Monday WAHM Spotlight: A Thousand Words

July 24th, 2006

Thanks to Valerie for being part of our Monday WAHM for MomAdvice.com. We wish her much success in her business and with her family.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. I still have many people to reply to on these so please be patient waiting for my reply. I promise to get back to you guys soon! Also 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.Thank you to Valerie and her WAHM business, A Thousand Words, for taking the time to apply and be a part of my Monday feature.

Name: Valerie Simmons

City/State: South Bend, IN

Name of Company: A Thousand Words

Two or Three Sentences About Your Company:
We specialize in wedding photography and video slideshows. The video slideshows (photos set to music on DVD, CD or VHS) are for any occasion: birthdays, memorial tributes, engagements, weddings, reunions, etc.

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. Your business is a job. It’s easy to get caught up in the free time and neglect your work.

2. Ask for help from family, friends and babysitters. Sometimes, what takes you all day to do when your child is home, only takes an hour when she is not!

Sunday Supper: Yeast Waffles

July 23rd, 2006

We have been invited over to a friend’s house for dinner, so we will not get to eat what I had planned for our meal today. We will be eating these another night this week though, so I wanted to share with you all my absolute favorite waffle recipe.

This recipe is special to me because it was given to me by my dear friend. My first getaway (without my son or husband) was to her house and when I arrived she was making these waffles for me. The recipe was given to her by her mother, and now it makes a regular appearance in our home.

You will not believe how much these waffles rise, which results in a light & airy waffle.

I hope you enjoy these as much as our family has!

Yeast Waffles

1/4 cup warm water
1 package yeast (dissolve the yeast in the ¼ cup of water)
½ cup oil
1 egg

1 tablespoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
3 cups flour

2 cups warm milk

Mix all ingredients together, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Warm waffle iron and spray with non-stick spray. If batter is too thick, use milk to thin down.

*Keep water warm- if too hot it will kill the yeast.

This is Coffee (1961)

July 22nd, 2006

Saturday Sales

July 22nd, 2006

Lots of great sales are happening as time is approaching for the kiddos to return to school. I know, I know. I can just hear you guys groaning. But we want our kids to stay home! Why, God? Why must my children return to school (*shaking fist at the sky*). I am sorry to say that summer is coming to a close, moms. Be sure to read my Back to School article, which should offer some helpful tips on how to get your family back into the groove and find new ways to utilize all of your free time (yeah, right!)

Last week’s sales are still applicable. Visit them by clicking on this link.

This week’s sales:

Each week, Ebates will double the cash back on Tuesdays for one merchant. Check their site on July 25th to find out who was chosen for the week.

Getting the kids a new pair of jeans? American Eagle is running a great coupon code. Take 15% off of your order at AE.com. Use code 68911546.
*Ebates members receive additional two percent cash back on purchases*

Take ten percent off at BabyAge.com , using coupon code JULY10. They have some great things under the clearance section, in particular a really nice train table for $99, which would make a great Christmas gift from Santa. You can use their coupon code on clearance items, so this is one worth checking.
*Ebates members receive additional four percent cash back on purchases.*

Barnes & Noble is having a GREAT sale. All books under ten bucks. Check it out! Again, for the Christmas Queen Bees (like myself), these would make lovely Christmas gifts for the bookworm in your life! I noticed many board & felt books for the kiddos. These could be put away for all of those birthday gifts.
*Ebates members receive additional three percent cash back on purchases.*

Dell is running several coupon codes. If you are still hunting for a computer for a recent high school graduate, they are running several specials.

Save $200 on select Inspiron™ notebook B120 (E-Value code 6vaff- ib120s1) with free external wireless card at Dell Home. Use coupon code 51V2R10JHTZSL8.

Save 30% on select Inspiron™ notebooks $1499 or more at Dell Home, not including XPS systems. Use coupon code 34?058XPTKZ4CP.

Save $350 on select Dimensions™ $999 or more, not including XPS systems at Dell Home. Use coupon code N6LJQJRFXLC2LZ.

Save $750 off select Inspiron™ notebooks $1999 or more at Dell Home, not including XPS systems. Use coupon code 9BCP1T8V?340DL.

Save $350 on select Dimensions systems over $1049. Use coupon code $1K$46W?HNNQ9Q. Not valid with other offers.
*Ebates members receive additional two percent back.*

Take up to $20 off at DisneyShopping.com. Use coupon code SCHOOLSAVE. Exp 07/23/2006. Visit the Outlet (you will see the outlet on the homepage) for great deals on beach towels, pajamas (cute princess pajamas for girls & great boy prints for only $4.99), and back to school items.
*Ebates members receive additional two percent cash back.*

If you are interested in learning more about the Ebates program, please follow this link for more information. An additional $5 is applied to your account, upon making your first purchase.

Friday Freebie: Eat Free on Your Birthday

July 21st, 2006

Do you know of a better way to celebrate your birthday than with free food? Here is a list of restaurants that offer birthday freebies. Feel free to add to the list (in the comments section) or let me know if one of these restaurants is no longer participating.

Oh, and an embarrassing serenade from the wait staff from your friends…yup, that is free too!

ALFY’S PIZZA – free mini pizza

ALL-AMERICAN CAFE – free dessert

APPLEBEES – free dessert

AUTO ZONE – free oil change

BAKERS SQUARE – free pie

BANDIDO’S – free entree

BASKIN ROBBINS – free ice cream treat

BENNIGANS – free dessert

BILL KNAPP’S – gives adults a % discount equal to age; plus a free bday cake (w/purchase of a meal) during the week of your B-day

BOB’S BIG BOY – free hot fudge ice cream

BUFFALO WILD WINGS (BW3) – free dozen hot wings

BURGER KING – free kids meal to all Kid’s Club members (check within the store because there is no reference to the club on their website).

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN – Register First – free kids meal during the month of their birthday

DENNY’S – free meal (for children who are ten and under)

EINSTEIN’S – free meal

FAMOUS DAVE’S BARBEQUE – free meal (w/advance signup)

FUNNY BONE COMEDY CLUB – free cake (party of 5 min.; 2 drink min.)

HARD ROCK CAFE – free dessert

HOULIHAN’S RESTAURANT – free entree

HOLLYWOOD VIDEO – one free video rental

MACARONI GRILL – free dessert

MAX AND ERMA – free $5 dessert

OLD SPAGHETTI WAREHOUSE – free meal

OUTBACK Steakhouse – free dessert

RED LOBSTER – free slice of cake

STEAK-N-SHAKE – free dinner for “birthday club” kids (I didn’t locate a form on the site so you will probably have to ask about this one in the store).

TGI FRIDAYS – free birthday dessert

WENDY’S – free kids meal to all Kid’s Club members (check in stores for this one- no form is located on their website).

This Week in Festivals & Carnivals

July 20th, 2006

Just wanted to post the latest links to the great carnivals & festivals this week.

The Carnival of Debt Reduction was hosted here so you don’t even need to go outside this site to find out how to reduce your debt! Summaries for each article are provided with the links to the entries.

The Festival of Frugality is over at Financial Reflections.
Must Read Article: Jim’s article on How to Invest With Only $100.
MotherLoad Article: Getting the Cheapest Shipping

The Carnival of Personal Finance is located at Just Another Money Blog.
Must Read Article: Penny Folish’s article on How to Start a Blog
MotherLoad Article: My First Purchase (Using Ebates)

The Carnival of Family Life is located at The Pink Diary
Must Read Article: Home Based Businesses: How to Turn Weaknesses into Strengths
MotherLoad Article: Cheap Baby-Making

And we participated in another carnival this week!
The Carnival of Recipes is being hosted by Trub. The sediment of life.
Recipe to Try: Microwave Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Pie
MotherLoad Recipe: Pumpkin Pancakes

Thanks to all of the hosts for giving us the opportunity to participate!

WFMW: Microfiber Obsessions

July 19th, 2006

Welcome to this installment of Works-For-Me-Wednesday. It is my favorite day of the week and I love to share my solutions and read everyone else’s great solutions for their families. Please visit Shannon’s blog for some amazing ideas for your family.

Today I wanted to discuss my true obsession with microfiber cloths. I have been using these for about three years now, for just about everything around our house. Microfiber is one of God’s great gifts because it can be used for so many things.

I originally started using microfiber cloths just for cleaning the house. Dry, they are amazing dust cloths. Wet, they can be used to wipe down counters, mirrors, and showers.

After using those for just those reasons, I started to expand my list of uses. I then started to put a microfiber cloth on the end of my Swiffer and used that to dry dust my floors. I could also attach a dry cloth and use my Swiffer to reach up into the corners of the rooms, where all those dreaded cobwebs take over, without pulling a muscle. Wet, attached to the Swiffer, they can be used much like the expensive wet cloths you buy, but these babies can be reused.

More recently, I have used them as cloth diaper stuffers. They sell a variety of diaper doublers and stuffers that are made from microfiber. The problem with these is that they are usually sewn into a long strip, with many layers in between to capture odor. I just trifold these into a diaper and they help to keep my daughter nice and dry. When she was small, this was our only diaper stuffer. Now that she is bigger and a super soaker, we just use this to double up on her regular inserts.

When I was chatting with my best girlfriend, she had told me about her dilemma with getting her daughter’s hair dry in the morning. Who has time to wait for a 3 yr old’s hair to dry or have an hour to blow dry it dry? I suggested a microfiber cloth…guess what? It works like a dream! Microfiber is highly absorbent and for tiny heads, these little cloths are the perfect size. For wavy & crazy curly hair like mine, microfiber is great to keep my curls from getting the frizzy ugly look (that only curly haired women seem to get!) I just use my microfiber cloth to scrunch my hair and it keeps my curl looking….um, curly!

Caring for microcloth is easy as pie. Simply throw these in your washer with a teeny tiny amount of soap. You do not need to use a lot of product when cleaning with these or when washing them, it reduces the absorbency. I usually throw them in with a load of towels (a load that doesn’t produce a ton of lint is good) and omit the fabric softener. It isn’t good for your towels and it isn’t good for microfiber.

I purchase these at our local wholesale club– you will find them in the automotive section. They are very inexpensive, and worth every dime! If you don’t have a membership to a wholesale club, these can also be purchased at Dollar Tree, Target, or Walmart.

That is it for me- please let me know if you have other uses for your microfiber cloths! I am always inspired by you all!

Here are a few other links to some of my past ideas-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

Name Dropping

July 18th, 2006

I just had to share! One of my favorite blogs, Something So Clever, featured one of my slow cooker recipes in her blog. I am so honored because I absolutely love her photography and get so many great recipes from her blog. Check out her great picture– don’t you just want to come to her house for dinner? Thanks, Alicat, for featuring us- I am *so* flattered.

Speaking of flattery, I have found a new favorite blogger….White Trash Mom. Don’t you just love that title? Speaks to my heart, in so many ways! She discovered our site and featured it in one of her entries. Again, totally flattered and excited!

Thanks, ladies! You both made my day!

McDonald’s Birthday Parties

July 18th, 2006

We just celebrated our son’s fourth birthday. In the past, I have made the food and we have had the party at our house. It has been fun (for everyone else!), but we still ended up spending a lot of money on food, cake, party favors, etc… We only invited a few friends, but our family continues to grow and now our immediate family alone is about thirteen people. This year, I decided to let someone else host the party…But what is a frugal momma to do when most parties cost so much money?

Have no fear! The McDonald’s Birthday party is the way to go! Each McDonald’s offers a different price, but the prices are usually in the same neighborhood and all of them usually offer the same types of activities.

For $59.99, we could have ten children attend his birthday party. The cost included ten Happy Meals (everyone got their own choice in entrees & sides), party favors, games, cake (chocolate or white), and ice cream. The party times, at our McDonald’s, were two or four, which meant that no one was there eating and we had the whole place to ourselves.

We chose a nice McDonald’s, in our area, and they cleaned up and closed off the play area just for our party. It was, honestly, the best party we have ever had. The kids had a blast in the play area and played for three hours, while the parents sat around and visited. The host did all of the work for us, entertaining the children, taking orders, bringing food…and the ultimate part? All of the cleaning up!

In short, have a McDonald’s birthday party- it is the way to go!

Sunday Supper: Chicken Tonight

July 17th, 2006

This edition of Sunday Supper is coming to you on Monday since Sunday was spent working on the Carnival of Debt Reduction. Please be sure to stop by there and see all of the great posts for the week!

This Sunday we dined on my Chicken Italiano recipe. I keep switching this recipe around though, so each week it seems we have a little different variation on it.

There used to be this sauce in a jar called, “Chicken Tonight” that our family used to eat. In particular there was a red sauce that you poured over chicken and you could saute the chicken and then pour the sauce on top or you could bake the chicken in the oven with the sauce. This was one of our favorite dishes growing up, and this Chicken Italiano reminds me a lot of that dish. Using a jarred spaghetti sauce, with mushrooms and green peppers, it has exactly the same flavors. You could also dice green pepper and mushrooms (if you are so inclined) to get a fresher tasting dish.

I serve this chicken over orzo pasta. I use one can of sodium-free chicken broth, heat it up until it is boiling and then pour one cup of orzo in with it. It usually takes 10-13 minutes to cook and the chicken broth really adds a lot to this dish.

I buy the Aldi Fit & Active Italian salad dressing because it is fat-free and it works great.

I hope you can serve this dish at your table one Sunday!

Slow Cooker Chicken Italiano
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 chicken breast halves
2 cups marinara sauce
1/3 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup Italian Dressing

Place all ingredients in your slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for eight hours.

*Last minute dinner preparations: Throw frozen chicken breasts in. Pour sauce, tomatoes, & Italian dressing on top. Bake at 375 for 1 hour (or longer if they are large chicken breasts).*

Nutritional facts per serving (daily value): Calories 157kcal Protein 2g (4%) Total Fat 11g (17%) Sat. 2g (8%) Chol. 0mg (0%) Carb. 13g (4%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugars 9g Calcium 30mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)