Product Reviews and Tips

How many products do you use everyday? Probably more than you care to admit! I'm passionate about saving money, but also having products that work well. Sometimes cheaper is better and sometimes you are better off spending a little more on a product that gives better results. As you read on you will find tips for finding which product is best, stretching your dollar and a few product reviews!

Let's start with household products. I go through a lot of cleaning type products with a family as large as mine, so I don't want to spend a lot and I want products to do double duty whenever possible. First, let's start with the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Seriously, this thing is a miracle worker! It works on practically everything-coffee and tea stains on the counter or in your mug, crayon and scuff marks on the wall, sinks, tubs, sneakers, even permanent marker and the list goes on! Because I use this product frequently I found that many stores carry an off brand. It still works great and is about half the cost. I also cut each eraser in half and they last much longer.





I also have a couple of laundry room favorites. (I do have to disclose that I am a "Purex Insider" and get free products to test.) I'm in love with Purex with Zout. It works on our toughest stains (and with six kids, baby I've got 'em!) It works as well as Tide and is considerably cheaper. It even takes grass stains out the first time! I also like the Purex Fabric Softener Crystals. A little goes a long way and the fragrance really lasts. Probably my best laundry room tip though is that most people use too much product. When I say "too much" I mean using what the manufacturer recommends. Detergent build up is hard on our clothes, so find out how little you can use for your water hardness (I find it's about a third of what's recommended) and use only that amount. One item you saved from a nasty stain is well worth the extra spent on a good detergent!





For all purpose cleaning I really like Murphy's Oil Soap. Walls, doors, wood furniture and floors, it does it all! I'm a minimalist when it comes to cleaning products. I need a few that work great and are multi-purpose. I don't have time to mess with 17 different cleaning products! I also use a blend of vinegar, water and a great smelling extract (I like Orange). Mix it in a spray bottle and voila a cheap and safe all purpose cleaner! Spray this in your toilet bowl, toss in some baking soda and again you have safe and inexpensive cleaner!





Some random household items I like are-Walmart brand drawstring trash bags. They are just as durable as the name brand and save you some dollars! I also like the off brand Swiffer pad refills. Way cheaper! We have hard water and I've found that Cascade Complete dishwasher tabs, although a little pricey, do the job and don't leave my dishes filmy! I'm loyal to Scott brand toilet paper. It goes on sale often and lasts forever. In this house we go through toilet paper like water and I don't want to change the roll every 5 minutes!





We've changed over to low flow shower and faucet heads. Don't let the "low flow" fool you. The water still comes out just fine, the only difference you'll notice is on your water bill! Another money saving change we've made is to energy efficient lightbulbs. I suggest doing this gradually because they are more expensive than traditional bulbs, but you will notice a savings on your electric bill sure to make you happy. A random product like-kitchen shears!! I use them for EVERYTHING! They are great for cutting up little ones food, cutting meat and even cutting pizza! Works better than a pizza cutter! I bought a cheap pair at the Dollar Tree for a buck and they are still going strong!





My favorite products to try are beauty products. I'm definitely a girls' girl and love beauty products. I really like the Suave Professionals line of hair care. From shampoo to conditioner to styling aids, they've got it covered! It's a line of salon quality products starting at around $1.50! I have a lot of hair products in my cupboard and shower and probably 80% is the Professionals line. It's so inexpensive that I don't mind my 3 preteen girls using "my" hair stuff! One to try is the Dry Shampoo Spray. It's great for mornings you don't have time to wash your hair. I'm the type that wants to wash her hair everyday and this even lets someone like me skip a day and feel happy with the results! I also like the heat protector spray and the Sleek line. The Suave mens line is great too and smells nice!





Flat iron addicts-heads up! I really wanted a Chi, but didn't want the Chi price tag. So, I was so happy to stumble across a Good Housekeeping article on flat irons. The pricey Chi was beat out by the $40 Remington Frizz Therapy flat iron. You better believe I picked one up at that price! I'm happy to say it does a marvelous job! And at $40, who can complain? Seriously, if you need a flat iron look up the reviews online for this baby! As a compliment to the flat iron, I really like Organix Brazilian Keratin Therapy Flat Iron Spray (that's a mouthful of a name, huh?) It's about $6 at an big box or drugstore and it adds great shine and all day straightening power. And the smell is heavenly!





For shaving I use the cheapest conditioner I can find. Yep, hair conditioner. It's inexpensive and leaves your skin silky smooth!I've recently started using Colgate Optic White toothpaste and have seen great results (even though I've used whitening toothpaste for years). It's priced around $3 and you can most always find a coupon for an extra discount.I've also found that the store brand knock off of most facial products like lotions and cleansers works just as well and are often half the price.





For the diehards out there-I use an at home glycolic acid (alpha hydroxy) facial peel. I purchased mine through Amazon and use a brand called Skin Laboratory Gylcolic/35 Gel Peel. It's about $20 and the results are unbelievably smooth skin. It minimizes wrinkles, improves acne and discoloration and a list of other facial issues. I've never had a salon peel done, so I can't compare, but I love the results this product gives. I really think this is a product every woman should try. It's pretty amazing. It's a powerful product though and you must do a patch test first.





I've fallen in love with face primer. (I'm currently using Revlon brand.) Put it on after your moisturizer and before your makeup for a flawless, long lasting finish. I also like Revlon Photo Ready concealer (a must for a girl with hereditary dark circles and 6 kids) and L'Oreal Infallible foundation. Both provide long lasting, great coverage. There are so many great options out there, so play around with "drugstore" brands and ditch the pricey department store makeup counters.





Don't be afraid to try new beauty products! Walmart, CVS, and Rite Aid all have a no-risk return policy. If you try a product and don't like it for any reason, just return it with your receipt! It's really that simple and it allows you to test out a product without the fear of being stuck with it!





I don't use a lot of baby products, but I have a couple I stick with. For me it's Luvs diapers, hands down. For about $16 bucks you get around 100 diapers (if you buy the box). They're virtually leak proof and a killer deal at that price. I also like most store brand wipes. Usually Walmart, Target, Giant Eagle's, etc. store brands are safe bets. The really cheap kind aren't a deal in my opinion, because they are so thin you end up using two instead of one. Definitely a case where cheaper isn't cheaper!



I'm going to wrap it up with a few basic tips. If you are a name brand junkie, stop! Many off brands are produced by your favorite name brand. It's okay to have a few name brand favorites though (I'm a Jif loyalist!), but don't be a name brand snob. This can really add up at the grocery store! I buy almost storebrand everything! I love to cook and I'm pretty picky and still I'm happy with the products, so no excuses!!





Probably my most favorite tip is to always, always, always reserach before making a bigger purchase. I'm cheap, so when I say bigger I'm talking $20 or more. Take a vacuum cleaner purchase, for example. Go online find the ones you like with whatever options you are looking for. Then see which model gets the best reviews for the lowest price. This can save you considerable amounts of money. Many, many, many times the more expensive products are the ones people have the most problems with. Usually that middle of the road brand will be your best bet. Cheap doesn't always save you money in the long run and the pricey brand isn't always all it's cracked up to be.





I hope you find the product reviews helpful and the tips useful. If you have a question about a particular product, I may be able to help. My whole idea is to be frugal, which in my mind is living BETTER for less!!

The grass is always greener on the other side....

There are days when this stay at home mom dreams of being a career girl. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, love my life, yada, yada, yada. But after a day of wiping butts, whining kids and spit up stained clothes, a girl starts to fantasize. I think what it would be like to get up in the morning and get ready to go to "the office." It even sounds cool. I'd put on my tailored power suit, pumps, jewelry, the whole bit. I'd drop the kids off, turn off Veggie Tales and put on some jamming tunes as I cruised into Starbucks for a Giant-Grande-Mocha-Frappe-Latte or whatever it is that they charge a pretty penny for. I'd pull up to work in my fancy car and strut into my comfy office building and do....stuff. I don't know what kind of stuff I'd do, but it wouldn't have anything to do with poop, that's a fact jack. I'd eat lunch out at a place that didn't sell Happy Meals and I'd even pick up take out for dinner. Man, that'd be the life! Or would it?

Now you see, for every stay at home mom like me dreaming about "the other side", there's a mom sitting in an office wishing for what I've got. She'd give her right arm to trade in her Italian pumps for Nikes and the power suit for sweats. A Happy Meal with her kid would beat that overpriced gourmet stuff any day. She'd trade in her perfume for the smell of spit up.

I think we all sometimes fall into the trap of thinking the grass is greener on the other side. We stay at home moms can especially get worn down when the other life seems so glam. So what that getting dressed up means waiting for the rare date with my hubby or that the only time I hit a Starbucks is well, never. I'm going to slip out of my imaginary Italian shoes and stick my feet in the grass, on MY side of the fence and realize that it feels pretty good. And you know what? I'll gladly munch on a Happy Meal any day!!!

This side of things...

After an emotionally draining day yesterday with Spencer that included two different ER's and a whole lot of prayer, I posted a Facebook status about how I believe in prayer. At the end of this lengthy status I said, "I'm thankful for a God who hears and although doesn't always answer the way we'd choose, always, always cares...." I included that last bit for those that might feel negatively about prayer. People who don't believe in God or have been turned off from prayer because God didn't answer them the way they wanted or the way they thought he should have.

The thought of God always caring for us really got me to thinking how our relationship with Him is much like our relationship with our own children. Now, maybe you don't have children, but you are, of course, someone's child. As an adult now you can see things more clearer and realize that your parents did things in your best interest. So, I think we can all relate to this analogy. I think how often I do something in the best interest of my children that they don't understand. They think I'm mean or bossy. How many times have I said something and finished it with, "just because I said so!" Children in their tiny, naive minds can't understand why we as parents sometimes do the things we do. Why we say "no" or push them to do something they don't want. We see the big picture that they just can't see right now. We do it because we love them. Isn't God just the same? We can't not even fathom how much He loves us. As much as we love our children, He loves us even more. He wants what's best for us always, but we can't always see how that works out on this side of earth.

My husband uses the best illustration for this. Have you ever seen someone doing needlepoint? To sit across from them it looks horrible, to be honest. You see the messy, seemingly pointless backside. It's not pretty and it certainly doesn't look them it's going to turn out they way you'd want. But the crafter sees the beautiful side, how each seemingly sloppy stitch works together and when you turn it around it's a masterpiece. Our lives are much the same. We see the backside of things. It's messy, it seems it couldn't possibly turn out to be anything good and we question what the "crafter" could possibly be doing. But God in His infinite wisdom sees the beautiful, finished side. How each prayer, answered in His way, works to the good of the finished work. Oftentimes, God allows us to see the finished work, how it all worked out, but sometimes it seems to be a mystery. I guess that's what faith is all about. Trusting in God and that He has a beautiful plan for each of our lives. If we can close our eyes and forget the messy side that we often see, He may just allow us to see a glimpse of the masterpiece He has in store.