Click HERE to get your card now!

American Express Serve Credit Card is an alternative to debit and other prepaid cards and it’s loaded with great features. Since it is prepaid, it is a totally frugal way to pay without worrying about interest and payments.

NO credit checks and NO monthly or annual fees!

• Use the Serve Card virtually anywhere American Express Cards are accepted and at ATMs worldwide.
• Add money to your Account with a bank account, debit card, credit card, or cash using a MoneyPak.
• Download the mobile app for iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone to move money or split the bill on the go!

Plus, enjoy access to these benefits:

• 24/7 Customer Support
• Purchase Protection
• Global Assist Services
• Roadside Assistance
• Entertainment Access

Get yourself a free Serve account by clicking here or on the banner above!

If you’re interested in getting a credit card, check out our list of the best rewards credit cards.

My Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer is seriously one of my favorite things!  I have 3 and I still need more!  All of my kids want to help and I hate to tell them no!  These make canning apple sauce or apple pie filling so easy, but they are also great for apple slinkies (so fun for lunch or snack!) , and monster curly fries!

Apple And Potato Peeler, Corer, and Slicer (BLACK) - $12.99

Back to Basics 286 5-Piece Home Canning Kit  - $10.51

And for a laugh, read the Reviews on this!  Too Funny!

Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer - $3.59

• See our favorite Amazon Deals!  
• Want free shipping?  Sign up for Amazon Mom! 
• Because Amazon’s prices fluctuate so much and some times so quickly, please don’t be mad at me if you miss this great price!  Also, see why we ♥  Amazon Prime for free shipping!  This post contains our affiliate link. Please read our DISCLOSURE POLICY here.

If you live in the Northern States May is the time to plant broccoli, lettuce, carrots, chard, peppers, tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, squash, melons, green beans, corn and pumpkins. (Warmer states can plant now if you have not already.)

This week: The third week of May

• Outdoor Planting:  pumpkins, green beans and corn

Next week it will be time to plant: 

• cucumbers, squash and melons outdoors.

Be sure to get yours seeds, these are great prices…

• Ferry Morse Bountiful Best Garden 10 count – $17.98
• Greenland Gardener 6-Inch Raised Bed Garden Kit $29.98

Weekly Gardening Post: I am sharing a seed planting schedule with you so you will be reminded when it is time to plant your various seeds. I had big plans to plant my own garden this year, but it is just not going to happen. We had several sprinklers break and we are in the middle of a huge remodel. So my hubs does not have time or energy to repair sprinklers. Teardrop. :’( There is only one week left of planting and then you should have everything planted in your gardens.

I stocked up on strawberries early last week at WinCo.  They have their strawberries on sale for $1.48 for a 2lb package.  I saw this tip on making your strawberries last longer (I can’t even remember where now) but I tried it and this bunch of strawberries lasted for almost two WEEKS in the fridge after using this soak on them!  It is really easy, all you need are strawberries, vinegar and water!  *Note* this will work on any type of  berries.

Mix one part vinegar with 10 parts water.  I used 5 cups water to 1/2 cup vinegar.  The vinegar kills the mold spores that are already growing on the berries so  it lengthens the shelf life!

I soaked them for 2 minutes and drained them.

I suppose you could rinse them with water but I didn’t.  There was absolutely no hint of a vinegar taste at all!

I washed out the original container and stored them back in it because it has nice ventilation.   I am sure you could use any container.

Store them in the refrigerator or a cool location.

Check out our Strawberry recipes:

• Strawberry Lemonade
• Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake
• Strawberry Cheesecake
• Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Ice Cream
• Strawberry Freezer Jam
• Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Good Til the Last Bite Strawberry Pie
• Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

  Joie Stainless Steel Strawberry Huller

If you live in the Northern States May is the time to plant broccoli, lettuce, carrots, chard, peppers, tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, squash, melons, and pumpkins. (Warmer states can plant now if you have not already.) The weather has been warm this week and motivating me to get out and plant my garden.

This week: The first-second week of May

• Outdoor Planting:  broccoli, lettuce, carrots, chard, peppers, tomatoes, and okra.
• Indoor Planting:  cucumbers, squash, melons, and pumpkins

Next week it will be time to plant: 

• green beans, corn and pumpkins outdoors.

Be sure to get yours seeds, these are great prices…

• Ferry Morse Bountiful Best Garden 10 count – $17.98

Weekly Gardening Post: I am sharing my gardening process so that you will be reminded when it is time to plant your various seeds. I also want to make these posts a place for readers to come to share their gardening experience and give advice. Each week on Wednesday at 6 pm I will let you know which seeds you should be planting and tell you a little bit about what I am planting in my garden. I hope you will join me and give your input.

Don’t miss the $5 off Home Depot Coupon!

 Is Your Child Ready for Preschool?

• This Online Preschool Program is designed to be entirely affordable at only $12.99 per month (that’s less than $120 per YEAR!)
  Which is cheaper than a week or two at most preschools! 
• The nine month online preschool program comes with 12 complete lesson plans for each month (3 times per week for 4 weeks)!
• There are no large up front fees-just a monthly payment of only$12.99!  (Does a $150 enrollment fee sound familiar?)
• No long term contract-you can do 1 month, 2 months, or all 9 months!
• You may begin the program at any time and start with month 1 curriculum!  There is no need to wait until September which is typically when the school year starts!
  Is your child needing stimulation and a challenge?  Start today!
• Your account will automatically be billed through PayPal each month, for the duration of the 9 month program!  That means you don’t have to remember to make a payment, write a check or buy stamps!
• You can cancel future payments at any time if not completely satisfied with online preschool program

Curriculum Includes:

Each month comes with OVER 50 downloadable files that teach  the ABC’s in English, Spanish, and Sign Language, and 123′s in English and Spanish.

In the first month, your young learner will learn to count to 20 in English and Spanish, plus say the entire alphabet.  And then, each month, there will be a focus on 3 different letters and 3 numbers.  Your child will learn to recognize, write, and say the entire alphabet and the numbers 1-20 over the course of the 9 month class.

Plus you get fun, easy crafts (that reinforce the day’s focus), recommended books (which you can usually check out from the library!), and they learn colors, shapes, rhymes, and even how to help clean up!  Each lesson takes only 2 hours per day, and there are 12 lessons a month!  

Bonus:  If you have a doctors appointment, a play date, a holiday, or your munchkin just isn’t feeling good, you don’t miss a precious (and expensive) day of school!  You can just move it to the next day, or a different time of day… whenever works best for your family!

Do any of these sound like you?

• Are you a “hands on parent” who wants to do preschool at home with your child?
• Do you desire additional activities to do with your child at home?
• Are you participating in a Joy School or Preschool Co-op?
• Do you want to save time and money by doing your own preschool with your child?
• Do you operate your own preschool or daycare?
• Is your child struggling with academics or do they need to move faster than their current school is moving?
• Are you a teacher looking for extra resources for your students?
• Does the idea of paying $200-$600 a month for preschool make your checkbook say “Ouch”?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then this program is for you!

Your child will also have acquired the following skills after completing the program:

• A head start in reading, writing, language skills, and mathematics.
• Learn to value a wide variety of fictional and non-fictional books.
• Develop creativity, curiosity and self-esteem.
• Use music and rhythm, dramatic play, and creative art as means of self expression.
• Strengthen and refine both small and large motor skills.
• Gain self control.

Enter to win a FULL Year Of Preschool for your kid!!  

Just like their facebook page!
Winner will be announced on the 10th of May on the Preschool for a Year facebook page!

Sign Up For Preschool For A Year!

HitBliss is a new online service that lets users stream hundreds of hit movies & thousands of tv shows.

What makes them really unique from others is that HitBliss consists of two parts: HitBliss Earn and HitBliss Store.

In the HitBliss Earn app users can engage with brands (i.e. watch videos & other brands messages) and earn real cash in their account (in exchange for their time/attention to the brand messages). Users can then move over to the HitBliss Store environment and use their earned cash to stream movies & full tv episodes (commercial free).

They currently offer access to tv content such as: The Big Bang Theory, The Vampire Diaries, The Walking Dead, and Pretty Little Liars (as well as hundreds more). Basically, HitBliss gives users the ability to stream great content without requiring that they dig into their wallets for every viewing. HitBliss is an application (.exe) that requires users to download it and run on their desktop or laptop system.

Your Maximum Balance is $5, which only took me about 5 minutes to earn.

Most TV shows cost $1.99 to watch (but lots are FREE!) and Movies range from Free to $3.99!

And, after you have “earned” the money by watching the commercials, the movies and TV shows are commercial FREE, and stream quickly to your computer.

I tested a show I recently watched on Netflix with the same show on HitBliss, and couldn’t tell the difference.  It was fast, clear, and sounded great!

Sign up for HitBliss Now, and start earning and SAVING money!

I signed up for this a couple of years ago and I love it!  I get tips, ideas, deals and best of all HOME DEPOT COUPONS sent right to my inbox!!!

Just fill in your email address, ZIP code and name  to start seeing project ideas, monthly to-do lists and savings delivered right to your inbox.  GET OVER $300 IN ANNUAL SAVINGS and if you sign up now you will get a $5 off coupon!

Click on the Picture ABOVE to get started!

The surveys only take 15-20 minutes! And they pay in points which equal about $3 each! Easy money, and they’ll deposit it right into your paypal account or mail you a check!! I’ve been part of the Pinecone for 3 years, and they are totally legit.  I get 1-2 surveys a week, so for less than an hour a week I make from $12-$24 a month.  It’s great!  It keeps me in coffee (when I’m not pregnant) and coupons!

PineCone Research conducts on-line interviews with consumers from all walks of life to obtain their opinions about new products. To become a panel member, all you need to do is complete the simple form. This will only take a few minutes of your time.

It’s easy and fun to see and evaluate new product ideas in the comfort of your own home!  They’ve sent me a few different items to test and review.  It’s always fun, and since you are honestly answering the questions, they are totally relevant to your life!

You will earn points for each completed product survey, which can be exchanged for cash and other rewards. PLUS you will be automatically entered into a bi-weekly Sweepstakes to win additional cash prizes for your time. Each interview usually takes 15-20 minutes of your time. Plus, you are free to leave the panel at any time should you choose to do so.

Registrants who complete the signup form online and align with the recruit target(s) and are eligible for membership consideration will immediately receive an email invitation containing a link, ID and password to complete the full registration process. The link takes them to a brief “staging” survey (6 minutes or less) to gather some further information about that registrant and their household, and to gain agreement to the terms and conditions for panel membership.

Join Pinecone Research and start making Money Now!

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Did you know you can use your Kitchen Aid to quickly shred cooked chicken? YEP! You sure can, and IT. IS. WONDERFUL! It saves so much time and… well, it’s just plain cool!

Simply bake or boil your chicken breasts. While they’re still warm, put them in your Kitchen Aid with your flat beater attachment.

Turn the mixer on at about a 2 speed for 30 seconds to a minute. Keep an eye on it because it shreds quickly! You now have perfectly shredded chicken ready for any recipe! Sometimes, to save EVEN MORE time, I’ll do a double batch of shredded chicken and freeze half of it with my handy dandy food saver for the next recipe.

Hope you enjoy this kitchen tip as much as I do!

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Recipes That Call For Shredded Chicken:

• Chipotle Chicken & Rice Soup
• Cilantro Lime Chicken
• Chicken Enchiladas
•  BBQ Chicken Pizza
• Chicken Ole
• Crock Pot Chicken Ole
• Stovetop Broccoli, Cheese, & Chicken Pasta
• Southwest Chicken Wraps
• Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
• Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
• Chicken Tostadas
• Spinach Tortellini Soup

I wanted to know too!  Over the past 6 months I’ve been researching the best ways to raise my credit score.  4 years ago this month my husband lost his job.   Thank goodness I started to listen to and follow the steps Dave Ramsey recommends.  Instead of spending our tax refund like we always had in the past, we saved it.  Just a few weeks after I tucked the money safely away in our savings account, my husband was laid off.  At that time I was expecting baby #7 (surprise!).  Needless to say, the next 18 months were rough.

image credit

You can read more than you ever wanted to know about me and my family’s situation in this New York Times Magazine article that Monica and I were featured in last year.  But needless to say, after the first 18 months into unemployment, our credit was shot.  In fact, we nearly lost our home.  If it weren’t for some wonderful friends, and the blessing of this blog (you know that this blog is free for you to use, but we still make an income from it), we were able to keep our home.

Fast forward to NOW!  We have a stable income again, in fact, we’ve paid off all the remaining credit card debt, and we’ve been able to start saving!  But our credit scores were still lower than they used to be.  You can imagine that we’re busting at the seams as my family of 9 is starting to grow (not in numbers, but in size… these kids are getting bigger and inviting friends over!).  We’ve been needing to move into something a little more spacious for some time (this is our fabulous real estate agent by the way).

Want to know what I’ve learned? (disclosure: I’m no financial expert, I’m just sharing what worked for me these past few months)

3 Easy Ways to Raise Your Credit Score

1 – Raise Awareness

Last fall I signed up for Credit Sesame.  I love it!  Not only do I get to see my credit score for FREE every single month, Credit Sesame also offers a FREE credit monitoring service.  It’s a great way to keep an eye on your financial situation… I especially love their app!  Right at my finger tips I can get a quick snapshot of how things are going for us (as you can see in the screenshot I took of the app on my phone  —>).

• 100% free personal finance credit and debt management tool
• no credit card required or trial period (LOVE this!)
• gives an instant view of your credit, including Experian credit score
• refreshes monthly & for free
• provides debt analysis with personalized offers tailored to your credit profile

I use Credit Sesame and recommend it to anyone who wants to be aware of and improve their financial situation!

2 – Keep a Low But Active Credit Card Balance

My loan officer told me one of the fastest ways to raise your credit score is to use a credit card each month… keep it active.  So I have an Old Navy credit card (because I love to save an additional 10% every Tuesday).  My limit is just $500… he told me to put about $50-$75 on my card each month (he told me to SHOP at Old Navy… OK!).  I pay it off before any interest accrues, but for a few months prior to taking out a loan for our new home, actively using and paying off this card would help.  The biggest spread you have between your balance and your line of credit, the better.  So if you have a card with a $5000 credit limit, using about $500 of that each month (and paying it off) will help your credit score.

If you don’t have a credit card, you should have one.  We have a list of the best rewards credit cards (you might as well earn some rewards for using credit!).

3 – Pull Your Free Credit Report

You are entitled to 1 free credit report every 12 months from each of the 3 national consumer reporting companies-Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion! It is important to check your credit report regularly for accuracy and signs of fraudulent activity.  You can get that yearly from AnnualCreditReport.com.  You can either pull all three reports once a year (do it on your birthday to help you remember), OR every four months pull just one of the credit reports from one of the credit bureaus (do it in January, May, and September… those are months that the kids are either returning to or finishing up school).

In the last three months my credit score has gone up 30 points, just by doing these few small things.  Now, by all means, I’m no financial advisor… I’m just sharing what worked for me.  Talk to your lender about specific ways you can raise your credit score, based on your situation.

The higher your credit score, the better interest rates you can get on a home loan.  With the real estate market picking up, we decided now was a great time to move into a new home.

What other things have you done to improve your credit score?

Six Personal Finance Kindle Books {FREE-$.99 Each!}

• 33 Ways To Raise Your Credit Score: Proven Strategies To Improve Your Credit and Get Out of Debt
• Improve Your Credit Score In 5 Easy Steps! No Matter How Much Debt You Have Now
• 7 Steps To Quickly Boost Your Credit Score – A Crash Course In Credit Repair The Easy Way
• 5 Ways To Boost Your Credit Score 100 Points!
• Credit Repair 101 : How To Increase Your Score from a 500 to 800 in 6 months or less
• Building Credit with Credit Cards: A Beginners Guide

Because Amazon’s prices fluctuate so much and some times so quickly, please don’t be mad at me if you miss these great offers!

You can read these Kindle books on almost any computer, smartphone, or tablet! See more info here.

Make money selling your kids clothing and get great new clothes at FAB prices!

Get ready only 4 Days Left!

Spring 2013 Sale Date:

Saturday, April 20th
General Sale 8am – noon
1/2 Price Sale (select items) 1-3pm

My Garden Progress: The last few weeks I have been sharing my gardening plan.  If you live in the Northern States April is the time to plant cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, potatoes and radishes. (Warmer states can plant now if you have not already.) The weather turned cold and rainy last week so I was not motivated to plant peas in my garden last week. I am hoping to plant my peas in the garden and start my cilantro in a pot this week.

This week: The first week of April you should plant cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, potatoes and radishes outdoor.

Next week it will be time to plant: 

• beets

Be sure to get yours seeds, these are great prices…

• Ferry Morse Herb Garden 10 count – $18.69

I am going to plant my cilantro soon! So make sure you get your herb seeds.

Weekly Gardening Post: I am sharing my gardening process so that you will be reminded when it is time to plant your various seeds. I also want to make these posts a place for readers to come to share their gardening experience and give advice. Each week on Wednesday at 6 pm I will let you know which seeds you should be planting and tell you a little bit about what I am planting in my garden. I hope you will join me and give your input.

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Join NCP and earn points!  You can then redeem the points for electronics, household items, jewelry, toy, gift cards, and more.  (no landline required with this homescan signup)

To earn points all you do as a NCP panel member  is scan and send them your household purchase information every week with a handheld scanner that they provide. For each week of the month NCP receives your purchase information, you will earn one entry into the Monthly Sweepstakes where you can win a $500 American Express Rewards Card. That’s up to FOUR entries every month! Every month, 25 panel members win!

That’s not all… Every quarter an additional 40 panel members win a $500 American Express Rewards card just by sending purchase information in every week of a month.

Sign up for National Consumer Panel!

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Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 cup distilled white vinegar

10-15 drops tea tree oil (for it’s antibacterial, anti-fungal & antiseptic properties.)

*empty spray bottle

*I personally really like the high output spray bottles vs. regular ones for homemade cleaning products. I purchased the one in the picture above at Walmart for about $3.

Pour water into the spray bottle using a funnel.

Now pour in the vinegar.

Add 10-15 drops of Tea Tree essential oil.

Gently shake.

Done!

Store in bathroom and lightly mist on shower walls after each and/or last use.

DIY Daily Shower Spray

2 cups water

1 cup distilled white vinegar

10-15 drops tea tree oil (for it’s antibacterial, anti-fungal & antiseptic properties.)

empty spray bottle

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See More Inexpensive DIY Household Cleaner Recipes:

• Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Recipe
• Homemade Fabric Softener Recipe
• Homemade Laundry Soap Recipe
• Homemade Stain Remover Recipe
• Homemade Granite Cleaner Recipe
• Homemade Tub/Shower Cleaner

Wii Game Deals:

Def Jam Rapstar - $4.48

Karaoke Revolution Glee-Software Only $5.99

Nintendo DS Deals:

Disney Jonas - $3.45

Jam Sessions - $3.49

Guitar Hero on Tour Decades Bundle - $5.99

Guitar Hero: On Tour - $6.04

Band Hero NDS Bundle- $8.00

Remember prices change quickly on Amazon so grab these fast!

• See our favorite Amazon Deals!  
• Want free shipping?  Sign up for Amazon Mom! 
• Because Amazon’s prices fluctuate so much and some times so quickly, please don’t be mad at me if you miss this great price!  Also, see why we ♥  Amazon Prime for free shipping!  This post contains our affiliate link. Please read our DISCLOSURE POLICY here.

Make sure you aren’t overpaying!

Here’s an easy way to look into it!  Just request a quote from Esurance!

• You can save  time, hassle, and money you could save on your car insurance with Esurance.
• A lot of companies have automatic rate increases, that you may not even notice! (Mine goes up 10% a year-and that’s if my record stays clean!)
• Not 100% sold on the online part of things?  Well, it’s an Allstate company, so you know you can trust them!
• Esurance is not available in all states

Request your NO Obligation Esurance Quote, and see how much you can be saving!

Some of these ideas may be better for smaller or for larger groups. I think most groups would be great at 3-6 people. I also believe everything is better when it involves yummy food!

Girls’ Night In Ideas:

At-Home Spa:

• DIY hair deep conditioning treatment
• DIY face masks (Clarifying Facial Mask Recipe)
• DIY pedicures or manicures (Nail Art Deals)
• Do a makeup makeover, try out some makeup tutorials you’ve pinned
• Experiment with hair styles and styling tricks (find a lot of ideas on Pinterest!)
• Waxing Party: hair removal togetherness & bonding

Food:

• Freezer Meal Cooking: Get a group of friends together and cook ahead for your families
• Pinterest Girls’ Night In: Each person bring a craft or food item from Pinterest
• Cocktail Party: Make some fun specialty drinks together (virgin versions are still fun, Mock Mojitos)
  
• Make sushi together
• Fondue Party (cupcake fondue, cheese, chocolate, sweet and savory dips, Fondue Cookbooks)
• Potluck dinner
• Favorite Things Party: bring a favorite thing and a favorite food to share
• or you can have the night spotlight one person, have the host share a few of their favorite things, take turns hosting and sharing
• Fire Pit: roast marshmallows, make s’mores
• Assemble mixes in jars as gifts
• Cook-off Challenge: everyone bring own homemade version of something, blind tasting and voting
• Smoothie-making/tasting Party: everyone bring ingredients, create new concoctions, share favorites (Smoothie Recipes)
• Make your own Pizzas (Pizza Recipes)
• Decorate Cookies: provide many colors, candies, tools for decorating sugar cookies or other
• Gingerbread House Competition: Each decorate a gingerbread, rice crispy treat, or graham cracker house. Best gets a prize!
• Everyone bring their favorite popcorn to share (Popcorn Recipes & Deals)
• Make gourmet caramel apples (Caramel Apple Recipes)

Look for grocery coupons in our Coupon Database!

Just Hanging Out:

Often it is fun enough to just invite the girls over, have a few snacks around, and talk with each other! Here are some more ideas…

• Gift-wrapping party: fun idea for just before Christmas
• Girls’ Night Book Club
• Soak in a Hot Tub
• Watch a chick flick at someone’s house

Games:

• Play a game or two (The Game of Things, Bunco, Scattergories, Jenga, Apples to Apples, Catch Phrase, Taboo, Charades, more of our Favorite Games)
• Just Dance competition
• Mario Kart Tournament

Crafts:

• Make hair clips or headbands (DIY Baby Headbands)
• Make jewelry (DIY Bird Nest Necklace)
• Combine crafty supplies and make greeting cards together
• Seasonal/Holiday craft project (wreath, decor, etc)
• Find something for your home at a thrift shop and re-do it, then have a show-it-off party
• Make candles
• Sewing Party: bring your sewing machines and projects and work on it while you chat, make skirts or pillow covers
• Scrap-booking Party: Bring your stuff and get caught up while you chat and share

See more DIY Craft Ideas that we have posted!

Exchanges:

• Book Exchange: read new books by swapping with friends
• Favorite Recipe Exchange
• Swap favorite healthy or all-natural recipes (food, cleaning, beauty)
• Coupon Swap Party
• Dust Collectors: Swap clothes, house items, toys and what ever you have that is collecting dust
• Lingerie Gift Exchange
• Garden Exchange Party: Everyone bring the surplus from their garden
• Clothing Swap: bring something cool that you don’t want anymore, but someone else might want, fashion show
• Fashion Accessory Swap
• White Elephant Gift Exchange: bring something fun or funny from your home that you can give away
• Kitchen Gadget Swap
• Freezer Meal Swap
• Re-gift Exchange: bring a gift you’ve received but don’t want to keep
• Handmade Gift Exchange

On some of the exchange or swap ideas, you can offer a prize for the best or worst things. You can draw numbers for who gets to choose first or find some other creative way to make it even more fun.

Themed Parties:

• Everything Pink Party
• PJ Party
• Everything Chocolate Night
• Downton Abbey Party, or another favorite show or movie (have costumes, foods, decorations, and/or entertainment that fit the theme)
• Nationality Themed Party: Pick a nationality and do everything you can think of that fits the theme (could be a GNO too)

Girls’ Night Out Ideas:

Of course, I always look for a discount or coupon before I go out!

Look for Coupons: Groupon, LivingSocial, AmazonLocal, Restaurant.com, Fandango, Restaurant & Retail Coupons

• Go out for frozen yogurt
  
• Treat yourselves to a gourmet cupcake
• Go to a movie
• Get pedicures or manicures at a local beauty school or other inexpensive venue
• Go to a local concert or performance: live music, community theater, dance (lots of options if you have a college nearby)
• Go to a restaurant for an appetizer or dessert
• Choose a new restaurant, try something new & adventurous
• Mall Makeover: Hit the makeup counter at a department store and get your makeup done for free
• Get massages
• Hit a bucket of balls at the driving range
• Run a 5K
• Bowling
• Try a fitness class together at the local rec. center
• Chocolate Tasting (could be done at home too)
• Mini Golf
• Cooking Class or Demonstration
• Pottery Painting
• Go to a museum or gallery
• Play Tourist: Visit a local tourist attraction
• Go shopping: mall, department store, thrift shop
• Volunteer: participate in charity or community service

Get out and enjoy yourself, your friends, and the lifestyle of the fabulously frugal!

I did some serious brainstorming to come up with some of these ideas that I thought would work for me, but I also found some of the ideas I liked here, here, here, here, here, and here.

I’d love to hear about your ideas too!

My Garden Progress: The last few weeks I have been sharing my gardening plan.  If you live in the Northern States April is the time to plant Peas, Spinach and Lettuce. (Warmer states can plant now if you have not already.) My cucumbers (which I planted too early) and tomatoes are coming right along. You can see the progress in the picture. This week I moved my seedlings into my patio room so they can start getting used to outside temperatures. I am going to plant peas in my garden this week.

This week: The first week of April you should plant Peas and Spinach outdoor and Lettuce indoor.

To plant your seeds indoor you will need:

• Seeds
• Jiffy  Organic Vegetable Planting Mix
• Seed Starter Tray
• Water

Next week it will be time to plant: 

• cabbage
• cauliflower
• turnip
• potatoes
• radish

Be sure to get yours seeds, these are great prices…

• Ferry Morse Herb Garden 10 count – $18.69

I am going to plant my cilantro soon! So make sure you get your herb seeds.

Weekly Gardening Post: I am sharing my gardening process so that you will be reminded when it is time to plant your various seeds. I also want to make these posts a place for readers to come to share their gardening experience and give advice. Each week on Wednesday at 6 pm I will let you know which seeds you should be planting and tell you a little bit about what I am planting in my garden. I hope you will join me and give your input.

Do you have a watering can? Find some cute ones!

Make money selling your kids clothing and get great new clothes at FAB prices!

Spring 2013 Sale Date:

Saturday, April 20th
General Sale 8am – noon
1/2 Price Sale (select items) 1-3pm

Last week I started planting my garden indoor. If you live in the Northern States March is the time to plant Cabbage, Tomatoes, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Okra and Peppers. (Warmed states can plant now if you have not already.) Last week I planted my tomatoes. My kids and I have sure enjoyed watching them germinate.

I got a little over zealous and planted my cucumber last week too. Technically you are supposed to wait until the first week of May for cucumber. I may have to get some advice from one of my expert gardener friends about keeping the cucumber from getting all spindly and stuff. If you have not planted anything yet it is not too late.

This week: The last week of March you should plant Okra indoor and Onion outdoor. And if you haven’t already plant your Cabbage, Tomatoes, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Okra and Peppers.

To plant your seeds indoor you will need:

• Seeds
• Jiffy  Organic Vegetable Planting Mix
• Seed Starter Tray
• Water

Next week it will be time to plant: 

• Lettuce (indoor)
• Peas (outdoor)
• Spinach (outdoor)

Be sure to get yours seeds, these are great prices…

• Ferry Morse Large Vegetable Garden 17 count -  $19.99
• Ferry Morse Large Organic Vegetable Garden 13 count – $15.88
• Ferry Morse Herb Garden 10 count – $18.69

Gardening question: I will be planting Peas next week. I decided not to plant lettuce this year for two reasons. First we only have so much garden space and we had to narrow our selection down to 8 plants. Second my lettuce  always seems to taste bitter. I am probably planting the wrong variety. What variety of lettuce do you recommend for gardening?

Weekly Gardening Post: I am sharing my gardening process so that you will be reminded when it is time to plant your various seeds. I also want to make these posts a place for readers to come to share their gardening experience and give advice. Each week on Wednesday at 6 pm I will let you know what it is time to plant and tell you a little bit about what I am planting in my garden. I hope you will join me and give your input.

Fiskars 7067 3-Piece Softouch Garden Tool Set $12.92

Try Food Painting!

Any craft that involves both paint AND snacks is kid approved at our house! This fun frugal craft requires few supplies and minimal clean up… making it mother approved as well

Gather any foods you’d like to paint. We used marshmallows, popcorn and bread. Make your edible paint by mixing milk with food coloring. I really like the McCormick Neon Food Colors, they’re nice and bright! For a thicker paint, try mixing sweetened condensed milk with food coloring. It dried really pretty and shiny!

Let kids be creative and paint away! It’s also a great opportunity to teach kids about colors and counting too!

The best part… it’s all completely edible when you’re done!

Have fun!

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I can hardly believe that Easter is almost here. I am not quite ready. We have been posting Easter Deals each week. Have you checked them out? It is not too late to get in on some of them. Including Easter dresses, Easter candy, Easter toys, Easter egg filler and more! Here are some of my favorite Easter themed posts from this year and years past. Enjoy!

Do you have my favorite egg timer? It is a must have for Easter!

Did you see Jessica’s 75 Non-Sugar Easter Egg Filler Ideas?

Easter Egg Dye Recipes

Last year Melanie shared these fabulous All natural Easter Egg Dyes.

This year Kearna showed us this colorful way to dye eggs with Kool-Aid.

Easter Crafts

Fun surprise Easter egg rice krispie treats.

Simple Easter Egg Pinata

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Gardening is a frugal thing to do. It is so wonderful to have fresh produce in your own back yard. Every year we plant a garden in our yard. Usually we just wait until after frost and plant everything at the same time. This year I thought we would be a little more strategic and plant our seeds according to the recommendations.

I am planting my tomatoes this week. March is also the time to plant Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Okra and Peppers if you live in the Northern United States. If you are in a central area you will want to wait until April. If you are in the south you can plant before March. So if you have not yet, do it now!

To plant your seeds now you will need:

• Seeds
• Jiffy  Organic Vegetable Planting Mix
• Seed Starter Tray
• Water

So go forth and plant your first seedlings and I will let you know when it is time to plant more vegetables.

Fiskars 9424 Garden Bucket Caddy $11.89 (5 star rating)

I bet you have everything you need in your stockpile!

Ingredients

• Neon Food Coloring
• White Shaving Cream (or Cool Whip-Thanks Reader Anna for testing this!)
• Hard Boiled Eggs, pre-dipped in vinegar to make the colors vibrant!

Tools

• Cookie Sheet
• Knife or Toothpicks
• Paper Towels
• Spoon
• Cooling Rack
• Gloves (or, you’ll dye your hands!)

Step 1

Cover Cookie Sheet with Shaving Cream and smooth down with the back of a spoon.

Step 2

Add food coloring drops, and mix into shaving cream with knife or toothpicks.  I like the knife because it’s fast to clean (so the colors don’t mix) and fast to mix with the colors.

Step 3

Roll your hard boiled eggs in the shaving cream.  It doesn’t take much, one tray will cover about 4 dozen eggs.

Step 4

Allow eggs to dry for 10-15 minutes.
Gently wipe off Shaving Cream with paper towel.  Don’t wash them off, because then even the color goes away

PS-Thanks FAB reader Lori for pointing out that not everyone knows that eggs are porous   You probably won’t want to eat these ones  Don’t believe me?  Open ‘em up!  They are marbleized on the inside too!

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I’m always looking for new things to do with the kids.  They told me that this is THE BEST WAY to dye eggs!  I think they just like the smell, but it is cheap and easy, plus it does not require any vinegar!  All you need is 2/3 cup water and a Kool-Aid packet!  You can usually find Kool-Aid for around $0.10- $0.20 each so it is a frugal way to dye eggs!

Ingredients

1 packet Kool-Aid
2/3 cup Water
Boiled Eggs-  (see our tutorial for The Secret to Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs)

Place the eggs in the dye.  It only takes a couple minutes and the eggs are a vibrant color.  Remove them and dry on a cooling rack or in the egg carton.  Much better color than normal dye in my opinion!  Plus you will have a fruity kitchen smell!

You can see how the colors turn out.  Plain lemonade is not very dark but Pink Lemonade turns out nicely, grape also turns out a little too dark.  The eggs also have a subtle speckle on them too!

Nordic Ware Microwave Egg Boiler

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These Baked Cotton Balls are probably the most fun the Bee and I (and Auntie B) have had with a craft.  Ever.  They combine Finger Painting, Baking, Smashing, and Mess Making, all in one easy to clean up activity!

 Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups water
• Food coloring
• Cotton Balls (I used one of the 100 ct. ones I’ve gotten from Target.  We could have done probably 200 cotton balls, instead of 100)
• Baking pan
• Cooking Spray or Baking Mat

Directions

1. Mix Flour and Water in bowl until smooth.  
2. Divide into as many bowls as you would like colors.  We found 7 worked out about perfectly.
3. Add food coloring and stir.
4. If your munchkin is old enough, you can give them the 3 primary colors and let them figure out what Mixing colors make (this is the Bee, figuring out that Green and Red make Brown)
5. Coat cotton balls in “paint”
   Because Mama likes to stay clean, I coated mine with the spoon we used to stir
   My sister and the Bee went to town mixing with their hands.
6. Seriously Fun!   Even Clean Freak me got into it!
   (Although I was behind the camera, not in front of it!)
7. Place Completely coated cotton balls on baking tray sprayed with Pam.
   I honestly wasn’t sure what the aftermath would be, so I purposely chose my oldest pan,
   and wasn’t willing to risk my Baking Mats (although the “paint” peeled right off the sprayed cookie sheet)
8. Bake Cotton Balls at 300 Degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. The colors will change slightly, but they still look cool!  
9. After done baking, smash with hammer.  

If your kids are old enough, let them do this, or give them a play hammer.
This was a VERY therapeutic part of the project.
Especially seeing how far I could get them to fly across the room!

Baked Cotton Balls broken open!

The Cotton Balls are hard and crunchy on the outside, and still soft and silky on the inside!

Here’s some fun ideas to make your Easter Celebrations a hit.

Using a chocolate fountain dip your peeps! Dip them all the way for added fun of decorating them.

You can dip any type of peeps in chocolate!

Place a smaller vase inside the larger vase. Be sure that it is almost as tall. Pour M&M’s or your favorite candy in between the smaller & larger vase.

Next place a row of your favorite bunny peeps & top with larger candy. Fill inside vase with water & flowers. Such a great center piece!

Choose your favorite peeps. Place candy stick from the front of the peep to the back. Slide it down & add another until you have added as many as the stick can hold.  Using a candy bag cover the peeps & tie a ribbon on the bottom. For fun add a note for a friend saying “Here’s some peeps for one of my favorite peeps!”

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I have what I like to call “busy boxes” for my little ones. Each one is a different activity that I store in a labeled $.97 plastic container from Walmart. I have about 1o right now, and absolutely LOVE them! Each time my kids get antsy and need something to do, (or I need a distraction) I pull one down and let them play! Noodle beads are my latest addition!

Supplies Needed:

• 1 Cup dry, uncooked pasta per color (I used Ditalini, but you could use whatever kind you like!)
• 2 Tablespoons rubbing alcohol
• 4-5 drops food coloring (I found that the gels (like Wilton coloring gels) produced more vibrant colors)
• Sandwich baggies
• Toothpicks, if you are using gel colorings
• Large cup
• Surface to lay the wet beads on to try (I used a baking sheet covered with foil)

Place a sandwich baggie inside your cup and fold the top over the edge to hold it in place. This holds up your bag while you place everything inside. Add your pasta, rubbing alcohol and food coloring to the bag.

Zip it shut and gently shake or mix together with your hand to coat all of the beads. If you have any excess liquid, try to drain that out the best you can.

Spread the beads out on your drying surface to dry. I think this took about 3-4 hours if I remember right. Repeat with each color.

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I purchased some kids jewelry braiding cord for a couple of dollars in the craft aisle at Walmart but any string that will fit into the size of pasta you are using will work. I cut a few necklaces sized pieces of string and tied one of the beads to the bottom of each so the rest of the beads would stay on the string. It’s a great sensory/coordination activity and only costs a couple of dollars to make!

Have fun!

Prepackaged Roadside Emergency Kits vary greatly in price and comprehensiveness. You can usually find one that fits your budget and your needs though.

Here are some prepackaged car emergency kits to consider: 

• Urban Road Warrior Emergency Preparedness Auto Survival Kit
• Winter Emergency Car Kit – Road Warrior
• Bridgestone and Travel Road Safety Kit with Carry Case
• AAA 73-Piece Premium Excursion Road Kit
• AAA 70-Piece Explorer Road Assistance Kit
• AAA 42-Piece Emergency Road Assistance Kit
• Wilmar Deluxe Roadside Assistance Kit

You might be able to save some money by assembling your own car emergency kit! And even if you purchase a prepackaged kit, you will probably want to beef it up with some additional items. First, you want to make sure you have the basic essentials such as water, food, and warmth.

20 Things You Need in an Emergency Car Kit:

1. Water. Drinkable water is important. Water is also useful for washing wounds and for sanitation. Water can be helpful if your car overheats. Because of the limited space in cars, the water must be stored in small packages.

2. Food. It is difficult to keep food in your car because it is exposed to extreme temperatures, both hot and cold. Protein bars or high calorie food bars or MRE bars are a good choices.

3. Warmth. There are several options: 6 to 20 hour warm packs, wool blankets, emergency bags, and emergency blankets. Emergency blankets and bags are lightweight, compact and inexpensive.

4. Charged cell phone. This item will probably be with you anyway, but it may make the difference between getting help fast or not. Make sure your phone is charged every time you get into your car and it doesn’t hurt to keep a phone charger in your car too.

5. First-aid kit. As well as an assortment of Band-Aids, it should include adhesive tape, gauze pads, pain reliever, antiseptic wipes, antiseptic cream or ointment, and anything particular to you or your family. You may also want to include tissues, toilet paper, safety pins and ace bandages.

6. Fire Extinguisher. It should be rated for Class B and Class C fires by the  NFPA. Class B fires are those that involve flammable or combustible liquids, such as gasoline, diesel fuel and kerosene. Class C fires involve energized electrical equipment such as switches, panel boxes and batteries.

7. Tire gauge. Use the tire gauge to periodically check the air pressure in your spare tire. A lot of people ignore it until they have a flat, and then discover the spare is flat too.

8. Tire sealant. A quick, inexpensive way to repair many flats without having to change the tire.

9. Jumper cables. They should be at least 10 feet in length and coated with at least 8-gauge rubber. Depending on your circumstances, you might also want to consider a portable Jump Starter. My husband has a portable Jump Starter with Built-in Air Compressor that he keeps in his truck.

10. Flashlight. Be sure to keep charged batteries in the flashlight too. The Innovative LED Lights have a much higher battery life than conventional flashlights. It is best if you can include a waterproof light. Other lights that could be useful in your auto emergency kit are light sticks, emergency candles with a wide base and waterproof matches.

11. Gloves.

12. Rags.

13. Duct tape. Handy for all sorts of situations! Carry at least 10 feet of it.

14. Tow strap or tow rope. It should be strong enough to tow 6,000 pounds.

15. Multi-purpose tool. A multi-purpose knife provides many different tools for you to work with in a time of need. A Samurai survival tool provides a hatchet, hammer, and pry tool all-in-one. You might also consider an Escape tool, which has a seat belt cutter and window breaker.

16. Reflective warning triangles. While many prepackaged emergency kits contain one warning triangle, it is suggested that you have 3 that are placed 50 feet apart to warn oncoming traffic.

17. Rain poncho. Even an inexpensive plastic poncho is better than nothing when changing a tire in the pouring rain.

18. Cat litter. It works as well as sand beneath the tires for traction and weighs less.

19. Windshield ice scraper.

20. Shovel. A compact shovel may come in handy if you get stuck in the snow or mud.

Make sure that the tools that came with your car are in place too, like the car jack!

Thanks for the ideas, Emergency Essentials and Bankrate.

What do you think? What else would you add?