Print Your Coupons Here!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Free Cookie 10/1

Head over to a participating Great American Cookies store on Friday for a FREE COOKIE to celebrate national cookie month and national book month! From 10am-2pm, get a free chocolate chip cookie. One per person.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Free Cold Stone Ice Cream 9/30

Head over to Cold Stone Creamery on September 30th from 5-8pm for their 9th annual World's Largest Ice Cream Social to benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation. Get a free 3 oz. cup of Kate's Creation, made with caramel apple ice cream mixed with chocolate shavings, graham cracker pie crust and apple pie filling. They will be accepting donations for Make-A-Wish.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Roundy's Coupon Matches (Pick 'n Save, Rainbow, Copps)

Roundy's stores (Copps, Pick 'n Save, and Rainbow) double 5 coupons up to $1 per $25 order every Wednesday. (NOTE: I think the Saturday doubling ended last week.) There are several deals this week, so here are some printable coupon matches to help you make your list. Check your coupon stash to see if you can find more matches. For printing tips, click here. Questions? Feel free to email me!
==================================
$0.50/ea: Dannon Yogurt, 6 oz.
$0.50/6 Light & Fit 6 oz. Cups
$0.33 each ADC
==================================
$1.25/ea: Duncan Hines Cake Mix
$1.00/1 Duncan Hines Amazing Glazes wyb ANY Duncan Hines Cake Mix
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$1.66/ea: Minute Ready to Serve Rice
$0.50/1 Minute Ready to Serve Rice Product
$0.66 ADC
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$4.00/ea: Freschetta Pizza
$1.00/1 Freschetta Pizza
$1/1 Freschetta Pizza
$2.00 ADC
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$1.00/ea: Stonyfield Farm Yogurt Cups
$0.50/3 Stonyfield Organic Yogurt 6 oz
$0.66 ADC
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BOGO free Kahiki Meals or Egg Rolls
$1.00/1 On Any Kahiki Product
$1.00/2 Kahiki products
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$2.50/ea: Pup-Peroni Dog Treats
$1.00/1 any Pup-Peroni dog snacks
$0.50 ADC
==================================
$1.00/ea: Barilla Pasta
$1.00/2 Barilla Pasta (click where it says "coupon" in bold)
FREE ADC
==================================
$0.75/ea: Red Gold Tomatoes
$1.00/3 Red Gold Tomatoes
$0.08 ADC
==================================
$2.00/ea: Dixie Plates
$1.00/2 Dixie or Dixie Ultra Paper Plates printable
$1.00 each ADC

Monday, September 27, 2010

Mailbox Monday

Happy Monday! Start off your week with some freebies!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Tenderhearted

A few days ago, we were having one of those typical evening meltdowns. . .

You know the ones, where you're trying to make dinner, the kids are melting down, and daddy's not home yet? :-)

Pots were threatening to boil over on the stove and the baby was crying. G was doing her best to help. I was managing, but barely, and was a teeny bit stressed.

G: (in a dramatic but serious tone) Mommy, we need to pray, that's all we can do.
Me: You're absolutely right, honey, let's do that.

We both prayed, silently and out loud. I felt better. :-) But life continued, and baby J kept crying while I kept tending dinner and running back and forth between the two, doing the best I could. G was trying to soothe her, as she usually does.

The next thing I know, G is sobbing.

G: (between deep sobs) Baby, I'm sorry! I just don't know what else to do for you!

Oh, my dearest. She has such a tender heart and feels so deeply.

G: (still sobbing, while I hug her and hold baby who continues crying) Mommy, why does she need to cry so much?

Yes, this is what being a mommy is like sometimes, and I think G got a taste of it that day. Sometimes everyone else is losing it and you're hanging on by the grace of God. And sometimes you lose it, too, and just need to have a good cry.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Weekly Groceries--$60

Ted was out of town this week so I was going to wait until Saturday to do my Roundy's shopping. But then I found out it was double doubles (double 10 coupons instead of 5) on Wednesday so I HAD to go, even with all 5 kids in tow! I decided to do only 2 transactions and made sure to have my coupons ready. We were in and out in about an hour--I was shocked!! I knew it would be worth it, and it was--I got all that is pictured for only $5.64! I bought 6 boxes of cereal (free after coupons and promotion), 1 gallon of milk (free after catalina), 6 Greek yogurts (almost free), grapes, apples, toothpaste (free after markdown and coupon), Gain dishwashing soap (free after coupon), 2 chocolate milks (almost free), 2 boxed dinners, Chex Mix, and 8 boxes of pasta (overage after coupons and raincheck).

At Aldi I spent $28.65 on milk, sugar x2, dish detergent, tortillas x3, celery, cheese x2, tortellini x2, applesauce, peppers x3, bananas, broccoli, turkey pepperoni, and eggs. I went to another store and spent $26.06 on pizza dough and sauce, vegetables (fresh and frozen), fruits, cottage cheese, and chicken. So this week I spent a total of $60.35 on groceries.

Did you do double doubles on Wednesday?
Did you snag any other great deals this week?


Friday, September 24, 2010

4 Months Old

J is 4 months old already! We had her pictures taken to match the girls' Antiquities photos from earlier this year. We're still working on a daily schedule and sleeping through the night as it would make life so much easier. We're hopeful that she's getting close--we know she can do it but she still gets up twice a night. But her wide smile will melt your heart and her cheeks are so kissable! Her sisters love to make her smile and laugh--so fun!

She just started on rice cereal, and H was my photographer for that big event. J took to it very well, and seems to like it at least most of the time. She has also learned to roll over! She can roll from her tummy to her back both ways (over left and over right), and just today finally got from her back to her tummy--she's been working on that for quite awhile now and was so close!

She has very good head control, so we just got out the exersaucer as well. No pictures in that yet, but here are some pictures I took of her in her bouncy seat last week, with her cute smile! Don't you love those cheeks?!?
:-)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Comedy Of Errors

Sometimes I feel like my days are a comedy of errors and I just have to laugh at myself. Do you ever feel that way? (I mean feeling like your days are like that, not feeling like you have to laugh at me--though I suppose you may!) :-)

Last time we went to the doctor for J's checkup, it was pouring rain outside. The girls and I ran inside, sopping wet. I forgot the diaper bag in the car and had to run back out, then back in. We had our appointment and I left after the doctor said we were good to go. I got all the way back home before realizing that we had left BEFORE getting J's shots. Back to the doctor in the pouring rain, all of us back inside, get the shots, back outside, still sopping wet, and back home. Whew!

We just had another checkup for J, and again it was pouring rain outside (do we live in Seattle or something?). We were parked right near the door, and I told the girls to make a run for it while I got the baby out of the car. G slipped and fell in a pile of mud and sat there crying, getting even more wet. I got her and the rest of the girls inside the doors of the office and told them to wait while I ran back to the car for clean pants and underwear. In between the doors of the office, the girls wiped their muddy feet. Then I struggled to hold the door open for them while holding the baby, the diaper bag, and the clean clothes, all while dripping wet. I notice the people in the office (receptionists and other moms) watching our fiasco and smiling. We must have been a sight!

"Boy, you sure have your hands full!" the receptionist says. No truer words.

"Yes," I say with a smile and a chuckle, while thinking "Anyone want to help me with the door, maybe?"

We get checked in and head to the bathroom, where I try to get G cleaned up, which involves stripping her entirely, since even her shirt is muddy and wet. I get her in clean pants and underwear and try to wipe off her jacket so she can wear it since her shirt is muddier than her jacket (how did that happen?). Then I try to mop up the floor and clean out the sink. When we open the door the nurse is waiting to take us back (no idea how long she was waiting, but we were in the bathroom for quite awhile!).

Once we were in the exam room, I start stripping baby J for her checkup when F starts crying because she left her breakfast (cereal in a container) in the bathroom. H leaves to find it, but comes back empty-handed because she can't find the bathroom. G says she knows where it is so she leaves. She comes back and says she found the bathroom but it wasn't in there. After baby's height and weight check, I quickly check the bathroom and find it (G had gone to the wrong bathroom).

After J's checkup and shots, I start to feed her because she's screaming. After a few minutes, I shift our position only to find blood all over both of us (my hands and pants and both of our shirts) because she soaked through the bandaid. I send H to find a nurse to ask for a new bandaid and we try to clean me up while I'm still feeding the baby. The nurse apologizes, but I say, "don't worry, I have to wash G's muddy clothes anyway. I'll just throw the bloody clothes in too! :-)

By 10:30am it feels like it's been a whole day! I just had to laugh--at least I had a good attitude about it today. (I already had my day of crying this week!) It feels like this comedy of errors is my life lately, but I wouldn't trade it. I found this shirt that says, "Hands full? True, but my heart is too!"

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

HURRY! Free A&W Root Beer Float

Sorry, all gone now! I knew they'd go fast!
HURRY and print this coupon for a free A&W Root Beer Float before they are gone! There is a limited number of coupons, so print your limit of 2 before they are gone! Coupon expires 10/23 and are good at participating A&W locations.

Becoming Swimdresses Review

Don't you hate shopping for swimsuits?!? I DO! It seems all swimsuits available in stores show more skin than I'd like, especially after having 5 girls! And because I have 5 girls, I've been thinking a lot about modesty lately, and how to model that for them.

We talk about modesty in our clothing choices, but it seems most of that flies right out the window once you put on a swimsuit. Either the neckline is too low or the legs are cut too high, or any number of things in between. I went looking for modest swimwear and came across Becoming Swimdresses. They are so unlike any other swimwear I have ever seen that I had to try them! I contacted Sandi about doing a review, and she graciously agreed. I've never been so excited about getting a swimsuit before!

Becoming Swimdresses come in three styles for women and in different colors and fabrics. I chose the Stella design because I like the high neckline, which takes out the worry of excessive cleavage. My swimdress fits well, and doesn't feel tight. In fact, I think there is room with the stretchy material that I could wear it even while pregnant (no, I don't have an announcement to make!). I love the idea of not having to shop for a new swimsuit even if I gain or lose a little weight. The under-swimsuit is one piece, from the neckline down to the capris. Then there is a mesh dress overlay that helps hide some "curves" and makes the swimdress look elegant. I feel more confident wearing this swimdress than I have felt wearing a swimsuit for many years!

Yes, but how does it act in the water with all that fabric? I can't believe I'm going to do this, but here is a vlog of me in a swimsuit so you can see for yourself! (Click through to my blog to see the video.) As you can see, the swimdress flows easily in the water and doesn't drag at all. I felt just as free to move as in any other swimsuit. The mesh does cling when getting out of the water, but you just shake it out a few times and it dries within a few minutes.

Sandi also sent us 4 swimdresses for the girls. One of my daughters has a long torso, so regular swimsuits come down too low on her chest. Another problem with regular swimsuits is that they "ride up" in the back. Both of these issues (chest and back) are NOT an issue with the girls' Becoming Swimdresses! They come up high on the chest and they are one piece with shorts under the dress, so nothing rides up. My girls love them! I even like the cute orange print, which will make them EASY to spot at the pool or beach. The girls' swimdresses are $29 each and currently come in sizes 2-7. Sandi is working on bigger sizes and also another design for the girls.

Sandi is great to work with. Shipping is free and she offers a 100% guarantee! Her women's swimdresses are on sale now for $61.95. Coordinating sleeves are only $14 if you want to have a cover-up for going to and from the pool, or to make it look even more like a dress. The Becoming Swimdresses are an innovative product, and I thank Sandi for allowing me to do a review!

I received a Becoming Swimdress for myself and 4 for the girls for doing this review. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Roundy's Coupon Matches (Pick 'n Save, Rainbow, Copps)

Roundy's stores (Copps, Pick 'n Save, and Rainbow) double 5 coupons up to $1 per $25 order every Wednesday and Saturday. There are several deals this week, so here are some printable coupon matches to help you make your list. Check your coupon stash to see if you can find more matches. For printing tips, click here. Questions? Feel free to email me!

$0.50/ea: Yoplait Original or Whips! Yogurt, 6 oz
$0.40/6 Yoplait Yogurt cups
$0.40/6 Yoplait Yogurt cups
$0.37 each ADC
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General Mills Cereal, buy 6, get $10 off and a coupon for $3.25 off milk OYNO

Various coupons here
This is usually a VERY good deal for cereal on double coupon day--free or nearly free!
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$4.49/ea: Johnsonville Brats or Italian Sausage
$0.55/1 Johnsonville Sausage
$3.99 ADC
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$3.00/ea: Johnsonville Pork Sausage Links, Patties or Rolls

$0.55/1 Johnsonville Sausage
$1.90 ADC
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$2.50/ea: Land O Lakes Butter; Buy 2 Land O Lakes Butter, Get 1 Dozen Land O Lakes Natural Eggs FREE Instantly at Checkout
$0.50/2 LAND O LAKES Butter

$0.50/1 LAND O LAKES Spreadable Butter
As low as $1.50 ADC plus free eggs
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$0.66/ea: Yoplait Greek Yogurt
$0.30/1 Yoplait Greek Yogurt
$0.06 ADC!
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$2.00/ea: Betty Crocker Specialty Potatoes Twin Packs

$0.50/2 Betty Crocker boxed Potatoes
$0.50/2 Betty Crocker boxed Potatoes
$1.50 each ADC
==================================
$3.69/ea: Romano's Macaroni Grill Dinner Kits
$0.75/1 Romano's Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites Dinner Kit
$2.19 ADC
==================================
$2.00/ea: 8th Continent Soymilk
$1.00/1 8th Continent Soymilk (says redeem at Walmart-YMMV)
Free ADC
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$1.25/ea: Progresso Traditional Soup
$1.00/4 Progresso Soups
$3/4 ADC
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$0.50/ea: Dannon Yogurt, 6 oz. Varieties
$0.50/6 Light & Fit 6 oz. Cups
$2/6 ADC or $0.33 each
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BOGO free Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks
$0.50/2 Betty Crocker Fruit Shapes, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers
$0.50/2 Betty Crocker Fruit Shapes, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers OR Fruit Roll-Ups
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$2.49/ea: General Mills Chex Mix, Bugles, Gardettos or Cheerios Snack Mix
$0.50/1 Caramel OR Chocolate Peanut Butter Bugles snack
$0.50/1 Caramel OR Chocolate Peanut Butter Bugles snack
$0.50/1 Chex Mix OR Chex 100 Calorie Snack
$0.50/1 Chipotle Cheddar, Sour Cream & Onion or Barbecue Chex Mix
$0.50/1 Chocolate Chex Mix or Caramel OR Chocolate Peanut Butter Bugles
$0.50/1 Chex Mix OR Chex 100 Calorie Snack
$1.49 ADC
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$3.00/ea: Totino's 40 ct. Pizza Rolls or Pillsbury 7.8-8.5 oz. Savorings
$1.00/2 Pillsbury Savorings products
$1.00/2 Pillsbury Savorings products
$0.40/2 Totino's Rolls Snacks
$2.00 each ADC
==================================
$2.50/ea: Pillsbury Halloween Cookies
$1.00/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough
$1.00/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Holiday Cookies
$1.50 each ADC
==================================
$2.00/ea: Yoplait Trix, For Kids or Drinkables Yogurt
$0.75/2 Yoplait Go-GURT Yogurt Yoplait Trix Multipack Yogurt
$1.25 each ADC
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$1.66/ea: Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits, Buy 3 Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits and Get a FREE Roundy's Butter Quarters Instantly
$0.30/2 Refrigerated Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits
$0.30/2 Refrigerated Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits
$1.36 each ADC, plus free butter
==================================
$2.00/ea: Hamburger Helper Twin Packs
$0.75/3 Hamburger Helper
$4.50/3 ADC
==================================
$1.00/ea: Hershey’s Milk
$0.35/1 Hershey’s Milk
$0.30 ADC
==================================
$1.66/ea: Coffee-Mate Creamer
$0.75/1 Coffee-Mate Creamer
$0.16 ADC
==================================
$2.00/ea: Kraft Shredded, Chunk or Crumble Cheese
$5.00/5 Kraft Cheese
$1.00 each
==================================
$3.50/ea: MorningStar Farms Meat Alternatives
$1/1 MorningStar Farms printable
$1.50 ADC
==================================
$1.00/ea: Carnation Evaporated Milk
$0.50/2 Carnation Evaporated Milk
$0.50 each ADC

Monday, September 20, 2010

Encouragement

Today was one of those days.
Tears and frustration.
Fears. Can I do this?
A call from a friend.
"Can I pray with you?" she said.
A sweet salve for a spent soul.

Mailbox Monday--New Freebies!


Friday, September 17, 2010

An Update on our "Pet" Audrey

Remember our new "pet" Audrey? Good thing she's not a real pet. I'm not sure what's going on, but she doesn't look like we expected.

We stopped feeding her because we thought maybe she was working too hard digesting all the bugs we eagerly fed her in the first 3 days. The bugs are supposed to be digested in about 10 days, so we wanted to give her a break. After a bug is digested, the trap is supposed to reopen and be ready for another meal. It's been 10 days since her first meal, and so far two traps have reopened for business. As you can see, the spider and the ant didn't get fully digested. . . (click on the picture to make it bigger so you can see better.)

It was pretty cool to see some "bug juice" get squeezed out of a few of the traps as the digestion was taking place. But now a couple of the traps that have bugs in them are turning brown or black--they look like they are dying. We've kept watering her (through the bottom of the pot, as instructed), so I'm not sure if something is going wrong or if this is normal. The instructions say that if a trap dies, cut it off and a new one will grow. I hope that is the case, but only time will tell. There is a new one growing near the almost dead one, so there's still hope.

Did anyone else buy a Venus Flytrap? If so, how does yours look? I got mine at the grocery store (I went back and they were all gone), but I think you can also buy them at florists and greenhouses, so call around if you are interested. Even if Audrey dies, it was still a really fun and interesting project, well worth our $5! :-)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Weekly Groceries: Under $52

I'm not promising that I'll be able to post pictures every week again, but this week I got my shopping done in less than 1/2 hour so I had time to take a picture. Of course I had also bought groceries at Aldi the day before, so that helped. Here is my Roundy's trip:I did two transactions and spent $27.12 with a savings of $56.67 or 84%!
These items were free: Yoplait Delights x2, Dreamfields Pasta x2, Quaker oatmeal x2, Pace salsa (last free coupon that I won playing sweeps), and Gain dish liquid (free coupon in the mail).

I also got chocolate mix (to make more homemade hot chocolate mix for Ted's coffee), Life cereal x2, Quaker oatmeal x1, Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup, Hillshire Farm ham x2, chocolate milk x2, and 7 pounds of fresh chicken breasts. (See what I did with all that chicken right away here.) I got a raincheck for the Ronzoni Pasta BOGO free, which I have several coupons for, so I'll be getting that in the next week or two.

I also got groceries at Aldi the day before. There I spent$24.61, making my total for the week $51.73. I got a butternut squash, baby carrots, edamame x3 (F and I discovered we love them! Thanks Sara C!), milk, a mango, tri-color peppers, tortilla chips x2, marshmallows x2, plain raisins and yogurt covered raisins, animal crackers x3, macaroni and cheese x3, cranberries, and black beans x2.
*In case you're interested, I finally remembered to post the picture of last week's groceries here.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Freezer Cooking: Lazy Edition!

I love being able to pull a meal out of the freezer at the last minute, but the idea of spending all day cooking so far has not appealed to me.

But this kind of freezer cooking works for me! It took me less than 10 minutes to put together several meals worth of chicken entrees. Fresh chicken breasts were on sale, so I bought about 7 pounds. When I got home from grocery shopping, I took the raw chicken breasts and divided them up into labeled freezer bags. I dumped in some marinade sauces (BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, and Sweet and Sour sauce), sealed them up, and threw them in the freezer!

I made a big batch of BBQ chicken, which I will put frozen into the crockpot on low for several hours, and then shred for shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches. I made smaller batches of Italian chicken and sweet and sour chicken. Those I will likely either thaw overnight and cook on the stove or throw in the oven to bake. Serve them with veggies or a salad and rice or pasta and you've got dinner on the table with minimal effort!

What do you make for easy freezer meals? I'm looking for more recipes that are quick and easy (read "minimal prep"),
so PLEASE email me or leave a comment!

(Don't make me beg!)

Wordless Wednesday: Now See Here!

Look who got glasses!
She picked them out herself
from Zenni Optical.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Free Cottonelle Wipes

Get a free tub of wipes for you and share the love with a friend! Fill in your address here and provide the email address of a friend, and you will both be mailed a coupon for a FREE tub of Cottonelle Wipes! Limit one free tub coupon per address.

Roundy's Coupon Matches (Pick 'n Save, Rainbow, Copps)

Roundy's stores (Copps, Pick 'n Save, and Rainbow) double 5 coupons up to $1 per $25 order every Wednesday and Saturday. There are several deals this week, so here are some printable coupon matches to help you make your list. Check your coupon stash to see if you can find more matches. For printing tips, click here. Questions? Feel free to email me!

$3.49/ea: Litehouse Dressing or Vegetable Dip
$1.00/2 Litehouse Products
$2.49 each ADC
==================================
$0.50/ea: Yoplait Original or Whips! Yogurt, 6 oz
$0.40/6 Yoplait Yogurt cups
$0.40/6 Yoplait Yogurt cups
$0.37 each ADC
==================================
$2.00/ea: Yoplait Delights 4 pk.
$0.50/1 Yoplait Delights Yogurt
$1.00 ADC
==================================
$1.99/ea: Kellogg's Cereal wyb 5
$1.50/2 Kellogg's Froot Loops, Apple Jacks and/or Corn Pops Cereals
$1.24 each
==================================
BOGO free Starbucks Ice Cream
$1.00/2 pints of Starbucks Ice Cream
==================================
$9.99/ea: Purina Dog Chow or Puppy Chow, 17.6-20 lb.
$1.00/1 Purina Dog Chow Dog Food, Complete & Balanced OR Purina Puppy Chow
$7.99 ADC
==================================
BOGO free Disney Children's Vitamins, 60ct.
$1.00/1 Disney Childrens' Vitamin Product
==================================
BOGO free Osteo Bi-Flex
$3.00/1 Osteo Bi-Flex Caplet, Softgel or Powder (not Liquid)
==================================
$8.99/ea: Johnsonville Brats or Italian Sausage, 3 lb.
$0.55/1 Johnsonville Sausage
$7.89 ADC
==================================

Monday, September 13, 2010

Free Uncrustables Everyday!

Now through 10/13, you can log in every day for a chance at a coupon for a FREE package of Smucker's Uncrustables! The first 400 people to submit an organizational tip each day after the starting time will get a coupon for a free package. Limit one coupon per household during the giveaway. 12,500 coupons will be given away! A notice will be on their website when the coupons for that day are gone.

When to Get Coupons

Mondays 12 Noon EST
Tuesdays 6 am EST
Wednesdays 4 pm EST
Thursdays 6 am EST
Fridays 12 Noon EST
Saturdays 2 pm EST
Sundays 9 pm EST
Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

Free Thermometer Set from Safety1st

Order anything from Safety1st and get a FREE family thermometer set ($29.99 value), along with FREE shipping! I ordered this Bio-Plastic step stool for $6.49 and the thermometer set and free shipping were automatically added to my cart. No tax, no shipping, my total was $6.49!

Step stools are always useful to have, it seems. You can always leave it at the grandparents' house for when you visit if you don't need one at your house. Or you can order one of the many other things on the website. The thermometer and free shipping deal is good until 9/30, but these step stools probably won't last long, so if you are interested, don't wait!

Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

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