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Looking For A Holiday Project?

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Nov 27, 2010 in Activist Mom, Charities--what's your passion? Need one?

kiddoMy family really excelled at completely screwing up Holiday Projects–we’d pick a family, try to be sneaky dropping off the presents and always end up falling into the bushes, getting tangled up in the gate, etc.  Then, the mortifying porch light and the perplexed faces.  So, we’re not sneaky!  Sue us!  But there’s nothing like the look on a Mom’s face when she realizes her little ones get to believe in Santa again.  This year, B98.7 is teaming up with the Utah Youth Village  to sponsor children who are Wards of the State–these are the little people removed from their homes because of truly horrifying abuse or neglect.  This may be their first Christmas gift they’ve ever received.  We still have 25 kids who haven’t been sponsored, and I really, REALLY want to have them all taken care of.  Would you consider taking a look at the list and see if a child there could be your family project this year?  Or maybe pass the idea around at church, or with your friends?  These children are clean spirits struggling to recover from cruelties they never deserved.  I want so much for them all to know they are loved and deserve the same joys as every other child.

night beforeThe Todd and I asked for their most obnoxious, unlovable teenager.  I love the hard cases.   Every child deserves to still believe in Santa.  ;)

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Earn $50.00 As Part Of A New Focus Group

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Nov 13, 2010 in Activist Mom, Surveys and Reviews For Profit

Vocalpoint is conducting online focus groups on November 19, 2010 and they are looking for participants. I belong to Vocalpoint and love them–very reputable.  Attendees will be paid $50.00 for their time and participation.

Wanna be involved?  It’s quick, fill out this questionnaire and you’ll be notified by email if you’re selected to participate.

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

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Win A $10,000 College Scholarship

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Nov 12, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-Bees Giveaways, Resources

gradI had a chance to meet one of the cute winners from Scholarships4Moms–I think she won in July?  Anyway, she was ecstatic about the chance to go back to school and finally become a nurse.  Scholarships4Moms gives out a new $10,000.00 scholarship every month on the 15th.  That means your deadline is approaching, and I wanted you to have a chance to enter to win.  Good luck! 

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Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Nov 6, 2010 in Activist Mom, Charities--what's your passion? Need one?

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Click To Give

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Oct 31, 2010 in Activist Mom, Charities--what's your passion? Need one?

When you click through, sponsor clients donate to the charity–100% of the proceeds are donated.  It costs you nothing but a moment of your time.  I click every day, I NEED the good karma!

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Your Own Financial Advisor–Free!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Oct 28, 2010 in Activist Mom, Resources

payI have huge issues with women feeling strong and confident about making their own financial decisions, or if you’re in a relationship, being a full partner in your financial future.   I’m lucky that The Todd and I are in agreement on this–he knows how important it is for me to handle the household budget, and we go over all our major purchases and financial goals together.  It is crucial to have an understanding of your retirement funds, college savings accounts, debts and debt servicing.  There’s some great tools to help you:
Daily Worth
Even if you don’t know a 401(k) from an IRA, Daily Worth can help you.  It’s one great piece of financial advice or information every day in your inbox.  Expert or novice, it’s a great tool.  And it’s free!  Sign up here.

At Mint.com, you can find a wealth of resources to help you develop a household budget, templates for building a retirement fund and great savings tools.  Once again, it’s free to use. 

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Help EVERY Kid To Celebrate Halloween…

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Oct 26, 2010 in Activist Mom

kid…imagine “celebrating” Halloween in a homeless shelter.  One of the coolest days of the year for any little kid, and there’s no costume, no treats, no spooky stories.

I’m broadcasting from The Road Home Wednesday (10.27) from 3-6pm, and I’m asking for your help.  I’m sure there’s a pile of Halloween costumes your little goblin has outgrown, please consider dropping them by tomorrow–clean and in good condition–for the over 200 children currently living at the shelter.  Also on the wish list: warm coats, boots, underwear and socks.  I always bring diapers–sizes 4, 5 and 6!!!!!–and other toiletries.  Plus, I’m bringing candy.  I don’t care.  You can’t have Halloween without candy!  Please let these children know that they’re important, and they matter.  The Road Home is located at 210 South and 455 West in Salt Lake City.  You can find directions and more information here.

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Click To Give–Help End Homelessness With The Power Of Your Mouse!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Oct 18, 2010 in Activist Mom, Charities--what's your passion? Need one?

I love the program “Click To Give,” because it’s such a simple way to help others.  The premise is this: click on the box, and the the number of clicks determine how much a client sponsor will donate to the cause.  100% of the money goes directly to the charity, and it costs you nothing but the 30 seconds it takes to click through.  I do it every day, because believe me, I can use all the good points in Heaven that I can get…

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Join Us At The YaYa Sisterhood Party Tonight!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Oct 16, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-or Cheap-Family Fun

Hey, locals…

2010_yayaThe YaYa Sisterhood Party at the Emporium At Thanksgiving Point is my most beloved party of Fall–I never miss it!  The insanely talented women there throw open the doors for a free night of fabulousness.  You’re encouraged to dress up and wear a hat–how often does one get to wear a hat these days?–and drop by.  There’s a special YaYa name on a sash and a free charm waiting for you at the front door–then incredible food (don’t get me started on the Rock Shrimp dish!), all kinds of workshops on cooking and decorating, fortune tellers, photographers, massages or facials, and best of all, admission and nearly everything is FREE!  They even knock 45% off all their incredible Halloween stuff if you want to shop.  I give out tons and tons of prizes and there’s always a conga line line at some point during the night. ;)  

barrel Best of all, at the end, we all write our worries down on a piece of paper and burn them together in the fire barrel outside.  As the sparks rise up into the night sky, you will feel like your troubles did, too.  Join us!  Here’s where to go for directions, the party runs 6-9pm.  See you tonight!

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Win A $10,000.00 College Scholarship!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Oct 10, 2010 in Activist Mom, Resources

gradI had a chance to talk to one of the winners–June, I think–of the $10,000.00 college scholarships from Scholarships4Mom.com.  She’s going back to school to be a paralegal…she was so cute and excited!  I’m reminding you because they pick a new winner on the 15th, and I want to make sure you can enter if you’ve been dreaming of going back to school.  It’s a short form, good luck!

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Online Family Safety

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Sep 24, 2010 in Activist Mom, Resources

shockedThe Todd and I had some serious discussions when our twins were old enough to noodle around online. So far, they’re primarily interested in art sites and YouTube episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba, but every parent feels that hyper-vigilance about what could happen to your little person.  We even thought twice about posting pictures of the twins, so we’re pretty careful about what goes up.  A close friend and That Went Well friend recently had some very serious privacy violations online with one of her kids.  This seems like a good time to go over some resources and options to keep this from happening to you.

Starting the conversation: there’s some great idea starters and advice on www.iSafe.com and www.MySecurityCyberspace.com.  Find out what the actual dangers are so that your kids can’t roll their eyes and do the “oh, Mom!” thing.

Google Alerts: you can actually set up an alert with Google (www.google.com/alerts) that’ll tell you when you or your children’s names are mentioned on the Web.  This is especially helpful for online bullies and rumor-starters.

Facebook Dos and Don’ts: totally be a “lurker” on Facebook.  Make a deal with the kids that you’re allowed to see everything coming in and going out.  Do some research on the Safety Center at Facebook (www.facebook.com/help/?safety) to make sure your privacy settings are where you want them.

Software Safety: there’s some new options with www.onlinefamilynorton.com, which is free, to prevent some of the nasty new viruses popping up right now.  There’s also more options with www.mcafee.com (about $40.00) and www.netnanny.com (around $40.00 as well) to monitor the sites your kids hit, block the really ugly ones and actually limit the amount of time they spend surfing–soooo helpful when they’re supposed to be doing homework.

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Free eBook: “42 Easy Gluten-Free Recipes”

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Sep 3, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-Bees Giveaways

19499Our twins are on a strict gluten-free diet, and it used to be very hard to find anything good to feed them.  Fortunately, that’s changed, so there’s a zillion options if you’re joining the ranks.  I really like “42 Easy Gluten-Free Recipes,” the cookbook has a couple of muffin and pancake recipes that the boys are going to love.  You can click here to download.

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30% Off With The Gap “Give And Get” Program

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Aug 23, 2010 in Activist Mom, Cash Back Opportunity, Coupons

081210_adult_hpI love this option–The Gap/Old Navy/Althea/Piper Lime/Banana Republic are giving you 30% off your shopping trip August 26-29.  They’ll also give 5% of your purchase back to the charity of your choice.  Lovely karma, eh?   I’ve been saving up for the Old Navy uniform sale for my twins, and then let them pick the charity.  Zachie wanted the World Wildlife Foundation and bribed MacLean with a gummy bear to agree.  Ah, diplomacy in action at the Collard household.  Go here to pick your non-profit, and if you’re shopping in-store, use the barcode for multiple uses.  If you’re shopping online, your code is MNK2MCZHHGGY.

DIBarcodeServletSneaky inside tip: don’t overlook running through Ebates for this deal–you can still get up to 10% cash back on your purchase!  If you haven’t signed up for Ebates yet, it’s a wonderful program where you simply login, click on the store you want to shop at and Ebates assigns your tracking number to your purchase and gives you cash back!  There’s no spam with this program, so it’s safe for your regular email address.  There’s a $5.00 bonus just for signing up!  Click here to get started. 

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Get A Free-Bee Customized Vitamin Plan

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on May 28, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-Bees Giveaways

NatureMade - Vitamin ID

Few of us would argue that we need vitamins.  But…which ones?  How many?  What about the kids?  That’s why I logged on to the Nature Made site and had a nutritionist create a free-bee personalized plan for each of us.  What you need isn’t necessarily what your husband needs…sign up here for your personalized plan!

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.99 Cent Annuals At Home Depot!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on May 22, 2010 in Activist Mom, Coupons


If you’re looking for a deal on annual flowers, Home Depot has you covered. Get 6-packs of flowers for just $0.99 through Sunday, May 23rd!

Choose from Impatiens, Marigolds, and more. Limit 48 packs per customer.  Thanks, Deal Seeking Mom!

Sneaky inside tip: if you’d love to do more eco-friendly gardening, but could use more advice and resources, there’s a great “Do It Herself” workshop at The Home Depot on Thursday, June 3rd.  It’s free–of course–just sign up here.  The last workshop I went to was amazing, I left with a wealth of information and a 50% off sink!

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Protect Your Health Care…

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on May 18, 2010 in Activist Mom

…honey, we’re all gonna be there someday.  Protect Medicare payments to your doctors, your Mom’s doctors…Nana’s….  Click here for more info. 

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What Are Your Kids Watching?

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on May 18, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-Bees Giveaways, Resources

shockedFortunately, I was helping Zachie with an online homework assignment when we landed on a site I’d Googled for homework that came up as pornNot happy, here.  I signed up for CommonSense.org right away, it’s a great online service–free, of course–that has parent reviews for movies, music and books, easy guides for secure browsing, and a great parent’s forum.  Sign up and they’ll give you a free week’s membership in Disney Digital Books as well!

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$10,000.00 Scholarship Deadline–May 14th!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on May 12, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-Bees Giveaways

graduateI’m fond of Scholarships4Moms, because they do a $10,000.00 drawing monthly for mothers to go back to school.  If you’ve dreamt of the chance but didn’t see how you could swing it, this could be the answer!  However, the entry deadline has changed this month, it’s May 14th.  Be sure to enter right away to make the deadline.  It’s a short form, good luck!

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Free-Bee Glasses For Kids At Target!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on May 7, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-Bees Giveaways

 

glassesTarget stores along the Wasatch Front are offering free-bee eyeglasses for children.  You can read more about this Utah-only promotion, which is good at stores in Centerville, Fort Union, Layton, Orem, Riverdale and Sandy. The free glasses are available to children 5 to 12 years of age, one set per household. Exams aren’t included, so you’ll either need to schedule one or bring in a current prescription. For more information, call your nearest Target store or 1-877-841-8654.

Thanks, One Cheap Chick!

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Children’s Medicine Product Recall

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on May 4, 2010 in Activist Mom

medicineI’m the first to admit that I don’t pay close enough attention to recalls–but this is one I’m glad I checked out.  We had 3 different meds that were included in the lot numbers for recall.  Not good.  Do you have any liquid Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl or Zyrtec for chilren or infants at  home?  Then you’ll want to read this recall announcement by McNeil Consumer Healthcare. A complete list of recalled products can be found here. You can make a refund request online here.

Thanks for the help, One Cheap Chick!

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Viva La Home Depot!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on May 4, 2010 in Activist Mom, Resources

gardenWe joined the Home Depot Garden Club last week and love it–there’s all kinds of info for growing in your geographic zone, advice from specialty gardeners, even a place for you to post your pictures and admire others!  Of course, the best part are the coupons: $10.00 off on soil, BOGO free plants, 30% off a planter–and that’s just last week!  Sign up here.

toolbeltThen, there’s Home Depot Pro, this emailer used to be only for the contractors and such.  Now WE can get the same discounts, early alerts and enterance to sales, and special coupons.   The Todd saved a bundle on drywall and 4x4s during their last Pro Sale. Hurray for the amateurs!  Sign up here for your goodies. 

tileAnd, last but not least, The Home Depot Home Improver Club: access to free-bee workshops, and monthly focus on new projects with great coupons to go along with them.  I followed along on the light fixture section…I learned how to change out my chandelier, and saved $45.00 on the one I replaced it with!  You can sign up here for the same deals.  This month, they’re focusing on laying tile.

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Win A $10,000.00 Prize Package For Your Favorite Charity!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Apr 21, 2010 in Activist Mom, Charities--what's your passion? Need one?

orphanWith the suckiest economy in 85 years, I’m not telling you anything that news, but everyone’s favorite charity is struggling.  There’s an amazing company–WIworks Inc– who’s willing to devote $10,000.00 in skills to create a new website, or promote the living bejeebers out of a non-profit you care about.  At the end of May, they’ll award the $10,000.00 prize.  Be the hero and nominate your favorite non-profit and then harrass all of your friends into voting for it.  I know one of the rock stars who’s running this, and your favorite charity will be set up.

Click here to nominate your favorite charity.  Good luck!

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Free-Bee Origins Goodies For Earth Day!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Apr 20, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-Bees Giveaways

Origins, a beauty & skin care company, is offering a special freebie on Earth Day, (this Thursday April 22nd.) It’s called their “Trade-in One Day” promotion–bring in any current skincare bottle (any brand & it can be full or empty) and they will trade it in for a NEW full-size bottle of their face wash or antioxidant cleanser for FREE.  You can choose from Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash (5 fl oz) or a Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser with White Tea (5 fl oz).

You can go to any US Origins retail location or department store counter to make this exchange, while supplies last, on Thursday 4/22.  Find an Origins location near you.

Sneaky inside tip: Did you know that Origins also has a program where you can regularly recycle your old cosmetic bottles, tubes & jars. You can bring them in to any Origins retail store or department store counter (and they don’t need to be Origins brand, but any brand) and they will recycle them for you.  The products will then be used for energy recovery. You can learn more about the recycling program HERE.

Thank you again, beloved Thrifty Northwest Mom!

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$1.00 Refills For Ink Cartridges At Walgreen’s

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Apr 19, 2010 in Activist Mom

Our twins have been casting about for a way to celebrate Earth Day (this Thursday, April 22nd) at their school…and we came up with a way to refill every ink cartridge at the school for a song.  Walgreen’s is offering $1.00 ink cartridge refills in honor of Earth Day – for color or black & white!  It doesn’t look like there is a limit either.  You can also find out more details about refilling ink cartridges at Walgreens HERE.

Thanks, Thrifty Northwest Mom!

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Gerber Safety ID Kit–Free!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Apr 11, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-Bees Giveaways

I’ve done everything to tag the twins from foot and fingerprints to rigorously updated photos to (I’m not kidding here) cheek swabs and hair follicles.  A somewhat less creepy option might be the Gerber Safety ID Kit–a handy way to gather whatever’s needed to quickly find your little person.  Call it peace of mind.  You can order it free from here.  

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What ARE Your Kids Watching? Reading? Hearing?

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Apr 11, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-Bees Giveaways, Free-or Cheap-Family Fun

Common Sense Media

Scary, huh?  I still remember the first time my MacLean piped up with an exquisitely enunciated swear word he heard me use whilst cut off in traffic.  (Editor’s note: we almost went off the road!  I was distraught!  This isn’t usual!)  Anyway, our little sock monkeys are always listening, watching, recording with those devious little brains.  I’m very excited by Common Sense Media–it’s a free community that shares ideas and reviews on quality tv, books and films for kids.  It’s nice to be able to type in a movie and get a concensus on whether it’s age-appropriate.  But here’s something even nicer–sign up now and you’ll get a week’s free-bee subscription to Disney’s Digital Book program.  Once you’re a member, they’ll send you a code for a free week.  There’s no obligation, and you’re not expected to pay for anything.  (Editor’s note again: my Zachie’s plowing through “Treasure Island” with me at bedtime!)  Once again, Common Sense Media is free, so pop in and take a look around.

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Take Control Of Your Financial Future!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Apr 8, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-Bees Giveaways

C’mon, join the cool kids.  You know you want to!  Daily Worth sends free financial information and advice–stuff you can actually use–to your inbox daily.  I have huge issues about women taking control of their own financial future.  Married, single, divorced or widowed, we owe it to ourselves–and usually our children–to know how to create our financial empire.  Don’t laugh–you can!

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Autism Moms, Mark This On Your Calendars…

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Apr 8, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-or Cheap-Family Fun

Hey, locals, get a look at this:

heroAutism Moms, take note:  sometimes the extremely high volume in movie theatres can be very disorienting for a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  (Editor’s note: are you kidding?  I’m not on the spectrum and I stagger out of every movie bleeding from the ears.) There’s a wonderful national program to tone down some of the stimuli and present movies in a calmer, more accepting environment.  Lights are up a bit, sound is down.  Parents are allowed to bring in gluten or casein-free snacks!  Little ones can get up, dance, move around, whatever helps them to enjoy the movie experience more!  How gorgeous is this?  Locally, the Loews Layton Hills 9 is the only participating theater.  Tickets are $4-6 depending on location and can be purchased on the day of the event.  dragonThis Saturday, your little ones can watch “How To Train Your Dragon” at 10am.  Loews is located at:  728 West 1425 North in Layton.    Sneaky inside tip: to find out more about the Sensory Friendly Films Program and a location near you, click HERE.

Thanks, My Kid’s Eye View!

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Home Depot Pro Is Available Again!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Apr 6, 2010 in Activist Mom, Resources

Rosie-the-Riveter-Tin-Sign-C1175-2Turns out you don’t need the gigantic white truck and the massive tool belt to get the insider deals at Home Depot.  Home Depot Pro is a wonderful newsletter that used to be available only to contractors–however you can sign up now to get all the same early access to sales, discounts and special coupons the Pros get.  Viva La Amateur!  Sign up here. 

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1

Welcome To World Autism Awareness Day!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Apr 2, 2010 in Activist Mom, Erin's Diatribes/The Todd's Tastes

autismsDearest friends here in the That Went Well community…I know from reading your letters and sharing tears and hope how many of you are parents to children on the Autism spectrum.  Here in Utah, one out of 70 boys will be diagnosed with ASD, one out of every 110 children.  We’re the third highest in the nation for little ones on the spectrum.  But the numbers are just about the same wherever you’re reading this.  These beautiful children are growing in numbers–skyrocketing, really–and these parents spend every penny, every second of their lives and every ounce of courage, strength and hope to help their little ones live their best life. 

autismPlease find activities in your community this month to support, like the Autism Speaks Walks.  Please offer to babysit or run errands for the mom down the street who’s on her last nerve.  And please, please step out of your comfort zone when you see a person with autism melt down or struggle.  Smile, ask their parent or caregiver if you can help, or even a “hang in there!” will mean everything.  We are all in this together.

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Crucial Safety Offer–Free Gun Locks!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Mar 28, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-Bees Giveaways

My reality: I live in a state where I’m guessing 50% of the population carries a concealed weapon permit.  I’ve used guns–for practice, for practice!–and I think the one thing we can all agree on is safety.  This is an extremely important offer–go here to find a list of local and state police departments that provide free safety kits that include gun locks. 

Thanks, The Freebie Blogger!

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Upcoming Deadline For Scholarships For Moms

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Mar 14, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-Bees Giveaways

hmmmScholarships4Moms awards a new $10,000 scholarship on the 15th, and I wanted to make sure you could apply in time.  Look, most of us dream of going back to school, but even if you could swing childcare, your day job, etc. where would you get the tuition?  $10,000 could go a long way, sister.  You can apply here, it’s a short form.  Good luck!  

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So, Your Kid’s Been Diagnosed With Autism, Now What?

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Mar 7, 2010 in Activist Mom, Erin's Diatribes/The Todd's Tastes, Resources

autismI still remember when one of my most beloved girlies called me with her son’s diagnosis of Autism.  It was only 8 years ago, but when she asked the doctor what to do next, he shrugged his shoulders and said, “uh, sometimes speech therapy helps.”  For any other medical diagnosis, there’s an entire protocol ready for parents.  Most  Autism moms had to struggle to find connections and information.

Since early intervention is key to helping and often even recovering a child from a diagnosis of Autism, the Autism Speaks community’s created a free-bee “100 Day Kit,” which tells parents what to do, where to go, and most importantly helps them find their community so that they’re not alone.  You’re not alone!  Go here for the kit and more information. 

100

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Wear Red For 20% Off At Macy’s

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Feb 1, 2010 in Activist Mom, Coupons

Macy’s stores will be offering a 20% discount both in stores and online from Wednesday February 3rd – Sunday February 7th for any customer who wears red into one of their stores as part of their “Wear Red Sale”.  The 20% discount will be on select regular priced, sale, & clearance items.   Sneaky inside tip: If you forget to wear red, you can purchase a “Red Dress Pin” for $2.00 for the same savings – all proceeds of the pin will go towards the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” movement.

Sneaky inside tip #2:  the same offer applies online for fashion and home purchases, use the code WEARRED to get your 20% discount at checkout.  (Editor’s note: this is a cause near and dear to my heart–get it?  Heart!  Hah!–because of a heart condition I developed during my pregnancy with the twins.  You’d be surprised at how common it is.)

Thanks, my beloved Thrifty Northwest Mom! 

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Have A Little Sweetie With Autism? Here’s A Wonderful, Free-Bee Resource

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Feb 1, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-Bees Giveaways

handsHey locals, take a look at this:

Sketching up autism: Google workshop helps parents and teachers of children with autism. The University of Utah, Google and Universal Studios Creative will host a free workshop and tutorial on the SketchUp software for parents and teachers of children with autistic characteristics. The SketchUp workshop will take place on Saturday, Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. to noon in 320 Alfred Emery Building, 225 S. 1400 East in President’s Circle. The event is free and open to the public. For more information click here.

Sneaky inside tip: if this is something you’d like to bring into your local Autism community, Project Spectrum (http://sketchup.google.com/spectrum),is a partnership between SketchUp and educational outlets, designed to get the software into the hands of kids and teens with autism for free.

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Why We’re Fundraising For Haiti

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Jan 22, 2010 in Activist Mom

help_for_haitiLook at this amazing little man–Kiki was buried in the rubble in Port Au Prince for seven and a half days.  He’s a little skeleton, but look at that smile!  There’s so much hope here…  Go find some tissues before you see this CNN video.  It’s going to make your day.

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Ski Snowbird–Help the Enviornment!

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Jan 19, 2010 in Activist Mom, Free-or Cheap-Family Fun, Recommendations

sled-189x300Hey, locals, take a look at this: Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort has a new “Red Air Days”  promotion. The resort will offer a $20 discount off adult tram and chair tickets on any “red” air quality day in Salt Lake County as designated by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. You must request the  “Red Air Days” discount when purchasing tram or chairs-only tickets at Snowbird ticket offices. The promotion is not valid Feb. 12-15.  Go here for more information.

Sneaky inside tip:  Snowbird also has a $39 ski instruction/lift ticket/rental package this month. Go here for details about that offer.  Snowbird’s justly famous for their special needs ski program.  Specially-trained ski instructors work with little ones with all kinds of challenges, physical, autism, etc. with love and patience.  It’s a joy to see these kids go tearing down the hill!

Thanks, One Cheap Chick!

Sneaky inside tip #2: Interested in more deals? Go to SkiUtah.com and click on “Hot Deals.”

Sneaky inside tip #3:  If you have a child or young adult with special needs, the jewel of the entire special needs community is the National Ability Center.  Based out of Park City, Utah, it offers everything from skiing to rock-climbing to horseback riding at ridiculously low rates, since parents of children with special needs are usually out of money after all the expenses.  People fly in from all around the world for their adaptive programs.  You can learn more here. 

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Help For Haiti

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Jan 16, 2010 in Activist Mom, Charities--what's your passion? Need one?, Erin's Diatribes/The Todd's Tastes

help_for_haitiI’ve been absolutely thrilled and touched with the outpouring of response from my fellow budget bloggers regarding the crisis in Haiti–so many of these women have come up with creative and hopeful ways to offer financial and spiritual support.  Most seem to follow along the lines of donating for each comment they receive.  I will tell you that The Todd and I have already donated to the Red Cross.  If you missed my earlier post, you can simply text “Haiti” to 90999…you will receive a text back asking you to approve the charges…$10.00 will be sent to the State Department’s designated charity, the Red Cross.  You can also donate at www.redcross.org.

Our experiences in radio and working with disaster relief experts has taught us some important lessons, I’m hoping you might find them helpful, too.

1. The days for canned food drives are over.  The disaster relief groups already on the ground can spend your donation and get triple the value in food, medicine, cleaning supplies, etc. because of their connections.  Any food or clothing donations cost more to ship than they’re worth.

2. Don’t under-estimate the power of prayer.  Or…lighting a candle…or meditating…or song…whatever you do to offer spiritual hope and comfort to those suffering.

hope3. Learn about what you can do after the immediate crisis. FEMA executives have told us that the real hope for places like these come after the crisis is past.  Those who developed an interest, read about the region, learned about local charities–these are the people who make the difference in long-term recovery. 

h2The Todd and I are fortunate to know the Aitkens, an amazing  family from Utah who built an orphanage in Haiti and are awaiting word of the three beautiful little ones they’re adopting from there.  They were nearly finished with the paperwork and were going to bring them home in March.  Can you imagine?  So, our passion will be the long-term recovery of Hope For Little Angels of Haiti.  In a couple of months we’ll be holding a fundraiser to rebuild the orphanage and we’ll be going over with the Aikens to work on helping in the recovery of a beautiful culture.  I hope that you will find a project there that inspires your passion as well.  I’ll pass along information about Hope For Little Angels of Haiti as we begin our work–maybe you’d like to be involved!

Love and gratitude to everyone who’s opening their hearts this week!

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Help For Those In Haiti

Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Jan 13, 2010 in Activist Mom, Charities--what's your passion? Need one?

haitiWe’ve all been heartsick as we watched the video stream of despair and destruction come post-earthquake from Haiti yesterday.  Everyone wants to help–but after we spoke to the Director of International Relief from the Red Cross today, he emphasised that financial donations are the most useful thing.  There’s already several fraudulent “charity” appeals running.  The one text option that I can clarify as legitimate is the State Department’s appeal to text “Haiti” to 90999.  This will bill $10.00 to your account, you will be texted back to ask if you agree, and the money will go directly to the Red Cross relief efforts.  You can also donate online at www.redcross.org  I’ll be lighting a candle for these amazing and courageous people tonight…we hope you’ll send love and good wishes in whatever way you choose.

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Posted by Erin (and sometimes The Todd) on Jan 9, 2010 in Activist Mom, Charities--what's your passion? Need one?

It costs you nothing but a couple of minutes to click…

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