In a Pinch: Innovative Homemade Recipes & Ideas

Have you ever been in a pinch before where money was getting really tight? Such as payday is still a few days away or even weeks but the kids and cats need to be fed.

Well, I have and when those times hit, we don't just suffer through it, I improvise. Here's a few ways I have found to "get by" in the tough times.

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119 Ways to Advertise Your Home Business Offline

I always see many ways to advertise your home/small business online. However I was looking for some more ways to advertise my newest venture of making free money online, but most specifically I wanted ways to advertise this free business opportunity offline in my own neighborhood.

I know about things like Pull-Tab Posters and handing out business cards. But what else did I find? Oh lots... check out this very long list I have compiled for your convenience.

Feel free to duplicate, but leave me a comment and linkback. Also, please include the bottom text about the author... yes that would be me. :) This list has been a long time in the making, hope you get a lot out of it.

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I am a BAD Blogger!

All of my readers must know this by now, I am a BAD blogger. I don't post regularly (not even once a month). I will disappear for months or years and then come back (hence, here I am). I don't even stick to one niche.

I like bouncing around and keeping things fresh, but that makes my online status reach a stale mate. I have 4 kids, so they keep me offline quite frequently. I am also now working full time third shift, so that keeps me on an altered schedule from everyone else. Yeah, I know, excuses, excuses... in this day and age when everyone is online and blogging, there is no excuses.

Well, my biggest dilemma... money. That's right... money, moolah, funding, cash flow. I need more than I have coming in now. We have 4 kids, and we just decided to purchase 2 new-to-us cars. The digits looked alright on paper, but in reality it is not panning out to be the case.

So, do you have any ways to make some money? Please leave me any suggestions in the comments below.

Couponing Tips and Tricks: How to Create a Stockpile

Couponing: The New Frontier

Everyone all over the TV and internet is buzzing about the newest fad to hit mainstream America, couponing! And why wasn't it bigger sooner? Why pay full price for anything if you can get it for free or cheap?

Quick Update on my Daily Life Lately

I have been working deeply in a few areas lately, and I figured it is about time that I updated everyone here on my progress. I am sorry to leave you all in the dark for so long, however if you have read my other blogs, you would know that I am still around.

Besides having my third child in late March, my oldest daughter is off of school for the summer. So, my house has been chaos to say the least. My mind has been torn between quite a few wants, needs, and passions.

First, and foremost is always my kids and family. Thus I have started a new blog, Homeschooling Toddlers, because I have had to do a tremendous amount of research in order to find resources, ideas, etc to homeschool my 18 month old son alongside my 6 year old daughter. Most resources I have found are techniques and tips to keep my son "occupied" while I teach my older child. However I am NOT interested in simply keeping him occupied. I want him involved and learning as well.

Next, still has to do with my family but not in such a direct way, and that is earning money. I know that earning money takes some time and effort, however with my first focus taking up my days, I have little to NO energy to follow through on this next task. I have been trying to become debt free by solely earning free money online, and have made quite the progress with that. Unfortunately I am not quite in the range of Amy Bass' earnings, and without some more proactive help from my hubby, there's no chance in hell that I will ever get there.

I have multiple product reviews waiting in the wings to get finished (and I will get the published). I have just had to prioritize my time, energy, and ideas. I am also a bit wary of the whole ordeal with the Federal Trade Commission. Here are some opinions and advice on this from other mommy bloggers more versed in it that myself: Green and Clean Mom and Classy Mommy.

10 Fun & Frugal Father's Day Ideas

Father's Day is right around the corner, taking place on Sunday, June 21st this year. Take this opportunity to show the man in your kid's life how much he means to you and them. Here are some helpful, fun, and thrifty ideas to celebrate Dad.

1. Give him a framed picture.

Yes, this is becoming a little outplayed or boring. So, spice it up too... have the kids decorate the frame, have someone take a picture of the family engaged in a favorite activity, create a montage of favorite past photos, or even have the kids draw a special picture for Dad.

2. Clean his car for him.

Clean the inside and outside to give his car a spot-free shine. Do this the night before so he can be surprised when he wakes up.

3. Fire up the grill for dinner.

Buy his favorite foods and get your grill on. Set the table in your backyard with special decorations. Invite the whole family. After dinner, surprise him with a scrumptious dessert.

4. Rent his favorite movie.

Does he love a certain genre of movies, a certain actor or perhaps just one movie in particular? Get a DVD for him! He might have forgotten how much he enjoys the DVD until he sees it again. Gather your family for a movie night. Don't forget RedBox offers movies for $1 a night.

5. Dad's can love coupons too.

Have your kids write out (or you can write for them) special coupons for Dad to redeem for "Free hugs", "One back rub", or "Quiet time". Have the kids help think up ideas of something Dad would like to have a coupon for.

6. Cookies, Cakes, and Brownies.

Have the kids also help with cooking Dad a special snack or dessert. You can spice this up with special messages on the treats, or bake them in special shapes (ties, trucks, computers, fish, whatever else he likes or does for work).

7. Homemade calendar.

Have the kids help decorate a calendar for Dad that he can hang up at work. Print off pages with calendar dates for June this year to June of next year. Then buy some poster boards or even just use construction paper. Have the kids color, decorate, paint, glue sparkles, etc on the edges of the paper. Then attach the calendar pages in the middle. Add pictures on the backs like a real calendar. Make sure they are facing the right way for when you put it together they are right side up. You can attach the pages together with simple ribbon or string.

8. Hand-painted T-shirt for Dad.

Purchase a plain white T-shirt, or take one from Dad's wardrobe (most will have at least one), and have the kids decorate that any way they want. Use paints, markers, crayons, older kids can even sew or iron on patches. Then when they are done (make sure they leave part blank for this) either trace their hands or dip them in paint and write their names under each corresponding hand.

9. A Mom's Favorite for Dad ~ Breakfast in Bed.

Try giving him one of your favorite special treats. Again, you can even have the kids help, or just make sure they let Daddy sleep in.

10. Little messages of love.

Have the kids write out or tell you so you can write for them things the love about their Dad. Try to make at least 12 so Dad will have a new little message of love to read each month until next Father's Day. Or if you can have them make about 30, he can read one a day every month. Place the messages in a bottle, box, or other container and have an envelope for ones he has already read. Once he goes through them all, take the ones out of the envelope and "reshuffle" back into the container so he can repick.

Do you have any other ideas? What have you tried in past years? Let us know in the comments.

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