Wedding Day

Wedding Day
Enjoy EVERY moment in your wedding gown. You can't stay in it forever...SO UNFAIR!!!!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Another Day Another Dollar -

Another posting from my day job. Hope you find something that will help you with some savings.


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There are a lot of great finance blogs out there, and I thought I would share one with you that is about a lot more than just finances. Check out Wisebread.com. Wisebread is a collection of bloggers who write on some great finance topics and more. Main subjects include Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Career & Income, and Life Tracks. Here is just a few of the articles they had on their main page today: How To Really Save Money When You Shop, 8 Reasons To Drink More Water, 5 Ways To Yank The Leash On Pet Expenses. There is a lot more, you could literally spend the day learning about ways to save money.

If I can find another way to use an item rather than toss it, I am going to go for it. Here are a couple of ways to reuse some household items once they have filled their initial purchase.


SILICA PACKETS

I came across instructions for recharging silica packets which led me to look for ways to reuse those packages. First of all, silica packets are often included with the items we buy. Companies put these silica packets in to protect these new items from moisture, but you can keep them and reuse them for items around the home. The packets often look like little sugar packets. I know When you are not using the silica packets, put them in a baggy to keep them fresh.

You can put the silica in toolboxes and tackle boxes to help prevent rust.

Drop some silica packets in with clothes that you put away seasonally to keep the clothes fresh and wick away moisture.

Moisture can tarnish jewelry from silver to costume. Put some silica packets in your jewelry box to help keep away moisture as well.

Store some silica packets in your camera case to keep moisture from damaging your camera.

I do not know how well this works, but I read that if a cell phone or a camera gets water on it, you can put it in a baggy with some silica packets and they will help remove that moisture. This may or may not prevent damage to your phone, but it is worth a try.

Now to recharge your silica packets, put them on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven at 200 degrees for an hour.

DETERGENT SQUEEZE BOTTLES

Fill an empty detergent squeeze bottle with water and keep in the car to use to clean your hands after changing a flat or to clean off the car windows when you are out of wiper fluid.

Fill the clean detergent bottle with water to water plants in your home.

Fill the clean bottle with water to easily add water to an iron.

PIE TINS

I kept a pie tin after Christmas and it has been used and reused in our house at least ten times already to store and heat up leftovers. It kind of reminds me of the TV dinners my mom bought back in the 70s when they were still made with foil pans. They can be cleaned and used again and again.

COFFEE CANS

This is something I do not use anymore, but if you do or if you can get your hands on some, you can use the extra large ones and a regular sized coffee can to make ice cream. You simply fill the larger one with ice and salt and put the ingredients to make the ice cream in the smaller can. Roll it around until you have ice cream.

When I was a child we used to have our parents poke holes in the coffee cans, feed twine through the holes and make stilts.

You can use the plastic or the metal cans to store items around the house. They both have great lids to keep things dry. I like to use canisters to hold all the free samples I get. This way they aren't just piling up everywhere.







FREEBIES

Free samples of Bragg seasonings. I don't know if you have checked them out before, but seriously this stuff is great. Follow the link to the website. The free sample link there is on the left side.

LINK: Bragg Samples

While supplies last enter to get a free sample of CoverGirl NatureLuxe Foundation. The free sample link will be at the bottom right. The ad changes from Lip Perfection to NaturalLuxe.

LINK: CoverGirl NatureLuxe foundation sample

Maggi is a base that you can use for homemade soup and while supplies last you can get a free sample of their Chicken Flavored pasta soup. The link is on the right side of the page.

LINK: Maggi Soup sample

Walmart.com has a free sample of Purena Beneful dog food. This like all other Walmart samples is available while supplies last.

LINK: Purena Beneful

When my son was little, it was always nice to have a little formula on hand. Sign up now and while supplies last you can get a sample of Parents Choice Premium Infant formula.

LINK: Parents Choice Premium Infant Formula

If you like books with photographs from exotic locations, you might want to sign up for the free book from National Geographic called "Reflections of Seoul in Four Seasons" with photography by Jodi Cobb. This beautiful book is full of fabulous pictures that you will surely enjoy. These books are only delivered to street addresses not PO Boxes and are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. This is a free offer from the National Geographic Channel.

LINK: National Geographic free book

ENTERTAINMENT FOR FREE

iTickets has a free download of Brandon Heath's song "Leaving Eden" from his new CD of the same title. There is also a free download of "At Your Feet" by Godspeed3 from their CD "Redeemed."

LINK: iTickets Free Music

FreeCCM has free downloads from Phil Wickham, The Afters, Chris Rice, and MercyMe.

LINK: FreeCCM Free Music

How about a free movie. Here are some free Block Buster kiosk codes. These codes can change at any time and not work, but at that point you can always cancel. I hope you took advantage of last week's code.


14CHD2X (Expires Jan 20, 2011)
MRC37H (Expires Feb 25, 2011)

FREE COUPON CLASS

I have read books and taken some online classes, but I have never had the opportunity to take one in person. Here is a chance for anyone in the quad city area or for that matter, anyone who would like to drive on in to Prescott to get some knowledge from a real savvy saver.

Practical Saver, Kara Rozendaal has been helping Arizona families save money for years with her tips and fabulous website. She has some totally valuable information on couponing that she is willing to share in a free class. This is a three week class January 26th, February 2nd, February 9th from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at Tri City Prep School at 5522 Side Road Prescott. This class is going to teach you how to save money for your family as well as bless others. Get more information at our online calendar where you can get Kara's email and phone number to register. Seriously, this is a series you are not going to want to miss.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Try Something New - L'OREAL PARIS EVER STRONG

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I love love love free samples. When I get them in the mail, I often make plans to try them out right away. Occasionally it takes a little longer. This is usually because of my picking up the mail after work and a grocery shopping trip. This means I might put the sample on the counter where it will sit in a pile of mail. This was the case with the L'OREAL Ever Strong samples I just used today. It wasn't that I didn't want to try them right away...life simply happened.

The reason why I wanted to try L'Oreal Paris Ever Strong line was because I am hypothyroid, and I was told that I should avoid shampoos with sulfates. I have also heard that sulfates can flatten out your color. This typically means buying shampoos at the natural market. I don't object to doing this, but there is one store somewhat in my area, and as much as I appreciate its existence, the parking lot is tiny, and typically the only time I can pop down there is when picking up my son from school, and he HATES going to this market with me. It tends to be an adventure in irritation. To make a short story long, the idea of trying out a sulfate free shampoo by a company I love (I am crazy about their make up), seemed a win-win.

I ordered the samp;le of L'Oreal Paris Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner from the Ever Strong line. It seemed to be THE best option again considering my hair is dry thanks to the elements and my under-active thyroid. The first thing I noticed was the scent. The shampoo had a hint of citrus and another fragrance I could not identify but LOVED! The lather was rich and thick but rinsed out easily. I followed with the conditioner which had a minty scent and reminded me of the conditioner my hairdresser uses. It made my scalp tingle comfortably. I left it in and enjoyed its fragrance. I was surprised that the fragrances did not match but still complimented each other. The conditioner rinsed out well, and my hair felt smooth.

I let my hair air dry and was pleased with the results. My hair felt smooth and soft. It says your hair feels stronger after just one use. Honestly, I was not sure how to quantify that. I did tug and pull on my hair (I pulled sections but not like a maniac not that I have to with my dryness problem) and happily nothing came out in my hands. My main concern is more the clumps that can come out during washing between your fingers. I would like to try the product for a month to see how that would work out, and I just might do that soon, because the L'Oreal Paris website has a $1 off coupon on any L'Oreal Paris product when you take a "Can I help You?" survey.

What did I think of L'Oreal Paris Ever Strong line? So far so good, and worth a solid try.

This review was done because I wanted to. I was not compensated in any way other than a free sample which I got on my own by going to the company website. The opinions expressed are all my own.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Meet Me On Monday - 31st Edition

Okay it is not my 31st edition but it is the 31st edition of Meet Me On Monday. I feel bad for not being involved a little sooner in the new year, but the new year brought some new changes. Most notably my cat, Mauser suddenly became very ill (kidney failure), and we had to have him put down after a few days hospital stay, much consideration, consultation with the doctors (apparently he was going down hill neurologically as well), sadness, and realization that sometimes you have to do the painful things for the ones you love...even the furry ones. I have had pets die on me before of old age, but this was the first time I had to make this decision. This kept me from posting and kept me from Meet Me On Monday. Now I'm back and ready for some sharing.

What is Meet Me On Monday? A fabulous blog hop created by Java of Never Growing Old. It is a little way to find out a little more about the bloggers who write the blogs you read by asking five questions. The bloggers answer those questions and link back. It is a way to make some new friends. It is a FAB way to find new blogs. Hope to see you there!


Questions:

1. Do you like your ice cream in a dish, waffle cone, pretzel cone, sugar cone or cake cone?
2. Do you read the newspaper daily?
3. Marinara or meat sauce?
4. Last time you cried?
5. What word/phrase do you find really annoying?



My Answers:

1. Do you like your ice cream in a dish, waffle cone, pretzel cone, sugar cone or cake cone?


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Oh if I only was the type of person who could answer this question with ease. It all depends. IF I am out and about at say an ice cream place like my old fave Newport Creamery (which I went to quite often when I lived back East) I would get a sugar cone IF I were leaving. If I were actually seated, I wouldn't dream of getting an ice cream cone, because if I am sitting at an ice cream shop, I am getting a sundae. This is mainly because I don't really like cones of any kind. I am not that into the taste. They aren't gross to me. I just don't particularly like them. This is not to say I wont eat a cone. I will eat a cone if I get an ice cream cone to go. Eating the cone is really basically cleaning up at that point. But if I am say close to home, I will probably drop the emptied cone off my deck for the javelina or skunks in my backyard to eat.

Now if I do happen to be dining in at an ice cream place and plan to order an ice cream and not a sundae, I will go for the cone. This is because a dish of ice cream looks weird to me when eating out (don't ask). I will eat the cone then as well, because I don't want someone having to toss my cone (wasteful to me). Yes...I am weird. Really I never thought I was weird about eating ice cream until I wrote this.

By the way, if I am at home...I eat ice cream in a bowl. This is because I like to smush it around before I eat it. Yep...weird and something I will only do at home and not at a restaurant because again, then I will either go for a cone or sundae. Bet you wish Java didn't ask this question now. :)


2. Do you read the newspaper daily?


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Nope. I do glance at it a little bit when at work. I don't go through the entire paper though. I listen to talk radio to get much of my news and do go to the paper's website.


3. Marinara or meat sauce?

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Meat sauce or what my Italian step father called gravy. He said that it was called gravy because you cook it slowly with meat in it. In our house that meant sausage, meatballs, and quite often pork chops or if we were fortunate braciole. YUM! Where was I? And though the pic really doesn't match what I mean by gravy this at least gets the point across. Oh yeah...meat all the way. :)


4. Last time you cried?



Wednesday the 12th. I have been crying a lot because of having to put my cat, Mauser to sleep on January 8th.


5. What word/phrase do you find really annoying?

Nothing really gets to me now. I used to hate "Talk to the hand," but people have finally stopped saying it.

Well...thanks for stopping by. Have an amazing week!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Some Thrifty Tips and freebies

Another little post from my day job at Radio Shine.



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Recently my husband upgraded my phone to a Droid. First of all, let me say that I just love it. Second, I have been totally thrilled in that it has a Kindle app. I am a book freak, and having the opportunity to have a book with me all the time via my phone is just awesome. Another awesome thing is that Amazon has a bunch of free books for the Kindle. You do not need a Kindle or a smartphone to enjoy this. You can load the Kindle software to your computer for free. Check out this link for that: Free Kindle Reading Apps

Now back to the free downloads. There are many ways to look for free downloads. There are three ways that I have used. One is to go to the Amazon Best Sellers list in the Kindle Store. One side shows the top paid book, and the other side shows the top free books. Another thing that I do is go to the Kindle section and type in different Christian publishing houses (example Tyndale, Kregel, Revell and Thomas Nelson). A list of their available Kindle books will show up. I sort the list according to price (low to high). You can quickly see what is free. Also when you look at one book, you will often see other books people bought when purchasing that title. Many of those will also be free. You can also search people's lists. There are many lists that other members created with free books they found.

When doing my free book hunt, I was thrilled to find not only a bunch of free books, but free books by many of my favorite Christian authors and other awesome Christian authors I have heard of but not read. I can tell you that I have been going a little crazy, but in a totally good way. The free books change frequently, but here are some you can check out right now. Follow the links to learn more about the books. Again, some of the books will only be free for a short time. All the books I listed are rated on average four stars.

The Holy Bible English Standard Version from Crossway Bibles
(I do want to say that from the reviews it can be a bit hard to navigate as you can go to chapter but will have to page turn for verse. It is still great to have a Bible right on hand and you can't beat free).

Craving God by Lysa Terkeurst (This is a 21-Day devotional challenge to accompany Made To Crave. I have been re-reading More Than A Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa, and knew I had to grab this one).

A Woman Called Sage by DiAnn Mills
(looks like a western romance)

Fools Rush In (Weddings by Bella, book 1) by Janice Thompson
(a book set in today)

Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren
(One of my faves. This book looks sweet. Also set in today)

Stuck In The Middle (Sister-to-Sister, book 1) by Virginia Smith
(I have read lots of Virginia's books. She is a fabulous author. I am also reading this now. Again, set in today)

Love On A Dime by Cara Lynn James


Hide In Plain Sight by Marta Perry
(mystery romance)

The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen
(a Regency book)

The Centurian's Daughter (Acts of Faith, book 1) by Janet Oke and Davis Bunn
(the story of the Roman soldier whose servant is healed by Jesus)

The Potluck Club (The Potluck Club book 1) by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson


Invisible (Ivy Malone Series #1) by Lorena McCourtney


Last Light by Terri Blackstock


Against All Odds (Heroes of Quantico Series, book 1) by Irene Hannon


The Justice Game by Randy Singer


Deeper Water (Tides of Truth series) by Robert Whitlow


Happy reading!




FREEBIES

With the winter chilly weather, this is a freebie I think you will love. Actually I have had this before and it is incredible. While supplies last, sign up for your free sample of Cream of Wheat Cinnabon. It is so good, you would almost want to eat it for dessert. Follow the link below for your sample.

LINK: Cream of Wheat Cinnabon

Get Ready Hand Washing Timer. American Public Health Association is offering the Get Ready Hand Washing Timer. Proper hand washing plays a key part in maintaining good health. Follow the link below get yours while supplies last. If you miss out, remember you can also wash your hand while singing the Happy Birthday song.

LINK: Hand Washing Timer

Blockbuster joined the DVD rental trend and is located at many Safeway stores. Here is a one-time use code available that is supposed to work until January 18: ESU11B. You do need a credit card in order to rent.

Don't ignore this freebie. I used to work for an orthodontist, and one thing I learned was how important it is to floss. Flossing can be hard, but DenTek has worked to make it easier. They have a free sample available on their website now. Take advantage of this freebie while supplies last.

LINK: Free DenTek floss pick

I brought this up last year when they did it, and I have to mention it again this year. Pedigree is offering a coupon for 20 lb of Pedigree dog food to anyone who adopted a dog in the year 2010. This is a printable mail in form, and you are required to fill out the form in its entirety and include proof of adoption. The documents required are on the form. Do not send in originals. The form needs to be received by February 2011. It does not say end of February, so be on the safe side and get it out quickly.

LINK: Pedigree free dog food for adopters in 2010

Become a Fan of Go Red for Women on Facebook, and you can get a red dress pin. Go Red For Women encourages awareness of the issue of women and heart disease, and also action to save more lives (directly from facebook page). This is a great way to fashionably spread the word.

LINK: Go Red for Women red dress pin

If you haven't tried for this one, sign up for a free sample of EmergenC. They will send you more than one. This is another great thing to have around during this chilly weather.

LINK: EmergenC

True Lemon is a great way to add some lemony zing (oh how corny is that?) to any beverage. The packets are totally convenient, and now they also have lime and orange. Follow the link below.

LINK: True Lemon Sample

Dove is still offering a free sample of Dove Damage Therapy. If you have not picked this up, get it while you can. It will make your hair feel great.

LINK: Dove Damage Therapy

This one is a tasty offer. Literally, Yoplait yogurt which just happens to have 2 times the calcium of the leading yogurt is offering a freebie! Fill out the easy form and get yourself a cup. This offer is good while supplies last or until May 31, 2011. No PO Boxes.

LINK: Free Yoplait

I don't know if I have the guts to do this, but with Shout Color Catcher you can mix your colors and not worry. Just pop in the color catcher, and it will grab those colors so they will not bleed. Available while supplies last. One per household.

LINK: Shout Color Catcher

It is back again for those people who haven't picked it up yet. Check out Nescafe Taster's Choice gourmet coffee singles.

LINK: Nescafe Taster's Choice Coffee Singles

If you like tea, you may like to get a sample of Persimmon tea. Get your sample while supplies last.

LINK: Persimmon Tea

Get on this one fast. Walmart.com has free samples of Crest 3D White Whitestrips while supplies last. These are pretty awesome so don't hesitate.

LINK: Crest 3D White Whitestrips

Here is a link to some free samples from Fry's. Included are samples of John Frieda, an American Baby magazine subscription, Poise, and Prilosec.

LINK: Fry's Free Samples

Free sample of Steviacane through their Facebook page. Steviacane is another sweetener from the stevia plant.

LINK: Steviacane

Costco members can sign up for a sample of their Kirkland shampoo and conditioner. I have liked a lot of the Kirkland products so far. Hit the link. Samples available while supplies last.

LINK: Kirkland Shampoo and Conditioner

FREE ENTERTAINMENT

iTickets.com has two free song downloads this week. You can download "Gave It All" by the Parachute Band and "Say Say" by Kristian Stanfill.

LINK: iTickets free downloads

FreeCCM has some great free music downloads too. You can join up and download The Afters "Love Lead Me," Chris Rice "O Freedom," as well as "Silent Night" by MercyMe and "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" by Sara Groves.

LINK: FreeCCM free downloads

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Saturday Mornings: BIGGEST GIVEAWAY EVER!!!!! $250 in prizes!




Saturday Mornings is having one of the coolest giveaways RIGHT NOW! Head over to Saturday Mornings to get your chance at a piece of $250 in prizes. There will be five winners in all. Up for the win is $50 Cash via Paypal, a $50 Ebay Gift Card, a $75 Hobby Lobby Gift Card, a $40 Best Buy Gift Card, and a $60 Joann Fabric and Craft Store Gift Card. I am sure you will agree that ALL of these prizes pretty much rock. I know I would be ecstatic with any one. How about you?

Here is what you have to do. Saturday Mornings is up for Top Blog of 2010 on Blog Guide Book. Go to Saturday Mornings, read the post, vote for Saturday Mornings, and come back and tell them what your vote number was. Easy as pie! AND... if you want two EXTRA entries you can share this giveaway on your blog or on Facebook.

You don't have much time so head on over now! I have the link below. This giveaway ends on January 9 at 9pm PST.


Saturday Mornings: BIGGEST GIVEAWAY EVER!!!!! $250 in prizes!