Domestic Cents » Everything Else

Moving And Such

Nicki — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:06:02 +0000

Hi everyone! Remember me? Yep, it’s Nicki. I’m still here! It has been a long 6 months of commuting and trying to sell our home. It hasn’t sold, but we moved anyway. We’re in northern Vermont now and we’re thrilled to be settling in. Because we’re crazy people, we moved the day after Thanksgiving.

I’m not the kind of person who slowly settles in to a new home. I’m the kind that can’t sit down until everything is unpacked – so we’re pretty much settled in here. I’m sitting on my same old couch in a whole new living room, in a whole new area.

Where I live now is a suburb of Burlington, VT. It’s a lot more developed here than where I lived before. Suddenly there are many options for groceries and things to do. I actually feel a little overwhelmed by it. I told David that I feel a little lost. I hadn’t realized how much comfort and ease there was in not having any options. One grocery store. One pharmacy. But now … how do I choose? Do I shop everywhere?

Well, as you can see, I’m coming across plenty to write about. My frugal journey has changed location but I’m still the same girl, trying to figure out ways to cut back and do things on my own all while living on only my husband’s income.

Thanks for sticking around

Why I do what I do ~ It happened. The day we were moving, Chloe was alone in the car with me and she asked, “How do we get babies?” Luckily, I was in the front seat driving, so I could have a moment to hide my shock and take a deep breath. I tried my best not to laugh at myself as I began … “when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much … Jesus gives them a baby to grow in the mommy’s tummy.” She had follow-up questions, “How does the baby get out?” “How does the Dr. know when to take it out?” Yikes!

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Is Customer Service Dead?

Nicki — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:48:10 +0000

Today’s post is from Kyle at Rather Be Shopping. His site features online coupons and discounts. If you enjoy this post I hope you’ll consider subscribing to his RSS Feed. ~Nicki

I have had a few bad customer service experiences in the past few months that makes me think our country is changing for the worse. OK, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration, but I definitely think a business that can meet or even exceed customer expectations is really going to flourish. Here are a couple examples.

Restaurant

I took my wife out for lunch last week when the kids were all in school. We were seated and nobody came back to our table for 20 minutes. Being under a time crunch, we were fed up and left. On the way out, I told the gal at the door why we were leaving and how we had been waiting for 20 minutes. A manager who was standing nearby piped in and said “I don’t think you were waiting that long.” I almost blew my top! I think this attitude that customers are no longer “always right” but instead just a nuisance is a real paradigm shift in our culture. The manager could have very easily apologized and offered a free appetizer and we probably would have stayed. Instead, she created a customer who will never step foot in that restaurant again.

Post Office

I was sending a package express air and had to fill out a special form. I filled it out, handed it to the lady, and she quickly responds “I told you that you needed to sign down in the corner, did you not hear me?” I then say, “Oh, I guess I didn’t”. She then says, “Well apparently you were not listening.” I proceeded to give her a piece of my mind as I really felt her behavior was both rude and demeaning. When did customer service become this way?

When I go into a store that has employees that actually seem to like their job, and offer excellent customer service, I find myself driving back time and time again. You would think that in an economic downturn, businesses would realize that they can gain a competitive advantage against their competitors by really stressing strong customer service. I think it is the single best way to gain loyal customers.

Have you noticed this type of bad service in your neck of the woods? Is it possible that the bad economy has something to do with it? I look forward to your comments.Now in keeping with tradition, here are some of the better online coupons on my website that can hopefully help you save some money. If your favorite store is not listed, just contact me and I will personally try and find you a coupon.

American Eagle Outfitters.com
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See All: American Eagle Coupons

Batteries.com
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Costume Express.com
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Expedia.com
Get a $200 Off coupon for future travel with purchase thru this Link
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See All: Expedia Coupons

Kohl’s.com
Save 20% Off your entire online purchase w/ your Kohls Card
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Expiration: 10/27/10
See All: Kohls Coupons

Lands End.com
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Old Navy.com
Save 25% Off your entire online purchaseCoupon Code:ONSTYLE25<
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Payless Shoes.com
Get $5 off your $50+ online purchase
Coupon Code: fallshoes5
Expiration: 10/25/10
See All: Payless Shoes Coupons

Nicki’s Note: Unfortunately, I’ve had some similar experiences lately. For me, it was dealing with customer service over the phone about an online purchase that was terribly messed up. Even though I was extremely polite, the customer service rep. was rude to me and shrugged off blame. I was purchasing contact lenses and will be taking my business elsewhere. Anyone else running into this?

photo credit: Patrick Hoesly

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There’s Still Time For Camping

Nicki — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:02:24 +0000

Most people think of camping trips at the beginning of the summer but one of the very best times to go is still just right around the corner. I prefer end-of-summer camping for the cool nights and warm days. For most people, Labor Day weekend is the last chance to pitch a tent for the summer. If your family is headed to the great outdoors and you’re new to camping … this is for you.

Some of my most cherished memories growing up are from our family camping trips. Every summer our family went camping for one or two weeks, starting when I was a little girl right through my teen years. Now that I have a family of my own, I’m doing my best to carry on the tradition – because I think it’s a good one.

Going camping may seem like a simple family vacation that would be easy to throw together. If you’ve been doing it for a while then it can be, but there’s actually quite a bit of thought and preparation that go into a successful trip that makes mom, dad AND the kids all happy. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way.

Food

photo by Jason Pratt

Have lots of snacks

Whether you’re hiking, laying on the beach, boating, bike-riding or book-reading – you’re going to want things to snack on. Keep some good-for-you food on hand that’s easy to grab and go. The last thing you want is to have your children whining that they are hungry all day. Buy bottled or filtered water. Ordinarily I don’t advocate this – but you need a lot of water when you’re camping, and even though the water may be safe it still might bug your stomach. There are few things worse than spending the whole vaca in the bathroom.

Plan easy meals

There are certain things we like when we go camping. We grill a lot. We usually camp at a campground and get a site with water and electric. I know – that isn’t real camping to some of you but that’s what we do. Having electricity is great because I can bring my crock pot. I make easy things like chili to go with the hot dogs we roasted over the fire. Spaghetti is another good one. Also beef stew.

Plan easy clean-up

Washing dishes when you’re camping is not like washing dishes at home. It takes a lot longer and usually involves dirt. Use the fewest dishes possible and you’ll thank me.

Clothing

photo credit: tkramer

Pack for comfort

When we’re camping I go for comfy. I wear sweatpants and sweatshirts every night from dinner until bedtime. I don’t do anything more than a ponytail with my hair and I don’t wear any makeup. I pack good sneakers, sandals and flip-flops for the shower. I do the same for my daughter. I grab all of her comfiest clothes and throw them in a bag. That’s what she wears all week. It feels so good to just feel good. I go an entire week or two without every looking in a full-length mirror. It makes me realize how OFTEN I look at myself in a mirror ordinarily.

Pack for the weather

It will rain – plan on it. There will be a cold day – count on it. The nights may be frigid or humid – bring both types of jammies. You are going to sweat right through your clothes and you’ll want to change them, so bring extra. Not a hat person? Bring one anyway. Also, at some point you may need to go out in public. You might want to have something to wear then too.

Shelter

Bedding

Whether you’re in a tent, a cabin or a pop-up camper you’ll want to be some-what comfortable when you go to bed at night. Don’t expect your children to be smiling and happy at the end of the week if you’ve got them in sleeping bags on the hard ground every night. Figure out a way to make everyone somewhat comfortable. Air mattresses, cots and mats are all good options. When my daughter was very young and we were tenting, I grabbed the mattress right out of her crib and brought it with us. My husband and I bought one of those foam mattress pads to use for camping. It made a world of difference.

Also keep in mind what you plan on covering up with. Sleeping bags aren’t always the best option. I find that bringing multiple blankets and having the ability to layer them works a lot better. Otherwise I end up with a daughter drenched in sweat because she buried herself in the sleeping bag on a warm night.

Housing

photo credit: akeg

There are some basic rules that apply here: Don’t wear your shoes inside your tent/camper/cabin. Air it out but keep it closed, otherwise you’ll sleep with LOTS of bugs. Separate sleeping quarters for mom/dad and kids is a better idea than buying one huge tent or all sleeping in one huge room – trust me.

If you’re at a campground and you have kids – pick a site that’s near, but not next to, the bath house. If you can get one that near a bath house AND a playground – then you’ve got it made.

Brings tarps, all of the tarps you own – they go under things (like tents) and over things (like firewood) and make a huge difference when you have wet weather. Bring extra tent stakes – also good to use with the tarps when it gets windy. Bring coolers and a dorm-size fridge if you have one. Bring a vinyl tablecloth to go over the picnic table. You’ll thank me.

FUN

photo credit: anoldent

Now that all the necessities are out of the way – let’s talk about the real reason to go camping!

Games

Bring lots of games. Some of our favorites for camping are Yahtzee, Cards, Phase 10, Othello and Pente. I bring things to color and draw for my daughter too. I’ll also add here – bring lots of reading. I usually bring several books. My husband likes to bring magazines.

Outdoor Fun

Bring bikes! I can’t even guess how much time I spent as a kid just riding my bike through all of the dirt paths of the campgrounds we’d stay at. It was a blast. Also good to bring are baseball and gloves, football, volleyball, soccer ball, wiffle ball and bat, and a frisbee. Find free things to do where you’re camping – hiking trails, lakes, etc.

Water Fun

We usually camp near a lake or the ocean because we love the beach. I bring LOTS of sand toys for my daughter and I’m always glad I did. Bring several swim suits for each family member and sandals that are good for beach-walking. If your family likes to use floaties or water toys, then bring those along. Don’t be afraid to try something new. One year we went camping with my parents and they had brought their kayaks. They urged my husband and I to try them out. I was too nervous to try until the second to last day we were there – and I was SO sorry I waited so long. We ended up loving it. Many lakes rent out peddle boats, row boats and kayaks for reasonable prices – give them a try!

Camp Fire

I LOVE having a camp fire. Some of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had have been while sitting around a camp fire. Because my daughter is used to them, she is very well-behaved around them. Be sure to teach your children fire safety and abide by local rules. That said, camp fire treats are some of the best! There’s nothing like S’mores or cheating s’mores (a toasted marshmallow in between two Fudge Stripe cookies) or just plain toasted marshmallows. Camp chairs and cuddling blankets are a must. Sometimes we sit out so late that the dew begins to fall – and then it gets chilly.

Clearly, I have good memories and feelings about camping. I think a lot of the nightmare experiences that people have had stem from being unprepared. Take the time to think things through and make sure you have everything you need – and I’ll be completely shocked if you don’t leave saying, “we should do that again soon.”

Why I do what I do ~ We have a pet right now. It’s a caterpillar. Chloe and I found it in the back yard. I don’t know what I was thinking. Chloe is in love with it and calls it her pet. She’s named her “Butterfly.” Here’s the bad news – not only will our caterpillar not become a butterfly (it becomes an ugly, yellow moth). It won’t become one until the Spring. The chances of me keeping it alive until Spring are so very slim … ~sigh~ I think we need a goldfish.

Affiliate notice – embedded in this post are affiliate links to Amazon. If you makes purchases using these links, this site will receive a portion of the sale.

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Inactivity

Nicki — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:19:21 +0000

Hello Faithful Readers … I got an email this week from Pamela. She noticed I hadn’t been posting much and wondered if everything was ok. Her thoughtfulness touched me and it occurred to me that others may be wondering the same thing. So here’s what’s up.

Our family is in a transitional phase. My husband was recently blessed with an excellent job the next state over – about 2 hours away. It’s near family and where my husband grew up. On top of that, I’ve jumped right into heading up a children’s program at the new church we’ll be attending. We could not be more thrilled. However, we have a home to sell. We have it priced low and we’re planning to take a loss in hopes that we’ll sell quickly. In the meantime, there is lots and LOTS of commuting going on in our family. I am tired – oh SO tired.

The little down time I have I try best to occupy with normal things for Chloe’s sake – bike rides, going to the playground, etc. This blog has been around for going on 2 years now. I love it and I don’t want to give it up – so I’m not going to. If 300 people unsubscribe – then I’ll go down to 200 readers I guess. That’s ok by me (alright … I will be sad). If you know me a little from reading my words then you know that having the right priorities is important to me. Right now – working on blog things doesn’t fit. Once we’ve moved things will be different for me and I’ll have a little more free time than before – I am dreaming of that time when I can dive back into things.

Until then … I’ll post when I can. As always, I’m humbled and grateful that you’ve chosen to stick around.

Why I do what I do ~ At bedtime prayers last night Chloe prayed ” … and keep Daddy safe in his trabels.” We’ve had lots of time apart and I almost started crying. Her caring and sensitive personality is so pure. No one makes her say those things or tells her she should – she just picks up on it. I’m just the one that’s blessed to witness it.

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Good Reads: Being Outside

Nicki — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:42:23 +0000

What a week! It was SO beautiful here. We spent lots of time outside. I don’t think the girls have been this happy for a while. It was wonderful.

Some great posts from this week:

How To Handle Overdrawing Your Checking Account ~ ChristianPF
Green Baby Steps ~ Smart Family Tips
20 Things To Do With $5 (or less) ~ Remodeling This Life
Changing Lives One Laundry Load At A Time ~ Small Notebook
Live A Simpler Life: The Answer To Living Debt Free And Happy ~ Being Frugal
Best Months To Buy Goods ~ Gather Little By Little
Postpone College In Order To Pay For It With Cash? ~ Frugal Dad

Why I do what I do ~ Yesterday I was making egg salad for sandwiches and Chloe grabbed half of a hard-boiled egg and started eating it – without anyone asking her to. I almost did a happy dance right then and there in the middle of the kitchen. My little protein-hater is making progress

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Good Reads: Spring Fever

Nicki — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 10:03:32 +0000

Every year I get Spring fever. It’s tough where I live because it warms up S …………….. O …………… S ……….. L ………… O …………… W ………….. L ………… Y. Even though it was only in the 30s here this week it was very sunny and the snow was melting. I got ambitious. One day I opened windows just to let the fresh air in. It felt so good. Another day I put my winter gloves on and hung towels on the clothesline. I started puttering around outside, getting the flowerbed ready (HA – it will be a while still) and cleaning up the yard. I am definitely ready for Spring.

Some great reads from this week. Enjoy your weekend everyone

Saving Money – An American Virtue Reborn from Debt Free Adventure ~ Saving money is the “in” thing now, but it’s by no means a new thing.

Free Printable Recipe Cards from Skip To My Lou ~ This is a seriously awesome tutorial to create recipe cards and print them out.

You’ve Got A Budget, Now What? from Small Notebook ~ A budget is no good if you don’t use it!

Why Go To Bed Early? from Gather Little By Little ~ Don’t knock it till you try it. Stew shares some solid wisdom.

How To Give Your Child An Allowance also from Gather Little By Little ~ What age do you begin? How much? Read what Mike is doing.

Why I do what I do ~ Today I began cutting out the pieces to make Chloe’s Easter dress (more on that soon). I didn’t plan to sew it, just cut out the pieces (the worst part). I was telling Chloe about it. She was so excited. She asked if Easter is tomorrow and if she can have her dress today and if it will have eggs on it. Eggs? Yes, Easter eggs on her Easter dress. Ummm, no.

photo credit: Kat Johnston / Sanura Sakai

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This Is What Frugal Looks Like

Nicki — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:02:10 +0000

Kelly over at Almost Frugal asked me to participate in her series This Is What Frugal Looks Like.

She asked me four questions:

What does frugality mean to you?
What is something that you do that is ‘typically’ frugally?
What is something frugal that you do that is unusual?
What are some of your long term goals that being frugal will help you to accomplish?

If you’re interested in my answers, head over there to check it out!

Why I do what I do ~ Chloe was in time out for throwing a rock at my younger niece yesterday. My older niece handed me a rock and told me that was the one that Chloe had thrown. I went to Chloe with the rock, intending to speak very seriously with her about what a dangerous thing she had done. I began with, “Chloe, did you hit Aliyah with this rock?” She responded, “No, I hit her with a rock that was round and flat on one side.” I had to walk away and come back a minute later when I wasn’t smiling.

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Paint Set Winner!

Nicki — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:00:56 +0000

Using Random.org, I’ve got a winner. Amy wins the paint set!

Thanks so much to everyone that entered. It’s great to get comments from subscribers that I haven’t heard from before. Keep ‘em coming!

Today is my official one year blogiversary (is that what it’s called?). For those of you that are new around here I’d like to highlight a few posts you may have missed and a couple of favorites. Enjoy

Some older posts you may have missed~

Homemade Play-dough ~ I make this over and over and over. All three girls still love to play with it. There isn’t anything special about this post – only that I use it ALL the time.

Haste Makes … ~ The answer, of course, is “waste.” A post about how I need to stop rushing.

Salvaging The Chaotic Day ~ Here’s what I do with a day that’s gone completely wrong.

When Penny-Pinching Has Pushed You Too Far ~ Sometimes, I just need to take a moment and get a little perspective, don’t you?

Welcome Home, Dinner’s In The Oven ~ My little story of learning to cook.

How Do You Get Everything Done? ~ Are you supermom?

Frugality Builds Character ~ Frugality changes you.

How I Became Domestic ~ I am so different from what I used to be – and I love it.

Some of my favorites~

Anatomy Of A Thoughtful Person ~ What makes a person thoughtful?

What’s Your Profession? ~ This is one for all those stay-at-home mamas out there.

My Financial Story ~ Here’s the story of why I am where I am and why I’m doing what I’m doing.

More Than A Boring Prelude ~ Today is much more than a boring prelude to tomorrow.

Giving Up A Like For A Love ~ Painful prioritization. Even though you may like something, sometimes there are other things that are just more important.

My Daughter Won’t Remember We Were Broke ~ Maybe my favorite post of all.

Why I do what I do ~ I was clipping Chloe’s fingernails last night when she thoughtfully asked, “Why do my fingernails have to be short?” I was impressed with her question because she really seemed to care. It made sense because I don’t keep my nails that short. I told her it was because they get dirty when they are long. She paused then conceded, “yeah they do.”

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Paint Set Giveaway Ends Sunday!

Nicki — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:10:19 +0000

Did you already enter to win the giveaway for the children’s paint set? If not, check out the original post and get your entries in! The giveaway ends Sunday night at 10 p.m. EST.

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One-Year Anniversary And A Giveaway!

Nicki — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:13:40 +0000

I began Domestic Cents with my very first post on October 26, 2008. I wasn’t sure how it would develop or if anyone would be interested in what I had to say but I was SO excited to begin. I can’t believe a year has passed and I love it just as much, if not more.

I want to thank each of my readers from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for subscribing to this site and for being a faithful reader of Domestic Cents. Your support means so much to me.

To celebrate, I’m giving away this children’s paint set:

~Entries for this giveaway are now closed. Thanks for Entering!~

Whether you’d like to admit it or not, there’s a holiday season just around the corner. To celebrate my one-year anniversary and to kick off your holiday shopping, I have a wonderful giveaway. This one is in honor of my own little kiddo, who LOVES art.

CSN Stores is giving away the paint set you see pictured above. It’s a 27-Piece Paint Set that comes in the cute little crate in the background. It would make a great Christmas gift. Click on the link above for more info on the gift and to check out the site that’s going to send it to one lucky reader!

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is be sure you’re subscribed (either by RSS or Email) and then leave a comment letting me know that you are!

For a second entry, tweet the giveaway with the following narrative and then leave a second comment letting me know you did:

@DomesticCents is 1 year old! Check out her children’s paint set giveaway sponsored by AllChildrensFurniture.com:

For a third entry, use the following narrative to promote the giveaway on your blog:

“Domestic Cents is a year old! Check out her children’s paint set giveaway from All ChildrensFurniture.com, your one stop for brands like Little Tikes, KidKraft , and more! Giveaway ends 10/25!”

Up to 3 entries per person. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. I’ll close the giveaway at 10:00 p.m. EST (because that’s when I go to bed) on October 25. I’ll announce the winner on my anniversary, the 26th.

Why I do what I do ~ This morning I heard Chloe say, “Look mom it’s the opening credits” as her movie was beginning. I supposed she must have heard me say that before but that doesn’t make it sound any less peculiar coming from her mouth.

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