Living - Some Valentines Goodies!

Are you looking for some quick and easy things to do last minute for Valentines day?  I thought I would share with you a few things we have been up to lately.  I think they are all things that you could do yet today just in time for that special day!

Handprint cards

The kids made handprint cards for their grandparents!  I just remembered that I need to get these in the mail today!   They are pretty simple.  Have your child put their paint-filled hands facing down to form the shape of a heart with their thumbs and pointer fingers.  Then cut out a heart and tape it down.  Add whatever saying you want!  It is cute and memorable!

Dipped Oreo Cookies

Simply add a stick to an oreo cookie and dip in white (or to be festive try pink or red) melted chips.  Add sprinkles and let dry.  Easy peasy! And I think the kids will love these!

Personalized Valentines

Elizabeth did these last year and I thought it would be fun to give it another try this year to compare all the cute changes. 

She had fun posing, I must have about 30 different ones, but the one below is what we decided to go with.  And of course, heart suckers were a must! :-)  To do this, just simply have your child hold out their hand as if they are holding a sucker.  Once developed, cut 2 small slits in the hand area of the picture to stick the sucker stick through.  So fun!

Please share your easy and fun Valentines ideas in the comments!

Living - Thank You Veterans & Active Duty Members!

I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for all my heros out there, veterans and those still active.  I cannot find the right words to describe what your service, honor and sacrifice mean to me and my family.  I tear up each time I hear our National Anthem or when I listen to the song Proud to Be an American, because I think of you and how honored I am to be an American. 

Thank you.

From the bottom of my heart.

Thank you.

Living - Holiday Shopping, Planning & Entertaining Wants?!

With Thanksgiving just 3 weeks away, it means Black Friday will soon be here as well.  And then we will certainly be in full-swing of the grand holiday season!  I'm baffled and overjoyed at the same time that it is this close.  ha! 

I am wondering what types of things you are looking to find this holiday season from toys to electronics and greeting card deals or special baked goods recipes, gift ideas for teachers, bus drivers, etc.  Let me know in the comments here or on Facebook.

I make no promises, but from the list I will try to "shop" for deals for you on the things you are looking for!  Together we can save a little on our shopping budget and maybe come up with some great ideas for gift giving, treats, activities and more!

Saving - $26 For $25 Target Gift Card & $50 Restaurant.com Gift Card!

Today on Eversave you can grab a nice deal on a $25 gift card to Target & a $50 gift card to Restaurant.com for just $26.

Both are physical gift cards that will be mailed to you.  These will make great gifts this holiday season OR a nice reward for you! :-)

Typically Restaurant.com has some great discounts where you can grab a $25 gift card for $4 (or similar) so that should make your $50 gift card go a long way.  I don't see any verbiage in the deal indicating that you cannot combine.  Check out the details here.

Here's how to get in on the good stuff:
*So head over here and purchase the deal.
*You will receive a code after purchase.
*Head over to Digital Doorstep to submit the code, they will send the gift cards via mail within 7-10 days of your submission.  (Must submit your code from the deal before 12/20/11.)
*Receive gift cards & shop! :-)

Saving - CardStore.Com Personalized Photo Cards 70% Off!

Hurry over to Cardstore.com and check out their super adorable holiday cards! For a limited time you can grab 70% off your order!

Many cards start at $2.99, so just $.90 per card!  Compare this to other personalized (like Harold's Photo) holiday picture folding cards!  This is a great deal!

Just add code: CSSAVE701 at checkout!

And great news, they are offering free shipping as well!

Thanks for the heads up, Christine!

Saving - Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra Seasonal Scents As Low As $.99!

With the change of the seasons come the change of fragrances you will find in your air freshner/candle sections!

I have found the Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra gadget with free refill with seasonal scents like Apple & Spice or Cinnamon Roll, etc at Target and Kmart.  Grab your coupons and get a great deal!  Thinking these will make great gifts this season as well!  I have my neighbor's name on one of them!

Target

Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra gadget with free refill $4.99
Use $4/1 9/11 SS
= $.99

Kmart

Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra gadget with free refill $5.29
Use $4/1 9/11 SS
= $1.29

Saving - Family Circle 2-Year Subscription $7!

Get a 2 year's subscription to the popular, Family Circle magazine for just $7 through Mamapedia here.

This is one of my favorite magazines to have on hand for those times for quick browsing.  Lots of great pictures and articles of crafts, home ideas, recipes, and more!

You can also grab this subscription deal as a gift voucher!  What a great gift for those special teachers, bus drivers, friends and family on your list!

Just head on over here to snag this deal!

Saving - Free Rayovac Flashlight at Walmart!

Walmart has Rayovac flashlights as low as $1.  There is a $1/1 Rayovac flashlight over here on Facebook, making the flashlight free.

They also have a couple other nice deals on flashlights.

Rayovac Value Brite flashlight $3.50
Use $1/1
= $2.50

Rayovac LED Keychain flashlight $2.88
Use $1/1
= $1.88

I plan on using the flashlight as a stocking stuffer!  My kids LOVE playing with flashlights and Dad is always stressed that when he needs his flashlight the batteries will be dead, so now they will have their own! lol!  I will also give them some stickers to decorate and personalize their own flashlight!

Saving - Backpacks As Low As $3.50 @ Kmart! Giving + Gift Ideas!

If you are in the market for a backpack, you may want to check your local Kmart store.  I found several backpacks, including child's popular character bags, marked down on clearance with an Additional 50% off the clearance price.

Some backpacks had a clearance price of $7, so just $3.50 after the additional discount!  I grabbed my little guy the action hero backpack for $4.50 and I also grabbed a shoulder backpack for $5 that I will use for couponing!

Saving & Giving
Great donations items!  Always a great gift, whether back to school time or at holiday gift giving time.

Gift Idea
Or consider a fun/travel pack as a gift for a birthday or the upcoming holidays!  Fill it with:
*Cheap back to school items you stocked up on
*Free or cheap travel games/card games you grabbed recently
*Some little snacks you grabbed for cheap or free
*Print off color pages (here, here or here) and 3-hole punch them together and tie with yarn or ribbon.  Or grab a color/sticker book from Dollar Tree!

Saving - Crock Pot Deal @ Kmart!

According to the ad this week, you can score a nice deal on Crock Pots!  Here is a nice deal scenario:

Purchase Crock Pot 7 qt slow cooker, sale $29.99
Receive FREE 1.5 qt Crock Pot (reg $9.99) with purchase
= $29.99
Submit $5 Mail In Rebate for any slow cooker purchase over $24.50
AND
Receive 5,000 bonus points (or $5) with your Shop Your Way Rewards Card when you spend $29.99 or more on small kitchen applicances
= $19.99 for 7 qt & 1.5 qt Crock Pots!

Checking off those holiday shopping lists!  I can hear it now. *smile*  I broke the foot off of mine this year, so I could use one of these!

Note: Must maintain a valid email address and remain opted-in to receiving promotional emails from Shop Your Way Rewards to earn bonus points.

Saving - Free Gold Peak Tea @ Kmart! + Giving & Gift Ideas!

Working on some deals for Kmart and noticed that Gold Peak Tea single bottles are on sale this week for $1.

Grab the $1/1 coupon over here & you can score a free bottle!  You should be able to print twice.

Saving & Giving
Even if you don't drink Tea this would be a nice donation item. 

Gift Idea
Maybe you have a tea drinker on your shopping list for the holidays!  Put together a care package and include these free teas!  (Also score cheap Tazo tea bags 20 ct for $.79 at Target with a stack.  Priced at $2.79: Use $1/1 9/11 SS and $1/1 Target coupon here to get it for $.79!  And note that the Gold Peak Tea may be around $1.05 at Target, so if you wanna save a trip...)

Saving - *TODAY Only* Hasbro Toy Deal @ Toys R Us!

Toys R Us is offering bonus savings on thier Hasbro games this week.  Purchase $25, Receive $5 bonus savings OR Purchase $30, Receive $10 bonus savings.

Select Hasbro Games are shown in the ad on sale.

Because the Hasbro coupons from the 9/11 SS expire today (10/9), the scenario below is only valid today.

Purchase 1 $5.99 game (Memory, Chutes & Ladders or Chutess & Ladders)
Purchase 1 $8.99 game (Monopoly, Life, Sorry!, Scrabble)
Purchase 1 $16.99 game (Monopoly Ebanking, Connect 4 Launchers)
= $31.97 (Receive Bonus Savings)
Use $3/1
Use $4/1
Use $5/1
= $19.97
Deduct $10 bonus savings
= $9.97 for all 3 games

Saving - Sports Apparel & More Deals at Lids! Free Shipping To Store! Plus 6% Cashback!

Head over here to Lids and check out the great sale items!  Find some great holiday gift ideas!  Once you click on the sale category you want to shop, you an easily search for your favorite teams by using the team filter on the left hand side!

Both the Twins Women's Tank and the T-shirt above are marked $5 each!

Another great find for the Nebraska Cornhuskers fans, this (and other) hats marked at $5!

Get Free Shipping to your nearest store!  For those in Sioux Falls, choose Hat World!

AND...don't forget to shop Lids sale via Ebates and earn 6% cashback on your purchase!  So after cashback a $5 Husker hat would cost just $4.70! Not signed up for Ebates yet, just head over here and enter your email address and you are on your way to earning cashback on your online purchases!

Saving - Payless BOGO Sale (Much More Than Shoes) & Deals!

I have learned to really enjoy when I get the emails from Payless stating they are having their BOGO sale!  They offer so much more than just shoes online and they ship to your favorite Payless store for free!

Plus combine the BOGO sale, sale prices and this 15% off code: 55681 to score some super deals!

I just bought a Spiderman toddler t-shirt, 3-pk of Spiderman socks, 3-pk of Hello Kitty socks, 2 packages of girls tights and a Princess purse all for around $21, this is shipped to my store & tax included.  Woot!

PLUS...I went through Ebates to shop, so I will earn 3% back through them on my purchase!  Signing up for Ebates is easy, just head over here and enter your email address and you are ready to shop and earn cashback!

Get a great start on your holiday shopping and head over to Payless ShoeSource©!

Saving - Time For Those Special Photos for Holidays & Locals Deals!

If you are pondering a photo to include with your holiday cards this year, now is a great time of year to get out of a studio and into the great outdoors and capture the changing colors of the season.  Yes, it won't capture the cold, blustery days that typically surround the holidays here in good ol' South Dakota...but it will make for a GREAT family picture to hang on your wall and a nice addition to your holiday greetings to your loved ones.

There are some great local deals going on right now that you may want to grab!  I have outlined a few below.

If you haven't mastered the timer function on your camera yet or don't trust the neighbor to snap your family shot, you will definitely want to check out the work of the following local photographers.  True artists indeed.

Photographers

Cassie Martin Photography - website here
A special offer just for the great Living, Laughing, Saving readers!
A Family or Child On-site Photo Session
25 - 5x7 Christmas Cards (custom made and printed)
4 - 5x7 prints
Cost $80 (Savings of $85)!

Contact Cassie today!

Contact Info - here
Facebook Page - here

Plooster Photography - webiste here
Brittany has offered up a great deal to Living,Laughing,Saving readers!

1-Hour Photo Shoot with CD of photos $50!

Contact Brittany today!

Contact Page - here
Facebook Page - here

Shaina Photography
Shaina has a nice deal going on through 9/30.  As long as you contact her by 9/30 to set your date, you can get in on the deal.

1-Hour Session with CD off photos for $50!

Contact Shaina before 9/30 to set your date!

Contact Info - here
Facebook Page - here

Getting The Pictures/Cards Developed

Now on to getting those beautiful photos transformed into a picture you will be proud to send to family and friends!  You could simply do 4x6 prints included in your card.  This is a nice touch.  If you want to go a little further and have cards printed up, here are some great local deals going on to help get you there.

Cassie Martin Photography

Your pictures don't have to have been taken by Cassie to get in on this fun deal.
Check out Cassie's work over on Etsy.
You pick a design and give Cassie all the information for the card (dates, names, etc) and for just $15 she will put a fun card together for you.
You will receive the digital file of this card so that you can take it anywhere to print or print at home.
*Or Cassie can help you out with printing, just let her know.

See Etsy for all the contact information!

Harolds 50% off deal on Deal Garden - good in Sioux Falls, Sioux City, Brookings & Yankton

Get $20 towards your greeting card purchase for just $10 - here
*There are a couple other nice deals to turn your pictures into memorable works of art, check them out!
*Hurry this offer is only available on Deal Garden 1 more day!

Target 4x6 digital prints coupon

Snag a coupon good for $2 off 20 digital prints at Target here.  Prints are currently $.10 each, so when you order 20 prints and use your $2 coupon, they will each be free!

Living - Do You "Boo"?

A few years back I found a small container full of goodies left on my desk at work.  Inside was a little note explaining that I had been “boo”-ed.  (sample “boo” letter here or here.) How fun was that to find a surprise of goodies!  Well, part of the “boo” note suggests that you carry on the booing for the season and “boo” your own unsuspecting victims.

So I gathered some goodies and a cute little container and “boo”-ed my first victim.  Oooh, was that fun!  It was especially fun when they were trying to figure out who had “boo”-ed them!  So I took it outside of work and “boo”-ed a few houses!  It has become a fun little tradition now.  And I am currently in the process of thinking of who I might “boo” this year!

I thought it would be fun to put together a list of suggested items to include in your “boo” container.  Included below is a list of ideas for containers.  And first, maybe an idea of who to “boo”.  I encourage you to leave your own suggestions in the comments.  Also, let us know if you plan to “boo” someone you know!  Have you been “boo”-ed?

Who to Boo:

Neighbors

Family

Friends

Coworkers

Teachers, Coaches, etc

Ideas for Containers:

Orange Jack-o-Lantern container

Big Popcorn Bowl – orange, black, purple or Halloween decorated (or you can decorate yourself)

Trick-or-Treat bags

A homemade container

A basket (can be new or used)

Decorate your own brown bag

What To Put in The Container:

The obvious, candy goodies

Popcorn (made or bags of un-popped microwave)

Granola Bars/Pop Tarts/Breakfast Bars

Fruit Chews

Card Games

Festive Toys

Pencils

Festive Socks

Gum

Small bags of chips

Apples with the makings for caramel apples or an apple dip

Bottle of Wine (for the adults)

Cocktail Mixes

Check the Dollar Spot at Target or the Dollar Tree

Candles or Room Sprays with fall scents

Homemade goodies (apple muffins, caramel apples, etc)

Cake Mix and some festive cupcake papers

Halloween party supplies (pumpkin napkins, decorated paper plates, etc)

Check your stockpile for ideas!

Anything that might relate to the person you are booing

A "boo" does not need to be ellaborate, keep it simple and fun!  Now what are you waiting for?  To “boo” or not to “boo”!