MelissaStuff

I think one day I will put these kinds of beds in my boys room so they can all have plenty of room and still learn to share.  

Just wanted to make sure you knew this deal was about to expire, so you need to get in on it while you can: Pay $7 for a $15 Ebay gift card. If you are a first time Groupon buyer, use this link to register!

It’s back! Kids bowl FREE . It's simple to get registered... First  - Visit https://www.kidsbowlfree.com/center.php?alley_id=4254 Then - Create A User Name & Password and complete the registration process

At some point in my life, I might have been known as a tease. I still don’t think I truly understand why people thought that, but that’s not important at this point in life anyway. I am trying to tease right now. There is a fun event coming up. It is both real life and blog related. I received a giant package in the mail yesterday pertaining to this event. That’s all I’m going to say for now.

  Glad this deal is back. I missed it a while back, but if you live anywhere near McKinney – you need to get this deal from Juice in the City . You can get $20 worth of food at Con Queso for $10 !! My hubby loves Mexican and we eat it a lot. I’ve hear Con Queso is really good and this makes it even more worth going.

  Every summer, our group of friends goes to one of these places and while as a mom, I’m more of a germaphobe, my kids LOVE it. Today only, you can get a set of two tickets for $8 . If you are a new customer and you use the code JUMP, you’ll get an additional $2 off, making it $6 for two tickets or $3 each ! This is a great price so if you are looking for something fun to take your kids to when its 400 degrees outside, you should get a couple of these tickets now and save them. For your sanity. Really.

To be honest, I don’t even know what the definition of “clean living” is technically. Growing up I’m pretty sure I would have said it had something to do with not drinking, not smoking, not cussing, not dancing and not hanging out with anyone who did . . . umm, but I’m also pretty sure that was WAY off the mark, even from a biblical perspective. Today, clean living has come to stand for a lifestyle that includes eating fresh (and frequently raw) fruits and vegetables as much as possible and eating the “cleanest” of meats. I recently was introduced to the Best of Clean Eating Cookbook , and although it was all kind of new to me I saw several recipes that looked interesting. Joey and I actually bought the ingredients for one recipe that was a unique version of tuna salad. We cut radishes, onions, cheese, and tomatoes. (It also called for olives which we left off because we don’t like them and green beans and capers that we omitted because we didn’t have them.) Then we boiled some e...

  Zulily has these adorable and fun socks for just $3.99 a pair . That’s more than I typically pay for a pair of children’s socks, but if you are looking for a special pair to match a certain outfit or to make your little one’s day, this is 25% less than retail. The large sets of 7 pairs of socks are $11.99 which is actually much better per pair – only $1.71 for each pair – which is much closer to my ideal price. And they are actually almost 60% off the retail price.

I have been watching the deals at Albertson’s closely the last couple of weeks because I am in charge of using a gift card that was donated to our local Tiny Hopeful Hearts ministry. This ministry provides care baskets for families with babies in the NICU, so I have been looking for snacks, water, gum, etc. Here are some awesome deals I found going on at Albertson’s this week . . . First off, there is a $5/$50 coupon in the Albertson’s ad this week. It states that it is to be used on an order of $50 AFTER all manufacturer and store coupons have been taken off. Then they are running a Buy 10, Save $5 Sale. However, it is only 1 time per transaction so you will need to split your order if you are doing this deal multiple times (which I would whole heartedly recommend!). The following prices are AFTER the $5 price reduction: KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce 17-18 oz. $.79 Use $.50/1 SS 3/13 TOTAL: FREE! Dial Bar Soap 3 pk. 99 cents Use .35/1 RP 3/13 TOTAL: FREE! Kellogg...

I am excited to tell you that Weekly Plus – one of the best deal sites around right now – has signed up to be a sponsor of the MelissaStuff blog! So thrilled because their deals are good . . . good enough that I mentioned them even when they weren’t officially one of my sponsors yet. The $12 Manicure/Pedicure deal I  mentioned the other day is still available. You should not pass on this one. You’ll never get a deal that good anywhere else, and it’s perfect timing since we are literally days away from sandal wearing weather! If you are not local to the DFW area, check out Weekly Plus to see if they are currently offering deals in your area as they are live in Dallas, Phoenix and Denver right now with plans to expand further. One of the nice things about Weekly Plus ’ deals are that they stay available for 7 Days! No longer do you have to be sad that you missed a deal posted here on MelissaStuff because you had a busy day. If it’s a Weekly Plus deal it will stay...

So I think ya’ll are great, and I love hearing from you and chatting about the things that have been posted here at MelissaStuff. But apparently we haven’t gotten past that point in our relationship where you feel comfortable being real with me. Like telling me if I have spinach in my teeth .  . . or you know, if half the buttons on my sidebar aren’t working! I have since resolved these problems, but had to personally stumble over them before I even knew they were problems. I am one of those who would rather hear authentic criticism than stilted silence. Please, tell me. Please.

Pay $7 for a $15 Ebay gift card. This is exciting. Basically it’s like getting $8 FREE on Ebay and it can be applied towards shipping costs as well. I’m planning to use it to buy clothes for my trip that’s coming up! Hope I have some time to shop later today. If you are a first time Groupon buyer, use this link to register!

  Right now on Eversave , you can get this Little Tikes golf set for just $12 and this Ride-On Scooter for just $20. If you are a first time buyer from Eversave , you will get a $5 credit. After the credit, the golf set will only cost $7 and the scooter just $15 .

  For those of you in the process of adopting and for those of you that think you could never afford it, check out this article - Everything You Want to Know and More about the Adoption Tax Credit by Jason Kovacs

  BuyWithMe is offering 4 AMC Theater tickets for just $24! You can use these at any theater and the tickets don’t expire so you’ll have plenty of time to use them. If you go to the movies at all, you need to take advantage of this deal .

At four local Picture People locations, you can get an entire photo package for just $18 . Package includes One In-Studio Photo Shoot with Free Enhancement and Six Photo Sheets: One 10x13, One 8x10, Two 5x7s, Five 4x6s, and 16 Wallets. Considering doing this for my boy who is going to be one in a couple of weeks! But I have to make up my mind fast, the deal ends today.

It’s time for summer and sandals. If you’re anything like me, your feet need some serious pampering! What an incredible deal – get 80% off and only pay $12 for a manicure and Pedicure at MinxMe Bridgette in Plano. Weekly Plus is a great new deal site and I’m sure I’ll be bringing you more about them soon. This deal is available until Sunday night. You don't want to pass on this one because you won't be able to find a better offer before summer arrives full force!

This story tears my heart out, and so I have to share. There isn’t anything that can be done through our donations for this little boy, but your prayers can make a difference! "Please feel free to share the following on your blogs. It is a summary of our adoption journey so far. Please help us spread the word. We are hoping somehow someone will be able to help us. Two years ago Greg and I began praying for God to do whatever he wanted with our lives. We handed him a “blank check” so to speak, and told him to cash it. He opened our eyes to children with disabilities wasting away across the ocean in Eastern Europe. We joined God and started our adoption journey. Our family is more than equipped to handle a child with special needs. I have a degree in Early Childhood Education. I am a member of the Board of Directors of Best Buddies of Alabama. I have volunteered for RISE and Eagles’ Wings. All of these organizations serve individuals with special needs. My husband I ...

After getting out of the car this morning at church and facing a foggy day . . . "It sure looks like it's going to forecast." - Riley On the way home from church - Colt said, "Did you know that little people can do big things? They just need a rock and a sling!"

I have kind of a confession to make – before I had Weston (almost a year ago) I frequently shopped at Target and got incredible deals. It was a regular part of my routine along with the grocery store and CVS. However, after I added a third child to the mess mix, I just stopped going anywhere unless it was at night or on the weekend. As you can imagine that cut down on my shopping time quite severely and I just stopped going to Target completely, except for the random purchase of a single full price item out of necessity. Recently I received a gift card to Target and since there is a cruise on the horizon and this Momma has nothing appropriate that fits to wear, I ventured out to Target today with all three of the munchkins along. Are you ready? They were AWESOME! And I found some great deals . . . but no clothes. I wasn’t good enough to pull that off. Guess that will have to be a solo trip some other time. Here’s what I found: 1. Meat – lots of good cuts of meat ...

Target ’s Deal of the Day today is a pair of Mossimo Supply Co. Juniors Denim for $7 when you use the code TGTMQS6U at checkout. The deal of the day always ships FREE! But hurry because this deal won’t last long. (Thanks Hip2Save !)

I know my posts have been a bit sporadic this week. That’s what happens when your best friend decides to redecorate – and effectively remodel – her house in one week. And then recruits you and your husband to come help her get it all done. Then on top of that it’s the week of the big consignment sale I participate in (Sweet Repeats) and I’ve been trying to get all my loose ends tied up there. Basically I haven’t had ANY free time. But soon there are exciting things for me and for the blog. In just a couple of weeks, my SIL and I are taking off for a fun girls adventure to Phoenix where we are attending our first blogger conference. Then immediately following that we will be having Weston’s 1st birthday! I can’t believe it’s been that long already. I miss my little chubby baby, but he’s growing into a really awesome little boy. In conjunction with that, I will be sharing all the great companies that are partnering with us to make his birthday extra special. If you are planning...

Another FREEbie from Amazon ’s new App store – World Series of Poker ($4.99 value)! Today only, download this app for FR EE and get your gambling fix without emptying your pockets.

  Playin’ Around Town is a great site that offers local entertainment for FREE! This isn’t just come play at the park with us today, but instead provides real value by allowing your children to do things for FREE that you would normally have to pay for. The next event is Bounce U in Plano on April 11th. You can register and attend completely FREE of charge. Just make sure you fill out the survey they send via email within 7 days in order to continue receiving invitations to these events.

Now that I’ve gotten all that serious stuff off my chest, let’s get some good deals. Here is a FREE version of Angry Birds for your Android phone. I’ve had mine for about a month and I LOVE it. It is quickly becoming my I can’t live without it item!   Download now! I don’t know how long this will be available.

You are all probably too busy to notice, but I’ve been absent for almost 48 hours now. There is a good reason. See, I hide from blogging when I have too much going on inside to trust myself to type words on a page without spilling my guts. But then I felt guilty standing ya’ll up two days in a row, and I figured my best alternative was to just spill it and move on. Ever since we went to Africa in 2009, the decisions Joey and I have made for our family have been different. From time to time Joey would mention picking up and moving there. I would brush him off and go on. Finally I had to face the issue and have that conversation seriously. In the end, I don’t think we will be moving to Africa . . . at least, not just yet. But Joey is looking to make a vocational change to something more ministry minded. We have been praying and weighing our options. Nothing is definitive yet, but it does look as if we will eventually be moving to a support-based financial system. What that means ...

This $2/1 Silk coupon will make for FREE milk when a sale comes around. Just go to the Silk Challenge website and take their survey to get a $2 coupon. I was able to print the coupon twice.

  In our house, we have football withdrawal during the off-season, so I was thrilled to see that the local Allen Event Center has just kicked-off its first indoor arena football season. The Wranglers bring football up close and personal. With Drew Pearson as their general manager, they also draw us closer to the big name football team in town. On April 8th, Roger Staubach will also be attending the Wranglers game and will be participating in pre-game activities and signing autographs. So I was thrilled to find tickets 50% off , right now. These vouchers are good for one ticket to any homegame before April of 2012.   You can get a seat in the dark blue area for just $15.75 ! That’s a great deal. I know my family will be attending at least one game, and I’ll be honest – I can’t wait! Vouchers are on sale until they are sold out or until April 9.

  If you walked into my house or into my life, you would not necessarily think “Country” . . . more like “Funky” or “Eclectic” or “Not Decorated!” But I LOVE Texas. I love the South. I love the culture and traditions of the people who live here. (And I even like the music.) So, I grabbed my Country Living subscription first thing this morning – on my phone at church! Sh!! – when I saw this deal. Two year subscription to Country Living – $12

Okay, so roll your eyes and call me cheesy, but I can’t resist – this weekend was HOP ping in our house. Amidst the craziness of the garage sale, our crew also went to a special screening of the new Easter movie, Hop ! What a great family movie! The entire group loved it . . . which means a lot, since some of us adults {ahem} are a little leary of children’s movies, especially if they feature animation. However, this movie also has real people. Some good looking real people – like James Marsden. There’s also this cute little critter: You’ll love this fun Easter story about an out-of-work deadbeat (James Marsden) who has to nurse the Easter Bunny back to health after accidentally injuring him. I could continue on, but really the kids opinions are the most important. Riley my newly turned five-year-old said, “It was good, Mom. A chick turned into a bunny!” Of course it did, that sounds just right for an Easter movie, right? My three year old liked it so well that the firs...

Living Social is running a wonderful deal just until around 11 a.m. this morning. Donate $5 to the Red Cross in order to help them provide relief to the Japan Tsunami victims and they will double your money! You can’t lose. Take advantage of this opportunity to help someone else with the room you’ve made in your budget by getting GREAT deals.

Enjoy FREE shipping, today only at Disney online! Make sure you enter the code LUCKY at checkout.

Great deal from Snapfish . Get 100 prints for just $5 Shipped. Use the code PADDY20 at checkout. Offer expires 3/21/11. Don’t forget!

Check your inbox if you haven’t already and look for an email from the Children’s Place . They sent out mystery discount codes today. I only got 15% but reportedly they can be as high as 50% off your ENTIRE PURCHASE! Wouldn’t that be nice?

This is a compensated post written by me on behalf of Walgreens . All opinions are 100% mine. Most of you are saying, "Duh!" But I still think there is a stigma about not buying the "real" products and a fear that generics are inferior. Recently I was given the opportunity to try one of Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products . They sent me their face wash which is comparable to Neutrogena's face wash. In fact, besides the label you would never know the difference between these products. I've used Neutrogena's face wash for years, and if the two products were side by side without labels I wouldn't be able to tell them apart. The face wash gently removes all makeup and dirt while leaving your face feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. There is no reason to pay full price for products when you can get the same quality for less. If I don't have a coupon, I buy the generic brand every time. It...

Earlier this week, I introduced you to Juice in the City . They have another GREAT deal today.   You can get $40 worth of adorable children’s decorations and furniture for just $20! This shop is conveniently located in the Shops at Fairview where I know many of you frequent. From what I’ve seen, they have awesome stuff. Take advantage of this deal and let me know what you find.

Hurry and grab this deal before it’s gone. Fandango and Beget have partnered together to offer you a FREE Fandango movie ticket for registering your email address with Beget. Beget is the latest daily deal site. You never know what great deals you will get or what special promos they will offer as they try to get up and running, so I would recommend signing up for these kinds of sites whenever they make it worth your while. (A FREE movie ticket in our house is well worth it.) You can always turn off the emails if you find they don’t offer you anything of value down the road. Enjoy! (This deal is for Texas residents ONLY, currently.)

Wouldn’t it be great if you could get a Groupon deal and just bring Matthew on home? I would special order him just for my sister! Of course, knowing her, she might just find something wrong with him once he was there. But still, I’m sure I could find somewhere to put him! Technically, this Groupon deal is on Mr. McConaughey’s latest movie – The Lincoln Lawyer . You can get tickets to see it for just $6 each and they are good for the next three weeks at any theater that uses Fandango ticketing. (Which is most of them, by the way.) I’m going to jump on this. If my hubby doesn’t see it with me, my sister-in-law will when we go on our girls trip here in a couple of weeks. Get yours too ! If you’re new to Groupon , sign up first and then come back here and click on the link below or navigate to the Eugene, OR list of deals. Groupon returning customers can use this link.

My hubby thinks I’m great and always tells people that I can find them a good deal. At which point I roll my eyes and ask him exactly what I’m supposed to be looking for. Today’s request was discounts for Sea World – and the people are going on Thursday! Luckily, I had researched the same topic last summer when we went and had a good idea of where to start. The best part? Thursday is St. Patrick’s Day and in honor of that Sea World San Antonio is offering $17 each ticket if you wear green! That’s a really good deal. If you don’t happen to be going to Sea World this Thursday, you can still take advantage of the $10 off coupon they have available, good through January 2012!

If you’re wondering why I haven’t posted many deals in the last couple of days, its because I am busy trying to enter all of my resale items for the Sweet Repeats consignment sale that is coming up a week from Saturday. Oh, and I’m getting ready for a garage sale this weekend. AND it’s spring break and all of my kids are here with me ALL day, EVERY day! So, don’t wonder. The deals will be back.

Can’t tell you how excited I am. Lots of fun to be had . . . and FREE $$ (in gift card form) to be given away. Come join us, you’ve got about 45 minutes to get the kids handed over to their daddies, a drink and a snack – in fact, I think popcorn and a coke sound appropriate – and settle into a comfy chair in front of your computer. See you there in just a few!

In celebration of the Redbox Lucky to Have Friends Like You Promotion and blogging program, we are hosting a fun Twitter Party on Tuesday, March 15. We hope you can join us as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and talk about what makes you feel lucky, your favorite movies and more. You’ll be entered for a chance to win great prizes just by participating during the party. Don’t miss out on the fun! Date : Tuesday, March 15, 2011 Time : 4-5pm PST (7-8 EST) Hashtag : #redboxluck Prizes! We will be giving away twenty - $25 Walmart gift cards to random winners! 10 prizes will be awarded to participants tweeting an invitation to their followers before the party using the #redboxluck hashtag, and 10 will be awarded to participants tweeting with the #redboxluck hashtag during the party! Please see official rules. Random drawing winners will be notified within 24 hours of the event via DM. Please make sure you are following @socialmoms so they can notify you! Go RSVP and make sur...

Looking for a unique and inexpensive photo gift? Right now, you can get 50% off and free shipping on Photo Plates from SeeHere when you use coupon code plates-17 at checkout. Login or sign up for SeeHere Create a photo plate and save it. Prices start as low as $11.99. Use coupon code plates-17 at checkout and you’ll get 50% off plus free shipping. Great Mother’s Day gifts!

I was privileged to receive an advance copy of of Plain Wisdom by Cindy Woodsmall . I like Cindy’s writing and have ready many – in fact, probably most of her fiction – however, this book is not fiction. It is a dual commentary on life by Cindy and her good “Plain” friend Miriam. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and the vignettes that both ladies have shared about their lives. But I have to say my favorite part is probably the recipes that are sprinkled throughout. I can not wait to try them out! (But first I have to get off this diet and fit attractively into a swimsuit!) Plain Wisdom   is now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle versions. It’s an easy, comfortable read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the simple things in life . . . or wants to enjoy them a little more.

I went to bed with a heavy heart last night. Even my dreams were weighted with the struggles my heart had been engaged in when I drifted off. I’m not even sure I could effectively put into words this morning what burdens me and why. It’s loving people. And hurting for them. It’s seeing potential. And hating to see it wasted. It’s running full force into the brokenness of this world. And aching to see redemption instead. It’s wanting to fix it in my own strength. And knowing that’s not what I’m called to do. When I woke up this morning, this post from (in)courage was in my inbox. I am reposting it here because this is the cry of my heart today: Don’t look at me. Or if you do, don’t see me. Let me rise, invisible before your eyes. Let me be just vapor, just wind. Let me be but a breath of silence. A whisper. Insignificant. When you look at me, see Him. When the work of my hands is kindness, it is His work. When the soul I carry meets with yours, overlaps...

Got your attention, huh? That gets my attention to. Ha! I’m super excited to tell you that I have been asked to host a Redbox Twitter party tomorrow afternoon! We will be chatting about Redbox and St. Patty’s Day  . . . if you’re feeling lucky, you might even have a chance to win one of the great giveaways. (Hint: They are some form of FREE money!) Keep your eye out today, I will be posting an RSVP link for the Twitter party. You want to RSVP so you are entered to win extra giveaways, and then show up for the party so you’ll be entered again! So, here are the details as I know them: Redbox Twitter Party #redboxlucky Tuesday, March 15 4-5 p.m. PST (PLEASE make sure you adjust this to your local time zone)

  I’m excited to announce a new partnership between MelissaStuff and Juice in the City daily deal site! This new relationship means I will be bringing you some very special deals – and there may be a chance to win some free JuiceBucks soon. Personally, I find that Juice in the City stands out from other daily deal sites because they purposely choose to highlight local businesses. In the DFW area, they’ve even broken down “local” to several different counties so that you can be sure the deal you are interested in will be in relative proximity to where you are located. I love this because too many times I’ve gotten excited about a deal only to find that it is 50 miles from where I am even though we are both still considered “Dallas”. Today’s Collin County deal is Transfer your Home Videos to DVD for just $10 ! I can’t wait to try it out because I have a bunch of video that needs to be transferred. In fact, I’ve tried doing some of it myself but it is time consuming and ev...

I have shared Nutty Guys deals before, but this deal is the best yet.   Get $20 worth of organic nuts (or dried fruit) for $8! Use the code SHARE to get an additional $1 off and get the deal for $7 . Or if you are new to Eversave , you will get $2 off your first deal and you can get them for $6 .

  Usually retailing for around $100, the Little Tikes 3-in-1 Trike is a popular toy with kids ages 9 months to 3 years. The five point harness and wrap around support is great for the little one who doesn’t want to be “trapped” in a stroller, but isn’t quite ready to take off on his own. Then as the child grows, the trike grows with them. Ultimately, they are able to pedal the trike themselves and have no need for the harness and additional support. I’ve found it’s hard to find Little Tikes toys on sale. The only place to find a reasonable discount is a garage sale or second hand store, and you don’t usually want to give a gift that’s already been used. If that’s the boat you’re in, you should take advantage of this deal and get the trike while it is on sale for $64.99 which includes FREE shipping .

Recently, I found myself in need of a new phone . . . and desiring a Smart Phone. I was afraid that it was out of my price range as not too long I was quoted $700 for a new Smartphone and approximately $120 for unlimited minutes, texts and a limited amount of data! That wasn’t going to cut it in our house. Not only would I never spend $700 on a phone, I will probably use the data on my phone more than I talk on my phone . . . so limited data is setting myself up to FAIL. So I did what I always do and started researching. I found, as always, I could get a significant discount on the phone if I signed up for a contract. Then I started searching for THE BEST deal. Here is what I found . . . Amazon Wireless had an offer where I could get this Evo 4G – the latest version advertised on all the commercials right now – for just $99. That was $100 less than anywhere else! And the best part is that the phone was offered with a Sprint contract . Sprint offers a plan where you have unli...

Welcome! to any of you who found MelissaStuff through the feature over at Giveaways 4 Mommy . We are excited to have you this beautiful Sunday morning. Feel free to look around. There’s lots to see. My giveaways are always posted at the top of the page. You can find a list of stores and the deals that have been posted for those stores on the left side of the blog towards the bottom, and you can find multiple ways to follow MelissaStuff and continue to find great deals up on the title bar to the right. With everything that’s going on around us, there are many places where you can find a worthy cause worth making room for in your own budget!

Picaboo is offering new customers a FREE large classic photo book. With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day just around the corner, this is a great time to take advantage of this deal. Use the code FREECC at checkout. Deal good until 3/22.