Blueberry Plants: Buy 2, Get 1 Free

When I was growing up, we had a huge blueberry bush in the middle of our yard.  My sister and I picked all the blueberries we could eat, plus blueberries for pies, muffins, and pancakes and there were still plenty to go around!

Now that I have my own kids, I’d love for them to have that same experience.  I’d love to be able to whip up blueberry pancakes for breakfast or to add blueberries to smoothies and I’d really love to whip up those recipes using blueberries I grew at home.

Right now, you can buy 2 blueberry plants for $10 and you’ll get a bonus blueberry plant for free. You’ll have to pay shipping and handling, but it’s still a pretty good deal.  I traditionally have a black thumb, but I’m working hard to remedy that and for this price, I think I’m willing to risk it.

Click here to check out this deal on blueberry plants!

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Am I Overprotective?

Cyclist Rorschach TestMy kids have been telling me I’m an overprotective parent.  While that may be true, I think there is often a fine line between being overprotective and being responsible.

Now that spring is here, we’re back to one of our regular arguments around here.  My kids don’t want to wear bicycle helmets when they ride their bikes.   Maybe I’m crazy, but I’m a huge fan of helmets.

Back in the day when I had my motorcycle license, I always wore a helmet when I rode.  It may not have been quite as pretty as these Helmet City motorcycle helmets pictured below, but it protected my noggin.

Sporty Girly Motorcycle Helmets

My oldest daughter is 15 and is headed to Michigan next month for a high school youth retreat.  They will be biking around Mackinac Island and she told me that none of her friends are wearing helmets.  I tried to bribe her with a new bike helmet.  I suggested a Giro helmet from Helmet City, but she turned me down.  She told me she’d rather walk around the island then wear a helmet.

So I guess my question is this…at what age do you stop making your child wear a bike helmet? I still wear a helmet whenever I ride, so I don’t think I’m being totally ridiculous!  What about you?  Do you make your kids wear a helmet? Do you think I’m being overprotective?

$13.95 Swapping Credit from thredUP Today Only

In celebration of Earth Day, you can join thredUP.com for free on April 22 to receive a $13.95 swapping credit!

  • You can use that credit towards your first swap – a box of pre-loved kids clothes, toys or books listed by other moms. (with the $13.95 credit, your first swap costs only $2).
  • Since thredUP is a swapping community, you can also de-clutter by sending boxes of stuff your kids no longer use to other moms for free – all without leaving the house. Going green has never been easier…
  • On average, swapping kids gear can lighten your overall eco-footprint by 5% (based on an EPA report and thredUP user stats).
  • Since thredUP’s launch (last Earth Day) we’ve helped over 100,000 parents ‘up-cycle’ 500,000+ kids items – that’s enough gear to pave 200 miles!
  • Swap instead of shop this Earth Day to lighten your family’s eco-thumbprint (without lifting a finger).

Click here to join thredUP today!

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Reminder: Melissa & Doug Puppet Theater Giveaway Ends Tonight

Just a quick reminder that today is the last day to enter the Melissa & Doug Puppet Theater Giveaway.
This puppet theater is absolutely incredible and is a delightful way to encourage your child’s creativity!

Click here and follow the post directions to enter!

Method Laundry Detergent Giveaway

I’ve recently branched out and tried a new laundry detergent.  I’ve been using the same brand for years, but I keep hearing great things about method, so I thought I’d give it a try.  It’s quite impressive.  For starters, I love the little package.  It looks more like shampoo or handsoap than laundry detergent…it’s that small!  But you’ll get a whopping 50 loads per 20 oz. bottle.  It’s also got a handy-dandy little pump that allows you to dispense laundry detergent with just one hand.

Although all of that stuff is great, the 2 things that really sold me are this.

1.  method’s laundry detergent is made with 95% natural and renewable ingredients and comes in a recyclable bottle that is half the size of other laundry detergents.

2.  It really works and it smells great (unless you get the free & clear and that doesn’t smell at all).

If you love method,  you’ll want to get involved in the Laundry Room Love campaign.  Laundry Room Love is a crowdsourced music video that spreads the word about method’s amazing laundry detergent. Here’s what you’ll want to do…

1. Grab your webcam.

2. Head on over to Facebook and “Like” the method page, then watch the how-to video on how to submit  your own Laundry Room Love video.

3.  Submit your video!

The first 200 submissions will be featured in the method music video and will receive a free bottle of method laundry detergent. Plus everyone who watches the how-to video will get a $2 redeemable coupon for the laundry detergent.

And you could also win a bottle of laundry detergent here on Simplified Saving.

Want to Win? One lucky reader of Simplified Saving will win a bottle of laundry detergent.

Ways to Enter:

  1. Submit a Laundry Room Love  video to method and leave me a comment.
  2. Subscribe to Simplified Saving by Email and leave me a comment that you’re an email subscriber.
  3. Subscribe to Simplified Saving in a Reader and leave me a comment that you subscribe in a reader.
  4. “Like” Simplified Saving on Facebook and leave me a comment that you’re a Facebook fan.
  5. Follow Simplified Saving (@SimplifiedSavin) on Twitter and leave me a comment with your Twitter name.
  6. Follow Simplified Saving on Google Friend Connect (scroll all the way down to the bottom) and leave me a comment with you GFC name.
  7. Share this giveaway on Facebook (Click on the share button at the top right of this post) and leave me a comment.
  8. Add my pretty button to your site (scroll all the way down to the bottom for the code) and then leave me a comment telling me where to find my button!

The Fine Print: If you already subscribe, like, or follow me, that counts as well! Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Comments that just say “I want to win” or “Thanks for the giveaway” will be disqualified! This contest will end on April 16th at 8pm Eastern Time. This giveaway is limited to US residents only 18 years old and above. Winner will be chosen at random.

Disclosure: This review and giveaway was made possible by Mom Spark Media. As usual, all thoughts & opinions are my own.  method generously provided the products for the review and giveaway.

$100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway from Cheep

Spring has finally arrived and although the weather hasn’t quite warmed up, I know warmer days are just around the corner.  And with warmer days comes the need to spruce up our spring wardrobes, break out the flip flops, and start grilling…and of course there is always shopping involved with the changing of the seasons!

This year, my hubby and I are looking for a new gas grill.  We have a charcoal grill now, but with as much grilling as we do during the warmer months, a gas grill would make things easier.  While deciding on the model we both want is going to be difficult, finding the best price is going to be a breeze thanks to Cheep!

Cheep is a small browser add-on that recognizes when you’re looking at a specific product and helps you find the best deal by showing you current, accurate price comparisons from around the Web, as well as reviews and ratings in real-time.  I love that Cheep appears as a small bar at the top of your screen because it is totally unobtrusive.

This morning I found a Weber Grillon sale at Amazon for $399. It was regularly $499.  While that seemed like it might be a good price, my little Cheep toolbar popped up and showed that I could find it for $40 less at another store.

What’s even better is that it you can get a list of various stores and their prices on the same item.

Sometimes if I have gift cards for a particular store, it ends up  being a better deal for me budget wise to purchase an item for a little more money with my gift cards.

I am completely in love with this Cheep!  It has saved me a bunch of money this year!  It’s also a great tool for helping me confirm that the deals I post for you are the best deals available at the time!

What are you wanting to purchase to make your spring a little sunnier?  Maybe you’re heading somewhere warm for spring break and are in need of flip flops or beach gear.  Cheep can help you with your little purchases and big purchases.  And Cheep has generously agreed to give 1 lucky reader of Simplified Saving a $100 Visa Gift Card!

Want to Win? One lucky reader of Simplified Saving will win a $100 Visa Gift Card.

Ways to Enter: You can enter to win by doing any or all of the following and leaving a separate comment for each.  If you are reading this is an email or feedreader, please click here to enter. 

  1. Leave me a comment telling me what  you’d like to get “cheep” this spring.
  2. Download the Cheep Toolbar (It’s free & awesome)  You’ll get 2 entries for this, so leave me 2 separate comments!
  3. Subscribe to Simplified Saving by Email and leave me a comment telling me you’re an email subscriber
  4. Subscribe to Simplified Saving in a Reader and leave a comment that you’re an RSS subscriber
  5. “Like” Simplified Saving on Facebook and leave me a comment telling me you like me.
  6. “Like” Cheep on Facebook and leave me a comment telling me you like Cheep.
  7. Follow Simplified Saving (@SimplifiedSavin) on Twitter and let me know you follow me on Twitter.
  8. Follow Cheep (@GetCheep) on Twitter and leave a comment with your Twitter name.
  9. Follow Simplified Saving on Google Friend Connect (scroll all the way down to the bottom) and leave a comment.
  10. Share this giveaway on Facebook (Click on the share button at the top right of this post) and leave a comment
  11. Tweet this: “Enter to win a $100 Visa Gift Card from @SimplifiedSavin & @getcheep  http://bit.ly/getcheep  #giveaway”  and leave a comment with the link to your tweet. (This can be done once per day!)

The Fine Print: If you already subscribe, like, or follow me, that counts as well! Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Comments that just say “I want to win” or “Thanks for the giveaway” will be disqualified! This contest will end on April 15th at 9pm Eastern Time. This giveaway is limited to US residents only 18 years old and above. Winner will be chosen at random.

Disclosure: Cheep generously sponsored this giveaway and will be providing the winner with a $100 Visa Gift card.  Cheep also provided me with a $100 gift card in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are honest and are 100% my own!

Have You Had “The Talk” With Your Teen

Red

This week, my husband and I had  the talk that all parents dread having with their teenager.  No, not “that talk” silly…the talk about drivers training.  Our oldest daughter is turning 16 this summer and to be quite honest, it scares the living daylights out of me to think of her out on the road alone…or worse yet, in a car full of giggly girls.

What if she gets lost?  I’d probably need some kind of GPS tracking device to find her!

How do I stress the importance of teen driving safety?  I totaled 2 cars while I was in high school and although my parents had the safedriving talk with me a zillion times, it obviously didn’t quite sink in.

On a positive note, I finally did get my act together and I’m a great driver now!

So tell me, am I the only one who is a nervous wreck at the thought of their teen driving?  How did you handle the talk?

Help me…please!!!

Free Starbucks Coffee or Tea (April 22nd)

Starbucks Earth Day FreebieIf you like your Starbucks, this will make you quite happy!  On April 22nd, you’ll get free coffee or tea from Starbucks when you bring your own reusable cup or mug for them to fill!

Go here to checkout all the other freebies I’ve posted recently!

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Set of 6 Little Miss Books for $4.99

Every time I see these “Little Miss” books, I’m reminded of my childhood!  Today, Graveyard Mall has a set of 6 Little Miss books for $4.99.  They also have sets of Little Mister books for $4.99.

Click here to check out all the other great stuff at Graveyard Mall right now!

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$40 of Zazzle.com Custom Goods for only $20

Eversave has some great deals going on today! For only $20, you can get $40 of custom goods from Zazzle.com.  If you got the $5 credit, it will make it only $15 for $40 of custom stuff from Zazzle.com.  Not only can you get tee-shirts and mugs, you can also get customized photo stamps at a great price!  These make great gifts for parents and grandparents!


Today’s Save: Zazzle.com

Today’s Save:$20 for $40 worth of custom goods from Zazzle.com

Expires 11:59 PM – Apr 01, 2011


Bonus Save: Little Tikes

Today’s Save:Get half off a scooter or golf set from LittleTikes.com – plus receive $5 in Save Rewards to use toward a future Save

Expires 11:59 PM – Mar 30, 2011


Bonus Save: SHOEBACCA

Today’s Save:$25 for $50 worth of Adidas, Keds, LaCoste, Reef and more at SHOEBACCA.com – plus free shipping!

Expires 11:59 PM – Mar 31, 2011

Have you heard of Eversave?  They feature 50% – 90%  off on restaurants,  spas, local activities and online deals.  It’s free to join and first time buyers get a $2 credit to use towards their first purchase.

Click here to get your $2 Eversave credit!

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Vera Bradley: Backpacks for $59 or Wristlet for $22 (Today Only)

Vera Bradley Backpack Sale

I’m a huge fan of Vera Bradley backpacks.  When we first adopted our girls, I bought each of them a Vera Bradley duffle bag, backpack, and a ditty bag.  They each got their own color (and of I course I got my own color too).   When we traveled or headed to a friends it was super easy to know which bag belonged to which person…and we all looked so cute heading through the airport with our Vera Bradley backpacks.

Last year when we went to Disney World, only one of us brought our backpack (hanging head in shame since it wasn’t me).  We all ended up taking turns with the backpack and using it for all of the goodies we needed in the park!

That’s a really long way of saying…check out the backpacks!  They’re awesome!

Today, Vera Bradley is having a one day sale.  Sale colors of the Backpack are only $59 with the All In One Wristlet only $22. You’ll also get free shipping on any orders of $100 or more.  Offer valid Saturday, March 26, 2011.

Click here to start shopping!

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Vera Bradley Outlet Sale

Vera Bradley Designs, Inc.

I seriously love hangbags (and tote bags and duffle bags and laptop cases and jewelry cases) and if you look in my closet,  you’ll see a whole lot of Vera Bradley.  What’s not to love about Vera Bradley….the handbags are washable, they have great stationery, and they’re headquartered just miles from where I live.  They also give generously to fund Breast Cancer Research!  If you like to treat yourself with Vera Bradley, you’ll definitely want to check out the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale!

Although I have purchased quite a few Vera Bradley pieces at stores throughout the country, my very favorite place to purchase is at the Vera Bradley Outlet sale.  The lines can be cra-zay, but seriously the prices are awesome!  And they tend to get better as the week goes on.  This is one of my favorite places to stock up for my gift bin.

I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m blathering on about this, but I just realized that it’s coming up in just a few weeks.  The Vera Bradley Outlet Sale is held in Fort Wayne, IN at the Allen Country War Memorial Coliseum.  Last year, I stood in line with girls who had flown in from Florida, Texas, and New Mexico to shop at the sale.

If you love Vera Bradley, this might be a great way to get your fix!  The sale runs April 13th-17th.  The sale is free on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday or you can purchase tickets for Wednesday and Thursday.

I’ll be at the sale on the first day, then I’ll be leading worship at the Lakewood Park Women’s Retreat, and then Sunday afternoon, I’ll probably make one more trip to the sale (Although the Sunday lines tend to be soooooo long.)

For tips on getting the most out of the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale, make sure to check out the Outlet Sale Shopper’s Guide to Success.

Hope to see you there!

Spring Cleaning Giveaway: Adie Camp CD

Last year, I wrote a review of Just You and Me by Adie Camp and did an interview with  Adie Camp. Although a year has passed, Just You & Me still gets played here quite regularly and it’s still one of my favorite CDs.

In January, I had the privilege of attending the Blissdom conference and while I was there, I headed to an (in)courage party put on be my friends at DaySpring.  The kind folks at DaySpring gave us a bag with some goodies in it…including Just You & Me by Adie Camp.  I know how much I love this CD and I know one of you will love it as well.

Want to Win? One lucky reader of Simplified Saving will win a copy of Just You & Me by Adie Camp.

Ways to Enter:

  1. Subscribe to Simplified Saving by Email
  2. Subscribe to Simplified Saving in a Reader
  3. “Like” Simplified Saving on Facebook
  4. Follow Simplified Saving (@SimplifiedSavin) on Twitter
  5. Follow Simplified Saving on Google Friend Connect (scroll all the way down to the bottom).
  6. Share this giveaway on Facebook (Click on the share button at the top right of this post)

The Fine Print: If you already subscribe, like, or follow me, that counts as well! Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Comments that just say “I want to win” or “Thanks for the giveaway” will be disqualified! This contest will end on April 12, 2011 at 9pm Eastern Time. This giveaway is limited to US residents only 18 years old and above. Winner will be chosen at random.

Disclosure: I was not compensated in anyway for this giveaway….I just have lots of fabulous stuff sitting around my house and I’d really like it to bless someone else!

Spring Cleaning Giveaway Starting Tomorrow

mop closet
It’s Spring Break at our house this week.  While some of you are spending your spring breaks in warm sunny places, we’re spending it at home.  We’ve had a few get-togethers with friends and the kids are enjoying lazy mornings and extra TV time.

One of our goals this week at home was to get through some of our spring cleaning.  I shared last week that I am on a mission to simplify my life.  As I’ve started going through my stuff, I’ve realized that I have lots of duplicates of things I love around here.  And so I’ve decided to do a Spring Cleaning Giveaway.  As I continue to go through my home, I will be giving away things that I think will bless you! (Don’t worry…they’re all new and unused!)

When I first started my blog 2 years ago, I decided I wanted to be able to do cool giveaways like some of the other blogs were doing, but I had no idea how those bloggers got their giveaways.  I began purchasing things with the intention of giving them away on my blog.   I did one giveaway on my blog with my own stash of goodies and then companies started offering me products for giveaways on my blog.  Since that time my giveaway stash has remained untouched.  Ok, maybe it’s grown with the addition of some goodies I’ve received at blog conferences.

As part of my spring cleaning, I’ve decided to start giving away the goodies in my blog bin…hence the name Spring Cleaning Giveaway.  Over the next few weeks, I’ll be giving away lots of goodies, so make sure you check back regularly.  To find all of our current giveaways, simply click on the giveaways tab at the top of the blog.  You’ll see a list of all current giveaways.  To enter, simply click on the title of the giveaway and then follow the instructions.

Sign up for my free daily emailsubscribe to my RSS feed, or like me on Facebook to make sure you don’t miss one of these giveaways!

New York & Co. Coupon and Sale

Right now, there is a super hot $50 off $100 coupon available for New  York & Co.  To make this deal even sweeter, you can combine it with the Buy One, Get One 50% Off Sale they have going on!  You should be able to snag some super sweet deals.  Heck, you may even be able to buy your whole spring wardrobe for next to nothing!

To use this coupon online, enter coupon code 3379.  This deal is only good through March 27th, so take advantage of it while you can!

Thanks Saving with Amy!

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Shabby Apple Giveaway Ends Tomorrow

Have you entered the Shabby Apple giveaway yet?  You could win an absolutely gorgeous dress!

The giveaway ends tomorrow (3/25).