Celebrate Labor Day with Swagbucks!!!

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The folks over at Swagbucks have put a fun twist on their reward points - Collector's Bills! From now through September 6th you have a chance to win one of five Collector's Bills celebrating Labor Day.

Each of the five is for a different amount and each one has a different image - you can keep track of your bills by looking in the "My Swag Bucks" area of your account, and if you get all five during the promotion, you'll get a 10 Swag Buck bonus instantly applied to your account, meaning you'll be even closer to getting the free stuff you love!

If you haven't already become a member of Swagbucks, what are you waiting for? SIGN UP today at this site now!

Six Ways to Maximize Labor Day Savings

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The only good thing about the end of summer is Labor Day, a holiday that provides a day off and great opportunities for consumer savings. Labor Day sales allow shoppers to take advantage of discounts on everything from fall fashions to appliances. It's also a good time to find deals on end-of-season merchandise, like swimsuits, lawnmowers, patio furniture, water softener and more.

With practically everything under the sun on sale during these short three days, how can you possibly know if you're getting the best deal? Here are six ways to maximize your savings on Labor Day.

1. Do Your Due Diligence
Find out the average price of your coveted purchase before Labor Day, using sites likePricespider.com. This will keep you from being fooled by false promotions, and help you identify the best sale price.

2. Shop in Your PJs
Labor Day triggers the holiday shopping madness that continues into the New Year. Let the masses scurry about the stores and highways while you casually shop multiple online stores in the comfort of your own home. Not only will your blood pressure thank you, but you'll realize savings in fuel, too.

3. Save More
In addition to Labor Day price reductions, be sure to find online coupons for more savings. Shipping should also be free or greatly reduced; merchants like Lands' End and JCPenneytypically offer free shipping codes during this high-volume weekend.

4. Negotiate
Major sale events represent an excellent opportunity to hone your haggling skills, especially on big items like televisions and appliances. Compare prices between various competitors and ask retailers if they can meet or beat your preferred price. Not comfortable with bartering? Check out this article on ConsumerReports.org for tips on making the negotiating practice work for you.

5. Socialize
Before hitting a store's sale rack or browsing Labor Day deals online, remember to follow or "like" the retailer or brand on Facebook and/orTwitter to find exclusive coupon codes and promotional offers. It pays to join these social media networks.

6. Use Tunnel Vision
Knowing what you want before Labor Day is easy; sticking to just that in the heat of the moment can be challenging. Be strong. Whenever you find yourself straying from the main purchase, gently remind yourself to "stay focused" and move on.

Give Kids the Fuel They Need with Good Nutrition

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Summer is coming to an end and kids are about to get back into the swing of school. Now is the time to take a closer look at what kind of fuel they are starting each day with. The type and variety of foods that children eat can affect their academic and physical performance, mood, behavior, and overall well-being. The bottom line is children need good, healthy food in order to perform at their best. Chicago Healers Practitioner Tiffany Triner, Assistant Nutritionist at Nutrition Connection Balance, LLC offers these great guidelines to better fuel kids:

Foods to avoid

Think twice about giving your children foods with labels listing food additives, colors, preservatives, or chemical names you can’t pronounce. Also to be excluded:

• MSG
• Artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup
• Genetically modified foods
• Trans fat and hydrogenated fat
• Fruit juice from concentrate
• White and/or bleached flour products.
• Roasted or sugar coated nuts

Healthier options – getting back to basics

Think real food! Start offering your kids whole fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, grains and unprocessed meats. Choose foods that have not been altered from their natural state. Whether your child is 2, 12, or 22 it is never too late to change the way you think about food. Here are some healthy lunch and after-school snack choices for your family that offer flavor and variety along with nutritional benefits.

Lunches:

• Turkey roll up: A whole grain, rice, or corn pita, no nitrate lunch meat, lettuce or other leafy green, sliced tomato and hummus or whipped avocado as a pita dressing.

• Almond butter sandwich:
• 2 pieces of whole grain, sprouted grain, or gluten free bread
• 1-2 Tablespoons of raw almond butter
• ½ cup of mashed fresh berries or an all natural/low sugar fruit preserve

Snacks:

• A piece of fruit or vegetable slices with raw or natural nut butter
• Trail mix: mixture of raw nuts and dried raisins, cranberries and pineapple
• Mixed berries
• Rice crackers and all-natural nut butter
• Veggie bag: snow peas, green beans, carrots
• Fruit leather, dried fruit slices, or fresh fruit
• Greek yogurt and dehydrated veggie chips

And don't forget, a part of good health is getting lost of water and lots of sleep! So make sure those kids are tucked away good in their cabin beds at a good time every night, especially when they have to get up early for school the next day.

About ChicagoHealers.com-Chicago Healers (www.ChicagoHealers.com) is the nation’s pioneer prescreened integrative health care network, offering a comprehensive understanding of each practitioner’s services, approach, and philosophy. Our holistic health experts teach and advocate natural and empowered health and life choices through their practices, the media, educational events, and our website. With close to 200 practitioners and over 300 treatment services, Chicago Healers has provided nearly 400 free educational events for Chicagoans and has been featured in 300+ TV news programs and print publications. For more information, visit www.ChicagoHealers.com.

More Parents and College Students Buying Gift Cards

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College students and credit cards aren't always the best mix, as recent history proves. Perhaps that's why more parents and their college-bound kids will buy gift cards this year than ever before. As a back-to-school staple, or even if you'd like to get special baby gifts personalized, gift cards offer plastic cash without the pitfalls of credit card use.

A new survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) found more than 30 percent of parents with college-bound kids will supply them with gift cards and prepaid cards. That's an increase of 2 percent over 2010 and an excellent predictor of sales to come for the holiday season.

What's even more surprising is the total students and their parents anticipate spending on these handy pieces of plastic, totaling $3.4 billion for an increase of nearly $1 billion from last year. The average expenditure clocked in at just over $60.

That $60, however, will stretch even further with discount gift cards. Websites such as Gift Card Granny allow consumers to buy gift cards and save up to 35-percent off face value when purchased online. The site offers cards for everything from Domino's pizza to Bed Bath and Beyond dorm-room decor. Students can also check their card's balance at the site so there are no nasty surprises at checkout.

Those looking for more localized gift cards can find them on Craigslist or eBay and such swap sites as SwapAce.

Internet Retailer noted online gift card sales alone are expected to grow at 29 percent for the next four years. In addition, the increasing popularity of mobile gift cards plays well with this plugged-in generation. The class of 2014 can access discount e-cards while shopping and have them scanned at the register. This technology has made gift card buying and use much easier, with 42 percent of merchants currently offering an e-card option, according to Bankrate.com.

Stock Up On School Supplies for Mom & Dad....

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Summer is ending, and it’s a bittersweet time for me. On one hand I’m sad to see summer go, having fun with my kids and family, traveling and sleeping in. On the other hand, I’m happy to see summer go because it’s back to school time, and this year, both of my children will be going, which means more time for ME (and my husband)!

So what will we do for those 6 hours all alone, on his days off when both of the girls are in school? Why, get into some trouble of course! So it’s time for some new ‘trouble making’ supplies to hit up my bedroom, which means a trip to EdenFantasys adult shop!

It’s time for me to pick up some back to school supplies for myself! Time to pick up some new ‘uniforms’ from the sexy lingerie section, some new sex toys and of course can’t forget that protection, don’t want to have another school goer on the way so I’ll be sure to pick up some condoms as well.

EdenFantasys has always been one of my favorite sex shops and even more so this year because I’ll get more use out of any of my purchases!

Yay for back to school!

Post is only by the opinion of Just Because I'm A Mom, other views and opinions may vary. EdenFantasys has provided me a gift card for compensation.

Extreme Couponer Caught Stealing Coupons: 6 Reasons Why Extreme Couponing May Not Be Your Thing

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Extreme Couponing is a money saver for many, but the practice recently landed a confused woman in legal hot water. Yesterday, The Consumerist reported a Denton, Texas, coupon addict stole 185 newspapers worth $231 in an effort to lay her hands on advertising inserts.

Surveillance cameras caught the woman swiping bags of unsold newspapers from distribution boxes. In her defense, the alleged thief told police she didn't know it was a crime. The less than sympathetic cops charged her with a Class A misdemeanor that could net her a $4,000 fine and up to one year in jail.

Such practices -- including dumpster diving and stealing from recycling bins -- are giving a black eye to the trend first highlighted in TLC's "Extreme Couponers" reality show. Here are six ways to decide if this practice is up your alley, and some suggestions on how to counteract excessive enthusiasm.

1. It Requires Serious Stockpiling
If you've watched the show, you know coupon junkies dedicate huge amounts of square footage to storing their over-the-top purchases. Even kids' bedrooms aren't off limits when space becomes tight. Some claim they donate a portion of their surplus to food banks, but the majority clearly ends up in their homes. Ultimately, you have to question how many tubes of toothpaste you actually need. Sales happen all the time but, for most of us, space is a premium.

2. You Have to Be Selfish
I saw a lady at our local supermarket entirely clean out a shelf of popular cereal. Sure enough, the ubiquitous coupon binder was perched on her shopping-cart handles. This method leaves nothing for casual shoppers who want to take advantage of a sale. Even little kids know the best practice is to share and share alike.

3. It Consumes Your Free Time
You can't just dedicate a few minutes on Sunday to scanning the inserts and expect to save hundreds of dollars. Extreme couponers dedicate many hours each week to finding, clipping and sorting. That isn't frugality; it's a serious commitment. Done properly, you can actually spend roughly one hour per week and still make a dent in your grocery bill. In fact, the Coupon Sherpa app allows you to search by ZIP code for the supermarket in which you're shopping, check for desired coupons, then download them to your store loyalty card. Now there's a time saver.

4. You Must Make Multiple Stops
You really can't just shop at one store. You have to match coupons with the right merchants then run around filling shopping carts. If you stick to your favorite retailers, you'll spend less time under those irritating fluorescent lights.

5. You Become a People User
The shoppers featured on "Extreme Couponers" usually involve family and friends in the process. While they may consider this a fun activity, most people find it stressful and overwhelming. If you do find a soul willing to help you, make sure there's a reward at the end of the process. Buy them lunch or better yet, why not offer them some items from your grocery hunt even though they may not want your cheap avo cigars it's always best to offer anyways!

6. It Takes Over Your Life
Do you really want to be known as the nutty coupon lady (or man)? When extreme couponing takes over your life, it's time to sit back and do a reality check.

Yup, it's bad mood city around here lately....

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Something I don’t talk about a whole lot either on my blog or in my life, is my own battle with anxiety and depression. It was hard enough to talk to my own doctor about it.

Once I did though, got on some meds, I started feeling so much better… But lately I’ve hit that slump again, my anxiety has been creeping up, and I’ve found my depression has as well.

It’s not because the meds aren’t working though, its because of my lack of taking them. Um, Gina… Hello, TAKE YOUR MEDS.. Yea Yea.. Thing is, I don’t have any left!! I just got back from vacation, ran out… My doctor won’t refill them until I go see her for an appointment… So here I sit, and wait until next week (Monday) when I can make an appointment while I sit here and suffer.

Getting out and doing things help, but my mood is just HORRIBLE and the anxiety makes me feel so panicky. I get so many discomforts, not only in my mind, but I get massive heart flutters from it, it almost feels like I need a fetal doppler because there’s a baby kicking in my chest…

I HATE ANXIETY!!!!

I also hate that my doctor won’t refill my meds until I see her… I think my hubby does too because I’ve been horrible and so out of whack lately…

9 Bargain Basics for a Kid's Birthday Party...

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Kids' birthday parties have gotten out of hand. Celebrities began the trend with birthday bashes that outsized Hollywood movie openings. Thanks to the trickle-down theory, private parties for the little people must now have everything from a guest performer to a theme with lots of bells and whistles. Before you rent that bouncy princess castle or buy all-thematic accessories, or even purchase baby announcements for that upcoming baby shower, consider the following nine bargain-basic tips.

1. Plan Ahead
Wait until the last minute and you'll likely spend more on unanticipated extras. Decide what you want to accomplish, set a budget and slowly chip away at all you need to accomplish. You might also enlist the help of family and friends to keep your stress level down.

2. Limit the Guest List
Does the entire class really need to attend? Invite only your child's closest friends, but be tactful. Mail or email invites, rather than have your child distribute them in school where everyone can see.

3. DIY Invites
Personalized invites are as close as your computer. Use a special photo or download free birthday clip art to make your own creation or, if you want to go electronic, check out websites like AmericanGreetings.com or the very popular evite.com.

4. Use Discount Gift Cards
Buy discount gift cards from sites like GiftCardGranny.com to pay for all the party supplies. You can use them to buy everything from cake mix to gas for running around town.

5. Dollar Store Decor
Party stores have unholy markups on the simplest supplies. Shop a dollar store for all your basics and save up to 70 percent on everything from balloons to party favors. You'll also find a decent selection of wrapping paper and reusable gifts, as well as plates and cutlery for the birthday treats.

6. Banish the Bouncy Castle
Don't spend a fortune on those celebrity-style extras. Instead, hark back to a simpler day by organizing one of these simple games from AmazingMoms.com.

7. Take Back the Cake
Kids look forward to the birthday cake, but not because of any icing artistry; they're just interested in the sugar. Make your own cake or cupcakes, toss on a few sprinkles and add the candles. That should satisfy all but the pickiest child while saving you over 80-percent at the bakery for a custom order. For an added touch of excitement, let the kids play pastry chef with a cupcake decorating activity.

8. Simplify the Food
Kids don't care about fancy appetizers. They'll be equally happy with potato nuggets and other finger food. Buy generic -- they'll never know -- and use grocery coupons to save a few extra dollars.

9. A Party for Two...or, Three
If your son or daughter shares the same birthday (give or take a few days) with a school friend, neighbor or relative who is close in age, consider hosting a joint birthday celebration and share the costs with the other child's parents. Make sure everyone is on the same page though as far as the budget, guest list and other party expectations to avoid any uncomfortable situations which may arise from a lack of communication.