Deal of the Day - Leap Frog Tag Reading System at Walmart.com

I've been shopping and comparing prices on the Leap Frog Tag Reader for a little while now, so I was excited to see this deal at Walmart.com.  You can get a bundle with the reading system plus a book of your choice for $32.  The reading system alone will typically cost $30 or more and the books could cost anywhere between $10-15 so this is a good deal.  This ships via standard shipping for only $0.97.

(Thanks Couponing to Disney!)

Confession of the Day - I Get A Lot of Emails

There always seems to be something in my Inbox.  A lot of this is my own fault.  I sign up for multiple survey panels and rewards programs because I like to earn extra money.  I especially love earning when it takes nothing on my part other than opening some emails.  Here are a couple of programs where I can do just that - open the email, click on the link and earn $$.


The first one is InboxDollars which I've been a member of for 2 years now.  I receive 2 to 3 emails a day to my non-primary email address.  I also receive survey invitations through Inbox Dollars which I can complete to earn more. You'll receive a $5 sign up bonus HERE.

MyPoints is one of my favorite ways to earn.  You will receive a few emails a day and also survey invitations.  With MyPoints you can also print coupons from the site and earn 10 points for each coupon you print and redeem.  You can also go through the MyPoints site to do your online shopping and earn points with every purchase made through their partner sites.  Your points can be redeemed for gift cards from a lot of different companies.  I always save my points up to get $50 Gap gift cards which helps support my habit of buying my kids' clothes there.  You can join MyPoints HERE

Again I recommend signing up with your non-primary email address so that you can easily filter through your emails.  Let me know if you have any questions about either of these programs.

Last Chance for 100 Free Points from Pampers Gifts to Grow


Today is the last day for new members to receive 100 bonus points for joining
Pampers Gifts to Grow program.  Once you sign up enter this code 453983270233478 for 100 points.

Points can be collected and used to receive all types of rewards such as books, toys, Shutterfly items and entries to win a year's supply of diapers.  If you are buying diapers anyway you might as well get rewarded for doing so.  Even if you aren't buying diapers right now you can accumulate points and donate them right now for Toys for Tots.

Groupon Daily Deal for Des Moines


Today's Deal for Des Moines is for Simply for Giggles in the East Village.  You can buy a $20 Groupon worth $40 of in store merchandise.  This store has so many unique baby and children's items.  The last time I was there they also carried children's Locally Grown shirts.  To get today's deal go HERE.

Cyber Monday Deals

Here are some of the Cyber Monday Deals I've seen so far today:
  • Barnes and Noble.com - Free shipping (use coupon code B3X4N4N)
  • Borders.com - Free shipping on orders of $20 or more (no code required)
  • Gap.com - 15% off your purchase (enter CYBER15 at checkout)
  • Loft - 40% off your entire purchase & free shipping on everything (enter code Enjoy at checkout)
  • Pottery Barn Kids - Free personalization & free shipping on gifts
  • zulily.com - Free shipping on orders of $50 or more

Groupon Code - Add $1 Credit to Your Account!


Hurry and enter this code NEWSLICK to add $1 credit to your Groupon account! I was able to add this by going to My Account and then selecting Redeem Gift Card. 

(Thanks Mojo Savings!)

$10 Free Credit from Gaggle of Chicks


Gaggle of Chicks is a new group buying site.  When you sign up you'll receive daily emails for deals focused on moms and families.  Just for signing up HERE they will give you a FREE $10 credit to use.  I will let you know what I use my credit for!

Weekly Menu Plan

Here is what's for dinner at our house this week: 
  • Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes & garlic bread
  • Cheesy Chicken Potato Bacon Skillet
  • Calzones (carry over)
  • Mile-High Tortilla Pie
We had the pasta tonight and just tossed it with a can of tomatoes w/ garlic & olive oil.  It was really simple but also delicious.

Save 15% at KangarooBoo


KangarooBoo is a great locally owned toy store in West Des Moines that is offering a 15% discount on your entire purchase either in store or online.  Just use the code THANKS2010.  It will be valid through December 31st.

Save 15% at Creative Kidstuff ONLINE Plus Free Gift Wrap

Creative Kidstuff has their Cyber Monday deals up and running right now.  For one day only save 15% off every item online and you can get it all gift wrapped for free!  You can also get free shipping on orders of $50 or more! 

Swag Bucks Code on the Blog


There is a Swag Bucks code on the blog that is worth 9 until 5:30 pm CST!

Feed It Forward with Restaurant.com



Starting now and every day until December 31st Restaurant.com is letting you gift to others a $10 Restaurant.com gift certificate.  Just go here and enter your information and names and emails for up to 40 of your friends a day.  You can also share it via facebook.

Today is Small Business Saturday for American Express Cardholders


Today if you use your registered American Express card at participating small business merchants and you can earn a $25 statement credit!

To Receive the Credit:
  • Head over here to register your American Express card (you may register one card for this offer)
  • Using the American Express card you registered, spend $25 or more at participating small business merchants TODAY 11/27. Eligible merchants include any independently owned small businesses that accept the American Express Card (Note: purchases made online, at large, national chains, at franchised business locations and at government agencies are NOT eligible; Prepaid, corporate cards and ExpressPay transactions are NOT eligible).
  • Receive the $25 statement credit. Statement credits are generally issued within 5 business days after your qualifying purchase, but may take up to 2 billing cycles to post to your account.
(Thanks hip2save!)

ING Direct - Get $25 Bonus for Opening a Kid's Savings Account


Open a kid's savings account account with ING Direct today through November 28th and ING will put a $25 bonus in the kid's account.  Either you or your
child must be a new customer to ING.

I have been an ING customer for over 5 years now and I have been very happy with their interest rates and online banking.  Contact me if you have any questions or would like more information.

Weekend Planner

There is a Lighted Christmas Parade in Perry Friday night Nov. 26th at 7:00 with cookies and cocoa with Santa after the parade.  This is an event I've wanted to check out for a while now.  I'd love to hear from someone that has been to it before.

Jolly Holiday Lights has started and will be open nightly until Jan. 1st.  It is a little cheaper to go Mon-Wed ($7 vs. $10), but all proceeds go to The Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Deal of the Day


Here's what I got at Walgreens today.  All items were advertised in the 3-day sale ad here.  I paid $9.93 for everything above, but I received $11.24 back in Jingle Cash (same as register rewards - just a cute name for the holidays).  The best part is that most of these items are going to be donated to my son's Sunday school class for an Advent service project. 

Swag Bucks Code on the Blog


There is a new Swag Bucks code out on the Swag Bucks blog that will be good for 9 Swag Bucks until 8pm CST.

If you are new to Swag Bucks just click HERE to join.

Free Gum from Extra


If you haven't requested your free gum yet from Extra just go HERE to their facebook page and "like" them then click on the Free Gum tab.  You'll receive a free sample of their Extra Dessert Delights gum.  I requested this a while back and received some of the Strawberry Shortcake flavor. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wish everyone a joyful and satisfying Thanksgiving today!  If you are headed out late tonight or tomorrow for the Black Friday deals I wish you luck.  I don't think I will be out in it myself.  I've gotten quite a bit of shopping done already this year and there really isn't any deal advertised I can't live without.
I am planning a trip to Walgreens today either to or from our Thanksgiving. I will let you know what I find.

Let me know if you score any amazing Black Friday deals!

Pampers Gifts to Grow - New 10 Point Code


GIVETHANKS10PTS is a new code that will be good until 11/29.

There is still time to get the 100 point bonus if you are a new member to the Pampers Gifts to Grow program and use this code 453983270233478.  Sign up before November 30th to receive the 100 point bonus!

Confession of the Day - I Love to Shop Online

I really love to shop any where at any time, but the ability to shop in the comfort of my own home whenever I get the urge is a wonderful thing.  It could also be a dangerous thing, but there are a few different things I do when I shop online to ensure I'm still being a deal-minded shopper.

First of all I do my research online to make sure I'm not missing any discount codes or free shipping codes.  One of my favorite sites for this is RetailMeNot.com

Next I make sure I shop online through a site like Upromise.com where I link to the retailer of my choice and earn a percentage back.  With Upromise if I shop at a site like Gap.com I can earn 5% in my Upromise account that I have linked to my children's 529 college savings accounts.  You can also shop through Ebates.com and get a percentage of your purchase as cash back.  (For both sites the percentage back varies depending on the retailer)

ShopItToMe.com is a deals site that I've been a member of for over a year.  You can choose the retailers and brands that you want deals for and they will send you an email when those items are on sale at various online retailers.  You can pick how often you get emails from them.  It's great if you have you eye on a specific brand, but don't have the time to research every retailer to try to find the best deal.

25 cent Coffee at Kum & Go Friday

Sign up to receive monthly coupons and offers from Kum & Go

Just received an email from Kum & Go that they will have 25 cent 16 oz. cups of coffee and all the proceeds will benefit Toys for Tots.  So you can get caffeinated and support a good cause at the same time!

Hy-Vee Black Friday Gift Card Deal 11/26


Hy-Vee.com has their Black Friday ad posted and I was excited to see this deal - Save $15 on your next grocery visit by purchasing $75 in participating gift cards.   (The purchase must be made in one transaction and your coupon will expire 2 weeks from purchase date.)  Hy-Vee carries gift cards from a multitude of retail stores and restaurants so if you know you are purchasing gift cards for gifts this year this would be a great time to do it.

Free Sample of Starbucks Coffee from Walmart.com


Go HERE and fill out the form to receive a free* sample of Starbucks® Natural Fusions Vanilla naturally flavored coffee from Walmart.com.

Confession of the Day - I Don't Have a Budget

I know that setting a budget is one of the first things you will read about when it comes to gaining control of your finances.  I have never done this though. However, I do track every single penny we spend.  I've been doing this for almost 8 years now.  I can go back to any month and know how much we spent on monthly bills, gas & groceries.  Over time I've added categories to my very simple spreadsheet to include the following:
  1. Monthly Bills (Energy, Utilities, Cell Phone, Mortgage, dues,etc. all go here)
  2. Gas
  3. Groceries
  4. Entertainment (all dining out, event tickets, vacation expenses go here)
  5. Misc (this category is very broad for us and could be narrowed down some more but any spending on clothes, gifts, Target trips, donations, etc. all get tracked here)
  6. I have a column for each of my children to track their individual daycare exprenses, preschool tuition, clothes, toys and books that can easily be distributed)
  7. The last column tracks our net pay so we can easily determine how much we are spending every month on everything vs. how much we are seeing from our paychecks
This system has worked well for us and I can easily compare from month to month when we have spending changes or where are big expenses were. 

Do you have a budget?  Do you have a way to track your spending?

Pampers Gifts to Grow - New Members Get 100 Points


If you haven't joined Pampers Gifts to Grow program yet there is still time to sign up and use this code 453983270233478 for 100 points (this is only for new members). Pampers Gifts to Grow program is a great rewards program I've been a part of for over 4 years and have received several rewards from including free Shutterfly photo books and prints. Sign up before November 30th to receive the 100 point bonus!

Existing members can enter code Novemberthanks5 to add 5 points to their account.

Free Breakfast Pizza & Coffee from Casey's on Friday!

Casey's has a special coupon to use on Black Friday.  Just go HERE and "like" them on facebook and then click on their Black Friday tab.  You will then be able to print a coupon for a free slice of breakfast pizza & 12 oz. cup of coffee!

Get $3 in MP3 Downloads from Amazon.com


Amazon.com has a code available for get $3 good for albums or songs at Amazon MP3.  Just go HERE and enter code GET3MP3S.


You must redeem your credit by November 29th.

My Weekly Menu Planner

This week's meal list is a little on the skimpy side. We have a couple of carry-over meals from last week that we didn't end up making for some reason or another and of course with Thanksgiving this week we should have plenty of leftovers at the end of the week.
  • Beef & Noodles
  • Calzones
  • Chicken Santa Fe Soup
  • Green Bean Casserole and Wild Rice Casserole (for Thanksgiving meal)

This is What $ 18.50 Worth of Ground Beef Looks Like...

Hubby made a Fareway trip yesterday and stocked up on 93% lean ground beef at $1.88 / lb.  This is why we have a deep freeze!

15% off Locally Grown Clothing


I'm a big fan of Locally Grown Clothing Co. and will miss checking out their booth at the Des Moines farmers market since the market season has come to an end.  It's still fun to check out their site and shop online.  And now until December 10th, 2010 you can receive 15% off your entire order.  Just enter the promotion code "holiday2010" before submitting your order to get your savings.

Here's my family sporting our fave Locally Grown shirts at a favorite vacation destination.

Swag Bucks Code

Check your Swag Bucks Widget or the Widget on the right hand side for a Swag Bucks code worth 7.

Mail Call Saturday

Here are the freebies and rewards I got in the mail today.  Did you get anything good?

My Panera Card = Free Goodies!


We have a new Panera Bread Cafe that opened up in downtown Des Moines last week.  Did you know Panera has a customer appreciation program called My Panera.  Just by using your FREE My Panera card you will can get free items from Panera.  Just by registering my card I received a free pastry!  Others have gotten free smoothies too!  Grab one on your next visit to Panera and be sure to register it online to see if you have any free goodies waiting for you!

$25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

itsthoughtful.com is giving away $25 Amazon.com gift cards.  You have to sign up for their $500 Christmas Gift Contest then spread the word via facebook, Twitter or email to your friends about the contest. 

You'll receive a $25 Amazon gift card if 15 friends sign-up from your invites.
Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. on December 15, 2010. Gift cards will be emailed to the winners on December 18, 2010.

Swag Bucks has Coupons Now!


So you may have read that I love Swag Bucks!  This morning I'm excited because Swagbucks.com has added coupons to their site.  This means you can go through Swag Bucks to print your grocery coupons and earn Swag Bucks at the same time!

You will earn 10 Swag Bucks for every coupon you print and redeem at your local grocery store.  These are the same coupons you will find on Coupons.com so you might as well be earning Swag Bucks at the same time!  Click HERE to get started with Swag Bucks.

I previously have been printing my coupons through My Points which is still a great way to earn points when you use coupons, but I've calculated that using Swag Bucks will get me to my rewards faster!

Weekend Planner

Here are a couple of FREE events going on in the Des Moines area tomorrow night, Friday, November 19th:

East Village Holiday Promenade

Santa's Arrival & Tree Lighting at Jordan Creek


The Winter Farmers Market is also going on Saturday inside Capital Square

Deal of the Day

So here's what I found today using my $20 credit from Gilt Groupe

This Melissa & Doug Bake and Decorate Cupcake Set was on sale for $16.  You can use the credit to help pay for shipping so I just paid $3.95 for this!


Using the link above they will give you a $20 credit just for joining right now.  It does expire in December though.  (FYI - the credit to my account took a little while to show up)

Hy-Vee Deals Nov. 16-25

Here's what I'm buying at Hy-Vee this week from the advertised prices good through next Monday:

Swanson Broth $0.48 (pair w/ manufacturer's coupon)
Dole Celery $0.48
Nabisco Snack Crackers $1.99 (pair w/ manufacturer's coupon)
HyVee Yogurt $0.40 each
Green Giant Steamers Vegetables $1.00 (pair w/ manufacturer's coupon)

What's on your list for the week?

Deal of the Day

Right now on Amazon.com you can get the Crayola Beginnings Color Me a Song for only $ 16.54.  I had already bought this at Toys R Us for my daughter for $16.99 otherwise I would be snatching up this deal for myself.  On the site there is also a link to this rebate from Crayola for $3.00!

Deal of the Day

Here is what I bought at Walgreens today.  Can you guess what I paid?

$1.74 for all of this!

I combined manufacturer's coupons with store coupons and was able to score some great deals.  Now I did have a $3 Register Reward to use, but I still felt pretty good about this shopping trip.

My Weekly Menu Planner

Here's what we're having for dinner this week:
  • Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole
  • Beef & Noodles
  • Tim's Taco Salad
  • Calzones
We had Skillet Baked Pasta tonight for dinner and I will be posting the recipe soon. 


What did you have for dinner tonight?

Deal of the Day

Here is a great deal at Walmart.com.  Right now they have a play kitchen for only $15.  You can also have this shipped to your local store for FREE!

Pillsbury Toaster Strudels Sweepstakes


Here is an instant win sweepstakes from Pillsbury.  Every week, thru February 7, 2011, there will be over 2,000 winners who will score 4 coupons for FREE boxes of Pillsbury Toaster Strudels Pastries (up to a $12 value)!

I love instant win sweepstakes and I just won this one today!  Let me know if you win too!

Target Deal on Campbell's Soups

Target has Campbell's condensed soups on sale this week for $0.50 each - 
which is a great price on its own.  Pair it with this $ 1 off 4 coupon found HERE to get them for $0.25 each!

Confession of the Day - I Love Getting the Mail

Especially on days when my mailbox is loaded with all the samples and freebies I've requested. 

Look at what came in the mail for me yesterday ~


Did you get anything fun in the mail yesterday?

Confession of the Day - I Do Surveys for Cash Part 2

I have been a member of e-Rewards since January 2008.  I use my non-primary email address to receive survey invitations.  You'll receive a reward amount even if you do not qualify.  Through e-Rewards I've redeemed my reward dollars for multiple magazine subscriptions and also $25 American Eagle gift cards.  I just used one of those gift cards last night to buy myself some new socks!

New Deal Site

I just discovered Gilt Groupe a new online deals site.  They will give you a $20 credit just for joining right now.  I will let you know when I find a great deal to use my credit on! 
(FYI - the credit to my account took a little while to show up)

Deal of the Day

Today I scored some great deals at Walgreens. 

I bought 6 boxes of of Kleenex, 200 ct $1.99 each = $11.94
Used 2 $0.50/3 coupons from the 10/3 SS
Used the in-ad coupon which made each box $1.09 (deducted $5.40)
Paid $5.54
Got back $3 Register Rewards
Final cost $0.43 a box!


I also got some cough syrup that will be free after a mail-in rebate and got some Flinstone vitamins that cost $7.49 - used an manufacturer's coupon for $1 off plus $6 in Register Rewards that I had so final cost to me for the vitamins was $0.49!

Confession of the Day - I Do Surveys for Cash Part 1

I don't make a fortune doing it obviously, but it is fun to get small checks in the mail for doing them.  Here are a couple of the companies I have been completing surveys for a while now with.

I have been a member of Mindfield Online since January 2008.  I receive several emails a week from the company.  I always use my non-primary email address when registering and if I don't have time I can just delete the request.  There is quick check to see if I qualify for the survey and they tell you how long it will take.

Another company I receive surveys from is Synovate Global Opinion Panels.  I have been a member since July 2007.  Synovate is great because it will reward you with points even if you don't fully qualify for the survey plus they have monthly sweepstakes for all survey participants.  You redeem your points for cash.  Again I registered using my non-primary email address.

Free Train Rides Tonight (11/12) at Valley West Mall

Check out Valley West Mall for all of the details.

Coupon - Disney's A Christmas Carol DVD combo pack


Head over to Disney Movie Rewards to print a high value coupon for Disney's A Christmas Carol DVD combo pack.  The release date for this movie is 11/16 so expect to see this movie advertised on sale soon.

Swag Bucks Code

There is a code out right now until 7:00 CST.  Check out the Swag Bucks blog.

Confession of the Day - Free Music Rocks My World

Did you know that the iTunes store has a Free on iTunes section that gets updated with new mp3s and videos every week?  I have downloaded some great things for free just by checking the Free section each week.  Most of the time I'm not yet familiar with the songs they are giving, but then a couple of months later the songs blow up on the radio.

I've gotten songs like Owl City's "Fireflies" & Neon Trees "Animal" long before they were popular.  And if you don't end up liking something you can always delete later.  You just never know what you might find.  Most recently I was excited that iTunes had the video for Jack Johnson's "At or With Me" featuring Andy Samberg.

Amazon's MP3 store also has a Free Song of the Day for download.  I'm not as good about checking regularly and haven't found any favorites this way, but I will let you know if I do!

Fareway Deals Nov. 9-15

Here's the deals I found in the Fareway ad for the week:

Pillsbury Flour $ .97
Geisha Mandarin Oranges 3 for $1 (stock up price!)
Swanson's Broth 2 for $1 (pair this w/ coupon for an even better deal)
Pillsbury Brownies $ .77
Reames Frozen Noodles $ 1.69

What deals did you find in the Fareway ad?

Groupon Daily Deal for Des Moines



Today's Des Moines Groupon is for Mars Cafe.  You pay only $6 for a $12 Groupon.   You can check out the deal of the day and sign up for Groupon HERE.

Confession of the Day - I'm Addicted to Pop

I really truly love pop and drink way too much of it (usually 2 cans a day).  Pop is an expense most people could cut out of their budget.  Personally I love the brown fizzy stuff plus the caffeine that comes with it, so I refuse to give it up.  However, I also refuse to pay more than $ 2.50 for a 12-pack and I stock up when my favorites are on sale.

That's why my basement looks like this


What do you refuse to go without?

Hy-Vee Deals Nov. 9-15

Here's what I'm buying at Hy-Vee this week from the advertised prices good through next Monday:

Hy-Vee Can Fruit $.77
Hy-Vee Pineapple $.88
Hy-Vee Broth 2 for $.88 (stock up price!)

Hy-Vee is also having 2-day sale on Thursday and Friday so we'll be making an additional trip this week for:

Dole Bananas 3 lbs. for $1
Hy-Vee Shredded Cheese 4 for $5 ($1.25 each - my stock up price is $.99)
Blue Bonnet Sticks 2 for $1

They will also have reusable bags 5 for $1 which is a great price and free breakfast for Veterans on Thursday.

What did you see in the ad that made your list this week?

Free Coffee at Brueggers Wednesday

FREE Coffee Tomorrow!

Freebie Find

Go HERE to request a free sample of Stayfree Ultra Thin.

Price Check

My husband bought 10 lbs. of 85% lean ground beef at Fareway today for $1.81 / lb.  According to him this is getting close to a stock-up price.

What price per lb. do you pay for ground beef?  Is this a good deal?

Deal of the Day

Today's deal was on my weekly Walgreens trip.  There is an in-ad coupon for 99cent Reach toothbrushes and floss.  I had a coupon for $1.00 off Reach floss and a coupon for $1.00 off a Reach toothbrush which made both of these items free for me!

Confession of the Day - I Get My Groupon On!


I was so excited when Groupon started including Des Moines deals.  Yes, we have other local deals sites, but with Groupon they add a new deal each weekday.  Quantities are limited, but are much higher than some of the other deals sites we have.   If enough people are interested in the groupon for that day the deal is activated.  If not enough people want a specific offer, no one gets it and no one is charged.  This is the incentive to invite your friends. If it is activated you will get an email saying your purchase was a success and you can print your Groupon and use it.

Today's Des Moines Groupon is for Bistro Montage.  I have only been to this restaurant once, but with this deal paying only $30 for a $60 value I can afford to go again soon!  You can check out the deal of the day and sign up for Groupon HERE.

Freebie Find


If you haven't already requested this freebie check out the Kleenex website.  Just fill out your information and info for a friend to send them a free mini box of Kleenex. 

Deal of the Day

The only thing I shopped for today was groceries at Hy-Vee.  I was pretty happy with the following purchase:  California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizzas were on price decline for $4.99.  I bought 2 of them and used two $2.00 off one coupons.  Then a pleasant surprise was a catalina offer.


  • Buy 2 participating products; get $1.00 off your next shopping order.



  • That made each pizza $2.49!

    My Weekly Menu Planner

    Our weekend routine includes a Sunday morning grocery trip so we usually try to plan our meals for the following week sometime on Saturday.  We try to think of at least 4 meals to make during the week and assume we will be eating leftovers at least once and going out to eat or picking up carryout once during the week.

    Here's what we have planned for this week in no particular order:
    • Chicken Tortilla Soup
    • Oven Fried Chicken with roasted vegetables
    • Italian Pasta Skillet
    • Avocado Enchiladas

    Confession of the Day - I Love Swag Bucks!


    I discovered Swagbucks this summer as I was browsing other deal blogs and decided to look into it.  Once I signed up I learned how easy it is to earn swagbucks and get rewarded for it!  I wish that I had learned about it a long time ago, but even in the last few months that I have been using swagbucks I have earned about 13 prizes.  I always redeem for $5 Amazon.com e-gift cards, but there are lots and lots of other options.  That is just the reward that you get the most bang for your buck in my opinion.

    To learn more and start earning now go HERE