Well, my very first tip is for the dude who stole our website design- pull the owner’s information out of your code before you post it, otherwise we will find you! I know, I know, imitation is the best kind of flattery, but do us a favor and don’t flatter us anymore. Does this design look familiar to any of you? My Turkish is a bit rough, but I think it says something about thanking the web designer of MomAdvice.com for all of their hard work in making such a lovely site for him…something, something about paying us and blah, blah, blah. Or it could say something about being frugal and not paying anyone just like I instruct everyone to do. Good Lord, people! Don’t take me so literally.

Moving on to our real tips:

Tuesday’s Tip:

This comes from one of our wonderful readers. She had a great recipe that she would like to share with all of you! Please free to keep your tips coming to me- these tips can be on organizing, saving money, recipes, or neat parenting ideas! Please include your name, city/state, and your url (only if you have one).

A simple recipe my kids love for your website:

Cheese-filled pizza breadsticks

1 can refrigerated canned breadstick dough
8 individual mozzarella string cheese sticks
1 jar of spaghetti or pizza sauce, for dipping

Preheat oven according to directions on breadstick dough can. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Unroll breadstick dough, separate dough into 8sticks, and cut each stick in half, creating 16 sticks, each about 3 inches long. Cut each of the 8 pieces of string cheese in half, creating 16 sticks, each about 2.5 inches long. Wrap 1 piece of breadstick dough diagonally (like a candy-cane stripe) 1 each piece of string cheese, and then pat the dough together to thoroughly cover and enclose the cheese. Place on baking sheet. Repeat to create a total of 16 cheese-filled breadsticks. Bake per directions on breadstick dough can, watching carefully and removing early if necessary to avoid over browning. Breadsticks are done when the dough is golden brown on the outside. Serve with warm spaghetti or pizza sauce in individual dipping cups, to avoid any issues with “double dipping.” Leftovers keep and even freeze well.

Reader: Patricia Coury
Taken From: The Dinner Doctor Book by Anne Byrn (this came HIGHLY recommended from her!)

Inspirational Reading Material: This website has an A-Z listing of household recipes, cleaners & detergents, pest removal, air fresheners, laundry stain removers, and much more. Everything you ever wanted to know how to make is contained in this article.

MomAdvice Reading Material: Everything you ever wanted to know about wholesale clubs is located in this article. The article covers all of the wholesale clubs and the pros & cons of each one.

Here are this week’s picks for the latest money news….

Stay At Home Mom Would Be a High Paying Job

A full-time stay-at-home mother would earn $134,121 a year if paid for all her work, an amount similar to a top U.S. ad executive, a marketing director or a judge, according to a study released on Wednesday…Read More

Gas Rebate Credit Cards- Do They Pay Off?

Some gas cards give five percent rebates … but you have to spend a certain amount of money. Even with credit cards not tied to gas … you might not be getting your full rebate…Read More

AOL’s AIM Phoneline’ Offers Free Local Phone Number

AOL is close to unveiling a voice-over-Internet service, based on its AIM instant messenger, that would give any AIM user a local phone number for free. Dubbed AIM Phoneline, the free number would only allow for incoming calls from any phone…Read More

Post office Wants 3-Cent Boost to Stamp Prices

Not just diamonds are forever. Add stamps to the list. The post office is planning a “forever” stamp for letters, good no matter how many times postal rates increase…Read More

Use Your Cell Phone to Comparison Shop

Imagine if you could go into a store and look at a product on the shelf and know whether you are getting the best deal. Now you can, thanks to new technology for your cell phone…Read More

Beat Price Shock at the Gas Pump This Summer

With summer driving season just around the corner, gas prices are climbing. According to the short-term energy outlook released this month by the Energy Information Administration, this summer consumers will pay an average $2.62 per gallon for regular gasoline, 25 cents more than last year…Read More

We would like to congratulate Juli Hood on being chosen as 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. Please 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.

Just a quick reminder to take this week’s poll on Grocery Budgets. The results will be discussed at the end of the week!

Name: Juli Hood

City/State: Elkhart, IN

Name of Company: Discovery Toys, Inc..

Website Name: http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/jhood

Two or Three Sentences About Your Company:
Discovery Toys is an educational company that believes children learn through play. We encourage parents to play with their children so that they will learn and still have fun at the same time. Play is a child’s work…give them the correct tools to do the job. Finding time to have a home business and playing with your children can be hard- Discovery Toys gives you the luxury of both. I can have my business and play with my kids at the same time!

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. Utilize nap time (or quiet time as we call it). With your kids quiet you can get on the computer to place orders or get on the phone to make those much needed phone calls!

2. Don’t be afraid to ask! If you don’t know the person and they say no- well they probably won’t remember you, but if they say yes- Score a point for you!!

Snapfish Deals: Use the following coupon codes for additional savings on your pictures…

5 Extra Prints Free
Code: MAYAFF59906
Valid from 5/4/06 through 07/01/06

20% Off All Memory Books For Mother’s Day
Code: MAYAFF52006
Valid from 5/4/06 through 07/01/06

Apply a $.99 Shipping Credit to your Order
Code: MAYAFF59906
Valid from 5/4/06 through 07/01/06

$2 Off Order Over $10
Code: MAYAFF5206
Valid from 5/4/06 through 07/01/06

Free Shipping on 5 Prints
Code: MAYAFF59906
Valid from 5/4/06 through 07/01/06

CreateForLess is offering a full month’s sale in honor of National Scrapbooking Day. Save on all of your scrapbooking supplies this May.

Drugstore.com is currently running a Spring Into Summer sale. You can save up to 50% on summer essentials such as skin care, insect repellant, allergy care and more until June 2, 2006. They have some top brands in this sale, including Dove, Neutrogena, Pampers and philosophy. During the first week of the month, GNC Gold Card members receive 20% off their GNC purchases at drugstore.com.

Walmart.com is offering a great deal on roses for Mother’s Day (drop hints to your hubby now!) You can get two dozen long stem roses for $29.97- now that is a steal!

It is all about baby today! Make sure to sign up for these great freebies for you & your little one. Next Friday I will share even more freebies for that sweet baby in your life.

MomAdvice Diaper Bag Checklist
Never get caught without a wipe when out running errands again. This handy diaper bag checklist serves as the perfect reminder to make sure you have everything before venturing out.

Very Best Baby Magazine
Every free issue is tailored to your stage of pregnancy or to your baby’s age and packed with lively articles on topics of interest to moms-to-be and new moms. Plus, you’ll receive valuable checks for savings on infant nutrition products!

Welcome Addition Club from Enfamil
Become a Similac Welcome Addition Club member today! Membership is free and offers you up to $450* in offers and savings. Register now with our 3-easy-steps and you can start enjoying your benefits right away.

Growing Up Gerber Club
Become a member of Growing Up Gerber and get a personalized Web site, newsletters, free samples and coupons.

Heinz Baby
Choose the “Home Mailing” option. Our Mailings are delivered every couple of months starting when your baby is about four months old. Our Mailings include valuable coupons, detailed information about our wide variety of jarred foods and cereals, feeding suggestions and guides, and tips on what to expect as your little one gets older. Also, you’ll receive samples and additional special offers right to your front door.

Huggies
Choose the option for you and then click “Sign Up” for coupons & free samples.

Pampers
This was my favorite club when we had our son. They had a great site that explains how your child is growing & their developments and sent me tons of diaper coupons. We are cloth diapering this one so I didn’t sign up this time, but if you are using disposable, this a great club!

Orajel
In order to help us provide the best Orajel products we can, please take a few minutes to complete the following survey. Your time is appreciated and we will thank you by sending you coupons for your favorite Orajel products. Please allow 4 weeks for processing.

American Baby
Get a free subscription to this great magazine! Every issue is loaded with vital parenting information from the experts

Beech-Nut bowl and coupon
Sign up for our monthly e-newsletters, and we’ll send you information tailored to your baby’s age, helpful tips, money-saving offers, plus this FREE bowl.

MomAdvice Reading Material:

Preparing for Your New Arrival

Diaper Bag Essentials

Finding a Mom’s Group

Last chance to take that poll! I know more than nineteen of you must have some thoughts on giving your child an allowance. Results will be discussed tomorrow!

.

Money Spent Today: $800. OMG! It is not a good financial day for us today. Our A/C was the original A/C to our house. Our house was built in 1967, so you can imagine the size of this beast and how “energy efficient” it has been running.

We had someone come out and give us a quote for a new heating & air system a few weeks ago. The quote was for OVER $4K. When the guy told us this, I avoided all eye-contact with my husband, for fear that he and I would both start cracking up. You know, that nervous laugh that you get when you are completely floored about something?? They did offer a wonderful finance plan where we could pay on it for ten years at around 14% interest rate….um, no freakin’ way! Another nervous laugh as we exited the kind salesman out the door…immediately followed by laughing until we are crying.

Fortunately, my dad works in heating & air so he was able to find us a dented model for around $760 (that includes tax). He is going to install it for us and we are going to buy him a gift card to take my mom out to dinner as repayment for all that he did for us. Considering he is saving us (at least) a grand, I think it is the least we could do.

We are still on the lookout for a new furnace, but a new A/C is much more important to us with those hot summer months just around the corner.

Luckily, we have been anticipating this little fiasco so we had the money set aside (*patting self on the back*). No surprises (other than that outrageous quote). Always good to be prepared for life’s little emergencies!

How-To Keep Your Kids Busy:

Here are a few things to keep on hand for your children this summer!

Balloons (regular, water)
Balls (play, rubber, super, tennis, Wiffle)
Beach Ball
Bubbles, fancy wands
Bucket, handheld hoe, rake, shovel
Bug catcher, bug keeper container
Cards (playing, Old Maid, Crazy Eights)
Chalk (colored, white)
Clay, cookie cutters, miniature rolling pin
Dominoes
Insects (plastic)
Jacks & ball
Jump rope
Kaleidoscope
Marbles
Kite
Paddle ball (with ball attached)
Pinwheel
Sailboats (plastic)
Sponges
Squirt Guns
Swimmies, raft
Telescope
Word Search Books

Inspirational Reading Material: This site is full of great information on how to plan your next playgroup. Online Playgroup covers everything from snacks to crafts and offers great theme ideas.

MomAdvice Reading Material: Summer Survival

On Our Dinner Table: I am making two Sticky Chickens for dinner. I am serving them with a baked potato & some homemade bread. One of the chickens will be for our dinner tonight and the other will be diced and made into chicken salad sandwiches for another night. These taste just like rotisserie chickens. I am doing them in the oven (because I prefer a crispy skin on my bird), but you can do them in the slow cooker if that doesn’t bother you.

Sticky Chicken
Serves Four

Nutritional facts per serving (daily value):
Calories 421kcal
Protein 72g (145%)
Total Fat 11g (16%)
Sat. 3g (13%)
Chol. 235mg (78%)
Carb. 5g (2%)
Fiber 1g (5%)
Sugars 2g
Calcium 55mg (5%)
Iron 4mg (20%)

What a Frugal Momma Thinks Debt Means:
Debt is something you do not want to be in. Debt is everything that you are trying to avoid. Debt is a naughty word.

Example: Billy’s mom and dad seem to be having some money issues. They went out and bought themselves a car that they couldn’t afford and now they are really in some serious debt. Well, at least they will look like they have money when they are riding around in that giant SUV. I sure wouldn’t want to pay for the gas on that car.

What Your Kids Think Debt Means:
Debt means no.

Example: Man, my mom is so freakin lame. All I asked for was a hundred dollar pair of Abercrombie jeans and she said no. She gave me some crappy answer about not wanting to go into debt so that I could have one pair of jeans. Billy’s parents bought him a pair AND they got a new car- he’s so lucky!