Want $10.00?

Awhile back, I wrote about a website I found called Ebates where you can get a percentage of your online purchases back as cash when you start your online transaction for hundreds of retailers on the Ebates website. Usually, when you sign up, you get a $5.00 bonus, but right now, they are giving away $10.00 when you sign up. It's really a very easy way to earn some cash back for online purchases you are going to make anyway. I always check Ebates to see if the retailer I am purchasing from is on their website, and if it is, I just continue my transaction through Ebates to get my cash back--easy as pie! If you shop online, you really owe it to yourself to check it out! Who couldn't use a few extra bucks? Click here to find out more!

My First Blog Award!

Thanks to my dear friend Beth, at Red Yarn, I have been nominated for my first blog award, and fittingly, it is in Spanish! Here are the rules for this award:


1. The winner can put the logo on their blog.
2. Link to the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.
6. Write an acceptance speech in the style of the Academy Awards, thanking everybody's mother, father, sister, brother, aunties and uncles and kitchen staff at your favorite restaurant!



So, here is my Academy Awards style award acceptance speech (you'll have to imagine the tears of happiness and gorgeous gown!)...

A year or so ago, I barely knew what a blog was, but thanks to my youngest sister, Steph, and my dear friend, Beth, I was quickly bit by the blogging bug and began to read various blogs quite faithfully. It wasn't until this past January that I decided to write a blog as a personal journaling venue--and now I'm hooked! I wish to thank my dear husband, Dave, for working second shift so that I have nothing better to do late at night than read and write blogs...just kidding (well, sort of!)...and for supporting me on this endeavor. I would thank my kids, but I don't think they have a clue about this blog...maybe I should thank them for that! And I wish to thank my faithful blog readers, many of whom are now new friends via cyberspace because of this blog and the blogs of others. You encourage me and inspire me in so many ways--thank you for being there--wherever there is!

And now for my nominations for the Brillante Weblog Award...may I have the envelope please?
(I'm afraid I won't have seven, though...I don't know that many other bloggers who haven't already been nominated!)


My sister, Stephanie, at Garcias2Chile...for a glimpse of life with three small children in a foreign country, check out her blog! She's also adopting two babies from Haiti...you can see that blog here.

My long time friend, Ricardo, at Sudaca Americano...we go way back to my high school days in Chile, and he is just starting his blog after some encouragement as a way to keep in touch with family and friends in the US and Chile. I hope my nomination encourages him to keep going with his blog!

A friend and homeschooling mother of (almost!) eight, Lisa, at A Second Generation of Homeschooling...her ability to juggle teacher, mom, and wife amazes me!

Another homeschooling mom of seven, Laura, at Laura Williams' Musings...she has great money saving tips, links to contests, and just glimpses into her family's life that are neat to read!

A fellow adoptive mom and blogger, Angie, at The Downtown Boutique...her blog has information on all kinds of goodies, but I especially like how she highlights various Etsy shops and also has giveaways each week for homemade items!

And now the orchestra is playing and I'm supposed to stop talking...have a great week everyone!

Retail Me Not

I found a new website tonight that will save you time and money by giving you coupon codes for free shipping and percentage discounts for hundreds of online retailers. It is easy to navigate, and fun to use, so check it out the next time you are purchasing online by clicking on the link below. Let me know how you like it!

Visit Retail Me Not

Ebates

I have found a great way to pay myself for doing what I do best...shopping! By logging on to Ebates first, and then linking to my favorite on-line retailer through the Ebates site, I can get money back for purchases that I'm going to make anyway. And when you join Ebates, which is free, you earn your first $5.00...how easy is that! I have found that most of the retailers I enjoy are on Ebates. Most of them offer cash back on your purchases, which accumulates in your Ebates account, and then can be sent to you via check, or deposited in your Paypal account. Some retailers offer special coupons through Ebates instead, but it's still a good deal. The hardest part is remembering to log on to Ebates first, because you must link to the retailer from the Ebates site in order to receive the cash back. On my sidebar, underneath my profile, is a link to Ebates. If you join via that link, you and I will both earn $5.00--so if you care to earn money for your shopping habit, check it out!

Check Out Frugal Fridays!

The author of one of my favorite websites, MoneySavingMom, also has a website entitled, Biblical Womanhood. Every Friday, she hosts a post called Frugal Friday where she gives one of her frugal tips and asks her readers to do the same. Today I found a tip for creating homemade stuffed crust pizza...yummy! Check it out...you might learn something, too!

Not Much To Say

It's late...if I don't hurry up with this post, it will be tomorrow already. I just got finished cutting out and organizing a myriad of new coupons (thanks, Mom!) and watching the evening news. The boys have mixed feelings about the snow that is starting to fall...if they miss school tomorrow, they just have to make it up later, so what's the fun in that? The last two days I have visited three bargain grocery stores in our area, thanks to some new friends at my new church. It's been fun, and hopefully will help me save even more money this new year. And last but not least, I baked my first loaf of homemade wheat bread today! We ate it all before I took a picture, so you know it was good! I did the dough mixing with the bread machine, and then let it rise in a loaf pan before baking it in the oven. My hubby got home just as it was coming out of the oven...he was so impressed! It's a very easy recipe and can be found here. Check it out!

CVS

One of my resolutions this new year is to save money on groceries. Since I am no longer working full or part-time, money has gotten tight. One area we can control is groceries, as well as eating out. The two definitely go hand in hand in our house--the better I grocery shop and plan for meals, the less we eat out! I have had fun investigating the internet for women who deem themselves "frugal" and are trying to honor God in their homemaking, including budgeting and meal planning. One of my favorite blogs to visit is moneysavingmom. The author of this blog has mastered the art of saving money at CVS, and really has me hooked on shopping there. I'm not nearly as good as she is, but I have saved a lot of money there now that I (sort of) understand what to do. Additionally, I have been convicted by her example of praying before entering a store, asking God to help her stay within her budget and find the good buys. I know that God is interested in all aspects of my life, but when it comes to money and shopping, I never really included Him (maybe that's why we are in the financial place we are right now???). If you want to find out more, visit her blog...but beware, if you like to shop, it's addicting!