Click to Donate

Click HERE to donate books to kids!

Within the U.S., access to books is essential to reading development: the only variable that directly correlates with reading scores is the number of books in the home. However, most recent data describes a profound, even shocking gap: while the ratio of books to children in middle-income neighborhoods is approximately 13 books to 1 child, the ratio in low-income neighborhoods is 1 book to 300 children.* In addition, over 80 percent of childcare centers serving low-income children lack age-appropriate books. Together, The Literacy Site and its domestic partner, First Book, provide children from low-income families in the U.S. with books they can take home and keep

It's Friday! Time to Bless a Blogger!
This week it is Mommy Managing! I really love her blog! And she has single handedly turned me on to Brookshires! I had abandoned them due to lack of sales, etc. but she opened my eyes again! Looking forward to shopping there this week. So go on over and say "HI!"

Want ot Win it! Hannah Montana Sweepstakes

Go HERE to enter!
Grand Prize: 4 Day/3 Night trip to Hollywood for 4 to attend a TV taping and visit the set of Disney's "Hannah Montana" series. Meet cast members from the TV show (talent subject to availablity) Get an incredible prop from the movie-one of Hannah's dresses! Meet with a Hannah Montana stylist to get ready for your set visit.
First Prize: 100 First Prize Winners will receive $50 JCPenneys gift card.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Open only to persons who are, as of Entry, 8 years of age or older; legal residents of, and physically located within, the 50 U.S. or D.C. Sweepstakes ends 11:59:59 PM (PT) on 4/11/09. Many will enter. Few will win. Click here for Official Rules.

WOW An Award!

Giving Without Spending Nominated me for a Kreativ Blogger Award!
The rules of this award are to list seven things you love and pass it on to seven bloggers you love.

1.My Lord, Jesus Christ
2. My family
3. my church family and friends
4. the smell of fresh cut grass
5. a baby's laugh
6. cheesecake, lots of cheesecake :o)
7. sharing!

Ok, here are the 7 Bloggers I am passing this on to:
Thrifty Mom in Training

Star Lyte Star Bright

Making Cents of Saving

Frugal Wife and Mama of 2

One Frugal Lady

Thrifty Livin'

Savin Makes Cents


So, there ya go!

Wednesday Freebie Frenzy

Printable Free lotion from Victoria Secret HERE (No purchase necessary)

Free e-book from Oprah's Book of the Month Club "Debt Diet" HERE

Free sample of Dove Heat Defense Therapy HERE

Free Bookmark from Christian Families Today HERE

Join Frugal Reader HERE and swap books with other member! Joining is free.

Free sample Kellogg’s All-Bran Pink Lemonade from Wal-Mart HERE

Free sample of Quaker Rice Cakes HERE

Free sample of Free Billy Boy Candy Pocket Tin Sample HERE. Just think of all the ways you can reuse that little tin! LOL

I am in the running at Get Dollar Savy!

YIPEE! I am in the running for the $250 cash prize at Get Dollar Savvy! You can read this weeks entrys and vote HERE. (I am TightwadMommy)

I became aware of this site from Little People Wealth. This weeks question was "If you had to make 3 meals from a roaster size chicken, what would they be?"

Click to Donate: Save the Rainforest

Todays site for Click to Doante is The Rainforest Site.
"The Rainforest Site is dedicated to the preservation of rainforests around the world. Your daily click funds the purchase of rainforest land by The Nature Conservancy, The Rainforest Conservation Fund, The World Parks Endowment, and Rainforest2Reef. These organizations work to preserve rainforest land in Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay and other locations worldwide.
On average, over 35,500 individuals from around the world visit the site each day to click the green "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button. To date, more than 150 million visitors have preserved more than 40,500 acres of land."

3 Ways to Reuse............Plastic Gum/Candy Containers

Here are just 3 of the many ways you can reuse those small plastic gum/candy containers! (Mentos gum, M&M Minis,etc)

1. Perfect size for a change holder for your car.

2. Push a thumbtack through the lid and pin it to a bulletin board to hold tacks, a pen, etc.

3. Tooth holder. These make the perfect size for those little teeth your kids leave the Tooth Fairy! You can decorate with lots of alternatives, even gem stones! Much easier to find that little hard container under the pillow in the middle of the night!!

Good Samaratians Sill Exhist!

I saw THIS article on AOL News, and thought I would share. Makes you feel good to see people doing good for other people!

Want to Win Sweepstakes/Contest Site 3/21

This is certainly one I personally want to win!

You could win a year of free housecleaning from The Maids Home Services, a Beaches Resorts Luxury Included® Family Vacation, flowers for a year from 1-800-FLOWERS.COM® and more!*
Enter HERE for a chance to win our Sweepstakes prizes. Plus, you can come back and play every day for a chance to be one of our 2,000 instant winners of a free housecleaning visit, gift certificate, gift basket or magazine subscription!
By the way, with The Maids Home Services, we're talking about the healthiest, most thorough housecleaning you’ve ever had. When you bring in The Maids, you'll feel like an Instant Winner every time we come. And right now, new customers can save $100!


As an added plus, you can play/enter daily and you will know instantly if you are a winner!

RAOK for Bloggers Friday!

So here it is again, it's Friday and time to bless a blogger! This week I choose Making Do with Not So New. I personally think she is just amazing! She just has that gift of critical thinking. She already has a large following, but thought I would mention it, just in case you missed it!

Homeschool Helper 3/19

Hi! Today's "idea/lesson" has to do with reading readiness and magnets!

Get a large round metal circle shape, something with a lip on it (the lids from those holiday popcorn tins, or the cookie tins works best) and some magnetic letters. Sit with your child and practice spelling words, names, etc. This is how I taught my son phonics, and we started with the -at family.... start with the basic word "at" then add different letters as the beginning sound:
mat
sat
cat
bat
hat
and so on. 3 and 4 year olds will pick this up very quickly and this also goes great in the car. You can ask them to find the letters and spell the words themselves.

Mid Week Freebie Frenzy

Free Vegetarian Starter Kit HERE

Free Desk Plant from Natursolv HERE

Free Box Tops for Education Collection Bin HERE

Free socks from Teen Freeway HERE

Free sample of Caress Evenly Gorgeous™ Exfoliating Body Wash HERE

Free John Heffron Comedy DC HERE (this is a download)

Free CD "Road Map for Parents of Teens" HERE

Free 1 year subscription to Dogs Life HERE


I already got the pedometer and the workout CD listed HERE that I posted last week! (it is the last freebie on the list)

Click 2 Donate Site for today

Today's click 2 donate site is The Breast Cancer Site.
Your click on the "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button helps fund free mammograms for women in need — low-income, inner-city and minority women whose awareness of breast cancer and opportunity for help is often limited. Your click is paid for by site sponsors, and mammogram funding is provided to clinics throughout the U.S. through the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
There are a few other tabs on this site for click to donate, so explore and click! Also, you can buy Breast Cancer Awareness items through the store to help give more mammograms.

Gret CVS Trip! $1.58 OOP

Still no camera! Sorry guys, it is so much better with pictures, but this was a blog/brag worthy trip!
Transaction #1
Irish Spring Body Wash $4.99
4 boxes of Wheat Thins $4.00
total $8.99
used
-5 ECB (from cereal deal last week)
-.50 Irish Spring Q(3/15 insert)
-2/2 any Wheat Thins (1/25 insert)
-1/2 any Wheat Thins
total after q's and ECB:
.49
earned 4.99 ECB

Transaction #2
2 Pantene Shampoo 2/$7
2 Pantene Hair Sprays 2/$7
total $14.00
used 4.99 ECB (from #1)
-1.oo off any Panteen Shampoo (P$G insert last month)
-3.50 FREE styler item WYB Shampoo (from 3/15 P&G insert)
-3.50 FREE styler item WYB Shampoo
total $1.09
earned 4 ECB

total would have been $0, but I only had one of the $1 off any shampoo. That would have been sweet though! LOL

RAOK Coupon Fairy Visited me!

A few weeks ago while shopping at Kroger's, I was getting some Cottenelle toilet paper (the 12 roll pack) and low and behold a generous coupon fairy had left me a $3 off Kroger Q! I was so tickled! Then last night, someone left a $1 off (2)Snyder's of Hanover pretzels! When I doubled checked the coupon I was to use, it was only for the pretzel sandwiches, not the plain pretzels! (which are part of the Mega deal)Yippee Skippy! And you can read HERE at Coupon Geek to see how to get a FREE Rachel Ray book for buying Snyder's of Hanovers snacks!! (You can re-read my original RAOK Coupon Fairy post HERE also)

3 Ways to Reuse.............Juice Lids

I know you have probably heard a million ways to re-use those metal juice can lids! But here are 3 ways that I actually use them in everyday life!

1. Sink stopper. My drain happens to be the exact same circumference as a juice lid, and my stopper broke so found this out of necessity.

2. Spoon rest. Just throw it in with the dishwater or dishwasher utensil basket, and reuse, or toss.

3. Make great toys for kids! If you have enough, paint some red and some black and have your own over sized checkers game! Use a pillow case or other piece of fabric to make the board.
Have a stack ready for your baby to hold in the high chair, they love tossing them!
Uses matching stickers to decorate them and make your own matching game. Those free ones from Disney wanting you to join their movie club are great to use, or you can generally get a 2 sheet sticker set at Dollar Stores. I then gave my toddler an empty wipes box. She loves pushing the lids thru the slot, and she is learning skills too!

When my oldest was little, I used blue paint to make a paw prints on 3 lids (she really liked Blues Clues) and we played that for hours.

There are thousands of ways to reuse them, leave your favorite way in a comment!

Homeschool Helpers

Ok, so I am a few days behind!
Here is the Home School Helper link for Thursday:
Donna Young is a fabulous site is rich with resources for home schooling families, or just parents in general! Loads of printables, organization materials, and Q & A sections.

Mid Week Freebie Frenzy

Freebie Time!

2 FREE Grapefruit Spoons (with proof of purchase) HERE

FREE Reusable tote from Delallo HERE

Register at Marlboro.com and choose from a carbine key chain or a BOGO pack coupon HERE

Need a checklist for ANYTHING? Go HERE for free printable checklist, 100's to choose from

FREE Sample of Surf detergent HERE just need to leave a tip for stain removal.

FREE sample of Tide Total Care HERE

Join the VIP Club at Volpi and get coupons and free samples HERE

FREE sample of Total Cranberry Crunch HERE

Click 2 Donate Site for the Day

Who doesn't want to help the sweet little animals?

Go HERE to play Bow Wow Trivia to feed hungry Dogs and HERE for cats!

You can only answer one question a day, so go back often! And you can sign up to get dailey reminders from both sites!

3 Ways to........Reuse Waxed Paper Cartons

Ok, so here we go!
3 Ways to Re-use a Waxed Paper Carton (like OJ, milk, or creamer cartons)

1. Fill 3/4 way full with water and put in your deep freeze, place cap on when completely frozen. Use these to fill empty spaces in you freezer because the freezer will run more efficiently (use less energy!) when it is full. Then when you need ice for a cooler, you have a huge block all ready! And can be frozen, thawed and refrozen about 3 times before the carton weakens.

2. After cleaning the carton well, use it for your homemade chicken or beef stock. Pour into carton using a funnel, and keep in the fridge! When you are ready to pour, the fat will have settled and the top and won't come out of the spout when you pour because the liquid will come out first. Or you can strain it through a coffee filter to make sure no fat escapes.

3.Cut the top off of the carton and use it as a mold to make your own candles! Just melt regular paraffin or soy wax, pour and insert wick! Layer with potpourri for a distinct, unique candle.

BONUS CRAFT: Look HERE for instructions on how to make a wallet from a carton!!

Thing to come

Ok, so if you have read this blog at all, you know that I don't like to do things like everyone else. I don't post all the CVS and Walgreens deals like the other talented bloggers (The Thrifty Mama), but I defiantly read about them there.
So, I was thinking tonight what do I have to offer to readers? What kind of things can I really blog about? Also, I need to get motivated, be accountable, things along that line.

Sooooooo, here is what I came up with!

Monday is 3 ways Day, I will list an item and list 3 ways to reuse or recycle the item.

Tuesday is Click to Donate day. I am excited about ways to help others without even leaving my home or spending any money.

Wednesday is Freebie Frenzy

Thursday is Home School Helpers

Friday is RAOK for Bloggers ( already doing this, I know)

Saturday will be "I want to Win!" I will find the best contests or sweepstakes to enter!

Any suggestions? I would love to hear them!

RAOK For Bloggers Friday

It's Friday again! Time to highlight a new blog for Random Acts of Kindness! Today's featured blog is Queen of my Trailer. I really enjoy her writing and think her stories are hilarious! She also puts a very different spin on the "frugal" lifestyle. I love also the pics of what she has done with her house. And she showed step by step how she (a girl! *GASP*) re tiled the kitchen counters. My HUSBAND even read it and liked it. That alone should be a seal of approval. LOL. So go on over and check out her blog!

FREE Fintness Book When you Eat at Chilis!

This was in my Family Circle magazine.
"Get a FREE Copy of Kim Lyons New Book,"Your Body, Your Life"
Here's how:
*Visit Chili's and order any Guiltless Grill menu item.

*Send your receipt and shipping address to Family Circle, Dept. MR, 125 Park Avenue, 19th floor, New York, NY 10017

*First 100 readers to participate will receive a free copy of Kim Lyons' Your Body, Your Life: A 12 Week Program to Optimum Physical, Mental and Emotional Fitness.

Sounds good right? Don't forget about joining Chili's email club to get FREE chips and Queso
If you can pair this with a gift card, it would be an even better deal!
Family Circle is also hosting a give away for a One-on-One Session with Kim Lyons,and other prizes including Chili's gift cards, you can enter HERE.

Tuesday: C2D

So, no here in Tales of the Tightwad Tuesdays will now feature a Click to Donate site! I found this fun one today.
Free Rice tests your vocabulary skills and donates 10 grains of rice for every correct answer to the UN World Food Program to End Hunger.

I just donated 350 grains of rice!
If you are a home schooler like me, this site can really challenge your kids vocabulary, and they can help others while learning! Can't get much better than that!