FREE holiday songs from Oprah!

As part of her thrifty holiday show, Oprah is giving viewers free access to songs from her compilation CD for the next 48 hours (I'm not sure of the exact cut-off time. I'd go for 3:00 p.m. EST on Friday, to be safe)! The CD includes songs from Harry Connick Jr., Faith Hill, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett and more! Just go here to download: http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20081118_tows_holiday/2
You can even download a CD cover and label. I'm downloading the songs right now!

Discount on Calendars at Snapfish

I've been considering making a calendar featuring my baby girl for my mom's Christmas present. For the past few weeks, I've been on the lookout for deals, and this seems like a pretty good one. On Snapfish, you can use coupon code FREECAL08 to receive a free 8.5x11 12-month classic calendar when you buy a calendar (or more than one; 12-months, any size). Good until Nov. 31! Now I might get one for myself or my mother-in-law.

Add Pizzazz with a Clear Glass Vase or Bowl

Because of its simplicity, a glass vase or bowl can provide numerous new decorating opportunities. Switching out what the piece holds gives it new life and puts other things you already have on-hand to another use. Of course, the size and shape of the container often dictate what looks best in it, so play around with it!

Try filling larger vessels with:
-Christmas balls - different colors or all the same (a more sophisticated look). Spice it up by attaching curled ribbons to a few.
-Faux fruit (lemons and limes work well in summer; try pears in the fall)
-Colorful fall leaves

Smaller pieces are great for:
-Layers of various types of nuts
-Cranberries (whether to fill about 1/3 of the container, or with a few floating in water with a floating candle)
-Various styles and colors of buttons

Always Infinity Sample

You can try Always Infinity (a super-absorbent pad) for free! And since these pads are rather pricey, trying them first is a good idea.

Just go to always.com to claim your sample. On the homepage, you'll see an "Always Infinity Free Sample" button. Click, fill out the short form, and wait 6-8 weeks!

FREE can of Del Monte tomatoes!

Check out this link www.delmonte.com/solutionto get a FREE can of Del Monte No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes. This is only for the first 50,000 people to respond, so hurry! You can also sign up for the Del Monte Dish e-Newsletter to get other offers and savings--plus some yummy recipes.

Growing My Own Produce

I was recently chopping some red and green peppers recently and thought, "Wonder if I could root some of these seeds and grow some bell pepper plants?" After all, bell peppers can be pricey--especially the red, yellow and orange varieties.

Right after I cut the peppers in half, I put the seeds in a cup of water. They started rooting within a week (to my amazement!). Once the roots were fairly well established, I transferred the best-looking ones (with a hint of green to them) to a pot of soil. Two took...we'll see how they do.I'm hoping I'll have a couple bell pepper plants come summer!

Speaking of, I'm determined to have a vegetable garden next year. To be continued...

Semi-Handmade Nursery Bedding

Before my daughter was born, my mom and I scoured baby stores for just the right bedding for her room. I didn't want a "theme;" certainly no princesses or teddy bears covering the walls. I was hoping for something serene and sweet; perhaps in lavender and light green. We looked for weeks on end and it seemed hopeless. Everything was either the wrong color or style, cheaply made, had too many unnecessary "parts" or was WAY too expensive. We went into a HomeGoods store one afternoon and happened upon a quilted pillowsham that was by far our best option thus far. We realized that if we could find a larger amount of that fabric, we could use it to create all of the pieces we wanted--and for a great price.

We searched that store high and low for more pieces to the bedding set. No luck. We checked other stores. Nothing. Finally, we looked online. We put in the information on the card with the sham and held our breaths. After a little bit of hunting, we came to Overstock.com. And there it was. In full, queen or king. We had options! We just hoped the colors were the same as the sample we had. It would be heartbreaking to order it only to find it was three shades darker!

We decided the queen coverlet would give us an ample amount to work with. I ordered it and anxiously waited for it to arrive. As soon as it did, I took it to my parents' house. We took it out and studied it. And compared it with other fabrics we had small cuttings of for which we thought we'd use for accents. It looked like it would work...and work really well.

As we were reminded, there are many uses for the bedding you see in stores, whether it's sheets, pillowcase or coverlets, etc. So the next time you are looking for a fabric-related item, or when you need a fabric, consider looking in the linens department. You might find exactly the style and color you wanted. And it certainly costs a lot less than buying from a fabric store -- and if it's anything that can be found in a boutique, such as baby items, it will certainly cost a lot less to make than buy pre-made!

And now the room is done! But it wouldn't have been (at least as beautifully as it is!), without my mother. She can do it all, and she certainly wanted to do whatever she could to help create the perfect room for her first grandchild.

She gave the pieces to me at a baby shower--bumper pads, changing table pad, window treatments, rocking chair cushions and even wicker hamper with a custom-covered top. It was by far the best gift I received. Now, everytime I go into my daughter's room, I think about the process of creating it. And the time and love my mom put into helping me bring my vision to life. I couldn't have done it without her.

Free coffee at World Market

To celebrate their 50th anniversary, on Sunday, November 9, World Market is giving away World Market Costa Rican Tarrazu Whole Bean Coffee (8 oz.) while supplies last (no purchase necessary; one per person per day).

Chill Out With Your Laundry

In general, using cold water for a load of clothes works just as well as hot. With a baby in the house, we're doing more laundry these days, so saving the energy by not using hot water helps in the utility bills department. And most of her clothes suggest cold water anyway! So unless the clothes you're washing are super-sensitive, give using the cold cycle a try. And certainly wait until you can do a full load. Doing so saves even more energy.

FREE resuable bag!

I'm all about reducing the use of plastic bags. So when I saw this offer on Target.com, I just had to share. You can get a coupon for a FREE Target Retote if you mail them 5 plastic Target shopping bags. You can either send via a folded up cover of the Oct. 27 People magazine (which has a Target ad on the inside front cover), or you can use an 8.5 x11 envelope. The ad method includes postage; with the envelope you have to add it.

If mailing an envelope, send it (with a return label!) to:
TerraCycle
121 New York Avenue
Trenton, NJ 08638

You have until Nov. 30 to send the bags in. You should receive the coupon in early January. Get more details here: http://sites.target.com/site/en/spot/page.jsp?title=retote_offer

Free Morning Treats on Election Day!

Starbucks is giving away free tall cups of coffee to everyone who votes on Nov. 4 (tomorrow!).

Make it breakfast with a free Krispie Kreme donut (at participating locations only, so be sure to call first). It's star-shaped with red, white and blue sprinkles. Just wear your "I voted" sticker.

So get out and vote...and enjoy your free treats!

Gift Ideas on the Cheap

For my birthday, I received a refurbished GPS system. A great idea and very useful! It works just like new and has all the parts, etc. And since that's the case, I certainly don't need the more pricey brand new version. This would make a great Christmas gift for someone in your immediate family or a close friend. Otherwise, you might not feel comfortable giving a refurbished gift!

Also keep this in mind for yourself. Not missing turns and getting somewhere with a more direct route will save you time and gas!