How to get FREE stuff!

So I thought I'd share some free stuff with my family and friends!  Although these are only samples, I think it's awesome that you can get free stuff.  Recently I signed up for Nescafe instant coffee packets (just got those and they sent a good variety of flavors), Bacardi t-shirt, Zyrtec coupons for a free pack of allergy medicine (just got that)  and  a coupon for a free tub with case  from Cottenelle (just got that too). 

There is so much free stuff out there!  Here's what I did.  I signed up with Yahoo for a free email address and use that ONLY for junk mail or when I sign up for free things like this.  I don't want all the junk mail cluttering up my regular email.  Also, when I sign up, phone number is always optional so I never fill that part out because of course I don't want those solicitors calling!

Anyway,  here are a few links to some free stuff:

Free Carefree Pantiliners- http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid97936.aspx

Free EAS Sports Nutriton Bar- https://eas.com/tourcoupon

Free Sample of Folgers Coffee if you press "Like" on FB- http://www.facebook.com/folgers?v=app_4949752878&utm_source=facebooknewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wakinupclub

Free Tub of Cottenelle Flushable Wipes with Case- https://fresh.cottonelle.com/

Five Free samples of Javacid- https://www.javacid.com/c-7-free-sample.aspx

Free download of Martha Stewart Grilling Cookbook- http://www.siriusxm.com/marthastewartlivingradio

Free Shout Wipes & Insect Spray- https://www.rightathome.com/Offers/Pages/2011-05-PrepforSummerGiftPack.aspx

Free Neilmed Nasa Dock- http://www.neilmed.com/usa/cust_survey.php#page=srnp

So there you go! There are tons of free things to get online. I love it!

I'll blog again soon :)

Haley's 1st Birthday!

Haley's 1st Birthday was ONE-derful!  It is so hard to believe she is no longer a baby, but is a toddler now!  She is no longer on formula which means no more bottles.  I don't even think she cared!  She is just like her daddy, LOVES to drink milk!  2 days after her birthday she got her first tooth and she is getting another one!  It is so exciting.  She is walking all by herself but still needs a little help every once in a while.  Besides Dada, her first word is "hi".  She loves to tell everyone hi when she see's them. It is the cutest thing.  She is crawling up onto things now including onto the recliner when daddy is sitting there, up on her castle slide, and into her cozy coupe.  It is so awesome being able to stay home and watch her grow.

Here's a few pics from the birthday party!

This was the 1 Year Banner I made so everyone could see how much she's grown!

She had a beautiful ladybug birthday cake & smash cake!  I got it custom made at HEB Market Street and they did a fabulous job! Better than what I expected :)

Trey cooked most of the early afternoon so I had to sneak in a picture real quick

This is a picture of Haley's highchair decoration I made. It took a long time to glue and I couldn't have done it without Trey's help!

Haley was napping before the party started...

I had to sneak a few pictures of us together before I brought her out for everyone to see!

We made our rounds telling everyone hi, ate lunch, then it was time for cake!

At the end of the day I realized we only had a few pictures of Haley & Trey together in her birthday outfit, so after the party was over I put her back in her outfit and started taking pictures!

Then she just HAD to get in her cozy coupe!

It was a very busy day for us but we had a great time!  What a special day!  I want to thank our friends and family who were able to make it out for Haley's 1st Birthday!!

P.S.  Monday after her birthday, I took her to the doctor for her 1 year appointment.  She got 4 shots in her legs.. poor baby... but she now weighs 22lbs and is 30 inches long!! She is officially facing forward in her carseat :)

5 More Days until Haley's 1st Birthday!

I thought I'd take the time to blog for a little big before this week gets even crazier!  Today has been a very productive day.  I went to water aerobics with my friend Beth and Jessie at 9am, came home and Haley and I took a nap, we went for a walk outside, I finished most of our laundry, emptied and loaded the dishwasher, cleaned the kitchen and living room and even vacuumed! Whew!  Tomorrow I'm taking Haley to the Zoo with the Mom's Group so we gave Haley a bath and put her to bed early so she can be well rested for a long day tomorrow.

So the countdown is officially on... we have 5 more days until we celebrate Haley's 1st Birthday!  It is going to be a very special day for us.  Haley is doing a great job on walking.  For a couple weeks now she has been able to walk with you holding only 1 hand.  The past couple days she has been walking all by herself! I don't even think she notices that she's doing it. She walks from one side of the room to the other and it is super exciting to see her do it.  I think she finally got her confidence and realized that it's much faster to walk than to crawl!  I posted a video the other day of her walking to her Daddy. Boy is she crazy for Daddy.  As soon as she see's him, she gets the biggest smile on her face and she loves to love on him!

Here recently she has been taking only 1 nap a day.  I do kinda miss 2 naps a day but it does make it easier to go out and do things knowing she's already had her nap and she won't need another one.  I also took away her baby sippy cups and she has offically graduated to using the big girl sippy cups with a straw!  I actually bought the straw sippy cups a couple nights ago and gave it to her when she woke up the next morning  and she knew exactly what to do with it.  I guess you can say her Daddy taught her how to use the straw because he got her hooked on Smoothie King smoothies!! 

This week we will be finishing up all her baby formula so she will no longer be getting any more bottles!  It's going to be kinda weird since we're on a feeding schedule and I'm so used to making one. I don't think she will even notice though.  Occasionally I will forget to give her a bottle and she doesn't care. I hear alot of babies don't handle the "no more bottles" too good but I don't think we will have a problem!

Anyway,  if I don't update before her birthday, I will definitely update again after!  Don't forget to RSVP for her party this weekend!!   And of course check out her birthday pictures that I'll post on Facebook probably after her party, or on Sunday.  I have put so much time in making her birthday banners, her 1 year picture banner and signs and I can't wait for you all to see!

Love,

The McDaniels

My Money Saving Target Trip

I have spent 2 days researching online how I can use my coupons I get every Sunday to get free stuff!  Well I found answers. Here's the thing... this weeks items I could get for free were things I can actually use which of course is great!  But, I know in the future I will run across free items that I would never want nor use but will just want to get them because well... I already said it... it's FREE!  So I'm thinking if it does come to the point where I find myself getting things I don't need, I think I may donate to the Women's shelter or someone else who can use it. I will NOT be a hoarder!! lol. And even if I wanted to be, I really have no room for it!  Anyway, it's a wonderful feeling going into a store and not having to pay for it and it not be called stealing. (of course I would never do that, but I'm just saying.)

So today I bought 2 packs of Pampers diapers. I had to do my math so I could be sure I was getting the best deal.  Normally I would buy the larger pack for $29.99.  The smaller box was on sale for $18.99 and if you bought 2 you got a $5 Target Gift Card.  Doing the math, I was paying less per diaper for the 2 smaller boxes so that's what I ended up getting. Therefore, I got $5 off the diapers, I used a $5 manf. coupon and a $5 Target coupon.  I almost got one box of diapers for free!

I also bought Haley a toothbrush and toothpaste since she is about to get a tooth...yes a tooth... in.  The toothbrush costs $1.84 and I had 2/$1 coupons so in that case they actually owed me money!  The toothpaste I got for free since I had the same situation, 2/$1 coupons. 

I also bought Trey some bodywash (BOGO free) which saved me $4.  I only paid $1 something for my deodorant which is normally over $4.  There was also Scotch scissors that were on sale for $1.49 and got them for $0.49 with my $1 off coupon! 

My favorite deal of all, although I love getting the extremely discounted and free stuff, was Haley's formula.  I bought her last container of formula today for $11. It is normally $21 but I had a manf. coupon for $5 and a Target coupon for $5. 

In conclusion I spent $64.48 and saved $51.57.  That is almost but not quite 50% savings!  I also had some coupons for more free items that I could have used but they were all out of stock.  My lesson learned is that I need to go get the free stuff on Sunday or Monday because those crazy couponers will take it all!

It makes me so happy saving all that money!  If you have any questions please ask :)  I'd love to share my couponing secrets haha

Our Adventurous Tuesday!

Today has been an adventure!  Last night about 8pm Haley had a fever so we gave her some Tylenol and put her to bed.  Normally in the morning she wakes me up by talking really loud... well this morning I woke up at 10:30am and it was quiet as could be.  I looked at the monitor and Haley was just laying in her crib.  I went to her room and she didn't jump up like she normally does with her big smile... she just laid there looking at me.  I picked her up and changed her diaper, and sat her down in the living room where she normally crawls around and plays with her toys.  Well this morning she just laid down on the floor with her head down.  I knew she didn't feel good :(

I called the doctor and Haley's usual doctor wasn't in. So I took her to see another doctor there at Hometown Pediatrics.  She now weighs 21 lbs. 5oz!  Dr. Wright checked her out and said she has an ear infection and almost another one.  She also still has a sinus infection.  She's technically been sick since March! And the  Amoxicillan that was last prescribed did nothing for her!  Today he prescribed her Suprax which normally costs around $150! Luckily, Dr. Wright gave me a paper so we only had to pay $25!!  The antibiotic will clear up her ear infection and sinus infection.  Dr. Wright seemed pretty confident that this time the medicine will work!  While I was there I actually switched to use him from now on. I like him alot better than Dr. John.

After the doctor we went to Walmart to get the prescription filled. Normally when I drop off a prescription I get a text on my phone when it's ready. Well an hour and a half later I got tired of waiting for the text and went up there to see what was taking so long.  The lady said "well we didn't fill it because the medicine costs $150 and you should probably call your pediatrician and ask for a cheaper medicine."  I couldn't believe it... one... I gave the lady the coupon for it to be $25... second... even if I didn't have a coupon... how can they just assume it's too expensive for me??  And during all this... Haley now has a fever back and is super fussy.  I told the lady that I dropped off the coupon when I dropped off the prescription and it's ridiculous that they didn't even try to contact me about my prescription if they felt it might be a problem!!! I was furious!  She found the coupon and put a rush on the fill and then apologized! How frustrating!!

Before all that drama I decided while I was waiting on the prescription I would use some of my coupons and see what stuff I could get for free. I saw that Nivea bodywash was marked down for $3 this week at Walmart, and guess what?  I had a coupon for $3 off! They were all out of the men's bodywash but I was able to get the women's bodywash for FREE! The lady scanned the coupon, the total went to $0.00 and I was on my way!

So that is how our day went and I'm absolutely exhausted! 

I will update again soon!

 P.S. 18 more days until Haley's 1st birthday.  I got her birthday outfit in and it is so cute!! Don't forget to RSVP!