Today's Amazon Black Friday Deals

Amazon continues Black Friday Deals Week,and it looks like there will be some noteworthy Lightning Deals today:

10 a.m. PST: LeapFrog® Didj Custom Learning Gaming System Gift Pack -Didj with Jelly & 2 skins(regular price $89.99; recommended for ages 6 to 10)

12 p.m. PST: Flip Mino Series Camcorder Bundle with AC Adapter, 60 Minutes (White)(regular price $99.99)

8 p.m. PST: 14k Yellow Gold Akoya Cultured Pearl 6.5-7mm Necklace and Stud Earring Set(regular price $89.99)

Among the deals that last all day (I'm not sure if they're good through the end of the sale), you can get Halo 3: ODSTfor $40 instead of the usual $60; Madden NFL 10for $48 instead of the list price of $60; 24: Season Sevenfor just $18.99; Quantum of Solace [Blu-ray]for $9.99; and Slumdog Millionairefor just $7.99.

Over in the Toy Deals,there are a couple of high-end toys that I wanted to point out: Wedgitsand Magna-Tiles.Both of these are fabulous building sets that are only limited by a child's imagination, and they're interesting enough that even an adult can sit there putting them together in different ways for quite some time. They also make a nice change from all of the character-driven toys that kids are so into.

Have a wonderful weekend! I'll leave you with a reminder that there will be no coupons in Sunday's paper because of the holiday weekend.

Review & Giveaway: Hallmark Recordable Cards & Gold Crown Gift Cards (2 winners)

Hallmark sent me a couple of recordable holiday cards to try out, and I have to say, they are fabulous. They are going to make wonderful greetings for relatives who don't live nearby – I just love the idea of being able to give the boys' voices to them. The best part is, the cards are affordable and incredibly easy to use. All you have to do is remove the tab from the center, then hold down on the button inside and wait for the beep. After your greeting, a song will play – and you can pick a card and song that goes with the intent of your greeting (holiday, birthday, etc.). If you have farflung loved ones who will miss you this season, I definitely recommend checking out the recordable cards at your local Gold Crown store.

And to help you stay within your gift-giving budget, Hallmark is giving 2 lucky CFO readers a $25 Gold Crown gift card. Note that the gift cards can only be used at Gold Crown stores, and not online.
To enter this giveaway, simply fill out the form below. (If you're reading this in a feed aggregator or email, you may need to click through to the post to reach the form. If you're having trouble filling out the form, try going directly to the published form.)

For an additional entry, subscribe to CFO via RSS or email and fill out the form again to let me know you've done so. You'll get the latest on CFO delivered right to your favorite feed aggregator or inbox, so you don't miss any weekly giveaways. (If you're already a subscriber, just fill out the form to let me know.)

For a third entry, follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway. Then fill out the form to let me know you've done so (include the link to your update).

For a fourth entry, blog about the giveaway on your own blog. Then let me know about it by filling out the form again with the link to your post.

You can enter up to four times (one for each type), and you must complete the form once per entry. Only one entry of each type per email address will be counted. I'll select the winner using Random.org and announce them here on CFO as well as contact them by email. The winner must respond within 48 hours, otherwise their prize will be forfeited and a new winner will be selected.

The giveaway ends at 9:00 p.m. PDT on Friday, December 4, and is open to U.S. residents only.

Good luck!

Morning Coffee: Happy Black Friday!

I plan on avoiding all malls today, but I want to hit Pavilions for one more Home for the Holidays promo transaction (buy $25 of qualifying products and get a $5 coupon for your next transaction) and a drugstore or two. Hopefully it won't be too crowded!

I'm also going to keep an eye on Amazon's Black Friday Deals,because there are Lightning Deals all day long. Other deals include a Sony Blu-ray Disc Playerfor $110, the Glee soundtrackfor just $6.99, the Magnext iCoasterfor $30 (regular price $100; recommended for ages 6-12), and World of Warcraftfor $4.99 (if you've ever wondered what WoW is all about, now's your chance to find out!). You can also get up to 60% off selected jewelry.

If you've been working the coupon deals at supermarkets, then you likely have several packages of Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust waiting to be used. I was happy to see this recipe for Warm Cinnamon Swirls from Once a Month Mom, which calls for prepackaged pie crust, butter, sugar and cinnamon. They'll make a tasty easy treat, and they're freeze-able too.

Ebates has bonus cash back deals for Black Friday. They're also planning bonus cash back deals for Cyber Monday, but they're not saying what those will be just yet. Sneaky . . . (To learn more about Ebates, read my original review. If you sign up through my referral link, you'll get a $6 bonus when you make your first purchase, so will I, so thanks!)

I haven't used Shop At Home myself yet, but I'm comfortable recommending it since so many bloggers I respect have put it in the same category with sites like Ebates - they work the same way: shop through their site and get cash back. I wanted to mention them since they have some substantial bonus cash offers today, including 20% at GAP and Old Navy. You can preview their Cyber Monday deals now. They also have tips on getting free shipping, and a list of stores that give cash back for gift card purchases. And they'll be sponsoring a giveaway next week, so stay tuned for that! (Disclosure: If you sign up using my referral link, I'll receive a bonus, so thank you if you do!)

Rockin Mama is giving away a Wii Fit Plus Board AND a copy of Jillian Michaels‘ new Wii Game "Fitness Ultimatum 2010." Ends 12/3.

Life with 5 Monkies is giving away a Britax Parkway SG booster seat. Ends 12/16.


Banner via MySavings.com

Swag Bucks code for Thanksgiving

The folks at Swag Bucks are celebrating Thanksgiving with a code good for one Swag Buck (expires 9 p.m. PST). You'll find the code at their blog. Learn more about Swag Bucks here.

And I can't find the video to embed, but Spike.com has the video of Adam Sandler's classic "Thanksgiving Song" performance.

Morning Coffee: Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving here in the U.S., and for me that means plenty of good food. :) I hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends!

And speaking of food, I'm so excited because Thomas Keller opened a new Bouchon in Beverly Hills last week. I've never eaten at a Thomas Keller restaurant before, but I've been fascinated by his food ever since I started reading French Laundry At Home last year. Marc is going to take me there next month to celebrate our anniversary, and I am thrilled! I've already pored over the menu and decided to skip the main courses in favor of some oysters, a couple of hors d'oeuvres, the tasting cheese plate, and a couple of desserts. I am, however, sad that there isn't a Bouchon Bakery attached to this restaurant. I just hope this isn't one of those situations where the anticipation is so much more enjoyable than the actual experience!

If you're like me, you've been buying lots of cheap potatoes and are starting to get sick of them. Here's a new, delectable recipe: Just Bento's Potato Oyaki.

Potamus Prefers (ends 12/4) and SAHM Reviews (ends 11/30) are both giving away $30 Walmart gift cards.

Get 20% off real time trades on Monday at ShareBuilder with code CM2009. More details here.

Busy Mommy Media is giving away a Britax Advocate CS convertible carseat. Ends 12/3.

Bargain Hunting Moms is giving away a $300 gift card to SpringHill Suites. Ends 12/5.

Since we don't have any credit card debt, I haven't paid too much attention to what's been going on with credit cards. However, Master Your Card has a fascinating and appalling post about CitiBank's "interest rate rebate," which increases the interest rate for existing card holders to as much as 30% and promises a rebate on the percentage of the total interest charge if their spending exceeds a specified minimum threshold. The example given at the end of the post is illustrative of just how bad this "rebate" is for consumers, and it freaks me out to think that anyone might actually fall for this ploy and think they're getting some kind of benefit.

Today's Amazon Black Friday Deals

I haven't been paying too much attention to Black Friday Sales, but I did notice a few good deals today at Amazon.

First up, there's the Flip Ultra Camcorder 2nd Generationfor just $89.

Then there are the Video Game Deals,which include Soul Calibur IVfor just $9.98 (I loved this game back in the day when I had time to play video games).

My favorite movie of the year, Star Trek,is on sale for just $9 - this single disc edition includes a commentary track and gag reel. I'm kicking myself for buying this at CVS when it came out! See more Black Friday Movie Deals here.

You can see today's Black Friday Toy Deals here.These include 30% off selected Bakugan,25% off selected Leap Frog,and up to 40% off selected Star Wars.

Finally, if you want to get your purchases faster, Amazon is currently offering a free trial on Amazon Prime.For one month, you can get free 2-day shipping with no minimum orders. To cancel at the end of the month and avoid being charged, go to "Your Account" at the top right of the page, click on "Manage Prime Membership" and select the option for not upgrading automatically.

Two recalls today: Pendants & Hoodies

If you think you have the following item(s), click through to the CPSC press release for more details:

Team Work Trading Expands Recall of Children’s Metal Pendants Due to Risk of Lead Exposure - Click through for additional photos.



Children’s Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings Recalled by Allura Imports Due to Strangulation Hazard - Click through for additional photos.


Stay on top of recalls by signing up for recall notifications by email at the CPSC web site.

No new Ralphs ad this week

There's no new ad for Ralphs this week, but last week's deals are good through tomorrow.

Thanks to clippergirl at Slick Deals, I do have a few more deals to share, too:

Del monte canned vegetables 3/$2 - use $1/8 from 11/15 RP; pay 55 cents each when you buy 8

Mentos gum $1.29 - use 55 cents/1 from 8/16, 9/13, 10/11 SS; pay 29 cents/1 (only one coupon will double per transaction)

Bounty xtra-soft .99 - use 25 cents/1 from 11/1 P&G (note: some stores - like mine - have higher prices); pay 24 cents/1 after tripled coupon

Dole canned pineapple and mandarin oranges $1.00 - use 50 cents/1 printable coupon, or 55 cents/2 from 11/8 SS

Healthy choice frozen meals $2.50 - use $2 printable coupon if you still have it, or $1/2 from 10/18 SS

Challenge spreadable butter $1.25 - use 55 cents/1 printable coupon or 50 cents/1 found in package of sticks; pay 25 cents/1


Banner via Logical Media

Morning Coffee: Can You Teach Common Sense?

How many siblings do you know where one has common sense and one doesn't? Yet they have the same parents and got the same examples. That's what makes me wonder if common sense isn't really teachable – which seems like a major problem since my life experience has taught me that common sense is way more valuable in creating a happy life than book smarts. What do you think?

If you're pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant, or have a young child, I highly recommend joining Babycenter.com. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the site, beacuse back in 2004, when I had my second miscarriage, the Multiple Miscarriage forum played a big part in saving my sanity. The stories of the other women on the board gave me faith, hope, gratitude and strength. I'm happy to say that all of the women who were on the forum at around the same time I was eventually went on to give birth to a healthy baby. And Babycenter was a valuable source of information for me throughout my pregnancies and in infanthood and toddlerhood. My absolute favorite thing was the weekly email updates on the progress of my pregnancy (Your baby is the size of a pea! Now your baby is the size of a shrimp!). But I also discovered that their store was the only place I could find certain items (like the inflatable My Brest Friend nursing pillow) and sometimes had the best price on car seats. Their many other forums are also useful – you can pretty much find someone's answer to just about any pregnancy or child-related question you might have. (Link via MySavings.com.)

Register for printable coupons for Cuties California Mandarins. (Via Printable Grocery Coupons and Deals.)

Get printable coupons for $1 off Annie's cereal and 50 cents off Annie's Homegrown products – you may have to download a coupon printer in order to print. (Via Money Saving Mom.)

Get a printable coupon for $2 off Energizer Rechargeable Batteries. These are on sale this week at CVS and Walgreens for $7.99.

Amazon has standard-definition Flip Mino camcorderson clearance through January 1 or while supplies last.

Bargain Briana has details on Rite Aid's Holiday Gift of Savings program.

Stretching a Buck has details on a free with purchase and coupon offers for Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Frugal Upstate has a recipe for homemade cappucino mix.

Leslie Loves Veggies is giving away a Chocolate Mousse Torte Cake. Ends 11/30.

The Science of Being Dad is giving away Sam's Club gift cards here (ends 11/27) and here (ends 12/4).

The Art of Being Mom is giving away Sam's Club gift cards here (ends 11/27) and here (ends 12/4).

My Wee View is giving away an ERGObaby Carrier, Backpack, and Front Pouch. When Tyler was born, I would have loved an ERGO, but I couldn't justify the cost after buying 3 mei tais. Ends 11/27.

Scribbit is giving away an HP TouchSmart 600 computer. Ends 11/28.

Common Sense with Money is giving away 2 $100 Borders gift cards. Ends 11/27.


Banner via MySavings.com

One recall today: Boy's Velour Warm-up Sets

If you think you have the following item(s), click through to the CPSC press release for more details:

Boy's Warm-up Sets Recalled by Fashion Options Due to Strangulation Hazard


Stay on top of recalls by signing up for recall notifications by email at the CPSC web site.

Review & Giveaway: Musselman's Applesauce

We – and especially our two boys – really enjoyed trying the new Musselman's applesauce products last month (read my review of the Totally Fruit and Healthy Picks applesauces). So when I was asked to try Musselman's traditional and cinnamon applesauces, I eagerly accepted.

We loved both the traditional and cinnamon applesauces! Really, was there ever any doubt? The boys wolfed down the cinnamon variety as dessert. I served the traditional version with sweet potato latkes (shredded sweet potato pancakes – I've used this recipe as a starting point for years). But I actually liked the applesauce better as is – it's sweeter than the organic version I usually buy from Trader Joe's, and has a little bit more texture that's pleasant.

Would you like to try Musselman's for yourself? You can! Musselman's is giving one lucky CFO reader one jar each of traditional and cinnamon applesauce.

To enter this giveaway, simply fill out the form below. (If you're reading this in a feed aggregator or email, you may need to click through to the post to reach the form. If you're having trouble filling out the form, try going directly to the published form.)

For an additional entry, subscribe to CFO via RSS or email and fill out the form again to let me know you've done so. You'll get the latest on CFO delivered right to your favorite feed aggregator or inbox, so you don't miss any weekly giveaways. (If you're already a subscriber, just fill out the form to let me know.)

For a third entry, follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway. Then fill out the form to let me know you've done so (include the link to your update).

For a fourth entry, blog about the giveaway on your own blog. Then let me know about it by filling out the form again with the link to your post.

You can enter up to four times (one for each type), and you must complete the form once per entry. Only one entry of each type per email address will be counted. I'll select the winner using Random.org and announce them here on CFO as well as contact them by email. The winner must respond within 48 hours, otherwise their prize will be forfeited and a new winner will be selected.

The giveaway ends at 9:00 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, December 1, and is open to U.S. residents only.

Good luck!

Morning Coffee: It's Black Friday Week at Amazon

Amazon started offering doorbuster deals yesterday, and they'll continue all week. You can see all of their Black Friday Week deals here.Get a heads up on upcoming deals by checking their Black Friday calendar.

Speaking of Amazon, get $3 of MP3 download credit.I love these promotional offers, which allow me to get the latest hit that I can't get out of my head, or build my digital collection of songs that I've loved throughout the years (most recently Bruce Springsteen's "No Surrender"for 99 cents).

Mommy Snacks is giving away Little Debbie Cupcakes. Ends 11/26.

Get a printable coupon for $1 off 3 American Greetings cards - wait for the green circle to appear at the bottom right. (Via Coupon Cravings.)

Join Vocal Point to receive samples and high value coupons for name brand products. My favorite items have been coupons for free Kashi and Kellogg's cereal, and yesterday, I got a Buy One, Get One Free coupon for Del Monte SunFresh or Orchard Select Jars. I highly recommend signing up for this program if you like getting free products! Disclosure: Link via MySavings.com.

Get a printable coupon for 50 cents/1 Dole canned fruit, fruit bowls, fruit jars, or frozen fruit. Dole canned pineapple is $1 at Vons and Pavilions this week, so if your store doubles, it'll be free with the coupon.

My Good Cents is giving away a $150 JC Penny shopping spree. Ends 11/30.

If you're a fan of any of the CSI series (I love New York myself), you'll want to enter the CSI Crossover Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to LA to visit the sets of all three shows. Ends 12/31.

I've been eating nori, or Japanese seaweed, since I was a little girl, but it never occurred to me to make "chips" out of them. The Minimalist explains how. There's also a list of 101 Thanksgiving dishes that can be made ahead.

I thought this article on why kids ask why was quite misleading. After all, I give my children a true explanation as to why something is, and the only response I get to that is another why? - a cycle that's endless with a three-year-old!


Banner via Escalate Media Affiliate Network

Stork Craft recalls 2.1 million cribs

If you think you have the following item(s), click through to the CPSC press release for more details:

Infant Entrapment and Suffocation Prompts Stork Craft to Recall More Than 2.1 Million Drop-Side Cribs - Click through for more pictures.


Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc., of British Columbia, Canada, today announced the voluntary recall of more than 2.1 million Stork Craft drop-side cribs, including about 147,000 Stork Craft drop-side cribs with the Fisher-Price logo. The recall involves approximately 1,213,000 units distributed in the United States and 968,000 units distributed in Canada.

CPSC urges parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the recalled cribs, wait for the free repair kit, and do not attempt to fix the cribs without the kit. They should find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should contact Stork Craft to receive a free repair kit that converts the drop-side on these cribs to a fixed side.

The cribs’ drop-side plastic hardware can break, deform, or parts can become missing. In addition, the drop-side can be installed upside-down, which can result in broken or disengaged plastic parts. All of these problems can cause the drop-side to detach in one or more corners. When the drop-side detaches, it creates space between the drop-side and the crib mattress. The bodies of infants and toddlers can become entrapped in the space which can lead to suffocation. Complete detachment of drop-sides can lead to falls from the crib.

Stay on top of recalls by signing up for recall notifications by email at the CPSC web site.

Morning Coffee: Make your own waffles during the Eggo shortage

I recently learned that production at two of the four Eggo plants has been disrupted, leading to an Eggo shortage in stores that's expected to last until mid-2010. So it seems like the perfect time to extoll the benefits of homemade waffles. I hesitated a lot before taking the plunge with the Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle Maker.I didn't think the boys would like Belgian waffles, and this was the best rated "regular" waffle maker and at $29.95, it's very affordable. I discovered that there's nothing like a freshly made waffle that's crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The boys love them too. Because I add fruit like blueberries and bananas, they do sometimes stick to the waffle plates. I scrape off as much as I can, and consider the first waffle of the next batch a loss - it lifts off the black flakes that I couldn't get out by hand, and the rest of the waffles are perfect.

Today's Amazon Video Game Deal of the Dayis my favorite Wii workout, EA Sports Activefor $39.99. That's the lowest price I've ever seen it - list price is $59.99, and I paid $49.99 for ours this past the summer. The lower body and cardio workout is great, and I love that you don't need any special equipment. (You can use the Wii Fit board, but you don't have to - and we don't.) We gave up on the resistance band, though - it just wasn't very effective, so for an upper body workout, just do some push-ups :)

Common Sense with Money has details on how to save 50% off at SeeHere (through today, prints excluded). I went ahead and ordered 5 small paperback photo books for less than $20. (Shipping is free on the books.) Slowly but surely, I am crossing holiday gifts off my list!

Amazon Black Friday Movies & TV Dealsstart today. Click to view the Lightning Deals schedule.

Moneywise Moms has a $10 Food Bank Challenge - take $10 and buy as much food as you can to donate to a local food bank. I've got a bag full, but I have a few more things I want to add from this week's sales before I go.

Stretching a Buck explains the changes to Target.com's printable coupons. They are major changes, but I'm hoping it makes using coupons easier.

Stretching a Buck is also giving away a copy of the book Baby Bargains, which I found invaluable when I was preparing for my first baby (ends 11/25), and a Halo Sleepsack, which I adored because of its safety aspect (ends 11/24).

Select Comfort is giving away a queen size Sleep Number bed set and accessories (ends 12/15). They'll also have big discounts in the Thanksgiving Day online only sale, and the Black Friday to Cyber Monday sale.

If you have or want a pay-as-you-go cell phone, Sharpen Your Scissors has info on how to get free minutes by shopping as you normally do at Kroger.

Coming tomorrow: Another Musselman's Applesauce giveaway!


Banner via MySavings.com

Evenflo recalls First Choice Car Seats Model No. 3604098 for missing label

Evenflo has recalled 3,700 First Choice infant car seats model number 3604098, manufactured between January 16, 2009 and September 29, 2009, because they are missing a label that has legally required information. Owners should contact Evenflo at 1-800-233-5921 to receive a free label (labels will be sent automatically to registered owners). The model number and date of manufacture can be found by turning the seat upside down and examining the white label on the bottom of the seat. Read the NHTSA press release and Evenflo's press release for more details.

Stay on top of recalls by signing up for recall notifications by email at the NHTSA web site.

Morning Coffee: Finally got my free photo cards!

I followed the instructions at Money Saving Mom to get 100 free photo cards from SeeHere, and got 50 5x7 photo cards using the code newbaby and 50 4x8 photo cards using the code from Freebies 4 Mom. (Note: As of yesterday, SeeHere has started charging $3.19 for shipping on the Freebies 4 Mom code - read her post for details on the offer.) I struggled a bit with the photo editor, until I realized that I can delete the first box that automatically appears, and then drop my photos onto the card and arrange them how I want. I wasn't crazy about the text editor either, and I definitely wouldn't have wrestled with the card creator if the cards weren't free. However, now I know how to use the editing program, and people are reporting that the quality of the cards is great - so SeeHere's gamble that people will come back after trying out them out using the free card offer just might pay off.

There's a printable coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase at Walgreens that's good today and tomorrow. Check out this week's deals at Common Sense with Money.

Coupons.com has a coupon for $5 off a $20 Hasbro Star Wars purchase. That's something we'll definitely use in our house!

Printable Grocery Coupons & Deals has links to several Clean & Clear coupons that might go well with this week's Clean & Clear ECB deal at Target.

Amazon has some American Girl DVDson sale for $7.49-$7.99 right now.

Get a free 2010 calendar from Oriental Trading Company. It contains a special money-saving offer each month, tips and ideas for events, and unique dates to celebrate. (Via A Full Cup.)

There are a couple of codes for Pampers Gifts to Grow: XKCMYXFVD96VXVK (3 points) and GROWWITHVILLAGE (1 point). (Via Freebies 4 Mom.)

Get a printable coupon for $1 off Birds Eye Voila.

Crystal's monthly financial check-ups at Money Saving Mom are always so inspirational. Yes, she's a brilliant woman, mother and wife who's obviously got a magic touch when it comes to being financially savvy and productive . But she also doesn't seem to do anything that other people can't do if they put their minds to it. Really, it comes down to priorities, and Crystal's biggest secret is consistency. She knows her priorities so month after month, she continues to do the things she knows will help her reach her goals. And it helps that her husband is on the same page, so they do it all together.

Coupon Geek has a list and linky of very doable crafty gifts.

Freebies 4 Mom is giving away a $100 Borders gift card. Ends 12/1.

The Bargain Jargon put together a list of stores that do price adjustments.


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