thriftymommastips

Friday Finds January 26th

2012-01-27T10:36:00.000-08:00

Well stunningly here it is one month after Christmas and I know my nutty friend Dana will be posting any time on her facebook status about how few days are left to shop for next Christmas. Christmas crazed, that one is. Most of us aren't jumping on the bandwagon for early Christmas shopping yet. But we can keep an eye on our money and save a buck or two on the every day stuff so that when it is time for Christmas shopping we'll be in good shape to do so. Here are my weekly suggestions of deals and fun events.

Children's Place: extra 25 % off sale items.

Justice: 40 % off everything in store.

Burger King right now today only in Canada has free fries.

Northern Reflections: 40 % off this weekend only.

Freshco Lactantia milk is $3.97 great deal on 4 Litres. And M &Ms Fully Cooked pot roast is $10.99.

Happy Shopping!

Cooking with Kids New Feature Bloghop - Thursday

2012-01-25T13:30:00.000-08:00


Last week we were inspired by the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. So we tried to replicate their Kid Clusters with M and M's Welcome to my new feature. I am so excited to be running a new linkup called Cooking with Kids. I hope you will all take part and grow some new friends while having fun in the kitchen with your children. Children don't need a whole lot of complicated ingredients, or big epic turkey dinner recipes from Epicurious. They love to keep it simple and if, yours are at all like mine, they love cracking eggs, beating up a batter, or stirring something thick and gooey. Many years ago we started giving our gals something to do at dinner time to help with the preparation process. They love to make the salads and be involved, the ripping and chopping, with proper supervision of course, helps them take ownership of the meal. Studies tell us, and experience shows me that kids who are invested in making the meal with their family, are more liable to want to eat the meal. So let's get cracking! To get this button for your post copy my code: Cooking with Kids can be a lot of fun. It's a good way to bond, make something tasty and nurture creativity, along with reading and math skills. So every Thursday from now on I am going to run Cooking With Kids linkup. You can blog or vlog. Call it a bloghop or a linkup. Whatever suits your fancy and your time. Take the button from the side of my blog if you are able. If not then don't stress over the small stuff. Join in and post a link to your own fun Child Friendly recipes. Then pop by someone else's blog and check out their ideas. Don't forget to leave a comment to let them know you liked or plan to use their recipe. Happy Baking or Cooking or having fun in the kitchen. Don't forget to come back every Thursday for more fun recipes. We will aim to do some healthy cooking and baking too, but once in awhile we like treats too! This is our modified recipe inspired by the delicious creations at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Our no-bake kid clusters inspired by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory 1. White wafers or white chocolate (about one pound to make 12 cookies) 2. One bag of M and M minis. (as many as you want for a dozen cookies really) Melt the wafers or chocolate on really low temp, stirring constantly. Use a great non stick cookie sheet. When the chocolate or wafers are liquidy work fast and drop spoonfuls of them onto the cookie sheet. Wait a couple of minutes and place the M and M chocolate minis on top. Set them on a counter and wait for them to cool. Or put them in the fridge for 10 minutes. Yummy. Fast and delicious.

Wordless Wednesday Linkup: #ldnont Favourite Places

2012-01-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

This is our favourite restaurant in London. It's a little Japanese restaurant called Tanakaya at Covent Garden Market. This is my daughter who uses chopsticks better than I do. (My skills are improving and at least I am willing to try) And although my beautiful sister in law is Japanese I can never for the life of me remember what the heck these are called in Japanese. I think it might be Hashi.

Easy and Free Sensory Play Activities for Kids

2012-01-23T07:58:00.000-08:00

Five easy sensory play activities for kids

Whether your child has special needs or not there are times when simple sensory play feeds their bodies and brains in just the right combination.
Play that has a sensory component can be organizing for any child. For those with autism, sensory processing disorder or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, sensory play is essential. It is one of those key components from the Carol Stock-Kranowitz book, The Out of Sync Child.

Depending on whether your child is sensory seeking or sensory avoiding any one or all of these may appeal to them.

1. Fill a sink with warm water and soap suds. Have them wash things. Toys, dolls, dishes. My youngest daughter, shown here, could do this for almost an hour. The warm water really appeals to her and calms her system down. (Make sure nothing sharp is in the sink.)

2. Shovel the snow in the winter. Some of our best years have had the heaviest snowfalls. I give her a snow shovel and she hardly feels the snow. The heaviness of the lifting fulfills the deep feedback she needs. I don't care if she makes a bigger mess than we started with. If it helps her feel calm and organized then we have done a fabulous job together.

3. Playdough - whether store bought or homemade. It always helps to be molding and sculpting with your hands. If you make playdough yourself then why not experiment with some different smells using Koolaid flavours?

4. Shaving cream in an old cake pan. Have them draw their letters in the shaving cream. Making pictures is also fun. You can do this in the shower too. Have them paint the wall in the shower with the shaving cream. Rinse off at end. This can be a great way for our kids to learn letters and numbers which they might struggle with more than the average child.

5. Bake something. Any opportunity to crack eggs and stir a recipe is a sensory activity. It feeds the imagination while also creating the opportunity to be together, learning math. The stirring is a bit like shovelling snow. It helps give some feedback to the muscles.

It doesn't have to cost money to be good therapy or play...Have fun together.

Monday Mingle January 23: High School Confidential

2012-01-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

Turbo Tax Deal

2012-01-21T20:06:00.000-08:00

There's no escaping death or taxes, so why not save a few bucks on the way to the tax man, or woman's office. The banner above for Turbo Tax will get you a free copy of the software that can help you get the most from your tax return. Please note this offer comes from Logical Media and I am an affiliate. The offer is only good for US readers.

Friday Finds

2012-01-20T20:29:00.001-08:00

Well this week the sales are slim and that's okay because it is January and the bills are mounting. Still here area couple of deals. Banana Republic is clearing clothing out Upto 75% off! Food Basics has the best grocery deals this week with Kraft peanut butter for $1.88 and too many other yummy items to note. Great prices here though. Have a fabulous weekend.

Blackberry Playbook Review - VLOG #technology #apps

2012-01-19T12:49:00.001-08:00

I give the Blackberry Playbook an easy $$$$ out of $$$$$, perhaps even $$$$ and 1/2 out of $$$$$. Disclosure: I received this playbook for free because I won it on line. I thought the review might help some of my readers. My opinion is all my own.

Wordless Wednesday #special needs

2012-01-18T07:03:00.000-08:00

How happy is this girl?
My daughter wanted a bubblegum machine for Christmas. It was the top of her list. And it was the one thing that she jumped for joy over when opening. See, it combines two of her favourite things - money and gum. It cost Santa about $12 from Sears and it has brought her more joy than a toy that might have cost me $200. Sometimes simple things are so worth it. (Side fact - did you know that gum and the act of chewing is an organizing activity for your brain. True - it helps give you focus and ground kids and adults, both with and without special needs. Gum is a big part of our daily life. The trick is convincing them to stick it in the garbage when done. :))

This is my Wordless Wednesday post. It is a linky, so send your post and link up over at http://www.tarasviewoftheworld.com/

Monday Mingle on Movie Quotes, Health Care and Ice Cream

2012-01-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

Games Night and Families

2012-01-13T18:06:00.000-08:00

Our family has always been into playing games together. My kids love to play Rush Hour and Road Block and other Think Fun games on their own. Together we often get Jenga out and enjoy challenging each other and connecting with each other one on one. I know a lot of friends and family members have dedicated Game Nights for that very reason. Connecting without the need to check a TV, a Nintendo, or a cell phone. There's a lot to be said for that. My youngest child has always loved this time, especially. She asks all the time to play Crokinoe or checkers, and card games are a huge hit with her too. My kids love Pictionary and a current favourite is Pop N Drop Penguins.

How do you incorporate games into your family's routine? Do you have a dedicated night or do you just pick them up whenever the urge strikes? Which ones are your favourites?

If you want to try some new games, click on the above pictures (Coupons limited to the US only. Sorry) and they will lead you to coupons for each. I am trying a service called Logical Media and I hope to have more great deals to pass on to you. Happy Gaming!

Friday Finds and Events Jan. 13th Weekend

2012-01-13T07:41:00.000-08:00

Well here is the headliner today - if you love Monster Jam race over to the John Labatt Centre any time after 12 pm today to get a select number of tickets remaining for $1. Yes. $1. We got ours free because my daughter won some from the London Public Library reading contest we do every year at this time. See you there!

Also Cats is on by OKTC at the Spriet Family Theatre in Covent Garden Market.

Oh and The Food and Wine Show at the Western Fair. So much to do, so little time!

Now for the deals Fresh co has cases of pop on sale. $3.97 for an 18 pack of cans (Coca Cola)

And Shoppers Drug Mart has spend $50 and get a $10 free Tim Horton's card. (Sat and Sun only)

Also their coffee is on sale Sunday and Monday for $5.79 and I don't have to tell you how expensive coffee has been lately!! Now happy shopping and theatre going.

Schools of Thought #education #ldnont

2012-01-11T05:57:00.000-08:00

Schoolhouse image from creative commons, copyright Caitlyn Willows

There's a school of thought out there that goes something like this: well, you make do with what you've got. And that should be good enough, right?

Wrong. I don't buy it. This is not a picture of our school, but it is a symbol of what that phrase stands for to me. If we all made do with what we've got there would never be any progress and our kids would all still be sitting in one room schoolhouses with no heating and doing math on tiny handheld slates. Guess what? We aren't. I am stunningly sick of this platitude that is thrown out to keep people from complaining or advocating for change.

And that brings me to our school, Huron Heights public school overflowing with about 430 children in a school meant for 200 and some. We had a renovation scheduled to begin this year. We went through the acommodation review a few years ago. It was determined we would stay where we are and get a renovation. Our building is old. Our portables multiply yearly. We are a French immersion school and as we all know registration at French immersion schools in Canada has exploded over the past decade. On assembly days we shift groups around like dominoes because all of our students can't fit in the gym. And when parents show up for things that nurture community and build school spirit - as they did at Christmas - well people are spilling unsafely our the doors. Children too. I could live with all of that if it wasn't for the fact that these are children. And they are getting the short end of the stick.

Our school had a plan, a design. We saw it drafted and ready to roll. And the renovation would have been challenging for sure. Change always is, but we would have gladly endured. So why did the plan get shelved? Millions of dollars spent rolling out full day kindergarten has meant that certain FRILLS like school renovations got prioritized. Those schools that needed immediate space for FDK rooms jumped the queue. I am not against FDK in any way, nor do I think it is the answer for every child or every family. But don't feed me the line about we'll make do because children should rarely have to make do.

What would you do if you if your child's school had more children in the portables than inside the building itself?

Totsy

2012-01-10T03:30:00.000-08:00

Kids can be extremely expensive, so when I come across a deal that helps you save money, I like to share. I`m nice that way. Totsy offers busy Moms and Dads access to brands at great prices. The market is geared to children upto age seven and you can save upto 80 % off regular prices. But there`s more than clothing. Prenatal care products, baby gear, travel accessories, bedding and bath, toys, DVDs, and educational materials are just a sampling of a selection that promises only the best in quality and designer brands. Totsy is 100% eco-friendly: Totsy is the first company in private sales to take on sustainable and socially responsible initiatives in all areas of business. With every purchase you make through Totsy, they plant one tree in the name of your child to help reduce the effects of deforestation. Nice huh? If you have to shop, it pays to be able to spend your money with companies that make a difference to the world around them. Click on the image above and sign up. This is an affiliate ad through escalate network. I get a small percentage when people sign up. I don`t endorse or permit ads from companies unless I believe strongly in, and or use them myself.

Monday Mingle New Year`s Edition

2012-01-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

London Lightning Fan Appreciation Night

2012-01-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

It`s outrageous how many great events there are in London, Ontario this week. And the first week of school too. Well this London Lightning Fan Appreciation Event is Thursday and for a limited time all tickets are $10 with the code in this post. So if you like basketball and want something to do Thursday night then use the code and save a bunch. Show your support for London`s newest treasure.

Promo code is GSTEN for the home game against the Moncton Miracles at the John Labatt Centre Thursday, January 12th. Tickets can be booked on line or by calling 1-866-455-2849. Also can be bought in person at the JLC box office.

Kelloggers Network and New Flavours

2012-01-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

It seems like Kelloggs cereals have been a part of our lives forever here. When I was a kid we ate Rice Krispies and Corn Flakes, while Frosted Flakes were a special treat. Because Kelloggs is such a timeless, family friendly and nutritious brand, I feel good about letting my own children eat the same great cereals I used to. Talk about brands that were also ahead of their times really. Kelloggs is one of those. Trusted. With low sugar content. No added stuff I can't pronounce. I couldn't be happier to be a blogger chosen to be part of the Kelloggers Network.

Several new flavours of cereals and Nutrigrain bars - yes they are Kelloggs too - are being unveiled right now. We lucked out getting to try some. The new Superfruits edition of Nutrigrain bars features two new delicious combinations - Strawberry and Acai and Cherry-Pomegranate. How's that for yummy. Acai is one of those powerfruits everyone is talking about right now. My whole family loves these - they are a staple in our lunchboxes, Dad's too.

Oh and then there's the fab new cereal my oldest daughter can't get enough of - Special K - Oats and Honey. Sugar is low at 8 grams. I like that. Regular Kellogg's Corn Flakes has the lowest amount of sugar I have ever seen at 3 grams. Honest! For more information visit http://www.kelloggs.ca/

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I can't wait to see what new products Kelloggs comes up with next.

Disclosure: I was not paid to post this, but I was given a few special perks, including some of their great cereals, a Tshirt and these fabulous bowls (in the pix)

Weekend Finds

2012-01-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

Hi and my Friday Finds this week are now weekend finds courtesy of a nasty sinus infection that keeps giving me grief. Anyways, there are a few noteworthy deals this weekend.

If you can still get there, M&M's meat shops has fabulous deals today only on their $4.99 2 lb family meals. Lasagna, Cannelloni, Shepherd's Pie etc. Great deal!

Wal-Mart has some super savings. Snack Packs Crispy Minis etc. above for $1. That's the best price I have seen in forever.

Activia yogurt at $3.99 for an eight pack is fabulous too.

Other deals this weekend are at Sears fopr their warehouse sale - upto 50 % off. Clearance items like winter coats, boots etc. Happy Shopping! Also don't forget that Eddie Bauer has gone bankrupt and it closing their stores. So good deals there too.

Special Needs and Finding a Babysitter_Part 2

2012-01-06T06:11:00.000-08:00

Remember back in November when I was giddy, or optimistic,with the possibility that I found a new sitter? Well, a respite worker really, because that is what it takes to handle children with special needs.Optimistic turned to giddy and then naturally because I had something in place and the world looked to be manageable again, well the universe laughed and my excellent masters student in neurology, well she got Mono and I think she also headed home to Calgary. Dammit! Now, don't get me wrong, I feel bad for her and hope she gets better because she was all sorts of wonderful. But really truly when my own Mother, ill and too old to watch my little darlings, asked me what I wanted for Christmas recently I said: a respite helper that doesn't get mono. The joke was wasted. But really wasn't a joke. You know what I mean right, Annie?! 24/7 is a long time seven days a week. And Holy Frack, everyone deserves a break once in awhile. I was paying mostly out of pocket, because this thing they call Special Services At Home, a program in which parents of kids with special needs are approved for services like respite care providers - who incidentally run around $12 to $14 an hour for kids with special needs - but then linger on the approved list of people for ever without any funding. Well that is where we have been at for three years. And in the name of all that is holy when divorce rates among families with kids who have special needs are stuck high up there in the stratosphere like around 85 %, why oh why must systems and government run, funded programs that purport to help people, make our lives even harder? When last I heard there were 300-400 families on the list in London alone. Yes, you have a child with special needs, or a youth with special needs and yes you qualify foir this pocket of money, but the purse is empty year after year. Oh I know this is a big ole rant. But if your family was borrowing from the grocery funds or the mortgage to pay for a worker at twice the cost of a typical sitter, as many of us do, and was in fact promised that you qualified for a pocket of money that doesn't exist, well you'd be a bit peeved too. Rant over. For now. Then again wait, do you know Ontario taxpayer that you pay into this fund called special services at home that many of us never get to access?

One Word New Year's - Linky

2012-01-03T18:19:00.000-08:00

People have been asking me repeatedly this week about New Year's resolutions and really, they aren't a thing I do. I choose goals and try to meet them and strive to improve throughout the year. But resolutions, at least to me, are all about masochism and I respect myself too much to beat myself up all year over something I couldn't finish. Goals are more manageable somehow. And I am accountable to myself mostly, for meeting those goals.

A few years ago I set myself a professional goal of being published in The Globe and Mail and Today's Parent, because I had yet to be published there. By September of that year I had done what I set out to do. I was proud, and never once had I articulated that as a goal or resolution to anyone besides myself. My goals are my own and when I meet them, it is golden.

On New Year's Day, my smart oldest daughter, who reads like I did at her age, and consumes a lot of media, as do most children in North America, woke up and told me two things. The World is Going to End. Oh, and she said: "I have 40 resolutions." (I resisted the smart alecky: "Um if the world is going to end anyways, then why do you need resolutions?") And I chose instead to reframe. Humm. I let her rhyme off a few (most of which centred on weight loss - because there are entire industries devoted to self flagellation at this time of year and she hears it everywhere right now. Let's all get skinny, have surgery and eat pills to lose weight. Even my seven-year-old looked at me today, holding her calf muscle in her hand asking: (Is this fat? Um no it's called muscle and you are a 43 pound seven year old athlete.) There was a bit of adolescent girl stuff tossed in amongst the tween resolutions - "I will be the most popular girl in my class" - but together we whittled them down to a couple of smaller more realistic goals. We ended up with we will all try to eat healthier and exercise as much as we are able to stay fit and healthy. Goals I am happy with every year.

Some of my goals are personal and some professional. I am more likely to share the personal with you actually because this is a blog and blogs by nature are personal.

Anyways this year I have been thinking a lot about productivity and so today when I came across my friend Tara's blog linky, it prompted a post. New Years in One Word.

This year will be productive. For me, that means, cutting back on what I give away - my time and skills. Because often people think that writers work for free. And writers who advocate also in their spare time, well no end of causes for you...There are still a few causes I will never abandon. I like a good fight after all. I will still be on the PTA at the kids' school and I will still help run our non profit The Canadian Coalition of Adoptive Families, but I don't work for free and I can't commit to every committee out there.

productivity.

Today that meant, while home with laryngitis, I hopped into a twitter chat at Mom Central and connected with some friends while forging a few new ones and coloured my hair (see picture above) because that was a commitment to myself - covering up the greys - and back over to the chat. Because 10 minute hair colour from Garnier Nutrisse is a miracle. And then on to lunch, some cleaning and another twitter chat with the great Microsoft Windows techie people on #win7chat. Picked up some techie productivity tips and a prize while making a cheescake with my daughter. I threw a quiche in the oven, got a salad ready and ate dinner with my kids before dressing them for martial arts. With a hint of quiet in the house I popped by Tara's blog and was inspired to post this...

So, here's to productivity.

It's going to be a great year.

Unless, of course, the world ends :)

Crafts and Compassion: Nurturing Compassionate Little People

2012-01-03T06:13:00.000-08:00

We started our day today with crafts - and compassion. It's a strange combination perhaps, but it works for us.

Because I am a Mom, I spend hours thinking about things like the future and how will my kids make a difference. And what are the values I want to leave them with, because if we are all being real, then let's state it as it is: our children are tiny slingshots, arrows, we shoot forward into the world someday to land a target without us. Sad, but true, and also magical and wonderful and life.

I want for my kids to carry compassion always in their hearts. I want for them to be tolerant, compassionate, kind and loving. If they are smart, that will be a bonus. If they are talented, which I know they are, then they will go far. But if they carry compassion with them then they will make a difference in the lives of others. There is no way to place a dollar value on that. It is, as the Visa commercial says, priceless.

From the time our amazing angels arrived in our home through adoption, which was the greatest gift we ever received, we tried to show compassion. We still do. Some of you who know me, are aware that I have spent a fair bit of time in hospital myself, very often sick as a dog with Crohn`s Disease. There are friends I have gained over a lifetime that stuck with me and visited frequently. And relatives too. There are those that don`t visit, call, help or reach out in anyway. It is not always possible to predict who will fall into which group. I don`t want my kids to ever be the kind of people who shun or shy away from sick or dying or disadvantaged people. I want them to know they can make a difference, and they do already.

Identifying all of the traits in the world that you wish to instill is fine. But somehow you have to get them there. So how can you help raise compassionate children?

Here are a few things we do with our kids:

1. Model compassion. Volunteer. Give. Be kind to others.

2. We started bringing our daughter with us when our friends were hospitalized. When a young child we all loved got cancer and could have died, we didn't run for the hills, we headed to the hospital. Although he could have died and my daughter, only three at the time, would have been despondent, our friends needed our help and support and so we gave it, as much as we were able.

We visited. We brought muffins, we brought handmade cards and we showed up to try and help. We offered to come to the hospital and stay with our friend, 4, back then, while the parents showered or went for coffee.

3. As soon as my oldest girl was three I would ask her what can we do to help?

Kids always come up with the best ideas to make people smile. This morning we woke up and talked about my uncle getting sick with cancer too. He is often in our thoughts, but because this is a battle he keeps fighting. My kids quickly thought of homemade cards and letters and so that's how we spent our morning.

4. Ask them how they think another person might be feeling. The beginnings of empathy are rooted in words. Letting your child know words for sad, upset, angry and frustrated, are all great ways to start teaching them compassion.

5. Problem solving. The collaborative problem solving approach by Dr. Ross Greene is an approach we sought out and used to help our kids try to grow problem-solving skills. It is an approach that also starts with teaching your kids the right words to use for feelings.

6. I give my children a lot of chances to spend time with smaller children. I believe it is a great way for them to mentor others and to be reminded of those around them. This Christmas my youngest daughter, who has special needs, and a well of compassion in her heart told her cousin, 3, repeatedly: How do you think that makes your baby sister feel when you take the toy from her. The whole room went silent to hear a seven-year-old parenting better than anyone else in the room.

7. Give your children chances to help or raise money for things they believe in. My kids are often wanting to set up lemonade stands and things like that in the summer. When they want to do that I remind them they can give some of their earnings away to an organization, or a cause. Recently they gave half their money from a garage sale to a therapy camp nearby.

8. Don't shun bullies either. We should always teach our children to protect themselves from bullies, and give them the tools to be safe. But at the same time I like to ask them to think about reasons why the child could be acting like a bully. There is always a reason.

Compassion is a tool I never want my children to be without. What are some of the ways you nurture compassion in your little people?

Magic Keyhole World by Glass Puppy - App Review

2012-01-01T06:52:00.000-08:00

Magic Keyhole World is an interactive and educational app designed for three to eight-year-olds and intended to nurture curiosity and imagination along with literacy skills. I took a peek at this new app over the Christmas holidays, with the help of my daughter, and was able to explore geography of ten different world habitats, from the Sahara to Egypt and the Arctic. The app is best on IPAD or on a desktop, laptop or notebook computer in Windows or Mac operating systems.It is also available on the Kindle. The pictures are vibrant and a simple click makes animals like jaguars, anacondas and Caribou come to life. The graphic detail and expansive scenery didn't lend itself well to the size of an IPHONE which is why it isn't available for the smaller screen. We used the desktop version for a Windows operating system on my daughter's netbook and the size of the imagery there was just right.

My seven-year-old enjoyed navigating through the various climates and screens in Magic Keyhole World and making the vehicles move around the page. When the star sparkles on screen, clicking on it makes another animated sequence appear. These are generally simple sequences, but fun nonetheless and educational. The photographs that result from some experiences on the app are extremely vibrant. For example the Inuit carving becomes a museum quality exhibit on screen with full background details. I appreciate that level of information. The graphics are lovely and the interactive nature really does encourage exploration and curiosity.

Clicking and exploring helps reinforce the vocabulary as well.

On the menu screen at end of the entire sequence, you can click to run through again with the app reading to your child, or letting your child do the reading himself. You can also adjust so that they can make puzzles our of each of the screens. The scenes are easy to navigate and the rhyming prose is catchy.

This is the first interactive ebook from Glass Puppy Inc. I look forward to seeing what else they come up with. My only criticism was that I think they might have taken the level of information a bit further. For any child playing around here, the environmental information on climate might also have been interesting. As well I wanted more information about the types of trees that were in each scene, not just the animals.

Specifics:

Magic Keyhold World for ages 3 to 8.

Available on Kindle Fire, Android, IPAD, Mac or PC

It is available through Amazon for the Kindle Fire and runs $3.99

On the IPAD it is $4.99

This app gets a $$$$ out of $$$$$. Because we enjoyed it, learned a few things but felt there might have been a bit more information on trees and climate.

Disclosure: I was not paid to review this app, but received a copy to help faciliate the review. My opinions are all my own.

Three Free Magazine Deals to Start the New Year Reading

2011-12-31T21:22:00.000-08:00

When I was a new parent I spent all my time enjoying my new baby, taking pictures of her because she was changing so fast and, when I wasn't doing that, well I was reading about how to handle this new role. I wanted to know about the best products and parenting practices. I wanted to make informed choices. Now Google, bloggers and twitter, all fill that role, but I still love my books and my magazines and I still enjoy reading, no matter what the medium. Baby Talk, American Baby and - one just for you sexy mamas everywhere, Cosmopolitan. So I couldn't resist passing these free digital magazine deals on to my readers. Happy Reading!

Happy Bittersweet New Year Closing Sales

2011-12-30T15:01:00.000-08:00

Well now don't get me wrong, I like a sale as much, or more than most of you. But these ones pain me slightly because they are closing sales and that, to my way of thinking, does not bode well as an indicator of 2012 economic outlook.

At Masonville Mall:
Clair de lune is closing and has FAB deals on home furnishings.
Also at the mall, Eddie Bauer is closing.
While Sears is not closing, if you can stand the
mess of the warehouse sale, then you will be greatly rewarded with deals of 40 % off all clearance merchandise.
Also in London on Wharncliffe Road, Vespa is going out of business, so get your urban vehicle now.

Twitter Recap 2011: You Are What You Tweet

2011-12-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

Source: http://frugaldad.com