The Six Must-Haves for Toddlers

Check out a great article at
http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/article-113101-10286-3-toddler-gear-the-only-6-items-you-need
Hint: The six items she can't live without for her toddler are:
1- Car Seat
2- Crib (or once they're climbing out, a toddler bed)
3- Stroller
4- Sippy Cups
5- Potty
6- Crayons
Of course you'll need other basics like clothing and diapers. Make your own coloring books and flashcards. It doesn't look like she has any toys, but this article's author's child goes to daycare all day and has a lot of toys there.
As you can see, there's a lot she does without at home when they are home. She has her child use a salad fork and spoon while sitting on a regular chair at the table. She places a towel on her bed to change diapers. And they visit the library instead of collecting books at home.
If I had to list must have toddler toys, they would include a plastic doctor's kit in a bag, the ball you drop shapes into, some stacked measuring-type cups, and large mega blocks (we got ours in a handy truck). Make your own playdough and use pudding for finger painting.
Any other ideas?

The Grocery Gardening book review

I guess I grabbed the wrong book at the library. So, here's my review of Grocery Gardening: Planting, Preparing and Preserving Fresh Food.

This is a good overall book for those who have done little growing. There are some fun recipes that will help you use your produce and herbs if you're not use to doing that. One recipe caught my eye: Blueberries & Barley. Sounds like a side dish I need to try this summer.

Enjoy!

Written by Amanda Thomsen, Robin Ripley, and Teresa O'Connor

Another great frugal blog

I was researching how to reuse milk jugs and came across this great blog. Check out how to have "a fabulous life on a frugal budget" at www.thriftyjinxy.com and see the great ideas. There's recipes, freebies, tips, coupons, rebates and giveaways. Gotta love that!

America's Cheapest Family

I've seen the Economides on the web and once on television, but I've never really looked on their website until today. It has a good reader base with many suggestions. Their blog is easy to read and informative. It is, all in all, a good resource. May I suggest if you haven't checked them out yet, to do so. I'm sure their books are easily obtained at the library if you want to read more about what they do to stay frugal.
Go to www.americascheapestfamily.com and enjoy!

Looking towards Retirement

No matter if you're 25 or 55, retirement is something to think about.
Here are four quick suggestions from Yahoo Finance:
1- Don't start Social Security Benefits too early.
2- Know how much retirement savings you'll need.
3- Don't start using your retirement funds now to meet your current needs.
4- Stay in shape (have a BMI of 25 or less).

For more details, go to http://finance.yahoo.com/focus-retirement/article/112591/biggest-retirement-planning-mistakes-moneywatch?mod=fidelity-readytoretire&cat=fidelity_2010_getting_ready_to_retire

The Eventual Millionaire blog

After reading a short yahoo news article on how a family got rid of $70,000 of debt, I noticed that the lady had a website where she talks about things step by step.
The website didn't work, so I searched her name on blogspot and she's here. It is after all, free.
To check out how they did it, go to www.eventualmillionaire.blogspot.com
Have a frugal day!

Check this frugal website out

I found a good frugal website by accident. Go to www.simpletonsolutions.com
The newsletters are fun and it looks like the books may be good reads too, although I haven't checked them out from the library yet.
One title intrigued me: The Grocery Garden, How Busy People can grow Cheap Food.
I wonder if there's mention of herbs in there.
I'll check it out next month and let you know.