Kids Meal Crowd

Current Kids Meal Toys: Feb 5th edition

2010-02-06T00:04:00.001-05:00

The kids got McDonald's gift cards, so I wanted to get my research done in case they wanted to use them this weekend. Here's what you can find with your Happy Kids Meals this weekend:

McDonalds -- Penguins of Madagascar (February 5-25) And next up: Star Wars and iCarly!

Burger King -- Spectacular Spiderman and Polly Pocket

Wendy's -- I Spy mini-games. And next up: Crayola

Have a wonderful weekend.

GLEE withdrawal

2010-02-04T18:42:00.002-05:00

I really miss the TV show GLEE. The wait until April for new episodes is just not fair. This might explain my smile when I saw this clip from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Enjoy!

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Totally Inspiring Mom 2.0 Video

2010-01-29T13:08:00.000-05:00

No explanation needed. Enjoy the power of words and images that connect with both your heart and your head. Beautiful piece. Thank you Katherine Center!

Did you have the same response that I did watching this?

Price Chopper $7.50 off $75 Printable Coupon

2010-01-27T22:58:00.000-05:00

Be sure to check your inbox for an email from Price Chopper, there was a nice printable Chopper Shopper Bonus Coupon -- $7.50 off a $75 purchase valid through Sunday, January 31st. Please let me know if that link doesn't work for you, it does seem to take a few moments to load so try to be patient.

The coupon is limit of one per customer, and looks like the $75 is AFTER Advantage Card and coupon savings. Valid dates are Thursday 1/28 - Sunday 1/31.

Look for the regular Chopper Shopper coupons on Thursday.

Will Shaw's also accept this as a competitor coupon?

Free February Vacation Camp to Kids in Active Military Families (NH, VT, MA, ME)

2010-01-26T16:36:00.001-05:00

Sometimes things happen for a reason. I got an email at work that at the time seemed really random. But I read on and thought I should be spreading the word about a great opportunity for families here in New England. I also really wanted to support the military families out there that I have so much respect for. The deployments of National Guard units from VT and NH impact friends and community members in the towns I've lived in and I hope some of you will be able to either benefit directly or share this information with others.

The 2010 Military Youth February Vacation Program at American Youth Foundation-Merrowvista in Center Tuftonboro, New Hampshire is a camp offered at no charge to active military families. This camp is meant to serve military kids ages 8-13 whose parents or siblings serve in NH, VT, MA or ME National Guard. There will be two sessions offered: Session A runs is February 16th to February 18th and Session B is February 23rd to February 25th.

The February Vacation Program at Merrowvista will offer children the opportunity to enjoy traditional camp activities as well as activities unique to the season. Campers will base out of a warm, winterized lodge while following a typical camp schedule throughout the day. Activities offered during the program include snow shoeing, indoor ropes course and climbing wall, arts & crafts, outdoor survival, cross country skiing, singing camp songs, outdoor cooking, and a winter carnival. Merrowvista's programs encourage participants to take on challenges and real responsibility as they live, play and learn together.

If you'd like to register or for more information contact Karen Sulewski directly at (603)539-6607 x 2015. After registration you will be mailed a camper forms packet and more information regarding American Youth Foundation-Merrowvista. Space is limited, so reach out to Karen soon to secure your child's place at camp!

And most importantly, sincere appreciation for your family members service to their country.

New Price Chopper Coupons Released

2010-01-14T07:45:00.002-05:00

There are four new Price Chopper coupons now available (valid through Jan. 17, 2010):

Frozen Mahi Mahi Fillets for $3.99 (save $3)
McCormick Grinders for $0.49 (save $2.20)
Central Market Salad Dressings for $1 (save $1.29)
Eastern Apples, 5 lb bag for $2.99 (save $1.90)

These are Smartsource-based coupons that you must print out one at a time. Be sure that the first coupon is done printing before you click the next coupon or you may get an error message.

And don't forget that there are also two Facebook Fan coupons valid this week! These include:

Price Chopper half-gallon Orange Juice for 50 cents
Price Chopper 65-85 ct Facial Tissue for 50 cents

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

How I Spent My Holiday Vacation...Welcome 2010!

2010-01-02T23:59:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year! I've been meaning to blog and have about 15 post topics flying around in my head right now. Not to mention cold medicine...I'm starting 2010 with a head cold and thinking that things should only go up from here.

Mostly, I've just been trying to enjoy this time with my family. Too often I get caught up in the day-to-day details of life in this crazy family of five. I've really spent some time during this holiday break to reflect on what *really* matters in life and noting that how we spend our time and energy doesn't always coincide with those priorities. Does that ring any bells for you?

So I promise, a more detailed post about my 2009 reflections and plans for 2010 are in the works. Best wishes for you as we begin the '10s!

PS: Just a note that if you haven't already done so, please become a Fan of Kids Meal Crowd on Facebook! I will be adding a bunch of useful links and quick deal updates there when I don't have a chance to complete a whole new blog post. I promise -- useful stuff, from some great blog and web resources!

Menu Plan Monday: Week of December 28th

2009-12-28T23:57:00.000-05:00

I can hardly believe it's nearly 2010! The New Year will bring about lots of milestones for our family; among them: Sydney turns 10 (eek...double digits!) and will be moving from the town's elementary school to the larger district middle school, Todd and I will be 35, and our youngest son Zach will leave child care and start Kindergarten. Wow. Lots to look forward to.

I wanted to start off on the right foot with a quick and easy menu for the week. The kids are on school vacation, and I am on Winter Break from Dartmouth . Sydney has a basketball tournament this week, and we've decided to ring in the New Year right here at home.

Breakfasts will consist of regular fare most days: cold cereal and milk, toast/english muffins, scrambled eggs, oatmeal. New Years Day will have a "fancier" brunch feel: eggs, bacon, cinnamon buns, fresh fruit and Raspberry Jubilee.

Lunches will also be simple and based on what the kids requested: sandwiches (PB&J, grilled cheese, leftover Christmas ham), soup, quesadillas, fresh fruit, chips/crackers, string cheese. We may also go to Friendly's at some point this week as a "treat".

Dinners (in no particular order):

leftover ribs and steak, ham, au gratin potatoes and/or popcorn chicken and rice, fresh veggies
spaghetti and meatballs, salad, garlic bread
Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin, mashed potatoes, veggies
some sort of chicken breast perhaps crockpot brown sugar chicken, sliced oven potatoes, veggies
chili, cornbread, salad
New Years Eve = take out (likely chinese, maybe pizza)
leftover buffet or fantastic appetizer buffet

Special items for any holiday entertaining:

cookies
chocolate pecan pie
Sydney's favorite salsa dip (mix together 1 block softened lite cream cheese + 1/3 of a jar of salsa - we like Green Mountain Gringo)
snack mix
Cheeseburger Beer Dip
cocktail weiners wrapped in bacon (cook under broiler)

Hop on over to The Org Junkie site for many, many more ideas for your meals this week. Wishing you the best for 2010 and always!

H1N1 Vaccinations in the Upper Valley

2009-12-28T14:28:00.000-05:00

I'm the last one in my family to be getting my H1N1 flu vaccination, but I will be doing so this week. Thanks to Alice Peck Day Hospital for sharing this information. Several Upper Valley Towns will have H1N1 Clinics. Hope you can take a few minutes to take advantage of this. Even if you have already been sick, if it wasn't tested and confirmed H1N1, you should still get this vaccination. Better to be safe than sorry! I also noticed that the Walgreens in West Lebanon, NH had signs up about an H1N1 availability, so you can also check with them.

DHMC will be offering H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccinations to all patients and visitors ages 10 and above on Tuesday, December 29 and Wednesday, December 30 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at a special public clinic that can be found on Level 4 near the Parking Garage entrance and the Faulkner Building (formerly known as the Doctor’s Office Building).

Other towns offering H1N1 clinics on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 at the following locations:

Lyme, NH – Fire Station, High Street, Lyme, NH – 3PM-7PM

Plainfield, NH – Plainfield Elementary School – 3PM-6PM

Canaan, NH – Canaan Fire Station – 3PM-7PM

Grantham, NH – Grantham Town Office (Community Room) – 3PM-7PM

<p>http://www.flu.gov/widgets/vaccinelocator.html</p>

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

2009-12-25T02:22:00.000-05:00

It's been a quiet blogging week for me as we complete our final prep for a wonderful holiday. All the hard work is totally worth it when you see the looks of joy and excitement on the faces of your children and others you love - don't you agree?

We spent today doing a few errands while Todd was at work, cleaning up around the house, opening up "The Mom Store" for the kids, wrapping gifts, tracking Santa's path on NORAD, sledding by the light of the moon and holiday lights display, putting out our reindeer food in the yard, and getting the plate of cookies for Santa out.
Enjoy the time with your families. I know we will.

Crocs Deal of the Day

2009-12-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

What cute Crocs for $9.99! These will be great shoes to keep at the office to slip into when I wear my snow boots.

Crocs Deal of the Day! Great Deals everyday this December!

I'm finishing up my holiday shopping today. Then it's time to wrap. How are you doing with all of your final holiday plans and preparations?

Disclosure: I am a Crocs affiliate.

Amazon Deals = I miss mall shopping a whole lot less

2009-12-16T09:28:00.005-05:00

OK, so I know this isn't a news flash or anything but Amazon has been getting lots more of my business since I started my Amazon Prime Trial Month. It's great to have free 2-Day delivery, especially with the Gold Box and Lightning Deals that have been popping up recently. I've been able to get 50% off Lego sets and a few other things that were already on my watch list. There are more good items up for grabs today (DVDs, camera, and of course...TOYS!)

I also love the forums on Gotta Deal for ideas about what toys are in the bargain bin. A huge help, and as I said in my title -- all this shopping from home makes it oh so much easier to forget about being an hour away from a mall, or Target, or even Toys R Us.

Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate. Any order that you start (even if you don't purchase the item in the link) will add some pennies to support my blogging habit. It's those pennies that add up for me to purchase things like the $10 Good Card that I just gave out to one of my awesome Facebook Fans! Many thanks.

Decorating for the Holidays

2009-12-15T16:30:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to be part of today's Decorating for the Holidays Blog Hop! Many thanks to The Frugal Housewife for hosting, and for the other bloggers who have made this a really fun experience. I've been introduced to several new blogs that I have now added to my list of "must reads" and I hope you have the same luck.

One of the things that I used to love to do, but really haven't had a chance to do in quite some time is to scrapbook. The idea of putting together our family stories so that we can remember them and share with others always made sense to me. I realized recently that my decrease in scrapbooking has been mirrored by an introduction to blogging and utilizing social media (Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, etc). I'm still capturing the stories, the cute kid quotes and the silly photos...but now I am doing so electronically and publically. One of the tools I have started to use in 2009 is Whrrl. I can start my "story" from my phone and use mobile photos and text messages to really capture items while we are in the moment. You can also do so via their web site. Easy to embed (as you will see below) and to share. How have you used technology to share your stories?

The topic of the blog hop today was "Decorating for the Holidays". Well, we haven't quite started this in full effect, so I thought it would be fun to use this as an example of what you can do with Whrrl.

So, please realize that this story is still in progress. Check back for more photos in this story throughout the week as we prepare our home for holidays!

Check out the next stop on the Decorating for the Holidays Blog Hop: Insights From a Superhero's Mom! Hope to see you again here at Kids Meal Crowd.

Edited on 12/15/09:
My apologies! I thought I had set this post to publish on Monday, December 14th...but I ended up just saving a draft. Thanks to all of you here for the Blog Hop -- I'd still encourage you to read this post and to visit the other wonderful blogs who were a part of this.

Giveaway for Good: $10 Good Card for Facebook Fans

2009-12-14T02:13:00.001-05:00

I've avoided this for a while, but it's time for Kids Meal Crowd to have a Facebook Fan Page! I've got a handful of holiday-friendly giveaways to mark milestones for KMC Facebook Fans.

Here's the first:
Once the Kids Meal Crowd blog has 25 fans, I'll do a quick drawing and give someone a $10 Good Card from Network for Good. This is a gift that is meant to be regifted! Your favorite non-profit can benefit from your quick action here.

Feel free to spread the word to your Facebook friends and Twitter followers. You can find me @uppervalleymom. Thanks, and look for more giveaways announced to celebrate 100 Facebook Fans and then 500 Facebook Fans!

I will be sure to include an update about this giveaway in my Decorating for the Holidays Blog Hop post coming up later today. Thanks to The Frugal Housewife, who is hosting the Blog Hop on December 14th and to the 23 blogs participating!

Clothing Warehouse Sale in Manchester, NH

2009-12-12T01:30:00.000-05:00

It's times like these that I wished I lived closer to "the big city"! I found out via Twitter (one of my most favorite money saving tools) that UnderCurrents, an off-price clothing store in Dover, NH was going to have a big warehouse sale this month. Did you see that they were also recently featured on the TV program NH Chronicle?

I think it is important to support local businesses, so here's the scoop for your tax-free New Hampshire shopping:

The sale is running 12/11-12/24 and they are open from 9am-7pm daily

Sale merchandise includes items from Calvin Klein, Jones NY, ABS, New Balance and many more designer labels, with prices starting at $2.00 and going up to $90.00 (for the pricier items)

They will also have Marden's Of Maine merchandise included, and a Designer Jewelry and Watch sale on Saturday 12/12.

I would suggest you also check out and connect with UnderCurrents online, as they often announce special sales and coupons via social media:

Find them on Twitter @UnderCurrentsNH
Fan them on FaceBook
Visit their website
Check out photos of some of their items and "action photos" on Flickr

Don't forget that this Warehouse Sale only lasts from December 11 to 24th. I'm guessing that it will be worth the trip -- that's why I'll be driving the 1.5 hours to Manchester!

Happy holidays, and if you have a New England nonprofit/business/event that you'd like me to spotlight here at Kids Meal Crowd -- please be sure to contact me. I'd love to help get the word out.

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for writing this, just wanted to share a good deal that happens to be in NH! Happy holiday.

WFMW: Easy Bake Oven Coupon + Rebate at Toys R Us Stores

2009-12-09T18:52:00.003-05:00

All the best bargain shoppers know that to maximize your savings, try to stack sales + coupons + rebates. Two out of three aren't bad either. So this is a holiday shopping deal that Works For Me!

If you have a girl on your holiday list that is looking for an Easy Bake Oven, consider shopping at Toys R Us on Thursday, December 10th for $14.99! This looks to be an in-store only deal, not available online.

According to their web site, this toy sells for $24.99. But on Dec. 10th, you can also use their $5 off coupon for Rewards Members (find it on page 3 of the 5 pages of coupons valid in-store on 12/10/09 ONLY). Plus, you can use this $5 mail in rebate for a total of $10 off!

Please note for the rebate you must have a regular store receipt, NOT a gift receipt. Must purchase the Easy Bake Oven at a Toys R Us store sometime between 12/6/09 and 4/30/10. No UPC is required, just the completed form and valid receipt.

Be sure to check out all of the other great Works For Me Wednesday ideas at We Are THAT Family this week.

$5 MP3 Album Downloads at Amazon

2009-12-09T15:44:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite holiday movie soundtracks is only $5! Ho Ho Ho, it's off to Amazon I go. They now have 100 albums for $5 -- some holiday themed, some new releases, some classics. I love to charge up and pre-load some music onto MP3 players that we give to family members. Then they can try it out immediately.

Happy Snow Day.

Disclosure: Kids Meal Crowd is an Amazon affiliate, so if you do shop at Amazon through one of the links above, I receive a small percentage to help support the blog. Many thanks!

WFMW: Kids Meal Toys as Stocking Stuffers

2009-12-02T09:38:00.000-05:00

This week's theme for Works for Me Wednesday is "Best Gift Tip". Well, one of the best things I started doing years ago was to start a secret collection of kids meal toys that I would then use as stocking stuffers, Girl Scout goodie bag items, and gift basket fillers.

I would find these extra toys from the times I might go through the drive thru with the kids and not want a full meal, so I'd get a kids meal. Or when the grandparents passed them along. For some toys, I might even be able to pick up an extra right at the restaurant (sometimes for a small fee, sometimes free).

I have a natural affinity for kids meal toys - heck, that is the reason I started blogging!
Just in case you are not sure of the current kids meal toys being offered, here's a list of the big three in my area (and this is a regular feature of the Kids Meal Crowd blog):

Wendy's
Leap Frog Toys -- And don't forget about the coupons on the bag and in the toy!
Sneak Peak...Click on "coming soon" to see the next batch: Mad Libs

Burger King
Planet 51

McDonalds
November13 - December 10
Strawberry Shortcake and Nerf
Extra Savings...There is a Nerf retail coupon in the Nerf toy.

Don't forget to check out all of the other excellent Works for Me Wednesday ideas at We Are That Family.

Thompson Top 5: Favorite Family Holiday Activities

2009-12-02T06:51:00.004-05:00

We're always looking for fun things to do as a family. This is especially true during this time of year when the energy and anticipation run so high! So here's the first of a new feature here at Kids Meal Crowd...the Thompson Top 5!

"What are Your 5 Favorite Holiday Activities to do with Your Kids?"

Watching Holiday Shows -- This is something both my husband and I enjoyed as kids, and have passed that along to our children. Old favorites like Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Charlie Brown Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas...and new favorites like The Polar Express, ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas line up and Christmas Vacation (OK this last one isn't new, and more a parent favorite, but I had to add it!).
Christmas Lights -- We are blessed to live in a town with a really spectacular local attraction, the LaSallette Shrine Christmas Lights. It is really beautiful and lights up the whole hillside. You can see it across the lake and visitors come from all over to explore the display, drink hot chocolate in the shrine cafeteria, and make a birthday card for baby Jesus. We also really enjoy the big Holiday Tree being lit in the middle of the Dartmouth Green, and other holiday events in the Dartmouth community.
Little Wieners -- For one reason or another, "Little Wieners" has become a favorite holiday appetizer. The kids all like hot dogs, and the sauce is sweet and tangy, plus its super easy. Throw into your slow cooker the following items: 1/2 big jar of grape jelly and 2 bottles of chili sauce (near the ketchup at the store, but NOT cocktail sauce, which is in similar bottles! lesson learned.) plus a big package (or two smaller ones) of cocktail wieners/L'il Smokies. Cook on high if you need them to warm up immediately, or on low for the longer period of time. The longer they cook, the better they taste - the tangy sauce is flavorful. Not a gourmet offering, but family fave!
Shopping at the "Mom Store" -- The week before Christmas, I usually open up the "Mom Store" for business. Here is where I have a few items set aside for each child based on their interests or what I think they might like, and then I have each of the three kids come in and "shop" for something that they want to "buy" as a gift for each other. The Rules: The kids earn the opportunity to shop at the Mom Store by completing chores we outline, they must pick something out for each one of their siblings and parents plus an item to donate to another family, and we wrap the gifts (except the donation) right then and there to place under the tree. The items I use for this are usually in the $15 and under range, so smaller things -- but not stocking stuffers. I can tell they look forward to this, as when I tell the kids to save some money for Christmas shopping, they tell me "Why, are you charging us money at the Mom Store this year?". Too funny.
Sledding on Christmas Eve -- When we moved to NH in 2007 and decided that we would save Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for our personal family celebration, this new tradition of sledding on Christmas Eve was born. There is a great sledding hill right next to the LaSallette Shrine mentioned above. By the moonlight and the light of the holiday display, we like to take few runs down the hill on our sleds. We take our dog Zoe as well -- and it is all so much fun. I have to say that I was not all that excited when Todd suggested this, but it has turned out to be a great way to burn off some of the holiday energy and tire the kids out before Santa arrives.

Thanks to TwitterMoms for encouraging us to post about this. You can find other great ideas discussed here.

What are your favorite activities to do with kids during the holidays? Would love to see them in the comments section. Happy December!

Watch Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure Dec. 6 on NickelodeonFavorite Holiday Activities with Kids

Disclosure: This post is a contest entry. TwitterMoms and Nickelodeon are partnering to give away a small number of AMEX gift cards and Dora's Christmas Carol DVDs. See the contest details here.

Christmas Tree Giveaway - $799 value!

2009-11-30T09:00:00.001-05:00

The holidays are here, and thanks to this new contest from Balsam Hill -- you could have a brand new Colorado Mountain Spruce Christmas tree valued at $799. The contest ends on December 10th.

Artificial Christmas tree sweepstakes at Balsam Hill

OK, as a northern New England gal, I have never actually owned an artificial Christmas tree, but this one really does look beautiful. And I can't say that I would be sad to have the twinkle lights already on the tree! That has got to be my least favorite part of decorating (except for the needle clean up in January).

Full Disclosure: If you are the winner and you entered via my link, I will also receive a prize as the referring blogger ($500). Good luck to us both!

$10 off at Toys R Us; Staples $25 Free in Sharpies and Free Batteries

2009-11-30T06:42:00.001-05:00

Hello Cyber Monday!

Here's a few more deals that I wanted to share:

SAVE $10 off your $60 Order at toysrus.com when you use Google Checkout...

*Offer valid only when you use Google Checkout as your payment method and is automatically applied during checkout. Order total must be $60 before tax and shipping. Limit one person. Offer good for a limited time only. Certain product restrictions apply; please see shopping cart for individual product Google Checkout eligibility. Please note that if one or more items in the shopping cart are excluded from Google Checkout eligibility, the entire order is not eligible.

FREE Duracell Batteries at Staples (after Staples Rewards)...
Santa always needs batteries! You can stock up on batteries until 12/26/09 and then receive your $12.99/pack refund in your January 2010 Staples Rewards check. Bonus packs of AA and AAA are included, and you can get rewards for up to 2 packs a week. In-store and online.

FREE $25 of Sharpie Products at Staples (afer coupon code)...
Although this coupon code (96140) has been not working properly on Sunday, Staples customer service seems to know about it, and has advised that this should be working on Monday. You can also call their toll-free hotline for assistance. This deal is online only, and ends on 11/30/09.

Do you have other great deals that you have found for Cyber Monday?

Savings at Amazon Continues - Cyber Monday

2009-11-29T17:54:00.000-05:00

I've been a satisfied Amazon customer for quite some time. This is one of my favorite times - as Amazon has provided some great items at reasonable prices, shipped right to my door.

With Cyber Monday looming large, take advantage of what Amazon has to offer! Here are some of the deals I've done so far:

Amazon Cyber Monday Deals

Amazon Prime Free Month Trial - great for those last minute gift purchases that you need to receive in a hurry

Holiday Toy List

Free $3 to use in MP3 department (there are several $5 albums!)

And don't forget that you can still get a bonus $10 Amazon gift card when you load up a Coinstar machine with $40 in change!

"When you cash in $40 or more in coins onto an Amazon.com eCertificate, and you’ll get the full value of your coins, plus Coinstar will send you a bonus $10 Amazon.com Gift Card. Offer good through 12/6/09."

Disclosure: Kids Meal Crowd is an Amazon affiliate, so if you do shop at Amazon through one of the links above, I receive a small percentage to help support the blog. Many thanks! Kids Meal Crowd has no deal with Coinstar, I just wanted to be sure you knew about this deal.

Kodak Picture Movie DVD Coupons - expire Nov 29th

2009-11-22T22:34:00.001-05:00

Just in time for your Thanksgiving get-togethers or your holiday gifting, Kodak has two short dated printable coupons available for their Picture Movie DVDs. These coupons are for use at the yellow Kodak kiosks you can find at Alco, Bel-Air, CVS, Discount Drug Mart, Hy-Vee, Jewel-Osco, Kinney Drugs, Nob Hill, Raley's, ShopRite, and Target.

Kodak Kiosk printable coupons will expire on 11/29/09, and you are limited to one coupon per purchase. When you click print you should find two (they will print on different sheets of paper):

Buy One, Get One Free Kodak Picture Movie DVD (up to $14.99 max value)
FREE 4x6 photo book with the purchase of one Kodak Picture Movie DVD (up to max $7.99 value)

I'm planning on making a couple of these for my mom (her birthday is November 25th) and other family members for holiday gifts. I'm going to spend the next couple of days picking out my groups of 60 photos to bring to the kiosk so that I have everything ready to go.

Are there any participating stores that just happen to have sales on these this week? That would really sweeten the deal!

Not familiar with the Kodak Movie DVDs? Here's what their web site mentions:
KODAK Picture Movie DVD automatically combines your song choice with a pan and zoom effect to make your pictures move with the music.
It's easy. Do it all with the push of a few buttons.

Bring up to 60 digital prints to the store.
Select an original song from available top-name artists.

The KODAK Picture Kiosk puts your pictures in motion to the beat of a tune.
Make a KODAK Picture Movie DVD in minutes... only at the KODAK Picture Kiosk. Right around the corner.

Anissa Needs Us

2009-11-20T09:18:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure when I first started following the story of Peyton, as shared by her mom Anissa. But the narrative was so real and so touching that I couldn't help but be impressed by this girl, this mom, this family and their courage and strength. See, during this time, a young cousin (about the same age as Peyton) was battling cancer too. Knock on wood -- both children are now out of treatment and are doing well.

Anissa Mayhew, a mom of 3 from Florida, is not a person I know in real life. But honestly, as with several of my online connections, I feel like I know more about her from her powerful writing and quick Twitter wit than I know about some of my "real life" friends. I've been missing that sense of humor since earlier this week, as have tons of others. Anissa had a stroke.

I'm hoping that you will keep Anissa and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Her husband wrote such an expressive post, I just had to ask for your help.

If you are on Twitter, you can search for the hashtag #prayersforanissa for updates, and to see how the online community is rallying around this family. The power of the interwebs is amazing, isn't it?

LeapFrog $5 coupons in Wendy's Kids Meals

2009-11-15T23:57:00.001-05:00

Another busy weekend comes to a close. We had a full two weeks between youth sports seasons...too bad we were all sick and couldn't really relax! We grabbed a quick lunch at Wendy's in between buying basketball sneakers and attending a Girl Scout service unit event (Flag Retirement Ceremony).

We knew that LeapFrog toys were on tap, but I was happy to find a bonus $5 coupon on the bag for the LeapFrog Tag Reading System or Storybook. Expires 2/9/2010, so this will be handy to have for Black Friday/holiday shopping...not to mention scanning the toy clearance in January.

The kids meal toy itself also has a $5 coupon in with it - $5 off the Leapster 2 Gaming System or a Leapster Learning Game -- but this is only valid for purchases online at leapfrog.com. The code is WENDYLF9, hope that helps someone.

And just to give you a heads up: the next theme for Wendy's Kids Meals Toys are Mad Libs. Love it!

Have a great week.