Need a new planner? A pretty one?

What a fun deal! Today (and probably for not much longer) Plum District has Erin Condren products on sale $25 for $50. Just scroll through the Everywhere deals until you find it. Use the code FABULOUS at check out for an extra 10% off. Then, if you are new to Plum District, use this link and you'll get $5 - so you can end up with $50 of products for only $17.50 - $22.50.

The planners are expensive, but so nice - and at $17.50, well I can afford a pretty planner for 2012!!! If you don't need a planner, there are holiday cards, stationary, etc.

Plus, right now on the Erin Condren website, if you order a 2012 planner, you'll get the remaining 2011 months for free!

Note: this is my link to Plum District, feel free to go straight to the site if you are more comfortable with that route.

Daily Deal Tips

I know we all love to save money - who doesn't. And those daily deals are so exciting! 50% to 75% off! Hold me back!

However.

If you don't use the deals, or don't need the deals, you aren't saving money - in fact you are WASTING money. So, before you jump in, I'd suggest the following:

1. Keep a running list of the deals you have purchased and when they expire. That way you won't be scrambling at the last minute to book an appointment or use up a Groupon. I've found that a simple list by date of coupons purchased sitting on my desk works well. Then, when I plan out each month's goals, I check over the list and see what I can/ want to use that month. Just make sure to keep your list up to date.

2. Think before you purchase. That $10 may not seem like much, but if you purchase one a day, it really adds up - $70 by the end of the week! Ask yourself the following:

- do I need this?
- is it something I've wanted to try or do?
- would I purchase it without a coupon?
- can I afford it? If you can't afford an extra $10 now, DON'T spend it!!!

3. Don't buy right away. Wait a few hours to give yourself time to get over the excitement. Yes, you may miss a deal or two, but that's pretty rare.

4. Talk with your spouse and/or friends. Just because you find something exciting or fun, if it's a group deal, they might not. Then you end up with no one to go with (been there, done that!).

By keeping these things in mind, you can easily purchase only the best deals for YOU and YOUR family and feel good about letting the others get away.

Even with a few mistakes here and there, overall I've really enjoyed these daily deals and had some really fun experiences I wouldn't have had without them, so I truly am a fan!!! Just proceed with caution and you can add some fun and money saving measures to your life.

In addition to Groupon, my other favorite site is Living Social - click on the link and you'll get an automatic $5 on your next deal for signing up!

Note: signing up through the above links is through my referral - please feel free to go directly to the site if you are more comfortable with that option.

Great magazine deal for little ones!

Does your little one love getting mail? Mine does and every day he asks me if he got anything in the mail. Today's deal on Savvy Source (another daily site) is a magazine subscription for $9 to Turtle. We've gotten it from the library before, and it's quite cute.

To save even more, like the deal on Facebook and they will take another $1 off. So, I picked up a subscription for my little guy for $8. Well worth the excitement for him a few times a year when he actually gets his own mail!!!

Check it out: Savvy Source

Holiday Fun on a Budget

With the holiday's coming up, it's time to start thinking about how your family will spend their time. Although Christmas is a biggie, for many families Halloween, Thanksgiving and even just the Fall season are also times to celebrate. In addition, there are SO MANY events going on - how do you pick which ones to do? How do you decide how much of your entertainment money to spend? Well, here is what we do:

1. Talk as a family about which things you really want to do this year. You might be surprised at what your kids tell you. When I asked my kids, they mentioned Pumpkin Day as a must do. Pumpkin Day is a day I made up for the kids one October (changes each year as it depends upon when I have the time) where we make pumpkin pancakes for breakfast, cut up a pumpkin for seeds and have pumpkin bread for our after school snack. Cost is the price of one pumpkin! I really didn't realize they looked forward to it until I asked.

2. Once you've made your list, decide when you'll do each thing and how much it will cost.

3. Finally, try to take a few family walks or bike rides while you still can. Even a picnic at the park - those are the events you'll remember this winter when it's cold and dreary!

A few ideas of places to look for seasonal activities:
- the newspaper
- online - do a search for your location and "festivals or events"
- nearby churches and schools often offer no cost or low cost events
- check with any local museums, zoos, etc. (especially if you have an annual pass)

Enjoy the season! I'll post later this month about some of the Fall adventures we've had!

Start each day with balance

How often do you wake up frazzled, start your day off in a bad mood, and just feel out of kilter before the day even gets going?

I know I used to feel like this many days. I'd wake up with my mind already racing through my to do list to figure out what to do next. I also had a lot of neck and shoulder pain on a daily basis.

Well, this summer, when I couldn't run for a while due to some health issues, I decided to try daily yoga. Nothing crazy - just a few minutes each morning stretching, relaxing and slowly wakening my mind. After my yoga I brew my coffee and move right into my current bible study (or if I'm running late, get the kids off to school and then come back to coffee and bible study).

I have to say, my experience has been astounding! I have much less pain, I tend to start each day feeling blessed and centered, and if I miss a day (which is really rare), I feel a bit off all day and I MISS the yoga.

So, how to start? It's really so simple. At first I just did a few sun salutations - as little as 10 minutes, not even bothering with my mat. I still do this if I'm traveling. Then I progressed to a guided 20 minute session DVD. The DVD I use (and highly recommend) is A.M Yoga for Every Day of the Week. Each session is 20 minutes long, perfect for a beginner, and still a great early morning warm up for a more advanced yogi.

I encourage you to give this a try - try it for a few weeks or a month and see if it makes a difference in your attitude!



This is my affiliate link, but if you aren't comfortable using it, you might try ebay or Gaiam as other ordering options - I really love this DVD and hope you will too!

New Month - New Goals!

September went very well for me (although I'm not sure where it went!).

My goals were for the most part met!!!

I didn't do well at going to bed at 10:00 - that is continually a struggle for me. I know that when I go to bed late, I'm just stealing from the next day. So, that one is going to be a priority - I'd really like it to be a habit before the holidays.

So, on to October:

Health
1. Go to bed by 10:00
2. Daily yoga (definitely a habit by now - more on this later)
3. Exercise 3 - 5x a week (need to add in more cardio)
4. Do a snack experiment (look for this post later this month)

Business
1. Send out 6 agent proposals
2. Work on book platform
3. Ebay - week 2
4. Complete 2 health histories (for IIN classes)

Family
1. Date night 1x week
2. Family fun 1x week (usually we do many more!)
3. Individual time with son 1x week
4. Individual time with daughter 1x week

House
1. Finish laundry room (almost done!)
2. Clear out two shelves in basement storage closet
3. List all big items for sale on Craigslist

Faith
1. Daily devotions
2. 1 hospitality act per week

If I can get a few of these items to be simply a routine (like my yoga), I will take them off the calendar for next month so I can focus on something new.

Here's to a great October!