Penny Pinching Peach

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Lots of Lovely Giveaways

Great Gobs of Giveaways

Great Gobs of Giveaways

This is my second week of sharing some of the awesome- but less widely publicized- giveaways I find on the wonderful worldwide web. If there is enough interest, I’ll make it a weekly feature. I love entering contests, although I rarely win. By rarely, I mean practically never, ever, ever. In the past couple of weeks, though, I’ve won three awesome giveaways!!! One was a $20 boutique gift card! Another was a giveaway for the After Saga I featured here last week! The other was Christmas Eve and a higher entry giveaway for a huge prize package for our baby valued at over $1,200!! I think this baby in my tummy is my lucky charm, y’all! 😉 The giveaways I share here will not be giveaways with hundreds of thousands of entries, so you actually have a decent chance to win something. Who doesn’t want a chance to win free stuff? 😉

♦  Enter to win a Charm-It bracelet! (Ends 1/6)

http://www.newmommybliss.com/2014/12/stocking-stuffer-sunday-charm-it-giveaway.html

♦ Chance to win a Curious Kid and Clock Playtime app! (Ends 1/6)

http://supermommytotherescue.com/curious-kid-clock-playtime-app-review-giveaway

♦ Enter to win a Lalaloopsy Diaper Surprise or a Little Tikes Big Dog Truck (two winners)! (Ends 1/8)

http://bit.ly/170IhR1

♦ This is a Baby Jak and the Softest Blanket Ever giveaway! (Ends 1/5)

http://mamasmithreviews.blogspot.com/2014/12/baby-jak-and-softest-blanket-ever

♦ Enter for a chance to win a set of Old Factory Candles! (Ends 1/3)

Old Factory Candles Review + Giveaway

Any bloggers or small businesses with current family friendly giveaways are welcome to post links to one or two of those giveaways with a brief description in the comments section. If you have an upcoming giveaway you would like to be featured, please contact me via my Facebook page with details. Check out last week’s post for more giveaways, as a few of those terrific contests are still open for entries, including books, Schwan’s and more: https://pennypinchingpeach.com/2014/12/23/great-giveaways/ With enough interest, this will be a weekly feature here on Penny Pinching Peach, so give a shout if you like this idea and let me know if you entered any contests! Oh, and definitely come back and let me know if you win something, please!!! 🙂


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Merry Firefighter’s Family Christmas!

Santa at the fire department

Santa at the fire department

When you marry someone in public safety, one of the quickest thing you need to learn is flexibility.

Holidays, anniversaries and birthdays may be celebrated on completely different days than they actually fall on, because someone in public safety has shifts that fall when they fall, regardless of the special days they might fall upon, and their services are necessary 365 days a year. If you can’t handle that, don’t marry someone in that field of work. It is the least of my gripes with being married to someone in public safety, honestly, because I wasn’t raised with holidays being a big deal (we didn’t celebrate Christmas at all), but it’s a huge issue for a lot of families.

“Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com”

In my case, my husband is a firefighter paramedic. We often have ornaments like this Firefighters Courage Under Fire Christmas Ornament
on our tree, read our children this kind of book Firefighter’s Night Before Christmas, and you’re likely to get something like this Firemen to the Rescue Christmas Cards from us in the mail. He works 24 hour shifts, often pulling 48s between two different fire departments. This year he won’t be home from a 48 hour shift until probably 10am Christmas Eve, and has to be back early Christmas morning, so those days just don’t work for us to celebrate Christmas on. Our Christmas is officially December 26, when he actually can get home early enough to enjoy the sleepy eyed wonderment of our munchkins.

So….today is Christmas in this firefighter household. Merry Christmas and God bless from our family to yours, especially those who are also shifting those holidays around for similar reasons! Any other firefighter families out there?

Need gift ideas for your active guy? Look at my budget friendly gifts for active men!


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Great Gobs of Giveaways!!!

Great Gobs of Giveaways

Great Gobs of Giveaways

I have decided to start sharing some of the awesome- but less widely publicized- giveaways I find on the wonderful worldwide web. If there is enough interest, I’ll make it a weekly feature. I love entering contests, although I rarely win. These will not be giveaways with hundreds of thousands of entries, so you actually have a decent chance to win something. Who doesn’t want a chance to win free stuff? 😉

♥ You could win an ESV Bible, Steady Days~Jamie C Martin, a 2015 planner and Say Goodbye to Survival Mode! Perfect mommy prize pack. (Ends Dec. 28.)

http://survivingtoddlerhood.com/2014/12/17/a-few-of-my-favorite-books-its-a-giveaway/

♥ This giveaway is for an Eartheasy.com SunTurtle Solar Lamp. Great prize for camper, preppers or anyone, really. (Ends Dec. 30.)

http://theresasreviews.com/eartheasy-sunturtle-solar-lamp-review/

♥ Enter for a chance win a $50 gift card to Family Christian. Definitely something any of the Christians among us (or those who aren’t and are friends/family with Christians) would love to win! (Ends Dec. 26.)

http://gatheringgrain.com/the-baker-illustrated-bible-handbook/#comment-3351

♥  Here is yummy giveaway for a $50 Schwan’s gift card. Everybody eats, y’all! 😉 (Ends Jan. 3.)

http://www.carissashaw.com/2014/12/a-yummy-giveaway-with-schwans-foods.html

♥ Enter to try to win a Simply Great Taste Prize Pack, which is described as including: 5 Simply Juice Drink Coupons, 1 Glass Juice Carafe, 1 Set of Essential Highball Glassware, and a $50 American Express Gift Card. Lots to make anyone happy! (Ends 1/1)

Cake Mix Donuts and NEW Simply Juice Drinks!

♥ Win books 1 and 2 of the After Saga by Anna Todd. Like to read? Go, go, go!! (Ends 12/27)

http://halfwayhomemaker.com/saga-anna-todd-plus-giveaway/

♥ Win a new 32″ Smart TV from BuyDig.com! If you watch TV, like most of us, this is surely something of interest! (Ends 1/3)

http://www.animalbliss.com/smart-tv-from-buydig-com/

♥ Enter to win BuiltNY Oven Mitts and Wine Tote. These would make great hostess gifts or just handy to have for yourself. (Ends 12/30)

http://theresasreviews.com/builtny-hostess-gift-ideas/

♥ Win your own My Very Own Name personalized book! This is absolutely adorable! (Ends 12/31)

http://www.newmommybliss.com/2014/12/My-Very-Own-Name-Book-Review.html

♥ Enter to win a $50 Gift Card to GameStop! I know tons of folks who would love this one! (Ends 12/23)

http://peekababyny.com/giveaways/post-2834/

♥ Win a Sticky Mosaics Fairy Box. My little girl would LOVE this!! (ends 12/28)

https://gleam.io/VuJdI-xkCQ2Q?l=http%3A%2F%2Fmamasmithreviews.blogspot.com%2F2014%2F10%2Fsticky-mosaics-fairy-box.html

♥ Enter to win a Xyron Sticker Maker! Turn small, flat objects into stickers! Both of my kids would adore this. (Ends 12/28)

https://gleam.io/2b8ey-xkCQ2Q

Any bloggers or small businesses with current family friendly giveaways are welcome to post links to one or two of those giveaways with a brief description in the comments section. If you have an upcoming giveaway you would like to be featured, please contact me via my Facebook page with details. With enough interest, this will be a weekly feature here on Penny Pinching Peach, so give a shout if you like this idea and let me know if you entered any contests! Oh, and definitely come back and let me know if you win something, please!!! 🙂


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Mom In Heaven

Mama and me

Mama and me

December 20th was the seventh anniversary of my mom’s passing. She was only 44 at the time. I had no idea how I was going to face life without my mom, because she was my best friend, mom and everything all rolled into one amazing woman. Life has gone on, but it will never be the same. I wrote a poem about her on the 20th, but was hesitant to share it here. It’s “off topic”, and not my best work. I decided to go ahead. Maybe it will touch someone else struggling with facing life and/or the holidays without a loved one they feel should be here to celebrate with them…

If you had asked when I was young

How long I thought my mom would live,

I’d have told you she’d outlive us all

And still have time to give.

If you had told me she’d be gone

When she was only 44,

I’d have called you crazy

And not listened anymore.

If I had known that she’d be gone

Before her time should be,

I’d have done all I could do

To keep her here with me

If I were given the chance

To see her once again,

I’d tell her how much I love her,.

Thank her for all she’d been.

She lived more in her short life

Than many who are old and gray

She was the best mom she could be,

And I miss her every day.

When she knew the end was nearing,

She had little left undone.

She just wished she’d see me married,

Get to hold the children of her daughter and son.

When I look at her grandbabies,

I see her sparkle and her smile,

I feel her love and laughter,

See her dancing silly and wild.

I know her love is with us,

And in our hearts, she’ll never die,

But that doesn’t mean I don’t miss her

Or in the darkness cry.

If I could give my mom a present

I’d fly all of us up to Heaven,

And spend a day with her in

The place she’s been for seven.

In Loving Memory of My Mom, Dorinda

Mom, Nana and me

Mom, Nana and me


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National Free Shipping Day!!!

free shipping day

December 18 is National Free Shipping Day, with no minimum orders and hundreds upon hundreds of participating retailers….and guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve!!

For the frugal procrastinators among you, or just those with something they need to order for later, this is a humdinger of a day!! Which retailer are you going to order from?

I suggest ordering some of these items from Amazon if you have an outdoorsy guy or new mommy and baby on your list

Here is the link with the listing of all the great places you can order from during this one day promotion:

http://www.freeshippingday.com/


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Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

Baked Ornaments

Mommy's Ornament

Mommy’s Ornament

One of my favorite traditions I’ve established with my little ones is to make new tree

Jingle Bell Ornament

Jingle Bell Ornament

ornaments each year and to make some sort of fun & yummy Christmas treat together every year. Last year we made Beaded Christmas Ornaments. This year I decided to try the classic salt dough ornaments, which was a first for both me and my five year old daughter. They are simple to make, and so much fun! If you choose to do these, allow for at least an hour to mix and knead the dough, cut the shapes and then let them bake for 30 minutes. You’ll need to allow them to cool, and if you won’t have time to paint then, just put them up to paint another day. I’ll share the link to the recipe I used at the end of the post.

First, we had fun measuring, mixing and kneading that dough.

Shaped ornaments

Shaped ornaments

“Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com”

Next, we enjoyed choosing the cookie cutters to use and pressing out all the fun shapes

Snowman and Stocking Ornaments

Snowman and Stocking Ornaments

we’d chosen.  This set gives a great variety to choose from Set of 6 Christmas Cookie Cutters
! I rolled a little ball and pressed it on the face of one snowman to see if it

Christmas stocking ornament

Christmas stocking ornament

would turn out okay as a nose, and it really did.

We wound up with so many shapes already, I molded some various fun figures with the leftover dough for a second batch to cook up. I also pressed each child’s hand into the dough and cut out the print, which is probably going to be one of my favorite keepsakes for the tree.

Once the ornaments were baked and cooled, I set out newspaper, paints and

bowls of water. I let my little missy paint hers however she pleased, as you can see from the various pictures. (Washable Kid’s Paint
is your friend!) I painted one with her, which made her really happy, too.

 

Painting ornaments

Painting ornaments

Once they were dry, I let her glue shiny shapes onto a couple of her ornaments, and she thought that was quite the fancy touch.

We were supposed to seal them, but I don’t have any sealant, so they are just going without for now. I want to get some Mod Podge Sealant
before we put them up so they will last.

I had some gold cord already in my craft stash, so I just cut lengths of that and knotted them, then let my little girly girl hang them on our tree. She was over the moon with the results. She also said making ornaments with Mommy was one of her favorite things she’d done in a long, lonnnnnng time! Good enough for me. 🙂

What shapes would you want to make your ornaments in? Here is the recipe we used:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Ornament-Dough/

Here is a fun little ebook about Christmas crafts for kids: Christmas Crafts for Kids: Easy Christmas Crafts Your Kids Will Love Making!

If you don’t have a Kindle, but want to be able to read e-books like the one above, here is a free app that will help you out: Amazon.com – Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices

 

Flower and Cowboy Hat Ornament

Flower and Cowboy Hat Ornament


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The Guilt of a Fertile Myrtle

Tiebreaker!

Tiebreaker!

I always dreamed of being a mommy. By always, I mean from the time that I was able to tote around baby dolls and know what a mommy actually was. My other dreams came, went and changed with my interests, but that dream remained the same: I wanted to be a mommy more than anything in the world, and I wanted more than just two children. By my teens, I was somewhat scared I wouldn’t be able to conceive or carry a child, from watching others struggle with fertility and miscarriages.

When my time came to have my own baby, however, I got pregnant beyond quickly. The second time around, I was expecting within a couple of months of going off of birth control. The third time I conceived I was actually on birth control and went off of it when I realized I might be pregnant, but I sadly lost that baby. This time is my fourth pregnancy, and I was pregnant literally immediately. We joke that all my husband has to do is look at me when I’m not on birth control and I’m pregnant. It’s a blessing, but never stops surprising me, especially now, since they had to remove my right ovary during my son’s emergency c-section due to a huge dermoid cyst that apparently had taken over that ovary’s ability to function long before I was even expecting the first time. I am an unlikely Fertile Myrtle.

That being said, my awareness of the very real struggle and pain of infertility leaves me feeling guilty. I feel guilty that I become pregnant with no effort whatsoever, even though it’s pretty miraculous under the circumstances. I feel guilty that I am expecting my third child while many of my friends are still dreaming of being able to have even one precious child. When it comes time to make a happy announcement or share brags about my babies, I feel guilty and worry that it might hurt my friends who aren’t able to have children so easily. Maybe I shouldn’t, but I do feel guilty because of their sadness and my own joy.

Holding Hands On Our Wedding Day

Holding Hands On Our Wedding Day

But then I think…

I expected to marry at a very young age, due to the way I was raised, but I didn’t marry until I was 27. Our first daughter was born two days before my 28th birthday. I remember wondering if I’d ever find someone to share my life with, as I watched my friends find their special someone one by one. I recall hoping I’d be a mommy myself one day, as I saw them welcome their little ones into their lives through birth and adoption. Even now, as I see their mothers doting upon them and their children with such love and pride, I wish with all of my heart that my own mom could have been here to do just that with her grandbabies she’d also dreamed about, because even when she was dying she said missing out on them was her biggest regret.

Did it upset me for them to share the joy of their engagements, weddings and babies, even while wishing for those things for myself? Honestly, no. I was happy to be able to rejoice with them, and loved seeing the pictures and being part of their lives. Do I resent that these mothers and grandmothers are enjoying the next generation while my mom is missing it? Of course not! It sometimes makes me wistful, but I am glad to see that love. What would have been then- and would be now- a much sadder thing is to be left out of all of that happiness just because people didn’t or don’t want to make me feel sad or left out.

With this perspective, do I still feel guilty? Being for real here…yes! However, having that perspective makes me just continue to talk about my children, share their oh-so-adorable pictures, delight in the announcement of a new life and share it with everyone, including those who I so much wish could have these things for themselves, as well. Yep, I feel that twinge of guilt sometimes when I think about it, but I am going to love my little ones and share that joy with all of my friends and family just as if I didn’t feel it. 🙂

“Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com”

Do you ever feel guilt about something you can’t help because you fear it might hurt someone you care about?

This looks like a good book for those who are struggling with infertility, and for those who are wondering how to reach out to them: Infertility: a Silent Struggle and a God Who Hears

If you don’t have a Kindle, but want to be able to read e-books like the one above, here is a free app that will help you out: Amazon.com – Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices

To see the youngest member of our family, head on over to my special announcement!


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Winter Blahs

Winter Blahs

Winter Blahs

I know I’ve been fairly quiet here lately, but the winter blahs have bitten me good! Between all day morning sickness, the wacky winter weather and life itself, my get up and go has gotten up and went!! This year has been quite the experience, and not one I would ever want to repeat, and I am pretty much weary to the bone with it all. I can’t even seem to think of anything worth blogging about, and writing is usually one of my favorite outlets. I just can’t think of much of anything good, inspiring or helpful to tippety tap out on my laptop here. Normally I try to keep things positive, but I’m just going to be real here. I am quite ready for 2014 to be over, and to have a fresh start in the new year. Here’s hoping that 2015 won’t be halfway as difficult as 2014 has been! 🙂

Has anyone else been bitten by the winter blues? Tell me I’m not alone here!

 


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Christmas Bead Ornaments

These ornaments from last year just went up on this year’s Christmas tree yesterday! 🙂

pennypinchingpeach's avatarPenny Pinching Peach

Bead Ornaments Bead Ornaments

My 4 year old loves crafts and Christmas, so I’ve had to come up with alot of random crafty things for her to do that are Christmas related. One thing she has especially enjoyed is beading. She’s done ornaments, as well as making bracelets and necklaces galore. We even made a camo bracelet for her baby brother.  I also had to come up with a way to include her 19 month old brother in her new favorite activity, which I’ll share in a second. 🙂

Concentrating on beading Concentrating on beading

She made a few candy canes and a wreath to hang on our little Christmas tree. I just twirl one end of a pipe cleaner to hold the beads on and shape the finished beads into whatever we are making. She enjoys making a pattern by laying out beads in the color scheme we are going to use,  and then using that…

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Get Amazon Prime FREE!!

Amazon Prime Free Trial

Amazon Prime Free Trial

Did you know that you can get a 30 day free trail of Amazon Prime? This is the perfect time to take advantage of this deal, with all of the online shopping we are all doing during the crunch for Christmas gifts. Some of the perks you can enjoy with Amazon Prime membership include not only FREE two day shipping with no minimum order size, but unlimited, ad-free streaming of over a million songs, you can watch over 40,000 movies and TV episodes, borrow Kindle books, etc. If you do any of these things regularly, it’s worth the $99, anyway, but the free trial is beyond worthwhile & affordable even for the dead broke among us. 🙂

Please follow my referral link below and take advantage of this terrific offer! If you don’t want to continue the membership by paying, simply cancel within 30 days (if you join today, Christmas is a good reminder that it’s time to go ahead and cancel if you don’t want to pay up). Easy peasy! 🙂

Shop Amazon – Give the Gift of Amazon Prime
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