The Motherload Blog

Monthly Archives: December 2006

Making Real Christmas Memories

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Last night I worked on my annual holiday cookie tray. I am not a big Christmas cookie kind of gal, but I do love to share a sweet treat. I am all about ease though when creating my holiday goodies and the easier, the better. Within a few hours I had cranked out enough goodies for thirteen goodie boxes. I included brownies (the boxed variety with a handful of chocolate chips in them, which makes them homemade- of course!), Rice Krispie treats, microwave peanut brittle, peanut butter & chocolate fudge, hot cocoa mix, and white or dark chocolate pretzels. They looked so beautiful fully assembled and I was so excited to get to be Santa today.

We ran boxes to the usual suspects in our family, but also had goodies for all of the great people who do so much for us. The mail person, our newspaper carrier, my hairdresser, and the firefighters.

I highly recommend, if you have a little boy, taking the time to visit your fire station with a box full of goodies. First of all, seeing the faces of the firefighters light up when they saw all of our treats was a treat in itself. More importantly though, was the light in my son’s eye when they took him around to show him the fire engines. He got to turn the lights on it, pretend to drive, visit each of the trucks, got an honorary junior firefighter badge, and an explanation of how everything worked. I don’t know who was more excited- him or me. Regardless, it was one of the best days of playing Santa I have ever had.
All of the boxes & ribbon were purchased 75% off, during the after the holiday sales. I purchased a gold metallic pen (from the Dollar Tree) and wrote our holiday wishes on each box. The goodies were then assembled into small treat bags, tied with red or green ribbon.
Here are a few of my recipes to share with you!
Microwave Peanut Brittle

1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lite corn syrup
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Grease a baking sheet & set aside. In a glass bowl, combine peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Cook in microwave for six to seven minutes on high (keep one eye on it to make sure it isn’t bubbling over or burning the nuts)- the mixture should be bubbly and the peanuts should be brown. Stir in butter & vanilla; cook for two to three more minutes. Quickly stir in baking soda, just until the mixture is foamy. Pour immediately onto greased cookie sheet. Let cool for fifteen minutes or until set. Break into pieces.

Fantasy Fudge
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
12 ounces chips (chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, white- any combo you want)
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1 tsp vanilla
Mix butter, sugar and milk in a saucepan. Heat until 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Or if you do not have a thermometer, bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly for 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in candy chips a little at a time until melted. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Spread into a small greased rectangular cake pan. Cool to room temperature.
Cut into squares.

The Rules of Savings on Diapers

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My dear blogging friend, over at Baby Cheapskate, has compiled a list of the top five rules for getting the best deal possible on disposable diapers. Her rules are great and definitely worth checking out if you have a little one in diapers. After researching for an entire year, she presents the facts on who runs the best sales, which size of diaper packages you should buy, and how to work the coupon system. Hurry over and read her great post!

If you are not going the disposable route, be sure to see our article on cloth diapering, which shares everything you need to know to get started!

And if you have no children in diapers, I have one word for you… “Lucky!”

Product Review: Insignia 2GB MP3 Player

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We have been in the market for an MP3 player for quite some time. I had been checking Ebay, the Apple website, and comparison shopping for months now. I was trying to find an affordable MP3 player that actually had some bells and whistles on it. Unfortunately, an MP3 player with the features that I wanted was going to cost us a lot of money, and we just did not have it.

As luck would have it, Insignia contacted me and gave us the opportunity to review their 2GB MP3 player. This player actually has all of the bells and whistles and is just over the hundred dollar mark. In the MP3 player world, that is quite a bargain! If you are looking for an MP3 player, but don’t have a lot of Christmas cash, I would highly recommend this player.

This player, in all honesty, is everything I could want out of an MP3 player. It is super light, weighing in at only 2.4 ounces, and has a nice sleek design to it. 2GB of storage translates into approximately 500 songs, 2,000 photos, 25 audiobooks, or 7 movies. It also has a spot for a memory card, should 2GB of storage not be enough for you.

This player is well-designed and adding music to it was as simple as downloading a CD of software and attaching the USB cable to our computer. Within minutes, I had uploaded a good portion of my music collection and it was ready to go.

As a mom, who rarely has any quiet time to myself, I had to create times for myself to actually be able to listen to it. I figured that while I was out battling the crowds, doing my holiday shopping, would be a great time for me to actually have some peace & quiet. It was perfect and I was able to tune out all of the chaos, making waiting in lines at Walmart much more pleasurable for me. I admit, I did receive some funny looks, but I held back the need to burst into song out in public.

My husband may not agree that he has enjoyed the player as much because he bears witness to my theatrical singing (which is truly a treat, I am sure!), but he doesn’t complain. Only a fool would complain when I am trying to make scrubbing pots or washing kid’s clothing enjoyable.

The Insignia 2GB MP3 player is a great bargain and a wonderful treat for any mom. For more information on this product, please visit this link to get the full scoop. It does many more cool things, but the main thing for me was to be able to listen to my music collection. Those looking for other features, like being able to watch movies or view pictures, will not be disappointed with this player. These are just added bonuses for this mom!

Many thanks to Insignia for allowing us to have the opportunity to enjoy such a great product!

Freebie Friday: December 8, 2006

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Welcome to Freebie Friday on the Mother Load! I hope that you will enjoy these freebies as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with all of you.

I did want to post an update to Jamie’s story, as I have received many emails on her requesting information on how her family is doing.

Jamie sent me an update and let me know that her family was able to get their electricity turned back on, some food for her family, and was able to get some clothing for her children, all through the Multi-Services organization (Thank you to the wonderful tipster who shared this with her. Good bless you!). She was, however, denied by many of the other services because her income was “too high” according to income qualifications. This makes me very, very sad as this woman is working very hard to support her family.

We have gotten many emails requesting Jamie’s contact information and many of our readers are offering to send her packages of food, toys for her children, and clothing. Jamie and her family greatly appreciate the assistance, although I do want to preface and say that Jamie NEVER asked for a handout, but only requested information on guiding her in the right direction. Jamie’s children’s sizes are size eight for her daughter (both bottoms and tops) and size eight in boys (both bottoms and tops). Jamie herself wears size 10/12 in bottoms and size large on top. Their local grocery stores are Price Cutters & Walmart. I am providing this information in case anyone wanted to help this family or had plans to donate some items to Goodwill and would like to donate them to Jamie instead. We have sent her a grocery card for this week and we are hoping that with the assistance of others that she will have a very Merry Christmas this year. Please email me privately at amy@momadvice.com if you would like to help this family.

I also contacted every media outlet, nonprofit organization, and church in her area and sent them letters pleading that they help her. Jamie completed an interview with her local paper yesterday on her struggles as a single mother and I am hoping that this type of publicity will not only make people aware of her struggle, but the struggles of many single mothers out there. If you are a single mother who is looking for some guidance, SingleMom.com is an awesome website full of great information. I have been providing articles for these ladies for a long time and they are the best resource for single moms on the internet.

Now on with our freebies for the week!

Get a free sample of Sunsilk Hair Care Products from Walmart. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Get a free milkshake from Fuddruckers for joining their mailing list. No calorie counting book is included in this freebie so enjoy this freebie thoroughly!

Courtesy of About Freebies, they provided this great information…Costco has their cookbooks from 2002 – 2006 online with over 1,000 recipes. You may also be able to pick up a printed copy of the most recent version at your local Costco. Ask at the customer service counter. They also have a number of reference and catalog documents available online. All of these can be found on the Costco Connection page.

Pfizer is offering a free Mom Kit. Within the kit it contains information on how to take five minutes to better yourself as a mother and comes with free samples. In the kit you receive a Tucks Medicated Pads Box of 40, Desitin (1 oz size), Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion (1 oz size), a coupon or free Listerine (not to exceed $8.40 value), a coupon for free Pediacare (not to exceed $5.49). You will need to call during normal business hours and speak with a representative to get this sample. The telephone number is 1.800.223.0182. Press the teleprompt for, “Promotions.” They will ask if you are expecting or if you have a baby and your address. You will receive your sample within five to seven business days. Now if only they offered Tylenol PM so you could get through all of those nights where you can’t sleep. Then I think that this offer would be complete!

Hershey’s website has a free downloadable calendar and also offers free printable scrapbooking packs, which would be great to print out for your kids and to let them scrapbook with you! Heck, if you are really frugal, these can be your scrapbooking pages too. Just make sure you have a nice quality printer.

Purchase the US Weekly Magazine for December 11, and there is a coupon for Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss. It is free with no purchase necessary, and is a $7.00 value. You even get to choose from any of the 27 flavor/colors. It is on Page 43. Offer good till 12/24. Don’t forget to pick up some mistletoe!

Print out this buy one get one free coupon on Slurpees! Not a total freebie, but close!

Fill out the quick form and receive a Baby’s Dream Growth Chart. This offer is only good while supplies last so get this freebie quick! If you look to your left, they are also offering a free Nursery Guide and offering a Nursery Giveaway that you could sign up for. This is great for those mommies-to-be!

Get a free sample of the Homeschool Enrichment Magazine.

Here is a fun freebie for the kids! You can call Santa every day, twelve days before Christmas, and he will have a new message each day for you. It is a toll-free number and would be something really fun to add to your Christmas Jar this year! The number is 1-800-972-6242.

Here is a freebie for non-profit organizations. DreamHost offers a FREE Strictly Business plan to non-profit, charitable, organizations registered in the United States. This discount applies to a single Strictly Business hosting plan per non-profit, hosted within only one account, for US-based 501(c)(3) organizations. Account extras, add-ons, and domain registrations (other that any included with the plan) are not eligible for any discounts.

What little girl would not love a free printable Dora the Explorer Potty Training Chart for Christmas? Make sure to print this one out for loads of potty-training fun! It includes printable calendars and an award certificate of completion!

I am sure you have a lot of gray hairs now from completing all of that potty training. Why not cover them up for free with some free hair color? There are loads of colors to choose from. I am a “Drew” color- what is your shade? The free sample link is to the left on the page.

Best Buy is offering fourteen free downloadable holiday tracks on their website. Enjoy the holidays with some free music!

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Every Post You Need for the Holiday Season

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Since I have over two hundred posts, I thought I would pull together a list of posts that might help you during this holiday season.

Shipping:

Say No to Hand Cramps (when doing your holiday cards!)

Getting the Cheapest Shipping

Shopping:

Saving More on Christmas Shopping

Simon Mall Kidgits Program (since you have to be at the mall anyway!)

Sam’s Club Click N Pull (something worth checking out when you are battling long lines at the wholesale club)

Avoiding Holiday Debt

Thirteen Easy Ways to Save Your Family Money

Frugal Gift Ideas:

Restaurants.com Gift Certificates

Holiday Bling Without a Bling Budget

Weeding Through Your Child’s Artwork Creatively (use some of those art projects for gifts this year!)

Frugal Teacher Gifts

Frugal College Student Gifts

Simplifying Gift Giving

Giving the Gift of Magazines Frugally

Babes in Toyland

Recipes:

Homemade Microwave Popcorn & Caramel Corn

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Aldi Fall/Winter Menu Planner

Traditions:

Schedule of Christmas Television Programs

Creating Holiday Traditions

Me Time

The Christmas Jar

WFMW: Don’t Throw Out Those Take-Out Menus!

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It has been awhile since I have participated in Works-For-Me Wednesday, but I have been drained trying to get ready for the holidays. I actually had no original thoughts to contribute!

This week I actually had (I thought) a brilliant idea for those take-out menus that I get in the mail. Usually I get take-out menus from all sorts of restaurants in our area and we also get a booklet from a dining in service that picks up food for you so you don’t have to run out and actually pick it up. Normally I throw these in the trash, but they came in handy this week as I have been preparing my menu plan.

This week I was stumped for ideas for dinner, but I pulled these take out menus out and I had a bunch of great ideas for what to fix for dinner. Say you want Italian one night? Well, whip out the Italian take-out menus and pick from those. Don’t have a recipe? Well, just head to your computer and look a recipe up on AllRecipes.com. Craving some good pub food? Make your own at home. How about diner food? Why not make it at home instead?

Now since we all know that I love to save money, I had a blast preparing the food and then saying to my husband, “You know, if we went to such-and-such restaurant we would have paid a lot more for this same dish.” Since I have the menus I can quote down to the quarter how much I saved us. I am sure it drives him crazy, but it makes me happy!

Menu planning became a lot easier once I saw the menus and even the uncreative can be inspired by reading these.

I hope this works for you too! Check out Shannon’s blog for all of this week’s participants.

A Real Review of Restaurant.com

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Restaurant.com - $25 Certificates for only $10

I wanted to take an opportunity to review Restaurant.com because it was one of those deals that just sounded too good to be true. How can a company offer $25 gift certificates to restaurants and only charge you $10 (or less if a coupon is involved) and actually be a deal that is for real? I was a skeptic, but was willing to take a gamble on it to enjoy an evening out with my husband.

We purchased our gift certificate for $25 for a mere $4 because they happened to be running a great sale on the gift certificates. When we typed in our zip code, it popped up a few restaurants in our area that were participating. Last year when I had checked there had not been restaurants in our area, so this was a pleasant surprise.

We chose a nice Italian place for dinner and I purchased the gift certificate. I did read through the terms of the gift certificate before purchasing it and still was a little puzzled by all of it. For example, this gift certificate had said that I needed to spend $35 to get a $25 gift certificate. Did this mean I needed to spend $35 at Restaurant.com or did this mean the restaurant itself? Only when I received the gift certificate did I understand that I was supposed to spend $35 at the restaurant and not the website. Would have been nice to know so I thought I would mention this in case anyone else has the same weird confusion.

I purchased the gift certificate for one particular restaurant and a copy of the gift certificate was emailed to me as well as available immediately for printing. You have the ability at this time to make a reservation through the website. This is not required, but I thought it might make the process go smoother and alert the restaurant that I was using one of these certificates (remember I said that I was a little concerned that this was a hoax?) Within a minute of placing the reservation I received an automated call from Restaurant.com to thank me for placing my reservation and that they were confirming it.

We went to dinner that night and had two entrees and two glasses of wine. The total bill was over the amount needed for us to use the certificate so meeting a $35 minimum purchase at the restaurant was not a problem at all! When we received the bill, we tucked the certificate inside and waited for the manager to come out and tell us that we couldn’t use it.

The waiter came out with our bill revised with the $25 removed from the total tab. Now we could let the excitement really begin because it was the real deal! Our evening, including our tip and the $4 purchase price) was about the cost of one entrée at the restaurant.

Now why in the world would a restaurant be open to doing this? Well, if it is a small mom and pop shop, this is a great way to get new faces in the door and let them know about your restaurant. For example, the place we went to was so great that I now want to go there for my birthday. Mission accomplished by the restaurant to get me to be a reoccurring customer. This is also a great way for a new restaurant to get their name out there. The places that were offered were great and they probably know that they are great. They know that they are so great that they can give you food (practically free) and know that you will probably come back and pay top dollar for the same entrée.

Here are a breakdown of the positives & negatives of the gift certificates:

Pros:

· It is a very inexpensive way to try out a restaurant without paying a lot of money.

· The certificates are instant- no waiting for them to be put in the mail to you.

· The company guarantees the certificates. If, for some strange reason, you are having trouble with a particular restaurant they will refund your money.

· The website provides pictures of the restaurant and it includes the menu so you know exactly where you are going and what they have to offer.

· You can get gift certificates as gifts for other people. You do not have to decide which restaurant they should go to (unless you wish to do this) so when they receive their certificate they can pick the place in their area that fits them best.

· The certificates can also be used for online retailers that have partnered with Restaurant.com

Cons:

· There is fine print on these certificates. The things that stood out for me were that you are only allowed to redeem one of these per month per restaurant, you are not allowed to use two certificates at the same time (even if you have separate checks), and each individual restaurant has the choice to decide whether your alcohol tab can be applied to the gift certificate.

· The choices in smaller towns may be minimal or not at all. They seem to be expanding, but the big city folks definitely get more choices.

· When given as a gift, the recipient needs to know that they will be responsible for a portion of their bill (remember the $25 off of a $35 purchase) and that they can only use one certificate at a time.

The reason I mention these is that they do make excellent gifts. Giving someone fifty dollars in gift certificates when spending a fraction of the price is a great thing for frugal folks like me. These would be great for a college student (as they could apply this in their area) or could be used when you are traveling and want to be able to dine out without spending a bunch of money.

If you do decide to get one of these, I would love if you clicked through our banner above on our site. We have become affiliated with this program and would appreciate the credit for it.

The current coupon code (good through DECEMBER 10th) is Code#: 73515. When totaling your bill enter the code and then hit, “Recalculate” and this will give you fifty percent off of the price of the gift certificates.

If you have had experience using Restaurant.com, feel free to share it…good or bad!

Holiday Bling Without a Bling Budget

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I heart Christmas. It is my absolute favorite time of year. I fear that my children are going to grow up hating Christmas because their mother drove them crazy with Christmas extravaganzas. Sadly, I am willing to forgo their enthusiasm in their later years to really make Christmas special for them now.

When I say that I love Christmas though, I do not mean that I go crazy buying presents. Presents do not equal the fun part of Christmas for me. Frankly, presents equal more stuff that I need to find a home for and we have a ton of things already that still haven’t found their proper homes.

No, the fun part of Christmas for me is the Christmas music, the decorating of the tree, making homemade goodies for gifts, reading Christmas stories, and watching the classic Christmas shows on television.

Other people do expect some gifts though so I do give in on the gift thing. The frugal gal in me really shines around the holidays and I have gotten some great deals under our tree. Here are a few tips for keeping the bling in your holiday without completing ruining your budget.

1. Start buying after the holidays. I get great deals on my gift wrap, Christmas gift bags, holiday ribbon, cards, and stocking stuffers after the season is over. These are those little things that don’t seem to ever make into the budget factor. Sure, you got a great deal on a gift, but if it costs you three dollars to make it look presentable…well, is it still a good deal?

2. If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it. We opted out of a holiday gift exchange when the price tag became too much of a burden our family. If you don’t feel good about giving a gift, then you probably shouldn’t give it. Don’t be afraid to stand your ground if you don’t feel comfortable with the dollar amount.

3. If you know that others in your family are struggling to meet ends meet, agree to not give gifts or do something in lieu of a gift. For example, this year my sister and I agreed that the adults in our family would not be exchanging gifts and only the kids would be receiving the goodies. That alleviated the financial burden of buying two gifts for each of our families. For birthdays, which we both have right around the holidays, we are exchanging babysitting instead of gifts. A night away with just my hubby…now that gift is priceless!

4. Be sure to hit your dollar store…and hit it often! You can get some great gifts there. I got beautiful hardbound books for gifts, amazing acid-free photo albums, and stocking stuffers galore at our dollar store. Dollar sections at Target & Michael’s can also host a goldmine of great gifts for you that are much easier on your wallet.

5. Buy gifts periodically throughout the year so you don’t feel that financial crunch when December comes around. I visit the clearance sections in the stores all year round. I put these gifts in a Rubbermaid tote and just add to it as I come across things. By December, I have almost everything I need and I can say, “Ah” instead of “Ouch!”

6. When your children are small, they are not going to care if they are the first recipient of their toys or not. Thrift shops can be your best friend and your children will love it just as much as they would have if you bought it at the “real” store. Enjoy it before they figure it out!

7. Homemade goodies are the way to anyone’s heart. Make things that are quick and easy , but still have that homemade flair in them. I buy Christmas tins from our Goodwill and fill them with goodies for people. The tins cost a quarter a piece and I try and find recipes that don’t cost a lot to make or take a lot of baking time.

8. Restaurant.com gift certificates. Need I say more? These have made my giving so much easier. Right now they are running a coupon code (Code#: 73515. This coupon code expires on DECEMBER 10th) for fifty percent off the already low price on these. I will be writing a review of these awesome gift certificates later this week. I have used them, they are for real, and they make great gifts!

However much you choose to give, remember to give only what you can afford. Who wants to pay for Christmas for an entire year? Worse yet, who wants to still be paying on Christmas when the next Christmas rolls around? Give, but give accordingly.

Feel free to share how you keep the costs down on your holiday spending!

Freebie Friday: December 1, 2006

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It is Freebie Friday today and I am excited to share all of the latest freebies with you.

I didn’t get any tips this week, as I am sure everyone is preparing for their holidays, but I did receive a letter from a family that could really use your help. We have received so many great responses from all of you and I really appreciate it, as does Jamie and her family. If you have any tips or know of any resources for them, I would greatly appreciate your comments. Jamie has been checking the post and looking into all of your tips. Thank you all for your responses!

I would also like to let everyone know that, “The Christmas Jar” article has been posted. This article should give you some unique ideas for making the holidays special with your children. We also recently posted an article on Making Your Own Convenience Foods & Mixes and an article on Frugal Ways to Winterize Your Home. Be sure to check these out!

This Week’s Freebies:

AOL Video has decided to spread some holiday cheer by giving away over 30 free movie downloads for one day only on this Saturday. For the full scoop, visit TechCrunch to get all the info. Looks like there will be some holiday movies and some big budget blockbusters. Enjoy!

Claim a complimentary one year subscription to PC Magazine.

Get a free sample of Olay Definity. Limit one per household.

Order a free Herbal Expedition Kit. This includes a sample of herbal tea, two seed packets, and a cookbook from Celestial Seasonings. Please allow four to six weeks for delivery.

Visit an Estée Lauder counter and enjoy a complimentary iMatch™ makeover. During your consultation, the Estée Lauder foundation expert will ask you specific questions to determine your shade, your finish, your match. Simply mention O, The Oprah Magazine and you’ll get the royal treatment. You’ll receive a free 3-day supply of your ideal shade and formula, no purchase necessary. Available exclusively at your nearest Estée Lauder Counter. For more information, please visit this link.

Get a free bathroom guide on “Where to Stop & Where to Go.”This guide is intended for people who have an overactive bladder. I am sure mothers with toddlers have this issue too!

Get a free sample of Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder-Gel. You will also receive a dollar off on your next purchase of this.

This PDF file contains a page full of coupons for free rentals from Hollywood Video.

Get a free sample of Luna Bars.

Claim a complimentary one year subscription to Log Homes Illustrated Magazine.

Get a free sample of Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop Popcorn. This freebie will go very fast- be sure to snatch your sample up! Please allow up to four weeks for delivery. If you don’t get this one, check my blog entry for how to make your own homemade version of microwave popcorn.

Claim a complimentary subscription to Psychology Today Magazine. This is for a full year’s worth of the magazine.

Get a free subscription to Culture & Travel Magazine.

Get a free four ounce sample of brown rice and some free recipes from Carolina & Mahatma Brown Rice company.

Receive a free sample of Planters Salted Peanuts for completing a short survey.

Happy Holidays!