Need A lift!!

Hi Ladies,

This may be a touchy subject for some of you, but I have noticed over the years of breast feeding and years & years of gravity, that the "girls" do not stand up straight anymore. I don't know about you but I don't like the idea of getting surgery or spending thousands of dollars to fix this.

Well out of the blue on one of my Walmart shopping trips, I found this great shelf-bra cami called "Secret Treasures" for $8.00. This bra cami is amazing & really gives the girls a makeover. It comes in S,M,L,XL & I believe it will work for any size of chest. I am an XL and it does the work, but is very comfortable too! The results are that my Husband noticed right away!!

Grab a couple before they are gone! They look like they are going on clearance. Click on the title for a direct link to there product! They are no longer available online, but I see them in the stores.

Be Blessed!

Christine

Are You A New Mom?

If you are a new Mom, or almost Mom to be, you need to get this book! Baby Bargains, 8th Edition: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furniture, Gear, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear and Much, Much More! (Paperback)by Denise Fields.

I wish I had heard about this book when I first started having children. Many of the money saving tips I learned on my own over the years, but this is a great resource if you are just starting out! Below is a outline of Chapter 3 in the book. I especially tuned into the chapter about "Diaper stackers and seven more wastes of money" I have often said if I only knew then what I know now, I could have saved alot of money.

Chapter 3

Baby Bedding & DecorSix Sources for The Best Quality and Prices

113Cyberspace: Three Great Sites

115More than Sheets: The Four Basic Bedding Pieces

116Electric Blanket Warning and Seven More Safety Tips

121Looking for Mr. Good Bedding: Nine Shopper Tips

125Diaper Stackers and Seven More Wastes of Money

127Skipping the Quilt and Seven More Money-Saving Secrets

130Two Outlets For More Savings

131Reviews & Ratings of 37 Top Bedding Designers

132Dangerous Impressions: Marketing of Linens

136Chart: Bedding Compared

150Seven Mail Order Sources Saves 20% to 50% off

152The Bottom Line: Our Budget Saves You $800 to $900

Now I do sell custom car seat covers on my website, which I do believe is a great purchase as you go from child to child with the same car seat, that may be getting worn or your first was a girl with that cute pink car seat that you bought, but now your having a boy! Our car seat covers are washable for those messy times and spit up!

Be Blessed!

Christine

Big September Giveaway Contest

To start our new blog off with a bang, we are sponsoring a big giveaway contest for the Month of September!! This will be a random drawing on September 25th, winners to be announced on our blog that day. 1st place will receive the choice of ANY item on our website (Yes, that means a custom car seat cover, custom stroller cover, etc!) 2nd & 3rd place will each received a $20.00 gift certificate to use on our website!!!!

Rules as follows:
1). Sign up to follow my blog (1 entry) Click on the google "follow" button to the right.
2). Leave one comment on any post of my blog (1 entry)
5). Leave one comment about an item you would like me to carry on my website. (1 entry)

All of these must be completed to qualify for the drawing. If you have any questions, please e-mail me. Please use admin@smallsprouts.com for all correspondence.

Blessings! Christine

Frugal Clothing Tip

I just love these vintage inspired dresses we carry on our website. I bought a little cowgirl one for our Camille to wear for our very hot summers here in San Antonio, but as the weather gets colder, I will pair this dress up with a long sleeve onesie & maybe even a jean jacket and add some coordinating baby legs to complete the outfit. As Camille grows older, I will take the same dress that is now a long shirt & pair it with jeans or a skirt to get a second life out of my purchase. **Babylegs is a product we are adding to our website in the next few weeks.

Have a great day!

Christine

First Giveaway

We will be sponsoring a big giveaway for the month of September. The Rules will be posted in the next few days. Please check back!

Christine

Giving & Receiving

Our family believes in giving & receiving. There is always someone out there that is in need. Our family has flowed in and out of seasons of need and seasons of abundance. We have always tried to give abundantly and to humbly receive when we needed to. During one of our lean times, I discovered http://www.freecycle.org/. Most of you have probably been on Craigslist were you mostly pay for items, but sometimes people just want to give items away. This is how Freecycle was born. You can register on there site & begin your journey into Freecycle giving & receiving. Now here is were I must say a few things; if you like to hoard things or you are a re-seller, then Freecycle is not for you!! There website strives to stay true to the concept of giving and receiving in times of need along with recycling instead of throwing away. Please read there policies before posting. You may only put up a wanted item post every two weeks, but you can give as much as you like.
After we became Foster Parents, we realized the need for a playset for the backyard, but knew how expensive they were. I started watching the giving posts on Freecycle & after several months, we did receive a playscape for our backyard. The playset was weathered, but in good shape & my handy husband added some new wood support beams to make a great sturdy playset. I have posted a picture for you all to see!
I must post this warning! Never go into someone’s home-Only agree to porch or driveway pickups. When I give items away, I alway post that it is a porch pickup only!
Happy Freecycling!
Christine

Welcome!

This is the first post of my Small Sprouts blog. I hope to inspire you with frugal ideas for you and your family. In this uncertain economy, we can all use some tips on how to save money & stretch the dollar as long as it’s worth something. This is an open forum for your frugal tips as well. My contributing editors will be my Mother, my six sisters and my sister-in-law, who all have given me some great tips over the years. I will also be presenting frugal suggestions with the products that I carry on my website. I truly believe that life’s ups and downs are learning opportunities for all of us, as I know they have been for me.

About Me

My name is Christine! I am a married Christian WAHM. I am also a Proud Navy Mom. I have a wonderful supportive Husband, three beautiful boys. We moved from Sunny (hot) San Antonio, TX to Sunny (hot)Merida Yucatan, Mexico to participate in outreach programs for the women and children of the Yucatan. I have been a Mom for just over 21 years. Our eldest Son is a Naval Ceremonial Guard. I was a Consumer Products Reporter before the birth of our last Son.

Six years ago our Company, Small Sprouts, evolved out of a family need. My husband and I both lost our mainstream jobs about the same time & I was looking for a way to help support our family & stay home with our youngest Son who has Autism. My Mother is a fabulous seamstress and I think it rubbed off on me, so I started with the custom car seat covers and the rest followed. Our Son, Kevin, Named the company for us. Although I do very little sewing any longer, we are all hands on family operated. All of our products are made in the U.S.A by other WAHM's like me.

I decided to call this blog Frugal tips, as our family has experience the ups and downs of life & learned some important lessons about living life & having fun on a frugal budget.

Hope you enjoy the ride!
Blessings from our family!

Christine