Don't blink, you might miss a flash mob. You never know when one will begin - it could be at school. The popular actitivity recently took over the gym at Roswell High School when teachers zombie-walked their way onto the stage with a pretty good rendition of Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Students went crazy for the unexpected and lively performance. In light of the holiday, I thought it was appropriate to share; enjoy!

I hate to admit this, but sometimes I’m just too lazy to cook. I do love to cook and cooking special dishes is one way I actively show my family how much they mean to me. Despite that, there are dayswhen if I hear one more kid ask me what’s for dinner (or breakfast or lunch!), I feel like I’m going to run screaming from our home, tearing my hair out like some crazed Shakespearean character. In the past, a day like that would lead to two or three over-processed or fast food meals, but now that I’m trying to be frugal and healthy, substituting fast food for real food makes me feel a little bit …

Annual family portraits are wonderful keepsakes to share with your extended family and friends, as well as to keep for future generations. Taking a good family portrait that doesn’t include bunny ears and crossed-eyes however, requires planning and skill.  Hire a Professional Although many of us have memories of having professional portraits made at a local department store, these days you normally get better results by hiring an independent portrait photographer. Many professional portrait photographers will travel to a location of your choice to shoot your family’s portrait, giving you the …

Beets are a vegetable I've always avoided as an adult. My memory of beets is from my childhood in Texas—none too fond memories of my grandmother practically force feeding me salty, squishy purple slices that she poured from a jar that she kept in the refrigerator. Despite that, I've always been fascinated by the fresh beets I see each week at the farmer's market. Depending on the part of the year, I've seen an amazing variety of beets: everything from the traditional deep purple that I remember from childhood to golden yellow. Every week I stop, almost without thinking, to survey the …

Pets hold a special place in most families but when finances are tight, pets are normally the first to be affected. According to the staff at WellPet Humane Clinic, a non-profit charitable pet clinic in Chamblee, thousands of pets are put to sleep in metro Atlanta each year because the owners can’t afford to maintain them. If caring for your pet is putting a strain on your finances, consider the following ways you can cut your pet care costs. Frugal Food Options It’s tempting to save money by feeding your pet the cheapest food on the shelves; unfortunately, just like with people, eating …

Every day we hear how bad the economy has become, as well as how depressing the unemployment rate is, so I guess I should not have felt as stunned as I did by an article I read on MSNBC's Bottom Line yesterday. Based on figures recently released from the U.S. Census Bureau, the article states the U.S. poverty rate has hit an 18 year high, with over 46 million Americans now living below the poverty line. It also stated approximately 22 percent of children under 18 live in poverty.The country's average median income, currently around $49,455, has also decreased while expenses such as gas and …

With cooking, there are many times when patience is a virtue. Times when it’s best to let the dough rise for several hours or to allow meat to marinade overnight, in order to truly achieve the best flavor in the dish you’re creating. As far as I can tell, making apple chips at home is one of those times.  My youngest son loves apple chips but I hate buying them because a small bag will cost almost two dollars—completely against my frugal sensibilities. That’s why this weekend I decided I’d experiment with making apple chips at home. I started by researching recipes and that’s when I …

Cold and flu season is just around the corner; in fact, our 20 degree temperature drop in just a few days has probably pushed the season up a bit. Unfortunately, there is no medical cure for a common cold or the flu and a visit to the doctor will generally result in a co-pay or doctor’s bill and a prescription for a drug that simply masks the symptoms. The easiest and least expensive way to treat a cold or the flu are the basic folk remedies which have been handed down through generations. Before loading up a basket with expensive over-the-counter remedies like Nyquil or Robitussin, try one …

You can't flip a channel without running across a commercial showing you happy people who have just received oodles of cash for selling their old "junk" jewelry. According to these commercials, picking up an extra couple hundred dollars is as easy as stuffing your old broken gold chains and bracelets in their prepaid envelopes and shipping them off.  Before you head to the post office, however, there are a couple of things you should know to make sure you receive the best payout.Why They Want Your Junk Jewelry "Turn that old, out-dated or broken jewelry into cash" is the siren call, the …

Back before we made the commitment to eat better, my husband discovered this frozen breakfast product that was basically a breakfast scramble in a bag. It was about 16 ounces of diced onion, ham or sausage, bell peppers, and potatoes for around $4. He would add four or five eggs to the mix and make breakfast for the whole family. This weekend, he started to grab a package of it while we were shopping and I was horrified to see the price had gone up to $6! (No, I'm not cheap, just really frugal.) When I thought about it, I realized that we could make the same dish for a lot less because we …

Storage always seems to be at a premium no matter what size home you have. In our house, toys and papers appear to multiply at the speed of light. If you have hobbies like knitting, sewing, or scrapbooking, you probably find your stash of supplies grows much faster than your ability to store it all. Add in mail, magazines, and the assortment of things you need to keep your family’s life running smoothly and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with clutter. Assuming you aren’t storing excess materials that should be donated or sold (i.e. you’re not a candidate for the show Hoarders) the following …

Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables. A summer squash that is related to melons and cucumbers, zucchini has a light flavor that can complement a variety of dishes. Nutritionally, it’s also a good source of the carotenoid antioxidants, which can help protect your body against free radicals. In everyday language it means eating zucchini (and other summer squash) can help you keep healthier and give you younger looking skin, among other things. Personally, I love the taste of zucchini and will happily eat it sautéed with onions in a little bit of butter or olive oil. The rest of my family, …

In the summer, there always seems to be enough time to fit in fun time with the family. For most of us, that ends when the school year starts up. In my household, with three kids attending three different schools, just getting them up and out to the school bus on time requires immense choreography. Evenings tend to rush by with dinner, homework and preparation for the next day. Add in just one or two after school activities for each of the kids and the week blows by quickly. That kind of hustle and bustle can make it hard to find time to reconnect as a family. Eating dinner together every …

Owning a car is expensive—for most people, it’s the second largest monthly expense in their budget, right after their rent or mortgage.  Although it’s possible to live in Roswell without a car, it’s not very convenient, so selling your car to save money is probably not a practical option. If you need to cut expenses though, here are three ways to minimize the cost of car ownership so it doesn’t take quite as large a bite out of your budget. Scheduled Maintenance When you bought your car, it probably came with an owner’s manual hidden in your glove compartment. If not, you can generally find a…

I first learned about rice paper wrappers when I was researching possible recipes for our failed attempt at implementing a gluten-free, casein-free diet. When I spotted some rice paper wrappers for less than $2 at the farmer’s market on Saturday, I knew I had to test them out. Rice paper wrappers are really cool! When you open the package, you find these round transparent pieces that have the consistency of a piece of parchment paper. The magic happens when you soak them for a few seconds in a big bowl of warm water.  Suddenly they become almost invisible and very pliable - the perfect …

Although there’s something satisfying about returning to the normal school routine, I’m already feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of paper that gets sent home—and it’s only been a couple of days!  With one kid in each level of school (elementary, middle and high school), the coming onslaught of paperwork, calendars, homework, artwork and projects isn’t something I’m looking forward to. That’s why I’ve created a two part strategy for taming the school work monster before it gets out of hand. Create Command Central In the past we’ve had many a late start to the morning because a kid …

I’ve always heard scary things about making a cheesecake. Whenever I heard other people discussing cheesecake recipes they seemed to always have weird mutterings about water baths and baking temperatures that made me afraid to even think about making a cheesecake. Late last year, however, I stumbled upon a no-bake pumpkin cheesecake recipe and I learned that my fears were unfounded.  Making a no-bake cheesecake, at least, was as simple as mixing sugar, cream cheese, and some type of flavoring together until creamy. Since making that first pumpkin cheesecake last holiday season, I’ve thrown …

Spending a lot of money on entertainment the weekend before the kids go back to school is out of the question for my house. But we still want to have one last summer weekend of fun. Fortunately, there are several budget friendly options for family fun this weekend. Pirates of the Caribbean 3D When the latest Pirate movie came out a few months ago, we wanted to see the 3D version but at IMAX prices, there was no way. That’s why I was excited to see that Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 3D is showing at the Picture Show discount Theater in Marietta. Tickets are only $3.75 per person …

I hate cleaning. Don’t get me wrong, I really love for my home to be pretty and tidy, but unlike some women who get receive some kind of high from the process of mopping floors and cleaning windows, I don’t gain much pleasure from the actually work. That’s why I’m always on the look-out for tips that make cleaning a little easier. I’m especially in love with tips that utilize every day household items to take care of stubborn cleaning problems. You know the ones I’m talking about: burnt on food or spills on the carpet. The chance to pretend I’m a mad scientist helps me tackle my chores with …

Once the kids go back to school, our daily schedule becomes really hectic. In addition to juggling our work schedules, hubby and I will also need to juggle homework and the kids’ extracurricular activities such as football games, music lessons, kung-fu and their various social dates to hang with their friends. Trying to get everyone fed a decent meal while running in thirty different directions, sometimes on really short notice, can be difficult.  In the past our solution was to eat out several times a week or to turn to convenience foods. This year, however, I’m trying a healthier, more …