fun

Save for the Holidays (and Beyond!)- My top tips!

Abby H.

file0001508044668Christmas is 64 days away, and while some of us have been saving our pennies and dollars, some of us haven’t. This article is for those of you who are looking to earn some extra money. For the holidays, or heck, even beyond that!

Now these are all methods that I have used, and continue to use, so there is no baloney coming from me.

  • I do Surveys. Here is a post with links to my top survey companies, including how much each one has earned me!
  • One of my favorite survey companies is Paid View Point.  Surveys are short (less than 5 minutes).  Earn cash with each Survey.  You get $1.00 when you sign up! The pay out is $15.00, and it takes about a month-6 weeks to earn $15.00. So far in 2015, I’ve earned about $78.00.
  • I send my junk mail to Small Business Knowledge Center. Here is a post about it with details. I just got another $20 GC from them earlier this month!
  • I take our bottles and cans to the recycling center. It’s not a ton of money, but I paid the deposit on those bottles, I want it back! I take Lil’ Man with me and we get about $4-$5/month between the milk jugs and misc. bottles and cans. We don’t drink a lot of soda or juice. My parents save their recyclables for us too!
  • I do simple tasks with Field Agent. Field Agent is an app for smartphones that allows you to do simple tasks like photographing displays in stores or scanning items in stores. They even have secret shopping tasks.  Tasks vary in pay, however most pay between $3-$10. I’ve been using Field Agent for 2 months and I’ve earned over $100. Payment is done via Paypal!
  • I also do simple tasks with Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. I transfer the earnings to my Amazon.com account. You sign up and do tasks for small amounts of money, but the money adds up fast.  The tasks are quick and simple (transcription, surveys, flagging inappropriate photos).  I’ve earned over $50 since February.  If you want cold hard cash instead of Amazon.com credit there is an option to have money transferred to a bank account.  Mechanical Turk does ask for your SSN when you sign up- you will receive a 1099- MISC at the end of the year., regardless of which option you select.
  • Earn Gift cards with Mypoints. I take surveys, click links in emails, and do all of my online shopping through Mypoints. So far in 2015, I’ve earned about $45.00.
  • I also use Swagbucks. I use their search engine toolbar, take a daily poll, watch a video and click a few links each day! So far in 2015, I’ve earned about $60.00. Swagbucks has tons of rewards, you can receive cash via paypal too!
  • I use my smartphone to save money too. There are tons of apps that have help you save money in the store (coupons), and get your money back afterwards (rebates). Here is a list of my favs. I’m loving Ibotta right now- I’ve saved over $100 this year alone, just buying my normal groceries!

All of these things are easy to do, realistic, and even a busy person can take 10 minutes out of their day to do one of the things I’ve listed.

Where have I been?

Abby H.

I swear, I haven’t gone off the deep end! This is a super busy time of year for me! With Halloween in 11 days, I’m up to my eyeballs making costumes, planning treats for our play group Halloween party (gotta make sure they are free of everyone’s allergies), and getting ready for the WOW Summit that’s coming up this week (New business cards arrived Friday!!).

In the next few weeks, I’ll have some reviews of cool products my family has tried recently, tips for saving money for the holidays (nothing crazy I promise you!), cute giftable crafts (Pinterest Fail Free, I promise!!), and some yummy new recipes.

Screen Shot 2015-09-19 at 12.17.16 PMI’ve been working on holiday gifts for the family. Here is one of the photo collages that is going on one of those photos gifts (I told you guys, I’m all about photos for gifts- I mean it!).  It’s Lil’ Man and Bitty Bird. Mr. H is the headless adult in the photo.

Save Money with a DIY Pedicure (and look like you just stepped out of a spa!)

Abby H.

file4461303072393 (1)I love a good pedicure. Living in California, I wear sandals 300 days in a year. What I don’t love is paying $40-$60 each month for a good pedicure that lasts a month. Sure, sure, I could get a cheaper pedicure, but the polish would chip in a week and I’d look scruffy.

Here are some tips for a great at home spa pedicure.

Screen Shot 2015-10-09 at 10.00.45 AMYou don’t need a foot spa. I use a Rubbermaid Dish pan. I got it on Amazon for $9.00. It’s the perfect size for both of my big feet to fit into (I wear a size 11.5 shoe!) After I’m done with it, I just scrub it out with dish soap, a little beach, hot water, and dry it by hand. The best part is, you can store all of your pedicure supplies in the tub. You can also use a shallow pan or basin that both of your feet will fit in.

Use good quality tools. There are coupons regularly for Revlon and Sally Hansen beauty tools. In my pedicure kit I have:

Cuticle Remover, orangewood sticks, Polish remover, Emory boards, Buffing block, Cuticle nipper, nail scoop/nail cleaner, base coat, Top Coat, Colored polish, q-tips, cotton balls, alcohol, cuticle oil, foot scrub, callus remover, Mr. Pumice Pumi Bar, lotion. (I’ve included links to products on Amazon that I love!)

Now that you’ve gathered all the needed supplies here are the steps to a top notch pedicure!

Here are some simple steps that will have you pampering your feet in 30 minutes or less:
• Remove old polish using a gentle nail polish remover (if you have glitter polish on, check out this tutorial on getting that stubborn polish off).
• Clip and file your nails. The modern look for nails is to keep them on the short side with a straight shape and slightly-rounded edge. Remember to file in one direction- don’t saw back and forth, it will weaken and damage your nail.
• Soak your feet for about ten minutes in a dishpan or plastic bowl filled with warm water and a few drops of your favorite body wash or Epsom salts (which have excellent relaxing properties that will soothe your tired, aching feet)
• Apply a cuticle remover; after a few minutes, push back the cuticles gently using an orangewood stick. Use Cuticle nippers to remove dead skin around the cuticle bed. Clean under your toenails with the nail scoop/cleaner.
• Apply a callus remover liquid containing alpha hydroxy acids. Slip you feet into plastic bags for 5-10 minutes, remove the bags and use a pumice stone to remove dead skin cells.
• Use an exfoliating foot scrub on your feet and calves, remove with a hot, damp towel. I make up 3 or 4 per pedicure and keep them warm in a crockpot set to low.
• Massage feet and calves with a creamy hand lotion. Rub in for a couple of minutes in order to fully hydrate the skin, particularly if you are suffering from dry skin.
• Use some rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad on your nail beds to remove any lotion on your nails (The lotion will keep the polish from adhering to your nails) and apply a base coat. Adter the base coat is dry, apply two coats of your favorite nail polish color. Add nail decals, gems or paint flowers on your toes! Follow with a topcoat.

What kinds of frugal beauty regimens do you have?

7/11: Free Coffee Week October 12‑18!!

Abby H.1 Comment

unnamedI love coffee. I’m drinking some right now. I also love free stuff. So, when I can get free coffee I’m stoked. I’m even more stoked when I can get FREE COFFEE ALL WEEK LONG!

7RewardsSM FREE Coffee Week is coming. Celebrate from October 12‑18 and get (1) ANY SIZE hot coffee for FREE each day!

Check the Scan & Save section of your 7Rewards app for the offer and come in and scan every day for your free cup.

Don’t have 7Rewards? Check out the Google Play or Apple App Store and download it to your enabled device (I have it on my iPhone and iPad!).

WOO HOO!! I love 7/11 coffee. It’s fresh (made every 30 minutes or less), and they have tons of flavored creamers, fresh 1/2 and 1/2, flavored syrups, even toppings like vanilla powder and cinnamon. I can make my own coffee shop coffee without the hefty price tag! And next week, it’s freeeeee!!!!!

October is Free Kids Month in San Diego!

Abby H.

October in San Diego means free fun for kids!

kidsfree2015Kids are invited to explore San Diego’s diverse museums — for FREE! From October 1 – 31, children ages 12 and under receive FREE admission with a paid adult (limit 2) at any of our three-dozen participating museums. Just download the coupon (available here) and present it upon arrival.

Explore the hidden treasures of the ocean or the far reaches of outer space. Delve into local history, visual arts, botanical gardens, architectural treasures — and more! Note: This offer does not include special events/exhibits or field trips.

 

Participating museums:

 

Barona Cultural Center & Museum
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Cabrillo National Monument
California Center for the Arts Museum
California Surf Museum
Coronado Museum of History & Art
Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House
Heritage of the Americas Museum
Japanese Friendship Garden
La Jolla Historical Society
Living Coast Discovery Center
Lux Art Institute
Maritime Museum of San Diego
Marston House Museum & Gardens
Mingei International Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Museum of Making Music
Museum of Photographic Arts
Oceanside Museum of Art
Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (galleries only)
San Diego Air & Space Museum
San Diego Archaeological Center
San Diego Automotive Museum
San Diego Botanic Garden
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
San Diego History Center
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
San Diego Natural History Museum (theNAT)
Santa Ysabel General Store
Serra Museum
The New Children’s Museum
The San Diego Museum of Art
The Water Conservation Garden
Tijuana Estuary
Timken Museum of Art (FYI- this museum is always free)
USS Midway Museum
Veterans Museum & Memorial Center
Visions Art Museum
Warner-Carillo Ranch House
Women’s Museum of California

Kids Free in October is presented by ScholarShare, California’s 529 College Savings Plan, with additional support provided by Time Warner Cable, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture.

** The coupon allows up to two children 12 and under to get in FREE with one full-price paid adult. Children must be accompanied by the adult during the visit. This coupon cannot be used for specially ticketed events, Maker Faire San Diego, special exhibitions/exhibits, field trips or group visits. Coupon cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value. Coupon is valid October 1-31, 2015.

 

Oh, and as part of free October, Kids can get into the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park free when accompanied by a paying adult!  WOO HOO!

There is another list of free stuff for kids (including kids eat free) here on the San Diego Tourism Authority website.

Frugal Costumes!

Abby H.2 Comments

Halloween is coming, are you ready? If your family is like our family, there are times throughout the year when you need a costume. Prior to being mommy and Mrs. Bear, full time, I owned a costuming company, specializing in medieval and renaissance costumes, but I made all kinds of stuff, including a few wedding dresses (never again!), costumes for exotic dancers (helped me learn how to sew velcro in really well!), and pieces for local theatres.

Here are some tips on putting together inexpensive (and awesome) costumes:

1- Plan each costume.  Start with a sketch.  You don’t have to be Bob Mackie, it can be as simple as a stick figure wearing the costume you want or a collage of photos from magazines or the internet.

2- Make a list of everything you need, including accessories (shoes, hats, jewelry), and makeup.

3-Check your closets before you shop.  You might be surprised at what you alredy have and how it can be re-purposed.

4-Ask friends if they have anything you can borrow.  We were able to borrow a lab coat for one of Hubs Comic Con costumes last year and that saved us about $20!

5-Start at your local thrift stores.  Most thrift stores have a great selection of clothing, shoes, accessories, and even fabric!

6- If you find piece(s) that fit, but require minor alterations (hemming, shortening sleeves) and you have the skills, consider buying the piece(s).

7-Give yourself time to plan, sew, and shop. It may take a few trips to various shops to find what you need.

8-Set a budget and stick to it. If you are making an expensive costume, make sure that you will wear it multiple times.  You want to get your moneys worth!

9-Know your limits. If you can’t sew, don’t plan an ambitious costume without assistance!

10-Check estate sales, yard sales, garage sales and Craigslist.

11-If you are planing children’s costumes, check with your mommy friends to see if someone has a costume you can borrow. One of my local mommy groups does a costume swap each August. It’s a great way to score new to you costumes without breaking the bank!

12- If you are going to be sewing your costume, pre-wash the fabric, and follow the pattern directions!

Here is Mr. C. in his Dr. Jonas Venture Sr. Costume (thanks to the Frame Guy for the Pic):

Screen Shot 2015-09-12 at 9.13.13 PM

If you are looking for some books about easy costuming (and no sew costumes) here are a few titles that are in our collection:

Babywearing: Getting stuff done with the Mamaway Ring Sling Baby Carrier!

Abby H.

I’m a baby wearing mama. Why? Well first off, both my kiddos did really well being close to me. They slept well, and were less fussy when I was wearing them, in contrast to the times when they were in their stroller or carseat. There is something to be said for the comfort of being close to Mommy.

IMG_0880Secondly, you can get more stuff done when you are baby wearing. You aren’t trapped in the room with the baby swing or whatever contrivance the kiddo is chilling in. Washing dishes, folding laundry, doing crafts with Lil’ Man. All of these things are possible while baby wearing.

Recently I got the chance to try out a new ring sling from the cool folks at Mamaway. Their ring sling is made fron 100% Pima Cotton, so it’s super comfy, breathable and machine washable!

Mamaway Ring Sling is an all-around baby carrier perfect for your newborn. The right fit and customizable shape gives your baby the perfect comfort, snugness and love they deserve. Position your baby any way you want; upright or lying down, in front, on your hip or behind your back. Ideal for hands-free cuddles- as you can see from my photos in this post.

IMG_0878You can also nurse your kidlet in this sling too, which is a plus in my book! While this ring sling can hold up to 100 pounds, I don’t think I’ll still be toting around Birdy when she’s that big!

Screen Shot 2015-09-05 at 7.21.23 PMI chose the striped “Cesar Salad” Color because I’m trying to keep everything gender neutral. I’m just not into pink. The rings are STRONG, and there is a little pocket in the sling too- perfect for stowing a few things (like my sunglasses!). This is a must have, and would make a great Baby shower gift!

I was given a free Mamaway Ring Sling to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and I received no financial compensation for this review.

Make Money doing Surveys!

Abby H.1 Comment

I love to earn money, I mean who doesn’t?

Taking surveys online is a quick, easy way to make some money in your spare time.  I do surveys when I’ve got downtime (nap time, waiting for school pick up, on nights when Hubs has dinner meetings with clients or is out of town, etc.)  I don’t watch a lot of TV, so surveys are a good way to pass the time and make a little scratch. I work on surveys about 15-20 minutes each day, usually in the morning while Birdy is still asleep and Lil’ Man is watching Sesame Street and enjoying a warm cup of milk.

Here are a few of the survey panels that I am crazy about. I also included how much I’ve earned doing surveys from each one this year.
Valued Opinions sends my emails about twice a week to do quick surveys that take 10 minutes or less. : $25 so far in 2015

 

 

 

MySurvey.com is a group of consumers from throughout the United States who influence future products and services by volunteering to participate in consumer research. By sharing your opinions about products and services, you are rewarded with Reward Points to redeem for cash and merchandise. $30 so far in 2015

 

 
Opinion Outpost conducts surveys because businesses, governments, public bodies, and similar organizations are interested in the views and attitudes of the people who use their products and services. Take Surveys to give your opinion and shape the future.

Rewards include get cash, Amazon gift cards, game points, donations to your favorite charities, and more. Everyone is also automatically entered to a $10,000 sweepstakes by joining and taking surveys. The minimum cash out for Paypal is $10 and only $5 for Amazon gift cards. $60 so far in 2015.

Earn Cash with Paid View Point. Surveys are short (less than 5 minutes).  Earn cash with each Survey.   You get $1.00 when you sign up! The pay out is $15.00, and it takes about a month to earn $15.00. So far in 2015, I’ve earned about $75.00.

Earn Gift cards with Mypoints. I take surveys, click links in emails, and do all of my online shopping through Mypoints. So far in 2015, I’ve earned about $45.00.

I love to do surveys with Pinecone Research. They aren’t always looking for new participants, but check out their website and see if you fit their open demographics. I make about $20/Month doing short surveys (10 minutes or less).

With all of these survey companies, these are surveys I am pre-qualified for. No spending 10-30 minutes only to learn that you aren’t getting paid and they don’t want your opinions (that’s the #1 reason I do not do Swagbucks surveys and I don’t recommend you waste your time doing them either). All of these companies will email you when they have surveys for you to do. Take surveys, and collect points towards rewards (like Paypal payouts or gift cards).

Which survey companies do you use and like?

 

Review: Disney Pink Minnie Costume from Wholesale Halloween Costumes

Abby H.

Halloween will be here before we know it. So I’ve started the hunt for costumes early. Lil’ Man is presenting a challenge because he keeps changing his mind every 20 minutes, but Birdy is easy. Whatever I want to put her in works!

So this year she’s going be Minnie Mouse! Wholesale Halloween CostumesIMG_0731 IMG_0730 IMG_0729 has TONS of great, quality licensed Disney costumes. It was hard to chose, but after lots of hemming and hawing, we settled on Minnie. Right now it’s too big, but by Halloween it should be perfect!

The Minnie Mouse Costume Includes Onsie Tutu with Headband with Ears. It comes in two sizes: Fits 6-12 months or Fits 12-18 months.

What I love most is that the costume is based on a onsie, so in case of diaper change, it’s a quick job, no fussing to get the entire costume off and back on.

The fabric is excellent quality, and after inspecting it from head to tail (figure of speech, there is no actual tail on this costume) and I couldn’t find an errant thread or missed stitch.

I can’t wait to pair this dress up with a pair of white lace ankle socks and a cute pair of patent leather Mary Jane shoes (or maybe I’ll just get her a pair of Trompette socks)!

Wholesale Halloween Costumes has tons of incredible costumes new for 2015, including this cute Minnie Mouse costume. If you don’t have a little girl, don’t fret, they have costumes for little boys, teens of both genders, and and great variety of adult costumes.

If you order your costume before 4pm EST and your costume is shipping THE SAME DAY!

You can catch up with Wholesale Halloween Costumes on Twitter, Facebook, and of course, their website!

Lil’ Man is carefully weighing his costume options. We go to a bunch of Halloween events before the big day, including the Boo Parade, local community carnivals, and our play group halloween party. What do your kids want to dress up as for Halloween?

Disclosure: I was provided this costume in exchange for my unbiased, honest opinion. I was not financially compensated to write this review.

 

Recipe: Corned Beef in the CrockPot

Abby H.2 Comments

file291242792789I usually save this recipe for right around St. Patrick’s Day, but there are people who enjoy Corned Beef all year, so I thought, Why not post this now?

I know a lot of people don’t like corned beef because every time they’ve had it, it was chewy or tough.  I’ll share a secret with you: bake it, don’t boil it!  When you bake the meat at a low temperature in a crock pot for hours and hours, the heat breaks up the collagen and fat, leaving you with a tender, falling apart yummy corned beef, not the rubbery mess you got at the pub last year with your annual Guinness.

If the crock pot isn’t your speed, you can bake the corned beef in the oven at a lower temperature over several hours and get the same effect.

Baked Corned Beef

Ingredients:

  • 1 Corned Beef Brisket (2-4 lbs),
  • 1 cup (not packed) brown sugar- Light or dark, use whatever you have
  • 1 jar Stone Ground Mustard (I like Ingelhoffer or Moorehouse)- DO NOT USE DIJON. USE STONE GROUND MUSTARD ONLY.

Directions:

For Crockpot: line your crockpot with a Crockpot liner and turn on to LOW.

For Oven: Preheat oven to 250 degrees

  1. Remove beef from package. Rinse meat. Discard packaging and spice envelope.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, combine sugar and mustard. Stir until combined. It’s ok if it’s lumpy.
  3. Place beef in crockpot or baking dish.
  4. Pour sugar/mustard mixture over meat.

Crockpot: Put lid on pot and cook for 6-8 hours on low.

Oven: Cover loosely with foil and bake at 250 degrees for 3-4 hours.  Remove foil for last hour of baking.

Serve with baked or boiled New Potatoes, cabbage, and carrots.  I dislike boiled cabbage, so I usually make Coleslaw with Walden Farms Coleslaw dressing.

If you have any leftovers (you probably won’t) it makes great corned beef hash too.

Oh, and Corned beef stays pink after it’s cooked because of how it is cured (or corned), so if you are squiffy about stuff like that, get a food thermometer. It should read 160 degrees or higher.