Kroger Friday Freebie

Today only you can download a coupon ONE (1) FREE PowerBar Protein Bar, any variety (1.41-2.29 oz) (you must have an online account and store card registered). The coupon is good at Kroger and Kroger Affiliates. Click here for more details.

Other Mother's Sale

Other Mothers, a children's consignment store, in Boise is having a 25¢ sale on January 27th and 28th from 10 am to 3 pm. Starting at 2 pm, you can fill a bag and pay just $2. Other Mothers is located at 10422 Fairview in Boise.

More Fun Playing with Snow Inside

My kids wanted something fun to do. We decided to put some snow in a pan and we put a few drops of food coloring in a few spots on the snow. I gave each of my kids a spoon and they had fun mixing the food coloring into the snow and making "rainbows." It was a fun activity and they enjoyed seeing the colors swirl and making new colors when they were combined. This is a great fun, cheap and easy activity for young kids.

What are some fun things that you like to do to keep your kids busy?

Kroger Friday Freebie

Today only you can download a coupon 1 FREE Annie’s Homegrown Natural Macaroni & Cheese (5.25-6 oz., any variety (you must have an online account and store card registered). The coupon is good at Kroger and Kroger Affiliates. Click here for more details.

Playing with Snow Inside

With the weather being cold, wet and icy, we've been spending a lot of time indoors. It's hard for toddlers and young kids to be inside so much. My kids quickly get bored and are always looking for some ideas to entertain themselves. To beat out boredom, we filled a pan with snow and brought it inside. We added some Little People cars and had lots of fun driving the cars around in the snow.

What are fun things that your family likes to do when you can't play outside?

Tips to Shopping at Fred Meyer

I love saving money and each store has their own promotions and different ways to help customers save. Here are some tips and tricks to shopping at Fred Meyer:

1. Kroger Promotions: Fred Meyer is owned by Kroger and often participates in Kroger's promotions. If you go here, you can see all of Kroger's current promotions.

• Almost every Friday, Kroger offers a promotion called Kroger Friday Freebie. You download the coupon to your Fred Meyer/Kroger account/rewards card. The item must be downloaded that Friday, but you usually have a few weeks to use it.
• Kroger also runs promotions, several times a year, with an instant win game. The instant win game usually can be once per day during the life of the promotion and has a high-rate of winners. The instant win prizes our usually digital coupons for free products. Currently, Kroger's Instant Win allows for the chance to win one of 42,000 prizes and you can win up to 17 times per person/household/account. To learn more, click here.

2. Fred Meyer Digital Coupons:  Before going to Fred Meyer, I always look at their digital coupons. Sometimes there are coupons for produce, store brand items, freebies, meat, and more. The coupons are worth checking out. I once downloaded a coupon for $1.50 off Grapefruit Juice and got a container of Grapefruit Juice for .50 out of pocket.

3. Use the Reward Card: I am always shocked at people who don't use or want a reward card. Why not? Give the store your address and email address. Stores will sometimes send you coupons! Coupons save money. The Fred Meyer reward card can help you earn fuel perks and if you earn up to 500 points in a quarter, Fred Meyer will send you a rewards rebate that you can use like cash!

4. Free Snack for Kids: By the produce section, Fred Meyer has a basket of fruit that kids can snack on for free. This helps keeps kids calm while you shop.

5. Stack Store Coupons and Manufacturer Coupons: You can stack store coupons in Fred Meyers ad or near the product on the shelf (usually yellow coupons) with manufacturer's coupons. I stacked a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon and got a box of microwave popcorn for only a $1.

What are some of your tips for shopping at Fred Meyer?

Tips and Tricks for Online Shopping

Most everyone does online shopping...it's fast, convenient and saves gas and time. Here are a couple of tips and tricks to shopping online so that you can also save some extra money:

1. If you find something at an online retailer that you like, check to see if there's a similar item somewhere else for cheaper. I will often see something that I like on one website and then enter the item in google search. Google will pull-up other online retailer prices and shipping costs. Sometimes the shipping costs can make an item more expensive than another store that offers free shipping.

2. USE EBATES! Everyone who does any kind of shopping online should use Ebates. I've talked to so many people who have never heard of it and never used it, but once they started using it they love it. Since opening an account in 2010, I've gotten over $224 dollars back from online purchases through using Ebates. Ebates is easy to use - log-in to their site, find the retailer you want to purchase from, click the link and start shopping. Sometimes, Ebates will also list promo codes to use on your order. Ebates gives you a percentage back on your purchase. They use affiliate links and give you a portion of it back. To sign-up, click here.

3. Retail Me Not lists promo codes to use on online orders. Sometimes the promo codes don't work, but oftentimes they do and can save you additional money off your order. For example, I was buying going to purchase some items on Amazon for Christmas. I went to Retail Me Not and found a code for $10 off my order.

4. If you're shopping online and the retailer that you are going to purchase from has a rewards program, join it. You never know if your purchase may have reached some sort-of incentive or if you will get coupons for your next order.

5. If your online purchase doesn't offer free shipping, check to see if the item can be shipped to a store. Picking up an item at the store may not be the most convenient, but it could be more cost friendly.

What are some of your ideas?

Spend Less on Clothing

The less you spend on clothes for you and your family, the more money you have to save or use for bills! Here are several ways to get free or super cheap clothes for you and your family:

1. Host a Clothing Swap: Get a group of friends together and have everyone bring clothes that they don't need or want anymore and let your friends (and you choose) from the clothes. There's a great tutorial located here.

2. Schoola Credit: Schoola is an online consignment website that donates a portion of their sales to schools. Schoola also offers free credit for referrals and creating a custom collection and new members. Right now, new members can get a $10 credit and you can get a $10 credit for referring friends. If you are interested in getting a $10 credit, please use my referral link here. I've used the new member credit to get several clothes for my son!

3. Thredup Credit: Thredup is an online consignment website. Thredup offers a $10 credit for new members and/or a $10 credit for referring friends. If you are new to Thredup and would like to get a $10 credit, please use my referral link here. You can also earn cash back on any purchases made on Thredup through ebates to sign up, please use my referral link here.

4. Sign-up for Stores' Email: Some stores send out credit or coupons through their email. I would suggest signing up for your favorite stores' email program. Sometimes the coupons are high value and can be used to purchase clothing. Be sure also to list your birthday, if the company asks for it. Here are some of the stores I signed up for:

• Boden sent me a $20, $15 and $10 credit throughout 2015 for being signed up for their email. In 2016, I received a $10 credit for my birthday and half birthday. The credits do expire, but you can stack up to two credits. If I have two credits, I usually search the sale items for something within my credit amount and allowing for $5 for shipping. You can also sign-up for Boden Insiders, click here, which sends out surveys on Boden catalogs or seasonal collections. Sometimes, Boden will send out a survey and the first few hundred that respond will get either credit sent to them within a few months or entered into a drawing.
• If you are a member of Eddie Bauer Friends program and/or an email subscriber, Eddie Bauer will sometimes send out a $10 coupon that could be used on $10 or more. If you find products a little over the coupon or credit, you can get clothes for cheap! I have gotten free socks this way.

5. Sign-up for Stores' Reward Programs: I am signed up for a couple of stores' reward programs. I think the best ones for clothes are probably: Kohls and JcPenneys. 

• Kohls Yes2You Rewards Program sends new members a $5 off $5 or more coupon for signing up and another coupon for $5. If you shop the sales or the kids section you might be able to find something just a little over $5. If you also get on Kohl's mailing list, Kohls send coupons throughout the year. I've gotten $10 (off $10 or more) and $15 (off $15 or more) coupons in the mail. I paired those coupons with sales and purchase just a little above the coupon to get clothes for cheap. 
• JcPenney Rewards Program: JcPenney has a great reward program, and they sometimes will send you coupons in the mail- $10 (off $10 or more) and $15 (off $15 or more). I usually shop the kid's section and find something just over the coupon amount. I usually get one or two items and it's cheaper than going to a consignment store!

6. Sell/Get Credit for Clothes at Consignment Store: I've gone to consignment stores in the past year and sold excess clothes that my son didn't wear or outgrew. The store credit can then be used to purchase clothing for your kids in the next size!

7. Shop Yard Sales: Yard sales are a great way to get cheap clothing!

8. Enter Low-Entry Blog Giveaways: Blogs often get posts sponsored by companies and sometimes will offer a giveaway to help promote the company. Blogs with less followers will often have low-entry giveaways, which means there is a higher chance for you to win. Giveaway prizes greatly differ, but could include clothing items or even gift cards that could be used to get clothing items. When I tell people about entering blog giveaways, a lot of them roll their eyes or look at me like I'm crazy. Last year in 2016, I got three pairs of PrAna Jeans, PrAna top, $150 credit for Minnetonka Moccasins, $50 credit to a boutique that I used to get my son shoes, and a $25 Old Navy Gift Card. I also post most of the giveaways that I find on my blog so its more convenient for you. A lot of the time you don't win and it's a waste of time, but when you do it's great. I like to look out how many people have entered and usually go after the giveaways with less than 100 or 200.

9. Surveys for Cash/Gift Cards: Fill-out surveys online to earn enough points for gift cards and cash to use for clothing for your family. I use Harris-Poll, E-rewards, Survey-U, Tell-wut and Crowdtap.

10. Swap.com - Swap.com is an online consignment store that I discovered last year. Their prices seem pretty reasonable and you can also find books, toys, movies, and men clothing on their site. New members can get free shipping with a $10 order. With my first order last year, they sent me a coupon for $5 off my next purchase. They also frequently have really great sales. If you refer a friend to their site, you can get a $20 credit. Please use my referral link to check them out by clicking here.

What are some of your ideas? 

Please note that this post contains affiliate links.

Kroger Friday Freebie

Today only you can download a coupon 1 FREE Rosarita Smooth Restaurant Style Refried Beans (16 oz.) (you must have an online account and store card registered). The coupon is good at Kroger and Kroger Affiliates. Click here for more details.

Kroger Friday Freebie

Today only you can download a coupon ONE (1) FREE Simple Truth Organic™ Tortilla Chips, any variety (7.5-9 oz.)(you must have an online account and store card registered). The coupon is good at Kroger and Kroger Affiliates. Click here for more details.

January Giveaways (low to moderate)

I like entering low to moderate entry giveaways and I share each month some of the blog giveaways I've entered and found online. Check back often to see if I have posted more giveaways. I try and post them as I find them.

If you are hosting a family-friendly giveaway on your blog and would like to see it listed here, please contact me. If you have a won a giveaway that I posted, please leave a comment and share that you won.

$25 Kroger Gift Card (ends January 4, 2017)
$100 Payless Gift Card (ends January 7, 2017)
$50 Kroger Gift Card (ends January 8, 2017)
$50 Nordstrom Gift Card (ends January 8, 2017)
$100 Payless Gift Card (ends January 8, 2017)
$50 Kroger Gift Card (ends January 9, 2017)
$100 Shedo Lane Gift Card (ends January 10, 2017)
Runner's World Meals on the Run Cookbook (ends January 12, 2017)
$25 Kroger Gift Card (ends January 17, 2017) 
$56 BlaBla Kids (ends January 18, 2017
Pinocchio Movie (ends January 19, 2017) 
$50 Kroger Gift Card (ends January 20, 2017)
$50 DSW Gift Card (ends January 20, 2017)
Del Taco Gift Card (ends January 22, 2017) 
$100 J. Crew Gift Card (ends January 22, 2017)
$100 Visa Gift Card and Season 3 of Broad City (ends January 24, 2017)
$50 Fandango Gift Card (ends January 25, 2017)
Disney Jungle Book Craft Kit (ends January 25, 2017)
$250 Amex Gift Card (ends January 25, 2017)
Monster Jam Tickets in Nampa, Idaho (ends January 26, 2017)
$250 Amex Gift Card (ends January 27, 2017)
$50 StyleWe.com Gift Card (ends January 27, 2017)
$500 Boden Credit (ends January 29, 2017) 
Pfizer Pediatric Bundle and $25 Visa Gift Card (ends January 30, 2016)
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet (ends January 31, 2017) 

The Chemist Review

The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer shares the story of a chemist who used to work with the U.S. Government as an interrogator. When she and a co-worker become a liability, the government kills her co-worker and the chemist goes on the run and constantly needs to be on alert to stay alive. When a former handler contacts her with a way to erase the target on her back, will she be able to finally be safe?

I was excited when Stephenie Meyer wrote a new book. I enjoyed The Host (The Twilight Series was okay) and was hoping this would be a really enjoyable read. The beginning was a rough read for me. It was hard to follow the character's change of names and not having a clear picture of her backstory. I wasn't sure what she did in a lab - did she make inventions, chemical reactions for bombs, research for the government? The character's backstory becomes clearer later, but it seemed unnecessary for the vagueness and only created confusion. The story and characters grew on me later as I progressed through the story and as the backstory became more clear. I enjoyed the ending. The book would have been phenomenal if the issues in the beginning were resolved prior to being published. To learn more about The Chemist, click here.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links.