Meet My Blogroll: Wild for Wags

Wild for Wags is relatively new to my blogroll, but it's the perfect example of a "niche blog." Christie does one thing - share the deals at Walgreens - and she does it better than anyone.

In addition to listing the weekly deals at Walgreens, Christie gives a helpful heads up on hot upcoming deals, and I especially enjoy her "Updates from the Field," in which she posts helpful tips. For example, she'll report on deals that aren't going through the way they should, unadvertised deals, and clearance finds.

If you shop at Walgreens, I highly recommend subscribing to Wild for Wags!

Meet my Blogroll: Baby Toolkit

I've been reading Baby Toolkit for a few years now, and I love the sense of humor that Adrienne and Jim bring to their blog. Check out their recent post mocking the CPSC's holiday safety warning. I also admire and envy Adrienne's sewing and crafting ability, as demonstrated by these cloth crowns she gives out as birthday gifts. Don't you wish she knew your kids so they could have one of these beauties? (This is slightly off-topic, but a while back, we saw a boy – about 6 years old, I'd guess – in medieval costume at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Apparently it was the boy's favorite outfit and he insisted on wearing it wherever he went. Somehow it was more unexpected than the 4-year-old muscled Spiderman we saw at the dentist's office. Talk about a child who'd love to receive one of Adrienne's crowns!)

Adrienne and Jim also share their passion for family game nights (read their reviews), which is useful if you want to know if a game is appropriate for your child. They also share random useful tips, like how to involve your pre-writing child in sending thank you notes and using vinegar to combat hard water issues in the dishwasher.

And back in 2008, Adrienne had an article published in Parents magazine. It was very cool to open up the issue that arrived in the mail and tell everyone that I "knew" the author!

Previously: Meet other blogs on my blogroll

Meet my blogroll: Freebies 4 Mom

Freebies 4 Mom has become one of the biggest mom blogs around. Heather's goal is to "spoil her readers with the hottest freebies," and she does it extremely well, by sharing links to free samples, rebates, sweepstakes, coupons, and more. Heather's so good at what she does that she's even been on the Tyra Banks show to share her knowledge. Be sure to check in every day because she posts multiple times a day.

And if you're a blogger who wants to earn some blogging income, you should definitely read her "Money 4 Mom" series.

Previously: Meet other blogs on my blogroll

Meet my Blogroll: Baby Cheapskate

If you have young children, I hope you're already acquainted with Baby Cheapskate – it was one of the first blogs I started reading, and I think it's a must-subscribe blog for any parent with young kids. I'm actually a little sad that I – or my kids, rather – are outgrowing BC, because it's been such a fabulous resource on all kinds of baby-related deals.

Angie has a super handy spreadsheet that every parent who buys diapers ought to memorize (or at least keep a copy of in their wallet) – it lists the target price of diapers by brand and size. Unless you're using cloth diapers, this is vital information that will save you hundreds of dollars through your child's first three years or so.

In addition to diaper deals, Angie keeps me up to date on the latest sales and bargains on baby and kid-related products. Right now, I'm keeping an eye on BC for car seat deals (I'm looking to buy a couple more Nautilus seats in the near future, and Angie tells me I might be able to find a good deal in September). You'll also find updates on stroller markdowns, photo deals, and more.

After you check out Baby Cheapskate, head over to Freepeats.org, which is kind of like Freecycle but for baby and children's products only. There's a nominal membership fee of $1, but you'll get it back after you post two offers. And residents of San Diego and Birmingham (AL) can join for free this week!

And if you're a blogger, be sure to check out Angie's other project, BlogCoach, for tips and info to help you maximize your blog.

Previously: Meet other blogs on my blogroll

Meet my blogroll: Just Hungry & Just Bento

Just Hungry and Just Bento are two of my favorite food blogs. They are written by Maki, a native of Japan who's living in Western Europe. The best thing about her blogs is the recipes. Traditional Japanese cooking tends to be time-consuming and complicated, or at least it seems that way. Maki makes Japanese cooking accessible, so that I think, I can do that. For example, her Salmon Furikake is something I make regularly.

Both blogs feature occasional giveaways, and there's a relatively new forum at Just Bento. Maki also has a site called Hungry for Words, where she teaches some Japanese. Check them all out!

Previously: Meet other blogs on my blogroll

Meet my blogroll: Growing Up Gabel

Camille has been a long time CFO reader and active commenter, and so I found her own delightful blog, Growing Up Gabel. She writes about topics close to my heart, including frugality, cooking and family, all with a touch of her sweet personality. Features of Growing Up Gabel include a weekly "Vons Bargain Meal of the Week" - last week, it was Crock Pot Swiss Steak with Corn on the Cob and Zucchini. Yum! I also love her recent post on the importance of a price book, something I've discussed too.

Previously: Meet the blogroll I've already introduced

Meet my blogroll: Like Merchant Ships

I'm not exactly sure when I "met" Meredith of Like Merchant Ships, but I quickly fell in love with her blog. She's the sort of gracious, loving person who somehow manages to inspire rather than diminish. And she shares all kinds of wonderful ideas on her blog – crafts, cooking, cleaning, childcare, and more. I particularly love how she creatively stretches her dollars, and how generous she is with them. Who wouldn't love to be the lucky recipient of gifts like these?

Recently, Meredith ventured into Once-A-Month Cooking. She and Jessie spent six hours putting together 15 recipes (I think it worked out to 30 meals for each of them). She shared her freezer packing strategy at Frugal Hacks, where she writes a weekly column aptly titled "Cheerful Frugality."

If you don't know Meredith already, please head over to meet her. She recently moved her domain and resigned her lovely site. She's also got a handy Tumblr page where she links to favorite articles she's found throughout the blogosphere.

Previously: Meredith interviewed me last year (the podcast no longer seems to be available). One of the things we talked about was the price of eggs, which had been rising quickly at the time – since then, Trader Joe's has held the price steady at $1.49 per dozen.

Meet my blogroll: Mommy Making Money Moneywise Moms

Gina went and changed her blog name right after I posted this. Her blog is now Moneywise Moms, but it still has the same great content!

Gina of Mommy Making Money Moneywise Moms is a great example of a mom who doesn't work outside the home, but who makes big contributions to her family's financial success by spending wisely and bringing in money, and she shares her expertise on her blog.

Each month this year, Gina is sharing how she contributed to her family's income. In January, she brought in $189.90, and in February, she contributed $635.94!

Gina also posts weekly deals at the stores where she shops, and although she's an expert CVS shopper, I love seeing her grocery deals since that's where I need the most help. There's a Safeway-affiliated store called Pavilions near my house, and Gina's posts are what made me actually start paying attention to the deals there. I don't go every week, but when she points out a particularly awesome deal, I make sure to stop by and take advantage of it.

Right now, Gina is giving away a very cool set of Ziploc Organizers, so be sure to stop by and visit her!

Meet my blogroll: Common Sense with Money

Most of you probably know Mercedes already. She's the founder of Common Sense with Money – it's one of my favorite "deals" blogs and I've mentioned it many times.

I think the big thing that sets Mercedes apart from other deals sites, though, is that she occasionally posts very helpful articles. For instance, I love when she explains how her family has been able to get ahead financially after she quit working outside of the home. And her explanations on Walgreens' register logic have been incredibly helpful to me.

When I first started playing The Drugstore Game, I understood CVS pretty well, but the Register Rewards system at Walgreens really puzzled me. And yet Mercedes would post about the great deals she was getting there, and I came to think of her as the Walgreens deals queen. I still think that way, and her posts helped me figure out how to get my own bargains at Walgreens. Her site is still my favorite one for finding Walgreens deals.

So be sure to stop by Common Sense with Money and check out this week's Walgreens deals. And while you're there, check out the FAQ – it's got some helpful tips if you're just getting started on saving.

Meet my blogroll: Rocks in my Dryer

Rocks in my Dryer was a well established blog by the time I found it. It's author, Shannon, created the Works for Me Wednesday carnival, and is a huge name in the women/mommy blogosphere.

So I feel a little silly highlighting Rocks in my Dryer here, because you probably already know it. But just in case you don't, I hope this post will inspire you to go visit, because no other blog brings tears to my eyes as often as Rocks in my Dryer does. And I mean tears of the good kind – read this post about her sons, for instance. I got teary with hope that my own boys and I will have such moments.

She hasn't been posting the "What I'd Like For You To Know" series much lately, but those posts were often tearjerkers too. They were always insightful and thought-provoking.

But what I love the most are the glimpses into Shannon's life. It's so clear that she wants above all to be a good person, and she's brave enough and willing to share her journey with us. I'm honored, and I think you will be too.