the busy super mom

Swagbucks

2017-06-17T01:49:00.001-04:00

You Can Get Free Gift Cards For Shopping, Searching and Discovering What's Online at Swagbucks.com

Ibotta

2017-05-30T20:26:00.000-04:00

Ibotta

I've spent only about 15 minutes total on Ibotta within the past 12 months and have made over $95! Just scan your receipts and barcodes of select items (like bread, bananas, milk, etc). It'seems so easy!

Click on the link, sign up, and after redeeming your first brand rebate you'll have more than $10 in your account. I redeem for Sams gift cards but they have others and PayPal too!

Click on the text link below to sign up. My referral code gives adds the welcome bonus feature.

Use my referral code, qpsqwxj, and you can get a $10 welcome bonus. Sign up at https://ibotta.com/r/qpsqwxj

Endorse.com

2011-12-12T19:34:00.000-05:00

I haven't had the time blog recently but I did want to give an update on my "endorse"ment status.

They have processed some of my receipts and the reward status states:

Check Sent Dec 20, 2011 $-37.30 Payment

There are additional credits afterwards so apparently that is from one receipt!

If you don't know what endorse is check out my earlier post:

http://thebusysupermom.blogspot.com/2011/10/endorse.html

Just know that endorse has changed some of their policies and now give 3% for stores you "love." ie: Kroger, Walmart, etc

I am definitely going to stick with this!

Walmart Black Friday Ad 2011!

2011-11-09T17:59:00.000-05:00

This is what Walmart commented on their own post-- Hey Everyone - we will be releasing the Entire Black Friday Ad at 12:01am EST so have your notebooks and pens ready to start making those lists!
51 minutes ago

https://www.facebook.com/#!/walmart?sk=wall

This is available to their Facebook friends so go "Like" them.

Spooky Jello

2011-10-31T18:55:00.000-04:00

Eww! Gross!

Though these eyeball gumballs will float, they also disintegrate!

I waited until the jello was congealed then used a melon baller to make a hole for the eyes.

2 of 3 classes agreed that these were a cool treat!

More Dollar General 10 cents finds!

2011-10-27T18:06:00.001-04:00

10 cents!!!!

I never realized it before, but there are three Dollar General stores on my way home!

Today I pick up some items for the school fall festival, some more plant drip pans, and 4 sets of 4 plastic plates. The plates will be perfect for cookouts, birthday and slumber parties!

I also snagged a play dress for my daughter for a dollar! (maybe it'll fit her next year)

10 cents a piece!!

$3.30 total for everything on the page plus a toy that one of the kids has already ran off with!

Dollar General 10 cents sale!!!

2011-10-26T19:36:00.001-04:00

Hurry over to Dollar General!

Summer items are 10 cents each!

Our Dollar General had already sold out of the large bags of ant killer and tiki torches but I was able to stock up on some useful items.

The flip flops were 50 cents but everything else cost only 10 cents a piece!

Disney Cars Party

2011-10-25T21:10:00.002-04:00

When my youngest turned 4, he insisted on another Cars party.

Having two boys, this had to be the 3rd or 4th car party (some Hotwheels and some Disney Cars).

Keeping in theme, we held a garage party.

The guests decorated license plates when they walked in.

They were made of foam rectangles from the dollar store.

I punched 2 holes at the top and laced them with string so we all could wear them around the house.

The next party station was Ramone's Body Art.

I tied the sign to the fire place grate and placed it in front of our school desk.

I had a bowl full of tattoos on top of the desk and another bowl to hold a wet rag.

A teenage neighbor operated this station and the children loved it!

I placed a sign in the hall entrance that gave the children a choice of their next destination.

Lightning McQueen's Piston Cup Playhouse was our playroom set up with all of my son's Cars toys.

Sally's Color Works was a coloring area in our dining room.

I found Cars coloring sheets online.

After the children finished coloring they had the opportunity to decorate the garage with their art.

At this point the children needed some fuel.

Our convenience store station had drinks, cheese curls, Doritos, and traffic lights.

(See end of post for recipe.)

The last stop was the garage, a.k.a. Flo's Cafe and the Radiator Springs Drive-In Theatre.

We used tarps to divide the garage.

Tacky? Yes!

Appropriate to the theme? Totally!

For the Radiator Springs Drive-In Theatre I set up a TV and played the Cars movie.

(My kids cheated and started the movie while I was setting everything up!)

Flo's Cafe:

I served sandwiches and apple slices in little paper sacks that had Cars stickers on them.

They enjoyed a Lighting McQueen birthday cake and ice cream during the movie as well.

After opening gifts, we moved the table to the side and pulled out a tire.

It was time for a good old fashioned bean bag toss!

The winner received a plastic trophy and all the children "won" their goodie bags.

The party was amazing and so simple!

Traffic Lights:

First, spread half of a graham cracker with icing.

(fyi: Pillsbury Vanilla is the best non-homemade icing!)

I added M&Ms, then refrigerated over night.

You can serve without placing them in the fridge, however they taste really good cold and it kept them fresh until the party.

Drop buttermilk biscuits

2011-10-23T20:54:00.000-04:00

If there is ever a day that I don't make cornbread, it means I've made some homemade biscuits!

These are a favorite in my house and I believe it's surely one thing that every true southerner should know how to do!

Several people have asked me how do I make them, so I've finally measured out the ingredients!

If this is your first time making buttermilk biscuits, I recommend that you employee your spouse or kids to help since the process is a little messy!

I consider myself lucky to have three children who fight at the chance to cook something!

---

Here's what you'll need:

2 sticks of butter

1 1/4 cup of buttermilk

(Do not use sweet milk and do not attempt to turn sweet milk into buttermilk by adding lemon juice!

If you don't have real buttermilk, don't make buttermilk biscuits!)

A bunch of flour!

(You have two options.)

Use 2 1/4 cups of self rising flour for the dough

Use 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 1/8 teaspoon of salt and 3 3/8 teaspoons baking powder

(I buy all-purpose flour in bulk so adding the salt and baking powder is my personal preference.

(I googled the conversion to make sure I state the measurements correctly.

Normally, I just let the teaspoons run over!)

More flour to coat your surface and to sprinkle on the dough later.

---

Here's how you make them:

Pour your flour into a large bowl.

If using all-purpose, mix in baking powder and salt with a fork.

Slice 1 1/2 sticks of butter into small triangles.

Using your fingers, mush together the butter and flour.

Add about 4 butter pieces at a time until the mixture resembles crumbs.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add buttermilk and mush it all together some more!

Yes, it's really cold!

Drop your dough onto a very floured surface.

Sprinkle your hands with flour to remove the goo and to prevent sticking.

Flatten the dough to about an inch thick and sprinkle it with a little flour.

Fold the dough and repeat the process 2 times.

Then repeat once more, leaving the dough at a half of an inch thick.

Drop biscuits are loved for their taste not looks so cutting them out is not necessary.

I usually do though, using a cheap plastic kids cup.

Arrange the biscuits on a baking sheet so that they are touching.

By now your oven should be at the right temperature; so stick them in.

While the biscuits bake, melt the other 1/2 stick of butter.

I place the butter in a cup on the back burner of the stove.

The residual heat on the oven melts it perfectly.

After 12 minutes, brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted butter.

Your house should be smelling really good by now!

Turn the broiler on low.

In about two minutes the tops will be golden.

Remove from the oven.

They should be soft on the inside.

Enjoy!

Freebies Day!

2011-10-22T21:47:00.000-04:00

I picked up my full sized Sauve Professionals product today.

That offer is no longer available. But you may enjoy some of these free items you can receive by mail.
Check out all the free stuff! It shouldn't take you but a few minutes to complete and you'll have a full mail box everyday!

FREE sample of the limited edition NESCAFÉ® Peppermint Mocha!

Like them on Facebook and then fill out the request form.

https://www.facebook.com/nescafeusa?sk=app_112925635457264

FREE sample of Aveeno Living Color shampoo and conditioner.

http://see.walmart.com/aveeno/

(I have so many sample packets that I don’t think I’ll ever have to buy shampoo again!)

FREE X-Acto blade. (Great for everything from scrap booking to carving pumpkins!)

http://www.xacto.com/z-series#tab2

FREE Kleenex for you and a friend! (I got one for my husband and one for myself and he got one for himself and one for me! Total: 4 small boxes of Kleenex!)

https://www.kleenex.com/Softnessworthsharing/

FREE sample bottle of Armani Sport Code.

http://www.giorgioarmanibeauty.com/_us/_en/codesport/#/parfum/

FREE 2 FREE Breathe Right Advanced Strips

http://www.breatheright.com/Offers.aspx

FREE Dove Nourishing Oil Care Leave-in Smoothing Cream Sample. (bye bye frizzes!)

http://www.dove.us/Offers/Latest-Offers/hair-care-smoothing-cream-sample.aspx?utm_source=dovedotcom&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=HairProduct2011

FREE 3 pack o.b. tampons in a cute case.

https://ob.promo.eprize.com/hub/request_sample_intro

FREE Downy UnStoppables sample that freshens 1 load.

(pictured above and smells wonderful!)

https://www.facebook.com/downy?sk=app_169791876424914

$3 off Rachael Ray Nutrish Just 6 Super Premium dog food.

(My dog got his sample yesterday but the link works now as a coupon)

http://nutrish.rachaelray.com/switchto/just6

How to make a shirt for a girl from a t-shirt

2011-10-21T19:12:00.000-04:00

While grocery shopping a few years back I found a really cute t-shirt at Walmart so I bought it.

After bringing it home, I realized it was too small but since it was only $3 I decided I would hang onto to it for when I lost weight.

Ha! It's smaller now than it ever was!

My daughter saw the shirt in my closet Wednesday and asked if I would turn it into a dress for her.

It was too short to be a dress so I resized and redesigned it into a shirt that would fit her style.

Here's how:

Endorse.com Facebook App

2011-10-20T20:07:00.000-04:00

The first envelopes from the Endorse.com Facebook app came today and I'm very excited!

Endorse is a fairly new way to save money!

(Please note that a Facebook account is required to participate as well as your address.)

To start earning 10% back on your groceries, clothes, and yes even car purchases do the following:

First visit their app. I have provided several links at the end of this post.

Next, "Love" the stores and products that you tend to purchase.

It gets even easier from here...

That's it!

Just love your favorite stores and brands.

Shop as normal.

Send them your reciepts as proof of purchase.

Earn 10% back!

They will mail you a check once you have earned $25.

Also, if you have five friends edorsing under your lead and they buy the same products, yours is FREE!

---

Here's what you'll recieve in the mail:

A welcome letter.

A tracking sheet, in case you want to keep track of what reciepts you are sending.

Two postage paid envelopes. (You send them in just like you do Netflix.)

Just make sure you "love" your items before you make the purchase.

For example:

Sams Club is not a loveable store yet but Diet Dr. Pepper and Jif Peanut Butter are.

I spent $58.18 on these products.

I should get aproximately $5.81 back!

I can't wait to get 10% back on my Kroger purchase!

Below are the links I promised but there are many more stores and products on their site.

Now start "loving" those items!!!

https://www.endorse.com/love/Jif_Creamy_Peanut_Butter/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Diet_Dr_Pepper/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Kroger/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Walmart/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Old_Navy/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Walgreens/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/McDonalds/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Outback_Steakhouse/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Chick-fil-A/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Dairy_Queen/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Hersheys_Chocolate_Bars/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Cadbury_Creme_Egg/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Krispy_Kreme_Doughnuts/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Charmin_Ultra_Soft/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/New_Ultra_Tide_Powder_Detergent/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Justice/4500

Frankenstein pudding cups

2011-10-18T19:06:00.000-04:00

These Frankenstein pudding cups are super cute and easy for kids to make.

(I imagine that they must be much tastier than the lime-jello version I've seen online!)

We used Jello color changing vanilla pudding (too cool!)

While the kids were doing their chores I drew the faces on four cups.

(Oh, the poor kids. Mama gets to color while they clean!)

Then I divided the pudding powder evenly into each cup.

I had the kids measure a 1/2 of a cup of cold milk and let them add it in.

They didn't have to stir for long, as it only takes about five minutes to get to the right consistency.

I let them eat the cream from a couple of Oreos, then they crushed up the cookies for hair.

Simple, easy, and very good!

Mummy dogs

2011-10-17T19:41:00.000-04:00

I forgot to thaw some meat so we had to change the menu tonight.

My eldest son made supper for us.

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Ingredients:

Kroger deal on Pillsbury Crescent Dough $1.99 less the doubled $0.50 coupon equaled $0.99!

Ingles deal Bar S Hot Dogs $1.00 less doubled $0.50 coupon equaled FREE.

Sliced Cheese (optional)

Ketchup and Mustard

---

Directions:

Slice dough into thin strips. An eight of an inch should suffice.

Wrap dough around the hot dog leaving a little exposed for the face.

(If you are adding cheese, do so now. Placing it between the dog and the hot dog.)

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.

After removing from pan, dip a toothpick into mustard.

Insert the mustard covered toothpick slightly into the hot dog to make the mustard eyes.

Last swipe the toothpick underneath the eyes to make a mouth.

Enjoy!

Halloween Pizzas

2011-10-16T13:15:00.000-04:00

We got home late from shopping yesterday so supper had to be something quick and easy.

Using Pillsbury pizza dough (gasp! I didn't make it from scratch.) I cut out mini pizza crusts.

I used a pot lid as a guide.

I didn't have any sauce so the pizzas were pretty basic.

I added the cheese and sliced up the free bell pepper (see yesterday's post) to make the jack-o-lantern face.

I baked them at 425 degrees for about nine minutes.

They came out pretty cute.

We served apple slices with them and the pepperoni balls seen below.

Using the leftover dough, we made pepperoni balls.

Crazy couponing deals equals FREE stuff!

2011-10-15T20:47:00.000-04:00

Lucky Charms for $1.49!

At Kroger the 1lb boxes are on sale for $2.49

I used $0.50 coupons that double at Kroger to make each box just $1.49!

You can obtain your coupons by printing them from your Swagbucks account.

That means you are not only saving a $1.00 per box, but also receiving 10 Swagbucks every time!

See my blog on Swagbucks if you don't already have an account!

(the busy super mom: Swagbucks)

Brawny Paper Towels for $0.49!

Kroger has single rolls of Brawny paper towels for $1.49,

I used a $0.50 coupon from Sunday's paper.

Of course, Kroger doubled it!

(Our Kroger doubles up to $0.50.)

Total price $0.49!

The best deal of the night was buying FREE Cover Girl and getting $0.90 taken away from by grocery bill!

While at Kroger I made a stop to the makeup aisle.

The 10/9/11 Sunday paper had a coupon for $8.00 off two Cover Girl face products.

I bought an eye liner pencil for $4.55 and an eyeshadow for $2.55.

Because stores like Kroger and Walmart allow overage, I the two items were free and I had $0.90 extra that went towards my other purchases.

In other words, those Brawny paper towels and a bell pepper for our pizzas tonight were free also!

Cowboy cake

2011-10-15T14:20:00.000-04:00

I found this older picture today and decided to share with everyone.

At the time my oldest loved the idea of a cowboy party.

I struggled to find some manly decorations to go on top of the cake.

He certainly didn't want My Little Ponies on it!

I found a cheap cowboy toy set for under $5 at Walmart.

The set included handcuffs, keys, and badges that I used for the cake.

It also came with a lasso, bandanna, and hat that I used for decorations.

The cake wasn't complete so I searched Ebay and found a set of 4 cowboy Lego men from the 70s or 80s.

Not only did they compliment the cake perfectly, but they also doubled as a birthday present!

One person's trash was definitely my treasure!

Endorse

2011-10-15T01:44:00.000-04:00

So I have found yet another way to make money just by grocery shopping!

1.) Using Facebook, I added the "endorse!" app.
2.) I've "endorsed" or "loved" my favorite stores and products.
3.) The endorse team sends out envelopes like Netflix to my home so I can send in receipts.

Then, per http://www.endorse.com/about:
4.) "You and your followers all get 10% cash back off the purchase price— every time you buy. And, once you get 5 friends to buy your endorsed products, yours is free. We pay you back what you paid for the product!"
5.) "Once your Endorse account balance exceeds $25.00, you may request payment. Currently, you will be issued a physical check from our banking partner, Wells Fargo, but we may change this payment method in the future. Your POP Rewards will continue to accrue the more you POP, and future payments can be similarly requested once your Endorse account balance again reaches $25.00."

Here's what I've loved so far:

https://www.endorse.com/love/Diet_Dr_Pepper/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Walmart/4500

https://www.endorse.com/love/Kroger/4500

Monster bites

2011-10-10T22:28:00.000-04:00

Looking for a ghoulish healthy snack that your little ones will gobble up?

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To make this treat simply cut an apple into quarters.

Glue two of the quarters together with peanut butter.

For teeth: Break a few mini pretzels into small curved pieces and insert them halfway into the peanut butter.

For eyes: Spread a dot of peanut butter onto two raisins and attach to the top apple quarter.

Add some bug hair (raisins) to top it off!

---

Sand cake!!!

2011-10-10T21:23:00.000-04:00

Stay tuned...I will be posting step by step instructions for SAND CAKE very soon!

Cheesy monster fingers!

2011-10-09T14:34:00.000-04:00

Halloween is just 3 weeks away and you know what that means...a sign up sheet!

Cheesy monster fingers have long been a hit with my children, their classmates, and their teachers!

They are extremely easy to make but do make sure you have set aside a good hour so that you don't rush.

Ingredients:

---

String cheese (a pack of 24 makes 48)

1 green bell pepper

Red food coloring

Just a little bit of cream cheese

A sharp pearing knife.

---

Directions:

---

Slice bell pepper into very small pieces.

(Since these will be the monster's fingernails, feel free to cut them into triangles or a french manicure style!)

Wearing gloves to avoid fingerprints, cut each piece of string cheese in half.

Carefully cut slits into the cheese to resemble knuckles.

Next, cut a small indention at the top.

Smear a little cream cheese into the indention and place the fingernail, I mean bell pepper, on top!

For a finishing touch, dip the other end into a dot of red food coloring.

The cheese will asorb the color so it only takes a little.

So, this year, check OTHER!

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts? Nope even better. These are made with love!

2011-10-07T17:31:00.000-04:00

Since the kids were out of school today, I jumped on the excuse to make some doughnuts.

You know...for them.

Here's how I did it:

Ingredients for your doughnuts:

---

1 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast

2 oz warm water

A pinch of sugar

---

1/4 cup Domino sugar

2 1/2 cups Gold Medal all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Crisco

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

Cooking oil to fill Fry Daddy (I used peanut oil)

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Ingredients for your glaze icing:

---

1/2 cup Land O Lakes Butter (picture only shows half)

6 tablespoons milk

3 cups Domino powdered sugar

2 teaspoons of McCormick niller extract

---

Directions:

Place yeast in a bowl and add a pinch of sugar.

Add warm water and give it a stir.

The sugar will help the yeast activate quicker.

Let this mixture sit for 8-10 minutes.

Next, you need to scald your milk.

Pour milk into a pot and turn your burner on to high.

When the milk starts to bubble and climb up the pot, it's ready!

Add scalded milk into the bowl of yeast.

(I transferred it to my mixing bowl.)

Next, add your sugar, egg, and Crisco.

Mix salt into flour then pour it into the bowl.

Start your mixer at the lowest speed at first to keep the flour from going everywhere!

After a minute turn up to medium speed and mix for apx. 2 more minutes.

Your yeast needs to rise so cover it with a towel and leave it alone for an hour or so.

Coat your hands and working area with flour.

Then put your dough on top.

Roll your dough around, covering it with flour.

Roll out your dough to about 3/4 inch thick.

To cut out our doughnuts I used a round Rubbermaid container and a melon ball spoon!

I assume you could use a doughnut cutter for yours!

Your doughnuts need to plump up some more so leave them alone for 45 minutes.

Once time has past, turn your Fry Daddy on and heat up that oil.

Pour the milk reserved for the icing into a pot.

Turn the burner on low.

Melt your butter. 30 seconds in the microwave should do the trick.

Stir the powdered sugar into the melted butter.

Then stir in the niller extract.

Scrap this mixture into the warm pot of milk.

Stir the glaze icing mixture until smooth.

Though you are about to start frying the doughnuts, you will still need to occasionally stir the icing.

Place your doughnuts, a few at a time, into your Fry Daddy.

They will cook very quickly so don't run off!

As soon as they rise to the top, turn them.

After about apx. 30-45 seconds, pull them out and let them drain on a paper towel.

Pour your glaze icing over top and enjoy!

(Note that the doughnuts below was made with a half batch of icing since I was short on butter.)

Flower crayons

2011-10-07T12:29:00.000-04:00

I found a post on Pinterest that caught my eye. It was for heart shaped valentines made from melted crayon.

This is a great rainy day project and a wonderful way to make use of all those broken crayons the kids can't seem to part with!

Here's how you make them:

1.) Have the kids gather up all their broken crayons.

2.) Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.

3.) Break the crayons into quarter inch pieces.

4.) Fill each cup of a silicon oven safe cupcake mold to 3/4 full.

5.) Place in the oven for apx. 15 min.

6.) Carefully remove from oven and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so.

7.) Remove from the refrigerator and turn mold upside down. The crayons will easily come out just by gently pushing each cup inside out.

8.) Enjoy your new crayons!

Swagbucks

2011-10-06T20:58:00.000-04:00

swagbucks.com

If you haven't signed up for a free Swagbucks account yet, do it now before the holidays. It's a great way to earn gift cards! Just search the web through the site! I usually spend less than 15 minutes a day on the site. I start by participating in the daily poll to earn a swagbuck or two. I then head over to the Special Offers section and watch a couple of short Ad Rewards. Next, I skip through the NOSO sign-up offers, earning 2 swagbucks in seconds! Lastly, I do a quick search or two to earn, you guessed it, more swagbucks! On the weekend, when I have a little more time, I watch a few short clips on Swagbucks TV. They have DIY, home improvement, entertainment, food, and crafts channels to name a few. I usually watch ten Paula Dean clips to earn my bucks. The site also has games, I usually will let the kids play one as a reward for good behavior. Check it out. I have already scored enough points for a $25 Barnes and Nobles gift card and I have only been doing it for 2-3 months!

Little fishies.

2011-10-06T16:28:00.000-04:00

This was a hit with the pre-k crowd. Blue Jello with Nemo fish gummies inside. The idea tied into their ocean life unit quite well and it definitely was a great alternative to cupcakes just before nap time!