We’re really trying to keep the holiday spending to a minimum this year. The budget has really forced me to get creative in regards to gift giving.

I decided to give the kids some coupons in their stockings for ‘on-demand’ fun outings and of course ‘free passes’ to get out of chores. I searched the internet high-and-low for printable coupons and couldn’t find anything. I decided to create my own.

Although we’d most likely do most of these things anyway. I think they’ll enjoy the ‘redemption’ process. It’s always fun to be in charge.

It is my intention to hole-punch and tie them together with ribbon, BUT … guess what? I can’t find either {ERR}. Imagine them cut out a little more neatly and tied with holiday ribbon.

Please feel free to DOWNLOAD the coupons and create some holiday fun of your own.

Supplies needed:

DOWNLOAD Free Printable Holiday Coupons
Color printer
Heavy card stock paper for best results
Scissors
Hole-punch and ribbon (optional – for stringing together into booklets)
Sharpie for labelling.

Directions for use: Simply print out your file onto the paper of your choice. Cut around coupons. Fill out the coupons and you’re done!

If you have any fun and inexpensive gift ideas, please share!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

MK xo
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NOTE: I’ve been having trouble with the comments. If you can’t comment PLEASE let me know at kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com. Thank you!

Winners are: Jenn_B and Cayese Hollis – I’ll email you :)

***

A few weeks ago CardStore.com sent me a whole pile of great sample cards to review.

They sent me all kinds of samples –> thank you cards, personal stationary, play-date cards, birthday party invites, AND of course Christmas and holiday cards.

They’re great … you can upload your own images, add your own messages.

I love this one …

Look at this cutie patootie …

For people like me who never get cards out on time … Happy New Year!

CardStore.com has generously offered to provide 2 winners with 1 box of their new boxed stationary sets with the holiday design of your choice personalized: http://www.cardstore.com/boxed-stationery-cards-holiday.html

Hey! No fair … I want some. Oops … pretend you didn’t hear that.

So you have until Monday, December 7th @ noon to leave a comment to be eligible to win.

Question: Do you send out cards faithfully every year? If you send one out and don’t get one back, is that person off your list? Give me the all the holiday card dirt.

MK xo
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Disclosure: I received no product or payment in return for this review. Two card sets will be provided to two randomly chosen women.

The kids had friends over Friday evening to do some Halloween crafts. I decided to get into the Halloween spirit and decorate the dining room (just a little bit). They were very excited. It takes so very little … I should do it more!

We covered most ALL of our kitchen jars and canned goods with these free printable labels from Love Manor.

How cool are these?

Sam and his buddies loved them. Unfortunately, all our dry goods are back on the counters with creepy labels still intact and it looks like the only thing cooking in my kitchen is witch’s broth (DON’T even go there!)

This jar of my Grandma’s spicy peppers, labelled ‘Human Flesh’ gives me the heebie-jeebies (BLeCk!)

There is a HUGE selection that can be downloaded from Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lovemanor/sets/72157602788222231/

Truthfully, I don’t like Halloween, so any effort made on my part is welcomed by the kids. This year, I am trying NOT to say, that I dislike Halloween out loud. No point in everyone having a horrible time. So far so good! The power of pretend goes a LONG way!

The good news is, Sam and Liz are finally past wanting to be cute Disney characters! Lizzy’s costume has been under construction for days. I have high hopes.

Halloween ideas and goodies will be showing up here all week. I’d love it if you’d come on by :)

Are you dressing up for Halloween? Are your kids? What as? I want to know.

MK xo
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NOTE: I’ve been having trouble with the comments. If you can’t comment PLEASE let me know at kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com. Thank you!

And the winner is:

Christine L. - – Looks great! So many yummy things! My kids would think we won the lottery!

Please email me (kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com with your address and I’ll get this out to you ASAP.

***

Hey Readers … it’s your Birthday!

Will the Kraft Foods goodness ever stop? I hope not!

As a thank you for attending the Kraft Kitchens Blogger event in Chicago last month, Kraft Foods sent me a HUGE basket of grocery goodness. { psst! DO NOT tell them that it’s ‘I’ who should be thanking them … DON’T … I mean it!}

The best part, Kraft Foods sent TWO, exactly the same … one for me and one for one of you.

There are a couple pounds of Nabob Traditions coffee, two jars of Kraft Peanut Butter, some Kraft PURE Strawberry Jam, a box of Peek Freans LifeStyle Coconut Lime cookies, several packages of the fabulous Back to Nature Nuts (if you can keep from eating the Back to Nature – Cranberries, Chocolate Covered Almonds and Vanilla Almonds mix in one sitting, I’ll give you a prize (not really)), a bottle of Kraft Olive Oil salad dressing, and …

there is also a package of Oreo Sippers (I’ll try to keep Georgia from ripping your box open (like the one above) before the contest ends), several packages of Christie’s Snak Paks, a box of Ritz Premier Collection Buttercrisp crackers and last (I think … maybe there’s more), but of course never the least … Toblerone Chocolates.

*NEWS FLASH –> Georgia is at this very moment, sitting beside me, crying and begging for one of the Christies Snak Paks in the Giveaway (she’s eaten all of ours).**

Really … she is:

Told yah!

Due to the absolute desirability of this prize (and the hunger level of my children), this contest can not last for long! I will randomly pick a winner from all of the entries the evening of Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009. I’ll ship your prize directly to you.

Several ways to enter:

1. leave a comment (worth 1 entry)

2. blog about it (worth 2 entries)

3. twitter about it and use hashtag #kraftkitchens (worth 2 entries)

4. stumble it (worth 2 entries)

5. follow me on twitter (do it … you’ll like it) (worth 2 entries)

MK xo
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We’ve got a winner peeps –> Mel / Reese — please email me Mel with your mailing address. I want to make sure Reese gets this for his birthday. (email is –> kim (@) mommyknows (dot) com).

Calling all wee Power Ranger loving boys kids — BE the Red Ranger! Hey guys, get your moms to comment and let me know why you’d like to Be the Red Ranger. I’ll randomly choose one entry (comment) to win this very cool helmet on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 after 8 p.m. (‘ish).

Thanks to the ‘power of blog’ the nice people at Bandai sent me two Power Rangers Jungle Fury Mega Mission Helmets. One for my wee man and another for one of you.

As you can see it’s a hit! It’s already been on vacation.

According to Sam, it’s cool because:

It has cool sound effects.
It has Lights.
It has missions.
You can hook it up to your computer and get extra missions.
You can see out of it, but no one can see in.

He’s also begged me NOT to give the second one away, but I must. One boy can’t keep all of the fun.

The folks at Bandai say this:

Power Rangers Mega Mission Helmet: With this role-play toy, kids can truly become a real Red Ranger hero while they get active and use their imagination to play out each two-minute long audio mission. Connecting the helmet to the home computer via USB gives kids the ability to download 50+ additional role-play missions.

Comment now to be eligible to win.

MK xo
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