Swagbucks Gift Card Blowout

If you have some Swagbucks saved up, check out The Swag Store today and see if you can find the blowout gift card of the day. Everyday from now until January 1st, Swagbucks is slashing the price of a gift card. They won't tell you which gift card will be the card of the day, but if you find it, you can claim up to 2 of them!

If you haven't signed up with Swagbucks yet, check it out. Swagbucks rewards you with digital dollars every time you search the web. You can then redeem those digital dollars for prizes and gift certificates. Read more about Swagbucks here.

Counting My Blessings

Photo by Maureen F.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers! Today I am relaxing and reflecting on the blessings I have seen this passed year and beyond. I hope you also have a chance to count your blessings!

I am first and foremost thankful for my Lord and Savior who loves me unconditionally. In all seasons of my life, He continually blesses me beyond what I deserve. If it weren't for the Lord, I would have nothing to be thankful for."Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be Thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations." (Psalm 100: 4-5)

I am thankful for my amazing husband. I could never imagine a better man for me. He always puts his family before himself, and works hard to provide for us so that I am able to stay home and raise our daughter. And he is an incredible father! He loves me and has stood by me through everything we have been through in the 7 years we have been together. I could never ask for more.

I am thankful for my sweet children; Cora, my beautiful, intelligent, and talkative little girl, and Noah, my sweet little boy who is still growing inside of me. I love my children with every fiber of my being, and give my thanks to the Lord for blessing me with them. "Children are a heritage of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is His reward." (Psalm 127)

I am thankful for my friends. Over the years, I've lost a lot of friends due to being at a different place in life. Those who have held on and grown with me, I am so grateful for. And I am so happy that God has brought new friends into my life in the passed few years who I have been able to share my struggles and triumphs with.

I am thankful that our needs are taken care of. My husband has a stable job that enables him to provide our family with a warm place to live, food on the table, clothing, and everything we need.

I could go on and on, but these are the top things on my mind today.

What are you thankful for?

Plan Toys: Eco-Friendly & Fantastic!

As the mother, I am always looking for websites that help me to find the best educational toys, especially around Christmastime. I was recently introduced to a toy website called Ebeanstalk that offers quality toys for babies, 1-year olds, and all the way up to 7-year-olds. They recently sent me the Activity Bus from Plan Toys, a company who makes eco-friendly wooden toys.

I have to say, I was extremely impressed when I received

the toy. The bus is constructed from sturdy wood, and is beautifully painted. Inside the bus are some desks, books, two figurines (a teacher and a student) and a blackboard. The bus moves smoothly on it's wheels and kept my 3-year-old daughter busy anywhere from the home to the car to the waiting room at the doctor's office. And she absolutely loved this toy! She acted out the teacher talking to the student, and drove the bus around on the carpet. She even slept with it for the first week.

I loved that she was playing with a toy I could feel good about. The bus itself is made of all-natural organic recycled rubber wood. Knowing that the toy is non-toxic (especially in a world where we hear of toy recalls due to chemicals and lead paint) truly gives me peace of mind. For me, an important part of being frugal is sometimes spending the extra money to purchase something that will last. And the toys from Plan Toys definitely fit the bill.

My only complaints would be that when the bus is closed, the items inside (figurines, desks, etc) tend to fall out of the windows when carried around, and I think it would be helpful if it had a carrying handle on the top. But those are small things that would never keep me from purchasing this quality toy. I can honestly say that I feel it is completely worth the extra money, so if you are looking for a toy that is eco-friendly and built to last, I highly recommend checking out Plan Toys!

Note: I was sent a Plan Toys Activity Bus in exchange for my honest review on the toy. I did not receive any other compensation. The opinions expressed in this review are mine alone, and were not in any way influenced by Ebeanstalk or Plan Toys.

Free $3 MP3 Credit on Amazon

Amazon.com is offering a free $3 MP3 credit. To claim, click here, then click on "Enter Your Code" and use code MP34FREE. If you have never purchased MP3's on Amazon, once you buy a song, you will be prompted to download the Amazon MP3 downloader. After the song downloads, it's automatically transferred into your itunes. It's easy and fast!