November 18th, 2009 | 
Author: Everyone loves a free meal…or two, or three! And today Campbell’s soup is giving away a variety pack of their new Select Harvest soups to 5 Frugal Moms.
Select Harvest launched this fall 12 new varieties of 100% Natural soups, meaning there are no artificial ingredients, flavors or preservatives, and include ingredients that you’d find in your own home if you were making soup from scratch. I was able to sample these soups and they are delicious. I was most impressed by the large chunks of white meat chicken, and the soups were filling. Perfect for lunch, or dinner on a cold night.
Here is what you will win in your variety pack:
Chicken Tuscany – 100% Natural, Mediterranean variety: This soup is a flavorful combination of Chicken and White Beans with Herbs, featuring only 100% Natural ingredients and providing an excellent source of Vitamin A and a good source of Fiber.
Light Minestrone with Whole Grain Pasta, 100% Natural, Mediterranean variety: Part of the Select Harvest 100% Natural Mediterranean-Style Collection, this soup is a good source of fiber and contains only 80 calories per serving.
Chicken with Egg Noodles – 100% Natural: Made with 100% Natural ingredients, Select Harvest’s Chicken with Egg Noodle features Roasted While Meat Chicken and is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
How to Win:
1. In the comments, tell us which soup you think will be your favorite. That’s it! Your comment automatically enters you in the drawing.
2. To receive a second entry in the drawing, share this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post. Then post a 2nd comment here with a link to your blog.
3. This giveaway will stay open until Thursday, and the winner will be announced on Friday. Please make sure you submit a valid email address. One entry per person please (unless you receive a 2nd entry by posting on your blog).
Have you struggled with getting rid of your debt? Maybe you have high credit card bills, medical bills, car payments and the like. And it seems no matter how many payments you make, you never get seem to get rid of them. Many of us are either there, or have been there, and it is not a fun place to be. It is very discouraging to feel as though your debt owns you for life.
In an effort to get rid of debt, you might decide to start with what seems to be the easiest plan – you are going to simply pay down your debts. Not only is that a difficult way to go, it often feels hopeless. But there is great news. There is one method that has been used by lots of families with great success: Dave Ramsey’s Debt Snowball Method.
This method is very simple, and one of the quickest ways to get out of debt. :
As you begin to get rid of your debt,your snowball (payment amount) is building and gaining momentum. As you pay off the small debts, you are encouraged to keep going. Before you know it – you will have paid off all your debt.
For more information, visit DaveRamsey.com
Quick Announcement: Don’t forget to check in on Wednesday for a delicious giveaway!
By Kathy Wilson
The Budget Decorator
Thanksgiving decorating day is a special time in our homes, when we all take a little time to appreciate the gifts and blessings in our lives. My number one blessing, as yours, is my family and friends! So let’s find some great ways to make your home a warm, inviting place this Thanksgiving Day for all your loved ones, including you!
Use a natural theme. This might seem like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people spend big bucks trying to glitz up this holiday. It’s about the harvest; being thankful for this beautiful earth we live on, and the wonderful food we are so blessed to be given, so let’s celebrate that! It also happens to be a great way to decorate on a small budget! So bring nature into your home, and be thankful!
Most people just focus on the table for Thanksgiving decorating, and while that is indeed important, don’t forget to bring the beauty of autumn splendor into other areas of your home. Some quick ideas include picking up some silk garlands (right now they are on clearance to make room for Christmas stuff, check your craft store!) of autumn colors and drape them over doorways, windows, mantels, and artwork or mirrors. Collect leaves on your next walk in the neighborhood, and then press between paper towels and a book. Because they were already drying outdoors and were low on moisture, this will only take a few days! Now use your leaves to sprinkle over the hearth, the countertops, under candle displays, under glass top tables, tuck into picture frame edges, make them a picture in a frame…you get the idea.
Gourds anyone? These are a wonderful traditional decoration, but here’s a little money saving tip. If you have produce stands near your home, these are much cheaper than the grocery stores for gourds, squashes, and pumpkins. Don’t limit your self to the little mini ones, pile full size versions next to your front door, line a windowsill, fill baskets or fill the planter boxes or a wheelbarrow on the porch with great harvest vegetables!
Consider setting out simple ceramic or wooden bowls lined with a pretty cloth napkin or scrap fabric, and fill with some treasures from your next nature walk . Texture abounds with natural elements, and will warm up a tablescape, a coffee table, and a fireplace hearth. Try getting out the hot glue gun and affixing your items to the candles you packed away at the first sign of summer. Small glass jars make great votive holders when dressed up with a few pressed leaves and acorns. Fill a bowl or plate with goodies around large pillar candles and use as a centerpiece. If you can’t find enough natural material near your home, check out the bulk grain section at your supermarket. Fall is about harvest, so any grain can be used to add that element to your home. Even cracked corn meant for the bird feeder can look great in a jar as a base for a candle.
Now, we aren’t going to forget the Thanksgiving table! This is your opportunity to show your loved ones how important it is to you that they are sharing your table this year. If you don’t have tablecloths, pick up a couple of green or gold sheets from Wal-Mart or a discount store for less than $3. You can even layer a couple of them if you wish. Don’t feel shy about pressing coffee tables or card tables into service if you need more room, just use those cheap sheets! If you run out of chairs, push a table up to a couch on one long side, and you will only need chairs for the other side. Set your table with all your dishware…it doesn’t matter if it all doesn’t match, or you had to borrow salad plates from a neighbor! Just keep the arrangement of each place setting the same, and it will tie it all together. For instance…dinner plate, salad plate, soup bowl, repeat with next placesetting. Distribute the different styles of dishware evenly throughout the tables, much the same as you would do with accent colors in a room!
Use cloth napkins, fold them into accordion pleats and place them in the water glasses. Don’t have cloth napkins? One twin flat sheet, a pair of scissors and some iron on hem tape (you could sew hems if you prefer) and you will have elegant napkins you can use again and again. A good size is 18×18 inches.
The highlight of the event? Your centerpiece of course! This is where your creativity comes most into play. Keep the centerpiece low so that guests can easily converse. I know many designers make beautiful tablescapes on lifts, and talk about height in an arrangement, but isn’t the people what it’s all about? Use your nature theme, gather up some pretty dishes and pitchers, and pick some fall flowers or grasses from the yard. Pile up gourds on platters, fill bowls with nuts and insert a pillar candle, add pretty dried grasses to a wonderful vase, use bowls of apples, lemons, or limes. Take small bunches of flowers, wrap a wet paper towel and some plastic wrap around the stems, and insert randomly into the bowls of produce. Float some mum flower heads in a clear bowl of water, or add some greenery between the other items on the table. Experiment with what you have available, what is affordable in your area, and what creates warmth in your heart. Try things several different ways, until you find a combination you like.
Above all, remember this is not about impressing others; it is about making a statement about how much you care they are in your home, and in your life. Enjoy your family, enjoy being creative while saving lots of cash, and enjoy the beauty of nature…and give thanks.
About the Author:
Kathleen Wilson is an author, national columnist, and editor of the free ezine, The Budget Decorator. For hundreds of free budget home decorating ideas visit her at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com
Posted in Frugal Decorating, Frugal Holidays | 
Tags: frugal Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving decor, Thanksgiving decorations | 
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Special Announcement: Don’t forget to enter our delicious giveaway today!
Hi again from Lou Manfredini, Ace’s “Helpful Hardware Man.” Rain barrels are a great way to conserve water and help you save some money as well and the installation is pretty easy.
There are several different types of rain barrels to choose from. My favorites are the ones made from recycled materials, such as ones that are repurposed olive barrels from Greece and Italy. But if you are looking for a more polished look, you can choose decorative ones that work just as well. Once you decide on a barrel you’ll need to cut one of your downspouts with a hacksaw and metal blade so the water from the roof will begin draining into the barrel. Many of these barrels have connections on them for your garden hose to allow you to water your garden. There is not enough pressure sadly to run a sprinkler effectively but a watering wand will work if the barrel is full.
Be sure to choose a rain barrel that has a screen on the top which serves to keep mosquito’s from laying eggs in the water and make sure you do not remove that screen for very long.
About the Author
Lou Manfredini is a nationally recognized DIY expert, sought after both for his expertise and his energetic, entertaining style. In an extension of his ongoing effort to help people maximize the value and enjoyment of their homes, he is also Ace Hardware’s “Helpful Hardware Man” and editorial media spokesperson. Along with his wife and four children, Manfredini lives in Chicago, where they also own and operate a neighborhood Ace Hardware store.
The Old Schoolhouse is giving away a beautiful (and did I mention free?) digital book!
This book has beautiful full color photographs and is filled with wonderful ideas to make your Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday special. It has ideas for homemade Christmas books, 10 favorite recipes that freeze well, Christmas decoration and card ideas, frugal family gifts, tons of holiday recipes, and so much more!
To get your free copy, just click the link below and you’ll be taken to a page where you can download your free book. No email address required, and no strings attached.
Click Here for your Free Holiday Book Enjoy – I know I will!
