Samples and Fun for the Kids!

Happy Wednesday All!

What a crazy week I've had!! A big event on Tuesday and meetings on Amelia Island all day today. Here's a few samples for you to check out:

Stayfree Pad
Thomas Coffee


Also check out these free printable Disney coloring pages for the kids -
Disney Princesses
Cars
Toy Story
Mickey Mouse

Photo Freebies and Gifts to Grow Points

Sorry for the lack of posts lately - we went to Germany for a week and then we came back and Jake has tonsilitus (sp?). The trip was amazing though - we visited our family (which really was awesome), went to Neuschwanstein Castle (pictured), and ate all day and night. :) Can't ask for a better vacation!

On to the important stuff:

Pampers Gifts to Grow Points
2BeginEarning50  (50 pts)
GiftstoGrow4Mom (50 pts)
10ptsfreecode4u (10 pts)
giftstogrowbonus (20 pts)

Also, some awesome photo deals right now:

- Thru Friday you can order a free Walgreens 8x10 collage - pick up in store and you don't even pay shipping - order online at walgreens.com. Code: 8x10TREAT

- Thru Nov. 30, get 75 free prints at snapfish. Code: IStock75

- Get two sets of 4x8 photocards at snapfish (must order them seperately) - think Christmas cards here... codes: Babymail and Babies. Must use by Oct. 31.

Happy Thursday. Hoping for a better night with no 105 temperatures...

Free Photos & Pampers Points to Grow!

Enjoy 100 free prints at Snapfish - use coupon code OCT10PRNT - shipping is $5.89. YAY!

Also, if you are collecting Pampers Points to Grow - here are a few more codes.
facebookoct2010 (10 pts)
JOINNOW4REWARDS (50 pts)

More Free Samples to Fill Your Mailbox!

Here's another list of free samples for you!! Happy Saturday!

SmartyPants Gummy Multi-Vitamins - Like them on Facebook, then click on the Sign up tab.
L'Occtaine Divine Eyes product - Like them on FB
KY Intrigue Sample
Cinamin Raisin Bread Raisins
Cinnabon Cream of Wheat
Cold-ease
John Frieda Root Awakening

We took family pictures today in Orlando. Always good times trying to get a 14-month old to sit still, let alone smile. My trick is to bring lots of (mess-free) snacks to bribe him with. What is your trick??

Free Samples

Lots of free samples out there lately. Here's a few!

Wisk
Covergirl & Olay Simpy Ageless Serum (while your add it there may be other freebies and coupons on the Proctor and Gamble site to sign up for)
Emergen-C
Crest Pro-Health
Playtex Sport

TGIF - long week of traveling!! Super excited for a weekend at home!

My First Guest Blog Post

Yay - I have my first guest blog post live - http://cshack.me/j4. It's all about taking advantage of the public library. Enjoy :)

Snapfish Deal

New Coupon code for Snapfish. Take $10 off any order with code WOW10OFF. I just got a $10 photo notebook free (they are $9.99) plus $2.99 shipping! Great deal!

Also, Old Navy has their Maternity and Baby sale on! Make sure to check it out.

We just went to the Jacksonville Zoo today! Lots of fun. But the best part is we got more then 50% off by buying tickets on Groupon. Make sure to sign up for the groupon for your city - GREAT bargains. Just have to look and see what daily deal they are offering - eventually something you want will come around!!

Pampers Points

Do you collect Pamper's Gifts to Grow Points? If not, you should... even if you don't have a baby! They offer a ton of free codes for points and trust me they add up quickly. Sign up at pampers.com. For 400 pts you can get a 11x14 collage at Shutterfly. For 500, you can get a prints package with 25 4x6, 2 5x7 and 1 8x10 print. And if you buy pampers diapers you can shoot for the much higher rewards - I'm working on a 2 year photo membership at JC Penny's!

Check out a list of all the Pampers Points at The Frugal Girls blog. Tons of them.

Also, if you like scrapbooking or designing your own invites, etc. Check out www.1001fonts.com. A ton of free fonts that you can download to your computer. Really neat ones available - like Dolphins and Oreos fonts...

Great Freebies on Photos and Magazines

I am super busy this week - so sadly I can't write up all the details on each of these. But I don't want you to miss out. So here goes - you'll have to visit the links to get the codes and details - sorry :)



1. FREE Working Mother year digital subscription - here

2. FREE Parenting Early Years Subscription - here

3. RitzPix.com 5 free 8x10s ($2.99 shipping) - good only Thursday

4. Shutterfly 12 free cards (shipping varies) you pick the size - good thru Sunday

Forfot to mention - snapfish deal ends today.

Back to School & Pictures

With school starting up again, now is the time to stock up on school (or office) supplies. This week, I saw 25-cent crayons, 1 cent printing paper and much more. My favorite places for back to school deals - Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Staples and Office Depot. Make sure to check out their ads in your area to see what's on sale!!

Some really great photo deals are happening now too!! Check this out:

1. Snapfish - You get a free 8x10 collage print AND free shipping if you order a full price item (works if you order a 9-cent picture). Use code GRANDSHIP to order.
2. Walgreens- 25 free 4x6 prints! Use code 25FREECREDIT.

Walgreens is also offering a deal of the day on photo gifts every day this week.

And have you gotten your free Shutterfly 5x7 greeting cards yet?

Diaper Deals

Jake has been getting closer and closer to walking! He's up to 4-5 steps at once. Only a matter of time now... we are both excited and scared!!

Amazon.com has coupons for certain Pampers Diapers. When you sign up for subscribe and save (which you can unsubscribe before your next shipment) you save 30% (limited time only) and you can stack it with a 20% off coupon from Parents August and September issues (orange coupon in the magazine - postcard size). I just got 108 night time diapers for only $16!

August is World Breastfeeding Month and BabiesRUs is offering great deals on Breastfeeding items. I'm not breastfeeding anymore, but here were a few of my favorite items when I did!!

1. Medela Milk Freezing Storage Set - who wants to wash containers to pump into continuously? With these you have 12 containers to go through... and you can attach a nipple directly to them if you want. $14.99 usually - only $11.99.
2. Sensible Lines Milk Trays - freeze an ounce of milk in each little ice-cube-like tray, then put in a freezer bag and only use defrost as much as you need, when you need it! The guessing game of how much to put in the freezer bags was always frustrating for me (although I did both). $22 on Amazon, $18.39 at BabiesRUs now.
3. Nursing covers - nice if you are breastfeeding in public a lot, although a blanket would work too. $15.99 and really cute designs.

And I would always suggest to have an extra set of pump parts (valves and breast Shields) so you don't have to wash between each pumping! Try to borrow a pump, but if you can't I'd suggest looking in consignment shops for lightly used pumps or keep an eye out for good deals!

Using Social Media to Find Bargains

As you may have noticed, Thrifty Lane is now available on twitter too. I have added a live stream of my tweets on my blog too. Believe it or not, there is a reason for this :)

I don't consider myself to be an expert at finding deals but I do want to share the great bargains that I find. Unfortunately, having a full time job, 1-year-old, and a house that constantly needs cleaning, I don't have the time to constantly update my blog. But twitter allows me to re-tweet some of the great deals I find - and you can either follow me to hear about them - or check my blog for the most recent deals.

I have to admit, when I first started dealing with twitter - I was not a big fan. You really only heard of people following their favorite celebrities and hearing about their daily life... not for me. But for my job, I still had to use it. Now I've come to see all the potential twitter has to offer. I think of it as a bargains newswire. I follow bloggers who constantly post deals and freebies on their blogs/twitter pages - and that gives me an instant list of the best deals to weed through. The best part is that my phone has an app that allows me to look through my twitter stream. It is much easier for me to browse twitter briefly throughout the day - while I'm waiting for my computer to turn on, while I'm cooking dinner, etc.

Facebook is quite similar, but I find the brevity of twitter much easier to weed through for bargains. And most of the major retail outlets have facebook and twitter pages too.

Here are a list of some of my favorite twitter bargain-hunters:
@freebies4mom
@babycheapskate
@TheBudgetMommy
@BeFrugal
@couponshack
@freebieblogger
@dealwisemommy

And don't forget to follow @ThriftyLane

Here are a few regional, but they find a lot of online so anyone can follow them!
@tbotweetdeals (Tampa)
@MyDFWMommy (Dallas)

And if you are big on travel deals ect. try these guys!
@WeJustGotBack

Also, as I mentioned, almost all retailers are on twitter. Every morning, I look through my tweets to see what @woot and @wootkids are offering. But you can follow @huggies, @pampersvillage and many more!!

Go ahead and give twitter a try :)

Photo Freebie

Shutterfly is offering 3 free 5x7 folded cards. Simply add the code SUMMERCARDS to your account (do this by logging in, then go to the bottom of the page and click on "Enter Special Offer Code"). This Freebie expires Sept. 1 - so you have some time to design your cards!! Thanks to Freebies4Mom for the heads up.

Travel Tuesday: Passports and Car Seats

Last week, I booked my trip to Germany! The whole family is going - including Jake. The more I think about it, the more apprehensive I get... we are bringing a 15 month old on an 8 hr flight! How are we going to lug his car seat, stroller diaper bag - and him - through the airport along with all of our carry on stuff! Oh boy, this should be interesting...

In lieu of my newest dilemma, I decided to dedicate today's blog to Travel Tuesday - traveling with a toddler.

Any age child needs a passport to travel internationally. Thankfully, the cost of passport fee is smaller for a child ;) The fun part though - is getting the passport picture taken! If Jake was a little guy, it certainly would've been easier. But since he is into EVERYTHING, he refused to sit still, look at the camera or anything else we asked him to do. Here are a few tips, we learned from our two times trying to get his pictures taken:

1. Bring more than one adult. One person can hold him while other one tries to get his attention toward the camera.
2. Bring a toy he loves or something that usually grabs his attention. Hold it behind the camera to get him to look that way.
3. Know the passport picture requirements. It seems that Walgreens didn't know the accurate picture requirements (looking at camera, no shadow, certain size, etc) because we had to re-take them at the passport center.

And I did some research to figure out how to transport all the baby gear - stroller, car seat, diaper bag, etc. I knew about the Travelmate, but didn't want to pay that much (approx $80). I stumbled across these car seat straps. For $14.99, they claim to strap your car seat to your carry on luggage - and the baby can sit in it! The reviews are pretty high (mostly 5 stars), and the low ones sound like people who were traveling along (thank God I'm not...). I'll let you all know how it works once I try it, but my hopes are high!

Christmas In July, Free Photobook + Books & Toys on clearance!

Happy Thursday everyone!!

Babies R Us is having a Christmas in July Sale!! On Friday they are doing an early black Friday sale and on Monday an early Cyber Monday sale. Sneak peek here - http://tinyurl.com/2v3nwwn.

Melissa & Doug toys are up to 50% off at Amazon. I LOVE these toys - and usually they are just so expensive. Great time to stock up - and look for the ones that offer Free Super Saver shipping on $25 or more - to save even more!!

Do you have a CVS card? If yes, on Sunday you can get a free photobook. Buy one for $7.99 and get 7.99 back in extra care bucks!!

Summer Warehouse clearance at Barnes & Noble - up to 90% off!!

Free Nexxus sample from Walmart available too!

I love the library!

Well now that Jake's birthday party is over, I have a little more time to fun things like scrapbook and blog :) His party went really well. He's super social and loved having everyone over - I, of course, went overboard! But hey, your first born only turns one once!

My newest thrifty advice is the local library. I'm just now learning how it works here in Volusia County (and suggest everyone find out how there's works). It's awesome. I had a list of cookbooks I was thinking about buying - but wanted to check them out first. The public library has most of them. I simply had to type in the title into the library search engine (from home) and it told me which branch in the county had it. And better yet, I can reserve the book - to the library closest to me, with a click of the computer! To top it off, I was able to create a saved list of all the books that interest me - so that I can just reserve them whenever I am ready for them.

They had a huge selection - everything I was looking for - from scrapbooking to photography and of course TONS of cookbooks. Too cool. I wish I would've realized this months ago!!

I also like to rent audio books when I have a road trip - I feel like I've accomplished something when I can say I "read" a book during my drive. And since I drive to Amelia Island at least once a month for work - that's a lot of books!!

Free Disney Character Calls

This is more something for older kids - but you can schedule a Disney Character to call your child! Barilla is sponsoring this program, that expires Sept 20 (but you can schedule as many calls as you want before then) but is not available in ID, WA, GA, KY, MS, NE, TN, or LA.

You can schedule Mickie, Minnie, Donald or Goofy to call your child. Visit Freebies4Mom to see a step by step on how to schedule it! Pretty cool!

And a happy father's day to all the Daddies out there!! We're going hiking at Blue Springs today! :)

Sales, Sales, Sales

Big sales this week!!

• Children's Place - additonal 50% off on select items (priced as marked)
• Semi-Annual Sale at Crazy 8
• Semi-Annual Sale at Gymboree

And a few freebies!!

• Free 8x10 collage at Walgreens. Use code GOBIG8X10 thru June19 on Walgreens.com. Make sure to choose pick up at store and you don't even have to pay shipping!!
• Dove Therapy Shampoo & Conditioner - leave Costco number blank
• Bulls Eye BBQ Sauce Samples

Diaper Genie Refills!!

Do you use the Diaper Genie II Elite? Here's a great deal on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Playtex-Diaper-Genie-Refill-Pack/dp/B00313J7WK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1276736616&sr=1-1   Refill pack of three, $13.21 if you sign up for subscribe and save (pick 6 month interval and then unsubscribe after you get them) with free shipping. Only $4.40 per refill!!

Free Will & Trust Kit

So my goal for this weekend is to finish my will. I keep dragging my feet to get it done. But it is so important, especially if you have kids!

Any of you looking to write up a will can create one for free on www.suzeorman.com. Simply click on "Will & Trust Kit" and the gift code. Type in "people first" and you'll get an activation code. It's that simple. And the great thing is the kit is super user friendly!!

So I'm the worst blogger ever...

Okay so I start a blog and then don't post anything for four months... oops... Sorry guys! (I know you were so dissapointed). :) Anyways, I'll do my best to start posting regularly again! At least once a month!!

So what's new? Lot's going on in the "thrifty" world! Here's a couple things to keep your mailbox full:

• Friend Shutterfly on Facebook and get a free 5x7 photobook on Shutterfly. You have to fill out a survey and then can claim your code (make sure to copy it down). You have till June 30 to redeem it (2.99 shipping).


• Walmart has some samples out right now: Cottonelle, Playtex Gentle Glide, Crest 3D White


• 3 Free 5x7 Folded Cards on Shutterfly with coupon code CARDS4DAD - but you have to login and go to your account (at the top right), then click on "Enter Special Offer Code."

I also found this cool site - www.thesoftlanding.com - their clearance section has some really cool stuff - and some favorites for cheap (Avent Bottles for $4.50). I haven't bought anything from them yet, but plan to soon :)

And, of course, an update on the Jakester! He's changed so much since February!! He's crawling and getting into everything!! He's eating big boy food and absolutely loves it. Yesterday, he ate an entire banana - for dessert! He's been saying Dada for a few weeks now - but no Mama yet!!

Contest, Sales & Free Music

I just cannot believe how big Jacob has been getting! In the past month or so, he's become so much more active (and fun!!). He suddenly has a huge interest in his toys, smiles when you read a familiar book and LOVES (I mean LOVES) the tv! He also has the most adorable laugh - I'm trying to get it on video to post, but no luck yet :) His favorite toy is the Cheez-it box - figures.

Looking back over the past 7 months (can you believe it's been that long?) - there is one thing I have to say - "Never say NEVER." I remember the naive comments I used to make like "I won't let Jacob watch tv until he's like 2," or "I'm not going to give him any sweets," or (my personal favorite) "he will never sleep in the bed with me." And while good intentioned, you just never know what will happen. Parenthood is a lot more trying than one might expect. Within the first week Jacob was sleeping in the bed with me - because I didn't know any other way to make him go to sleep. Luckily that habit has stopped, but I just laugh when I think about how I swore it would never happen...

Fun Freebies and Deals for the Day:

Fan World Market on Facebook and be entered to win a Trip to Greece! Contest ends 2/28

Need a baby gift? The Bump is having a sale on baby items - they have cute tub puppets for only $7.99 and an adorable personalized giraffe blanket and animal for $11.99. Use coupon code VALDAY for 20% off a $100 or more purchase. (coupon ends 2/14, sale ends 2/22)

Thanks to BabyCheapskate.com for the heads up on the Nickshop.com 50% off sitewide sale - get all your favorite Nickelodeon Shows on DVD for like $7.20. Plus characters, toys, etc.

Ann Taylor Loft is offering an extra 50% off clearance items (online & instore) ends 2/10 - so hurry! Limited selection online...

Did you know Amazon.com has over 1,000 free MP3 songs? Thanks to Freebies 4 Mom for sharing this free album - The Amazon Groove dance mix

Need some pictures of your little one? Print coupons at JC Penny Portraits - 40% off purchase on Mon - Thurs, and more!

Magazine Subscription Deals

Thanks to The Frugal Girls for the tip on the FREE year subscription to Surfer Magazine with FreeBizMagazine. Jimmy's just ran out - so this will be a nice surprise for him!!

I also just got a $15 year subscription to All You magazine on Amazon.com. I hear it has lots of coupons and deals in the magazine. Will let you know when I get my first issue.

Thank goodness it is weekend!! I'm sleeping in tomorrow and spending some time with the family over the weekend!!

Coupons, Coupons, Coupons

I haven't been able to get coupons in the Sunday paper lately (actually, I just keep forgetting to buy the paper) but I have been able to get several coupons online and order various ones to arrive in the mail. Here are some to consider:

I check these two sites pretty regularly:
www.coupons.com
www.redplum.com

Here are a few opportunities to get coupons in the mail.
Gain Coupons
Home Made Simple Coupon Book (from Dawn, Cascade, Mr. Clean, Swiffer)
Eat Better America

Wednesday Sample - Spark Energy Drink

BOGO is Great!!!

Each week Publix offers a variety of Buy One, Get one Free deals. They offer really great items with a wide assortment to choose from. Get even better deals by using a coupon with your purchase (or better yet two - that's right you can use a coupon on the free item). This week they had Texas Toast BOGO ($.50 coupons at coupons.com) and Earth's Best Stage 2 ($1 off/10 coupons at earthsbest.com). Happy shopping!

The deals go live every Thursday on their site - www.publix.com/bogo.

Wednesday Samples

Nothing is better than a free sample :) My mom always says that I just like to get mail. I LOVE getting samples - I use them for travel or for everyday use. And its a great way to try out new products - instead of buying the full size. Here are a few samples to try out:

• Every day at noon CST (thru April 30) Uni Ball is gives out 10,000 free Uni Super Ink pens
• Get a sample of Cream of Wheat - 7 flavors to choose from
• Free sample of Kerasal Exfoliating Foot ointment
• Sample the Gold Bond Ultimate Hand Sanitizer Moisturizer
• Parent's Choice Formula Samples

Thanks to Freebies4Mom for most of these posts!!

Plus get a free coupon book from Betty Crocker - you have to sign up for an e-newsletter though

Giveaways

So I never used to believe that giveaways and sweepstakes were real. I always thought it was some way that companies tried to get your information. Until I started coordinating giveaways as part of my job...

Companies really do offer free trips, products, and more - just for the exposure value of getting their product in front of you. It's not a scam (okay, I'm sure there are a few scams out there). In the last six months I've actually won two giveaways! No trips or anything, but I won a set of First Impressions baby clothes from www.thebump.com, and I just found out that I won a set of cool Knock Knock menu planning/organizing sets from www.anutinanutshell.com!! Nice!!

But there is SOOO much out there that you can win - trips, money, and more... The best list I've found yet is at About.com - here's the link

But you can find tons of other ones online - especially on Mommy Blogs (my favorites: Freebies4Mom, A Nut in A Nutshell, and Mom Giveaways).

Oh and look in April's Glamour and Redbook magazines for a few that I helped coordinate :)

Baby Food Friday

Today was an interesting day. We had our appt with the neurologist - which I'm just planning to ignore until I get a second opinion from my new pediatrician next Friday...

But, on a much better note, I tried my hand at making my own baby food today. I've made avocado twice before successfully - although today's batch had to get thrown out. Very strange, but avocado looked fine when I scooped it out but turned black while I was pureeing it...

But I made sweet potato, pear and green beans today - all for the first time. I must say, I'm not sure that the pears were worth it - but the rest certainly were. Two sweet potatoes made a ton of food (at least 12 servings) and they were so easy I was able to puree them in my magic bullet. The green beans were a bit more difficult! I tried the food processor first (no luck), then the blender (this only works if you use a lot of green beans - can't do a small portion). But it worked out great in the end!! The pear was super easy too (just steam and throw in the magic bullet) but one pear only made 2 servings (one jar of baby food). Considering the organic pear cost me $0.88 - and the jars of Earth's Best baby food only cost me $0.33 on sale (actually less because I used a coupon). But pears are on the EWG's dirty dozen list so you really should use organic - so I'll probably be making only a limited amount of this food...

For those of you who are interested in making your own food too, here are a few resources:

My favorite Web site for info, recipes and more - www.wholesomebabyfood.com

Looking for something to store your food: try babycubes, or freeze them in ice cube trays (which are 1 oz for ea cube) and put them in plastic bags.

I also love the Nuby Storage containers - you can freeze and microwave them. I also use them for sending cereal to the babysitters!

Hoping it snows tonight!! Fingers crossed :)

The New Year is Off to a Great Start

First day back at work in 2010 and I think we got a great deal to go through! Fingers crossed till all the proposals are signed, but things are looking good!! It was tough leaving little Jake again though - after being home with him for 4 days. But he loves daycare - he loves watching all the other kids and things are going much better with him and the sitters.

A Few Deals for Today:
New York & Company (only my favorite store ever) is having a 70% off sale.

Picaboo is offering a buy one book, get one free deal, until January 31. Code JANBGF - I LOVE their photobooks. They give you a ton of layout choices. I'm already working on Jacob's first year album...


And finally, why didn't I see this article about 6 mos ago. Of course, I read about it right when I'm about to stop nursing. But still good to keep on hand for the next kiddie - Convert a regular bra to a nursing bra

New Year's Resolutions

Somewhat sad, yet somewhat happy that the holidays are over. Will be nice to return to our routine and not have to drive all over the state. But I must say, it was great to see all our family and friends over the last month!!

For the record - my New Year's resolutions for 2010. Let's see if I can actually follow through on them all :)

1. To loose 10-20 lbs (the additional baby fat)
2. To cut down on my cussing (in particular around Jake)
3. To be a better godmother to Mya
4. To not forget quite as many birthdays this year...

Best of luck to all of you with your resolutions!!

Made some avocado baby food for Jacob today. 2 avocados made 8 servings (although he only eats about an ounce to an ounce and a half per serving). The magic bullet purees it perfectly! Hopefully it's this easy to make the other kinds of baby food too!!

Big week coming up - Jake has his neurosurgeon appt. We'll finally find out if (more like when) he has to start wearing a helmet! Not to worry, I'll post pictures!!

A few new coupon codes for ordering pictures online:
1. Shutterfly - 75 free prints, PRINTS2010 (valid until Jan 6)
2. Snapfish - 50 prints for 50 cents, NewYear50 (valid until Jan 7)