Wednesday, September 28, 2011

{Free} Greeting Card from Cards Direct

 

 

Free Greeting Card from Cards Direct

Head over to Facebook and you can score a free greeting card from Cards Direct.  You will have to like Cards Direct on Facebook in order to request your free gretting card.  You can chose from a birthday, thank you or congratulations card!  I always find myself running out the door to something and needing a card at the last minute, so this is great!

Request your free greeting card here!  Allow 2-3 weeks for delivery...the limit is one card per address, while supplies last.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

IHeart...IHeartOrganizing!

Have you ever been to this blog before?  If not, check it out.  I seriously, as my sister-in-law would say, have an extreme girl crush on the fabulous mama that runs this blog!  She has seriously changed the way I look at organizing the small spaces in my house, and made me realize that you really can pack a huge organizing punch in every room in your house!

So after perusing her site for a while hours and hours, I planned an attack for a few of the "problem" areas in our house.  It's still a work in progress, but I wanted to share with you because I am so proud!  Today I'll show you two of my completed projects, and then the project in process.

One of the main issues with my little middle man is that he is a non-stop eater.  I swear, the kid has a hole in his leg that prevents the food from sticking around.  He will eat all day.  So I wanted to create a Real Simple snack station in the refrigerator.  The rule is one snack from the bin between breakfast and lunch, and one snack from the bin between lunch and dinner.  I put carrot sticks, cheese sticks, cheese cubes, apple slices, grapes and yogurt(both sticks and cups) into the bin, so he's making healthy choices when he snacks.  So far it has been a HUGE hit.  Gone are the days of him constantly asking me for a snack, and he loves that he can just reach into the bin and pick whatever he wants.  The plan is to make the same type of container in the pantry, and fill it with dry snacks that they can choose from as well.  The whole project only cost me $3.50; the cost of the small bin for the fridge.



The next thing I tackled was under the sink.  We recently remodeled our kitchen, and I have been looking and looking for the product that was "just right" to organize all of my cleaning supplies and stockpile of dishwasher detergent, sponges, etc.  Let me tell you, it is harder to find something than you would think!  I never found something that worked for us.  One day I was browsing around on Pinterest and found a great idea for putting a tension rod into your cabinet to hold spray cleaners and it hit me.  That was all I really needed!  This way, the cleaners that I use everyday would be front and center, and I could use one side for my stockpile of detergent, and the other side could house my household cleaners that I use less often.

So I grabbed a small enough tension rod from Amazon and when it came I got to work.  First I put down non-adhesive shelf liner, stashed away all my Cascade, sponges and Jet Dry that we will use later, put the tension rod up and voila!  The whole project took me less than 15 minutes to do, and it's such a breath of fresh air to open that cabinet now!  It went from a sloppy, disorganized mess to this!
The tension rod holds an extra roll of paper towels, our everyday spray and glass cleaner, and an extra kitchen towel.  The organizer on the right I re-purposed from another room in our house, and it holds all of my cleaning supplies.  I just pull the whole thing out and go room to room with it!  Way in the back is my extra dish soap, dish detergent, sponges, etc.  Fear not!  It is securely fastened with a child lock on the outside.  :o)

The final project I want to show you today is our memo station.  It is still a work in progress, but I am glad we are starting to put it to use.  I originally got this idea from Jen over at IHeartOrganizing...we already had a coat hook and shoe basket in place, but I was really looking for somewhere to stash ALL THE PAPERS that come in and out of this house on a day-to-day basis.  So, I went to work on finding an affordable solution.  I came across these super simple mail bins at The Container Store.  They were super simple to put together, and I affixed them to the wall with mini command hooks.

I still want to add a name on each pocket - one for each of the school boys, one for my dear husband and I, and one "to-do" bin that can hold unsigned permission slips, a bill that has to be paid, a Scholastic book order, or our current Market Day order that has to be picked up.  So far so good!  We have been using the bins with great success!  I will update you as the project moves along.

Thanks for looking at what I've been doing around my house...all these additions have made me proud to call this my home!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Random post for Friday...

I think about my blog a lot...what to write, what to share, what pictures should I show?  For example, yesterday afternoon I was making one of my middle man's favorite lunches, puzzle sandwiches.  I took pictures all during the process with my phone, and then sat at the computer and stared at it.  Why?  Because I wasn't sure it was something someone would want to hear about.

But then I thought to myself, who cares?  If at least one person enjoys the post, then it makes a difference, right?

So I guess this random post is to ask, what do you want to see?  Recipes?  Kid stories?  Coupons and deals?  Giveaways?  Movie reviews?  I'm not sure I can help you with the last one, as it takes me FOREVER to catch up.

Comment below and help a blogger out!  :o)

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Wordless Wednesday



Newest Baby Cousin <3

Red Plum Dash for Deals - $1.50 off any 1 Smucker's product



Red Plum, the folks who bring you Sunday coupon supplements, have entered into the deal-a-day market with their new "Dash For Deals" promotion.  Offers include printable coupons, coupon codes, samples and discounts on food, beauty products, dining and online services.


Today's dash is $1.50 off anyone Smucker's jam, jelly, preserves or fruit spread.  There is no limitation on size, and it doesn't expire until 1/31/2012!  This is a great coupon, as I've seen Smucker's jam and jelly on sale for around $1.77 multiple times already this year!


If you are interested in this coupon, click here to grab it!  Quantities are limited on these deals, so hurry!

{Philadelphia Area} Awesome Deal at Landmark Americana!


Today you can go over to Living Social and get $40 to spend on food and non-alcoholic beverages at Landmark for only $20!  With the holidays fast approaching, this would make a GREAT gift!  What's even better is that you can purchase one for yourself, and one for a gift for every location.  They are located in Glassboro, Philadelphia, and West Chester.

The fine print:
  • Limit one per person, one additional as a gift 
  • Limit one per table per visit
  • Dine-in only (not valid for takeout or delivery)
  • Not valid on holidays 
  • Gratuity not included (Be nice and tip on the pre-discounted total!)
  • Voucher not valid on alcohol
  • Entire value must be used in a single visit
  • PAID VALUE EXPIRES ON September 21, 2016
  • PROMOTIONAL VALUE EXPIRES ON January 22, 2012

Check Out Recyclebank To Earn Points and Get Coupons!



Have you heard of Recyclebank?  It is this great website where some major brands put up information on their products and recycling, and you can earn points for watching videos and taking pledges to recycle.  They also have programs every few months where there are major point earning opportunities.  I just redeemed some of my points today...$1 off at Rita's Water Ice printable coupon, $10 off $50 at Staples printable coupon, and a $5 off $40 coupon for Shoprite.  I got all of these coupons all from about 8 minutes on the computer!  Not too shabby, right?!

So I urge you to check out Recyclebank!  Some communities even use Recyclebank to keep track of what you recycle, and you earn points doing it!  Just enter the pin given by your hometown and start earning!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

{Philadelphia Area} Please Touch Museum: 50% off Tickets!



What an awesome deal from Living Social!  You can get two admission tickets and two carousel tickets for $18, or four admission tickets and four carousel tickets for $36.  That's a 50% discount!  We have a membership there, and my children love it!

Here is the fine print:

  • Option A: Limit one voucher per two Admission Tickets + two Carousel Tickets
  • Option B: Limit one voucher per four Admission Tickets + four Carousel Tickets
  • Voucher (tickets) may be used whenever the museum is open
  • Voucher (tickets) cannot be used towards group visits
  • Entire value must be used in a single visit
  • PAID VALUE EXPIRES ON September 20, 2016
Go to "Philadelphia" to find the deal.

{Free} Book For You From Amazon!

Here is another great free download from Amazon.  The Everything Soup, Stew and Chili Book is perfect for this time of year, and even more perfect because it is free!  If you don't own a Kindle, you can download this book using a Droid, iPad, iPhone, etc. using one of Amazon's handy apps.

Enjoy!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

{Giveaway} Stacy's Sweet Stuff - A First Birthday Review

So my littlest man had his very first birthday at the beginning of the month.  Check him out...

You can not tell me that this little boy's face doesn't make you smile.  Anyway.  I LOVE a good birthday party.  I love watching the kids enjoy themselves, I love the planning, I love the cooking, I love the baking, I love it all!  I love it even more now that I found my pal Stacy!  My sister-in-law used her for my niece's 1st birthday back in April, and I fell in love.  Here is a peek of some of her work from that party...






 Adorable, right?!  I did a head-to-toe pink and black posh baby shower for my sister, and she rocked it there as well, including an adorable "Sweet Baby Girl" banner, as well as diaper cupcakes with cupcake toppers to announce our desserts.

For little man's birthday, I wanted to do an owl theme.  I gave Stacy an idea on colors, and she ran with it.  I swear, she outdoes herself each and every time.  Check out how adorable everything was!




They make me smile just looking at them!  Not only are they adorable, but they are a great quality!  You can really tell that Stacy takes time and great care to put out a quality product.  And how awesome is she that she has offered to sponsor our first giveaway!

Here's what's up for grabs.  Stacy has given me the go ahead to give away a set of cupcake toppers and a set of favor tags, with shipping included!  I'm going to give you a few ways to enter.  Check it out!

  1. Go to the StacysSweetStuff Etsy Shop and leave a comment on which design is your favorite!
  2. "Like" my page on Facebook
  3. Follow me on Twitter
  4. "Like" StacysSweetStuff on Facebook
That gives you 4 chances to win!  Make sure to leave a seperate comment for each entry, so they will all get counted.  The giveaway is open from 9/18/11 through 8pm on 9/22/11 September 30th(I changed it because of low entries...).  I will choose a winner using Random.org.

Wheeeee!  This is so exciting!  Good Luck!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

T.G.I. Friday's Coupon: $5 off $15 Purchase



Planning a trip to T.G.I. Friday's anytime soon?  Here is a TGI Friday’s coupon – good for $5 off your entire bill of $15 or more. This coupon cannot be used in conjunction with any other sale, coupon, or promo.

Expires 9/21/11.

{Philadelphia Area} Have a Special "Date Knight" The Chick-fil-A Way!



Mothers and their son(s) are invited to attend a Chick-fil-A Mother-Son “Date Knight” on Monday, September 26. Reservations are available between 4:30 PM and 7:30 PM. Come to your local Philly Area Chick-fil-A and enjoy dinner and special conversation with your son(s).  Click through the link and reserve your spot...spaces are limited, so hurry!

From what I understand you will have to pay for your meal, but there are all sorts of special freebies.  We scheduled ours, and I can't wait to hang out with my boys!

Freebies For You!



I thought I would do a post on a few freebies I saw hanging out there.  Enjoy, and stay tuned for our first GIVEAWAY...I will post a review and the giveaway this weekend!

Baby Talk Magazine  - Click the link, fill out a small form and receive a year subscription of Baby Talk magazine!  No credit card is required.

AMC Free Frozen Fridays - AMC is offering a free 20oz. Icee on Fridays!  You'll have to "like" them on Facebook in order to print the coupon.  Offer is valid on 9/23, 9/30 and 10/7.

Green Mountain Coffee - Get a free sample of Green Mountain Coffee!  You will have to "like" them on Facebook and fill out a short form on their page.  You can request KCup samples as well as ground coffee.  Open to US residents only; only one sample per household.

Smithsonian Museum Day 2011 - September 24th is Museum Day!  You can get 2 free tickets per household, per address to participating museums in your area.  You do have to register ahead of time...just click HERE and fill out the form, and once you register your tickets will be emailed to you.  You can find a list of participating venues by clicking the link.  Enjoy!

Lonestar Steakhouse - If you "like" Lonestar Steakhouse on Facebook, you will receive a free appetizer!  Click the tab that says "Free Appetizer" and enjoy!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Free Coffee From Starbucks For Teachers!



Hey teachers! It's Monday morning...already!  Starbucks would like to help make your Mondays in September just a little bit less stressful.  The following was on their blog

”It’s not an apple to welcome teachers back to school, but a cup of coffee.  In recognition of teachers, Starbucks is offering school teachers, grades K-12 a complimentary tall cup of brewed coffee on Mondays during the month of September.”

So wake up and head to your local Starbucks and get a glass of wake up!  Face the day prepared to deal with the mob we lovingly call our children!  Make sure to have your teacher ID handy.

Firsts...

I feel like I've been MIA from my blog.  I know it's new, and it's early, but every day that went by I thought about what I wanted to write, and then I realized the entire day was away from me.  AGAIN.

We had a bunch of firsts happening around here in the last few weeks.  We did a bunch of day trips with the kids right before school started again, and one of them was Hershey Park.  It was the first time we had ever gone there with the kids, and boy did they have a blast.  What a joy it is to see such energy and excitement in their faces as we went on ride after ride.


As we were walking out we saw these towers, with all different sorts of candy.  If you've never been to Hershey Park here is how it works.  They use your measurements and assign you a candy, and at the front of each ride there is a picture of the types of candy the ride is suitable for.  It's much easier than having the kids measure themselves at each and every ride.  So as we were walking out I wanted to capture the kids next to their candy type.  As I was, I overheard a mom telling her kids that they all were Hershey's Miniatures when they first came to the park.  Then it hit me.  Next year, my kids may be different candy.  Next year they will be bigger.  The time goes by so fast.


The next day was my baby boy's first birthday.  Seriously?  The time went by so fast.  I look at our little family of 5, and it's so hard to remember what life was like without him.  He's such a bright spot in my day, and it's amazing to look and see how fast he has grown.  I remember pushing him to the bus stop last year at a tiny five days old, and now here we are again...school approaching and he can toddle his way around the house without anyone's help.


As if that wasn't enough to send a mama right over the edge, it was also my baby boy's very first day of first grade just a few short days later.  I went from having him in school for 2 1/2 hours each day, to having him gone from 9:25-3:45 each day.  You think you're prepared; you think it will be great...but then when the day comes, the change in the house is evident, and it makes you sad.  Even though there are still two very active little boys running around, the house seems too quiet.  I miss my buddy.  He loves school, though, and I love seeing how excited he is about everything...new things to learn, lunches everyday, going outside to play, and of COURSE gym, music, and his most favorite...computers!


So that's where I've been.  That's just a tip of the iceberg though.  We also had first steps, a first birthday, and still to come a first day of preschool which starts tomorrow, and a blog move!  I just didn't want to overwhelm you.  :o)  Stay tuned for a review of the first birthday party, and our very first review of one of my favorite Etsy shops!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Coupon Codes for Mama's Back to School Shopping!

Here are a few great coupon codes for you to back to school shop for yourself!
Banana Republic
Save 30% off one full priced item or 40% off two full priced items.  Use BRMAD30 for 30% off one, and BRMAD40 for 40% off two; and free shipping on orders over $50.

Lands End
For 2 days you can save 30% on any full price shoes or boots.  Use code SHOESALE and pin 1105.  Lands End is also offering free shipping on orders over $50.

Drugstore.com
Free Shipping on orders over $25

American Eagle
Use code 20493061 through 10/4 for 20% off plus 3% cash back from Shop at Home.

Coldwater Creek
Use code NZA7242 for $25 off $100 through 9/30.

Reebok
25% off and free shipping, plus 6% cash back from Shop At Home.

Do the kids still need some new duds?  Here are some updated codes for Gymboree, The Children's Place and 77Kids.

  Take an additional 15% off everything using code X7E2011
The Children's Place

Save up to 50% on a huge selection of items sizes Newborn-5T during the baby sale, and earn $25 Gymbucks for every $50 spent.
Gymboree    
  Take 30% off 3 items or more, free shipping and 3% cash back using code 29855021!
77Kids


Be sure to check with Ebates and Shop At Home before you shop anywhere to get your cash back!  I know Ebates is running a promotion right now where you receive double(or more) cash back from certain stores.  One of those stores is Banana Republic, where you receive 10% cash back!  Happy Shopping!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Free Book For Your Kindle!



If you own a Kindle, here is a free cookbook for you!  Head over to Amazon and download Stonyfield Organic Dinners Made Easy.  If you don't own a Kindle, you can also download it to your PC, MAC, iPhone, iPad, Android or Blackberry.

Happy Cooking!

Restaurant.com...save 80%!



There is a great promo code out there for Restaurant.com right now, where you can save 80%.  Use the code RDCSALE at checkout to receive a $25 gift certificate for only $2!!  This code expires on 9/7, so hurry and use it while you can!  I was able to get a $50 gift certificate to Restaurant.com, and two $25 gift certificates to two places we love for only $13.

Also, if you use Shop At Home, they currently have Restaurant.com at 50% cash back.  Check them out, they are a great site!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Survey says!

We're headed out on a little family outing today, so I figured the car ride is a good opportunity to share with you another way I like to get free samples, and a little bit of cash for my pocket! If you are looking for something like that, survey sites are perfect for you. There are tons of sites out there, so before you start Googling, let me give you a few tips, and a few of my favorite sites. Here are my rules:

--Never pay money to participate in surveys.

--Set up an email account just for this.  This way your personal email can stay separate from it.

--Don’t expect to become rich with these surveys.  If you are doing this to replace your income then this is not the thing to waste your time on. They are a great way to get some extra cash for Christmas, etc. Or just a little extra treat for your family(or for you!).

Now with all of that said, here are some of my favorites:

Inbox Dollars is a great site I just recently found. They pay you for trying out offers and doing small surveys. I have been doing this about 2 weeks and already have $7.81 in my account!

My Points is a rewards program that gives you points for surveys, reading emails, redeeming coupons, shopping online, and more. They are a very reputable company and to date I have earned almost 63,000 points! We use our points for gifts, and gift cards to the movies, our favorite restaurants and more!

Pinecone Research
pays a flat $3 per survey you fill out, and they pay quickly. They are by invitation only, but are currently accepting a small amount of new members. Check out their website to see if you qualify.

Viewpoints is a great site that pays you to review all sorts of items in all different categories.

Those are just a few of my favorites...I will share a few more as time goes on. If you have a favorite that is not listed here, post a comment and share with the class!