Know what I need? Less expenses. Who doesn’t? But especially now with the move we are in the middle of.  We are trying to save any extra money we possibly can.

In thinking about planning a summer vacation for this year, we know it’s going to have to be cheap. So we are looking into areas with free things to do.  I love spending time with my family and going out and doing something together that are free. Free and fun. And of course there are times when we like to go out and do things that cost money too and have a great time doing that as well.  If we save money by doing free things it’s okay to splurge a little for a few more costly activities.

The perfect mix of this kind of fun is right in Kissimmee FL and we absolutely love visiting that area. There are free and fun things to do. We can spend a quiet afternoon at the park for a picnic. We can visit the downtown area and the interesting history. Or visit the shops. All free and fun.  I’d love to be able to see some birds during our picnic.

For our splurge days we would want to visit one of the nearby theme parks. Disney World, Universal and Sea World are all very close by- and tons of fun. Plus I love the dinner theme show- The Medieval Times dinner show is soooo fun and we would have to go to that.

A perfect place for a fantastic vacation is Kissimmee FL- lots to do for free and lots to do for a day of splurging!

We went to Home Depot to get a few things that we needed as we prepare to put our house up for sale.  A few things.

Since we were only going to get a few things I told Hailey she could walk instead of riding in the cart.

First up- new tile thingies for our foyer.  That took about 5 minutes.  Nice and easy- we found something we liked.  It wasn’t too expensive.  Rich put it in our cart.  Done.

Second up- Some light cover things for our downstairs bathroom.  We found exactly what we needed.  For some reason Rich had to take 10 minutes looking at the things we needed- even though there was only one choice.  So, Hailey started running away from me.  She had two reminders and then ended up in the cart.  Screaming.

Third- We had to get some caulking stuff for our bathroom.  I figured this would be the simplest of all- it should take 30 seconds and we could be on our way.  Wrong.  First of all there was a huge section of caulk to choose from.  More choices of caulking stuff than there were tile choices.  So Rich stared at the wall for 10 minutes or so.  I pointed out that there was a special caulk made specifically for bathrooms and kitchens.  Rich wanted to know why it cost a dollar more.

By this time Hailey was trying to stand up and climb out of the cart.  So I told her if she didn’t sit down she’d have to wear the seatbelt.  She stood up.  As I was putting the seatbelt on, Hailey was screaming, “No, Mommy!  No, Mommy!  There might be germs.  Don’t put the seatbelt on me!”  She is definitely my daughter.

Finally (a LONG time later) after deciding which kind of caulking to get, then deciding on which container size to get and finally deciding on what color to get we were on our way home.  (After paying of course.)  Hailey fell asleep for about 10 minutes in the car and when I tried to carry her into her bed she woke up.  And those 10 minutes were her nap for the day.

I hope the whole process is this much fun!

This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Congrats Elsie!

Do your kids still believe in Santa Claus or are they getting to that age where they start to question how it all works and whether or not he is real?  Hailey is only 2 so she believes in Santa Claus and the sparkle I see in her eyes every time she sees him or talks about him is just magical.  I love seeing how excited she gets and I want her to believe in Santa for as long as possible.

I found a fantastic site yesterday that helps to keep your kids believing in Santa.  So, I immediately contacted them to see if I could do a review and giveaway- because I want to share this with all of you.  And I want one of you to be able to win this before Christmas.  And they agreed!  Woo Hoo!!  So- what is the fantastic site?

It’s called Capture the Magic and it’s very, very simple.  All you have to do is take a picture of the room your Christmas tree is in, the way it will look on Christmas Eve.  Then you upload your picture to Capture the Magic and then you can pick from over 200 Santa Claus images (they have it set up to make is extremely easy, it will only take a few minutes).  Once you pick your Santa Claus you place him in your picture.  Now it will look like you caught Santa in your house and took a picture of him.

Read this short press release for more information:

“An enterprising team of Santa’s elves has launched a clever Web site for the Holiday Season that will bring smiles of joy and wonder to millions of children, and help parents make this coming Christmas morning unforgettable. With a simple, three-step process, www.CaptureTheMagic.com allows parents to upload a photo of their living room decorated for Christmas, drag and drop in a stunningly perfect image of Santa (over 200 poses to chose from) to share with children on Christmas morning.

‘Kids will go crazy with excitement when they see proof that Santa was in their home kneeling next to the Christmas tree,’ said James Hallihan, a real life elf who created the innovative site after recognizing the curiosity and fascination about Santa with his own children, Brooke, age 6 and her brother Chip, age 2. His first prototype of the new technology was created last year and his daughter loved it so much that he turned the idea into a company.

Over the past year, Hallihan and his fellow elves have conducted extensive research about the magical beliefs of children. ‘Three out of four children under age 7 still believe in Santa Claus, and one percent never stop believing’ he says. ‘We’re on a mission for Santa to make more believers,” he adds with a grin.”

And now, so you can see how it works- check out my before and after pictures.

Before 

After

See- I told you it was fantastic!!  Plus, this was super easy to do.  I am not a techie person at all- Rich always has to help me with anything technical.  BUT, I was able to do this in minutes, all by myself.  The thing that took me the longest was actually cleaning my living room to take the picture!

Now that you’ve seen how easy it works- I’m sure you want to be able to have a picture to show your child Christmas morning so you can say, “Yes, ……….., there is a Santa Claus!” So you’ll be happy to know that Capture the Magic has kindly agreed to let one you of you win your own.

What do you need to do for a chance to win?

• Go on over and visit Capture the Magic and then come back here and tell me something you saw while visiting their site.  It can be anything at all.

Want some extra chances to win? Leave me an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH of the following things letting me know what you did:

• Blog about this giveaway and then leave me a comment with the direct URL to your post.
• Stumble either this post or my blog.
• Subscribe to my RSS. If you are already a subscriber leave me a comment to let me know.

This giveaway will end on December 23rd at 10:59 pm EST. The winner will be randomly chosen as soon as the giveaway ends and notified by email. PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR EMAIL TO SEE IF YOU WON SO THAT YOU HAVE TIME TO MAKE YOUR PICTURE!!!  Please see all of my giveaway rules here.

So, where have I been all week?  I’ve been so busy getting my Christmas shopping done that there hasn’t been much time for posting.  Now that I’m finally posting- I’m posting about my Christmas shopping!

This year one of my main goals has been to save as much money as possible.  Now, I have always been careful with my spending but this year I have been trying extra hard to get as much as I could for my money (given the state of our economy).  So, the other day while we were at the mall we went right to Marshalls because I had a few more things I wanted to pick up for Hailey.  One of the things I love about Marshalls is that I can get the things I am looking for at a lower price than I am able to at other stores.

So off we went!

First stop, as always, was the books.  Hailey loves to read- so we found her a fun Clifford book to read while I shopped.

I was thrilled when I found these Curious George pajamas for only $12.99!  Aren’t they adorable?  And Hailey absolutely loves Curious George.

Then I found this really cute purse.  Doesn’t that look fabulous?  The only problem with it- it’s just not big enough to hold all of the stuff I need to have on hand for a 2 year old!

I had a very successful trip at Marshalls- I bought the adorable Curious George ($13) pajamas and I found remote control Thomas the Train ($15) that I know Hailey will love too!!  I spent $28… but if I had bought those same items somewhere else I would have spent around $46.  Woo Hoo!!!

I still needed to get a few more things for Hailey- and I wanted to be able to save some more money, so we headed off to TJ Maxx.  I started out in the toy department to see all the great deals.

Here I am checking out a Barbie phone.  Do you see that string on my shirt?  I don’t know why Rich didn’t tell me I had a string on my back all day. Nice.

Hailey and I were trying to decide if we should buy these pajama pants (or “fancy pants” as we call them) for Rich.

Then I headed over to the juniors section to look for some clothes for Brooke.  But anyone who knows a 16 year old knows that it is dangerous to buy clothes that she has not picked out and said she loves.  So, while I looked at this shirt- I didn’t end up buying it.

What did I end up buying at TJ Maxx?  A set of foam blocks ($10), a puzzle ($7) and a Melissa and Doug Dinosaur stamp set ($8).  I paid $25… but if I had bought these items at other stores it would have cost me more like $37.  Woo Hoo!!!

So- between TJ Maxx and Marshalls I saved $30.  Yee Haw!  Now Rich can take me out to dinner on our savings.

Seriously though shopping at stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls can save you quite a bit of money.  The best part is that you are getting name brand stuff for discounted prices.  If you’re looking to save some money this holiday season I’m sure you’re going to want to hurry up and check out their fabulous prices! 

“Fashion expert, Alison Deyette and Clarky Davis, “The Debt Diva,” are teaming up with off-price retailer, T.J. Maxx, to arm consumers with smart shopping tips and advice on how to make-over a fall wardrobe with in-season, on-trend designer styles on any budget, even if it is $150.

“There is a big misconception that you have to spend a lot of money to look and feel stylish, and that’s just not true,” said Clarky Davis, “The Debt Diva.” Shopping an off-price retailer is just one simple tip that I believe will help consumers save money and maintain their current lifestyle.”

The Smart Shopping team has developed some helpful tips for consumers to show how they can make smart shopping decisions and still update their wardrobes with quality items. Their top tips include ideas on how to take control of your budget, how to become debt free, how to update your wardrobe wisely, and how not to fall victim to “sale psychosis,” or buying just for sales sake.

“I am a firm believer that the answer to wearing the hottest looks is smart shopping,” said style expert, Alison Deyette. “Consumers should be armed with tips on how to find those amazing designer items they are looking for, but not pay the hefty price tag for them.”

Consumers who are feeling fashion-stressed or budget-tapped can also visit www.tjmaxx.com to see Alison and Clarky’s full list of tips or to ask them specific questions on everything from budget to style advice.”

My biggest piece of advice for those who are looking to save some money this holiday season?  Check the ads you get in your newspaper and do a lot looking around at prices online.  Also- if you’re looking for some fun items like these:

Check out TJ Maxx and Marshalls!

What is your best money saving tip this Christmas season?

This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Congrats Rebecca!

I’m sure that most of you have noticed this, but just in case you haven’t- our economy is a mess!  Everyone I have talked to is spending less money this year for Christmas.  Buying less presents or being more creative with their gift giving.

Here is another idea to reduce your spending this holiday season- make your own yummy goodies.  Sure it might be easier to buy all of your baked goods, but it will save you a lot of money if you make your own.  And you might even find that you enjoy baking!  Especially if you have kids- you should definitely do your own baking- you’ll be creating lifelong memories of fun times in the kitchen.

Last weekend my parents were here for a visit and I made some delicious brownies using this Pillsbury mix.  Then for a fun twist on the brownies I added some Pumpkin Spice Smuckers Toppings to the brownies.  It was much cheaper than buying a dessert, it took me only a few minutes to make them, and they made my house smell delicious!  Best of all, everyone said they were very yummy- and they were eaten pretty quickly, so I’m quite sure they were well loved.

If you are looking for some great ideas to make for a Christmas party this year, for your child’s teacher, for your neighbors, etc- you can check out some fabulous recipe ideas from Pillsbury.  All are very simple to make and a whole lot cheaper than buying your baked goods at the bakery.  One of my favorite recipe ideas is the Holly-Day Mint Brownies.  Sounds delicious!

And if you’re looking for fun ways to dress up your baked goodies or your ice cream then you just have to check out the specialty toppings from Smuckers.  We were able to check out the Pumpkin Spice and it was sooooo yummy that I might have even eaten it right from the container when no one was looking.  It is a limited edition topping so don’t wait around to check it out.  There is also a cherry topping that sounds simply fabulous.  Plus, Smuckers is going to create a third topping- and you get to help decide what kind they will make.  You can cast your vote for the best smuckers toppping idea.  (I’m totally voting for the Apple Cinnamon choice- can you imagine how yummy that would be on some vanilla ice cream?)

One more exciting thing I just have to tell you about is the $5000 kitchen makeover from Pillsbury.  You just have to tell Pillsbury how you make things sweeter with your favorite desserts and you can have a chance to win!  Entries have to be submitted by December 31st- so hurry and get your entries ready!

Since I know that you have lots of baking to do this holiday season- how about a little giveaway?  I thought you might like that!  One lucky winner will get a box of Pillsbury brownies as well as both of the limited edition Smuckers toppings.  Pretty exciting!!

Here’s what you need to do for a chance to win:

• Tell me what your favorite Christmas treat is- something you enjoy making or something that someone else makes that you just love to eat!

Want some extra chances to win? Leave me an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH of the following things letting me know what you did:

• Blog about this giveaway and then leave me a comment with the direct URL to your post.
• Stumble either this post or my blog.
• Subscribe to my RSS. If you are already a subscriber leave me a comment to let me know.

This giveaway will end on December 17th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be randomly chosen on December 18th and notified by email. Please see all of my giveaway rules here.

This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Congrats Julie!

Hailey and I were recently fortunate enough to check out this fabulous Smart-e-Dog and I can not even tell you how excited we were when we saw the UPS truck pull up with the box that held Hailey’s new dog.  And I was not disappointed with all of the fun things this Smart-e-Dog can do- he’s pretty amazing!  And Hailey loves him too!

Now technically this toy is called a Smart-e-Bear but you can get it as a bear, a dog or a cat. And what is it about this Smart-e-Bear that is so impressive?  The best way I can think to describe Smart-e-Bear is that it is like an iPod- except that he is soft and cuddly and made for kids.

There are songs, stories, games and more that your Smart-e-Bear can play with your child.  Hailey absolutely loves singing and dancing along with the music.  Plus you can go online to Smart-e-Bear and download more songs, stories and games for your child.  There are some extra things you can download for free but most everything else costs .99 cents- which really is pretty cheap when you consider that you can use this feature to help your bear grow with your child.

One of my favorite features is that you can program your bear (cat, dog) to say your child’s name.  And when Hailey’s dog says, “Hi Hailey!” her face lights up and she says, “He knows my name!”  Another favorite feature of mine- he can be used with headphones.  That means your Smart-e-Bear will be perfect for the car or airplane.

This Smart-e-Bear (or dog or cat) costs $79.99 and can be purchased at stores like www.toysrus.com, www.target.com, www.hammacher.com, www.amazon.com.

“The National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) is the “go-to” source for caregivers and professionals looking for the best children’s products for parents. They recognize the qualities that make a good product truly stand out from the crowd. This season NAPPA’s prestigious Gold Seal goes to smart-e-bear, a cuddly bear that contains revolutionary software that enchants children and gratifies parents.

Intellitoys smart-e-bear is a joint venture with award-winning Kids Preferred. Together they created the newest software tucked in a very soft bear, dog and cat. These technology-friendly pals are simple to program and easy to customize. Parents need only connect, click and then hand over for cuddling.

The NAPPA recognition signifies that smart-e-bear has been rigorously evaluated against stringent criteria by expert judges and family testers and that it stands out among hundreds of products from around the world.

As a 2008 Gold Award winner smart-e-bear joins a short list of toys and games that are deemed the most entertaining, appealing, safe, educational, age-appropriate and enduring products.

Designed primarily for non-reading 2 to 6 year olds, smart-e-dog encourages children to discover and explore through a library of literally thousands of award-winning songs, interactive stories, educational games and other content that parents can selectively purchase through the Internet and download to the toy with a super-easy USB connection.  There’s always something for kids to discover as the software changes and grows with the child’s interests starting with the nursery to kindergarten.”

• Check out the Smart-e-Bear site and let me know which animal you would want if you win.

Want some extra chances to win? Leave me an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH of the following things letting me know what you did:

• Blog about this giveaway and then leave me a comment with the direct URL to your post.
• Stumble either this post or my blog.
• Subscribe to my RSS. If you are already a subscriber leave me a comment to let me know.

This giveaway will end on December 15th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be randomly chosen on December 16th and notified by email. Please see all of my giveaway rules here.