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The Best Cookies Ever!

Lynnae — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:00:54 +0000

That’s what my son said last night, after tasting the product of some of my Christmas baking. “Mom, these are the best cookies EVER!” It’s rare that I receive such a high culinary compliment from my son.

And then I tasted the cookies. He was right! They were really good! So I thought I’d share my adaptation of a Gingersnap recipe with you.

I started out with this recipe for Soft Gingersnaps. Originally, the only change I was going to make was to omit the clove, since I don’t like the taste of clove. But I was working quickly and had another cookie recipe laying out, and I accidentally added the 2 teaspoons of vanilla that were called for in the other cookie recipe. In the end, this is what I ended up with.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter (no substitutes), softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup molasses
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Additional sugar

Directions

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.
Roll into 1-in. balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks.

I baked them for about 11 minutes, and they came out perfectly! One day later, they are so soft and chewy and have the perfect blend of sweetness and spice!

This is one for my recipe keeper file! Enjoy!

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Tightwad Tuesday: Read to Your Children

Lynnae — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:00:35 +0000

Today is December 1, the beginning of our 24 nights of reading tradition. Since I posted about it last year, I’m not going to repeat the post this year. But if you’re interested in the tradition, you can find out more about the 24 books of Christmas here.

Even if you’re not doing 24 nights of Christmas stories, this is still a great time of year to read to your children! The holidays often get so busy, that you often run out of time to spend with your family…the ones who mean the most to you. Yes, it’s a bit backward, but without careful planning, time can get away from you.

We combat the holiday business by making time to read every night. And Christmas books are so much fun! In addition to our usual storybooks, we’re going to be reading the following before Christmas Day:

Jotham’s Journey
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (I loved this one, when I was younger!)
A Little House Christmas
A Christmas Carol
One Wintry Night

We checked out the last three books on the list from the library, so they didn’t cost a thing! That’s why I like reading. Armed with just a library card, you can open up new worlds for your children and yourself, and you make memories with your children that will last much longer than the toy under the Christmas tree.

What are you reading this holiday season?

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Photo by tsuacctnt.

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It’s Cyber Monday. Are You Shopping?

Lynnae — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:00:50 +0000

If you missed out on Black Friday shopping (and I wouldn’t blame you, if you did), there’s still a chance to get some great deals on Christmas presents. Today is Cyber Monday, and many stores are slashing prices, trying to woo Christmas shoppers to their websites.

For instance, Amazon is running Cyber Monday deals all day, though you have to check back frequently, as deals change often. Macy’s is offering deals on products from clothing to jewelry to items for the home, plus free shipping on $75. Office Depot, Staples, Overstock…no matter where you turn, online deals abound today.

But will Cyber Monday entice you to part with your money? Should it?

Like Black Friday, Cyber Monday can be a good opportunity to save money on your Christmas shopping, or even on items you need for yourself. But the great deals can also provide the temptation to overspend.

Many people have a hard time turning down a great deal. I know I’ve been guilty of that in the past. So now I make sure I know what I need, before even opening a web page. I don’t need to know exactly what I’m shopping for, but I need to know who I’m shopping for and the dollar amount I’m willing to spend.

For instance, I went shopping on Black Friday. I don’t usually go out, because I hate crowds, but I needed a few things that I couldn’t find online. Before I even left the house, I knew what I was after and the dollar amount I wanted to spend. I needed pajamas for the entire family and jackets for the kids. I purchased what I needed at the price I wanted to pay, and I didn’t allow myself to get sucked into the other great deals.

Cyber Monday can work the same way. If you need to buy Christmas presents, by all means shop. But know what you’re going to spend, before you shop. If you don’t need anything, and you know you have a hard time turning down good deals, get off the computer now. :)

Whether you shop or not today, don’t make the mistake of spending more than you can afford. No matter how good the deal is, it’s not a deal if you will end up paying extra in credit card interest charges.

Photo by laffy4k.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Lynnae — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:00:14 +0000

I was trying to think of something Thanksgiving-y to say today, when I remembered a post I wrote two years ago. It was written towards the end of a very trying year. I think that post says it all, so I’m going to repost it today. Have a blessed Thanksgiving, and enjoy your families today!

Of Pilgrims, Thankfulness, and a Worthy Goal

I’m always introspective around the holidays. Beginning around Thanksgiving and continuing to the new year, I find myself evaluating my life, my goals, and my relationships.

Last night, when Jim was at work, the kids were in bed, and I was alone in a quiet room, I got to thinking about everything that has happened over the last year. It was last Thanksgiving day that my husband went out to play in our church’s annual Thanksgiving morning football game, the Turkey Bowl. While playing, he broke his finger on his left hand. He’s left handed. And he broke it in such a way that he needed surgery and three months of physical therapy. But he didn’t know this right away.

When he got home from the game, while our turkey was roasting in the oven, I met him outside to tell him his dad was on the way to the hospital with breathing problems. Jim didn’t get his finger checked out that day, because he spent the day, and the better part of the next three weeks in the hospital at his dad’s side. My father-in-law passed away December 8th last year.

In February, I discovered a breast lump. After several tests, my doctor and surgeon determined that I would need a surgical biopsy. I had the surgery, and I didn’t have cancer, but the whole process was still scary.

In May Jim lost his job for the first time this year. We were optimistic that he would find another good job soon, but it wasn’t to be. Since then, he’s had a series of not-so-great paying jobs, and we’ve been without health insurance. Right now he’s doing janitorial work at night for a friend’s company. He mostly enjoys the work, but it’s part-time, and the schedule is hard on our family.

Yes, it’s been a rough year. Then I got to thinking about Thanksgiving. And who can think of Thanksgiving without thinking about the Pilgrims?

The Pilgrims left England in 1620 to pursue religious freedom. They didn’t have it easy, by any means. The Mayflower encountered storms. People got sick. For two months they were at sea, often cold and wet. They landed in America during the winter.

It was not easy setting up their colony. By the time the first winter had passed, half of the pilgrims had died from illness. Yet they pressed on, and in the fall of 1621, they celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time. Despite all of their troubles, they found reasons to be thankful. I think one of the reasons they were thankful is that they had set out to obtain religious freedom, and they had achieved their goal. The process may not have looked like they had first envisioned, but they reached their destination anyway.

What can I learn from this? It’s important to have a worthy goal. I have a few. One that I talk about on this blog fairly often is my goal to become debt free. When Jim and I made the commitment to get out of debt, we had no idea that he would lose his job. Twice. We had no idea that for months at a time, our income would be lower than our most basic living expenses.

Yet, our goal is worthy. It’s worthy of sticking out the hard times to meet the goal. It’s going to be tough. Really tough. But when we send off that final payment, it will be worth every bit of hardship we’ve encountered.

The Pilgrims also showed me that even in the worst of times, I can be thankful. My family is healthy. My God has provided for our needs. The finances don’t add up on paper, but we have what we need. I have a husband who loves me and two very sweet (most of the time) children. There was a day and time when we didn’t know if we’d be able to have children. When I look at them, I know I have a lot to be thankful for.

I’m thankful that I live in a country where I’m free to express my faith in God, where I’m free to disagree with the government, free to express my opinions.

I hope each of you can find something to be thankful for today. As I sit down at the dinner table with my family to celebrate Thanksgiving, I will look into the faces of the ones I love, give thanks to God, and realize that I am truly blessed.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, all of you!

My information on the Pilgrims was taken from The Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony: 1620.

Photo by Alessandra Cimatti.

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Money Hacks Carnival: Thanksgiving Dinner Edition

Lynnae — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:00:06 +0000

Mmmmm. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I’m cooking all day today in preparation. Because I have Thanksgiving dinner on the brain, we’re going to do the Money Hacks Carnival Thanksgiving-style! Enjoy!

Editor’s Picks

What’s Thanksgiving without the turkey? The centerpiece of the meal. The traditional favorite. These posts are the main attraction at this Thanksgiving carnival.

How does your budget compare to the recommendation of experts. J. Money shows us what his budget looks like at Budgets are Sexy.

April Dykman asks (and answers) the question, “How much house do you need?” at Get Rich Slowly.

Head over to Studenomics to find out the downside of getting rich too quickly.

Can you read this? “Sccusesufl Peosrnal Finnace Deos Not Riqueire Perftceion.” Neither could I. But the article is great, and it’s much easier to read than the title. Head over to The Dough Roller to see what I mean.

If you’re traveling during the holidays, you need to read Travel Hacking for Noobs at Man vs. Debt. It’s a great resource for saving money while traveling.

Frugality & Saving Money

Mashed potatoes…my favorite side dish. Frugal, filling, and with a bit of cream cheese, sour cream, and onion powder, they’re not your ordinary mashed potatoes. Much the same, frugality is a subject after my own heart. Enjoy these posts on saving money.

Read a great commentary on radical savings at 20s Money.

If you’re bad at price negotiation, like I am, you need to read Simon’s post on practicing the fundamentals of price negotiation at Realm of Prosperity.

Contentment sure makes being frugal easier. Paul Williams shows you how to find contentment at Provident Planning.

With the cost of gas going up, everyone wants to know how to save fuel and money. Todd Methany shows you an easy way to save both at The Personal Finance Playbook.

Darwin takes a look at energy saving tips from the Department of Energy at Darwin’s Finance.

What’s your food plan level? Billeater will show you, and then he will tell you how knowing your food plan level can help you save money.

David R. Lampsen tells you why cutting corners on cutting coupons can be costly at Personal Finance Analyst.

Biking to work is not only good for your health, but it’s good for your wallet. Find out why at Energy Saving Gadgets.

Credit & Debt

Sweet potatoes. It seems you love them or you hate them. There’s really no in between. In much the same way, personal finance bloggers are often at opposite ends of the credit card debate. Good or bad? Read what these bloggers have to say.

In this economy, it’s difficult to know whether to rent vs. buy. MLR shows you how to evaluate the rent vs. buy decision at My Life ROI, Getting the Best Return on Life.

Have you seen Amazon’s new “Pay Phrase” service? Should you use it? Bucksome lets you know what she thinks at Bucksome Boomer’s Journey.

Ray at the Financial Highway shows you how to find the best credit cards.

Brett celebrates the new rules for overdraft “protection” at Hope to Prosper.

Money Ning asks the question, “Are 0% balance transfer credit cards for life possible?” Don’t worry. He gives you the answer, too.

Investing

The Side Salad. Every Thanksgiving Dinner needs a good side salad. Something light and healthy, amongst the often fatty, filling, and incredibly bad-for-you traditional Thanksgiving fare. Making sure you eat your salad is like an investment in your health. OK, that was the best I could come up with. Regardless, enjoy these great posts on investing.

Worried about the weakening dollar? David shows you how you can profit from it at MBA Briefs.

Learn how to treat your online investing as a business from the Online Investing Guru.

D4L gives you 7 dividend stocks to slay the Wall Street giants at Dividends Value.

Miss M is having some trouble with her Lending Club investments at M is for Money.

Insurance, Career, & Taxes

Rolls. Green Bean Casserole. Black eyed peas. There are a multitude of side dishes you could serve with Thanksgiving dinner. But just because they’re side dishes, doesn’t make them any less important. Each of them serves a purpose and adds something to the meal. And each of the following posts will be sure to help you navigate different aspects of your financial life.

PT helps you navigate the long road to getting health insurance at PT Money.

Chris Holheide shows you why you should buy annuities at Stumble Forward.com.

FMF shows you how to graduate from Harvard for $40K or less at Free Money Finance.

Looking for a job? Jim tells you how to properly use headhunters at Bargaineering.

David Packer encourages you to look into adjusting your withholding at Sweating the Big Stuff.

Buying a new house? Find out if the $6500 Taxcredit for Current Homeowners is retroactive at Bible Money Matters.

This is some important reading for tax season: 6 Tips to Avoid IRS Penalties, Interest, and Filing Fees This Tax Season at Free From Broke.

The Nebulous “Other” Category

Dessert. The traditional Thanksgiving dessert is pumpkin pie, of course. But when we have big family get togethers, all the other desserts come out. Apple pie, sweet potato pie, chocolate silk pie…the list is endless. Even though this is the end of the carnival, these posts aren’t to be ignored. They may not fit neatly into one category, but they’re a great way to end a delicious meal, er, carnival. Enjoy!

Super Saver shows you how tracking net worth can be misleading at My Wealth Builder.

A great account management tool for Canadians is Budget Pulse, and you can find out more about it at Canadian Finance Blog. Budget Pulse also works for United States based accounts, too, so don’t let your U.S. location stop you from checking out the article!

Looking for stocking stuffers? Paul Michael found a website with extreme deals. He tells you about it at Wisebread.

If you and your spouse disagree about money, find out how to prosper by celebrating your marital differences at Personal Finance by the Book.

Looking for a great Christmas gift for a child? Look no further. The Financial Blogger will point you in the right direction.

Barry shows you how to manage your money as you approach retirement at Associate Money.

Going shopping on Black Friday? Take a look at Madison’s list of free stuff you can score on Black Friday 2009 at My Dollar Plan.

I hope you have enjoyed the Money Hacks Carnival – Thanksgiving Dinner Edition, and I hope you’re not too hungry! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Photos by laurgasm, arnold | inuyaki, foooooey, zoha_n, rpongsaj, and cardamom.

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Tightwad Tuesday: Make Your Turkey Stretch

Lynnae — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:56 +0000

Can you believe Thanksgiving is two days away? Neither can I! This year has just flown by. My mom always used to tell me that time seems to move faster as you get older. I guess she was right!

Since many of you will be dealing with Thanksgiving leftovers after Thursday, I thought a great Tightwad Tuesday tip would be different ways to use up your turkey leftovers. Anytime you can make a meal stretch into 2, 3, or more meals, you save money.

So what can you do with leftover turkey? Lots!

First let’s make sure we don’t let the turkey carcass go to waste. You can boil it and make broth to use in place of chicken broth. Alternatively, you can make turkey soup. My favorite recipe is a creamy turkey soup.

Now that we’ve taken care of the bones, what can you do with the turkey meat? Here are a few recipes to get you started.

We usually eat some of the leftovers in the form of sandwiches, make a few turkey dishes, and chop the rest of the turkey up and freeze it. Then we use the chopped turkey in place of chicken in chicken dishes.

How do you use up your leftover turkey? If you have a recipe on your blog, feel free to leave a link.

If you have a frugal tip (or recipe), write a post, linking back to Being Frugal.net. Then sign MckLinky, so others can find your post.

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Christmas Presents for the Frugal Person in Your Life

Lynnae — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:03 +0000

Well, the busiest shopping week of the year is upon us. On Friday, millions of people will brave the crowds in the wee hours of the morning, just to score a deal on Christmas gifts.

Me? I’ll probably be shopping in front of the computer in my PJs, having stuff delivered directly to my home, so I can avoid the traffic and the crowds of the Christmas season.

Regardless of how you shop, it is the season to start thinking Christmas gifts. And I thought it might be fun to look at a few gifts that could enhance a frugal lifestyle.

Kitchen Gifts for the Frugal

A Crockpot. We all know that the truly frugal don’t like to spend money on eating out. But for those of us with school aged kids, sometimes afternoon activities make it difficult to find time to cook. For those people, a crockpot is a great gift! I use mine all the time. In fact, I use it so much that the handle fell off the lid. I’m too cheap to buy a new one though.

A Bread Machine. Last week I baked all my own bread. My bread machine has been a lifesaver. I used to do all the kneading in my kitchenaid mixer, but now that I’m homeschooling, I don’t have time to mix, let rise, punch down, and let rise again. I just let the bread machine do it all for me. And we have eaten fabulous, whole wheat bread with no preservatives or corn syrup every day.

Frugal Entertainment Gifts

Netflix/Roku. My favorite frugal discovery in the entertainment realm has been a Netflix membership and a Roku box. For $13.99 a month, I get 2 DVDs in the mail at a time, and the number of DVDs per month is unlimited. I can also watch an unlimited number of direct stream movies a month.

This is a perfect gift for the homeschooling family, as I have used Netflix a ton in conjunction with homeschooling. I also use Netflix for favorite movies, television series, and workout DVDs. The Roku box comes in handy for direct streaming to your television. If you have a laptop that connects to your television, though, you don’t even need the Roku box.

Frugal Gifts for the Home

A Programmable Thermostat. We don’t have one yet, but I would love a programmable thermostat! I’m pretty good about remembering to turn down the heat at night, but I would love to set the thermostat to warm up the house a bit before I get out of bed. Call me crazy, but I’d love a programmable thermostat for Christmas.

A Down Comforter. Down comforters go a long way toward keeping you toasty warm on cold winter nights, so you can keep your thermostat lower at night. Properly cared for, they last a long time, too.

Frugal Gifts for the Kids

The Money Savvy Pig. I love this piggy bank. Each of my kids have one. It’s a fairly good sized piggy bank with four chambers: give, save, spend, and invest. From an early age, you can teach your kids to budget their allowances, so they meet their financial goals!

The Game of Life. We rediscovered this game a couple of months ago. It’s not always completely true to life, but playing the game with your kids can spark some good, and important, discussions on topics like debt, choosing to go to college, the cost of having children, and more.

A Frugal Gift for Yourself

YNAB Pro/YNAB 3. If you’ve never kept a budget before, why not make 2010 the year to start? YNAB is a great budget tracking system for beginners, and it works well for budgeting veterans, too. I bought it as an after-Christmas gift for myself a couple of years ago, and I’m glad I did. It really made tracking my budget easier than tracking with Quicken, which is what I was using before YNAB.

Those are my gift suggestions for the frugal person in your life. Do you have anything to add?

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Friday Linkfest: Thanksgiving Break Edition

Lynnae — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:59 +0000

The kids have been working hard on their schoolwork all week, so they could have a short day today. And after today, we’re taking a week off for Thanksgiving. We’re all looking forward to the break!

After Thanksgiving, we’re going to do a month of Christmas school. It will be a nice change of pace, before we get back to our regular curriculum in January. When all is said and done, I think we’ll actually be in school a month and a half longer than the public school, but “shhh”…don’t tell the kids.

News of Note

Congratulations to Rebecca C., who won the Merry Madagascar Giveaway! As soon as she contacts me with her mailing address, her prize will be on it’s way!

If you still want to win a Merry Madagascar prize pack, some of my fellow elevenmoms are still running their giveaways. I know for sure you can still enter at Lille Punkin Reviews and Frugal Upstate.

I added a new Savings Account page, where you can stay up to date on online savings account rates.

The Roundup

4 Ways to Develop a Thankful Heart Before Thanksgiving – Bible Money Matters
Reasons Why I Love In-N-Out Burger: It’s no secret! – Good Financial Cents. I’ll admit In-N-Out is one of the few things I miss about living in CA. Maybe one day they’ll come to OR.
Healthy Turkey Meatloaf Muffins – Squawkfox
Homeschool Finance – Gather Little by Little
How to Host a Memorable Cookie Swap – Simple Mom

Have a great weekend! And I don’t want to say this too loudly, but it looks like I might just get a few hours to myself tomorrow afternoon, as the rest of the family is off doing other things. Whatever will I do with my time?

Photo by StarMama.

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Prepare for Next Christmas with SmartyPig

Lynnae — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:29 +0000

Christmas is coming quickly, and if your financial habits are like my past financial habits, you’re starting to wonder how you’re going to pay for Christmas. It’s not a fun feeling, and it’s one I understand.

I’m happy to say I’ve changed my ways. And the good news is that you can too. It’s not that my financial situation changed much. We’ve had our up years and our down years. But I started planning for Christmas much earlier…like in January.

SmartyPig is a Savings Account

Last year I discovered SmartyPig, a “social savings account.” Really, it’s a bank account with West Bank, which is FDIC insured. Right now they’re boasting a 2.0% APR, which is one of the best interest rates I’ve seen for a savings account in a while.

When you set up an account, you set a financial goal. For instance, you set a goal to save $500 by next Christmas. SmartyPig calculates how much you need to save each month to reach your goal and automatically transfers the money from your bank account to your SmartyPig account each month.

Don’t worry. If you run into financial trouble and need to get your money out, you can cancel your goal and do that. So you’re not stuck by any means. And the best part? It doesn’t cost you a thing!

SmartyPig Gives You Cash Boosts

Here’s where SmartyPig differs from a regular bank account, though. And here’s also where SmartyPig can help with Christmas shopping. You have three options for withdrawing your money. You can transfer it right back to your bank account. You can opt to get a SmartyPig MasterCard debit card. Or, you can get a gift card from one of SmartyPig’s partners.

If you choose the last option, you will receive up to a 12% cash boost! And you can put your money on multiple gift cards, too! That’s why I think it’s so great for Christmas shopping. I tend to buy a lot of books for Christmas gifts (or even homeschooling during the year), so getting a Barnes & Noble gift card is a great option for me.

SmartyPig is Social

SmartyPig also has a social option, which I’ve never used, but could be a good thing if you’re saving toward a big goal. You can allow your friends and family to search SmartyPig by your email address, so they can see your goals and contribute. You can also place a SmartyPig widget on your blog or Facebook page to show the world how you’re progressing toward your goal.

Last year I used SmartyPig to save throughout the year, and by September I had enough to buy a Wii and some Wii accessories for the family for Christmas. It was well worth it.

With it’s competitive interest rate, multiple options for withdrawing your money, and bonuses for putting your money on gift cards, SmartyPig is a great option for a Christmas savings account.

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Merry Madagascar Giveaway!

Lynnae — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:35:11 +0000

When times are tight, and even when they aren’t, I always encourage people to focus on experiences during the holiday season. One of my favorite things to do with my family during the holidays is watch holiday specials, both old and new, on TV.

It doesn’t take a lot of money to pop some popcorn or make some other snack and cuddle in front of the TV together.

Tonight the first of the Christmas specials rolls out (unless I missed one), as Merry Madagascar is scheduled at 8 p.m. EST on NBC. Walmart and Dreamworks provided me with a copy to preview in advance, and my family watched it last night.

The kids, who loved the original Madagascar movie, enjoyed seeing their favorite characters in a new Christmas show. I don’t want to completely spoil the show for you, so I’ll keep the plot very general. Basically Santa’s sleigh crashes, and it’s up to the Madagascar crowd to make sure Christmas presents get delivered around the world.

My only complaint is that the Christmas specials are starting before Thanksgiving. I kind of wish they had waited a week. Still, the kids enjoyed Merry Madagascar, and it has a good giving theme. You’ll have to tell me what you think, if you watch it tonight.

And for those who would prefer to wait until after Thanksgiving, Merry Madagascar will be re-airing on November 28.

The Giveaway

Merry Madagascar will be available at Walmart starting tomorrow, and to celebrate, they’re letting me give away a Merry Madagascar prize pack!

The prize pack includes

2 Merry Madagascar Plush Toys (not necessarily those pictured)
Merry Madagascar Game
Merry Madagascar Throw
Items from Kellogg’s and Kraft
Recipes
$25 Walmart Gift Card, which you can use to buy the DVD or other Merry Madagascar merchandise, if you like. Or you can use it for anything else at Walmart.

This is going to be a short giveaway, as we’d like the winner to have the gift pack by Thanksgiving. That way you can watch Merry Madagascar on the 28th with your plush, throw and snacks.

To enter, leave a comment on this post. Email readers, make sure you click through to the site and leave a comment, as emails will not be counted. Please only one comment per person, as multiple comments will be deleted. Contest is open to residents of the United States only.

I’m going to close comments at 3:00 p.m. PST on Thursday, November 19. I need to have the winner’s information to the Walmart people on the 20th, if you are to receive your prize pack by Thanksgiving. So be watching your email, and be sure to get back to me ASAP, if you’re the winner.

The Merry Madagascar DVD and giveaway pack were provided to me for free by Walmart and Dream Works.

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