Tuesdays Tips

Host a sweets exchange with friends this Christmas! This is a great way to add to your sweets collection, what is Christmas without a ton of cookies and other yummy treats? Here is how it works:

• Each friend bakes 1/2 dozen sweets per person attending. If you have 10 people attending you need 5 dozen.
• Wrap them up is 1/2 dozen to share, I love decorating cute little bags.
• At the exchange bring a box or large bag and bring home your goodies!
• We set some out in the cake stand and freeze the rest to pull out slowly over the next couple weeks.

Here are the cake balls I made. Not exactly perfectly round like the one's that bakerella makes.

My six to bring to the party. I got these cute little baskets for 50 cents. I put the cake balls in a plastic bag and tied curlies around the top.

Here are the some of the ladies in our neighborhood for our neighborhood Christmas sweets exchange. Carri and Kelly did a great job hosting this year. We had crafts and each of the sweets were laid out in different areas of her house. Great time!

Menu Monday

Sorry for the late post, I am been busy with a painting project!

This week we seem to have lots of Italian food. I am in that kind of mood the weather is changing to cold so we need some yummy comfort food!

Monday- Crock pot chicken and Alfredo
Tuesday- Taco Soup
Wednesday- Left over taco soup
Thursday- Spaghetti and Meatballs
Friday- Make your own Pizza

Contest Home Depot $500

5 minutes for mom blog is giving away a $500 gift card to Home Depot. Enter here!

Comment and tell me what would you do with $500 to Home Depot. I would buy a new smooth top cooking range. I wouldn't have to worry about messy spills going into the coils and making a huge mess to clean up!

Salsa Saturday

Suprise a Saturday post! I found this yesterday and had to share. I entered and won a free HUGE container of salsa 4 lbs of this yummy stuff to be exact.


I printed the coupon and headed to the store, my favorite food is chips and salsa! I'm from Texas ya'll!

Here is how you enter. Go to http://www.pacefoods.com/UnderTheLid.aspx , First time player register then click on get the code under the login. Then twist and see if you win. You can do this everyday. I tried today and my code not a winner but I will keep on trying. Salsa is like liquid gold at our house!!

Freebie Friday

Sign up for Arby's Extra and get a free mint chocolate milkshake, (I got this freebie for my daughter Kate. It was so yummy!!!)
https://arbysextras.fishbowl.com/forms/arbys/join.asp

Free Cookie Cutter
http://www.cookiecutterspirit.com/index.html

Glad Force Flex Trash Bags, LOVE THESE!http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid56034.aspx

Huggies Good Nights http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid60094.aspx

Geo Trax DVD FREEhttps://store.mattel.com/transition.aspx?TransitionID=139

Free Potty Training Kit http://www.pampers.com/en_US/easy-ups-potty-training

This is for the Dallas/ Ft. Worth Readers
FREE EXHIBIT ADMISSION 3-7 p.m., December 26Hereʼs a real holiday treat: enjoy free exhibit admission to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame during Free Family Friday, 3 to 7 p.m. on Friday, December 26. Bring the entire family to the National Cowgirl Museum and enjoy the Cowgirl experience plus the Museum of Science and History's Hands On Studio, and the new Top Secret: Mission Toy, all for free. (Free Family Friday does not include free admission to the OmniTheater.)

Thank you! Blog Award!

I was so happy to see in my inbox a blog award from my friend Noelle over at glamRbaby! Thank you very very much. I have enjoyed starting and keeping up with my new blog Frugal Fabulous. I am so very excited to have people reading and using these frugal tips. It just makes my day to help other people save a little money.

For this award I have to list 6 interresting things about myself:

1. I love to eat chips and salsa, all the time!


2. I have a business where I do custom painting.


3. I am adopted.


4. I still love the New Kids on the Block after all these years. (See my family blog for concert photos)


5. Secretly I always wanted to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.


6. I ALWAYS have a candle burning in my house it relaxes me. I love the vanilla and cake smells.

Now I award these 6 blogs the Kreativ Blogger Award.

1. My best friend Adrien apmDesign , she brought me back to my painting!


2. Alicia at Carolina Sunshine Designs - purses and painting


3. Hollie at Drama Mama - Blog Makeovers


4. Jenny at Bella Bows - beautiful bows


5. Ashlee at Milla's World - check out her cake pops!


6. Trina at Fabulously Frugalistic - frugal girl like me and she makes some creative things

Thrifty Thursday- Shoe Swap Party

Are you having a party with your girls, try something different this year. A shoe swap party! Each person brings their unwanted shoes, but not the tacky nasty ones. Bring the shoes that you simply don't wear but are in good condition. I have a ton of dress shoes from my past of being in corporate America. (this goes for kid shoes too)

Set out the shoes and have fun! You could always ask your friends in advance their size and make sure to have some others with the same size attending.

PS.. Make sure you invite that friend who has FABULOUS shoes that match every outfit!

Wasteless Wednesday - Holiday Gift Ideas

Don't Waste Reuse!

Pringles Cans- clean them out and cover with wrapping paper, fill with homemade cookies. What a great gift!

Glass jars- I am saving our glass jars for homemade salsa. You can also use them for homemade hot chocolate for Christmas gifts. I will be posting my mom's secret recipe soon.

Old Christmas Cards- Don't throw away your Christmas cards after the holiday is over. Cut strips of the design and reuse next year as holiday gift tags.

Old Evening Gowns and costume jewelry- put in a box for your kids, friends kids or grandchildren. Kids love to play dress up. If the dresses are really long cut them shorter for kid length and use the extra fabric as a wrap.

Brown Paper Grocery Bags- opt for paper and save the paper bags, get the paints out and let your kids decorate the paper with red and green paint then wrap presents.

White Elephant Gift Exchange- at least one holiday party partakes in this annual tradition. Find something you don't use that others might enjoy.

Tuesdays Tip

Don't order out, make your own pizza. About once week usually Friday nights we have MYOP that is was we call it. We all sit in the living room with our pizza and watch a movie. The kids LOVE it! It is very fun to make. You can have thin crust or deep dish, we each put our favorites on our pizzas. I love cheese and jalapeno, my husband loves pepperoni and pineapple. The kids like pepperoni and cheese. For around $10 we can make 5 pizza's custom made to order. (As you can see I am still waiting for the new countertops)

The Ingredients for our 5 custom pizza's.

Will making his own pizza, he loves it!

Cyber Monday Deals

Snapfish- Today 50% off all collage products use code HOLIDAY1 at checkout

Toys R Us- Lots of Items 60% off, plus free shipping over $25. Here is the link for the items on sale http://www.toysrus.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=3408677

Target: Today Sales: Leapster Learing System $28 now 40% off. Here is a link for todays best deals http://www.target.com/Deals-Day/b/ref=sc_fe_l_2/178-3936396-6020322?ie=UTF8&node=725415011

JCPenney's - Free shipping after spending $25 Use code TURKEYEX only today!

Kohls.com - Spend $100, get 15% off entire order plus free shipping, code CYBER15

New York & Company- Get 30% off your online purchase Code 1477

VistaPrint- Holiday cards 50% off

Barnes & Noble- 15% off one item http://www.barnesandnoble.com/cdsii/cdsPageTransfer.asp?r=1&uid=379000463&key=affiliate%2Dcoupon&afsrc=1

Home Depot- Some great deals, light fixtures 50% off! http://www6.homedepot.com/holiday/savingsevent/index.html?&PID=1763476&cm_mmc=CJ%2d%5f%2d1609503%2d%5f%2d1763476%2d%5f%2dCoupon%5fCM5off50+&SID=200004738d174c4869001a0022&AID=10608204&cj=true