Thrifty Thursday: Cheap Pet Supplies

For this week's Thrifty Thursday, I wanted to share with you how I get cheap Pet Supplies.  With a big dog who eats a ton and a cat who only eats wet food (he's super ancient, super picky, and super grumpy), finding cheap pet supplies is a huge help for me. 

Southern States or other Farm Supply Stores: This is a secret that I honestly can't remember where I picked it up from.  I think someone in my mom's group mentioned that dry dog food was cheap or something.  They weren't kidding!  I used to buy Pete's dog food from Costco.  I think for a 40lb bag, I paid about $24.  At Southern States, I pay $15 for a 40lb bag!  Seeing as how my dog goes through about 2 of those bags a month, that's a pretty good savings!  So, check your local Southern States or Farm Supply Stores to see if you can get your dog food a little bit cheaper.  At my local SS, they have other supplies that you might need for a dog, cat, horse, etc. 

**Disclaimer** Please check with your vet before changing your dog's food in any way.  Some animals do not react very well to their food being changed and it can cause gastrointestinal distress if you give your dog food that they are used to one day and then completely change it the next.  I'm very lucky in the sense that my dog seems to have a pretty tough tummy.  He has adjusted perfectly to me switching his food over to the stuff from Southern States but I did it slowly. 

Local SPCA or Animal Shelters: I don't know if every SPCA does this but our SPCA has a little pet supply store where they sell alot of items for super cheap.  I've gotten a few collars and leashes for Pete from that store and have so far been really happy with them.  I know some of the profits that are made in the store go to taking care of the animals in the shelter itself so I really like supporting them in any way that I can.  However, the biggest cost savings for me by goign to the SPCA is through the shots that Pete has to get on an annual basis.  Again, I don't know if every SPCA does it, but it's definitely worth it to check.  My SPCA has wellness days where they offer alot of preventative care for extremely cheap.  For example, I just took Pete this week to get his Bordatella and Distemper vaccines as well as a heartworm test and fecal parasite test.  All of this at his vet's office would have cost me over $120.  At the SPCA, I paid $39.00.  Huge cost savings!

Costco: When I don't have some really good coupon for wet cat food for the cat, I usually buy the bulk box of wet food cans at Costco.  It's something like $18 but I think there are 48 cans in there or something.  Not too bad when you consider that at the grocery stores, each can is $.50 or more.  However, I always try to be on the lookout for coupons which make each can cheaper than what I can even buy it for in Costco. 

Pet Supplies Delivered/ Omaha Vaccine  I actually learned of this place from the lady who helped me to rescue my dog.  This is the cheapest place that I've ever been able to find for my dog's heartworm medication.  Most places charge something like $60.00 for a 12 month supply.  I think Omaha vaccine has ours for less than $40.00 for a 12 month supply.  Score!

Another tip that I would give is to call around or get involved with some of your local animal rescue organizations.  Volunteer to help them out at an event or to help them with the animals whenever you have some spare time.  Not only are you helping out a good cause, but you get the insider scoop on some really great info.  These groups are typically very overloaded but underfunded so they have to make every dollar count.  Therefore, they usually have some great advice on how you can get pet supplies really cheaply.  Also, sometimes they have access to discounts that the typical person doesn't have access too.  For example, I helped out the rescue where I got my dog from a couple of times and one time that I was helping, the lady who runs the organization handed me a REALLY thick stack of coupons.  It wasn't until I looked a little closer that I realized that they were for $8.00 off a bag of dog food. . .that's an AWESOME coupon!  I asked her where she had gotten them and she said that a veterinarian that she had become friends with had sent them to her because he thought maybe she could use them.  Since she used a different brand, she asked if I wanted them.  Umm. .YES! 

What other tips do you have to keeping pet expenses to a minimum?  Please share! 

Thrifty Thursday: Getting "Ooh La La" without too much Moola-la!

I'm girlie.  Therefore, I like girlie things.  And you just can't get too much more girlie than make-up.  Am I right or Am I right?  I'm right.  Back in the olden days (i.e. before popping out a mini-me who seems to suck my disposable income bucket dry on a regular basis) when I had more money than I knew what to do with, I would peruse the counters of the department stores looking for new (and expensive) face products to wrap up, take home, and add to my collection.  I've always been somewhat obsessed when it came to the make-up arena.  Even before I was old enough to have a regular (or even part-time) job, I had a massive make-up collection.  Ask my mom. . .at one time it involved a very large purple Caboodles (yeah, remember those?!). . .that doubled as a suitcase.  No joke!


Mine looked similar to this.  That sonofagun was HUGE!

Now that I'm older, and more mature less financially able to spend hundreds of dollars at the makeup counter each month, I'm always looking for ways to continue being able to get my fix while not bleeding my budget dry.  You must understand, makeup might technically fall into the "wants" category when it comes to deciding what is a want vs. a need but it's not.  It is clearly a "need" for me.  Actually, it is a "need" for everyone that I continue to wear makeup.  Because without it, well. . .that would be a devastating blow to humanity.  You don't want to see me without makeup on.  It's simply not okay.  We're talking life and death here, peeps.  Okay, maybe not totally life and death.  But it would sure feel like death if I didn't have my makeup.  At least, I would look like death without my makeup! 
Anywhooooos. . . if you're makeup mad like me, there is a thrifty way that you can continue to keep your face fresh and fabulous while keeping your wallet fat and happy!  So far, I've found that the key is knowing what areas you need to spend a little and what areas you should save a little. 

Foundation: This is an area where I would recommend that you splurge a little bit.  Maybe not department store type splurging (although, foundation is so important, that I wouldn't blame you if you did!) but you at least want to make sure that you have a good foundation that's the right shade for your skintone and the right formula for your skin type.  If there was only one item that I could spend a little more on than the rest of my makeup, foundation would be it.  For me, I use Cover Girl Nature Luxe.  I actually received a sample of this during a product test that I was doing for BzzAgent and I LOVED it!!  It's soft and smooth while still giving me great coverage.  I typically wait to buy it when I have coupons for it but without a coupon it's still only about $12.  Not dirt cheap, but not too bad, either.

Mascara: In my opinion, there is only one mascara that anyone should ever use.  And it's a total throwback to the eighties.  Yeah, I went there.  The neon pink and green tube is a dead giveaway but after trying what seems like every mascara under the sun, I keep coming back to this stuff.  Three little words: Maybelline Great Lash.  It's like crack to a crackhead. . .life altering.  It seriously works better than anything I've ever seen before and at less than $5, I'm a serious lifer! 

Bronzer: If you are a pale gal like me, bronzer is a year round addition to your makeup bag.  I've tried a number of different bronzers and there is one that I totally love.  Physicians Formula makes a great bronzer in a few different shades that work for almost any skin type/tone.  While it's not really on the totally cheap side (I think it's like $9 or so for the bronzer), it does last quite a long time.  I think the last time I bought a new bronzer was at least 4 or 5 months ago.  When it's something that I use every day and it lasts that long, that's not such a bad price. 

Everything Else: Pretty much everything else that I use would fall into the "get it as cheaply as possible" category.  Eye shadow, eye liner, blush, lip liner, and lipgloss, etc.  When I have coupons that make things super duper cheap, I might buy the "brand names" (like Maybelline, Cover Girl, Revlon, Almay, etc) but when I don't have any coupons, I still have one very excellent, very cheap trick up my sleeve: e.l.f.  If you haven't heard of e.l.f. cosmetics, let me pull you over to the dark side with me.  This line of makeup is extremely affordable and widely available.  You an order online at e.l.f.'s website or you can buy it in select stores. I buy mine at Target but I think you can also pick it up at some drugstores and maybe even WalMart.  Every product is between $1-$3.  I mean, aside from being totally free, you can't get much more affordable than that.  I am a huge huge fan of this brand.  You would think that with the items being so inexpensive that the makeup quality would be kind of. . .well. . .ahem. . .subpar?  But it's totally not!  They have SO many different cool products and some of them, I love more than anything I've ever tried before.  Like their liquid eyeliner. . .it is SO easy to use and I love, love, love it! I have been so pleased with every product from the e.l.f. line that I've bought.  In fact, the entire makeup bag that I have down at my mom's beach house is nothing but this makeup in it.  If you haven't tried it out, I strongly encourage you to do so and let me know what you think! 

So there you have it, all of my makeup secrets!  This is how I get "Ooh La La" without spending too much off my Moola-la! 

DIY Dry Shampoo!

OMG. . .I just found this and I absolutely cannot wait to share with you.  I stumbled across this website called Refinery 29 while procrastinating here at work today.  I'd never heard of it before but maybe that's because I'm pathetically behind the times or something?  Anyways, it seemed at first as if it was this high fashion New York City-ish diva website--and I'm all about being a diva, but I'm not exactly what you'd call "high fashion" or even "low fashion" for that matter.  I'm more like "no fashion". . . but, I digress.  I wasn't sure that I was going to find anything on the site of value.  That is until I stumbed across what could possibly be not only a HUGE money saving recipe for me. . but it could also be life changing.  I swear!  It was. . . .

*drum roll, please*

*clearing of the throat*

A DIY recipe for DRY SHAMPOO!!!!  Okay, are you as excited as me?  No?  Hmm. . .well, I'm excited.  You may not understand.  I've spent what feels like a fortune trying to find the right dry shampoo.  It's no secret (or maybe it is?) that I don't wash my hair every day.  Yes, I shower. . .I just don't wash the strands on a daily basis.  This is for a number of reasons.  Or maybe just, like, two.  1. I am lazy, short on time, and just don't have the energy to actually wash, condition, dry, straighten, and style my hair ever-y-dang-day.  It's much easier to just straighten and style on a regular basis and save the other stuff for only like twice or three times a week (depending on if I have any hot dates on the weekend--and most times, I don't.) and save my time on those other mornings for fighting with Ty to get dressed or making sure that Ty, the dog and the cat are all fed before rushing out the door to work.  2. I don't like how quickly I run through shampoo and conditioner when I use it every day.  Skipping a day or two (shh, don't tell!) between washings cuts down on how much I use.  A dry shampoo is my only savior on those days.  Better yet, it's like the best friend who keeps all your secrets and comes to your rescue to get you out of a jam when you need it.  A good dry shampoo can literally make or break your hair success.  This is major, people.  Major.  With a capital M. 

Over the last year, alone, I've tried the following dry shampoos:


Bumble & Bumble Blondish Hair Powder--$35

Can I get a WOWSERS on that price?  Yeah, this was recommended to me by a previous stylist so I grabbed a can, handed over my credit card, squeezed my eyes shut, and signed the receipt before I could back out.  I hardly spend $35 on my highlights (well, maybe a little more than double that, but who's counting?!). . .whatever. . . I knew spending $35 for a product for my hair (again, simply because I'm lazy and prefer to hit the snooze button than to get up and wash my hair!) wasn't a smart idea.  But my stylist recommended it.  She must know, right?  Maybe but not always.  I simply wasn't impressed with this stuff.  It made my hair sticky and I just really didn't like the way it made it feel kind of almost waxy.  I tried it several times to try to give it the benefit of the doubt but I just didn't like it.  I think I ended up giving the can to a friend of mine. I know I didn't finish it. 

Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo--$19

The next time, I took my chances at Sephora.  The gal I spoke with highly recommended this stuff.  Rather than a spray (like the B&B), this is actually a powder with a pointed nozzle which you simply shake into your hair at the roots.  I still wasn't thrilled to spend $19 bucks on something for my hair, but I figured it was just the price of the commodity.  So, I did it.  I have to say, this stuff isn't that bad.  I still wouldn't say that it's worth $19 but I liked it a whole lot more than the Bumble & Bumble stuff.  It did seem to soak up the oilies (I don't really get oily hair. . .but I sometimes like to think I do to justify the fact that I buy these products.  I clearly have issues) and made my hair seem more like "first washed" hair.  But, it does kind of have an overpowering lemon scent to it.  I'm pretty sure my co-workers think I wash my hair with pledge.  That's kind of what it smells like.  But, I do like the bottle that it came in because I'll be able to use that in the future (just wait. . .you'll find out what I mean!)

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo--$3.00

Now, THIS price is more my style!  I found this little beauty while I was grocery shopping one day.  I frantically dug through my coupon tote to see if I had any coupons for Suave products and I did!  B1G1F (for those of you newbies to couponing, that acronym stands for "Buy 1, Get 1 Free"!). . I did my Happy, Happy, Joy dance right there in the personal care aisle at Kroger.  It wasn't pretty!  Anyways, I snapped up two cans and I've been using this product ever since.  I have to say, that this stuff hasn't let me down.  I don't know that I really like it as much as the Oscar Blandi powder but I definitely like the price.  The price is totally living in my kinda world!  But, it's a spray and while it doesn't leave my hair anywhere near as sticky as the B&B, I think I just prefer a powder better.  But, beggars can't be choosers so if the price is within my budget, I'll make it work.  The Suave does have a very pleasant fruity scent. . .not overpowering, though.  Almost like pineapples.  It's quite lovely! 

So, now that I've forced my product reviews on you, it's time to get into the actual content of my post.  This DIY recipe that I found for making your own dry shampoo.  I thought about making it myself and trying it before posting the recipe, but my excitement got the better of me.  I just simply cannot wait. 

This came directly from the Refinery 29 website:

"Make your own dry shampoo with equal parts baking soda and baby powder. Take a container of baby powder, pour half into another container to save for later, then fill the baby powder container to the top with baking powder. Add a few drops each of yellow, red, and blue food coloring. Shake well and remove top to dry. Wait 24 hours and it will be ready to use."

OMG. . .I'm so excited, I can't stand it!  I'm not entirely sure what the food coloring is for, but I'm guessing it's to make the powder more of a natural skin tone color?  Also, I'm sure you could add a drop or two of essential oil (not too much or else you might end up making your hair oily!) to the mixture to give the powder a nice scent.  I'm planning on using the bottle from the Oscar Blandi dry shampoo since it has a nice pointed nozzle that gets right down at the roots.  But, you could use the baby powder bottle or any canister which has a shake top to allow you to control the amount that comes out. 

 Since I already have a mostly full can of Suave Dry Shampoo spray at home, I'm going to wait to make this up until I'm getting close to being out of the Suave.  Or maybe, I'll just go ahead and make up a batch of this and save the Suave for when I run out? Who knows.  But either way, I'm SO excited to have found this recipe. $3 for a can of Suave isn't too shabby, but this recipe sounds like it's going to be much cheaper than even $3!  YAY! 

What to pick up at those After Holiday Sales

Yes, I know that the majority of what you'll find at those major "After Holiday" sales is mostly Christmas (or "Holiday" if you're trying to be PC. . and since I'm in HR, I'm always minding my P's & C's) decorations but if you know what you're looking for, there are plenty of items that you can use in your every day life.  If you see any of these types of items included in an After Holiday sale, now's the time to snag them at MAJOR discounts.  Here are a few of the items that I've either seen on the sales racks or have snagged for my own house:

• Paper goods -- paper plates, plasticware, table cloths, napkins, paper towels, etc --sometimes they are Holiday prints (but who cares if I'm using paper towels with Christmas trees on them while cleaning my bathroom in July?!) but often times, there will be solid colored red, green, and white items too.
• Storage items -- ziploc bags, storage containers, plastic wrap, etc --again, they may be Holiday themed but do you really care??
• Sheets -- if you dig hard enough, you may find solid colored sheets in red, white, or green--if that's the color of your decor in one of your rooms, then you should be able to score a major deal!
• Pillows -- I got some solid colored deep green throw pillows for my Living Room last year for $4.00/piece all because the tag (yes, the REMOVABLE TAG) had a snowflake on it!
• Candy -- Frankly, I'm too busy getting down to business with the candy to notice what's printed on the wrapper.
• Candles -- again, mostly christmas scented but the "white" is usually either unscented or vanilla. . totally all-purpose! 
• Stocking Stuffers for next year -- I already have probably half of Tyler's stocking covered for next year.  I simply picked up non-perishable items from the clearance bins of Wal Mart and Target.  These items include: Hot Wheels cars, Star Wars figures, little battery operated games, Holiday themed coloring book, Holiday themed puzzle, Star Wars pens, Star Wars markers, and a few other little filler items that were marked at either 50% or 75% off but were TOTALLY going to last until next year. 
• tape
• small sets of white lights--use these in all sorts of decorating projects!
• solid colored dishes (red, green, white)
• Soap, perfume, & make up gift sets
• Kleenex

The biggest thing to pay attention to is what the packaging looks like versus what the actual item looks like.  Many items get included in these Holiday sales simply because the packaging is Holiday themed or the item was produced as part of a Holiday line whereas the actual item itself is completely neutral and would be sold normally in that store just not in Holiday themed packaging.  For example, the dishes in my house were bought at an After Holiday sale.  They're red, which is what I was going for.  I just so happened to find them included in an After Holiday sale last year because the box they came in was all decked out in Christmas glitter and had an idealic Holiday table setting picture on the front.  Guess what?  The same dishes were being sold in the Housewares Department just inside of different packaging for full price.  So, I got a 75% discount off the regular price all because of a box.  I'll take it!  Same thing with the throw pillows on my couch.  Like I said, the tag had a snowflake on it so in the Holiday sale they went where I happily snatched them up and gave them a new home. 

What everyday items have you been able to snag at after holiday sales?  Or, what Holiday themed items have you been able to repurpose to be able to be used in everyday life? 

Thrifty Thursday: Cleaning on the Cheap

**I'm cheating a little bit today.  This post is actually one that was featured over on Brit's blog, Knewlywifed, a few months ago.  But, I'm knee deep in projects (more coming soon. . .hopefully!), getting back in the swing of things from after the Holidays, and well, I've been slacking just a little bit too, I suppose.  Anyways, I don't know how many of you have already seen this post so I figured I'd use it this week for my Thrifty Thursday post.  Forgive me? 

Today's post is related to cleaning your home in the cheapest way possible!  While I do occasionally buy cleaning products from the store, I most often make my own solutions.  There are several reasons for this.  One, it's stupidly cheap.  Two, it's seriously easy and quick to make your own!  Third, most of the items (or all?) that are used in the recipes below are totally family friendly and won't cause any harm to my little man or my animals.  I can't confidently say that about the products that I buy from the store.  I've had people tell me that they don't feel that homemade cleaning products clean as well as ones with chemicals in them but I actually get the opposite result.  Not only am I feeling good about spending less money and having less chemical residue on my home's surface, I feel that most homemade cleaning products clean BETTER than store bought.  Here are a few of my money saving recipes and tips.  Hope you find them to be as awesome as I have!

Microwave Cleaner:


1/2 c. vinegar
2 c. water
juice from half a lemon (optional)


Combine in microwave safe bowl, heat on high for 3-4 minutes, remove bowl and wipe down inside of microwave.


Dishwasher Detergent:


2 c. borax
2 c. baking soda
4 packages of unsweetened lemon Kool-Aid (or generic)


Mix together and store in airtight container.  Use enough mixture to fill detergent cup 2/3 full in dishwasher.


Window & Glass Cleaner:


1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp castile soap (Dr. Bronner's is my choice)


Mix together in spray bottle and give a gentle shake.  For a streak free shine, use newspaper to wipe down surface rather than a cloth or paper towel. 


Toilet Bowl Cleaner:


Liquid Castile soap
Baking soda or Borax


Squirt soap into toilet and sprinkle baking soda (or borax) in around bowl.  Scrub with a toilet brush.


Tub and Tile Cleaner:


With a sponge or cloth, apply white vinegar full strenth.  Scour with baking soda and rinse well.


Wood Floor Cleaner:


1 gallon hot water
1 c. white vinegar
squirt of castille soap (Dr. Bronner's Peppermint leaves your house smelling minty fresh!)


Mix all in a bucket and use a slightly damp rag to wash floors.  Yes, this requires hands and knees style mopping, but it's so worth it!


Carpet Deodorizer:


Baking soda
10-20 drops of essential oil


Mis together and sprinkle on carpet.  Wait 15-20 minutes and vacuum.


Laundry Detergent:


1 c. grated Fels Naptha soap
1/2 c. washing soda (mine is from Arm & Hammer and comes in a yellow box)
1/2 c. borax


Mix all together and store in an airtight container.  For a lightly soiled (or small) load, use 1 Tablespoon.  For heavier loads or very soiled loads, use 2 Tablespoons.


Fabric Softener:


Add 1/2-1 cup white vinegar to your softener dispenser


Other Money Saving Tips:


* Run dishwasher late at night without the heat-dry on and let dishes air dry overnight
* Instead of sponges (which get mildew-y and yucky quicker), use microfiber cloths or bar rags for cleaning.  Can be washed and used over and over again.
* If you must use sponges, extend their life by either running them through the dishwasher with your next load or wet them down and pop them into the microwave for 45 seconds to kill any bacteria which might be trapped inside. 
* Only wash clothes (unless really soiled) on cold setting.

Most of the items listed above are extremely cheap to buy and will last a really long time.  For example, I buy a 5lb bag of baking soda for $6.00 and a gallon of white vinegar for $3.50 at Costco.  One of those two items is used in most every recipe above.  In fact, I use only baking soda and vinegar to clean my bath tubs.  About 1/3 c of baking soda sprinkled in my tub and then spritzed down with a few sprays of vinegar and I've cleaned my tubs literally for pennies.  Another favorite product is my Dr. Bronners Castille soap.  I bought a large bottle of it for $7.00 at Kroger (natural foods section--can also be bought from Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc) and I've been using the same bottle for about 2 years.  The great thing about castille soap is that you can use it for ANYTHING!!  Seriously. . .cleaning product, laundry soap, shampoo, body wash, face wash.  Honestly!   The same bottle that I used to use to wash Tyler's cloth diapers was also the soap that I used to wash my face at night.  It's so gentle but cleans so well! 

Do you have any other recipes for homemade cleaning products?  What about money saving tips related to cleaning your home?  Please share!!

Thrifty Thursday: Fun Christmas Ornament Craft

I love fun, easy, and cheap crafts that I can do with Tyler!  What I love even more, are crafts that we can do together that don't look like they were necessarily done by a six year old and his creativity challenged mother!  Therefore, this craft was P-ER-FECT for us!

Cinnamon Applesauce Christmas Ornaments

Ingredients:

3/4 c. cinnamon (yes, that's alot of cinnamon!)
1/2 c. warmed applesauce (maybe a little more, if needed)

Directions:

Mix cinnamon and applesauce in medium size bowl.  If mixture is too crumbly (i.e. dry), add more applesauce a little bit at a time until mixture forms a nice dough consistency.  Do not add too much applesauce at one time or dough may be too sticky.  Once dough consistency is reached, place dough on large piece of wax paper.  Sprinkle down some cinnamon both on wax paper and on top of dough ball to act as "flour" to keep dough from sticking to wax paper.  Add another sheet of wax paper on top of dough ball and roll to 1/4 inch thickness. 

Sprinkle down more cinnamon as needed to keep dough from sticking.  Once dough is rolled out, use regular cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place on wax paper lined cookie sheet.

Once all shapes have been cut out, use a straw (or similar shaped object) to poke a hole in order to string ribbon through to use as ornament hanger.

Bake in oven on 200 degrees for roughly an hour (maybe more, maybe less) until ornaments feel mostly dry.  Remove from oven and let air dry overnight or until dry and hard.  String ribbon through, hang on tree, and ENJOY!



Things to note, be careful when handling these ornaments once they are done because they are very brittle.  At least, mine are.  We haven't broken one yet but they just seem fairly delicate.  This project was super fun, easy, and cheap (I think I paid like $5 for cinnamon and only used half of it, already had applesauce, and we got about 12 ornaments out of it) and it made the house smell DELICOUS!!!  The ornaments are all sitting in my living room right now waiting to go on the tree and almost a week after making them, I still get a waft of cinnamon scent every time I walk by them.  Now, if you don't like the smell of cinnamon, I wouldn't recommend making these. . .cuz it's gonna smell like a cinnamon factory in your house!  In my case, I don't mind that (trust me, it's better than sweaty six year old boy, wet dog, and old grumpy cat!) so this was great for us! 

Do you have any fun Christmas crafts that you've done lately?  Share them with us!

Thrifty Thursday: Frugal Advent Calendar

For this Thrifty Thursday, I have a project that I found to be VERY exciting.  Probably because I thought it up all by my lonesome (thanks to being bored at work!) and also because it's for my little baby bear and I think he's really going to like it!  I have always admired advent calendars but I've never found one that was really just it for me.  I also wanted something that was going to allow me to include activities each day that Ty and I could do together.  So, I made one myself.  And I'm so excited how great it turned out.  I hope you think so too! 


Here's what it took and how much it set me back:

• 24 clothespins--FREE (just stole them from my laundry room) for me but you could probably get a whole big pack at the dollar store for only. . .well, one dolla!
• 3 cans of spray paint (white, red & green)--$3.40 for all three cans @ Wal-Mart
• Sisal rope (need a higher weight rope to hold up all those clothespins)--$6.48 from Lowes but I have a TON leftover so I'll probably finish that rope jar project that I never got around to making for my mom's beach house (Sorry, Mom!)
• 24 mini cards and envelopes--$2.00 from Micheals

You could number the envelopes any way you wanted but I found a super cute set of tiny letter stamps at Wal-Mart for only $.97 plus some small Christmas themed stamps (3 to a package!) for .97 so I splurged on those and an extra ink pad for $.97 also. 

Grand total spent: $14.79--not too shabby when you consider that I now have enough sisal rope to either complete another project or hog tie a herd of wild elephants.  Cuz I sometimes find those walking around in my neighborhood.  Just sayin'.


And here's how I made it happen:

Step 1: I laid out all 24 clothespins on some old newspaper in the garage and seperated them into three groups of 8.  One group was spray painted white, one group red, and one group green.

I put two good coats of the red and green on each side but the white took three coats.

Step 2: I took my mini stamps and spelled out the different numbers from One to Twenty Four on the mini envelopes.  I then took my little Christmas stamps and decorated the envelopes.  This step is totally optional.  You could number the envelopes any way you wanted or decorate them any way you wanted. 

Step 3: I took the Sisal rope and strung it between the two light fixtures that Tyler has hanging in his bedroom.  You'll want somewhere fairly sturdy (tied to a banister going up a stairwell, hung from a mantel, etc) because once all of the clothespins and envelopes are on there, it's fairly heavy. 

Step 4:  Once I had everything else done, dried and tied to the wall, I wrote an activity inside of each of the little cards.  Since I wanted activities that were going to allow Ty and I to spend some extra time together, I included things like:

• Extra snuggles before bed
• Pick out a movie to watch together
• Go on a nature walk
• Breakfast at IHOP
• Paint a picture together
• Do something nice for someone else
• Put together a puzzle together

And other activities that I thought would really help us bond during this crazy stressful time otherwise known was the Holiday season as well as some things that would give Ty an opportunity to learn about the giving that is associated with the Holiday season as opposed to only receiving.

Step 5: After all of the cards were filled and put into their envelopes, I used alternating colors of clothespins to hang the cards on the line.  I started with number Twenty Four and went all the way down to One since the idea is to have a countdown till Xmas.  I'm hoping that by spelling out the numbers, versus just printing the numbers on the envelopes, it will help Tyler with his sight reading skills of numbers.  Always gotta think about the educational spin! 

And there you have it.  An advent calendar that I'm totally in love with!  I put it together last week while Ty was at his dad's house as a suprise for him when he came home to me on Thursday.  He LOVED it!!!  He's gotten so excited about seeing what is inside of each envelope each day.  I've tried to schedule around the fact that he's with his dad 50% of the time so I've included activities on those days that he's with his dad that I thought would be relatively easy for his dad to complete with him.  

What do you think?  Do you have an avent calendar project that you love?  If so, please share!!

Thrifty Thursday: Mending Your Health on the Cheap

Tis the season that the weather starts changing, people stop spending so much time outdoors and start shutting themselves up indoors, kids starts sharing their school-y germs with their families, and people just start getting sick.  It happens to me almost every year.  I get sick because the weather's drastic changes don't agree so well with my body and I think that in general, people just become more giving of their germs around this time of year. 

As I sit here writing this post and trying to keep the snot monster at bay (is that too much?  Too graphic?  Sorry.), I started thinking about how much medicine costs and if there was any way to minimize the money that I spend on medicine while still making sure that I get effective stuff to knock out the yucky.  A trip to my neighborhood WalMart was in order.  I know that Wally World is a controversial place and is bound to spurn many a family argument over the big box giant, but I was just doing a little price comparison here, folks! 

Below, I have provided examples of commonly used medications where I have priced out the brand name drug and then Walmart's store brand (Equate).  I have carefully examined EVERY. SINGLE. package to ensure that I was truly only comparing apples to apples in terms of the active ingredients in the medication.  According to the powers that be (Google), it's the active ingredients that make a difference, not the inactive ingredients UNLESS you are allergic to some strange off kilter thing like "orange coloring no. 81".  If you have any random allergies like that, you'll want to read the inactive ingredients list before purchasing any medication.  Anyways, I have checked and double checked that the active ingredients on each package were the exact same between the brand name and generic brand medications.  The price difference on some of these was staggering! 

Pepto Bismol, 8 fl oz bottle = $3.84 (.48/oz)
Equate Brand Bismuth Subsalicylate, 8 fl oz bottle = $1.96 (.25/oz)
Price difference = Equate brand is 49% cheaper than brand name

Pepcid AC Max, 50 tablets = $15.47 (.31/tablet)
Equate Brand Famotidine, 60 tablets = $4.00 (.07/tablet)
Price difference = Equate brand is 74% cheaper than brand name

Aleve, 100ct = $8.38 (.08/tablet)
Equate Brand Naproxin Sodium, 100 ct = $4.12 (.04/tablet)
Price difference = Equate brand is 51% cheaper than brand name

Tylenol Xtra Strength, 24 ct = $3.68 (.15/tablet)
Equate Brand Acetominophen, 24 ct = $.98 (.04/tablet)
Price difference = Equate brand is 73% cheaper than brand name

Tylenol for Kids, 3.38 fl. oz. bottle = $4.97 ($1.47/oz)
Equate Brand Acetaminophen, 4 fl. oz. bottle = $2.62 (.66/oz)
Price difference = Equate brand is 55% cheaper than brand name

Claratin for Kids Allergy, 4 fl. oz. bottle = $9.82 ($2.46/oz)
Equate Brand Loratadine for Kids, 4 fl. oz. bottle = $5.83 ($1.46/oz)
Price difference = Equate brand is 40% cheaper than brand name

Dimetapp Kids Cold & Cough, 4 fl. oz. bottle = $4.98 ($1.25/oz)
Equate Brand Kids' Pseudoephedrine, 8 fl. oz. bottle = $3.42 (.43/oz) 
Price difference = Equate brand is 66% cheaper than brand name

Claratin D 24 Hour Allergy, 15 ct = $20.74 ($1.38/tablet)
Equate Brand loratadine and pseudoephedrine Allergy Meds, 10 ct = $9.34 (.93/tablet)
Price difference = Equate brand is 33% cheaper than brand name

Vicks Dayquil/Nyquil caplets, 48 ct = $12.46 (.26/caplet)
Equate Brand Acetaminophen/Dextromethorphan/Pseudoephedrine caplets, 40 ct = $5.97 (.15/caplet)
Price difference = Equate brand is 42% cheaper than brand name


Again, active ingredients in each of these medicines was the exact same ingredient in dosage and everything.  The only difference (aside from price, of course) was that some of the sizes of the bottles were different or there were different numbers of tablets or caplets in the packages.  So, I broke it down into price per ounce or price per caplet and did my price comparisons that way.  I was shocked at how much money I've been throwing away by buying brand name medicines.  SHOCKED!

Why do we do this?  That's a question that I'm now really kicking myself for not asking before.  I guess it's because I feel like the brand name meds might work better?  I mean, when I'm sick, I don't care how much I spend, I just want to feel better.  That goes a step further when you look at the kids medicines.  Most of the brand name children's medicine boxes show children who are smiling and happy or they show loving and attentive mothers tending to their sick babies with such care.  The generic boxes are plain white with lettering.  That's it.  Of course, I want to be the mother to the happy smiling child or I want to be the Mommy who is caring for her little one with such love in her eyes.  So, I dump the much more expensive medicine in my cart and rush home to my sick baby.  How much of a sucker am I??

The more I think about this, the more I put it into terms that I can better understand.  If I were to walk into a store and the associate presented me with two sweaters:  one has a GAP label on it and one has no label.  The sales associate tells me that they are the EXACT same sweater, but the one without the label is being sold for 54% cheaper (that's the average from all of the savings above, in case you were wondering!) than the one with the label, I'd jump all over the cheaper one.  I mean, it's the exact same sweater, right?  I might hesitate if the label was in a noticeable place like a pair of UGGS or something--let's be real, we buy UGGs because we want everyone to know we own a pair, right?--but the labels are hidden.  No one will ever know that I have on the label-less sweater over the GAP label.  Just like no one will ever know that my son's cough medicine says Equate on the bottle and lacks pictures of happy smiling healthy children like the other name brands.  See my point, here?

So, go forth, buy generic, save some money, and get healthy!

**Disclaimer:  I am NOT a doctor.  I am NOT a nurse.  I have no medical training whatsoever.  I just used the two decent eyes that God gave me and the reading skills that I aquired thanks to our public schooling system to do a little bit of research.  I am not qualified in any way, shape or form to give medical advice.  Should a medical professional advise that you use one medicine over another (perhaps a generic?) then it is most wise for you to listen to that professional.**

Let's Bzz!

As some of you might recall, I'm part of the BzzAgent panel program.  It's an AWESOME program where they send me products to try out and I talk to my friends and family about them.  In this case, they sent me a package of Kroger brand Chocolate Chip cookies.  Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies?  Well, these cookies are no exception!  They are awesome!  BIG, loaded with chocolate chips, and have a distinct buttery taste that I haven't found in many other brands of packaged cookies, let alone a store brand! 

If you live near a Kroger or a Kroger brand store, you need to try to get your hands on a package of these cookies!  They're actually called "The Truly Awesome" brand! 

Thrifty Thursday: Getting Awesome Products for FREE!

Thrifty Thursdays is back and this week, I've got an extra special treat for you!  For the last few years, I have had the great pleasure of getting to try some really awesome products and I paid absolutely nothing for them.  Zero. Zilch. Zip.  NO DOLLAS!  I LOVE participating in these trails because I get fun new products sent to me that I get to try out and, in most cases, keep! While I have participated in several different trials, there is one company that I just love to pieces and always keep coming back to.  

BzzAgent is a very fun, repuatable company that consistently offers me new campaigns to try really cool products.  Here's how it works:

• You sign up to be a BzzAgent at www.bzzagent.com, provide them with some information about yourself (the normal stuff, no credit card numbers or SSN's or anything like that!) to get your profile set up.  Take a few short (seriously, very short!) surveys about yourself so that they can better match you up with what campaigns might be the best fit for you.
• Wait to get an exciting email inviting you to your first campaign.  Once you've joined the campaign on their website, they will send you a Bzzkit within a few weeks.  Inside of your Bzzkit will be all of the items that you will need in order to complete the campaign.  In most Bzzkits, you'll find full size products for you to try, small samples and coupons for you to give away to people, and some literature about the product that you're going to try out. 
• You try the product yourself, give away the samples and coupons to others and tell them that you're part of BzzAgent and that you would love to have their feedback after they try their samples.  If they give you any feedback, you can include it in one of your 2 required Bzz reports.  If not (I don't hound my sample receivers to give me their feedback.  I usually just review the products myself), you can write your own personal review of the product and submit that.  In the several years, I've been a part of BzzAgent, I've never had them reject any of my reports.  They're pretty easy. . .try the product, give them honest feedback and you'll be fine. 

It really is as easy as that.  There is no compensation to participating in the program other than the free products.  There is never any money or other forms of compensation passing hands at any time.  However, the products that I've been able to try have been really awesome.  There have been so many campaigns that I've been a part of that I honestly can't remember all of them.  However, just in the last year or so, I've been able to try out:

• Cover Girl Lipstick
• Cover Girl Foundation
• Burts Bees Blemish Serum
• Dr. Scholls High Heel Inserts
• Tresemme Shampoo & Conditioner
• Science Diet Dog Food--technically, my dog tried this one!
• Glade Sense & Spray
• Children's Claritin

There really have been some very cool products.  In fact, right now I'm in the middle of three campaigns with BzzAgent:

• Frederic Fekkai (pretty pricy stuff!) shampoo and conditioner
• Burts Bees Natural Moisturizer
• Kroger Truly Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookies

In each of these campaigns, they've sent me full size products and then coupons and samples to give out.  Well, except for the cookies one. . .since the cookies are refrigerated, I'm getting coupons for free packages of cookies from my local Kroger that I'll just try (and maybe share!) and then review. 

One other unexpected, but equally attractive, perk to this awesome company is that you become fairly popular with your friends!  Afterall, they stand to gain free samples and some high dollar coupons on really cool products.  Several of my friends routinely ask me what my latest Bzz Campaign is and they'll ask me if I have any more samples or coupons left. 

So, go check it out. . .now.  As in, RIGHT NOW!  Start looking for that free stuff in your mailbox soon! http://www.bzzagent.com/

**Disclaimer**:  I am in no way shape or form being compensated by BzzAgent, or any other individual or entity, for my opinion on this company or these products.  Everything shared in this post is my opinion and mine alone.  I have not been influenced or coerced into writing anything contained in this post.  Afterall, BzzAgent doesn't even know who I am. . they only know me by my BzzAgent name, which is classified and very James Bond 007-ish. 

My Little Baby Bear is SIX!

Last Friday, my little baby bear turned six.  SIX!  I can't believe it.  Six years ago, he was just a little 6lb 2oz string bean that resembled ET.  So much so, that I begged his dad to let me name him Ethan Tyler just so that his initials would be E.T.!  Yes, I am a genius. . .I know it.  ;-) 

On Saturday, we had Ty's birthday party.  One of my FAVORITE places (as well as his, naturally) is the Chesterfield Berry Farm which is about 45 minutes away from where we live.  I LOVE it out there!!  Basically, it's a huge family owned farm that has been turned into not only a fabulous farm where you can "pick-your-own" whatever is in season, it's also got a tremendous amount of activities for the kids to partake in!  When trying to decide on what to do for Tyler's party, I wanted something that embodied the great time of year when his birthday falls and this place totally fit the bill.  Here are some pictures from the party.

The food table

I LOVE the Pumpkin Patch!

The very sweet Birthday Boy with a very rare Mt. Dew treat

The big strong boy!

Ty and two of his buddies from football--three very good looking boys!

Overall, a great party.  Although, Mommy's heart is still a little broken that my little baby bear keeps growing up.  He's going to be all growed up before I know it! :-(