About Us 
I am a stay at home mom with four wonderful kids. I have been married for over 10 years to my best friend. I am head over heels in love with him. He always supports my crazy "thrifty adventures". We have a lot of fun together.
I was raised on a small dairy farm. Where I learned very young, the value of hard work and how to be thrifty in all areas of life. Growing up our meals were made from scratch. Only on special occasion would we get name brand cereal, chips, or any other fancy treats. Now that I am a Mom with my own budget, the basic foods always comes first. I too make most of our meals from scratch and take pride in feeding my family a well balanced healthy diet.
I enjoy seeing how far I can make our budget stretch, and when I take the time to match sales with coupons I am able to get all those "fun & fancy" items that would other wise be out of my budget. Being thrifty has always been a way of life for me, but it has also become a real joy.
Also learn about another member of our team - Ingard. Grab My Button 
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So guess who we called out to our home the other day? AmeriServ (ASI) Heating and Cooling! Why? Well we woke to a cold home. Early that morning the heater was on but just blowing and no flame. Now I am one to try and tinker with things, so I looked it over and read the code light that was flashing. I found the part on the diagram that said had the error, but for the life of me couldn’t figure out what to do at that point – I’m no pro! So I called the Pro’s – ASI Heating and Cooling.
They came right out, diagnosed the issue, fixed it then waited for the furnace to cycle on and then timed the unit to make sure it didn’t cycle right back off. Which on our unit we thought was normal. It never would flash any warning lights, the unit would turn on and then stay on with heat and all for about 5 to 10 mins, then cycle off, even if the temperature was not reached. Then it would be off and then cycle back on. We always thought that our old furnace was normal. It heated the house, kind of, and there were never any codes that displayed so we always assumed that it worked. And we assumed that the reason our house was always cold was that we had poor insulation and old windows that were not up to date energy efficient products. Our house was built back in 1972 with no new updates since we started to renovate.
Our ASI Heating and Cooling repair man made a few check when he saw what was going on, and replaced a part verses replacing the entire unit that a friend, who does heating and cooling, had told us was the probable issue. A simple fix and guess what – we have long lasting heat! Maybe our insulation and windows aren’t as bad as we thought. The heat stays on like a normal heater does, and reaches the room temperature settings and then turns off. And it stays off longer then I could ever imagine, probably like a normal heater!
The house is so warm now! I really thought it was just the insulation of our home. I feel like I have a new home! It’s warmer, we feel more relaxed, and much more cozy. We are just so happy and thankful that our repair man was thorough enough to see something that was wrong even if the furnace thought everything was not ok by not flashing error codes.
So if you need a repair, or need to get a tune up, just to make sure things are fine. or maybe you have a bid on a job or repair from another HVAC (heating and cooling) company and want to feel secure about that should be repaired. AmeriServ actually does FREE second opinion calls. So make sure you call
AmeriServ (ASI) Heating and Cooling
(208) 342-HEAT or (208) 467-COOL
Make sure you visit their Facebook page to stay up to date with any deals or offers they have
Recently we were asked to do a review on VTech’s new Innotab. We had so much fun with it that we were asked if our kids wanted to review the MobiGo by VTech . After talking with the kids, since they were the ones to review it, they said – Oh yeah!
As soon as we opened the box all of our kids from 4 to 6 to 10 years of age all enjoy it. They have had it for 3 days now and the only thing bad I can say is that my timer is wearing out, because we have to set up time periods so that each can have their turn and play! They really love it. Our youngest just yesterday leaned over while she was sitting next to me while I was blogging and said, “Dad, thanks for my new toy, its soo cool!” That really made me feel good. I asked why she thought it was cool. She began to show me how she can help the squirrel cross through the forest when she draws lines and bridges for him.
 So when you turn it on there are three options:
- To play downloaded games
- Cartridge games
- Game pack
All have different sources used to play and learn even more then what comes with it. The kids will never get bored with the same games over and over. With the cartridges and downloaded games and learning programs they will have fun and learn while on the long trips in the car!
Right now they are on sale at around $49 with free shipping on Amazon
Check out all of the great options from MobiGo by VTech.
VTech MobiGo Touch Learning System:
- Portable, handheld electronic learning gaming system
- Touch screen technology introduces kids to a new way to play
- Slide-out Qwerty keyboard adds a stylish touch to this Mobigo kids learning toy
- Cartridge is included
- Sturdy design and colorful appearance
- Batteries required
- Additional learning games and content can be downloaded via VTech’s Learning Lodge Navigator
This has got to be one of the hottest items for Christmas this year… In our kids words – “this is so cool!”
So check it out, they have blue ones and pink ones and all kids of accessories for them too!
MobiGo by VTech
All opinions here are solely my own and my families. We were compensated for this post with only the product to review. Read here for a full disclaimer
A Thrifty Mom was offered this great review/giveaway of Cat’s Pride Fresh & Light cat litter.
Since Ingard, has a cat she was the lucky winner to try this product.
Here is what she had to say:
The litter poured dustless from the container into the litter box, unlike some other litters I have used in the past. There was no discernible purfumy odor either. As for the less interesting but more important part…it clumped and was easy sift and remove the cat business which by the way was not stinky either.
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Now for the GIVEAWAY!
A gift pack has been provided to one A Thrifty Mom reader. The gift pack includes:
- A 15-lb jug of NEW Cat’s Pride® Fresh & Light™ Multi-Cat Scoopable (Fragrance-Free also available)
- A $15 Petsmart gift card to purchase food, treats or toys
- A reusable tote bag for everyday items (it is a biggie!) — including cat litter :)
- Temptations® Cat Treats
- A copy of Cat Fancy magazine
- Coupon for an additional jug of NEW Cat’s Pride® Fresh & Light™
The giveaway ends Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 10pm mtn. One winner will be chosen by random and contacted by email. Please provide a valid email address to contact you. All anonymous entries will be voided. For additional rules read here.
Here is how to enter to win:
- Leave a comment here with a humorous story about your cat.
- Share this post on Facebook by clicking on the Facebook “Like” below – when the window opens type a message to your friends to check out this this opportunity to win a Cat’s Pride prize pack (tell them A Thrifty Mom sent you). Then come back here and leave a comment telling us you did so.
- Share this post on Twitter by clicking the Tweet button below.
- Share this post with your Friends by clicking on the “Share” button below.
- If you would like more chances to win… you can click the SHARE button and share one of our posts on your Facebook wall. Then come back and write a comment on this post telling us you did so. Here is the thing… YOU CAN SHARE AS MANY POSTS AS YOU WANT in the next 6 days… each one will be an another chance for you to win.
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Here are some coupons so you can try this product:
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This information was shared with us about the product, so we are sharing it with you for your knowledge.
The new product really is Changing Litter for Good™ with new exciting features:
- The new litter blend is up to 25% lighter than other scoopable litters – giving you the same number of uses but with 25% less weight on your back
- Features a premium clumping, low-dust formula that reduces tracking and absorbs odor-causing enzymes on contact – helping to stop odor before it starts and keeping litter boxes fresher, longer
- Gives a friendly nod to environmental sustainability with its lightweight design, allowing more packages to fit on a truckload, requiring fewer trucks to ship the same amount of cat litter to distribution centers
Disclosure:
Please note that Cat’s Pride is not sponsoring the giveaway promotion, but rather supplying the prize pool. Also Cat’s Pride brand has provided A Thrifty Mom with the products pictured above for the review.
Ingard here, A Thrifty Mom was given a bookbag full of goodies shipped as a result of the BlogHer conference. In it were some very useful items from 3M, Scotch, and Command. I used a few of the items to organize a coupon trip a friend made for me. I enclosed a small list on a Post it note with my coupons and money in a Post it pocket so she knew exactly what I was looking for. The pocket has a velco closure for security I felt confident that I was making her trip easy (again, thanks MaryHelen).
This pockets I think would work for inside coupon binders (maybe one for each store to organize those coupons you would use for a sale) as well as for keeping those school index cards from getting lost (spelling words, speeches, or research papers).
Some of the other products I have been using:
- The pen & highlighter with enclosed flags are perfect when reading my church publications and want to remember a section, page or a thought.
- The Scotch greener clean sponges are nice as well. With the natural fibers I feel as though they won’t scratch my dishes. When we opened one I immediately noticed that they don’t have that soapy-filled feeling of the sponge I currently use for dishes.
- I have used the Command strips for years to hang our Christmas stocking on the fireplace mantle, they seriously work just as they advertise.
Do you use any of these products pictured? If so would you please share how you find them useful.
If you would like coupons for any of these items to try them for yourself here are a few:
 A Thrifty Mom was asked to try a new product, Ingard was the lucky winner to get to try the Motorola HX550.
Here is what Ingard had to say:
I was super excited to try a new bluetooth. In truth for this past Mother’s day I picked a bluetooth as my gift. I tried about 4 different ones before I finally settled on one that cost $150+. I had some very specific requirement for this piece of equipment. Here a few of those:
- pair well with my phone (a Sprint Hero)
- allow me to listen to music privately while I am getting those weekly match ups at WinCo
- speak my text messages to me while I drive and respond via voice as well – provided by a downloadable app called MOTOSpeak (LIFE SAVER!)
- all while providing a clear reception (for me and the caller) while I am preparing dinner or doing house chores (or blogging) and my phone stationary and charging.
I found this unit not only fit these requirements but was:
- VERY comfortable and the earpiece switches around without removing anything so that I can change ears as needed. The compactness of this little gem is amazing, every thing folds in to fit easily in a small compartment in my purse
- and when the microphone is folded in you KNOW that it is turned off.
- Another superiority quality of this product is the battery life. It took one week before I had need to recharge it. In fact I have been using it exclusively (except once) for almost three weeks now and I have charged it the one time.
- The navigational system in my phone can be listened to through the Motorola HX550 leaving me hands free driving too.
- Plus it can be paired with two phones (in case you have a work and personal phone)
All this for under $60! Um I sorta feel like a dork about getting my almost double the cost Mother’s day Bluetooth and it doesn’t do dishes either.
Moms live busy lifestyles. Wouldn’t it be nice to have your hands free – at an affordable price? Look no further. Introducing the new Motorola HX550, a headset packed with all the features you want, so you can talk from anywhere, anytime. Motorola HX550 is the perfect combination of comfort and clarity, and is the first hands free device to let you decide the most comfortable way to wear it. Features include:
· Customizable Comfort –Whether it’s on your ear, in-ear with an earhook or in-ear without a hook, Motorola HX550 ensures you can take even the longest calls without having to worry about discomfort.
· What Background Noise? – CrystalTalk™ dual-mic noise cancellation technology means your caller can concentrate on the conversation at hand, while tuning out distracting noise.
Free to Roam – Make sure your hands-free experience stays hands-free with the Motorola HX550’s extended range that allows you talk up to 300 feet away from your mobile device.
MotoSpeak – Dictate texts hands-free as well as hear your texts and the sender’s name read aloud.
Easy as 1, 2, Flip – Simply flip the headset open to turn on and answer and flip it closed when you’re done.
· Talk, Text, Tunes – Get more than just calls – listen to navigation, music, videos and games through your headset and take advantage of the comfort fit for more than just conversation.
The Motorola HX550 has been available since September 8 with an MSRP of $59.99.
If you are wanting to pick one of these up for yourself or a loved one Ingard found them for sale at Amazon Motorola 89484N HX550 Universal Bluetooth Headset, Black $59.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Ingard with A Thrifty Mom.com was compensated for this review with her receipt of the Motorola HX550
To enter to win leave a comment on this post – If you won a Hasbro Kero-o who you would give it to.
For additional entries you can do these entries below and leave a comment telling us you did so.
- Like our Facebook page (if you already like our page, like or comment on a post on our wall)
- Add our A Thrifty Mom Button to your blog- click here for the code
- Post or share one of our daily posts on you Facebook wall, or Tag us on your Wall.
- Subscribe to our Feed use link below- if you already subscribe tell how long you have been following
- Follow us on Twitter- or tweet about this giveaway
  
 I was selected to review a Kre-o construction set made my Hasbro. To be honest I had never even heard of this ]product before. So I had no idea what expect.
 The Kre-O collection features 12 popular Transformers characters and each character can be made into a robot or a vehicle, in true Transformer fashion. 
My kids were rather excited about it and we turned it into a fun family project. The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was…..oh my look at all these little pieces. I am not sure if I can focus long enough to help the kids put this together. But I soon found the step my step images made the whole process rather easy.  The kids had fun finding the next set of pieces, and their excitement grew as they watched the blocks start to transform into Optimums Prime. It took us about an hour to put together (lots of little hands helping) we lost the head a few times at it kept rolling off the table…. but finally got him all put together. It was a great way to spend quality time with my kids. I also felt it was a good teaching tool as well, taught them to follow instructions and identify shapes and colors. The best part is after they were done, they got to play with him.
My Daughter said ” Mom this was so fun, kind of like a puzzle. But instead of tearing it apart and putting it back in the box, I get to play with it.”
I really did like this toy, and it was well made too. The blocks all snapped together perfectly. These sets are sold at most major retailers nationwide and range from $7.99 to $59.99. Print the below coupon to help make this a thrifty deal.
Save $5.00 off Hasbro Kre-o Construction set purchase of $20 or more
You can also print a $5.00 off coupon here it is a Target coupon so you can stack it with a MFR COUPON  (Thanks Amanda)
Please note that all opinions are my own. I was not paid for this review but did get to keep the toy.
Ingard here, Hills Science Diet sent A Thrifty Mom one of their small bags of Hill’s Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying to review and since Sarah has the biped type of animals (aka- kids) this review fell to me who almost has as many critters in her house as humans.
When I opened the bag my cat that was NO where to be seen was all of a sudden not only in the room but in the bag looking with me at these little tiny bits of nice smelling (if I say so myself) cat food… I gave her a few pieces as a treat and she looked at me for more. I filled her bowl later and she didn’t complain one bit nor has she since. I noticed no difference in the amount of stool in the litter (a sign of a good food to me). So far I haven’t noticed much of a difference in her coat but I know that a quality food is going to provide a healthy pet.
I am willing to admit that I am sort of a pet food snob and even when finances have been tight I have tried hard not to lower the standard that I have set. I even like to ‘fairy’ my pet food coupons at the stores. Having stated this I find this a high quality food that I would feel fine about feeding to my beloved feline friend. Go over to Hill’s Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying and take the Cat Age quiz, enter the sweepstakes for a chance at prizes one of which is a trip to Canyon Ranch Spa AND score a $3/1 coupon for a high quality food.
Back-to-school often means revamping mealtime. But don’t forget about your cats in the process. Luckily, providing your feline friend the proper nutrition doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. New Hill’s Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying provides breakthrough, tailored nutrition for senior cats – and to celebrate the launch, Hill’s Pet Nutrition is giving owners a coupon to test out the new food along with a chance to win a trip to Canyon Ranch Spa.
Age Defying Coupon: Visit Hillspet.com/DefyAge to receive a $3/1 coupon for new Hill’s Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying pet food. Plus you can participate in the:
CatAge Quiz Challenge & Sweepstakes:
Log onto Hillspet.com/DefyAge and take the new Science Diet CatAge quiz powered by RealAge. By answering simple health and lifestyle questions about their cat, owners can determine how old their four-legged friend really is. Additionally, every quiz participant can enter to win thousands of prizes, including a trip to Canyon Ranch Spa.
New Senior Cat Food: Hill’s Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying cat food provides breakthrough, tailored nutrition for senior cats that is able to:
- Fight the effects of aging in as little as 30 days
- Defend the body and brain against aging with an exclusive antioxidant bundle
- Promotes soft skin and a radiant coat with Omega-6 fatty acids
Last week I was organizing my pantry and found a box of Wanchai Ferry Orange Chicken pushed way in the back. To be honest I don’t even remember buying it. It most likely came from a General Mills Promo at Albertsons. So I looked at the use by date and I saw that it said best buy Sept 2011…. well I might as well use it before it expired. Cooking from a box in not my first choice and cooking from an “old” box had me a little worried that it may have an “old, I’ve been in a box taste”.
All I needed was Chicken, splash of oil and water everything else came in the box. The recipe was simple and fast and looked pretty once cooked … but the real question was how did it taste? I was surprised and happy that it was rather tasty, the kids liked it as well. Any meal that appeals to kids and adults is a keeper in my house! We ate it with fresh Sweet Corn as well.
Have you tried these before, does your family enjoy them? I am going to keep my eye out for another promo, I would like to add few to my pantry for a quick meal idea.
You can print a $1/1 Wanchai Ferry Dinner Kit coupon here.
Chuck E. Cheese’s invited the A Thrifty Mom family to come taste test their new upgraded pizza recipe! With fresh cheese and dough, and high-quality toppings, cheesier, crispier, tastier pizza. My kids absolutely LOVE Chuck E Cheese’s so I was excited to take them on a fun family outing.
To be honest the kids are always so busy playing the games I have to practically tie them down to get them to eat. But yummy cheese pizza is a good way to start. It was noticeably differnt from their old recipe, with fresh veggies and melted cheese on crust baked fresh daily.
The kids and I all enjoyed it, we ate the whole pizza. So yes we really enjoyed the new fresh taste. But then they were off to play again.
The girls spoted Chuck-E and ran to give him hugs, while little Maveric was not so sure about the giant mouse moving towards him.
Matthew and Paulin spent most the afternoon racing and playing games.
Oh ya and the tickets you get for playing the games are always a fun added bonus as well.
Thanks Chuck E Cheese for the great afternoon with my family and the yummy pizza
Click here for coupons, for the next trip you take with your family.
One of the perks to being a blogger is I am often asked to review products. LiptonPubicity asked me if I would like to review a Emjoi Micro-Pedi.… spa-like Micro-pedi product retails for $40 and is a battery operated foot buffer. It is ideal for home pedicures and is a safe, relaxing, pleasant alternative to harsh, metal scrapers and other products in the market place. It is a money saver versus spa pedicures. It beautifully buffs away rough skin and calluses, resulting in soft, touchable feet.
I was all over this one… I have never had a pedicure. My friends like to give me a hard time about it. Believe me I would love to go but just can’t bring myself to pay someone $35-$60 to rub my feet. I look at it as that is one more door knob for our home remodel or a cabinet door for my kitchen. I want kitchen cabinets more than I want pretty feet. Plus it is something I can do myself.
But lets face it I never take time to pamper myself and my feet are well….. just plain nasty. Yip here you go, just what you wanted to see right before you eat your lunch my dry, nasty cracked heels. They bleed, hurt like crazy and are not pretty. I do try to soak them and use a pumice stone… but lets face it I scrub for 5 minute get tired and give up. I have often thought about taking Matts power sander to them…. but worried I may end up doing some real damage…. (they are so bad it may shoot sparks)
I was not too hopeful, but wanted to see what this little Emjoi Micro Pedi could do. It has two sanding disks, blue for extra coarse and pink for coarse. It was no question that my monster cracks needed extra coarse. I turned it on and was impressed with how much power this little puppy had…. but then I was scared to try it on my feet. Yip that is me…. a big ole chicken. So I took a few seconds to gear myself up to the task, took a deep breath and put it to my heel. No pain at all, in fact it kind of tickled. It instantly started sanding away my hard skin.
I was SO impressed, Oh My Word…. this little tool is amazing! In a few minutes it was like someone had waved a magic wand. I put a little lotion on and my heels looked and felt better than they have in years. I then grabbed Matts feet and tired it on him, he acted like he didn’t really like it. But guess who I found using it the next morning… yep Matt had snagged it and was going to town on his feet Ingard came over that same day too and I showed it to her, she loved it as well.
So there you have it… all three of us gave it a HUGE thumbs up!
They sell for $39.95 online
 Please know I am not paid for my review in anyway, and all my opinions are my own. But I do get to keep my Emjoi Micro-pedi, which I am rather excited about!
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