When it comes to food expiration dates, I drive my husband mad. That is, he doesn’t believe in expiration dates — you know, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. However, as we learned on our cooking blog Bagels and Lasagna, if you try to bake bread with expired baking powder, your bread will not…
Want to learn my secret to cutting down on food waste and saving money on groceries. I freeze pretty much everything. That includes this list of 23 food items that I’ll bet you didn’t know you could freeze. It includes many fruits and vegetables plus other meal staples before they expire. Butternut Squash We have…
As your student starts shopping for their college dorm room, you’ll want to keep these 19 dorm essentials in mind. Having put two daughters through college and graduate school, I can recommend these products with firsthand knowledge and confidence. Also, do not, I repeat, do not shop without checking a college or university’s housing office’s…
I’ve just updated this college dorm must haves article for this year’s class of students going back to college soon. It includes 46 48 college dorm must haves. I’ve covered college dorm lists for guys as well as college dorm must haves for girls. In fact, there is quite a bit of overlap for dorm…
Looking for clever teacher gifts and ideas? You’re not alone. Every year readers write to ask a variation on the same question about clever teacher gifts. What are some inexpensive preschool teacher gifts? How should I handle middle school teacher gifts? What are the best gifts for high school teachers? Do you have ideas on…
We have had our original Peloton bike since 2016 and I never thought about selling it until we upgraded to a Peloton Bike Plus. We didn’t trade in our old bike and get a new one; we bought a second one so my husband and I could ride together. However, then we learned that if…
It wasn’t until there was a recall on Diamond Pet Foods a few years ago that I learned that other companies were making Costco brands. You see, in that recall notice that Diamond put out, it included Costco’s Kirkland Signature. Who knew? Well, it turns out that Costco partners with well-known companies to make some…
Once spring rolls around, high school prom season won’t be far behind. As the mother of two daughters, I know how easily prom spending can get out of control. Prom is such a big deal in our daughters’ high school that they dismiss students at noon on prom day. This gives them time to go…
When we lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we didn’t have to go very far to enjoy outdoor art. This was for a couple of reasons. One, Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan, which has many pieces of public art on the campus. And two, Art Fair. Every summer Ann Arbor hosts Art…
The first time my husband and I walked the High Line in NYC was right after the third section of this elevated public park opened. That was around 2014. We’d just dropped our younger daughter off for a college visit appointment and had a few hours to kill. So, we headed west, on foot, on…
How often do you visit local museums? Have you ever considered joining your favorite museum as a member? And did you know about one of the best benefits of museum membership — reciprocal admission? Recently, during a trip to Peloton Studios New York and after walking the High Line, we decided to spend time at…
Did you know that LL Bean has a daily markdown exclusively online? Neither did I until I did. And then I learned that LL Bean actually offers a number of daily specials and deals that are accessible online only. So, let me give you the lowdown on these LL Bean daily deals and how they…
If you know someone who just graduated high school, then you might be wondering if that person has signed up for a gift registry for college students. Yes, college dorm registries are a thing, and they can be very helpful when buying gifts. We set our daughter Annie up with a Target college registry after…
I’ve just updated this blog post on the best wedding registry programs. That’s because this year, a bunch more stores are offering free gifts with a new registry. Or they’re giving discounts to enjoy after your wedding. Either way these are some of the best places to registry for a bridal shower. When I think…
I’ve been getting lots of questions from readers about how to find an Amazon wish list registry on the site. If you’ve never tried to search Amazon registries, then you may be wondering, “How hard can it be?” I mean, I’m no newbie to gift registries. In the past I’ve searched on and purchased from…
I just got back from filling my car up at my local Costco gas station. However, knowing that I was going to be writing this article about the wholesale club’s gas stations, I paid extra attention to things like never before. For example, I never knew that the pumps display hours when you can fill…
Did you know that you can get your pet prescriptions at Costco? Neither did I until my dog Sadie had a second surgery last year. As you can imagine, her post-surgical pet meds were not cheap. We got the first batch sent home with us from the vet and paid handsomely for it. When I…
This article on clothing brand resale programs is a round up of trade-in programs done directly through a company’s website or stores. As opposed to reselling clothes for money on third-party sites, like eBay or Poshmark, these are brand specific resale shops. Think of it as yet another way to recycle your clothes for money….