Free Tip of the Week: Ways to Save

This week's FREE tip comes from my frugal shopping finds! Last week I discovered that many stores are now giving discounts if you bring in your own reusable shopping bags for your goods instead of leaving the store with one of their plastic ones.

At World Market they also give a discount for using their bags,

and 3 times a year they have special sales if you bring in your bag

you can fill the whole thing for 15-20% off. Check their website to

see when these local Specials come around!

At Target they give 5 cents off every time you use a reusable bag,

and it doesn't have to be one of theirs it can be any ole reusable bag!

At my local Albertsons they give a discount per bag!

It's 10 cents per bag you bring in, if you have a lot of groceries

this could be very awesome for you! But still I say every bit

can help! Check your local grocery store and see if they offer

these same awesome discounts!

Can't Decide!?

So, I'm looking for a dress to wear to my brother's winter January wedding that's coming up. I'll be 7 months preggers by then and need a dress. I've been looking online and in the stores and here's two that I'm deciding between, I need your help! I can't decide, what do you think?

Black One Shoulder Dress w/ Broach

Navy Blue w/ Black & Crystal Accents

Both are pretty, but I can't decide.

Hubby says go with the blue one!

My Mom says she likes the black one!

What are your votes?

The Bump Fairy: 23 weeks

How far along? 23 weeks/ 6 months

Total weight gain: 8.8 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes, pretty much daily!

Stretch marks? none

Sleep: I've been waking up almost nightly with cramps in my legs and a charlie horse too!

Best moment this week: Finding some clothes that are cute and that fit. I know it seems silly but at this point anything that allows you to feel preggo & cute is a BIG plus in my book. I got a cute new dress that I think I'm going to wear to a couple baby showers and my Brother's wedding rehearsal.

Movement: Lots and Lots of movement, I LOVE it!

Cravings: Pop, which is really weird because I never really had it much before pregnancy, but every now and then I would love a nice cold Dr. Pepper!

Gender: Baby Girl

Labor Signs: none

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Nothing.

What I am looking forward to: Our Dr. apt next week!

Weekly Wisdom: none.

Milestones: none.

Worley House Stamp Pt. 2

Remember these?

I made labels out of our stamp for our Christmas cards, check'em out:

I think they look pretty good on the envelopes.

I printed out 3 sheets of labels for our cards.

This is a pretty cheap and effective way to make labels for yourself.

Flower Girl Cuteness

My future sis-in-law just sent me the links to the adorable dresses and shoes they found for my nieces to wear in their upcoming wedding! They are so cute. They are going with black, silver and navy for their colors since my Brother will be wearing his Air force blues for the ceremony. I think it's a beautiful combination for a wintry wedding. My nieces will be the two flower girls for the wedding and I think they are going to look adorable in these, aren't they cute:

Girls' Long Sleeve Shirt Dress from Target

They are so pretty and festive!

Adelaide Glitter Ballet Shoe from Target

I think these are my fave part of the whole outfit, what girl doesn't love a little glitter?

I'm thinking about picking up a pair for Baby G for next Christmas!

I'm a firm believer that you don't have to buy flower girls dresses at a wedding shop, check the sales around the holidays and you can find some great stuff for your wedding even after Christmas. I found my flower girl dresses at an after Christmas sale at Younkers.

Oh I love weddings, especially when they involve people I love!

More to come after January 16, 2010

Blog Etiquette: Right vs. Wrong

Recently, I had another blog "follower" of mine begin to copy my posts and ideas from Worley House and post them as their own. While, I was flattered I was a little annoyed at the same time. I've even had my images show up on other websites and in newsletter publications without me knowing it till I discovered it.

I reached out to my other bloggy friends to see if this has happened to them before and what did they do about it?

I think that blogging is an amazing form of expression, and there are some awesome blog writers out there that I am so impressed with and enjoy reading their blogs so much. I would never think of coping their ideas, posts or pictures with out their knowledge or permission. Besides, that I think that your blog and your posts are original to you and you should try to come up with stories and features of your own instead of copying other people.

This prompted me to write this post for myself and for all the amazing blogs that I read who's writers I know put lots of effort into writing their posts. So here's a few do's and don'ts of giving credit where credit it due!

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Pictures say it all, if using pictures from other public sites please DO give photo credit to that site or photographer, like this.

Give'em a Shout Out, If you love a fellow bloggers idea or post rather than steal their content and write something similar on your blog DO give them a shout out on your blog and point people their direction, like here. Your blog readers will thank you for pointing them to a fantastic new blog!

Don't follow, someone Else's blog if you plan on stealing content or ideas. They will find out and it's just plain tacky.

Copyrights, DO put a notice on your blog saying that everything is copy written. Just in case people don't know, they can see it and be warned like on my blog.

Writers block; If you have writers block (and we all do from time to time) instead of stealing another original content DO opt for weekly features that a lot of bloggers due that is considered "acceptable" and not stealing like Wordless Wednesday.

If you really love a story; or photo featured on someone else's blog make sure to send them a notice that you want to repost it on your blog before you do, like this blogger did for me! It makes them appreciate you even more, trust me!

Don't play dumb; If a blogger catches you copying them don't play dumb and pretend that you didn't do it. Take this opportunity to learn from this and come up with your own original blog. And DO delete the posts that you copied.

Let the Season Begin!

24 days till Christmas!

I have all my shopping done, that makes me excited!

Our house is decorated for the season!

And planning is underway for a Worley House Christmas, this year will be a little different as we're not traveling anywhere for Christmas since we have my brother's wedding the first of the year. We're staying here in AZ and having an Arizona Christmas. It'll be the first time we won't see either side of the family, and even though that's tough for me I'm looking forward to Orion and I spending the holiday just the two of us and creating more traditions of our own.

Christmas is my fave Holiday hands down, I love everything about this time of year!

Our tree:

Orion and I started a little tradition when we got married, each year we take a picture of us on Christmas and put it in a picture ornament frame and hand it on the tree! So far we have two, and I'm looking forward to adding the 3rd this Holiday season!

Our mantle:

I'm so excited to have a mantle in our new place! I've been hanging our stockings on our bookshelf since we got married and this year I was so excited to decorate a mantle and hang our pretty stockings. I can't wait to buy Baby G a stocking for next year!

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

Where will you be spending the Christmas season?