Easy Programs | A Mom Less Ordinary

SavingStar | Earn cash back on your grocery bill effortlessly!

Just like everyone else these days, I love to save money! I'm by no means an extreme couponer (though I was once!) I do enjoy finding new and creative ways to save, and lately that has been by utilizing eCoupons at SavingStar.com! You may be familiar with other sites that allow you to register your store savings cards (like Safeway, CVS, etc.) and upload coupons to those cards that then when you use them at the store the savings are deducted from your total due. SavingStar is unique in that you register and upload coupons in the same way, but instead of deducting the amount from your total due, the money you saved is loaded into your SavingStar account which you can then cash out once it's accumulated at least $5. I think it's really awesome! What I like even more about SavingStar is that I can use traditional coupons in addition to my SavingStar e-coupons, so I'm doubling my savings in a unique way! Once I have accrued a minimum of $5 in e-coupon savings (it can take from 2 - … [Read more...]

February 14, 2012

Make the most of your online shopping and treat yourself with MasterCard ~ #Heres2Mom #CBias

I went to the grocery store on Monday afternoon and was overwhelmed by how busy it was! I assumed that going on a weekday afternoon, even during holiday season, would be safe, and I was completely wrong. As I was leaving, feeling completely frustrated at being hurried and out of my comfort zone, I reminded myself that this was exactly why I do my Christmas shopping online and wished that it would be so easy to grocery shop online, too. While I'm a big proponent of online shopping so you can make the most of your time and sanity, I also feel that it is the best way to make the most of your money, too! MasterCard's Here's to Mom holiday promotional program is perfect for doing all those things. From now through December 31st you can be rewarded by your online shopping when using your registered debit- or credit-card MasterCard - spend $200, get $20! That's 10% back (in the form of a MasterCard gift card) back! It's as simple as registering your MasterCard, doing your shopping … [Read more...]

December 15, 2011

Take the Wat-aah! Challenge ~ We did!

This year Emma and I accepted the Wat-aah! Challenge and made a little video chronicling our experience. As a Wat-aah! Challenge participant, we were asked to put the new lunchbox-friendly 10-ounce sized bottles of Wat-aah! in our fridge next to our kids' normal lunch drink and see which one they choose to take in their lunch. On this particular morning, as you will see in the video, Emma chose Wat-aah! and after school we had a little chat about whether or not she liked it! Fair warning - we were pretty "whispery" in the beginning because it was early morning and the rest of the house was sound asleep! Plus, listen for how she pronounces Wat-aah! It kills me. Emma is a funny girl. She took the "pink" Wat-aah! (the BODY version, made with pure spring water) to school but didn't care for it because she didn't think it tasted like water. *This is me scratching my head* Her friends at school, though, thought her Wat-aah! was pretty cool. Emma did, however, like the "blue" Wat-aah! … [Read more...]

October 22, 2011

Join Crizal and Combat the Enemies of Clear Vision with Captain Crizal | Giveaway

I love to enter contests and giveaways, and if I find a particularly fun and easy one, I like to share it with my readers. This is one of those times! Crizal lenses, the only no-glare eyeglasses lenses that eliminate the enemies of clear vision: glare, scratches, smudges, dust, water, is offering consumers a chance to play the “Combat the Enemies of Clear Vision with Captain Crizal” Facebook game and enter the sweepstakes! You can play by collecting Crizal Power Lenses, while dodging certain obstacles, in order to combat the enemies of clear vision. It's really a fun little game to play - although, I've now played it a handful of times and can't get even close to some of the high scores listed (score does not effect chances of winning)! The sweepstakes will offer one lucky grand prize winner a MOTOROLA XOOM™ with Wi-Fi, a $1,000 general use gift card and their very own Crizal lenses. The second place winner will receive a $1,000 gift card and Crizal lenses, and the third … [Read more...]

October 7, 2011

New Opportunity from Expo & Tryology: Try a LG TV for FREE

I've mentioned before how much I've enjoyed doing product sampling with Expo TV, and I wanted to pass on a super-fabulous new Tryology opportunity, of which they are taking applications from both men and women. It's a really simple application process and if you are accepted, the only requirement is you provide an honest video review to Expo TV by the program deadline. You do not have to be a blogger, tweeter, Facebooker, etc. Just a great person! Right now and for a limited time they are accepting applications for a program that would let reviewers try out and keep a LG LCD SmartTV - valued at $1,300! They will be selecting participants on August 8th, so if you haven't yet, hurry over and join ExpoTV (it's free and easy!) so you can apply for this amazing opportunity! My experience with Expo TV has been nothing short of fabulous. I've tried a some really noteworthy products for free, been able to keep them, and earned Amazon gift cards for uploading my videos. For more … [Read more...]

August 2, 2011

30 days to sanity: becoming a better me

I've never been too good at developing a routine for myself. For my family, yes, but for me, not so much. My strength is knowing my family thrives on a routine, and while my mantra may sometimes be, "Get through the day," by the end of it, there wasn't much time left for me. Because of those things, I have thoroughly enjoyed Stephanie Marston's 30 Days to Sanity online course and would recommend it to other moms seeking a little help in prioritizing all that life brings you each day. Going into the program, my goal was to get my priorities straight and avoid procrastinating on important tasks in my life. Having gone through the course and utilized its extra-curricular resources I feel like I have a broader perspective on managing my life. 30 Days to Sanity is a webinar that you can experience at your own pace and is full of encouragement and When I first began it, I took a comprehensive question and answer "test" so I could get a better understanding of where my needs feel and … [Read more...]

June 22, 2011

Half-Off Deal Round-up

Cowtown Eats has a weekly round up here of local half-off restaurant deals, which include Cupcake Craving, Mountain Mikes, Mix Downtown, and several others. In most cases you pay $25 for a $50 gift card/certificate. These programs are offered courtesy of local television and radio stations, and I've made a comprehensive list of where you can go online to see what stores, restaurants, and other venues are offering half-off deals. I've bought certificates for The Counter, Center Court with C-Webb, Cold Stone, among several others, and I've always had a good experience. … [Read more...]

March 6, 2010

Mailbox Monday: Where to find the best freebies

The short mail week last week did a number on my freebies! All I received free in the mail was a $5 SC Johnson rebate, a card for a free Fruitabu product for being a member of the Smooshed Squad, and a coupon for a free Mousse Temptations by Jell-O. What we'll do instead today is highlight some of my favorite fun, easy, and legitimate ways to get quality freebies in your mailbox. Vocalpoint - If you haven't already, go and join right now. It is by far the easiest way to get the very best freebies and coupons in the mail. Just in the last few months I have received free products, free product coupons, and money-off coupons to share with friends. My Points - By doing things you already do, like shopping or printing coupons, you an rack up points to exchange for gift cards. Some people like Swagbucks, but I prefer the ease of My Points. I especially like that you can print off the coupons.com coupons from their site to get points. Kraft First Taste - Become a member of Kraft First Taste … [Read more...]

November 30, 2009

The Upromise Program

I’m a big fan of getting benefits for doing things you already do, like shopping, eating out, buying gas, etc. Like the program I posted about last week, Upromise is a great way to get the perks with little to no effort on your part. Best of all, Upromise doubles as a college saving fund. I joined in 2002 and registered all my grocery store cards, debit cards, and credit cards. Everytime I used those, small percentages of my purchase amounts were added to my Upromise account. At the website you can view all the contributing companies and find ways to build and add to your fund, like shopping online through their site or eating out at participating restaurants. In 2004 I ordered a Upromise Citibank Mastercard, which is another great way to get contributions to your fund. You can even have family members contribute to the account! Over the years, little by little, I’ve seen my balance grow to a decent amount without even giving it much thought at all – like I said, it’s pretty … [Read more...]

September 27, 2008

MyPoints Rewards Program

Want to earn free gift cards by doing something you already do? Check out MyPoints. By searching and shopping through their site you earn points, earn enough points and you can redeem them for merchant gift cards - merchants like Amazon, Old Navy, Target, The Olive Garden, Sephora, etc. Depending on how much time you spend online, you can rack up points quickly over a short period of time or build them up slowly over a longer period of time. By receiving MyPoints emails, you will get 5 points for each "click-through." If you get five emails a day, that's 25 points right there! You can also earn points by shopping, booking travel, playing online games, taking surveys...doing things you already do online! One of my favorite parts of MyPoints, and a really easy way to earn a lot of points, is by printing coupons and redeeming them. That's right - print off coupons linked from their website to get points, and then get more points when you redeem the coupons! If you are interested in … [Read more...]

September 20, 2008