Lots of us are saving money by "doing it ourselves" and Home Depot and Lowe's are more than willing to help us out.

Home Depot offers free classes on laying floor tile, updating a bathroom, installing a faucet, painting, and many more home improvement projects. Click to learn more and find out when your local store is offering classes.

Lowe's offers how-to videos on its site here and is advertising "shop" classes for woodworkers beginning October 8th.

Both stores offer children's DIY projects for free. Please see my previous post for details on how you can sign up your children to do some fun seasonal projects.
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Special thanks to GalTime.com for the above video.

MomsWhoSave contributes money-saving deals to GalTime.com's homepage and DollarTime section every day! You can also find other money-savings ideas, videos, and articles there on everything from investing to saving to shopping and more. I'm proud to work with GalTime and all their fabulous contributors!

For more of MomsWhoSave's daily bargains, visit my main deals site or find me on twitter.

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We've been home from our ten-day trip back to the Midwest (where my husband and I are from) for about five days now. I think we're finally all unpacked and almost back to normal.

We flew with our two boys, who are 13 and nine, for the first time, and packing for the plane was difficult. It was especially hard to stay within United's 50-pound weight limit for checked bags, and figure out what we'd carry on the plane. Looking back, we would have been better off to buy a couple of extra carry-ons and not check anything. It cost $20 per checked bag each way, but we'll do better next time.

Anyway, I had to post about the ONE pair of shoes I brought on the trip. It saved room in the luggage not to pack extra shoes, they're super quick and easy to remove at the airport, and they went with everything I wore while on vacation. (Well, there was one exception--I bought some "fancy" flip-flops to go with a sundress while I was there.) But, I did only bring the shoes on my feet on this trip.

What are these amazing shoes? My trusty black Crocs - mary jane style. I don't wear the big clunky ones, but I love this smaller style and I spent 10 days in them very comfortably.

And, no I didn't get a free pair for writing this (unless someone wants to send me some), I am not doing a giveaway, or being paid to tell you I wore these shoes every day for 10 days.

Right now, Crocs has a buy one, get one 1/2 off sandals sale, and its outlet always has deals up to 50% off if you're already a Crocs lover or want to give them a try!

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If you’re reading this, you’re online. If you’re online, chances are you not only have internet access, you might have a laptop, you probably have a cell phone, your kids likely have some (if not all) of the latest gadgets and toys, and your spouse or significant other does too.

With all of our technology comes the need to power it. We know that means lots of chargers and cords lying on countertops, desks, or may-be even floors. We have so much more “stuff” in our lives today, and Lynn Fetzer-Westmeister saw a solution to at least this part of the problem. She invented the “Power Shelf.”

When I first saw it, I thought “Why didn’t someone think of this sooner?” The design is so simple, yet functions so well. It does exactly what it should do. How? It replaces your outlet cover and your cell phone, Nintendo, etc. sits on the shelf while it charges. Pictures explain it best.

I received a Power Shelf to try, which I’m using for my phone. I can wrap the excess cord from my charger around a special area on the shelf, and it works great. It looks less messy, and the phone’s not lying on my countertop with excess cord. I really like it! The size of shelf I have will also accommodate my boys’ Nintendo DS games.

Oh, and for those of you who have given up your landlines for cell phones only—the Power Shelf is a great place to keep your phone so you always know where it is. No more running all over the house looking for a ringing phone or missing calls.

Lynn at Power Shelf is offering a free Power Shelf to a lucky MomsWhoSave visitor--it's the one pictured in this post. She’s also offering a generous 30% discount to all MomsWhoSave Blog visitors!

1. Visit Power Shelf's special discount page, and tell me what you like about the Power Shelf in the comments below.

For additional entries:

2. Have a blog? Write about this giveaway on your blog or website with a link to this post. Let me know in the comments, please.

3. If you do have a website or blog, add the MomsWhoSave.com button to your sidebar. (it's over to your right and up a little bit or look here (lots of sizes to choose from) Let me know in a separate comment, so I can go check it out.

4. Twitter users can tweet this giveaway using this wording "RT @MomsWhoSave is giving away a PowerShelf 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.

5. Visit MomsWhoSave.com's main deals site, and then come back here to leave a comment with your favorite deal today.

6. Subscribe to the RSS feed of this blog or the RSS feed of my main deals site and leave me a comment to let me know.

The giveaway ends on Thursday, July 30th at 10 p.m. EST, so hurry, and get your entries in. Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.

Please make sure you give me a way to reach you too, since winners will be notified by email. This giveaway is for U.S. residents only.

Good luck!

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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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