Wednesday, August 30, 2006

WFMW: Find Just What You Are Looking For

I am stumped for ideas on what to share with you this week for the official Works For Me Wednesday segment (sponsored by my blogging friend, Shannon) so I have decided to take a different approach this week.

Here are the top twenty keyphrases, that people have searched under, and happened upon our site. Maybe one of these links will answer a question that has been pondering your mind. Or perhaps, you will think I am a lazy lady today who is stumped for ideas. Hmmm? I believe that both of these statements would be true!

1. Motherload- This would be the name of my blog. That you are looking at right now. We have had 179 hits (just this month) searching for this keyword.

2. Aldi Supermarket-I write frequently about Aldi Supermarket because it is my favorite store. In fact, if you type in that keyphrase, my site is now one of the first things to pop up on the search engines. In some cases, our site pops up before the official Aldi Supermarket homepage (which really cracks me up). This is why I get tons of emails complimenting their products, requesting refunds, and I have even had one poor lady email me that she would like to know if I could check my North Carolina store for her wallet that she happened to leave there. If you want to know more about Aldi, here are some links to some important Aldi information.

Aldi Supermarket: The Real Deal?
Aldi Fall/Winter Menu Planner
Aldi Menu Planner
Aldi Price Sheet

3. School lunch ideas- I actually had a blog entry on some frugal ideas for school lunches. I also had included a link to my free lunchbox love notes. These can be printed out for your sweet child or hubby (whoever is being nicest to you!)

4. Mom Advice- That is the name of my website, which is not to be confused with the name of my blog (The Motherload). Trust me, it confuses me too! In the beginning, I didn't really want my blog to link to my site because I was blogging about personal things in our life. I have changed it to just ideas for saving money & time. It seems to be working better for me and that is why we have joined these together.

5. Freezing zucchini- This was never written by me, but was posted on my forum. I guess a lot of people have questions on how you can freeze this vegetable. If you are looking for recipes or trying to find a way to use up zucchini, please check out this thread.

6. Gap Love Beads- Again, this one was not posted by me. This was a freebie that someone shared with us on the freebie section of our forum. If you are looking for some Gap Love Beads, check out this thread. I am known to share freebies though, each Friday of my blog, and if you are looking for free samples check out this past week's post.

7. Swiffer Coupons- We had a link to this on our forum. If you go on the Swiffer website right now, they have tons of coupons. $1 off on the Swiffer Sweeper, $3 off on the Swiffer CarpetFlick, $5 off the Swiffer WetJet, $5 off the Swiffer Sweeper+Vac, and $1 off the Swiffer dusters.

8. Eat Free On Your Birthday- This is becoming a popular link on our blog. I put together a list of all the places you could dine for free on your birthday. If your birthday is coming up, take advantage of some of those freebies and read my post.

9. Diaper Bag Essentials- I wrote an article on everything you should keep in your diaper bags. There is also a diaper bag checklist that you can print out and hang on your fridge. You must SAVE it first and then print it. For some reason, this one shows a blank page, but when saved & printed it works fine.

10. Mom Groups- I wrote an article on all of the national mothers groups out there. I would be nothing without my mom's group. If I had not had their support, I would have never been able to do this site or to have felt so good about making the decision to stay home with my children. If you are looking for a support system, please read this article.

11. Dinner Ideas- I have an article called, "Picky Eater Dinner Ideas." If you can't think of something to fix for your picky children, you should read this article. Recipes are included!

12. Pizza Dough Recipes- I love pizza. I also love talking about pizza. I wrote a blog entry on how to make your own pizza at home, hoping to save our family some money. I then revisited pizza dough and reviewed a new recipe that I really loved.

13. Aldi Supermarkets- Plural of entry #2.

14. McDonald's Birthday Party- We had our son's birthday party at McDonald's and it was the best one EVER! I shared this as a frugal party option (when you don't feel like hosting a party in your house).

15. Aldi Phone Number- There is no phone number for Aldi. They do not have a listed number that you can call. People are always looking for this, but no Aldi has a listed phone number. You need to go to the store to find out information.

16. Free On Your Birthday- Visit keyphrase #8 for all the freebies that you can receive.

17. Mother Load- Same as keyphrase #1

18. McDonald's Birthday Parties- See keyphrase #14 and take your kiddos to the dang McDonald's for their birthday!!

19. Aldi Recipes- Lots of those listed under keyphrase #2

20. Moms Advice- That's what I give- hope you like it!

Past WFMW Entries:

Target Pharmacy
Say No to Hand Cramps
Foamy Soap
Adventures in Shipping
Frugal Exercise Solutions
Microfiber Obsessions
Sand Between Your Toes Blues
Giving the Gift of Magazines (Frugally)
Solution for Cheap Trash Bags
Programming Your Cell Phone
Free Up Pantry Space: Make a Snack
Weeding Through Your Child's Art Work Creatively
Using the Coffee Maker With Ease
Making Your Spice Rack Usable
Maximizing Space

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Tuesday, August 29, 2006

This Week in Festivals & Carnivals

The Festival of Frugality is over at Blogging Away Debt.
MotherLoad Article: Aldi Supermarket Price Sheet & Store Information
Must Read Article: Frugal Cooks

The Carnival of Debt Reduction is located at the Mighty Bargain Hunter.
Must Read Article: War of the Off-Brand Sodas

The Carnival of Personal Finance is currently at My 1st Million at 33. They are taking votes on your favorite posts so feel free to leave a vote for whose article you enjoyed the most.
MotherLoad Article: Aldi Supermarket Price Sheet & Store Information
Must Read Article: Selling My Books on Ebay (be sure to read the comments!)

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Monday, August 28, 2006

Monday WAHM Spotlight: Sprezzatura Systems, Inc.

Name: Ellen Ferlazzo

City/State: Pleasanton, CA

Name of Company: Sprezzatura Systems, Inc.

Two or Three Sentences About Your Company:

I write web content (copywriting) for high tech companies. At various times in the past I've also worked as a user interface designer, on both Windows and web applications.

Two Tips for Moms Trying to Work-At-Home (these tips can be how you stay organized, how to be successful, how to get started- anything that you feel would help someone just starting out):

1. Set a schedule and keep it! I like to keep my work hours as close to a normal workday as possible now that my kids are older and off to school most of the day.

2. Have an office space of some kind and a separate phone line that the kids know not to answer. I've gone from the dining room to a spare bedroom, but always have a space of my own.

**If you are interested in being featured, we will be selecting a mom for each Monday of my blog. You can read more and apply. Email confirmations are sent to each mom if they are chosen. Please remember to do your own research on these companies. If there are obvious red flags on BBB, I do not post them. Check my scam article to find out more about the potential dangers of work-at-home businesses.**

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Friday, August 25, 2006

Freebie Friday: Free Samples


Fill out the form for a free sample of Tide Simple Pleasures Laundry Detergent in one of two scents- Vanilla & Lavender or Rose & Violet. This sample also includes an additional sampling of their Downy Simple Pleasures Fabric Softener (in the Rose & Violet scent). Look for your sample in the mail in the next six to eight weeks. Limit one per household.

Print out this Target coupon for a free Downy Simple Pleasures with the purchase of Tide simple Pleasures. This offer is valid through 09/30/2006.

Fill out this luggage tag registration and receive a free luggage tag. Please allow eight to ten weeks for your luggage tag. Limit one luggage tag per address.

More free coffee? Get a free sample of Folgers Select Premium Coffee. Be sure to pick your flavor first (before filling out the form); otherwise it will come up with an error message. I picked Vanilla Biscotti for my chosen flavor. Can’t wait for this freebie to come in the mail!

Receive a free sample of Nexxus Therappe Shampoo & Humectress Conditioner. Offer only good while supplies last!

Receive a free sample of SunSilk Hairspray. Offer only good while supplies last!

Past Freebies:

Free Samples

Free Samples

Free Museum Passes

Free Samples & Subscriptions

Eat Free on Your Birthday

Freely Treating Yourself

Simon Mall Kidgits Program


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Thursday, August 24, 2006

What Do You Use Your FoodSaver For?

My recent trip to Goodwill was well worth the effort. While browsing through the housewares, I ran across a donated FoodSaver. I paid my five dollars, picked up some bags at Walmart, and brought it home.

I am looking for any ideas for how you use your FoodSaver- conventional & unconventional. If you have one of these handy little gadgets (and would like to share), please click on the comments and share your FoodSaver experience.

I would greatly appreciate it!

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Frugal Momma's Test Kitchen: Homemade Croutons


I love to make homemade bread for our family, in fact, my bread machine is one of our most used appliances. With only three people eating bread in our house though, we usually only manage to make it through a half to three quarters of a small loaf. Since homemade bread lacks the preservatives of store-bought bread its demise comes quickly. By day two, it seems too stale for eating, but perfect for toast. By day three, it has completely lost its star quality and is in need of a makeover. In the past, the bread has simply made its way to the trash, but lately I have taken up a new hobby- making croutons!

I never realized how much better a homemade crouton tastes, compared to the prepackaged kind, but there is absolutely no comparison. You can add anything you would like to your croutons- Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, fresh garlic, garlic powder, cayenne pepper (just to name a few). You can make these croutons just how you like them- spicy, salty, or cheesy!

In the recipes that I ran across, they suggested cutting off the crust. I decided to go ahead and take the risk and included the crust. The results were delicious and there is absolutely no need to omit it.

I used homemade bread, but feel free to use up whatever bread you have laying around your house. You can use the heels of bread (toss them in your freezer for a big batch), hot dog buns, hamburger buns, or loaves of day old bread. Although those mentioned may not be as glamorous as a homemade loave of bread (I am sure Martha would not approve), this blog is all about being frugal!

Here is my recipe for homemade croutons. These turned out so unbelievably delicious. This recipe is just for a basic crouton, but you can throw in any ingredients you like. Enjoy!

Amy’s Homemade Croutons

6 slices of bread (any kind, but don't tell Martha!), ¼ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon oregano, liberal sprinkling of garlic salt (to taste).


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cube bread into desired size and toss into a bowl. Sprinkle all of the seasonings on top of your bread cubes. Drizzle olive oil over the cubes and then toss gently with your fingers. When all pieces have been coated, put cubes into a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes. Allow to cool. Place in an airtight container and these can be stored for up to weeks in this container.

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Wednesday, August 23, 2006

WFMW: Target Pharmacy Works For Me!



Welcome to this week's edition of Works for Me Wednesday. As always, I am honored to participate in this, each week, and encourage you to swing by Shannon's blog for more great tips from moms just like me!

This week, I just wanted to share with you all my favorite place in the world to get prescriptions- Target Pharmacy. If you are already a Target Pharmacy customer, please disregard this post because it is all about how wonderful it has been for our family.

Pictured here is their redesigned bottles. Notice that they are clear (making it easy to see how much/how little of a medication you have) and that they have a handy little ring around them. This ring is color coded and each family member gets a color for their prescriptions. This makes it easy for me to find my son's medication (he is blue) versus my daughter's medication (which is purple). For a my tired eyes in the morning, this has prevented us from a lot of medicine mix-ups.

You can also see that this bottle is flipped on its head. This helps to get all of the information on the front of the bottle and to make it easier to read. Tucked on the side, (see that little flap) is the little sheet with all of the side effects. Don't know about you, but this usually gets thrown into the trash.

The best part for me, as a mom, is giving the medicine to my children and how they have improved this little factor. Anyone who has had a screaming & tantruming child who hates to receive medicine, knows that the teaspoon just doesn't cut it. Target has also introduced bottles for liquid medicines that include a syringe dispensers that fits tightly into a specially designed cap on the bottle. To dispense liquid medication to a child, one can easily insert the syringe, turn the bottle upside down, and fill the syringe with an exact dose rather than the messy alternative of pouring into a teaspoon. This cuts down on the mess and I also am able to make sure that I get every last drop out of that bottle because it is inverted.

Other services that I have also appreciated are that they automatically refill my medication (if I request it), contact my doctor if I need a refill (which doesn't involve me calling the doctor and then calling the pharmacy), and I can request refills by telephone or online (how convenient!)

If you have the choice of where to get your prescriptions filled, I highly recommend getting them there. The new bottle is just one part that I love about it. The other part is the shopping I can do while I am waiting for my prescription.

What is not to love about Target?

As always, I am including links to my past entries. Feel free to browse around and leave your comments. I really, really love the comments!!

Past WFMW entries:

Say No to Hand Cramps
Foamy Soap
Adventures in Shipping
Frugal Exercise Solutions
Microfiber Obsessions
Sand Between Your Toes Blues
Giving the Gift of Magazines (Frugally)
Solution for Cheap Trash Bags
Programming Your Cell Phone
Free Up Pantry Space: Make a Snack
Weeding Through Your Child's Art Work Creatively
Using the Coffee Maker With Ease
Making Your Spice Rack Usable
Maximizing Space

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Tuesday, August 22, 2006

The Festival of Frugality #36

Welcome to this week's edition of the Festival of Frugality. Please do not dispair that your finances are in terrible shape- just visit our site & this festival for great tips on how to save money.

There were many great entries this week and I am honored to be the hostess. Be sure to visit the festival next week over at
Blogging Away Debt.

Here is just the inspiration you have been looking for!

Freebies

“Free advice is worth the price.” Robert Half

No Credit Needed revisits a past entry and shares a link to free graph paper. Now I can start drawing up graphs of high chair placement in our house. For some reason there is nowhere to put this. I will have to put this freebie to use in our house. I also will graph out placement of husband, two children, and dog…

Money & Values gives you the scoop on how to see plays and concerts for free. You will have to read that blog entry to find out more about these great opportunities.

How about some free money? The Good Human shares how a bank’s system of rounding up their purchases has beefed up their savings account. They even get free money from their bank every single year. I don’t know about you, but my bank doesn’t give us crap…oh, that’s right. They fee us! Thanks Wells Fargo!

HollyRhea shares stories of her life growing up…and dumpster diving. You read that right- how about getting something for absolutely nothing, just by doing a little hunting through someone’s trash. Read her tips of the trade here.

I am also including my own blog entry on Aldi Supermarket. How about menu planners, information, and an entire price sheet for the store in one blog entry, all for free! Hope you can get some use out of this one!

Financial Wisdom

Money will buy you a bed, but not a good night's sleep, a house but not a home, a companion but not a friend.” Zig Ziglar

Free The Drones shares tips on how to keep your kids from busting your budget with demands for designer clothes. I would personally introduce them to a couple of little places called Goodwill & Salvation Army and let them dig for those hot brand name items.

Debt Free offers a whole slew of money-saving tips on how to save your money. Learning to cut your own hair & line drying your clothes, are just a couple of the topics covered. Just when you think you couldn’t save enough, you find out there are even more ways to save yourself some cash. For those of you who scoff at saving money, Debt Free says it’s okay to purchase a plasma television. Bet you wanna read it now!

Frugal Wisdom from Wenchypoo’s Warehouse offers a compelling look at the poor here in the United States versus the poor in other countries. It is a long post, but eye-opening, about how the poor in various countries differs.

Nina, from QueerCents, shares on an article she read on Americans and excess. This is a great entry on how we have become conditioned to take what is offered- even when we can’t afford it or don’t need it. Great read!

Becoming & Staying Debt Free has shared an entry on how just about everyone already is a millionaire. Don’t believe him? Read his post to find out more. (Be sure to read those comments because I find those just as intriguing.)

Ask Uncle Bill answers if getting your MBA at a big name school versus a state school is worth the cash. He shares his personal experience with this situation.

FDBryant shares a tip on making payments to those nasty creditors. Why not pay two times a month instead of once? Following the wise Clark Howard’s advice, you just might shave off some of that interest paid on your debts. Read more to find out how!

Cheap Living & Traveling

“Own only what you can carry with you; know language, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.” Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Free Money Finance says if you want to save big, you best be moving. Take a peek at this post on the cheapest places to live and how you can make your home there.

Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood offers their experience with finding low cost shelter. This is part two in the series and Stephanie shares some conventional and unconventional ways their family has been able to afford their housing.

It’s Just Money shares some tips for how you can attend out-of-town weddings for really cheap. Read this post before planning your next trip.

Then Things shares her tip on getting the cheapest plane tickets. Another great post to check out before you head on your next vacation.

DIY (Do It Yourself)

“Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy.” Groucho Marx

Help with everything shares a list of websites and questions to ask yourself before making that purchase…you know…that one!

Frugal Homemaker Plus shares her frugal mistakes with her readers. If you have ever put something off for tomorrow and suffered a financial loss, you have experienced just what she is talking about.

Five Cent Nickel shares an experience where sometimes you have to spend money to save money. Much like the Frugal Homemaker post, putting things off for tomorrow could lead to losing some money today.

Need some new magnets for your fridge? Bling On a Shoestring shares a craft for making some beautiful magnets for little or no cost.

We’re In Debt discusses how switching your auto insurance can save you, particularly when you are being overcharged for your neighborhood. We used to live in Massachusetts and I worked as an auto insurance representative so I could definitely relate to that one!

Warning: this one is for the girls only. Have you ever noticed how much you spend on tampons or pads? Have you ever considered reusable menstrual products? You can even make these yourself. Visit Tired but happy for the scoop.

Visit The Common Room for a very frugal recipe…Curried Legumes.



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Monday, August 21, 2006

Doesn't Free Just Taste Better?

We went to a family picnic at my father's work and had a great time this weekend. They supplied all of the food and entertainment- all for free! The food was great, but the best part about the meal for me.. Real soda! Not the generic version, but an actual Diet Coke. The real deal. The enchilada of sodas. Yup, I am really that pathetic.

Brand name soda doesn't get purchased in our house. I might regret saying that when Coke approaches me to represent their product, but I must say that Coke is just a tad out of our price range.

Since we do not purchase regular soda, I have been on a quest to find the best generic soda out there. I have tried every kind of generic that you can imagine- Aldi, Walmart, local store brands, etc.. and they have all fell short of my expectations. If you like regular ol' soda, like lemon lime or orange, this is a great option for you. The problem is that I like the more obscure types of generic. I like diet orange, diet lemon lime, diet cream soda- and these options are hard to come by. After much hunting, I have finally found the generic that stacks up the best- Meijer brand. They actually have all of these obscure types of soda! Currently the pricing is at $1.99 for a twelve pack so I feel like this is a fair deal and it even comes in those handy fridge packs. If you are not in the Midwest region, Kroger makes a great off-brand soda with a fair price too.

Now even though I have found the almighty supplier of generic sodas, even I will not turn down free brand name soda (and neither should you). Right now CVS & Pepsi products are running a deal where you come out with four 12-packs of soda for absolutely free. Really!

Check this week's flier and on the front page it should show you that they are currently running a sale on their soda for four 12-packs of Pepsi products for ten bucks. Flip the page and you should see a handy little rebate form...for ten dollars back on your purchase. Simply attach the receipt & UPC codes and keep on checking your mailbox for that ten dollar check.

You can imagine how good that soda tastes when it is free. No longer does my husband have to endure the commentary of his horrible off brand soda at work (Mountain Lightning? What the heck is that? Big K Soda? Where did your wife pick that stuff up at?) I picked up three cases of Mountain Dew for him and a case of Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi for me. You would have thought it was Christmas in our house!

Don't miss out on your free soda- check your local CVS for a rebate form or your local paper.

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Monday WAHM Spotlight:A Natural Home

Name: Susie Little

City/State: Fredericktown, OH

Name of Company: A Natural Home

Two or Three Sentences About Your Company:

Manufacturer of Organic cotton bedding and furniture. The ultimate in cottage based industry. Every family we work with, works from home.

Two Tips for Moms Trying to Work-At-Home (these tips can be how you stay organized, how to be successful, how to get started- anything that you feel would help someone just starting out):

1. Learn to delegate.... even if it is jobs around the house. Do not try to be supermom (I have been there, even have the mug to prove it)

2. Hire people even if it is part time to help when you get overwhelmed.

**If you are interested in being featured, we will be selecting a mom for each Monday of my blog. You can read more and apply. Email confirmations are sent to each mom if they are chosen. Please remember to do your own research on these companies. If there are obvious red flags on BBB, I do not post them. Check my scam article to find out more about the potential dangers of work-at-home businesses.**

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Friday, August 18, 2006

Freebie Friday: Free Samples

Fill out a short survey and receive a free $3 Starbucks gift card.

Receive a free Reach Access Flosser sample pack. This sample should arrive in four to six weeks.

Free BJ’s Wholesale Club pass. Be sure to read our wholesale club article before hitting the store, to maximize you free day there!

Remember my little post about making up business cards to give to people you happen to meet? There is currently a promotion over at VistaPrint for free shipping and free business cards. Cost to you? Nada! Sign up here. I got 250 free business cards, 140 free address labels, and free Quickbooks software for my starter business. No shipping, no nothing!! I put our family name, address, telephone numbers, email address, and MomAdvice.com web address on them. Each of our names is on them (does anyone else have trouble remembering kid’s names?) and that way if we meet someone, we can just give them our card. Ridiculous? It might be, but you won’t see me trying to find a dirty wrapper to write our information on anymore! If it doesn’t cost you anything, why not?

Free Biore skincare sample- please allow four weeks for delivery. Click on “Free Sample,” to fill out their form.

Receive a free sample of John Frieda hair products. Please allow four weeks for delivery. Click on “Free Sample,” to fill out their form.

Try the new Head & Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo. This is intensive shampoo without the prescription. Please allow four weeks for delivery. Click on “Free Sample,” to fill out their form.

Order a free sample of Ban deodorant. This might be handy to keep in your purse for those…um..sweat emergencies! Please allow four weeks for delivery. Click on “Free Sample,” to fill out their form.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

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Wednesday, August 16, 2006

WFMW: Say NO to Hand Cramps!

Good morning and welcome to this edition of Works-For-Me Wednesday. As always, may I please redirect you over to Miss Shannon’s blog, where you have the opportunity to read a hundred and one solutions for your family? Please take a minute to stop by her site!

Today I would like to share one of my other fun free obsessions- address labels. I get a lot of these in the mail and I use them for so many different things.

I keep a stash in my purse and use them when I go to get my film developed. It saves me from writing my address out over and over again on those little envelopes.

If you are traveling, it is a quick way to fill out paperwork and to make luggage tags for yourself.

I put address labels on a set of containers that I use to take meals over to people. This particularly helps out the tired new mommies, who are bombarded with fifty casseroles and can’t remember whose dish is whose.

Tack an address label onto your cell phone, address book, day planner, and coupon organizer. These are definitely items that you would want to have back if you lost them.

If you would prefer another free kind of stamp, there are also free self-inking address stamps. I have used mine until I literally have to throw all of my weight down over the envelope to get it to stamp. This is after three years of regular use and abuse in our house though. If you are looking for a self-inking address stamp, I absolutely love using VistaPrint. Many of the items on there only cost you shipping…and it is legitimate! One stamp is free, to buy two is $4.99. Slow shipping is only $5.25. For $5.25, you could save yourself from those horrible hand cramps and writing your address over and over again on your bills. Just think of how much time you will save around the holidays. No writing over and over your address on your American Express, Visa, and Mastercard bills. What a huge timesaver! Oh, and don’t forget the holiday card exchange- who wants to write that ten thousand times.

My husband actually ordered business cards for me one year, from this company, and got them for me as a Christmas gift. If you want to make your wife feel like a million bucks, make up a business card with her name and website on it. You could not have gotten me a better present. I have a whole box of them and I tuck them in my wallet so when someone finds out what I do (usually by my bragging tone or the way I keep dropping the fact that I work), I can just whip one of these little cards out so they are more likely to visit my website.

Speaking of business cards, you can make those up for free through VistaPrint too! I have been toying with the idea of getting a free set of these with our family information on it. I can’t tell you how many times I make friends when our family is out and about or we run into old friends at a store. It would be great to have our information on a card so that I can just hand that to them instead of trying to find a scrap piece of paper in my purse to write our phone number and address on.

If you are interested in VistaPrint, you can actually get ten percent cash back through Ebates. I will stop preaching about signing up for Ebates (because who doesn’t want some free cash back on their purchases?), but I will say that I have over thirty-five bucks in my account since I signed up a couple of months ago. That just goes to show that you don’t have to be a big spender to reap the rewards. If you would like to read some of my past sermons on Ebates, you can read one here and one here.

Thanks for visiting my little smorgasbord of ideas. I hope that you found them helpful! Feel free to browse around the blog and our website. Solutions for families are my cup of tea!

Past WFMW entries:
Foamy Soap
Adventures in Shipping
Frugal Exercise Solutions
Microfiber Obsessions
Sand Between Your Toes Blues
Giving the Gift of Magazines (Frugally)
Solution for Cheap Trash Bags
Programming Your Cell Phone
Free Up Pantry Space: Make a Snack
Weeding Through Your Child's Art Work Creatively
Using the Coffee Maker With Ease
Making Your Spice Rack Usable
Maximizing Space

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Tuesday, August 15, 2006

This Week in Festivals & Carnivals

Here is what is happening in this week's carnivals & festivals.

The Carnival of Debt Reduction is over at No Credit Needed.
Must Read Article: How I Reduced My Credit Card Interest Rates (they used Prosper.com, which is a people-to-people lending service that I had never heard of).

The Carnival of Family Life was hosted by Tired but Happy.
MotherLoad Article: Back-to-School Lunch Ideas
Must Read Article: The Best Financial Advice My Family Members Gave Me (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one! Kira teaches us what we should be taking the time to do with our very own children, when talking about finances with them)

The Festival of Frugality was hosted by our favorite celebrities this week. People like Bob Saget, Chuck Norris, & Fred Flinstone all share their extremely unique points of view on the festival this week. I must say that Mel Gibson did the best job out of all of them. Punny Money totally cracked me up today!
MotherLoad Article: Making Your Own Foamy Soap
Must Read Article: Craiglist First Impressions: Lots of Scammers (interesting read as they have just added our area to this free classifieds resource list).

The Carnival of Personal Finance was hosted over at Get Rich Slowly.
MotherLoad Article: Adventures in Shipping
Must Read Article: Keep track of 95% of Your Accounts in 1 Place (he shares about an online service called Yodlee, which again, I had never heard of. Looks like a great thing to look into!).

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Aldi Supermarket: Price Sheet & Store Information

I put together a list of pricing, last year, of items at Aldi Supermarket. I am posting the information here and providing you a list of all the prices on the items that Aldi carries. I do want to say, I am in no way affiliated with or receive any benefits from promoting Aldi Supermarket. I am just a mom who happens to love shopping there and saving our family money. The prices listed are what they were this past winter- the pricing may have changed, however, Aldi usually does not do a dramatic change in their pricing so this should be an accurate portrayal of their current prices. The items that have a star next to them are items that are carried seasonally or the item prices change according to the season/farmers. They may or may not be available at the time you come to visit the store.

The sizing and prices are listed on the items as best as I could do. If you do not like the arrangement or the ordering, feel free to do changes on your own sheet. I literally spent three straight hours on a Sunday afternoon working on this. I was leaning over stacks of food (with my big pregnant belly) trying to write everything down on top of random cans. I hope that this work will benefit someone out there!!

If you are unhappy with a product from Aldi PLEASE do not email me. I cannot tell you how many "Dear Aldi," emails that I receive. If you are dissatisfied with a product from this store, take it back to your local store. They do not have an email address or anyone who can answer your phone calls. Bring the item back to the store and receive another item for free plus your money back. That is how it works and I have no control over refunds or if your store no longer carries a particular item. Like I said, I do not work for the store- so sorry!

If you are looking for more information on Aldi Supermarket, please visit our articles on MomAdvice.com. Here are a few that are related to this store:

Aldi Supermarket: The Real Deal?
Aldi Menu Planner
Aldi Fall/Winter Menu Planner

Feel free to add to our list in the comments section. See a new product? Tried something you loved? Tried something you absolutely hated? Share away! Please share our site and our blog with your friends. You all keep my site up and running & help to motivate me to continue doing what I am doing here in the internet world.

Aldi Item Pricing:

Breakfast Foods

Grandessa Syrup- maple praline or wild blueberry
12 ounce
2.29

Aunt Maples Lite Syrup
24 ounce
0.89

Millville Quick Oats
42 ounce
1.39

Millville Crisp Rice
13.5 ounce
1.69

Millville Sugar Frosted Flakes
20 ounce
1.69

Toaster Tarts
12 count
1.69

Millville Bite-Size Shredded Wheat
1.69

Millville Marshmallow & Stars Cereal
1.69

Millville Apple-Cinnamon Crispy Oat Cereal
15 ounce
1.69

Millville Cinnamon Grahams Cereal
14.4 ounce
1.69


Dairy


Gold Hen Grade A Eggs
12 eggs
0.69

Friendly Farms Whipped Cream (aersol)
7 ounce
1.29

Natures Nectar Premium OJ
64 ounce
1.69

Friendly Farms Sour Cream
16 ounce
0.99

Friendly Farms Lo-Fat Cottage Cheese
24 ounce
1.69

Friendly Farms Cream Cheese
8 ounce
0.99

Buehlers Buttermilk Biscuits
7.5 ounce
0.25

Happy Farms Shredded Cheese- Colby, Monterey Jack, & Mexican
12 ounce
2.49

Happy Farms Shredded Cheese- Cheddar or Mozzarella
16 ounce
2.69

Casa Mamita Refrigerated Flour Tortillas
12.5 ounce
0.69

Lynder Cheese Singles
10.67 ounce
0.79

Happy Farms Butter Quarters
16 ounce
2.29

*Milk- 2%
1 gallon
2.19

Fit & Active Lite Yogurts
8 ounce
0.35

Happy Farms Butter Quarters
4 per package
2.29

Produce


Caesar or Italian Salad Mix
10 ounce
1.49

Fresh Farms Garden Salad
16 ounce
0.79

Fresh Express Flat Leaf Spinach
9 ounce
1.29

Avocados
1 each
0.79

Baby Watermelons (Seedless)
1 each
2.29

*Grape Tomatoes
10 ounce
1.79

*Strawberries
16 ounce
1.79

*Cabbage
1 each
1.19

*Iceberg Lettuce
1 each
1.19

*Cauliflower
1 each
1.99

*Broccoli Crowns
14 ounce
1.79

*Green Peppers
20 ounce
1.69

*Multi-Colored Peppers
20 ounce
2.29

*Celery
1 each
1.29

*Cucumbers
1 each
0.49

*Carrots
1 each
0.79

*Cantaloupe
1 each
2.29

*Pineapple
1 each
2.29

Anjou Pears
28 ounce
1.29

*Lemon or Limes
1 each
0.25

*Apples- Roma, Glaa, Red Delicious)
3 pounds
1.49

*Grapefruit
1 each
0.49

*Navel Oranges
4 pounds
1.89

*Bananas
1 pound
0.29

*Onions
3 pounds
0.79

*Russet Potatoes
10 pounds
1.69

Baking Potatoes
5 pounds
1.49

Red Potatoes
3 pounds
1.49

Fresh Garlic
6 ounce
0.79

*Portabella Mushroom Caps
2 per pack
1.99

Baking Supplies


Carlini Canola Oil
48 ounce
1.79

Carlini Corn Oil
48 ounce
1.79

Carlini Vegetable Oil
48 ounce
1.59

Carlini Vegetable Shortening
48 ounce
1.59

Carlini Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
16.9 ounce
3.29

Carlini Olive Oil
16.9 ounce
2.29

Baker's Corner Lite Corn Syrup
32 ounce
1.19

Friendly Farms Dry Milk
64 ounce
6.99

Baker's Corner Frosting- choc, milk choc, vanilla, or cream cheese
16 ounce
0.99

Baker's Corner Cake Mix- yellow, devil's food
18.5 ounce
0.69

Baker's Corner Fudge Brownie Mix
19.8 ounce
0.99

Baker's Corner Marshmallow Crème
7 ounce
0.79

Toasty Puffs Mini Marshmallows
10.5 ounce
0.59

No Bake Cheesecake (include filling & crust)
11.5 ounce
1.59

Mr. Pudding Instant Pudding- choc or vanilla
3.5 ounce
0.29

Baker's Corner Graham Cracker Crust
6 ounce
0.89

Baker's Corner Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
12 ounce
0.99

Southern Grove Walnuts
16 ounce
3.29

Southern Grove Pecan Halves
6 ounce
2.49

Sebree Iodized Salt
26 ounce
0.25

Sweet Harvest California Seedless Rasins
15 ounce
1.69

Spice Club Garlic Powder
3.5 ounce
0.99

Spice Club Minced Garlic
8 ounce
0.99

Spice Club Imitation Bacon Chips
3.25 ounce
0.79

Spice Club Pure Vanilla Extract
2 ounce
2.69

Baker's Corner Baking Soda
16 ounce
0.39

Baker's Corner Baking Cocoa
18.6 ounce
1.49

Grandma's Best Flour
5 pounds
0.89

Sweet Harvest Granulated Sugar
5 pounds
1.69
Sweet Harvest Brown Sugar
32 ounce
0.89

Sweet Harvest Powdered Sugar
5 pounds
1.69

Choceur Chocolate or Hazelnut Spread
14.1 ounce
1.69

Canned Goods


Chef's Cupboard Chicken or Beef Broth
14.5 ounce
0.39

Fit & Active 100% Fat-Free Chix Broth
14.5 ounce
0.39

Chef's Cupboard cream of chicken, cream of potato, cream of mushroom, cream of celery, or tomato soup
10.75 ounce
0.39

Bean Town Pinto Beans
32 ounce
1.19

Range Master Sloppy Joe Sauce
15.5 ounce
0.59

Casa Mamita Refried Beans
16 ounce
0.49

Kirkwood Chicken Breast
5 ounce
0.99

Seanet Tuna (packed in water)
6 ounce
0.45

Artic Baby Pink Salmon
14.75 ounce
1.19

Happy Harvest Stewed Tomatoes
14.5 ounce
0.49

Happy Harvest Mushrooms
4 ounce
0.39

Happy Harvest Vegetables (Corn, Sweet Peas, Green Beans, French Style Green Beans, Kidney Beans, & Chili Beans
0.33

Happy Harvest Tomato Sauce
8 ounce
0.19

Happy Harvest Diced Tomatoes
14.5 ounce
0.49

Happy Harvest Tomato Paste
6 ounce
0.33

La Mas Rica Pinto Beans
30 ounce
0.69

Baked Beans
16 ounce
0.49

Sweet Harvest Peaches in heavy syrup
29 ounce
0.89

Fit & Active Peaches in lite syrup
29 ounce
0.89

Sweet Harvest Pear Halves
29 ounce
0.99

Sweet Harvest Pumpkin
15 ounce
0.59

Sweet Harvest Cherry Pie Filling
21 ounce
1.49

Sweet Harvest Mandarin Oranges
11 ounce
0.39

Sweet Harvest Applesauce
25 ounce
0.69

Sweet Harvest Pineapple Chunks
20 ounce
0.59

Rings with Meatballs
0.59


Frozen Goods

Granger Frozen T-Bone Steaks
2 Steaks
14.98

B-Bar 75% Lean Ground Beef (Chubb)
3 pounds
4.99

B-Bar 85% Lean Ground Beef (Chubb)
16 ounce
1.89

B-Bar 12 Beef Patties
3 pounds
4.99

Boca Burgers
10 ounce
2.49

Roseland Center-Cut Pork Chops
per pound
1.79

Kirkwood Cornish Hens
20 ounce (1 Hen)
1.99

Roseland Brats or Italian Brats
19.76 ounce
2.49

Kirkwood Chicken Drumsticks
2.5 pounds
1.69

Kirkwood Chicken Wings
4 pounds
5.49

Kirkwood Whole Frying Chicken
1 pound
0.65

Kirkwood Chicken Leg Quarters
5 pounds
2.49

Kirkwood Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 pounds
6.99

Kirkwood Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenderloins
2.5 pounds
6.99

Kirkwood Grilled Chicken Breast Strips
32 ounce
7.99

Jehling Chicken or Shrimp Stir Fry
24.2 ounce
3.99

Sea Queen Deluxe Cooked Shrimp
12 ounce
3.49

Sea Queen Salmon
16 ounce
3.99

Sea Queen Tilapia
24 ounce
2.89

Sea Queen Orange Roughy
16 ounce
6.99

Sea Qeen Whiting Fillets
24 ounce
2.89

Sea Queen Jumbo Cooked Shrimp
12 ounce
4.49

Sea Queen Extra-Jumbo Cooked Shrimp
8.99

Mama Cozzi Spinach or Portobello Mushroom Stuffed Rigatoni
24 ounce
2.69

Mama Cozzi Garlic Cheese Texas Toast
11.25 ounce
1.49

Happy Harvest Frozen Veggies- Corn, Broc., Cauliflower
16 ounce
0.79

Happy Harvest Mixed Veggies
16 ounce
0.89

Valley View Crinkle Cut Fries
32 ounce
0.99

Fit & Active Fat Free Whipped topping
8 ounce
0.69

Fit & Active- Whole Strawberries or Mixed Fruit
32 ounce
2.69

Fit & Active 3 Berry Blend
24 ounce
2.69

Sundae Shop Ice Cream- Vanilla or Chocolate
64 ounce
1.49

Fit & Active Stuffed Sandwiches- Turkey w/Broccoli
2 per package
1.69

Cahill Ground Turkey
1 pound
0.79

Kirkwood Chicken Breast Nuggets
3.49

Snacks & Prepared Items


Casa Mamita Tortilla Chips
15 ounce
0.99

Casa Mamita Salsa
24 ounce
1.49

Saltine Crackers
16 ounce
0.59

Fit & Active Reduced-Fat Wheat Crackers
0.89

Snack Rite Butter Crackers
16 ounce
1.19

Jellrite Gelatin- strawberry or orange
3 ounce
0.25

Sundae Shop Ice Cream Cones- Sugar
4.5 ounce
0.79

Sundae Shop Ice Cream Cones- Cake
4.0 ounce
0.79

Raisins
1.69

Dry Roasted Peanuts
1.69

Chewy Granola Bars- Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter & Chocolate
12 pack
1.69

Millville Fruit & Grain Bars
8 pack
1.69

Cinnamon Graham Crackers
0.99

Chef's Cupboard Onion Soup Mix
2.0 ounce
0.49

Spice Club Taco Seasoning Packet
1.25 ounce
0.29

Leland Cheese Spread (Velveeta)
32 ounce
3.49

Chef's Cupboard Stuffing Mix (Cornbread or Chicken)
6 ounce
0.69

Valley View Instant Mashed Potatoes (Butter & Herb or Roasted Garlic)
7.6 ounce
0.79

Cheese Club Macaroni & Cheese
7.25 ounce
0.25

Grandessa Spaghetti Sauce (3 Cheese or Chunky Marinara)
26 ounce
1.79

Mama Cozzi Spaghetti Sauce (Traditional, Meat, or Mushroom)
26 ounce
0.99

Meats

Cahill Turkey Bacon
12 ounce
1.69

Premium Pride Bacon
16 ounce
2.49

Premium Pride Thick Sliced Maple or Peppercorn Bacon
24 ounce
3.99

Grandessa Gourmet Smoked Chicken Sausage- sundried tomato basil, cajun andouile, sweet apple gouda
13 ounce
3.69

Parkview Cheddar Brats
16 ounce
1.99

Parkview Smoked Sausage
48 ounce
3.29

Premium Pride Pork Sausage (chubb)
16 ounce
1.49

Parkview Smokey Links
10 ounce
1.69

Mama Cozzi Pepperoni
8 ounce
1.69

B-Bar Beef Franks
16 ounce
1.59

B-Bar Hot Dogs
12 ounce
0.59

B-Bar Hot Dogs
16 ounce
0.99

Sea Queen Imitation King Crab
12 ounce
1.89

Tyson Whole Roasted Chicken
23.2 ounce
3.99

Lunchmates Deli Meat- Roastbeef, chicken, smoked turkey, smoked ham
per pound
4.49

Parkview Beef or Summer Sausage
16 ounce
2.49

Paper Products

Nanny's Size 3 Diapers
40 count
5.99/ 14.98 cents each

Nanny's Size 4 Diapers
34 count
5.99/ 17.62 cents each

Nanny's Size 5 Diapers
30 count
5.99/ 19.97 cents each

Sandwich Bags
100 count
1.79

Ultra Liquid Fabric Softener
1.99

Decorated Paper Plates
1.69

Fill N Toss Tall Kitchen Bags
36 count
1.99

Drinks

Burlwood Cellars Wine
4.99

Beaumont Roast Coffee
39 ounce
3.29

Beaumont Instant Decaf Coffee
8 ounce
1.99

Beaumont Instant Decaf Coffee
4 ounce
1.69

Beaumont Decaf Roast Coffee
13 ounce
1.99

Benner Regular Tea Bags
100 count
1.49

Beaumont Coffee Creamer
22 ounce
1.39

Mixade- Lemonade or Fruit Punch
19 ounce
1.29

Nature's Nectar Tomato Juice
46 ounce
0.99

Nature's Nectar Lemon Juice
32 ounce
0.99

Orchard Gold Fruit Punch
64 ounce
0.99

Nature's Nectar Grape Juice
64 ounce
1.89

Nature's Nectar Cranberry Juice
64 ounce
1.69

Nature's Nectar CranApple or CranGrape Juice
64 ounce
1.69

Nature's Nectar 100% Juice Fruit Punch- Mixed Berry
64 ounce
2.99

Nature's Nectar Apple Juice
64 ounce
0.99

Sweet Valley 12-Pack Soda- black cherry, cola, diet cola, root beer, orange, or lemon lime
12 count
1.69

Sweet Valley 2 Liter- Cola or Lemon Lime
2 Liter
0.59

Condiments

Lyder Ketchup
36 ounce
0.99

Briargate Mustard- spicey, brown or dijon
12 ounce
0.99

Briargate Mustard- Honey
15 ounce
0.99

Briargate Mustard- Yellow
14 ounce
0.59

Salad Mate Salad Dressing (Miracle Whip)
32 ounce
0.99

Burman's Mayonaise
32 ounce
1.29

Great Gherkin's Hamburger Pickle Slices
32 ounce
0.99

Jehling Soy/Teriyaki Sauce
10 ounce
0.99

Grandessa Artichoke Quarters
12 ounce
1.69

Grandessa Gourmet Dressings- Sun dried tomato, 3 cheese, whole clove garlic, raspberry vinagerette
12.7 ounce
2.69

Chef's Cupboard Bread Croutons- seasoned, ceasar, cheese & garlic
0.89

Diomede Spanish Stuffed Olives
5.75 ounce
0.89

Diomede Large Pitted Olives
6 ounce
0.89

Happy Harvest White Vinegar
32 ounce
0.59

Carlini Balsamic or Red Wine Vinegar
16.9 ounce
1.39

Fit & Active Lite Ranch or Lite Italian
16 ounce
0.99

Berry Hill Grape, Strawberry, or Apricot Perserves
18 ounce
0.99

Golden Nectar Pure Honey
24 ounce
2.99

Peanut Delight Peanut Butter- Crunchy or Creamy
18 ounce
1.19

Reggano Grated Cheese (Parmesan or Parmesan Romano Cheese)
8 ounce
1.89

La Missa Chocolate Syrup
24 ounce
0.99

Sundae Shop Ice Cream Toppings- Hot Fudge
16 ounce
1.69

Sundae Shop Ice Cream Toppings- Caramel
17 ounce
1.69

Sundae Shop Ice Cream Toppings- Strawberry
15.5 ounce
1.69

KC Style BBQ Sauce
0.79

Grains

Rice Bowl Long Grain Rice
3 pounds
0.89

Rice Bowl Instant Rice
14 ounce
0.99

Rice Bowl Chicken Flavored Rice
6.9 ounce
0.49

Rice Bowl Beef Flavored Rice
6.8 ounce
0.49

Casa Mamita Yellow/White corn Taco Shells (12 pck)
4.6 ounce
0.79

Reggano Elbow Macaroni
32 ounce
0.89

Reggano Penne Pasta
16 ounce
0.89

Reggano Farfalle Pasta
12 ounce
0.89

Reggano Rotini Pasta
16 ounce
0.59

Lovin' Fresh White Bread
1 Loaf
0.45

Lovin' Fresh 100% Whole Wheat Bread
1 Loaf
1.29

Lovin' Fresh 12 Grain Bread
1 Loaf
1.29

Lovin' Fresh Wheat Bread
1 Loaf
0.69

Lovin' Fresh Oat Bran
1 Loaf
0.69

Lovin' Fresh Hamburger Buns
6 Pack
0.55

Lovin' Fresh Hot Dog Buns
6 Pack
0.55

Lovin' Fresh Hoagie Rolls
6 Pack
0.99

Lovin' Fresh Bagels- Multigrain, cinnamon & raisin, or plain
21 ounce
0.99

Lovin' Fresh English Muffins
12 ounce
0.59

Lovin' Fresh Garlic Bread
10 ounce
1.49

Wide Egg Noodles
0.59


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Monday, August 14, 2006

Monday WAHM Spotlight: Arbonne International

Here is this week's featured WAHM Spotlight...

Name: Trish Miller

City/State: Baltimore, MD

Name of Company: Arbonne International

Two or Three Sentences About Your Company:

Arbonne International was developed 26 years ago in Switzerland. Our products are Swiss formulated botanically based skincare, nutrition, weight loss and cosmetics made in the USA. Our philosophy is Pure, Safe, Beneficial.

Two Tips for Moms Trying to Work-At-Home (these tips can be how you stay organized, how to be successful, how to get started- anything that you feel would help someone just starting out):

1) Spend 15 minutes a day in a self development activity. ie: read a book, listen to a cd. You will become a better person and discover your WHY (the reason you are doing your business). It will help develop your business.

2) Spend 15 minutes a day in activity. Activity will drive your business. Make those calls and appointments. That will give you the check you want to see and an incredible team reaching there goals. Be the leader you would want to have!


**If you are interested in being featured, we will be selecting a mom for each Monday of my blog. You can read more and apply. Email confirmations are sent to each mom if they are chosen. Please remember to do your own research on these companies. If there are obvious red flags on BBB, I do not post them. Check my scam article to find out more about the potential dangers of work-at-home businesses.**

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Sunday, August 13, 2006

Sunday Supper: "Roasted" Chicken

Today is one of those days where I just don't feel like cooking. What do I do when I don't feel like cooking? Break out that slow cooker, of course! I am a slow cooking queen, particularly during these hot summer months. This recipe is taken from my One Month of Slow Cooking article.

Today I am "roasting" a chicken in my slow cooker. Now, I am the first to admit that this roast chicken does not have that crispy skin or the beautiful browned top that an oven roasted chicken has, but this is quick and easy for our family. My son loves the drumstick and my husband and I feast on the rest of the chicken. What is left is then shredded and sent into a baggie. I keep adding to this bag of shredded meat until I have enough for a casserole or soup. We purchase our whole chickens from the frozen section of Aldi Supermarket. The chicken that I bought was over five pounds and cost $3.40. This is a great deal for us to all have a dinner and also to sock away a little bit for the next meal. I serve this with mashed potatoes and sweet baby peas (purchased from the frozen section of Aldi for $.78). While this is not gourmet, by any sense of the word, it is a great summer supper that is both affordable and loved by all. Best of all, it doesn't require me to stand in front of a hot stove all day long.

Making Stock in the Slow Cooker

If you are feeling particularly motivated after your roast chicken dinner and want to get even more out of your chicken, you can make your own chicken broth in the slow cooker. Simply throw the chicken carcass back into the slow cooker. Add six cups of water, 2 stalks of chopped celery, 2 carrots that have been chopped, 1 onion that has been quartered (I leave this out- just a personal preference), and 1 tablespoon of dried thyme. Put all of this into the slow cooker and cook on low for eight to ten hours. Just throw these ingredients in right before you hit the sack and you will wake to a fresh batch of chicken stock. Strain the broth before using (you can do this in a colander lined with paper towel) and discard the vegetables. Put the broth into the fridge and skim the fat off of the top when it has cooled. You can freeze into ice cube trays or one cup portions.

Roasted Chicken
Serves 4


Ingredients
1 whole chicken - approximately three pounds


Wash chicken inside & out (removing anything inside). Sprinkle seasoning of your choice on the chicken (Lawry's, Mrs. Dash, poultry seasoning, salt, or pepper). Next put three balls of aluminum foil in the bottom of the slow cooker (this creates a rack so the chicken doesn't soak in its own juices). Place the chicken in, breast side down, and cook on low for six to eight hours.

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Friday, August 11, 2006

Freebie Friday: Free Samples

Request your free Fall 2006 Spiegel Catalog (an $8 value). Offer expires on 10.15.06. Use offer code F9622.

Join Vocalpoint and get early access to products and samples before your friends. Answer a few short questions and receive a free bundle pack of samples & coupons from your favorite P&G fans.

Get a free sample pack of HP LaserJet Paper. Just complete the survey and receive a complimentary 10-sheet sample pack. Please allow four to six weeks for delivery.

Receive a free sample of Dove Advanced Color Care Shampoo. Please allow up to four weeks for your sample to arrive.

Try a Schick Intuition Razor for free. You can receive this by visiting this site. Use promotional code INTSMP06. You will receive this sample within eight weeks.

Get a free 2-liter of Jazz Pepsi when you purchase two 2-liters of Diet Pepsi. Click here for the printable coupon. Limit one coupon per household.

Receive a free one year subscription to Spin Magazine. Sign up by clicking here.

Receive a free one year subscription to Antiques Magazine. Sign up by clicking here.

Get a free developmental guide for parents. Visit Tiny Love for more information on this freebie.

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Wednesday, August 09, 2006

WFMW: Foamy Soap

It is Works-For-Me Wednesday and I am happy to participate in this weekly event. For more great tips for you & your family visit the WFMW Founder, Shannon, at her website Rocks in My Dryer. There are a whole slew of great ideas for your family.

My little tip this week is regarding those foamy hand soaps that you can buy. I got three of these from a family member for Christmas one year and I love them. There is something about a foamy hand soap that makes me feel like my hands are so much cleaner. Ironically, the foaming hand soaps are only about ¼ soap and the rest is just good old-fashioned water.

When I ran out of soap, I decided to save the container and reuse it. I filled this container with our daughter’s bath wash (1/4 full) and then filled it the rest of the way with water. Gave it a good shimmy shake and ta-da! This makes your very own foamy bath soap for your little one. I just squirt a dollop of soap directly on her and rub it in with a washcloth. When you have a wet and wild little wiggle worm like I do, this soap makes things a lot easier for us during bath time.

I just peeled the label off of the front of the Bath & Body soap and labeled it (with my trusty label maker) and popped it in with her bath soaps & toys. It is amazing how much further our soap goes when we use this versus the regular old pump soap.

Want more WFMW solutions? Here ya go!

Adventures in Shipping

Frugal Exercise Solutions

Microfiber Obsessions

Sand Between Your Toes Blues

Giving the Gift of Magazines (Frugally)

Solution for Cheap Trash Bags

Programming Your Cell Phone

Free Up Pantry Space: Make a Snack

Weeding Through Your Child's Art Work Creatively

Using the Coffee Maker With Ease

Making Your Spice Rack Usable

Maximizing Space

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Monday, August 07, 2006

Store Brand Diaper Reviews

Have you ever wondered if the Target diapers are actually as good of quality as the Pampers or Huggies? One of my favorite bloggers over at Baby Cheapskate, actually answers this question and reviews each of the off-brand diapers in her two part series on her Diaper Odyssey.

Store Brand Savings & Quality: A Diaper Odyssey Part 1
Store Brand Savings & Quality: A Diaper Odyssey Part 2

If you have ever considered buying an off-brand diaper, be sure to visit this site to get the scoop on who has the best bang for your buck.

We are cloth diapering our daughter, but we did do disposable with our son. I found the Smiles brand of diapers (carried by Sam's) to be our personal favorites. This was both for cost and for quality!

Included in the reviews are Target, Walmart, Costco, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, and Publix.

Are you looking for free diapers? If you write a store brand diaper review for Baby Cheapskate, they will pick up the tab. You can read more information on this opportunity here.

This is a MotherLoad must read!

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Back-to-School Lunch Ideas

Wow, is it already that time of year? Time to break out your trusty lunch pails and get to work on lunches! If you are fresh out of ideas for what to pack, the Carnival of Recipes is actually doing a back-to-school edition and in it are lots of great ideas for main dishes & treats! This included our post on making pizza in your bread machine (worth a read if you haven't been here before!)

I make lunches for both my husband and our son (who attends preschool). For my husband, I just box up whatever we are having that evening for dinner, for his lunch the next day. I purchased sectioned containers from the Dollar Tree and fill it with lots of different foods for him. I also try to purchase him twelve packs of off-brand soda that he can take to work and drink at his desk. He is one of the few, at his job, that actually pack food to eat. The savings for him to eat those lunches is huge! Most people average around seven dollars a day to eat out at lunch (that would be the cheap dishes!) and he saves that money for our family each day. What a man! We do have a little money set aside that he can use to eat lunch out (if that is how he wants to spend it) so once in awhile he joins the gang at work, but for the most part we reap the rewards financially by him eating at work. The funny thing is, people always want to know what he is eating and I think some even may be a teeny bit jealous (I am just speculating OF COURSE!) that he eats so well.

As for our son, his lunch is easy to pack. He likes peanut butter and jelly...just about every single day. Sunday night, I just make up a week's worth of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pop them in the freezer. In the morning, we get one of those out and it is unthawed by lunch time. This saves me from trying to make a sandwich every single day. Another time saver is to have baggies of chips, carrots, raisins, etc... already prepared so that I can just grab and go.

Other great lunch ideas are:

1) Make your own Lunchables. Cut, with a small cookie cutter, out cheeses and meat to fit on crackers. Purchase sectioned containers and have your child make their own stackable lunch.

2) Hard boil eggs to take to school. These are such a great source of protein and these also can be made ahead and kept in the fridge (just be sure to keep them separated from the raw eggs!!)

3) Pita pizzas- cold or hot (depending on if your school offers a microwave) can be a delicious treat for school. Use whole wheat pitas and low-fat cheeses on these to cut down on the calories.

4) If you have a preschool age child, try and cut their sandwiches out in different shapes. We keep a set of cookie cutters in our silverware drawer and I use these a lot to make things more fun.

When my son first started school, it was hard on me (more than him) so I would stick a picture of myself & his dad in his lunchbox. He looked forward to opening that and seeing a picture of us and it made me feel close to him, when I wasn't. For older kids, a sweet note can be a wonderful addition to their lunch. We have free lunchbox notes that you can print out and write special messages to them. Don't limit these just to your children though, sometimes it is nice to tuck a note in for your hubby too! Like, "I totally love it when you take the trash out! You are the man!" or "Thanks for putting the seat down on the toilet- I love that about you!"

If you are looking for more back-to-school ideas, visit my article on streamlining your morning routine and how to stay organized once the papers start rolling in!!

Finally, does your lunchbox stink? Sometimes if it has been sitting a long time closed, it can take on a..not so pleasant odor. Pop it in the top shelf of your dishwasher and run it. It will take that smell right out.

Feel free to share your lunchbox favorites in our comments section. I need the inspiration too!

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Monday WAHM Spotlight: T-Shirts 'N More

Here is this week's featured work-at-home mommy! Thanks to Brenda & T-Shirts N More for applying to be part of our Monday Spotlight.

Name: Brenda Kerezsi

City/State: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Name of Company: T-Shirts N More

Two or Three Sentences About Your Company:

I design t-shirts for adults-babies. I also offer advocacy shirts, bags, aprons and magnets.

Two Tips for Moms Trying to Work-At-Home (these tips can be how you stay organized, how to be successful, how to get started- anything that you feel would help someone just starting out):

I found that being organized is the best thing. and the hardest! Also try as hard as you can to get your name out there. Go to WAHM sites, advertise there. Make up flyers and hand them out all over. The more effort you put out the better the response in my opinion.

**If you are interested in being featured, we will be selecting a mom for each Monday of my blog. You can read more and apply. Email confirmations are sent to each mom if they are chosen. Please remember to do your own research on these companies. If there are obvious red flags on BBB, I do not post them. Check my scam article to find out more about the potential dangers of work-at-home businesses.**

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Friday, August 04, 2006

Friday Freebie: Free Museum Passes

Looking for a family trip that will only cost you gas? I have one planned for your family! How about taking your whole family to the museum for absolutely free? On September 30, 2006, for one day only, museums across the country will join the Smithsonian Institution in its long-standing tradition of offering free admission to visitors.

For the first time though, Museum Day is open to the general public as well as Smithsonian magazine's subscribers!

The only restrictions included within their guidelines are:

General admission only
Not valid for special exhibits, IMAX screenings or for use with any other offer
Only valid (one time use) on September 30, 2006

For a list of participating venues, please visit this site to view the participating locations and to print out your passes for the day.

How much we will save? Well, I have made plans for our family to go to the Air Zoo in Michigan. Total cost for our family to be admitted into this museum (even with the two kids in for free) is $39.00! We will pack a lunch and snacks, have a day at the museum where the admission will include all the rides, theaters, and simulators in the Air Zoo & Flight Education Research Center and only have spent money for the gas. What is not to love about that?

Now I just need to find out how to get that gas for free...Hmmm...Maybe I need to reread my blog entry on how to save on gas again. At that time the gas was only $2.22 per gallon. What the heck was I complaining about? Not enough reading material? Well, here is more reading material on surviving the gas hike. Sometimes I really need a refresher course.

Enjoy your free day and feel free to share if you are able to take advantage of this opportunity and how much money you will be saving in your neck of the woods.

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Thursday, August 03, 2006

Frugal Momma's Test Kitchen: Pizza Dough Revisited

Welcome to my little test kitchen, where I attempt different recipes in hopes that I can share something that will appear on your dinner table. Please let me know, in the comments section, if you try one of these recipes and your own personal review of the recipes. It is such an honor & a pleasure to read your reviews and to know that you have enjoyed something from my blog!

Last week I discussed a recipe (for slow cooked hot dogs) that I had gotten from a not-so-little cookbook called, “Not Your Momma’s Slow Cooker Cookbook.” I have been enjoying this book a lot and am intrigued by many of the recipes in it. I hope that you can either buy this one or pick it up at your local library. I have definitely benefitted from it during the time I have been borrowing this book.
In the book was a recipe that was not a slow cooker recipe, but a recipe that I am always trying to perfect in our house. The recipe was for bread machine pizza dough. In a past entry, I discussed my favorite pizza dough recipe and the best way to store and prepare your dough. Despite having a favorite dough recipe already, I really do enjoy trying things out and this recipe did NOT disappoint at all!

They included a recipe for Slow Cooked Pizza Sauce (which I haven’t had an opportunity to try yet, but will let you know how it turns out in next week’s edition) and bread machine pizza dough that yields two balls of dough. This dough had many variations on it, but I am a stickler for a classic dough recipe so I have only attempted their Pizza Dough Master Recipe.
This dough was the best dough that I have ever prepared in my bread machine to date. It was a breeze to throw into the machine, rose beautifully, and was so easy to roll out that I literally just rolled the dough directly onto my pizza stone.

I am no expert dough roller, in fact, I hate rolling dough at all. If the dough is too difficult to roll out, I have been known on occasion to just toss the dough out and hit the McDonald’s. I can’t stand it when dough does not roll with ease and I don’t have the time or patience to work with it. This will probably never change…ever. Please do not lecture me on the beauty of rolling out dough or how much better bread tastes when not done in the bread machine- this will not happen in our home. I enjoy homemade bread and pizza, but I will not invest the time (at this point in my life) to knead & roll dough for hours. I think that is why I appreciated this recipe so much- it was easy for even the novice dough roller…or whatever you would like to call me!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did and that you can give this one a shot. I doubt that this recipe will disappoint you. Happy cooking!

Pizza Dough Master Recipe from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook


1 1/3 cups water
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast (I used instant and it worked wonderfully)


Combine all the ingredients in the pan according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Program for the dough or pizza dough cycle and press start. When it is ready the dough will be soft.

After the rising cycle ends, at the beep, immediately remove the pizza dough and place on a work surface lightly sprinkled with yellow cornmeal, semolina, or rice flour. Divide into the desired number of portions or leave whole. With a rolling pin or pressing with your fingers and the heels of your hands, roll out the dough from the center outward, rotating the dough as your roll or press to get an even circle. Lift up the dough and pull to get the desired size. Place the dough on a cornmeal or semolina sprinkled pizza pan, pressing a ½” rim around the crust. For a thin crust, proceed directly to the next step (This is exactly what I did. See above about my impatience with dough). For a thick crust, cover the curst with a clean tea towel and let rise at room temperature until puffy and doubled in bulk, 30-40 minutes, before topping and baking.

Spread with sauce almost to the rim with a large rubber spatula, sprinkle with some cheese and arrange any other toppings on top. Finish with a big more melting cheese. Fresh cheeses that melt well are best for pizza, such as mozzarella, (is Aldi shredded mozzarella a “fresh” cheese. Nope, but that is what I used and it worked just fine!) Gorgonzola, provolone, Monterey Jack, fontina, Brie, feta, & fresh goat cheese. Top with a drizzle of olive oil.

Immediately place the assembled pizza in its pan directly on the stone in the oven and bake until the crust is brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes (5-8 minutes longer for a thin crust) at 450 degrees. Check the underside of the crust by lifting with a metal spatula to be sure it is browned enough. With heavy oven mitts, transfer the pizza to a cutting board and slide off the pan. Cut into wedges with a pizza wheel, kitchen shears, or a serrated knife. Eat it hot!

* This recipe yields 1 ½ pounds of dough, enough for two thin 12-14-inch rounds, on ¼ inch-thick round or deep dish crust, four 8-inch crusts, six individual mini-crusts, or one crust to fit into an 11x17-inch rectangular baking sheet.*

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Wednesday, August 02, 2006

WFMW: Adventures in Shipping

Welcome to this installment of Works-For-Me-Wednesday. Please visit Shannon's blog for some really amazing solutions for your family. If you have a blog and want to take part in the fun, head on over! There are almost a hundred participants each week (and growing) and the tips have been so beneficial for our family.

Today I am going to focus on shipping and shipping costs. Recently, I blogged about a great cost comparison site that you can use when shipping your packages. This site basically does all of the comparing for you so that you know right away which is the cheapest shipping option.

I decided that since I have been doing a lot more shipping lately, that it would be a sound purchase to invest in a good quality postage scale. I went shopping to the big discount chains and could not find a scale anywhere. The scales available at the post office were very pricy and only went up to five pounds. More hunting and thinking later, I decided to check Ebay and their prices. I hit the jackpot. This week I received a thirty-five pound postage scale for a mere twenty-two bucks (this included shipping costs). I figured that combining this with my cost comparison site, that I could just start doing all of my shipping from home. This would save me the hassle of driving everyone over to the post office and I could do this on my own time…maybe when the children are napping or my son is in time-out? That is always a good time to get things done.

Now please bear with me, for those of you who are Ebay Queens and ship regularly, but I was not aware of some of the freebies you can get by shipping through USPS. For absolutely free you can do the following with the USPS site:

Print a shipping label
Schedule a Pickup (I mean schedule a pickup to your front door!)
Boxes (all shapes & sizes) - both flat rate and regular
Address Labels

What I want to know is, why the heck am I using all of my own boxes when I can get these for free?

Finally my last little tip, in this segment today, is regarding that handy little postage scale. Guess what else I am going to be using that little scale for? I am going to measure my food with it. It measures both pounds and ounces so I will be able to buy my chicken or beef in bulk, and divide into exact one pound packages. This will save our family more money because we will be able to be more accurate with the amount of food we are using. The chicken breasts I buy seem to have been injected with a super-duper dose of steroids. These suckers are huge. I will now be able to know that one chicken breast equals a pound, not three chicken breasts like I had originally thought.

I hope that you found this information somewhat beneficial. Give me a shout out and share your tips or, if you feel so inclined, feel free to tell me how great I am. I need a self-esteem boost today.

To my new visitors- take a peek around! My blog dishes up great money-saving solutions for your family every single day! Enjoy!

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Tuesday, August 01, 2006

This Week in Festivals & Carnivals

The Carnival of Debt Reduction is over at Consumerism Commentary.
Must Read Article: How We Paid Down Our Debt & Saved Money At the Same Time...It Can Be Done!

The Festival of Frugality is located at My Financial Journey.
MotherLoad Article: Frugal Exercise Solutions
Must Read Article: Save Money on Groceries With This Hamburger Tip

The Carnival of the Recipes is appearing at Men In Aprons.
MotherLoad Recipe: Sunday Supper- Yeast Waffles
Recipe to Try: Manly Appetizer- Sausage! I think I might try to make these with Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage- that is a favorite in our house.

The Carnival of Family Life is at Everything Under the Moon
MotherLoad Article: Broken Crayons Equal Good Fun
Must Read Article: 21 Ways to Be More Creative

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