Whole Food Value Meals - A Healthy Meal for $15

Truthfully, the more I cook the less inclined I am to want to go out to dinner. Like my taste in clothing, I like expensive food. Give me a choice of where to eat and it's going to be sushi or somewhere that has fresh fish or great steak. I cook pretty well so most middle of the road places just don't seem to be worth the price they are asking when I know I can make something so much better at home. It's not even worth NOT cleaning dishes, which of course leaves me in a bind. What if I don't want to cook?

We do like places like Baja Fresh or El Pollo Loco (sigh, wish we had one here in Music City) and even pizza at a local pizzeria every once in a while, but what I have found works great is Whole Foods dinners. For just $15 you get a large entree, side item and dinner salad for a family of 4. They change up the choices regularly so it's a GREAT way to have a healthy meal that just requires heating up. I even keep the containers they come in and re-use them when making dinners for friends having babies or are sick.

Last night I watched a commercial touting a bucket of chicken feeding a family of 5 for just $3 a person - while its a better deal (marginally) financially, I'll let y'all guess which is healthier. I've got nothing against a bucket meal if it's done every once in a great while, but if it's a weekly thing, why not try a Whole Food Value meal one of those weeks. It's a simple switch that your body will thank you for in the long run.

Rejoice Ye' Costume Jewelry Lovers Who Have Nickel Allergies

I'm not sure where along the way I discovered I had nickel allergies. I think I had my ears pierced when I was around 7-8 years old. I had gold studs put in and never had a problem. Birthdays and graduation brought more little silver or gold studs and everything was good.

When I struck out into the world on my own I soon realized that I couldn't wear costume jewelry. Well, I could, but it would be a matter of minutes before my ears started itching. If I continued I would end up with big, swollen puffy ears that would ooze all kinds of nasty stuff. Surgical steel was less irritating, but if I wore them longer than a day, the reaction was about the same. So what's a poor starving college student suppose to do???

Unfortunately I didn't really figure that out until a couple years ago.

When it comes to post earrings I wish I could say I found something incredibly easy, but I haven't. I've tried to coat the offending post with clear nail polish, which seemed only to lessen the eventual irritation but it really was a short term solution and didn't seem to be worth the hassle. Now I tend to stick with silver and gold for my posts because the truth is I can buy most basic "costume" sterling silver post earrings for less than $5 on eBay.

But when it comes to dangling earrings I have found something that works wonders. Jo-ann's carries this wonderful "Elegance" line, which comes in .925 Silver and 14K Gold. Now when I find a costume earring at a savvy price that I like I simply replace the french wire hook with a silver or gold hook and I'm good! For the most part I use the little watch-repair kit that I mentioned in an earlier post, but any small pair of pliers will work as well. It's a great fix at only $3.99 a package, and if you use Jo-ann's weekly 40% off coupon it's only $2.39 for enough hooks to fix 3-4 pairs of earrings.

Not only have I used these hooks to change costume jewelry posts out, but I've changed out vintage lever back earrings (one pair was given to me by my Tante years ago) too. I have also used them to "make" earrings out of other jewelry. For instance, an old 3 pearl necklace I bought on eBay, which just never quite looked right and was so inexpensive that it wasn't worth the hassle of sending it back to the seller was turned into a pair of earrings that I now wear quite often.

You can also buy the back posts of earrings in both silver and gold, which I have found helps mitigate the irritation if you choose to use clear nail polish on stud earrings.

As it stands now, Superstar #1 only shows signs of nickel allergies, which we discovered when she was just 6 months old. While changing her onesie one morning I noticed several little upraised red circles on her belly. My first thought (daughter of a German nurse) was ringworm, and I was a little concerned and confused on how my breast-fed, almost always at home with me, daughter could have ringworm.

It took me a few minutes before I realized that the bumps were an allergic reaction to the little silver snaps on the onesie that went up the front and middle! Needless to say I passed along all the silver snap items on to friends and really haven't noticed any reactions in Superstar #2 although given that nickel allergies run in the family on both sides, we'll probably stick to silver, gold or platinum for the girls if they ever get their ears pierced. Bummer, huh? I bet their future husband's will be thrilled to know they can only wear precious metals.

Really, when it comes to earrings I tend to stick with buying things that are either 925 silver or 14 K gold. A couple months back I bought a pair of Etienne Aigner earrings at Belk's for $6 that were elongated costume hoops, but with 14K gold posts so that I had the best of both worlds.

There are so many more jewelry options nowadays for those of us with nickel allergies, whether it's changing out the french wire or buying online at places like eBay. So remember, Shop Savvy Y'all!

Small Kitchen Appliances & Accessories Upgrade - Savvy Style

I love Williams-Sonoma. I like wandering through the store (the Superstars love it as well since it sometimes means samples) and I love flipping through the catalog dreaming of the delicious meals I could make with their state-of-the-art equipment. It is, however, expensive!

One of the things that I've love about Savvy Shopping (and thrift stores in particular) is that it's been a great way to upgrade my small kitchen appliances and accessories in my attempts to make the perfect meal quickly and with little mess. Not that there was anything really wrong with the ones we had, but most were 10 years old (from our wedding gift registry) and some even predated our dating!

Other upgrades I wanted were luxury items that I didn't NEED to have for the average price for which they were selling. For example, I love my KitchenAide mixer and use it fairly regularly, but I still wouldn't have spend $180-$300 for one - good thing I found it at Goodwill for just $9.81! The following are more examples of finds in the last few years that have made (and one I WISH I had made). When all added up (including the $10 I MADE selling my old items on Craigslist) I spent about $46 for almost $1000 worth of kitchen supplies. SERIOUSLY!

Imperial Gray KitchenAide Proline Mixer

Paid: $10.00
Approximate Retail: $400+ (with extra bowl)
Savvy Savings: $390

I mention this amazing deal in my post How I Became A Thrift Store Maven but it bears mentioning again. I found this beautiful mixer including an extra bowl and all three standard attachments for $10. It was a little dusty, a little oily but worked perfectly. This is one of my all time favorite finds.


DeLonghi 4-slice Retro Toaster

Paid: $5
Approximate Retail: $110
Savvy Savings: $105

With 4 people in our family it's nice when the toast gets done all at the same time. I also love that this deLonghi is in the same stainless steel color that we use in the kitchen, although truthfully, we don't keep it on the counter...too many crumbs. As a bonus, I sold the old toaster oven for $10 on Craigslist.

ISI Stainless Steel Whip Creamer & Two Boxes of Cartridges

Paid: $10
Approximate Retail: $125
Savvy Savings: $115

Now I love whip cream as much as the next person...ok, maybe more. I had always heard that the ISI whip creamer was fabulous and well, all the people that use it on The Food Channel seemed to be in love with it as well. So when I found this beauty NEW and in the box with two FULL packages of N2O cartridges I was chomping at the bit to find out how much they wanted for it since it had no price tag. The woman behind the counter had no idea about it so she just said "How about $9.99." To which I practically yelled, "SOLD!"
Now, I knew they were expensive, but I didn't know HOW expensive. When I checked it out at Williams-Sonoma the Creamer itself runs $100 and each cartridge box is about $12. Believe it or not, we use this often. I add a touch of vanilla extract to the container and it makes incredible whip cream, and so much healthier than Redi-whip. I've heard you can add liquor to the cream to make an awesome addition to desserts.

Moulinex Food Processor

Paid: $8
Approximate Retail: $130
Savvy Savings: $122

I found this the same day that I found the Proline KitchenAid mixer and was giddy with delight. The food processor with blender attachment and all the extras was BRAND NEW IN THE BOX and had never been used. I've since disposed of the box, but it's a beauty! While Moulinex may not be a brand that many people here recognize, it is made by a French manufacturer but I have no idea how it ended up here in the US, maybe by way of a French-Canadian who moved to Music City to become a country music star? I've heard crazier things!

Oster Hand Held Immersion Blender

Paid: $2
Approximate Retail: $25
Savvy Savings: $23

Immersion blenders are great for pureeing soups in the pot and dechunking chunky spaghetti sauce (something I do from time to time since Beloved doesn't like it when I make the spaghetti sauce too chunky, something about the texture bothers him...hey, it's one of his only quirks so I roll with it!). No more dumping it into the food processor to smooth it and dumping it back into the pot and all the accompanying mess & frustration!

Wusthoff Wood Knife Block

Paid: $3
Approximate Retail: $40
Savvy Savings: $37

When Beloved and I got married 10 years ago we registered for a Wusthof knife block set, which at the time only came in maple and in black. About a year ago I happened upon this dark wood Wusthof block, sans knives, at Goodwill and immediately donated the other. It's a small purely aesthetic change for which I would have never paid $40.

Krups Fast Touch Coffee Mill

Paid: $3
Approximate Retail: $20
Savvy Savings: $17

They say fresh ground coffee beans yield the best coffee but it sure is messy, so I grind it at the store and keep it in an airtight container. We go through it so quickly that I don't concern myself with the atrition rate, but alas, my friend's who know about my coffee addiction had been giving me unground coffee beans as gifts. Problem solved when I found this new-in-the-box Krups coffee grinder with a price tag of $20 on top.

Starbucks Stainless Steel Vacuum Container

Paid: $6
Approximate Retail: $40
Savvy Savings: $34

Speaking about coffee...after reading The Joy of Coffee (yes there is a book by that name, and mighty informative as well!) I learned that you should NEVER leave coffee on the warmer after brewing. It grows bitter the longer it sits there. Upon this discovery I kept my eye out for a vacuum coffee canister and found this beautiful Starbucks Stainless Steel container for just $6, it still had the $39.99 price sticker on the bottom.

George Foreman Stainless Steel Grill

Paid: $5
Approximate Retail: $50
Savvy Savings: $45

I think we received a George Foreman grill from my Beloved's grandparents as a Christmas gift somewhere along the way. We LOVE the amazing grilled cheese sandwiches and "paninis" that we are able to grill on the counter top. Problem was that it was kind of small and could only grill one sandwich at a time. Imagine my delight when I found this larger size (which grills 2 sandwiches at a time) for just $5 at the thrift store. Not only does it match the other stainless, but has an adjustable digital timer and fits well under the counter. Again, I sold the old machine for $10 on Craiglist so I basically made money for trading up.

Le Creuset Yellow 9" Skillet (#23)

Paid: $4
Approximate Retail: $100
Savvy Savings: $96

Le Creuset started in 1925 and has been making the colorful enamel ware that symbolizes classic cooking. While beautiful, it is expensive AND heavy! My girlfriend has a whole set and though she loves cooking with it, once filled with water it can be difficult to handle. That said, I was delighted to find this little 9" skillet, perfectly seasoned and in good condition. I love the size which is still manageable for sauteing more than one item at a time on the stove, and well, for just $4 I was a very happy camper.

Vinotemp Wine Fridge (a.k.a. The One That Got Away)

Goodwill Price: $20
Approximate Retail Price: $175
Savvy Savings Missed: $155

Alas, there are times when some other Savvy Shopper gets to an incredible piece before I do and this is one of the few times I was green with envy. So much so I had to take a picture and show y'all. Sigh. I was sick to my stomach on missing this deal!

I think sometimes people think of thrift store shopping only when it comes to clothing, which admittedly fills over half the store, but look what I could have missed if I hadn't checked the rest of the store. So next time you go thrifting, make sure you check out the appliances & kitchenware section. You never know what you might find.

Oh, and don't be discouraged if you don't find anything like this your first time checking, these pieces have been collected over the last 3 years so it's not a sure thing, but since I never planned on upgrading on these items at retail price, they were definitely happy finds.

Coming up soon, updating your dinnerware savvy style!

Shop Savvy Y'all!

Savvy Consignment Store Score - Betsey Johnson

Oh how I love Plato's Closet. It's the place I bring the clothes I no longer wear and they give me money (if it's not too "old" or "dated"). I always look around while they check out my clothes to see if there's any savvy shopping bargains, and today there was!


Behold, my new Betsey Johnson charm bracelet watch. Now, I do have several nice watches. As you can guess, I find them at the thrift store and sometimes on clearance in retails stores. I thought this would make a nice little addition to my collection. Considering it retailed for $150 and I got it for a mere $9 ($14 with a 40% off coupon for bringing clothes in) I think this counts as a SCORE!

The watch was too big for my wrist and needed links taken out. Anyone who has done that before knows it costs about $10. Having bought several watches at thrift stores before, I had invested $10 last year and bought a watch repair kit on eBay. In it I have all the tools to take out links and, ha, ha, change out batteries! I was able to take out the links I needed no problem at all. I've also used it for sunglasses, toys, and other teeny things.


Unfortunately the battery was also rundown, and I didn't think I would be able to take the backing off this watch without scratching it (some backs are easier to take off than others), so I scrolled down through the "coupon" section of our local coupon site (for my Savvy Nashville Suburban Friends check it out here) and printed up a coupon for a $4.99 battery change; that's battery and labor so I didn't have to take the time to figure out what size battery it needed and where to get one.

Anyway, $15 later I am the owner of a cute, working Betsey Johnson watch! Of course, TECHNICALLY I spent only $5 since I traded in clothes and didn't spend a single dime of my own money!

Attention Target Shoppers!

My girlfriend, Shannon, just sent this blog link to me. It's called Attention Target Shoppers and this lovely lady has made it her mission to let us other savvy shoppers when the big markdowns and sales are going on at Target. Remember when I said that Target will eventually mark down their overstocked Christmas toys to 75% but I wasn't sure when? She's the go-to lady on that. If you love Target (and their sales) as much as I do, you'll need to bookmark this blog...and mine of course!

Superstar Savvy Decorating Tips for Kids' Rooms - Part I

Today I thought I would share how I used savvy savings to decorate the Superstars' rooms. I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that some of it was decorated with thrift store finds. Since this post turned out to be pretty long I thought I would break it into Part I and Part II. Today's half will focus on Superstar #1's room which we did for about $600 total.

SUPERSTAR #1's Bedroom

We decorated Superstar #1's room when she turned 2 and we had to transition her out of the crib to make room for Superstar #2. She turns 7 in a couple months and outside of a change in the dresser (from a free one to a bought one) it's lasted almost 5 years now. I like the fact that you really can't tell how old/young the child is that lives here. A few changes and we could make this a guest room very easily.

Furniture Breakdown - $483
The bed was the most expensive item in this room, but we bought it through a buying club we belong to called Direct Buy and ended up with a $1200 day bed for $450. IKEA has a comparable bed that we considered (not quite as sturdy, but looks very similar for $400) but the IKEA version has pull-out drawers whereas the one we bought has a pull out bed which is perfect for both sleepovers or if we have lots of guests in the house and the Superstars have to bunk together. I don't see us replacing it any time soon.


The chest of drawers was a purchase from the thrift store last year. It was $15 and brown. I brought it home and painted it with white semi-gloss, put the old knobs back on and voila! The bedside wicker table was $8 at the thrift store. The matching trash can was from...a trash pile left on the side of the road. I sanitized it and sprayed it with another coat of spray paint ($1 a can at Walmart) and it's perfect. The toy chest was from IKEA, bare wood, for $10. I painted it and that's where all the extra stuffed animals are stored.

Bedding & Curtain Breakdown - $70
($85 for the option to change out when she wants)
All that cute kid's bedding can be EXPENSIVE! We found that IKEA was the cheapest, well made items that looked really good. We timed our trips to IKEA as part of a family vacation to visit the family in California or St. Louis (then drove up to Chicago). I envy all you out there who have an IKEA nearby.

The duvet cover & pillow case was a set and cost $20. Each European pillow with sham was less than $10 a piece. The duvet itself was around $20 (hypo-allergenic). The sheer cotton window panels were $20 ($10 a set and I needed 2 sets for the 3 panels). The matching fabric fringe at the top of each panel was the pillow case from the duvet set taken apart and sewn on by me. The hardware to hang the curtains was $10 at IKEA.

The red standard pillowcase was bought during our 2007 Christmas trip to California to see my folks. We bought both girls a matching duvet/pillow set on sale for $15 a set. Superstar #1 had been wanting to update her room and so we bought one for her so she could switch back and forth as she wanted. It's as easy as pulling it out of the linen closet when we pull the dirty ones off. Isn't it amazing what a change it is, just for $15? When everything else is pretty basic, you can change the whole look of a room for very little money. I think blue, greens & reds would be another great color combination in this room, so that if we had a boy, it would work just as well without painting.


Art, Accessories & Lighting - $42
Last but not least the art and accessories. We bought the "M" & "B" letters at TJMaxx for $4 a piece. The butterfly was from my mom but I have seen them for less than $5 a piece at various places from Target to Party City. They're seasonal so you can't always find them but they sure are cute.

The rug was $16 at IKEA, a little surprise that my husband brought home from a work trip to California. I LOVE the pop of color it brings to the room and how it keeps the room from becoming too girly/fru-fru. It also hides the permanent ink spot that was there when we bought the house.

The wicker mirror over the drawers is actually mine from when I was a child. It was one of the things my Mom & Dad let me have as I went to college (it was brown back then, $1 can of spray paint changed that). There's a good chance that one of the girls will take it with them to college someday. The tall mirror behind her door was a curbside find. Actually a friend of mine was leaving town and had a pile on the front porch she was throwing away. It was dark brown and now it's white.

My husband and I bought the hanging star lamp with a gift card we received for our wedding over 10 years ago. It was originally bronze, a reminder of the huge star lanterns that hung up in the restaurant in Playa del Carmen where we had a wonderful dinner one night during our honeymoon and hung up in the living room for a long time. When Superstar #1 was born we painted it white and it has been hers ever since. It was a great "night light" back then for her as a baby and she still uses it now. The main light in her room was a horrible builder's grade see-through glass globe (BLECH!). I found a nondescript white flushlamp for $12 at Lowe's.


The ballerina picture over the night stand was a $5 buy at TJMaxx. The lamp, was another friend's "we're throwing all this out if you want any of it", and the fairy hook that she can hang her bathrobe & pajamas on was .99 new at the thrift store. I wanted to put it behind the door, but she wouldn't have that. Thank goodness the robe matches her room. You laugh, but it would catch my eye and bug me every time I entered the room!

One Last Word...
So that's it for Superstar #1's room. I hope you all know that as I share these things it's not to say "this is how you should decorate your room" because I know that we all have different tastes and styles. I definitely don't share it with you because I feel like I am on the cutting edge of decorating.

I just wanted to share that with a little time, creativity and patience, you can have a room that looks pulled together without a lot of cost. I have friends that LOVE Pottery Barn and surf Craigslist and eBay looking for the set they want and save a ton of money doing it, but I've never been beholden to any particular look so I'm fine mixing and matching. It's more eclectic and more organic in the sense that it's not so "matchy-matchy". It's also more forgiving with experiments where you can add and take away pieces as the children grow, without changing or throwing off the whole room's look.

I don't have any examples of it here, but garage sales are also GREAT places to find accessories and sometimes incredible deals on furniture. I remember my girlfriend buying a gorgeous hand painted Bassett armoire for her daughter's room for just $75. Another girlfriend bought a boy's car bed for $50. The deals are there it's just a seasonal thing around here. We don't have as many of them around when the weather is freezing.

Tomorrow's post - Superstar #2's room. It's kind of in transition at this point, having been thrown together rather haphazardly over the last 2 years. It's the second child thing. I was too busy to put as much thought into it and without another child on the way, it was easier to let some things slide. Bless her heart, we just got rid of her changing table/dresser this summer.

Superstar Savvy Decorating Tips for Kids' Rooms - Part II

Yesterday I shared what went into decorating Superstar #1's room and today it's time for Superstar #2. As I mentioned yesterday, it's in a bit in a transition. Even as I take the pictures I realize what a large blank wall she has by her bed and since I never found anything I really liked, it stayed that way. Due to this and great deals, this room came together for a Grand Total of $183.

We've been talking about changing the room up a bit by buying a new "bed". Right now her headboard is a piece of plywood with padding and Dora fabric which we got for free, against which a pop-up trundle bed is pushed. We're not sure what we're going to do and yet, it's not a priority so we're not really in any hurry. I do, however, look forward to getting rid of the Dora stuff!

Superstar's #2 Room

Superstar #2's room is a perfect example of what I think the two most important aspects of savvy savings in general are: 1) be patient and 2) be willing to compromise. Although I am someone who really thrives with order or at least the appearance thereof, I am willing to leave empty spaces and wait until I find what I want at the price I want it. I also don't really go into decorating thinking I HAVE to have a certain item. The room kind of evolves as it goes. There's a lot less stress that way as well. Kids for the most part, don't care as much as we do about such things.

I admit, I am not a theme kind of person. I didn't want a Disney Princess Room or a Dora room, but I found several Dora items for so cheap or free that I've "embraced it" for this season (from 2 to 4 years old) because I knew that it wouldn't be that way forever AND because I knew I could recoup the cost by selling off the Dora's things when we made the change. The point being that it was what made itself available at the time for a price I was willing to pay, and my daughter loved it. She's the one who has recently said she is ready to change things, so we'll see what makes itself available as we start to look!

Furniture Breakdown - $52
The bed was actually the least expensive part of this room. We got the headboard for free from a friend of ours whose daughter loved Dora too. The bedframe itself is a pop-up trundle from a thrift store where it was $17, but with a frequent buyer card discount ($10 off for your 10th purchase of $10 or more) it was just $7.

The Dora cubby holder was a surprise find at Big Lots for $15. It use to hold board books (before we did the built-ins for the bonus room) and now we use it to hold various extra animals & dress up clothes or whatever little bits of stuff that doesn't need to be all over the floor.

The dresser was a thrift store find for $20. It too was dark brown but after a couple coats of white semi-gloss paint it and $10 worth of hardware (I had the single knobs on hand and bought 6 cup pulls on eBay for $1.39 each) I have a great dresser that Superstar #2 can reach all the drawers and pick out/put away all her clothes herself.

The hamper was a thrift store find for $5. It was already white so no painting required there. The Dora sofa was a $5 thrift store find. The cover is removable so we sanitized and then washed everything before we used it. It folds out to a bed and she's actually had a "sleep over" in her sister's room using it.

Bedding & Curtains Breakdown - $63
The duvet cover is the same as Superstar #1's "alternative" set. It was $15 for the cover and pillowcase at IKEA. The duvet itself was $20 at IKEA. The bedskirt was $2 at the thrift store. The two shams match her sisters but are flipped over to showcase the pink polka dot side (versus the red/green/pink gingham showcased in her sister's room). With the pillow insert they were about $10 a piece.

The curtains are my favorite and part of what we'll use to build on as we move forward. They were given to me by my friend. They are Pottery Barn and I love them. They were, however, a little too short for my taste. I always hang my curtains nearer to the ceiling in order to give the appearance of a taller room. My friend also gave me the little "cafe curtains" that matched in pink gingham, and I just sewed them onto the bottom in order to give it the height I wanted. The wood rod & hardware was $8 at Big Lots.

Art, Accessories & Lighting - $57
The three pictures above the dresser wasn't really a planned thing. I bought them at the 90% off after Valentines day sale at Target for a total of $8. Having said that, I like the pop of color they bring which helps to tie in the red in the duvet covers. They are fun and simple pieces that can not only be used in her room, but should we changed things around in her sister's room, matches that color scheme as well. The Dora lamp was a gift from Nana & Pappy and with the little twist switch on the cord, something she can turn on and off very easily.


The three pictures in her hang-out corner (formerly the reading corner) and the one on the left of the curtains were Dollar Tree frames (4 at $1 each) then I used a yard of $1 a yard fabric from Walmart to create a pink polka dot mat showcasing some fun 8x10 pictures of the Superstars. The little fairy that holds her bathrobe & pajamas matches her sisters and came from the thrift store for $1.

Whereas Superstar #1 has a star lamp, Superstar #2 has a chandelier in her room. I bought it at Target on sale for $20 and just added the beaded lampshades which I found at Lowe's for $4 a piece. We put the light on a dimmer ($8 extra) and it adds a special touch to her room that I know she'll still love when she's older. Who knows, the Superstars may decide to switch their lamps too at some point.

Final Words
I hope if anything these last two days have been encouraging, whether it's to say "We did a WHOLE lot better than that for our kids rooms" or just to say "Hey, it's ok not to have it all together!" Work with what you've got, change things out from other rooms, dig in the attic and see what might work if you just add a coat of paint.

Other places to check that are great for savvy savings for decorating kid's rooms:

Craigslist
People are constantly listing furniture, and there are always a bunch of kid's items. Sometimes they even give things away for FREE! I've seen twin bed frames for less than $20. You can make a custom headboard with just a board from Lowe's, padding from Jo-ann's and your choice of fabric (and a staple gun). I did one for our Master Bedroom that I'll share in another post soon.

Garage Sales
Granted it's a little cold outside, but some people are still having them. There are definite deals to be had at garage sales. Get there early though since furniture is usually the first to go. Garage sales are also great for getting artwork for cheap as well as those little extras like bins, baskets, hampers, and lamps.

Consignment Stores
The stores near our house always have furniture of some sort and they always have artwork. Sometimes it's new and you still pay a premium, othertimes they have odds and ends, like bookcases that are still cheaper than running to Target and getting the Closetmaid version.

Consigment Sales
Like the consignment store you are buying a used item, usually. Items tend to be priced less than consignment stores since it's only an event lasting a couple days. This is another great place to find artwork, bedding and furniture. If you sell at the consignment sale you'll get first dibs by being able to buy the day before the sale opens to the public.

These are just a few of the ideas on where to build a savvy kids room with style. More than anything, have fun with it - It's a kids room!

Superstar Savvy Savings for Children's Clothing

I've spent a lot of time chronicling adult clothing, now it's time to give the Superstars their due. As you might have guessed, the majority of their clothing comes from the thrift store. While I have shopped consignment stores, consignment sales, eBay, and retail and outlet stores, time and again I consistently find the best and the cheapest items at the thrift store. BUT that doesn't mean that deals can't be found elsewhere. The key to my savvy shopping for kids is to realize that I don't "have" to have any particular clothing so bad that it's worth paying a premium.

CONSIGNMENT STORES

PROS: Organized retail store atmosphere where you don't have to dig for gently used children's items for a fraction of retail. You can "trade-up".
CONS: Not as good a deal as thrift store.

Consignment stores are great places to find gently used and some new children's items: clothing, toys, books, children's furniture, hair ribbons, jewelry and even maternity clothes. Parents bring in their clothing and the store will either sell it for them or buy the clothes and then turn around and sell it. Some stores will even sell local handmade items such as bows, smocked items, bibs, personalized diaper bags, etc.

I occasionally shop consignment stores but I mainly use them to sell off the Superstars' clothes after they have outgrown them and there are no local consignment sales (see below) for a while. I usually make at least what I spent for the clothes since I buy things so cheap, but either way I find I get more bang for my buck by going to the thrift store. Jeans at consignment stores generally run from $5-$15. Jeans at the thrift store for kids up to pre-teens are $2.50 - $3.50.

CONSIGNMENT SALES

PROS: Greater percentage of profit than consignment stores. Great assortment of furniture and larger baby items for cheap. If you sell items at the sale you get to shop before the public. The profits made by the organization holding the sale usually gets the other portion of the profits (goes to a good cause).
CONS: Seasonal. More work on your part, and although you can get some deals, since the other mom's prices the items, they can be more expensive than buying those items on sale at retail (and definitely more than thrifting).

Better than consignment stores are consignment sales, and if you live somewhere like I do, they are regular seasonal occurrences. We even have a website that keeps track of all the consignment sales in Tennessee.

Like consignment stores someone else does the work of selling your clothes by providing you space and an "audience" for a percentage of the sales. Most of the sales I have participated in gave me 70% of the profit, while they kept 30%. The best sales I've been a part of are churches, who in turn use the money they make for things like youth programs, international and national mission work and even for building playgrounds.

You can sell pretty much buy and sell any child's item at these types of sales. It's a great way to get rid of unused clothing, shoes, duplicate birthday toys, bikes, books, high chairs, computer games, etc. The last sale I made $150 and the church that held the sale made $35,000 for a playground.

EBAY

PROS: Precision shopping from the comfort of your home.
CONS: Not as great a bargain as thrift or sometimes even retail sales. You need eBay/PayPal account. You can't examine the item you are buying. May not be returnable (depends on seller's policy, although if the seller was misleading, PayPal offers a process by which you can get your money back).

Children's clothes on eBay can be a bargain, especially if you are looking for a particular item or a particular name brand. I have resorted to eBay when I was looking for a character piece of clothing for the Superstars birthday. Other than that I am not beholden to any particular brand name so I'm pretty content with what I buy at the thrift store.

That said, I was able to buy a Dora bathing suit for my youngest last season (which she wanted and needed) for less than $10 and it was delivered straight to my door. Mommy ROCKS!

DISCOUNT RETAIL STORES (TJMaxx, Marshall's, Ross, Nordstrom's Rack, etc.)

PROS: Retail store atmosphere. Return Policy.
CONS: Average prices are generally more than thrift or consignment. Not always a good selection of the size you need. Quality isn't always the greatest.

With the advent of discount stores like TJMaxx, Ross and Marshall's, there are tons of places to buy brand name clothing at discounted prices. Marshall's has a particularly good shoe department for children and I have seen Merrells and Stride Rite shoes for at least half retail prices. I also regularly find Ralph Lauren clothing at these stores for less than $20, still more than what I generally pay since I have found tons of Ralph Lauren at the thrift store (including new with tags) but it's a great place to buy gifts for showers, birthdays, Christmas, etc. when the recipient may not be as thrilled with a thrift store purchase as I am.

The great thing about these places and that they too have end of the season sales where their prices get even lower. I recently went to a shower where I spent just $2 for a beautiful pink Ralph Lauren pique cotton onesie and $2 for a two pieces cotton summer dress & bloomers that I gave as a gift.

OUTLET STORES

PROS: Retail store atmosphere. Quality name brands at better than retail prices. Return Policy.
CONS: Average prices still more than thrfit store or consignment. Not as readily available, even in larger cities.

Outlet stores are also a good source of children's clothes especially if you favor a particular name brand; Ralph Lauren, Carter's, Children's Place, Gymboree, etc. but for me it means making a trip somewhere, even in a larger city like Nashville. And if I want to do that I have to do it during the week with the Superstars or on the weekends when Dad can watch them, since he hates shopping.

When the Superstars were younger I use to shop the end-of-the-season sale at Children's Place Outlet where everything I bought was under $5.00, most pieces were $1.99 and $2.99. My youngest is STILL wearing some of these items and will next summer. When she is finished with them I will probably end up consigning them at one of the sales and making back what I paid (if not more) 4 years and 2 kids after buying them. Woo-hoo, that's how I like to ROLL....

THRIFT STORES

PROS: Consistently the cheapest way to buy kid's clothes.
CONS: Going through racks of clothes that are only separated by large year gaps. Usually worn, rarely new.

Of course you know that this is my favorite of all places to buy kid's clothing. I guess I'm of the mentality if the thrift store is good enough for mom it's good enough for the kids, and really, they aren't as gentle on their clothes as I am. It just never made much sense to me to buy expensive clothes for the kids when A) the outgrow them so quickly and B) they can tear them up in just one play date or 5 minutes outside.

Of course I am spoiled, I live in an area where people donate Gucci and Prada, so the kids clothes selection can be great. I have bought tons of clothes that were new with tags including: TEA, Rare Edition, Ralph Lauren, Strasburg, Gymboree, Gap, and tons of fancy boutique brand names with smocking and lace (not too many since I'm not that fancy).

Even though some of the clothes can have stains (and I have bought items that I was able to get the stains out) there are just as many that are barely worn. Kids can grow like weeds and it's not uncommon for them to wear something a couple times before they've outgrown it, especially if they are going through a growth spurt. Sometimes the Superstars have skipped over certain sizes in a growth spurt.

Thrifting is hands down the best way to find cheap clothes for me. I don't mind the digging to get the great deals. Just last week I bought Superstar #1 a Kangol youth hat in soft fuzzy gray for $1.50. I can't tell you how many compliments she's gotten in it.

CRAIGSLIST

PROS: Cheap and sometimes FREE. Shopping from your computer.
CONS: Meeting up to get it from someone you don't know. You don't know till you meet them whether or not the clothes are in good wearable condition. First come, first serve.

Craigslist is like the ultimate 24/7 garage sale. I have friends who swear by it when it comes to children's clothing. Just today I went online and saw a woman advertising 10 pieces of Gymboree clothing most brand new with tags on them for $15, so you definitely can get deals. Like the thrift store it's limited to what people are listing. You may not find the size or the brand names or condition you want for the price you are willing to pay.

The only reason why I don't use Craigslist as often is because the best deals aren't always nearby in the sizes I need. That said, when it is, the deals are great because people are just happy to get rid of it and get some money for it rather than giving it the thrift store...which of course, I am always happy when they do.

RETAIL & BOUTIQUE STORES

PROS: Excellent name brand quality in a retail atmostphere. Usually great customer service and a return policy. End of season sales can mean thrift store prices for brand new name brand items.
CONS: Most expensive of all options.

It's a huge category, but I lump the likes of Target, Kohl's, Macy's, Nordstrom, Gymboree, Jack & Janie, and all the Mom & Pop boutique stores into this category because they are what I like to call "full retail" stores. Their stores are the first line after the clothing leaves the manufacturer. Although I rarely pay full retail I still scan the sale racks of major department stores and mall stores and even boutiques during prime sale times - i.e. end of the season. It's then that you can snag up terrific deals anywhere from 30% to 90% off.

Like my recent trip to Target that netted me $70 of clothes for $14 which is about 80% off retail. Even the boutique store down the road runs 70% off sales at the end of the season when you can get high-end smocked items for those who like to dress their children fancier or just for fancy occasions. Since I buy all those at the thrift store when y'all are done with them, I'm thankful you donate them when you're done!

A FEW LAST WORDS

Children outgrow clothes so quickly that it never made much sense to me to spend a lot of money for it. As for "well-made", yes, I don't want my kids to wear something a couple times and have it ripping at the seams, but I just can't see spending $50 on a child's piece of clothing that will last MAYBE a year, more if you can pass it to a younger sibling. Of course I want the Superstars to look presentable, but reality is that all it takes is one meal and not only may "presentable" be out the window, but so might the outfit depending on the damage done.

As I always say, "If a 2-year-old looks messy or is wearing mismatched clothes, she's TWO. She has an excuse. It's harder to explain when it's the 22, 32 or 42 year mother who looks that way." I'm beginning to think some Moms wear their mismatched or ill-fitted clothes as a sort of badge-of-honor, an outward sign of the inherent difficulties of martyrdom...I mean, motherhood. At the same time, others may use their perfect appearance as an outward sign that they have it all together. Neither choice is to be commended or more highly regarded.

Ultimately it's about finding balance in your own life where both you and your children are taken care of and feel good about yourselves. Alas, it's much easier for children than Moms, but our children learn those kind of things from us and we are laying the groundwork for what kind of adult they will be someday.

RUN Don't Walk to Target....

I had something to return to Target. I timed it to be there today, Tuesday, in particular since that's the day they mark down children's clothing. Imagine my surprise to find that all the Clearance clothing (hanging up) was an additional 30% - not only children's but adults as well. Apparently they are overstocked for the Christmas season and they are trying to get it all moved out before the Spring items go into stores. Not every Target in the US is doing it, so call ahead if you're not sure if your Target is like ours and has a lot of overstock. If they do, get on over there NOW!


I got $70.49 worth of children's clothing for $13.59. The Superstars love wearing matching outfits from time to time so I got two sets of matching shirts, one sweater and two dresses - seven pieces of clothing total. That's even better than the thrift store - and brand new to boot. Talk about Savvy Savings!

Target Sales 75% Off Christmas 2008

Just wanted to give you Gals & Guys a heads-up. Target just went 75% off of their Christmas stuff today. Some of the toys are 30% off and the Dollar Section is 50%. I did pretty well today, as far as not spending a bunch of money although I admit having a full cart that slowly diminished as I thought through what I really needed versus "kinda wanted". Even though it's a great price, these kind of things are more of a luxury than a necessity.

I got away with spending $3 on some white rope light that I plan on using on the railing of my deck. The great thing about this 25 foot light is that it can be used on top of your kitchen cabinets to add a nice "glow". Plug them in and use one of those "outdoor switches" and you can turn them on with just a touch of a button. I'll do a blog on that sometime soon too. It's awesome!

Speaking of light, I'm telling you, if you want lights or lawn decorations, now is the time to get them. At 75% off they won't last long. I was in the store for about an hour and it was a MADHOUSE! A fun madhouse, but still!


The Dollar Section (now 2 for a $1) was where I scored a bunch of things for Superstar #1's birthday gift bags. When did that start, by the way? I thought the birthday girl was the only one who got things and now my kids get sent away with a bag full of goodies for showing up. That never happened to me as a kid, but given the price I was able to load up on 4 packs that can be divided into separate bags making it even more cost effective and fun. I wish I knew when it would be 75% so I could get them for a quarter each!

I stayed away from toys as I know that in a couple weeks Target will put those extra toys up for 75% off. Last year I used it as a time to buy Birthday Gifts for the year. I'm not kidding! The Dollar Section will also go 75% in the coming weeks. When all that happens I will try to give y'all the heads-up on that because who can't use a little "rewards" for their kids or their kid's classrooms for a quarter a piece?

In the end it was a successful trip to Target. I didn't spend more than $20 and walked away with some things I wanted (the rope lighting) and two beautiful red glass Christmas Trees for a dear Friend of mine who collects red glass. The woman in front of me in line said that the same type of trees were $50 in the Partylite catalogue recently.

Have fun out there, but remember, be savvy about the money you spend. A deal is not a deal if you really can't use it or if it breaks your budget.

How I Spent my Christmas Vacation...

What is it with Holiday vacations? Why can't I be content to sit on my butt and enjoy a cup of good cheer? Why is my idea of a "relaxing" vacation seem to entail tools and/or noxious chemicals? And WHY on earth do I have such a willing accomplice in my Beloved? Isn't it his job to keep me from going nuts with the cleaning and organizing as is inherent in my German/Japanese DNA?

So, what did I do? I helped my husband put shelves in our attic. Well, they're not technically shelves, but large 4'x8' pieces of OSB (oriented strand board) we had the fine fellows at Lowe's cut in half to fit on the cross beams of the attic. I confess, this was definitely not one of my most favorite projects Being doubled over in the attic is never fun, and NEVER for hours at a time, but this project sure was one of the most practical, and the end result speaks for itself.

You see, before we just stacked things on the studs of the floor of the attic, which in turn flattened all the lovely insulation that is suppose to help keep the house warm/cool. This method of storage also made walking along the center aisle and trying to get to items while not hitting your head on the studs extremely frustrating.

My Beloved was the one who realized that all we needed to do was lay down a board where the crossbeams "crossed" so to speak, and voila, instant shelf! Though the project was relatively easy and could be done alone by a strong man or woman, it is much easier with two people given the size of the boards you end up using. As for tools, we could have done the whole thing with just a tape measure but we decided to increase the storage space by nailing a 2x4 across a couple studs to create another shelf on another part of the attic that didn't have the crossbeams that we could just set boards down upon.

See how we basically just laid down the piece of wood where the cross beams crossed? And because we had an extra small piece from somewhere in the garage, we did a double tier on one side, which although narrow, is perfect for the suitcases of which we have an enormous selection apparently!

Voila! I think what amazes me is that we spent about $25 and about 2 hours on this project (getting the boards, moving stuff, etc.) and just look at the final result. It's beautiful...sniff, sniff...who knew a clean attic would move me so?

Project Breakdown
Three 7/16" x 4' x 8' OSB Boards ($17), box of nails ($3), One 2' x 4' ($3). Grand Total: $23 End Result: PRICELESS!

My husband said it would have actually cost less than $20 for the whole project if we hadn't needed to replace the floor boards going down the middle of the attic. They were started to give way and since neither one of us wanted to go through the second story dry wall ceiling, we decided to spend the extra $6 for another piece of OSB which pushed it over $20.

A few extra notes on this project. You don't have to use OSB, you can use any sort of plywood providing that it's sturdy enough to bear the weight you intend to load on to it. I'm sure the MDF (medium density fiberboard) would work but it's more expensive and it would weigh a TON.

Also, make sure you get the folks at Lowe's or Home Depot to cut the boards: it makes it easier to carry home (we have one of the smaller vans, an MPV and it was easy to bring home) and unless you have a table saw, it is a pain in the behind to cut yourself. And really why do it when there's no charge to have someone else do it for you?

What if you don't have the same cross beam set up we do because of the architectural style of your home? You can always do what we did for the Christmas tree area on the other side of the attic. This is where the extra 2'x4' we nailed to the vertical pieces studs in the attic and then used that to rest another piece of OSB upon. I think we added a nail here and there for extra stability.


Remember I told you we had two big Christmas trees now? Since we actually use our garage for the cars and we have no outside shed of any sort, into the attic they went. In addition to the tree shelf we pounded in a few long nails into the boards and it's the perfect place to hang all my wreaths for next year where they don't bend out of shape.

This is a VERY easy project that not only helps organizationally and spatially, but it also helps to improve resale value. First because it makes things look more organized, and second, lessens the appearance of cramming SO much stuff in the attic that the potential buyers think "There must not be enough storage in the house!" You laugh, but I hear it time and again on Designed to Sell a great show to watch because it will give you tons ideas of how to make your home look great for a fraction of the cost.

Now all we have to do is get some more insulation to fill up the mushed down insulation from my previous storage methods. I want to make it as nice & puffy and energy saving as possible. Luckily we have a neighbor who specializes in that kind of stuff so you know I will be savvy in that too!

It's such a simple thing, but making the most out of what you have is the savviest way to save. Thanks to my husband's ingenuity our attic is now a source of pride rather than frustration.

Buying Mineral Make-up & Skin Care Items Savvy-Style

I don't know about you, but it seems like all my "products" run out at the same time. It started about two weeks ago, I noticed that I was almost out of my foundation mineral powder and my eye liner, not to mention low on my daily moisturizer. I'm always on the look out for my favorite products in the store, whether Kroger, Target or Walmart. I even check Big Lots since they will buy out drug store lots for dirt cheap (I always check out the expiration date). But if I get near the end of a product I turn to eBay.

Oil of Olay Regenerist
I started using the Oil of Olay Regenerist line about 2 years ago after noticing the changes in my Mom's skin. She's 6o-something. It began with the Daily Moisturizer and the Serum, something I decided to jump into when I found them on sale at Target. Apparently the company was changing something on the packaging and they were getting rid of their $18-$25 products for $3.24 each. I bought several bottles of each, including the eye serum. Two years later I am still a fan and rarely (once-twice a year) suffer any breakouts. This from a woman who has a little bit of scarring on my temples from my teenage acne days.

That said, I hate paying full price for it. Costco is still $27 which is a decent price given that it's the industrial size, but I have to say that I've been able to buy the Defense Regenerating Lotion (the one with sunscreen) for less than $10 on eBay including shipping. The least I've paid for it is $5. Considering it runs $17-21 at Target and places like Walgreens and Kroger, it's a whole lot cheaper and like I always say, even better when I don't have to leave the house to get it. The same is true for any of the Regenerist line on eBay, including the Daily Regenerating Serum.

MAC Eye Liner Gel - Blacklight
Next I needed some black gel eyeliner. I had bought it a the Mac counter but only because the guy behind the counter taught me how to do "cat-eyes" and I figured it was the nice thing to do. Having a friend who once worked cosmetics I can't help but do that, it's like paying them for the time and expertise.

If I remember right, it cost about $15. Now that I was almost out and decided the cat eye look was something I wanted to continue, I went online on eBay and found that I really wasn't going to get it for that much less, and in some cases the seller wanted more than what I paid in the store. So, I went with an alternative, Loreal HIP Color Truth. It has a similar enough consistency and I got two containers of it for $13, and each one was twice the size of the Mac container.

Mineral Makeup
Last but not least I needed more mineral foundation. Now my girlfriend works at Bare Escentuals in the mall and though I like the product, it's really just so much more than I am wanting to spend. Thankfully I found a brand on eBay that is comparable to Bare Escentuals, at least what thousands of buyers on eBay have said about it, and I love it. Joelle Cosmetics is the eBay store and though she has her own website, it's less expensive on eBay by a couple dollars.


I bought a "starter pack" for about $40 and received two shades of foundation powder (light, medium), a finishing powder (veil), shine reduction powder, a nighttime skin renewal treatment, blush, bronzer, both green and yellow color correctors, a concealor powder, 3 eye shadow colors, a large kabuki brush, earth a small/mini kabuki brush and 6 other brushes. I bought that back at the beginning of June, and I'm just now having to buy more foundation and veil. It cost me $14 for one (1) 30 gram sifters of foundation and one (1) 30 gram sifter of veil. Since the first sifter contained 20 grams I imagine this will last me a good long time!

Not all mineral makeup is created equal as those amazing Bare Escentual infomercials say, and it's true with Joelle products. I tried a mineral makeup alternative years ago when it first came out. Maybe Physician's Formula? Whatever it was it irritated my skin, a subtle burn with slight redness. Turns out my skin was reacting to bismuth oxychloride a filler used in lesser mineral brands that is a less expensive alternative to zinc which provides a sheen/glow. Joelle products DO NOT contain it.

I've never had a problem with the product and I love the coverage it gives without looking like I've caked-on make up. Here's the list of benefits Joelle provides, it's better explains why I love this makeup so much.

• FDA Sun Block Rating of SPF 20 (due to the high Titanium & Zinc content)
• No BISMUTH OXICHLORIDE in the Foundation Base. It is shiny, and can be irritating to sensitive skin types. Simply mica, titanium dioxide,zinc oxide,and iron oxides.
• Non-comedogenic, will not block pores. Free of oils, silicones and waxes.
• No allergy risk. Minerals are inert with no activity
• SPF 20- Broad-spectrum UVB, UVA & URA protection
• Anti-inflammatory, helps to calm and soothe irritated skin
• Very water resistant rating by an approved FDA lab
• Complete, flawless coverage for skin conditions like acne, rosacea and redness following treatments like chemical peels and laser resurfacing
• Contains no fillers like talc , rice powders, flours
• Composed of inert minerals that CANNOT support bacteria
• Environmentally aware and NOT tested on animals

I've used my own make-up and skincare products as an example of how much you can save by looking to eBay for your needs. Do a quick search today and see what you find. Just keep in mind, the more time you have to a) watch auctions and b) watch new product listings, the better price you are going to get. If you're in a hurry, use the Buy It Now option and you'll still save money. If you can check for it every couple of days, you may get an even better deal by winning an auction. I paid $7.99 total for my Regenerist Lotion but if I had been checking a couple days back, I could have gotten it for $5.99. Yes, $7.99 versus $18 is good, but $5.99 is even better!

Now that I'm all stocked up on my face products, I'm ready for my close-up!