If you’re headed out to a Chuck E. Cheese location, try playing this game to earn a ticket certificate for your kids before you head out.   It’s really easy to play (and kind of fun….addictive…not that I couldn’t stop playing it or anything.  Ahem.)  and you earn tickets that you can print off and use at Chuck E. Cheese.   I played each game…my favorite was the Chuck E. Rocks game because you use the mouse to catch the guitar’s notes. It was fun! Each game rewarded me with a certificate, usually 30 points (although Skee Ball only gave me 24.)  Each child is allowed to redeem one certificate per day.  This is perfect for me because my son doesn’t usually earn many tickets when we visit Chuck E. Cheese.  This way he still gets to take home a small prize or piece of candy.  It’s also great for those times when your child wants something that is in the next “price” range and you don’t have enough tickets to bump it up.

How about paying it forward—print off an extra certificate and give it to a child who is getting ready to cash out.  Imagine how happy they’ll be to get 30 extra tickets!

(note: This picture is not valid for tickets.)

Need a honeymoon?  Enter the Modern Greetings Honeymoon Contest and you could win your ideal honeymoon!

Did you enter the first contest I posted?  If not, you’ll need to enter your email address on this page.  If you have already entered your email on that page, you can go straight to the Modern Greetings Facebook page.  Click on the contest tab and complete the submission form for the Pin It contest.  Here are the steps:

1.  Log in to Pinterest and create a board titled “ModernGreetings.com Honeymoon Contest.”

2.  Repin the contest pin (pictured above) to your board and set it as the board cover.  Next, fill your board with pins that represent your ideal honeymoon. Are you ready for an exotic locale?  Maybe you prefer something remote and romantic.  Don’t forget to pin some ideas about activities to enjoy while you’re on your dream trip……such as biking, hiking, surfing, or roasting marshmallows.  Whatever floats your boat, pin away!

3.  Copy the url of their board and paste it within the submission form in the contest app on the Modern Greetings Facebook page.  The best board will win the second honeymoon trip. The winning board will be chosen by an independent Modern Greetings judging panel.

I created a sample board so you could see where I would choose to go!

There will be more contests coming up and contestants are welcome to enter all the contests, but of course can only win once. However, all contestants (those who actually enter a submission into the contest) will receive a $5 site voucher just for participating in each contest, so that’s a $5 voucher for each contest that you participate in.

Good luck!  I’d love to see a Savings in Seconds reader win the honeymoon contest!

Disney Store is having a sale right now that coincides with several codes.  The Toy Story Multi-Blaster play set is $36.50 (regular price is $69.50).  These are going for $89.99 on Amazon.  This seems like a fun toy if you have two kids at home and you want a combined Santa gift.  Plus, you can use code SHIPTODAY for free shipping on orders $75+.  Using your Disney Visa card?  Here are some codes that are currently valid:  DRVCMEMBER to save 10% on orders $50+, code DVCMERRY10 to save $10 off your $50+ purchase, or code DVCBELL to get a free holiday ornament with a $50+ purchase. The Disney Store does let you stack certain codes, so definitely try more than one if you have it!

If you are trying to get your order to $50 or $75 and can’t find something you want to add, consider getting a movie.  Many of the titles are Buy 2, get 1 Free. Then you could redeem the points on your Disney Movie Rewards account, too!

Plus you can get 3% cashback by going through Shop At Home.

Happy shopping!

(This post contains affiliate links.)

I love mom-businesses, and Hot Mama Designs has some great style.  Win, win, in my opinion!

Shannon Sunderland & Sahra Cahoon form the dynamic duo of Hot Mama Designs.  Hot Mama Designs rejoices in celebrating motherhood, family and the one-of-a-kind feeling of the handmade object. Their inspiring designs are created to tell stories and celebrate life. Celebrate Family ~ Celebrate Motherhood ~ Celebrate You!  Wouldn’t these items make fabulous gifts?  And not just for Christmas, either!

Hot Mama Designs rejoices in the art of metalsmithing!  As artists they are intrigued by the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which is (loosely translated) the beauty of things that are unpretentious and unconventional. In our mass-produced world,  jewelry from Hot Mama Designs celebrates the one-of-a-kind feeling of the handmade object.

My Readers Get 20% any order of $100 or more.  Promo Code: mamalove226  #mamajewelry

Sometimes it just takes a different perspective to see a familiar scene in an extraordinary new way.

Asher of Bethlehem gives the reader a unique glimpse into the birth of Jesus.  I mistakenly expected this to be a small storybook for children.  Instead, it’s more of a chapter book for advanced readers.  It’s a great read for families who want to spend the exciting days of December preparing for the Christmas spirit.   The book introduces concepts that my daughter was unfamiliar with.   While some of the issues are rather difficult to explain to a child (beggars, being abandoned, etc.), reading Asher of Bethlehem provides families with the opportunity to discuss these situations with a sense of hope.  Readers should be aware that although Asher is the main character of the book, the birth of Jesus is the event that turns the story into a moment.  It might be hard for younger children to distinguish between Asher and Jesus as the most important part of the story.

From a teacher’s standpoint, I found that Asher of Bethlehem used colorful, vivid language to describe the scenes.  Having this richness in a children’s story is uncommon.  I would certainly consider this as a read aloud in a Sunday School class or with my family.  If you need a fresh new read to make the Christmas season special this year, give Asher of Bethlehem a try.

Disclosure of Material: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

You might remember this post where I shared some ways we used Wholesome Sweeteners here at the Savings In Seconds house.  I especially love their brown sugar—it’s perfect for making a crunch crust on my homemade sweet breads. Here’s a really comprehensive holiday dessert cookbook, available for download for FREE from Wholesome Sweeteners. I think this would be a great gift for your Secret Santa.  Maybe prepare one of the recipes (the Salted Caramel Millionaire Bars sound AMAZING) and download or print out a copy of the ebook for your Secret Santa.

As an added bonus, there are 9 printable coupons at the end of the ebook!

I received no compensation for this post.

Check out these shoes that I just ordered from Shoebuy.  The retail price on these was $65.95.

Now check out the price I paid—-$35.95.  Keep in mind that I’ll also get 19% cashback PLUS a $9.99 rebate.  Shoebuy charges no tax and no shipping charge.  The offer was $30 off a $60 purchase when using V.me by VISA.
So my total spent, after the cashback and rebate, will be around $18.77.   Not bad!    ***If you want a lower out-of-pocket, you can use code EMLGIVING12 for $10 off your purchase.

Here’s what I did.  First of all, go to ShoeBuy. You can go through Shop At Home to get 19% cashback.  Your purchase must be $60 or above to take advantage of the V.me VISA deal.   I used the search options at the left to help me find the shoes I wanted that were over the $60 mark.  Of course, you can get multiple items if you prefer.
If  you don’t want to do the VISA deal, or if your total is below $60, you can use code EMLGIVING12 for $10 off your purchase.

**Note— DO NOT add any other promo codes to this before you do the $30 off $60 code!    Only one code can be used, and I couldn’t figure out how to get the old code off, so I had to start all over.

Next, enter code  EMLVME30OFF60 in the promotional code area. See picture above.

If you want to request a rebate instead of getting the magazine offer, make sure that you CHECK the box as pictured below.  You can print off the rebate form here.

Next, you’ll need to sign up for a V.me by VISA account.  It’s free, you just need to use a credit card at checkout.  When you checkout, be sure to click the V.me payment option as pictured below.

The rest is checkout as normal.  Don’t forget to print out your receipt and send it in with your rebate form.  I did this immediately after checking out so that I wouldn’t forget.
In your email receipt, you’ll also get a $10 off deal for Bagsbuy.

This may seem like several extra steps, but it really doesn’t take long.  Just a few seconds saved me a bundle on a new pair of shoes!   This offer ends at midnight EST on Dec. 5.

The SAH link is my referral link. If you’re signing up for a new SAH account, it should give you $5 credit in your account!

When I signed up for this book tour, I wasn’t sure what to anticipate from Resurrect .  The synopsis reminded me a bit of the Avatar story.  But let me tell you that it’s sooooo much more than that.  It’s like all the end-of-the-world-movies, Avatar, and 24 put together.   Mix up some classified info with a great cast of characters.  Stir in some extremely scary moments.  Sprinkle with some fresh romance.  Cook it all together and you have Resurrect.  The book is so full of suspense that I was actually tense as I read it.  I really don’t like scary stories that could possibly happen.  This was one of them, but I couldn’t help but love it.  One thing I want to mention is that I wouldn’t have expected to like this book simply based on the cover.  I know, I know, don’t judge a book by its cover but I can’t help it.   This book will definitely appeal to the conspiracy-theory guys on your Christmas list, but I think the ladies will equally love it.  Resurrect is so exciting and very well-written.  It’s not to be missed.

Reading View From the Edge was like watching a man spiral into oblivion and being unable to help.  This novel from Michael Kasenow is full of serious issues.  Although I didn’t always agree with the actions taken by Joshua Feenics, the main character, it’s impossible not to sympathize with him.   There’s a lot going on in this book and sometimes it was difficult for me to stay on track.  The writing is expressive and thoughtful; I often got lost in the description and forgot what was going on in the chapter.   The book is really written in Joshua’s stream of consciousness and that makes it difficult to keep up sometimes.   There is adult language in this book, as well as mature situations.   View From The Edge has extremely short chapters–just a few pages each.  That made it easy to read when I only had a few minutes to spare (since I like to stop at the end of a chapter.)  However, when you get to the end, you can’t stop at the end of a chapter….you’ve just got to ride the wave to the end.

You can visit author Michael Kasenow’s website to find out more about his current projects.  His biography is quite candid; one can tell that his books come from a deep place in his soul.  Kasenow holds a Ph.D. from Western Michigan University.  Aside from teaching and writing novels, he writes poetry and scientific books.

Hurry, go grab your copy of Just Dance 4 for Wii!! It’s the Amazon Deal of the Day, today only. It’s $22.99 for Wii or Playstation 3!

This is on my daughter’s wishlist, so I’m excited to get it at this low price.   I’ve also been choosing the “No Rush” shipping option at checkout.  I don’t need these gifts until Christmas, and clicking the No Rush option gives me $1 to spend on movies.  We got a Kindle when it was on sale a few days ago, so those $1 credits will go toward movies for the Kindle.

Another upcoming deal that I’m going to watch is the Zumba fitness for Wii and other platforms—it goes live at 5:00 AM PST.

This is my affiliate link.