Just send the following to the address below, and your bonus will be posted to your account within 4--6 weeks of receipt:

A copy of your final transcript showing that you did indeed graduate as a full-time student from a U.S. college or university.*

Your United College Plus/Mileage Plus account number.**
Your e-mail address.

Mileage Plus, Inc.

P.O. Box 40

Rapid City, SD 57709

Attn: College Plus Graduation”

We just signed our son up for our free library summer reading program and received his coupons and first prize for his reading. If you have kids doing a reading program this summer, the Barnes & Noble reading program would be great to do in conjunction with that. Have your children read eight books (does NOT have to be purchased from Barnes & Noble) and have them journal (or journal for them) their favorite part in each book. Bring the journal entries in between May 29th & Sept 2nd and they will give you a coupon for a free book. Visit their website for more details!

Register to receive a free State Farm Common Cents kit. The kit has a DVD that includes games for grades K-12 and The Johnny “Gullible” Story for grades 9-12.

Download free kid’s music for the child in your life!

Food:

Try a free sample of Carmel Macchiato Senseo Barista Blends coffee pods.

Sign up to receive a free bake sale planning kit, provided by Splenda.

Pet Care:

Sign up to receive a free sample of Iams Healthy & Natural Digestive Care food. There are only samples available to dog owners. Please limit one sample per household and allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Check it Out: Women & Money

I just finished reading the book, "Women & Money" by Suze Orman. Reading it is really an understatement...I actually devoured it in one sitting.

I don't know why I have never been that keen on Suze Orman. I seem to be more drawn to Mary Hunt & Dave Ramsey's writings, but I saw this book and figured it might be worth my time to read it.

It was definitely worth my time, as we have been contemplating writing a will for some time, but just have not had the financial means to tackle this. I would really like to have all of this in place, in the event that something should happen to us, but paying a lawyer is just not in the equation for us right now.

Suze Orman recognizes that many people can't afford to have this paperwork in order and offers her own will planning software, available on her website for a mere $13.50! The software (according to her website) includes:

• An easy-to-answer questionnaire that will automatically
  select the correct must-have documents for you
• Audio and visual explanations taking you paragraph by
  paragraph through the four must-have documents
• 10 electronic guidebooks, that cover all aspects of your financial life
• Free automatic updates, so your documents will always be current (Internet access required)

It’s like having your own financial planner and personal trust attorney at your fingertips!

• Personalize – Fill in the questionnaire, and the program will automatically select and populate all the essential documents to fit your unique situation.
• Print – Listen to or read a step-by-step explanation of what you need to know. Then print out the relevant documents.
• Protect – To complete the process, follow the instructions that print out with your documents. (In some cases, forms will need to be witnessed and notarized.) Then store them in a safe place.

I am planning to try out this software for our family and get these documents taken care of. There is nothing more frightening than knowing that our financial documents are not in order and this could jeopardize the financial future for our children.

We are in our late twenties and pray that nothing ever happens to us. Unfortunately, life is uncertain and it is important to do this for our children and for our own peace of mind.

Other than that, much of the advice given was to teach women how to understand money and all of the financial terminology and accounts that should go with it. She encourages women to start taking action and has a five month plan to get your finances back in order. Some of it I skimmed over, as it related more to a woman who is in the work force, but a lot of it applied to me.

Her encouragement to save money was taken a step further because she partnered with Ameritrade to get women to open an account and start a nest egg for their future. You will need to actually purchase the book to get the code needed to activate this offer, but with the book cost being under twenty dollars, it would be worth it to make the investment.

If you set up an account between now and 03/31/2008 and automatically deposit a minimum of $50 each month into the account, after twelve months the Ameritrade company will deposit a $100 into the account to reward you for your saving.

I have yet to establish a nest egg for myself, another worrying factor for me. I am not working so I do not have the benefit of a 401K or a paycheck coming to me. I am not sure how long I will be staying home, but I would like to be proactive about my finances and get something established for myself sooner rather than later.

I am wondering how many of you have a nest egg for yourself? How many of you have a will in place for your family? Are these financial matters taken care of or are you sitting around worrying about them too?

I hope you will check out this book. It is a great read for all women and has a great plan for getting your financial life back in order!

The Dollar Stretcher Tips 05.24.2007

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!

Lost!

My son and daughter-in-law are traveling to Rome in a few weeks and are allowed only one suitcase each. They are packing half of her clothes and half of his clothes in each of the suitcases just in case one is sent to some other airport. They are also carrying a backpack for passports, a change of underwear, their medications, and the rest of their pockets' regular contents.
Hope O. in Charleston, SC

Easy to Spot

I hang dh's clothes on dark plastic hangers (blue, black, green) and my clothes on light plastic hangers (white, pink, yellow), so that when I go to hang them in our closet, they are easy to separate. Also, I can see at a glance if something was hung up on the wrong side of the closet.
Beverly G.
Marion Jct, AL

Used Cell Phones

I don't think anyone needs to take out cell phone insurance especially if you're like me with used cell phones you've not disposed of. Here's why. My son's cell phone was run over by a car and smashed to pieces. He had one month to go on his cell phone contract and would be eligible for a discounted upgrade in 30 days. What to do? He borrowed a friend's old, used cell phone (from the same provider), called the company and they transferred my son's service to the used phone. I learned from this to keep at least one of my old cell phones.
C.

Clothing Stain Cover

If you have a stain you just can't get out, try disguising it with fabric paint. My son had a very nice kelly green t-shirt that I just couldn't get the stain out of so with the help of a stencil and some fabric paint I turned it into a lizard on a rock. Turned out really cute and it's still nice enough to wear to town. Give it a try, what's the worst that can happen...
Iris S.

If That Happened...

Last summer, I used some "STP Son Of a Gun Tire Cleaner" on my tires. It dripped onto our driveway. The spots where it dripped still repel water to this day. That got me thinking. Why not try this stuff on my faded vinyl shutters? So I tried it, and I am pleased with the results. It cleans grime and it does a very good job of bringing the color back out on vinyl shutters. Just spray on and wipe with a paper towel.
Brent R.

Travel Time

When my girls were little, I used to package up little puzzles, games, etc., and as we were traveling, one package would be given out every hour. This made the trip easier for the girls. They had something new to look forward to while traveling long miles.
Tasha S. in Abbotsford BC

No Trash Here

In my hometown in N.C., the local solid waste service has a great thing! It is called the "Swap Shop." The Swap Shop is for residents to bring/take useable items. When we have a yard sale, we drop off the items that have not sold, and we have gotten things in return, like a RCA TV, Vicks humidifier (new in the box), toaster, and a bunch of books for my kids!

I have checked and a lot of local solid waste services have this program too! The purpose of the swap is to encourage waste reduction through the practice of reuse. The goal is to divert good, useable items away from the waste stream and conserve valuable landfill space.
Arlene in Raleigh, NC

The Mother of Invention

As a mother of five, there isn't a lot of extra money. A repair bill would be an unexpected expense. Our icemaker quit working so I decided to remove the cover and look inside to see if I could tell what was wrong. I figured I couldn't make it any worse! First, I disconnected the electricity. It was easy to see the problem. I removed the broken piece, took it to the parts store, got the replacement and put it back together being careful to not over tighten the screws. It works wonderful and I saved a lot of money!
Janice

Dumping Big Box

I found that I am saving money (and stress) in a surprisingly easy way. I'm staying away from the "Big Box" superstores. While the super store's prices are usually lower on many grocery items, I find myself browsing around for clothes, CDs, craft items and other items that I don't really need. I can resist anything but temptation! I recently became very frustrated with our local superstore never having enough cashiers, making for seemingly endless wait times in the checkout line. I realize less help translates to lower prices, but my time spent in line also has a value that I am no longer willing to waste.
Michelle D.

Kitchen Lighting

In remodeling our kitchen, my husband came up with a great idea to provide ample lighting, while keeping the cost down. He put in canned recessed lights in four sets of three lights. One set is over the sink, one set is over the kitchen island where food prep occurs, one set is over the counters and stove, and one set is over the breakfast nook. We can have all the lights on when we feel like we need bright lighting in the kitchen (like when I'm preparing a meal), or we can have fewer lights on when we are just eating or doing the dishes. It's nice having the ability to light the kitchen brightly to read recipes and see the texture of food cooking on the stove. It's also a big money-savings to not have to have all the lights on when they are not needed. You can easily swap out the incandescent light bulbs for the more energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs in each of these recessed lights.
Jill in Santa Cruz, CA

Amy's Notebook 05.24.2007

Be Mom of the Year:

Parent Hacks has a great tip for a cheap bubble blower for the kids.

Frugal Upstate has a great tutorial on making the perfect Barbie cake for the princess in your life!

Scribbit has a great idea for keeping your kids busy this summer. You should also read her great piece on teaching your kids about money!

Be Cheap:

When I was a little girl, my mom made these hobo hamburgers for us all the time. Don't forget to put some ketchup on the side for dipping! Thanks, Cheap Cooking!

Visit the Festival of Frugality over at Get Rich Slowly- our wedding gift post was included and we even got a gold star! Go me!

Thrifty Mommy shares a great tip on getting your diapers REALLY, REALLY cheap this week. Don't miss it!

The Simple Dollar shares why he chose Sam's Club over a Costco membership. It is a great read (as always from one of my favorite bloggers!)

Have a Martha Moment:

Crafty Pod shows you how you can make foil edged gift tags- very beautiful & thrifty to boot!

Craft Magazine shares some photos of great looking craft rooms. You could definitely have a Martha moment in one of these spaces.

Get Inspired:

Like Merchant Ships shares a quick and easy way to get your grout looking like brand new again. You won't believe the results!

Workshak has a great post on how to manage working from home during the summer. Now that the kids are on break, this is a definite read for any work-at-home mommas out there!

Apartment Therapy ran a great entry on common cooking mistakes.

Home Ec 101 shares a recipe for yummy sticky buns.

What's In Your Emergency Kit?

One of the entries on Lifehacker this week, featured this Momergency Kit that is full of items a mom might need in an emergency situation. We all know that emergencies come up when we least expect them, so it is definitely a great idea and something that every mom can use. Check out their list for some ideas of things you could be carrying around.

We have a lot of emergencies that happen throughout our week. Some of my “emergencies” include an extra long wait time at the doctor’s office, a dinner out where the waitress has decided to take her break while we are waiting to order, the time where I was stuck with my kid’s at that family member’s house who doesn’t like kids and has nothing childproof in their home…those are the types of emergencies that seem to come with regularity in my day.

I have a little bag of tricks that I like to keep in my car so that we have something to do when these emergencies arise. Some of the things in my emergency kit include:

Flash cards
Coloring Books & Crayons
Snacks- Cheerios, granola bars, fruit snacks
Small toys for the baby
Empty Sippy Cup (because we are always somewhere where we need one and there are none to be found)

Do you have anything that you like to have in your bag for these little emergencies? Please help the moms out there looking for new ideas for their own bag of tricks!

The Fashion Savvy Shopper

While I have been rarely catching Oprah these days, I always read the description on my TiVo of each episode and then usually delete anything that doesn't catch my eye. When it comes to episodes on saving or making money, I am always a sucker for those, I try to never miss anything on these topics.

I was not disappointed with this past Friday's episode where a new line of clothing from Sarah Jessica Parker is set to come out on June 7th. If you still have it taped, it is worth it to watch! Her tag line is,"Fashion is Not a Luxury" and she has embraced that with a line of clothing from Steve & Barry's that she is calling Bitten. These clothes are never over twenty dollars and include shoes, bags, suits, jackets, blazers & other fashionable gear, many never ever at the twenty dollar mark (even in the discount stores).

I can't say whether or not the clothing is of good quality, but she is raving about it, so we will have to take her word on that one! The clothing line looks like it has tons of great basics, that will pair well with each other and as separates. While some critics have said the line is boring, I love a good basic line that will go with everything.

Among other honorable mentions in the episode were the line of basketball shoes (priced at $14.99 or less) & Target's new line of Isaac Mizrahi wedding dresses under $100.

I love to shop for clothing at Goodwill and like to keep up on the latest trends and lines of clothing that are in fashion. Meredith, over at Like Merchant Ships, has a great post with a bunch of library recommendations for a thrift shopper that wants to score the big names in fashion.

My favorite online resources for fashion advice are The Frugal Fashionista & The Space Between My Peers. Add these ladies to your blog reading list- I promise you won't be disappointed!

Do you have a brand of inexpensive clothing you could recommend or do you have a store that is your go-to for clothing? What is the best deal you have ever gotten on a piece of clothing?

The HP TouchSmart Computer: The Best Family Organizer Ever

I have been in absolute heaven this past week, literally floating on air, since we received the HP TouchSmart PC to review. It is the ultimate mommy organizer and has everything that a mom could ever want included on it. I am not technical and I have a hard time figuring out things like this, but this computer was the easiest gadget I have ever used, as everything is clearly labeled and easy to use.


Here are some features that I would like to highlight:

Touchable Screen- The computer comes with a remote, a stylus pen, & a mouse (all wireless) that you can use to make your selections, but the ultimate tool is using just your finger to select anything on the screen. This makes it user-friendly for the little ones in the house, who aren’t able to master a mouse yet, but want to feel like a big kid using the computer themselves. They can use their finger to draw pictures or pick the music that they would like to listen to. This makes it a great selling feature for families of small children.


Family Calendar- The family calendar is very user-friendly and you can organize the calendar for the entire family or by each family member. On your calendar, there is a feature where you can leave post-it notes to each other, which can be written using your finger, the pen, or typed into the computer. The kids can draw a picture for daddy or you can just leave your hubby a sweet note like, “Put the trash out TODAY or else!” You can record notes to each other, as well, which can be a great feature when you don’t have time to write out a note.


Music Library- The music library was the biggest selling point for me. Our family has a huge music collection and you can find discs scattered and scratched up all over our house. When I thought I had money, I was buying music for myself all of the time so we have over three hundred discs missing their cases, tossed in the car, or stuck in random players all over the house. I can never find the music I am looking for and I can’t remember the names of the any of the songs. The TouchSmart Computer allows you to quickly copy the disc onto the drive and then stores it in a library for you. You can scroll through the covers of all of your discs and pick the one you would like to listen to. You can cue the disc to go along with family photos or utilize the visualization feature on the computer. You can make playlists for entertaining or make fabulous dinner music. The screen is beautiful to watch and makes it a great feature for having the best parties in town. It is flat screen and high definition, what could be better than that?


Don’t like your music collection? The PC comes with the wires needed to listen to the radio too. The sound is clear and tuning is easy.


Television/DVD Player- We did not want to pay for another satellite box or for cable in our kitchen, but an HDTV antennae (for approximately $30) is a great way to utilize this feature and be able to enjoy watching live television. It has built in DVR, so you can tape and watch all of your favorite shows just like your DVR or TiVo box. You can play all of your movies through it, although I wouldn’t recommend doing this at the dinner table, which can be fun for a mom who likes to watch chick flicks by herself while she is making the family dinner.


Family Photos- Your family photos can be quickly organized, edited, and printed all in one place. The touch screen feature makes it feel like you are at a kiosk at your grocery store and you can do this all from your home. Unfortunately, the printer is not included with the PC, but needs to be purchased separately.

My only complaint about the product is that the touch screen can be difficult to maneuver, as you need your finger is just the perfect spot in order for it to do what you need it to do. At times, using the mouse or stylus pen is easier than utilizing the touch feature.


The design is sleek, and the keyboard fits neatly underneath the monitor in a little stowaway spot. The printer, can be set in the back where it is not even visible, making this very streamlined and elegant looking. It looks more like a television than a computer, but you have all the function of a computer.


I can’t rave about this product enough! The price tag is $1,849.99, so it is not the most affordable option for most families. If you needed a new television, a new computer, a DVD player, and a stereo, this would be a good bang for your buck and keep the clutter in your home under control. No more stacks of discs, no need to have fourteen appliances, and no more missing your appointments.


The best price listed online is currently through Amazon.


We thank HP for giving us the opportunity to share about their product and allowing us to express our opinions on it. It is a fabulous piece of equipment that would make a wonderful addition in any home!

Freebie Friday: May 18, 2007

Here are your freebies for the week- enjoy!

Health & Beauty:

Sign up to receive a free sample of Airborne Seasonal. Please limit one per household and good only while supplies last! Please allow four to six weeks for delivery.

To receive your free sample of Gas-X Thin Strips TM and a coupon off your next purchase, complete the form.

Call in for your free spa kit. 1-800-206-6400 –automated. This kit includes a hand mirror, hairbrush, loofah, nail brush and a toe brush conveniently packaged inside a waterproof pouch -From Mirena Birth Control.

Home & Garden:

Complete the information to receive your free sample of Post-it® Flags and Notes.

Sign up to receive free Breast Self Exam Reminders to be emailed to you.

Sign up to receive a free sample of Tide Coldwater Detergent.

It appears that the free Senseo Coffee Maker is now available again. For those of you who missed this freebie last time, you should try taking the survey and see if you can get this freebie. This coffee maker retails for around sixty bucks. It is not a scam, I actually received one last year and gave it to my dad as a Christmas gift. He LOVES it! They will email you if you have been chosen for the survey- good luck!

Entertainment:

For the next seven days, Madonna’s new single, “Hey You!” is available on iTunes for free download.

Claim a complimentary subscription to Cruise Travel Magazine. Just answer, “No, thank you!” to the offers and allow six to eight weeks for delivery of your first issue.

Sign up for a free subscription to Today’s Diet & Nutrition. Enter promotional code: FREETDN to receive this freebie. Please allow six weeks for delivery of your first issue.

Claim a complimentary subscription to Spin Magazine. Just answer, “No, thank you!” to the offers and allow six to eight weeks for delivery of your first issue.

Sign up to receive a free book entitled, “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.
Sign up to receive a free subscription to Marriage Today Magazine. This is available only to US residents.

Get 30 free photo prints from CVS Pharmacy, you can upload your photos and pick them up in-store. You need to sign up for a CVS Extra Care card to get your free photos. No coupon code is needed, while supplies last.

Sign up for a free subscription to SpiritLed Woman Magazine. SpiritLed Woman is a unique and insightful new magazine for Christian women who long for a deeper walk in the Spirit. Each issue brings you dynamic teaching and practical insights in a convenient bimonthly digest size. If you long for a deeper walk with God in the midst of your many roles, SpiritLed Woman is for you!

Sign up for a complimentary subscription to Antiques Magazine. This is one of my favorite magazine freebies because it is so pretty to look at and looks so elegant on your coffee table.

Another awesome book for your coffee table and great for any true art lover! Enjoy a free subscription to Art in America Magazine.

You guys are going to love, love, love this freebie! Two weeks FREE of XM Radio using promo code FREE2AIR2W. No credit card is required, making this a true freebie! Enjoy, people!

Get a free copy of Peace with God by Billy Graham. Originally written in 1953, Peace with God has become a Christian classic. Revised and expanded in 1984, the book points the way, the only way, to authentic personal peace in a world in crisis. Since its original publication, millions of readers around the world have followed its clear, simple steps and discovered for themselves the revolutionary new life offered by a once unknown Galilean. Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery.

Sign up for a complimentary subscription to Electronic Games Monthly Magazine.

Get a complimentary subscription to Global Finance Magazine.

Food:

No immediate freebies, but a site just launched called Coupon Cuisine. Coupon Cuisine is attracting people and restaurants across the United States using a multimedia “voting” process. The results will help establish which cities are involved with our restaurant coupon service. We provide valuable dining experience certificates and coupons that attract guests to new restaurants, while also giving them the opportunity to enjoy their old favorites more often. Join their company today- results will be tallied on May 25th.

Sign up to receive two free Atkins Energy Bars or a 4-Pack of shakes.

This one isn’t a freebie, but it is an article that shares about a secret size of Starbuck’s coffee that you can order for much less! Starbucks junkies (on a budget!) should appreciate this!

Request a Free Vegan Starter Pack. The pack includes information on how animals suffer for meat, dairy, eggs and seafood, how meat eating affects the environment, the myth of free-range, what's wrong with leather and wool, vegan recipes and even some free stickers. You may also request a free copy of Meet Your Meat. We only ship Vegan Starter Packs to the United States, Australia, and Canada. (NOTE: These are the opinions of the website and not necessarily the opinions of myself!)

The Dollar Stretcher Tips 05.17.2007

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!

Handy Touch Up

After painting a room in my home, I always pour some extra paint of each color into a resealable box/container and put them with my other household items like nails, screws, and tools.

That way, whenever I need to touch up, it is a breeze! I don't have to worry about opening and lugging around a one-gallon can of paint or pouring into a paint tray. I simply dip into my resealable box with a brush, and the paint in my home stays fresh and clean looking. If you're concerned about the bag leaking, you can put it inside of a mayonnaise or spaghetti sauce jar.
Tanya W.

Comfortable Inn

I always provide my guests with a bathrobe to use while staying with me. This gives them the comfort of being able to move around the house without needing to get dressed in case they haven't brought or don't usually wear pajamas. I also leave out instant coffee, tea bags, mugs, spoons, and a kettle. If someone can't sleep due to jet lag or unfamiliar surroundings or if they are an early riser, they can make themselves a cup of coffee or tea without having to wait for me to get up.
Evelyn S.

What to Say

When my daughter was in Girl Scouts, there were a lot of mothers that "had big money," but their quote was "we're on a budget." This taught me a lot. I no longer say that I can't afford something. Instead, I say that I am on a budget.
M.

Instant Baby Wipes

I raised four kids and didn't buy baby wipes for home or travel. A roll of toilet paper or box of generic facial tissue and a bottle of dollar store baby oil is grand! All you do is take a few squares of toilet paper or a couple tissues and put a squirt of baby oil on it and wipe. This is warmer than sometimes chilly baby wipes and I believe does a much better job of cleaning the little ones tender tushies. A pediatrician who grew up in a poor area of NYC actually gave me this tip many years ago.
Kay T. in Wyandotte, MI

Having a Birthday

Join the Birthday Club, VIP club or email club of restaurants via their websites, and many of them will email you a certificate to print out for a freebie on your birthday! You can also sign your children and spouses up for the club and get free meals or appetizers for them too.

We got free kids' meals for my twins for their birthday this year and coupons for a free appetizer at several places just for signing up for their email club. They usually have a short expiration date, two to three weeks, so make sure you use them before they expire. Many of these places also have specials and coupons they will email to you throughout the year.
Heather in Coon Rapids, MN

Unexpected Savings

Do you go though a lot of milk? I am amazed how much it costs at the grocery store. You can find milk much cheaper at gas stations. I save about 50 cents to a dollar per gallon! They have it in bags or in the regular cartons. Both are much cheaper than what you find at the grocery stores. It tastes great and is often fresher than what is in the grocery store because they are selling so much of it! Some gas stations even give you a punch card that lets you earn free milk. You're stopping to get gas anyway. Why not run inside and grab some milk? You can save money and save time.

Some gas stations also have very affordable bread, eggs and even fruits and vegetables. They have these staple items priced cheaply hoping that you will buy other things when you are in their store. If you don't buy other things, you come out ahead. I figured I saved about $120 last year. That's a lot of gas!
Julie G.

Carpet Stains

A professional carpet cleaner gave me this advice. The absolute best stain remover for carpet is Dawn liquid soap diluted in the hottest water you can handle. I've also found that Dawn is excellent for getting out stains on clothing, including hard-to-remove grease stains. Don't waste your money on separate stain removers for each item in your house!
Carla A. in Elkton, SD

Garden Water Savers

This spring I have been collecting plastic water bottles. I poke a small hole in the bottom (for slow drainage) and plant them in my garden, just deep enough that I can fill them with water. This way I am recycling and I use less water in the garden. The bottles allow the water to get to the deeper, more vital roots of my vegetables. It works great!
Katy W.

That's Enough!

Sometimes I find myself going back for one more helping of a particularly good meal, even when I am no longer hungry. Now, when I know I have eaten enough, I put a single strong flavored mint in my mouth, such as Altoids. This changes the taste in my mouth and I no longer crave the taste for the meal. I save the terrific meal for tomorrow's lunch. This saves on the cost of food and the size of my waist.
Carol C. in Jersey City, NJ

Neat Extension Cords

I save small quantities of leftover paint in baby food jars. When I have a few empty toilet tissue rolls, I paint them with the leftover paint and then use them to wrap up the cords on my electronics and appliances. The tubes keep the cords neat, the paint gives the tubes added strength, and they look pretty!
Judy T.

Doggie Treats

I use a decorative cookie jar for my dog's treats. No one coming into the kitchen can tell the jar is for him and not for the family.
K. H. in Lubbock, Texas

Amy's Notebook 05.17.2007

Today's notebook entry is going to be a quick one. I am down and out with some kind of head cold thing, so I am not really up to doing my usual thing today. I hope you will enjoy some of these fun reads in the meantime though!

Baby Cheapskate tells us how to find playgroups in your local area.

INNside Innkeeping offers some insight on making muffins and a special recipe for applesauce spice muffins.

The Frugal Duchess offers thrifty bookshelf tips.

DIY Maven shares pictures of her finished craft room- I am green with jealousy!

Sew Green has a step-by-step tutorial on making your own laundry soap.

River Band Ranch shows how you can decorate Ikea storage units with vintage wallpaper. Very shabby chic!

The Buzz Queen shares an update on keeping her children motivated to do their chores.

Crafty Pod shares her recipe for spaghetti carbonara.

Simply Recipes has some ideas for kid-friendly wraps.

Happy Hearts at Home shares her master mix recipe for muffins.

Not Made of Money shares tips for frugal scrapbooking. This is a must read for those of you who do scrapbooking for a hobby!

Shakhammer shares a link to free floor plans.

Parent Dish is running a great series called, "Retro Mom." This one is on how her mom managed to keep the house clean & it is full of great tips.

The Thrifty Blogger has a great recipe for chocolate cake- yum!

Mommy Bloggers Creating the Buzz Around Town

The Wall Street Journal just did a great piece on how bloggers are now becoming the target for PR firms, as bloggers have the ability to create the buzz for new products by just showering bloggers with free stuff. They even highlight mommy bloggers as being a great resource to hype up their products, television shows, & movies.

"Who says you can't buy love? Trying to tap into the burgeoning power of blogs as promotional tools and fed up with the jaded attitudes of professional critics and TV feature writers, studios and networks are flooding bloggers with free stuff in hopes the flattered recipients will reward them with positive coverage. Flowing into the trough is everything from fancy gym bags and toasters to video iPods and free trips. Some networks -- in the spotlight this week as they unveil their fall schedules to advertisers -- have even borrowed a term from the technology industry to describe the strategy: blogola." WSJ

As a mommy blogger, I have had the opportunity to review tons of great products out on the market. Being on the mailing list of these public relations companies has been a dream come true for my family. Who wouldn't want to try products before they come out? Who wouldn't want to be able to give their opinions (good or bad) on things that they receive and provide feedback to companies on what moms really want?

We get probably four to six requests daily to review products and of those requests I may pick one or two. I try to pick products that fit well with my audience and the ones that I think you all would enjoy hearing about. Some of them are affordable and some are not, but I like to also highlight ways that moms can organize or run their homes more efficiently. I try to do my best to pick work-at-home moms and support what they do, as so many people have supported me in getting our site to this point. I try to share without compromising my integrity and always disclose to the companies that it will be a very honest review, which may/may not be very flattering.

Do you guys enjoy seeing products featured here? Do you take the opinion of mommy bloggers into account? Are moms selling out by featuring products on their blogs? If the tables were turned around, how would you respond to an outpouring of free stuff?

Disappointing News

I love our bread outlet and go every other week to get all of our bread, bagels, muffins, & the occasional package of donuts. The ladies that work there know me by name and they love to get the updates on our family. They adore our Emily and give Ethan special treats when we come. I have loved going there and the great deals that I get.

When I walked in today, I noticed that they had changed all of their signs and increased their prices on every single item in the store. My whole grain bread that I was getting for a dollar was now doubled in price, as was just about everything in the store. The new prices were decent, but could be got at Aldi for the same/less or picked up on sale at other stores.

I paid for the items and expressed my disappointment over the price increase. I asked if the other outlets in the area had increased their prices as well, and they said all of the prices had increased in all of the stores in our area (we live in the Michiana area). The lady knocked a dollar off of the total, but it still ended up being more than I would like to spend on bread.

With gas at a whopping $3.39, I don't feel inclined to make the effort to go there now.

So, do you have any tried and true bread machine recipes that you would like to share with me? Do you freeze the dough? Do you bake in the bread machine or do you use your oven to bake the bread? I am looking for any insight you guys can give on this, as I need to decrease our spending in this area now.

Please help me!

Adobe Photoshop & Premiere Elements

I got the opportunity to try out the Adobe Photoshop & Premiere Elements software package that Adobe offers. Since I am a mom and I love to take pictures and video footage of my children, they knew that they had the right person to send it to.

These award winning photo and video-editing products are great for any mom who is looking to get there photos edited and organized in a way that you can actually find the picture you are looking for. Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements are very user-friendly and help organize, edit and share your most valued pictures and home movies. Not only that, but you can also use their software to create photo albums, scrapbooks, flash online photo galleries, making invitations and DVDs.

I haven't gotten to toy around with this software as much as I would like. The user manuals for each of these products is over two hundred pages long, which tells me that the software offers a lot that I have yet to figure out.

I did some photo editing with the software and was impressed with all that you can do to edit the photos. The options are numerous and the process can be as complex or as simple as you would like to make it. For someone who enjoys editing her own photos, it is a fabulous software package to use.

In my opinion, one of the best features is that you can remove red eye with one click of the button. No need to zoom in on each eye or make sure your mouse is in the right place, just one simple click.

This product has received stellar reviews, and is definitely worth checking out! Learning the programs is time consuming, but worth the effort if you are interested in taking professional looking photos and capturing your memories in a fun way.

Gardening Update & Fun Summer Reads

Well, I haven't killed my plants yet so I guess my first gardening endeavor is going good...so far. Of course, you guys might get a good laugh at my expense because I actually thought I had squash already sprouting from the seeds I had planted. Just after I patted myself on the back, I realized that these were just little green pieces of nothing that fell off of a tree. I didn't kill anything though, that was the point in sharing this!

I also have overcome another fear that I have...mowing! Yup, I am terrified of the mower! I told you guys that I am a total girly-girl. I think it was a discussion with my dad, who was trying to teach me how to mow, where he told me that rocks could get thrown at me if I wasn't careful. He also redid all that I had mowed because I didn't mow "the right way" and so I ended up crying and going inside. That is just the kind of fun sport I am!

I managed to mow without any injuries thankyouverymuch. I also made my husband's day because he hates to mow the lawn. Unfortunately for him, this is probably not going to be happening with regular occurrence, but I did help him this week! I offered to switch roles and he could cook while I mowed the lawn, but he wouldn't take me up on it. It makes me think I am getting the short end of the stick here.

Thanks for the fabulous gardening tips that you emailed and shared with me though! I appreciate all the help I can get OBVIOUSLY since I think I am growing imaginary plants.

Here are some old blog entries & articles that I thought you might enjoy. Now RUN outside and enjoy all that nice weather!

Solving the Sand Between Your Toes Blues

Cleaning Up Yo Grill

Busy Day Activities for Warm Weather

Frugal Teacher Gifts

Getting Ready for Summer

Gearing Up for Summer

Summer Survival

Organized Travel

Blogger Spotlight: Home Ec 101

Inspired by my recent interview with the folks over at Shakadoo, I thought it would be great fun to feature some of my very favorite bloggers. If you don't get an email from me and really want to be featured here, please email me at amy@momadvice.com and I will send you some questions.

I was so excited when my favorite blogging gal, Miss Ivy, emailed me to request an interview. She is one of my absolute favorite bloggers. I love her tongue in cheek humor and fun writing style that she offers to her readers. Until I did this interview, I actually didn't realize that I had been reading all of her blogs and never realized that they all were written by her. What talent! I don't know how in the heck she does it, as I struggle to keep up with my little corner over here.

In this interview, Ivy shares the scoop on Home Ec 101. If you haven't visited this blog, go TODAY! Run over there! It is an awesome blog and I love the fifties feel to it. It shares all the tips you wish your momma taught you (or she did teach you and you just didn't listen!)

Tell me a little bit about your blog and how you came to the decision to begin blogging?

I originally started blogging on LiveJournal on the auspicious date of April 22, 2003. I just started blogging on LJ because all my friends were, and I wanted to be one of the cool kids. I started reading NashvilleIsTalking.com in May of 2005 and started up my blog at blogspot shortly thereafter. After fits and starts, I got really involved during the time of Katrina, and have been blogging my tushie off both personally and professionally ever since.

I'm currently blogging in 5 different places- my personal blog, the badbadivy experience; the mommy blog, Love Shak, Baby; the gardening blog, ShakYard; the home improvement/DIY blog, Curbly; and the crowning glory of my personal achievement, Home-Ec 101.
Home-Ec 101 is an advice-style blog that takes a sassy look at the ins and outs of housework. My partner Heather and I cover cooking, cleaning, pet problems, and any other random question that comes our way.

I see you work with another blogger on this blog? Do you live close to each other or are just cyber buddies that decided to pool your talents?

Heather and I are women of many talents, but it's just the two of us blogging at Home-Ec 101. Heather and I met on an AOL message board while we were both pregnant with our three year olds. I was talking to a mutual friend in an IM about how I thought one of the women posting on the message board was totally faking her pregnancy, and the mutual friend told me I needed to meet Heather, because she thought the same thing. I IMed Heather the next time I saw her online and we've been best pals ever since.Heather lives in South Carolina and I live in Tennessee. Heather and I are each other's Motel 6 when we're in each other's area.(Heather says like Motel 6, but without the bugs) Who needs room service when you have friends to crash with?

Do your friends and family know about your blog or are you living a double life?

Most of my friends are bloggers, so they know all about my blogging activities. My family knows about my blogging, but they don't tend to read, which is great- I can talk about them as badly as I would like. Of course, when I do start talking badly about them is the instant they get a wild hair and decide to read my blog, so it's a double-edged sword.

What are your favorite things to do when you are not blogging?

I enjoy reading about blogging, reading other bloggers, hanging out with bloggers, planning blogger parties and playing video games. Sadly, there aren't any video games about blogging.

Since you ladies give out so many tips, what is your favorite tip that you have shared and what makes it your favorite?

I love the post I wrote about doing things imperfectly. It's really easy to get caught up in the vast details of life and end up doing nothing because we want to get things right.

What do you want people to come away with when they read your blog?

If people read our blog and come away with some tiny piece of information they didn't know before, we're happy. If people do that *and* are entertained at the same time, we're deliriously happy.

Who are your idols?

This is going to sound random, but Oprah Winfrey and Willie Nelson are my heroes. Oprah because she is a strong woman who has overcome many odds to come out on top, and Willie Nelson because he makes absolutely no apologies for being who he is. Plus, I love his music, and I'm not a big fan of country music.

How do you separate your blogging life from your real life?

I really don't. Nashville has a really cohesive blogging community, so most of my local friends bloggers. This makes my life tend to revolve around blogging. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way!