Halloween Treats

Several places are offering great "treats" for Halloween! Grab yourself some freebies or great deals! Always be sure to check if your local establishment is participating.

Taco Bell - Saturday, October 31st, 6:00 p.m. - midnight. Come in to get 1 free Black Jack Taco per person.

Sonic - Saturday, October 31st, 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. 50 cent Corn Dogs!

Meijer Neighborhood Halloween Event - Saturday, October 31st, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Trick or Treating, contests, free treats & giveaways!

Micheal's Free Halloween Event- Saturday, October 31st, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Kids will receive a trick or treat pail, candy, coloring activities, & balloon. Click here for details.

Toys 'R Us - Saturday, October 31st from noon to 3pm. Participate in Geoffrey’s Trick “R” Treat parade. Children age 3 and up will receive a complimentary reusable bag which they can fill up with goodies and giveaways as they parade around the store.

Bass Pro Shops, October 30th & 31st - Trick or Treating, Mask Making, Marshmallow Roasting - all Free! Click here for times & details.

50% off your entire purchase at Payless - Today Only!

Click here to print a coupon for 50% off your entire order at Payless. This coupon is good only through today, Friday, October 30th.

Thanks, Katie!

JCPenney - $10 off $10

Use code SWEETS4U to get $10 off any order of $10 or more.

Tasty Tuesday - Pasta with Cream Sauce

16 oz. bow tie pasta
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 TBS olive oil
3/4 C. chicken broth
1-1/2 tsp. basil
1-1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 C. heavy whipping cream

1. Cook pasta according to directions
2. Saute garlic in olive oil until tender, stir in broth, basil, oregano, salt & pepper.
3. Bring to a boil & cook 8 minutes.
4. Stir in cream & cook 8-10 minutes longer, or until reduced to about 1-1/4 C.
5. Drain pasta & toss with sauce.

Free Sample - Pampers

Click here for your free sample of Pampers Extra Protection.

Free Photo Calendar

Click here for a free photo calendar from Vista Print. What a great freebie, right before the holidays, this would make a great gift for the grandparents!

Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic

Kids can make this Frankenstring Magic Trick for FREE this Saturday, October 24th between 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Click here for more details.

Free Cookie & Hot Cocoa from Barnes & Noble - Sat., Oct. 24th Only!

Click here to print a coupon for a Free Small cookie & Kids sized Hot Chocolate at Barnes & Noble. Coupon is valid this Saturday, October 24th only!

Pizza Hut - possible free Personal Pan Pizza for kids under 12

Many Pizza Huts are offering a free Personal Pan pizza to kids who come in costume on Halloween, October 31st. Be sure to check to see if your local Pizza Hut is participating.

A great deal on some air freshner at CVS

This week CVS has Glade Sense & Spray or Lasting Impressions on sale for $5 each - use this $4 off printable coupon to get it for only $1!

I am currently "buzzing" the Glade Sense & Spray (check out my badge on the left). We really like it, it is motion activated & only sprays when it senses motion. It also has a lockout feature so that it will only spray once every 30 minutes in highly trafficked areas. We are currently buzzing the Clear Springs scent, which is a nice scent, it is not to strong, but can be smelled in several rooms after it is sprayed. I also have several $4 off coupons, if you'd like one to take advantage of the CVS offer this week, send me an email & I'll get one to you.

Pinecone Research - Get paid for doing surveys!

A few months back I posted about a survey company that pays you $3 per survey you complete, plus offers you a chance at trying free full size products from time to time. Pinecone only accepts applicants every once in a while & some of you who wanted to join, got in to late. Well, they are accepting applicants again. Click here for details & to sign up.

On a side note, I saved several of my checks from doing surveys & cashed them in right before we left - my total - $188!! $3 here & there really does add up!

Free Subscription to Parenting Early Years

Click here to get your free 11 month subscription to Parenting Early Years.

Kodak - A Million Thanks Giveaway

Kodak is giving away 1 million free gifts, now through Nov. 13th. Click here & click on the 1 Million Thanks Giveaway. Enter your email address & they will send you a code via email for your free gift. From what I hear they are giving away $15 off any order or a 40% off code (I got the $15 off any order). This can make a free or inexpensive Christmas gift!

An inexpensive treat!

McDonald's is currently selling "Tricks & Treats" coupon books, they were $1.50 each at my local McDonald's. Each booklet contains 12 coupons. Coupons are good for a free bag of Apple Dippers, Free small Apple Juice or Milk Jug, Free small cone, or Free Hamburger. Coupons are good through December 31, 2009. What an inexpensive & great way to treat your kids!

Tasty Tuesday - Pumpkin Muffins

3 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Mix dry ingredients and add:

1 c. oil
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
2 c. pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Lightly spray muffin tins.

Fill muffin tins three-quarters full and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Domino's

For a limited time Domino's is offering a large one topping pizza for just $5.99

Free Grilled Sandwich from Jack in the Box - Oct. 20th Only!

On Tuesday, October 20th Jack in the Box is offering a free grilled sandwich with the purchase of a large fountain drink.

You can choose from Grilled Turkey Bacon Cheddar with roasted turkey, cheddar cheese and bacon, and the Grilled Deli Trio, with salami, sliced ham, roasted turkey, provolone cheese and pickles.

Limit 1 sandwich per person.

Disney Movie Rewards - Codes for 100 pts.

If you are a member of Disney Movie Rewards - here are some free codes - all the codes add up to 100 pts!

light
tina
gobloon
graveyards

Target Deals

Don't forget to take your coupons with you to Target! Here are some great deals & freebies.

Pond's Towelettes (travel size) - $1.05
Use $1.50 off printable coupon
Free after coupon

Arm & Hammer Toothpaste (travel size) - $1.07
Buy 2 and use $3/2 coupon from the 8/16 Smart Source
both free after coupon

Buy 1 Degree for Women Fine Fragrance Deodorant at $3.29
Buy 1 Degree for Women Fine Fragrance Body Mist at $3.29
Use 1 $3/2 Target printable
Use 2 $1.50/1 manufacturer's printable coupons
.29 each after coupons

Johnson’s Buddies Soaps - .99
Use $1 off coupon from the 9/13 Red Plum
Free after coupon

Head and Shoulders Shampoo (travel size) - $1
Use $1 off coupon from the 8/30 P&G insert
Free after coupon

Free sample - Arm & Hammer Fresh Ins

Odor Eliminating Vacuum Scent Packs

As you vacuum, Fresh-ins neutralizes odors in your home, leaving a fresh, pleasing scent in the air.

SAFE FOR ALL VACUUMS
SAFE AROUND PETS

Fresh-ins are small white pouches packed with the natural power of ARM & HAMMER® baking soda that are emptied into a vacuum bag or dust cup. The crystals inside each packet neutralize odors inside and outside the vacuum and add a fresh, pleasing scent to the room.
As dirty air passes through the bag, ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda particles neutralize odor bearing chemicals. The result is clean, odor free air released into your home.

To get your free sample, call 1-888-800-2302 or e-mail armhammervac@speedymail.com.

Making Halloween Affordable - some inexpensive costumes

Halloween costumes can get expensive to buy, especially when you are buying for 4! Below are some of the costumes I have made over the years. All of which are made with NO sewing required. As you read, you will see, I do use alot of the glue gun! I try to use as much as we have on hand for our costumes & get a lot of stuff from the thrift store. I also save each piece, many can be used again for other costumes. And of course I reuse them with each child - this year Aiden gets the bigger duck costume & Camden gets the lion!

One other thing - each year after Halloween, I scour the costume dept. and get tons of stuff at 75% off. This is how I got the fireman costume, along with so much of the cowboy stuff. My kids love to play dress up & will play with these costumes all year long. I've also been able to use many of them as Christmas & Birthday gifts, since so many other kids love to dress up as super heros.

Strawberry Shortcake/Raggedy Ann

This was one of my least favorite costumes, it just didn't turn out as cute as I thought it was. She was going as Strawberry Shortcake, but so many people thought she was Raggedy Ann. Maybe you can take this idea & turn it into something better!

The pinafore was made from a pillowcase, I cut 2 strips off the pillowcase to make the straps & hot glued it all together. She already had the red shirt. I bought the red pants at a thrift store & hot glued white strips of felt to them.

I took a red stocking cap & glued red yarn all over it. I found it easiest to cut the yarn & tie 15-20 pieces of yard together to make a grouping, then glue the groupings to the top of the hat. I then put the hat on Ally to cut the yarn to the correct lengths.

Cowboy/Cowgirl

Of course, we've got to be a cowboy/cowgirl for halloween! This was by far, the absolute cheapest costume I've ever done. The kids love playing dress up & already had everything in their dress up box for this! The only thing I didn't have was Ally's jean skirt, but that is something she continued to wear to church & school after Halloween. We made Colton a lasso from some rope. If you don't already have cowboy hats, you can get these same ones at Walmart for $2-$3.

Fireman/Firetruck

We already had the fireman hat & coat (I had bought it on clearance from the previous halloween). We then transformed a box into a firetruck.

Scarecrow

This costume, Ally wore the same year as Colton was the lion (below). They were going to be a lion & a lamb. Ally's lamb costume just wasn't turning out the way I had envisioned it & I couldn't let her go out in any thing less cute than that lion costume! So, this scarecrow costume was thought of & made just 1 hour before trick or treating. I used the felt I had left over from the year before's costume (Ally's ladybug & the duck) to make the shirt & pants. I just drew out a shirt on the felt, cut out 2 pieces & glued them both together, I did the same thing for the pants. I then cut out triangles, to make the jaggedness. I glued on some scrap fabric to make the patches, glued some raffia to the underside of the shirt, pants & straw hat. The raffia was something I already had on hand & is much softer than straw. I tied some twine around her waist. I found this straw hat in our basement, glued some scrap fabric on it & a crow I found.

Lion

This Lion costume was my favorite - along with the duck costume below. I took a hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants, and the $1 one size fits all kind of gloves, and dyed them all brown. I used 2 different colors of brown yarn, cut several stands & grouped about 10-15 strands together tying them. I then took all of my yarn groupings & hot glued them all over the hood of the sweatshirt. Once they were glued to the sweatshirt, that is when I cut them, I had Colton put on the costume & gave him a haircut! I also hot glued ears to the top. For the gloves, I just took felt & glued his paw prints onto the gloves.

Duck/Ladybug

This has been one of my favorite costumes! It is the first costume I had made & all of my kids have wore some form of it.

For the body - Cut several strips of felt (I think I cut 6), the strips need to be wider at the bottom than at the top & rounded. I don't really know how big they are, I probably made the strips as long as my children were tall. Hot glue all the strips together, long ways from top to bottom, until you have all the strips glued together, making a complete circle. Make a hem along the bottom of the circle using hot glue, put elastic inside the hem. Along the top, cut slits all the way around the neckline & lace it with some ribbon. Measure about where you think your child's arms will need to be & cut large slits for arm holes. I also cut a slit about half way down the back, to make it easier for the kids to get in & out of the costume. At this point, put the costume on the child - The bottom will be about to your child's feet, tuck the bottom up inside, so that it comes about to your child's waist & cinch up the elastic, tieing it off. Tie the ribbon at the top in the back. I tried to give you a sketch to hopefully explain this a little better.

Duck - My kids wore a yellow long sleeved shirt underneath - it actually has Pooh on it, but you can't see that with the costume over it. I took a white pair of sweatpants & dyed them orange.

For the Duck hat - I took a regular ball cap, I was able to find a yellow one, but you could dye a hat as well. I took orange felt & glued it to the bill, glued white felt to the front & made eyes out of black felt to glue onto that.

Duck Tail & head feathers - You can't see the tail feathers, but I cut out feather shapes in orange, white, & yellow. To make them stand "up" a little better, I glued 2 pieces together. I then glued pieces to the top of the hat & the back end of the costume.

I also made some web feet out of orange felt, I traced their shoes & made the webs a little larger. I cut slits in it & slipped it onto their feet, before putting on their shoes.

At the last minute, I made Aiden an "infant" duck costume. I just took an infant hat & made it the same way I did for Cam's costume, put him in a yellow sleeper, & made some small web feet for him.

Ladybug - The body was made the same way as the duck body, I hot glued black circles on it & made wings. To make the wings, I took a wire hanger to make the shape of wings & glued black felt onto it. Ally wore black pants, black long sleeved shirt, & black shoes. I also made her some antenna by glueing pipe cleaners & black pom poms onto a black headband.

Laura Ingalls

The kids love watching old Little House on the Prairie shows. This costume was easy. I wasn't so happy with the bonnet, but it did the trick.

I purchased the dress at a thrift store, I think it was actually a fancy coat. I then used the old apron we had used in a Strawberry Shortcake costume from a few years back. To make the apron, I took a pillowcase, cut out arm holes & a hole for the head. From the pieces I cut out, I glued on 2 square pockets.

I found a pair of granny boots at the thrift store, a few sizes to big, so we just stuffed the toes with kleenex.

For the bonnet, I scoured everywhere to find one to purchase & just couldn't find one. So, I took a head band & glued some fabric to it, for the "bill" of the bonnet, I cut out some fun foam & glued fabric to it.

We also took dark brown yarn & made braids. I hot glued the braids to the inside of the bonnet.

Robin Hood

For this costume, I purchased an XL green t-shirt at the thrift store, cut up the sleeves & the bottom to make it "jagged" & tied some twine around his waist. He is also wearing green sweatpants.

For the hat - I used 2 sheets of felt, hot glued them together length wise, then proceeded to fold it into those hats/boats we used to make out of paper, hot glueing it where it needed to hold together. I found the feather in our craft box.

I picked up a bow & arrow at the local dollar store. To make the holder, I hot glued strips of felt to make the strap. for the acual "holder", I took fun foam & made a cylindar, glueing a circle to the bottom, I then covered it with the brown felt.

Free Carefree Ultra Protection Sample

Click here to get your sample.

An Inexpensive facial cleanser

For a few years now, I have been using baby wipes to clean my face. Since changing to baby wipes I haven't had any problems with breakouts or oily skin. My face is always soft & smooth - think about it - isn't that how they promote your baby's bottom to feel? They are a super quick & easy cleanser. I've tried a few over the years & my absolute favorite to use is Parent's Choice Real Cloth Wipes for Sensitive skin. You can get a pack of 80 wipes for less than $2 or they sell a 3 pk. of 80 wipes each for $5.97. You can get these at Walmart.

A Chance for a Free Full Size Herbal Essence Product

Herbal Essence is giving away 18,750 coupons each day now through Oct. 12th for a free full sized product. Be one of the first ones to sign up each day, beginning at 11:30 p.m. ET. Click here for the details on how to sign up!

And I will just add that I absolutly LOVE the Herbal Essence Hydrolicious line!

Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic

Kids can make this ball toss for free at your local Lowe's this Saturday, October 10th between 10:00-11:00 a.m. Click here for more details.

Field & Stream

Click here to get 3 Free issues of Field & Stream.

Tasty Tuesday - Peanut Butter Cookies - only 3 ingredients!

I am not a fan of peanut butter cookies, but I absolutely LOVE these! They are super quick & simple to make & is a recipe that contains ingredients that I always have on hand.

1 C. peanut butter
1 C. sugar
1 egg

1. Combine all ingredients
2. Cook at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes.
3. Be sure not to overcook, these really taste best slightly soft.

Get a $2.50 off Luvs coupon

Click here and log in or sign up to the Luvs Network. Be sure to click on the box on the right hand of the screen to request your coupons, then scroll down & click save changes. Luvs will mail you 2 coupons for $2.50 off 1 package of diapers.

Free Sample of Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition

Click here to get your free sample.

CVS Deals 10/4-10/10

Dial, Tone, or Coast Soap (2-3-pack), limit 1
You pay - $1.88
You earn - $1 ECBs
Use - $1 off printable
Free plus overage after coupon and ECBs

Colgate Toothpaste or Acti-Flex Toothbrush (limit 1)
You pay - $2.99
You earn - $2 ECBs
Use - $1 off coupon from 9/27 Smart Source or
printable
Free after coupon and ECBs

Revlon Nail polish (limit 6)
You pay - $3.99
You earn - $3 ECBs
Use - $1 off coupon from 9/13 Smart Source
Free after coupon and ECBs

Purex 3 in 1
Sale Price - Buy 1, Get 1 Free
Use - (2) $1 off coupons from 10/4 Smart Source
$3.50 each after coupons