It’s that time of year, all 2012 Entertainment Books are now 50% OFF with FREE SHIPPING. That means that the 2012 Entertainment books just went on sale for $15 in almost all areas (usually they are $35 so that is an amazing $20 savings). This is one of my top recommendations for great savings, especially when traveling.

If you know you’ll be going to a destination that’s not local to you, this is a great time to get savings. Hurry though as there is only a limited number available and the offer doesn’t last forever!

I personally am looking into the Entertainment.com Savings Membership. It costs a little more, and I’m concerned if it will be worth it or not (though I’m pretty sure it will). The Savings membership is mobile, basically it’s an app that allows you to take advantage of all the great deals Entertainment has to offer on the go and year round. They are on sale now at an introductory price of $24.99.

If I think about the top 10 things I’m asked in day to day life with 6 boys, definitely one of them would be “How on earth can you afford to keep them all clothed?”  Then there’s always the temptations of this season’s cutest shoes ever for myself!

Keeping my boys looking decent, preferably with no holes in their shoes (sadly I discovered one of them needs a new pair just this morning), and allowing myself the occasional “indulgence” of fun clothes or shoes requires a little patience and a lot of perseverance.

Here’s some great tips for huge discounts when shopping on a budget for your family!

This post is brought to you by Macy’s, my favorite shoes for girls.

Know Your Store

Most of us have a few select stores we shop at a lot. Then there are the ones we visit a little less frequently for specific items. The biggest tip I have is to get familiar with the patterns of the store you frequent most.

The one I shop at almost always has a percentage off of their clearance items. I know that they will have about two weeks each year where there is no extra discount on the clearance products, every other part of the year they will be anywhere from 40% to 60% off the clearance price. Point is, there’s a pattern to their discounts and there are many stores that do the same so plan ahead for those biggest savings weeks and try to do most of your bulk shopping then.

Shop the Clearance Rack

Yes, usually you will find mostly “off-season” items, but if your store has a clearance section (mine always does though they do move it occasionally) frequent it and think ahead to what your family may need soon. My store usually has deeper discounts off the clearance items, so as mentioned before I tend to try and do even more shopping then.

Always Be Prepared

Always know your children’s clothing and shoe sizes and what they are currently in need of (or will be soon) when visiting the store. You want to be prepared to shop for any of them at any given time based on what is actually available for a great deal in the store (I love getting $50 shoes for under $20).

Be Flexible

Here’s a tip that can be a little challenging for some people. Know what you or your children need, but if you go to the store with a particular brand or exact style in mind you will usually be disappointed and pay far more than you need to. I have the benefit of shopping at a store that carries some great brand name clothing, that said though, they are not always going to have one brand on sale. If you do have a specific brand in mind, just wait to see if they go on sale another month.

Look for a Return Policy

Did you know that there are some stores that have a return policy for children’s clothing that covers them if they get holes in the knees or if they outgrow them too soon? For some people this is a great way to shop!

Look for Coupons

Another great tip is to shop with a coupon. A lot of stores will have their own “bucks” to earn and use which is a great way to get a discount. Other stores will have sales and sometimes they will even have those sales in conjunction with a coupon in their weekly ad or in the mail…. look for these, they are so great!

Online vs. Offline

Honestly this is a matter of personal preference. There are tons of amazing deals to be found both ways! I talked primarily today about physically going to a store to shop, but that doesn’t mean that even better deals can’t be found online, it’s simply a little different technique to find the best deals and we will cover that another time!

Have a tip of your own? We’d love to hear it! Just leave a comment and tell us your best frugal shopping tip!

Disclosure: This post was brought to you by and written by me on behalf of Macy’s, my favorite shoes for girls. 

Yesterday I mentioned how much I love honey for cooking, but did you know that I’m really starting to get into making beauty products for myself as well? Believe it or not, it’s super simple, amazing for your skin and you know exactly what you’re putting on your body.

Think about it for a minute. We’re constantly being told that our skin is the largest organ the human body has, yet we are forever exposing it to harsh products and chemicals without even batting an eye. Even the water we use to shower with is sub-par!!!

So when I realized that it takes only a few simple ingredients and a tiny bit of my time to make my own bath, body and spa treatment products I simply marveled! When i awakened from the bliss induced momentary coma, I decided to try some out.

In honor of National Honey Month, the very first recipe I want to use in my Homemade Beauty section features none other than HONEY! Grab your Magic Bullet and head to the fridge (yep you read that right!), and be prepared to create amazing and beautiful skin!

Today we’re going to start with a refreshing and rejuvenating Toner for your skin! I do have a lot to say on this subject so be sure to check back soon for great ideas, more recipes and even interesting information on the importance of these ingredients for your skin.

Cucumber-Honey Toner

1 medium cucumber, cut into pieces
2Tbsp distilled water
2 teaspoons honey
3Tbsp Witch Hazel

Directions:

• Puree cucumber using the Magic Bullet (a food processor or blender would also work). Add the water as you’re blending.
• Grab a bowl and cover with a cheesecloth then pour the pureed cucumber onto the cheesecloth, squeeze out the cucumber juices through the cheesecloth.
• Pour the clear juice into a clean bottle and add honey and witch hazel.

To Use

Shake the bottle before each application and saturate a cotton ball with the toner. Sweep over face, neck and chest morning and night, and let it air dry (about 3 to 4 minutes).

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Makes about 1/2 to 1 cup.

Note: if you don’t have the distilled water or witch hazel, just make this toner with the cucumber and honey it’s still got all the amazing benefits and will purify and rejuvenate your skin!

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a coupon for everything you buy and anywhere you shop? Well, although that isn’t entirely possible, one of the best sources for online coupons and savings is definitely Savings.com.

Quite possibly one of the things I love about this site most is their Savings Pledge. The pledge involves committing to take control of spending to reach a goal. Learn all about it here.

There’s so much more to Savings.com than the pledge though. Finding unbelievable deals to use when shopping is really the backbone of the site.

This week for instance the Deal of the Week is a coupon that saves you $30 on a $90 purchase at The Limited. Sure, not everyone can use this, but it’s a great example of the huge savings that you can really amass when you check with Savings.com before you shop!!!

With all the cash going out with back to school shopping what better way to stretch every precious dollar we have? Some deals are definitely bigger than others, but the idea here is to add Savings.com to your list of stops before you go shopping online! Enjoy the savings.

This year all 6 of my sons are going to be in school. While this may not seem particularly monumental to anyone but me, it also brings a mile-long list of supplies that need to be purchased for the collective masses.

Money is tight, my dollar doesn’t go nearly as far as it used to and I need to be careful that back-to-school doesn’t break the bank. I know I’m not alone, so here’s a few suggestions to keep back to school more affordable, and maybe even a lot less stressful.

Plan ahead – who says back-to-school shopping has to be done during summer break?

I know it’s a little late for the new school year, but the biggest tip I have for the cheapest back-to-school prices, is to shop year round. Every time I go to the store, I can be found scouring ads and shopping the clearance rack at the stores I frequent. Often I can find name brand clothing even for 70% off or more!

Just get to know your stores, the locations of their clearance racks and how often they have big sales.  Of course, since some of my boys are growing like weeds (literally), this is rather necessary anyway or their pants start fitting them like capris (trust me, this is not the look a boy is going for).

Keep a List – we even have a standard clothing “supply” list around here.

I’d rather not have a child with 10 t-shirts and 1 pair of jeans in their drawers, and with a lot of kids it’s easy to mix up who has what. So, keeping a checklist for each child to ensure they have the right amount of all the necessaries is key around here.

Be Flexible – sometimes the best deals are where you least expect them.

I was recently doing a search for coupons and sales for back to school online and was surprised when it suddenly occurred to me that using the annual local Entertainment book is an incredibly simple option. If you don’t have an Entertainment book, look on craigslist or sites like that for the current edition, or simply put it on your list for next year (shop for it several months after it’s released to get it for $10 or less).

That’s just one example of thinking “outside the box” for a super cheap back-to-school, imagine the possibilities.

We want to know how you’re saving this year!!!

Share your back to school money saving advice below for a chance to win a $500 Back to School Shopping Spree from BlogFrog! 

Want to exchange more tips and ideas with other moms? We’d love to hear your solutions (or questions even) for healthy snacks, school supplies and saving money!  Visit the Horizon® Healthily Families Back to School Community!  

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon.  The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the Horizon Organic brand. 

Recently we found an amazing deal on countertops during a random visit to a local hardware store. By amazing deal, I truly mean AMAZING… getting $420 worth of counter tops for $42. Enough to redo the entire kitchen.

So, a “mini” remodel project was born. But as anyone who has ever remodeled knows, even little projects typically require a lot of time and energy and loads of little extra things that end up needing to be done.

Last weekend we remodeled the eating area of the kitchen. Since we have such a small kitchen and such a large family, we try to find creative solutions to having plenty of eating spaces but also keeping it accessible for cleaning.

I would have photos, but due to this weekend’s project most of the kitchen now resides in that space temporarily (so I decided to be brave and take a picture of the remodel mess).

Even though we are trying to tackle bite (weekend) size portions of remodeling these days, there can definitely be some frustration and I have even felt a bit overwhelmed at times despite knowing that it will soon all be in tact again. When the eating space was done though, it was beautiful!

For the first time in the 6 years we’ve lived here I had curtains on the window and actually decorated that area just a bit. I hope that by the end of the week I’ll have some pictures for you to see the changes we have made in there because I think you will find it truly amazing!

In the meantime though…I have to admit I am so tired! Exhausted even! And a little bit worn down. Lots of dust combined with it being hay fever time of year anyway has my head in a bit of a muddled mess.

Question of the Week

What do you do when you’re feeling tired and run down?

Being a family of 8 with 1 (yes one) bathroom we definitely face a few challenges now and then. I really try to take advantage of any creative thoughts that come to me to make things work a little better for everyone concerned.

It’s been challenging recently since we now have three of our sons in the above 10 category, and the younger two of those three are still figuring it all out.  Between ages 10-12 boys start to have BO … and they need a little (or a lot of) instruction on proper hygiene.

The biggest problem has been making sure everyone can find what they need when they need it, especially our oldest son who wears contacts and has a little different bedtime/morning routine than his siblings.

Recently I decided to put together a Shower Kit for CJ and it worked out great!!! It’s perfect for him, and keeps everything organized!

What you purchase for each child’s shower kit will obviously depend upon their individual needs, and this concept would definitely work for a girl as well as a boy.

Here’s what I did for my (almost) 15 year old son:

• Basket (should be small, have a handle, have separate compartments, be well ventilated, plastic is easiest to clean)
• Body Wash (since he’s in football he needed something that was tough on odor)
• Shampoo
• Deodorant (depending on the child, usually simple deodorant is sufficient, if your son is a teen and in a sport you may want to consider having him use on that’s antiperspirant/deodorant during sports season)
• Toothcare: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, small mouthwash
• Shaving cream and razor
• Contact case and Storage solution

Again, this is super adaptable for each individual child and definitely costs under $20 to put together.  Once your child has their shower kit and a storage place of their own, it’s easy for them to let you know when they are out of something.

In the long run this technique definitely saves us money since everything is in one place and not getting “lost” in the rest of their things.

Last week was an adventurous one around here. Most of the kiddos were spread out here and there. One was at camp, two of them with one set of grandparents and two more with another set of grandparents. CJ was the only one home most of the week, but there was a reason.

I went in for minor surgery on Tuesday. It honestly wasn’t a big deal and I have felt very good all week despite it, as long as I don’t overdo. Add to that the insanity that is called ‘signing up a child for high school’ though, in addition to daily life with 6 boys and things definitely feel a little more nuts.

As we head out of summer and into yet another fall/school year I am gathering many many very fun ideas and products to share with all of you. So, after taking a lot of time off from blogging this summer I am definitely looking forward to the exciting things I have planned for you very soon.

I am going to be featuring a couple of weeks of giveaways and now is definitely the time to start spreading the news! Next week we will be having a Back To School Bash. The fun thing is, this bash will offer great items and ideas for kids AND moms!!!

Then two weeks later I will be offering several super fun and exciting products and ideas mainly for the grown ups (though there might be a few items for little people thrown in as well)!!  Feel free to join in the festivities during my Hooray for Fall Week!  I’m so looking forward to it and hope that I can squeeze everything in to the one week for each that I have alotted.

Here’s your chance to get a jump start on extra entries!

1. Have a blog? Mention my Back to School Bash (August 30 – Sept 3) and/or my Hooray for Fall Week (Sept. 13th – Sept 17th).  Once the giveaways come around for each event simply leave a separate comment with a link to your blog post as an extra entry.
2. Tweet it! If you use twitter, feel free to tweet about these events to let everyone know with a link back to AFrogInMySoup.com and in addition to the extra entry you usually get for tweeting each giveaway you’ll get yet another entry for any giveaway you choose to enter.
3. Share on Facebook! yep, if you choose to let your friends on facebook know about these events with a link back to the site you will get yet another entry.

These options offer you an additional three entries PER giveaway that you choose to enter during both giveaway weeks! (yes you are welcome to cheer). Until I have a better way for giving each of you lots of entries with one submission I am afraid that you will have to leave a separate comment for each qualified entry for each giveaway.

Not every review featured during those weeks will offer a giveaway, but there are some amazing products out there that I simply felt you all should know about.

I am loving the idea of cooking breakfast cookies and healthy muffins for my kids to start the day. Now, before you start thinking that I’m losing it, I just want to say that when looking at the ingredients and giving it a lot of thought, I realized that there’s a lot of energy, protein and nutrients to be found when you choose the right recipe.

I’m talking a little more about this next week at Mom Central Food but I wanted to share some thoughts here as well. Here’s an amazing breakfast cookie recipe from Food Network, but there are tons more to be found as well.

Breakfast Cookies

(Ellie Krieger, Food Network)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup bran cereal flakes
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant and chopped

Directions

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl.

Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute.

Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds.

Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds.

Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies.

Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick.

Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Creating memories is something that summer is capable of offering us unlike any other time of the year.  Although there are some families that will go away on an extravagant vacation, you do not need to feel like you are slighting your children if that’s something you can’t do!!

I know that for us, a day-cation is all we can usually pull off with a family of 8.  As I was doing a little writing this week for Mom Central Food, I had yet another fun summer adventure idea that is so simple yet memorable that I had to share it with you.

This week, my posts at Mom Central Food are very Fruit and Summer focused.  One of them is about Smoothies and offers a great Blueberry Banana Smoothie recipe, and the other is all about making homemade popsicles.

But here’s the super fun part, you can create an amazing experience for your children just centered on making them fresh homemade popsicles. How? you may ask….. Here’s how to create a Fruity Summer Adventure for your kiddos.

• Find a local farm that has a u-pick area. Check for season information so you know what berries are available when.
• Tip: Go in the morning, fairly early with well fed children that aren’t desperate for a nap. This also avoids being caught in what can often become unbearable heat if you aren’t careful about your timing.  Make sure to still bring sunblock and hats for all.
• If you aren’t familiar with picking berries, most farms will have an employee that can tell you where to go to find them and even basics on how to pick them.  If you don’t bring your own containers for the harvest you pick, most farms will have them available there. Tip: Keep in mind that what you picked gets weighed before you pay so although this is intended to be a fun experience for the kids, don’t let them pick the field dry (hehe).
• Once you get home from berry picking {tip: you will have some very colorful and sticky little ones so you may want to bring along wipes for the trip home}, you will want to start by cleaning the berries thoroughly.
• From here you simply process the berries as needed. If they are for smoothies, lay them on a cookie sheet and stick them in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours until firm then move them to a gallon size zipper bag for storage and return to the freezer. If you are using them for popsicles you can simply store them in a container in the fridge until you are ready to make the popsicles {tip: best if you can use them within a day or two for freshness}.

The best part about all of this is that the kids were involved in the process from start to finish.  They can help with not only the berry picking, but consider taking them to the store with you to pick out the other ingredients (if necessary for the intended purpose), and even have them help (or watch) you puree the fruit and make their treat!!!

Kids love this and they love being involved. It makes them feel important and “big”!  They are far more likely to try anything that they have been involved in the creation of, so for picky kids that aren’t used to what you are making this is a great way to try new things.  You can’t go wrong when you know what’s in your children’s food.

Overall I think this is a fantastic way to create a very fun and memorable summer experience for your children.