Ebates

Image courtesy smartcouponing.com

Just in time for holiday shopping I want to share with you Ebates!

Ebates is an awesome shopping site that gives you up to 26% cash back every time you shop online. You can see your account credited with your “cash back” typically within 48 hours and you can get your money sent to you by PayPal or a check in the mail.

You get to choose from top retailers such as Macey's, Nordstroms, Overstock.com, WalMart, HomeDepot, etc... There is over 1,200 stores to choose from. You will find just what your looking for!

They often run free shipping offers. I expect to be seeing lots of this type of offer with the holidays approaching.

Additionally, there are even coupons on their site for additional savings.

So, why get a little money back this year while you do your holiday shopping? You might be able to treat yourself with your savings!

Join now and receive $5 free cash!

Be sure to use my referral code below.

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=6A3mRMxo%2BNQV0Lk45x1rQg%3D%3D

How Much Will You Win In The Fresh Express Salad Game?

Image courtesy savingnaturally.com

Who doesn't like games? I have great game for you that will even save you money!

Visit http://www.freshexpress.com/freshupdates/#/practiceOrPlay/ to play.

Each coupon is for $0.50-$1.00. You get 1.00 if you match all three ingredients correctly.

There is also a sweepstakes for an ipad, Garmin GPS, and Free Salad for a year. You can enter to win daily. Offer expires 1/31/11


Good Luck!

Day 5:"Bye Bye BackTalk"

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Today is thankfully the last day of my challenge. I believe things would have been better if I was not sick, but that is life.

It was a hard day and not much of a good one to share. Except one big meltdown.

Gabe had an enormous fit early this morning. I was taking a quick shower. You know... a 7 minuet shower to clean yourself and your baby. It is a race to get it done before the preschooler needs you.

Usually I can shower quick enough,but not today. Gabe needed to go poo and does not like to wipe his own toosh. He hollered for me but I was in the shower. He finally gave up an came up the stairs to get me. He was so upset, so I rushed out of the shower. He was having a melt down like I had never seen before. I shower every morning and had never witnessed this.

After mommy and baby were dressed I tried to comfort Gabe, but he would not have it. His choice quickly became to either hush up an come downstairs to play or stay up stairs an throw a fit, alone. 

Twenty minutes later he came down stairs still having a fit. He took it to a level I had never seen. He was bouncing around and throwing himself around, into the walls, as if he was possessed. I love my son dearly, but this was unbelievable.

We finally got through it and had an OK afternoon. We even went to a local carnival.

I do not think I made my kids into angels over this 5 day challenge but I did realize how much better our day goes when I remain calm and in control. I am the boss not the kids! This is one mom realizing that nothing gets solved when you get angry!

Thank you for joining in my challenge!

P Is For Pilgram

Here is a Pilgrim craft using the letter P. Let us be crafty and educational all at the same time.

All you need is paper and markers or crayons.

Step 1: Draw the letter P in the center of the paper. Be sure to leave room for the hat and hair.

Step 2: Draw the eyes, eyebrows, nose, and mouth. Be creative and make it any face you like.

Step 3: Draw the hair. Mine looks like a puffy cloud on each side

Step 4: Draw the hat and hat buckle. Add a flower to the hat if you like.

Step 5: Color the hat.

Step 6: Draw the square arm and draw half circles for shoulders.

Step 7: Color it!

Free 12 oz Coffee

Image courtesy of topnews.in

Free coffee anyone? Just in time for your morning commute! Burger King is offering a Free 12 oz cup of Seattle' Best Coffee during breakfast hours all month of November on Fridays. No purchase necessary! This is an awesome deal, valid one per customer at participating locations! Offer does not include whipped topping or flavored shots, sorry.

Day 4:"Bye Bye BackTalk"

Image courtesy virginmedia.com

Today was just no good. I woke up with a tummy ache and it got worse through out the day. I think Hayden passed his bug onto me. Chasing kids around while under the weather is less than fun.

Gabe was great until I told him he needed to take a bath. Things went down hill pretty quickly from here. I lost track of how many timeouts we had by 1p.m. I had wished I was the one in time out. I could have sat there all day.

Despite the monster tummy ache I even managed to walk my boys to the park before school this morning. They were really well behaved there, thankfully!

Hayden started in on his fit when we had to leave the park. It is a thirty minute walk home and he cried the whole way! I was ready to beat my head against the wall by the time we got home. Literally!

I had hoped for a break when Gabe went to preschool. Hayden refused to nap the whole time. Guess when he did take his nap? About three minutes after we got in the car to get Gabe from preschool. Thanks Hayden.

We had dinner with the neighbors so the kids were happy and the evening was successful.

It was just one of those days where the night was sleepless and the patience were spread very thin early in the day. I think there is a pillow calling my name.

Very Easy Stamp Making Craft

Image courtesy of gofor2and5.com.au

Here is a very simple and imaginative craft!

Items needed:

An apple

A piece of paper

Paint

Directions:

1. Slice the Apple in half.
2. Dip the apple in paint..
3. Place paint side of the apple on the paper.

Viola, you have a stamp! Now, lets get creative and try some broccoli, pears, a cracker, fruit loops, cucumber, etc... What a simple way to have fun and be creative!

Day 3:"Bye Bye BackTalk"

Image courtesy of yourparentingsolutions.com

Day 3 of Bye Bye BackTalk was a little harder. Our morning really did go very well. We were showered and out of the house by 9:15am. Today we needed to grab dog food and a birthday gift for Gabe's best friend. Gabe was an angel in the store and Hayden did really well until the end! Yay!

When we got home the sun was shining so we rode bikes and had a wonderful time playing outside. The boys had a Popsicle as well! It was a beautiful November day!

We had no real issues until preschool. Today, at school, was chapel so Hayden and I stayed through this part. Gabe got real sad during chapel and wanted to sit with his mommy but his teacher said no. I wanted to knock her out because that made him sad but I get it. The whole class is sitting there as a group and he needs to as well. That is just the mama bear in me!

After chapel it was time for school and I needed to leave. He was sad again but he calmed down shortly after I walked out. Everyday I hang out in the parking lot for a while talking with my friend and today I got lucky. Her daughter had to potty so they had a reason to go back into the school! Score! I knew she would let me know if Gabe was OK. So, I headed home knowing that if there was an issue she would call right away!

She did call right when I pulled in the drive way, but no bad news. I guess the teacher has figured out were friends and was quick to tell her that Gabe stopped crying right after I left! So, thankfully the phone call brought me good news!

After preschool everything was still going great! We even drove out to see a baby cow who was just born two hours ago! It was adorable and still a little wobbly on it's feet.

The issues were after school when the playtime got too rowdy. We have soft and hard swords. The boy's are only allowed to sword fight with soft swords. They seem to forget this every ten minutes. Gabe busted his brother in the hand and all hell broke loose. The crying was a 10 on the volume scale. I may need hearing aids if we have to hear crying like that again, but the poor baby was hurt.

The situation was fixed within 15 minutes and I took the boy's up the hill to play with a group of neighbor kids.

Again all was well until bed. I feed my kids anytime they are hungry but when I ask then if they want a snack before bed and the answer is no, I expect them to get ready for bed. Of course, three minutes after I lay Gabe down he is hungry! It is the end of my day and my nerves are getting a little thin. I was not happy about it and he knew that but I did feed him.

It was not prefect today, I raised my voice a few times when frustrated! I was able to keep myself in check 95% of the day, but when I got angry I did deserve a time out. I hope to have a total success tomorrow!

FREE Kleenex

Image courtesy of alldeaf.com

As the cold and flu season is quickly approaching I have just the right “freebie” for you! Send someone you love a free pack of Kleenex.

Visit the link below to send yours today! It is simple and takes under 3 minutes!

http://kleenex.com/SoftnessWorthSharing/

Thanks for the tip Mom Blog Network!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/momblognetwork

Day 2: "Bye Bye BackTalk"

Day two... OK.... Grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Today was a day! The whole day was fantastic until we had a play date. Don't get me wrong. We had a fabulous time with our friends just as long as they followed Gabe's rules. We all know that was not going to happen. Kick your feet up and have a good read!

Last night my little guy, Hayden was very sick. He vomited on me so much that we needed to shower, change the bed sheets, and basically mop up the bathroom floor. It was really really bad and stinky I might add. When the puking finally stopped and we were all cleaned up we finally got some rest. It was a hard night because my little man woke up sick every few hours. Needless to say, we made it and he is feeling much better today.

As the sun starts to peak out for the day so does my son, Gabe. He was sweet and hung out with his dad for about ten minutes while his brother and I rested. I just had a feeling this was too good to be true. Gabe came up the stairs all hot and heavy about something. I was tired but I think I gathered that his Dad would not let him play a video game. Gabe can not just play these games alone. He likes the games for 8 year old’s so he needs a lot of help. Gabe is crazy to have come ask me. I despise my four year old playing games, so I was quick to answer with a NO. Gabe would not take no for an answer and he proceeded to be as irritating as possible until Hayden and I were awake. Oh man! Are we really starting the day like this?

The morning actually turned out OK. I have really been paying attention to the fact that I am the mom and I am in charge of how our day runs. I got some non video games out and we played while having breakfast. Then we had a fabulous time doing our preschool pages! It was a wonderful morning.

Right after lunch, my neighbor and friend called needing a hair cut. We now were on a time schedule because we had some other friends coming over to visit within the hour. I found myself in a little panic wondering why I always stretch myself so thin. We grabbed shoes and drinks and walked up the hill. It was a piece of cake. I did a little trim, the boys played, and we were back home with time to spare. We played legos, pulled weeds, and rode bikes.

Now is the time of day Gabe had been waiting for all week! Well, I had been looking forward to it too! His friend was here to play!!! Now, since he was so excited I figured there would be no issues.

WRONG!!! Gabe got some rubber mice for Halloween. He flipped out when his friend's sister was playing with them. Not just a little sad, but he Flipped out. It was an 8 on the fit throwing scale. I got a little embarrassed and elevated my voice enough to get my point across but never yelled. A time out was issued twice.

I thought the situation was fixed but then he threw a fit because she had his pillow pet. I could clearly see that this was going to be the case with any toy she touched. Another time out was issues and the mice and the pillow pet were put up until tomorrow. The mood changed shortly after this and we had a good visit. Talk about some embarrassing behavior.

The rest of the day was OK. Gabe had a good dinner and Hayden even sat at the table without a fit during dinner. ( I got rid of Hayden's highchair. He is in a big boy booster now). Now it is time for this mommy to relax! Oh and yes... I did succeed again today! I kept it all under control!

Day 1: "Bye Bye BackTalk"

Image courtesy of covenantoflove.net

Day 1: Bye Bye Backtalk

I imagined today to be a little bit of a head ache. We have had good and bad moments. I was hoping to see both boys getting along by the end of the day and not pinching each other but that was not the case. Maybe by day 5 this will happen.

The morning started off really smooth until bath time. Bath time sucks everyday, so why should today be any different. Gabe flipped out when I said bath time. He reacts as if you just broke his favorite toy. He was given a choice and told to choose quickly. The choice is time out or bath; sweet and simple. Somehow he makes himself produce real tears as we make our way upstairs. We made it through bath time with only the one fit but he did pinch his brother for splashing in his bath water. This pinching is getting old. He got his only warning for the day. Next time it is time out.

After bath time there was another episode. Gabe pinched again. Time out number 1! Gabe cried and cried as if it was unfair to be in timeout for pinching. Get real son! I don't even know where he learned to pinch, but he will not be rewarded for it!

To keep from turning day one into a novel I will sum it up. We had 4 time outs today. 1 time out for backtalk and 3 for being too rough with little brother or for pinching. I love to see my boys play together until Gabe shoves Hayden's face into the wall. Boys will be boys but I don't want to see a broken bone or blood. OK, he is not really that rough but you get my drift.

I never raised my voice once today. I think this was a huge aid in our day running a little smoother. I feel great too! I guess this is really becoming a challenge for my kids and their mommy.

Check back in tomorrow for another update!

123 Magic- Effective Discipline

Are there days where you want to pull your hair out? Your yelling at the kids and finding yourself entirely too stressed out to function?

A friend turned me on to these books and when I use the technique right we all have an amazing stress free day. This book guides you step by step on the most effective way to discipline without spanking or yelling. It even explains to you step by step how the child will respond once in time out. It is very easy reading and comical at times. It is effective in extreme cases and even effective with kids who only misbehave once in a great while. It is a great book and highly recommended by me.

Hot Deal Everyday At Local Twist

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 Who is up for a good deal? Try out local twist! It is free to sign up. You simply enter in your zip code and email address an that is it. You then get one hot deal everyday. You save 50-90% on each deal. Today's deal is $20 for $40 of food and drink at Tini Bigs in Seattle, Washington. 

The only current cities participating are Seattle and SanDiego, however, there is a long list of cities that will soon join. I will be checking in often and will let you know when I see new cities added.

You get a full description of the deal of the day as well as the businesses information and location. Most of the deals even have customer reviews. The deal is valid for purchase one day only, so if you are interested you need to snag the deal right away.

There is a tiny catch, the deal is only on if enough people partake in the deal. Your credit card is not charged if the deal is off. The even have an option to earn money by advertising by advertising to your friends on Facebook or Twitter.

Halloween Pre Funk

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Wow! Yesterday was a crazy one. Our morning started off with the normal breakfast and play time. My hubby was sweet enough to run the errands this morning. When I go to WalMart with two boys I come home frazzled and in need of a “time out”. LOL. So, we were just hanging out and enjoying our Saturday morning.

The morning quickly became an extremely rushed one. There were Halloween events going on all day in various parts of town. Oh man! Hurry up!!! I am the kind of mom who is energetic and hates to miss a beat. I got everyone quickly showered and dressed! I threw together a large dish of baked ziti so we could eat it for lunch and dinner. It was simply delicious too!

The relaxing Saturday I though we were having was chaotic and becoming too stressful to have fun. Stress really does take away from the fun times we are about to have, however, you know that when rushing a toddler and a preschooler stress is going to happen. Needless to say, we made it and even had a little time to spare.

So, what did we do that made us rush? First off we went downtown and participated in the trick or treating of the local businesses. It was extremely rainy but fun. I am very thankful for the rain boots my mom just got me. I would have had very cold feet if not.

Then, we ran home to dry off. We stayed home for a snack and to dry off. Thirty minutes later we were off to a Halloween carnival. However, there is a huge problem! I drove down there and it said the carnival was Friday. Oh No! We missed it. It is not Friday. Bummer! The kids were bummed so I took them for ice cream at McDonald’s. While there, my husband called to see how the carnival was. I told him the story. He was on his way home from getting candy and balloons for Halloween and he said he saw lots of people there. Oh CRAP! I went to the wrong place.

I quickly hurried the kids and we left McDonald's and on to the carnival. Could this day get any more chaotic? We finally made it and it was really really fun. There was lots of fun games such as: fishing, ring toss, bowling, cupcake decorating, and even a bounce house. I am so glad we made it despite the craziness along the way. Happy Halloween!

Giveaway Ends Tonight At 11:59p.m.

We still need more " likes" on Facebook by tonight at 11:59p.m. Are we going to make it?

Happy Halloween!

Bloody Popcorn

Image courtesy of couponsherpa.com

Anybody up for some bloody popcorn? Here is a fun recipe to try this Halloween!

Directions:

1. Air pop or microwave a bag of popcorn.
2. Pour into a bowl.
3. Spray with a can of spray butter.
4. Sprinkle Paprika on it.
5. Stir until the popcorn turns red.

Enjoy a bloody treat!