It's a tradition to always get a can of pringles in the stocking around here. (Takes up lots of space and only costs a little over a buck!) Santa also leaves a box of sugar cereal with the stocking. Kids also always get socks, underwear, gloves, toothbrush, hairbrush, batteries...and an orange. That sounds SO practical...but we also throw in little surprises. We wrap every single little thing (except the orange)...so the fun seems to come from unwrapping, even if it is the expected underwear. And we try to fill them as much as we can, so it is bulging with little wrapped presents. hair bows nerf bullets iTunes card keychain lacrosse balls DVD CD makeup fun pencils/pens gum tic tacs Love the can of soda idea...my kids would think that was a treat, too!

:iagree: I'm with you. I will add it to my boycotted list with Carls, Jr (due to their inappropriate commercials...) and take my money elsewhere!

Walmart has it priced at $25...and I don't think their prices will change as quickly or drastically as Amazon. So perhaps you could go buy it at Walmart for 25, but keep watching Amazon--if you get a better deal, buy it and return the Walmart one. My dh would think I was crazy, but hey...I admit I've done crazy things before! :D

Ziva Marie is my vote...

I did this for dd12 a few years ago for Christmas and she loved it. I went to Michaels and bought a set of tools--sorry I can't be specific with what exactly they are but there were several (5, I think?) different types/sizes of pliers and some wire cutter thingies--all in a set right there with the jewelry stuff. I used a 50% off coupon for those. They also regularly have their beads go on sale. Then I went to Walmart and bought a box with dividers ($2-3), wire (silver, gold, bronze), different clasps in same colors for bracelets/necklaces, earring post thingies, and quite a few strings of beads. It helped to just focus on a few colors instead of trying to get everything--I chose some in the black/silver scheme and some in bright green/blue (colors she loves). I found a little tray to use to lay out the necklaces that is helpful. I also found a cute craft bag to put all of the tools and supplies in. I looked on Amazon and found several different books on jewelry-making and intended to include one in the gift, but ended up just checking out some books from the library.

I'm a little late to the conversation here, but as a new ipad owner, I'm still trying to figure things out. Would you mind telling me how you print from your ipad and what you use to download pdf to ipad? TIA!

Definitely "work for awhile and then find ways to disappear" here... I am :bigear: for any ideas on how to improve work ethic in 14 year old young men...

Thanks! I'm going to have fun with this!

Not to hijack the thread, but will you tell me how to create folders? I'm a new iPad owner...still figuring things out...but this is what I am wanting to do and I'd love some guidance!!! What I'd really like to do is create a folder for each of my children and put the apps geared to their age/need to study/etc inside that folder. You know, the preschooler would have the phonics, the high-schooler would have ACT prep stuff, etc. We also only have educational games/apps on our iPad for the kids. (Although, I kind of view Angry Birds as educational (physics...yes?!?) and don't mind that one.) But I know that if I had a ton of FUN games, they'd only play those instead of the ones I want them to play.

Tradition in dh's family is to get a can of pringles in the stocking...takes up lots of space!

I'd really like a Bosch...but don't think that's gonna happen, unless Santa is real. :D Anne of Green Gables DVD set slippers new gloves

:iagree:

Ds9 was looking through the toysrus ad the other day and expressed interest in: Nerf guns RC car Lego sets (Pirates of C...) He also wants an iPod Touch, but I'm not sure about that one. I'm not sure if I'm ready for him to be 'plugged in' so often!

Dh fell in a lake with his phone in pocket...did the rice thing and it worked! It took several days--and he took it apart as much as he could--but there is hope! I'll cross my fingers for ya! Oh, he used white rice, in a ziploc bag on the counter...not sure what is the 'prescribed' method...

I just found this website recently: www.datingdivas.com They have some really fun date ideas--some more expensive than others; some stay-at-home-after-the-kids-are-in-bed ideas, etc. I am going to plan a date for every month of next year--write it all up in a fun way, put it in an envelope with a little bit of cash for the date, find something little to go along with the date/theme idea, put all of the envelopes in a decorated box/gift bag of some kind--and there is dh's Christmas present! Another idea--not sure if you are familiar with the whole 72-Hour Emergency Kit idea...(our church encourages us to have emergency plans and supplies)...but perhaps you could prepare some kind of this kit for your family or each family car or to keep at his office, etc. I don't know, this might be just an LDS type of thing, but I did this for dh a few years ago and he was really grateful. If you google 72 hour kit, there are a lot of government and red cross type of sites that will have lists. There are also stores (Emergency Essentials comes to mind) that sell the kits all assembled. My dh always likes to get framed pictures of the kids for his office; one year I did a photo collage of our family hikes/vacations; maybe a photo book or calendar with pictures of your kids? Is there a hobby or activity that the two of you might want to start together? You could get a magazine, supplies, clothes, whatever to go along with it. Maybe you two want to start roller-blading, maybe you want to start bird-watching, coin-collecting, Geocaching, etc. Even if he doesn't currently enjoy the hobby...if you two do it together, maybe it will become one? Good luck!

I was able to get a great deal a few months ago on contacts from walgreens.com. They often have sales--I think I got 20% off my order or something like that. It was quite a bit lower than 1-800-contacts. And they arrived quickly in the mail.

If you have a Boy Scouts of America store nearby, they have some fun wood kits that are $2-3 each...my son's favorite is the catapult. I saw them on the BSA website a few weeks ago, but I'm not sure how much shipping is. That's worth a look anyway-- Nerf bullets Make some PVC marshmallow shooters to have ready to buy silly putty slinkies card games baseball/football card packs tech decks (little skateboard things, although they may be 'out' by now?) iTunes card ($5) gift card ($5) cash (that was ds14's recommendation)

Well, I was more commenting on YOUR comment than anything else.

:001_huh: Um, wow.

The fruit coupons I've gotten have been from Driscoll's--and yes, my Walmart doubles up to a $1--I got them every few weeks on their website throughout the summer. They also sent me some for my birthday last month. :D I've gotten a few coupons for bananas and apples from various websites online occasionally, too. The biggest way I save on fruits/vegetables/bread/meat/eggs/milk is by using Walmart's store matching policy. I have a few websites I check weekly where they enter all of the sale prices around my area (plus any manufacturing coupons from paper or online with links). After doing it awhile, I've figured out prices I'm willing to spend on various items--so as I look through their lists, I simply add it to my onsite grocery list if I want to buy it. For example, one store might have had Green Leaf lettuce on sale for 50 cents a pound; while Walmart's price is 99 cents. When I go to the store, at the checkout, I simply have to tell them the lettuce is 50 cents a pound. I just buy what fruits and vegetables are on sale somewhere that week. Our Walmart has signs up at every register saying they will match any price AND stating you don't need to show the ads (although I always bring my ads & usually offer to the clerk to show them). Well, as I mentioned, I'm not particular about brands and I also have no problems using things like Crest toothpaste, Wisk laundry detergent, Suave shampoo, Spic&Span cleansers, S&W canned beans, El Paso refried beans, Scott toilet paper, Reynolds aluminum foil, Welch's grape jelly, Campbell's soup, Goldfish crackers. Typically I would buy store brands of these types of things--yet when I have a sale price from a local store + a manufacturer's coupon--if it is cheaper than the store brand, I buy it. As for the many other coupons offered--no, I don't buy poptarts or gogurt or twizzlers or chex mix or hamburger helper when I go to the store. I did use some of these types of coupons this summer as we prepared to go on our family vacation--it was very fun for my kids to get some treat types of things that we normally don't get--but I was able to get them for very cheap. And this past week I was able to buy chocolate milk for 1.12--my kids were thrilled and it was a pretty fun treat for them. www.hip2save.com and www.freebies2deals.com are two websites I check frequently. What i love about them is they have links for online coupons plus they let you know of sales & deals on things other than groceries. My local website that helps with my grocery comparisons is www.savvyshopperdeals.com in case there are any Utah County mamas who haven't checked it out.

The show is really quite unrealistic--as a pp mentioned, rarely do people get 250 copies of the same coupon. I get five newspapers each week and occasionally might get an extra from a friend. So usually when I have a coupon to match with a deal, my limit is five. They also do some unethical things (imo), such as using coupons for different sizes than stated on the coupon and such. As far as getting overages--it's not every week that this happens, but occasionally there will be a great coupon out there where you get a little bit extra. The store gets reimbursed by the manufacturer--so they are not necessarily out any money--and the manufacturer gets you to use their product (when perhaps you normally would not have), so it's probably pretty good marketing on their end. At first I thought there was no need for coupons as I didn't really need to buy Totino's pizzas or fruit roll ups--but I have actually been amazed at how many things there ARE coupons for. Toiletries is one area that I just hadn't thought about--but I will never again pay more than a quarter for toothpaste or toothbrushes or deoderant. And cleaners and laundry detergent and dish soap and toilet paper and kleenex--never again will I pay the crazy prices in the store! I have recently gotten canned beans for 12 cents a can, yeast for pennies, canned vegetables for a quarter, etc. I got Hasbro games for Christmas with $5 off coupons. I got makeup for dd's stocking for free. I got a dollar off strawberries or blueberries. I get a dollar off a gallon of milk occasionally. I get batteries for pretty cheap. I get vitamins and supplements and bandaids and medicine for dollars less than I would normally pay. It does take a little effort, but it's worth it to me. Every little bit helps! I do experiment a bit with brands--and once I get a supply built up for our family for 6 mo-year, I have no need to buy any more...but I can't tell you what a difference couponing has made for our family since I started in May.

My ten minute dinner tonight was a success! Everyone raved about how yummy it was...which is a rare thing, indeed. All I did was open some leftover sesame buns, layer roast beef lunch meat, top with provolone cheese and broil them for about 5-6 minutes--keeping them open-faced. Served with apples & pears and roasted potatoes (actually just tried them from Steamfresh brand or something like that...microwave for 6 minutes & they are ready to go). Okay...maybe not much better than the nuggets...but it was fast and yummy. :D Sloppy joe sauce, pulled pork, taco meat, spaghetti sauce--all can be prepared ahead of time and then put into the crockpot on warm while you head off to activities; make a green salad to wait in the frig; open some canned fruit --come home & dish up.

Well, this is my first Christmas being a 'couponer' so I've been gathering a few things a little at a time...and I am so excited! I found some great deals on Hasbro games a few weeks back (w/double $4 coupons!!!), so most of our extended family and teacher/coach gifts will be games (which I got for around $5 each). Yesterday I found some great deals on Amazon for a few Wii games and some DVDs. (NFL training Wii 'game' was almost $100 last year, but is on sale right now for 12.94, if any of you have football playing sons) Today I got free makeup for dd12's stocking. I also found a few Nerf guns and the Nerf Target game on clearance at Walmart for $5 (normally priced almost $20). We tend to get our kids one "big" thing and then other stuff that they need (clothes, socks, underwear, toothbrushes, etc) with a few little surprises. As it gets closer to Black Friday, I'll get the bigger things (probably a camera or maybe an ipod) but hopefully I will be done with the extra stuff this month. It is so much fun to get it done early!

One idea is to make a Family Yahtzee game. Check out this link for a photo example: http://loveactually-blog.blogspot.com/2009/12/homemade-christmas-family-games.html I haven't done it, but I saw this game on a blog before and thought it was the cutest thing...you use photos of your family in place of numbers on the dice. If you could find some wooden blocks--where six could fit into the jar--and add a few scoring sheets, I think it would be an awesome gift! In fact...I'm going to do this for my inlaws this year! Love the jar idea instead of a box...it would look cute sitting out on a shelf when not being played.

What about a photo book of your family vacations or special celebrations? Maybe plan a vacation to someplace you've never been--a skiing trip to the mountains or snorkeling in Hawaii or even a weekend in a nearby city. Wrap up little things separately--maybe get some clothing/gear to use on the trip or little souvenier type of things about that place. Choose a family to sponsor for Christmas--instead of buying gifts for one another, you go shop for this family & surprise them with Christmas. Is there some type of hobby that they might be interested in starting? Get the materials, a book on how to do it, sign them up for classes, etc.