Freebie Friday: February 16, 2007

February 16th, 2007


Friday Fun Question: What is the best freebie you have ever gotten?

Freebie Friday Samples:

Receive a free sample of Oil of Olay Total Effects Daily Cleansing Treatments. Limit one sample per household.

Get a free subscription (print or digital) of Massive Magazine. This magazine is for gamers. There are limited quantities available on this freebie.

Educators have the opportunity to receive a free sample from Crayola and be entered to win a classroom full of Crayola Classpack assortments.

Claim a complimentary one-year subscription to Spin Magazine. You can answer, “No, thank you!” to the offers and receive the magazine with no strings attached.

Receive free candy from Mike & Ike’s. Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery.

Request a free DVD of Discovery Channel’s, “Babies: Special Delivery.”

This is a great freebie! Print out the coupon to receive a free issue of Quick & Simple Magazine. This coupon expires on 03/31/2007.

Try a sample of Oasis Mouthwash, specially formulated for dry mouths. Please allow up to four weeks for this delivery. Click on the free sample button at the bottom of the page to access this freebie.

Have a blog? You can receive a free $5 Starbucks Gift Card for sharing a link to the Vitabase website. Read the requirements for participation on the Vitabase site.

Claim a complimentary one-year subscription to Art in America Magazine. I am signing up for this freebie as it would make a beautiful magazine for your coffee table and who knows what art could be taken from it for framed art for your home? Answer, “No, Thank You” to the offers on this one.

Marie Claire is offering free samples of the new Always Clean! Maxi Pads.

There are a limited amount of t-shirts each day, but Starbucks is giving away t-shirts starting tomorrow at 10 AM PST. These will be given away each day until February 28th. If you want to give this freebie a try tomorrow, here is the link.

Claim a complimentary one-year subscription to Popular Photography & Imaging Magazine. This would be a great free way to learn how to take better pictures of your kids! Again, you can say, “No , thank you” to provided offer links.

This one would have to be provided by your doctor, but it is a great freebie should you qualify for this medication. How about a free seven day trial of Ambien CR Sleep Medication? Does a screaming teething toddler make me qualify? I sure hope so!

“Gmail sign-ups are now open worldwide! No more waiting for someone to invite you – just create an account directly at http://www.gmail.com.

Although not technically free, this is a great BOGO freebie. Buy one Scotch Lint Roller Sheets (available at Target), receive another one free. Go to this Scotch website page and click on, “Get a Coupon.”

Another BOGO freebie, but this one is from Cold Stone Creamery. Buy One Love It Create Your Own (which technically means, pick an ice cream with one mix-in) and get one free. This coupon expires on 02/28/2007.

Request a free catalog & free samples of Murad Skincare Products.

And a few freebies courtesy of Monica & her mom! Thanks to Monica’s mommy for always passing these on to us!

My Mom sent me an article with some freebie sites on it: www.giveawayoftheday.com www.freecycle.org www.freebies.about.com

Have a great day, my friend!

Monica

***Can you not get enough freebies? Have trouble waiting until Friday? Please visit our Freebies Galore board to get more freebies in your mail box. Share the freebies that you have received and post your own freebie deals! If you just want to chat and meet other moms, visit our Forum where you can share amongst friends! You will meet some of the most amazing ladies on our board who are happy to share recipes, organizational tips, and help you network with work-at-home moms too!

Are you new to Freebie Fridays? Did you miss your freebie fix last week? Under each entry are keywords that you can search under. Click on the word Freebie and it will direct you to all of the past offers. ***

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It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know

February 15th, 2007

Everyone knows someone who knows something. That something could be as simple as how to get a stain out of clothing or it could be as complex as the types of supplements you should be taking for optimum health.

I have a theory that everyone carries around one piece of information that has stuck with them from an expert in a field. Maybe it was your vet? Maybe your doctor? Maybe you are close friends with a nutritionist? Maybe you have a really good accountant who gave you some tax advice that you never forgot?

What is one piece of advice you got that you never lost? Your piece of advice could be life changing for one of our readers. Please share away by clicking the Comments link.

My one piece of advice that I received, while not life-saving, is one thing that has always stuck with me. One of my friends went to visit a dermatologist and she asked her what was the best thing that she could do for her skin. The dermatologist suggested to always, always moisturize her neck because it is one of those areas that many people forget. That is why you see many women with beautiful skin and they show their age in their neck area. She also said the best type of facial cleanser you can use is Cetaphil. I have discovered that our local Meijer sells an off-brand of Cetaphil and I have started using this on my skin. It is much cheaper & gentler than other things I have tried.

Not everyone can afford the luxury of expert health. Many people cannot even afford the insurance needed to ever sit down with an expert. Likewise, many of us have the financial means to employ someone to help us through tough situations. Do you have a lawyer, a doctor, a financial planner, a counselor for your child?

What was that one piece of advice that they shared with you that you could, in turn, share with someone else?

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Kid’s Craft Idea: Painting Mugs

February 14th, 2007

Since it is another snow-filled day, we worked on a craft project to pass the time today. What better way to pass the time than to work on some fun projects?

When I have been going to the thrift store, I have been picking up plain white mugs. The cost on these is fifty cents and I have been putting them in a box downstairs to make gifts for our family.

I then went to the craft store and purchased a porcelain paint set. The paint set was around four dollars and I used my forty percent off coupon to knock some money off of the total on that. These types of paints require no heat-setting since the glaze that is included sets the paints for you.

With this particular paint set, you need to do a glaze on the surface first and allow that to dry. I actually did this the night before so we wouldn’t have to wait on this step.

Today we painted the mugs, which my son had the best time doing. We did put a heart on each of them, in honor of Valentine’s Day, and we will be giving these out to some special people in our life.

While waiting for the paint to dry (to apply a final glaze on them), I have been doing a little baking for a mommy that I am running a meal over to. She just had a baby and I get to bring her Valentine’s Day dinner. I am making a heart-shaped pizza, a cold pasta salad, and these giant heart brownies. I found this stoneware dish at the thrift shop for two bucks and have been waiting to be able to use it. I hope she will enjoy the meal as much I as have enjoyed cooking for her. Hopefully the weather will hold out so that I can deliver that meal!

I also need to get moving on some laundry and make cookies for my son’s class. It has been fun though getting to squeeze in some quality time with my son and do something fun like this.

Give this craft idea a try with your children! These mugs are great for any occasion and what teacher wouldn’t love a sweet mug like this made by your child?

Please visit Shannon’s Blog, Rocks in My Dryer, for more Works-For-Me Wednesday tips!

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The Gift Closet Part One: Wrapping Gifts

February 13th, 2007


I had an email which requested that I talk a little bit about the gift closet and how we stock our gift closet. First, I am using the word “closet” in quotes because we do not have a spare closet to stick all of these gifts in. The one major closet that we had in our house was revamped and now houses our entertainment unit (People with small homes should definitely read that post!) Instead, I actually use a clear plastic tote and a shelf in our basement for keeping these spare gifts.

A gift closet is just the idea of keeping gifts that you can use for any occasion. Some people stock gifts with a specific purpose in mind, like Christmas. Other people stock gifts that they think they will be able to use throughout the year, like birthday parties, weddings, or housewarming gifts.

Now just about any tightwad I talk to has a place that they horde deals that they run across. Why should you pay full price for a gift when you can raid the clearance sections of stores and thrift for goodies that will make great gifts? The purpose of my gift closet is:

1. To have a gift that will fit any occasion. I try to stock for weddings, birthday parties, thank you gifts, get well soon goodies, and the “just because” gift.

2. You are always prepared no matter what occasion strikes. If you forgot to write something on your calendar or suddenly realize that your brother’s birthday is looming and you have no funds for a gift, you can always visit your closet for a great gift.

3. Christmas is not a blow to your finances because your gift closet is stocked throughout the year. I try to buy a gift here and there instead of a giant shopping session which can cause a serious dent in our account.

The first part I am going to discuss about stocking your gift closet are inexpensive ways to package your gifts. Storing gifts, in my opinion, is just one element of stocking a gift closet. Another blow to the finances can be the packaging of your gifts. Here are some of the items that I keep on hand for making my gifts look pretty for less…

– I hit thrift stores all of the time and try to look for pretty tins in the housewares section. At fifty cents to a dollar each, they are a great way to package homemade goodies and make them more special.

– Baskets are nice to have on hand to make an instant gift basket for someone in your life. Try and buy these when they run end of the season sales at the craft stores or when you are doing your thrift shopping. Remember that baskets can be spray painted or decorated with scrap ribbon and filled with odds and ends in your gift closet (tissue paper, a pretty dish towel, or whatever else you have on hand)

– I love to keep jars on hand for gifts. These can be used to package up soups, stews, sauces, jellies, or gift mixes. I use scrap fabric to place on top and also have little odds and ends that I have collected to tie around the lid (cinnamon sticks, silk flowers, twine, etc..)

– I always have items that I can use to wrap gifts with. I have wrapping paper, but I also have other items to wrap with. I save the comics section of our newspaper for children’s gifts. I also look for wallpaper rolls at thrift stores to wrap gifts with. The wallpaper looks so elegant and I can get huge rolls of it for a buck at our local stores. Scrap fabric or tulle can add elegance to any gift.

– I save anything that I think would make a great home for a gift. For example, I love those little sacks that cards come in or the boxes that note cards come in. When I receive a gift, I save whatever that person used to give me my gift in. I have started to gather quite a large collection of gift bags and boxes from hording the ones that were given to our family.

– Coffee mugs and pretty plates are also stashed away for those unexpected gifts. I love to find elegant china plates in the housewares section of our thrift store or unusual coffee mugs. For example, a china tea cup can be a beautiful holder for a small houseplant. When the plant needs to move to a bigger home (or in our house, simply dies a horrible death!) the cup can be washed out and used for tea. Fill mugs with cocoa mixes or tea bags as a sweet & simple get well gift. These are just a few of the uses for these items.

– I love to use the china size boxes for giving cookies in, particularly around the holidays. Tuck the cookies in wax paper and tie with a bow. This makes your treats look like a gift anyone could want!

– I keep a manila folder in my gift closet and place any cards that I receive in it. The front of these cards can be made into a new card or they can be used for gift tags with a quick hole punch and a little ribbon.

– I buy the stacks of card stock scraps and use these for gift tags on my gift baskets & bags. Add a small stamp to it and a quick note and you can bypass Hallmark altogether.

Those are just a few ideas that I have for the wrapping portion of the gift closet. In Part Two, I will began discussing frugal gift ideas for various occasions. If there is something in particular that you would like me to touch on, just reply in the comments section.

Feel free to share ways you wrap gifts or how/where you store your gift closet!

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Site is Experiencing Technical Difficulties

February 13th, 2007

I am sorry, but our website is having some problems today. The articles are not matching article descriptions and we are having some other general errors with the site. We are aware of the problem and I apologize for the inconvenience. Our Forum & Blog are still operating normally.

If there is something you are looking for and need today (a menu planner, recipe, article you wanted to read, etc..) please email me at amy@momadvice.com and I can send you the Word file. As long as I am not on overload with requests, I will get what you need to you.

Thank you so much for being patient and understanding. We will try to be back on track by this evening!

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Date Night Conversations

February 12th, 2007

Yesterday my husband’s parents called and asked if they could watch the kids for us so that we could have a night out. Do they even have to ask? We couldn’t take them up on the offer fast enough as there is never a time when we feel like we can’t use a little alone time.

We headed over there, with the kids in tow, and they gave us a bag of Valentine’s Day goodies. There were a pair of pajamas for my daughter, a really nice shirt for our son, and then an envelope for us. In it was tucked some money for our night out. That means we got a dinner out and babysitting services for free! What an amazing gift!

Somehow when we get a night out to ourselves though, we end up spending the entire evening talking about the kids. What can I say? They are the light of our lives and we love them to pieces. Unfortunately, someday we are going to be older and our children will have their own lives and we will have to find some new dinner conversations.

I decided to try something new last night so that we wouldn’t be sucked in by the talk of diapers, time outs, and who got up at what time. Instead I leaned over across the table and said…

“Greatest movie ever?”

“What?”

“I said, greatest movie ever?”

He answered the question and then leaned in…

“Best childhood memory?”

The evening just went from there. I have been with this man since we were teenagers. I thought I knew everything that I could ever know about him. Imagine my surprise when I discovered even more things about my husband. We sat there for a long time and just asked each other questions.

Need a dinner conversation that doesn’t involve the discussion about poop consistencies? I highly recommend giving this a try. It was one of the best date nights ever!

Thanks, mom & dad!

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What is this Secret?

February 9th, 2007

I mentioned today in my blog that I got the opportunity to go to a viewing of the movie, “The Secret” which was recently featured on an Oprah episode. I had decided to not watch the episode on her show and go into the movie with an open mind. I understood the idea behind it, but wanted to make sure that my heart was open to what the movie could teach me. Being a Christian, I also did not want to compromise my beliefs or feel as though I had strayed from what I had been taught. I had heard that the movie could help me be a more positive person though and who could not use a little of that in their lives?

Although I did not believe everything in the movie, there were elements within it that really made me think about the way I have been living my life and how I could improve myself as a mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend. For example, I try to be positive, but find that I am easily strayed by the negative. I want to change the world, but I focus on what I dislike about the world, rather than the positive things that I could do to improve it. I can be very pessimistic when a more positive attitude would be more beneficial to me. Of course I could go on and on about things I have done wrong, but we are focusing on the positive, right?

Many of the principles within the movie are harmonious with what I have been taught to be as a Christian, but hearing them reiterated in a new way made the ideas fresh for me and helped me in a way that I really needed at this point in my life. Here are some basic ideas that I would like to incorporate within my day…

Gratitude– I need to be grateful for what God has already supplied for me. I have so many great things going on in my life and I need to focus on my gratitude for those things, and less on the things that I don’t have. The suggestion for a journal of gratitude is certainly not a new idea, but it served as a reminder to me that I need to do this and start writing down the things I have been given.

Focus Board– They had suggested putting together a focus board of the things that you want in your life. Although I thought too much of the movie focused on the material things, I think there are words and images that I could use within a focus board that I could use to inspire me. I talked about this idea with my husband last night and suggested that we actually do this project together, rather than separate. I told him that I want our goals to be ones that we set together. His goals should be my goals and vice versa. I would like to put on the board the amount of money that we will need to be financially free and focus on that number daily. That is just one example of something we would like to put on our board. Once our board is put together, I will take a picture of it to hopefully inspire you to do your own board!

Ask & Patiently Wait– I have no problem asking for things in prayer, but then the waiting patiently part is the one that I have a hard time with. In a culture where we want everything NOW not later, I have been conditioned to not wait patiently for a response. In the movie they say that if you ask it and believe it, that you will receive it.

Be Positive– It is such a simple idea and yet it seems so hard to do. They do focus on energies and life forces, but what I drew from it is that I radiate what I feel onto other people. If I constantly am consumed with self-doubt and don’t believe in myself, no one is going to believe in me. Yet, if I can radiate confidence and self-worth, people will see that and be drawn to that.
The ideas within the movie are simple ideas, as are the ideas within the Bible. Do unto others, ask and you shall receive, you reap what you sow…yet, sometimes simple is good and simple is what you need.

What an awesome mom I could be if I could teach my children to do these things too. When our children get older we could have them also do gratitude journals and posters of the things that they want in their life. Teaching our children to surround themselves with positive people and to believe that they can be anything that they want to be are great things that I can do for them. Again, they are not new ideas, but gentle reminders that I am not doing enough of this.

I do encourage you to view this movie as it was such an amazing experience for me. Sometimes you need these little reminders and nudges in your life. This served as a great reminder for me and I look forward to implementing these ideas in our home.

If you have seen the movie and would like to share what you have gained from the experience, please chat away! Each person, I am sure, takes something different from it. I took from it what I needed to incorporate within my own life.

I would like to thank WSBT-TV for giving me the opportunity to view this movie!

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Freebie Friday: February 9, 2007

February 9th, 2007
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Hi all and welcome to this week’s freebie edition I am so glad you stopped by. If you only visit for the freebies, I hope you will take a look around. I blogged my little heart out this week and would love your comments.

Well, if anyone does not believe that I am sincere about being a freebie junkie, you would have enjoyed a newscast that I got the opportunity to participate in at WSBT-TV. They had a free screening of the movie, “The Secret” at their studio and had opened the invitation up to me. I, of course, rushed over after dinner to see the movie and then got the opportunity to be interviewed about my impressions of the film. When asked if I had planned to purchase the film at our local Borders, I had responded that I wouldn’t be buying it because I got to see it for free. The anchorwoman laughed when I said this and then proceeded to ask everyone else if they would be buying the film and their impressions of it.

We stayed up late last night to watch the broadcast. Very little of what I had said made the piece, but at the end they were chatting about the movie and someone asked if everyone was planning to run out and buy the movie. The anchorwoman stated everyone except for one woman who said she saw it for free so she wouldn’t be buying it. I think I laughed until I almost cried. In case anyone has missed it, I love a freebie and I love to share them with everyone. At least you know I am who I say I am! There are no mysteries here!

Here are a couple of letters from our readers for this week. Thanks to all of our tipsters for sharing with all of us. It is greatly appreciated!

Hi,

First of all, thanks for all the great freebie links, I literally can’t wait for Fridays to come so I can see what new links you have. Anyway, this may be something you already know but, if you go to www.kraftfoods.com and click on their food & family magazine link, you can sign up to receive the magazine absolutely free. There are five issues a year (fall, holiday, winter, spring and summer) complete with great recipes, coupons, previews of new Kraft products, and (occasionally) a sample of tea or some other mail friendly product. Clearly the idea is to use all these Kraft products for your family’s meals but you can easily substitute whatever brand you choose. Hope this helps!

Sincerely,
Natasha M.

Hey Amy-
I’ve been reading your blog/site for a while now and really appreciate all of the great tips on frugality! A friend of mine told me about a website where you can upload songs and pictures from your computer and send them to your phone as ringtones and pictures for wallpaper for FREE! I tried it today. All you have to do is register at the site (also free), put in your phone number, and upload pics or music. check it out! Here’s the site: http://www.myxertones.com/default/

Sarah

Free Gorton’s Shrimp Temptations. This offer is valid only on Valentine’s Day. TO RECEIVE YOUR GORTON’S SHRIMP TEMPTATIONS REBATE:1) Purchase Gorton’s Shrimp Temptations on Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2007). Cash register receipts must be dated 2/14/07. 2) Include this rebate form, the original receipt and the original UPC bar code from the package. Claims must be postmarked by 3/31/07.3) No photocopied, altered, faxed, substitute or counterfeit receipts will be accepted.4) Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of rebate check. Gorton’s, its affiliates or agents are not responsible for mail not received as a result of loss, damage or delays by the US Post Office. All disputes and claims of non-payment will require you to provide a photocopy of your entire submission. Not valid in conjunction with any other discount offer. Gorton’s will give away up to $100,000 worth of FREE* Shrimp Temptations! 5) Complete and return this form in an envelope along with your receipt and the original UPC bar code from the package.

Print out a coupon for a free Choxie Bar from Target. The coupon expires on 03/03/2007.
Get a free Discover Healthy Living DVD from Del Monte. This offer expires on 04/30/2007 or good while supplies last.

Claim a complimentary one-year subscription to PC Magazine. Answer, “No, Thank You” to the offers listed and this magazine is a complete freebie.

Get a free sample of The Healing Garden’s Sensual Therapy Passion Rose. Please allow four to six weeks for delivery.

Request a free sample of Purina Pro Plan Selects Dog Food. The sample is 12 ounces and will come in a Turkey & Barley flavor.

Request to receive a Green Dot Pacifier, which alerts you when your baby has a fever. Please visit this site and use the provided email address to contact them for a sample.

Mark your calendars, everyone! Starbucks will be offering a free tall coffee on March 15th from 10AM-12PM. This information was located in this month’s issue of Parent’s Magazine on page 28, so be sure to cash in on this freebie!

Show your phone some love and download some classic love songs on your mobile phone. Visit AOL Mobile for the free song selections to choose from. They currently are only supporting the following wireless carriers: AT&T;/Cingular, T-Mobile, & Sprint. Unfortunately, we are under Verizon so I can’t take advantage of this freebie!

Looking for free Mac Software? About.com offers a whole slew of free downloads for your Mac, visit this page for the list!

OS-CAL is offering a free Multi-Compartment Pill Case. Click on the link for the free pill case and it will take you to a PDF form that you can print and mail to the company. New offers will be added to this page regularly, so please check back!

The Big Comfy Couch has a Clowndergarten Kids Club that you can sign your child up for. When you join you will receive a membership certificate, activity & coloring pages, autographed photo of their favorite character, sticker sheet, & official kids club wallpaper. This freebie should arrive within six to eight weeks.

Join the Go Red for Women movement and become a part of the fight against heart disease. By joining this free club, you will receive a free red dress pin, a monthly newsletter, and a shipping discount from Macy’s.

Print a copy of this form and take it to your Torrid store for a free Electric Valentine
Red Lipstick.

Sign up to receive a free sample of K-Pak Shampoo & Conditioner. Please note that the Cell Phone field on this form is optional.

Can you not get enough freebies? Have trouble waiting until Friday? Please visit our Freebies Galore board to get more freebies in your mail box. Share the freebies that you have received and post your own freebie deals! If you just want to chat and meet other moms, visit our Forum where you can share amongst friends! You will meet some of the most amazing ladies on our board who are happy to share recipes, organizational tips, and help you network with work-at-home moms too!

Are you new to Freebie Fridays? Did you miss your freebie fix last week? Under each entry are keywords that you can search under. Click on the word Freebie and it will direct you to all of the past offers.

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The Tax Man Cometh….

February 8th, 2007

And I am afraid that he is going to be beating our family into submission this year. When you are self-employed, there is no employer to take the taxes from you, thus we end up getting physically beaten at the end of the year. We do save for tax time throughout the year, but somehow handing the money over in one lump sum hurts so much more than the nickle and diming they do throughout the year on other people’s checks.

TaxAct.com is a great place to do your taxes for free or for really cheap, depending upon the plan you opt for. You can download their program or do the whole process over the web. Considering the most expensive plan on TaxAct is a mere $19.95, this is definitely one of the cheapest options out there.

When we were first married, we used H&R; Block for our taxes. My parents had always used H&R; Block, so naturally that was where we went to when it was time to do our own taxes. We were newly married, had nothing to claim on our taxes and were bringing in the big bucks. I about fell out of my chair when the agent told me how much we owed. Then he told us how much we owed him and a repeat performance of me falling out of my chair ensued. What a rip off! We vowed never to return there again, as it was almost like getting robbed from twice in one night. Say what you will about me, but I find H&R; Block to be extremely expensive, especially with all of the wonderful programs they offer today.

I do want to direct your attention to this link where they are offering an exclusive offer to American Express Card Members. You can save 25% on TurboTax Online federal products which includes free e-filing. They also offer a complimentary TurboTax Tax Estimator. If you have an American Express Card, you should definitely take advantage of this offer.

TurboTax also offers a great tool for those of us who are guessing how much our donations are worth. It is a software program called, “It’s Deductible!” and the cost on it is $19.95. You can access thousands of values for the items you donate, track your donations throughout the entire year, auto-fills tax donation forms, and it all comes out in a printable report. We are going to purchase this program as we make many donations throughout the year. A quick picture with your digital camera and you will have all the paperwork you need to make the tax deductions.

I am wondering how you do your taxes? Do you hire a private accountant? Do you do them yourself? What programs do you use?

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I Heart You!

February 7th, 2007

Lucky for me, today’s theme for Works-For-Me Wednesday is all about Valentine’s Day ideas. I happened to have posted a whole article of budget-friendly ideas for the holiday last week, so please stop over to the article to get tons of ideas that won’t break the bank!

On a related note, I attempted to do Valentine’s this year with my son. Now being the frugal self that I am, I realize that the store-bought cards are really not expensive at all. You can get a ton of them for a couple of dollars that have dogs on them and say, “You’re Top Dog!” and such…They are very nice and we have done that in year’s past.

This year I decided I wanted to make the holiday a little more meaningful and with only eleven kids in my son’s class, we could definitely swing actually making the cards this year. I was proud that we did it because it required more effort than the store-bought hearts and it was a creative way for the two of us to pass another snow day at home.

Since the weather was bad, all I did was pull all of the red & pink construction paper from his craft bin. I would have loved to incorporate doilies, but after seeing them going for $4.99 last week, I decided that we could do without these. The idea was to save some money, not spend four times as much!

I did have some of those cool jagged scissors that the scrapbookers use and by cutting all my hearts out with those, it gave a pretty lacy effect on the hearts and also on the edges of the cards.

I sat everything out for my son to put his cards together including a big box of buttons and a glue stick to incorporate different dimensions into his work. He came downstairs with a piece of paper (not provided for this mission) and covered it with buttons saying he would rather make lots of planets instead of doing the task at hand.

I then came upstairs to redirect his attention to all of the paper I had cut out for him and all of the pretty hearts and what happened next was exactly what I had expected…I sat and made Valentine’s for an entire hour while he made planets on other sheets of paper.

Me: “Do you want to even sign your name on these?”

Son: “Nah!”

So much for being a fun & creative mom! Maybe there are more creative ideas on Rocks in My Dryer as mine was not inspiring enough even for my own kid!

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