14th Penny Pinching Party

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas. I had a great Christmas and enjoyed watching my 2 year old really experience Christmas for the first time (Last year he was too young to fully appreciate the experience). I am so glad that I got my 2 older kids gameboys for Christmas, because my son just had a tonsillectomy 4 days after Christmas. The gameboy has turned out to be a wonderful distraction from the pain. I wasn't the only parent that thought Christmas vacation would be a good time to schedule a tonsillectomy as they were very busy and the kids where coming in and out in assembly line fashion. Poor kids. What a way to spend Christmas vacation and welcome in the new year. Is there ever a good time for a tonsillectomy though???

If you are spending more time with your family this week like me, don't worry about linking up, we'll catch up with you next week. I have barely been in the blog world for the last week or so and am enjoying the time with my family. Have a Happy New Year!

Here are some of my favorite Penny Pinching favorites from last week:

(If I haven't been featuring your links, check to see if you are posting a link back to my party from your post.)

Check out this wardrobe makeover by Domestically Speaking. I am stunned at the difference and LOVE the finished piece. This is probably one of my favorite makeovers yet!

Sit Relax and Read linked up these cute winter wonderland cupcakes, but what I love most is that she let her daughter make them. I am trying to learn the patience it takes to let my daughter help me cook.

Isn't this personalized hand sanitizer by Little Lizard King the cutest! I love gifts that don't add to the clutter, but are useful and cute.

14th Penny Pinching Party!

Rules:

*Add the permalink to the specific blog post, not your general blog address.

*Link back to the party from your post so everyone can join in the fun!

If you have my Penny Pinching Party button on your blog, I may feature you when I highlight my favorite Penny Pinching ideas next week.

*You have until Sunday to get your link up.

13th Penny Pinching Party

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday break. I really enjoyed looking at all of the links from the last Penny Pinching Party and am happy to share some of my favorites with you.

treasures for tots shows us how to make these cute hair clips.

Child-made an idea place has a great detailed tutorial on how to make this mini light bulb mouse and elf.

Little Lizard King shows us how to make these alphabet photo name frames for pennies.

I was just looking at my worn out mouse pad this week and thinking that I should put some cute fabric over it. Well, while I was only thinking about this, Fun to Craft actually did it. I love the polka-dot fabric she used.

I love everything that Junk Blossoms does and I am in love with this cute vanity set.

Thrifty Little Blog broke down the cost of her Christmas tree for us.

I love these advent blocks that Just Devine Style made.

I also love this recipe holder she made from items she found at the dollar store.

RedHeads Craft More Fun took these boring candles and made them gorgeous with epsom salt. I would have never guessed she used epsom salt.

Look what Trash to Treasure Decorating did with an old lamp.

I love Tidy Mom's Homemade Sugar Scrubs!

AngieB. at Ballard Boys got her dream kitchen for $10,000 and a lot of patience. I agree with her about being frugal and patient. Being thrifty really does take patience and it paid off for her.

13th Penny Pinching Party!

Rules:

*Add the permalink to the specific blog post, not your general blog address.

*Link back to the party from your post so everyone can join in the fun!

If you have my Penny Pinching Party button on your blog, I may feature you when I highlight my favorite Penny Pinching ideas next week.

*You have until Sunday to get your link up.

*I will not be posting my FREE Friday this week and wish you all a Merry Christmas!

FREE FRIDAY DEALS * December 18th, 2009

It is hard for me to believe that Christmas is only 1 week away. I did all of my shopping weeks ago and have not been in crowded stores looking for gifts this year. It seems like there is more "stuff" than ever these days and my email inbox keeps filling up with all sorts of deals from stores trying to get my last minute business. Stores are offering all sorts of discounts and free shipping right now, but I don't fall for it. I know that there will still be sales and discounts after Christmas and I really don't need anything. Sure there are great deals out there, but if you don't need what you are buying is it really a great deal.?

When I think about it, I really haven't spent very much money this year. I have been selling old toys and things around my house on ebay and craigslist and have done pretty well. I got some great Black Friday deals and am making some of my gifts. I didn't spend anything on decorations since I already have a fake tree and decorations. Now as long as my dear husband listens to me and doesn't buy me anything expensive, I will have a pretty inexpensive and enjoyable Christmas.

One thing I have been working on lately is pictures. What grandparent doesn't love to get pictures for Christmas??? I recently started a Shutterfly account and free web page. I am actually really enjoying Shutterfly. From my free private web page, family and friends can go and view all of my photos, albums, and even order pictures.

Right now you can add a $15 credit to your Shutterfly account. Here is how to do it:

Login or create a Shutterfly account, click on "My Account" and scroll down all the way to "Special Offers." Click on "Enter Special Offer Code" and enter the following code: FIFTEENOFF

*I have not been contacted or paid by Shutterfly to endorse them.

That is all I am posting for FREE Friday this week because I feel that there is just too much STUFF this time of year. I will not be posting a FREE Friday next week and wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

12th Penny Pinching Party

A Review of Last Weeks

Penny Pinching Party

I thought that Tidy Mom had stolen this picture from a stock photo site because it looks so professional and beautiful. Can you believe she created this beautiful arrangement from items she found at the Dollar Store???

Sew Can Do made this adorable fleece jumper after seeing an expensive version at the store. She made her's for a lot less and improved the design making her version reversible. I am amazed that she has the time to sew with a newborn, but she has tons of cute projects on her blog.

I am so glad that Fun to Craft linked up to my party last week, because I LOVE her project. She recovered her ironing board in cute fabric. My ugly ironing board hangs on the back of the door on display and could really use a makeover like this.

Junk Blossoms found this great trunk at a yard sale for $2 and turned it into a coffee table.

I love AngieB from Ballard Boys because she is always so practical. She bought Christmas fabric on clearance after Christmas last year and sewed bags to put her Christmas presents in. She even washed the bags in lavender-scented detergent. Who wouldn't want to get a gift in one of these?

Treasures for Tots made this felt tortelloni pasta and tin. She used a maxwell house tin and spent 35 cents on felt. It looks like she spent a ton of money and they look good enough to eat.

She has a great step by step tutorial on her blog.

Check out these pedestal picture frames by RedHeads Craft More Fun.

I cannot rave enough about these chore jars by Just Devine Style. She puts $10 in quarters in her kid's jars for the month. If they don't do a chore she takes a quarter out. I loved this idea so much that I had my kids make their own chore jars last night. So far they are working great. I have been trying to get my son to leave his sister alone and stop calling her names and saying mean things to her. Now when he does I will take a quarter out of his jar. Last night he even did the dishes! I really hope this works because I have tried everything else.

One of my new favorite blogs is thrifty little blog by Kasey. She has some great ideas and I love her post about Finding Deals at the Dollar Store (Holiday Edition). She helps us navigate our way around the dollar store so that we can go home with great buys rather than big mistakes. I loved this post because I found it to be so true about dollar stores. You can really overspend on some items and score big on others.

12th Penny Pinching Party!

Rules:

*Add the permalink to the specific blog post, not your general blog address.

*Link back to the party from your post so everyone can join in the fun!

If you have my Penny Pinching Party button on your blog, I may feature you when I highlight my favorite Penny Pinching ideas next week.

*You have until Sunday to get your link up.

Christmas Spirit

FREE FRIDAY DEALS * December 11th, 2009

FREE Subscription to Weight Watchers

Click HERE

FREE Samples and Music Download at Walmart

Click HERE

25 Days of FREE at Amazon

A new free holiday song every day through Christmas

Click HERE

FREE download iTunes Holiday Sampler

Click HERE

Song List:
O Come All Ye Faithful - Amy Grant
The First Noel - David Archuleta
Silent Night - Sarah McLachlan
Carol of the Bells/Jingle Bells - Barry Manilow
It Snowed - Meaghan Smith
Above the Northern Lights - Manheim Steamroller
Baby It's Cold Outside - Lady Antebellum
We Three Kings - Toby Keith
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Rascal Flatts
Silent Night - Wynonna
12 Days of Christmas - Mexicani Marimba Band
We Wish You a Merry Christmas - Weezer
A Snowflake Fell (and It Felt Like a Kiss) - Glasvegas
Another Christmas Song - Stephen Colbert
Greensleeves - Vince Guaraldi
Dream a Dream - Charlotte Church
The Nutcracker, Op. 71, Act 2: Character Dances - Kirov Orchestra & Valery Gergiev
Angels We Have Heard on High - Aretha Franklin
O Holy Night - Musiq Soulchild
Auld Lang Syne - The Lonesome Travelers

FREE Sample of Mean Green Hand Soap

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FREE Sample Apple Bottoms Perfume

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11th Penny Pinching Party • Selling Old Toys

I haven't been posting much lately because I've been a little busy selling stuff on ebay and my local classifieds. Christmas time is a great time to get rid of your kids old toys to make room for the new ones. I just sold a Little Tikes kitchen set, using my local online classifieds, for more than I paid 10 years ago. I also sold my kids old gameboys.

Here is a tip: When buying games and electronics, SAVE THE BOXES and manuals. I paid $79 for a pikachu gameboy advance SP 3 years ago. I saved the box and it just went for $125 on ebay. My son played with it for 3 years! Had I not saved the box it would have gone for $60 (That's what other pikachu gameboys were selling for). It did help that it was a limited edition pikachu, but anything with a box sells for more. This week I am going to sell some old games that I still have the original boxes for.

BTW my kids want gameboy DS lites for Christmas, which would be too much for our budget if I hadn't sold their old gameboys and scored some DS lites on black friday for $98. With the pikachu gameboy selling for $125 and our other one selling for $55 (didn't have the box because I bought it used), I ended up only paying $20 for 2 gameboy DS lites (They are normally $130 each). When my kids open their new gameboys on Christmas day, I will be taking the boxes and saving them.

Here are some other great Penny Pinching ideas that were posted last week:

I love everything that Kasey from thrifty little blog posts. She has some great ideas for gifts under $15. Who wouldn't love a terrarium or a recycled Christmas ornament.

I have seen a lot of things made from old frames, but this is the first time I have ever seen a Pet Food Tray. Junk Blossoms shared this inventive project with us.

Kim from NewlyWoodwards shows us how to create a really cute inexpensive advent calendar. I love advent calendars and have several around my home.

Jane from Finding Fabulous made this great decoration out of an old bottle and rope. I love how natural and expensive it looks.

Vickie shows us how to dry apples in your oven.

11th Penny Pinching Party!

Rules:

*Add the permalink to the specific blog post, not your general blog address.

*Link back to the party from your post so everyone can join in the fun!

If you have my Penny Pinching Party button on your blog, I may feature you when I highlight my favorite Penny Pinching ideas in a future post.

*You have until Sunday to get your link up.

FREE FRIDAY DEALS * December 4th, 2009

50 FREE Custom Photo Cards from SeeHere are Still Available

1. Log-in or Create an account with SeeHere

2. Create your photo card and add 50 cards to your cart

3. Check out using code newbaby (case sensitive)

You will pay around $3 for shipping.

I have been getting reports that these are really great quality and they are shipped fast. I finally just ordered some even though I usually don't do photo cards.

Free Aveno Tote Bag ($8 value)

Click HERE

WalMart's FREE Samples and FREE Music

Click HERE

25 Days of FREE at Amazon

A new free holiday song every day through Christmas

Click HERE

FREE Personalized Video Message from Santa

Click HERE

FREE Photo with Santa at WalMart

Sat. & Sun. Dec 5 & 6

10am-2pm

Click HERE

FREE Christmas 1GB USB flash drive

Click HERE

Michael's FREE Craft Saturday, December 5

10am-1pm

Click HERE for details

FREE Home Depot Workshops in December

These classes are free and coupons are usually given for money off purchases on the day of the workshop.

Kid's Workshop - Build a Wagon - Saturday, December 5th, 9 a.m. until Noon
Paint Workshop - Saturdays at 10 a.m.
Tile - Saturdays at 11 a.m.
Moulding - Saturdays at 1 p.m.
Installing a Programmable Thermostat - Sundays at 1 p.m.
Installing Window Treatments - Sundays at 2 p.m.

Click HERE to learn more