The No-Poo Trend?

I'm going to admit, I get very skeptical about "trends".  Lately I've been reading a whole lot about the "no-poo" trend..........or, no shampoo.  I don't know about you, but I tend to have very oily hair.  I can wash my hair in the morning, and shortly after it dries, it's oily again.  This prevents me from doing a whole lot with my hair (a pony tail is my go to hairstyle).  Last week my husband started talking to me about how he heard by not using shampoo, you'll have healthier hair.  I of course told him how I could not possibly go without shampoo because of my grease-ball of a head!  Then he made a point.......maybe my hair was oily because of the shampoo.  Hmmmm?  I've since read that shampoo actually strips your hair of the natural oils, and what you end up with is your head/hair trying to produce those oils again.....leaving you with oily hair.

So this morning, after two days of not shampooing my hair......I decided to wash it with a baking soda mixture.  I've read that the baking soda cleans the dirt from your scalp, without stripping your hair.  I then used apple cider vinegar to rinse my hair.  My mom used to rinse my hair with cider vinegar because it "brought out the red highlights in my hair".  So now as I sit here typing, I can smell the vinegar lose it's strength as my hair starts to dry.  Let it be known, I am still very skeptical of this no-poo trend, but here I am giving it a shot!  I'll try to update you in a week with photos of my hair.

Summer Fun: Our Free Day at The Butterfly House

Yesterday morning me and my kids went to The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House at Faust Park here is St. Louis.  The first Tuesday of every month, The Butterfly House (as well as The Botanical Gardens) are free to get in from 9 a. - 11 am.  I have a summer full of fun, free things for the kids to do this year, and they all focus on something educational, Girl Scouts, and lots of FUN!  During our visit we explored different types of bugs, walked among a large variety of butterflies, searched for hidden gnomes, completed a scavenger hunt, watched a movie, and then the girls completed their Girl Scout booklets while little man played on the playground just outside.  The kids had so much fun, they hardly had a clue they were learning anything!  Our day was far from finished though.  Once we wrapped up at the Butterfly House, we walked to the St. Louis Carousel, and then enjoyed a picnic!  Once we wrapped up our day at Faust Park, we loaded up in the car, and went on a hunt for some of the St. Louis 250th Birthday Cakes scattered all around St. Louis!

Find out about the Butterfly House's Girl Scout patch program HERE.  The cost of the booklet and patch is $3.50.

 

Real Life, Not So Perfect Mom

Every morning I follow the same routine.  I wake up, get my older kid off to school, then the little guy and I eat breakfast together while he watches his favorite Disney cartoons, and I enjoy a cup of coffee while I do my daily web surfing (checking email, checking deals, and of course, checking Pinterest).  As I sit here this morning looking up Easter ideas on Pinterest, I see all of the mommy bloggers, who are up early every morning, lean house, beds made, kids perfectly happy and oh so photogenic, everything seems to be in perfect order.  Then I look up..........my kitchen table still has groceries on it from two days ago, my kids didn't do their chores last night (which means I get to pick up toys), and my son (as I speak) has spilled his cereal all over the floor.  Looks like I'll be busy cleaning all day (only to have it undone by the time I get back from Girl Scouts tonight).  Heck, if it wasn't for Girl Scouts, I probably wouldn't bother changing from my pajamas today!  My kids annoy the crap out of me!  My 3 year old son is very temperamental right now and by the way he's eating, I'm pretty sure he's either going through a growth spurt, or her has turned into a mini teenage boy.  Then there's my daughter.  I have to repeat everything to this kid!  Just this morning, I had to tell her 8 times to put her belt on, and she lied twice about having it on!  She even stood over me making annoyed sounds (while I was still sleeping), just waiting for me to put her hair up.  As crazy as my kids drive me (let's throw the hubby in there just for fun too!), I love them so very much.  You see, as crazy, annoying, and chaotic as my house is, I've realized I have to focus on the positive over the negative.  As much as I wish my house was well kept like the Pinterest homes, I'm just a real life, no so perfect mom.  Now, if you don't mind, we've got cereal to clean up!

DIY Glitter Eggs

Next weekend we will be having our first Easter egg hunt at our house!  I'm not sure who is more excited, me, or the kids.  The hubby and my daughter have been suggesting we do a "special egg" filled with money.  When I was a kid, every so often, there was a money filled egg, and it was always super exciting to see who got it.  Anyways, I decided to do three special eggs (since there will be three kids participating).  I found a glitter candle holder on Pinterest a while back, and I figured I could apply the same technique to my eggs.

Supplies:

Mod Podge

Plastic Eggs

Paint Brush

Glitter

To start off, paint your plastic eggs with the mod podge.  While the mod podge is still wet, sprinkle your glitter liberally.

Once you have covered all of the eggs, let the mod podge dry.  Then paint a coat of mod podge over the top of the glitter in order to "seal" it, and prevent the glitter from scrapping off.

Once the second layer has dried, your eggs are ready!  This craft is super simple, and the kids are going to flip over the sparkly eggs!

 

Dollar Shave Club

As you probably already know, I am a couponer.  I always hold out for the lowest prices, and I'm pretty much stuck in my ways.  At one point, I was able to get razors for free, or almost free.  However, due to recent changes in prices, coupon policies, and coupon values, it has become harder to coupon (and do it honestly).  I came across an email for the Dollar Shave Club.  I had heard about this site a while ago, but at the time, I was rocking on stocking!  Since then, my stock has began to become more scarce.  After comparing the current prices of razors, and what I can get  them for with coupons, it just made sense for me to sign the hubby (and myself.......sure, I'll use a guys razor!) up for the Dollar Shave Club.

Ok, so here is the gist on the club..........you pay one low monthly payment (we opted for the 6 blade razor, $9), and receive your month's supply or razors.  You get a free handle that will fit all of the blades for the razor you choose.  If you shave less than the average bear, you can begin a little stockpile of razor blades!  The reason they can offer such low prices is because the blades are unmarked......which just means you don't know which company they come from.  Also, if you sign up, and you refer friends, you get $5 for each friend......which in turn can mean free razors for you!  You can also upgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time.

Sign up for the Dollar Shave Club today! 

UPDATE: My hubby received his first month's worth of razors.  He enjoyed them very much, but what really took the icing on the cake was the shave butter sample they sent.  He always breaks out after shaving, but oddly enough, he did not after using the shave butter!  I guess we'll be purchasing more shave butter for him!

Shopping for Free on Amazon!

I love being able to get things my family needs (or in  this case wants) for free!  I started shopping for free on Amazon when I started earning free gift cards.  I have been able to shop for Christmas presents, food, personal hygiene products, a camera, and now a portable DVD player for our road trip!  And I've gotten it all for FREE!  

My favorite sites to earn free Amazon gift cards (and other gift cards and prizes)......Bing, InstaGC, and Swagbucks!  Sign up today to start earning your free Amazon gift cards!  

Terrible 3's

Every so often, I use my blog to vent about things that are happening in my household.  Right now, the focus is on my 3 year old son.  For about a month now, he's been going through what I can only describe as the "terrible 3's".  When the tantrums started at age 2, I assumed that the "terrible" behavior would limit itself to the 2nd year.  My son, as cute as he is, is one tantrum away from being sent to Nana's house (fyi....Nana can be scary!).  We're struggling with him breaking anything he can get his hands on (including his own dresser), stealing and hiding things (candy, cookies, coins, etc...), shoving large amounts of trash or toilet paper into the toilet or sink, dumping out all of the soil from my planters and seedlings......you get the picture.  We've also been experiencing a little violent behavior (kicking and hitting).  Now, I know most of this is "normal" for a toddler, but when it gets to a certain point, it makes me wonder what I'm doing wrong.  I stay at home with him (which I did not do for my daughter).  The past week I have accomplished very little in regards to cleaning, homework, and taking care of my own needs because if I take my eyes of of him for a moment, something else breaks.  I have tried different methods of punishment, both negative and positive.  I have even ignored bad behavior, and rewarded only the good behavior.  I even went as far as to not yell, but rather spoke in a calm voice to him, in an attempt to somehow calm him, and reason with him.

I realize I might be describing my son as some sort of terror, but he is not.  He is kind, loving, and full of life.  As crazy as my kids may be, that's what makes them unique and amazing little human beings.  At this moment, he is draped across my body telling me he is so tired (did you really think he'd let me type a blog post without him?).  Whatever I do next to correct his behavior, it is going to have to be consistent.  So if you are a mom of a "terrible toddler", what methods of discipline/encouragement worked best for your child?  

Walmart's Savings Catcher

So, I'm sitting here watching the news this morning, and they start discussing Walmart's new program to "help me save more money"!  Walmart now offers a program called the Walmart Savings Catcher.  Here's the breakdown of Walmart's new program.  You go to Walmart, and make your purchase.  Instead of price matching before you go, or while in store, you can now make your purchase without doing so.  You then take your receipt, and enter the receipt information into the Walmart Savings Catcher website.  It will them price match against it's competitors, and if they find a higher price anywhere else, they'll reimburse you on a Walmart gift card.

If you would like to find out more information, or tey it for yourself, just head over to the Savings Catcher website.


UPDATE::::  Since apparently my local store (the brand new Super Center) is not participating, the Savings Catcher would not take my receipt.  

Spring Cleaning: Getting Ready for Spring!

Spring is almost here (FINALLY!).  As the days get longer, and it starts to get warmer, we tend to “wake up” and have the urge to get things done.  I don’t know about your house, but during the winter, the kids are playing inside most of the time, and things get broken and dirty.  I like to get started on my “spring cleaning” early so that when the weather does get really nice, we can be outside instead of inside cleaning!  I compiled a list of things my family needs to tackle now that spring is around the corner.

Spring To-Do List:

Examine the house.  Yep, inside and out.  I like to check for leaky pipes, potential basement leaks, anything outside that could have been damaged during the winter.  I make a list of everything that needs to be repaired and cleaned so there is no question about what needs to be done.  I noticed that water wasn't draining away from my home properly, so this year I plan to correct that problem.

Yard work.  I know, I know……but you see, we haven’t had to do yard work all winter.  This year I have to rake up leaves, dispose of my dead flowering bush, prep the garden, and lay down mulch.  I consider cleaning the gutters as part of yard work, so the hubby shall have the honors of doing that (I hate being on the roof).  This also includes starting you seedlings if you garden (I've got flowers, cabbage, and collards ready to go!).

Decluttering and organizing.  I told my hubby this year we need to find a home for every item in our house.  If it doesn't have a home, it’s getting tossed, donated, or it's going to be listed on Listia!  We also toss out (or donate) old and broken toys.  We love to create and craft during the spring and summer, so anything we can save for that, we do.  I also like to take time to clean out and reorganize the pantry (which becomes cluttered after Christmas baking).

Switch to spring.  Yep, switch to spring…..that’s what I said!  I don’t know about you, but there are certain colors and items that are season specific in my home.  I like to brighten things up once spring rolls around.  Switch out the bed sheets, switch out pillows and decor, and pull back the drapes.  We put away the winter clothing and bring out the spring clothing.  Spring is usually the time of year we paint.  I mean, the house is getting organized and cleaned, so if painting is on your list, do it now!  I literally switch my house to spring!

DEEP CLEAN!  Like I said, you've probably been in your house for the majority of winter, which means dirty germs lurk everywhere!  Mop, scrub, dust, polish, disinfect………do whatever you need to get your home clean.  I start from the top and work my way down.  Best way to tackle deep cleaning is to focus on one room at a time.  That way you don’t see it as the entire house that needs to be cleaned, but rather that small area of the house.

Focus on healthy.  I'll admit, I eat one too many helpings at Thanksgiving, and one too many Christmas cookies around the holidays.  Now that the weather is getting nicer, clean up your diet too.  Fresh fruits and veggies are going to be in season soon, so freshen up your diet!  We love hitting up our local farmer's market for fresh, local produce, cheese, honey, and even meat!  We also take advantage of the pick-your-own produce farms (can you say fresh berries......yum!).    

Now you just need to light a candle, grab an iced tea, and read a book while the sun shines down on you!  Happy spring cleaning mommies (and daddies)!  

Personal Priorities: Saving Money in 2014: UPDATE

Ok, I'll admit, I've been slacking on posting about my New Years Resolution!  If you follow me on Facebook, you'll know I got off to a rocky start in January.  Made an impulse purchase that really upset me in the end.  However, we pulled it back together!  We now make sure we put money into savings every single check.....before any money is spent.  I'm not going to lie, money has been on the tight side, but for good reason.  Last August I noticed we owed $14,000 on our car (which is going to be 4 years old with less than 50k miles on it this August).  That didn't sit well with me.  So every extra dollar we could afford, went to paying down the car.  As of today, our car is 100% paid off!  Now we can focus on bulking up our savings.  Never have I been more excited!  Our saving has also allowed us to take our first family vacation this year (3 more months!).

So what have I been doing to save money so far:

• Paid off the car
• Couponing: the past 2-3 months have been all about stocking up.
• Selling our kids old clothes: thank you JBF!
• Putting more focus on my garden: the more fresh produce I can supply for my family, the better.
• Cleaning and organizing: finding new uses for old items, making sure we aren't buying what we already have.
• Turned the thermostat down by two degrees and shortened showers.
• Taken advantage of free events and classes for the kids (and us adults!).
  

So there you have it.  Combine that with how I've already saved money, and we've got ourselves some great savings around our house.  Let's just hope the next few months will prove easier in my mission to save more (while doing more).  Wish me luck!

Check out How to Save Money When You've Already Cut.

Girl Scout Camp: Crackle Candle

Remember last month when I went to Girl Scout camp?  Well, they taught us a bunch of different crafts that we could go back and do with our troops.  I just so happened to take the candle making class, which focused on 4 types of candles......including this crackle candle.  Now, since I made this at camp, I don't have a step by step photo tutorial, but lucky for us, this isn't hard at all!

Supplies:

Wax (Tip: save the last bit of wax from your candles to melt down.  You can add this to the wax you buy at the store to save money)
Small taper candle (We used a small taper candle only about 3 1/2 inches tall - or as tall as your carton)
Milk/juice carton (We used recycled milk cartons from school lunches - when opened all the way, they were about 4 inches tall)
Ice (Crushed)

Directions:

To start you'll want to melt your wax.  TIP: Melt your wax in a crock pot.  It will melt evenly, stay melted for long periods of time, and when you're finished and it's cooled down, it will pop right out for easy clean up (and yes, the camp instructor told us we can then turn around and make chili in the same crock pot!)  While the wax is melting, make sure your milk cartons are clean and dry.  You'll want to make sure to open the top all the way.  Take a taper candle, and hot glue it into the bottom of each carton.  This will be your wick, so make sure it is centered.  The next steps go very fast, so be ready to move it.  Next, you are going to make sure the ice for all of the candles is crushed and ready to go.  Have each girl fill their carton with crushed ice.  Fill it up to the top of t he candle, but be sure to leave the wick exposed.  Next, have each girl (one at a time) fill their carton up with hot wax.  Grab a ladle, and pour it over the ice as quickly as possible because the ice will start to melt.....which will cause the crackle effect.  Let the candle sit and cool.  Once it's hardened all of the way, pour the water out, and remove the carton.  The kids will have fun seeing what happened to their candle!

My "OH SO DELICIOUS" Crock Pot Carolina Pulled Pork

I love pork.....especially pulled pork.  It's one of those things I could seriously eat everyday, without it ever getting old.  My favorite way to enjoy a pulled pork sandwich is with a good Carolina sauce.  A Carolina BBQ sauce is a vinegar based sauce (tends to be thinner than other types of BBQ sauce).  I'm the kind of person who will set up the smoker in the early hours of the morning just so I can get my pork going.  But......it's winter time, and there's a lot of snow that I'd rather not deal with, so to the crock pot we go!

Carolina Pulled Pork

1 pork picnic roast (6-8 pounds (or whatever will fit into your crockpot) --- BONE IN......best flavor with the bone in (and cheaper)
1 cup cider vinegar
1/8 cup of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
2 yellow onions (sliced)
Salt and pepper to taste (I am not a huge salt fan, but for the sake of the pork, I add more than usual)
1/4 cup of water (only use if your pork becomes dry during cooking......for example, if your cooking liquids magically disappear, or if you want to cut the vinegar taste slightly)

Trim the bulk of the fat (and skin) from the roast.  If you are smoking your roast, this layer of fat and skin will help form a bark, but since we're using a slow cooker, it will just become mushy (you'll want to keep some for flavor).  Slice your onions and place them into the bottom of your crockpot.  Next, coat your roast with salt and pepper, and place on top of the onions.  Mix together the vinegar, Worcestershire, and ketchup.  Pour over the top if the roast.  Set your crockpot on low heat, and cook for 7-8 hours.  Turn your pork once every 2 hours (to ensure it's getting all of the juices!).

When your pork is finished, it will shred easily.  Serve with the sauce and onions you cooked it in.  In our house, we love put pulled pork with cole slaw on top (recipe to come later).  Enjoy!

I can not stress the importance of cooking your pork low and slow.  If you cook it too fast, it will become tough.  At the end of cooking, you should be able to shred the pork with a spoon (yes, it will be that tender!)

Get $10 off of your $20 Purchase at ThredUP

Right now you can score $10 off of your purchase of $20 or more over at ThredUP with coupon code JAN10!  Also, when you sign, you can earn $5 in FREE credit for every friend that signs up!  So many ways to score free clothing!  Right now ThredUP offers clothing, shoes, and accessories for women, juniors, and children.  

This offer is for new member only.  Sign up here to start saving!

Save Money on Gas

Last week I posted on my personal Facebook page that I filled up my car for under $10, only paying $1.15 per gallon (FYI, gas here is about $3.15 per gallon right now).  Of course I was bombarded with questions about how I managed to do that.  If you're guessing another rewards program.......you'd be right!  We signed up, for the Fuel Rewards Network from Shell almost 2 years ago, and we love it!  FRN is a FREE loyalty program that helps us save on our gas purchase by rewarding us cents off per gallon when we shop online, eat out, buy groceries, redeem e-coupons, use your Mastercard, fill up at our local Shell, or make purchases inside our Circle K.  Points add up pretty quick (so quick that some people can fill up for $.01 per gallon!).  Every once in a while FRN offers a special reward for it's members, like randomly offering $.03 off per gallon for the month of December (or something along those lines).  Gas is such a heavy expense for a lot of families, so why not help take the ease off at the pump for little to no effort!  Find out more about how you can save on your family's gas budget here.

During the month of February, when use your FRN card to fill up at Shell four times, you’ll earn $.25 per gallon!

Sign up for Fuel Rewards Network today!

Bing For Schools: Help Get Surface RT Bundles for Your Kid's Classroom

You already know I love reward sites, and you already know that I use Bing to get rewards just for everyday searches.  But what you might not know, is that yo can use your points to help your children's school get Surface RT Bundles for educational purposes.  Once your school hits 30,00 points, Bing and Microsoft will ship out a Surface bundle to your child's school.  To get to your goal faster, why not share this opportunity with other parents at your school?  Make it a community effort to get these tablets for your child's classroom, for FREE!

Sign up for Bing Rewards to get started!

If you don't have children, or are interested in other rewards, you can always redeem your points for a variety of gift cards (including gift cards from Amazon, Groupon, Swagbucks, and Fandango).  You can also donate your points to different charitable groups that help to help and educate children in the U.S.

Ladies First

We live during a time where chivalry has been all but lost, women are stronger and more independent, and gender neutrality has become the way of life.  But is it still fair to raise your sons and daughters differently?  Is it vital for their success, or will it hold them back?  I'll admit, I raise my son and daughter in different ways.  Now, before you start sending hate mail, hear me out.  In my house, I say "ladies first", but not for my daughter's benefit, and certainly not to stroke her ego and think she's somehow better than my son, I do this for my son's benefit.  I want him to grow up knowing how to treat women with respect and dignity.  I feel as though by instilling chivalry in him, he will grow into a gentleman.  As for my daughter, I have raised her to understand that she won't always come first.  I don't want her to ever expect a man to allow her allow her to pass first.  In the end, I try to teach my children to respect everyone, regardless of sex, race, sexual orientation, or religion.  But for me, right now, ladies must come first for my son.

$20 off at TOMS.COM

Need a new pair of shoes?  Want to help someone in need?  Head over to TOMS.COM right now.  They'll even give you $20 off your first purchase when you create an account.  PLUS, for every pair of shoes you buy, TOMS helps one person in need.  Good shoes, good cause, good deal!  Make sure you head over now, because the $20 off offer ends January 23, 2014.

For more information on TOMS and their mission, visit:

TOMS.COM


PLUS.........use coupon code TOMSWINTER5 to take an extra $5 off of your $25 purchase!

10 Things Your Guy Wants to Hear

As I was scrolling through my Facebook tonight, I came across an article entitled "16 Things Every Girl Should Hear From Their Boyfriends".  Now, as a mother of a young girl, I would hope that my daughter finds a man who would treat her with the utmost respect.  However, I would also hope that she would treat her man with the same respect that she demands.  With that said, I have been coming across a lot of articles like this one lately.  It got me thinking..........what about the guys?  Do they not deserve to be treated like a prince?  So I sat down and thought about all of the things my husband would want to hear from me (keeping it PG of course), and I compiled a list of 10 things I think every guy should hear from his lady.

1. "I respect you enough to let you be the man."  Now don't go crazy here ladies, hear me out.  Guys like to feel as though they are in charge.  So why not give your guy enough respect to make him feel like he's the man of the house?

2. "I appreciate everything you do for me."  If your guy works hard, let him know how much you appreciate it.

3. "You're right."  For a guy to be right during an argument with his lady, that's huge!  (Hehe)  Why not acknowledge when he's right, we sure enough let him know when he's wrong.

4. "I love you."  Plain and simple.  If you love him, let him know!

5. "You look very handsome."  How does it make you feel when you're told you're beautiful?  Good, right?  So make him feel good too.

6. "I forgive you."  If your guy has upset you, or hurt you......let him know when you have forgiven him.  Don't make him go around feeling down about making you feel bad.  That wouldn't be good for anyone.

 7. "Can you help me?"  Now don't ask him to do everything for you.  But ladies, ask for help opening that pickle jar.  It gives him a chance to show off his muscles!

8. "I have confidence in you."  If he's got something big coming up, or doesn't have faith in himself......give him an extra boost.  Let him know how confident you are in him.  You'd be surprised how great it will make him feel.

9. "I trust you."  So many guys live life thinking they don't have the trust of their lady.  Let him know there is nothing to be worried about, and that you do trust him.

10. Tell him what you want.  I have got a huge secret.......guys can't read minds!  Tell your guy what you want, how else is he going to know?   

Declutter Your Home with Listia

Was your resolution to get your home organized this year?  Let Listia help you declutter your home.  You probably already know that I'm in love with Listia!  I use the site to get free seeds for my garden, and free supplies for crafts.  But what you might not know, is that you can use Listia to auction off your items that might be taking up space in your home.

When you place an auction on Lisita, users can bid on your item.  Once the winner receives your item, you are credited the points you earned.  You can then use those points to place bids on items you need (or want).  I was even able to add to my husband's baseball card collection using Listia.  Since everything is free, this is a great site for those of us who are on a budget.  The site is free, bidding is free, and listing is free.  Listia will for sure help me on my quest to save more money in 2014!

When you sign up, Listia will even give you free points so you can start off your bidding!  Earn additional points by completing tutorials, sharing auctions, and inviting friends.  Sign up today!

So, if you're looking for a way to get rid of some excess clutter in your home, head over to Listia and post your items in a few short steps!  Now, if you don't mind, I have some auctions over at Listia that I need to go bid on (cabbage seeds for my garden!).  Happy bidding!

Visit www.Listia.com for more information and to sign up.  You can also find Listia on Facebook.

Lisita works on all browsers, and has free iPhone and Android apps.


*Update* As I was going through Listia today, I realized that in the Rewards Store you can use your credits to get a ton of great stuff, including electronics, toys, and gift cards!  Why didn't I see this before!

FREE Photo Brag Book and 9 Cent Prints from Walgreens

Now through this Saturday (Jan. 4th), use coupon code SMALLBOOK to score a FREE 4.5x6 brag book from Walgreens!  This is a great way to show off your holiday memories!  Shipping is $2.99 for your book.

While you are making your brag book, grab some 4x6 prints for 9 cents each (on orders of 100+).  Use coupon code NINE4X6100.  Make sure to choose in-store pick up for your prints to avoid shipping costs.

2014 and my Personal Priorities: Saving More Money

It's January 1st already, so that means it's day of my resolution, to save more money!  Luckily, the hubby is off today, which gives us an opportunity to sit down, discuss our goals for the year, discuss our needs and wants, create a financial plan, and talk about ways we plan on saving money.  Over the past few weeks, I've sounded somewhat like a broken record........this year we will hold ourselves accountable for our spending.  People who know me give me crazy looks when I say I want to save more money (I mean, I already coupon like crazy, cut back on eating out, reduced our energy use, etc, etc, etc.....).  I plan on updating my progress the last Friday of every month, so keep me in check people!  Cheers to the New Year!

If you haven't read my New Year's resolution, check it out here.

Check out these amazing bloggers who are holding themselves accountable for their actions and sharing their resolutions!