Whenever we are stuck in a waiting room (doctor, dentist, wherever), my kids entertain themselves by reading Highlights magazine. They LOVE it and always want to buy the magazine for all the fun activities in it. But, I have 4 kids so I would have to have 4 subscriptions for everyone to have their own (which is what they want). So, I never subscribe.

Well, I fould out today, that you can print a lot of their activities including their fun hidden pictures pages from their website here. What fun my kids will have with this!!

Thanks The Freebie Blogger.

I should have posted this a couple days ago, but I wanted to post it closer to the actual day of the deal. Origins posted on their Facebook status the following message:

We’ll trade you for FREE. One day only – 4/22. Bring your current skincare to any Origins counter and we’ll trade it for a full-size of one of our gentle, high-performance cleansers. Choose either: Checks and Balances™ Frothy face wash Or a Perfect World™ Antioxidant cleanser with White Tea. Value up to $20!

Update: I just tried this and it did not work-I am not sure this is worth trying!!
Arts Cow is offering 2 totally free photo coasters (with free shipping). To read how to get yours, click here. We got a free mouse pad once from them that was really nice. I'd hurry, this is limited for the first 3000 orders.

This looks fun! Today's Salt Lake City Groupon is $8 for Three Activities and Four Arcade Tokens at Trafalga Fun Center ($16 Value). FYI, this is located in Orem.

As with all the deals, make sure you check out the fine print before purchasing. To sign up for Groupons, click on my referral link here (this does NOT commit you to buying any deal-you choose what you buy) and to see the Salt Lake City page, including today's deal, click here.

Not sure what Groupons is? Then click here to read all about it!

Today's Omaha Groupon is $45 for a Suddenly Slender Body Wrap from Body Nouveaux Spa ($95 Value). FYI, this spa is located in Linloln.

As with all the deals, make sure you check out the fine print before purchasing. To sign up for Groupons, click on my referral link here (this does NOT commit you to buying any deal-you choose what you buy) and to see the Omaha page, including today's deal, click here.

Not sure what Groupons is? Then click here to read all about it!

My 12-yr-old brother is doing a very cool service project that he just emailed me about. I think it is a very good cause, and worth donating too. I do not have a lot of money to donate, but recently I have gotten a lot of great toy deals, and I cannot think of a better place for those toys to go than to this project! Please read this post through and if you are willing and able to donate, please email me at beckeesdeals@gmail.com and I will let you know where to send donations! Thanks you for reading this and considering a donation! Here is the email from my brother:

Hi everyone:
I am doing a service project for Hope of America, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club.

I have decided to collect items for the Kidstar Program at the University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Hospital. This is a great place that helps kids who are having trouble with depression and other emotional things. Kidstar is the school program for kids younger than 12. Some of the kids stay at the hospital all the time and some just come during the day for school. I have a friend who was helped a great deal by this program, and his mom said they really need some things for the kids at the school.

The items needed are (appropriate for 3-12 years old): legos, toys, puzzles, board games, dress-ups (boys and girls), and dolls. If you have any of these things you can contribute, either new or gently used (please make sure all pieces are there), I would really appreciate it. If you would rather send me a gift card or cash donation, I will turn those into one or more of these items.

If I am able to collect enough card/cash donations, I am going to buy some roller blades, which is a special physical activity reward given to kids staying in the hospital.The kids don't get to keep the roller blades, but they use them in the gym at the hospital.

If you can help, please respond to this email, and I will arrange to pick up the items, or tell you where to send them. I would like to have everything collected by April 18 so that I can deliver by April 28.

Thank you very much for any help you can give.

Sincerely,
Spencer

Every once in a while I like to post about the great mail I get. I figure it might show how the feebies and deals really do work and come and maybe it will help you to be as excited as I am about the things I post!! Also, when I get things in the mail that I posted about, I go back to that post and put stars by them so you can see that I have actually seen that deal/freebie!

That being said, I can tell you that when I got home from a week long vacation, I had a TON of coupons, deals and freebies to go through (with hardly a bill in sight!). I did not keep a list of all those, but I am about to go mark the posts with stars again.

TODAY in the mail, besides a bank statement (yes I still get those in snail mail) and a Netflix movie, I got a lot of things I have written about. I got 2 coupons from Lofthouse cookies for $1 each, my coupon for FREE Clariol Natural Instincts hair color, my FREE Cosmo magazine (from my free subscription), and a bonus exciting freebie!! Kohl's sent me a $10 gift card good toward the purchase of ANYTHING in the store between April 21 and May 1! WOWSA!!! I am LOVING that!!

Check you mail carefully and maybe you too will get this (or another) great surprise! 

This is really neat! April 17-25 is National Park Week and to celebrate that, the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees to ALL 392 national parks!! Please see details here. Also, some of the national park concessioners are offering special promotions as well. You can see those details here.

Let me know if you get to take advantage of this great offer!!!

Some of you might remember that I never got my Oreo cookies from the Facebook fan giveaway even though I signed up on time and registered. They had some issues with that giveaway, and in fact, people (who felt entitled to their freebie) wrote some nasty things on the Oreo Facebook fan page. I felt frustrated and sad that I did not get the Oreos, but I feel like freebie is a priviledge, not something I am entitled to. I never EXPECT a freebie. But at the same time, I DID sign up for it so I really wanted those free Oreos.

I had a choice, I could leave nasty messages on their wall (like MANY others did), or I could try to go about it another way. I decided to try to be an adult adn I decided to email the company directly and thank them for doing the giveaway, and let them know that I was among the number of people that signed up, got confirmation that I was getting a free box of GOlden oreos, but them never got it. I explained that I was a bit frustrated by this and wondered if there was anything I could do to get at least a coupon.

I did not hear back from them...not until this week when I got a very nice letter int he mail with a coupon for ANY free Nabisco cookie or cracker box up to a $4.19 value! Wow-better that the original coupon where I could only get the vanilla Oreos (I am a major chocolate girl when it comes to Oreos)!

WHat is my point? Two things really...One, you really DO catch more flies with honey, and 2 NEVER be afraid to contact a company and let them know about what you think about their product or customer service, or whatever! Just be honest and polite (even when you are complaining be as nice as you can handle).

Consider these as Beckee's tips of the day! :)

I do not know how many of my readers are in New England, but I thought it was worth posting this, even if only one reader out there gets to use it!

If you become a fan of Hood on Facebook, they will mail you a coupon for a FREE Hood Sour Cream!

Only good in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont!

Thanks Mojo Savings.