On or around this day each year Chick-Fil-A
If you know me well, you might have realized that I absolutely love steampunk, and have since I was a wee little girl, even without knowing it's name. Mary Poppins did it for me, and ever since, I have longed to dress in the fashion of the early 1900s, while still maintaining my active lifestyle. Steampunk actually allows tat, with all of te little subgenres it involves and merges with at the edges...
That said, a very talented acquaintance of mine is hosting a giveaway of one of her steampunk jewelry and sculptures. Her Etsy shop is called Catherinette Rings, and I have never seen such beautiful wire ringwork in the steampunk form.
Her website is:http://www.etsy.com/shop/CatherinetteRings.
Once you see her art & products, you will have to have some for yourself. I know I'm already planning a purchase of one of her amazingly inexpensive rings. *grin*
Until the 26th of November only, you can get DOUBLE the free Tupperware with your party!
Yep, you heard me right, DOUBLE your FREE Tupperware!!!
I am SO excited to be able to offer this, that I am offering an extra free gift (on top of the usual host reward gifts) to all hosts for parties held this week.
Heck, I'm even offering a free gift to you if you don't ave a party, and refer someone who does hold one this week.
No worries about time constraints either, I can do a party in 15 minutes for you and 4 of your friends, and I'll even come to your work and do it in the break room if that's all the space and time you have.
Tupperware products, AND the way Tupperware works has changed drastically, even in the past three days, so get in on the newest "next best thing" and be one of the first to get the great extra bonuses!
I can set up a party for anyone, anywhere in the US, so don't be shy.
Let me help you to have a debt free holiday season this year! *smile*
1.888.693.6372 Call now!
Want to learn something new, or have an exciting new experience?
How about a challenge for your bravery and your tastebuds?
Then I have some parties for you!
I am hosting a series of Themed Tupperware parties, and there is one to suit nearly everyone!
Tightwad Auction Party
Frugality & Free Tupperware
10/07/09, 6:30pm, Springfield, MO
For more information & to RSVP, click here.
~~~~~~~~~
Eco-Auction Party
Saving The Planet With Free Plastic!
October 15, 2009, 6:30pm, Springfield, MO
For more information & to RSVP, click here.
~~~~~~~~~
Hauntings & Bizarre Foods!
October 25, 2009, 6:30pm, Springfield, MO
For more information & to RSVP, click here.
~~~~~~~~~
Starting the season off right with free Tupperware!
October 29, 2009, 6:30pm, Springfield, MO
For more information & to RSVP, click here.
~~~~~~~~~
Also coming soon!
Drunk & Dirty
Fund Raiser Expose'
To host your own exciting custom-theme party, contact me today!
Tupperware parties no longer have to be held in your home! You can have your party at a park, at a restaurant, in a local community center, and more!
I am hosting this Online Party to tell you about all of the new great products Tupperware has to offer to simplify your kitchen, home, and life GET FREE TUPPERWARE!
Tupperware is the only lifetime guaranteed, environmentally sound, green solution to saving food and money.
Please click this link to begin browsing through the geat products and special offers available only through my online party.
The best part of hosting or attending a party online is that you never have to leave your house, or even get dressed! Browse and order from home, and get your new Tupperware delivered right to your door, no matter where you live in the U.S.!
Thanks for participating in my Tupperware Online Party!
Feel free to tell all your family and friends too, and let them in on the great goodies and special deals that you can only get at an online party! Everyone's invited!
Imagine life on your terms; more time for family, friends and fun, more flexibility and true financial freedom.
Stop asking yourself why you don't have the time, happiness, health, and money you desire. Instead, ask yourself; "Why not? Invest two minutes of your time; call toll free 1-866-376-7518 to hear about the Tupperware opportunity, then call a consultant toll free at 1-888-693-6372. They'll be happy to answer any questions you may have, and help you get started on the path to your dreams!
The lifestyle of Tupperware leaders is nothing less than wonderful! Trips, diamonds, cars and cash bonuses are just a few of the perks you can find in Tupperware.
There's a Really, Really Free market in Springfield, Missouri!
What is a Really, Really Free Market, you ask?
A Really, Really Free Market is sort of like a FreeBee...
Okay, it's exactly like a FreeBee.
Bring usable stuff you no longer want and take away things you do, while meeting new people in the process.
Save the planet, recycle, upcycle, reuse, share, or whatever you want to call it, it's a totally free event, with totally free stuff, and totally great people.
There will be toys, books, clothes, and more, in all sizes, and for all ages when the event begins, and more variety guaranteed as the day goes on and items begin to rotate through with the attendees, so come one come all!
This Saturday between 7am-7pm at 818-822 West College in downtown Springfield. Parking available across the street.
The community center hosting the event has asked that there be no furniture, televisions, microwaves, or computer monitors brought in due to space and storage constraints. Please bring only clean, and reusable items, as the center does not have laundry or repair facilities.
Repairable bicycles in any condition, folding tables, and functional bookshelves are welcome, and will be accepted as donations to the center for current and ongoing projects.
Be there, or be... well, bored.
Did I mention that it's Free?
Celebrate Christmas with Chick-Fil-A. Make crafts, and happy memories, and even score a free meal!
Monday, Dec 15th ~ Decorate a stocking (all day)
Tuesday, Dec 16th ~ Christmas stories with Santa Cow (5-8pm)
Wednesday, Dec 17th ~ Free hot cocoa & candy canes (all day)
Thursday, Dec 18th ~ Make reindeer food (5-8pm)
Friday, Dec 19th ~ Dress up like Santa, Get a free meal* (all day event)
Saturday, Dec 20th ~ Breakfast with Santa Cow (8-9am or 9-10am)**
Monday, Dec 22nd ~ Decorate Christmas cookies (all day)
Tuesday, Dec 23rd ~ Design Christmas placemats (all day)
* Head to toe dressing like Santa gets a meal, dressing in something with Santa on it, or Santa-like gets you a free sandwich.
** RSVP required by Dec 18th. $5 for breakfast.
Mediacom Ice Park near Jordan Valley Park in downtown Springfield is having it's annual free ice skating again this year for the holiday season.
The schedule of remaining free skates are as follows;
Saturday, Dec 13th 9-10pm
Friday, Dec 19th 5:30-6:30pm
Thursday, Dec 25th 3:30-4:30pm
Friday, Dec 26th 5:30-6:30pm
Saturday, Dec 27th 6-7pm
Free ice skating includes rink usage only, skate rental is extra; $2.50.
Address: 635 East Trafficway, Springfield, MO. Phone number: 417-866-7444
We had hail on Halloween morning, but the weather cleared up nicely for the yearly stranger-begging ritual, leaving us with warm temperatures and clear skies.
Ladybug went as Glenda the "good witch" in her younger years. She was "popular" but her poor dress didn't fare very well throughout the evening...
Z-Man ran with his pirate costume again this year, and looked dapper as usual, while his father went army (not pictured).
Littlebit went faerie in the riskiest color of all, white. No worries, she lived up to expectations and damaged it beyond salvation. *chuckle*
Faith Dressed like the pretty pink girl, which got more elaborate and fluffy as the evening wore on, due to Ladybug's dress frayed and tore.
I was a disgruntled homecoming queen, with gun, of course. *smile* All homecoming queens have to have guns, dont'cha know? Loosing all that weight made the gown fall off of course, so I had to safety-pin it to my underclothes with Faith's help in order to keep it on for the night. Almost time to retire or repurpose it.
There were all sorts of neat houses to visit, and this was one of the most popular on our route, replete with a long line, the cotton candy house! Three people were manning the cotton candy maker, and here we have a photo of Faith's hubby getting a bit of candy for himself. This was one of the only houses that all the adults begged at as well.
From house to house we walked, gathering goodies, making new friends, and singing filk songs.
Everyone really gets into the action in our favorite neighborhood, decorating their homes and themselves. I really enjoyed this house's creative and artfully carved Obama pumpkin!
Even in two-inch tall platform sneakers, Ladybug couldn't stop stepping on the gown she had been given (thanks Faith, she loved it to death!), and about half-way through the evening, the front had ripped off, and she rubber banded some of the shredded bite to her wrists and became a gypsy.
We did some reverse Trick or Treating this year, giving fair trade chocolate and informational fliers to those who shared their candy with us. For more information, or to bring next year's event to your neighborhood, visit Global Exchange. Fair trade chocolate is the best I've ever tried, seriously, buy some, you won't be sorry, and the good feeling you get from supporting ethical farmers doesn't hurt the flavor one bit. *grin*
I had never seen this sort of costume before, so I grabbed a picture, but the one that shocked me most was the little Sarah Palin. She looked very accurate, and had obviously put some planning into her costume. I didn't manage to get a photo of it, but Faith did, and will probably post it on Gather here in a couple of days. Her ID is Faith IB, so go on over and have a look at what she's already posted, and keep an eye out for the Palin costume.
Despite her initial misgivings about going candy-begging, Ladybug danced the night away in her beautiful gown, until finally, almost all of the toole was gone, and she draped a large chunk of it over her head and started saying she was a pink bride. *laugh* Way to roll with the punches!
There was a house with a haunted house, and another with a kid-friendly Halloween movie playing in their garage on infinite loop. Note the puzzle cube in the photo. It was a really creative year, that's for sure. Among the greatest costumes not captured were Mr. Perelli from the movie Sweeney Todd, a peacock, Edward Scissorhands, three great gothic lolita costumes, and a Joker in a nurse's uniform.
The house parties were great too, giving everyone the opportunity to be as silly as they'd like, and even the adults came out in their full splendor.
They didn't end up with a lot of candy this year, but we all sure did have a lot of fun together, and that's what really counts!
After we finished Trick or Treating, Littlebit went home with Faith for a little overnight care, and after hearing that the college kids next door had taken all of our parking places, we just drove over and parked near our next event, the Rocky Horror Picture Show!
RHPS is a great place to get pictures of really fun costumes, so I dragged out my camera again after the event, and grabbed a few more shots of some of the more interesting costumes.
Pinocchio was a huge surprise.
For some odd reason, I thought the aerobics instructor look was dead, but all things rise from the dead on Halloween, no matter how awful they are!
And our final photo, you would never expect to see in a million years, Eddie (meatloaf), and The Goblin King posing together for the strangest photo of the evening.
It was a really long night, but worth every minute for the fun! How was your Halloween?
I made a mistake the other day when I sent you over to Products & Places, my review, freebies, and giveaway blog for our first little giveaway. There wasn't a giveaway going on then, but there is now. Somehow, in all the rush to get things done, I had completely forgotten to publish the post for the giveaway!
If the response is good for this giveaway, we'll up the ante over there with even better prizes and goodies.
But it's up now, so go on over and have yourself a look see! *smile*
Don't forget, there's a slew of samples about twice a week, and great reviews on products you may be interested in. Remember, every review is fully honest, whether good or bad, and many of my reviews could save you a pretty penny or three.
You've likely heard me talk about saving money vs saving time and what the difference is, as it's a somewhat common subject in my conversational repository. I can talk for hours on the benefits of making your own things when it comes to recycling, reusing, and saving cash, and I nearly always manage to work in that if you are spending more time making it yourself than what it would cost to go out and buy an item, it's not really a frugal option. But how do you figure out how much your time is worth?
Well, my time is usually worth about $10/hr. It's a set rate based on everything I do in the home and in my business, what it would cost per hour to have somebody else do it for me, then divided by my waking hours each day.
Everyone's value will be different, and for each activity there may be mitigating circumstances such as whether you like the activity or not, that can raise a particular activities value for you personally.
For example, if it costs less money for supplies to make it yourself than buying it at the store, is it really less expensive in the long run? Let's see shall we?
I'm going to use the laundry detergent I made a few years back as a good example, but with modern pricing.
We've already stated that it costs less for the supplies than it does for the detergent straight across, so let's just estimate that to fill a 5 gallon bucket half-way with powdered detergent, it costs about $15 for the supplies. Not bad, considering that it would cost about $20 for even the cheapest chemical-filled detergent to fill that much space, and our detergent is higher quality, raising the store-bought price to nearly $40 for that much natural, eco-friendly, phosphate-free detergent with good cleaning power.
So far we have a great deal!
Now for the time factor. It takes me about 2 hours to grind down two bars of Fels Naptha by hand, or 10 minutes in the food processor, which ads the electrical cost of about a penny and a clean-up time of about 25 minutes to wash all the soap remains off of it so that it will be ready for food prep again. By hand, we have a cost of $20 just for grating, and $5 if we use the food processor.
Already our make-it-yourself detergent is raising in price!
Now let's take the time to open and dump all the boxes of goodies like borax, baking soda, and generic oxy-clean we've purchased for this little endeavor. That takes about 10 minutes on it's own, and these powders are heavy.
We take about 12 minutes in the store to buy these ingredients, if we go to a store that carries them all instead of having to go to a couple of different stores to buy it (wasted gas money). It takes 2 minutes to just buy detergent. 10 minutes spent.
Mixing takes yet more time, and to make sure that everything is mixed evenly, it takes about 20 minutes more, as shaking is by far the most effective method of mixing, and for that we have to snap the lid on tight, heft the thing, and shake for a good 5 minutes, then take the lid off and stir and repeat until it is good and mixed, or do the same thing without lifting and kick the sealed bucket around the house, chasing it, then stirring, again, repeating a few times to ensure a great mix.
Every time we do the laundry, we have to spend two minutes opening and closing the bucket (we'd hate to get moisture in it and waste all our hard work, right?), and since 2.5 gallon bucket of detergent washes about 105 loads, that adds up quick to 205 minutes, or 3 1/2 hours just fiddling with the container on wash days.
So we've spent nearly $60 on our detergent if we've made it by hand, or $45 if we've used the food processor to speed up the work.
Best case scenario, we're spending about $5 over what it would cost for equally green detergent if we just bought it at the health food store. Not looking like such a good deal now, is it?
Of course, if we get into the fact that this is mind-numbingly boring work, we bought all those separate things, all of which had their own packaging that we now have to find an eco-friendly way to dispose of, and that we now have a pickle bucket taking up a bunch of room in our laundry room instead of a smallish box, it gets even more ridiculous to make your own.
We get some of our detergent for free, from sampling sites and the like, so our actual costs are even less than what we would spend if we went out and purchased all of our detergent at the store. Making our own detergent makes no sense, at least for our family.
Of course, if you are taking your laundry to a laundry-mat and sit waiting for your clothes to finish, it might just be a valuable way to spend that time instead of just reading a book and waiting. See what I said about every circumstance being different?
So you really need to consider all of the costs related to a money-saving activity in order to be able to properly decide if it will actually save you anything by doing it. Already doing some things by hand to save cash, but unsure if they are really saving you money? Decide how much you are worth per hour, then time yourself. You might just be surprised at how much your frugality is costing you.
Thinking of a new project to save a little on the side? Involve the kids in the experiment, and use it as a life lesson and homeschooling opportunity. You'll be glad you did!
Kacper Wrzesniewski from Poland, wrote a really good piece explaining your personal time's hourly value in his article "How much is your hour?". Go give it a read, it's good stuff.
Are you doing something to lower costs that's not actually saving you anything?
New posts over at the review and freebie blog again this week, and several more scheduled regularly for the coming weeks, so stay tuned over there for more exciting freebies, giveaways, and reviews!
Currently showing for your viewing pleasure;
A review of the new Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber that I was lucky enough to have the chance to try(with a free coupon for you), and a whole slew of new freebies.
A new review of our favorite dance club is up on the front page as well, so be sure not to miss it.
Go have a look, and tell me what you think. Don't forget to comment over there, comments are pretty slow there at the moment. *grin*
There's a slew of new samples over at Products & Places again, for your freebie-loving pleasure. *smile*
Be sure to look at both of the most recent posts, and grab all the goodies you'd like, they're all still active!
Too late to really blog, and I'm exhausted from a hard day's work, but the least I could do is clue you in.
Blondemomblog is giving away an Ultreo ultrasound toothbrush. This thing is an uber-cool power toothbrush with all sorts of useful bells and whistles.
Okay, I admit it, I'm pimping my blog out for an extra chance to win this little beauty, but, really, wouldn't you?
After all, it's all about the linklove, and I really enjoy her other blog (there's a link on her site), despite the fact that it's a review blog. I'm not a huge fan of review blogs as regular reading, though I relish their usefulness, and rely on them more often than consumer reports when researching a product. Chicky's got personality, and I like that in a blogger. Too many review bloggers are dry and unemotional about their opinions, so reading her reviews is like a breath of fresh air.
Click here to enter.
Good Luck!
With the rising cost of gas gouging holes in everyone's budget, and the 5 cent off per gallon Kum&Go gift cards no longer reloadable, I decided it was time to tackle some of the methods you can use to cut fuel costs.
Our family just moved closer to the majority of our daily activities so that we could walk or ride bikes more often to where we needed to go. This alone has cut our fuel consumption by 75% in the last month.
The first rule of driving to conserve fuel is to drive as if you were riding a bicycle. A lot of the ways I drive a vehicle, I learned when I was taught how to ride a ten-speed. Now, many years later, I am truly surprised to discover that a lot of the methods I have been doing since I bought my first car are now being suggested by the people who vehemently encourage fuel efficient driving.
Hooray for instinct! *grin*
Find out if your town is flat or slanted. We were happy to discover that our entire town slants down hill towards the southwest corner. This means that traveling to run certain errands or visit some of our friends takes less gas than going other places, as we can coast almost the whole way in one direction. We've begun to plan our trips so we can take advantage of the slant more effectively.
There's a lot more conservation methods on my advice & services blog; Earthereal Guidance.
Since we're talking about saving money, the freebies have started back up over at Products & Places as well. It's just a weekly thing until I get the time on my hands to do more, but with the prices going up all over, every little savings means a lot!
These last couple of weeks have been a doosey to say the least.
A friend of mine became homeless and is now sleeping on our living room floor with her husband while they await his next paycheck so they can move into an apartment of their own, and it's been a lot of fun staying up late at night after he gets off of work chatting, telling stories, and playing games, but it has cut my productivity down to nill.
Ladybug's birthday party went well, and we all had a lot of fun, even if the invitations to our homeschool groups didn't go through for some odd reason. Of course, this means that there are a LOT of party bags left over, but we'll be taking them to the free homeschool clothes, toys, & food exchange this weekend and they will all find nice new homes there, while we will hopefully find some new-to-them clothes and shoes for the girls.
The garden is growing well, and the cuttings we've taken are rooting nicely. As usual around this time of year, we are at a loss for planters, and have need of many more than we currently own. We've trimmed back some of the trees lining the parking area so that we can plant something there, and already begun beautifying the neighborhood with flowering edible plants. I'm sure the neighbors won't mind.
We still haven't gotten an answer from the landlord as to whether we can garden the back lot, but we decided we didn't need permission to put up a small retractable clothesline, so we went on ahead, and that's helping to save us a lot of money on at least drying the laundry, since my mother still refuses to give up our washing machine.
If we don't get an answer on the gardening thing by next week, we're going to set up a load of planters back there and garden that way. Nobody has ever said no to a container garden, only to digging up their precious (yet poorly-tended) grass. At least there are edibles in the yard. *grin*
One of the local coffee shops has agreed to save their used coffee grounds for us if we provide the container, so the pickle buckets will soon be on parade yet again, and our wait for garden soil, both for our own garden, and The Radish's many projects, will soon be over, or at least significantly reduced. Today, I deliver their first empty pickle bucket.
The Radish's community garden is coming along nicely, and we've donated a few plants over there, as well as continued to contribute to their compost heap with our un-wormable compostables.
I've taken lots and lots of photos of pretty much everything, but as the battery on the camera is now dead, and with me not knowing the charger's location, showing them off is kind of on hold for now.
The house continues to pull into shape, and we've decided that we need a lot of shelving all over the walls of the house to be able to have enough storage space. This place doesn't have nearly enough closets to store the things we need. Looks like it was made for college students, with three small closets, and only enough kitchen cabinets to store a couple of pots, some spices, random boxed foods, and a set of dishes. We really miss our old house.
There have been some pleasant dumpster scores as of late as well. Not that we've been out hunting, really, but when a shelving unit looms up out of the trash as you drive by, you just have to go pick it up, no matter if you have no place to put it back at the house. *chuckle* Of course, shelving is one of those things that not having space for isn't a problem, what with the average shelving unit itself being able to provide at least twice the space it takes up.
We've been requested to teach a class on sushi preparation, and two people want to come over and have me either create or upkeep their dreadlocks for them.
Now, I know where the time goes, but why the heck can't I somehow barter time from those that have extra lying around that they're not using?
The above photo is what greeted up in our new kitchen when we moved into our new house.
Gross, huh?
That's what we thought too, so we snapped a photo to show to the landlord as proof, and got to work.
45 minutes of hard labor with my favorite cheap & natural cleaning products* later, we had the image below.
Yep, that's right, there was so much grime on the sink, we couldn't see that the enamel had worn off the bottoms of the basins! *gag*
So we snapped another shot, and told the landlord we just plain needed a new sink. He said that he'd be happy to install whatever sink we managed to get, so a-hunting we did go.
With no written promise of reimbursement, however, and our tighter-than-tight budget, there weren't many places we could look. Freecycle(tm) to the rescue!
Within hours of my wanted post to our local group, a friend of mine messaged me to let me know he had just purchased a sink from a yard sale, meeting our size requirements, in order to get the faucets and stuff off of it for his home. He didn't need the sink itself, and we could have it.
*the crowd goes wild with cheering*
Even better, the sink is steel, so I can finally polish a sink again, after 4 years of being deprived of my precious shiny sink**!
Now to call the landlord and schedule the installation. *grin*
I may not have the best landlord in the world, but my friends and community are a true blessing!
*baking soda, vinegar, heavy-duty scrub sponge.
**Google "Flylady" for more information on the shiny sink obsession.
Where:
818 College Street
A Couple of blocks west of Grant Street on College
(Look for the familiar Radish sandwich board open sign)
When:
The Radish Infoshop will officially re-open at their new location on April 1st, 2008.
Yes, it's true! A cute little pale-green house on College street is soon to free the best radical lending library in this area from storage, and our big 'ole activist hearts from their slumber.
Everything we loved about the old radish, and nothing we didn't, with lots of new ideas and projects. A place to not only organize, but also to activate, and be active. Improving the community, one yard and one heart at a time, to make a better world, the new Radish currently has the following things in the works;
Provide free food, at least once week, along the lines of Food Not Bombs or the Burrito Project, hopefully in alliance with Project Brown Bag.
Produce organically grown heirloom food, that we have grown ourselves with the most effective methods of limited space urban gardening, and share it with the community.
Provide free clothing and fabric, 24/7, a more efficient Radish Free Store and sewing station for fashion altering and re-creation.
Create a “safe space” for children, so rad families can network, create, learn, and grow as a community with the help of structured (and de-structured) children's activities and family fun time.
Stop by and bring your creativity and willingness to pitch in. There are a lot of opportunities to help, and ideas are always welcome. The plans are evolving as the word is being passed about the reopening, and the art gallery and kids' areas already look fabulous.
In honor of the first day of 2008, I have gone public with two great new blogs for your enjoyment.
Bathroom Ramblings & Stallside Prose is a graffiti blog capturing and sharing the anonymous art and wit expressed in bathrooms around the world. As public project blog, you are invited to snap a photo of your favorite bits of wisdom or silliness with your digital camera or camera phone, and email them to me at the address listed on the blog's sidebar. What great fun we will have together!
Products & Places is a review blog of places and products I've experienced. Guaranteed to be blatantly honest, well balanced, and full of information. I will be accepting products to review, and there will be periodic giveaways. Regardless of the source of the product, I promise to remain loyal to my non-biased form of reporting and reviews. Location reviews are currently restricted to the Springfield, Missouri area, but this will change and grow by far when we finally get rolling in the new RV.
Happy New Year!
Technorati Tags: product reviews, place review, food, shopping bathroom graffiti, bathroom, toilet, graffiti, photo, humor, satire, new blog, blogging, blogger, blog, blogs Del.icio.us Tags: product reviews, place review, food, shopping bathroom graffiti, bathroom, toilet, graffiti, photo, humor, satire, new blog, blogging, blogger, blog, blogs
