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Free Pictures!

I know, I know....I've been posting a lot about "deals" lately. But free is pretty praiseworthy, is it not???? This is a great deal for new Shutterfly members that I found out via Money Saving Mom, a great blog. Check it out soon...it won't be around long.

Fantastic Deal on The Old Schoolhouse

Here is a message from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. If you've been reading for awhile you know I'm a big fan of their magazine:

If you're like most of us, you're usually on the lookout for ways to help your home and homeschool run smoothly. You want suggestions, encouragement, and practical how-to information. You need a storehouse of helpful articles for those days when you yearn for a fresh idea, a little boost, or facts to share with potential critics – all from a solid Christian perspective. That's where The Old Schoolhouse Magazine comes in.

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has just launched their fabulous Fall Special for new U.S. subscribers and you'll want to respond early. It's a 50% savings off of cover price and they even have a homeschooling tote bag for the first 1000 to respond!

Right now, during their Fall Special you can subscribe for only $39! You’ll receive 2 years of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (8 large quarterly issues), the current issue (so you get a quick jump start!), and 6 fabulous Bonus Gifts (for the first 3000). PLUS, the first 1,000 new subscribers will also receive their Homeschooling with Heart tote bag!
View the full details and subscribe online at www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/US_Promotion.php.

Free Family Fun!!

I'm kind of a magazine junkie. So when I can get a magazine for FREE I'm really excited. Right now you can register for the digital edition of Family Fun magazine for free. So I had to share it with you!

I subscribe to a few other digitial editions of magazines and I really like it. First of all there are no magazines cluttering up your house making you feel quilty for wanting to throw them away. You can also save articles or pictures you want to keep and even print them out if you really have to have something in your hand. Not to meniton the pictures look so vivid on a computer screen! It's a win win situation in my opinion.

Try it out yourself for free at www.cloverleaf.com/familyfun . You have NOTHING to lose!

Popcorn for a good cause

My son is selling popcorn as a fund raiser for his Cub Scout pack. 70% of the sales go back to our local Council to fund our scouting programs. Part of the sales are also used to help pay for him to go to camp in the summer.

The popcorn is delicious and there are many different varieties to choose from. There are several decorative tins that make nice gifts. Perhaps you don’t like popcorn or have food allergies that prevent you from eating it. There is a trail mix available that doesn’t contain corn or you can still help out by ordering popcorn to be delivered to our military men and women through the military donation. Last year scout troops sent 300 tons of popcorn to the military through this donation.

If you’d like to help out you can order online at www.orderpopcorn.com. When you order online you will be charged a shipping fee but it will be delivered directly to your location. Be sure to type in the order key TEZBR1B or he will not get credit for the sale. There will be several prizes for different levels of sales in addition to earning money for camp so it will help him out directly if you use the order key. If you are local you can save the shipping fee by having us deliver it to you. Just check out the selection online and let me know what you would like. Send me an email and we’ll get it to you. And please feel free to forward this on to others. As long as they use the order key he will receive credit.

Thanks for your help!

The Coupon Game

I've been reading all these coupon game blogs about Walgreen’s and CVS. Have any of you ever seen these? Have any of you ever tried it? It's actually fun!

Basically these ladies take current specials, coupons and rebate offers and match it all up in combinations that save the most money. I just went to Walgreen’s and bought $47 of stuff. Using coupons (the links to them are usually in the blogs so you can print them out right there) and a $25 gift certificate I got for transferring a prescription there I ended up spending $6. Then I got a register reward for $5 off my next visit so it’s really like I spent $1.

The first few times I looked at the "scenarios" of things that people bought there I thought, "I don't use those products so it won't work for me." See, a lot of it is convenience food. But I've realized that there are lots of deals on personal care items and household cleaners that I would use. So now I scan the deals for things I normally buy anyway and ended up saving $46.

There's a lot to this and it seems daunting at first but check them out and you may find a way to save your family money too. For me it's worth it as there are two Walgreen's less than a mile from my house. So it's convenient. I recommend you start at MoneySavingMom's blog (which is a favorite of mine anyway). She has tutorials for how to do all this and links to lots of other blogs that can help.

Free Copywork!

The Old Schoolhouse is giving away a Ten Commandments Copybook e-book today only. They are having a deal of the day every day in September. It's called "The Daily Deal." Some of them are free and some are just really good deals. Check it out!

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Suddenly it became autumnal. It was 90 and we were going to the pool and then suddenly the weather cooled. I guess it's the hurricanes in the southeast but it has been lovely weather for the last few weeks...rainy and cool. So I felt it was time for pumpkin muffins.

I love pumpkin in baked goods. It makes the product moist and adds so much nutrition. This recipe I adapted from a popular vegan cookbook author. I'm not crazy about her essays in the book so I can't really recommend it. So I give you my adaptation.

Pumpkin Muffins

1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 cup pumpkin puree (I used canned)

1/2 cup milk or almond milk

1/2 vegetable oil

2 Tablespoons molasses

1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins for 18 muffins.

Sift dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Pour wet in dry and mix just until dry ingredients are incorporated.

Fill cups 2/3rds full and bake for 20 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.