WAHM: Part 3 of the Series.... Creative Memories by Sarah Photography

I asked Sarah to take some pictures of my kiddos on Mia's birthday. Here are a few of her great work....
If you are in the Indianapolis area and need a photographer, get in touch with Sarah.

Here is her blog information
Here is her facebook fan page information

75% off Target toy deals

So we took the trip to Target today. The closest one is about 20 minutes away. We took some money out of our Christmas savings account for this trip.

Here is what we got...

We spent $40 for $150 worth of toys.

How did you do?

$1 or less school supply deal for w/e 7/31

Here are the school supply deals for this week.....ENJOY!

CVS -
$.33 1 subject notebook
$.50 Papermate Pens 10-pack

Kmart-
$.15 2 pocket 3 prong folder
$.25 24-pack Roseart crayons
$.25 Elmer's 4.oz school glue
$.50 Pencil boxes
$.50 150-ct filler paper
$.50 PaperMate Write Bros pens
$.50 12-ct RoseArt colored pencils
$.50 Fashion or Licensed Portfolios
$1.00 - 300ct index cards
$1.00 2 pack Sharpie
$1.00 Post-It 90ct pads

Meijer-
$.20 All Meijer brand supplies
$.33 100-ct Index cards
$.33 PaperMate Write Bros 10-ct pens
$.39 7-ct Woodcase pencils
$.50 License or Fashion portfolio
$.50 Stretchable book cover
$1.00 Crayola 12-ct colored pencils
$1.00 Crayola 8-ct watercolor paints
$1.00 Scissors

Office Depot -
$.05 Ruler
$.10 12-pack pencil top erasers
$.50 Wirebound notebooks - 6-pack

Office Max -
$.01 Schoolio 2 pocket folder
$.05 Schoolio 24 pack crayons
$.05 6" Plastic Protractor
$.15 Papermate #2 Pencils 10-pack
$.25 Schoolio Markers 8-ct.
$.50 Schoolio Composition books 100-pages
$.50 Schoolio flexible rulers
$.50 pencil cap erasers 25-count
$1.00 Helix Protractor and compass set

Staples -
$.01 Copy paper (after easy rebate) through Wednesday
$.01 BIC pens (with $5 minimum purchase) through Wednesday
$.25 Zebra Sarasa pens (after easy rebate)
$.25 Staples 6-pack highlighters
$1.00 Scotch shipping tape
$1.00 3-pack Scotch Magic invisible tape
$1.00 Triconderoga #2 pencils 12-pack

Target -
$.88 Construction paper
$.88 12-pack Crayola colored pencils
$1.00 6-pack Elmer's glue sticks
$1.00 Mead Composition book
$1.00 Mead Portfolio
$1.00 Mead Notebook
$1.00 Retractable Erasers
$1.00 12-pack pencils

Walgreens -
$.09 2 pocket folder
$.19 Memo or Mini Composition book
$.39 Crayola posterboard
$.39 Penway flexible ruler
$.39 Penway crayons
$.39 Penway flexible protractor
$.39 Penway Poly Pencil case
$.39 Penway Index Card Case
$.39 Penway 2 pocket poly portfolio
$.59 Filler paper 130 sheets
$.59 Elmer's Glue - 2 pack glue sticks or 4oz liquid school glue
$.59 Penway Zippered Carry-All pouch
$.69 Penway Composition book 80 sheets
$.69 Sharpie 2 pack markers
$.69 Papermate profile pen 2 pack
$.99 Papermate Mechanical Pencils 30 pack (regularly $7.99)
$.99 Pilot Easy Touch Pens
$.99 3 subject Penway notebook
$.99 Stretchable bookcover
$.99 scissors
$.99 Construction paper
$.99 24-pack of pencils
$.99 Crayola colored pencils

Favorite WAHM's! Part 2 of the Series - - CJ's Sewing Room INC. and CJ's All Natural

Up next in my series of My Favorite Work at Home Mom's or WAHM's is CJ's Sewing Room, Inc. and CJ's All Natural. Home of the Travel Trench and BUTTer!

This WAHM makes all natural products including the signature BUTTer, as well as custom scented creamy body lotion, lotion bars for that really tough skin, bath salts, buttermilk milk bath, amazing lip balm and a custom scented all-purpose cleaner--non-toxic and yet cleans as well as anything you've tried! She also makes travel trenches!

The BUTTer is AWESOME!!!!!! I use this on my surgery scar and it has made the scar really faint.

The BUTTer was originally designed as an all-natural, less expensive alternative to the ointments you find on a typical grocery store shelf. This formula is unscented AND cloth diaper friendly. The BUTTer is soothing for baby and also aids in the easy, smooth clean-up of dirty diapers. It doesn't stain the diapers!

But BUTTer isn't just for diaper rashes... This is definitely "A Miracle in a Tube!" CJ's BUTTer has been used on both adults and children to help relieve
•eczema
• rashes
•dry/chapped skin
•rug burns (sore ‘crawler’ knees)• mechanics’ hands and cuticles
•hang nails
•Use it for black/mixed hair!! Leaves hair soft, shiny and helps alleviate those ‘owies’ when trying to separate locks!
•Melt a dollop under running bath water alone or with CJ’s Bath Salts for a relaxing, soothing, and anti-inflammatory soak–provides relief for post-partum soreness and hemorrhoids!
•Provides protection against windburned cheeks/face and helps to relieve windburn!



The Travel Trench is another favorite of ours!This is such a great product!

Here is a quote from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "...to keep your baby the safest, always remove bulky clothing or blankets before you place the child in the seat. Then, put the blanket or coat over the baby. You should never place anything thick underneath the baby, unless that item came with the car seat originally - which tells you it's been tested by the manufacturer. When a child is wearing a thick coat, it's hard to tell if you have a good harness fit, which is crucial. A coat can add a lot of slack, reducing the level of protection for your child in a crash."

That's why these are so great! These keep your children warm, cute, comfy and SAFE with a fleece poncho that opens in the back, so you can put them in their carseats with the backs flared, allowing for the straps to be buckled directly next to their bodies.


CJ has extended a 5% off shopping pass for all of my readers! Just use code "Random Pieces of Info" at checkout on her website. Also, fan her page on facebook!

Her website: www.cjsewingroom.com
Her facebook page

$1.50 for a slice of Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory on 7/29

On 7/29, you can get a slice of cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory for just $1.50!

• First… go here and ‘Like’ Cheesecake Factory on Facebook.
• Then… click on the ‘Fan Exclusive’ tab, then click on ‘Get Your Invitation’.
• Follow the instructions to print your coupon, and make it a thrifty dessert date night… or girls night out!
• {if it doesn’t print at first… click on the tiny link at the bottom ‘Printing issues? Click here to open coupon in a new window’}

Or… on 7/30, you can also get any slice for half price!

FREE tea from McAlister's Deli on 7/29

Stop by McAlister’s Deli for FREE tea next Thursday, July 29. No purchase is necessary. Limit one per guest.

Favorite WAHM's! Part 1 of the Series - - Baltic Creations

I am starting a series of blog posts about my favorite Work At Home Mom's or WAHM's. These will cover a wide range of products and are all my personal opinion of their companies.

First up is, Baltic Creations!
Baltic Creations is a company that specializes in Amber jewelry and ran by Liana Moore. Amber is "the drug-free alternative to pain relief." Here are a few things that Baltic Amber helps (but definitely not limited to):

• Arthritis
• Acid Reflux
• chemotherapy
• chronic back pain
• Colic
• Endometriosis
• Fibromyalgia
• menstrual cramps
• migraines and chronic headaches
• teething pain

Russia is a major source of Baltic Amber. And their experience with it over the centuries has added to the knowledge base. (http://www.masterpage.com.pl/amber/amber-cures.html )

Wearing baltic amber close to the skin is a traditional European remedy for baby teething. A natural analgesic, amber will help calm a baby without resorting to drugs. Used for centuries in Europe, amber's natural anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties are perfect to soothe teething babies. Amber is fossilized resin, which warms against the skin, releasing it's therapeutic properties safely and naturally. It treats the throat, stomach, spleen, kidneys, bladder, liver, and gallbladder, alleviates joint problems, and strengthens the mucus membranes. As an elixir and for wound healing, it is an excellent natural antibiotic. It aids the Abdomen, Bladder, Blood, Eyes, Kidneys, Stomach, Tissue Revitalization, Throat, Liver, and Joint Problems.

So what is Baltic Amber? Well it's a fossilized tree resin that originates form the Baltic Sea Region of Russia. Baltic Amber contains Succinic Acid. When the Baltic Amber is placed against the skin, the body's heat causes the Baltic Amber to heat up and release an all natural analgesic or pain relief that helps to ease a wide range of ailments.
The Amber used for the jewelry of Baltic Creations is imported directly from Europe in the Baltic Region of the Baltic Sea. Her Baltic Amber jewelry is all handcrafted. Every pieces of jewelry is designed with several safety features. They have all been hand knotted in between each bead. This is so that if it were to break, only one bead will be lost. All of the jewelry has been designed on either 100% silk thread or tuff cord (this is the buyer's choice). Each piece of jewelry has also been designed with either a screw clasp that is knotted from the inside, a spring ring clasp with a jump ring, or a magnetic clasp. Each piece comes with a 3 month warranty.

We love our Baltic Creations Amber jewelry! When we take off Mia's necklace, she will normally cry and point at her neck to get us to put it on. It has helped her TONS with her teething pain. I wear a necklace with special gemstones on it to help relieve the pain I have from my Grave's disease. I also have an anklet that I wear for pains in my feet and legs. I can definitely tell a difference when I don't have either on.



Liana and Baltic Creations is wanting to extend a 5% off any regular priced item with the use of the code AF REFER for my readers. If you order 10 items, the discount will jump to 20% off. She is not currently accepting any custom orders though. Her shop is set to go into "Vacation Mode" at the end of the month, due to her moving. She will then reopen around the first of September.



You can visit her website here: balticcreations.webs.com
Her Hyena Cart at: hyenacart.com/BalticCreations/
Her Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/Baltic.Creations

FREE Blockbuster Rentals

Get a free rentals at BlockBuster Express with these codes:

GT16A - Free rental (exp 7/30)

GL15A – Free rental (expiration unknown)

G416A – Free rental (expiration unknown)

G616A3 – Free rental (expiration unknown)

GT17A - Free rental (expiration unknown)

G417A - Free rental (expiration unknown)

BBXDVD1 – Free rental (no exp)

Register for Blockbuster Express emails and get a code for a free rental!

Remember these codes are limit 1 per credit card. Movies are due by 9 pm the following day to avoid having to pay an additional $1 to rent the movie another 24 hours.

Go here to find a Blockbuster Express kiosk near you!

$1 or less school supply deal for w/e 7/24

Here are the school supply deals that are under a $1 for this week....

Kmart -
$.25 10-pack Simmons Woodcase yellow pencils
$.25 2-pack Elmer's glue sticks
$.25 24-count Crayola crayons
$.25 Westscott shatter proff ruler
$.50 7-pack School Select erasers
$.50 stretchable bookcovers
$1.00 Crayola 10 count broad or fine classic markers, or 12 count colored pencils
$1.00 Bic Correction
$1.00 Westscott 2 piece Math set
$1.00 Bic mechanical pencils

Meijer -
$.15 Pocket folder
$.50 School box
$.99 Wite Out quick dry

Office Depot-
$.05 Pocket folder
$.25 Notebook filler paper 150 pack


Office Max -
$.05 Rulers
$.10 12-pack of yellow pencils
$.10 Purell hand sanitizer .5oz
$.10 Papermate Blue or Black ballpoint pens 10-pack
$.20 100-pack Filler paper
$.20 All Just Basics 10-pack pens
$.30 Allschoolio 1" or 1.5" Poly Binders

Staples -
$.01 School glue (thru Wednesday) with a minimum $5 purchase
$.25 Bic Matic Grip 5-pack mechanical pencils
$.25 Slider Pencil Case
$.25 White ruled index cards 100-pack
$1.00 Westscott 5" microban scissors

Target-
$.50 School boxes
$.50 Target scissors
$.60 Bic 10-pack pens


Walgreens -
$.09 wooden rulers
$.09 individual highlighters
$.09 2 pocket folder
$.29 one subject notebooks
$.29 Penway 2 pack pink erasers
$.29 10-pack Corner Office Sheet protectors
$.49 school box
$.49 5-pack Bic Brite Liner Highlighters
$.49 3-pack Penway glue sticks
$.99 Kleenx boxes

3rd Time's the charm...tutu dress!

What do you think?
I really wanted to make a tutu dress for Mia. After two failed attempts, I finally did it!

New (to me) discount store

I have noticed this store on my drive into the daycare. It's right south of Troy on the westside of Meridian. It's in a little tiny shopping center. It's called "Penny Pinchers." The store is only open from 11-7 Wednesday through Friday and 9-5 on Saturdays. They only sell non-perishable items and they don't accept coupons. They do, however, accept credit cards.

Here are some ideas on their prices:

Folgers coffee: $5.50
Campbell soups: 2/$1
Canned corn: 4/ $1
24 pack of water: $2.50
Hershey's chocolate syrup (big bottle): $1.50
Pace Salsa (big jar): $1.50

So some great deals and some ok deals. This would be the place to buy the items you don't have coupons for. The lady said that they currently had all of their baby items marked 25% off, including formula and diapers. This would make some of the formula $7 a can.


So stop in and check it out!

$25 closer to Disney in 2012!

Since we had so much fun at Disney World 2 weeks ago, we will be returning over spring break 2012. I was browsing through the "swag store" at www.swagbucks.com and noticed that they had the $25 Disney gift cards marked down to 2,950 points from 6,000 points. So I swagged one! I don't quite have enough for another yet! My goal is to pay for all of our souvenirs through the use of these gift cards.

I belong to two other sites. The first is called Quick Rewards. This site take a little more effort. I participate in every survey that they email me. In 3 weeks, I've managed to earn $12.00 so far. I'm on my way to another $25 gift card! The second is Mypoints. For this site, I read all the emails they send out (normally for 5 points if you click on the link) and also complete all the surveys (which range in points from 10-75). I just emailed them to see if they could add a Disney gift card to their rewards section. If they do, I have enough points for a $50 gift card from there! I'll keep you updated on if they add it.

You can earn points faster on all of these sites by doing your online shopping through them as well. We rarely buy anything online, so I don't use this feature. I have noticed that Mypoints will add my ebay purchases automatically though.


If Mypoints adds the Disney giftcard, I will have $100 toward my next Disney trip!

Disposable Diapers are NOT washable!

We are potty training our 2 year old son. He has had a habit lately of taking his diaper off and going potty himself. Great.... right? Well here's the thing.... The diaper ALWAYS comes up missing. We can never find where he disposed of it at. His place to "throw it away" had been "sissy's trash." We use cloth on our 6 month old and have a kitchen trash can in our laundry room for her diapers. He would just open the lid and throw it in there and then run into the bathroom and go like a big boy. We thought we had solved that problem. We made sure the bathroom trash is always empty so that he can dispose of it in there. He's been doing so well..... or so we thought. I did a load of diapers tonight and as I was pulling the wetbags and the covers out, I found a disposable diaper that had been washed. Given it is now just the outer shell of this diaper. I'm kind of scared as to where the rest went. Guess I need to pay more attention to what he's doing with the diaper he's taking off.

Cool contest I found to win free groceries for a year

Hey, I just entered this contest on Cozi.com to win free groceries for a year. All you have to do is put in your email address.

Even if you don’t enter, please click the link to help me win. (I get an extra entry for telling you.) Thanks!

View >>

My favorite sites

Sorry for the long break. I lost interest in the couponing for a few months, but am ready to get back on track. I want to share with you my favorite sites.

My all-time favorite is coupons.com.

But I also use redplum.com smartsource.com and unilever.com.

Mypoints.com is an awesome way to also print off coupons and earn points to get free gift certificates. With Mypoints you can also read emails and take surveys for points as well. When we switched insurance companies, we used the insurance search feature it has and submited a copy of our policy and got 5000 points for doing so. You can do this every 6 months... so 2 times a year. PM me for an invite!

Swagbucks.com is what I use to search the internet (it's powered by google) and earn "money" for my searches and turn these into giftcards as well.

A new site to shop for household needs is alice.com. This site always has free shipping and in-site coupons you can grab to make for some pretty cheap things!