Gift cards make an excellent last-minute gift, and if you have a QVC-shopper on your list, here’s a way to save without any extra effort!  Just go through Shop At Home to get a $25 egiftcard for $20.  The $5 will be credited to your account and when your account balance hits $20 you’ll receive the payment.   If you haven’t used Shop At Home before, you can go through this link to get an extra $5  so that your account will build up faster!  I love Shop At Home and use it for all of my online shopping. I regularly get cashback checks in amounts of $30, $40, or more.

The link above is my referral link.  I’d love it if you post yours in the comments below so others can use it!

Hoo Hoo Bear is a new tradition in our family.  When we received these plush bears, my kids ooh’ed and aaah’ed all day.  The bears are SO SOFT.

If you’re looking for a sweet Christmas gift for a special little one in your life, consider grabbing one of these squishy, cuddle bears and bundling him up with a Hoo Hoo Bear book.  We read several of the books.  The Merry Christmas book introduces new culture and traditions that might be unfamiliar yet charming to your little ones.  The illustrations are hand-drawn and remind me of a homespun book.  If you take advantage of the Christmas Special offered by author Amanda Kleback you can even get author-signed books for your recipients.  There are also several free printables on the website that you can include with your Hoo Hoo Bear gift.

My favorite of our Hoo Hoo Bear books is the safety book.  It has a page for writing down important information such as phone numbers and emergency contacts.  This is a great child-friendly resource that kids can keep in their backpacks or near the phone. This would be a good way to practice a 9-1-1 call with your child.

Interested in a bundle?  Visit Hoo Hoo Bear’s website to learn more.

Welcome to the Last Minute Christmas Giveaway Event!Brought to you by Super Events Media & Social Marketing Mom!

This event runs from 12:01am December 12th till 11:59pm on December 19th.At the bottom of this post you will find links to all of the participating blogs where you can enter to wina fun Christmas related prize with a value over $25!

This super cool giveaway is hosted by Full Price? Never! & My Crafty Life!

Savings in Seconds always wants to help you save TIME and MONEY!   I think the TimeMug is a perfect way to do both.  You can save time by using the clock on the front of the mug to keep yourself on schedule.  It’s dishwasher safe, too!   And of course this will help you save money–you can take your own drink instead of stopping for a pricey drive-thru concoction.  Here’s my review of the TimeMug (which seems to get used every day in my house….by everyone else, so I never get to use it!)  The TimeMug is valued at $17.95.

The winner of this giveaway will also receive a copy of How Short Hitting, Bad Golfers Break 90 All the Time.   This is a great book to give to your favorite golfer because the tips are so simple to employ.  My husband tried a few of them just a couple of days after reading the book; he says the tips really did help his game.
This book is valued at $9.99.

The giveaway is open to US readers ages 18+.  Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

My husband loves to play golf but because of his busy schedule he rarely gets to play. Unfortunately that means that his skills get a little rusty in between games.  He very much enjoys reading books about golf, so I knew this book would appeal to him.  He read this book in one sitting.  His comments were quite complimentary of the book—overall, he felt that it would be a good resource for golfers who want to improve their game with just a bit of effort.  He said that the tips are fairly easy to employ and can be done even when not playing golf with great frequency.  I’m thinking that it would be a good stocking stuffer since the book is pretty small and thin.  You might also consider the Kindle version which is very affordable at only $2.99. If there’s a golfer on your list who gets frustrated with his game, try putting this in a little box and tuck in some green to hit the greens. It’s sure to be a hole in one.

This year I asked for cookware for Christmas. When I was a newlywed, I would have been upset if my husband bought me a pan for Christmas.  It would have said to me, “It’s your job to cook for me.”  or “You must enjoy cooking since you do it so much.”    Now that I’ve been living with the same worn-down pans for almost 15 years and have grown up a little (and grown out a lot), I appreciate the practical gifts.  Over Thanksgiving my favorite skillet lost its handle.  The handle literally FELL OFF from overuse.  So yes, I need a new pan.

I knew that I wanted some safe pans—something that I can use without worrying about crazy bad chemicals leeching into our food.  When this Beka pan arrived, I could hear the angels sing.

This pan is currently priced at $8.79 on Amazon which is a STEAL!!   I am thinking about grabbing a few extras, it is THAT good.  We make a weekly batch of scrambled eggs in this pan and they always come out perfect.  With only the tiniest bit of oil or butter, nothing sticks to the pan when I cook in it.  It’s also great for making just one meal.  Sometimes if I have some leftover meat, I throw it in here with some vegetables and a bit of parmesan cheese.

Excuse me while I go drool over the rest of the Beka line.   Meanwhile you can check out the Beka website, Cook Truly Green, and find the set that matches your cooking personality!

End of the World Giveaway Hop
December 14th to 21st
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
& My Life With Books

12/21/12
The Mayan Calendar Ends!
Does it mean the end of the World?
Probably not but just in case…

Which books would you save if the world was coming to an end?  We’d always need a good cookbook to recreate the delicious meals we used to make.   If someone on your Christmas list is a cook who has a hard time seeing the recipes, the Easy See Easy Cook Recipe Favorites cookbook is a good gift option.  The recipes are printed in large print for the vision-impaired.  This is also a good option for children who aren’t accustomed to reading the very small print that is typical of many cookbooks.  The recipes are easy to follow.  Tips and suggestions for variations accompany the recipes.  The stories that precede each recipe are charming; the cookbook is written in a conversational tone as if we are right in the kitchen with author Sherry Pope.   Hand-drawn illustrations also fill the cookbook.  These were drawn by the author’s neighbor (I would have preferred to see photos of the recipes instead.)   Most of the recipes are the kind that grandma used to make….. a quiche created out of the week’s leftovers, a guide to making no-bake cookies, and the like.   This isn’t a gourmet cookbook!  Since I’m not a gourmet cook, that is fine by me.

For more information about the Easy See Easy Cook recipe collection, check out the website at Big Eyed Cooks.  Don’t forget to “like” the page on Facebook, too.  Savings in Seconds readers can enjoy the special holiday pricing of $24 per cookbook, which includes shipping.   One lucky winner will win a copy of the cookbook—open to readers in the US (ages 18+).  Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

My favorite cookbooks are the ones that are simple to follow and have excellent photos of the dish.  I really like to see how the recipe should look when it’s finished. Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC KITCHEN 101: Secrets to Cooking Confidence: Cooking Basics Plus 150 Easy Healthy Recipes would make a great gift for a newlywed, college student, or anyone who’s learning to cook.  If someone on your Christmas list is trying to follow nutritional guidelines, consider this book.  It has diabetic-friendly recipes and dietary exchange information.

Since I use my crockpot often, I especially enjoyed the section on crockpot cooking.  There are also some favorites for holiday gatherings.  This cookbook really has a great assortment to get anyone going on some good recipe ideas.  This cookbook uses “normal” ingredients—so I didn’t have to search the specialty sections of the grocery store or have to order random ingredients online to make anything.  There are also good variations possible so that you can tweak the recipes to meet your family’s needs and preferences.  Kitchen 101 gave me a good opportunity to try some new recipes that I might not have otherwise attempted.  Overall, this was a hit at my house and will be a book I’ll turn to time and again in the future.  Visit author Holly Clegg’s site for more great information!

By now, we have all been shocked and overwhelmed with the news of the Newtown, CT tragedy.   My thoughts and prayers go out to that community.

When I started reading labels on foods, I couldn’t believe the amount of loooooooooooooong words on the ingredient lists.  Of course I recognized the biggies (MSG, for example).  Some of the ingredients, though, belonged better in a chemistry lab than in a can of food.  We do try to eat non-processed foods here in the Savings in Seconds house, but I must admit that I give in way too often.  Pre-packaged foods are convenient, affordable, and let’s face it—just easier sometimes.   I am not the kind of mom who will fry up a batch of homemade potato chips.  Sorry.

Thankfully, Simply7 has got my back.   With a unique and flavorful assortment of chips, Simply7 has rocked my kids’ world.   My daughter adores (ADORES!) the pomegranate chips.  And who would expect a three year old to eat lentil chips?  Not I.  He does, though.  Because the chips come in a bag, my kids think they are getting a huge treat.  I have to really fake it to act like it’s a treat—because I know that they are really getting a healthier option.   When my daughter begged to have Hummus Chips with her vegetable soup, well…..I just had to give in.

Hee hee hee.

Simply7 is increasingly available at retailers such as Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, HEB, Central Market and other grocery stores.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.