Archive for the ‘Money & Finance’ Category

Freebie Friday: June 5, 2009

Friday, June 5th, 2009

Happy Freebie Friday, everyone! A huge thanks to Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, for rounding up all the latest & greatest freebies for our readers each week. I love Heather’s Money 4 Mom entries and she has a good one this week on the Pinecone Research Panel. Thanks, Heather, for all you do!

Don’t forget to enter our $50 giveaway each week (for the next four weeks) sponsored by Crystal Light. You can also visit An Apron Full of Giveaways to find out all about the great contests on the web each Tuesday.

Health & Beauty

Food

Mars Free Chocolate Friday

Entertainment

National Parks Fee Free Weekends
Country Music downloads (People Magazine)
LeapFrog Learning Rythyms CD download
Spin Magazine (2 year subscription, Free Biz Mags)
Road & Track Magazine (1 year, Free Biz Mags)

Home & Garden

Summer Scents Gift Pack (SC Johnson)
Kitchen Basics “Cooking with Stock” recipe booklet
Parenting Magazine Product Tester
VS Panty in-store (for Facebook fans)

Upcoming Freebie Events:
Please call your local store or restaurant to confirm they are participating in these freebie events.

JUNE
5 – Krispy Kreme Free Donut
6 – Friendly’s Free Ice Cream Day Noon to 5pm
6 – The Home Depot Kids Workshop make a hardware sorter 9 to noon
6&7 The Home Depot Home Improver Workshops – 5 different topics
6&7 Bass Pro Shops Family Summer Camp – make leather keychain noon to 6pm
7 – Toys ‘R Us Starfy Event – free giveaways 12 to 2pm
13 – Lowes Build and Grow Kids make a putting green 10 to 11am
19 – Orange Julius Free Light Smoothie Day
20-21 – National Parks Fee Free Weekend
21 – TCBY Father’s Day – free cup or cone for dad
27 – Lowes Build and Grow Kids make a pirate ship 10 to 11am

JULY

4 – The Home Depot Kids Workshop make a picnic caddy 9 to noon
10 – Chick-fil-A Cow Appreciation Day
11 – 7-Eleven Free Slurpee
18-19 – National Parks Fee Free Weekend

AUGUST

15-16 – National Parks Fee Free Weekend

An Apron Full of Giveaways 06.02.09

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009


It occurred to me this past week that never in the history of An Apron Full of Giveaways have I actually shown you any from my own collection. A collector of aprons, a showing of none! What in the world is wrong with me?

When I went to California last year, the only thing that I came home with were two aprons and a set of measuring spoons from Anthropologie. If I had a million dollars, it is where I would most likely spend every single dime. Pictured here is one of those aprons to go along with our list of of giveaways this week!

This week we have a giveaway that will be ending tonight at 8PM EST. We are offering you a chance to win the new Aurora Photo Editing Software. If you are looking for a new photo editing software alternative, this is a contest you will definitely want to check out.

Our new giveaway this week is a $50 giveaway in conjunction with the Crystal Light Water Way Challenge. We will be offering $50 to one lucky winner each week that we participate (four weeks in all). Be sure to enter each week to increase those chances of winning! We are talking about staying hydrated and I can think of nothing more frugal than drinking water!

Follow the links below to find out how to enter to win these fabulous giveaways!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Children’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

Freebie Friday: May 29, 2009

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Thank you all for visiting each week for all of your freebie needs. This would not be possible without the fabulous Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, and her assistance creating this list. This week Heather has a great round-up of her coupon sources and you can catch her today on the Tyra Bank Show sharing about ways to score freebies. Way to go, Heather!

Don’t forget to swing by and enter for a chance to win the new Aurora Photo Editing Software for our contest this week! There are not very many entries in and I would love to give it away to you.

Happy Freebie Friday, everyone!

Health & Beauty

Bodycology soap, lotion & mist (Walmart)
Aveeno Nourish hair care (Walmart)
Hawaiian Tropic sun care (Walmart)
Kiehl’s Shaving Cream Swap (bring to store to swap)
Aveda for Men (free sample at salon)

Food

Yogi Tea
Sun Crystals natural sweetener (Walmart)
4C Totally Light2Go drink sticks
Baskin-Robbins soft serve (for teens)

Entertainment

Regal Free Family Film Festival
Kids Bowl Free
Family Days Out activity guide
Kids Airport Diversion Guide
Disney Customized Maps

Home & Garden

Preschool Academics printable workbook
Lego Smart Kit (for educators)
Morton Salt Home Water Test Kit
Bike Maintenance (free Quamut of the week)

Upcoming Freebie Events:
Please call your local store or restaurant to confirm they are participating in these freebie events.


MAY
30- Lakeshore Learning Store – make a Memorial Day Medal 11am to 3pm
30- Walmart’s Free Ice Cream Day – free full-size servings of ice cream treats 11am to 4pm
30-31 – The Home Depot Home Improver Workshops – 4 different topics

JUNE
3 Free Root Beer Float at Sonic 8-Midnight
6 – Friendly’s Free Ice Cream Day Noon to 5pm
6 – The Home Depot Kids Workshop make a hardware sorter 9 to noon
13 – Lowes Build and Grow Kids make a putting green 10 to 11am
19 – Orange Julius Free Light Smoothie Day
21 – TCBY Father’s Day – free cup or cone for dad

Play It Again, Momma: Finding Beauty in the Ordinary

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

When we moved into our house, one of the things that I really wanted to change about our house was the landscaping. There were, however, many more pressing concerns though that required our funds and attention- a leaking roof, a monstrosity of an air-conditioner, cosmetic updating that made the space more livable. All of these repairs have trumped the landscaping funds for now and we have been doing things little by little in our yard.

One of the things I have disliked the most though has been one of our side beds. It is filled to the brim with giant ferns. The ferns are enormous and I have to mow through them to cut the grass. I don’t find them all that attractive and they keep popping up in my other beds. Each year I have vowed that I am going to rip them out, but my efforts usually end up on other things and I forget about it…until the ferns pop up the next year.

When we had the original owner out to our house last summer, she commented how pleased she was to see those ferns there. They came from her father’s lake cottage and she brought some back each time she went. Her eyes were misty as she told me how happy she was to see each of those ferns there and she shared with me her happy memories of planting them and the summers with her dad. I began to see the ferns in a different light than I had before. To her, they were a thing of beauty and held wonderful memories of her family’s summers.

Last night I brought bunches of them in and started putting them in recycled single-size coffee jugs. They looked so pretty all fanned out that I started putting them in each room, adding a touch of green here and there. I marveled at how beautiful they were and how they added that little bit of life I needed to my living space.

Frugality is a lot like that though, isn’t it? Sometimes it takes seeing all that you have through another pair of eyes to appreciate all of the bounty you already possess. My yard was filled to the brim with vases of green and all I had to do was pick it from my own backyard. Yet, each year I grumbled about mowing around them, shaking my fist as more ferns popped up.

Sometimes it just takes someone else pointing out the beauty for you to appreciate the ordinary.

Apron Full of Giveaways 05.26.09

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
Retro apron pattern $6, from leilaandben

Welcome to our weekly list of giveaways. As we do each week, we hope that you can list your giveaways and contest with us. In return, we hope our visitors will come visit your site and that we can showcase all the great giveaways on the web.

This week we will be closing out our giveaway of the Wisebread book, “10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget.” Even if you don’t win this giveaway, I hope that you can check this book out for oodles of frugal tips.

Today we are kicking of a new giveaway and offering you a chance to win the new Aurora photo editing software. If you are looking for a new photo editing software alternative, this is a contest you will definitely want to check out.

Feel free to also add your links to our Drugstore Dish, where you can review & share the scoop on items found at the drugstore! This is a new weekly on the site!

Follow the links below to find out how to enter to win these fabulous giveaways!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Children’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

Freebie Friday: May 22, 2009

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Happy Freebie Friday, everyone! A huge thanks to Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, for her assistance each week with our freebie list. On Heather’s blog this week, you can enter to win a Skype Pack (worth over $100) and the new round of Cellfire coupons. Be sure to head over there today and check it out!

Enjoy your freebies this week and have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Health & Beauty

Garnier Ultra-Lift Pro deep wrinkle cream (Walmart)
All American Stetson for men
Kotex Overnight (Walmart)
Lactaid (Sam’s Club)

Food

Blue Bunny Frozen Yogurt Treats (free after rebate this weekend only)
Hunt’s Ketchup (coupon book by mail)
Mars Free Chocolate Friday

Entertainment

Apple Camp (free workshops for kids 8-12)
TakeLessons (free download music lessons for kids)
Coldplay Live Album (free download directly from Coldplay)
Parenting Early Years (digital magazine subscription from StartSampling)
Cycle World Magazine (1 year subscription- Free Biz Mag)

Home & Garden

Skype (free video calls on your computer)
QuickBooks Simple Start Free Edition

Upcoming Freebie Events:
Please call your local store or restaurant to confirm they are participating in these freebie events.


MAY
22 – Disney “Christmas Carol” Train Tour – starts tour in LA, finishes Oct. 30 in New York
23 – Lowes Build and Grow Kids make a Ready 2 Go Kit 10 to 11am
23 – Lakeshore Learning Store – make an autograph book 11am to 3pm
30- Walmart’s Free Ice Cream Day – free full-size servings of ice cream treats 11am to 4pm

JUNE
6 – Friendly’s Free Ice Cream Day Noon to 5pm
6 – The Home Depot Kids Workshop make a hardware sorter 9 to noon
13 – Lowes Build and Grow Kids make a putting green 10 to 11am
19 – Orange Julius Free Light Smoothie Day

Apron Full of Giveaways 05.19.09

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
($18, available from Linwood Avenue)

Welcome to this week’s Apron Full of Giveaways list. As always, feel free to list your great giveaways or enter to win in the contests listed below.

This week our Bob Evan’s coupons giveaway ($40 worth) and our e-book giveaway for Healthy Homemaking will be ending at 8PM tonight. We also will be closing out our Maybelline Pulse Perfection giveaway at this evening so get those entries in quick!

Today we are celebrating Wisebread’s book launch and sharing two copies of this great new book with our lucky readers. This book shares 10,001 ways you can live large on a small budget- you gotta love that!

Follow the links below to find out how to enter to win these fabulous giveaways!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Children’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

Freebie Friday & Maybelline Pulse Perfection Giveaway

Friday, May 15th, 2009

Thank you all for entering our giveaway. I would like to congratulate our winners, Denise & Laura on winning this great giveaway. Our winners have been contacted and we look forward to doing many more giveaways in the future! Thank you!

Thank you so much for visiting each Friday for your weekly dose of freebies. A big thanks to Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, should be said as she provides a great freebie list for us each and every week. This week Heather is sharing tips for more Huggies Rewards & some really great clearance deals at Victoria Secret.

Don’t forget to swing by the Apron Full of Giveaways to get your entries in for all of the incredible contests that are running on the web this week.

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

Health & Beauty

Food

Kellogg’s All-Bran Promise Packs
Sun Crystals Sweetener (Walmart)
Mars Free Chocolate Fridays (starts at 9am EST)
Dreyer’s Ice Cream Block Parties (1,500 neighborhoods win)

Entertainment

*Kids Summer Reading Programs*

Scholastic Summer Challenge
Barnes & Noble Summer Reading
Half-Price Books Feed Your Brain
Borders Reading Challenge
Pottery Barns Book Club
TD Bank Summer Reading

Home & Garden

Staples 20 Free Resumes & 40 Free Business Cards (ends June 13)

Upcoming Freebie Events:
Please call your local store or restaurant to confirm they are participating in these freebie events.


MAY
16 – Shane’s Rib Shack – first 100 get free ribs
18 – DiGiorno’s Flatbread Melts – first 100,000
22 – Disney “Christmas Carol” Train Tour – starts tour in LA, finishes Oct. 30 in New York
30- Walmart’s Free Ice Cream Day – free full-size servings of ice cream treats 11am to 4pm

JUNE
19 – Orange Julius Free Light Smoothie Day

*******************

Next week I will be kicking off a new fun feature on The MotherLoot complete with a linky list for you to participate in each Thursday!

As a self-confessed drugstore junkie, I admit that I am addicted to drugstore shopping utilizing all of the free & cheap deals from the drugstores. I always wonder though if a product is really for me and even when using my Extra Care Bucks, I would love to know if it is worth the cost of time, storage, and the use of my register rewards!

I will have a new review feature each Thursday that my fellow drugstore junkies can participate in. Join me each Thursday for the “Drugstore Dish” and share your opinions on those great products you are scoring when doing your CVS & Walgreens shopping.

To kick it off, I am giving away to TWO lucky readers the new Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara today. This is Maybelline New York’s first-to-mass vibrating mascara delivers 7,000 vibrations per minute in 7 synchronized actions so lashes are transformed to perfection. This product is not out in stores yet, but will be sold in exclusively in Walmart nationwide starting on May 28th for $14.95.

To enter, tell me one of your favorite brands/items to buy at your drugstore or if you are a self-confessed drugstore junkie too! This contest will end on Tuesday (05/19) at 8PM EST and our winner will be chosen at random. Please only one entry per person and don’t forge
t to check back on Thursday for our very first Drugstore Dish linky list!

Apron Full of Giveaways 05.12.09

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
$47, Available from Snappy Shop

Welcome to this week’s Apron Full of Giveaways. Please feel free to share your contests here or visit this list to enter to win some of the best contests on the web.

This week we have two great new contests running that I definitely think you should enter. We are giving away $40 in coupons for Bob Evans products to one lucky reader and we have five e-books to giveaway on healthy and sustainable living from Stephanie at Keeper of the Home. Do not miss these great giveaways!

This week on MomAdvice, we have one really great giveaway closing out at 8PM EST tonight! for a brand new upright bagged vacuum from the new Hoover Platinum line. This fancy new vacuum from the Hoover Platinum Edition would have your floors looking like new in no time and I have one to giveaway to one lucky winner!

Follow the links below to find out how to enter to win these fabulous giveaways!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Children’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

Last Weekly Redbox Code

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Today’s free Redbox code is 6A43JK. This code can be used all day until midnight at any Redbox location.

You can’t beat a free movie rental so schedule some fun family nights and check out what Family Films are available.

Side Notes:

– If you want to rent more than one movie for free, bring more than one credit/debit card. You can use the same promotional code, you just will need different cards to charge it to. The charge will be zero as long as you return your movie on time for the next day.

– When entering in your free movie code, you need to enter it FIRST before picking the movie. On the very first screen, click the, “Rent with Promo.” Enter in the above code and then make your selection- the amount should then total zero.. This code can be used all day until midnight at any Redbox location.

Unfortunately, this is the last weekly Redbox code! Here is the official letter that was sent out to their Redbox customers:

Dear Redbox Customer,

The word is out that you can take home new release DVDs for only a $1 per night from the big red box. We know you know, because you’ve saved that dollar as part of redbox’ Free Movie Mondays promotion, which is ending after May 11.

However, since so many of us could use an extra buck these days, redbox is going to keep the free flicks coming once a month throughout the summer. Beginning June 1, redbox will send a free movie code to your phone on the first Monday of the month as a thank you for using redbox.

So start thinking about what you are going to do with those 3 extra dollars this summer – pool noodle… 6 piece McNuggets® and honey… 64 oz cherry icie… And we’ll keep thinking up new ways to delight you – Hollywood’s newest releases, online reservations, movie reviews, witty remarks… seriously, it’s endless.

As new coupon codes become available, I will continue to post them! In the meantime, enjoy your free movie tonight!