Frugal Front Porch

Happy & Safe Holiday Wishes

2009-12-24T23:46:00.000-06:00

Don't forget to enter my Sesame Street Live giveaway for FREE tickets to a show near you! After your holiday festivities, of course!

Sesame Street Live: 1-2-3 Imagine! (plus Discounts, Freebies, & a Giveaway)

2009-12-22T21:00:00.012-06:00

Sesame Street Live is a fantastic musical show including all your favorite characters: Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Abby Cadabby, and more! I took my oldest daughter to the Let's Be Friends Show in 2001. She absolutely loved it, laughing and jumping up and down throughout the entire show. The characters were larger than life and frequently came down the aisle asking for audience participation. She was 3 years old at the time so I don't think she remembers the experience but I do! There was dancing, music and confetti! TONS. OF. CONFETTI. Do I need to say more? The show was about 90 minutes long with an intermission about halfway through. We were both exhausted after the show but in a good way!!!

Dancing + Music + Confetti + Elmo, Big Bird, & the rest of the Sesame Street gang = Tons of FUN!

1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends is the newest show added to the Sesame Street line up. It's scheduled to hit the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN January 13-17. Even though the show is a good 8 hours away, it would be a great excuse for a weekend get away after the hustle and bustle of the holidays! Here is how the VEE Corporation, creators of Sesame Street, describe the show:

Imagine singing and dancing with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird and all your favorite Sesame Street Live friends! It’s as easy as counting “1-2-3 Imagine!” This high-energy musical will transport audiences to far away places as Ernie captains the high seas, Elmo dances to the rhythm of the African rainforest and Bert meets an octopus who has the blues. It’s a story of adventure and fun that teaches children they can be anyone, do anything and go anywhere with the power of imagination.

Tickets for the Target Center show dates are already on sale. Prices range from $10 to $36 make this perfect for any budget! Want it cheaper? I have a special $3 discount on all Target Center tickets. Click to buy the discounted tickets online or click for a printable coupon to use at the Target Center Box Office.

Tickets to all the shows are on sale. A pair of tickets would make a great last minute stocking stuffer! Hint! Hint! I also have some Sesame Street Live: 1-2-3 Live free printables for your stockings too.

Sesame Street Live
1-2-3 Imagine with Elmo & Friends
Minneapolis, MN Target Center
January 13 -17, 2010

Ticket Prices: $10 up to $36
Click to find a show near you and purchase tickets! (Use code COOKIE for discount to the Target Center show only)

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!

Vee Corporation and Sesame Street has generously offered one of my lucky readers FOUR free ticket vouchers good for ANY Sesame Street Show in ANY LOCATION! Make sure to check for a show near you before entering the giveaway!

Required Entry - Tell me you or your child's favorite Sesame Street character.

Want more ways to enter??? Check out the bonus entries but, make sure to leave a comment for each entry so it counts.

Buy tickets to any Sesame Street Show - 5 entries
Link a photo or video of your kiddo (or you) with your favorite Sesame Street Character or watching the show - (you can easily do this through my comment entry box using the YouTube or Add Images button) 3 entries
Leave a comment with the location of the show you would like to attend - 1 entry
Tell me your favorite Sesame Street memory (can be about your or your kids) - 1 entry
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to the blog - 1 entry per method
Tweet the giveaway - 1 entry per tweet - no spamming!

Giveaway will end New Year's Eve, December 31st, midnight CST. Winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to a prize winner's email with a mailing address or a new winner will be drawn. The vouchers will be mailed USPS First Class mail. To redeem, you must take the vouchers to your show's box office location so please make sure a show will be in your area before entering the giveaway!

All downloads are in pdf format! Vouchers were provided by the VEE Corporation. I received no compensation, additional discounts, or special gifts for this post. I believe in Sesame Street's message and dedication to children and was happy to bring this information to you.

WW - Taekwondo Testing = Yellow Belt

2009-12-22T16:44:00.003-06:00

Things have been busy around here! There's been baking, candy making and Taekwondo testing.

He had to take two steps and break the board. Tougher than it looks!

Everyone watches with anticipations

It was a lip biting experience!

But he earned his Yellow Belt! I could not coax a smile out of him, he said "Yellow Belts are not suppose to smile. Taekwondo is serious!" L-O-V-E it!

#KmartBLS Ending + Extended Shopping Hours

2009-12-21T22:22:00.003-06:00

Don’t forget!: The last day to enter the #KmartBLS sweepstakes is December 23^rd - So keep the tweets coming and use the #KmartBLS hashtag before the contest is over! All those following @KmartDealsnNews on December 23^rd will be entered to win the Grand Prize of a $500 Kmart shopping spree! The winner will be drawn on the 30^th. For full details, make sure to check out http://tr.im/kmartbls Good luck!

Last minute Holiday shopping? No worries, Kmart has extended their shopping hours to 6am-12am through December 23^rd and 6am-10pm December 24^th. Use the following link to tweet about the new shopping hours and enter yourself for the daily drawing! Shop @KmartDealsnNews extended Holiday hours: 6am-12am until 12/23 and 6am-10pm on 12/24! #KmartBLS.

Here are the Bluelight Special teasers for this weekend 12/26 - 12/27:

· Gen gemstone earrings (reg.$ 39.99) sale $9.99

· Mushabellies (reg. $24.99) sale $7.99

· Digital Photo Keychain (reg. $19.99) sale $8.99 ( 65% off )

Our Favorite Holiday Things

2009-12-18T22:54:00.004-06:00

Some of our favorite Holiday things happened this week!

We made homemade ornaments and gift tags.

Decorated Christmas Cookies with our scout troop and passed them out to the retirement center residents. (The residents kept trying to pay the boys for them. How sweet!)

We took pictures with Santa at the mall and dropped off our Santa Letter!

The annual School's Winter Concert was a HUGE hit. The highlight was Santa sweatin' to the oldies with Richard Simmons!

We also saw some funky decorations. Namely a stuffed cougar with glittery red reindeer antlers at the Timber Lodge Steakhouse!

Here is a video clip of the Winter Concert. In this scene is Santa is found to be too overweight to pull the sleigh so the chief elf has brought in a specialist to help Santa lose a few pounds just in time for Christmas. Watch as Santa and Mrs Claus sweat it out to the oldies with Richard Simmons.

1-800-FREE411 Walmart GC Contest

2009-12-17T08:54:00.000-06:00

I received an email from a PR rep earlier this week telling me about this contest. This is copied directly from the email I received.

1-800-FREE411, which offers FREE directory assistance, is now offering its callers the chance to win a $50 Walmart gift card every time they call. When callers call 1-800-FREE411 they can choose “contest” from the main menu options and play one of three easy games for a chance to win:
- “Pick Four:” Pick four numbers from your keypad and if it’s the winning combination you win!

- “Countdown:” Hold the line during the countdown to hear if you’ve won!

- “Pick Three:” Just like pick four, but with three numbers!

It’s an easy and FREE way to win a great prize for holiday shopping! In addition to the contests, which run through December, and free directory assistance, 1-800-FREE411 is now offering callers FREE information such as horoscopes, movie times, traffic and weather updates, sports scores and much more.

I admit, I have not called this to see if this contest is legitimate. I use the internet or my local phone book for directory assistance and have never found myself in need their service at this time. At least I know about it for future reference. I did look them up on the internet and found their contest's T&C's. Call if you like but do so at your own risk! Make sure you listen to all the messages to ensure you don't get charged for anything. Good luck.

Trim Back Your Spending With Help From TrimBack.com

2009-12-16T23:39:00.005-06:00

Through my partnership with Momfuse, I discovered an additional source for coupon codes. Trying to keep my family on budget, especially during the holiday shopping season is hard enough so I look for as many discount codes as I can find! I admit I am very impressed with TrimBack.com's site.

Visually similar to Retail Me Not , Trim Back's site has a better set up. They have key buttons aligned at the top so I can easily find them plus a large help button for first time users. This makes navigation so much simpler!

Some other fantastic things you can do at TrimBack.com is:

Establish your own account
Add stores and coupons with the click of a button
See the success rate of each coupon/discount listed
Follow them on Twitter and Facebook for updates
Read the blog for insider information
Follow the entire site's RSS feed OR just your favorite stores
Grab grocery deals in their grocery section
Find printable AND online coupon codes

While exploring the site, I checked out their Macy's coupon codes to see what kinds of deals I could find. I found lots of free shipping codes for beauty, fragrance, handbags, and several other things. I LOVE free shipping codes. Needless to say I have www.TrimBack.com bookmarked for my future frugal shopping missions!

*I have not been compensated for this post. This review is my honest opinion. MomFuse did provide me with this review opportunity. This review post is a part of a blog posting contest for a chance to win a gift card from the sponsor but this did not affect my opinion of this company. All posts written on this blog are my HONEST personal opinions and I never compromise my integrity! I am following them on Twitter and am a Facebook Fan so I can stay updated on all their newest discount codes.

Send a Secret Santa Wish to help Toys for Tots & get a 15% discount to 1-800-FLOWERS

2009-12-16T23:01:00.005-06:00

1-800-Flowers has a great new program on their Facebook page called Secret Santa! You can send a FREE Secret Santa wish to ANYONE with an email address (not just your Facebook friends). Your identity will remain anonymous until December 21st when 1-800-Flowers will reveal your identity.

The goal of Secret Santa is to have 10,000 wishes sent.

When (not if) this goal is met, 1-800-Flowers will donate $5,000 to Toys for Tots! How fabulous!

As a bonus, you will get a 15% discount promotional code after you send your Secret Santa wish.

Click the Secret Santa image below to send all your friends some holiday love while helping Toys for Tots...and in the process score a great discount code!

*This post was written as a member of the Global Influence group. I have not received any compensation for this post but it has entered me into a random draw for a gift certificate to 1-800-FLOWERS. All opinions expressed are mine and not influenced by what prize I may or may not receive as a result of this post!

WW-Our Favorite Things

2009-12-15T23:24:00.003-06:00

Here are some photos of our favorite things...this week!

J-Man LOVES his fake mustache from the Quarter machine outside the grocery store!

Wild Man has a fascination with taking pictures of the bathroom! Don't ask me why but every time he sneaks the camera, it comes back with a new picture of our bathroom!

This is my favorite thing this week. It's my new fabric wreath I finished! I'd like to add a bigger bow but other than that, I am totally thrilled with it!

Wild Man had to show off his brother's new hand held pocket game: Guitar Hero! Is there a version of this game they don't make!!!

This is my photo entry for a new HP Touchsmart 600 computer High Tech Dad is giving away! I had to come up with either a song to the tune of a Christmas carol with HP and High Tech Dad in it OR write a compelling story. I'm not musically inclined so I wrote a compelling story. I also had to include photos with my existing computer. This is one of the pictures I submitted. It was funny so I had to share it!

By some stroke of weird & amazing luck, I am a finalist for the SHAWEET piece of silicone hardware! I am so far behind in votes I doubt I can win this. You can see my full entry #10, here! If you want to vote for someone, consider voting for #9, Jeanette. She's one of my facebook friends and has a wicked funny song she made up!

Don't forget, my Handmade Holiday giveaway ends on 12/18. Click here to enter.

#KmartBLS for 12/19 & 12/20

2009-12-14T15:30:00.003-06:00

Here are your teasers for this weekend December 19^th and 20th:

· Boys/Girls Licensed Hoodies $8 (reg. $18.99) Great stocking stuffer!

· Essential Home 10 pc Sets $29.99 (reg. $49.99)

· Rollercade $49.99 (reg. $79.99) This might make out Santa list!!!

Don’t forget to follow @KmartDealsnNews and use the #KmartBLS hashtag for a chance to win every day! For more info & rules: http://tr.im/KmartBLS. Good luck!

#HighTechDad Giving Away #HPTouchsmart in a #HTDHPGiveaway

2009-12-14T08:52:00.004-06:00

High Tech Dad is giving away a new HP Touchsmart 600 FREE. The rules for this giveaway are a bit different than your standard leave a comment entry. There's three parts to the entry process.

He wants to see you with your existing PC
You need to create a song with HP and High Tech Dad in it OR tell a story (sad, funny, beg, plead, whatever) about WHY you need a new computer
Promote, promote, promote his giveaway

It ends noon pacific time today. He'll cut off comments, pick the top ten and then throw it to public voting for a final winner. Since today's my birthday, I hope it's me! If you are fast, you can enter High Tech Dad's HP Touchsmart 600 contest.

Here's the pictures I'm sharing in the contest.

My Crashing Laptop

Buzz Driving is Drunk Driving - Twitter Event #BuzzedDriving

2009-12-13T22:27:00.004-06:00

Just a friendly reminder of the importance to designate a sober driver this holiday season. With all the parties and "Holiday Cheer" being passed around, it's easy to loose track of how many drinks we consume. Here are a couple of tips to help you enjoy the "cheer" and arrive home safely during party season.

Make a plan before you arrive at the party.

Catch a sober ride to and from the party. Avoid taking your own vehicle so you aren't tempted to get behind the wheel. Plan to use taxi service, catch a ride with a sober friend, or take advantage of the free ride program many cities and community programs offer this time of year.
If you plan to drive, leave your keys with your host or hostess as soon as you arrive at the party. If they feel you aren't sober enough to drive, they can call you a taxi or maybe even let you spend the night (if they are REALLY good friends).

To help spread the word about the hazards of buzzed driving, Resourceful Mom is holding a special Twitter Event. Follow @ResourcefulMom and @BuzzedDriving, tweet with the hashtag #BuzzedDriving on Tuesday, December 15 from 2pm - 3pm EST. Learn more about the event here.

Did you know:

Last year nearly 12,000 people were killed by alcohol-impaired drivers.
316 people alone were killed during this time last year.
DUI's issued to women rose 29% between 1998 and 2007.

Learn more about Buzzed Driving, sign a pledge to drive sober, and even play a virtual game to see the difference between sober driving and buzzed driving at http://buzzeddriving.adcouncil.org/. You can also find them on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/buzzeddrivingisdrunkdriving.

What are your strategies for a fun holiday party while finding a sober ride home?

Eat Drink & Be Merry BUT Be Responsible. Buzzed Driving IS Drunk Driving!!!!

*I have not received any compensation or free items for this post. It's simply a cause I feel strongly about!

Last Day for Jiffy Lube Gift Card Giveaway

2009-12-13T11:25:00.002-06:00

Today is the last day to enter the $35 Jiffy Lube Gift Card Giveaway.

Be sure you get your entries posted by midnight tonight for them to count!

Good Luck!

It's a Handmade Holiday PLUS a Giveaway

2009-12-11T23:13:00.007-06:00

Every year I toss in some handmade gifts to all our family and friends. It's cost effective plus it is fun for me. A creative outlet to rid myself of the nervous holiday energy that builds up this time of year is vital for my sanity! It is also fun to see the recipient's expression when they realize "I made THAT!!"

For those of you who don't consider yourselves very crafty, You Can Make This is at your rescue. They have a complete library of crafty tutorials ranging from easy and beginner basics to more complex. They cover the whole spectrum of Do-It-Yourself projects. Sewing. Embroidery. Quilting. Painting. Printables. Scrapbooking. Knitting. Crotcheting. Even polymer clay. They have ideas for the home, wearables, teen and boy projects and a great selection of homemade toy tutorials. I love it! Their patterns are easy to read and end up looking as if Courtney, the site's creator, made them herself!

With the holidays just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to showcase some quick and easy gift ideas you can give to friends, neighbors, co-workers, and oh yes…even your family! You can enter to win eBooks from www.YouCanMakeThis.com and learn some fun new techniques, tips, and ideas not only for the people on your list, but also creative ways to decorate your home!

To personalize your gift giving even more this year, You Can Make This has created a free download for some fun gift tags. Each of them coordinate with ideas found as part of the DIY Gift Giving Series videos that can be found at www.youcanmakethis.com/blog , as well as designs and patterns found at www.SWAKembroidery.com and www.YouCanMakeThis.com.

PSSST: You can also enter to win hundreds of dollars in gift certificates just for watching the videos that are part of the DIY Gift Giving Series and answering a question on the You Can Make This blog! I've been entering for my chance to win and so should you!

Handmade Holiday Giveaway!!!

Winner's announced: Deborah's comment #22 and Annie's comment #2 were the two comments randomly drawn!

You Can Make This has generously offered TWO Frugal Front Porch Readers a bundled package of downloadable instructions/patterns for the Kimberbell Kids 24" Doll and Gift Giver patterns.

Here's the entry details

Mandatory Entry: Visit You Can Make This and tell me your favorite toy pattern
Bonus Entries: (please include appropriate links to your entry for validation)

Share this on twitter and/or your other social media sites - 1 entry per site but please don't spam your followers
Blog about this contest - 5 entries
Comment on any other post - 1 entry
Follow or subscribe to Frugal Front Porch - 1 entry
Follow me on twitter or facebook - 1 entry
Comment on a blog post at www.youcanmakethis.com/blog - 1 entry
Purchase a pattern from You Can Make This - 5 entries

The giveaway is open globally but you will need a valid email address and have Adobe Reader installed on your computer in order to receive your prize. You can get the free Adobe download here. Giveaway closes Thursday, December 18th Midnight CST. Winner will be drawn courtesy of random.org and an email notification sent to the winner and the sponsor. The prize will be emailed directly to the winner from the sponsor ASAP to give you plenty of time to make it a last minute gift for the holidays!

*Disclosure time > I received a free pattern as a courtesy for offering this giveaway to you! I have not been compensated in any other way. All banner links to You Can Make this are my affiliate links but you text links are simple links.

Giving Back During the Holidays

2009-12-11T10:17:00.003-06:00

Each year we try do a little something to give back to the community. Usually we pick out a few toys for a toy drive, donate some of our toys to Goodwill, give coats to charity or help a local family who needs some assistance. We've even filled shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. That was an awesome experience! Last year we missed out on our tradition. It was a bit hectic with being in the new house, in a new city, in a new climate zone. You get the idea.

This year we're getting back on track!

We are baking cookies this weekend for our Cub Scouts to decorate Monday night. We'll also be making mini reindeer candy cane ornaments. Tutorial and pictures to come. We will only have an hour to get it all done so the simpler, the better! When everything is dry and the icing is set, the holiday goodies will be hand delivered to our local senior citizens center!

My only problem is figuring out what kind of cookie to make. I want a fabulously delicious cookie, something different than the standard sugar or gingerbread cookies I'm sure everyone else will bring. But I want one that can be easily and quickly decorated since the boys will have dozens of cookies to decorate. Is that too much to ask?

If you've got a favorite cookie for decorating, I'm all ears!

Looking for ideas on how your can give back this year? Here's a few you might be interested in.

You can donate money or pack a shoe box for Operation Christmas child. This is a children's charity focused on many war torn regions or communities across the globe who have suffered a natural disaster (like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina). Find out more here.

General Mills has partnered with Care.org to match donations up to $500 per donor to help villages in Malawi. Funds go toward creating clean drinking water, mosquito nets to reduce Malaria outbreaks, as well as farming and other business initiatives to help these villages become self sufficient. You can find out about Join My Village here.

Robeez, part of the Stride Rite brand, is also donating a pair of soft sole shoes to K.I.D.S. (Kids In Distressed Situations) with every soft sole shoe purchase through December 23rd. Learn more about their program here. I would so buy these booties if my guy were still a wee little one!

This post was written as part of a TwitterMoms discussion about how we are giving back during the holiday season.

Send a Free Holiday E-card

2009-12-10T15:17:00.002-06:00

Click the image below to send your free Happy Holiday's e-card today! An e-card is perfect if you've forgotten to get your Christmas cards made on time this year...like I usually do!

From Balsam Hill

Christmas Trees

WW-My week in pictures

2009-12-08T22:44:00.004-06:00

Here are some photos of us around the house this past week.

J Man Wii'ing it up! Careful of the Wii Elbow son! It sneaks up on ya! ;)

What does a man do when he's got a full belly? SLEEP, of course!

Ruby in our first snow of the season...it's STILL here!

Sandy decked out in Santa fur and bells. She HATES it & the Santa hat that came with it! Can't you tell? She's giving me the "stink eye"!

Warning for Wii Users

2009-12-08T08:03:00.003-06:00

My birthday is 11 days before Christmas. My anniversary is 11 days AFTER Christmas. Poor hubster gets hit pretty hard this time of year. Sunday, we were in a store called Pamida looking for crafty type stuff. Googly eyes, softie stuffing, magnets, and other kinds of things for me to finish off a few projects. Well, he made an off hand comment a few days before about buying a Wii for the kids and me since it's been publicly (VERY publicly) on theirs list and secretly on mine. He must have seen my Amazon wish list or read comments I've made on other blogs!!!

I was completely blown away when he got the electronics gal take one to the cashier. I knew we had the money for it so it didn't blow out the Santa budget. It was a great price and even came with the Wii Sports. I also have a Wii Jumpstart preschool game I won through a giveaway which will be a great stocking stuffer. We're cooped up six months out of the year in a winter wonderland so the natives get a little restless after a bit.

It just being so close to Christmas, I don't like breaking out big purchases like this...

...but I've been wanting one of these for months now so I couldn't resist. We broke it out that night. Two hours later, we're turning the game off and getting ready for bed. After all, it IS a school night. I am not a gamer but this thing is so much more than a game system. I am totally into the Wii. The kids love it and everyone can play with just one controller. GENIUS!!!

The only drawback - I woke up the next morning with a sore shoulder and elbow. I think the Nintendo Wii should come with a warning like...

"Operate with extreme caution! Highly addictive game could result in Wii Elbow, especially for players over the age of 30 something! Play with care!"

Right, like that would have stopped me! ;)

#KmartBLS Teasers for 12/12 and 12/13

2009-12-07T19:32:00.003-06:00

Here are the teasers for this weekend December 12^th and 13th:

· Essential Home Snug Sack 50% off (reg. $19.99)

· Jaclyn Smith Today Cashmere Blend Throw $12.99 (reg. $29.99)

· Kodak 7” digital frame $49.99 (reg. $79.99)

All day offers:

Saturday:

· Mens Boxed Gifts $5 (reg. 16.99-19.99)

· Die Hard Battery Bank BOGO Free (reg. $9.99)

Sunday:

· Fisher Price Fashion Separates $4.99 (Infant/Toddler) reg. $10.99-$18.99

· Hershey Snack size jumbo bags $3.50 (reg. $5.99)

I may have to get some Hershey's and snuggle up with the cashmere throw this weekend. It's suppose to be a cold one here!!!

Don’t forget to follow @KmartDealsnNews and use the #KmartBLS hashtag for a chance to win every day! For more info & rules: http://tr.im/KmartBLS. Good luck!

Motor Oil Matters + Giveaway (Closed & Winner Announced)

2009-12-07T10:19:00.008-06:00

I am an avid DIY'er but there are simply some things I don't even attempt to do myself. If it involves my vehicle's fluids, other than filling the gas tank or windshield wiper fluid, then I'm DEFINITELY seeking assistance.

I either have my oil changed at Walmart while grocery shopping or at my local Jiffy Lube. The hubster has been known to change the oil too. If I do not have any grocery shopping to do, I didn't go to Walmart. Their wait is longer so having to wander around the store for an hour or so can be disastrous on my bank account. Now with the Minnesota winter in full force, I don't see the hubster laying on the freezing ground changing the oil so Jiffy Lube to the rescue!

My Blog Spark sent me a gift card for a free oil change at Jiffy Lube. I admit with the holiday buzz in full force, I haven't had a chance to use it but since I am a frequent customer, I feel confident telling you about the great job they've done by me and my vehicles. I have always been very pleased with their work. Their service technicians are very nice, courteous, and knowledgeable. I never feel pressured to purchase a pricier package than I intend. They always give me a complete statement including when my next oil change will be due. Their lines generally move pretty quickly which is THE reason I continue to go back to them.

Learn more about how motor oil matters here or watch this video from Hendrick Motor Sports on the importance of motor oil. Want a great stocking stuffer...get you the vehicle drivers of your family a Jiffy Lube gift card.

A Gift For YOU!!!!

One lucky reader will win a $35 Jiffy Lube gift card. Check for local stations here. Can't wait, then get your $5 coupon here.

How to enter:

Leave a comment on this post about what you would do with this gift card (gift it to a neighbor friend or relative, keep it, winterize your car, donate it, etc)
Leave a comment on any other of my blog posts and come back here telling me which post your commented on - UNLIMITED entries
Visit Make It From Scratch, where I contribute every Monday, comment on any post then come back here and tell me which post you commented on - UNLIMITED entries
Tweet or post on Facebook and get 2 entries...leave a comment for each entry with a link to your tweet (example: Twitter entry #1 your tweet link) 2 tweets or Facebook posts per day limit - I don't want you spamming your followers.
Blog about it to get 5 entries...again, leave a comment with a link to your entry's post NOT your blog's main site. (example: Blog entry #1 blog post link)

The giveaway will end Sunday, December 13th, midnight CST. The winner will be randomly drawn by random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to the winner's email I will send. The gift card will be distributed by a third party.

**Congratulations Hope, you're comment won! You will have 48 hours to respond to my email!**
Here's what she said:

Hope
I'd give it to my Dad for a gift!

I received a $35 gift card from My Blog Spark to tell you about Penzoil and Jiffy Lube's services. I have not received any other compensation for this post. I received the gift cards and information from Shell Lubricants and Motor Oil Matters through MyBlogSpark. All the opinions expressed are my honest views and have not been affected by the receipt of the gift card.

Make a "Green" Holiday Ornament in 1 Hour

2009-12-06T15:30:00.004-06:00

One of our many holiday traditions includes getting the kids a new holiday ornament. Every year I either make the ornaments or we buy them one that reflects their personality. Usually it's something like a Scooby or Baby's 1st Christmas ornament. The last few years, I've taken to making the ornaments but I suppose they reflect more of my crafting style at the time instead of their personality. Oh well, at least I try! I've made ornaments from gold wire, bells, mini glass balls, and other mediums. Some have endured the years. Others haven't faired so well. Anyway, they love them and I enjoy making them so it's a win-win situation.

Since I've been learning to sew over the last year, this year's ornaments are...

...Fabric ornaments.

Big surprise right!?!

I don't like formal patterns and tend to do better with general guidelines. It allows me to let my creative juices flow freely so, here's a quick and easy ornament that plays to those strengths. It uses scrap fabric, a cookie cutter, and scrap ribbon, rick rack or whatever else you have in your sewing stash.

Scrap Fabric Holiday Ornament in 1 Hour or Less.

Cut strips of fabric anywhere from 1" to 2" wide with the length depending on what you've got. The longer your length, the larger your ornament can be. You'll also need another coordinating fabric for the back side of the ornament unless you have enough of the patched fabric to make both sides.
Sew your fabric strips right sides together with 1/4" seams and press flat. Don't have fabric, use ribbon or a combination of both instead. Be cautious of your heat setting since your using multiple types of fabric. You don't want to burn up a section of fabric because the setting it too high. Learned this the hard way! ;) Add iron on interfacing to add stability since multiple fabric types are used.
Use a cookie cutter as a template or draw your own on paper. Trace it onto the wrong sides of your fabric. Think of how you want the stripes to look on your finished ornament when you set up your template. Cut out your template.
Add rick rack, sequins, jewels, applique, etc to either sides of the fabric. Again, keep in mind how your finished ornament will look.
Place right sides together with a ribbon loop inserted in between. Sew right sides together leaving about a 2" opening to turn inside out. Be careful not to stitch the top of your ribbon loop when sewing the fabric.
Turn right side out, stuff with sewing scraps including, thread, fabric, stuffing, etc. Close the opening with a whip stitch and enjoy your new holiday ornament.

Click here for a printer friendly version of this tutorial.

Cupcake Rescue Tips

2009-12-05T20:54:00.006-06:00

With the holiday baking season in full swing, there's bound to be a batch of cupcakes or a sheet cake or two that doesn't want to come out like it should. Here's a couple of cupcake rescue ideas that will prevent you from re-baking another batch.

If part of your cupcake doesn't release freely from the pan simply turn it over with the damaged side up. Place it on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Dollop icing (store bought or home made) over it. Don't worry about smoothing it out, just plop it on there. Make sure to get some icing on the damaged area. Pop the cupcake back in the oven for just a few minutes. The icing starts to melt and drizzles down into the porous cakey holes looking oh so delicious and tasting even better! Let the icing completely cool before you transfer to another dish for serving, transporting or storing.

Looks like yummy sweet lava!!!

Another tip is to make cake pops or truffles with it. Check out Bakerella's site for all the yummy details but basically you crumb your baked cake, mix in a can of frosting, form into balls, dip in melted candy coating and decorate. I've tried it with a red velvet cake/cream cheese frosting. It's good but wayyy to sweet for me! I actually prefer the cake parts better than the frosting so I will reduce the amount of frosting I use in the future. Mixing in the entire can of frosting makes it a little to sugary sweet for me but the kids L-O-V-E them!

$600 Holiday Dinnerware Giveaway

2009-12-03T16:30:00.004-06:00

I'm not hosting this one but I have entered for a shot at this fabulous prize including a case of new Libbey tall wine glasses, 12 piece Walco flat ware set, 12 Strawberry Street dinner plates plus 12 dessert plates. It's true, I'm lusting after this one folks!

Food Service Warehouse hosted a giveaway last year for some new restaurant quality cookware. I entered it and didn't get the first bit of spam. Have I told you how much I HATE spam!?! I didn't win last year's giveaway but then again, you can win if you don't play!

Click the image below to go to the entry page. The contest ends December 18!

Fabric Covered Bead Necklace - Sooo Very Fashionable!

2009-12-03T15:50:00.003-06:00

I'm still suffering from a migraine that simply won't let go but I did catch this nugget of craftiness when it eased up earlier so I had to share this with you.

Is this not the cutest girlfriend gift idea??? I love it and will be making many of these!

Be sure to check out You Can Make This Blog during the month of December for more great holiday gift ideas that are quick and easy on the budget!

Here's a quick video where Courtney show's us how to make it ourselves! I cannot wait to get rid of this headache so I can get started!

Another thing, Courtney's got a fabulous giveaway going on at YCMT. Click the image below to get all the details.

#KmartBLS for 12/5 thru 12/6

2009-12-02T08:20:00.002-06:00

I don't know when the next post will go up this week since I'm battling a migraine that seems to be brought on by a change in the barometer. I'm really guessing since it coincides with our first snow fall of the year. I can't shake it for the moment so I'm taking Excedrin (which isn't working like it normally does) while lying in a dark room! I am tired of the pain and lying around so hopefully it will pass soon.

In the meantime here is this weekend’s Kmart Bluelight Special teasers you don't want to miss out on:

Bluelight Special teasers for 12/5 to 12/6:

· All 14k gold Birthstone Baby Charms $29.99 (reg $69.99)

· Mushabellies $14.99 (reg. $24.99)

· 4 piece table tennis table $99.99 (reg. 149.99)

All day offers:

· Saturday: Small Wonder Blankets & Wonderkids Thermals – BOGO Free

· Sunday: Men’s 3pk Fashion Brief or 2pk Micro Knit Boxers or Musical Card Boxer $5 (reg. 9.99-12.99)

Don’t forget to follow @KmartDealsnNews and use the #KmartBLS hashtag for a chance to win every day! For more info & rules: http://tr.im/KmartBLS