$1.00 off any Tylenol Product
Must complete form to print coupon
Expires: July 20, 2007

$1.00 off Tylenol Extra Strength GoTabs
Must complete form to print coupon
Expires:  July 20, 2007

American Eagle Outfitters Save up to 50%
Sale Link
Save even more with the following coupon codes:
15% Off          Code: 39258076          Expires: August 31

OfficeMax
$10.00 of purchase of $75.00 or more
Coupon Code:  WEC7RCRRDS2D55JNC
Expires:  June 22, 2007

Clark Color Labs
$0.99 Shipping on 4×6 prints (up to 50)
Coupon Code:  SHIP99CJ
Expires:  June 27, 2007

Buy One Get One Free Posters
Coupon Code:  CATPOST2007
Expires:  June 27, 2007

$1.00 off OFF! FamilyCare Insect Repellent Smooth & Dry
Must complete form to receive coupon
Printable Coupon
Expires:  July 20, 2007

$1.00 off Shout Wipes Instant Stain Remover
Must complete form to receive coupon
Printable Coupon
Expires: July 20, 2007

Joann.com
50% off the regular price of one item
Coupon Code: JUNE750
Expires:  June 23, 2007

MyPoints.com
Sign-Up: FREE
Registration requirements: Valid email address
Sign-Up Bonus: 100 points for completing your user profile

With My Points, you can earn points toward gift cards at hundreds of locations. Points are earned by shopping online through their site as well as reading emails that they send to you (approximately 3-10 per day). Each email that you read earns 5 points, plus you’ll receive points for responding to the offers presented in the emails. Some offers require taking surveys, while others require a purchase of some kind. For the most part, I simply click on the emails to earn the 5 points.

I joined on April 7, 2007 and have to date earned 1,910 points without making a single purchase.

To give you an idea of the number of points needed for redemption:

$10.00 Wal-Mart gift card = 1,500 points
$10.00 Gap gift card = 1,400 points
$25.00 CVS Pharmacy gift card = 3,500 points
$25.00 Hyatt gift card = 3,750 points
$25.00 Overstock.com gift card = 3,250 points

There are literally hundreds of merchants that you can receive gift cards from. They are organized by category on the MyPoints.com website making it easy to find what you’re looking for.

MrRebates.com

Sign-Up: FREE
Registration Requirements: Valid email address
Sign-Up Bonus: $2.50

If you remember to use this site when you shop online (sometimes I forget) you can potentially earn a good bit of money. MrRebates offers a percentage back on your total purchase, anywhere from 1% to 20% in some cases. There are lots of merchants to choose from and the site offers category searching or searching by merchant name or product name so finding what you want to buy to get the credit is pretty easy.I joined in November of 2004 and have earned $130.97 to date. They pay through PayPal or will mail you a check if you don’t have a PayPal account. Here are some of the merchants and the percentages that are offered:

Because I use these sites on a regular basis, feel free to ask any questions that you might have about them. I’ll be glad to help!

 $3.00 off Luv’s Diapers at Target

Pillsbury.com Coupons - 7 coupons for $4.45 off
(must register to print coupons – free registration)

Free Guest Pass to Sam’s Club from Pampers

$0.08 prints from Clark Color Labs
Code: CK8PRTS
Expires: 6-11-07

$0.07 prints from York Photo
Code:  YK7PRTS
Expires: 6-11-07

Aside from the obvious – saving money by not buying batteries over and over – the Power Plus swing offers some other great options which make it a wonderful buy.

1. It provides easy access to baby.  The front snack tray is removable and the overhead mobile swings backward giving you full access to baby.  Both move quietly, so you won’t wake the sleeping babe.
2. No more batteries!  You can use batteries during times when you don’t have access to a power outlet, but you don’t have to use them all the time, which saves you a ton of money.  There’s a switch so that you can flip back and forth between battery and power.  If the switch is on the battery option, and you plug the swing in, it won’t work.  You have to flip the switch to the power option.  You have to be careful because if you plug the swing in and you still have batteries in it and the switch on the battery option, you won’t realize that you’re not running on power.  Because of this, we remove the batteries unless we’re not at home with the swing.
3. The three recline positions grow with baby.  I found that an infant headrest was required when our baby was very young (under 2 months), otherwise her head flopped over and forward.  The infant recline position is far enough back to be comfortable for baby.  As baby grows and learns to sit up unassisted, the seat can be moved to a more upright position.
4. The ten songs are surprisingly tolerable.  I’ve found that most musical baby toys are high-pitched and annoying.  Not so with the Power Plus swing.  The songs are soothing, even for parents, and the three-level volume control allows you to turn it down when needed.  The songs loop.
5. The six speeds have come in handy.  Even the fastest speed isn’t too much for baby.  We used it when our baby was especially grumpy.  The slow speed is perfect for naps – gently swinging baby just enough to soothe.
6. The toys move and sway as baby swings, which captures and keeps their attention.  The bar is out of baby’s reach, so there’s no danger of baby pulling the toys off, or pulling the bar down (or themselves up).  The only con that I have with the toy bar is that it is a little too far back.  Our baby has to look almost straight up to see the toys and after a while she gets tired and irritated with the position.  Because of this, I usually just leave the toys down.
7. The seat pad is very soft and comfortable for baby with enough padding to protect baby from hard edges, but not so much that it’s dangerous.  It is also very easy to remove, wash and re-attach.
8. The safety features include a 3-point harness in the seat and a cord release to eliminate tripping hazards.  The harness does not adjust small enough for an infant – the belt between the legs does not adjust at all, only the waist belts.  However, the removable tray does have a contoured bar underneath that keeps baby from sliding our.  We never had a problem with our baby sliding down, partly due to the recline of the seat, and partly due to the bar underneath the tray.  The safety release on the power cord is WONDERFUL!  Our older kids, and even us parents, have got the cord hung over a foot numerous times, but have never tripped.  It barely even slowed us down.  The cord releases quickly and easily without jeopardizing your or your baby’s safety.
9. I really looked forward to the “folds for storage” option on this swing because our older children play a lot of sports and I wanted to take the swing along with us.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t travel well at all.  The legs do fold together, however, the seat still sticks out a good deal, and the legs don’t lock together when folded up.  As a result, not only do we not travel with it, but we don’t store it at home either.  It takes up just as much space folded as it does standing, so we just leave it.

At around $80 – $90, this swing really can’t be beat.  It will pay for itself in the first month of use simply by not having to buy batteries.  The battery option makes it great for times when you don’t have an outlet handy, but batteries are not necessary all the time.  It’s safe, economical, very easy to assemble, easy to clean and fairly compact.  The purchase was well worth the money for us.

You have to treat everything you buy as an investment.
You have to take good care of it at all times. That means washing correctly, storing correctly and investing in a good stain remover. Most all of Gymboree’s clothing is 100% cotton. Washing in cold with a mild detergent such as Dreft and hanging to dry is very important to maintain the integrity of the clothing. Storing the items is also very important. Sweaters tend to sag when left on hangers for a long period of time, so it’s best to store then folded. Keeping lines together is helpful, but not necessary. I use ziplock bags to keep shoes, hats, headbands, socks and bows of the same line together in one place. Keeping a good stain remover on hand is extremely important, especially if you have an infant or toddler. No matter how careful you try to be, they’re going to get something on the clothes. It’s unavoidable. It’s very important to treat immediately and wash as quickly as possible to keep the stain from setting in. There are a lot of good stain removers on the market. Choose a travel stain remover and keep it in your diaper bag. I keep one on the baby’s changing table as well. Don’t use bleach or bleach products! Not only do you risk ruining the clothes, but bleach hangs around in the fabric and isn’t good for a child’s delicate skin.

You have to be willing to buy used.
Used doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s worn out. I have found that most people who buy Gymboree for their kids take really good care of it. Look for listings with very good pictures. Read the item’s description very carefully – look for how the seller cared for the item. If you have any doubts or concerns, ask the seller before placing your bid.

You have to be willing to resell what you buy.
To me, this is the hardest part. It’s so hard to part with these adorable outfits, but it’s essential to keeping your kids in Gymbo clothing. The good news is, Gymboree doesn’t really lose value for a long time (5 years, sometimes more, from when it appeared in the store) because once a line has left the stores, it’s never sold again. I’ve found that it’s easier to part with outfits as long as I have a lot of great pictures of my kiddos in the outfit. That way you always have a reminder of it, without having to actually hang onto it. If you didn’t snap a picture before your child grew out of something (guilty!), then just take a good picture of the outfit itself. Just don’t hang onto the clothes!

Get familiar with Gymboree sizing.
There is nothing more frustrating than buying something on eBay only to find out that it doesn’t fit. I have found that Gymboree runs pretty true to size. There is very little, if any, shrinkage provided the clothing is washed according to instructions. Being mostly 100% cotton, if you wash it in hot water and dry it in a hot dryer, it’s going to shrink at least some. That’s why it’s so important that you look for how the seller cared for the clothing they are selling. If they don’t state it in the auction, ASK! You can find Gymboree sizing charts on their website – http://www.gymboree.com/.

Watch your shipping prices!
Shipping costs can add up quickly, especially if you’re dealing with a seller that charges handling fees and/or ridiculously high combined shipping. Remember when buying on a budget that the shipping cost is part of the outfit cost. If you buy a pair of shorts for $0.99, it really isn’t a deal if you’re paying $10.00 to have them shipped. I’ve found that the best way to buy Gymboree and save on shipping costs is to find sellers that charge actual shipping, and also offer several items that you want. Personally, I try to buy no less than 3 items from any seller, unless it’s just a really great deal or something that I’ve been trying to find forever. Just remember – the USPS gives priority mail boxes for free, delivers them to your door and then picks them up from your door when shipping, so don’t fall for the “I charge a $15.00 handling fee for packaging, gas to the post office, etc.” Be smart!

Be patient!
Don’t get caught up in a bidding war over an adorable outfit. You’re on a budget, but that other bidder might not be. Gymboree lines are almost always available frequently, so don’t fall for the VHTF (very hard to find) line. Yes, it might be hard to find locally, but eBay is worldwide. Chances are with a little patience, you’ll find it again.

Try to complete outfits whenever you can.
A dress alone is cute, but a dress with matching shoes, socks and hat will resell much better. Again, be careful of your shipping costs and the combined price of the outfit you are putting together. You aren’t getting a deal if your outfit ends up costing you $30. Chances are you won’t be able to resell it at that price.

Keep good records!
This is VERY important. Don’t rely on your memory because you will forget. The idea here is to work with the same amount of money over and over. I started with $250 (man I love tax season) and bought 3/6 month clothing. When I resell it so that I can buy 6/12 month clothing, I want to make as much of my initial investment back as I can. If you don’t keep good records, you won’t know if you’ve made your money back. Here’s the system that I use: I made a one page template in Microsoft Publisher that includes the following:

You register (it’s free).  Anytime you shop with one of the retailers that they partner with (see list below) you’ll earn a percentage, provided you click through their site.  It’s somewhat like My Points, except instead of earning points for shopping, you’re earning cash.

Here are some of the retailers:

• eBay – you actually earn a percentage (up to 36%) of the seller’s fees on items that you purchase.  So if you purchase something that cost the seller $1.00 in fees (both listing and final value), then you’ll earn $0.36.  Pretty cool! I use this one a lot.
• Aeropostale – 4.5% of your purchase.
• Babies R Us – 6.3% of your purchase.
• Books-a-Million – 2.7% of your purchase.
• Gap – 3.6% of your purchase.
• iTunes – 4.5% of your purchase.
• Office Max – 3.5% of your purchase.
• Target – 6.3% of your purchase.
• Toys-R-Us  – 6.3% of your purchase.

These are just some examples.  There are TONS of retailers to choose from.  If you shop online frequently, it pays to check out BigCrumbs.com.  You’ll get money back for shopping that you do anyway.  Can’t beat that.

Another similar site that also pays a percentage of your cash back is MrRebates.com.  I’ve been with this site for almost two years now and I’ve earned over $300.00 back for shopping online.  It’s worth a look as well!  Registration is free and they will pay you with PayPal or a mailed check, whichever you prefer.

www.kodakgallery.com
20 free 4×6 prints with registration (registration is free)
Additional prints are $0.15 each
Additional codes:

• 20% off entire order – POSTMYPHOTOS (unknown expiration)
• 40% off $20 or more order – SAVINGS40 (unknown expiration)

www.clarkcolor.com
20 free 4×6 prints with registration (registration is free)

www.snapfish.com
20 free 4×6 prints with registration (registration is free)

www.dotphoto.com
50 free 4×6 prints with registration (registration is free)
Additional codes:

• 10% off entire order – PHOTO10OFF or 10OFF1006 (unknown expiration)

www.photoworks.com
50 free 4×6 prints – code: C594-38-5104-11 (unknown expiration)
20 free 4×6 prints – code: C86-38-5142-01 (unknown expiration)

www.yorkphoto.com
40 free 4×6 prints with registration
Additional prints $0.10 each

Dishonesty irritates me to no end.  When I see a seller listing an adorable outfit for $0.01 with $10.00 shipping – that makes me angry.  Get real!  Everyone knows that it doesn’t cost ten bucks to ship a toddler’s dress, nor does it cost ten bucks in packaging materials and gas!  The USPS gives you free boxes which they will bring to your door and then they’ll come back and pick them up for you when you need to ship something.  I have seen so many people put things such as “I charge a $5.00 handling fee for my time, packaging materials, gas to the post office, etc.”  I want so badly to send them a message asking “Do you honestly believe that people believe you or are you just greedy?”

And another thing that gripes my butt are sellers that try the old……

• $5.00 for the first item – half off postage for any additional items, or…
• $5.00 for the first item – $1.50 for each additional item, or…
• Highest shipping first – $1.00 for each additional item.

Again….get real.  It does not cost another $2.50, $1.50 or even $1.00 to stick a pair of size 3-6 month shorts into a box with a size 3-6 month dress that you’re already charging $5.00 to ship – which is, by the way, a ridiculous amount to begin with.  You’re not fooling anyone.  Least of all me.

By the way…just to clarify, I’m talking about seller’s who are selling their own personal items, not the big companies that have to charge handling fees and higher shipping in order to pay their employees and make ends meet. 

Ebay used to be such a wonderful place.  It still can be provided the frugal buyer has the time, patience and energy to go digging for the real bargains.  For the most part, however, eBay has gone completely commercial.  They aren’t interested in the “little guys” anymore.  The increase in fees over the past couple of years should be proof of that.  Seven years ago, I made a decent amount of extra money each month selling children’s clothing on eBay that I picked up from yard sales on the weekends.  That lasted about 2 years before it became too expensive to even bother with it anymore.  Between eBay fees and PayPal fees, you’re better off just having a yard sale.  But…..that’s a topic for another day.

Yes eBay irritates me.  Yes I get extremely frustrated.  But, I won’t stop using eBay.  There are people out there who, like me, feel that the little people still belong and we’ll keep hanging on by our thin little thread until the eBay big wigs decide to shut us out completely.  That’s not far off – unfortunately.

DO YOU THINK THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM IS FAILING OUR KIDS, ESPECIALLY WHERE EXCESSIVE TESTING IS CONCERNED?

Absolutely! In fact, to say that the system is failing our children is the understatement of the century. Let me share our story.

Our oldest daughter, who is now in the seventh grade, cannot even spell words such as neighborhood, privilege, because or having (these are just a few examples, there are LOTS more). English is our family’s first language, so she should be able to spell these words without much trouble. The fact that she can’t is, at least in my opinion, because of the public school system. It began in the fourth grade when she started bringing home her weekly papers with 50′s and 60′s (and sometimes even less) on her English / Reading / Grammar tests, but when report cards would come home, she would be making A’s and B’s in those subjects. My husband and I called a meeting with all of our daughter’s teachers, the principal and vice principal of the school. We wanted an explanation as to why she could fail tests repeatedly and still make such high grades. The answer we received – the teacher’s give “extra credit” work and allow children to retake the tests with open books so that they can raise their grades! We wanted to know why this extra credit work and additional tests were not sent home with her regular weekly papers and were told that they aren’t kept in the student’s file. Obviously, we were appalled at this practice. Our daughter would never learn anything if she was not held accountable for low test scores and helped in the areas where she was struggling. The school simply told us that it was their policy and that of the “No child left behind”. Our daughter continued to move up in grade level even though she was not learning the things that she was supposed to learn.

Then we hit the 7th grade. I learned that our child’s class schedule had been determined by her PACT test scores. When she received her schedule at registration, she had been placed in remedial math classes. I was blown away by this because she has always received straight A’s in math and science – it was the reading and grammar areas where she was struggling, not math! I went to the school and spoke to the principal about getting her classes changed. That’s when I learned that all the children were placed in classes by their PACT test scores. I had my daughter’s report cards from the past 3 years to show the principal that she didn’t need help in math, she needed it in english and reading, but was told that there was nothing that could be done. Her schedule would not be changed.

Now we are nearing the end of the 7th grade and my daughter is probably (95% chance) going to fail the 7th grade. Her self-esteem is lowering more and more everyday because she simply cannot keep up with what her class is studying. She has a VERY hard time with spelling and vocabulary and each year the words get tougher. She isn’t stupid by any means, she is simply a victim (yes I said a victim) of the “No child left behind” act and the inability of standardized tests to accurately determine a child’s scholastic ability.

As parents, we are powerless to do anything about it – and that is incredibly sad. Homeschooling isn’t an option for every family, nor is private school and even tutoring. Such families depend on the public school system to do what they promise – educate our children – not pacify them and do everything in their power just to make sure that they pass their grade regardless of whether they’re actually learning anything. Too much emphasis has been placed on standardized tests and to put it simply, they just don’t work. We have a friend whose child makes straight A’s in honors classes, but breaks out in hives and scores terribly on standardized tests. She is a classic example of why those tests don’t work.

Do away with them I say. They accomplish nothing. Put the emphasis back on our children and their education, not how well they can sit for hours and play dot to dot with multiple choice bubbles.

$3 off Pampers Diapers & Wipes
Expires 5-31-07

$1 off Dreft Laundry Detergent
Expires 5-31-07

Happy Shopping!