Please allow me to be frank.  I love to save money.  However, I DO NOT like all the work that comes along with buying the  newspaper, pulling out the coupon inserts, flipping through them to see which coupons and items I may actually purchase and use, then grabbing the scissors and cutting along those annoying dotted lines.  All of this just seems like more trouble than it’s worth, let alone seeing if I remember to actually take the coupons with me to the store and hand them over to the cashier.

Well guess what?  Those days are a thing of the past.  Now there is Savings Angel.  Not kidding.  You just log into this site, click on the store you’re planning to do your shopping at and WAA-LAA, a list of items on sale at that store, along with links that I can just click and print the coupon to receive additional savings.  As if that’s not easy enough, you can even click to have certain items added to your shopping list and then just print it on your way out the door. 

Finally, I can save money without spending hours of planning.  And cutting.  And cussing.  LOL!  And now you can too.  I’ve just been told that since times are bad right now for a lot of folks, Savings Angel is offering their service for two weeks for only $5.  Believe me, you’ll save WAY MORE than that, so you really have nothing to lose.

If you like to save money and even get stuff for free … you’ve got to check into this deal.   You’ll be so glad you did! 

Now … what will you do with all that money you’re gonna save?

Who would have ever thought five years ago that “Social Media” would be a household phrase in the year 2011?  It’s become the norm.  It’s now imperative that companies big and small utilize it.  However, if you’re not familiar with the “social media” world, it can be a little overwhelming.  No, wait!  Scratch that.  It can be A LOT overwhelming. 

When I was asked to review the new book “Perspectives On Social Media Marketing“, I thought, “Sure!  Why not?  That’s right up my ally!” … and I never thought for one second that I’d learn as much as I did.  This book is a tad bit different than most, where as you’ll find two different perspectives given for each of the 89 topics discussed in the book.  Bonin Bough gives the brand perspective, while Stephanie Agresta will share her opinions through the agency point of view.  Each will bring up good points and use great examples to get their thoughts across and teach you all there is to know about social media marketing.

The format of the book is quite simple to read and fantastic for using as a reference guide later on.  Each topic is displayed in question form, followed by the response of each author.  It could be compared to attending a conference on social media marketing where the attendees ask questions and the experts answer them.  Very easy to follow and understand.  Whether you are a beginner who is scared to death to get started, or a long time user of social media … you will learn from this book.  Trust me.

Because social media has become such a huge part of the way we communicate not only in business, but in our personal lives too … I am so excited to offer you the opportunity to win a copy of this must have book.    Just leave a comment below and a winner will be randomly chosen the morning of  Friday, January 21, 2011.  The winner will be notified via email.

Disclosure: IowaMoms.com received two free copies of Perspectives on Social Media Marketing for review and giveaway purposes. No compensation was received. The opinions expressed here are solely that of IowaMoms.com.

I swear I must be living under a rock, because I’ve never heard of this series that has just wrapped up it’s third season …

LEVERAGE follows the adventures of a highly skilled team out to settle scores against those who use power and wealth to victimize others. The gang is led by former insurance investigator Nate Ford (Hutton), who got involved in the con business after his former employer refused to pay for treatment that could have saved his son’s life. His highly skilled team includes Sophie Devereaux (Bellman), a grifter who uses her acting skills to corner her marks; Eliot Spencer (Kane), a “retrieval specialist” with bone-crunching fighting skills; Alec Hardison (Hodge), a gadget and technology wizard who keeps the team informed; and Parker (Riesgraf), a slightly off-center thief adept at rappelling off buildings or squeezing into tight places.

By the end of the second season, the LEVERAGE team had scammed a hedge-fund manager who happened to be in the custody of U.S. Marshals; used Eliot’s martial arts skills to corner a corrupt fight promoter; and took over a private school to recover millions of dollars lost in a Ponzi scheme. They also went head-to-head with an almost identical team of grifters to recover a painting, took down an oppressive sweatshop owner, cornered a fake psychic, freed Nate’s ex-wife from a Ukrainian jail and thwarted a gunrunning scheme by a corrupt mayor. But for Sophie, her conflicted relationship with Nate left her questioning if she wanted to continue working with the team. She took some much-needed time away, arranging for a friend and fellow grifter to take her place temporarily. But even though Sophie has now returned to the team, there are still some unresolved issues between her and Nate.

The third season of LEVERAGE opens with Nate in prison after having to make a tough choice on the most recent con. He could either allow his team to be arrested or simply give himself up to his nemesis Sterling, a former insurance investigator now working for Interpol. Nate soon discovers, however, that the prison is corrupt. The only way he can bring the crooked officials down is to get his team to help him stage his jailbreak. But that’s only the beginning of Nate’s challenges. He must also contend with a shadowy intelligence agent known only as “The Italian,” played by actress and model Elisabetta Canalis, who blackmails him into helping bring down a financier. Between “The Italian” trying to control Nate and Nate trying to hold both his crew and his personal life together, it’s looking to be a challenging and twisted summer for the LEVERAGE team.

Because we think this is a series that is worth watching, we have the complete first two seasons on DVD to giveaway to one lucky winner.  All you have to do is leave a comment below to be entered to win.   On Friday, October 1st, the winner will be randomly chosen from all of the comments received. 

If you have missed it all like I did, you can find out all the info, meet the cast and watch full episodes here.  

I have a book giveaway on my blog. Follow the link…

http://sincerelystacie.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-and-giveaway-boy-who-came-back.html

The book is titled “The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven” by Kevin and Alex Malarkey. Alex and his dad were in a terrible car accident and Alex traveled to heaven and came back to tell his story. It is a moving story. For more, read my review.  The giveaway is available through September 12 and I will draw a winner on Sept 13, 2010.

Like thousands of other moms out there, sometimes the thought of going grocery shopping to stock the pantry shelves is just down right depressing. The cost of so many of our favorite things just seems to be skyrocketing and I’m finding I have to skimp on a lot of the “fun stuff” we used to buy, so that I can afford the necessities. I would read blog after blog about people saving hundreds by clipping coupons and coming home with bags of items for just a few dollars.

How hard could THAT be?

Not very, I concluded, and thought I’d give it a whirl. 

So I began to make it a Sunday morning ritual to head out to the local Casey’s General Store to pick up a newspaper full of coupon inserts. For the first couple of weeks the savings were great. And then the laziness set in. Seriously people, it’s a lot of work to clip coupons, search for sales, and find special deals … all while trying to compile a list that must include everything my family of six will need over the next seven days.

Sure enough, because I didn’t have enough time or energy, I quit doing it.  Sometimes I would not even make my list before I went to the store … which we all know is the biggest no-no in the ‘how to save money manual’.

Hello?  But I just couldn’t do it all.

That is … until my “angel” paid me a visit.

Really.  I am so not kidding.

A month or so ago, I was asked to check out an awesome website called, Savings Angel. When I logged onto their website I was shocked. All the things I didn’t have time to do before … was right in front of me.  ALL THE WORK.  DONE!  And I got excited. 

They compile all the sales, coupons, links to coupons online and my grocery list FOR ME. All I have to do is print. And shop. And, of course, save.

For example, when I notice that Molly has used up all the ketchup AGAIN, and I need to purchase more … I log into my SavingsAngel.comaccount and type in ketchup.  Then I simply select the stores in which I’m willing to shop. Savings Angel then pops up with a list of each store, their price for the ketchup and links to any coupons that are available for ketchup.  After deciding which deal I’ll take, I check the “Add To Shopping List” box next to the store I want to buy from.  And bam … when I print my list before heading out to do the shopping, not only do I know that I won’t forget the ketchup … I know that I’m getting the best deal in town. Simple as that!

It is truly awesome. So I really wanted to share it with you. I will tell you upfront, the service that SavingsAngel.com offers is not free. It will cost you a little over $2 per week to try it. But come on, we all know that you’ll save that two bucks on your first shopping trip … and then some.

Check it out.  And then come back here and let me know if you love it as much as I do!

My Boys is back for Season 4!!!  This TBS hit comedy about a group of close friends who always make time to get together, drink beer, play their weekly poker and support each other through the ups and downs of dating, break-ups and career highs and lows.

Season 3 ended with the gang in Arizona for the Cubs spring training game. Brendan is threatened by a professional baseball player meanwhile sparks fly between Kenny and Stephanie, Mike tries his best to get a base hit off a professional pitcher and Bobby helps P.J. write her best article yet. As the group returns to Chicago, Bobby and P.J. stumble upon Kenny and Stephanie kissing…

As a new season blossoms, the friends continue to joke around, bond over beer and poker and have fun, but this time around, they also have to face the realities of life, financial issues, career decisions, and getting into serious relationships.

Season 4 premiered on July 25th at 10/9 central on TBS. Grab a beer and tune in or set your DVR to watch their latest trials and tribulations. Although the season already started, you can easily catch up by viewing full episodes at Hulu.com.

If you haven’t caught the previous episodes of My Boys, no fear, we are giving away a complete disk set of Season Two and Season Three to one lucky winner.  Just leave a comment below … and you’ll be entered to win.   Doesn’t get any easier than that!  On Friday, September 3rd the winner will be randomly chosen from all of the comments received. 

Are your kids crazy for Zhu Zhu pets?

Then they are likely to love the new line of pets called KUNG ZHU made just for the boy of yours.

Check out my post and sign up to win by July 11, 2010! 

You’ll find the link here!

So many people suffer from arthritis pain, and you can learn that ‘moving is the best medicine’.    May is Arthritis Awareness Month and throughout the entire month of May, there will be over 100 Arthritis Walks held nationwide to help raise awareness and funds to help improve the lives of those that live with arthritis.  Do you live near one of them?  You can find out here, and help support the cause. 

The Ad Council and Arthritis Foundation have teamed up to put together a great website where one can take a quiz to find out if they are at risk of having osteoarthritis.  Knowing the facts are important.  Take a minute and learn about the causes, risks, symptoms, and diagnosis for osteoarthritis.   If you are at risk, or do suffer … it does not need to dictate your life. Come find out what exercises will benefit you the most, how to manage your pain, and how to talk to your doctor.  It can change your life.

Visit the website – Fighting Arthritis Pain - In addition to everything mentioned above, there is also an online community, local events and programs and also some awesome resources.  It’s worth a few minutes of your time time check it out.

And that is not all, we have been given a  “Moving is the Best Medicine” Premium Package to give away to one of you!

The package includes: 

   • a copy of Walk With Ease
   • a DVD of Tai Chi For Arthritis
   • a set of light dumbbells
   • Pilot Dr. Grip Pen
   • Hefty 1 zip storage bag coupons
   • Cardinal Easy Open Binders
   • ThermaCare heating pack

The contest is open to US residents only.   Just leave a comment on this post and you are entered to win.  If you’d like to tweet or share this giveaway on facebook or your blog , please feel free to do so.  The will give you extra entries, but please remember to leave a separate comment telling us you’ve done so.  Winner will be drawn randomly from all entries and contacted on Friday, May 28, 2010. 

Good Luck!

Disclosure:  IowaMoms.com has been given two premium packages (contents listed above).  One to keep and one to give away to a random winner.

I am giving away an emergency safety kit from Energizer on my blog.

Go to http://sincerelystacie.blogspot.com to enter. 

The contest is open until 11;59 PM on May 9, 2010.

Leave a comment on my blog post with your email address so I can reach you. 

Also, let me know you found the giveaway through IowaMoms.com.  Thanks!

Birds are chirping.  Bees are buzzing.  Mowers are humming.  Spring is in the air.  Finally!

If you’re like me, nothing says SPRING better than a cold treat at your local DQ.  Always so good it’s worth waiting all winter for.

And guess what?  From now until this Sunday, April 25, 2010 … Participating Dairy Queen locations are celebrating 25 years of goodness.  That means you can purchase a yummy DQ Blizzard and get a second one for 25 cents.  Yup, you read that right … a quarter!

The best part?  No coupon needed.  It simply is what it is.

Come on!  What are you waiting for … head on over to Dairy Queen and help them celebrate!

Go find a participating DQ Near You!