"these are a few of my favorite things"

As a stay at home mom I look for the best way to save, make, find etc.  I have to share this website with you: www.moneysavingmom.com. Crystal Paine and her staff has done a great job in combining some great information to make the most of our time and money. Take a look and tell me what you think.

The 6 Surprising Money Savers Hiding in My Home

*Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Household spending is a complicated aspect of nearly every budget. If only there were a way to use products already in the pantry to help alleviate this monthly strain. Well, good news: There is! Many items you currently have in your home can serve more than their original purpose. The following are a few I use regularly.

-- The mesh bags onions and potatoes come in from the grocery store generally end up in the garbage can. Instead of tossing them, I save a few and use their naturally abrasive texture to scrub pots and pans. The bags are far more gentle on hands than S.O.S pads filled with chemicals.

-- Paper towels are ridiculously expensive. Many people have moved to cleaning with old washcloths or a sponge, and that is certainly a great alternative. However, I am one of those people who prefer to throw away things I have used to wipe the toilet. If you are like me, try using cheap coffee filters. They clean better than paper towels (especially mirrors), and are way cheaper.

-- Speaking of cleaning, "going green" is in these days, so why not hop on that bandwagon for some of your kitchen and bathroom cleansers? Simple ingredients like baking soda splashed with vinegar are terrific for cleaning showers and toilets, and they're especially great at opening drains. If your bathtub drains are clogged with hair, replace the Drano with a few shakes of baking soda, a splash or three of vinegar, and a kettleful of boiling water. These products are generally in the pantry already, and when combined they make amazing cleaning agents.

-- I love baking soda. It has so many uses. Another of my favorite tips is to pour about half a cup of baking soda into a small dish, add 12 drops of essential oil (or your favorite scented oil from Bath & Body Works), and place the dish wherever a little freshening is needed. I like to put a dish in the car after I've forgotten to bring in a cup of coffee and the spoiled cream has left a distasteful odor.

-- While I'm discussing cleaning, I would be remiss in not bringing attention to the most amazing corn cleaner ever. I love corn on the cob, but I hate the corn silk that can seem impossible to remove. Now I just use an unused toothbrush to brush the corn. The bristles do a great job of cleaning out all the silk, and I don't have to spend half an hour per ear of corn.

-- Finally, the easiest of them all. Outdoor activities like concerts or picnics can be less comfortable if you are sitting on a blanket in soggy grass. I like to keep a cheap shower curtain liner with my picnic blanket for these occasions. The liner keeps the blanket dry, and my family and I no longer have to worry about wet bottoms after our picnic.

It's surprising how many things you already own that can serve multiple purposes. Try these, and venture into the realm of repurposing. As you find even more new uses for old objects, share your knowledge with all of your friends.

Have you ever thought about making your own detergent?

I thought about this several times but I've never tried it. I think it may be time I give it a try/ Is anyone else interested?
Click this link to take a look at how easy it is.

Are you planning to drive to your vacation spot?

Take a look at www.gasbuddy.com, it may help you stay on budget or maybe even plan for an additional trip, just enter your city or state ( I entered Charlotte) and plan your day. Take a look!

FREE summer activities

Click here to see these great options from Bass Pro Shop. Have fun!

Do you coupon?

Do  you Groupon? Southersavers? Ebates? Do you get emails from you local grocery stores or follow the Grocery Shrink? Some say they don't have the time, others can't be bothered but the truth be told, it's worth it. Triple coupons. Can you beat that? I don't mind and extra $60 in my pocket, in fact that's what I saved on my last grocery trip with out even doing my best. Now I'm not the mom with the big photo album or base ball card album full of  coupons. I do however have an organizer and even print some out online. I compare prices and I am an Amazon Mom so I can get better discounts on my kid and mommy needs. I trade coupons with friends and shop on a need basis only. The hardest part for me is not the time for the coupon clipping, it's the fact that usually it's the junk food that is on sale not the healthy stuff. So even if you don't clip, click and print remember to check you prices per pound, remember that generic is usually just as good.

What was your favorite Mothers Day gift?

My husband asked me what I wanted for Mothers Day. My first and almost immediate responce was "I don't want to change any diapers/pull ups for just one day". After giving it some thougth I would joke around and say things like, all I want is quiet. How about Jared or the little blue box women love so much.  My husband turns to me and said I know we don't have time but maybe we can get you to a pedicure this week. I smiled. Our month started off in full swing, people visiting, us visiting others, garage sales, business trips, car repair, garden work, kids, house cleaning and well theres maybe even private mommy and daddy time. Where can we fit in a pedicure, I laughed. In the end I got a great meal made by daddy himself, flowers and gift cards to places that are not on our "need" list. It was a great day. A perfect day.

We welcome our new officers to Harrisburg MomsConnection

Our purpose/mission statement is to come together to support each other as women, wives, and moms including all marital and working status. We will come together socially both with and without our children. We will also provide support to our communitthroughgh community service projects. Our club is open to any mom in Harrisburg, North Carolina and surrounding areas of Cabarrus and Mecklenburg counties.

We strive to offer multiple events each week for our members to participate. Frequent events include: play groups, park play dates, craft & music, story time, mom's night out and many more! There is something for everyone.

Our club is very economical at $10 per year for mother's with children that are not yet school age and $5 per year for mother's with older children who already attend primary school. Dues are paid annually and payable by August 1st of each year. Joining our group provides you with the ability to attend many activities per week and it provides you full access to both our Facebook and Yahoo Groups. Our club offers opportunities to build life long friendships for both children and mother's alike. For more information about our club, please contact us at: harrisburgmomsconnection@yahoo.com or harrisburgmomsconnection@groups.facebook.com.

Visit our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/TheMomsConnection

Visit our blog at: http://harrisburgmomsconnections.blogspot.com

Acting Board Members:

Rachel Dunning (President/Treasurer)
Amy Nowinowski (Calendar/Polls)
Shana Blazer Hruby (New Members)
Leanne Pogue-Wooten (Social Media)
Michele Depa (Blogspot Mom)
Karen Sekulich (Member at Large)

We work together as friends, and as a family...

Harrisburg MomsConnection

Please welcome our new officers:

President and treasurer: Rachel Dunning
Polls/calendar: Amy Nowinowski
New members: Shana Blazer Hruby 
Facebook page: Leanne Pogue Wooten
Member at Large: Karen Sekulich
Blogspot mom: Michele Depa

cooookies..num num num num

www.originalsmartcookie.com

I got these cookies at Bjs and each serving has 10% real veggies and fruits. They are GOOD!