Airing Out Dirty Laundry

I moved up another notch on the scale of Little House on the Prairie-ness.  (My goal is to be halfway between an Ingalls and a tech-savvy woman of the 21st century.  How eclectic!)

This morning, I made my own laundry detergent!  Yes, you all know I'm cheap.  You also know that I am lazy.  Adding up the pros & cons, I decided that I can do this once or twice a year to save some big bucks.  I must say, it wasn't that hard.

I have a friend who always smells so clean and fresh.  Finally, I asked her what kind of laundry soap she used.  She replied that she makes her own!  She said it saves her lots of money.  I was immediately on board!  I hounded her until she gave me the list of ingredients and went to a couple different stores to find them.

Here's what you need:
1 bar Fels Naptha
1 C Super Washing Soda
3/4 C Borax
Optional oil for scent:  Tea Tree Oil, Lavender, Lemon, etc.
5 gallon bucket

I found the Fels Naptha at the grocery store.  I found the Borax at my alternate grocery store.  I had to look around for the Super Washing Soda, but finally found it at Target.  I also got generic Tea Tree Oil at Target.  That was a year ago.  I finally came down to having 1 load of detergent left and the refusal to buy more.  I hounded my friend again for the exact directions.

Son #2 was my assistant.  He is both the best in Science and Cooking, so he was the obvious choice.  He was off school today, his brother is on a trip, his sister was at a friend's house, and his other sister was sleeping.  So actually, he was the only choice (and the photographer).

Here's what we did:

1.  Shave the bar of soap into a pot.  (I used my vegetable peeler.  Hope it doesn't make my potatoes taste like soap next time!)

2.  Add 4 C hot water to the soap and melt on the stove, stirring continuously.

3.  Once it's completely dissolved, remove from heat and add rest of ingredients.

4.  Pour into a 5 gallon bucket and fill with warm water 3/4 of the way.

5.  Add your scent.  I used Tea Tree Oil, because that's what she uses.  I added 20 drops.  Also, did you know that Tea Tree Oil deters lice?  When someone had it in my daughter's class, I added a couple drops to her brush and combed through her hair.  My friend adds a few drops to her shampoo.  Just a nice, little tip.

5.  Let sit several hours, preferably overnight.  This is where we are so far.  I'm going to let it sit overnight.  (I need to buy a funnel first anyway!)

6.  The next day, stir mixture.  Pour the concentrate into jugs, filling halfway.  Fill with water.  (I saved my empty laundry jugs for the last year or so.  My friend uses milk jugs.)  Shake well before each use.  My friend uses 1 C per load, but others who make this use 1/2 C per load.  Make your own judgement call there.

Also, this is safe for HE machines.  These products do not create a bunch of suds, which makes it OK to use in your high efficiency machine.

Hopefully I'll be smelling clean and fresh from now on!  (Actually, I hope I always have been, but you know what I mean!)

Shutterfly Winner Announced!

After much anticipation, I am happy to announce the winner of the Shutterfly giveaway is:

Lisa from Life is a Many Zebra'd Thing!

 

Congratulations to Lisa!  I hope you have a fabulous time designing your free Shutterfly products! 

 

Thank you to everyone who entered.  I wish everyone could win!

 

Cyber Monday Deals!

Are you an avid online shopper?  I can't tell you how much I enjoy shopping from the comfort of my own home, hot tea beside me and flannel pajama pants being my outfit of choice!  As of Turkey Day, I hadn't purchased one Christmas gift yet.  As of today, I am nearly done.  I have only visited one actual store, and that was to help out my aunt with her Christmas shopping.  Online shopping is Da Bomb! 

I scored so many Black Friday deals online, it gave me shivers!  Today is the oh so famous Cyber Monday and I would just LOVE to finish all my shopping today! 

For all you stay at home shoppers, have I got a deal for you!  Shutterfly is at it again and offering another fabulous promotion!  Visit http://www.facebook.com/shutterfly today and score 25% off!  This is valid on top of the discounts already on the site - up to 50% off!  This offer ends November 26, 2012 (11:59 P.M. PST).

ALSO- don't forget to enter yesterday's giveaway of $50 off an order of $50 or more!  You can't beat that deal!  The giveaway ends December 4th, so don't delay!

Happy shopping!

A Giveaway to be Thankful for - SHUTTERFLY!

Yes, there is a giveaway associated with this post!  Stick around to find out the great news!

Ya'll know I'm a Shutterfly addict!  The personally designed photo albums are some of my favorite things in the whole entire world.  I have several albums and there are so many more I have in mind to make.

Shutterfly Christmas Cards are also something that score high on my Favorite Things list.  Did you see my cards last year?  They were da bomb!  I can't possibly imagine topping that this year, but I'm sure gonna try!  I haven't taken my family photo yet, so I'm not quite ready to pick out my card design at this time.  Here are a couple that rank among my favorites:

I guess I'll be going with a black & white photo this year!  We'll see...

 

If you order your cards through Shutterfly, I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed!  I think this is my fourth year using Shutterfly Christmas cards.

 

Make sure you browse all their Christmas Card designs!  There are so many fabulous layouts to choose from!  Be sure to check out their special offers too!

 

Now, are you ready for the BIG EXCITING NEWS???  One lucky reader will win $50 off an order of $50 or more! (This deal excludes tax & shipping and cannot be combined with any other promos.  It expires 12.14.12.)  What's better than free cash to spend at Shutterfly?!?

 

Here's the deal- leave a comment on this blog post to enter that includes your email address.  Easy as pie!

 

Wait- there's a bonus entry!  Leave a second comment if you are a follower of She Says!  Followers are my favorites and get two entries!  (Please do not leave a third comment correcting any mistakes.  Email me if you made a mistake.)

 

Important- this giveaway ends December 4th at 11:59 PM EST.  Please enter before then!

 

I can't wait to see who wins!  Giving away free prizes makes me giddy...especially at Christmastime!  Good luck to all!

 

This post is sponsored by Shutterfly, however all the opinions are entirely my own.

Shutterfly Winner!

A winner has been chosen for my free Shutterfly album giveaway!  I did it in the most fair way I could think of.  I wrote each number on a slip of paper, closed my eyes, and picked one.  #3 was the winning number!

 

 

 

Linda is the winner!  Congrats!  I will submit your information to Shutterfly and they will contact you with information about redeeming your code for a free album.

 

Thanks, everyone, for playing!  Have a great day!

Shutterfly Yearbooks & Giveaway!

Just a reminder to all those PTA parents out there, Shutterfly, my very favorite site for creating perfect Christmas cards and awesome memory albums, recently launched their Yearbook Campaign.  I blogged about it a few months ago out of my own excitement for the new products.  I looked into it for our upcoming church directory project (that I have been put in charge of - lucky me!) and someone got back with me right away. 

This school year, why not talk to whomever is in charge of your child's yearbook and suggest that they check out Shutterfly Yearbooks?  They're so cute and totally personalized.  Plus, it just might save the school and parents some money (which we all need right now)!

If you need some more information, check out Shutterfly's website, Facebook page, or Twitter.  Also, they now have an Instagram page, Pinterest, Google +, and blog!  Lots of information out there for fellow Shutterfly addicts like myself. 

Here's another thing so awesome about Shutterfly...they're allowing me to GIVE AWAY a free 8x8 hard cover, 20-page Photo Book just because they heard how wonderful my followers are!  This giveaway is open to US and Canada residents, but ends quickly.  So act soon! 

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your email address.  You may have a bonus entry for following my blog.  The winner will be chosen this Thursday, September 27. You just can't beat a free Shutterfly album!

This is a sponsored post, however, all the opinions are entirely my own.

Free Kindle Books

I went on a free digital shopping spree today!  Getting anything free is so much fun for me!  I really enjoy reading, even though I haven't found time to read in quite a while.  One of the couponing sites I read daily will often tell about free book downloads for Kindle.  A couple of times, I've downloaded the books and shared the deal with you.  Today, there was another free book:  Ryan's Return by Barbara Freethy.  I read the description and thought it looked interesting.  If it's horrible, I've lost nothing.  Then I noticed at the bottom "Customers who bought this item also bought..." and it grabbed my attention.  Many of the recommendations were also free!  I don't care for the smutty, Harlequin romance-type books but several of the books looked quite interesting.  I even downloaded one for my son about middle school (I'm sure I'll read it too).  I ended up with 8 or 10 free books that I'm really looking forward to trying out!  I'm sure out of 10, there will be a few that I delete without finishing.  That happens.  But I'll surely enjoy sitting down on the couch some evening with lots of new reading material!

I wanted to pass on this deal to all my blogger friends...hopefully you can use some free books right now.  Enjoy!

The Slacker Giveaway

I have one more Shutterfly album to give away!  Sorry if you missed the last giveaway...it came and went pretty quickly.  I wanted to draw winners right away to allow people as much time as possible to complete their albums. 

But there's good news!  You can still win!  I'm going to make this contest a little easier to enter.
1.  Just comment.  If you leave a comment, you're entered to win.  (Just once, please.)
2.  Follow this blog.  If you are a follower, leave a second comment for an extra entry.
3.  Follow me on Facebook.  After you do, leave a third comment for yet another entry.

I'm going to run this contest until 8:00 AM Monday morning.  So get on the ball and enter!  Have a great weekend and good luck!

My Very First Giveaway

I've never before hosted a giveaway on my blog.  That's because I've never had anything to give away!  Well, now I do! 

You all know I'm a huge Shutterfly fan!  I have several photo books and I just keep making more!  Gone are the days of putting snapshots into those big albums with the clear, crinkly protective covers.  I was such a procrastinator when it came to actually putting the photos in the albums.  I would print the pictures, they would sit in the envelope, and then I would end up sticking the envelope in a box.  I have a huge box in the basement of snapshots from when my boys were babies (The Pre-Digital Age).

Photo memory books make so much more sense!  They're beautiful and you can completely customize them.  I use mine to tell a story.  Did you know that Shutterfly has totally updated their photo book program?  If you use the Custom Path, you have complete creative control over how your page looks.  You can move this frame a little to the left, you can make this frame bigger and that one smaller.  I love it!  (I actually wonder if that was in response to the suggestion I sent them a year ago?!)

(By the way, I'm not getting paid for this post.  I just like these products so much!)

So here's my giveaway:

I am offering a FREE 7x9 Photo Book to not one, but FIVE PEOPLE!  How awesome is that?  The offer ends December 14th so you would need to get started on your album right away.  My suggestion- summer adventures!  Think of all the exciting things you did this summer, from 4th of July barbecues to day trips at the pool.  Put all those memories together in an album and you can relive your memories for years to come!  Or you can make an album as a Christmas gift for someone else.  Grandma would be thrilled!

The Giveaway starts immediately and ends tomorrow (Saturday) at 9:00 AM EST.  To qualify, you must be a follower of She Says.  Leave a comment here if you are.  You can get a bonus entry for following She Says on Facebook.  I will randomly pick five winners tomorrow.  Good luck!

Today's Deals

I'm not a coffee drinker but I know most of people in the world are.  Here's a great deal I found today for all the Starbuck's addicts out there!

Celebrate the season together with someone – and something – you love at Starbucks. On November 17–20 from 2–5 p.m., when you buy one holiday beverage, you’ll get a second one free. Warm up with your choice of a Peppermint Mocha or new Skinny Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Gingerbread Latte or the longest-running holiday favorite, the Eggnog Latte.


 

Also, here's a code for 40% off one item at Lands' End and Free Shipping on orders over $50!  Just type in the Promotion Code: FROST and PIN: 9471.
 
 
I don't know where you are, but around here it's a perfect day to wear something warm and cozy from Lands' End while drinking a hot beverage from Starbuck's!  Happy Wednesday!

Free eBooks!

There are two more free eBooks today!

The Funniest Cop Stories Ever by Tom Philbin.  It didn't get great reviews but it's not like you're wasting your money.  It's free!  If you don't like it, just quit reading it!

Cops are the people who see and hear it all. They work at one of the world's most dangerous jobs, but it's also one of the most entertaining. When their lives are at risk¿and even when they aren't¿cops encounter constant weirdness and stupidity in human behavior. The Funniest Cop Stories Ever collects the strangest, most amusing stories about stupid crooks, bungled crimes, and station-house banter. A true look at what life is like behind the badge, the tales in The Funniest Cop Stories Ever were collected by real-life ex-New York City policeman Scott Baker and coauthor Tom Philbin. Anecdotes are told by the real-life cops who experienced them and include:



A foot chase after a dwarf who karate-kicked his girlfriend's door and assaulted her while wearing a tuxedo and carrying a violin case.



A beggar who ended people's pay phone calls so he could demand their extra spare change.

A narcotics bust on a guy who claimed the crack cocaine¿and his pants¿didn't belong to him.

-AND-

Write That Book Already!: The Tough Love You Need To Get Published Now by Sam Barry.  This one actually did get good reviews.  Since you guys are bloggers, you very possibly are interested in getting something published.  Maybe this is for you!

From the foreword by Maya Angelou:"[T]he joy they promise in their prose makes me glad that I and other writers have been willing to make good writing our aim, and even great writing our dream." "How do I get my book published?"Good question. Lucky for you, publishing insiders Sam Barry and Kathi Kamen Goldmark have laid out the blueprint for what you want--your book. From transforming an idea into a manuscript to finding an agent to working with an editor to marketing your book, BookPage's Author Enablers are here to assist you every step of the way. And they've brought some backup with original insight from literary superstars like Stephen King, Amy Tan, Rita Mae Brown, and more.It's everything you would ever want--and need--to know about the industry from the inside out.

Free eBook

Here's another deal for a free eBook!  A Simple Amish Christmas by Vanetta Chapman.  Enjoy!

Annie Weaver always planned to return home, but the 20-year old RN has lived in Philadelphia for three years now. As her time of rumschpringe is about to come to an abrupt end, bringing for Annie an overwhelming sense of loneliness. She returns home and finds herself face-to-face with a budding romance with an Amish farmer and Annie has several important choices to make.

Free eBook

I found this deal today and wanted to share it with you.  I'm not sure how long it will last so check it out soon!

You can receive the book One Imperfect Christmas for your Kindle for FREE on Amazon!  Read the book synopsis below.

Graphic designer Natalie Pearce faces the most difficult Christmas of her life. For almost a year, her mother has lain in a nursing home, the victim of a massive stroke, and Natalie blames herself for not being there when it happened. Worse, she’s allowed the monstrous load of guilt to drive a wedge between her and everyone she loves—most of all her husband Daniel. Her marriage is on the verge of dissolving, her prayer life is suffering, and she’s one Christmas away from hitting rock bottom.Junior-high basketball coach Daniel Pearce is at his wit’s end. Nothing he’s done has been able to break through the wall Natalie has erected between them. And their daughter Lissa’s adolescent rebellion isn’t helping matters. As Daniel’s hope reaches its lowest ebb, he wonders if this Christmas will spell the end of his marriage and the loss of everything he holds dear.

There's nothing better than free!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

Is it too early to start thinking about Christmas cards?  I would love to get an early jump on it!  The most difficult part for me is getting a good photo of my family.  I love receiving cards from friends that include pictures.  When I get a generic, boxed card on which someone has simply signed their name, I get disappointed.  There is nothing quite like a personalized Christmas card!  I have been using personalized cards ever since Son #1 was born, 12 years ago.  I doubt I'll ever stop.

Each year, I display all the cards I've received around the central door frame in my home.  That's how my mother did it so that's how I do it.  Then after Christmas, I pitch the generic cards.  I cut out all the photos from the other cards and make a collage on my refrigerator.  I enjoy looking at it all year long.  When Christmas is over the next year, I'll redo the fridge.  I love it!

I recently saw a promotion for TinyPrints.com.  They offer the exact kind of cards I like to send out.  I'm a simple, plain person and don't like a lot of hoopla on my card.  I want my family to be the main focus.  So this is probably the style I like best- it's called Simple Class.  Knowing me, I'll end up using a black and white picture on the front of my card.  I had the best card last year....LOVED it!


This promotion is for 50 free holiday cards if you blog about it.  So that's what I'm doing!  If you would like to participate, fill out this form.

If you're not interested in the promotion but want to browse their card styles, you can do that by clicking here.

I will post a mock up of my card if and when I get it done!!!

Shutterfly Coupons

When I received my most recent Shutterfly book in the mail, they included four coupons for my friends:

10% Off Everything and 5 Free Cards.

Good through November 17, 2011.

If anyone can use them, I will give the promo codes to the first four people who comment.  Enjoy!

Old Navy Jeans

Every year before school starts, I visit the Old Navy jean sale and stock up!  You can't beat $10 jeans!  Just this morning, I bought 8 pairs to last my boys the entire school years (hopefully)!  I also bought them athletic pants for $7.50 and dress shirts for $8.00.  I didn't find the girls sales to be quite as good so Big Sis only got one t-shirt dress.  She contemplated a backpack ($7) and lunch box ($4) but wanted to shop around a bit first. 

So if you can make it out to Old Navy today, you won't be sorry.  If you can't make it out, you can find the same deals online!  Happy shopping!

My Letter Writing Project

I read an article somewhere that suggested writing some of your favorite companies (restaurants, products, brands) to give them praise and explain why you patronize them.  In return, they are likely to send you coupons, vouchers, and gift certificates.  This kind of project is right up my alley!  I like to write and I love getting things for free!  I picked out a few companies that I would say I love, some local and some national.  I wrote to each of them, going into detail about why I support their business.

The Results:
I received a personal email response from all of them except one.  Some of them quickly thanked me for my thoughts while others seemed genuinely appreciative of the time I took to compliment them.  I only received one postal letter in return.  It was from Purex and contained several coupons. 

No, none of the restaurants offered to give me free food for a year (maybe I had my hopes set a bit too high).  But the next time I went to Chipotle (my weakness), the manager looked at me and said, "Are you the one who sent the email?"  I laughed out loud and confirmed his suspicion.  The corporate office said that they would forward my letter to the local store that I raved about.  I thought it was hilarious that they recognized me from the email.  I identified us as "the people who have all the kids."  I said, "They'll know who we are."  I was right.  The manager went on and on, thanking me for taking the time out to pay them a compliment.  He attempted to pay for our meal, but the store had already reached their maximum for the day.  We did get free chips out of the deal though.

Well, I didn't tons of free stuff out of this project but I think I did make a few people's day through it.  In the end - well worth it.   I think I'll go use one of my sixty cents off coupons now.

Deal of the Day

Today on Groupon.com, you can purchase a $20 Old Navy gift card for $10!  I thought it was a fabulous deal and wanted to pass it on.  I just bought one myself.  Thanks to Lena for passing on this information!

The deal ends soon so sign on right away!

Calling All My Penny-Pinching Friends...

So, you all know how extremely cheap frugal I can be and how I always go the extra mile to save a buck.  I give at-home haircuts to all my boys, I use the grocery store's sale flyer to plan my menu for the week, I never buy soft drinks at the drive-thru, I never purchase anything that's full price, I shop around at several different places to find the best deal, and I clip coupons from the Sunday paper.

When I was down with a sprained ankle during the Christmas shopping season, I ended up doing the majority of my shopping online.  But paying for shipping was something I avoided at all cost.  So I got the bright idea to search for coupon codes online.  Most of the time, that ended up working great.  But occasionally, I would stumble upon a scam website that wanted you to register your bank account number and promise your firstborn child's soul to them.  Not really, but I got a very uneasy feeling from some of the sites.  And then there were sites like this one, http://www.couponchief.com/ that made me feel very comfortable.  You don't have to click on anything to reveal the coupon code.  It's listed right in plain sight.  You don't have to register your blood type and mother's maiden name.  You just search for the site where you're shopping and it will show you all the coupons available.  During Christmas, I saved tons of money with free shipping codes, 25% off codes, and $10 off a $50 purchase codes.  You can't beat that!  I ended up spending much less than I would have it I had shopped in stores.

So for the extra twelve seconds it takes to find a code on couponchief.com, you could save yourself a pretty penny!  I suggest trying it out next time you're online shopping!  Let me know what you think!

FREE Chipotle!

You might not know this about me, but I'm seriously addicted to Chipotle Mexican Grill Chicken Burrito Bowls!  At the most, I've probably consumed a Chipotle Bowl five times in a week.  Several times I've had it twice in one day.  It's a rare occasion that I go a full week without enjoying a Chicken Bowl.  So when I received this offer in my inbox today, you can only imagine how excited I was!  The only thing better than eating Chipotle is eating free Chipotle!  Several years for Halloween, the family and I have dressed up in aluminium foil to receive free food at Chipotle.  Last year, they requested that diners dress up like processed junk food.  We happily obliged. 

 

So here's another great deal:  at the conclusion of this video, you will be given the opportunity to print out a coupon for BOGO Burrito, Bowl, Taco, or Salad!  Yes, please!

I hope to some day travel to the original Chipotle location to pay homage.  I'm already dreading a possible vacation down south over Spring Break where they are Chipotle-less.  Anyone out there share my addiction???

http://apps.facebook.com/videocoupon/