The advice in the book is clever, creative, usually practical, and relevant, especially in these tough economic times. The book is comprised of two parts: a Frugal Living section and a Personal Finance Section. Both sections are broken down into more specific spending categories. Frugal Living covers food & drink, travel, beauty & health, shopping & bargain hunting, green living, education, and entertainment. The Personal Finance section delves into more serious money issues, which include financial planning & budgeting, credit cards & debt, investment, housing & home improvement, and even career & money making ideas. 

Some of my favorite tips and insider knowledge from the book include a professional chef's essential kitchen ingredients, how to find hidden discounts on cell phone bills, answers to the great car windows vs. A/C gas-saving debate, inexpensive kids birthday party ideas (throwing a nacho party is one of my favorites!), using multipurpose dish soap as the all-in-one kitchen cleaner, ways to eat for free in college (working at bake sales is one!), six cheaper ways to great hair, and checking super market original prices to see if that discount is really worth it! I will warn you that some of the tips require courage, daring, and stepping out of your comfort zone to complete, such as asking a boss to finance your college education or trusting yourself to follow their homemade sunscreen remedies right (at risk of ineffective sunscreen and resulting sunburn!). Most of the tips, however, lead to money-saving results that are worth the effort. Many of the tips are even easy-to-follow and don't require much work at all, like simply turning clothes inside-out and zipping up zippers before washing to get a lot more wear out of clothes. 

This book covers the major money-spending endeavors and provides loads of useful and surprisingly clever advice for having fun and living well while spending little! The book sparks creative thinking on even more ways to save and the little tips, tricks, and tidbits of advice come in handy on a day-to-day basis. This book stands by a basic principle: small lifestyle changes can make a big difference in tough times. 

Mom Central's Teen Review Central is giving away one copy of "10,001 Ways To Live Large On A Small Budget" by the writers of Wise Bread.

Here's how to enter to win:

1. Please comment below on this post (make sure to leave your e-mail address)

2. Bonus entry if you Tweet about the contest

3. Bonus entry if you link to this post from your blog or website 

Contest ended as of Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Interested in more giveaways? Browse through the Mom Central Giveaways & Freebies Roundup!

Mom Central received a review copy of "10,001 Ways To Live Large On A Small Budget."

On September 1st, Land's End will launch their Land's End FeelGood Campaign. For the campaign, which will run September through December, Land's End will donate signature FeelGood yarn to One Heart Foundation's Warming Families (www.warmingfamilies.com), a nationwide knitting charity, for every Land's End FeelGood sweater purchased. Land's End expects to donate thousands of pounds of yarn to Warming Families chapters where volunteers plan to knit up to 25,000 hats to warm homeless and displaced families and individuals all over the country this winter.

 There are four Land's End FeelGood sweater styles, two of which are the FeelGood V-neck Striped Cardigan sweater and the FeelGood V-neck Cable Cardigan sweater. Both styles come in XS-XL and also petite and plus sizes. These sweaters are cozy, soft sweaters made of yarn that can be worn everywhere. They're great for the upcoming fall and winter seasons. They both have knit pockets and come down to the hips. They also have a slightly fitted look that's still roomy and comfortable. The Striped Cardigan comes in five striped color combinations and the Cable Cardigan comes in eight solid colors to choose from. www.landsend.com/feelgood displays and sells all of the sweaters online and has information on how you can help out by knitting with Land's End for homeless families.

Mom Central received Land's End FeelGood sweaters in order to review this product.

Now, Hasbro has delved into the world of card games, creating new games and revitalizing old ones for fast-paced family fun.The Hasbro team took the thrill and the icons from their most beloved board games and turned them into compact card games! They also brought back and made new twists to classic card games to give them a fresh, modern spin and a family appeal. The new Hasbro card games collection, available at www.hasbrogames.com, includes six card games: Monopoly Deal, Scrabble Slam, Crazy Old FIsh War, Littlest Petshop Go Fish, Pictureka!, and Rook. The compact card form of these games makes them affordable and great for Family Game Night or for traveling and family vacations. There's also no worry over keeping track of extra game pieces, di, or the game board. Just shuffle and deal! Three of the games, Monopoly Deal, Pictureka!, and Crazy Old Fish War, get the entire family involved and engaged. They emphasize speedy thinking and swift plays and all take only about 15 minutes to play out. 

 The Monopoly Deal Card Game is recommended for ages 8 and up and can be played with 2-5 players. It incorporates the same owning and building of real estate properties as the Monopoly board game with even more rapid changes of luck! Beware of (and use craftily!) forced deal, debt collector, and deal breaker cards that all allow players to "steal" cards and can reverse a player's fortune instantly. Make quick real estate negotiations and bank money to pay off future debts. Play action cards to collect rent, steal other players' cards, or force payments, and collect property cards to win! (Collect 3 complete property sets to win the game). This game is fast-paced and addictive, and it introduces changes of luck with every turn! 

  The Pictureka! Card Game is recommended for ages 6 and up and can be played with 2 or more players. Hasbro characterizes this game with one phrase: "Quick, find the stinky things!" This card game features all of the favorite Pictureka! board game characters and an even faster search pace than the board game. The cards can actually be used to play 4 different games: 8-Away, Alphabetti, Matchureka!, and Cow's Creative Match. There are two decks of cards: mission cards and picture cards. Both decks or one deck may be used depending on the game. 8-Away is a race to get rid of all 8 of your cards by being the fastest and the first to find what the mission cards describe. The goal of Alphabetti is to quickly find pictures on the cards that start with a certain letter (great for younger players to practice their alphabet skills!). Matchureka! is a much calmer, slower-paced game (despite the exclamation point in the name) to get your "brain muscles" flexing. It requires you to match pairs by recalling from memory cards you've previously seen. The key to Cow's Creative Match is combining cards to complete zany missions. In all four games, the penguin card is a wild card that plays in your favor!

The Crazy Old Fish War Card Game is for ages 7 and up and can be played with 2-6 players. This new game combines parts of four classic, favorite card games: Crazy Eights, Go Fish, War, and Old Maid. This is a fast, exciting game for families. Be the first player to get rid of all the cards in your hand by matching, going fish, or declaring war on each turn. Crazy eight cards switch the color of the card sequence to whatever color the player with the card chooses. Watch out for old mermaids (the new equivalent to old maids), because of their special powers; old mermaids have the same ability as crazy eights, but are played at a price (player must draw five cards). This game is simple, fun, fast, and exciting. It's a new combination of four classic games that kids can play by themselves or that the whole family can enjoy together.

See all of the six Hasbro card games at www.hasbrogames.com. On the site, you can also try a game, see the cards, and download the instructions.

Mom Central's Teen Review Central is giving away the Monopoly Deal Card Game, the Pictureka! Card Game, and the Crazy Old Fish War Card Game as one great Card Game giveaway thanks to the team at Hasbro!

Here's how to enter to win:

1. Please comment below on this post (make sure to leave your e-mail address)

2. Bonus entry if you Tweet about the contest

3. Bonus entry if you link to this post from your blog or website 

Contest ended as of Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Interested in more giveaways? Browse through the Mom Central Giveaways & Freebies Roundup!

You can also purchase Hasbro Card Games, including Monopoly Deal, Pictureka!, and Crazy Old Fish War, from www.amazon.com. 

Mom Central received Hasbro's Monopoly Deal, Pictureka!, and Crazy Old Fish War in order to review these products.

Staples is gearing up for back-to-school by introducing new school products, ten of which their experts predict will be best-sellers. From notebooks to backpacks to pens to calculators, their "Top Ten" list covers the school necessities...and has already hit the stores! The new Staples products emphasize affordability, sleek design, organization, and personalized patterns and color schemes. 

Here are the Staples products that have made the "Top Ten" or are recommended by the Staples experts as must-haves for back-to-school:

The Staples Mini Xeno Retractable Ballpoint Pens are a fun, mini version of a Staples favorite. They easily clip onto a pocket and make more room for other writing materials in a pen/pencil case. The pens store conveniently and are adorably mini! They also come in fun, tropical colors.

Book Jax Book Covers are cleverly designed book covers that allow you to protect and personalize your book all in one. Invented by two high school students, the Book Jax Book Covers have stretchable, expandable fabric that covers books 8" x 10" to 11" x 14" and plastic tabs that protect the spine and corners of a book from wear and tear. The book covers provide protection, are durable, washable, and reusable, and allow you to slide in pictures at the tabs or decorate the cover with artwork to personalize it! They come in solid colors and designs.   

High Sierra Backpacks (including the Swerve, which I have already reviewed as a great backpack!) are hitting the shelves at Staples! The backpacks have several multifunctional compartments, including a laptop pocket that holds and protects a laptop (keeps it snuggly in place on-the-go), an organizational pocket in the front for writing supplies, two mesh water bottle holders, and an iPod/MP3 player jack and tech pocket. Also, the backpacks have lots of vertical storage room (but not a very wide base) for notebooks and binders, adjustable arm straps, and a suspension system that cushions your back and takes weight off of your shoulders. The backpacks come in many vibrant designs and solid colors. 

Dickies Composition Books give the bland composition book a cover makeover. They have the same, standard, 100 sheets of regular white-lined composition paper, and the usual weekly schedule, conversion, and multiplication tables in the inside covers. But they also have fun, original cover designs created by Dickies that spice them up! The cover designs also match the Dickies backpacks, so you can coordinate! 

Built Laptop Cases (another product I love and have reviewed) are now at Staples in a new form: the Built Hoodie Laptop Case that opens more conveniently with a hoodie, not a zipper! These cases protect and cushion laptops with a unique hourglass shape that holds the laptop in place during travel. They also come in fun designs and patterns and work great for protecting a laptop inside a backpack on the way to school. 

The Access Bag N' Pack Flap Top Insulated Lunch Kit, along with the 22 0z. Access Bag N' Pack Stainless Steel Bottle (yet another product I've reviewed and enjoyed!), has made it to the Staples back-to-school collection. The lunch kit has a roomy, main compartment with thick, insulated walls that's great for keeping a drink cold and storing a sandwich and snacks. The lunch kit also has a cushioned top carry handle and a convenient velcro seal. The Stainless Steel Bottle keeps liquids hot and has a plastic top for sipping that hinges open with the touch of a button. Although the button is sometimes hard to open and gets stuck, the bottle can carry a hot winter drink to school and keep it hot until lunchtime.

Omnitech, a trademark of Staples, takes care of creative technology accessories for back-to-school. The Omnitech laptop skins are decorative, protective laptop covers that prevent pen marks, scratches, and damage to a laptop during travel. They can be trimmed to fit any size laptop and have a helpful grid on the back for cutting even, straight lines. The grid peels off and the thin laptop skin sticks to the laptop cover like a sticker. The skins are heavy duty, but leave no residue when they're peeled off. So they apply easily and stick well, but also come off cleanly. These sleek, water-resisant skins personalize, decorate, and protect a laptop and also give it easy identification in school! Omnitech also makes calculator skins in the same fun patterns as the laptop skins. The calculator skins are designed specifically for graphing and scientific calculators, and they're great for stylizing and marking a calculator when lots of students in math class have the same one!

Staples One Subject Notebooks have fun cover designs and perforated, three-whole punched, standard white-lined paper (70 sheets). They're slim, colorful, expressive, and useful; have one for every subject in a different pattern to easily tell them apart and stay organized, subject by subject! 

  The Staples Game Controller Calculator is where number crunching meets...video game playing?! This calculator looks more like a Play Station 3 controller than a tool for school. It makes math fun, but might get confiscated by a teacher, because of its uncanny resemblance to a game! This slim, lightweight calculator carries out simple math functions, making it handy to have for quick computations...but it shouldn't be THE calculator for class, because of its limited functions. The calculator doesn't actually have any games on it, but it might be a little distracting in class; even the on/off buttons are fun to play with! The calculator is small, slim, and compact (pocket-size), with gigantic "equal" and "clear" buttons!  It comes in white or black. The (+,-,x, /) signs could be easily mixed up, though, because they're all on one button! This calculator can number crunch, but it's all fun and games!

The 3-D Book Sox Book Covers are stretchable fabric book covers in 3-D print designs that pop off the cover with the use of 3-D glasses. The glasses are included free with the cover. The covers protect books with a little 3-D fun added in (although you probably won't use the 3-D glasses after you first get the covers). The book sox are reusable and washable. They're also easy to put on and all the patterns come in the jumbo size, which stretches to fit books larger than 10" H x 8" W. The covers personalize a book for school while also protecting it from spills, pen marks, and wear and tear. They also keep book covers in the same condition as before they were used, which is especially helpful for books and textbooks that need to be returned at the end of the school year. These covers customize books for easy identification in the classroom when everyone has the same one! And they protect books that need to be carried between the classroom and home. The covers come in four eye-catching patterns: shimmer, confetti, cold fusion, and wicked.

www.staples.com/btspr displays Staples back-to-school products and has updates on their back-to-school line! You can also view more of their back-to-school collection online at www.staples.com.

Mom Central's Teen Reviews Central is giving away one set of Staples Back-To-School must-haves inside a backpack, thanks to the team at Staples! The Staples Back-To-School giveaway includes:

1 High Sierra Swerve Backpack

1 Omnitech Laptop Skin

3 Omnitech Calculator Skins

1 One Subject Notebook

1 Access Bag N' Pack Flap Top Insulated Lunch Kit

2 Mini Xeno Retractable Ballpoint Pens

1 Dickies Composition Book

1 Book Jax Book Cover

1 Game Controller Calculator

2 Book Sox Book Covers

Congratulations to Pamela from PA for winning the Teen Reviews Central Staples Back-To-School Set Giveaway!

Also, thank you to everyone who entered.

Interested in more giveaways? Browse through the Mom Central Giveaways & Freebies Roundup!

Mom Central received review samples of back-to-school products from Staples.

When most people think of kiwi, they think of the classic, juicy green kiwi that has a tangy-sweet, refreshing taste. Most, however, don't know about the hidden gem: gold kiwi, which has a mellow, tropical, sweet taste and a silky texture.The product of two crossed exotic fruit, the golden kiwifruit is a relatively new scientific "invention" that was created in New Zealand in the 1970's. The cross-pollination gave the fruit a tropically sweet and calming flavor similar to a melon! Zespri Kiwifruit, a grower, producer and seller of kiwi, carries both green and gold kiwifruit, two nutritious kiwi types grown in New Zealand.

Kiwifruit ( gold and green alike) have incredible nutritious value that supports and boosts health; the New York Times announced kiwifruit's #1 fruit ranking based on the "Overall Nutrition Quality Index" (ONQI). Kiwifruit are in fact more nutritious than almost any other fruit! One serving of kiwifruit (2 kiwis, gold or green) contains a whopping 240% of recommended daily intake of vitamin C (more vitamin C than in an orange), making kiwifruit a great flu-fighter that also reduces the long-term effects of stress and aging. One serving also packs in more fiber than a bowl of bran cereal. Fiber promotes a healthy heart, regulates digestion patterns, and helps lower cholesterol levels. A serving of kiwifruit also has more potassium than a banana. Potassium maintains normal fluid and electrolyte balances and releases energy during exercise, making kiwifruit a potent aspect of an active lifestyle diet. Kiwifruit are also recommended for those watching their weight, because of their low glycemic index of 52 (makes them low in carbs and sugars). Kiwis have antioxidants, such as vitamin E, that fight free radicals and harmful by-products in the body. Vitamin E specifically lowers cholesterol and strengthens the immune system, as well. Among two kiwis, there is 30 mg of magnesium, which increases energy levels and improves muscle and nerve function. Kiwifruit also contain 10% of the recommended daily value of folate, lutein, a phytochemical that protects eyesight against overexposure to light, and zinc, which keeps hair, skin, teeth, and nails healthy. It's hard to believe that all these health benefits are packed into one low-carb, low-fat, succulent little fruit!

  So why Zespri? Zespri is all about environmental sustainability and using the planet's resources wisely. The ZESPRI System is a unique growing and distributing process for kiwi. The system ensures that the kiwifruit Zespri grows and sells have a consistent size, shape, appearance, and taste. Zespri uses completely natural methods to grow their kiwifruit and is helping to keep the earth green.

www.zesprikiwi.com has more of the scoop on their kiwifruit and creative summer kiwi recipes (including kids' recipes), like carnival kiwi parfait, sliders with kiwi salsa, and gold kiwipops (also recipes for smoothies, salads, desserts, and more). Zespri kiwifruit can be found at local retailers and grocers. They may be sold with a free plastic spife utensil (a spoon and knife combo) that makes the cut-and-scoop way to eat kiwi easy and fun (also great to pack a kiwi and a spife for kids' school lunch or snack!). Kids and teens love the sweet, refreshing taste of kiwi, and it packs even more nutritional punch than a lot of other healthy fruits. Kiwifruit's small size also makes it a great little snack that even the pickiest of eaters and smallest bite takers enjoy down to the last scoop!

Mom Central received Zespri gold and green kiwis and spifes in order to review these products and produce.

  The new Campbell's SpongeBob soup, from www.campbellsoup.com, is one of thirteen Campbell's Condensed Kids Soups. These kids soup varieties are nourishing and healthy, and each soup contains 25% less sodium than the regular Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup (480 mg of sodium compared to the usual 890 mg!). Campbell's has lowered the sodium content in over 90 of its soups. All of the kids soups meet the government criteria for healthy foods, with controlled fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. They have been inspected and approved for wholesomeness by the U.S. Deptartment of Agriculture! The thirteen flavors contain 110 calories or less, 3g of fat or less, 0g trans fat, and 480 mg of Sodium. Also, none of the soups have added MSG, artificial flavors, or preservatives.

Campbell's Spongebob soup is one of the most nutritious soups in the kids line. It contains tender chicken, rich chicken broth, and six whole grain pasta shapes that kids will love and recognize from Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants. The shapes are SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Sandy, Plankton and Gary. Although it is a canned food, the soup has a homemade chicken noodle soup taste. It's also healthy; in one cup serving prepared, there's only 80 calories, 2g fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 480 mg sodium, 1g sugar, 3g protein, 1g fiber, and 10% DV vitamin A, making it a good source of vitamin A. The soup, as an unopened canned food, will stay good for a long time without refrigeration, so you can choose to eat it just about whenever (although your kids might be begging for it right away!).  

The other twelve kids flavors: Chicken & Stars, Double Noodle, Chicken NoodleO's, Disney Princess, Cars, Shrek, Dora the Explorer, Mega Noodle, Chicken Alphabet, Curly Noodle, Goldfish Pasta, and Goldfish Pasta & Meatballs  

Each of the kids soups comes in a 10.5 ounce can with a pull-back lid. The tab on the lid makes the job can-opener free! The soup is also quick and easy to prepare; the can gives simple instructions to either cook the soup on the stove or to microwave it. Campbell's Condensed Kids Soups are sold at supermarkets and mass merchandise stores nationwide. You can also earn 1 point for your school with each can from Labels For Education (each can has one paper cut-out coupon).

This soup is targeted towards kids to get them the nutrition they need and the Campbell's taste they love, all while having fun identifying and eating their favorite cartoon characters. Teens will still enjoy these soups, too; they're the ultimate comfort food, they're easy to prepare, and they cook super fast. The Campbell's SpongeBob soup has a delicious, flavorful taste that makes kids (including picky eaters) devour it, SpongeBob pasta shapes that kids enjoy, and the nutrition that kids need...and that parents appreciate!! 

Mom Central's Teen Review Central is giving away FOUR cans of Campbell's SpongeBob soup thanks to the team at Campbell's.

Here's how to enter to win:

1. Please comment below on this post (make sure to leave your e-mail address)

2. Bonus entry if you Tweet about the contest

3. Bonus entry if you link to this post from your blog or website 

 Contest ended as of Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Interested in more giveaways? Browse through the Mom Central Giveaways & Freebies Roundup!

Mom Central received Campbell's SpongeBob soup in order to review this product.

The Ultimate Go Fresh Energizing Deodorant from Dove, www.dove.com, is an invisible solid anti-perspirant. It provides clear, 24-hour protection that stays on skin and doesn't rub off onto clothes. It keeps underarms dry and smelling fresh. The scent is a refreshing grapefruit and lemongrass blend, perfect for summer! Dove also makes a matching body mist in the same fresh scent.

 The Suave Naturals Tropical Paradise Anti-perspirant/Deodorant, www.suave.com, has a lot in common with the Dove deodorant. It's an invisible solid that smoothes on clear for promised 24-hour protection. It prevents odor and wetness and has a fresh, summery, tropical scent that smells like a coconut and mango mix. 

Interestingly enough, both Dove and Suave are Unilever Products! Both deodorants provide tough, reliable odor and wetness protection, clear application,and a fresh, gentle, summery scent. The Dove scent is more of a clean, fresh, after-shower fragrance, but the Suave scent is more breezy, summery, and fragrant. Same distributor, same all-day protection, same invisibility, same smooth feel, slightly different refreshing scents that separate them...I'd have to call this face-off a tie! Both deodorants work great...just pick the scent you like! 

Unfortunately, Suave Naturals Tropical Paradise deodorant is being discontinued, but you can purchase Dove Go Fresh Energizing grapefruit and lemongrass deodorant at www.amazon.com.

Mom Central received review samples of Suave Naturlas Tropical Paradise Deodorant and Dove Ultimate Go Fresh  Energizing Deodorant.

The secret: it's meant for toddler's hair, but it works great for sensitive teen and adult hair, too!

You can find it at www.johnsonsbaby.com and purchase it at www.drugstore.com.

The Kérastase Nutritive Nutridéfense Anti-dryness Nutri-protective Treatment (quite a mouthful!) is a conditioner for dry and sensitised hair from www.Kerastase-USA.com. You apply a small dollop to washed and towel-dried hair, leave it on for about five minutes, and then rinse it out thoroughly. The added step of rinsing is a a lot less convenient than the Johnson's Leave-In Conditioner, and I find it to be an annoying task and time consumer (especially if I've just shampooed and rinsed my hair in the shower). This formula, however, is less focused on tangles and more attuned to overall hair care and health. It replenishes and rejuvenates hair to combat the effect of tough external conditions. The formula also restores shine and bounce to hair and locks in hydration. It has anti-drying protection that keeps roots and tips (and everywhere in between) smooth and healthy: it reduces frizz and dryness damage. The formula also feels light, soft, silky, and refreshing when you use it and smells wonderful; it has a deliciously sweet summer scent that puts the Johnson's scent to shame.

The scientific perk: it contains "Gluco-Active Technology," which is a combination of glucose, lipids and proteins -- all of which are essentials of the human diet! (fun fact...thanks to biology class!). 

You can buy Johnson's No More Tangles Leave-In Conditioner and Kérastase Nutritive Nutridéfense Anti-dryness Nutri-protective Treatment from www.amazon.com.

Mom Central received Johnson's No More Tangles Leave-In Conditioner and Kérastase Nutritive Nutridéfense Anti-dryness Nutri-protective Treatment in order to review these products.

Kmart is teaming up with Country Living to create a new, affordable line of bedding with the Country Living eye for design and the Kmart price. The new line will be featured on the Kmart website, www.kmart.com, for purchase as the Country Living Home Collection. 

Country Living bedding displays classic, casual, and comfortable designs. It's big on soft fabrics, such as cotton and linen, pastel and neutral colors, and subtle craftsmanship details, like scalloped edges and embroidered patterns. Their new line promises to offer the same country feel with a fresh, modern spin incorporated into their classic look. It's inspired by the Country Living Magazine, which gives decorating tips and ideas for the home. Country Living wants to broaden their bedding selection designs to allow customers to find comfortable bedding that matches their personal style. The line will carry blankets, sheets, quilts, pillows, etc. One matching pillow sheet and bed sheet set of the line, for example, is 100% cotton with standard measurements. It's soft in a classic pearl white and has floral eyelet details and a pretty scalloped edge. It's also washable and dryer-friendly! 

Mom Central received a Kmart Country Living pillow & bed sheet set in order to review this product.

You can buy the Band-Aid Friction Block Stick at www.amazon.com. 

Mom Central received a Band-Aid Friction Block Stick in order to review this product.