All I Want For Christmas Is Crazy Cash Back

December 3, 2016Leave a comment

*Post contains referral links, so if you join through my referral link, I get bonus cash back and so do you!*

I am not a savvy economist, don’t make a lot of money, and have two children in full-time childcare, so I have to ask you guys, “Why is every toy $50 or more this Christmas season?” Did everyone but me get a Christmas bonus? Was there some across-the-board cost-of-living increase that passed me by? I literally could not find any $10-$20 baby dolls for my kids this year for Christmas.

So, my shopping strategy this year is twofold:

One, they are getting less stuff. They already have infinity toys and our house isn’t getting any bigger, so… less stuff.

Two, I’m shopping exclusively through Ebates.com, so I can at least earn a portion of that money back. I know it’s the end of Cyber Week, but hopefully some of you guys can cash in on some of these great cash back offers:

JCPenney 15% Cash Back Sitewide – This goes for household items, clothing, toys. I found very few exceptions and lots of Disney-licensed characters. I’ve never seen anyone offer so much cash back. Definitely take advantage of this!
Groupon 9% Cash Back – Do you need a massage to get through the holiday season, want to get your nails done for New Year’s Eve? Shop through Ebates and you can earn enough cash back to buy one for your friend!
Kohl’s 8% Cash Back – I can’t even with these generous offers. I really like Kohl’s for things like towels, kids clothing, and other houseware items.
Walgreens 7% Cash Back – You can use this for stocking stuffers, candy – even your photo needs. Buy your Christmas cards through Walgreens and get 7% cash back.

If you don’t already have an Ebates account, make sure to click this link or the button below so we can both get a bonus bump in cash back!

Did you guys think that toy prices were way out of line this year? Let me know in the comments.

Holiday Gift Guide for Preschoolers by Preschoolers

November 20, 2015November 21, 2015Leave a comment

I swear this is my last post about Christmas gifts, because DUM-DUM-DUM… I am DONE shopping for my kids! To that end, Gabby wanted to write a gift guide all her own, so here it goes.

If it’s a pink princess dress, I want it. Even if it is too fancy to ever be worn by a three-year old, I want it. Especially if it is a Victorian-style princess dress with what looks like a corset, I want it.
Elsa’s castle. Seriously, kid? That movie came out forever ago and my kids still want all things Frozen. Sigh.

Image from Walmart.com
All of the crazy expensive tents from The Land of Nod. My fault for letting her look at the catalog.
More baby dolls with blinking eyes and a pacifier. Because it only took me 2 months to find the one I got her for her birthday…
Books! Well, luckily I can handle this one. Remember that review I wrote for Bookroo? Well, they have a new incentive program for current subscribers so you can get one free box for every friend you refer this holiday season! If you are not currently a subscriber, you can sign up here and make sure you share Bookroo with your friends so that you can get free boxes too!

*This post contains referral links, but all thoughts and opinions belong to my three-year old.*

What’s on your kids’ wishlist this year? Let me know in the comments!

How to be the best Mom ever on your 3-year old’s birthday

June 10, 2015June 9, 20155 Comments

We are coming up on the big 0-3 for Gabby. I’ve been resisting it, but time is a fickle bitch and nomatter how opposed I am to my babies turning into kids, it’s going to happen. So now I am charged with planning a birthday party and getting her something because we all know the good presents come from the grandparents (ahem… camoflauge pick-up truck power wheels… ahem).

Anyhooo…. I started out with a wish list on Amazon. I’ve been working off the same list since she was born, so there have been books on there for 3 years. Some of the toys and crafts on there are just general ideas so people who don’t see her every day can get an idea of the kinds of things she likes to do. Now, I preface this post by saying that I like my kids’ gifts to be a surprise. I take a lot of pride in being a good guesser at what they will like. I do ask Gabby what she wants, and then let the grandparents know, but I try to buy something that she doesn’t know she wants but will love.

Gabby’s choice:

Really, she just wants the crazy fancy Cinderella dress that I will never let her wear because she will destroy it and it is expensive. So grandparents (who didn’t buy her a car), here’s an easy one for you. If she gets the gloves and handbag too, she might get the vapahs. Oh lawd! The dress-up carousel is for me, but only because I would like to stop hiding the dress-up and make it more accessible so the girls could have full access to their many outfits and accessories.

Another group of items on her wishlist that have been on there since probably last Christmas are these bad boys:

These she doesn’t know about. I can’t believe how fairly priced these puppets are. Gabby is obsessed with royalty and princesses right now and would love these giant puppets. These four puppets are my top pick right now. I’m especially happy about the “price drop” on the dragon and king.

Then I found out about PatPat, an app for iOS that is very similar to Zulily but the prices were SO much more attractive. PatPat is a free app and it has categories for baby and mom-related items. It is also very sharp-looking.

I was intrigued by the “Lovely Mini Bags For Girls” so I ignored my warnings to myself and clicked to see what there was. Good LORD I stopped breathing when I saw these purses:

Wait… $6.99? Is that right? PatPat also offers $1 whole-day shipping. Because it works like Zulily where the offers are coming from different vendors, they have the potential to charge you for each item’s shipping. No. $1 on all of your orders for the day. So I kept shopping (after adding the pink and yellow Minnie bag to my cart).

AGH! Raincoats… for $11.99 I will take one in every color, please! This is getting dangerous.

I then found the “Casual Tees & Shorts for Mom” section and it occurred to me — I can’t be the best mom ever if I am not looking party-perfect casual for my princess. Here’s the loot I scored: