Friday, November 27, 2009

Crafting Away Today: Votive Place Cards


Frugal Family Fun has a pretty and simple place card idea here.

Hers are done in a Thanksgiving theme but these could easily be made in different colors and used for Christmas or New Year's celebration meals, as well!
I love that this is something the kids could help with! These could also double as favors or small gifts for guests to be able to take home and enjoy. You can choose your votive holders and make them as simple or fancy as you would like!
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Fun Snowflake Making Tool


Okay, you have to check out this neat tool for making snowflakes that Better Homes & Garden is featuring! It's free and it allows to you preview what the cuts you make in your paper snowflake will look like once you unfold it! Just think you can save time AND paper this way!

Design your snowflake here!
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Freebie from Bath & Body Works


Click here to read my post at Tripletsmommy.com about how to get a free product from Bath & Body Works with your next purchase!
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Freebies for the tiny tots!



Check out the following posts I wrote over at Tripletsmommy.com for some great freebies for your little ones!




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Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!



The Domestic Contessa wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving!

We have so much to be thankful for.
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Free printable - Thanksgiving Conversation Starters!


Skip to my Lou has some cute cards to pass around at the dinner table. Each card has a question to help start a fun conversation! I think this is a great idea to get conversation flowing and keep it fun.

Get the printable here.
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

40% off Veggie Tales DVDs & CDs!


All DVDs and CDs are on sale until 11/30/09 for 40% off! You can also get free shipping on orders of $30 or more with the code SHIP220!
Check out the selection here!
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Urgent Alert: Crib recall!



If you have a little one in a crib, please read this article!

Over 2 million cribs are being recalled due to safety hazards.
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Free 2010 Wall Calendar from Betty Crocker!



Click here to get your free Betty Crocker 2010 Wall calendar!
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Get 3 Free MP3 downloads from Amazon!



Amazon is offering 3 MP3 downloads for free!

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Get Freebies and Coupons!


Sign up with Vocalpoint to start receiving great little freebies! You'll also gain access to some great money-saving coupons on products that you use. I just signed up with Vocalpoint - the process was easy and didn't take long at all. They have some great resources on their website, including daily tips and articles with ideas for the holidays. They even have a "survival guide" for Black Friday. You can also find information about products that others have tried and what they thought of them.

Check Vocalpoint out for yourself for free here.
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Earn Money at Home - Part Five


Panda Research is currently allowing more applicants to be part of their research panel! This is a great way to make some money from home! Panda will pay $3 to $75 for the surveys you complete and they're currently offering $3 just for signing up!

It only takes a minute to check it out and could put a bit of extra cash in your pocket. After registration, you'll have access to Panda Research's extensive list of surveys, leaving it up to you how much or how little time you want to invest.
The great thing is that it's free to sign up, too! Remember: don't ever join a program where you have to PAY to get PAID. That's usually a red flag that you could be getting scammed.

Check out Panda Research here.
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Freebies for your baby!



I have loved the resources that Babycenter has to offer with both of our little ones. As soon as we found out we were expecting, I have gone to the Babycenter site and used their due date calculator to try to figure out our possible due date. I love getting the weekly updates on where our kids are developmentally. We still get these emails on both of our kids - now 22 months and almost 9 months. It was fun to see how they were growing before they were born and it's fun now to see different ways that I can help them be learning at the stage they are in.

Babycenter also offers lots of articles and advice on all the different situations parents face. They also make available freebies and coupons to help with the expense of having little ones. It's definitely worth your time to head over and check them out!
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$1 Coupon from Orajel



"My baby is teething."

Say these words to anyone who has any experience with little ones and you are sure to hear words of sympathy. Just about everyone knows that the teething stage is such a hard one for our babies. It's so difficult to see them suffer. Both of our kiddos are normally very laid back and happy, but when those teeth are coming through, they turn into completely different children! They will cry for no reason at all, are very clingy and need Mommy and Daddy to hold them constantly, wake up screaming at night, and can't take their naps because their teeth are making them so uncomfortable! It's not a fun stage for anyone at our house when teeth are coming through.

Teething is something that can vary so much from child to child. Some babies are born with teeth, some get them very early, most start getting them between 3 and 9 months, and some don't get their teeth until later. With our babies, the first teeth pop through at about 9 months and then we see nothing for about another 6 months. Then it seems that ALL of their teeth start coming through at the same time to make up for lost time.

Needless to say, during those hard days, we love our Infant Tylenol, Infant Ibuprofen, and Orajel. I don't know how we would survive without them! The small amount of relief they give is such a help! That being said, I'm really loving that Orajel is offering a $1 off coupon on their products!
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Free Sippy Cup!


Check out my post over at Tripletsmommy about how you can get a free sippy cup from Juicy Juice!
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A great outlet website for kid's clothes!

Remember how I told you here about the great pajama deal I found?

Well, The Children's Wear Outlet is sweetening the deal, starting on November 26th! They are offering free shipping on orders of $30 or more!

I took a look around their site and found lots of cute outfits for a fraction of what you would pay in the store! The newborn girl's dress you see above is just $6! They have jackets, pants, shirts, sleepers, uniforms - everything you would need for your baby, toddler, or child!

Hmmm... what else do my kids need to complete their wardrobes this year?

Check it out soon - the free shipping deal only lasts until December 3rd!
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Crafting Away Today: Thankful Tree for the Tiny Tots



Bubba and I put this tree together last night. I cut out the leaf shapes and wrote the words on them, drawing a simple picture of the things he is thankful for. He added the coloring (he loves coloring with the markers these days!).

I've been working with him lately, learning to say "thank you" for the things that he is given. We said "thank you" to Nana and Opa for his new bike. We say "thank you" to Mommy and Daddy when they give him the things he asks for. We say "thank you" to God for the many things He has given us!

When we made Bubba's Thankful Tree, I tried to help him think of the things that he could thank God for. I want to make it clear to Bubba at an early age that it is God who has given us all that we have. Bubba thought to thank God for his ball, our car, and his stuffed monkey. I added Daddy, our house, and the moon and the stars (he's really into pointing those out).

With his Thankful Tree hanging on the patio door, it's at a level that Bubba can see whenever he wants. That way, we can keep practicing saying "thank you" to God, who has given us so many good things!
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Monday, November 23, 2009

Winners of the (4) $25 Canvas-on-Demand Vouchers!


Congratulations to the following winners of the $25 Canvas-on-Demand voucher winners! These winners were chosen by http://www.random.org/. I'll be contacting you soon to get your addresses and send you your prizes!

Keep checking back over the next week or so - I have some more great giveaways planned, including a free copy of Martha Stewart's new "Craft Encyclopedia" and $25 gift cards to http://www.restaurant.com/!
And the winners are...

- bonfig1@

- ventistore@

- ejxd95@

- airjordan04@

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in this giveaway!

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Recipe of the Day: Cookies While You Sleep!


Thanks to www.LivingOnADime.com for this great recipe! What could be easier than baking while you sleep?

In the following recipe, you can add red or green food coloring to tint for Christmas or add another food coloring to tint for any other holiday you want. You can also add 1/4 tsp. of peppermint extract if you like chocolate and peppermint flavors together.

Cookies While You Sleep
2 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat egg whites until foamy; add salt and cream of tartar and beat until stiff.

Very gradually add sugar, then vanilla and peppermint (if you are using it). Peaks should be shiny and stiff.

Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoons on greased cookie sheet.

Place in oven, turn off heat and leave oven closed until morning.

NO PEEKING! or you will lose oven heat.

Store in airtight containers.

It might be fun to experiment with these cookies and replace the chocolate chips with peppermint, butterscotch chips, chopped maraschino cherries or different types of crushed candy.
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Frugal Gift to Give: Leapfrog Phonics Writing Desk


I love the Leapfrog products because they're so good at promoting learning! They can seem a bit pricey for our budget so I like to keep my eye out for sales...
The Leapfrog Phonic Writing Desk, normally $29.99 is on sale @ Amazon for just $14.99! These can also qualify for free shipping!
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Great Deal on Children's Pajamas!


I posted here about a new family Christmas tradition we are going to start this year - new pajamas for Christmas Eve! I've been excited about the idea and have been keeping my eye out for some good deals on pj's for the little ones. I hadn't really come across anything until I found The Children's Wear Outlet! They have a whole list of kids' pajamas on sale ranging in price from $3 to $6!

This boy's pajama set pictured above, normally $24, is just $5.50! There are so many different pj sets to choose from, though, so be sure to check out the selection for yourself!
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Get a FREE Photo Canvas!


I am loving these photo canvases! They're such a fun way to display your favorite photos! I've had one made of each of our two little ones and am happy with results!

Right now, you can get a FREE photo canvas of your own! Normally, these canvases will run you around $50 plus shipping but right now at Canvas People, you only have to pay shipping (about $15)!

The order process is really easy and straight forward. I don't know how long this offer is going to last so be sure to check it out soon and get your free canvas like I did!
Get your free photo canvas here.
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22% off @ Canvas-on-Demand - Hurry!


I'll be announcing the winners of the (4) $25 canvas-on-demand gift vouchers soon!
In the meantime, check out their great 22% off sale and save on a personalized photo canvas of your own!
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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Recipe of the Day: Apple bites for the kiddos!



Okay, so this isn't really a recipe but a super easy idea I came across for helping little ones eat their apples! Even if your kiddo is like our Bubba and has no trouble eating just about any kind of fruit, this could be a fun way to add some variety to the menu.

Cut your apple into bite-sized pieces. Add some cinnamon and sugar to a small ziploc bag and mix them together a bit. Throw in your apple pieces and zip the bag shut. Shake and mix your mixture so that the apple bites get well covered with the cinnamon and sugar (this is great because kids can do this for themselves!). Empty the apples onto a plate and enjoy!

I'd recommend a fork or toothpick to eat these - they could get pretty messy.
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Muffin Tin Monday: Thanksgiving!



This week's Muffin Tin Monday theme is Thanksgiving!

So, here's what I'm thinking for Bubba's meal this week:

- Cinnamon Sugar Apple bites on toothpicks

- Bites of Cranberry Nut Bread

- Cranberry sauce

- Bites of Pumpkin bread

- Squares of cheese
- Turkey lunchmeat roll-ups
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Crafting Away Today: Quick and easy Child's Apron!



Dollar Store Crafts has a great post about how to make a really cute child's apron from a dish towel and potholder! You could use your imagination and come up with all kinds of combinations of towels and potholders to make different looks!
These look super easy and only cost $2 to make! Our baby girl is a bit young for this yet, but I'm thinking of nieces on our gift list this year that would be just the right size for these! Need a quick and easy gift for a first or second birthday party? What about a fun Christmas gift or stocking stuffer? This would be perfect!

Check out this great idea here!
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Crafting Away Today - Transform your vases with yarn!



I spotted this idea in one of my magazines and decided to look into it more.

Right now, all of my vases are packed away in the boxes that we're hoping to leave unopened until after the next move. I thought this was a great idea to transform even my regular drinking glasses into vases as I need them over the next couple of months! You could also use this idea to transform your ordinary vases for whatever the season may be. The Christmas colors at our house are blue and silver so wrapping a vase with yarn in those colors would make a great centerpiece for the dining room table.

As I was looking at this idea more, it's also something that would be very easy to make as a fun and unique gift. Walmart has several clear vases to choose from, some only $1 each!

And you wouldn't have to stop with vases, either. What about candle holders (making sure your yarn won't end up too close to the flame, of course)? Or tin can pencil holders?

Check out a great tutorial on how to make these yarn vases here.
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Frugal Gift to Give: Flirty Aprons!


These aprons are so cute! I love the color selection that is available! There are so many to choose from! The one pictured is my favorite but you should check out all the patterns for yourself! Wouldn't wearing something so cute make cooking and baking that much more fun?

These would make a great gift - they have mens, womens, and even childrens aprons to choose from! And all starting from just $19.95!

The one pictured is $29.95 (I'm passing the word on to my hubby that I'd like to add this to my Christmas wish list!)

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Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Roast in the crock pot, egg noodles, broccoli
Tuesday - Chicken Fried Rice
Thursday - Thanksgiving with Hubby's Family
Friday - Burgers, oven fries
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50% off Great Photo Gifts!


SeeHere has all of their photo gifts on sale - 50% off for two days only!
You could get a personalized photo calendar for just $9.99! This would be a great gift idea for a family member. I'm planning to order one full of pictures of the kids and I for my husband to hang up at work.
Head over here on 11/22 or 11/23 to check it out!
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Saturday, November 21, 2009

This made me chuckle...



There was a little old lady who was nearly blind. She had three sons and they wanted to prove which one was the best son to her.

So son #1 bought her a 15-room mansion thinking this would surely be the best any of them could offer her.

Son #2 bought her a beautiful Mercedes with a chauffeur included thinking he would surely win her approval.

Son #3 had to do something even better than these so he bought her a trained parrot. This parrot had been trained for 15 years to memorize the entire Bible. You could mention any verse in the Bible and the parrot could quote it word for word. How useful his nearly blind mother would find that!

Well, the old lady went to the first son and said, "Son, the house is just gorgeous but it's really much too big for me. I only live in one room, and it's much too large for me to clean and take care of. I really don't need the house, but thank you anyway."

Then she explained to her second son, "Son, the car is beautiful, it has everything you could ever want on it, but I don't drive and I really don't like that driver, so please return the car."

Next, she went to son number three and said, "Son, I just want to thank you for that thoughtful gift. The chicken was small, but delicious."

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Frugal Gift of the Day: Snowman Candy Bars!


I think that has to be one of the cutest ideas, if not the cutest, I have seen this year. What a fun way to give something as simple as a candy bar! If your gift giving budget is tight this year, this would be an idea to try! Especially if you can keep your eye out for a great sale on chocolate bars! Or, as the post says, you can could use microwave popcorn or theatre candy boxes!

Check out the tutorial to make these cute little guys over at It's Been a Hard Day's Night.
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Friday, November 20, 2009

FREE 2010 Photo Calendar!



This deal won't last long so check it out - Vistaprint is offering a free 2010 Wall Photo Calendar if you go here. This would make a great gift for someone this Christmas!

You could also make 3 calendars for the price of one, just $15.99 - that's just over $5 per gift!
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Winner of the MyParentsReward card!



And the winner is...

insomniacprincess2002-

Randomly chosen by http://www.random.org/, Chantel will be receiving her free MyParentsReward card in the mail soon!

Congratulations, Chantel! And thanks to all who participated in the giveaway!
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How I Got all this for FREE!



I was able to get everything pictured for FREE at Walgreens this week by doing the following:


First Transaction:

Almay foundation - $9.99

Total: $9.99 and got $10 Register Rewards back


Second Transaction:

Breathe Right strips - $5.99

2 x Olives - $.99 ea. with in ad coupon, plus $1/2 coupon used

2 x Cranberry sauce - $.79 ea. with in ad coupon

2 x Goldfish crackers - 2/$3, used 2 x $75/1 coupons

Minus $10 Register Rewards from first transaction

Total = $.05 - basically FREE!
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Recipe of the Day: Cranberry Squares



...AND a great decorating idea!


Cranberries are on sale for $.99 a bag at Aldi this week - put them to great use making these bars! I love the votive candles with cranberries in the tart tins, too!

You might also try my mom's yummy cranberry nut bread recipe.
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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Free Weight Loss Value Pack!


Here's another tool to help keep you in shape AND lose those extra pounds this holiday season!
Go here to check out the free offers at Quality Health that will get you on your way to losing weight!

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Slim Down for the Holidays: FREE ebook!



Get low calorie recipes to help you slim down this holiday season!

You can also check out Quality Health's Free Weight Loss Resource pack.
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3 Personalized Greeting Cards for just $1!


The Frugal Girls have a post here about how you can get 3 photo greeting cards from Shutterfly for just $1.02 shipped! You could make some great thank you cards for after the holidays! Or, you could give the gift of 3 personalized greeting cards with pictures of the kiddos for Grandma or Daddy to use!
I think I might have Bubba sign "thank you" and take a picture of him doing it to use on the front of some thank you cards...
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Frugal Gift to Give: Food & Family Magazine!


The Thrifty Mama tells how you can get a a subscription to Food & Family Magazine AND the Food & Family Cookbook - all for just $5.94 shipped!

This would make a great gift for Christmas - a gift that keeps on giving all year long! You can give the cookbook on Christmas Day and tuck a cute little card inside, telling your recipient that the great recipes will keep coming.
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Frugal Gift to Give: Disney hoodie!



Kids Polar Fleece Hoodies for just $12!

You can choose from Mickey, Minnie, Tinker Bell, Lightning McQueen, and more - all in an assortment of different colors. I, personally, think the Buzz Lightyear hoodie pictured is the "coolest" one.
Remember my post about stocking up to save on birthday gifts for the coming year, too!


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Black Friday Ads Posted!



I told you about A Full Cup here. It's a great forum for finding ways to save money - you can search for coupons, for current deals in your local stores, and just advice in general on cutting your shopping bills!

And, I just found out that it gets even better!

You can go to A Full Cup and find a listing of the Black Friday ads for this year!
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The $15 Gift From Kodak is STILL Going!



Kodak is STILL offering a free $15 gift to use in their gallery of products!

They have lots of customized gift ideas for $15 and under - use the free $15 gift and you could get a great Christmas gift for free! Or, like I did, use the $15 credit toward ordering your Christmas cards!

I don't know how long this deal will be extended for so be sure to check it out here !
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50 Free Prints from Kodak!


Kodak is currently offering 50 free 4x6" prints to new members.
It's easy to sign up and so simple to upload your pictures! I ordered our Christmas cards through Kodak and thought the process was great. I have a hard time with some of the photo sites taking so long to upload my pictures. Or they make the process to upload too tedious. I didn't find Kodak to be this way at all so recommend checking them out for yourself!
Go here to register.
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Recipe of the Day: Cranberry Nut Bread


This is was an annual favorite it our house when I was growing up. Now, I like to make it each year for myself! It makes up quickly and is super yummy!

Mom's Yummy Cranberry Nut Bread

1 cup cranberries, chopped

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 TBSP grated orange peel

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 TBSP shortening

3/4 cup orange juice

1 egg, beaten

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Generously grease and lightly flour a 9 x 5 x 3" loaf pan. Prepare cranberries, nuts, and orange peel. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut in the shortening. Sit in juice, egg, and peal JUST until moistened.

Fold in the cranberries and nuts.

Spoon into loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes on a rack before turning loaf out onto rack to cool completely.
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Free Potty Training Kit from Pampers!


Check out my post here over at Tripletsmommy.com to find out how you can get a free potty training kit from Pamper's!
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Recipe of the Day: How to Paint Cookies!


This is a project that is on our schedule to make with Bubba. I think he'll have so much fun painting the cookies and then getting to eat them!

I'm going to do the technique where the cookies are baked first and then painted with the corn syrup mixture (don't want to risk the little guy eating any raw egg yolks - yuck!).

You can make these cookies for any occassion! I'm thinking ahead to Bubba's 2nd birthday and think this might be a fun project to complete with the kiddos. They can paint their own cookie and then we'll wrap it up for them to take home and eat later.
I haven't been able to find a very good tutorial on these online. So, the plan is to try to take pics when we make them and post a tutorial myself! Be checking back for more over the next week or so.
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Frugal Gift to Give: Doodle Books


I don't know about you but I have a really hard time shopping for kiddos aged 9-15. I mean, what would be a gift that they would think was "cool" yet that doesn't cost too much?

I came across these Doodle books at Amazon and think that these are a great idea! And not just for kids but I know a couple adults who like to doodle, too! This might be a good way to sharpen their skills. The pictures in these books are unfinished - it's left up to your gift recipient to use their imagination and finish the drawings!

They're $9.32 and qualify for free shipping. These would be a fun stocking stuffer or just a fun gift to give!
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How to Save $$ Throughout the Year


With all the great deals we're seeing these days on gift ideas, I decided to update my birthday/anniversary shopping list the other day. Our gift-giving budget is pretty small, especially with all the people in our two families to split it between! I like to shop for birthday gifts in advance and am always on the lookout for ways to make our gift money stretch a little further. It's fun to give the "cool" gifts but not so fun to pay the full sticker price for them because I didn't plan ahead.

So, I'm birthday shopping for the upcoming year now! This is really easy to do for the kids, especially, with all the toy deals we're seeing. I have an Excel spreadsheet with each person's name listed and the amount of money that we have to spend on them. When I find a great gift for that person, I buy it and put it in the "gift bin" (a Rubbermaid tub) and record the gift next to the recipient's name on the list. When their birthday comes around, I check the list and then go grab the gift from the bin to wrap.

For example, with the recent deal on Leapfrog's Alphabet Pal (last week you were able to get these from Target for $.49), I'd buy one and put it down on the list next to my niece's name who will be turning two. My budget for her might be $10 so I could save that extra money for Christmas next year, spend the $9 to buy her something else, too, or... you fill in the blank! She's still getting a great toy but I saved us some of our gift money!

If you have ways you save money of gift giving, please let us know in a comment below!
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Great Thanksgiving Craft for the Kids!



This is a really cute idea to make with your kiddos this Thanksgiving. If you have younger children who aren't able to write yet, you could use stickers to show what they are thankful for. You could also cut pictures from magazines to glue on the feathers.
This turkey would make a fun centerpiece or just set it anywhere visible for a great conversation piece!

Find out how to make this bird here.
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