Archive for the ‘Amy’s Notebook’ Category

Amy’s Notebook 06.07.07

Thursday, June 7th, 2007


Here are a few of my favorite entries for the week!

Saving Advice has a great entry on how to get discounted movie tickets with tons of links to programs that you can take advantage of.

Baby Cheapskate is giving a penny to the Humane Society for each unique hit she gets, in the month of June, and Angie is asking our readers to visit. Please swing by her site and help charity in the process.

Dawn, over at Frugal for Life, compares her experience with the Grocery Game versus her experience with the free service from Coupon Mom. I have always wondered about the Grocery Game and if it would be worth the money spent. I think she answered the question well!

Apartment Therapy has a great suggestion for using bookcases for toy storage. Check out their great post on how to make ice cream in a bag. Does this bring back any memories for some of you?

The Simple Dollar shares a great reminder for keeping track of your home and auto maintenance.

Goodyblog has a great idea for making your own version of the game, “Guess Who?” Check out their instructions!

Meredith, at Like Merchant Ships, had some really great posts this week. Her post on disguising a store bought cake was ingenious, and I love her tutorials on spray paint and the varieties that are offered in the store.

Sound Money Tips has a great tip for getting the cheapest airline travel.

Enjoy that reading and stay out of the heat!

Amy’s Notebook 05.31.2007

Thursday, May 31st, 2007


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amy’s Notebook 05.24.2007

Thursday, May 24th, 2007

Be Mom of the Year:

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

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

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

Be Cheap:

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

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

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

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

Have a Martha Moment:

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

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

Get Inspired:

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

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

Apartment Therapy ran a great entry on common cooking mistakes.

Home Ec 101 shares a recipe for yummy sticky buns.

Amy’s Notebook 05.17.2007

Thursday, May 17th, 2007

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

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

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

The Frugal Duchess offers thrifty bookshelf tips.

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

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

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

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

Crafty Pod shares her recipe for spaghetti carbonara.

Simply Recipes has some ideas for kid-friendly wraps.

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

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

Shakhammer shares a link to free floor plans.

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

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

Amy’s Notebook 05.10.2007

Thursday, May 10th, 2007

Be Mom of the Year:

No Credit Needed has a great list of ways they plan to help teach their children about money.

Be Cheap:

Thrifty Mommy shares some frugal ways you can show your child’s teacher how much you appreciate them. There are some great ideas in this post- don’t miss it!

DIY Maven shares her tips for making inexpensive and simple curtains. These are so cute!
Simply Good Tips have some great ideas for spring cleaning that is dirt cheap.

Have a Martha Moment:

Fish Creek House shares what might have happened in the kitchen that would have caused you to have a less-than-perfect cake. Read their great tutorial on how to achieve a cake of perfection.

Notes from a Cottage Industry has a cute craft for making the neatest place card settings for your dinner table.

Get Inspired:

Stephanie over at Stop the Ride has a great post on all of the things you can be composting that you might not have thought of. I love her tips and the link she refers to.

Rocks in My Dryer has some great tips for organizing your digital photos. Don’t forget to visit those other Works-For-Me Wednesday participants!

The Simple Dollar has a great reading list of the best & worst personal finance books. Make sure to add some of these to your library reading list!

Jeri’s Organizing & Decluttering News has a great resource list for owners of broken iPods.

Amy’s Notebook 05.03.2007

Thursday, May 3rd, 2007

Be Mom of the Year:

Scribbit shares a great way to decorate your child’s room (with their current obsessions!) and not blow a bunch of money on achieving the look.
Design Mom (guest blogger Amy M) shares some really cool ways you can share photos of your children.

Be Cheap:
Simply Thrifty shares a list of resources for the frugal crafter in you. You don’t necessarily have to pay for a pattern when you use one of these free listed resources.

Thrifty Mommy shares a link to a great article on mothers who are worn out and why time management is a thrifty choice for mothers.
Lifehacker shares how you can make a DIY string tripod, for those of us too cheap to purchase the real deal.

Have a Martha Moment:

Parent Dish has a great retro mom recipe for how to make the world’s best chocolate cake. The best part about this is that it is made with a boxed cake mix- whoohoo!
Oh Happy Day shares how you can truly have a Martha Moment…you can buy her products at Michael’s now.
My Longest Year shares a pattern and tutorial for creating a reversible half apron.
How about orange has a great template for making your own envelopes out of beautiful paper.

Get Inspired:

Personal Finance Advice shares with their readers ten important items you should keep in your purse or wallet.
Zen Habits encourages you to streamline your day better and come up with systems for doing everyday chores. Are you doing things the simple way or the complicated way?
Shakyard has a great piece on how to achieve a perfect lawn.
Not Made of Money shares tips for the homeowner who is trying to sell their house themselves.
It is a great read if you are trying to bypass hiring a real estate agent.
Shakhammer has a great entry on how to install a clothesline to dry your clothes. It is full of simple & straightforward directions on adding this to your home.
Young & Broke shares tips on how to become a good saver of your money. There is lots of great information in here!

News You Can Use:
Parent Dish shares the scoop on a product recall on Payless shoes. Be sure to read this if you have purchased those Airwalk Clog shoes for your child.

Amy’s Notebook 04.26.2007

Thursday, April 26th, 2007

Be Mom of the Year:

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

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

Be Cheap:

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

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

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

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

Have a Martha Moment:

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

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

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

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

Get Inspired:

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

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

Amy’s Notebook 04.19.2007

Thursday, April 19th, 2007

Be Mom of the Year:

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

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

Be Cheap:

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

Have a Martha Moment:

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

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

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

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

Get Inspired:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News You Need to Know:

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

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

Amy’s Notebook 04.12.2007

Thursday, April 12th, 2007

Be Mom of the Year:

Poorer Than You has a great entry filled with sites to help you teach your children about finances. Utilize some of these resources when teaching your children about money.

Scribbit has an excellent entry on fun ways you can teach your children table manners. I love her ideas and plan to implement these in our house.

The Lazy Organizer has a fabulous series on teaching your children to work. It is funny and insightful. As someone who is beginning this with our four year old, I have enjoyed reading these entries.

One Hour Craft has a great tutorial on how to start a garden with your children. I adore this entry!

Parent Hacks have a great entry on how to begin homeschooling with your children and free homeschooling resources you can use.

Be Cheap:

My Money Blog has a list of free phone numbers that you should program into your cell phone. This will definitely save you some billing charges on your phone bill!

The Simple Dollar has a great entry on things that seem expensive, but don’t have to be. I particularly love the one on starting your own business. Be sure to read this!


Have a Martha Moment:

Creative Organizing has a great entry on ways you can organize your pantry. I love her little tags and bin ideas. Tis the season to organize, and this provides great inspiration!

Ditch those tired grilled cheese sandwiches made from plain old cheese and bread, and try something different in your grilled sandwich. Goody Blog has a great entry on new ideas for your boring sandwiches.

I saw this featured in Real Simple Magazine (one of my favorite magazines ever!) and thought this would be so cute in a kitchen. How about making clothes hooks out of old silverware? Lifehacker supplies the instructions for making this project happen in your house.

Get Inspired:

The Space Between My Peers has a fabulous entry on wardrobe choices for stay-at-home moms. I noticed that a ponytail and a jog suit were not included. Oh well!

Clever Dude has a great entry on how to breathe new life into that old lawnmower of yours. For most people, this is the season. For us, we still have snow on the ground! Enjoy!

Jeri’s Organizing & Decluttering News has a great list of sites you can use to swap the belongings you already have. I can’t wait to really go through this list as there are so many sites to choose from.

As if the entry above wasn’t enough motivation for getting your pantry organized, read Not Made of Money’s list of reasons why a disorganized pantry costs you money.

Selling a house is difficult. Selling a house with kids running around is even more difficult. Parent Dish has a great entry on tips you can use when trying to sell your house and keep it ready for the realtor. This is a great entry- don’t miss it!

News You Can Use:

Jenn, over at Frugal Upstate, has a great site that she found for creating pictures for your profile. I tried it out and it worked like a dream. If your picture is looking a little outdated on your MySpace, You Tube, or blog accounts- update it with her suggestion! Great find, Jenn!

It’s Not about Your Stuff! found a handy tool for calculating percentages that makes it as easy as pie. Bookmark that resource!

Have a student loan with Sallie Mae? Be sure to read Make Love, Not Debt’s entry on how Upromise has partnered with the company to help you pay down your existing loans faster. Excellent, excellent tip!

Have a child suffering from eczema? Parent Dish has a great entry on a homemade recipe you can use to help treat your child’s eczema. Best of all, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Shakhammer has an awesome entry on how to care for granite countertops. Hint: they are NOT indestructible!

Crafty Daisies has a great entry on how to figure out what type of fabric you bought by doing a burn test. As someone who frequently buys fabric from thrift stores, this is a goldmine of information!


Amy’s Notebook 04.05.2007

Thursday, April 5th, 2007

Be Mom of the Year:

Baby Cheapskate shares some fun (did I mention free?) Easter projects that you can do with the kiddos.

Like Merchant Ships shares a few tips on how to enjoy shopping with your children. The General Store idea that Meredith offers up is one of my favorites and I am looking forward to trying this with our kids.

Be Cheap:

Savvy Saver reminds us that the generic version of products is not always the cheapest. This is a great reminder to us to start checking the labels a bit more carefully.

Check out Personal Finance Advice’s ten simple ways that you can save on vitamins. There is lots of great information in this post, so don’t miss it!

My Money Blog has an excellent entry on the tricks that car salesman use to get you to buy cars from them.

Simply Thrifty reminds us to always ask local retailers if they are running any specials. I try to do this, but sometimes I do forget. Thanks for the reminder, Simply Thrifty!

Have a Martha Moment:

Visit Craftzine for a great tutorial on how to sew on flat buttons.

My dear buddy over at Harper Collins, the amazing Felicia Sullivan, is posting a contest on letter writing and I am definitely game for this. Thank you for encouraging us in using the good old pen & paper.

Get Inspired:

Not Made of Money shares some tips for running a really good garage sale. Throwing stuff on your lawn will not get you top dollar, but using these tips will.

Frugal Babe shares her latest score from her local Habitat for Humanity store. She offers inspiration on how to make something really work in your house to save yourself some cash.

Free Money Finance challenges you to find a new church if you can’t trust your current church with your money. It is a thought provoking piece of advice that is worthy of your time.

INNside Innkeeping has a great post on caring for and using your microwave. There is lots of great information in this post and this blog is quickly becoming a favorite on my feed.

Frugal Upstate has found a website that helps you read the Bible in a year and all of it is delivered to your email inbox. How easy is that?

News You Need to Know:

Apartment Therapy points toward an article on USA Today entitled, “How to Tell if You’re an Alpha Mom.” Anybody fall into this category?