frugal

Babywearing: Getting stuff done with the Mamaway Ring Sling Baby Carrier!

Abby H.

I’m a baby wearing mama. Why? Well first off, both my kiddos did really well being close to me. They slept well, and were less fussy when I was wearing them, in contrast to the times when they were in their stroller or carseat. There is something to be said for the comfort of being close to Mommy.

IMG_0880Secondly, you can get more stuff done when you are baby wearing. You aren’t trapped in the room with the baby swing or whatever contrivance the kiddo is chilling in. Washing dishes, folding laundry, doing crafts with Lil’ Man. All of these things are possible while baby wearing.

Recently I got the chance to try out a new ring sling from the cool folks at Mamaway. Their ring sling is made fron 100% Pima Cotton, so it’s super comfy, breathable and machine washable!

Mamaway Ring Sling is an all-around baby carrier perfect for your newborn. The right fit and customizable shape gives your baby the perfect comfort, snugness and love they deserve. Position your baby any way you want; upright or lying down, in front, on your hip or behind your back. Ideal for hands-free cuddles- as you can see from my photos in this post.

IMG_0878You can also nurse your kidlet in this sling too, which is a plus in my book! While this ring sling can hold up to 100 pounds, I don’t think I’ll still be toting around Birdy when she’s that big!

Screen Shot 2015-09-05 at 7.21.23 PMI chose the striped “Cesar Salad” Color because I’m trying to keep everything gender neutral. I’m just not into pink. The rings are STRONG, and there is a little pocket in the sling too- perfect for stowing a few things (like my sunglasses!). This is a must have, and would make a great Baby shower gift!

I was given a free Mamaway Ring Sling to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and I received no financial compensation for this review.

Score some food freebies from Ralphs!

Abby H.1 Comment

I love that Ralphs has their Free Friday Download each week where you can score something free each week. This week, there are THREE freebies!

Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 9.19.05 AM Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 9.19.18 AM

If you are new to Free Friday Downloads from Ralph’s, here is more info about how it works:

WHAT IS FREE FRIDAY DOWNLOAD? An exclusive benefit to having an account online at ralphs.com is FREE products (yes, we said FREE!). When you download the free product coupon, it will be loaded directly to your Shopper’s Card and applied at checkout in-store.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Visit this page on Fridays

DOWNLOAD the digital coupon for the free product (make sure to download between 12:01 am and 11:59pm PT). View the coupon under ‘My Coupons’ in your account online or in the mobile app.

You have two weeks to redeem this coupon in store! Pick up the product at your local Ralphs store and digital coupon will automatically apply at checkout.

Make Money doing Surveys!

Abby H.1 Comment

I love to earn money, I mean who doesn’t?

Taking surveys online is a quick, easy way to make some money in your spare time.  I do surveys when I’ve got downtime (nap time, waiting for school pick up, on nights when Hubs has dinner meetings with clients or is out of town, etc.)  I don’t watch a lot of TV, so surveys are a good way to pass the time and make a little scratch. I work on surveys about 15-20 minutes each day, usually in the morning while Birdy is still asleep and Lil’ Man is watching Sesame Street and enjoying a warm cup of milk.

Here are a few of the survey panels that I am crazy about. I also included how much I’ve earned doing surveys from each one this year.
Valued Opinions sends my emails about twice a week to do quick surveys that take 10 minutes or less. : $25 so far in 2015

 

 

 

MySurvey.com is a group of consumers from throughout the United States who influence future products and services by volunteering to participate in consumer research. By sharing your opinions about products and services, you are rewarded with Reward Points to redeem for cash and merchandise. $30 so far in 2015

 

 
Opinion Outpost conducts surveys because businesses, governments, public bodies, and similar organizations are interested in the views and attitudes of the people who use their products and services. Take Surveys to give your opinion and shape the future.

Rewards include get cash, Amazon gift cards, game points, donations to your favorite charities, and more. Everyone is also automatically entered to a $10,000 sweepstakes by joining and taking surveys. The minimum cash out for Paypal is $10 and only $5 for Amazon gift cards. $60 so far in 2015.

Earn Cash with Paid View Point. Surveys are short (less than 5 minutes).  Earn cash with each Survey.   You get $1.00 when you sign up! The pay out is $15.00, and it takes about a month to earn $15.00. So far in 2015, I’ve earned about $75.00.

Earn Gift cards with Mypoints. I take surveys, click links in emails, and do all of my online shopping through Mypoints. So far in 2015, I’ve earned about $45.00.

I love to do surveys with Pinecone Research. They aren’t always looking for new participants, but check out their website and see if you fit their open demographics. I make about $20/Month doing short surveys (10 minutes or less).

With all of these survey companies, these are surveys I am pre-qualified for. No spending 10-30 minutes only to learn that you aren’t getting paid and they don’t want your opinions (that’s the #1 reason I do not do Swagbucks surveys and I don’t recommend you waste your time doing them either). All of these companies will email you when they have surveys for you to do. Take surveys, and collect points towards rewards (like Paypal payouts or gift cards).

Which survey companies do you use and like?

 

A New Month means New Coupons!

Abby H.

file000786402730Here is your monthly reminder!  A new month means new printable and electronic coupons!

Check out the following sites:

One of my favorite website is the Sunday Coupon Review.  It helps me plot out scenarios in advance and I can email friends to ask for coupons in advance. Remember if clipping coupons isn’t your thing, but saving money is, check out my list of https://hewesfamilyfun.wordpress.com/2015/03/04/saving-money-with-your-smartphone/Smartphone apps that can save you the big bucks!

Here are just a few of the new coupons that have me excited:

$0.50 off ONE (1) package of HUGGIES Wipes
$0.50 off 1 Reese's Puffs cereal It’s our favorite family snack!
$1.00 off any 1 BOCA Foods product
$1.00 off any one HORMEL ALWAYS TENDER Meats

Review: Disney Pink Minnie Costume from Wholesale Halloween Costumes

Abby H.

Halloween will be here before we know it. So I’ve started the hunt for costumes early. Lil’ Man is presenting a challenge because he keeps changing his mind every 20 minutes, but Birdy is easy. Whatever I want to put her in works!

So this year she’s going be Minnie Mouse! Wholesale Halloween CostumesIMG_0731 IMG_0730 IMG_0729 has TONS of great, quality licensed Disney costumes. It was hard to chose, but after lots of hemming and hawing, we settled on Minnie. Right now it’s too big, but by Halloween it should be perfect!

The Minnie Mouse Costume Includes Onsie Tutu with Headband with Ears. It comes in two sizes: Fits 6-12 months or Fits 12-18 months.

What I love most is that the costume is based on a onsie, so in case of diaper change, it’s a quick job, no fussing to get the entire costume off and back on.

The fabric is excellent quality, and after inspecting it from head to tail (figure of speech, there is no actual tail on this costume) and I couldn’t find an errant thread or missed stitch.

I can’t wait to pair this dress up with a pair of white lace ankle socks and a cute pair of patent leather Mary Jane shoes (or maybe I’ll just get her a pair of Trompette socks)!

Wholesale Halloween Costumes has tons of incredible costumes new for 2015, including this cute Minnie Mouse costume. If you don’t have a little girl, don’t fret, they have costumes for little boys, teens of both genders, and and great variety of adult costumes.

If you order your costume before 4pm EST and your costume is shipping THE SAME DAY!

You can catch up with Wholesale Halloween Costumes on Twitter, Facebook, and of course, their website!

Lil’ Man is carefully weighing his costume options. We go to a bunch of Halloween events before the big day, including the Boo Parade, local community carnivals, and our play group halloween party. What do your kids want to dress up as for Halloween?

Disclosure: I was provided this costume in exchange for my unbiased, honest opinion. I was not financially compensated to write this review.

 

Save 15% on iTunes gift cards $25 or more at JCPenney! #iTunesJCP15

Abby H.

file0001262541721I’m a big fan of gift cards, especially when they are on sale, so this deal is right up my alley!

Starting today through August 29th at JCPenney’s you’ll save 15% on iTunes gift cards $25 or higher! If you haven’t finished your Back to School shopping, make sure to stop by JCPenney’s and check out this deal.

But wait… It gets better. You can double dip if you’ve got a rewards credit card. We’ve got the American Express Blue Cash credit card and we receive  2% cash back rewards on purchases made at department stores including JCPenney. Check your rewards credit card to see if you get a special amount or even extra rewards at department stores.

And here is a triple dip idea: If you’ve got the Receipt Hog rebate app (learn more about it here) you can scan in your receipt to earn points towards an Amazon Gift Card or cash via Paypal.

I love buying gift cards on sale because it’s like getting money for free. I am always on the hunt for gift cards on a discount- it helps stretch our gift giving budget.

Whether you opt to give these discounted gift cards as gifts (they’d be well paired with some new earphones or as a stocking stuffer), or keep them for yourself to purchase apps, music, movies or ebooks. Did you know iTunes Gift Cards can be used in the iTunes Store, App Store, iBooks Store, or Mac App Store? iTunes gift cards make a great gift for pretty much anyone- especially college kids, teachers, or that hard to shop for teenager on your holiday shopping list.

To celebrate this awesome deal, the sponsor of this post is hosting an awesome giveaway of a $25 Amazon e-gift card. Everyone could use an extra $25, right?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I had to share this deal with you and I hope you’ll share it with your friends!

This deal is only valid on iTunes gift cards available for purchase in JCPenney stores that have a $25 value or more. This deal specifically excludes $15 iTunes Gift Cards. For more details, check with your local JCPenney store. This is a sponsored post from our friends at Tatu Digital Media, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Learn a new Skill for Free from Craftsy!!

Abby H.1 Comment

Online Sewing ClassLooking for a good way to spend your weekend? Check out the new free mini classes from Crafsty.

Here are a few of the free mini-classes that are on my to-do list:

And here is another class I’m the MOST excited about taking…  the Perfect Pizza at Home will provide me with some tips and tricks to make our next pizza extra delish!

Want to check out the classes and see what the big deal is? Here’s the full list of Craftsy free mini classes to choose from!

 

Free box of snacks from Graze!

Abby H.

Have you heard of Graze?

Each Graze box is made up of perfectly portioned snacks customized for each individual based on taste preferences and dietary requirements. Available as a weekly or bi-weekly delivery nationwide to your office or home. Several different box options that showcase our assortment of 100+ snacks including the Variety Box, Sharing Box, Calorie Count Box, Sugar Count Box, and more.

And NOW- Graze is offering a box for free!! I am stoked. I love snacks, and I love free stuff, so I’ve signed up for ours. I’ll post of photo once it arrives (before we consume it).

If you sign up for your free box, I’d love to see a picture too! Which box will you get?

Good Deal Alert! 101 free 4×6 prints from Shutterfly

Abby H.

DSC03682I don’t know about ya’ll, but we’re melting here! Despite the heat, we’re managing to have lots of fun, and I’m taking a ton of photos.

Thankfully there is a new freebie from Shutterfly! Now through August 10, 2015 all customers enjoy 101 free 4×6 prints with promo code 101TREATS at checkout.

Boring Fine Print: Offer expires August 10, 2015 (11:59 P.M. PT). Offer is good for 101 free 4×6 prints through shutterfly.com, our mobile-friendly site or Shutterfly apps. Offer cannot be redeemed more than once per account and/or billing address. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply. Not valid on other sizes, other products, prepaid plans, prior purchases and orders placed for in-store pick up. Cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other offers or credits. Not valid for resale.

 

 

What I do with all the free samples I receive….

Abby H.

bright boxesOn Saturday, my mailman asked me, “What’s up with all of the free samples?” She’s not the only one who asks. It’s one of the questions I get a lot when people find out I coupon and we live frugally (the other question I get a lot  is: “Do you have TP under your bed?”

Well, here’s the deal: I donate them. And no, there is no TP under my bed. Just out of season shoes and dust bunnies.

I donate about 90% of the free samples I receive in the mail. The local American Legion post collects small sized toiletries to make into care packages which are distributed to local homeless vets.

Additionally, the other local charity that my coupon club supports (Naomi’s Closet) also collects and distributes small sized toiletries to women’s in need.

If that sounds like something that appeals to you, you can collect travel/sample sized products and donate them to your local charity of choice.

I like MySavings to find top quality freebies. I also sign up for the P&G Brandsaver (it’s a collection of free samples from P&G available once a quarter).  Once the samples arrive, I take them out of their shipping container and I have a small box under my bathroom sink where I store samples and donation goodies.  I donate the contents of the box each month.

I also regularly donate full size products too.  For example, my donation budget is $5.00/month.  That doesn’t sound like a lot of money, but when I match sales with coupons, I am able to save big, and that $5.00 goes pretty far!

So the next time you that I’m posting free sample offers here or on Facebook, know that there will be one headed my way, to help someone in need!