Some Weekend Freebies

Here are a few free items to tide you over.

• Register to win a trip and get some lip stuff
• After an all day rock concert in the heat, I'm feeling like a free sample of Move Free may be needed 
• Free burger maker
• What does Avril Lavigne smell like?  Get a free sample and find out
• I just got this free sample from Kotex, and it was loaded.  It is still available, so sign up if you haven't
• Free sample of Nivea lotion
• Some free ear plugs?
• Free sample of Underjams
• Free Americorps stickers
• Like Propel and get a free sample
• Free sample of Old Wisconsin sticks, but you have to live in certain states (not Iowa)

That should keep you busy for a while.   Remember, if you're a fan of the freebies, click on the "Freebies" either under this post or in the tag cloud on the right side, and it will show you more of my freebie posts.  Some go fast, but many times things get replenished or are still available.  This could keep you busy for days.

Polliwalk Shoes $7.95 each!

These are some of the cutest kids shoes around, and they're regularly $26, on sale for $7.95 each. These deals are usually only one day deals, but they do come up regularly.

AHA!  I forgot to post the link to the Polliwalks.  Try clicking HERE.

Exciting for me, anyway...

My blog hit 5000 hits this morning in my 7 months of blogging.  Thanks to all of the readers who helped that happen.  We've got a busy weekend planned, so there probably won't be much posting during the weekend.  If you're in a shopping mind, go back and check out some of the deals I've posted. 

Old Navy's 30% off sale is extending through Monday, the Hello Yellow sale at Bath and Body Works is in full swing, and Victoria's Secret's semi-annual sale is also going on right now.

Or go out and enjoy some free fun!  I've posted a ton of activities in my calendar, and I just realized that the Des Moines Art Festival is going on this weekend.  It's a great event, so go down and check it out if you can.  FREE admission!

Lands End 70% off Overstocks!

This is today only! HERE is the link to the overstocks section, which is up to 60% off. Use the following code and PIN and get an extra 10% off and free shipping over $50. ONEDAY 2132.

Bath and Body Works Deals

Bath and Body Works is winding down their Hello Yellow sale, and things are getting down to 75% and possibly 90% off about now.  There are some other great deals in store along with that, and I've located a great coupon to help you stock up.  There is a code on that coupon to use online, so enjoy!

Handsoaps (love these so much) are 4 for $10 right now, and the Classics collection is $3 each.  The prices don't get much lower than this.

Target Mens Body Wash and Deodorant Deals

I just found a great deal this afternoon at Target. I'll try to break it down so it's easy to understand, but I'm afraid it probably ends Saturday.  Right now, Target has a deal where you get a $5 gift card with the purchase of any three of certain Old Spice and Gillette products. In the June 6 P&G Brand Saver, there were some BOGO coupons for both.

Buy any 3 of certain products, get a $5 gift card.  These include:

• Old Spice body wash, $3.99 each.
• Gillette Clinical Deodorant, $7.49 each.
• Old Spice Clinical Deodorant, $7.49 each.
• Olay Quench Body Wash
• Always Ultra Thin Super
• Tampax
• Pantene

Here's what I did:

• Buy one clinical deodorant (Gillette or Old Spice), $7.49, use a $3.00 off coupon for that and a BOGO to get the free body wash.  If you have enough coupons, you can do two of these.  
• I also had BOGO for the body wash, so got two of those.
• So, 2 deodorants end up being $4.49 each.  Two body washes free.
• 2 more body washes, $3.99 each, but one is free.
• Total out of pocket $12.97.
• Get two $5 gift cards (because we bought 6 items)
• Final price is $2.97, making each item about 50 cents.

If you have coupons for any of the other items in the $5 gift card deal, you could really stock up on a lot of those products.

The best part of this shopping trip is the way the cashier acted when I brought up all my body washes with all of  my coupons, and it's the reason that Target continues to be my discount store of choice.  Instead of sighing, eye-rolling, or looking for a reason to disallow each and every coupon, she told me that I had to be her savvy shopper of the day.

I have had that reaction a lot in Target, from many different cashiers, and good customer service in my opinion makes up for a lot of "rollbacks."  Add to that the fact that Target now has signs prominently placed throughout the store that they will price match any other store ad, and you can now skip the blue devil entirely.

Free Admission to Ames Racquet and Fitness

Check it out all day long on Sunday! All three locations of Ames Racquet and Fitness will be free, so take some time to check it out if you're interested.

I've also added a ton of new activities for the weekend, some as early as tomorrow. Be sure to look at the calendar on the right side.

Site Changes

I got bored with the old layout, so I'm trying out some changes right now. It's a gorgeous summer day, so I really like the design I put in place today. I'll be trying to add in some static pages soon to make the navigation a little better, but I will try to tell where I move things--when I move them.

Great Canon Rebel Deal on Amazon!

This is a rare deal. Get the Canon Rebel with 18-55mm Lens AND 75-300mm zoom lens AND a UV filter AND a printer  for only $551.40 after rebate.  Don't forget, there's always free shipping over $25.

You need to add the following items to your cart:

• Canon Rebel camera with 18-55 lens.
• Canon 55-250 lens.
• Canon Pixma wireless printer.
• Tiffin 58 mm UV filter.
• Then apply coupon code 55250BUN for $200 off your total.
• Then use this rebate form to get an additional $200 back.  (The rebate is only good on items purchased through June 27th.)

Hope this helps someone!  It's an awesome deal for all that you get if you're in the market for a good digital SLR camera.

Old Navy Sitewide 30% off!

Wow! A great 30% off coupon from Old Navy, ends 6/29. Use coupon code ONBIG30 to take advantage of this great savings.

And I promise I'll have more posts coming up soon. We've been taking advantage of all the fun free activities, maybe a few too many. Not much time at home, but we're really enjoying ourselves.

Michael's 20% off Everything Coupon

This is 20% off everything in the store INCLUDING sale items. Looks like a great coupon.  Click HERE to print, and make sure you get on their mailing list.  They have some great make and take craft workshops, some free.  HERE is the link to the Father's Day crafts, and you can find more great ideas at that page.

Deals from my Inbox

 Some good Juicy Juice coupons.

Good Nites coupon.

Toys R Us is going to have a family Lego Challenge event on Saturday, June 19, from 12-2 pm.  These events usually have giveaways and great deals to go along with them, so maybe give it a try.  Be sure to keep checking my side calendar for more fun events.

Old Navy has a progressive coupon.  Sorry for the lateness on this, but the savings extend through the weekend.  Use code ONSUMMER for 20% off today, then 15% off the 17th and 18th, and 10% off the 19th and 20th.

 Tons of good coupons from Pillsbury.

More information about the Reiman Gardens story times:Kids’ Story Time

This year we’ve been hosting Kids’ Story Time every two weeks, from April to September. If you haven’t already attended, please join us. Each session features a theme with two or three books read aloud followed by a related craft or activity. The books, crafts and activities are intended for children ages two to seven years old. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Tuesday, June 15 at 10:00 a.m. in the Hunziker House
“Flying Rainbows” - No, rainbows really don’t fly, but hear how colorful butterflies have sometimes been known as flying rainbows.

Tuesday, June 29 at 10:00 a.m. in the Hunziker House
“Let’s Go Fly a Kite”- Hear stories about kites, pinwheels and other wind toys.

Tuesday, July 13 at 10:00 a.m. in the Hunziker House
“Pink and Plastic - It’s Fantastic!” - Learn about those fun and very pink flamingos and then see the flock that’s living at Reiman Gardens in the CoHorts’ Pattern Garden.

Tuesday, July 27 at 10:00 a.m. in the Hunziker House
“Rockin and Rollin”- Rocks and rock tales will be the topic on this Tuesday.

Pre-registration and pre-payment are required for groups larger than ten and highly recommended for everyone else. Free for CoHorts’ members and ISU students. Free with paid admission for the general public.  

And a summer day camp from Reiman Gardens:

Summer Day Camp
Monday, July 19 at 10:00 a.m.

Mark your calendars now for the return of a seasonal favorite - Reiman Gardens’ Summer Day Camp. Your child, grades 1 through 4, will enjoy a full day of plant and insect exploration as only Reiman Gardens can offer. Each child must bring a sack lunch.

Pre-registration and pre-payment are required by Thursday, July 15. VERB participants receive discounted registration. $12 for CoHorts’ members. $15 for the general public. $9 for ISU students. Call 515-294-2710 to register.

Some good Right@Home coupons.

Barnes and Noble coupons, for in store or online.

Borders is donating 10% off proceeds to the gulf.  Use this voucher to get your share in.  Here are some 40% off coupons as well.

Cheap Magnetic Car Ride Games

I think these would be great for road trips! There are 6 different magnetic games on Amazon right now, all take $5 off for every two you buy.  Spend $25 or more for free super saver shipping.

Don't know why the games disappeared...

Since they did, and I don't have time to go back and build them all back in again, here is the hangman game.  The other 5 should be in the link at the bottom.  Well, when you go to Amazon, look for Patch games.  I can't seem to get any Amazon links to show up.

JC Penney Salon Deal!

I know salon brand shampoos aren't "cheap" but there are some areas where I like to splurge if the price is right.  This sale will be Friday 3pm till close, and Saturday 9 am till 1 pm, so you have to go at a certain time.  You also need to look for a coupon to make this a truly great deal.  We got one with our Sunday paper, and I've noticed that JCPenney often has their ad at the front door.

I can't seem to find the printable coupon online, but maybe a more thorough search would do it.  This printable coupon might work, though it doesn't show that it includes salon products.

Here's what they have in the sale:

• Buy 2 Get 1 Free with all Matrix products.  (not that great, but good)
• Buy 1 get 1 50% off a lot of other products, including Paul Mitchell, Redken, Bed Head.
• 40% off entire stock Sexy Hair, Nexxus, Design Essentials, and more.
• $18.99 for the Hair Care Liter Sets.  That's 2 of the Liter sized bottles for $18.99, when they are normally between $30-35, or $20 for 1 liter.
• Nioxin and Redken 25.4 oz sets are $24.99 each, previously up to $40.
• Chi and Biosilk sets are $19.99 each, previously $29.99.
• They also have some Chi Flat Irons with $15 instant rebates and nail polish deals.

The two coupons are for $10 off $40 or $15 off $75.  Some salons may be different than others, but mine has allowed me to use both coupons if I spent enough for both.  Here's my example, to show how I can get salon products for drugstore prices.

Buy 3 liter sets 75.96
Buy 1 Nioxin/Redken set  24.99
Buy 1 Biosilk/Chi set 19.99

Subtotal 120.94
Coupons 25.00
Total 95.94

That is 10 bottles (6 of those being the large liter size) for $95.94--that's under $10 per bottle.  You can change up the types of shampoos and conditioners as you like.  This is just one example.  I did a similar deal over a year ago, and we are still finishing up the products we purchased.  One of my favorites is the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Oil Shampoo, because I have small children and lice don't like tea tree oil.  I would not buy it for the $25 per bottle price it normally is, but $10 makes it worth it.

And as a bonus--while I was searching for the printable coupon, I found a code for $10 off $10 or more.  Use DADROCKS through 6/20 online only.  Enjoy!

Children's Place Big SALE!

This should be a nice sale if you want to stock up on summer clothes!  Tomorrow The Children's Place will have their matchables line for $3.99 per piece.  It's regularly $7.50 per piece, so a very good savings.  Want to make it an even better deal?  Take 15% off your order with coupon code G4AQMRAG5A or G4ACZXTQ5A.  They have $5 shipping no matter how much you purchase, so stock up and save.

Boys matchables are HERE.

You'll want to hit this sale as early as possible, because everything will sell out fast.  Get 2 points per dollar from MyPoints, 3% cashback from Ebates, or 2 Swagbucks per dollar from Swagbucks.

Monday Morning Deals

Ride on Cy-Ride free, all day on Thursday, June 17.

Bath and Body Works has their Signature Collection lotions for $4 each AND there's a coupon for $10 off $40.  Use SALE40 online, or click HERE for the printable coupon.

Coupon for free plastic bags.

Get a free sample of granola bar.

Get a free photo mug from Snapfish when you buy 100 prints at 9 cents each.  Use code PICMUG100 through June 15 (tomorrow) only.  Take 20% off address labels through 6/30 with code MYLABELS, or BOGO mousepad collages with code 2PADS.

Free pie from Village Inn for Dad.

Free sample of Dove Hair Care.

Free Redbox rental at Kum and Go only.  Use code KAGEB7 through 6/21.

Chocolaterie Stam in Ames has a children's story time Tuesday at 9 am.  Sounds yummy.

Don't forget the story time at Reiman Gardens, and the Ames Library has a lot of story time options every day, so be sure to check out their schedule.

---Since it's now afternoon, I will send this one through and come back later with more.

Pampers/Luvs Deal on Amazon

This looks like a great deal for stocking up on diapers.  Amazon has 15% off Pampers and Luvs with code PMPLUVJN, and you can save an additional 15% if you sign up for their subscribe and save program.  That's a huge savings if you use these brands.  Free shipping with any purchase over $25, so you'll get it all delivered right to your house.

Here are a few of the items available, and I'll figure out the price per diaper.  For me, this is a huge savings, probably even more than doubling up coupons and pairing them with sales.




The wipes--This is 4 of the 192 count refills, which I can usually find on sale for $5.50, 50 cent coupon would make them $5 each, $20 + 7% sales tax for me = $21.40.  The regular price of $24.48 isn't all that great.  They can be closer to $7 not on sale, but I don't buy when they aren't on sale.  Take 15% off, then an additional 15% off, and the price drops to $17.69.   Remember there is also no sales tax charged on products from Amazon, so this is a huge savings.

The big packages of 150 Luvs size 5 diapers comes down to $25.92 and brings the price to 17 cents per diaper, which is really great.  Compare the price to Sam's club pricing, and don't forget the sales tax at Sam's.

Just remember to do the subscribe and save, and don't forget to cancel it when you no longer need it--like tomorrow.  ;)

Free Sesame Street Ebooks

This is one of our family's favorite books!  It was one of my favorites as a child, and now the kids love it, too.  Sesame Street has ebooks that you can purchase, but they also offer a free book every week.  Sign up for their newsletter to receive notice of the new ones.  This week is "The Monster at the End of This Book."  If you've never seen this book, you have to check it out.  It's a must-have for every home library.

Looking around, I can't believe the prices listed to buy this book online.  If you have somewhere to get Golden Books, I'm sure you can get it much cheaper there.  We find lots of great books at garage sales.

...And that will teach me not to read the whole email before I post.  There are 4 more free ebooks this week.  Bert and Ernie--The Penguin, 1, 2, 3, Count With Me, So Big!, and Color Carnival.

Deals from my Inbox

Some good deals going on right now, so I'll hit a quick overview of everything I see:

• Stride-Rite is having a sale in store and online (with free shipping!)
• Amazon has several shoe deals going on right now.  First, Save 20% each on Qualifying Items offered by Shoe Mall when you purchase 1 or more. Enter code CROCSALE at checkout.
• Save 25% on select kids' shoes when you buy 2 pairs of qualifying styles offered by Amazon. Discount taken at Cart.
• One last shoe deal from Amazon, Peltz Famous Brand has: Save $10.00 when you spend $50.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Peltz Famous Brand Shoes. Enter code KGAMMHWM at checkout.  
• Here's a great deal on printer paper!  For two days only, get a free CASE of paper with $100 delivery order from Office Depot.  Just to show you what else you could do to sweeten this deal... At MyPoints, a $100 order would get free shipping, and you would receive 1000 points, which is about the equivalent of a $10 gift card.  It would get you 200 SwagBucks, and it would get you $2 cash back through Ebates.
• Sample Sunday at Prairieland Herbs, Northern Prairie Chevre, and Picket Fence Creamery this Sunday.  I already posted the link and more information in the calendar.  If you've never been there, you really must.  It is so much fun.
• I can't seem to get a link to work from their site, but Babies R Us is offering a $15 gift card with the purchase of any 2 Huggies Value sized boxes.  It says it is valid 6/13-6/19 in store only.
• Barnes and Noble has a Father's Day gift guide, and you can get 50% off any one item from that guide with code B8R4A7B.
• Family Video has Home Improvement season 1 for $8.99 as their steal of the day.  It's currently $11.99 at Amazon, so it's a pretty good deal.
• Quick! 6 hour 50% off at Woman Within.  The coupon code is listed at the top of the page.  They also have 50% off all swim items.
• Monday is a free VERB event.  See details HERE.
• Bath and Body Works "Hello Yellow" sale.  Get a tote for $2.50, then get 10% off everything you put in it through July 5th!
• Borders coupon June 10-14, AND Junie B Jones are B2G1 free right now.  We're huge fans here.  Did I mention the Toy Story event?  It's in the calendar (I think) and will be Saturday at 11.

I'm going to send this one like this, since it's taken me all morning to get what is in there.  If I get more time this afternoon, there are some other good deals I want to share.

Coupons and Freebies

It must be time for another round of free things:

• Right at Home, get some coupons and maybe a summer gift pack.  Register HERE.  This company has Glade, Windex, and some other home cleaning products.
• 25% off at Borders, through Wednesday only!
• June 12, 11 pm, free Toy Story 3 event at most Borders stores, with crafts, story time, and giveaways.
• Don't forget the Lowe's Build and Grow workshop.  
• Dove Shampoo sample.
• Quiznos coupon, and did you know kids eat free every day?  Too bad ours is closed for renovation right now.
• Cologne sample
• Protein drink sample

I am hopelessly behind on everything this past couple of weeks as we get ready for being out of school, and am slowly catching up on emails and blogging.  Doing my best, so bear with me.  As always, be sure to see the calendar on the right for fun free events.  I do mostly local events, but there are also many national chains offering free fun, so check it out.

Some Father's Day Amazon Deals

With Father's Day coming up soon, Amazon is doing some great deals on some of the favorite mens' products.  They are doing lightning deals like they did at Christmas, and some of these are HOT.  I won't post them because they end too quickly.  Some of the ones I've seen:

• Three GPS devices under $100 through June 9 (that's tomorrow!).  The Motorola Motonav is 63% off and has almost a 5 star rating.    This is $170-180 everywhere else.
•  That link with the lightning deals also has an area to look for gift ideas by price points, interests, and also has a few top picks lists.  
• I love the book Geek Dad, under $10
• They have the new black Wii with Wii Sports AND Wii Sports Resort for $199.  This should include WiiMotion Plus AND it also comes with $30 in video game credits for buying more games.
• There are some great cheap magazine deals going on as well, so check out the June deals page.  Most of the ones linked below are $5 and $10 off the listed price.  $10 for National Geographic is a fabulous deal!

Hope these help you find the gifts you need.

Free Fishing Weekend and Scandinavian Days

Just a few more free activities that I forgot to mention yesterday.

This weekend is free fishing weekend all over Iowa, meaning you can fish without a license without getting fined or arrested.  Get out with your worms and pole and have a great time.

Also on the slate for the weekend is Scandinavian Days in Story City.  We love the antique carousel and can't wait to see all there is to do this weekend.  For a link to the weekend's activities, click HERE.  The parade starts at 10 am Saturday.  Get settled at the front of the line for max free candy. 

Lutefisk for everyone!

More Family Fun!

I just got notification of a few more fun events.  I will also add these to the side calendar.

Blank Park Zoo is doing Zoo Brew on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm.  These are adult only.  They are also doing Family Friday Nights in June, July, and August.  We attended a few times last year, and it was a great time.  The animals tend to be a lot more active in the evenings, and there are lots of extra activities to do. 

This Saturday, the Science Center of Iowa is having the first of three all day cultural events.  Click HERE for the schedule of events.  This one will be focused on Performing Arts, and there will be two more focusing on Visual Arts and food.

Free bowling starts June 7 at Perfect Games in Ames, and I posted a link to the national free bowling page in an earlier sanity savers post if you're not local.  Just pay for shoe rental, but it looks like shoe rental is even free with a purchase of a lunch entree.

Also, check out Bass Pro for lots of fun activities including a free summer camp!  I'll just link to their fun page HERE.

==============================================

One last one for now, and since it is more involved, I'll have to post it to the calendar later.  In Ames, in many locations, Raising Readers is doing some early literacy programs (typically for children younger than school age.)  This is the information I have:

To register, please contact Mona Berkey at contact@raising-readers.org or at (515) 239-5667 one week prior to the session date. Please provide your name, e-mail address/phone number, the ages of your children, and the sessions you plan to attend.

Co-Sponsored by: Ames Public Library
515 Douglas Avenue, Ames, Tuesday Evenings, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Session 1: Talk to Me! –July 6, 2010
• Session 2: Fun with Rhymes –July 13, 2010
• Session 3: Beyond the ABC’s –July 20, 2010
• Session 4: Fun with Books –July 27, 2010
Registration: OPEN

Co-Sponsored by: Ames Public Library
515 Douglas Avenue, Ames, Tuesday Mornings, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
• Session 1: Talk to Me! –August 3, 2010
• Session 2: Fun with Rhymes –August 11, 2010
• Session 3: Beyond the ABC’s –August 17, 2010
• Session 4: Fun with Books –August 24, 2010
Registration: OPEN

Co-Sponsored by: Huxley Public Library
515 N Main Avenue, Huxley, Friday Mornings, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
• Session 1: Talk to Me! –August 6, 2010
• Session 2: Fun with Rhymes –August 13, 2010
• Session 3: Beyond the ABC’s –August 20, 2010
• Session 4: Fun with Books –August 27, 2010
Registration: OPEN

New Casey's Pizza Coupons

Not the greatest coupons, but I thought I would pass them along. Sign up to get these in your email when they come out.  Free breakfast potato with a sandwich and 2 large pizzas for $19.99.

Anti-Scatter Flash Cards

We enjoy playing with flash cards here, but do yours look like this?

Mine do, right now, because I gave my little one a box of number flash cards to play with.  I did not tell her to scatter them just for the photo, this is how she plays with them.  I'm all for having fun while you're learning, but my little one doesn't pick up after herself.

I bought a great set of cards at Dollar Tree once, and they had a little clip holding them together.  They were almost like a little book, and I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.  After that, I did that to all the cards we bought.  It's so easy!

Just take some little binder rings and a hole punch, and you're good to go.  You could measure the holes and mark everything, but I just take the first card, punch the holes where I want them, then use it as a template for the next ones.  I've found you can only do about three at a time or the holes get messy.

If you wanted to really get fancy, you could cover the cards with contact paper to make them a little sturdier or you could use some of those hole-protecting stickers to keep the rings from pulling through, but this set of cards cost me 99 cents in the Book Closeouts sale.  When they get worn out, my child will either know her letters already or we'll buy more.

And voila!  An end to the constant cleanup and the lost letter X.