Toys R Us/Babies R Us Trade In!!

Toys R Us & Babies R Us are currently having their "Great Trade In" through February 20th. You can trade in any used car seat, high chair, bassinet, stroller, play yard, crib, travel system, or toddler bed, and then receive 25% off a new item (from any category- certain brands).  The great thing is that you can trade in old & unsafe products for brand new ones.There is no limit and you can trade as many items as you want.  Have fun!

For the Locals

This post is for those of you who live near me:

At the Galleria Mall in Redondo Beach, The Disney Store is closing its doors in early April 2010.  Right now, the entire back half of the store is on clearance, and you can find some great deals up to 75% off!  They will be continuing to discount the back half of the store until they close.  (If you can't make it to the store, check out the Disney Store Outlet online; this online store also has amazing deals!  Right now you can even take an additional 20% off their outlet prices by using code "outlet20" at checkout.)

Another store in the mall going out of business is Yankee Candle.  Yankee will be closing its doors on January 30th. Right now, the front half of the store is all 50-75% off.  Every Fall & Christmas large candle jar is $12, and the medium jars are $10.  This is over 50% off!  They also have car plug-in scents, plug-in scents for your home, and various small potpourri items for 75% off.  The store is also selling all of their fixtures and furniture, and they have some beautiful end tables and other tables for your home for only $20 each.  They are all maple finished.

Get these great deals before they sell out!

Free Udder Cover!!

If you are a nursing mom, or know someone that is, pick up a FREE nursing cover (uddercover)! These retail for $32 and you only have to pay $9.95 shipping. Just go to Udder Cover's website, choose your cover, and enter code "ONEFREE" at checkout.

Thanks to Bargain Hunting Moms for this great tip!!!

$5 Dinners!

I just came across this great website & cookbook called "Five Dollar Dinners", and I am so excited to try them! (I briefly thought of doing some kind of "Julie & Julia" challenge and making the recipes every single night - since I just watched that movie - but then realized that was just me being a little to spontaneous again and decided instead just to blog about it) :)

Anyway, this woman has some GREAT dinners on her site, and I have just created my menu for the week using many of these recipes. If you are on a tight budget, like I am, this is a GREAT book for you.

Please visit her site today and get some recipe ideas for your home - better yet, buy the book!
She is also giving away 10 FREE copies a day of this book (for just a few more days) so you can also enter that contest on her site.

(Almost) Free 2010 Planner!

My friend Mindy just posted this GREAT online deal for a personalized 2010 planner from Snapfish.com for only $1.49 shipped. All you have to do is go to Snapfish.com and sign up for a new account, and you get a $10 credit to use however you want. (If you want a planner, search for them under "notebooks). However, you only have until December 31st to get this, so hurry!!!

Go to this link to read more about it.

(You can also apply your $10 credit from Snapfish for any other product on their site if you don't want a planner)

FREE at Vons!

Vons/Pavilions is doing 12 Days of FREE items.  All you have to do is go to this link:

http://www.vons.com/IFL/Grocery/12Days-Save

Print off the coupon for the particular day you want, and spend at least $20.  Today's special is a box of free Betty Crocker cake mix, and tomorrow is a dozen eggs.  While you will probably not go spend $20 every day, if you need to go shopping anyway, this can be a great deal!

Another great feature Vons has is that you can download coupons from their site directly onto your Vons Club Card!! I am so excited about this, because it means no more digging in the bottom of my purse to find my coupons!  Just click here to start saving!

Win a Free Necklace!

There are a ton of giveaways going on all over the blogging world.  This is one of my favorites!  I LOVE this jewelry.  If you would like to win a set for yourself, visit this link.

Need New Furniture?

One of the best places I have found for furniture is Overstock.com.  They have amazing deals on office furniture, dining room sets, couches, and even name brand pillow-top bed mattresses.  The best part of all is that shipping is only $1!!!  The next time I need a new California King mattress, I will definitely be buying off of overstock.com, as they have some for as low as $700.  I have compared prices for months on mattresses and this site has THE best deals.  Another great feature is that buyers rate the items, so you can always read what others say about it before you buy it.

This is also a great site to buy Christmas presents off of, and you probably wouldn't need to shop anywhere else.  You cannot beat that $1 shipping.  Find jewelry, books, CD's, DVD's, electronics, clothing, home goods and more!

Merry Christmas to YOU!

How would you like to earn a $50 gift certificate to anywhere you would like, just for doing your regular Christmas shopping? Let me tell you how to do it: -You may have read before on this blog about MyPoints. MyPoints is offering some great ways to earn extra points this holiday which will quickly turn into free gift cards for you. First you need to create an account, and then start earning your points. I only visit this site about 2x a month and already have enough points for a $25 gift card! -After you create your account, choose which stores you want to shop from for your Christmas gifts. If you spend $100 from selected stores (online), you automatically get 1000 bonus points, in addition to the points you receive per dollar (you can even combine stores for a total of $100). Also check out their daily specials. For example, today if you order from Domino's Pizza, you get 400 bonus points! Dinner anyone? -This week I needed to order something online from Kmart.com. I first went to MyPoints, searched for KMart, and placed my order. That day they were having a special for 8 points per dollar, plus Kmart had their own specials on their website ($10 off any purchase over $50 that day). -One of the best deals I found on this site was for a 2010 Entertainment Book. If you go through MyPoints, you earn 750 points for buying a book. Once they lead you to the Entertainment Book website, you get $5 off each book, free shipping, AND a $25 gift certificate to a restaurant! This is a way to truly make your money work for you. You can also print coupons off of this site for the grocery store, and earn 10 points for each coupon you print.


Now you have no need to go out on Black Friday to go Christmas shopping; you can get many of the same great deals online. If you go through MyPoints.com first, you are on your way to receiving your own Christmas present for all your hard work!!

Feeding a Family of Four for $40 a Week

I came across this blog today, where a mom feeds her family for only $40 a week!  Although I'm inspired, the amount of time this takes to cut coupons, get multiple copies of newspapers (for all the coupons) and going to the different stores can amount to a whole part-time job. However, maybe you really enjoy doing that and this could help you!

One of the most helpful things I found on her site was a two-week menu (breakfast, lunch and dinner) that would only cost between $35-$60 a week!  She also gives weeks and weeks of other menus she has used within that same price range.  Just click on this link and you can see her menus.  They actually look really good and are comprised of foods my kids would actually EAT!

This site also has a link to Swagbucks, which my friend Anna told me about.  You get "swagbucks" for searching online through their search engine (which uses google), and you can use these "dollars" to actually buy items (like points).  This is a great way to earn real products just by searching for things online!  (Another site which works similar to this is MyPoints, which I use and have gotten $50 gift cards from!)

FREE 8x10 Photo Canvas!

Another great deal I found out about over on Bargain Hunting Moms (yes, I realize I link back to them a lot, but I find the BEST deals on there!).

You can get a FREE 8x10 Photo Canvas from Canvas People OR $55 off any size canvas! I love photo canvases and have always coveted ones I have seen in other people's homes. And I figure that, as a photographer, I should get around to having my own photo canvas!

Order yours today, or even order one as a gift for Christmas! (You can even send a coupon to your friends to use)

Don't Declare Bankruptcy...Learn to Pay Off Debt

I read this amazing article today, and hope it will encourage everyone who feels weighed down by their debts. I have known people that had an insurmountable amount of debt, declared bankruptcy, but then continued to not handle their money well. Instead of the easy way out, the Hildebrandts decided that they needed to get to the root of their debt- not making wise choices - and went to a Consumer Credit Counselor. They were able to pay off over $100k of debt in about four years. I think many of us can relate to this couple; they were Christians who committed to tithe and did not live lavishly, but just needed some help making better decisions. Be encouraged today that you too can get out of debt!!!

Read their story here.

Amazing Deals on Household Supplies!!

My friends over at Bargain Hunting Moms just wrote about this site that got me SO excited!!! I am one that tends to stress out when shopping for household supplies. Especially toilet paper. I want the best deal, the most sheets, and the softest t.p., but the choices are SO confusing! Same with napkins, paper towels, laundry soap, etc. Usually I just give up and throw in my cart whatever is on sale.

No More!! Alice.com is a site that finds you the cheapest deals on household supplies AND applies any and all coupons towards them, AND ships them to your house for FREE! Did you just read that?!

I just set up my online account for the first time today, and I can't tell you how exciting it was to shop for toilet paper online. No more stress!! The prices really are cheaper than Target (where I normally dump the sale items in my cart). Set up your online account, and they'll even remind you to order every few weeks (you choose). You can even set up a budget to use, and they will help you track how much is going to each category. Awesome!

Visit Alice today!!

Preparing to Stay at Home

I came across this amazing article today that I wanted to share. I agree whole-heartedly with everything in it; if I knew what I know now, I would have started preparing way earlier (financially) to have children. But when we get locked into a two-income situation, it feels almost impossible to get out.

I remember being newly married, and wanting to have kids in the future (5 years out). I thought I had time. I also knew I wasn't positive I wanted to be a stay at home mom. But what I did know was that I enjoyed working and knew there was nothing wrong with that. However, if I knew then what I knew now, I would have started preparing to have children (financially). Because nobody wants to have a new baby AND the weight of the world on your shoulders, feeling that you HAVE to bring in income or you won't be able to feed your family.

However, if you feel stuck right now, and God is moving you in the direction to work less or stop working altogether, He WILL provide. I know from experience!! We have to make wise choices, stop spending so much, and stop wanting what we don't have. But it can happen!

Timeless wisdom. I hope this encourages you, and please pass it on to every young woman you know!!

Ten Things Now to Stay at Home Later

Free Mocha Mondays at McDonalds!

Starting on Monday, July 13th, McDonalds will be giving away hot or iced mochas from 7am-7pm. This deal will be valid only on Mondays until August 3rd. They will give you an 8 oz. hot mocha or 7 oz. iced mocha, so this is a bit smaller than the regular size. Visit McDonalds for more information!

FREE Chik-Fil-A and (almost) free Ice Cream!

On Friday, July 10th, Chik-Fil-A will be giving away free combo meals to anyone who is dressed like a cow. Hmmmm - not sure if I'm up to that, but maybe you are?!

Also, if you live in Orange County (CA), you may want to visit this Chik-Fil-A, where every day this week between 5-8pm, they are giving away free menu items for "Customer Appreciation Week." Remember this is only the Irvine location offering this deal, but you can ask your local Chik-Fil-A when they will have Customer Appreciation Week near you.

________________________

Remember Thrifty's Ice Cream? Well, Thrifty's is now Rite Aid, but certain locations this week are offering 2 scoops for only .99 cents! I tried to find info. online about this, but limited information was available, so check your local Rite Aid if you're interested in this deal!

Saving on Moving Expenses

Since we are moving to a new house in a week, I have really been trying to figure out how to save money while moving. Anyone who has moved knows that the expenses can really add up, which adds to the stress of having to move anyway. I found out about two resources that may be able to help:

1) Moving Trucks - While shopping around for the greatest deal on moving trucks, I found that Budget Rental charges per day, while U-Haul charges per 24-hours. So, if you need a truck on Friday and Saturday, U-Haul is definitely the cheapest option by 50%. However, if you need a rental for one day only, you may be able to find coupon codes online to save 15% on a Budget truck rental. The only drawback is that you have to pick up and return the truck by the rental stores hours. Some have limited hours which may end up causing you to return the truck late and get charged an extra day.

If you want to comparison shop for the best deal on either moving yourself OR having a moving company move you, you may want to try this site.

2) Utilities - The second resource I found is another comparison site, where you can compare the companies who offer utilities in your area. You can find the best deals on phone service, internet service, gas, water companies, etc... I visited whitefence and found our new phone and internet service through Verizon, and because of this site, I found out that I qualified for a new Compaq mini netbook for FREE with my new service!

Even if you are not moving, you can still "shop around" for the best deals in your area. I hope this helps you a little too!

Free Orange Julius on Friday!

Tomorrow, Friday (June 19th, 2009) is FREE Light Smoothie Day at Orange Julius! Choose from Tropical Sunlight, Berry-Pom Twilight, or Strawberry Delight. You do have to download a coupon, so click here to get yours today!

Free CA Homeschooling Curriculum

A friend shared this with me recently; she desired to homeschool her children but was finding that many of the curriculums (especially for Christian homeschooling) can be very expensive. This is an option that is FREE, and she has been using it for over 3 years now for three of her children.

The California Virtual Academy is a WASC-Accredited Public Charter School. The curriculum, laptop, teaching supplies, craft supplies, and even a printer are provided for FREE. Families even receive a stipend for internet access to use the school. CVA goes from Kindergarten through Twelth grade.

This curriculum is not a Christian curriculum. But the great thing about homeschooling is having the ability to incorporate God into each subject, as you are your child's teacher. There are many homeschooling resources online that you could use to supplement the curriculum, such as adding a Bible class (which would not be graded through CVA).

CVA also offers field trips and gatherings with other families in the system. They even offer science fairs, spelling bees, and community service days.

I encourage you to pass this information on to your friends who are looking for homeschooling alternatives. After all, it is free!

Free Children's Services

Did you know that if you suspect that your child might have a developmental, speech, or any other type of disorder, there are centers in every state where you can receive FREE evaluations and help?

When my older son was two years old, we suspected that he might have a speech and language delay. Someone told me to contact our local Regional Center, which I did, and we received free testing. From there, they recommended speech therapy. I thought our options were limited to what was being offered through the school system (for free through the Regional Center). However, upon further research, I discovered that there are places called NPA's (Non Public Agencies) where you can also be approved to send your child. I found an amazing speech center in my area and requested that my son receive services there instead of at the school. Our request was approved, and he received speech therapy 2-3 times a week for over a year.

If I had not known about these services, we would have either not been able to get our son the help he needed, or been forced to pay out of our own pockets for help. Speech therapy sessions can range anywhere from $40-150 an hour.

For a list of California Regional Centers, visit this website. If your child is over 4 years of age, you can just contact your local school district for services as well. If you are outside of California, do some research to see if your state offers regional centers as well. If not, do an online search for "free speech therapy in [your state]" or "free testing for [your child's issue]". You may find the services you are needing for free!