Sharing Time . . .

Are you hungry?
I'm always hungry . . . or so it seems. I had to share. I LOVE Hungry Girl's web site. If you need to lose a few pounds, a lot of pounds, are a Weight Watcher's point person, or just want to eat healthier, you've got to check them out (NO, I swear I am not getting paid for this . . . well, unless someone wants to send me some money). Anyway, they have a great newsletter with "Eat This, Not That" suggestions, news (such as the whole sweetener alternative controversy), recipe alternatives, and one of my favorites, dieting/healthy/alternative food reviews. They also give you the in on great deals on food and the related including coupons, freebies, and more.

Anyway, why am I telling you this? Because I am desperate to get in shape (more on the reason for my desperation--then again, aren't we all a little desperate in this area?--in a later post). Delight.com (unique gifts, accessories, great deals, home products, and more) is offering free shipping to Hungry Girls. Just enter HGDelight when you check out! The offer ends this Friday. Oh, and click HERE for a buy one get one free coupon Atkins Advantage bars.

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Care to win a trip?
Wanna get fit and maybe win a trip to a resort in Mexico? Well, Self is having a contest. What motivation! I'm so big on incentives. And, you know, that whole "I worked out for an hour, I deserve a brownie" philosophy just isn't working. REGISTER for the three-month fit plan and enter the contest!

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Want a FREE new car?
OK, this one goes against my healthy theme, but who cares . . . it is American Idol! You can win a Ford Focus and a trip to the AI finale by entering the Pringles Sweeps. There is a tag line on the site that says, "Both Pringles and American Idol promote and support healthy living habits." Hmmm, so maybe I haven't strayed too far from my healthy them after all.

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Want FREE stuff?
Have I told you about MyPoints? How many of you are members? If not, you need to be! In the interest of full disclosure, yeah, I might make a few bucks if you sign up through me--but what is really important is that I have been a member for nearly 8 years and in that time I have accumulated hundreds of dollars in gift certificates. I usually opt for Walmart, but I've earned gift certificates to Old Navy, Olive Garden, Amazon, and others! I even used some for Christmas gifts). Believe it or not, it doesn't take long to accumulate points either. First off, it is totally FREE to join and if you don't mind clicking on links in e-mail messages, taking a few surveys, and using them as a gateway to your favorite shopping sites (sometimes you can earn up to 10 points per dollar spent!) then you have to try it! Join MyPoints NOW!


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Can you really RENT this stuff?
OK, I time for a "Why the heck didn't I think of that" moment. I was watching the Today show and there is this mom (one SMART mama!) who RENTS toys in the same way Netflix rents DVDs. According to the news segment, there is a cost savings of up to $300 a year (and that is if you are like the average parents who spent upwards of $1000 a year in toys). The site is called Baby Plays. Here's how it works--you visit the site, choose toys to put on your wish list, once you receive them have junior play with them for 30 days or longer, and then ship them back. They provide the tape and label and you use the same box--the only downfall is having to take them to a UPS store. The toys are sanitized, lead-tested, kid-tested (to get the very best toys), shrink-wrapped before you get them!

Here are the plans:

Plan: Silver
Description: 4 Toys per month
Commitment Length: 3 Months
Rate: $36.99

*Considering you will spent an average of $15 per toy, this is a savings of nearly 50%. THAT is if you buy four ($60) toys a month. Regardless, the $36.99 price tag is still a little hard to swallow. But, then again, maybe that is because I buy one toy at a time so I don't see the total cost, which probably closes in on $50+ a month.

Plan: Gold
Description: 6 Toys per month
Commitment Length: 3 Months
Rate: $47.99

Plan: Gold Plus
Description: 6 Toys per month
Commitment Length: 12 Months
Rate: $42.99

Plan: Platinum - Best Value
Description: 10 Toys per month
Commitment Length: 3 Months
Rate: $64.99

Since I'm still working with baby shower toys and toys from friends/family, I haven't had to spend too much just yet, but every time I go to the toy store I get sticker shock. I mean $10 here and $25 there can really add up! I'm all for him playing with my Tupperware and other household toys, but some of these toys are COOL! The jury is still out on this one. If you try it or know someone who has or is (the site just started last October) let us know if it is worth it.

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A Huge THANKS!
THANK YOU!!! Thanks to all those who voted for me at Rebecca's Writer's Round-About! And a big thanks to Rebecca for hosting it. I won second place which is a . . . drum roll please . . . $50 gift certificate to AMAZON! Woo hoo!!! In the spirit of happiness and charity, I think I may have to hold a contest of my own! I LOVE winning stuff so much (I've won two contests since I started blogging--before that, the only thing I had ever won was a He Man action figure from Bubblicious gum--not kidding--and yes, I proudly claimed my prize.) that I have to share the joy. Stay tuned for details!

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And another big THANKS!

Pam at Random Thoughts gave me this lovely bouquet! I simply adore her blog. She's a teacher, like me, and has two adorable children, like me but minus one. Her little boy turned 10 months today! I can't imagine J at 10 months, but then again, I couldn't imagine him at 6 months!

I have to pass these on to Rebecca at Writer's Round-About for hosting that fabulous contest. She is so bright and her site is a must-visit for writers.

Also, I pass this on to Swishy from Waiting for My Real Life to Begin. I LOVE her posts--they make me laugh and go "hmmm..."! She has such a cool perspective on life--and her observations are hilarious!

And finally, although Cecily over at My Chaos My Bliss has enough visitors and awards to choke an elephant, what the heck is one more? She deserves it! So, here's a bouquet from me! She is AWESOME and I love, love, love pics of her little cuties!