We’re really trying to keep the holiday spending to a minimum this year. The budget has really forced me to get creative in regards to gift giving.

I decided to give the kids some coupons in their stockings for ‘on-demand’ fun outings and of course ‘free passes’ to get out of chores. I searched the internet high-and-low for printable coupons and couldn’t find anything. I decided to create my own.

Although we’d most likely do most of these things anyway. I think they’ll enjoy the ‘redemption’ process. It’s always fun to be in charge.

It is my intention to hole-punch and tie them together with ribbon, BUT … guess what? I can’t find either {ERR}. Imagine them cut out a little more neatly and tied with holiday ribbon.

Please feel free to DOWNLOAD the coupons and create some holiday fun of your own.

Supplies needed:

DOWNLOAD Free Printable Holiday Coupons
Color printer
Heavy card stock paper for best results
Scissors
Hole-punch and ribbon (optional – for stringing together into booklets)
Sharpie for labelling.

Directions for use: Simply print out your file onto the paper of your choice. Cut around coupons. Fill out the coupons and you’re done!

If you have any fun and inexpensive gift ideas, please share!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

MK xo
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NOTE: I’ve been having trouble with the comments. If you can’t comment PLEASE let me know at kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com. Thank you!

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Winner is: Justine

Do you remember way back in December, I held a Happy Book Day Giveaway on my birthday? Well I enjoyed it so much (because books are my favorite thing), I thought I’d make it a weekly occasional occurrence. For the next several weeks you can count on a ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway every Tuesday {maybe not, it’s summer}.

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner – I LOVED this book. It was touching and funny and a wee bit Judy Blume’ish.

Here’s the publisher’s synopsis of ‘Best Friends Forever‘

Addie Downs and Valerie Adler will be best friends forever. That’s what Addie believes after Valerie moves across the street when they’re both nine years old. But in the wake of betrayal during their teenage years, Val is swept into the popular crowd, while mousy, sullen Addie becomes her school’s scapegoat.

Flash-forward fifteen years. Valerie Adler has found a measure of fame and fortune working as the weathergirl at the local TV station. Addie Downs lives alone in her parents’ house in their small hometown of Pleasant Ridge, Illinois, caring for a troubled brother and trying to meet Prince Charming on the Internet. She’s just returned from Bad Date #6 when she opens her door to find her long-gone best friend standing there, a terrified look on her face and blood on the sleeve of her coat. “Something horrible has happened,” Val tells Addie, “and you’re the only one who can help.”

Best Friends Forever is a grand, hilarious, edge-of-your-seat adventure; a story about betrayal and loyalty, family history and small-town secrets. It’s about living through tragedy, finding love where you least expect it, and the ties that keep best friends together.

Some simple rules and things to remember:

1. This book is second hand. I’ve read it, I liked it and I am giving it to you. It may possibly have coffee rings or warped pages from sitting on my night stand. Call me cheap, or call me environmentally friendly, I’m not bothered either way.

2. Consider passing it forward when you are done, you could even have a giveaway! Remember, what goes around comes around.

3. You must come back here to see if you are the winner. I won’t track you down, if you wait to long … I might lend it to a friend or a neighbor and then YOU are out of luck. You need to email me with your address, once I receive it I will pop it in the mail to you at my convenience.

4. To be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner sometime on Wednesday, August 5th, 2009.

5. Tell a friend—> this isn’t really a rule, but it would be really nice. wink –> think twitter, facebook, email.

MK xo
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**NOTE: this is not a paid advertisement — they’re my books and I am giving one of them away — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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Winner is Nikkapotamus –> email me with your address and I’ll pop this in the mail.

Welcome to week 7 of —> Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series

Can you believe it is week 7? Time flies … it surely does!

Do you remember way back in December, I held a Happy Book Day Giveaway on my birthday? Well I enjoyed it so much (because books are my favorite thing), I thought I’d make it a weekly occurrence. For the next several weeks you can count on a ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway every Tuesday.

THE QUEEN’S FOOL (by Philippa Gregory)

I like Philippa Gregory, and I enjoyed THE QUEEN’S FOOL, but I have to say I am tired of 16th century women and SICK to DEATH of 16th Century MEN. Bleck! Good riddance. I would have been beaten to a pulp and then burned at the stake if I’d been born in any century prior to the 20th. The hygiene gets to me too. I need some good 21st century smut. Good ‘clean’ (no lice, no leeches), feminist smut.

Here’s the author synopsis of ‘THE QUEEN’S FOOL’:

At a time when an innocent woman could be burned for heresy or strangled for witchcraft, to spy on the queen for the love of a traitor was the most dangerous choice of all.

Into a Tudor court on the brink of treason comes Hannah, a young Jewish girl on the run from the Inquisition. Sworn into the service of a handsome Robert Dudley, he sends her as a Holy Fool to spy on Princess Mary Tudor, the forgotten heir to King Edward’s throne. Instead of the tyrant of popular legend, Hannah finds a woman waiting for her chance and only wanting the best for the kingdom – while her sister Elizabeth waits to take advantage of any mistakes, and longs for her death.

Caught in the lifelong enmity between the rival daughters of Henry VIII, torn between her infatuation with Dudley and duty to her family, thrilled by her own rare gifts, but scared of the unknown, Hannah must find a safe way through dangerous times. Times in which she is both key witness and key player, when the wrong religion is a death sentence, science and magic are one, and true love can mean death.

Some simple rules and things to remember:

1. This book is second hand. I’ve read it, I liked it and I am giving it to you. It may possibly have coffee rings or warped pages from sitting on my night stand. Call me cheap, or call me environmentally friendly, I’m not bothered either way.

2. Consider passing it forward when you are done, you could even have a giveaway! Remember, what goes around comes around.

3. You must come back here to see if you are the winner. I won’t track you down, if you wait to long … I might lend it to a friend or a neighbor and then YOU are out of luck. You need to email me with your address, once I receive it I will pop it in the mail to you at my convenience.

4. To be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner sometime on Friday, March 13th, 2009.

5. Tell a friend—> this isn’t really a rule, but it would be really nice. wink

MK xo
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**NOTE: this is not a paid advertisement — they’re my books and I am giving one of them away — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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Every time I look at Georgia in braids;

I think about Pippi Longstocking. { project365 37/365 }

From ages 7 to 9, Pippi was my hero. I even tried sleeping upside down in my bed a few times. I am claustrophobic, so it never lasted for more than a couple of seconds. I just couldn’t handle all the blankets over my head.

I’m NOT going to tell you about the ‘homemade’ airplane, I tried to fly off the roof of the house! I’ll just leave you with this one thought –> I’m thankful now that it was one story dwelling.

Consider that last sentence my contribution to: ‘grace in small things’.

Tell me about some of your childhood favorites … books, tv, movies.

MK xo
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Comments Closed – the winner is: One Scrappy Gal – email me @ kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com

Welcome to week 6 of —> Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series

Do you remember way back in December, I held a Happy Book Day Giveaway on my birthday? Well I enjoyed it so much (because books are my favorite thing), I thought I’d make it a weekly occurrence. For the next several weeks you can count on a ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway every Tuesday.

Lights Out Liverpool (by Maureen Lee)

It has taken me six weeks to put this up. This is one of my favorite books from one of my favorite authors. I love, love, love this book, and I am forcing myself to give it away.

Here’s the author synopsis of ‘Lights Out Liverpool’:

The residents of Pearl Street, Liverpool, are having a street party, but a shadow hangs over the festivities. It is l939 and Britain is on the brink of war.

For Annie, the outbreak of war means constant worry for her twin boys, already sent to France. And for Sheila, the birth of her sixth child is eclipsed by fear for her husband’s safety as he faces the daily threat of U-boat attack. Her sister, Eileen, whose marriage is not all she had hoped for, finds that work in a munitions factory brings far more than a much-needed wage.

But the war brings other changes too: when Freda and Dicky, the grubby, least-cared-for children in the neighbourhood are evacuated, their new lives change them beyond recognition – and their mother finds it is not easy to bring them home.

Some simple rules and things to remember:

1. This book is second hand. I’ve read it, I liked it and I am giving it to you. It may possibly have coffee rings or warped pages from sitting on my night stand. Call me cheap, or call me environmentally friendly, I’m not bothered either way.

2. Consider passing it forward when you are done, you could even have a giveaway! Remember, what goes around comes around.

3. You must come back here to see if you are the winner. I won’t track you down, if you wait to long … I might lend it to a friend or a neighbor and then YOU are out of luck. You need to email me with your address, once I receive it I will pop it in the mail to you at my convenience.

4. To be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner sometime on Thursday, March 4th, 2009.

5. Tell a friend—> this isn’t really a rule, but it would be really nice. wink

MK xo
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my feed.

**NOTE: this is not a paid advertisement — they’re my books and I am giving one of them away — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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Comments Closed – the winner is: Madeline – email me Madeline @ kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com

Welcome to week 5 of —> Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series

Do you remember way back in December, I held a Happy Book Day Giveaway on my birthday? Well I enjoyed it so much (because books are my favorite thing), I thought I’d make it a weekly occurrence. For the next several weeks you can count on a ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway every Tuesday.

the gatecrasher (by Madeleine Wickham)

I know you think you’ve never heard of Madeleine Wickham, but you have. Her pen name is Sophie Kinsella author of the best selling Shopaholic series.

Here’s the author synopsis of ‘the gatecrasher’:

Everything’s coming up roses for Fleur Daxeny, as she goes through more rich men than she does designer hats….if that’s humanly possible. Beautiful, charming, and utterly irresistible, her success at crashing funerals to find wealthy men is remarkable. But behind Fleur’s Harvey Nichols wardrobe, is a woman with a mysterious past. Fleur wastes no time in seducing her latest conquest, the handsome and rich widower Richard Favour, and she swoops into his life like a designer-clad tornado. His children are caught up in a whirlwind as their father’s new girlfriend descends on the family estate leaving chaos and excitement in her perfume-scented wake. Soon, more than one family member is suspicious of Fleur’s true intentions. Fleur is not one to wear her heart on her Chanel sleeves, but she soon finds herself embracing Richard and his lovable family. But just as Fleur contemplates jumping off the gold-digger train for good and enjoying the ride of true love, a long-buried secret from her past threatens to destroy her new family.

I haven’t finished this book yet, so I can’t tell you what I think! I’ll have it done by Thursday, just in time to end the contest and choose a winner (randomly).

Some simple rules and things to remember:

1. This book is second hand. I’ve read it, I liked it and I am giving it to you. It may possibly have coffee rings or warped pages from sitting on my night stand. Call me cheap, or call me environmentally friendly, I’m not bothered either way.

2. Consider passing it forward when you are done, you could even have a giveaway! Remember, what goes around comes around.

3. You must come back here to see if you are the winner. I won’t track you down, if you wait to long … I might lend it to a friend or a neighbor and then YOU are out of luck. You need to email me with your address, once I receive it I will pop it in the mail to you at my convenience.

4. To be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner sometime on Thursday, February 26th, 2009.

5. Tell a friend—> this isn’t really a rule, but it would be really nice. wink

What book do you have on the go right now? Would you recommend it?

MK xo
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my feed.

**NOTE: this is not a paid advertisement — they’re my books and I am giving one of them away — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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Comments Closed – the winner is: Cindi – email me Cindi @ kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com

Welcome to week 4 of —> Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series

Do you remember in December I held a Happy Book Day Giveaway on my birthday? Well I enjoyed it so much (because books are my favorite thing), I thought I’d make it a weekly occurrence. For the next several weeks you can count on a ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway every Tuesday.

Marshmallows for Breakfast (by Dorothy Koomson)

I love British chick-lit and Dorothy Koomson didn’t disappoint. This is a book about hope, redemption and finding love in unexpected places. You can click on the authors (above) name to go to her blog OR you can click HERE to a short blurb about the book. This one made me cry.

Some simple rules and things to remember:

1. This book is second hand. I’ve read it, I liked it and I am giving it to you. It may possibly have coffee rings or warped pages from sitting on my night stand. Call me cheap, or call me environmentally friendly, I’m not bothered either way.

2. Consider passing it forward when you are done, you could even have a giveaway! Remember, what goes around comes around.

3. You must come back here to see if you are the winner. I won’t track you down, if you wait to long … I might lend it to a friend or a neighbor and then YOU are out of luck. You need to email me with your address, once I receive it I will pop it in the mail to you at my convenience.

4. To be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner sometime on Thursday, February 19th, 2009.

5. Tell a friend—> this isn’t really a rule, but it would be really nice. wink

What book do you have on the go right now? Would you recommend it?

MK xo
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my feed.

**NOTE: this is not a paid advertisement — they’re my books and I am giving one of them away — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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Comments Closed – the winner is: Laurie – email me Laurie @ kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com

Welcome to week 3 of —> Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series

Do you remember in December I held a Happy Book Day Giveaway on my birthday? Well I enjoyed it so much (because books are my favorite thing), I thought I’d make it a weekly occurrence. For the next several weeks you can count on a ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway every Tuesday.

larger than life by Adele Parks

More British chick lit (yes, I do read a lot of it, thank you very much). Here’s a little excerpt from the author’s site:

Georgina fell in love with Hugh the first moment she saw him. She was eighteen. She’s now thirty-two. In all that time she never loved another man. People are always bowled over with the concept of love at first sight and the idea of such constancy. Faces tend to fall when she mentions that at the time he was seeing a friend of hers, whom he subsequently married and had two children with.

(SiLLy WOMAN!! … the author’s site didn’t say that, I DID!)

Learn more about larger than life

Some simple rules and things to remember:

1. This book is second hand. I’ve read it, I liked it and I am giving it to you. It may possibly have coffee rings or warped pages from sitting on my night stand. Call me cheap, or call me environmentally friendly, I’m not bothered either way.

2. Consider passing it forward when you are done, you could even have a giveaway! Remember, what goes around comes around.

3. You must come back here to see if you are the winner. I won’t track you down, if you wait to long … I might lend it to a friend or a neighbor and then YOU are out of luck. You need to email me with your address, once I receive it I will pop it in the mail to you at my convenience.

4. To be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner sometime on Thursday, February 12th, 2009.

5. Tell a friend—> this isn’t really a rule, but it would be really nice. wink

MK xo
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my feed.

**NOTE: this is not a paid advertisement — they’re my books and I am giving one of them away — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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Welcome to week 2 of —> Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series

Do you remember in December I held a Happy Book Day Giveaway on my birthday? Well I enjoyed it so much (because books are my favorite thing), I thought I’d make it a weekly occurrence. For the next several weeks you can count on a ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway every Tuesday.

Last week I offered you a book of substance, this week I offer you a book of escape, fun, easy reading.

The winner can choose *one* of the three books above. They are:

Mrs. Perfect (by Jane Porter)

When I saw this title I thought the book was about me. Bwahahaha! Seriously though, I bought one of Jane’s books last spring and then went out and bought everything she’s ever written including a harlequin romance (*gasp*). You can click on the authors (above) name to go to her blog OR you can click HERE to a short blurb about the book.

Marshmallows for Breakfast (by Dorothy Koomson)

I love British chick-lit and Dorothy Koomson didn’t disappoint. This is a book about hope, redemption and finding love in unexpected places. You can click on the authors (above) name to go to her blog OR you can click HERE to a short blurb about the book.

Second Chance (by Jane Green)

Again, I think I’ve read every book Jane has written, AND (IMO) it’s British chick-lit at it’s best! You can click on the authors name (above) to go to her blog OR you can click HERE to a short blurb about the book.

Some simple rules and things to remember:

1. This book is second hand. I’ve read it, I liked it and I am giving it to you. It may possibly have coffee rings or warped pages from sitting on my night stand. Call me cheap, or call me environmentally friendly, I’m not bothered either way.

2. Consider passing it forward when you are done, you could even have a giveaway! Remember, what goes around comes around.

3. You must come back here to see if you are the winner. I won’t track you down, if you wait to long … I might lend it to a friend or a neighbor and then YOU are out of luck. You need to email me with your address, once I receive it I will pop it in the mail to you at my convenience.

4. To be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner sometime on Thursday, February 5th, 2009.

5. Tell a friend—> this isn’t really a rule, but it would be really nice. wink

What is your favorite genre? If you win which book do you think you’ll pick? No worries it’s not written in stone, I will let you change your mind.

MK xo
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my feed.

**NOTE: this is not a paid advertisement — they’re my books and I am giving one of them away — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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The Guardian’s list (well, several lists really) of novels that should be on your list of 1000 books to read before you die. Conveniently broken down into sections. Thanks to Loobylu for the heads up.

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