If you are wanting to give your kids something different for Christmas this year that doesn’t involve more toys and stuff, consider giving them the gift of experiences.

Is there a certain trip you have been saving for? Give them plane tickets for Christmas.
Do they love going to the local Children’s Museum or Zoo? Buy them a year pass.
A future water baby in your family? Get them a season pass to a water park.
Have a big video gamer in the house? Give them a credit to Game Stop.

You can even buy them a gift card to their favorite store. Granted…I know lots of people that hate giving gift cards because they say it’s too impersonal. If you go about it correctly and thoughtfully it can actually be a very meaningful gift.

If you are scratching your head trying to figure out what to get certain people on your wish list or you are trying to figure out what to give that person who has everything….consider giving them an experience for a gift. They will love it!

You can also never go wrong with personalized gifts like photo calendars, digital photo books and things like that. Memories are the perfect gift. Here is a great one going on right now:

2 free calendars when you buy 1 at Snapfish (expires tomorrow!!)

Pinching Your Pennies is giving away a LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet (Retail value $99.99) to ONE LUCKY PYP member.
Win the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet just in time to make someone’s holiday bright! Get your hands on one of the hottest and hardest to find holiday toys and get it for FREE!

[gravityform id=10 name=Wina LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet from Pinching Your Pennies!]

A winner will be selected sometime after 9pm mountain time on Sunday, December 4th, 2011. The winner’s entry will be verified and then the winner will be contacted at the email provided.
Winner will also be posted on our Facebook page. Be sure to follow PYP on Facebook so you don’t miss the winner announcement!
The winner will have 7 calendar days to claim the prize. If the winner does not claim the prize a new winner will be selected.

The Fine Print:
By entering the contest you are agreeing to be added to the PYP Screaming Penny email newsletter.
This contest is open to residents of the US who are at least 18 years of age.
In exchange for the right to participate, each contestant agrees to release and indemnify PYP from and against any and all claims, demands and/or causes of action of any nature or kind whatsoever, whether presently known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, that arise out of the contestant’s participation in the contest and, if the contestant is a winner, the receipt and/or use of their prize.
PYP is not responsible for any technical, hardware, software or telephone or other transmission failures of any network, connections or computer, regardless of cause.

* Check out the PYP Navigating Rite Aid posts to help you along your shopping journey at Rite Aid.

* Read the Rite Aid coupon policy and keep it in your coupon binder.

* These are just the BEST offers this week. Always check your local ad to verify prices as they change by region.

* Participate in Rite Aid’s Video Values to be able to print valuable coupons, like $4/$20 purchase!

Samy Fat Foam Hair Color $8.99
Use Samy Fat Foam Permanent Hair Color, any shade $3/1 (12-31-11) RP-10/9 AND $2/1 Video Values coupon (if already watched, no longer available)
Get a $5 +Up Reward
Final Price: FREE plus overage after coupon and reward!

Marc Anthony Shampoo, Conditioner or Styler $3.99
Use $3/1 Video Values coupon (if already watched, no longer available)
Get a $2 +Up Reward
Final Price: FREE plus overage after coupon and reward!

Centrum $6.99
Use Centrum Adult, Womens or Mens, any 100 ct or larger $2/1 (12-4-11) RP-10/9 AND $1/1 Video Values coupon AND $2/1 Rite Aid coupon (from the Flu Coupon Book (free when you get a flu shot at Rite Aid)
Get a $1 +Up Reward
Final Price: $.99 after coupons and reward!

R. M. Palmer Bagged Chocolates 2/$2
Get a $1 +Up Reward when you buy two
Final Price: $.50 each after reward!

Pillow Pets $19.99; Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders $5.49
Get a $10 +Up Reward when you buy $30 of Bonus Buy items
Final Price: $13.19 after +Up Reward (for the Pillow Pets) & $3.62 after +Up Reward (for the games)!

If you have never made homemade playdough, you should try it! It is so easy to do, and the texture is much better than store-bought. I mixed up a couple of batches for my daughter and her cousin yesterday when they were bored…and it entertained them for an hour. Make a batch of homemade playdough, put it in a cute bag and attach some accessories for a fun child’s gift!

Homemade Playdough

Boil 1 cup water. Then add:

1/4 c. salt
1 Tbl. alum powder
1 Tbl. baby oil
food coloring of your choice

Then stir in 1 c. flour. Add a little more if needed. Knead together. Cool and store in an air tight container.

Some of you may have already gotten in on this deal, but for those who haven’t, there is still time!

I was able to find the Scrabble Flash, Yahtzee Flash and Simon Flash games at my local Target on Price Cut down to $19.98.

There is a $5 off Hasbro Flash Game store coupon in the Target Holiday Toy Book that came out two weeks ago, or you can also find the same coupon at Target.com.

Combine that with a $5 off manufacturer’s coupon from Hasbro’s Facebook promo here.

Total: $9.98

[Note: The store coupons from the Target Holiday Toy book expire this Wednesday, Nov 23!]

Print this I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter All Purpose Sticks $1.50/1 coupon quickly, before it disappears!  These are $2.68 daily at my local Walmart, so just $1.18 after coupon.  These may be a better deal at your local grocery store.  Remember, you can print each coupon twice.

Thanksgiving is a great time, Families get together and rehash the ‘old days’, we eat and overeat, and shop. Its a great time, except for the one stuck in the kitchen. This year I’m planning ahead because I want to join in on the family fun. Here’s my menu and cooking schedule outline, maybe you can join me outside the kitchen.


The Recipes for this years feast:
Turkey: https://www.howtocookathanksgivingturkey.com/
Stuffing- in the crock pot
Mashed Potatoes- in the crock pot
Sour Cream Roll Fans
Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potato Chips- in the microwave
Pickles: Just my home canned stuff from this summer, though the store bought ones would be yummy too.
Cranberry Sauce: I use the canned stuff, since we don’t really eat it. Its more for show on our table.
Pistachio Salad: We make ours minus the marshmallows
Grape Salad
Mac and Cheese, in the rice cooker: This is for the kids, I hate hearing “I don’t like that” on Thanksgiving day!
The pistachio salad and grape salad are the sweets we eat with dinner, we have pie as a before bed snack since everyone’s too full to eat it after dinner.


The shopping list for all the recipes above.

Produce:
1 Onion
Bunch Celery
1 Apple
Parsley- Fresh
Red Potatos- 5lbs
Green Beans 8C Cooked
3-4 large Sweet Potatoes
2-3lbs Grapes (you can use a mix of colors if desired, I like all red)
Lime

Dairy:
Butter- 2 1/2 sticks
Cream Cheese- 1 1/2block
Sour Cream- 3 cup
Eggs- 2
Milk- 1 cup
Whipped topping 8oz.- 1
Vanilla Yogurt- 1/2C
Heavy Cream- 1C
Mixed Cheeses -1 1/2C

Meat:
Turkey- 15lb

Spices:
Ground Sage
Ground Marjoram
Salt
Pepper
Savory
Thyme
Chicken Bullion Cube
Garlic Powder
Parsley- Dried
Soy Sauce- 2ts
Cayenne Pepper

Baking Goods:
All Purpose Flour- 7-8cups
Sugar- 3/4 cup
Dry active yeast- 2TB
Baking Powder
Olive Oil- 1/4C
Vanillla extract
Pecans- 1/2C

Grocery:
Lightly toasted bread (12c)
Chicken Stock 2 1/2C
Condensed Cream of — soup 10.75oz. -2cans
Frenchs French Fried Onions- 2 2/3 C
Pineapple, crushed 20oz can- 1can
Pistachio Pudding Mix, 3oz. -1
Macaroni Noodles

Schedule Breakdown.