This is a recipe repeat, but it is such a good one to have in your bag of tricks. We had company last night and she did ask for the recipe! That is always a good sign!
Chicken Broccoli Lo Mein
March 27th, 2007Balsamic Chicken Drumettes
March 27th, 2007Balsamic Chicken Drumettes (Serves Four)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 bag of chicken drumsticks (in frozen section)
Combine above ingredients in a plastic bag. Shake until dissolved. Add chicken and throw in fridge for two hours to twenty-four hours. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken on a foil lined pan. Bake thirty to thirty five minutes. Cook marinade in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for fifteen minutes. Reserve. Brush marinade on the chicken and serve.
I served these with Microwave Taters.
Good Kids Bad Habits Book Contest
March 23rd, 2007
I am holding in my hands a copy of the new book, “Good Kids Bad Habits” by Jennifer Trachtenberg, M.D., and it is ready to go to the person who offers the best suggestions for raising healthy children.
This book is a guide to raising healthy children and it offers suggestions to parents on ways they can help their children avoid problems such as childhood obesity and chronic adult diseases. Ms. Trachtenburg is a pediatrician and also the mother of three children. She has authored this book to encourage parents to help their children make healthy choices and she shows how problems such as sleeplessness and video-game addictions can be avoided by guiding our children towards healthy options.
Please email to me at amy@momadvice.com, your suggestion for raising healthy children. Do you have a special snack? Do you have a way you encourage your children to be active? What are healthy choices you teach your children? Please email your suggestion, along with your name & mailing address, and I will post the results next Friday with our freebies.
For more information on this book, please visit their website. Many thanks to HaperCollins for giving us the opportunity to run this contest with our readers!
Freebie Friday: March 23, 2007
March 23rd, 2007Here are a couple of tips from our readers- thanks so much for sending these to me! I really appreciate it! Keep those tips coming- it really helps a bunch!
Hi!
My sister, Monica (homespun heart), steered me to your blog. I just got on for the first time last week, but I’m already hooked. Thanks for the great ideas and advice, and also for researching all those free offers—I clicked on several last Friday and am excited to watch and wait for them to come in the mail.
Monica recommended your Pizza Hut dough recipe to me, and I made it over the weekend. Delicious!
Here’s a possible free offer to post on Friday: http://www.3m.com/us/home_leisure/scotchbrite/tsoffer.html
Thanks again—I’m excited to have found this on-line community of others who are interested in being frugal homemakers!
Blessings,
Carrie
Amy,
I got this link from an Orville Redenbacher newsletter. Though it isn’t completely free, 2 upc’s are required – it’s pretty close. It’s for a popcorn bowl
http://www.orville.com/promotions/freebowl_form.pdf
No shipping & handling!
Thanks for all you do,
Jennifer
Claim a complimentary one-year subscription to Philadelphia Style Magazine which covers lifestyle, retail, fine dining, home design, the arts and fashion with an innovative & cutting-edge approach. Each issue profiles interesting local & national personalities and offers complete guide to upscale living for the Philadelphia area. You can answer, “No, thank you!” to all of the offers.
American Diabetes Association is offering a Wizdom kit for children with diabetes.
Target is offering a free sample of Fruit Ripples and a free 8×10 with no sitting free from their portrait studio. This is great for all of those Easter photos!
Membership in the Amato’s Tamatos Club entitles you to some truly fantastic benefits including special coupons and a newsletter with exclusive discounts and contests that only club members can win. Join today and we’ll send you a certificate for a FREE Real Italian Sandwich! They also send you freebie coupons on your birthday. (Amatos is only in certain states, however, they allow NH, ME, VT, RI, MA and CT to join the club even though there may not be a franchise in that state)
This is a great freebie to help you raise financially aware kids. It includes thinking games to paly with your children, free kid card fold-out poster, & free blue mesh carrying bag. Please call the toll free number listed at the top of the page for this freebie.
Claim a complimentary subscription to Beautiful Woman Magazine.
Claim a complimentary one-year subscription to Boating Life Magazine. You can answer, “No, Thank You!” to all the offers.
Sign up to receive a free six ounce bag of Purina Naturals Cat Chow. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery.
Sign up to receive a free sample of Aquaphor Healing Ointment for baby. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery.
Get a free sample of Dove Energy Glow which contains a subtle self-tanner. (Note: If you set up a registered account with Dove, obtaining freebies from this company goes a lot quicker!)
Sign up for a free sample of Carnation Instant Breakfast. Please allow four to six weeks for shipping of this freebie.
Request a free sample of 3M Print to Last Paper.
Don’t forget to sign up for free tickets to see The Peaceful Warrior. You can receive up to ten free admittances to this show.
Get a free sample of Ultra Downy. They offer two sample choices, Experientials Tahitian Waterfall or April Fresh scent.
Try the new Calgon Vanilla Swirl Body Mist.
Get a complimentary sample of Nautica Island Voyage.
Get two free luggage tags with your picture placed on them. One set of two labels per person.
Order a free Breast Self-Exam Shower Card. Please limit one per household.
You must live in Orange County, CA or in the surrounding area to be considered for this freebie. This is a summer fun bag filled with items you will need for the summer. Please apply only if you live in this area.
Request a free Crossed American Pin. You must supply an explanation for why you would like to be considered for this freebie.
This offer is good for Canadians only. You can try the new Kirkland Signature Premium Diapers from Costco for free. This sample will arrive within three weeks.
The Children’s Place offers a free birthday club. They will send you a special surprise on your day and your child’s big days.
Use this printable coupon for a free ten dollar haircut at Master Cuts. This coupon expires on 06/30/2007.
Amy’s Notebook 03.22.07
March 22nd, 2007Save Some Money:
Baby Cheapskate shares about the new Amazon program for parents. They will automatically ship your diapers at regular intervals and knock off fifteen percent. Not sure if this would be that good of a deal? Check Baby Cheapskate for the nitty-gritty details.
Boston Gal’s Open Wallet shares a Fortune Magazine article that discusses whether you should pick paper or plastic when you are at the grocery store. There are some very interesting quotes in this one.
Frugal for Life shares the different ways you can stop buying books without using the library. Our library rocks though so I can’t imagine not using it, but there are some people who are funny about using that resource.
Mighty Bargain Hunter has an excellent post about the social needs we have that require us to give gifts for occasions and certain people in our life, just because it is obligatory. How does one break this cycle?
MyMoneyBlog has a great post on discussing whether homes are a good investment or a horrible investment. Some of the statistics that were quoted were quite interesting!
Apartment Therapy discusses an article from the Wall Street Journal which states that children are not going to the library as much. The parents are purchasing the books for children or children are relying on their computers for information.
Make Some Stuff:
Visit The Sampler to get instructions on how to turn an umbrella into a kite. This would be a great way to recycle my umbrella that turned itself inside out last year!
Foodie Food:
Home Ec 101 shares how to make your grocery dollars scream in mercy. They suggest roasting a chicken and have some really great tips on how you can roast the perfect chicken. I love these ladies!
Moms the Word shares ten frugal date ideas that you can accomplish without spending more than twenty dollars.
Clean & Organize:
The Simple Dollar has compiled a fabulous list of all the things you should be keeping in your car, should you ever face an emergency. Be sure to read this one!
Get Rich Slowly shares a timeline for when you should replace those common household items.
Carnivals & Festivals:
Carnival of Debt Reduction
Ask Frugal Momma: Happy Homemaking the Homemade Way
March 22nd, 2007
I am not going to launch into a preachy prose about how bad commercial cleaning products are today when it comes to cleaning your home. It is common knowledge that a healthy home is not doused in heavy-duty bleach and preserving our environment should be tops on our priority list. The truth is, if you peeked inside of my caddy of cleaners though, you would see some of these harmful products in there. The fact is that I am trying to rely less on these cleaners and rely more on homemade cleaners. I am in the process of making the transition over to using only healthy homemade cleaners, and I feel a lot of pride when I take the time to do this. I know how much better it is for our environment….and for my wallet!
Making cleaners does not mean that you need to purchase a ton of items; in fact, most cleaners can be made from things you already have in your house. The main components that I like to work with are white vinegar, baking soda, liquid dishwashing soap, and lemon juice. One purchase that you may need to make though, to begin getting started, is purchasing a few spray bottles. I pick these spray bottles up from our local dollar store. These clear spray bottles will make it easy to measure and label your new cleaners in your house.
If you do decide to use these types of cleaners regularly, I would suggest making a trip to your wholesale club to buy the ingredients. A small box of baking soda can cost around fifty cents at your local grocery store. The same baking soda, in a twelve pound bag, from Sam’s Club costs about $5.42. What a savings! All of these products can be purchased in bulk and once you begin using them regularly, you will go through them quickly.
While you are at the warehouse store, be sure to swing by the automotive section and pick up a bag of microfiber cloths. The cloths sold at the warehouse store are larger and thicker than the ones you can get in other stores, and these are great for all of the jobs around your house. You can use these wet or dry. You can also use these just using water and not even bothering with a cleaner because they are that amazing.
Be sure when you launder your microfiber cloths that you do not use any type of fabric softener and use a very little amount of soap or cleaner on them. If you overload them with cleaning products, they will become less and less effective, particularly when you are trying to attract dust towards them.
Because these cleaners are homemade and use less harsh ingredients, they will require a little more elbow grease than your commercial products. There are lots of great recipes on the internet though and typing in the search phrase, “homemade cleaners” should you give you lots of different ideas and give you an array of recipes to choose from to find which one works best for the jobs you have around your house. Everyone uses different measurements; it just depends on the difficulties of the jobs around your house.
Here are some of my tried and true recipes that we use in our house:
All-Purpose Cleaner- Mix together two tablespoons of mild dishwashing soap and two cups of water in a spray bottle and give it a shake. Use these anywhere that you would use a commercial all-purpose spray. This cleaner is particularly great for countertops, bathroom surfaces, and high chairs.
Glass Cleaner- Mix together one part white vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle. Spray this solution on your mirrors and windows and dry your windows with newspaper. The newspaper is great for lint-free drying and is a great way to repurpose some of those old papers you have laying around.
Homemade Oven Cleaner/ Deep Kitchen Cleaner- Mix a paste of three parts warm water to one part baking soda to clean away kitchen stains or to clean your oven.
Bathroom Cleaner- Mix dishwashing liquid with baking soda until you have a thick paste and use this throughout your bathroom.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner- No measuring is required with this recipe. Sprinkle a little baking soda into your toilet bowl and then pour a little vinegar in and watch it fizz it up. Give it a swish with your toilet brush and then flush.
Floor Cleaner- Add ½ cup of vinegar to a gallon of water. The scent of the vinegar will fade in approximately an hour, but you can also add a couple of drops of essential oil to help with the scent. I like the smell of Tea Tree Oil, but you can buy any essential oil that smells best to you. Essential oils can be picked up at stores offering nutritional supplements or can be purchased online.
Furniture Polish- Mix ¼ cup olive oil with four tablespoons of vinegar and two teaspoons of lemon juice. Pour into a spray bottle and shake well before using. If you do not use all of it in one cleaning session, store the remainder in the fridge, as the lemon juice can go sour. You can also substitute the lemon juice with twenty to thirty drops of lemon essential oil and then you won’t have to refrigerate it. Using the essential oils though will up the price a bit on your homemade product.
Silver Cleaner- Although I don’t polish silver very frequently, this is a great to have in your bag of tricks. This will clean all of those nooks and crannies that are hard to reach in more detailed pieces and is great if you have a big batch of silver that needs cleaning. In a large bowl (or you can use your kitchen sink) place strips of aluminum foil in and place the silver pieces on top. Cover the silver with boiling water and then add three tablespoons of baking soda and soak for ten minutes.
By making your own cleaners, you will save hundreds of dollars over the course of the year. For example, a bottle of window cleaner will usually run you around two or three dollars. A bottle of your homemade window cleaner though, will cost you about five cents. What a difference that will make to your grocery budget and helping the environment is a wonderful benefit of your fabulous frugalness.
For more tips visit the following links:
Discuss where to store cleaners
Share your favorite homemade cleaner recipes
Uses for old newspapers
Microfiber Obsessions
Frugal Carpet Steaming
Frugal Solutions for Swiffer
Making Your Own Cleaners
Wholesale Club Shopping
Share your favorite homemade cleaner recipes
Uses for old newspapers
Microfiber Obsessions
Frugal Carpet Steaming
Frugal Solutions for Swiffer
Making Your Own Cleaners
Wholesale Club Shopping
Next week, I have received a request to discuss cleaning out the fridge so I will share some tips for that next week. Please, please send me your questions about anything! Email your questions to amy@momadvice.com and I will be sure to add your requests to my list. Without
your requests, this column wouldn’t be possible and I would love to keep this going. I have enjoyed sharing through this format and it helps me come up with more content for our site. The answers will be added to our website as articles for quick reference!
your requests, this column wouldn’t be possible and I would love to keep this going. I have enjoyed sharing through this format and it helps me come up with more content for our site. The answers will be added to our website as articles for quick reference!
Please Help Us!
March 20th, 2007We are trying to figure out where we want to go with our site and we need your input. Please take our poll and share your opinion!
Bellazandra Custom Designed Jewelry: A Mother’s Gift You’ll Remember
March 19th, 2007
I was contacted by the owner and designer of Bellazandra jewelry to see if I would be interested in doing a product review of her custom designed jewelry. One look at her website, and I knew that I would be more than happy to be able to share about her product, particularly because she is a work-at-home mom who is doing what she can to remain home with her daughter.
Zandra was an interior designer and was born and raised in Sweden. She moved to the United States in 1999 and was looking for a way to be able to stay home with her daughter Bella. She wanted to implement her creative background in some way, and decided to apply her background as a mother and as a designer towards designing jewelry.
Zandra offers bracelets for mothers, birthstone bracelets, children’s bracelets, fathers bracelets, necklaces, & earrings. Most importantly, she also makes awareness bracelets, in which part of her proceeds are donated towards great causes such as St Jude’s Hospital, breast cancer awareness, and Operation Smile.
Because all of her jewelry is made for each individual, you get the opportunity to pick anything and 
everything that goes into making your piece. You can choose the charms, the style of clasp, the birthstones, and the size of your bracelet.
everything that goes into making your piece. You can choose the charms, the style of clasp, the birthstones, and the size of your bracelet.I received my bracelet this afternoon and I am in utter delight & awe at just how pretty it is. My bracelet has my son & daughter’s names on it with each of their birthstones surrounding their name. I chose a toggle clasp, which is easy for me to open and shut myself, and a small charm that says happiness on it. The happiness charm is to remind me of just how lucky I am to have these two kids in my life.
The best part about it, for me, is that the bracelet is made to fit me. You are able to provide the measurements of your wrist to the company and they will make the bracelet the proper size for you. I have tiny wrists and usually bracelets end up looking like the size of necklaces on my wrist. It was so nice to have one that fit perfectly for me!
There is so much thoughtfulness that has went into this product. The bracelet was packaged in a small 
brown pouch and placed in a Tiffany blue box with a brown bow. She also includes a thank you note and instructions with each piece detailing how to care for your jewelry.
brown pouch and placed in a Tiffany blue box with a brown bow. She also includes a thank you note and instructions with each piece detailing how to care for your jewelry.I can’t rave enough about how nice this product is and how much I admire moms who are able to create a niche for themselves in the work-at-home world, doing something they love while having the benefits of being home with their children.
This bracelet would make a lovely Mother’s Day gift (hint, hint to the male readers out there!) and you can place orders for Mother’s Day up until April 26 to insure that your bracelet arrives on your special day.
Many thanks to Bellazandra for giving us this opportunity to share our opinion on such a beautiful product! Please visit Zandra’s site to view all of the great choices that she offers.
*If you are a mommy inventor and would like to see your product showcased on our blog, please email me at amy@momadvice.com*
Meal Planner & Grocery List for 03.16.07
March 17th, 2007Meals:
Parmesan Chicken Drumsticks served with a side of Microwave Taters
Amy’s French Toast served with turkey bacon
Meatloaf Muffins served with mashed potatoes & steamed broccoli
Pizza Hut Style Pizza & Cheesy Bread
Shopping List:
BAKERY
1 loaf white bread
BAKING
flour
baking powder
cornmeal
sugar
CANNED FOOD
tomato sauce
instant mashed potatoes (herb & butter flavored)
applesauce
tomato paste
CHEESE
parmesan cheese
mozarella or Italian cheeses
CONDIMENTS & OIL
Caesar dressing
soy sauce
vinegar
ketchup
olive oil
vegetable oil
PASTA
penne or elbow macaroni (whichever is available)
spaghetti or linguine (whichever is available)
DAIRY
milk
eggs
butter
MEAT
1 pound ground turkey (frozen)
1 bag chicken breasts (frozen)
1 bag chicken drumsticks (frozen)
1 package turkey bacon (cooler)
FROZEN FOODS
broccoli cuts
PRODUCE
broccoli hearts
romaine hearts
cherry tomatoes
potatoes
mushrooms
SPICES & SEASONINGS (NOT Guaranteed to be at Aldi, but you can check)
cinnamon
garlic powder
onion powder
Italian herb mix
yeast
vanilla extract
salt
pepper
APPROXIMATE COST for meal planner: $44 (this will include everything you need for baking and will also leave you leftovers for lunches & such)
Iron Chef Moms Challenge: The Final Results
March 16th, 2007
Meredith has posted her last meal of the contest, a Cheese & Spinach pie that she found in an old cookbook. Be sure to check her post to get her recipe and more creative ways that she is able to stretch her grocery dollars.
She also compiled all of the meals and the total amounts spent so that you can easily reference all of our dinners and the cost breakdowns. Included in this post is also the final results for the contest, and I am shocked to say that I beat her by a dollar. One mere dollar! This means that my Aldi shopping and her sales flier shopping are pretty much on equal ground. For those of you who do not have an Aldi near you, this is great news! You can shop anywhere if you take advantage of all of those great loss leaders and still be under budget.
This was such a fun week and I have enjoyed all of your comments more than you can imagine. I know that many people read my blog, but I have to be honest and say that the comments are what fuel me creatively. Your ideas and cheerleading through the comments is what keeps me motivated on this site! Thank you all for your invaluable feedback.
Much thanks to Meredith for challenging me this week and for being such a wonderful friend! Her blog has provided much inspiration to me and challenged me in my daily life. She is resourceful, thoughtful, and kind. I know her readers would agree!