MarloElaine » Family

Helping Others Without Spending Money

Elaine — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:41:52 +0000

Since I do not work outside the home right now, I try to save money wherever and whenever I can. I carefully study the grocery sale papers every week and clip or print coupons. I closely monitor how my children and I spend my family’s money.

As much as possible, I try to do my part to help others while still maintaining our finances. The biggest way I do this is by sharing my children’s clothing with family, friends, freecycle, and the Salvation Army. We appreciate receiving hand-me-downs, so we always continue the cycle.

Another thing I do is donate my unused and/or expired coupons to the military families stationed overseas. I clip ALL the coupons from my Sunday newspaper, even the pet food ones and others I know I won’t use. Sometimes I’ll even ask my friends and family for their coupons when they are done with them. Then once a month, I mail all the coupons to a military base in Japan that I adopted through the Overseas Coupon Program. Military families are allowed to use expired coupons up to six months past their expiration date. These families often have just one income, so these coupons can really make a difference. The postage to send the coupons overseas is the standard domestic rate since it goes to a US base, but an international customs form is required. This is an easy and inexpensive way to support our military.

“The Drugstore Game” is a method I learned from sites such as Money Saving Mom and Krazy Coupon Lady. Money Saving Mom wrote “In a nutshell, the Drugstore Game is taking advantage of the rebate programs at CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens to get household and beauty products for pennies on the dollar — or even more than free!” I go to CVS and Walgreens at least once a week to purchase items that are either on sale, have coupons, or generate Extra Bucks or Register Rewards. Sometimes a product is all three of those things, allowing me to spend only pennies for tax and then receive free items AND vouchers for future purchases. My bathroom cabinets are filled with body wash and toothpaste that I received free, or even got paid to take. I often collect these drugstore game goodies and take them to my local food pantry. I’m sure they would be greatly appreciated at a battered women’s shelter or homeless shelter as well. My local pantry is the Niles Township Food Pantry. They collect and distribute food, personal items, and even school supplies for children.

One of the easiest ways that I help my children’s school is by clipping the Box Tops for Education that are on all kinds of General Mills products such as Cherrios cereal, Nature Valley granola bars, Chex Mix, and Gogurts yogurt as well as other household items like Kleenex tissues and Huggies diapers, Pull Ups, and OverNights. Each little pink logo is worth ten cents to the school. While this may not sound like it’s worth the hassle of cutting out, participating schools earned more than $10 million in the 2008-09 school year alone! My children often bring me empty boxes and ask me to help them cut out the “moneys.” Then I just send their teachers an envelope full of the little pink papers so they can submit them and receive money for their school.

SuperValu and General Mills have partnered together for the Box Tops for Education program and are generously offering one lucky winner a $25 American Express gift card through MyBlogSpark. I believe this gift card can be used anywhere, including any of the SuperValu stores (ACME, Albertsons, Cub, Farm Fresh and Jewel-Osco.) If you would like a chance to win this $25 gift card, please leave a comment with a creative or unusual way you help your family, school, or community by June 8th. The winning comment will be randomly selected and announced on June 9th.

Review: Chocolate Cheerios

Elaine — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:53:58 +0000

My entire family loves chocolate and loves Cherrios. We almost always have a large Costco-sized box of MultiGrain Cheerios or regular Cheerios in the house. So when MyBlogSpark offered us a chance to sample the new Chocolate Cheerios, we jumped at the opportunity.

We checked for packages several times a day until the large brown box arrived. We brought it in during dinner, but could not wait for breakfast the next morning. My husband, my two children, and myself all ate the delicious Chocolate Cheerios with milk for dessert that night! It was one of the healthiest desserts we have had in a long time, considering that Chocolate Cheerios is low in fat, has no saturated fat, and has only 100 calories per serving. The fact that it contains at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving, is cholesterol free, and is made with heart healthy oats doesn’t hurt either!

My daughter declared, “I can’t wait for breakfast so I can have more!” She also enjoys it for snack straight out of the box. My son prefers to mix the MultiGrain Cheerios with the Chocolate Cheerios and eat them together. He says it makes the lightly sweetened MultiGrain ones taste even better.

After we finished our sweet, tasty, crunchy dessert that night, we inspected the chocolate scented spa kit that came with the Chocolate Cheerios. We received a bottle of chocolate scented body wash, a chocolate body bar, chocolate bath salts, and a mini-bath sponge. I am looking forward to a few quiet moments to myself when I am finally able to indulge in a warm, chocolate bath.

Enter to win these prizes.

Our box of Chocolate Cheerios is almost empty. When I go back to the store to buy more, I will scour the internet for printable coupons. I found one $0.50 off coupon on the Cheerios site, but you can have several $1.00 coupons e-mailed to you if you join the Cheerios/Betty Crocker mailing list. So far I’ve received dollar off coupons for Original and MultiGrain Cheerios. I expect more to arrive in my in box shortly.

If you would like to enter a random drawing for your own chocolate scented spa kit, ceramic cereal bowl, and box of Chocolate Cheerios, please leave a comment below. All information and promotional items were provided by Cheerios through MyBlogSpark.

Review: Scatterpillar Scramble Game

Elaine — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:25:51 +0000

Hasbro’s Elefun and Friends just came out with a new game called Scatterpillar Scramble. The makers of Elefun, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Gator Golf, and Giraffalaff Limbo have another winner on their hands. This game would make an excellent Christmas gift for a preschooler. Keep reading for a chance to win this game!

Scatterpillar Scramble is a cute dancing caterpillar with four sets of hands. The game is for 2-4 players, ages 4 and up. Each player has a color coded set of tongs and marbles. The goal of the game is for each player to place all of their marbles into the caterpillar’s hands before their opponents.

My 3 1/2 and 6 year old children love the game, but they find it discouraging to play the game according to the directions. My husband and I even have a difficult time placing all the marbles while the caterpillar gyrates around to lively music. My kids like to race to place the marbles when the caterpillar is still, then turn it on to do a celebratory dance for the winner. The kids like to laugh and join in, then play again. They also like to play with their grandmother and anyone else who comes to visit.

This game would be excellent in a retirement home or rehab setting for people trying to improve their fine motor skills and hand eye coordination. It would also make for an interesting time at a college party.

What games or toys do you like to play with your preschooler or school age child? Please post a comment below for a chance to win Scatterpillar Scramble AND Giraffalaff Limbo. Special thanks to MyBlogSpark and Hasbro for giving us the opportunity to review this game as well as providing a set of games to a lucky reader. The winner will be announced on Monday, November 16th. Thanks for reading!

Your Child’s Flu Vaccine May Contain Mercury

Elaine — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:29:33 +0000

I took Sammy to the doctor last Friday for his 5 year old check up. Among other things, he was due for a flu shot. Since I had Sophie with me too, they offered to get her flu shot done at the same time as well. I agreed so that I wouldn’t have to come into the office again.

In our pediatrician’s office, they have a regular flu vaccine and an infant flu vaccine for children under age 3. I normally request the infant flu shot for both of my children because it is thimerosal-free. Sophie is not yet 3, so she would receive the infant one anyways, but I have been making special requests that Sammy receive the infant version as well.

According to the CDC, “Since 2001, with the exception of some influenza (flu) vaccines, thimerosal is not used as a preservative in routinely recommended childhood vaccines.” The FDA states: “A preservative-free version of the inactivated influenza vaccine (contains trace amounts of thimerosal) is available in limited supply at this time for use in infants, children and pregnant women. ” The older children generally get the regular or adult flu vaccine, which contains thimerosal. Thimerosal is a mercury based preservative that may or may not be linked to autism. There are numerous articles and studies both supporting and disproving the link between thimerosal and autism.

I err on the side of caution and try to avoid as much mercury as possible. However, many parents may not realize that their child’s flu shot has mercury in it. Or if they are aware of it, they may not know that there is an alternative. Since flu season is approaching, I just wanted to post this so that parents and caregivers would be aware of it and ask their pediatricians to give their children a thimerosal-free flu vaccine. Some pediatric offices only have a certain amount of infant flu vaccines, so make your child’s appointment in mid to late September to increase the chances of getting the mercury-free version.

If the infant flu vaccine is not available to your child, ask your pediatrician about the nasal flu vaccine, which is also thimerosal-free. It is marketed under the name MedImmune’s FluMist. The CDC describes in detail the brands and manufacturers of thimerosal-free flu products, but also claims that “there is no convincing evidence of harm caused by the small amount of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor effects like swelling and redness at the injection site due to sensitivity to thimerosal.”

How do you feel about childhood immunizations and the possible link to autism? Do you believe the flu vaccine is beneficial for children? What does your child’s pediatrician say about all of this? Please share your comments below.

REVIEW: LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Chicago

Elaine — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:07:36 +0000

We were very excited to learn that the America’s first indoor LEGOLAND was opening up right here in Illinois. LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Chicago opened on July 31, 2008 in the Streets of Woodfield in Schaumburg. The official website was very detailed and descriptive, so we knew exactly what to expect. We even knew to plan on about 2 – 2 1/2 hours to work through the whole place.

TICKETS

I found a link to buy tickets online for buy one adult admission, get one child admission free. I purchased 2 adult tickets for $39.90 and my 2 and 4 year old children were admitted for free. Once tickets are purchased online, they can be used any day within 6 months of purchase. Another benefit to purchasing tickets in advance is that we were able to bypass the long lines outside. The link that I used was an introductory promotion that was advertised only in the first week. I just learned that Baskin Robbins has coupons with the same paid adult, free child offer.

Since we saw how many people were outside waiting to get in, we decided to skip around and do the Dragon Ride and the 4D movie first. Those were the two things our son Sammy was most excited about, so we wanted to make sure we fit them in before it got too crowded or before the kids got cranky, sleepy, or hungry.

DRAGON RIDE

Sophie (age 2) was a bit scared of the Dragon Ride because it was dark, but I just sat next to her and hugged her throughout the ride. Sammy (age 4) sat with his daddy and excitedly pointed at all the LEGO animals and LEGO people throughout the ride. The Dragon Ride was the only place we were asked not to take pictures. Good thing we put our cameras away, because as the signs promised: we all got a bit wet.

4D CINEMA

The 4D Cinema was a short, cute movie called ‘Spellbreaker 4D.’ Oddly, there was no talking – just a series of noises and grunts from the Princess, the Hero, the evil Magician, etc. Sophie didn’t like the paper glasses provided, so she just watched a blurry cartoon. Sammy liked the 4D effects and kept reaching out to try to touch the swords and people approaching him. The 4D effects came not only from the movie screen, but from fans, lights, and even a snow machine!

LEGO CAFÉ

The LEGO Café is convenient for lunch or snack time. I’m not sure what they serve or if the prices are reasonable. Their chocolate chip cookies smelled really good, but we brought our own water to drink and then went to lunch at nearby Ikea afterwards.

BUILD AND TEST/MODEL BUILDERS WORKSHOP

Upstairs near the LEGO Café, there were numerous play stations with tons of regular LEGOS, LEGO Duplos, build your own LEGO race cars with lots of ramps. Even though we followed the website FAQ recommendations about going first thing in the morning or late afternoon, these areas were very crowded. We had to bypass the “Build and Test” areas, Model Builders Workshop, and the playground type equipment due to the sheer volume of children. A side note: socks are required for the indoor playground equipment (similar to the climbing tubes at Chuck E. Cheese).

FACTORY TOUR

The “factory tour” consisted of standing in one room and looking at the pretend equipment along the walls. One volunteer was chosen to push about four buttons that made the machines move and make noise. At the end, each child was invited to take a yellow LEGO brick home with them as a free souvenir. Sam and Sophie would have enjoyed this a lot more if there were less people in the room. They were not able to see very much behind the other parents and kids. They were delighted to each have their own LEGO that wasn’t a Duplo block.

BIG BRICK PLAY ZONE

There were a few quiet corners filled with huge, soft LEGO bricks. These were the best! Our kids could have spent hours here. I was hoping the store downstairs carried them, but there were none to be found.

MINILAND

Miniland is the first area most LEGOLAND visitors see, since it is right next to the cashier at the entrance. It is a great place for LEGO enthusiasts, Chicago tourists, and Chicago natives. It’s fascinating to study the details of Chicago icons built into these miniatures made completely out of LEGO bricks. The Sears Tower, Hancock building, Water Tower, Buckingham Fountain, and even the “SeaPup” speed boat are just a few of the amazingly accurate landmarks depicted here.

ADVENTURE TRAIL

After walking through Miniland, we had to wait an unusually long amount of time before we were allowed to enter the Adventure Trail section. We had to endure an unenthusiastic treasure hunting skit, but once we were inside, we walked around at our own pace. There were many LEGO animals and LEGO people that the kids enjoyed touching and posing with for pictures. Sam and Sophie enjoyed the hippo, monkeys, frogs, and alligators the best.

HALL OF FAME

There were several large LEGO sculptures of people and animals scattered throughout LEGOLAND. We particularly enjoyed the Hall of Fame that had huge LEGO characters such as Batman, Darth Vader, R2D2, Harry Potter, and Hagrid. The Hall of Fame also had another area with soft LEGO bricks to play with.

PRIVATE PARTIES

We saw several rooms set aside for private parties. The largest room can accommodate up to 50 people. Private workshops were also offered along with the highest level birthday packages. As of August 2008, party packages range from $19.75 – $29.75 per person.

LEGO STORE

The LEGO store was a bit disappointing. I expected a larger, better stocked shop. Many things my children were interested in were sold out, such as the LEGO Duplo people and the Princess Duplo set. The kids t-shirts were overpriced at $19.99. Loose LEGO bricks were $27.99/lb and sorted by size and color. I have no idea how this price compares to buying a box of assorted pieces. The $7.99 foam swords were a hit with our kids, but weapons aren’t generally allowed in our home. There were several cute key chains available for $3.99, but we did not buy any of those either.

FINAL THOUGHTS

All four of us had a great time at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Chicago. Our only complaints were regarding the staff and the price. The cashiers at the entrance seemed flustered and were not very friendly. The employees who were dressed in costumes (Professor Brick a Brack at the Factory Tour and the Adventure Trail Tour Guide) lacked enthusiasm and weren’t good with crowd control. There were very few employees circulating around to answer questions or direct people to certain attractions or washrooms, etc. Many of the soap dispensers in the washrooms (including the family washroom) ran out of soap. Hopefully these are just temporary issues that will be worked out as the staff familiarizes themselves with their new roles.

The price of admission to LEGOLAND was comparable to an amusement park, but the actual LEGOLAND itself was comparable to a standard children’s museum. Kohl’s Children’s Museum in Glenview charges $7.50 per person and Chicago Children’s Museum in Navy Pier charges $9.00 per person. Those museums can keep kids entertained for 4 hours or even a full day, depending on the child. Kiddie Land Amusement Park in Melrose Park charges $23 for ages 6 and up and $20 for ages 3-5 & 60+

If I didn’t live 45 minutes away, I’d consider buying an Annual pass for unlimited admission during non-holiday weekdays. It’s slightly cheaper than the Premium pass that allows admission on both weekdays and weekends. I believe you have to go at least 3 times in one year to make it worth your while. They do not offer any type of family pass, so each individual has to purchase their own adult, child, or senior pass. Passes are not transferable and not available online.

LEGOLAND is a must see for LEGO enthusiast of all ages. We saw a lot of parents building towers, racing cars, and just enjoying themselves with their children. I even saw a group of teenagers entering as we were leaving. We definitely plan to go back.

Don’t forget to purchase your tickets online in advance using the LEGOLAND Coupon. Be sure to proceed directly to the entrance doors with your printout of the tickets.

Review: Here Come the 123s with They Might Be Giants CD/DVD combo

Elaine — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:29:43 +0000

If your children love the Disney Channel as much as mine do, chances are you’ve already heard something from the album “Here Come the 123s” by They Might Be Giants (TMBG). I discovered this CD/DVD combo at my local public library. Both of my kids love it so much. I have already renewed it the maximum number of times, so I guess I will have to break down and purchase my own copy.

I actually enjoy listening to all of the songs myself! I have very fond memories of listening to TMBG’s “Flood” album over and over again on a cassette tape, trying to memorize the quirky lyrics. When my four year old son Sam tries to sing along with “Seven Days of the Week (I Never Go to Work),” I just have to laugh. At least he’s finally interested in learning the days of the week! Of course, this means two year old Sophie will learn them too!

The album comes with both a CD and a DVD of all the songs and music videos. There are cute little introductions to the videos by puppets named John and Jon (the members of TMBG). Some of the videos are animated while others are Sesame Street style with hand puppets. Very entertaining and cute. Not sickeningly sweet cute, though.

The 24 songs and 23 music videos are arranged in numerical order, starting with “Zeroes,” “One Everything,” etc., to “Eight Hundred and Thirteen Mile Car Trip” and others. My kids’ favorite songs right now are “Triops Has Three Eyes,” “One Dozen Monkeys,” and of course “Seven Days of the Week (I Never Go to Work).”

This was produced by Disney Sound, as was our other favorite CD/DVD combo “Welcome to Ralph’s World” by Ralph Covert. They Might Be Giants have other children’s CDs available called “No!,” “Bed, Bed, Bed,” and “Here Come the ABC’s.” I’m looking forward to listening to these albums with my children.

In the meantime, there’s a Free weekly kids video podcast! and lots of videos on YouTube. Here’s Sammy’s favorite song found on YouTube:

Calling All Hip Moms and Babies!

Elaine — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:03:38 +0000

Calling all hip moms and babies! I’ve just discovered a new store perfect for all the fashionable and budget conscious moms out there! I’m so excited to share the site and my purchases with everyone!

Hip Moms and Babies is an online store featuring Maternity and Nursing products. Hip Moms and Babies was created by Zeka, who is a mother of three and also a Pediatrician/Neonatologist. She has gathered a collection of really cute clothes and accessories for pregnant women, nursing moms, infants, and toddlers, as well as pumping supplies, organic bath products, baby slings, natural soy candles, etc.

Each “Hip Moms and Babies” item has a several photos with detailed descriptions. Many offer tips on how to utilize the product best. The site is based in the Philippines, so prices are listed in Philippine Pesos (P or PhP) which are approx PhP40/42 = $1.00 US. Click here to convert from PhP to USD. The price of each item is in the description or the photo title. They accept Paypal and are happy to ship to the US through FedEx, DHL, or UPS.

So far I have purchased two Transition Tubes and a Diaper Clutch.

The Transition Tubes are only P250 each, or about $6.25! I chose Charcoal Heather and Dusty Rose. They are so comfy and provide great nursing coverage when wearing regular shirts. Nursing moms will no longer be limited to those expensive nursing tops! These are also great for pregnant women who find that regular or even maternity shirts don’t quite cover up their bellies. They can also be used like a belt to hold up loose pants. Most styles are available in both 13″ and 15″ sizes. Zeka described it perfectly when she wrote, “It’s the perfect accessory and wardrobe extender you will need for pregnancy and after the baby.”

DIAPER CLUTCH

The Diaper Clutch in Pink with Brown trim was a great deal at just P600, approx $15.00. I use it to hold three diapers and a stack of baby wipes. When folded, it looks just like a regular purse. When opened, it converts to a generous changing pad that wipes clean easily. It can be carried alone or inside a diaper bag.

NAPPY CLUTCH

My sister-in-law purchased the Nappy Clutch and loves it. She said it’s the perfect size for diapers and wipes and fits nicely inside her purse. She only paid P750, or about $18.75.

If you have any questions about a product, shipping, or currency conversion, post a message on the site or e-mail hipmomsandbabies@gmail.com for a very prompt response from Zeka. I hope you will take the time to browse the site and pass it on to all the Hip Moms or Moms-to-be that you know. I’d love to hear what you think in the comments section!

How to make your own Spot the Dog puppet

Elaine — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:35:50 +0000

Sammy and Sophie love the Spot the Dog series of books by Eric Hill. Their favorite ones are the lift the flap books like “Where’s Spot?” and “Spot Goes to School.” When our local public library announced that Spot the Dog was coming to visit, they were so excited! Sammy gave Spot a big hug, but Sophie was happy to just wave from across the room.
After reading Spot books, visiting with Spot, and taking lots of pictures, the wonderful librarians helped the kids make Spot puppets.

All you need to make your own Spot the Dog puppet is a square piece of yellow paper, a popsicle stick, tape, and a black or brown crayon to provide hours of fun for the kids!

First, simply fold the square down the middle diagonally to make a triangle. Position the triangle in front of you so that the folded side is on top. Fold the two top corners down to make ears. Draw on a face and color as desired. Finally, tape on the stick to complete the puppet! Enjoy!

Happy 2nd Birthday Sophie!

Marlo — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 05:09:50 +0000

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Birthday Sammy!

Elaine — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:54:46 +0000

And a happy WW!