My Favorite Giveaways

Here are a few favorite giveaways I've found around the Internet today...I've entered, why don't you??

Old Barn Rescue Wall Graphics for Your Home

Nuddle - Blanket of Hollywood

Clog Outlet Giveaway - win some CUTE shoes!

Crave Laptop Backpack and Compaq Mini Netbook!
Ends tonight!

Win 1 of 3 $25 Home Depot Gift Cards

Free Bible

Joe Gibbs' official website, Game Plan for Life, is offering a free Bible - no strings attached! Just go here and ask for yours!

Given his unique rise to the top of two different sports NFL Football and NASCAR racing, Coach Gibbs is often asked to speak and share his personal testimony with crowds. Men especially want to know what it takes to be “successful” and “relevant.” The Game Plan helps men to find true success and relevance in their own lives. However, it is less about Joe, than it is about who men are, why they were created and what they can really do with their lives.

Serving others through Christian ministry has always been close to Joe Gibbs' heart and in 1986 he helped found Youth for Tomorrow, a residential youth home, private school, and counseling center for at-risk teenage girls and boys in the Washington metropolitan area. More than 800 young people have been touched by the center.

Obsessed with Snuggies

The Short One is a walking infomercial for Snuggies. I promise he is. You know, those things that are like blankets with sleeves? Seriously...what happened to just wrapping a blanket around you? I'm not knocking them, I just don't really understand the concept. All I know is, my son wants one. He wants one bad. He's four, why does he want a Snuggie? He has asked for it time and time again for his upcoming birthday. I mean, easy gift...I saw them on clearance at a Target about an hour away for $12...it's just the fact that...is that REALLY what you want or are the infomercials brainwashing you? On the way home today he told me that he wanted Snuggies for himself AND for the dog. Uh - the 140lb dog?! He said, "Yes, mama, we can both get a Snuggie AND we'll get a pair of socks with it...did you know that? Did you know that you can take your Snuggie ANYwhere?? In the car, to the movies, anywhere!"... is my four year old son seriously buttering me up for a SNUGGIE??? He just told me they were SO good I could put him to sleep in it. And that he would take the color "rockin' blue". Oh my...I mustn't fail him. In search of Snuggies, here I go...

Children's Place: Great Deals and FREE SHIPPING!

Children's Place has always been one of my favorite places to shop for my little one. I usually get his Easter outfits there and I always take advantage of their sales! Right now they have some GREAT deals and free shipping through tomorrow, 2/26! If you scroll down to the bottom of their page you can take advantage of their Winter Blast sale - clothing from $2.99!! They also have their knit tops on sale for $5 - you can't beat it! Use promo code FSFEB2010 to get your free shipping...and still better yet?? Go through Ebates and get 3% cash back! I SO love great deals!

Hurry, hurry! Sizes will go FAST at these great prices!

Easy Roast for Busy Nights

This is my all time favorite, SIMPLE slow cooker roast recipe. I love it for those nights filled with school events, t-ball practice, soccer and the works! It's great to come home and have a dinner that's home "cooked" and waiting on you. You can use a shoulder roast or rump roast, whichever you prefer - both work great. I usually put my roast in the crock pot the night before, place it in the refrigerator and pull it out the next morning before I leave for work - that way I just have to turn it on and go!

1 roast
1 packet Au Jus Gravy
1 c. water
Onion, carrots, potatoes (optional)

Place the roast in your crock pot, pour one cup water over the roast and sprinkle one packet of Au Jus Gravy mix over the roast. Cook the roast on low heat for 8-10 hours. If you prefer onions, carrots and/or potatoes with your roast, you can add these to the crock pot and allow to cook all day as well. I usually get everything mixed up and in the crock pot, set it in the refrigerator the night before and take it out and begin cooking it before I leave for work the next morning. The Au Jus makes for a great flavor and after a day of work and after school activities - it's nice to come home to a cooked meal and a great smelling house!

Want an easy cornbread to make with it? I have a great recipe from my mom...easy and YUMMY!

2 c. buttermilk
2 c. Cornmeal mix
1 tbsp. oil
1 egg

Mix all ingredients well, pour into a well greased iron skillet. Cook at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes until dark brown and golden. Enjoy!

The Short One Goes for a Ride

I got a phone call at work today. My husband. "When you see D's hand, I want you to know what happened. I caught him, but his hand is sliced open"...always great to start a conversation like that...So it seems while my husband had his hands full of boxes to ship at the post office, on his way to load The Short One into the car for preschool, he pressed the button to open the garage door and The Short One grabbed onto the handle of the door - you know, the one you can use to open it manually if it isn't working. Well, believe it or not, it took him all the way to the top of the garage, feet dangling about my husband's car, eyes as big as his head (I'm told). Needless to say, the boxes were tossed as my husband darted under my son to catch him...he was afraid to stay, afraid to let go...but finally my husband coaxed him into letting go and he caught him, but his hand was cut on the way down. Now, that I've seen his hand and know that he's okay, I find it comical, picturing him dangling there...because he wasn't hurt - but he could have been! I very seriously doubt he will do it again. My husband said he tries most mornings to grab the handle and I suppose with my husband's hands full of boxes, he saw an opening...a fun ride. Little did he know it would take him all the way up so quickly, to the "tippy top" as he told me when I got home this afternoon. Want me to be honest? Now...the more I think about it, the harder I laugh. ;) So, if you have a little guy, watch out for that handle on the garage door...it may appear "enticing"...

Free ADT Pet Alert Window Cling

ADT is currently offering a free Pet Alert Window Cling.

One of the hallmarks of responsible dog ownership is keeping pets safe and planning for unexpected emergencies. As part of this public awareness campaign we are pleased to distribute ADT pet alert ‘window clings’.

My in-laws recently lost their home and the entirety of their belongings in a house fire. While we always hope and pray it won't happen to us, you just never know. This is a great way to alert the fire department in case of a fire - especially if you're not home and your pets ARE, which was the case for my mother-in-law. They lost four dogs in their fire. If you have pets, this is a wonderful freebie!

Get your ADT Pet Alert Cling here.

Free Photo Book for Troops!

Here's a GREAT freebie for those loved ones overseas. You can send a free photo book to anyone with an APO/FPO or MPO mailing address! The photo book will be a 5x7, 20 page soft cover album and will hold 50-60 photos. The USO even pays for the shipping! It’s a $17 value, ABSOLUTELY FREE. It's designed to be lightweight and fit neatly into fatigue cargo pockets and is a great way to share memories of home with those far away. What a cool freebie!

If you want faster shipping or additional pages, you CAN request both of those things for additional charges - but up to 20 pages with economy shipping is ABSOLUTELY FREE! Loving it!

Just fill in your information here and your Coupon Code will appear on the next page. You will also receive a copy of the code in an email confirmation for your records if you wish to use it at a later time.

The number of photo books being given away is limited, so hurry on over!

Thank you USO and Rocketlife - VERY cool!

Public or Private School - THAT is the Question!

Let's debate for a moment...public or private school? My son will begin kindergarten next year and I'm having a VERY difficult time deciding where to send him. You would think it would be an easy decision since I work for a public school, but alas...that makes my decision more difficult! If I take him to school with me, he would have to leave between 6:15 and 6:30 each morning...and not get home until 4:30. It would make for a long day and he wouldn't even be with me - I work in a 3rd-5th grade school. He would be at the K-2 school which is on campus, but still not the same building. It would enable me to be close for school events, parties and field trips...but make it difficult to return at night and on weekends for special school events, programs, sports and birthday parties. If I send him to the public school directly across the street from my home, he would get to "sleep in", but I don't know much about the teachers there and he would still have to be in an after school program until I could pick him up in the afternoon. Not to mention our school calendars are different - he would have spring break during a different week, different weather days and start/finish days.

We HAVE looked into several private schools, one we "like" another we LOVE. However, the one we love is rather pricey. I'm not even sure we could do it. Their schooling is phenomenal and their ratio is between 5:1 and 5:8 - AMAZING! Their graduate rate and scholarship rate is out of this world and the extra curriculars are great. It's down town from where we live and my husband could drop him off there in the mornings, but he would still be in after school. The private school we could afford has a better Bible program, but not a great ratio (better than public school) and their Math program STINKS. I can say this because I taught it for years and I'm not sure I could actually PAY someone to teach it to my child. It will remain nameless so as not to step on any toes. ;)

After talking to LOTS of friends and family members, I get mixed feedback. From someone who taught in private schools for years, sent her child and now teaches in a public school...she says "don't waste your money". From another who sent one child to public and one child to private - two schools I'm actually looking at - she says the difference between her two children and their experiences is AMAZING and she wishes she had sent them both to private school. From yet another, I was told she removed her child from private school because it was no better than the public school down the road. From yet another, his children graduated from the "better" of the private schools and one is now an attorney, another is at a Fine Dance Academy in New York. What to do, what to do?? The stories and advice go on...

And so my husband says, and I believe, if it is God's will, he will make a way and provide - which I believe. The problem I am having is differentiating between what I want and what GOD wants...I need Him to write it across my forehead! AND to make things more difficult, schools begin registering next month...and private schools will fill up quickly... HELP!!

I would love to hear your stories and advice...at this point, I keep wavering and honestly...I don't know what I'm going to do. I just want what's best for my son...and...I would LOVE to hear your opinions.

So the question is...public...or private?

A Giveaway from Made by Meegz

I found one of my all time favorite Etsy Shops recently...Made by Meegz! Since my husband bought me a new camera for Christmas, it has become one of my FAVORITE things to do - take pictures!! I'm so glad I found Made by Meegz! Megan is one stylish designer and I'm in love with her camera straps! Trust me, no matter WHAT kind of camera you own, Megan has something for YOU! Make your camera yours, spot it in a crowd, put a Made by Meegz strap on your camera and it will set you apart - in your own world of style!

Megan's SLR camera straps are a fun addition to any camera. "Depending on your height, photographers can wear the shorter (32 inch) strap around their neck or shoulder and the longer strap(38 inch) around their body for less stress on the neck and back."

Made by Meegz is the home and creator of the "super functional Quick Release strap. This strap is great to take off to switch to another strap depending on your mood & location. They are also great to get rid of that annoying strap when shooting on a tripod. Finally, you can just take off the strap all together and clip the two ends of the nylon webbing together to carry your SLR with a small handle. You can't go wrong with the QUICK RELEASE STRAP"...there are just so many great accessories to pick from at Made by Meegz!

The good part? You never have to worry about the safety of your camera: The nylon webbing on these straps has been tested at 600 pounds. The fabric strap and plastic has been tested at 100 pounds. Sounds pretty sturdy to me!

Megan takes custom orders, so if you can think it, she can create it! You can also find wrist straps, lanyards and key chains at Made by Meegz!

I recently asked Megan to tell us a bit more about her shop. Here's what she had to say:

What is the inspiration behind your Etsy Shop?
The kids are growing up so I have more time now -- gives me "purpose" as a SAHM -- and I am REALLY enjoying sewing.

Also(as printed on my sidebar of www.madebymeegz.com):I'm so excited to have this new site. I have always stayed at home to take care of our kids and even though it's been what I want to do, I've always felt like I was missing something.

This site is helping me to have the best of both worlds. I made a camera strap for a photog friends birthday earlier this year, she loved it, and the camera straps have just blossomed from there.

I'm loving designing and creating unique straps for YOU!

What is your favorite item in the shop?
Any reversible strap -- TWO in ONE!

What is your most popular strap?
Garden with Style and Splash of Red

Thanks, Megan!

Megan is giving away ONE item of your choice to a very lucky Champagne Wisdom reader - yay!!

How to enter:
Just leave a comment below telling us what you will pick from Made by Meegz if you're the lucky winner!

Want extra entries? We've got them! Get one extra entry for each thing you do below - be sure to leave a separate comment for each:
*Follow Champagne Wisdom
*Subscribe via email to Champagne Wisdom (3 entries)
*Follow Chmampagne Wisdom and Made by Meegz on twitter and tweet this giveaway - leave the link. You can do this daily.
*Tell Megan another type of fabric or design you would love to see in her shop.
*Follow Made by Meegz on Facebook
*Visit the Made by Meegz website and tell me something else you learned
*Grab a button - either Champagne Wisdom's button, the Made by Meegz button on her website, or both! TWO entries per button!
*Enter any of the giveaways over at 2 Little Muffins and let me know which one

This giveaway will end at 9:00pm central time...March 7th. Be sure to leave your email address in your comments or have it available in your blogger account. Thanks and good luck!

We Have a Winner!

Congratulations to:

amweeks

You're the winner of the $25 EcoStore USA Gift Certificate - yay!! Be sure to respond to my email with your shipping information so I can forward it along to the company.

Remember...lots of giveaways are coming up soon!! Be on the lookout!

A New Animal Group Via The Short One

So we're reading a book last night about animals. Each page has a category of animals with various animals on the page. For example, one page was Safari Animals: Zebra, Elephant, etc. The next page was Farm Animals: Cow, Pig, Horse, etc. Each page had about 10 animals on it and some of them were rather difficult...predators, types of birds, but...The Short One was doing pretty well...until...

We got to the "Animals as Pets" page...and I thought, this will be the easiest page yet! After all, we've already gone through all the baby animal names, Lemur, Bobcat, Puffin...we've got this pet thing DOWN. Well, as I pointed to the animal, he named it..."Cat, Dog, Goldfish, Ferret"...he even got ferret?! Then I point to the Gerbil. And what does he say??

Zhu Zhu Pet!!

Aaahhh...confusion...thanks to the lovely and rather wealthy creators of the much loved Zhu Zhu Pets...lol

Free Shipping and $5 off at Oriental Trading

Oriental Trading Co. has a great deal going on right now - especially if you need to purchase some supplies for an upcoming birthday or event! You can use promo code ACFEB10 to get FREE SHIPPING AND $5 off your purchase (of $49 or more)! Not too shabby being that their shipping is usually at least $10!

Remember...you can log in through Ebates and get 2.5% back! Every little bit adds up...I have a "big fat check" from them on the way now - yahoo!

Free Pizza Winner!

Congratulations to LAURA...for winning the free DiGiorno's Pizza. THANK YOU to each of you who voted for my educational grant - I appreciate each of your votes! Laura, I've sent you an email. The coupon will expire soon, so be sure to respond ASAP. Congratulations!

Something BIG is Coming!

I am soooo excited to announce an upcoming giveaway event featuring Etsy shops that give back! I have a fabulous line up of shops and the list is still growing - you DEFINITELY won't want to miss it! Giving to charity - whether it be for medical research, children, education or animals...is so important. This upcoming giveaway event will be an Easter celebration of THE perfect gift - celebrating Easter and its meaning through shops and individuals who give their gift of time and proceeds to worthy charities. The event will begin around the middle of March - be sure to follow or subscribe so you don't miss the multitude of giveaways coming up as these shop owners bless you with their stories of giving and offer items from their shops for Champagne Wisdom readers.

I can't wait!

Disney: $6 Tees for Kids!

Disney has a GREAT deal right now! As their deal of the day, they're offering ALL FOUR PAGES of their kid's t-shirts for $6!!

These would be GREAT to stock up on for birthday gifts or just to order a few for the Disney fan in YOUR family. You can't beat the price! You can also go through Ebates for 5% cash back - great deal!!

Go here to order your Disney T-shirts!

Free Phone Call from Princess Tiana

How fun! You can get a free phone call from Disney Star, Princess Tiana...from The Princess and the Frog. We LOVED this movie! Even though I have a son, my husband is from the Louisiana Bayou, so it was fun to watch this together as a family and help The Short One "connect" with his roots!

Make a special little girl's day with this magical phone call. Just go here to register with Disney Movie Rewards. Then, you'll be brought to a rewards page where you'll need to click on "Free Phone Calls". Enter your information again and the next screen will give you an area in the upper right-hand corner where you can enter a promo code. Enter GUMBO and you'll then receive a confirmation and an email with details about setting up your phone call. A few steps, but worth it for the smile it's sure to bring after hearing Princess Tiana's voice!

Thanks to todaysfreebies.com for listing this fun freebie.

Free Tide Sample Plus More!

P&G is currently offering a free sample of Tide with Febreeze. When you login or register on their site, you'll also have the option to get a Pampers Cruisers sample and several high dollar coupons for dog and cat food, Olay and Tide Stain Release. I LOVE these laundry samples because they are PERFECT for traveling and stashing in your suitcase AND they almost always come with a coupon - a sample here and there adds up to savings in your pocket!

Go here for your free samples and coupons.

Free Card from Hallmark

Just saw this great offer from Hallmark in my inbox...

Get 1 free Kids Card in store at Hallmark, select from 9 designs now through 3/14 (valued at 1.99)...great for a teacher or to stash away for those unexpected birthday parties!!

Everyday With Rachael Ray - $3.99!

Through TODAY ONLY you can get a subscription to Everyday with Rachael Ray for only 3.99!! That's a HUGE savings! The discount offers are usually around $23.99, so you're saving $20 off the DISCOUNTED price! I'll admit, I just ordered mine...I'm so excited!

To order yours, go here and after you click "buy now", be sure to enter the promo code ee78 - yay! You can also check out the post over at Living Rich with Coupons for a few more great deals. Body and Soul is another good magazine - $3.99! Hurry though, these offers end TODAY, 2/15!

The Short One Strikes Again

We went out to eat last night with my father-in-law, brother-in-law, mom, dad and of course - "us"...my little family. On the way there I was riding in the back with The Short One. I leaned over, gave him a kiss on the cheek and he said, "Mom, that was a HOT kiss"...lol. His daddy turned around and looked at him from the front seat and said, "Son, one day, about ten years down the road, I'm going to tell you what you just said and you're going to THROW UP"...hehehe. Ah...if they could always love their mommies like that...

Curriculum/Educational Resources

I've been cleaning out boxes and boxes full of resources that have accumulated over ten years of teaching. I've taught first, second and third grades...and now I work with third through fifth grade. I want to begin sharing some of the resources I have because...teaching and learning is all about sharing ideas! When you find something that works - share it! I've always supplied copies of anything and everything I'm doing to co-workers...because each of our minds work differently and it's always nice to have a different perspective on things...a perspective that may be JUST what you were looking for in order to reach that ONE student you're having difficulty with in class...you just never know.

I hope whether you're a public/private school educator, homeschooler or parent needing more materials to work with your child at home, you'll find something you can use in the new Educational Resources Section of the blog!

I want to introduce the first activity: Alphabet Mazes!

When my son came home from preschool with a letter from his teacher that he needed to work on recognizing his letters, my mouth dropped open. I'm a TEACHER. I've TAUGHT children how to read! I made a mad dash to purchase flash cards and we set off to work. Now, about a week later, he knows them. We practice daily, we do flash cards, we play games where he picks out the letters in his name and "builds" his name, we work, play and learn.

So, the first activity I want to introduce is one I've created for The Short One. It's as simple as this...

On a sheet of paper there is a table/grid with 16 spaces. Each space has a different letter in it. If we're working on the letter "A", there are at least 6 letter "A"s in the grid, surrounded by other letters. My son must take his pencil, beginning with the first A he finds and trace through the path of "A"s until he gets to the end of the maze. Not only does this work on his recognition skills, but it also works on those fine mother skills that are SO important for children in the early grades to master in order to write - especially boys! In the middle of the page there is a row of the letter A. They are already written so that the child has to trace over them with a crayon or pencil. Then a picture to color is at the bottom of the page - something that begins with the letter A...for example, "Alligator". My son LOVES doing these mazes...moreso than flash cards or tracing, so for us - it works! Now, you have all the details you need to go into word and create this page for yourself, or...I can send you my creations! All educational resources will be in word format and sent to your email. You can use the PayPal button at the top if you would like to "purchase" them from me or ... have fun creating your own unique version!

Please let me know your thoughts. I would love to hear if some of you think you'll find this section of the blog helpful. Just "sharing" what I love - teaching!

3 New Ebay Listings

I've started listing the multitude of items from my cousin, that I promised to help sell...so I thought I would let you know what's up for auction so far on Ebay! Several of you emailed and asked that I mention auctions as they're up and running, so here's what's up so far:

3 Piece CAT Die Cast Models (1:64 and 1:50 scale):
Starting at $5 (ending 2/21)


Delphi XM Satellite Radio:
Starting at $5 (ending 2/21)


Nikon 500mm Lens with UV Filter in Leather Case:
Starting at $10!!

Okay, I'll admit...I know NOTHING about camera lenses and accessories. If you have questions, I'll do my best, but I can't make any promises. All I know is that when I looked through it I could see into a house two streets away...lol...WOW! I try not to make a habit out of looking into people's windows, but when I focused, that just happens to be where I was aiming...oops. ;)
(ending 2/21)


Don't forget about my son's lot of 4T clothes - CUTE - this one's ending in 30 minutes, so hurry hurry!

Picture Perfect

So we're under ANOTHER Winter Storm Warning tonight - and I'm LOVING it!! 2-4 inches of snow?? That NEVER happens twice in a week in Alabama...let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. From our house to yours, Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm in Love...

I want to take a moment to wish each and everyone of you a VERY Happy Valentine's Day! As I was laying down my sweet son for his nap, he laid his head on me, grinned with his eyes closed and said, "I'm in love"...then he giggled and said, really I am momma, really I am...with you. And, I too, am in love with him...because on Valentine's Day and always...it's not always the love between a husband and wife or significant other that is celebrated...but the love we have for our family, our friends and all mankind...because God first loved us. Here are a few of my favorite scriptures on love...may God bless you with a happy, healthy Heart Day...

Song of Solomon 8:6
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death...

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life...

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply...

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Thank you to each of you who have asked about my sweet four year old son and his recent doctor's appointment. I ask that each of you please keep him, who I often refer to on Champagne Wisdom as The Short One, in your prayers. After an appointment with his pediatrician, then blood work and an ultrasound, they are sending him to Children's Hospital for more tests on February 22nd. Because I love him, deeper than I ever knew I could love, I ask that you pray for God's ultimate healing in his precious little body. May God bless you for each prayer you speak in His name...

Free First Aid Kit for Bama Residents

Okay, this one is only for Alabama folks...Shelby Medical is offering a free first aid kit. I don't know what it includes or the size, but for free...I'll take it! Just go here and fill in your information. Note, the doctor referral and information request fields are not marked with a red asterisk so they are not required. I just filled in my name and address. Since we've recently signed up for soccer and t-ball, I'm thinking this might be something I'll need! :)

Valentine's Day Freebies, Bargains and Deals

Domino’s Pizza online and mobile ordering systems are giving away free Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake to all customers who order online Feb. 14th. Just enter the promotional code HUG at checkout.

Follow @CVS_Extra on Twitter and you’ll get a 25 percent off code for their entire website - through 2/14 only!

Rent a free movie to watch with your sweetheart! Use promo code 2DGTAL22 at any Redbox location for one free rental per credit/debit card. Not sure when it expires, so use it soon!

Kids under 12 eat free at your participating IKEA from February 13th – February 15th.

Papa John's is offering a heart-shaped pizza through Sunday, one topping on thin crust and a Cinnapie for $14.99, or two heart-shaped thin crust pizzas with one topping for $19.99. (not a great bargain, but cute that it's heart shaped!)

Dine at Outback Steakhouse this weekend and get a $10-off certificate with the purchase of any two entrees. The certificate is good Feb. 15 through March 31. You’ll also get a free Tim McGraw music download.

Restaurant.com's discount dining certificates are 80% off through Feb. 14. Use promo code HEART. You’ll also get a $15 FTD floral reward with your order.

Through Feb. 15, you can download a free Valentine's Day playlist on Amazon.com.

Free Valentine's Day E Cookbook.

Save $10 on Victoria’s Secret long-sleeved tees, cardigans, henleys or crewnect sweatshirts with this printable coupon. Plus, members of the “pink nation” will get a FREE panty with any Pink purchase.

Take this printable coupon to Family Christian Stores and get a FREE greeting card (up to $2.50 value). Coupon is valid through 2/14/10.

Have you found a great deal or steal for Valentine's Day you would like to share? Leave it in a comment below! Happy Valentine's Day!

5 FREE Fun Things for a Snow Day!

They're free, they're fun...I know...I did them today. ;)

Have an unexpected snow day? Need some fun ideas for the kiddos? Here's what we did - all for free!!

Make a snowman!

Make and eat Snow Cream!

Watch Frosty the Snowman! We own it, but you can watch it for free on YouTube if you don't...the link above is Part 1. Do a search on YouTube for parts 2 and 3 and you'll have the entire show!

Make a cotton ball snowman INSIDE by the fire...when the real snow is just too cold to handle anymore!!

Print Frosty the Snowman Coloring Pages.

CurrClick - Great Homeschooling and Teaching Resources - for Free!

Have you heard of CurrClick? It's a great online resource for educators - public, private and homeschool. There are a TON of free resources and even the resources that aren't free are often very reasonable. For example, today there was a Virtual Valentine's Day Party for homeschoolers. You paid $5 to join the session and join in on games, party events, songs, crafts and more for Valentine's Day - great for projecting in your classroom or viewing with your children at home. As an educator, I HIGHLY recommend browsing around their website. Currently, they have over 200 free resources - and resources are added weekly. Here are a few you can find on their site:

President's Day Holiday Helper

21 Day Bible Memory Verse Challenge

Addition/Subtraction Bingo

School and Chore Charts

Snow Mini Unit

St. Patrick: The World's Greatest Missionary

Whatever the Weather

There are a ton of other freebies. I hope you'll be able to find something you can use...or pass along to your child's teacher! You can go to CurrClick's Homepage to browse around the site by clicking here.

How to Make Snowcream - IT'S SNOWING in ALABAMA!

I was thinking I needed to put a new recipe up and today IT'S SNOWING in Alabama so I couldn't think of anything better than ...snowcream!! Now, this may be old news to those of you who don't live in the south, but for us "southern folk", this is a recipe we don't get to pull out much! What a fun way to celebrate a snow day with your family - for free!

It's been snowing here for about four hours now and I hope it continues...it's beautiful! This is the first significant snow my son will be able to remember, so I'm excited for him! We've been building a snowman, but we had to come in so "mommy" could get out of wet clothes and warm up by the fire...I obviously didn't dress appropriately - ha! Now, the little one is napping and we're off to finish our snowman when he wakes up...and then we'll make snowcream.

If you've never made it, we take the simple route:

Basic Recipe

1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
large bowl of snow (about 3 quarts)

Blend milk, sugar and vanilla. Stir in enough snow to make snow cream to an ice cream consistency.

Variations - You can always substitute canned cream for milk for a heavier flavor. Add Nestles Quik for a chocolate snow cream, or use instant cocoa mix. Another variation is to add plump raisins and cinnamon, or add a beaten egg for a nog taste. A friend even said sometimes she will puree an overripe banana and add to the mixture. Get creative - you know your family's tastes! For us, we like the good old fashion PLAIN snowcream ...because...it's such a rarity in and of itself!

Always make sure the snow is clean. It takes at least one to two hours for snow to clean the pollutants from the air, then use only snow that has fallen after that first cleansing snow. It also goes without saying (but I will anyway), to make sure you do not collect the snow where animals and birds eat (or do other things). Stress that with the kids, because this is a treat even the younger ones can make on their own! It would be just like The Short One to serve up "Snow Poop"...lol...ick... :)

Swagbucks: Are YOU Earning Free Stuff?

I LOVE Swagbucks!! If you haven't heard of it, or even if you have but you haven't signed up - I HIGHLY recommend it!! It is my NUMBER ONE favorite way to earn free gift cards - and you earn LOTS!! Why? Because you earn for doing something you would already be doing anyway - searching! When I signed up for Swagbucks, I downloaded the toolbar on both my home and work computers - so I could search from both locations. And today is THE perfect day to sign up - it's Mega Swagbucks Day!! Searching could earn you 10, 25, 50 or even 100 swagbucks today...and it only takes 45 Swagbucks to get a $5 Amazon gift card!

Here are the basics of Swagbucks:
You earn bucks for searching and then redeem those bucks for Amazon gift cards, Paypal cash, Movie tickets, and the list goes on... I ALWAYS purchase Amazon gift cards. You can purchase these in $5 increments and stack them when you're making purchases. So if you're making a $25 purchase from Amazon, you can use 5 of your $5 Amazon gift cards AND you get free shipping on any Amazon purchase of $25 or more - so everything is FREE! I've purchased shoes, birthday gifts, books and LOTS more this way - my total earnings are over $300 - so it really helps save $$!

When you sign up, it helps me...and when YOUR friends sign up...it helps you! Why? When referring friends, you get a buck for every buck they earn...so your Swagbucks could pile up quickly - especially on Mega Swagbucks Days!! If you post on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc telling your friends when YOU earn bucks, they'll start joining and help you earn faster! The more people you add the more you earn. It's easy, it's free, it's money for something you're already doing!!

Go here to sign up today and earn 3 Swagbucks INSTANTLY!

Swagbucks often sends out codes for free bucks. You can check the Swagbucks Widget at the bottom of my blog daily for codes - just click "swag codes"!

Have something fun you've bought with your free gift cards or earned through Swagbucks? I would love to know!

Free 8x10 Collage at Walgreens - TODAY ONLY!

Today is the only day to order your free 8x10 photo collage from Walgreens - hurry, hurry! I SO love photo freebies!!

Go here and follow these instructions:

1. Click on "gifts" on the top menu
2. Click on "collages"
3. Finally, click on "collage prints"

You'll be able to use anywhere from 1-20 prints when creating your collage. This would make a nice gift!

You'll need to use the promo code VDAY to make your collage FREE!

It's always free to pick up your collage in-store at your local Walgreens, OR select the option that says "Ship To Me"...on the next screen you'll see Standard USPS Shipping for $0.00 - woohoo!!

Free Subscription to Thriving Family Magazine

I've never received this one before, but it sounds great! If you're like me, a new subscriber, you can get a 6 month subscription to Thriving Family Magazine for free! Take note that you will also receive their email newsletter, so if you don't want that coming to your inbox, do what I did and list your alternate email address (I have an email set up specifically for free offers, etc).

Every issue of Thriving Family includes:

Inspiring, encouraging and entertaining articles and stories.
Practical advice on marriage and parenting.
Helpful tools for teaching faith concepts to your children.
Parenting tips for every age and stage.
Timeless wisdom from trusted experts.
Guides to navigating the world of entertainment.

Sounds great!

Get your free subscription here.

Free Bottle of Excedrin!

LOVE full sized freebies! Just click on over to answer ONE question and fill in your information to receive a coupon by mail for a FREE full sized bottle of Excedrin.

When you answer the question, be sure NOT to choose Excedrin - as easy as that!

You CAN select Excedrin and you'll get a coupon for $2 off - get your freebie, then go back to do it again and print your coupon. Yay!

Thanks, Kansas City Penny Pinchin' Mama!