To do list #5-Christmas Cards!

I just love Christmas time, but lately it's been feeling like a season of to-do lists. I just can't seem to stay on top of it all. . I've got such great intentions, but struggling with how to find time to do it all. Am I alone on this one?

Anywho....no time to sit and think, onto the next item on my to-do list. CHRISTMAS CARDS. And don't start calling me a procrastinator because the cards still aren't made...I've already called myself that! I've had the cards designed in my mind for weeks, but I wanted to get new pictures of the kids taken in their Christmas outfits. But I give up, I'll be doing making the cards with some pictures I took a few weeks ago. So, now to actually designing the card. I am turning to good old, trusted Shutterfly to purchase my holiday card this year.  I know I want a folded Christmas card (they have flat ones too!). Here are my top two choices:

I like this one if I just go with one family picture:

I like this one if I do multiple pictures:

So, I'm almost there...just a little more designing and VOILA! One more thing off my Christmas to-do list. Shutterfly really makes the process easy. I  can customize the pictures and have beautiful professional looking cards...still in time for the holidays (If I can finish them tonight!!)

I'm starting to get really ambitious here...I might even go ahead and work on that photo calendar I've been planning on making FOR MONTHS. Shutterfly has a beautiful customizable photo calendar. It makes such a wonderful present for grandparents...who wouldn't want pics of their grandkids for every month of the year :) Which, speaking of presents, if you are procrastinating, like me, on any other presents, Shutterfly has so many other photo gifts for that hard to buy person on your list. I love the mouse pad...I've gotten this in the past and been really pleased with it.

How are you doing with your Christmas to-do list???

Disney Store - Buy 1 Get 1 Free Pajamas & plush animals

Get Pajamas and plush animals B1G1 Free at the Disney Store. Shipping starts at $2.95

Snapfish-3 calendars for the price of 1

Snapfish: 3 calendars for only $24.99!

"Just put three 12" x 12" calendars in your cart and use code MERRY1215 at checkout before 11:59 p.m. PST on December 14"

I'm psyched about this one....I do one every year for all of the family, so this is a great deal for me.

Holiday Showcase Review

MomSelect gave me the opportunity to check out some new products to get some Holiday gift ideas. If you are like me, and still looking for a few more last minute items, here's some ideas that are definitely worth checking out.

The Holiday Showcase consisted of:

NEW Small Frys from Build-a-Bear Workshop

Christmas Cakes from Little Debbie
Sneaky 3D Puzzles from Patch Products
Play-Doh Mega Fun Factory
Play-Doh Shape and Spin Elmo
Playmobil Child's First Day at School kit
Smart Mom Solutions

My favorite, and one that I will be purchasing to give as a gift was the Sneaky 3D puzzle from Patch Products. What an awesome idea! I had never seen this before and thought it was a unique twist on puzzles. My kids love puzzles and this one will for sure be a big hit.

Second on the list---the Play-Doh Mega Fun Factory. Kids will love it, parents will hate it because it is BIG and sure to be a mess. But so long as you keep the mess outside, this is a great toy. My kids will play with it for hours at a time!

Thanks to MomSelect for the such a great opportunity to preview these products.

Creativity for Kids-Do Art Pottery Review & Giveaway

I've always wanted to make pottery. I've even looked into some local classes and it always seemed expensive and was too big of a time commitment. But I have still always had that desire to try my hand at "throwing clay". I mean if nothing else, it sounds cool, right?  So, when Creativity for Kids asked me to review their Do Art Pottery Kit with my kids I couldn't wait to try it out. My husband and I flipped coins over who got to do make it with the kids and he won...but I got to take the pictures. So, here's what we thought:

The kit
I was impressed with all that was included in this kit. It comes with everything you need, even including the apron so you can keep your clothes clean! We didn't have to get anything to make the pottery...this was all inclusive. Included was:

• Pottery wheel w/foot pedal
• 3 lbs. of synthetic air dry clay
• trimming cord w/handles
• 6 piece sculpting tool set
• white base paint
• opaque acrylic paints
• transparent glaze paints
• 2 paint brushes
• sponge
• large table cover

• artists apron

Making the Pottery

 The kit came with an instruction booklet so it was easy to figure out what needed to be done, although a child definitely needs the assistance of an adult. This is not a "leave them alone" project!!! We chose to do it outside so there was no clean up :) Although it is not a  "real"pottery wheel which would cost hundreds of dollars, this seemed to be very high quality. There were grooves in the wheel which helps the clay stay centered. And it had a cool foot petal which my daughter just loved!!

The wheel was very easy to use, although there is a technique to the pinching and shaping of the clay that does take practice. So you'll see with each project they make it will get better. The good part is the kit comes with enough clay that you can make 4 or 5 projects. 

Summary: With this pottery kit, your child is not going to make an artistic masterpiece to be sold for thousands of dollars, but they will be able to make a beautiful one of a kind piece of pottery that any family member would save and cherish.  It is definitely worth the $49.99 price label to introduce your child to making pottery and just have fun together...we certainly did.

Buy it:

Buy the Do Art Pottery Studio from Creativity for Kids for $49.99

Win it:

One lucky winner will win a Do Art Pottery Studio Kit

To enter: Leave a comment telling me why you want to win this Pottery Kit (who is it for, what do you want to make...)

Extra Entries:
Like Creativity for Kids on Facebook
Follow me on twitter and Tweet about this giveaway-leave a comment w/ the link to it
Follow Living Life and Luvin It
Subscribe to Living Life and Luvin It (on left sidebar)

Please remember to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. Leave a comment for each separate entry. This contest ends Dec. 15, 2010 at 10 PM. A winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be contacted via email. This giveaway is open to US & Canada residents.

Disclosure: I was provided with a free Pottery Studio Kit from Creativity for Kids to facilitate this review.

Dockers-Free shipping!

Winner of Pillsbury Grand Mini Biscuit Giveaway

Winner of the  Pillsbury Grand Mini Bisuit Giveaway is #61  Jinxy and Me


Congratulations Jinxy and Me!!
Thansk again to MyBlogSpark and Pillsbury for this opportunity.

Walgreens-15% off today for Family & Friends

Walgreens Friends and Family Day  is today, Wednesday, December 1st. So, you get 15% off your purchases or 20% off if you buy W Brand items. Print coupon here!



Thanks, Faithful Provisions

CVS-20% off coupon!!!-HOT

CVS has an exclusive offer for all their Facebook friends! “Like” CVS on Facebook and you’ll receive a 20% off savings pass. Use it to save 20% on nearly everything in-store. Hurry! This offer is available for a limited time and only while supplies last!

Coupon expires 12/3

Pampers Gifts to Grow - 100 points!!-EXPIRED

Make sure you enter this Pamper's code...it's good for 100 points!
LoveComesEarlyT

*Update-that went really fast. It expired early this morning :(

Five tips for holiday tech shopping

It's Christmas time and I love Christmas shopping. I like to buy things on people's lists, but mostly I like to think of things that my family doesn't put on their list but I know that they will love. Unfortunately, I am not a tech-person. My husband is. So, when I try to buy him a Christmas present it is almost always a technology item and I am always left wondering "what????" when I read his Christmas list. If any of you are like me, I thought you might want to hear some of the tips I have come up with to help me muddle my way through...

-I go to the stores. Whenever I'm in a store with technology items I stop by the section that carries the item I am looking for and just pick the brains of the employees. I get very different answers from each employee, but after doing it a few times you start to see some recurring comments/thoughts on products. * I highly recommend doing this on off-peak times so you have time to really talk to salesmen who aren't trying to help other customers!

-I research the item online. I google it and try to find consumer reviews on the specific item I am looking for to see what the pros and cons are. Consumer Reports is one of my favorite places to look.

-I then use http://www.froogle.com/ to see what the prices are at different retailers. If you've never used them before, it is a great site to use to just get a baseline price. They will even tell you shipping costs at each store so it is easy to compare.

-Of course, most importantly is I ask my circle of friends to see if any of them has purchased the item and get their opinions. And of course, if they have it then I ask to try it out!!!

-Lastly, I gather all of the information and make a decision on what to  buy. I  watch the item online during peak sale times (such as Black Friday) and purchase it when it falls below the lowest regular price that I can always buy it for!

I hope this information is helpful for some of you struggling to buy a technology item for a loved one this Holiday season. To recap: Research, ask friends, Google and Then be patient til you get the price (if time allows!!)

How do you do your holiday tech shopping?

If you are looking for a technology item this year for Christmas, make sure you check out Staples. They are one of my top stores to shop.  I find their prices to be competitive and their salespeople to be knowledgeable!!

Disclosure:
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Staples blogging program, making me eligible for a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits Review and Giveaway

In the past, whenever I would travel, I would look forward to stopping at a McDonalds and getting their breakfast egg, sausage and cheese biscuit. Yummy!!! But after 3 kids and all of the baby weight, I'm looking more closely at what I eat these days, and the biscuit sandwiches are off the list. So, when I was asked to review the Pillsbury Grands Mini Biscuits and supposed to come up with my own use for them-I knew it would be a breakfast sandwich! 

I love to make fresh rolls, but usually don't have the time. These are so convenient to make up last minute. And with only 70 calories in each biscuit I don't feel bad eating it in the morning with some egs and cheese and even a bit of turkey bacon! The biscuits are light and flaky and absolutely delicious!

What would you do with these flaky mini biscuits?

Win it! Winner will receive a Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits prize pack which includes a VIP coupon good for a free package of biscuits, a $15 gift card, a biscuit basket, a butter dish and spreader.

To enter: submit your own recipe ideas, demonstrating how you would like to use Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits.

Extra Entries:
Follow me on twitter and Tweet about this giveaway-leave a comment w/ the link to it
Follow Living Life and Luvin It
Subscribe to Living Life and Luvin It (on left sidebar)

Please remember to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. Leave a comment for each separate entry. This contest ends Dec. 2, 2010 at 10 PM. A winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be contacted via email. This giveaway is open to US residents.

Disclosure: I was provided with free product, information, and gift pack through Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark

40% off entire purchase at Gap

Tuesday, Nov. 23 - Friday, November 26
Get 40% off your entire in-store purchase at Gap!

Cheap Leap Frog Tag Reader books!

Target has the tag reader books Buy One, Get One free!!! Use this $5 off coupon to get two books for $5!! (Some people have reported that their Target let them use 2 coupons to make them free!)

Update- $5 coupon, here's a link for $3 off (Makes it $3.50 each or $2 each depending on your store!)

*IF you are looking for a Leap Frog Tag Reader (reg. $39.99) Target will have them on Black Friday for $24.99

Ace Hardware - 50% off one item!

Make sure you print this coupon for 50% off any one item at Ace Hardware, up to $30. Coupon is good only on Sunday, November 27.

To find coupon, click on "Household" on the left

$10 off $10 purchase at Hallmark

New Moms or expectant moms can get a $10 off $10 Hallmark coupon. Register with email address and automatically print out a coupon good until 12/24/2010!!

Thanks, Common Sense with Money.

Lowes- make a Snowman 11/20

Saturday, November 20th make this adorable Snowman at the Lowes Build and Grow Clinic.

Clinic takes place from 10-11am and is free!

Starbucks-B1G1 Free Holiday drinks

Yummy, Starbucks is having a promotion right now-Buy one, Get one free all Holiday Drinks.
November 18-21 from 2-5pm.

CVS spend $20 get $4 ECB and other coupons!

Make sure you stop by CVS and pick up the new Holiday Book. In the center is get $4 ECB when you spend $20 coupon (exp. 11/28), as well as over $50 of Extra Bucks coupons inside. CVS has a Holiday Book available in-store, dated 11/01/10-12/25/10.

 Other coupons included in the booklet:

■CVS Sonic Toothbrush Buy 1 Get $10.00, Limit 2 (18425097)
■CVS Sonic Replacement Head Brushes 3 pk or 5 pk Buy 1 Get $3.00, Limit 2 (18447945)
■Axe Items Buy 2 and get $2.00, Limit 3 (18447948)
■Buy any Axe Gift Set get $2.00, Limit 3 (18447946)
■Clairol Natural Instinicts Color Creme, Clairol Root Touch Up or Perfect 10 Nice ‘N Easy
Buy 1 Get 2, Limit 2 (18447952)

■Nexus Salon Hair Care trial size assortment Buy 2 get $2.00, Limit 4 (18447955)
■Regenetresses Thinning Hair Intensive Treatment System Buy 1 get $5.00, Limit 2 (18417743)
■Bioluxe Professional Collection color protect shampoo or conditioner, hydrating shampoo or conditioner and shaping or extra shaping hairspray buy any listed get $2.00, Limit 3 (18447958)
■Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Spray Shampoo buy 1 get $2.00, Limit 3 (18447957)
■Tresemme Freshstart Waterless Foam Shampoo, Freshstart Refreshing Mist or Naturals Radiant olume Shampoo or Conditioner Spend $10.00 get $5.00, Limit 3 (18447956)
■L’Oreal Paris Elnett Hairspray or EverStrong Hydrate Shampoo or Conditioner buy 2 get $5.00, Limit 1 (18447960)
■Pantene Styling buy 1 get $2.00, Limit 2 (18447959)

Thanks, For the Mommas

$10 off $20 at Smokey Bones

Get $10 off your $20 Smokey Bones purchase with this printable coupon!  Valid until 11/21/2010.

I'm still bummed ours closed a year ago-this was one of my favorite restaurants!

Thanks, Bargain Briana

Coupon Tips/Reminders!

I was excited to attend a coupon seminar put on by my local homeschool group with a special appearance from  The Coupon Clipper, Rachel Woodard.

I've tried to recap some of the information. For some of you it will be a reminder of things you already know; for others maybe you'll learn something new (Yes, that's possible!) Please leave comments with any coupon shopping tips that have helped you :)


There are lots of places to find coupons:
-Sunday Newspaper (Smart Source, Vlassis, Red Plum, Proctor & Gamble)
-Pamphlets found throughout the grocery store
-Blinkies/tear pads at the store
-Buy them online for products you use a lot (Try The Coupon Clippers!)
-Other Manufacturer's sites:
Pillsbury
General Mills
Kraft
-Dollar General (has manufacturer and store coupons)
-Target (has store-specific coupons)

Publix shopping tips:
Publix will take up to 3 coupons per item:
1. Publix coupon (Yellow advantage flyer, Green advantage flyer)
2. Manufacturer coupon
3. Competitor coupon (Target, Winn Dixie, Dollar, Gordon Food Services)

Target shopping tips
-will price match - (you have to go to the service desk)
-You can stack coupons- one manufacturer's coupon and one Target coupon

Staples shopping tips
Will take competitor coupons

Lowes shopping tips
Look under household products to find coupons (some people say their Publix will take this as a competitor coupon)

Toy Story 3 - $5 rebate from Rayovac

Get a $5 mail in rebate when you purchase:

Toy Story 3 Blue Ray or Combo DVD
                      AND
2 AA/AAA -12 or C/D4 Rayovac Batteries!

Walgreens - $10 off $25 photo purchase

Use the code: UNIQUE to get $10 off a $25 photo purchase at Walgreens.com Expires Nov. 20, 2010.
Thanks, Moms by Heart

$10 off 3 pairs of women's pajamas @ Target!

Right now Target has a coupon for $10 off women's sleepwear. You'll find it under the "Apparel" section.

Thanks, Springs Bargains!

AC Moore Free Cardmaking-Sat Nov. 13 (free)

Saturday, Nov. 13th from 1-3 pm stop by AC Moore for a Cardmaking Make and Take

You will have the opportunity to try out these products:
• Cricut® Christmas Card Cartridge
• Sizzix® Tim Holtz® Texture Fades
• Studio G Stamps & Accessories
• Martha Stewart Crafts™ Scoreboard
• Inkadinkado® Spray Inks
• American Crafts™ Greeting Cards

Lowes kids workshop this weekend

Saturday, November 13th is the kids Build and Grow Clinic at Lowes. They will be making this fun periscope. Would make a great present for the kids to give to a cousin or friend...

As always, it is from 10-11am. It is free and lots of fun! Kids get a badge for completing each project. New attendees receive an apron and safety goggles.

$3 off Zantac products

 If you have heartburn, Here's a coupon for $3 off on Zantac products.
I could have used this one when I was pregnant.

Target-Hasbro Toy coupon matchups!

Chi-Town Cheapstakes has put together a list of current coupon matchups for Hasbro toys/games at Target. If any of these are are on your list for Christmas, there are some good deals.

Monopoly U-Build Game- Final price $6.99
       Price $14.99
       Use $3 coupon here
       Use $5 Target Coupon from Target Toy Book



Iron Man Walking Robot- Final price $34.99
        Price $44.99
        Use $5 coupon here
        Use $5 Target Coupon from Target Toy book

FurReal GoGo Walkin’ Up $34.00
        Price $49.00
        Use $5 coupon here
        Use $10 Target Coupon from Target Toy book

Nerf N’ Strike Stampede $34.00
        Price $44
        Use $5 coupon here
        Use $10 Target Coupon from Target Toy book 

$5 Hallmark Coupon in Martha Stewart

I got my Martha Stewart Living today (December 2010) and was excited to find there was a $5 off any purchase coupon in it for Hallmark. They did this last year and I was able to pick up some cute Christmas light necklaces for my daughter!!! You can find the coupon in between pages 92 and 93!

Update: it is also been reported to be found between pages 72 and 73 of the December Issue of Real Simple!

Lakeland, FL-Groupon has arrived!

If you live in Lakeland Florida, then you'll be pleased to know that Groupon has finally come to your town. I'm still waiting for it to come to mine :(  So, make sure to check out your local Groupon deals daily, I've gotten some really good deals on there.

Local SWFL: Publix $5 off $50

I was excited to see there was a $5 off $50 in today's Publix Ad Mailer...don't throw yours away without reading it! It seems like they are doing this more often lately :)

Eversave deal: $15 for a sing-a-long DVD and CD set from Juno baby $30 value)

 

Eversave - Get a Juno baby DVD and CD set for $15 (reg. $30). Good for 2 more days (through 11/4) . Buy here.

 

$8 off Toy Story 3 Blue Ray

Right now you can get a coupon for $8 off a Toy Story 3 Blue Ray/DVD pack. Get the coupon at Disney Movie Rewards. Must be a member, but membership is free. Coupon expires November 8, 2010.

Crayola Rebates

Crayola has some rebates out there on some items that you might be looking at for Christmas presents:

The rebates are:

• Crayola Beginnings -Color Me a Song - $3.00
• Crayola Color Wonder - Sound Studio - $3.00
• Crayola Color Wonder - Magic Light Brush - $2.00
• Crayola Model Magic - Presto Dots to the Max - $2.00
• Crayola Glow Station Day and Night - $3.00
• Crayola Glow Explosion Spin Magic - $2.00
• Crayola Color Explosion Glow Board - $2.00
• Crayola Color Marker - $3.00

You can find the rebate form here.

Review of Elmer's® Craftbond™ and X-ACTO® Designer Series products

I had the opportunity to try Elmer's® Craftbond™ and X-ACTO® Designer Series products  recently, and I wanted to share my thoughts with you:

-Elmer's Tape Runner-I absolutely loved the tape runner. So simple to use, no mess and it seemed to stick really well

- X-Acto Design Scissors- The scissors are pretty old-school and there are so many other newer technologies to cut fancy lines that I wouldn't use these too often; however they are great for adding a last minute touch to something without having to go through all  of my fancy cutting paraphenalia. Very simplistic but nice to have around!

-Elmer's glue dots - LOVE these!. These things are my best friends. I let my kids use these on all of their craft projects. They hold really well and NO MESS.

-X-Acto Corner rounder- this is a tool that gets a lot of use. I use it on all of my photos in my scrapbook to round out the edges. And I use it on my handmade cards-it adds a really nice touch. I've used corner rounders in the past, and this one worked well for me. It had nice, clean cuts and was easy to get completely even


You can sign up for the CraftIt with Elmer’s and X-ACTO newsletter  to receive craft project ideas, product information, and more!

Disclosure:
 I'm a BzzAgent and  I received a product sample from BzzAgent to facilitate this review.

$30 tickets on Southwest Air

Right now, Southwest has some fantastic deals on select flights. Flights start at $30 each way for travel between December 1-15, 2010 and January 4-February 16, 2011
Sale ends Oct. 28, 2010

$14 Canvas Print Shipped

Wow, the photo deals just keep coming...this is a good one.
Pick out your favorite picture and get a free 8x10 canvas print (a $50 Value!)
Just pay shipping and handling of $14

Finding the healthcare plan that is right for you!

Because my husband is self-employed, we've been paying the full health insurance premiums for over 2 years now and it isn't cheap! Since we just had our 3rd child we are sitting down and going over our health insurance plans to see if there is a way to save money by switching plans (maybe eliminating maternity??)

So when Twitter Moms told me about this article  entitled "Be Smart about your Health" it was perfect timing for me and my family to read through and it had some great information that I plan on using as we navigate through what I find to be an overwhelming and sometimes confusing task.

I'll try to recap some tips that I found to be extremely helpful:
1. The most obvious is: what is important to your family. Do you travel a lot and need more out of network benefits? Do you get a lot of prescriptions so you want a cheaper prescription plan?
2. What can you afford?  Make sure you can really afford the premiums and realize they may go up. I was so shocked when 2 months after getting our new plan it went up!!! When you are on a private plan it will go up every year.
3. There are wellness incentives. Check with your plan to see, but some of them offer savings for gym memberships!
4. Some plans cover online visits! I never even knew there was such a thing as online visits-this could be a major time saver if you are comfortable with technology enough to utilize it.
5. Often times you can get your prescription drugs cheaper online delivered to your door than at a local store. This would also be a time saver if you are on a prescription drug regularly you can cut your bill by 1/3 and not even have to go to the store ( you just have to be able to plan ahead)

I'm still overwhelmed by the cost of health care these days, but I'm really excited to try out some of these ideas above. I'm DEFINITELY going to be checking out the wellness incentive to see if I can get a discount to a gym membership so I can finally shed some of these post-baby pounds. Bonus-some of the gyms even have free childcare while you workout!


Full Disclosure:
I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Aetna blogging program, making me eligible to get a $30 Target gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

$1.99 shipped photo ornaments

Right now ArtsCow is offering single-sided photo ornaments for $1.99
Use code ONMT2010.
Expires 10/23/2010
Additional ornaments are $2.99 each-these look like great Christmas presents!
Thanks, Thrifty Mama!

Sell on Ebay right now for 1 cent!

For the rest of the week, you can list an item to sell on Ebay for just 1 cent. I have a whole bag full of stuff I've been meaning to sell, but haven't gotten around. This is the perfect time to tackle it! I'll be de-cluttering the house and hopefully bring in some extra cash for Christmas!!!

Free Healthy Halloween Recipes

22 Healthy Halloween Recipes featuring over 30 pages of tasty and healthy Halloween recipes. FREE!

Office Depot - $10 off $20

Give Office Depot your email address and get a $10 off $20 coupon!

I am running out of ink cartridges from printing all of my coupons, so I'm excited to get this one!

Free photo book from Kodak Gallery (Pay $1.99 shipping)

Right now get a free 5x7 photo book from Kodak Gallery. Just use code: TARGBOOK at checkout!
Expires Nov. 6, 2010

Thanks, Thrifty Mama!

Coupon codes for Buy Costumes

Use these coupon codes for costumes at Buy Costumes.

VAMP10 - 10% off Any Order

Skull20 - $20 off Halloween Costumes

MAD10 - 10% off $40 or more

bogo20 - Buy One Get One 20% off

Free $5 Rack Room Gift Card

Sign up for Rack Room's newsletter and get a $5 gift card emailed to you. You will receive it within minutes and it is good on anything, including sale and clearance items.

Thanks, Coupon High

Winner-Yoplait Whips Giveaway

The winner of the Yoplait Whips Giveaway is #71 - Homemaker!
Congratulations!!!

$4 shipped- Customized Halloween canvas tote bag

I think these are too cute and they are free, just pay shipping!
Here's how to get yours:
1. Create your personalized tote -choose from a large selection of graphics & put your own personalized name on it
2. Check out - you will be offered different opportunities-just opt out if you aren't interested!
3. Pay only for shipping and handling (appx. $4)

Free Reach Toothbrushes @ Walgreens this week

This week at Walgreens get 2 free Reach toothbrushes, plus overage.
Here's how:
Buy: 2 Reach Total Care Toothbrushes @ $3.99 each
Use: 1 B1G1 Coupon from 10/10/2010 RP
Use: 1 $1/Reach Toothbrush
Use: $2/1 Walgreens in-ad coupon (will automatically double it to $4)
Total : Free + $1 overage!
* Remember you will have to buy a filler item to use that many coupons!

CVS weekly deals

I'm sure you noticed that I haven't posted the CVS/Walgreens deals in a super long time. That's because there are so many other sites that do a great job doing these lengthy matchups, and it seems silly to re-invent the wheel. However, I can't help from telling you about a few of these deals that I think are great!

This week 10/3-10/9

Revlon nail polish
$3.99 each
Get $3 ECB
Use $1 off Revlon coupon (SS 9/12/2010)
FREE After ECB

Bausch & Lomb Re-nu sensitive eye solution, 12 oz. $7.99
Get $7.99 ECB
Free after ECB

Spend $25, get $10 extra bucks
Participating items are:
Duralcell batteries, $6
Puffs, $1
Charmin toilet paper $10
Bounty paper towels $13

My Scenario for this week:
Buy 2 Bounty paper towels @ 13 each = $26
Use $4/$20 that I received in email this week =
Total is $22 plus get back 10 ECB = $12 for 24 rolls of paper towels

For a complete list of weekly matchups, check out Deal Seeking Mom!

Cheap Apple Juice & Apple Sauce at Target!

Get a $5 Gift card with purchase of any five Mott's items below:

-6 Pk. apple sauce ($1.75 each) or
-64 oz. apple juice ($1.75 each)

Buy 5 of the above = $8.75
Get back a $5 Target GC
Total cost is $3.75 or ($.75 each)

Local SWFL: Coupon Queen coming to Sweetbay

This Tuesday 10/5 the Coupon Queen is coming to the Ft. Myers Sweetbay at 10:30 am. The coupon queen will tell you“how to spot value at the grocery store."  Attendees will receive $5 off their grocery bill, a coupon organizer, coupon book and a copy of Refundle Bundle, the magazine by The Coupon Queen, while supplies last.

I am not a Sweebay Shopper and have never been able to find good deals there, so I am really looking forward to going to this and seeing if there are any secrets I don't know about!!!

Note- If you live elsewhere in Florida, they are doing this at 8 different Florida locations.

Free 8x10 Photo Collage at Walgreens (9/30 & 10/1)

Thursday (9/30) and Friday (10/1) get a free 8x10 Photo Collage at Walgreens. Use code: FBCOLL and make sure to pick up in store so you can avoid shipping costs!

I love making these for grandparents...and you can't beat the price

Free Ice Cream from Cold Stone Creamery! (9/30)

This Thursday, September 30th from 5-8pm, make a $1 donation to the Make a Wish Foundation and receive a 3 oz. sample of Kate's Creation served out of a ready to love pan in a Like It^TM cup from Cold Stone Creamery!

Yoplait Whips Review & Giveaway!

Yogurt is a daily staple in my household. We all love yogurt, although there isn't much agreement on which flavor. My son always wants a chocolate flavor and my daughter always wants vanilla! It's amazing how different two children can be.

Thanks to MyBlogSpark I was able to try the Yoplait Whips. YUMMY!

Yoplait Whips! yogurt is currently available in nine delectable flavors – Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Raspberry, Key Lime Pie, Lemon Burst, Orange Créme, Peaches ‘N Cream, Raspberry Mousse, Strawberry Mist, and Vanilla Créme.

We tried the chocolate raspberry flavor and I loved it. It has a mousse-type texture which is different than most yogurts. It is very light and makes for a really great afternoon snack. Of course, my son loved it when we took the yogurt and froze it for an ice cream snack, great for a hot afternoon.

My local grocery store (Publix) carries them for $.75 a piece. For the individual serving size yogurt, they are pretty much priced the same as the competition. I typically like to buy the larger quantities to save money so I was disappointed that they don't sell it in larger containers. But, they are delicious and a nice treat.

Thanks to MyBlogSpark and Yoplait, I have a gift package to offer a winner. Gift package includes: insulated cookler bag, freezer ice cream forms, and a coupon for a free Yoplait Whips!

To win:

-Leave a comment and share what Yoplait Whips flavor you would most enjoy frozen

Extra entries:

Follow me on twitter and Tweet about this giveaway-leave a comment w/ the link to it
Follow Living Life and Luvin It
Subscribe to Living Life and Luvin It (on left sidebar)

Please remember to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. Leave a comment for each separate entry. This contest ends Sept. 29, 2010 at 10 PM. A winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be contacted via email. This giveaway is open to US residents.

Disclosure: I was provided with free product, information, and gift pack through Yoplait and MyBlogSpark

Barbie "A Fashion Fairytale" Review

The new movie, Barbie "A Fashion Fairytale" just hit the stores this September 14th and I had an opportunity to watch it and share my thoughts with you, so....

Really, growing up I was never a fan of Barbie. I'm not sure why, it just wasn't something that I never got into, and it's not something I've ever bought for my daughter. So, when I was sent this movie to review it was my daughter's first introduction to Barbie. It is an understatement to say that she really, really liked this Barbie movie.

The story is pretty simple. Barbie gets fired from her job and thinks Ken (oh, Ken!) broke up with her. So, devestated, she takes off for Paris to visit her aunt at her design house. The movie is mostly about Barbie's adventures in trying to help her aunt save her fashion design house.  It is a cute movie and there was nothing in it that I had any problems letting my 5 year old watch.

If you have a daughter or family member who is a fan of Barbie I would think they would really enjoy this new movie! It was well done and most important to me, family friendly! The overall theme for kids was to "be true to yourself" which is always a positive message.

P.s. They are coming out with a line of accompanying toys for the movie & there are fashion games related to the movie at http://www.barbie.com/

Disclosure:
I received a Barbie "A Fashion Fairytale" DVD from MomSelect and Barbie to the facilitate this review.

Winn Dixie-Free Kraft Homestyle Dinners

If you were part of the Kraft's First Taste program and got the coupon for a free Homestyle Deluxe Dinner, here's a deal for you:
Winn Dixie currently has B1G1 free so use the coupon and get 2 for free!
Sale good through Tuesday, Sept. 21

Free Sample of Pringles Xtreme

Get a FREE can of Pringles Extreme Chips on Facebook right now. I've never had these, but they look good!

Thanks, Deal Seeking Mom!

Local SWFL: Free Admission to the Naples Zoo

Gator Country 101.9 and the Naples Zoo are teaming up together this weekend to give everyone free admission to the Naples Zoo. They've done this a few times in the past and I've always gone and had a blast. Admission is normally about $20 so this is a huge deal.

The only fine print is that you have to bring this paper with you and get there between 8 and 10 am!

I'm bummed we are going to miss this one, we already have plans :(

Sunkist Salternative

My grandma has congestive heart failure and one of the hardest things for her is that she can have almost no sodium. Recently we were together and I saw how difficult it was for her to eat anything. It's scary how much sodium is in everything, things I never even knew had sodium in it. I found out about this alternative website and thought it was well done. Check it out for yourself & enter the contest while you are at it!

Between now and September 30, 2010, you can enter the S’alternative recipe contest by submitting your appetizer, salad, main course or sauce recipe featuring Sunkist lemons as an alternative to salt for a chance of winning up to a $1,000 grocery gift card!


The Sunkist S’alternative website also features new S’alternative recipes from Sunkist as well as tips on how to prepare foods using Sunkist Lemons as a healthy salt alternative and important information on the dangers of sodium.

Target-school supplies marked down to 75% off

I was at Target today (for local readers, the one on East Terry & 41 in Bonita) and the school supplies were all marked down to 75% off. There was still quite a few things left, but people were buying! I got some great deals-stocked up on some notebooks, scissors, glue sticks and scotch tape (Magic tape was marked down to $.25 each. There was a coupon in the newspaper not too long ago with $1.00/3...use it and score some for free!)

Free Uncrustables

Get a coupon for a free box of Uncrustables starting September 13th!

Register and submit an organizational tip or solution for the on-the-go mom or dad (a “Tip) beginning on 9/13/10 at 12:00pm noon ET through 10/12/10 at the posted time daily to receive a coupon by mail for one free box of Smucker’s® Uncrustables® sandwiches (4-pack) (max. value $3.00).

Movies- Cheap tickets & free popcorn

Free Popcorn:
Like Regal on Facebook and get a coupon for a free popcorn. Friday 9/10 only
(Thanks the Closeout Kid)

Cheap tickets:
Sign up for Weekly Cinema and get one FREE movie ticket, and 2 movie tickets every month for only $12.99. Over 60% in Savings!
If you go to the movies once a month, this is a great deal!

Local SWFL: Sun Splash Family Night

Saturday, 9/11/2010
This waterpark is so much fun!!!

Family night runs from 5:30-8:30 and includes Sun Splash's version of "Aqua Theatre" featuring the family film, "Shark Tale," on a large inflatable movie screen next to the main pool. Park visitors can also enjoy the slides, tubes and attractions, including Sun Splash’s three speed slides, Main Stream River and a Tot Spot for the little ones.

$6 Cape Coral residents
$8 Non-cape residents

Zazzle - $25 for $50 Groupon Deal (cheap stamps!)-TODAY ONLY

Groupon is having a great deal at Zazzle. $25 for $50 worth of Zazzle Customized.

To get the deal,

1. Visit Groupon
2. Look under "Seattle"
3. Find it under the side deal
4. Click on "buy"
5. Print out voucher!!
   

Here's some ideas:
The customized postage stamps are 20 small ones per sheet, so:

-buy 3 small sheets (for a total of 60 stamps)
-Total is appx. $54 + $3 shipping = $57.00
-Use your $50 Groupon Voucher, new total = $7.00

Your cost will be the $25 Groupon voucher + $7.00 at Zazzle for a total of $32.00 for 60 stamps. (each stamp will cost appx. $.53)
This would be great to mail out Christmas letters with or for a wedding, or birth announcement...or an awesome Christmas present for someone with a new baby!

How about a personalized apron? Prices start at $15.95
How about a personalized frosty beer mug? Prices start at $22.10
Remember, with the voucher if you buy $50 worth of stuff (for $25), you basically are getting everything for 50% off!

If you are not already a groupon member (it's free) sign up here!

Target - School supplies on clearance

I was just at my local Target (the one on the intersection of E. Terry & 41) and the school supplies are marked down to 50%. I scored a really nice globe for $7.49 which I really needed for homeschooling!!!

Pampers Gifts to Grow - 10 points

Here's another code for Pamper's Gifts to Grow. This one's worth 10 points.
LaborDayFB92010
Expires 9/12/2010

Thanks, Deal Seeking Mom

Adding Numbers to your comments

HALELUIAH!!!!!
I'm so excited....I finally found out how to add numbers to my comments so that I don't have to count through all of my comments to find the winners for giveaways!!! If you have blogspot and are looking for directions on how to add numbers to your comments, you have to check out this tutorial.

And the winner is...

The winner of the Pillsbury Gift Pack is...
Laura C
Congratulations, Laura!

Blockbuster-free rental code, today (9/6) only!

Today only get a free movie rental from Blockbuster Kiosk with code: MNDY
Expires at midnight tonight.

Fisher Price EZ Bundle 4 in 1 Review!

Space and money are two things we always seem to be short of in my house. It seems as if there is never enough of either one. And now with a newborn in the house again the house is really over run with all of the baby stuff! So when I heard about the Fisher Price EZ Bundle 4 in 1, designed to save both space and money, I was intrigued and ready to take on the challenge to see if it really did. Here's what I found:
What it is:

The EZ Bundle 4 in 1 comes with one seat that can be manipulated around to make up an infant seat, an infant swing, a toddler seat or a high chair. The infant seat and infant swing go up to 25 pounds; the toddler seat and high chair go up to 50 pounds. It is designed to save money because it is essentially all of these things and yet, for the cost of one of them (it retails for $149).

My experience:

I was a little overwhelmed by all of the pieces when I first opened up the box. But to be fair, I am NEVER the one to assemble the kids' toys. My husband always does it for me. For some reason, reading the directions always seems difficult to me and a bit like reading greek. But I wanted to do it all myself to see how difficult this was. Once I actually started reading the directions I found that it was quite simple to put together. I was able to put it together in under 20 minutes without any major frustrations and with only one screw driver and 4 C batteries!! Not too bad for me, so I would definitely give it an "A" for easy assembly!

When I actually used the product I found the chair itself (which is moved into each of the 4 functions) is extremely comfortable for the baby and I loved the pattern. It was very cute and the fact that it is stain resistant makes it very practical as well.

I was impressed with all 4 of the functions. The highchair was my favorite because it was seamless. Other highchairs I have used have been difficult to clean because of all of the crevices that food gets stuck in. This one will be much easier to clean!

The infant swing was probably my daughter's favorite (look at that smile!) It has 6 different speeds and runs off of C batteries. My only complaint is that it could use a toy or two on it. It does come with one rattle-type toy on the chair though.

As far as converting it into the different functions, I found that it was very simple to move it from the infant seat to the swing; but a little difficult to move to the high chair because you had to actually take the legs off of the swing to put them into the high chair. I think it would be a hassle to have to switch it from the infant swing to the high chair on a daily basis.

Based on that fact, I think this is an ideal product for a grandma's house where you want all of these things for your little one without having to spend a fortune and you aren't switching it around multiple times a day everyday. It is also ideal if you are using it in stages with one function at a time, such as using it as a swing and seat from 0-6 months and then just as a toddler seat and highchair as they are older.

The concept is so simple and I think Fisher Price really hit the mark here. It can save a lot of money as each one of these items usually cost at least $100 and here you are getting four pieces for $149.

Click here for more information or to Buy it now:

Disclosure: I received a EZ 4 in 1 Bundle to facilitate this review. All opinions presented here are 100% mine.

Movies this weekend-free popcorn & $4 ticket

If you "like" Regal Cinemas on Facebook you can print out a coupon for a free small popcorn good for this weekend (Aug 27-29)

Thanks, Saving Cents with Sense

Also, through Groupon get a $4 movie ticket from Fandango! (movie ticket valued up to $12. Not good on 3D or Imax tickets)

30% off at Gap, Old Navy & Banana Republic

August 26-29 use this printable coupon to get 30% off at Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic. 5% of what you spend goes to charity too...just in case you needed a reason to shop :)

Kidorable Umbrellas-$7.95 shipped

Kidorable has teamed up with the March of Dimes and if you use code:modfreeumb08 you can get a free umbrella (reg. $13.50) plus Kidorable will make a donation to March of Dimes! Deal is good through 9/15

These are so cute! Thanks Common Sense with Money.

Free 10x13 at Picture Me (Walmart)

Now through September 30th, you can get a free 10 x 13 Wall Portrait plus enhancement at Walmart's Picture Me studio. One per family per session.

Thanks, Closeout Kid

Smile....

A couple of weeks ago Mr. B (my 3 year old) had a pool accident and nearly lost his front tooth. It made me happy that he doesn't have his permanent teeth in yet but it was good reminder to me how important it is to take care of his pearly whites!



Five simple things you can do for your child to help keep their smiles healthy and bright

1. Make sure they get to the dentist every 6 months. Even though it is expensive, we never miss one because they do a deep cleaning we just can't do. And they can catch problems before they become a big issue.
2. Set a hour glass timer for them to brush their teeth too. We used to do it to music, but that got to me time consuming for us!! Brushing for 2 minutes is essential!
3. I let them pick out their own toothpaste. I found they each like their own flavors and they were much more likely to brush with a flavor they liked!
4. Skip the sticky candy treats. And when they do have them make sure to brush right away.
5. Floss! I got my daughter those colored individual flosses and she thinks they are so pretty she likes to floss.

How do you get your kids to take care of their teeth?

Disclosure:
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Trident blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Pampers Gifts to Grow - 15 points

If you participate in the Pampers Gifts to Grow program, here's some codes to add 15 points to your account.

GTGCOUPONPOINTS
GTG5FREEPTS0810

Thanks, Closeout Kid

Fracture Me!

I love taking pics of my kids and enjoy displaying them around the house! Twice in the past year my 3 year old son has taken it upon himself to play basketball in the house and broken the glass on a picture frame (which he of course promises never to do again.) I was really excited to try out the new Fractures so that, just in case he breaks his promise he won't break my picture frame!!!
With Fractures you print your picture right onto the glass (you send your pic to them and they print it). And it is all ready to mount. And the glass is shatter proof with no sharp edges!

Check it out for yourself, these would make great Christmas presents. They are so unique.

If I am one of the first 100 participants I will be writing a follow-up post about Fractures after testing it out myself, so be on the lookout for it.

Disclosure:
“I wrote this blog post in response to a TwitterMoms RAMBO alert, making me eligible to get a Fracture picture frame for review. You can learn more about Fracture at http://www.fractureme.com/.”

Chocolate cravings-GIVEAWAY (Sam's Club Gift Card!!)

I love brownies. There are so many types of desserts, but sometimes a brownie just hits the spot. Plus you can pretty it all up with frostings or sprinkles or marshmellow cream & chocolate syrup.... I'm getting hungry right now. So I didn't even have to think about it when MyBlogSpark gave me the opportunity to try out the Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Brownies available exclusively at Sam's Club.


The Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies were absolutely delicious. They have a very rich chocolate flavoring with chocolate chunks in it, which I really enjoyed. They are a great treat or perfect for when you need a last minute dessert to take somewhere. And it has 6 Bonus Box Tops for Education!!! so you are giving back to your school by eating dessert :) (yes I can justify just about anything)!

Try it out for yourself - you can purchase them at your nearest Sam's Club.
I'm offering one lucky winner a Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies gift pack that includes:
- $25 Sam’s Club gift card to use to purchase the brownies
- Frosting
- A large container for transporting the brownies

To enter:
Leave me a comment and share a situation in which the new Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies would be a perfect treat

Extra Entries:
Follow me on twitter and Tweet about this giveaway-leave a comment w/ the link to it
Follow Living Life and Luvin It
Subscribe to Living Life and Luvin It (on left sidebar)

Please remember to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. Leave a comment for each separate entry. This contest ends Aug. 27, 2010 at 10 PM. A winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be contacted via email. This giveaway is open to US residents.

Disclosure: I was provided with free product, information, and gift pack through Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark

Gymboree- Last day for 30% off

Tomorrow (Sun, 8/22) is the last day to get an extra 30% off everything at Gymboree. I love their clothes, but they are expensive so this is a great time to shop with this coupon.

Free Pet Exams

PetSmart members can get a free pet exam and office visit at Banfield Pet Hospitals for all new pet patients. Enter your 11 digit pet perks number & use this coupon! Expires 8/31/2010.

To find a Banfield Pet Hospital location near you, click here.
Thanks, Coupon Cravings.

Back to school...

I can't believe my daughter is five years old and beginning kindergarten. I never imagined this day would come so quickly, and it has. And I never imagined that I would be HOMESCHOOLING!!! my child. For so many reasons we have decided that is the best choice for our family. So it is with great enthusiasm and trepidation that I have spent every evening for the last week working on my homework, i.e. lesson plans! Look forward to some new posts on my homeschooling adventures and if any of you have any practical advice please tell me!!!

$10 off $20 at Silver Diner

Be one of the first 5,000 fans to "Like" Silver Diner on Facebook, and you will get a $10 off $20 coupon. Simply hit "like" and then then enter your email address. The coupon will be mailed on August 20th.

Silver Diner is a great little restaurant located in the DC, Virginia, New Jersey area.

Walgreens-free 8x10 today 8/15 only

Today get a free 8x10 from Walgreens. Use code FREE_8X10_DEAL and pick up at store so you pay nothing!

TGI Fridays-$5 off $15 coupon

If you are headed out to dinner this weekend, here's a coupon you'll want to take along. It's a $5 off $15. Expires 8/19.

Thanks, Money Saving Mom

Free summer movies

Just a reminder...next week is the last week for the Free Summer Movies!!

10 tips for Back to school savings

Staples & TwitterMoms has asked moms to share their ten tips for saving money during the back-to-school season. Here's mine:

1. Find out when your state has tax-free weekend and shop then for items that don't typically go on sale.
2. Don't buy anything just because it is on sale. Make a list and stick to it.
3.Browse all weekly ads and compare prices.
4. Make sure to enroll in rewards programs so you get credit for what you buy and get emailed about promotion.
5. Buy school clothes at garage sales and consignment stores.
6. Invest in a cute, practical lunch bag for your kids and pack lunch instead of buying.
7. Set a budget for your kids & let them have some part of the decision making within the price limit you set.
8. Don't always buy generic. Often brand names go on sale for cheaper!!
9. Compare notes with friends or online! Tell others about sales you find & they'll share with you. 10. Stock up during clearance events (after school starts) for next year!

Disclosure:
I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Staples blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Old Navy Coupons

If you are doing some back to school shopping at Old Navy, these are some great coupons.
$5 off $25 (expires 8/31)
$10 off $50 (expires 8/31)

Also, don't forget they are having:
-Backpacks for $10 (reg. 14.50-19.50) and get a free lunch bag, through 8/19/2010
-Kids jeans for $10

Thanks Thrifty NorthWest Mom!

Target Garden Center Closing

If you haven't already heard, Target is closing all of their Garden Centers, effective Sept. 30th. Most of their stuff is 30% off and will continue to be marked down until it's all gone, or Sept. 30th comes. It's a great time to get some patio furniture or even just some plants for your house! I know I'll be stalking, I mean, watching some of the items!

Winner of Yoplait Greek Yogurt Giveaway

And the winner is...JC
Thanks to MyBlogSpark for this giveaway!
Stay tuned for more giveaways coming later today :)

Walgreens-free 8x10 photo collage

Get a free 8x10 photo collage to celebrate Father's day.
Just enter code: GOBIG8X10 and select pick up in store and it is free!
Offer expires June 19, 2010

45 Pampers Gift To Grow Points

When my daughter was born she was in the NICU for the first week and they put her in Pampers Sensitive diapers. I was happy with the diapers so decided to stick with them. However, I had purchased a few packs when I found good deals before I had her so I needed to use them up. They couldn't even compare to the Pampers, so I am now a loyal Pamper user. I am part of the gifts to grow rewards program, so I was excited to find these 45 free points!

Enjoy!
25GTGSUMMER2010 :: 25 pts.
15GTGSUMMERFUN :: 15 pts.
GTGSUMMERFUN5PT :: 5pts

Thanks to Baby Good Buys for these codes!

Summer Activities at Bass Pro Shops

Yesterday my kid and I went to the Bass Pro Shop Summer Family Summer Camp and we had such a great time. I had forgotten all about it until my mom mentioned she had seen it going on...thanks mom!! And after all the fun, we were able to make s'mores which was lots of fun.

What: Crafts, Workshops; Smores
When: Every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday through July 11 noon - 6pm
More information: Visit Bass Pro Shops

Yoplait Greek Yogurt - 48 hour Giveaway!

Recently I had the opportunity to try the new Yoplait Greek Yogurt. I was excited to try this new one, because I am a huge fan of yogurt and eat it almost every morning. The Yoplait Greek Yogurt comes in 4 flavors: Strawberry, Honey Vanilla, Blueberry and Plain.

I decided to give the Greek plain yogurt a try. It was unlike any other brand of yogurt I have eaten in the past. It has a thicker and creamier texture. What I found most appealing about it is that it has 12 grams of protein which is twice the amount found in leading yogurts! You can't go wrong with this snack, yummy & good for you.


Thanks to MyBlogSpark and Yoplait, one lucky reader will have the opportunity to win a Yoplait Greek “Nourish Your Inner Goddess” gift pack, which includes some great items that will help you relax, including 2 coupons for a free Greek Yogurt!

To enter: To win a Nourish your Inner Goddess gift pack: Leave me a comment telling me what flavor you would like to try!


Extra Entries:
Blog or Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link to it
Follow Living Life and Luvin It
Subscribe to Living Life and Luvin It

Please remember to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. Leave a comment for each separate entry. This contest ends May June 17, 2010 at 10 PM. A winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be contacted via email. This giveaway is open to US residents.

Full Disclosure:
Yoplait provided me with the free product, information, and gift pack through MyBlogSpark