Uncategorized

Whole Mom is giving away a free $500 gift card. Enter to win here.

Whole Mom
Plus, you can also enter to win a free $500 gift card to Etsy.

Whole Foods

And enter to win a free $500 gift card to Whole Foods!

(Note: The links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

I have another very embarrassing batch of pictures to show you tonight. Honestly, I considered sprucing the drawers up a little before posting them here. But then I reminded myself that I really want to keep it real.

So you just get to see all my unedited mess in all its ugly glory. And you have my permission to be astonished at how disorganized some parts of my house are. :)

Drawer #1

Drawer #2

Drawer #3 (Clearly, the labeling of the drawer contents ain’t working out too well for us!)

There was all sorts of icky gunk to wipe out of the drawers. Yuck!

Cleaned Drawer #1

Cleaned Drawer #2

Cleaned Drawer #3

Join in the Chatter

::Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post on linky below. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!


Nursing Pillow

NursingPillow.com is offering a Nursing Pillow for just $12.95 shipped when you use coupon code MYSAVINGS at checkout. This coupon code should take off the price of the Nursing Pillow and just charge you $12.95 for shipping.

(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read my disclosure policy here.)

I’m SO excited about this giveaway. Why?

Because if you know me in real-life, you know that I wear my Origami Owl Locket all. the. time. Well, okay, I do occasionally take it off (!), but it’s one of my very favorite pieces of jewelry and I typically wear it multiple times per week.

I love it most of all because I designed it. I have a charm representing each member of my family, so that I always carry them with me everywhere I go.

In addition, I love the versatility that these lockets provide — you can add charms, change out dangles to match your outfit, and more.

Origami Owl Lockets would make a fantastic keepsake gift and would be great to consider for Mother’s Day. Each locket is unique because YOU create it following these steps:

Get 10% Off Your Order Through Monday, March 25, 2013

Any orders placed by Monday, March 25th will receive an additional 10% off their total (before shipping and tax.)  To receive this special discount, readers can either contact Holly directly (via email – hollyaasby@hotmail.com or phone – 701.866.6577) or place an order through Holly’s website. If you contact Holly directly, she’ll take the 10% off before you pay and if you place an order though her website, she’ll reimburse you for the 10% off amount.

If You’re Interested in Hosting a Party or Becoming a Designer

If you are interested in hosting a party, please visit Holly’s website or contact her directly. If you are interested in becoming a designer, you can sign up on the wait list through Holly’s website. Please enter in 12529 when prompted for a Designer ID number and then contact Holly for more information on becoming a designer.

Origami Owl lockets allow you to tell a story by using charms, plates, dangles, and tags. They will be a treasured keepsake for any recipient — or to keep and wear yourself.

If you are interested in staying updated on Origami Owl news and special discounts and giveaways Holly will be doing, be sure to follow Holly’s Facebook Page.

Would you like to win a free $50 gift certificate to Origami Owl? Just click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address. This giveaway ends Sunday, March 24, at 11:59 pm, CST.

Enter the Giveaway

Toys “R” Us has Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads on sale for $4.99 this week. Plus, Playskool Toys are Buy One, Get One Half Off.

So, if you buy two Mr. Potato Heads and use two $2/1 Mr. Potato Head coupons (coupon no longer available), you’ll get two for just $3.48 total plus any applicable tax.

You can also still get one Mr. Potato Head for $3 at Walmart this week.

Thanks, Stephanie!

(Note: Some of the links in this post are my referral links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

Homemade Kale Chips

by Crystal on March 15, 2013

Believe it or not, I’ve never purchased kale before — at least not that I can remember. But when I found the bag of washed and chopped kale marked down to $1.29, I figured it was high time we try kale.

I asked on my Facebook Page for ideas of what to do with it — knowing that you all would steer me in the right direction. And you did!

I decided on the kale chips, mostly because they were so simple and because I already had all of the ingredients on hand. These were so easy to make — especially since the kale was pre-washed and chopped!

And all of my family was impressed with how yummy they were. In fact, Jesse turned up his nose at first, but then I convinced him to just try a little piece. Soon, he convinced all the kids to try these, too.

They aren’t anything like typical chips, but they sure do pack a nutritional punch.

I had an errand to run this afternoon, so I popped into Dillon’s and the health food store since they were right by where I was. And I found a few bargains!

Dillons’ Shopping Trip

Pepsi Next — used free coupon
Kale — marked down to $1.29
Marked-down Bananas — $0.61
Oscar Mayer meat — used free coupon
Yoplait yogurt — used free coupon
2 tubes of Pillsbury Artisan pizza dough — on sale for $1.25 each, used 2 $1.50/1 coupons = free plus overage

Total with tax: $1.70

Stay tuned tomorrow for my post on what I’m going to do with the Kale and Pizza Crust. And no, I’m not using them both in the same recipe. :)

Health Food Store Shopping Trip

Gala apples — $0.99/lb.
Blueberries — $1.99

Total with tax: $4.54

Have you gotten any great deals on groceries this week?

I’m over at Keeper of the Home today sharing five steps to start your day with a better attitude.

And I also link to two of my favorite get-me-moving songs that I listen to almost every single morning.

I was excited to get to review the Teach My Preschooler Learning Kit for this review. Silas started preschool this past year and we’ve been having so much fun with it so this looked like a great addition to what we were already doing.

When the kit arrived, it wasn’t just Silas who was excited — though he was very stoked about it. The girls actually had a blast looking through all of the materials and helping him with the writing board.

In fact, we had to put our usual homeschooling on hold for an hour that first day I brought it out because everyone was so enthralled with the kit. I think it’s mostly because Kathrynne and Kaitlynn get excited about anything Silas gets excited about. :)

The writing board has been the biggest hit. Silas begs if he can practice his letters and will sit there and practice them over and over again — which has surprised and delighted me since he’s never been very interested in writing before!

Overall, I’ve been impressed with the kit. I was surprised that there weren’t more instructions included on how to teach some of the things. There were some basic guidelines, but based upon the description on the outside of the box (i.e. “Teach Your Preschooler in 20 Minutes Per Day”) I assumed that there would be more specific instructions on what you were supposed to do each day for those 20 minutes. Or at least some examples of how to structure your teaching time.

However, for the hours of education this kit has already provided — and the hours that I’m sure are yet to come! — I definitely think that it’s been a great addition to our preschool.

Teach My also offers kits for Toddlers and Babies, plus smaller learning kits. I don’t think anyone needs to buy a kit to teach their child and many of the things they offer in their kits could be easily recreated on your own using materials you already have on hand. That said, if you’d prefer to buy a pre-made kit, I think the Teach My kits are worth looking into.

And if you can’t afford the $50 price tag, never fear! I’m giving away six kits this weekend to my readers. If you’re one of the six winners, you’ll get to choose the kit of your choice.

To enter to win a Teach My Kit of your choice, just click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address. Six winners will be chosen and posted on Monday. This giveaway ends Sunday, February 24, at 11:59 pm, CST.

Enter the Giveaway

Educational Deals & Freebies Round-Up

by Crystal on January 07, 2013

Here are some of the best educational deals and freebies available right now from Katie who writes at Cincinnati Cents:

Kids’ Aluminum Water Bottles for $1.95: Totsy has a sale on their kids’ beverage containers, with their 12-ounce Aluminum Water Bottles priced at just $1.95. These bottles are ideal to pack with your child’s lunch for school each day. Plus, if you’re a new Totsy member, you’ll receive free shipping as well.

The Magic School Bus Chemistry Lab for $29.51 Shipped: Amazon has their Magic School Bus Chemistry Lab Kit on sale for $29.51. This set includes 51 experiment cards as well as a variety of supplies. Kids can create slime, sticky ice, and bubble sculptures, plus the set ships for free with Super Saver Shipping.

Free Sweethearts Candy Pre-K & Tot Packs: 2 Teaching Mommies is offering a free Valentine’s Day Pre-K & Tot Pack, based on Sweethearts Candy. This pack includes patterns, numbers, matching, spelling, and sequencing.

Insulated Lunch Bags for $7.75: Totsy has their lunch bags on sale, with prices as low as $7.75. These lunch bags are insulated, making them an inexpensive way to save money on your child’s lunch for school. Plus, if you’re a new Totsy member, you’ll receive free shipping as well.

Mini Masters Boxed Set for $13.59: Amazon has their Mini Masters Boxed Set on sale for $13.59. This set of 4 books includes the following titles – Dancing with Degas, A Picnic with Monet, A Magical Day with Matisse, and In the Garden with Van Gogh.

Free Winter Pre-K Pack: This Reading Mama is offering a free Winter Pre-K Pack. This pack includes several skills such as handwriting, initial letter sound picture activities, and number games.

Personalized Classroom Calendar for $5.32 Shipped: If you’re looking for an easy and fun way to organize your school year, Vistaprint currently is offering customers a free customized photo calendar plus the cost of shipping. You can upload your own photos into this calendar and you can add notes and icons into individual dates, making it a great way to plan out field trips, birthdays, and upcoming events. You will need to pay shipping which starts at just $5.32.

Free January e-Book Sampler: Download a free January e-Book Sampler from Teacher Created Resources. This resource includes studies on Ellis Island, Sir Isaac Newton, Martin Luther King Jr., and National Handwriting Day.

BIC Mechanical Pencils (24 ct.) for $5.64: Pick up a 24-pack of BIC Mechanical Pencils for just $5.64. This item is also eligible for free Super Saver Shipping with a purchase of $25 or more.

Free January Calendar Cards: Download a free set of January Calendar Cards from CurrClick. This set includes the days of the week, yesterday/today/tomorrow cards, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, and more.

Laminated World Wall Map for $11.53: Amazon has their Rand McNally’s Laminated World Wall Map on sale for $11.53. This map measures 50″ x 32″, and features clearly labeled country and city names for easy location.

Free Valentine’s Day Pre-K Pack: Download a free Valentine’s Day Pre-K Pack, compliments of Over the Big Moon. This pack includes puzzles, sequencing, vocabulary, pre-writing, and matching.

SunWorks Construction Paper (50 ct.) for $3.22 Shipped: Pick up a 50-ct. pack of SunWorks Construction Paper for $3.22. This paper is 12″ x 18″ in size, and ships for free as well.

Free Winter Educational Pack: Download a free Winter Educational Pack, compliments of 3 Dinosaurs. This pack includes puzzles, patterns, matching, addition, subtraction, and word matching.

Katie is a wife and homeschooling mother of four who writes at Cincinnati Cents about saving money and having fun as a family without breaking the bank. She enjoys sharing new recipes, ideas for frugal family fun, and tips for spending less at the grocery store.