Friday Favorites – Week 107 (with Freebies and Discounts!)

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Today in addition to our usual Friday features I’ve got some fun Freebies, courtesy of our friends at My Memories . This week they sent me some printable candy wrappers to pass along to you guys! When I saw them, I just had to share! (Freebie links are below the features & just before the linky.)
Also, don’t forget this month, when you order the My Memories Suite  and use my affiliate code: STMMMS63042 you not only get $10 off, but you also get a one year RAKStar Membership free; that’s a a huge digital scrapbook kit each month for a year, a $247.35 value!  For more details, see this post.


And how about another discount?  Earlier today I did a post featuring some Easter wreaths. To say thank you for featuring her wreath, Colette of Ever Blooming Originals is offering my readers 10% at her shop through the end of the month!  Just use the coupon code “SWEET.”

Now here are some “sweet” features!

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Billington’s Easter Carrot Cupcakes from Clairejustineoxox 

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Chocolate Cherry Truffle Cake from Queen of Savings 

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Maple Pecan Cupcakes with Maple Frosting from Elsa Cooks

My Pinterest Pick:
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Ice Cream Social from The Party Wagon

Now here’s the links to the the My Memories freebies. Remember that the freebies are only available for 3 weeks.  After that, they’ll have different freebies up, so if you like them, download them now.

I’m only including the screenshot of the first one, but you’ll find links and descriptions to all three freebies below.

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Kit 1 includes 2 digital papers, 3 page elements, 2 quick pages.
Kit 2 includes 2 digital papers, 4 page elements, and 2 quick pages
Kit 3  includes 2 digital papers, 3 page elements, 2 quick pages.

Thanks for partying with us today! Link up your posts below!

NOTE – I came on and saw that the linky was up and then came back later and no linky, and then I couldn’t access the linky tools website. I’m not sure if the site is down or if it’s just me, so if you see no linky, please come by later. Thanks!

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Dollar General’s Bracket of the Brands

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dollar General for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

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For those of you who keep up with the wide world of sports you know that it’s time for March Madness!  (And if you don’t keep up with sports, it’s time for March Madness!) 
Dollar General is celebrating March Madness this year by offering money saving coupons to its customers with Dollar General’s Bracket of the Brands.

Simply visit Dollar General’s Facebook page and “like” them to play their Bracket of the Brands game and you’ll unlock a money saving coupon each week in March for products that you love!
Here’s how it works. Each week there’s a bracket of brands. For week one the bracket of brands you get to choose between is Men’s Suave and Axe.  (I chose the Men’s Sauve.) Upon choosing your brand, you’ll be given three quick multiple choice trivia questions related to the brand, and then you’ll be taken to the coupon download page.

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It’s pretty easy and even a little fun!   And when you play you can save on the popular brands that you already buy. 
Don’t use either of the brands for week one?  Then check out week 2! For week 2 you can choose between Ritz and Planters.  And each week the coupons are going up in value! So you can look forward to some great Dollar General coupons throughout March Madness.
But the Bracket of the Brands promotion ends on March 25, so go over and visit Dollar General on Facebook today and start saving on all your favorite brands before March Madness is over!


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Home Sale Event at Dollar General

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.
Being on a tight budget, I don’t always get to make decor updates, and when I do, I’m always looking for the best deals! I’m hoping to make a few updates this spring and summer in our bathroom and living room areas.
When your on a budget, it’s always great to try looking at places like Dollar General.

Dollar General has a wide variety of Home Decor, Housewares and Kitchen Tools that are perfect for updating, accenting or starting a new home.  And this week you can check out their Home Sale Event and stretch your dollars even further with a 50% off coupon.
The coupon is good in-store only and can be used February 12 through February 19.  And the sale is valid for all purchases made in Home Decor, Housewares, Kitchen, Bed Pillows, Sheets and Rugs, so check out your Dollar General today to see all their great deals and selections!

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Personally I would love to pick some new things for our bathrooms. Our main bathroom needs new rugs, and the master bathroom could use some new rugs and accent pieces. Don’t these things look lovely?
It would also be great to check out some items for the living room.  My mom just gave us a new couch and chair, so I’m hoping to make some changing to some of our living room accents.
Do you have a Dollar General in your area? And do you ever check out the home accents and decor section?


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Black Bean Guacamole and the Gauc Off Recipe Contest

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Avocados from Mexico. All opinions are 100% mine.


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A couple of months ago, I shared some information with you about the Little Chef’s Video contest from Avocados from Mexico.
And today I’ve got a new contest to share with you, as well as a special recipe.  As you get your party foods prepared for all the big games, have a little guacamole and enter it in the Avocados from Mexico Guac Off Recipe Contest

To enter, all you have to do is visit the Avocados from Mexico on Facebook between January 2 and January 20, and submit your guacamole recipe.  Three lucky winners will receive an iPad 2 and an autographed cook book signed by celebrity chef Roberto Santibanez.
Grand prize winners will be selected based on the following three categories: Best Recipe, Most Popular, Most Creative.
 Seven runners up will receive $200 grocery cards the cook book book signed by Roberto Santibanez.  And just for entering, 10 winners will be randomly selected to win a $100 grocery card.
Here’s a great example, my recipe for Black Bean Guacamole!

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Recipe for Black Bean Guacamole:


Ingredients:
1 avocado
1/2 cup black beans, cooked
2 tbsp plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tspn lemon juice
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup celery, chopped

Directions:
Combine avocado, black beans, yogurt, and lemon juice in food processor.  Puree until you reach your desired consistency.

Pour into a bowl. Fold in celery. Add cayenne pepper. Stir until well combined. Serve with chips and veggies.

For more ideas, check out Avocados from Mexico recipes.

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Get Creative with Platypus Designer Duct Tape

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Anyone who reads my blog enough will find that I use tape A LOT! And I was really intrigued when I recently learned about Platypus Designer Duct Tape.  With its fun colors and designs, now you can truly use duct tape for everything!

I received a roll of their Argyle tape. (I love Argyle!) And then I also got a roll of the their green and beige striped sweater tape.  Both are festive and cute!  And they could be used for so many great crafting projects. I’m thinking I’d like to some cute wreaths!
And of course, you can always use it for some festive holiday wrapping and package shipping.
Their designs include everything from my favorite hound’s tooth to pink polka dot, blue snow flakes, paisley, and even leopard print!
Here’s a fun video just to show you what they got and give you some fun ideas!

Check out Platypus Designer Duct Tape for more info on their products and fun project ideas like these personalized pencils:

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I’m linking up at Tidy Mom and these parties.

Applebee’s Gift Card Giveaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gift Card Weekend for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

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My husband and I are celebrating our five year wedding anniversary next week!  We met in college, and while dating we’d go to Applebee’s at least once a week for half price appetizers!  Each week we’d look forward to eating boneless buffalo wings and loaded nachos. Good times!
We don’t get to go as often as we used to, but we are planning a little trip to Applebee’s next week to celebrate our anniversary!
If you love Applebee’s like we do, then you’ll definitely want to enter this giveaway from Gilbert the Gift Card Machine.  They are giving away more than 100 gift cards each week from a variety of retailers (including Applebee’s), leading up to Gift Card Weekend.
Gift Card Weekend is a once-a-year event where participating retail partners give featured offers for gift cards purchased during the holiday season and redeemed from January 6 – 8, 2012. So, if you’re a gift giver, increase the value of your gift by purchasing gift cards from participating retail partners. These featured offers will be available to your gift recipient for redemption during Gift Card Weekend, January 6 – 8, 2012.
December 10-18 they will be giving away $25 Applebee’s Gift Cards.  To win the gift cards from Applebee’s and other great places like Subway, Bass Proshop, JCPenney, Regal Cinemas, Lowe’s and more, just go over to Facebook and like Gift Card Weekend.
It’s that simple!  And when you share this with your Facebook friends and followers, you’ll earn an extra chance to win for every “like” that you influence!
So go on over to Gift Card Weekend, like their page, share it, and then come back throughout the day to see if you’re a winner!


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Super Deal on Eye Glasses at Zenni Optical

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Zenni Optical. All opinions are 100% mine.

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I went to have our eyes examined.  Despite our insurance paying for our exams and a good portion of our eyeglasses, we still ended up paying a lot more than we expected, particularly for my husband’s progressive lenses.

After leaving the office, the first thing my husband said was, “We’re not coming here next time.”
And then I told him that I wanted to check online about getting us another pair of glasses.  I’m fairly gentle with my glasses, and I also wear contacts a lot, so I may not even need a second pair.  But my husband works hard, and he’s also outdoors a lot, so he certainly needs to have another pair of glasses.
One site I found where you can get cheap eyeglasses is Zenni Optical.
Zenni Optical offers glasses that are both stylish and affordable.  They have a number of shapes including round, rectangle, oval, and aviator.  And they have several types from full rimmed, to half rimmed, to rimless. And they have several colors and materials available to fit your style.
And as for lenses, they have single vision, bifocal, and yes, even progressive lenses for my husband!
And did I mention that the frame prices start as low as $6?  
Just think of how much money you can save!  In today’s economy everyone can use all the extra money they can get.  And when you can save on an essential like glasses, it gives you a lot more money to spend on other household bills, groceries, holiday shopping, or even a fun night out with the family.
And to take a little of the guess work out of your shopping, they have tool on the website that allows you to upload a photo of yourself and see what the glasses would like on you.
Here’s one pair that I like for my husband:

And here’s a pair that I like for me:

Go check out Zenni Optical and see how much you can save on glasses for your family!
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Mini Chef Video Contest and Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies

This post brought to you by Avocados from Mexico. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Did you know avocados have the vitamins and nutrients essential for child development and growth? Just 3 slices of this creamy green fruit packs potassium, fiber, folate, vitamin C, E and those B-complex vitamins that support memory and brain function.

To help you introduce this food to your kids (or get them to eat more of it), Avocados from Mexico Mini Chef Video contest is having a Mini Chef Video Contest.
The contest starts November 14 and is open to parents of kids ages 5-15. To enter, you must submit a 1-3 minute video of your child/children preparing an avocado dish.  Also, in your video, have the kids include why they love avocados and have them sing the catchy Avocados from Mexico jingle (found on their website). Videos will be judged on the Mini Chef’s personality and the presence of avocado.
Send in your video by December 4th and check back on December 6th to see if your video is one of 10 finalists. Public voting will take place on YouTube December 6-11. The video with the most Likes wins and will be posted on the website December 12th.  
Now I’m sure you’re wondering what kind of prizes you get if you win, right? Here’s a quick run down.
One grand prize winner gets: 
  • $1,000 in cash
  • HD Camcorder
  • a Nintendo 3D and 2 games
  • personalized Mini Chef jacket. 
And Nine runners up win big too with an HD Camcorder, a Nintendo 3D and a personalized Mini Chef jacket.
To give you a little inspiration, today I’m sharing a kid-friendly avocado recipe.  I can’t think of anything more kid friendly than chocolate chip cookies, can you?  Next time you get ready to make chocolate chip cookies, consider this Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookie.
Recipe for Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup avocado (1 small avocado)
3/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
chocolate chips (about 1/2 a bag)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)  
Directions: Cream together avocado, butter, and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then add flour, salt, baking powder and soda; add one cup at a time. Then fold in chocolate chips and nuts.  (You may want to use more or less than the recipe calls for.)
Roll into 1 inch balls and press down lightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes.
Do you have any kid-friendly avocado recipes that you make for your family?



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Friday Favorites – Week 89

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Happy Friday! This week has gone by so fast!  If you haven’t entered my blogiversary giveaway from 41 West Designs 

Also, I finally added some new items, including a couple of Christmas pieces to my shop this week. Please go by and check them out! Also, get 15% off this week when you use the coupon code: HAPPYHARVEST.

Enjoy this week’s features!

 

Nathan’s Sugar Cookies from Cooking for My Kids

Chocolate Scotcheroos from Turtles and Tails

Rolo Cookies from A Little Nosh

Felt Doctor Kit from Vixen Made

Join the party! Link up your posts below!

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Friday Favorites – Week 87

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Welcome to Friday Favorites! We had such a wonderful party last week! I had the hardest time deciding which posts to feature! If you missed last week’s party or you didn’t get a chance to do any hopping, please check out week 86 (after you link up for this week, of course).
Don’t forget to check out all the blogiversary giveaways in the sidebar, especially the giveaway from Curly Q Designs. I just posted it this week, and it doesn’t have a lot of entries yet! Also, the giveaway from Sew Chatty closes in a few days and still has less than a hundred entries!

Hope you enjoy this week’s features!

Smurf Pumpkins from Simple Girl
Candy Corn Fudge from Mom On Time Out

Streusel Topped Apple Bread Pudding from A Cook at Heart

Pumpkin Spice Mousse from Olla-Podrida
Thanks for stopping by for the party! Link up your posts below!
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