Cool THAT kitchen !!!

The thought of using the stove or oven in this crazy summer heat wave makes me ill...but we can't go without eating, so when i do have to cook, I found a simple trick that seems  to really help...

After using a hot pan on the stove top, put some cool tap water in it, set it back on the hot burner and put the lid on.  The cool water starts absorbing the heat...that way it doesn't continue to warm your kitchen!  I can literally "feel" the difference immediately!

Silly, Simply, but works :)

Costco Gift Cards

Costco sells gift cards for up to 20% less to participating retailers and restaurants!  Perfect for giving as a gift but, don't buy for yourself unless you would be going there anyways...otherwise you are just spending EXTRA $$$! 

My Best Friend....right now

With over 140 pieces of clothing tagged for our local kid's consignment sale....this little tagging gun has been my best buddy!!  I cannot believe that I used to attach my tags with safety pins...once you use a gun, there's NO going back !!!

Get one for your next sale at HERE on eBay !!!

Time to De-clutter

It's time for the kid's consignment sales, so my mind starts thinking of what I can sell!  I love the feeling of de-cluttering my house...it feels great to only have what I actually USE in a room!  To help me do this I have designated boxes or tubs in each room to sort with. 

One box is for DONATE- the box is one that I can just close up and set out for a donation pick up.  Be sure to get a receipt for tax deductions.

One box is for items I take to the local resell shop- must be items "in season" & ready to sell.  I use a bag or box that I can part with, and leave there with the items, to make it easier to drop off and leave it.  Brown paper sack work great for this!  I make 50% of the sale price and they do all the work.

One box is for my kids consignment sale items.  It is usually a plastic tub that I label Spring or Fall...they stack easily downstairs for storage and they are easy to carry around and deliver to the sale with.  I always get my tubs back to reuse again!  Big money maker and way to rid of outgrown clothes/toys!

Cheap T.V.

Stream TV for free online, or pay small fees for tons of entertainment at

http://www.huluplus.com/   or  http://www.netflix.com/  or  http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/ontv/ontv

at Netflix, I even watch movies through my wii!!

The Great Steak Debate

Some friends and I were discussing steak the other day...

She thought it was easier to just go out for dinner and pay for a good steak,  she couldn't get the steak grilled the way she wanted...

Well, here's my trick and I cannot take credit for it, my Dad fixed steaks all the time and ALWAYS made them just like this:

Sprinkle uncooked steak with garlic salt, using a fork, stab it all over, then splash vinegar over it and repeat on the other side.  Heat grill to searing temp (Super HOT), Slap the steaks on, don't move them until they are ready to flip...for a 1 inch think steak, usually 4 minutes.  Then flip and don't move them again until it's as done as you like.

This method makes for a tender, slightly flavored steak that's juicy as ever!  I rarely order steak out, we can fix it at home on our grill better AND cheaper !!!  I guess I just need to invite that "nameless" friend over for steak dinner to prove it!!!!  Huh, April?!?!?!?

Cool off with a pinAqua!!

This month's FAMILY FUN magazine mentioned a pinaqua as a summer game to play!  You fill a plastic grocery sack with water, hang it from a branch and let the kids take swings at it...someone's gonna get dumped on!!!

Kool Aid Summer Fun

Kool-Aid is sponsoring Family Movie Night on hub..Friday nights @8est !!!

They also give some great summer fun tips like:

To get in some playtime with your kids, start a game of tag, hide and see, Simon says, or red light/green light!  Remember these games from your childhood?  None of them require a single item and they are FREE to play, no excuses now!!

Set up a kool-aid stand during a yard sale or on a corner street in your neighborhood!  Help your kids learn about selling and making change! 

Set up picnic play dates at local parks.

Enjoy summer evenings with family BBQ's, movie nights (rent them at the library for FREE), board games, or even camping out in your own back yard! 

What's your favorite FRUGAL thing to do in the summer???

Ultimate Online Savings

Here's a few tips to make the most of our techno world!

*  Sign up for your favorite retailer's e-newletter to find out about upcoming sales! (it's nice to have a seperate email address for this to keep your personal one from getting overloaded!)

*  Buy giftcards to your favorite merchants at up to a 60% discount off face value on sites such as:

giftcardgranny.com 

abcgiftcards.com

plasticjungle.com

*  Don't forget about rebate sites that will give you a percentage of your purchase back via check in the mail.  Check out some sites like:

bigcrumbs.com
                                                 ebates.com  (Get $5 today for signing up!!!)
shortcuts.com
shopathome.com
mrrebates.com

Goodbye Plastic, Hello Cash

I have started doing my grocery shopping with cash...it is saving me, BIG TIME!!!  Using my credit or debit card is so much easier to hand over to the cashier, but THAT is the problem!  When I have a limited amount of cash to spend, it's harder to "let it go"  Plus, actually handling the REAL money is helping me and my kids realize the true value of it!  Put your plastic away this week and use real money, let me know if it helps you too!

Wash that Produce !!!

I make a weekly trip to the farmer's market and load up on my produce.  I bring it in and immediately wash it, spread it out on a kitchen towel and then spray it with my 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water.  It kills bacteria and is SAFE to eat!  It is the same sprayer that I use to wash windows and countertops...super easy!

Join Mighty Dog Nation

I just met a Mommy blogger over at About a Mom and she had some great ideas!! I love this post:

Join Mighty Dog Nation to get an awesome welcome packet and voice opinions about important petcare
needs!  She just got her kit and it contained coupons for purina dogfood, a new pet id tag, and a new Kong toy!!  I just signed up and our Great Dane, Sophie, will be so excited to get a new toy in the mail!

Summer Fun with Bubbles

EVERY kids loves bubbles!

Make your own bubble juice with:  2Tbs regular dish soap
                                                     1 cup of distilled water
                                                     1 Tbs Karo syrup

Make bubble art:  Add food coloring to small containers of bubble solution, blow them toward a sheet of white paper, let them burst and creat wonderful rainbow bubble art!

Wanna be a volunteer?

Check out http://www.volunteermatch.org/ to find the perfect volunteering opportunity for yourself or your kids over the summer!  Helping others is sooo rewarding and the kids learn so much from it!