Pitter Patter Art Key Fob Giveaway

This week's Giveaway is From Pitter Patter Art.

The WINNER will get a custom key fob of their choice. They would get to choose their favorite fabric from the fabric inventory and any additional design they would like added (small applique or text strip). Here is the fabrics to choose from.

Laura is the creative gal behind Pitter Patter Art....Laura take it away!

I have started this website to show artwork I have created. I used to be a kindergarten teacher, but once I gave birth to my little girl, Harper Ann, I didn’t have the heart to leave her.

My husband Josh and I decided to make several sacrifices so I could stay at home with Harper. We could not have made a better decision. Then our son Hudson arrived 18 months later and staying home couldn’t get any more fun. I love it! Now, we just adopted our second son Sol from Ethiopia and things just can’t get much better.

I have always enjoyed painting and creating unique pieces of art and decided to try and sell some items to make some extra money from home. This website is for others to view my work. I do custom orders or if you see something you might be interested in send me an email and we can talk over details. I hope you will enjoy viewing some of my creations.

Main entry Go PITTER PATTER ART and check out all her work. Leave me a comment with your favorite item. (1 entry)

Additional Methods of Entry - Share about this giveaway the following ways and receive entries for each.

**Leave a separate comment for each to let me know where you have shared it!

1. Go to PITTER PATTER ART’S facebook page and Frugalissa Finds on Facebook “like” them (1 or 2 entries)

2. Post this giveaway on your blog. Then come back and leave the link to the post. (1 entry)

3. Follow PITTER PATTER ART on twitter and post a tweet about the giveaway (1 entry)

4. Talk about this giveaway on Facebook (1 entry)

5. Subscribe to my Email Newsletter– even if you already receive it, add an entry as a comment. (1 entry)

6. Add Frugalissa Finds and PITTER PATTER ART to your blog roll or subscribe as a Google Reader. Leave the link to your website/blog in a comment. (1 or 2 entries)

Giveaway ends Saturday September 4th at 11:59 EST.

The winner will be drawn using Random.org and announced Sunday, September 5th. Winner will be announced on Frugalissa Finds. So make sure to come back to see if you win.

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Back To School Help

Well, school is back in full swing for most people in my area. I have one child that will start full-time Kinder this week. So I kinda got a little taste of how life will be over the last 2 weeks as he went 1 day each week. But honestly I am not quite ready to get up so early 5 days in a row...I am not a coffee drinker either so I have no idea how I will survive..HA!

Here is a great post on Back to School Recipes, Organizational Tip and other Hidden Resources from Mom Advice.

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CVS and Walgreens Week Of August 29

Here are the CVS deals this week.

Here are the Walgreens deals this week.

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Kroger and Ingles deals Week of August 29

Here are the Kroger deals this week.

Here are the Ingles deals this week.

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Ruby Tuesday: Buy One Get One Free

Here is a coupon for a Buy one get one free entree at Ruby Tuesday

Valid through 10/2/10

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WINNER of Rox Creations Photography Giveaway

The WINNER of The Rox Creations Photography Giveaway is..........EMILY!!!!!

Congrats, Emily

Her favorite place to take pictures
Love to go to Norris Dam park area. They have a barn, wooden fences and pretty background nature drops for family pics. Would love to definitely win this opportunity!

Emily please email me

frugalissafinds (at) Gmail (dot) com

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Walgreens Official Coupon Policy

Walgreens has finally issued an official coupon policy...

Read it HERE

Be sure to print it off and keep with your coupons if you ever run into a problem.

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Free Chili's Appetizer

Get a Free Chili's Appetizer When You Join Chili's Email Club Today.

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Fed Up With Lunch:Mrs. Q asks and I answered

Mrs. Q over at the Fed Up with School Lunch blog has posted a little Q &A all about school lunch as part of a lunch revolution "blog party" and "twitter party". Here are my answers. Feel free to join in HERE

How is “Back to School” going for your family?

Fine my son who is kinder found out his teacher last week and next week will start going full-time. The school district does what they call a staggered start for kindergarten's. So he went for 2 hrs the first week and then the second week he found out his teacher and went from 7:45-12. Kinda weird I guess. My daughter started 2 day a week preschool this week and she seems to like it.

Is school lunch important part of your child’s day?

Yes, it is.

What is school lunch like at your school or your child’s school?

Well, I pack my daughter's since she is still in preschool. But my son's school. 1 word-GROSS!!! Nothing has really changed since I was in school. I find it unacceptable to be honest.

Does school lunch need to be reformed?

Yes, it does. I am huge fan of Jaime Oliver and the Food Revolution. I think he has great ideas and I hope more and more states and/or school systems would grab a hold of them.

Do you pack lunch for your kids and what do you pack?

Yes. everyday. They love PB&J, ham and cheese roll-ups, fruit, carrots, yogurt, and pretzels. I give them a good mix of carbs, protein, a fruit and a veggie. I like to hit all the major food grps.

Do you write notes in your kid’s lunches and what do you write?

Yes, I do. I just started this. Not everyday but maybe 2-3 times a week. I write hope you have a great day. I am so proud of the young man you are becoming, I am proud of you, I love you, You have a sweet spirit.

What are some great beverages for kids and adults?

Good ol' water. It is free and it is just what the body needs.

What is a traditional food item that you have made even more healthy and how did you do it?

I make granola bars from scratch. We were going through a box it seemed like everyday or every other day between 4 people.

How much time should kids get to eat lunch?

I think at least 20-30 minutes.

What are some products that you use when you pack lunch?

I am a huge fan of the laptop lunch system and bento boxes. I love it is totally waste free and everything is together. Plus it is great portion control too.

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Regal Cinemas:Free Popcorn

Regal Cinemas is offering a coupon for a FREE Small Popcorn now through August 29th.

You must print the coupon out today though.

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Mayfield Ice Cream Rebate and Coupons

Wanna get some free Mayfield Ice Cream??

You just buy any 1.5 qt carton of Mayfield Ice Cream and submit rebate for either 4-$1 off coupons or a refund.

Here is a $1/1 Mayfield Ice Cream coupon too

Submissions must be postmarked by 9/30/2010

Enjoy!!!

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Toys-R-Us and Babies-R-Us: Great Trade-In Event

From August 27, 2010 until September 19, 2010, Toys-R-Us and Babies-R-Us are having the Great Trade-In. You can bring in used baby gear item listed below and receive 25% off a new item! The details can be found HERE

These USED items are being accepted:

car seat
stroller
travel system
high chair
play yard
bassinet
crib
toddler bed

You’ll receive 25% off a new item from the following participating brands:

Babi Italia
Baby Cache
Bergamo
Britax
Carter’s
Chicco
Contours by Kolcraft
Cosco
Delta
Eddie Bauer
Evenflo
Graco
Jeep
Little Tikes
Safety 1st
Sorelle
Step2

The flyer says that there is no limit and you can trade in as many items as you want. Purchased items can be from different categories. This would be a great way to save on new baby items!

Thanks, For the Mommas

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LAST DAY to Enter Rox Creations Photography Giveaway

This is your LAST DAY to enter the Rox Creations Photography Giveaway.

It will end tonight at 11:59.

All the details are HERE

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Rox Creations Photography Giveaway Extended

Thank you all for well wishes and prayers. I am slowly but surely getting back into normal life.

I decided to do extend the Rox Creations Photography Giveaway to end

THIS FRIDAY, August 27th at 11:59.

If you already entered no need to enter again. But if you have not then you need to.

All the details are HERE

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Teacher Gifts

Great Posts on First Day of School Teacher Gifts and another post on with some examples.

Some of the examples try and do a gift that starts with the child's name like

Java from Jason

Muffins from Mabry

I never really thought of it till I saw these posts.

Do you do a first day of school gift?

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Frugalissa and Kids in Car Accident

I posted this facebook yesterday but now that I am home. I can get on the real computer.

Posts, giveaway and blogging on hold. My kids and I were in a car accident Thursday afternoon and my 3 yr old sustained most injuries and we were in hospital with her through Friday evening due to a concussion and 33 stitches to her forehead and face. Keep your kids harnessed in a 5 point as long as u can it saved my 2 kiddos lives. Prayers for us very appreciated.

A friend visited us in the hospital and she told a hospital employee that knew I blogged. That is one thing Melissa will not scrimp or be cheap with is her kids safety. She puts them in only the best car seats for maximum safety.

My 5 1/2 yr old is still in a 5 point harness for the record and he will till he is 18 yrs old I will be sure of it.

Love your kids and keep them safe. No one should ever have to go through what I just went through.

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Gingham Lunch Note Cards-FREE!!

Are these not the cutest Gingham Lunch Note Cards?? Well, you can download them free.

Get them HERE!!

I can't wait to pack my kids lunch and include one of these. They will love them!

Thanks, Issa Sarza

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TGIFridays: $3 off $10 or more

I just got this coupon in my inbox and it said share with friends.

So I am sharing it with all of you.

It is a coupon for $3 off a $10 purchase at TGI Fridays.
Exp. 8/25

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Get a $50 Gap Apparel for $25!! Today ONLY

This is a great deal going on Groupon. This is nationwide not just in Knoxville.

Get a $50 Gap Apparel for $25!!

The Fine Print
Expires Nov 19, 2010
Limit 1/person. Valid in-store at US and Canada Gap stores only. Not valid @ Gap Outlet, Factory, Generation, online. Not valid for GiftCards, tax, or w/other offers. $50 minimum purchase. View complete terms.
See the rules that apply to all deals

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Jamba Juice Smoothies $1 TODAY ONLY

Jamba Juice has 4 smoothies on sale for $1 TODAY, 8/19.

GO HERE details.

Choose from, Mocha Mojo, Coffee Craze, Matcha Green Tea Blast + Chill-icious Chai

No coupon necessary.

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Frugal Wedding...It can be done!!!!

Guest Post by: Amanda

Dave and I pulled off our entire wedding for less than $2,000. It can be done! However, we had a TON of help from friends and family, which made all the difference! If you want a frugal wedding, you have to have help! You also have to prioritize what you really want. We decided on the things that we really wanted (offering a meal to our guests was a big priority…dancing isn’t huge to us so a DJ wasn’t, etc). The main thing to keep in mind if you want a frugal wedding is to not do things just because you’re “supposed to” or because “that’s how weddings are done.” Do things because you and your fiancé WANT them, not because they’re expected. We cut A LOT of traditional stuff out of our wedding because they were expensive and we didn’t really care about them.

Here are some specific things we did:

Invitations: We did postcard invitations from vistaprint.com. We got 100 invitations shipped for less than $35. Formal invitations didn’t fit our not-so-fancy wedding, and we liked that we could customize the postcards with a picture of us. We were very impressed with the quality of the invitations; the colors were bright and the paper a good weight. We got a lot of compliments on them! Invitations can be pricey and can eat into your budget! When you think about it, the purpose of invitations is just to give people information—they don’t have to be a piece of artwork!

Clothing: We wanted to keep costs down not just for ourselves, but for everyone involved. I was lucky enough to find my dress (which I LOVED!) on sale for $99 at David’s Bridal. It cost me more to get it altered than it did for the dress. Dave and his guys wore black pants and white shirt, and we got them all matching ties from a discount online tie shop. All of my bridesmaids wore blue dresses (regular ones, not “bridesmaids” ones) of their own choosing. I’ve been a bridesmaid 6 times and know how expensive it gets. My girls looked great and each of their total outfits was less than $40.

Flowers: Flowers are expensive! The only flowers we had were bouquets, which we got at Kroger (they’re great!) for way less than we would have at a traditional florist. I nixed boutonnières (an unnecessary expense in my mind). We didn’t decorate our ceremony at all because it was a nice space anyways, and people are supposed to be focused on us as we make a covenant to God, not on floral arrangements. Ceremony decoration was in my mind a waste of money. We also didn’t do any centerpieces for our reception tables. I struggled for WEEKS trying to think of a creative, inexpensive idea for the 15-20 dinner tables we would have. People suggested ideas that were cheap, but even at $5 a table, if you have 20 tables or so, the cost really adds up! It was stressing me out so much I finally decided that centerpieces weren’t necessary, and they definitely weren’t worth the stress! People would be eating so who cared what was on the tables?

Decorations: The cost of this really depends on what kind of reception you are having. We wanted ours to be very fun and summery, so I, the crafty queen, found some great stuff to do.

*I made tissue paper flowers to hang from the rafters. (Got the idea from marthastewart.com) These were super inexpensive and added a great pop of color and some dimension to our space.

*I searched online for a site to make your own crossword puzzle and made one themed around Dave and I. I copied it off on 8.5x14 horizontally so that I could place on at each setting and they served as placemats, as well as a fun activity for guests while we were taking pictures after the ceremony. I spent $7 on a box of little yellow golf pencils to place at each place setting as well.

*We made a homemade “photobooth” by hanging an orange sheet up and placing some tissue paper flowers in front. Guests could take pictures with my digital camera (we had a friend in charge) and leave a note on a card made from scrapbook paper in lieu of a traditional guest book

*I found a template online for a “Just Married” sign online. The colors weren’t in my scheme so I simply retraced it onto scrapbook paper (use those coupons in flyers for places like Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc) in my colors. We ran string above our cake table and secured the letters with clothespins. The total cost of this was less than $10 and it looked GREAT!

*On top of our crossword “placemat” I placed cutlery packs. Don’t be afraid of plastic serving ware! Our color was orange, so I wrapped orange cutlery in a white napkin and secured it with orange ribbon. I also made contrasting ones of white cutlery in orange napkins with a white ribbon. So cute! And so inexpensive!

Reception misc.

*Instead of a DJ, we made playlists on our Ipod and played them through speakers. We asked a friend to be our MC to announce cake cutting, first dance, etc. Dancing wasn’t a huge deal to us, so we didn’t invest any money here; we borrowed some cd’s from friends to upload to our library or just used what we had already.

*Cake: We decided to do only one small cake and supplement with cupcakes. Nothing fancy-we offered three flavors. I made a “tower” for the cupcakes by covering Bed, Bath, and Beyond boxes with white wrapping paper and accenting with orange ribbon. We were fortunate enough to have friends make both our cake and cupcakes for free. Simple cakes and cupcakes are a great way to save money. You do not need a 3-tier cake!

*Food: We were really committed to providing a meal to our guests. We recruited family and friends to make all the food. We kept it casual by having sandwiches, cut up watermelon, salad, etc. If we had had extra money we would have catered, but we were lucky enough to have family who were more than willing to help out.

Bottom line: Do what you want! Who says you even have to have dancing at our wedding? Or a catered meal? Or bouquets, or a tiered cake, or a garter toss. (Garters aren’t cheap—we opted not to have a garter or bouquet toss.) Keep things simple and do things that reflect who you are. Dave and I had volleyball outside at our wedding because we both love it. And people didn’t think it was weird—they loved it!!

Pulling off our wedding was definitely an example in family and community, which made it all the more fun. It should be a celebration, not a production!

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Meal deal at Petro's this week

Does your family ever eat at the Petro's on Cedar Bluff or off Kingston Pike in the West Hills area? If so, here is a deal I heard Good Cents blog about that would let you get two family meals for the price of one:


"The kids and I went to Petro's tonight (using up the school coupon book coupons that expire at the end of August). When I got the receipt for our order, the employee at the cash register told me to hang on to the receipt (which was printed on pink paper) and bring it back in on Sunday. He said that all of the food I had just ordered would be free to me on Sunday (August 22) as long as I brought the receipt in to that location. He mentioned this was to promote the fact that they have started staying open on Sundays at that location. He also said that this would be going on all week. So, you may want to drop by for a meal this week - and then go back on Sunday to get free food!"

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Family Fun magazine for $3.73 per year

Here is a deal on Family Fun magazine. Get it TODAY, August 18, 2010 for only $3.73 per year.

Go to Best Deal Magazines and then use coupon code PXCJ822 to get an additional 15% off the price, making it only $3.73 per year.

They also have Parents, Woman’s Day and Inc. magazine priced at only $4.69 per year. Use coupon code PXCJ822 to get an additional 15% off the price of the subscription.

Thank Money Saving Mom

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Fluter Today:Salsarita's 50% off

Check out Flutter Today...

50% off at Salsarita's Fresh Cantina.

Get $14 in food and drinks for just $7

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Rox Creations Photography Giveaway

In honor of my blog anniversary this month and my birthday in September.

I am doing some giveaways throughout August and September.

I am so excited and I hope you are too.

The next giveaway is a a full session with Rox Creations Photography at the location of your choosing, up to 5 people in the session

Here is a little info on Roxanne....

Photography for me is an adoration. I've spent the last 1 1/2 years cultivating the love I have for this hobby. It started with getting great shots of my daughter and blossomed from there. The business is growing and I hope to continue on and become even more successful and along the way I hope to capture the best moments life has to offer and the greatest beauty our God has presented to us.

Here’s how to enter to win a full session at the location of your choosing in the Knoxville area. This is for up to 5 people in the session. You will have the opportunity to review proofs and order prints from Rox Creations Photography or order the CD with full rights to print off of the CD. Bonus-if you purchase a CD you you will get a free proof book with 4x6 prints...

1. Leave a comment with your favorite place to take pictures of the kids or as a family. You must do the main entry!!!

2. One entry per person per day.

3. Additional Methods of Entry - Share about this giveaway the following ways and receive entries for each.

**Leave a separate comment for each to let me know where you have shared it!

-Subscribe to my Email Newsletter– even if you already receive it, add an entry as a comment. (1 entry)

-Add Frugalissa Finds to your blog roll or subscribe as a Google Reader. Leave the link to your website/blog in a comment. (1 entry)

-Follow Frugalissa Finds on Facebook and RoxCreations Photography on Facebook– then post on Facebook. Enter to win a free photo session by Rox Creations! Check it out and enter the link to this post. Leave separate comment if you became of a fan of one or both. (1 or 2 entries)

-Post this giveaway on your blog. Then come back and leave the link to the post. (1 entry)

It is very important you leave a separate comments if you enter more than once. So if you leave a comment with your favorite back to school item, become a FB fan of Frugalissa Fans and Weepeat Boutique that would be 3 entries and you would leave 3 separate comments stating what you did. There are lots of ways to win.


Giveaway ends Sunday, August 22st at 11:59 EST.

The winner will be drawn using Random.org and announced Monday, August 23rd. Winner will be notified via email and I will post the winners at Frugalissa Finds.

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Back to School Lunch Ideas

Keep it simple with these easy ideas to make school lunches healthy and fun

Hole New PB&J

Peanut butter and jelly on a whole wheat mini bagel

3/4 cup cherry tomatoes with 2 tablespoons low-fat Caesar dressing

1/2 cup pineapple chunks

4 mini oatmeal cookies

Pizza Party

1 slice leftover cold veggie pizza cut into squares

3/4 cup cucumber moons with 2 tablespoons hummus

1/2 cup purple grapes

1/2 cup popcorn

All Dressed Up

1 cup bow-tie pasta salad with veggies

1 cup baby greens salad with 2 tablespoons low-fat dressing

3/4 cup watermelon

2 fig cookies

Catch of the Day

Fish-shaped tuna sandwich with lettuce on whole wheat bread

10 baby carrots with 2 tablespoons low-fat ranch dip

Small plum

1/4 cup whole-grain Goldfish crackers

Pretzel Kabobs

Ham, turkey, and cheese rolled up together, sliced, and skewered with pretzel sticks

1/2 cup mandarin oranges

1/2 cup shelled edamame

1 container (4 ounces) fat-free chocolate pudding

Early Riser

Sliced hard-boiled egg and 2 mini whole-grain waffles

Bell-pepper strips

1 sliced kiwi fruit mixed with a few blackberries

Mini corn muffin

Finger Food

String cheese and a handful of whole wheat crackers

1 cup broccoli and cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons light raspberry dressing

1/2 cup blueberries

Slice of banana bread

Fiesta!

1 cup bean salad

1/2 cup melon wedges

Handful of whole-grain tortilla chips with 2 tablespoons salsa

8 cubes of reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Power Pita

2 mini whole wheat pita pockets with grilled-chicken strips and veggies

3/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt with sliced strawberries

1/2 cup sugar snap peas

8 animal crackers

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Free 1 lb. of Organic Seedless Grapes

Get the coupon HERE

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The Pizza Kitchen FREE PIZZA DAY TODAY August 18

The Pizza Kitchen, celebrates its 12th birthday with Free Pizza Day, TODAY!!!

“We’ve had a wonderful twelve years in Knoxville, and decided that starting an annual block party would be one of the best ways we could celebrate our birthday, and say ‘thanks,’ says Travis Redmon, owner of The Pizza Kitchen. “In order to celebrate our past, and look forward to the future, we’re offering 8” cheese pizzas all day long, free of charge. Customers and friends are welcome to eat at PK, get a pre-cooked pizza to go, or try our new Take & Bake option. Bring the entire family or office, and get a pizza for everyone that drops by.”

If a cheese pizza isn’t what you’re looking for, additional toppings can be added for just $.50 each. Free pizzas are limited to one per person.

The Pizza Kitchen is located at 9411 S.Northshore Dr. Knoxville, TN, 37922

More info HERE

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Knoxville Zoo Tickets

Kroger is running a Buy One Get One FREE deal on Knoxville Zoo tickets. Buy these by August 22, 2010. Tickets can be used anytime between now and the end of 2010.

Don't forget you can use your tickets toward a membership too.

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Make ahead PB & J

This is such a great idea that I can't wait to try it.

Take a loaf of bread, and make it 100% into peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on the jelly side before you put the jelly on to keep the bread from getting soggy. Put all the sandwiches back in the bread bag, and throw it in the freezer. When packing lunches, pull out the frozen sandwiches and pop them in the lunches - they are thawed by lunch time, and you'd never know they were even frozen.

Thanks, I'm a Lazy Mom

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Healthy Habit Goal: Pack a healthy school lunch

Healthy lunches are not a bad thing. Making sure your kids eat it all is another...

Have them pack their own lunch this allows them active participant and empowers them. The earlier they learn this skill, the easier your own life is going to be. And for the record: I did this last year with my pre-kindergartner and he did a great job. I plan to do this the night before because our mornings are hectic enough.

The kids must pick one item from each category. We have a list with pictures on the fridge that looks like this:

Fruit: Apple, applesauce, orange, 100% fruit leather, melon, grapes, banana, strawberries, etc.

Vegetables: Bag of carrots, sliced celery, peppers, cucumbers, fresh peas, green beans, etc.

High Fiber Grains: Whole wheat bread for sandwich, granola bar, whole wheat muffin, cereal, cold pasta, cold rice, soup.

High protein food:Nuts, hard-boiled egg, meat for your sandwich, peanut butter for your sandwich (or dipping).

Dairy: Yogurt or cheese

Other school lunch ideas including Bento Posts:

Teenagers
A Bento Revolution

lesson in Bento

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Healthy Habits For a Great School Year

Thanks Amy at Healthy Food Ideas for this post on making a good healthy breakfast.

I have a few health goals I want to incorporate to make this school year the best ever. I want to keep my kids at their optimum learning capacity. To avoid mid-winter illnesses. And to promote excellent behavior in the classroom.

So, here we go! Let the goals begin! Our first goal (and one I highly encourage all to take part in) is to:

EAT A SMART BREAKFAST

Here are the rules:

1. Never Skip breakfast! Studies show breakfast eaters perform better at school, have less weight problems, and eat healthier food overall.

2. Replace refined grains with whole grains! This is a must in order for kids to have the energy necessary to make it to lunch. Our kids go from 7:30 am till 12:00 without eating, and they can not suffer a crash because of refined, sugary foods.

3.Include some low-fat protein (nuts, legumes, eggs, or dairy). This helps give the carbs some staying power and feeds the brain.

4. Include FRUITS OR VEGGIES (For all the essential vitamins and minerals they provide)

Here are some breakfasts that would work well.

Oatmeal with milk and fruit (fresh or dried)
Whole grain toast with nut butter spread and sliced apples.

Almond Crusted French Toast (with a side of berries or on top)

Walnut and Banana pancakes

Cheerios with fruit and yogurt on top.

Eggs and potatoes (we would have to include veggies in the mix, or a side of fruit)

Orange Yogurt parfait

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