Community Service and a little Bragging for a Homeschool Mom!

This semester my oldest daughter, Rebecca took a communications class. I thought that it was mostly going to be on how to speak in public. I was wrong for sure.

The class took part in a community service project at a local park and boy did they work hard.

Part of the assignment was to report on the project and my daughter choose to report by blogging on the progress of the project.

She did a good job. Of course I would think so ...She's mine....:)

I wanted to share it with you...brag a little too...lol

Click here to visit her blog

Also the College newspaper picked up and reported on the blog...I am still bragging, bear with me. Go here to see the article

She came home today and said that the Nashville Tenneasean had also picked up the article. I have not found it yet....but its out there and my chest is swelling...lol

No, seriously these kids worked really hard and got down and dirty during this project...I am prould of all of them and here is a cyber pat on the back.

Good Job!

25 copies of The Christmas Box for Free-You pay only Shipping!

Through Saturday, December 6, 2008, you can get a box of 25 copies of The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans for just the cost of shipping and handling--$15!

Go here for more details.

I think it would make a beautiful Christmas gift of encouragement to others--especially as it serves as a reminder of what is really most important in life.

Blessings

Walgreens: Free Russell Stover's chocolate luminary (through Saturday, December 6, 2008)

Walgreens has Russell Stover's Private Reserve Luminary Boxes (6.7 oz.) on sale for $4.99 through Saturday, December 6, 2008. Buy two of these and they qualify for a $10 EasySaver rebate (rebate offer #53) and they are completely free after rebate!

And if you have the Buy 2, Get 1 Free coupon from the 08/17 SmartSource insert, you can not only get two free after rebate, but you also get a third one free with the coupon.
Wouldn't these make a great gift for someone for Christmas?

Bath and Body Works: Free lip product with any purchase (through December 7, 2008)

Go here to print your coupon for a free lip product (up to $12) with any purchase at Bath and Body Works. This coupon is only good through December 7, 2008 but it's a great coupon since you can purchase anything in the store (even a $1 clearance item!) and get a free lip product!


Also, it seems you can stack coupons at Bath and Body Works. If that is the case (anyone tried it?), you may also be able to get a free 2 oz. Signature Collection lotion with this coupon in addition to the lip product.

Plus, if you are going to be spending $10 and your store allows you to stack coupons, you can also get a free item (up to $13) with this coupon in addition to lip product and free lotion.
I'd love to hear if you are able to use the 3 coupons above in conjunction with one another. So let us know how it goes if you try it. It might be a great way to get some very inexpensive Christmas presents!

Happy Shopping

Free Christmas Fun From Ms. Cheap!

The Nashville Tennessean has a wonderfully informative article by Ms. Cheap listing all the FREE activities locally that will make you Christmas Cheerier and Cheap.
Click on this link to go straight to the article.

Here are a few fun things on Ms. Cheaps list:

DEC. 5-7: The Metro Parks Youth Ballet Mini-Nutcracker will take place at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5, at 2 and 7 p.m. on Dec. 6, and at 1 p.m. on Dec. 7 in the Davis Auditorium at the Harpeth Hall School. Tickets for Friday/Saturday are $6 or $4 for ages 12 and under. On Sunday, it's $10 for all ages and includes a reception. 862-8439

DEC. 6: The Frist Center for the Visual Arts hosts a 2 p.m. Blair School of Music Children's Suzuki Violin and Cello performance. 244-3340 or http://www.fristcenter.org/

DEC. 6: The Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, 502 S.E. Broad St. in Murfreesboro, has an open house 10 a.m.-4 p.m. It's cooking, crafts and a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Clause, and even a Grinch appearance. 890-2300 or http://www.discoverycenteronline.org/


DEC. 6: Young Chefs Academy, a cooking school for kids, at 99 Seaboard Lane in Franklin, is having a hands-on open house teaching family-friendly recipes and kitchens skills 2-5 p.m. It's free if you bring canned goods for Second Harvest Food Bank. Ages 3 and up can create some good holiday treats. 371-5151 or www.youngchefsacademy.com/brentwood

DEC. 6: Mansker's Yule Fest, is an 18th-century Christmas celebration at Mansker's Station and the Bowen Plantation House in Moss Wright Park in Goodlettsville. It's 6-9 p.m. with music, dance, storytelling and refreshments. 859-3678

DEC. 8: Music City Bronze handbell ensemble has a holiday concert at 7 p.m. at Westland United Methodist Church, 110 Dawson Lane in Lebanon. The ensemble's other upcoming concerts are: 3:30 p.m. Dec. 14 at Cathedral of the Incarnation at 2015 West End Ave., and 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at Andrew Price United Methodist Church at 2846 Lebanon Pike. http://www.musiccitybronze.org/

DEC. 9: The Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra will play a program of "fanfare and fate'' at 7 p.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church at 3701 Hillsboro Road.

DEC. 11: The Parthenon Recorder Concert of seasonal music from around the world will be 6-7 p.m. at the Parthenon in Centennial Park. 862-8431.

DEC. 11: The Tennessee State University Poinsettia open house, featuring 49 varieties of poinsettias, will be 9 a.m.–4 p.m. in the greenhouse on the main campus farm on Ed Temple Boulevard. Fill out a poinsettias survey and they'll give you a small one. 963-5320

DEC. 11: First Tennessee hosts Free Day at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. 244-3340 or http://www.fristcenter.org/

This is just a small sampling of all the fun things to do Ms. Cheap has listed.
Be sure to go here to see the whole list.

If you live in an area other than Nashville Tennessee, so a search in you local area newspaper. I have seen Ms. Cheap in other cities in the US. There may be an article in your local paper.

Google Search: Ms. Cheap's 2008 Christmas Guide

Never, Ever Pay Full Retail for Anything!

Something my mom always taughtme from the beginning of time....Never, ever pay full retail!

This is truly a mindset. It is so hard to see all the nice new things that come out each season and not "WANT" it all.

But here is what my mom taught me:

When all the new things come....we would go "wish" shopping.

we would go and look at everything, the new fashions and decide what we liked and what we didn't, try on and really got a feel for what we truly liked....then...here comes the tricky part.

We would walk out and leave all of it at the store.

No impulse buying here. lol

Then when the stores started their sales. We would ...................you guessed it............stay home.lol

Then when the stores would have a really good sale, like the one I went to yesterday...90% off.

We would go and buy.

Now the downside is there was not always what we picked out the first day. But we did always do well. I was always clothed very well.

My dad still does this to this day. He visits the big department stores in our area and chooses what he will want when the sales get good. Usually he will buy when the item is 50% off and take another 50% off.....He is frugal too!

The key here is to always buy at the end of the season for the next year. Those of you who have small children....you will get good at guessing growth rate of your child..it can be done.

My girls always were a year behind the styles...

If there was an item that came out that was very trendy and I knew would only last for one season...If it was something they really wanted......Then it might become a Christmas Present.

You get the basic principle...........no impulse buying.........wait for sales.........buy end of season!

You will save thousands of dollars using this method.

The cool thing is, after a year or so, you realize that you are learning the sales patterns of your favorite stores and you know how long to hold out for that favorite item.
Best Shopping!

Free Chiquita

Go here and sign up to print a coupon for a coupon for one free package of Chiquita Bites Single and a coupon for $0.75/1.

This is a new product, you may have to ask for it.

Awesome Free Paper Dolls: Good Cheap Fun!

Do you remember the original Betsy McCall paper doll series. For those who may be old enough to remember (!), beginning in 1951, McCalls magazine used to put out a page in their magazine with the Betsy McCall paper doll series for young girls to cut out. Each issue had new outfits and new things to add to this collection.

This whole series is now available to freely download here. I think they go back to 1951, and some of the pages are adorable. You actually have access to each and every page of the Betsy McCall series, I wanted to pass it along if you have a young daughter!

Yes, it will take paper and ink to print, but it's a pretty inexpensive activity you and your daughters could do together.And by the way, if you get tired of the Betsy McCall dolls and want to print out other paper dolls, just do a quick Google search and you'll find more free paper dolls to download then your daughter could probably ever have time to cut out and play with in her lifetime!