Swagbucks

One of my 2 favorite sites that offer rewards for searching the internet is Swagbucks. I've been a member practically since they first came on the scene and I've received lots of great gift cards over the years. I generally save my Swagbucks for Amazon gift cards, but there are lots of other stores to choose from as well. It's free to join, and they don't ask for any personal info or credit cards. I really cant think of may reason not to join and start getting something for nothing.

Disney Store Deals!!

I took my daughter to Build-a-Bear last week, and on our way there in the mall we detoured into the Disney Store. I love Disney! So it's super exciting for me that my daughter is at the age where most of their characters appeal to her.
Even more exciting, is the great deals I found! Right now the Disney Store has all their plush toys BOGO for $1. Here's what we chose:

My daughter chose Donald, and Sorcerer Mickey is mine.

In addition to the plush toy sale, they also had some amazing deals in their clearance section. I love clearance sections, as a rule, and this one certainly didn't disappoint. I got a beautiful Sophia the First atop her flying horse Minimus Christmas ornament for next year. It was a $16 ornament that I paid $1.99 for. I also picked up a couple cute Disney princess winter hats, each originally $15, also for $1.99 each. I don't know about you, but I can always use extra winter hats around here. It seems like one is always going missing, or wet from snow, or left at school. So I like to have some back ups.
All in all, I was really pleased with the deals we found and I'm hoping to make it back soon without my little munchkin so I can really spend some quality time with that clearance section.

Leo's Pad

I'm not crazy about my 4 year old spending tons of time playing on my iPad. Even I have to admit though, there are times when it's a nice distraction and mommy needs to get something done without my little helper. However, for daughter, it's hard to find any app that will keep her entertained for any length of time. Then I found Leo's Pad. I was lucky enough to get to try it out for free in exchange for reviewing it, however my opinions are all my own.
It's a cute app. The graphics are really well done. A young Leonardo DaVinci guides kids through the activities, which while educational, are also a lot of fun. You can check it out for yourself on the Kidaptive website and I have a promo code for you to receive 20% off if you decide to buy! Just enter TRYLEO at checkout!
The pic below is my daughter playing with one of the many activities on Leo's Pad.

300 Free Things For Entrepreneurs

I actually came across this list on my Facebook News Feed. It's a pretty great list for any mamas out there who are starting businesses. Click here to check it out!

Money Back For Online Shopping with Ebates

This is one of my favorite sites. I have been using them for a few years now and I can absolutely say with certainty that they pay out. I appreciate the cash back now more than ever! I know lots of people are skeptical of sites where it seems like you're getting something for nothing, but there really is something to this. Basically, if you're going to shop online, go to Ebates first and find the store on their website. That will tell you the percentage of your purchase that you'll be getting back. Go to the shopping site through Ebates. The site pays them for your business and Ebates shares the profit with you. The picture below is an actual screen shot of my account page. You can see what I've earned and all the shopping trips I've gotten cash back on. Joining Ebates is 100% free and they'll even give you a small gift as a token of thanks for signing up! Click here to check it out!

USPS

I know I just posted about the United States Postal Service recently, but my annoyance with them is just never ending. I often ship packages from home. I sell my kids' clothing on eBay, so after a string of auctions end I have packages that need to go out. Usually I schedule a pickup on the USPS website. Yesterday however I was getting out one package to a straggling payer, and just stuck it in the box with the flag up. Now this was a small yellow envelope, very light weighing just over 2oz. Realistically, no heavier than a thick letter.
Do you think the mail man took my envelope?
No. No he did not. Now I know I probably should have scheduled a pick up. I will take partial blame. However, until recently I didn't even know you could schedule a pickup, and would just stuff outgoing packages in my mailbox. Our former mailman took them every time. No complaints. No excuses. Today, my mail was delivered, including an incoming package, but my envelope was left behind. I did also have one instance where I did schedule a pick up and it was still left behind, so perhaps it doesn't really matter if it's scheduled, it just depends on the mood of the postal employee.
I am so fed up with USPS. I literally just paid $10 more for UPS shipping on a recent online order, just so I wouldn't have to deal with waiting on USPS.
Gone are the days of "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds".

Homemade Dog Treats

Ok, so I know homemade healthy dog treats sound like a lot of trouble for something that you can easily purchase at the store. But the natural or remotely healthy dog treats are really expensive. I just can't justify paying that much for dog treats anymore. This recipe is so easy and it really takes very little time. I'm not a vet or a dog expert of any kind, but the ingredients seem healthy and my dog (and my best friend's dogs who I also make some for) seem to love them. I found the original recipe here, on a site called Kitchen Confidante.
I've found that the exact measurements for this recipe aren't strictly necessary. The treat recipients don't complain and if the dough starts to feel too dry I just add a few more drops of beef broth to the ball I'm working with.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1/2 cup flaxseed
1/2-1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup peanut butter

The peanut butter specifically is the ingredient that I just eyeball. I mean it's just a pain to measure sticky stuff like peanut butter under any circumstances, and the dog certainly won't complain. With the beef broth, start with 1/2 a cup and then add more as needed to keep the dough pliable. I don't use the mixer for this, it's really easy to mix by hand. I combine the ingredients as well as I can with a fork, and then just mush the dough with my hands. I generally work with about 1/4 of the dough at a time. I use a silicone baking mat to roll the dough on, until it's about 1/4" or so thick. Then just cut to your desired shapes. For this batch I made small circle treats for a Pomeranian and larger bone shaped treats for my friend's 2 Pit Bulls. Sometimes, I just use a pizza cutter to make strips. Like the peanut butter content, the dogs also don't complain about the shape. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.