12/13/08

What Are You Doing This Weekend?

Wondering what you & your family can do on the cheap (or free!) this weekend?
Let me plan the perfect (& cheap!) weekend for you....
No plans this evening? Well, step back in time, in the setting of The Christmas Carol, & celebrate Christmas Dickens style. This is a completely free event, which surrounds you by characters of the time, as your family is a part of the action with plenty to do. (thanks amy!)

Start your morning out at Lowe's for your kiddo(s) to make a GINGERBREAD HOUSE.
We attend these workshops every chance we get & the projects never disappoint!

After your littles make their GB House at 10 am, head on over to see Santa at the most convenient location. Your kids won't complain & you will get a free (or cheap) photo of them & Kris Kringle.

By now you should be hungry, right? Head over to Noodles & Co. But only after you've received your BOGO coupon from joining their email club (do it now so you get it in time!). A sidenote is that Noodles has proven a great safe restaurant for my extremely allergic girl! And their pasta pesto, yum!!

Rather pick your own restaurant? Check out my compiled kids eat free list.

Right about now, my kiddos are ready for a nap.... but maybe your kids don't nap? If you're that unlucky, ;) then you need somewhere else to go. Venture into the mall & take advantage of Macy's Friends & Fam Discount. If you find yourself in a Westfield Shopping Center, let the kids blow off some holiday steam at their indoor play area. And Westfields aren't the only ones providing these, I see them at most malls I frequent now.
Maybe Hubs could watch the crumbcrunchers while you head to penneys for free undies! Bring the December 2008/January 2009 cover of Seventeen or a printout of the seventeen.com home page to any JCPenney store to receive one Flirtitude panty (approximate retail value: $7.50). Twenty-five thousand (25,000) will be given away. One per person. Giveaway ends January 6, 2009. While supplies last.

Is it dark yet? Probably, the winter sunset comes early these days. Well, perfect, your drive home can take you through light displayed-filled subdivisions. Slow down as you pass those Griswold'esque homes & take advantage of their spiked electric bills.
Or, if you didn't have opportunity last night to take in The Dickens Festival, now's your chance!

Or get home just in time for a warm bath & A Miser Brothers Christmas, part of ABCfamily's 25 Days of Christmas.

Sunday, of course I recommend church, it's free ;) but let's say you do Saturday church, or go really early. Then, don't forget about The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, free at Wehrenberg's holiday flicks. Shows begin at 10 am, and have giveaways beforehand. PS Also showing on Saturday, you could always do this instead of building your Gingerbread House.

Head to a Kids Eat Free restaurant (Pasta House?!) & hit one of the places spotlighted for yesterday. Better yet, call your local community center & find out the hours for their indoor pool. Several of them are supercheap in the winter. Get some exercise while your kiddos burn some of their pent up holiday hyperactivity.

Come home in time for a long winters' nap. Or, some quiet activities for your non-napping kiddos.

This would be the perfect night to try that Bertolli's oven bake coupon.

Snow is coming on ABCFamily at 6c. This has been a treat for my kiddos. Looking forward to the movie of the night, each night this month.

And best of all, it's free...

Free Bees

(make sure after you check out these freebies, that you check out below for things to do this weekend)...

Here we go:

12/11/08

Excited for my Find, Incredible Deal!

My girl has consistently squealed at each commercial she has seen for Little Mommy Gotta Go Potty Doll. I've rolled my eyes & thought, 'Really? Ugh.' But what can you do?...I'm sure my mom had the same thoughts when Cabbage Patch Kids hit the market. I mean, cabbage??!

So, with our strict budget in mind, I thought I would just check prices. A few weeks ago, Amazon had it listed for $60. And today, Walmart has it for $40.

So imagine how my frugal heart skipped a beat when this page loaded:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001B2MSQA

Yes friends, $27!! (free shipping as well!)

So, guess who is going to squeal with delight, not at the commercial, but when she sees the REAL DEAL under her tree.

12/10/08

Free Bees

Free iTunes download: Faith Hill's O Holy Night (must have iTunes account)

Free mp3 download: Brad Paisley's Jingle Bells

5 Issues Subscription to Cosmo Mag

Free sample of Cosamin® DS Double Strength #1 Orthopedic Surgeon & Rheumatologist Recommended 30 Capsules (from Costco)

Coupon for a free donut from Krispy Kreme (for joining their club)

Free diaper from CostCo. (there is a field asking for your member ID, just leave it blank)

Kotex Lightdays sample also from Costco

My Target List for This Week


Fiber One Toaster Pastries

$1.75 each

Use $1/1 in 11/16 Smart Source insert

$0.75 each after coupon


Campbell's Select Harvest and Chunky Soup (microwave bowls)

$1.44 each

Use $0.50/1 Target coupon here (print 2)

PLUS use $1/2 in 10/5 Campbell's insert

$0.44 each when you buy 2, after coupon


Robitussin DM Max (4 oz)

$3.99 each

Use $2/1 when you sign up here

$1.99 each after coupon


Rayovac 2-pack of Batteries (dollar spot)

$1 each

Use $1 off, here

free after coupon


Bertolli Oven Baked Meals

$6 each

Use $2 off here

$4 after coupon

Macy's Friends & Fam Discount



This coupon is redeemable in-store and online!

12/9/08

Free Bees

Free American GRilling Book-first 500

FreeDecemberIssueofYachting & Saltwater Sportman Magazine

Free Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Kit - in the past they have sent a kit to teachers with a dvd, book, poster, and a ton of toothbrushes and toothpastes for students to send home. I’m not sure if the parents kit is any different.

Free Download, it's Yo-Yo Ma!

Free Undies - THE JCPENNEY FLIRTITUDES GIVEAWAY (Dec/Jan Issue): Starting November 18, 2008, bring the December 2008/January 2009 cover of Seventeen or a printout of the seventeen.com home page to any JCPenney store to receive one (1) Flirtitude panty (approximate retail value: $7.50). Twenty-five thousand (25,000) will be given away. One per person. Giveaway ends January 6, 2009. While supplies last. http://www.seventeen.com/

Fandango Ticket for 18+ college students/recent grads with driver's license
https://www.forddrivesu.com/500/home.fc#select a school then click the “Plus, you’ll be pre-registered for the $500 Student Bonus Cash!” link on the right side -then let it load and click automatically enter and register -the code should show up fairly quick in your email. -the last time this worked the codes expired very fast so you might want to use it asap!

Free Glowstick.

Free lipstock chapstock.

Amazon's Free Tunes...Every day through December 25, they're offering a new free iPod-compatible holiday song

There, now you have some freebies today, don't you feel all better??

12/8/08

Coupons

Bertolli® $2 off Coupon for Oven Bake Meals sounds to me like the perfect time to try them!

The coupon for $1 off Rayovac batteries totally works at the dollar spot at Target! I used it a couple of weeks ago & basically, only had to pay tax! (I bought the 2-pack)

Payless Shoes coupon - actually, it's a coupon calculator through cereal.com. After playing around with it, just seems like it will print out a coupon for you for Payless for $2 off when you spend $30 or more.

A page of coupons for portraits at Sears

50 free prints through snapfish, most likely for NEW customers

12/7/08

Santa Specifics

Downtown Kirkwood Photos with Santa - The public is invited to the downtown Kirkwood Train Station to take their own photos with Santa on Thursday (12.11) at 5 p.m. The best part is it's free!

Spirit of Santa - Bring in a new toy for donation to "Toys for Tots" and receive a free photo with Santa at the Pointe at Ballwin Commons from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday (12.13). You can also make a picture frame craft for your new photo. Pictures are $3 without a toy donation.

Holiday with Santa at Westport Plaza - Go to the second level of Westport Plaza at 11 a.m. on Saturday (12.13) to get a free picture with Santa as well as cookies and hot chocolate!

Macy's Santa - Every Saturday, from noon til 3, Santa and his elves have set up shop on Macy's third floor and are ready to hear children's holiday wishes (for kids up to 10). Also on hand, the Horton Hears a Who "Whomungous holiday card craft center." For more info: 314.436.6500--check with location for exceptions.

BassPro Santa - Now til Christmas Eve (I think!), Mon-Fri, 9-5pm; Sat 10-9pm; & Sun noon-5pm. Free photos - altho they do sell photo packages (he looks very authentic in their circular!) & on weekends, there are family activities/crafts!

Free Bees

Red Box code (today only!) for the Walmart location:
11moms4uS

Free sample of K'Nex. Use code KNSF08

Free bag of popcorn at Imax Movie

Free photo stamp -upload a picture, register and check out -they require you to have a credit card on there, but shipping and the item are free

Pantene sample from Walmart

Gourmet olive oil from Bedmo Veggies

14-day sample of Nature Made Vitamins Wait for the middle flash image to end and click on the vitamin from the drop-down box that you would like to try

There, that should take care of your freebie fix for the day. ;)