Think About It!

Our tagline for Intentional Moms (the ministry I work with) is Think About It. Not only is it a literal challenge to get people thinking about our name, but a bigger challenge for parents to think about what type of legacy they want their children to have and to be intentional about getting them there.

Catherine Hickem wrote a very poignant newsletter this month on this very topic and I know I benefitted from the reminder to think about my parenting instead of simply trying to survive each day! When people ask you how you’re doing, do you typically answer, “Busy!”? If so, then this is a must read for you:

A part of the Intentional Moms! logo is the phrase “Think About It”.  One of our main organizational goals is to get moms thinking about various facets of their motherhood.  Truth be told, I have observed a great lack of thought among today’s moms and it is causing great harm to today’s children and tomorrow’s future… Click HERE to read more.

Giveaway: Signed Nicol Sponberg CD

I had the distinct privilege of attending and working with some wonderful women at our Women’s Retreat at Fellowship Bible Chapel this past weekend. Carol Kent shared her heart with us and Nicol Sponberg (from the group Selah) led us in some amazing worship times.

I have to say – my eyes did not stay dry very long! Both women have incredible stories and I admire their transparency and willing to share their stories so that others might learn the mighty power of God’s grace, love, peace & mercy.

Nicol was so gracious and donated a signed copy of her album, Resurrection, to give away to one of my readers! If you would like a chance to win this amazing CD, post a comment below. If you’d like an additional entry, post a link to this entry on your blog or facebook, and then leave an additional post below letting me know!

*I also highly recommend you checking out the Sponberg family’s website HERE to hear more about their incredible story and “Light Your World”, the Luke Sponberg Foundation. If you visit their site and leave a comment or make a donation, let me know and you’ll also receive another entry into the CD giveaway.

Our children are such a blessing and I pray their story will help you treasure your children even more today 🙂

Free Books & Guides

Ready to start off your week with some FREE books? Check these out:
*FREE PORK CHOP RECIPES E-Book: Enter your email HERE to get an E-BOOK with America’s Favorite Pork Chop Recipes featuring 52-Pages of Quick and Easy Recipes + Quick & Easy Recipe Newsletter for FREE!
*FREE Kitchen Kids Cookbook: Fill out your short form HERE. (Limit 1 cookbook per request. Offer only good in U.S. and Canada. Cookbook should arrive in 6 to 8 weeks.)

*The Teen Girls Gotta Have It Guide to Money: Fill out the short form HERE

*Get your FREE ADT Child Safety Kit HERE

Retreat Day

Ok, I’m off to the second day of my Women’s Retreat at chuch, but I wanted to share some cute ramblings from my son over at our family blog, The Cone Home.

Don’t forget about Old Navy’s Basic Tees and Socks on sale this morning, Lowe’s Build & Grow and Real Simple class at Pottery Barn Kids this morning !

Lowe’s FREE Build & Grow Clinic: 8/22

Don’t forget about the FREE Build & Grow Clinic today at Lowe’s from 10-11am. In honor of Back to School season, they’ll be making a School Bus. Click HERE to register, but be sure to get there early!

Friday’s Freebies: August 14, 2009

As our first child embarks on her school journey today by starting Kindergarten, you can imagine where the majority of my time and attention has been this week! However, I’ve managed to still get a list of freebies together and will continue to update it as I find more fun deals! If you live near a Kroger or Harris Teeter, make sure you check out my post HERE on the Triple Coupon Deals they’re running this week for more great freebies! 

ACE Hardware: Click HERE for a list of items you can get (some for free) with rebate at Ace Hardware this month (Thanks to Moms by Heart)

Ben & Jerry’s: Every Monday through August, they’re offering Buy one get one Free Sundae’s on MONDAY’s…just mention the promotion at the register.

Blockbuster: Click HERE to get codes for FREE movies from their Express Kiosk in July & August

Books from Birth: Free books for kids from birth – 5 (Middle TN). Click HERE for details.

Chiquita: Click for the free Chiquita Bites singles coupon (from Money Saving Mom)

Domino’s: Get a FREE Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake from Domino’s pizza if your birthday is in August (no purchase necessary, but you will need to verify your date of birth). 

Enfamil: Free Breastfeeding Support Kit HERE

Fazoli’s:  – Go HERE to print a coupon (with drink purchase) for spaghetti at Fazoli’s before 8/15/09. Kids also eat free on weekends during August.

Friday’s BOGO is back! Click here to get $5 off for every buddy you bring in.

Holiday Station Store: In August, you can get a free Breakfast Tornado or Hot Snack (up to $1.39 in value) with this coupon.

Home Made Simple: If you haven’t already, get this free coupon book PACKED with coupons (including some free products) HERE

Ikea: Kids eat free at participating Ikea stores now through August 16th.  No adult purchase necessary.

Kraft: Get the inside scoop on the latest Kraft products, be one of the first to try New Kraft Products. Click HERE
Kraft Singles & Minor League Baseball: Bring your Kraft Singles wrapper to get a FREE ticket when you buy one. Click HERE for details (valid through September 1, 2009)

Lacoste: Get a FREE sample of Lacoste Parfum HERE

Lean Cuisine: They’re having their “Free Lunch Friday” Promotion HERE

McDonald’s: When you buy a new Angus Third Pound Burger, you can get free fries and a drink with the coupon available here.

Marie Calendar’s: Print these 4 coupons for Marie Calendar’s good for free entrees and 20% off your total bill at Marie Calendars restaurant.

MARS: Chocolate Relief Act – The first 250,000 to sign up HERE will get a coupon for their choice of a free chocolate bar! (Starts at 9am EST every Friday through September) With all the BOGO sales, this could turn into two if you wait for the right sale!

Melting Pot: Free chocolate fondue when you sign up for their club HERE. They also send a lot of great specials throughout the year!

Nabisco: Free Calendar of Savings ($55 worth!) HERE

Natural 10 Beauty: Free Nail Product Kit by sending them your email and describing the condition of your nails. Click HERE for further details.

Pampers Training Kit: Click HERE to get a FREE training kit from Easy Ups

Pizza Hut: If you homeschool and have children in grades K-6, sign them up for the Pizza Hut Book-It program for free to earn a free personal pan pizza every month they reach their reading goals.

Pottery Barn Kids:

•	Story Time – Tuesdays @ 11am
•	Registry Workshop – Tuesdays @ 7pm
•	Real Simple Back-to-School Class – 8/12 @ 7pm

Publix Baby Club: If you’re getting ready to have a baby or have a child under two, you definitely want to sign up HERE for some fun freebies and GREAT coupons from Publix!

Williams Sonoma: Check out their August schedule of free culinary demonstrations HERE

Whole Foods: Looks like they’re still giving away the Back to Nature Mac & Cheese (on sale for $1 and then use the $1 coupon from their in-store booklet!)

Office Max: Teacher Appreciation Day & Penny Notebooks

Don’t forget that today, August, 9th, is TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY at Office Max. Teachers will receive a FREE reusable tote, as well as 15% off ANYTHING they can fit inside!

Also, today starts a new week of sales, including:
-Spiral 1 Subject Notebooks – $.01
-Crayola Crayons, 24pk – $.20 (Limit 3)
-BOGO 50% off on all Crayola products
-12″ Ring Binder Ruler – $.05

Raising Your Children with No Regrets

I am involved with an incredible ministry called Intentional Moms. This month, the founder, Catherine Hickem, wrote a very poignant newsletter article that I wanted to share with you all before many of us get ready to send kids back to school. Really, whether you have babies or your children are grown and gone, this article is dripping with both insight and practicality when it comes to The Power of Your Perspective. I hope it encourages each of you today!

Regardless of how old our children are, moms need to pay attention to our words…KEEP READING 

Saturday’s Shopping Deals: August 1, 2009 – UPDATED

Here are some of the best food, back to school and shopping deals out there this week:

Babies R US: Get over $460 in savings during their fall preview sale with the coupons HERE (You can also get a FREE umbrella stroller with any $150 online purchase)

Barnes & Noble: Get a CD for $8.99 with coupon code P8W7E9F (online exclusive) Also, all stores are offering complimentary WiFi service now!

Borders: Get the latest coupons HERE (good through 8/2)

Children’s Place: Today only! Save 25% off the entire store!

Clean & Clear: Get $2 off their new morning burst product line HERE

crewcuts: Free shipping on all crewcuts online orders (J. Crew’s children’s line)

CVS: Starting 8/1, CVS card members will get a surprise at the bottom of their receipt the first time they shop in August: a coupon for a FREE CVS PRODUCT! Just make sure to use your card. ALSO, save $3 off a $15 purchase before 8/2 with THIS COUPON

Disney Store: 25% off Back to School Apparel this weekend only. Also, buy a backpack and get the matching lunch tote FREE through 8/5/09

Food Lion: Coupons that can be used at your local grocery store if they accept competitor coupons.

GAP: Their “Give & Get” program offers you 30% off through 8/2 by printing out THIS EMAIL and bringing it into the store

Gymboree: Save up to 40% off everything for Back to School AND earn Gymbucks

L.L. Bean: Check out the new kids sale. My friend Jen said she found $34 shoes for 6.99 and 14.99.

Micheals: Get 40% off any regular priced item (ends today) with THIS COUPON

O’Charley’s: Get 2 meals for $14.99 Sunday – Thursday

Old Navy: Discount coupons reloaded at www.oldnavyweekly.com

Pottery Barn Kids: Back to School Gear Ships Free! Also, Free Real Simple Decorating Class. Two class times offered: Wednesday, August 12th at 7 pm or Saturday, August 22nd at 10 am. Attendees receive a 10% discount on products featured and an exclusive back-to-school guide with checklists, recipes and more.*

Quiznos: Buy one sandwich and get one for $1

Rite Aid: Click HERE for a $5/$25 purchase

Snapfish: Get a free 5×7 photobook as well as other coupons by playing their Summer Photo Adventure game

Snappy Tomato: Get coupons HERE

Staples: HERE to play their Twisted Frosty game and get a $ 1 coupon$5 off $30 coupon as well as 5 cent B&W copies when you order online

Vista Print: Get any number of business/marketing products for free HERE

Walmart: Don’t forget that Walmart is now price- matching…so you can do your back to school shopping in one stop if you bring in the other circulars and can find the same product there! Here are some of their Back to School deals that end today:

• Notebooks (70-sheet), $0.15
• 2 Pocket Folders, $0.15
• Elmer’s Washable Glue Sticks (2-pk.), $0.25
• Crayola Crayons (24-pk.), $0.25 (Office Max has a generic brand on sale for a penny through today)
• Elmer’s Washable Glue (4-oz.), $0.25
• Dixon Pencils (24-ct.), $1 (Pencils are also BOGO through today at CVS for $.99)
• Crayola Colored Pencils (12-ct.), $1
• Crayola Markers (10-ct.), $1
• BIC Cristal Pens (10-pk.), $1
• Expo Dry Erase Markers (2-pk.), $1.50
• BIC Mechanical Pencils (10-pk.), $1.50

Wendy’s: Click

Back to School Bargains: Part II

If you missed out on the Back to School Deals this past week, make sure to jump on these tomorrow: Here are the best deals at Staples and I’ll keep looking for more to share with you!
*Remember, some of these prices are “After Rebate”. Staples makes it very easy to redeem these: just go onto www.stapleseasyrebates.com and enter your receipt # and address and the’ll mail the check to you. Just don’t forget to log on!

Free backpack -for members of the Staples rewards program (if you’re not already a member, become on here), You will get the purchase price paid for one backpack as a credit to your  Staples Rewards® account.  Limit one per address.

FREE Electric Pencil Sharpener (Limit 1)

Pay $15.99 each – $5.99 instant savings – $10 rebate

Free-After-Rebate Deals (Limit 1)

Zebra® Cadoozles® 0.7 mm mechanical pencils, 10/pack $2.99 – $2.99 rebate

Zebra® Sarasa® retractable gel pens, medium, black, 5/pack $4.99 – $4.99 rebate

Pentel® Handy Lines™ retractable assorted highlighters, 4/pack $4.99 – $4.99 rebate

$1 Deals (Limit 2)

Pentel Pens
Pentel Erasers
3-Hole Punch
Expo Dry Erase Markers
Staples 5.5 x 4 Notebooks
Mini Legal Pads
Staples® photo supreme 8½” x 11″ paper, 50/pack $12.98 – $11.98 rebate = $1

$2 Deals (Limit 2)

Pilot ERASABLE Gel Pens
Staples Mechanical Pencils
Staples Stickies Pads
Staples Erasers Pack (eraser/grip combo)
Small Dry Erase Board