November 10, 2009 is the Marine Corps 234th birthday and Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen James T. Conway shares a special YouTube birthday to all Marines celebrating this special occasion.

Sesame Street even took time out from their 40th birthday to create a happy birthday video for the Marines. Visit the 2009 Marine Corps Birthday Ball page to check it out.

Happy Birthday Marines around the world!  Be safe and have a fabulous day!

To find local businesses offering birthday discounts & freebies for adults, kids and pets, visit: Free Birthday Treats.

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Several businesses are showing their appreciate to our veterans and active duty military personnel by offering free meals and discounts. Some of these are:

• Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar Restaurants:  Free Entree – Choice of six different meals on website and will need to show proof of military service. Valid Wednesday, November 11th.
• Uno Chicago Grill: Free Entree or Individual Pizza – This Veteran’s Day, UNO® invites all members of the military, both veterans and active duty, to enjoy a free entrée or individual pizza with the purchase of an entrée or pizza of equal or greater value. No coupon is necessary. Veterans or active military can either show up in uniform, or with a picture of themselves in uniform, or with a military or veteran’s ID. Valid Wednesday, November 11th.
• Hy-Vee: Free Breakfast – The buffet is complimentary for veterans and open to others at a small cost. Some stores have planned programs, displays, entertainment or other activities to go along with the breakfast; check with local stores for details. Valid November 11th from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Outback Steakhouse: Free Bloomin’ Onion and Beverage – As a special thanks to our Veterans, this Veteran’s Day all Veterans and Active Duty Military will receive a free Bloomin’ Onion and Beverage. Will need to show proof of service, valid on November 11, 2009.
• Krispy Kreme: Free Doughnut – This year, Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation is honoring America’s service men and women on Veterans Day by giving away free doughnuts to all veterans and active military personnel. Veterans and active military personnel are invited to visit any participating U.S. Krispy Kreme store on Veterans Day, November 11, and enjoy one free doughnut of any variety.
• Home Depot: 10% Military Discount- SAVE Up to $200 in store on single-receipt purchases. Valid November 5 -November 11, 2009.
• Lowes: 10% Discount – Offer to all active, reserve, honorably discharged, retired military personnel and their immediate family members. Must show proof of of service. Valid November 8th – November 15th.
• Golden Corral: Free Dinner – Golden Corral’s 9th annual Military Appreciation Monday dinner will be held on Monday, November 16, 2009, from 5 to 9 pm in all Golden Corral restaurants nationwide.
• Knot’s Berry Farm: Free Admission – Knott’s Berry Farm pays tribute to past and present U.S. armed forces personnel during Veteran’s Month with free park admission for them and a guest November 1-26 only. Up to six additional tickets can be purchased for only $15 each. Military ID or DD214 presented with a photo ID required for discount.
• National Park Service: Free Admission – To honor America’s service men and women, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has announced that areas managed by the department will not charge entrance fees on Wednesday, November 11th.
• Carlos Santana: 20% Discount – Carlos Santana is honoring the men and women who serve our country with a special ticket offer to see Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Military members and their families can receive 20 percent off their tickets to see the exhilarating rock-n-roll show from Nov. 11-22. Military members can purchase tickets at the Hard Rock Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet with a valid military ID or at Ticketmaster.com, password VETSANT. Valid while supplies last.
• Cortiva Institute: Complimentary one-hour massage – In celebration of all who have served in the military, Cortiva Institute-Scottsdale is offering complimentary one-hour massages in its Student Clinic from Nov. 16 – 21. “Cortiva Institute recognizes the bravery and sacrifice of military service men and women and we are pleased to offer this service to anyone who is currently serving or is a veteran of any branch of the U.S. military,” said Mark Elliott, president of Cortiva Institute- Scottsdale. Active and veteran members of the military need only bring their military ID to receive the discount. Those interested must call the Cortiva Student Clinic at 480-945-9461 for an appointment to take place between Nov. 16 and 21. The Clinic is located at 8010 E. McDowell Rd., Suite 214 in Scottsdale. In addition to the free massage offer, Cortiva Institute-Scottsdale is participating as a sponsor of Military Retiree Appreciation Day at Luke Air Force Base, set for Nov. 21 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Students and staff members will be on hand to offer complimentary massages to attendees of this event.
• Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium: Free Admission – The Zoo salutes active duty military and their household family members with a free day at the Zoo. Need to provide military i.d. Valid for Wednesday, November 11th.
• Northwest Trek Wildlife Park: Free Admission – Active duty military and the family members in their household receive free admission. To qualify for free admission on November 11, visitors must bring their military identification cards. Valid Wednesday, November 11th from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Do you know of some freebies or discounts being offered in honor of Veteran’s Day? If so, feel free to leave a comment below.

To find local businesses offering birthday discounts & freebies for adults, kids and pets, visit: Free Birthday Treats.

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Bakerella has outdone herself yet again! Apparently she has received a ton of requests for Elmo Cake Pops so in celebration of Sesame Street’s 40th Birthday, she created Oscar, Cookie Monster, Big Bird and Elmo cake pops.

Be sure to visit Bakerella’s Street Party post where she has shared over 26 pictures with instructions on how to make these delightful treats! Just perfect for a Sesame Street themed birthday party!

To find local businesses offering birthday discounts & freebies for adults, kids and pets, visit: Free Birthday Treats.

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What do grocery stores do with all those left over pumpkins? Well, in my hometown Anchorage, Alaska, the Anchorage Daily News reported that over 1,600 pumpkins were donated to the animals at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation. Definitely the right way to start off the month of Thanksgiving.

My family and I had the pleasure of visiting this conservation on our way to Girdwood, Alaska and had a blast seeing the wildlife up close. If memory serves me right, I believe someone got licked in the face and it wasn’t me!

I was born and raised in Anchorage and even though I haven’t been back as often as I’d like, I still call it home. When you’re planning those summer vacations, I highly recommend heading up to the Last Frontier for an Alaskan vacation. Start your research with Alaska HDTV. Scott and his crew have some amazing video, podcasts and TV shows about Alaska.

And if you are traveling up during your birthday month, be sure to visit FreeBirthdayTreats.com to see what the great State of Alaska has to offer by way of birthday freebies and discounts.

To find local businesses offering birthday discounts & freebies for adults, kids and pets, visit: Free Birthday Treats.

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Google has produced some amazing Google Logos in celebration of special occasions. In fact, they’ve done so well branding these special logos that when I saw Sesame Street’s Big Bird feet on Wednesday, I knew something special was happening….and it is! Sesame Street is celebrating it’s 40th birthday on November 10, 2009!

Can you believe Sesame Street has been around for 40 years? Sesame Street has certainly come a long way since I used to watch it when i was younger and even from when I watched it with my kids. They’ve kept up with the times and brought so much to our younger generations. Do you have a favorite character from your childhood days? I’d have to say that my favorite character is Cookie Monster because he was furry and blue and always made me laugh with his antics that would lead him to COOKIES! Reminds me alot of my son.

Stop by Sesame Street’s and get ready to be thrown back in time while watching vintage videos on their History of Sesame Street page. You can vote for your favorite video from the 80’s, read behind the scenes stories or download a Seseam Street wallpaper for your computer.

Thanks for the memories and HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY SESAME STREET!!!!

To find local businesses offering birthday discounts & freebies for adults, kids and pets, visit: Free Birthday Treats.

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There are many kids who are little chefs in disguise, and even if they aren’t, come Thanksgiving, when everyone is in the kitchen, the kids will appreciate helping you out!  It’s a great way to get them involved in the excitement of the big meal.  Children will appreciate contributing in any way that they can.

When thinking about some tasks they can do, keep in mind both the child’s age and the amount of time a task takes to do.  Make sure that the kitchen fun is age-appropriate, i.e young children should not be using knives or other sharp objects preparing food, and these types of objects should be out of reach so no accidents take place.  You may want to provide an apron to your little chef to protect clothes and help them get in the mood. Also, remember that kids will not want to be in the kitchen the whole day, as there are parades to watch, the football to throw, and perhaps a turkey craft to do.  So, keep their time in the kitchen limited to keep them excited, but not bored and restless.

Here are some great cooking ideas for the kids:

• Mash the potatoes
• Fill the pie shells with the filling
• Stuff the celery with cream cheese
• Arrange the vegetable tray
• Set out cheese and crackers
• Stir Jell-O
• Freeze ice cubes with cranberries
• Stuff the turkey
• Place ingredients in the salad and toss
• Whip the cream
• Fill the deviled eggs
• Rolling out the pie crust 

All of these will be fun.  If you have older kids (tweens and teens), perhaps they would like to peel potatoes and/or make the pie filling.

This is a great Thanksgiving Day activity and will really get your children into the spirit of the feast!

By Lisa Kothari, Peppers and Pollywogs

Happy November! It won’t be long before we are all biting at the bit trying to find out what the big Black Friday Deals and Cyber Monday Sales will be in 2009. Last year I put together a post featuring several sites that put in alot of time hunting down these precious sale ads. As a recap they are:

• BlackFriday.info
• Black Friday Ads (www.bfads.net)
• DealTaker.com Black Friday 2009 Deals
• Black Friday @ GottaDeal.com
• Black-Friday.net

• DealTaker.com Cyber Monday 2009
• CyberMonday.net
• CyberMonday.fm

Sears, however, is kicking off the holiday shopping season with weekly “Black Friday Now” deals with layaway options just in time for Christmas. These weekly “Black Friday Now” sales will take place every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. local time until Christmas.

‘Black Friday Now’ Means You Don’t Have to Wait to Start Saving on Seasons’ Hottest

Best Buy is also hosting their second annual Best Buy Black Friday VIP contest with the opportunity to win a $1,000 Gift Card, early entry into the store and VIP Treatment on the morning after Thanksgiving. To enter, participants must submit, in 250 words or less, what they are most excited about this Black Friday.

Entries will be accepted online at www.bestbuyvipcontest.com from November 2, 2009 to November 20, 2009 with 25 VIP winners, one winner in each market, notified by November 24, 2009. To be eligible to win, participants must live within a 20-mile radius of a participating market.

Target’s 2009 Black Friday two-day sale starts Friday, November 27th at 5 a.m. You can get a sneak peak at Target.com/weeklyad and Target will let you know the minute these Black Friday deals arrive—just sign up now for Weekly Ad Email Reminders.

Some of these sites are also on Twitter so I used Twitter’s newest feature “Twitter Lists” to create a Black-Friday Twitter List. This will make it easier to sort through tweets to see these deals pop-up. Just follow the list and you’re set to go.

Budget concerns are always an issue around the holidays so other options for holiday gift shopping would be Craigslist, eBay and Regiftable.

Of course, for those of you with birthdays still coming up in 2009, Disney’s offer of a free birthday admission is good until the end of the year!

Happy Holidays with wishes for great savings!

To find local businesses offering birthday discounts & freebies for adults, kids and pets, visit: Free Birthday Treats.

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Just a quick FYI: Red Robin Gourmet Burgers has posted this notice on their website warning visitors that someone is distributing a fraudulent email and/or a postcard offer:

Notice Regarding Fraudulent Coupon Offer

A fraudulent Red Robin coupon offering a free Gourmet Burger and sundae has been circulating via the internet and email, and also has been distributed in a printed version by a variety of unauthorized sources. Red Robin does not sponsor or endorse these fraudulent offers and Red Robin restaurants will not fulfill any offers appearing in deceptive or fraudulent coupons.

However, Red Robin does offer a free birthday burger to adults and kids, if you join their Red Robin eClub online.

To find local businesses offering birthday discounts & freebies for adults, kids and pets, visit: Free Birthday Treats.

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It’s here! The day that ghosts, goblins and creatures of all sorts venture out to collect their free treats!

If you still need some pumpkin carving ideas, check out our previous post, Free Pumpkin Carving Patterns, Stencils & Templates. You’ll be sure to find a pumpkin carving template to help you design just about anything!

Do you like to toast or roast pumpkin seeds? Check out these links for some helpful tips and recipes:

• Rachael Ray: Halloween Central – Several Roast Pumpkin Seed Recipes
• Disney FamilyFun: Toasted Pumpkin Seed Snack
• Allrecipes.com: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• TucsonCitizen.com: Pumpkin seeds: Something different to try
• wikiHow.com: How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds (includes pics and video)
• eHow.com: How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds (video series)

Don’t forget the FREEBIES! Visit our recent post, Halloween Freebies, so you don’t miss out on some free food and treats…for ALL ages!

Just for fun, check out the following links of pets dressed up in costumes for Halloween:

• PawNation.com: Pet Halloween Costumes
• Good Housekeeping: Dog Star Wars Costumes
• The Huffington Post: Costumed Critters: The Funniest Pet Get-Ups Ever

Last, but not least, have a spooktacular and safe Halloween!

To find local businesses offering birthday discounts & freebies for adults, kids and pets, visit: Free Birthday Treats.

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We can never get enough free stuff can we? Although Halloween is generally a time for our kids to rake in the free candy, there are several businesses out there as well offering free Halloween treats and food to all ages. Here are just a few sites that have posted links to some great freebies:

• Huliq News: Free Halloween Treats and Meals for Adults and Kids
• NCB 5 Florida: Deal of the Day: Halloween freebies galore
• Newsobserver.com – Sue Stock: Halloween freebies…

Many grocery stores are also offering special sales encouraging parents to bring in their costumed kids for trick-or-treating around the store. Our local Fry’s grocery store had a Moonlight Madness sale yesterday with stations for kids to visit for some free treats.

Michael’s Craft Stores is hosting a free Halloween event on Saturday, October 31, 2009 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Kids get a free trick or treat pail plus participate in some craft activities.

If we missed some, please feel free to post more Halloween freebies below in the comments!

To find local businesses offering birthday discounts & freebies for adults, kids and pets, visit: Free Birthday Treats.

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