Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Feb 9, 2012, 12:00 pm
I’ve mentioned this cider glazed pork loin several times in my menu plan. It’s something I came up with on the fly when we had pork loin and just enough apple cider to cause the kids to fight  make a tasty fall/winter marinade. This recipe is super easy to make since you don’t need to marina...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Feb 9, 2012, 7:00 am
Everyone who has ever tried to make the most of their money knows that in order to get the best bargains on certain goods, timing is everything. So in order to help the readers of The Centsible Life get their bargain timing down to perfect in February, I have created a “Best Time to Buy” list fo...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Feb 8, 2012, 12:55 pm
I shared a post earlier this week about an awesome opportunity I have to give back thanks to Savings.com and Donors Choose. I was overwhelmed with the choices on Donors Choose, so I asked for readers to share their favorite projects. Now you get to help choose which project will get funded. Simply r...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Feb 8, 2012, 9:10 am
For the 100th day of school the kids did all kinds of fun activities. Check out Aidan’s adorable 100 glasses and 100th day crown. He also brought home a worksheet that shared what he would do with $100. Looks like mom is rubbing off on him. For more inspiring photos, check out: The Bonafide Lif...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Feb 7, 2012, 10:44 am
As I mentioned last week my site had major issues in the past week. I experienced an unusual amount of downtime from my host at the same time I found out my site had malware. To say Monday (and the rest of the week) was stressful is an understatement. In layman’s terms the downtime means if you t...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Feb 6, 2012, 4:01 pm
Donors Choose is a wonderful organization that allows schools to ask for what they need, and you to donate to all kinds of school projects based on whatever criteria you see fit. Want to fund the arts? No problem. Want to donate money to increasing technology in schools? They have you covered. Even...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Feb 6, 2012, 1:05 pm
We’re back to Week One with our 365 day meal plan this week. The first four weeks have been fairly simple in terms of shopping and cooking meals, though we have had to make some accomadations over those weeks as well. Overall though we’re seeing a huge savings over the previous month in grocerie...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Feb 2, 2012, 7:00 am
December through April are big months in my house for gift cards. We have Christmas, then all 4 of my family members’ birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Easter, etc., and as my kids have gotten older we have found that they have gotten harder to shop for. My husband and I have also gotten harder to sho...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Feb 1, 2012, 9:46 am
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to take more time to take care of myself. Last year was hectic in both good and challenging ways, but I wasn’t taking care of myself and found that I was exhausted and stressed to the max. The lesson I learned was that putting myself last never works. I need t...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 31, 2012, 10:45 am
Apologies for the delay in Monday’s meal plan, due to downtime and malware infecting my site I was unable to get this up in time. Without further ado an update on meal planning. We’re in week four of my 365 meal plan, and so far even with crazy busy schedules, and a never-ending cold that we’...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 31, 2012, 9:50 am
UPDATE: I was wrong, there is still a redirect when you search for or search on the site. To visit the site, please only use direct URLs. Will update as soon as this is fixed. If you tried to visit the site yesterday you may have come across a big red page that said malware was attached to my site,...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 30, 2012, 12:01 am
Here are our favorite deals and discounts from this week. Would love to know what you think of this new feature-let me know in the comments!   Are you ready for some football? It is Superbowl time check out these fun decoration ideas! If you are not into football, maybe this craft site is more...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 27, 2012, 12:43 pm
I didn’t realize when I started organizing that it was going to make me feel so revitalized. Several days into it I started to feel so free and rejuvenated. I started to organize to finally begin my built-in desk project. I don’t have a junk drawer. I have had a junk room, otherwise known as th...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 26, 2012, 2:00 pm
This week I’m taking part in a new linkup and feature called VlogMoms, where bloggers from around the blogosphere talk about the same topic with our own spin. I’m thrilled to be a part of such a fun group of bloggers and some really amazing vloggers are helping lead thew way. Desiree from MommyR...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 26, 2012, 9:00 am
A common New Year’s resolution is to attempt to get fit for the year. Last year after having years of stops and starts when it came to adding “getting moving” to my daily routine I started running. For some reason, unlike a lot of other programs this was the first workout that I started that I...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 25, 2012, 12:03 pm
Starting 2012 on the right financial foot is a resolution many people share. We’re only a few weeks into the new year and you may already feel defeated, but it’s not too late to get organized, and turn 2012 into the year you become a money ninja. One of my resolutions was to spend more time foc...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 23, 2012, 10:26 am
It’s Monday again, time for another update on our 365 day meal plan and this week’s menu. Last week was pretty successful despite the still nasty cold/congestion that is running through the house and a busy, busy week. For my own record-keeping and to keep me honest here’s last week’s me...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 22, 2012, 2:26 pm
This week I’m sharing what I hope will be a weekly feature Centsible Deals weekly roundup. Along with Deals Editor, Brittany, I’m sharing our favorite deals and discounts from this week. Would love to know what you think of this new feature-let me know in the comments! Hasbro Daily Discounts H...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 19, 2012, 12:16 pm
One of the things that has taken me years to learn is the fine art of buying great furniture at deeply discounted prices. It seems like it’s either choose quality and hefty price tag or cheap materials and a wallet happy price. It doesn’t have to be either or though! Ikea Our Ikea bookshelves...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 16, 2012, 10:52 am
It’s Monday which is meal planning day in our house, but thankfully I don’t need to come up with anything new since I have my 365 day meal plan rotation in full effect. If you haven’t seen it yet, I made a template for you to make your own rotating meal plan that repeats throughout the year. I...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 13, 2012, 6:44 pm
Now that it is the New Year I’ve been thinking about what I can do to make more money, you know, other than getting another job or my daughter and I giving up our weekly Starbucks. After all, we need our weekly Starbucks. **wink, wink** (No really. We need our weekly Starbucks.) The key to us ke...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 12, 2012, 1:18 pm
Emergencies come up more often than we’d like in life. Whether it’s a financial emergency that dips into our emergency fund, or a medical emergency that requires fast action, life never goes exactly as we plan. As my kids get older we talk a lot about various kinds of emergencies from fire safe...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 10, 2012, 9:12 am
My girls love to make art and my 9 year old is especially good at finding use for ‘found’ objects like paper towel rolls, shoeboxes, and our recycling. A few weeks ago she found a pot the neighbors had put out on trash day. It was clear it had been outside and the paint that was either originall...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 9, 2012, 3:21 pm
My baby turns six today. I know six isn’t a baby, but he will always be my baby since he’s my youngest child. That doesn’t mean I ‘baby’ him–instead I know he will be the last to go through any phase of life, and I try to step back and cherish the moments he reaches those milestones. In...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 5, 2012, 9:00 am
Everyone who has ever tried to make the most of their money knows that in order to get the best bargains on certain goods, timing is everything. So in order to help the readers of The Centsible Life get their bargain timing down to perfect, I have created a “Best Time to Buy” list for each curre...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Jan 2, 2012, 9:00 am
How simple would it be if you had a meal plan for the full year? Last year I tried (and failed) to cook at home 365 days, but have renewed passion for this idea as well as a new plan that will make it easier. It’s rather simple. I put together 4 weeks of meals and they will repeat over and over t...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Dec 31, 2011, 1:24 am
It’s that time of year where everyone talks resolutions, and I’m no exception! While I believe that you can resolve to make major life changes at any time of year (see going gluten-free over 18 months ago–BOOYAH), it really helps to have the motivation of a brand new year to get you going in t...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Dec 30, 2011, 10:57 pm
I’ve never been a big New Year’s Eve girl. Especially since we have kids (and have for 14 years-eek!) New Year’s Eve usually involves one or both of us falling asleep on the couch before the ball drops. I can vaguely remember waking up in the middle of the night at various times over the years...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Nov 3, 2011, 6:00 am
... the lookout for innovative and fun toys that my kids will use ... over again. I look for toys that transcend age, that engage ... in playtime, creativity, and learning. Toys like wooden blocks, cooperative games ... most. I prefer to purchase toys from my local toy store ... also allows me...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Nov 2, 2011, 8:01 am
Last weekend it snowed. It snowed in OCTOBER. I don’t know if that sinks in for the people who deal with cold and snow this early (or those of you who don’t get snow :p), but that is SO not usual where we live. Snowtober meant a trip to several stores to stock up on snow shovels, gloves, snow g...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Nov 1, 2011, 1:36 pm
I may have mentioned my love for my Etymotic earphones once or a bajillion times. My husband ‘borrowing’ them may have caused some strife. (needless to say he won’t do that again!) Tonight I’ll be joining other members of Splash Creative Media to chat about Etymotic’s latest addition, ETY...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 31, 2011, 1:51 pm
Roo at Nice Girl Notes (seriously one of my favorite bogs evah) is hosting a ‘What’s in your bag?’ linkup so I thought I’d share. I get asked a lot about my life, and how I manage it all. This bag (Banana Republic tote available in various colors in store) is my life. I love that it can fit...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 27, 2011, 8:29 am
Welcome Candice (from Fashionably Organized) who will be sharing her crafty side with us over the next few months as a member of Lowe’s Creator and Influencer Network. Every month she will share a new project inspired by Lowe’s Creative Ideas a free magazine that features step by step ideas for...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 26, 2011, 8:54 am
In a coffee and cold induced haze this week I accidentally and permanently deleted all emails that I had replied to. I’m usually pretty organized about responding, organizing emails into folders, and keeping emails from contacts I may want to reach out to in the future. When I went from 11% of m...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 25, 2011, 11:03 am
I often regret not learning more about personal finance and frugality when I was younger. While my husband and I lived through lean times in our early marriage, the frugality I practiced was not a passion, it was a survival mechanism. As we earned more (and added to our brood) our expenses grew as w...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 24, 2011, 4:24 pm
Today is Mom Monday, a day when I talk about my life as a mom. The Centsible Life is a blog about money & motherhood so it’s only fitting that I share my thoughts on mothering. I’m a work at home mom, so I’m constantly trying to manage the kids while trying to work as well. It’s typically ...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 21, 2011, 3:16 pm
It’s getting chilly outside in Pennsylvania now. A standard Facebook status from now-March will say, “I’m so over being cold.” As soon as the temps drop below 65 degrees my hands and feet get cold almost permanently. They usually only feel warm right after I take a shower, or when I’m hold...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 20, 2011, 7:00 am
Halloween decorations can be pricey but since my family loves Halloween, and loves decorating for Halloween even more we have come up with a few inexpensive ideas for creating a spooookkkky house. How to Make a Monster House My husband came up with this idea, and he an my 13 year old figured out a...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 19, 2011, 10:00 am
Although I’m fortunate enough to work for a company that provides for me a quality vision insurance plan, many other people aren’t so lucky. The prohibitive out-of-pocket cost of both eye exams and frames/lenses means that there are a good number of people who aren’t afforded the clarity of vi...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 19, 2011, 12:01 am
It’s a surprise sale from Gap! Gap is offering a surprise sale now through October 22nd. Click through and you’ll get a surprise discount. I love surprises! This offer is only valid online, so don’t head to the store thinking you can get the same deal. Gap is one of my go to places for trend...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 17, 2011, 10:13 am
Today is Mom Monday, a day when I talk about my life as a mom. The Centsible Life is a blog about money & motherhood so it’s only fitting that I share my thoughts on mothering. Monday is a day that gets a lot of credit as being the worst day of the week. ‘Monday blues,’ or ‘having a case o...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 16, 2011, 7:00 am
Sundays are usually spent reading, shopping, running errands, and reading blogs. I realized I’m not sharing enough of what I’m reading though you can always find me tweeting links, sharing on Facebook, and thumbing up great content on StumbleUpon. Dressing up a Little Black Dress from Just Prec...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 15, 2011, 9:23 pm
California Wine Club reached out to me recently to see if I would be interested in trying their Premium Club membership. Yes, my work involves drinking wine right now (did I mention I have the best job, ever). All kidding aside one of the main reasons I chose to share my experiences with Californi...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 14, 2011, 3:01 pm
... . Everything from home accessories and furniture to suitcases and cookware. They are brand names like Viking, Samsonite, and French Twist. One King’s Lane is offering a great credit for new users. $15 ... ’m dreaming about when our house is ready for some finer furnishings, and drooling ov...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 13, 2011, 10:09 am
I’m in New York City at SaveUp 2011, a conference thrown by Savings.com. There are about 40 DealPros here, sponsors and of course the awesome folks from Savings. We had a blast last night eating way too much food and doing karoke, and today is all about learning from the super smart staff at Savin...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 12, 2011, 12:07 am
My husband and oldest had a little fun with the house for Halloween. Will post a how-to soon. For more inspiring photos, check out: The Bonafide Life, Better in Bulk, Shanamama, From Dates to Diapers, Not Your Momblog, The Divine Miss Mommy, Colorado Moms, Rajean Blomquist, Brain Foggles, Lil Kid ...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 11, 2011, 10:01 am
Last weekend I got an amazing email in my inbox from my insurance company. No, it wasn’t to tell me my premiums were due, or my dividend check was in the mail (yes, they send you one every year). Instead it was to bestow this honor on me:   The Centsible Life  is being spotlighted as the Oct...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 10, 2011, 1:35 pm
Today is Mom Monday, a day when I talk about my life as a mom. The Centsible Life is a blog about money & motherhood so it’s only fitting that I share my thoughts on mothering. This weekend we marked two major milestones for our littlest guy. Aidan, who is five, lost his first tooth! He also lea...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 7, 2011, 2:33 pm
I need new shoes. Sadly between too many pairs of open toe shoes, and having to say goodbye to a few favorite pairs my shoe selection is in need of a makeover on a budget of course. First up I need boots: I’m not kidding that I only bought my first pair of boots last year! They are these beauti...
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Kelly W. posted an article on The Centsible Life - Oct 6, 2011, 1:12 pm
Wine. Beer. Cocktails. (does anyone else think that’s a weird name?) Booze. photo credit: smallkaa It has different names, but it’s all alcohol. To some of us it sounds tasty, to others we could care less. As a parent though, the words alcohol and kids in the same sentence worry me. The s...
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