I’ m always posting deals & ways to help you save money, but I’m not always frugal.  My family saves money in some areas of our lives to splurge or have more “wiggle” room in other areas.

– I buy my clothes new: Granted the items are on sale or clearance & I usually have a coupon, but they’re not always cheap.

– I get my hair done & eyebrows waxed: Somethings are best left to a professional 🙂

– My kids are in activities:  My son is in cub scouts & my daughter is in gymnastics.

– I have a Smartphone with data package: I upgraded my phone about 6 months ago & don’t regret it one bit.  Texting, camera & internet, oh my!

– We have cable with a DVR:  I don’t watch much tv, but having my favorite shows recorded is a must (for now anyways).

– We purchase seasons passes: We have held passes to Busch Gardens, Ocean Breeze, the zoo, and Aquarium.  However, we only purchase 1 park per year & use money saved from our family fun envelope.

What are your splurges or non-thrifty tendencies?

This post is linked to My Coupon Teacher & Madame Deals

It’s The Coobie Store’s Twelve Days of Christmas!

How it works:
From now until December 18th, they will send a Coobie gift to their Facebook fans who refer THREE of their friends to their facebook page! Get three people to “like” the Coobie Bra facebook page, have them post on their wall that YOU sent them, and they will send you a Coobie bra for FREE!

*They’ll message you for your shipping info, once you have three NEW fan referral posts

Okay, will you “Like” Coobie Bra on Facebook & leave a post on their page that Dana Zeliff sent you?  Then turn around & have 3 of your friends do the same for you.  Maybe?

Thanks, Mojo Savings!

Welcome to the NEW Tuesday’s Trips Blog Hop hosted by The Coupon Challenge and Mom on Dealz! Instead of a shopping trip linky we’ve decided to change over to a traditional blog hop.

Each week we will be visiting a new social network. Make sure you check back each week to see where we’ll be!

• Follow your hostesses in the #1 and #2 spots
• Leave a comment, so we can follow you back
• Only link up to the network we are visiting for the week
• It’s always appreciated that if someone follows you, you follow them back (we all love to find new friends!)

I thought I’d post what my extended family is doing this year in lieu of a gift exchange. 

We always get together with my mom’s side of the family for a separate Christmas gathering usually the week before Christmas.  We rotate which house hosts the dinner and everyone contributes a dish.  It helps save time & cost.  However, we’ve always done a small gift exchange.  Each person contributes one $10 gift.  We draw names and each person goes home with a gift.  To make it interesting, you could either pick a wrapped gift from the pile or “steal” the gift from someone before you.  It cuts costs by eliminating the need to buy a gift for everyone, but keeps it fun. 

Since I’m hosting this year, I decided to change the tradition.  I figured that we don’t need anything and neither does the rest of my family.  Instead of purchasing a $10 gift to exchange, we are purchasing a $10 gift for Toys For Tots, Angel Tree or a similar program.  We all have more than we need, so it was nice to give extra back to those in need.  Gifts are NOT being brought to my house.  We all agreed to purchase a gift and donate it ourselves.  These are in addition to donations we had already budgeted for.

*I do purchase gifts for my mom, in-laws and grandparents.  We also don’t exchange gifts with siblings or our niece & nephews. 

How does your family exchange gifts?

1. Follow the hostesses in the first four spots (We will follow you back! Just please leave a comment letting us know that you are following us!)
2. Please only link up the network that is being hopped that specific week.
3. No spam please. These will be removed. 
4. It would be wonderful if you are linking up this week if you could add our button to your sidebar or in a post to help spread the word! 🙂 The more people that join, the more fun it will be! (Plus if you add our button to your sidebar you can grab 5 extra entries into any ONE giveaway!)
5. If someone follows you please feel free to follow them back! If you follow me and leave a comment you are guaranteed a follow back!

<a border=”0″ href=”http://www.chubbycheeksthinks.com/” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g240/kimmie1432/blog/Dear-Santa-Button.jpg” height=”150″ width=”150″ /></a>

If you ordered the Pillow Pets deal from Buy.com, they are NOT real Pillow Pets!

I just received a comment that it is a knock-off, not a real Pillow Pet!  It was shipped to a reader today and is smaller than the traditional Pillow Pet.  I sincerely apologize!  I recognized the Lady Bug & even ordered 1 for my daughter.  Unfortunately, no one else that ordered realized it either.  If you ordered late, you may want to cancel if possible.  Again, I apologize and feel horrible.

Financially, times are tough, but this does not lessen your desire to create a stylish home that is comfortable for your family and inviting to your guests. While plenty of cash makes this easier, imagination and creativity can help you achieve some exciting results on a shoestring. The sections that follow may provide inspiration for making your home look cozy and attractive without a large infusion of cash:

COLLECT THE BASICS

The most useful way to begin inexpensively redecorating is to spend time gathering secondhand furnishings from yard sales, flea markets, Freecycle, Craig’s List, neighbors, and relatives. Many older tables, chairs, lamps and bookcases still have some life left, but they just need a bit of tender loving care to rejuvenate them. Try some of these projects to put the spark back into worn furniture:

• Paint a solid color on wooden surfaces and then dip a sponge into a contrasting color of paint and press against the wood to add an interesting textured finish or apply colorful decals to add a whimsical touch.

• If the wood is already somewhat damaged, just use a hammer and ice pick to distress it further and put on another coat of stain to create a great antique look.

• Replace old hinges, knobs, handles, and pulls with updated varieties purchased from a salvage or discount store.

• Purchase economical slip covers to hide strange upholstery patterns, stains, or tears. They’ll make any piece of furniture look almost brand new again and are a wonderful investment because they launder so well.

• Use a working lamp base from one lamp with the more appealing shade from another, or spray paint the base to make it more appealing.

ADD A PERSONAL TOUCH

• Blow up photographs from special family moments or make a collage of action pictures to use on the walls.

• Give each child a pretty box or basket to collect their favorite things from nature. This might be pretty rocks, holly berries, greenery, pine cones, or shells, but they will make a nice display that does not cost a penny.

• Use fabric from old jeans, dresses, or sweaters to make throw pillows look just like new without any added investment.

• Invest in a few ceramic tea pots, purchased at a yard sale for just a few dollars, and use as containers for fresh flowers

• Add light wherever possible. Candles, Christmas lights, lamps, and lanterns give any décor a softer glow and a warm feel.

• Make a unique display on a small table top using only tiny toys from the children’s favorite collections mixed with some living green plants or flowers.

Homes are made for love and laughter, and sometimes we spend too much money trying to make them a showcase. Instead, work toward creating a family friendly environment that is attractive without being ostentatious.

Caroline loves to find ways to make her cash go further. She has written about money-saving tips for several blogs and has a website that sells slip covers for chairs. Caroline believes that a little creativity goes a long way and it’s possible to make your home look great without a large outlay of cash.