Queen of the Click is giving away these super cool hair things called Knot Heads...and a $10 GC to Amazon!

Mamanista is giving away a great Trendy Tadpole Tee!

From Crochetcilin to Homeschoolopoly is giving away a "green" shopping tote!

Snapshot is giving away a BUNCH of stuff!

BossSanders is giving away an Organic Hotslings Sling!

First Impressions is giving away a Sleepy Wrap!

Designs by Sheila is giving away a blog design!

Family Musings is giving away free Cereal!

Nature Moms Blog is giving away a great Baby Pkg!

Taffy Talk is giving away $40 worth of fabric!

Scary Mommy is giving away a custom bucket filled with bath time or arts and crafts goodies!

LOL these contests have consumed me. I will be posting some more today and then more after that..and prolly a few more after that even. Maybe someday I will get through them all and return to my regular posting....

Our Seven Qtpies is giving away some wonderful soap!

Simply A Musing Blog is giving away a $100 GC to Target! WOW~

Notebook Learning is giving away a Notebooking set for Homeschool!

Wired For Noise is giving away a great Breastfeeding mama prize!

S & G Hulett is giving away 3 very pretty washcloths!

Savvy Housewife is giving away a Peace Love Mom T Shirt!

WORTH a million is giving away a very pretty jewelry set!

Stay-At-Home Daughters is giving away a vintage dress pattern!

The Chronicles of a SAHM is giving away a $50 GC to Good For the Kids!

Weary Parent is giving away School Supplies!

Mommy Daze is giving away 18 cloth trainers! Also Toilet Time Targets!

Annie's Eyes is giving away an iPod Shuffle and Target Gift Cards!

Adventures of Four is giving away a super cool altered "Think PInk" lunchbox! You must see it!

My Wooden Spoon is giving away $300 Amazon Gc, $100 Williams Sonoma GC, and $50 PayPal!

Over at Laundry Tree they are giving away Soap Nuts!


Confessions of an Apron Queen is giving away a vintage Apron from her apron shop Rick Rack Attack!

Mommin' It Up is giving away a $25 GC to CVS!

One Thing is giving away a book, notecards and chocolate!

Where the Kudzu Grows is giving away a $25 GC to Barnes and Noble!

Chic Shopper Chick is having a giveaway of one set of social stationery and one set of Momager Calling cards

Mommy Cracked is also giving away calling cards!

Mom Most Traveled is giving away a SweatPea3 mp3 player!

Posting pics of an apron done for a swap with a GC mama!

I just have to write about Revolution Money Exchange again. They continue to impress me. I have been accepting payments through them as well as paypal. Thing is...they don't take fee's from my money as paypal does. They also just issued RME cards! I got mine and activated it today so now I have instant access to my cash! I can not brag on them enough. Customer service is great, I have called them with questions on things. I have had NO problems with RME and I highly recommend you sign up. Many Wham's are accepting RME as a payment option now since they can avoid many fee's this way. You can check them out by clicking below.

Home Made Simple is offering a coupon booklet by mail. Save over $27 on 6 great brands!
Click here to sign up! This deal was found via Thrifty Jinxy's Blog.

Also enter the Transform Your Hands Sweepstakes! Enter for a chance to win $3,000 toward a ring or bracelet.
Grand Prize Winner will receive $3,000 that may be used toward a ring or bracelet of their choice.
Six Monthly First Prize Winners will each receive $1,000 that may be used toward a piece of jewelry of their choice.
Daily Prize Winners will each receive a 22 oz. bottle of Dawn Hand Renewal in Pomegranate

I'll post more later as I enter them. Here are some to get you started though. Have fun! Make sure you read the requirements before you comment!


win a blog makeover----How awesome is THAT?

50 Dalla - To Target ----on this one PLEASE say you were sent by Stitchblade PLEASE, like just in with your comment. Thanks!

5 fantastic items----This is definitely a blog I will visit again.

24 personalized note cards (flat or folded) with 24 return address labels---her stuff looks so cute

Lands' End StudyHall Backpack---AWESOME

Tupperwares famous Rock N Serve bowl----ohhh ahhhhhh nice!

handmade Troll totebags-----Awwwww TROLLS!

$20 Target gift card----LOVE TARGET

two outstanding Kris Bordessa books ----I want I want I want!

charming reversible baby bib---SO pretty!

gift certificate...for $50!!!...to the store of your choice...-----Amazon is calling my name!

kissable lips lip balm and a travel size version of their organic body wash---awesome stuff!

Surprises!---who doesn't love a surprise??

Today was one of those Mondays. You know, the one where you have all of these things planned to get done and none of them happen? Yea it was one of those days....BUT I did accomplish things I did not have planned.

I went to Piggly Wiggly first thing and was there before everyone else and was able to score TONS of meat marked way down. There are not many of these around anymore it seems. I love going there because of the markdowns on meat, produce and dairy. The produce guy was bagging ripe bananas as well so we grabbed a bag of those and he gave Lauren a banana just cause. You don't get that treatment at the bigger stores.

Then I went to CVS and Walgreens and got free mini touch glucose monitors, one from each store. These will go to my friend Tereasa whose son has Juvenile Diabetes. They are so much cooler than the monitor I had to use. Small and shiny. After that I went to Kroger and made out pretty well with the $5 off of of 10 items deal. I did the deal twice and saved even more after all of my coupons. After the paying I was looking over my receipt and one item rang up higher than it should have, so I got cash back and that item was free.

Now its after midnight and I really should be sleeping but I do need to let you know about a contest going on over at Thrifty Jinxy. Enter to Win Thrifty Jinxy's Summer Fitness Package!

Thrifty Jinxy has a great summer fitness package to give away. The prize includes a water bottle, Crystal Light Pink Lemonade, St. Ive's Healthy Brilliance lotion and the book "The Delinquent Fairy's Thoughts on Exercise". So go enter!!!

Today and tomorrow at Starbucks get a FREE Vivanno Nourishing Blend Drink! Use your registered Starbucks card and get a complementary Vivianno Nourishing Blend Drink.

P.S.
I just got off of the phone with Starbucks customer service. She said you need to have a balance on your card. I asked her what if it only like .50 cents...she said that was absolutely FINE. You do not need to buy anything. She said tell them you got the email about the promotion. There is no coupon required. They will ring up the drink as normal and swipe your card and it gives you the drink for free. She said some stores are having issues thinking you need a coupon and that is NOT the case. Just thought I would let y'all know what I found out!

I was surfing blogs today and found some great giveaways! Be sure to check these out!


1 Princess Linens is giving away a personalized Doodlebag to one lucky reader at So a Blonde Walks Into a Review.

2 $20 GIFT CARD FOR BORDERS from The Koolaid Mom

3 Win your own Advance Readers Copy of The Lace Reader by leaving a comment at The Boston Bibliophile

Yea, this is what I let the kids do when I need a moment to just chill. It's art! They add colorful drawings to my already tattooed legs. I thank whomever created the washable marker! Hey, at least we are saving on paper right?

Morgan is working on a short story (something she truly loves) for a writing contest.....From what I have read so far, it is about Horses and Cowboys.

Yesterday we were being crafty and frugal. Morgan was covering cereal boxes with scrap booking paper to make her paper sorters and magazine holders.

I covered a saltine crackers box to make a nifty place to hide the remotes...

We also cut the lids off of the plastic strawberry containers to straighten up the medicine cupboards.

There happens to be a little girl that looks at my blog quite often for Tutus...this one happens to be on its way to her home! I hope it is White, Pink and Purple enough for great flying powers!

Yesterday I went grocery shopping at Kroger's. I got 4 16oz pkgs of fresh strawberries for $5.00! I thought that was an excellent deal! My girls ate one whole package just last night. I saved over $50.00 with just my Kroger card..imagine had I had my coupons! Since life is slowing down I am venturing back into the crazy coupon world!

Haircuts! Emma's first in fact! Emma's hair has grown in like a shag haircut....wispy bangs and all. Its really funny to me that she is 2 and already appeared to have a hairstyle. Well Lauren decided she wanted bangs so I cut hers and then Emma wants hers done too, so here are my girls and their new hairdo's. Lauren looks like a totally different person and I catch myself looking at her like who the heck is this kid dancing around my house????

The next day.....Lauren says "I want my big hair back" I reply well honey you asked me to cut your bangs, we cut your hair off. She then comes back with "I want you to put it back...I know use the glue stick and glue it back on!" HAHAHA! Secretly though she loves it and I catch her on her stool in the bathroom looking at it and fixing it.

I want to announce the opening of my new resale shop! I also have an RSS feed to it on the side bar of my blog. I hope you will check it often because I plan on adding new items daily! So far I am adding clothing that my girls have outgrown, books, diapering accesories, etc. Check back often you never know what you may find!

You think this is something that could never happen until it happens to you or someone you know. I know I thought it could never happen until I met a friend who had to experience this. IT DOES HAPPEN, and I want to link to this site that is giving away FREE kits to make your blinds safer. Please don't wait thinking it could never happen because it CAN happen and it DOES happen! Please read my friends story below:

"At 21 years old i went through the toughest time of my life. I lost my son Jacob Adam James Alexander- at 17 months. I had just moved in to a new apartment...the night before I was putting stuff in my kids room away, put together the crib, and to keep it out of my way I pushed it against the wall closest to it. Also next to the window. As my son and daughter slept I put their clothes away kissed them goodnight ant went to bed. the next morning I went in to check on them, Kylie met me at the door and Jacob still sound asleep, or so I thought. I took a double look at him, his head was cocked funny and the strings to the blinds were around his throat. naturally I freaked, took him out and started CPR, grabbed the phone and called 911- they tried to walk me through CPR as I'm yelling at the lady I know how to ****ing do it just get someone here! He was still warm, so he couldn't have been down but 10 minutes, as they confirmed, they got there and got him breathing again. we were transported to the best children's hospital here in Portland Oregon, as I was settling in to the thought of losing a child I went in to the mode of *numb*,they kept him alive for 20 hours--- the sounds of heart monitor and oxygen levels start spiking, all i can hear is the beeping from the machines. his heart goes in to attack achardia, as it did 4-5 times, they confirmed brain death, Adam, my sons father, wanted to keep him alive, his lil body kept giving out, I made the hardest decision of my life. and he(Adam) backed me 100%, do not resuscitate, "let him go,please leave him alone" I yelled at the doctor. They turned off the machines, and I hit the floor. In the background all I could hear was the song on the radio in his room. somewhere over the rainbow. For some odd reason it almost put me at peace. I knew Jake was OK. Losing a child is never easy, I never said it was......but the celebration of his life out weighed losing him. Though today I sit and cry as I write this, it never gets easier telling the story, but I feel it to be a great healing tactic I use as to tell his story. Of course guilt and depression set in...but I had a lil girl to live for, and hope I can help educate and guide through difficult losses for mothers, fathers, relatives. I hope everyone can find peace in their loss. If you have made it this far I thank you for taking the time to read my story."

This woman is one of the strongest people I have ever met. She uses her loss to educate others about what could happen. A lesson for us all. Please take a moment to take preventive measures in your own home. Thank you!

Edited to add:

You can view Jacobs new memorial webpage here.

This Beautiful vintage fabric apron is stocked at The Granola Chicks Rings today! I have a few other goodies listed as well that you can see below. Click on the items to go directly to the sale page. I have an Alexander Henry Baseball Print bib. It has a snap closure and is lined with soft red flannel. Recycled fabric Owl headbands. These headbands are super cute and are lined in light pink. The wool soaker listed is being listed at a discount price so make sure to check it out as well! Be sure to check out the other shops while you are there!

And as you can see she was REALLY REALLY happy about it!

Notice I said MAKES and not BAKES. I stumbled upon a blog by Dizzy Dee. They had a post about making a cake in a coffee cup in a microwave. I asked Lauren if she was up to the challenge of testing this cake out. She said she most certainly was.....ok well she didn't say that, but she did say "YUM CAKE" that is the same thing right?

The whole thing start to finish to make this cake was about 5 min. You can visit Dizzy Dee to get the recipe and instructions. I highly recommend it for all you chocolate craving mamas....forget those microwaveable cake bowls. This was CHEAP and EASY!

There's this girl....I call her Lin. She is one of those girls that I just know I would get a long with. Like I see us drinking coffee and talking over top of one another cause we're all jacked up on caffeine and hyper like that. She has some mad skills....

1. Whats yer nickname? You know the one that the Hubby calls you?

Lol! He calls me Kitten. He says it's because I'm very cute but I have really sharp claws, haha!

2. How many kids do you have?

Two gorgeous little girls - Anaya (3) and Breanne (10 months)

3. What is your fav color?

Oh, gosh. I'm so indecisive. I love any shade of blue, and red comes in a close second.

4. Favorite song?

I can only pick one? The current is The Story by Brandi Carlile. She's such an amazing vocalist! I had the awesome opportunity to see her in Reno a week back - amazing show.


5. Favorite movie?

Oh, wow. This is a tough one, but ultimately, I have to go with Serenity. It's by far the best sci-fi movie in existence. And the only sci-fi movie my husband will watch!

6. You have an etsy shop and I have certainly shopped there, please tell everyone else about it.

Boho Baby Designs is pretty much like another baby for me. I've been crocheting for about seven or so years now, and really love making small toys and different little accessories. It's so relaxing for me, and to be able to share that with other people, and have people pay for my work, is just unbelievable. Now that we're settled from our move to Nevada, I'm hoping to re-open on July 15th!

7. Favorite food?

Oooh, restaurant food? Italian, hands down. Jack in the Box owns me when it comes to fast food!

8. Favorite online community?

Granola Chicks, of course! Hands down the best community I've ever been a part of!

9. Favorite WAHMS?

Stitchblade - of course you're on my list! ;)
Cotton Mamma - so many awesome items. Totally gifted mama, exceptional customer service!
The Granola Chicks Ring - Excellent congo of some really talented WAHMs! One of my favorite places to go drool when I'm low on cash, lol!

10. Favorite pic of you!

That, at the moment, would have to be the one of me wearing that rocking tie on headband you made! I've got nothing but compliments about it!

Lin should be reopening her shop soon! She said the 15th, but you know how mamas are! Anyhow you can always contact her through her blog or etsy convo for a custom!

There are many many grandchildren in this family. Well I should say MANY girls. Today I am going to a baby shower for my sister in law who is having a BOY! Wooohooooo a boy! So I made her blanket with Alexander Henry Baseball fabric backed with Red Minky. I think it turned out really cute. I must admit Minky is a pain in the rear to sew though! I am really anal on my lines when sewing and I tell you what... that stuff.... no matter how many pins you put in it will not stay put! Thankfully it is done and cute. This isn't the only gift I am taking, but the only one I made. The pictures are not the greatest, I was having some issues with PSP today.

I had forgotten about Vindale Research until today. Vindale is a LEGIT company that pays you to try out new products, services, and websites.. I have received a lot of products in the mail to try out from them. I have not only received free stuff (good stuff) but money as well
You can make $5 to $75 per survey, and you even get to keep the products you review! The surveys are really easy, and the membership is FREE, so what is there to lose, right?
Check it out!

Another gorgeous Apron for a Pretty GC mama! If you are interested in purchasing your own Stitchblade Apron, or any of the other items I make please feel free to contact me!

Market research companies can be hard to track down sometimes. Then you find places online that want to charge you to give you the information! Guess what..... links galore will follow! Some of these will be local to Dallas and Texas only, but many of them have locations in other places too! I suggest signing up for all of them!

C & C Market Research

Dallas by Definition

Delve

Fieldwork, Inc.

Focus Coast to Coast

Focus Pointe Global

Plaza Research

Savitz Field and Focus

Schlesinger Associates

OK, so I was reading an article on Frugal Dad called 75 Tips to Survive a Down Economy. A lot of them are things we already did, but there were a few things on there that we needed to still do. I noticed that he talked about Cash Crate. I have seen this site before but wasn't sure if it was legit. He does it and so I decided to join last night. Its pretty cool, the cash amount moves from pending to earned pretty fast too. My minimum payout amount is set to $10, with my payout date set as the 15Th. I just started yesterday and already have this now:

July's Earnings: $9.18
Pending Earnings: $41.05
Points: 8

The points can be saved up and spent on things like on mypoints (If you want an invite to Mypoints let me know, I LOVE Mypoints and have earned MANY giftcards from there). I noticed a Starbucks gift card for points! I also used the Netflix offer on Cash Crate to sign up for a free trial where it also earns money to my account through Cash Crate. Tomorrow (Since calls are free on Saturdays) I am calling our cable company and getting rid of the Cable TV. We do not need it! I was impressed at the amount of shows that are available for immediate viewing right on the computer from Netflix! So much cheaper! We have had Netflix in the past and we enjoyed it, but they didn't offer the watch now option then.

Do you have a favorite money maker site? Let me know!

Taking this time to remember a friend and to reflect on life. Ben Cooksey was a very talented person. He was a musician, an artist, a friend, a son, a brother, and an uncle. I am sure he has made an impact in many peoples lifes over the years, and will be missed by many. I am sharing some of my photos here of him and hope that people will take the time to pray for his family in this horrible time. To help his family with expenses we are selling HIT & RUN cds. If you can, please order one below or visit HIT & RUN. I think the first picture is very suiting. Looking back in the rear view mirror. Looking back like I know all of you are doing trying to figure out what could have been done or said to change this all. Instead look back and think of all the good times, that is how I am sure he would want it.

Go maire sibh bhur saol nua.