Pampers: A way to earn giftcards, toys and more

If you join Pampers Gifts to Grow you can currently get 100 free points. I do not have a baby, but I am a member of this rewards program because you can earn gift cards and magazine subscriptions and more! I have already cashed my points in for $10 BJ's giftcard.


There are always new codes available, and here are a few to get you well over 300 points!

Worth 10 points:
WELCOMEGTGPTS10
WELCOME2VILLAGE
GTGREWARDS4MOMS
pampers4momjfm1
CONGRATS2NEWMOM
GTGWELCOME10PTS
Pampersgtg10pts
CAREFORNEWBORNS
getstartednow10



Worth 50 points:
WELCOME2PAMPERS
GIFTSTOGROW4MOM
JOINNOW4REWARDS
2BEGINEARNING50

(Thanks for the codes Kristin!)

My Points: How I earn free gift cards

My points is a site I've been using for a few months now- I have already gotten $35 worth of gift cards and I am ordering another $10 on this week! Basically all you do is sign up, and they send you a few emails a day and once you click on the ad within the email you get 5 points or more. They also email you short surveys that are worth 50points or more! These points add up and you can cash them in for giftcards!

For example:
A starbucks $10 giftcard is 1,550 points
A panera $10 giftcard is 1,500 points
A gap $25 giftcard is 3,350 points


Note: I have never once had any issues with spam or anything else from clicking on these emails. It is super easy to do, especially while watching tv.

Also, I recommend getting a new email address that you use only for things you sign up for online. That way you aren't filling your personal inbox with random emails

Pictures from around town

My dad played in the castle as a kid

Use Swagbucks to earn giftcards to Amazon and more just for searching the internet

I wanted to repost this, because it is a great way to earn great prizes like Amazon.com giftcards... so far I have cashed in $20 worth of amazon.com gift cards and $20 to Starbucks.


Just a reminder, use Swagbucks! It is a google search engine and you get "paid" to search.

For every few internet searches you do, you win Swagbucks which can be cashed in for prizes:

450 swagbucks will get you $5 giftcode to amazon.com- this will take roughly a month or less depending on how often you search, that could mean $60 each year for searching the internet!

If you haven't yet, sign up here, and make swagbucks your homepage so you remember to use it to search!

My favorite Irish bakery

Use Recycle Bank to get coupons!

I wanted to let you know about Recycle bank, incase you do not already, because it is an excellent way to get high value or even free product coupons with very little effort or time.

One of the ways I get high value coupons, such as $2 off Kashi cereal is by using Recycle bank. Recycle bank is a website that rewards you for recycling, or you can take short quizzes or type in point codes to rack up points to trade in towards coupons, magazine subscriptions or other prizes.

Register (use an email address you use just for freebies ect) and you'll earn 20 points

Take these 1 minute quizes and earn:
Join the eBay Green Team, to get 50 free points.
Go to PET plastic bottles to get 30 free points.
Look for the Miller Quiz to get 10 free points.
Take the Naked Juice quiz to get 30 points

Then you will already have 130 points

Plus there are other games on the site you can play for an extra at least 100 points

Todays posts will be about how to earn giftcards and more

Since I am in Ireland I have set up different themes for each day I am gone.

Todays theme is rewards programs and how to use them to help you earn giftcards and more!

If you go here you can see the list of free giftcards I have gotten from using these reward programs just in the past few months.

Let me know which rewards programs you love to use!

My box of Irish special k cereal

Banana Cupcakes- yum!

This is my sisters recipe and a huge fit with our extended family and friends.

INGREDIENTS :

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda (add to pureed bananas)
• 3 pureed bananas, very ripe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set up cupcake trays.
Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Sift flour several times, then add the salt and baking powder to the flour.
To the creamed butter mixture, add the milk and flour (alternating, beginning and ending with flour).
Add vanilla and mashed bananas (with the baking soda added to the bananas) to this mixture.
Bake for 20-25minutes.

 

Cream Cheese Frosting :

• 1/2 stick butter, softened

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

• 1 box powdered sugar (1 lb.)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth, add sugar and vanilla and blend well. Spread on cooled cupcakes.

Ireland pictures today

Today I went to Kinsale and Cork city.

Had lunch of ham cabbage carrots and two types of potatoes.

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter cookies!

These Peanut Butter Cookies are so easy and delicious!

1 cup of Peanut Butter
1 Egg
1 cup of Sugar

Blend together, form into balls then press down with a fork dipped in sugar. Bake at 350 for 8-12minutes

Banana ice cream- a Foodie Friday recipe

This is not technically Ice Cream, but it tastes and has the same texture of it... only its very healthy for you.

Freeze chunks of banana in the freezer over night
Place them in a food processor with a few table spoons of milk- add more as needed
Pulse until it forms an ice cream like texture
Add a tablespoon of honey or peanut butter for extra flavor

Foodie Friday recipe: Pavolva- my favorite Irish dessert

Since I am in Ireland I had to post this one!


So this is Pavlova, quite possibly my favorite dessert ever! It is really popular in Ireland and when I am there I make sure to get my fill of it, but when I am home I like to make it on occasion as well.

It is beyond simple to make, so delicious and a real crowd pleaser. Its impressive and would not be a bad idea to make this for guests some time!

Yep! Thats me in Ireland last year eating Pavlova!

Here is the recipe:

For the Meringue:

Preheat oven to 250degrees- yes 250!

6 Large Egg Whites

1 Cup of Sugar

1/2 teaspoon of real vanilla extract

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

In a blender mix the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then slowly add the sugar, the vanilla and the cornstarch until the egg whites are shiney and stiff peaks. Then put the meringue onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, making an oval shape about 12 inches long. Make sure the edges are higher than the center, because that is where the whipped cream and fruit will go. Then bake at 250degrees for 60-70minutes, turn off the oven, open the door slightly and let the meringue cool inside the oven.

For the whipped cream:

1 cup of whipping cream

1 tablespoon of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of real vanilla extract

Mix on high until there are soft peaks.

For the topping:

I enjoy just strawberries but a nice mixture of strawberries, kiwi, madarian oranges and small apple pieces also taste amazing.

Place the whipped cream and fruit in the middle of the meringue and serve

Todays posts will be some of my absolute favorite recipes+cooking tips!

Cooking tips:

1.Preheat your pans- this makes a huge difference, especially when you want to sear instead of steam meat/veggies and more. Also make sure the oil or butter is hot before adding anything else.

2.Use a sharp knife to cut onions- this will help keep the tears away :)

3. When boiling veggies start with cold water then add the veggies and turn on the heat, this way they cook all the way through not just the outside.


What are some of your best cooking tips?

Ketchup and mustard packets in Ireland

More pictures from Ireland

A few pictures of the country.

Me with my favorite dessert.

My lunch of cottage pie

5% off all Target purchases- without the Target credit card

This might be the best deal that Target has going on. You might already know that you can get the Target credit card and get 5% off of all purchases.


Well did you know you can get the Target debit card and get 5% off all purchases too?


Yep! Basically it is a debit card connected to your bank account. So you just swipe the Target card at the store- save 5% and the money automatically comes out of your checking account. Just like it would with your normal debit card.


Just an easy way to help you save money!

Shopping online and getting cash back

                 

A great way to maximize savings while shopping online is to shop through a site that gives your a percentage of your sale back. Sites like ShopatHome and Ebates offer money back on each purchase. Could be 2% cash back or it could be 15% cash back. The percentage depends on the store and on the promotions currently going on.

I know it doesn't seem like a lot but if you do a lot of online shopping it can really add up and its basically like free money for shopping. I used Ebates when I bought my computer a few months ago and I got $16 cash bach from it!


How else do you try to save money while shopping online?

Shopping the clearance section and saving for birthdays/holidays

  

Shopping the sale and clearance section of any store is a great way to find deals without coupons.

A few times a year you will see major discounts on toys, usually at the end of Janurary and during the summer.

This is a great time to stock up on toys that you know you will need in the near future. But, not only toys go on major clearance. You can also find home decorations, candles, picture frames, jewlery and clothes. You can buy these things ahead so you won't have to run out to make a full priced purchase last minute.

Think ahead to:

• Birthday parties you will be invited to
• Your own childrens birthdays
• Christmas
• Easter
• Last minute hostess gifts
  
  You can find a location to keep all of these items in, perhaps a large box or a section of a closet.
  
  This will help you save money because you will not have to run out to the store last minute and pay full price for something.
  
  
  What items do you like to keep on hand for last minute gifts?

My favorite thing to eat in Ireland

Ham butter and bread sandwich ...sounds gross but it's amazing!

Saving money without coupons- shopping around online easily

I think that online shopping is an amazing thing, you can find deals from stores you have never heard of and try things you otherwise never would have known about.


When I am looking to buy a product-more specifically a more expensive product I like to go to search using Google Shopping. This is just like a Google Search Engine, only you type in the product you are looking for and it gives you a list including:

• What companies are selling the product
• How much the product cost
• Shipping and Tax Costs
• Seller Rating

This is super helpful to me at least, because then you know for sure you are getting a good deal.


Have you ever used Google Shopping? I used it to help me narrow down my new computer search.

Using Apps to save money

Now I know I said that today was going to be about not using coupons and about finding discounts in other ways. But I think that using apps that give you coupons and other discounts count.


All you have to do is show the cashier your phone, simple enough right?


Here are a few of my favorite apps to save money:

• Gas Buddy-this app tells you which gas station has the cheapest price per gallon in your area. It is constantly being updated so you know you won't be surprised when you get to the gas station that the price is different.
• GeoQpons-this app tells you the local sales in your area, and gives you the code to show the cashier to use on their store promotions.
• CellFire-these are coupons that you load onto your store card, this way you have no coupons in hand they  just automatically get deducted from your total. Its great if your store takes them.

What are your favorite money saving apps?

Amazon Mom: Save up to 30% off plus free shipping everyday

If you haven't already make sure you sign up for Amazon mom, it is free and there are tons of benefits such as:

Free shipping on Baby/Children items and more
30% off Diapers and Wipes which you can combined with 20% off and $10 off coupons that are occasionally released in various Parenting/Baby/Children Magazines.


If you make baby/children purchases often sign up for Amazon mom, it is worth the 10seconds it takes in free shipping alone

Use your AAA card to save at retailers

 

   

How many people still have a AAA card? I do and I love it!

I've used it once for a road problem (my car ran over some tool and it blew the tire out)

 

I've also used it for Hotels in Canada and in the U.S. when I travel- the discounts are a great way to help your vacation money go further.

However, my favorite thing to do with the AAA card is go shopping with it. That's right shopping!

Did you know you can use your AAA card at several different retailers?

For example:

• New York and Company is 15% off everyday
• The Gap, Banana Republic or Old Navy Outlet stores 10% off everyday
• T-mobile gives me 11% off my monthly cell phone bill

Plus there are so many more places you can use your card at. Go here and type in your zip code to find local shopping and dining out locations that take AAA.

Todays theme is how to save money without using coupons

Many of use love to use coupons to save, but sometimes that is just not possible because not all types of retailers accept coupons.

Today's posts will be about how to save without using coupons- thinking creatively to save money.



What are your best tips for saving without coupons?

My uncles cattle in the field

I went out to the field this morning to help drop off food. How sweet are the babies?

The view from my aunts dinning room

Arrived in Ireland

I'll be sure to take pictures and post them. It is just super foggy right now.

Here is one from last night at the airport ..

Extra 50% off clearance at old navy

If you are an Old Navy shopper check out their clearance section.

My store had an extra 50% off!

Made for some $3 shirts and $9 hoodies

Busy getting ready for Ireland

Bad news : I have a cold.

Good news : I leave for Ireland tomorrow.

Spending the day driving to PA, last minute shopping and packing.

And a berry smoothie from Costco. It helps me feel better

Dollar General: 25cent Snuggle dryer sheets this week

Snuggle Dryer Sheets 20ct – $1
Use the $0.75/1 Snuggle coupon from the RP 10/2
= $0.25


Thanks, Saving Everyday