Overdue Update! Sales, Kids Books, Beauty Tricks, Coupons

Hi everyone!

I am long overdue for an update! My internship has been keeping me busy, so I have been behind in my e-mails and updating the blog, so here we go.

I ventured to Shopko on Sunday to go shopping with Cassie. We got fabulous deals! I purchased $331.95 worth of clothes for my internship and two purses for only $162.63! That is a savings of 48%! The two purses was probably my favorite deal--they were buy one, get one free. So I bought two purses--one for me and one for Cassie-- for $55 a piece. One was free, so we split the cost of the purse we actually paid for between us. We took some silly pictures, which may get posted. Anyway, there are a lot more deals to be had, so keep reading!

Tip from the Hillbilly Housewife's newsletter:

Frugal Tip - Get a Free Book For Your Kids and Get Them Reading This Summer

Barnes and Noble is doing their part again to get kids reading over the summer. You can download a simple form from their website here:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreading/

Get your kids to read 8 books, record them on the form and your kids can go to your closest B&N store and get a free book. You don’t have to buy the 8 books they read. They can be books you already have or something you check out from the library.

Speaking of Library, check your local branch for summer reading programs. Many libraries offer their own and they usually have some cute prizes for participants as well.

To elaborate on the last point regarding library programs, I want to say that this is definitely true in Wisconsin! The summer reading theme is Be Creative! So local libraries are offering weekly programs and reading incentives to get your kids reading. Be sure to check with your local library for more details!

Frugal Tip - Cleaning Cookie Sheets and Pans

I was complaining to an older friend that my cookie sheets and baking pans are starting to look really bad, no matter how hard I scrub them. They are still fine otherwise, so I’d hate to throw them out, but those stains and spots are really bothering me.

She suggested soaking them in a mixture of water and borax and boy does it work… they look almost like new and I couldn’t be happier.

As always, Glamour magazine's news letter is FULL of advice and tips. Sign up for the newsletter at www.glamour.com and check these tips out:

Celeb Makeup Artists' $7 Secret Weapon

Can't get a solid night's beauty sleep? Fake the clear-eyed look the same way celeb makeup artists do, with Rohto Eye Drops. "I keep them in my makeup kit and use them all the time," says celeb makeup artist Gita Bass, who counts Kate Hudson and Keira Knightley as clients. "White eyes create a clean palette for all makeup; your eyes stand out and your makeup looks gorgeous, whereas bloodshot eyes stand out for all the wrong reasons, no matter how much makeup you wear," she says. Bonus: The drops cool and lubricate eyes, which can be a nice pick-me-up if you're suffering from allergies, jet lag or one too many mojitos.

A Peachy-Keen Makeup Idea

If you have only a little bit of room in your purse (or wallet!) for new beauty products, you're going to like this catchall trick: Find a peachy-gold lipstick (I like L'Oréal's $9 Colour Riche Lipstick in Peach Fuzz) and use it on your lips, eyes and cheeks for a fresh glow. Penélope Cruz recently sported similar monochromatic makeup--a fab, bright alternative to the deep-bronzed glamazons who hit the beach and red carpet around this time of year. Plus, the look can be pulled off with just one product. You can't beat that!

Another excellent part of Glamour's site is their Body by Glamour Section, which features a food journal, exercise journal, food plans, mp3 exercise tips, and blogs. My favorite part is the little pieces of motivation and inspiration spread about the site. Below is one of the weekly tips from this plan:

An easy way to stay motivated

Even if you've tried and failed to change your exercise and eating habits lots of times before, this time can be different. "First, identify the real source of your motivation to do all this," says Body by Glamour motivation coach Jillian Michaels. "It's not going to be me saying something genius that finally gets you off your butt. It's got to come from inside you." Jillian suggests making what she calls a "life list" of all the reasons you want to get fit—do you want to live longer? feel stronger? love your body more?—and pull out the list for instant inspiration whenever you need it. Get more motivation gems from Jillian every week!

The Coupon Mom has tons of coupons that you can print and use! One thing to keep in mind is that not every retailer accepts printed coupons, so be sure to check before you try using them. For a specific list, visit her website's coupon section.

The Living on A Dime (link on the right) newsletter also offered some awesome tips. One tip is frugal ways to make baby burp rags out of cloth diapers. You can add a border or some lace and make them fancy! Check it out here.

Whew! That was a lot of info! I hope some if it is helpful to you, so please comment with feedback and your own tips!

Sassy, classy, and thrifty!
Chynna