ThredUp Pro Membership Giveaway

UPDATE: The winner is kcardwell@ Congratulations!







We have talked about a number of ways to buy and sell kids clothes including eBay and Garage Sale Tracker.

There is also another service, ThredUp, that began in April. ThredUp offers the busy parent a convenient way to both sell and buy their children’s clothes. When a person signs up for ThredUp, they are immediately mailed 10 priority flat rate boxes. While they are waiting for those boxes, they can sort through the virtual boxes of clothes they might like for their own kids.

Although it is a new company, ThredUp already has 17,000 members and is adding 100 more a day.

A nice perk is that each month, a company serves as sponsor to ThredUp and offers 40 boxes of brand new clothes from their company up for sale, but a customer pays the same price for these as they would for a used box of clothes. About 30 minutes before the boxes become available the company sends out an e-mail to let customers know. Then, the boxes are randomly distributed throughout the listing. It is like a scavenger hunt to find them. They release about 5 boxes every few days.

The cost to join ThredUp is $29.99 for a ProMembership. Then, for each box that you buy, pay just $13.00 to have it shipped to you. This is a flat rate priority box that can hold 10+ items depending on the size clothing you are buying.







Unlike eBay, there are no pictures, so the buyer has to rely on the seller’s description. On the buyer’s end, this can be a bit tricky. The way an item is described may be different from the way it looks in person. For instance, I got a box of clothes for my son and was pleased overall with both the clothing and the descriptions. However, one of the shirts was described as being a baseball jersey with the number 48 on it. That description was correct, but it was a deep gold color, and I had been picturing a white color.

On the seller’s end, this service is great. You don’t have to take pictures as a seller does with eBay and you have very little to no interaction with the person buying your box. It is really very simple to list your items, and the ThredUp system takes you step by step through the entire process.

As this is a new company, there are some kinks in the system. I ordered a box of 12 month clothes for my daughter from a seller who had high marks for both style and punctuality. (Like eBay, buyers get to score the sellers on how stylish the clothes are and on timely the clothes were shipped out.) When I got the box, while I liked the style overall, I was annoyed to find that many of the clothes were dirty with crusted on food that came out after I washed them. One zipper on a jacket was broken, but that was never stated in the description. I left feedback and mentioned why I was not satisfied, and I must commend the ThredUp team for getting back to me promptly and offering me a free month of Pro Membership as compensation.

Thred Up can be a great service if you are on a budget and don’t want to spend time hunting down bargains at garage sales, thrift stores, sales racks, etc. In most sizes there are over 30 boxes available at one time, so you do have a good selection to choose from. In sizes where ThredUp is running low on stock, they offer sellers a discount of ½ off their next order ($6.50) if they can supply a box of clothing in the needed size.

The Giveaway
ThredUp has generously offered to give one lucky winner a one year Pro Membership for free. (A $29.99 RV.)

-To enter the giveaway follow ThredUp on Facebook (mandatory)

Additional methods of entry:
-Follow ThredUp on Twitter

-Follow me on Twitter

-Become a follower on my blog or state that you already are, if that is the case

-Blog about this giveaway or write about it on Facebook or Twitter


This contest will end on Tuesday, September 7th. The winner will be chosen via random.org. Make sure you include your e-mail address when you enter.

I received a one month subscription to ThredUp for review purposes. I received no other compensation from ThredUpfor this giveaway.

Recycling Restaurant Containers

While perusing some of the lunch idea sources I mentioned last week, I came across an idea from Easy Lunchboxes—use little round plastic containers with lids to include dip for dipping.

Now, I am lucky in that my son likes most vegetables, and he will gladly eat cucumber slices, broccoli or baby carrots in his lunch, but he likes them much better when he can dip them in ranch dressing. Yet, I didn’t have the little dipping containers, did not know where to buy them and did not want to really spend money on them.

About three days later I ordered Thai takeout for lunch—Cashew Tofu stir fry and egg rolls. And there in the egg roll container was a round little plastic container with the dipping sauce. Now, my son gets to use it for his lunch. Next time you order Chinese or Thai take out, save the little sauce containers for reuse in your kids’ lunch boxes.

I shared this post at Works for Me Wednesdays and Life as Mom.

Frugal Finds - 8/31

I was driving home from grocery shopping when I saw a garage sale selling kids' items.

I saw this Noah's ark play mat, still in its package and had to get it for Delaney. As she is the third child and almost all of her play toys and clothes are hand me downs, she rarely has a toy that has all the pieces, and this one had all of the pieces. In addition, my other two never had a play mat like this.

I paid $5, and plan to resell it after she has outgrown it at the same price when we have our garage sale next summer.

How did you do? Did you have any frugal finds this week? If so, link up or post a comment.

$25 off Gymboree Through Pampers Gifts To Grow

Do you have a Pampers Gifts to Grow account? If so, you can take advantage of the current sale they are having now through 9/23 on a Gymboree gift card for $25 off a $100 purchase. These normally run 1500 points, but they are on sale now for 800 points.

I wouldn't recommend buying $100 in new Gymboree merchandise, but if you combine this with a Gymboree sale and clearance prices, you could have a sweet deal.

Carrot Pineapple Muffins

This yummy recipe came from Holly Clegg’s new cookbook, Too Hot in The Kitchen—Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age.

Carrot Pineapple Muffins
1/3 cup canola oil
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour or all purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
1 cup grated carrots

-Preheat oven 350 degrees. Coat a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray

-In mixing bowl, mix together oil and sugar. Gradually add eggs, beating well

-In bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon and add alternately with crushed pineapple to sugar mixture, stirring only until combined. Stir in carrots. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

-Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

I shared this post at Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, $5 Dinners, The Grocery Cart Challenge, Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Check Out My Guest Post on Money Saving Mom Today

I am guest posting on Money Saving Mom today. Check out my article, "10 Ways to Protect Your Identity Online".

If you are here from Money Saving Mom, welcome. Take a look around. Be sure to enter my giveaways, if you are interested. (You can find them here.)

Also, if you are a person who regularly does freezer cooking, be sure to check out my posts on that.

Finally, if you enjoy dining out but don't enjoy paying full price, check out my other blog, Dining Out Challenge, for the latest restaurant deals and tips.

Glad to have you here!

Decluttering Challenge Update - Week Two

Last week I started the Declutter Challenge—I am going to get rid of 5 items a day for as long as it takes to declutter my house.

This week I got rid of:

-25 items of clothing
The clothing includes many of my maternity shirts and tops (my side of the closet is nearly bare now!) and some of my son’s clothes. All the items in the picture have been listed on eBay. (Read how I make money selling my kids’ clothes on eBay.) I am about half way through a big tub of clothes I had to list on eBay.

I was feeling pretty good about this accomplishment until I remembered that I have two more tubs to list. Lots of decluttering still to come. I have saved all of my son’s clothing since he was two just in case we had another boy. Now it is time to sell it all.

-Endless paper trash from my kids’ room
My son loves to keep ALL of his schoolwork. His bedroom was getting seriously messy, so we put a huge diaper box full of papers in the recycling. I kept some of his special art work for a binder I am going to make for him. (More on that when it actually gets done. It has been on the backburner for about a year now.)

I’ll count the box of papers as one item, so I am free of 26 items this week, 80 items since the challenge began.

How did you do this week? Link up or leave us a comment on your progress!

Menu Planning - 8/29/10

This week's menu plan is all about easy preparation. Almost all of them come out of the freezer as I attempt to make space for my next batch cooking day (coming very soon!)

Monday--Sloppy Joes*, chips, carrot sticks
Tuesday--Cola BBQ sandwiches*, broccoli















Wednesday--Breakfast sandwiches*, strawberry-banana smoothies
Thursday--Pork steamed dumplings*, spinach, rice

Friday--Chicken Pot Pie* (pushed back from last week)
Saturday--Dinner Out
Sunday--Slow Cooker Picante Chicken* tacos, salad

Breakfasts will be homemade granola, muffins, cereal, omelettes, smoothies, etc.

Lunches will be leftovers or sandwiches.

* Denotes meals that I have already made and have frozen

A Little Baking Day Today Dairy Free Style

It has been a struggle for me trying to find dairy-free food that also does not contain chicory root or inulin. So, today I decided to have a mini-baking day using all dairy free ingredients. My six year old helped.

We made:
-24 Pineapple-Carrot Muffins (so tasty and moist! Recipe is coming tomorrow)

-30 Peanut Butter cookies

-1 batch of Honey Granola (this was supposed to be bars, but they were still crumbly, so I just decided to turn them into cereal)

Now we are stocked up on goodies and breakfasts for me for the next two weeks or so. My son will also be taking the muffins to school for snack time.

Divvies Dairy, Nut & Egg Free Cookies Giveaway!

UPDATE: The winner is clemay62@ Congratulations!

When I learned I was going to have to give up all dairy, I missed desserts the most—pies and crumbles, lemon bars, ice cream, cookies, the list goes on and on. I imagine an allergy or intolerance is even harder on a child who is not able to eat a friend’s birthday cake or the treats brought to school.

Benjamin Sandler was one of those kids. He can’t eat anything with even a trace of peanuts, tree nuts, milk or eggs. His mom spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen concocting items her son could enjoy and looking for treats that would satisfy not only her son, but all of his friends. She succeeded, and from her success was born Divvies—made to share. “ Divvies fun-foods are available to share with families and friends across the country. Divvies cookies, popcorns, and cupcakes are made in the company’s-own dedicated facility where no peanuts, tree nuts, eggs or milk enter the doors. Divvies candies, frosting, and sprinkles are certified by their manufacturers to be peanut-, tree nut-, milk-, and egg-free and are packaged in Divvies Bakery. Divvies conducts routine testing to minimize the risk of any cross-contamination in their certified allergen-free ingredients.

Thanks to Divvies, life's little pleasures of delicious desserts, are now made to share.”










I was recently given a chance to try Divvies chocolate chip cookies, and I and my whole family can attest to their delicious taste. My husband, who doesn’t eat very many sweets, loved them! They are so moist and packed full of chocolate chips. Best of all, you can’t tell that these are cookies made without traditional cookie ingredients. In fact, they are better than many cookies I have had.

The Giveaway:
Divvies has generously agreed to supply one lucky winner with a box of Divvies Doubles—24 delicious cookies delivered right to your door.

To enter this giveaway, simply go to Divvies and then leave me a comment stating which flavor cookie you would like to receive should you win.

Additional methods of entry:
-Like Divvies on Facebook

-Become a follower on my blog or state that you already are, if that is the case.

-Blog about this giveaway or write about it on Facebook or Twitter

-Follow me on Twitter

This contest will end on Monday, September 6th. The winner will be chosen via random.org. Make sure you include your e-mail address when you enter.

I received one box of Divvies cookies for review purposes. Thanks Divvies! I received no other compensation from Divvies for this giveaway.

Link Love, 8/27/10

I recently discovered that I can’t eat dairy, so I went to the health food store and bought several dairy free products, but I didn’t realize they were all packed full of chicory root and inulin, an extract of the chicory root. So for now, until that all gets out of my system, I am back to square one with gastrointestinal issues. I am slowly realizing I am going to have to radically change my eating habits and make most of my food at home and avoid a great deal of processed foods, so I found this article, “An Inconvenient Challenge: Eat Real Food For a Month” very interesting. I don’t think most of us realize just how much we rely on processed foods.

On a different note, there was a great guest post on Money Saving Mom about how to save money on products you buy on Amazon. Check it out here.

Finally, if you are like me and annoyed with the abundance of flies and fruit flies, check out Money Saving Maineac’s suggestion to get rid of the fruit flies.

Creative, Healthy Lunch Box Ideas

My son went back to school this week. At his old school, hot lunch was not an option; all kids brought their lunches from home. He can get hot lunch at his new school, but for the sake of our pocketbook and his health (my son gets WIRED with sugar), we are only allowing him to get hot lunch once a week. We pick the two healthiest choices and let him choose the one he wants.

Meanwhile, we are trying to avoid the lunch box boredom by packing him something different AND good for him each day. Today we packed him a Cola BBQ sandwich, mixed fruit and pretzels














A little earlier in the week we packed him Beefy Cornbread Muffins, apples, and cucumber.













Both of these main meals were made during my freezer cooking bout earlier this month, so they required very little effort on my part for packing.

If you are looking for some other creative lunch ideas for your children as they head back to school, here are a few sites that have creative sack lunch ideas:

Easy Lunchboxes
You can click on Neat Ideas and then either "Gallery of Yummy Lunches," or "Lunch Making Hints and Tips" or "Lunch Recipe Ideas." There are tons of ideas on this site and many links to other good ones.

Life as Mom
Follow the link and you will find a host of recipes for lunch boxes shared by readers (yours truly included).

Family Fun
If you want to get really creative, check out these artistic sandwich ideas. I have only linked to the sandwiches, but they have several other categories such as snacks for school, snacks for after school, etc.

Do you have a great box lunch idea? If so, leave a comment. I would love to hear it and be inspired!

I shared this post at What's For Lunch Wednesday and Life as Mom.

How I Got My Son's Uniforms at a Significant Savings

I am used to buying my kid's clothes at a significant discount (Read how I do it here.) However, this year my son started a private school that requires uniforms. I was shocked at the prices because it has been so long since I had bought kids' clothes at regular prices!

I checked the school's website and learned that they offered a uniform exchange. One day in July I went down to the school basement with the school secretary who nicely offered to rummage through bags of uniforms with me. We find four pairs of used shorts, five short sleeve shirts and one long sleeve shirt in my son's size. Those were free to me.

Then, when JCPenney ran sales such as $10 off an order, I bought two long sleeve shirts and so did my mom. (I paid her back for these.) (I bought the shirts one size bigger than my son wears so he can also wear them next year.) I also bought 3 pairs of long pants when they were on sale and buy one get one half price (the 4th pair of pants was a black pair for my son's dance recital; he can't wear black pants to school).

Just last week I did have to buy the belt ($6.99) and the school gym uniforms ($54.65) from the uniform store for full price. (The gym clothes have the school's name and logo on them, so I couldn't buy them any where else.)

All told, I spent $144.60 to outfit my son in uniforms for the year. If I had just bought at full price from the uniform store, my cost would have been $329.94. That is a savings of 56%.

Now, in the next few weeks, I plan to watch for sales on uniforms as the school year begins. I will then stock up for next year. Hopefully I can get them even cheaper.

Kidorable Umbrella Giveaway!

UPDATE: The winner is hayleyfontana@ Congratulations!







Kidorable started out of the desire "to create children's apparel and accessories that are both functional and fun." They have more than succeeded. With adorable themes that children will love, Kidorable offers a full line of kid's rain gear and other great accessories.

I was given the opportunity to review a Kidorable butterfly backpack, hat and gloves for my daughter. These items are so cute!! My daughter loved them. She is enamored of all things butterfly and bee, so this set was perfect for her. She wears her backpack around the house saying, "School" because she wants to use her backpack at school like her big brother.










She can't wait for cooler weather so she can wear the gloves.










(She already wears the hat around the house.)

Kidorable is best known for their too cute rain gear--matching umbrellas, raincoats and boots. Kidorable has 12 different styles to choose from. There is a style for every little one. They also carry an "English Roses" line inspired by Madonna's best selling children's book.

Kidorable is also a favorite among celebrity children. Browse their site and you will see several pictures of Suri Cruise sporting their boots and backpacks. Earnshaw's Magazine said Kidorable "is on its way to becoming the Louis Vuitton of children's accessories."

Want To Purchase Now? Get a Discount.
Email me at momsplans@yahoo.com and I will send you a unique code for 10% off your total purchase!

The Giveaway:

Kidorable has graciously offered a free umbrella to one lucky winner.

To enter this giveaway, simply go to Kidorable and state which style you like best.

Additional methods of entry:
-Follow Kidorable on Facebook

-Follow Kidorable on Twitter

-Become a follower on my blog or state that you already are, if that is the case.

-Follow me on Twitter

-Blog about this giveaway or write about it on Facebook or Twitter

This contest will end on Tuesday, August 31st at 11:59 p.m.. The winner will be chosen via random.org. Make sure you include your e-mail address when you enter.

I received the products mentioned above for review purposes. Thank you Kidorable! I receive no compensation from Kidorable for this giveaway.

Get a Coupon for Qdoba

Go here to read how to get a coupon for a Qdoba meal. Good luck!

Frugal Finds - 8/24/10

On a tip from Money Saving Mom, I found this Land's End turtleneck and a green one on clearance for less than $3.00. All told, I paid $6.36 to buy two brand new turtlenecks and have them shipped to me. It is a nice addition to my winter wardrobe.

How did you do? Did you have any frugal finds this week? If so, link up or post a comment.

Can You Do Me One Little Favor? Please?

Many of you have taken the time to take my short survey about my readership, and I would like to thank you.

For those of you who haven't, would you mind taking it? I promise, this survey is short (less than 10 multiple choice questions) and it will take you less than 2 minutes.

Why am I gathering this information? First, so that I can tailor my posts more to suit my audience's interest. If I am blogging about food waste, but it turns out that most people want recipes instead, well, then I will focus more on recipes. Second, it helps me figure out what types of giveaways you would like to see. (You can also leave me a comment about that at the end of the form.)

So, pretty please, would you take a moment to fill out the survey? Thank you!!!

Pork Steamed Dumplings

When I found out I could no longer consume dairy, I faced a freezer full of dairy laden frozen meals. I made these tasty treats on Saturday night. They are from my Holly Clegg Freezer Friendly Meals cookbook (I modified them a bit)and are delicious!

They do take a bit of time to stuff, but I just watched Suze Orman Saturday night and I had them all stuffed in 30 minutes. Now I have a freezer full; I plan to eat these while my family finishes up the dairy loaded meals.

Pork Steamed Dumplings
2 lbs. ground pork
1/3 c. cornstarch
2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 c. chopped green onions
60-90 won ton wrappers (depending on how full you stuff them)

-Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

-Place about 1 tsp of the pork mixture in the center of each won ton wrapper and gather up the corners, pinching them together at the top. Pat the edges with water to make them stick.

To prepare and eat now:

Bring a pot of water to a boil and arrange dumplings in steamer basket over the boiling water. Cover and steam about 20 to 25 minutes or until the pork mixture is entirely cooked.

To freeze:
Freeze for one hour on a cookie pan and then place in a Ziploc bag.

To prepare after freezing:
Bring a pot of water to boil and arrange dumplings directly from the freezer in the steam basket over the boiling water. Cover and steam about 25 to 28 minutes or until the pork mixture is entirely cooked.

Enjoy!

Declutter Challenge Update, 8/22/10

Last week I started the Declutter Challenge—I am going to get rid of 5 items a day for as long as it takes to declutter my house.

This week I got rid of:

35 food items that either contained dairy, which I can no longer eat, or were not good for us (the Kool-Aid, which makes my son Wired!)















4 pairs of maternity undies (no more pregnancies for me!)
1 maternity under garment
2 maternity shirts
8 small diaper covers that no longer fit Delaney













1 pair of maternity pants
1 pair of boy’s jeans my son outgrew
1 homemade window valance, and
a frame to a child’s game (but we don’t have the game. Go figure!)

That makes 54 items I got rid of this week. What did I do with them all?

-The food items were donated to a local food bank
-The maternity clothes and diaper covers went on eBay to sell
-The maternity underwear & garment went in the trash
-The frame to the game went in recycling
-And the other items went in our garage sale pile

How did you do this week? Link up or leave us a comment on your progress!

Menu Planning, 8/22/10

In light of my recent discovery that I am dairy intolerant, I will be feeding my family freezer meals made with my favorite items--cheese and milk--so I can make room in the freezer for cooking freezer meals next week that I can enjoy. I am not sure what I will be eating this week for dinner--whatever I can find that doesn't have dairy!

Monday--Stuffed Shells* & Garlic Butter Cheese Bread*, Spinach

Tuesday--Freezer Burritos*, salad

Wednesday--Beefy Cornbread Muffins*, broccoli

Thursday--No Meat Burritos*, mixed veggies

Friday--Turkey Burgers, salad, french fries

Saturday--Dinner out

Sunday--Chicken Pot Pie*

Breakfasts will be breakfast burritos*, breakfast sanwiches*, smoothies for me, eggs, etc.

Lunches will be leftovers or sandwiches.

All items marked with * are already made and in the freezer.

A Suprising Find

My dad died of colon cancer less than two months after his 38th birthday. I had just turned 15.

So, just recently, when I began to have serious gastrointestinal distress (we will just leave it at that without the details), my mind began to wander back to the time he was sick, and fear slowly crept into me--fear that I would suffer the same fate. I have been disciplined about getting a colonoscopy every 5 years beginning at the age of 29, so this knowledge helped keep my fear in check.

I went to the doctor and to my surprise, she advised me to go off all dairy for a week. You can probably tell from my weekly menu plans and my freezer meals, that I am a dairy girl. I love cheese, butter, ice cream, milk. . .Going off all of that was hard, but I had no idea that dairy is lurking in so many items--frozen meals and cereal being two biggies.

It has only been 4 days now since I have been off ALL dairy, but I can't tell you how much better I feel! I have no physical problems. It has been a bit difficult to adjust to the dietary changes, but not as difficult as I thought it would be, mainly because I am feeling so much better. And, I am so grateful that it is just a dairy intolerance and not something more serious or life threatening.

For the past two years, since my second child was born, I have not felt like myself. I had to have Gas-X several times a week, and an upset stomach was typical more days than not. I wondered if it was somehow psychological; I wondered if I would ever feel normal again. Now I realize all of those problems were related to dairy consumption.

All of that discomfort is gone, and I finally feel like myself. I feel so much better!

What does that mean for this blog? I still plan to continue like normal recipe-wise because my family is still eating dairy and I think my children love their macaroni and cheese too much to say good-bye for ever. But I will start to explore and share some dairy free recipes and products.

If any of you have discovered you have a dairy intolerance, I would love to hear about your experience!

$40 CSN Stores Giveaway!

UPDATE: The winner is llansford@ Congratulations!









Do you remember the wonderful Presto Griddle I received from CSN stores? This griddle has made my life so much easier when it comes to freezer cooking! I can make 40 pancakes in a half hour (8 to 10 at a time) instead of the hours it used to take me to make three at a time in my largest skillet. Once I ordered the griddle, I was sent an e-mail with tracking information, it was shipped to me quickly and it arrived in perfect condition.









(My griddle in use during freezer cooking day!)

The Giveaway:
CSN stores, which sells all things kitchen related—kitchen tables, cooking utensils, pans, etc. is offering one lucky reader a $40 gift certificate to their online stores. This does not include shipping, but many of their items include free shipping. While I am always looking for new kitchen items, the lucky winner will be able to use this gift certificate to purchase anything in the CSN stores.

To enter this giveaway, simply go to CSN stores and state which item you would like to buy should you win.

Additional methods of entry:
-Become a follower on my blog or state that you already are, if that is the case.

-Blog about this giveaway or write about it on Facebook or Twitter

-Follow me on Twitter

This contest will end on Monday, August 30th at 9 p.m. CST. The winner will be chosen via random.org. Make sure you include your e-mail address when you enter.
I received no compensation from CSN stores for this giveaway.

Link Love, 8/20/10

In “Turn Ugly Dresses Into Nice Ones for $1” an unemployed woman decides to put her sewing talents to use by finding ugly dresses and turning them into attractive ones she could actually wear to go out and blogs about it. I went to her blog after reading this article, and the pictures alone are worth the trip. (She found some amazingly hideous dresses!)

If you have a little one at home and want a frugal bank to teach them how to designate where their allowance goes, check out “Make It—Spend, Save, Give Bank”. This would be a fun activity to do with your child, and it has a practical use once created.

Many of you know I document my food waste every week. I always wonder if something is past the expiration date but still seems good, should we eat it? The article, “Food Expiration Dates: What Do They Really Mean” helped to shed light on the subject.

Finally, I am in the process of decluttering my house. Some things we have simply outgrown such as my son’s old clothes, but many other things are items we never should have bought in the first place. I could appreciate this article, “Don’t Let Deals Chase You.”

I Am Slacking a Little . . .

I was supposed to put up a giveaway tonight, but instead, I am going to go have a date night with my husband. Today has just been one of those days.

I'll be back tomorrow with link love and a great giveaway. Meanwhile, if you haven't done so yet, would you take the time to fill out this survey for me so I can get to know my readers a little bit better?

Here's to a new day tomorrow!

Food Waste, 8/18/10

The good news is that last week we did not have any food waste.

The bad news is that this week we did have food waste. We wasted 1 container of boxed pudding that I made up. It tasted salty to me, and no one else in the family eats it, so it went bad. We also had about 1/2 pound of baby carrots that went bad.

Total waste for the week = 1.49

Total since February 1st = 85.23

Gymboree's Circle of Friends Sale Starts Today

Now through Sunday, shop Gymboree and get 30% off your purchases. Use the code GYMFAMILY or print this off for in-store purchases. This can be a good deal IF you find clothes you need on clearance; it would be a good time to shop for next summer.

Hot GAP Deal!

Do you love the Gap clothing for you or your children but don't shop there often because of the price? If so, you will love today's Groupon! Buy one $25 Groupon from Gap and purchase $50 worth of clothing. Essentially, you are getting $50 worth of Gap clothing for the $25 you pay for the Groupon. This Groupon is good on all sales items and is valid at any Gap store.

To buy this, go to Groupon and sign up, if you haven't already. Then, click the button near the top that says "Visit More Cities" and click on "Akron/Canton." Then purchase the Groupon. Again, this is valid in any store.

I am guessing these will sell out fast, so if you want one, you should buy it soon!

Would You Mind Telling Me a Little About Yourself?

My blog has grown tremendously this summer, and I would love to know a little more about my readers. Would you mind filling out this survey form for me? It will help me tailor my writing further to your interests. Thanks!

The Declutter Challenge

We have been in our apartment building for 10 years now, in the specific apartment we are living in for 7 years. During those 7 years, we have had three children and I started a home based business. We have ALOT of clutter. Baby boy clothes from my son who is now 6, baby girl clothes from my first daughter that I am saving for my second daughter, baby gear and big kids' toys, maternity clothes and clothes in several different sizes for me. . . It all adds up.

I am really tired of all of this junk around the house. I am by no means a minimalist, but I would like to have a decluttered house. I think I would feel better and it would be so much easier to maintain our house.

I don't have a ton of time to devote to decluttering, so I have decided to challenge myself to get rid of 5 items a day--35 items a week until this house looks more like a normal house and not, well, not like it looks right now. I'll be reporting back each Wednesday. Care to join me?

Pillows By Cindee Tooth Fairy Pillow Giveaway!!

UPDATE: The winner is susansmoaks@ Congratulations!

My oldest child just turned six and is a week away from starting first grade. I can’t believe how fast he is growing! Soon he will be losing his baby teeth and waiting for the Tooth Fairy to come. The idea of the Tooth Fairy has always perplexed me; how does she exchange the tooth under the pillow for money if the child is a very light sleeper?




















Well, I have found the solution for my light sleeper—a tooth fairy pillow. I found this delightful tooth fairy pillow on Etsy from Pillows By Cindee. I bought a Cars tooth fairy pillow. It has a cute little pocket on the front that has Velcro to close the flap. The pillow is exceptionally made and will get my son through all of those baby teeth. Best of all, the Tooth Fairy won’t have to work so hard to exchange a tooth for money because we will just hang this cute pillow on my son’s bedroom door handle.




















According to Cindee, who opened her Etsy shop this past January, “I have been making pillows for the last 3 years. I first started by making inspirational "Hope" pillows for women, teens, and children who were going through difficult times. Then, with the suggestions, encouragement and support of my wonderful family and friends, I expanded my horizons to include not only the "Hope" pillows, but all different kinds of pillows, such as: toothfairy pillows, accent/throw pillows, holiday pillows, pack-n-go pillows, sports pillows, potpourri pillows, personalized pillows, pillow cases, etc...I soon discovered that the pillow possibilities are endless!! The best part of it all...I LOVE every minute of it!!”

Cindee’s shop carries a variety of pillows, most of them for the reasonable price of $15 or less.

The Giveaway:
Cindee has graciously offered a $15 gift certificate to her Etsy shop to one lucky winner to be used on the pillow of the winner's choice.

To enter this giveaway, simply go to Pillows By Cindee and state which item you would like to buy should you win.

Additional methods of entry:
-Become a follower on my blog or state that you already are, if that is the case.

-Blog about this giveaway or write about it on Facebook or Twitter

-Follow me on Twitter

This contest will end on Tuesday, August 24th. The winner will be chosen via random.org. Make sure you include your e-mail address when you enter.

I received no compensation from Pillows by Cindee for this giveaway.

Check the Ads After a Big Purchase

Last week my computer died, which, while inconvenient, was not totally unexpected. We bought a new one on Friday night at Office Depot. Sunday morning my husband was looking through the ads and found the same computer for $50 less on sale at Office Depot.

Today, I returned to the store with the receipt and was given a $54.75 refund for the difference between what I paid and what the sale price is this week. (The other $4.75 was refunded tax.) The clerk told me that they have a 14 day window where you can receive a refund for the difference if it is advertised as cheaper.

Make sure to check the ads after a major purchase; you may be able to get a refund if it goes on sale shortly thereafter.

Frugal Finds - 8/17/10

We went to visit my mom for nearly a week and a half, and our mini van was so stuffed with kids, cats and our essentials that we did not have room for much baby gear.

For 10 days one of us was always carrying or holding Delaney because there was no play pen, bouncy seat, baby swing, etc. We do lay her on the floor sometimes, but someone has to sit beside her because while big sister (21 months) likes to come over to hug Delaney, she has also been known to try to lay on top of the baby or smack her on the head.

I went to several garage sales while I was there and was happy to find this baby activity center for $2.00!! The seat pattern dates it a bit, but all the toys are intact and it is in great condition. Delaney can't use it now, but she will be able to use it when we visit in the fall and winter.

Better yet, when she outgrows it, I will be able to sell it in our own garage sale or on Craig's list for more than I paid. That is a frugal find I like.

How did you do this week? Did you have any frugal finds? If so, link up and share!

Glazed Country Ribs

We had a chance to grill while on vacation last week and made these yummy country style pork ribs. The recipe comes from Kitchen Daily. (The best part is that I got the three pounds of ribs on clearance for .99 total!)

Ingredients
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup cider vinegar or wine vinegar
1/4 cup mild-flavored molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-1/2 to 3 pounds pork country-style ribs

Directions
For sauce, in a medium saucepan combine ketchup, water, onion, vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until desired consistency, stirring often.

Trim fat from ribs. For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above pan. Place ribs, bone-side down, on grill rack over pan. (Or, place ribs in a rib rack; place on grill rack.) Cover and grill for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until tender, brushing occasionally with sauce during the last 10 minutes of grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Place ribs in a roasting pan, place on grill rack, and grill as above.) Pass remaining sauce with ribs. Makes 4 servings.

I shared this post at Life as Mom and Tasty Traditions.

Update on Summer Reading Programs at the Library

Earlier this summer I wrote about joining a summer reading program. Both my son and daughter joined the reading program this summer, but only my son had the endurance to finish the entire program My son had to read 20 minutes a day; my daughter had to read 10 minutes a day, but as she is not yet two, she didn't have the patience to do that every day.

In addition to the benefit of reading over two hours a week (we read to him and sometimes he read to us), my son lucked out and earned many prizes. In addition to weekly certificates including a free visit pass to a nature museum and a children's museum, he also won gift certificates for a free ice cream at McDonald's and a free meal at Buona Beef. Those are basic prizes that any child receives if they do all of their reading for the week.

Each week they also have a weekly winner. My son was the winner on week 3 and won 3 Dr. Seuss read aloud CDs. The one is a compilation of over 15 Dr. Seuss stories. He listened to them almost all the way to grandma's house (and that is a three hour drive!)

After the reading program ended, my son found out he was one of the top 50 readers in the library, earning him a spot in a pizza party at a local bowling alley. His bowling, shoes and pizza were all paid for by the library. What a treat he had this summer!

Menu Planning, 8/15/10

Well, we are back home from vacation, my new computer is now up and running--time to settle back into a normal life.


Monday--Beefy Cornbread* & Broccoli

Tuesday--Bolder Tuna Burger, Chips, Corn (this was pushed back from last week)

Wednesday--Lighter Meatloaf*, Mashed Potatoes, Spinach

Thursday--Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup, Fish, Broccoli

Friday--No Meat Burritos*, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado

Saturday--Turkey Burgers, French Fries, Carrot Sticks

Sunday--Grilled Cheese & Soup

Breakfasts will be breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, oatmeal, fruit, smoothies, cereal, toast, etc.

Lunches will be leftovers or sandwiches.

My Princess Closet Giveaway!

UPDATE: The winner is samantha.holcomb@ Congratulations!

When my daughter was baptized, her godmother gave her a Pinkalicious book about a little girl who turns pink when she eats too many pink cupcakes. Since then, she has been obsessed with Pinkalicious. I was searching the web one day and found Books to Bed items at My Princess Closet.





















Dawn, owner of My Princess Closet features many adorable items for your little princess or to give as gifts for the little princesses you know. She opened her store after she had a girl following three boys. She and her mom had so much fun shopping for her daughter, that she decided to open a store to share her adorable finds. She focuses on "gifts, accessories, toys and shoes for little girls ages 0 - 6."

My daughter absolutely loved her Pinkalicious pajamas! She insists on wearing them nearly every night! The pajama print matches the book exactly; I wish they had had these when I was little. Besides Pinkalicious, there are also matching book and pajama sets for Purplicious and Cinderella.












In addition to the Books to Bed pajamas, My Princess Closet also carries boutique dresses such as the MellyMello baby dress set pictured above and adorable gifts perfect for a baby shower.

















The pj cupcakes pictured above are just too cute! She also features a pink lollipop onesie, pictured below. How creative! These are sure to delight at a baby shower.

My Princess Closet is now on Facebook; you can do all your shopping for My Princess Closet directly from Facebook. In addition, if you Like My Princess Closet on Facebook, you will receive a 15% discount on your order.

The Giveaway:

Dawn has generously agreed to give one Mom's Plans reader a $25 gift certificate to My Princess Closet.

To enter this giveaway, simply go to My Princess Closet, and state which item you would like to buy should you win.

Additional methods of entry:
-Become a follower on my blog or state that you already are, if that is the case.

-Like My Princess Closet on Facebook

-Follow My Princess Closet on Twitter

-Follow me on Twitter

-Blog about this giveaway or write about it on Facebook or Twitter

This giveaway will end on Monday, August 23rd. Make sure you include your e-mail address when you enter. Winner will be chosen via random.org

I received a set of Pinkalicious pajamas for review purposes. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own.

$10 off a $10 Purchase at JCPenney

From now through August 24th, you can use the code TEN2YOU to get $10 off a single purchase of $10 or more from jcp.com. I checked their kids' clearance section and found shirts for $3 to $5, so you could score a free outfit. (I am going to buy some clothes for my son for next summer.)

Link Love 8/13/10

We are trying to cut expenses around our household by using cloth diapers, going out to eat less, using the envelope system, etc., so I found this article, "You Don't Have to Pay for Cable TV" very interesting. I think I am going to try it.

This week I have focused on freezer cooking quite a bit on this blog. I was fascinated to read this article from a clip that originally appeared on Good Morning America, "Mom Plans Meals for an Entire Year." Wow!

Happy reading.

A Computer Update

Remember my computer woes last night? Well, after trying to turn my computer on and off all day yesterday, by some miracle, at about 10:30 at night, I was able to turn my computer on and actually see the screen (even though it was all red). My husband helped me retrieve and back up all my documents, so that is a great relief. Now we won't have to pay money to have a professional retrieve the documents and fix the computer. It was very lucky we were able to retrieve the information because today nothing has appeared on the screen.

We went out tonight and purchased the new computer we had been planning to buy, and I am hoping all will be back to normal by Monday.

I have several great giveaways in the works and more posts that I have been working on, and I will try to post as I am able to this weekend. But by Monday, all should be normal again.

Why We Have Not Purchased A Home--Yet

My husband and I moved to our current apartment 10 years ago. At the time, we naively thought we would be here for one year. Then my husband began his combined M.A./Ph.D. program, and a few years after that, we had our son. The years began to stretch out. My goal was to move closer to family by the time my son was 5, but with the addition of our daughter a year and a half ago, my husband’s schooling took a back burner. We had hoped to be out of this area by this summer, but once again, that is not going to happen. My husband is painfully close to completing his Ph.D., so we are truly hoping we can move past this stage in our lives in the next year.

Meanwhile, I had to call our landlords to renew our lease, again.

We have been in this apartment building for 10 years now. The first three years were in the smaller one bedroom apartment while the rest of the time was in the much larger (more expensive) two bedroom apartment. A quick tally of 10 years’ of rent equals approximately $100,560 paid in rent.

Many people would consider that wasted money and argue that we should have bought a house in this area long ago. Yes, the equity would have been nice, but believe it or not, I am glad we haven’t undertaken home ownership yet.

When we first moved here, my husband was not working, and I only earned a salary in the low $30s. Couple that with my student loan and credit card debt that I accrued while in and out of grad school, and we were lucky to pay the rent. My income improved dramatically within four years, and we didn’t have much trouble living off of my income while my husband went to grad school. Perhaps we could have bought a house then, but we would have had very little money to put down and very little in the way of an emergency fund.

That $100,560 that we have paid out in rent over 10 years averages out to $838 a month. Sure, it is quite a sum, but it is no where near what a home loan payment would cost on a monthly basis. But then there is the property tax to add in, the heating (which we do not have to pay now), the repairs, the insurance (which would be much more than our smaller renter’s policy now), the upkeep, etc.

Some people may argue that we have been throwing money away on rent these last 10 years. I would argue that we have not. Not owning a home and having the related expenses has afforded me the chance to take a leave of absence when my second child was born and to be off work again now that our third child has been born. It has given us the chance to build up a five month emergency fund.

We will own a home someday, hopefully in the next 5 years. But when we buy that home, I want to make sure that we can afford it and all of the related expenses. I want to have both a healthy down payment and a healthy emergency fund so owning a home will be a blessing and not a curse.

Computer Woes

I have been thinking for some time now that it is time to replace my computer.

This morning, the screen just suddenly went black, and I haven't been able to get it to work since. I knew I relied heavily on my computer, but I didn't realize how heavily until this happened! I am thinking of all of the documents saved on my computer (like 15 future posts for this blog) that I don't have saved any where else. I know, I should have backed up.

So, now we are on the hunt for a new, faster computer. I am also going to try to get the other one repaired so I can retrieve all of my documents on the hard drive and let my son use it for school. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to do that.

For the next few days until I get the computer issue taken care of, I may not be posting as regularly although I will try not to let this glitch interrupt things too much.

Day Planner with Intertwined Satin Ribbons Giveaway!

UPDATE: The winner is Chantel at alaskawildrose@ Congratulations!

This is the last in a series of back to school giveaway posted every Tuesday.

















When I was a student, I relied heavily on my day planner to keep track of what homework and essay assignments were due when. I carried it with me every where and wrote down everything because otherwise I would forget it.


Today's giveaway offers the older student their own personalized day planner. The creator, PriaVanda, states, " I began weaving ribbons through plain bamboo mats to dress them up and was suddenly inspired to add this touch to everyday items. I was drawn to stationery because I cannot live without my day planner and that was the first product I created. The line grew from there."


The planner can be woven with three silk ribbon choices chosen from the 26 colors PriaVanda has available. Choose them to match school colors, favorite sports teams--the possibilities are endless.

I received a sample planner from PriaVanda and loved it. It measures 5.5 inches x 8.5 inches and has a sturdy hard cover. The size is perfect; it is not so large as to be cumbersome; it easily fits into a purse or can be carried. However, it is large enough to allow space to write down everything. The planner includes weekly + monthly pages, to do lists, motivational quotes and a two year reference calendar.

The weaving was very well done and adds a unique touch to the cover. There is also a strip of ribbon to act as a page marker in the day planner.














In addition to day planners, PriaVanda creates address books, journals, notebooks, memory books and guest books.

The Giveaway:

PriaVanda has generously offered to give one Mom’s Plans reader their own handwoven day planner.

To enter this giveaway, simply go to PriaVanda on Etsy and state which three colors of ribbon you would choose should you win.

Additional methods of entry:
-Become a follower on my blog or state that you already are, if that is the case.

-Another alternative way to enter is to Like PriaVanda on Facebook

-Blog about this giveaway or write about it on Facebook or Twitter

-Follow me on Twitter

This giveaway will end on Tuesday, August 17th at 9 p.m. CST. The winner will be chosen via random.org. Make sure you include your e-mail address when you enter.

I received a day planner from PriaVanda for review purposes. (Thank you!) All opinions are my own.

Once a Month Cooking and Vacations

We frequently go to visit my mom three hours from home, and a few times a year we stay for an extended period. When we are visiting, we are always very busy seeing relatives and taking the kids out to do fun activities. Without a plan, we can end up spending a lot of money on eating out, especially since my mom doesn't like to cook and doesn't like us to cook because she doesn't like all of the dishes we dirty.

Enter freezer cooking.

Now, when we go to her house for an extended period of time, we pack up several freezer meals in our cooler and eat them throughout the week. We don't have to worry about cooking (and messing up my mom's kitchen), and she gets a nice, home cooked meal every night. It definitely works for us!

To see some of the other ways freezer cooking has benefitted our family, read my guest post at Life as Mom, "How Freezer Cooking Changed Our Life."

If you are interested in trying out once a month cooking, enter my giveaway for Dinner Is Ready Cookbook and software. It will help you plan and execute a freezer cooking day.

The Latest GroupOn Deals--Great for Presents

Groupon has a few good deals today for online stores that would make nice gifts. (And you don't have to spend your time shopping from store to store! The company takes care of shipping for you. What a time saver!)

Insomnia Cookies--Do you have a sweet tooth or know someone who is? If so, you may want to check out today's Groupon for a $50 gourmet cookie basket (includes 24 cookies) for only $22 (shipping is included) at Insomnia Cookies. Some of the flavors in the gift box are Chocolate Chunk, Snickerdoodle and White Chocolate Macadamia.

To see this deal, go to Groupon and click "Visit More Cities" at the top next to the Groupon banner. Then click on Miami. This Groupon is redeemable online, so even if you do not reside in Miami, you can buy these. Once purchased, this Groupon must be redeemed by November 30, 2010.

Shutterfly--Purchase a Groupon for $10 for an 8 x 8 hard cover 20 page photo album from Shutterfly. This photo album has a retail value of $30, but you only pay $10 when you buy the Groupon. This would make a great holiday gift or a present for grandparents. (My mom is always asking for more pictures!)

To see this deal, go to Groupon and click "Visit More Cities" at the top next to the Groupon banner. Then click on Albuquerque. This Groupon is redeemable online, so even if you do not reside in Albuquerque, you can buy these. Once purchased, this Groupon must be redeemed by February 15, 2011. (Tax, shipping and handling not included.)

Frugal Finds 8/10/10

I was only able to go to one garage sale, but I found some things I needed. I got a few more outfits for the baby since she is growing so quickly (.50 each) and two ice cube trays (.10 each). Delaney is almost 4 months old which means I will soon start making her baby food and it is always good to have ice cube trays to freeze the food in.

Total spent--$1.70

How did you do this week? Did you have any frugal finds? If so, link up and share!

August Freezer Cooking Wrap Up

I didn't quite accomplish all that I planned, but I did get a good amount of food into the freezer. We have enough now for roughly 17 breakfasts and 20 dinners, plus the sides. I am quite happy with that!

This time around I used Deanna Buxton’s 30 Meals in One Day system, and I loved it! It made my cooking so much more organized. Read my review and enter to win your own Dinner Is Ready cookbook and software here. Here is what we ended up with:

Main Meals
10 Honey Mustard Turkey Burgers
23 Beefy Cornbread Muffins
24 individual servings of Cola BBQ
3 Meals of Slow Cooked Chili
2 Meals of Stacked Tacos
10 Thanksgiving Burgers

Side Dishes
2 Gallon Size Bags of New England Baked Beans
2 small loaves Corn Bread
2 small loaves of Blueberry Banana Bread

Remember the griddle I asked your opinion about? I ended up going with the Presto electric one per your suggestions, and I love it! It made my freezer cooking so much faster this month.

Breakfast
48 blueberry pancakes (recipe coming in the next few weeks)
24 breakfast sandwiches