Here is a nice list of some ideas for romance. Some of these ideas are frugal and others are not.

Visit FrugalVillage.com and checkout the many Frugal Romance Ideas

Don’t worry you won’t lose your place.

Visit The Center For A New American Dream to get your Good Times Booklet

Don’t worry you won’t lose your place.

Here is an excerpt of their Mission Statement.

“We want to cultivate a new American dream—one that emphasizes community, ecological sustainability, and a celebration of non-material values, while upholding the spirit of the traditional American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

New Dream envisions a society that pursues not just “more,” but more of what matters—and less of what doesn’t.”

Visit The Center For A New American Dream to get your Parenting Tips

Don’t worry you won’t lose your place.

Here is an excerpt of their Mission Statement.

“We want to cultivate a new American dream—one that emphasizes community, ecological sustainability, and a celebration of non-material values, while upholding the spirit of the traditional American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

New Dream envisions a society that pursues not just “more,” but more of what matters—and less of what doesn’t.”

Visit TheHerbsPlace.com and view the products that will help you establish your very own Herbal Medicine Chest Don’t worry you won’t lose your place.

Visit TheHerbsPlace.com and view the numerous Natural Remedies For Children

Don’t worry you won’t lose your place.

Make Your Own Baby Products With Essential Oils

Visit TheHerbsPlace.com and view the numerous Essential Oil Recipes For Babies And Children

Don’t worry you won’t lose your place.

Cheaper Than Weekly Vocal Lessons

Singing Success Course by Brett Manning

Singing Success Vocal Course for At-Home Study

My wife, Donna, decided to take vocal lessons since a teacher was only a mile away. The weekly half-hour visits left her frustrated with not getting enough out of the lesson. She began to think about how many dollars could be invested in this "project" and looked online to find out if there were any quality singing / vocal courses online. She wasn’t interested in a professional career, but wanted to improve her voice to simply enjoy singing more.

There was a lot there, but the one she decided to order was Brett Manning’s Singing Success course. She’s really been enjoying it and is able to practice several times a week for as long as her vocal chords can tolerate. She’s been very excited. She had saved gift money from my parents for birthday and Christmas and was able to purchase this personally rewarding gift and share the excitement with them. They were thrilled that she chose a gift that could make a difference in her life.

If you’ve got somebody in your family that wants to learn more about singing, this course offers methods that she had never seen or heard of elsewhere. She has increased her vocal range greatly in only one month with the exercises given on the CD’s.  For that reason be decided to add it to this website.  If you order, be sure to email us after you get into the course.  Donna would love to "compare notes" with you.

Read more about Brett Manning’s Singing Success Vocal Course for At-Home Study

Vocal Articles by Brett Manning:
Building a Successful Sound
The Trouble With Singing
Singing FAQ

Singing FAQ Answered

by Brett Manning

Singing Success Vocal Course for At-Home Study

Question:
Aren’t voice lessons like pulling teeth? Every lesson I’ve had was a miserable experience where I was criticized for every little "wrong" thing I did.

Answer:  You are so right. Unfortunately, most voice teachers are still training their students to look and sound like classical singers, using techniques that have nothing to do with developing a contemporary sound.  That’s why students who don’t enjoy older styles of music often find voice lessons frustrating and fruitless.  Brett Manning will never stifle your unique sound and style.  In fact, the Singing Success Program provides tools and techniques that will allow you to sing with more style.  Besides, who wants to listen to someone who sounds like every other "proper" singer?

Question:
Can I improve my tone quality?

Answer:   Tone quality improves when the correct musculature is engaged in the singing process. Feel underneath your chin with your forefinger and slide it inwards to the point where your neck meets the muscles under your chin.  Now swallow.  Notice how your larynx (Adam’s apple) raises up and the muscles under your chin tighten up as you swallow?  These muscles that are engaged in the swallowing process are opposed to those engaged in the singing process.  The use of these muscles while singing creates a myriad of problems that can take years to correct if left unchecked.  For good tone quality, you must learn to sing without the outer muscles of the larynx.  Doing so will set free your natural voice, drastically improving tone quality and ease of use.  Naturally, the Singing Success Program contains techniques that will help you do this.

Question:
Is it really possible to teach style?

Answer:   Until now, there really has not been a comprehensive system of teaching vocal style.  There have been scales played to reflect certain genres, such as the Blues Scale, but that’s really not enough.  Brett Manning worked with hundreds of brilliant vocal stylists to co-develop training techniques based on their various skills.  Using these techniques you can develop style skills so prolific that you’ll be able to reinterpret any song you wish into a unique masterpiece.  Think of it this way: As a singer, you are the artist and the final "painting" is up to you.  Brett Manning’s style training just gives you more colors to work with.

Question:
What’s the proper way to clear my throat?

Answer:   Some say that you should never clear your throat, but excess mucous inhibits free vocal cord coordination.  The trick is to find a way to clear your throat without irritating it.  Do a gentle "whispered cough" (without tone) and then swallow.  Repeat.  If this doesn’t work, you need to deal with the excess mucous production.  Squeeze a 1/4 of a lemon in a tall glass of water and sip over about 20 minutes. This should cut through a lot of the excess mucous. Furthermore, watch your dairy intake… especially cheese.  You should never eat it on the day of a performance!

Question:
Are falsetto and head voice the same thing?

Answer:   No.  Falsetto is the lightest vocal production made by the human voice.  It is limited in strength, dynamics and tonal variation.  Usually, there is a considerable ‘jump,’ ‘break’ or ‘disconnect’ between your chest (speaking) voice and your falsetto.  

Noted vocal coach and voice therapist Randy Buescher of Chicago defines falsetto as:  "a coordination where the outer layer of the vocal cord (mucosa, i.e. internal skin or muscular covering) is vibrating, creating sound, but without engaging the actual musculature of the cord.  Also, there exists no medial compression.  In other words, during the vibratory cycle, the cords never fully approximate.  

In head voice, the cords approximate, but the vibration of the cord moves away from the full depth of the vocal cord (chest voice) to a pattern that involves less and less depth of vocal cord as you ascend toward the top of your range.  The highest notes of your range involve only the vocal ligament.  However, there is no consensus among experts on the official definition of vocal registers."

So how about you?…

Check out Brett Manning’s Singing Success course.

Staying At Home

by Sarah Kennington

The initial reasons for writing this newsletter were somewhat of a mission.  I had something that I really felt I needed to share and if I can help one person stay at home with their child then that mission is accomplished. 

It takes more than people realize to stay home. You give up a lot but the rewards are endless and your children are the beneficiaries of that reward.

It’s up to us to raise them and there is nothing that we will ever do that will be more important.  There is not a dollar that we can earn that would replace the time we spend with our children. 

Little did I know that this newsletter would grow to what it has. In a little over a year’s time we now are a group of over 7000 people many of which have the same heart that I do for their children.

Yes, we can use a little less soap, buy our clothes at garage sales, cook our own food, grow our own food but…

The real thing that we are doing is giving to society something that no one else can ever give.  We are giving well raised and happy children which will be well raised and successful adults.

When it’s all said and done I promise each of you that you will not think for a second "Oh I should have spent more time at the office".  Your children will always know that you were there and as they grow into adults they will understand that you sacrificed yourself for them.

God has given you a great blessing in being a parent.  Never take it for granted.  There will always be time to work.

Sarah Kennington
Founder of The Frugal Life.com

Note from Current Owners of TheFrugalLife.com
We were honored to be chosen by Sarah to continue her mission for families that she describes above.  We also knew the importance of being at home after our child was born.  Donna worked from the home to be able to do that and when it was time for school began home schooling one year at a time.  Never did we think that we would do 10 years or that the home business would grow enough for me to join it so we could work together as a family and I could also be part of the home schooling.  Our son is now grown and we’re dedicated to the websites we maintain for our income because all of them have the emphasis of helping families.  If you’ve not visited our other sites, here’s the links:
The Herbs Place
Healthy Pet Corner

Frugal Vacations

Saving Dimes While on Vacation

Here are some saving dimes tips that allow you to enjoy your vacation without spending an abundant amount of money.

Plan Ahead – Plan your vacation in advance. Know how much you can afford and how much you are willing to spend. Then you can plan when and where to go and what to do once you’re there.

Don’t Buy Expensive Travel Guides – Do research on the web; you’ll be saving dimes opposed to spending money on travel guides and maps that you may only use once.

Cash Withdrawals – For your vacation try to take out money before you leave on vacation or in large amounts once you reach your destination so you will be saving dimes on withdrawal fees if you aren’t using your bank ATM.

Avoid Traveling During Hot Seasons – If you want to go somewhere warm, go during their off-season, and avoid the weekends. For example, Florida is warm almost all year round but its peak season is the summer when kids are out of school, so wait for your children’s Christmas break or yours, where the temperature will be cooler but you wont be fighting the crowds at theme parks and attractions.

Stay Flexible – When planning your vacation try to stay flexible on dates and times. Request that you would like the cheapest offer and that you are open to suggestions such as other dates if the price is cheaper. You can also take advantage of promotions and off season tickets.

Telephone Numbers – Before leaving for your vacation, get any telephone numbers that you might need or want to call so you don’t have to call information which can add up or use your hotels room phone if staying at one, which is bound to charge if calling long distance.

Don’t Buy Souvenirs – Don’t waste money on a shot glass or picture frame that you’ll never end up using. Take something back like sand from the beach, if staying at a beach destination, or fresh seafood that you’ll savor. That way once you get back home, you’ll remember what you liked about the place.

Saving Dimes on Souvenir Shopping – If you need a souvenir then cut the costs by looking at sales, shopping in the right place, bargain, and acquire used or discontinued merchandise.

Check for Accommodations Outside The City – If you are planning a vacation in the city, then you’ll probably want to get a hotel. Make sure you look for one where kids stay free and where guestrooms are equipped with a fridge and/or a microwave. A suite where the rooms have a small kitchen might be accommodating as well depending on the length of your stay and the number of guests. You then will be able to pick up food and store it, opposed to spending more at restaurants.

Cut the Cost of Lodging – Make daytrips so you can stay at home, or go camping, search for cabin rentals, coupons and other promotions, as well as off-season visits, which are all sure ways to be saving dimes.

Exchange Homes – Another way to save money on vacation while traveling is to do a house exchange. If your house is in an attractive area, contact house exchange associations to see if anyone is interested in doing an exchange.

Campus Accommodation – Call up the local university you are around and ask if they rent out rooms during the time of your vacation.

Avoid Tourist Areas – When you hear or see the word tourist you should always associate it with raised prices so choose somewhere near there or take an adventure and go somewhere new which may turn into something you enjoy more than expected.

Ask About Special Rates – When making reservations ask for specials and best rates. Don’t assume the first price they tell you is the best one. If you are staying at a national chain like the Marriot Hotel call the property you’ll be staying at because rates might be less than if it were in a major city or popular area.

Take Entertainment – Take games so you have something to entertain yourself with or your children, so you won’t have to spend money on new things or activities while traveling. Or be creative and come up with games for the car like searching for license plates from all 50 states, which is a great way to be saving dimes.

Snack Foods – Stock up on snack foods so you don’t have to pay more at convenience stores or be tempted to buy more snacks if you run out.

Avoid Food Outlets – Always take a snack with you to the airport. The airport food outlets are overpriced immensely. If you like to read on the plane, bring a book or buy magazines before arriving so you aren’t tempted to buy more when browsing through the airport stores.

Eating Out – While on vacation try to make it to the early bird dinner where the prices are reduced or eat the specials, which usually are a full course meal as well as the fixed menu items so you aren’t paying for additional side items.

Take a Picnic – If you are camping or doing some sightseeing on your vacation pack a lunch opposed to waiting in line at restaurants or paying for overpriced items.

Bring a Cooler – If you are taking a road trip, bring a cooler in the car with drinks and snacks so you don’t have to stop and pay extra at convenience stores.

Bring Your Own Coffee – Take your own beverages. This way you know you will enjoy it and will pay less for it at your local food store than you would on a trip.

Cheap Travel Options
Looking for a cheap way to get around, check out these options that could help cut costs.

Car rental – If you need to rent a car for your vacation, see what offers are available online before you go to any car rental shops. Usually online deals are cheaper.

Air miles – Use your credit card when you can to pay for your vacations. That way you can pay off the balance afterwards but gain air miles that will help in saving dimes for your next vacation.

Check Different Flight Rates – If you’re flying, don’t settle on one travel line’s fares. Check multiple online travel agents for the best rates. When researching plan ticket sales, change the date from a Saturday to Sunday, or a Sunday to a Tuesday. You should see differences that may save you money if you are willing to be flexible.

You’ll be saving dimes on your next vacation and be able to put it into a savings account for your next vacation or pay in advance on bills and any other debt you might have.

For more information on ways to save go to SavingDimes.com