If you’re looking for a quick, simple and frugal meal that everyone will love… Spaghetti Pie is it! Not only can you make it ahead if you’re short on time, you can also make several at a time and freeze them for later!
Guest post from Brigette:
Spaghetti Pie Recipe with Cottage Cheese!
Spaghetti pie has been one of my Mom’s go-to recipes for as long as I can remember (so long that none of us can remember where the original recipe came from).
And it still is!
Any time we visit my parents for more than a few days, Spaghetti Pie will most likely be on the menu at some point. It’s another one of my Mom’s crowd-pleasing recipes that can be made up ahead of time and frozen – perfect for company!
Although Spaghetti Pie is similar to lasagna in taste, it’s cheaper to make and quicker to assemble!
My Mom usually serves this with a tossed salad, a fruit salad, and fresh homemade bread (Dill Bread is especially yummy with this!)
Baked Spaghetti Pie Ingredients
- 6-8 oz. spaghetti noodles
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 lb. ground beef or bulk pork sausage
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- ¼ cup green pepper, chopped (optional)
- 1 (8 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Ingredient FAQs:
Yes, any type of pasta could work for this recipe — however, it’s easiest to form a “crust” with spaghetti, fettuccini, or angel hair pasta noodles.
Gluten-free noodles could also be substituted.
Certainly! You can substitute any of your favorite store-bought (or homemade) pasta sauces in place of the dice tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, and salt. You may choose to still add the cooked ground beef and onion mixture to your store-bought sauce.
You could even try store-bought pesto or alfredo sauce to mix up the flavors a bit.
Yes! Simply omit the ground beef and sautee some mushrooms or additional veggies of choice to add to the sauce. You could also add in more cheese to increase the protein.
Most Italian herbs, like parsley, basil, and oregano, will boost the flavor of your pasta sauce. Also, make sure you add enough salt — along with a little sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
This is probably a personal preference more than anything else. Ricotta cheese has much smaller “curds” and a smoother texture. Cottage cheese is usually less expensive, lower in calories, and higher in protein.
How to Make Spaghetti Pie with Cottage Cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Cook spaghetti al dente and drain.
3. Stir butter into hot spaghetti; stir in beaten eggs and parmesan cheese.
4. Press this mixture into a greased 9 or 10-inch pie pan to form a “crust.
5. Spread cottage cheese over spaghetti crust.
6. In a skillet, cook the meat, onion, and green pepper until meat has browned and vegetables are tender.
7. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, and garlic salt. Heat through.
8. Spread meat mixture over cottage cheese.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
10. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
Easy Spaghetti Pie Variations
If you boil the noodles and cook the ground beef ahead of time, you can dump all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours or until all the cheese is melted. It will not resemble a “pie” but the flavors will still be delicious!
This recipe is so delicious, you’ll want to make a double batch! You can either use 2 pie pans or put it all in a 9″x13″ pan (with the “crust” on the bottom). You’ll probably want to increase the baking time by 5-10 minutes as well — just keep watching so the cheese doesn’t burn!
How to Store this recipe for Spaghetti Pie
It works best to freeze this recipe after you assemble the pie but BEFORE you bake it. When you want to serve it, simply defrost it overnight in your refrigerator and bake as directed in the recipe.
Easy Spaghetti Pie
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti noodles (uncooked)
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 eggs; beaten
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 lb ground beef or bulk pork sausage
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped (optional)
- 8 oz can diced tomatoes
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook spaghetti al dente and drain.
- Stir butter into hot spaghetti; stir in beaten eggs and parmesan cheese.
- Form this mixture into a crust in a greased 9 or 10-inch pie pan.
- Spread cottage cheese over crust.
- In a skillet, cook the meat, onion, and green pepper until meat has browned and vegetables are tender.
- Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, and garlic salt. Heat through.
- Spread meat mixture over cottage cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
- Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 more minutes, or until cheese melts.
Notes
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Sponsor Spotlight: ListPlanIt
We’re excited to have ListPlanIt as one of our sponsors. We had the opportunity to interview them and get to know their company a little more recently:
Tell us about the history of ListPlanIt.
I had the idea for ListPlanIt in that chaotic week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I had three young children, aged 2 to 6, and while I had always been a list maker, I was desperate for a simple way to keep track of and help manage the myriad of details that are involved in running a family and home. ListPlanIt has grown from 200 downloadable lists when it first launched in May 2007 to what it is today.
Tell us more about what ListPlanIt offers.
ListPlanIt is your complete resource with hundreds of lists all geared toward helping you get and stay organized. You’ll not only find downloadable lists, inventories, schedules, and to dos, but members now have the ability to create and store lists right in their ListPlanIt account and then access those lists from any device whether at home or on the go.
How can ListPlanIt help us save money?
Being organized means saving money. Whether using a list at the grocery store, packing for a trip, planning a birthday party, or preparing for any of life’s events, having a list means that you get what you need and not a lot of stuff that you don’t need. It means not running out at the last minute because you’ve forgotten something, which will now cost a premium. Lists mean saving time and anxiety, as well as money.
Do you have any new products or promotions coming up?
A few years ago, I wrote an eBook called 100 Days to Christmas that tied in with the vast number of holiday planning lists available at ListPlanIt. 100 Days to Christmas starts on September 16 and counts down the 100 days that lead up to Christmas day. The idea is to start planning early so that you can enjoy December to the fullest.
The following year, I wrote 100 Days of Summertime, which journeys from about Memorial Day to Labor Day and gives a reminder, task, or activity to help make the most of your summertime fun.
Last year, I wrote 100 Days of a New Year, which was just newly updated for 2014. You can currently get the 100 Days of a New Year, which includes 75 lists and planning pages to help set goals for 2014, for just $5!
How can members get the most out of ListPlanIt?
Members to ListPlanIt.com can view some of our tutorials on how to get the most out of creating and managing lists as a ListPlanIt member. Your lists can be shared with friends and family on pinterest, Facebook, twitter, and via email so that next time there is a potluck or a wish list, sharing makes it easy. Members should subscribe to our weekly newsletter (The L.I.S.T.) to get tips and ideas delivered right to your inbox to inspire you to get the most out of your lists.
Anything else you’d like to add?
While new members to ListPlanIt automatically get a free 30-day trial to see if our lists are right for you, I’d like to share a coupon code exclusively for the MSM community for $1 off the monthly membership fee! Use the following coupon code at checkout: MSM20LISTS and you’ll get $1 off the monthly fee.
Interested in becoming a monthly sponsor or advertising with us? Find more details here.
Make sleep one of your highest priorities
Why You Should Stop Trying to Do It All {Chapter 1}
Note from Crystal: Mandi asked me if she could blog through my new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode. She’ll be sharing one post per chapter per month. I know many of you are reading through the book right now and I thought you’d enjoy hearing her thoughts — and joining in the discussion to share your thoughts, as well.
Guest post by Mandi Ehman from Life Your Way
My one word for 2014 is LIVE.
Like Crystal, I’ve spent many years building a business, saying yes to every opportunity and making sacrifices. While many of those choices have been worth it, since it allows our family to live and work from home together and gives us plenty of flexibility for traveling, etc., I’ve realized that somewhere along the way I decided that being busy and productive was the ultimate goal.
In short, I’ve accepted the Survival Mode mindset and made it my own, and I’ve let the best things in life — reading with the girls, cooking together, saying yes to an impromptu play date or coffee date — get pushed aside.
After taking two months off for maternity leave after the birth of our fifth baby, January was a month of new beginnings — a chance create new habits and get back into the groove of working without falling into all of those bad habits once again.
When Say Goodbye to Survival Mode arrived (I was fortunate to get a preview copy at the beginning of January!), I knew it would become my manual this year as I discover what it’s like to homeschool with a baby in our home (our four girls were born within five years, so I’ve never had to juggle school and a baby before!) and as I look for ways to continue doing my job (which I love and which supports our family) without letting it become the focus of my life.
I read it straight through the week it arrived but decided that I wanted to work through it one chapter at a time this year — along with Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford and Notes from a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider — to create a life of abundance rather than one characterized by stress.
Stop Trying to Do It All
This month, I started with the first chapter from Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: Stop Trying to Do It All.
The truth is I’m pretty good at saying no…to all of the wrong things. I say no to playing games, to going on field trips, to spending quality time with the people who are most important to me, all while saying yes to the tyranny of the urgent: emails demanding my attention, yet another business idea, self-imposed deadlines, exhaustion, etc.
In order to make time for the important stuff, though, I first have to learn to say no to the rest of the things that divide my attention and steal my time.
The hard part is that many of those things are good things themselves; but they’re not the best things.
The Four C’s to Creating Margin
To help us differentiate between the two and make time for the things that really matter, in her book, Crystal offers The Four C’s to Creating Margin, which I have been practicing this month:
Create a Personal Priorities List
My personal priorities in 2014 are to:
- Be consistent about daily Bible study and prayer to start each day. {I joined a GoodMorningGirls.org group this month, and so far I love the study and the accountability.}
- Spend quality time with my children, not just quantity time. {I am recommitting myself to looking them in the eyes when they talk to me, playing games together, snuggling on the couch with our read alouds, looking for opportunities for one-on-one outings and inviting them into the kitchen to cook with me.}
- Refocus my business and spend time on the things that directly impact my vision rather than time wasters. {More on this below.}
- Make time for connecting with my husband, not just living life side-by-side. {I’m not a fan of the date night myth, but I do think a strong marriage takes work!}
- Cultivate local friendships. {Say yes to invitations more, which I can only do if I keep my work stress in check.}
Clear the Schedule Clutter
“Just because we are spinning our wheels, rushing from one commitment to the next, doesn’t necessarily mean that we are doing anything worthwhile.”
These words from Crystal cut straight to the chase and made me take a hard look at where I spend my time. What I realized was that I create a lot of extra work for myself.
You see, my desire for excellence in my work can border on perfectionism, and I’ve had to practice taking a step back and reevaluating the way I do things. What I’ve realized is that too often I do things the hard way in my quest for excellence when really no one else will notice and I’m just making more work for myself.
Cut Out Time and Energy Suckers
We all have time and energy suckers in our life, and I am no exception. While I love Facebook for staying connected to friends and family, it’s too easy to get sucked down a rabbit trail. I know I’m not alone in suddenly realizing that I’m spending time reading someone’s profile that I don’t even know just because I’m being nosy.
In addition, when I’m tired or overwhelmed, it’s easy for me to get sucked into the internet vortex (not to be confused with the time I actually set aside to read articles and blog posts, which I consider a fun and important part of my job!). I end up just clicking around aimlessly, and the more I do it, the worse I feel.
Acknowledging my tendency to do these things is at least half the battle, but I’m also consciously practicing closing the window or — better yet, getting up from the computer altogether — when I find myself doing one or the other so that I can reset my focus.
Count the Costs
And finally, in order to make time for social activities, field trips, coffee dates with friends, etc., I’ve had to count the cost of each and every commitment:
Taking on an extra project means eliminating the time in my week that I could use for an outing instead. Saying yes to X means saying no to Y. Every decision in life is like that — we only have so many hours to work with each day, after all — and it’s simply a matter of acknowledging what the cost is before you make the decision so that you know you’re truly choosing the best.
Get Practical
This chapter’s Get Practical tip is easier in theory than it is in practice, but it’s worth the effort: Practice saying no.
While I don’t need to practice saying no to social activities (since one of my goals in 2014 is to actually say yes to more of those), I do need to practice controlling my daily commitments and expectations when it comes to my to-do list, so I’ve been taking Crystal’s advice to “immediately eliminate three things from [my] list” seriously.
I love this practice because it acknowledges that my want-to list is longer than practical and helps me prioritize what I can actually get done in a day right from the start.
Sometimes I move things to later in the week…and sometimes I decide they just don’t need to be done at all!
Next Month…
In January, I focused on saying no and being realistic about the amount of time I actually have, and in February I’ll be moving on to Chapter 2 — Say Good Say Yes to the Best and practicing that very important skill. I’m looking forward to sharing my successes {and failures} with you next month!
Are you reading Say Goodbye to Survival Mode? What were your takeaways and thoughts from chapter one?
Mandi Ehman is an entrepreneur, online publisher and author who is passionate about encouraging other women to live intentionally. She’s the blogger behind Life Your Way, the author of Easy Homemade and the founder of BundleoftheWeek.com. Mandi and her husband have four spunky little girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia.
Molasses Snow Candy
When I saw the Little House Inspired Molasses Snow Candy recipe on ThricetheSpice, I knew my kids would want to try it.
And this week was the perfect week to try it — since we got over 8 inches of snow! The recipe was really easy to make, though it seemed like we had to stir the mixture on the stove for a long time.
It was finally ready to pour over the snow and it worked just exactly like I had pictured it would when we had read about it in Little House in the Big Woods. (We did have a little trouble getting it to drizzle and it clumped up — as you can see from the pictures.)
While the Molasses Candy didn’t taste all that amazing, it was such a fun project to do together!
We Paid Cash: Our Baby Boy’s Delivery
A testimony from Jessica
Our “We Paid Cash” victory this past year came in the form of a baby!
I know, it’s a little odd for a “We Paid Cash” story, but as many other moms know, having a baby can be expensive! With no health insurance, and as a stay-at-home mom, we knew from the beginning that our 4th baby would be a stretch for us financially.
We were able to utilize a health discount program available in our state, with the only contingency being that all fees (doctor, hospital, lab work, etc.) were paid in advance. This meant that we needed to come up with roughly $5000 for my 4th c-section, in just 9 months, on an already very tight budget!
Here’s how we did it:
We continued to stick to our budget.
We worked hard at keeping our eating-out down, our spending minimal, and our grocery bill at $350/month for our family of 5.
I did a lot of freezer cooking and stock piled great deals from my local grocery stores.
I sold stuff.
I sold old books and children’s clothing on Craigslist and eBay. While it didn’t amount to a ton, it was something!
My husband took on extra jobs.
My husband was able to perform about 2 weddings each month. This money went straight to the hospital, and also gave us some built-in date nights as we celebrated with the lovely couples getting married!
Swagbucks.
I used Swagbucks to earn Amazon gift cards to pay for diapers, which freed up my diaper budget to go towards the new baby.
We sold our second car.
With my husband working 5 minutes from home, and with me homeschooling our children, we figured we didn’t presently need to be a two-car family.
This sale gave us cash in hand, as well as cut our monthly car insurance bill by $25.
My husband sold a guitar.
Sigh. This one was a little harder… BUT, the day after he decided he would sell his guitar to help pay for the baby, he was gifted another one that he really loves!
By the time our fourth child was born, we had paid off the doctor, the surgical assistant, the anesthesiologist, the hospital, all lab fees, two unexpected hospital visits, and the pediatrician!
The financial freedom after our little Levi was born was SO nice, and now we get to enjoy and love on the very best thing we could’ve ever “paid cash” for… our son!
Jessica is a wife and homeschooling mom of four children under 7. She blogs regularly about parenting, homeschooling, crafts, DIY, and yummy recipes at Mothering With Creativity.
Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.
Big progress begins with…
52 Different Ways to Save $100 Per Year: Use a Programmable Thermostat {Week 43}
52 Different Ways to Save $100 Per Year: Use a Programmable Thermostat {Week 43}
Each week for 52 weeks, I’m sharing a different way you can save $100 this year. If you do all of these things, you’ll be able to save over $5,000 this year alone! Many of these things will likely be things you’re already doing, but hopefully all of you will pick up at least a few new ideas or some inspiration from this series.
One great way to save a significant amount of money is to use a programmable thermostat. Here’s what Melody emailed in and said:
We save quite a bit of money by using my programmable thermostat wisely!
They say you can save about 10% off your heating bill by lowering the temp 3-4 degrees (this applies to your cooling bill in the summer, too). Of course, we keep our programmable thermostat cooler at night and during times we are out of the house, but I also have another trick I use for all day when I’m home. I keep the thermostat set for 62 degrees and then give myself permission to bump it up if I’m too cold.
I find about half the time I don’t even notice that it’s set so low, and if I do, it’s often in the afternoon so it’s only set higher for an hour or two. By starting at 62 degrees instead of 68 degrees I estimate that in our cold climate we save well over $100 a year! -Melody
Want to lower your house temperatures, but don’t want to feel freezing all the time? Here are some simple suggestions:
1. Stay Active
Clean your house, chase your kiddos around, do some jumping jacks, or walk up and down the stairs a few times. Get your heartrate pumping and you’ll forget that you turned the thermostat down!
Door Sixteen shows you how to make a homemade door stop to keep the draft out.
2. Drink Hot Tea
I love a cup of hot tea with a splash of milk and honey! And it’s a great way to warm your insides up on a cold day.
3. Bake Something
Spend some time baking something yummy in your kitchen and you’ll warm yourself — and your house! — up in the process. Plus, you’ll have some delicious, fresh-from-the-oven food to eat, too! 🙂
4. Wear Socks
Anytime we’re cold, my first suggestion is to put some socks on. If your feet are warm, it usually helps the rest of your body to stay warm.
5. Put on Extra Layers
Instead of turning the thermostat up, put another layer on. We all have hoodies that we wear in the winter — often over another two layers — and it’s amazing how warm these keep you!
I loved this idea from Jody who blogs at Because I’m Me:
For a long time, I’ve been on my kids to turn the lights off, unplug things we’re not using, close the doors, take shorter showers, etc. They were tired of hearing it and weren’t listening.
One day a light bulb went on in the brain and I presented my children with the following offer: Each month the electric bill was below $190 they’d get the dollar amount the bill was below $190 (i.e.: if the bill were $180 they’d get $10). That money would go towards a party, be it candy, ice cream, cake, pizza, chips, whatever they could buy with that money. I never buy food like that, so it would be a real treat for them.
The first month the bill was still up there around $200, an encouraging improvement but not what they needed.
By the second month, the bill was only $162. Yup, almost $65 less than usual! Not too shabby. And it gave them $28 to blow on junk food. I never expected them to get it as low as that!
In addition to a lower electric bill, my children were able to learn valuable lessons. For example, how to budget that $28 to get the best bang for their buck while pleasing all six kids.
They opted to purchase store brand soda, inexpensive ice cream, lots of buy one, get one free items, use coupons, and to pass on some items that were just too expensive. When all was said and done they managed to have enough junk food for one fine party and many days of treats afterward, and they contributed $10 to a dinner of Chinese take-out!
Last week one of my sons said he wished we’d get an electric bill every day so he could keep track of the amount of the bill throughout the month. I wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity for a “teachable moment”, so out came the electric bill, an explanation of how to read the meter and a brief “field trip” to the side of the house where the meter is. Now he can check every day, do the multiplication and addition and see if we’re staying on track.
We are now four months into this deal and the interest has not waned! –Jody
Related: 7 Tips to Reduce Your Heating Bill
How do you keep your heating bills lower? What are your best tricks for staying warm without turning up the heat?
Psst! Wishing You Could Get a Copy of My Book for Valentine’s Day??
Psst! Wishing You Could Get a Copy of My Book for Valentine’s Day??
A number of you have written in to say you’d love to get a copy of my new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, for Valentine’s Day.
I mentioned this in a team meeting last week and my husband, Jesse, and my manager, Brian, both exclaimed, “We’ve GOT to find a way to make it really easy for men to get this book for their wives/girlfriends!”
The wheels started turning in their heads and pretty soon, they came up with the snazzy idea to have a form that women could fill out to email their husbands/boyfriends to let them know that this would be the perfect gift for them for Valentine’s Day.
Brian was like, “Do you know how much easier it would make my life if I just got a simple email that told me exactly what my wife wanted? I’d LOVE that!”
So gals, if you’ve been wanting to get a copy of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode and think it might be a great idea for a Valentine’s gift for you, here’s all you need to do:
1. Fill out the form below with your address and your husband’s/boyfriend’s email address.
2. Verify the email we send you to give us permission to send an email to your husband/boyfriend.
3. As soon as you click to verify the email in your inbox, your husband/boyfriend will get a friendly email from me letting him know that you’d love a copy of my book and telling him where he can purchase it. He’ll only get one email from me, one time. That’s it!
Hopefully, this will make it really easy for your husband/boyfriend to bless you with this book for Valentine’s Day! Jesse and Brian have promised me that the husbands and boyfriends are going to love this! 🙂
P.S. If you’d love a copy of the book, but there is no way that your family can afford it in your budget right now and your library is unable to order it for you, my husband and I would like to bless you with it as our Valentine’s Day gift to you. Just email [email protected] with your mailing address and we’ll send you one.
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
3 Places to Earn Extra Money Transcribing
Guest post from Miranda of WAHadventures.com
Many women who are seeking ways to make extra money online are looking for typing based home jobs. Most commonly searched are data entry positions. However, legit data entry jobs are few and far between. Even so, the genuine companies often have a timely waiting list.
As a work at home blogger who has been sharing money-earning advice with women for over 4 years, I suggest turning to transcription.
Transcription is an excellent way to make money in your spare time and many have been successful creating online careers with full-time incomes as professional transcriptionists. These three companies do not require you to have previous experience or schooling to start working as a transcriber.
QuickTate
QuickTate is one of the most commonly known legitimate online transcription companies. They hire even the inexperienced to transcribe short audio files into text.
Although the work doesn’t pay much — $1 for every 400 words — it is a great place to make some extra pocket money.
QuickTate has been around for many years and has a long-standing history of always paying their transcriptionists on time. Keep in mind, QuickTate is best utilized as an extra income site rather than a way to make an income. Workload can be spotty with plenty of files to transcribe one week to nothing at all the next.
TranscribeMe
TranscribeMe offers a great way to get your foot in the door as a transcriptionist. They offer short audio files to be transcribed at a rate of $14 per audio hour — with potential to earn up to $20 per audio hour.
Notice it is per audio hour — meaning your speed and efficiency will determine your overall hourly rate. This pay is well below the standard for a professional, experienced, transcriptionist; however, it is a great way to become qualified for higher paying transcription careers.
Again, TranscribeMe is not reliable as work is not always available.
Tigerfish Transcription
Tigerfish is another transcription company that is known for hiring people without experience.
The pay at Tigerfish is a bit ambiguous but others have posted online they were able to manage as much as $15 per hour, or $60 per audio hour.
While this information is likely coming from someone with experience and speed – it is a nice indicator that Tigerfish may pay slightly better than the other two companies mentioned above.
What You Should Know About Becoming a Virtual Transcriptionist.
Most every online transcription company worth working for will require you to pass an entrance exam.
If you do not have formal experience as a transcriptionist, they will be looking for the skills needed to complete the job. It is important to have a typing speed of at least 60 words per minute, with 100% accuracy. Being a successful transcriber means you must be fluent in English with a detailed knowledge of correct grammar and punctuation.
Additionally, having exceptional listening skills is required. Transcription generally requires no distractions in order to excel. Listening to the audio files and typing what you hear verbatim requires all of your attention and focus.
Miranda Grimm — The creator of WAHadventures.com — has many passions in life, including the Lord, her family, and blogging! Miranda is living out her dream, working from home to be with her children while actually making money doing something she loves!
Getting up early is not rocket science…
Chat About: Earn rewards for participating in online discussions
Chat About: Earn rewards for participating in online discussions
Have you checked out Chat About? It’s a site that rewards you for participating in online discussions. There are topical discussions, new discussions, questions and answers.
Each time you leave a comment, answer a questions, refer your friends, or participate in their community, you are awarded points! Simply visit your profile page to cash those points for a range of great prizes shipped to you absolutely free!
You can cash in your points for Amazon gift cards, Paypal credit, kid’s items, jewelry, accessories, and more! Here’s how their points system works:
Points System
2 – Leave a comment anywhere on Topics
3 – Reply to a comment anywhere on Topics
2 – Ask a question (Q&A section)
2 – Answer another member’s question (Q&A section)
2 – Reply to a news article (News Section)
10 – Write a review
20 – Write an articleBonus Area – Added daily!
You can also refer your friends and earn 20% off what your friends earn for as long as they are active members.
Have you tried Chat About? If so, I’d love to hear what you think of it!
(Note: This post was underwritten by Chat About. Read my disclosure policy here.)
Sponsor Spotlight: Marie-Madeline Studio
We’re excited to have Marie-Madeline Studio as one of our sponsors. We had the opportunity to interview them and get to know their company a little more recently:
Can you tell us a little more about how your company got started?
Marie-Madeline Studio is run by a mother and her four daughters. Started in the winter of 2008, a couple of girls decided to make a few handbags to sell.
It gradually led to designing our own bag patterns. A friend encouraged us to try to sell the patterns, and before we knew it several girls’ patterns had been designed!
At first, we were just selling the patterns, then found we had lots of excess fabric around so we thought we should sell that too. Now, we try to stock about 500+ bolts of beautiful, fun fabrics and a growing collection of our patterns.
What kinds of products do you offer?
Marie-Madeline Studio offers a line of boutique style sewing patterns for girls size 2/3 – 14/16. We also have some ladies skirts, aprons, and bag patterns. We also sell quilting weight designer cotton fabric that is suitable for garment sewing.
We love to help people save money here. Do you offer any money-saving specials?
Our patterns are printed with all sizes in one envelope so you can just trace off the size you need and continue to use the same pattern for years. This is also handy if you have more than one daughter in different sizes.
We offer sales regularly so our customers can purchase high quality fabric at a lesser price. Plus, all US orders over $100 receive free shipping when purchasing through our site.
What would you most like us to know about your business?
Here at Marie-Madeline Studio we like to design boutique patterns that aren’t excessive. Because fabric can be so expensive, we want you to get the most bang for your buck. Therefore our patterns are designed to be girl-pleasing in the details and parent-pleasing in the pocketbook.
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Sign up for our newsletter so you can receive news on all our latest designs, plus a heads up on sales. Keep an eye on our blog for free tutorials, recipes, special blog-only sales, fashion posts, and other fun stuff.
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Do It Yourself: Homemade Play Dough Valentine
BuggyandBuddy.com shows you how to make a homemade play dough and cookie cutter Valentine.
Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.