The scene: A bathroom

The props: orange handled Fiskars scissors on the counter…about 18 locks of beautiful blonde curly hair on the floor.  A 5-year old with brand new bangs standing in front of me.

Me: Elizabeth! What did you do?

Elizabeth: Nothing!

Me: Why did you cut your hair???

Elizabeth: I DIDN’T Mommy!

Me: Elizabeth, if you thought your hair was too long, I would have taken you for a haircut!

Elizabeth: But MOOOOOOOOM! I didn’t cut my hair!

Me: Then where did all this hair come from?

Elizabeth: I think it just fell off!

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

Today I had a Skype conversation with the 17 (soon to be 18) year old that handles all of my tech stuff for Moms Need To Know.  I am 42 years old and the extent of my formal computer education was learning how to use an Apple IIe in 1986.

(Note:  “Cron” is the return email on an automated email from my hosting service that I get almost every day telling me that something is wrong with my site, but everyone including my hosting service tells me that it is nothing to worry about)

• Mindi:  MITCHELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Mitchell:  yes?
• Mindi: It’s fixed….my site was down for about an hour because there was some sort of node or tumor or wart or something
• Mitchell: it wasn’t Cron?
• Mindi: Cron still emails me
• Mitchell: (headbang)
• Mindi: today spamd and httpd and cPanel ChkServd got pissy with me
• Mitchell:: oh apache?
• Mindi: and they tried magic, but it took a while
• Mitchell: toni had an issue with httpd too
• Mindi: I guess magic…they said “A restart was attempted automagically.”
• Mitchell: (headbang)

Note: Mitchell tends to bang his head quite a bit whenever we are talking about tech stuff

And THAT is why I don’t try to do certain things myself. Wonderwoman is a myth, be it in the tech world, being a mom or any other aspects of your life.

Know when to ask for help! There are so many people that are more willing to spend 6 hours because they are determined to fix things themselves, when they could pay someone $50 to fix it for them. Consider the value of your time vs. the money that it would cost to fix the problem (and save yourself from stress).

And consider how much you really NEED to know. I can probably live my entire life being happy to never really know who “Cron” is, or how to change my own oil in my car or how to sew my own curtains. For some things, it’s time to stop worrying about saving a buck, just have it done by someone else and move on to more productive activities.

(and if you are a blogger using WordPress, I can’t recommend My Frugal Tech more!)

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

Hey guys! Just a quick note of explanation as to what is going on with the site and why so many regularly scheduled posts have yet to be posted.

I had the pleasure of attending the Savvy Blogging Summit 2011. I tried to get as much posted in advance as I could, but many advance ads that I normally receive in the mail on Wednesday did not arrive before my 7:00am Thursday morning flight and the courses at Savvy are intense and they (and the other activities) keep you busy from 8:00am until midnight each day. I squeezed some deals in here and there, but wasn’t able to keep up the pace.

On the bright side….I came out of Savvy with a TON of ideas for several series of posts that I think you are going to LOVE.

So fast forward to Sunday morning….Briana and I left in plenty of time for the airport (we were roommates at Savvy and were on the same flight that morning), but due to inefficiency at the Colorado Springs airport, I BARELY made my flight and Briana missed it (she was trying to check a bag). I made it to Chicago to catch my flight to Philadelphia, sat down to do some work during my 3 hour layover, turned on my computer and pretty much got a message that said “your battery is toast”.

I challenge you to find an available outlet in O’Hare on a Sunday afternoon!

So – no work to be done…s’ok – my plane gets in to Philly at 5:00pm, I’ll be home by 6:00pm and can get some work done…right? I hop on my plane to Philadelphia from O’Hare and about 45 minutes in to the flight, the captain comes on the speaker and tells us that we have a “hole in the plane” and are landing in Pittsburgh. If I live for another 80 years, I hope I never again hear “We have a hole in the plane”!

On the bright side, we didn’t crash!

Bottom line, after wandering around the airport for 4 hours, I FINALLY found an outlet in a restaurant in the Pittsburgh airport…..with just enough time before my 8:45pm flight to Philadelphia to write this post.

On the bright side, the Pittsburgh airport has an AMAZING Steelers store in it…and you know how much I love the Steelers.

I will start getting caught up when I get home tonight and all day Monday. Posts will go up in the following order:

Genuardi’s
Acme
Giant
everything else

Thanks for your patience!

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

I have a confession to make:  I haven’t been couponing for the last year!

Oh sure, I have used coupons here and there when I was doing my weekly shopping…but I haven’t been using coupons anywhere NEAR the level that I used to use them.  And aside from a few deals here and there…I haven’t worked the Drug Store deals for more than a year.

Why?  Well, there are several reasons:

1.  When I first started using coupons on a large scale, I went overboard.  I WAS one of those “shelf-clearers” that now annoy the heck out of me.  Because of that, our Health & Beauty stockpile got out of control.  I made the decision to “use down” our stockpile until I had no more than a 12-week supply of toiletries.  That point finally arrived about 3 weeks ago.

2.  We have been eating from the stockpile.  Like my health & beauty stockpile, my “food stockpile” was out of control as well.  Rather then go out and snag great deals to add to the stockpile, I have been forcing us to use what we have, get rid of the junk and get to the point where I can restock our pantry with only foods that I would be proud to serve my family (or the foods that, if I try to eliminte them entirely, my family will stab me while I sleep…like Cocoa Puffs and Cinnamon Toast Crunch)

3.  We have changed many of our eating habits.  I have been making more foods from scratch, buying more organics (which I usually find the best deals for on Amazon.com), I bought a quarter of a cow, etc.

4.  Lack of time:  the past year has been quite a whirlwind.  This site went from a little site that pretty much paid my electric bill, to a full-time job.  Time management has never one of my strengths and I was so busy finding deals to post on this site (and not using my time effectively enough to do so) as well trying to maintain a family and personal life, that couponing (and many other things, but that’s another story) fell to the side.

So why am I telling you this?

Because I miss using coupons.  I miss getting the deals.  I miss the feeling of connection that I had with you guys when we were all getting the deals together.  Oh yeah – and I was down to my last bottle of shampoo and the thought of paying for shampoo again was killing me!

Yesterday I went and did some deals at Rite Aid and Walgreens…and I realized how much I DID miss it…how much I enjoyed it…and how much I want to do the deals and share them with you in pictures.

Will I be “Extreme Couponing” like you see on the TLC program?  Absolutely not.  What I will be doing is rebuilding my stockpile in a sane and rational way…buying only things that we need and sharing the deals along the way.

Care to join me?

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

Just wanted to take a moment to wish all of you a Happy Easter!

As I do every year, I am heading down to my sisters house in Baltimore, so whatever posts I can get done in the car on the way down to her house and once we get back late this evening will likely be it for the day. Regular posting will resume on Monday.

I hope you all have a wonderful and Blessed day!

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

I have received a bunch of questions on the post about me buying 168 pounds of grass-fed beef.  Many of the questions were the same, so I thought, instead of repeating myself over and over in the comments (and taking the chance that some of you wouldn’t check back for a response), I would put them all together in one post!

:: Where did you buy your cow?

I bought it from Wholesome Dairy Farm and I only bought 1/4 of a cow.  It was a very large steer and the “hanging weight” of that 1/4 cow was 168 lbs.  I ended up paying just over $675 for a BUNCH of meat!

I thoroughly enjoyed working with Mark (and just FYI – he is one of the few farmers in PA licensed to sell Raw Milk), but I get the feeling that he only has a steer available every few months. I purchased through him on the recommendation of my friend/whole-foods-guru Jo-Lynne. My husband is ready to send out a lynch-mob after her (he still hasn’t forgiven her for our first foray in to organic foods..what will forever be known as “The Organic Salsa Incident”), but I love her.

If you are looking to buy organic local meats (or any food) in the Philadelphia area, I highly suggest that you check out Eat Local Philly to find a supplier near you!  If you live outside of the Philadelphia area, check out Local Harvest

:: How much room do you need to buy that much meat?

As Diane said, I needed room for about 2 laundry baskets of meat. However, as I mentioned, I only bought 1/4 of a large steer and she purchased a half-steer. The “hanging weight” of the share of my cow was 168 pounds……use this as a guideline.

:: How is it packaged?

This is going to vary from vendor to vendor, but in my case, everything was packaged in the perfect portions for a family of 4 (1 lb of ground beef, enough of a roast for 1 night family dinner, etc) and was vacuum-sealed. Check with your vendor to see how they are packaging it!

:: You are buying a pig?????

I have no desire to recreate “Babe” in my back yard. I just want to buy a pig (post butchering) from a local farmer. Aside from the fact that my Homeowners Association Board would likely have a heart attack if I kept a pig as a pet, I have no intention of having my kids get “attached” to their food supply! I try to teach them from where their food comes (and that it doesn’t just magically appear in the supermarket wrapped in plastic), but I am not going to have my 4 year old ride her next source of pork chop dinner around the back yard! I am SO not ready for that conversation!

Did I miss any questions or do you have another? Leave them in the comments!

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

$6/lb?  Are you kidding Min?

Nope – not kidding.

Last week, I drove 45 minutes and purchased 168 lbs of grass-fed organic beef.  The “hanging weight” was $4.10 per pound (that includes bones and yucky stuff…although I DID take the tongue and the liver because they were free and I have 2 different neighbors who told me on Facebook that if I couldn’t figure out what to do with them, they would be happy to take them.  But still…ICK!).  When you figure out the actual price I paid for the beef that is now in my freezer, it works out to about $6 per pound.

I would hope it would come as no shock to you guys that I don’t take advantage of every deal that I post on this site.  My job is to post the best deals at the Grocery Stores as well as the Drug Stores, regardless of if they are on my shopping list for the week.  Those of you that have been following this site for more than 6 months know that I have been making a VERY gradual (due to family resistance) move towards more whole and organic foods. This has kicked in to high-gear now that I have a daughter (concerns about hormones in the meat/dairy-related products..an ENTIRELY different post!)

So why am I telling you this?  Is it so that I can gloat “HaHa!  I had $700 in my account to write a check for a buttload of beef!”?  Absolutely not.  There is NO gloating here!

But I want you to know this….

Because I haven’t paid for basic toiletries and have been saving 50-95% on my groceries for quite some time, I WAS able to pay for things that truly matter to me….like buying organic pastured meats.

So couponing isn’t just about paying nothing for groceries and toiltries.  It’s is about saving money on the things that don’t matter to you, in order for you to be able to spend money on the things that DO matter to you!

Now I just have to break the news to Brad that I want to buy a pig…….

What are you doing with the savings that you are getting from saving on groceries and toiletries (note:  saying “being able to pay the rent/mortgage and NOT getting evicted” is still a great response.  We all have different situations and I have received enough emails from readers to know that this is EXACTLY the case.  There is NO shame in that!)

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

Last night, I found out that one of my college boyfriends had died.

This is someone who “put me through the wringer” (in a 19-year-old-everything-is-the-end-of-the-world-way), but at the end of the day, he was a NICE guy, with problems.

Twenty years went by and I can honestly say that I only thought of him a few times.  Then, he Friended me on Facebook about 6 months ago.  He was living in sunshine, married to a beautiful woman and seemed happy.  We had a bunch of email conversations about the past, present and future.  Every bad thing that I had blamed him for in our past relationship was gone.  We were grownups now.  We became friends.

And now he is dead.

I don’t know HOW he died, but I can tell you from almost 42 years of living, that you can read VOLUMES in to an obituary.  Someone requests donations to the American Cancer Society or American Lung Association?  It’s a fairly good bet that they died from cancer or lung disease.  So when I see that my friend is requesting donations to a local mental-health program…what am I to assume?

PLEASE – I have lost peripheral family members and friends to mental health issues.  If you know anyone suffering from depression…do what you can.

Mental illness is, in many cases, a biological problem and we can’t save everyone.  But I have friends and family members who are kicking themselves because they deemed a friend or family member “too high maintenance”..and then they were dead.

If you love someone..tell them that EVERY day. If you see someone in need…TRY to help them!

:: To Bob:

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
…The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

RIP Bob – you will be missed!

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

As many of you know, I am a HUGE Steelers Fan.  As I am writing this, there is still another 5 hours until the Steelers/Jets game to see who goes to the Superbowl and I can.not.wait!

I’m hoping for a Steelers/Packers Superbowl.

Who do YOU want to see in the game on February 6th?

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

As the final hours of 2010 draw to a close, I am sitting down for the first time and really thinking about the year that was 2010.

I kicked off the year by heading to New York City with some local blogging friends to attend the Martha Stewart show about blogging.  We spent a fun night partying in NYC before getting up at the crack of “Oh My God It’s Early!” to shiver outside.  Watching Martha in action was so much fun (and we especially had fun with the producer/stage manager who didn’t seem to know the difference between a blog and a Tweet)

Just a few weeks later, I was off to Nashville to attend the Blissdom conference. That conference changed my entire outlook on this site and helped me refocus on what I wanted to do here.  It was also at this time that I really got to know some of my favorite Frugal bloggers.  We had so much fun running around and learning from each other.  As an added bonus, we got to head to Dave Ramsey’s headquarters, get a personal tour of the building and MEET DAVE!  That trip ended up being an extra day…if you remember, that was the same weekend that the entire East Coast got hit with a blizzard and the airports all shut down!

In March, I learned what I was REALLY made of…and that is steel.  I came under attack by one of the most vicious groups on The Internets (these are the same people who have hacked government websites, Sara Palins site and many many more).  The Frugal Blogging community rallied around me and saved my behind.  I have to tell you, it gave me great joy to know that, in the end, I won!

In April, I was asked to speak on a panel for a Philadelphia-area bloggers event. We had a great morning mingling and talking about how to take your blog to “the next level”.  I am still in shock that so many people seem to look to me for advice!

That same month, we had The Great Hamster Escape of 2010. I thought that sucker was gone for good, until 3 days later when I was sitting on my sofa and looked up and saw him looking at me! (FYI – he has since gone to the Great Habitrail In The Sky!)

April 16, 2010: my favorite date of the year….that is the day that Elizabeth said to herself “I think I will try to use the bathroom”.  About 10 days and only a few “accidents” later, my days of buying diapers were over.  I had been buying them every.single.week since May of 2001.  I was MORE than ready to be done!

The Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, I woke up literally unable to move.  Three hours later, I was in the hospital crying in pain.  It took an unGodly amount of drugs to manage the pain as well as correct the problem (and I still have no idea what caused it) and I pretty much ignored this site for 3 days…and you guys didn’t leave me.  Thanks for that!

The summer went as normal…until I received an email from the people at Subway inviting me AND my boys to Los Angeles.  The entire event was centered around Subway and their support for Little League.  My boys got their first airplane ride and their first chance to see the Pacific Ocean.  To this day, they describe it as their favorite vacation!

Then we got Coupon…my beloved dog and the official Moms Need To Know mascot!

Oh – and who can forget BlogHer and me running around New York City with some of your favorite Frugal Bloggers?

And then there was Chicago.  I was once again invited to be a Savings.com DealPro.  I have been a huge fan of Savings.com and this trip brought out the ultimate geek in me!  I learned so much about the “geek side” of blogging (I am a PROUD geek) and I got to spend time with some of my favorite other bloggers…AND I got to get felt up by Robert Knepper!

And then there was the Cookie Swap That Changed My Life.  I still get misty thinking about the children of the Milton Hershey School.  I have been on many Brand/Blogger Trips, but none of them have affected me as much as this one did.

And here we are….New Years Eve.

As I reflect on the events that changed me this year, no list would be complete without YOU.  That you continue to visit this site each day both amazes and humbles me. Who am I?  Just Mindi Brown who married a great guy and became Mindi Cherry and because I had 3 kids, I needed to save money.  In my wildest dreams, I never thought that my needing to save money could affect so many people.

And your comments and emails inspire me every day.

So thank you…and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

Me, Crystal Collins from The Thrifty Mama and Robert Knepper (AKA T-Bag from Prison Break and a bunch of other shows. He was SO nice! I think it speaks volumes for a mans acting ability that he can play such scumbucket roles and be a sweetheart!)

I know that you people are waiting on the grocery and Rite Aid posts this week, and I am SO sorry that they have yet to be posted.

If you have friended me (don’t do this unless you like a WHOLE lot of talk about Chardonnay and non-prissy thangs) or Like Me on Facebook, you know that I was in Chicago from Thursday morning until Sunday night with Savings.com.  I got home in the late afternoon on Sunday and then had to be downtown Philly first thing Monday morning to get ready and rehearse a live segment on CBS Philly.

The best part?  I got some clarity while I was in Chicago and realized that I have been traveling too much.  I get invited to a bunch of events and believe me, they are fun.  But I decided this past weekend that “Fun is nice, but unless the trip adds true value to my site, I’m not doing them any longer“.

Oh – except you see that picture above and the picture below?  I DO get to meet some amazing people!

So I am trying to catch up….please bear with me.  On the off chance that I don’t get all stores done this week, please know that they will be on-time going forward.

Smoochies!

Ukee Washington is quite possibly one of the nicest people you will ever meet!

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

I spent most of the day today at the Bat Mitzvah for a wonderful 13-year old girl that I have known since she was just a zygote.

Her mother and I met when we moved in to our development.  Neither one of us had children at the time.  In the almost 14 years since, I have shared so much with this woman.  I have seen her struggle to remain pregnant, her joy at having her baby girl, the wonder of watching her infant daughter grow in to a lovely young woman who embraces her faith with a passion that is seldom seen in children.

I got through most of the service (hey – it was 3 hours long and 90% in Hebrew…give me some credit!), including the time that the parents talked to their daughter directly, without crying.  But then the girl (who has a voice like an angel) did a solo singing act at the luncheon…and I was in tears.  This little girl, who I remember holding at just a few days old…was a “woman” now (according to her faith).

It’s HUGE.

It goes so fast.  It seems so long and hard and tiring and never-ending…but it really isn’t.

Cherish every moment.  Before you know it, they are grown up and gone!

(note:  no – there is NO deal in this post.  It’s just me.  And no – I’m not drunk….yet!)

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

This post is not about finding a deal.  It’s not about saving you money.  It’s about me….and you.

I don’t know if I have said this before, but starting and maintaining this site has been life-changing for me.  At first, it started as a way to not have my couponing ways take over my personal blog (that one is long gone…don’t bother trying to find it).  Then it turned in to a “Wow!  People are really interested in this stuff?”.  Then it progressed in to a career.  A career that helps people.  That has to be a good thing!

And make no mistake, Moms Need To Know is now my career.  A 7-day-a-week-365-days-per-year-you-only-don’t-feel-guilty-for-not-updating-the-site-one-day-when-you-are-laying-in-the-hospital-on-an-unGodly-amount-of-morphine career.

Don’t get me wrong…I am NOT complaining.  I spend 7-10 hours per day on this site and through various affiliate links, I am compensated for my time (mostly) while keeping all the information that I provide completely free to you.  Assuming you read other frugal/deal blogs, know that I am not a rarity.  Most of us make money from our sites (as we should, for the amount of time that we put in to them)  But it’s not about the money.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I am HORRIBLE at emails.  Actually – “horrible” is putting it nicely.  Even my mother complains that I never answer emails.

But I READ every.single.one of them.  Today, I decided to clear out my Outlook and finally get my unread emails to under 500….and the emails that I have missed and not responded to just warmed my heart (and if you are a Facebook Fan, you know that I have had a bad few days…I REALLY needed to read those emails).  These were emails thanking me for my site, telling me how much I helped their family..thanking me for making a difference in their lives.

And I was humbled. To know that me, just a mom of 3, wife of 1 and lover of Chardonnay  has made such a difference in so many lives?  Quite frankly, it’s a little surreal.

So that is why I do it.  Brad may think it is all about the money (he’s “cute” that way), but for me it is also about those emails and comments.  When I was a teen, I said that I “just wanted to make a difference in the world” (where “making a difference” = “bring about World Peace”…isn’t the hubris of youth cute?). Now, I am just happy that the “difference” is one family at a time.

So thank you thank you thank you.  You may be thinking “No – thank YOU”, but knowing that I am helping people keeps me going.

It’s a good thing!

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

I always make cracks about my weight…both here and in “real life”.  The truth is…I need to lose about 30 pounds and I hate it (I’m not saying that I hate ME…my self-image is not entirely wrapped around my weight…I’m just saying that I would like to be able to wear some of the really cute styles that were made with obviously skinnier women in mind)

And so….I’m joining up with several other bloggers to do the Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred Challenge.  The Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred is $8.49 on Amazon.com, and has 4 1/2 stars with over 2,000 reviews!

Don’t forget that you can get FREE Amazon Prime and get it in time to join me in sweating and cursing the fact that Jillian Michaels was ever born!

So come join me, Penny Pinchin Mom, Centsable Momma, Coupon Geek, The Thrifty Mama, Balancing Beauty & Bedlam, She Saved, Frugal Coupon Living, Saving with Shellie, IGOBOGO, Saving Cents with Sense and Organic Deals!

I will be starting this weekend and posting updates every Friday…..along with periodic updates on the Moms Need To Know Facebook Fan Page.

Who is in with me?

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

This is the picture that made me fall in love with him. Look for more pictures to come!

So if you come here several times per day, you may have noticed that I didn’t post anything after dinnertime last night.

That’s because we went out to buy our new puppy…an adorable 10 -week old Shih Tzu.

His name?  “Coupon”! I think that qualifies him to be the new Moms Need To Know mascot…don’t you?

The bright side of me now having a puppy?  I will be paying FAR more attention to prices on dog food & treats.  As I have only had hamsters up to this point, I am sure that I have missed some good pet food deals.  Well – no more!

And just for the record….

Yes, we did buy Coupon through a reputable breeder.  I was very nervous about purchasing a puppy from a breeder in Lancaster County, because it seems that it is the “puppy mill capital” of the East Coast. It was a very nice Amish family and we got to tour their entire home, barns and garage before we decided to purchase (we WERE looking for any evidence of them being a “puppy mill”).   We seriously considering adopting a pet, but really wanted a puppy and couldn’t find one at the local SPCA.  Additionally, the other rescue center in our area will NOT place a dog in a home without a fenced-in back yard (which we don’t have) or in a home with children under the age of 8 years (which we DO have).

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

I have been in Savannah, Georgia this week visiting the in-laws and was able to keep fairly up-to-date while I was away.

However, I wasn’t able to get the ads for Acme & Genuardi’s for the deals that started today.

I am in a McDonalds off of I-95 in North Carolina (taking advantage of the free Wifi) on our way home…we should be home by dinner time.

I’ll work on Acme & Genuardi’s when I get home tonight.  As for the rest of the freebie, coupon & deal posts for the day?  It just depends on how well my phone service is (I LOVE EasyTether and my Droid…but some places don’t get great service).

Thanks for your patience!

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

Further proof that this summer is kicking my butt…it’s Monday night and I haven’t mentioned this yet!

So on Thursday night, I got an email from the people at CBS Evening News with Katie Couric asking me if I would be be available for a Skype interview on Friday.  As usually happens in my life, I had made plans to leave for my father’s shore house at the exact time that they wanted to do the interview, so we set up the interview for 1:30pm on Friday (at which point,  I should have been at Dads house).

Of course, running late is my “baseline”, so at 1:25pm, I was on the phone with the CBS people letting them know I would be 15 minutes late…when I got pulled over in Wildwood Crest for both speeding AND talking on a phone (in my defense, it is NOT against the law in PA to be on the phone while driving).  The police officer was NOT impressed when I told him that I was rushing to my father’s house to meet a deadline for an interview to be on the National News that night.

Because yeah – I assume he hears that every day!

So a $105 speeding ticket later (hey – don’t judge me…I don’t usually go that slow!..I was only 17 miles over the speed limit), I am at my father’s house and guess what?  My webcam on my laptop craps out.  Insert major hysterical running around the house and freaking out here. Then I get my sister’s laptop booted up and guess what?  She is the only 20-year old in America without Skype installed on her computer.  So my 1:30 interview finally takes place at 2:30pm…and they cropped my video to highlight my double chin.

But OH MY GORD!  I was on the National News

And here you go…..

CBS won’t allow me to embed to video so you have to click here

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If you have wondered where I have been while I was seriously neglecting this site, the answer is:  I was in New York City at BlogHer.

BlogHer is THE blogging conference for women.  It is where you learn to hone your skills, network with other bloggers as well as other PR reps (who are the reason that I continue to be able to bring you fantabulous giveaways).

I had every intention of keeping up with a reasonable posting schedule.  However,  once I got to New York and saw all of the things that I would miss doing, it hit me….in the 2 years that I have made this site my full-time job, I have had very few days off.  I took off when I threw my back out this past Memorial Day (believe me, you didn’t want me doing coupon matchups while I was on valium), when Brad’s grandmother died and we had to go for the funeral, and maybe 2-5 other days in 2 years.  I needed a “real break”…one that didn’t include death or narcotics.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love this site and all that I know that it does….I just needed a break.  In the past 4 days I have met and talked to and taken pictures with Jennie Garth (and I SO wanted to tell her that she totally should have gone for Brandon instead of Dylan), Chef Scott Liebfried (my future 2nd husband, as soon as we break the news to his wife an Brad) and Gavin DeGraw. I’ve been in heaven!

But I am back home now and it’s time to catch up.  Please bear with me while I do so!

In the meantime – here’s a few pictures for you!

P.S.: I love to Brad to pieces, but do you want to know what the absolute LAST thing I wanted to hear when I walked in the door was?  It was “Hey!  We’ve been out of toilet paper for the last day and a half!”.  They’ve been using all the free Kleenex that we got!

P.P.S: If you ever REALLY want to keep up with what I am doing, I always invite my readers to Friend me on Facebook.

P.P.P.S:  although I too tend to talk about Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay on Facebook

P.P.P.P.S.:  and Bud Light Lime

P.P.P.P.P.S.:  and I get especially snarky on Facebook.   If you have some delusion that I am anything other than a completely flawed and real mom, please don’t friend me!

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Bottom line? I am in Los Angeles and returning LATE Saturday night. Oh – and hey! Have you ever travelled with 2 first-time (very chatty) flyers under the age of 10? I really don’t recommend it!

I’ll catch up on posts in the next 48 hours….and then I PROMISE that I am not going out of town for the next 2 weeks! In the meantime, turn your head sideways an enjoy! (and if anyone knows a way to edit videos taken on the Droid, especially rotating them, that would be GREAT!)

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From my family to yours!

(taken yesterday at the Bayview in Wildwood Crest….which has THE best wings at the shore!)

P.S.:  I’ll be catching up on posts later this afternoon….right now I am heading to the beach to get even MORE sunburned, if that is at all possible!

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Bottom line – this site takes 10 hours of my day each day and I am at my once-a-year family reunion (and have been here since Wednesday) at my father’s shore house.  I need a break!

Brad arrived this evening after work, which means that I should be able to get some work done tomorrow.  But the truth?  It’s 4th of July weekend (which means that very few of you are reading anyway), I am having an absolute BALL with my family and I need some “down time”.

I will absolutely get the drug stores up tomorrow as well as Giant on Sunday.  I will also work on Acme and Genurdi’s.  Until then, please bear with me while I do some cuddling with my children on the beach!

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Today is my daughters 4th birthday (where did the time go?) and Liz from Hoosier Homemade offered to make my daughter some cupcakes.  Actually, considering she has all boys, I think she was THRILLED at the chance to make something pink!

You can see them, along with the instructions on how to make them, at Moms Need To Cook!

Thanks Liz!

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However, I didn’t take in to account how loopy all those drugs would make me! I think I was even more loopy from when I gave birth (I had 3 c-sections, so they load you up with painkillers!) and just could NOT concentrate.

I woke up this morning feeling so much better that I think I don’t need the Percocet any longer.  With one less drug in my system, I should be able to get stuff done.  And, since I still am not allowed to drive…I have nothing to do today but work!

Thanks for sticking with me through this!

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It’s 6:20am and I just woke up and for the first time in 2 days, I was able to actually get out of bed in under 20 minutes (it only took 5 minutes) and was able to walk.

Even better, I am able to sit upright without major pain, which means that I can work at the computer!  Woohoo! (of course, the fact that I am on Valium, Percocet AND prescription-strength Motrin may have something to do with it)

As long as I continue to be ok, expect a MASSIVE flurry of posts today!  I’m going to catch up on a few freebies and coupons that were released in the last 2 days, then get straight to work on Genuardi’s (always my easiest grocery post to do), then Acme, then the rest of the regularly scheduled weekend posts.

Oh – and for my local readers:  if you ever need to go to the ER, Paoli hospital is wonderful! I delivered Elizabeth there and knew that the maternity ward was first-rate….but after using a few other local ERs for various accidents for my children, I will never take them anywhere but Paoli again!

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So remember when, just 10 short days ago, I wrote about how I thought my daughter was going to end up at her Senior Prom in diapers?

That was April 15th, a Thursday.  The next afternoon, something just “clicked” in my daughter’s head and she decided that she wanted to try using the toilet.

Ten days later, she has had exactly ONE accident, knows when it is time to go and heads to the bathroom herself.  The only help she needs from me is wiping.

It’s a good thing…because I can’t imagine girls in diapers get many invites to the prom (at least, not by people without some SERIOUS problems).

I have been buying diapers every week since May, 2001.  I can’t believe that my diaper-buying days are finally over!

Is it wrong that I am torn between being ecstatic and wondering why she didn’t do this before????

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I am so touched by all of you that gave me advice on how to find our missing hamster.  It’s been almost 48 hours and still no sign of A.J. (Jonathan named him by reversing his own initials).  Right now, I have the inside of his hamster cage smeared with peanut butter and placed within my my eyeshot.  With any luck, A.J. will return.

If not, Jonathan has decided that he is already on an adventure in the vein of Stuart Little.  Ahh…to be 6 again!

(although I have a horrible feeling that I am going to find A.J. by smell in about a week…<sigh>)

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My daughter left the cage open last night.

Anyone have any ideas on how to find a hamster in the house?

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I don’t know why I haven’t mentioned this before!

If you are a Philadelphia-area blogger looking to learn more about the business of blogging, MomSpace is hosting A Meet, Mingle & Learn in Drexel Hill, PA this Saturday morning (4/10/10) from 9:00am to 12:00pm.

Come meet your fellow local bloggers, enjoy a great breakfast and win amazing door prizes! (prizes include Hasbro Toys, Banglz, FitnessUWear, DVD’s, Sun & Earth, concert tickets and so much more!)

Best of all, you get to see ME stutter my way through giving advice on the Speaker Panel along with other fantabulous local bloggers!

The cost of the event is $25 if you pre-register, $35 at the door.

Oh – and there WILL be swag for attendees!

Hope to see you there!!

PS:  I am not being paid to be on the panel.  This is a speaking engagement that I accepted purely in an effort to help my fellow bloggers.

PPS:  As a matter of fact, this is COSTING me money, because I just took a look in the mirror and made an appointment to get my roots done Thursday night so that I don’t look like a much heavier version of Heather Locklear on Saturday.  If it wasn’t for this event, I would have put it off for another 2 weeks!

PPPS:  and I might want to buy a new dress.

PPPPS:  and shoes

PPPPPS:  next time, I’m asking to be paid

Get all the codes you need for your online shopping at my Online Coupon Database!

As some of you know, my friend Jo-Lynne hosts a “What I Learned This Week” series each Wednesday.  While I will still link up to her Mr. Linky on Wednesday, I’m putting this post up tonight.  For those of you who are wondering why I still haven’t posted Acme and Giant deals this week, perhaps this post will help you understand.

So without further ado-ey things, here is what I learned this week:

1.  I am stronger than I ever thought:  My personal life and this website was the target of a concentrated effort by one of the most vicious groups on The Internets from Friday morning until mid-morning Saturday as a result of this post. (I’m not linking to them, but even Fox News has done pieces on their power and destructiveness).  My personal information was broadcast throughout the internet, my banking information was compromised, phone calls were made to my husbands work accusing him of despicable acts and many many local businesses were harmed in their attack on me (think – 70 pizza orders to be delivered to me as well as several local businesses wasting their time chasing “false sales leads”).  In addition, before I realized what was happening, photos of my children were pulled from my personal Facebook page and Photo Shopped in obscene positions and emailed to me.  The Moms Need To Know Fan page was also inundated with porn before I pulled it for a few days. I survived.  They thought they were going to take down some timid Soccer Mom.  They didn’t realize that they were dealing with perhaps the most stubborn woman ever born!

2.  Living in a small town is AWESOME:  since I live in an area without their own local police department, all of the emergency calls, fire calls and CPS reports seemed that these people placed went to the same State Police department.  As I had already filed a police report (as well as a report with the FBI Cyber Crimes division) fairly early in the morning, nobody knocked on my door or opened a child abuse file.

3. The Frugal Blogging community is the most wonderful community out there:  while everything was going on, I was in constant Skype contact with the bloggers that I link to in many of my posts.  Despite the fact that the site that was attacking me goes against all forms of decency, they continued to monitor that site and give me advice on how to prevent planned “strikes” against my person and this site.  When that site was talking about buying mindicherry.com and directing it to a p0rn site, another frugal blogger went in and bought every possible variation of mindicherry.com/org/net/etc.  Another one of my friends went in and took care of changing my Twitter and Facebook passwords.  You can’t ask for more community support than that!

4.  I have the best readers in the whole wide world:  Enabling Comment Moderation meant that I had to read every comment that was left for me over the past 72 hours (which I should be doing anyway – but that’s beside the point).  And while 90% of the 500 comments this weekend were calling me vile names, the ones that were supportive made all the difference in the world.  SO THANK YOU!

And that’s what I learned this week.  What did you learn?

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Hey guys!

I know I still have to get the Giant ad done and do a bunch of catching up.  I’ve mentioned it in passing on this site and those of you who have friended me on Facebook likely know this:  I have been sick as a dog for the past 3 days and finally broke down and went to the doctor today and it turns out that I have bronchitis.  I’m on drugs like you wouldn’t believe (including cough syrup with codeine because I have been coughing so hard that it hurts to breathe now).  I am not usually a fan of prescription drugs, especially any kind of painkillers…and since I rarely take them, they tend to knock me on my butt when I do!

Fun stuff…I tell ya!

Anyway – I’m working on getting Giant up tonight and catching up with everything else. (and if the coupon matchups are a little “off”, blame it on the codeine…or the steroids…take your pick!)

Thanks for your patience!

(oh – and as for the inhaler?  it is my new best friend.  It was either learn to use one of those or use my childrens albuterol and their nebulizer….which wouldn’t be THAT bad except all we have is a facemask that looks like a rhinoceros and even **I** have too much pride for that!)

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