A bit late but useful for next year?

I found this blog post about Eco Friendly Holiday Ideas I wanted to share. I know its past Christmas at this point but it could be useful for next year, right?

About to Run Out of Cell Minutes?

I recently lost my cell phone at an indoor playground (that's the last time I climb around in one of those...). I have never felt so disconnected to the world than I did for the 4 or so hours I was without my phone. Now, I don't have a smartphone so I'm not that "connected." But it's nice to know I can call someone if I need to.

While I was looking for a solution to get a hold of some people to find my phone, I stumbled on Google voice. Did you know that you can call any cell phone or land line in the U.S. for free using Google voice? I kept looking for a catch but wasn't able to find one. You just have to download the voice program to your computer which takes all of a few minutes. I was surprised at the quality of the calls as well. It was just like talking on my cell phone. I was able to call the indoor playground to let them know I was looking for my phone as well as my husband and my cell phone provider for assistance.

I began thinking about other uses for this service. This could definitely be used if you are coming close to using all of your cell phone minutes in a given month. It could also be used to supplement as a long distance plan instead of having one on your land line. All-in-all, this is a great feature to have at your fingertips. It could end up saving you money in the long run. Why not?

P.S.-I did indeed find my phone. A child found it in the play equipment somewhere...

Thrifty Gifts

Tis the Season for spending lots of money on gifts. This year we are doing a bunch of homemade gifts for Christmas. Located below are some links for some great gift ideas. Enjoy!

Footprint Penguins

Gifts in a Jar

Dryer Balls

Do-It-Yourself Christmas Gifts

I Heart Tiny Prints

My new favorite place to order cards is Tiny Prints. I almost always find a free greeting card promo code and I can either send it directly to the recipient (for the cost of a stamp) or send it to myself for free. I've made 3 free cards in the past month and sent them directly to recipients. You can even order cards to be sent in the future. This is great if they are offering a one day only promo code and no one's birthday, etc. is within the next week. Check out their Facebook page for promos and the lady behind Raining Hot Coupons always posts codes for the free cards. I love the fact that the cards are cute and you can personalize them with your own photos. It really is nicer than a Hallmark and cheaper too!