Wednesday, March 31, 2010

I'm a Mom first...

In an attempt to make this blog a little more personal, I'm going to post more about the mom side of my life. The reason I learned how to save money is because I am a mom. They really do go hand in hand. If I wasn't blessed with kids, I wouldn't have needed to stretch my money as much. If you feel any strong emotions (good or bad) about my sharing this side of my life, please let me know. As always, I want to know what you all think.

No, he doesn't talk. My 16 month old doesn't talk. He says yeah, mama, and uh-oh but sometimes he uses those words as noises (especially uh-oh). I called a local pediatric therapy group (they do speech, physical, and occupational) and asked for an evaluation because I really felt that he should be at least starting to talk by now. The evaluation confirmed what I knew, he doesn't talk. He does communicate well (you know, without a doubt, what he likes and doesn't like) and can follow simple directions. After two 30-min speech therapy sessions, the therapist started asking me detailed questions about things he likes and doesn't like. It was very strange because she knew his actions better than most people who have known him his whole life.

It's a diagnosis! She discovered that my son is a sensory seeker. It is a sub-diagnosis of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD.) Basically, that means he will seek out anything that involves his senses but freaks out if he is overly or unexpectedly stimulated. He does not cuddle, does not like to be touched softly, and does seemingly odd things to search for a certain feeling that he craves (bites, pats surfaces, carries things under his neck, hits his head, scratches himself.) He also seems to feel almost no pain. He climbs on furniture and throws himself on the ground.
      It was one of those ah-ha moments because in the hospital, at hours old, he wiggled himself free of the swaddling blanket. The nurses yelled at me but I could not keep him swaddled. When we got home, I never swaddled him again because it was a waste of time. I also could not breastfeed him. He would arch his back and freak out every time I held him close. He held his own bottle at 3 months.

He will learn coping skills and become a productive member of society. While some parents may become angry, resentful, or sad when they learn their child has a disorder, I was actually excited. It has made our lives so much easier because it's fixable. He's not just a whiny child who likes to hurt himself and anyone who get too close. His brain actually processes things differently so we just need to learn to present life in way he can process. If he bites in the church nursery, we need to let him chew on something on the way to church, give him crunchy snacks while he is there, and move him to a class with older kids if there are too many people in his class. If all of his senses are on overload by noon, I need to make sure we are home for nap time everyday. If he throws food from his tray when he is done, we need to teach him the sign for all done and watch for him to tell us he is done. This is not a life sentence and he will be able to function day to day without many people even realizing he is different.

Is it genetic? It very possibly is in our family. As I was researching and talking to the speech therapist, we realized both of my boys have SPD, though it manifests in much different ways. The older one issues are vestibular which means he can swing and spin for hours without getting dizzy. He physically can't be still. Even when I tell him to sit or stand still, he wiggles, coughs, taps his toes, or shakes. He runs everywhere and if I tell him to walk, it looks painful. He has horrible pencil control and still scribbles like when he was first learning to color. He also has food issues that were really awful from age 2-3 but he taught himself coping skills and we avoid textures and temperatures that set him off (anything smooth, creamy, overly sweet, or hot.) He also eats incredibly slow because he takes really small bites. At 4 years old, he just looks like an overly hyper kid who doesn't have time to eat. When he is overstimulated (like in a chaotic or crowded room), he moves himself away to a corner or a chair and plays by himself. I say he "puts himself in time out" because if someone messes with him when he is trying to refocus, he will lash out by hitting, pushing, or yelling.
      I have also learned that my cousin's daughter is almost identical to my younger son and my mom is positive my brother had (and may still have) a sensory disorder.

God chose us to parent these children. When I told people I was getting speech therapy for my 16 month old, I got many questions of why and assurances that he would be fine. I knew, however, that he wasn't just being lazy because he was the younger brother. The tantrums were a major issue for me. He can scream for an hour over something he wants and will throw himself head first onto the ground. I understand now why. I feel very blessed because God knew we could raise these boys into great men. He sees something in us that we never knew we had. I'm excited about being the best mom I can be!

Vote for this blog!

Go here and -click to vote-. I'm not even on the map right now but the higher this blog goes, the more people will contact me with awesome things to share with you.

Also, PLEASE follow this blog, if you are not already. I only have 22 followers and that number isn't going up. I am BEGGING you. Here's how and why.

15 make-up items for $10.70 shipped!

Free Sample Freak tells you how to get 15 E.L.F. Sugar Kiss products for 75% off. It will be $10.70 total (including shipping) for all that great make up!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Free Stuff at Target for Expecting Moms!!!

If you are pregnant, create a baby registry at Target (or prove you have an existing registry) and get a gift bag with lots of great stuff! (If they won't except your existing registry, I'd ask to speak to a manager.)

Here is what the bags contain:
$20 gift card to Shutterfly
Package of 2 Huggies Newborn diapers
Package of 1 size 1 Pampers diaper
Travel size Johnson bedtime bath

Target Coupons:

$1.50/1 Jumbo pack or larger Huggies Diapers exp 9/4/10
$1/1 98ct or larger Huggies wipes exp 9/4/10
$1/1 California baby toiletry excl trial size exp 9/4/10
$1/1 Johnson baby care product – Bath or Lotion (excl travel size and buddies products) exp 12/31/10
$1/1 Johnson or Desitin baby care product – Hair care, powder, baby oil or diaper rash ointment (excl trial size and buddies products) exp 12/31/10
$1/1 Jumbo pack or larger Luvs diapers exp 9/4/10
$1/1 Pampers wipes (excl trial size) exp 9/4/10
$1/1 Target Cafe purchase of $1 or more exp 8/31/10
$2/1 Gerber purchase of $10 or more – Baby food or Graduates exp 9/4/10
$2/1 Johnson spf 40 baby daily face and body lotion
$2/1 jumbo pack or larger Pampers exp 9/4/10
$3/1 Gilligan & O’Malley nursing bra or tank exp 9/4/10
$3/1 purchase both Pampers baby wipes and diapers (excl trial size) exp 8/15/10
$5/1 8pk 2fl oz Simiilac Advance EarlyShield ready to feed bottles exp 7/1/10
$5/1  20oz or larger Enfamil powder formula exp 8/31/10
$5/1 24oz or larger Gerber Good Start powder infant formula exp 9/4/10
$5/1 purchase of both Pampers jumbo pack or larger diapers and 420ct or larger wipes exp 9/4/10
$6/1 Gerber Good Start powder infant formula exp 9/30/10
$20 off Medela electric breast pump exp 9/4/10
$75/1 Aveeno baby toiletry excl trial size exp 9/4/10
5% off Brightstarts ingenuity product exp 9/4/10
75c/1 Johnson or Desitin baby toiletry excl trial size and buddies exp 9/4/10

Huggies coupons exp 3/11/11:

$2.50 any Huggies package of diapers
75c/1 any package of Huiggies wipes (64ct or larger)
$3/1  any package of Huggies Pure and Natural diapers

Thanks, Christian Clippers, for this great info!

Make your own iron-on decals

I LOVE this idea! I need to buy an iron (I keep saying that but couldn't justify the expense considering I don't iron) but I will be collecting supplies until then. Filth Wizardry is an awesome website for fun easy crafts but her tutorial on using plastic bags to make iron on transfers is genius! I love the idea of using these to cover up stains. I also have all these great idea for shirts I wish I could find for my kids (like matching saying shirts.) Now, I can just make them!

Thanks, Dollar Store Crafts for the heads up on another creative person who inspires me!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Tide at Lowe's - UPDATE.

Thanks, Karen at A Wife and Her Life for finding this awesome deal!

Yesterday, there was a Lowe's coupon for $3.25 off Tide Stain Release in the newspaper. Combine that with the $3 off Tide powder, duo pack, or liquid. Final cost should be $0.73!!

UPDATE AFTER GOING TO LOWE'S
Ok, so the Lowe's near me said they DO NOT and WILL NOT take both a manufacturer and a Lowe's coupon on one item so I didn't get the laundry detergent for $0.73. BUT, using the Simple Green BOGO coupon found with the Tide Lowe's coupon, the Simple Green hand soap rang up for $.01 each so I got two bottles of hand soap for $.02! It wasn't a wasted trip for me but I don't know how long that will last before they figure it out and change it in their system.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Remember to get your $3.49 Huggies!

Make sure you go to CVS sometime this week and buy diapers for $3.49/pack! The deal is good through Saturday (4/3.) I got mine today!

Publix makes me happy

For those of you who noticed (and I really don't think anyone did), I did not post my totals from Publix last week. I can and will (slightly) blame my husband. He is a man of many wonderful money saving skills, grocery shopping is not one of them. The brakes in my car broke (exploded, was the term used) so hubby took me to the store last week. He hasn't been grocery shopping with me in many months and while I do know he used great restraint, he also added about $30 worth of stuff so I did not save more than I spent. BUT he fixed my brakes for $98 when it would have cost about $500 to take it to a shop. I think the $30 was worth it!

Here are this week's total:

Total: $124.81
Total I spent: $70.32
Total Saved: $54.49

Again, you will notice I did not save more than I spent. My husband and I have decided to move away from factory farmed foods which, we know, will cost a little more. I bought two meals worth of wild caught fish, free range chicken breast, cage free eggs, 5 qts of almond milk (I did have coupons but it's sold in qts or half gallons so it was more per gallon even with coupons), and gluten free crackers (I did have a coupon for them.)

Since we started our healthy eating, healthy living, I have lost 20 lbs (in 6 weeks)! This was the first week I did not buy any pre made meals or, other than all natural lunch meat and Kraft mac and cheese for the boys, processed foods. I'm curious to see if that makes my weight loss jump this week. All the snacks we have are either made from nuts or grains and we do not have any sweets (other than some candy canes left over from Christmas, no temptation there) in the house.

How did you do this week??

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Giveaway from Mom Loves Deals!!

I do have things to give away. They are good things, even great, perhaps. BUT I will not tell you what they are or even post a picture until I get 50 people who already love deals to click the little gray "Follow" button located on the right hand side under the About Me section. You can click the blue "Follow this Blog" button under Networked Blogs, too, while you are clicking. I even moved them up to make them easier to find.

Why should I follow you?

  • You love to save money and get free stuff.
  • Companies have stuff just lying around. They like to share this stuff. But they will only share it with people who have a high number of followers. 
What kind of stuff are we talking about?
  • People who make and sell things (jewelry, clothes, art, ect) on etsy.com love to give stuff away but they also love large scale free advertising.
  • Manufacturers like General Mills, who own over 35 companies, work closely with largely followed blogs.
  • Restaurants like the Darden Cooperation will give largely followed blogs gift cards.
  • Diaper companies, including cloth and reusable diaper, love to provide free products to large blogs.
  • I have seen giveaways for furniture, health and beauty products, major retailers, and online shopping sites.
Yeah, but how do we know you won't keep all that great stuff?
  •   I won't keep the stuff that is donated, in trust, for a blog giveaway because then that person or company will never work with me again. 
  • The more incentives I give you, the more you will tell others about this blog.
  • I love this blog and I love sharing what I know so I will never intentionally do anything to jeopardize that.
What happens to me if I do follow you?
  • Nothing will change for you. I will not send you emails. I will not bother you. 
  • You will continue to enjoy my posts as normal.
How often will you give this possibly great stuff away?
  •   For every 50 people who click the little gray and little blue buttons, I will offer a giveaway. I will choose a winner using random.org from the list of people following this blog.
Thank you so much for making this successful for everyone! :)

Saturday Morning Kids Activities

If you are looking for something fun and free to do with the kids this morning, here are two great options.

The Knack at Michael's is sponsoring a free craft activity for kids. The event will take place from 10am-1pm at all Michael's stores. Kids can make a craft using Crayola Presto Dots. I have never seen these before but they look really fun!

Also, from 10am-11am, kids can make their own kaleidoscope at Lowe's. My son has participated in Lowe's Build and Grow clinics before and they are great. My husband liked it, too because he got to help since our then 3 year old wasn't so good with a hammer. My 22 year old brother went with us and made his very own pirate ship.



I hope everyone has a great Saturday!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Tim's Orlando Travel Tips

Do you have a question about Orlando? Looking for something to do? Planning a vacation? Become a fan Tim's Orlando Travel Tips and ask him! See what he suggested when I asked for a recommendation on a free or cheap family friendly place to go in Orlando. I asked the question around 3 pm and had an answer by 7 pm. No Googling required! I watched a movie with my kids, made dinner, and played checkers while he did all the legwork. You can ask your question directly on his Facebook fan page and he will respond via video email. Go here to find out how to "stay sane" traveling with kids. We have only traveled 4 hours with 1 child because I am scared to go any further, especially with 2, but he gave easy advice that actually makes me think we might be able to drive out of state sooner than later.

Thanks, Tim!

Sears.com Sale

Right now is a great time to check out the clearance section of sears.com. They have hundred of items priced as low as $2.99. I'll be buying winter clothes for next year for my kiddos! Also, you can use code SEARS5OFF50 for $5 off any $50 or more purchase. That could be a free item!

Super Sweet Giveaway

My friend at Little Diva and Dude Designs has partnered with Deal Wise Mommy for a really adorable giveaway. Enter here for a chance to win a little girl's Newborn Gift Set which includes a 0-3 month onesie with a yellow flower applique, yellow gerber daisy hair clip with a white crochet headband, yellow daisy clip, and a spring flower clip.  Enter by April 1st!

Weekend Photo Deals

 I cleaned out my email inbox and found these deals I wanted to share with you.

Walgreens

  • Get 20 free 4×6 photo prints using code 20FREE4X6B and select in-store pickup (no shipping charge). Expires 4/7.
  • THROUGH 3/27 ONLY - Get 75% off an 8.5x11 photo book (they start at $19.99) using code BOOK75. You can make up to 5 books and get the discount on all of them!!
  • Did you get your free photo book? Remember, it is only available until 3/31! 
  • If you got your free photo book and need more, use code BGFMAR to get two copies of the same book for the price of 1! This code expires 3/31, too.

Dollar Store Crafts

I found this website last night and spend way too much time oohing and aahing over people's overwhelming amount of creativity. I wasn't blessed with good ideas like these but I can follow directions pretty well so I was still excited. There are hundreds, if not thousands of awesome craft ideas using supplies you have around the house or can get at your local dollar store. Most of the beautiful and fun crafts will cost you under $10. There is a section for $5 crafts and $1 (and free) crafts. They have a Facebook page, too, so you can ooh and aah all day long!

$3 off Huggies coupons, CVS deal

Get your 2 $3 off Huggies coupons here (remember to use your back button to print the second one). Lots of people are saying these are resetting after a day or two so they are getting 4 of them! (It didn't reset for me.)

It's just in time for the deal CVS is having starting Sunday (3/28-4/3). Huggies and Pull Ups are 2/$17.98 but with the Extra Care Card (get yours in the store, it's so quick to sign up), you get $5 Extra Care Bucks back making them 2/$12.98. BUT with these coupons, you will get 2 Jumbo packs of Huggies for $6.98!!! That's $3.49 a pack!! (11¢/diaper for size 4, way under my 16¢/diaper goal price!!!) They do have a limit of 2 packs per Extra Care Card.

Blockbuster Express codes

 It's Friday so head to your local "blue box" Blockbuster Kiosk to rent a couple movies. Every time I go to the blue box or Red Box, I write the codes on a post it and give it to the people behind me when I am finished. If you need a smile or just want to do a good deed, this is a simple way to accomplish that. People love when someone is unexpectedly nice to them. It's only $1 but it makes people so happy!
  • GY131 (1 free rental, exp. 3/31) 
  • G2U13B4 (1 free rental, 3/31 only)
  • NEWMOON (BOGO, exp 3/28)
  • GN13B4 (BOGO, exp 3/29)
  • 555G13B (exp 3/31)
(Remember, these are 1-day rentals so take them back on time to make sure they are really free!) Find a Blockbuster Express near you.

Thanks, Coupon Cravings, for the info!

Also, I found this website. They have a Facebook page so become a fan to get all the free movie codes!

Fox Sweepstakes

Fox Home Entertainment is 75 years old this year so in honor of their big year, you can enter daily to win posters, DVDs, Blu-rays, or the Grand Prize of $75,000!! The great thing is you can enter every single day until 12/31/10! You have to win something by that time!

Coupons for organic products



  Go here to get coupons for Seventh Generation products including baby products, disinfectant, and laundry products.

Also, Whole Foods Market updated their online coupons here. This is my next venture in the coupon world. I want to start taking monthly trips to Whole Foods because I hear they have a coupon policy similar to Publix making normally expensive stuff very reasonable. I have used Whole Foods coupons at Publix, too. They are used like a store coupon so you can stack them with a manufacturer coupon.

Target deals: $1 pillows, $2 Battleship

Here are two more deals too good to pass up at Target. Remember, they are only good through Saturday (3/27).

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Win a year's supply of Covergirl makeup!

Become a fan of COVERGIRL on Facebook. Click on the "Stand Up for Beauty" tab and watch 10 amazing women video blog about how they stand up for beauty. The videos are short and a few made me tear up a little, they are that good! Vote for your favorite and you could win one of three year's supply of COVERGIRL products! Voting ends April 4th.

AWESOME giveaway!

Do you want to win this great Adjust n Draw Kids Activity Table Set from All Kids Furniture? Then, visit Our Family Ramblings right now and enter!! You have 4 chances to win and she will pick a winner on April 4th. You definitely won't win if you don't enter!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Diaper (and more) deal at CVS

First of all, I need to find a better place to take pictures because my stove looks clean in real life but not so clean in pictures. Oh well, at least you know we cook!

CVS breakdown (deals good through 3/27)
3 packs of Pampers Baby Dry diapers - $26.91 ($3 ECB back for each pack, limit 3)
1 gallon of milk - $3.19 ($0.50 ECB back)
1 tube of Colgate Total - $3.99 (free after 3.99 ECB back)
Total (before tax): $34.09
- $9 in Pampers coupons
Total I paid: $25.09
Total Extra Care Bucks Earned: $13.49
New Total: $11.60

If I do the math to figure out the price per diaper, it works out to be a little less than 13¢ per diaper not including the fact that I bought milk!

Yeah, I'm happy!

Home Depot coupons

Since it's getting warmer out, Home Depot is giving you a good reason to do some repairs or just go shopping. Sign up for their email newsletter to get coupons emailed to you. They will also keep you informed of any upcoming sales or events, as well.

Thanks, Fiddledeedee!, for the great info!

Easter at Bass Pro Shop

My kids, husband, and I all love Bass Pro Shops holiday events. They are fun and free! For Easter, they are hosting TWO weekends of fun things to do. We got the Christmas picture with Santa (The Little One was screaming his head off so of course, I am saving it to show him when he's older) and it was surprisingly good quality for an on the spot printed picture with a digital camera.

Here are the details...

March 27th-28th and April 3rd & 4th head out to your location for:
Free Easter Egg Hunts 2-3 pm (age 8 & under)
Free Easter Crafts starting at 12pm
Free 4×6 Photo with the Easter Bunny 11-3pm


Thanks, Our Family Ramblings!, for the heads up!

Coupon codes

Retail Me Not has some competition. There is a new coupon code database called Coupon Chief. If you are going to buy anything online, you need to visit Coupon Chief or Retail Me Not first. Let's say I want to buy a car seat from Target.com. After a quick search on Coupon Chief, I found a coupon code for $5 off a purchase of $50 or more. I click "use it" and my hypothetical $60 car seat just became $55.

Coupon Chief goes one step further though. For any coupon codes you list and someone actually uses, the website will pay you 2% of the purchase price! You can request a check or have it deposited into your Paypal account on the 1st of every month.


Yeah for free money!

Freebies from Moms by Heart

Did you get all of these? List of freebies.

Posted using ShareThis

Monday, March 22, 2010

Free Photo Book and Canvas - Delivered

I told you all about two GREAT photo deals going on this month and I wanted to share the finished results. They are beautiful and I highly recommend both companies and offers!


Free Picaboo Photo Book
This book is gorgeous and came quickly, too. Hurry, though, because the offer is only good until March 31st! (Click above link for all the details.) The shine is from the flash and the quality is amazing.

Free 8x10 Canvas Portrait

Free pack of Wrigley's 5 Gum

Become a fan of 5 Gum on Facebook and "Request the Black Envelope." Click on 5 React to see if you have been "chosen for the 5 Experience." So far, everyone I know who has gone to this site has gotten free gum. Turn your speakers on because we all agree it is one of BEST marketing campaigns in a long time.

Free Connect 4 game

Now through Saturday (3/27), you can get the regular Connect 4 game FREE at Target.

Here's how:
  • Connect 4 is $7 this week.
  • Use the Hasbro $4 off manufacturer coupon found in the Hasbro PlaySaver insert from Sunday's paper or here
  • Stack with Target $3 off Hasbro games coupon found here
  • = FREE
You can also get Monopoly for around $3 using another one of the $3 off Hasbro games Target coupons and the  $5 off Monopoly from the Hasbro PlaySaver or here.

Looks like game night!!!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Toy Story 1 & 2 Deal

Head on over to Disney Movie Rewards and enter this code in the "code box" 786936294507 this will give you $10.00 off the Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack on Toy Story 1. Use the code 786936294521 this will give you $10.00 off the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack on Toy Story 2.

To sweeten this deal. Toys R Us is said to have a sale on these movies when you buy both in the same transaction. If you buy both you will get each for $16.99.

Toys R Us
Toy Story Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack $16.99
Toy Story 2 Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack $16.99
Total: $33.98
Use 2 of the $10.00/1 Coupons
Final Total $13.98!!!!


Or Target Deal
$22.99 each plus $10 off instantly when you buy both movies in Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack. Use 2 $10 off coupons. Total: $15.98 for both ($7.99 ea).

*Plus each movie might come with a free movie ticket to see Toy Story 3!!!

**Repost from Our Family Ramblings. Thanks so much!**

Free GeoTrax Movie

My son wasn't big on the toys from GeoTrax but he loves the movies. Go here to request your 4 episode DVD. Allow 12-14 weeks for it to arrive.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Kotex and Playtex samples

I love these samples because they usually include 3 or 4 different products and they almost always have coupons inside. I just got my Kotex sample from the last time they offered one and it went right into the diaper bag, still in the plastic wrapper.

Get your Kotex sample pack here. It includes a pad, a liner, and 2 tampons.

Playtex also has sample available from the Gentle Glide line. It doesn't say what it includes but I have gotten samples from them before and it's always more than one thing.

Moms by Heart Highlights

I wanted to share a a rebate posted today by Moms By Heart. This is another blog you all should follow, just for the record.

If you buy ever Pedialyte, head on over here  to print out a $5 rebate. Buy any Pedialyte product and one of the following Winnie the Pooh movies: Super Duper Super Sleuths, Tigger, Pooh and a Musical Too, Friendly Tails, Super Sleuth Christmas Movie, or Hundred Acre Wood Haunt.

Use this Pedialyte BOGO coupon  and this $1.50 off coupon when you buy the Pedialyte. It's good to have on hand!

BOGO Stacy's Pita Chips

We love these chips! This buy one bag, get one free coupon expires on April 2nd, but I am holding on to mine for at least another week because these chips go on sale ($1.99) or BOGO at Publix often. Also, I was able to print two of these by closing the window and clicking the link again to open it back up.

Free Purina Dog Treats

Make Sparky happy and buy one Purina dog treat or chew toy, get one free (up to $5). Print the coupon here. You can print it twice by hitting the back button.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

BOGO from Dave Ramsey

The Dave Ramsey store has a bunch of products buy one, get one free for a limited time. ANY of his books, DVDs, or CDs are worth buying. I really love the Financial Peace Jr. kit which is $19.95 but under $10 if you buy two! It teaches kids ages 3-12 about the value of money and how to work for what they want. I love it! My son can do chores, get paid, and save for that toy $40 he NEEDS. Then he appreciates it more because it really is his and he worked for it. If you have ever been curious about Financial Peace University or Dave Ramsey, now is the time to try it out!

The Princess and the Frog - $2

Like I said before, my son is not interested in this movie but for $2...I'm seriously considering buying it.

Here's how to get it for next to nothing. The DVD is $15.99 at Target.
        •  Use this coupon for $5 off.
        • Buy 2 Success Rice products and get $5 back with this rebate.
        • Buy 2 Band-Aid products and get $5 back with this rebate.
          • Check the clearance section by the pharmacy because last week there were Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Disney Princess Band-Aids for under $2. 
You can also get the Blu-ray DVD pack for $7. The Blu-Ray/DVD combo is $26.99.
  • Use this coupon to get $10 off.
  • Do the same Success Rice and Band-Aid rebates for another $10 back.
There is also a third rebate you can choose from for $5 off when buy any roll of FrogTape with the movie. Choose the two rebates you want to use because each movie only comes with two UPCs and you need one for each rebate.

Happy shopping!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Free photo books all year!

HotPrints, a Facebook app, is offering a free photo book every month. They use your pictures on Facebook (you can auto-fill or create your own) so it's very easy. You can use pictures stored on your computer by going to hotprints.com. You can create a new photo book each month for free. The photo book is free and so is shipping. This is a great way to get all your pictures organized!

ZYRTEC coupons

Go here to get high dollar coupons for ZYRTEC products including Liquid Gels and Itchy Eye Drops. My 4 year old is allergic to dogs and cats and the itchy eye drops are wonderful to have on hand to avoid swollen eyes! 

Parents, check out this blog!

Free Homeschooling 101 is a great blog for any parent. I love the articles and resources for becoming proactive in your child's education! She has complied a list of links to help you help your child with many subjects from American Government to Zoology. There are lots of links to flashcards, games, and audio books that would be great for your preschooler. I really loved the article on teaching boys. I'll admit it even made me cry a little because I do try to make my 4 year old sit still when the fact is, he can't, just like I can't in a long meeting or class.

If you are homeschooling or your children go to school, Free Homeschooling 101 is worth browsing. 

Save on Medication

I saw this on our local news last night and had to share it with you. The Attorney General and The Agency for Health Care Administration created a new website to help you shop for prescription medications and save money. MyFloridaRX will help you figure out which pharmacy in your area has your medicine at the lowest price. It covers all Florida counties. It is a new website so not all pharmacies or medications are listed at this time (Publix and Target are not and my birth control was not) but it's still a great resource. I searched one of my son's asthma medications (which we paid $400 for when he was between insurance companies) and between CVS, Wal-Mart, and Walgreens the price goes from $361.99 to $543.99! If I was still paying cash for this, I would LOVE to know I could save $182 a month just by switching to CVS. Search your medication and see where you can save!

Also, Publix has added the generic form of Glucophage (a diabetes medication) to it's free list. Here are the rest of free medications you can get at Publix.

 

22 Rebates Available

I love that Greta at Friend Family Fun has created this list of 22 rebates you can get right now! I'm making my list for Publix today so I am going to add a few of those items to my list.

Also, Publix will print duplicate receipts if you need them for rebates. Just ask! I asked them to do it when I did the Jennie-O turkey and P&G coupons rebates. Instead of doing two transactions, I just got two receipts.

Disney Sweepstakes

Disneyfamily.com and Tmobile.com are sponsoring a great sweepstakes for moms. Enter here every day until March 31st to win a 3-night trip for you and a friend to Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, CA. Tell your friend to enter so you can double your chances of winning!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

What is wealth?

A friend found an interesting article about wealth and money. Read "What Truly 'Wealthy' People Know about Money" on The Artist Farm blog.

Free Financial Counseling

My husband and I took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University last year mostly out of desperation. You can read the whole story here but basically, we were very close to being homeless. So, we took this 13-week class that was offered by our church. It has changed our lives in so many ways. Dave Ramsey is an amazing man who asked very wealthy people (first millionaires, then billionaires) what they did to get where they are and applied their common sense advice to his own life.

During the week of April 5 - 12, Dave Ramsey is setting up host locations to offer a free lesson that will include "steps to get out of debt, build wealth, and save for the future." No matter where you are financially, you will learn something. To get a list of site locations, enter your info here and they will email you a list of host sites.

I highly recommend you make an effort to go to one of the classes!

Freebies from Moms by Heart

Moms by Heart complied a great list of freebies. If you want something other than bills and junk in your mailbox, spend a few minutes requesting these!

Free stuff to do

If you are bored but want to save money, do something free! Pack a lunch and head to Tampa or Orlando for the day. I haven't heard of some of these places so I think we might visit soon!

Where else can we go for free?

Movie coupons

If it's time to update your DVD or Blu-Ray collection, Red Plum has a few great coupons out. I found coupons for Twilight, New Moon, Twilight in Forks, Astro Boy, and Band Slam ranging in $10 off - $3 off.

Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?

$5 off Disney's Princess and the Frog

If you have a little one (or you just love Disney movies), then get your $5 off coupon for The Princess and the Frog here. I have asked my son if he wanted to see this movie many times and I always get the same answer, "Ew, no, that's for girls!" So, sadly, I probably will not be buying this movie but it's a great coupon!

BOGO coupon for Green Giant Potatoes

Klondike Brands is offering a buy one, get one coupon for a 5 lb. bag of Green Giant Potatoes. If you buy a bag of Klondike Rose Potatoes, you can get a bag of Russet Potatoes free. You will have to create an account with Klondike to print the coupon.

Vocalpoint - Free Full Size Samples

If you are not a member of Vocalpoint yet, sign up now! It's a great focus group company that will send you free full size samples to try. After you try the product, they ask that you post your feedback on the message board. I love this website because it is updated constantly and the more you participate, the more free stuff they send you. I have gotten a bottle of Tide Swash and a bottle of Pantene Nature Fusion shampoo. The samples come with coupons, as well. (I plan on buying a bottle of the Nature Fusion conditioner with mine!)

Right now, you can sign up for a free full size box of Puffs Plus To-Go! The samples usually come in 3-5 weeks. 

Vocalpoint is also a great resource for articles on the latest information in health and beauty, food and recipes, stuff around the house, and your family. You can also get information on new products that you might be interested in trying and they share all opinions gathered with the manufacturer so it really does help!

Monday, March 15, 2010

BTrendie $10 credit

I have never used this website but I love the concept. Each day they have sale's "events." Today's events are $40 off fashionable diaper bags, 60% off all-in-one cloth diapers, 40% off chic bibs and blanket bags, save $40 on cashmere knit wear, and 40% dish sets and plush toys. These deals end in 1 day, 20 hours.

To get your $10 credit, click here. I do not see that this expires so if you don't want to shop any of today's events, you can save it for another day.

Has anyone used this website? What did you get?

Target Deals

I don't usually post this kind of thing because there are so many other blogs where you can find the same stuff and I am trying not to just regurgitate someone else's hard work. However, there are a few very good deals going on at Target this week. I just came from there and I wanted to share. These are good until 3/20.


  • Dial NutriSkin Hand Soap - I got two bottles of this for 37¢. 
      • It's on sale for $1.37.
      • Use the $1/1 found here. (You can print it as many times as you want.)
      • Use a 35¢/1 from last week's Red Plum coupon magazine. (Normally, I get two papers but I didn't last week so I only had one of these.)
      • Even if you only use the Target coupon, it's still a great deal but with the manufacturer coupon, you can get it for 2¢!!
    •  Huggies Diapers - For those of you who read my post on 2/22 about diaper deals, you know my goal is never pay more than 16¢ for a diaper. This Target deal keeps the diapers right at my goal price. 
        • They are on sale for $8.50 a pack (2/$17.)
        • Go to coupons.com for a $2 off manufacturer coupon (remember, you can print two by hitting the back button!) or use any you might have lying around. 
        • Print out two $1.50 off Target coupons here.
        • The total will be $5/pack! (For size 4, which is what my son wears, it will be 16¢/diaper. That makes me happy.)
    • Lunchables - My boys loves these and since it's something they both will eat, I am ok buying them when they are on sale. This week they are $1.

    Free Potty Training DVD

    Pull Ups is giving away free DVDs to help you learn how to teach your child to use the potty. These DVDs typically come with coupons, too!

    Free Photo Book

    If you use Kodak Gallery through Target.com, http://kodakgallery.com/tgtfreebook, you can get a free 5x5.75" Pocket Photo Book (14 pages). Use code tgtfreebook. All you have to pay is $1.99 shipping! If you want something a little larger, you can use that same code and get $9.99 off any photo book you want. You must get to Kodak Gallery using the link above for the code to work.

    You can also create a Mini Photo Book (20 pages) and use the same code to get it free, as well. Shipping is free for that item!

    Have fun creating wonderful memories!

    Wednesday, March 10, 2010

    Free 8x10 Canvas Portrait - Still Good!

    This deal is still good! I'm ordering mine right now!

    Monday, March 8, 2010

    Coupons for organic products

    Mambo Sprouts, a green living website, publishes a coupon book three times a year full of coupons for natural and organic products. If you try to buy organic most of the time, you know how hard coupons are to find for these products. Sign up now because the next mailing is in April!

    Physician's Formula BOGO offer

    Become a fan on Facebook of Physician's Formula makeup to register for a buy one, get one free coupon. Click on the "Instant Rewards" tab and they will email you the link to print the coupon. It's good for any product $19.99 and under.

    There does seem to be a lag between the time people are registering and getting the coupon so it might help to be patient.

    Free Coffee

    Head to your nearest Dunkin' Donuts every Monday in March for a free medium iced or hot coffee. This promotion is up to the store so you might want to call to make sure your store is participating.

    Enjoy!

    Thanks, Friend Family Fun!

    Chick-fil-a Insider

    Do you want to be the first to know about deals, events, and promotions from Chick-fil-a? Then go here to sign up to be an email or text insider. You can unsubscribe at anytime.

    Thanks, Fiddledeedee Mom!

    Friday, March 5, 2010

    Free SunChips

    Hurry! This won't last long! The first 100,000 people who become a fan of SunChips on Facebook can request a coupon for a free bag of chips.

    Thursday, March 4, 2010

    Photo Deals

    I hope are all working on your free 20-page photo book. Remember to order it before March 31st! I ordered mine today. It was $8.99 in shipping and I got at least 100 pictures in the book! I was going to give it to one of the grandparents but I love it so much, I want to keep it. Now I can because there are two more great photo deals available.

    • Shutterfly - Use code MARCH10 by March 11th to get $10 off any order! This could mean 100 free prints, a 5x7 photo book for under $2, or a photo mug for about $1. You do have to pay shipping and the order must be at least $10. 
      • Also, you will get 60 free prints if you start a Share Site and another 50 free prints if you are new to Shutterfly!
    • Kodak Gallery  - Use code 50FREE by March 11th for 50 free prints. You just pay $1.99 shipping.
      • Also, you can get another 50 free prints if you are new to Kodak Gallery!

    Wednesday, March 3, 2010

    Target Deals


    Target (good through 3/6)

    California Pizza Kitchen and DiGiorno pizzas are on sale 2/$10. Since my family could eat pizza at every meal, this is a great thing to have on hand.

    Kashi deals:
    • Heart to Heart cereal is on sale for $2.88. Use this coupon to save $1.50.
    • Snack bars or crackers, buy 4, get 1 free. Find a coupon here to save $1.50 off 2 boxes. I recommend the pumpkin pie chewy bars. They are scrumptious!!!
    You can find more great deals here.

    Walgreens


    Walgreens

    Total: $55.18
    Total I Paid: $21.11
    Total Savings: $34.07

    Register Rewards I Earned Today: $10.00
    Final Total: $11.11

    CVS

    CVS
    Total: $20.48
    Total I Paid: $8.61
    Total Savings: $11.87

    Extra Care Bucks Earned Today: $7.00
    Final Total: $1.61

    If you drink alot of milk (or any!), CVS has T.G. Lee milk on sale for $3.19 and you get $1.00 Extra Care Buck back so it works out to be $2.19. That is the cheapest I have seen milk in a long time! (The deal is good through 3/6.)

    Publix Buy Theirs, Get Ours

    I'm glad to see Publix has started this back. From 3/3-3/9, if you buy Quaker Quakes Carmel Rice Cakes, Snackwell's Devil's Food Cookies, Triscuit Reduced Fat Crackers, and Athenos Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, you get the Publix brand free! Do you have company in town or a party coming up?