$10 gift alert! vTECH bouncing Turtle

Since we own this I feel I can easily recommend this gift and this price! Back in June, this was purchased for $30.00 for our son's birthday- It was the simplest toy to put together, and EASILY one of his favorites! This $10.00 deal is amazing, and I have rarely ever seen it lower then $15.00 ***and that was a cyber monday deal*** This is a great gift for 1st birthdays and Holidays- I picked up 3 of them just to keep around the gift area!

Here is the link
http://www.walmart.com/ip/VTech-Bouncing-Colors-Turtle/21107997

Free store pickup or ship for under 3.00 -
Enjoy!

Staples Free shipping on everything- Items 99cents+

Staples is having a couple good deals - Especially the FREE SHIPPING ON EVERYTHING.

I like to buy some house supplies when they are doing good deals; So if you are like me, here are some good deals they have right now

Lysol Dual action wipes- .99 each

Softsoap W/aloe - - .99each

Large Yankee Candles- 16.99 final price-

Since everything is free shipping; You should have no problem placing an order and having it delivered to you (The best form of shopping) -

Since your shopping online, might as well get 4% cash back from ebates- every little bit helps

Enjoy!

Entertainment book 2013 For 10.00-12.50 after cash back SHIPPED

Hi ALL! I Hope you all enjoyed turkey day and black friday! Welcome to Cyber Monday- Im finding the deals to be a little limp today, but thought I would share one..

Should note, its not an AMAZING price if you do not need it right now. Once we get in to 2013 officially, the price on these should drop a bit, but if you want to use them for gifts as I do, Its worth it right now.  As the cash back makes it about $12.50 ; With 25.00 out of pocket, and free shipping.

Some people have reported their books showing as $20.00 in their carts, plus free shipping and then the 50% cashback from ebates; That makes this 10.00, which is truly a great deal; and a great gift!

If you do not have an ebates account to get the 50% back here is my referral link- Enjoy the benefits today, especially since you may be making some purchases online.

Then "find" Entertainment through ebates If you do it any other way, you wont receive the 50% back. It will direct you there. Check out at Entertainment.com's site and you will see the money in your ebates account in a day or two.

Enjoy!

Gift Alert: Ralph Lauren throw under 8.00!

Gift alert!!!


My cost 7.99 total shipped. Will vary based on state tax.

Right now, Bostons has a fleece Ralph Lauren throw on sale, which is great for gifts. 50x70 Available in Cream, Red and Blue

Go HERE ; Pick the color. Check out was easy and it took me a total of 2 minutes to make my purchase! the code to get the extra 2.00 off is CDECMNVB012

Enjoy!


REVIEWS ARE ACTUALLY VERY GOOD ON THIS; READ THEM HERE

review of ibid2save.com ; Penny Auctions

Okay, I Do not know why I did not think of doing this before; But I will review the penny auction sites I use. Im not obsessed, and I have not 'struck it rich' enough to really LOVE this craze. But I am happy enough to report what I have used and my likes and dislikes.
With that being said:

Here is my review of :   Ibid2Save.com

I did this one, because you can get around 150 free bids to play with upon signing up and doing  a couple things: Like them on facebook, Download a toolbar and just sign up.

With that, I had 150 free bids, and I decided to play with the site.


I am an instant gratification type person, so I only mess with the "ending" bids, which means if it ends in the next two minutes, it will be on this list. Now if you are at all familiar with penny auction sites, you will know this: There is no such thing as an auction ending when it is supposed to. When the bidding war starts going, they add around 20 seconds to the time. So if you bid at 1 second left, you will add between 10-20 seconds to the clock and give anyone time to bid as well. This is probably why I only go to ending soon auctions, because nothing really happens until under 5 seconds!

Once you zero in on something you want, you HAVE to be aware of some things on this site:

1. There is a shipping fee- This is normal, and it ranges from around .99 to 10.00
2. There is an auction fee. MANY MANY sites do NOT charge this. Its bogus, I hate it, but you have to weigh the options here. sometimes it makes sense. It will never be below 4.99 and it is around 10% otherwise. Now here is where it gets tricky! Its is 10% of "their" purchase price. Which means, if they say those earbuds are $60.00, then you are paying 6.00 on those just in auction fees, plus around 2.00 in shipping, then whatever you win the bid for (usually pennies) - If you bought any bids, count that at around .60cents
So for those earbuds, lets say it sold for .30 and you bid three times; That is $2.10 + the auction fee plus shipping = $10.10, That is not a good deal. In FACT, its actually more of a rip off. - With THAT being said, there is NO WAY they can make things up for gift cards (although watch gift cards that have big promo bids with it, these up those costs)
You buy a 100.00 gift card - Shipping is 2.00, auction fee is 10.00, the auction closes for 14.00 and the bids you used were 15 = 35.00 total on this gift card; Good Deal.
3. You can always see what the fees are going to be BEFORE bidding. Click on the ITEM (not the bid button) - Scroll down, it will tell you auction fee, shipping fee, etc
4. You can set "auto bids" but you can only do it for one item at a time.

The site is pretty easy to navigate, and if your patient, its pretty easy to win- But you MUST beware on this site for the auction fee. Because of this; I do not like this site very much!

Good Luck, Enjoy!

Kids activity table - Handmade gift under $15.00

I could not be any more excited to share with you this post ! I have finished my 2 big Christmas projects for gifts and they were so much fun to make !

I made activity tables for my niece and son, with tons of supplies to make some more for gifts coming up for my other niece etc . since I used some items I already had ill put estimate costs, but this is seriously a cheap, nice gift .

The price breakdown is per table.

Ikea table 8.00
Chalkboard paint  80 cents
Stickers .25 .
Modge podge . I had . home made . came to under 5 cents.
'wood blocks'- I had . got 200 at a garage sale for $1.00, I used 25 blocks each table-
Sticky Foam .75 each total each table ....


Now, you do not have to follow what I used. I would have used legos instead of the faux wood blocks if I had enough - You can use anything you might have extra of.

Instructions go something like this.

step 1. Decide how you want to divide the table. I Did half chalkboard- So I sectioned it off after measuring Half the table. I painted half and I let it dry about an hour. Then I added a second coat. and after another hour, I took the painters tape off. I actually never realized I didnt use painters tape. So i had to use some black tape to "finish the ends"It looks just fine, and you can not really tell.

Next I added the stickers for the alphabet and the numbers. I modge podged over them. so they did not come off.

Next I Freehand drew the "road" - this was easier then I thought, and I cut it out- I added modge podge to the back of the adhesive of the foam paper and then stuck where I wanted. That baby is not going anywhere- On table two- its for a little girl so I didnt go with a track. I put shapes - On both of them I used puffy paint to 1.label the shapes and 2. put the names of the roads.

After that I had to decide what I wanted for the third part. I knew I wanted something like legos or blocks, but did not have enough and I didn't want to wait to finish it.
So I found some of the foam "wood" blocks and tacky glued. I placed glue on the table, the bottom of the "block" and the side- so each block is glued together. I did this two nights ago, and this morning I wanted to make sure they were sturdy-- they are. I literally lifted the table up by the glued blocks.

My husband and I are very excited about this table. For all the "writing" on the roads etc. I used puffy paint to give some dimension. This is a very easy project, and its totally personalized and customized. I can not wait to make more for my other niece in March!

Good Luck.  Here are some pictures from my project.

Painted tables

Letters and numbers added

Track attached and the blocks laid out ready to glue

All done!

Gift Alert: Vera Bradley

Vera Bradley is currently having a sale on Three of their designs in numerous handbags.
I have been looking for a cute small vera for a while to wear across my chest and am very excited to have sent this link to my husband with a "hint hint" -

Right now, Shipping for orders over 75 is free-


The sale is on bags from these lines :

Lemon Parfait:
Boysenberry
Viva la vera

Prices are ranging from 2.00 (napkins) to 35.00 (big bag) (BELOW IS JUST A SAMPLING, CLICK ON ABOVE "COLORS" TO SEE ENTIRE LIST IN EACH COLOR)

This id keychain is a great gift for $4.80 to keep in the house for last minute friend gifts! -
I bought a couple of these notepad folios for gifts for my co workers- A5 $5.60 they were a great deal!
My mom bought these great wallets for all my girl cousins for Christmas- and they were a great deal at $15.50
I have this same backpack as one of my 5 diaper bags and I paid the full price- This 32.00 price tag is crazy good for it here
This crossbody purse is my favorite- I have it in one color, and I want this lemon one badly! "my husband" just bought it for me today! - At under 20.00 its a great holiday gift


Couple hints.

Mark yes as gift for "gift wrapping" - they will come in cute little vera bradley boxes and they are at no extra cost!

So last but not least, you can get welcome emails containing 20% off- but This sale runs only through today, so if you do not have one, you will not be able to beat the clock.









 

Update from coupon begging

So its been a couple weeks since I sent letters to a bunch of companies about coupons and samples, and I got a ton of mail yesterday after the holiday and my vacation. Here is the original post and below is an updated list

• Hawaiian Bread - Emailed me a nice personalized letter, told me to look for the two free products coupons in the mail.  - I RECEIVED MY FREE PRODUCTS COUPONS AND ALSO TWO 75 CENT OFF PRODUCT COUPONS
• Crayola - Emailed saying they put a coupon to enjoy their products in the mail- RECEIVED A FREE "MY FIRST CRAYONS" SET FOR LITTLE GUY AND TWO COLORING BOOKS
• Welches - Emailed, told me to sign up for their newsletters to get coupons  - THEY SENT ME COUPONS ANYWAY - 75CENTS OFF - THREE OF THEM!
• Bustello - GOT THREE COUPONS FOR 1.00 OFF EACH
• Michelen's - received three 1.00 off any 2 coupons  
• Friday's - I sent them a compliment letter a couple weeks ago, not even related to this experiment, on their new management at a local store where I had always noticed bad service, and they actually sent me a coupon for 10.00 of any entree'

Have any of you done this? what were your results?

Shoe sale on sears.com - SAVE SAVE SAVE

SEARS SHOE SALE.

USE CODE 25OFFSHOES TO SAVE 25% OFF WHEN YOU PURCHASE 2 PAIRS OF SHOES- If you only purchase 1 pair- you can still save 15% - just enter SEARSOCT. 
THESE ARE FOR PICK UP AT SEARS OR YOU CAN SHIP- I ALSO BELIEVE IF YOU HAVE SHOPRUNNER, YOU CAN USE THEM FOR FREE DELIVERY. PICKUP IS FREE AS WELL. 

In my cart, I added two of these shoes, my total before savings was $23.78, I applied my discount and my total was 17.84, both prices are prior to tax being included. 

The little girls shoes are a bit more expensive, but here are some links for you:

These cute pink shoes with glitter come out to about 21 bucks  

These adorable shoes come out to be 25 for two pairs!  

Remember, you do not have to buy two of the same pair. And the sale is running on most or all shoes, not just one specific brand. 

Good Luck on this deal.
I always pick up different sizes for my son way before he fits in them, as long as there is a good deal. Just last week, I purchased 4 pairs of sneakers on clearance - I paid around 27.00 for all four, and I bought in two sizes above what he wears now!

The worst they can say is no....

As a general rule, I do not buy the newspaper for a few reasons:

• Most everything in there depresses me
• Anything worth knowing is on the front page, which I can read while in line for milk
• Anything worth knowing is on the news
• Who has time

But ---  i'll admit, I miss out on quite a few good, high value coupons this way. Most Sundays I steal my moms, because she swears coupons are more trouble then they are worth (GASP: i know, i must have been switched in the hospital, I do not know who this women is)

So anyway, I do this about once every 6 months where I email some of mine and hubby's favorite companies and ask for either samples or coupons.  Some are great about it, some arent. Here is a list of some I contacted recently and updates:

• Birdseye vegetable 
• Idaho potatos
• Hawaiian Bread - Emailed me a nice personalized letter, told me to look for the two free products coupons in the mail.
• Idaho Potatos - Emailed, told me they are happy to have me as a customer and put a free product coupon in the mail
• Zataran 
• Crayola - Emailed saying they put a coupon to enjoy their products in the mail
• Florida's Natural
• Welches - Emailed, told me to sign up for their newsletters to get coupons
• Bustello 
• Hillshire Farms - Emailed, thanking me for writing, are sending me a "cents" off coupon in the mail
• Michelines 
• Coca Cola - $4.00 off any coke products- this is essentially a free 12 pack, and if you use it properly, like a b1g1, you could spend around 50 cents on two 12 packs
• Huggies- Emailed me telling me where to look for good coupons and told me they put a coupon for free wipes in the mail. 
• Edward's  

You can do a search for how to ask for samples or coupons and there will be a million different ideas; however, Most will say "Do not ask for anything, just give compliments" - I find it has always been better to ask then not to. The times I have asked I had great success. The times I have not asked, and just praised the company, I get a thank you email, nothing else really. It is really up to you what your comfortable saying or asking. Truth is, the worst they can say is no.

my review of halfoff.com

My Review of halfoff.com

Where do I start? Mostly I write about things I like, and things I use, but in this case, I have been folloowing closely this website to see "what its all about" and here is what I have found: STAY AWAY!

First of all, the concept, is obviously not new. Livingsocial.com and Groupon.com have been doing it and its been wonderful. I use them for everything. But after using halfoff.com once or twice, you will learn your lesson. First of all, it seems like there is a mountain of deals. Look closely, you might find ONE.

BEWARE OF TIMESHARES- you think the hotel and vacation deals are good? or even that tablet for $19.00 ? Yah, its a timeshare. Read "restrictions" it will tell you that a presentation is required. BEWARE of anything that says "must be 25" or "must be married" or "no full time students"  - read closely. Its not that i'm saying timeshares are bad... If you like em' - great - but here is the thing, THIS IS NOT A DEAL... AND ITS NOT HALF OFF... you can call almost ANY company that does timeshares and you will GET THIS SAME DEAL!!!!!!  And truth be told- my husband used to work for a place that booked time shares- you paid a deposit, you got it back. Everyone who was booking KNEW the drill- and everyone also knew this--- there is always more free stuff to be had- call the company directly, Wyndham, hilton, marriot etc, and when they offer you 2 nights , you tell them nope, not worth it, when they say 3, you say "Well food will cost a fortune" - You will wind up with most of your breakfasts covered and probably even a good show if your in a place like vegas or Orlando. 

Where are the deals? - So you HAVE to know your pricing if your going to shop here (although, I advise you dont) - For example, the earbuds they have right now, NFL -  a "steal" at 15.00, right? Wrong again... here is amazon's listings for under 10 bucks or so..

Electric Soup a chef mixer- Listed at 89.50 on "halfoff.com" - but here it is on another website for 84.99

and this one is ....... 29.99

As you can see, this company gets absolutely NO LOVE from me - but I would love to hear if any of your have had good luck with it.

Okay so the credit on this one really goes to my husband who sent this to me earlier...but either way, im pretty excited about this one!

For $25.00, you get $50.00 to Babysupermarket.com! Go HERE

Now, I checked out the site before I bought- And I will say this... You have some items that are without a doubt more expensive... but some are either the same or very comparable - some even less!!!
I looked in clearance and there were a couple items in there that were well worth it. Especially getting $25.00 bucks free while doing it.

This "wood like" block set is perfect for my niece - and its $16.00

This real wood connectors set is perfect for a couple older boys I buy for, or the childrens christmas drive to give away!  for 14.99

Rolling backpack is perfect for a little princess and for 12.99, a great deal!


This first years jet stroller is 44.99 on this site, which is lower then other sites and you get it for 25.00 when using your card! That is defiantly something I could get in one!

 Looks like things like their bedding, diaper bags and other bigger items are comparable... so If you like one, its worth the $25.00 off you would get... Enjoy!

Holiday Gift Alert::::FREE 8X10 CANVAS

I have seen a bunch of "claim offers" on facebook for the "free 8x10 canvas" - but I do not usually do those, so I decided to find the website myself to do this. 

I found it; and it looks like a rather great deal for grandparents, uncles, aunts etc. You have three options:

Option 1 : Free 8x10 with paying for shipping - the shipping was around $14.95- this is a pretty decent deal. but you can also go the route of having a larger one

Option 2: 30-50% off and free shipping:  

Option 3: 11x10 for $25.00 ; this is including shipping etc. This requires a code. of tweet11x14 - once you go through, put in your address, in the top right it will say "Promo code" enter tweet11x14 and you press apply, your whole order will be 25.00 including shipping.

Here is how to get it:

(For option 2 or three go HERE )  - this already has the promo code applied

(For option 3 go HERE) - you will need to apply promo code

Create Canvas. No long forms to fill out to register, you can enter your zip, your name and your desired password. 

Upload your photo - Make sure you click no frame, no additional features, and you are good to go. It will keep asking you to "upgrade" If you are looking for the free print, do not do this! 

Good Luck.

Mattel's Black Friday In September SALE!

As a mom of a little boy, im finding my eye caught by things now that never would have phased me before.
Mattel is having a "black friday in september" sale - And some of the deals are defiantly worth looking at, especially when combined with free shipping they are offering on every single order.

Cars 2 Race Team Mater 2.69

Cars 2 Submarine Finn McMissile  2.97

Toy Story 3 ACTION LINKS™ Sunnyside Breakout Deluxe Playset  5.32

Hot Wheels Battle Force 5     6.79

Hot Wheels Rocket car Science 7.79

POLLY POCKET™ Magic Fashion Stage 7.16

HOT WHEELS® REV UPS™ REVOLUTION STUNT PARK™ Play Set

I hope you can pick up some good holiday gift. I just picked up quite a few presents for some little ones in my life. Hope you have the same luck.  

 

If it is your first order, you can get 10% off by signing up via email - http://shop.mattel.com/emailSignup/index.jsp

 

 

 

 

***Holiday Gift Alert***

For me, I love to buy something like this and spruce it up as a holiday gift. At this price, I can. 

Kohls has a Food Network Thermal Cup on clearance for $2.99. - I can not confirm in stores, but they still have it in stock on Kohls.com - They have it in all 5 colors as of right now!

Food Network Cup 2.99

Combine this with your Kohls card free shipping or free shipping over $50.00 (Plus get $10 Kohls cash for every $50.00 you spend) - and This is a great deal. 

Some other Kohls deals to take advantage of right now:

Miami Marlins Women's Ribbed T $8.00 (This is actually a great deal, as the team is only a year old, and buying their stuff down here is crazy still!- Bought a onsie for around 25.00 two months ago!) 

Toddler shoes size 4 and 5 available  - Boys "Sports Sandals" 6.99

 Pck 2 hand towels Chistmas 1.39