Personalized Jewelry: A Great Gift Idea

Thanks to Hnex for sponsoring this post!

If you are looking for the perfect gift for a dear friend or loved one, personalized jewelry is almost guaranteed to bring a big smile to the recipient's face. Customizing a piece of jewelry for a friend or loved one is a thoughtful and personal gift that will make the wearer think of you every time he or she puts it on.

Birthstone Jewelry Gifts

Among the most popular types of personalized jewelry gifts is birthstone pieces. Whether the recipient loves rings, bracelets or necklaces, you can find options to personalize these pieces in jewelry stores, online and even at mass retailers. You can have birthstone gems placed for just the recipient, or surprise them with an anniversary piece featuring stones representative of both the recipient and their sweetie.

Family-themed jewelry gifts are another popular choice for personalization. With these types of gifts, each of the members of the loved one's family has their birthstone placed on the piece in a special way. The recipient gets to carry their family with them in a symbolic way every time they put on your special gift.

Engraving

Whether it's a special anniversary date, a romantic quote or a funny inside joke, engraving a piece of jewelry is the ultimate way to personalize and customize your gift. A heart charm with a tiny inscribed poem to a special daughter on her 16th birthday, an anniversary band with an eternal love message from a husband to his wife, or an embossed message of hope on a bracelet for a dear friend who has been sick are all examples of ideas that will inspire and touch the recipient.

Coin Jewelry Personalization

Perhaps your loved one has a treasured collection of rare coins sitting in box somewhere. Imagine the look of surprise and awe when they open up your gift and see their special coin set in shiny platinum or gold. Their coin can be mounted on a necklace pendant or turned into a money clip. The idea of turning coins into wearable jewelry is rarely thought of, but it makes an incredibly personal gift. You can learn more about personalized coin jewelry from a company like Houston Numismatic Exchange Inc. They can customize any special coin, and set it in your choice of metals. They are able to add special laser cutting and stones that will reflect the personality and unique tastes of the recipient.

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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Grocery store geography

When you look at grocery deals from bloggers, did you ever wonder where a particular store was located?

I found these interesting maps of the locations of various grocery stores throughout the contiguous 48 states in the US.  The maps are pretty small here, so check out the whole story here. 

As a Floridian, it's pretty neat to see how much in control Publix is of the state. Florida is pretty much solid green, except in the Everglades, of course!  Winn-Dixie also has a lot of stores here according to the map.  But that's not my experience - where I am, there are only a few Winn-Dixie stores left; the rest have closed. 

Target vs. Walmart is also pretty interesting.  Though they are both national stores, Walmart is almost literally everywhere, other than in the mountains and deserts.  Target is more situated in the highly-populated areas.

ALDI is filling up the eastern half of the country, but there aren't any ALDI stores in the West.  I wonder when they will start opening stores there?

What other interesting insights in grocery shopping do you see?  Leave a comment below!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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New product: Green Giant Veggie Snack Chips

Disclaimer: The information was provided by Green Giant through MyBlogSpark.


Enjoy a veggie snack chip with a GIANT taste experience.

We’ve been a fixture in grocery stores for nearly 100 years, but now you can find Green Giant™ somewhere you’ve never seen us before - in the snack aisle! Enjoy the delicious taste of roasted bell peppers, zesty cheddar flavor, and sweet potatoes in Green Giant™ Veggie Snack Chips.

All-new Green Giant™ Veggie Snack Chips offer a smarter snacking option available in four delicious flavors your family will love:

• Green Giant™ Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips - Zesty Cheddar Flavor
• Green Giant™ Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips - Sea Salt
• Green Giant™ Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips - Garden Ranch Flavor
• Green Giant™ Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips - Barbeque

Would you like to try Green Giant Veggie Snack Chips?  Check your local grocery store or national chain store for these yummy products!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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Orkin Ecologist site - time to #BugOut!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Orkin Ecologist. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you have katsaridaphobia?

I do! It's the fear of cockroaches. Oh, how I hate finding one in my house!

Generally, we don't have a lot of insects in the house - as we live in bug-filled South Florida, having an exterminator visit every other month is pretty much a requirement for me. But the bugs still manage to get it, and when I see something big and black moving out of the corner of my eye - oh, that is such a terrible feeling!

My oldest daughter doesn't have katsaridaphobia, though - if she finds a cockroach or other large bug in the house, she'll get a napkin, let the bug crawl on, then take it outside and release it on the lawn. That's not my technique. Mine involves a large shoe and a tissue.

I learned that the fear of cockroaches is called katsaridaphobia from an interesting article that I read about the top 10 bug phobias.  Check it out!  You'll learn the fancy names of quite a few bug phobias - the names are what I find the most interesting, since they are derived from Greek.  You'll probably find some phobias that you hadn't considered before!

I found this article on the Orkin Ecologist site.  At Orkin, controlling bugs is their job, so it's really important that they be knowledgeable about bugs.  They've been studying bugs for over 100 years - not just to know how to get rid of them, but also because bugs are just so interesting! The site is a great educational science resource for both novices and experts.  Whether you want to learn about their bug of the month, get the latest bug news, or learn how to share their information with others, the Orkin Ecologist site will really help you!

Want to learn more?  Check out their Facebook page or their Pinterest page.  You can also share your favorite (or perhaps least favorite?) bug-related moments on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtage #bugout, or leave a comment below!

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Having trouble printing Smartsource coupons? Here's how!

Are you having problems printing coupons from Smartsource.com or from Facebook or other sites that use Smartsource to deliver their coupons?

(If you just want the solution, scroll down to the blue box below)

I have been, and it's so frustrating!  When there's a great deal and a printable coupon is available, but you can't get it to print - what a big problem!

The problem has to do with Java.  When version 1.7 of Java came out, it was declared to be insecure by no less than the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  Coupon Network and Smartsource both decided to move away from Java, but RedPlum continues to use it.

But here's the problem I've had with Smartsource:  I upgraded my Java to version 1.7.  When I go to print a coupon, I get a warning that says that only the previous version, version 1.6, was allowed.

So I tried to uninstall 1.7 and reinstall 1.6, but that didn't seem to do the trick all by itself.  I tried disabling Java but that didn't work, either.

As a workaround, I found that printing with the Chrome browser used to work.  What would happen is that when I went to print, I would get the warning screen, but then there was a yellow warning bar at the top of the screen, saying Java is out of date: Update plug in or Run this time?  I found that if I clicked Run this time, the coupon would print.

But then, I started having that warning bar appear and disappear really quickly, before I could click it.  So what to do now?

I did a little research... well, a lot of research, and came up with the following workaround to get a Smartsource coupon to print in Chrome on a Windows computer:

• Install Java version 1.6 on your machine.
• Go to Control Panel, then click on Programs and Features and uninstall Java version 1.7.
• Close all Chrome browser windows you have open.
• Click on the Windows icon at the bottom left corner.
• In the bar at the bottom left, type: Run
• Choose Run from the Programs list.
• In the bar next to Open:, type:
  chrome --allow-outdated-plugins
• The Chrome browser should start up.
• Go to Smartsource.com and select the coupons you want to print.
• Click Print Now.
• Click Print again.
• The coupons should print!

I tried this on the computers in my house and it worked on three different machines, but I haven't tried it on every type of computer.  Let me know if it works for you!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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The Fairy Hobmother visited Frugal Follies!

Thanks to the Fairy Hobmother and his fairy overlords at Appliances Online for sponsoring this post!

A few days ago, Frugal Follies had a magical visitor - the Fairy Hobmother stopped by!

The Fairy Hobmother's mission is to spread light and joy across the blogosphere.  He stops by blogs and rewards those he likes with Amazon gift codes or other gifts!

I'm very happy to hear that he stopped by Frugal Follies and liked my work.  It's always nice to get great feedback!

Bloggers - want the Fairy Hobmother to visit your blog?  Leave a comment below with your name and a link to your blog, and he just might!

(This post is sponsored by Appliances Online.  Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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Keep your kids safe online with KidsEmail

Thanks to KidsEmail for providing my daughter and me with a preview of their services for this sponsored post!

My almost eight-year-old daughter has grown up on the Internet.  She loves to check out her favorite websites to make movies and play games.  She reads stories about her favorite TV characters.  And, she loves to send email to her friends and family.

Usually, when she sends an email, she uses my account. It's a simple way for me to make sure she is safe, but the down side for her is that I can read all of her emails. She hasn't asked to have her own email address and account yet, but I'm sure that day is coming soon.

So I was excited to hear about a new email service that gives her her own account while still giving me peace of mind that she is staying safe!

It's called KidsEmail.  It allows children to receive emails from trusted people while keeping them from receiving spam, viruses, or advertisements.

My daughter and I tested out the service recently.  First, I created an account for myself, then created a kid's account for her.  I was able to set various parental controls - did I want her to only receive emails from people on a set list?  Yes.  Did I want emails from other addresses to come to me first for approval?  Definitely.  Did I want attachments sent to her?  Some, like pictures, might be okay, but others might not be. Every parent can decide what goes into their child's email inbox.

Then, I let her log into her account.  She was so excited to have her own email address! She took right to the kid-friendly interface and sent me an email, finding lots of colors, fonts, and smileys to put in her note.  (Kids today just seem to be able to figure this out instantly!)  I was happy to see that the interface had a pink fairy on it - probably because I indicated that she was a girl - and didn't have any advertising that you see on so many other email provider sites.

I replied to the email, and since that address was on her contact list, the email went right to her account.  So far, so good.

Next, I tried sending a note from a different email, one that wasn't on her contact list.  And just as advertised, the email didn't go her to her inbox; instead it went to my parent email account, asking for approval. 

The KidsEmail service worked very well, and I definitely think it's a great product for parents whose kids want to send email but aren't yet old enough to avoid the hazards of the Internet.

And as a frugal person, I like that you get a 30-day trial of the service for free.  You don't even have to put down a credit card number and get charged unless you end your trial.  After your 30-day trial, you'll be offered the service at a low monthly rate.

Want to learn more about KidsEmail?  Check out the product demo on their website.   Or, you can become a fan on Facebook or follow on Twitter.

(This post was sponsored by KidsEmail and may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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"Thrift Shop" - #1 song!

When I drive my daughter to and from religious school on Sunday mornings, we often listen to the American Top 40 countdown on the radio.  I'm always curious about what song is #1.

This week, the #1 song was a song which has a subject that should be near and dear to many frugal folks - "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz.

A warning: the rap song is full of profanity - even the clean radio version isn't completely clean.  Still, I think it passes on a good message that most songs today don't.

Most popular songs today talk about money in terms of spending on prestige - going to the best parties, spending on jewelry and cars and alcohol.  But this song is exactly the opposite.  Macklemore raps that he prefers searching for bargains at the local thrift shop than buying clothes at a fancy store.  Or even better, getting them for free!  He raps:

I'ma take your grandpa's style, I'ma take your grandpa's style,
No for real - ask your grandpa - can I have his hand-me-downs?

And later, talking about the fancy clothes that others wear:

They be like, "Oh, that Gucci - that's hella tight."
I'm like, "Yo - that's fifty dollars for a T-shirt."
Limited edition, let's do some simple addition
Fifty dollars for a T-shirt - that's just some ignorant ***
I call that getting swindled and pimped
I call that getting tricked by a business

When interviewed about the song by MTV News, Macklemore said, ""Rappers talk about, oh I buy this and I buy that, and I spend this much money and I make it rain, and this type of champagne and painting the club, and this is the kind of record that's the exact opposite. It's the polar opposite of it. It's kind of standing for like let's save some money, let's keep some money away, let's spend as little as possible and look as fresh as possible at the same time."

It's nice to hear about thrift shopping on the radio rather than shopping and partying until you drop!

Here's the full clean version of the song for those of you who haven't heard it.  Warning: even though it's the clean version there is still some profanity included.

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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Can you improve your happiness?

Want to feel happier?

Happify is a new service that claims to do just that! Happify’s science-based activities and games, according to them, will make you feel happier.

You can personalize your training program, which will boost optimism and reduce stress.  You can measure your happiness progress as well.

Check Happify out!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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Get your laundry cleaner with Biz Stain Fighter!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Biz Stain Fighter. All opinions are 100% mine.

At the Frugal Follies household, Sunday is laundry day.  That's the day when I do all the family's laundry in one day.  With 5 people in the household, including an active 7-year-old and a messy 12-year-old, that means that there is quite a lot of work to do!

I know some people will do a few loads here and there throughout the week, but they way I do it, it gets everything out of the way at once.  I hate all the work that's involved, but I'm happy the other six days of the week when I only have to do a load or two of towels or linens.

One thing I really hate is finding stains on the kids' clothes.  Whether it's dirt and grass stain on my active child's clothes, or food stains on my messy kid, the stains could have been on the clothes for days by the time I get to them.  I used stain remover on the clothes, but sometimes it just doesn't work.

So I was excited to hear about Biz Stain Fighter recently.  Biz Stain Fighter is a detergent booster that you add to your regular laundry detergent to get out stains.  Sounds like exactly what I need to take care of my kids' clothes!

And my thrifty side always likes products that can be used in more than one way, so I was happy to learn that Biz Stain Fighter can also be used as a multi-purpose cleaner for all kinds of cleaning tasks around the house!

Check out this video which explains how you can use Biz Stain Fighter for a multitude of uses:



Want to learn more about Biz Stain Finder?  You can like Biz on Facebook or follow  @BizStainFighter on Twitter.

And if you want to try Biz Stain Fighter, here's how you can do that and save money, too!  Just print out this $1 Biz coupon. Combine it with a buy one, get one free sale at your local grocery, drug, or national chain store to save even more!

I hope that Biz Stain Fighter will help you get rid of laundry stains and do lots of cleaning chores as well, and that it makes it just a little bit easier!

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Frugality: Television vs. reality

Have you ever noticed how much money some TV characters seem to have?

I used to love watching Friends when it was in its first run, but I always wondered how young twentysomethings could afford such great apartments in extremely expensive New York City. Plus, they always seemed to have plenty of money for fashionable outfits and fancy coffee drinks. I, on the other hand, lived in a much smaller apartment, rarely bought clothes, and pretty much never went to Starbucks.

So I was very interested when I found this infographic on Frugal Dad, contrasting the habits of spendthrift TV characters with habits of the very thrifty - maybe in some cases a little too thrifty - actors and actresses who play them.  Take a look!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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Get advice from Huggies!

If you're a first time mom (or a second-time, third-time, or more), you probably have lots of questions.

HUGGIES is here to help!  Register with HUGGIES today and you'll get lots of expert advice, exclusive savings and special offers from HUGGIES. (Who wouldn't want exclusive savings?)

Click here to learn more.

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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Get the latest science news!

I love science, and always have since I was young. I loved to read science books from the library.  Later, I took many science courses in college, and although it's not currently my occupation, I still like to keep up on what's new in science. I enjoyed reading science magazines in the past, but now, I look on the Internet for the latest news.  Recently, I found a great science site! 

SciTechDaily is a website that has been offering the latest science and technology news daily since 1998.    They cover a variety of science news, including biology, space, science, and technology.  You can depend on SciTechDaily for your space news 2013 and for your biology news.

There's also lots of links for gifts for geeks as well. And, of course, being a frugal sort of person, I was excited to see that they have online coupon codes for many of those sites as well!

Here are some of the places which SciTechDaily has coupon codes:

• Best Buy Coupons
• Buy.com Coupons
• Dell Coupons
• Expedia Coupons
• Hotwire Coupons
• Newegg Coupons
• Office Depot Coupons
• Orbitz.com Coupons
• Overstock.com Coupons
• ProFlowers Coupons
• Staples Coupons
• Target Coupons
• Travelocity Coupons
• Vistaprint Coupons
• Walmart Coupons

Visit SciTechDaily to save a lot and to learn more about science!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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Don't lose your packages!

So many of us shop online for items in order to save money, but you aren't home to receive the packages when they show up. So they end up sitting there, where they could be lost, damaged, or stolen.  Or you have to go pick up the packages at an inconvenient UPS shipping location.

If this is you, here's a solution to this problem.

UPS My Choice is a great way to manage the receipt of packages. Your UPS My Choice membership allows you to:

• Give authorization online for UPS to deliver packages without a signature when you're not going to be home to sign in person
• Get proactive notifications via text, phone, or e-mail the day before a delivery
• Request your packages be delivered to The UPS Store® near you for pickup
• Have your packages delivered to another address

Join UPS My Choice now and get all of your packages!

(This post is sponsored content and may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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Find a babysitter you can trust

Do you need to find a babysitter?  It can be tough to find someone whom you trust with your children.

If so, you might want to learn more about this free service!

Care.com provides a trusted place for families and care providers to easily connect, share caregiving experiences, and get advice. The company addresses the unique lifecycle of care needs that each family may go through — including child care, special needs care, tutoring, senior care, pet care, housekeeping and more. The service enables families to find and select the best care possible based on detailed profiles, background checks, and references for hundreds of thousands of mom-reviewed providers who are seeking to share their services.

Click here to find a trusted babysitter!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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It's the 3rd anniversary of Frugal Follies!

Today is the 3rd anniversary of Frugal Follies!

fol·ly [fol-ee]
noun, plural -lies
1. the state or quality of being foolish; lack of understanding or sense.
2. a foolish action, practice, idea, etc.; absurdity: the folly of performing without a rehearsal.
3. a costly and foolish undertaking; unwise investment or expenditure.
4. Architecture - a whimsical or extravagant structure built to serve as a conversation piece, lend interest to a view, commemorate a person or event, etc.: found especially in England in the 18th century.
5. follies, a theatrical revue.

Over the winter break of 2009, I thought about starting my own blog to share some of the great deals I found at the grocery and drug stores, as well as some of my flops. Hence the name of the blog - it would be a both a place to show off a shopping performance, and also to poke a bit of fun at myself.  Here's my first post!

But has Frugal Follies been "a costly and foolish undertaking"?  I don't think so.  Over the past three years, the mission of this blog has gone beyond just describing my shopping trips and money-saving actions, to sharing coupons, deals, and freebies with you, as well as reviews and giveaways.  I've learned a lot just by writing these blog entries, and I hope you've learned a lot as well!

So to all my readers, commenters, Facebook fans and Twitter followers, thank you so very, very much! And here's to many more years of coupons, deals, freebies, and fun!

To celebrate, I'll be holding a special giveaway starting tomorrow to thank all of you! Stay tuned!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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Cranberry and Popcorn Garland

There are lots of blogs with amazing craft ideas and fabulous decorating ideas.

This is not one of those blogs.

I am not big on decorating.  Other than paint on the walls, family photos and a few paintings hanging in frames, and a few decorative items like throw pillows and bookshelves, I don't really have much in the way of decorations.  It's something I just don't have the knack for.  I do crochet, but that is more of a utilitarian craft - I don't do crafts just for their own sake, but to make something I can use.

But when the folks at Jolly Time gave me a suggestion to make Cranberry and Popcorn Garlands as a frugal holiday decorating idea, I had to give it a try.

Before indoor Christmas trees became popular and practical, revelers in Europe and the United States celebrated the winter season by stringing garlands of cranberries and popcorn on evergreen trees outdoors.   They are beautiful and colorful and easy to make!  And, the birds who winter in your area will enjoy them, too!

I definitely recommend using Jolly Time popcorn for this project.  I popped the air-popped corn in my very old but trusty air popper.  All of the kernels popped at about the same time - there weren't those few kernels that took forever to pop.  The popcorn pieces were nice and large and fluffy, and I didn't have to worry about burning them.

Here's what you need:

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500 Cash P2

Mary's Cup of Tea

With A Side of Thriftiness

Woven by Words

The Ramblings of a Gypsy Soul

Counting To Ten

Mommy's Fabulous Finds

Rats and More

Shop, Review, & Save

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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Have a great holiday party

Here's an idea for a fun holiday party: Have it at your local Buca di Beppo restaurant!

I've eaten there while visiting relatives in another city, and we had lots of fun!  The Italian food is served family-style, so we ordered several different dishes and everybody got a big of what they wanted.  Everyone left full and happy - and isn't that what you want from your holiday party?

After you sign up, a representative will contact you to plan your party.

Click here to book a party!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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This week's great articles & deals 11-2-12

In case you missed them, here are some of the great article posted this week at Frugal Follies!

• Menu plan 10-29-12: Where are the carbs?
• Walgreens: I couldn't resist
• Recipe: Jelly Bean Biscotti
• Best South Florida Publix Deals 11-1-12
• Publix: Greek yogurt confusion
• Recipe: Spinach and Mushroom Dip
• The Two-Store Solution

Here are the new giveaways:

• Little Soya gluten-free soy sauce
• Clothing store $50 gift card
• 4-night hotel stay
• Children's clothes gift card
• Cookie swap prize pack
• Pink iPod Touch
• 10-piece cooking pan set
• Droid Razr M smartphone
• Walmart / supermarket $25 gift card
• Imprint kitchen mats

Here are just a few of the hot coupons:

• Children's Advil coupon
• Bacardi mixer coupon
• Liquid soap coupon
• Carpet stain remover coupon

And here are some amazing deals and ways to make money:

• Take surveys and win $20,000 or a $500 gift card
• New survey site - Media Insiders
• Earn money while walking in the supermarket

Don't miss another article or deal - follow on Twitter or Facebook, or subscribe to the Frugal Follies email newsletter or to the RSS feed. 

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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