The Frugal Diva facebooks, twitters, links in, and now pins away however it is important to always be on the look out for new information, nuances and time saving tips regarding social media.  Enter Constant Contact with nation wide seminars in most metropolitan areas.

What makes these seminars so great?  First, they are usually free (a few are given with a local chamber of commerce where a small fee is charged). Second, they are run by professionals in the respective field who have the latest updates and business uses. Third, you have the opportunity to be invite friends, colleagues, and clients to an educational event. Fourth, there is the opportunity to network with other attendees.

Hats off to HUTdogs (they will explain the name) who held the free Constant Contact Seminar On Social Media at the Santa Monica Library. They kept a good pace going, covering all bases with a bonus session on Pinterest, and had a short Q and A afterwards.  Even if you know quite a bit about this topic, it’s so good to be reminded how to make the most of these tools. For the small business person, they represent free advertising space and the opportunity to interact with consumers.

A big thank you to HUTdogs for making this presentation so interesting and informative!

Being totally phobic about all things legal, the frugal diva was really happy when a friend recommended Legal Zoom.  Personal recommendations rank very high on my list of reasons to use a service – especially one on the Internet.  Being nervous about the process also generates a high need for great customer service. In my case more like hand holding, reassurance, and letting you ask many questions along the way.

I got all this and more. This company has the best customer service ever.  They inform you by mail and by phone each step of the way and you never have to wait more then a few minutes for a real, live person to walk you through the process.

And that person is soooo patient, soooo informed, and will make sure you understand everything before the conversation is over.  There is no rush, no attitude, and they are interested in your concerns.

You do pay for the service however you are saving time, aggravation, and gasoline. Instead of driving around, finding parking, making mistakes filling out forms, and dealing with clerks, you are taking care of your business.  Their prices are very reasonable given how much time you would spend getting the same service yourself or using the higher priced services of an attorney.   Legal Zoom proved that the law can be very orderly and efficient.

Where can you find accessories for the Motorola Droid and a quesadilla maker all on in the same place? Slickdeals.net is that site. What is great about slick deals is that they are vetted by users and Slick Deals researches the merchants. Use this site when you are looking for kitchen electronics, tech stuff, digital cameras, and coupon codes for companies like Dell and Logitech.

Here is their mission as stated on their site. “Founded in 1999, Slickdeals.net is a free, user-driven deal sharing site with a mission to provide consumers an avenue to collaborate and share information in order to make the best shopping decisions. Slickdeals achieves this by providing its users a forum for communication and various shopping tools. Slickdeals.net prides itself on being user and community focused, never allowing paid placement for frontpage deal listings.”

Divas need to be state of the art and this site will help you get here.

Easy ways to pamper your pets

No matter what kind of day you’ve had, a little love from your pet is an instant pick-me-up. Spent two hours ensnarled in traffic? A little nudge from a wet nose will fix that. Boss isn’t cutting you any slack? Your furry friends think you can do no wrong.  Your soon-to-be-spouse suddenly got cold feet? You’ve got two big brown eyes gazing up at you with unconditional love.

So how do you say thanks to the furry friends who’ve made your life complete? Here are five easy ways to pamper the dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, gerbils, reptiles and other adorable animals you adore.

1. Walk this way. Grab a leash, open the door and the world is yours: just you and your baby and the great outdoors. A walk with your furry friend is about more than just quality alone time with his or her favorite person. It’s also an opportunity for both of you to burn some calories! If your pet isn’t the outdoors type, you can still offer plenty of opportunities to exercise. Outfit his or her tank or cage with a complete workout suite: treadmills, wheels, posts to climb, exercise balls and more.

2. Spoil them silly. Throw a new toy in front of your pet and turn off the TV: seeing your furry friend chase around his new possession will provide better entertainment than anything on television. You might even want to grab a video camera so you can capture the fun!

3. Don’t cheap out on the chow. Pets are expensive—we all know that—but one thing you don’t want to skimp on is a high-quality, species- and animal-appropriate pet food.  Check with your veterinarian about what’s best for your furry (or slimy, or feathered) friend. Then find your pet a comfortable place to eat—preferably near where the whole family dines so he or she can be part of mealtimes. Worried that ugly plastic food bowl clashes with your china? Choose a pretty food bowl instead so your chum can chow down in style.

4. Spa day for Spot. Pamper your pet by giving him or her  the royal treatment: shampoo, coat care, a nice, fluffy brushing and a “pet-icure.” Your pet will enjoy the attention, and a well-groomed animal is a healthy animal!

5.Don’t forget about the vet! Even if your dog or cat is as healthy as a horse, don’t forget those well-visits with the veterinarian. Your pet’s health care professional will be able to address any concerns you might have and administer recommended vaccines. Plus, a thorough check-up will allow the doctor to detect any problems that might be developing before they get serious.

This article has been provided by the folks at Vitacost.com. Vitacost.com has been selling discount vitamins like Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin C since 1994.. Since then it’s grown into one of the biggest online marketplaces for healthy living essentials-with vitamins and supplements being just one of their many helpful categories! Get the best price on vitamins, nutritional supplements, whole foods and diet foods. Vitacost.com’s customers mean the world to them, and it’s their goal to provide you with the best nutritional supplements, natural foods and sports nutrition to help with your health and wellness. Vitacost.com is not affiliated with this blog, and isn’t responsible for content outside of this article.

Repeat after me, “I will never pay for rush shipping.”  So start your  pre-shopping now.  What I mean by pre-shopping is making  a list, checking  it twice, finding out whose been naughty or nice.  Preparing in advance allows you to avoid last minute decisions and last minute expenses.  Map out birthdays, shower gifts, and all every other gift giving occasion now and be way ahead when the holidays roll around.

Of course we all have have our favorite stores bookmarked. This post is for sites that cover many categories.  For things you need, gifts that can be sent without going to the post office, and stocking up on useful items, online buying is the perfect solution.  However you don’t want to wade through hundreds of sites with bad interface and expired offers.

This first site is so good you might never leave fatwallet.com.  Coupons, user forums, and gateways to all the sites you need to save on everything  including travel. They even have cash back with designated merchants.  Best things first – they let you know which coupons are expiring, the search feature is user friendly, and you can find your favorite companies quickly. Cash back is the most intriguing since who doesn’t like to save and get money back. Of course the payoff is not immediate, however down the line after a waiting period and the vendor pays them, fatwallet.com will send you a check. This is an above and beyond savings. For food coupons and everyday items plus other great features, fatwallet.com is one of the Frugal Diva faves.

A great site for price comparison is pricegrabber.com. They have been around for awhile and pricegrabber.com not only reviews the products, you will also get hundreds and sometimes thousands of reviews on the merchants. This is very reassuring particularly on more pricey items such as computers and digital cameras.

Overstock.com is another great resource. You are buying directly from them and they have a feature that allows you to do an instant price check with another merchant.

And when in need of a quick gift, few sites are as practical as Amazon.com. Easy purchase and even more importantly for the recipient easy return. Gift wrapped, card inserted, and mailed all in a few clicks.

Do your own quality checking among consumer reviews and there is always Consumer Reports (subscribe or read it at the library) which is excellent for significant purchases and any electrical appliance.

Those novels you read on vacation, the shirt you haven’t worn for five years, the toys your college bound student won’t need, and the sheets for a single bed that you don’t own anymore. Sound familiar. We all put things away for a rainy day or because they remind us of a favorite event.

This is a great time of year to reorganize, declutter, donate, and stash stuff  in boxes for a future yard sale.

In fairness to yourself before selling or donating anything that you feel might be worth something check the ebay price of the same or similar item.

If you feel something is very valuable check with a professional auction house. Bonhams Auction House opens its doors once a month so that they can assist you in appraising your property. Is it treasure or trash?  They are a neutral party who can provide an auction value estimate. They limit you to five items and the service is free. In Los Angeles they are located at 7601 Sunset Blvd or call 800 223 2854 for more information.  This is a fun experience regardless of the value. They treat you well and let you know if there is any historical information about your item.

If you decide to go forward with a yard sale here are some good rules to follow:

Put a price on all items! You can have individual prices or grab bags where everything in the bag goes for a set price. Put stickers on everything and you can also segregate areas for different prices. All fifty cent items on one table. Remember nobody comes to yard sale to spend big bucks. Everything you sell is one thing you don’t have to carry back into the house.

Don’t let early arrivers throw you off. Post a sign that says when you start and don’t let anyone into your home. You want good coverage so if you don’t have enough family members, invite friends to help out or sell stuff along with you. If you can get your neighbors to join in – all the better.  Everyone has a unique inventory so the more the merrier.

Get change the day before and post that you will only give change up to $10.  Most yard sale shoppers know the drill and will come with appropriate coinage.  Since many items will be $.10 or $.25, get a few packs of quarters, dimes, and nickels plus twenty to  fifty in singles. Keep your cash on you or with a helper who is designated the cashier.

Feel free to sell sodas or lemonade for a modest price. This is a great learning experience for small children. Let them set up a stand and feel they are part of the experience.

Now to let people know about your sale.  Many local papers have free listings, put it up on bulletin boards at your grocery store, school, church, and gym, and post signs at all major intersections in your neighborhood. Many people still drive around looking for yard sales and neon colored paper will attract attention.

And the most important thing about a yard sale, have fun, watch your stuff enhance another person’s life, and make a few dollars in the process.

Mommy guilt isn’t limited to children. Fido is family, too—so when you’re  choosing what your tail-wagging baby will eat, it can feel pretty awful lugging home a big bag of kibble you know isn’t the best. Sadly, healthy, organic food options, for both people and pets, bump up numbers on the grocery bill, making it more likely you’ll buy generic than GMO free.

But many pet owners are shuffling budgets to make room for better-quality pet foods, with sales of organic varieties increasing in the U.S., despite the down economy. According to the Organic Trade Association, Americans doled out $84 million for organic pet food in 2009, a tenfold increase in the amount they spent in 2002.

Knowing organic foods are better for their own health, and for the environment, people are looking for the same safe, chemical-free options for their pets. A quick glance at any commercial pet food label is reason enough for many to make the switch. While manufacturers claim quality and wholesomeness, most pet foods are loaded with questionable ingredients, from animal by-products and cheap fillers to artificial flavors, colors and preservatives.

Luckily, increased demand for natural and organic pet foods has led to better availability—and better prices. But before you grab any bag with “green” or “healthy” on the label, know that not all natural pet foods are created equal. Here are some things to look for when making your purchase:

USDA Organic seal
Just as with human food, pet food must meet strict standards set by U.S. Department of Agriculture to carry the official USDA Organic seal. To be labeled “Organic,” a product must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients. Those with 70 to 94 percent organic ingredients can state “Made with Organic Ingredients” on the label.

Natural label
According to the Pet Food Committee of the Association of American Feed Control Officials, the term “natural” is acceptable on a pet food label as long as none of the ingredients are synthetic, or chemically made. All content must be derived from plant, animal or mined sources, with the exception of added vitamins or minerals (if the product is not intended for use as supplement).

Essential nutrients
Whether pet food is organic, natural or conventional, it’s usually processed, which means important nutrients may have been stripped during production. Look for products labeled “complete” or “balanced,” to be sure they have the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your pet needs for best health.

This article has been provided by the folks at Vitacost.com. Vitacost.com has been selling discount vitamins like Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin C since 1994. Since then it’s grown into one of the biggest online marketplaces for healthy living essentials-with vitamins and supplements being just one of their many helpful categories! Get the best price on vitamins, nutritional supplements, whole foods and diet products. Vitacost.com’s customers mean the world to them, and it’s their goal to provide you with the best nutritional supplements, natural foods and sports nutrition to help with your health and wellness. Vitacost.com is not affiliated with this blog, and isn’t responsible for content outside of this article.

Let’s support another California company. For Bauer Pottery Fans the first showroom sale of the year is this weekend, March 3 & 4, Saturday (10am – 5pm) and Sunday (10am – 4pm). They will be offering seconds starting at 30% off retail price. So, it’s your chance get that piece you’ve been eyeing for a fabulous price! Available for purchase will be:

Bauer Pottery in vibrant colors

Corita by Bauer featuring exclusively licensed art by Sister Corita

Russel Wright American Modern in vintage glazes as well as new Bauer colors

Home by Sunset pottery for western living

Showroom sale dates for 2012:

March 31 & April 1

May 5 & 6

June 2 & 3

July 7 & 8

August 4 & 5

September 8 & 9

December 1 & 2

December 8 & 9

December 15 & 16

The Bauer Pottery Showroom is located at 3051 Rosslyn Street, Los Angeles, CA 90065.  The building is not visible from the street, so drive to the end of Rosslyn St. Turn left into the last driveway (in front of Tree King). Parking available on all sides of the building.  They usually have a food truck standing by in case you get hungry.

It seems the whole world is on sale right now and you can’t go wrong. That is if you follow the Frugal Diva rules.

1. The most expensive item in your closet is the one you never wear – even if it’s reduced by 50% with another 30% off and you have an extra 10% off coupon.  Anything not in your size, in a color you never wear, or for a sport you never play is a reminder that “on sale” doesn’t always mean saving money.

2. Do you really need it? If it’s in black, you probably do. However if you already have ten black T shirts, more black pants than you can count, and black jackets in velvet, linen, cotton, and wool. Maybe you don’t.

3. Kitchen accessories are tempting. The Food Network and Top Chef have given us souffle dreams.  Think about the reality of your meals.  Will you be pureeing asparagus for a sauce? Making a ten layer torte?  Preparing a turduckan? Then you don’t want to invest in an inversion blender, more baking accessories, and an extra large roasting pan.

4. At the grocery store, there are always discounts. When marketing think healthy. Ten boxes of oatmeal at half price – good buy. Ten boxes of Fruit Loops at half price – no way.  Low fat ground turkey that can be frozen for turkey burgers, meat loaf and chili – yes! Doughnuts reduced to ten for a dollar – no!

5. Looking for ways to organize your home.  You might not need to buy mass produced storage items. It’s more fun to use your creativity. Re-purpose items already there. Use holiday tins to hold hair accessories,  save small jars for buying bulk spices, or old mugs for pencils on your desk.

6. About to buy some books online at a discount. There is a place that has free books, DVDs, books on CD, music CDs, and magazines. It’s called the public library.

7. White sales are great at this time of year.  This is an easy way to redecorate without spending too much. New duvet covers, sheets, and towels will make a bedroom and bathroom feel new for a minimum expense.

8. The most important rule – think before you spend.

Home office, it sounded so good when we first thought about it. Working in our slippers, never having to dress up, showering at our whim, and sipping coffee from our own mugs.

Now we order our own paper, find our own printers, and try to get supplies at the best prices. Like everything else loyalty matters, pick a club and stay with them except for exceptional bargains.  I am a proud member of the Staples Club. They give me points for purchases and every three months send me a check.  Recycle used ink cartridges for a $2 rebate per cartridge.

My personal paper goods favorite is Envelope Mall for that all important first impression. What variety, what fabulous colors, what a deal. For business I want the best quality to tell my clients they are worth it. For a few pennies more you can have something that makes a terrific impression.  Do your own invitations. Euroflap envelopes bring a touch of elegance and no one will know whether you bought them at that expensive stationary store or ordered them off the Internet.

My favorite on line printer is uprinting.com- the site where you can talk to a real person in and they actually care about your order. You can send up files for a technical review at no charge and receive an on line PDF to verify your order. And if you live in Los Angeles you can pick up your printing and skip the delivery charge. They are nice and they deliver a high quality of customer service along with great printing.

If you are also your own publicist, go to PRWeb.com - they will teach you how to write a press release and then deliver to multiple markets for $80. Not bad for getting your name out there in a hurry.

You are receiving this newsletter from Mailchimp.com. They will let you have 12,000 sends per month for up to 2000 subscribers for free. This is a great way start out your mailer and see what works before making an investment. The dashboard is user friendly and they have many templates to choose from.

If you have a straightforward legal issue, Legal Zoom is reliable with top notch customer service. I used them for a DBA after a friend recommended them.  They were so good at explaining every step that it was a very relaxed process for a legalphobe such as myself.

Use that travel time that you are saving for walking, meditating, or reading a good book to transition from office mentality back into your home environment.