Hailey's Helpful Hints

If you learn one thing from this blog it's this - you should never, ever again look down on buying a generic, store brand product. Whether it’s generic peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies, soap, or ibuprofen, name brand products can be as much as double the price of their generic equivalents. The truth of the matter is - store brand products are often identical to name brand products. Eugene Fram, Professor of marketing at Rochester Institute of Technology’s College of Business, said the difference between store brand and name brand goods is that brand names spend more on marketing, not that they’re better quality. She goes on to say that she "once visited a cranberry factory in New England, and saw two lines of the same cranberry juice – one was for a national brand, and the other line was for a store brand.” During my weekly (ok a lot of time twice weekly) run to Target, I picked up the name brand bottle of Listerine Total Care and read the ingredients. The price: $5.80. ...

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Mine was delightful. My family was in town from WA and we had a blast! Ok so now that we've officially entered into the "shopping season," I am going to devote the next week or so to becoming a savvy shopper. Stay tuned for tips on how to save money, what you should and shouldn't buy at particular stores and what you should buy where & when. I am excited about the upcoming posts. So let's get started - There are a million and one deals out there right now. Ads are trying to entice you to spend in hopes that it will 1) bring them profit and 2) stimulate the economy. But do you really think you're saving money? Think again. You assume you're being a savvy consumer by doing things like using coupons, getting free shipping with online purchases, and shopping in stores with no-hassle return policies. But are you really being taken for a sucker? There are plenty of programs and promotions out there that cl...

Happy Thanksgiving from my house to yours!!! I am grateful for your friendship, following, support, and advice. Remember to show thanks to those you love and care about today! And above all - relax, watch far too much football, unbutton those pants and dig in!

138 million shoppers are expected to hit stores Black Friday weekend according to a top retail trade group. I personally am NOT one of them. I'm all about saving money but standing on a street corner for days in order to save a couple hundred bucks is beyond me. What could they possibly be saving that could ever justify putting themselves through this madness? Despite the mayhem, I do have friend's that swear by the deals and sheer adrenaline rush of Black Friday. And those friend's have earned the title in my book of world-class bargain hunter! If you are one of those people who likes to get up in the dark on the Friday after Thanksgiving and go stand in line, here's some survival tips for getting the most out of your shopping experience: 1) Get online before you get in line: Stop and think of the myriad benefits - no crowds, no lines, no need to change out of your pajamas. It might be a weird way to spend the wee hours of the morning, but you’re guaranteed not to ge...

Hosting Thanksgiving but have no clue what's the best wine to pair with your delicious feast? Or maybe you're just a guest that was told to "just show up." Of course you're not going to come empty handed. Naturally you're going to gravitate to the ever-so-easy lifesaver - a bottle of wine. If you're like me, I wouldn't have the SLIGHTEST clue what goes well with turkey. With a little help from realsimple .com, I came up with a reference guide of a dozen EASY TO FIND bottles - all $15 or less - that are worthy of your feast. WHITES Crisp & Refreshing $13 2008 ERATH Pinot Gris Pear, ripe banana, and peach blossom make this a fruity pick. $13 2009 CHARLES SMITH Kung Fu Girl Riesling Light & fresh with a punch of apricot and lychee . $15 GRUET BRUT Champenoise This dry New Mexican sparkler with a slight pucker of green apple is nice and bubbly and sure to get the party started. Lush and Round $14 2009 PINE RIDGE Chenin Blanc Viognier Pure b...

Trying to cram food for 8 people in a pantry meant for two is a tough job. That coupled with complete lack of organization results in a cluttered mess. A mess that almost makes you not want to cook because you don't want to face the demon that lies inside. It's time you tackle this problem. And there's no better time than before Thanksgiving. Now, now, now...don't roll your eyes like I'm being unrealistic. You can take your pantry from filthy to flawless in just 15 minutes with these easy to follow tips. First let's lay out some basic, must follow rules: 1) KNOW WHAT YOU USE - Avoid the common mistake of filling your pantry with food you don't use often. Your pantry should be organized with things that you grab for on a consistent basis. 2) SHOP SMALL - Even if you're a Costco lover, you don't need a pantry that that can feed your family though next fall, bomb-shelter style. The idea is to keep your pantry stocked with items you constantly use. 3...

With guests to be arriving soon and Thanksgiving just around the corner, this weekend is sure to be hectic. Speaking for myself here. But amidst the madness, we all need to be reminded of what this upcoming holiday truly means. History aside, Thanksgiving is a holiday for individuals - to be celebrated any way we see fit. There are no rules, no religion and no presents. It's simply a time for us to reflect on all that we have and be grateful for the many blessings. This weekend I challenge you to stop and think about all the things you are thankful for . It can be as sentimental as your freedom to believe in your own beliefs and think your own thoughts or as simple as the Internet , for giving the possibility to meet, learn from & share with so many incredible people, so easily. Have a wonderful weekend and THANK YOU for following my blog! xoxo "Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever...

Have you been wracking your brain on what to give the neighbors this holiday season? Have lots of time but not lots of money? Fancy store-bought presents are great but if you want to make people feel really cared-for, nothing's better than a tasty homemade treat - carefully prepared and packaged in pretty wrapping. Some of my favorite edible holiday gifts are: Cookies in a jar are simply the best unexpected spin on gifting cookies without baking!! Layer a resealable jar with the pre -measured dry ingredients for sugar or chocolate chip cookies. You can find the jars at containerstore.com or you can usually find a set of mason jars at your local grocery store or Target. Trim it with the handwritten recipe, a bright ribbon and a fun cookie cutter or measuring spoon. If you don't have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, Neiman Marcus' Chocolate Chip Cookies are to die for! Cupcakes in a jar are another fun spin on edible holiday gifts. You will have people drooling ov...

Great deal for all you Starbuck's lovers! Starting Thursday, you can load up on those yummy holiday drinks at any Starbucks. The chain is offering a buy one get one free deal on its holiday drinks from 2 to 5 p.m. The drink offer is from Thursday, Nov. 18 to Sunday, Nov. 21. The deal is good for eight different drinks including Caramel Brulee Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Gingerbread Latte, Eggnog Latte, Peppermint White Hot Chocolate, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Caramel Brulée Frappuccino, Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino. ENJOY!!!

Forget the expensive gym memberships. Or all the expensive equipment that eventually gets pushed out into the garage to collect dust. You can lose weight without spending a lot of money. Like I said in the "Beat the Bulge" post, the key to losing weight is CALORIES IN, CALORIES OUT. Meaning if you want to lose, or even maintain, you're gonna have to get moving. People ask me all the time how I stay in such good shape. For those of you that know me, I'm not super skinny, I'm muscular. Another love/hate in my life. I can thank genetics partly for my lean, muscular build. But it's not all genetics - I do have to work for it. Eating healthy is one thing but breaking a sweat is another. The secrets to my success - sticking to the basics . We have far too many 'tools' on the market that claim to bring you amazing results. Susan Summer's Thigh Master. The Bender Ball. The Ab Rocket. Tony Little's Gazelle. The Push Up Pro. The Butt Blaster. NEWS FLASH...

If you haven't tried the CLOROX BLEACH PEN you must put it the list to buy. I love love love this handy little cleaning pen. I first learned about this product by another mom at the park. We didn't know each other but got to chatting as our sons dug in the sand together. Naturally we started talking about "kid" stuff. She told me of this great new product, similar to the Tide 'On the Go' stick, that has saved several of her son's stained shirts. She raved about the Clorox Bleach Pen as if it was the best thing that every happened to laundry. Being the clean freak that I am, I was shocked I hadn't tried this yet so during my next Target run, I bee-lined to the cleaning aisle with excitement. Kids or no kids - we all have stains. BBQ sauce from your favorite pulled pork sandwich. Chili from last year's 4 th of July Chili Cook-off. Pasta Sauce that splattered as you set down the plate. Red wine that accidentally spilled after a 'few too many...

Putting food on the table is part of my "motherly" duty. Do I love spending time in the kitchen? Not necessarily. Am I a good cook? My husband would say yes so that's all that matters. There's absolutely nothing elaborate about the meals I put on the table. In all honesty, my husband would eat chicken and vegetables every night of the week and be completely satisfied. So long as it errors on the "healthy" side and we're all sitting at the table together, he's content. This has definitely hindered any motivation to branch out and try new meals. I probably have about 10-15 meals we love and I just rotate between those. Boring huh? I've tried the whole concept of trying a new recipe/week. Flipping through cookbook after cookbook to find a meal that all three of us would actually eat was draining. Plus it doesn't seem worth it to me to spend a lot of money on 20 different ingredients and new spices for one meal I'm not sure we are going to e...

This post title may be a little misleading. No need to get all wound up - I'm not asking you to fish out your dusty ol ' tennis shoes to do any physical walking. What I am asking you to do is wrap your mind around this...Imagine yourself with no where to go. No home to keep you comfy and warm. No socks or shoes to keep your feet warm. No hot meal on the table. No consistency. Imagine living in fear. Scared. Cold. Helpless. Unloved. Kinda hard to put yourself in those shoes when you're biggest worry is what private school your kid should attend or where you're going to wine and dine for dinner tonight right? Sadly, these are the things children - 2.8 million actually - across America, the richest country in the world, face EVERYDAY. These are innocent children thrown into a scary world expected to survive. They didn't paint this picture. They are victims. And have to somehow figure out how to make the best out of the situation with little to no resources. Could you...

I received an email shortly after the Paulette Macaron post asking if I could help brainstorm some inexpensive holiday gift ideas other than the usual bottle of wine. Let me first say KUDDOS to you Jenny for wanting to start your holiday shopping this early! I put my thinking cap on and came up with some fun and contemporary ideas below. Hope you're inspired! You will notice that I personally love to pair 2-3 inexpensive items that coordinate well together to create a cute package. I am also personally obsessed (and you should be too) with Cost Plus World Market . Their tag-line , "Unique, Authentic and Always Affordable" is spot on. You can seriously find something for everyone on your list in this one store. How heavenly is that?!?! Ok maybe not the kiddos but close. Be prepared to spend hours looking through their hundreds of bottles of unique wines from all over the world and get lost amongst all the funky, one of a kind accessories. ~Hailey's Banging Bargains Un...

While bathrooms get a bad rap when it comes to germs, it's the kitchen that actually harbors more bacteria than any other room in the home. The worst offender in the kitchen? The kitchen sponge or dishcloth, where bacteria festers in the damp, nurturing environment. The next worst offender is your kitchen sink. The bacteria that lurks all throughout your kitchen are the same ones that can cause a cold or flu to spread through a household like wildfire. A striking statistic from MSN Health and Fitness states that "50 to 80% of all food-borne illnesses originate in the home. Food-borne pathogens cause 6.5 million cases of gastroenteritis and 9,000 deaths per year. 20% of food-poisoning cases are blamed on home contamination, more than any other source." Still not concerned? Consider this: One single bacteria cell can become more than 8 million cells in less than 24 hours! The number of bacteria it takes to make people sick can range from as few as 10 up to millions. And i...