In honor of Small Business Saturday, I wanted to introduce you to my personal favorite small business, MCM Inventions, Inc.  How did this business come to earn the status as my all-time favorite?  Because this is the business that my husband and I started together three years ago!  Here's a little background on MCM Inventions:

MCM Inventions, Inc. was founded in 2009 by Melissa Cleaver and her husband, Michael.  The couple met while attending Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.  Michael earned a bachelors degree in Agricultural Development and Melissa attained a bachelors degree in Genetics.  They graduated from college in December of 1999 and were married in Houston, Texas seven years later.

The company’s first product line, Toothpaste 2 Go, was invented by Melissa while traveling to the National Science Teacher’s Conference in Boston, MA.  While brushing her teeth that night, she noticed the small airplane icon on her bottle of travel-sized toothpaste and thought back to how much she had paid for that tube.  She remembered that her travel-size toothpaste cost her 30 cents less than a full size tube of toothpaste, but she only got half as much actual toothpaste.  Now, she could travel on an airplane with this smaller sized tube, but why was she paying so much more for so much less?

Necessity truly is the mother of invention, and because of the potential savings for future travel, the Toothpaste 2 Go toothpaste refill system was born.  MCM Inventions, Inc. has many other useful innovations that are currently being patented and developed for future release. The company’s goal is to consistently provide you, their valued customers, with products that will save you both time and money, thus truly "making your everyday easier".

It's every household's never-ending chore...LAUNDRY!  I swear, I don't understand how just three people can dirty up so many clothes so fast, but my family always seems to manage.  I actually shudder to think just how much we spend on laundry detergent as well as on the water and electricity needed to run our washing machine and dryer.  :money:

Furthermore, I recently discovered the damaging effects that our laundry detergent has on the environment.  Thankfully, Oransi has set out to provide a more cost-effective, eco-friendly and chemical-free way to clean our clothes with the Robby Wash Laundry Ball.  Keep reading to learn more!

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During the fall, we frequently hear tips about how to better weatherproof our homes for the cold winter season that lies ahead. I haven't read a tip list yet which didn't mention using a programmable thermostat, and that's probably because 50 - 70 percent of our homes' energy consumption is directly related to its HVAC system. A programmable thermostat not only makes saving energy easy, it also saves us plenty of money quite effortlessly.

I have to admit that I didn't think there were many differences between various models of programmable thermostats...until I discovered the ecobee thermostat.  ecobee is a smart, innovative company with a brand new approach to home energy management.  I recently had the chance to learn more about their Smart Si thermostat.  Keep reading to learn more!

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I thought that maybe on this Toddler Tuesday, I would travel off the beaten path of cute baby pics and videos, to bring you a few tips regarding making your own baby food at home.  You see, somewhere along the way I got it into my head that I would never serve Riley any store bought baby food.

I had always heard how expensive that stuff was and how easy making your own baby food really is.  Also, I knew I was going to be a stay-at-home mom when I had Riley, and so I thought this could also be a great way for me to contribute to our family budget and save us a little money at the same time!

I was shocked and surprised at just how easy it really is and also how inexpensive!  The great thing about it is that I know exactly what is going into her food and I feel good knowing that it is extremely fresh too!  For any parent who may be thinking about making your own baby or toddler food, I'm passing on the tips and tools of the trade right here:

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Married people say they envy singles, but years of happy matrimony have warped their minds. Couples are quick to forget the constant rejection and empty apartments which haunt day-to-day single life. Then there are the dates themselves. It's a struggle to find something equally entertaining and impressive without emptying your bank account for someone who'll never call again anyway.

In honor of National Singles Week, MrFreeStuff.com has 53 Free Date Ideas to help you break away from the same-old boring movie theaters and restaurants.  Here are seven of those no-cost options that defy the dating norm:

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A recent article on The Consumerist found the TLC show, Extreme Couponing, has sparked a trend of out-of-control couponers who ransack stores with little regard for fellow shoppers. Merchants have taken notice and many major retailers are starting to change their policies. Here are some of the big ones.

Rite Aid

Rite Aid has taken the same steps as Target to crack down on shoppers looking to exploit BOGO coupon offers. The drug store chain has also made other changes including limiting the number of coupons per item to four. If inventory is running low, managers may limit the numbers further.

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