I know we are half way through January, and many of you may already be giving up on your New Year’s Resolutions, but I wanted to encourage you to keep reaching for those goals you set.

Did you want to save more money this year? Lose Weight? Pay off Debt? Give up Caffeine (gasp!)? Read more?

The truth is that it is easy to start goals, and much more challenging to follow through. So, as we sit here in the 3rd week of January, don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t lost 10 lbs or saved 90% at the store. Start small – and if you mess up, that is OK! Re-evaluate your initial goals to make sure they were attainable, and change them up a bit if you need to. The point of goal setting is not to make you feel bad about yourself, but rather to help you get to where you want to be.

To Reach Your Goals, make sure they are:

Specific. Instead of just saying you want to lose weight, set a goal for how much weight to lose. Stating exactly where you want to go is important if you want to reach it!

Measurable. Set your goal with measurements in place, so if you want to put $20 a week in savings, you should be able to look at your savings account and see if you met that goal or not.

Realistic. You don’t want to set goals that will just frustrate you or make you feel like you failed. Set small goals – think “baby steps” rather than huge goals that can’t be reached.

Some of my goals that I’m working on this year:

1. Read with my kids each day for at least 15 minutes – this is a tough one with everything that we have going on in our life, but I know how important reading is and want to encourage that with my children.

2. Run my first 5K – I’m excited and scared for this goal because I’m not a runner – or I haven’t been, I’m learning to become one!

3. Begin a new garden this year and maintain it. Unfortunately, since I was 8 months pregnant last year, my garden did not last. I can’t wait to start it this year and get fresh veggies (and new recipes!)

4. Become more personal with readers – I want all of you to know me and develop our community. My goal has always been to help people, and so I need to make sure that I know YOU to know what you need.

5. Write my first eBook – Again, this is to help all of you and I’m excited to start working on this new project.

Well, there you go – some of my goals that I plan to share with you my progress on this year. If you have goals, that you would like to share, please feel free – or if you are a blogger and have a list on your blog, feel free to leave a link below. As a community, I truly believe that if we help each other strive to attain our goals, we’ll succeed more than if we are alone.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

By now, I’m sure many of you have heard of SOPA – The Stop Online Piracy Act Bill. Many sites, like Wikipedia, are blacking out today in protest, and understandably so. As it stands now if this bill is passed many of your favorite websites could be shut down to or blacklisted from search engines due to a supposed copyright violation.

Not only will sites like Wikipedia, eBay, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and many others be shut down, but many other American businesses. Even my site, which is devoted to helping you get the most bang for your buck could be taken down if someone demands it. Honestly, if this bill passes, there won’t be many websites left – or much of an internet.

What You Can Do –

Contact your representatives and tell them not to allow this bill to pass. To find your representatives and their contact information, check out the Zip Code lookup at Wikipedia. You can also sign the Petition to stop it.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I am so glad that Facebook has decided to let us CHOOSE what we want to see on our Facebook wall. If you are like me and have been frustrated with missing some updates from your friends, family, and favorite pages, now you can change your settings to show the Most Recent Stories!

To do this, go to your Facebook wall and look for the “Sort” drop down menu at the top of your wall:

Click on the little arrow and make sure you select “Recent Stories First”. This will allow you to see all posts, in the order they originally posted, on your wall. If you stick with the default “Highlighted Stories First”, then you will only see the posts Facebook thinks you want.

Forward this post to any of your friends and family that may be frustrated with the recent Facebook changes so they can see how easy it is to get it back the way it was.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

We’ve been waiting for this one, and I’m so excited to let you know that the Saving Cents with Sense iPhone App is FINALLY HERE!

You can now download the iPhone App for FREE and have all the money saving tips, HOT deals, coupons, giveaways, and more at your finger tips, on-the-go!

And for those of you with an Android phone, you can download the FREE Android App.

Once you download your app, please take a moment to leave a review so other people can also find this resource and start saving!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Like to save money, find HOT deals, and stretch your hard earned dollar? Me too! That’s why I’m glad you are here – but I also don’t want you to miss anything, so unless you are glued to the website all day (which I realize isn’t possible because you all have families, job, etc), there are a few ways you can connect and stay up-to-date on all the HOT finds I post.

1. Email – Sign up for my FREE daily email updates. You’ll only get 1 email a day, but it will have all the posts that you can look through.

2. Facebook – Become a fan on Facebook and stay current. Many deals go very fast, and I’ll just post them on the Facebook page so you can find it immediately.

3. Subscribe through RSS – Subscribe through your favorite reader (Google Reader, etc.) to stay up to date with deals.

4. Twitter – If you are on Twitter you can follow me @savingsense to get my deals and time sensitive information I come across. 

5. Download the Toolbar – This allows you to stay update to date on all the deals, coupons and money saving tips when ever you are online.  Download the FREE toolbar and have access all this and more at your fingertips!

6. Android App – Stay up-to-date while on the go! This is such a fun feature and one that I’m sure will help you save no matter where you are. (And don’t worry, the iPhone app is on its way!)

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Facebook has done it again – if you haven’t noticed already, they have changed how your feed looks on your wall. To make sure that you are getting ALL of the updates from your friends and favorite pages, you’ll want to change the default from “Most Updates” to ALL updates.

To change this, just click the down arrow next to the update on the wall. This will allow you to see all of your friends information in the news feed.

My new favorite feature is Lists – Facebook has set some up for you automatically (you probably have a “Family” one already), but you can create any list you want with this feature to make sure you don’t miss any good updates.

So, if you want to create a list for “Money Saving Blogs” or “Companies” you can do that now.

Here’s how to Create Lists:

• Hover next to “Lists” and you should see “More”. Click that and you’ll be able to see all your current lists.
• Click the button at the top “+ Create a List”
• Then you can create your list for your favorite pages – Money Saving Blogs (and hopefully Saving Cents with Sense is there!), Companies, College Friends, etc.

• Once your list is created,  you can add Friends or Pages by going to “Manage List” and then “Add/Remove Friends”
• To add pages specifically, choose “Pages” from the drop-down menu

You can create as many lists as you want, and this should help you be able to follow the people, blogs, and brands that you want. So, tell me what do you think? Do you like the new set up?

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Do you have an Android Phone?  You can now get the Saving Cents With Sense Android App to find the best deals, freebies, and coupon match-ups to help you stretch your budget! Featuring fun giveaways each month that you don’t want to miss.

Install the Saving Cents with Sense app and you’ll have all this and more right at your fingertips.

And don’t worry – the Apple app is coming soon, so for those of you with iPhones, you’ll have all these great deals at your fingertips soon, too!

Let me know what other items you would like to see on the app to make it easier for you to save money?

And please feel free to leave a review for me on the app – That will help more people find it and help them save!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Are you a blogger looking for new fun graphics? If so, you should check out Fotolia.

Many websites use graphic and photos services that offer a large variety to save time from trying to take their own photos or paying a designer to make graphics.   I was given the chance the chance to review the website Fotolia who offers thousands of stock photos at a reasonable price.

Fotolia is one of the top stock photo houses in the world and offers royalty free images, HD video, and lots more. Fotolia offers prices as low as $.75 per credit that can be used to purchase stock images. I was excited at the variety of images available on the site.

The great thing is that you can purchase photos separately instead of like many sites require a monthly subscription which can cost over $250/month.  Each photo or image will have a credit value that you will need to purchase to download.  Pricing is based on Fotolia’s ranking system, which provides photographers and designers the freedom to set their own prices as well as increase revenue potential based on purchases. For more information about the company and to access the marketplace, visit Fotolia.

The size of image also determines the amount of credits you will have to purchase to download the image.  Fotolia offers images resolutions from 406 x 295 all the way up to 5680 x 4130.

It only takes seconds to search, purchase and download your images.  The hardest thing is choosing which photo to purchase since there is such a large variety.

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Disclosure: This review was sponsored by Fotolia however, this post was written by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure page.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I’m really excited to share this new feature with you because I think you’ll enjoy this! Saving Cents with Sense is one of the first blogs to get access to a new marketplace feature for bloggers! The technology is called smarketplaces, and it is now available on the site! You can check it out HERE.

Basically, this new feature enables you to buy & sell items from each other (peer-to-peer buying & selling like eBay). I’m hoping this new feature will allow you all to save some money by buying pre-loved items, and make a little money by selling things they no longer need. Plus, the transaction fees on my marketplace will be lower than eBay and Amazon, so selling here can help you save even more.

The categories of items for sale are:

• Kids’ Clothing & Accessories
• Baby Products
• Toys & Games
• Home Goods
• School Products
• Electronics
• Books
• Other

Posting an item for sale is really simple, too. Once you have the item that you want to sell, you’ll want to take a picture (or two) of it to show buyers what it is. You’ll also want to have a brief description of your item so that buyers will know what it is, the condition it is in, etc.

How to post items to sell:    (Limited Time: FREE Listing)

1. Create an account by clicking “Sign Up” above the featured items
2. Sign Up by using your Facebook Account or Enter Username & Password
3. Click the “+ post and item” button
4. List the Item Name, Category, Price, Description, Condition and then add your pictures.  (Be sure to include estimated freight charges in your price)
5. If you want edit the post or move rotate the order of the pictures, click your item and select “Edit It” and make the changes.

How to purchase items:   (Limited Time: 5% Cash Back)

1. Click “Buy Now” under the picture.
2. A PayPal pop-up window will appear where you can either Log In to an existing account or choose “Don’t have a PayPal Account?” to purchase with a debit or credit card.
3. Go through the options to finish the transaction.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

If you have been following Saving Cents with Sense for a bit, you know that I post A LOT of deals, coupons, and tips each day. I want to help you save as much as possible. Of course, you have probably also noticed that many deals or coupons can expire fast, so it is important to stay up-to-date to maximize your savings.

So, how can you make sure that you are up-to-date? Here are 5 ways to make sure you always have the best deals and coupons at your fingertips:

1. Email – Sign up for my FREE daily email updates. You’ll only get 1 email a day, but it will have all the posts that you can look through.

2. Facebook – Become a fan on Facebook and stay current. Many deals go very fast, and I’ll just post them on the Facebook page so you can find it immediately.

3. Subscribe through RSS – Subscribe through your favorite reader (Google Reader, etc.) to stay up to date with deals.

4. Twitter – If you are on Twitter you can follow me @savingsense to get my deals and time sensitive information I come across. 

5. **Newest Feature** Toolbar – I am most excited about this new feature that allows you to stay update to date on all the deals, coupons and money saving tips when ever you are online.  Download the FREE toolbar and have access all this and more at your fingertips!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I’m excited to share this NEW feature with you from Saving Cents with Sense. Now it is even easier to stay up to date on the HOTTEST deals, coupons, and more because you can download the FREE Saving Cents with Sense toolbar right to your browser.

You’ll be able to see the latest Deal Alerts, go straight to the Latest Printable Coupons, Search the Coupon Database, and more, all with a simple click from the toolbar. (Click the picture above to see a bigger tutorial)

Toolbar Features Include:

• Easy Search Function – Looking for something on Saving Cents with Sense? Find it fast with the Search button.
• Latest Blog Post – Click on the RSS button (orange button) for a drop down menu of all my latest posts.
• HOT Printable Coupons – Printable coupons can reach their print limit fast, so access them fast to make sure you get the ones you want.
• Coupon Database – Find a specific coupon right away
• Store Deals – Look through the drop down list to find the grocery, drug, or super store you want right away.
• Online Deals – Stay up to date on all the latest online deals.
• FREEBIES – These can go fast, too, so now you can access them right away.
• Facebook – And of course one joining the Saving Cents with Sense Facebook page will help you stay up to date with time sensitive deals, and get answers from me right away.

I hope you enjoy this new feature and that it can help you as you are looking for deals and ways to save!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Love fashion? Looking forward to Spring? Come check out the #Ebates Fashion Twitter Party starting at 7pm EST tonight (3/21). There will be talk about the latest trends, giveaways, and more. Get ready and tweet to RSVP:

“I’m going to the #EbatesFashion Twitter Party! Monday 3/21 4-5pm PST. Hosted by @Ebates and Special Guest @ebay_fashion!”

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Come over and join the Ebates Travel Week Twitter Party tonight, 3/3, at 4-5pm PST. Follow hashtag #ebatestravel as we discuss travel tips, our favorite vacation stories, and of course, living a savvy life!

Be sure to tweet your R.S.V.P. using this special tweet

I’ll be there! #ebatestravel twitter party 3/3 @ 4pm PST. Join us for #prizes, #coupons, and more!

And don’t forget you can still enter to win a 7 Day Club Med All Inclusive Vacation for 2!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Have you noticed some changes with Facebook lately? You may be missing posts and discussions from your favorite friends and pages (like Saving Cents with Sense) on your News Feed, so here are some simple steps to take to fix this:

1. Go to your News Feed (on Home page). You’ll see “Most Recent” with an arrow next to it. Click the down arrow 2. From the down arrow, select “Edit Options”

3. Under Edit Options, make sure the top down menu has a CHECK by “All Friends & Pages”

Now you should see all of the pages you follow show up in your feed.

If you want to see PAGES ONLY in your News Feed, you can also choose that setting by going to the Most Recent arrow and choosing the “Pages” page (with a little orange flag next to it). Now you’ll see updates from only your favorite sites, including Saving Cents with Sense!

(Thanks, Penny Pinchin Mom!)

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I know that many of you are new readers (thank you!) and I wanted to let you know (and remind the rest of you) that there are several ways to connect with me on Saving Cents with Sense.

1. One of the main ways you can make sure you stay up to date on all the exciting deals, fun freebies, and money saving tips that I share is by subscribing to my FREE Email Updates.

   You’ll receive only 1 email a day with all the posts listed so you don’t miss a thing. If you would rather subscribe via RSS, you can do that as well.

2. We all know that many deals go fast (sometimes within minutes), so one way to stay up-to-date immediately is to follow along on Facebook. Sometimes deals will go so fast, I’ll just post them on Facebook, so make sure you “Like” Saving Cents with Sense so you don’t miss anything.
3. And if you are on Twitter, another great way to connect is to follow me @SavingSense, where not only do I post immediate deals, but I also RT other deals from companies or other bloggers that I think you’ll enjoy.

Of course, I welcome you to visit the website each day, as well! I love hearing from you all and try to respond to all comments as quickly as possible. But I know you are all busy and having multiple ways to receive these updates can help you save your time and money.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Avocados from Mexico. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you love avocados and guacamole, you’ll want to check this out. Avocados from Mexico is currently running a sweepstakes between 12/28 and 1/28 to give away over 80 prizes, including 2 "Fly Away" tickets to a special destination. Prizes include:

• (2) Grand Prizes – Two “Fly Away” tickets for a special getaway that’s sure to rock! ($1,500 value)
• (3) First Place Prizes- $100 in free groceries to help stock up for your next party!
• (80) Second Place Prizes – $20 coupon good for Avocados from Mexico, the secret ingredient that makes ur Guac Rock!

And to get you in the "guacamole mood" you can take the "Guac Star Style" Quiz to find out what your guacamole says about you. Now we love guacamole in our house (especially as a party food), and I always use fresh ingredients (usually from the garden when possible) so it is a fresh as can be. So, I was happy to take the quiz to see what my guacamole says about me and I’m not surprised to find out that I’m a "Guac Geek". I guess my analytical nature carries into the kitchen!

To find out more about the Sweepstakes and the Quiz, head over to the Avocados from Mexico Facebook page and you can follow on twitter at @guacgrl.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Happy New Year! I still can’t believe 2010 is over – it was a great year, but I know 2011 will be even better.

I want to thank every one of you – new and old readers – for being here and supporting the me and the site. It means so much to hear from all of you and know that I’m able to help some of you save money and stretch your dollars.

This month is also my 2 year anniversary for the blog, which is so amazing to me! I’ve learned so much and have so blessed by all of you. I wish you all a happy and wonderful new year full of blessing, hope, and wonderful surprises.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

What an amazing trip! Seriously, Blogher10 was so incredible with tons of people- bloggers, PR, brands, and more. It was a weekend filled with people understanding who you are and what you do!

I had such a great time meeting some of my favorite bloggers (Tracy from Penny Pitchin Mom, Heather from Passion for Savings, Keri Lynn from She Saved, Mercedes from Common Sense with Money, Mindi from Moms Need to Know and so many more). Plus, I met some faces you just might recognize, like Gavin Degraw and Bruce Jenner shown in the video above.

I was able to get a bit of sight seeing in, too, since it was my first trip to NYC and I’m glad I did- what a beautiful and busy city!  I’m already looking forward to next year and if you are a blogger thinking of attending Blogher11 in San Diego- I DEFINITELY recommend it!!

Sit back and enjoy the video to some of the sights I experienced…

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Have you noticed the “Community” link in my header? I am so excited to know have the Saving Cents with Sense BlogFrog community right here on the site!

I have wanted to add a forum to build community for quite a while and since BlogFrog is a great way to connect with others, this is the perfect way to build our community, while being part of the great BlogFrog community.

My hope is to build on topics of interest to all of you – so please let me know what you would like to see in the community. OR better yet, feel free to start a new topic yourself!

Some topic ideas are Coupon Exchange, Organic Living, Gardening, Easy & Frugal Recipe Ideas, & More…so come over, introduce yourself, check it out, and more than anything have fun!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I am heading to NYC next week for the very first time. I will be attending Blogher’10, also for the first time and I am very excited. I will have the chance to meet with some amazing bloggers and network with incredible brands. I can’t wait…

Although I’m also nervous! NYC is just so big (and expensive!). I already have my hotel and schedule planned – it will be packed, that is for sure! I don’t think I’ll have a lot of time for sightseeing, but I would love to hear from all of you- what do you recommend? What should I definitely see? Any restaurant recommendations?

Also, I’m looking for some more guest posts for while I’m gone. If you are a blogger and would like to write a post with a frugal tip, craft idea, recipe, or money saving idea, please contact me.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I am so excited to welcome you to the new and improved Saving Cents with Sense! I hope you find the new design as refreshing as I do. Some exciting changes include easy access to subscribing, Facebook, Twitter, and my Youtube videos. You can also search the site faster and easier than before with the search box directly in the header

I’d like to give a big thank you to Joy at Five J’s Design for her fabulous work!

Stay tuned for my Giveaway Bash starting Monday to celebrate my new makeover and of course all of you, my readers!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

If you saw my tweets last week, you probably already know that I had the privilege to go to San Francisco and meet stylist, Alison Deyette courtesy of TJMaxx. Not only was it fun to travel and meet other bloggers, but it was incredible to talk to a fashion stylist. I actually had a chance to talk to Alison after the presentation and ask her advice on clothes- now that was very cool!

You can check out my experience and find out more of what I learned in my Whrrl story below:

In summary, what I learned is that TJMaxx and Marshalls are able to give a lower price than the department stores. This is due to their buying power (they have over 12,000 vendors in 60 countries!) and negotiating opportunities. Many times department stores will cancel orders, or a designer will overproduce, etc. At those points, TJ Maxx is able to swoop in and grab the merchandise to sell. And since they don’t have to inflate costs due to advertising certain name brands, they can offer the products at a lower price.

Not only are they getting 10,000 new products each week, but they are name brand and 95% of it is the current season. Their prices are 20-60% lower than department store prices, so if you have your heart set on a certain brand purse, dress, shoes, etc- you just might want to check your local TJ Maxx first to see if you can find your dream item for half the price!

Alison mentioned several times that it is the “Thrill of the Hunt” and I agree- every TJ Maxx and Marshalls may carry different items depending on region, and they aren’t advertised, so you’ll need to search for that special deal- but then again, isn’t that what we Bargain Hunters like to do anyhow?

Disclosure: Although I received a complimentary trip to San Francisco, this information is my honest opinion and no other compensation was given.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I am very excited to get a chance to head to San Francisco this week thanks to TJ Maxx & Marshalls. I’ll be meeting style expert Alison Deyette to learn about off-price shopping and find out how TJ Maxx offers designer merchandise for less.

Do you have questions for Alison or TJ Maxx? What would you like to know about off-price shopping? What are some of your challenges? I’m looking forward to sharing what I learn with all of you- and hopefully we can all learn more ways to stretch our (fashion) budget!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I told you about Mom’s Nite Out in Phoenix yesterday, but nothing captures is as much as a fun video. Thanks to Dr. Lynne Kenney for putting this great video together! If you can’t see the video, you can also go HERE.

And you can read more about what other’s thought about the event in our Blog Hop.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I seriously had a blast at the Mom’s Nite Out celebration in Phoenix. Not only was it at one amazing restaurant, with some of the best customer service I have seen, but I met some great new bloggy friends and got some fun swag!  The Phoenix party took place at The Capital Grille- the chef actually made special orders for several of the ladies that were on gluten-free vegetarian diets. Talk about Customer Service!

Friends

I was able to meet several new friends, and connect with others that I just love- First, Kelly @Childhood deserves a HUGE thanks for putting on such a fabulous event. I met Kate, Valerie, and Kendra- all amazing women that understand what it is like to balance a family, a business, and just life!

Of course, I got to chat more with Sara and discuss the “Year of Awesome” (ask her about it, I’m sure she will love to share!). And my new mentor in life, Dr. Lynne Kenney. Yes, this woman has done it all- and I look up to her for that. There were many more ladies and I wish I had met them all! I can’t wait for the next event.

Sponsors:

An event like this would not be possible without amazing sponsors and although these aren’t all the sponsors, I want to highlight a few:

@Dove_Chocolate Chocolate. Enough. Said.
@LittleDebbie Little yellow cakes, YUM!
@MyLittlePony Seriously brought me back to my childhood!
@boogiemom I have wanted to try Boogie Wipes for a while, so I’m excited I got this sample!
@blushundershirt This is one of the cutest new products I have seen- check them out (especially the pregnancy version).

And what would a party be without swag? Yes, we had fun swagbags and the best part? I’ll be giving away some of my swag for you, so stay tuned (especially if you have kids!)

So, tell me, did you participate in Moms Nite Out? How do you connect with other moms on a regular basis? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Did you know today is Arbor Day? Hanes wants to help plant more trees with our help. Just head over to the Hanes Facebook page and send a virtual tree to up to 3 of your friends. For each virtual tree you send, Arbor Day Foundation will plant a real tree up to 50,000, on Hanes behalf.

So head over, send some trees, and help plant real trees for FREE.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I know I have a lot of new readers, so I wanted to remind you that you can also connect with me on Facebook. Many times there are time sensitive deals that I will post just on Facebook and/or Twitter, so it is a great way to get all the deals, plus it is nice to have another way to connect with all of you!

So, if you are on Facebook, head over and become a fan. I look forward to hearing from you!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

As I sit in the Nashville airport, I am able to reflect on my time at Blissdom ‘10, SavvyBlogging, and all the amazing relationships that developed. The last few days have been a whirlwind, but such a learning experience. I leave feeling inspired, empowered, and humbled by what I have learned.

Although I have been to several different conferences for work over the years, this was my first blog conference, and the first time I have been surrounded by so many women that understand the daily life and love of a blogger. Yes, it was a bit overwhelming, but exciting at the same time. We brought our laptops, flips, cell phones, pokens, and more,  prepared to network, tweet, blog, and skype together. And amazingly, we didn’t break the network!

I enjoyed meeting some of my favorite bloggers, traveling to such a fun city, and staying in a gorgeous hotel (if you ever get a chance to check out the Opryland Hotel, I recommend it!).  I have so many people to thank, so I apologize if I forget to mention everyone, but I want to say thank you to the following people who made this trip special:

• Ben, thank you for being such a supportive and loving husband.
• The SavvyBlogging Ladies for putting together a great event!
• And these bloggers, who were so fun to meet! The Thrifty Mama, Couponing 101, Surviving the Stores, Saving with Shellie, Bargain Briana, For the Mommas, Coupon Cravings, Money Saving Mom, Life as Mom, Little Miss Know it All, Centsable Momma, and the list could go on…
• All the Guest Post Bloggers: Coupon Teacher, Savvy Mom Finds, Maven of Savin’, The Frugal Girls, and Making Time for Mommy
• And of course, all of my readers for being patient while I was away!

Hopefully I’ll get some more pictures for all of you later, so I’ll probably have a “Recap 2”, but I really wanted to thank everyone and let you all know that I’m back.

PS. I am home now (wrote this last night), and it is so wonderful to with my boys again and the sunshine! Actually, I think the sun was starting to come out while we were pulling away from the airport in Nashville.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I am so excited that I’m heading to Blissdom, my first blog conference next week! It will be amazing to finally meet many of the bloggers that I have talked with for the past year. I can’t wait for all the great conversation, learning, and networking.

If you are a blogger going to the conference, then you know how packed the schedule can be. To help us stay organized, Tara from Deal Seeking Mom and Mandi from Organizing Your Way have created a printable Blissdom planner! The planner has a packing list, itinerary, note pages, and more. I know that I can use all the organization possible! (Thank you, Mandi and Tara!)

Oh, and I just got my blissdom package from FedEx. How fun! Did you get yours yet?

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Amazingly, it has been almost a year since I started this blog and I could have never imagined the places that it would lead me to.

Plan, what plan? In all honesty, I didn’t really have a plan in the beginning. I just decided to start a blog one day last January, picked a name, grabbed a domain, and started writing. I know my husband thought I was crazy, but I am so thankful for his support through it all. There have been many sleepless nights, but I finally feel like I know where I am going AND I have a plan.

Growth. With over 2400 subscribers, 3300 twitter followers, and 880 facebook fans, I am so excited that I can help so many people learn how to save money! I have always loved helping people (which is probably why I was a psychology major), have a passion for teaching (education major), and enjoy being home with my boys, so this blog has been a dream come true.

 Networking. I’ve also had some incredible opportunities to work with wonderful companies and PR professionals (Country Inn & Suites, P.F. Chang’s, and Sesame Street Live to name a few). I was also given the opportunity to be on the first live panel for #journchat in Phoenix, write my own Money Saving Column in Perfectify magazine, and will have my first live appearance on TV this week (Arizona Midday).

I have made friends with other amazing bloggers and can’t wait to finally meet many of them in person at Blissdom ‘10 and SavvyBlogging! I feel like I’ve known so many of these ladies for so long- even though we haven’t met yet! I just know that it will be an incredible experience to learn, grow, and make new friends.

Future Goals. As I look to 2010, I am excited. Excited for the opportunities to come, excited for growth and learning, and excited to continue to help others in their pursuit of find the best deals and ways to save their hard earned dollar. I realize that without goals I won’t get anywhere, so I’ve been working on what goals I see for the blog. Here is a list, in no specific order:

• Increase my readers and subscribers. My the end of 2010, I’d like to quadruple by subscribers.
• Develop more series like my Frugal series that I created earlier this year. I’m contemplating a New Blog/Blog tips series, or Ways to Make Money Blogging series. I have several others I’m thinking of, but would love to know what you would like to see, as well.  (Don’t be shy, tell me what you think!)
• Deepen the relationship with readers through more timely responses to emails and comments. I also want to help encourage more comments from everyone since I know many of you have great ideas and deals to share as well.
• Begin Vlogging. I would like to start to add vlogging here because I think that adding voice and video will enhance your experience as a reader.
• Increase networking with PR and businesses to find the best products and deals for families. I like hosting giveaways here and want to do more of that. I also want to highlight gift guides this year (since December got away from me without doing that).
• Build my relationships with other bloggers through positive encouragement, helping each other, and developing deeper relationships. By helping each other, we will be building our community that in turn helps readers. I’d love to have more guest posts, write guest posts, and collaborate with other bloggers this year.
• Attend my first (and hopefully more) Blog Conference. Like I mentioned, I’ll be attending Blissdom ‘10 in February and can’t wait for opportunities and learning that will take place.

As I mentioned, I am excited for this year. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, even when we can’t understand it. Now, more than ever, I feel like my purpose is clear and I’m enjoying following my path, fulfilling my dreams, and assisting others on my journey.

To read more blogging goals from others, check out SavvyBlogging.

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

If you look at the bottom of this post, and every post here on Saving Cents with Sense, you’ll now see a “Print Friendly” button. If you click it, you’ll have the option to print the information you want from a post (without any of the sidebar or header information), create a PDF of the post, or share it with email or twitter. This will make it even easier for you to get your favorite deals at your fingertips (or take them to the store with you!).

You’ll also see some fun new buttons under the print button that also give you the ability to Subscribe to my RSS feed, or share a post via Email, Facebook, Twitter, Technorati, Stumble Upon, or Delicious.

I hope you like these new features and as always, let me know if there is something I can add or change to make it easier for you to find (and share or save) your favorite deals!

Thank you, Ms.Crafty!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

If you are reading this through your feed reader or an email, you may want to click through to the site so you can see some of the new features I added/changed. There are 3 great resources now in the footer of Saving Cents with Sense:

• Twitter Updates: Another great way to connect with me and see what I’m talking about on Twitter.

• Swagbucks Widget: This was on my sidebar, but now it is even easier to find by just scrolling to the bottom of the site. (Speaking of Swagbucks, they have some exciting new features as well, so stay tuned and I’ll let you know about it soon!)

• Chat: This was also on the sidebar, but I think it got lost, so I’m moving it down to the footer for easy access.

I hope these features help you find more resources and ways to connect!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I’ve had a few reader questions and comments lately pointing out that many of you subscribe with Google Reader or Feedburner and may be missing out on some important information.  Here are 5 Top reasons  why you should visit websites every once in a while.

1. Many deals go fast, within a few hours, so if you only check posts at the end of the day, you may miss some HOT deals or coupons. A Great example this week was the Healthy Choice coupons, which really did reach the print limit within a few hours. If you are checking into the site, you can catch some of those fast deals before they are gone.

2. You don’t want to miss all the extras on the sidebars. Blogs have items on their sidebars that can give you great information on deals, hot posts, or how to find more information.  Here at Saving Cents with Sense, you can also find what giveaways I have available, the Swagbucks widget (which you can find out swagcodes!), and the Chat box, which allows you to instantly interact with those of us on the website at any given time.

3. Comments make the post. Many of you leave valuable comments on posts that have more information or can help each other out. You may have a question that someone already asked or know the answer for someone else. Adding and reading each other’s comments will help build the community here so we can all help each other as we find money saving tips.

4. Resources. I have several resources listed in the top menu bar of my header on coupons, grocery store and drug store deals, FREEBIES, and other items. Right now, I have the Back-to-School page listed at the top so that you can find it quickly to get all the best deals at your favorite stores. These resources are always there for you, but I may add/change a few things depending on the time of year or what is HOT at the time.

5. Personality. If you visit many other sites/blogs, you’ll notice a wide variety out there, and I think you can learn a lot about the owner of the site.  Hmm, what does my personality say? :)

With all that said, please continue to subscribe to your favorite sites.  I, personally, love using Google Reader and having email updates in my inbox. However, I just want to make sure that you all don’t miss out on any great deals or other resources that will help you save!

As always, I love to hear from you, so don’t be shy, comment away! :)

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I am so excited that I was 1 of the 15 bloggers to win the $100 sponsorship from Cozi.com!  Thank you so much, Cozi, for supporting us and finding new ways to help families stay organized! Cozi really offers great FREE tools to help make life simpler. I plan on telling you more about their features in a later post.

I also want to give a big Thank you to all of you that commented! I truly appreciate all of you and how supportive you have been! This site would not exist if it weren’t for all of you! I wanted to start this blog to help people, and have met some amazing blogging friends along the way. I love hearing from my readers in comments or emails, so keep them coming!

And if there is anything that you would like to see, or need help finding, please let me know! I am more than happy to help!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I’ve been asked several times if I’m going to Blogher ‘09 this weekend. The official answer is No.

Not that I wouldn’t want to meet all the fabulous bloggers that are attending, get lots of fun swag, or party ‘til dawn… BUT, after looking into airfare from Phoenix to Chicago, hotel rates, cabs, and even the ticket itself, I decided it would be best to stay home this time. 

So, now the official Top 10 Reasons I am Excited to Stay Home with My Family this Coming Weekend:

10. I get to party at the Non Blogher Party on Friday Night!

9. I’ll finally get to check out Cozi.com and get organized (seriously, I’m excited about the Mobile access feature!)

8. I can work on my posts, magazine articles, and the fun giveaways I have coming up!

7. Instead of being cooped up inside, with rain in Chicago, I’ll be floating in my pool, sipping a fun drink with an umbrella!

6. I’m going to Christmas in July at Toys R Us, which is great timing since my 3 (almost 4) year old only wants to watch Frosty the Snowman and read A Christmas Story (Mickey version) every night.

5. I can read a story to my boys every night, tuck them into bed, and see their smiling faces in the morning.

4. I don’t have to worry about what to wear, if I need a pedicure, or if I lost all the baby weight.

3. Saturday Morning Pancakes! Our family makes pancakes each Saturday, and after all the deals on blueberries recently, I know we’ll be having some light & fluffy Blueberry Pancakes!

2. I get to stay with my wonderful hubby and precious 2 boys, seriously, who could resist these faces?

1. I’m Saving Money! (No need to buy new clothes, pay travel expenses, go out to eat, or do any of the other things easy to do when you travel to a conference)

So, if you have enjoyed this post, enjoy the blog, or just want to see me win, please leave me a comment! Cozi.com has graciously agreed to give $100 to 15 bloggers with the most comments.

Come on, don’t be shy, leave me a comment, pretty please? :)

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July! We are BBQing today (even though it is HOT outside) and using fresh goodies from the garden! I’ll be on and off today, so there may not be many more posts.  I hope you all have a safe and blessed celebration!

~Don’t forget about the Buy 1 Entree, Get 1 FREE from Ruby Tuesday (today only)

~If you’re looking for AZ celebrations, there are FREE 4th of July Celebrations

And there are more samples and freebies on the FREEBIE Friday Round Up

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

If you are looking for some great reading this weekend to help you on your money saving journey, you can check out the articles highlighted at the Grocery Cart Challenge. I’m honored that Gayle chose to highlight my article this week on Frugality is Not a Competitive Sport.

If you haven’t checked out my article  yet, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject! Then head over to the Grocery Cart Challenge to check the 5 other articles she highlighted, as well as her money saving blog, as well!

Happy Reading!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

When I started this blog 6 months ago, I had no idea that it would continually grow each month, that I would grow to love blogging each day, or that I would find some amazing people and become friends without ever meeting. What began as a blog about deals and helping people save, has grown into a community of like minded individuals hoping to help each other find the best money saving tips.

With over 2600 followers, subscribers, and facebook fans that continue to grow each day, it is important to me that you know how to connect with me (and others) since I love to hear from you. Here are several ways to stay  up-to-date and be involved with this community:

1) Subscribe to my FREE Email Updates or to my RSS feed. This will ensure that you stay up-to-date on the deals, coupons, and freebies each day. If you subscribe for email updates, you’ll get a summary email at the end of the day with any new posts. It is easy to subscribe since I’ll you need to do is provide your email address and then confirm your subscription.

2) Follow me on Twitter. This is a great way to get real time updates on posts and deals I find. My recent blog posts are posted on twitter, but I also highlight other deals and/or good reads that I find.

3) Become a Fan on Facebook. This allows you to interact with me and other fans to share deals or your tips.

4) Chat with Me. This is the newest feature on Saving Cents with Sense. I’ve added a box on the right at the end of the sidebars so you can instantly chat with me and others. I think this will really be a great tool to help each other find deals, coupons and more. (Should come in handy on days that OldNavyWeekly.com refreshes!)

Since this is the newest feature- let me know what you think! I enjoy your feedback and now you can give it even faster. :)

And of course, I LOVE to get comments from you, so please keep leaving your comments and feel free to contact me directly, too. Thank you for those of you that already are part of the community and welcome to those of you that are new!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

For those of you that have not heard of Comment Luv, it is a great addition to your blog because it gives back to those who comment on your blog by linking to their last post at the end of their comment. When you register (FREE) and verify your site at Comment Luv, you can choose from the last 10 posts on your blog to link to.

I just added it, so test it out and leave lots of comments! :) The more you leave, the more other people will see your latest post, which may bring you even more traffic! See how it looks Here.

If you are interested in adding Comment Luv to your blog, you can check out the Comment Luv download page. Although it used to be just a plugin for WordPress, now you can add Comment Luv to Blogger, Typepad, or GoDaddy. They are also rolling out a bunch of new features in the future, so you’ll want to check those out, too!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Did I keep you in suspense with the Friday Song of the Day  Hint? Well, the surprise is here! Saving Cents with Sense has a new look, a new feel- a new makeover!  This is my first post with WordPress! I’m so excited- definitely have a lot of learning to do, but I can’t wait to jump right in!  The site may fluctuate today and some of you may still see the old site, so please bare with me as we work on finishing touches, and I’ll be back to posting great deals, coupon match-ups, and some fun new giveaways!

If you are reading this from a reader or email, please come visit the New and Improved Saving Cents with Sense!

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

5 Minutes for Mom is hosting some great giveaways for Mother’s Day! They are giving away several different prizes- some include a laptop, digital camera, designer purses, and much more! The giveaway go through May 9- so hurry over and enter to win some great stuff!

Looking for Free Samples? Click Here

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I’m excited to have a signature on my posts now! Check it out below. A big thanks to A ThriftyLivingMom, who pointed me in the right direction. In case any other bloggers are interested in adding a signature, here’s how you do it:

Just go to Mylivesignature.com. It is FREE and simple:

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

If you are a blogger, you may be interested in ReadySite, which allows you to add a FREEBIE page to your blog. They are offering $25 right now, when you sign up. If you are interested, go Here.

You can customize how it looks in your sidebar so it fits on your blog. For an example of what it looks like, view my sidebar.

Don’t miss any deals, FREEBIES or bargains…
Subscribe by Email OR Subscribe in a Reader

Free Samples. Click Here

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Don’t miss any deals, FREEBIES or bargains…
Subscribe by Email OR Subscribe in a Reader

Free Grocery Coupons Click Here

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Join me as I work on building a better blog for the next 31 days. If you are interested, go Here. Although it already started, the lessons are emailed to you each day, so you can catch up or go at your own pace. I’m very excited to read the lessons and start to implement them (and yes, those of you that know me, know that I have already read ahead!) This project is completely FREE and there are more than 9100 bloggers participating!

If you are participating, leave me a comment, so we can help each other out, see our improvements, and encourage each other! I look forward to hearing from you!

Subscribe in a Reader

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

• 85% savings at CVS- Met my goal of at least 75%- I spent $17.08 and saved $97.52 (this doesn’t include ECBs that I still have to use this month. I’ve been rolling them since November! Want to know how I do it? Check out CVS 101)
• 60% savings at Fry’s and Safeway. I’m pretty happy with this savings. I’d like to aim for closer to 70% next month.
• 85% savings at Walgreens- Met my goal of at least 75% savings!
• 61% savings at Target- This is the one I was most surprised at since I had not shopped at Target since January. It was always a hard place to go since it is easy to overspend, however, there were some great deals in March (just like this week!) and I stuck to my plan.
• Grand total savings for the month was 70%, like I’ve mentioned in previous months, overall I want my savings to be around 75%- I’m not there yet, but getting closer. Pretty good for only 6 months of using coupons!

I’m also happy to report that I’m on my way to saving for FREE gifts for Christmas (and birthday presents, too!) I redeemed $70 gift cards to Amazon and plan to keep my Swagbucks growing!

Subscribe in a Reader

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I want to thank all of you great readers! I had so much fun with the Ultimate Blog Party 2009 – meeting new people and finding great blogs! There are so many blogs to visit-and even though the “official” party is over, all the links are permanently there, so we can continue to meet new people!

I’m also so thankful for all my twitter followers! Thank you, I’ve been on twitter for a little over a week and I have over 300 followers!

And finally, but not least, I want to thank the wonderful fellow bloggers that I have given me awards! I was waiting until after the party to announce the awards since I wanted to find some more great blogs! So, thank you, The Frugal Beagle, Of Mice and Ramen, It’s Me Betty, and Is It Monday Already? for the following awards (please visit these blogs when you have time since they are all great!)

Thank you, Of Mice and Ramen!

Thank you, The Frugal Beagle!To be fair, since I have already received this award, check out the rules and my nominees here.

Thank you, It’s Me Betty!Rules for Mom of the Year Award:

•Admit one thing you feel awful about involving being a mom. Get it off your shoulders. Once you’ve written it down, you are No Longer allowed to feel bad. It’s over with, it’s in the past. Remember, you’re a good mom!

I think there are tons of things that we could list as moms since we are always comparing ourselves to other moms and wishing we could do better. Honestly, I think it is better to focus on what we are doing well, know that we CAN’T be perfect, and that loving our kids is the most important thing we can do, so, with that, I’ll move onto the next part of the award!

•Remind yourself you are a good mom, list seven things you love about your kids, you love doing with your kids, or that your kids love about you. These are the things to remind yourself everyday that you Rock!

I love snuggling, taking walks, giving big hugs and kisses, reading stories, play time, and any other time that I see my boys’ eyes light up at something new to learn.

•Send this to five other Mom’s of the year that deserve credit for being great moms and remind them that they are the best moms they can be!! Remember to send them a note to let them know you’ve selected them, and add a link to the person who nominated you.

For the Mom of the Year award, I nominate:
All His Blessings 6

A Psych Mommy

I Am BoyMom

Six Feet Under

Saving SAHM Sanity

Thanks, Is It Monday Already!

Rules for the Uber Amazing Blog:

Uber (synonym to Super) Amazing Blog Award is a blog award given to sites who; inspire you, make you smile and laugh, gives amazing information, a great read, have an amazing design and any other reasons you can think of that makes them UBER amazing!

The rules of this award are:
1.Copy the badge and put the logo on your blog sidebar or post.
2. Nominate at least 5 blogs (can be more) that for you are Uber Amazing!
3. Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog.
4. Share the love and link to this this post and to the person you received your award from.

For the Uber Amazing Award, I nominate:
A Virtuous Woman

Fabulessly Frugal

Frugal Dr. Mom

The Frugalious Mommy

Surviving the Stores

There are so many more blogs that I could nominate since there are so many amazing ones out there! Thank you again!

And for those of you that nominated me and those I nominated, please feel free to take my button to add to your sidebar!

Don’t miss any deals, FREEBIES or bargains…
Subscribe to Saving Cents with Sense by Email OR

Looking for FREE Samples? Click Here

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I’m excited to be join the Ultimate Blog Party 2009 hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom! I love a party AND blogging, so why not combine the two!

So, what is the Ultimate Blog Party? It is a way to meet new friends, promote your blog, and win PRIZES! Last year, more than 1500 bloggers participated and the party post had more than 20,000 page views! The party starts 3/20 and lasts until 3/27!

About Me:
I’m a stay-at-home mom of two young boys (3 years and 10 months) in Arizona. I love being home with them and watching them learn and grow. An interesting tid bit about me is that I actually have four degrees, and hope to eventually have my fifth, yes, a PhD. Although I have been a student in psychology and education for years, I have learned that nothing can prepare you for being a parent! It is amazing, challenging, insightful, and at times, down right humorous!

I started this blog about 2 months ago since I wanted to share all the tips, FREEBIES, and bargains that I was finding. After being laid off, (which I do feel was a Blessing!) while pregnant with my 2nd son, I needed to find ways to help our budget. Although I never used coupons before, I started reading how people save so much money- so I had to try it for myself.

I was amazed at how much money we were saving! (Check out my progress in January and February). Not only did I start using coupons, but I also started shopping at CVS (which is now one of my favorite stores!). I also started finding TONS of FREE or nearly free items for baby. And I started to realize the impact of stocking up on items when they are on sale so that I get the best price.

I have been able to reduce our grocery budget by 50% and hope to reduce it even more. I challenge myself each week to find the best deals and share them with you, my readers. I also contribute to the Grocery Gathering each week for deals at Fry’s (kroger affiliate), Safeway, Albertsons, and Sprouts.

A couple more highlights…along with plenty of FREEBIES that I gather, I also round them all up on Fridays, in the FREEBIE Friday Round Up. And I also have a Song of the Day on Fridays since we all can use some celebration for the end of the week!

And the Part you’ve been waiting for: What’s a Party, without a Giveaway!!!

I’m giving away a $10 gift card to CVS (a great way to start shopping there if you don’t already!)

To enter:
1) Leave me a comment! (That simple!)

To get multiple entries:
2) Follow Me or Subscribe (entry for both), just leave me a comment letting me know
3) Follow Me on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway, and leave me a comment with the link
4) Blog about this giveaway and link to http://www.savingcentswithsense.net/ and leave the link in your comment
5) Grab my button (on my sidebar)

**Make sure you leave a comment for each entry**

That’s 5 ways to win! This giveaway ends with the party on March 27th at 11:59 pm. The winner will be chosen using random.org.

Thank you for stopping by and please feel free to look around, leave me a comment, and come back to visit anytime!

So, if you haven’t joined the party yet, what are you waiting for?

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There are so many cool prizes to be won at this year’s Ultimate Blog Party, but my top three picks would be:
1. Core Fitness by Busy Mommy
2. $50 Target gift card by Shoot-Me-Now
3. $50 Target gift card by Agoosa

And if my top three picks are already chosen, I’d love any of the following: 22, 26, 91, 49, 121, 118, 76, 88 or anything else related to children since I have a 11 month and a 3 year old

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Don’t miss any deals, FREEBIES or bargains…
Subscribe to Saving Cents with Sense by Email OR

Subscribe in a Reader

Looking for FREE Samples? Click Here

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

I am thankful because I have such wonderful readers! It is great to read your comments and emails and know you enjoy the blog! I love hearing from you. I am also very excited that I have been given 2 awards this week! Thank you, Joy at These Are a Few of My Favorite Things and Jennifer at Its A Beauty Filled Life. Please check out their blogs!

Here are the Awards:

Joy at These Are a Few of My Favorite Things nominated me with the The Sisterhood Award!

Here’s the scoop: Nominate 5 blogs that show Attitude and/or Gratitude. Let the nominees know that they received this award by commenting on their blog. Make sure you link back to the person who nominated you to show some linky love (and feel free to take my button, too).

Here are my 5 nominations for Blogs that show Gratitude:

All Things Cherished

Life As Mom

Go Graham Go

Biblical Womanhood

Lizzy’s Language

Jennifer at Its A Beauty Filled Life nominated me for The Lemonade Award!

Here’s the scoop:
1) Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post
2) Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude
3) Link to your nominees within your post
4) Let the nominees know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog
5) Share the love and link to the person from who you received your award (and feel free to take my button, too)

Here are my 10 nominations for Blogs that show Gratitude:

It’s Me Betty

Cents to Get Debt-Free

Mommy Snacks

Organize with Sandy

Moms by Heart

I Am Fearless

I’m Living Proof That God Has a Sense of Humor

Three Prince Designs

A Cheap Chick’s Ray of Sunshine

Coupon Geek

Don’t miss any deals, FREEBIES or bargains…
Subscribe to Saving Cents with Sense by Email

Looking for FREE Samples? Click Here

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved. 

Check out my NEW button! Yea, I’m so excited! A BIG Thank You to We Use Coupons.com for creating the new and improved button and posting it on their blogwall!

BTW, they created it for FREE and very fast! If you are in need of a button, I recommend stopping by and introducing yourself!

So, if you a blogger and would like a souvenir, scroll down my sidebar and grab my BUTTON! :)

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©2009-11 Saving Cents with Sense™, a website of Saving Sense Media LLC. All rights reserved.