Name: Heather F.
Age:  33
Home: Pittsburgh, PA
Family's Names and Ages:
Elena, 5 1/2 years
Thomas, 11 months

Occupation:
Now I'm a stay at home mom who is writing a children's book for my daughter, designs web pages on the side, and has studied photography as a hobby.  For the past two years, I've also run the after school program (for K-8) at the Catholic school where my daughter attended preschool.  Prior to staying home with my kids I worked as an administrative assistant while going to college part-time for legal studies and humanities.  I decided to stay home with my daughter soon after I graduated and have not entered the work force in my field of study.

If I had a day to myself...:
I would sleep in, relax, and work on my book.

Money Saving Tips:
Check out the Warehouse clubs in your area and compare the prices.  On some of the larger bulk items that you would never use all of but that have a great price, check with your friends and family members to see if they would like to split the cost and the item with you.  I especially like our Sam's club for the deals on photo processing.  I can get 4x6 doubles for under $4 and digital 4x6 prints for 16 cents.  It only takes 10 rolls of film before my membership pays for itself (and I take a lot more rolls than that in a year).

Bargain Hunting Strategies:
I like to go to Old Navy and The Children's Place and check out the sales.  At one of the Children's Place Outlets near us, I found a 99 cent sale and was able to buy a sweater for my daughter and a gift for my young cousin for 99 cents each.  That day I spent $45 and bought 2 shirts and a skort for my cousin, a shirt for another cousin, a few outfits for my baby son, a sweater for my daughter and 2 hats for my son. 

Products we can't live without:
Kraft easy mac.  Both of my kids love the stuff and this past year has been pretty hectic so this quick lunch was a godsend.

In the Kitchen:
If you aren't going to get to the dishes right away, give them a quick rinse.  Also, for the tough cooked on foods in you pots and pans, put a little water in the bottom with some baking soda and put it on the stove and boil it for a little while the grime that doesn't boil off usually wipes right off.

Organization:
When you are photographing your kids, jot down on your calendar or dayplanner a quick note of what they were wearing.  When you get the pictures developed, you can go back to your calendar to check the date of the picture by what they were wearing in the photo.  Also, when you get the photos back if you aren't able to put them into albums right away, jot a quick note on the back with the date of the photo and what you/they were doing.