The Average Parent

Save on Back-To-School Shopping w/ E-Clubs

Before you head out to the mall for back to school clothes, check out some options to save on your purchases. 1. Check CardPool for discounted gift cards, which can be paired with coupons for added savings. I recently purchased a Bed Bath and Beyond gift card for 8% off. I then paired it with a 20% off coupon for a bigger deal. 2. Check RetailMeNot.com for printable coupons and online discount codes. 3. When shopping online, use Ebates for additional savings. Along with getting cash back for your purchase, you can find exclusive coupon codes. Sometimes the cash back is only 2%, but ...

Get Free (or Deeply Discounted) Movie Tickets

I absolutely love going to the movies, but I just can't justify spending $7 or more...especially when hubby and I go together. That's why I'm always searching for ways to save at the movies. Here are few ideas you might find useful: AMC Theaters AMC Theaters also offers a variety of specials for members of their “Movie Watcher” program including discounted tickets on special days of the week, coupons for concessions, and free popcorn on Wednesdays. Plus, you can now get half priced tickets during the week with the AMC Weekday Escape (no membership required.) This program offers the same blockbuster movies at ...

New Ways to Earn Cash while Recycling old Electronics

Did you know that eWaste is the fastest growing source of waste stream today? I’ve know about the hazards of electronic waste for some time now…and that is exactly why I have a pile of used gear in my office. I have insisted that my husband not throw any of it away, but that’s the extent of my efforts to recycle it. Now that it’s time to convert my office to a new baby room, I have to find a home for all this eWaste. Luckily I came across a great little article in Family Circle telling me exactly what ...

Deals and Steals

Stride Rite: Buy One, Get One Half Off

I love it when Stride Rite runs a good deal…otherwise I wouldn’t be able to afford more than one pair of shoes for my son’s wide foot. So, I’m happy to pass on the news that starting today (July 29) through August 29, you can get a pair of shoes for half off when you [...]

Save 20% at Carter’s and OshKosh B’gosh

Carter’s is having a bunch of great deals, but the best one I saw was the extra 20% off you can get on clearance items. You can also use this printable coupon to save 20% in stores through August 4. Or, head to OshKosh B’gosh to save and extra 20% online or in stores. Standard [...]

Save $10 at Champps Americana

Champps Americana has a printable coupon on their facebook page. Print it off and you can save $10 when you spend $25 or more. Offer expires 8/15.

Hot Tamales FREE Samples

Hot Tamales have always been one of my favorite candies! Now you can sign up for a free sample. If you don’t want yours, you can send it to me.

Barnes and Nobel Toys and Games: Buy one get one Half Off

NOW through August 2, you can get a toy or game from Barnes and Noble at 50% off when you buy another toy of equal or greater value. Just use coupon code W9M4U4U at checkout. Plus, if you shop through Ebates, you’ll get 4% cash back.
Fine Print:
This coupon can be redeemed only once per customer, [...]

Around the Web

Do Good: Test Your Knowledge while Feeding Others

By playing a simple multiple-choice game, you can help the World Food Programme fight hunger. In fact, for each answer you get right, Free Rice donates 10 grains of rice to help end hunger. Made possible through the site’s advertisers, the concept is simple: engage and educate people for free and end world hunger. You [...]

Like Quiznos on FB and They’ll Donate $1 to Save the Gulf

For every new fan of Quiznos on Facebook, Quiznos will donate $1 to Ocean Alliance to help save the Gulf. Their goal is to gain 20,000 additional fans by August 15th for a donation of $20,000 to the R/V Odyssey Expedition. Ocean Alliance will be sailing to the Gulf of Mexico to help research the [...]

Love These Sites for a Good Laugh

Occasionally when I can’t sleep, I like to troll the web for interesting and fully websites. Here are a few of my favorites:
Shit My Kids Ruined makes me laugh every time. Plus, it makes me feel so much better about my own mischief maker.
Awkward Family Photos has me laughing for hours. I especially like the mullets, [...]

20 Things You Should Never Buy Used

While I love, love, love scoring a good deal on Craig’s List or Ebay, there are definitely some things that shouldn’t be purchased second hand…some obvious, some not so much. Check out the USNews.com list of 20 used items that will end up costing you money — or even endanger your health.
20 Things You Should Never Buy [...]

What do you Think about the Ban on Peanuts?

I love this article from a Washington Post columnist who actually tries to understand the peanut allergy. Petula Dvorak (whose kids are not allergic to nuts) touches on a lot of interesting points, from what it’s like to live with a peanut allergy…always on the lookout for the invisible monster…to what it’s like when you [...]

Our Word

When is it OK to Question a Parent’s Method of Discipline?

The other day I was complaining on my personal facebook wall about how difficult my soon to be 3-year-old has been. He’s been pushing my husband and me to the limits and some days it just feels like we can’t take any more. Most people who follow my posts know that my little guy brings [...]

Docs Don’t Know Shit about Allergies; Mom Does

I recently read the article When Food Hurts from the Boston Globe, which details pretty much what I’ve been saying all along…doctors don’t know shit about allergies.
My little man started having chronic ear infections around age 1 when we switched him from soy formula to whole milk. We went through rounds and rounds of antibiotics, [...]

80% of Car Seats Installed Incorrectly; Get Yours Checked for FREE

Did you know that motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 2 and 14 in the United States? Even though many parents use car seats, more than 80% of them are installed incorrectly. That’s a startling reality! The good news is that there are plenty of opportunities [...]

Free (or nearly free) Things to Do

Bellow is a list of some great–and cheap–things you and your family can enjoy. I’m always looking for new ideas too, so if you have additional suggestions, feel free to leave me a comment. Also, don’t forget to use your Entertainment Book for more savings.
Kerasotes Movie Theaters
Participating Kerasotes movie theaters offer the $5 Buck Club. [...]

I Believed Babies R Us When they Told Me What I Needed

Parenting.com blogger Mighty Maggie asked readers if there is any one product (or even a Parenting Philosophy!) you so fully bought into that it’s actually surprising when you realize there are alternatives? (check out the post here)
I thought I’d chime in because I recently had my own revelation along these lines. To celebrate the launch of my site, [...]

Stuff We Love

Affordable Tools to Pack a Healthy, Waste-Free Lunch

When my son started pre-school this summer, I wanted to make sure that his lunches produced little waste. For me it’s more than a money thing, it’s an Earth thing. Because, while we recycle here at home, I’m sure his teacher doesn’t have time to rinse every container and sort the plastic from the paper. [...]

Everything Comes Home with Mabel’s Labels

The night before my son started preschool I diligently sat down and wrote his name on every single thing he would possibly take with him. It took a while, especially on those bumpy elastic waist bands, but I was happy to know that nothing would get lost. Fast forward a week and all my hard [...]

The Six O’Clock Scramble: The Best Cookbook Ever

The reason this website is called The Average Parent is because I consider myself to be just that…very average. I do a decent job cleaning the house, although there are definitely some areas I’d like to keep hidden. I try to be a good mom, but there are certainly times when I use the TV [...]

Britax Won my Heart with the Frontier 85

I have to admit, I haven’t always been the biggest fan of Britax. I always thought they were overpriced and just a tad bulky for my tastes. Boy have I learned a lot in the last year! You see, we are currently on our fifth car seat for my 2 year old son…and I now [...]

Top Sunscreens for the Average Parent

I don’t need to tell you about the importance of proper sun protection for both the average parent, and our kids. But, finding the right product and application technique can sometimes be difficult. In my case, applying sunscreen was always a battle with a wriggling little guy. He almost always ended up with greased hair [...]

Win It

Win Reusable Snack and Sandwich Bags from ReUsies (ends 8/2)

Last week I told you how I love ReUsies for packing an affordable waste-free lunch. This week, it’s your turn to snag some. One lucky reader will win one ReUsies snack bag and one sandwich bag in your choice of color/pattern. But, let me tell you a bit about them first.
Because the average person uses [...]

Giveaways Around the Web w/ Mr. Linky

Welcome to the Mr. Linky contest roundup. This is a great opportunity for bloggers to share contest links, and for Average Parent readers to find more great stuff to win.
Bloggers: leave your site’s name, a brief description of what you are giving away and the end date in Mr.Linky below. (i.e. “Average Parent – Britax [...]

Win Mabel’s Labels and Make Sure Everything Comes Home (ends 7/29)

If you’ve read my review, or if you’ve seen how I pack a healthy, waste-free lunch, you know that I love Mabel’s Labels! They don’t budge and I know all of our stuff is coming home at the end of the day. In fact, we dropped a sippi in the school parking lot and I was [...]