10 tips for smart holiday shopping

Make your own gift paper.
There are so many cute craft papers out there these days. Save money on wrapping paper and make it more personable.

Draw names.
Christmas can be expensive if you have a large family. Suggest everyone put their names in a hat and draw names to pick for presents this year.

Take a break.
My favorite part of shopping is enjoying a treat for myself! Give yourself a well deserved spa treatment or pedicure. Buy yourself a new coat to wear while you shop for others. You'll feel less stress when you look your best!

Shop with a buddy.
Having someone with you can help you if you are in a jam for ideas. Two heads are better then one, especially if you need someone of the opposite sex to help find a present for husband, father, etc. Enjoy a nice cup of coffee at a local coffee shop while you are out.

Christmas doesnt have to be stressful.
Invite family members over and make hot cocoa and cookies. Have everyone bring a dish of some sort so you aren't doing all the cooking. This could be a good time to draw names for presents instead of having to buy for everyone.

Reuse gift bags.
I ALWAYS keep all the gift bags I get. Some are so pretty that I hate to reuse them! Pack any christmas bags you get this year with your ornaments and next year, you'll be so thankful that you saved money by not having to get new bags!

Vaseline is not just for babies butts

Twittermom is at it again! They've teamed up with Vaseline to ask everyone what they use Vaseline for. Vaseline Petroleum Jelly is celebrating its 140th Anniversary and they would like to celebrate with their users. tweets and tips will be collected and featured on http://vaseline140.twittermoms.com/, and distributed across the web for all to see.

I personally use Vaseline every day to remove makeup and soften my lips, but there are so many more uses for it!

Here are my 10 tips for different uses for Vaseline:

1. Lip balm of course. It moisturizes and soothes chapped lips and makes them shiny.
2. Moisturizes dry skin- If your elbows are dry, you just need a dap of it.
3. Hand and feet moisturizer-it hydrates and smooths chapped hands and feet. Apply some petrolatum jelly to your hands and feet and then put on mittens and socks. Wait about 10-15 minutes for the vaseline to soak into the skin.
4. Put under eyes before applying cover stick. It will make makeup go smoother.
5. Eye makeup remover- removes stubborn mascara without irritating the eye area.
6. face scrub- mix petrolatum jelly with coffee grounds to make your own scrub.
7. Cream for night time. Warm up jelly a bit and apply to face.
8. Put some vaseline on the base of your nails will stop the color from running.
9. Use for shaving. Use a thin layer over legs before shaving for a smooth shave. Don't use water! 10. Use under blush for soft look. Apply lightly under jaw line.


Now, you need to let everyone know what YOU use Vaseline for. Get on board and blog 10 tips for what you use Vaseline for-it's great fun!

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Vaseline blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Have you thought about changing your health benefits?

My husband's insurance used to be awesome. We had great dental, which was very helpful since my youngest went through some expensive dental work. Then, when the recession hit, his company went cheap and which insurance companies. We had to make a lot of decisions and we were lost. It was scary and we didn't know what we should do. I hate the insurance we have now and if given a choice, I would love to change some things on our policy, starting with the premium we pay.

Have you ever thought about how your physical health relates to your financial health? Did you also know that you can give yourself a personal health care makeover in under sixty minutes? I never realized that just little changes to your health care plan could have a big impact on how your finances work. What's more important to you? What you pay for co payment? Or, going to a doctor without a referral?


Making health care changes is doesn't have to be hard. You just have to know what's right for your family. I got the chance to find out about how to get the most out of your health care here.
Somethings that I never thought about when deciding on how to put your health care package together.

Here are 5 tips for getting your health care plan in order.

1. Compare different plans and make sure you can afford the premiums that you have to pay in case of a health problem. You never know when the difference between a cheaper premium can be the difference between affording groceries or not.
2. Always ask for generic version of the prescription. Pharmacists don't automatically give generic drugs which can be very inexpensive.
3. Ask it your plan has preventive care that is included in your coverage. Health care plans that include free preventive care save more money in the long run for both patient and insurance provider.
4. Some offer prescriptions drastically cheaper if mailed to you. My mom gets some medicine for only $5.
5. The most important tip is to keep yourself healthy. Take care of your body and eat right will keep the doctor appointments at bay!

Take time to do a 60 minute health care plan makeover to help your finances get in check. Your family will thank you for it!

I would love to hear your ideas on a health care makeover that you could do for your family's finances. Leave a comment and let me know!

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Aetna blogging program, making me eligible to get a $30 Target gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”