Author Archive

Sister Swap Shoe Box

Monday, September 17th, 2007

I got the opportunity to participate in a shoe box swap with the theme being sisters and refresh. This is my first swap ever and I was running so behind on this. I feel very badly about that so I apologize to my “sister” in this swap for not getting my box out on time. When I received her box though, I was so glad that I had not yet sent mine. When I was thinking “shoe box” swap, I actually was planning to send mine in a shoe box, until I received her gift and about fell over at how beautiful it was. No matter what I could have done, nothing could top this gift!

This had to have been the most thoughtful and sweetest gift EVER! In my beautiful floral printed luggage case, was everything a girl could ever want. I had told her that my favorite colors were blue and pink, and she found everything she could in those shades.

In my box was the best coffee mug ever, a beautiful pleated half apron with cupcakes all over it, a cupcake dishtowel, a cupcake oven mitt (with the rubber inside to protect my hands), a beautiful notepad with matching pen, tons of rubber stamps to add to my collection, a measuring spoon set, and a beautiful HANDMADE purse-size memory album to carry with me.

My month has been so bad and this was just the pick-me-up that I needed to feel better. A gift just for me? Unheard of! Thank you to my “sister”Amy (what a great name!) for sending me such a lovely gift. Many thanks to Monica & Carrie for doing such a wonderful job arranging this for all of us!

Since this swap was in honor of (and hosted by) sisters, I also wanted to include a picture of my real life sister, who is my absolute best friend. She means the world to me and I am lucky to have her! I don’t know what I would do without her friendship and I am so thankful that I can call her my friend and my sister!

Isn’t she so cute? This picture was taken at our friend’s bridal party- thus the fabulous hot pink feather boas!

Product Review: “Rockstar Princess” from Aunty E

Friday, September 14th, 2007

Music has always been very important to me and I am trying to make it important to my children too. On Sundays, I have made a jazz playlist of music to listen to, on Fridays we listen to music that you would hear in coffee shops, and when I am cleaning I have fun & fast paced music on. Wherever we go, I try to always have good music on in our car and we often use the music stations that are available through our satellite television station.

My children also have some musical heroes of their own which include Laurie Berkner, anything from the Disney films, and Raffi. We often listen to the Kid Tunes available through Yahoo Launch (commercial free for folks that use their internet service and with commercials for those who don’t).

My children’s favorite shows right now are Yo Gabba Gabba (Nick Jr) and Jack’s Big Music Show (Noggin Network), two shows that teach children about musics (although they are each very different). These shows focus on all types of musical appreciation and my kids sing right along with the words. It brings me a lot of joy to hear their sweet voices.

We recently were sent a new CD to review entitled, “Rockstar Princess” from a band called Aunty E. This group has earned great notoriety in their native Texas and they are now gaining a fan base in other areas of the country.

If your children love the more recent styles of children’s music that have come out, they will really love this disc. The tracks incorporate many different variations of music including pop, soul, country, and blues. The music is targeted to the age group of four through eight, but even my (almost) two year old was dancing right along.

Despite the name containing princess (and the pretty pink cover!) the disc is not mean to aim at just girls, it is meant for all children. Aunty E sings along with Grammy award wining artists like Joe Blondell & Floyd Domino, encouraging children through her lyrical stories.

Her music can be found on Apple iTunes, Napster, MSN Music and more information can be found on their website.

And since everyone loves a freebie, they offer free ringtones for wireless carriers.

What are your children’s favorite artists? Any music that you can recommend to us?

Caring for Stainless Steel Appliances

Friday, September 14th, 2007

We have been gradually making the switch over to stainless steel appliances. The cost on these is higher, but I have been doing bargain shopping to get the best prices on these. I am hoping that when we sell our home that it will make our kitchen look a little higher end and I love the look of the appliances for our family.

My best friend also has stainless steel appliances and when she found out that I had gotten a stainless steel stove, she told me she was going to bring a special gift over for my new stove. She showed up on my doorstep with a bottle of her favorite stainless steel cleaner that she had sworn by. She had picked up a bottle of Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish that she had purchased for me from Wal-Mart. She said it was the best cleaner out there and instructed me to spray a very tiny bit on a soft cloth and wipe the appliance off going with the grain of the steel.

Thanks to this little bottle of cleaner (and my extremely smart friend!) I have been able to keep my appliances gleaming clean, requiring very little cleaner and effort on my part. The bottle of cleaner was $5.99, but I have had it for over two years and have barely made a dent in it.

Scotch-Brite recently contacted me though to see if we would be interested in reviewing a new product that they had come out with for stainless steel appliances. They recently came out with two new cleaners, their Stainless Steel Cleaner & Cook Top Cleaner. These cleaners have handles for gripping, making it easier to get in all of the nooks and crannies of your appliances. They are ergonomically designed and offer streak-free cleaning.

After trying these out, I was impressed with how it could into all of the grooves of my stove and I was able to deeply clean the crevices of the appliance that had not been ever cleaned. There was definitely some hidden areas that needed attention and the handle made the cleaning very easy.

Unfortunately, the Scotch-Brite pads are not reusable and would require additional refill purchases, much like the Swiffer systems and other similar products. I am not as big on products that require additional purchases and this is why I stay away from systems such as these.

The Scotch-Brite pads would be great for someone who just wants to do a quick touch-up, but with starter kits at $6.99 and refill pads an additional $3.99, this is not the most cost-effective option.

Scotch-Brite is offering a $1 coupon on their website though, if you would like to give their new products a try.

I am pretty hooked on the Weiman cleaner, but would be interested to hear how you all care for your stainless steel appliances. Do you use any special cleaners? Do you have any tips that you have found work the best for your appliances? How about cook tops? This is an area that I know nothing about!

Check It Out: An American Hedge Fund by Timothy Sykes

Friday, September 14th, 2007

Timothy Sykes sent me an advance copy of his new book, “An American Hedge Fund” for review. We were so thrilled to have our review included in his new book. We wish the author much success with his book launch and hope that you can get an opportunity to check this book out!


Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to play the stock market? In, “An American Hedge Fund” Timothy Sykes takes you on a roller coaster of ups and downs, sharing his wild experience of how he was able to make two million dollars as a stock operator and by creating a hedge fund.

Timothy takes you on the journey from the beginning, sharing his passion for making money quickly at the tender age of twelve. With hopes of making money with his baseball collection and then trying his hand at stringing tennis rackets to make some extra cash, Timothy always possessed a desire to make money fast and had the entrepreneurial spirit to make it happen.

While his classmates were making dates and planning for their prom, Timothy was dreaming of investing money and winning the stock market game. With his $12,415 Bar Mitzvah money, he was able to turn this sum of money into $1.65 million dollars in the course of just four years, all while finishing his high school career and beginning his college career at Tufts University.

Timothy shows how his good research and great gut instinct gave him the skills to know which companies to invest in and when to pull that money out. He shows how he was able to obtain his financial success, but also is wise enough to share his mistakes and what he wishes he would have done differently when looking back upon his youth.

I loved this book for a number of reasons, but the one thing that I really appreciated about Timothy’s story was that playing the stock market was a game for him, not necessarily that he wanted to be wealthy. He seemed to enjoy the thrill of investing and winning the game, but did not seem to be trying to achieve great wealth or notoriety. For him, investing was a fun hobby and his parents supported his dreams, but also wanted him to stay grounded and levelheaded about his fame and fortune.

This really struck a chord with me in my own financial journey. For me, saving money isn’t necessarily because I have to, but it is a game for me to see how much I can save by making changes in my life. It is not necessarily that I have to make my own bread, for example, but when crunching figures I find deep satisfaction in knowing how much I could save by making that small change in my life. For me, it is about saving money and the satisfaction I get from keeping money in my account. For Timothy, it is about how he can take that money and make that money grow by making wise financial investments.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in seeing how to work the stock market and also how one young man was able to turn a small investment into an amazing career as a millionaire hedge fund manager.

Freebie Friday: September 14, 2007

Friday, September 14th, 2007

Look for our mention this Sunday in the New York Times! We got the opportunity to chat with a reporter about our experience with the HP Touchsmart Computer. Very cool! Here’s hoping for lots of new readers!

As always, everything on Fridays is FREE, FREE, FREE (*in my best car salesman voice*)! I am excited about the Better Homes & Gardens Magazine, and Nylon Magazine this week.

Have a wonderful weekend and may your mailboxes be overloaded with freebies!

Health & Beauty:

Eucerin Redness Relief Creme

Pantene Shampoo & Conditioner

Jergens Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer
(Must fill out a 100-200 word essay on beauty)

Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser and Pore Unclogging Scrub

Food:

7 day supply of Coffee-Mate Creamer

12 Months of Cranberry Recipe Guide (paperback or in PDF format)

El Paso Taco Seasoning & Recipe Guide (use PIN NUMBER: 11005-194063)

Just Like Sugar

Free popcorn from Clearview Cinemas

Entertainment:

Nylon Magazine

Opera News Magazine

Jet Magazine

Throw a Cartoon Network House Party (includes lots of freebies)

AT&T; Customers can get a free ringtone download (valued at $2.49 or less)

Better Homes & Gardens Magazine

Climbing Magazine

Pet Care:

Friskies Cat Food

Entertainment On a Budget

Thursday, September 13th, 2007


Kim, from Frugal Hacks & Life in a shoe, has asked me to guest blog on Frugal Hacks and I am so excited to be joining their team of bloggers. She has put together some really great writers and we each are covering a topic of our choice.

Meredith from Like Merchant Ships will be covering the topic of Cheerful Frugality each Monday. The Headmistress of The Common Room will be discussing What is In My Hand? each Friday. My topic, each Tuesday, will be discussing Entertainment & Entertaining on a Budget.

I have posted my little introduction today, but will begin our entertainment posts on Tuesday. I hope you will join us and add us to your feed! It should be some great discussions and all content will be unique from each of our blogs.

Is there anything you guys would like me to cover on this topic?

New Article: Frugal Halloween Time

Thursday, September 13th, 2007

It is that time of year again! I have been getting lots of emails asking how to save money on Halloween costumes so I wrote an article to answer the questions.

Check out our new article, “Scary Deals on Halloween Costumes” that we have added to our site!

Sound Off: How do you save money on your children’s Halloween apparel?

Amy’s Notebook 09.13.07

Thursday, September 13th, 2007


I just want to thank you all for your awesome comments this week and for all of your encouragement to our family! I truly feel blessed to have you all and it is such a pleasure to have a format like this to share on.

Here are my picks for top reads this week:

Apartment Therapy shares some great tips for a great bento lunch box experience.

Wise Craft has a cute idea for getting your kids to do what they are supposed to in the morning.

My Byrd House turns an old pair of jeans into a cute apron.

Parent Hacks has some great ideas for what to do with those old baby bottles.

Inside a Black Apple has a yummy recipe for Rosemary & Olive Oil Bread.

Storybook Woods has a great tutorial for making a beautiful autumn project.

Baby Cheapskate shares the scoop on Craigslist.

Blogging Away Debt shows the difference in their electric bill just by switching to CFL light bulbs.

Chronicles of a Curious Cook makes mini quiches that are a roaring success in their house.

Frugal Upstate tells you how to feed your baby inexpensively.

GoodyBlog features some of the cutest cupcakes ever!

My Home Redux shares the best type of paint to use when painting your kitchen cabinets.

Tip Nut shares a great tutorial on making homemade gift baskets.

Thrifty Treasures: Pampered Chef Bread Tubes

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

Does anyone have one of these? I just picked two of them up for $2 each at our thrift store.

I was wondering what you use yours for? Do you have any recipes to share?

I was so excited to have found them…now what do I use them for?

Frugal Subversive Award & My Nominess

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007


Kim, known for her talent at Frugal Hacks and Life in a shoe, has tagged me for the Frugal Subversive Award. This has been circulating on all of the blogs that I read so I was thrilled to get a nomination. Thank you so much for including me!

I am supposed to pass this on to three bloggers who consistently turn their backs on consumerism to live frugally in a creative and authentic way. Here are my nominees for the award…

1. The Homespun Heart– Has anyone nominated Monica yet? She deserves it for all of the creative ways she inspires others. I love her ideas for inexpensive birthday parties, her crafty crafts, and the recipes that she so generously shares with the blogging world. Did I mention that I consider her one of my dearest friends in the cyberspace?

2. Homespun Living– Not to be confused with the first nomination! This blog focuses on simple living and the sweet country life. I find the photos to be inspiring and they bring me back to the days spent in my great grandmother’s country kitchen. The pictures just make me happy! What more can I say?

3. Simply Thrifty– An excellent resource to anyone who is looking to lead a life of frugality. Deb has so many ideas and she links to excellent information on how to be thrifty. She is great for someone who is just beginning to learn to save money and for those who are more experienced in the art of stretching a buck.

Enjoy the reads and feel free to pass on the award to others!