5 Uses for Shoe Boxes
I always cringe at getting rid of shoe boxes. Here are some ways to reuse them.
1. School projects. We always used shoe boxes for Valentine's Day boxes. My daughter's school uses cereal boxes, though. There are still a myriad of uses for these and kids crafts, like a sewing box, puppet stand and recipe book (pictured above).
2. Gift boxes. Cover them with Kraft paper and mail as a package or, using spray adhesive (detailed instructions here), wrapping the lid separate and create a gift box. Use raffia to tie the package together and you have an elegant gift (similar to the image above). You can also turn the box itself into a gift ribbon dispenser, making wrapping regular gifts easier.
3. Storage. Again, cover boxes and their lids with Kraft paper (see link above) use them to store small items. Write on the ends of the boxes with Sharpies to identify the contents.
4. Craft box. The image above uses a sandwich box but you can use a larger shoe box to hold a plethora of markers, crayons, colored pencils and more.
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5. Art. Of course if you're an artist with made skills, you could try this: Sneaker Sculptures
Finally, Puma is rolling out a new kind of shoe box that eliminates up to 65 percent of the waste that shoe boxes create. Watch a video about the project below:
for three and a half years now. The membership features: 
One of the most unique gifts we received when Madilyn was born was a personalized engraved block with Madilyn's initial, name and the details of her birth. The block sits in her room as a beautiful and unique reminder of the specifics of her birth. The company, 
Take an extra 50% off sale items at Sak.com with the code found on this 
Check this great deal on the 30-minute Flip Ultra in white. Simply add the 
to your Shopping Cart, enter promotional code 67P7PZO3 at checkout, and Amazon will apply an additional $10 savings -- so you'll get it for only $59.99.
A cheap and green way to care for your skin and avoid unsightly shine is to use lemon instead of prepackaged cosmetics. 
The Sak has this really cute bag on clearance for $20. Proceeds from this bag to AMERICA SCORES, a non-profit organization that develops programs to inspire in urban children a lasting dedication to education, healthy living and civic responsibility, through teamwork learned by playing soccer. Check it out by clicking 
Some women are opting to rent high-end designer handbags, thanks to websites like 
Canon Digital Rebel DSLRs are now about half-price on 
Buy candy canes in bulk and make a variety of holiday treats that are easy on your budget.
This year, don't throw out the cardboard boxes your kids' (and big kids') gifts come in (large screen tv anyone?) Keep them to create forts, castles, houses and anything else your kids will enjoy for months to come. Ribbons and bows from packages can trim windows and discarded wrapping paper can create a quilt-like covering for your abode. Let the kids go crazy with markers to add the rest of the details. It's really true that kids sometimes like to play with the boxes more than the toys! Help them do that this year and create memories that will last a lifetime (a lot longer than that tv will).
• What a card! Keep your Christmas cards each year. Cut the covers off and use them as postcards the next year. You'll save on postage and recycle! You can also attach these to gifts to use them as name cards.
Mom and I were at Target this morning when we saw orange storage bins and Tupperware in the seasonal section for Halloween. The storage bins were 56 gallon size and were on sale for $3.77 each — which they claim is the lowest price of the season. My guess is if there are any left they'll probably go on sale after Halloween even more. And those orange-topped Tupperware-ish plastic storage containers will probably go on sale as well. I'll keep an eye out. Storage containers are expensive, and who cares if they're orange? If you need 'em, get em while they're on clearance.
Amazon.com has a great deal on a set of sheets right now. 
According to a 
I'd like to recommend a movie if you haven't seen it yet. 
So Endless.com, the semi-new shoe and handbag website developed by the folks at Amazon.com, has been getting a lot of buzz because they give you five dollars off your order and free overnight shipping. However, I find that their shoes are very expensive. And just today, I see an exact pair of shoes that are double the price they are on Amazon.com. Seems strange to me! I'm not sure why there is such a price discrepancy, other than the clientèle targeted seems more high-brow at Endless, so I guess they can get away with charging more. (?)
MSN.com has a link on their homepage today to an article outlining 20 ways to save money each day at just 15 minutes a pop. They suggest simple activities like cleaning your car's air filter and making dinner instead of eating out. Click 
I was checking out this 
CVS has a e-coupon right now for $10 off a $50 purchase, plus free shipping. It's nice if you have items you know you need to buy that you can't get with coupons, sales, etc. You'll see it on the top of the second column of promotions here: 
Thanks to Craig T., for this tip!
Looking to go yard-saling this weekend? Outside of your local paper, check these sites for postings for this week’s sales locations: 
Publix has 8 ears of corn for $1.99. They have a choice of yellow, bi-color or white corn. Mom and I bought 32 ears of white corn and Mom spent Saturday afternoon cooking them. They are delicious. We went to the farmer's market that morning and they were selling 6 ears for $2, so Publix had the better deal this time. We are enjoying it!
Legislators in Florida are working toward a ban on expiration dates and dormancy fees for gift cards, according to a story in the Orlando Sentinel. Florida is the latest in a string of several states, including California, moving in this direction. 
Through May 2, Dell Dimension E520 desktops are $280 off (use this e-value code: DDDWAR4—that info's also on the website). This specific model (which uses Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo processor) is rated as a "best buy" by Consumer Reports for features, performance and price point. 
Beginning this week, Publix is offering free store-brand products when you purchase select brand-name products. Each week for the next five weeks, they will designate three products—this week it's grape juice, crunchy raisin bran and English muffins. See more info here: 
While we're on the subject of "free," check out this service if you haven't already. 
My friend Nita recently recovered/upholstered her dining room chairs—updated them from an old-fashioned looking floral to a modern stripe. Each chair would cost approximately $200 to be professionally recovered. “I decided to bite the bullet and take a stab at it myself,” she says. “It wasn't really that hard. Now, I know they are perfect/totally professional, but most people will never know the difference. I am pretty happy with them. Now the colors blend well with the family room and kitchen. It makes me happy:)” Thanks for sharing your project with us, Nita!
Tomorrow, Wed. March 21st, is free 16 oz. iced coffee day at Dunkin. Visit their 
A reader asked for the strawberry trifle recipe. Here's the link to the one I used: 
This past week the local grocery store had a special on strawberries (about $1.25 a pound). I bought and cut 10 pounds this weekend and froze most of it, but also made strawberry muffins, strawberry-banana bread, homemade strawberry ice cream and a strawberry trifle (pictured). There's something about baking and making sweet treats that's therapeutic. And it's fun to watch friends and family enjoy the fruit of your labor. I froze most of the breads so we can enjoy them for longer than the shelf life.
From 10 to noon tomorrow, 
A friend sent me a link to 
The first line of thinking for a bargain bride is to find a dress you could borrow from a friend who is the same size. My aunt wore my mother’s wedding dress a year after my mom was married. Was she scarred for life? Hardly. Each of their personal styles were so different no one noticed it was the same dress. The accessories and bridal party style gave the dress an entirely different look.
Often, there are easy steps you can take to reduce your environmental footprint, which seems to be all over the news these days, and at the same time, reduce your bills. 
Motor Trend has named the redesigned Toyota Camry the “Car of the Year,” recognizing all versions of the sedan, including the hybrid. The Camry has been the best-selling car in the U.S. for a number of years, beating out the Honda Accord.
In this post I cover: service-oriented gifts, subscriptions, personalized gifts, photo, print and video gifts, themed gift baskets and gift cards. Also, I link to an article Radiant ran in its current issue that highlights $20 for $20 this season.
I got a great deal on a couch this weekend. I keep my eye on postings from a local dropoff eBay store. If I bid and win items, I can swing by and pick them up without paying shipping. I found a great couch and the bidding started at $9.99. I had the highest bid at $20.50 for four days ... When the time on the auction was four minutes and counting, I logged on to make sure no one snagged my bargain in the last minute. I'm so glad I did—someone jumped in with 10 seconds remaining and outbid me! I immediately posted a higher bid and won the auction with like two seconds remaining. Unbelievable! Total price: $32.87. Not bad!
A new 
Jeff and I shot photos for a wedding this weekend. I met a lady who had made this adorable purse for less than $2. Can you guess what it is?
So I'm feeling like a coupon queen now between my savings at Publix and Walgreens, using 
JoAnn's is offering 60% off custom framing if you have three or more prints framed through April 24 (the orders will be in before Mother's Day). If you have one print, you'll still get 40% off and 50% off if you only have two.
Here's a creative way to use a big tax refund. This was sent in from Jake who works at a financial firm (in the IT department) in Kansas. Tell me what you think!
My friend Tia and I hit a few yard sales Saturday morning ... I had great luck. For a grand total of $18, I got: a French Press coffee pot, a bunny rabbit Easter candy dish, a rock fountain (for Jeff), a hanging pendant lamp to go over my breakfast nook (it's a current style that's being sold at Home Depot for $50-$80) and a wooden coffeetable. The coffeetable was light wood and showed signs of wear on the varnish, but its structure was still sound. Jeff bought a little can of Apple Red paint from Home Depot and voila! We have a fabulous coffeetable to accent our black leather couches (which we bought 
Most of you reading this blog have survived prom, but a few of you might have younger sisters or daughters who are entering prom season. Here are a few tips on how to do it on the cheap:
Here's an interesting editorial from Slate questioning whether the image Whole Foods markets present is accurate. They lead customers to think their food supports small, family-owned organic farms, when it's widely known that a few large farms in California supply the majority of the produce. 
Thanks for Lindsay who tipped me off about The Grocery Game ( 
My husband and I are about to move into our first house. Our real estate agent ended up finding us a house in our budget that was way better than the other houses we had been looking at—it’s fabulous and exactly what we need. We will want to update a couple of rooms eventually in the home—the kitchen and master bath—so my husband has been doing some research. He found a great 
Jeff and I sold our condo a couple of weeks ago. This being the first time we've ever had this much cash in our hands from the transaction, we made some responsible (and fun) choices of how to manage it. 
In this same issue of Consumer Reports that I mentioned yesterday, there's a report about the expense of hybrids. They say gas-electric hybrids end up costing owners from $3,700 to $13,300 more over five years compared with similar gasoline models. Some of that comes from the car being more expensive up front, but the cars also don't hold their value like the gasoline models.
Scrapbooking is so mainstream now you can pick up supplies everywhere from Walgreens to Target, not just specialty boutiques or craft stores like Joann's and Michaels. But I was surprised to find them at Costco (a discount warehouse store like the Wal-Mart owned Sam's Club). They were selling two bonded leather (does that mean fake leather? I'm pretty sure it does) 12x12" scrapbooks for $14. 
• The Accord was named the magazine's pick as top family sedan for the fourth straight year.