Thoughts for the New Year

This poster hangs in Jackjack's classroom. It's a great reminder of how the rules that apply when we're little can help us as grown-ups too:

1. Use kind words.
2. Help when you can.
3. Share and take turns.
4. Listen to what others have to say.
5. Be honest and truthful.
6. Think before you speak or act.
7. Remember your manners.
8. Hold your temper.
9. Think about the feelings of others.
10. Work and play fairly.

Happy New Year, everyone! Here's to a great 2011!

How To Make Swagbucks Your Default Search

The best way to earn lots of Swagbucks quickly is to set it as your default search engine. Here's how:

Open Internet Explorer and click on the dropdown next to your search toolbar. It’s probably set for Bing or Google as the default.

Click “Find More Providers” and you are taken to this Windows page. This is where you’ll set the default, so keep this tab open.

Now, open another window or tab. Go to swagbucks.com, type the word “test” (no quotes) into the box, and click Search the Web.

You’ll get a results page. Go to the address bar, highlight all the text, then right click and select “Copy”.

Go back to your Windows page and click in the top text box (1) under “Create Your Own.” Right click to paste the text you just copied from the Swagbucks page. In the second text box (2), type “Swagbucks” or “Search”. Then click “Install” (3).

You’ll get a dialogue box asking you if you’re sure you want to install. Check the box for “Make this my default search provider” and click “Add Provider.”

Congratulations—you’re done! Now your searches will automatically use Swagbucks.

Print this BrownThumbMama Tutorial.

Menu Plan Monday: 12/27-1/1

Whew! What a weekend. Christmas was wonderful, joyous, and chaotic. This week, we'll have easy meals while we recover!

The weekdays are craziest for us, so I’m planning meals around the following themes: Fast-n-Easy Monday • Mostly Meatless Tuesday • Try Something New Wednesday • Family Fave Thursday • Leftovers/Dinner Out Friday

Fast-n-Easy Monday
Crock-pot beef rollups

Mostly Meatless Tuesday
Baked potato bar

Try Something New Wednesday
Crock-pot chicken cacciatore from Family Feasts for $75 a Week

Family Fave Thursday
Turkey tacos with homemade taco seasoning mix

Leftovers/Dinner Out Friday
New Years' Eve potluck: bring artichoke-cheese dip

Menu Plan Monday was created by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie to link bloggers who share recipes and meal ideas, and keep us all on track with menu planning.

It's Party Time!

We're off to celebrate a whirlwind week and weekend with friends and family. May your Christmas be filled with joy and love!

Menu Plan Monday: 12/20-12/25

This week, we have family visiting from Oregon and a birthday to celebrate, so our meals will be easy family favorites.

The weekdays are craziest for us, so I’m planning meals around the following themes: Fast-n-Easy Monday • Mostly Meatless Tuesday • Try Something New Wednesday • Family Fave Thursday • Leftovers/Dinner Out Friday

Fast-n-Easy Monday
Dinner out with family

Mostly Meatless Tuesday
Breakfast for dinner: Oatmeal Cinnamon Waffles

Try Something New Wednesday
Pork chops, sauteed sweet potatoes from Real Food Menu Planning

Family Fave Thursday
Chicken enchiladas with homemade sauce from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook

Leftovers/Dinner Out Friday
Dinner at Grandma’s for Christmas Eve

Christmas Day Saturday
Potluck: bring sourdough stuffing, italian green beans, and sauteed carrots

Menu Plan Monday was created by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie to link bloggers who share recipes and meal ideas, and keep us all on track with menu planning.

Ebates: The Check

Yessiree, that's a real honest-to-goodness Big Fat Check I got for shopping.

I joined Ebates just last month and did some Christmas shopping through them. They're a shopping portal, so you pass through their site on the way to other sites. This means you can still use free shipping and coupon codes for maximum savings.

They process checks quarterly, so shortly after December 15 I got my first payout!

Thinking about Ebates? Sign up by the end of 2010 and we'll both get a $5 bonus with your first purchase. (Cha-ching!)

Bonus Swagbucks: Sign up by 12/31/10

A while back I told you about Swagbucks, the search engine that pays you cash or gift cards just for doing web searches. We use it instead of Google, with great results.


You get points, or “bucks”, randomly when you do a search. Sometimes the bucks are on search page 2 or 3, so don’t be afraid to click through. On MegaSwagbucks Fridays, you could get up to 50 bucks at a time! 


There are a bunch of other ways to earn too, including surveys, shopping through their portal, and trading in old cell phones and video games.

We’ve been using Swagbucks for more than 2 years now, and those earnings really help with Christmas presents. Since this July, I’ve earned enough bucks for a $100 Amazon gift card! This is a easy, painless way to save up for Christmas (or a treat for yourself).


Bonus bucks to BrownThumbMama readers

Sign up between now and December 31, 2010 at 8:59pm PST and use the code JoinIn2010 You’ll get 30 bucks just for signing up and 30 extra bucks with the code, so you start with 60 points!

The best way to get bucks fast is to set Swagbucks as your default search engine--learn how with this BrownThumbMama Tutorial.

Product Review: OIA Laundry Sorter

Here you see my original laundry sorter (with a small laundry bug inside). After 14 years and lots of duct tape, it was time for an upgrade. See the PVC pipe repairs along the corners? Ummm...yeah.

The good folks at CSNstores.com recently offered me store credit to review one of their products. I browsed a few of their 200+ websites and chose the OIA 30” laundry sorter. This is a bit out of my price range at $70.99, but the store credit brought it right in line with our budget.

The Good

• This is a sturdy sorter and it should last much longer than the plastic one.
• Since the canvas bags detach from the frame, they’re easy to clean (or dump out when a certain five-year-old has sand in his pockets).
• The casters roll smoothly and have no problem going from the hardwood in the hallway to the carpet in the bedrooms.

The Not-So-Good

• I didn’t think to compare the width of this sorter with the old one. The OIA sorter is wider, which means I can’t open the dryer door when it’s in the laundry spot. We don’t have a laundry room--the washer and dryer are in the walkway between the garage and the house. This is not the sorter’s fault...I just push it out into the garage when it’s time to empty the dryer.
• If it ever breaks, I won’t be able to repair it like I did with the plastic one. But it’s so sturdy, I won’t have to worry about that for a long, long time.

The Verdict
The price seems high at first, but amortized across 14 years it quickly becomes a bargain. Recommended!

Disclosure: CSNstores gave me a credit voucher to help with the cost of the laundry sorter. My opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way.

Why Didn't I Think of That? Wednesday

Each Wednesday I'll share a tip to make your week go more smoothly or just make you say "aha!" 


It's baking time! I'm trying to keep my cookie and cake baking under control this year, but it never quite seems to work out.

If you just need a little flour for dusting the counter, put it in a clean spice or parmesan cheese shaker. Keep the shaker at your baking station--much easier than dragging the whole flour canister out for just a sprinkle!

In the Winter Garden

 

Our majestic Japanese Maple

 

Sprouting garlic

  

Who put a hex on my spinach? 

 

 Snow pea seedlings

 Rescued petunias (the landscapers at work were going to throw them away).

Menu Plan Monday: 12/13-12/17

I’m reading some great books this month: Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half and Family Feasts for $75 a Week. One of the things these books teach is that it’s important to plan your meals! This keeps you out of the grocery store for those expensive “impulse trips” and saves time.

Menu Plan Monday was created by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie to link bloggers who share recipes and meal ideas, and keep us all on track with menu planning.

The weekdays are craziest for us, so I’m planning meals around the following themes: Fast-n-Easy Monday • Mostly Meatless Tuesday • Try Something New Wednesday • Family Fave Thursday • Leftovers/Dinner Out Friday

Menu planning is a guide, not a straitjacket! It’s OK to switch days around or change the plan. Once you know what you're making, you can shop quickly and be prepared for the week.

“Enough intro, Mama, what’s on the menu?”

Fast-n-Easy Monday
Crock pot carnitas
To do: cook rice

Mostly Meatless Tuesday
Loaded fried rice (use leftover carnitas) and potstickers
To do: put homemade applesauce in fridge to thaw

Try Something New Wednesday
Crock pot applesauce chicken (from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow)

Family Fave Thursday
Homemade pizza, salad

Leftovers/Dinner Out Friday
Concert at hubby’s comic shop (dinner out)

I'll share more recipes after I get my new camera so I can photograph all the yummy dishes. We're saving up Swagbucks like crazy and are more than halfway there!

Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Melissa, who won a free copy of Herbal Nurturing from Michele at Frugal Granola! An email with details is headed your way. Thanks to everyone who entered.



Need a copy of Herbal Nurturing for yourself? This 44-page book walks you through the steps to prepare basic herbal remedies for you and your family.  It's really been handy during cold and flu season! Take a peek at the table of contents and see sample recipes here.

Plus, use discount code BROWN25 for 25% off your purchase. This code is valid until 12/13/10 at 11:59 pm PST.

Why Didn't I Think of That? Wednesday

Each Wednesday I'll share a tip to make your week go more smoothly or just make you say "aha!" 

Do you have a house full of Christmas-present-shakers? Sometimes I'm surprised that everything under our tree is still intact by Christmas Day.

Bamboozle the little agitators by using color-coded stickers to label gifts instead of name tags. Reveal the code on Christmas morning and let the unwrapping commence!

Herbal Nurturing Giveaway!

As numerous patched jeans and boxes of band-aids will attest, we're a clumsy bunch around here. When I recently purchased Herbal Nurturing from Michele at Frugal Granola, I was happy to see she had created a recipe she calls "Scrape Soother Balm." It's all-natural and easy to make--just the ticket for Jackjack's many owies.

This is a fantastic book and I have learned lots from it. I'll let Michele tell you more:

As a “friend along the journey,” this 44-page book walks you through preparing basic herbal remedies for you and your family, from childbirth to arthritis, and everything in between!

Naturally prepare for cold/flu season, PMS, headaches, sunburns, postpartum, tummy aches, rashes, and more with over 30 recipes, additional homeopathic suggestions, and healthy-living tips.

Simply prepare syrups, salves, poultices, teas, and more- along with your children.

Fun “Learning at Home Options” for various ages are included along with the recipes, to assist you in teaching through everyday moments. Discover math, history, science, Bible, and more with the suggested activities, as you pursue wellness as a family!

Easy “Urgent Care Options” provide suggestions for natural solutions “on-the-go” or when you don’t have the time or energy to prepare homemade remedies.

I made a batch of Scrape Soother last week and it is great. Jackjack approves because it doesn't sting, and I approve because I know exactly what's in it.

The Giveaway!

Michele at Frugal Granola has generously offered a free copy of Herbal Nurturing to one BrownThumbMama reader! This 44-page book walks you through the steps to prepare basic herbal remedies for you and your family.  Take a peek at the table of contents and see sample recipes here--this is a book you can't pass up.

Can't wait to win? Use discount code BROWN25 for 25% off your purchase. This code is valid until 12/13/10 at 11:59 pm.

How to enter:
•   Comment below. Be sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you win.

For bonus entries (leave a separate comment for each one):
•   “Like” BrownThumbMama and Frugal Granola on Facebook. (Let me know if you already do.)
•   Subscribe to BrownThumbMama for free by email. (If you already subscribe, let me know.)
•   Post about this giveaway on your Facebook wall or blog.
•   Follow Frugal Granola or BrownThumbMama on Twitter AND Tweet:

Enter the Herbal Nurturing #giveaway from @BrownThumbMama and @frugalgranola and learn #natural #remedies for your #family! http://bit.ly/hra7ZR

Contest will be open until 7pm PST on Saturday, December 11 and I’ll announce the winner on Sunday.


Disclosure: I am an affiliate for this eBook, which means I'll earn a small commission from any sales made through these links. Thanks for your support!

Harvest Sacramento hosts "Best Friend Fridays" on 12/3

You know that I'm passionate about feeding the hungry. How can people walk around with $5,000 watches when little kids go to bed with empty tummies? I just don't understand it.

Here's an opportunity to start your weekend right by enjoying wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres while supporting Harvest Sacramento, a volunteer group that does urban gleaning to feed the hungry. Your $5 admission helps support Harvest Sacramento, and you get to hang out with cool people (like me and Jackjack)!

No RSVP is required--just come by and bring some friends. See you there!

Friday, December 3, 5:30pm-7:00pm

Sierra 2 Center for the Arts (Garden Room), 2791-24th Street, Sacramento