Atlanta's Frugal Mom

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Painting with a Twist in Buckhead.  I’ve received a form of compensation in exchange for promotion; however, all opinions and bad puns are completely my own. As a mother, I think it’s important to find ways to do “grown-up” things with other grown-ups, without a hint of kids around.  Ok, fine, sometimes I consider a trip to the grocery store good escape…  But now Buckhead has another great place for you to escape: Painting with a Twist .  Here, you can paint on a canvas, enjoy good music, wine or beer, and create unique, personal masterpieces they can take to their homes or gift to others. The artwork ranges from landscapes, abstracts and cityscapes, to creative renderings of animals, iconic buildings and florals.

LASIK giveaway, beach, and lemons posing as vans.  Yep, this is what I’ve been up to the last few weeks! We spent the last week at the beach – on vacation.  It was a much-needed getaway for all of us.  First, we visited hubs’ parents for a few days.  It was golf carts and dips in the pool galore!  Luckily, Florida’s weather faired better -um- dryer than Georgia’s did!     Then, we all hopped in the car, and headed to the beach for a few days. This was each of my children’s second time at the beach.  But really first time for my son, who just slept in the tent on the beach last year.  (Oh, the life of an infant.)  They each had an absolute BLAST!  From my son toddling after seagulls (“birdie WAIT!”), to my daughter’s ever-growing seashell collection, to just digging my toes in the sand (even for just a fleeting moment, before bouncing off to chase an active and curious toddler), to just -getting away.  We were LONG overdue, and m...

Once upon a time, there lived a vivacious redheaded fairy. She awoke one afternoon from her mid-day slumber only to discover a fabulous new fairy dress -- and in time for Halloween! With sheer whimsy and a bit of pixie dust, she pranced through the enchanted forest (okay, her front yard) searching high and low for a friend  to share another magical fairy dress . (Pink boots, shades, and wand optional and not included.) Shall that fairy friend be YOU?   Enter the  Enchanted Kidz  giveaway below,  just in time for Halloween, and your little pixie can win a  princess costume with fairy wings - choose  pink and green  OR  bubblegum rainbow . Good luck little fairies! Courtesy of Enchanted Kidz , you can win this adorable  green and pink   fairy dress, or one like it in bubblegum rainbow , with all the beautiful details seen here: simple beads accent the skirt, complete...

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of making another trip to Ross Dress for Less, just in time to see all their back to school gear! Boy, was I blown away -- from organization and storage (things my nerdy-side craves!);  kitchen items (knife set w/kitchen shears $7.99), laundry ($11.99 for an iron and $5.99 for a collapsible ironing board), and  other household items -- perfect for the dorm room;  to outfits at unbeatable prices! Additionally, I saw some great baby items, at amazing prices, too!  Breathable crib bumper ($9.99) and MANY, MANY, MANY name brand, stylish diaper bags ($12.99) (...cute character shirts for the preschool crowd, too!) Minnie Mouse t-shirt - $4.99 And, naturally, I did a little retail therapy myself, AFM style !  (Translation: I raided the clearance rack.  Each top was under $7!) Would you like to shop at Ross? I'm excited to team up with a few great blogging pals to bring you a giveaway for a...

What can I say? I'm hardly a fashionista. Perhaps a fashion victim? More specifically, I'm a victim of my own cheap nature when it comes to fashion. But with my daughter, the sky's the limit. Let's face it: a three year old girl is just more fun to dress up anyhow. So when Ross Dress for Less approached me with a challenge to find shoes for under $25, I was initially quite giddy. Particularly so, since I just recently shared with y'all how very long it's been since I've bought a new pair of shoes for myself! However, I failed. And by no fault of the store's. Ross had rows and row of cute, cute shoes, all priced under $17! But when you wear a size 4, and seem to be content to be a fashion victim in flip flops and sneakers, it's just hard to find a new pair of shoes. *sigh* On the upside,my daughter certainly benefitted from my dismal attempt to find a pair of shoes. She got a pair of flip flops, a frilly fashionable skirt with match...

When the time came to plan for my daughter’s third birthday party, I knew one thing was certain: I didn’t want it at MY house!  With a newborn son and a highly energetic three year old, the last thing I wanted was to set up and then clean up for a party.  However, I wanted something special for my daughter, as we’d never really had a party for her yet, and since she’d had a big year, complete with becoming a big sister and all. Within the span of a month, we took her to a -um- certain dark play place with a big mouse, and later to bouncy-type place featuring a particular primate.  Then we were invited to birthday party at Catch Air in John’s Creek location, and suddenly the choice was clear: my little girl was going to have her birthday party at Catch Air John’s Creek. Catch Air, a combination bouncy house and indoor playground, had something to peek the interest of any child.  Plenty of inflatables throughout the facility for jumping,  along with sim...

When the time came to plan for my daughter's third birthday party, I knew one thing was certain: I didn't want it at MY house!  With a newborn son and a highly energetic three year old, the last thing I wanted was to set up and then clean up for a party.  However, I wanted something special for my daughter, as we'd never really had a party for her yet, and since she'd had a big year, complete with becoming a big sister and all. Within the span of a month, we took her to a -um- certain dark play place with a big mouse, and later to bouncy-type place featuring a particular primate.  Then we were invited to birthday party at Catch Air in John's Creek location, and suddenly the choice was clear: my little girl was going to have her birthday party at Catch Air John's Creek. Catch Air, a combination bouncy house and indoor playground, had something to peek the interest of any child.  Plenty of inflatables throughout the facility for jumping,  along with simulated...

I wanted to remind y'all of two awesome companies that can help you keep your coupons organized , as well as remind you of a fantastic giveaway, too! Double-sided coupon binder insert pages - The Coupon Magic Organizer exclusively carries 3-slotted, and 9-slotted DOUBLED-SIDED inserts!  Both pages are $9.99 for eight. These are highly durable sheets, that will last for many, many shopping trips!  Click here to order yours now.   The Coupon Clutch - Simply put, it's the most fashionable option available for organizing, storing, and toting around your coupons!  There are dozens of patterns to choose from, OR you can simply purchase the plans (if you're the sewing type), and can personalize your Coupon Clutch even more.  Go here to get your Coupon Clutch today! Win your very own Coupon Clutch!  My friend Heather, over at Family Friendly Frugality , is hosting a giveaway for a Coupon Clutch .  Head over to her Facebook page here , and ent...