Easy Neighbor Gift - Decorative Martinelli's Bottle - (Free Printable)

I'm always trying to come up with ideas for neighbor/friend Christmas gifts. Last year, I was in the thick of trying to lose weight from baby #2, so we were those people who gave out buckets of fruit. Well this year, I think my neighbors will be significantly less tempted to egg my house. :)

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The whole project is so easy, it's ridiculous.

Directions:

Step 1: Print -- The printable has 2 labels per page. (I think we were the last people on the planet to join the 21st Century and buy a color printer. I guess it was worth the wait because we love ours--mostly because I can print straight from my iPhone.)
Step 2: Cut out a 1.5" circle (I did use this hole punch to speed things up, but you could use scissors).
Step 3: Fold printable and place on bottle.
Step 4: Put your feet up. Because you're done. You're welcome.

Need the printable? Like us on Facebook and then download this printable for free!

Anyone have ideas for easy neighbor gifts? I need ideas for next year!

Five Favorite Products of 2014 (FREE, CHEAP, or WORTH THE MONEY)

It's been forever since I've compiled a list of my new favorite things. And lately, every time I've been using one of the below items, my head explodes with a chorus of, "This is AWESOME. People need to know about this." So maybe you already know about all of these things. If not, you're welcome in advance.

--FREE--

1. Stuff You Should Know Podcasts (You'll especially dig these if you love Malcolm Gladwell books) - Free

Even though I love being a stay-at-home parent, sometimes my brain feels like Jello. Enter podcasts. I now feel connected to the outside world again. I'm learning, even though I rarely have time to open a book or laptop (without being attacked by my little ones). Back in the day, downloading podcasts was a pain. Now with smartphones, it's a hundred times easier:
(1) Download the "Podcasts" app
(2) Search for awesome podcasts. My favorite podcast is "Stuff You Should Know." It took me about three episodes to get hooked. Josh and Chuck are my new besties. They've taught me about everything from CPR to Willpower to Trickle-Down Economics. (Speaking of economics, the "Freakonomics" podcasts are also excellent. Start with "The Economist's Guide to Parenting.")
(3) Listen to them while you're getting ready, driving, or cooking. Last week, I started making dinner when my 3-year-old demanded hearing a "story" (podcast) on my iPhone.
p.s. Any other podcast listeners out there? I'd love any recommendations.

--CHEAP--

Alert: If a runner is on your Christmas shopping list, this is a good one:

2. EARBUDi Clips for iPhone ear buds - $9.99

EARBUDi Clips for iPhone ear buds

If you use the iPhone earbuds, I have no idea how you live without these. Last spring when I started running again, I began an intense search for the right earphones. One criteria I had was an attached microphone and control button (did you know you can use that button to pause/skip/go back while listening to music?). Anyway, after buying and returning a couple pairs of earphones, I realized what I really wanted was my good old iPhone earbuds, but I wanted them to actually stay in. Enter the EARBUDis. They attach to earbuds and keep everything perfectly and comfortably in place. My only complaint is that they have a habit of disassembling when they're rattling around in my (super messy) purse. But as long as I have them in a pocket, they stay intact. They're not fancy, but I've had them for over eight months now and they're still going strong. I can't stand using earbuds without them.

3. Nuk Silicon Spout Active Cup - $6-$7

This is the best for babies switching to sippy cups. My sister recommended this when my little guy was having a hard time making the switch. Worked like a charm. They have several designs available (I kind of wish I had a girl because the Hello Kitty design is the cutest).

My little guy loves his Nuk Active Cup. But you probably shouldn't trust his judgment because he also prefers this ratty bear to all the new, nice bears given to him to try to replace the ratty one.

--WORTH THE MONEY--

4. New & Improved ProMist Microfiber Spray Mop (Better than Swiffer) - $27.99

Besides the fact that the ProMist has a superior design, I'm sold on it because: (1) It has washable pads (as opposed to overpriced one-use pads) and (2) you can use whatever cleaning solution you want. Cha-ching! I did end up buying a spare refill pad since I only do laundry once a week. I'm happy with the ProMist. It cut my mopping time (over my old sponge mop) by 75%.

5. YouCopia SpiceStack - $29.99

Okay, maybe I was the last person on earth to organize their spice cabinet, but since buying this baby, I'm pretty sure I've gained hours of my life back. Seriously, I just did the math-- if you spend 2 minutes a day digging around for the right spices, that's over 12 HOURS per year. I can't believe I used to dig around my spice cabinet like a sucker. It comes in several different sizes. Whether you buy this or not, I highly recommend organizing your spices somehow. I think my blood pressure dropped significantly since I did.

And that's it! Write any questions in the comments below or on our Facebook page and I'll get back to you ASAP.


What products have you discovered lately that you're loving?

Budget Boot Camp - Ideas for Extra Income

Okay, so at this point in the Budget Boot Camp, you should have your budget set up and running. You set your financial goals, you're tracking your spending, and you even know how to avoid scrabbling to pay for big expenses. If not, feel free to rewind and check out our past articles. 

Increase Your Income

Are you doing the best you can, but your expenses are still exceeding your income? 

-or- You're not hitting all of your savings and/or retirement goals? 

You have two options: Increase your income or lower your expenses. This month, we're giving you ideas for increasing your income. These tips are great if you're looking to create a lasting income stream or even if you're just trying to save some extra money for an upcoming purchase. Of course, these ideas are only worth anything if you actually pick one and decide now you're going to make it happen. Feel free to take a minute to work up some resolve and willpower. ***DEEP breath*** Okay, let's do this...

#1 - From a current job: Ask for a raise

If you think this option is as easy as marching into your boss' office and saying, "I need more money!" then you've already lost. The process to get a raise doesn't happen in a day. The whole process takes a few months and begins by asking your boss how you can increase your value to the company (and then later showing him or her how you've created that value). For more information about the whole process (it works!), check out the book I Will Teach You To Be Rich (Lauren previously recommended that book here--I just got around to reading it. It's awesome-sauce).

#2 - Make a new source of income: Get Creative

Asking for a raise is not an option for me. I ask my bosses for a raise all the time. But since they are both under the age of four, their resources are pretty slim and they keep turning me down. So if you're like me, you'll have to explore other options. Luckily, the possibilities are endless.

Now's a great time to turn your hobbies and skills into income. With the internet, the whole world is your market and somewhere out there, lots of people want to pay for your skills. Maybe it's not even a skill yet, just an interest. Start practicing and make it a skill. 

Like crafting? Open an Etsy shop or start a blog. 

Like kids? Start babysitting (even if you already have kids of your own). 

Were you kind of a test-taking nerd in school? People pay big bucks for SAT tutors! 

Like taking pictures? Start a photography business. 

How to make money blogging.

#3: Need more ideas? 

Check out our previous post: 10 Money-Making Jobs for the Stay-At-Home Mom

Don't Let Fear Stop You

Does starting a business make you want to panic? Take a few minutes to write down your top three fears. But don't stop there. Take another minute to address each fear. 

These are the fears I had about starting my businesses (and how I addressed them):

- I'm worried my skill isn't professional enough to be worth anything and the market is already overcrowded. (There's only one way to find out--put yourself out there. Note: I was wrong. I just started a photography business last week and already had to turn down a client to avoid double-booking. I felt like a rock star).

- I don't have time. (Your schedule may be super crunched right now. But if you truly need the money, you'll find a way to make it work. Consider doing babysitting swaps with a friend to help with child care. When there's a will, there's a way. The week before I launched my business, I was feeling stretched. I temporarily deactivated my Facebook and Instagram accounts. It's embarrassing how much time magically reappeared in my schedule).

- I'm concerned it will distract from more important things, like relationships with loved ones. (I think this is actually the most valid concern. I resolved to only work while my kids are sleeping. This has worked out great.)

What's your next action?

Don't worry about everything you have to do, just pick what your next step is (make it attainable--something you can get done in 30 minutes or less). For example, don't write "Create a profitable business" on your To Do List. Instead, write down something like, "Spend thirty minutes talking to a friend/spouse about my idea." Once you get that done, pick your next action item. Baby steps. One thing at a time. You can do it.

 Have any questions? Need a pep talk? Post your comment over on our blog and we'll get back to you ASAP.

Budget Boot Camp: Hate Scrabbling to Pay for Big Expenses?

Irregular expenses are a big topic in budgeting, so to ensure it was explained clearly, I turned to my husband Bryan (a non-accountant) to explain how we budget for our non-monthly expenses (e.g. car repairs, insurance, property tax, etc.). Bryan's just a regular guy who been sucked into my budgeting madness. Here he is holding our two boys (I know--they're all pretty cute).

Note that the example below is for known expenses, but we also use it for some of our "unknown" expenses (e.g. car repairs and general savings) using estimated amounts. So when we have big car repairs, they're already saved for. We simply pull the money out of this account that has been accruing savings for months and months. It'd worked like a charm so far. So without further ado, here he is:

We have all been there, you are going along, life is good, the checking account is growing and then all of a sudden, those big expenses hit and you are scrambling to pay for everything.  Budgeting to the rescue!  A few weeks ago Lisa asked me to write about how we set our budget to accrue monthly for expenses that occur once or twice a year.  This system helps to level out the known planned expenses by saving for them every month.  

To start off, I am sure there is some accounting principle that Lisa could explain around this, but the easiest way for me to explain it is that we know some expenses happen a few times through the year (life insurance, property tax, car insurance, etc.) and we take the annual amount (say $1200 for car insurance) and then divide by 12 to get our monthly amount of $100.  At the beginning of each month, I transfer the sum of all those monthly amounts into our savings account (a separate checking account at an online bank).  See the example table below.

Expense	Annual amount	Monthly Amount
Car Insurance	$1200	$100
Homeowners Insurance	$600	$50
Life Insurance	$500	$42
Property Tax	$4000	$334

In the example above, the monthly transfer is $526.

When the bill comes to pay those expenses, we pay them out of our savings account (where the money have been accruing and collecting interest).  The true beauty of this system is that there is no worrying about how we are going to pay the property tax bill, or the car insurance bill, because we have already paid it.  The table below outlines an example of how the system would work

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
Start	2000	2526	1052	1078	1604	1830	1756	2282	808	1334	1860	2086
Additions	526	526	526	526	526	526	526	526	526	526	526	526
Expenses	0	2000	500	0	300	600	0	2000	0	0	300	600
Ending	2526	1052	1078	1604	1830	1756	2282	808	1334	1860	2086	2012

Our budget is happy because we avoid the stress of seeing the monthly budget in the red. And we are happy because all the stress associated with trying to pay the big expenses disappears as we have already paid for them.  The key to making this system work is to move the money into a separate account.  The reason why this is important is so that you are not tempted to spend it, or think you have enough savings.

This system takes some discipline and I would strongly encourage you to set auto transfers to make it easier.  But the pay off when the expenses hit is completely worth it.

Any questions?

Why I Love Our California Home (And How We Made It Happen)

When Lauren and I originally created this blog, a lot of readers wanted to hear about home buying. I haven't said much about the subject because, quite frankly, I feel like it's a miracle my husband and I were able to buy in the beautiful (aka PRICEY) Bay Area at all.

We started the house hunting process by creating a budget (you know I love budgets). Looking around at what was available for sale on our own, we thought we'd only be able to afford a small, two-bedroom condo at best. Luckily, we found a great REALTOR® who helped us figure out how we could get what we really wanted (a single family home) within our budget! He found a great neighborhood with no HOA fees, which increased the monthly amount we could put towards a mortgage. Our house is definitely a fixer-upper, but we've had fun putting in our own sweat-equity. (Details of our renovations here: bedroom, bathroom, and living room).

One of my favorite DIY upgrades to our home: our painted fireplace and mantel. (See the "before" picture here)

We still have a few more renovations to do, but we're enjoying the journey! And even though I'm not a native Californian, I'm loving it here.

My Favorite San Jose Spots

If you're ever in the San Jose area, check out some of my favorite spots:

Master Bedroom Makeover: Architectural Detail (and Budget!)

That awkward moment you realize you never posted the 3rd part of a 3-part post...

Well, here it is. The last time I'll make you listen to me blather on about our master bedroom makeover. (Part I - How to Brighten a Room, Part II - Making a Small Room More Functional).

Part III: ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL

Wall Panels

Our 1970s home is plain and boxy--it lacks architectural detail. So, my #1 plan of attack for our master bedroom was to

Tax Series #3: What are some easy ways to file my return? (Includes Coupon Code!)

Tax time. It rolls around every year. How are you going to get that pesky return filed? Here at Money Hip Mamas, we're here to help. There are a million different tax preparation services, so I polled my friends (many of which are tax accountants themselves) to get the scoop on the best options out there.

Do-It-Yourself Software

For A Basic Return

Taxslayer.com - My good accountant friend Nate has

Getting Your Toddler (or Baby!) to Sleep In

How much would you pay to get your toddler or child to always sleep in (or at least happily stay in bed) until a decent hour? If your answer is $30, keep reading...

***UPDATE: Just used this clock successfully with my 10-month-old as well. I love my life.

Not too long ago, I was fighting the almost-daily battle of a two-year-old waking up too early. I found the most glorious solution and have been singing its praises so loudly and so often, I finally decided to write up a blog post so I can send a link rather than re-typing my explanation of this marvelous invention.

It's called the "Ok to Wake Children's Alarm Clock and Nightlight." Lauren recommended it to me a long time ago and I must admit, I hesitated several months before buying it ($30 isn't a fortune, but I'm pretty cheap and was skeptical it would work). By the time I got frustrated and exhausted enough to order it, I almost paid extra for the one-day shipping. In addition to a toddler, I had a newborn and was desperate for any extra sleep.

How It Works:

Budget Boot Camp - To Do #1: Calculate Your Net Worth

Pop Quiz: 

How is it possible that rich, famous MULTI-millionaires can end up not only broke, but in huge amounts of debt? I hate to call out the beloved “U Can’t Touch This” creator, but MC Hammer is the perfect example. And how is it possible that my own dear Grandpa was able to comfortably provide for his large family and have plenty saved for retirement working as a humble dairy delivery man? Budgeting, baby. Many people think the solution to financial stress is to make more money, but that's just one part of the equation. Without budgeting, it doesn't matter how much money you make because it won't ever be enough. Not only will budgeting help you avoid financial disaster, it's how you'll reach your financial goals (Don't have any specific financial goals? You will next month--stay tuned!).

Just like regular boot camp, if you're out of budgeting shape, this isn't going to be easy. Adopting any new habit takes dedication, but we're here to help by breaking it down into one manageable task (or “To Do” Item) per month. Stick with us and you'll end 2014 with a

Free (and Easy) Budget Bootcamp - Join Us!

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A lot of people have been asking for help with their budgets, so during 2014, we're determined to help you all become pros at the foundation of personal finance: BUDGETING! We decided to make a cool (and free!) once-a-month budgeting boot camp.

Basically, we're offering to be your FREE budget consultants. So if you've been wanting to get in the habit of budgeting, this is a great opportunity! Take advantage of our overzealousness. Both of our families have recently expanded, so who knows when we'll ever have the energy for an opportunity like this again. :)

How to join?

If you already subscribe to our blog through e-mail, Feedly, etc., don't do a thing. You'll already get the Budget Boot Camp as part of our blog. Otherwise...

Send us your e-mail (it will only be used for the once-a-month MHM Budget Boot Camp):

Sign me up for Budget Boot Camp!

Email Address *

Cute (and Cheap!) DIY Valentine's Day Decorations

This post has been moved to my new blog MoneyFitMoms.comx

See DIY Valentine's Date Decorations post here.

Plus, here are the BEST Stay at Home Date Ideas.

By the way, check out this post if you're looking for how to save money fast.

Our Top Posts of 2013

It seems like just yesterday, Lauren and I were joking about starting a blog. We've had so much fun these past few months (and learned a LOT--we promise MHM will keep getting better). We can't thank you enough for helping us by reading, pinning, and sharing. Our monthly views have grown 300% since we launched our blog in August. For 2014, we'll be providing more personal finance tips and fun projects. Keep the comments coming--we're always looking for feedback for topic ideas.

In case you missed any of our top posts for 2013, here they are. Even though our "fun stuff" posts are usually the most popular, we'll never abandon our goal to help everyone become more financially prepared and money savvy because it's something we're passionate about. We like to think of our "Fun Thursday" posts as the medicine that helps the "Money Monday" posts go down. :) Thanks for sticking with us!

1. DIY Fabric Headboard
2. DIY Ornament Wreath
3. How to Host a My Favorite Things Party
4. Saving for Kids' College Education
5. 10 Money Making Jobs for the Stay-At-Home Mom
6. 3 Easy Ways to Make a Room Brighter
7. Best Birthday Freebies
8. How to Survive When Your Toddler Breaks His Leg

Any specific topics you want us to cover in 2014?

Functional Bedroom Touches (On a Budget): Master Bedroom Makeover (Part 2/3)

Congratulations to Betty J for winning our giveaway! Look for your Amazon gift card in your email sometime in the next week!

For Part 2 of my Master Bedroom Makeover, I wanted to highlight a few things we did to save space and make our room a little more functional (Part 1 was about how we made it brighter).

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(1) Sconces

My husband and I like to read before bed, but hated how bulky lamps took up so much room on our bedside table. We decided sconces were the perfect solution. The layout of our bedroom only allows for one place to put the bed, so we weren't nervous about permanently wiring them into the walls. We just made sure to space the sconces far enough apart to allow for a king-sized headboard in case we ever upgrade.

I chose these sconces from Restoration Hardware (I know, I'm a little RH-obsessed), waited for a sale (I'm always on a budget), and then bought them. They are just as beautiful in person as they were in the catalog. I opted for the linen shade (for its classical element) and the polished nickel (for its modern touch).