|
Here's What's New 
This weekend only, get a FREE one-night Redbox movie rental when you use code JR8WQLM. This code can be used online or at a Redbox kiosk. This code is valid through August 25, 2013. Got student debt? Sign up for SmarterBucks (for free!) and earn rewards that help pay down your student loans. Click here to learn more.    Related Stories 
Missed the first posts in this series? Check them out here.
10. Give Generously I’m going to let you in on a little secret here: Want to know one of the best ways I’ve grown my blog? By promoting other people. It might seem counter-intuitive, but it’s not. When you live your life with outstretched arms, you are richly blessed in return. You shouldn’t give so that you’ll get blessings — because otherwise it’s not true giving at all! — but I guarantee that you will lead a much more fulfilled and joyful life if you spend your life pouring it out for others. Promote Others Don’t keep a good thing to yourself! If you find another great blog post, pass on the link. If you read a great ebook written by another blogger, share it. Not only is this a great way to have endless blog fodder, but your readers will appreciate the great finds you pass along. Go out of your way to look for ways to build up and encourage other bloggers. You’ll be blessed and inspired in return! Share Your Knowledge If you’ve learned a great tip or trick, freely share it with your fellow bloggers. I can’t tell you how many great ideas I’ve gleaned from people who were willing to share their knowledge. And I find so much joy in being able to share ideas and tricks I’ve learned along way with others, too. You know what I’ve found? Not only is it a lot of fun to freely share ideas, but it also tends to fuel new inspiration for future blog posts and strategies. The more that I pour out to others, the more I seem to be inspired myself. Blog For Something Bigger Than Yourself What is your purpose for blogging? Can I challenge you to make it something that is bigger than yourself? Blogging for income or fame won’t give you the lasting satisfaction and fulfillment that blogging for a bigger purpose will. Maybe you want to encourage people, share practical ideas, inspire others to be givers, motivate people to rethink their positions on something… or a host of other things. There is so much amazing good that can be done through blogging. At the end of your life, the money you made won’t matter. The house you lived in won’t matter. The car you drove won’t matter. The clothes you wore won’t matter. What will matter is the lives you impacted and the people you invested in. Be a generous blogger. Catch a vision for what your unique gifts are to bring to the world and then go invest your life into things that matter! I promise that this will give you more amazing motivation, momentum, and fulfillment than you may have ever dreamed was possible. Got student debt? Sign up for SmarterBucks (for free!) and earn rewards that help pay down your student loans. Click here to learn more.  Related Stories 
MyFairyTaleBooks™ is a Personalized Children’s Gifts company based in Orange County, New York State. They are committed to excellent in their customer service and strive to take special care with each and every order to make sure all information is correct and shipped out on time.
Their mission is to offer you an unlimited and ever-growing selection of personalized gifts, easy site navigation, affordable prices and the best customer care in the industry. Their customer service representatives are available to answer any and all questions you may have will work with you to make sure you receive the perfect personalized gift for that special child in your life. 
Today they are giving away a free personalized copy of their book, A to Z, to 7 winners. It’s a fun, rhyming introduction to the alphabet featuring silly scenarios with each letter. Your child’s name is featured on every page. This book is a great way to reinforce the core fundamentals of the alphabet. To enter to win a free personalized copy of A to Z, just click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address. 7 winners will be chosen and posted on Tuesday. This giveaway ends Sunday, August 25, at 11:59 pm, CST.
Got student debt? Sign up for SmarterBucks (for free!) and earn rewards that help pay down your student loans. Click here to learn more.  Related Stories 
This is the weekly list of Free Homeschool Curriculum and Resources compiled by Jamerrill from FreeHomeschoolDeals.com. If you aren’t a homeschooler, but you’re a parent, teacher, babysitter, or nanny, you’ll probably find at least a few useful freebies in this list. You may also want to go through the Educational Deals and Freebies from earlier this week for more. 
Subscribers to Free Homeschool Deals can currently receive a Free 40-Week Homeschool Curriculum Planner. Living Books Curriculum is offering a Free Titanic Unit Study, including Five-Week Lesson Plan. Study the Pyramids and Ancient Egypt with this Free Ancient Egypt Preschool Printable Pack. Summer doesn’t have to end just yet! Enjoy a Free Ice Cream Learning Resource Unit that includes Unit Studies, Games, Activities, Crafts, + More! Make science learning fun with these Free Science Plans Using Magic School Bus DVDs. 
Download a Free Addition and Subtraction Basic Facts Games Lapbook through August 26, 2013! I bet you have kids in your homeschool who love LEGOs. Grab these Free LEGO Minifig Back-to-School Writing Prompts. And don’t forget the FREE LEGO® Counting Cards. Here’s a Free Mommy eBook bundle + Free Graphics Organizers for Literature Unit Study - $21.95 value Are you looking for a free preschool curriculum? Consider God’s Little Explorers Preschool Curriculum. The online version is free. The expanded version is $14 (still a great deal!). Shining Dawn Books is offering How to DO Nature Study for free (save $5.99!). 
There’s currently a great offer available for Free Homeschool Student ID Cards. How to Homeschool for Free offers information on the FREE eBook – Well Planned Homeschool: Ages & Stages. Frugal Homeschool Family featured a FREE Intro to Physics Unit for grades 3-5. They also shared a Free Phases of the Moon Minibook. You’ll find Free Notebooking Pages on Activity Village. Go to Notebooking Nook to download these free reading logs and vocabulary practice printables. 
Fall is almost here. Print off these Free Johnny Appleseed Dot Marker Printables to go along with your studies. Along with the new school year comes every homeschool mothers assessment of household chores. The following should help: Free Chore Chart Printable, FREE Cleaning Schedule Download from Joyful Mothering, Free Age Appropriate Chores List from Character Concepts, and the free homeschool eBook Return of the Routine – Six Steps to Success. There are new BOB Early Learning Printables available for Set 3, Books 5 & 6. 123 Homeschool 4 Me offers a creative way to track completed work. Download these free School Punch Bookmarks. Need encouragement to have the best homeschool year yet? Read over 10 Ways to (Not) Sabotage Your School Year. 
*Don't forget! If you are looking for additional free homeschool resources please check the huge growing list of free homeschool curriculum and resources on MoneySavingMom.com! Jamerrill is the homeschooling mother of a large and growing family. After seasons of spending $50 or less annually to homeschool her children, she started Free Homeschool Deals in 2012 to help all families afford the homeschool life. She also has a community of encouragement for homeschool families at Holy Spirit-led Homeschooling. You can follow the homeschool goodness on Pinterest and Facebook. Got student debt? Sign up for SmarterBucks (for free!) and earn rewards that help pay down your student loans. Click here to learn more.  Related Stories 
Today's Swagbucks success story is from Holly: From the time that I was very young, my mom made it a priority to teach my siblings and me to be frugal. So when I started working on my B.A. in 2012, I knew that I wanted to keep my expenses to a minimum. However, as anyone who's gone through college will tell you, textbooks can quickly break the bank because of their outrageous prices. I started college right about that same time that I started using Swagbucks, and I quickly realized that by earning and using Amazon gift cards, I could pay for my textbooks without having to pay any money out of pocket. Here's what I did: - Made a concerted effort to take the daily poll, NOSO and the toolbar every day when I first got on to the computer for 4 easy Swagbucks.
- Used the Swagbucks search engine to look up websites and information that I needed online. Since it seemed like I was constantly having to look something up, I usually earned about 20 or 30 Swagbucks every day from that.
- Got several friends and family members to sign up and was able to earn referral points from their earnings.
- Turn on Swagbucks TV with my speakers muted and allow the videos to play without becoming a distraction.
- Take surveys when they were available (this is the way I’ve earned the most Swagbucks).
Using Amazon.com, I could shop around for the best prices on textbooks, usually used, and buy them for considerably less than the average student would pay going into a college bookstore. Over the course of a year, I was able to pay for almost all of my textbooks — 32 courses’ worth — without having to spend any money out of pocket! Once I completed the course, I then sold my books and, in some cases, was able to make a small profit. Once I finish college, I'll look forward to putting my Swagbucks gift cards to good use in other areas. Got student debt? Sign up for SmarterBucks (for free!) and earn rewards that help pay down your student loans. Click here to learn more.  Related Stories  A testimony from Amy from Amy’s Peas and ThankYou
With the start of the new school year, my 9-year-old, Owen, wanted (and needed) new sneakers. This year was the first year he was brand specific — he wanted Nike Air Jordans, which are around $100 a pair. My initial response was that designer sneakers are out of our budget and totally unnecessary. But then I thought maybe we could make this a learning experience, and Owen could have his pricey sneakers after all. There are not a lot of ways a 9-year-old can earn money. He is too young and inexperienced to mow lawns or walk dogs, and a lemonade stand is a hard way to earn a buck. However, Oregon is one of ten states that requires a refundable deposit for soda, beer, and water bottles, and I’ve noticed that most people let those sticky cans build up in their garages and dread the hassle of returning them. So we decided to offer to pick them up from our friends and family, giving them a cleaned out garage and Owen a chance to earn some money. I posted a notice on my Facebook page stating that my son was working to earn money for his own shoes and if anyone had cans they had no interest in returning, we would gladly come get them. I was surprised how many people contacted us! Over the course of one month, Owen and I picked up and returned cans from our friends and family. Owen would feed them into the machines and take his tickets inside to redeem. For a shy kid, I felt like he was learning his first lesson in thanking our friends and family and then conducting the transactions at the return centers. By the end of one month Owen earned $161! He earned his shoes — but more importantly to me, he learned the sense of pride in earning your own way, the value of delayed gratification, and the hardest lesson for him: to actually save his money instead of trying to spend it on every trinket and piece of candy that caught his eye. Owen is now busy saving for his own Kindle Fire! 
Wife to one, Mama to two. Stay at home mom. Left behind an uninspired career in waitressing and retail management because my Dad was right and my Latin American Anthropology degree didn’t prepare me for a decent career. I blog my love of cooking (and eating) at Amy’s Peas and ThankYou. Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.
Got student debt? Sign up for SmarterBucks (for free!) and earn rewards that help pay down your student loans. Click here to learn more.  Related Stories 
Add a digital coupon to your Plus Card for a free 2-liter bottle of TEN Soda. You must add the coupon to your card today (August 23, 2013). You have until September 7, 2013 to redeem the coupon. Thanks, For the Mommas! Got student debt? Sign up for SmarterBucks (for free!) and earn rewards that help pay down your student loans. Click here to learn more.  Related Stories 
Print a Kohl’s coupon good for 15% off your entire purchase. If you spend over $100, you’ll get 20% off. This coupon is valid through August 28, 2013. Thanks, For the Mommas! Got student debt? Sign up for SmarterBucks (for free!) and earn rewards that help pay down your student loans. Click here to learn more.  Related Stories 
Here's a round-up of current Natural & Organic Deals and Coupons, with thanks to Andrea from The Greenbacks Gal: Natural and Organic Coupons: $1.00/1 Snikiddy Snacks Product, $2.00/1 Imagine Soups, $0.75/1 Cascadian Farm, $1.00/2 Earthbound Farms Organic Deep Greens, $1.00/1 Boulder Canyon Rice & Beans. For a full list of Natural and Organic coupons, go here. $80 in Natural & Organic Coupons in the Mail: Sign up for an EcoBonus account, purchase one qualifying item from a qualifying retailer and upload a picture of your receipt using their free app and receive a coupon booklet with $80 of Natural & Organic coupons in the mail. Brands include Mrs Meyer, Bear Naked, Lundberg, Nature’s Path and more. Includes a coupon for a FREE stretch island fruit strip. Buy One Get One free Earth’s Best Diapers: Two day sale to get a free jumbo pack of Earth’s Best diapers valued at $11.99 when you buy a value pack of Earth’s Best Diapers. Whole Foods One-Day Sale: Whole Foods Market is having a One Day Sale today ,8/23/13, on whole roasted chickens. Grab a whole roasted chicken for just $5 and don’t forget to print out these Whole Foods Market coupons to save on other items in the store. $20 Off BJ’s Wholesale Club Membership: Do you live near a BJ’s Wholesale Club? Get a $20 BJ’s Wholesale Club Membership Discount and shop their large selection of organic produce and products. Highland Sugarworks Organic Maple Syrup: Pay just $0.66/oz for organic maple syrup. This beats the Whole Foods Market Bulk Bin price and includes shipping. Nativas Naturals Sale: Fill your pantry with Nativas Naturals superfoods like chia seeds and goldenberries all on sale for less than $10 with free shipping. Free Amazon Kindle Books: Amazon currently has these available for kid friendly eCookbooks for free download: How to Make Baby Food, Kid Paleo Recipes, Back to School with Healthy Food, and Back to School Lunches. Andrea Green of The Greenbacks Gal is an organic coupon expert. What if you could find affordable organic and eco-friendly products on a budget? Eco-friendly moms need affordable solutions. Andrea finds the best green deals, helping hundreds of families save on the frugal, green lifestyle. Nothing makes her happier than to help people realize being organic doesn’t have to cost more.
Got student debt? Sign up for SmarterBucks (for free!) and earn rewards that help pay down your student loans. Click here to learn more.  Related Stories 
This week, I'm joining Jeff Goins for his Slow Down Challenge. If you want to participate, sign up for the free Slow Down Challenge email list. Also, you might consider grabbing a copy of his book, The In-Between. Jeff is such an inspiration to me as a writer and I highly recommend reading all of his books, if you have a chance!
It’s fitting and convicting that today’s challenge is about embracing interruptions. Because I totally bombed this one almost as soon as I woke up this morning. I usually wake up a good bit before my kids do and have quite a bit of quiet time to read, pray, and tackle business and blogging projects before everyone’s up and the day starts. But this morning, I woke up late and almost everyone was up soon after I was. Instead of quiet, there was interruption after interruption after interruption. I felt frazzled and frustrated… and then I saw that today’s challenge was all about embracing interruptions. Oops. After reading Jeff’s post for today, I began again with new resolve. And I’m so glad I did. 
Embracing interruptions meant getting to hear some amazing news from a friend’s phone call, enjoying a game of baseball with Silas (his determination and focus brought me so much joy!), watching Kathrynne do card tricks, watching Kaitlynn create, and laughing over a random inside joke with Jesse. How did you embrace interruptions today? Tell us in the comments or leave a link to your blog post about it!
Got student debt? Sign up for SmarterBucks (for free!) and earn rewards that help pay down your student loans. Click here to learn more.  Related Stories 
Sign up for a free Cafe Bustelo coffee sample. Note: If you signed up for this in the past, you won’t be able to sign up again. Got student debt? Sign up for SmarterBucks (for free!) and earn rewards that help pay down your student loans. Click here to learn more.  Related Stories | 
No comments:
Post a Comment