***CONTEST CLOSED***Bella Bling is a charming little shop on Etsy where you'll find affordable, hand-made baubles for kids and moms alike! Owner and creater, Michelle lives in Gilbert, AZ and is married with 3 children; 2 boys and 1 girl. She started making jewelry as a hobby which became quite expensive. That's when she decided to offer her creations for all of us to enjoy! For the entire month of September, Bella Bling is offering Free Shipping for all you readers ... read more
illia kids Designer Clothing on Etsy and Giveaway!
**CONTEST CLOSED**While browsing Etsy, I found this great shop called illia kids. The shop owner, Heily started sewing children's clothing in 2005. Check out her shop, she has some wondeful things available for purchase. She's offering my readers 10% off if you make a purchase from now until September 17th! Just mention this blog in the message to seller.Tell us about yourself!I am a mother of one precious little girl, Violet. I make all my garments by hand ... read more
Aukies Designer Headwear on Etsy & GIVEAWAY
**This Contest is Closed. Congrats to Amy C.!** I found this wonderful shop selling handmade hats for baby on Etsy, called Aukies Designer Headwear. The shop owner, who likes to go by "Aukies" is a teacher and a mom, and crochets most of her hats in the evening when things quiet down. She loves coming up with new styles and color combos. Her mother taught her the art of crocheting at the age of 5. Later, she started following pattern books but found most of the styles outdated so what ... read more
FREE National Parks Visits This Weekend!
This is the last weekend of the summer to enjoy free admission at over 100 National parks that normally charge an entrance fee. Go out and get some fresh air this weekend. For more information and to find a park near you, click here. Ahhh...nature's therapy works wonders -- Enjoy! ... read more
CVS Bargain Trip 8/13/09
After a very productive morning shopping in the mall for birthday presents (scored some great deals with coupons!), Emma and I hit CVS Pharmacy on the way home. I'd been wanting to get there because they're having a great sale on Huggies diapers, and I had coupons, plus I had some extrabucks to spend. I usually buy my diapers at Costco, but you can't beat this deal:This is what I got:2 Jumbo Packages of Huggies Diapers - $18.00 2 Boxes of Honey Nut Cherrios - $5.001 CVS 3 oz. skin lotion - ... read more
How to find coupons for anything you want to buy
I will very rarely make a purchase without some sort of coupon. Everybody I know, knows this. So, I received a message the other day from my sister-in-law asking me if I had a coupon for a particular store, and if not where to find one? There are a couple of steps I take after I've found something I want to buy. First, I check out Retailmenot. If no luck there (many retailers are getting wise and asking that coupons/promotions be removed from the site), I try one of the many others out there, ... read more
**Freebie Friday**
Nylon Magazine is offering 25 ITunes songs to download, FREE. You must have ITunes installed on your computer to get the free songs. Go here to get this fabulous freebie. Expires 8/31/09. Get a sample of the Desire Me Perfume from Escada by filling out their form. FREE Aveeno Nourish haircare samples are available here, just fill out a brief questionnaire and they will mail you the samples that match your hair. Carmex has a form you can fill out to win a FREE sample. There are 50 winners ... read more
How to Save on Your Grocery Bill
Bagged Produce Buy oranges, onions, and potatoes etc. in bags rather than individually. You’ll pay about half. Say No to Non Grocery Items Usually you will find better proces on health and beauty items at mass-market retailers, like Target, Wamart etc. And you’ll find the best deals on paper products at warehouse clubs. Opt for frozen seafood over fresh. Vacuum-packaged salmon, flounder, and tilapia fillets and bags of frozen shrimp cost 20 to 40 percent less than their counterparts at ... read more
Deer-proof your garden!
Harvesting your own fruits and vegetables is a great way to save, and who doesn't like the convenience of being able to go picking from your own back yard? Last night we had some of this delicious lettuce. It grew so fast - I was amazed! Currently, my garden is made up of tomatoes (various varieties), peppers, lettuce (2 varieties) cucumbers, scallions, green beans, basil, honeydew and pumpkins. I planted all of the above in early Spring. But it's not too late to start your own garden! In ... read more
Welcome to the Penny-pinching Mama Blog!
Hello and welcome to my newest blog! Friends and family are amazed at the bargains I find. It just takes a lot of research and patience. I don't buy anything at regular price or without a coupon (or two) and I don't give up after checking online and finding that a particular store has blocked the sharing of coupon codes, or if there simply aren't any current deals being offered. This way of life has become a necessity for us. My husband was laid off last year just a few weeks after we ... read more
