A Little Gift to Wrap?

My family is doing something a bit different this year at my grandparent's house for Christmas. Gifts are never exchanged, except for gifts to/from the grandparents. This year one of my aunts decided to have a Christmas Trivia Quiz. In order to participate you have to bring a gift. This can be a re-gift item, something you don't use but don't want to throw out or something new but inexpensive (not over $5). Since I have family members who read this blog I'm not going to tell you what I am sharing, but I am going to share my wrapping...


These are paper "balls" that I downloaded from The Toymaker's Christmas paper toys. The PDF downloads are all free and she has many gift bags and boxes, cards, and even a paper goose. Just print, cut, fold & glue (I used glue dot strips). Voila! Instant gift wrap!

Head over to The Toymaker and see all the wonders she has created. Every holiday you can think of- she has it covered. As well as "just for fun" items! Sign up for the email updates and, if you are in the spirit of the holiday, make a donation to keep the beautiful (and free) goodies coming! And check out Marilyn's books on Amazon!

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Christmas Cards and A Christmas Carol

I love timeless Christmas stories and “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is probably the granddaddy of them all. Well, other than “The Gift of the Magi”, but you get my point. It’s as relevant today as it was when it was written. And right now you can get all 36 installments delivered to your RSS, email or mobile device for free.

This bit of Christmas cheer is being sponsored by GalleryCollection.com, a company that specializes in Business Christmas Cards, birthday cards and cards for other occasions.

I followed the link from the free book download and was browsing the Business Christmas Cards collection for a while. The designs range from simple and crisp to elaborate with a Currier and Ives feel, so there is something for every one. I also noticed that there is a 40% discount thru 3 pm today (December 15) and you can get your cards by the 18th- just in time for them to be received by Christmas.

If you’re a previous GalleryCollection.com customer and haven’t ordered yet this year you’ll want to watch your email because GalleryCollection.com is sending an email to customers who haven’t placed Christmas orders yet- and giving away cards to the first 100 orders of 250 cards or more!

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Have You Thought About the Cell Phone Issue?

Yeah, me either. Although I know it's going to come around quicker than I expect. Luckily I have MomSelect to keep me in the know of what's out there...

In my pack of goodies was info about Kajeet, cell phone service for kids. It's a completely customizable phone. You can decide when the phone can and can't be used, who can and can't call or text, who is paying for certain calls... It also has a GPS locator option and no annual contract.

And all the features are accessible online! The phones are even fun and fashionable (there's one in pink!)

If you're considering a cell phone for your kids check this out. And use the code "Bonus10" to receive a special $10 airtime bonus.

I also have this fun Kajeet notepad and pen for one lucky reader (includes info packet about Kajeet). Let me know if you want it. I'll draw the winner Sunday, as a prelude to the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival.

PS If you haven't signed up for MomSelect go check them out. You don't have to be a blogger- just a mom!

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Monday Giveaway #3

A while back MomSelect sent me a box of stuff from that great blog conference I didn't attend. In it were two books (more on the books in a minute). Then, a couple weeks ago, MomSelect sent me an email asking if I would like 5 more of these books to give away. So today I have seven books to give out.

These are special books, though. They are the first book in the Precious Girls Club series, A Little Bit of Faith.

Here's a bit about the Precious Girl''s Club: Since the topic of little girls growing up too fast seems to be a concern for Moms everywhere, Precious Moments®, the inspirational figurine and collectible company, created the Precious Girls Club™ and we're excited to share it with you! More than a club, it's a way of thinking and being, a safe place for young girls to discover how wonderful it is to be precious.

The Precious Girls Club is based on an all new book series for girls that revolves around the life of Katie Bennett and a diverse group of her friends. Their world is brought to life not only through books, but also through a state-of-the-art virtual world where your daughter can learn and play in a safe, wholesome environment based on the values embraced by Precious Moments. These books are recommended for ages 4-10.

In addition to the books I also have 9 (seven will go with the books + two extra) scratch-off cards for a free Premium "Rainbow Membership" trial on the PreciousGirlsClub.com website. This is a safe interactive site for moms and daughters filled with games, crafts and fun.

Brenna and I read this book last week. It's a sweet story filled with the positive message of having faith in yourself and those around you and the special gifts that make each girl "precious in His sight".

Because I have so many to give away today I will be taking the first 7 comments or emails I recieve. I do ask, though, that you only contact me if you have a daughter of the recommended age range and not just because you want something free.

And if you haven't signed up with MomSelect yet, go do it now. You don't have to be a mommy blogger- you just have to be a mommy!

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How I Fit Eating Out Into My Budget

With my budget being tight it's really had to justify going out to eat. Not that we do it alot... But we all know that there are times that cooking is just not something you want to do.

As I head to my final FPU class tonight (sniff, sniff) I'm going to share with you how we eat out on the cheap.

First and foremost we rarely- if ever- pay for our children's meals. Why bother? Practically every restaurant has a kid's night. Even the local grocery stores with deli's have a kid's night. To find local restaurants I Googled "kids eat free" and my town. Or try ParentZone for their listing- scroll down for cities and states.

We also split meals quite often. Why not? Most portions are huge. And, if you share it's easier to justify dessert!

A real treat for the girls is a Happy Meal at McDonald's. On Wednesdays those "special meals" are $1.89. I get two and a $1 menu item for me (we split the fries they get) and the girls and I eat for around $7. This comes out of my fun money- it's fun for me because I don't have to figure out what to make for lunch!

If a restaurant you frequent offers a punch card get it! This is especially good at ice cream places like Marble Slab and Cold Stone Creamery. It's an expensive treat.

And then there is my favorite way to eat out- in secret! The secret isn't that we're eating out- the secret is that we are being paid to do so! I am signed up with quite a few mystery shopping companies who pay me to evaluate the food, service and atmosphere of a wide variety of restaurants.

Here's just a small list of restaurant's I've been paid to eat at:

Texas Roadhouse

Fleming's (upscale steakhouse)

Bandana's (BBQ)

Subway

Outback Steakhouse

Bonefish Grill

Cheesecake Factory

I've also been paid for oil changes, a Sam's Club membership and eye exams and glasses.

Interested?

Here are some of the companies I shop for:

A Closer Look

Beyond Hello

GFK

Intellishop

Mystery Guest

Customer Impact

Service X

Marketing Endeavors

Even more are listed at Turn2You. Do not pay a company to set you up as a mystery shopper! All these companies are free to sign up with. Be prepared on a dining shop- most will ask for times on food delivery, beverages and waiting. A mall investment of a digital recorder makes the shop easy and enjoyable!

Those are just a few tips that I can think of right now. Anyone else? How do you eat on the cheap?

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Monday Giveaway #2

This is a sticky post and will reamin at the top of the blog until midnight Monday, August 25. Please scroll down for new posts.

I've got a great Monday Giveaway for you- especially nice if you know someone who is going to have a baby! Or if you collect Teddy Bears...



Courtesy of MomSelect I have this adorable first car of their "Birthday Train" series. This oh-so-sweet baby sits on the caboose with it's bottle...

Courtesy of Janine King Designs I have this Large Wristlet. I love, love, love Janine's stuff! It's so well made and the case is padded so mom can safely stow her camera in the diaper bag for all those photos she'll be taking!

And, courtesy of me, this absolutely beautiful stuffed bear. I was at a small town festival this weekend and just had to buy this little guy. He is handmade by "Mother Hubbard" from a cotton/chenille fabric in the palest pink. So sweet!

All you have to de to enter is leave me a comment. Just make sure I have your email or you are logged in. If I can't reach you, you can't win!

Because this is a Monday Giveaway I will draw for the prize tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.

And don't forget about Scrap Bribing! Be a good bloggy friend and send your readers over for these great giveaways!

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August Scrap Bribing- Goodbye to Summer

If you're anything like me you've taken tons of photos this summer... Kids playing, fireworks, beach time, kicking back with a cold one...

So, as a "farewell" to summer I present scrap bribing for August:




First up is a 9x9 scrapbook with top loading pages. I love the linen scrapbooks because you can do so much to them- you can stamp them,paint them, wrap them in ribbon...



Of course you need to fill those pages so I have 12 sheets of 12x12 paper with a summer themes like water, fish, flowers, words and three solids: pale green, orange & yellow. Because the album is 9x9 you will have 3" on each side to create mats, frames and page accents. Mix & match!



To add even more accent I have a sheet of floral vellum and a great sheet of thick stickers- frames, spots for notes, ribbon sliders... With great summer sayings like "Fire up the grill" and "Hit the beach".





Do you ever use the plain white sheets you pull from album page protectors? With these stamps and great summer ink colors you'll want to use those pages in a variety of ways: Stamp the quote block and cut it out close for a great way to add journaling to a page. Or cut a mat out of the white and brush the ink along the edges to add color to a plain mat. Stamp the beach stamp and combine it with one of the previous stickers. Make an oversized mat for a photo, edge it in one color and add the journaling at the bottom. Just don't throw away those white sheets!




And finally a few fun page accents: sparkly stickers with a summer theme. The first two are actually two and three piece sets- break them up for maximum effect. A sparkly bumble bee and flower, bright twirly accents that work almost like decorative paper clips (they will wrap around photos or tags for added interest), clear green blossoms and dots (I love these with ribbons) and a blue tag for stamping or journaling.

Ready to play? Here's how:

1) Leave me a nice comment. That gets you entered once. (PS- If you don't leave me a way to contact you then you can't win. Make sure you leave an email or you are signed in with Google and I can reach your profile page.)

2) Write a nice little post on your blog. Link to this post. That gets you another entry. (Be sure to let me know or I might miss it!)

3) Make sure you tell everyone who visits from your blog to let me know you sent them. For every comment that mentions your name I will give you another entry.

So easy! And the more people you send me the better your chances to win. So give me some linky love and get your readers over here!

The random number generator spins on August 31 so get those posts up and keep reminding your readers to visit and drop your name!

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Monday Giveaway #1

This is a sticky post and will remain at the top of my page today. Scroll down for new stuff- including State Fair photos!

I didn't get to go to BlogHer '08 Conference but this great marketing group I belong to, MomSelect, was there. The great thing about MomSelect is that you don't have to be a Mommy Blogger to join, you just have to be a mom. They email me with great tips and info and hook me up with companies who value my feedback- even though I'm "just a mom".

Well, since I didn't make it to the big conference MomSelect hooked me up with some BlogHer swag. And I've got goodies to share! So, for the next three Mondays, I'll be offering up some goodies for you- just because you take the time to read my little blog. Because I know you have a choice in the blogs you read and I am thankful that you read mine.

So, anyway, here we go.

What I have today is 20 free 4x6 prints at an HP Photosmart Express Station and a CD full of photo activites and ideas for kids. I have two of these prizes to give away. Yep, two winners!

This is super easy- just leave me a comment. Because this is a Monday Giveaway I will draw for the winners Tuesday morning.

Be sure to tell your friends! And check out MomSelect for yourself!

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I Should Know Better

I know that I feel my best when I'm in bed by 10pm and asleep shortly after. Then I can wake at 6am, walk the dog and get my day started before everyone else.

But last night I wanted to watch a couple new episodes of Psych. Seriously love this show. Funny, funny, funny. Of course I watch it online because we ditched the dish (either on the USA website or Hulu).

Last night's episode focused on Shawn & Gus' high school reunion and had a John Hughes "theme". Honestly, all the Brekafast Club, Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles references had me cracking up. Check it out...


So I stayed up watching that and didn't get to sleep until 11. And missed my wake up and didn't get out of bed until 7:30.

So now my day is "off" and I don't know what I should be doing. I haven't made a pot of tea yet, or had breakfast. I know there are things that need done but I am so off schedule I can't figure out what they are...

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I'm So Low Tech Sometimes

I was reading about this new free online video game Operation Immortality: Leave your mark. Save Humanity. I’m actually hesitant to write about it because it is a game I can see Doug playing. A lot. Doug isn’t a “gamer” but these “build your own empire” type things he’s all over.

Of course games like this lead to the question “What would you bring to a new planet if the Earth was destroyed?” Which, quite honestly, isn’t such an easy thing to answer…

Will the new planet have electricity? Internet? Light bulbs? Running water? Houses? Grocery stores? FOOD??? I’m kind of a harsh realist and tend to think that if the Earth was destroyed and we had to vacate to a new planet that said planet would be pretty sparse and, quite honestly, not that many humans are going to make it there.

So I say that I would bring notebooks and pens. About as low tech as you can get, I know. But with those two simple items you can do so much…

In October 2008 Richard Garriott, the force behind the Tabula Rasa video game,will be the 6th private citizen to travel into space. He is taking with him the archive of Operation Immortality: Leave your mark. Save Humanity. with him. It’s cool in a completely sci-fi geek way. Go over and check it out. Maybe you’ll see Doug there…

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In To Music?

I remember when it felt like music was my life. I was waiting for the midnight release of Guns ‘n Roses “Use Your Illusion” albums (on cassette!) and I never missed a concert.

Now I’m a bit detached from music. I can’t tell you the latest bands or even who’s on tour. It’s sad, really. And, possibly even worse, I don’t have an MP3 player. Nope. Antiquated, I know.

But I’m trying to get back in the groove and this Free 7 Day Trial from Altnet allows me to download as much music to my computer as I can handle. And it’s legal- and endorsed by the major record companies.

You do have to give credit card information to sign up but your card will not be charged during the trial period. After the trial period you will be charged $19.98 per month- which is a bargain if you listen to a lot of music. And you can cancel anytime. Then you have to install the Altnet Music Plugin.

After doing that you are able to browse the music selections. Just for the record I was able to find a HUGE selection of Celtic music… And the Essential Irish Drinking Songs…

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Giveaways Galore

Have you guys seen the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival yet?

The last time I was there there were 972 giveaways! How crazy is that?

My giveaway is nuber 688. Don't forget to enter!

Other giveaways of note:

A $50 Target giftcard (who can't use that?) at Unexpected Bliss

A Coach boho bag (so cute!) at La Vie de Laurie

Lots of Starbucks cards- here's one...

Barnes and Noble GC over at Jen's (a fellow Iowa Mom)

And another $50 giftcard to Target at Iowa Mom (and if you enter there tell her I sent ya. That's Jody at Iowa Geek in case you're lost).

Seriosuly, there are just too many gret things to win. If you haven't started yet be prepared to sit at your computer for HOURS!

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In Case You're Missing the Scrap Bribing...

Go over to Paula's blog- she's givin' away creative stuff! To be more specific she's giving away a Creative Memories 7X7 ABC Album AND ABC Monogram stickers. A great goodie for scrapbooking all those upcoming school-type memories.

So go over, take a look around, leave a comment (tell her I sent you!!!) and then spread the love.

Just in case you missed the link, here it is. Go. But don't forget to come back and enter my contest!

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Pretty It Up a Bit

I was looking at my page numbers the other day and saw that Google knocked me down from a page rank of 4 to a 3. Ouch! For a blogger who makes a bit of income from her writing that is a pretty big hit to the pocketbook.

So I was doing some reading on hints to keep your blog “fresh” and one of the tips was to change up the template. And then I realized that, other than changing from a two to three column, the look of Iowa Geek has not changed since Doug started it when I was pregnant with Brenna! Yikes!

So I got online today and began browsing templates. I have an idea of what I want, which I’m sure I won’t just find; it will have to be custom designed. But you know me… I’m frugal cheap. But I found some amazing free wordpress templates. You gotta love free. If you use Wordpress go check them out. They have quick stats so you can see what you're getting and an easy download button. (Be sure to save your old template first- just in case!)

If someone uses the Rainbow Garden theme please let me know. It’s incredible. I can’t use it because it just isn’t geeky. Oh, and it’s too "girly" for Doug. Fun-hater.

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You Know I Like Free

Music used to be a huge part of my life. Now I can sing every Backyardigans song ever sung and the entire Ralph’s World CD. I listen to more talk radio than music so I am a bit out of touch. I don’t even own an iPod.

But once in a while, when I do happen to hear real music I find myself thinking that I miss it and I should really download songs. But I never do because I’m cheap. I know most are only 99 cents but four songs is my once weekly Marble Slab splurge. You know the ice cream wins every time.

Today I found out that you can legally Get Free Music From MPFree.com. All you do is sign up, complete surveys, enter contests or try new products and you get credit for free music.

The sign up is painless and you can choose what offers you take so you don’t have to sign up for anything you aren’t interested in. If you like music but don’t like to pay for it give MPFree.com a try.

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Movie Time

A couple years ago, after much discussion, I was able to talk Doug in to getting rid of the movie channels we never watched and paid a stupid amount of money for and getting Netflix.

I signed us up for the one movie at a time with no monthly limit plan- it costs me just under $10 per month. And I really like it.

The other day they sent me a bunch of referral cards. So if you're interested in trying Netflix (one month free) click this link and enter the code M10718551775.

For every referral I get an extra movie in my hands.

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More Freebies Coming Your Way

Well, I got all the requested info sent in to Budget Travel and am anxiously awaiting their June issue. (In case you missed the news, my travel blog was named one of their “Top 15”.)

I am expecting a big surge in readers when that issue is released and again when they put the article on their website. So I am thinking about doing some give-aways. In addition to asking all the companies I have reviewed for goodies I also want something to promote my website. And since it’s a travel website I, of course, am thinking about travel items.

I’m considering a travel tote, but there are so many options for Business Promotional Items at Gimmees.com that I’m not really sure what I’ll do…

Head over there, take a look around, and give me your input. You all know I like a good giveaway…

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Little Goodies for St Patrick's Day and Easter

There's a little button on the left side of the blog for The Toymaker. She has great free files for paper toys and holiday goodies.

I'm going to make a couple of the St.Patrick's Day freebies (the dancing faerie is adorable).

And don't forget Easter is just a week away. There are some wonderful little baskets to make.

And "hop" on over to Skip to My Lou (also on my sidebar) for a simple tutorial on window clings.

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Cut The Crap

Somehow, no matter how many addresses I block or how many times I unsubscribe my inbox is constantly filled with freebies and giveaways. Unfortunately it is often stuff I have no interest in, stuff that requires me to sign up for other stuff or just utter crap.

So when I got this press release about “No Crap Free Stuff” I was quite interested.

Better Products and Services Declares War on Crap

Better Products and Services launches new website -- No Crap Free Stuff.

Southern Pines, NC (PRWEB) March 13, 2008 -- Better Products and Services announced today the launch of a new website, No Crap Free Stuff.

President, Gregg Terry, said, "There is a ton of excellent, free downloadable information (used in the broadest sense possible) that is available on the internet today."

There is a ton of excellent, free downloadable information (used in the broadest sense possible) that is available on the internet today.

"By 'information', Mr. Terry explained, "I mean things such as ebooks, pdf's, courses, software, music, video and various kinds of templates - whether they be for websites or stained glass windows. In fact, much of this free information is of higher
quality than comparable things for sale".

He went on to say, "The problem is wading through all the junk - which is where we come in. Our aim is to become a valuable and trusted source for all kinds of truly useful, or entertaining, free resources."

Mr. Terry said, "Smart businesses understand the power of giving away valuable information. It is without a doubt, one of the best online ways to market a business."

He observed, 'It is ironic that many 'non-businesses' such as bands, understand the power of viral marketing better than traditional businesses. The later are really missing out on a good thing".

He went on to explain that, "We aren't in the business of distributing content (other than our own) - only linking to it. There are two benefits to having a resource listed on our site. One benefit of course is the perpetual stream of traffic that we will be sending to your website. The second is that the link to your website will over time become an increasingly valuable one - from a search engine optimization perspective."

Mr. Terry said that, "For now, submissions are free but inclusion is based upon the merit of the resource. Since each resource will be manually reviewed, I'm not sure how long we can offer free submissions. I expect at some point that we will become
overwhelmed by the quantity of submissions and will have to charge something to
review new ones. My advice to a business would be take advantage of the fact
that our reviews are free for now - while that remains the case."

Better Products And Services is based in Southern Pines, North Carolina.

If you have free stuff- that's not crap- let them know!

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Free Printer Ink

No- this is not some sort of scam. Both of our printers have now died. The gears went out of mine (it's 3 years old) so I've just been using the copy & scan features) and yesterday the one on Doug's desk (another old one of mine, I think I bought it when I lived in MN) made some very bad noises and quit working.

So a new printer is a necessity. I have no idea what we will be getting but you can pretty much guarantee that the inks we have won't work.

So, for the price of postage I am giving away:

*NEW* HP ink : a combo pak of Black 15 & tri-color 78 and a single Black 15

and some used (but I don't *think* too used) HP Black 94, Tri-color 95 and Photo ink 99

If you have an HP check your inks. Let me know if your printer uses any of them.

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