evergreen Archives - Page 5 of 7 - Atlantas Frugal Mom

Read your SALES ADS carefully!

11/11/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Take a moment and look at this snippet from this week’s Walgreen’s ad. What do you notice?

Hopefully, you see that the “coupon” price of a single roll of tape is NOT cheaper than the 3-roll pack, featured right above! In this instance, it’s cheaper to pay twice as much because you get three times the product! You’d pay $2.97 for 3 individual rolls with the couponed price, but only $1.99 for 3 rolls with the sale price.

Even utilizing currently available coupons, (namely $1/3 rolls, exp 11/18/11 SS), you’re still better off with the 3-pack. It’s the difference between paying $1 for three after coupons, or $2 for 3 after coupons.

Check out these two excerpts from this week’s Kroger ads for Hillshire Farms deli meat:

The above features the 8-9 oz packages, on sale for $2.99 each, and a participating item in Kroger’s frequent $5 off 10 items promo. But below is the 16 oz package for less than twice the price:

Even with the current promo, the larger size meat is still cheaper than the smaller tubs, more prominently featured as a sales item. For two 8-9 oz tubs, you’d pay $5.98, verses $4.99 for one 16 oz package.

Granted, I understand that for some, buying the smaller tub may make sense, perhaps because you don’t eat the meat fast enough before it goes bad. (But, my goodness! This stuff does keep for a while!!) Or perhaps your meat of choice is only available in the smaller size? In any case, it always PAYS to look!

Just a cautionary point I wanted to pass on to you all this weekend, as a reminder to ALWAYS check the unit price of items you are purchasing, and learn to look beyond the shiny, bright newness of items on “sale”!!

Keep on saving! :o)

–Barbara
**This post may contain affiliate links.**

Keep on saving! :o)
--Barbara
**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: evergreen

What I Love About this Town…

10/12/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

I feel truly blessed to live in a town where my daughter can spot geese at the pool, at the mall, and -well- just about any where. Yes, they’re mean little boogers up close, but from a distance, they are a creature of awe.

She also gets a glimpse of deer in our backyard from time to time, and in many surprising spots. There are horses down the street in a private backyard, as well as “in town” in Dunwoody. Finally, we’ve spotted about a dozen ducks recently at our dear ol’ Dagwoods. After all, what’s better to watch whilst eating one’s pizza?

Yes, we live in a heavily populated, concrete-laden pocket of Atlanta; but we are still privy to select reminders that nature is still all around us, without having to take a drive out to “the country.”

What signs of nature do YOU see near you? :o)

Happy Wednesday, y’all!

Keep on saving! :o)

–Barbara
**This post may contain affiliate links.**

Filed Under: random ramblings Tagged With: evergreen

Not-So-Extreme Couponing: Learning to Let Go (Sorta)

09/13/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Any good couponer has experienced that invigorating coupon high, but what happens when you find yourself going to extremes, all in the name of saving a few bucks? There’s been quite a buzz in the blogosphere created in recent months thanks largely in part to TLC’s Extreme Couponing. Many viewers are left with the impression that couponing creates, or encourages hoarding, shelf-clearing of sale items, and downright obsessive behavior.*

Admittedly, I’ve found myself in situations where I was running out to buy something, all in the name of a “good deal”, only to later be ridden with buyers remorse, often thinking, “I didn’t even reallyneed that product!” I’ve spoken to many of you, my dear readers, and quite a few of you admit to being new to couponing, so please bear my cautionary tale. Just like any thing else, couponing CAN become addicting, and it, too, may spiral out of control.

Two and a half years ago, when my daughter was born, I became obsessed with maintaining a good diaper stockpile. As you may know by now, I’ve learned to find ways to get some cheap diapers. But over two years ago, when I was beginning to dive deeper in to the depths of couponing, I would go out and willy-nilly buy in to the diaper deal of the week. I hadn’t yet come to realize that the boxes are seldom the better deal, and my gripping -yet highly unrealistic- fear of running out of diapers was beginning to take over, so I wanted to be well-stocked. I would schlep my sweet little girl here, there, and everywhere, all in the name of stocking up. Loaded with gift cards and coupons in hand, I even found myself buying the big ol’ boxes of Huggies, Pampers, and store brand from Babies R Us. (Note: they are NEVER, EVER a cheap deal.)

When I decided I was stocked well-enough with the current size diaper, I would start on the next size. Keep in mind, my petite skinyata spent over a year wearing her six month clothes, so we were able to really take advantage of a large stock pile of size 2s, and then size 3s for quite some time. But even though the logical part of me knew we were well-stocked, I couldn’t pass up good diaper deals. Period.

Suffice it to say, I took a long, hard look in the mirror one day, and decided enough was enough. There will always be good diaper deals. I don’t need to use every single Huggies or Pampers coupon in my possession. (Enter the Coupon Fairy!) And while it’s fine to stock up on the next size, I can do so in moderation, without dragging my daughter here, there, and everywhere, soley to satisfy my crazy, unrealistic fear of running out of diapers.

Now that we’ve successfully crossed potty training off our list (yahoo!), I look at my collection of size 4 diapers, and am grateful in the knowledge that Baby Boy will be well-stocked already; but not without the burden of stockpiling.

I digress.

Diapers are just one example of how I personally went over board (um, perhaps extreme, even) in my couponing endeavors. It is easy to do, particularly as a SAHM, eager to just get out of the house. It’s also easy to talk yourself in to believing that you did, indeed, need to rush out of the house right then and there to save a buck on ice cream, or a quarter on gum, or get that free deodorant (even if you already possessed a dozen other free sticks).

What’s not so easy, but must be done, is taking a step back and realizing that a good deal will always come back around. As a couponer, one must take on the responsibility of keeping oneself in check, to keep from going to extremes.

I share my cautionary tale with you, so that you may benefit from my wackiness. Do you have a wacky couponing cautionary tale you’d like to share? I’d love to hear it!

*I’m pulling all of these impressions from various blogs’ comments, Facebook comments, and Tweets I’ve read on the matter — that’s just a representative sample of the opinions expressed about the show.
Keep on saving! :o)

–Barbara
**This post may contain affiliate links.**

Filed Under: random ramblings Tagged With: evergreen

Where do I find Coupon Binder Insert Pages???

08/28/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Because I’ve been asked quite a few times lately where one can purchase pages for their coupon binders, I thought I’d compile a list of places you can get them, both online and in-store.

Let me first clarify, I’ve found two types of pages that work well in coupon binders: baseball card holders (9-slots) and picture album pages (3×5 and 4×6 work best). There are companies, however, that have done the leg work for you, and offer various sizes/slots for your choosing. :o)

Coupon Magic Organizer – CMO offers a complete system for starting a coupon binder, but also allows you to buy the individual pages in bundles, ranging from 3-slots to 9-slots. CMO also exclusively carries double-sided 3-slot and 9-slot pages! Prices start at $8.99 for 20 pages.

The Coupon Clutch – Yeah, you’ve heard me talk about this one plenty of times! In addition to getting the CUTEST coupon binder/fashion accessory around, you can also order the page inserts here as well. A 10-pack of pages starts at $3.99, and come in 3-, 4-, 6-, and 9-slot varieties. (Pages are single-sided.) Additionally, The Coupon Clutch has just recently EXPANDED its designs — so you now have even more selection of stylish coupon clutches!!

Target – Did you honestly think I’d create a post, and NOT include my dearly beloved toy store, Tar-Zshay? ;o) In store, you can get a 60 pack of baseball card holder pages for $8.99. You can also order them online here.

Wal-Mart – Yep, The Mart offers a 35 pack for $3.99. I have not been able to find them online. (But, by all means, correct me if I’m wrong!)

SCROUNGE AROUND! – Honestly, I’ve scored my page inserts, by sheer dumb luck, at Goodwill (picture pages), garage sales, and estate sales! If you’ve got the time and the patience, go for a Couponer’s dream treasure hunt! I believe I’ve gotten over 100 sheets for less than $6! :o)

Keep on saving! :o)

–Barbara
**This post may contain affiliate links.**

Filed Under: Coupons, Target Tagged With: evergreen

Coupon Binder Categories

08/12/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

By popular demand (okay, really just a random show of hands by my lovely Facebook fans), I am sharing my categories for my coupon binder.

By the way, if you’re still looking for a good coupon binder, I highly recommend the ultra-cute Coupon Clutch! (Just look at the flashing picture to your left!) OR, if you’re more in need of just the materials to get coupons organized, take a gander at the Coupon Magic Organizer.

……but, I digress.

As with anything that is for YOUR use, you’ll need to make it your own. I share this to give you an idea of how to break it down, but bear in mind you’ll need to find a system and categories that work for you!

For example, I know some folks who shop primarily at one store (or one chain) will organize their coupons by store layout. Others organize alphabetically, by product or by type. Because I categorize, and then sub-categorize, this system works for me. Use this as a starting point, if you wish, and tweak it to make it work for you.

More or less, a numbered item represents a tabbed section, and any lettered section represents a page. Where there are no lettered subcategories, there is only a single page per category. Make sense? …and without further ado:

Coupon Binder Categories

Freebies
store coupons
1. Target
2. Publix
3. Kroger
4. Rite Aid
dog
restaurants
1. Want Fries with that?
2. Sit down and tip!
Baby
1. diapers
2. wipes
3. meds and vitamins
4. toys
5. cleaning & ointments
household
1. TP and flushable wipes, Kleenex, Paper Towels
2. disinfectant
3. Let’s Clear the Air (Febreeze & other good-smelling stuff)
4. laundry
5. dishes
6. lightbulbs
7. batteries
8. storage containers
office supplies
health
1. ouchies (band-aid, ointments, etc)
2. heat patches
3. ah-choo!
4. Rumbly-tumbly
5. contact lens solution
6. toothbrush
7. toothpaste
8. feminine products
beauty
1. shaving
2. deodorant
3. wash yo’ hair!
4. Body wash
5. cosmetics (ha ha ha!)
breakfast
1. cereal
2. breakfast sammiches, and other warm goodies
snacks
1. chips
2. dips
3. crackers
4. Aw, nuts!
5. Snack mix
6. Shweeet!
drinks
soups
condiments
fruits, salads, veggies
dairy
1. yogurt
2. Chucky Cheese
3. milk
4. “It’s like buh-dda!”
meat
frozen dinners
side dishes & appetizers
pasta and rice

SO, how do YOU organize your coupons? Are you as nit-picky as I am, or more loosey-goosey? I’d love to hear about your style!

Filed Under: Coupons Tagged With: evergreen

After Potty Training: "Going" on the Go (Folding, padded potty seat PR)

07/18/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

The folding, padded potty seat

As you may recall, I just recently finished a successful (and short) stint potty training my two-year old daughter back at the end of May. She took to the task like a pro, which gave me the confidence *I* needed to take her out and about, and know we could minimize accidents. However, my biggest hang-up had long been the dreaded public restroom.

Need I say more? A curious toddler’s small hands simply can’t contain themselves in a new environment, and -well- the nastiness that you likely conjured up at the mere words “public restroom” are enough to send one sprinting for a can of Lysol, right?

The bulky “on the go”
potty seat — BOO!

Furthermore, any mother will attest to the amount of STUFF one must lug around, even with a potty-trained child: your own purse, a (former) diaper bag, and miscellaneous other bags, depending on the occasion and the circumstances. For me, shopping entailed the addition of my bag full of reusable shopping bags AND my coupon binder bag. Oh, plus one highly-active and surprisingly fast red-headed toddler. Need I say my hands were already quite full?

So, to add ANOTHER bag to the mix seems rather silly. However, when potty training commenced, we had only the regular (unfoldable) potty seat (see pic to your left), which I kept in a reusable shopping bag, along with a pack of sanitizing wipes. To say this was a bit much is an understatement!

But not bringing a potty seat was NOT an option. We’d tried that ONCE on an early post-PT outing, and her tiny little boopah simply proved too small for the grown-up potty seat, even with me holding her hands for balance and support; therefore, she couldn’t get comfortable enough to go. :o(

Enter: the FOLDABLE, padded potty seat! I’d had my eye on this for a while, and had been unable to find anything comparable in the stores. (The closest I’d found was a foldable, NON-padded plastic potty seat; but all the reviews I’d read suggested they were flimsy and a waste of money.) By chance I saw it being featured one day on My Precious Kid‘s Facebook page, and decided it was time. The more I saw it, the more I was convinced this folding, padded potty seat was precisely the answer to my daughter’s potty prayers!

When it arrived, I first marveled at the small size of the entire shipping package! Upon opening it, I simply couldn’t contain my excitement — I eagerly opened it up, and showed my daughter her “new potty seat!” We hadn’t anywhere to go that evening, but I insisted we go out. Out we went, with our “new potty seat” in tow, which fit rather neatly in her (former) diaper bag. (Big plus, right there!!) Did I mention it comes with a washable bag? It also holds a travel-size pack of wipes, too.

Lo and behold, we hadn’t been at Tar-Zshay for more than a few minutes, when my daughter uttered those famous words “I go potty.”

For the first time EVER, I eagerly dashed to the public restrooms -skipping almost- as I told my daughter how we were going to get to try out her new potty seat. My excitement was contagious! From the first time we used it, it has been a gem — it folds easily, it sets up easily, and with a row of toilet paper or a toilet seat cover between the “new potty seat” and the regular one, it offers this germ-a-phobe significant peace of mind! And to be able to pack it all away in a tiny bag, which fits nicely in her (former) diaper bag is just icing on the potty-training cake!

We’ve had it for a little over a month, and I dare not leave home without it! It certainly fits in just about every toilet we’ve used, save for the old rickety one at the Atlanta Zoo, but that’s a whole ‘nother ball of wax… We had but one “accident” with the new potty seat, where I think I simply didn’t have it fitted properly inside the toilet seat. No big deal though, since I was squatting right next to my daughter — she actually just giggled about getting her boopah a little wet.

Her enthusiasm for the seat is still in tact, too. Many times when we merely walk in to the public restrooms, she’ll grin and excitedly declare “new! potty! seat!” — as I breath a sigh of relief knowing my daughter has the comfort she needs to “go” on the go, while I have the peace of mind knowing that we CAN take extended excursions and she’ll be accommodated, just about anywhere we go.

My personal thanks to Kay Green, of My Precious Kid, for providing me with the opportunity to review this awesome product; as well as for her sage words of wisdom, with all things related to child safety and potty training! (As well as my sincerest apologies for not posting this review ina much more timely manner!)

The foldable potty seat is available here, for only $11.99, plus shipping. Use the promo code 2SEPTEN for an 10% off! (Also, you can enjoy free shipping for orders over $100, by entering promo code FREESHIP100.) While you’re there, check out the entire website, for a vast array of products devoted to child safety and wellness!

Next up in the series, I’ll discuss items I highly recommend for potty training, as well as items that aren’t essential, but can make life a whole lot easier. If you have any items to suggest for this, feel free to contact me. :o)

Keep on saving! :o)

–Barbara
**This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click/purchase/sign up for this offer, I may receive a small amount of compensation for it.**

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: evergreen

Coupon Organization Strategies

07/13/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

I wanted to remind y’all of two awesome companies that can help you keep your coupons organized, as well as remind you of a fantastic giveaway, too!

Double-sided coupon binder insert pages – The Coupon Magic Organizer exclusively carries 3-slotted, and 9-slotted DOUBLED-SIDED inserts! Both pages are $9.99 for eight. These are highly durable sheets, that will last for many, many shopping trips! Click here to order yours now.

The Coupon Clutch – Simply put, it’s the most fashionable option available for organizing, storing, and toting around your coupons! There are dozens of patterns to choose from, OR you can simply purchase the plans (if you’re the sewing type), and can personalize your Coupon Clutch even more. Go here to get your Coupon Clutch today!

Win your very own Coupon Clutch! My friend Heather, over at Family Friendly Frugality, is hosting a giveaway for a Coupon Clutch. Head over to her Facebook page here, and enter for your chance to win! (Seriously, if you don’t want one, enter anyways, and give it to me!! Hee hee!)

Keep on saving! :o)

–Barbara
**This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click/purchase/sign up for this offer, I may receive a small amount of compensation for it.**

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: evergreen

Ditching the Diapers: Potty Training in 3 (or 4) Days

06/29/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Disclaimer: The following is my account of potty training my daughter, using a particular method*. I am not claiming to be an expert on the subject. However, in 30 years, I’ve 20 years experience with working with kids, including two degrees in education. I’ve taught in middle school and elementary schools, and just finished up my first year in preschool. Again, I am NOT an expert in the matter, but I do feel my combined education and experience makes my account worthwhile. :o)

During the third full week in May, I undertook the daunting task of potty training my daughter, who was 26 months at the time. She was ready; she was more than ready, and I knew it. This just happened to be the first block of time where I could set aside to truly devote to the task. School had finished up the week before, and we had nothing critical that needed to be done. (Gym, schmym – we’re ditching diapers!!) So, I began hyping up going on the potty even more, leading up to that week.

She’d been sitting on the potty at night since January. But that’s all she had done: sit. So the potty was already a familiar entity for her. Plus, she frequently saw Mommy go potty, and -hee hee- taught her self how to “wipe”, as well.

I knew what I did and didn’t want to do with PT. For one, I did not want to use the “timer method” – I didn’t feel like that was a way to teach a child how to read their body’s signals. I also did NOT want to make the transition from diapers to training pants (like Pull-Ups) full time. That didn’t seem to make sense for us. I started making Carol work on pulling her pants on and off for over six months prior, so she’d already mastered that task. (This was easily accomplished during diaper changes. After the diaper was put on, I’d stand her up, with pants at her ankles, and have her pull them up. She still needs a little help getting them up in the back.) I knew I wanted to go straight from diapers to panties, with the exception of naps and nighttime. (I’ll touch more upon that later.)

We ceremoniously took a trip to Target and picked out a few packs of Big Girl Panties. She got to pick out one pack , with princesses on them, naturally; while I tossed in a few more packs that were more cost-efficient. All the while, I talked very upbeat but casually, about how big girls wear panties instead of diapers, sit on the potty, AND put their pee-pee and poo-poo in the potty, and NOT in a diaper. Further, we read plenty of “going potty” books in the weeks leading up to Operation: Ditching the Diapers. Finally, I deliberately opened the packs of panties in front of her, and gave her the “princess” cardboard insert that came with the one pack, and made sure she watched me fold the newly-washed panties, talking up how neat it is to have her very own big girl panties.

Day One

So Tuesday -Day One- arrived, and after breakfast, we ceremoniously went back up stairs to take off our jammies, and take off our verylastdiaper. (Yes, my child eats breakfast in her jammies… That’s blog entry for another day.) I pulled out the new panties from her dresser drawer, and told her how, from now on, she was not going to wear diapers, but wear panties like a big girl. I showed her the picture of the princess on the front, to which she cooly remarked, “oooh, nice” while patting the princess. I went on to explain that big girls keep their panties dry, so if she felt “the pee-pees”, to tell mommy and we’d go sit on the potty. (She wore just a t-shirt and panties, no pants, to minimize the time needed to sit on the potty.)

I’m not going to lie, within two hours of this, I was totally exhausted, and halfway convinced this method just wouldn’t work. (I’m going to chalk up most of the exhaustion to pregnancy.) But I knew I had to have faith in what I set out to do, and push forward. The key to this method of potty training is to stay right by your child’s side at all times. This way, you pick up on their cues, and therefore, teach the child their cues to go potty. With frequent reminders to “tell mommy if you feel the pee-pees”, we still had our share of accidents. The key was to rush her to the potty the second I saw her pause (to pee), if the first drop came out, or if those legs started to spread apart, I’d scoop her up and plop her on the potty. All with a casual reminder that “we sit on the potty to go pee pee!”

We had about half a dozen accidents within the first two hours, but only a few that were paper-towel-worthy; mostly, her panties got a little damp, and we simply had to change in to a new pair. I frequently had her feel the new, dry pair, and compare it to the damp pair we just took off. I’d say things like, “see, these panties are dry. Let’s keep our new panties dry. So you tell mommy if you feel the pee-pees.” Also, for intermittent reinforcement, I would “quiz” her to see if the panties were dry; if they were, we would enthusiastically celebrate. Sometimes that entailed doing the “Woo-Hoo! My Panties are STILL Dry” dance.

While I was getting lunch ready, I failed to keep a close of an eye on her, and that’s when her little table and chair in the kitchen got a downpour. She stood in her chair, just letting it gush out – all the while looking over at me, unable to articulate what she needed to do, so she just, well, showed me…

And then it all started to click.

She would not necessarily verbally state that she needed to go potty, but her body language was clear. She would “hold” herself; she’d knowingly pause whatever she was doing, becoming motionless. I cracked her code, and so did she! Before I put her down for her nap, not only did she pee on the potty, while keeping her panties dry, but she even pooped on the potty, too! I really saw the tide starting to turn, and almost hated to have to put her down for a nap. (Naps were necessary – if for no other reason, so I could have a little break during such an exhausting time!) I reluctantly put on her “night-night panties” (Pull-Ups), and she went down for a nap.

Post-nap, we continued to ride the train of potty training success! While she still wasn’t verbally expressing when she needed to go, her body language was loud and clear. She went through only one or two pairs of panties until bedtime, and I could really tell it was starting to sink in with her.

With each successful attempt to sit on the potty, we called a loved one: daddy at work, grandparents, etc. This proved to be enough of a reward for her. She also got to “watch the babies” on my iPhone. (She likes to watch videos of herself on my phone.) Occassionally, I would further supplement a successful trip and dry panties with an animal cracker, but I didn’t want her to become dependent on tangible rewards. Calls to loved ones, and plenty of praise and enthuiasm proved valuable!

Day Two

The next day started off much like the previous. Except for the pooping in the panties… While she was going pee-pee in the potty like a champ, she would not repeat yesterday’s performance of going poo-poo on the potty. The first time this happened, she paused, and I honestly just missed her cue. So, she didn’t get the message that she should also poop in the potty, just the same as she goes pee-pee. The next incident occurred when she hid behind a chair to poop. This told me she knew what she was supposed to do, but wasn’t ready to try it out on the potty.

It’s important to note that, with this method (or any potty-training method, IMHO), you do not scold a child for an accident. With positively stating my expectations, Carol learned what she was supposed to do. When I saw that glaring nugget poking out of the back of her pants, I would swiftly take her to sit on the potty, all the while reminding her that “poo-poo goes in the potty”, and “remember to tell Mommy if you feel the poo-poo or the pee-pee”. My phrases from the day before continued well in to Day Three.

Day Three

Thursday arrived, much like the day before. She kept her panties dry the entire day. But, she still wouldn’t poop in the potty. She didn’t have any accidents, she just didn’t have to go. (Side note: this method encourages a fiber-rich diet, starting a few days prior to starting, as well as encouraging the child to drink, drink, drink. The drinking was not a problem. But when you have a picky child, it’s difficult to get her to eat most meals, let alone a fiber-rich diet!)

Knowing that she was peeing in the potty without incident, I felt good. However, not knowing if she would poop in the potty made me a bit nervous. I was beginning to develop a motivational reward program in my head, involving charts, stickers, and other small tangible rewards. Keeping all this in mind, I reluctantly decided to extend the “method” to a fourth day, just to be cautious. Reluctant, as we were both going stir crazy, being at home for yet another day; but, I was committed to potty-training my daughter!

Day Four

Friday turned out to be a mixed blessing, much like the day before. She continued to excel at peeing in the potty. But she didn’t poop: not in her pants, not in the potty. Argh.

However, I determined that I had to just trust that she would get it, perhaps with the help of a rewards system, which I was fully ready and prepared to implement. As it turned out, she started pooping in the potty the following day. The first time she did so, Daddy was home too, so we just made such a fuss about going poo poo in the potty, I think that was all the motivation she required. For the next two weeks, she would applaud herself for pooping in the potty, usually with a hand clap and a ceremonious “yay, I did it!”

So, I can say now, a month later, that I have a successfully and fully potty-trained child. She truly knows when she has to go, and began verbally stating when she does shortly thereafter the training experience. I’ve learned to take her at her word, whether she says she does have to go, or if she claims she needn’t go at the moment. I do still encourage her to sit on the potty before we leave the house, and as soon as we get home. But, now that I have a really cool foldable potty seat, I’m not afraid to take her to (most) public restrooms. Almost. ;o)

In an upcoming post, I will share a list of items I highly recommend you have on hand before and during potty training. I certainly have learned along the way, and feel much more confident about Pting Baby Number Two; however, I know now how consuming this method is, and will likely need a caretaker for Carol during the duration of PTing the next child. I digress; that’s an obstacle I’ll face and accomplish in a little over two years.

I will leave you with these last words: this method worked for me and for my child. I’ve heard testimonials from several other mothers of their success in using this method for their children as well. However, it is not for everyone, especially if you haven’t the ability to carve out 3-5 days solely to devote to PTing. You cannot “work from home” on these days. Your child needs your full attention. Period. I highly recommend you do your own research, and find a method that will work for your family. :o)

* – I used a slightly modified version of the 3 Day Method. It’s a program that you can purchase online. It is my opinion that you should not have to pay for a method that can help a child learn a basic life skill. However, it is copyrighted material, and I cannot LEGALLY give it away. I suggest if you’d like to learn more about the 3 Day Method, you ask your friends if they’ve used it; perhaps they could loan you their copy (it comes as a PDF, too), so you can see if it might work for you and your child.

Filed Under: cheap diapers, Frugal Parenting, parenting Tagged With: evergreen

Storing & Organizing Your Coupons – The Evolution of My Coupon Organization

05/23/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Many of you have asked me how I store and haul my coupons. I’m not going to lie: I have yet to perfect my system(s), but with each attempt, it seems to be getting easier as I go! I’ll take you through my coupon storage evolution, and perhaps you will find a system that meets your needs along the way.

Particularly if you are a couponing newbie, I know storing and organizing your coupons can be quite daunting and prove to be an overwhelming task, to say the least. I’ll confess that I still find the process a bit too much at times, and I’ve been couponing my entire adult life. Truth be told, most Sundays, I dread the task of clipping and organizing; sometimes it drags in to Mondays as well. (Does that make anyone feel better???)

Please keep in mind that you will need to create your own system that works for you. Feel free to borrow these ideas, but you’ll need to make your own tweaks to make it your own. :o)

The Envelope – For years, I carried a small, laminated envelope around in my purse. (I believe it was an extra “thank you note”-sized one.) This worked fine for my needs at the time: it fit in my purse (which was exponentially smaller in my younger, pre-mommy days!), and held about two or three dozen coupons. Being the hyper-organized person, I still had them in a categorized order, even within the small envelope.

NOTE: Some people use a more complex “envelope system” to store and organize their coupons. Most will keep a set of envelopes in a shoe box, or similar sized container. Each envelope will hold a category of coupons.

The Expanding Coupon File/Accordian – I found a plastic expanding coupon accordian holder for about $3 at Big Lots a few years ago, and happily used this for quite a while. Even with the small(er) pre-mommy purse, the coupon file was portable enough to fit in my purse. It had about 13 sections, which I labeled based on categories that made sense to me. This worked when I was still heavily buying store brand items, but occasionally kept my eye open for deals on select other products. You can pick one up at Target for under $5.

The Petite Coupon Binder – Once my coupon file literally started bursting at the seems, I knew it was time to upgrade. The need for something more occurred around the time I started picking up my parents coupons, and occasionally my mother-in-laws. Also, around this time, I began to understand how to play the drugstore games, read the sales cycles at grocery stores, and exploring the blogosphere for deeper savings. I found myself no longer boxed in to store brand versions, and in order to maximize savings, clipped coupons for multiple brands for the same product. Oh, and I discovered the delectable joys of printable coupons!

The petite coupon binder was a find from Target. (I know, I’m like a walking Target ad!) Initially, I took some Ziplock freezer bags (because I thought they’d be the most durable), hole punched them, and made these my zipper pouches for each coupon category. What I quickly discovered, however, was how darn THICK this system became: the bags filled with coupons, and the zippers themselves proved to be just too bulky for my needs. I started searching around the house for old Day Runner-type planners, and found a handful. Thus, I was able to replace the bulky Ziplocks with the zippered pouches that come with the planners.

But I still had a darn rubber-band holding it all together. I reluctantly realized I needed something more….

The Full-Fledged Coupon Binder – Equipped with some business card holder pages, baseball card holder pages, sheet protectors, and photo pages – all from Goodwill!- I stepped up to the Big Leagues! As I said before, my organizational style requires that I categorize, and then subcategorize. Plus, I’m highly visual. Thus, having a page per subcategory (or a few subs per page) allowed me to better SEE my coupons. I will post specifically about my coupon binder, complete with photos later and a category list. :o)I digress. If you do the bulk of your shopping with coupons, including restaraunts, general store coupons, and use printables, OR if you collect multiple copies of coupons, I highly recommend the coupon binder system. With a coupon binder, you put your coupons in either picture sheets (wallet size, 4×6 size, or 3×5) or baseball card holders. Each sheet comes three-hole punched and is a standard “sheet” size. You can use dividers to tab off each category. Again, there are several ways to categorize your coupons — some categorize by the isles in the grocery store, some go in alplabetic order. You must find a way that makes sense to YOU.

If you haven’t the time, desire, or resources to create your own coupon binder, OR if you wish to surprise a couponing friend with a gift, I suggest The Coupon Clutch. It’s a super cute, highly fashionable binder, and available in various styles. It remains on my wish list.

Another option is the Coupon Magic Organizer. This is a system, including a 2″ zippered 3-ring binder, comes equipped with all the materials you’ll need to get started. You can buy individual pieces for an existing coupon binder you may have, or purchase the entire system — all in one place. With both The Coupon Clutch and the Coupon Magic Organizer, there are almost always coupon codes floating around — I suggest trying Retail Me Not, or a good ol’ Google search.

There are, of course, many other ways to organize your coupons. Some use an envelope and box system, as I mentioned earlier. This is a modified version of the coupon binder, in my eyes; it just uses envelopes instead of binder pages to hold the coupons. My friend Heather, over at Family Friendly Frugality, uses a large accordian folder to hold entire inserts — she eliminates the clipping all together by keeping track of her coupons on the Coupon Database!

Whichever way you choose, you need to make it a system that works for you. Don’t make it more work than it needs to be for you. Most importantly, keep your eyes on the prize: having a method in which to store and organize your coupons, to help you save more money each and every time you shop! :o)

**This post may contain affiliate links.**

Filed Under: Coupons, printable coupons Tagged With: evergreen

Contacting Atlanta’s Frugal Mom

04/16/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

In desperate need of contacting
Atlanta’s Frugal Mom?

I can be reached in a variety of ways:

You can shoot me an email.

Or if that’s a bit old fashioned for your blood, message me through my Facebook page. I even have a contact form right there.

I’m still a Twitter novice, but starting to get the hang of it.

Then, of course, you can leave a comment here on the blog….

And if all else fails, try smoke signals. I look up at the sky at exactly 11:38 p.m. nightly. Service unreliable during inclement weather.

**This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click/purchase/sign up for this offer, I may receive a small amount of compensation for it.**