How to Make Fresh Spinach Last in Your Fridge for up to 3 Weeks!

Have you been wondering who in the world would buy such huge bags of spinach when they just go bad in your fridge in a few days? Wonder no more! I buy 2 of the large Costco bags and they last me 2 to 3 weeks. This is how!

October's 21 Day Fix Family Friendly Clean Eating Boot Camp!

Did you know that between Thanksgiving and Christmas Americans gain an average of 5-7 lbs? Overweight individuals tend to gain more than that? Why not get a hold of your bad habits BEFORE the holidays and make it a point NOT to gain weight this year!! How you ask? Well certainly not with some crazy workout and diet plan that leaves you starving. Who wants to do that around Halloween and fall when all things pumpkin are everywhere!?

It's a pretty simple plan and anyone can do it, incorporate their family & even kids, into it. One of the biggest issues most people have with weight loss is not so much the working out part but the diet. Working out is part of it but you can workout all day long, if you generally have poor eating habits, nothing is gonna budge!

So, the 21 day fix is a nutrition plan (not a diet) that helps you establish healthy habits with food, eating the right portion sizes, getting all of your nutrients in, and doing it all with regular food. Not diet food and not depriving yourself or starving. Its called the 21 Day Fix because it takes the average person 21 days to establish a habit, not because it will turn women into bikini models or men into Mr Olympia in 3 weeks. That's just not realistic and plans that promise that are too restrictive and not realistic.

After 21 days of using the portion control containers the plan comes with & the guidance & tools in the boot camp, you should be able to eyeball portions and eat well throughout the day whether you're at work, home, a party, vacation, etc. You use them sort of as measuring cups when you have snacks, make a salad, a recipe, etc and then refer to them when you're out at a restaurant or party. After using them for a few weeks, you get a really good idea about what a proper portion looks like so it makes it simple. And you get TONS of healthy food suggestions for meals, snacks, recipes, etc so you can apply it for life!

The plan comes with a LOT and I add a lot to it too in the boot camp. The boot camp is a private online support group of other women (and some husbands) learning the plan too. We share recipes, snack ideas, give each other support and keep each other accountable. A LOT of people get the program but have NO clue how to use it so it just sits there and goes untouched. I REALLY believe in it and really want to help everyone realize how much it can help not only with weight (loss, gain or maintain) but healthy eating and getting your family to eat clean too!

The plan comes with the following: --10 workouts you can do at home --7 portion control reference containers --Shakeology shaker cup --Month supply of shakeology --21 Day Fix Nutrition Guide & Recipe Book --3 Day Quick Fix plan (cleanse type of plan) --workout calendar --30 day money back guarantee where you can return any or all of it, even if it's used, if you aren't happy.

In the boot camp, I provide: --weekly meal plans --recipes for the meal plans --tons of extra recipes --recipe samples from the 21 Day Fix Fixate cook book --Snack lists with over 100 snack ideas --daily feedback on your nutrition, workout & water intake --daily nutrition tips & fitness advice --available 24/7 for questions via phone or FB message

And the boot camp isn't just one month. When you have the 21 Day Fix challenge pack, you're welcome to continue every day month free just for support or to keep reaching your goals. Some keep coming back just because they feel like it's a group of virtual friends we've made onlibe that support each other through the struggle of food, temptations and cravings. Basically life LOL!

The Shakeology, if you aren't familiar with is a nutritional shake that has over 70 fruits & veggies in it plus protein and 23 vitamins and minerals. They regularly update the recipe too so they keep up with research and make changes accordingly. It helps curbs cravings for sweets BIG time, gives you energy (has natural caffeine from food such as gree tea), gives you a quick, easy, yummy way to get a breakfast or a morning snack in and a lot of people have seen benefits with thyroid disease, cholesterol, auto immune disorders, heart disease & other ailments with it. I was hesitant to try it for a LONG time. Just didn't buy into it and thought it was just all overrated hype.

When I tried it though I loved it and it was the only shake I actually liked the taste of, didn't taste like chemicals and I was ok giving to my kids. And the fact that they give you 30 days to return it made my cheap self on a budget feel good buying it LOL. If I hated it or the 21 day fix, I could send 'em back and lose nothing. I always wanted to make my passion for fitness and nutrition into a career and when I tried this program, I thought it was genius!! Such an easy way to learn how to eat right AND eat what I like, not what a meal plan tells me Inhage to eat. I can follow it on weekdays & weekends without a problem or having to skip out on dinners with friends because I'm "on a diet"!

And even kids can use it to learn how to eat right. Shae (my 6 yr old) tells me, "Mom I had a red, green, blue and yellow! 4 colors!" Because I tell her she needs at least 4 colors in each meal! So, that's it! Let me know what you think and if you want to start with us in October!! Shoot me an email at info@fitluentialmom.com or find me on Facebook and add me ===>>> FACEBOOK then send me a message saying you're IN!!!

Budget Series Begins: Everyone Needs a Budget!

***If you read this and want to start budgeting, email me and I'll send you this budget on an Excel file blank so you can get started!  Send an email to info@fitfluentialmom.com and write BUDGET in the subject line***

So, most of you that know me know that I'm a budget QUEEN. Some call it cheap, frugal, money savvy, whatever. No matter what you call it, being on top of my budget and finding ways to save money has allowed me to cut out my entire deputy salary (but still do the job), be home with kiddos and follow my passion in fitness while vacationing with my family regularly AND realizing our dream of owning our RV (and actually being able to use it since I'm not always working!), own a beautiful home and be able to give back to charity and our church as well! So, after a few asked, I've decided to start a budget tip series starting with this blog post!  After this, I'll try to share tips several times per week. If you have any tips of your own you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them and share them here as well! Feel free to email them to info@fitfluentialmom.com. Now, let's talk BUDGETS!

The MAIN thing you need to have...and yes I said NEED...as in you MUST have... is a budget. You have to give yourself spending limits and budget your money each month.  You start with your total monthly income then disperse it in the budget.  

                      

As I mentioned above, I can send you my budget without all of my numbers on it so you can enter yours.  I'm totally transparent about what I make, how I budget, etc so I don't mind that you guys see it but I want you to have a blank one so you can put YOUR info into it. I add EVERY single penny we spend or make to it. EVERYTHING in it. The coffee I have on the run from Starbucks, the $2 I may spend on a lotto scratcher, the money I put into savings, etc. When you first use it, you need to customize it and add what your income is and where it comes from, what your monthly fixed expenses are and what your variable expenses are as well.  Below is an example of the columns for one of the months with random amounts added in. Once your budget is all set up, it will show you how much is budgeted for and how much is left in each category.  Once you have it all set up, you can begin using it!

When you enter your spending limits on the main page (Budget tab), it shows up on each monthly page.  When you click on the "This Year" tab, you'll see that it automatically totals your monthly expenses and if you're over or under your budget each month.  


If you look above the "Income" box, you'll see where it says "Money Left to Budget". I like to leave some money there because that becomes my savings. And yes, you need to save money each month.  Ideally, you should have at least 6 months (preferably 1 year) worth of income in your savings account for emergencies.

Once you've filled out your income, variable expenses (expenses that change each month) and fixed expenses (expenses that don't change each month such as mortgage, car payment, etc), you're ready to start budgeting.  To keep this accurate you need to keep track of everything you spend money on, even the Starbucks coffee you had on the way into work, the pack of gum and soda you bought at 7-Eleven at lunch, the beer you bought with the guys after work, the ice cream  you bought your kids at the mall, etc.  It ALL adds up and it adds up fast.  Use your phone to keep track of it if you need to. I just send texts to myself each time I spend or put it in my notepad. 

So, give this budget a shot and let me know what you think.  Shoot me an email and I'll sendit to you within 24 hours! After a few months, it's truly eye opening!! 

Top 15 Tips for to Help You AVOID the Grocery Store, Save Money & Buy in Bulk!

How many people LOVE going to the grocery store every few days? I know I DO NOT!  I like going, don't get me wrong, but no more than once a week or once every two weeks if I can help it!  So, below are my tips for avoiding grocery shopping more often than once every week or two! Give them a shot and see if you can make life easier on yourself! This is especially for the hard working mamas and dads out there!

One tip....If you have the room, get an extra refrigerator!  We bought one second hand off a resale group on Facebook and it is a life SAVER! Or, at best, an extra freezer!

1.  Wrap lettuce and spinach up in paper towels, then place into a zip lock bag. It'll last at least a week, sometimes 2 weeks, without wilting. Wash it when you're going to use it so you don't add extra moisture before storing it.

2.  Buy cheese when it's on sale and freeze it. I buy 2 - 4 lbs of skim mozzarella cheese at a time. I have the deli cut it and put it in individual 1lb bags. If I buy it at Costco, I separate it into 1 lb bags, keep 1 lb in the fridge and freeze the rest.

3.  Apples, pears, oranges, grapefruits, plums, grapes and nectarines will stay fresh in your fridge for at least 2 weeks.  If you put them out, they'll be ready to eat in a day or two.  So, buy in bulk, store most of it in the fridge, and leave only a few pieces in your pantry to have ready to eat.

4.  When chicken is on sale, I buy about 20 lbs worth of it. I have the butcher separate them into 5 lb bags and freeze them that way. When I make the chicken, I make 5 lbs at a time so I can have enough for dinner and enough to prep and also have some more on hand for the week.

5.  We don't eat a lot of bread by my husband and daughter take a sandwich for lunch most days of the week and they occasionally have toast. We buy the 2 loaf pack at Costco and store it in the fridge. It stays good for at least two weeks, sometimes more.

6.  When it comes to fruits, berries are my favorite.  We buy frozen berries for our shakes and our oatmeal because they are organic and a lot cheaper than the fresh variety. They also last A LOT longer than fresh berries, which tend to only last a few days.  We also buy frozen mango for our shakes and it makes them thicker and more like ice cream too!

7.  For snacks, we like to have almonds, string cheese, roasted peas, dried cranberries & whole wheat crackers on hand. All of these can be purchased at Costco and keep well. They'll last at least 2 weeks in your fridge or pantry.

8.  One of my favorite snacks is baby carrots! I buy the large 3 lbs bag at Costco.  They're organic and also last about 2 weeks, or more, in your fridge.  I leave the bag in the fridge or take them with me to work in small zip lock baggies and snack on them throughout the day.

9.  Milk! One of the items that most parents have to go to the store every other day for!  Have you ever noticed that organic milk lasts A LOT longer than non-organic?  I buy organic milk and I buy 3 - 6 half gallons at a time.  That will last me at least 2 - 3 weeks and the expiration is usually at least a month or a month and a half out so I have plenty of time to use it before it expires.

10.  Deli meats!  We take our lunch to work each day and my daughter takes her lunch to school. With that said, we buy a lot of nitrate free deli meats.  When we buy it, we buy 2 - 3 lbs at a time, sometimes 4 and it can last about 10 -14 days in the fridge.

11.  Bananas! We eat a LOT of bananas!  We buy them as green as we can and when we get home, we separate them and leave them out.  By separating them and wrapping the stems in saran wrap, you give them an extra few days of life before they brown! We buy about 30 bananas and they tend to last us about 10 days without going bad. If we see they're going bad, we freeze them and just add them to our Shakeology or oatmeal frozen.

12.  Eggs!  We buy the 60 count eggs at Costco. I use the eggs for omelets for myself and I hard boil a lot of them so I can keep handy in the fridge for a healthy snack.  I put an X on top of the hard boiled ones so I know which ones are ready to eat!

13.  Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt! We eat A LOT of this.  If you buy the large containers of it at Costco, you can save money AND they last about 10-14 days in the refrigerator.  You can separate it out into small plastic containers to have handy and ready to eat in portion controlled sizes in the fridge or take to work with you!

14.  Cereal!  We eat cereal more like a finger food than a breakfast here. What I do to prevent it from going bad is I store it in plastic containers with a lid.  This way, even if they last a month or more, they are still fresh and taste great because they are kept in an air lock container.  And I don't buy containers, I use the ones that the mixed nuts come in from Costco! So, I buy a lot of cereal at once and I blend the flavors, then put them in the containers. I buy one box of a sweet type of cereal (honey nut cheerios or Cinnamon Puffins) and blend them with a non-sweetened variety so the kids get a little bit of the fun flavors without too much sugar!

15.  Veggies! Veggies can go bad pretty quickly!  I buy them when I know I'll be using them for dinner that week and, if I don't end up using them, I cut them up and use them as snacks that week so I don't waste food. I also like to buy the frozen Normandy Blend variety at Costco. It comes with broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and squash and our family enjoys it as a side dish with dinner often. I also eat them as a snack throughout the day so I make some and keep it ready to eat in the fridge!

So, those are some of my tips for avoiding the grocery store more than a few times a month!  Do you have any tips to add? If so, I'd LOVE to hear them! Add them to the comments below and I'll add them to the blog post with your name below them!

Clean Eating on a Budget

Do you want to eat clean but feel like it will be too expensive? Let’s put that myth to rest! There are lots of ways to incorporate eating clean into your life without busting your budget.

1. Shop at farmer’s markets. Once spring hits, farmer’s markets start back up again. If you happen to live in a temperate climate, they sometimes stay open year round! You will always be able to cut costs by buying directly from the farmer because you cut out the middle man. Plus, it’s always beneficial to actually speak to the person who grew your food. You’re also helping your local economy so it’s a win all the way around!

TIP: You can sometimes get an even better price on items at farmers markets if you shop late in the day.

2. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, buy items that are in season. It’s always cheaper to purchase seasonal produce.

3. Shop your pantry FIRST. Before you head off to the grocery store, shop your pantry and fridge. This will keep you from unintentionally buying duplicate items. I’ve even had times when I was able to throw together a meal with items I forgot I had in the pantry!

4. Have breakfast for dinner once a week. Kids really love this idea. Something about having breakfast at night makes dinner fun for everyone! It sort of shakes up the routine a bit.

5. Join a CSA. CSA stands for community supported agriculture. With a CSA you pay your local farmer up front at the beginning of the growing season and you’ll receive a box of produce every week throughout the entire season. It ends up being a much cheaper way to get your local vegetables every week.

6. Grow your own! Growing your own vegetables is not only economical but it’s  a really satisfying experience. And it doesn’t have to be a big time commitment either. You can grow vegetables in containers if you don’t want to put in the time on an entire garden. If you’re limited on space you can simply use containers to grow your produce.  Every year we grow vegetables in containers and my two kids LOVE it! There’s just something so fantastic about eating something that you grew yourself. 

7.  Make your own trail mix instead of buying the packaged varieties with added sugars, preservatives, etc.

8.  Make your own salad dressings!  Super easy and MUCH healthier too!

9.  Bake your own veggie chips and swap them out for potato chips.  Just chop up the veggie, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with no salt seasoning. Bake and eat!

10.  Wrap your lettuce in paper towels when you bring it home, place it in a zip lock bag and in the crisper. Your lettuce will last a lot longer (about 2-3 weeks) in the fridge!

Making Lettuce & Spinach Last for Weeks in the Fridge!

Here's another way to make lettuce and spinach last a lot longer in your fridge.  This will allow you to buy it in bulk at warehouse stores like Costco and Sam's Club and save money!  First, open the bag and cut the tips off the heads of romaine.  If it's iceberg, no need to cut anything.

Then wrap each head of lettuce in paper towels so the entire head is covered and nothing is exposed.

 Then place it back in the bag you got it in (if it comes in bags of 2 to 3) or, if you buy in bulk such as bags of 6 at Costco, place them in Zip Lock bags.  You can usually git 2 to 3 heads of lettuce in each.

Then place in your crisper drawer and they should last at least 2-3 weeks! That's MUCH longer than if stored as they come.

This also works for large bags of spinach. We buy the large bags of spinach for smoothies but it can go bad in just a few days.  In order to help it last longer, I spread out paper towels on the counter.  Usually two rows of 3 full size paper towels in each row.  Then I pour out the spinach inside and wrap it up in a ball covering it all with the paper towels.  I then place it back in the bag I got it in or separate it into a few Zip Lock bags.  This helps it last weeks as well!

So, shop in bulk and don't worry about these items going to waste! I've been using these tricks for years and they work every time!  Check out the link on bananas lasting longer & a few other tips as well! Click here to see that blog entry!

Buying in Bulk & Making Food Last!

If you're have a family with a few hungry kids, you would probably be better off buying in bulk to save money & save yourself a few trips to the grocery store as well.  With these food preservation tips you can do both!  Check them out. You can save hundreds per year on your grocery bill by incorporating just a few of these in your household!

Lettuce
When you buy romaine lettuce,  wrap it in paper towels and place it either back in the bag you purchased it in if it is resealable or place it in large zip lock bags.  This helps keep the moisture off the leaves and prevents then from browning.

Bananas
Separate them as soon as you're home from the grocery store, wrap stems in plastic wrap and, if you are able to, try to put them on a lave where they are not touching each other. The latter can be difficult to do since buying in bull means buying a lot of them so, at minimum,  separate them from the joint stem and wrap it.  By wrapping them you will slow down the ripening process and they will remain green or yellow longer.

Herbs
Buying fresh herbs is costly and they don't last long.  To preserve them, freeze them in oil. Herbs frozen in oil are ideam because they are not only preserved, the also have a little bit of oil to cool them with already and add to a meal.

Dairy
Keep dairy on the top shelf in the fridge because in most refrigerators, the top shelf keeps the most constant temperature due to the fact that that's where the thermometer is. Keeping it's temperature constant ensures that it will last until it's expiration date and possibly a little longer.  The worst place for dairy is the door since it is opened often and exposed to much warmer air.

Cupcake Crayons Made Out of Crayon Scraps

 If you have young children, you surely have your fair share of broken crayon pieces around the house.  Instead of throwing them away, recycle them and make fun cupcake crayons they can reuse.  Not only are these fun for them to use, they can be made in any color combination you want.  They are also the ideal shape for smaller tots that have a difficult time grasping a standard crayon.  If you don't happen to have broken crayon pieces, I'm sure your children's teachers at school, church or day care have some you can use for this craft.  Promise your kids will love it!  Follow the steps below:

What You Will Need

--Broken crayon pieces

--Mini cupcake tin

--Mini cupcake liners

Steps

1) First you'll have to remove the paper off each of the crayon pieces. This is definitely the most labor intensive part of this project.  My daughter (4 years old) was at it for almost an hour with me.  She was so excited to make her cupcake crayons, though, that she didn't care! LOL 

2) After peeling them all, we broke the larger pieces into smaller pieces that would better fit into each mini cupcake tin.  

3) After breaking down all of the crayons, we put 2 liners in each of the cupcake tin spots.  If you only put one, the crayons will leak through and it will be difficult to clean and reuse for actual baking next time. You can also use the foil liners.  They are thicker and the crayons don't bleed through them like they do the thin paper ones.

4) After you've lined the tin, turn the oven on to 200 degrees.  It won't take long to heat to such a low temperature so I usually wait until this step to even turn it on.

5) Once the oven is on,  add the crayons to the cupcake tin in any combination you'd like.  You can make some solid color crayons and you can mix colors as well.  We kept color families together but made some cool combinations as well (orange + yellow, red + purple, blue & green, red + orange, multi-color).

6) After the tin is full and/or you're out of crayon pieces, place the muffin pan in the oven and "cook" for about 10-15 minutes.  Watch them carefully so they do not overheat or burn.  The smell is not great but it will be worse if they burn.  They will also stick more to the pan.

7) When you remove them, make sure to do it carefully and slowly.  The crayons will be a thin, watery liquid consistency and can spill easily.  Let them cool for about 30 minutes and remove them from the tin.  

8) After they have completely cooled, remove the cupcake paper/foil wrappers and they're ready to be used! 

 

My daughter absolutely loves them and doesn't even want to use her regular crayons anymore.  

So You Want A Mermaid Tail?

So a few weeks ago we were swimming at our HOA pool and a little girl walks in with a mermaid tail. My daughter immediately fell in love with it so I proceeded to ask the little girl's mom where she got it.  She said she got it online, so I saved the website on my phone and promised my own little mermaid that we would look them up when we got home.

As soon as we got home, she reminded me of what we needed to do. When I looked it up, I couldn't believe that the cheapest one was upwards of $50 plus shipping.  I couldn't understand why it was so much, outside of the demand from so many little girls seeing them and wanting them. After all, it was made out of a shiny stretchy fabric and slipped on like a simple straight length tube skirt that flared at the bottom for the tail. So.....after thinking about it, I figured I'd save some money and try making my own. After all,  I had a sewing machine and it couldn't be THAT hard.

I bought the fabric (about $12 bbecause it was on sale & I had a coupon!) and decided to buy a rubber floor mat at Walmart to use for the tail. The website the little girl got hers from sold some with rubber tails but those were $75 and up! Being the over achiever that I am, I decided to add this to my daughter's. I was definitely getting adventurous.  Then, while looking for tips online,  I saw the same type of mermaid tail but it was a full dress with a tank style top. Of course,  I saw this and figured I could pull this off too.  After all,  the dress version was even MORE expensive and we're on a tight budget as it is now since we are currently on only one income.

So we got home, I pulled out my sewing machine and laid out the fabric. I measured my daughter's width around her chest and decided to do the dress the same width all the way down.  I took one of her tank tops and cut out the straps up top for the tank top portion (about double the width of what I wanted the straps to be since I'd have to sew them under).

I started to sew the side seams and that went well.  Then I went onto the tank portion and that was a little more difficult, but not bad.  After completing the main part of the dresss, Ihad my daughter try it on and we decided to put a slit on the back, slightly below the knees to make it easier for her to walk. That worked out well and we moved onto the fins.....

I cut two pieces of fabric into triangles and sewed them on 2 sides.  Then I cut pieces of the rubber mat in the same size,  placed it inside the fabric triangle (fin) and sewed the fin onto the side of the dress. I did the same thing for the other side and to my surprise,  it turned out pretty well. I thought I was done when I saw another piece of fabric on the floor and then decided to make a pleated little ruffle for the front.  Once completed,  we tried it on and I had one very happy little mermaid!

So, after completing the "mermaid tail for the pool" we decided it is way too nice and fancy of a mermaid dress for the pool, so we'll be making the swim skirt with fin with the remaining material.  And not as fancy or elaborate of course.

So moms, if you have a mermaid wanting her own tail and/or mermaid dress,  go for it and try making it yourself.  If I can do it, anyone can!  Up until now, all I'd ever sewn were a few burp cloths and those came out less than perfect, and that's being generous.

If you're interested in having me make one for you, contact me via email at theparentcenter@gmail.com. I really enjoyed making it, although it was difficult and took about 4-5 hours, but the happiness in my little mermaid's face was absolutely PRICELESS! I will post pictures of the swim tail when I make that as well too ;-).

Socks on a Swiffer?

As a mother and wife, I make it my priority to make sure my family is taken care of and my home is clean.  The clean part seems to be the most challenging of all, however, because it seems like there is always something to clean!  The floors, mirrors, shutters, bathrooms.....it's exhausting and I find myself constantly trying to come up with ways to do it easier, faster and better.  Today, as I was about to clean my floors, I went to grab the usual rag or towel to put around my Swiffer. I've found that the Swiffer pounds are too thin and ineffective.  They push around the dust on the floor but don't pick it up as well.  Beneath the towels I was going to grab were tons and tons of pairs of my husband's old, stretched out socks. I use those to clean the shutters and put Armor-All on the car tires as well.  That's when an idea was sparked.  Why not use the socks on the Swiffer and clean with that?  Those are thicker, absorb more and can be washed so I can use them again and again! This will not only save me time, it will also save me money on the costly Swiffer cleaning pad replacements.

I put the sock on the Swiffer and cut one of the ends a little so it would fit all the way across the cleaning pad.  I then tied the end that I cut and the sock fit securely on the cleaning pad.  I used an ankle sock but a tube sock may be best since it's larger and can be doubled it.  Let me tell you, it worked amazingly well and held up as I cleaned my entire 2600 sq ft house with hardwood and tile floors.  This is one idea that I thought of, put to use and am happy I did!

September 9th Friday Freebies!

1. Enjoy free general admission for you and a guest to museums and cultural venues nationwide on Saturday, September 24, 2011. Visit the linked page for more details. PLEASE NOTE: Check back in June when the site will go live with museum listings and the free admission tickets.

2. Get the Cedarmont Kids MP3 Sampler for Moms free available to download from Amazon! Songs include:The Wheels On The Bus, Father Abraham, The Ants Go Marching, Ezekial Saw The Wheel and Brahms Lullaby.

3. Amazon is also giving away downloads of the Wiggles Summer 2011 sampler for free! Songs include:Thank You, Mr. Weatherman!, England Swings, Hawaiian Boogie, Clap Your Hands with Dorothy and How Many Fingers Do I See?

4. And another great kids' music download from Amazon! They're offering a FREE Sesame Street Amazon Music Sampler in MP3 format. The songs on the album include:The Wheels On The Bus, Ladybugs’ Picnic, Let’s Go Tubbin’, Oh Look What Our Baby Can Do! and What’s the Name of That Song?. Click the download link on the far top right of the page to get your free Sesame Street Music Sampler.

5. Receive a Free Dr. Seuss Lorax Activity Book. Energy Star is providing visitors with the chance to order a free Dr. Seuss Lorax Activity Book. Add it to your cart and complete the checkout process to receive yours.

6. Amazon is allowing users to download a free VeggieTales 5 Super Silly Songs Amazon Sampler! The songs include: The Hairbrush Song, The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything, I Love My Lips, His Cheesburger and Belly Button. Visit the linked page and click the 'Get MP3' on the right to start your download for free.

7. Get 25 free MP3 songs from Urban Outfitters. All you do is click on the iTunes or Stream links at the bottom of the page & your songs will begin to load!

8. Download the New Blink 182 Single After Midnight for Free. To get it,go to the Get 182 page. Click on the link to "Fix the Sign". Stop the counter at 182 & you'll then fill in your e-mail address to receive a link to the free mp3 download. You can try over and over until the counter stops at 182.

9. FREE Blockbuster Express rental codes. The movies can be expensive when you add in the cost of snacks, movie tickets & more. So, stay home & rent a movie for FREE! Use the codes below to get your free rentals from Blockbuster. The codes can be used once per card on the $1 movies & you will be charged $1 per night if the movie is not returned by 9pm . Thanks Melissa's Bargains for another great deal! The codes are as follows: 75TTDR3 - 34PGAR2 - 72KRVF5 - 38RMAQ4 - 89AGSF7 - 83TPLD4 - 76DMNP2 - 29SPNF9 - 68MMKC2

10. Submit a Recipe to get your Free Spam Cookbook. Enter a recipe in the Spam Recipe Exchange and, once it's published, you'll get a free Spam Cookbook in return. This offer is available while supplies lasts only. In addition to the free cookbook, At the end of the challenge, five (5) winners will be awarded prizes. The top rated recipe, as defined by the Official Rules, will receive $1,000 and four (4) runners up will each receive a one-year supply of SPAM® products.

11. Free Smile Bright Teeth Whitening Strips from Savemore! f you’re NEW to SaveMore, sign up here and you’ll get a $10 credit just for signing up! Redeem your credit to “buy” the Smile Bright Teeth Whitening strips, which are priced at $7 and you’ll still have $3 left to get something else later! Plus, shipping on this item is FREE! Via Melissa's Bargains

Check out last Friday's Friday Freebies too by going to our Facebook Fan page & scrolling down. Many are still active and some of the activities for kids that are free (at Lowe's, Home Depot, Lakeshore, etc) are free EVERY Saturday!

Saving Energy and Money in Your Home

It's no surprise that most people are trying to save money anywhere they can these days! People are driving less to save money on gas, eating at home more often to save money on food & using less power at home to conserve energy and save on the ever increasing energy bills! Because my energy bill is so high, especially in the summer, I thought it'd be a good idea to provide families with some useful and easily applicable energy saving tips for the whole family! In looking for tips online, I came across Texas Electricity Providers .

According to Texas Electricity Providers, families spend the most amount of money cooling their home. In the summer months, turning your air conditioning to a higher temperature can save you hundreds. TEP suggests keeping your AC at 78 degrees to keep your home at an optimal temperature. In order to help keep it at this temperature, you may want to keep curtains or shutters closed, especially when no one is home, to keep the heat and sun out.

Another great tip TEP provides is turn your ceiling fans off when you leave the room. My husband and I are guilty of this energy wasting habit! We forget to turn them off because the light is off so we don't see that they're still on. Ceiling fans serve no purpose unless you're in the room to feel the cool air so remember to turn them off before you leave!

When cooking in the kitchen, try to defrost and preheat items in the microwave to reduce cooking time in the oven. This will keep your house cooler because the oven will not be on as long. Better yet, make cold dinner plates such as pasta salad, sandwiches, salads & other yummy summer dishes.

If you'd like more money & energy saving tips, including some on saving energy in the laundry room, bedroom, garage, office and the rest of your home, visit Texas Electricity Providers for a complete list of their energy saving tips. You'd be surprised how much you can save by making a few small changes around your home!

Fun Frugal Money Saving Sites for Families!

Save $$$, Get Free Stuff & Connect with other Moms!

Saving money is something every family could benefit from and the internet is a GREAT way to do that. There are countless blogs & websites that post money saving tips, daily freebie deals and some even post deals on the hour every hour. With social networking sights such as Facebook & Twitter, you can find out about tons of different ways to save your family money from your PC or your mobile device. Below are some of my favorite frugal sites. I check these sights regularly and also follow them on Twitter and Facebook to make sure I’m up to date on the latest ways to save my family money! In the past few weeks, I’ve received 4 free photo books, had 3 free meals & gotten tons of coupons for items such as detergent, cereal, shampoo & meals. I have saved at least $100 simply by logging onto the internet for a few minutes a day! Thanks to these wonderful ladies & gentlemen for providing fellow moms & dads with such great ways to save money!

Freebies for Mom

Heather at Freebies4mom.com can help everyone save money by spoiling you with the hottest freebies!

http://freebies4mom.com

http://facebook.com/Freebies4Mom

The Frugal Girls

The Frugal Girls is all about serious money savin’ fun as they put it! They feature stylish crafts, DIY projects, recipes, freebies, coupons, giveaways & more

http://www.TheFrugalGirls.com

http://www.facebook.com/thefrugalgirls

Passion for Savings

I love to post the best deals, and the best products. Anything to make life a little easier!

http://www.passionforsavings.com

Debras Dollars

Debras Dollars is a blog dedicated to help others save money. You will find Coupons Samples Reviews and Giveaways and More!

http://debrasdollars.blogspot.com/

Frugal Fabulous Finds

A NC Wife & Mom of 3, Helping you Spend Less, Make More & Live Wisely with deals, coupons, freebies, giveaways and personal finance tips!

http://www.FrugalFabulousFinds.com