From the monthly archives:

September 2010

blog-money-saving-ideaFor many parents, including myself, keeping the kids in clothes can become a major expense if you let it.  There are some tricks though that can help you avoid spending too much while also getting them great clothes that they actually like to wear.

One of the best ways to save money is to shop second hand stores.  You can find some amazing deals on like new merchandise; especially if you find yourself a good consignment shop to frequent.

Thrift shops are a great thing too – and often are a funding stream to non-profits doing good work in your community (ie.  Goodwill, church thrift shops, etc. ).  Reusing clothes, saving money and supporting a good cause – just a touch better than the sweat shop clothing you hear about!

Another great way to shave some money off the clothing budget for kids and everyone else in the family is to use online coupons.  I’ve found coupons for many different types of merchants including SmartBargains.com, Aeropostale,  and even OldNavy.com coupons.  All you’ve got to do is google the merchant you’re shopping at plus the word coupons.  Many different merchants offer special discounts through coupon codes so it’s always best to check.

In addition to these tricks, I also like to shop off season when I can.  We keep a storage bin and buy things on the opposite end of the season so we can take advantage of the sales.  For example, look for your child’s winter coat for next year during the sale in the spring – just buy it a size bigger.

Only the rich and famous can afford to pay full price for their kid’s clothing each year (or each season it seems sometimes!).  Use these tips and you’ll find yourself cutting your kid’s clothing budget down so far that maybe you can actually afford a few things for yourself!!

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Homemade Cheese Steaks – Cheaper and Healthier

by AKA MOM on September 22, 2010

in Recipes

blog-homemade-cheese-steakWe love cheese steaks – especially Mr. T. being from Philly and all.  That also makes him pretty picky about his cheese steak and, he hasn’t found one  in this area he really loves…if you can believe it someone up here actually put mayo on his cheese steak once!  Needless to say he was disgusted.  So, he decided to make his own, and now, that’s really all we do.

Homemade cheese steaks are really easy, quick, and while they aren’t exactly “healthy” they’re healthIER than what you can find in many shops, especially if you choose organic meats cheeses and buns.

At least try it out – you can always go back to your sub shop – but I bet you wont!

This recipe serves 4

Ingredients

4 6in. sub rolls of your choice

1 small green pepper

1 med onion

1 .5 lbs chipped steak

8 slices provolone cheese

Directions

Cut up peppers and onions and saute in a small frying pan.  In another pan or skillet saute your meat.  Once the meat is done, add sauted onions and peppers, then top with cheese.  Let cheese melt, then serve on buns.

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blog-cat-ranch-signToday when I was poking around the headlines, I saw this story about a man who created a home for over 600 stray and abandoned cats.

What got me is that he basically did this all for his kid.  He didn’t like cats…until his son had to leave his with him when he moved.  Then, that cat had kittens – which he was going to give away until his son told him he had to wait about 2 mo until they can leave their mom.

blog-cat-ranch-1Mamma (aka Pepper) and her babies suckered this guy and he let them stay….and then he took in some more.  Apparently he had a bit of extra cash around as when he heard about some land for sale he bought it (he was having problems with so many cats in his condo) and made a home for his and many many more cats.

He didn’t just make a home for them in the woods like you mike think – he actually built them pretty little houses, a wall mart, a post office – its a whole kitty cat village!

He feeds them and takes care of them (regular vet check ups, spay/neutering, etc) and does all the work around “town” with the help of his own funds and donations.  He also has some help from volunteers to take care of the reserve – but mostly, its just him – the guy who doesn’t like cats, giving furrever homes to a big bunch of felines!

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Fall Is Here!!!

by AKA MOM on September 16, 2010

in The Great Outdoors

Maine Coast in Autumn by Harrison Bird Brown (1831-1915)

Maine Coast in Autumn by Harrison Bird Brown (1831-1915)

Up here in New England, Fall is definitely making its presence known.

The calendar doesn’t say its officially Autumn until a week from now (The Fall Equinox is Wed. September 22), but the chilly wind is a blowin’ and the trees have the subtlest hue of color to them.

This is one of my favorite times of the year; its actually always been THE favorite, but spring up here in Maine is pretty amazing too.  I’ve looked forward to fall every year since I was little because my birthday falls in Autumn.  I also love the amazing weather, the beautiful colors, I.’s B-day is in the fall, all the other Holidays to look forward to – Halloween, Thanksgiving, soon to be Christmas, the apple picking – and cider, Pumpkins….There’s just so much to love about fall!  And its finally here!!!

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blog-toxic-signMany different companies that make personal care products like to tout that they use “Natural” and “Organic” ingredients.  Unfortunately – many of these products aren’t all that “Natural” when you read the list of ingredients.

Many people have been frustrated by this reality over the years.  The products can masquerade as quite natural, especially in labeling and packaging, as well as where they’re sold.  But, when you read whats actually in them, there are all kinds of problem ingredients.

This isn’t the case for organic food.  It now has to be certified by the USDA to use the word “Organic” on its packaging.  Not so for personal care products like deodorant, shampoo, soap, makeup, etc.  They can use the word organic in whatever way they want….in other words, there’s no  ”legal” (for lack of a better word) definition of the word as there is with food and therefore, when its seen on personal care products it is not a guarantee that it is truly “Organic” as you might think it would be.

This results in consumers, unwittingly, purchasing products that aren’t in line with what they really are looking for; all natural, organic ingredients free of pesticides and toxic chemicals.  Also, because of the market they’re targeting, they often charge a pretty penny for these “natural” and “organic” products – all the while people are still rubbing the same funky chemicals into their bodies and washing them down the drains.

Finally, the government is starting to take notice and has begun looking into regulations for personal care products.  I’m not always for government involvement/intervention – but you can’t trust corporations either!

Until then though – read the list of ingredients in all the things you buy.  Make sure its really what you want.  You can check ingredients online – I often use SkinDeep.  Better yet, make what you can yourself; there are some simple recipes here as well as online.

You can help further accountability along by writing to your congresspersons and even The President about this issue and demanding change as a constituent.

We all deserve to be able to purchase what we want.  Advertising, in a perfect world, should be an informational tool – not an attempt at manipulation. W e as consumers are the only ones who can change that – and we have to do it, like everything else, one step at a time.

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Our New Favorite Brownie Recipe

September 5, 2010

Mr. T. and I were looking for a new dessert to make and enjoy.  We created this wonderful recipe for cheesecake brownies.  They are soooo yummy and they’re great with or without the frosting. Ingredients 1 cup butter 2 cup white sugar 4 eggs 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 cup [...]

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