STAPLES: Free Ream of HP Multipurpose Paper after Rebate!!!

If you live near Staples, you can buy a ream (500 pages) of HP Multipurpose Paper for $5.99, with a $4.99 easy-rebate. Use the $1/1 any HP paper with ColorLok Technology from here, or print from your Swagbucks coupon bar to get an easy 10 swagbucks. And yep, I bought some paper yesterday, and it does have the ColorLok logo on it! I like the Staples Easy Rebates because you can fill them out online instead of having to mail them... There is a limit of 2 paper rebates per person!

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

Book Review: "The Bridge of Peace"

As I started the book "Bridge of Peace" by Cindy Woodsmall, I expected a typical slow-paced novel about life in Amish country, with a few lazy twists & turns, a little conflict, a little romance... I quickly discovered this book was going to keep me on my toes, and I rarely wanted to put it down. The characters were very real, struggling through real life battles, or celebrating life victories. Once again I accidentally ordered a "book two" without realizing it, but that didn't matter much and I never really felt lost.

The author Cindy Woodsmall steps away from the usual Amish book, and instead of just introducing Amish life, actually invites the reader to step into Amish living for a short time. She exposes the reader to everything from the struggle of adjusting from the "English" to "Plain" life, heart struggles within the Amish about the strictness of the various bishops, to normal heart desires for marriage, quality relationships, family connections, etc... I was quickly caught up with the various characters, and could sympathize with them as they wrestled with decisions/actions, made mistakes, and learned lessons. The people were real.

I definitely recommend this book!


* Disclosure: "I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review, as part of their "Blogging for Books" program."

REMINDER: Picaboo Large 8 1/2" x 11" Hardback Photo Book: $8.99 shipped (or FREE!!!)

The Picaboo FREE photo book deal just keep getting more amazing... Through Tuesday, March 22nd, all new customers to Picaboo can get a FREE Large Custom Classic photo book (normally $39.99), just paying the $8.99 shipping. I have bought several books from Picaboo, and love the bright, crisp colors! Just use promo code "FREECC" when checking out.

Now here's the part that makes the deal so amazing... Picaboo just started a friend referral program, which gives both the friend referrer and the friend referral each $10 in "Picabucks". Several friends have reported that when they went to go order their book, this $10 was applied towards the shipping, making the book completely FREE! So if you click on any of the links in this post to sign-up, you should get $10 automatically added to your account once you set Picaboo up (you have to download their program to your computer).

And if you like Picaboo, once you've signed up, go to the bottom of the Picaboo page and click on the spot that says "NEW: Referrals" and go through the steps to get your referral link. Then pass this deal on to friends so that you can share a free deal, plus earn some credit yourself to use in the future! Your friend only has to sign-up, then download the software to get their credit, and you to get yours... They don't have to purchase anything yet for the credit to show up!

Snapfish: 100 prints for $5 shipped!!!

Wow, Snapfish is offering a fantastic St. Patrick's Day celebration: 100 prints for $5, shipped!!! Just use coupon code "PADDY20" by March 21st!

Entertainment Books: $17 + 45% Cash Back!!! ($4.35 shipped for new customers!)

If you have not ordered the 2011 Entertainment Book, through March 17th Entertainment.com has priced ALL their books at $17 to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Additional books (for any city) are just $10. Shipping is completely free. But here's how to get it even cheaper than that:

ShopAtHome* is offering 45% cashback ($7.65) at Entertainment.com! Sign-in or Register for ShopAtHome, go to Online Shopping, then select the store "Entertainment.com". It will open a new window and redirect you to the Entertainment.com website for you to make your purchase (and make sure to stay in the window to finish your purchase). Simple! That makes the book only $9.35 after cashback! If you are a new ShopAtHome customer, you will get $5 automatically added to your account since I referred you, which makes the book only $4.35 after cashback! (and if you order additional books, those would only be $5.50 after cashback)

* ShopAtHome offers friend referral credit, so both my friend referral and myself get $5 when they sign up. And doesn't cost either of us anything! ShopAtHome sends you a check in the mail once you've accumulated $20 in cashback.

O'Charley's: FREE Appetizer with Purchase of Entree!

If you "like" O'Charley's on Facebook, you can print a coupon for a FREE appetizer with the purchase of an entree! I love the soft dinner rolls at O'Charley's... could eat the whole basket all by myself! The coupon expires April 7, 2011.

Thanks, Mama Cheaps!

Viewpoints: 5 Reviews for $5 Amazon Card!

Viewpoints is once again offering a chance for reviewers to earn an Amazon giftcard. As a St. Patrick's Day special, log-in or sign-up to Viewpoints, and write 5 reviews to receive a $5 Amazon card. The reviews must be written by March 21st. Here are the program specifics:


Qualifying reviews must be:

• Written between March11th and March 21st, 2011.

• At least 1 full paragraph long (700 characters).

• Within these categories:  Home & Garden, Family & Pets (excluding Toys), Health & Beauty, Kitchen (excluding food and beverages), Computers and Electronics.

• About real products; inappropriate, copied or bogus content will be removed

Gift cards will be sent out within 30 days of the program conclusion.

I definitely recommend Viewpoints... I've earned over $50 in Amazon cards over the last 6 months through Viewpoints!

Chili's: Free Chips & Queso Coupon

If you haven't signed up for Chili's email club before, when you sign up right now you can print a coupon for a free order of chips & queso (with the purchase of an entree). Their queso is super yummy!

EXPIRED: Earn a $20 Target Card through Plum Disctrict...

Update: thanks to 4 friends, I did get this. Yay! So let's see if this deal works... Plum District, a daily deals site, is offering a $20 Target Gift Card to people who refer 4 friends, and those friends verify their email address... Looks like they have to sign up in the next 9 hours for you to get the card. So here's my referral link, and maybe I can get 4 friends to sign up? So sign-up, grab your referral code, and start recruiting your friends (limit of 1 card per household). Here's what the Plum District gives you to pass on to friends... (along with a referral code)

"I'm trying to earn a complimentary gift card for Plum Reward: Refer Four Friends and Get a $20 Target GiftCard from Plum District, and I need your help to do it. Plum District is the leading deal site for savvy moms and their families to make their lives easier and more enjoyable. I thought you would be interested in it ... and about that help: if I get 4 people to sign up for Plum District today, I'll get my gift card. If you sign up, you may have a chance to earn a complimentary gift card, too!"


I'll let you know if I get one, and you let me know if you get one, ok?

Adventures in Odyssey: Listen Online FREE...

I grew up listening to a kids radio program called "Adventures in Odyssey", produced by Focus on the Family. These family/kid-friendly radio dramas kept my sisters and I entertained on many car trips (even to the grocery store, since we lived 30 minutes away), and while we laughed, we also learned about godly character in everyday life. My husband listened to them, too, so we've had fun remembering various episodes!

So now a mom myself, I started thinking of them a few weeks ago, and discovered you can listen to a free daily episode at Whit's End. All you have to do is click on "Listen Now", and it will open up a media player. There is also about a months' worth of episodes archived at Whit's End, so if you can listen to more by selecting "Shows", then "Adventure in Odyssey", and add them to your playlist.

Whether you listened to these growing up, or you've never heard of them, you definitely should check these freebies out!

So this week my little Levi and I have had fun listening to Adventures in Odyssey while cleaning up around the house. And I wanted to share these treasures with other mommies!

Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy Give & Get Coupon (30% off!)

Print this coupon, and take it shopping with you March 17th-20th at Gap, Banana Republic, & Old Navy to receive an extra 30% off your entire purchase. And make sure they give the coupon back to you, because you can keep on using it all weekend long! While you GET 30% off your purchase, Gap will GIVE 5% to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Thanks to frugal friend, Allyson, for the heads up!

Picaboo: FREE Custom Photo Book (new customers only)

I am so excited Picaboo is offering this again to new customers, because I highly recommend this online photo book company to all my friends. Through Tuesday, March 22, all new customers can create a FREE 20-page Classic Custom Photo Book ($39.99 originally), and only pay the $8.99 shipping! Just use promo code "FREECC" when checking out!

Picaboo offers a friend referral program, giving both you & your friend $10 in "Picabucks" to use on your next purchase. If you sign-up with one of the above links, you should get $10 since I referred you, which I think can be applied towards the tax, but I'm not positive since this referral program is new. If it works for you, will you leave a comment below so everyone else can know?

I used Picaboo to create a photo book of my son's first year, and gave a copy to all of the grandparents, aunts, and uncles for Christmas. The entire family loved them!

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

TWO Organize In Style Coupon Booklets (FREE!)

You can sign-up to receive the "Organize in Style" coupon booklet both here and here (so you can get TWO!). These booklets have coupons for cleaning products like Febreeze, Dawn, Cascade, Swiffer, Mr. Clean, and more... Your booklet should arrive in 6-8 weeks!

Thanks, Hip2Save!!!

$.50/1 Green Giant Veggies: Free at Giant Eagle (coupon reset!!!)

Update: This coupon has been reset! So if you printed it last week, you can probably print it again! Yay! Now I can grab 8 boxes of free veggies instead of just 4!!! (my little Levi eats veggies more than anything else it seems!)
Go grab the $.50/1 Green Giant coupon, good on any frozen veggies. If your store doubles coupons, this could mean for some cheap/free veggies. Even if it doesn't, it's still $.50/1. Hit your browser's back button to print off a 2nd coupon (you can print two copies per computer).

This week (3/3-3/9), Giant Eagle has Green Giant Boxed Frozen Vegetables for $1, so after the coupon is doubled, you can score some FREE veggies to store away in your freezer!

Giant Eagle: E-Coupons

If you live near a Giant Eagle (a local grocery store here in Ohio), did you know about "E-offers"? Basically, they are electronic coupons that are added to your Advantage Card, and are automatically deducted when you check out. The e-offer coupons are usually good for 1-2 months (the current ones expire between April 1st-April 30th). The e-offers have a wide range of coupons for cereal, boxed goods, shampoo, housecleaning supplies... Just go here, sign-up your advantage card, then "Clip" the coupons you want! (and yes, if you have a printable coupon/newspaper coupon, you can use that coupon, too, which is called "stacking") Each e-offer coupon is good for one item (so if you buy 2, it only takes it off of one). 

Have fun saving more money! (stacking e-offers has helped me buy really cheap Yoplait yogurt, Always pads, Pampers baby wipes, cereal, etc... for free or really cheap!)

LEGO Club Magazine: Free 2yr. Subscription!!!

If you didn't snatch this up a few months ago, you can still grab a FREE 2 yr. subscription to LEGO Club Magazine (Or Club Jr.) if you fill out your mailing information here (and no credit card information required!). What a fun freebie to get for your son/daughter, or a nice free gift to give one of their friends!

Picaboo: Get $10 Refer-a-Friend Credit (up to $200)

Wanted to pass this hot new referral program along to everyone: Picaboo just started a "Refer-A-Friend" program, which gives $10 to both you, and the friend you refer (up to $200, or 20 friends). To get the $10 credit, sign-up or sign-in to Picaboo, and grab your referral link. Your account will be credited when a friend has signed up and downloaded the PicabooX software to their computer (which is why I love Picaboo, you work directly from your desktop, and doesn't require an internet connection until you upload the book to order). It doesn't require a purchase. I love it when both people benefit ($10 for you, $10 for friend)! So go to Picaboo now, grab your link, and start referring friends!

Hey, if I earn some referral credit here, I can surprise my hubby with a photo book for his birthday in May! (yep, I did include my referral link, since after all, this is promoting a "refer-a-friend" program!)

Free o.b. Sample & Case..

Okay, so this is just cute. Go here to sign up for a free sample of o.b. mighty small tampons with an adorable carrying case.

Thanks, Saving Dollars & Sense!

Restaurant.com: $25 gift certificate for $3!!!

I wish I lived somewhere with more options, because Restaurant.com once again is offering $25 gift certificates for $3. Just use promo code "FORK" when checking out!

Picaboo: Buy 1, Get 1 Free (all Classic Photo Books)

Picaboo once again is offering their "B1G1 Free" deal on all classic photo books, using promo code "BGSPRING" through March 14th. I took them up on this offer back in the fall, and that's what my husband and I gave as Christmas gifts to all of our family. We put pictures of our little Levi's first year, special moments with family, etc... with Bible verses on each page. The grandparents loved them, and so did all of our siblings! And we loved being able to do something special for only half the price... Picaboo has been my favorite photo book site, because it allows so much freedom in creating exactly what you want!

What kind of photo books have you made, or would like to make? (I've heard of people even doing family recipes in the book!)

* This post contains my Picaboo affiliate link. Various deal sites sometimes offer referral credit, and I want to always let you know if I would be earning credit, but it's not my main motivation with most deals!

$1/1 Reach Floss: Free at Target & Wal-Mart

Print this coupon for $1/1 Reach Floss, and you can grab some floss for FREE at Target or Wal-Mart (both places have it for $.97). I stocked up last time this coupon was available, because my dentist reprimanded me for needing to floss my teeth more often (I only have to floss the teeth I want to keep, as my mom used to tell me!).

Thank, Money Saving Mom!

Get More Free E-Books...

Here are some more free e-books currently available at the Amazon Kindle Store...

- "Gray" Matter by David Levy & Joel Kilpatrick
- "Whisper on the Wind" by Maureen Lang

- "Riven" by Jerry B. Jenkins

- "Love Me If You Must" (Patricia Amble Mystery Series #1) by Nicole Young

- "Michael: A Novel" by Jill Eileen Smith

- "She Walks in Beauty" by Siri Mitchell

- The Secret (Seasons of Grace, Book 1) by Beverly Lewis

- "Somewhere to Belong" by Judith Miller

There are also classics like Pride & Prejudice, Sherlock Holmes, Wizard of Oz, Anne of Green Gables, etc... that are pretty much always free! Have fun reading!

Don't have a Kindle? Download the Kindle app for free to your PC, iPhone, iPad, smartphone, etc... at the Amazon Kindle Store

Book Review: "Mine Is The Night"

I received another free book last week, "Mine Is the Night" by Liz Curtis Higgs, and was excited to get an adult fiction book to read. One of my favorite ways to relieve stress is to read a good book and take a hot bubble bath. 433 pages later, here's my review of the book...

"My first reaction to "Mine Is The Night" as I took it out of the package was, 'wow, elegant woman on the cover, but this book is THICK!' And as historical fiction goes, that can be good or bad. Great if it keeps the reader intrigued and transports them to another time in our world. But in the case of this book, not so great if it takes a really long time to get the story going... I was on page 150 and the only thing keeping me going was the fact that I had to finish the book to write my review so I could get another book. If this had been a library book, I would have just returned it.

I love classical literature, but this followed too closely with descriptions of rooms, dresses, expressions, thoughts, etc... Detailed and vague all at once. It took the first 200 pages to lay the groundwork of places and people for the second half of the book. It wasn't until the last 2/3 of the book that you realized (all of the sudden) very clearly that this is a parallel story of Ruth/Boaz from the Bible. So subtle, and then suddenly so obvious like it was a rush to cram it in. At that point, the story that was actually getting good, all the sudden turned predictable. I love the story of Ruth in the Bible and her courage to go to a strange land as a widow, following God and her mother-in-law. It's more how the book just suddenly makes all these associations back-to-back that made it feel cheesy.

As a mom, a 433 page book better keep things going, or I don't have the time for it. This might suit the taste of some people who like to linger through a book, but since I can only grab a chapter here and there, this book stayed tedious until almost the end.

Feels so weird to write a more negative review, but I definitely won't be recommending this book to anyone anytime soon.

Chipotle: B1G1 Coupon

If you head over to Facebook and watch this short video, you'll be able to print off a coupon for B1G1 Chipotle Burrito/Bowl/Salad (good through 4/9).

My hubby LOVES Chipotle, but we don't go often since they don't release coupons often. Most of our dates are in the $5-$8 range, so this coupon is perfect!

"Drugstore Deals": Worth the Hassle?

A few months ago, someone asked me if I shop any of the drugstore deals/scenarios, and I said no. I explained that it wasn't worth my time, especially since I have a little boy, and going in and out of stores on snowy winter days is personally stressful. I also made a commitment with my husband back at the start of this couponing adventure to buy only things we need/use. Occasionally I would find a great deal and stop by to pick up a specific item, but in general decided that drugstores were not helpful to my budgeting/couponing.

To make a long story short, in January there were a couple of deals (like FREE Special K cereal, Edy's ice cream, and Lay's Stax) that I stopped by Rite Aid for... and my adventure in couponing expanded once more! To see if shopping at a drugstore was actually saving me money (as well as not wasting my time), I kept an Excel spreadsheet of items purchased, as well as their regular store value (at Walmart/Target). Rite Aid offers "+UP Rewards" on varying products every week, which means if you buy and item, a coupon prints off on your receipt for a specified amount, which you can use at Rite Aid on your next purchase. It cannot be applied to tax, and expires in a few weeks. So by shopping sale items that offered +UP rewards, rolling them to the next purchase, etc... We also have 3 RiteAid's locally, who are very coupon friendly. Here is the grand total for January/February:

Spent $31.78 Out-Of-Pocket (OOP)
Bought 121 items valued at $336 (without tax)
That's a 90% savings!!! 90%!!! Wow. So I guess I was wrong. Drugstore deals can be a budget saver if you stick to things you need/use/donate/gift.

So what kind of items did that cover? I won't list them all, but here are some of them...
- 16 boxes of Special K cereal
- 7 tubs of Edy's Ice Cream
- 17 cans of Lay's Stax (we're always having teens over!)
- 8 bags of Combos
- 1 Tide laundry detergent
- 4 Purex laundry detergent
- 4 Quantimatic Finish dishwasher detergents
- 4 Gillette deodorants
- 1 Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor
- 6 Stayfree Pad packages
- 21 J&J Baby washes/lotions (bought in multiple trips at multiple stores so I didn't deplete one store--so excited about having wonderful baby shower gifts!!!)
- 8 Nivea Lip Balm (for me and as gifts)
- 2 Colgate toothpastes (w/ bonus toothbrush)
- 3 vitamins
- And the list goes on...

Our make-shift pantry downstairs (we don't have one in our kitchen) and our deep freezer are getting use! And I'll keep on watching for RiteAid deals!!!

FREE Fries at Chick-Fil-A (Friday, 3/4)

If you live near a Chick-Fil-A, this Friday (3/4) you can grab some free waffle fries! I love Chick-Fil-A. The nearest one is 30 minutes away, so we don't go often, but I always try to come up with reasons to go that direction! With gas prices sky-rocketing, I better come up with something really good that we need to do this Friday to justify driving down there...

$.88 Crunchwrap Supreme at Taco Bell!!!

This week only (through 3/5), you can grab an $.88 Crunchwrap Supreme at Taco Bell!!! Yummy. Does that mean I don't have to cook one night this week?

Back in the Saddle...

I think I finally am going to be able to get back into the blogging saddle... I started the year of 2011 with the grand plan of intentionally blogging for one hour everyday, along with scheduling the other priorities I needed to tackle each day. I thought I started small (what's one hour, right?). On my list of other things were important things like:
-  adjusting our monthly budget (we revise it twice a year or so)
- meal planning, two weeks at a time
- freezer-cooking more foods (to put in my new freezer)
- reconnecting with a few friends on a regular basis via Skype or phone
- occasionally doing sewing projects (I love sewing)
- reading a book for fun

I have had to let go of some of those plans. Between family health issues, weather, new stages in life, church things, etc... The last eight weeks have flown by, with not as much done as I wish... Or atleast I feel that way. I'm sure many of you can relate! Diapers have been changes, food has been cooked, the house has been cleaned (sometimes), and some of those projects have happened, but not in my timing. My heart has been anxious, my mind has been fretting.

God showed me a few weeks ago something I have been missing: time with Him. My relationship with the Lord is the only thing that can keep me calm in the midst of life's storms. And I've been putting other things before Him. Like my family, my home, my physical image (my body refuses to go back to pre-maternity weight/look :-p)... all good things, but not if I'm focused on those solely.

So as I life starts to settle back down (hopefully!), and as I learn to shift around my priorities and expectations, I look forward to blogging again, but not at the expense of my health, my son/husband, and especially my daily time with my God!