a little update from me...

Wow, I just realized I've gone 4 days without a post. Well, things have been super busy at our house. Our third funeral in two months, sickness, and just life in general has kept me away from a computer. Bad news is another one is down with that nasty stomach bug, just praying that it just finishes up right there!

I'm currently working on my Work at home Mom of the Month for February and hope to have it done today so that it will post by midnight tonight! Some of you may have heard of her, and if you have a newborn, or soon to be born, you need to hear of her!  Her passion for her craft, her talent, and her ambition to make change makes her story a must read!! I'm so excited to bring this story to you!

Speaking of change, you know also how I love Mom's who love to make a change. If you have kids in the Wichita School District, and are a registered voter, I would love to tell you about my friend Susan Kiefer. Susan is running for an At-Large position with the Board of Education this spring.  She wants your voice, and your opinions to be heard to the school board to make positive change for the future of our students in public schools. Her own three sons are students at Wichita Schools and she has been an active participant in their experience through PTO since they started in school. Now she wants to bring what she has learned to a bigger scale by being a part of those large decisions that affect all students. You can follow her progress, news releases, and goals at www.kieferforkids.blogspot.com.

Thanks for hanging in there with me, and I promise I'll back up and bringing you great deals, and coupons soon!

Daily Deals for Thursday, January 27th. 2011

Get great Groupons today from Bath and Body Works online. $10 for $20 and $15 for $30.
This is a great way to stock up on your favorites scents at half off.  Only valid online.
Find Today's Daily Deal on the Best in Wichita!

Home Run Savings is a new local deal site that brings you the best deals from local businesses only and donates a portion of the sales to a local charity. What a great way to support our community! Today's deal is my favorite place for sweets:  Cocoa Dolce' Artisian Chocolates $12.50 off your $25.00 purchase. Sweet!

 If you want more great savings you should also check out the daily deal with Mamapedia  today.  You can get a subscription to Parents magazine for 60% off. Just $5 for one year or $8 for two years. That is just a deal you can't pass up it's so cheap!! I'm thinking this would be a great baby shower add on gift for expecting parents.

I'm also so excited to have become a Living Social affiliate. These deals are not yet custom for Wichita, but soon I hear, soon.  It is quite similiar to Groupon and Mamapedia. I've been following the deals in Kansas City, and will bring you anything I find that will work as online purchases.  What I love about Living Social, is anything you purchase and then share, if 3 friends buy from the same deal - yours is free!  If you haven't seen it before, go on over and check it out and sign up for their emails. Once Wichita gets in on it, you'll be one of the first to know!  Or just keep following me, and I can be the first to tell you! Check out Living Social here.


Have a great day!!

Loads and loads of great offers!

1800FLOWERS has a few coupons posted on ShopAtHome.com, and is offering 16% cash back on your purchase today only. Remember ShopAtHome is a coupon/discount site where you can find promo codes, coupons, and get cash back on your purchases. Create an account and start searching. You'll find printable coupons for everything from groceries to travel. When your account balance gets up to $20 they send you a check in the mail. Check out how ShopAtHome can help you save and earn money, and find their Daily Wild Deals here.

Get in line for a free copy of the new book from Dr. Dobson "Dads and Daughters".  They had an overwhelming response to this giveaway yesterday and so they are putting more copies on hold to be released as soon as they become available.  You will also receive email newsletters, and additional resources that can help your marriage, your parenting and your connection with Christ. Click here to submit your information.

Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal wants you to "share your squares". Share a free sample box with up to 10 people.  Share their email addresses, and your own, they will then email you with the information.

If crafting is on your mind, head on over to Jo-Ann fabrics, and take this coupon with you. Good until 2/10/11 for 20% off and even includes sale items.

You can get 35% off your entire online order for the next 12 hours over at BananaRepublic.com. Sale ends the 25th at midnight. Just enter BR12HOURS.

30% off coupon for Barnes and Noble Bookstores.

and if you are in the mood to stock up on some winter pieces for next winter, Old Navy is taking an extra 25% off clearance. Just use the promo code EXTRA25 at checkout.  Good online only and through the 27th of January.

Have a great evening everyone!

All about you in one big venue

Wichita's 2011 "The Women's Fair" is coming. Dates are set for February 18-20 at Century II.
With over 385 vendors, and more than 15,000 attendees The Women's Fair is the place to find the best shopping, cooking, decorating and health and special interest opportunities for Women of all ages.

www.womensfair.com

I have always enjoyed the jewelry and women's boutiques all in one place for me to splurge on. There are also great cooking demonstrations, fashion shows, public speaking/workshops, and more. Friday is always "Girls Night Out", yes ladies only, and the samples of food and wine are worth making it to. Grab your girlfriends and go.
This year, they were able to get Tanya Tandoc of famed Tanya's Soup Kitchen serving up some samples of some of her most beloved soups along with a recipe book available for just $10.
It's all shaping up to be a fun time, check out the web page at womensfair.com and follow them on Facebook to get updates on all the events. Remember, you can purchase advanced tickets at wichitatix.com and pickup a "girlfriends discount" coupon at Slumberland Furniture.

Holey Donuts!!!

So everyone is talking about these spectacular donuts that are half the fat and half the calories of regular donuts. Featured in People Magazine, Rachel Ray, and endorsed by national diet delivery companies, you can have your donut and eat it too. Eating 4 of these jumbo sized donuts is equal to eating 1 regular donut. A special patented cooking process avoids the deep-frying creating a light and fluffy donut, without artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes. These little beauties are handmade fresh and flash frozen then delivered via express mail to your door, just take out and heat and eat.
I have been dying to try these out. The selections look so delicious, flavors like Coconut Creme Pie, Blueberry Crumb cake, and Boston Creme Oreo Cookie. Even just traditional sugar and cinnamon, and glazed with sprinkles look awesome to me.
Now I just got word from Holey Donuts that today only, they have slashed all the prices of these donuts to $7.77 per pack.
Check out Holey Donuts online, and if you try them, drop me a note and tell me what you think!

Paint, free DVD, Coupons, and a great amazon deal

Ready to freshen up your home with a new coat of paint? Or perhaps looking for that perfect shade of "Tiffany Blue" to paint your bathroom.  Get a free sample of Valspar paint and a $5 off coupon from Lowe's. Quantities are limited so hurry over. Not only do you get the paint sample but you will also get a free roller and tray to try your paint with. (that was considerate of them!) Click on over to here to pick your color.
( note: When I tried to obtain this sample at posting, they were already out of the 1000 per day limit. Sample giveaway opens back up at 12am CST)


Huggies is giving away potty training success DVD's to help you get through the potty training stage. I'm definitely getting one of these, as my almost 3 year old is not even close to being there and my goal is summer!! Click here, allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Limited quantity.

$5 off $30 or more at Gordman's, good through the end of the month.

Amazon.com has 3-Pack 12.25 Oz Cheerios Honey Nut Cereal for $5.30 when you use Subscribe and Save and apply an additional 15% off coupon BIGGNYNY with free shipping.

Get salivating, dancing and moving on over to these deals today

Groupon today gets me mucho excited!! My absolute favorite place to eat authentic Mexican food is today's Groupon. I grew up on this place, so whenever I am craving some great tacos, chips and salsa, enchiladas or burritos, this is where I want to go!!  $7 for $14 worth of mexican fare at Felipe's Jr.
(remember your purchase of Groupon through Wichita City Mom supports my page)

You may also want to check out some of the other deals on Groupon today, such as:
$60 for 1 hour of moving services and 20 boxes from Get A Move On,
$12 for a year long membership for Swing Dance Classes
and Photobooks, Cards, and more from Mixbooks for $15! This one is a $50 value!!!!

Happy Sunday!

Free sample of Dove Daily Treatment Conditioner.  Choose between Intensive Repair or Daily
Moisture. Click here to get it to your mailbox.


Try the new and improved Good-Nites Underwear, for free. Click here.

If you are already thinking out some Valentine's Day gift ideas, Serenity Spa has their Valentine's Specials posted. I think they have the best massages, and facials, and love these V-day themed facials and massage packages. Especially the names like Cupids Crush, and Spa Godiva! Check them out here.

If you have a little princess you will love this great buy from Groupon, for The Chic Princess Boutique. $10 for $20 worth of merchandise. Choose from custom apparel, special occasion and accessories.  Check it out here.

New Coupons just posted for this week

New coupons from Coupons.com this week:

* $2.00 off One Woolite All in One Carpet Cleaning
* $1.00 off Schiff Mega-D3™
* $2.00 off Schiff MegaRed
* $1.00 off any Schiff Vitamin or Supplement
* $1.00 off one (1) Simply Saline product
* $0.55 off on VLASIC Pickles, Peppers or Relish
* $0.75 off Any ONE (1) SHAKE 'N BAKE Product
* $0.50 off New Hostess SmartBakes™ Streusel Cakes
* $0.55 off 3 boxes of JELL-O Gelatin or Pudding
* $1.00 off any Urinozinc Prostate Formula
* $0.50 off the Feb issue of Better Homes & Gardens

Cleaning, Chocolate and Tunes - Must do at the same time

Family Dollar has a sweepstakes to win a year's supply of Gain laundry products. Click here to enter.

While we're speaking of laundry, Lozo, a website devoted to helping you save money, gotta love that, had some advice on lowering your laundry costs. They recommend the habit of doing some small things like running the washer only when you have a full load. (Which I always seem capable of.)  This will save you on water and electricity costs, as it takes the same amount to run a small load as a large load despite the custom settings. And they recommend using just enough, not too much, detergent, it won't get the clothing any cleaner.  I happen to also think running the dryer at night in the summer, and during the cold mornings in the winter, help my a/c and heater out a little too! Check out Lozo.com for more great money saving tips and sign up to get those tips daily to your inbox.

Click here for coupons from Windex, Pledge and Scrubbing Bubbles.

After all that cleaning, you're going to deserve a little treat. Since Valentine's Day is coming, you might as well share them. Right? Right, yeah. Skip to my Lou is one of my favorite places to scan for homemade inspiration and this little recipe hit me right in the heart, and hopefully soon, my stomach.  First a great little recipe for Devil's Food Cupcakes with Cream Filling and Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting. (Now I have your attention.) Then send them an email telling them about a recent time when you gave to charity, and you will receive a special download with printable heart cupcake toppers, printable cupcake wrappers, valentines papers, and digital files you can customize. All this was inspired by the tragedy in Haiti, and how they are still a country where 4 out 5 people live in poverty!  If you can't contribute financially to a cause, consider donating something handmade to Craft Made where you're item would be sold to raise money for Haiti.

Looking for some new fun music you and your kids can both enjoy? Saunter over to freekidsmusic.com and you can legally download mp3 tunes by new kids artists, for FREE! Download to your computer and then transfer to your iPod, or burn to a disc. There are also links to kids coloring pages, and kids stories and games.  Enjoy!

New Daily Deals site, coupons and cash back, sweet!

If you love shopping Target, and love getting great deals, you will definitely need to check out some of the new Daily Deals available only on the Target web site.
Just like some other familiar Daily Deals out there, they run just one day only, or until sold out, and are at super low prices and free shipping. You never know what you may find on the Daily Deal but so far they have had Women's clothing by Mossimo, kids electronic toys, out door toys, and pet accessories.
In addition to the Daily Deals, there are some other great buys on some good kids items, and electronics you need to check out.  Like $4.88 for Monopoly Family Championship, a 65% savings, and Disney/Pixar Car's Piston Cup Garage toy for $13.88.  Remember if you go through my affiliate site ShopAtHome, you can snag some great coupons like free shipping and 40% off bedding plus earn cash back on your purchases.   Wednesday only Target.com purchases will earn 11% cash back on your purchases. That's a 6% increase Wednesday only!!! Get Target coupons here!

Also check out some great discounts at:
Banana Republic,    Payless (BOGO, cash back and free In-store shipping), and in time for Valentine's Day - The Hershey's Store.



Connecting with my links supports my page, as I am an affiliate publisher for ShopAtHome. Thank you!

Hogwarts, Vampires, and God?

The popularity of The Harry Potter and Twilight movies has stirred up controversy since their release, within Christian circles. Particularly with parents who are concerned about the impact these novels will have on their children and their faith.


The Eighth Day Institute is presenting the upcoming Symposium,  "Imagination and Soul",  featuring John Granger whom Time magazine has called "The Dean of Harry Potter Scholars".  If you have questioned this phenomenon or struggled with whether to allow your children to read the novels, Granger will be presenting his views on their literary and spiritual meanings.  Taking place at St. George Orthodox Cathedral  (7515 E. 13th N.), from 9am-5pm. There will be breakout sessions relating to literature and spiritual formation, complimentary lunch, and tour of the beautiful St. George Cathedral. Reservations/registration is required.
You can view more information about this symposium at the Eighth Day Institute website, just click my link.


The Eighth Day Institute, founded in Wichita in 2006, is an organization seeking to renew culture through faith and learning. Full of opportunities for fellowship, faith and learning, it is an organization open to most all forms of christian belief. They offer classes, prayer meetings, symposiums, fabulous speakers, and my husband's favorite:  "Hall of Men". Check them out at www.eighthdayinstitute.com.  You may also find them on Facebook .

Local savings from local businesses

If you like the deals Groupon brings, but like the idea of shopping to support your local businesses, then you need to check out Home Run Savings. Groupon like daily deals, but from local businesses only.

Today's Home Run Savings is just perfectly timed for Valentine's Day. If you love Chocolate or your sweetie does, then you need to get the 16-piece sweetheart chocolates from Chocolate Malts worth $25 for $12.50. You can order your chocolates online or over the phone. Deal is for a limited time only, so hurry over!
If you miss out on the deal, go over to Chocolate-malts.com and check out their scotch inspired truffles, cordials, and cremes. (I'm salivating just typing it!)

What a great way to support the community, get a great deal on great products, and find out about locally owned businesses!

Healthy, sustaniable, and organic

slowtrav.com's weekly pick in Santa Barbara

If you enjoy organic and locally grown produce for your family, Enrollment is now open for the CSA program. The CSA is Community Supported Agriculture.  Joining the CSA you are joining in an alliance between yourself and farmers, allowing you to receive a share of produce every week during the growing season. You get approximately 10 lbs of fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables on average.  The Growing season is May-September. Pickup your food shares weekly at the Farmer's Markets in Andover or Wichita, or one of their drop sites. Most of the produce is grown at on a "city farm" but a large majority is from local growers.
There are limited spots available, so if you are interested you will need to get in quickly. If there are no openings, you can be put on a waiting list.
Check out more info on this and what the produce share consists of at their website: homegrownkansas.com
If you are looking for one closer to your area, and you are not in Kansas, or Wichita, check with your local farmer's market, or go to localharvest.org where there is more about CSA and a map with farms that are participating around the nation.

Get what you really want, at 70% off

If you love the unique, and trendy boutique items, but don't like the prices. Zulilly is the place to get them at super great prices. Carrying top-quality apparel, gear, and goodies for Moms, babies, and kids.

Every weekday there's a new deal available for 72 hours. Zulily works to bring you great products at great prices with the most economical shipping. Brands like Primigi Shoes, Melissa and Doug and Baby Nay up to 70% off. Membership required to view and purchase items, and membership is free. 

Click here to get started!





Clicking my links supports my website. Thank you!

Freebies for beauty

Free Sample from Dove Hair Care of Intensive Repair or Daily Moisture Conditioners.
Click here to get yours.


Find Today's Daily Deal on the Best in Wichita!
You have only a few hours left to get your hands on some great tee's from Heraldry at a 67% discount. Today's Groupon should help you get a good start on your Spring/Summer tee-shirt inventory.
Go to the Heraldry website and sign up for their newsletter and get $20 off your next order. 
This could end up being a double deal Groupon.Just click my link. Your purchase supports my page!


Also, Don't miss out on a Free sample of Crest 3D whitestrips from Wal-mart.com
All these deals will have you looking snazzy in no time!

penny auctions=use caution

Ever heard of Quibids?

I hadn't either until today. Apparently if you are looking to purchase a big ticket item this is the place to go, and get it cheap. Similar to ebay, it's beginning to replace ebay for a lot of shoppers who like the selection and the deep discounts.  Featured in Time Magazine, USA Today, MSNBC and Rolling Stone, it's the latest go to destination for your online bargain treasure hunting. Claiming a 95% savings on your purchase, it topples over amazon, overstock and ebay. Even Government liquidations. I have yet to personally try it out, but I am definitely curious as I have an iPad, a cell phone, laptop and a new car set in my sights for the future.

With over a million users, thousands of auctions daily I would imagine getting that Kindle you've been wanting could be a stretch. They claim you'll save on average 80% off retail. So what's the difference that is making this such a big deal?

Quibids (pronounced Kwi-bids), has auctions and "Buy it nows". In order to participate you have to buy "Bid Packs" at $.60 each bid. Minimum purchase are 40 to a pack. Once you bid on an item, and every time someone bids it adds 20 seconds to the clock to allow someone else a chance to get the item. (QuiBids FAQ) I did some research on the feedback to this system and there was a pretty evenly divided amount of positive and negative experiences.  (Read them for yourself here.)

Bottom line, read the fine print, make sure you understand the rules, and be prepared to take a loss should you make a mistake. At $.60 per bid, it could get costly quickly. 

If you have tried QuiBids, I'd love to hear about your experience! Please share it in the comments to help others who may try this service.

Interested in more "Penny Auctions"? Check out bestpennyauctionwebsites.com

Pizza and a movie, Disney rewards, and free cereal

Free Movie ticket with your pizza when you order online with PizzaHut.com
Place your order online, order $25 worth or more and then pay with Mastercard, and then you will receive a code redeemable for a free movie ticket!! Check out online for daily specials, sales and coupons too! I order online with my local Pizza Hut and love the convenience!!

Speaking of movies, if your family loves Disney movies, you may be interested in earning some swag for your devotion.  Disney.com has Disney Movie Rewards. Make an account,  enter codes from Disney movie packages onto the website, and you can build points to trade for official, licensed Disney products.  Look for codes on Blu-ray and DVD's, CD's, and theatrical releases. The website has a listing of eligible current titles for all formats. Prizes range anywhere from free downloads of video clips and mini-story books, posters, and stickers, to bikes and travel discounts.  For any family who wants the full Disney home library, this is a great incentive to keep the love for Disney.  Check out the site for a short video on how it works and sign up!

Buy one get one box of Special K cereal when you register at their site. Requirements are signing up for Special K-E news to receive a down loadable coupon.

WAHM for January - Tonya Wells (part 2)

Last week I introduced you to Tonya Wells, a Work At Home Mom who brought a kid-friendly way for Mom's to achieve fitness and health to Wichita. Working out of her home office, she coordinates, teaches, and coaches Mom's around Wichita with Strollers In Motion, Fit &Tone, CoreFusion, Zumba, F.I.T. (because Mom's are Forever In Training), and the running club, Momsinmotion. Read part one here if you missed it, and this is the rest of her story.

photo by jacque-inc.com

How does she do it? Balancing a home, family, marriage and business without getting lost from her original desires of being the best parent possible for her daughter? She admits, “It’s not easy.  It’s hard to keep it all balanced sometimes, and there are pros and cons to not only working at home, but with a child in tow”.   For a person who loves constantly being on the move, her guilty pleasure is vegging out in front of the T.V. watching her favorite shows. Sometimes, she says she does envy those that get to “go to the office” everyday.  But what could be better than having her daughter by her side as she lives her passion? Not only as a working Mom, but a Mom who makes good choices for fitness.  She says, though, she never hesitates to stop and play with her daughter for 10-15 minutes even if it’s just a puzzle or magnets on the fridge.  Her advice to other Moms and WAHM’s is not to try to be superwoman,  say “no” more often, and give your kids your all.

core class at MyGym

 “80% of children end up being more active when seeing their parents participate in fitness activities” and with childhood obesity increasing, this makes total sense for both parents and children. One of Tonya’s favorite things is seeing the children in her group classes emulating Mom’s by picking up a piece of work out equipment (like the bands or tubes they use), and doing the repetition right alongside them. Many Mom’s have admitted they’ve had to get some of their own equipment because the children enjoy them so much.  These aren’t your ordinary workout classes either, Tonya has made them kid-friendly with rhymes, songs, and fun allowing the Moms to interact and engage their children during the workout.   There are also take-home activities, and the Mini-Muscle newsletter with letter, animal, shape, color and songs to bring to class each week.  For example in December the theme was winter, the animal “Reindeer” and shapes were Triangle and Circle.  Each week students brought something related to those things making it not only exercise, but education!

at exploration place

For Tonya, actions speak louder than words, and if you “say it – do it, there is no trying” are some mantras she uses to encourage herself and other Moms in their battle for healthy, fit lifestyles.  Her love for children and the community, (weekly each class member brings a donation to take to the YWCA to help other women and moms), makes her an inspiration, that makes you ask yourself, why can’t I?  Infectious energy, positive and about the most caring person you’ll meet, this Momma is working from home, making a difference for her life and the lives of others.  Thank you, Tonya, for being the Work At Home Mom of the month for January. 

You can catch up with Tonya and her classes on her blog www.MommyMovementfitness.blogspot.com, there you’ll find courses with schedules and contact information to get started!  Check out also Mom on a Mission, the blog of a local mom, and business owner who was trained by Tonya to complete a marathon. You can see her weight loss progress and read as she journals her journey to a healthier lifestyle. Subscribe to Tonya's blog to catch a new success story each month.

Put it down?

Is there a social interaction movement brewing?
2010 was the year of social networking, maybe 2011 could be the year of actually talking to each other?

There is a lady in Brooklyn who started a web page challenging the citizens of Brooklyn to stop texting and start paying attention to everything around them.  There's even a section dedicated for readers to comment on what they saw when they "put it down".  Wow, this is refreshing.  I can feel the stress lift when I read that someone actually noticed trees. 

There's a whole line of merchandise related to her cause, and I especially like the baby onesies, and the ironic cell phone covers. (Check her out lustbklyn.com)

So how much longer can our society go with our noses in our phones all the time before we start seeing some serious problems related to such?  Social interaction is vital to human health, both mentally and physically. (traumaregister.co.uk)  What about social media?  Is that enough social interaction to keep us healthy?  One thing to consider, that the trauma register states in their studies, is that it can "challenge distortions that we often build up through our own belief systems and experiences." It is also evident that social interaction can improve overall health and reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, hypertension, and respiratory disorders.

I know that when my nose is in my phone, I'm not always checking my email or my financial accounts. Usually I am social networking.  Squidoo.com has listed 6 reasons why social networking is good for your health.
It allows you to "make new friends, connect with lost relatives and friends, increase communication with long-distance relatives,  adds a sense of security to your job when you professionally network, gives you a break from the same boring routine, and allows you to share and get something back in return". All healthy things.

blog.killtheradio.net

Like anything, though, there is a point where too much is too much and too much of anything is harmful. There are some warning signs, (via ecosalon.com), if you are neglecting your loved ones to read about the weekend plans of someone you knew 20 years ago, or procrastinating important things inadvertently because you have spent too much time social networking:  You might need an intervention.  Or perhaps at least a daylong break. There is a writer on the same site who took a whole week off from any type of computer/phone technology. She has some interesting points. The huge one being that it just isn't as important as we make it to be. (read "why we have to disconnect" here)

gather.com

Now I know  those that know me personally know it's like the pot calling the kettle black, but it is definately something that has been on my mind lately, and something that sometimes I feel a slave to. 

So is a movement to socially interact more a good idea?  Yes please. Should it take a "movement" to make it happen?  Probably shouldn't.  I'll just start now to work on putting the phone down to spend more time with my kids, my friends, my spouse, and just to look at the trees.




 

Free Educational Kit

For teachers or home schools, get a free educational program to show your students that is all about the Chinese New Year and learn about one of China's traditional holiday celebrations.  This is the fifth year that The Panda Express is offering it's Chinese New Year Learn With Me program for teachers and educators.
Included is a DVD, game and activity sheets, a book mark, and even a coupon for a free kids meal.
Click here to fill out the information required to get yours.Offer expires on January 11, 2011. 

new coupon list: ziplock bags, yoplait, Huggies, and Disney Kid's Vitamins

25% off your print and free shipping.
At Canvas People.com.  If you missed the free offer over the holidays, get this savings on a great gift for about anyone. 

Coupons.com has released a lot of really great money saving coupons. Click to view and print.

• Buy any 1 STAYFREE 14ct-24ct and Get One Free
• $0.75 off HORMEL COMPLEATS microwave meals
• $1.50 off Ziploc brand containers
• $0.55 off one Hillshire Farm Lower Sodium Product
• $1.00 off Ziploc brand bags
• $5.00 off any Weight Watchers Scale by Conair
• $5.00 off on any Leapster Explorer learning Game
• $5.00 off on any Leapster learning game
• $0.55 off any one (1) DANNON DanActive 4 pack
• $0.50 off ANY ONE (1) DANNON Light & Fit 4-Pack
• $0.50 off 3 pkg or 1 BUNDLE PACK of KLEENEX
• $1.00 off 2 JELL-O Gelatin, Pudding or Mousse 6pks
• $1.00 off any Citracal
• $3.00 off any Citracal and Bayer Aspirin Product
• $1.00 off any One A Day and Flintstones™
• $1.50 off any Bayer Aspirin product
• $1.00 off any Flintstones™ Multivitamin Product
• $0.75 off Wheaties or Wheaties Fuel cereal
• $0.75 off Frozen Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits
• $1.00 off Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough
• $0.40 off Pillsbury Italian Meal Breads
• $1.50 off Wanchai Ferry Frozen Entrée
• $0.50 off Yoplait Kids Yogurt
• $0.50 off Chex Mix Bars
• $0.40 off Pillsbury Sweet Rolls
• $0.30 off Refrigerated Pillsbury Grands! Biscuit
• $0.75 off Yoplait yogurt
• $0.50 off Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Pastries
• $0.50 off Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls
• $0.50 off Fiber One Chewy Bars
• $0.50 off Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks
• $0.50 off Nature Valley Granola Bars
• $0.55 off Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
• $0.40 Yoplait Yogurt
• $1.00 off Cheerios cereal
• $1.00 off Any ONE (1) LACTAID Supplement Product
• $1.00 off any LACTAID Ice Cream
• $1.00 off ANY 1 Balmex Diaper Rash Product
• $1.00 off Disney Childrens' Vitamins
• $2.00 off Any 90ct FiberChoice Product
• $2.00 off on any CoricidinHBP Product
• $3.00 off any Afrin 12 Hour Nasal Spray
• $1.00 off any Nature's Bounty Vitamin
• $3.00 off 2 Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers
• $1.00 off Any ONE Weight Watchers Bakery Items
• $1.00 off any Garnier Fructis Style Product
• $.75 off any ONE package of Rhodes™ Warm-N-Serv
• $1.00 off Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner

free cookbooks, coupons, and freebies from Olive Garden, Kikkoman, and Apple iPad.

If you're trying to get on the healthy eating track, like at my house, Asian cooking may be a good way to go. Kikkoman has asian marinades and sauces to flavor up your cooking. Right now, go to their website to get a copy of their semi-annual mini magazine for the "food enthusiasts".  Full of tips, and recipes along with color photos. You can also sign up for their email newsletter for more of the same.  Click the link here to get started.

If you love Olive Garden snag your coupon for $5 off two entree's.  Quantities are limited so hurry and make sure you're ready to print.

Speaking of coupons, if you love the Entertainment Book for saving on eating out or all the other great things they offer, snag up the 2011 edition, at a discount, and for free shipping. If you use Shopathome.com you can also earn 35% of your purchase back to your cash account. This is a limited time offer.
There is also some great discounts for Victoria's Secret online that can save you on shipping, and some 50% coupon codes as well. Some of these end tomorrow, Wednesday January 5th, 2011. And if fitness is on your brain, you'll need some cute clothing to get you to the gym, or perhaps some exercise accessories to get you started on those New Year's Resolutions.  Gaiam.com is having 5 days of fitness sale from now until January 7th, 2011.  Here's some coupon codes to use on everything else you may need.

I love Mamapedia, they just know what us Mom's need.  So if you need a job, they have a deal on one month of job seeking service through flexjobs.com.  An online service that helps you find work at home jobs that aren't scams but actually money making opportunities allowing you to balance the Mom, Wife and CEO jobs that you already have.  Only $7 (a $15 value). 

If you have an iPad, Barnes and Noble is offering a free download of two children's books to promote their Nook Kids.  This is the title of their new app where you can purchase downloads of kids books to read and share. Make sure you also snag some coupons for your next trip over to B&N, there's a free cookie involved.

If you are Diabetic or know someone who is, you know how hard it is to find tasty, healthy recipes that the whole family can enjoy.  Get a free copy of a Diabetic cookbook from "Diabetic Connect", with over 60 recipes that will help keep your numbers where they should be. Just fill out an information form about getting info on free diabetic testing supplies.

And lastly, since health seems to be on everyone's mind these days, you may enjoy this free fitness ebook from Quality Health.com.  It's called 7 days to a leaner you.  Enjoy!

WAHM for January - Tonya Wells (part 1)

 Ask Tonya Wells about passion, and her face immediately gets serious as she quickly says, it’s all about the Moms. Physical fitness, healthy living, and going as far as you can go is what gets her out of bed every morning, at 4 am! (Yikes!)

picture by Jacque @ Jacque-inc.com

Being energetic, athletic is something she undoubtedly was born with. A competitive gymnast at age 10, her work ethic was apparent as she would not even take a break to go to Disney World with her family until her trials were finished! Now that’s dedication. Homeschooled in Wichita and a graduate of Northwest high school, marriage took her out of state where she lived in  Chicago and Dallas for 13 years. A fitness and personal trainer for 14 years she knew she wanted to work with Moms before she even was one.  A move back to Wichita three years ago brought her back to Kansas where she was left to start fresh. 

Fitness is where her heart is, and she knew, pregnant with her first child that she was not going to do anything that didn’t allow her to be able to still experience every moment with her child.  Working for another fitness facility like the one she left in Dallas was not an option as that would mean leaving her daughter behind full time and missing out on the “firsts” and interactions she was so excited to experience.  She began looking for something that would allow her to be self-employed and still bring her love and dedication of fitness to other Moms.  After extensive research in finding the best fit for her vision, she started with a small franchise that had Moms exercising along with their children in strollers. This led to Strollers In Motion, Fit&Tone, CoreFusion, Zumba, and the running club, Momsinmotion. Future classes are Yoga, Bootcamp: Train Like a Mother, and the Triathlon group  Everything began to fall into place for her business when two years later the franchise company sold their business to another similar franchise business.  This changed the expectations Tonya had for her business.  Taking a risk she decided to go out on her own. Thus, Mommy Movement Fitness was born.   Carrying on some of the popular classes already held she added to the format of her previous business and still is.  Owning the business fully has given her the chance to have complete control over what she wants to do and how it is presented.  

Not only are the popular Strollers classes continuing, but there are now Fit, Tone and Core-fusion classes (held at Rylie & Reece Boutique), a morning “Firm Your Butt” small group personal training class,  Yoga, Play dates complete with field trips and story times, Dad participation classes, and Fit Challenges where she coaches and trains individually complete with health assessments, grocery shopping trips, and text message food diaries. These give more personal accountability, encouragement and education.  That doesn’t even mention what’s to come for 2011!  

Moms moving it

Sounds like a fitness megaplex, but amazingly Tonya does most of this on her own.  Teaching majority of the classes, her and her daughter participate in the play dates, running in the marathons and racing in the triathlons. With an office out of her home, she is always looking for rental or borrowed space for the group classes. When the weather is nice they head outside to one of the local parks, or to the mall with the moms and their strollers.  Her dreams are to own a megaplex, complete with all the room, and then some, to make a child-friendly, Mom-centered workout facility.

But of course, behind every great woman…is another woman, or three or four. She is grateful to have help in some different areas in her business from some of the Moms that have become close friends throughout her journey.  Though she feels none of this would all run thoroughly without help from her Mother.  She is there whenever she needs her, and is at about every class to help her with her daughter in the background. Of course she couldn’t have made any of this happen without the 100% support she receives from her husband, whom patiently “allows” her to do it, and “puts up with her”, and has always encouraged her to pursue her passion. Most of all it is the ladies and Moms that come to her classes that get her up every morning. You can see the emotion behind it when she speaks of how so many Moms put off fitness and healthier lifestyles because they don’t feel they deserve it.   “When will we feel important enough?” She asks. “Isn’t being a wife and Mom important enough to make you want to take better care of yourself?”  She goes on to add “When you are healthier physically you are healthier emotionally and spiritually. Your self-esteem and confidence will benefit and you’ll be a better you.” Well put.

Race for the cure 2010

As a Personal Trainer, it’s easy for her to emotionally get caught up in the success of her students.  She wants them to succeed and any failure for them is a failure to her.  She works tirelessly to keep them going and wants everyday to find ways to make it better and easier for them to reach their personal goals.  Weight has never been an issue for Tonya, she admits this almost shamefully. But given her lifetime of energy and drive – it’s no surprise.  She doesn’t ever want a Mom who is on a weight loss mission to think that she doesn’t understand what they are going through.  She knows it’s a tough road – she lives and breathes discipline not only in how her and her family eats: but in her own fitness regimen.  Not willing to take full credit for the lives she’s changing, she sometimes feels that success could be limited without a Cinderella story of her own, but gives all the credit to the Moms who work so hard to change and take care of themselves for their families.


To be continued...Read part two of Tonya's story here. 
Meanwhile, you can check out her site www.mommymovementfitness.blogspot.com to get class info and schedules.

reflections on 2010

With 2010 being officially over, I can't help but to do what I've always done and reflect on this whirlwind ride of life that always is. It's amazing how many highs and lows emotionally, and stressfully you can hit because of relationships, holidays, marriage, kids, et cetera. I've had high highs, and low lows this last December for sure, which is usually how it goes anyway.  
This year wrapped up, slightly bitter sweet. It was the first Christmas without a loved one. It was also a time where relationships were strained, faith was tested, trust had to be lended.

It would be so easy, at times to wonder, why, why would does this happen? I try not to question God's timing, I know that there are things that are to be revealed yet, and things that aren't needed to know. We live in a broken world, and brokenness will follow.  If there's one thing I know, things will never be the same or different, all at the same time.
All through my formative teen years my Dad would love to tell me, whenever I had a problem, to "prepare for the worst, hope for the best".  I have to say, after many years of some adversity, and challenges, that advice could not have been better. I think that life has definitely proven to me that things just won't maybe change, things will change. I have spent most of my thirties grieving those changes. Funny, because most of my twenties were spent assuming that this was the way it would be. Forever.
Whatever God does up there to decide, I guess he decides a long time before it even occurs because it always ends up feeling perfectly planned.  I always am amazed at how hindsight shows me that it shouldn't have happened any other way.