Rosalyn Hoffman
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Rosalyn Hoffman is the author of Smart Mama, Smart Money: Raising Happy Healthy Kids Without Breaking the Bank, and Bitches on a Budget: Sage Advice for Surviving Tough Times in Style. of the same name. Known as 'the lifestyle-guru' she has an active and engaged social media community on Facebook and Twitter and writes for both Smart Mama and The Bitches blog. Roz was a Buzz Board Insider and a contributor to The Daily Beast. Bitches on a Budget has been featured on the JWT Anxiety Index, a measure of significant cultural movements, and its television rights have been optioned by Sharp Entertainment.

Blog Entries by Rosalyn Hoffman

President Obama's Mother's Day Present

(0) Comments | Posted May 10, 2012 | 5:37 PM

Bravo, Mr. President.

When I was little I remember going into stores with my mom. Wherever we went she had spirited conversations (always about food): discussing dim sum with the lady from China at the laundry, explaining how she made blintzes to the lady from Naples at the bakery....

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This Week on Etsy: 6 Smart Gifts for Mother's Day

(0) Comments | Posted April 23, 2012 | 4:36 PM

We're obsessed with using Etsy to fill our gift giving needs. Buying unique presents directly from a worldwide marketplace of artisans and collectors allows us to skip the ho-hum box stores and avoid paying middleman mark-ups. Plus, we think it's pretty cool that this summer Etsy is

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The Smart Mama, Smart Money Survival Rules

(0) Comments | Posted April 5, 2012 | 3:23 PM

• We will call what we're doing work. Even if the world doesn't acknowledge it, we will: Motherhood is the hardest work in the world. It's physically demanding, psychologically strenuous, spiritually complex, and unpaying.

• We will cry when we need to.

• We will laugh maniacally when we need...

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Ice Cream in the Park, Parenting and Individual Responsibility

(3) Comments | Posted April 5, 2012 | 9:15 AM

Whether it's looking both ways when crossing the street or not touching their privates in public or making safe choices when it comes to drinking and drugs, it's a parent's job to instill in their kids the values and habits needed to make wise choices. The same is true when...

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Smart Parents Love Their Veggies

(5) Comments | Posted March 29, 2012 | 2:34 PM

Loads of things make me crazy: comb-overs on bald men, useless (often pantless) starlets getting publicity, overpaid professional athletes and faux-cooks/-cookbook writers who give you recipes to disguise vegetables for kids.

Hell, no. This is just not right. Trust is elemental. No tricking them into anything.

More to the point:...

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6 Smart Mama Tips To Save More Than Your Sanity

(1) Comments | Posted March 22, 2012 | 9:41 AM

From the moment your kids are born, the kiddie-perfecting-complex is urging you to spend, spend, spend. You're worried that without the right gadget, clothes, and lessons your little wonders will be behind the eight ball. Right? Relax. From cradle to college, we've shopped the world, made the meals, balanced the...

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Lessons Learned From "The Lorax"

(3) Comments | Posted March 2, 2012 | 3:18 PM

As Read Across America day was being kicked off at the New York Public Library by The Lorax stars Zac Efron and Danny DeVito, I was home watching Stephen Colbert's funny spin on the number of product placements -- over 70-- embedded in the movie.  As...

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Gifts on a Budget: Rosewater and Pistachio Meringues

(1) Comments | Posted December 13, 2011 | 5:25 PM

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We love giving stylish and thoughtful treats for the holidays. Chic presents that look like they were made for the one percent, but anyone can afford. Since no gift comes more from the heart and no gift is better for your wallet than...

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Muddled Martinis the Right Drink for Our Times

(3) Comments | Posted August 10, 2011 | 4:01 PM

Riots, plunging world markets, broken budget deals, useless political systems are enough to send anyone to the booze. Hey! We're not judging. We're just thinking that when you reach for a long, tall, stiff one -- it should taste good. We've been experimenting and found the perfect solution for the...

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Travel Tips to Keep You Covered

(0) Comments | Posted June 21, 2011 | 11:10 AM

To celebrate the arrival of summer we're sharing our key travel advice to keep both you and your wallet safe:

You are not invincible. Approach travel with extreme caution. Even reluctant-to-leave travelers, once launched, develop super-women complexes. Not to get all metaphysical, but something about suspending who they are in...

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"Tech" Dad Out for Father's Day: 5 Affordable Gadgets

(1) Comments | Posted June 14, 2011 | 2:08 PM

 

Don't take dad out to a fancy restaurant for Father's Day. Tech him out with the latest in affordable gear! Whether it's a new reader that gives him access to an infinite world of books from the comfort of the couch, or a top of box player that...

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3 Rules for Buying From "The Flash Sale Mob"

(2) Comments | Posted April 1, 2011 | 3:34 PM

We're here to offer a cautionary tale of what happens when you violate the basic rules of buying from what we call "The Flash Sale Mob."

In order to write about and report on sites like Gilt Groupe and Groupon, we need to cruise them and it's tricky-hard to...

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Chocolate and James Franco a Sexy Recipe for Oscar Night

(0) Comments | Posted February 22, 2011 | 4:43 PM


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James Franco, warm from the oven chocolate brownies, a tall glass of milk, and comfy PJs are our recipe for a satisfying night of Oscar watching. While we have a healthy sense of humor and spend a lot of...

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A Month of Best in Show: Grammy, Oscar and Westminster

(1) Comments | Posted February 14, 2011 | 8:45 PM

February is the month of "Best in Show".

Grammy. Oscar. Westminster. Everyone is out there preening, primping and strutting to win the prize.

With each passing year the pageantry and politics around these spectacles seem to escalate. While I have no issue with the entertainment value (Kanye vs. Taylor Swift)...

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A Naughty 'n Nice Valentine's Day

(1) Comments | Posted February 2, 2011 | 9:31 PM

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and these handmade gift ideas from our go-to online marketplace, Etsy, are sure to make your lover's heart throb. Why Etsy? We love the idea of buying directly from and supporting a worldwide collection of artisans and collectors. So crunchy and cool.

...
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What to Wear to the State of the Union

(0) Comments | Posted January 25, 2011 | 1:10 PM

As members of Congress are hustling to line up dates from the opposite party for tonight's State of the Union speech, we've been considering what advice to give them on color coordination. If you remember, at last year's State of the Union address the House Chamber was afloat...

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This Week on Etsy: Vintage Glam to Ring in the New Year

(1) Comments | Posted December 26, 2010 | 7:49 PM

Just in time for New Year's 10 great looks from the shop keepers on Etsy. Be a chic-green-queen and glam it up in vintage style.


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Post Xmas Bargain Hunters Beware

(4) Comments | Posted December 26, 2010 | 3:35 PM

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Warning: Don't buy into pre-programmed sales.

If you're bargain hunting in the days after Xmas we have an important tip for you: be wary. This is the time of year we're most proud of our shopping prowess and the one thing we never...

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Out of Time and Money? Chic Cheap Last Minute Gift Ideas

(0) Comments | Posted December 21, 2010 | 11:41 PM

Out of time? Out of money? Desperate? Fashion on a budget ideas for those in need of salvation:

A Chucky Knit Beanie Forever 21 $6.80

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Seeing Red: Christmas Gifts Under $25 (With Politics in Mind)

(0) Comments | Posted December 14, 2010 | 8:52 PM

To be truthful, we hate all lists (except, of course, the best seller one). Shopping lists. To-do lists. Top ten lists. The nails on a chalk board worst list of all is the one people share in response to your having seen a new movie or read a new book....

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