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Check It Out: The Dangerous Book for Boys

Friday, May 4th, 2007

A cross between a Boy Scout’s trusty guide and a throwback to the old days of really cool encyclopedias, “The Dangerous Book for Boys” by Conn & Hal Iggulden is a wonderful book for any boy in your life. The book is meant to be a handbook for boys, guiding them on all the cool things every boy should know about. With sections devoted towards making paper airplanes, how to skip stones, how to tie knots, and answers on questions about the world, this book offers a wealth of knowledge for every little boy.

My favorite part about this guide to a boy’s life is just the feeling of nostalgia that one gets from reading it. The pictures and design of the book give it such timeless beauty and the photographs and diagrams for making things create a great reference book for little boys.
There was a time where fathers taught their sons how to do many of the things listed in this book, but it seems the digital world and the fast pace times have changed things a lot. It is now considered dangerous to give our sons a pocket knife, in these troubled times, and the Dangerous Book for Boys brings you back to the days where your father went fishing & hunting with you, taught you all about the world around you, and bonded with their child in that good old-fashioned way.
The book contains a guide book on the different types of trees and bugs, with a picture guide that explains about each of these living things. There are great guides on building things too on things such as tree houses, batteries, & periscopes.
Upon your son completing each stage in the book, he can pick up his free printable badges at their website.
You can also read an interview with the author and read more about the idea for the book here.
I wonder what good old-fashioned things your husbands do with your sons. Do they camp together? Fish? Hunt for critters? Share what fun father & son activities go around in your home!
Once again, many thanks to Harper Collins for giving us the opportunity to review such a great book! It is a wonderful addition to our son’s book collection and one that I think he will enjoy for years and years to come!

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Freebie Friday: May 4, 2007

Friday, May 4th, 2007

There are lots of goodies this week! Please share them with your friends & family! Unfortunately, I did not do a menu planner for this week due to our family schedule, but you can check out all of the previous menu planners here. Just click on the individual entry and it will give you access to the files. I will be back to planning meals next week!

Health & Beauty:

Not sure if smartfiberstixx is right for you? How about a FREE sample! No obligation, no shipping costs and absolutely no risk! Simply send us an email with your mailing address (US customers only) and we’ll drop a few stixx in the mail to you today. Also, if you do not mind telling us how you heard about us, we would appreciate. For more information about this product, visit their website.

Complete a short survey and receive a free sample of shampoo & conditioner from Marie Claire magazine. It does not list the brand that you will receive.

This freebie is for diabetics. You can sign up to download a printable coupon for a free Breeze 2 Blood Glucose Monitoring System.

Clairol is opening up a club to become a Color Source VIP. You will receive tons of great perks like free samples, offers, sweepstakes eligibility and more! This offer is only open to a limited amount of people so sign up today. You will see the offer at the bottom of the page.

OB Tampon is offering a free OB Tampon trial pack.

Share your thoughts on the new BuyBeauty.com and they will send you a free Lancome gift. The Lancome gifts will vary. Please allow ten to fourteen business days for shipping. They reserve the right to substitute the free gift based on availability.

Try the new Maybelline New York Longwear Silky Foundation for free. Please limit one freebie per household and allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Enjoy a complimentary wellness service at any Origins Retail Store 4/25 – 5/6 and get your choice of one of our 5 famous full-size cleansers absolutely FREE.* We’ll treat you to a soothing mini facial and introduce you to the products perfect for your skin. What are you waiting for? Space is limited so call or visit one of our stores to make an appointment. To find the store nearest you click here or call 1-800-ORIGINS and select option 5.

Home & Garden:

DoubleTree Two Free Tree Seedlings *First 10,000* by joining the Doubletree Pledge to Plant Challenge. Doubletree is challenging people across North America to be part of what could become a 50,000 tree planting pledge across America in just one month! Its easy and free, just visit the website by May 31, fill out the simple form and you will receive two live seedling trees suitable to plant in your area. For every “double-tree” Pledge to Plant Promise, Doubletree will match your pledge by planting an additional two live seedling trees in a U.S. forest in need, through reforestation projects currently underway by The National Arbor Day Foundation. Doubletree Hotels are planting the seeds of knowledge with a new generation of kids at grade schools and youth organizations in 150 cities across the U.S. and Canada as part of its award winning Teaching Kids to CARE community outreach program. Thousands of students from late April through early May will learn about why trees are one of the earth’s most precious resources and will receive 10,000 seedling trees to re-green their neighborhoods. How can YOU be part of the celebration? It’s as easy as planting two trees of your own, compliments of Doubletree and The National Arbor Day Foundation. To commemorate one of the oldest environmental holidays, Doubletree is challenging people across North America to be part of what could become a 50,000 tree planting pledge across America in just one month! No purchase is necessary. Simply fill out the Pledge to Plant Promise Form by May 31, 2007. As a result, you will receive two live seedling trees, with our compliments, suitable to plant in your own community.

Click on the Free Sample button to give Cascade 2in1 ActionPacs a try on your next load. Please limit one sample per customer and allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Sign up for a free sample of Ultra Downy from Wal-Mart. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery.

Complete the information to receive your free sample of Post-it® Flags and Notes. You can also sign up to receive great offers from Post-it® Perks by clicking the box below. If you are already a Post-it® Perks member, you do not need to check the box. Limit one sample(s) per household. Sample(s) available through June 30th, 2007 or while supplies last.

Sign up to receive a free sample of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. Please allow up to four weeks for delivery and limit one per household.

We’re excited to offer the first 10,000 people who join Clean Home Journal™ through this offer a Ziploc® Gift Pack that includes: 3 Free Ziploc® Brand Bag samples and valuable coupons.

Entertainment:

TransWorld SURF Magazine covers the new generation of surfers whose technical and progressive styles have taken surfing to another level. Each monthly issue features today’s hottest groms, the sickest waves, and in-depth interviews with your favorite pros. Note: You will receive 3 issues of TransWorld SURF Magazine only with no commitment or obligation whatsoever. You will not be sent any additional magazines and you do NOT have to cancel a subscription after you have received your free 3 issues. We will not be accepting feedback on this sample.This subscription to TransWorld SURF magazine has been purchased on your behalf by MetooSoftware.com.

Join Regal Crown Club and earn rewards for going to the movies. Free movies, popcorn, soft drinks and more!

Visit this About Freebies page to learn how you can get a free Xbox Live Diamond Card. The Xbox Live Diamond card is available in the US only to Xbox Live Gold subscribers.

Sign up to receive a free magazine subscription to the Family Tree Maker Magazine.

This one is not a “true” freebie, but is great if you already buy Nutrogena products. Buy a Nutrogena product and receive a free movie pass to the list of participating movie theatres. Check the list first before signing up, as the choices are limited. Hope someone can cash in on this one!

Food:

We’ve reinvented Diet 7UP with more natural lemon lime flavor. It is even more refreshing, and guess what! There’s even less diet aftertaste! We’re letting you make the call on the New Diet 7UP. While supplies last, we’re giving away Diet 7UP Taste Challenge kits. Each kit contains the New Diet 7UP and two other competing diet lemon lime soft drinks. Try each of the soft drinks, and let your taste buds tell you which is best. We’re confident you’ll love the New Diet 7UP. Register for your Diet 7UP Taste Challenge kit today! Once you fill out the survey, you will get the following message: We have received your request for a Diet 7UP Taste Challenge kit. In the case that demand for the Taste Challenge kits exceed our supply, we will send you a coupon so that you can enjoy the great new taste of Diet 7UP – now with more natural lemon lime flavor than ever.

Please fill out this short form to receive your free pot of Mr. Coffee! Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery of this freebie.

May 4th-6th McDonald’s is giving away free iced coffee samples from 11am-6pm. Contact your local McDonald’s to see if they are participating. Michiana residents– I contacted the Granger restaurant and they don’t have iced coffees in their restaurant yet and won’t be receiving these until June.

Try a free sample of the new Knorr Sides Plus Veggies. Please limit one freebie per household and allow four weeks for delivery.

Pet Needs:

This freebie is a repeat, but just wanted to make sure everyone got this one! As a gesture of the Iams promise and dedication to keeping your pets healthy and happy, we would like to invite the first 250,000 pet owners who register here to receive a free 4-lb. bag of either our dry dog or dry cat food or equivalent value (up to $6.50 for dog and $10.00 for cat) off a larger-sized bag. This will exceed over 1 million pounds of free food.

Baby:

Sign up to receive a free subscription to American Baby Magazine.

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Posted in Freebies | 5 Comments »

Amy’s Notebook 05.03.2007

Thursday, May 3rd, 2007

Be Mom of the Year:

Scribbit shares a great way to decorate your child’s room (with their current obsessions!) and not blow a bunch of money on achieving the look.
Design Mom (guest blogger Amy M) shares some really cool ways you can share photos of your children.

Be Cheap:
Simply Thrifty shares a list of resources for the frugal crafter in you. You don’t necessarily have to pay for a pattern when you use one of these free listed resources.

Thrifty Mommy shares a link to a great article on mothers who are worn out and why time management is a thrifty choice for mothers.
Lifehacker shares how you can make a DIY string tripod, for those of us too cheap to purchase the real deal.

Have a Martha Moment:

Parent Dish has a great retro mom recipe for how to make the world’s best chocolate cake. The best part about this is that it is made with a boxed cake mix- whoohoo!
Oh Happy Day shares how you can truly have a Martha Moment…you can buy her products at Michael’s now.
My Longest Year shares a pattern and tutorial for creating a reversible half apron.
How about orange has a great template for making your own envelopes out of beautiful paper.

Get Inspired:

Personal Finance Advice shares with their readers ten important items you should keep in your purse or wallet.
Zen Habits encourages you to streamline your day better and come up with systems for doing everyday chores. Are you doing things the simple way or the complicated way?
Shakyard has a great piece on how to achieve a perfect lawn.
Not Made of Money shares tips for the homeowner who is trying to sell their house themselves.
It is a great read if you are trying to bypass hiring a real estate agent.
Shakhammer has a great entry on how to install a clothesline to dry your clothes. It is full of simple & straightforward directions on adding this to your home.
Young & Broke shares tips on how to become a good saver of your money. There is lots of great information in here!

News You Can Use:
Parent Dish shares the scoop on a product recall on Payless shoes. Be sure to read this if you have purchased those Airwalk Clog shoes for your child.

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Posted in Amy's Notebook | 3 Comments »

The Dollar Stretcher Tips 05.03.2007

Thursday, May 3rd, 2007

For a sample copy of The Dollar Stretcher newsletter, send $2 to: Dollar Stretcher Sample, 6695 Cortez Road W., Bradenton FL 34210. Copyright 2007 Dollar Stretcher, Inc. Visit The Dollar Stretcher for even more tips & ideas!

Emergency Lights

Power went out in my parents’ home and my mom went outside and got one of her solar lights that outline the front yard. It was the best light she used. It stayed lit the entire night until the power came back on. Plus she was able to walk around the house with it and it lit up everything. Lori

Garage Storage

Use inexpensive rain gutters to create convenient storage for molding, lightweight lumber, pipes, and other long, thin items. To install the vinyl or aluminum gutters, cut the lengths you want and use screws to fasten the mounting brackets to studs. Then snap the gutters into place. Use the brackets alone as hooks for garden hoses, extension cords, and wire coils. Kyra M.

Test Drive Your New Home

If you’re thinking of moving up to a bigger apartment or home and anticipate a larger monthly payment, here’s a way to see if the increased monthly payment will fit in your budget. For 9 to 12 months save the difference between your current rent or mortgage and the anticipated amount of your new rent or mortgage. For instance, if your rent is $500 and you want to get into a house and you think the payments will be $800, then put $300 per month in the bank. If you have to miss a month of depositing the $300, you’ll know that the new rent or mortgage is more than your budget can provide for, as you’d have missed your payment for that month. Also, you’ll be growing your savings for the year. April G. in Cordova, TN

Personalized Thank You Notes

Instead of sending regular “thank you” notes after my children’s birthday parties, I get double prints of my child with each guest and write a note on the back of one and send it to the guest. This way, each child has a nice reminder that is much more personal than a “form letter” thank you! Carrie W.

Breastfeeding and Insurance

One place that people forget to look for savings in regards to breastfeeding is their own health insurance! My pediatrician referred me to a lactation consultant due to breastfeeding problems, and I only had to pay my $10 co-pay for each visit. In addition, my pediatrician “prescribed” a breast pump for me. Under the terms of my health insurance contract, I only had to pay $5/month for “medical equipment rental.” I did buy the tubing/bottles from the hospital new ($50). However, you can now buy them off of eBay for a little bit cheaper. Andrea B.

Expert Self-Defense Advice

A friend of mine has a second-degree black belt in karate. He often does self-defense talks for women. He always encourages women to try to run, as that’s your best defense. If you can’t run, go for the eyes, throat or knees. If you try to inflict pain, like going for the groin, you are risking the possibility that this person could be on drugs, which will mask their pain response. If you go for the eyes, they won’t be able to see you. If you go for the throat, they won’t be able to breathe. If you go for the knees, they won’t be able to run. Donna in Raleigh

Fresh Frozen Fish

If you catch or buy more fish than you can eat right away and want to freeze the excess, just place the fish in a quart-size or sandwich-size freezer bag, fill with plain tap water to about an inch below the top, squeeze the air out, and seal. This leaves room for the bag to accommodate expansion of the water when it freezes. Freeze them and enjoy later! I’ve kept fish (freshwater and saltwater) this way for up to three years, and they were as fresh and good as the day caught. Thawing does take about twice as long. Michael C. in Kennewick, WA

Expensive ‘Melts’

I just got back from my local mega-center where I purchased cough syrup for my daughter. Some cough medicines now come in tablets or “melts.” While the prices are the same, the liquid contains almost twice the medicine that the tablets do. My daughter needs 1 tsp. of syrup (5 ml), and from a 118-ml bottle, she gets almost 23 doses. The “melts” box only contained 12 doses for the same cost. That’s a significant difference, especially if you’re dosing more than one child. Teresa in MO

Cookie Cutter

When making cookies, instead of rolling dough and cutting into shapes or dropping dough by spoon-full, I pat dough onto a jelly roll pan or pizza pan and bake. Then I cut the warm dough with a pizza cutter as soon as I remove it from oven. This makes baking cookies so much faster. They taste good, and it saves time in kitchen. Barbara

Military Care Packages

My son, who is in the Marines, is deployed to Iraq. I like to send him care packages frequently and also to other soldiers who aren’t getting any mail. Whenever I get fast food, I ask for condiments. I collect those, the free mints given out after dinner, and any other freebies I can find to help fill up the care packages. This may not seem like a big deal, but anything that will spice up the MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) is a good thing. I also collect little lotions, soaps, etc. that I get in motels and send those along. And you know those salsa bags that come with the Mexican dinner kits (get them when they’re buy one get one)? Those are good too. You can save them up and look up a local organization that sends care packages. For almost nothing, you have something to contribute. And remember, a letter to a service person is the cheapest form of cheer!

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Real Simple Magazine Tips for May

Thursday, May 3rd, 2007

Here are this month’s tips for your reading enjoyment courtesy of our friends over at Real Simple Magazine. Be sure to pick up their issue to get more tips on how to make your life a little easier!

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Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Vegas, Baby!

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007

We just returned this evening from our trip to Las Vegas and all I can say is…WOW! Our trip was incredible and there are no words to describe the experience that we had or all that we saw while we were there. It was truly like a Disney World for adults and we were in awe of everything, particularly the architecture of the buildings there. You can tell that we were in awe as we took over two hundred pictures while we were there, going in and out of every building that we could.

I don’t want to brag so I will keep this entry short. We are thankful to be home safe & sound and to be back with the kids. It was a great trip for the two of us and a much needed excursion away from the real world. To have all of our expenses cared for made the trip a hundred times more enjoyable because I didn’t find myself questioning whether or not we could do things while we were there. We stayed within our budget and have only twenty dollars to spare, but thanks to our winnings we have amazing memories and no bills to go along with it! Our hotel (pictured to the left) was phenomenal and we could not have asked for more!

I will be back to my regular blogging routine tomorrow. Thank you for all your well wishes and prayers for our safety- we have felt truly blessed!

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Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

Be back next week….

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007

Our family has been on a much needed vacation this week, so I will be taking a break this week from the Aldi blog. If you are looking for meal ideas for this week, please visit our archives by clicking on the Menu Planner link to the left. It will pull up all of my past entries to use for meal planning this week.

Thank you all for your invaluable feedback! I am looking forward to picking things back up next week!

Posted in Announcements | 1 Comment »

Freebie Friday: April 27, 2007

Friday, April 27th, 2007

Don’t forget to download your free menu planner & grocery list for the week!

If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to read our article on internet safety and your children. It is an important piece that you shouldn’t miss!

Health & Beauty:

Try 24 hour fitness for 10 days. Free. To get this special deal fill out the form and select a club near you.

To receive a FREE* Trial Pair Certificate for ACUVUE® ADVANCE™, ACUVUE® OASYS™, ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ for ASTIGMATISM, ACUVUE® 2, ACUVUE® 2 COLOURS™, ACUVUE® BIFOCAL, or 1•DAY ACUVUE®, please fill out the form.

Register with AMBIEN CR & Receive a Free Trial.Why spend another sleepless night? Sign up now and receive 7 days of prescription of AMBIEN CR free and talk to your doctor to find out if AMBIEN CR is right for you.

Thousands of women have tried Olay Total Effects and have fallen in love with our moisturizer. We think you’ll love the age-defying benefits, too. If you would like to try a free sample of Total Effects, just fill out the brief questionnaire.

These lathering, dual-textured cloths fight seven signs of aging as they cleanse, condition, exfoliate, and remove makeup. Olay Total Effects Daily Cleansing Treatments have a smooth side that infuses skin with the Olay Vitamin Lipid System (Vitamin E, Pro-Vitamin B5, and lipids). They also have a textured side that exfoliates to reveal newer skin. If you would like to try a free sample of Total Effects Daily Cleansing Treatments, just fill out the brief questionnaire.

Sign up to receive a free seven day sample of Move Free Advanced.

Try a sample of Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely Perfume.


Entertainment:


Join Regal Crown Club and earn rewards for going to the movies. Free movies, popcorn, soft drinks and more!

If you live near one of the selected cities, you can get passes to an advance screening of Shrek 3 to be held in May 2007.

Receive a free one-year subscription to ShowBoats International Magazine. ShowBoats International sets the editorial and marketing standards for the luxury yacht industry and dominates the market of exclusive yachts. No publisher in the world understands the megayacht market better than ShowBoats International! You will NOT receive any additional magazines and you do NOT have to cancel a subscription. We will not be accepting feedback on this magazine. This subscription to ShowBoats International has been purchased on your behalf by Restaurant.com.

To get your complimentary one-year subscription to Home Business Magazine (and to find out what FREE trade magazines you could receive), simply complete the following information.

Get a complimentary subscription to Western Outdoors Magazine for one year. Just fill out the survey.

Receive 18 free issues of Boating Life: Boating Life is the authority on recreational boating. Inevery issue of Boating Life, you’ll find new product reviews, sound advice on buying a boat and tips for maintaining your boat. From deck boats and run-abouts to skiboats, fishing boats and pontoons, Boating Life is like the knowledgeable friend you consult before buying that brand-new model, tackling that maintenance project, getting water-sports gear ofr the kids or planning the dream boat trip.

Join the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program. Fostering a love of reading and its rewards, the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program is popular with both students in the first through sixth grades and educators throughout America. Last summer, we provided 190,000 free books and participants read 2.3 million books! This year, children can join Jack and Annie from Mary Pope Osbourne’s Magic Tree House on their summer adventure as part of their own journey in our Summer Reading program.Participation is fun and easy for kids to earn free books! They simply read any eight books — library books, books borrowed from friends or books bought at Barnes & Noble — write about their favorite part, and bring a completed Summer Reading in the Magic Tree House Journal tear page to a Barnes & Noble bookstore. Children can then choose from a list of paperback books. We’re confident there will be plenty of titles they will like.

Have your children start a lemonade stand for charity. To request your free Sunkist Take a Stand Kit please fill out the pledge form.

Families, schools, and organizations alike are invited to see great kids’ movies — for FREE — during AMC Summer MovieCamp®. Available at select AMC Theatres, this fun-filled program brings you: FREE movies from June 27 – August 15*. Shows starting at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday. A great opportunity for field trips – start planning today. Groups can reserve tickets for all seven weeks of movies, starting on June 20. Check back soon to see our film lineup and download fun kid’s activities like word searches, art projects, and more. AMC KidsPack™ are also only $3.00 for one small drink, one small popcorn, & kids’-size snack. Participating cities are listed on their site.

Get a free book! LIVING BEYOND THE LIMITS: A LIFE IN SYNC WITH GOD. God wants you to experience life to its fullest…but rather than experiencing peace, joy, and excitement, maybe hints of emptiness, boredom, and frustration nag at you. Maybe you find yourself asking, “Is this all that life has to offer?”In Living Beyond the Limits, Franklin Graham focuses on God’s principles and promises essential to a full life. He relates real-life examples of men and women who have put God’s Word in to practice under some of the most challenging circumstances imaginable. You’ll be amazed by their stories. You’ll also be stirred and challenged as never before. Limit one per household. Book shown is hardback, but shipped copy will be paperback.

Food:

Host a Pepperidege Farm Spring Dessert House Party. If selected as a host, you’ll get…Samples of Pepperidge Farm Black & White Milano, Chessmen, and other cookies to taste, exclusive coupons to purchase more cookies for your party, ribbon and decorative cellophane to make take-home favors, online dessert recipes and party-planning tips, a free party website, where you can send invites, share photos and videos, and interact with partygoers nationwide & the chance to create and submit your own dessert recipe, featuring Pepperidge Farm cookies, to be spotlighted on Artofthecookie.com


Pet Needs:

Receive a free four pack of The Original Scoopex Pooper Scoopers.

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Posted in Freebies | 5 Comments »

Meal Planner & Grocery List 04.27.07

Friday, April 27th, 2007

Have a wonderful weekend!

042707 Menu Planner

042707 Grocery List

Posted in Grocery Lists, Meal Plans | 2 Comments »

Sour Cream Pork Chops

Friday, April 27th, 2007

Sour Cream Pork Chops


6 pork chops
½ tsp garlic powder
½ cup flour
1 can chicken broth
2 tablespoons flour
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream


Season pork chops with garlic powder and then dredge in ½ cup of flour. In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil. Place chops in slow cooker and pour chicken stock over the chops. Cover and cook on low for seven to eight hours. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. After the chops have cooked, transfer the chops to the oven to keep warm. In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons flour with the sour cream; mix into meat juices. Turn slow cooker to high for fifteen to thirty minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve sauce over pork chops.

Serve over egg noodles.

Posted in Aldi, Main Dishes | No Comments »

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