Monthly Archives: October 2009

Fall Deals of the Week

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In order of Halloween, Deals of the Week (DoWs) have a certain seasonal flair.  Discounts include photos, costumes, food, candy, and other fun tricks and treats.  A lot are for parties – not even Halloween related…stock up for office or classroom parties!

Amazon.com’s selling Nestle, Mars, and Wonka Candy for a great discount!

Amazon’s Halloween Headquarters lets you save $10 on Select Costume Orders over $50 from

Breyer’ Yogurt – Get a coupon good for a FREE YoCrunch Yogurt when you mail any Halloween Candy wrapper to: Shaina Zalma / YoCrunch / 9507 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste. 300 / Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Nestle Family save $1.00 Off Any Bag of Nestle Candy + $1.00 Off Wonka Candies when you register or sign in to print your 2 coupons for these candies.

Oriental Trading is offering 20%off any order now through Oct. 29, 2009 use coupon code SW1019778.  Ground shipping sent today (Oct. 20th will be delivered by Oct. 26!)

Party City is offering all kinds of $10 off on $30 or more, 50% off Halloween Supplies, KidsPatterned Tableware online w/ Coupon code: PCBARBIE10 and Coupon code: PCWELCOME50, respectively, exp. 12/31/09.  Don’t forget to follow @PartyCity and on Facebook.

Sears lets you take 40% off Halloween costumes w/ $5.00 OFF $25.00.  Coupon code: S5OFF25.

Spirit Halloween is offering all kinds of Halloween deals, don’t forget to follow them on Twitter @spiritonline and fan them on Facebook.  Use the following to save $5, $15, $30 on entire purchase w/ SAV5, SAV15, and SAV30 respectively.  Also take 20% off any single item, online with coupon code: SOCIETY, exp: 10/31/09, print here.

SplendidLife.com is offering a free Gift Cookie Cutter Set with Purchase AND 25% OFF with Free Shipping!!  Coupon code: AFOCT and NEWS.

The Scholastic Store is offering 10% off all online AND free shipping for purchases over $25!  Use coupon code SSHLWN by Oct. 26th!

Walgreens is offering 20% off Halloween Costumes, Accessories & Décor w/ coupon code: PUMPKIN, Exp: 10/27/09.

Walgreens Photos is also offering 25 FREE when you purchase 25 using coupon code EXTRAFREE by Oct. 24th.  Walgreen’s mailing list frequently sends out good offers.

Yankee Candle – $10 Off a $25 Purchase (Online+ In-Store) exp. 11/14, coupon code: H4XFOP.

Halloween Tailgating Events

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Haven’t caught the fall spirit yet this year?  Have to much stuff to do already?  Kids can’t stop talking about the big day?  This post includes all kinds of Halloween tailgating events to get you and your family psyched for the big day!  Fun things to do and entertain through the upcoming weeks!

This Halloween series of posts will include:

  • Halloween WoW – Holiday special, this website of the week is a real treat!
  • Halloween Tailgating – Tailgating events to get you psyched for game day!  Get Halloween to “go green” and find friend and family fun!
  • Trick or Treating – Check out my ideas to breathe new life into an age old tradition!  Great ideas for individuals, families, neighbors, and friends.

Go Green!!  …and not from candy…

Go green, win big!! ChicoBag and Green Halloween’s® 2nd ANNUAL TRICK-OR-TREAT BAG DESIGN CONTEST – “Children ages 1-13 are encouraged to enter the contest by submitting an original drawing best depicting the spirit of a Green Halloween.”

Who: Ghosts and Goblins ages 1-13

What: An original design depicting the “spirit” of a Green Halloween

When: Images due October 24, 2009 by 5:00 PM Pacific Time. (Winner will be notified no later than 11/5/09.)

Ghouly Girls and Bootiful Boys Boys can create the 2010 Green Halloween ChicoBag™ and win a bag of green goodies!

Monster Mashup – Oriental Trading Company came up with a great website to easily make mashup video with up to 5 of your closet friends with an awesome Halloween backdrop!  I made one with my daughter of her and her friends and she almost died laughing! Easily share with your friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Check out the one I did of San Antonio Social Media super stars @ColleenPence, @Nanpalmero, @1337wine, @ashleypalmero, and @anaflores!

Bonus:  Upload your pictures or use existing pictures from Facebook!  Using FacebookConnect, you can select from your existing photo albums or use friends!  It was super simple to do!  Don’t forget you can also resize the area around the face to select – for optimal mashup potential!

Halloween Tailgating

There are a lot of fun events going on before Halloween even gets here!  Don’t wait until the end of the month; check your newspaper for local events!

1 – Bass Pro Shop! You heard me right!  I have been more and more impressed with the activities offered here!  Oct. 24/25 and Oct. 30/31, get there early and stay for different crafts and activities offered throughout the day and store!  Make a leather craft, rope a bronco, partake in kid costume parades, paint a craft pumpkin, roast marshmallows, and lots of other GREAT events!

2 – Lakeshore Learning Store! Enjoy making a different Halloween themed craft each Saturday during the month of October.  Crafts include silly scarecrows, countdown calendars, and other things to drive you batty while your child has a lot of fun!  All locations from 11am-3pm.

3 – Pumpkin Patches! This was one of my favorite October traditions!  Find a local pumpkin patch, maybe as cool as this one – South Texas Maize!  Right outside of San Antonio, TX…it even has a corn maze (one kid friendly and one more difficult!)  Help you kids select their own pumpkins, snack on fall snacks, take a hayride, and automatically have the picture backdrop for Halloween pictures.

I’ll also continue to update this post as I find more family friendly events as well!  Check back for that and my next post on alternatives to trick or treating or ways to spice it up!

Website of the Week | Trick or Treat for UNICEF

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Create an unforgettable Halloween for the entire family!  I have scoured the internet to consolidate the best fun activities that not only encourage a good, safe time but help the community, environment, and result in much more than just cavities.

My Halloween Series includes:

  • Halloween WoW – Holiday special, this website of the week is a real treat!
  • Halloween Countdown – What to do while you’re waiting!  Get Halloween to “go green” and find friend and family fun!
  • Trick or Treating – Check out my ideas to breathe new life into an age old tradition!  Great ideas for individuals, families, neighbors, and friends!

I’ve always enjoyed Halloween – it’s a fun holiday regardless of your age.  This year though, instead of waiting for the true meaning of Christmas to roll around, use Halloween as an opportunity to show your kids that they shouldn’t just look forward to the sweet stuff at the end of the month but they can ALSO offer a lot of treats too!

Website of the Week (WoW): UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund)

A global organization that saves kids’ lives in over 150 countries by providing clean water, nutrition, medicines, education and aid in emergencies.  They’re also offering awesome ways to raise awareness and contributions!

UNICEF’s Media Savvy

  • Follow @unicefusa’s tweets on Twitter.  (Not on Twitter yet?  Twitter 101 from basics to advanced users here!)
  • Become a Fan on Facebook!
  • Join their cause – By clicking on the “Join Cause” button, you can track how much money you’re raising, see how others are doing, and join the discussions online!

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

Encourage your child to help other kids, all over the world, survive and get the basic essentials they need to live better, fuller lives!  Bring around your orange box to collect money in while trick or treating.  Check out their PDF of FAQ here.

  • Practice What you Preach – Does your child get a little gun shy?  Don’t wait until opening night to find out what lines your kid’s going to deliver?  UNICEF even has an online game to help kids practice what they’re going to say.

***Parents check out these resources to help understand and explain the importance of giving back, now and throughout the year!

Available anytime between now and Halloween.  Don’t feel like waiting? Download the materials to make your own collection canister here.

***P&G will double HGTV TV viewers’s tax-deductible donations made online between October 18th and October 31st!

Halloween Party Toolkit

Includes EVERYTHING you need to throw a fun, successful, and informative fundraising party!

  • Invitations
  • “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF” Door Sign
  • Stickers, Window Cling, and Door Hanger
  • Text-or-Treat Mobile Giving Cards – hand out during the party for your guests to contribute at their convience.
  • UNICEF DVD – Download the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF DVD, to show your guests how their contributions will be used.

Whether you’re throwing a party for a lot of people or just your family, take advantage of this awesome offer!

Create Your Own Website

Your child, their school, your organization, or just you can create your very own online fundraising Mecca!  In a few easy steps, save the lives a children across the world by:

  • Creating a monetary goal
  • Personalizing your website – easy to update and use!  (Can even create personalized URLs.)
  • Send out to friends and families…encourage everyone to participate!

UNICEF Download Center

Don’t have enough stuff yet?!  With enough activities to entertain you and your children for hours, take advantage of all the FREE resources available!  Download the fundraising kit, ultimate resource kit, or check out the entire sub-site dedicated for teachers!

TeachUNICEF

TeachUNICEF is a resource for U.S. educators.  TeachUNICEF education materials have been designed to help educators bring a global understanding of the needs of children and families around the world into the classroom.

Delivering the Goods

UNICEF makes it easy to turn in donations by phone, online, mail, or even your local Coinstar center!  Turn in all the coins you collect instantly and send off your receipt.

And you don’t have to have kids for a lot of my suggestions – grab a group of your friends, your co-workers, and celebrate the end of harvest time with the season of sharing!

DoW: Best deals, coupons, and online/instore offers this week!

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Check out over 20 great online coupons, in-store coupons, and other great offers going on this week and on!

Best DoW (Deal of the Week):

American Cancer Society: When you pay $29.99, not only does 100% of your purchase go to the American Cancer Society, but you also get $700 worth of coupons, upgrades, and gift certificates for a fraction of the cost, instantly!!  As soon as your online transaction has completed you’re emailed a list of items you purchase included, including promotional codes for immediate online access!

You also have the ability to donate additionally to the American Cancer Society!

$29.99 will buy you:

1  FIRST 2500 BUNDLES ONLY! Papa John’s: $10 Gift Card

2  Restaurant.com: $25 Gift Certificate

3  Skype: 1 Month Unlimited* US & Canada Subscription

4  Trend Micro: AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware 2010

5  Gap: $20 off $100 purchase at Gap.com

6  TripIt: 6 Months of TripIt Pro

7  ZAGAT: 3 Month Subscription to ZAGAT.com

8  Corel: Photo Album 7

9  PETCO.com: $25 Coupon off $100 Purchase

10  Hotels.com: $50 Off a 3 Night Stay

11  1-800-Flowers.com: $20 Savings Pass

12  Snapfish: 16×20 Poster

13  Evernote: $25 off Evernote Premium

14  WinZip: Winzip 12.1 Standard

15  Shoebuy: $10 Gift Certificate

16  Threadless Tees: $5 Coupon

17  Collectorz: Movie Collector – Standard Edition

18  Nordstrom: $20 Rebate with a $100 Purchase

19  RoboForm Pro

20  Mozy: 50% Off One Year of MozyHome Unlimited

21  Playfirst: Diner Dash

22  ImTOO/Xilisoft: 3GP Video Converter

23  Foxit: PDF Creator

24  CircuitCity.com $10 off $100 purchase

25  Dropbox: 3 Months of Dropbox Pro (50GB)

26  CyberLink: MediaShow 5

27  Picnik: 6 Months of Picnik Premium

28  23andMe: $50 Off the Full Edition

29  Lancôme: Free Shipping on ANY Order Plus Four Deluxe Samples

30  SmugMug: $25 Off a SmugMug Account

31  PopCap Games: Bejeweled 2

32  GoDaddy: 1 Domain

Other great deals and coupons, in alphabetical order!

  • Austin City Limits Music Festival: offers their digital sampler MP3 for download which features 16 artists!  Code: LT4JHL9LXXFP exp. 10/31
  • Babies R Us: Up to 70% Off All Clearance Nursery Furniture + $100 Off Crib Collections (In-Store) exp. 10/15.
  • Big Lots: take 20% off entire purchase (in-store printable) 10/5/2009 through 10/10/2009 with coupon.
  • Express: up to 70% off sale + extra 20% off clearance items Coupon code: 4490
  • Jelly Belly: $5 off $25, $10 off $50 Coupon code: 5OFF ($5 off $25), Coupon code: 10OFF ($10 off $50).
  • Jiffy Lube: Save $5 at Jiffy Lube with this coupon through the end of the year!! Exp 1/1/10. *Print out a couple of these coupons out and leave in your glove box!
  • Joann: 40% Off Any One Regular-Priced Item (In-Store Printable coupon) .
  • Michael’s:  40% Off Any One Regular Price Item (In-Store Printable) Exp. 10/14
  • Naturalizer: 30% off with NO minimum purchase…Coupon code: FFJ39.
  • Nautica: 50-70% off Final Sale +Additional 20% off , $20 off + Free Shipping on Men’s Sweater Coupon code: FINAL20, Exp: 10/11/09.
  • Office Depot: $10 Off a $40 Purchase (Online,In-Store, Fax, Phone) Coupon code: 10646773, exp: 10/10/09.
  • Oriental Trading Company: $10 Off $30, $20 Off $69 + Free Shipping Coupon code: HE1086658, Exp: 10/15/09.
  • Oriental Trading Company: 20% Off Any Item Coupon code: HE1052223, exp. 10/15.
  • P.F Chang’s: 10% Off Your Bill For The Rest Of The Year (Warrior Card Holders). Follow their tweets on @pfchangs and become a P.F Chang’s fan on Facebook.
  • The Children’s Place: 20% off online Coupon code: J69RC46TW99, Exp: 11/01/09.
  • The Children’s Place: 20% Off Online Coupon Coupon code: J69RC46TW99, Exp: 11/01/09.
  • Victoria’s Secret: $15 off $100, $30 off $150, and more + Free Shipping on $100 Purchase Coupon code: FA918649, ($15 off $100, $30 off $150, $75 off $250, $150 off $500) Coupon code: FA919069, Exp: 10/30/09. *Free Shipping over $100
  • Victoria’s Secret: free VS panties with any purchase AND $10 Off Any Full-Priced Bra (In-Store)
  • World Market: 10% Off In-Store for you and a friend… save 10% on the next purchase from 10/03/09 – 10/10/09.
  • Yankee Candle: $10 off a $25 Purchase (Online + In-Store) Coupon code: H4XFOP, Exp: 10/31/09