Sabbatical..

Taking time off while awaiting the birth of our little girl. Should be any day now, but until then (and after for a little while at least), I will be taking a break from blogging.

Stick around or at least check back in from time to time. I'll be back....

Tuesday Free For All

Bringing you another week of freebies and sweepstakes...

FATHER'S DAY FREEBIES:

• TCBY - Dads can get a free cone or cup.
• Carrabba’s - Get a coupon for a free appetizer when you write a toast for dad.
• BJ’s Brewhouse - Dads can get a free commemorative pint glass with any beverage purchase, June 20th and 21st.
• Texas de Brazil - Get a free meal for dad with the purchase of another meal with this printable coupon.
• Smokey Bones - Get a coupon for a free lunch for dad (with the purchase of another meal).
• The Paste House Company - Each dad will get a free order of spaghetti with meat sauce and a free piece of cheesecake.
• Sears - Get $50 in Rewards Cash by mail when you buy $50 worth of men’s pants.
• ESPN Zone - Disney will be having a special Father’s Day Event Sunday June 21st from 9:30-11 AM. The event will include a free breakfast, giveaways and more. Guests need to RSVP by Monday June 15th.

OTHER FREEBIES:

• Get McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009 3-User Free after Rebate when you purchase it from Amazon.com! Purchase it for just $50 (plus Free Shipping!), then get a $50 Mail-in Rebate! Make sure you click where it says: Get McAfee VirusScan Plus 2009 for free, after mail-in rebate, only when you buy from Amazon.com. You will only be able to get it for free if you shop through that link.
• Get a Free Sample of a Great Value 90 Calorie Cereal Bar.
• Free Sample of Crest Pro-Health Enamel Shield Toothpaste
• Free Recycling Crafts eBook – 42 Crafts to reuse and recycle materials!
• Join the Godiva Chocolate Rewards Club to get lots of yummy perks – like Free Chocolate?!!
• Free Sample of Enfamil Baby Formula.
• Join the Nesquick Shakers to possibly receive coupons for free products and promotional items!
• Free Book by John MacArthur: The Jesus You Can’t Ignore.
• Get a Free GeoTrax DVD from Fisher Price.
• Free Sample of Tampax Pearl Tampons.
• Get Free Photos from CVS.
• Cellnique is offering a free Skin Action Sebum Gel sample. This offer is available internationally.
• Friday, July 10th is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A. Anyone who comes in on this day dressed like a cow will receive a free meal. Don’t have a costume? You can print one out here. Click here to find a Chick-fil-A near you.
• A&W is celebrating their 90th anniversary by offering free root beer floats on June 19th from 2-8pm. Participating locations only. Click here to find an A&W near you.
• The Home Depot is offering free 8 oz paint samples of Behr Premium Plus Ultra Paint and Primer in one. This offer is available in-store only.
• BJ’s Wholesale Club members can sign up to receive a free sample of Degree deodorant and a $2 off coupon. Available in CT, DE, FL, GA, ME, MD, NH, MA, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, and VA.
• Glidden is having a National Paint Giveaway. The order form and details for this giveaway will be up on their website starting 6/25/09. All is says right now is “pick out your favorite paint color and we will send you a free quart.”
• Kroger is offering a free Kotex Overnight sample. This offer is available to those living in AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, NC, OH, SC, TN, TX, WV. No membership number is needed.
• McAlister’s Deli is giving away free tea (Their tea is SO YUMMY!) to each customer all day on July 23rd. This offer is good at participating locations only. Click here to find a location near you.
• If you are an All You Reality Checker, you can sign up here for a free personal care or oral care product. If you are not an All You Reality Checker, click here to sign up.
• Macy’s is offering a free 2 week supply of Clinique All About Eyes or All About Eyes Rich. Just click here and check one of the boxes. On the next page you will see “Special Offer From Macy’s” on the left hand side. Click that and it will take you to where you can print the voucher. While supplies last.
• Free granola bar: Get a free sample of Great Value snack bars.
• Free travel guide: Get a free copy of Blue Ridge Parkway, a travel guide for Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
• Free floss sticks: Get a free sample box of Flix Stix floss in one.
• Seven Day Bally Guest Pass: Complete the form and get a free 7-day guest pass to Bally's Total Fitness gyms (US residents only)
• Strengthening Your Heart DVD: Complete the form to get a free copy of the Heartfelt for Life : Strengthening Your Heart DVD (US residents only)
• Stop Stroke Pocket Calendar: Register to receive the National Stroke Association's STOP Stroke 2009-2010 Monthly Pocket Calendar (US residents only)
• Sundiwear Stickers: Free samples of Sundiwear stickers, which allow you know when it's time to reapply sunscreen (US residents only)
• Flea and Tick Medicine: Just print out the coupons to get free flea and tick medicine for your pets (US residents only)
• Every weekday in June, Allure is giveaway a very limited amount of freebies (a couple hundred) to their readers who enter their giveaway here. The giveaways are suppose to start at 12 and 2 pm EST daily for two different products. Check out all the weekday giveaways here.
• Free pair Acuvue Oasys Contact Lenses HERE.
• Go here to request a free sample of GoodNites Underpants courtesy of CVS
• Go here to print your coupon for a free 12-oz. beverage at Border's/Seattle's Best Coffee. No purchase necessary. Coupon is good through June 18, 2009.

SWEEPSTAKES:

• Fitness Magazine Yoga Getaway Sweepstakes: One (1) winner will receive a one-week, all-inclusive package for two (2) to Rancho La Puerta, a prize worth more than $7,500! One entry allowed per household It ends: July 14, 2009
• AllPeopleQuilt.com Learn to Long-Arm Sweepstakes: One winner will win a trip to the University of Handi Quilter, worth $1,500! One entry allowed per household It ends: July 24, 2009
• Jimmy Jane Sweepstakes: Enter to win two Ember Natural Emollient Massage Candles Number of prizes: 1 Expires: July 13, 2009 12:00 a.m. ARV: $ 110.00
• Planet Beauty Sweepstakes: Enter to win a Pink Clarisonic Facial Brush Number of prizes: 1 Expires: June 17, 2009 12:00 a.m. ARV: $ 195.00
• BeingTrue Sweepstakes: Enter to win a Energy Work collection including the Energy Work Aroma Shower Gel and Energy Work Active Body Peel Number of prizes: 1 Expires: June 18, 2009 12:00 a.m. ARV: $ 68.00
• Shop.com Sweepstakes: Enter to a $100 gift card to shop.com Number of prizes: 1 Expires: June 22, 2009 12:00 a.m. ARV: $ 100.00
• Mission Skincare Sweepstakes: Enter to win a Mission Skincare Deluxe Bundle Kit Number of prizes: 1 Expires: June 23, 2009 12:00 a.m. ARV: $ 91.00
• Serena & Lily Sheet Set Sweepstakes: Freshen up the bed with these crisp, sophisticated sheets in soft blue and warm chocolate
• Polka Dog Cork Mess Mat Sweepstakes: Enter to win this adorable mess mat for your four-legged friend
• KitchenAid Dishwasher Sweepstakes: Enter to win the KitchenAid Superba Series EQ Dishwasher and a year’s supply of detergent and drying agent, courtesy of Finish Quantum
• Win a $500 American Express Gift Card: Enter the ELLE Magazine sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 American Express Gift Card (US residents only)
• Win Lost Seasons 1 and 2: Enter the MyJellyBean sweepstakes for a chance to win Lost Seasons 1 and 2 on Blu-ray (US residents only)
• Win a Bed Bath Beyond Gift Card: Enter the Classic Heartland sweepstakes for a chance to win a $100 Bed, Bath, and Beyond gift card (US residents only)
• Win a St. Kitts Vacation: Enter the Woman's Day sweepstakes for a chance to win a four day stay for two at St. Kitts (US residents only)
• Win $5000: Enter the Pedigree Dog Food sweepstakes for a chance to win $5000 in cash (US residents only)

*Huge thanks to my sources: Thunder Fap, PointClickHome, Weekly Freebie, Woman’s Day Magazine, "Deal"icious Mom, Elle Magazine, The Freebie Blogger, Couponing 101, Money Saving Mom, BeCentsAble, Centsible Sawyer & Better Homes & Gardens

Photo credit: wasabicube

Tuesday Free For All

Another week, more freebies. Go ahead and dive in, but when you are done, go thank those listed at the end of the post for collecting all of these goodies!

FREEBIES:

• Free binoculars: Get a free functional pair of binoculars for kids.
• Free shampoo: Get a free sample of Optimum Care Shampoo.
• Free Gatorade: Get a free bottle of Gatorade from Walgreens.
• Free Mr. Magic Eraser: get a free sample of Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser.
• Free Glade candle: Get a free Glade scented oil candle.
• REI Certificate and Prize: Fill out the form to get a free Certificate of Completion and a prize for your child (US residents only)
• Child Safe Kit: Complete the form to get a free Child Safe Kit (US residents only)
• Aveda Blends: Join their Birthday Program and get a free Aveda Personal Blends Pure-Fume or Body Care product (US residents only)
• Home Depot Moving: Planning on moving soon? Join Home Depot Moving to get tips, planning tools, and 10% off your next purchase (US residents only)
• Free Trivets: Complete the form to get free trivets for your tea (US residents only)
• Get a free piggy bank from Suave and Sam's here. Click the piggy in the upper right corner and fill our the form (membership info is not needed)
• Free Tampax Pearl sample from Wal-Mart here
• 2 Free Nexcare Bandages (limited supply given out daily until July 31st, one per email/household) here - Plus here is a coupon for $1 off 2 Nexcare Bandages (expires 12/09)
• PetIncredible.com is offering coupons for a free tube of Advantage Multi (flea and tick control) for cats and dogs. These coupons can be redeemed at participating vets through 6/30/09.
• Join the Firehouse Subs Birthday Club and receive a coupon for a free sub on your birthday. Click here to find a location near you.
• Walgreens Take Care Clinics are offering free Men’s Health Evaluations (a $59 value) on June 16th. The evaluations are for men ages 18-65. Not available at select Pennsylvania locations. Click here to find a location near you.
• Would you like to teach your daughter homemaking skills? Then you'll definitely want to check out this wonderful freebie. Right now you can download the entire Future Christian Homemaker's Handbook for free.
• Free Reusable Water Bottle from Juicy Juice! This freebie is available for a limited time. If you’d prefer, you could choose a Sippy Cup or Nutrition Guide instead.
• Free Sample of Carefree Liners
• You can get a Home Depot Fence or Deck design software download free through 6/17/09. International.
• Go here to print a coupon for three free Fekkai hair product samples from Sephora.

SWEEPSTAKES:

• Wool Ottoman Sweepstakes: Adorned with laser-cut flowers—this pouf was a Design 100 favorite. Enter to win the best seat in the house.
• Wamsutta’s Harborside Bedding Set for The Disney Resort Collection Sweepstakes: Feel like you are on vacation in your own bed
• Moen Kitchen Faucet Sweepstakes: Enter to win this faucet with pullout spout for a more efficient sink
• Custom Stationery Sweepstakes: Enter to win a gift certificate to InvitationConsultants.com and create the chicest personalized stationary, invites, or announcement cards
• The Ultimate AGA Experience (Sponsored Sweepstakes): Win 1 of 3 guided trips for two to England, complete with cooking classes and five-star accommodations!
• Win a Lake Tahoe Getaway: Enter the Woman's Day sweepstakes for a chance to win a four day trip for two to The Village of Squaw Valley Resort in Lake Tahoe, CA (US residents only)
• Win a Canon 30D Camera: Enter the Classic Heartland sweepstakes for a chance to win a Canon 30D Digital Camera (US residents only)
• Win a Trip to Comic-Con: Enter the IGN sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip for two to attend Comic-Con in San Diego, CA (US residents only)
• Win a Yamaha ATV: Enter the Outdoors sweepstakes for a chance to win a new Yamaha Grizzly 550 ATV (US residents only)
• Being True Sweepstakes: Enter to win a Energy Work collection including the Energy Work Aroma Shower Gel and Energy Work Active Body Peel Number of prizes: 1 Expires: Wednesday June 24 2009 ARV: $68.00
• Lush Sweepstakes: Enter to win a tub of Gorgeous facial moisturizer by Lush Number of prizes: 1 Expires: June 10, 2009 12:00 a.m. ARV: $ 84.45
• Glowelle Sweepstakes: Enter to win a 7-day kit of Glowelle beauty drink dietary supplement and travel pouch Number of prizes: 1 Expires: June 15, 2009 12:00 a.m. ARV: $ 40.00
• Nexxus Salon Challenge Sweepstakes: Enter to win a package of must-have hair products to help transform your hair for the summer Number of prizes: 1 Expires: June 15, 2009 12:00 a.m. ARV: $ 1,500.00
• Prismera Design Sweepstakes: Enter to win a gold "Sweet" gem necklace by Prismera Design Number of prizes: 1 Expires: June 16, 2009 12:00 a.m. ARV: $ 138.00
• Planet Beauty Sweepstakes: Enter to win a Pink Clarisonic Facial Brush Number of prizes: 1 Expires: June 17, 2009 12:00 a.m. ARV: $ 195.00
• Better Homes and Gardens Season-Long Wildlife Garden Giveaway: One (1) winner will win $3,000 worth of plants to create their own dream garden! One entry allowed per household It ends: August 8, 2009
• Parents Daily Giveaway: Enter daily for your chance to win baby gear, toys and more. New prizes every day! One entry allowed per day It ends: December 31, 2009
• BTV Credit Card Sweeps: One (1) lucky winner will win $2,500 to pay off their credit card! One entry allowed per day. Sweepstake Ends: July 31, 2009
  

*Huge thanks to my sources: Thunder Fap, PointClickHome, Weekly Freebie, Woman’s Day Magazine, "Deal"icious Mom, Elle Magazine, The Freebie Blogger, Couponing 101, & Better Homes & Gardens

Photo credit: Sanandreas

Father's Day Reminder

Father's Day will be coming up soon (June 21st). Just so you have plenty of time to arrange for gift-giving for your dad or your hubby (or son or whoever), I am adding links to the series I did last year about Father's Day Gifts.

10 Awesome Father's Day Ideas - Part 1 of 5

10 Awesome Father's Day Ideas - Part 2 of 5

10 Awesome Father's Day Ideas - Part 3 of 5

10 Awesome Father's Day Ideas - Part 4 of 5

10 Awesome Father's Day Ideas - Part 5 of 5

Friday Faves - New Office Policy

Received this as part of an email. I had to laugh...hysterically. Hope you enjoy it as well!

EFFECTIVE AUGUST 1, 2009

NEW OFFICE POLICY

Dress Code:
1) You are advised to come to work dressed according to your salary.
2) If we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we will assume you are doing well financiallyand therefore do not need a raise.
3) If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a raise.
4) If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a raise.

Sick Days:
We will no longer accept a doctor's statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.

Personal Days:
Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year.They are called Saturdays & Sundays.

Bereavement Leave:
This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend the funeral arrangements in your place. In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early.

Bathroom Breaks:
Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet.There is now a strict three-minute time limit in the stalls. At the end of three minutes, an alarm willsound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the stall door will open, and a picture will be taken. After your second offense, your picture will be posted on the company bulletin board under the 'Chronic Offenders'category. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sectioned under the company's mental health policy.

Lunch Break:
Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more, so that they can look healthy.
Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure.
Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim-Fast.

Thank you for your loyalty to our company. We are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore,all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and input should be directed elsewhere.

The Management

FREE Doughnuts on Friday

Nothing piques the interest of a pregnant woman like the words "Free" and "Doughnuts" used together. At least that is true about this pregnant woman.

Tomorrow, Friday the 5th of June is National Doughnut Day and the two most popular national chains are helping us all celebrate.

First off, I will go with the master of doughnut deliciousness...Krispy Kreme. Seriously...the originals will melt in your mouth like cotton candy when they are hot and fresh.


On Friday, Krispy Kreme will give each customer one doughnut of their choice. No purchase necessary. Find a Krispy Kreme near you.

For those of you unfortunate enough to not have a local Krispy Dream Kreme nearby, you can hopefully rely on having a local Dunkin' Donuts to help you celebrate as well.

Dunkin' Donuts is offering one free doughnut of your choice with EACH beverage purchase (basically buy a drink and get a doughnut to go with it) while supplies last (seriously...does anyone think they will actually RUN OUT of doughnuts?!). Find a Dunkin’ Doughnuts near you.

So, go out and get yours today. Even if you weren't planning on it, do it in honor of all of us very pregnant women who need a treat. =)

Must Haves for Our Baby

I know, I know. Everyone has different tastes and preferences. Different children have different personalities and therefore different needs. However, with this second child almost here, it is amazing how much less STUFF seems essential. In fact, I had to laugh when we were registering for baby gifts at Babies R Us at the list of items the store recommended as "essential." We've gotten along just fine without them for the first one. I'm now going to review what I think are essential...and non-essential...baby needs...at least for our household.

ESSENTIAL FOR THE NESPYS:

1. Nursing Pillow--Yes, we fell victim and were convinced to buy a Boppy when Patrick was born. You know what? It was a life-saver! For the short time that he actually nursed (just one week due to problems he had latching on), it was great. However, from there on out when he was drinking from a bottle, the pillow was still the way to go. I used it, my husband used it, the nanny used it. It was great. Later it also served to help him sit up a little and for supervised tummy time. In fact, we plan on reusing it for our little girly on the way.
2. Breast Pump--I used a Medela hospital grade pump the first time because I committed myself to full-time pumping. I wanted him to have the benefits of breastmilk, but due to his latching issues, I would have to dedicate time to pumping a lot. This meant that I needed a quick, effective pump that would quickly express all I needed in 10-15 minutes. It worked like a charm and once I returned to work, I was able to pump just twice a day for no more than 15 minutes and supply the child with 2-3 meals easily. This is a must for working moms who desire to supply breastmilk to their newborns or moms for children who can't/won't nurse properly.
3. Milk Storage Bags--Related to Item #3 are these bags. We used the Gerber ones, as they worked fine for us. I stored them with the oldest bags/milk in the front of the freezer and was able to use them when baby hit a growth spurt and I needed to train my body to "catch up" with his new appetite or for the occasional middle-of-the-night-exhaustion-induced spillage of milk while preparing.
4. Bottles--Everyone has their preferences, but we used the Playtex VentAire system. So many recommend higher end bottles, but these worked beautifully for us. They were easy to clean, did not require liners (which although inexpensive, add up price-wise over time), easy to find nipples for and we were quite successful with them. They do require that you put them together properly to avoid leaking, but due to their construction, they are SO easy to clean. Regardless of what kind you choose, make sure you find one that has a nipple that is agreeable with your child.
5. Stationary Exercise Table (aka Exersaucer)--I know, I know. So many people say that these are non-essential. And truly...essential is not really the word I would use for this, but so very valuable a purpose ours served when our son was small. We used it to contain and entertain him while we ate dinner (as he ate earlier than we did and had playtime during our dinner sitting next to us in his saucer) or while we prepared meals.
6. Boudreaux's Butt Paste: What?! You heard me. I don't know if this is a product that can be found nationally, but if it is, GO GET SOME for your little one's diaper rash needs. I hesitated buying anything called "butt paste" for our child, but after reading that it worked miracles, I bought a small tube to try. Wow...was I amazed! This stuff worked when "competing" products couldn't make any impact. It was a little more expensive, but so worth it since I didn't have to use nearly as much to solve rash problems!
7. Gas Drops: So we had a gassy baby and these provided much needed rest for us. I would recommend having some on hand!

NON-ESSENTIAL FOR THE NESPYS:

1. Hooded Towels/Tiny Washcloths: Yes, they are cute and we have some from the first baby and have received some cute ones for this second one. But seriously...a regular sized towel and wash cloth are just fine.
2. High Chair: What?! How can this be? We truly did not spend $200 on a high chair for our child. Nope. Just a booster seat. It had a tray that could be used like a high chair or it could slide right up to the table when the child gets older. To prevent a messy chair underneath, I kept an old bath towel under the seat that could easily be removed and either shaken off or washed as needed. It worked beautifully for us and only cost around $20-$30. Hooray!
3. Shopping Cart Covers: Maybe you have a child more prone to accidents than our first was. Or maybe your grocery store does not have wet wipes on the wall next to the cart storage area. Or maybe I'm more for "building their immunity" than you are. However, we were given one of these with our son and never...not once...used it. Maybe I'm reckless, but riding in the cart never killed me, so I didn't assume my son would get any dreadful disease from it. And he didn't. Therefore, I am not too concerned about having one for my daughter either.
4. Wipe Warmer: This is a non-essential that we had and used frequently. But only because my mom was convinced that those nasty cold wipes were upsetting him (he got over it when we used the ones from the diaper bag, but hey...who am I to argue with Nana?). It was probably nicer than a cold wipe...especially in the winter when he was tiny, but completely unnecessary in the grand scheme of things.
5. Bath Robe: They are terribly adorable. Our son wore his after his first bath. And then never again. It wasn't practical because we still needed to get him dressed. It made for some cute pictures. The same robe will probably be reused for the same purpose with this child. And then never again.
6. Pacifiers: This is just for us with our firstborn, as we know different child have different needs and the girl we have on the way may be a pacifier-baby. They seemed great for our son when he was tiny (which some people don't recommend them before they are 3 months or so anyway), once he was about 6-8 weeks old and found his thumb, we never needed another one. Now we just have to get our 3-year old to stop sucking his thumb!
7. Diaper Stacker: We had/have one with each of the nursery bedding sets we've had because it came with the set. And we used the one we had with our son (the baby on the way, we've yet to see if it gets used), but seriously...they work just as well out of a drawer or the box/package they come in. It's not as cute that way, but the cuteness of the diaper stacker is lost quickly in my opinion.

So that's my list. It's not a recommendation for you necessarily...it's just what we found to be true for us with our first child.

What about you? What items have been your life-savers or a complete waste of your money?