Fun Printable New Years Activity with Kids

What a cool project to do with the kids!  Start a family tradition this New Years.  Please visit Today's Mama to download the PRINTABLES!  We are going to do this and then read them Jan 1st 2014.  

Do you have a family tradition that you do for the year? 

Join the Ultimate Blog Challenge- Starts Jan 1st

I want to build my blog in 2013 and joining the Ultimate Blog Challenge will help me do that!  

Sign up now: http://ultimateblogchallenge.com

Starts Jan 1st!!!

If you decide to do the Ultimate Blog Challenge please leave a comment so we can SUPPORT each other!  

Top 10 Reasons I Love My Crazy Kids!

1. Every morning I get a hug and a "GOOD MORNING MOM" from both of them.

2. Their smiles melt my heart and it's so hard to get mad at them- unless they are mouthing off then it's ON!

3. When I ask them to clean their rooms they jump right up and do it.  WAIT wrong house... no sorry that's not my kids.  I usually have to bribe them.  

4. When they get home from school they do their homework.  HAHA- with a lot of crying and "I don't know how to do this" whining.  

5.  They clean up after themselves...ummm not my kids either.  They are tornadoes.

6.  They let me go shopping all by myself so I can get in and get out without spending on useless junk. WRONG- they hide in the car when I say I'm going by myself.  

7. When we say we don't have money- they stop asking for crap.  Oh wait they don't do that either- they keep asking.  

8.  They do their chores everyday without whining.  OMG not at all- usually have to threaten to take something away.  

9.  They let us have our privacy in our own room.  Nope not happening!  They love to hang out until bedtime in our room.  They each have their own room plus a living room but mom/dads room is the hot spot.  

10 Every night I get hugs/kisses and I love you's.  My youngest even sings us a song in her best Barney voice:

I love you, you love me, we are a happy family with a great big hug and kiss from me to you.  I LOVE YOU!  

They are lucky they do #1 and #10 at least.  I LOVE THEM A LOT!   

Win an iPad- RewardIt.com

Easy Entry!  Quick form and that's it!  EXPIRES December 31st- so get your entries in NOW!

Click HERE to enter!

Free Consult at Curves-Happy New Year!

You’re just three quick steps away from burning more fat than diet alone! This year, be the star in your own Success Story. Every day, women who thought they couldn't get fit find out that they can at Curves. Burn up to 500 calories with our 30-minute workout, which combines strength training and cardio for a workout that works your entire body--from head to toe. It works every major muscle group and gives you results that last. Now's the time to take the first step toward YOUR success.

* The consult is absolutely FREE!
* Your personal information is PROTECTED.
* Curves Complete is the ONLY whole solution to weight loss.

Click HERE to sign up!

Some restrictions may apply. Valid only at participating locations in the US and Canada. ©2012 Curves International, Inc.

2012 Christmas in the Allen Family

It was pretty touch and go for Christmas this year.  We have been out of work due to my surgery and hubby taking care of me.  So money for the holidays was not coming in and I was getting scared my kids wouldn't have anything under the tree but we had some awesome angels save the day! I did go back to work the weekend before Christmas so I had some tip money!!  We had a WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS and I felt very blessed for my family and friends.

This was their BIG GIFT~it's quite funny to watch and it makes me smile!

Here are couple presents they got from others:

They were very happy and that was all I wanted!

Before Christmas we went through the kids toys and gave to another family who was having a hard time during the holidays.  I wanted the kids to know how important it was to GIVE during the holidays and it wasn't all about the PRESENTS!

I grew up in not a very religious family, of course we knew and believed in God but Christmas was all about FAMILY and enjoying spending time with our loved ones.  I've gone over the history of Christmas with the kids but of course the presents are all what they are interested in.  I think as the years go we will do more about WHY there is Christmas and of course keep the FAMILY a big part of it.  However, we live in an area with very little family so we might have to TRAVEL next year!

This year I felt very blessed and I hope to give back what I received this year.  Thanks to my angels who warmed my heart and dried up my tears.

Yoyo.com- 30% Off Code

Do you need to buy some TOYS?  

Yoyo.com is having a sale PLUS 30% off code ( yoyo30)  for your first item that you purchase from their website. 

Shop Here!

Reg $34.00 NOW $14!  

Catch Santa At Your House- Coupon Code

iCaughtSanta.com is a unique website that helps visitors create those memorable keepsake photos. You can also send a special message to someone special in your life.

Imagine the look of wonder and surprise when a child receives a photo of Santa and Rudolph caught in the act in his or her very own home. iCaughtSanta.com is a unique website that helps visitors create those memorable keepsake photos.

In three simple steps anyone can upload a holiday photo, add Santa Claus or Rudolph and print it as proof… or share it via Facebook and Twitter. Last-minute shoppers can purchase Gift Cards and eGift Certificates for loved ones with children, making iCaughtSanta.com a great gift idea even if you don't have kids yourself.

I did this last year and the KIDS LOVE IT!  Having a picture of Santa in our house in front of our tree was very special and we plan to do it again this year! 

Ipad Giveaway: For even more holiday magic, iCaughtSanta.com is giving away 2 iPads! No purchase necessary. Enter here:www.iCaughtSanta.com/Contest

COUPON CODE: My Readers Get 25% off your entire order at icaughtsanta.com. Use the following Promo Code at checkout SANTA2012 to instantly save: #icaughtsanta

They also do FUNDRAISING:

Christmas Countdown in the Allen Family

It's looking a lot like Christmas in the Allen family house!  I was a worried last week but I've been blessed with wonderful family and friends.  Thanks for all the blessings that have come our way.  I really appreciate all the help we have received during our hard times.

Decorating the TREE:

Finished:

Art Projects:

Santa and Lil Mama

Happy Holiday Everyone!!!!

PearlMountain Xmas Software Pack ON SALE NOW- Save $41.90!

Holiday Special: Picture Collage Maker Pro- 30% off plus a Free PearlMountain Image Resizer.  This big discount will be available till the end December 25th. 

This 30% off holiday promotion includes Picture Collage Maker, Picture Collage Maker for Mac and Picture Collage Maker Pro. Anyone buying Picture Collage Maker Pro can get a FREE PearlMountain Image Resizer Pro as a gift. This saves as much as $41.90 in total for each holiday customer.  

Picture Collage Maker is easy to use and allows anyone from novices to photography professionals to create eye-catching photo collages on Windows and Macintosh computers. With just a few clicks, users can create collages, scrapbooks, posters, greeting cards, invitations, calendars, and any other type of season greetings that they might imagine.

Some shining points of Picture Collage Maker Pro of the Christmas edition:

• 24 special Christmas templates.
• Enjoy the ease and flexibility of drag and drop to place photos.
• Rotate, resize, and reposition images to ones’ liking.
• Get started quickly with over 130 templates for all projects and occasions.
• Use clip-art, text, and backgrounds to personalize the collage.
• Export the finished collage as an image, print it out, or email it to friends and family.

PearlMountain Image Resizer Pro allows you to resize, convert, add watermark to hundreds of images in batch mode. It supports the most popular image formats: JPEG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, PSD, GIF, TGA, RAW, and almost all image formats. 

Check the promotional page

http://www.picturecollagesoftware.com/promotion/christmas-promotion/index.html

Offers ends December 25, 2012

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Warner Bros. Happy Holidays Blu-Ray Giveaway ends 12/19

Ho Ho Ho, it’s the holiday season and that can only mean one thing... Shopping! But finding presents for your loved ones can be no easy task! That’s why Warner Bros. has come up with their awesome Happy Holidays Blog App featuring some classic and new movies out on Blu-ray sure to please everyone from your teeny nephew to grandma wrinkles!

 
 • Holiday Movie Challenge! Are you a true cinephile? Then take the WB Holiday Movie Challenge! Keep your movie skills sharp with this awesome quiz! Ready. Set. Go!

 • Decode-A-Scene Game! Time is running out! Can you figure out what movie scene is slowly being decoded in front of your eyes? The sooner you figure it out the more points you earn!

 • Holiday Survival Guide! Throw an epic holiday party this season! We have some awesome tips to make you look like a total holiday master!



One PinkMama's Place Reader will WIN: Peanuts Deluxe Holiday Collection, Classic Christmas Favorites or Dr. Seuss’s Deluxe Holiday Collection on Blu-ray (Prize will be chosen randomly from the above Blu-ray titles!) a Rafflecopter giveaway



I was supplied with material for this post by Warner Brothers
.

List of Free Shipping Merchants Dec 17 Only!

Monday (12/17) has become known as “Free Shipping Day” and it's one of the last days for guaranteed Christmas Delivery

Click HERE to see the  lists all 1,500+ participating merchants from FreeShippingDay.com

Bah Humbug!

It's the holiday season and I just can't get into it.  This year I wish I didn't have to decorate or put on that  smile for the kids but I have too!  I think I put my family in jeopardy for having a horrible Christmas.  My health hasn't been very good this past year and final in October I went to the Dr and then it got worse so I had to have a hysterectomy in November.  I'm happy I did but wow the worse time of the year possible.

My husband took family medical leave to take care of me so we are both waiting for EDD to issue of our disability checks but they have told us they are back logged. WTF really we haven't had any money come in for almost a month so we have went through what we had in checking.  Within this month we had 3 birthdays.  The only one we spent money on was our son's though.

However, my situation is only TEMPORARY. I do know that. How can I feel like this when there is 20 families that won't have their kids with them on Christmas so whatever I'm going through and feeling I need to suck it up and know that next month we will be fine again.

Next week is Christmas and how do I get through this without breaking down crying.  I know it's not about the PRESENTS but the kids are looking forward to presents and as their mom I want to give that to them.  I did some shopping before I went into the hospital but only small items.  This hurts my heart knowing I can't give them more.  I told them today that some of their gifts are going to have to be IOU's- they asked what that was and I told them I was going to make coupons that they can cash in for in January.  I love my kids because they said that was okay and look forward to having a long Christmas.

I love my kids they are so compassionate and I really want to give them what they give to others.  Last week a friend posted she didn't have any gifts for her son and BOTH of them went through their toys and now we have a big box to give to my friend.  I wish I could do the same for them!

I'm trying to go back to work in next weekend so we can at least a Christmas dinner!  This week we will be eating everything in the pantry and I'm sure by next week we will have our checks and I can stop feeling like Scrooge.

Thanks for letting me vent!

Making Magical Memories Disney World Sweepstakes

Who wants to WIN a Walt Disney World Vacation?   I'm 44 yrs old and never been to a Disney Theme park and I know I'm missing out!  When I go we will go through Pixie Vacations because it looks like they know what families want to do to have FUN! 

Enter the Making Magical Memories Disney World Sweepstakes brought to you by Pixie Vacations- ENTER HERE

Pixie Vacations ® wants you and your family to enjoy the Walt Disney World ® Resort for 4 days and 3 nights of magical memories. Experience and enjoy the Disney Magic when you stay at a Walt Disney World ® Resort hotel and make new memories at the Disney Theme Parks.  

Why book with Pixie Vacations ® instead of directly with Disney?

Why should I book with Pixie Vacations, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, instead of booking directly with Disney? There are three main advantages to using Pixie Vacations ®.

·        Concierge Level of Service

·        Lowest Possible Price

·        A History of Disney Knowledge equals Disney savings

"We want to plan and book the best Disney Vacation you have ever had. We are not a call center; we are past Disney Cast Members and Disney Vacation Planners that know the ins and outs of Disney."

Details about the prize:Grand Prize vacation shall include the following:
One (1) standard room for maximum of four (4) persons in room at a Walt Disney World® Moderate Resort hotel for three (3) nights.
Up to four (4) Park Base Tickets for four (4) days.
Keepsake luggage tag (one per person).
Dining package includes one table-service meal, one quick-service meal, and one snack per person/night of package.

Valid for redemption most nights during Value and Regular Seasons. Holiday travel is not included. Travel to and from Orlando FL is not included.
Official Rules are here:
http://pixievacations.com/index.php/2012/12/12/sweepstakes-offical-rules/

Enter the Making Magical Memories Disney World Sweepstakes brought to you by Pixie Vacations- ENTER HERE

Prayers to the Sandy Hook Victims

As a mom my heart is heavy today!  My prayers are going out to all the families of Newtown Connecticut.  I wanted to go grab my kids from school and just hug them but I didn't because I didn't want to freak them out.   I will be holding them pretty tight tonight and giving that extra loving they deserve.  Let the people you love know it please!

Let us all try to do something to make this a world something we can be proud of and not be scared of!  

I will be burning a candle for the families tonight!

I really need to stop watching the news though- I keep crying!  

Twelve deals today for 12-12-12: Today ONLY BeFrugal.com

Last minute shopping you need to to do well here are some deals for you to enjoy TODAY ONLY!

1.       6PM coupon: 12/12/12 Sale - Items for $12, $24, & $48. Valid only on 12/12/12. And get 7% cash back!

2.       Best Buy coupon: 12% Off Beats Headphones and Speakers, Starts: 12/11/2012, Expires: 12/13/2012. And get up to 6% cash back!

3.       Bruegger's coupon: 12 Bagels & Cream Cheese Only $9.99. Valid only 12/12/12.

4.       Cascio Interstate Music coupon: 12% Off $599+ Order + Free Shipping, Starts: 12/10/2012, Expires: 12/12/2012. And get 6% cash back!

5.       Catherines coupon: 12 Days, 12 Deals Sale At Catherines, Starts: 12/10/2012, Expires: 12/18/2012. And get 5% cash back!

6.       Krispy Kreme coupon: Buy 1, Get 1 - Dozen Original Glazed Doughnuts, Valid only 12/12/12.

7.       Loehmann's coupon: 36% Off Sitewide During 12/12/12 Sale, Starts: 12/12/2012, Expires: 12/13/2012. And get 3% cash back!

8.       Macy's coupon: 12/12/12 One Day Sale with Web Busters, Valid only 12/12/12. And get 3% cash back!

9.       Meijer coupon: 12% Off Any Order, Starts: 12/9/2012, Expires: 12/12/2012. And get 4% cash back!

10.   My M&Ms coupon: 25% Off Any Order, Starts: 12/11/2012, Expires: 12/12/2012. And get 10% cash back!

11.   Office Depot coupon: 12% Off Beats, Starts: 12/10/2012, Expires: 12/12/2012. And get up to 6% cash back!

12.   Starbucks coupon: 12 Days of Deals, Expires Soon! And get up to 7% cash back!

Never miss a deal! Shop every day and save! Coupon site BeFrugal.com offers the free Browser Add-On with Couponomatic^TM that magically powers every promo code entry box (at checkout), by turning the promo code box into a dropdown list of valid promo codes at 3,000+ stores like Best Buy, Macy’s and more.

Chili's Daily Freebies~ Holiday Deal

Celebrate the holiday season at Chili's with a special offer every day from now until December 24. Just print your coupon, head to Chili's, and enjoy. Happy Holidays from all of us!

THIS WEEK:

Dec 11: Free Dessert
Dec 12: Free Appetizer
Dec 13: Free Southwestern Eggrolls
Dec 14: Free Pretzel Sticks or Sweet Potato Fries
Dec 15: Free Chips & Salsa
Dec 16: Free Brownie Sunday

CLICK HERE TO PRINT YOUR COUPON EACH DAY!

Freebies For Bloggers!

Cafe Blogelina is going to be posting a FREEBIE for Bloggers for the next 12 days!

First Day~ FREE Private Domain Registration!  

Go HERE to see the above freebie and get more freebies! 

I'm super excited to see what else they will post for the next 11 days.  

LoveSac Giveaway- Ends 12/21

I would love to have one of these in my family room. It looks like it would be som comfy and I know the kids would LOVE it. Well you have a chance to win one so enter below.

Welcome to the LoveSac "Supersac" Giveaway!

Sponsored by Missi Rose's Coupons & More, Mom of One and Having Fun, Oh My Goodies, Living Frugal with Erika, Frugal Washington Mommy and My Photopage

One reader will win this super comfy Supersac, including all of the accessories that you see below!
I would love to lounge on this Supersac just watching TV or reading a book, and without worry if my children spilled something on it, because the cover is machine washable...AWESOME!

 

Recovering from a Hysterectomy

Well of course it's not fun but it has too happen, right? I can say honestly it is painful and it makes you really appreciated what you can do on a normal day.

I'm on my 3rd week and doing better. The first week I was so drugged up from hospital meds and pain pills that it flew by and the pain wasn't too bad LOL! The 2nd week well that was painful- not on so many meds! Which of course was a good and bad but I got through it. I was very tired and the days I did do something outside of the house, wiped me out. I cut back on the pain pills and that helped me focus more but the pain was still there.

I had my Dr check-up and the only scare we had was my belly button is leaking but no infection. I just need to take it easy. My Dr wants me to take the whole 6 weeks off. That scares me BIG TIME because how are we going to have a Christmas and pay our rent!! This stress alone is getting too me but as my hubby says "We will get through this together" love him. It doesn't help we have 3 b'days this month too.

I've been doing more around the house this weekend because it's hard to not do anything. My family has been awesome but no one can clean like me and that alone also stresses me out too. But in my defense I've been good and only doing what I feel like I can. I set up chores for the kids to do daily and they do it but I still want to go behind them, lol!

My favorite part of this recovery is my appetite disappeared. I'm hungry but after 3-4 bites I feel full. I don't mind if I loose some weight so I'm rolling with this one.

I feel good overall and look forward to the future. I'm super excited I won't ever have a period again. I won't miss the pain and the depression I got every month.

A BIG THANK YOU to my family and friends, I couldn't get through this time without all your support.  I have a wonderful family and awesome friends!

Win $61 cash with Contest Chest!

REVIEW/GIVEAWAY- ReUsies-No More Baggies

A wonderful company ReUsies™ sent me 2 examples of their products.  I was super excited because I pack the kids lunch everyday and using baggies bothers me.  We have containers but do you know how many my kids have lost just this year.  When I say my kids I really mean my son, lol!   I need to stock up on reuse containers BTW!  I fell in love with the ReUsies™ for sandwiches and snacks.  So hopefully down the road we will be baggie free- when my son stops leaving his lunch everywhere!  For now Lil Mama is doing her part- I trust her to bring them back home!  

We used the sandwich size for:

• sandwiches

• bagels/cream cheese

• quesadillas

We used the snack size for:

• crackers

• grapes

• chips

• cereal

Of course there are many items you can put in these bags.  My daughter felt "awesome" (her words) that she was using ReUsies™ instead of baggies because she was helping the environment.  We reuse a lot of items in the house so this product fits in with our family ways.  
Cleaning them was very easy.  I turn inside out if real dirty and rinse it out but usually I just have to wipe it down.  I let them air dry.  

From Website~ ReUsies™ are a re-usable alternative to sandwich and snack bags.  Each one has the potential to eliminate hundreds of plastic bags. ReUsies™ are 100% cotton lined with leak-resistant nylon and are secured with hook and loop closures.  They are easy to clean either by hand, dishwasher, or washer and dryer.  Food safe and come in a variety of prints for any member of the household.

Follow ReUsies on TWITTER 
LIKE ReUsies on FACEBOOK

~ Pack It, Snack It, ReUse It... Thanks for doing your part! from ReUsies site!

Do you want WIN 2 ReUsies™ bags?  Enter Below~  Thanks ReUsies!  


a Rafflecopter giveaway I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

REVIEW-Greeting Box for Mac App

I'm having so much FUN with Greeting Box for Mac App!  I know I will be using this app every week! 

I made our Christmas Card:

I made a FLYER for my hubby's Airbrush Biz:

Also a card for my Son:

This program was super easy to use and I highly recommend this app.  I can make a card for every occasion and print at home!  Love this!  We give the app 2 Thumbs Up!

Greeting Box for Mac is a greeting card maker. It is a TOP 10 FREE GRAPHICS & DESIGN APP on App Store! It provides you a fun way to create greeting card for any occasions and holidays on Mac. You can add your photos into the card and customize the card freely. With Greeting Box, you can send your personalized warm wishes to your loved ones and better keep in touch with friends. Some of the highlighted features include:

1. Easily personalize greeting cards with intuitive interface while lots of art resources and design features provided.
2. 30+ various templates that close to our daily life provided to create distinctive greeting cards for any holiday and occasion, like Birthday, Graduation, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Wedding and so on.
3. Create individualized greeting cards using personal photos and fine tune photos by resizing, rotating, etc. It allows you to add clip-art, text, and position all the elements at will.
4. Save card as different image formats; share cards via Email; print card directly (support Half-Foldprinting); Save the project for further editing.

Learn more: http://www.pearlmountainsoft.com/greeting-box-mac/ 
Download it free on Mac App Store: HERE

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Vistaprint 50 Holiday Cards For $15 SHIPPED!

This year, a beautiful holiday season is in the cards! Quite literally, actually, because the whole week after Cyber Monday, Vistaprint is offering 50 of our stylishly designed, totally customizable folded and flat holiday cards for only $15, with shipping and processing included – a special price for those on our “nice” list. It’s easy: just pick a template that you love from our over 3,700 designs and add your own personal touch to your cards with your favorite photos, holiday greetings, and family news. And with seemingly endless options to choose from, there’s a card for everyone! 

Start getting your holiday greeting mailing list ready because you’ll want to send to everyone to show off your perfect cards and your stories from this year! You can finally showcase the photo that you took of your children during their school play at the perfect moment when they were all smiling, or that picture of your son taken seconds after he made the game-winning touchdown during his school’s homecoming game, or your annual family photo that turned out flawlessly this year. No matter what you’re looking to create, and no matter whom they’re for, Vistaprint has perfect cards at perfect prices – even the shipping is our treat!

We love Vistaprint in our house~ Get your cards HERE

Custom PillowCases $20.00 Great Gift!

Looking for the unique custom gift to give to someone.  You can design it and my hubby will create it.

Here are a couple examples:

Custom Character Pillowcase for $20.00.  NAME ONLY for $15.00.

Also these aren't just for kids!  You can have one made for Grandmas/Grandpas, Newlyweds, Spouse, or Best Friend.  Be creative. Plus this would help us out as well.  My hubby is home taking care of me because of my surgery so we are not bringing in much money so this would help us with the holiday.

Look at more work from MRAIRBRUSHHANDS.COM

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrairbrushhands

Order: send an email to mrairbrushhands@sbcglobal.net with character image/colors (we will send an invoice through paypal)