I love Hulu, and while I rarely watch “non-fiction” videos (I’m more of a drama watcher), this new show they recently added has caught my eye.

It’s Sandra’s Money Saving Meals from the Food Network. They haven’t been able to acquire full episodes yet (which they’re working on), so there are just 1-2 minute clips which are great because they don’t take much time to watch but teach you something in each one.

Here is one I really liked – the spaghetti calzone made from leftover spaghetti:

They also have full 50-minute episodes of The Dave Ramsey Show, which I haven’t yet watched because, to tell the truth, I’d rather watch Burn Notice and The Philanthropist (cool new show starring James Purefoy if you haven’t seen it yet).

Obviously, this only works for a select number of the population: ladies — and perhaps a very small number of gentlemen — of small frame and stature.

While Madoline and I no longer buy clothes due to knowing how to sew our own, we did enjoy clothes shopping when we lived in L.A. where we often walked the malls for exercise to avoid the smog and sun. Being 5’3″, I always included the juniors’ section when browsing department stores.

I suppose one advantage of young girls wanting to dress like their big sisters or favorite movie star is that juniors’ fashions greatly resemble grown-up fashions and could therefore pass as “in style,” or at the very least not “out of style.”

While the adult clothing sale racks at stores such as Macy’s, Bloomie’s, Nordstrom’s, etc. often boast great prices, the juniors’ sales racks are even better. I have found tops on the juniors racks for as little $4 to $6 apiece and they don’t look much different from adult clothing.

My 5’3″ height and medium-large bone structure allows me to wear most L and XL junior sizes. I once purchased a dress from the junior section for $12. Madoline (5’4½”), the more lady-like of the two of us, has bought skirts from the junior miss department, and I, being a tomboy, used to browse the boys’ department for shirts.

As to the quality of the materials, I really don’t see any inferiority compared to that of adult clothing. In fact, I’m inclined to think that juniors clothing might be made to hold up under rougher wear than adult clothing. Maybe the material isn’t as fancy as adult clothing, maybe not. Either way, I hate the idea of spending $20-$40 on an item of clothing that I’d have to worry about getting dirty or torn in my daily activities (I am what some might call “a klutz.”)

Of course, a grownup can’t possibly outfit his/her entire wardrobe from the juniors department, but for casual, everyday wear, I don’t see anything wrong with it. And of course, not all juniors designs (artwork, logos, etc.) are suitable for grown-ups, but there are many conservative enough so as not to make one appear juvenile or eccentric.

So, if the shirt fits, wear it and save.

Hey everyone, I won’t be so presumptuous as to think that you’ve all been sitting on the edge of your computer chair F5-ing your browser window every 5 minutes to check for my next blog post, overwhelmed with concern as to where I’ve gone, but if you have, thank you for your loyal readership.

I’ve been on a little hiatus from blogging due to a few things going on in my non-cyber-life these days. Madoline and I have been busy working at a business overhaul which has been occupying a lot of my mind so that I haven’t had much time and brain-space for blog post ideas.

We’ve also been trying our hand at air-conditioning-free life in the desert, and this heat wave has been a formidable living companion, but I am happy to report we are are doing quite well despite highs as much as 109 this past week. Perhaps I’ll post a little later on how and why we’re doing this.
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Chilled noodles make nice cool meals for summer days but we also love to eat them in the winter. You can use any type of asian noodles and even angel hair pasta to make chilled noodles. They are espeicially good with the  homemade noodles we blogged about previously.

To prepare the noodles, simply cook as required for the type of noodle you use and rinse in cold or iced water.

To made our Spinach and garlic sauce you will need (for 1 serving):

• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 -2 tbsp Seasoned rice vinegar (or rice vinegar, salt, and sugar)
• 1/2 tsp Chili oil
• Raw  garlic (Diced)
• About 1/4 cup chopped spinach (thawed)

Mix the above ingredients and adjust to taste. Toss in the noodles, add a dash of Furikake (sesame seeds and dried seaweed) and you are ready to eat.

You might add extra sugar if the sauce is too sour.  We like Chu Chow Chili Oil best, but you can substitute with your favorite hot sauce or make your own chili oil by pan frying or soaking chili peppers with garlic.

Welcome to the 12th Carnival of Pecuniary Delights, Catch a Wave Edition!

For those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure of getting to e-know me (7 Things You Didn’t Know About Me), I grew up in Hawaii, and for several years suffered a serious addiction to surfing. Don’t get me wrong, I sucked. But just one good ride a session was enough to keep me getting up at 4:00 a.m. on a weekend, suiting up and diving into freezing water in the hopes of catching just one more good ride.

I lived at Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu during those years, which afforded me the best views of some of the best surf in the world – Sunset Beach, Banzai Pipeline, Waimea Bay, etc. So for today’s edition, I thought I’d take you on a stroll down one of my memory lanes.

I have invited one of my favorite bands, The Beach Boys, to set the mood for today’s edition of the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights. Press play (unless you’re at work) and proceed. And it is true: catch a wave and you’re sittin’ on top of the world.

Editor’s Picks

Photo: Kanaka’s Paradise Life

• My Dollar Plan presents 10 Financial Tips for New Grads.
• DoughRoller presents Say Goodbye to Cable and Hello to Free Digital TV!.
• Bargaineering presents Making Your Own Dog Food.

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My dog Luwi (“loo-vee” short for Ludwig) loves movies. Ever since he was a puppy, he has been fascinated with the television, especially scenes with animals or action. He would jump up on the TV and lick or bite the screen when he saw something exciting. Naturally, he was equally if not more captivated by the remote control, the all-powerful apparatus that could switch the wonderful television on and off.

Over time, however, Luwi became more and more fascinated with the remote control, to the point of obsession. While he still loves the TV and watches it, his focus has shifted more to the remote control. When we mention any of the words “TV,” “movie,” “watch,” “DVD,” and anything else related to the activity in question, he runs to the remote control and stares at it with a mad gleam in his eye.

Whenever we pick up any of the remote controls, he jumps up in “ready position” and doesn’t take his eyes off the remote till we put it back down, and he continues to stare at it until he’s sure we’re finished with it. If and when he can, he steals the remote control to hold or guard on his spot on the bed. He still watches the TV, but I believe his enjoyment of it is less than it used to be because he is now obsessed with getting the remote control rather than watching TV.

Luwi is a good example of how we, people and animals, can forget the original reasons why we do certain things. Many of us are concerned with saving money becuase we want to be able to live comfortably or happily without the stress of being in debt. But we can sometimes get too caught up in the act of saving money and forget our original reasons for doing so. If you ever find yourself spending hours and hours looking for a better deal rather than spending that time doing something more productive or enjoying time with your family just to save a few dollars, you have forgotten.

The same goes for making money. In the beginning, many people want to make money so that they can provide a comfortable life for their families. Over time they sometimes forget and get caught up in making money, become workaholics, and instead of spending a weekend afternoon playing with their kids or pets, they’re locked away in the office working (or blogging ) and shouting at the kids or pets to keep it down.

I am not saying it’s bad to want to make or save money. Just don’t let it consume you the way the remote control has consumed Luwi. An activity he used to enjoy has turned into a vigil rather than a hobby. He is now more concerned with the state of the remote control than what is actually happening on the screen and has completely forgotten the point of it all.

We would like to thank the following carnival hosts for including our posts in their recent editions:

Wise Bread: Carnival of Personal Finance #205: Pay it Forward Edition included our post DIM (Did-it-Myself!) Country Kitchen Storage Shelf.

Almost Frugal: The Carnival of Pecuniary Delights No. 8 included our post Sewing: A Frugal and Fulfilling Hobby – Save Money by Sewing Your Own Clothes.

I Pick Up Pennies: Carnival of Pecuniary Delights No. 7 included our post The No-Budget System

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