Have you ever been to Macy's on 34th NY?

Wow...
We just got back from NY and let me tell ya... you can keep Macy's in December to yourself. Yes, it is huge and beautiful, but the amount of people inside that massive retail store was obnoxious. I was looking for some boots and after the 15 minute trip up to the 5th floor I was overwhelmed by the number of shoes and boots. It took me another 20 minutes to browse through and find the perfect pair, waiting another 5 minutes to find a clerk. Little did I know the journey had just begun. I had to wait 25 minutes for the boots to be brought up to the front. They were a little small, so I flagged down the clerk again and asked how long it would take for a 1/2 size bigger. She says, you should have asked for both the first time. HA - if I would have know the process, I wouldn't even have begun the hunt. But I thought, be patient, be kind and understanding... I sat for another 20 minutes. Ughh! By this time, I didn't have much spunk left in me and the boots just didn't feel very good. I left with the shoes I came in with.

Moral of the story - stay away from those big stores during the holidays!!

Corporate Downsizing...Are you feeling it?

Last night I met up with a group of my girl friends for our monthly Bunko party. It was very interesting to hear each of them talk about the changes within their companies. Our professions range from Corporate Exec, Lawyers, HR Stock Manager and Coordinator, Legal Assistant, Stay Home Mom, Grocery Store Greeter and the list goes on. Out of 9 Women, every single one of us is experiencing some type of financial change in our family incomes. Whether it is a 10% (up to a 25%) pay cut, mandatory time off without pay, no more company matching of the 401k plan or reduced hours OR maybe even a combination of these things, everyone is feeling it. It's unbelievable... not to mention all of our home values and 401k's are in in the gutter.

After being downsized back in October, I have had a lot of time to evaluate my life and how I am living it. I really didn't like what I saw. Yes, I was that successful corporate exec that had the nice suits and a wad of money in my purse, and yes, we could have anything we wanted... entertainment, gourmet meals, weekends at the spa/resorts, hops to CA for a little sun and sand. But was I happy?? Yes and No - I was happy to have such a great family, two healthy girls and an extremely loving, sweet husband. But I didn't have ME! My stress level was off the charts. I can't even begin to explain how different and GREAT I feel today. It's like the real me has come out to play and she ain't leaving.

How did I get to this place? First thing we did was understand - where are we financially.

How do you understand where you are financially? It really isn't too difficult. A good way to get started is to analyze your last year's income and expenses and create a budget. I was shocked to see that with a few tweaks here and there, things look pretty good. I admit we won't be taking as many spur of the moment trips to the coast or eating out 15 times a month, but that's okay by us. We will also have to be more conscious of getting the best deal/price instead of just pulling out the wallet on impulse. The deals are there if you look.

So as I continue to move through this new way of life I will keep you posted... share anything that may be helpful. It's my responsibility to give back as much as, if not more than I receive.

Have a great day and SMILE!

Here is a sample of what we used...

If you don't like this one, Click here to go directly to Microsoft Budget Templates

Contests for moms

Hat's off to Amanda Compton, the creator of ContestForMoms.Com ! What a fantastic site! An entire site dedicated to contests for moms, and the best part is, they have some great prizes. The thing that really caught me about this site is you can submit your own contest and network with some great "mom bloggers".

http://www.contestformoms.com/


Cheers, Beth

Parenting and Family Health Books Summarized for the Busy Parent

"The Busy Parent" translation = Running around like a chicken with my head cut off, feeling guilty that I don't have enough time for my family and when I do, I am fussing at them over something silly. I ask myself...Am I making the best choices for them? Do I have all the knowledge necessary to do my best...Blah, blah, blah! I think we are all in the same place, we love our kids and want the best for them. I truly believe we have the future sitting at our kitchen table fighting over the tater tots! I make a conscious effort to keep my mind and eyes open for resources to help me do the best job, the most important job I have - Raising Happy Healthy Children. I use several sources: My mom (who I don't always agree with LOL), my friends, and outside resources; books and websites. Recently, I stumbled upon really wonderful website.

ParentDigest.com is a GREAT resource. What I like about this site is that I can browse a ton of books on raising children and then either buy the book from Amazon or get the SUMMARY from them. They do all the leg work -They read the best and most popular books about parenting and family health, summarize them and deliver them over the Internet to their subscribers. You can sign up for monthly summarizes (2 per month) or buy the summaries ala carte. The best deal is the annual subscription. They have a 60 day money back guarantee, which I think is better than most guarantees.

Happy Parenting!!

ON SALE & FREE SHIPPING - Kid's Gifts

I have 9 nieces and nephews, 3 of which are teenagers. It is getting harder and harder to find a gift that they will like and I can afford. My budget is $20-25 per kid which adds up - so I try to find the best deals I can. One thing I have learned is to try to find multiple items with the vendor, shop the ON SALE or CLEARANCE section and always try to find FREE SHIPPING. Here are the sites I used this weekend for the kids in my life. Hope this helps make your day a bit easier and saves you some dough!!

For the Teens in your Life
Tilly's Clothing.... PAUL FRANK Ts for $11.97 and ROXY Jackets for $27.97 are very popular.
FREE SHIPPING Click Here:


Hot Topic Clothing... Huge Clearance Selection plus Free Shipping! Click Here! HotTopic.com


Here are some deals... Age 2-8
Order Dora Saves The Snow Princess on DVD and get 15% off your order at the Nick Shop! Use Promo Code QDSDVD at Checkout. Expires 12.22.08

eToys.com: Free Standard Shipping on 100's of Items, Shop Now!

Unattended Children in Shopping Carts

This afternoon I was at Hobby Lobby shopping for a few Christmas items and I hear this big bang and a small child started crying hysterically. Of course I head toward the noise, along with a few other customers and employees. Before I turn the corner to check it out, I hear the Mother yelling " See what you did, I told you not to hang on the cart...blah, blah, blah". She is yelling at her boy,(probably 3 years old), while holding the little sister(about 1 years old). She didn't even take the time to make sure the girl was okay -she was just flung to the ground - what do you think hit first? I would say her HEAD.... hello, what was this Mother thinking, so ready to scold the boy quite loudly, in front of the world. An employee asked if they were alright and she took a second out of the scolding to say they were fine. Unbelievable!! I think she should have had the public scolding. FYI - You don't leave your kids unattended for even a moment - especially while one is loose on ground and the other a prisoner of the shopping cart. Who's fault was it? The MOMs

Wow, that felt good to say!

CashUnclaimed.com - Has anybody ever used this service...

Have you ever heard of this site... CashUnclaimed.com ? I have heard people talk about these types of sites, but don't know anybody that actually used it and got money back. So I checked my name and - Nope, Nada, Nothing for ol' me! I thought I would try my step father that passed away last year. Sure enough, his name came up with a little $$ owed to him. I called my Mom and she pulled up the site, but was not comfortable going through the process. Apparently you have to sign up for some program which cost money and yadda, yadda, yadda. So I am looking for someone that has used this service. Is it worth it?

Spice up Your Gift Cards for the Holidays

I don't know about the kids in your life, but in mine, if they are over 11years old, it is really hard to find gifts that they like without them telling you exactly what they want.

What happened to the old fashion way...searching and searching for just the "perfect" gift, buying the wrapping paper, the bow, the whole works. Only to find out that "that's not really what they wanted". Then you spend more time taking the "perfect' gift back. God forbid you can't find the receipt, that's always the biggest bummer. It becomes even more complicated when you are sending gifts out of state.

So instead of just buying a visa or MC gift card, I buy Gift.com Gift cards. I can personalize the note with a message and a picture- makes it a bit more fun.

Here is how it works for them:

Step 1

Your gift recipient receives an email with your gift card and a certificate with a redemption code. If you want to deliver it in person, just print the gift card yourself.

Step 2
Your recipient browses through hundreds of top merchants and picks a merchant to redeem their gift card. Because we're all about freedom of choice, they can redeem your entire gift amount at one store or split it across multiple merchants.

Step 3
Your recipient clicks on the link and enters their claim code. They can redeem some now and more later if they want, or spend it all in one shot. That's the beauty of the Gifts.Com Gift Card—the choice is all theirs.

Step 4

Depending on the merchant, they'll receive the merchant gift card via mail or email. Some gift cards are for shopping in person or at a restaurant, others can be used online.

Hot Toys for the Holidays...Save Time and Money

FREE SHIPPING at eToys.com
Offer end 12/14/08
eToys: Free Standard Shipping On 500+ Items! (limited time offer)

This site is easy to find what you want- you can search by price, age, brands, characters and category. Very helpful!

My Pet: Vet Center... I bought this for my daughter, she loved it, our cats...not so much!!
Originally 29.99 on SALE for 19.99
Give your pooch the best possible treatment with the Pet-Vet Center. It comes with everything you need to care for your canine friend. Includes: carry case, puppy, stethoscope, feeding bowl, kidney-shaped dish, patient's record board with pencil, pet I.D. card, pet name card, brush, comb, scissors, syringe forceps, forceps, ophthalmoscope, reflex hammer, mouth mirror, thermometer, syringe, bone, two empty tablet bottles, paper package and can. Requires one "AA" battery, not included.

Spiderman TV Jet Ski with 7 Games...
Originally 59.99 on SALE for 39.99
Rev up the fun with Spiderman! This game console plugs directly into your TV's AV socket and is sure to take your little superhero on a ride he'll not soon forget. Using the jet ski as a controller, kids control the action on-screen and whiz their way through seven different games. Jet ski includes an accelerator, brake handles and a cool gravity detector. Requires 8 "AA" batteries, not included. Measures 55" x 20" x 31.5". Holds up to 90 pounds.

HERE IS THE BEST DEAL YET... V Flash Learning System
Originally 99.99 on SALE for 34.99 you SAVE $65.00
V.Flash offers your child mind-racing video games loaded with a mega voltage of learning! Just like the big kids' systems, V.Flash packs a powerful punch with MP3-quality sound, streaming video, 3-D graphics and real-life images. But unlike other systems of its caliber, V.Flash builds in a high dosage of learning with its exclusive collection of SmartDisc software. It's the perfect balance between learning and entertainment.

With each SmartDisc, players can navigate through the Smart Play Game Zone, Creative Workshop and Knowledge World, all featuring a library of real customized videos. Each SmartDisc is encased in a protective shield that ensures safe, scratchproof play. System comes with joystick, AC power adapter and cables for connecting to your TV, plus your child's first SmartDisc (Jumpin' Bean Island) to start her off on her collection. Additional SmartDiscs sold separately. Measures 7.7"L x 11.8"W x 3"H.

eToys: Free Standard Shipping On 500+ Items! (limited time offer)