Simplified Saving

And the winner is...

2010-01-02T13:43:00.001-05:00

Jessica said... I follow! Jessica you can expect to receive an email shortly! I hope you enjoy your postcards!

Three Free Atkins Diet Bars Plus a Welcome Kit

2010-01-02T09:03:00.002-05:00

Sign up here for a FREE Atkins Quick Start Kit. Your Kit will include 3 Diet Bars, a carb counter, and a quick start guide.

Thanks Mojo Savings!

The Bible in 90 Days: I'm Loving It!

2010-01-01T23:23:00.000-05:00

OK, so I know it's only the 1st day, but I really enjoyed today's reading (Genesis 1:1 - Genesis 16:16). I was amazed by how much info is packed into those 12 pages. I'm pretty sure what I read today was like 35 weeks of children's Sunday School jam packed into 16 chapters of reading!

I know that quite a few of you are joining me in reading through the Bible as well. If you're one of those people (and you really should consider it if you're not), please check out this post by Amy at Mom's Toolbox. It's full of good stuff you need to know to be successful! If you are not following along with the official Bible in 90 Days Bible (I'm reading the Bible in 90 Days on my new Kindle), you can download the entire reading schedule here. Also, if you haven't done so already, you can sign up on the Bible in 90 Days.org site to receive an encouraging email each day and to listen to weekly audio messages that will enhance your weekly readings. Also, you can listen to Max Lucado reading each of your daily reading assignments out loud.

I hope you'll consider joining me! It's the perfect way to get your year started off right!

Mega Swagbucks Day

2010-01-01T10:52:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! Today is not only the start of a brand new year, but it is also Mega Swagbucks Day and that means you can earn Swagbucks in larger denominations (10,20, 50, 100). They guarantee over 10K Swagbucks will be awarded in Mega Bills! Make sure to head on over tomorrow and do a few searches (and do a few today while you're at it!). Remember 45 Swagbucks will get you a $5 Amazon gift card. You can easily earn 1 or 2 Amazon gift cards a month with just a few searches a day!

For those of you who haven't heard of Swagbucks, it is a free way to search online (it's powered by Google and Ask.com) and earn rewards for doing it. You can learn more about Swagbucks in this post. Have a great weekend!!!

Free "Jesus Calling" Download from christianaudio.com

2010-01-01T10:36:00.003-05:00

I love books and audiobooks are no exception. Every month christianaudio.com offers a free premium audiobook download. I usually download each one at the beginning of the month and by the middle of the month, I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next one! The January download is a devotional called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. I've never read or listened to this book so I'm excited to check it out.

To get your free download, click here and add the download to your cart. Use the coupon code JAN2010 when prompted to receive this month's free download! You must use the code to receive the download for free.

Want a print copy of this book? You can purchase it on Amazon for $26.95.

Less Than 24 Hours Left to Win Custom Postcards from UPrinting

2009-12-31T12:37:00.000-05:00

Just a quick reminded that my UPrinting Custom Postcard Giveaway will be ending tomorrow, January 1st at 12 noon EST! You can sign up to enter by clicking here!

A Year in Review: Blog Style

2009-12-31T10:39:00.003-05:00

Since it's the last day of 2009, I thought I would recap the year...blog style. I am posting the first sentence of the first post of each month. Some posts are just deal posts...some are a little more than that, but it will give you a good sampling of what life has been like here at Simplified Saving.

January

Every year as December comes to an end, I start taking inventory of my life and all the areas I want to improve in.

Not only is this my first post of the year, it's also the first post of my blog!

February

I love eBay.

I love selling on eBay and buying on eBay. Both are helpful when you're trying to get out of debt. This post was a link to a free copy of The Stay at Home Mom's Guide to Successful eBay Selling.

March

I totally enjoyed my weekend of mall freebies!

I scored a ton of free stuff that weekend...although this post is actually about a free tank top from Aeropostale that was available the following week. My daughter still regularly wears that free tank top!

April

Today is April 1st and if you're like me, you have tons of coupons that expired on March 31, 2009.

This post is about Coupons for Troops, a program that provides expired and non-expired coupons to military families stationed overseas.

May

This month's Free Download from Christian Audio is Foxe's Book of Martyrs.

Each month, ChristianAudio.com offers a free download of an audiobook. There have been some phenomenal ones this year!

June

Tonight is Free Root Beer Float night at Sonic from 8 pm to close.

July

So it is currently 2:23 and I am awake and anxiously awaiting the refreshing of the Old Navy Weekly Site.

I'm pretty sure that was the first and last time I stayed up for that. Although the Old Navy Weekly site has awesome coupons, it's not worth losing sleep over.

August

I can't believe my time in New Hampshire is coming to an end.

Although we spent our entire summer at our cottage in New Hampshire, this isn't a post waxing eloquent about our wonderful time with friends and family. It's actually a Menu Planning post about using what you have in your pantry.

September

I love Coach purses and shoes!

That pretty much sums things up. Surprisingly enough, this isn't a lengthy post on my love of fabulous shoes and handbags, it's actually a link to a printable coupon for the Coach Factory Store.

October

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review Redefining Beautiful by Jenna Lucado.

November

Join Beth Moore every Monday for a free online Bible study!

December

I talk a lot about my husband and kids, but I've never really told you much about them.

This post is the beginning in a series of posts (which still need to be written and posted) about how my family came to be.

I hope you've enjoyed a quick look at my year. I'm excited about what 2010 holds. Thanks so much for being a part of this journey!

Hurry and Print These Coupons Before It's Too Late!

2009-12-30T21:57:00.004-05:00

Coupons.com has added some great coupons including some high value L'Oreal coupons. These coupons will reset on January 1st, so hurry and print them now before it's too late!

Free Wonderful Tonight Hair Repair Serum Sample from TIGI

2009-12-30T21:12:00.004-05:00

TIGI has another great freebie today...a 1 oz sample of Wonderful Tonight.

The store has been slow loading again, but really, who can complain. They're giving away awesome free stuff and you don't even have to pay for shipping.

Thanks goes to The Freebie Blogger!

Free Yo-Plus Yogurt Coupon

2009-12-30T20:54:00.002-05:00

Right now if you sign up for the Betty Crocker newsletter, you can get a coupon for a FREE Yo-Plus yogurt pack.

Although this offer is void in CA, ID, LA, MN, NJ, ND, NV, and TN, they do have a printable coupon for you t (not as good as free, but $1 off isn't too shabby!).

Thanks Hey It's Free!

Sunday Coupon Preview

2009-12-30T17:31:00.000-05:00

Want to know what coupons are in this Sunday's paper? Head on over to Sunday Coupon Preview.

A Little Poem to Brighten Your Wednesday

2009-12-30T10:37:00.001-05:00

Twas The Month After Christmas

Twas the month after Christmas and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.

The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste.
All the holiday parties had gone to my waist.

When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).

I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,

The pies and the pastries, the bread and the cheese
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."

As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt---

I said to myself, as I only can
"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"

So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip

Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
Till all the additional ounces have vanished.

I won't have a cookie--not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.

I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.

I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore---
But isn't that what January is for?

Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

Author Unknown

HOT DEAL: Free Lip Pallet from TIGI

2009-12-29T22:21:00.005-05:00

Tigi is offering a FREE Lip Pallet. They'll even cover the cost of shipping. This would make a great gift for the teenage girl in your life (or just keep it for yourself...consider it a late Christmas gift from me).

Click here and add the Girls Just Want It Lip Pallet to your cart. You don't have to enter any credit card info. The site takes forever to load so you may want to try it in the wee hours of the morning if you're up!

Thanks for the heads up, Moms Need to Know!

LeapFrog Printable Coupons - Hurry and Print Them!

2009-12-29T22:07:00.005-05:00

Coupons.com still has some LeapFrog printable coupons available. If you combine this with one of the after Christmas sales, you may end up with one heck of a deal!

Click here to get a coupon for $5 off a LeapFrog Leapster Learning Game or $4 off any LeapFrog Tag Book.

If you're having trouble finding these coupons on the Coupons.com website, try clicking on entertainment in the left sidebar.

Smokey Bones: Free Appetizer on New Years Day

2009-12-29T21:34:00.002-05:00

Kick off your New Year with a free appetizer from Smokey Bones. This coupon doesn't specify that a purchase is necessary so this could make for a cheap date afternoon! Split an appetizer, order water, tip your server decently....and you still have a cheap outing. And Smokey Bones is really yummy! You may want to make sure your location is participating before braving the cold!

Click here to get your coupon!

Read It Forward: Free Books

2009-12-29T21:03:00.000-05:00

You all know I absolutely love to read. The Read It Forward Program by Crown Publishing gives away FREE copies of new releases. You can read it and then share it with a friend.

The supplies are limited, but they will ship the new releases directly to you. The following new releases are currently available. Hurry and get yours before it's too late.

Breaking Out of Bedlam by Leslie Larson
Prima Donna by Megan Chance
True Confections by Katharine Weber

To request yours, go here.

Thanks Money Saving Methods!

Thought for the Day

2009-12-29T10:26:00.001-05:00

No one is so miserable as the poor person who maintains the appearance of wealth.

~Charles Spurgeon

The Bible in 90 Days: I Can't Wait to Begin

2009-12-28T21:07:00.002-05:00

The Bible in 90 Days Challenge (hosted by Mom's Toolbox) is beginning in only 4 days. When I read Amy's post, I knew I wanted to be involved. I'm thrilled to be joining a great group of bloggers in digging into God's Word!

As I've thought about the time commitment and the already hectic pace of my life, I have come up with a plan. I will get out of bed 30 minutes earlier each day in order to start my day off right. I know there will be days when I won't finish it all in one setting and where I will have to read in bits and pieces throughout the day, but I know that the time I invest will be worth it. I was really excited to discover that Amazon offers The Bible in 90 Days for Kindle. This will make it easier to accomplish my goal...especially while I'm traveling.

I hope you'll prayerfully consider joining us! To sign up, visit Mom's Toolbox (and please leave a comment here as well). Also, if you're on Twitter, look for the #B90Days hashtag.

Request A Free Fitness Plan from Curves (and get 30 free days when you join!)

2009-12-28T20:07:00.003-05:00

Losing weight and exercising regularly (or 10,950 minutes) both made it on my list of New Year's Resolutions for 2010. If either of these made your list, you may want to check out this deal from Curves. You can go here to request a free fitness plan. They are also offering 30 days free when you join (this is for new members only and there is some fine print at the bottom that you may want to read).

Free Sample from NicoDerm CQ

2009-12-28T19:51:00.004-05:00

If you're trying to quit smoking (or if you're planning on making it one of your New Year's Resolutions), check out this deal from NicoDerm CQ. They are offering a f ree sample of NicoDerm CQ and a $7 coupon for NicoDerm CQ with Smart Control.

Go here to get your sample!

Free Gillette Fusion Razor

2009-12-26T12:03:00.004-05:00

I'm a big fan of Gillette Fusion Razors and right now you can get one free via phone call or text message.

Phone: Call 1-888-778-3221 and press 2 for instructions in English. Follow the instructions to leave your information and your Gillette Fusion Razor will be on its way.

Text: If you've signed up for ShopText or you have requested a freebie from them in the past, simply text PRUEBA to 467467. You'll receive a reply in Spanish asking for your age. Text them your age (i.e. 33) and then you'll receive another reply in Spanish asking for your state abbreviation. Text them your state abbreviation and you are good to go. You'll receive another reply in Spanish stating that your razor will arrive in 4-6 weeks.

Thanks Free Stuff 4 Free!

Free Bag of Galaxy Granola

2009-12-26T11:58:00.001-05:00

Sign up here for a free bag of Galaxy Granola. Choose from Not Sweet Vanilla or Vanilla Almond.

Thanks Free Stuff 4 Free!

Making the Most of After Christmas Sales

2009-12-26T11:30:00.004-05:00

If you've been out and about today, you've most likely seen the throngs of shoppers gathered round marked down Christmas items. For some of you this may seem like a ridiculous waste of time, however, I'd like to give you a few ideas that will help you make the most of these sales.

Christmas Candy - Now is the time to snag candy for a fraction of the price. Inexpensive bags of chocolate, chocolate bars, and chocolate Santas can be used in place of chocolate chips for baking. Also, I try to stock up on Hershey's Kisses to be used for Valentines and St. Patricks day. I use red and gold kisses for Valentines day and I use green kisses for St. Patricks day. It sure beats paying full price in February!
Wrapping Paper - Christmas wrapping paper isn't just for Christmas! You can find solid and foiled red, gold, silver, green, and white paper that can be used throughout the year. Also, look for pastel colored paper with snowflakes to be used on gifts given during the wintry months.
Gift Sets - I love holiday gift sets. Many of these get marked down to a fraction of the price because the packaging is Chistmas-y. I've often purchased giftsets made up of lotions and body washes at 50-80% off just because of the wrapping. What's even better is that these gift sets can be dismantled and the individual bottles of lotions can be put in other gifts throughout the year. I often turn these gift sets into birthday gifts or thinking of you gifts!
Baking supplies and cookware - After Christmas is a great time to purchase cookware and baking supplies. I found multiple sets of pots and pans marked at 50% off at Wal-Mart this morning and I also found nice cookie sheets. I'm not sure why they choose to mark so many of these items down in their "holiday" section, but I definitely won't complain. If you need pots and pans, waffle irons, tea kettles, etc., make sure to take a look at the holiday markdowns.
Christmas decorations and lights - Most of my Christmas decorations and lights have been purchased after Christmas. Each year, I try to add a few piece ornaments to my collection. I love that I can buy 3 or 4 ornaments for the price I would usually pay for 1. This is also a great time to buy an artificial tree to use next year. Also, if you are planning a wedding or party in which you may want to use white lights, stock up now. You'll be able to find them and the price on them will be unbeatable!
Candles - I love candles! I love the way they make my house smell and the ambiance they create. Candles are often included in the post Christmas sales...and not just the red and green ones. I was amazed to find so many white candles in a variety of scents marked down to a fraction of their costs!

I hope this will give you a few ideas to help make the most of after Christmas sales. Please remember that it's never a good deal if you don't have the money to pay for it. It's easy to get caught up in the thrill of a bargain, but it's not worth the stress that it brings when you realize you have no money and no place to store all your "bargains". With that disclaimer out of the way, I'm heading to the mall! Have a great day!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T10:37:00.001-05:00

Since Christmas is a time of sharing and family, I thought I'd share a picture of my family with you! Aren't they the cutest elves you've ever seen?

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Mega Swagbucks Day

2009-12-24T17:45:00.000-05:00

Friday is not only Christmas...it's also Mega Swagbucks Day and that means you can earn Swagbucks in larger denominations (10,20, 50, 100). They guarantee over 10K Swagbucks will be awarded in Mega Bills! Make sure to head on over tomorrow and do a few searches (and do a few today while you're at it!). Remember 45 Swagbucks will get you a $5 Amazon gift card. You can easily earn 1 or 2 Amazon gift cards a month with just a few searches a day!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T10:47:00.000-05:00

I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and let you know that my blogging will most likely be sporadic this week as I celebrate Christmas with my family.

If you want to make sure you don't miss anything, please subscribe to Simplified Saving for free updates via email or in a reader.

Don't Forget to Pick Up Your A-List Chocolate Bar

2009-12-24T03:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Christmas Eve! If you're heading to the mall to do some last minute shopping, make sure you head to aerie to pick up your A-List gift!

If you don't know about the A-List, you can read more about it here. This month's A-List gift is an aerie comfort & joy chocolate bar. It looks so yummy! Click here for more details or go on over here to find your closest store. It only takes a few minutes to sign up and it's sooo worth it!

Free Christmas Music from The Fray

2009-12-23T22:40:00.003-05:00

For a limited time, The Fray is offering a free one year membership to their fan club and 4 unreleased acoustic Christmas songs by clicking here! I'm a big fan of The Fray, so I'm quite excited!

Thanks For the Mommas and Coupon Geek!

Sunday Coupon Preview

2009-12-23T17:31:00.000-05:00

Want to know what coupons are in this Sunday's paper? Head on over to Sunday Coupon Preview.

Why I'm Reading The Bible in 90 Days

2009-12-23T10:07:00.001-05:00

I'm busy. I'm tired. I have a chronic illness. I work outside our home. I work inside our home. My kids need help with homework. We need to eat dinner together as a family. I want to spend time talking with my husband. I want to spend time laughing with my kids. I really should be exercising. I have commitments at the church. I need to post to my blog. Just typing these things makes me want to curl up in bed and take a nap. However, I know that the most important thing I can do is to spend time in the Word of God.

Unfortunately, in my busyness, God's Word doesn't always take priority. That is why I have committed along with many other lovely bloggers to read through the Bible in 90 days. Beginning on January 1st and continuing through March 31st, I will be reading through the entire Bible. I am excited to make this commitment and to see how God will work during this time! I hope you will consider joining me. If you're planning on participating, please leave me a comment or send me an email.

Top Ten Tuesday: New Year's Resolutions

2009-12-21T20:09:00.002-05:00

It's Top Ten Tuesday over at OhAmanda (and if you don't read her blog already, you really need to. And just a little FYI, she's a Disney Mom, which I totally want to be when I grow up). Ok...now on to the important things (not that OhAmanda and being a Disney Mom aren't important, but really, this is my blog and today I've decided to post about what I want).

I know it's not even Christmas yet, but I've been thinking about my New Year's Resolutions quite a bit lately and this is the year that I am going to accomplish them. I've tried to make these goals all SMART...Specific, Measurable Attainable, Realistic, and Timely, so here they are (in no particular order)

1. Lose weight (average at least one pound/week for the year)
2. Exercise at least 10,950 minutes
3. Stick to our budget...every single month!
4. Track all of our income and spending.
5. Read through the entire Bible.
6. Take a trip with the kids to Disney World or Disney Land
7. Post at least 5 times/week on my blog
8. Try 2 new recipes per month
9. Read 1 book or listen to 1 audiobook each week.
10. Take a creative writing or public speaking class.

{BONUS} I'd like to get more organized too, but I don't have a good plan for that yet...

Great Last Minute Gift - More Hot Magazine Deals

2009-12-21T17:46:00.004-05:00

It's not too late to get some great magazine deals. Magazines are gifts that keep giving all year long.

Amazon has some of my favorite magazines on sale. You can get a one year subscription for as low as $5! You can't beat that kind of gift. These make great gifts for teachers, neighbors, or loved ones who are far away. I'm always thrilled to get a good magazine subscription! So enough of my rambling...

This Old House (1-year) $5

Southern Living (1-year) $5

Health (1-year) $5

Coastal Living (1-year) $5

Sunset (1-year) $5

Essence (1-year) $5

Entertainment Weekly (1 year) $10

InStyle (1-year) $10

Here's a deal that's not on Amazon, but it's definitely worth looking at!

BestDealMagazines.com has Taste of Home on sale today only for $4.39. You can also try code PXSS13 for 15% off. Plus, you can get cashback if you go through Shop at Home (15%), Cashbaq (15%), Ebates (10%). If you're new to Shop At Home, Cashbaq, or Ebates, you'll also get $5 added to your account when you make a purchase through them which makes this a money-maker for you!

25 Days of FREE {Free Music from Amazon}

2009-12-21T16:00:00.001-05:00

Amazon is offering a free Christmas download every day between now and Christmas. Check it out here.

Hurry and download these now as they will only be available for a limited amount of time!

Dec. 1 - Joy to the World by Casting Crowns
Dec. 2 - Snow Angel by Tori Amos
Dec. 3 - The Coventry Carol by Mediaeval Baebes
Dec. 4 - Slower Than Christmas by the Boxmasters
Dec. 5 - God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen by Jars of Clay

Dec. 6 - Christmas Tree by Lady GaGa

Dec. 7 - No Room by Todd Agnew
Dec. 8 - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing [feat. Aygun Beyler and Mahsa Vahdat] by Carola
Dec. 9 - This Christmas Girl by James Pants
Dec. 10- Silent Night by House of Heroes
Dec. 11- Oh Holy Night by Richie McDonald
Dec. 12- All Wrapped Up In Christmas by Tracy Lawrence
Dec. 13- Mr. Heatmiser by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Dec. 14- Joy to the World by Stroudavarious Orchestra
Dec. 15- Oh Come Emmanuel by Aliqua
Dec. 16- The Night Before Christmas by Brandon Heath
Dec. 17- O Holy Night by Mark Harris
Dec. 18- It Really Is (A Wonderful Life) by Mindy Smith
Dec. 19- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Keyshia Cole
Dec. 20- Christmas With A Monkey by Curious George
Dec. 21- Joy to the World by Lee Greenwood

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

Crocs Deal of the Day: $9.99 Alice

2009-12-21T04:25:00.001-05:00

Crocs continues to roll out the great deals. Today's Deal of the Day is Crocs Alice for only $9.99.
Free shipping continues through the end of December as well, so although these won't make it before Christmas, you can still get a pretty sweet deal!

Happy shopping!

25 Days of Free {Free Music from Amazon}

2009-12-20T23:07:00.002-05:00

Dec. 6 - Christmas Tree by Lady GaGa

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

UPrinting Postcards {Giveaway} CLOSED

2009-12-20T21:14:00.008-05:00

I'm thrilled that my sponsor UPrinting is offering another great giveaway to readers of Simplified Saving! That's right...one of you are going to receive 100 custom 4x6 postcards. These postcards will be printed on 14 pt Cardstock Gloss and can be printed in full color on both sides.

These don't have to be your average post cards either. UPrinting postcards can be used as thank you cards or personal notecards. You can make a save the date card for a wedding or a birth announcement. You can even use them as Christmas cards (or for those of you who like me never got around to sending out Christmas cards, you can can use them as New Year's cards). You can even use them as invitations to a party, shower, or special event like a family reunion!

Want to Win It? Leave me a comment telling me what you would do with the postcards if you were to win. This is required!

Want Extra Entries?**

1. Follow Simplified Saving through Google Friend Connect.

2. Follow Simplified Saving throughNetworked Blogs. You can have one entry for each!

3. Subscribe to Simplified Saving via email and /or RSS feed.

4. Blog about this giveaway and link back to this page (Leave your post URL)

5. Take my pretty button and post it on your blog. (Leave your blog URL)

6. Follow me (@LisaAboutLife) and @UPrinting on Twitter.

7. Tweet about this giveaway (include @LisaAboutLife in tweet).

8. Become a fan of Simplified Saving on Facebook!

****Please leave a separate comment for every entry. If your email address is not visible in your Blogger profile, please leave your email address with every comment. This giveaway will be closing on January 1st around noon eastern time.

Also, UPrinting has recently changed their shipping policies. All giveaway winners will be required to pay for shipping costs. There is a shipping calculator on the right side of the UPrinting site. This is still a phenomenal deal as these custom postcards would normally run $50.

{Disclosure: UPrinting generously gave me 100 postcards as a thank you for offering this giveaway. I don't have to disclose what I'm going to do with them, but I'm nice like that, so I'll tell you they will most likely be New Year's cards or possibly next years' Christmas cards if I continue at my current rate of procrastination}.

25 Days of FREE {Free Music from Amazon}

2009-12-19T00:52:00.002-05:00

Dec. 6 - Christmas Tree by Lady GaGa

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

Giving Up On My Idea of a Perfect Christmas

2009-12-17T22:27:00.002-05:00

I had such high hopes for my Christmas this year...and it started with my tree.

Last year I purchased fun and funky ornaments on sale after Christmas. I immediately put them on the tree and they were perfect. It didn't even bother me that it was after Christmas. I still enjoyed those ornaments on that tree.

In March of this year our small town experienced a flood.

Yep, that's our house and the street we live on!

We lost most of the belongings we had in our basement, including our pre-lit Christmas tree. My parents graciously gave us a beautiful tree they had so we wouldn't be without a tree.

On November 1st, we put up our new tree. I wanted to be able to stretch out my perfect Christmas for two months. Unfortunately, our new tree wasn't pre-lit (and we had no lights), so we just left it sitting there undecorated. By November 10th, I had purchased lights and we had a wonderful time decorating our tree...and it looked great. I wish I had taken a picture... I even wrapped tons of presents and put them under the tree.

Although the tree looked great, the rest of my house wasn't looking so impressive. We live in a fixer-upper that still needs a lot of fixin-up. We'd love to get the inside painted, but unfortunately that meant we needed to get the drywall repaired. We scheduled the drywall repair people to come the Monday after Thanksgiving. He quoted that he would only need"8-10" hours of work to get the job done.

So, we undecorated the tree and put most of the presents in the upstairs closet. We moved the tree to a different spot so that it was out of the way of the drywall workers and I told the family we could decorate as soon as the drywall guys finished up.

Look at the beautifully wrapped gifts under the tarp!

Unfortunately, that 8-10 hours that he quoted us is still going on. There have been lots of days they've been unable to come for one reason or another. They've been sick or busy with other jobs. Plus, my hubby was out of town for a few days so they couldn't come then. And the days they are here, they leave more dust than you could possibly imagine. With one week til Christmas, my home looks like this!

This isn't the ideal situation at Christmas time. I want a warm, welcoming home. I want my family to be surrounded by beautiful things, not tarps and drywall dust.

I'm sure that's what Mary wanted on that very first Christmas too. I'm sure that bringing her baby into the world in a dirty cold stable wasn't the ideal situation for her. I'm sure she envisioned things differently. She probably imagined a perfect Christmas. Christ coming into the world in a comfortable room surrounded by beautiful things. Instead, the Messiah was born in a dirty smelly animal enclosure.

And although Christ was born in a dirty place, I don't want him to live in a dirty place.

I want my home to be a place where Jesus would feel welcomed. I want Him to see that my life is not overwhelmed by busyness and the unimportant. I want a heart that is overflowing with love. I want the dirt in me to be scrubbed away by my repentant attitude and the cleansing blood of Jesus. I want the words that flow from my lips to be words seasoned with grace and hope.

I want to remember that the only perfect Christmas was in a stable when Emmanuel came to dwell with us...in us. God with us...Emmanuel...the perfect Christmas!

Join Mary and those who are "Giving Up On a Perfect Christmas" over at Giving Up On Perfect.

This post is linked to Finer Things Friday because there is nothing finer than Emmanuel...God with Us and Photo Story Friday.

Free 20 Song Starbucks Sampler Download

2009-12-17T21:08:00.003-05:00

I've been downloading tons of music lately with Amazon's 25 Days of Free, but I can always use more free music. If you'd like more free music, simply become a Facebook Fan of iTunes and you can get a 20 Song Starbucks Sampler download.

Thanks Moms Need to Know!

Free Lip Product from Bath & Body Works

2009-12-17T19:30:00.006-05:00

I was so excited today when I opened my inbox to find a new coupon from Bath & Body Works.

FREE Lip Item (up to $8) with ANY purchase

This is one of my favorite coupons because I love their lip products and it works with any purchase...even on clearance and inexpensive items. If you don't have anything particular in mind, try the foaming hand soap for only $3, the shea infused socks for only $5, or look for a small hand sanitizer or nail file for only a buck or two!

I used my coupon today and purchased a pair of their super cozy socks with shea butter* for only $5. The socks and lip gloss will be a great addition to one of my daughters' Christmas stocking.

*These Bath & Body works shea infused socks are my all time favorite cozy socks! A lip gloss and a pair of these socks for only $5 is a steal and would make a great gift for any woman on your list!

25 Days of Free {Free Music from Amazon}

2009-12-17T19:23:00.001-05:00

Dec. 6 - Christmas Tree by Lady GaGa

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

Mega Swagbucks Day

2009-12-17T17:45:00.001-05:00

Friday is Mega Swagbucks Day and that means you can earn Swagbucks in larger denominations (10,20, 50, 100). They guarantee over 10K Swagbucks will be awarded in Mega Bills! Make sure to head on over tomorrow and do a few searches (and do a few today while you're at it!). Remember 45 Swagbucks will get you a $5 Amazon gift card. You can easily earn 1 or 2 Amazon gift cards a month with just a few searches a day!

Crocs Deal of the Day: 30% Off Outlet Styles

2009-12-17T04:30:00.000-05:00

Crocs continues to roll out the great deals. Today's Deal of the Day is 30% off Outlet Styles.

You can use code DEALMOM20 through 1pm today to get an additional 20% off.
This can be combined with crocswinter09 for another 10% or N9DWZLKY3ISA for another 5%.

You should be able to get some pretty smoking hot deals between the Deal of the Day and the additional codes.

Happy shopping!

Don't Forget to Pick Up Your A-List Chocolate Bar

2009-12-17T03:48:00.000-05:00

Today is Thursday! Don't forget to pick up your a-list gift!

Are you on the A-List? I am and you can be too (you can read more about it here). This month's A-List gift is an aerie comfort & joy chocolate bar. It looks so yummy! You can pick up this A-List gift any Thursday in December. Click here for more details or go on over here to find your closest store.

Bless A Friend and Help Toys for Tots

2009-12-16T23:28:00.003-05:00

1-800-flowers.com has a new Secret Santa Facebook Application. You can send a warm fuzzy Secret Santa gift to a friend. It's free and they won't find out who it's from until December 21st. To make this even sweeter, 1-800-flowers.com will donate $5,000 to Toys for Tots if the warm fuzzy Secret Santa gift is sent 10,000 times, so we're trying to get the word out!

Click here to send out your Secret Santa Gift. Plus (as a bonus) you'll get 15% off your order on 1-800-flowers.com.

Don't delay!

Great Giveaway at My Red Apron

2009-12-16T22:56:00.003-05:00

Heather over at My Red Apron has a really cool giveaway going on right now. You can win a Flip Video Camera, a $25 Williams-Sonoma gift card, and a Cook or Be Cooked game for Wii. You can bet I'll be entering this giveaway!

Check out her giveaway here!

{Guest Post} The Bible in 90 Days

2009-12-16T22:13:00.001-05:00

The following is a guest post from Amy, who blogs at Mom's Toolbox and Mom's Travel Tales. I am so excited about what she is sharing and what she will be doing and I plan to join her. I hope you will too!

Have you ever thought about reading the Bible... the whole thing, from start to finish?

I thought about it for years, and even attempted a few times on my own, before I discovered Bible in 90 Days, joined a group at my church and read the whole thing without stopping, cover to cover.

I was so blown away by the experience that I offered to facilitate it at my next church and have since facilitated several more times, trained facilitators and now plan to host an online community via my blog, MomsToolbox.

If you have ever considered reading the whole Bible, I cannot recommend strongly enough that you join me January 1- March 31, 2010, as I read and blog through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, bit by bit, in order, every day.

If you would like to join our online community, here’s what you’ll need to do:

Plan to set aside about an hour each day from January 1- March 31 for an incredibly enriching experience.
Get your hands on a Bible in 90 Days Bible from www.biblein90days.org, or your local Christian bookstore.
Consider also purchasing the Bible in 90 Days Participant’s Guide which offers weekly questions for you ponder to gain more insight from your reading. (I’ll be using these questions for our weekly Twitter meet-ups.)
Consider purchasing the Bible in 90 Days Essential Bible Companion, which offers a snapshot of information to help you make it through each week’s reading without getting distracted by researching on the internet.
Bookmark my site, www.MomsToolbox.com, and plan to visit January 1- March 31 after you have completed each day’s reading to see what I learned and report in that you have read for the day.
Follow me on Twitter (@MomsToolbox) and plan to be on Twitter every Monday night of the program from 9-10 CST (much like a study meeting—just online!) when we can ask and answer each other’s questions. Use and look for the #B90Days hashtag for our group discussion.

I would bet some of you are asking “Why this particular Bible?” Here’s why:

The official Bible in 90 Days Bible is an NIV Bible, so it is an easy-to-read direct translation. This edition has large type, minimal footnotes and indicates where you should start and stop reading each day. Sure, you could accomplish this goal using your own Bible, but the statistics point to a huge success ratio for those using this official Bible... and not so much success for those who choose to use a different one. And don’t you want to succeed this time?

Although we won’t be meeting in person, my prayer is that via almost-daily online communication on my blog, as well as on Twitter we can still hold each other accountable, helping each other to accomplish our goal to read every word of the Bible attentively in 90 days.

I’d love to encourage you in this endeavor. It has been life-changing for me.

I cannot express how much reading the bible in 90 days has helped me with every study I have participated in and every sermon I have heard since then. I now know the context of the stories. I know where to find them... and I can clearly see how they are related. And to read about Christ and the fulfillment of countless prophesies just after you’ve read about those prophesies is amazing!

If you’re up for the challenge, I’m up for encouraging you every step of the way.

Pray about it. Think about it… And click on over to MomsToolbox.com to let me know if you’d like to join in the challenge and to learn more. But do it soon so you’ll be ready to start 2010 in His Word… all of it!

Hope to see you there!

** If you still have questions, plan to follow me on Twitter and join me for our first Twitter chat this Monday, December 21 from 9-10 CST. I’ll be there ready to chat about the program and would love to answer any questions you may have.

Sunday Coupon Preview

2009-12-16T17:31:00.001-05:00

Want to know what coupons are in this Sunday's paper? Head on over to Sunday Coupon Preview.

Crocs Deal of the Day: Buy One Get One 50% Off Boots (Ambler, Haley, Claire, Nadia, and Nadia Girls)

2009-12-16T04:00:00.001-05:00

Crocs is back with another great deal...Buy One Get One 50% Off Boots (Ambler, Haley, Claire, Nadia, and Nadia Girls). They have some seriously cute boots!

Also, all sports licensed Beach and Cayman are $14.99 and $9.99 for Kids. All sports licensed Mammoth's are only $19.99.

I also have 2 great coupon codes that can be combined and used with this deal. One is for 20% off and the other is for 10% off. Make sure you enter both codes!

DEALMOM20 (20% off) and crocswinter09 (10% off). Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

Click here to order your Crocs! Don't forget, FREE SHIPPING on all orders in December.

Free 3 pack of Socks from Lucy

2009-12-15T18:34:00.002-05:00

I just got an email from Lucy and they are giving away another 3 pack of socks in store only from December 18th-20th while supplies last. If you live near a Lucy store, you'll want to take advantage of this deal!

Click here to find your nearest store!

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Favorite Sites of 2009

2009-12-15T18:22:00.003-05:00

I love the internet. Seriously...I big pink puffy heart the internet! I have no idea what I did before its existence. Although there are many sites I love and check every day, here are my 10 favorite sites that make my life better in one way or another. Without further ado... the Top Ten Sites of 2009 according to moi!

1. Swagbucks - I've received over $100 in Amazon (and other) gift cards just for surfing the web and referring my friends to do the same!

2. Amazon - Using the gift cards I mentioned above (and some of my hard earned cash), I've been able to buy great Christmas gifts and much needed stuff for our house and family. The prices are great and I don't have to leave the comfort of home.

3. (in)courage - A website full of posts that feel more like letters from a good friend. Some of my all time favorite bloggers are contributors here!

4. GirlTalk - A mom and three daughters talking about Biblical womanhood and a whole lot of other fun stuff. Prepare to be challenged!

5. Coupons.com - You can't beat high value coupons that you can print off at your leisure. Plus, they introduce new coupons each month.

6. Mr. Rebates - It doesn't get much better than getting money back for shopping! This cashback site is easy to use and the payouts are quite good!

7. Hotwire - You can't beat the travel deals! Last weekend I stayed in a 3 1/2 star hotel for $49. Last fall, it was a 4 star hotel for $79 in Chicago. And there were plenty of other Hotwire hotel deals in between. Definitely the way to go for hotel rooms!

8. ShopAtHome - Another great cashback website. This site even offers cashback on gift cards. It's almost like getting paid to shop.

9. Facebook- Admit it...we all love it and use it regularly. How would we keep track of all of those friends from elementary school without it? If you're on Facebook, you ought to become a fan of Simplified Saving. All the cool kids are doing it!

10. Dave Ramsey - I love both the Dave Ramsey website and theMy Total Money Makeover site. I can't say enough good things about Dave Ramsey.

This post is linked to Top Ten {Tuesday} over at Oh Amanda and Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family (both also make the cut in my fave sites!)

25 Days of FREE {Free Music from Amazon}

2009-12-15T10:41:00.000-05:00

Dec. 6 - Christmas Tree by Lady GaGa

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

Potluck Survival Guide by Cherie Kimmons {A Review}

2009-12-15T08:48:00.002-05:00

I've shared before that I love to entertain, but I'm horribly disorganized and it can make planning a meal for a large group intimidating (or downright stressful)! The Potluck Survival Guide is a great guide for busy moms everywhere. It's part cookbook, part instruction manual, and one heck of a good read!

It doesn't matter if you're not an experienced cook, Cherie breaks it down with easy step by step instructions. If you are an experienced cook, you'll still find this book to be a goldmine. These recipes can easily to be used to feed a small family or a soccer team.

This is one of the best books I've read on feeding a large crowd. Many of the meals start off with prepared ingredients like frozen veggies or instant mashed potatoes which drastically reduces prep time. It also includes recipes that can be prepared the night before. It also includes serving information so you can plan accordingly depending on the size of the crowd.

This is a book you need to pick up! It's humorous, down to earth, and absolutely delightful.

Potluck Survival Guide can be purchased from Five Star Publications for only $18.96 (regularly $24.95).

Disclosure: Potluck Survival Guide was provided to me free of charge by Five Star Publications in conjunction with Mama Buzz. All opinions expressed here were my own.

Crocs Deal of the Day: 25% Off Gretel for Women and Kids

2009-12-15T04:00:00.000-05:00

Crocs has had tons of great deals...and the deals keep coming! Today's Deal of the Day is 25% off Gretel for Women and Kids. These look so warm and cozy!

You can also take 5% off your order with code N9DWZLKY3ISA. According to MommySnacks, you can also try code UEIMKRKY3ISA for an additional 10% off. This code was posted last week, so I'm not sure if it is still valid, but it's definitely worth trying! (Leave a comment and let me know if it works for you!)

Don't forget, FREE SHIPPING on all orders in December.

Great Toy Deals at Amazon

2009-12-14T22:22:00.003-05:00

Check out these great deals at Amazon. These would make great Christmas gifts for your little ones (or not so little ones)!

Fisher-Price Fun-2-Learn Computer Cool School

Regularly $69.99 Now only $29.99

The Grinch - Sing Your Heart Out!
Regularly $24.99 Now only $4.99

Ucreate Games & Artimation
Regularly $59.99 Now only $19.99

Now is your chance to use those Amazon gift cards you've been getting from Swagbucks. If you're not already a member of Swagbucks, sign up now and you'll soon have Amazon gift cards to use too!

And the winner is...

2009-12-14T22:03:00.002-05:00

I'm thrilled that so many of you entered my giveaway. I wish I could have picked you all! I used Random.org to pick the winner and they chose #12. The winner of the UPrinting Business Card Giveaway is Erin @ Home with the Boys!

Congrats Erin!

I'll be sending you an email in a few minutes!

Free Subscription to Weight Watchers Magazine

2009-12-14T21:55:00.004-05:00

I love Weight Watchers magazine and I'm so thrilled that you can get it for free here! This won't last long so sign up now!

Thanks Money Saving Madness!

Crocs Deal of the Day: 20% Off Entire Site (Plus Combine with Other Coupon Codes for More Savings)

2009-12-14T15:16:00.003-05:00

Crocs continues to amaze me with the deals they keep rolling out this month. Today's Crocs Deal of the Day is 20% off the entire site!

Take an additional 5% off your order with code N9DWZLKY3ISA. This code is stackable which means you can combine it with another code if you have one!

According to MommySnacks, you can also try code UEIMKRKY3ISA for an additional 10% off. This code was posted last week, so I'm not sure if it is still valid, but it's definitely worth trying!

Don't forget, FREE SHIPPING on all orders in December.

25 Days of FREE {Free Music from Amazon}

2009-12-14T15:05:00.002-05:00

Dec. 6 - Christmas Tree by Lady GaGa

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

Free Christmas Cookie Recipe E-Book

2009-12-13T20:36:00.002-05:00

I can't believe Christmas is in 12 days. One of the things I need to get moving on is making Christmas cookies. Since I'm sure many of you are in the same boat, I thought I'd share this great freebie from RecipeLion. They have an e-book with 50 Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes. (Don't worry, I'm not expecting you to make all 50 before Christmas!)

Sign up here to get your e-book!

Home Made Simple Newsletter {Lots of Great Coupons}

2009-12-13T20:14:00.005-05:00

Want to get wonderful recipes, great craft ideas and lots of tips and advice for your home in your email inbox each month? If you sign up with Home Made Simple, you'll also be among the first to know about special offers, samples, coupons, and sweepstakes offers from brands like Cascade, Dawn, Febreze, Mr. Clean, and Swiffer. Sometimes, you may even receive free samples and other offers in the mail. I've received quite a few booklets of high value coupons from them!

This is one company you definitely want to sign up with! Click here to sign up!

25 Days of FREE {Free Music from Amazon}

2009-12-13T19:55:00.002-05:00

Dec. 6 - Christmas Tree by Lady GaGa

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

Crocs Deal of the Day: Minnie Mouse Mary Jane Silhouettes $14.99 (Kids version $9.99)

2009-12-12T04:00:00.000-05:00

Crocs continues to amaze me with the deals they keep rolling out this month. Today's Crocs Deal of the Day is the $14.99 Minnie Mouse Mary Jane Silhouettes and $9.99 Kid's version

Take an additional 5% off your order with code N9DWZLKY3ISA. This code is stackable which means you can combine it with another code if you have one!

Don't forget, FREE SHIPPING on all orders in December.

Another Crocs Deal: BOGO 50% Off on Gretel and Santa Cruz Cords

2009-12-11T10:51:00.002-05:00

Crocs is running an additional special today. Crocs Gretel ($49.99), Kids Gretel ($34.99), Santa Cruz Corduroy ($49.99), and Kids Santa Cruz Cords ($29.99) are all Buy One, Get One 50% Off. To check out these shoes, click here and type the name of the shoe in the search box.

This is a limited time offer based on availability so take advantage of the deal while you can!

Take an additional 5% off your order with code N9DWZLKY3ISA.

Don't forget, FREE SHIPPING on all orders in December.

Crocs Deal of the Day: Mickey Cayman Silhouettes $14.99 (Kids version $9.99)

2009-12-11T04:00:00.001-05:00

Crocs continues to amaze me with the deals they keep rolling out this month. Today's Crocs Deal of the Day is the $14.99 Mickey Cayman Silhouettes and $9.99 Kid's version.

Take an additional 5% off your order with code N9DWZLKY3ISA.

Don't forget, FREE SHIPPING on all orders in December.

HOT Deal: Radio Flyer 79 S Big Flyer Only $39.00

2009-12-10T22:38:00.004-05:00

Amazon currently has this Radio Flyer 79S Big Flyer on sale for $39.00. This regularly sells for $92.99. Plus, you can get FREE shipping with Amazon Prime. You can learn more about Amazon Prime in this post here. To get your Radio Flyer 79S Big Flyer, click here!

This is a great opportunity to use those Amazon gift cards you've gotten through Swagbucks.

HOT Deal: $2.99 Weekend Tote at Woman Within

2009-12-10T22:08:00.005-05:00

There are some hot deals over at Woman Within, but they're going fast so you need to hurry.

Weekend Tote -$2.99 (was $29.99)

Cuddler Blanket (plus size)* - $5.99 (was $34.99)

*I would be irresponsible if I didn't comment that Cuddler Blankets (and Snuggies) are a fashion disaster (although with the sub-zero windchill today, I'm almost willing to be a fashion disaster in my own home).

Thanks Money Saving Madness!

Mega Swagbucks Day

2009-12-10T17:45:00.002-05:00

25 Days of FREE {Free Music from Amazon}

2009-12-10T16:14:00.001-05:00

Dec. 6 - Christmas Tree by Lady GaGa

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

Don't Forget to Pick Up Your A-List Chocolate Bar

2009-12-10T03:46:00.002-05:00

Crocs Deal of the Day: Girls Chickadee ($4.99) and Girls Siren ($9.99)

2009-12-10T03:30:00.001-05:00

Crocs has another great deal today...especially for all of you out there with girls. Today's Deal of the Day is the Girls Ocean Minded Chickadee (pictured above) for only $4.99 or the Girls Ocean Minded Siren for $9.99.

Take an additional 5% off your order with code N9DWZLKY3ISA.

Don't forget, FREE SHIPPING on all orders in December.

UPrinting Business Card Giveaway {CLOSED}

2009-12-09T22:14:00.008-05:00

It doesn't matter if you're a blogger, business owner, mom (or any combination of the three), we've all had those moments where we've needed to give out our contact info. And there is nothing worse than digging in the bottom of your purse for a scrap of paper to scribble your info on (and believe me, I know first hand)! Wouldn't it be so much better if you were able to just hand them a really fantastic business card? One lucky reader of Simplified Saving will be able to do just that.

UPrinting has generously offered to give 250 business cards to one reader of Simplified Saving. If you haven't already checked out UPrinting, you are missing out. Uprinting is an online printing company that offers an incredible selection of products including a variety of templates to create your products from. You don't need to be a business owner to benefit from their products. You can make family contact info cards to leave with babysitters, mommy cards to exchange with other moms, or even gift tags. You can check out what other users are saying about them over here.

Here's the prize: 250 Business Cards from UPrinting

You can get these in one of 4 sizes: 2" x 3.5", 2" x 3", 2 x 2" (square card) or 1.5" x 3.5" (skinny card). You can also choose from 14 pt gloss cardstock, 14 pt matte cardstock or 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock. Your cards can be Full Color Both Sides, Offset Press, and 3 Business Day Printing. This giveaway is open to US Residents only due to shipping constraints!

Want to Win It? Leave me a comment telling me what you would do with the business cards if you were to win. This is required!

Want Extra Entries?**

1. Follow Simplified Saving through Blogger, Google Friend Connect, or Networked Blogs.

2. Subscribe to Simplified Saving via email and /or RSS feed.

3. Blog about this giveaway and link back to this page (Leave your post URL)

4. Take my pretty button and post it on your blog. (Leave your blog URL)

5. Follow me (@LisaAboutLife) and @UPrinting on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway.

****Please leave a separate comment for every entry. If your email address is not visible in your Blogger profile, please leave your email address with every comment. This giveaway will be closing on December 14th around noon eastern time.

{Disclosure: UPrinting generously gave me 250 business cards as a thank you for offering this giveaway}.

Sunday Coupon Preview

2009-12-09T17:31:00.001-05:00

Want to know what coupons are in this Sunday's paper? Head on over to Sunday Coupon Preview.

Great Aveda Freebies with Purchase

2009-12-09T16:54:00.002-05:00

I absolutely love Aveda products. I love the smell and I love the way they make my skin and hair feel and look.

Right now you can get a free Body Care Trio set ($19 value) with any purchase when you use the code BODYGIFT129. Plus you'll get free standard shipping and they offer you 2 additional free samples as you go through the checkout process.

The Body Care Trio set includes:

I purchased a travel size item for $4.50, but if you want to splurge, I highly recommend the Caribbean Therapy Body Creme or the Foot Relief.

You can use all of these small size items to stock your travel kit, fill stockings, or give them away in a gift basket.

Thanks Mrs. Nespy's Frugal World for the heads up.

25 Days of FREE

2009-12-09T14:37:00.001-05:00

Dec. 6 - Christmas Tree by Lady GaGa

Dec. 7 - No Room by Todd Agnew
Dec. 8 - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing [feat. Aygun Beyler and Mahsa Vahdat] by Carola
Dec. 9 - This Christmas Girl by James Pants

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

Great Giveaway

2009-12-09T11:41:00.000-05:00

11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven is giving away a gorgeous Hotslings baby carrier!

To enter click HERE.

Crocs Deal of the Day: Women's Nadia $19.99 (Girls Nadia $14.99)

2009-12-09T06:30:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting a pair of these Crocs Nadia boots for a while and I'm excited to see them for such a great price. They are only $19.99 today (girls Nadia boots are only $14.99).

Click here to take advantage of the deal of the day. Don't forget, you can take an additional 5% off your order with code N9DWZLKY3ISA and shipping is FREE for the month of December!

Finding Financial Hope in a Season of Spending

2009-12-09T01:03:00.001-05:00

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...or so they say. Although Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of the One who brought Hope, when you're struggling with your finances, Christmas can seem like the most hopeless time of the year. As a parent, you feel compelled to not only give great gifts to your children, but also to their teachers, your co-workers, and numerous other people.

Last year at this time, I was buying Christmas presents and praying like crazy that we wouldn't max out all of our credit cards. Things were extremely tight, yet I felt like buying cheap gifts for my friends and family or sharing with them that I couldn't afford to buy Christmas presents {GASP!} would be an admission of my failure as an adult. So I continued on, buying gifts we couldn't afford, buying extra groceries we couldn't afford, and pretending that all was well in our world! Our finances were a disaster!

By the time Christmas came and went, we had no money in our checking account.

On New Years Eve day, my husband Fred headed out to run some errands. He came home with a book (purchased on a credit card) that would rock our world and change our finances. He purchased Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. He started reading it as soon as he got home and then handed it to me and asked me to read the first 4 chapters. Not only did I read the first four chapters, but I finished the entire book in one setting. And I began to feel the stirring of something I hadn't felt in a long time...HOPE.

Hope that we might not be in debt forever.
Hope that we might get our acts together.
Hope that at some point our finances would be in good enough shape that we could adopt again.

When we sat down to figure out where we were financially, I felt extremely torn. I wasn't sure I wanted to know how bad it really was. I knew that our monthly spending exceeded our income, but I wasn't sure what the big picture was. It was REALLY ugly. The reality is that the amount of our debt surpassed a full year of income for my husband and I combined...and that wasn't including our house. There were lots of things that contributed to that amount of debt...our adoption, the house we live in (that ended up needing $30,000 in improvements to make it livable instead of the $10,000 we planned on), and some poor choices in spending (eating out more than we needed to and trying to keep up with the Joneses).

This year, we have worked and planned and saved and been more creative than we have ever been. Was this an easy year for us? No. Our house flooded and we lost over $30,000 in belongings (our insurance for our basement was only $10,000). We had some health issues that came with some major bills. We had some dental issues that came with some more crazy bills. And on top of that, we got a letter from the IRS that due to some incorrect paperwork, we owed a TON of money! If any of this would have happened during the previous year, I'm not sure what we would have done. I just know that it most likely would not have had a happy ending.

Are we where we want to be financially? Not yet, but we now know we WILL be able to get there. Here are a few differences between last year and this year.

The feeling of hopelessness is gone.
This year's Christmas shopping has been stress-free (partially because I purchased things throughout the year when I found them at rock bottom prices).
We don't need to use credit cards anymore because we are living within our means.
I don't dread opening the mail box because I know that we will be able to pay our bills.
I am able to stretch my dollars further than I would have thought possible.

If you are feeling the burden of finances this Christmas, I'd like to encourage you that there is hope for you too. Jesus came to bind up the broken-hearted and to proclaim liberty to the captives. I felt broken-hearted and imprisoned by our debt and finances, yet that is not God's desire for us.

On a practical level, there are quite a few things you can do.

Write down (or track online) everything you spend for one month. It will make you think twice about buying frivolous purchases and it will enable you to see areas where you can improve on your spending.
Use coupons. Don't go crazy, just try to reduce your spending by 10%. If you don't have time to figure out where the good deals are, consider subscribing to The Grocery Game. They have a list each week that matches up that week's best deals with coupons to give you the rock bottom prices. You can get a 4-week trial for only $1. (I wouldn't bother with the CVS or Walgreens subscriptions as there are tons of blogs that provide the best deals on these stores each week).
Come up with a plan. I am quite partial to Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. His advice is practical and biblical! {He's also doing giveaways on his site every day between now and Christmas}.
Stick with your plan (see number 4)! Facing your finances is tough, but it's so worth it!
Find someone who will encourage and support you. If you're married, you and your spouse can hold each other accountable. If you're single, find a friend you can confide in.

I hope you will begin the journey to get your finances in order. If you need encouragement or some suggestions, please feel free to email me. I'd love to help in any way and I'd be honored to pray for you. I don't have it all together, but this is what works for me!

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday over at We are THAT Family.

Take advantage of FREE

2009-12-08T21:33:00.004-05:00

One of the things I discovered in the last year that really surprised me is how easy it is to get free products. There are tons of companies out there who want you to try their product. Many of them are willing to send you free samples.

I will be regularly updating the Freebies tab at the top of this site, so even though the date may not change, you should find some new offers. Most of these are for free products (although a few of them are just really good deals).

Also, if you have not yet signed up for Vocalpoint , you need to do that. They are one of the best sources for free samples and great coupons. Plus, they never send you spam!

25 Days of FREE

2009-12-08T16:24:00.003-05:00

Dec. 6 - Christmas Tree by Lady GaGa

Dec. 7 - No Room by Todd Agnew
Dec. 8 - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing [feat. Aygun Beyler and Mahsa Vahdat] by Carola

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About How We Celebrate Christmas

2009-12-08T07:30:00.005-05:00

With as busy as the Christmas season is and with my husband out of town this week, I was feeling a little overwhelmed. I thought I'd do something a little different today that didn't require as much effort as my normal blogging. I was inspired by Jo-Lynne over at Musings of A Housewife.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Definitely hot chocolate...with lots and lots of whip cream (or marshmallows!)

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? It really depends. Santa tries to get lots of presents wrapped and under the tree early, but there is inevitably a few gifts that are carted in by Santa in an oversized shopping bag while we're opening gifts. It's a family tradition and I kind of like it like that!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White...and only white. One of these days I'm going to get some lights up on the outside of my house to, but for now, the lights are limited to my cute little tree inside the house.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope, but I really like mistletoe...A LOT!

5. When do you put your decorations up? This year, I put the tree up on November 1st. I didn't add decorations to it for a few weeks since life got a little crazy.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Grandma's jello salad...it is sooo yummy!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? It's so hard to narrow it down to one. My family always made holidays special!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What do you mean? I still believe in Santa.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Usually it's more than a gift. We open all of our gifts on Christmas Eve and I love it that way! The only thing we open on Christmas morning is our stockings. Plus, we all get to sleep in. If that isn't a great gift, I don't know what is!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? White lights, very fun and funky red and lime green ornaments, and some red and green pompom garland.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? If it's going to be freezing, there might as well be snow. Plus, snow makes Christmas feel more magical.

12. Can you ice skate? Yep...and I think I'm pretty darn good!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I got a really cool leather jacket in seventh grade. It looked awesome with my big bangs.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Remembering God's awesome gift and spending time with my family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? I like Christmas cookies and anything chocolate and peanut butter...or to be really honest, anything chocolate that I don't have to make!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Decorating Christmas cookies as a family and playing games on Christmas eve.

17. What tops your tree? Nada...I haven't figured out what would look great on the top.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? It is more blessed to give than receive...so with that being said, I'd rather you be blessed.

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? Yuck, unless they are the fruit flavored ones.

20 Favorite Christmas Show? Muppet's Christmas Carol is quite possibly the best movie ever. I also like Jingle All The Way.

21. Saddest Christmas Song? All I Really Want by Steven Curtis Chapman (I dedicated a whole post to it here)

22. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Picking a favorite Christmas song is like picking a favorite child...it's impossible. Here are a few that I love.
Hallelujah (Light Has Come) by Barlow Girl, You Gotta Get Up by Rich Mullins, Little Town by Amy Grant (or actually any Christmas song by Amy Grant), Sending You A Little Christmas by Jim Brickman

Another Day...Another Crocs Deal...Another Christmas Gift For Me

2009-12-08T06:20:00.001-05:00

I'm starting to feel a little selfish. Every deal I post, I mention the pair that I'd like (although to be honest, the Lena and Nanook are my favorite shoes I've posted about so far!) Crocs Nanook are only $14.99 (and girls Nanook are only $9.99). These are cute, comfortable, and warm. It doesn't get much better than that! It's a good thing I have feet the size of your average Sasquatch...(and the big sizes tend to sell out really quickly). Otherwise, I'd only be getting Crocs for Christmas. Which I guess when you think of it wouldn't be that bad at all!

Also, they are carrying over their Licensed Mammoth Deal through today, so you should be able to get some sweet deals on warm shoes.

Take an additional 5% off your order with code N9DWZLKY3ISA, ends 12/18 and is stackable on all offers!

Don't forget, FREE SHIPPING on all orders in December.

Click here to get started on your shopping!

Crocs Deal of the Day: Sports Team Mammoth Shoes only $19.99

2009-12-07T21:37:00.003-05:00

In my family, we're all Philadelphia Eagles fans. After all, our parents believed in raising us the right way! That's why I was so excited to see this deal. Crocs has their Licensed Mammoths (the shoes with the fuzzy inside) for only $19.99 (or $14.99 for kids).

I've been wanting a pair for a while and although I was originally thinking black would be nice, an Eagles pair would be great too and I think these might end up under my tree this year. They're perfect for wearing to the gym since we can't wear street shoes inside the gym. They are easy to slip on and off and they're cozy on a cold day!

So here's the deal...
Sports Licensed Adult Mammoths are only $19.99.
Sports Licensed Kid's Mammoths are only $14.99.

You're not just limited to the Philadelphia Eagles (although personally I think that is your best choice. They also have Colts (I'm a big fan of them as well) and some other lousy teams like the Dallas Cowboys.

Take an additional 5% off your order with code N9DWZLKY3ISA.

PLUS...FREE Shipping during the month of December!

Click here to order your Crocs!

Make sure to check back daily as Crocs will be posting new deals every day during the month of December!

Happy Shopping! Check back tomorrow as I will have tomorrows Deal of the Day posted first thing in the morning!

25 Days of FREE

2009-12-07T19:55:00.001-05:00

Dec. 6 - Christmas Tree by Lady GaGa

Dec. 7 - No Room by Todd Agnew

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

Crocs Deal of the Day: But One Get One 50% Off Outlet

2009-12-06T21:44:00.004-05:00

You know how I love my Crocs! Today they have all of the outlet shoes on sale By One Get One 50% Off. They still have the Lena (pictured below) available in Bronze in a few sizes for only $9.99.

They also have lots of other great styles on sale (and lots of shoes for the kiddos!)

If you go through Mr. Rebates, you call also get 7% cash back! To top it off, you can get 5% off your order plus free shipping by using this code N9DWZLKY3ISA. If you would prefer not to go through Mr. Rebates, click here to go directly to the Crocs site. When you get to the Crocs site, simply select the Outlet section and start your buying. These is a one day deal, so don't delay!

25 Days of Free

2009-12-06T21:29:00.002-05:00

Dec. 6 - Christmas Tree by Lady GaGa

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-12-06T21:08:00.004-05:00

This is a short week of menu planning for me. My husband is out of town for most of the week so I'll keep those days simple and then I'm heading to Indy to meet him on Friday and we'll be there all day Saturday. The kids will be with my mom and dad, so I don't have to plan any weekend meals.

Monday - Italian chicken and mashed potatoes

Tuesday - Spaghetti with meat sauce and salad

Wednesday - Breakfast for dinner

Thursday - Pizza

If you want to know what everyone else has cooking this week, head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

25 Days of FREE

2009-12-05T13:55:00.001-05:00

$8 for a $50 Snowboarding Game and a $25 Restaurant.com Certificate

2009-12-05T11:34:00.003-05:00

UPDATE: Deal is dead. You can still receive 70% off Restaurant.com gift certificates, but there will no longer be a free Red Envelope Gift Card.

Restaurant.com has a smoking deal available now through December 8th. You can use the promo code PRESENT to score 70% off a $25 Restaurant.com Gift Certificate + you'll get a free $15 gift promo code from Red Envelope.

To get in on this deal, go here and add a $25 gift certificate to your cart. At checkout type in promo code PRESENT --which will deduct 70%--making the gift certificate just $3! Your RedEnvelope promotion code will appear on the purchase confirmation page after you place your order and will be sent to you by Restaurant.com in an email that you will you receive within 24 hours. The promotion code will also be available in the My Account section of Restaurant.com.

To redeem the RedEnvelope $15 gift code, enter the promotion code at checkout. To enter it in the correct box at checkout--Make sure to get to the page where you enter your payment info. On this page, UNDER the "Payment info" box, is a spot you can click on to enter the gift code. After entering the gift code, click next and then it will give you your final total (after the $15 deduction) and let you enter your credit card info. Please keep in mind the gift code DOES NOT go in the promotional code boxes. I didn't realize this at first and got very confused!

The best part about this $15 gift code is that it covers shipping! I purchased this Snowboard Video Game (which is regularly $49.95) for $9.99 plus shipping. My total after the gift code was only $4.98. Not too shabby for a great gift for my kids and a night out for my hubby and I!

Thanks It's Hip 2 Save!

Facts About Orphans Around the World

2009-12-05T11:00:00.002-05:00

As Americans, we have it pretty easy. Our communities seem pretty insulated from the horrors of slavery and human trafficking, yet in the rest of the world, these horrors are extremely real...especially for those without a loving family to protect them.

Did you know...

Over 140 million orphans and waiting children under the age of 18 have lost one or both parents.
United Nations Children's Fund, The State of the World's Children 2008. Dec 2007, p. 129)

Over 13 million orphans under the age of 18 have lost both parents.
(UNAIDS, UNICEF and United States Agency for International Development/USAID, Africa's Orphaned and Vulnerable Generation, 2006. Aug, 2006, p. 35)

Orphaned children are much more likely than non-orphans to be working in commercial agriculture, as street vendors, in domestic service and in human trafficking.
(Ibid, The State of the World's Children 2006, p. 50)

Orphans are more vulnerable and at risk of becoming victims of violence, exploitation, trafficking, discrimination, or other abuses.
(UNICEF, Aug 2006. From website, "Child Protection from Violence, Exploitation and Abuse")

Over 1/3 of Americans have considered adopting, but no more than 2% of Americans have actually adopted.
(Child Welfare Information Gateway, Persons Seeking to Adopt: Numbers and Trends, 2005)

The above facts were included in an email I recently received from Advocate for Orphans, the organization through which we hosted our youngest daughter. To make these facts a little more personal, I'd like to share some facts about orphans in Ukraine. (It scares me when I think this is what my girls would have had to look forward to had they not been adopted.)

Our daughters at the orphanage in Ukraine

It has been reported that after the age of 5, a Ukrainian orphan has only a 20% chance of being adopted.

Orphans in Ukraine “graduate” from the orphanage system at the age of 16 years old.

Many “graduates” will become homeless, alone and lacking the education necessary to provide for themselves.

Approximately 20% will find adequate work.

70% of the boys will enter a life of crime.

60% of the girls will survive through prostitution.

10% will have committed suicide by their 18th birthday.

Although these statistics are bleak, they are the reality for children in the orphanage system in Ukraine.

You Can Make A Difference

The most obvious difference you could make would be to provide a home for one (or more) of these children. If you are interested in learning more about adopting from Ukraine, you can contact Advocate for Orphans (or look for an agency in your area that specializes in Ukrainian adoption.)

There are many ways to be involved in caring for orphans besides adopting. Here are a just a few.

Pray that God would raise up Christian families who would not only care for these children's physical needs, but who would also care for their spiritual needs. Pray that God would protect these children from the many dangers they constantly face and that God provide people who would care for their needs.

If God has blessed you financially, consider partnering with a family who would like to adopt, but lacks the resources. We would not have been able to adopt our girls if it were not for people who partnered with us in this way.

If you have construction skills, consider a missions trip to an orphanage to raise the quality of living conditions.

Consider partnering with an organization like World Hope Ukraine and their Hope House. Hope House provides a Christian home for girls from the streets and orphanages who need a place to live. What an incredible ministry!

This is the second in a series of posts about caring for orphans. To see the first post, click here.

All I Really Want For Christmas

Free Estee Lauder Lip Gloss December 5th

2009-12-05T07:09:00.000-05:00

It’s your day to look and feel beautiful. Visit the Estée Lauder Counter—be sure to bring a friend—and you’ll receive a free Lip Gloss (they’re giving away 130,000 nationwide!)*, plus a free 2-minute hand massage using the body lotion of our #1 fragrance, Beautiful!A hand massage and free lip gloss...I am so there! Make sure you get there early as I'm sure they'll go quickly! This even is December 5th from 10-8. Go here for more details!

Thanks MojoSavings!

FREE Cole's Reusable Designer Shopping Bag

2009-12-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

If you love garlic bread as much as our family does, you should have no problem snagging one of these super cute bags. Simply send 3 proofs of purchase (and original cash register receipts) along with this rebate form here and Cole's will send you the bag free of charge!

Thanks Moms By Heart!

Mega Swagbucks Day

2009-12-04T17:21:00.001-05:00

Today is Mega Swagbucks Day and that means you can earn Swagbucks in larger denominations (10,20, 50, 100). They guarantee over 10K Swagbucks will be awarded in Mega Bills! Make sure to head on over and do a few searches. Remember 45 Swagbucks will get you a $5 Amazon gift card. You can easily earn 1 or 2 Amazon gift cards a month with just a few searches a day! Also, today's Swagananza Gift Card is a $10 Starbucks giftcard for only 110 Swagbucks.

25 Days of FREE

2009-12-04T13:49:00.002-05:00

Amazon is offering a free Christmas download every day between now and Christmas. Check it out here.

Hurry and download these now as they will only be available for a limited amount of time!

Dec. 1 - Joy to the World by Casting Crowns
Dec. 2 - Snow Angel by Tori Amos
Dec. 3 - The Coventry Carol by Mediaeval Baebes
Dec. 4 - Slower Than Christmas by the Boxmasters

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

All I Really Want For Christmas

2009-12-04T11:21:00.004-05:00

First Day of School 2009 for my daughters

I am passionate about adoption. Adoption is such a great picture of God's relationship with us. You may not be aware that both of my daughters are adopted. We adopted our girls from Ukraine when they were 9 and 11. Never in our lives have we seen God's hand and provision so clearly. We have watched God do incredible things in the hearts of our girls. We have watched them grow and learn and adjust to family life.

Although November was National Adoption Month (and I never got around to posting about it), I can't help but think of how many children there are without families at Christmas. How sad to watch the merriment of Christmas while wishing for someone to share it with. I love the words of the Steven Curtis Chapman song, "All I Want". Although they always make me cry, they remind me that there is so much more I can be doing.

Well I don’t know if you remember me or not
I’m one of the kids they brought in from the home
I was the red-haired boy in an old green flannel shirt
You may not have seen me – I was standing off alone
I didn’t come and talk to you, ‘cause that’s never worked before
And you’ll prob’ly never see this letter anyway
But just in case there’s something you can do to help me out
I’ll ask you one more time

All I really want for Christmas
Is someone to tuck me in
A shoulder to cry on if I lose
Shoulders to ride on if I win
There’s so much I could ask for
But there’s just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas is a family

Well I guess I should go ahead and tell you now
If it’s really true about that list you have
Somehow I always seem to end up in a fight
But I’m really trying hard not to be bad
But maybe if I had a brother or a dad to wrestle with
Well, maybe they could teach me how to get along
And from everything I’ve heard
Sounds like the greatest gift on earth would be a mom

All I really want for Christmas
Is someone to tuck me in
A shoulder to cry on if I lose
Shoulders to ride on if I win
There’s so much I could ask for
But there’s just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas

Is someone who’ll be there
To sing me “Happy Birthday”
For the next 100 years
And it’s OK if they’re not perfect
Well, even if they’re a little broken, that’s alright
‘Cause so am I

Well, I guess I should go
It’s almost time for bed
And maybe next time I write you
I’ll be at home

‘Cause all I really want for Christmas
Is someone to tuck me in
Tell me I’ll never be alone
Someone whose love will never end
Of all that I could ask for
Well, there’s just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas
All I really want for Christmas is a family

Just a family

That’s all I really need

See what I mean. They are quite moving. Over the next few days, I am going to be posting facts and statistics as well as things you can do to make a difference in the lives of orphans here and overseas. I pray that you will open your hearts to whatever God is calling you to do.

This post is linked to Finer Things Friday hosted by Amy's Finer Things because being a mom and caring for orphans truly is a finer thing!

FREE Pillsbury 2010 Calendar

2009-12-04T07:34:00.000-05:00

I love Pillsbury! They make it so easy to get something healthy and tasty on the dinner table in no time at all. Right now you can get a free 2010 Pillsbury Calendar. This calendar is filled with yummy recipes and coupons.

To get your calendar, click here to register for the free Pillsbury newsletter.

After you are a member, click here and enter your email address. They will make sure you are a member and then you can enter your mailing info for your free calendar!

My mouth is watering just looking at the pictures! Enjoy!

Free "The Brothers Karamazov" Download from christianaudio.com

2009-12-03T21:50:00.000-05:00

I love books and audiobooks are no exception. Every month christianaudio.com offers a free premium audiobook download. I usually download each one at the beginning of the month and by the middle of the month, I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next one! The December download is The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I've never read or listened to this and so I can't wait to download it!

To get your free download, click here and add the download to your cart. Use the coupon code DEC2009 when prompted to receive this month's free download! You must use the code to receive the download for free.

Want a print copy of this book? You can purchase it on Amazon for $7.99.

HOT DEAL: Crocs Lena $9.99

2009-12-03T20:04:00.002-05:00

I love Crocs and I'm so excited about this deal. I just nabbed a pair in Bronze. They were sold out of my size in the Black and Brown or I would have bought all 3. Right now these shoes are only $9.99.

If you go through Mr. Rebates, you call also get 7% cash back! To top it off, you can get 5% off your order plus free shipping by using this code N9DWZLKY3ISA. If you would prefer not to go through Mr. Rebates, click here to go directly to the Crocs site. When you get to the Crocs site, simply type Lena in the search box and start your buying. These are going to go quick, so don't delay!

25 Days of FREE

2009-12-03T17:19:00.003-05:00

Amazon is offering a free Christmas download every day between now and Christmas. Check it out here.

Hurry and download these now as they will only be available for a limited amount of time!

Dec. 1 - Joy to the World by Casting Crowns
Dec. 2 - Snow Angel by Tori Amos
Dec. 3 - The Coventry Carol by Mediaeval Baebes

You can also find hundreds of other free songs to download by clicking here!

Free UP Movie Soundtrack Download: Today ONLY!

2009-12-03T16:28:00.003-05:00

Get a free download of the UP movie soundtrack by Disney. Just enter the code latimesdisney to download it today only (Thursday, December 3). The download comes in the form of a Zip file that is 90.1 MB.

Thanks Freebies 4 Mom!