Frugal Experiments From Around The Web - Weekly Round-up 2/23/2013

Wow! Another week has gone by already! Time sure seems to fly sometimes, doesn’t it? I’ve kept myself quite busy this week. I have joined my church’s Easter play this year. This is something that is WAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!! out of my comfort zone. I tend to like to keep a low profile – I’m very shy by nature, but God has been doing a work in me and I seem to be coming out of my shell. Anyway, I only have 1 real line, but I have to walk all through the congregation to try to get to Jesus while speaking my line! YIKES! Then, after Jesus heals me of my affliction, I have to rush out of the sanctuary exuberantly – shouting praise!

Anyway, this week’s roundup is filled with great ideas for giving up meat for Lent, without sacrificing taste or satisfaction. You’ll find links to many great reviews of some interesting products and books, lots of giveaways to enter and a few freebies. I hope you enjoy them.

Tell me, have you ever done something that is way out of your comfort zone and found that you absolutely loved doing it?

News of Note:

Articles:
DIY Dresser Makeover
6 Facts about Our Finances
WOMEN and money: Please start saving today!
How to Save Money at the Movies

Recipes
For Lent
Meat Free Friday ideas for Lent
How to Substitute Bulgur Wheat for Ground Beef in Your Recipes – Save Money & Be Healthy!
Tuna and Spaghetti ~ Great Meat-free dish for Lent and Beyond

For St. Patrick’s Day
Celtic Knot Rolls (for St. Patrick’s Day)
Rainbow Cupcakes – Perfect for St. Pattys Day!

All the Rest
Really Easy Shepherds Pie
Easy healthy recipe: Butterball Turkey, Tomato & Cucumber Sandwich
Creamy green chili chicken burritos

Gluten Free Faux Rice Recipe

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Book Reviews:
Book Review: The Art of Falling in Love by Joe Beam
Book Review and Tour: Unbreakable by Nancy Mehl
Book Review and Tour: Discover Together Revelation Bible Study by Sue Edwards
Little House Living Meal Planning Made Simple eBook Review

Product Reviews:
Funbites Cutter
FitBit One Review
HTY Gold
Nuby Sound Bite Spoon Review
Tiny Love Pack & Go Mini Mobile Review
Snuggly Toes Review
L’Oreal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream Review
Pony Feathers Review

Giveaways:
$35 Orly Store Credit(Nail products) Giveaway by Beauty Stop Online ends 02/24 -continental US only
30-Day Supply of Premama Drink Mix – Ends 02/25/2013 US
Boylan Soda 12-pack 02/25 US
Dwarven beard hat giveaway, open USA ends 2/26/2013
$250 in your choice of Melissa & Doug Toys. Open to US/ CAN. Ends 02/26
Case of organic fruit.0 snacks Giveaway-ARV $24.99 ends 02/26 -continental US only
Spoiled Rotten Box packed full of gifts for cat or dog from Pet Flow, ends 2/27 US
$30 giftcode to Frecklebox US & Can ends 2/27
Nuby Flip Flop Teether Book 02/27 US
Handmade From The Heart Giveaway Blog Hop open to US only and I’m going to personally work with the winner to make some unique creations just for them.
Auric Blends perfume 2/28 US
YumEarth Gummy Bears US 02/28
$15 Target Gift Card US/ CAN 2/28
Cold Survival Kit from Kleenex CAN ends Feb 28
Valentines Wedding Extravaganza-ends 2/28
Real Kids Shades Giveaway – winners choice (style, size and color). US 03/01
2 Coupons for a FREE box of Honey Bunches of Oats Giveaway US 03/01
What’s New from The Orb Factory? US/CAN 3/1
That’s It. Fruit Bars US 03/02
Shushybye DVD Collection 3/2 18+, US
signed copy of book- Courtesy Bootcamp- Giveaway ends 03/02-open worldwide
Domeo iPad Case 3/3 US
Journeys of Faithfulness ends on 3/3 open to US
Cuddle Up With Cariloha US/CAN 3/3
Funky Monkey Snacks US 03/06
Home Cooking Set which contains 2 Rok’s US only Ends 3/7
$60 Office Candy Gift Certificate (US) 3/7
Streaming ChromeBook Laptop, open to USA & Canada and ends 3/7
THe Idiots Guide to Vegan Slow Cooking giveaway (US ends 3/8)
1 of 6 $50 Metal Pressions Giveaway – Ends 3/13 US
iPad/Surface giveaway. Open WW. Ends 3/16

Freebies:

Free Designer Poster, 4×6 Magnet OR 4×6 Custom Softcover Book from York Photo – Use Code: WONDERFUL Expires February 28, 2013 – New Customers Only – Just pay shipping (Shipping varies by product).
Signup for Rexall’s Good Health Newsletter. Be the first to know about coupons, health & wellness, and online savings.

For the Kindle:

At the time of this writing all of the following books were FREE. Warning: Prices change frequently. PLEASE check that the price is still FREE BEFORE buying. If you see a price for “Prime Members” or “read for free”, then the book is no longer free. Be sure to follow me on Twitter. I tweet out all the free Kindle books I download, as soon as I download them.
Fiction
All For One by Ryne Douglas Pearson – The darkest secrets we keep even from ourselves… Mary Austin is the kind of teacher that parents adore and children wish for. Firm and compassionate, a guiding light in their lives, she would do anything to protect her students. But that loyalty is tested when the school’s sadistic bully is found dead on campus, and suspicion falls on six children in her class. None willing to talk. To point the finger. To reveal the killer.
An Offer He Can’t Refuse by Theresa Ragan – Madison needs a husband fast. Someone who can put on the performance of his life…someone tall, dark and temporary.
Because We Are: A Novel of Haiti by Ted Oswald – When a mother and her infant are murdered on the outskirts of Cité Soleil, Haiti’s most infamous slum, two unexpected detectives emerge: Libète, a brash and headstrong girl of ten, and her brilliant but impoverished friend Jak.
Playing the Genetic Lottery by Terri Morgan – At fifteen, Ava ran away from home and changed her name to Caitlin to escape the chaotic childhood of having two schizophrenic parents. However, she lives with the constant fear of what lies in her DNA. Will she succumb to the disease that robbed her of a normal childhood? Will her children be the next victims of the family curse?
Contingency (Covenant of Trust) by Paula Wiseman – Where was God? Bobbi Molinsky’s comfortable life is shattered when a forwarded email from her husband’s account lands in her inbox. The email teases, “My whole evening is free again.” After an angry confrontation with Chuck, she is left with the broken remains of an eighteen year marriage. Where is God? Bobbi agrees forgiving Chuck is the right thing, the God-honoring thing to do, but it leaves her empty and isolated. Teaching her second-graders is a burden. Taking care of her boys saps all her energy. It seems God Himself has walked away, leaving her to struggle alone. Is God faithful? Bobbi can’t deny the transformation in Chuck, but genuine forgiveness requires trust, and trust is a risk she’s not willing to take. Can she let go of her deepest, most primal fears and save her marriage?

Non-Fiction
My Treasures – Four Week Mini Bible Study (Becoming Press Mini Bible Studies) by Heather Bixler – There are plenty of Christian resources out there telling us how to manage our money. From budgeting, to couponing, to saving, to investing, (there are numerous) books, courses, and blogs available for all Christians to learn how to steward their money to better honor and glorify the Lord.
Amazing Quinoa: Easy Recipes the Whole Family Will Love! (Healthy Cookbook Series) by Vesela Tabakova – How amazing is that! I have finally found a super-food that is not only good for your health but also delicious! And the best part is that it is probably the easiest food to cook and can be incorporated into practically any recipe from breakfast to dessert. It is no wonder that quinoa is becoming more and more popular. It is the only plant in the world that has all nine amino acids, making it a complete protein. It is full of vitamins and antioxidants, and has prebiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. I am offering you my recipes for this tiny, gluten-free seed and hope you and your family will enjoy them.
Green Smoothie Recipes and 99 Fountain of Youth Superfood Secrets by Kristin Schiffer – Who else wants to gain access to unlimited energy, a better body, and feel 10 years younger? Look better Feel better Live longer That is the secret of superfoods. Green smoothies and superfoods are the key to unlocking your fountain of youth! Discover exactly why these foods are so powerful with the secrets and recipes discussed in this incredible new book. Backed by scientific research, centuries of knowledge, and present day testimonials, Kristin Schiffer reveals 99 superfoods that will literally transform your life and your health faster than you believed possible. With dozens of green smoothie recipes and ideas offered in this handy guide, you will be amazed at how easy it really is to supercharge your diet and your life.
Craft Business Power: 15 Days To A Profitable Craft Business by Jason G. Miles – It has never been easier to start a home based business using the Internet to sell what you make. A whole generation of young families are enjoying additional income because they’ve learned to make and sell from the comfort of their home. The potential is real and the impact on household budgets can be life changing.
Flow: An Illuminated Training Manual. How to Thrive in Love, Work, and Play by Steven Budden – Flow: An Illuminated Training Manual. How to Thrive in Love, Work, and Play is the product of 10 years of diligent research and striving to bring myself back out of the depths and into bliss. For a decade I used my body and my life as an alchemical laboratory.
How To Stop Staring At A Blank Page and Start Writing by Lisa Cherry – What is the number one thing that you would like to do with your writing? Blogging for pleasure, writing a journal, blogging for business or writing your own book! So why can’t you get started? You’re filled with ideas and inspiration but something stops you from getting on with your writing project. The Author, herself a writer who took twenty years to write, brings you this workbook which is designed to unblock whatever it is that is stopping you from writing. Filled with exercises and reflections and a space for your own personal goals, this is a chance to unblock your writing creativity and get started! Enjoy the process and adore the results….

Coupons:

Instead of making this round-up WAY TOO LONG by posting every printable coupon that comes out during the week, I have started posting updates daily on the blog. Here’s the link to the Printable Coupons category here on the blog. Fire up your printer and print them while they’re still available!

Sign up for CoolSavings and start saving with over $50 in grocery coupons, 200+ online discounts from your favorite retailers, helpful savings tips, and much more.

Great Deals:

There’s No Place Like Home… for Great Deals Save up to 75% at restaurants, salons, and other businesses in your hometown. See where AmazonLocal is now and sign up to get free deal e-mails when we’re in your city. Amazon Local Deals Up To 75% off

Make Money

Plink – Get Paid To Eat Out + Get a $5 Gift Card – Get rewards for dining and shopping offline! It’s FREE and easy to get started: 1. Link your credit card. 2. Dine and shop offline. 3. Earn rewards! Get gift cards from Amazon, Starbucks, iTunes, Wal-Mart and more!
MySavings Media – Promote brand name coupons and free product samples on your web site or blog.
With TurboTax you’ll get your biggest tax refund guaranteed, with 100% accurate calculations, free help, and step by step guidance so you are confident your taxes are done right. Join the TurboTax Affiliate program and see the earning power of tax season! TurboTax is the #1 Rated, Best-Selling tax software brand year after year.
Endorse is a free mobile app that gives you 100% cash back on your everyday purchases! Refer a friend and when they join, Endorse will add $1.00 to your referral account balance for each verified referral, up to $500!
Ibotta’s a free mobile app that gives consumers a new way to earn money while they shop. It’s a pretty awesome way to earn a little money. You gotta shop for groceries, right? You might as well get paid a bit for it! This can be used with coupons. – Win-Win! – Refer your friends and when they sign up you get $1!
Social Influencers: Make money with your Pinterest account! Choose campaigns from their ad inventory, post them on social networks and earn every time it receives a click. Get paid every 2 weeks as soon as you reach 30 dollars! Join viraliti now (their in private invite mode right now, so sign up and get in early!)
Earn money from your blog posts with Skimlinks, without joining tons of different affiliate programs.
Earn SwagBucks that you can exchange for great gifts and prizes or cash, just for searching the Internet!

Blogger Opportunities

Join the Spring 2013 Fashionista Event – It starts March 7th, 110+ Bloggers, $26,000 in prizes, 3/4 Million entries.
TGIF Giveaway Linky. Head over and share your family-friendly giveaways!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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