Mommy Octopus

We can all use a few more hands

Thanks for the Prayers for Baby Eliza!

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Hi Everyone – boy has this been an interesting week.  I really appreciate all the prayers and emails from you all regarding Eliza. 

For those of you that don’t know, I gave birth to my 8 lb, 12 oz daughter on 2/4 at 2:40 in the morning.  We are down in Atlanta.  Right after birth, she had trouble breathing and was having fluid build up in her tummy so she has been in the NICU.  I have been discharged as of today but Eliza is still in the NICU.  We are hopeful that she will come home tomorrow as she has proven to be strong and quite the fighter.  She has healed much faster than they anticipated.  The hospital here is great and they have special rooms for parents to stay in when their baby is in the NICU so we are taking advantage of that and staying right here with her.

I want to give a HUGE thank you to Amy of The Budget Mommy.  I know some of you thought I was crazy and still posting deals 😉 but she’s the one that has been posting for you all the past few days so I could spend time with my baby girl and time to heal.  Be sure to check out her blog over HERE.  Thank you so much Amy!

I think it’s going to take me forever and a day to get caught up now, but we’ll be rolling again soon.  My husband has the next few weeks off to help me out with everything.  Thanks again for being such awesome readers!

Erin

Ebates Explained!

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I’ve received emails lately asking about Ebates and how to earn money for shopping, so I figured a post about Ebates was in order.

First, go HERE to sign up for Ebates.  You’ll earn a $5 credit just for signing up!

The next time you want to shop online, login to your Ebates account.  For example, if I want to place an order for Christmas cards at the Kodak Gallery website, I just login to my Ebates account.  In the search field at the top, I would type in Kodak Gallery.  I find the right website and click SHOP NOW.  It then takes me to the Kodak Gallery website.  You’ll see a “tracking ticket” screen pop up before you go to the other website.

Now that I’m at the Kodak Gallery website, I go through and place my order as normal.  Within a few days, I’ll get an email from Ebates telling me how much cashback I’ll be receiveing into my account.  Kodak Gallery gives you 20% cashback right now, so if I made a $100 purchase, I’ll get $20 put into my Ebates account. 

The money sits in your Ebates account and every quarter you’ll get a “Big Fat Check” or a paypal payment of your accumulated amount. 

The key to Ebates is to remember to sign into Ebates before you checkout at other sites, so you get your cashback.  There are TONS of sites that offer cashback through Ebates, so I’m sure if you shop online, you’ll find a site that you can get cashback on.  Some of the sites are Walmart.com, Target.com, Sears.com, Gap.com, Vistaprint.com, Ebay.com, and many MANY others.

If you have any more questions, please let me know and I’ll answer them as best as I can.  You won’t regret signing up, you’ll just wish you had signed up earlier!

Best Christmas Ever! (Without Spending a Dime!)

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By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.

Bumping this post up for some of our new readers since I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately regarding earning money from home.

Something that my family has always battled with has been trying to afford Christmas presents. It always seems that the holiday season arrives in the midst of chaos, leaving us scrounging around the sofa cushions trying to find money to buy presents for the kids. This year, I have determined that we will not spend one cent buying Christmas presents, but that we will still have an awesome Christmas.

Already, I have over $100 in our Christmas fund from just Opinion Outpost. Opinion Outpost pays CASH for surveys that you complete. You can also refer your friends and get $2 for every friend that you refer! The money adds up quickly and painlessly!

I also am able to earn giftcards and cash from these other survey sites. My recommendation is to join all of them because when you are a member of all, you’re Christmas fund will grow a whole lot faster! Some of them, you’ll even be invited to do product studies. We’ve given our feedback and made money reviewing toothpaste, dog treats, baby wipes, fruit snacks, and more!

SayNation

My Surveys

Mindfield

Survey Savvy

Surveyhead

I am also huge on Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a fantastic program. You earn swagbucks from searches that you do using Swagbucks as a search engine. I’ve earned countless Amazon giftcards, Disney Store giftcards, Starbucks Giftcards, and more, with little effort! Then, I wait until Disney Store or Amazon have something fantastic on sale. You can earn more swagbucks, too, by referring your friends. When you refer someone, each swagbuck that they earn, you also earn, so your points will accumulate very fast!

When you save all year on your survey sites, buy giftcards with your swagbucks, and wait for great sales, you’ll find yourself being able to afford a lot more than you thought was possible. There’s still several months, so start today and see if you can afford a great Christmas without paying anything! I can’t wait for this Christmas! I think it will be the best one yet!

SMART Couponing

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$50 per week feeds my family of 5.

Yes, that is written right.  $50 a week takes care of my family.  This includes all groceries, diapers for the baby, wipes, paper towels, toilet paper, personal care items, etc.  Couponing and deal finding takes a while to get the hang of, but do not give up.  It is worth it!  I have gotten a lot of questions on where to get started.  This post will explain how I do it the SMART way.

Stockpiling: Stockpiling is the best way to make your money stretch.  When you find a great deal, you buy enough for your family that will last until the next good sale.  Yes, this means buying more than 1 can of sauce during a sale.  Whatever is on sale that you will use, you buy.  Even if you do not need it that week, you may need it the next.  For example, if spighetti sauce is on sale for buy one get one free, and I have a coupon to go with it making it $.50 down from $4, I buy at least $4 worth, or 8 jars.  It would be equal to buying 1 jar and getting the other 7 free!  If you waited until you NEEDED sauce and paid the $4, you would have paid out $32 compared to the $4.  That’s a savings of $28!!!!  Stock up enough that you do not have to pay full price for anything.  Watch the sales every week to see how to plan.  Ask neighbors, friends, and relatives for their unwanted coupons so you can get your stockpile growing. 

Make Good Decisions: When you coupon, you need to make good decisions.  Remember that you do still have to pay tax on things, even items that are free after coupons, so make sure you’re not wasting all of your money on tax for things you don’t need.  It’s not a good idea to buy 20 boxes of poptarts on sale and not have any money leftover for fruits and veggies.  You also have to take a fair amount of time planning.  I typically take 1-2 hours before I head out to do my shopping.  Yes, that’s a lot of time, BUT, if I save $100 on my shopping bill, it’s like getting paid at least $50 an hour to coupon and plan! 

Always Give Back:  After you have been couponing for a while, you will find that you have so much stuff that you cannot possibly eat it all or use it all before it will go bad.  This is the time to box up the extras and visit your local food pantry or homeless shelter.  Don’t be a hoarder or a shelf clearer just to have it all sit and clutter up your house. 

Responsibility: As a couponer, you can help or hurt the coupon world.  Do not abuse the couponing system.  When in doubt about a coupon, ask management before using.  Make sure that your coupon is for the product that you have.  You cannot use 2 manufacturer coupons on one item.  At Target, Publix, Rite Aid, Walgreens, and CVS, they allow you one STORE coupon and one MANUFACTURE coupon.  The coupon will say on it what it is.  Please, please PLEASE do not abuse couponing.  No making copies of coupons, that is illegal and many stores have stopped taking printables due to coupon abuse.  Do not abuse “free item” coupons.  Just use common sense and not greed to guide you.

Teach Others: Friends don’t let friends pay too much!  Be sure to share the shopping skills with others so they can learn to save too.  Everyone works hard for their money so they should be able to keep it!  Don’t pay more than you need.

Guest Post: Reusing at Home

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By now, we all know that recycling is good — and that reusing is even better. All it takes to successfully reuse is a little creativity and common sense. (If you’re missing one of those, not only do I feel sorry for you, but I’m guessing that Google is your best friend.)

Reusing is good for the environment, sure — but, as one of my best friends says, it also allows her kids to be creative on a whim (for free). She keeps a huge bin of odds and ends that her kids can dive into any time they want, and I’ve personally received several works of art (undoubtedly created with leftover popsicle sticks and random containers – plus lots of glue, glitter and pipe cleaners).

Here are a few ideas on how you can reuse at home — eliminating waste and potentially saving you money, too. And after all, isn’t that what it’s all about?

  • Old tissue boxes: store plastic grocery bags or use them as a ‘trash can’ in your car.
  • Aluminum cans: Use a nail to make decorative holes around the top portion of the can and they can be used as votive candle holders for your next outdoor event.
  • Plastic containers: This is pretty obvious to me. Dishwasher-safe ones get saved for leftovers and sending food home with visitors; others get re-used in the bathtub, for sandcastles or mud pies.You can also use them for seedling planters and containers for odds and ends.
  • Toilet paper rolls: I store extension cords, camera/phone/video/game cords in these. It prevents them from getting tangled, and most importantly – I can write what it is or what it goes to on the outside of the roll.
  • Wine corks: I received a gift a few years back that I still use: a trivet made of wine corks wired together. But if you own a boat, your best investment is to attach your boat key to one of these (a friend of mine learned this the hard way).
  • Broken crayons: Even these get saved around my house. Then they get chopped up and melted into shaped crayons.
  • Cardboard six-pack carriers: Yep, throw back a few with your buds, but save the cardboard carrier. We use these for picnics and outdoor dining; it holds your silverware, condiments and napkins. (Oh, yeah, and it’s easy to carry.)
  • Baby food jars: Great for spices (especially those blends you create yourself), these are also good for by the sink (keeps those rings from falling down the drain) and for artists (young and old) to mix paint or store supplies. You can also create votive candle holders.
  • Old sheets and towels: If you can’t cut them up to use at home, consider donating to a local animal shelter – they always need them. (Consider sending your worn-out bottles to an animal rescue facility, too!)
  • Old tennis balls: At least, the ones that aren’t coated in dog slobber! Cut them in half — reuse as a jar opener (it really works!) or to change a hot light bulb.
  • Everything miscellaneous: I save everything else for arts & crafts projects. From scraps of ribbon and paper to spare buttons and glass jars — you can turn anything into a craft project. I even save the magnets that advertisers send (they glue wonderfully to the back of my daughter’s artwork for the fridge or a gift! And if you can’t dream something up, I’m pretty sure your kids (or their classroom) can.
  • I mail packages often (sadly, some of my dearest friends live out of state), but I haven’t had to purchase packing supplies in years. I save everything I get — from shipments, toy packaging, etc. — in one large bin and always have an abundance.

How do you reuse household items? Is your motivation saving money or protecting our environment?

You can find more from Jessica as Atlanta Motherhood Examiner. You can also find Jessica on Facebook and Twitter as Atlanta Motherhood Examiner.

Guest Post: 10 Ways to Use Return Labels

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There is a great deal over at Vista Print right now where you can get 140 FREE Return Address Labels.  I LOVE getting FREE labels in the mail from various charities.  I LOVE labeling everything!  I thought I would share with you how I creatively use these labels.

Here are 10 creative ways to use Address Labels:

  1. Label your kids school supplies. Such as their folders, scissors, calculator, backpack, and lunchbox.  In case they get lost on the bus or at school, they will get back to you!  I label the inside of the backpack for security reasons.
  2. Put a Return Label on your DVD’s that you lend out.
  3. Put a Return Label on the inside front cover of your books when you lend them out to friends or family.
  4. Label your coupon binder and coupon accordian file.  There is NOTHING worse than losing it.  I think I would cry, A LOT!
  5. Put a return label on the back of your I-Pod, or Smart Phone.
  6. Personalized them. With customization tools, you can type more than the suggested address information on each line of the address label. “This toy belongs to:” replaces “The Smith Family” on line one and your childs name takes the place of the address information on line two. If you would like to put a phone number on the label, you can easily fit this information on the third line. If not, you may want to use this line to add another gentle reminder to light-fingered friends, such as “please return.”
  7. If you bring food to a potluck dinner,make a dinner for someone who is ill,  or bring a dish to a party.  Put a Return Label on the dish that you brought.  That way if you leave it behind, the person knows whose it is.
  8. Use them to label your kids sippy cups at birthday parties, the church nursery, or at a play date. This way you always know which cup is yours.
  9. Use them in place of filling out your mailing address on Mail in Rebate Forms, or raffle entries.  Save your ink and the pain in your hand by using these in place of writing it all out!
  10. The most obvious way to use these are for their intended purpose. To put on your outgoing mail as your return address.

This is how you order from Vistaprint:

Step 1: Head over to their website and click on Return Address Labels.

Step 2: Pick out your design (this is the one I chose to make labels for my son going to school.)

Step 3: Fill in the lines.  If you want it as a traditional return label, follow their directions to fill in your name and address.  If you want to use them for your kids, type in whatever you wish.  Be creative!

Step 4: Skip over the other offers that they will match to your address labels at a discount price. This will tax about 10 seconds.

Step 5: You’re done, Cash out.  You will pay $3 for shipping, but that is still a great price for customized labels!!

 Does anyone else have any great ideas for use of Return Address labels, I would love to hear them!

This is a guest post written by Lauren of I Am That Lady.  Be sure to swing by her blog to check out what else she has to offer.  Thanks Lauren!

Guest Post: How to Create a One-of-a-Kind Autograph Book for A Disney Trip

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This is a guest post written by one of my fantasic readers, Edith.

Growing up in Georgia, it is almost a rite of passage to make the trip south into the deeps of the Florida peninsula to Orlando and visit the famous Mouse.  In fact, my earliest memory takes place outside Cinderella’s castle.  Perhaps that is why our family migrates to the mouse at least once a year.

One of the most popular things to do now at Disney World is Character autographs.  From Cinderella to Winnie the Pooh and the Mouse himself, everyone is ready and waiting to pose for a picture with you and your family and sign autographs that your children will treasure for years to come. 

My son loves his autograph books, he treasures them all.  We have used many different styles and types.  There are plenty of options out there. 

•    Disney official autograph book.  These are readily available at the park and throughout the Orlando area.  You can also pre-buy them at places like Amazon.com or eBay.
•    Unofficial books.  Our personal favorites come from Guide to the Magic. We have used their autograph book and their Kid’s “Guide to the Magic” book and LOVED them both.
•    Disney (or generic) notebooks, they often have these at the Dollar store or Micheal’s.
•    Scrapbook paper. I know many people who buy scrapbook paper, have the character sign it and later include it as a scrapbook page with their photos, etc.
•    Create your own (for little or no cost).

First, if you haven’t yet, visit The Dis boards (if you have never been there, you will be amazed, you will find a ton of resources for all things Disney).  Once there check our the Creative DISigns forum.  There are graphic artists who are willing to create and share artworks for free, including many of the pieces you can use to create an autograph book. One of my favorite DISigners has a photobucket album with pages for every character imaginable.  You can find the ones you are hoping to see (especially if you have a character meal), or just download some generic ones.

Once you have selected your cards you can print them at home on card stock and bind then together, use them in a scrap book, or you can upload them to your artscow (or other photo center) account and create a one of a kind autograph book.

I use a site called artscow. They have a free promotion running with the code EIGHTBKS for six 20-paged 8″ x 8″ hardcover photo book credits and an extra two 39-paged editions.  You will only have to pay for shipping!

Here are some examples of finished products               

http://www.artscow.com/share/disney-autograph-book-h84slqjp9opm?Ref=842234
http://www.artscow.com/share/Autograph-album2-k18zd50lm0dc

I hope this helps you all make a wonderful, on-of-a-kind keepsake for your future trips to visit the Disney resort.

Thank you so much Edith for your posting! 

Best Christmas Ever (without spending a dime!)

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By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.

Bumping this post up for some of our new readers since I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately regarding earning money from home.

Something that my family has always battled with has been trying to afford Christmas presents. It always seems that the holiday season arrives in the midst of chaos, leaving us scrounging around the sofa cushions trying to find money to buy presents for the kids. This year, I have determined that we will not spend one cent buying Christmas presents, but that we will still have an awesome Christmas.

Already, I have over $100 in our Christmas fund from just Opinion Outpost. Opinion Outpost pays CASH for surveys that you complete. You can also refer your friends and get $2 for every friend that you refer! The money adds up quickly and painlessly!

I also am able to earn giftcards and cash from these other survey sites. My recommendation is to join all of them because when you are a member of all, you’re Christmas fund will grow a whole lot faster! Some of them, you’ll even be invited to do product studies. We’ve given our feedback and made money reviewing toothpaste, dog treats, baby wipes, fruit snacks, and more!

SayNation

My Surveys

Mindfield

Survey Savvy

Surveyhead

I am also huge on Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a fantastic program. You earn swagbucks from searches that you do using Swagbucks as a search engine. I’ve earned countless Amazon giftcards, Disney Store giftcards, Starbucks Giftcards, and more, with little effort! Then, I wait until Disney Store or Amazon have something fantastic on sale. You can earn more swagbucks, too, by referring your friends. When you refer someone, each swagbuck that they earn, you also earn, so your points will accumulate very fast!

When you save all year on your survey sites, buy giftcards with your swagbucks, and wait for great sales, you’ll find yourself being able to afford a lot more than you thought was possible. There’s still several months, so start today and see if you can afford a great Christmas without paying anything! I can’t wait for this Christmas! I think it will be the best one yet!

Best Christmas Ever (Without Spending a Dime!)

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By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.

Something that my family has always battled with has been trying to afford Christmas presents.  It always seems that the holiday season arrives in the midst of chaos, leaving us scrounging around the sofa cushions trying to find money to buy presents for the kids.  This year, I have determined that we will not spend one cent buying Christmas presents, but that we will still have an awesome Christmas. 

Already, I have over $100 in our Christmas fund from just Opinion Outpost.  Opinion Outpost pays CASH for surveys that you complete.  You can also refer your friends and get $2 for every friend that you refer!  The money adds up quickly and painlessly! 

I also am able to earn giftcards and cash from these other survey sites.  My recommendation is to join all of them because when you are a member of all, you’re Christmas fund will grow a whole lot faster!  Some of them, you’ll even be invited to do product studies.  We’ve given our feedback and made money reviewing toothpaste, dog treats, baby wipes, fruit snacks, and more! 

SayNation

Mindfield

Survey Savvy

Surveyhead

I am also huge on Swagbucks.  Swagbucks is a fantastic program.  You earn swagbucks from searches that you do using Swagbucks as a search engine.  I’ve earned countless Amazon giftcards, Disney Store giftcards, Starbucks Giftcards, and more, with little effort!  Then, I wait until Disney Store or Amazon have something fantastic on sale.  For example, today Disney Store announced it’s FREE shipping promotion.  That makes for a great deal when I use one of my Disney giftcards that I earned with Swagbucks!  I got a few things to tuck away for Christmas this morning and didn’t pay a penny!  You can earn more swagbucks, too, by referring your friends.  When you refer someone, each swagbuck that they earn, you also earn, so your points will accumulate very fast! 

When you save all year on your survey sites, buy giftcards with your swagbucks, and wait for great sales, you’ll find yourself being able to afford a lot more than you thought was possible.  There’s still several months, so start today and see if you can afford a great Christmas without paying anything! I can’t wait for this Christmas!  I think it will be the best one yet!

Brett’s Casual American Restaurant Review

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My husband and I went out last night for dinner and some much needed quality time alone, without our 3 sidekicks.  On a whim, we decided to try Brett’s Casual American in Athens, a place we’d never been to but had heard was a good place to try. 

At Brett’s, we were pleasantly surprised by the many MANY items offered on the menu.  Something to please everyone.  The first thing I always try at a new restaurant is the burger.  If a place knows how to cook a great burger (to my well-done specifations) then that is a place I will return.  I also ordered the onion rings with my burger.  My husband tried the Talapia.  When our dinner arrived, it looked fantastic.  Everything was cooked to perfection.  The burger was cooked exactly how I like it and had a wonderful flavor.  The onion rings were these little tiny slivers of onions and there was a HUGE mound of them!  They had such a unique flavor that I can hardly wait to go back and get more!  My husband loved his fish so much he was tempted to ask for seconds! 

Brett’s would be a fantastic place to go on a date, or even with kids.  They have an outdoor section up front and a back area with small booths meant for just 2 guests.  That’s where my husband and I sat and had a wonderful time. 

The prices were reasonable – a little more than what my frugal self likes to pay, but I definately think we’ll be back again.  My burger and side were $8 and my husband’s fish plate was $10.  We were told that on Monday and Tuesdays little kids meals cost just $2!  And on Mondays, they have a free ice cream sundae bar for the kids!  Brett’s also has a Rewards program where you can earn coupons and learn about special deals.

All in all, great place to eat, and we’re very glad we tried it.  This post was not influenced by Brett’s Casual American in any way – we just found a great place to eat and thought we’d share it!

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