Adios, Google Reader!

As many of you already know, Google Reader will be retiring on July 1.  Don't care?  That probably means you never got hooked on it like I did!!  I am sangry {sad and angry} that I must bid farewell to my favorite RSS feed reader.  We've shared lots of blog reading together!

If you're like me and rely on a feed reader to help you stay up to date with your reading:

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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You can find me on Feedly!

If you're not into feed readers {and who could blame you after getting burned by the sunset of Google Reader!}, please enter your email address in the white box to the right of the posts on http://thisislifeatourhome.blogspot.com/ that says "Follow by Email".

Happy Friday, and thanks for reading!

Fantastically Free!

This edition of "Fantastically Free!" is super belated, but equally as impressive (if I do say so myself!) as the first edition...

After we purchased our living and dining room furniture from Raymour & Flanigan, we received a $100 "thank you gift card" in the mail from the sales agent that helped us in the show room.  At first I assumed it was too good to be true -- one of those "coupons" you can't redeem without being lured back to the store and tricked into spending a bunch of mula you didn't originally intend to, in order to get a discount you on items you didn't need in the first place.  I knew we couldn't buy any furniture for $100, so a repeat visit to the show room would not be worthwhile.  Instead, I decided to take a peek at the website to see if they carried any small items we could order online and get delivered.  To my surprise, they did!

This silk flower arrangement sits in our office, and sure pretties it up!  It's a real nice size for an end table, and even though they're faux, these blooms bring a smile to my face whenever I walk in the room and see them.  Silk flowers are not for everyone, but I consider it a bonus that they "bloom" all year long and can't wilt!  ;)

Mixed Flowers in Silver Pot

And speaking of brightening things up...

Silver "S" Desk Lamp

This lamp fits perfectly with the decor of the room.  We initially had it atop our computer armoire, but we recently upgraded to a full-size computer desk with hutch, so this guy now sits on a little cabinet and looks just as nice there.  I thought the curvy shape was unique, and love that the "S" design signified my hubby's first name!

At just under $100 for both items, I was very pleasantly surprised to be able to use my coupon without breaking the bank.  I just love me a good deal!  :)  The cherry on the sundae is that I'm still loving both of these fantastically free items 15 months later!  Bonus points!

Have you scored any noteworthy free or discounted items lately?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Note:  I was not encouraged, paid or perked for writing this post.  These opinions are purely my own -- I can't help bragging about such a good fantastically free find!

Charity Spotlight: One Simple Wish

Shep and I both feel very lucky to have been given the opportunities we have in life, and we strongly believe in supporting our communities to help those who are less fortunate.  One organization that's quickly becoming one of my favorites to follow and support is One Simple Wish.  One Simple Wish was founded by a NJ mom in 2008 with the mission of brightening the lives of foster children.

As of today, One Simple Wish is less than $50,000 away from raising ONE MILLION DOLLARS of support for children in foster care this year.  That is a huge milestone, and a goal I certainly want to help reach!  One of my favorite things about One Simple Wish is seeing the very large impact that many small donations can have.

If you're inspired and would like to make a small donation to help reach the million dollar mark, please visit:  http://www.crowdrise.com/onemillionstrong.  Every dollar helps!

For more information about how One Simple Wish makes the lives of kids in foster brighter each day, please check out:  http://www.onesimplewish.org/howitworks.  Granting wishes is simple, fun and most of all, very impactful!  Something as modest to you and me as personal toiletries, a class photo, or a new pair of "cool" sneakers can make a big difference in the life of a foster child.  Many foster children face incredibly difficult circumstances in their lives -- if something as simple as a new book, toy, game or item of clothing can bring a smile to their faces, I'm honored to be able to provide that for them!