I admit that when I’m in a rush to create a new info product, I ‘cheat’ and use a free tool to get a book cover done immediately, rather than hiring a graphic designer and waiting a week.

Here’s the link. Try it out for yourself.

http://www.groundbreak.com/graphics2.html

Although I’m not looking forward to the dreaded return of my period, I’ve found some really cool cloth pads over at Etsy that are cute AND affordable.

Here’s the link:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=83764
I would really like to make them myself, but I find myself realizing that I haven’t even been able to put on matching shoes for the past five months. So sewing? Um, yeah, out of the question.

Just going thru my bookmarks. Found one I haven’t used lately. It’s not a “secret” link, but it’s not all that well known, and at times you can find some very cool free offers.

Here’s the link.  The only thing is, you need to check it often as the freebies change frequently.

http://walmart.triaddigital.com/Free-Samples.aspx

My plan on getting a better work and home schedule going? It’s just not working yet. I’ve been trying a few different ’systems’, but so far, nothing I’m ready to stick with.

So for the time being, I’ll just post my happenin’s and things-to-do like this. Hope ya don’t mind.

Monday is reserved for baby shots, which will undoubtedly lead to a horrific day for all of us here. I’m not planning on getting anything done. That way, I won’t disappoint myself when nothing gets done. Good plan, eh?

Tuesday, I’d like to clean up the house a bit. I have to go pick my my grandmother’s ashes in the evening, so after that highly enjoyable event, I plan on burying myself in a pillow and wallowing for as long as the kids allow it.

Wednesday: I’d really, really like to start building my new websites for my VRE training. I’ll settle on one.

The rest of the week is up in the air right now. I’ll save that for a later post. (read: stretch out some extra NaPoBloMo posts)

Today I am quietly mourning the passing of one of the two most important adults in my life. Quite possibly the coolest old lady on the face of the planet, my grandmother was my caregiver, my cheerleader, my best friend, my conscience, and probably the only one who loved me unconditionally.

Another longer, more thoughtful post will most likely surface soon. Right now I’m still trying to get over the shock of it all.  It was sudden, and I’m finding myself trying to wake up out of this bad dream.

Please - anyone reading - take one minute out of your day and hug your loved ones. Tell them what you feel and how much they mean to you.

Dealing with two needy kids today, so no work is getting done. Surprise, surprise.
I’m eating turkey like a mofo today.  Why? Because the baby took an extra nap for me the day after Thanksgiving. Based on my completely unfounded and unscientific findings, I lead this to believe that the “sleepy stuff” (I make no special attempt to look these words up) that’s found in turkey is passed in breastmilk and therefore makes the baby drowsy as well.  Please - don’t correct me if I’m wrong. I like this belief. And it helps me keep the turkey down.

Make some extra Christmas spending money through affiliate programs! 
Most online stores have some type of affiliate program, so while you’re shopping for gifts check out their affiliate programs.  Then, tell your friends and family about special deals at the stores and give them your affiliate link!  It’s a great way to help them save money, as well as earn some extra money for yourself!

There you have it.  These are the secrets and tips that I use personally to save a lot of money on my Christmas shopping.  You should use take advantage of them too, and save yourself some money this holiday season!

Happy Holidays!  (I know, I know… it’s still a bit early for that!)

Use reward/portal sites!  There are sites out there that will let you earn points/rewards that you can use towards more gifts.

http://www.mypoints.com/emp/u/index.vm

http://evreward.com/   - This one actually compares various reward sites, to help you find the best one!

http://mutualpoints.com/   - This one is a UK based site.

These are just some of the sites that offer you rewards/points that you can redeem for more gifts.  Take advantage of them!

Check Overstock.com!  Overstock.com is a great site to save money on Christmas gifts.  Overstock.com offers brand name items at 40-80% off.  Use it!

http://www.overstock.com/

My son has a lot of kids in his class that are allergic to nuts, so finding nut-free recipes have proved a bit of a challenge.

Here’s a great nut-free brownie recipe that’s pretty easy. And I’m ALL about the easy.

http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/?action=recette_show&id=1373&lg=en

Signup for your favorite store’s newsletter!  A lot of times stores will give the best deals/offers to the members of their newsletters, so make sure that you’re a member of your favorite store’s email newsletter to receive some killer offers!

Use coupons!  There are sites that will provide you with money saving coupons to use online.

http://www.thefrugalshopper.com/

http://www.couponsanddeals.com/

http://www.wow-coupons.com/

http://www.ebates.com/

These are just some of the great sites that offer you coupons that you can use at selected online stores.  These coupons are there to help you save money, use them!

Plan ahead!   Make out your Christmas shopping list early enough to allow you to take advantage of all of these other great tips!  Don’t wait until the last minute, you’ll end up spending more, especially on shipping!

Check Ebay!  A lot of times you can find what you’re looking for at a better price on Ebay, so it’s wise to include them in your comparison shopping.  Start looking now, because as always… shipping costs more and takes longer, the closer you get to Christmas!