After my last post about eating more healthily, this post should make you laugh. If you go to McDonalds on May 15, you can get a free Southern Style Chicken Sandwhich with the purchase of any Medium drink. You can go in the morning and get one on a biscuit free, and then return later and get one on a bun for free. You can treat your whole family to lunch for the cost of 1 medium drink and 1 medium fry apiece. Unless you happen to have a gluten free girl like I have. The Southern Style Chicken is most definitely not gluten free; so Anna and I will be splitting a grilled chicken salad. :) Still, a super good deal! If you only treat your family to McDonalds once in a while, this Thursday would be a good day to do so. (I got this in an e-mail directly from McDonald's, so I know it is true.)
Also, if you could use a free $25, be sure to read this post.
And, if you want to read more ideas for saving money, be sure to check out CanadaGirl's Blog.
May. 9, 2008 - WOW! PAYPAL ALTERNATIVE PAYS YOU $25 to SIGN UP!!!!
Revolution(ary) Money Exchange
This is a really cool paypal alternative, and you get $25 FOR FREE if you sign up now! This is for real, I already have the money in my account. You can keep the money in your account, have it transferred to your bank account, or request it as a check and cash out. I already have several friends who have done this!!! It does work, and it is an easy $25 for you!!!
In the interest of full disclosure, Everyone who signs up through this link is a referral for me! Referrals are worth $10! WOW....
***Updated: Thank you so much for accepting my invitation! If you signed up through this link; please be sure to tell me in the comments! I have no way of seeing my referral's e-mail addresses; so I don't know who you are! Thanks again,
I feel like I am taking baby steps towards becoming a true tightwad, if that is even my goal! I'm not really a Tightwad at all, but I love saving money and getting bargains. But, I don't throw my tights in the freezer just so they will last longer or anything. (I've heard that works!)
Anyway, one thing we have noticed lately, (again) is that our eating out is just getting out of control. I am only supposed to take the children to fast food place once a week; but there are just so many times in the week when it is handy! SO, today, on the way home from the library we decided it was the perfect day to stop at the park; but we hadn't had lunch. I had to stop in at Whole Foods to pick up a bunch of gluten free goodies for Anna anyway, so I spent about $15 on picnic food and we had a picnic. Since I usually spend $25 at Burger King; this was a significant savings. I also brought home half a bag of tortilla chips, and half a container of guacamole, and half a package of salami.
If I had only planned ahead (like that ever happens), we had the makings of a picnic at home too.
Picnics save money over eating out -- any day.
If you want to see more Tightwad Tips from people who are way better at it then I am, hop on over to Canada Girl's Blog.
I have mentioned this so many times, I feel like a broken record! However, I was able to save $6 again this weekend because I took the time to find some coupon codes! Here is another site working to save you money by finding coupon codes: Best Online Coupons. They have tons of different coupon codes listed, for instance here is one: save money and lose weight with discounts on meal replacement diet plans.
This coupon code is not one I have personally used, but there are many others! This is just one example!
I was especially excited to see this coupon code for Family Christian Stores and these links for various free shipping codes at Target. In fact, I am thinking about staying home from Target today and just ordering everything I actually need on-line. Every time I go to that store, I find an extra $50 worth of things I didn't come for!
Check it out, and see what you can find! Never shop on-line without a coupon code! Recently, I spent about $65 at Lands End plus shipping, only to find a $25 off a $75 coupon code in my e-mail box three days later! That hurt. Next time, I will wait until I have a coupon code to order!
May. 1, 2008 - Book Give-Away! You can get a free book from me!!!
Book Give-Away!
Finding Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson
The publisher accidentally sent me three copies of this book for reviewing! I paperbackswapped the first two; (after reading one of them of course!) and then the FIRST director said, "why not have a contest for one on your blog?" I thought that was a fantastic idea! If you would like to win a copy of this book, just sign Mr. Linky, AND leave a comment here! I will run the contest until May 15th. Please feel free to announce this contest to your friends!
Apr. 22, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday! -- Used Bookstores
Used Bookstores
I was reminded again yesterday why I love so much the used bookstore my children and I frequent. I found one gem -- a living picture book about Abraham Lincoln. That was all I found for our family library this time! But, it was beautiful and only cost me $5. My children each picked up one book apiece for under $2 and my daughter chose to buy a second book with her "own money". We were exchanging books we no longer wanted, so we had a credit and I told my children we had to come in under the credit. In the end, we had to put a few books back as they had each picked up two and they didn't accept all of my exchanges. That is when my daughter decided to buy her own. Still, we got the Lincoln book, a copy of My Side of the Mountain, a copy of The Black Stallion and The Black Stallion Returns, and we only paid $3 cash after our credit! Pretty good eh? As I was browsing around, I found several beautiful hardcover copies of books used in the Sonlight PreK Core. They were a fraction of the original price. These kinds of books are the reason I frequent this bookstore! I already have all of the Sonlight PreK Core, as I bought it all full price from the vendor when we first started homeschooling. But, these days I am always looking for great, living books at used bookstores because I am trying to afford homeschooling four children instead of one! A few weeks ago, we picked up a beautiful full color coffee table book on Van Gogh for $5. Bookstores like this are worth their weight in gold. Even more weeks ago, when my Mom was visiting, we went to a used bookstore a little further away called The Book Nook. I found one book I had been wanting, a hardcover copy of The Millionaire Next Door for $3. My Mom found eight or so hardcover copies of Gilbert Morris books for $1 apiece! Be sure to check out the used bookstores near you! My plan for this summer is to pick up nice hardcover books at yardsales for 25 cents from my piggy bank, and turn them into $1 or $2 credits at the used bookstore. Some books have even gotten me $5 credit!
If you like the idea of saving money (and who doesn't?) check out other TIghtwad Tuesday posts over at Canada Girl's Blog!
Apr. 15, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday! -- Name Brand Sodas On Sale
I have this sneaking suspicion that most of the people participating in CanadaGirl's Tightwad Tuesday do not purchase soda. Sorry Girls! However, this is too good a deal not to mention. I did this same deal last year; and stocked up on enough sodas to last all summer -- my son and I take sodas to the pool every day so that we aren't tempted to use that machine. My girls prefer water! Here's the deal. Target is running a special, 5 twelve packs of Pepsi products for $15. That by itself is not that great of deal! However, at checkout you will get a $5 gift card. Taking the gift card back in, you will get your next 5 twelve packs for $10, and another $5 gift card! You can do this as many times as you like; and whenever you choose to stop; you will still have one $5 gift card left! So, you are getting 5 Twelve packs for $10! In several years of coupon shopping, this is the lowest price I have ever seen in my area. It usually only happens around Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving. So, I try to stock up on those holidays enough to make it to the next big sale!
Apr. 13, 2008 - Why I Like The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Why I Like The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
I love the day that The Old Schoolhouse Magazine shows up at my door. I enjoy taking the time to break away from my computer and my duties and read an actual print magazine on my favorite subject! I love reading the articles, and also enjoy looking at the advertisements for all the new products. I hear they have completely revised the magazine production team so that the next magazine will be completely different. I can't wait to see what they have changed! I recently subscribed to the digital version; and that is a ton of fun to look through and a great price. If you can subscribe to the print version during the promo though -- it is such a great deal!
If you decide to subscribe, please consider using my affiliate link from this graphic.
Apr. 13, 2008 - The Old Schoolhouse Subscription Promotion
The Old Schoolhouse Subscription Promotion
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Spring Promo is in full bloom. Subscribe now to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and receive
25 BONUS gifts valued at over $550!
The Winter Promo sold out, don't miss out on the free gifts this time!
The HSB Front Porch is having a contest
and you can win a $50 gift certificate
just for blogging about the Spring Promo
before midnight April 30, 2008.
Click HERE for details.
They are also giving away a $150 gift certificate to the Schoolhouse Store. All print subscribers (new or renewing) between April 3 - 30, 2008 will be automatically entered into a drawing. No purchase neccessary to win. To enter without subscribing, please send a postcard with your name, address, telephone number, and email address to: The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Spring Promo Contest PO BOX 8426 Gray, TN 37615
This banner is not an affiliate link! To use my affiliate link; please see my second post... Thanks So Much!
Apr. 8, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday: Free Things for Children
I found out about this web-site last night, and was just sifting through ordering free things for my children. The on-line book (free stuff for kids) is free; and you just page through it and find the offers you want to send in for. Some things are totally free; some things require a s/h fee. Personally, I am ignoring the offers that require money and only requesting thing that are truly free. So far, I have sent in for pencils, posters, stickers, bible lessons, coloring books, and a few other things. Do you remember doing this as a child? I sure do! I would stick my four quarters in an envelope with a SASE inside; and wait anxiously by the mailbox. Free Stuff For Kids
To see more Tightwad Tuesday posts, visit Canada Girl.
Nothing is cheaper then free right? I have posted about Freecycle before, and I am just reminding everyone to sign up. You pick the group where you live or work and sign up at freecycle.org. The groups are yahoo groups; and e-mails come straight to your in-box. No one is allowed to offer anything for sale! All items must be free, no strings attached. If you have something to pick up and are uncomfortable meeting someone at their house; you can arrange to meet at Target or some other well populated place. I have seen some amazing things come and go since I signed up for freecycle. Just two days ago, someone gave away a complete futon with mattress! My sister has gotten a complete dining room set; and an above ground swimming pool! Of course, that is the fun flip-side! You get to give things away. The reason Freecycle works is because people are so generous!
Do you shop on-line? I love to find great deals on-line, and I save money on gas and find great prices. I spend a little time comparing prices, and searching for coupon codes. I can almost always find on-line coupon codes for free shipping or 10% off or something. I only order on-line when I can get great prices, and I always factor in the shipping costs to make sure I am getting a great deal. Here is one place where you can find the codes for on-line coupons.
How it works:
Usually, the place to enter your coupon code is towards the end of the checkout procedure. This always makes my husband nervous. Don't worry! Basically, if you get to the button that says "finalize order" or "confirm order" and you haven't entered your coupon code yet, don't click that button! You need to back up and look for an entry box. The entry box often appears on the payment page, or with the shipping page information. Just copy the code you found using control/c, and paste it using control/v. (Both keys held down at the same time.) This is super easy! Don't ever shop on-line without looking for a coupon code!
I saw this on another blog; and thought I would enter, even though I never win anything . To enter you have to paste the following paragraphs on your blog, and then leave a comment at the blog linked at the end. So, if I can't win, maybe one of my friends can .
Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while -- next week they are unleashing a brand new curriculum, and you can WIN the *all new* Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3… FOR FREE!
This is a $219 program (and believe me it's worth every penny!) and the winner gets to pick from any of these 14 languages: Spanish (Spain or Latin America), English (American or British), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Hebrew, or Russian.
This will also include a headset with microphone, and students will participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well, in addition to speaking. Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they're included! For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports.
To win this most excellent program -- in the language of your choice -- copy these (blue) paragraphs and post it in (or as) your next blog post -- then to enter the contest, go to the original contest page HERE: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JenIG/501132/ and leave a comment with the link showing where you blogged about it. And please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post it. And good luck! The winner will be picked randomly on March 26, and will be notified thru the link they left to their blog pg. And if you have more than one blog, you can post them and enter those separately for more chances to win. Yay for free stuff!
Mar. 18, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday! -- Use Those Catalinas!
Today was grocery day, and when I got all finished my cashier was in shock. Why? Well, because they are always required to circle your savings and tell you how much you saved. My coupon savings was over $105!!! My total savings including discounts was $162! She was in shock because she had never seen savings over $100 before. (I am re-writing this post right now, because I looked at my receipt this morning and it was even better then I thought...) I'm pretty sure most of the girls participating in Tightwad Tuesday at Mary's blog already know about combining coupons with sales. At my store (Harris Teeter), the Buy One Get One Free items ring up at half price. So, you can use a coupon on each item. Today, I was excited to get cereal for 45 cents per box. In 2 years of using coupons I have never gotten a lower price! Okay, Okay, I admit I did miss a sale a couple weeks ago where I could have gotten cereal for 25 cents a box. That is because none of my children liked that cereal. Of course, I had to re-arrange my pantry to find a place to the boxes. But, we go through tons of cereal so I am not worried. I also redeemed my Buy One Get One Bertolli Olive Oil Rain Check from a few weeks ago. So, that was $24 of the savings right there.
Do you know about Catalinas? Catalinas are those little coupons that print at the register when you buy specific products... It's like a triple play! This week, every single cereal box I got for 45 cents triggered a catalina -- $1 off my next purchase! On anything in the store!!!! Also, every box of Orville Redenbacher's popcorn I bought (at 75 cents a box after coupon) triggered a 50 cents off catalina, also good on anything in the store. I used a $6 catalina from my last trip; and got $12 in catalinas for my next trip. Woohoo!
If you get catalinas, do you use them? Aye, there's the rub! I used to forget about them all the time, but not anymore (starting right now ). I have started putting them right in front of my handy dandy coupon holder as soon as they print. No more leaving them with the receipt to remember later! I use them at the very next shopping trip too, so they don't get a chance to expire! That's my tip for today. Put those catalinas in a special place and don't let them expire...
PS. I was really bummed when I got home and saw next weeks Giant ad, I just used all my butter coupons to get Land O Lakes butter for $1.89 at HT. Next week I could have gotten them for $1.45 at Giant with those coupons! I thought you might commiserate with me...
PSS. Do you use coupons and catalinas in other countries? I realized this might be a very US centric post. My apologies.
Mar. 11, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday! -- Vegetable Puree
Using Vegetable Purees to Stretch Food and Add Nutrition
I've been reading this week, a new cookbook I now own called The Sneaky Chef, Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in your Kid's Favorite Meals by Missy Chase Lapine. It is all about how to blend vegetable and fruit purees, whole grains, and even sardine puree! into your normal foods so that you can double or triple the valuable nutrition in the foods your kids eat. I have no intention of being "sneaky" about it though; as my kids are pretty good about trying new things and eating healthy and I don't like the idea of lying about food. Only my oldest is picky. Anyway, I am making plans for stocking up on all the vegetables I will need for puree. I suppose I will have to wait until summer to get great produce prices? I am keeping my eye on berries though, as they should be cheap really soon now. I can't wait for Spring to hit Virginia full force!
So, one of the tips I picked up from this book was using baby food as your puree. She has a great list of baby foods that can be substituted for the purees. Her favorite brand is Beechwood; because she claims they have high standards for freshness and minimal pesticides, without being certified organic and hugely expensive. Making your own in season is cheaper; but not in the dead of winter.
A couple ways this helps your Tightwad plans. 1. Eating healthier lowers your doctor's bills. I have seen several Mom's talking about this recently. I can't wait to build up my children's immunity system with all these great vegetable purees. 2. Adding purees stretches recipes to feed more tummies, and fill tummies more too! 3. Using sale vegetables or baby food purees helps lower the cost of this really great nutrition boost. 4. Summer garden extras or weird coop veggies can be frozen and saved all winter in 1/4 cup purees!
If you are really interested in this idea, check the book out from the library; as she has a very thorough explanation of how to make this work. Some of the basic ideas are to match color as much as possible, blend purees as smoothly as possible, and add small amounts at first building up to the full 1/4 C. She includes lots of recipes, which I can't wait to try! I will post a Cookbook Review when I have a few more under my belt. See more Tightwad Tuesday posts!
Mar. 10, 2008 - Free Coupon Codes on Flowers for Mom
Free Coupon Codes on Flowers for Mom
Doesn't every Mom just love to get flowers? My husband gave me a beautiful bouquet of Tulips for Valentines Day, and every time I saw those flowers for two weeks, I felt his love. I will never forget the first time my son Jonathan brought me flowers, he was only four years old and we were going out on our very first "date". Now that brought a smile to my face. It's a well known fact, flowers make a woman feel special!
Here are some free coupon codes you can use to purchase some beautiful flowers for your Mom on mothers day at 1800Flowers.
Mar26 - Save $10 no minimum
Mar15 - Save $15 w/min $74.99 purchase
Mar25 - Save $25 w/min $99.99 purchase
Homeschool E-Store is becoming CurrClick; and you can earn a 10% bonus on all of your purchases next week during the Grand Opening! I don't know if you have ordered from Homeschool E-Store in the past or not. Be sure to check out their weekly freebie. If you sign up for the e-mail newsletter, they will e-mail a newsletter with the weekly freebie highlighted. I really enjoy using e-book products, so homeschool e-store gets a portion of my homeschool budget. Besides e-books from many publishers, homeschool e-store also carries audio books.
Have you checked out HomeschoolShare lately? I looked at the web-page way back when it first started, and was not impressed enough or excited enough to give it another thought. Recently, I was asked by a friend if I had looked at Homeschoolshare. I blew her off, because of my previous impression. However, she had assigned my son a special project for his science class (this is a friend with which I trade music class for science class). My son was very excited, and wanted to start right now! His teacher had given him the web address and told him they had a lapbook for his subject. So, today I had to go print all the information off for Eagles from homeschoolshare. Guess what? They have added so much, this is a really useful site now. The number of free, quality lapbooks is astounding. I remember not being impressed at all with the free lapbooks available when I first checked this out.
All this to say, you need to go check out HomeschoolShare. The materials are all free!! A ton of information and topics are covered, and not all are in lapbook form. You can also find unit studies, copywork pages, etc. You can even upload your own files to share with others! I am really excited about this free resource and wanted to share it with all of you.
Last week I mentioned the cheap meat I was able to stock up on; but how it all worked out was pretty cool. After spending so much money on chicken, ground beef, and chuck roast at the first store, I really didn't have enough money to buy all of the other great deals at the other store. I went anyway, and decided I would "borrow" from the next weeks grocery budget because these were such great deals. I thought it was a little odd when the first item I wanted ( buy 1 get 1 free hummus, which my daughter uses as a dairy substitute on tacos) was gone. I just thought, "Oh well, I'll get a rain check." and moved on. Then, the cube steaks were out of the size I would need. We are a family of six, so two packs are a bit cumbersome to cook with. Another rain check. I kept shopping, and found a few things to put in my cart. When I got to the Bertolli Olive Oil, which was Buy 1 Get 1 Free; they were gone! That is such a great price on Olive Oil and we use so much of it I was very disappointed and worried they wouldn't be able to get so many rain checks and would have to pick which ones to get. In the end, I was able to get four rain checks; moving a large chunk of my purchase to next week! Or, I can wait until a Bertolli coupon comes out to use that Rain Check, since they never expire at Harris Teeter. The last product was the PIzza Rolls I was going to get for 20 cents a box after coupons. So, this week I am going to the store and getting 6 Bertolli Olive Oils, 4 packages of Cubed Steak, and 2 packages of Hummus, and 10 boxes of Totinos pizza rolls at *last week's prices*. That's pretty exciting. I didn't have to go over budget, and I still get to stock my pantry! Don't forget those rainchecks ladies... See more Tightwad Tuesday links.
I was visiting at my sister's house a few weeks ago, and she asked me if I did blog ads for PayPerPost. I said, "No, do you?" She hadn't signed up; but had read some information somewhere and thought it might be interesting for me. She blogs strictly about her daughter, and for family; so PayPerPost wouldn't really work for her blog. I decided right then to check out PayPerPost but didn't get around to it while I was on vacation. When I returned home; I was browsing through an old folder of messages I had promised myself I would read later when I filed them away. I came upon a post by Penny Raine, and it was all about how PayPerPost works and how you do not have to compromise your values or your blog to use PayPerPost. Let me assure you, I read that old e-mail with great interest!
Here is how it works. PayPerPost signs up bloggers to write blog posts for sponsors. The sponsors pay the blogger a small fee to review their product or web-site. Most of the reviews I am currently qualified for are between $5 and $10 for 100 words. Each blogger can choose which opportunities to write about; and a blogger is never asked to be dishonest about their opinion. This all sounds really cool to me, and I am going to give it a try. I will always be honest, I will never write about products I haven't used myself, and I will keep writing about my family, my homeschool, and IPOD School and the other topics that keep you guys coming back to my blog! All product review posts will be clearly labeled as sponsored posts if they are sponsored.
Did you know there is a good time of year to stock up on certain items? This month, it appears to be meat. I have purchased boneless chicken breasts for $1.79 per pound, and that seems to be a quarterly sale. However, last week I was able to get Pork Loin for $1.99 per pound, and this week I was able to get Chuck Roasts and Ground Beef and Cube Steaks for $1.79 per pound. That is more then half off in my area. I rarely see prices this low! Also, January and February are the time for Winter White Sales! I have gotten some really great deals on bedding in February, saving almost 70% on my new comforter from Penney's. I noticed Linen's and Things has a great sale on pillows, decorative pillows, and bedding this week. Don't forget to find a 20% off coupon either! The coupon works even on sale items. I got mine from the Sunday paper; so if you haven't recycled yours yet look there. In some places, you can buy a Sunday paper all week. This is my first Tightwad Tuesday post, so hopefully I will have better ideas to share after I have seen what others write! See more Tightwad Tuesday links. Happy Shopping,
Do you all know what is going on at Epinions.com??? Starting again on March 1st. Review 10 products, earn $10 paypal. Review 20 products, earn $20. I think the maximum is $200!!! I finished 10 reviews in February, and already have picked out several products to review for March. Just look around your house, anything you have purchased is pretty easy to review. You can review, books, diapers, baby slings, computers, cars, cameras, food, anything! This is super easy, and takes just a bit of time. I thought it might be perfect for other people on a tight budget...
Feb. 22, 2008 - Become a CVS Advisor and Earn FREE Extra Care Bucks!!!
Free Stuff from CVS...
I am not sure how often I have mentioned the fantastic deals you can get at CVS using their Extra Care Bucks program and coupons from your Sunday paper. I cannot even remember the last time I paid for toothbrushes or deoderant. It seems like CVS wants to give those items away for free! For instance, this month (February) you can buy up to five Colgate toothpastes at $1.99 each; and when you check out, you will get five $1.99 coupons good for anything at CVS. These are called Extra Care Bucks. But wait, it gets better. If you have manufacturer coupons, you are allowed to combine them with this deal. So, you buy five toothpastes using five coupons. Your cost is $5. You get $10 in Extra Care Bucks! CVS does not lose money, because the manufacturer re-imburses them for the coupons and corporate re-imburses them for the Extra Care Bucks.
Are you already taking advantage of the fabulous Extra Care Buck program at CVS? Here is a way I just discovered to get free ECB's. They are asking people to sign up as a CVS "advisor". If you sign up for this you are sent at least 4 surveys per year, worth $5 or $10 ECB's each survey. The surveys don't take much time, and signing up is free, and only involves information they already have from your Extra Care Card anyway. Become a CVS Advisor and Earn FREE Extra Care Bucks!!!
Feb. 20, 2008 - Wish Granted: Paperbackswap -- How It Works and What You Should Do About It...
Wish Granted: Paperbackswap
How It Works and What You Should Do About It
I thought I would inspire you to join paperbackswap by listing out all of the books I have gotten in the last couple months. It has been amazing.
Anne of Windy Poplars (Anne of Green Gables) :: L. M. Montgomery
Posted: 11/10/2006 1:41 PM ET
Circle of Grace : Praying with--and for--Your Children :: Gregory Wolfe, Suzanne M. Wolfe Posted: 12/19/2007 7:49 PM ET
Coming To America: The Story of Immigration :: Betsy Maestro
Posted: 12/19/2006 5:11 PM ET
A Family Of Value :: John Rosemond
Posted: 12/29/2007 10:07 AM ET
For the Children's Sake (Child-Life Book) :: Susan S. MacAulay
Posted: 2/13/2008 7:20 PM ET
Home-Style Teaching: A Handbook for Parents and Teachers :: Raymond and Moore, Dorothy Moore
Posted: 11/11/2007 4:01 PM ET
Homeschooling for Excellence :: David Colfax, Micki Colfax
Posted: 1/16/2008 6:02 PM ET
Juicing for Life :: Cherie Calbom, Maureen Keane
Posted: 11/10/2007 7:05 AM ET
Little Pear: The Story of a Little Chinese Boy (Odyssey Classic) :: Eleanor F. Lattimore Posted: 2/9/2008 9:11 PM ET
Making The "Terrible" Twos Terrific :: John Rosemond
Posted: 12/30/2007 7:33 PM ET
Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt :: David McCullough
Posted: 12/16/2007 7:33 PM ET
Shaoey And Dot: Bug Meets Bundle :: Mary Beth Chapman, Steven Curtis Chapman, Steven Chapman
Posted: 1/24/2008 6:58 PM ET
What Happens When Children Pray: Learning to Talk and Listen to God :: Evelyn Christenson, Liz Duckworth
Posted: 12/4/2007 10:58 AM ET
What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know : Preparing Your Child for a Lifetime of Learning (Core Knowledge Series) :: E.D. Jr Hirsch
Posted: 2/8/2008 10:03 PM ET
Here's how it works: You post 10 books into the system as available. You get one credit just for listing these books you are willing to swap! You request a book with that credit. You don't pay anything, and in a few days, your first book arrives at the door. Someone requests one of your books. You wrap it in paper, and pay media mail postage to mail the book. You have another credit, and request another book; again paying nothing. You only pay postage on books you send out, usually about $2. You never pay postage on books you request. Everyone shares the books they no longer need; and everyone benefits. It's that simple!
(Using my referral link below will earn me one free book credit... This is another way you can earn credits!)
Feb. 20, 2008 - Wish Granted: Freecycle -- How It Works and What You Should Do About It!
Wish Granted! -- Freecycle
How It Works and What You Should Do About It!
Do you know about Freecycle??? I joined about two weeks ago, and immediately posted my first offer per the instructions. I offered up a pair of new shoes that had been cluttering up my closet for 3 or 4 years; and they were gone within one day... Voila! After I had posted my first offer, I was now allowed to post my first wanted item. But, I haven't gotten to that yet. A couple days after I posted, another Mom posted with this offer: Homeschool Books, Send me your list and I will see what I have. I was thrilled! You see, for the first time, at the beginning of this school year I purposed to stay within my homeschool budget as set by myself and my husband during our monthly budget meetings. It is so hard to keep that promise! I am tempted often by the latest blowing of the wind in this regard. However, as I have striven to keep my promise, God has honored my attempts with blessings. I made a list of each of the homeschool items I needed and as God provides these items for free or at substantially reduced cost; I mark them off. I am always so excited to see how God is going to provide. So when I saw this offer; I was just sure that this Mom was going to be a "homeschool Mom just like me" and have lots of things on my list! I sent her the list of needs and a bit of my story, and sure enough within a couple days I got this reply. "I am so sorry Amy, I don't have anything on your list." I was so dissappointed! However, taking a chance, I responded -- "Thanks for looking! I have been amazed so far at what God has provided, so I am not worried :) I did think of a couple of books on my wish list, but not a need. If others need them; I have them on my paperbackswap wish list and I can wait :)". Yeah! One of the items on my impromptu wish list, she had. And, when I arrived at her home to pick up my "wish" she invited me in to look at her bookshelves and take any other "Mom" type books I wanted. I found two other "wishes" that I hadn't even had time to list in that haphazard moment! As I was walking toward the door with Pocketful of Pinecones, and Educating the WholeHearted Child; she said, "Hey, is there any chance you could use these? And handed me 20 titles in the series Childhood of Famous Americans. Any chance? My voracious readers will be well supplied with Living History Books... How amazing, How Amazing is our God! Here he is; honoring my choice to stay within budget by even providing things I could never have hoped to afford -- my wishes. So, today, I posted my first Wanted. On my loop, it is Wanted Wednesday, which means we can post up to three items we want and see if anyone has them. How exciting... I asked if anyone had used Math U See Gamma or Delta books. No response yet, but you never know! I don't mind them being used, because my son typically only needs one page from each lesson. I am even more excited to read all the Wanted posts and see if I can provide a need for someone else. What a fun way to clean out your closet and watch God provide for needs, yours and others! Wish Granted. I think I will go find my Needs list with all the items marked off, and post it here so that you can all see how much God has provided in the last year! In the meantime, sign up for the Freecycle in your area; and start giving!
It's HOAC's Second-Chance Sale!
HOAC Project Packs and Kit Packs ONLY!
Sale does not apply to any other products!!
All Project Packs in any format!
Printed, CD, or eBook!
Here is the schedule of dates and discounts: Friday January 18, 2008 6:00 AM till Saturday 6:00 AM 45% off Saturday January 19, 2008 6:01 AM till Sunday 6:00 AM 35% off Sunday January 20, 2008 6:01 AM till Monday 6:00 AM 30% off
All Times are Eastern The Coupon Code for this Sale is 2ndchance
NOTE: Sale does NOT include the Template Pack or any Graphics Packs. Cannot be combined with any other offer, sale, coupon or discount.
Make the Most of the Sale this weekend and use the Wishlists feature! Just set up your account now and fill your wishlists and then you can add them to your cart and checkout in the blink of an eye! IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!! If you have an existing account YOU MUST LOGIN and FILL OUT ALL YELLOW FIELDS in your account information before placing an order. If you do not login and have all yellow fields filled in BEFORE you begin your order any Coupon Codes you have WILL NOT WORK! Remember to LOGIN and FILL OUT ALL YELLOW FIELDS BEFORE SHOPPING! · Login · Click on the Account button at the top right of the page · Click on Manage Address Book · Click on Edit in the first box · You will now see a form that has yellow fields. Make sure those fields are filled in.
Just in time for Christmas, Paperback Swap launches their newest Swap Club -- Swap A DVD!! I love it... So, if you have any DVD's laying around that you don't use anymore; join the club...
The bottom line is; We try not to insist on parent-led learning or gravitate toward child-led learning. We try instead to focus on God-led learning and ask for His input and perspective on every aspect of our home school. That way, when others fuss about what Dan and I are doing and make me second guess our decisions -- I can go back to our decision process and find God's fingerprints, reminding me that this is His way.
If you go to McDonalds on May 15, you can get a free Southern Style Chicken Sandwhich with the purchase of any Medium drink. You can go in the morning and get one on a biscuit free, and then return later and get one on a bun for free. You can treat your whole family to lunch for the cost of 1 medium drink and 1 medium fry apiece. Unless you happen to have a gluten free girl like I have. The Southern Style Chicken is most definitely not gluten free; so Anna and I will be splitting a grilled chicken salad. :) Still, a super good deal! If you only treat your family to McDonalds once in a while, this Thursday would be a good day to do so. (I got this in an e-mail directly from McDonald's, so I know it is true.)
, but there are many others! This is just one example! 
Happy Shopping,
