General Mills Wants YOU to Have a Healthier Family

Hello again, all. I hope you had a great Christmas as we did and that you have a safe and happy New Year's Eve and Day as well! I will be back to my regularly scheduled blogging platform next Monday.

For now though, I wanted to tell you about something awesome that General Mills is doing to improve its products and help us all have healthier families.

A couple of weeks ago, General Mills announced that it would be lowering the sugar content in its ready-to-eat cereals. They have already lowered some of the sweeter ones and added nutrients, but they are expanding their efforts by lowering the sugar content in cereals targeted to children down to single-digit grams.

For those of us with little time on our hands, cereal is a great fall back for both kids and ourselves. Although I would love to be able to cook a nice warm breakfast for the family on a daily basis, I will admit that it's just not going to happen more frequently than on the weekends. And honestly, eating cereal and milk is much healthier for all of us, including the kids, than eating nothing at all since breakfast kick starts our day!

General Mills decided in 2005 to add whole grain to its cereals that did not previously contain them and really boost the health benefits from their products. They now provide a large dose of whole grains for kids and a very small percentage of the sugar consumption for kids' days.

How are they going to help you benefit from their decision? Well, in addition to just making healthier choices, you can do it for less! Visit this link and print a -$1.00 coupon for one of four General Mills cereals. Since it's a bricks coupon, use your back button and print it a second time to really reap the rewards!

Go do it now. I'm going to go finish the bowl of cereal that I'm eating while I type this!

*I was contacted by General Mills through MyBlogSpark to inform you of these changes to their products. They provided me with the information for my review, the link to the coupons, and some coupons for free boxes of cereal for "payment" for this review. The opinions are strictly mine and are not affected by the coupons. I usually buy GM cereals myself, and this was just an added bonus to get them for free! =)

8 Numbers to Have in Your Cell Phone

1. ICE Number—“In Case of Emergency” numbers are now suggested for your cell phone. Some phones have a slot pre-programmed into the contact list for you. For those that don’t…just put something like “ICE-Husband”. This is a number that emergency workers can contact in case of an accident or emergency of any type.
2. Insurance Agent—You will won’t this one on your person if you are ever in an auto accident. Some people have also used it to avoid going to jail when they did not have their insurance card on their person during a traffic stop (although I will not promise this will work for you). A definite to have on hand.
3. Pharmacy—Great to call in refills, call with questions about medications, or to check store hours when you need to run out for medicine late.
4. Childcare—In case you need to call them because you are running late to pick your child up or need to make arrangements for someone else to pick them up for another reason.
5. Boss—You never know when you will get held up on the way to work (highway accident, unexpected construction, family emergency) and need to call in to tell him/her you will be late.
6. Roadside Assistance #/Tow Truck—Make sure you know how to get in touch with someone in case you are stranded on the highway. Whether it be a tow company, a local repair shop, or AAA, make sure you know who to call.
7. Local Take Out Place—You’re running late home from work or just want to surprise the family with your favorite take-out. Make sure you have it on your person so you don’t have to find a phone book to call them for a pick up order.
8. Doctor’s Office—Always good to have for questions, emergency appointment needs, or referrals.

Photo credit: mihow

O Come Let Us Adore Him

Merry Christmas to you all.

Now stop reading blogs and go celebrate the birth of the King of Kings!

photo credit: debsch

Please Help Me Out

If you haven't already done so, please click here and answer a quick survey that can hopefully help me improve this blog!

Thanks again and Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to All!

I will be taking the remainder of this week off due to the holiday season upon us. I will post again next Monday (it's already prescheduled), but otherwise might not be back again until January 4th for any real postings.

See you then!

8 People to Remember at Christmas

I am going to use the characters in the Christmas story to discuss 7 groups of people that we need to remember here at the holiday season. Why only seven? Well, Jesus is the eighth and He doesn’t represent anyone but Himself.

1. Jesus—The “Reason for the Season”, right? I won’t get on my soapbox about the commercialization of Christmas or the abuse of the holiday. I will just simply state that He IS the very reason for Christmas whether we acknowledge it or not, and it would be in our best interest to do so.
2. Mary—Ahhh….how can we sum up Mary? She was a scared girl. She was asked to face a lot of hardship. She was called to carry a child out of wedlock in the face of a society where it was greatly shunned. She was asked to love a child that would be hated by His society. She was asked to give her heart away to a son who would be murdered one day by the very people He came to love. She was asked to do a number of tasks, and she accepted her lot in life humbly, obediently, and willingly. She gave her heart to a task that would one day break it. Let’s remember those who give their entire life breathing on this earth to following through with God’s place, regardless of how much they will sacrifice to do so.
3. Joseph—Joseph was a man entrusted with a great task. He was expected to provide for his family as the man of the household. Greater than that, he was to take his meager occupation and use it to raise the very Son of God. He was called to be the father of the Son. He had a great task ahead of him with limited resources. He was the one that God entrusted His Son to while on this earth. He was given the task to be a role-model within his own means. Let’s remember those who are working hard to provide for their families and doing the best with what they have been given.
4. 3 Wise Men/Kings/Magi—Remember when Jesus noted that to those who have been given much that much will be expected? The Magi are representative of those people. You see, they were scholars and very wealthy men in their day. They had been gifted with both talents and resources and both were used to honor Jesus for Christmas. They brought Him gifts acknowledging their submission as well as who He was. They were obedient to God and used their wealth to give to Him. Let’s remember those who, despite their wealth, can humble themselves before the King.
5. Shepherds—This lowly group of men were considered one of the lowest caste in society. However, if you will note, they were the first to hear the news of Christ’s birth. God remembered the lowly and even honored them by sending messengers directly to them. They honored Him in turn by proclaiming the good news to all they came in contact with. I’m sure that those who would not have been told by the rich and powerful got the message that night when they might have otherwise never known. Let’s remember that the very least in our midst might be mighty members of God’s creation.
6. Angels—The very messengers of God. His creation. They proclaimed in God’s glory the announcement of Jesus’ birth. We should remember those who have been called to share the news of Jesus. May they only use their proclamations to draw attention to the center of the festivities.
7. Innkeeper—There was no actual innkeeper in the Bible, but we have always created one in the stories since there was an inn, so someone must have been running the place. It’s sad that since it was time for the census that Joseph & Mary were turned away due to an overcrowding in the tiny town of Bethlehem. Let’s remember those who are so focused on the busyness and chaos of this life that we neglect to see what is really happening in their very midst. They need our prayers for peace and calm.
8. Donkey—The true ministry tool of this story. The donkey was a beast of burden and used to carry Mary, Joseph & their belongings to Bethlehem. Let’s remember that there are many ministries in the world working to bring Christ to a dark world in a very real, hands-on way. They are loving through tasks and deeds because that is what they have been called to do. As with the donkey, they might get no true high praise from men on this earth, but the recipient of their works will never forget them.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Photo credit: bishopitalia

Weekend Round-Up #21

Back again for the round up of this week's blog posts and articles that I felt were worth passing along to you. This will be the last one before Christmas, so I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday season!

Now, onto the reading....


FINANCIAL

• Organization Saves Money at 20s Money offers several means of saving money via organization. You should check it out...these two topics are two of my favorite things. =)
• Four Simple but Costly Money Mistakes at Money Under 30 is seriously worth the read. Great stuff.
• Debt Reduction Takes Tough Love at Money Under 30 is another reminder that it is sometimes hard to keep the ultimate goal in sight when surrounded by others who aren't on a similar trek.
• No more P&G coupons on Kroger cards at MSN's Smart Spending answered the question of "why?" that I had when I heard this. I hope this isn't a trend! I love my ecoupons!
• Do You Deserve To Spend? Is It Ok To Splurge Even When You Don’t Have The Money? at Bible Money Matters approaches this question. You've gotta' know the answer, but even though I "know" the answer, I sometimes still try to justify splurges when I'm on a budget. What is it about not being able to do something makes it that much more appealing?!

FAMILY/LIFE

• Coupons: Helping or Hurting Healthy Eating Goals? at MSN Health addresses issues that many people bring up about a downside of couponing. What can you learn from this article?

FAITH

• Saying Merry Christmas. at Stuff Christians Like offers what Jon always offers...a humorous way to look at an issue of real importance. Thanks again Jon for the laughs and the thoughts you provoke.
• The Moment of Impact published at Higher Calling Blogs by Dan King of BibleDude.net still has me smiling. It can be so frightening, yet so easy, to change the course of a life sometimes.

FUN

• Guerrilla Handbell Strikeforce at Improv Everywhere offers another glimpse at a task performed by a group of fun and inventive people!
• Charitable Mis-Trust at Not Always Right made me feel sorry for this poor kid! I wonder what ever happened to him?
• Barely Scratched The Surface at Not Always Right also had to be included because I felt good about my homemaking skills after reading this one!
• Pick My Plate at Tyler Stanton's blog is sure to offer some fun when the voting begins!
• Ask Jesus’ Grandma by Shaun Groves made me smile. To see life through the eyes of a child again...
• live nativities at Jesus Needs New PR made me laugh a feel slightly guilty about doing so. I know that God will smile upon anything done with a pure and sincere heart, but some of the commentary (and the truth behind it) just made me laugh. Too funny.

FAVORITE NEW SITE OF THE WEEK

• Kids Eat For gives you a big breakdown of places in a local city where kids eat free! What's not to love?!

Photo credit: danyba

In Need of Your Help...

I am in need of some help from my readers. Whether you visit daily, read via a reader or feed, or this is your first trip to Mrs. Nespy's Frugal World, please take a moment to click the above survey link (or click through to the site if you are on a reader) to help me improve my blog!

Thanks!

Tuesday Free For All

Another Tuesday, another Free for All. Go ahead and check out the free goodies below. Make sure to visit the sources and enter your favorite giveaways in the linky below.

Happy Freebie-ing. =)

FREEBIES

• Through December 24, 2009, Safeway-affiliated stores are offering a freebie with a $20 minimum purchase. While I don't recommend going to Safeway everyday and spending $20 just so you can get the freebie, if you're already planning a trip or two there in the next two weeks, you'll definitely want to take advantage of this! Click here or visit your Safeway-affiliate website to print your coupons.
• Movie Gallery is having a free Tan Day in a level 1 or 2 bed, on Saturday 12/19/09, at tanning location inside a Movie Gallery. Some restrictions may apply. Click here for a location near you.
• Go here to download a free copy of Mason Jar Recipes: 34 Holiday Ideas for Gifts in a Jar. This ebook has 77 pages of wonderful and delicious gift-in-a-jar recipes which would be great to make and give as gifts this Christmas season!
• Maclaren is offering free Hinge Covers which can be attached to the elbow joints of their existing strollers. These are for Maclaren strollers only, some strollers may already have hinge covers.
• Sign up here for a free Lesson Sampler from The Homemaker's Mentor. This Lesson Sampler includes a rag quilt tutorial, free menu plans, recipes, and much more. If you like all things related to homemaking, you'll love this freebie!
• Go here to request a free 2010 calendar from Dellalo Italian Foods which comes full of coupons and recipes.
• Military personnel can register to receive a free Military Care Package including items like beanies, a deck of cards and a complimentary hour of internet access from Scion. Care Packages will ship to the U.S. and any APO or FPO addresses.
• Get a free $20 1-800-Flowers Savings Pass when you sign up for their email club. This offer ends 12/31/09 and is available to U.S. residents.
• DailyLit.com is offering over 900 books for download that can be read on any computer or mobile device. Just choose a book you want to read and receive short installments by email or RSS feed then choose the day and time you want to read. International.
• Purchase any Olay Quench Body Lotion (excluding trial size) and receive a rebate check by mail. Purchase must be made by January 29, 2010 and postmarked by February 12, 2010. Offer available to U.S. residents only.
• Click here to listen to the entire Story of Esther for free from The Bible in Living Sound.
• If you have unlimited texting on your phone, text COOKING to 467-467 and you'll receive a recipe book from ShopText filled with great holiday recipes from Making Life Better. Offer expires December 31, 2009.
• Free Sample of Gas-X Thin Strips
• Receive a free Medium Coffee Coupon at Dunkin Donuts when you sign up with the code DDPERKSCoffee. Coupon will come by mail.
• Free Sample of Kotex
• Print this coupon good for one Free Item ($13 Value) with your purchase of $10 or more at Bath & Body Works. Paired with a great sale, you’ll be able to score a few good deals for some holiday gifts! Coupon is valid until December 24th!
• Free Sample of Kotex Overnight
• Free Sample of Mean Green Hand Scrub
• Free Sample of Stacy’s Pita Chips
• Another Free Sample of Stacy’s Pita Chips
• Free Sample of Calvin Klein’s New Fragrance for Men
• Free Holiday Music from iTunes and Amazon.
  

SWEEPSTAKES

• Cupcake Keepsake Box Sweepstakes: Sweet storage for your precious things
• Tyler & Friends Dog Bed Sweepstakes: Your furry friend will love this whimsical lounger
• The Conran Shop Nesting Bowls Sweepstakes: This colorful collection is handy and stylish addition to the kitchen
• Modern Coat Rack Sweepstakes: What better way to hang your hat than in cutting-edge style?
• Yak Pak Sweepstakes: Enter to win a Megu handbag Number of prizes: 2 Expires: Friday December 18 2009 ARV: $25.00
• Kendra Scott Sweepstakes: Enter to win a pair of gem earrings in crimson Number of prizes: 1 Expires: Thursday December 17 2009 ARV: $100.00
• Cristina V. Sweepstakes: Enter to win a gold Cristina V. bauble ring in green Number of prizes: 1 Expires: Wednesday December 16 2009 ARV: $129.00
• Fair Trade Product Basket Giveaway: Enter to win an eco-friendly bag chockful of Fair Trade products Number of prizes: 10 Expires: Sunday January 24 2010 ARV: $55.00
• Energizer Prize Package Giveaway: Power up your holiday gifts with this array of Energizer products. Number of prizes: 5 Expires: Tuesday January 19 2010 ARV: $200.00
• Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Rewind Bagless Upright Vacuum Giveaway: Enter to win a lightweight, powerful Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Rewind Bagless Upright Vacuum Number of prizes: 10 Expires: Tuesday December 22 2009 ARV: $129.99
• T.J. Maxx “Maxxinista” $600 Shopping Spree Giveaway: Enter to win a $600 T.J. Maxx gift card Number of prizes: 1 Expires: Sunday December 20 2009 ARV: $600.00
• zBoost Car Unit Cell Phone Booster Giveaway: Enter to win a cell phone signal booster for your car Number of prizes: 10 Expires: Saturday December 19 2009 ARV: $179.00
• El Conquistador Resort, Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Getaway Giveaway: Enter to win a four-day, three-night stay for a family of four at the El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico Number of prizes: 1 Expires: Wednesday December 16 2009 ARV: $1,000.00
• Gone with the Wind Sweeps: Ten (10) winners will receive "Gone with the Wind" DVD, retail value $69.92. One entry allowed per day. Sweepstakes Ends: December 17, 2009
• Traditional Home Blue for the Holidays Sweepstakes: Five (5) winners will each receive a $200 specialty pet store gift card! One entry allowed per day It ends: December 31, 2009
• ReadyMade Way to Roll Sweepstakes: One (1) winner will receive his and hers bikes from Electra plus a $500 REI gift card, a prize package worth $1,500! One entry allowed per day It ends: January 31, 2010
• Formica®180fx™ Kitchen Upgrade Sweepstakes: One (1) grand prize winner will receive a prize package including an in-home kitchen design consultation with a Better Homes and Gardens design consultant and much more. See official rules for complete details. One entry allowed per household It ends: February 8, 2010

GIVEAWAYS

*Huge thanks to my sources: PointClickHome, Woman’s Day Magazine, The Freebie Blogger, Money Saving Mom, Couponing 101, The Good Deal Gal, Sisterly Savings, "Deal"icious Mom, & Better Homes & Gardens

Photo credit: kimandchris2

8 Christmas Movies/Specials We Watch

Tis the season to feed our Christmas-season-watching desire. What we will have to include?

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965 - TV) - We watched this last Tuesday night with Patrick for the first time. A true classic with the RIGHT message.
2. Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983 - TV) - Also watched with Patrick last Tuesday night. As the kids get older this will of course fade into the background (although the others cannot...I will not allow that). But while they are young and like Disney, we can tell a classic story through those characters.
3. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) - (after the younger kids are asleep, of course) - This is actually my family's "traditional" Christmas movie to watch together.
4. Elf (2003) - LOVE IT! Seriously bound to be a classic.
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 - TV) - I haven't seen the movie version, but the cartoon is definitely a classic
6. A Christmas Story (1983) - I hate this movie. Let me repeat myself. I. Hate. This. Movie. But Chip loves it, and Patrick is sure to as well, and those are two really good reasons that I will sit in while it plays across our screen.
7. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - By far a classic in the purest sense. I feel like this is one I have to watch or it's just not Christmas.
8. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964 - TV)/Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970 - TV)/Frosty the Snowman (1969) (TV) - This must be listed as one because if you watch one, you must watch them all. The originals. I don't care so much for the "spin offs."

Honorable Mention:

• Home Alone (1990) (the original one only...the others were pathetic) - We don't normally watch this one, but it is a good family movie and one Patrick is sure to love with all of its slap-stick type fun.
• The Santa Clause (1994) - This one has good potential. It's a cute movie.
• The Nativity Story (2006) - There was some controversy in the making of this movie that surrounded some of the actors, but after watching the movie last year (or maybe the previous year), I have nothing but good things to say about it personally. It takes some artistic liberties to fill in gaps where the actual Christmas story leaves some unknowns, but it seems very plausible in its telling.

Is it wrong that Elf and Christmas Vacation made the list while the Nativity Story only made an honorable mention? I actually feel really bad about that, but honestly the top 8 are the ones that we will see this year.

Weekend Round-Up #20

Another week of good reading to recommend to you:

FINANCIAL:

• 6 Holiday Shopping No-Nos from BeingFrugal.net can help keep you financially in check during this busy shopping season
• 10 Frugal Gifts I’m Giving at Frugal Hacks has some great ideas!
• How to Handle an Expensive Social Calendar at Northern Cheapskate is both a reminder and confirmation that this holiday season does HAVE to be out of budget.
• Trashing old credit cards? Be careful at MSN Money gives some great tips on protecting your identity and credit!
• 50 Frugal Gifts You Can Give This Christmas at Bible Money Matters had some great ideas!
• How To Teach Young Children About Money at Bible Money Matters had some great ideas for any family.
• Money morality: legit to shop at thrift stores? at Bargain Babe featured her quandary about an issue that was weighing on her conscience. Head over and offer her your opinion on the matter!
• Frugal failures: When DIY goes wrong at MSN's Money Central proposes that it is often more frugal to hire out some tasks.
• 7 Free Toys Your Kids Will Love More Than Expensive Gifts at My Super-Charged Life reminded me that I really don't have to go overboard to make my children happy for ANY holiday--they really are simple and imaginative creatures!

FAMILY/LIFE:

• 7 Strategies for Keeping the Internet from Taking Over Your Life over at Michael Hyatt's blog offered some advice that too many of us need to heed!
• Not knowing what to do with Santa. at Stuff Christians Like is a topic hot on my mind this year. What about you?
• 100 Ways To A Stress Free Christmas at Dumb Little Man offers some tips that we'll ALL need to use at least one of this upcoming holiday season!

FAITH:

• Looking for Jesus was a guest post by Billy Coffey over at Hey look, a chicken and is a reminder about our perspectives here at the Christmas season.
• Taking Back the Bible from Liberals at The Church of No People addressed an issue I had read about just the day before this post. I am a conservative person, both personally, politically, and in my faith, but this is preposterous! (I don't know that I've ever actually used the word preposterous.)
• A Reply To Those People by Shaun Groves was a great eye-opener to me. While I don't want Jesus taken out of Christmas in public, maybe I should make sure my heart is in the right place first.
• The Red Gloves at Getting Down with Jesus is a look at what one blogger did with Billy Coffey's $10 Challenge. What a touching story.

FUN:

• Adventures with Edward: Edward and the infomercial at Adventures with Edward make me truly crack up. You must know that I AM a Twilight fan (the books, not the movies) and we have a stuffed leather donkey that we take places and photograph as a tourist. So this really fed a niche for both of these items.
• Losing At Candyland by Kearsie from Sounds Like Tomatoes and Adventures with Edward had me rolling.
• Cake Wrecks has an unending supply of bad holiday cakes here, here, here, and here.
• Feelings About Monopoly Over Time at Graph Jam gave a visual representation of an old familiar feeling....
• Flipping Out at Not Always Right was one of several that made me giggle this week.

FAVORITE NEW SITE OF THE WEEK:

• Jesus Needs New PR - Sometimes people's good intentions should be communicated differently.

Have a great weekend and have fun reading some of these!

Photo credit: ba1969

Friday Faves - Who Started Christmas

My boss forwarded me this email...I thought I would pass it along.

This morning I heard a story on the radio of a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable. And after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car.

She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot."

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond,"Don't worry we already crucified him."


For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.

Photo credit: debeverage & LevetaLindley

One of the Best Example of Holiday Thoughtfulness

One time, about 10 years ago, my sister amazed me. Truly amazed me with her giving and thoughtfulness

Don't get me wrong...I'm not trying to imply she is not thoughtful or giving, but I watched her do something that never would have crossed my mind.

On Christmas Eve, she took an entire cooked ham, with trimmings, two gallons of sweet tea, and a red velvet cake to her local fire station. They didn't know she was coming. She just showed up with the meal around mid to late afternoon and gave it to them.

I was floored.

What an awesome way to thank those guys who had to work their shift on Christmas. Those guys who risk their lives to protect the general pubic. Those guys who obviously were going to be celebrating with their fire station family that night.

They make sacrifices every day. Sacrifices much greater than the money it took to buy the groceries for that meal. Sacrifices much greater than the time and effort it took her to prepare that dinner. Sacrifices much more than braving the icy rain encountered while delivering it.

I saw her in that moment not as the big sister that she has always been, but as someone who was truly generous and someone to emulate.

Photo credit: jamesacampbell

Holy Moo, What a Deal!

Hurry and snag this up before it is gone.

Aveda is offering a free Body Care Trio set (a $19 value) with any purchase using coupon code BODYGIFT129. Also, free standard shipping on all orders and as you proceed through checkout, you are offered 2 additional free samples!

The Body Care Trio set includes:

• 25ml Deluxe Size Hand Relief
• 10ml Sample of Foot Relief
• 50ml Calming Body Cleanser

What did I order? Smoothing Body Polish 1.8 Oz for $4.50 although there are a few (even) cheaper items:

• Refillable Lip Color Case $3
• Rosemary Mint Hand and Body Wash 1.7 Oz $4
• Energizing Body Cleanser 1.7 Oz $4

So I just paid $4.50 plus $0.32 in tax for $23.50 worth of items (which would have been $25.15 after tax was added) PLUS an additional two samples that I chose and have no idea what the value is (although I'm guessing about $4 each)! Rock on! This will be perfect for an aunt that I was told recently will be at our Christmas festivities this year!

Go get yours now! Be warned that the site is slow due to heavy traffic, but just be patient and it will pay off!

WFMW - Helping Baby Dress

With a new baby in the house, I am always looking for tricks to help me out in dealing with this little one. And although this isn't my first time around, I certainly can't claim to know everything.

However, I have discovered a "hack" to help me dress our daughter.

When putting on a shirt, she often likes to bend her arms or make them almost completely limp, making it hard to get her little arms through a long-sleeve and successfully out the other end. I found out though, if I just stick my index finger through the wrist of the sleeve and poke her hand, like any baby will, she will immediately grasp my finger with her precious little hand and hold on (for dear life it seems). I can then easily pull her arm all the way out the end with little effort and time on my part.

So that's What Works for Me. Go visit We Are THAT Family and see what works for everyone else!


Photo credit: Victoria Bjorkman

Tuesday Free For All

Sorry this posting is a little late going up. I did apologize and try to show you an offer for a possible gift for someone on your list (or yourself) to make up for it. =)

As usual, enjoy the freebies and sweepstakes featured here and go visit the sources of these findings, which are linked below, to give them some traffic love for posting them in the first place!

As always, in the giveaway section link to a giveaway at your site or at someone else's that you just want to share!

Enjoy!

FREEBIES:

• Precision Pet is offering a free trial pack of Little Stinker Housebreaking Pads for puppies. To receive this offer, email info@precisionpet.com with the title ” Free Little Stinker Housebreaking Trial Pack” along with your name, address and phone number.
• Novartis is offering a free sample and coupon of Gas-X Thin Strips. This offer is available to U.S. residents only.
• The first 65,000 people to Become a Fan of Stacy’s Pita Chips on Facebook will get a coupon for a Free Bag! Just click on the “Free Stacy’s” tab to request your free coupon to be mailed to you.
• Charmin is offering a free toilet paper holder extender. Offer available to U.S. residents only.
• Free sample of Pamper Extra Protection diapers from Wal-Mart.
• Free sample of Always Infinity from Wal-Mart.
• Free Sample of Excedrin Extra Strength.
• Register and receive a free $50 trial offer for Treximet (for the treatment of migraines). Available to U.S. residents.
• Neilmed is offering NasaDrops Saline free after mail-in rebate. Offer expires 12/31/09. Available to the U.S. and Canada.
• Calvin Klein is offering a free CK for Men fragrance sample. To receive this offer click on “get a sample” on the bottom of the page. Then print the postcard and bring it to the Calvin Klein fragrance counter at Belk, Bon Ton, Dillard’s or Macy’s to receive your free sample. Great stocking stuffer!
• Free Sample of Parent’s Choice Baby Formula.
• Free Santa’s Wonderland Activities at Bass Pro Shops all month long.
• Free Sample of Benefiber Orange Powder.
• Free Sample of Splenda.
• FREE Holiday Postcard delivered from Google
• FREE Printable Christmas recipe Cards
• FREE sample Of Rachael Ray Nutrish Premium Dog Food
• FREE Personalized printable Christmas coloring book
• Mean Green is offering a free 2oz. sample of hand scrub. Offer is on the middle left hand side of the page.
• Walmart is offering a free download of the Black Eyed Peas song “Boom Boom Pow”. Just click “free download” and then enter the code BOOMBOOM. International.
• Here are 14 more free Christmas song downloads courtesy of Amazon.com: Joy To The World by the Stroudavarious Orchestra, Wish You A Merry Xmas by the Korgis, Winter Wonderland by Point of Grace, Silent Night by Sixpence None The Richer, Oh Come Emmanuel by Aliqua, Santa Claus Is Comming To Town by The Hit Co., O Come, O Come, Emmanuel by Big Daddy Weave Joy To The World by Lee Greenwood, It Really Is (A Wonderful Life) by Mindy Smith, Silent Night (Emmanuel) by Matt Maher, I Celebrate The Day by Relient K, Joy To The World by Casting Crowns, Do You Hear What I Hear by Mary McBride and Wishing For This by Leigh Nash.
• LearnOutLoud.com is offering a free download of the audio book “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. This offer is available internationally.
• What a great (and frugal!) gift idea! Go here for all sorts of wonderful free downloads and ideas to help you create recipe card gifts. The downloads include 14 different recipe card designs, cover pages, word art, gift tags, and more. The sky's the limit with what you could do with these!

SWEEPSTAKES:

• HAAN Steaming Floor Cleaner Sweepstakes: Clean floors thoroughly in just one step with this lightweight device from HAAN
• The Conran Shop Nesting Bowls Sweepstakes: This colorful collection is handy and stylish addition to the kitchen
• VTech Cordless Home Phone Sweepstakes: This modern cordless phone and speaker system is perfect for the modern home
• Envirosax Eco-Friendly Tote Bag Sweepstakes: Enter to win a reusable grocery bag with unique designs from Envirosax
• Schlage Home Keypad Locks Sweepstakes: Protect your home and the ones you love, without sacrificing style
• Panasonic Steam/Dry Iron Sweepstakes: Ironing may never be fun, but new innovative design makes it faster than ever
• Mammoth Mountain, California, Ski Getaway Package Giveaway: Enter to win a five-day, four-night stay for two at The Village Lodge at the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in Mammoth Lakes, CA Number of prizes: 1 Expires: Wednesday December 09 2009 ARV: $1,500.00
• Pantech Matrix Pro Smartphone from AT&T Giveaway: Enter to win the sophisticated and high-powered Pantech Matrix Pro Smartphone from AT&T Number of prizes: 8 Expires: Saturday December 12 2009 ARV: $349.00
• Divine Image Cosmetics Fall Make-up Prize Package Giveaway: Enter to win the must-have essentials for a flawless fall face from Divine Image Cosmetics Number of prizes: 15 Expires: Sunday December 13 2009 ARV: $120.00
• Electrolux Front Load Washer and Dryer Giveaway: Enter to win a state-of-the-art front-load washer and large-capacity dryer set from Electrolux Number of prizes: 1 Expires: Saturday January 09 2010 ARV: $3,600.00
• Beau Bain Petite Bath Bombs Giveaway: Enter to win a jar of luxurious, fizzy bath bombs from Beau Bain Number of prizes: 10 Expires: Monday December 14 2009 ARV: $30.00
• Amazon Kindle Cover from M-Edge Accessories Giveaway: Enter to win an M-Edge Icon Jacket for the Amazon Kindle Number of prizes: 20 Expires: Tuesday December 15 2009 ARV: $79.99
• El Conquistador Resort, Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Getaway Giveaway: Enter to win a four-day, three-night stay for a family of four at the El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico Number of prizes: 1 Expires: Wednesday December 16 2009 ARV: $1,000.00
• ShopOnBuy.com Shopping Spree: One (1) grand prize winner will win a $1,500 shopping spree and ten (10) first place winners will receive a $50 Restaurant.com gift certificate!
• BetterTV Thomas Keller Fryer Kit Sweepstakes: 20 winners will each receive a Thomas Keller Ad-Hoc Fried Chicken Kit from William Sonoma! One entry allowed per day It ends: December 11, 2009
• ReadyMade Way to Roll Sweepstakes: One (1) winner will receive his and hers bikes from Electra plus a $500 REI gift card, a prize package worth $1,500! One entry allowed per day It ends: January 31, 2010
• Living the Country Life John Deere Mower Sweepstakes: One (1) winner will receive a John Deere LA 115 riding mower, worth over $1,700! One entry allowed per household It ends: January 31, 2010
• Formica®180fx™ Kitchen Upgrade Sweepstakes: One (1) grand prize winner will receive a prize package including an in-home kitchen design consultation with a Better Homes and Gardens design consultant and much more. See official rules for complete details. One entry allowed per household It ends: February 8, 2010
• Better Homes and Gardens Gift of Organization Sweepstakes: Two (2) winners will each receive a $1,750 gift card to Staples! One entry allowed per day It ends: February 15, 2010

GIVEAWAYS:

Format: GIVEAWAY (SITE) - end date

*Huge thanks to my sources: PointClickHome, Woman’s Day Magazine, The Freebie Blogger, Money Saving Mom, Couponing 101, The Good Deal Gal, & Better Homes & Gardens

Photo credit: hayley925

Free for All is Coming-But Here's a Deal

Sorry...I'm a bit delayed in posting today's Tuesday Free for All. Come back soon and it will be up and ready!

While you wait, let me share a deal with you that some of you might go insane for:

Amazon has Lost: The Complete Seasons 1-5 Blu-ray for $109. DVD version is available for $73.


I have never watched this show (I know, sacrilege, right?), but I know the fans of this show are hard-core, so I'm sharing it in case any of you are those fans. =)

Hurry--I'm sure these will go fast.

8 Items for the Kids’ Medicine Cabinet

To go along with last week's list of items you should have in your own medicine cabinet, I am adding this week's list to include items especially for children's health care.

1. Tylenol/Ibuprofen--Children's strength.
2. Nasal Bulb--Unfortunately, teaching children to blow their nose is not always easy.
3. Petroleum Jelly--Use this to lubricate rectal thermometers or to prevent chapped lips/cheeks on babies.
4. Thermometer--Age and usage appropriate of course. Rectal thermometers are the most accurate, but not always easy to use. Oral are perfect for older kids. Ear thermometers are not terribly accurate in infants. Underarm or forehead are the least accurate although can give you a good idea of their temperature.
5. Stomach Meds--Age appropriate of course. You can buy kids' Pepto for older kids. Mylicon or similar anti-gas medicine for infants is almost always necessary to have on hand.
6. Medicine Dropper/Syringe--For easy of giving babies and small children their medicine. Once they leave the toddler stage, they are probably fine to use the dosage cups that come with the liquid meds.
7. Saline Nasal Drops--Since most medicines are no longer allowed for children under 4, this homeopathic remedy is a good cleanser for the sinuses without introducing chemicals.
8. Pedialyte--Great for rehydrating after stomach bug, when child hasn't had an appetite due to illness, or just to re-energize on a hot day.

Would you care to add anything?

Photo credit: nathansnostalgia

Weekend Round-Up #19

It's been a while since I posted a round up. Frankly it is mainly because so many blogs I read are busy posting holiday sales that I have been putting off publishing this until I had several ARTICLE-type posts to direct you to.

Not that I don't appreciate the sales information, but I'm not posting them in a round up! =)

Here we go...

FINANCIAL:

• Cutting Corners on Cutting Coupons Can Be Costly at Personal Finance Anaylist was an eye-opener for me. I've never seen these coupon books, but I know what to be aware of if I do. Definitely worth passing along to you!
• 10 holiday money mistakes at MSN's Moneycentral offers some reminders we all need as we get excited about our Christmas shopping.
• Handmade Gift Ideas for Tweens and Teens at Simple Mom offers some great gift ideas that are budget-friendly, personal, and might actually get a smile out of that hard-to-please teenager!
• Stop Procrastinating And Start Kicking Butt at My Supercharged Life inspires me to move forward with those tasks that leave a bad taste in my mouth and therefore, too often get put off.

FAMILY/LIFE:

• to make: pies baked in tiny jars at Not Martha inspired me. They are ADORABLE and fabulous! Guess what some friends are getting for Christmas?
• Make Shopping Online A Safe Experience at Northern Cheapskate offers some great tips and reminders as many of us do our holiday shopping online!
• Hulk Vs. Eeyore: A Simple 6-Step Process to Overcoming Friction in Life at Man Vs. Debt drew me in with the title. He's got some great points to offer.

FAITH:

• Are You Listening at Flowerdust made me swallow hard. She's so very right.
• Permission to Hope at Bring the Rain: The Story of Audrey Caroline had me in tears. Angie is truly and inspiration. I can't imagine what she is going through. Even if you are one of the FEW people on the internet who don't know her story, she is truly an inspiring woman. Go get inspired and if you want to get to know the story...just look around her blog. It's amazing.
• We did it! We raised $60,000 to build 2 kindergartens in Vietnam. at Stuff Christians Like. Awesome. Just awesome.

FUN:

• 3 (More) Games You Must Play at Tyler Stanton's blog cracked me up. I honestly have friends that this post reminds me of. They would be all over this!
• Staring at someone in the choir during the sermon. at Stuff Christians Like had me remembering the good ole' days of church youth group.
• Where's Rob at Improv Everywhere made me laugh harder and harder as I continued to read. These guys are awesome.
• Dance of the Eye Gouger Fairies at Not Always Right is yet another great entry to this blog.
• The Fourth Is Not Strong With This One at Not Always Right deserved its own entry as well.

FAVORITE NEW SITE OF THE WEEK: (since it's been three weeks since I did a round-up, I'm providing you with three sites. Aren't I generous? =) )

• Jerks in Your Area: It's all Craigslist postings. Some are too funny. Some are not family-friendly or work appropriate, but I'll let you skim across those at your own discretion.
• Unclutterer: This is right up my alley!
• Automatic Tweet Generator: I used Twitter for a brief few moments...before all the cool kids were doing it. You might even call me a trailblazer. Then I realized that my life isn't interesting enough to tweet about. This tool could have helped my tweets be the life of the party. Not always family-friendly

Also, go check out the comments section of this post at Flowerdust. I'll bet you can find some new sites that will become favorites of yours! What a great resource!

Photo credit:.Pete.

Friday Faves - Tis the Season...

...for a little elf action.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

From our family to yours.

Our Financial Status - Update #2

So a second month since my confessional post has passed and I am here to update you on how we did this month so you can hold me accountable! As a reminder, you can see how we did during the first month here.

After last month, I predicted that we would be over budget this month on both gasoline (due to traveling to see family) and groceries (as we were hosting Thanksgiving) with the hopes to offset them in other areas. Let's see how we did:

As a reminder, I'm not showing you actual amounts spent, as I'm not comfortable posting THAT much financial info about ourselves. The amounts shown are how much either over or under that we were in those areas noted.

INCOME: On budget.
The number actually show $201 over budget due to being reimbursed for some spending (rebates, credit card cash back and buying some things and getting paid back for them). So since these were all associated with having to spend money first, I am not considering them "gain." =)

OVER BUDGET AREAS:
Gasoline: $82 over budget. As I noted above, I had expected this due to some extra traveling.
Groceries: $25 over budget. Also expected, but not nearly as far over as I would have thought, so I consider this a bit of a "win".
Restaurants/Fast Food: $131 over. Yikes! This is really a tough one for us obviously. We had some company and went out to eat a couple of times, so I guess that's why we were so badly over. Need to stick to this one better!
Baby Supplies: $16 over budget. I was well below budget last month ($34) so this isn't a big deal. There were a lot of great diaper sales going on and I took advantage of a couple of them. So this should set me up to be in really good shape in this area for a month or two. =)
Pharmacy: $63 over budget. We were a bit sick this month. Also, I went to the doctor and was given a new prescription that costs more than my last one, so I will have to update our budget to reflect this change.
Doctor: $40 over budget. Since both of the kids went to the doctor last month, we were one copay above our budget. I thought we would "catch up" this month by not having to go, but I had an appointment this month that I had forgotten was scheduled, so although there was only one appointment in the family, I didn't have any money in this area of our budget prepared, so we were over one copay again.
Home Supplies: $54 over budget. We had to buy a water filter for our fridge. I had not anticipated this (things like this slip my mind usually). On the plus side--this reduces the money we spend on bottled water and other drinks (because we can drink water in their place).
Coffee Shops: $10 over budget. These aren't necessarily "coffee shops" but usually stops to convenience stores (that's just how I categorize them in Mint).
Veterinary Services: $139 over. We had the dog boarded while we traveled and she was groomed while she was there.
Gifts: $200 over budget. We're doing birthday and Christmas shopping.

ON BUDGET AREAS:
Mortgage (very predictable)
Credit Card Payment (What we've set aside)
Life Insurance (very predictable)
Auto Insurance (very predictable)
Pest Control (very predictable)
Television (very predictable)
Hair/Salon
Late Fees (yes, they were zero, and that is the plan)
Newspaper (very predictable)

UNDER BUDGET AREAS:
Babysitter/Daycare: $135 under budget. With Thanksgiving holidays and Patrick being sick, we used sick days instead of paying for those days the kids weren't in school.
Utilities: Water bills was $5 under budget, and our electric bill was $130 under budget! We have to plan for the extreme hot and relative cold, so I have budgeted $200 to heat/cool our house as an average. Since our bill was only $71 this month (!), we saved big money!
Clothing: $54 under budget. This is set up as a rolling amount, as we do not buy clothes every month, but when we do, it is more than one month's budget. In other words, after buying Abigail and Patrick some clothes this past month, we have $54 that will roll into next month to accumulate until we need to spend more on clothes.
Auto Service: $30 under budget. This should help make up for being $63 over budget last month!
Make-up/Toiletries: $9 under budget.

So all in all, another decent month. I expected being over budget in groceries and gas, but completely did not anticipate we would do so poorly in eating out. Sigh...still a weakness I guess. It seems we made up for it in areas we were under budget though, so in the end it is okay. If we can just get rid of that eating out problem, we can send more money to credit cards!

Speaking of which...we have not put anything else on the card that we paid off last month. It is actually stored away and we will close it as soon as we have more room on other cards and know we don't need it for an emergency. We have "snowballed" our payment and sent the month we didn't need for Card #1 payment and sent it in addition to the regular payment to Card #2.

On an unexpected note, we have closed Card #2 and will work on paying it if off from here. We got a notice that our rate would change to a variable rate on December 1st. Not wanting a variable rate on ANY loan, we opted out, which closed the card and will allow us to pay it off at our current rate. It's a good thing, as there is no possibility of us using that card again.

We are looking into refinancing our home under a program the VA loan people have going on (we have a VA loan now). It will result in a lower monthly payment...by about $250. We can then sent that amount to paying off debts and get them down faster.

Also in the upcoming month--I will be reimbursed half of my medical deductible from having Abigail. This is just a perk from my employer. =) We are going to put 2/3 of it in savings to help build it and use the other 1/3 to pay for our Christmas gifts this year. Hooray! It will actually show up as an additional credit card payment though because we've been shopping some great deals already (while not overspending, of course) and I just turned in the paperwork on Tuesday to get the reimbursement, so I should have it soon.

For December, there will be an additional credit card payment for this reason and we will once again probably be over in gasoline due to traveling. Hopefully it won't be too bad though because I won't have to commute to work for about 1-1/2 weeks. =)

What else can we do to help ourselves? Any suggestions?

WFMW - My Frugal Christmas Gifts

This year the purse strings are tighter than normal. Chip still has not found a job (seriously...it seems NO ONE is hiring around here right now) and we're still trying to attack our debt. So in our efforts to control spending this Christmas we are having to be a lot more careful about where our money is going. I typically give small gifts to all of my employees (6 of them) and my boss. We have some good friends I'd like to give gifts to. And there are three people that are work friends that I will exchange gifts for. This is all in addition to our family gifts, which are also on a tighter budget this year.

So I have decided that all of those other people are getting the same thing this year...homemade goodies. All of the ingredients will be on sale this holiday season and they are cheaper to make in bulk than just as a few. These are the items that are currently on my list of possibilities:

Super Brownies (some of my friends will wonder why I didn't make these if they aren't included!)
Red Velvet Cake Truffles (YUMMY! I will do them in white chocolate and may try to get creative and drizzle them in red)
Fudge (probably peanut butter to avoid too much chocolate in one place)
Haystacks (my mom used to make these. So good and so easy)
Pies in Jars (I just found this recently and fell in love with the idea!)
Peppermint Bark (how holiday-ish)
Snowballs (LOVE these)
Peanut Butter Blossoms (Patrick loves to help make these)
Dipped Pretzels (love sweet and salty together)
Dipped Ritz Sandwiches (one of my childhood favorites at Christmas)

That's all that is on my mind at the moment. I am not guaranteeing that I will do them all. Those are just possibilities. And I can mix and match for different people...they don't all have to have each variety. And luckily--none of them read this blog, so I know there is no threat in them finding out early!

What do you think? Do you have any favorites I didn't list that you would recommend?

I think this will work for me this holiday. Head over to We Are THAT Family to see what gift-giving ideas others are coming up with!

Tuesday Free For All

I know...with all of the great shopping deals going around, it's easy to forget that some things are still FREE. Here is a list of some of them. =)

FREEBIES:

• YouCanMakeThis.com just released another free instruction download. Go here to download free child and dolly-sized patterns for a Pettiskirt. They also have lots of other fun and free instruction downloads here. In addition, if you've yet to sign up for the YouCanMakeThis.com newsletter, you can go here to do so and you'll get 8 free ebooks.
• Sign up here for a free Betty Crocker 2010 calendar.
• Look as beautiful as you feel with a Free Sample of Pond’s® rejuveness anti-wrinkle cream, enriched with collagen and a lacto-nutrient complex and helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles after 2 weeks.Limit 1 sample per household, while quantities last. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.
• Get a personalized letter from Santa and from AAA! Just choose your template and personalize, then print it out and place in an envelope to place in your child’s stocking!
• Free Home Cleaning for Women with Cancer
• New Snapfish members can join HERE and will receive a credit in their account for $10 to spend on any of their photo gifts! Plus, new customers will also receive 30 FREE photo prints.
• Go HERE to request a FREE sample of Canker Melts and keep them on hand should you get a canker sore.
• Hostohost.com is offering a free Stencil Ruler when you fill out their request form. This offer is available to U.S. residents only.
• Sign up to receive a free sample from The Golden Tea Company. They do not mention where this ships to.
• Flying Share is offering a free Christmas 1GB USB Flash Drive with FlyingShare Downloader software. Offer available to the U.S. only.
• Get a free Alouette Cheese product free after mail-in rebate. Offer ends on 12/31/09 and must be postmarked by 1/15/2010.
• You can get McAfee 2010 Total Protection 3-User at Frys.com after a $70 mail-in rebate. This item also has free shipping. Offer is good through 12/03/09.
• Get a free sample of Carefree and Stayfree feminine products from Wal-Mart here.
• Free Sample of Arm & Hammer Toothpaste
• Free Sample of Millstone Coffee
• Visit your local Walmart Stores in the Digital Photo Center on Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6 from 10AM to 2PM to get a free photo with Santa courtesy of Fuji Film. Be sure to call your local store first to see if they are participating.
• Enter your email here and you will receive a coupon every other day by email from Dec 2nd thru the 24th from Whataburger for a free surprise food item.

SWEEPSTAKES:

• VTech Cordless Home Phone Sweepstakes: This modern cordless phone and speaker system is perfect for the modern home
• Envirosax Eco-Friendly Tote Bag Sweepstakes: Enter to win a reusable grocery bag with unique designs from Envirosax
• Digital Thermostat Sweepstakes: Save on energy bills with Emerson’s BLUE Easy Reader Digital Thermostat
• Lost Iguana Resort & Spa, Costa Rica, Getaway Giveaway: Enter to win a five-day, four-night romantic escape to the Lost Iguana Resort & Spa in Costa Rica· Number of prizes: 1 Expires: Wednesday December 02 2009 ARV: $1,890.00
• JESSICA Cosmetics Nail, Hand and Skin Care Prize Package Giveaway: Enter to win a fabulous nail and skin care prize package from JESSICA Cosmetics Number of prizes: 15 Expires: Saturday December 05 2009 ARV: $61.90
• My Life in Ruins DVD Giveaway: Enter to win the uplifting comedy My Life in Ruins DVD starring Nia Vardalos Number of prizes: 20 Expires: Sunday December 06 2009 ARV: $19.98
• M. Levinson Jewelry Stack Ring Set Giveaway: Enter to win this sophisticated, eye-catching stacked ring set from jewelry designer M. Levinson. Number of prizes: 4 Expires: Monday December 07 2009 ARV: $400.00
• Jack LaLanne Power Juicer Express Giveaway: Enter to win a Power Juicer Express, the high-performance, ultimate juicing machine Number of prizes: 10 Expires: Tuesday December 08 2009 ARV: $99.98
• Mammoth Mountain, California, Ski Getaway Package Giveaway: Enter to win a five-day, four-night stay for two at The Village Lodge at the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in Mammoth Lakes, CA Number of prizes: 1 Expires: Wednesday December 09 2009 ARV: $1,500.00
• Pepperidge Farm 1, 2, 3, Puff Recipe Contest: One (1) winner will receive an all-expense paid trip for two (2) to New York City, worth $4,500! Multiple entries allowed It ends: December 31, 2009
• Traditional Home Blue for the Holidays Sweepstakes: Five (5) winners will each receive a $200 specialty pet store gift card! One entry allowed per day It ends: December 31, 2009
• ReadyMade Way to Roll Sweepstakes: One (1) winner will receive his and hers bikes from Electra plus a $500 REI gift card, a prize package worth $1,500! One entry allowed per day It ends: January 31, 2010

GIVEAWAYS:
They don't have to be yours...enter any that you would recommend!



*Huge thanks to my sources: Thunder Fap, PointClickHome, Woman’s Day Magazine, The Freebie Blogger, Money Saving Mom, Couponing 101, Sisterly Savings, "Deal"icious Mom, The Good Deal Gal, & Better Homes & Gardens

Photo Credit: frenchgold