For Best Mother's Day Gifts, Save Green, Give Green

With Mother's Day approaching, the buzz is on the best gifts for mom. Mother's Day is one of the top holidays spending-wise; there's a lot of competition for our gift-giving buck. Stores and vendors are ripe with advice about what mom supposedly wants. I say think outside the vase, envelope and box. Give green, save green and reduce waste. For Mother's Day shopping, the best tips I found come from Denver Post $MART columnist Amber Johnson, who surveyed moms about what they wanted most. Essentially, the consensus was to dial down the spending and pay attention to the individual mom's preferences.   Read more

Repurposed Greeting Cards, Valentines, Wrapping Paper--Art Projects, Crafts, Gifts

Greeting cards are a bane of my existence (one of several alas).  I hate to waste money on throw-aways, but seniors in my life love them. So I buy for them. But then I'm stuck with the reciprocal cards. My thrifty, eco-conscious self hates to discard, but my clean freak side doesn't want the clutter. Even neatly organized (which I have no time to do) cards, valentines and such tchotchkis get cumbersome. Here are five cheap, homemade recycled ways to repurpose greeting cards, old wrapping paper, gift tags and kids valentines.  5 Repurposed Uses for Valentines--Art Projects, Crafts, Gifts

Spring is Mini-Flu Season; Dress for the Weather

 As a mom of four, I know all about kids and spring fever. At the first melting of snow off from Lake Michigan, they want to get the bathing suits out. In their warm weather zeal, they forget that they can still catch a chill. Just because the weather is getting nicer, doesn't mean you won't get sick if you don't dress properly. Winter is the official flu season, but spring can be a mini flu season. Spring is Mini-Flu Season; Dress for the Weather