Category Archives: New posts

Save Money for College While Shopping for Holiday Gifts, with Upromise

Brand Ambassador, Money, New posts,

upromise college savings ambassadorI am a huge fan of shopping.. but I also love saving money!  I prefer to save more (way more) than I spend and I try to teach my kids the same.

I have told my 12 year old son many times that we will not be paying for his college education and that he must earn his college education by making good grades.  College is just about 7 years down the road for him and that’s not long.  I signed up for Upromise when my son was a baby and I am glad! I can’t believe how quickly these years have gone by.  Not only is he 12 years old but I’m a mother to a 12 year old! That’s almost more shocking to me.  He’s going to be driving in the next few years and then off to college he’ll go.

Upromise by Sallie Mae is a program that offers shoppers cash back towards collage savings, on certain purchases.    Everyday shopping that you do at the grocery store, toy store, book store, and even eating out can put money into your child’s college fund.

Upromise is offering some great deals this holiday season and for 10 weeks Upromise is featuring some pretty amazing cash back bonuses throughout the holiday season through their Holiday Savings HotSpot. They are offering 10%, up from 3%, off at Sephora this week (ends 11/17) so if you love Sephora as much as I do, you’ll want to jump on this deal!

You probably already shop at Toys R’ Us, Macy’s, Brookstone, Sears, Target, Apple Store, Best Buy, Land’s End, Home Depot, and The Disney Store so why not save for your child’s college fund at the same time by shopping through Upromise?

Crazy, cool upromise goodies!

  • If you aren’t a member of Upromise yet, you can sign up here. You’ll get $5.00 in your account when you sign up and there are no fees.
  • For those of us who shop online a lot (raise your hand), you can download the Upromise Internet browser tool bar, TurboSaver.  This toolbar will search participating retailers sites that you visit, for coupons and discounts.   How easy is that?!
  • Through December 13th, all shoppers at Upromise will be entered into a daily drawing for a $500 Apple gift card!

A brief overview of 529 college savings from my point of view:

Parents should start saving early for their children. But even if college days are soon approaching, getting even a little bit of a head start on tuition and additional college expenses will be beneficial. One of the most popular college savings resources available is a 529 college savings plan.   A 529 college savings plan allows families to save a significant sum of money in an account designed specifically for college funding.   Upromise makes it easy for parents to save for their child’s college education just by purchasing the same every day items they always do.   529 plans may be one of the most effective means of saving for college because of the tax benefits and because parents, grandparents and others can contribute on behalf of specific students.  You can learn more about 529 college savings plans on Upromise here.

Useful upromise links:

Disclosure: I am a paid upromise college savings ambassador.  All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Win a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 DVD! #HarryPotter #Giveaway

Contests, Giveaways, movies, New posts, ,

I know you’re excited about the upcoming release of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 on DVD. We are too, and we’re celebrating by giving a lucky reader a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 DVD!

Are you hungry for the latest in all things Potter? The Harry Potter Buzz Portal will give you real-time updates on the trending Harry Potter topics from Facebook and Twitter.

Win a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 – DVD!

Mandatory entry – Take The Harry Potter Trivia Quiz using the Beginner, Advanced, or Intermediate button in the widget below. Then tell us what the results of your quiz are, in the comments at the bottom of this post.

Earn extra giveaway entries:

  • Be sure to have completed the mandatory entry first!
  • 1 extra entry – Follow @mommyinsider on Twitter
  • 1 extra entry – Like The Mommy Insider Facebook page
  • 1 extra entry – Subscribe to The Mommy Insider (and confirm your email address via the confirmation email)
  • 1 extra entry (each time) – Tweet this: “I entered a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 DVD #giveaway from @mommyinsider! You can enter to win here: http://wp.me/plszx-2ym”, up to once every 8 hours.
  • 1 extra entry – Like the Harry Potter Facebook page. Be sure to tell us that you follow the page in the comments below.
  • 3 extra entries – Share your top three tips to having the ultimate Harry Potter party in the comments below
  • 3 extra entries – Write about this giveaway on your own blog and leave the URL to your blog post in the comments below (can be done once)
  • Enter our other giveaways and tell us which giveaways you entered in the comments below

Entries accepted through 11:59pm EST, November 28th.
Open to U.S. residents 18 years old and older only. No P.O. Boxes.
We are not responsible for shipping. PR company will ship thep prize to the winner.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Sears Family & Friends Event! Extra 5-25% Off! Nov. 13th 6-9pm CT

New posts, Sales & Events, , , ,

If you are like me, you’ve already made a list of what you want to get everyone in your family this holiday.  In addition, if you are like me you might not actually buy those items until December 21st or later.  Sound familiar?   This year though, I’m determined to have all gifts purchased by December 20th at the latest. 😉  Baby steps.  Sears is helping me do that by offering shoppers amazing discounts this Sunday, November 13th at the stores and online November 12-14th (see times below).

Here’s the Scoop!

This weekend, on Sunday, November 13, 2011, Sears is having their special in-store Family and Friends event. Offering better than Black Friday sales throughout their store this is the perfect time to get all those tools, electronics, and clothes for your family!  Get the Black Friday deals without the Black Friday hassle!

When To Get In-Store Savings:

November 13th 6-9pm CT (timing varies by location)

To get these special discounts at your local Sears store print out this special shopping pass and take it with you. The pass is a .pdf file.

When To Get Online Savings:

Saturday November 12th from 8pm CT to Monday November 14th at 4am CT

To learn more about the Sears Friends and Family sale, visit this page.

Sears Family & Friends Event November 2011

 

Take a look at the discounts in these departments!

  • 25% off regular, sale, and clearance Land’s End clothing and footwear.  My  husband and I love Land’s End.  We’ll be all over this sale!
  • 20% off  regular, sale, and clearance clothing for your entire family including intimate apparel and accessories.
  • 15% off regular, sale, and clearance fine jewelry, footwear, window fashions, house wears, bed and bath and luggage.
  • 10% off regular, sale, and clearance fragrance, appliances, watches, fitness, sporting goods, cosmetics, game room, outdoor furniture, automotive, tools, lawn and garden, home services and the Christmas shop.
  • 5% off regular, sale, and clearance electronics.

Shop Your Way Rewards Members get an extra bonus!

Shop Your Way Rewards members can also earn 5% back when they pay with their Sears card, on top of the already incredible discounts being offered!

Free Shipping!

Use code REALJOY when checking out at Sears.com (not applicable on Marketplace items) to get free shipping on orders $99 and over.  This discount applies to mailable items only and the offer ends 12/19 at 4pm.

Connect with Sears 

Disclosure: I was provided with a gift card in exchange for this post.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North “Poll”

Holiday, New posts,

We LOVE Melissa & Doug toys.  My daughter’s favorite Melissa & Doug toy is Flip to Win Hangman.  She beats me almost every time. Between you and me.. I think she’s memorized the boards… but I still love playing the game with her!
Melissa & Doug offers toys for infants all the way up to 8+.  On the Melissa & Doug website, you can search for a toy by age, or by type of toy.  You will love their selection of puzzles, food toys, arts & crafts, and classic toys.  You will find something to buy for every child on your gift list at Melissa & Doug.

Get a 25% off coupon!

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best!

Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North “Poll!”

You’ll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

Vote by November 20th to be eligible for the coupon!

Disclosure: I may receive a shopping credit for participating in this promotion.  All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

5 Things You Can Do With Post-It® Craft Paper

Arts and Crafts, New posts, , ,

Post-It® Craft Paper holds many possibilities for all children! The paper is thick and has a peel-off backing. I love how mess-free Post-It® Craft Paper is for children.  My five-year-old can create beautiful pictures and ‘art’ without using glue or tape.  She seemed to have an easy time getting the backing off of the paper which was my primary concern.  She was able to cut the paper just fine and loved the different colors in the pack I gave her. She created a scene with grass, trees, a sunshine (see photo below), and clouds, all by herself.  She was so proud and she had a great time creating piece after piece of art while I worked next to her!

Post-It® Craft Paper

Here are 5 crafts your child can create with Post-It® Craft Paper:

1. Create a holiday scene
Your child can easily cut out decorations for a background for any holiday including Thanksgiving or Christmas and simply peel and stick to create a one-of-a-kind piece of art. By cutting out the basic triangle for a Christmas tree, your child can then cut out ornaments, decorations, and gifts out of the paper and attach it to the page, mess-free.

2. Make a card
It’s peel and stick ability make it easy for a child to create a card for a birthday gift or holiday party for that special friend.  My 5-year-old made her friend a birthday ‘card’ out of Post-It® Craft Paper a few days ago! It was adorable!

3. Create a scrapbook picture frame
Cut shapes out of the paper in a variety of colors and use the shapes to decorate a picture frame for a loved one with a photo of your child inside. This is perfect for the grandparent who has everything!

4. Paint a picture that can hang itself
The genius of Post-It® Craft Paper is that your child can create their artwork on the paper and it can be stuck directly to the wall without damaging paint or wallpaper.  This makes the perfect gift for Dad to take to work to put on his office wall.

5. Custom make stickers
Allow your child to draw favorite pictures and characters on the paper then cut them out. Reward jobs well done with custom stickers or use the cuts-outs to decorate notebooks, folders, and papers!

Learn more about Post-It® Craft Paper here on the Post-It website.

Do you have ideas on how to use Post-It® Craft Paper?  Share your ideas with us in the comments below.

Disclosure: I was given a Post-It® Craft Paper to use for review purposes. All opinions are 100% my own.

Alicia Hagan, Editor