Vitacost - 10% Off Your Entire Order - 24 Hours Only!

Vitacost is having a 10% off sale, for only 24 hours.  To get your discount, enter code TEN212B at checkout.  The sale ends at 12 PM EDT on 10/30/12.  It's a good time to stock up on vitamins and other health essentials - they don't give these extra discounts often!

Walgreens Coupon - 15-20% off - Friday Oct. 19th Only!

Walgreens is having a "Friends & Family" savings event on Friday, October 19th.  Online, they are offering an extra 15% off of eligible items, plus free shipping on order over $25.  To take advantage of the discount, enter coupon code FAMILY15 at checkout.

In store, they are offering an extra 15% off of all eligible items, and an extra 20% off of Walgreens, W Brand, and Nice! products.  To get your printable coupons, click here. 

Discount exclusions are included in the link above.  Now would be a great time to stock up on toiletries and personal items!

Free Haircuts at JCPenney's For Breast Cancer Survivors

JCPenney Salons are offering free haircuts during the month of October for breast cancer survivors, in honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Although it is currently mid-month, there is still time to get in on a free haircut if you are a survivor.  In order to receive your free haircut, you will need to call your local JCPenney salon (or stop by) and schedule an appointment.  What a great way to do something special for yourself! 

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix - Yum!

Have you ever looked at all of the ingredients in a packet of instant hot cocoa?  There are tons of ingredients, some of which are unpronounceable.  I have a recipe for making your own instant hot cocoa mix, with only three ingredients.  Super simple, very yummy!  It's getting to be that time of year when my kids are coming in from playing outside and asking for a cup of hot cocoa.  This recipe is kid approved!  It is also a thrifty, easy way to make hot cocoa.  I hope your family enjoys this as much as mine does!

Instant Hot Cocoa Mix

1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups powdered milk

In a large bowl mix powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and powdered milk together until evenly blended.  Store mixture in a covered container.

To make hot cocoa, use 1/4 cup mixture per mug.  Add hot water, mix well.  Top with whatever you desire - whipped cream, marshmallows, etc.  Or just drink it plain - that's good too!  For an interesting twist, add coffee instead of hot water for a simple, yummy mocha drink.

Labor Day Blowout At Zulily!

Zulily is having a great sale this weekend in honor of Labor Day.  While it looks like there are many deals to be had, they have one especially good deal.  Children's coats are on sale from around $10-$20 a piece.  If you haven't gotten a winter coat for your kids yet this year, it looks like you can get a great deal and save lots of money for a brand new coat.  They also have fall jackets for under $10 a piece.  I hope you can find some good deals!  Happy shopping!

My Village - By Guest Blogger Heather Von St. James

Today, I am welcoming guest blogger Heather Von St. James.  She is a cancer survivor who is eager to share her story and be an encouragement to others.  You can learn more about her inspiring story on her blog.  I hope you all enjoy her guest post about the importance of community, and the role it played during her illness and recovery.  Welcome, Heather - and thanks for sharing a part of your amazing experience with us!

My Village

If you’ve ever had children, you’ve probably heard the wise saying, “It takes village to raise a child.” The birth of my daughter taught me its meaning. Lily was born on August 4th, 2005. The pregnancy went smoothly. At first, our excited families and friends surrounded my husband and me. Looking back, there was no way to prepare for the heartbreak ahead.

After returning to work, I started experiencing odd symptoms. Only a month after resuming full time hours, I felt constantly tired. I dismissed it at first, assuming it was related to being a new mother, but the lack of energy persisted. I even felt short of breath. I finally consulted my doctor. On November 21, 2005, after many medical tests, I got the answer. Lily had only been with us for 3 ½ months when I had to face a diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma. This cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs is almost always caused by asbestos exposure. Unknown to me, I had been exposed to it around 30 years ago when I was a child.

My first concerns were for my little girl, my husband, and of how they would manage without me. My prognosis was grave. I was given about 15 months to live without treatment. I decided to do everything in my power to survive, no matter what. With such a dire prediction, I had nothing to lose. I chose to take on the most extreme treatment for mesothelioma. On February 2nd, my husband and I flew to Boston, and I underwent extrapleural pneumenectomy. The surgery removed my left lung. I recovered for 18 days in the hospital. Following this, I spent two months in recovery before starting chemotherapy and eventually radiation—all as a first time mom.

This experience gave me new understanding of the old adage about villages. Without the love, prayers and daily support from those around us, I don’t see how we could have managed. Help came from people in many different parts of our lives. Some of it was unexpected. People we never knew cared gave full support. People we assumed we could rely on sometimes disappeared. Cancer has a way of revealing who really cares about you and who doesn’t.

While we were in Boston, my parents raised Lily. Fortunately, they had their own village of people who helped. Girls who I once babysat offered to watch Lily while my parents worked at their full time jobs. People from the church engulfed them with generosity and genuine love. In the meantime, my husband and I met new friends in Boston. We shared our struggles with incredible people who were going through the same ordeal. It helped get us through each day.

In my hometown of South Dakota, Lily was learning to roll and scoot across the floor. She started to eat solid food. I experienced these joys through the grainy pictures my mother emailed. My husband printed them for me, and I shared them tearfully with the nurses who fawned over Lily just as I did. She was the reason I was there, fighting for my life. Throughout my battle, my daughter was in the very best hands. My parents formed a bond with Lily that time and distance can never diminish.

Now, we have a family policy of embracing life and treating it as a fragile, precious thing. Life isn’t always easy, but we give it 100 percent no matter what it throws our way. My favorite quote is “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.” I believe this. Cancer brings both bad and good things. As horrible as the experience was, I am grateful for the good that came from it.

Prepare & File Your Taxes For Free Online

It's that time of year again!  The dreaded tax season (cue scary music).  For many years now, I have used Free File through the IRS to use H&R Block software to complete and file our tax return for free.  It's relatively simple and straightforward, and usually any questions I have are answered by the text boxes on the H&R Block website.  I mostly just input my tax information (W-2's, other miscellaneous tax information), and the computer software does all the math.  Of course, if you have a really complicated tax situation, you may want to hire a tax preparer to do your taxes.  To qualify, your adjusted gross income must be less than $57,000, and you must be under 52 years of age.  On the IRS website, it stated that 70% of all taxpayers fall into that category - so that would mean a majority of taxpayers are eligible for this. 

To take advantage of Free File, you must access the commercial tax software through the IRS website.  If you go straight to the company you want to use, you will be charged.  Here is the the link directly to the IRS Free File page.  Follow the links on that webpage to find and select the tax preparation company of your choice.  Good luck, and happy tax preparing (is there such a thing?)!

Hancock Fabrics Coupons - Good Ones!

Hancock Fabrics is having a Martin Luther King Jr. sale, and they have some good discount deals going on.  If you need to stock up on craft supplies, now is the time to do it!  These coupons are good through Sunday, January 15, 2012.

$10 off of $50 purchase - online code MLK10
$25 off of $100 purchase - online code MLK25
$50 off of $200 purchase - online code MLK50

These coupon deals can also be used in-store.  For the printable coupons, click here!