Right now Schoola has two ways for you to save big!
Now through 11/22/15, save30% off sitewide with code COZY30.
This code can be used as many times as you’d like up until 11/22. You can combine it with referral credit, but not with other coupon codes!
Looking for another way to save? Sign up for their email newsletter to hear about Black Friday deals and holiday steals. You’ll get a $5 coupon code to use right away. Already get our newsletter? No worries, you can still sign up to get the deal.
Wanna spread the love of Schoola? The Give $20, Get $20 deal is back!
When you share your unique Schoola referral link with a friend, they get $20 to spend on their first order. As soon as they make their first purchase, you get $20 in credit.
We’re doing our next batch of tie dying on Thursday morning, and thanks to Schoola’s amazing sales and prices, I’ve been able to amass 16 shirts and onsies in various sizes and styles to tie dye!
We play with Legos a lot, and that means that there are legos EVERYWHERE. I looked online to see what other moms do to combat the land mine field that stray pieces turn into late at night.
I found this Lego sack on Amazon, but I didn’t have any Amazon Credit, so I decided to improvise.
I pulled out a top sheet. Because, really, how many of us use topsheets on our kids beds? In fact, this top sheet was once part of a set that belonged to hubs as a child. The fitted sheet has long since passed on, but the top sheet lives on, since we never use it on the bed.
I poured out the box of Legos onto the sheet. After we played and built for a few hours, I gathered up the corners, so all of the legos were snug in the center of the sheet and deposited the sheet full of Legos into our 12 gallon plastic tote (like this one). It is the tote that has housed the Legos for a while.
Now when it’s time to play, all we have to do is lift out the bundle, lay it on the floor and spread out the sheet.
I am so glad that I no longer have to chase around stray pieces, and there are no more late night swearing sessions when we step on one in a darkened room.
Hubs got one of these awesome Obol bowls a few years ago for Xmas, and they are super awesome! I can’t wait to get one and let Lil’ Man try it out!
Cereal Never Gets Soggy (important if you have kids and never get to finish anything in 1 sitting)!
Obol “The Original Crispy Bowl” made in the USA is the favorite for cereal
lovers around the world. Inspired by a playground slide, its Spiral Slide Design
changed the mundane cereal bowl into an everyday kitchen sensation. The
pleasure of eating cereal at the table, while watching TV or even is bed is easy,
just Swoop n Scoop!
Crispy cereal…your way, your pace.
Save 10% at obol.co Signup for instant discount code.
ME: “Henry, what do you want to be for Halloween?”
HENRY: “A Pirate Penguin!”
ME: 0_0
Henry: “You know, Mommy a Penguin that’s a pirate! Like Pingu! NUG NUG!!”
FIN
Yeah, so I set out to create a Pirate Penguin Costume. First I was going to make a penguin costume from scratch, but after pricing out fabric and questioning whether or not I’d be sane at the end of the process, I bought this penguin hoodie and a pair of black pants. He will wear both of these items again and again until they no longer fit, whereas, he’d probably only wear the costume I had originally designed and sketched just once.
Modeling the jacket Miami Vice Style
Next came the question of the pirate part. I scoured thrift stores for two months looking for the PERFECT coat to pirate-ize. Luckily for me (and Henry), I found this amazing dark teal velvet ladies jacket at AmVets for only $4.95. It’s a size 6 Petite, which is perfect. In it’s original life, it had a short Mandarin collar and single breast front with 5 large buttons.
To fully embrace the pirate-ness of this jacket, we first had to take it in so it fit. We lopped off 4 inches of sleeve length from each arm, and then put a dart in the back.
Working with velvet and satin lining isn’t easy, but I used these awesome Wonder Clips and the fabric stayed in place without a problem. These clips are perfect for taking in or up garments. They have built in seam allowance marking, and they can clamp together large or bulky fabrics (and in my case, slippery ones too).
I like these clips much better than my usual sewing pins- The bottom of the clip is flat, so I don’t worry about the bottom of the fabric scrunching up, and I didn’t stab my self while sewing (something that occurs every time I sew a garment that is pinned together and I’ve been sewing for 20 years)! After we had taken in the back and the sleeves it was time to crank up the pirate-ness of this jacket.
We spray painted rayon lace with antique gold spray paint. We pinned the lace pieces to foam core board, sprayed the lace, and once it was dry sewed it on the cuffs. For the lace on the front, we applied it using fusible web. We did this instead of sewing it down because the jacket has pockets in the front that could not be accessed if the trim was sewn on.
I hot glued acrylic gems over top of the existing buttons. And there you have it- A Pirate coat, fit for a penguin!
NUG NUG! (Pirate hat not shown in photo)
We used additional accessories that we had laying around the house: Pirate Hat, sash belt, velvet pouch, and no pirate kit is complete without a telescoping spyglass (it was a birthday gift).
There you go! A complete costume for less than $40.00
Hoodie: $16.24
Pants: $6.00
Coat: $4.95
All of the additional supplies (lace, spray paint, acrylic jewels, sewing notions) we already had on-hand.
I’d love to hear about and see your DIY Halloween creations! Leave me a comment (and a photo)!
I received the Wonder Clips free to facilitate a review. All Opinions are my own. I received no finanacial compensation to review them.
I posted about Schoola last month- and they are back again with an awesome offer AND a great sale that helps others in need! When you sign up for a Schoola account here you will earn $20 in credit and you can give $20 in Schoola credit for a limited time!
There are thousands of top-notch finds you can purchase with your Schoola credit. Plus, now for a limited time you can get FREE shipping with no minimum order value. That means with referral credit, you can SHOP FOR FREE. I recently picked up a bunch of white shirts and onsies that I’ll be using for out next big Tie Dye Project!
Christmas is 64 days away, and while some of us have been saving our pennies and dollars, some of us haven’t. This article is for those of you who are looking to earn some extra money. For the holidays, or heck, even beyond that!
Now these are all methods that I have used, and continue to use, so there is no baloney coming from me.
I do Surveys. Here is a post with links to my top survey companies, including how much each one has earned me!
One of my favorite survey companies is 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-6 weeks to earn $15.00. So far in 2015, I’ve earned about $78.00.
I send my junk mail to Small Business Knowledge Center. Here is a post about it with details. I just got another $20 GC from them earlier this month!
I take our bottles and cans to the recycling center. It’s not a ton of money, but I paid the deposit on those bottles, I want it back! I take Lil’ Man with me and we get about $4-$5/month between the milk jugs and misc. bottles and cans. We don’t drink a lot of soda or juice. My parents save their recyclables for us too!
I do simple tasks with Field Agent. Field Agent is an app for smartphones that allows you to do simple tasks like photographing displays in stores or scanning items in stores. They even have secret shopping tasks. Tasks vary in pay, however most pay between $3-$10. I’ve been using Field Agent for 2 months and I’ve earned over $100. Payment is done via Paypal!
I also do simple tasks with Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. I transfer the earnings to my Amazon.com account. You sign up and do tasks for small amounts of money, but the money adds up fast. The tasks are quick and simple (transcription, surveys, flagging inappropriate photos). I’ve earned over $50 since February. If you want cold hard cash instead of Amazon.com credit there is an option to have money transferred to a bank account. Mechanical Turk does ask for your SSN when you sign up- you will receive a 1099- MISC at the end of the year., regardless of which option you select.
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 also use Swagbucks. I use their search engine toolbar, take a daily poll, watch a video and click a few links each day! So far in 2015, I’ve earned about $60.00. Swagbucks has tons of rewards, you can receive cash via paypal too!
I use my smartphone to save money too. There are tons of apps that have help you save money in the store (coupons), and get your money back afterwards (rebates). Here is a list of my favs. I’m loving Ibotta right now- I’ve saved over $100 this year alone, just buying my normal groceries!
All of these things are easy to do, realistic, and even a busy person can take 10 minutes out of their day to do one of the things I’ve listed.
It’s the ultimate holiday tradition and creates memories for a lifetime. The production includes over 200 romantic costumes and 10′ tall playful animal puppets; shimmering colorful, backdrops splashed with 3-D effects; life-sized Matrushka (Nesting) Dolls and a puppet show for shadowing the Nutcracker Story at the opening Christmas Party. During the battle with Nutcracker Prince and the 3-headed Rat King, a golden cannon shoots roses! In the Magical Snow Forest an authentic Russian style Troika Sleigh, known as the fastest sleigh in the world, is escorted by Father Christmas (Ded Moroz) and Snow Maiden (Snegurochka) on their way to Act II. The Great Russian Nutcracker is known for its dedication to world peace with Act II named the “Land of Peace and Harmony.” The first scene of Act II features a stunning “Dove of Peace” with a 20′ wingspan and danced by 2 dancers each with one feathered wing. All ages feel the spirit of the season at Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker! Use the code JOY to get the biggest discount of the season for your family.
October marks the return of an IHOP® favorite that makes everyone smile, but now with
even more fun: Scary Face Pancakes are back! Bring the kids to create their own legend—scary or silly—with strawberries, whipped topping, Mini Oreo® cookies and candy corn.
And your kids can enjoy a FREE Scary Face Pancake at your local IHOP on 10/30/15! All kids 12 & under get a Scary Face Pancake between 7am and 10pm Friday, October 30th at participating locations. One per child. Dine in only.
I’ll be taking Lil’ Man and we’ll be meeting friends for a fun, frugal breakfast!
Kids are invited to explore San Diego’s diverse museums — for FREE! From October 1 – 31, children ages 12 and under receive FREE admission with a paid adult (limit 2) at any of our three-dozen participating museums. Just download the coupon (available here) and present it upon arrival.
Explore the hidden treasures of the ocean or the far reaches of outer space. Delve into local history, visual arts, botanical gardens, architectural treasures — and more! Note: This offer does not include special events/exhibits or field trips.
Participating museums:
Barona Cultural Center & Museum
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Cabrillo National Monument
California Center for the Arts Museum
California Surf Museum
Coronado Museum of History & Art
Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House
Heritage of the Americas Museum
Japanese Friendship Garden
La Jolla Historical Society
Living Coast Discovery Center
Lux Art Institute
Maritime Museum of San Diego
Marston House Museum & Gardens
Mingei International Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Museum of Making Music
Museum of Photographic Arts
Oceanside Museum of Art
Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (galleries only)
San Diego Air & Space Museum
San Diego Archaeological Center
San Diego Automotive Museum
San Diego Botanic Garden
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
San Diego History Center
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
San Diego Natural History Museum (theNAT)
Santa Ysabel General Store
Serra Museum
The New Children’s Museum
The San Diego Museum of Art
The Water Conservation Garden
Tijuana Estuary
Timken Museum of Art (FYI- this museum is always free)
USS Midway Museum
Veterans Museum & Memorial Center
Visions Art Museum
Warner-Carillo Ranch House
Women’s Museum of California
Kids Free in October is presented by ScholarShare, California’s 529 College Savings Plan, with additional support provided by Time Warner Cable, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture.
** The coupon allows up to two children 12 and under to get in FREE with one full-price paid adult. Children must be accompanied by the adult during the visit. This coupon cannot be used for specially ticketed events, Maker Faire San Diego, special exhibitions/exhibits, field trips or group visits. Coupon cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value. Coupon is valid October 1-31, 2015.
Oh, and as part of free October, Kids can get into the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park free when accompanied by a paying adult! WOO HOO!
There is another list of free stuff for kids (including kids eat free) here on the San Diego Tourism Authority website.
Having kids means two things: Someone is always hungry, and someone always needs new clothes.
Schoola to the rescue! Through 9/30/15, when you use coupon code FALLINGPRICES at checkout, you’ll score 50% off their already low prices on new and gently worn baby, kids, teens, and adult clothing and accessories! But it gets better…Schoola is giving away 5,000 $5 coupon codes for a limited time. This means you can get women’s and kids’ clothes absolutely FREE for a limited time. Simply sign up to be the first to know about our upcoming brand-name, new with tags, flash sales from Gymboree, Tea Collection, more and They’ll issue a unique $5 code.
Oh, yeah, want more free clothes? Schoola gives new users $15 in store credit to use too! So recap:
$5 coupon code for the first 5000 people to sign up here
Free shipping through 9/30/15
50% off already low prices through 9/30/15
Schoola helps you save money by purchasing gently used and new clothing and it also allows schools to fundraise without selling the usual items (candy bars, gift wrap, etc.). It’s a great way to help schools all over the US!
What are you waiting for? I scored 5 shirts for our fall Tie Dye project all for free!
(Disclosure: My referral link is above- I get $15 in store credit if you sign up, which is great b/c my kids constantly need new clothes, seriously! I really appreciate it!
Right now Schoola has two ways for you to save big!
I poured out the box of Legos onto the sheet. After we played and built for a few hours, I gathered up the corners, so all of the legos were snug in the center of the sheet and deposited the sheet full of Legos into our 12 gallon plastic tote (
