Happy Holidays!

Hello readers,
I will be taking a highly anticipated vaykay to more southern and warmer climates for the next few weeks and will be setting aside my blogging updates until my return in mid-January. Happy holidays to you all!
Be well,
NYCFreelancer

:: Family Tree Maker 2008 Giveaway ::

What a great project to start the new year with...buiding a family tree with the Family Tree Maker 2008 Essentials program. This software can be yours if you win this giveaway by Grammy Janet's Place blog. Contest runs through January 11th, 2009 and you have five ways to enter. See the above link for details. Happy New Year to you and yours!

:: Online Freebie Tips ::

ONLINE FREEBIE TIPS

* Have a seperate email account just for freebies. This will keep you from getting any spam in your normal email account.

* Do not use your real phone number, unless you need to verify in order to receive the free item you requested.

* Be very careful when looking for free stuff on other so called "free sites". There's are many scam sites that offer what appear to be freebies but most will require participation which usually includes purchasing something or ask for shipping costs. Neither of those constitutes free.

* Most offers do state comments like this: "Your free sample is on it's way, will arrive in approximately 8 - 12 weeks" so please be patient because most free samples take a while to come.

Free 2009 Retro Calendar Giveaway...

i lash girls are doing a fun and simple 2009 retro calendar giveaway...just leave a comment on their site between now and midnight (PST) on Thursday and check their site on Friday to see if you've won!

Free $10 off Officemax Coupon (on $20 purchases)

Valid through 1/3/09, you can print your $10 off coupon for Officemax HERE.

$20-25 Gift Certificate Giveaways!

Enter to win a $20 gift certificate to Target through a holiday giveaway by Life With A Little One And More (deadline to enter is midnight tonight)!

To win a $25 gift certificate for either Publix, Walmart or CVS between now and Chistmas Eve at the Living as Mom blog (5 different ways to enter) and check back on Christmas Day to find out if you're the lucky gift card winner!

Jewelry & Craft Supply Giveaways!

Tis the season to win freebies! 

Today (Friday, December 19th) is your last chance to enter to enter several blogger hosted giveaways such as...

A $15 gift certificate to use toward a beautiful hand-painted fine art resin pendant necklace at Allover Art's Etsy store. See details of the giveaway at the link above and be sure to enter the contest by this evening at 11:59 pm!

A pair of Cindy Hoo earrings at Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio - simply make a comment on her blog to be entered to win this beautiful set of earrings.

And a fun collection of new mixed media art supplies is being given away by Joanna of Little Faerie Tales.

Last minute shopping deals...

Here are some great online coupon codes and printable coupons for your last minute shopping and express shipping needs...

Restaurant.com is offering 80% off their $25 gift certificates (so $2 to you) if you use the online promotion code SANTA (valid through 12/22 only).

Get $10 off a $50 purchase at Old Navy with this online printable coupon (valid through 1/20/2009)

Order your last minute gifts at Apple.com before 12/22 and get a free express shipping upgrade in time for the holidays - free shipping on all orders over $50

Take an extra 20% off and get free shipping + free returns on all items at Shoes.com - using the promo code CHEERS

Get an extra 15-20% off and free shipping on all orders over $99 made at Macys.com before 12/19 using the promo code WRAPUP

FREE Travel Size Item at Bath & Body Works!

Print your free in-store coupon HERE and pick up a signature travel size item from your local Bath & Body Works store today (this offer valid through December 18, 2008 only).

Buy a Dozen, Get a Dozen Free

Buy a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts and get a second dozen FREE with this in-store coupon (click on the "Holiday Gift Tags" link)! Is it obvious that I like these sugary confections? 

More Free Holiday Gift Tags!

Print out pages of four different FREE retro gift card tags by HGTV, HERE.

Free Krispy Kreme Donut!

Join Friends of Krispy Kreme and get a coupon for a free original glazed doughnut! Note to the wise: wait 'til you see the store's signature "HOT NOW" sign illuminated before redeeming your coupon!

Free Printable Holiday Gift Tags

Land-o-Lakes website is offering free printable holiday gift tag template pages for all your gifting needs this season. Check out the 18 different designs HERE.

Free CD Giveaway!

Music blog mixed tape du jour is giving away CDs every Friday this month...check out the site for details! Last week was your choice of hip hop artists Mos Def, Will.i.Am or A Tribe Called Quest and this week's theme is "Best Of" albums. Happy Holidays music lovers!

Noisetrade {Free Indie Music Albums)

Noisetrade is such sweet music to my ears...free music too. This new fair trade music site offers listeners a healthy resource for new indie bands as well as the option to download those artist's CDs for free!  

Free Online Classical/Jazz/Blues Radio

Are you a fan of classical music? blues and jazz? orchestral? chamber? If so you will be amazed at the extensive collection of these genres found at PristineClassical.com ... you can even listen to their online radio of all these historic recordings for free! 

Free Paper Towels!

Win Scotts towels for a YEAR and cash for the holidays by entering the Leave Nothing Behind Sweepstakes!

Free Popcorn At IMAX Theaters

Click HERE for the printable coupon (valid through January 31, 2009)

Free Clothes AND Early Spring Closet Cleaning!

Clothing Swaps ~ This ingenious online phenomenon is a great way to both search out a vast selection of used, vintage or cast-offs from others around the globe in exchange for the things you've been hoarding in your closet that you KNOW you'll never wear...you know what I'm talking about...those deals you couldn't pass up even though they're a size or two too small, a color that doesn't make you look your best because you're a "winter" not a "summer" or you simply need to clean and make room for the things you do wear and really don't need five black dresses. There are homes out there to house your unwanted clothing, home decor and accessory items and there are items out there ready for you to treasure...get going with one of the many suggestions by CurbsideBooty and Young & Broke!

Amazon's Givin' Away LOADS of Free Music

Check out this holiday's 25 Days of Free Music offer through Amazon.com and the other 600+ free songs you can download including entire sampler albums like VICE Gives You The Gift of Good Music CD and P is For Panda Mix Tape, Vol. 1

Free Fresh Breath

Flavorful joy all around...fill out this entertaining survey and receive a free pack of Stride gum!

Song Bird...This Ain't Your Mother's iTunes

Song Bird is a new brand of digital music player...not only is it free (like iTunes) but unlike the other guy, it's an OPEN SOURCE media player. For the geekoids out there, like the little bird that tipped me off to this new find, you don't need to be told that open source means you can let your creative juices flow and customize the shizzy out of this new player enabling it to go and do what no other digital music player has gone or done before. Exciting. For the non-computer geeks out there this simply means that iTunes finally has some real potential competition and competition in business is good...especially for the music-consuming populous (ie. muah)...I heart you already Songbird and we've only just met!

Technorati Profile

More Free Tea!!

Freeleaf.com complied a pretty healthy list of sites where free tea samples are offered or discount coupons given for simply signing up for their newsletters. Expand your palette this winter with a variety of new tea flavors, all without spending a dime!

Free Weekly Coupons...What can you buy for $1?

For those of us who don't get the weekend paper but still want in on the weekly savings skinny for our local grocery and drug stores, you'll be happy to hear you don't need anything other than an internet connection and maybe a printer to get access to those same coupons and deals. Here are a couple great stores that regularly list their complete newspaper circulars online (some of which allow you to print out their coupons from their site) as well as another great site for getting other printable coupons usable at any store. Happy coupon clipping!

Coupons.com {NOTE: There is currently a coupon good for $5 off when you spend $25 at Walgreens - valid through TODAY ONLY - Tuesday, December 2nd} 

CVS

Kmart

Target

Walgreens {My local NYC Walgreens circular lists several incredible deals for $1.00 including their Tuf brand papertowel and Big Roll TP - 2 for $1.00 as well as any Softsoap liquid handsoap for $0.99, Dawn dish liquid 2 for $2.00 and holiday cookie cutters 3 for $1.00 through December 6th}

Cyber Monday Deals Await...All Day Long

Cyber Monday is a great idea in that people who want to shop safely from home or work can still get the deals without the risk of impalement for that last Xbox 360. Most deals will at least include free shipping (ladeda) but there are some real steals out there listed at the sites below:

Dealzmodo

eBay Deals

Cyber Monday Deals

Best Cyber Monday Sales

Happy Shopping!

More Free Online Yoga (& Pilates)

Hulu.com is now offering free online yoga and pilates videos through their Exercise TV channel!