Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Simple, Easy, DIY Christmas Crafts

Ring in the season with these Christmas-theme handmade gifts. From cozy candles and pretty paperweights to stamped sachets and nifty note card sets. You'll delight friends and family with any one of these personalized handmade Christmas gifts. Find out how to make these simple DIY Christmas crafts by clicking here.


















Kids Eat Free Halloween at Applebee's

Kids in costume eat free on Halloween with a paying adult. Be sure to call before you visit to be sure your local Apple Bee's is participating.






Free Fall Target Beauty Bag

Get your free Target Beauty Bag full of samples by clicking here. HURRY before it's too late!!!







Hello Kitty Sale Clothes, Shoes, Backpacks, Toys And Puzzles Starting At $4.99



Zulily a daily deals website has Hello Kitty items starting at $4.99 by clicking here. They have a tote bag $4.99 and travel mug for $5.99.


They also have clothes, shoes, toys and puzzles and more.

Antidepressants and Pregnancy: New Review finds a Risk

Pregnant women who are depressed are generally told that continuing their medication will be safe to take while pregnant with their baby. A mother who is too depressed won't be a good parent and take good care of herself, and the baby will also suffer. Not exactly.


But a new review of the scientific literature questions the assumption that depression is bad for a fetus, and concludes that antidepressants often confer more risk than benefit.

"There's clear and concerning evidence of risk with the use of these medications by pregnant women," says Adam Urato, obstetrician and chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, Mass., and one of the authors of the paper published in the journal Human Reproduction.

Despite decades of antidepressant use, no one has ever done the kind of research that would definitively answer the safety question: following the pregnancies of two groups of depressed women, half on drugs such as Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro, Celexa and Zoloft, and half not.

The decision of whether to use these antidepressants during pregnancy should be between a woman and her doctor, says Shari Lusskin, an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry, obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

Drug companies that make antidepressants declined to comment or did not return e-mailed requests. An industry group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, says the federal drug approval and review process is designed to guarantee drug safety.

But women who consistently relapse when they go off antidepressants should be confident that taking antidepressants is best for both them and their babies, she says.

"It's a dangerous message for women who are pregnant and depressed to say that antidepressants don't benefit them," says Yonkers. "To take someone who is stable (on medications) and tell them they shouldn't take it because of all the harm is ridiculous."

Tricalm Sampling for Bloggers

Mom Ambassador Group Mom Ambassadors lead groups of parents in discussion meetings, and act as ambassadors to present topics, products, and services that they think would be valuable to the parents in their communities.


Being a Mom Ambassador is a great way to:

 learn more about raising healthier kids
meet new friends
receive free products and services for your group to review
receive a Mom Ambassador Gift just for you
be a voice for your community and influence green products and services

Bloggers can apply for a chance to sample TriCalm.

You have to sign up to be a Moms Meet Mom Blogger before applying for this opportunity. If you haven't already, go here and follow the directions:

http://www.topsavings.com/index.asp?ID=39813

Restorsea Sample Sweepstakes - 14K Winners

Through November 16th, enter for a chance to win 1 of 14,000 Full Size Restorsea Eye Cream Lab Samples + a sample duo of Restorsea Day Cream and Eye Cream. You can enter once per day.


Limit one (1) prize per family, household or address

Kids Eat Free at Houlihan's on Halloween

Print the page to receive a free kids meal with adult entree purchase this Halloween. Costumes are encouraged, but not required.






Kids Eat Free at Dickey's BBQ Pit Halloween

Dickey's is offering "Kids Eat Free in Costume on Halloween" at all of its 260 locations nationwide. The fast casual company already offers free ice cream and Kids Eat Free on Sunday. The Lil' Wrangler menu has options ranging from a Lil' Meat Plate that includes a hot pit smoked meat like southern pulled pork or the tender turkey breast. Dickey's also offers kid's sandwiches and chicken nugget plates. All meals include a small side, roll and 16oz. drink in a Lil' Yellow Cup.


For the grown-up ghouls and ghosts, Dickey's offers eight juicy hot pit smoked meats, like the savory chopped beef or the polish sausage; along with 11 home-style sides, like creamy cole slaw and fried okra. Let Dickey's serve you great sustenance before you have to lug that candy bag home.





Kids Eat Free at CiCi's Pizza on Halloween

You can enjoy an endless buffet of fresh salads, savory pasta, delicious desserts and fresh-from-the-oven pizzas.


Kids eat free with the purchase if an adult buffet at CiCi's on Halloween.

Join their Pizza Perks Program for free and they should email you the coupon.





Kids Eat Free at Chili's 10/29-10/31

Print the coupon and your kids can eat free at Chili's. Kids must be ages 12 and under and will eat free with any adult entree purchase. Limit of 2 free kids meals per adult entree purchase. Coupon valid thru October 31, 2012.




Hershey's Free Pumpkin Stencils

Trick or Treat? At the Hershey's website, they always choose treat. Beyond offering an assortment of Halloween chocolate and Halloween candy for your Trick or Treat night, they're also celebrating Halloween a fun and playfully spooky Halloween web site built for parents and teachers.
You'll receive free access to creepy downloads, spooky activities, savory Halloween recipes, as well as costume and party ideas. Free tools for Halloween enthusiasts include pumpkin carving stencils, stickers, coloring pages, party games, booing essentials, spooky screensavers, and wallpapers.

Follow the link below to visit their free stencil page and print a free template based on skill level.





Halloween Candy Buy Back

This year, they welcome your participation even without paying the children $1/pound for the candy. Alternative ideas you can use -- "goody bags" with dental hygiene products, coupons from local businesses, and/or entries into a drawing for a special prize, etc.


This takes place at participating dentists offices nationwide. Most will pay $1 per pound of candy, others may trade other items for your candy.







Free Pair of Oakley Sunglasses

Get the best protection worn by the world's best athletes when you wear Oakley sunglasses. Participate through the link below for your free pair of designer sunglasses.






Free Kids Meal at Steak Escape Thru 10/31

Get a free kids meal with the purchase of a small sandwich value meal.


Expires 10/31/2012.







Free Individual Dessert at Boston Market

Print the coupon to redeem at your local Boston Market for a free individual dessert. No purchase necessary. Expires 10/31/2012.







BBC host Jimmy Savile child sex abuse scandal rocks the UK

The child sex abuse scandal engulfing Britain’s public broadcaster, the BBC, has been producing disturbing headlines in the UK for almost a month. Since the scandal broke, 300 victims have told police that they were abused by BBC TV host Jimmy Savile, suggesting this number may yet rise.


Savile hosted TV shows, worked for charities and was even awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II. More than just a TV personality, he was a national institution. He was perhaps Britain’s answer to Dick Clark, hosting the UK’s equivalent of “American Bandstand,” the very British sounding “Top of the Pops.”

It is difficult to exaggerate how fundamental the BBC is to British culture. It has the highest-rated radio stations. It runs one of the biggest TV channels. Its Web pages are the most-read. Its news is the most trusted. The BBC even has its own "sound" – a kind of posh, but not too posh, monotone adopted by all newsreaders. British children grow up with it.
Now, it is accused of turning its back while children were allegedly abused on its premises by a BBC star and others. One BBC show, “Jim’ll Fix It,” even invited children to write in and ask to be on TV. The access to legal minors has prompted comparisons to Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. It’s a scandal that is raising questions about the cult of celebrity and about how large prestigious institutions can offer pedophiles a place to hide.

8 minor quakes jolt Surigao del Norte town in a day

Eight earthquakes, many of which occurred within an hour of each other, were recorded east of Burgos town in Surigao del Norte on Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. 


A 4.1-magnitude tremor which has a depth of 21 kilometers was felt in the eastern part of Burgos at 6:20 a.m.

At 9:43 a.m., a 4.8-magnitue quake was recorded 137 km east of Burgos at a 62-km depth.

The third earthquake, felt at 9:53 a.m., measured 5.3 and rattled the eastern part of Burgos.

At 10:35 a.m., a 4.5-magnitude quake hit Burgos for the fourth time. It was plotted 118 km east of Burgos with a depth of 71 km.

The fifth tremor, measured 5.5 and located 113 km east of Burgos with a depth of 85 km, occurred at 10:43 a.m.

At 11:04 a.m., a 4.9-magnitude shake was recorded 117 km east of Burgos with a depth of 125 km.

A small earthquake measuring 3.5 magnitude struck at 11:37 a.m. It was located 116 km east of the town with a depth of 62 km.

The eighth earthquake happened at 2:15 p.m. and it measured 4.2-magnitude. It was located 57 km of Burgos and has a depth of 7 km.

What a 6-Month-Old Thinks About All Day

Soldiers Guard the Tomb of Unknowns During Hurricane Sandy

An inspirational picture making the rounds on the Internet today is reminding people of the service of the elite soldiers who guard Arlington Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknowns in any kind of weather, even during Hurricane Sandy. That the picture was actually taken in September is another matter, because even as Hurricane Sandy makes its way along the Eastern seaboard, soldiers are there, guarding the tomb in the fierce wind and rain.


Tomb Sentinels from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment’s “The Old Guard” have guarded the Tomb for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year regardless of the weather, since 1948.

A photo of three Tomb Sentinels standing at attention before the Tomb of the Unknowns in a driving rain in what is supposed to be Hurricane Sandy took the Internet by storm today, but it turns out the photo was actually taken on Sept. 18. It is one in a series taken that day by photographer Karin Markert and posted on a photo sharing site.

Quickly becoming an Internet sensation on social media sites, the photo garnered universal positive comments of pride for the duty and commitment to service of those serving in the U.S. military.

The picture might not be from today, but it does represent the faithful duty of the Tomb Sentinels from the Old Guard who have remained at their posts during Hurricane Sandy.

Monday, October 29, 2012

5.2 Million Without Power as Hurricane Sandy Pummels East Coast

Storm Sandy slammed into the East Coast on Monday, killing at least 13 people, hurling a record-breaking 13-foot surge of seawater at New York City and knocking out power to an eastimated 5.2 million people.

The massive storm was downgraded from a hurricane after it barged ashore in southern New Jersey, bringing more than 85-mph winds and a roiling wall of seawater as it moved through New York City. It sent water surging into two major commuter tunnels and into subway stations and tracks. It was unclear how much water had come in.

The 13 deaths were reported in New Jersey, New York, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Some of the victims were killed by falling trees. Police in Toronto said a woman was killed by a falling sign as high winds closed in on Canada's largest city.

The power was out for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and an estimated 5.2 million people altogether across the East, with the full extent of the storm's damage across the region unclear and unlikely to be known until daybreak.

The MTA cut power to some subway tunnels in lower Manhattan, after water came into the stations and tracks. The MTA couldn't say at this point how much damage had been done, and how much time it would take to restore everything to normal.

Consolidated Edison was prompted to cut power to part of the area to avoid storm damage. A large portion of Manhattan's FDR Drive was under water.

Reuters reported late Monday that there had been an explosion at a Consolidated Edison power station on the east side of Manhattan. Despite earlier reports, ConEd said on Twitter no one was trapped inside the plant.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says backup power has been lost at New York University hospital and the city is working to move people out. The mayor delivered a news conference Monday night and said rain was tapering off in the city and the storm surge was expected to recede by midnight. The hospital complex is near the East River in an area of lower Manhattan where flooding has been reported.

The hurricane-turned-post-tropical cyclone, still a powerful, 900-mile-wide hybrid of several weather systems, sent 30-foot-high swells toward New Jersey, and as its eye passed over the shoreline, a surge as high as 10 feet tore into dunes and washed across boardwalks.

The state had evacuated all shore towns ahead of the strike, with Gov. Chris Christie telling residents who ignored the evacuation orders they were "both stupid and selfish."

"[It's a] very intense, very dangerous storm. People will die in this storm," Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said Monday. "So folks will need to mind their families, stay home and hunker down."

Even homes on stilts were threatened by the massive surge, and water was cresting dunes and boardwalks from Delaware's Rehoboth Beach to Jones Beach in New York.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo shut down all major New York bridges and schools, airports and the New York Stock Exchange were closed for Tuesday. North of Atlantic City, the storm was expected to be at maximum force from about 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., with gusts up to 90 mph, especially on ocean-facing beaches. For Long Island, Connecticut, and the rest of coastal New England, the high impact winds could last until midnight, according to The Wall Street Journal’s Weather Journal.

The National Guard was deployed along the densely-populated Atlantic Coast, and airports shut down Monday afternoon as the massive system churned in from the sea, creating 30-foot swells off the Jersey shore. The storm is on a collision course with a winter storm and a cold front, and high tides from a full moon make it a rare hybrid storm that could be felt all the way to the Great Lakes. Still, it could be worse – the storm could be well inland when evening high tide comes, some six hours after landfall.
Sandy has already been blamed for 69 deaths in the Caribbean before it began traveling northward, parallel to the Eastern Seaboard.

In Washington, President Obama urged the millions in Sandy’s path to heed warnings from local and state officials.

“When they tell you to evacuate, you need to evacuate,” Obama said. “Don't delay, don't pause, don't question the instructions that are being given because this is a powerful storm."

States of emergency were declared from North Carolina, where gusty winds whipped steady rain on Sunday, to Connecticut. Delaware ordered mandatory evacuations for coastal communities on Sunday, while Ocean City, Md., also was evacuated.

Tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate in anticipation of the storm, including 375,000 in lower Manhattan and other parts of New York City. At least 50,000 were ordered to evacuate in Delaware alone and 30,000 in Atlantic City, N.J., where the city's 12 casinos were forced to shut down for only the fourth time in the 34-year history of legalized gambling there.

Airlines canceled more than 8,962 flights and Amtrak suspended passenger train service across the Northeast for Monday and Tuesday.

New York and Philadelphia shut down their subways, buses and commuter trains Sunday night and announced that schools would be closed on Monday. Boston, Washington and Baltimore also called off school. In Washington and New Jersey, Metrorail and PATH train services were canceled.

In Connecticut, the number of power outages began climbing as the storm moved through the state. In New York City, 250,000 homes were reported to be without power.

"We're looking at impact of greater than 50 to 60 million people," said Louis Uccellini, head of environmental prediction for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

An assistant manager at a Lowes store in Columbus, Ohio, told 10TV.com that people were calling in from West Virginia and Maryland to ask for supplies, and in northern Virginia, a cashier at Pitkins Ace Hardware in Dale City said batteries, flashlights and candles were flying off the shelves, PotomacLocal.com reports.

The storm even put Lady Liberty on hold.

The Statue of Liberty was scheduled to reopen Sunday to the public after a renovation project, but the monument will be closed Monday and Tuesday as Sandy passes through the area.

The danger of the storm is hardly limited to coastal areas. Forecasters were far more worried about inland flooding from storm surge than they were about winds. Rains could saturate the ground, causing trees to topple into power lines, utility officials said, warning residents to prepare for several days at home without power.

In North Carolina's Outer Banks, there was some scattered, minor flooding Sunday on the beach road in Nags Head.

The Virginia National Guard was also authorized to call up to 500 troops to active duty for debris removal and road-clearing, while homeowners stacked sandbags at their front doors in coastal towns.

President Obama said the storm is "serious and big" and will be "slow moving," while he was at the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to get an update on plans for responding to Hurricane Sandy.

The White House said in a news release that the president on Sunday signed the state of emergency declaration, which had been requested by Mayor Vincent Gray. It says federal aid should supplement the city's response efforts due to the emergency conditions.

The move follows the federal government's decision to close offices on Monday. The district's board of elections also announced it was suspending early voting on Monday. It has not been determined whether here will be early voting on Tuesday.

Obama nixed his participation in a campaign rally in Orlando on Monday and flew back to Washington to monitor the storm. The president has instructed his team to make sure that needed federal resources are in place to support state and local recovery efforts.

Mitt Romney canceled all his campaign events for Monday night and Tuesday due to the storm. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, announced in a rare move it would not convene on Tuesday. The court will hear Tuesday's arguments on Thursday.

Free Conscious Cuisine Recipe Booklet

Requst your free Conscius Cuisine Recipe booklet by clicking here.






Free RevitaLens Starter Kit And Lens Case At Walmart

Print the certificate for the free Revitalens Starter Kit and Lens case by clicking here and take to Walmart Vision Center to redeem.






Free 16 oz SafSlim Bottle And Hunger Chews At GNC (Redeem In Store)

Claim your free SafSlim And Berry or Tangerine Hunger Chews from GNC by clicking here. First 20K redeem in store.






CVS 2 Free Dry Idea Deodorants Starting 11/4

Starting 11/4 CVS will have Buy one get one free deodorants

Buy 2 dry idea clear gel for $4.19
Print $3/2 Dry Idea Deodorant Coupon here stack with
(2) $1/1 CVS Coupon for Dry Idea (Under Zip Code 77477)
=FREE



Madonna Booed In New Orleans For Being Pro-Obama

Madonna has created plenty of controversy on her current MDNA world tour, but she apparently stirred up some political drama this weekend in the Big Easy.


While onstage, Madonna told the crowd: "I don't care who you vote for as long as you vote for Obama." The statement allegedly caused some concert goers to leave. Honestly, being offended is included in the price of a Madonna ticket, so the audience probably should have been a bit more prepared. Telling people to vote is about the least offensive thing she's done on this trip, which seems to have included a political statement at every stop.





Kim Kardashian Denies Kanye West Engagement Rumors

Kim Kardashian is denying the reports that she is engaged to rapper Kanye West. The rumors began when Kanye whisked Kim away to Rome for her 32nd birthday. It was said that she had been pushing for an engagement ring, but alas, she is denying the rumors.


After her birthday weekend in Rome, she was spotted out and about wearing a large diamond ring on her pinky finger. It was reported that she wasn’t ready to go public with the engagement until her divorce from Kris Humphries was finalized. It was then that she would move the ring form her pinky finger to her ring finger.

Kim is dismissing the reports that she has gotten engaged and is blaming Ryan Seacrest for the rumors since they’ve hit fever pitch. In a new interview, she said, “I don’t know where Ryan came up with that. Ryan, I’m so mad at you, where did you come up with that? You’re starting rumors. It’s just a rumor. But I had an amazing birthday, very intimate and very special.”

Hurricane Sandy Disrupts Obama's, Romney's Final Campaign Days

Hurricane Sandy has blown away a good chunk of the final run-up to the election. No Barack Obama or Mitt Romney on the hustings, no new tracking poll data, no new ads.


The big stuff holds. Obama's off the campaign trail and so is Romney. Obama campaign manager Jim Messina told reporters on a conference call today that "we continue to believe that on the ground we're going to be able to turn out our voters in the these final days. We feel very good about our ground game." He added: "We just want everyone up there and across the country to be very safe."

Of course senior strategist David Axelrod couldn't resist an implicit shot at Romney on the conference call. "As far as the president goes, he has real responsibilities, and those responsibilities come first," Axelrod said, the implication being that Romney lacks real responsibilities. Indeed, most analysts agree that to the extent that anyone gains from this functional suspension of the campaign, it will be the president—he gets to be presidential while Romney has, as they say, no real responsibilities. He's done what he can—reaching out to authorities in affected states—but as Buzzfeed's Zeke Miller reports, he only seems to be reaching out to Republican governors.

Late in the morning, the Romney campaign released a statement saying that Romney and vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan's events are canceled for this evening. This one-ups the Obama team, which still has Vice President Joe Biden out on the campaign trail, not to mention former President Bill Clinton (Clinton's GOP counterpart is of course absent from the trail, so no campaigning for him to suspect or not).

The candidates aren't the only ones suspending their activities. Gallup and IBD/TIPP have announced that they're halting their tracking polls (who knows, maybe Gallup can use the rest given the extent to which their numbers have been outliers this cycle).That's right, political junkies: You're going to have to go cold turkey for a few days. (And if that's the biggest loss you experience over the next couple of days ... be thankful.)

In the mean time, both campaigns are encouraging people to help those affected by the storm. Obama, for example, sent an E-mail to supporters telling them where to get information about hurricane preparation and linking to a Red Cross donation page.

Free Fifty Shades of Grey Audiobook

A division of Amazon.com, Audible.com has the widest selection of digital audiobooks available for download. Listen to your books while driving, walking to work, running at the gym, or any other time you can lend an ear. Audible.com is a must-have for all commuters, and with the addition of the Fifty Shades series, is now essential entertainment for women who want to spice up their evenings with some erotic reading from female author E L James.


Experience the AudibleListener Gold plan and pay nothing for 30 days. Choose from over 1,000,000 titles including best-sellers and the Fifty Shades novels, including the audio version of Fifty Shades of Grey. Get a free trial of the AudibleListener Gold plan and a free audiobook through the link below.

Also be sure to "like" Being Frugal Momma on Facebook for some more awesome free stuff!!!



Everyday Family - Free Baby Samples & Coupons

At Everyday Family you will find free baby samples, free baby magazines, baby formula coupons and more. Tons of free baby stuff from the brands you know and trust. You can receive a free subscription to American Baby and Parents magazine and a sample of Enfamil for Toddlers as well as various subscriptions to your inbox.
Visit their website to request your free baby stuff today.

Also be sure to "like" Being Frugal Momma on Facebook to be entered for a chance to win a Johnson's Baby Gift Basket!!!



Free Scotch Lamb Seasonal Recipe Booklet

Click here to request a Free Scotch Lamb Seasonal Recipe Booklet.
Also be sure to "like" Being Frugal Momma on Facebook for more awesome free stuff!




Free Doritos Locos Taco at Taco Bell Oct. 30th from 2-6pm

Taco Bell is giving out free Doritos Locos Tacos because a base was stolen in the first four games of the World Series.
Also be sure to "like" Being Frugal Momma on Facebook for more awesome free stuff!






One Free Slice of Pizza at Sbarro Nov. 3rd

Coupon good for One Free Slice of Pizza at Sbarro November 3rd.
Be sure to "like" Being Frugal Momma on Facebook for more awesome freebies!