1-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream - Allergen Free!

I've been trying a lot of new recipes since starting the breastfeeding elimination diet. As silly as it may sound, I'm pretty sure this banana ice cream one might be my favorite!

Eliminating ice cream from my diet felt like a big loss to me. I sometimes wonder if the amount of ice cream I ate during pregnancy was my demise! There are dairy-free, soy-free ice creams available  at my local grocery stores - mostly coconut based. I don't mind the taste, but the price is a whole other matter.

I'm hooked on bananas lately because they seem to settle well in my nursing baby's belly - and they just add that extra oomph to the plain Cheerios I eat almost daily for breakfast! And honestly - bananas are cheap, so I don't mind going through them quickly.

This banana ice cream - with literally ONE ingredient - is amazing.

Ingredients:

• Bananas - that's it! Maybe 1, 2, or 3 depending on how many days you want your ice cream to last.

Directions:

• Peel and slice a ripe banana
• Freeze the slices in a freezer bag or freezer-safe covered bowl for a few hours or overnight
• Pop the frozen banana pieces into a food processor
• Pulse, pulse, pulse, pulse, pulse
• Scrape down the sides periodically as needed
• As you pulse the food processor you'll notice the banana break into little pieces, start to look crumbly, start to stick together, and then magically become smooth like soft-serve ice cream. It really is kind of magical and it only takes a few minutes!
• Once it looks like soft-serve ice cream, scoop it out and either eat it like that or stick it back in the freezer to firm up a bit.

Delicious, healthy, and (unless you or your baby is allergic to bananas) allergen-free!

Clever Costumes ~ Review & Giveaway

I was provided with free product to facilitate this review and giveaway. 
All opinions expressed are my own.

Now that fall is here, I periodically hear a voice in my head (and in real life) telling me that it's time to start working on the Halloween costume! My four year old daughter told me just last night that she doesn't want me to forget to make her costume. I wouldn't say that I'm a procrastinator but I would say that I learned an important lesson last Halloween. Let me explain...

I never knew for sure that I would be a DIY Halloween costumer but last summer my daughter informed me that she was going to be a bluebird for Halloween. A bluebird? A bluebird. I have no idea where it came from, but she set it in stone. She was going to be a bluebird for Halloween. She continued this request throughout the summer and fall, and given that I didn't find any bluebirds in the stores and I wasn't going to pay an arm and a leg online, I knew I had to take matters into my own hands. So to Pinterest I ventured, and then off to the craft store, and I ended up with what I thought was a beautiful homemade bluebird costume. It was perfect!

Until… just a few short days before Halloween… literally… when my then three year old daughter looked at me like I had three heads and said, "I didn't want to be a bluebird, I wanted to be a snow princess." A snow princess. Not a Frozen inspired snow princess. A I-have-no-idea-what-inspired-it snow princess. There was no talking her out of it. The only option was for me to figure out how to make a snow princess costume… fast! Back to Pinterest I went. There were some options that intrigued her but none were just what she was picturing in her mind. So back to the craft store I went, and after a couple of long days, we had a snow princess… and a very happy preschooler!

Since bedtime on October 31, 2013, my daughter has been saying that she wants to be Little Red Riding Hood this year. I'm sure you can understand why I have not started the costume yet!

I was very excited when Downtown Bookworks Publishing asked me if they could send me a copy of Shannon Whitt's book Clever Costumes to review on the blog. I feel like this book (which is actually more of a kit than a book) was written for me!

Clever Costumes is a fantastic book of the cutest costumes, all made from things you definitely have around your house… like trash bags. Say what?! It's true. It includes illustrated instructions for creating more than 50 fabulous, unique costumes… as well as some supplies... and the whole kit costs less than the cost of a SINGLE store-bought costume. Included in the kit is the book, of course, as well as a yard of red satin (perfect for my Little Red Riding Hood!), duct tape, velcro fasters, and elastic cord. Using the contents of the kit plus household recyclables like plastic bags, bottle caps, and curling ribbon and/or old clothing, author Shannon Whitt explains how to make tons of amazing costumes!

Check out this Queen of Hearts… using Target bags!

And this Princess with beautiful, long, curly, curling-ribbon hair!

The illustrations are beautiful, the instructions are clear and detailed, and the ideas are so creative!

Whether you're looking to save some cash this Halloween, are looking for a creative way to reuse some household items, want some extra dress-up clothes around the house, or need some quick ideas for last minute costumes when you're child changes their mind and there is no time to get back to the craft store, Clever Costumes is for you!

Downtown Bookworks has graciously offered to give one of my readers a Clever Costumes kit! Simply follow the instructions below! This giveaway is open to residents in the USA only, ends Thursday, October 2 at midnight and you'll have 24 hours to respond if you get an email from me that you're chosen as the winner. Downtown Bookworks will be mailing out the prize.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Want to see Shannon Whitt in action? Take a look at this video where she makes a skirt out of plastic bags, double stick tape, and elastic cord (that comes with the kit):

What's on your Halloween costume-making agenda this year? I need to collect ideas just in case we have a last minute change of heart again this year!

Selling Used Books Online

The links in this post are affiliate links.  Most companies will reward you for referring your family and friends to their sites, so once you see how great this is, make sure to pass it on to others!

If you are anything like me, you have shelves and boxes full of books you will never read again.  Maybe old text books or novels that were read once and now take up precious space in your home collecting dust.  Every few months I go through the books I know I will never read again and try to sell them online.  This may sound daunting but please read on.  This is a very fun, potentially semi-lucrative hobby.  De-cluttering, money-making, and fun... there's nothing to lose! 

Online booksellers are always looking for books that they can buy from you and resell to other readers. Now you know where the used books that you can buy online come from... people like me (and soon to be you)!  Basically you enter in the ISBN numbers (those little numbers by the barcode, often on the back cover) from your books on any number of websites and if that particular company is interested in buying the book you have they will make you an offer.  Should you choose to accept their offer you just print out their pre-made, pre-paid shipping label (or they will mail you one if you don't have a printer), package up your books, send them in, and wait for your check or paypal payment!

Now, I'm going to be honest, sometimes I only get offered maybe 73 cents for a book I paid over $10 for but I look at it this way... if I honestly will never use the book again and I can get more from these companies than I could get at a yard sale (a quarter), then it's worth it.  Less things in my house to dust, and a little extra cash in my pocket.  Some of the companies require a minimum total with a sell back but gather all your books together and you'll be surprised how quickly they add up.  Plus, you never know what little treasures you might find.  Sometimes I expect to get nothing for a book, and get offers for close to the amount I originally paid... for expensive textbooks, this could be a lot!  

Don't be discouraged if you search a bazillion books and only get a few that anyone wants to buy back.  I have found that these companies are not always looking for all books one day but they might be a few days or months from now.  I set the ones I can't sell aside and try again next time.

Here are some things I find to be helpful in keeping myself organized while I do this:

1. Visit Bookscouter or get their phone app - they do a nice cross search of several sites so you know where to start.  The phone app allows you to scan a book's barcode so you don't even have to type!  This step is not a necessity but I find it helpful to get started.  Other times I have just opened a link to each website on my computer at once and copied and pasted the ISBNs into each page to search and find the best deals.  Using something like bookscouter saves you a little bit of time but you are trusting someone else to find your deals for you... sometimes I prefer to do the work myself.
2. Put a sticky note on the cover of each book and write how much different companies are offering you.  I like to do this rather than just automatically accepting the highest offer.  Sometimes you have to do some creative math and mix and match a little bit when the company requires a minimum buyback.  You might accept an offer for $1 one place instead of $1.10 another place because you already have books going to the first place and need to sell back $1 more.  Know what I mean?
3. Go to the websites that have given you the best offers to enter your info, the book's info, and follow the prompts to complete your sale.
4. Keep all the books for one company piled together with the shipping label on top until you package them.  I usually write in the corner of the shipping label paper what company it is.  It's such a pain to get things mixed up and forget what is going where.  Most of the shipping labels do not print with the company name on them!

Here are some of the book selling websites I would suggest checking out.  It's not an exhaustive list.  A google search will show you there are tons of sites to choose from!  Some sites only offer you credit toward their online stores (or offer you more if you do this instead of getting paid out other ways), others pay in check or paypal.

Bookscouter
Bookbyte

Cash4Books

Sell Back Your Book

Powell's Books

Valore Books

To see all this in action and to find out how much money I've earned with this little side hobby, watch the video of my chat with Leslie Gaydos of New England Cable News!

The links in this post are affiliate links.  Most companies will reward you for referring your family and friends to their sites, so once you see how great this is, make sure to pass it on to others!

Why I don't buy books for my child...

Before I became a parent, and really after I became a parent, when my daughter was very young, I pictured owning a bookshelf with hundreds of children's books.  I pictured a child who loved books, bookshelves with a plethora of good books to choose from, and gifts of books at every appropriate occasion.  It just felt like that's a part of what good parenting and educational motivation would be.

Well, now that our daughter is almost four years old, let me tell you the reality.  Our bookshelves are full of books that she barely looks at.  Santa and the Easter Bunny both tried to bring books to her this past year, and all of those books sit on the bookshelf, yet to be read.  I rarely, if ever, buy books for my child.

But... I have a child who loves books.  We have a more than a plethora of good books to choose from.

We have a nice, ever-changing, pile of books that sits on the floor of our living room, next to the fireplace and it's usually filled with books that I would have never purchased for my child.  And my child is learning about things that I never would have thought to teach her about this early in her life, like U.S. Presidents and the lifecycles of trees and bees.

We spend about an hour each week at our local library, and we love it!  Love, love, love it.

Did I mention that we love the library?  Maybe we're even proud to say that we're a little bit obsessed with the library.

We go weekly and switch out our books and learning materials for new ones.  We take out anywhere from 15 to 20 books each week (I know, it's a lot) and usually one learning kit which typically includes books, videos, and toys all around a specific theme (this is how she got hooked on the presidents).

In preparation for our recent trip to visit family out of state, there were several texts back and forth with family members to plan trip details.  One of those texts from my husband to my mother in law was, "Do you have a library card?"  And sure enough, once we arrived, before we headed out to the playground or to visit family, we stopped at the library!

When my daughter was younger, we took advantage of library programs in an effort to get out and about a bit during the week rather than staying cooped up at home.  Most local libraries offer story times, movie nights, craft days, and other fun, most often free, programming.  We would attend those programs, although we didn't borrow books initially (I was still on the "I will buy books for my child that she will love" kick).

One day, when my daughter was about 2 1/2, I asked her if she wanted to borrow some books from the library.  Her eyes lit up, and the rest is history!

We've come across some really great books, authors, and topics that we probably would not have otherwise, if it weren't for the variety at the library.  I try to keep track of the books we've read in goodreads and rate them so that I'll remember what we might like to try to borrow again someday.  There have been a few of these favorites that I have purchased, either new, or at the used book store (another fantastic place), however interestingly enough, these books now sit on the bookshelf unread since purchase!  We've worked our way through several new favorite authors and even will sometimes go online to our library website and request books that they do not have but can get from other libraries all over the state and deliver to our local library for us to pick up and borrow.  I sort of feel like we have the whole world right at our fingertips!

So, I just wanted to encourage you today to check out your local library, if you don't already!  It has been such a great resource for us and something for which I am so thankful.  It's brought about some really neat things in my little girls' love for learning that I think we would have missed out on otherwise.

Does your family frequent the library?  Do you and your kids have some favorite books?  Some of our favorites right now are the Ladybug Girl books by David Soman, anything US Presidents related, and This Tree Counts and These Bees Count by Alison Formento (I just checked goodreads and see that she has some other books in this series too that I will be looking for on our next trip!).  We are obviously always looking for new books to check out (literally and figuratively), so please do share your favorites!  And feel free to connect with me on goodreads so we can share recommendations there too!  I haven't updated in a few weeks... better get on that now!

Lori's bookshelf: read

Pigs Can't Fly!

by Ben Cort

Cluck, Cluck A Lift-the-flap Book: A Lift-The-Flap Book

by James Mayhew

Ants in Your Pants, Worms in Your Plants!:

by Diane deGroat

Tabby McTat

by Julia Donaldson

Harold and the Purple Crayon

by Crockett Johnson

Lori's bookshelf: read

Pigs Can't Fly!

by Ben Cort

Cluck, Cluck A Lift-the-flap Book: A Lift-The-Flap Book

by James Mayhew

Ants in Your Pants, Worms in Your Plants!:

by Diane deGroat

Tabby McTat

by Julia Donaldson

Harold and the Purple Crayon

by Crockett Johnson

Make Your Own Water Bottle Labels

photo credit: Keiko S. Dowell Photography

There are some things that look way more complicated than they are.  I'll see something online like, say, water bottle labels, and think, "Wow, those look so cool!  I wonder if I could do that..."  The answer, for any of you asking that same question is "YES!  Yes you CAN do that!"  There aren't many things that are simpler but the end result is fantastic and adds such a fun aspect to your party or get-together!  You could even do this to surprise your kids after school.  It's that easy.

Take Time For Today.  Take a few extra minutes to add a little something special to your day.  I know they are just water bottles, but picture the wide eyes and smiles when your family opens the fridge tonight!  It's worth it!

Here's what you'll need:

• Water bottles
• Clear packing tape
• Strip of paper that matches the width of the original bottle labels (If you want to make something fancy, you can search online for templates in many themes.  I used a free printable download from Piggy Bank Parties and then added a Mickey Mouse head inside the circle to customize.  You could also take off the original labels but I found this unnecessary and I'm all about simplifying where I can!)

Here's what you'll do:

• Make sure your water bottles are dry
• Cut a strip of packing tape a bit longer than your strip of paper
• Lay the packing tape sticky side up on a flat surface
• Carefully place your strip of paper, decorative side down on top of the packing tape
• Lift up the packing tape, with label now sticking to it, and wrap carefully around label of water bottle
• You can store in the fridge to keep cold

See?  You can totally do it!  And I'd love to see pictures of what you create!

Minnie Mouse (or Mickey Mouse) Headbands

Do you love the Minnie Mouse Headbands we are wearing in our Disney Party Planning video?  We do!  I am so thankful to have found the most AMAZING tutorial, both in written and video form, for making these over at The Surburban Mom!  I am not going to begin to try to replicate it, I'm just going to send you over there and let Jen teach you how to do it.  I know there are people you could purchase from on ebay or etsy but these really are not difficult at all and the supplies are not expensive.  This is a totally perfect DIY that creates a finished product that your little ones (and YOU) will love.

Here is what you'll need:

• Plastic headbands - I used ones similar to these
• Black felt - buy it by the yard at the craft store
• Foam Sheets
• Hot glue gun and lots of glue
• Pink polka dot ribbon
• Chalk
• Marker
• Ribbon or rubber bands

Here is what you'll do:

• Go check out The Suburban Mom's tutorial and follow along!  She will give you more details about the supplies you'll need as well as the process.

The only thing I did differently with our headbands was the bows.  Rather than securing them with ribbon, I used small rubber bands, the kind you might have in your Rainbow Loom kit.  I just wrapped one around the middle and then slipped it over the headband.  It's probably not quite as secure but I have plenty of rubber bands and can fix it if needed.  I'm all about using what I already have on hand (in case you hadn't figured that out about me yet)!

Once you've mastered these, you will become a themed-headband-a-holic like me!  I can't plan a party without creating a themed headband now!  Stay tuned to see what else we've made following this general outline.

I can't wait to see what you create!

Budget Friendly Ideas for your Disney Party!

Here's a little video that my 3 1/2 year old and I made a couple of months ago to share how we pulled together a fantastic Disney themed party without breaking the bank!

What are your favorite ways to stay frugal while party planning?  I'd love to hear!

Cash back when you shop online!

Online shopping around the holidays is getting more and more popular.  If I could do all my holiday shopping online from the comfort of my home, I would.  Well, maybe I'd save one thing to get in the store because there is something special about the "holiday spirit" at the mall, but I certainly don't like to make a habit of fighting crowds at this time of year, particularly in the parking lots!  One of my favorite perks to shopping online is FREE CASH BACK!  Even when I'm making a small purchase, I like to do it online and pick up in the store if I can, just for the little bit I might get back.

Ebates is my favorite site for earning cash back on my online purchases.  Read on for all the ins and outs on how it works.

If you haven't signed up yet, this is the time to do it because there are a few great promotions they are running...

• Get a $10 gift card to Target, Macy's, Kohl's, or Walmart for signing up and making a $25 online purchase.
• Double cash back at many retailers.
• Get a $50 bonus when you refer 2 friends!

This is totally legit and there are no strings attached.  All you do is go to the Ebates website, type in your retailer, click the link, do your shopping as you normally would, and make a percentage back.  It's a win, win!

Ebates is a website that connects you with the website of the store you want to shop and if you make your purchase through their link, you will get a percentage back.  These percentages fluctuate.  Sometimes it might be 1% or 2%, sometimes there will be a promotion where you will get double cash back, etc.  They also show you any coupon codes available (such as a percentage off or free shipping). You can make your purchase online by connecting to your store through their website and either have the items shipped to you or pick up in the store.  

Ebates works with tons of stores including Sears, Babies R Us, Toys R Us, Amazon, Sephora, JC Penny, Kohl's, Home Depot, Overstock.com, Groupon, Walmart, you name it, so you are sure to find your favorites.  Membership is totally free.  You simply get paid cash back for shopping (by check or paypal).  

There is nothing to lose with this program.  Anytime I am making a purchase I try to remember to check Ebates first to see if the store has an account with them and go through them to earn a little extra back.  We're not talking millions of dollars here (unless you are spending millions of dollars I suppose) but every little bit makes a difference.

Click here to sign up for Ebates today!

Make your own broth/stock! (DON'T THROW AWAY YOUR TURKEY CARCASS!)

I just recently purchased a little package of chicken bouillon cubes to make my own broth.  Although it was only 99 cents at Market Basket, it was still a little bit painful because it had been almost a year since I had to buy it!

Last Christmas, after dinner, and after I placed all the leftovers in the fridge, I looked at the carcass of our 26 pound turkey and thought, "There has to be something I can do with this other than throwing it in the trash!"  I went to google, and several hours later, I had almost a one year supply of turkey broth!

Here is all you need to do...

Put your turkey carcass in a large pot, covered with water.  Add any carrots, celery, onions, etc that you have on hand and whatever seasonings you like.  Bring everything to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for about three hours.  Skim yuckiness off the top periodically.  Basically, when when the bones are bare, it's done.  Remove the bones from the pan and cool the stock in the fridge overnight.  Skim off the top layer of fat that you'll find in the morning and you'll see your stock underneath - the more gelatin-like the better!  I take my cooled stock/broth and filled ice cube trays, and once frozen, I place the cubes in zip lock freezer bags in the freezer.  Last year, they lasted about 6 months in the freezer before they started getting all freezer burn-ish.  I just melt a few as needed for any recipe that calls for broth throughout the year.

PS ~ This stock is perfect for making your own cream soup for recipes!  You can check out that recipe here.

What to do with all those green onions!

I like to think of green onions as a "gift that just keeps giving."  One bunch of green onions from the grocery store can give you bunch after bunch if you know what to do with them!  Simply use the onions as you typically would but save the white bulb and root part in a jar with some water and they will regrow!  Again, cut off what you need as you need it, keep giving them fresh water, and repeat!  It's a great way to save money, always have fresh onions, and add some cute decor to your countertops!

Regardless of the fact that I can make one bunch of green onions last for a pretty long time, my husband decided to plant a plethora, yes a PLETHORA, of green onions in our garden this year.  The result?  This project showed up on my to-do list this week!

A few hours of cleaning, separating, and clipping away with scissors gave us this:

We will keep these in the freezer and take out whatever we need for recipes for as long as they last us!  I froze green onions for the first time when I had several regrowing on our windowsill prior to us moving last summer.  I had no easy way to transport the jar so I chopped them up, filled an empty plastic water bottle, threw it in the freezer, and simply shook out whatever I needed whenever I needed it.  It was fantastic.  Sadly I did not have enough water bottles for this year's harvest but I think the zip lock bags will do!

How we did all our back to school shopping for about $6!

I finally completed our back-to-school / fall weather shopping this morning... from the comfort of my own home!  I will be honest that as much as I sometimes find grocery shopping "fun", I am not a huge fan of clothing shopping, particularly when it involves chasing a 3 year old around a store!  I love shopping online for clothing because it's just much easier.

I've been planning my online fall clothing shopping for quite some time.  I will be honest that it would be difficult for you to replicate my "deal" without the pre-planning.  However, with that being said, it's never too early to start planning for next fall... or for the holidays... or the next birthday, etc.

Old Navy really is having a great sale on little kid clothes right now so even without the gift cards I used, you can score a really fantastic deal.  I put all of those details below, so keep reading!

Here are some things I did...

Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a website that offers lots of ways to earn "swagbucks".  That makes sense right?!  Basically you can earn points or "swagbucks" by doing different things such as searching the internet, printing and redeeming coupons, entering bonus codes they post on facebook, signing up for offers, referring friends, watching advertisements, playing games, etc.  There are tons of ways to earn but I will be honest and say the only way I earn is through internet searches, printing and redeeming coupons, and entering bonus codes.  Just by searching for something through their search engine you have the chance to earn any number of swagbucks... it's totally random.  You can read more about the details on their website or ask me if you have a question but eventually, when you have enough swagbucks, you can redeem them for things.  Over the course of the last several months I redeemed swagbucks for two $10 Old Navy gift cards in preparation for my fall shopping.  You can sign up for swagbucks here.

Mypoints
Mypoints is a website similar to swagbucks.  It works along the same general premise although I don't believe they do internet searches.  I think you can complete surveys, invite friends, etc.  I earn all of my points on this site through BzzAgent.  You can read more about BzzAgent here, but in short, they are a company that sends me free stuff to try and all they ask is that I talk to other people about the product.  There are no strings attached except that they ask me to report back on my conversations (super easy) or post pictures of enjoying the product, etc.  Let me know if you'd like me to send you an invite or you can sign up through their website here.  For each task I complete they award me with points on Mypoints.  I redeemed those points for a $25 Old Navy gift card.  You can sign up for Mypoints here.

So far, that's $45 in completely free money.  FREE MONEY!  

I ordered 3 pairs of pants, 3 shirts, 1 sweatshirt, and 1 pair of pajamas from Old Navy online.  I took advantage of their 30% off sale, a 20% off coupon code they emailed me today (thank goodness I waited until the last day because yesterday it was only 15%!!), free shipping for spending $50 before the coupons, $45 in gift cards I earned totally free, and paid $6.52 out of pocket.  I will get 2% back through Ebates which isn't a lot but every little bit counts.  You should not ever shop online without using Ebates because again, free money, is free money... take advantage of it!  You can read about Ebates here.

Even if you don't have any swagbucks or mypoints saved up, Old Navy is really having a great sale on little kiddo clothing right now - 30% off everything and then 20% off everything with coupon code ONEXTRA20.  Today is the last day of the sale and coupon so shop now!  And remember, 2% back through Ebates!

Please don't ever believe that paying full price is the only way... there are so many ways to save!

Free fruit for kids at Shaw's

We are big fans of the Shaw's Healthy Eaters program!  I think if my 2 1/2 year old could type, she would probably write up this blog post herself.  Every time we visit Shaw's she is able to pick a banana or apple for herself and pay for it (get it for free) with this coupon.  Not only does this reinforce her love of fresh fruit but also gives her something to look forward to on every shopping trip.  And yes, I am proud, when she asks if she can pay for her own food with a coupon!  If you haven't picked up one of these cards from your store, you should!

Also thanks to Shaws in Burlington, MA for always having stickers at checkout!  My daughter has started asking at the register (loud enough for us all to hear), "Mommy, do you think they have any stickers here?"  She says she is "too nervous" to ask directly, but we appreciate the sweet generosity just the same!

Money-Making Shopping (and/or Watching TV) Apps!

Whether you're a couponer or not, you still shop.  Whether shopping for groceries, clothes, books, or whatever, you're spending money.  Wouldn't it be nice to make a little money in the process?  Even if you don't feel like you have the time to clip coupons to save the money in advance, you can still get a little back in the end... very easily!  Basically, these apps are offering you FREE MONEY.  That's not something you want to pass up.

Here are some of my favorite websites/apps for making a little money while you spend.

Endorse

This is my absolute favorite money making app right now.  Over the course of the last several weeks I've gotten close to $15 back from purchases I've made.  I've gotten 100% back on coffee, 50% back on pull-ups, 10% back on any brand crackers, 10% back on any brand ice cream.  All I had to do was make the purchases, upload pictures of my receipts, wait a couple of days for them to process, and pick my payout method.  You can get paid via paypal or check.  You also get points for every receipt you upload, even if it's not one you get money for and those points can be redeemed for charitable donations.  They post new offers weekly (on Thursdays) and not everyone gets the same thing.  They sometimes offer you a higher percentage back on offers that you are willing to share with your friends on facebook.  For instance, if you go to my facebook page today, you'll see that today I shared an offer for 100% back on any brand coffee, up to $3 (weirdly, the picture is of a cat).  You can claim that and it will get added to your account.  100% back!  See what I mean by free money?!  And free coffee?!  You also get bonuses for referring your friends to Endorse.  So if you sign up through my link, I get credit, and if your friends sign up through your link you get credit!  You can sign up for Endorse here.  If you feel totally overwhelmed with the options out there and want to pick one to start, I would choose Endorse.

Ibotta
With Ibotta, there are little tasks you complete in order to get money back for purchasing items.  For instance you might earn 25 cents for watching a little video, another 25 cents for taking a poll, and another 25 cents for sharing the offer on facebook.  After you purchase the item you'll upload a picture of your receipt and scan the product's barcode to confirm your purchase.  You can get your payouts via paypal or school donation.  Like Endorse, one of the payout options is paypal but you have to have a balance of $5 to cash out with paypal whereas Endorse does not have a minimum cash out balance.  Also, similarly to Endorse, they offer referral bonuses.  You can sign up for Ibotta here.

Savingstar
I've gotten some really great payouts from Savingstar.  You have to accrue $5 in your account before you get paid out but some of the offers give you $5 (for instance if you spend $20 on french fries you get $5 back) so it can add up quickly.  With this program, you just register all of your store cards and when you make the purchase in the store, using your card, it automatically registers in the Savingstar system.  No receipts to upload!  I typically activate ever offer they have just in case I end up buying something unexpectedly.  You can sign up for Savingstar here.

Shopkick
Sadly I always forget to use this app!  With this one you just check in when you're actually at a specific store and you earn "kicks" for shopping, scanning items, making purchases, etc.  You also may get offered special discounts or coupons while you're actually in the store.  You can redeem your "kicks" for giftcards and that sort of thing.  You can sign up for Shopkick here.

Now, if you really don't shop, you can also just stay home and earn rewards for watching TV... NO JOKE!  Check out the Viggle app here.  I'm a big fan of this one as well!

Also, keep in mind that many stores have rewards cards that often offer you special discounts and sometimes even coupons you can load to your card from their website.  All you do is scan your card at the store and your coupons come right off your order!  Look closely at what your stores have to offer!

And if you're making online purchases, of course, always use Ebates.  I have a blog post on that here.

Cash Back When You Shop!

I'm sure many of you have already started thinking about your holiday shopping this year and some of you may already be done (definitely not me)!  Last year we learned about a great program that gives you cash back for shopping and we were able to get a portion of what we paid on holiday gifts back in a check!  Not only did we get money back, we saved ourselves the annoyance of standing in lines and searching through shelves in crowded stores.  I know some of you are totally into this chaos, but I'm kind of done with it after one trip and would be just fine doing the rest of my holiday shopping from home!

Ebates is a website that connects you with the website of the store you want to shop and if you make your purchase through their link, you will get a percentage back.  These percentages fluctuate.  Sometimes it might be 1% or 2%, sometimes there will be a promotion where you will get double cash back, etc.  They also show you any coupon codes available (such as a percentage off or free shipping). You can make your purchase online by connecting to your store through their website and either have the items shipped to you or pick up in the store.  We did online purchases through Ebates and in-store pick-up for most of our gifts last year and were very pleased to get a portion of the money we spent back in our pockets at the end of the season!

Ebates works with tons of stores including Sears, Babies R Us, Toys R Us, Amazon, Sephora, JC Penny, Kohl's, Home Depot, Overstock.com, Groupon, Walmart, you name it, so you are sure to find your favorites.  Membership is totally free.  You simply get paid cash back for shopping (by check or paypal).  You will also each get a $5 bonus from when you make your first purchase.

There is nothing to lose with this program.  Anytime I am making a purchase I try to remember to check Ebates first to see if the store has an account with them and go through them to earn a little extra back.  We're not talking millions of dollars here (unless you are spending millions of dollars I suppose) but every little bit makes a difference.

Click here to sign up for Ebates today!

As an aside, I would give the following recommendations regarding in-store pick-up...

• Check your items before you leave.  I had to go back to Sears twice last year due to a broken item and a missing piece to another item that I would have noticed right away if I had checked them out before I left.  That was kind of a hassle but probably no worse than standing in long lines.  
• Make your Toys R Us purchases ASAP!  Do not wait until the middle of December!  We stood in line for AGES and then had to wait for the guys to bring our stuff up from the back.  Now granted, it was also a weekend if I remember correctly - very poor planning on my part.  I suppose we would have stood in line for a while and had to weed through other crazy parents if we were browsing the store as well but this was nuts.  Probably like 2 hours waiting.  If you order through Toys R Us / Babies R Us and are given the option to pick up at one or the other, definitely choose Babies R Us.  

Try new products for free!

I love being able to try new things... most especially when they are free!  Manufacturers will often use marketing companies to help them get the word out to consumers when new products come out or when they want to give the popularity of their products a little boost.  These companies are looking for feedback and word of mouth marketing from consumers.  They want you to try and love their stuff, buy it, and get others to do the same!

To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, here is a sampling of some of the products our family and friends have had the opportunity to try through these programs:

Infant/Children's Advil

Bic Markers

Bic Razors

Knorr Homestyle Chicken Stock

Energy Drinks

Diapers

Frozen Fish

Baby Wash

Fresh Express Salad
Green Mountain Fair Trade Coffee

Kleenex Hand Towels

Pull-Ups

Legos

Coffee Creamer

Glade Air Fresheners (you can read about my Bzz Campaign here)
Candy

Poland Spring Water/Delivery Service
Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Face Care Line

I am a member of several different programs and if you are not signed up for these, I highly recommend it!  Some require a little more follow through than others.  All of them select only a portion of their applicants for each trial so don't be disappointed if you don't get chosen.  Keep trying and participating how you can.  It's fun and a great opportunity to try new things for free.  You can read about the ins and outs of each program on their websites but if you have more questions, let me know!  I'm also happy to email you referral links if you are interested.  Most companies reward you for inviting your friends to join the fun as well!

Smiley360

Vocalpoint

BzzAgent

House Party

Be on the lookout for some new blog posts with reviews on some of the most recent products we've gotten the chance to check out!

Selling Old Books

This post contains affiliate links.

If you are anything like me, you have shelves and boxes full of books you will never read again.  Maybe old text books or novels that were read once and now take up precious space in your home collecting dust.  Every few months I go through the books I know I will never read again and try to sell them online.  This may sound daunting but please read on.  This is a very fun, potentially semi-lucrative hobby.  De-cluttering, money-making, and fun... there's nothing to lose! 

Online booksellers are always looking for books that they can buy from you and resell to other readers. Now you know where the used books that you can buy online come from... people like me (and soon to be you)!  Basically you enter in the ISBN numbers (those little numbers by the barcode, often on the back cover) from your books on any number of websites and if that particular company is interested in buying the book you have they will make you an offer.  Should you choose to accept their offer you just print out their pre-made, pre-paid shipping label (or they will mail you one if you don't have a printer), package up your books, send them in, and wait for your check or paypal payment!

Now, I'm going to be honest, sometimes I only get offered maybe 73 cents for a book I paid over $10 for but I look at it this way... if I honestly will never use the book again and I can get more from these companies than I could get at a yard sale (a quarter), then it's worth it.  Less things in my house to dust, and a little extra cash in my pocket.  Some of the companies require a minimum total with a sell back but gather all your books together and you'll be surprised how quickly they add up.  Plus, you never know what little treasures you might find.  Sometimes I expect to get nothing for a book, and get offers for close to the amount I originally paid... for expensive textbooks, this could be a lot!  

Don't be discouraged if you search a bazillion books and only get a few that anyone wants to buy back.  I have found that these companies are not always looking for all books one day but they might be a few days or months from now.  I set the ones I can't sell aside and try again next time.

Here are some things I find to be helpful in keeping myself organized while I do this:

1. Visit Bookscouter or get their phone app - they do a nice cross search of several sites so you know where to start.  The phone app allows you to scan a book's barcode so you don't even have to type!  This step is not a necessity but I find it helpful to get started.  Other times I have just opened a link to each website on my computer at once and copied and pasted the ISBNs into each page to search and find the best deals.  Using something like bookscouter saves you a little bit of time but you are trusting someone else to find your deals for you... sometimes I prefer to do the work myself.
2. Put a sticky note on the cover of each book and write how much different companies are offering you.  I like to do this rather than just automatically accepting the highest offer.  Sometimes you have to do some creative math and mix and match a little bit when the company requires a minimum buyback.  You might accept an offer for $1 one place instead of $1.10 another place because you already have books going to the first place and need to sell back $1 more.  Know what I mean?
3. Go to the websites that have given you the best offers to enter your info, the book's info, and follow the prompts to complete your sale.
4. Keep all the books for one company piled together with the shipping label on top until you package them.  I usually write in the corner of the shipping label paper what company it is.  It's such a pain to get things mixed up and forget what is going where.  Most of the shipping labels do not print with the company name on them!

Here are some of the book selling websites I would suggest checking out.  It's not an exhaustive list.  A google search will show you there are tons of sites to choose from!  Some sites only offer you credit toward their online stores (or offer you more if you do this instead of getting paid out other ways), others pay in check or paypal.

Bookscouter
Bookbyte

Cash4Books

Sell Back Your Book

Powell's Books

Valore Books

To see all this in action, watch the video of my chat with Leslie Gaydos of New England Cable News!

The links above are affiliate links.  Most companies will reward you for referring your family and friends to their sites, so once you see how great this is, make sure to pass it on to others!

Milk Savings and Fun on the Farm!

We go through at least two gallons of whole milk weekly and this expense adds up!  I've spent a lot of time shopping around for the best milk deals, hoping to find milk that tastes great but doesn't break the budget.  I was surprised with what I ultimately found!  The best place to get the least expensive but the yummiest and freshest milk is at our local dairy farm, Richardson's!  You may know Richardson's for their delicious ice cream or fun miniature golfing but we now appreciate them for so much more.

A gallon of whole milk costs $2.88 which is about $1 LESS expensive than buying name brand milk at Stop & Shop or Shaws!  And you know exactly where this milk came from... in fact, you can go visit the cows while you are there!

We make at least one trip weekly to Richardson's for our milk and to visit the animals... baby cows, mommy cows, goats, chickens, and turkeys!  There is no cost to visit them.  It's a totally free little adventure.  The animals are friendly and excited for visitors and we are certainly excited to see them.  We are always sure to thank the cows for the yummy milk before we leave.

You can get milk, creamer, eggs, ice cream, frappes, and yes, even hot dogs at Richardson's.

There are Richardson's locations both on 114 in Middleton, MA and inside Jordan's Furniture in Reading, MA.  If I remember correctly, the milk is a few cents more expensive in Reading, but still a great deal.  Visit the Richardson's website here, their facebook page here and plan a visit today!