A Well-Heeled Life

I should've subtitled this post, "how to pay for stuff using coins without being a jerk" Or better yet, "Exchanging Coins without Coinstar. Not for the faint of heart." OK, I have a confession...and a question.  Is it tacky to pay for things using coins??? I mean, like, using coins to pay the entire bill ? I don't think it is, but I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority on this one. When you think about it, coins are in fact  legal tender . Still, spending coins is increasingly complicated in our cash-loving, credit-swiping, Bitcoin-centric world. First and foremost, you have to mentally prepare yourself for the "judgy" looks you'll receive from others when you do use them. In my experience, the minute you start counting coins, people will give you the side eye for any perceived inconvenience. U.S. Coins on a table Here's when I started using our coins in earnest. A few years back I had a day when I had no time to go to t...

For this "Wednesday Workday" post, I'm reviewing a fantastic book I just finished called, "  What Does Somebody Have To Do To Get A Job Around Here? 44 Insider Secrets That Will Get You Hired " written by Cynthia Shapiro, MBA, ELC, PHR. It's perfect for people entering the job market. Oh...like MOMS! Whether you're a stay-at-homer, a work-from-homer, or traditional nine-to-fiver. Chances are we all at some point are going to need to interview for a job or a project. Because of my career in public relations and lots of experience with news media, I considered myself a people person. I also think I'm a great interviewer. Still, after reading this book I realized some subtle mistakes I'd made during past interviews that probably made the difference between me or somebody else getting the 'gig.' Cover of book, "What Does Somebody Have To Do To Get A Job Around Here?" by Cynthia Shapiro Let's be honest. Nobody ever t...

Regular readers know I've bragged , er, written about my ninja-like skills when it comes to finding a deal. I pride myself on finding ways to enjoy a first-class lifestyle on a coach-class budget. I may be frugal, but never at the expense of lifestyle, style, or quality. Well, today I'm admitting I make mistakes too. Case in point, last weekend. My "free" family activity ended up costing me fifty dollars! As a stay-at-home mom, most of the planning of social activities fall under my control. My husband works hard, but Saturdays are all about family time. I put a lot of energy into planning fun for us every weekend. So I have a basic check list when I'm looking for activities. It includes: Educational? Fun? Something or somewhere someone in the family has asked to do or see? Easy location and parking? BONUS if its free or frugal Well, last week I completely failed. I scheduled for us to attend the "The Big Draw" event at the Walt Disney Fam...

Autumn . It's absolutely my favorite time of year. Bright sunny days and cool nights. Leaves begin to change colors. Then of course there are the weekend activities like watching my kiddo playing soccer and fun community events that are traditions for us like making our own Apple Cider at the town's Cider Squeezes and finding the perfect gourds to decorate our front porch at a pumpkin patches. Last, but not the least of my reasons for loving the fall season is the fashion ! Having been raised in the rainy Pacific Northwest, about 65 percent of my closet is fall/winter type clothing. Autumn is MY season! I have coats and jackets, gloves and hats. Turtlenecks and boots and I can't wait to drag them out of my closet again. Ooh...just thinking about all my "new" clothing options makes me a happy girl! You know what this frugal mom doesn't like as much? The hit my budget can take due to the many events, activities, and holidays that take place during this ...

Greetings! Happy Fall! Sorry for the long delay without a new post. I had surgery a few weeks ago and have since been laying low while I recuperate. This was the second surgery to deal with some ongoing health issues. My time in the hospital was difficult, but the good news is I have outstanding care team and feel much better now. The good news is the bed rest gave me LOTS of time to think up new topics.

Greetings Readers! I've just returned from a summer vacation trip to Legoland California and San Diego. Yes we had an amazing time. As we returned home and started to tally up the costs, I realized we'd managed to spend under $1100 for 5 days for our entire family. This included admission to Legoland, travel, lodging, catching a first run flick at the cinema, and meals out. My vacation glow may last another week knowing we little we paid for this trip! With that in mind, I decided I should share some of my fave tips for saving money on a trip to Legoland. Happy Days for this Lego Lovin' Kid Yes, it is possible to enjoy a fabulous vacation to Legoland without going broke. However, it does require advance planning. When we were planning our trip, I started searching the Legoland Website as well as other resources online trying to find tips and tricks. I love information from other parents. I also started looking on Groupon for nearby deals.My three bi...

Cool news to share (and shameless ask for votes)! My husband is a finalist in Cooking Light magazine's "Family Dinner Hero" contest. The magazine selected him as one of the finalists based on an essay I wrote about him. Now the public votes to name a winner. You can pick up the September 2016 issue on newsstands or read it here . Search his name, "Marcus." You should see the following picture. Then scroll down and look for the words, "Vote for Marcus." Screen capture of my dynamic duo of cooking! The Backstory: My husband is an amazing cook. He also makes about 75 percent of the meals for our family. Yes. I do know how lucky I am to be married to him. The BACK backstory: As a boy, my hubby was what was called a "latch-key kid." Back in the '80s, the idea of two-parent working households was still a little novel. The idea of young kids having to come home and fend for themselves for a few hours was still not that common. So,...