Monthly Archives: July 2011

Hanging with my Peeps® Since 1977

Food and Drink, New posts

Read Part 2 of my Peeps® series here.

Peeps®

I know, it’s hard to believe I was around in 1977.  You know what has kept me looking so young? Probably all the Peeps® I ate and played with as a kid.  Please don’t laugh. I have to make my self feel a little better somehow.  The summertime blues are hitting me and I like to think that I still look a little younger than I am.  Peeps® have been around since 1953 I believe so they have a few years on me.

Something that I remember getting every year for Easter is Peeps®.  No, not the kind that our kids think of.. friends, but the delicious sugar covered, marshmallow kind.  My sister and I weren’t allowed to eat many sweets as kids so imagine our excitement when Easter, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween came around every year.

I wouldn’t just eat the Peeps® though.  Oh no.  I got creative with Peeps®.  I put on shows with the little Peeps® bunnies and chicks like you wouldn’t believe.  “Quack” said the mommy Peep.  “Hop to the Mulberry Store to get your school supplies” mommy Peep said as little Peep hopped off into my mouth.  No kidding.  I LOVED everything about Peeps®.  The colors, the texture, the sweetness, the melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of the little chicks.  Goodness, those were good days.  Then I went several years sans Peeps®.  You know, the childless years.  When my son was about almost 3 years old, I gave him his first Peeps® and what did he do? He played with them!

I’m sure you are saying something like, “Alicia, it’s not Easter.  Why are you talking about Peeps®?”.  Well, Peeps® are amazing all year round!  Easter, Valentine’s Day, for Teacher Appreciation Day, Birthdays, Christmas, and just any ordinary day.  You can order Peeps® online 24/7.  Whatcha waiting for?

Read Part 2 of my Peeps® series here.

Connect with Peeps:

Disclosure: I was engaged by Mom Bloggers Club to participate in a campaign for Peeps®.  All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Extreme Coupon Show Backlash as Stores Change Policies: Learn Coupon Do’s & Don’ts

Money, ,

Extreme Couponing - Do's and Don'ts

Thank you to Andrea Woroch for this great post!

A recent article on The Consumerist found the TLC show, Extreme Couponing, has sparked a trend of out-of-control couponers who ransack stores with little regard for fellow shoppers. Merchants have taken notice and many major retailers are starting to change their policies. Here are some of the big ones.

Rite Aid
Rite Aid has taken the same steps as Target to crack down on shoppers looking to exploit BOGO coupon offers. The drug store chain has also made other changes including limiting the number of coupons per item to four. If inventory is running low, managers may limit the numbers further.

Target
The biggest change at Target comes to their buy one, get one (BOGO) policy. They now only allow one BOGO coupon per purchase. Previously, customers could “stack” Target printable coupons, combining store and manufacturer BOGO coupons to get both items for free.

Walgreens
Many high tech shoppers have even started to crack coupon barcodes, allowing them to use coupons on products they’re not intended for. Walgreens is working to combat this fraud by adopting a new type of barcode. New barcodes will be able to hold more data and can better make sure Walgreens coupons are used for the right product.

Publix
At Publix stores throughout the country they’re also limiting the number of coupons that can be used on one product. Their new policy limits couponers to one manufacturers coupon and one store coupon per item.

Shopping with coupons is certainly a smart way to save, but there are right and wrong ways to do it. Here are some basic do’s and dont’s to help you coupon with class.

DO play by the rules. Couponing isn’t too complicated and common sense should get you by in most cases. Rules vary store to store, so if you’re planning to use a large amount of coupons, it helps to brush up on coupon policies before you shop. This includes making sure you’re buying the item the coupon is intended for and checking to see if they’ll accept expired coupons or not.

DON’T clear the shelf. In the eyes of casual shoppers, clearing entire shelves of popular sale items crosses the line between couponing and hoarding. If you really want to stock up on certain products, try making multiple trips or call ahead and ask a manager if they’ll set aside an order for you.

DO be organized before you check out. It’s a nightmare for cashiers and people waiting in line when you hand over a haphazard pile of miscellaneous coupons. It’ll be much appreciated if you clip them before hand and make sure they’re all facing the same direction. Also, remember to remove coupons for products you didn’t end up buying. If you are using mobile coupons, have them ready on your smartphone for the cashier to scan.

DON’T shop during the busiest times. The stress level of those waiting in line during peak times is high enough. Using dozens of coupons takes time and will only irritate other shoppers. Instead, go shopping when business is slow. It takes the pressure off to complete the transaction as quickly as possible for both you and the cashier.

DO be polite to the cashier and fellow customers. Sure, you might have some knowledge other customers and even clerks don’t, but it’s no excuse to treat others like they’re beneath you. If a cashier isn’t familiar with coupon policies, stay calm and ask to speak with a supervisor. They’re much more helpful if you don’t lose your cool. When your cart is overflowing, give those behind you a heads up that you’ll be using coupons. If someone is waiting with just a loaf of bread and gallon of milk, let them cut ahead.

DON’T steal coupons! A growing trend turning the tide against couponers is theft. Newspapers and newspaper subscribers are increasingly finding coupon inserts stolen. This is a big no-no and can get you into some serious trouble. Many people will willingly part with their unused inserts if you ask nicely.

 

Consumer Savings Expert, Andrea Woroch, has been featured as a media expert source on The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, FOX & Friends, ABC News NOW, MSNBC, Kiplinger Personal Finance, Smart Money and many more. For more savings tips visit AndreaWoroch.com.

Get Involved!

Do you have any couponing tips or other money saving tips you’d like to share with us?  Tell us in the comments below!

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Summer Reading Activities – How to Keep Your Child’s Brain Active

Education,

Summer Reading tips for kids

Did you know that studies have shown that children fall three months behind in the learning progress they’ve made when they don’t do anything in the summer to keep up?  Scary, isn’t it?

It is so important to keep our children’s brains engaged over the summer months, so they don’t lose their place in academics. Staying academically active in the summer doesn’t have to be boring, though. There are a lot of creative ways to keep the wheels in your child’s brain rolling!

Here are a few ideas on ways to keep your child’s brain active during the summer vacation months:

Have a themed dinner night for family and friends

  • Pick a theme, like maybe the 1980’s or even superheros, and have everyone dress up according to your theme. Find coordinating foods for your theme to serve to everyone. And most importantly, have lots of books on hand about your theme.  Choose relatively short books so as to not bore your guests! After dinner, everyone can take turns reading all of the books together.

Summer Reading libraryHave a book swap party

  • A great way to bring new life to old books is to have a book swap party. Invite some friends to gather up old books they no longer want and bring them over. As everyone comes in, take their books and set them all up on a table so they are easy to browse. Have your guests gather and mingle in the living room, but, set the books up in the dining room. Once everyone has arrived, file into the dining room so that everyone can choose some new books to take home.

Children can get together with a small group of friends and write a storybook

  • They can do so in a round robin way, where each child writes some and then passes it to the next for their turn. Or they can collaborate as they go along. When they are finished writing the story, they can work on some illustrations. They might even have fun finding pictures in magazines to use for the illustrations. They can put it all together with some cardboard pieces for the book cover. They will probably need your help with that part, as it will be hard to cut. When it is all done, they can take turns keeping the book each weekend to show grandparents and whoever else they would like to show it off to.

Don’t forget your public library’s summer reading program

  • It is a great initiative to keep your kids interested in books. Children can usually choose their own books to read for the programs. It is not only fun for the child, but it really helps to keep their desire to read going strong. Most children who are always told exactly what to read see reading as nothing more than a chore. Library summer reading programs usually have prizes for certain numbers of books read and then grand prizes at the end of the program.  Many library reading programs for kids have a kick-off party and a party for when the program is over, too.

So many kids fall behind, just from the gaps that happen over the accumulated summers. It can be really hard to catch up when school starts back up in the fall and by the time the child reaches middle school, they may be several grades behind in reading alone. We don’t have to make kids’ summers all work and no play, but keeping their brains in operation is imperative for them to keep up in school.

Get Involved!

How do you keep your child interested in reading over the summer months?
Do you have any summer reading tips to share with us?
Tell us in the comments below.

Save Money – Buy Consigned Kids Clothing and Gear

Money, New posts,

Deals on used kids clothes

When my son (now 11 years old) was little, we bought him designer baby clothes (Ralph Lauren) at stores like Neiman Marcus.  Talk about silly!  Between his uncanny ability to stain an outfit in less than 5 seconds and how quickly babies grow, he didn’t wear an outfit more than a few times before it was thrown away due to staining or it was too small.  I learned this lesson pretty quickly.. don’t spend a fortune on baby and children’s clothes! They simply grow too fast and the clothes usually get stained too quickly to justify spending $100+ on a designer outfit.

Learn to shop smart and save big by purchasing gently used kids clothing, baby gear, and toys from your local children’s consignment store.

At the consignment store you can get high quality, gently used clothing at low prices. With the rapid growth spurts of your kids, buying new clothes at each stage can be costly, making consignment stores a perfect resource that you should take advantage of.  To ensure minimal spending when you go to your local children’s consignment store take a look in your baby or child’s closet first and make a check list of the things he/she needs.

Consignment stores are great places to get kids clothing and they are usually a lot cheaper but their clothing may be a little more used. They do however have extra discounts on some items on their sale days.

You can also visit yard sales where you have the opportunity to get a full wardrobe for only $10 but in order to get to these yard sales, it requires a lot of work on your part.  For example, checking the papers and getting up early on Saturday mornings to ensure that you get the best buys at the best prices.

If you really must get new clothing for the kids you can purchase them at specialty stores where you can save some money. Think of the maximum length of wear time that each piece of clothing has before purchasing.

Hand-me-downs from family members and friends can come in handy and they usually have very little wear and are quite usable.

When looking at all the options given, the children’s consignment stores stand out with their low costs, brand names, clothing for special occasions, high quality, every day wear , end of season sales and their huge discounts.

Recommendations

You can find maternity and children’s consignment stores near you by searching Google for your city and “consignment stores”.   You’ll also find great consignment opportunities online at websites including eBay, Gently-Used.com, and ThredUp.com.

ThredUp.com is a great concept.. you swap boxes of clothing with other moms and pay just $5 for shipping.  You can see a list of what’s included in each box including the brand name in most cases.  ThredUp.com shoppers can search boxes by age, size, and type of clothing making it very easy to find exactly what your child needs quickly.

 

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Make Dinner Time a Happy Time – Tips for Parents with Picky Eaters

Food and Drink, , , ,

picky eatersAs a parent you try to make your kids happy especially when it comes to meal time. You and your spouse however wonder how you could stand another meal of hot dogs or hamburgers. If you decide something different like a spicy dish, your kids will rebel.

You need to realize that you and your kids are not the same age. They will develop tastes for different foods over a period of time. Think about it. Did you like every meal that was placed in front of you when you were a kid? I’m sure that your answer is no.

At meal time you may want to fix healthy dishes despite your kids craving for fatty foods and sweets but not sure how to.  Don’t worry help is on the way.  It is possible to serve healthy dishes that interest your kids.

Try these dishes on for size:

  • Kids’ meal – pan-fried cheeseburgers.  Adults’ meal – patty melts on rye.
  • Kids’ meal – cheese and chicken quesadillas. Adults’ meal – mu shu chicken.
  • Kids’ meal – hot dogs. Adults’ meal – turkey kielbasa sausage with grilled onion on a French roll.
  • Kids’ meal – monster meatballs with spaghetti. Adults’ meal – meatball sandwiches.
  • Kids’ meal – buttered noodles with roasted chicken. Adults’ meal – brown butter with roasted chicken and pasta covered with Mizithra cheese.
  • Kids’ meal – cheese and ham sandwiches (grilled/cold). Adults’ meal – Reuben sandwiches.

Encourage kids to help prepare the dishes. Kids are always eager to get their hands dirty and they will show off their end result proudly. Finally meal time has become a happy time. Adults get to see their kids eating healthier and they don’t have to indulge in their greasy habits. Kids get to eat something they helped prepare and they can finally sit down to a meal that they like.

Here are a few great website resources for parents of picky eaters:

 

Does your picky eater have a favorite meal you’d like to share with our readers?  Do you have a tips for parents of picky eaters? Leave it in the comments below.

Alicia Hagan, Editor