I received a lot of wonderful emails this week. Thank you all for your good wishes! I want to assure many of you that while I did have to lighten my load in anticipation of my new full time job, I’m not giving up this blog. Simply Thrifty has a giant place in my heart and they only way they can drag me away is kicking and screaming.

Here’s what I’m reading this weekend:

• Free yogurt today at TCBY at All Holiday Cafe
• The Neatnix Stuff Bucket at DeClutter It (I’d like one of these for gardening)
• 12 Ways to Cut Paper Clutter at DeClutter It
• Check out the newest addition to the Lifestyles Channel – Drinks After Dark
• Linette’s gorgeous garden is blooming at Mother Earth’s GArden
• A Guide to Fabric Care at Keeping the Castle
• Tons of great deals at The Bargainist
• How to Save on Gas from Consumer Reports
• Buy One Get One Free Homes in San Diego
• America’s Unhealthiest Drinks at Consumerist
• 7 Tips on Using Credit Card Rewards Programs at Consumerist
• 8 Ways to Get Free Gas this Summer at Consumerist
• How to Create a Household Budget at Destroy Debt
• How to Dispute a Credit Card Purchase at Frugal Dad
• 5 Ways to Reuse Neckties at Green Daily
• Get a Free CFL Lightbulb at Eco Joe’s
• A Free Organic Foot Cream Sample at Eco Joe’s

Have a great Sunday!

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Does your library have a summer reading program? Our does. This is the first year my son can be apart of it because he’s in first grade, and he’s looking forward to joining. Since we visit the library every week, we really won’t have to do anything extra.

The summer reading program is nice because it gives our son a goal, and there are various prizes and goodies to help motivate him. This is in addition to him getting lots of reading in.

Like most things at the library, the summer reading program is free. I only wish they had one for adults!

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Today after running some errands, I treated my son to ice cream. While standing at the counter my son noticed a sign that said there was 10% discount if you sing. He asked the teenager behind the counter if he could sing a song and the teen told him to go for it. So my obviously not shy six year old sang “Supercalifragelisticexpealidocius.” The manager came out to listen and my son got a nice applause. There was no one else in the shop, but it was cute anyway. Plus we got a discount on our ice cream.

I don’t know if I’d ever sing like that, but with my son around, we’re sure to always get a discount.

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Today is my son’s birthday. We had a party with friends and family over the weekend, and tonight is just for the immediate family. He asked for barbecued burgers for dinner and said the leftover cake from Sunday is perfect and I shouldn’t get another, is this my kid or what?

We bought some gifts we know he’d like such as a bird house making kit and a children’s book of gardening tips. I was thinking of some of the other gifts we’ve given throughout the years – the ones that don’t come wrapped in pretty paper or cost money. You see, my husband and I are creative types and encourage that creativity in our son. My husband used to be a carpenter and is still pretty darn good with his hands. Our son helps him in the basement work shop and even has his own screwdriver, hammer and ratchet.

Through me our son has developed a love of gardening and writing. Plus he designs buildings in his sketch pads, mostly dog houses, and helps my husband or I cook and bake for each night’s dinner. He especially likes helping to bake treats for dessert. His favorite meal is salad made from fresh garden vegetables.

When we plant corn or weed the strawberry patch together my son will repeat things I said the past year or year before that, making me so proud of what he’s choosing to retain. At my very first meeting with his kindergarten teacher last November she was proud to tell me he was the only one in his class who could identify a cardinal or knew marigolds helped keep the aphids out of the tomato garden.

My son knows to go with the grain when sanding and the difference between using a dry or wet rub on smoked ribs. He writes and illustrates small books – usually about dogs, cats or mean mommies who make their kids clean the room instead of playing Wii, and can measure out the perfect amount of vanilla for our strawberry pancakes. Can you tell I’m proud?

We parents buy so many gifts throughout the years, and most of them aren’t carried through with them into adulthood. It’s the simple gifts, the gifts that don’t cost anything they’ll remember for life. Today, as I’m typing this on my son’s sixth birthday, I’m watching him pick strawberries and pull out some weeds and I’m amazed at how gentle he is with the plants. It hits me that he’s listening and paying attention even when I think he’s not. This reminds me he’s giving some wonderful gifts of his own.

What are some of the simple gifts you give to your kids?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

How timely. Yesterday I talked about how Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family spent their evenings back in the day when there was no television or Internet. Soon after I posted, major severe storms rolled into our area. My husband and I shut down computers and televisions and unplugged appliances. Last year my sister in law’s house was struck by lightning and their modem fried as did many of the appliances. We weren’t taking chances.

I read and he puttered around putting some things together handling little odd jobs. We also spent some time chit chatting and watching the lightning storm. We were both very content and didn’t miss television or the Internet at all. I suppose if this happened every night we’d miss it, but last night we didn’t.

My brother in law and his family were without television for over a year. When their set went they decided to see how long they could go without. My sister in law took up knitting and the kids learned music and took up art projects.  The missed television a little, but enjoyed playing games and talking together each night too.

I think every family should shut down now and then and reconnect, don’t you? What do you do when you shut down?

Image: stock.xchnge

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

I went to a book auction at one of the local libraries the other day and came back with a real treat. A lot of books and booklets about the Ingalls family – that’s the Laura Ingalls Wilder family, for those who didn’t spend a jillion years watching “Little House on the Prairie. Included were biographies, diary excerpts, letters, and even some books filling the gaps between and after the “Little House” books. Oh and I paid $5 for this glorious lot of books and pamphlets.

This was a real find for me. My sisters and I loved the “Little House” stories and always had an interest in the Ingalls and Wilder family. Reading Grace’s diary or letters between Laura and her daughter Rose gave me a deeper glimpse into their lives than I imagined and answered many questions.

That wasn’t what I was going to share with you today though. What I found interesting was how Laura and her family spent their evenings in the days before TV and radio.

The Ingalls family was tight knit, even those outside the immediately family. In fact many of Charles’ (Pa) and Caroline’s (Ma) brothers and sisters married each other! Talk about keeping it in the family.

One way they spent their evenings was with letter writing. The families kept in touch with a circular letter. One family would start a letter and mail to the next. They would each add to it until it came back to the original writer, the the chain would begin again. As Laura and her sisters grew older and married, they became part of the chain as well.

The family also did “fancy work” in the evening. Beading, knitting, crocheting, sewing. They read aloud from books and magazines, a chapter or two at a time. And when the lights grew too dim to read they, sang and danced to the sound of Pa’s fiddle.

Kids today would probably say most of that is boring. Who wants to sing and dance with family? It sounds like a good time to me though. I really look forward to Saturday nights – that’s our designated family night. We play games, pop corn, read stories and do things together. Now that it’s summer, we’ll probably spend our Saturday nights in the pool.

My son is a little too young to not want to spend time with his old mom and dad, but by starting the “family night” tradition now, we’re hoping it leads to a Saturday night habit as he grows older.

Families today can learn a lot from the Ingalls and Wilder families. Even as they grew older they didn’t grow apart. With miles between them they still wrote to each other and enjoyed each others’ company. They kept busy without electricity and somehow didn’t consider any of it boring.

Sounds like a good time to me.

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

I have to to tell you, the last thing I want to do is give up the freelancing freedom. I enjoy picking and choosing my own jobs and writing for different clients. I like taking days off whenever I want and attending school functions. The problem, is it’s so uncertain. I can’t guarantee the same income each month. We spend more time hemming and hawing over fences and new windows, it’s not fair for me to make my family feel so insecure.

I made the decision yesterday to accept a full time, salaried position. It’s my dream job and I know I’ll be very happy. My family’s happiness and security comes first, I’m glad I can give that to them.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Way back in the day before, before there were booster seats, my grandmother would give us telephone books to sit on so we could reach the table easier. Every family I knew had a telephone book on hand for just such an occasion. Now of course we have special seats for the littlest guys.

As you know, I’m annoyed at having to deal with so many phone books. Yesterday I told you how to opt out of receiving telephone books. Today I’d like to offer some uses for the phone books piling up in your home.

1. Recycle – All phone books are recyclable. In fact, many are used to make new phone books. Just pack up with your regular pick up and let the pros handle it.
2. Use to clean windows – Use vinegar and phone book pages for a streak free shine.
3. Use as a booster seat – Just like grandma. When company is visiting and small bodies can’t reach the table, use a phone book or too to help them out.
4. Use to press flowers and leaves - Preserve flowers and leaves for framing or art projects.
5. Use as animal bedding – Shred pages and use for animal bedding for hamsters, gerbils, rabbits and more.
6. Use to line litter pans – Don’t forget to recycle the cardboard covers.
7. Use as packing material – Tear out pages and ball up or shred to pack around fragile items.
8. Use the pages for mulch – This is the same principal as using newspapers for mulch. Tear out the pages and lay them all around the plants to keep out weeds and keep soil most. Cover with dirt or your regular mulch.
9. Use as a step for step aerobics – Add a new challenge to your aerobics workout but stepping on and off the phone book.
10. Keep one in the car – Can’t find your restaurant or lost going to a party? Use the phone book to keep you directed.
11. Use for kids’ craft projects – Paper machier anyone?
12. Use to kneel on when gardening – Prevent muddy knees by using your phone book as a kneeler.
13. Use as a fire starter – Take camping or keep handy by your fire place for starting fires.
14. Use as trivets - Protect tables and counters from hot dishes and pots.

Tell us…what do you do with your old phonebooks?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Is there any (good) reason why I have three or four telephone books delivered to my door, or rather thrown on my front lawn, every year?

There are phone books for just my township and phone books for the county. There’s a phone book just for local businesses and phone books for every business in the county. This is such a waste.

Personally, I think telephone books should only be sent to those who ask. I look online for all my phone numbers anyway. I’m putting an end to it right now. Want to join me?

If you want to stop receiving phone books call:

• ATT/ Yellow Pages: 1-800-479-2977
• Verizon: 800-555-4833, press 4, then 5, then 2
• DEX: 1-877-243-8339, press 2
• Yellow Book: 1-800-929-3556, press 2

(Hat Tip: Triple Pundit)

This is what I’m going to be doing today, and it will totally be worth all that time spent on the phone. Meanwhile, what am I going to do with all the phone books here?

Hmmm….sounds like a post. Check back shortly for some good ideas.

Image: stock xchnge

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Right now it’s raining – not too light but not so heavy I have to close the windows. I love summer rain storms. One of my favorite sounds is that of a gentle rain hitting the leaves. It reminds me of my summers camping with my family. I didn’t really hear that sound in the city, but where I live now there are plenty of leaves. You may think I’m silly opening my windows to hear a rainstorm, but for me it’s one of those pleasures money can’t buy.

Image: AllPosters.com

Post from: Thrifty Mommy