25 Days of Christmas Blog Share - Day 15

In just 10 days it will be Christmas! Please come join me over at My Simple Walk, for a countdown. I will have my family's top 10 all-time favorite Christmas movies, the 10 best songs of the holiday season, and 10 last minute, make in less than a day, gift ideas with patterns and instructions for each! Shhhhh....There may be a few other surprises as well.
Grab a warm mug of cocoa, turn on those Christmas tunes, and sit a spell with me on December 15th, for the 10 Day Christmas Countdown!

25 Days of Christmas Blog Share - Day 14

 It's a pleasure to be sharing in this special blog share, The 25 Days of Christmas,  started by the Parga's Junkyard Blog. I hope you check out the other blog posts sharing the holiday season with 24 bloggers who have joined forces to make this season a bit more magical..

25 Days of Christmas

 The Bunnies of Christmas...

 Often the Holidays can be a difficult or lonely time for those who have no family or friends nearby, or are left behind because it is difficult to manage having one come to visit for a holiday visit-perhaps due to constraints of illness.  Or sadder still, whether through ill family relations or neglectful family, the elderly or disabled family member is left behind.

It is usually difficult for an elderly or sick person in a nursing home, hospital, or assisted living facility, who receives few or no visits, to watch others receive visits or go out during the holiday season.  I have seen this first hand, having worked in nursing homes, a rehab hospital and mental health facility for about 18 years. Even the smallest gesture is appreciated by these people and can mean a lot.

Go to Rabbit Slippers to read more...

25 Days of Christmas Blog Share - Day 13

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

25 Days of Christmas

We are celebrating Christmas with "Cowboy Style" this year. Stop by The Freshman Cook and see what we have rustled up, as we prepare 5 different food gifts "For the Cowboy in all of Us "!!

Do you have a Christmas blog post you would like to share with our readers? Sign up on our linky below to share your posts! Or if you are one of our readers just click on the Linky to see more Christmas posts to check out!

 

Money Saving Monday - How to Save With a Kroger Plus Card

How to Save More With a Kroger Plus Card

Even though Kroger has taken away the double and triple couponing you can still save at Kroger using your Kroger Plus Card. Some people have even decided to give up on couponing altogether. Let’s face it we no longer really shop, we are shopping to save. I want to show you how to get the most savings from shopping for groceries and things you need even without using coupons. First go to Kroger and get your Kroger Plus card. You need to make one small purchase to take advantage of the online e-Coupons. Buy a gift card.

GIFT CARDS

Right now is a great time to buy gift cards at Kroger. You can receive 4 times fuel points you spend on gift cards towards gas purchases. If you buy one $25.00 gift card, that is 100 point or $0.10 off per gallon of gas. Kroger has a wide selection of gift cards you can purchase. I do all my gift card shopping at Kroger in order to save big on gas.

GAS

I usually fill up our SUV at Kroger, since I get such a great savings on gas. Gas is one area that is very difficult to save in a budget. We all use gas and it is not going away or going down in cost real soon. I might as well get as much savings as possible whenever I can on gas. I do this buy shopping at Kroger.

e-COUPONS

Not only does Kroger have e-coupons online, but they also have and app you can download to load coupons directly onto your Kroger card. Each week Kroger adds new coupons you can add to your card, so check back often. They have coupons for store brand items too. You can’t go wrong with adding coupons to your card. This applies to all Kroger affiliate companies too. I traveled to Arizona this summer where they have Fry’s stores and my e-coupons worked there too. This is great especially for someone who doesn’t want to clip and use coupons. However, Kroger will not allow you to use a digital coupon and a paper coupon together. If you have a better paper coupons, just remove that ecoupon from your card.

There are other e-coupon sites where you can load coupons to your cards too. Take a moment to sign up for UPromise and  Savings Star and easily load digital coupons to your card. Come back here after you finish.

Savings Star is great site, since these coupons are tied to your card, but they are not loaded to your card. You can load as many coupons as you want. You register your Kroger Plus card  and when you use it the savings will sit in an account until you reach the limit to redeem a FREE gift card. I LOVE FREE!


BUYING NECESSITIES

I like to purchase things like milk, eggs and my papers at Kroger. I need to buy these things nearly every week why not get the benefit of extra saving on purchasing them here. Milk is the same price at Walmart, Kroger and Tom Thumb. There may be a sale here and there and I will take advantage of those, but for the most part milk is the same price. Kroger usually has a better price on eggs than Tom Thumb, so I buy my eggs at Kroger. I spend around $10.00 to purchase 4 papers every week. So I will get 10 Kroger fuel points for just purchasing my papers there.

CREDIT CARD SAVINGS

Credit Cards are a good way to get additional savings. This sounds crazy right. How can you get savings from a credit card? This will only work if your credit card is paid in full at the end of every month by not carrying over a balance that will earn you additional interest. However, some credit cards offer a percentage cash back for all purchases made on that card or you could have a card that accumulates airline miles for each purchase you make with that card. Therefore you are making money by purchasing things you already need. This is a good way to replace your debit card for making purchases. This does take a little getting used to using your card this way, but you have to remember you are going to pay this off at the end of the month this is not a loan.

RECAP

Let’s have a little recap of way to get the most out of using your Kroger Plus Card:

1. Gift Cards - 4 Times Dollar Amount for fuel Points right now

2. Gas – savings from Fuel Points

3. e-Coupons – Just click and load

4. Buy Necessities – Milk, Eggs, Papers, ect…

5. Credit Cards - + 2% or more additional savings on Cash Back Credit Cards or FREE miles

Now go out there and start saving! 

25 Days of Christmas Blog Share - Day 12

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

25 Days of Christmas

December 12, 2011

Featured Blog - Tiara's and Bowties, Think Smink!

Shimmery Christmas Ornament

So I had planned on knocking your socks off with an amazing tutorial for a wintery glitzy lamp shade for Christmas decorating. You know how it is, you have this idea in your head and it's going to be simply stunning... then you set out to recreate your vision and... big fat fail! Ended up looking like a big white glittery blob! What's one to do when they get oh so stressed out over not one but 3 failed attempts?

Move on! So move on I did!

I bring you the glitz in another wonderful little trinket anyone can do, even got the kids involved to make one too!

Click Here to Continue Reading Post...

Do you have a Christmas blog post you would like to share with our readers? Sign up on our linky below to share your posts! If you are one of our readers and would like to see more Christmas posts click on the Linky below!

       

25 Days of Christmas Blog Share - Day 11

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

25 Days of Christmas

December 10, 2011

Featured Blog - Empty Nest

Having an empty nest can make the holiday season not quite as festive as it was when the kids were growing up. It has now become an annual event that is not only a low-country tradition but also assures the nest won't be empty during the holidays!

 

Join me at Empty Nest for a Christmas celebration that began once our nest became empty three years ago.

Do you have a Christmas blog post you would like to share with our readers? Sign up on our linky below to share your posts! Or if you are one of our readers just click on the Linky to see more Christmas posts to check out!

Friday Finals 12-09-11

I did quite a bit of shopping this week. Since I did so much shopping when it was freezing outside, my cold got worse. I was on the couch all day Wednesday and went to bed early that night. I drank a lot of hot tea with lemon and honey, since I had laryngitis for three days this week. Good thing this is not a video blog, no one could hear me. I am still sick, but feeling much better. If you would like to find more deals be sure to like Pounds4Pennies on FACEBOOK or join me in my Blog Frog Community. If you want to show a little love vote for Pounds4Pennies at TOP MOMMY BLOGS.

Visit last weeks most viewed for more inspiration:


Homemaking Mom
Blessings Multiplied
My Road to Savings

Kroger – 12/06/11

4 Barrilla Pasta $1 each - $1/2 Barrilla coupons Printable emailed coupon

            -Final $0.50 each

I spent $2.00 and saved $3.52 on $5.52 worth of Pasta. The savings reflects the stores normal price of $1.38.

CVS 12/06/11

2 Garnier Fructis Hair Gel $3.99 each

1 Listerine Mouthwash $3.69

1 Luvs Diapers $6.99

2 CVS MultiViatmins B1G1 $7.29 each

1 Candy Canes $1.27

3 Cards $10.27 – these are not in my grocery budget

USED:

2 $1/1 Garnier Fructis Hair item RP 10/30/11

1 $1/3 American Greeting Cards – RED BOX Coupon

1 $1/1 Listerine MouthWash RP 01/09/11

$1 ECB

$10 ECB

Received ECBs:

$3.00 for Garnier Fructis items

$3.00 for Cards

$1.27 for Candy Canes

$2.00 Diapers

$1.00 Listerine mouthwash

I paid $22.49 and saved $15.00 on $37.49 worth of items at CVS this week. I got one jar of vitamins, 1 card and 1box of candy canes for free this week.

SPROUTS 12/06/11

0.94 lbs Dried Cranberries @ $2.99 lb

            -Final $2.81

1 Jar Sunbutter $5.99

1 Jar Texas Honey $3.99 – Used up the rest drinking honey and lemon for my throat.

I spent $12.79 at Sprouts this week. I have two children that cannot eat peanut butter. I buy them sunbutter made from sunflower seeds. So far this one tastes the best. My daughter didn’t like the soybutter and I like that the sunbutter is more natural and tastes better. It is expensive, so I use it sparingly to try to stay within budget.

Tom Thumb 12/06/11

2 Nature Valley Granola Bars $2.99 each – Store Coupon $1.11

            -Final $1.88 each

4 Krusteaz Cookie Mixes $2.69 -  B1G1, 2 $1/2 peelie coupon right below box!

            -Final $0.85 each

2 Gallons of Milk $2.99 – On Sale $1.99 each

I paid $11.12 and saved $11.61 on $22.73 worth of groceries. This is pretty good, since I also bought milk this trip.

Walmart – Can’t find receipt

1 Package Walmart Pull ups $8.49 – Not feeling well, forgot coupons

1 Dishwashing gel $2.49 – I think

I spent around $10.98 this shopping trip.

Overall I spent $59.38 minus cards $53.11 for family budget this week. I saved $28.61. Still under budget and bought diapers twice this week. I didn’t buy a lot of food, but did get some pantry staples for my house. How did you do? I love seeing how all my readers did. Sometimes I find great deals too! Looking at how others shop helps others learn how to use coupons.

25 Days of Christmas - Blog Share Day 9

25 Days of Christmas

December 9, 2011

Featured Blog – Pounds4Pennies

I am so happy to be able to participate in this Blog Share with so many other bloggers. I love Christmas time, because it was always about spending time with my family. It is the one time of the year where we all try to make an effort to get home to mom and dad’s (nana and papa’s) house to enjoy time with each other. When I was a single mom I was able to purchase a set of 3 trees of different heights for my Christmas tree. We now use these trees to put in the three kids rooms. These are their Christmas trees to decorate how they choose each year. They get to place their handmade ornaments on it each year. In order to count down to Christmas we make a paper chain advent calendar for them to put on their trees to count down to the birth of Jesus. Here are some variations on this easy frugal advent calendar.

One thing I want my children to remember is, Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus. I make sure we read the Christmas story from the Bible each year. I enjoy reading Luke 2 verses 1-21. For each length of chain you could write one verse and read it before you tear it off. If you started on the first you can use a few verses from the book Matthew about the birth of Jesus.

If you decide to make only one chain and each child gets a different color to add. They can write what they like about other siblings on their pieces of colored paper and they get to read their day and that is the day they get to tear off. I like coming up with ideas to promote fairness to every child.

The really crafty person can decide to make the chain and decorate each link with their own personality. I find using decorative scissors or punches are fun to do if you have those from scrapbooking. You can sequins, glitter, ribbon. If you make a wonderful masterpiece and don’t want to rip it every day, you could use a marker such as a clothespin to mark the day. Of course you would decorate the clothes pin to match your garland.

There is still time to make an advent calendar. It is a great way for children to enjoy the countdown to Christmas. Here are the simple instructions of how to make this chain calendar.

You will need glue, scissor and paper in different colors.

1. Let your children pick the colors they would like to use.

2. Cut small strips of construction paper across the short end of the paper. Use a pencil and draw lines to make straight cuts on the paper.

3. Take the construction paper and make a circle and glue the ends together to make a circle. This step is good if you have a couple of helpers. Continue until you get to the end.

4. Once you are at the end you can place something special to signify ONLY ONE MORE DAY until Christmas. I used a star this year and placed it near the top of the tree.

5. Hang the garland on your tree or where ever you want. Make sure you enjoy the Christmas season with your Children.

25 Days of Christmas Blog Share - Day 8

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

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25 Days of Christmas

December 8th, 2011

Featured Blog - Radcrafter

I did it. Oh yeah, I can cross hang the Christmas stockings off the checklist. Yay! For those of you who read this little blog, you know I mentioned previously that this was a major TO-DO on the Christmas checklist this year. If you're just checking in, you can read more about that here. And, after lots of online oogling and book reading (I' m always reading crafting, decorating books, etc) it finally came to me. My idea was to merge a simple stocking pattern found online with a pillow design that discovered in an old Martha Stewart decorating book.

These stockings are lined, only require a few supplies and require minimum sewing skills to create. Visit Radcrafter to create your own ribbon Christmas stocking...

Do you have a Christmas blog post you would like to share with our readers? Sign up on our linky below to share your posts! Or if you are one of our readers just click on the Linky to see more Christmas posts to check out!

25 Days of Christmas - Blog Share

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

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25 Days of Christmas

December 1, 2011

Featured Blog - By the Brook Designs

Here is my mantle currently

I love it!

I wanted to do a little more though.

I love to change with the season and usually add a new sign but I am adoring the silver platter in the middle so I decided to paint it with chalkboard paint so that I could write whatever seasonal saying I would like.

Read the remainder of this post from By the Brook Designs!

Do you have a Christmas blog post you would like to share with our readers? Sign up on our linky below to share your posts! Or if you are one of our readers just click on the Linky to see more Christmas posts to check out!

25 Days of Christmas Day 6 - Blog Share

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

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25 Days of Christmas

December 6, 2011

Featured Blog - Parga's Junkyard

Do you either host your own Christmas Parties and/or Open House or attend at least one during the holidays where you feel compelled to bring a dish? Do you like to find something new and exciting or do you tend to stick with the old reliable recipes your mother passed down to you?

 

Let's face it, any Holiday Party is only as memorable as the food served!

Well, other than the stories about who drank too much and who sat on who's lap, that is! But what should you serve this year that will be the talk of the town as we round the corner towards 2012? What can you cook that will be any different from the rest of the parties and open houses your guests will be attending this year? Are you looking for some new recipes? Other than the usual and much used party crackers with pepperoni and cheese why not try some fresh new ideas?

Recipes Cont...

Money Saving Monday - Christmas Budget

Christmas is time for giving gifts, but don’t get into debt by giving. There are a lot of ways to start saving for Christmas by using a budget. One thing I like to do is to have a budget for each person and keep a total on how much I spend. This way I know I am being fair to each person.

If it is difficult for you to keep a budget for each person, you can make individual envelopes and put the dollar amount you want to spend in each envelope and only spend that amount on that person. Keep your receipts and gift receipts in the envelope of that person after you have spent the money. When it comes time for Christmas you can take out all the gift receipts and had it to them, in case they need to make an exchange. When the money is gone there are no more gifts to buy. It helps you get to that stopping point. This is hard when you are shopping for someone who is easy to shop for.

Also try shopping all year round for people on your list. I have quite a few people to shop for and I said I was going to do this in 2011, but once again I did not. Next year in 2012 I am. I now have a better understanding of sales cycles work, and how to stretch my dollar to the maximum. Everyone will be crossed off by November next year. I will keep you guys updated on how this goes.

Next I try to make gifts for those who I don’t have a budget for such as teachers, friends or someone else. These can be made for very little money and they always appreciate these gifts. I much rather do that then, buy something they are not going to use or need. I am planning on making peppermint cocoa as gifts this year. I got a great deal on cocoa at Tom Thumb last week. And this just sounds wonderful on a cold night.

Right now it is very cold here in Texas. We almost had snow today, but it started to warm up right before the snow line got to us. Some people got nearly two inches. That is a lot for us here in the south. It has been raining for three days now and I am a little tired of the rain. And to top it off we are all sick. I can’t talk right now because I have lost my voice. My husband posted on my Facebook page, “Finally some peace and quiet around here.” I just gave him a sneer.

Remember to have a budget and stick to it. I don't have all the answers, I just try to share some ideas that work for me. Find a system or method that works the best for you and stick with it. Now go and shop, shop, shop.

25 Days of Christmas Day5 - Blog Exchange

Welcome to our Blogshare...

 Gather 'round, grab a chair and join me in making a wonderful Christmas memory...A Christmas ornament that can be made to fit any style or decor using almost any family treasure. Our family has been making our heirloom ornaments for over 50 years, and now I would like to share a tutorial so you can make your own family heirloom for Christmas!  ( Mouse over image below)

A Sample of what you can do!

Christmas Ornament Cont...

25 Days of Christmas day 4 - BLOG SHARE

It's the perfect time of year to enjoy any thing that combines mint with chocolate!

Don't these Mint Chocolate brownie bites look delicious?  The mint green icing with red sprinkles make it look so festive ~ Perfect for all those holiday parties your planning and attending this month.

Head over to Happy Go Lucky to get this fabulous recipe.

The hardest part about this recipe is eating just one and you might not want to share!

25 Days of Christmas - Blog Exchange

The Christmas season is thought of as "The most wonderful time of the year". But often times, once that time has arrived, we feel unprepared, stressed out and over burdened! We pack our schedules with parties, shopping and baking. 

We feel pressure to out do everyone around us with creating the best ever moments, traditions and memories.

This can all be incredibly overwhelming!

pics on Sodahead

And the next thing you know Christmas is a few days away and you haven't done all the things you were hoping to fit in, much less enjoy the activities did accomplish. 

I know for myself, especially with young children I want to provide my children with all the magic that this time of year brings, but in the past I have watched the holiday come and go with nothing crossed off my to-do list and feeling disappointed in myself for falling short.

So how can we fix this??? How can we ensure we enjoy the holidays and accomplish the things that really matter to us?

WAYS TO SIMPLIFY THE HOLIDAYS Cont...

Here are a few things that you can do NOW to prepare for Christmas. These are things that will take only a few minutes and ANYONE can do (even if you're not an organizing pro):

Friday Finals 12-2-11

I am taking part of a Blog Share Exchange were we all feature one article on our site each day about Christmas until Dec. 25th. Please stop by and visit these awesome blogs. Each has a thought or craft idea for Christmas. I will be featured next Friday. I can't wait to share my craft with you and all my new readers.


Please take a moment and vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs. One click = One Vote. I would love to try to get five votes today. Thanks in advance for voting for me. 


Stop by these wonderful blogs to see how they shop. Here are the clickiest views from last week:


Saving A Bundle
The Intentional Momma
Coupon Story

I seemed to do a lot of shopping for not really needing anything. Goes to show you should NEVER shop while you are hungry. I will usually grab one or two free cookies or snacks they have out to help curb my appetite while I am there.

I took one big picture of everything I got instead of individual pics of each store. I will update throughout the day a breakdown of each store. So stop back by.


Kroger


2 French Style breads $0.50 each Manger Special
2 Kroger Tortilla Chips $1.00 each
1 Carnation Dried Milk $2.00 - $0.50/1 Carnation Dry Milk RP 09/25/11
1 Whole Wheat Bakery Bread $1.00 Manager Special
2 Whole Wheat Tortilla $1.50 each - I love these whole wheat tortillas
2 Nutrigrain Bread Whole Wheat BOGO $4.09
     -Final $2.05 each


I spent $12.59 and saved $4.59. I mainly purchased discounted manger's special bread and tortillas, so my savings is much greater, but it is not listed on the receipt. I have been going lately and they have not had as much bread in the discount area. I was surprised. That is probably why I bought so much. Most Kroger purchases are on the right hand side of the picture.


Sprouts 


.48 lbs Cherry Vanilla Granola @ $1.99lb
     -Final $0.96
.80 lbs Dried Cranberries @ 2.99lb 
     -Final $2.39
1.28 lbs Whole Wheat Flour @0.69lb
     -Final $0.88
1 Package Rosemary - $1.25
1 Arrowhead Mills Buckwheat Pancake Mix $3.00 - $1/1 Arrowhead Mills product Printable
     -Final $2.00
1 Arrowhead Mills MultiGrain Pancake Mix $3.00 - $1/1 Arrowhead Mills Product Printable
     -Final $2.00
4 Packages Black berries @ $0.69 each
1 Celery Stalk $0.89
5 Hass Avocado @ $0.69 each
2.67 lbs Zucchini @ $0.77 each
3.81 lbs Tomatoes @ 0.69 lb
2.61 lbs Sweet Potatoes @ $0.69 lb
3.28 lbs Yellow Onions @ $0.49 lb


I spent $24.68 and saved $2.00. I purchased a lot of fruits and veggies. I plan on making some soups and freeze them this weekend. I might have the crock pot and the stove going all weekend. The cold has set in here in Texas. I like to cook and bake to keep the house warm. I make multigrain pancakes and I mix different pancake mixes together to provide higher protein pancakes so the kids don't have a carb crash at school after eating the pancakes. I am making sun dried tomatoes in the dehydrator this weekend. YUM!


Tom Thumb
1 Hershey Cocoa Powder $1.54 (Manager Special) Nothing wrong with package
2 Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggies $2 each - $0.50/2 doubled SS 11/13/11
     -Final $1.50 each
1 Sea Pack Fish Sticks $4.99 - $2/1 WYB Birds eye Veggies Store Coupon
     -Final $2.99
2 Grands Biscuits $0.99 each - $0.30/2 tripled GM 11/13/11, $0.99 Price Store Q
     -Final $0.54 each
1 Oscar Meyer Deli Fresh meat $2.49 - $2.49 Store Q


I spent $11.10 and saved $13.46 on Groceries. I even picked up some Cocoa on Managers Special. I didn't see any thing wrong with the cocoa. I inspected it and Exp is in 2013. I plan on making some homemade cocoa for gifts this year.


Walmart


1 Pull Ups Huggies $9.47 - $2/1 Walmart 11/06/11
     -Final $6.47
1 Benadryl Cream $3.88 - $2/1 Any Benadryl Product RP 06/19/11
     -Final $1.88


I spent $10.17 and saved $4.00. I purchased diapers on this visit. This will soon be my last purchase of diapers we are ALMOST there. Little face has #2 down and will tell me when he needs to go. We are working on #1. He always goes when I sit on the potty, but he just doesn't tell me when he needs to go. Someday soon he will make the connection. I just know it! Any words of encouragement are greatly appreciate here.


I spent $58.54 Under Budget!


So how did you do this week? I can't wait to see what others have purchased this week. Be sure to come back to visit someone else's shopping trip to see if you can learn something new too!

25 Day of Christmas - BLOG SHARE

Okay, so everyone knows that Christmas is wonderful. I love it. It's my favorite holiday. I love the music, the snow, the lights, the traditions, the food, the presents, the love, the family, but especially....THE EGGNOG!!! I am very picky about my eggnog. Seriously. It has to be just so, or I refuse to drink it. I can't have the stuff that they sell in the stores, because it is so thick that it could stop a bathtub drain in it's tracks. I know that there are others out there who feel the same way, and simply refuse to drink it. I actually won't drink it alone, unless I seriously thin it down. But, I am also a bartender and because of this, I present to you, A Southern Christmas. Don't be scared...we're gonna talk about how to make the perfect Christmas Eggnog, but with a vodkaandmotherhood twist.

25 Days of Christmas- Blog Exchange

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25 Days of Christmas

As we get ready for Christmas we, as a family, try very hard to emphasize the importance of the celebration of the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. This starts at the beginning of the month with an observance of Advent, focusing on the joyful anticipation of his coming. Quite a few years ago I decided to create a countdown chart that would ultimately focus on this true meaning of Christmas. I originally saw this idea on a Christmas card and decided to incorporate it into our celebration. 

I started by painting a Christmas tree onto poster board:

Tips 4 Tuesday - Frugal Exercise

I did it! I finally purchased my first few gifts today, and I already have  return. I bought a couple of things for the kids, since it was a good price and it was the last one. However, when I went home to read the reviews, they were not so good.  I will just bring it back and get something else. This is where I cash in for the holidays. I always keep my receipts and bring it back if it goes on sale somewhere else or if I don't like it after I have purchased it.

I don't know about you, but I ate my way through Thanksgiving. My husband is originally from New Orleans and that is where we spent our Thanksgiving. We had all kinds of traditional food, so we packed on a few pounds from that wonderful Thanksgiving meal, now we need to lose all those tasty pounds we consumed. How can you sneak in a workout, since you don't have any time?

I personally don't like to go to the gym to work out. I would rather do things at home. If this is you too, you can combine shopping and walking. Before you head to the store or department you are going to, take a quick lap around the mall or store before you start your shopping trip. If you do this a couple of times a day you are working off a few extra calories and slimming those thighs in no time.

Exercise while you are cooking. I do this all the time. Do a few leg lifts or simply march in place while you are browning your meat or chopping onions. This also helps improve your coordination, since you are doing two things at once. 

If you have stairs take the toys or clothes up stairs one at a time. You are getting a stair master workout, and you are not at the gym. For a quick ab workout sit on the edge of your bed and do some leg lifts about 20 or so before you get all the way out of bed in the morning. 


A video game is a great way to burn calories and have a great time with your kids. We have a couple of fun games to do with the kids, like Just Dance 2 or Wii Sports. You are making memories while burning calories. I love multitasking, especially if you can get the kids involved.


Sneaking in a few extra exercises throughout your day will also give you more engery this holiday season with out caffeine. Who couldn't use a little extra energy. Now if I can find a way to give me more time I will be set!


Do you have any quick fun exercise you do or would like to share? Leave a comment below to share your fabulous tips with others.

Money Saving Monday - Cyber Monday Shopping

This is cyber Monday today. I have listed several sites I recommend to get some great deals today. I love all my readers and to show me how much you care if you could take take one second and support me at Top Mommy Blogs that would be wonderful. It is very easy. One click = One vote. Thanks for taking the time to vote for me here. 


Coupons
New week = New Coupons be sure to print yours now. HOT $0.75/1 International Delight Coupon. PRINT NOW. This one won't last long.


Guys - Hard to Shop for
I find it is so hard to buy for guys in my family. I found this company last year and they have great deals going on right now on hundreds of items even for guys. I just Love, Love, LOVE this place.  I find buying something personalized for a guy is a great gift to give. Especially if it is something they are going  to use. My husband frequently travels, so I got him a small travel bag with his initials on it. He loves it and enjoys using it on all his trips. They have so many neat things to shop for here. I know you will find something for at least one person on your list. They have gifts for everyone. It looks like nearly everything is on sale, too!

 

Coupon Codes for Today ONLY! Order now!

PMALL5D - $5 Off Orders of $25 or More

PMALLSHIP75 - On-Site Deals - Today Only!

PMXMAS10 - 10% Off Holiday Orders

Gift Card Ideas


Here is a great site where you can shop for many different Gift cards at the same time and location. They will send you a bill and you can pay securely through your bank. You are not giving your account information to several different retailers risking your personal financial information getting stolen. This is a more safe and secure way to shop this holiday season. You can even earn up to 10% cash back on each gift card purchase. Then you can do a little shopping for yourself. Happy Holidays to you!