Mark Your Calendars!

The next Gifts of the Heart Exchange is April 9th at the Wymount Terrace LDS Church Building. More information can be found {here}.

For those who don't know, Gifts of the Heart Exchange is a FREE item swap for families of students who attend BYU or UVU.  The main thing they have is clothes, but they also have hangers, nick-nacks (did I spell that right?), picture frames, baby toys, etc. If you're a student and in need of some items but don't have the $$$, you'll benefit greatly from checking this out!

Amazon Mom

Have you ever heard of Amazon Mom? It's an amazing program put together on Amazon for all mom's everywhere (I think. I'm actually not sure about Amazon's international policies.). Amazon gives you FREE Prime membership, meaning FREE 2 day shipping on all eligible orders. Also, as a member of Amazon Mom, you get 15% off TONS of baby items. Another perk of Amazon Mom? You can search for "subscribe and save diapers" and receive a box of 200+ diapers for 30% off! For example, I want a box of Pampers Baby Dry Diapers in Size 3. I search for subscribe and save diapers, and there happens to be exactly what I want! I click on it, get the size of box I want (204 count for $40.88), and click on the little bubble off to the right that says "Subscribe and Save: Save 30%." It then lists the Amazon Mom price, which happens to be $28.62. That's 14 cents per diaper! Amazon tells you how much each diaper costs. You don't even have to do the math! Another great thing about Amazon Mom: Everything is delivered right to your door! I am in love.

GREAT Couponing Websites

A friend of mine gave me a little couponing lesson this morning, and I just have to share what I learned! She gave me a list of couponing websites that basically sift through the newspaper and RedPlum ads for you. They do all the hard work and you get to save a TON of money!  I really like Hip2Save, as it gives the ins and outs of certain stores such as Target, Walmart, and RiteAid. GrocerySmarts helps you form a shopping list from deals in your own state. Forums on Pinching Your Pennies let you access the in-store ads the day before they come out. And a local one for Utahns...Utah Deal Diva. There you have it! Three awesome websites that help you save money. Oh the frugality!

Gifts of the Heart

If you're a student in the Provo/Orem, UT area and are looking for some great deals for your family, check out the Gifts of the Heart Exchange. It's a clothing/ random item exchange specifically for student families. My husband and I went and checked it out this weekend and found some great clothes for our little girl. The best part: it's FREE!

According to their website, the next exchange will be April 9, 2011. Mark your calendars!

Free Valentine's Printable

Hey guys! It's been a while, I know. I'm trying to be more consistent, but it's difficult with a little baby who needs love and attention.

Are you still trying to figure out what you're giving your spouse for Valentine's Day? Here is a free love notes printable I made with the help of Fonts for Peas over at Kevin and Amanda. I used the "Pea Lauren's Doodles" font to make these lovely notes. Also, check out Love Actually for some fun ideas on showing some lovin' to your spouse. I'm planning on using a few myself!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Linking up here:

Plastic Bag Wreath

{Click here for a tutorial on how to make this fun wreath!}

Ever wonder what to do with all of those darn plastic bags you bring home from the grocery store? Well, wonder no more! Here is a great idea from Under the Table and Dreaming. Go buy a Styrofoam wreath frame from the dollar store and put those plastic bags to good use! This project took me quite a long time since I kept forgetting about it, but I absolutely LOVE the finished product. It proudly hangs on our front door.

A few tips and tricks:

• Walmart bags are a dirty white color. Target bags are a more "pure" white.
• Cutting a bunch of bags up before you start gluing makes the project go by much faster.
• Use bags from the same stores throughout your whole wreath. Otherwise you get different colors of white. Unless you want that look.
• Try changing the ribbon color with the seasons/holidays. It's a pretty versatile wreath!

Yes, I am aware that the peep hole is being covered by the wreath. Our wreath hanger was already nailed into the door (uncentered, might I add) when we moved in. Oh the joys of renting.

Another GREAT Find!

Ok, so I've been searching far and wide for a play gym for my little girl. She is getting much bigger now, and she's no longer content to just lay on the floor while I do the dishes. The poor thing is bored! So, I turned to the local classifieds and this is what I found:

Retail value (Fisher-price.com): $70

What I paid: $15

Total savings: $55

Now that is a steal! Granted, we are missing 2 toys, but it's still lots of fun for our little girl. And I wasn't about to pay $70 for a new one. Bleh.

So, tip for all that holiday shopping: Shop the classifieds!