I had to let you know about a few more great freebies!

Starting Monday, get a hot or cold McCafe mocha from McDonald's FREE! They're available from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. every Monday through August 3rd. Check with your local McDonald's for more information. (Limit one per person per visit. While supplies last.)

Free Geotrax DVD (46 minutes) - you don't even pay shipping!

Veggie Tales offers a free DVD when you sign up for their e-newsletter HERE. All you pay is $2.99 shipping.

Check my previous post below for several free offers and samples that are still available, including free photo gifts and prints, a free sample of Kotex overnights, free formula, and more!

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Today MomsWhoSave has a new book review and a giveaway. I received a copy of Alexis Martin Neely's book Wear Clean Underwear recently and have an extra copy to give away.

If you're wondering what in the world this book is about, let me fill you in. Alexis says her mom always told her to make sure she was wearing clean underwear when she left the house in case she got in an accident. The first night Alexis went out after becoming a mother herself, she realized this wasn't enough--there is much more a parent needs to do to prepare for the future of her child.

As I read this book, I realized we spend an awful lot of time worrying about our children-- spending money on various babyproofing equipment, buying the best carseats (as we should), researching the best preschools, and warning them about every possible danger--no matter how slim the possibility it could happen to them. But when it comes to planning for our kids in case of our deaths, we do almost nothing!

An astonishing number of parents don't even have a will and haven't named guardians for their children.

In Alexis Neely's book, she uses easy-to-understand language and real-life scenarios to guide you through these important decisions.

And if you think this book is only for those who would be leaving behind substantial sums of money, please think again. As you read through this book, you'll find that the steps you take today to plan for your kids' guardianship and education can affect your their emotional well-being and security for years to come should something happen to you. These are not issues you want a court to decide.

You have a chance to win this book here, and if you don't win, please buy this book. It's available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Better World Books (used with free shipping). It's very reasonably priced.

About Alexis Martin Neely:

Alexis Martin Neely is the bestselling author of the legal guide for parents, Wear Clean Underwear! A Fast, Fun, Friendly – and Essential – Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parents. A mom, lawyer, blogger, speaker, and entrepreneur, Alexis is the family financial and legal expert on Better TV and has been featured on CNBC, the Today Show, ABC, Fox, CBS, as well as over two dozen radio shows across the country, including Oprah’s XM Radio Network and NPR.

Alexis lives in Hermosa Beach, CA with her two children.

For more on Alexis, you can:
...follow her on Twitter.
...friend her on Facebook.
...subscribe to her Family Wealth Secrets online magazine.
... or get inspired by reading her personal blog, the Intrepid Mompreneur.

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I got a CD for review in the mail the other day from a "kids'" band called The Jimmies. It's called "Make Your Own Someday."

I'd checked out their website, and from what I'd already heard online, was thinking this should be pretty good. I grabbed the mail on my way to pick up my nine-year-old from school, and out of curiosity, put in the CD right away.

So, here I was alone in the car listening to a children's music CD, and I'm not embarrassed to say I listened to it for the entire 25-minute drive to school! We all know this is not possible with most of our kids music, whether it's preschool stuff or Radio Disney.

The music is "rock-y," most of the songs are upbeat and fun, and minus the kid-centered (and often educational) lyrics, you wouldn't know many of these songs were "kid" music.

When I got to school and my son jumped in the car, he noticed what was playing, and I told him about The Jimmies. I expected to hear something about "baby music," since now that he is hooked on Guitar Hero, he is off Radio Disney and into classic rock. Instead, he said "These guys are good!" Wow! If you knew my son, that's quite an endorsement.

Anyway, he loved The Jimmies, I loved The Jimmies, my five-year-old niece loved The Jimmies, and I think you and your kids will love The Jimmies too!

Our favorite songs were What's That Sound?, Cool To Be Uncool, Spanimals, and Do The Elephant. I'll stop there before I list all their songs.

Click to hear for yourself why The Jimmies are on over 12+ Top Ten Kids' Album of the Year Lists, have hit number 1 on the XMKids Chart, and are winning more awards than I have room to list!

While you're on the website you can check out a few videos here for some of The Jimmies best songs. They are really well done and FUN--your kids will love them!

If you'd like to get yourself (I mean your kids) a copy of The Jimmies Make Your Own Someday CD, click here to order with a special 25% discount for MomsWhoSave.com visitors.

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If you're like most people, you've owned more than a few cell phones in your lifetime. When you've finished with them, you probably know it's best to recycle them, and here's a great way to do it -- Cell phones for Soldiers.

They'll recycle your phone and use the money to buy prepaid calling cards for soldiers overseas. What a great gift for military men and women so far away from their families!

According to their website, "Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded by teenagers Robbie and Brittany Bergquist from Norwell, Mass., with $21 of their own money. Since then, the registered 501c3 non-profit organization has raised over $7 million dollars, provided over 114 million minutes of free talk time to soldiers, and recycled over 8.3 million cellphones."

It couldn't be any easier to recycle your phone with this program. Click on the link that says "Donate a gently used phone." You'll be able to print a postage-paid label to mail in your old phone or find a drop off location near you. Cell phones for Soldiers will handle the rest.

Take a minute to share this post with your friends and family, and you'll be helping even more soldiers keep in touch with their loved ones! (Links to share this post are below.)

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MomsWhoSave is overdue for another giveaway! This is a good one too.

How would you like to win an eight-strand amethyst bracelet? It's done in sterling silver with a lobster-claw clasp and is approximately eight inches long, but is adjustable for a much smaller wrist depending where you connect the clasp (see the photo). There are also small silver beads throughout each strand of the bracelet. This is gorgeous and has a retail value of $49.99. (Click the photo to zoom in on the bracelet. It shows up more clearly when you zoom in too.)

Now, how can you enter to win this bracelet? You can get up to five entries!

1. This one is required and gets you one entry into the giveaway: Go to the MomsWhoSave.com main deals website, and find your favorite offer. Come back here to the blog, and leave a comment below telling me what is.

For additional entries...

2. Twitter users can tweet this giveaway using this wording "RT @MomsWhoSave is giving away an amethyst bracelet at http://www.MomsWhoSave.com/blog.html" and then let me know you tweeted in a separate comment below. Please leave the link to your tweet.

3. Have a website or blog? Add the MomsWhoSave.com button to your sidebar. (it's over to your right) Let me know in a separate comment, so I can go check it out.

4. Write about this giveaway in your own blog linking back to this post. Leave a comment below with the link to your post.

5. Subscribe to the RSS feed of this blog, and leave me a comment to let me know.

The giveaway will end on Wednesday, April 8th at 10 p.m. Eastern time, and I'll notify the winner by email, so please make sure I have a way to reach you. I'll draw the winner at random using random.org.

For great deals every day, make sure you visit MomsWhoSave.com and check my twitter updates.

Giveaway deadline extended--ending Thursday until 10 p.m.!

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I don't think there's anyone reading this who hasn't heard of ebay, and almost all of you probably know about craigslist too. What those two sites have in common is that people are buying and selling goods and services.

I want to tell you about a few sites where you can get the goods and services you need through bartering or swapping what you have without exchanging any money.

Two people I follow on twitter, @missmanage and @common_cents, (for those of you on twitter) get credit for giving me the names of three out of four of these sites that can help you barter for goods and services. (I realized I actually belonged to one of them already!)

They're all a little different, and I encourage you to do your homework before getting involved in any transaction, just as you would on ebay or craigslist, but these can be a great resource when money is tight.

If you don't think you have services to offer, browse the sites and see what other people have listed. There are offers for, and people looking for, resume writers, dog walkers, laborers, caterers, web designers, landscapers, artists, housesitters--almost anything you can think of.

Check out these sites:

www.u-exchange.com
www.favorpals.com
www.swaptree.com
www.friendlyfavor.com

Already belong to any of these? How has your experience been? Leave a comment and let me know.

For great deals every day, make sure you visit MomsWhoSave.com and check my twitter updates.

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I have “tweeted” about this site on twitter, but wanted to tell you more than 140 characters will allow. Postcrossing.com is one of my favorite websites, and I think there are lots of you who would love it too!

The idea is a little like having a penpal, but you have lots of them, and they’re from all over the world. Another difference is that you don't exchange long letters, you exchange postcards.

You start by registering on the site—and did I mention it’s free? Then you request the name and address of another Postcrossing member. Since everyone fills out a short biography, you get to see a little bit of information about who you’re mailing your postcard to. I try to send something I think they would like or something the person has mentioned they have an interest in.

Postcrossing’s site then tracks your postcard and lets you know when it’s been received (the receiver logs in to let them know). When you log in, you’ll even see on a world map how far your card has travelled, and how long it took to reach its destination.

Once you start sending postcards, you’ll start receiving them too since other Postcrossers will get your name. I’ve received cards from Finland, Germany, China, and Italy so far.

Some members scan all of their cards and have them online for everyone to see. I haven’t done that, but I have gotten some interesting cards and learned a little about the cities of the people who’ve written to me.

I think this would be a great project for homeschoolers, for a teacher to do with a class, or for anyone with an interest in other cultures.

There’s also a discussion forum for members on the site.

And, if you’re wondering, the members all read and write English, so it’s very easy for us in the U.S. to participate.

I can’t recommend Postcrossing highly enough. Try it, and let me know what you think.

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Wee Web is a new (and free) service that lets you share your family photos, videos, and even cute little kid stories with only the people you choose.

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