Where does corn go?

We received a lot of phone calls from daycare last week. B. had a fever, a rash, bumped his head, and more last week and a half. It was something different every single day. Friday was the most interesting phone call I received at work. The message I received on my voicemail stated that B. stuck a piece of corn up his nose during lunch. Even better yet was that his teachers were not able to get it out. My response out loud was, "You have got to be kidding me!" I had a class in my room at the time that was peer editing essays, so they all had to know what I was talking about. Once they knew, my students were full of suggestions on how to get corn out of my son's nose. Most of them have apparently stuck a variety of items in unusual places at some point in their childhoods. I got to hear way more details than I cared to know.

After a series of phone calls to my son's doctor, daycare, and my husband, it was decided B. needed to go to the ER for corn removal. Just as my husband was preparing to go get him from school, we got the call that the corn came out. Thank goodness! I really was not looking forward to entertaining my son in the ER for hours while we waited to see a doctor.

All weekend long we kept asking B. where corn should go. His two response we liked were, "On my plate," and, "In my mouth." He did say, "In my nose," a few times. We very quickly reminded him that nothing goes in his nose. He made sure to correct us to make sure we knew that boogers were in his nose.

Life with a 2-year old. Fun, fun!

-Denise

Exhausted

I am so exhausted from the holidays, and they haven't even started yet! I hope you were able to finish all of your shopping, planning, cooking, etc. I have everything wrapped and am just about done with shopping. I have a few more gift cards to purchase tomorrow, and then I am done. Thank goodness!

I wish you peace, happiness, and relaxation as the holidays approach. Hopefully you are not feeling as wiped out as I am!

Come back tomorrow night. I promise to post a story about why my son is now being called corn boy by my students. How is that for a teaser?

-Denise

Pampers Points Free Points

Enter the code below at www.pampers.com for 20 free Pampers points. The web page is taking a really long time to load, but it worked for me.

WELCOME2GTG0809

-Denise

Fun Christmas Activities

This is such a busy time of the year, but we all need to make sure that we have some holiday fun as well. Here are a few suggestions for some holiday, family fun.

1) Check out your local amusement park. Many parks that normally close in the winter months re-open with a holiday theme for a few weeks before the holidays. In PA, two of these are listed. below.

Hershey Park-http://www.hersheypark.com/index.php

We went here this past weekend. It was REALLY cold, but we had a lot of fun. It is $9.95 a person and kids under 3 are free. The park looked beautiful and was covered in tons of lights.
For some pictures, check out this link. http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47960
I will tell you these are NOT my photos. I just think this poster did a nice job catching the park in its holiday finest.

Dutch Wonderland-http://www.dutchwonderland.com/events/winter_wonderland/index.php

For Christmas themed amusement parks in your area, check the web pages for your local amusement parks to see if they are open for the holidays.

2) Visit a local train display. Many model railroad clubs set up holiday displays. Search the internet and local newspapers for displays in your area.

3) Take a drive to look at the holiday lights. Simply driving around your town can provide hours of holiday lights to enjoy. Then there are the houses that are so amazing that you could simply spend hours staring at them. In our area, one of these houses is at 15 Glen Farms Dr., Collegeville, PA. It is amazing! You should really go check it out if you are in this area. But every town seems to have the house that decorates over the top. If you can't see the one I am writing about, I am sure you have one that is just as outstanding in your town.

There are also web pages that are dedicated to mapping neighborhood light displays. Try searching for your town name with Christmas lights after it. You might just find a site that helps you plan a night of light viewing for your family.



No matter what you do to celebrate the Christmas holiday, make sure you have fun! It is easy to get caught up in the craziness of the holiday season. Take a few minutes to enjoy this special time of the year before rushing off for another holiday errand or party.

-Denise

Say Thanks To A Soldier

One bright spot in a soldier's day is receiving mail from home while serving our country in a foreign land. You can easily brighten a soldier's day without spending a dime by visiting a web site. Got to http://www.letssaythanks.com to send a soldier a card or postcard thanking him or her for serving our country. You could even add a holiday wish in your message.

How does it work:

1) Visit the web site above.
2) Select a design.
3) Type your message.
4) Click send.

It is that easy! Xerox brand sponsors this project and will deliver your card and message to a soldier bravely serving our country far away from home.

-Denise

A Few Updates

The days are just speeding by me as far as getting ready for the holidays. I feel like I will never get everything purchased and wrapped. I did make a nice dent in my wrapping tonight. That makes me feel just a little more prepared. The tree is up, the house is decorated, and at some point all of the gifts will be ready for giving. I hope you are almost ready for the upcoming festivities.

I posted a few weeks ago about a website called www.anysoldier.com. My family collected items on Thanksgiving day for a soldier and his other unit members. We shipped our packages out the day after Thanksgiving. We were very pleased to receive an email this week saying that our package was delivered and a nice thank you as well. I have been very pleased with this site. The information is kept up-to-date, and it helps soldiers that are so far from home know that they are remembered. The school I work at is now doing a collection for this same organization. We had students write letters the other day and are collecting items over the next few months. We hope to send several packages over the upcoming months. If you want to share some holiday cheer, this might me a nice way to do it.

Tomorrow I will be back with an even easier way to send a soldier a note to say thank you for serving our country.

-Denise

Hello, Hello

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas will be here before we know it. I am trying to get caught up with school work, wrap up a fundraiser for B.'s school, and get ready for Christmas. I am a bit swamped right now, but I will be back later in the week to post more frequently.

Happy Holidays!

-Denise

Being Thankful And Spreading Our Happiness

This Thanksgiving is very special for our family. My father-in-law is cancer free after a very tough battle with stomach cancer this year. This year we are extremely thankful that he is recovering and healing. We are thankful that we can spend the day together knowing that this tough year is behind us.

This Thanksgiving my husband decided he wanted to share our thankfulness and good cheer with others. We are having Thanksgiving dinner at our house for eleven people. He has asked everyone to bring an item that we can include in a box to send a soldier currently serving in Iraq. Our guests have jumped right on board and are very excited about this idea. We found wish lists for packages at http://www.anysoldier.com/. We will be putting together our package and shipping it out immediately, so the soldier we picked will hopefully get his package before Christmas. This is very easy to do. Maybe you will be inspired to help out a soldier serving our country as well.

-Denise

Black Friday Sales

Black Friday sales are trickling out early all over the internet. I used to love shopping on Black Friday, but as I have gotten older, this is not as exciting anymore. If I do see a good deal somewhere, I will go see if I can snag the deal, but I will not be out at the wee hours of the morning as the stores open.

If you are interested in checking out the deals early, you might want to start searching the internet now. There are tons of sites this year that are reporting the deals ahead of time. Two that I have checked out are below. They seems pretty thorough.

http://bfads.net

www.blackfriday.info

Happy shopping!

-Denise

Target Will Price Match Walmart This Holiday Season

Check out this article.
http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2008/Nov/17/target_plans_price_cuts_despite_lower_3q_earnings.html

Sorry for the crazy length of the link. It gives details of how the current economic situation is effecting Target's profits and why they have decided to price match some products this holiday season. My best advice is if you see a product cheaper at Walmart, ask Target if they will price match. With the holiday toy coupons Target is pushing this year, you could really get big savings. If you have not seen them, check out this link. http://sites.target.com/site/en/spot/page.jsp?title=toy_coupons_main


Here is the most important piece of the artice as far as price matching.

During the holidays, Target will remain "keenly focused" on offering low prices on national brands and its own products and will match Wal-Mart prices on identical items in local markets, said Kathryn Tesija, Target's executive vice president of merchandise.
The company will also offer half a dozen "value items" online every day at special prices.
"We have taken a very aggressive point of view this year in terms of our promotional pricing, so we expect to be price leaders on selected items in our circular," Steinhafel said. "This is not unlike what we've done in the past. But given the current environment and recognizing how challenging it is, we will be even sharper than we have in prior years."

Britax Deal Not Being Honored

The Britax deal I posted the other day is not being honored by Target. They are canceling orders with no notification. If you go back in and check your order status, the order has likely disappeared. There are reports a few orders were put through before Target caught their error. I think Target should 1) email customers that orders were canceled and 2) at the very least provide a coupon or discount code as an apology for their mistake.

Oh well...

-Denise

Britax Car Seats-Really Cheap!

If you are in need of a new car seat, this is quite a steal. Britax Marathons are normally $279.99, and they are on MASSIVE clearance at Target/Amazon. These are awesome convertible car seats that are never found at these prices. Get one while they last.

Britax Marathon in Cowmooflage $59.99http://www.target.com/Britax-Marathon-Convertible-Car-Seat/dp/B000YSP0VM/sr=1-8/qid=1226880837/ref=sr_1_8/187-9734177-8109120?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Abritax%20marathon&page=1

Britax Marathon in Granite $42.99http://www.target.com/Britax-Marathon-Convertible-Car-Seat/dp/B000YSNMG2/sr=1-9/qid=1226880837/ref=sr_1_9/187-9734177-8109120?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Abritax%20marathon&page=1

I don't have links for Amazon, but I have read that the deals are there as well. This deal was originally found here http://neverpayretailagain.blogspot.com/2008/11/britax-mararthons-only-4299-save-237.html, it is a great blog on a wide variety of deals and steals.

-Denise

It's Begining To Look a Lot Like....

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. Okay, not really, but I am starting to get prepped for full out shopping and wrapping sessions. We shop throughout the year for deals and special items we see for family members where ever our travels take us. We do have at least 50% of our shopping done, but there is still quite a bit more to do. I made a run to Target this morning and picked up Scotch tape (yes, the brand name stuff) and some metallic rolls of wrapping paper in the dollar spot section. This, added with the paper we bought on sale the day after Christmas last year, will have me set to start wrapping what we have already purchased. I like to do a few big wrapping sessions throughout the weeks leading to Christmas, so I am not toally overwhelmed at the end.

I would probably be wrapping items right now, but our secret hiding place is actually under B.'s crib. He is napping right now, so I will not be waking him to start this project. And yes, after this year we will ahve to find a new hiding place. B. will be a in a big boy bed soon and will be able to search around his room a little more easily. Our little guy isn't so little anymore.

Feel free to ignore Christmas for a few more weeks, or join me and mebracing the craziness that is right around the corner. The 24-hour Christmas channels have already begun their stream of carols. maybe they can get you in a holiday mood.

-Denise

Better Old Navy Deal

There is a better sale going on this weekend for Old Navy and all of their partner stores (Gap, Banana Republic.) The Friends and Family Sale is currently going on for 30% off your purchase and they will donate to a charity of your choice.

Here is what I received in an email-
We'd like to offer you 30% off during our best-ever friends and family event. We're calling it Give & Get, because for every purchase you make from November 13-16, we give 5% of the amount you spend to your favorite nonprofit.

If you want more info, leave me a comment with your email address. I can forward the email to you.

-Denise

Old Navy and I Go a Little Greener

I am really trying to be a little greener. I am trying to recycle everything that can be recycled, using reusable water bottles, and trying to be better with wasting electricity (which is a good frugal idea too.) My new focus is trying to use reuseable totes for gorceries and other purchases. I have a few for groceries and plan to add to them by purchasing a few more on each shopping trip. My biggest problem is that I forget to take them out of the trunk of my car before I go into the store. When I do forget, and I get more of plastic bags sent home instead, I save them and reuse them around the house for lining the diaper pail. The ones that aren't not repurposed are collected and taken back to the grocery store and deposited into a recycling bin inside the main doors. Most grocery stores have recycling available for plastic grocery bags. It is easy to do, so give it a try!

One of my favorite stores to purchse my son clothes at is also going a little greener. Old Navy has a stuff a bag sale several times a year. They normally send you a plastic bag in the mail or you can pick one up at the store. Everything you can stuff in the bag is then 20% off at the register. You can save a lot of money with this sale. The next one is coming up November 14-26. Instead of sending another plastic bag into my house, Old Navy mailed me a card to pick up a free, reuseable tote bag for the upcoming sale. I think this is great! While there are still way to many plastic bags being used every day, at least this store is trying to join the green movement. The advertisement I received does say that it is only available in select markets. Luckily my area looks to be included. If you are interested in more information, or want to get a code that can be used online, check out www.oldnavy.com/bag.

Starbucks Offer Now For Everyone

Apparently, Starbucks got in a little trouble saying they would give away free coffee to everyone that voted today. Check out the article below for more details. In response to the problem, Starbucks had to make the offer available to everyone.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aIBd9wa0Xh7U&refer=us

I voted today, and I hope you did too. This is an election that is going to change the face of politics in our country. Hopefully the results will be in before I fall asleep tonight. I am excited to hear the results.

-Denise

Toy Savings At Target

If you plan on purchasing any toys for holiday gifts, you may want to check out the coupons available from Target at the link below.

http://sites.target.com/site/en/spot/page.jsp?title=toy_coupons_main

There are many coupons available for a wide variety of toys. Holiday gifts add up, so save some money by using a few coupons. I hope there are a few that will work for you.

Later this week I will give some of my favorite sites for finding good deals on baby and kids products including holiday gift reviews and ideas. Stay tuned!

-Denise

Let your voice be heard and enjoy free Starbucks!

I will not share my political views here. I know who I am voting for and hopefully you do to by this point. If not, do some serious research tonight so you can make an informed decision before hitting the poles tomorrow. Make your voice heard and make your choice count!

After you vote, go enjoy some FREE Starbucks coffee! Yes, there is FREE coffee on November 4th! Starbucks will give voters a free Tall coffee on November 4th, and all you have to do is say that you voted. The freebie was announced during a national TV ad on Saturday Night Live on November 1st. Limit one per customer. To view the ad go to, www.youtube.com/starbucks. The information can also be found at http://www.starbucks.com/. The center ad on the home page runs a long ad about caring, the election, and our world. At the end is the information about the free coffee offer.

Go vote tomorrow, get some free coffee, and make your choice for our next president heard. Show that you care about what happens to our country, our economy, and our world.

-Denise

Snow in October!

It is crazy, but true! It snowed in October! Yes, in some parts of the country this would not seem strange, but for my area of PA this is unusual. I can't remember the last time we had snow this early. I actually had to scrape my car off before leaving work today. Luckily, the roads were fine. I am just worried what this early snow may be predicting for this winter. With a 45-minute commute to work each way, I really hate when it snows.

-Denise

Switching to CFL's

So I am really tempted to switch to CFL light bulbs for two reasons. I have heard great things about how much energy you can save. Money savings is an automatic plus. I have also heard that they are better for the environment. I really have been trying to do my part to be better with recycling and buying more environmentally friendly products. So I am good with that too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/azadam/

I have two reasons I have not switched yet.

1) Is it really better for the environment if I throw away perfectly good regular bulbs that have not burned out yet? My husband also likes to stockpile light bulbs, so I have lots of spare ones as well.

2) My husband has a fear of the new light bulbs based on one article he read or a story he saw on the news that said there was a link between CFL bulbs and an increase in migraines. He gets bad ones already, so he really doesn't need an added trigger. So far I have one lamp that I put a CFL in to try it out. We have not noticed they trigger my husbands migraines, but the lamp is in a room we are not often in at night time.

Does anyone have any thoughts to share? Feedback?

-Denise

Linens 'N Things Closing

Linens 'N Things is going out of business. Check out their web page or your local store and you might get a good deal. Currently the sale is up to 30% off. I am guessing the deals will get even better in the next few weeks.

http://www.lnt.com/home/index.jsp

-Denise

The Project That Will Never End!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In June I decided that I was finally going to take down the ugly, 1970's, daisy wallpaper that covered every inch of our bedroom. I have been saying I would do this every year since the year we bought the house. That was five years ago this September.

Well, I did start it over the summer, but I didn't get very far before the school year started up again. I really wanted it all done before going back to work. It just didn't happen, so I am still pulling down wallpaper. I am so tired of this project. It will look great when it is done, but in the meantime it is a real thorn in my side. Ugh!

Did I forget to mention the electric blue carpet? Oh yeah, it has it, and it is really ugly. It also needs to be pulled up. Oh and did I forget to mention the nasty 1970's vanity that is on the far wall? Yes, that needs to be replaced too. There is a lot to do besides the wallpaper.

It will look awesome. It will look awesome. It will look awesome. Maybe if I keep repeating that enough times it will help the wallpaper come down easier and faster. Yeah, probably not, but I can keep dreaming and wishing. One day it will be done. I just hope it will be sooner than later.

-Denise

Cheerios-Books As Cereal Prizes

Maybe I have seen this before, but I really don't remember hearing about this or seeing this in stories before. I should say that I must have been oblivious because this is reportedly the 7th year for this! Cheerios is including books as cereal box prizes. These boxes should hit shelves sometime this month and may already be out there to purchase.

Books that are reportedly included as cereal box prizes this year are-
Duck for President, written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin
When Dinosaurs Came with Everything, written by Elise Broach and illustrated by David Small
Romeo and Lou Blast Off, written and illustrated by Derek Anderson
Monkey and Me, written and illustrated by Emily Gravett
Diego's Wolf Pup Rescue, adapted by Christine Ricci and illustrated by Art Mawhinney

As a teacher, this promotion is exciting. I have so many students that really have no interest in reading. Giving kids books through this medium may just help a few kids. Yes, I know it is not going to solve any major issues for kids that are struggling with reading, but these books might reach some kids that can't afford lots of new books and may just interest some kids that don't see reading as their favorite activity. It can't hurt! And hey, a book is a better prize than most of the plastic junk or mail-in offers cereal brands often give out.

If you want to read more about this topic, check out this article.
http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2008-10/artikel-12007412.asp
There was also a blurb about the promotion in the September or October (sorry, I can't remember!) Parents magazine. This link will take you to Simon & Schuster's page for the program. The 2008 choices are not up yet, but hopefully they will be there soon. http://www.simonsays.com/content/index.cfm?pid=614966&tab=74

Have you seen these on the shelves yet?

-Denise

Fall Fun!

So we turned on the heat only to turn it back off one day later. I guess I should have sucked it up for one more day. We are having unseasonably warm weather for October. I am loving it! B. is too because he is back to playing outside several times a day. The cold weather is due back by the end of the week, but it was nice while it lasted.

This past weekend we visited a local pumpkin patch. It was a lot of fun. We went on a tractor ride to the field, walked through the patch to find a few nice pumpkins, and rode the tractor back to pay for our pumpkin. The place we went had some really neat blue and white pumpkins. I don't think I have ever seen a blue pumpkin before Saturday. It was really cool. We stuck to the regular orange ones though. B. keeps asking me to cook the pumpkin and to make pumpkin pie because pumpkins are yummy. I have no plans to do this anytime soon, so I guess he will have to wait until I have a little more free time or for Thanksgiving. I think he will be content with looking at and talking about our pumpkin for now.




If you are looking for a pumpkin patch, corn maze, or a hayride, check out this site. The web page is not the greatest as far as design and ease of use, but it does have good information.
http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/

-Denise

Two Updates

Well, I gave in and turned the heat on. It was 58 degrees in the house when I got home tonight. That was after the house had all day to warm up. I gave in also because I am tired of freezing when I get out of bed in the morning. B. also seems to be getting another cold, so I thought it was time to give in and keep the house at least at 65 degrees while we are here. Now I just need to get the heating system cleaned soon. I wanted to do it before turning the heater on, but that just didn't happen.

I also am giving up on www.libraryelf.com. I have been a member for approximately a month now and have never gotten an email from them. Luckily I stayed on top of my library books' due dates and got them back on time without the elf's help. I did discover that my county's library system now has an email service. I thought it only notified you when requested items were available, but I already got an email reminding me of due dates. I signed up less than one week ago! It is definitely worth checking with your local library to see if they have their own email notification system.

-Denise

Fall is here!

The weather really has changed, and it seems that fall is definitely here. We are in the in between time of no air conditioner and no heater as well. We open windows periodically, but it often gets too cold in the house with them open. I love this time of year. I was tempted to turn on the heat yesterday morning because it was quite chilly in the house when we got up, but I am hoping to hold out for a bit longer. It really isn't THAT cold yet! We can all put on some more layers and sit with a warm blanket when needed. We will need to run the heater regularly soon enough.

We have several fall activities planned already, and we hope to squeeze in a few more during the nice days before the really cool weather hits. We will be getting a pumpkin soon to decorate, and I would like to take B. to a pumpkin patch to pick one. We will see if that happens though or not. He got a little pumpkin today from a family member that grew them this year, and he carried it around with him all afternoon. It was really cute. We also have a few Halloween parties coming up between daycare and family. B. is going to be Thomas the Tank Engine this year. He loves his costume. We had to put it away though because he wanted to wear it all the time around the house.

Enjoy some fall fun while the weather is nice!

-Denise

Another Free Pampers Gifts to Grow Point

DONTFORGETGTG08

I found this code here www.northerncheapskate.com. I hope it helps!

-Denise

Cool Paperback Book Swap Site

I have heard of this site before, but I honestly never checked it out before. It sounds really interesting, and I think I am going to take the plunge and try it. http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php

You sign up for this free site, post books you are done with, and select books you would like to read. There is no money exchanged over the web at all. The cash involved is simply paying the postage to send a book to another member. You basically get the money back when someone sends you a book. Sounds easy enough to me! There are quite a few reviews on the site as well that make it sound very worthwhile (especially now when money is tight for many people.) It has also been reviewed by many media outlets which makes me feel better about trying this out.

There are also sections of the site dedicated to swapping CDs and DVDs as well. If swapping books goes well, I may check out those options as well.

-Denise

The CPSC Visit

Today I had a visit from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Yes, at my house. There was recently a new recall of cribs from Simplicity. This is at least the second major recall from this company. They are now out of business, but the cribs continue to be recalled. B.'s crib model was included in the latest recall but not his date code. I called and filed a report because when we purchased the crib we had issues with the crib not going together properly, and the drop-side never worked right. Our major issue was with the solid-side because the screws never really caught. After a lot of work, we got it together, and Steve was confident it was okay.

I received a phone call yesterday saying someone wanted to come out to photograph and inspect the crib ASAP. It was a priority. Since I had off today, the representative came today. I only called to file the report last week! The rep. took lots of photos, measurements, and asked a lot of questions. She even took the instruction manual to a local copy shop to copy it. She was very nice, and assured me the crib appeared sound at this point. Unfortunately, she is not able to follow up with me after this, but she suggested I continue watching the recalls to see if the recent recall is extended to include our crib's date code.

If anyone is interested in keeping current with CPSC recalls, you can sign up for recall emails here. http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCList.aspx There are several subscription options, so you can select the one that you are most interested in receiving.

-Denise

Fall Cleaning

It is fall cleaning time. Yes, most people do spring cleaning, or so the saying goes, but I like to do fall cleaning in my kitchen. This is the time of year that I like to go through our pantry cabinets and rid the shelves of expired food items and pull out items to donate to a local food pantry. No, I would never donate expired food to a food pantry. If I don't want to eat, why should I expect someone else too. Yuck!

So, I cleaned out my pantry this past week. I ended up having to throw out a large garbage bag full of items that were way past their dates. Some said 2007! I am really am not sure how those missed my spring pantry cleaning, but they did. I hated throwing out all that food. I am going to make it an early resolution to make sure to take better stock of what we have in the pantry so fewer items go to waste. We have a lot more space now, and everything is much better organized.


The good thing is I do have two bags of items for a local food pantry. I pulled out items that we had several multiples of or we had tried and didn't really care for it enough to use another can or package of it again in the future. At least the food will get used by someone before I have to throw it out during my next pantry cleaning date.

-Denise

Cheap and Free Entertainment

My husband and I love to watch movies. We will go to the theater when we can to catch a matinee, but we find it hard and expensive to go often. We have quite a large DVD library at home, but we are running out of space and videos ($) add up to over time as well. We are trying some new ways to watch movies. Maybe you are already using these services, or maybe one might help you save some money too.

1) Netflix-I purchased a 3 month subscription to Netflix for my husband for his birthday. He has gotten a lot of discs already. He is primarily watching old TV shows on DVD, and I am happy we are not buying the seasons to keep. The turn over time through the mail is very short, and we have been happy with this service. It saves us gas from having to drive to a video store, and the selection is great.

2) Redbox-We started getting DVDs from the Redbox machines at the grocery stores as well. The selection can be limited, but there are usually several movies in stock that we have not seen before. The rental is only $1.00 for a 24-hour period. It must be back though within the 24-hours to keep from having your credit card charged additional fees. We only rent from here if we know we are going to watch the video the same night. There are lots of sites online that have codes for free promotional codes listed as well, so we have gotten several DVDs for free. Even better!

3) On Demand-We have Comcast's On Demand service, so we can often find movies, TV shows, and concerts available for free through this service. Yes, we are technically paying for the service through our monthly cable bill, but we are still saving money by not paying a rental fee or gas to get to a store. There are newer movies available for a fee as well, and we have gotten them occasionally as well. The cost is about the same as going to a video rental store, but again there is no gas or time involved to get the video.

4) The Public Library-I have been checking out a lot of items recently at the library including books for me and B., audio books for my ride to and from work, CDs for all of us, and even a few videos. These are all free as long as they are all returned on time. The fines can be killer, if you don't stay on top of the due dates.

Cheap or free is one of the best ways to watch a movie.

-Denise

Free Pampers Point Code

I saw this posted on a blog I read. http://www.frugalfinds.blogspot.com/ Enter the code below for a free Pampers point if you collect them. I used other for the purchase location. It worked for me.
OHAMANDAAWGTG08

-Denise

Still sick, but I am back.

As the title states I am still sick, but I am trying to get back over here to post again. I think I am really just writing for myself as I am not sure anyone else is really reading, but that is fine too for now. I am enjoying having a place to write about things on my mind. So, I am back.

Currently football has taken over our house. My husband runs a fantasy football league, and every game seems to be important. I actually hate football season because it turns my normal husband into a crazy, mean monster when his fantasy team is losing. When his team is winning, it is like he is possessed! He cheers and jumps around the living room like he was right there at the game. I tell him every year that this is the last year for the football league because he drives me crazy with his football mood swings.

I hope football season is more enjoyable in your house! If it is, I am jealous. If you can sympathize, thanks, and I do feel your pain.

Busy and Sick

Sorry to have not posted more this week, but Ben was sick, I am now sick, and it is just a crazy week. I hope to be back in a day or two with more regular posts.

-Denise

A Trip to the Elmwood Park Zoo

I have never been to the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, PA http://www.elmwoodparkzoo.org/, even though I have lived close to it my entire life. We took B. there this weekend for his first visit to the zoo. He loved it! He kept saying. "I see aminals!" Yes, he hasn't quite mastered the word animals yet, but he is getting there. he cracked us up with his pronunciations of certain "aminals". Particular favorites were the buff-a-lo (really bison, but not a big difference for him), mouse (really prairie dogs), and leopard (really a jaguar, but we were just impressed he knew what a leopard was!) The conservation playground slides were also a huge hit with B.

We spent probably spent approximately two hours there. We really did see everything. It is a small zoo, and older kids might get bored quickly. It was perfect for B. at age two. We will definitely go back again. We had a free child's admission coupon as a bonus, so we spent under $20 to get all three of us into the zoo. Food was reasonably priced as well compared to bigger zoos and attractions we have visited.

Here are a few photos.

B. and Daddy petting the goats. B. was a little scared at first.

The really cute prairie dogs. a.k.a. Mouse to B.

B. enjoying the slide at the conservation playground.

-Denise

Overdue Library Books

Over the summer I started taking B. to the library more frequently. He loves getting new books from the library. I have also been getting music on CD as well to check out some new artists before buying CDs. B. is obsessed with The Wiggles, so I like trying out CDs this way to see if he likes them before buying them. There are few artists he will listen to that he doesn't scream over requesting The Wiggles instead. (It is so much fin when you get a Wiggles song stuck in your head all day! Not!) I also have a new addiction to audio books. I never have time to read all of the books I am interested in, so audio books for my 45-minute commute to and from work gives me time to listen to books I have been waiting to read.

In the few months we have been going to the library more frequently, I have also experienced a few overdue fines for a few items. The worst was for a Wiggles DVD (darn Wiggles!) that I had a $2 fine for when I returned it. These fees can add up quickly. For some reason I just can't always remember when our books and CDs are due. When I was reading a blog last night, I read about www.libraryelf.com. (Yes, I once again can't for the life of me remember which one it was and can't give it credit again. Yes, I read a lot of blogs! Maybe my husband is right. Nah!) It is great! You create an account, enter your public library card numbers, and the site emails you reminders when items are getting close to their due dates. I am hoping this well save us a lot of pennies in fines.

-Denise

Coupons for Troops

Did you know that you can help out our overseas troops simply by sending coupons, even expired ones, to overseas bases? I happened to stumble across an article about this on a blog I was reading. I would give credit to this blog accept I can't remember which one it was. It was a blog I don't normally read, and I can't even remember how I found it. Sorry to this blogger in advance! As my husband likes to tease me, I read too many blogs!

How does it work? I am so glad you want to know! LOL Overseas bases accept current and expired coupons as long as they are only two months out of date, and the base puts them out for the families to take at the stores located on the base. The base stores will take the expired coupons for a few months after the expiration date. It is just a little way to help out these military families that are far away from home. They get to save a few dollars, and we can feel good for helping out in this small way.

I started collecting my expired coupons and even ones from new circulars for products I know I will not use. I have a large manila envelope that I have been filing these away in. At the end of each month, I will separate them and tally them as the organization requests and mail them away. Yes, I do have to pay the postage, but I am okay with this.

If you are interested in getting more information, check out the link below.
http://www.ocpnet.org/

I just adopted Alconbury, U.K., a US Air Force base. I am not on the list yet, but it is really easy to pick a base, send the adoption email, and get started. I'll post what my totals are for the first month in a few weeks.

-Denise

The New Daycare Classroom

Well, B. seems to be enjoying his new daycare classroom for the most part. He loves the new toys, special activities, and going outside more often. There was even a day this week that he told me he didn't want to go home because he wanted to play.

He is having a few minor issues that I am hoping will get straightened out as time goes by in the next few weeks. One is nap time. While B. is used to music at nap time, the music in this room is played much louder. There are also a lot more kids camped out on mats around the room. The two things together are apparently keeping B. from settling in and getting a decent amount of sleep in. Most days he is sleeping only 1 hr. when he usually sleeps 2 hrs. + at home and in his old classroom. This is causing B. to be extremely cranky when we get home. He has to get up at 6 AM on several days of the week when Steve and I work the same days. B. is jut not getting enough sleep some days and shorter naps are not helping. He already goes to bed at 7 PM, so I am not sure we really want to make that any earlier.

B. is also apparently feeling a little stressed in the bathroom department. This room is very focused on getting kids potty trained. I am glad because we have been working on it at home, but not as much as in his classroom. He has only really gone on the potty maybe 4 or 5 times in the last 2-3 months. In t his daycare classroom they sit him on the potty before every diaper change and keep sticker charts. This all sounds okay to me, but from what we can figure, the constant potty sitting and the fact new people are changing his diaper has lead him to hold his #2 and gets him constipated. Then he has a bellyache and is even crankier than before. bet that was all more than you really wanted to know! Sorry for the TMI!

As I said, I think the new classroom will be a good thing once we get a few things worked out and B. starts to feel a little more comfortable with his new teachers.

Hope you are having a nice weekend!

-Denise

Tired

It is really hard trying to get back on the school year schedule. B.'s sleep schedule is all out of whack making him rather cranky. We are trying to get him on our new/old schedule again, but it will be a few weeks before he really adjusts. Mommy is tired too! I stayed up rather late most nights in the summer, so I am having to make myself go to bed earlier even though I still have tons of work to do. Luckily, my insomnia is not an issue right now. I think this is the first year I actually slept the night before my first day teaching for the school year. Maybe that is because this is now my ninth year teaching?! I am just happy I can sleep because I am exhausted.

I hope to give a report on how B. likes his new classroom at daycare tomorrow night. Stay tuned.

-Denise

Beware when they get quiet!

I have firsthand experience that when a child gets unusually quiet, it often means that he/she is getting into trouble. If only I had remembered this a few minutes earlier today.

I was going through old coupons and throwing out expired ones before clipping some new ones. B. decided to throw all of the old coupons on the floor and was sitting there next to the dining room table playing with them. I continued what I was doing until my brain suddenly focused in on the sounds coming from B.'s corner of the floor. It was not crumpled paper that I was hearing. B. was throwing handfuls of dirt from a potted plant all over the floor in the dining room and in on the carpet in the attached living room. It took a minute for the situation to settle in before I yelled, "No! What are you doing?"

"I play with dirt Mama."

"No, no more dirt."

I then brushed him off and started sweeping and vacuuming up the mess. B. just walked away and started playing with cars instead. We chatted about plants and dirt in the house a little more later, and I am hoping there will not be a repeat performance again on another day.

-Denise

Daycare Update

I spoke with the director and the teacher that changed B.'s diaper. They both apologized and just said they had no idea how it could have happened. After talking to the teacher about how she changed his diaper, I quickly figured out how it happened. Because B. doesn't like when she changes his diaper, she only scooted his shorts down a tiny bit and pulled the diaper out. I think the BM rolled out into his shorts, and she was just oblivious that it happened. Ugh!

Luckily, B. moves up to a new classroom on Tuesday. This particular teacher is almost never in his new classroom. I am hoping it stays that way, so we can avoid any more diapering issues with her.

I am REALLY excited that B. is moving into the new class. I really like both of the teachers in his new classroom. They also try to teach the kids the Spanish and sign language for common items around the room. I think he will really enjoy this new class.

-Denise

Daycare Issue

One of the toughest decisions a mom will have to make is whether or not to go back to work or to stay home with her child(ren). I knew when we had our son that I would have to go back for financial reasons. I also really do enjoy my job as a teacher. I was not ready to give up teaching and my students. This is not to say I don't love my son. It is just the decision we made that was best for our family.

For the most part, we really do like our son's daycare. We do believe his teachers genuinely care for him. We have had a few issues at times, and there are a few things we wish were done differently. Today was one of those days though that really just makes me wonder what goes on there at times.

I picked my son up from daycare this afternoon and got his daily report sheet as well. This reports what his meals and snacks were, what activities were done, and what his diaper schedule was like for the day. As we were walking to the car, I started smelling poop. I figured he must have just gone and glanced at his sheet. It said he just went before I got there. I still figured he had gone more, and I would change him when I got home. When I got him out of the car at home, I could feel that his shorts were now wet. Assuming we had a really bad diaper, I rushed him right upstairs. I was shocked at what I found.

As I pulled off Ben's shorts I found a large pancake of BM stuck to his leg and the inside of his shorts. His diaper was completely dry and completely clean on the inside. How in the world did the contents of his last poopy diaper end up on the inside of his shorts and on his leg?!?!?!? I had to scrub hard to get some of it off of his leg. I thought I was going to be sick as I tried to clean his shorts. Ugh!

I am going to call his daycare tomorrow and discuss the issue. Yes, I know there are mistakes and no one is perfect, but this just seems crazy to me. Was the woman (not his usual teacher) that changed him completely not paying attention when she changed his diaper? I just don't get how this happened.

I will let you know how the conversation goes tomorrow.

-Denise

My New Favorite Restaurant

I think I am in love...with a new restaurant that is!

I received a gift card for PF Changs a few months ago. I had never been there, but thought it would be nice to try it since we had a gift card. We finally went today after I was craving Chinese food yesterday. The odd thing is that I used to love Chinese food, but when I was pregnant I could not stand the smell of it. The thought of eating it was enough to make me want to get sick. Yesterday's craving was a surprise. We could not get out to eat last night, so we went to PF Changs today.

The food was awesome! I will absolutely go back there again. We had the spring rolls (yum!) as an appetizer, my husband had the crispy honey chicken for his meal, and I had the lemon chicken for my entree. I ate every single bite! I would go back there again tomorrow, if I could. Unfortunately, a pesky thing called working will keep me from getting to return immediately.

I will say the service was a bit slow, but the food was definitely worth the wait. I just hope next time we have room to try the deserts. The tray the servers walked around with looked amazing! I will have a tough time deciding between the chocolate cake or the cheesecake. I may have to leave it up to whoever goes with me though because there is no way I could eat one of these desserts by myself. They are huge.

-Denise

I am addicted to...

coupons!

I like saving money using coupons. Yes, it can be a pain at times, but I think the overall aggravation is worth it in the end when a little extra money stays in my pocket.

Here are a few of my favorite online coupon links-
http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.smartsource.com/
http://www.coolsavings.com/
http://www.afullcup.com/

Some of the above links require you to register, but some just allow you to search and print. I also frequently check out Target's online coupons before a major trip. They often have great printable coupons that can be stacked with reg. manufacturer coupons. You can get to a coupon generator for Target through http://www.afullcup.com/ or at the Target web site. Click on "Super Target Coupons and Specials" under the store section at the bottom of the http://www.target.com/ page. I normally can't get out of Target without spending at least $100 on diapers and other items, so a few saved dollars is still a help.

-Denise

Battling Insomnia

I am dealing with insomnia, AGAIN! I deal with real insomnia a few times a year. On a daily basis I have trouble falling asleep, but there are times throughout the year when I really struggle to sleep at all. I am apparently dealing with it again now. Not being able to sleep is a real struggle when I have to take care of my son and work a full time job. I am hoping that this time it will be a short-term problem, but I have no way to tell.

I hope that anyone reading this sleeps well tonight! If I can sleep, I would be so excited. No, wait, I would be asleep!

-Denise

Finding a Bargain

I have been searching for a few items lately that I really want, but I don't want to spend a lot of money.

1) A Halloween Costume-Yes, Halloween seems forever away, but I learned the hard way last year that you have to shop early if you are looking for a particular costume. Last year I fell in love with the pirate costume from Old Navy, I waited for an upcoming sale, went to the store to save on shipping, and then found out the costume was only available online and was now sold out. I should have just ordered it earlier and not worried about the sale in this case. My desire to get the costume at a lower price caused me to miss out...almost. I did end up finding a used pirate costume from the same store on ebay, but I paid almost the same as a new one to get it and have it shipped. I just had to fall in love with the hot costume for toddlers!

This year, I started looking earlier. We picked a Thomas costume that I found online at Target. It retails for almost $30 plus shipping on their site! This time ebay is my friend. I am getting the costume for less than half that price and shipping is very reasonable.

2) A Purse-I fell in love with a Vera Bradley microfiber purse. I was shocked at the price tag of $90. I again went to ebay and was able to find it for a slight discount including the shipping.


No, I don't buy everything off of ebay, but there are some good deals there if you know what you are looking for. I do comparison shop frequently between online stores, brick and mortar stores, catalogs, and ebay. Saving a few dollars is always worth the extra effort.

B. is going to be such a cute Thomas the Tank Engine! I can only imagine how excited he will be when we show him the costume.

I am off to count the days until my purse arrives!

-Denise

Getting Back On Schedule

The start of a new school year is almost here, so it is time to get B. back on his regular routine. Staying up a little late, sleeping in a bit, and not going to daycare full time is about to end. B. starts daycare full time again this week. I work a few days this week and most of next week even though I don't start teaching until after Labor Day. On a regular workday, B. has to get up at 6 AM so we can all get out the door. I am not going to jump right back to that since I like to sleep too, but we will be easing into earlier waking times and bed times as well.

Tonight's response was the usual, "No, Momma!" when I ushered him upstairs a few minutes earlier than usual. He verbally protested, but overall the earlier time was pretty easy. Hopefully the rest of our schedule transition will go smoothly, but I am not holding my breath!

-Denise

Traveling With A Toddler

We are back from visiting my sister and her family in NY. No matter where we go, it is never easy traveling with a toddler. I can deal with living out of a suitcase, long hours in the car, and more, but trying to get a toddler to take a nap or to go to bed in a strange place is just rough. We brought our son's blanket, his sleeping bag he naps on at daycare, his special CD that he listens to as he falls asleep, his nightlight, his favorite, book, etc., but none of this matters when it is a strange bed/room/house.

Total time from start of nap until he fell asleep-1.5 hours
Total time from start of bedtime routine until he fell asleep-2 hours

I love visiting my sister, but I am so glad to be home! Hopefully we will all sleep great tonight.

Daddy Diaper Disaster!

Last night I was invited to an event with my sister-in-law and mother-in-law. We get along great, byt the way! Daddy was on tap to get our son to bed. For some reason he forgot the diapering procedure for night time, and I ended up with quite a mess in the AM. We are currently using a size 6 regular diaper with an Underjam pull-up over top. He outgrew Huggies Overnights, which worked great, so this is our current solution. We are working on potty training, but it will be a while till we are okay with over night.

When Daddy put the little guy to bed, he put on two pull-ups and no regular diaper. Daddy didn't think there would be a difference, and I quickly explained that pull-ups can't hold anywhere near the same amount of pee a regular diaper can. This morning our son woke up with soaked pajamas and a soaked crib. I could practically wring out the sheet and his pajamas. Needless to say, Mommy had a lot of laundry to do today. Daddy says he has learned the error of his ways (and felt bad our son was so wet this AM)!

We are going to be out of town for the weekend. I will be back to post on Sunday night or Monday. Have a great weekend!

-Denise

No, Momma!

After four different appointments, and two actual visits to the portrait studio, we finally got our son's picture taken today for his 2nd birthday. Whew! The first two appointments were cancelled after he managed to cut his face with his nails-TWICE! The third appointment was one we actually went to, but he refused to get his picture taken after only one photo was taken. I believe the flash scared him and he just kept saying, "No, Momma!" He never cried or got upset, but he just refused to stand in front of the camera.

Today was the fourth apppointment and the second one we physically went to. Although it was not easy, we did manage to get some great shots. I have to say the technicians at Sears were great with him both times. I was going to just give up if today went poorly.

I have to say the whole experience was rather frustrating. I kept trying to tell myself to just chalk it up to a 2-year old's fears, but it was rather trying for Mommy as well. Having Daddy there today was also a HUGE help. My son normally LOVES to get his photo taken, but not by those big cameras and flashes. Hopefully by next year he will be over this fear.

I will say it is really worth checking into all of the photo packages and a la carte options that are available at a portrait studio. Although we received a flyer in the mail with what seemed like a great deal, in reality it was going to be more expensive than buying individual sheets through the a la carte menu. We did get to use one coupon for a free 10 x 13 though. Overall we spent around $50 compared to the $70 the deal package would have cost with the extras we wanted or the $120+ package they try to get you to purchase.

-Denise

A Relaxing Day

I finally went and used a gift certificate I got for Christmas today. It was for a local spa, so I went and got pampered! The best was the spa pedicure. The special pedicure they were doing this month was a strawberry ice cream fizz with a chocolate mask and they serve you strawberry ice cream while you are getting the pedicure. Heaven! The best part was the massaging chair as my back was killing me! I can tell that it is a week for a chiropractor visit. I can't seem to go more than two weeks without an adjustment. The adjustments really seem to help with my constant back pain.

Another bonus was that I got a coupon for a discount on another pedicure before the end of October. While I wouldn't normally bother once the cooler weather starts to set in, I think I might just indulge in another pedicure. Mommy's can use some relaxation time at any time of the year!

-Denise

Weekend Plans-Cleaning, Playing, Shopping and More!

It is a beautiful weekend with fall-like temperatures. I am loving it! I took my son to the park this morning, and he had a blast! I think we may go back again tomorrow, if we have time.

Now that the little one is napping I will be off to clean the house. Nothing like having lots of people over to get you motivated to clean. I am actually having an At Home America party on Thursday, so I want to try to get the place looking nice. Some of the friends I have invited from work and elsewhere have never been to my house, so I don't want it looking like a pigsty! I am sure my son will still manage to have toys strewn around the living room no matter what though. Oh well. Welcome to a home with an active toddler!

Although I am doing some extra cleaning today, I have been trying to get rid of clutter all summer. I have gotten rid of several things through my local Freecycle. Check out your local Freecycle if you never have. It gives your discarded items a second life and helps keep items out of landfills. http://www.freecycle.org/

Tomorrow I will be doing more cleaning, but we will head over to Best Buy to pick up some new Elmo videos for my son. They are on sale tomorrow for $7.99 each and you get a free Sesame Street plush. My son will be all over that! "Watch Elmo?" is a frequent question/plea in my house, so mommy even appreciates the opportunity to get some new Elmo videos to add to the rotation. I have some of the old ones memorized. Between Elmo, the Wiggles, and Thomas my brain is regressing to toddler mode. I think I will appreciate going back to work at the start of the school year just to not have to listen to the same Wiggles songs every day.

Enjoy the weekend!

-Denise

I love my doctors!

I have been battling severe anemia since I had my son two years ago. I was anemic before that (pretty much since I was in college), but recently I was really struggling. I was finally referred to a hemotologist who diagnosed a B-12 deficiency and iron deficient anemia. My iron count was 2 when I wnet there for the first time. After four IV iron infusions, it is now 553! I am so happy. It has taken three weeks to feel the positive effects, but I feel so much better now. Really! Maybe now I will have the energy I need to chase around my toddler. Okay, maybe not, but it can't hurt!

-Denise

A little about me...

This is my first blog. Yes, I am a blogging virgin...LOL! I have become addicted to reading several blogs (see the ones listed), and I finally decided to start one of my own. I am not sure where this will take me and exactly what I will post, but I am excited all the same.

I have a 2-year old son that is definitely in the terriblt twos stage. He is an absolute joy to have in my life even when he has a total meltdown! Really! My husband and I went through many struggles to start our family. Even though those years were some of the darkest days of my life, I am still okay for having had to go through such heartbreak because my son wouldn't be here today otherwise.

I love to read, garden, watch movies, travel, and spend time with my family. I also enjoy reading blogs, finding frugal tips and savings to save a few pennies, and keeping in touch with friends through the wonderful world wide web.

Stay tuned...there is more to come!

-Denise