3 Luv Bugs

Giving Challenge ~ Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog

Have you ever thought of giving a goat as a Christmas gift? How about some baby chicks or a mosquito net? With the Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog you can! Send your selection from an array of life-changing, and in some cases life-saving, gifts to an individual in great need in another part of the world. I've worked with Samaritan's Purse on a volunteer basis many times, and I can personally vouch for their effective and important work. I've also always been impressed with the amount of their budget that actually goes to minsitry. In 2009, 89% of their resources wen't directly to the work to which they are committed. Check out their interactive Gift Catalog HERE.

Giving Challenge ~ Bargain Hunting

Are you a bargain hunter like I am? If so, spend a few extra minutes helping a friend find that "special" Christmas discount at the best price possible. What better way to give than to help someone else hold onto a little more of their hard-earned income?

Dr. Seuss Cakes

I haven't posted one of my cakes in ages. And, even though it has been a while since I made these, I thought I would post them for fun. I made these for my BFF's birthday. She LOVES Dr. Seuss.

So, with out further adieu...
Sam I Am

AND

Horton Hears a Who

Giving Challenge ~ Send a Stocking to a College Student

Do you have any college students in your life? I do! I'm going to take a few minutes to put together a fun gift to send them for the holidays. Last year, before Christmas, I found cutie patootie stockings on clearance at Old Navy for $1. I've filled those with some of my freebies and a few small items from my gift closet. The cost for each one is less than $5 (not including shipping), and will make two very special young ladies that I've been privileged to mentor smile. What's more fun than getting a package when you're in college. Want another fun idea for a college student? Check THIS out!

Giving Challenge ~ Love Without Boundaries

If you have read much of my blog, you know that we recently added a precious daughter to our family through adoption. Our baby girl is a joy and fits right into this crazy household. While waiting to meet our daughter, I became aware of an organization that was working to improve conditions in many orphanages in China, including the one that our daughter spent the first 17 months of her life in.

Love Without Boundaries provides medical help, including life-saving surgeries, more nutritious food, and much more to orphans throughout China. There is a way that you can help without spending one dime extra. Whenever you shop on Amazon, just start at the Love Without Boundaries website. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Amazon Associates". This link will take you straight to Amazon, and LWB will receive a percentage back from all of your purchases. I use Amazon for a lot of things from Christmas and Birthday gifts to groceries. This is a wonderful no-cost way to positively impact the lives of those who are helpless and fatherless.


Also, this year, jewelry designer Renee' Gibson has put together a beautiful bracelet for LWB. The proceeds from this bracelet will fund Love Without Boundaries' wonderful work. Find out more HERE.

Giving Challenge ~ Salvation Army

You know those dedicated, slightly crazy people who stand outside this time of year with the little red buckets? I have been amazed at the nasty weather through which they will ring their bells to raise money for people in need. I have discovered that it takes a concerted effort on my part to be able to drop some change in those red buckets. See, I am a full participant in the digital age...meaning I never carry cash...ever. One day someone is going to try to mug me and be greatly disappointed. :) So, this time of year, I make the extra effort to have some change on hand so that I or my kiddos can contribute to the Salvation Army's work.

And here's a bonus thought for the day...the next time you see one of those kind-hearted folks ringing a bell in below-freezing temperatures...stop by with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and thank them for their sacrifice!

Giving Challenge ~ Toys for Tots

Toys for Tots is not a new organizations, by any means. But, it is one that has been so publicized that it could be easily overlooked or forgotten. Through the year, as I find good deals on standard toys, I pick them up and save them for holiday toy drives. I just received a note from my son's preschool that they will be a collection center for Toys for Tots this year.

As with so many charities, no one person can meet all of the need. But, if everyone helps in some small way, many lives can be touched.

Toys for Tots donations can be dropped off at Toys'R Us and Babies'R Us stores nationwide. Or, find a donation center in your area.

Giving Challenge ~ Extra Groceries

I know many of us are stockpilers. And, I know that many of us take the opportunity this time of year to share from our stockpiles with worthy organizations. Even as a stockpiler, I found the following to be a great and inexpensive way to give.

Recently, while in one of the grocery stores that I frequent, I noticed a stack of boxes near the register that contained a good supply of dry goods, like rice and baking mix, all neatly packaged and ready to purchase for $4.99. The boxes that are purchased are collected by the store and then delivered to local food banks that are a part of Feeding America.

There were several things that I loved about this opportunity. First, the boxes were well-thought out and nicely packaged. The price point is reasonable and easily "paid for" with my savings from a couple of coupons. The food is going to people in my community. And, Feeding America is "the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity".

I would encourage you to keep an eye out for these boxes in your own grocery stores. It really is a painless way to help someone in need.

Giving Challenge ~ Operation Christmas Child

I have personally been involved with supporting Operation Christmas Child for over 13 years now. It is a ministry of Samaritan's Purse which is a Christian international relief organization founded by Franklin Graham. It has been my privilege to work in many areas of this ministry on a volunteer basis and I have always been impressed by the amazing heart of the OCC staff.

Each year, OCC collects shoe boxes filled with small gifts and then distributes them to children all over the world who are victims of poverty, war, and disease. Each child who receives a shoe box gift also receives a story book, in their own language, that shares the story of Jesus. Millions of shoe boxes have been delivered over the years, and countless families have come to know Jesus as a result of this ministry.

National Collection Week for OCC has already passed. But, this year they have an awesome new online "Build a Shoe Box" opportunity. It is easy to choose the gender and age of the child that you wish to send a shoe box to, then choose a few basic items to include in your box. OCC staff will assemble a shoe box to your specifications (with extra items beyond the few that you choose), including if you wish, a note and photo that you you have uploaded to personalize your box. You will also be notified via email when and where your shoe box is delivered.

The cost to send a shoe box online is $35. I usually spend about $20 packing a shoe box myself, and then add $7 to help cover delivery to the child. So, for only $8 more, this is a great opportunity to send a box if you didn't have time to pack one before the collection date passed.

Operation Christmas Child is a worthy organization with the most important task in the world, sharing the message of Christ. Packing a shoe box is an inexpensive and tangible way to touch the life of a child you would never otherwise have the opportunity to meet.

Giving Challenge

Last year I attempted to find some way to give, large or small, every day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. My intention was to, in a more intentional way, create a culture of giving within our family.

I still think this is a good idea, and I intend to do it again this year. The one thing that I want to avoid, though, is reserving this activity to the holiday season. I know that realistically I won't be able to find something new to do every day of the year. But, it takes 21 days of repetitive action to create a habit. If we keep giving at the forefront of our minds during the holidays, we should start the new year with a habit of giving.

I hope to post a new idea for giving every day between the Holidays, and then continue posting occassional ideas throught 2011. So, be looking for my first giving post on Thursday.

Great Deal On Printer Ink!

I just had to share the amazing deal that I just got on ink! Through tomorrow, 11/17, you can receive 10% of remanufactured ink cartridges from 123inkjets.com. But, that's not all. This offer also includes free shipping. And, if you start out at *Ebates, you will receive 16% cash back on your purchase!

This is the order that I just placed:
3 ink cartridges @ $13.95 = $41.85
- 10% = $37.67 shipped
- $6.03 cash back = $31.64
That's only $10.55 per cartridge!

The same cartridge (not remanufactured) at Walmart is $14.97, plus I would have to pay tax, making them $15.87. I saved $15.97 (or $5.32 per cartridge!) by ordering from 123inkjets.

I have ordered from this company before and been very pleased with their speedy shipping and the quality of their product. I honestly can't tell a difference in the remanufactured cartridges.

Use code GIVETEN to receive your 10% off and free shipping...and don't forget about *Ebates">Ebates!

**Ebates is a cash back program for online orders. I have earned over $230 cash back on purchases through them. Yes it really works! They deposit my savings in my paypal account every few months. If you sign up through the link above, I will receive a $5 bonus to my account. You will receive a $5 bonus whether you use my link or not. If you prefer not to connect through me, simply visit www.ebates.com. If you ever make purchases online, you should be using a reputable cash back site.

When Life Gives You Lemons....

Do you follow Pioneer Woman? If you don't you should. Her stories make me laugh out loud, and her recipes are to die for....okay, maybe not. But, they are definitely worth a serious illness.

A few months ago she posted a recipe for a drool-worthy pound cake that the Southern Girl in me just could not ignore. So, I decided to try it out...for the first time...when we had over 30 guests coming to our home...'cause I'm a little crazy like that.

It baked beautifully, and the scent was divine. Then, I tried to turn it out of the pan and got this:



My first course of action was to take a spoon and dig the warm cake out of the bottom of the pan. What?!? I had to see if it was worth saving! It was irrefutably the best pound cake that I'd ever made. So, I had to come up with a way to camouflage it's appearance.

I looked at recipes that included drizzling sauces and syrups on top. I tried slicing it and arranging it on a plate. We all know that didn't help at all. Then, I decided to fall back on a Southern Classic ~ The Trifle.

If you do a search for Trifle recipes, you will find a myriad of way to assemble one. The basics ingredients are
1) Some sort of cakey substance
2) Some sort of creamy substance
3) Some sort of fruity or chunky chocolate substance

Now, hear me please, run screaming from the ones that include fruit cocktail, 'kay?

I decided to make up my own and here is what I came up with, it disappeared at my party.



Berry Trifle
1 Pound Cake, cubed
4 Cups Fresh Berries, sliced if appropriate
4oz Cream Cheese, softened
1 Lg Vanilla Pudding
Sugar

Combine berries in bowl and sprinkle liberally with sugar. Let this sit on the kitchen counter, covered, for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally. Prepare pudding as box directs and then add cream cheese, whisking to combine.

In a large bowl or trifle dish (preferably a clear one), place half of the cubed pound cake. Add half of the sugared berries. Add all of the pudding mixture. Then finish with the rest of the pound cake followed by the rest of the berries. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

This is best eaten the same day that it is prepared, but leftover will keep for another day or so. I've since made it with a store bought lemon cake, which was also good, but not nearly as yummy as PW's Pound Cake.

Enjoy!

Who Says A SAHM Can't Get Vacation Pay? UPDATED WITH PHOTOS

I have often said that couponing is my job. I give the same degree of attention and organization to couponing that I would give to a job out in the "real world". Earning approximately $600 a month for my family definitely makes it worth the effort!

I just returned from an extended absence that included a mission trip, family vacation, and staying in my parent's home while they were out of the country (to be near my grandparents in case they had a need.) I was gone for 4 weeks. The weeks of couponing and deal-seeking that I had done prior to leaving continued to pay off while I was gone! This is what came in the mail while I was away....


And here is the list of what is included: (All of this was totally free!)

~Rebate Checks:
Totalling $25 (and an email confirming another $25 is on the way.)

~Gift Cards:
$15 Coldwater Creek
$10 DSW

~Magazines:
Thriving Family
American Baby
Family Circle
Good Housekeeping
Vogue

~Full-Sized Products:
Davinci Tortellini
Scrubbing Bubble Toilet Cleaning Gel
Glad Scented Oil Candle
Pledge Furniture Wipes
Ziploc Smart Snap Bowls
Ziploc Big Bags (3 Gallon, 10 Gallon, 20 Gallon)
Ziploc Quart Storage Bags (25ct)
Ziploc Gallon Freezer Bags (15ct)
Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Shaker

~Samples:
Ritz Crackerfuls
All Detergent
Parent's Choice Formula
Eucerin Lotion
2 Yogi Teas
Dove Daily Moisture
Stayfree Pad
2 Glidden Paint Testers
Caress Body Wash
Olay Body Wash
Propel Drink Mix
Zantac
2 Kraft Sandwich Shop Mayo
2 Starbucks Via
Philosophy Perfume
3 Crystal Lite Drink Mix
3 Pampers Cruisers

~Free Product Coupons:
Beech-Nut Baby Cereal
2 Jars Beech-Nut Baby Food

~Coupons:
2 $30 Home Made Simple Coupon Books
28 Assorted High-Value Product Coupons (Will use @ 75% of these.)
3 High-Value Store Coupons
Coupons to 3 of our Favorite Resaurants

I won't take the time to calculate the value of all of this, but it is over $200, I am sure....while I was away from home!

Stockpiling Perishable Foods

As I travel further on my couponing/stockpiling adventure, I am learning new tricks along the way. It really bugs me that there are certain items that cannot be stockpiled because they will spoil. This means that I can choose to either do without these items or pay full price for them. EEEK!

I have discovered that quite a few perishable items can be frozen successfully, without negatively affecting their quality or taste.

For example, liquid coffee creamer was once a true luxury item for me. I would not pay $2.69 for a bottle of creamer when I had a gallon of milk that I could make do with. After discovering that there is a sale cycle every 8-12 weeks on Coffee Mate and International Delight, I decided to try freezing it. Now I pay between .25 and .90 for creamer once a quarter and stockpile 15-20 bottles a time in my freezer. It freezes beautifully!

Here is a list of items that I freeze regularly:
~Coffee Creamer
~Lunch Meat
~Squeeze Yogurt (Like Gogurt)
~Cheese (I recommend grating it first, if you thaw a block and grate, it tends to be very crumbly.)
~Bread (Just thaw the loaf on the counter, open.)
~Nuts (Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds. They stay fresh longer)
~Extra Flour (Sure to be bug-free.)
~Butter (Not sure about margarine.)

If you have any other ideas...let me know!

An Update to Our Adoption Blog

More of my blogging focus over the next few months will be at our adoption blog, Journey to China. So much is happening, and I know I won't be able to be faithful to both. Recording our adoption journey is so very important because one day it will be a piece to the puzzle of Grace's life journey. It is her history, and I want to record it well.

So, join me next door. I promise to say hello from this venue from time to time as well :)

A Few of My Favorite Things ~ Companies that Do Not Leave Adoptive Families Out of the Fun!

This week while I was perusing the blogs, I came across a reminder for all of the fun stuff you get when you are pregnant. You know, cans of formula and coupons sent to your door by companies who hope that they can entice you to use their brand for that huge investment. Or, samples of the latest and greatest diapers along with high-value coupons. And, the pinnacle, the diaper bag full of goodies from the hospital.

I don't know, maybe I'm a little weird...but you KNOW how much I LOVE a freebie! Why pay for it when someone out there is willing to give it to you for free...right?

Well, it got me to thinking (like that grammar, don't ya?), "I won't be going to the hospital for our newest bundle of joy...I'll be taking and umpteen hour plane ride. I wonder if these companies have offers for adoptive families as well?" So, I started hitting websites for all of the diaper, formula, and baby food companies that I could think of. I sent emails all over the place posing my question.

On Wednesday I spoke with a nice lady from Nestle/Gerber (who have merged, I guess?) She asked me a few questions about Grace, and then informed me that she had no distribution system in place for the same package given at the hospital. But, she would like to send a different gift to me. Sure! I told her that I would love that.

Yesterday (2 days later!), my nice UPS guy delivered the gift. Inside I found a much nicer diaper bag than I received at the hospital with either of my boys. (This is probably the one I will take to China.) There were also some promotional materials, AND a coupon for a FREE can of formula...of my choice. This includes Soy, which we expect to be using with Grace. WOW! I am very impressed by Gerber's response to my query. And, you can bet that I will remember that when I am shopping for Grace's needs in the future.

If you know anyone who is adopting a young child, be sure to let them know what is available for them!

You know my mantra...There is stuff all around us that is "free for the asking".

God Has Given Us A Daughter!

Those of you who hang around here much know that my family has been on an adoption journey for the past year. If you are interested in the story, you can find it at the blog link in the right sidebar. I told you a few days ago that we had some big stuff going on that would take me away from the blog for a time. Well, this is it! We've been matched!

I finally have the privilege of introducing the newest member of the Rainey family to you. Her name is Abigail Grace. Her Chinese name is RuoYun Liang.



Our adoption agency recently had the extraordinary opportunity to access a database of children that they do not often have access to. This has allowed them to match us many months before we really expected it to happen. We received her photos and information about a week and a half ago, but have been waiting for a certain pre-approval from the CCAA before we were allowed to share her information online.

Our beautiful baby girl just had her first birthday on Sunday. It makes me sad to have missed this milestone. But, I know that we will share many more with her!

These are the things that we know:

~Her Chinese name, RuoYun, means "like a cloud", the surname, Liang, identifies her as a resident of her particular orphanage.

~She was abandoned at approximately 4 days old at the gate of the orphanage where she resides.

~There is much poverty in her province.

~Her province has the highest rate of both birth defects and infant mortality in China.

~She is with people who truly care for the children in their charge. I have been in contact with families who have been there, know the director, and attest to the children receiving the best care possible in their given situation.

~She has a unilateral cleft palate and lip which will require one or more surgeries and speech therapy once we get her home.

~She is a quiet child.

~She likes to play with blocks.

~She loves music.

There are many children in her orphanage with mild to severe special needs. The population of the orphanage increased significantly last year. Many of these little ones have very little hope for adoption. The fact that such kind care is given to so many with special needs is a tribute to the Nannies and Orphanage Director. It is a comfort to know that she is with people who love her.

The orphanage was damaged by an earthquake in 2008. Caring people there have been working since then to raise the funds to rebuild so that they can be in a safer structure. This building is being erected now, and they hope to move the children around August.

So here's the BIG question...When do we go and get her?
We don't know for sure. We are waiting for a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from the CCAA. When we get this, it will include an invitation to travel. The trip will be planned at that point, based upon the appointment that we are given at the US Consulate in Guangzhou. I will share more about the details of the trip when the time draws nearer. We expect (hope) to travel within 4-6 months.

We are so excited, so thankful, and so very blessed to have the privilege of parenting this sweet girl, and her big brothers Sam and Seth.

Where in the World is MDM?

I know that my posting recently has been sporadic at best.

Just so you know...it really bugs me...a lot. But, my family received some life-changing information a few days ago. It's good stuff...really good. Unfortunately I cannot share the details with you just yet. Trust me, when I can, I will!

I just wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten about you. I will continue to post when I can. This blog is important to me.

There are other things afoot right now that must and should divert my attention. As much as I love sharing the freebie post with you each week, it is the most time-consuming post that I put together. I have to put it on hold for now. I want to direct you to For the Mommas and Freebies 4 Mom. They will keep you up to speed as the freebies become available.

I cannot wait to share my news with you...really! Hopefully that time will come within the next few days.

All My Love,
MDM

Deals and Steals ~ FREE Movies Thru Summer!

I am very excited to announce that Regal Cinemas will once again be offering FREE movies this year, and that they are doing it two days a week (Tuesday & Wednesday)which should cut down on the crowds a bit.

If you are in my neck of the woods, Westview in Frederick is participating, as well as the Regal theatre in Westminster. The first showing at both will be on June 15th at 10:00 AM, Planet 51 and The Rugrats Movie. Go HERE to find participating theatres close to you. You can also browse the movie schedule and dates.

Yay for free summer entertainment!!!