Martins McBride Shine All Night Tour

 I love this video and can't wait to see it on tv with the son included. I am not disappointed by Martina McBride yet again! What would you do if you had that remote for one day?

I absolutely love Martina McBride. She is one of my all time favorite country singers and I can listen to almost any of her songs around the clock. I love God's Will and How high so I was excited when I found out she has a new tour called SunnyD Shine All Night Tour. I was very sad when I went to http://www.ShineAllNight.com, and I realized she will not be close enough for a mommy of two to go to. 

Are you planning on going to the SunnyD Shine All Night Tour? If so please take pictures for me and come back and let me know how much fun I missed. 

Want to see more of Martina McBride? Then visit Martina's YouTube Channel. Want more Martina McBride?

TOUR SITE:  http://www.ShineAllNight.com

TICKETS:  http://budurl.com/ShineTickets

MARTINA'S SITE:  http://www.MartinaMcBride.com

MARTINA'S TWITTER:  http://www.twitter.com/martinamcbride

TOUR TWITTER:  http://www.twitter.com/shineallnight

Thank you Martina McBride and MomSelect for giving me this information and coupon code. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and mine alone. I was given no compensation for this post.

February Payouts~ What I made this month

Sorry I did not post January's payouts; with moving and surgery it slipped my mind. But here is what I made online and with survey's this month. As I have said before, you will not become rich doing these things but it does help. Also if (like this month) you don't have time to do an opportunity, you just delete it.

24.10 opinion outpost
15.00 swagbucks
00.87 YouData
12.00 Rite Aid Rebate
06.00 Pincone Research
08.00 Dulcolax Rebate
36.00 Mindfield

TOTAL: $101.97

Kmart Game Night Coupon Special

In-store event, February 27 & 28, 2010 Bring in an old board game and get 50% OFF participating Hasbro games.

Bring your old board game to the Customer Service Desk at participating stores to redeem for an in-store coupon. Offer valid on day of store event only, for qualifying in-store purchases only. Limit one coupon per customer/household. Coupon may not be combined with any other coupon. Please see sales associate at a participating store for details. Valid in all stores except California. Assortment may vary.

Funny things kids say

Here is a copy and paste from a friend on one of my mommy boards. I laughed so hard this morning and had to share with you!

I was out walking with my 4-year-old daughter.
She picked up something off of the ground and started to put it in her mouth.
I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that.

'Why?' my daughter asked.

'Because it's been on the ground; you don't know where it's been, it's
dirty, And probably has germs,' I replied.

At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and
asked, 'Mama, how do you know all this stuff? You are so smart.'

I was thinking quickly and replied,
'All moms know this stuff... It's on the Mama Test.
You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mama.'

We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently
pondering this new information.

'Oh.....I get it!' she beamed, 'So if you don't pass the test you have
to be the dad.'

'Exactly,' I replied with a big smile on my face.


What are the cutest, funniest things your kids say? My 3 year old gets home from school and the first thing he ALWAYS asks me is 'How was my baby today? HOpe it was not a hard day." Mind you he is talking about his 7 month old brother lol!

Friday Follow 2/25

 

Welcome to the Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.

Here's how YOU can join the celebration:
--Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below.
Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.
--Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots. We will follow you back.

--Follow as many blogs as you'd like.

--Comment on the blogs telling them you're from Friday Follow.

--Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow.

5 Ways a Grocery List Saves You Money

 

I found this great site today and realized at the same time that it is America Saves Week. Head over here to read the article I found 5 Ways a Grocery List Saves You Money. 

Thrifty Thursday~ Stocking up on Meat

So I get asked the same questions all the time:  

How do I stock up on meat? How do I save money on meat? How do I eat steak on a regular basis?

I decided to do this weeks Thrifty Thursday topic on the do's and don'ts on stocking up on meat.

• DO buy in bulk IF it breaks down to cheaper. This is where having a calculator is handy. decide per ounce or pound if the bulk package is actually cheaper. There are times it is and times it's not.
• DON'T buy meat just because it goes on sale! The sale prices often are not as cheap as they make them out to be. A good tip is to make aa note in a notebook of what meat usually runs and then some simple notations of sale prices. What are your store best, median, and worst sale prices as a trend?
• DO have the butcher cut meat up for you. MOST stores will do this for free. So if you can get a great deal on a roast but its to big for one setting or could easily make several meals. Ask the butcher to cut it up how you like it.
• DON'T think that because it's at a discount or a buy it now that it's bad. You can buy meat that is about to expire and freeze it for 2 - 6 months depending on the meat.
• DO learn when your stores mark down their meat. I know that my Food City marks down meat every Tuesday morning. I make sure I am there to look over what is in the bin. (more on this in a moment)
• DON'T assume cause the price is a little high it's not a bargain. Look at the price and divide by how many portions. I often can get flat iron steak for $4 - $6 a piece. Sounds like not a great bargain; yet I can also get 3-4 servings per flat iron. Hmmmm two meals for $4 - $6 does not sound to bad now.
• DO remember things like round steak and other 'tough' meats are often priced way lower then other meats yet they work GREAT as easy crock pot dinners. Put the meat in with some seasoning and water let cook all day; serve with noodles, rice, potatoes, etc. The possibilities are endless!
• DON'T stock up on more then you can honestly use. It is not a bargain/saving if you buy things and then have to throw them out.
• DO stock up on sales for lunch meat. Lunch meat often goes on BOGO sales and it store in the freezer so well.

Okay so I told you in one of the bullet points that  I know my Food City stocks their discount meat on Tuesday's. I wanted to give you an idea of how much food you can get. Mind you I had a screaming, hungry, and tired seven month old with me. I had just dropped my three year old off at headstart and the meat department was still working on putting out the meat. I did not get to wait for everything to be put out.

 

I got (2) packages of ground pork sausage. It was 3 pounds total. (was 6.00) I paid 2.48 for both. (will be used for 4 breakfast's)

(1) Pack of New York strip steak (was 11.97) Paid 2.33 and it had two steaks in it. They were pre marinated as well.

(1) Pack of plain New York Strip Steak (was 12.89) Paid 1.78 it's one steak but will serve two people.

(1) Package of cubed porkchops. These are GREAT for stir fry or breaded country fried streak. (was 4.58) Paid 1.13 (will serve 4 people)

(1) Pack of Bonless Porkchops. (7 portions enough for two meals) (was 5.97) Paid 2.14

(1) Flat Iron Steak (will serve 2 - 3) (was 7.25) Paid 1.56

Total $11.42 (was 48.66) and will serve about 16 meals/ people for .71 per meal/serving

Wordless Wednesday

 

My oldest and I

Glade 2.00 off Coupon

Right@Home has THIS new $2.00/1 Fragrance Collection by Glade coupon! excludes 2 oz. soy-based candle & 4.9 oz. soy candle. If you do not already have a Right@Home account, you can create one for FREE then print your coupon. They often email great coupons; pair this with a sale at CVS or Walgreens for a cheap to free glade product.

Ruby Tuesday Coupon

Ruby Tuesday just released a coupon for a Buy 1 Get 1 Free Entree! All you need to do is purchase a Specialities, Seafood, Ribs, Steak or Brunch entree and receive any of equal or lesser value free! Hurry because this expires March 2nd.

Thanks Nicole

What's Cooking Wednesday 2/24

I have had a sweet tooth the past few days  so I have decided to post some deserts today. Maybe not exactly healthy but oh so yummy!

Fired-Up Peaches and Cream

Ingredients
    4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
    4 medium ripe peaches, sliced
    Pinch ground cinnamon
    4 tablespoons brown sugar
    4 shots whiskey
    2 pints vanilla ice cream
    1 canister whipped cream
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter, melt and add peaches then season them with cinnamon. Turn up heat to medium-high and cook peaches 3 minutes then add sugar and melt into the butter and peaches. Pull pan off stove, add whiskey, return pan to stove and tip skillet to set pan aflame, or set aflame with a kitchen match. When the flame dies out, scoop some ice cream into dishes, top with peaches and whipped cream and serve.

*TIP* I actually omit the Whiskey as I do not care for the taste.
This is a Rachel Ray recipe  

Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients
1 box cake mix, any flavor
1 stick butter (or 1/2 cup shortening, but I prefer the butter)
2 eggs

Directions
Make into balls (I use my cookie scooper) and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes (check at about 8, because some cake mixes seem to bake faster than others).  They sort of crackle on top and are pretty soft.  I like to use lemon cake mix and dust with powdered sugar, or use spice cake mix and make little "cakesters" with cream cheese icing in between.

Cheese Cake Tarts

Ingredients
1 box Keebler Waffle Bowls
2 Package 8oz cream cheese, softned
1 can (14oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tsp lime or lemon juice
Variety of Toppings ( nuts, granola, fruit, ice cream topping)

Directions
Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth.
Mix in milk, vanilla, and lime/lemon juice.
Refrigerate at least one hour or until mixture has thickened.
Top with your favorite toppings. ENJOY!

~TIP~  I used Raspberry liqueur hot fudge. Wished I had added fruit as well! It was sinful!

Head on over to Preparing for our Children's Future to see what she has cooking.

 

More About Swagbucks!

If you read my blog you know I LOVE Swagbucks. I have gotten several emails wanting more information so I have decided to write this post. Have not signed up for Swagbucks yet.... what are you waiting for head here!

Swagbucks Tips

 1. I bookmarked the search results pages for my everyday websites (i.e. "It's All About Savings," "Gmail," "Facebook,""Twitter" etc.).

2. I search morning, noon and night.  Once I win in the morning, I don't go back again until the afternoon.  Once I win in the afternoon, I don't touch it again until night time.  It's a timer, so continuous searching after you win (usually) won't generate any more bucks.

3. Fridays Mega Swag Bucks Day- On Fridays I search for things I don't normally search for, so no going through Swagbucks to get to Gmail, etc.  I tend to get 3-4 bucks on at least one search on Fridays by doing this.

4. Swag Codes check the swidget on this blog for hints.

5. Get your friends to join!  They match buck for buck up to 100 what your friends win from searches (not swag codes).  The Facebook Connect feature is great for this.  It posts on your Facebook page when you win a buck and generates lots of curiosity from friends.

6. Special Offers/Toolbar/Swidget- every Thursday there is a new code in Special Offers. You can download the toolbar and get codes on it every now and then.

7. Swag Bucks Birthday is TOMORROW!!  I have no idea what this will entail, but let's just say you picked a great time to join!!

 Whats new / happening on Feb 25th at Swagbucks.com?

1) More ways to earn Swag Bucks every day:  With Swagbucks.com 3.0 users will be able to earn by having their toolbar visible on their browser and also by simply viewing our 'No Obligation' special offers.   This means that in addition to all the regular ways to earn, the more you are engaged with Swagbucks.com, the more you will earn!
2) New look home page and Swag Store & rewards store:  Swagbucks.com 3.0 will include a revamped, cleaner interface that will provide a better user experience. 
3)  Launch of the Swagstakes Portal:   As you may know we currently run about a dozen on-going sweepstakes (called Swagsttakes) at any given time.  With the launch of 3.0 we are going to have a brand new, fully stocked Swagstakes portal in which there will be dozens of Swagstakes running at all times! Some contests will be limited entry (meaning a set number of entries will be offered) so the odds for a user to win are greater.  The tentative list of items that will be offered during initial launch should include: $100 Amazon Gift Cards, Sony Bravia 32" TV, Amazon Kindle, Apple iPod Touch, Flip Ultra HD Camera, Panasonic Blu Ray with Remote, Apple iPad, Sopranos Complete Series Box Set, Rachel Ray 10 piece cookware set, Playstation 3 system + games bundle, Canon Powershot Camera, Seinfeld Complete Series DVD box Set, Viziio 22" LCD TV and plenty more!

Random Review Tuesday~ The CarWash

 

Ebeanstalk is a website dedicated to selecting great baby toys and toddler toys. They rely on the opinions and feedback of bloggers and moms around the country to continue selecting great toys to sell. Their team of child experts also helps them pick out learning toys to make sure your child gets the most out of her or her playtime!


Here is a little about their site:

  It’s our mission to help parents select the best learning toys and baby gifts based on the age of the child. We offer a unique way to select the right learning toys for your child at every stage of development from birth to five years old. Toys are categorized to allow you to shop by age or further refine the search by category. Navigation is easy with the menu bar to the left of the page.

(read more here)

Recently I was sent The Carwash for my two boys to try. My kids are 7 months and 3 years old. My 3 year old absolutely fell in love with this product. He could not wait for me to look over the box and get it out. He begged to get in the bath at that very moment. My son sat in the bath playing with this toy for almost 30 minutes. He had so much fun playing with the cars and using the different features. He loved the little car wash hose and that each car had a different function. I think this will be a great long lasting toy in my household. I also love how the little hook allows it to be hung up and air dry.

This toy was provided to me for review. For more information please see my disclosure policy.

I am going crazy

Okay I recently moved with my Mother in law into a tiny apartment in town. I did this to help her financially and because although I am not poor I am not well off either. The thing is my husband works in Nashville and we just can not afford a place there. Now next year when we pay off his truck loan (that he got before he meet me) then we will be sitting pretty.

SO anyways here it is 11pm and everyone in the house is asleep; my mother in law, my 3 year old, and my 7 month old(this one is a shocker). So what am I doing sleeping? UMMM no I am up blogging this weeks blogs since the people below us are banging, yelling, stomping, etc.

Now let me get this straight for you.... I am on the upper floor! I have lived in alot of apartments in my time; especially in my first marriage. But never and I mean never have I heard the people BELOW me. This is not just a tonight thing, this is an every night till 1 or 2 am thing. I have bought a sound machine for my room, I play music in my sons room, and yet they still manage to keep me up.

The saddest part.... they have a 4 year old that is still up; running, screaming, and raising kane....

OnlinePosterPrinting 18x24 Poster Giveaway DEAD

 

Is a great site where you can have custom made orders printed and shipped to you. This site offers so many things for its customers:

Marketing & Promotions

Business Identity Products

and

Large Format & Signs

  A neat service they have is  Digital Photo Enlargement. Have you ever took a picture and thought is would make a great poster? OnlinePosterPrinting can take care of that too. They have a service which puts Digital Photos on Posters.  OnlinePosterPrinting also offers 1 business dayturn around time (not including shipping time) on orders as well as a proof before you pay. 

 

WIN IT:                        18x24 Poster Print for One (1) Winner
                                     Paper Stock: High Gloss or Semi Gloss
                                     Specifications: 1 Business Day Turnaround
                                     Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping
                                     Eligibility: Limited to US Residents only

MANDATORY ENTRY: You must first tell me what you would do with the poster. Would it be a gift, a marketing tool, etc ALSO what would the poster be of?

EXTRA ENTRIES: (13 possible entries)

• Become a Follower  (1 entry)
• Subscribe to my blog and verify  (2 entry)
• Use the button below to post on Facebook, Myspace, etc. Let me know what you did. (1 entry)
  
• Follow me, Twitter    (1 entry)
• Grab my NEW button and post a link! (2 entries)  
• Tweet about this giveaway, up to 1x daily          WIN a 18x24 Poster Print by OnlinePosterPrinting Hosted ~ It's all about the Savings http://is.gd/9347G @all_about_savin @UPrinting             

This giveaway will run from 2.23.10 until 2.28.10, please leave separate comments for each entry, winners will be selected via Random.Org  & emailed. They will then 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be drawn. Please see my disclosure policy for details about reviews and giveaways! I will be receiving a poster print as well for doing this giveaway. 

Beech Nut Freebies

Beech-Nut has a couple of welcome kits available right now:

• Beech-Nut Baby Starter Kit
• Beech-Nut Toddler Welcome Kit

Arts Cow Spring Sale 2010 – 40% off all photo jewelry & watches

 

Spring Sale 2010 – 40% off all photo jewelry & watches

Spring season is often associated with the new sign of life so it’s only appropriate that you treat yourself to some new photo gifts.
As part of our Spring Sale this year, we are offering our members a special coupon code to get a 40% discount on all jewelry and watches. From necklaces and earrings, to our assembled range of custom watches, there’s a photo gift suitable for everyone. Use your favorite photos and designs to make personalized watches and customized jewelry and match your outfits.

Coupon Code:	SPRSALE10
Expiry Date:	03/15/2010

Snapfish 100 Free 4x6 prints

Valid until February 28th you can make and purchase any 8" x 11" photo book and you will receive 100 Free 4x6 prints. Prints must be ordered with the photo book! Just enter code BOOKGIFT at check out to recieve this great deal!

 

 

*U.S. customers only. Must use coupon code BOOKGIFT at checkout to receive up to 100 free 4" x 6" mail-order prints. Each 4" x 6" print purchased in addition to the first 100 will be charged at the regular price. Offer applies to 8" x 10" Classic Photo Books, Custom Cover Books, or Custom Jacket Books only. Offer excludes flip books, 8" x 8", 12" x 12", 5" x 7", and 2" x 3" photo books. Free 8" x 10" enlargement prints offer applies to new Snapfish customers only, and will be automatically credited to your account upon your first photo upload. Offers apply to mail-order purchases only and cannot be used for in-store pick-up. Taxes, shipping and handling charges apply. Offers may not be used in conjunction with any other offer. Coupon may be used only one time. Offers expire 02/28/10.

CVS Huggies Wipes Deal

So the big packs of wipes (count is 160 - 218) are ringing up 2/5.00. The advertised deal is the tubs are 2/5.00
I went to my local CVS today and:

I bought 16 packs. I spent  26.68 and saved $104.09      

I did this in two transactions. I had a 5.00 ecb, a 5.00 off 25.00, a 5.00 off 15.00, a .75 and a .50 off huggies wipes mailer.

Johnson's Baby Shower Twitter Party

Join us for a fun, giveaway-filled Johnson's Baby Shower Twitter Party today at 3pm EST to talk about favorite baby shower gifts, using Johnson's Baby products to gift at showers, and tips and tricks for new Moms. We'll have many great Johnson's products and prizes! Use the hashtag #MCBabyShower and join the conversation!
What: Johnson's Baby Shower Twitter Party
When:  Tuesday, February 23rd from 3-4 pm EST
Why: To hold a "virtual baby shower" and win cool prizes!
Hashtag: #MCBabyShower
Host: Mom Central

Artscow Photo Playing Cards Crazy Sale - $2.99 shipped

Make sure you play your cards right each time you’re at the poker table with a set of personalized photo playing cards. What can be fancier than having your own customized deck when all you friends come over for a game. For a limited time only, ArtsCow are putting our whole line of playing cards on promotion for a breakthrough price of just $2.99*, including free shipping. *initial set of cards costs $2.99 and $6.99 each thereafter. Coupon code applicable for single use only. Custom Playing Cards Single Design Custom Playing Cards (Round) Custom Playing Cards (Heart) Coupon :   Coupon code: PLAY299CARDS Expires on: 02/28/2010 Creating could not be made simpler with our advanced editing software, just upload your favorite photos and away you go. http://www.artscow.com/photo-gifts/playing-cards

Free Baby Alive Dolls?

If you’re heading on over to Target then keep your eyes peeled for this clearance bargain! According to Hip2save Target may have Baby Alive dolls on clearance for just $4.98! If that’s the case, you can use the $5/1 coupon available here to score these dolls for FREE!

Free Sample of Nicorette

 

Free Sample of Nicorette Cinnamon Sugar chewing gum. Receive 20 pieces and take your first step towards quitting FREE!. Choose 2mg or 4mg pieces. 

Birthday Freebies

Click Here For Images  &
Happy Birthday Pictures - Quotes

If you’d like to save money and still have fun on your birthday, we have some great links for you! Here’s how to sign up for a broad variety of items that you can get free for your special day of the year.
For your next birthday, plan ahead a little bit, take advantage of these free food or gift offers, and make that special occasion even more fun. Since some of the offers are not limited to the exact birth date, you can turn your birthday into a month-long celebration!


*Free Food
When you join the Benihana Chef’s Table, you’ll receive a complimentary Benihana Birthday Dinner certificate (maximum value of $30) by email, and you can use it any time during the month of your birthday. You can get a free dinner for Steak’n Shake birthday club members or 5 free wings on your birthday from Wing Stop, and Auntie Anne’s Pretzels  and Arby’s will send you monthly coupons as well as a birthday treat.
Sign up for Ben & Jerry’s “chunkmail” or Cold Stone Creamery’s Birthday Club for free ice cream on your birthday. Baskin-Robbins will give you a free 2.5 oz. scoop on your birthday, a discount on a birthday cake, and special offers all year. You can get a free 20 oz. smoothie from Smoothie King.
You can access and print your own free birthday dessert coupon from Jack in the Box, and Maggiano’s, Mimi’s and  O’Charley’s all give free desserts when you sign up with them.
Join the Buca di Beppo eclub for a free dessert on your birthday and another treat on your anniversary, and you can also get a free dessert from Chili’s. Red Lobster will give you a special birthday gift when you join their Overboard club, and the Melting Pot will give you free chocolate fondue for 2 on your birthday and your anniversary!
Celebrate your birthday at Denny’s with a free original “Grand Slam,” or get a birthday gift when you sign up to be a Waffle House Regular.
Enjoy a free sub during your birthday month from Firehouse Subs and get a free cheeseburger or appetizer of your choice when you join the Champps Fan Club. You can also get a free burger on your birthday from Red Robin or Ruby Tuesday.


*Free Gifts
Sign up at the Children’s Place to get special 15% off coupons on your own birthday and your children’s.
Register your birthday with Aveda for free Caribbean therapy body creme, or at Sephora for a free Sephora collection Beautiful Eyes Kit.
Disney Rewards will send you a free Disney blu-ray movie for your birthday!


*Just For Kids
Benihana Kabuki Kids club offers a free mug with the purchase of a child’s meal, while Burger King and Whataburger’s Whatakids club both offer a free burger. Chuck E. Cheese sends free tokens for each child’s birthday when you sign them up.
Get a free kids meal at Bob Evans or a free wacky pack kid’s meal  from Sonic Kid’s Club. Sonic will send a coupon for a free regular cream slush, medium drink, or tater tots on your birthday when you join the Sonic Cruisers.
Captain D’s has 2 e-clubs, one for adults (who get free fish or chicken & fries) and another for kids 12 and under (who get a free kid’s meal). Zaxby’s also offers both a free adult member’s meal and a free kid’s meal.
When you sign up for the IHOP Birthday Club, you’ll receive an e-coupon three weeks before your birthday!  Children 12 and under will get a coupon for a free kid’s meal and drink, and members who are 13 and up will receive a coupon for 20% off their guest check, up to $10.  These offers are valid during the entire birthday month.
Sign up kids 10 and under for a free meal during their birthday month at California Pizza Kitchen. There are also CPKids Restaurant Tours for the same age group. This is a great way for children to learn and have fun at the same time, and the tours are free for schools or non-profit organizations.  They’re entertaining and educational, and kids get to make and eat pizza during a hands-on pizza-making class. Each child receives an activity book, CPKids pencil and a certificate for a free CPKids Meal on their next visit.


*Miscellaneous
Get free party ideas, themes, invitations and cards from Toys ‘R’ Us and register your children for Geoffrey’s Birthday Club to get 1) a party planner with special offer, 2) card & gift from Geoffrey every year until they’re 10 years old, 3) an in-store celebration with a birthday crown and balloon, and 4) a special phone call from Geoffrey. Make the day complete with free printable designs for coloring pages, invitations, thank you cards, labels, bag toppers, birthday cards, and more from Activity Village.
Sign up infants with Olan Mills and a coupon will be emailed to you so you can have your child’s birthday portrait taken every year, up to the age of 3 years.  You’ll receive 8×10,  5×7, and 4 wallet photos free of charge.
When you register with Ringling Bros., they will send you “Baby’s First Circus,” a commemorative certificate and ticket voucher with no expiration date for newborns up to 12 months. The voucher can be exchanged at any time for a ticket when the circus comes to town.


*Don’t forget the Pets!
Join the birthday club at Petite Cuisine for a free can of cat food, and PetSmart PetPerks will send a birthday greeting & free toy coupon for your dog or cat. Register your pet’s birthday for a special gift from Busch Pet Products, too; or join the Dog Park Birthday Club, and they’ll send your dog a birthday greeting. (This works best if your dog knows how to read!)
If you need a little help to organize all this, you can join Birthday Freebies and get a reminder service as well as links to search for more freebies by zip code.







Click Here For Images  &
My Birthday Gifts Pictures - Quotes

New Comment Status

I am sorry I have had to change to moderated comments. As this blog grows I have started seeing spam and links I do NOT want posted on here. I vow this blog will always remain family friendly and so I have been forced to review all comments before they go live.

Up side is you do NOT have to put in the annoying verification code any longer!

Giveaway Monday 2/22

Here are the giveaways I have ran across this week. I would love to know if any of you win any. I'll also post if I do. Here is good wishes to all of us! I will also add to this post all week long so keep checking back this week!

• Gaddy Nipper Crayons is a really neat little etsy shop. I found out about them from a giveaway on preparing for our childrens future. I think these crayons are a really cute idea for so many occasions. I also noticed Gaddy Nipper Crayons is hosting their own giveaway here. So you have TWO chances to win a really cute item. I know my sons headstart does not allow parents to bring in food for birthdays. So I am going to order these for the kids to celebrate Aaron turning 4 in April.
• We are Culbertsons has a great giveaway for a Rainbow Brite Doll. I remember that show from when I was a child! It was one of my favorites. Hurry though because this one ends tonight!

What I won this last week:

• Head Huggers Headband Giveaway thanks Half Crazy Mommie!

I wanted to let you know that I am planning a Blog-a-Thon. April 1st through 17th. It's All About Mom, will be 17 days of reviews, giveaways, and posts about mom. I am looking for companies to sponsor this event as well as guest bloggers. If you want to participate in this event please email me at: itsallaboutthesavings@gmail.com or angelface041206@yahoo.com

Walgreens 30 4x6 prints $3.00

Mac and Cool Giveaway

So Remember the Mac and Cool Review I posted not to long ago? If not head over here and read up then come back...... I'll wait.....

Okay so I contacted the company because I seriously fell in love with this product and wanted to know more. Of course I thought about all of my readers and asked if there would be a chance of a giveaway. Okay well more on the giveaway in a minute. I want to tell you all the neat things I found about about in an interview I had with the creator Denise; who happens to be a mommy creator!

1)      The idea for the Mac & Cool came to me when my oldest child was very young.  He was an impatient toddler and as soon as he could smell dinner cooking, he was ready to eat.  Waiting for his food to cool was a long, whiney process!  I assumed there had to be a product that cooled food quickly on the market.  I searched to purchase one but when I found there was nothing like it out there, I decided maybe it was something I needed to develop.  My son is now 14 years old, and still a bit impatient , by the way!

2)      The Mac & Cool has been featured in some awesome places!  HGTV’s “I Want That” did a segment that explains the bowl really well.  The show is often re-run on Fine Living Channel (episode 117 – I Want That).  We were also featured on the cover of Costco Connection Magazine May 2007 , Good Morning America, The View, Inside Edition, CNN Headline News, Dr. Phil, among others.  In 2005, the Mac & Cool was featured in an article in TIME magazine, too.

3)      We cool EVERYTHING with the Mac & Cool.  My kids figured out if they put pizza in the frozen dish cheese-side down, the pizza no longer burned the roof of the mouths!  I sometimes us the Mac & Cool when I’m cooking…if I have to cool the custard before adding it to a dessert, I do it in the Mac & Cool.  Or, if I try to soften butter in the microwave oven and go a bit too far, just pour the butter into a frozen Mac & Cool and it solidifies just right!  The Mac & Cool is great for some cold foods, too.  If you ever make home-made ice cream and it is still pretty soft when you serve it, just serve it right out of the frozen Mac & Cool and it is just the right consistency.  We live in a warm place (Arizona) and I’ll often use our Mac & Cool to serve cheese by the pool or for serving fresh fruit.  It keeps it just cool enough to really enjoy it!  I had neighbors phone once who don’t have children and they had used their Mac & Cool to cool their gourmet Chicken Cordon Bleu!

4)      I had some background in plastic manufacturing from my pre-Mom career days so getting through the manufacturing process wasn’t too difficult.  Probably the hardest part about that process was finding a manufacturer that was willing to take on the project knowing that I would only be making small quantities at first.  I had to go to several plastic parts manufacturers until I finally found one that was small enough to want to take it on.  The most difficult thing for me was selling the product in to the marketplace.  I’m not strong as a salesman so I had some learning to do.  Tradeshows specializing in children’s products was a great way to meet my customers face-to-face.

5)      The best tip I can give is to be prepared if you want to start your own business.  There are many hidden costs that will come up throughout the process.  Be as prepared as you can with a strong budget.  You don’t want to get part way through and then run out of money before you  get the product to market.  Do your research and find out how good your idea really is.  Don’t be afraid to ask friends and others what they truly think of your idea.  It’s better to get your feelings hurt in the beginning rather than spending $20,000 and then finding out your idea isn’t all that great.   Also, stay focused and don’t get discouraged.

WIN IT: Three, yes you read right... THREE  reader's will win a Mac and Cool bowl and a pack of potty mitts. (ERV $10.98)

MANDATORY ENTRY:You must first tell me what you would use to cool with the Mac and cool, a story about a child and dinner that this would have helped, or something related to this giveaway. Comments like pick me, great giveaway, etc will be deleted and not counted.

EXTRA ENTRIES: (24 possible entries)

• Become a Follower  (1 entry)
• Subscribe to my blog and verify  (2 entry)
• Use the button below to post on Facebook, Myspace, etc. Let me know what you did. (1 entry)
  
• Follow me, Twitter    (1 entry)
• Blog about this giveaway, leaving a link to this giveaway (5 entries)  
• Grab my NEW button and post a link! (2 entries)  
• Tweet about this giveaway, up to 1x daily          WIN a Mac and Cool Dinner time's best friend! Hosted by It's all about the Savings http://bit.ly/9ThURI @all_about_savin        

This giveaway will run from 2.22.10 until 3.8.10, please leave separate comments for each entry, winners will be selected via Random.Org  & emailed. They will then 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be drawn. Please see my disclosure policy for details about reviews and giveaways!

How to stretch your Food Stamp dollars further

 I just found this great post over at Couponing to Disney. Kristen had a guest blogger on and this is her article I wanted to share it with you. Thankfully I am not on Food stamps any longer but when my husband was laid off for 6 months we did have to rely on the system. It is nothing to be ashamed about and this post not only brings that to light but also gives great tips to anyone that has to be on them.

THANKS

Borders $1.00 Sale

I went to borders over the weekend. There is a huge sale that is UNMARKED! Toys, books, games, etc are ringing up $1.00

I hit two Border in Knoxville, Tn and this is what I got:

Close Up

Close up otherside

Well worth the 2 hour drive round trip. Spent $64.47 saved $870.46

I got: My Christmas activity case 9916288, (2) puzzle simms safari 9882460, (5) puzzle simms vehicles 9882458, (2) Keychains, Harry Potter Bagclip 9878992, (2) super hero in a box 9894501, (3) Little Farmer garden tote 7924976, Race Car Night Light 9705540, (3) Delux Rock a Doodle 092633110607, Puzzle Sami 4 in 1 Vehicle 9882458, Kooky Crazy Mini Cars 7565129, (2) Holiday memories Felt Stocking 9916086, Bryer Horse and Foal 9882629, (3) Imaginiff 7276368, Likewise 9914263, (2) Plankon 9838178, (2) Diego 8740386, Linny 9600279, Edushape My soft world farm 9432313, Buxxword 8119660,pitureka 9584758, Clue secrets and spies 9919595, (2) I spy puzzles 9780681019553, (2) Apples to Apples Expansion 9970990, (2)Star Trek Uno 9879756, (2) Mastermind 9780681682238, (3) Alex Jungle Croquet 9893941, Penguins and Snowman 9906990, Tuck 9600278, Walden 9780681103405, Tomlee 9780681506336, Pablo 9780681476677, widget 9780681103399, lulu 9780681506350, tasha 8607716, Inner Beauty Bling 9895133, (2) Learn to draw Manga 9820347

Walgreens is having 7 Deals

Sunday 2/21 - $1.99 magazine cover
Monday 2/22 - 40% off 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 sizes
Tuesday 2/23 - 50% off 11 x 14 posters
Wednesday 2/24 - 99cents film developing
Thursday 2/25 - FREE 8x10
Friday 2/26 - 50% ink cartridge refills
Saturday 2/27 - 10cents 4x6 prints (no minimum)

Information found on Slickdeals

Rite Aid BOGO Brand Sale 2/25 - 2/27

Friday Follow

 

Welcome to the Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.

Here's how YOU can join the celebration:
--Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below.
Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.

--Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots. We will follow you back.

--Follow as many blogs as you'd like.

--Comment on the blogs telling them you're from Friday Follow.

--Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow.

Arts Cow Photo Umbrella $15.99 Shipped

It’s been said our moods are very dependant on the weather and when it rains we tend to swing towards the doom and gloom side. So while the heavens above take a turn for the worst, you can always rely on your photo umbrella to put a big smile back on your face. Design your own fashion umbrella with pictures of family and friends. Sport it with logos and imprints of your favorite scenery or cartoon characters; the possibilities are endless. Make an individualized umbrella for only $15.99/each with free shipping. Coupon :   Coupon code: UMBR1599 Expires on: 03/31/2010 Get inspired today and create your own umbrella. http://www.artscow.com/photo-gifts/umbrella