50 Thrifty Father's Day Gifts Under $10

Father's Day usually finds me with more men to buy for than money in my purse. I love giving gifts to husband, dad, father-in-law, grandfather, step-dad, uncles, brothers, our parish priest and all the special dads in my life. But I also need to feed the kiddies. So my Father's Day shopping focuses on budget. Here are 50 Father's Day Gifts Under $10

Candy Alternative Easter Baskets, Healthy Holiday Treat Recipes

I know, Cadbury Creme Eggs are to die for. Peeps are an Easter staple. But really, why must Easter baskets overflow with candy? Holidays seems to involve increasingly more sweets and junk food. With one in three kids overweight or obese, says KidsHealth, it's time to rethink our sweets craze. I've been dieting and lost 96 pounds by substituting sweets with healthy alternatives. Here are good-for-you Easter treat and snack recipes. Healthy Easter Snack and Treat Recipes

Addiction Recovery Tips for Shopaholic Parents

Shopping addiction is one of the trickiest habits to break, particularly for parents. Kids need many things, and it's not like we can stop buying. We're constantly confronted by temptation. If you're a spendaholic, here's my recovery plan to break the overspending habit. Money Saving Tips for Shopaholics

Cheap, Homemade Valentine Craft Projects

After 25 years as a public school teacher, homeschool parent, VBS-Sunday school-CCD teacher, project organizer, parent, club leader and do-it-yourselfer, I've cut out more crafts pieces than I care to remember! I've assembled countless crafts for units, themes and holidays over my career. And though it was enjoyable, it took a lot of energy and organization. Here are tips to simplify those crafts, cheap and easy. Note: as you read the linked articles, you'll notice numerous spelling errors. My spellcheck/edit tool wasn't functioning at the time and I've not been able to fix it. I apologize for those mistakes. Read more

Cheap, Educational Stocking Stuffers for Kids

I have to laugh when I see what stores tout as "cheap" stocking stuffers. I don't consider anything over $5 "cheap" especially not for stocking presents which are typically filler gifts. If my child is getting three or four bigger, pricier gifts under the tree, I can't afford to spend big on the stocking, too. Having four kids to shop for, Christmas is crazy-expensive enough without the stockings.  Read more

Black Friday Shopping Strategies

 Black Friday...that 'morning after' when bargain-hunters descend like a swarm of locusts and devour every 'hot buy' in site, leaving exhausted, shell-shocked store employees and ravaged shelves. It's the great American dream in the land of plenty! I've braved this tsunami of shoppers before and have a battle plan to share, worthy of General Sherman himself! This was written about stores in West Michigan, but they're mostly big box stores that are available across the U.S. Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Staples, Menards, Sears and mall chain stores. My Black Friday game plan involves three phases: SURVEY, STAKE-OUT, SIEGE and SWEEP-UP Read more Black Friday Shopping Tips 

Cyber Week Shopping and "Upgrade Your Parents Browser" Day Tips

Cyber Week Shopping and "Upgrade Your Parents Browser" Day Tips Cyber Monday , the biggest online shopping event, kicks off on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Cyber Week is like Black Friday, except that it happens at your computer and not in a store. Many people like cyber shopping: no standing in line, no dodging pushy shoppers, no tired feet, no need to get up early or deal with the chaos. Cyber shopping requires some finesse and lots of caution, though. Here are tips to make your Cyber Week merry. Read on...

Best Books for Infants and Toddlers

Best ABC Books to Teach Letters of the Alphabet to Children
There are literally hundreds of ABC books to teach letters of the alphabet to children. Authors and illustrators across the genre spectrum have written ABC books for children. Here are my recommendations for best ABC books, based on words and pictures. Read More