by Alexandra Pauline – January 23, 2012

Your Big Day The Green Way

Planning a wedding is a costly, emotional and time consuming undertaking – often leaving little room for the idea of sustainability.  I mean, this is the one day where the entire focus is on you, right?  And with so much going on, it might not even cross your mind to think about the environment…  But if you’re planning a wedding, going Green doesn’t have to mean more work and more money.  In fact, by making your wedding a more sustainable event, not only will you make your big day even more memorable, you can save some serious cash!

Go Partially Paperless

While there’s still something special about sending printed invitations for your actual wedding, save money and paper by sending digital invites for your save-the-date, engagement party, rehearsal dinner and shower.  Websites like Paperlesspost.com, Evite.com and Punchbowl.com have some elegantly festive Fab & Fru options so you can get the job done without chopping down a single tree – all with pricing packages that range from free to budget friendly!

Keep It Local – Even when Far from Home

Even if you’re not getting married in the town you live in, you can still make sustainable local choices that will help make your wedding one of a kind!  Wedding photographer Michelle Posey commented, “I saw a couple do a great job of putting on a sustainable wedding in 2010.  They had their wedding outdoors, made local food and wine choices, used flowers from friends’ gardens instead of having them shipped in, and used a family wedding dress instead of buying a new one.”

Eatwellguide.org makes finding caterers who specialize in using local ingredients as simple as just typing in your zip code.   Not only is going local better for the environment, and your taste buds – it may also save you on the cost of food.  The less your food has to travel, the fewer hands will be looking to cash in on its journey!

Take Out The Good China

Big weddings often lead to people cutting corners when it comes to using china and flatware.  Setting the tables with proper place settings not only helps to make your day feel more special, it will also allow you will avoid the extra waste that comes with using paper and plastic products …no matter how high quality.  The caterer or the venue may have to wash a ton of dishes that night, but it will be worth it in the end!

Champagne Alternatives that Won’t Disappoint

Looking for the ‘pop’ of Champagne without the price tag?  Jill Bernheimer of L.A. based DomaineLA and Brooklyn’s Smith & Vine have fantastic insider tips for frugal fizz that won’t sacrifice quality, taste or the experience of the classic expensive bubbly.  Shop online at both stores, or check your local wine shop and Whole Foods for these Fab & Fru suggestions!

Methode Champenoise

Whether Cava or Cremant, there are lots of wines from all over Europe that use the same rigorous method of production as Champagne, but can’t call themselves by the name since they fall outside the Champagne region. Cava is from Spain, and uses local Spanish grape varieties; Cremants come from France, and may or may not use the same grapes as in Champagne. You’re saving money just by virtue of the fact that “Champagne” is not allowed to be printed on the labels of these bottles.

Here are Smith & Vine’s Methode Champenoise Special Picks for 2012!

• Belle-Vue – Vin Mousseux Brut:  This sparkling Muscadet from the Loire Valley is light and minerally at about $18 a bottle.  Think oysters and crushed seashells, yum…

• Bruder Dr. Becker – Scheurebe Sekt Extra Trocker:  At around $22 a pop, this delightful German bubbly doesn’t just sparkle – it sizzles!

• La Taille aux Loups – Triple Zéro:  This 100% Chenin Blanc from the Vouray Loire Valley in France is delicious at $25 a bottle

• Crémant du Jura- – Domain de Montbourjeau:  100% Chardonnay from Jura and Savoie France, this “sparkle motion in a bottle” is $23 a bottl and the pick that tastes most like traditional Champagne.

by Brandi Savitt – December 19, 2011

Bake Like You Mean It

Have you been planning on getting your bake on this holiday season but can’t seem to find the time?  Well, it’s not too late!  We have three easy but deliciously sinful recipes so you can whip up a variety of homemade treats that Santa, the kids AND foodies from far and wide will equally enjoy.  Serve them to guests, or make up a box for the neighbors – no cookie cutters needed…  While they’re special enough to serve for the holidays, you’re going to want to make them all year long!

–The tradition of Christmas cookies may date back to Medieval Europe, but our favorite holiday cookie recipes are definitely for more modern taste buds.  Happy Baking!

Oatmeal Cherry Cookies

Put a little BING – cherry that is – into this oatmeal cookie classic.  The sweet and tangy twist from the cherry makes this special cookie – unforgettable!  Click here for the recipe.

Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

Looking for a deliciously decadent cookie with a kick?  These super chocolatey coffee treats will keep a smile on Santa’s face all night long! Click here for the recipe.

Pecan Crescent Cookies

Some call them Russian wedding cookies, we just call them perfection. These super easy to make shortbread like delights are one of our favorite holiday cookies of all time!  Click here for the recipe.

We want to know…  What are your favorite holiday cookie recipes?

by Stephanie Berenbaum – December 12, 2011

A City Girls Guide to Saying Thanks!

Giving holiday tips to service providers may be synonymous with Santa, but knowing what and how much to give remains a source of confusion for most of us – especially during times of economic hardship.  Not to worry –  we have some pretty strong Fab & Fru opinions on the topic!

When You Can’t Afford To Tip!

Let me start off by saying of course if you cannot afford to give the customary holiday bonus due to financial hardship, it is best to be honest with the service provider or employee and let them know how much you appreciate all of their hard work.  Always give a thoughtful card and a homemade token of appreciation rather than avoiding the topic all together.   And be sure to let them know that you hope next year will be more prosperous for everyone!

Ready, Set, Tip!

For those of you lucky enough to be in stable financial condition, these tips are meant for you!  We canvassed friends and family in major cities across the country to see what the standard tipping range is for the most common services.   *REMEMBER, whenever you give a tip or a gift, accompany it with a card! Cards give you a chance to express your appreciation while reminding the person who the gift is from!

The Nanny

2 weeks pay is a customary holiday bonus – and yes, that is in addition to time off (even if you decide to take a last minute holiday family vacation)!  The fact that your nanny continues to receive her salary while you are on vacation is not a substitute for a cash bonus.  Neither is the fact that you may have generously given them hand me down designer bags, etc. during the year. That sort of generosity is of course fabulous, but not a substitute for a proper cash bonus. This person is in charge of taking care of the most important people in your life – your kids! Showing how much you appreciate them is essential.

The Babysitters

For a babysitter you use on a regular basis, one night’s pay seems standard among people we polled – of course this amount will vary greatly on where you live and how much you pay an hour!

Teachers & Day Care Providers

Emily Post says that giving teachers a non- cash gifts from both you and your child is the way to go – but we disagree.  With the often paltry amount teachers & day care providers get paid, most teachers I asked said they WAY prefer a cash (or cash equivalent) gift.  Gift cards are a fantastic way to show your appreciation.  Accompany your gift with a homemade treat from your kids, and you will have made one teacher very happy!

The amount you give will of course depend on what you can afford.  Many people we polled suggested a gift in the range of $50-$100 for the head teacher, and a smaller gift for any assistant teachers.  Even if your price range is in the $5-$10- go for the practical gift – a Starbucks gift card or something that will actually save them out of pocket cash will always be appreciated!

The School Security Guard

I know… It’s such a sign of the times that most schools have armed security guards.  Not only are they keeping our schools safe, but many of them are the welcomers that help start out kids days off wit a smile.  Depending how many guards you have to tip, $20-$30 – cash or gift card – is the going rate!

Get Fab & Fru Savings on Luxury Shopping

Sure, we all have a battle scar or two from braving the mall on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  But you can’t blame us for hoping to score some major deals, can you? If mentally (and physically) prepping for Black Friday weren’t enough, now we also need to be ready for Cyber Monday!

So…what’s the deal with Cyber Monday anyway?  Can shoppers get the same or better savings with just a click on a keypad as they can shopping in the store?  If Black Friday is all about the door busters at the big box stores like Best Buy and Walmart, what does Cyber Monday have that Black Friday doesn’t?

The Growth of Cyber Monday

In 2005, Cyber Monday was created so online merchants could push their holiday deals without competing with in-store Black Friday promotions.  However, in 2009, 195 million shoppers visited both stores and websites over the Black Friday & Cyber Monday weekend, spending an estimated $41.2 billion dollars!  Propelled by aggressive retailer promotions in 2009, online shopping has skyrocketed and shoppers have embraced the benefits of shopping from the comfort of their home – spending $913 million last year on Cyber Monday alone! -*Statistics provided by savings.com.

What Does this All Mean?

It’s no secret: merchants want you to spend your money at their store, and they’ll do what ever they can to get you to shop!  Cyber Monday allows online stores to continue to benefit from YOUR shopping mindset, while extending savings opportunities for the entire long weekend.  And as online shopping becomes more and more the norm, the line between the two shopping holidays has become blurred….

Luxe Monday Online & Off

When you think of Black Friday you think of people in their sweats racing for the doors at big box stores.  But the higher end and luxury retailers often wait for Cyber Monday- or Luxe Monday- to focus on their promotions.  Here are some luxey online and offline deals to watch out for!

Vacation Time!

Today is the day to find some serious travel deals on flights, hotels and vacation packages.  USA Today has listed some killer NOT TO MISS DEALS that you NEED to check out right NOW!

Additionally, get $200 off your next trip of 5+ nights at Travelocity when you book a qualifying flight + hotel or just hotel.  *Travel for qualifying trip must be complete by 1/2/12. $200 promo must be used between February 1 and April 30, 2012. Offer expires 12/15/11.

Orbitz is also offering  BIG deals to Europe if you book your trip now- offer expires 12/31/11.

A Day at the Spa!

Looking to buy a gift certificate for someone to a local spa, or maybe you want to a break yourself from the holiday madness.  Check local deals  near you for major spa discounts.   Spafinder is also offering a 20% savings!  Buy one $50+ gift certificate  and get 20% off the second of equal value.  Just enter in the code SFGIVE at checkout. –Offer expires 11/30/11.

A Thanksgiving Reality Check…

As the holiday weekend begins, most of us are gearing up to overindulge on Thursday, hopefully not over spend on Friday, and get in as much QT with family and friends as possible the rest of the weekend.  Thanksgiving is the one nondenominational holiday that all of us Americans celebrate, and a time to show our gratitude for all that we have – at least that’s what we’re supposed to do…

Does Being Thankful Matter?

Of course, we all muster up a moment of reflection and give thanks once a year, but do we always really mean it?  I mean, heck, who hasn’t had a challenging year?  The economy certainly sucks, people are suffering, and there is still no peace in the Middle East – not to mention all our individual personal problems!  Is there really all that much to be thankful for?  And who’s gonna fix it all?

That Which Does Not Kill You…

Have you ever noticed that those who have suffered and been challenged the most are often the ones who are most sincerely grateful?  If you think about it, the good times are easy.  We get lazy in the good times, and we never learn much when we are not challenged…  It is when we are forced to work hard and look fear in the eye that we find out who we really are, and what is truly important to us.  It is in times of challenge where the biggest opportunities lie – in all areas of life.  And it is in times like this when we realize that being thankful is not just about being polite, it is a way of looking at the world and our place in it.

Carpe Diem Baby!

So this Thanksgiving, after you raise a glass and toast your loved ones,  I ask you to take pause and challenge yourself to look at all that you are and all that you have in a new light.  If you don’t like what you see, vow to change it.  If you have something to say – say it.  If you have a dream – work like hell to make it happen.  Seize the day- everyday – and be grateful for every moment.

Have a Happy Fab & Fru Thanksgiving!

Click here to find your Cyber Monday Deals Right Here, Right Now! 

Looking for the best online Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals from clothing to electronics?  Savings.com has you covered with their exclusive deals from the most popular stores.  Take advantage of the hottest sales as soon as they become live!  Just pick your category, search for the best deals, and start stacking your Cyber Monday savings TODAY – through the entire Holiday Season.  And to get the most bang for your Black Friday Buck – check out our Fab & Fru Black Friday tips.   Happy Shopping!

Cute As A Button…Earrings!

Looking for an inexpensive – yet tres chic – gift for all the women in your family this holiday season?  Well, you’ve come to the right place!

We couldn’t help but notice that each time we saw our friend Carly, she was wearing the most unique earrings.  I kept wondering where she got them – I assumed maybe a vintage store or an Etsy boutique.  When I finally asked her, I was delighted to hear she had actually made them HERSELF – out of BUTTONS!

D.I.Y. to Die For

Believe me, I’m not the craftiest person out there, but even for the D.I.Y challenged, these earrings are so easy – and fun – to make, you’ll be amazed.  Plus, if you’re visiting family this Thanksgiving weekend and looking for an activity to do other than sit around and eat leftover pie, you might just get a bunch of your holiday gifts made!

Here’s all you need to do to make Carly’s Fabulous – & Frugal – Button Earrings:

Supplies:

• Cool Buttons
• A Bag of Earrings with Posts
• Nail Polish Glue

1-2-3-4

1. At a craft store, get a bag of earrings with posts
2. Take a pair of buttons, whether they are lying around the house, specific to a certain outfit, or something that you just picked up at the store, and figure out which side you want to be the front of the earring.
3. Using nail polish glue, put a small dab on the flat part of the earring post, and press on button.
4. Let dry for a few hours so as not to get any glue on yourself or your ear, and then they are ready to wear (or wrap)!

According to Carly, “These are great because you can make earrings to wear with any outfit, and they are a very inexpensive yet creative way to be unique! They are also fabulous to give out as gifts with the holiday season coming up, and you can make several pairs at once. The posts are only a few dollars for a bag of 50-100 pairs, and the earrings can be as expensive or inexpensive as you would like.”

Thank you Carly Cameron for the very fabulous – and frugal – holiday gift idea!

Saving Money at Whole Foods & Trader Joe’s

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I am trying to get my shopping done this week!  Which means I have been spending loads of time wandering around Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s in search of deals and discounts on organic and natural products – and thankfully there are quite a few to tell you about!  And remember, the Whole Foods deals are coupons you need to print out from their Whole Deal section (or tear out from the flyer in store), while Trader Joe’s are just the in-store prices, no coupon needed.

The Bird 

If your only concern when buying a bird is cost, then yes, Butterballs (or similar mass produced brands) are widely available for about a dollar a pound.  However, for those of you interested in a more humanely raised, hormone free, natural turkey, it’s going to cost you – but not as much as you might think!

All Natural Savings

We’re very excited about Trader  Joe’s Brined, Fresh All Natural Turkey . -These turkeys are minimally processed with NO artificial ingredients, and they never receive any antibiotics or growth hormones.  They also have been raised on a diet of 100% vegetarian feed.   Their cost?  Only $1.99 per pound!  Remember they are pre-brined too so that’s a big help as well.

And what about Whole Foods?  Their natural offerings (according to the meat dept here at my store in LA) include a fresh Nature’s Rancher Turkey for $1.69 a pound (not pre-brined like TJ).  Sure, these “all natural” options run about twice as much as you’d pay for a Butterball, but they are also HALF of what you’d pay for a fresh, organic turkey.  Prices for these guys at my local Whole Foods start at $3.99 a pound…

So let’s talk Turkey: this year I think I am going to split the difference – instead of buying an organic turkey Iam going to go for the “all natural” “free range” variety.  And instead of feeling like I am paying double (vs Butterball), I am going to look on the bright side and be ecstatic that I am saving 50% (vs. Organic)!

The Sides 

What green bean casserole would be complete without condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup? But. alas, I no longer want the MSG that goes into the Campbell’s condensed soup I grew up on.  Luckily, there are some deals out there on natural and organic alternatives:

Trader Joe’s Condensed Cream Of Portabella Mushroom Soup – 11 ounce box is $1.99 – NOT MADE with MSG, and NO genetically modified ingredients or trans fats!

Or if you are looking for organic – Whole Foods is offering coupons for $1.00 off any one Imagine Soup and also for $1.00 off any TWO Pacific Natural Foods Soups

Tasty Tip: as we mentioned in our recent article, one of the best ways to save money on sides is to keep to pure, basic ingredients.  When you start loading up on fancy extras like nuts and a million different herbs, the cost skyrockets!

Whole Foods is also offering 50 cent off coupon for their Organic Rice Blends .  -We like the Organic Wild Rice mix for Thanksgiving!

And, as we recently wrote, Trader Joe’s new Cranberry Chevre Log is a perfect starter – and perfectly priced at only $3.99 per log! This sweet treat also works great when served with dessert.  Speaking of dessert…

Fab & Fru Gifts that Won’t Break the Bank!

Looking for meaningful, fun and AFFORDABLE gift ideas for everyone on your shopping list this holiday season?  Well, our Gift Guide is full of Fab & Fru presents for even the pickiest person – all under $100 and many under $25!  Happy Gift Giving (& Receiving)!

The Art Collector

Farmer’s Market Art - $20-$30 each.  Add some seasonal veggies to the walls of a lucky art lover’s kitchen. The home decor shop Clay, Wood & Cotton in Beacon, NY also has an online store where you can order these artful prints.  Just choose your season -Fall, Winter, Spring & Summer!

Turn Your Photos into Art - $59 & up.  Canvas on Demand let’s you upload your favorite photos and print them directly onto canvas – turning them into instant art.  I had a landscape shot that I took and a photo of my nephews printed, and they both look like paintings.  Canvas on Demand is a spectacular gift for anyone who loves a one-of-a-kind special piece of art!

The Aspiring Mixologist

Cocktail Making Kit – $29.95.  Do you know someone who enjoys a good cocktail, or who just loves to entertain?  Well, having the right tools is the first step to making a delicious drink!

Artisanal Cocktails Recipe Book -$16.40.  The second step of course, is having the perfect cocktail recipes available at your fingertips.  Mixologist, Scott Beattie, has complied his most favorite drink creations inspired by the Seasons from the Bar Cyrus in beautiful Healdsburg, CA.

The Beauty Product Junkie

Sephora Gift Card - $25 & up.  This is a classic, but goodie.  I mean, what women wouldn’t want a gift card to Sephora?

6 Month Membership to Birchbox – $60.  If you know someone who can’t break their addiction to buying beauty products, now they don’t have to! For just $10 a month you can gift your Beauty Queen a box of fabulous samples delivered directly to her door each month.  Not only will she get her beauty fix, she’ll be able to try out new products BEFORE she spends a fortune on something she’ll only use once!