As you might have noticed, I’ve been slacking off lately. My kids are all home full-time (yikes), the weather is nice, and I’m enjoying some “rest” as I follow the baby everywhere, making sure she’s not eating knives or drinking out of the dog bowl.

Still, I’ve stumbled on a few great links, books and people lately, mostly due to The Simple Dollar and nosing around the Web. Here’s what I’ve been reading, working on, and thinking about lately:

1. Why did nobody tell me about Simple Mom?! Is it because you are keeping all the fun to yourselves? No fair. This is the blog I would have started had I known about blogging before 2008.

2. I used to subscribe to Salon way back when you had to pay to read anything of substance on the site. Thank god those days are over, because this post on eating ethically is fantastic.

3. I think a lot of people expect me to pinch pennies, or to automatically buy the cheapest item on the shelf, just because I’m really into “conscious spending” (my own version of frugality). So not true!

For example: I offered to bring drinks for last week’s end-of-year party at my daughter’s school. The organizer suggested I could bring a pitcher of water and stir in some powdered drink mix to keep costs low. She’s right that it would have been super cheap to do that. But pouring sticky “fruit” juice into little cups held by tiny, clumsy hands that would spill that “fruit” juice all over themselves and me didn’t sound like a party.

So I coughed up $7 to bring individual juice boxes of 100% juice. I hope that makes me fun to be around — or at least helps me avoid being called a failed frugalist. (Which I think is the same as being called a tightwad. Shudder.)

4. I just read Rich Like Them by Ryan D’Agostino, and I found it really inspiring. Although I was disappointed that not a single Wisconsin ZIP code made it on the list of richest 100 neighborhoods (why doesn’t Chenequa have it’s own ZIP code?), I loved reading about how rich people got where they are.

5. Like many people in Rich Like Them, my husband and I are both “entrepreneurs.” (But we’re not rich like the people in the book, so I’m pretty sure “entrepreneur” in our case is just a euphemism for “out-of-work writer.”) But when I read about Getting Rich in Your Underwear on this list of 40 places to learn more about business, I knew I was on the right career path. Unfortunately, my husband works in other people’s home, so I’m guessing he’ll have to skip that book and keep his shorts on.

My friend Marla is an incredible artist who creates lovely rendered drawings from photographs. (You can see an example of her work here.) She’s also a great humanitarian. She and her family are walking in the March for Babies walk in Minneapolis on April 26. As part of her fundraising efforts, she is offering a great deal to anyone who donates to her cause:

Donate $25 or more to the March of Dimes March for Babies walk in Marla’s name, she will give you 50% off anything in her Etsy store!

Her drawings make great Mother’s Day gifts (hint, hint). I know my mom has been hankering for one, and I’m sure my in-laws would love one, too. Maybe this is the time to do a good deed and give a great gift.

Check out Marla’s work in her ArtLadyManor Etsy shop. (If you’re not familiar with Etsy, you really should be. It’s an amazing resource for handmade items you can’t find anywhere else.) You can also find out more about the walk at her March of Dimes page.

Hi, my name is McKenna and I am a recovering Target addict. I’ve been in recovery for about a year now, and I’ve slipped up just a few times. It feels so good to be free!

My friend Margaret jokes that there’s a $100 entrance fee to Target because it seems you can’t walk out without spending at least that much. When I was addicted to Target, I proved that theory true many times.

Like every other suburban woman, I was there once, maybe even twice, a week. I loved stocking up on stylish items and basic necessities. I usually went in for toilet paper and walked out with a cartload of cool things I never knew I needed.

That’s why I stopped shopping at Target. Yes, the deals can be fantastic. Yes, I love the dollar section. Yes, Super Target is a great spot to buy everything you need in one fell swoop.

But just look at that adorable sheet set for my daughter — it’s even on sale! Or that cute little t-shirt for me. I think my husband needs some new boxers. Now that I think about it, I need more sponges…and maybe some bleach, too, just to be safe. Maybe I should look for my nephew’s birthday present in the toy aisle. And who doesn’t need some of those yummy Choxie treats?

Sound familiar?

A cartload of “necessities” later, I’d bought twice as much as I expected and spent at least that much more. Sure, everything is priced well. But it’s not a deal when you could have spent less and still walked away with what you truly needed.

My new friend Kmart

I started shopping at Kmart in Oconomowoc because it’s much closer to my house. I noticed that prices were comparable to Target. But I was spending significantly less at Kmart than I did at Target, and still getting what I needed. What’s up with that?

The key is that Kmart is far less appealing to me than Target. Chandler feels the same way about Kmart. He hates the lighting, the appearance of the store, the smell; everything about it turns him off and he refuses to shop there. But for me, those turn-offs are exactly why I love Kmart. I want to get in, get out and not spend any extra time (or money) in the store. That’s probably the death knell for Kmart’s business, but it’s great for my wallet.

Double coupons never had it so good

Kmart isn’t always the cheapest, but occasionally it doubles coupons up to $2. Meaning that if you have a $2 coupon, it will be doubled to $4. That can be a huge savings! They also take up to 75 coupons, which is awesome. I love this deal when it comes around. I’m hoping it comes back soon.

Breaking the Target habit

If you’re like me, you think you can’t live without Target. You wonder how we all lived before it existed in every town across America. You pity the people who don’t have one nearby.

Guess what? You can live — and live well — without it.

Here’s my challenge to you: Spend a week avoiding Target. Pay attention to how it changes (or doesn’t change) your spending habits. If you can go a week, try two weeks — or even a month. How does it change the way you shop? Let me know!