Resourceful Mommy

If you enjoy reading blogs (and I do), and you enjoy finding new and different ways to save money but still buy the cool stuff your friends will get jealous of – check out Resourceful Mommy.
Right now there is a contest going on to win lots and lots of prizes. It ends soon, so go enter (I did).
Also, if you like keeping up with your friends in short little blurbs and bursts, check out Twitter.

Saving Money

Ok, once again I’m posting an entry about saving money. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I love a deal and don’t like paying full price.
Here are a few sites that I just found:
Common Sense with Money is a blog with money-saving tips!
Baby Cheapskate has all sorts of coupons, news, and tips for saving money on baby supplies.
Freepeats! It’s like Freecycle, but for kid/baby stuff.
Be Centsable has Money-saving tips.
Freebies 4 Mom tips on free sample sites and resources.

Check the sites out and get back to me about what you think of them! I’d love to know.

Also, if you have any suggestions for entries, let me know. I’ll do the research to the best of my ability (and in whatever available time I have).

Home Schooling

I honestly know nothing about homeschooling or the regulations, so please don’t think of me as any type of knowledge base.
I know that there are many many mothers interested in homeschooling, and there was a link in the La Leche League newsletter this morning, so I feel it might be helpful to put up a few links.
ClassicalKids.net
About.com’s Homeschooling page
Homeschool.com
Home-School.com
The Homeschool Mom
Meetup.com – You’ll have to search your area for homeschooling groups (I found several in my area).
CT Homeschool Network – I found it on the Danbury Library website.
National Home Education Network – Also found on the Danbury Library’s website.
Homeschooling Laws in Connecticut – Another website from the Danbury Library’s website.
Danbury Library’s KidZone’s Parent Resource Page – The homeschooling links are at the very bottom of the page.
Home Educators Resource Directory

Better Late Than Never

HealthyToys.org has information about toy safety. Remember those toy recalls? This should help address that – sorry for the late timing. I just found it this morning.

International Day of Play

If you need a suggestion for celebrating International Day of Play (September 27 or October 1 – I’m not quite sure), look at the following websites for inspiration:
Stepping Stones Museum has a schedule of activities (and it’s FREE tomorrow).
KaBoom! is a listing of local playgrounds and play spaces. Be sure to log in and add any that aren’t listed yet.
Nick Let’s Just Play World Wide Day of Play
Suzy Said Blog has listings and information in and around the Fairfield area, but does cover all of Fairfield county.
Suzy Said Blog has other listings and information for in and around the Wilton/Weston/Westport area, but, again, covers Fairfield county as well.

YouTube – for little ones

If you’re familiar with YouTube, you know that there are videos on there that aren’t appropriate for children. The answer to that is TotLOL.com. It is a filter for YouTube videos. The videos are all moderated and rated by registered users (parents).

Coupons & Free Samples

Well, I think we’re all interested in saving money (if you’re not – uh, WHY NOT!?!).
A friend of mine sent me a link to a coupon site & I felt the need to pass it on to you:
MommySavers.com
Valpak

This got me thinking about other coupon sites & free sample sites.
Coupons.com
eCoupons.com
CouponCabin.com

Shop4Freebies.com
CouponMom.com

Please read the fine print before signing up for anything. I do not endorse these sites and have not used all of them. Feel free to search for coupons or free samples – you’ll probably find what you’re looking for faster than using these sites.
My favorite site for good deals is:
CleverMoms.com

A few really great tips for saving money:
-Google the product you plan on purchasing & the word coupon
-search for free samples of items you are interested in before purchasing
-there are coupons for just about anything you want to buy – just ASK!
-most manufacturers will provide you with coupons by mail or email if you simply call or email their customer service & satisfaction department to ask them (the even occasionally will send free samples)
-many stores have free samples of select products (usually cosmetics, hair care, & hygiene) – just ask a sales associate
-even local companies offer coupons or discounts on their websites
-price shop/comparison shop – most stores will match or beat a competitor’s price if you provide a printout
-it’s ok to haggle these days
-check the penny saver & all those flyers you get in the mail & ONLY clip the coupons for the items you plan on buying (buying something you wouldn’t have bought otherwise, simply because you have a coupon, does NOT save money in the long run)
-ask around about where the best place to buy your favorite products are
-ask friends what their favorite products are & try them out
-check the “cheap gas prices” websites to find the best prices in your area

*Thanks to Samm for the MommySavers.com and Valpak websites.*

If any of you have any suggestions for other websites that help you save money, please send them on to me!

Safety Website

Well, Sally posted on my last post & she has a great site for baby gear safety.
Go check it out

*N.B. It’s a blog that links to an online baby product store, so occasionally the posts are slanted to sell more of a certain product. Like everything else in life, use your head and take the source of the information into account.*

ReUseIt

I just noticed that my Freecycle.org Yahoo! group email now says it’s a ReUseIt.org Yahoo! group email list!
I figured I’d check it out and it seems that ReUseIt.org is similar in many ways to Freecycle.org.
Go check it out and see for yourself! Most of the people I know used and loved Freecycle.org , so I have a feeling that ReUseIt.org will soon be a favorite, too!

Please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Interim-ReUseIt-Danbury-CT_USA/ and subscribe to the email list & join ReUseIt!

*Edit
Freecycle has changed and is no longer what it once was. Please join ReUseIt because it is a phenomenal resource!

Local Museums

I was trying to figure out what to do with my daughter today and realized that there is so much to do in this area that I haven’t a clue where to start!
U.S. Military Museum
Danbury Rail Museum
Danbury Historical Society and Museum
Links to other local historical societies
This is just the beginning, I’m sure!