07Jun 2009 by holly

MoneyWise Moms in the Washington Post

general, Newspapers, Uncategorized
It always feels good when you read an article in any paper or watch the news on any channel, and hear about something that you are familiar with.  I've been a fan of MoneyWiseMoms.com for several months and it is great because she is local in the Northern Virginia area.  I'm not the only one! The same mind-set has helped turn consignment sales into a main topic of conversation during Gina Lincicum's moms club meetings. Loathe to attend events with paid tickets, they alert one another to free family outings. E-mail chains now share cheap crockpot recipes for summer. So many people have asked Lincicum for her homemade pizza recipe -- as much as $20 cheaper than delivery -- that she posted it on her blog, Moneywise Mom... Click HERE…
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07Jun 2009 by holly

Frugal Bloggers Rule

Coupons, general, Uncategorized
Here is an interesting article in the Associate Press this week about the Old Navy coupons and Frugal Mom blogs. I'm impressed that both the press and industries are finally noticing the blogs and frugal saving Moms like us.    I'm hoping this will mean more coupons will appear either online or in the newspapers.  They have to notice that coupon usage and attention to coupons like Old Navy weekly coupons is so popular.  I'm telling my friends about it everyday.  More people I know who would normally NOT use a coupon are interested now. Stores, brands tap into power of frugal bloggers By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO Here are some interesting highlights: When Melissa Garcia was frustrated by Old Navy's scanty coupon offerings, she didn't just complain to the store. She vented…
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11May 2009 by holly

Antique Car Show 5/16/09

Freebies, general, Uncategorized, Vehicle
For a fun filled May afternoon go the Fairfax City Antique Car Show.  My family has gone to these type of events in the last couple of years and they are a lot fun.  The best part is it is FREE to attend.   Plus, you can watch a Model T be put together in front of your eyes!  Kids of all ages have fun and learn a lot too. Saturday May 16, 2009 10:00 AM–3:00 PM City Hall (Between Rt. 123 and University Dr 10455 Armstrong St. • Fairfax, Virginia Click here to learn more!
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01May 2009 by holly

Belmont Bay – Occoquan River Communities – 5/2/09

Charity, Freebies, general, Uncategorized
There is no shortage of things to do in Belmont Bay this weekend! Come out and enjoy the spring weather and renew neighborhood ties. We kick off Saturday, May 2nd with an Adopt a Stream clean up of the community! Meet us at the marina at 9 a.m. to have some fun while making Belmont Bay even more beautiful. The prize categories always keep us guessing right up to the last minute. The Adopt a Stream clean up is followed by the Belmont Bay site activities for the Occoquan River Festival at the marina pavilion (rain date for Festival is 05/03). There will be something for everyone to enjoy! For the music lovers – bring your lawn chairs and blankets and settle in on a grassy spot by our pavilion…
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04Mar 2009 by holly

Working Mom vs. Staying at Home Mom

general, Uncategorized
How much does it cost to work vs. staying at home?  Or how much does it cost to stay at home vs. work? These questions have popped in my head for awhile. I enjoy my job for many reasons. I also like staying at home with my daughter.  I work a 9/80 schedule so I get every other friday off.  This is great because I get a taste of what it's like to stay at home.  However, those Fridays are very busy and I'm usually very tired because of the long week. I really do wonder could we afford for one of us to stay at home?  I did some research and I found a couple interesting calculators that help figure out the answers. Kiplinger - Can One of you…
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16Jan 2009 by holly

The Couponizer

Coupons, general, Uncategorized
For Christmas I asked for the Couponizer.  My dear husband didn't understand that you have to buy it online.  He looked at the bookstores trying to find it.  After Christmas he mentioned that he couldn't find it. Last week, I ordered it and here is my experience with it so far.  It is a very neat system! I opened it up and it came together with a How-To book, scissors, plastic carry bag and the Couponizer book. 1.  I'm impressed at how organized it is.    It has a pocket for the bonus cards.  This makes it so handy! [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="267" caption="Thanks BeCentsAble"][/caption] 2.  I was able to fill it up with all of the coupons I use.  I still have plastic file folders that I store the Sunday…
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30Dec 2008 by holly

Feeling Better and Catching Up

general, Health, Uncategorized
The family had a great Christmas after all! Everyone was sick for the last couple of weeks, so I haven't had a chance to check my email on a regular basis, not to mention adding to my blog. I did take advantage of a couple of deals including the 12/28/2008 CVS shopping trip of freebies and right before Christmas the Shoppers double and triple coupons. I saved almost $100 in coupons alone. Right now we have painters in the house. As a big Christmas present we are having most of the inside of our house painted. We got a great quote and are amazed at the results. The house looks wonderful. It has been a little crazy with the dust and the miss placed items around house. After all of…
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11Dec 2008 by holly

Feeling Better

general, Uncategorized
This last week my daughter got a 24 hour bug and is now feeling better. I hope to catch up and read the good deals and post again soon. In the meantime, a couple lessons I learned while she was sick. 1. The forehead thermometers aren't accurate. Every time we used it we would get different results. The digital thermometers work the best. 2. Simply Saline spray for babies is a must have. It works great for their small noses. I got mine for free because RiteAid had a lot of cold medicines back in October for free after rebate. Plus, there is a coupon Simply Saline Nasal Product, Any - 11-16-08 SS exp 12/31/09. 3. The nose suction bulb has been a lifesaver. I truly believe cleaning out the…
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03Dec 2008 by holly

Only $800 a year!

Financial, general, Uncategorized
Thanks to Thrifty Mama for pointing this blog out! Erin has been working hard to only spend $800 to feed her family of 4. Erin's blog is famous because its on TV - Channel 13 in Texas. This blog really inspires me to work hard and save even more. In addition, it gets me to really think about the spending process. We treat ourselves to a lot of things such as fast food, eating out, games, gadgets, and household items. What can we do to limit that? Something I will talk about in another post soon. I want to write about 2009 goals. What are our family goals? What do we want to save up for? We have a rain day fund but with the economy should we be saving…
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14Nov 2008 by holly

Trying to keep up with it all!

general, Uncategorized
I thought since I have a minute I would write a post that would let me feel better about everything that I have to do and would like to do. I'm a full-time working Mom. My baby is now 5 months old and is growing up fast. I'm very lucky because I'm on a 9/80 schedule which allows me to take off every other Friday. I can spend that day with my daughter and get some things done too. Today, she and I spent the morning playing on the floor. She is learning how to roll over. She doesn't like to be on her tummy. Then I worked on putting away some loads of laundry. She played on the floor while looking at the mirror watching herself make faces. She…
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