I have a way to help organize your purse.  What has worked for me is getting those zippered pencil cases (you can find these for a $1) and I divide my stuff into categories.  I have a first aid kit (more about that here)  one for makeup (brush, lip gloss, lotion, tissues, etc.) , one for the financial stuff (checkbook, check card, library cards, change book and receipts) and then one for busy items; I carry little sticker books for the kids to work on.  I also carry a hardware one: extra keys, pocket knife, mini keyring flashlight, small screwdriver for eye glasses, toilet seat covers etc. 

Just remember to use a different bag for each category.  You can place them in your bag like carrying file folders.  When you look in you can easily find what you are looking for. 

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Homeschool Convention season is coming up!  YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!  I love conventions.

I love seeing new and old products, talking, talking, and ...oh yeah, talking to other mothers and venders.  I also love getting on mailing lists.  This always seems to be a hassle.  You are talking to someone and feel like you are being rude trying to fill out those mailing lists or you are standing in a crowded aisle with your rear end sticking out(in my case, way out) trying to write down your information.

Here is a quick tip.  I get A LOT of free address labels from various companies as samples trying to get me to buy their products or donate to their cause (please note: I have never requested any of them so I do not feel bad using them without paying for them).  Carry a sheet with you and stick it on the mailing lists.  It is quick, easy and you do not have to wonder later on if you wrote the address correctly because you were busy talking.  If you do not have any, just run some off your computer.   If you do not have the label sheets, run off the info and carry a roll of tape with you.  All you have to do is tape on the slip of paper. 

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You can browse the online course (this requires a free download of Flash Player) or you can sign up for a 12 week lesson delivered via email.  There are games, worksheets, tips, guides to slang.  I can not even list it all.  This is totally free from the BBC.  There are MP3 downloads but I am not totally sure those are free; I think they are but again I am not sure.

You can access the link at  http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

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 If a light was left on, or hot water left running, or something was wasted like food or bubble bath, they would have to do one of the following:

1) Cut out enough coupons (but only for the items the household actually uses) to equal the amount of money wasted

2) Work in the yard or some other job that is not part of their regular chores the same amount of time it takes their father to earn the amount of money wasted. 

3) Pay for it out of their piggy bank.  She doesn’t like to use this one because she feels that letting them pay it off is too easy.  A sense of work seems to do better to impart how much work it takes to make money.  I agree.

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They have well over 1300 works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Handel, Mozart, and many others.  These are not just for pianos.  They carriy pieces for a wide array of instraments from accordions to violins , cello to harp, clarinets to harpsichords, Guitars to recorders, and even voice.  I think I saw every conceivable instrument known to mankind.

You can look up pieces by composer, instrument, or style.  You are free to pint out, perform, share with others, or record.

This is a great find for any music lover ; homeschool or otherwise! you can access the site at  http://www.mutopiaproject.org/

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But that got me thinking about the Proverbs 31 woman who “is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all of her household are clothed in scarlet”.  Why does the Proverbs 31 woman not fear what is to come; because she is prepared.  There is a lot of talk lately about the on going war, food shortages, fuel shortages and such.  With all of our daily routine and trying to cut our weekly grocery bills we sometimes do not plan for what might to come.  I wanted to give and ask for some practical advice on storing up food.

Now do not think I am suggesting what so many did during the Y2K debacle.  I actually had a relative order 20 cases of MRE’s (each case had 10 MRE’s in them)  For those of you who do not know what these are; they are Military Ready to Eat meals.  They are sealed in a waterproof case with matches, snacks, toilet paper ( prior to the Gulf War they had a pack of cigarettes in them.)   They are terribly expensive (over $60 a case)  and not very tasty.  Of course, if you can get a good deal on military surplus and are starving, they come in very handy.  The upside is you can eat them straight out of the package without water or heating them.  However, the relative’s over $500 investment ended up in the landfill because they do not keep forever.   (We were able to scoop up a couple of the cases for us and friends)

Freeze dried foods, like the kind for hikers are generally great tasting and have an indefinite shelf life; however, you have to have clean water to make them and are terribly expensive.  If you come across a good deal, it never hurts to have a couple. 

Freezing food is great but if you ever loose power you are in a pickle.  Been there, done that.  I live in a house now where I have no room for one.

Canning is great...if you know how to do it and have the equipment. My sister-in-law and I are working on learning together.

A more practical solution for some of us may be the following. 

1)   Canned Food - every week I go shopping I pick up one or two extra cans of food. Now I have been getting vegetables and soups.  Now while I usually make my own soups, canned ones are good to have on hand because of their shelf life and I can not make something from scratch if there is nothing to buy at the store.  I will store the most recent purchase way in the back of the cabinet.  That way as I am nearing an expiration date, I can use the soup up.

2)       Box of dry milk.  This is great because it requires no refrigeration until made up..(I also use this a lot in baking.)

3)       Jars of peanut butter. These have a lot of protein; the military supplies this in the MRE’s I told you about.

4)       Rice  we do not eat this anyway so I do not bother with it.

5)       Flour  I usually have 4 bags of bread flour and 2 of all-purpose in my cabinet at all times. I only keep this 2 month supply because I have to go out of my way to a store that carries the bread flour.   The problem with storing flour is it can go rancid after a year if in a high heat and humid environment; do not keep more than a 6 month supply on hand.  I also keep at least 1-2 jars of yeast. 

6)       Bottled water. This is something we do not have to worry about because fortunately we are on a well and we have a portable generator for the business.  We also have a clear water spring near us.

All of these can be kept in a regular kitchen cabinet without special or expensive equipment.  By purchasing one or two items a shopping trip and replacing items as you use them, this will not create a huge financial drain.  A few items are a good idea.  Enough for 5 years may be a bit much.   You can prepare without going overboard and a smart woman or man will think of the future for their household.

 If anyone has any other practical advice PLEASE share it.

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The new converter boxes are out and range in price from $40 and up. However, our benevolent government has a phone number you can call to get a $40 coupon.  Now I will not spend $40 for the box but I might be willing to spend under $10.  Right now they are $49 at Wal-mart but I bet there is a cheaper place to find them. 

Three quick heads up:

1)       there are only a limited number of coupons so you need to request one now

2)       they will only allow two per household (I only have 1 TV anyway)

3)       they expire 90 days from mailing

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We usually take bottles of water with us.  The night before, I will fill them up half way and put them in the freezer without the cap on.  The next day, I fill it up and water and off we go.  This not only provides the water we drink but it will act as a cold pack without taking up much needed space and  will not add any more weight to your bag.  As the ice melts, the water will stay very cold.  I usually put them in an insulated lunch bag that came with my diaper bag for baby bottles and there will still be ice in them over 5 hours later.

Now if you will excuse me, we are on our way to the zoo and I need to get the bottles out of the freezer and full of water.

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Hello everyone!!!! If you are a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia, I have a great event for you this Sat. starting at 9 am.  I have told you in the past about the free Veggie-Tales Party that Family Christian Stores has to premiere a  new release.  You can read about that here.  We have won well in excess of $50 worth of DVD’s & music cds.  Well, this Sat. they are having a Prince Caspian Premiere party to celebrate the release of the new movie.  These parties are about an hour long in the mornings. They are a great time to get together with other fans, or maybe become one yourself. 

At the party:

• Get a sneak peak at the Prince Caspian movie trailer plus hear from the people who created the film
• Learn about the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love featured in Prince Caspian
• Register to win prizes
• Geared for ALL ages (a plus for homeschoolers)

Get a group together, dress up and just go have fun.  You can access the info for the store in your area and RSVP at this link.  But I would also call your local store. I have found that when it comes to the Veggie tales parties the website on rare occasion will not have the correct times listed. 

Remember this is totally free!!!! All of you know where I will be this Saturday morn at 9 am with my cup of coffee. 

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I created a table in Microsoft Word.  It has 3 columns in it. One for the website name, one for sign in name and then one for the password.  I also have it divided into categories.  One for bills & banking, one for shopping, one for homeschooling websites, one for forums, one for educational stuff like our library card numbers, one for whatever.

I created a shortcut on the desk top for it so I can reduce the window and bring it up when I am on the internet. I can look up a password or add one quickly.   I use to print this out but it got to the point where people were coming over so much and I had to take it down so I just didn’t bother anymore. 

 A word of warning from personal experience, BACK THIS INFO UP ON A FLASHDRIVE OR DISK.  Or at the very least keep it printed up in a safe place. 

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 I know I am not the only homeschooling mother that has had this problem.  You are out on an educational adventure ....aka grocery shopping or on a hike at the park and one of your little darlings gets a splinter or a cut or a bug bite.  I carry a first aid kit in my purse in one of those zippered pencil cases (a makeup case will also work).  Creating a kit like this will help it fit perfectly into whatever kind of purse or backpack you use.

I keep the following in it:

1)       splinter tweezers (I found these at the pharmacy and while they do cost a little more it is well worth it because they are sharper than normal ones and come in a case)

2)       A business card holder full of band aids of all sizes

3)       A small tube of Neosporin

4)       A tinny Tupperware thing(0.5 oz) with Vitamin E soft gels in it.  This is great for bug bites and scratches.  Just bite off the tip and squeeze the gel onto it. 

5)       Aspirin & in my case medicine for migraines. 

6)       Extra diabetes medicine for a family member

7)       Imodium -  eeewwww all you want but we all know how badly we need this.

8)       Cough drops and sore throat strips

9)       Travel sewing kit (don’t ask)

10)    Lip balm

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They make butterfly feeders like this one here ( I actually own this). And while $8 isn’t too bad a price, I have a way to make one for free with stuff you already have on hand. 

First the feeder: You can either use fresh flowers in your garden or if you are trying to lure them onto a porch you can use a pot of flowers, Carnations seem to work best because they seem to hold the nectar the longest.

Second the nectar.  This is an easy recipe.  Once made you can sprinkle it onto the flowers with a water dropper every other day or when you see that the nectar has evaporated.  The extra can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Butterfly Nectar

3 level teaspoons of sugar

8 oz. water

drop or two of red food coloring  

stir until dissolved

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Yawn!!! You will have to forgive me if my post is not that good because I just spent the night at the SC State Museum.  Yawn! I was all ready.  I had a bone for the T-Rex, gum gum for dum dum, and I was on the lookout for the Huns.  For those of you who have nooo idea what I am talking about, go out and rent Night at the Museum staring Ben Stiller.  It is a great movie. 

I have a tip to help organize your schedule and appointments and activities.  Now they have some really nice calendars on the market, but I really do not have $14 to spend on pretty pictures of cats, cartoons, or Bikini clad twin firefighting girls from Jersey.  Not to mention the space to write in are too small or the pen will not work on the glossy paper and I really do not have the wall space to hang up those huge things.  Desk calendars may have more space to write but they usually have small places for Sat & Sun when I do a lot of stuff and again, where to put them.

I have had much better luck making my own on my computer, not to mention it is a fraction of the cost.  You can easily set one up in Word or some photoshop  programs have this set up for you.  I generally print out a year and a half at a time.  I will put the months in a manila (or as some people call it, vanilla ) folder.  I will then hand it on my fridge with clips with magnets on them that I got in the hardware section at Wal-mart for around a buck or two. I will leave the current month only clipped to the front of the folder (see pic below) that way I can take it down to fill out future events without all of the pages falling everywhere.  On the back of the folder I have glued business cards from all of our doctors, dentists, insurance agents and others that we tend to call a lot.   That way I can find the number easily.  I have a pen on a cord looped around the clip so I can always find it.  When I go to meetings to help set up activities for the year, whether it be for AWANA, children’s ministries or homeschool activities, I take the folder with me so I can fill out the date right there. I also use my calendar to keep track of certain chores.  I have a sourdough bread starter that must be "fed" every 10 days.  I mark a B in a certain color on the calendar and that helps me remember it. 

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How many times have us nursing mothers been out and we…well…there is no polite way to put this ….. leaked.  Ok, all you men that fainted, pass this on to your wives.  Or perhaps we spilled some food on us which is not hard to do with a jealous, squirming toddler on our lap that wants attention and cares very little that we need to eat.  Or you are on your way to church or the store or where ever and there is one particular outfit you want to wear or in the real world it is the only clean one in the house.  

The trick is to have a shirt that has the same or near same collar in the front of the shirt as in the back.  Once you remove the tag, no one can tell that you are wearing your shirt backwards, trust me.  Spill a little food on it, leak, or what ever, slip into the restroom and turn it around.  No one will ever know unless you tell them. 

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 The library  provides just a wealth of information and resources for us homeschoolers and the fact it is totally free makes this building invaluable. I have been blessed to live near a huge library that also has more videos than Blockbuster.  But how many times has this happened to you?  You have found a great book that would go along great with what you are going to cover next month or next year or maybe if you have younger children could be used in a couple of years.  You try to take note of it or maybe keep a notepad with you and write down the title and call numbers.  Sometime later, you are walking past the shelves and the same book catches your eye and as you flip through it you realize that there is some great stuff that will compliment a lesson plan you created……..and did two months ago.  Ugh! 

I can not tell you how many times this has happened to me.  I have solved this problem by doing the following.  I have taken a cheap pocket folder (you can get them for 25 cents) .  When I find a book I think will be useful I will either bring it home to review and scan & copy on my computer or copy at the library.  I only copy the front cover which generally has all the info I need.  This works better for me than trying to write a summery of the book.  One book I have on my list is called, “How the Universe Works, 100 Ways Parents and Kids Can Share The Secrets of the Universe.”  Pretty self explanatory wouldn’t you say?  Plus, by having a picture of the cover I tend to remember it better.  I will also write on the bottom corner the call numbers.

To keep them organized in the folder, I merely write subject in the top right corner.  I have dividing pages  in my folder for each subject.  I usually have a ton of those hanging around doing nothing.  Or you can just use construction paper, which tends to be a bit bigger than the standard 8X11 paper and write the subjects down there.

This has sooo relived a lot of aggravation and helped me keep track of a lot of great books this way whether it be readers to compliment a lesson on the Statue of Liberty, a book about the Amish to go along with a study of the state of Pennsylvania, or a science book full of weather experiments.  While I am in the process of creating a curriculum, I also consult my library folder to see what books I have found. 

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However, no one can deny the great chance at creativity those things provide. I found a completely free magazine by the Lego company called appropriately enough, Lego Magazine.  You can sign up for it by clicking here. On the right of the page, you will see a blue box, pick the country you live in and it will take you to the sign up page.  The magazine has great ideas, contests, step by step building instructions, even a free comic book.  You can also get free access to the Lego club website (you can even do that without signing up for the magazine) which has even more cool stuff by clicking here. Or, in case the link is not working, you can go to www.Legoclub.com.

There is also a separate Lego BrickMaster club.  This club does cost money but if have a lego maniac lurking in your household that the vacuum cleaner shrinks in fear from, this is worth it.  Every other month you get a Lego kit in the mail with magazine.  Many of these sets are exclusive to the club and are not available in the stores.  You can access this info here. 

Also, they are now catering to the girls. They actually make pink Lego sets.  You can see them on the Lego website or at amazon.com here.

A quick cleaning tip.  One of the best places to find Legos cheap is at yard sales and second hand stores but of course, sometimes they are dirty.  All you need to do is put them in those mesh bags for carrying stuff at the beach or the baskets for cleaning baby bottles and throw into the top rack of the dishwasher. WARNING: be sure to turn off the plate warming cycle or get the bag out before it runs.

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They have some incredible links to some great stuff.  For instance; a page that tells you how to make those wave machines in a bottle using rubbing alcohol and mineral spirits (move over MacGyver), a link to Nasa’s kids page, water safety and other safety pages, and other things. The real reason I even like this is for the wave machine here.

The page I am talking about can be accessed by clicking here.

The main home page for this site is here; there is soooo much I have not been able to get through it all. 

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This is REAL simple to correct.  All you have to do is right click and highlight the info you want to print out.  Hit the copy button on your toolbar or with most mice you can move the pointer over the highlighted portion, right click and then click on the copy option on the info box that comes up.  Open up Microsoft Word or Works or a like program and then click on the paste button.  It is that simple!  Plus when you print it out you can choice to do all black ink to save on color. 

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Anyway, I have two tips for you on how to store your china to keep them from getting scratched up if you are like me and have limited space to store them and have to stack them in a cabinet.  The first is cheap and easy, the second is really, really cheap, easy and quick.

1)The best way is to put circles of flannel between the plates.  You can buy these pre-made but they are expensive; while you may get the newest in style colors this way, but who cares, you will not see them anyway!  Look for flannel to go on clearance at your favorite fabric store; in my case that would be Wal-mart.  You need not cut the circles to cover the entire plate. You need only cut a circle large enough to cover the bottom part of the plate that actually touches the table.  This will help save on fabric since most sets will have different sizes of plates you will need small and large circles of flannel. The big advantage to this way will be the large platters; you can custom make the ovals for them.

2) While the above idea is the best way to do this, I have too many pieces of china to just get the energy to do this.  So I did the lazy way.  I used an unused coffee filter between each plate.  Grant you I did have to use about 3 packages, but hey, I did not have to cut any fabric.  The advantage of coffee filters is in the teacups.  Those things fit perfectly in the cups when you have to stack them.  Of course, you will have to use several when you stack the platters.  I did go ahead and get flannel and cut flannel ovals for the platters and serving bowls because of their sizes and shapes.

I think it is time to have a dinner party.  I need to get them out and the clean the top cabinets. So, are you free for dinner tonight?

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 I have a great way to hang up your towels.  First, take down those rods and throw them away.  Go out and get those nice metal coat hooks.  You know the kind a lot of people put on the back of the bathroom doors for robes and stuff.  They are really inexpensive and come in a variety of finishes.   We hung two rows of these.  A high row for the adults and older kids and a lower row for the little kids.  We also staggered the hooks; in other words the bottom row hooks were not directly below the higher row.  Like this:

*      *       *       

   *       *       *   

 This makes it easier for the children (and the husband) to hang the towels up, plus they tend to get fully dry and do not mildew as fast which means washing them less. Yeah!!!!  What is also nice is you can add as many hooks as you need.  We are fortunate enough to be able to go swimming in the summer so we have plenty of space for our towels and our swimsuits. 

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I had to go to the mall yesterday.  A trip we rarely go on, but someone I know needed a special thing to make their daughter’s hair into a bun for ballet class and this special clip to make it easily is only available at Claire’s Accessories that is only in malls.  Not even Amazon.com carries this stupid thing.  Anyway, we were walking through the mall when we passed a very small store front that was an art gallery for Thomas Kinkade.  Since we have been studying art and this summer we will be doing the Drawing Basics art curriculum by Thomas Kinkade (a splurge we saved up for; it is available through Alpha Omega here) I thought we could look at he paintings and maybe get to know the artist a little better. 

The salesman was the kindest man.  While most salesman would not waste their time on people who were not buying anything, he took a great deal of time talking to us. He told us all about Mr. Kinkade and how he started painting, who he studied under, the medium he used, why the paintings seem to glow, why he is called the painter of light, the difference between impressionists and realist art, he told us how Mr. Kinkade was afraid that people would not take his realist artwork seriously if he also painted impressionistic so he signs that work with a different name (Gerald something, man I wish I had written it down).

We also discussed why you will not see Thomas Kinkade work in most art museums.  The salesman said, with a wry smile, that other artists were just jealous of his talent.  I think I agree with him.  Really, all Mr. Thomas would have to do to be accepted into the art world is paint a Bible in elepant poop (not a koran because that would be hateful).

So, once again, the homeschoolers have found real lessons in the most unexpected places.  Who would have thought that was possible since we never, never, ever leave the house and never socialize with anyone?

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I am reposting this tip from last year. 

I have a great tip to give you today.  It is how to get totally free outdoor/nature material.  Spring is here and the outdoorsman's shows are being held all over the country.  Now these are NOT the gun and knife shows.  In SC, it is called the Palmetto Sportsmen's Classic.  Usually, there are a lot of venders selling hunting, fishing and camping supplies. There is usually a lot of educational things available.  Check with your state Dept of Natural Resources to see if they will have a booth.  In SC, they have almost half a building.  This is just a partial list of things I got totally free:

full size posters of butterflies, tree leaves, flowering plants, water plants, geography of lands

small posters (perfect for lamenating and taking on a hike) of animal tracks, leaf identification, trees, insects,  salt-water fish, bats

field guides to fresh water fish, animals, butterflies, ticks (yuck)

plans for butterfly gardens, bat houses, bird houses, flower gardens, etc.

Last year, the DNR had  a table where kids could make a full size flower press...for free!!! These things run for about $20 a piece.  My children got two of them.  This year they made their own fishing lures!!  They even let my husband in on the fun.

Like I said, this is just a PARTIAL list.  We also go to participate in a snake show, learn about alligators, turtles, and see a water-skiing squirrel!  My kids got to go on a virtual hunt, target shoot, and fish in a kid's pond.  Admission usually runs around $6 a person, children under 10 free.  It is a great, inexpensive day out.  Do not think only your sons will enjoy this.  Our girls had their daddy worn out running around to everything.  They had the time of their life.

A suggestion: bring a backpack to carry your stuff out and rubber bands to roll up your posters.

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 At this point I would like to share a painful memory with you. I beg you, let your child choose what THEY wish to get rid of.  I have bad memories of my biological mother going through my things and getting rid of stuff SHE did not like or thought was unimportant.   She got rid of many things that I really valued and wished I had today and took away joy I may have gotten from donating my things.

 Next, we went through the kitchen and got rid of some cake and baking pans. Ok, now we have everything packed up. All the while we explained how many children have nothing.  In many cases they are taken from their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs and must live in special homes that take care of them. 

 The baby items all went to a pregnancy crisis center.  This is an organization that helps woman find alternatives to murdering their babies.  They will help them either find a loving couple to adopt the baby or help them find the means to keep their child.  I do not have a lot (well, I do not even have a little) money to donate to one of these but I can help by donating my baby clothes, bottles, and other supplies.  Don’t just say you are pro-life, do something.

 Now, everything else my sister-in-law and I packed up in our cars with all of the cousins and took a trip to a children’s home.  The nearest one to us was an hour’s drive away.  The children helped to donate their old items and learned about the children’s home; what they do, how many children they have, how they would use our donated items.

 The kids helped cleaned out the house, learned the joy first hand of helping out others and spent time with their cousins.  It was a perfect day. 

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This is divided into 6 units covering the topics of God, Who am I?, The Bible, Satan, Jesus and Heaven Bound?.  Each unit has four lessons that usually take about 10 to 20 minuets to complete. This was originally designed to be 6 month program (1 lesson a week) but many, including myself, have been using this on a daily basis.  What is also nice is the lessons are divided into a section for smaller children and lessons for older tweens. 

We have been using these on top of our normal Bible reading and it has just been great.  About 4 of the lessons center around an episode of Adventures in Odyssey, which if you have never listen to this radio drama you are missing out.  You can read my post about that here. There is a special package of cds and books for this course.  Now before you stop reading because you have decided you can not afford this, hear me out.  You can get it for free.  While this is NOT required for the study, it does help. Focus on the Family is in the business of helping us.  I called and explained we were a homeschooling family and did not have money for the cds.  They sent them and the books to me for free.   There is no shame in asking for help.  But something I did do (this is just a suggestion, do not feel you have to) when our tax returns came in last year I sent them $50. 

 Like I said, you do not have to have the cds to get a lot out of this.  I know some teachers who have been using this in their Sunday school classes. I hope for those of you who use this that it becomes as much blessing for your family as it did for us.  Please let me know what you think.

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Now while the stores have some wonderful products; I just do not have $20 ( heck, I do not have $10) to waste on special gel made from volcanic rock transported by the first born of a nomadic tribe to a special factory where it is washed by water purified by gold dust mined by specially trained moles.  I prefer the cheaper way that works.

First, you need a pair of white cotton socks.  I am not sure if it is really important that they are white, mine are oatmeal colored; but I was told they do need to be light colored.  The most important thing is they are made of cotton.  I use the Wal-mart brand of Valsaline Intensive Care (why pay 2/3 more for lotion?)  and slather it on.  Do not rub it all in. Slip your socks on and go to bed.  A little warning from personal experience: if you try this and walk around you will squish lotion all over your rug.

You should see a difference the first morning. Sometimes it will take a week or so of doing this to get my feet to the point where I can rub them up against my husband without him asking why I have such scratchy socks on.

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This is more of my series on Tips for saving at the Grocery Store  and Organizing your coupons & your grocery list

One of the big things you can do to help save money is get onto mailing lists.  I will liberally give out my address to any company whose products I buy.  I will either call the 1-800 numbers on the products’ labels or visit their website.  By requesting their coupons and asking to be put on their mailing lists, you can get all kinds of stuff.  I can not begin to tell you of the freebies I have gotten through the years.  Also, if  a store has one of those customer care cards or savings perks or whatever they call them, sign up for them.  I have a key chain in my purse full of those cards.  It puts you on mailing lists! Plus, some stores will give you “points” every time you make a purchase that you can redeem for free groceries or stuff they have on special. This is how I replaced all of my dull kitchen knives for free once. 

I have received free cans of baby formula, baby bottles, diaper in a full range of sizes, packets to make at least two full pots of coffee, peanut butter, soap, boxes of instant meals, free full-size snack bars,  samples of shampoo & conditioner, small tubes of toothpaste, spices, individual sizes of cereal, stuffed animals, sample packs of cleaners of all kinds, sample sizes of hand sanitizers (that I carry in my purse), small bottles of lotion, pans, art supplies like one color of a new kind of marker from crayola, samples of modeling clay, free magazines, toys, dog food (which was odd considering we didn’t have a dog at the time), cat food (which was even more odd considering we do not like cats), makeup, cookie cutters, sample versions of computer programs and video games, dvd’s with full length shows for children; the list just goes on and on of anything and everything imaginable. 

PLUS, as if free stuff wasn’t enough they usually send along incredible coupons so I will buy their stuff.  And they will keep sending those coupons on a regular basis.  So while I do not recommend giving out your phone number, give out your address and check your mailbox to see what comes!  .  As a general rule, I do NOT give out my phone number; until the do not call list I was getting up to 15 telemarketing calls a day.  If a website insists on a telephone number, what I do is give my area code, and then a string of 9’s. (a word of consideration: if you do this, please make call the number you are giving out to make sure it is not a real phone number.)

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Let’s be honest, if you are not more organized, you will get frustrated and deicide it is not worth the effort.  Been there, done that.  Do not feel bad.   Now I know some people who have 3-ring binders with baseball card pockets who have all of their coupons organized by brand, expiration date and isle in which they are found in the store.  Yikes!  If you are one of them, dude you have my admiration! (or pity, take your pick)

Let’s deal with the list first.  I have a large legal pad.  I keep a pencil near it in the kitchen. When I see I am running low on something, I write it down.  I do not wait until 10 min before I am going to the grocery store and rush through the cabinets because rest assured I will forget I am low on yeast or out of toothpaste.  I also do not write it down in order.  Visualize your store.  You go there often enough, you probably  have a general idea of what is down the aisles. I have my list in “groups.”  The first part of my list is the health care stuff.  Like shampoo, band aids and the like that is the aisle I go first.  Since I generally go to Wal-mart, I will then have the hardware, any other household stuff I need and then clothes listed.   Then I have the baking aisle stuff together, the canned food and jar food together, the cleaning supplies, then I go around the “outside” of the store. The frozen foods, dairy, meat and produce aisles last.  By have groups on your lists, you are less likely to forget something, waste money on something you do not need, and just get really frustrated. 

Now, before I go to the store, I sit down with my sale papers and coupons.  To avoid taking the time to check for coupons at the store, if I have one for a product I use, I put a little star next to the item on my list.  If I have it listed in a sale paper, I will write down the abbreviation for the store and the sale price. This way, if the store brand is cheaper, I do not have to waste time checking the paper. I will know instantly.  

I will paper clip the coupons I plan to use onto the pad.  I will carry my other coupons with me in one of those coupon holders, just in case I come across a great sale on something.  You can get them at the dollar store. 

Again, figure out what works best for you.  I guarantee being organized and being at the store less time and less frustrated will work for you.  It just takes a little effort. 

Here are links to my entires on Tips for saving at the Grocery Store  and Getting free stuff & coupons.

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For everyone else:

I do not get the daily nor the Sunday Paper. I get my news from the internet.  Why waste the money?  The coupons in the Sunday Paper are for products that I usually do not buy anyway.  Most of the time they are for the instant stuff that I make from scratch.  If you want to give me coupons I can use, give me some for flour, sugar, yeast or oil.  The coupons for items I do use, like tissue paper, do not lower the price enough to beat the store brand on most occasions anyway.

 Plus, there is the hassle of using them before those blasted expiration dates!  I may not need Prego spaghetti sauce (it is the only brand my family likes) this month, but next month I will but the stupid coupon is no good.  Sigh!

The best luck I have had takes a little bit of work but has saved me a bundle. 

1) Call the 1-800 numbers or go on the websites for you most used products. Ask to get on their mailing lists.  I will usually sign up my name for my address, my husband's name for my in-law's address and my maiden name for my parent's address. 

2) Ask your local store if they will honor the sale papers from others. Some will like Wal-mart. Just be sure to have the paper with you and make sure it is in date.  Wal-mart will also honor the buy one get one free but here is the one thing, the paper must show the price of the item you are getting free. 

When I had kids in diapers, I saved over $80 a month this way and I got a lot of free samples!  Even though I was nursing I got over $100 worth of free samples & supplies from the formula companies (this I donated to my local Pregnancy Crisis center that helps girls to find alternatives to murdering their babies).  This does not even include the coupons they sent.  Gerber use to send me all sorts of freebie coupons. 

I could not even begin to calculate the free coffee, soup, shampoo, and other items I got free PLUS coupons to buy more.  By combining coupons & a sale paper, Wal-mart once PAID ME two cents for shampoo.  The shampoo was on sale at another store for 98 cents and I had a $1 off coupon!

 Later this week, I will give you some ideas to organize all of this stuff for the organizingly impaired.

My tips for Organizing your coupons & your grocery list and Getting free stuff & coupons

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Ok, I have two websites to share with you today.

The first is for today, Valentines Day.  So all you guys out there better scamble if you have not gotten anything yet.  Here is a great download from Veggie-Tales with Larry for the kids to color.

Now, for the older kids who have an interest in the military or the great historical battles of history.  I have added this link to my sidebar under "Great Recipe & Craft sites I visit often"  This is the Junior General Website.  This has downloadable paper soilders (in color or black n white) for so many of the major battles in history.  Plus it has weapons, tents,  ships, whatever was used during that time peroid. They have battles from the Roman period, the Aztecs, Japan and European battles from mediveal times up to WWII.  This is a great website!  Nothing teaches someone about history like actually "seeing" the action.

Enjoy and have a loving Valentines Day!!! Just remember the greatest love of all that was shown to us. 

For God so loved the world (that means YOU) that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.             --John 3:16

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