The Valentine Goodie Bag Story
(or – Why You Should Never Buy Anything Without A Coupon…Ever)

I did something completely out of character a couple weeks ago. I bought something not on sale and not with a coupon. It was a Thomas the Train Valentine’s Day activity book with cards to make and stickers and all kinds of stuff in it. (you all know Bug is a HUGE Thomas fan!) I spotted it at one day at Publix.  I managed to slip it in the buggy with hm seeing it.  At the checkout I covered it up with some sale papers and asked the cashier to discreetly ring it up and bag it.  She was real sweet – she bagged it twice and tied it up for me so you definitely couldn’t tell what was in it.

I paid FIVE dollars for this book because I thought it would be PERFECT in his Valentine’s Day goodie bag.  FIVE WHOLE DOLLARS!  And we all know what I can do with $5!

I had to work Valentine’s Day and Hubs had to work a night shift that night so we actually had our “Valentine’s” the night of the 13th – which I thought was perfect because I though Bug would want to make some of the cards in his activity book for his friends or family so I had these warm fuzzy visions of us sitting around the table with crayons and stickers and lots of love!

When he started pulling things out of his goodie bag, he got to the book and my eyes lit up because I thought he was going to love it!

He said, “It’s Thomas!” and then put it down and started rifling through the bag some more.  No worries, I told myself.  He’s just excited about everything in his bag and wants to see it all.  When it comes time to pick something to do, he’ll pick his book.

Did he pick his book??  Nooo….it’s sitting on table right where he left it after he took it out of the bag.  That night he wanted to watch the movie that was in his bag and put stickers on a piece of paper.  What stickers?  The Mickey Mouse stickers that were free from Walgreens because I needed a filler item!!

Oh, I tried.  “Sweetie, don’t you want to color in your Thomas book?”  “No, Mommy.” “Don’t you want to make a Thomas card for Will?”  (Will is his BEST friend.)  “No.”   “Do you want some Thomas stickers?”  “No.  I fine Mommy.  I watch TV.”

Moral of the story – don’t by anything without a coupon….ever! :)  

Have a wonderful day with those that you love the most!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love,
A Better Life Mom, Hubs and Bug!

Print this coupon for a FREE cookie (no purchase required!) at Quiznos on Valentine’s Day!

While you’re here, find more Valentine’s days deals and ideas!

Find more printable coupons, freebies or dining out savings!

Here’s a fun and easy craft that has usable results!  These were done for Valentine’s Day but I’m thinking they’d also make great party favors!  You can get the Wilton 10 Piece Candy Mold Mega Pack which has 72 different shapes from trucks and airplanes to ice cream cones and presents!

I also like the Alphabet Mold- I’m thinking of making end-of-the-year gifts for Bug’s preschool class and making each child their name in crayons!

Instructions:

• Prepare a silicone heart shaped baking dish
• Cut crayons into small pieces and fill each heart about half full
• Bake at 250F for about 12 minutes
• Let totally cool
• Comes out like a perfect colorful crayon heart!

There are also smaller molds that you can buy and use also.

Wilton Petite Silicone 12 Cavity Heart Pan
Wilton Ruffled 6 Cavity Silicone Heart Mold Pan
Freshware 8-Cavity Heart Muffin Silicone Mold and Baking Pan

Thanks MadameDeals!

Do your kids love Pocoyo? Then here’s a super cute printable freebie! Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Pocoyo and friends by downloading their FREE Valentine’s Day cards featuring Pocoyo, Elly, Pato and Loula. Each card comes with a special instruction on how to make a HEART insert.

Print these free cards now!

Pocoyo Valentine’s Day Card

Elly Valentine’s Day Card

Pato Valentine’s Day Card

Loula Valentine’s Day Card

Sleepy Bird

Pocoyo is an award-winning series that brings children into the bright world of adventure of an inquisitive and fun-loving boy Pocoyo and his animal friends, Elly (the elephant), Pato (the duck) and Loula (the dog).

Pocoyo can be seen every day at 1:00 pm Eastern on Nick Jr. and on Saturday mornings on Univision’s Planeta U. Packed with color, music and vibrant visual images, the series is both educational and entertaining, encouraging preschoolers to “learn through laughter.”

This might help you with an idea for the perfect date tomorrow!  Get this FREE Kindle book: 40 Unforgettable Dates with Your Mate.   (Amazon prices change quickly – this book won’t be free forever!  Download it while you can!)

Don’t have a Kindle?  You can download a free application which enables you to read Kindle ebooks on your computer, iphone, Android, Blackberry, iPad and more.

Thanks The Coupon Challenge!

Ok all you last minute shoppers! Here’s your chance. Amazon is offering FREE one day shipping on select Valentine’s Day gifts!  Purchase select items from Amazon’s Valentine’s Day gift list (hundreds of things to choose from) by 2/13/12 at 3pm pst and select one day shipping at checkout.

Shop in Jewelry, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him and more!  The important thing right now is to just SHOP!

Join Logan’s Roadhouse Nut-E club and get a $5.00 Coupon plus enter to win a trip for 2 for college men’s basketball championship.

We just had a Logan’s open nearby and Hubs has been dying to eat there.  We haven’t yet!  Patience pays off!  Now we can save $5.00!

Sign up for your coupon here.

 Check out more dining deals here.

Ok all you last minute shoppers! Here’s your chance. Amazon is offering FREE one day shipping on select Valentine’s Day gifts!  Purchase select items from Amazon’s Valentine’s Day gift list (hundreds of things to choose from) by 2/13/12 at 3pm pst and select one day shipping at checkout.

Shop in Jewelry, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him and more!  The important thing right now is to just SHOP!

Print this coupon for a FREE cookie (no purchase required!) at Quiznos on Valentine’s Day!

While you’re here, find more Valentine’s days deals and ideas!

Find more printable coupons, freebies or dining out savings!

Okay, here is my last offering of Valentine’s ideas!

This is what Bug and I made for all his grandparents and great grandparents.  And I made one for myself to keep because I love any craft that involves kid’s handprints.  They’re very sentimental to me!

For this you’ll need:

• Red craft/kid’s paint (dare I even say – use washable paint!  This is actually the exact set of paints we have.)

• glue stick

• small paintbrush (optional -but to get good handprints, it’s better to spread the paint on their hand with a brush than let them smash their hand in a big blob of paint)

• Red and White Cardstock or construction paper (I would highly recommend using cardstock!  You can always buy a few individual sheets of the colors you need at a scrapbook store or craft store like Hobby Lobby or Michael’s).

You’ll want to make sure you have some extra sheets of paper – the younger your child is the more you want to have because you’ll have a few that are less than perfect.  It’s all about getting the hands just right.  The one in the picture – the left hand needs to be angled down just a little more.  You want the tips of the thumbs making a point.

You could cut the heart first and then add the hands but I found it easier to paint a bunch of hands on paper and pick out the best ones and draw the heart to fit the hands.  After cutting out the hands on white paper, glue to red paper and cut a larger heart shape out.

For the ones we are giving to the grandparents, I wrote on the back:

Grandparents hold their grandchildren’s hands for a little while, but their heart forever.

And of course, I made sure to include Bug’s name and the date to make it a nice keepsake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out the big list of Valentine’s ideas here.

This blog is very kid friendly! See more things for kids:
Activities . Crafts . Frugal Fun . Homeschooling . Preschool . Recipes

This week’s Preschool Project is early – trying to squeeze in one last Valentine craft!
Preschool Project of the Week: Tissue Paper Heart
Preschool Skills: Fine Motor Skills, color and shape reinforcement

Supplies:

Cardstock or construction paper cut into the shape of a heart
Red Tissue paper cut up into small squares (1-2 inches)
Elmers Glue
String or yarn for hanging (optional)

This is a very simple craft.  I cut the shape of the heart out.  (If you are going to add string for hanging, I would recommend doing that before the heart gets decorated.)  Then I apply glue alllllll around the heart.

I give the kids a pile of tissue paper cut up into small squares and show them how to do what we call “scrunching” the paper up.  I show them how to lay one piece at a time in their hand and “scrunch” it by making their hand into a fist around the paper.  And then the press it into the glue on their heart.  They repeat this until it’s all covered up.

I discourage them from rolling the paper up into teeny, tiny balls because it takes too long and uses too much tissue paper.  The “fine motor skill” part of this is being able to “scrunch” the paper.

This craft could buy you a few minutes to get something done because once you show them the technique and squirt swirls of glue all around the heart, there’s nothing more for you to do!  The bigger the heart, the longer it will take them to finish it!  :D

If you have a couple kids (or just one that is really into making crafts) this would be a great “decoration” for Valentine’s dinner.  You could hang them from the chandelier over the dining room table or one everyone’s chair or place one next to everyone’s place.

Be sure to check out the big list of Valentine ideas here!

This blog is very kid friendly! See more things for kids:
Activities . Crafts . Frugal Fun . Homeschooling . Preschool . Recipes

I’m going to try to squeeze in a couple more Valentine crafts this evening.  This first one is from Momondealz’s Kids Frugal Fun page.

Valentine’s “Hooked on You” Plastic Water Bottle Craft

Materials:
Plastic water bottle
Construction paper or tissue paper cut into small pieces and 2 “fin” pieces
Glue or Mod Podge
String
Lollipops

Directions:
1. Empty, clean, and dry the water bottle. Be sure to remove the label.
2. Hold the bottom of the bottle and twist it to create the tail fin.

3. Use a pencil to get rid of the dents created in the body part while twisting.
4. Fill with candy (I suggest lollipops as your child can easily insert and retrieve these items). Otherwise the “fish” will need to be cut open to remove the treats.
5. Cover the outside of the fin and body with glue or Mod Podge.
6. Have your child place the small pieces of paper to cover the body and fin.
7. Add the fins.
8. Create your own label (I used Print Shop) and attach it to one of the lollipop sticks with the string.

Educational Activities:

• Language Arts:
  1. Read the book Rainbow Fish A,B,C and have your child use multi-colored paper to create their own rainbow fish.
  2. Have your child create/write special messages to insert inside the fish.
  3. Have your child tell or write a story about their fish going on an adventure. Allow them to illustrate their story in their journal.
  4. Focus on the letter F and have their fish “hunt” around the house for other ‘F’ words.
• Math:
  1. As your child cuts (or you cut) the paper into pieces, have the estimate how many small pieces will be created. Then have them count the actual number to check their estimation.
  2. Instead of randomly cutting the paper into pieces, cut the paper into different shapes and have your child ID the shapes.
• Science:
  1. Discuss fish characteristics and their habitat. Use a shoebox to create a shadow box to put your fish bottle in after Valentine’s Day.
  2. Close up your fish with the bottle cap after Valentine’s day and have a sink or float experiment with it.
• Fine Motor Skills: Allow your child to do the cutting in this craft (with safety scissors of course) and also allow them to insert the candy in the bottle. Also, the gluing in this project lends itself to improving fine motor skills.

I adapted this craft from one originally seen here.

I originally saw this idea on Pinterest and decided I wanted to do the bulletin board in my classroom like it.

Picture is not that great because I took it with my phone, but I think mine is better than the original.  What do you think? :)

Join Logan’s Roadhouse Nut-E club and get a $5.00 Coupon plus enter to win a trip for 2 for college men’s basketball championship.

Sign up for your coupon here.

Not going to Logan’s for Valentine’s Day?  Check out more dining deals here.

Find more Valentine’s Day ideas and deals!

Sign up and receive Mr. Food’s Valentine’s Day Recipes eCookbook for FREE!

While you’re here, find more Valentine’s days deals and ideas!

Don’t dine out this weekend (or on Valentine’s Day!) without a coupon!

Boston Market coupon: FREE individual dessert with purchase of any individual meal with drink, valid 02/14/12 only

Champps special: Three-course meal for $39.99 (Friday-Tuesday, February 10-14)

Chili’s Special: Ultimate Meal Deal for $35, 2 Margaritas, 2 entrees, 1 appetizer & 1 shareable dessert (no coupon needed through 04/29/12)

Lonestar Steakhouse special: 3 for $25 deal – Spend $25 for 1 appetizer, 2 entrees and 1 dessert, valid Friday-Tuesday, February 10-14

Maggiano’s Little Italy special: Marco’s Meal for Two – 3-course meal for 2 plus get 2 pastas to take home FREE for just $39.95

Maggiano’s Little Italy Month of Love special: Includes: 1 appetizer, 1 dessert, 2 glasses of wine and 2 entrees (lobster option) for $70

O’Charley’s special: Prime Rib dinner available February 13th & 14th (usually only available on the weekends)

Outback Steakhouse special: Say “I luv ya mate”, with our special 3-course Sweetheart Meal For Two, including two Outback Special Sirloins , a Bloomin’ Onion, sides & salads, and a Cheesecake to share. Available Valentine’s Day weekend (Friday-Tuesday, February 10-14)

P.F. Chang’s special: 4-course meal for 2 just $39.95

Qdoba special: B1G1 Free Entree when you share a kiss, valid on 02/14/12 only

Quiznos coupon: FREE Cookie – no purchase required, valid 02/14/12 only

Red Lobster special: 4-course Seafood Feast Meal for $15

Shoney’s special: Romantic dinner for two for just $20. We’re offering two house salads, your choice of two entrées and one Hot Fudge Cake for two!

White Castle: Get a FREE dessert on Valentines Day when you make a reservation, valid 02/14/12 only

If these specials don’t interest you, the Restaurant Coupon Page has been updated with current coupons.

Looking for something fun and free to do this weekend? Here’s a great list:

Disney Store: Saturday February 11th from 10:30 am until 1:00 pm
Children will make a unique Valentine’s Day card for their special someone. *Minimum age for participation is 3 years. While supplies last. No lineups prior to 30 minutes before event begins. Event subject to change or cancellation without notice. Call store for more information.

JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store: Saturday Saturday February 11th
11:00 am until 12:00 pm – Make a Duck Tape Wristlet
12:00 pm until 1:00 pm – Fiskars and Colorbok papercrafting

Kidtoons Films: Various times throughout the weekend
Watch Barbie in Mermaid Tale 2 – a family friendly movie with a family friendly price!

Lakeshore Learning: Saturday February 11th from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm
Children will design and create a free Be Mine Valentine Mailbox

Lowes Build and Grow: Saturday February 11th from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm
Children will create a free Valentine’s Day Card Creator

Michaels: Saturday February 11th from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm
Children will create a Valentine’s Day Memory book. Purchase of a paper sack is required.

Michaels: Sunday February 12th from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm
Children will create a Valentine’s Day Gift. Purchase of wood curly-q letter or frame required

Pottery Barn Kids: Saturday February 11th at 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm
Celebrate Valentine’s with a special tea-time. Get dressed up and bring your favorite doll or teddy bear for an afternoon of refreshments, stories, and crafts. RSVP required.

Thanks Coupons Are Great

Here’s a great roundup of Valentine-themed printables for the kids!  Cards to color and send, pictures to color, word searches, educational activities and more!

Time’s running out so if you need some quick cards here’s some you can get for FREE:

Valentine’s Day Pre-K Pack

Kawaii Valentine’s Kit

TomKat Studio Valentine’s Printables

Find more Valentine’s deals and ideas!

This blog is very kid friendly! See more things for kids:
Activities . Crafts . Frugal Fun . Homeschooling . Preschool . Recipes

Deals and Gifts:

Valentine’s Day on a Dime: Ideas to make it special without breaking the bank

55% off or more on Designer Fragrances – makes a great Valentine’s gift!

Browse Amazon for the perfect gift!

$2.00 off select romantic comedy DVDs with printable coupon

$1.50/2 Mars Candy Items + Walgreens deal

FREE Cookie at Quiznos on Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Pay it Forward Mission

Craft and Kid Ideas:

Argyle Valentine’s Wreath

Valentine gift ideas for teacher, grandparents and more

“Beary Special” non-candy Valentine Idea

Dinosaur Train printable Valentine’s Cards

Bubble Valentines: another candy alternative

Kid’s Popsicle Stick Puzzle Craft- great for Valentine goodie bags!

FREE Lady and the Tramp printable Valentine Cards

Big list of FREE Valentine printables

Heart Braid

Heart Bouquet Craft

Recipes:

Heart shaped Turkey Meatloaf

Popcorn Hearts

Marshmallow Lollipops

Oatmeal Carmelitos

Mr. Food’s FREE eCookbook – 14 Treats for your Sweetheart

Amazing Chocolate Truffles – 3 ingredients and so simple!

Print this coupon for a FREE cookie (no purchase required!) at Quiznos on Valentine’s Day!

While you’re here, find more Valentine’s days deals and ideas!

Find more printable coupons, freebies or dining out savings!

Here are some sweet “Mom” themed jewelry ideas from Amazon.  Great idea to give mom for Valentine’s day from the kids.  All under $20!

Love, Mother, Forever Silver & Crystal Expressively Yours Bracelet (pictured) – $9.74 and eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping

MOM Circle & Heart Cut Out Silver Toggle Charm Bracelet w/ Verse - $2.82 SHIPPED!

Stainless Steel Mom Heart Tag Bracelet – 7.5 Inches $19.95 and eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping

Bangle Style Engraved with MOTHER Poem ~ “If I could give you diamonds..”

14k Yellow Gold Plated Sterling Silver “A Mother Holds Her Child’s Hand For A Short While And Their Hearts Forever” Heart Pendant, 18″ (pictured) – $19.00 and eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping

Browse more Amazon deals or find more Valentine’s Day deals and ideas!

Print this coupon for a FREE cookie (no purchase required!) at Quiznos on Valentine’s Day!

While you’re here, find more Valentine’s days deals and ideas!

Find more printable coupons, freebies or dining out savings!

This coupon will NOT last long so you’d better print it now!  $1.50 off 2 seasonal Mars candy items! The coupon will not expire until 2/29 so, ideally, you should wait until after Valentine’s Day to use it when all the Valentine Candy is on clearance!

But if you’re looking for a really good deal now, here’s one at Walgreens through 2/11:

Sweethearts 1 oz, Wonka Sweetarts 1.5 oz, Mars or Nestle 1 or 1.2 oz $0.39 with in ad coupon

Deal Scenario:
Buy 4 Mars Valentine candies 1 or 1.2 oz $0.39 each with in ad coupon
Total = $1.56
Use the $1.50/2 Mars Valentine coupon found here
Final cost only $0.06 for all 4 candies!

Thanks A Frugal Chick!

Sign up and receive Mr. Food’s Valentine’s Day Recipes eCookbook for FREE!

While you’re here, find more Valentine’s days deals and ideas!

Are you just at a complete loss on what to get your sweetie for Valentine’s day? Amazon has their top items in several different categories listed on a single page. Go here to view hundreds of ideas for the perfect gift!

Amazon boasts the lowest prices on just about anything AND FREE Super Saver Shipping on most orders over $25!

So, I am that mom that looks for something besides candy to give for Valentine’s Day.  (I’m also that mom that allows the candy fairy to come get Halloween candy and leave a toy).  Here’s a cute idea using Teddy Graham cookies.  It’s particularly great if you have a toddler in preschool and you want to give treats to the class without having to resort to candy that the little ones most likely can’t have.

And since this blog is all about stretching our dollar, it’s frugal too!  I was able to make 10 Valentine’s for Bug’s class for less than $3.00!

I bought a bag of Teddy Bear cookies (generic Teddy Grahams) from the Dollar Aisle of Food Giant – just $1!

A pack of Valentine bags from the Dollar Tree – just $1!  (and these are even resealable ones!)

You are “beary” special cards printed on cardstock – This was a printable that I made!  You can print your own copies here.

The cookie bag said there were 12 servings in the bag, I was able to get 10 baggies out if it.  I put a little more than a serving size in each one (and maybe ate a couple…).  It filled each baggie halfway.  To completely fill each baggie I would’ve needed another bag of cookies.

Here’s the finished product:

Find more Valentine’s deals and ideas!

This week’s craft(s) are all about Valentine’s Day! One for a kids Valentine’s treat, and one for a grandparent’s card.

Grandparent’s Card:

The caption says “Grandparents hold our tiny hands for a short time, but our hearts forever.”

Materials:
Construction paper or card stock
Paint
Glue
Pen or Computer

Directions:
1. Paint your child’s hand (I have found this to be the easiest way to cover the whole hand).
2. Have them put their hand prints in a heart shape on the paper. We actually used both children’s hands for this craft so it could truly be from the “grandkids”.
3. Draw a heart around the hands and write or type a meaningful message at the bottom.
4. We also glued our hand print page to a red page to make it look a little “fancier”.

Kids Goldfish Valentine (adapted from an idea I originally saw on Pinterest)

Simply fill a reclosable bag with goldfish and attach a label with a catchy or “fishy” phrase! Our says “Wishing you an O-fish-al Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Educational Activities:

• Hand print card: Have your child dictate the words to use on the card. If they are old enough, have them actually write the words and draw the heart. If you use different children to create the handprints you can measure the different sizes and discuss other differences in the prints.
• Goldfish Valentine: Have your child estimate how many goldfish will fit inside the bag and then have them count them to check their estimation. Use leftover fish to create math problems, or glue on paper to create pictures (this works on fine motor skills). You can also have your child trace the goldfish as well.

This blog is very kid friendly! See more things for kids:
Activities . Crafts . Frugal Fun . Homeschooling . Preschool . Recipes

If you’ve missed any previous crafts, check out Momondealz’s Kids Frugal Fun page!

Find more Valentine’s Day deals or ideas!

Are you just at a complete loss on what to get your sweetie for Valentine’s day? Amazon has their top items in several different categories listed on a single page. Go here to view hundreds of ideas for the perfect gift!

Amazon boasts the lowest prices on just about anything AND FREE Super Saver Shipping on most orders over $25!

Are you just at a complete loss on what to get your sweetie for Valentine’s day? Amazon has their top items in several different categories listed on a single page. Go here to view hundreds of ideas for the perfect gift!

Amazon boasts the lowest prices on just about anything AND FREE Super Saver Shipping on most orders over $25!

Go here to print out FREE  Lady and the Tramp Valentine’s Day Cards!!

Be sure to check out these other great, FREE Valentine printable cards and activities and find all the Valentine deals and ideas HERE.

Thanks, Mama Loves Her Bargains!

Are you looking for a great, non-candy alternative for your kids to take to hand out for Valentine’s Day?

My friend at Coupons Are Great created a cute Valentine bubble tag and attached to bubble necklaces for a super fun twist on Valentines this year. Head over to her site to grab the printable PDF so you can easily recreate this craft.

Find more Valentine’s deals and ideas here!

Make a cute personalized mug for a special someone for Valentine’s Day at Ink Garden for only $2.00! It ships for $5.99 making this gift only $7.99!

Plus, you can personalize it even further by filling it with something special just for your special someone.

Coffee or Tea lover?  Fill it with packs of their favorite kind!

Gift for mom or grandma?  Add some travel size lotions, nail files and clippers and maybe a scented votive candle.

Golf enthusiast?  Fill it up with golf tees!

Teacher?  Fill it with pens, pencils, travel pack of tissue and antibacterial gel.

Sweet tooth?  Fill it with the recipient’s favorite candy!

Gift cards also fit nicely inside a coffee mug!

Be creative!  And order by February 5th to get it in time for Valentine’s Day!

Find more Valentine’s Day deals and ideas!

Cardstore.com is giving away 10,000 FREE Valentine’s cards everyday through 2/5!  It starts at 9am est, 8am cst.

Free Card – Limited to the first 10,000

Free cards are limit one per household for the duration of the promotion.  Shipping is FREE on the free cards!

Need more than one card? 20% Off Valentine’s Day Cards plus Free Shipping. Code SHOPHOME20 Good through 2/6.

Cardstore.com is giving away 10,000 FREE Valentine’s cards everyday through 2/5!  It starts at 9am est, 8am cst.

Free Card – Limited to the first 10,000

Free cards are limit one per household for the duration of the promotion.  Shipping is FREE on the free cards!

Need more than one card? 20% Off Valentine’s Day Cards plus Free Shipping. Code SHOPHOME20 Good through 2/6.

Looking for something fun and free to do this weekend?  You’ve got some options and several of them are Valentine-themed!

Bank of America: Saturday February 4th and Sunday February 5th
Free Museums On Us days for Bank of America cardholders. You will find free admission at over 100 participating museums, science centers, zoos, and botanical gardens across the United States!

Home Depot: Saturday Saturday February 4th from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm
Children will create a free keepsake box. This is perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Kidtoons Films: Various times throughout the weekend
Watch Barbie in Mermaid Tale 2 – a family friendly movie with a family friendly price!

Lakeshore Learning: Saturday February 4th from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm
Children will design and create a free notebook.

Michaels: Saturday February 4th from 3:00 pm am until 5:00 pm
Children will create a free Valentine’s Day Card.
Be sure to take the printable $5.00/$5.00 Michaels coupon with you!  Even if you can’t think of anything you need, they have a nice dollar spot aisle with fun games, toys and craft kits for the kids!  I’m sure they will enjoy picking our 5 FREE things!

Toys R Us: Saturday February 4th from 12:00 pm until 2:00 pm
Children can create a complimentary/FREE LEGO Friends lemonade stand to take home

Thanks Coupons Are Great!

Here’s a great roundup of Valentine-themed printables for the kids!  Cards to color and send, pictures to color, word searches, educational activities and more!  And it’s all FREE!

Valentine’s Day Pre-K Pack – I found several great things in this one that I’m using in my classroom next week!

Kawaii Valentine’s Kit – Word Search, customizable printable cards, coloring sheet and more!

TomKat Studio Valentine’s Printable

“Beary Special” Valentine Idea with printable cards

Bubble Valentine’s with printable cards

FREE Lady and the Tramp printable valentine’s

Find more Valentine’s deals and ideas!

This blog is very kid friendly! See more things for kids:
Activities . Crafts . Frugal Fun . Homeschooling . Preschool . Recipes

Cardstore.com is giving away 10,000 FREE Valentine’s cards everyday through 2/5! I don’t know if all of today’s free cards are claimed.  You can check here: Free Card – Limited to the first 10,000

The promotion starts each morning at 9am est, 8am cst. You could make your card now and save it in your cart so you can login first thing in the morning to claim your free one!

Free cards are limit one per household for the duration of the promotion.  Shipping is FREE on the free cards!

Need more than one card? 20% Off Valentine’s Day Cards plus Free Shipping. Code SHOPHOME20 Good through 2/6.

Make a cute personalized mug for a special someone for Valentine’s Day at Ink Garden for only $2.00! It ships for $5.99 making this gift only $7.99!

Plus, you can personalize it even further by filling it with something special just for your special someone.

Coffee or Tea lover?  Fill it with packs of their favorite kind!

Gift for mom or grandma?  Add some travel size lotions, nail files and clippers and maybe a scented votive candle.

Golf enthusiast?  Fill it up with golf tees!

Teacher?  Fill it with pens, pencils, travel pack of tissue and antibacterial gel.

Sweet tooth?  Fill it with the recipient’s favorite candy!

Gift cards also fit nicely inside a coffee mug!

Be creative!  And order by February 5th to get it in time for Valentine’s Day!

Find more Valentine’s Day deals and ideas!

Perfume and cologne makes a great Valentine’s gift especially when you know your Sweetheart’s favorite scent! Hubs found a brand of cologne in the store that he loved but it was $63! I found it online for under $30! I’m surprising him with it for Valentine’s Day! Check out these great sites for incredible savings! Don’t pay department store price for fragrances anymore!

• Scentiments.com has Nautica Voyage for Men for $28.47 (55% off regular price of $63!).

Save an extra 10% at Scentiments.com and get FREE shipping on any purchase with coupon code WINTER

• FragranceX.com is offering FREE shipping on any purchase with coupon code FREE

• Perfumania.com offers free shipping on orders over $50 and get 10% Off Your Purchase at Perfumania.com. Use Code AFT10 at checkout.

• Perfume Emporium – Shop today and receive $5 off any $20 purchase using code KL1966, $10 off any purchase of $40 or more using code CD1972, or get $15 off any 2 items totaling $75 using code FB1990.

Find more Valentine’s Day Deals and Ideas!

Vistaprint is offering custom t-shirts for $2.00. There are hundreds of designs to choose from.  I used the “I Heart” design to make t-shirts for Bug’s grandparents for Christmas (i.e. “I Heart Grandpa” with Bug’s picture on it.) Those went over very well!

They also have a “World’s Greatest Dad” T-shirt that would make a great Valentine’s gift for Dad or you could save it for Father’s Day!

Shipping starts at $4.41 – so $6.41 total for a personalized t-shirt is a steal!

There are over 500 different personalized shirt designs that are included in this promotion for $2.00!

Here’s another great craft idea from Momondealz!  And this is a great way to get the kid’s to be hands on with the gifts they make for their classmates (not to mention a great alternative for giving candy!).

If you have missed past crafts, you can visit them at Momondealz’s Kids Frugal Fun page!

Popsicle Puzzle Making

Materials:
Popsicle Sticks
Modge Podge (or I’ve been told Elmer’s Glue and Water works just as well)
Photo/Image of choice
Scissors or Craft Knife

Directions:

1. Cut image of your child’s choice to desired size.
2. Lay picture down and line up popsicle sticks beside it to ensure you have the correct number of sticks.
3. Line the sticks in a row and tape them down on your work space (I used a plastic grocery bag to avoid messes).
4. Apply Modge Podge on the back of the photo/image and glue it to the sticks. Allow to dry.
5. Flip sticks and image over and apply adhesive to the entire back of the sticks. Allow to dry.
6. Using sharp scissors or craft knife, cut the sticks apart.
7. Apply Modge Podge to the front of each individual stick (this will prolong their life in the hands of toddlers). Allow to dry.

Valentine Gift Tags:

I created the tags on Print Shop using an image I found on the internet. Then I cut red circles from card stock and attached the tags to them. Simple! Then we put the the sticks in the goody bags and punched a hole in the tags to attach them to the baggies. We will also add some candy in the bags when we finish them!

Note: You can also tape down the popsicle sticks and have your child color their own picture (depending on their skill level).

*If you don’t want popsicle puzzles, you can also purchase blank traditional puzzles and add your images to those as well.
To see the educational activiites that coincide with this craft, visit Momondealz HERE.

This blog is very kid friendly! See more things for kids:
Activities . Crafts . Frugal Fun . Homeschooling . Preschool . Recipes

Get a new look for Valentine’s Day! Get the Sweetheart Collection from e.l.f cosmetics for just $2 with any $20 purchase.

The Sweetheart collection includes:
- Studio 32-Piece Endless Eyes Pro Mini Eyeshadow Palette in Cool
- Essential Eyelid Primer in Champagne
- Mineral All-Over Eyeshadow Brush
- Studio Shimmer Palette Studio
- Glossy Gloss in Pink Candy
- Essential Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Ruby
- Slipper Essential Nail Polish in Fair Pink and Medium Red
- Dump Storage Bag

Ends Monday! Use code SWEET by 1/30!

Want to send out Valentine’s cards with pics of the new baby? Or send pictures from Christmas to out of state family? Here’s some deals to help you send memories however you need too.

Upload your photos to Walgreens.com and make folded photo cards for Valentine’s Day. Buy 10 and Get 10 Folded Cards Free w/ promo code BOGOFOLD

Plus get prints for just $0.10 each when you order 75 or more 4×6 prints! 4×6 Prints for 10c Each on Orders of 75 or More w/ promo code PRINT2DAY

Both offers good through 2/4!

Always remember to have your photos sent to the store by selecting “in store pickup” at checkout.  You won’t pay shipping and you can even pick up as early as the same day!

Hubs and I were shopping the other day. I get him in the store literally ONCE a year to get clothes. He was in need of some new clothes so we made our yearly trip to Kohl’s and scored some great deals – ended up with 5 shirts, a sweater, 2 pairs of pants and a coat for under $200.

While we were there, we were looking a men’s fragrances. He was almost out of his cologne and wanted to try something new. We both loved Nautica Voyage but it was $63!! Even HE thought that was outrageous. In fact, there was nothing we liked that was under $40 a bottle. So needless to say, we left the store without any cologne.

I decided I wanted to surprise him with the Nautica Voyage cologne for Valentine’s day so I set out to find better prices on cologne and perfumes. I found several great sites!

• Scentiments.com has Nautica Voyage for Men for $28.47 (55% off regular price of $63!).

Save an extra 10% at Scentiments.com and get FREE shipping on any purchase with coupon code WINTER

• FragranceX.com has Nautica Voyage for $26.92.

Plus get FREE shipping on any purchase with coupon code FREE

• Perfumania.com has Nautica Voyage for $20.00 (currently out of stock)

They offer free shipping on orders over $50 and get 10% Off Your Purchase at Perfumania.com. Use Code AFT10 at checkout.

• Perfume Emporium has Nautica Voyage for $22.99.

Shop Perfume Emporium today and receive $5 off any $20 purchase using code KL1966, $10 off any purchase of $40 or more using code CD1972, or get $15 off any 2 items totaling $75 using code FB1990.

So, the moral of the story is, as nice as it would have been to have had the product that day we were in the store.  By walking away and coming home to do some price checking, I saved $39!!  (I purchased it from FragranceX.com for $26.92 with free shipping)  AND now I have a nice surprise for Hubs for Valentine’s Day!  (It’s SO hard to surprise him!)

Make a cute personalized mug for a special someone for Valentine’s Day at Ink Garden for only $2.00! It ships for $5.99 making this gift only $7.99!

Plus, you can personalize it even further by filling it with something special just for your special someone.

Coffee or Tea lover?  Fill it with packs of their favorite kind!

Gift for mom or grandma?  Add some travel size lotions, nail files and clippers and maybe a scented votive candle.

Golf enthusiast?  Fill it up with golf tees!

Teacher?  Fill it with pens, pencils, travel pack of tissue and antibacterial gel.

Sweet tooth?  Fill it with the recipient’s favorite candy!

Gift cards also fit nicely inside a coffee mug!

Be creative!  And order by February 5th to get it in time for Valentine’s Day!

Find more Valentine’s Day deals and ideas!

Add Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown to your family movie night collection for just $11.99 from Amazon!

While you’re there, you can pick up It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown for $14.69.  Purchase them together and they’ll ship for FREE with Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25!

Need more Valentine’s ideas?  Check out:

• tips for a frugal valentine’s day
• personalized coffee mug $7.99 shipped + creative ideas on what to fill it with
• more deals and ideas in the Valentine’s Day category!

Valentine’s Day is about romance and love and someone special. But it doesn’t have to be about spending a lot of money!

Here a few tips for making it special while spending next to nothing.

• Handmade valentine’s cards are always a good choice…and not just handmade by the kids. :) Get creative and make your hunny a handmade card.
• Create personal, candy wrappers to put around each family members favorite candy bar (think the paper wrapper around a Hershey’s Bar).  A favorite candy bar is a simple, inexpensive but thoughtful gift.
• “Coupons” are a great gift and not the ones we talk about on the blogs all day. But homemade coupons. These can be of the romantic nature or family-friendly. ;) Coupons for one day with no chores for the kids. One day of uninterrupted football for dad. One day that mom doesn’t have to spend in the kitchen coupons! :) The possibilites are endless…
• Valentine’s dinners and dates don’t have to be expensive. Popcorn and a movie in your living room can be a suitable date night!
• Recreate your first date (or your first Valentine’s Day or your proposal) to remind your special someone how the two of your started, how far you’ve come and that you’d do it all over again. :)
• Write a sincere love note and frame it.
• Cook dinner together instead of going out. Plan the meal and shop for the ingredients together. Then go home a prepare it together.

What are your best, thrifty, Valentine’s Day ideas?

Get a new look for Valentine’s Day! get the Sweetheart Collection from e.l.f cosmetics for just $2 with any $20 purchase.

The Sweetheart collection includes:
- Studio 32-Piece Endless Eyes Pro Mini Eyeshadow Palette in Cool
- Essential Eyelid Primer in Champagne
- Mineral All-Over Eyeshadow Brush
- Studio Shimmer Palette Studio
- Glossy Gloss in Pink Candy
- Essential Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Ruby
- Slipper Essential Nail Polish in Fair Pink and Medium Red
- Dump Storage Bag

Use code SWEET by 1/30!

Get 10 Free Note Cards from Vistaprint! Use them to make these cute valentine’s that are 3 per card for a total of 30 FREE Personalized Kid’s Valentines!

Add a personal message and even a photo and create a unique valentine for your child to hand out in class. Order now and enjoy a stress free Valentine’s Day this year! The Note Cards are free- just pay shipping and processing! (starts at $4.50)

Check out this Vistaprint deal today! Deal ends 1/27!

Find more Valentine’s deals and ideas!