MelissaStuff

$25 for $50 at Simply Fondue Note that these can not be used the week of Valentine's, but you can avoid the crowds and go before or after . . . who says you have to celebrate Valentine's on the 14th?!?!

Not too long ago, I posted about my experiences with SaveMore and some others more recent experiences with them. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what occurred on their end, but they are no longer responding to email or phone call requests. I personally have two deals that I am unable to redeem. I'm sorry that I have recommended a sit that has proved to be unreliable in the long run. I would not advise making any further purchases from them. In addition, if you have some vouchers that have not been usable, I would advise you to contest them on your credit card since it doesn't appear you will get anywhere with them directly. Again, I'm sorry for any troubles this may cause.

I know it's been a while since Chris Daughtry was on American Idol, but he is still one of my favorite artists ever from that show. Right now, you can get his latest album - Break the Spell - downloaded from Amazon for just $3.99!

Doesn't that sound great? Unfortunately, it can't be 50% off on everything in Canton, but there is an awesome deal that gives you half off a $50 purchase at the Paul Michael Company . $25 for $50 at the Paul Michael Company Paul Michael has two locations - one in Louisiana and the other in Canton. This voucher is good at both.

Great deals to be had at Shutterfly  right now - $10 off a $10 purchase with the code HAIR10 . And a big sale with up to 50% off some of their fun photo gifts. In addition, FREE shipping with purchases over $30.

Teachers are pretty cool people, and SeaWorld must think so too because they are offering teachers a FREE season pass that is good through January of 2013. Just go here and get your pass, then take it to the park for FREE entrance.

Use the code BREAKROOM and get a FREE Redbox rental .  You won't be able to use this to reserve a movie at home. You'll have to actually go to the Redbox kiosk and rent it there in order to use it.

I just rented a FREE movie for my boys to watch while we are home tomorrow - yay, me!! I'll have extra time to get work done and they'll love it. (I chose How to Train a Dragon because they haven't seen it and I heard it's a great movie.) You can get a FREE Blockbuster Express movie too, but you'll have to hurry. This code is only good through tonight. Use LOVE2RENT at checkout online or at the kiosk and you'll get one movie FREE. Thanks,  MyDFWMommy!

This is a fun deal. Get a FREE bottle of cinnamon right now from The Prepared Pantry . You just pay $2.99 in shipping. I am so sorry - I originally forgot to post the code you need to use to get it for FREE -  FreeCinn125 - Enjoy!

Seriously, I feel like I have to begin every post with an apology. I am not a computer expert and this migration thing has been a challenge. I'm still hacking away so soon hopefully it will be back to normal. There is an awesome deal of mine over at Plum District today - $15 for a Dozen Valentine Cupcakes Now if you don't care about the quality of your cupcakes, you can probably beat this price on the clearance rack at the local grocery store. But they likely won't be decorated in Valentine's colors. It's possible they'll be stale or at least a bit dried out (that's why they made it to the clearance rack!) And generally they just don't taste very good. The deal is good through 2/18 so if you don't need cupcakes for Valentine's, but have to bring snack for the team or have a birthday to celebrate this is the way to do it! This company - RedRaspberry Cakes - is actually a company run by someone I know. A friend of a friend who I see fr

Ugh, this has taken so much longer than I wanted it to. Bleh! But I think we are getting close to having a solution. The counter reads 72 hours before the program completes its run, however, so that means it will be about that long before MelissaStuff can get back into the regular swing of things. Thank you so much for sticking with us through this. I promise the deals will be back and normal before you know it!

Ruelala is offering 30 days of FREE shipping right now. I used them fairly extensively over the holidays to purchase gifts . . . and every single one of those gifts was bragged and bragged on. With FREE shipping , this is definitely the time to try out a purchase from RueLaLa !

Just got my latest order from Scrapdazzle in the mail! I'm always thrilled when I see their packages show up in my mail. I get such good deals using these discounted vouchers. I paid $20 for the last voucher and got two tape runners, four refills, 2 rolls of double sided scrapbook tape, 4 sheets of adhesive tabs, 1 double sided super sticky tape, and 4 sheets of adhesive dots. On top of that I got 4 acid-free markers, two nice page toppers, and a reusable Scrapdazzle bag! Today, you can get $ 40 in scrapbook/craft products for just $18 - then use the code FABULOUS at checkout to get an additional 10% off and pay only $16.20! Spend an additional $10 on the Scrapdazzle website instead of paying for shipping because all purchases of $50 or more qualify for FREE shipping.

If you have pictures to print, now is the time. > Get 99 images for just $.99 plus shipping!

I just grabbed one of these Crane Nursery Humidifiers for $17.99 + tax shipped . We currently have three coughing, hacking, snuffly kids and only one humidifier. Even the cheap, generic humidifiers usually cost more than this . . . and these cute humidifiers are normally $39.99! This is a Target daily deal , so it ships for FREE. Use the code TGTHTT5Z at checkout to get an additional 10% off, as well.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark . All opinions are 100% mine. I have to confess (seems I'm confessing a lot lately ) that insurance companies, doctors and all the headaches that come along with them generally frustrate me. The latest issue is the whole deal with  Walgreens and Express Script . Recently there has been a big buzz about the fact that Express Scripts let their contract with Walgreens expire because Walgreens wouldn't agree to accept less money for per prescription or let them dictate which drugs were generic and which were name brand. I have to admit that if I was Walgreens I wouldn't want to do that either. If they weren't asking to raise the prices, I don't understand why Express Script thought it was justified in trying to lower the rate they currently pay. They weren't passing those savings on to their customers, so it was just lining their pockets, apparently. Th

Okay, so when I visited my own blog today to look something up and realized I hadn't posted anything since January 12, I knew it was probably time to share what is going on from my side of things. My work with Plum District has gone very well. I love it. I have a great team and a wonderful group of marketing contacts that have made the first couple of months a breeze for me. Splitting my time and energy obviously caused me to limit my posts to only the truly BEST deals and of course the worthy causes. Then for my birthday (and because the new job has boosted our spending money a bit), my husband decided I should buy a MacBook Pro. GREAT! I'm hard on computers and generally wear them out in less than 18 months. Apple is supposed to have a sturdier product that doesn't fall prey to the viruses and the memory suck, etc. I like my Mac. There are some things that are so much simpler and so far everything seems to be functioning correctly. However, I can not use the blog

Kohl's is clearancing all of its holiday decor and supplies online. Everything is shipped for $.99 an item. If you shop through Shop at Home or Ebates you will get $5 for making your first qualifying purchase and an additional percentage cash back on your order.

Coupon Networks first ever Twitter party is today at noon CST. Go here - http://blog.couponnetwork.com/frugalresolutions-twitter-party/ - to get in on all the action. Get great frugal tips and possibly win some fun giveaways. Hope to see you there.

Using my voucher from the recent Jump, Jive and Wail deal on Plum District. If you weren't able to get in on it, we'll probably run again in the not too distant future! And I'll share the finished product later this afternoon.

Got a great insider tip today that toys are MEGA clearanced at Target. They'll go fast so run over now! I wish I could join you but I'm swamped with meetings and appointments today so find some bargains for me and come back and tell me what you found.

Did you even know they made this? Kind of cool . . . I can think of lots of uses!

My aunt is a connoisseur of awesome old items . . . and sometimes she'll even part with a few of them. If you're interested in items like these: You can get 5 0% off at the Vintage 2010 - Lady MoMo Etsy store when you mention the MelissaStuff blog !

Remember the little boy I shared with you last week? Valentin ? He was doing fairly well and then he was moved to the laying room where he has seriously regressed in the last year. But now - NOW he has a family ! I love that God isn't combined by countries or languages or disabilities. He puts families together exactly the way He wants them. Thank you, Jesus!

Great deal on this Crayola Glow Explosion Spin Magic - just $6.94 . You can get it shipped FREE too if you buy a minimum of $25 worth of items.

I'm so glad this deal is back. My little one loved, loved, loved this art class. Getting this quality art class for $15 is a bargain. Even if you bought this deal the last time, you can buy it again . . . and now that you know how awesome it is, you can invite your kid's friends, as well. If you are a returning Plum District customer you can use this link and help support the MelissaStuff blog.

Glad I heard about this . . . all of the people in my family are big fans of hats. And nice hats are not cheap, except for when you find a DEAL! Right now there are hundreds of hats clearanced at Lids online for just $5. You can sort by sports team to make it easier to see the ones you like. Shipping is a flat rate of $4.99 or you can have it delivered to a store near you for no charge. If you want to make this an even better deal you can go through Ebates . Sign up and you'll get a $10 gift card of your choice (I chose Target) when you make your first purchase of at least $25. And when you buy from Lids through Ebates right now, you'll also get 6% cash back.

Our local Targets are  clearancing ...check yours!

Bath and Body Works is having a 75% off sale on some of their items. Additionally, there is a coupon for $10 off $30.

Photo Credit: Totally Target I am hearing reports there are Targets that have gone to 90% off. Check yours and let me know. I haven't been able to make it over to our Target yet. I did make it to Mardel and it was 90% off. They didn't have a lot of stuff left, but I did pick up a few things. CVS stores are clearancing out at different times. I hit one that had everything Christmas at 75% off already - they had a BUNCH of toys, so I picked up a couple of those. But since then I've been in 2 or 3 more CVSes and they were all at 50% still. Just keep an eye out and you'll eventually hit some great deals. Let me know what you find. I have a huge stock, but I would love to pick up some extra bows, adhesive, boxes, maybe some gift tags. I'll let you know if I find anything else.

I have one boy who is a FANATIC about anything that involves color, art, paint, etc. He would have a cow with this item. Normally $29.99, the Crayola Glow Explosion Spin Magic is just $6.61 right now and with a $25 purchase it qualifies to ship for FREE!

You may know that Target has been having toys up to 75% off in their stores, but this is the first time I've seen them do a similar online toy clearance . Check it out now and see if there is anything worth buying and keeping for the next birthday or holiday celebration.

I really don't want you to miss out on this deal. I LOVE ScoreBig because we are such a sports oriented family, and I truly don't ever want to buy tickets again without using ScoreBig. You can get $ 40 to use towards a variety of professional sporting events, concerts, comedy shows and even the circus . . . all for just $9.90 . Use the code FABULOUS at checkout. If you are a returning Plum District customer please use this link which helps support the MelissaStuff blog.

The CouponNetwork Advisory Board is teaming up to bring you a Twitter party. Join us on Thursday, January 12 2012 at Noon CST as we discuss Frugal Living Strategies for the New Year by providing some #frugalresolutions via Twitter. Get started by following us: Rob Birgfeld (@couponnetwork) from Smart Living Blog Melissa Carlisle (@MelStuffBlog) from MelissaStuff.com Amy Edmiston (@SavingWithAmy) from SavingwithAmy.com Jasmine Idely (@DealiciousFinds) from DealiciousFinds.com Jenny Martin (@SouthernSavers) from SouthernSavers.com If you would like to submit a question to be discussed during the Twitter party, please send it to rob(dot)birgfeld(at)catalinamarketing.com. Prizes! We are giving away 10 - $10 gift cards to our random winners as well some great Coupon Network totes, notebooks and tumblers! 5 prizes will also be awarded to participants tweeting an invitation to their followers before the party using the #frugalresolutions hashtag, and 5 will be awarded to parti

Target has this adorable Fisher Price Baby Bouncer on sale for $17.99 and because it's a Daily Deal it will ship for FREE too. Can't beat that!

You can get incredible deals on the latest, trendiest jewelry when Charming Charlie’s has these kind of sales.

Christmas clearance makes me excited! But being able to buy it from my couch and not have to hope to stumble on the right sale at the right time . . . is wonderful. Right now, Lowe's is offering 75% off their Christmas items. Here's the best way to make this sale work for you: 1. Register or log on to Ebates.com in order to get extra $$ back on this purchase and other purchases later. 2. Go to Lowes.com and shop through the Christmas clearance. 3. Add the items you want to your cart. 4. Choose Pick Up in Store to not have to pay the shipping costs.

Sorry, I know my deals have been few and far between but we've spent so much of the last couple of months focused on buying and getting that I just feel like it's a good time to take a breath and look around at what else is going on. The deals will be back soon, but until then, I need to talk to you about something. The laying room. It's the room where they put children who they don't think can function well enough to have energy expended on stimulating them. It's a horrid place full of hopelessness, decay and neglect. It's the place that they moved this little boy just about one year ago. This is what Valentin looked like just before he went into the laying room. One of the ladies that went to pick up her adoptive son from the same orphanage said he was healthy looking, kind, interactive . . . even gentle with other children. After two months in the room, this is the effect it had on Valentin: And now, this is what Valentin looks like: A family

One of my favorite stores - The Boy's Store - is having a special sale. Get an additional 30% off any purchase when you use the code NewYear at checkout. You can read more about the Boy's Store in the review I wrote last year.

a homeschooling mom. Although, technically, my child is not attending school in my home nor am I teaching him so that's a far cry from what most would think of as homeschooling. We pulled our kindergartener out of the local public elementary at the Christmas break. Having attended private Christian school my entire life with the exception of seventh grade, I was shocked by the lack of academic emphasis in Kindergarten. My boys have all attended multiple years of preschool and to varying degrees I have been pleased to see them learning, growing, doing incredible, fun and educational crafts. And then we started Kindergarten and suddenly it was like Riley was spending more than 7 hours a day in the church nursery (fun, but not educational). Not to mention, he was really struggling with behavior. The last straw came when Riley came home saying he had gone to the assistant principle's office. Assuming it was behavior related, I asked him what he did. He said he didn't kno

I'm in Waco this weekend celebrating a belated Christmas with my husband's family. Today, we sang this song in church as a special:   I would have posted the video of us actually singing, but that would be more of a distraction than anything. (Trust me!) Then the pastor preached a message on some Scriptural suggestions for your New Year's resolutions. His main points were: 1. Establish correct priorities. 2. Ask God for forgiveness for your mistakes. 3. Let go of grudges. 4. Restore relationships. We didn't have a clue that the message would be on those topics when we chose the song to sing. In fact, we actually chose that song because the grandkids LOVE it and know all the words. It was incredible to have three generations singing those words together. It's a reminder to us - a reminder we need. One of the blogs I read posted a recap of her year and where she feels like she is at personally. I was challenged and thought I would share my own ver