Cute, cute pillows and a hint to my bestest :)

I was visiting a friends blog today and saw a post she had done about these cute pillows and I just had to share them. I really wish I had a sewing machine and knew the first thing about using one. These pillows are over at Make It and Love It and do look easy enough for the non-sewing challenged person. I'm going to save this link for when the time comes to decorate Allie's room. Who knows maybe by then I'll have a sewing machine and teach myself how to use it. If not I'm going to have to hint hint to my bestest and see if she'll learn how to make them :)

Thanks Jeanette for the post! And you can check out what Jeanette makes over at her Etsy store. She is working on a Yellowstone themed name train for Zachary's birthday for me.

A trip around the blog world

Some fun things from around the web:

Over at Common Sense with Money today she has a few offers to take advantage of:

There is a free book from Pampers if you mail in a UPC from Pampers Easy Ups or a Kandoo product. They are only giving away 2500 books so I would hurry if you want one.

She also tells you how to get a free $5 egift card if you sign up to become a Babies R us Fan on Facebook TODAY only

If you printed off the $ .75 off Huggies wipes coupons a while back she tells you how to get a box of wipes for as little as $ .75 from Walgreens. Plus if you spend $25 on certain Huggies products this week you get a $5 Register Reward back.

If you are thinking about buying any of the bigger ticket Star Wars items she has a link to a mail in rebate to get you 3 free action figures with purchase. I know I saw the helmet on clearance at Toys R Us this past weekend, and there was a coupon for $5 off when you spend $20 before Christmas to make this a really good deal.

Moms Need to Know has a post up that EVERYTHING will be 30% off at Old Navy this weekend, no coupon required! Oh, it's Friday and Saturday only!

"Cent"sible Sawyer has a few good deals on her blog today too!

If you have a Safeway nearby there is a coupon in the ad for $30 with a transferred prescription. There are some great deals at Safeway this week and that $30 could go a long way.

She also tells about a deal from Earth's Best. They are having a contest where everyone is a winner.

She also shares a recipe for homemade teething cookies that I can't wait to try.

Children's Place is having their huge Monster Sale. It's a good time to stock up with prices starting at $1.69 after discount. The coupon code is E79AA for an extra 15% off. Shipping is always a flat rate of $5.00.

Frugal Living NW tells how to get a free kids toothbrush and free Ziploc baggies from Fred Meyers this week.

Fistful of Coupons has a ton of giveaways going on over at her site to celebrate her birthday.

So there are just a few of the sites I check to bring you the deals. I hope you find something you can use. Have a great day!

Montessori skills in a jar

Here is another idea I found on The Home Teacher blog. She took the Montessori skills checklist and printed it off. She then cut it into strips and put them in a jar. When they have a few free minutes she lets her daughter pick one and they work on a life skill together. This sounds easy enough for me. Most of these things you are probably doing on a regular basis anyways. I just find that having something on paper helps me. Also this way Daddy could also participate when he had some extra time.

Get those winter wiggles out with these ABC movement cards

I am trying to limit the TV viewing in our house. It has gotten a little out of control since Allie was born. Plus with the rainy days here in Oregon I needed a refresher course on some new ideas to get the wiggles out indoors. I was thinking last night that I wish I had the music dancing CDs from my Learning Garden days.

I found these ABC movement cards this morning and I am super excited as they are exactly what I was looking for. Sometimes you know this stuff but just need someone else to put it onto paper for you. That's why I LOVE the blog world. Thanks The Home Teacher!

Yummy Recipes from around the blog

I was making my grocery list tonight and looking online for some new ideas for dinners. Here are a few that I found that looked tasty. Enjoy! and if you get a chance to try some let me know how they turned out.

BBQ Ranch Chicken and Cheddar Pizza Roll em’ Ups

1 Roll Pillsbury Pizza dough in can (or use other pizza dough of choice)
1/4 Cup prepared ranch dressing
2 Cups prepared shredded BBQ Chicken
1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/2 Cups shredded smoked cheddar cheese
Ranch Dressing for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Open can of dough and press into rectangle. Spread or drizzle ranch dressing evenly over dough then top with evenly with chicken, cilantro and cheddar cheese. Starting at long end roll dough into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch pieces and place onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a side of ranch dressing for dipping.

From Picky Palate

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I found this over at The Pioneer Woman Cooks, she has a new cookbook out that I really, really, really want! She has a few blogs she does. One is on photography if you are a newbie looking for some tips. I love her ranch life pictures. Onto the recipe: (secret ingredient 7-up)

Perfect Pound Cake

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 12
Ingredients
3 sticks Butter
3 cups Sugar
5 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Butter Flavoring
2 teaspoons Lemon Flavoring
3 cups All-purpose Flour
1 cup Sprite, 7-UP, Or Sierra Mist
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream butter. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition. Add butter and lemon extracts and mix well. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add soft drink, then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly.
Pour into a greased Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake is no longer jiggly.
Remove cake from oven and invert pan until cake drops out. Slice and chow down!

Go check out her pictures for the recipe, makes cooking look oh so easy.
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I found this recipe at the same ladies site as above but not??? I don't know go see for yourself but let me tell you the recipes look crazy good and I think the site will be my new favorite.

So I LOVE rice pudding but don't care for the store stuff, or the rice pudding shop (think ice cream shop but NOT), and can never make it quite right. This recipe looks delicious! and so does every recipe after it, creme brule with strawberries in a White balsamic vinegar reduction!!! I MUST try that one! Oh back to the rice pudding sorry so much food so little time or room :)

Arroz Con Leche – Rice Pudding

Arroz con leche, creamy and wholesome! This rice pudding has flavors more typical to Spain, using fresh whole milk, cinnamon, and lemon peel.

Prep Time 15 Minutes

Cook Time 1 Hour10 Minutes

Ingredients
1 cup Brown Rice Like Jasmine Or Basmati, White Rice Is Fine
½ gallons Fresh Whole Milk
½ cups Raw Honey
2 sticks Cinnamon
½ cups Cream
3 whole Eggs
1 whole Rind Of Lemon, Grated
¼ teaspoons Celtic Sea Salt
1 dash(es) Ground Cinnamon Sprinkled On Top

Preparation Instructions

If using white rice, skip steps 1 and 2.

1. The night before, soak the cup of brown rice in 1 quart of water, adding 3-4 tablespoons of an acid medium such as whey, lemon juice, yogurt or kefir. I soaked the rice for 24 hours.
2. The next day, drain the rice and rinse in cold water.
3. In a large pot, add the rice, milk, raw honey, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a simmer and cover for an hour, stirring every 5 – 8 minutes so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Simmer until the rice is tender.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the cream, eggs, lemon peel, and salt. Add to the pot and stir for an additional 5 minutes or so.
6. Remove the cinnamon sticks and pour the contents of the pan into a dish to cool.
7. Once cooled, down place in the refrigerator overnight. The rice pudding should be super creamy and thick.
8. Top with ground cinnamon.

You can either eat the pudding warm as soon as it’s done or eat it cold the next day.
Buen Provecho!

Restaurant deals

I have been thinking about posting a deal about restaurants and today i think I found the motivation to do it! :) Eating out is pretty low on our list of things to do right now. Not because we don't want to, because WE DO!!! Eating out can get expensive and really break the budget. So now I try to only eat out if we have a gift certificate (that was given to us from Santa~ Thanks Mom!) or a coupon or both!

So my first tip is to pick your favorite restaurant and go to their website and see if you can sign up. A lot of the time they will give you a discount coupon for signing up and a free entree or dessert on your birthday. Also check and see if the restaurant has a facebook page, you might be able to print off a coupon for a free appetizer or more!

Since my birthday (and my husbands) was last week I received a few emails for a free burger at Red Robin, a free dessert at The Ram, and a free appetizer at Chevy's.

To further stretch our budget we will save this to use on a night when kids eat free.

So, if you have a Chevy's near you go to their website and print off this great coupon for a buy one get one free combo and enjoy a night out with your sweetie or a lunch getaway with the girls.

115 items under $1 and 10 are FREE at Walmart

I came across this blog a while back called Couponing to Disney. She is full of wonderful ideas on how to save money as she blogs about her attempt to coupon away her cost to a family trip to Disneyland or Disney World. Anyhow she has a list for Walmart called 115 items under $1 and 10 are FREE.

Now I don't ever seem to get to Walmart so I never posted this before, but I know many of you do hit up your local Walmart every now and then and this might help. Of course prices vary and I have no idea where she is located so what she might get free you might have to pay a few cents but still, if you are going there anyways it's worth checking out.

Some of her deals are:

Baby Qtips Retail: 97c Coupon: $1 from 1/3 RP (exp 3/15)Total: Free!

Schick Disposable Razors (10 ct)Retail: $1.97Coupon: $2/1 from 12/6 SS (exp 1/17/10) Free!

Yo Baby 3 in 1 yogurt cup Retail: $1Coupon: $1 printable Total: Free!

Hope this is of a help to someone.

New Huggies Diaper Coupons

There are quite a few new diaper coupons listed at Coupons.com.

Save $2.00 HUGGIES® on Any ONE (1) HUGGIES

Save $1.00 HUGGIES® on Any ONE (1) HUGGIES® Diapers

Save $2.00 HUGGIES® on Any ONE (1) HUGGIES® Overnites Diapers

Save $2.50 HUGGIES® on ANY ONE (1) HUGGIES® Pure & Natural Diapers

Save $0.75 HUGGIES® Good on Any ONE (1) HUGGIES® Baby Wipes (64 ct or larger)

There is also a coupon for Glade candles which can be paired with a double coupon from Albertsons or a Register Reward from Walgreens to get you free candles.

Save $3.00 Glade on any TWO products from the Fragrance Collection by Glade®

Companies that give out free stuff for you to share with your friends

Good Morning friends, it seems deals and blogging have taken a back seat to life these days. I'm also struggling with the fact that I would like to do more posts about other stuff, you know activities I do with my kids and yummy recipes I try out. A new blog is also just hard. It's hard to know if anything you do is worth the extra time. Does anyone read my deals, has anyone gotten a deal because of something I wrote. I wonder. But, I also know that there are more and more people like me who are looking to stretch their dollar just a little bit further for whatever reason. Which is why I do what I do. I don't post everything which I wonder if I should post more. Hmmm...questions, questions, questions I ponder.

Well let's get on with it. Today's bit is about the different companies out there that if you sign up to be a member they might give you new products to try, coupons for free products, products to share, and coupons to share. It is kind of like being a spokesperson for them. It is really easy and casual. Most of them just ask to tell your friends what you think of what they sent. Some of them ask you to fill out a survey or write up a short paragraph about who you shared with and what the response was.

I have been given room deodorizers, body wash, baby soap, diaper cream, laundry products, cereal and more. They send me an email every now and then and ask if I had the chance to share the product and I can choose to reply then or not, which really helps me remember.

So here are the three different ones that I signed up with:

Vocalpoint

BzzAgent

Pssst

Date night at the Space Needle

Here is a fun idea for an early Valentine's Day date or just a special treat for you and your sweetie. The restaurant Sky City at the top of the Seattle Space Needle is offering a special "Date Night" package! This date night package is only available on one night - Friday January 22nd. You'll need to call ahead to make reservations and use the code: "Date Night" when you make your reservations!

This deal includes Complimentary Valet which is an $8 savings, Buy 1 entree, Get 1 Free, and a
Champagne toast upon arrival.

I hear the food for this restaurant is incredible! I haven't eaten there yet but my mister and I did take the trip to the top of the space needle and I always thought it would be a wonderfully romantic place to go back to. The view of course in beautiful and constantly changing since it moved 360* while you are up there.

Thanks thrifty northwest mom for this deal

Have you signed up for Huggies Rewards yet?

Have you heard about Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards program? I signed up a while back and honestly the only thing I have ever won from it is a free song download. There are sweepstakes to win a prize, instant win prizes, interactive games, and a rewards catalog. You get your points off of Huggies products and from other great blog sites out there :) I have over 100 points and I was just reading through an email they sent me and that's enough for one of those 3 pack Crayola Tadoodles! There are other rewards from a Metallica Lullaby CD ??? to a pack of diapers or pull ups. So even if you use Huggies diapers or not you can always find codes for points out there. I guess I'll quit throwing the wrapper away to all of those almost free wipes I got from Walgreens a while back so I can get some fun stuff for the little ones.

Leapfrog Didj Custom Educational Gaming System $19.99 at Kids.Woot.com

Okay this looks like a great deal. My boys aren't ready for these yet so I don't know too much about them but I did just Swagbuck them and Amazon has it for $59.99 and Leapfrog.com has it for $49.99. But at Kids.Woot.com you can get the Leapfrog Didj Custom Educational Gaming System for $19.99 plus $5.00 today only while supplies last. Now that seems like a great deal to me if I was in the market for one.

Some Walgreens deals for you

Okay I thought I would share some of the Walgreens deals out there with you guys. I know many of you have heard how I have not had to pay for toothpaste, shampoo, hair products, dental floss, cereal, cold medicine and more in over a year, since I started couponing and watching the sales.

So here is an easy deal for you to get you started.

Go to Walgreens and buy 2 small 6 oz packages of Chips Ahoy cookies. They are $.99 each, so you will spend $1.98. Walgreens will give you your receipt and a register reward for $2.00 back to you. This can be used on almost anything except tobacco, lottery, gift cards, and a few more. You can not use it to buy 2 more boxes of cookies AND expect to get $2 more of these register rewards. That is called rolling and most of the time register rewards don't roll. So go use it to get something you need and you will have gotten cookies for FREE!

Now you could then take that register reward and do this deal in a separate transaction if you get the All You magazine. If you don't get this magazine you really should, but wait until someone is offering it for $10 a year. This magazine has wonderful coupons in it that can get you free things all the time.

Buy 2 of The Fragrance Collection By Glade 2 oz candles that are on sale for 2/$5. Use the $3/2 coupon from the December or January issue of All You mag.Pay $2 or use your $2 register reward and get back a $3 register reward. This means both candles are FREE and it was a $1 moneymaker!

There are many more deals at Hip2Save

If you have any questions or want to know more send me an email. If you are local I could even go with the first time and show you how easy it is.

Free ticket to Disneyland

Here's a deal if you are planning a trip to Disneyland and want to save on some of the cost to go there or to Disney World. Disney is offering a free ticket when you volunteer for a day. You have to sign up and choose a participating organization, and then go do something good for a day! They give you a voucher that can be used at Disneyland or Disney World that's good through December 15, 2010. (<--that's a little weird to write 2010)

Thanks Heather!