WOW! Where is the time zooming? Next week is already Valentine's Day! We're so busy this year, the grandkids and I haven't even had much time for the fun and easy crafts for kids that I also love. Then again, there's no reason the seniors in my home can't enjoy them sans grandkids. While I usually send the sweet little kids' Valentines sometimes handmade with my favorite cute country clipart, along with small gifts for the grandkids and the elderly parents in my family, my senior mom loves to send regular Valentine greetings cards to all the grandkids. She usually enjoys picking out special ones from Walmart or Hallmark but occasionally indulges in some fun handmade greetings cards.

I'll have to show her – and YOU – about this adorable and FREE ebook from Sidetracked Sara. She is such a fun resource for easy crafts for all of us, from kids to seniors. Just click here to head to her site, sign up for her free email, and the ebook will arrive in your inbox. A sweet gift for a sweet and happy holiday!

Another of my fave resources is Tawra Kellem, author of  Dining on a Dime cookbook and so many other books. She's also got a free Happy Valentines Holiday ebook for all of us in (and out of) the Sandwich Generation. I just got mine and if you'd like one as well, just click here. It's full of  fun, practical and creative ways to save money while you enjoy creating special family memories on Valentine's Day with your loved ones. 

Be sure to pop back tomorrow for a listing of a few of the many fun Valentine's Day party blog posts that are up and about around the internet. It's a fun way to go to a party without ever leaving your home – perfect all of us busy Sandwich Generation caregivers. And here's two early parties – Bargain Hunting With Laurie, with the cutest old-time-y cards and comments, and  Pink Saturday, where the theme this week is sharing all sorts of things we love – in all sorts of colors. In my case, that would be GOD, FAMILY, and sharing Valentine fun. How about you?

P.S. No, I didn't forget the article – just the date. So part two of the Christian audio books for kids series will be NEXT week

Kaye

Happy New Year's Eve to all of us – in AND out of the Sandwich Generation! Yesterday, I posted some fun New Year's Eve activities ideas for grandparents and their grandchildren. Today, I have a fun tip for a sweet new treat from Google. I discovered it while I was in the midst of my two-part book review for a very handy Kindle resource book for those of us caring for elderly parents or other relatives who have been unexpectedly hospitalized.

Google now has Google Flight, which can be easily accessed just by typing in info into any Google search box. As I shared at Google+, where I learned about this handy dandy option from one of my most useful iphone news apps, Newser -  in a search box, I typed "from Phoenix to Oklahoma City" (without the quote marks). I got the great info below in less than two seconds! Awesome! It even included Southwest Airlines information, though not their prices. What a quick and helpful tool.

You can also access their app directly at Google.com/flights/ where you will find even more useful info. Talk about practical and creative ways to save money! It should be wonderful for those unexpected emergency flights to help aging relatives – perfect for those of us in the busy Sandwich Generation who need to travel due to caregiving needs! A lovely Happy New Year treat for us all!  

Kaye

I really appreciate Tawra Kellam and her terrific website! AND I love it when she shares a guest post with SandwichINK. They are always full of great ideas, tips, and wisdom. Like this one to remind us to take it easy for Christmas so we, AND our Sandwich Generation family, can have more time to just enjoy each other's company without getting too stressed. And for those of us caring for elderly parents with health issues, this is doubly good advice, isn't it.  

Less is More this Christmas!
by Tawra Kellam

After laying down my last women's magazine telling me how to be less stressed during the holidays, I'm even more confused and stressed then ever. On one page I'm told to take time for myself and indulge in a lovely spa bath. As I turn the page, I'm told to give all my friends and family homemade ornaments. Then there are articles telling me how not to gain weight at Christmas parties. Isn't that like telling a three year old to not get dirty while making mud pies?

To top it all off (and the part I like the best) is after they tell us how to get rid of stress and not gain weight, they give us 10 pages of recipes for Christmas cookies made with real butter and cream that are decorated so elaborately in the pictures that it probably took a trained kitchen staff of 10 a week to make one cookie.

Doesn't anyone live in the real world anymore? If you are like me and can't stand that kind of stress, try some of these Christmas ideas from Living on A Dime to help you have a relaxed and Merry Christmas.

• Don't over-spend – It may be tempting to fixate yourself on the sparkling look in little Johnny's eye when he sees that $300 play car under the tree. Advertising people are really good at feeding many parents' fantasies of their children thinking that mom and dad are the peaches and cream for shelling out the cash and looking fondly back on the moment for the rest of their lives. In reality, most kids have lost all interest in that particular toy long before the credit cards are paid off.

  When we were growing up, my mom pulled out all of the stops at Christmas to make it as wonderful for us as she possibly could. The funny thing is that now that we are grown, the things we remember the most fondly are Mom's red jello salad (made with red hots – yummy!) and sitting together and reading the Christmas story before opening our presents. I can't remember what presents I received, but I always look back fondly on the Christmas story.

• Do a few things well – Instead of trying to do everything and ending up depressed with how it all turns out, focus your energy on a couple of things that are the most important to you. You may be tempted to extravagantly decorate every room in your house, but if you don't have the time or energy, focus on one room, like a living or family room. If your entire house is beautiful but you have to go see a therapist when it's all over, the romantic mystique will be lost. Trust me, I know about this one from personal experience.

• Limit activities – Think of the holiday season as triage for activities. Don't commit to do too many things. One or two parties during the holiday season will make you get all tingly in that "It's a Wonderful Life" kind of way. One or two parties a week may send you over the edge, especially if you have kids. (Refer to my therapist comments above.) This also applies to all of those appealing looking activities around town like Victorian Christmas events, Christmas celebrations at the zoo or winter carnivals. One or two can be a lot of fun, but too many will ruin the fun.

• Limit cookie baking – Don't try to make 15 different kinds of cookies like Martha. She may look like she is super woman, but did you know she has a lot of people that help her? How much help do you get with your baking? I mean real help, not your five year old who makes everything twice as difficult for you. This is great for grandma, but you have to see your daughter every day and grandma can send her back when the house is sufficiently covered in flour. Again, pick your two or three top favorite cookies to bake and celebrate the fact that you had few enough priorities that you remembered to put the sugar in them.

  Everything doesn't have to be homemade. I know that we advocate making your own stuff, but Marie Callendar's makes some great pies that you can pass off as homemade if you want to soothe your guilty Martha Stewart conscience. In 20 years, your kids will look fondly back on it as the best pie they ever had. But seriously, if you are making things homemade just to save money, remember that some things like candies and pies are often more expensive to make homemade, especially if you cut your finger while slicing the apples. Don't ask me how I know, just trust me on this one.

These aren't the only things you can do to reduce your stress, but if you stick to doing a few things well, you can truly relax and enjoy the season with your family. In the end, they would rather have fond memories of their time with you than memories of how strung out mom was after she burned the cookies.

Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper are frugal living experts and the authors of the Dining On A Dime Cookbook. Dining On A Dime will help you save money on groceries and get out of debt by cooking quick and simple homemade meals. For free tips & recipes visit http://www.LivingOnADime.com, sign up for our free Living On A Dime Newsletter and learn to save more!

My favorite tip – that I started following years ago – everything does NOT have to be homemade. For those of us babysitting grandchildren, that's such an encouragement. I know I've sometimes helped with their school parties and I used to feel like I had to bake those cakes or cookies to take in. But when the Sandwich Generation issues of life kicked in and took over my schedule, I realized, that was something that could easily change!

And here's a help from me on that topic. When there is a special party coming up –  whether a child's school party or your senior parent's care facility or a spouse's party – sign up FAST so you get to pick from the most selections offered. When my senior dad was quite ill and my daughter was on bedrest from a difficult pregnancy, I learned that lesson. I was taking my oldest grandchild to school. I learned that if I could be one of the first to sign up, I could choose such things as paper plates, plastic silverware, chips, and sodas. ALL of which I could buy any time I was out shopping, and know they wouldn't spoil. I often picked the item up that day and turned it in to the teacher early. Then I didn't have to worry about health issues making me forget or unable to deliver it by the deadline. That was a BIG help that year as there were several holiday parties over the course of the season and LOTS of health issues to deal with! 

What is your favorite idea on this list to help with your own Sandwich Generation family needs? We'd love to hear.

P.S. If you DO have the time this year and are looking for fun and easy crafts for kids AND seniors to make Christmas gifts, you might want to check out her ebook, Gifts in a Jar, with lots of money-saving fun ideas for you and the grandkids to make as gifts. OR you can check out her ebooks, Dining On A Dime cookbook (a favorite of our Sandwich Generation family) or Not Just Beans, as both of those have the same information as the stand-alone ebook, Gifts in a Jar.  

Kaye

Happy Day After Thanksgiving AND Happy Black Friday from the Sandwich Generation granny nanny and senior mom! Are you just back from a long bout of shopping or only now heading out? Or are you like my mom and me, and skipping it all? We both hate crowds so we tend to avoid them like the plague – unlike several other family members who thrive on it and, as a result, save a bundle on Christmas gifts and family needs. Then again, my senior mom and I do pretty good by waiting til the late afternoon and then meandering out, finding some excellent sales, and not having to worry about her getting knocked over by too many shoppers.

For once in my life, I've actually finished most of my Christmas shopping, other than the online gifts to long distance senior parents and other relatives. But I still like to keep my eyes open for special deals on perennial favorites like the old AND new LEGOs my grandkids love, not to mention the very cool but fairly expensive Mario Brothers Chess Set pictured above.

It's also a great opportunity to stock up on towels and sheets if yours are getting worn out. Those come in awfully handy for the Sandwich Generation – both for the senior parents if they start having major health issues, not to mention when the grandkids come to visit. Over the years, I've had my share of tummy upsets going on at both age spectrums and it's quite nice to have extras of all those items for that kind of minor emergency! I have to admit, I'm rather spoiled. I do love my sheets to be cotton with at least 250 or more thread count! I just plain love those AND they make great gifts for the elderly parents and relatives in our family. They were so much comfier for my senior dad when he was in the end stage of Parkinsons Disease. The grandkids would probably never notice any difference, but since I've bought them all at great sales, I get to spoil them as well.

Last, but certainly not least, being a techy-geeky granny nanny, I will be checking out the prices of the tiny but memory-huge external hard drives for sales. Especially after reading about a couple of friends losing a ton of data when their computer crashed this week – reminding me of when I went through that a couple of holiday seasons back. NOT fun and easily preventable when we back up, back up, back up. I preach it well – now it's time to "practice what I preach!" How about you? Do you back up? Need a hard drive or use cloud back ups or both?

Sooooo, if you do head out today – early or late – what's your favorite thing to shop for on Black Friday? And if you aren't going out, what's your favorite thing to do the day after Thanksgiving. As for my and my Sandwich Generation family? Yummy leftovers from pie to turkey along with sweet grandkid hugs are calling my name! 

P.S. Later today, when you are ready for a break from shopping, not to mention all our Sandwich Generation caregiving duties, enjoy some lovely pink things for Pink Saturday.

Kaye

Amazon has a delightful 4th of July gift for all of us in the Sandwich Generation along with our friends and families. Free patriotic hymn songs and music as mp3 downloads. I don't know how long they will be up so I wanted to post this as soon as possible and encourage you to get yours quickly, just in case.

In case you don't think you have room for them on your hard drive (a constant issue for me), they now give you the option to download your purchased and free music into their free "cloud player." Which means they can store them for you up  in the "wherever." I have my account set to automatically send songs there. THEN I immediately download them to my computer. That automatically gives me a backup for my music that I LOVE! Apple is in the process of doing that as well, with the minor bumps I ran into when I last upgraded.

So if you'd like some lovely patriotic music, click on:

• 4th of July – American Independence Day Classics – a 30-song mp3 album (AS OF 8/7 – NO LONGER FREE )
  
• Hector's Favorite Patriotic Songs for Kids – a 5-song mp3 album
  

and enjoy! Also, be sure to check back Friday night. I have more great freebies – both mp3 and free Christian Kindle books (non-4th of July related) that I'll be sharing in this week's "Red White and Blue" Pink Saturday post which goes up midday on Friday.  I gotta say, as a blessed Sandwich Generation granny nanny with a passel of cute grandkids, FREE is always one of the best creative ways to save money for all of us. Don't you think?  

Kaye

Are you a bookaholic, like me? Not that I have much time for reading in this season of my Sandwich Generation life. Caring for my elderly parents, babysitting my grandchildren, and fulfilling one of my long term goals of writing definitely keep me on a short leash when it comes to books. And those I do read are usually non-fiction about whatever project I'm currently working on.

Once upon a time, though, I could get through a book or two a week – sometimes more. I have a couple of favorite fiction genres. There's a big box of Star Trek novels up in the attic – the classics with James T. Kirk as well as many of the Next Generation series. I haven't read them in years, but if I'm ever laid up for a long time, I know I'll enjoy rereading them. Timeless fiction novels like Little Women are always sweet to read.  And then there's my very favorite –  contemporary Christian fiction, preferably mysteries or police genre, the whole Left Behind series - the grownups series AND the kids. and the occasional romance novels ( LOVE LOVE LOVE Karen Kingsbury – starting with her Redemption Series books)!

Right now, though,I know that if I start reading fiction, I might not stop and I just don't have time for that. And frankly, I'm having way too much fun blogging, writing, and working on the internet – in between caregiving and rousing games of Tag and Checkers with the grandkids, so that's OK. BUT – true confession time here! I DO have a couple of Christian contemporary romance/mystery books up my sleeve, JUST in case. They aren't in my attic. Or my bookshelf. Not even in my car. AND they didn't cost me a penny. WHAT am I talking about?

The free Kindle app in my much appreciated AT&T iPhone! On it, I have several very tempting and interesting-looking Christian romance and mystery novels, by favorite authors, and they were all FREE! Talk about fun, practical, and creative ways to save money! Want to check them out? Here's what I found earlier this week. (Warning: They don't stay free forever. Two of Brandilyn Collins' books, Exposure and Deceit, were originally free when I got them. I noticed they are now $9.99, as is her newest book, Over the Edge, so be sure to pop over to the following links as soon as possible and hopefully they will still be free when you get there):

• Women of Justice series – Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason
• Relentless by Robin Parrish – A Christian thriller   
• Invisible (Ivy Malone Mystery Series #1) by Lorena McCourtney  Another favorite Christian mystery with an active senior citizen as detective
• Stuck in the Middle (Sister-to-Sister, Book 1) by Virginia Smith – A Christian fiction romance with good reviews. The lead character is a younger woman caring for her aging grandmother.
• It Happens Every Spring (The Four Seasons of a Marriage Series #1) by Catherine Palmer and Gary Chapman
• For those who, like me, are not reading fiction in this season of life, here are some Gooseberry Patch recipes cookbooks. The first few on the page are currently free. 
• Just in case none of these are free anymore, try searching for other free ones by clicking here.  

So, how about you? Do you use the Kindle book reader or another ereader or other reading device? And what is your favorite genre? Or do the Sandwich Generation issues keep you too busy to read? We'd love to hear!

P.S. If the iPhone screen is too small for you to read it comfortably and you'd like more information on how to buy a regular sized kindle book reader along the current discount and sale prices, just click here.  

Kaye

Our weather is easing up a bit this week, but we have certainly had more than the norm of snow this year. As you know, this is my first real experience with serious snow – the kind that requires snow shovels, snow boots for women, men and kids, rock salt and careful walking.  Because of that, I was quite interested when Lauren Wattie from Jordan David, "the largest and oldest manufacturer of All-Traction™ Footwear," asked if they could send me some of their Spare Spikes ice cleats for shoes to "test drive them" so to speak. As a Sandwich Generation senior home care giver and grandmother, I am always on the look out for resources that can help my family, as well as all of you. I told them I'd love to check them out and share my honest opinion with each of you. In the mail arrived three pairs and here's the scoop.

First of all, you are probably wondering, as I was, what exactly are Spare Spikes? As Lauren put it, they are "ice safety footwear that can best be described as winter walking “ice slippers” that are light-weight, compact, and fit easily and conveniently over all types of shoes and boots." 

I also discovered, partly from their website and partly from my senior mom's and my experiences:

• Basically, they are a flexible rubber sleeve with spikes/cleats in the bottom that increase traction and can reduce slips and falls in slippery, outdoor winter conditions.
• There are eight small cleats and even an extra cleat in case one falls off. That's how they got the name Spare Spikes.

• For myself, they were, indeed, really easy to get on and off. My senior mom, however, was unable to do them by herself. She just doesn't have the range of motion needed to put them on alone. It's fine for her because she lives with me and I can help her. Another dear senior of mine who lives alone wouldn't be able to use these at all as he would not be able to get them on without help, due to his health issues and limited range of motion. 
• They are definitely nice and light weight – less than four ounces per foot. For those struggling with things like arthritis foot pain, that is wonderful!
  
• They are barely noticeable when on your feet and they can be easily folded in half and even carried in a pocket or purse – although I'd make sure I had a couple of large plastic bags to pop them into as they do get wet after walking in the snow. 

• Ours ran a bit small. My senior mom wears 8.5 and I wear 8.5-9. According to the chart, she would wear a small and I would wear a medium. When we tried them on, the small was too small for her tennis shoes. The medium fit both of us quite nicely. HOWEVER, I noticed another reviewer whose husband – a younger runner – needs them to fit extra tight for running and he thought they ran a bit big. So if you are a marathon runner, keep that in mind.

I tried them out on thick snow, thin crunchy snow, and an icy walkway.  In the past, wearing only my tennis shoes, I've only occasionally noticed some slippage issues as I walk in the snow and ice. Wearing these definitely provided a bit more traction, though. I especially noticed this with the thinner, slipperier areas. It doesn't mean I didn't slip or slide but when I did feel a little slippage, I also noticed they kind of grabbed to give more stability as I walked. 

I am blessed with an excellent sense of balance. I think it comes from spending every summer climbing all over rock piers as my dad fished and my mom relaxed on the beach. As a result, walking in the snow rarely bothers me, other than the occasional piece of ice I miss spotting.  My senior mom, on the other hand, has reached a point where she is not comfortable walking in snow or ice at all without my arm to help her. It's just too slippery for her. Even with the snow spikes on, neither of us felt comfortable letting her "test drive" them in the snow itself.

They do seem to be quite handy. If you have to go out in the snow on a regular basis, perhaps to walk a dog or on your way to work in dressier shoes, I think they would be a big help. I live in my tennis shoes and Keens, so I get excellent traction from both them. Therefore,  I don't need to wear Spare Spikes on a regular basis. Especially since I go in and out of the house too often, and they can be hard on floors and carpets. I'd have to take them off and put them on several times a day. However, I do intend to put them in the car as part of my winter weather emergency kit. Very useful for emergencies for both my senior mom and myself! And in a situation like that, she would definitely appreciate having them!

Jordan and David's website was quite interesting, including a history of ice cleats in general. I would have enjoyed reading this to my senior dad to see if he remembered any of the original types that existed. You can find ordering information at their Spare Spike site, Winter Walking, where I was pleased to note you have a 30 days money back guarantee to try any of their products. They do have to be returned in an unused and salable condition, the same as most shoe stores require. It would give you a chance to make sure the Snow Spikes fit, that you or your senior parent can, indeed, easily get them on, and that they will work well for you. 

Overall, I think these are an excellent option for the Baby Boomer Generation. They make a nice alternative to living in snow boots for women and men. They are particularly useful for those who have to go out in the snow with shoes that offer little or no traction. They would also be very useful for seniors who can put them on themselves or have someone who can help put them on and who already go out in the snow now, giving them an extra measure of safety. And as I said before, they will definitely be added to my Sandwich Generation senior home care giver "tool kit" for emergencies for both my senior mom and myself. 

Would you or a special senior in your family like to give them a try? I have one pair, size small, which should fit women's shoes 7-8 or men's shoes 5-6 1/2. Leave a comment below to be entered in a drawing for these Spare Spikes. Be sure to add your name and your email address. For extra entries for this drawing, you can:

• Sign up for the FREE SandwichINK email which will not only get you an extra entry for the Spare Spikes but it will also keep you up to date on all kinds of Sandwich Generation resources and info to help and encourage those caring for the elderly relatives in their family along with their grandchildren. Make sure you then come back and leave a separate comment that you signed up.
• Tweet this, then come back and leave a comment that you did.
• Write about this at Facebook, come on back and leave yet another comment. 
• And, finally, blog about this, and, of course, one final comment. 

Each comment/action counts for one entry. The contest ends on March 14, 2010 at midnight. After that, one name will be randomly picked from all the entrants' comments and posted here, along with sending the winner an email. That person will then have one week to contact me with their mailing adress, otherwise another winner will be randomly picked.  

All right, all of you Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents. This is a fun contest just for you! Enjoy!

UPDATE 3/24/10 CONGRATULATIONS TO MARY FROM ELDERCAREABC WHO WON THE SPARE SPIKES!!!

Can you tell I'm on a learning jag for our new wood burning stove? Now that I've learned about woodstove safety options for grandchildren and elderly parents, I'm on to investigating what I can burn in my woodstove.

Of course, wood is at the top of the list. I already knew seasoned Oak was one of the best woods to burn, along with Elm and Hickory, among others. I went with Oak and now have two lovely ricks stacked neatly inside my garage just waiting for me to add it to my firewood holder beside the woodstove. From there to the log rack inside, and then, glorious heat. Hmmm, but how do I start it burning? For that, I'll need a good firestarter. My grandkids and I collected all the twigs we found from our own trees plus a few from walks and filled a box. It's enough for a fire or two. Then what?

When my kids were young, I used newspaper to help start our fires so I headed for Google to get some more ideas and hit the jackpot. First I found a great ebook to help with using woodstoves, A Guide to Residential Wood Heating, from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. It is loaded with information about burning wood efficiently, purchasing and preparing your fuel supply, and wood stove accessories for the hearth.

Continuing on with my search I then found the directions for making actual fireplace logs out of newspapers at Instructables. I also found a site that discussed that process. Most of the writers think it makes too much ash. If you decide to make fireplace logs with your paper, they suggest two paper logs to one wood log. I think I'm going to wait on that idea for now. At least until my grandsons are old enough to do it and then I'll see if they would like a job!     

Finally, though, I came to the perfect site for me. As a busy Sandwich Generation senior home care giver and grandmother, speed and easiness are two of my favorite words. Woodheat has simple directions for tying newspapers into knots to use them as firestarters! I LOVE it! I can do it. My grandkids can do it NOW. My senior mom can do it. And it even looks like fun! It could even be a good research project for their homeschooling programs.

Some of my grandkids got to spend the night. This morning, I  had fun knotting away with them, and we added several of these to the firewood racks along with the logs.

After we had a serious talk about woodstove safety rules, I started the fire. I have to admit, the knots worked great but the fire dwindled quickly. I went back to Woodheat and found more help from them on how to build the fire. I later tried the top down version and I'm thrilled to tell you it's burning fairly well as I type.  Don't you love it when you find practical solutions that all the generations can have fun working on? Especially when it's one of those fun ways to save money like using the newspaper you already subscribe to?  I know I do!

Do you have more suggestions for what to burn in our new woodstove? We'd love to hear them. We'd also love to have you sign up for the SandwichINK free email so you don't miss any info or resources to encourage Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents.

Because I did two articles yesterday AND I want to make sure everyone gets the info in both parts, I’m doing an ultra-short post today to say, be sure to read yesterday’s post – both halves. They both have valuable information for you Have a great Saturday!

SPECIAL WORM ALERT:

It seems like it’s getting to the point that at least once a month, there is a new and major warning about another computer virus, worm, or other issue. This month is no exception. BBC and other sites are reporting that over 3.5 million computers have already been infected by the worm known by the names of:  Conficker, Downadup, or Kido which was first discovered last October (2008). If you’ve stayed up-to-date on all Windows downloads, updates, and patches, hopefully you should be fine. If you haven’t, be sure to do that today! As soon as possible! Immediately! Really! This is especially important for grandparents/parents. Some reports I’ve read indicated that the people who got hit started having pornographic pictures appear no matter what URL they typed in! That could be rather traumatic for both the grandkids and the grandparents. So please doublecheck your machine to be sure all is up-to-date. When you’re done, go check the computers for your elderly parents and others you care for.

You can find the BBC article here – http://budurl.com/WormInJan . You can also read about this worm, along with safe computing suggestions from my favorite antivirus software/experts, Norton, at http://budurl.com/NortonSafeCompTips .

Even if you are sure you have automatic updates set for Windows and any antivirus software you have, I would still encourage you to double-check that everything is totally current. I just did that and found all is ok. But I’ve done that in the past when I read about virus alerts and actually got it updated faster than if I’d waited for it to automatically do it. When it comes to worms and viruses, you can never be too fast. Plus that protects you in case someone accidentally switched the settings and you didn’t realize it. Don’t forget any laptops or older computers that don’t get used often. It’s easy to forget they don’t get updated when turned off. Once back on, it can take awhile for all the updates to download. It would be wise to go turn them on and do the updates yourself right now. I just checked my laptop, which I use often, and discovered that all the vital updates were current but an optional update was there waiting for me.

2:12 PM – AFTER POSTING THIS, I DISCOVERED THAT MICROSOFT HAS POSTED A SPECIAL PATCH – http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS09-001.mspx . YOU CAN GO THERE, PICK THE ONE MOST APPROPRIATE TO YOUR COMPUTER AND DOWNLOAD IT. WHETHER IT SAYS SO OR NOT, BE SURE TO RESTART YOUR COMPUTER AFTER THE PROCESS IS COMPLETED.You should do this IN ADDITION to the above.

Since we’re on this topic, this is also a great time to remind you to do some regular computer housekeeping. If you want to ignore the dust bunnies under the beds, or the windows that need cleaning a little longer, I give you leave. But I do strongly encourage you to:

Defragment your computer.

Do a complete antivirus scan of your computer.

If you have “clean-up” software for your computer, run that.

Run any spyware software, such as Spybot or Adaware.

Delete any files you no longer need in order to free up space, enabling your computer to keep running smoothly. Some suggestions would be: obsolete email, older RSS feeds that you don’t want to keep, podcasts you’ve finished with, pictures that didn’t come out right, and any documents that you are done with.

Check the expiration date of your antivirus software. Mine expires in two weeks so I’m busy watching sales ads and Amazon for the best prices. I’d love to get a deal on Turbotax and Norton, but not sure it will happen in time. (If you hear of any great deals, let us know! Just leave a note in the comments below or email me at Kaye@SandwichINK.com )

Now that you’ve done all that, you can enjoy the computer a little more comfortably.  But remember, as fun as it is, the internet is a wild and woolley place, so keep practicing safe computing habits everyday.

Now that I’ve finished my computers, I decided I was  going to research frugal prices for antivirus software and tax software. I started with my favorite site, RefundCents and was reminded that they have a FREE WEEKEND that has already started. I wanted to let you know about this as soon as possible so…

SPECIAL FRUGAL ALERT

My favorite website, Refund Cents, is offering a free trial weekend. The entire site will have free access until Sunday night. I hope you can spend time checking out the massive amount of savings information available. When you get there, use the Menu on the right. On Monday, you’ll need paid access to enter, but that is only about $1 per month . They accept Credit cards, PayPal, and checks.

Some of the interesting things you’ll find there include: Michelle’s Best Deals on her Updates Page. When I don’t have time to do anything elese, that’s the one page I check out. She goes through all the information people are sending her constantly through the day and puts the cream of the crop there – sales, freebies, etc. You’ll also find double play lists for Walgreens, RiteAid & CVS, which show you how to combine regular coupons with their sales and refunds to give you the best deal possible. The deals this week at Walgreens include 8 freebies while CVS is offering 2 freebies. There is the main list of deals, Centsible Chat, where you’ll find new specials, sales, and goodies appearing constantly throughout the day. She provides previews of Sunday’s coupons to help plan your shopping week, and so much more.

I have been a member for several years and LOVE THEM! I have the online membership, only check it periodically, and still save enough to pay for the cost of the subscription and then some. Michelle’s site always has such great deals!

Give them a try FOR FREE through Sunday night at www.refundcents.com/index .asp? RefID=FMNC . When you get there, just click the VISITORS button and have fun exploring.