Valentine Round up 2023

I love making handmade gifts for friends and family (and I hope they like receiving them too!). I think that there is nothing more special than a gift in which someone puts effort, time and thought into, especially when you can just click a few buttons and have a gift sent to someone that you never even physically saw or touched.  

Valentine's day is next week, so I thought I would round up a few patterns that can completed quickly (meaning this weekend!!) and yet are beautiful.  As a bonus, all of them are free (other than materials).

5 Freebies Friday

I spent yesterday feeling awful. I had some sort of 24 hour bug that gave me a tremendous headache, upset stomach and I was exhausted. Baby A was so concerned that she wouldn't leave my side as I laid on the couch. It really was cute how she would go and get her favorite toys and bring them to me and then she would sit on the floor beside the couch to play. It never ceases to amaze me just how much little ones understand and how compassionate and loving they innately are. Fortunately hubby was home and able to tend to me until the kids went to bed. I also want to say thank you to a good friend who went out of her way to bring soup, sandwiches and fruit over. (Hubby wants you to make the roast for the next church dinner, and I think he would have eaten all of the soup himself if I had let him!) I frequently thank God for leading us to our current church where we have made so many new good friends! This church feels so much like family.

I did manage to complete two more blocks for J's pillowghan. I am using a pattern called Waldo's Puzzle in two different shades of blue and a dark green. J picked out the colors. It is for our handmade Christmas. That puts me up to 4 blocks completed and 20 to go. After you get the center circles worked it goes really quickly, but the last circle is kind of tricky. I disassembled the final circle of 1 block about 7 times before I finally got it right. Hubby saw the completed blocks and now he wants one because it is "different" and "unique". That won't happen by Christmas. Besides, he got a snowflake afghan for Christmas last year.

I plan to complete another block today, finish up the crochet squirrel to go with a book as a gift, and hopefully design a headband pattern for the girls. I have it pictured, just have to work it up and write down the pattern. I have also added several items to my "to do" list. I get on Ravelry and Crochetville and find so many adorable things that I want to make! On Ravelry I am SunflowersatHome and on Crochetville I am mom-of-4.

If you hadn't noticed, I put a few items in my new Etsy shop. You can view it on the right. I don't know if completed items or patterns will sell better, or if either will even sell, but I hope to sell a few things. One of my items is the completed version of my mini ami pumpkin which is currently available as a free pattern here and is being considered for inclusion in the Pattern a Day 2011 calendar. If they accept it I will remove the pattern from the website. The other item is my hand sanitizer clippies. I have sold one locally this past week.

That brings me to this weeks freebies. Pickings are getting slim, I wonder if that is because we are getting closer to Christmas? Hope not!

Free Kashi Granola Bar This link takes you to a banner you have to click to then go to the site to get the freebie. Still, I love granola bars!

Build and Grow Clinic at Lowes tomorrow is a Frankenstring Magic string kit. Looks kind of neat so I may drag the kids out to this one. I know they would enjoy it! Just be sure to visit the site and register. Also, this is limited to the first 50 children per store. They will get the kit, a pair of goggles, and an apron.

Free KFC grilled chicken on Monday the 26th. No coupon necessary, just walk in and ask for it. You can read about it here I doubt I will do this one after the last freebie they had and then did not honor many of the coupons. Still, if you like the grilled chicken and are out for lunch anyway it might be worth stopping in.

Free $15 Gift Certificate code for Kodak Gallery I already got mine by email and plan to use it to create a photobook as a Christmas gift. The $15 won't cover shipping for items but you can still get a lot of stuff on the site for less than $15.

Finally, Picture People is offering a free sheet of Halloween wallet prints as well as a coupon for a free 8 X10 or 10X13 portrait and 20% off additional sheets purchased. They don't even charge a sitting fee!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Talk to you Monday.

Love,

Five Freebies Friday

Where has this past week gone?!? It feels like Tuesday but the calendar reads Friday. Not a lot got accomplished this week. I wrote up a new pattern. It is currently being tested. I think I am going to submit this one to the Crochet Pattern a Day Calendar. Here is a sneak peak of the finished product-

I modeled it after some fabric pumpkins that I had made last year from fabric. Have I mentioned yet that I LOVE Fall?

Baby A had two more molars pop through this week. Poor girl always seems to teeth two at a time. She did pretty well with it this time. Although she is going through the homemade teething biscuits a lot faster now that she has more teeth and has learned to really bite them! Fortunately they are not nearly as messy as the store bought biscuits were. My father-in-law is still trying to talk me into letting her teeth on chicken bones...ewww!

Made my first ever batch of jelly. It is called Appalachian Jelly and it actually set! Was going to make a batch of kiwi jelly when a friend gave me a bunch of kiwi. Didn't realize I would need 4 1/2 cups of mashed kiwi to make it though. Oh well, H will be taking kiwi for snack and baby A and I like it also.

J is running for student council at school. I am really proud of him for that because just a few years ago he never would have thought about participating in something like that. He has really come a long way and is starting to grow up on me.

K has a new old boyfriend. They started dating recently, but they had dated last year also. Sometimes I am glad they aren't really serious relationships, and others I pray that she finds the man that God has set aside for her. I am just not really ready for my babies to grow up yet!

So that is the update, and here are this weeks freebies. They are kind of a mishmash of items with no real theme to it this week. Hope you find one you can use!

DentaBurst disposable one time use toothbrush - traveling? Leave the good toothbrush at home!

Not up for brushing? How about some free Flix? Use these to pick those annoying bits of leftovers from your teeth.

Burt's Bees natural acne treatment. I love their chapsticks, hopefully this will be great also!

Bandages from Nexcare you get two that say "give" which is supposed to encourage others to give blood. Go figure!

Neru Patch is supposed to provide comfort for foot and leg pain. It is one of those put it on your foot at night and it will draw out toxins type of things. I am to cheap to pay for one, but free I will try!

Love,

Five Freebies Friday

Well, as much as I love Fall (and I truly, truly do!) it also means allergy season, and mine have kicked in something awful! The stuffy and runny nose at the same time, sinus pressure, watery eyes, all of it. Allergies are a relatively new thing for me as I didn't have them when I was younger. Must be one of those things that come with age. This is one that I would be happy to do without. However, in the big scheme of things it could be MUCH worse I am sure.

So, this is going to be a sort post. I have to go hunt down some tissues and try to catch my nose as it is trying to run away from me but it is to stopped up to breath well so I am sure it won't get to far while I list this weeks 5 freebies!

I love cereal, and this week you get two free samples. The first is Honey Nut Cheerios and it comes with a $1 coupon as well! The second is Total Blueberry Pomegranate. This one is on it's way to me, but if you get it first, let me know what I am in for.

Okay so what do you do while eating two bowls of cereal in the morning after you get the kids off to school? How about sitting down with a free book by L. Ron Hubbard? This site is offering Ride 'em Cowboy for free to US residents and it is a hard copy too!

Or do you still have a little one at home and are praying for him or her to start to use the big girl/boy potty? If so, you can order this Huggies Potty Tips Potty Training Kit. Boy do I look forward to those days!

Finally, we all need our energy, and often don't eat right in order to stay energized. Emergen-C is offering a fizzy vitamin C drink for free, or you can visit Walmart's site and get an Emergen-C multi-vitamin fizzy drink. Who needs to eat right when you can just drink right!?

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Freebie Friday

Just wanted to share a few freebies with you. Baby A is being really grumbly today as two of her back teeth are coming in. In addition we are trying to break her of her Nuk (pacifier) which means no nuk unless she is in bed going night-night. Boy is this going to be a fun day. On the bright side though I am going to a women's conference this evening. It is called Fresh Grounded Faith and the speaker is Jennifer Rothschild. I don't know much about her other than she was blinded at a young age and has used her experience to testify as to God's power in our lives. I look forward to going!

On a different note, a good friend of mine and her family really need your prayers. Her father-in-law is currently in the hospital due to having several heart attacks. He was in cardiac shock and is currently hooked up to life support. In addition he has contracted an infection while in the hospital that is attacking his organs. Please pray for the family and for healing, or a peaceful passing if that is God's will.

Now on to this weeks five freebies

Free sample of Curel Itch Defence, and who wont need this with the dry skin of winter coming on!

Free Chocolate coupon! These go fast, go to the site and enter your info for a coupon by mail giving you a free candy bar. You can get one every Friday up to four times. This is the last one for me, will have to start having them sent to my sister or something.

This Wednesday, September 16th, Arby's restaurants are offering a free sidekicker with any sandwich purchase. They have been offering a free item every Wednesday all summer long and have extended it through September. Be sure to ask at the restaurant though, because some may not be participating.

Do your kids like to color, or like trains? You can get a free Toby the Train coloring book from Norfolk Southern Corporation mailed to you.

And the last freebie today is... a Slim Fast 100 calorie snack bar! They only offer the peanut butter crunch flavor so if you can't do nuts, this one is NOT for you.

Hope everyone has a great weekend, and enjoys one or two of the freebies I posted. I am going to try to put baby A down for a nap and get some cleaning done!
Love,

Five Freebies Friday

It is the last day of the first week of Summer Academy for H and J. They seem to really be enjoying their classes. H is excited about some of the bead projects and comes home talking about Lewis and Clark and Sacajawea. J is loving having two pottery classes this year. He brought clay home last night to create a shark. He had to tell me all about how there could be no air bubbles in the clay or the piece will explode in the kiln and that there had to be a hollow in the center of the piece so that the moisture of the piece didn't cause it to explode either so there had to be a hole in the item so that as the air heats in the hollow part it can escape outside and not explode. It is great seeing things again through a child's eyes. I forgot about how much fun I had making necklaces out of macaroni or shapes out of clay.

I have also walked three days this week while they were in school. Not real strenuous walking, but exercise none the less. We are working up to the more difficult stuff. It is great being able to walk and talk with another adult again. I really missed the daily walks with my husband when he was out of work.

That brings us to this weeks freebies. I have been kind of lax about my posts recently, and I am trying to do better about getting them out on time. Hope that you enjoy some of these freebies!

Nourish hair products by Aveeno - I have never used this line, but you get to choose which of the shampoo/conditioner combos you would like to try

Pet Alert Window Cling - ADT is giving away a window cling so that you can let rescuers know about pets that need rescued should something happen, such as a fire

Quart of Glidden paint - You choose the color and they will mix it and send it to you in 3-4 weeks. I got a plain jane white to use for craft projects

Free Arby's sandwich - This Wednesday, if you purchase a soft drink you can get a regular beef and cheddar sandwich free, no coupon required. You can join their club to get more info and freebies

Sun Crystals - a new sugar substitute that is natural. Never tried it myself

Have a great weekend!
Love,

Five Freebies Friday

Hi all! I pray that everyone has had a wonderful week. It has been great here. Baby A has let me sleep in until 8:30 most mornings. I was able to spend some time crafting, updating the church website, and playing with the children. My husband has been home almost every evening before 5 pm this week which means we were able to spend some time together also.

I had intended to post a new craft this week. I want to put the directions in PDF format so that I can get used to it. It is my hope to eventually sell some of my patterns on ETSY and that seems to be the preferred format. I wrote the post, but when I started putting the PDF together I got sidetracked and never got it completed. Perhaps I can work on it this weekend and get it up for everyone next week. It will be a freebie. Here is a sneak peak:

I named him "Honey Heart". At our house he tends to hide, holding notes for the love of my life to find before he goes to work in the mornings. So far Honey has deliverd two messages. For one he was hanging from the knob of my bathroom cabinet by one arm and was holding the note in the other. Honey Heart will be a freebie pattern and is very easy to complete and works up fast also.

So, on to this weeks 5 freebies. Freebies have been rather slim lately. However, here is what I was able to dig up for you:

Free GeoTrax DVD- Fisher price has a new line of preschool toys called GeoTrax, a train track building toy. Some of the kits come with a free DVD. But if you click the link you can visit a site and watch the videos online or you can order the DVD for free (including free shipping).

Free NicWax or SkitoStop - Okay, at first I wasn't sure about this one. You have to answer 4 questions correctly in order to recieve one of these offers. (Either a leather waterproofing wax or an after sun insect repellant) You can try as many times as you want until you get all the answers correct. Oh, and you have to register with them. Seems like a lot of work for a freebie, but if you want it - you can have it.

Family Records Organizer - This one is from T. Rowe Price and is a CD that allows you to organize and store your family records either on your computer, or you can print them out. The website says it is useful for esate planning.

Sundiwear Stickers - These are not your normal stickers! Put one on your child when you apply sunscreen and send them outside. When the sticker turns red it tells them and you that it is time to reapply sunscreen. I thought this was great and ordered a set for us and if it works like they say I may actually buy some!

Lowe's build and grow clinic - show up or click the link to register online and your child can build (for FREE) a putting green for dad for Father's Day. (Next month they build a pirate ship!) I haven't taken my children to the Lowe's workshops, but they love the workshops at Home Depot!

So that is this weeks 5 freebies. Just in time for me to throw on some clothes and get the kids out the door to a dentist appointment. I love that I was able to schedule 3 of them on the same day, but that makes for a long time to entertain baby A in a doctors office! This will be interesting. Have a great weekend!

Five Freebies Friday

The end is near!!! Or at least it is near for a little while. Today is the last day of school for the kids, and hopefully the beginning of a relaxing summer, at least for a week. I just have to get through J's Upwards Soccer award ceremony tonight and the girls Girl Scout bridging/Court of Awards picnic on Sunday afternoon. After that I have 1 week with absolutely nothing to do. After that it all starts again. J begins middle school soccer practice for a week. After that H and J will be attending Summer Academy where they will be learning about Native Americans for two weeks. Then we have a month off until soccer practice begins again.

Please, someone remind me next year as school is coming to a close to go ahead and schedule an appointment with the pediatrician for athletic physicals! Last night I stood in line with the 4 kids for two hours to get J a physical so that he could participate in soccer practice week after next. It was nuts! The physical therapy center was offering physicals for $5 (can't beat the price!) but only for 1 1/2 hours and only for the first 400 students. I thought I was being smart to get there 20 minutes early, but apparently 300 other people thought ahead enough to get there early also. Still, we got the physical done and he is ready to play.

I also finished teacher gifts early this morning. (I know, I know, but that is the procrastinator in me coming out!) J's teacher is getting a jar mix for "Sweetie Bars in a Jar" with a label that says "Mrs. M_____ is a Sweetie" with graphics on it similiar to the one for the popcorn wrapper I posted yesterday, a popcorn box with popcorn and Blockbuster gift certificate, a flower pot pen, a birdhouse, and a framed print out of "The Creation of Teachers" all in a basket. Needless to say she has been a phenomenal teacher as I have never given a teacher this much stuff. She is only the second teacher that didn't prejudge J based upon his ADHD and that really saw him for what he is. She connected with him and he went from hating school to not being able to wait to get out the door and go. I truly believe that she was a gift from God for him and me this past year and that He placed her in his life to allow him to see that he truly is all the things his mommy and daddy keep telling him he is. His confidence has improved, he made several new friends this year, and he actually tutored other students in class. The change in him has been very positive and I give her the credit for it.

Anyway, now that I may get a little free time on my hands, I have a few pattern ideas floating around in my head so be on the lookout for new patterns this summer. Now that I have all of the rambling out of the way, on to this weeks 5 freebies. Let me begin by apologizing to those of you who live outside the U.S. Unfortunately I tend to search for freebies that will benefit my family which means that most of the offers that I post are only available to US residents. I didn't realize this until it was brought to my attention. Again, I apologize.

R.E.I. is offering children "binoculars that turn into other cool tools including a compass, signal mirror, magnifying glass and more" for participating in their passport to adventure program. Totally free and a great ay to inspire the family to get outside!

Burt's Bees is again giving away 1,000 lip balms today before noon. As of this posting the give away has not yet begun so you may still get lucky!

I admit, I'm not real big on car bumper stickers. That being said, I like this one that says, "Changing more than diapers!". Get yours here.

Today is national doughnut day. To celebrate, Krispy Kreme is giving away 1 free doughnut to everyone who walks in the door, no additional purchase necessary!

Starting June 9th, Seventeen magazine is giving away pairs of Havainas flip flops. Just enter the code "flipflops". They are only giving away 3,000 of them so get there early!

Also, check with your local national park as they are offering many free admission weekends this summer. That's it for today! Have a great weekend!

Five freebies Friday

Friday is here again. I really don't know where this past week has slipped away to! Monday we spent the day together as a family and were fortunate enough to spend part of the day doing nothing but spend time with each other. That was wonderful! Tuesday K had her big performance with choir. Remember the green paisley 60's dress I had to make? I finished it on Monday so she could wear it Tuesday. She seemed to really like it but boy does she look grown up in it. And from the audience you couldn't even tell it was paisley! Wednesday I was able to sit down and work on the church website that was just turned over to me. You can check it out at www.word-of-light.com I think that the gentleman who created it did a great job on the design so I kept that the same and just did some updating. Then there was a wonderful Wednesday night prayer and praise session. I think my pastor has coined a new phrase for his mini lessons on Wednesday: pipe tobacco sermons. Wait! Let me explain!! They are short. They are sweet, and you can put them in you pipe and smoke 'em! I thought that was too funny! Thursday was catch up laundry day since I haven't done a load all week! Today is J's 5th grade graduation ceremony. On top of that, there is only 1 week of school left for the kids. I have no idea how I am going to keep them entertained this summer!

While it has been a busy week, it has definately felt like a blessed one. I loved being able to fellowship with other church members, it was great to get the church site updated and relevant to what we are doing now, and it was wonderful watching K on stage having a great time singing and dancing. Hope your week has been blessed as well!

On to the freebies:

If you get to this one early enough you get a free Burt's Bees lip balm. It is supposed to be phenomenal lip balm. I haven't been able to bring myself to buy it due to its price. I'll take the 99 cents stuff thank you. But for free, I might give it a go. They are only giving away 1,000 per day between 9 am and noon EDT

This one is being advertised as a "leatherneck" tool kit from Marine Corp Association. It looks like a keychain screwdriver with different heads stored inside.

This one would have been nice this past winter when my windshield stayed dirty due to weather. Still, free is free. NAPA is giving away a free gallon of windshield wiper fluid. Just fill in the info and print your coupon.

Next is an offer for a free Bobblehead doll. You get to choose one of many, but there aren't any pics when you are choosing so you may want to look around the site first. They offer a mini Jesus, Pope, Snoopy or magnetic cat, parrot, shark, or lizard and of course a surfer dude bobble.

And our last freebie this Friday is my attempt to find something new for the kids to listen to on the ever present MP3 players. Free kids music downloads Now I have to admit, they seem to be more for toddlers/preschoolers and my older children probably won't think the songs are cool. But I can't wait to be singing duets with Baby A with songs like: 5 Little Monkeys and The Wheels on the Bus. Maybe this site will give us some new material!

That's it for this weeks five freebies Friday. I know I didn't get to a Wecipe Wednesday this week, but to be honest, I haven't had to cook but two meals in the last two weeks so I wasn't feeling much inspired, although it has been great not cooking. Boy will it be strange to get in the kitchen next week! Have a great weekend!

Five Freebies Friday

It's Friday again, and I am really behind on just about everything. The girls and I have a Girl Scout bridging and Adult Recognition ceremony to attend this evening. Both of the girls ar moving up a level and I have to present two awards to some very deserving leaders within the county. Busy, busy, busy.

Still, I didn't want to leave out those of you who are following the site. That and I LOVE getting mail, especially when I send off for freebies. Going to the mailbox becomes an adventure. I feel like it is Christmas or my birthday everytime I get a package because I tend to forget what I had ordered. So I had to search for some new goodies, and I had to share them with you too. Admit it, you like opening the mailbox and finding those little packages there also. Hope you enjoy finding these when they arrive in your mailbox also!

Free Mars candy bar if you get there on time cuz this one is going to go fast! This one is only available to a limited number of people, so if you want your free chocolate you had better get there quick!

This one is good for a free All-Bran Promise Pack that includes a strawberry medley cereal sample, a strawberry fiber bar, and a rasberry fiber drink mix.

Next is Healthifeet foot cream. The site claims it warms cold feet, moisturizes, and soothes. The free sample includes a $2 off coupon.

If you are like me, you can't get moving in the morning without that cup of coffee. Taster's Choice wants that cup of coffee to be one of theirs. They will send you a stick sample packet of 6 flavors for filling out their form. Just be sure to click the Try It Now to sign up on their site.

This weeks final freebie is.... free stuff for the kids for grades. My little darlings recently brought mid-terms home. That sent me on a search to see what I could get them for free. Chuck E. Cheese will give free tokens, Pizza Hut is reported to give a free personal pan pizza and drink to students with 3 A's on their report card (I would call ahead and check before taking my child though), Krispy Kreme doughnuts will give one free doughnut for every A on the report card, and a free movie at Blockbuster from the kids or family section for an A. So you can get your kid a bite to eat at Pizza Hut, take them to Krispy Kreme for dessert, go to Chuck E. Cheese for a game or two while mom and dad relax with a drink (have to make a purchase to get the tokens) and then go home and watch a movie. Seems like a pretty good reward for their hard work.

Have a great weekend and I talk to you Monday!

Five Friday Freebie

Hello again! I hope that you had a wonderful week! Here it has been rainy all week long. As I write this I am looking out the window to a downpour, and on the t.v. are flood warnings. But if you look through the rain and across the street the woods are greening up with the most beautiful shades of green and the tree in my front yard is a gorgeous deep purple color. I love spring. After months of everything appearing dead, the new life seems to revitalize me. I have spent the last several weeks planting. Violets, begonias, sunflowers, bleeding hearts, wildflowers, cucumber, sweet pea, brocolli, brussel sprouts, strawberries. I do so good this time of year with tending to all of it. I weed, and fertilize and water when needed. It's when it gets hot and they really need the care that I tend to forget about them and my husband takes over for me. Isn't it wonderful how God seems to pair people up to balance their shortcomings? It's such a minor thing, but without it all of my spring work would wither away and die in the heat of summer.

This is day 5 of my new, healthier life and I haven't fallen off the wagon yet. I found a group on Sparkpeople, the Christian Stay at Home Mom (CSAHM) group, and I have been posting devotions on their site every day. They seem to be a great group of women and I enjoy spending time there. I don't know about weight loss yet as I try to weigh once a week only, so that I don't get obsessed about it. I know I have found muscles I forgot that I had! Boy are they protesting right now, but it will be worth it.

Okay, enough about me, let's get on to the goodies. Here are this weeks 5 freebies!
First off, a sample of John Freida Illuminating Brunette shampoo and conditioner. Takes 6-8 weeks to get to you, but hopefully it's worth it for us brunettes! Sorry blondes, sometimes the brunettes have more fun.

This next one is being offered by the Associated Bible Students of Central Ohio, a book entitled "How to Study the Bible". There are also several videos available on this site for free download that have to do with the Bible, can't say I have seen any of them so I can't comment on them, but if you watch one, please leave a comment and tell the rest of us about it.

Thinking ahead . . . WAY ahead - you can order your 2009 Christmas Seals today by clicking here and then scrolling down the page to "request your 2009 Christmas Seals"

Have pets? Rileycare.com is offering a free "Pets inside" sticker for signing up for the Riley's Tips quarterly newsletter. What a great way to alert emergency workers to be on the lookout for your four legged friends!

Last but not least, one for mom. Are you taking mom out for dinner on Mother's Day? (You DID remember that Mother's Day is THIS Sunday didn't you?) If you are taking her to T.G.I.Friday's then here is a freebie for you. If you buy an entree on Mother's Day, mom gets a free dessert, either a spiced up cupcake or a brownie obsession. In addition, if you sign up for their Give me More Stripes card that day you will get a coupon for a buy one get one free entree meal. Take mom out AND get free stuff for her and yourself. Gotta love that. If you use this one, I suggest you go early as I am sure the place will be crowded!

So that is it for this edition of Five Freebie Friday. I gotta go practice. My daughter K has volunteered to sing a song in church this Sunday. It's one we sang together a few years ago for Mother's Day called "Never Alone" by Jim Brickman. She wants me to sing it with her again! Haven't decided what I am going to do about that, but better practice just in case! Have a great weekend and don't forget to wish your mom a Happy Mother's Day!

freebie Friday on Wednesday

I know, it's not Friday, but you can only get this one TODAY before midnight. What is it? A free coupon for dinner (or lunch if you prefer) at KFC! For going by and taking the time to click and print you get 2 pieces of grilled chicken, two sides and a biscuit. AND you can print the coupon up to 4 times! So that is 4 free meals. Gotta use them before the 19th and can't use them on Mother's Day. So just click here to grab your coupon. Happy hump day!

Five Freebies Friday

I want to begin by apologizing for neglecting the blog yet again. Last Friday my husbands great uncle, who we were both very close to, passed away after a courageous fight with throat cancer followed by a stroke. He was 78 years old. I am happy to say that he decided to accept Christ as his Saviour a few months ago so I know that I will see him again and that he is now in a much better place. However, his funeral was Monday and as a result I did not create the scripture card and to be honest, I didn't feel like posting a recipe on Wednesday either. But life does go on for those of us still on planet earth. So that being said, here is this weeks list of five freebies.

First is a new site that I found that is offering four freebies: light mayo, caress body wash, a sample of Pond's creme, and new body sprays by degree.
www.vivemejor.com/justforyou.aspx?NavID=22&culturecode=en-us

Free Hallmark Mother's Day card! They will even mail it for you for free and promise it will arrive before Mother's Day if you order it today! The catch, you have to create an account with them to use the promo code. Once you do, create your 5X7 folded card and when you check out enter CARD4MOM in the promo code section. If you have more than 1 junk email account use each account to create a new Hallmark account and use the promo code more than once to mail a card to your mom and your MIL!
www.hallmark.com

Free on the go cleaner from BabyGanics, just scroll down to the "click for more details" and then click for more details (duhh) and enter your info, remember fake phone # please!

This one is neat, and kind of a mystery freebie. Foma Publishing is offering samples of their free plantable cards. Basically recycled paper infused with seeds. They say that the paper may contain anything from wildflowers to vegetables. You will need to do a little extra work for this one. You have to input your mailing address, and then confirm your interest by clicking a link in an email they send you. Is it worth it? Dunno, will have to wait until I get mine. If this sounds neat to you, let me know by leaving a comment and I will do a tutorial on how to create your own plantable paper. A friend and I made up several batches as wedding favors.

And finally, Friday's fifth freebie: a coffee mug courtesy of a new horror film, Tom's Friend . The mug isn't all scary or horrory (is that a word?). Its just a plain jane mug with the words Tom's Friend on it. Could be a neat gift if your name is Tom! I'm not signing up for this once since my house tends to bred coffee mugs. I like my two travel cups and my big green coffee mug.

That's it for this Friday. I came across several older books on beading and such. I am considering using them as a giveaway, but I really don't think that I have the following for that yet. If you want a giveaway, show me that you are out there and leave a comment or two. Talk to you Monday!

Freebie Friday

Good morning to my small group of followers. I hope that each of you had a wonderful week and that you will have an even better weekend. The weather here in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia is starting to dry up and warm up. It is supposed to be in the 80's this weekend! Of course it will be hot instead of comfortable because I am taking H Girl Scout camping Saturday night! Still, no rain and that is definately a blessing. My first memory of Girl Scout camping was a week long camp in which girls set up their own tents and did their own cooking. It rained the entire week! Have you ever tried to build a campfire using damp wood in the pouring rain? Let me tell you it isn't easy, but it was a lot of fun. I don't remember if my mom (who was my leader) thought so at the time, but I do remember learning a LOT of rain songs that week. H won't be tent camping, we will be staying in the lodge at camp, and someone else is doing the cooking. If you ask me, it really isn't camping but it will be her first time staying overnight at camp so she is excited. It is a short camping excursion, 2 pm on Saturday to 9 am on Sunday. I will have just enough time to get to Sunday School. That is a good thing because I invited an AWANA missionary to come and talk to the church about starting a program. I really feel led to work with the children and to get something started for them on Wednesday night. I am hoping that we will get the volunteers we need to start AWANA in the fall, but if not I will find another program. I am looking into a few.
Monday I will be sharing a story from one of my followers that pertains to Monday's Scripture Card. She shared with me a verse that really was a blessing to her and I will be using it as the inspiration for the card and sharing her story with you. It really illustrates the peace and comfort that God can provide us.
So on to today's freebies

In honor of Earth Day, how about a sample of organic laundry detergent? The company claims it is all natural, environment friendly, and gets out tough stains.
http://www.burgiesorganics.com/RequestSample.aspx

The next freebie is kind of neat. It offers children's audio stories that you can download and burn to disk or sync with an mp3 player. That means less paper to print books, but no cute pictures either
http://storynory.com/

Huggies is offering a free sample of their Pure and Natural diapers in size newborn or size 1
http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid69678.aspx

This next one requires you to join to access the freebie, but it is worth it! Join http://www.cross-stitch-board.com/ and you will have access to beautiful complete patterns free of charge.

Finally, Mother's Day is next month, and what better gift that pictures! http://www.artscow.com/ is currently offering 400 free prints to new members. (I thought that was a lot of pictures until I realized how many pics I have floating around in my computer!)

Hope you have a great weekend!

Freebie Friday

The children have been on Spring break this past week, which has made things a little hectic around here. That is why there was no Monday or Wednesday post. Today is the first time I have been on the computer this week! I have, however, written up a pattern for a cat toy for K to make as part of her Girl Scout Silver award that I will be sharing next week. I have also completed two hats for Christmas presents and will post pics next week as well as a link to the pattern for anyone interested. I plan to have a new Scripture Card for you on Monday and recipe for Wednesday. I am also working on a pattern for a dog toy as well that I will share when it is completed.
So that is the update, and here are the freebies!

Free sample of Airborne
http://airbornehealth.com/promotions_original.php

Earth Day at Disney Stores
If you bring in 3 plastic bottles to any Disney store they will exchange them for a free gift on April 22 (Earth Day)! For more information visit
http://disneyshopping.go.com/disney/store/Category_10002_10051_59503_-1_59503_____Disney-Store

This one is really cool! A paint that transforms any surface into a dry erase board! For a free sample visit
http://www.ideapaint.com/get-a-sample.aspx

If you have a little girl, Mattel is again trying to get her attention with a new line of Princess toys, Precious Places. To kick it off they are offering a free 12 minute DVD featuring the new Princess. To get your copy just visit
http://www.fisher-price.com/pages/v6/default/preciousplaces/landing.asp

and finally, 2 free Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. You will need to confirm your email address and signing up for the freebie automatically signs you up for a newsletter so this is definately one of those times you will want to use your alternate email. Sign up by visiting
http://www.cleanupthatfilthyhouse.com/aprom_01.php

Be on the lookout for some Earth Day crafts and ideas next week as well! Have a great Friday!

Freebie Friday

Another edition of Freebie Friday. So for today's freebie links, here you go!

A free sample of Rachel Ray's new dog food Nutrish can be found by clicking the below link. The good thing about this brand is that all of the proceeds go to organizations that help animals in need. Good food and good feelings, how can you beat that?
http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid69432.aspx

Grab the next one as it will go quickly! Free sample of Huggies new diapers Pure and Natural, only available in sizes newborn, 1 and 2
http://www.huggiespureandnatural.com/FreeSample.aspx

Free full size sample of Pantene's Nature Fusion while supplies last
http://www.harpersbazaar.com/sweepstakes/6741

Looking for some last minute Easter ideas - crafts, egg decorating ideas, recipes? Here is the link to a free e-book full of them
http://www.favecrafts.com/downloads/EasterCraftEbook.pdf

If you have kids, you know you can get them to eat ANYTHING if you put ketchup on it! We go through LOTs of ketchup at my house. How about a coupon by mail for a free bottle of ketchup along with lots of other coupons? If you are interested then click below
http://www.simpleanddelicious.com/special-offers/walmart-coupon-booklet.jsp

That's it for today! Hope that you have a great weekend!

Freebie Friday

It's Friday again! I don't really know where this week went. Seems like it just flew by and somehow I missed most of it. So here we are ready for another list of freebies to scoop up. I just wanted to tell everyone that I received my free sippy cup for baby A from Juicy Juice that I listed as a freebie last week and was pleasantly surprised. It is a spill proof cup with a screw on lid and it looks like the one pictured on their site. Baby A seems pleased with it as well, even though it is her first cup without handles. If you didn't scoop that one up yet, it is still available as of the writing of this post. Onto the freebies:


Free Letter Opener - now I know that the price of snail mail is going up and most of us are paying bills electronically so that means fewer letters to open. However, a letter opener is also good for cutting wrapping paper and is a relatively safe cutting instrument for children to use. Anyway, here is the link
http://mailfinity.net/letter-opener.html


Allergy season is upon us. To reward you, how about a free sample of Zyrtec
http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid68226.aspx


Summer is almost here. Time to start working on that healthy looking glow. For those of you like me, not enough time to tan or concerned about tanning risks, try some of the gradual self tanning lotions out there. I used one last year and the results weren't to bad once I got the hang of it. Here is a link for a free sample
http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid67378.aspx


Free ticket to see the Ringling Bros. Circus for your baby. I have gotten one of these for each of my children. There is no expiration date so the child can use it once at any time in their life.
http://www.ringling.com/TextContent.aspx?id=11738&parentID=348&assetFolderID=352


Spring is finally here and with it is planting time. I just put broccolli (I know I can't spell, deal with it!) in the ground and planted some flower bulbs and violets. While I don't have a big garden, I have planted seeds before and when they started to come up I had my very own surprise garden because I had forgotten what I had planted where. Well, apparently I am not the only one who does that and there must be people out there who don't like that element of surprise because a company has come up with a solution...agrimarks. They are offering free samples of this plant marker that allows you to insert the empty seed packet into it and then use it to mark you planting. You can check it out and get the sample here
http://agrimarks.com/sample.html


Well, that is it for today. Hope you found something that interests you and saves you a few coins. I am off to shop for the Girl Scout meeting tonight. The girls are planting in homemade recycled containers. Have a great day!

Freebie Friday

Well, since I now stay at home ALL of the time again, and I haven't had time to do any designing since we have decided to do a handmade Christmas, and I have charity commitments, and I have to make 16 angels for a swap, and Ayden is teething, and .. and ... and ... excuse ... excuse ... excuse ... I am going to start a Freebie Friday post. I don't want to neglect my blog, and I already take a few moments to look for freebies that I might want. Why not share them with you? After all, I am sure that your time is valuable and free is ALWAYS good for just about anyone.

Before I begin let me give you a few of my freebie findings. First, create a new email address to use with all you freebie sign ups. Trust me on this. If you don't you will end up with TONS of junk email clogging up your email inbox. I created one at yahoo, but you can use any free email account. Second, I NEVER give out my phone number on any of the freebie stuff. I don't want to be on any calling lists. To avoid this on the freebies that require a phone number, I give an old number or I make one up. Unethical? Perhaps, but I don't ask for phone calls just because I want something for free. Finally, I never ever do trial offers. I learned long ago that they are set up for people like me. People that sign up with every intention of canceling but we forget and the next thing we know we have been billed the $9.95 monthly fee. Ooops!

So, that being said, here are this weeks freebies:

Set of 3 bracelets to spread the word about teen dating abuse
http://www.dosomething.org/node/add/1in3-abuse

This organization is all about free! Find your local group and you can give away stuff you no longer want and get stuff you need for free!
http://www.freecycle.org/

Fit for Kids DVD from the Dept of Health
http://gold.ahrq.gov/eorders/order_page4907.cfm

Join the Juicy Juice community and get a free sippy cup
http://www.juicyjuice.com/Login/Register.aspx

For scrapbookers and quilters...free stencil plastic
http://www.stencilease.com/free-sample.asp


That's it for today! Enjoy!