I’ve missed you all so much while on my blogging haitus, but I’m back and I’m excited to talk about one of my favorite topics: secondhand shopping!

This video is part one of a three-part series on how to maximize this year’s yard sale season. The first two parts are on how you can hold a successful yard sale. This part focuses on advertising, which is a surprisingly important part of holding your yard sale. I hope it helps, and let us know how your yard sale goes!

As a thank you, the Utah Museum of Natural History is offering FREE admission tomorrow, Monday May 4th. (this one is ongoing the 1st Monday of each month! My family did this last month and had a blast! Be sure to check out the new Todally Frogs Exhibit. Way cool!) Details Also note, how to park free!
AND

The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is offering FREE admission on Wednesday May 6th. Details (look under Museum Accessibility for exact details/limitations)

For MORE ideas of FREE activities in Salt Lake county and the Wasacth Front, check out NowPlayingUtah.com Lots of fun summer activities coming up!

There will be 3 coupon inserts in Sunday May 3rd’s newspapers. 1 SmartSource, 1 Red Plum & 1 Proctor & Gamble. Might be a good week for multiple copies of the paper.

Thanks to PYP mod Kristi for the heads up about Walgreens May Register Rewards. Check out the deals!

Thanks to PYP member Pamcamrillo for posting this:

Text the word “ROASTBURGER” to 27297 and receive a coupon on your cell phone for a free roastburger with any soft drink purchase.

you must show on your cell phone the coupon received via text message at any participating Arby’s in order to redeem. Offer expires 5/31/2009

Original thanks goes to PYP member PinkyPoodles for posting this, but the state of Utah is offering an online at home preschool called UPSTART. Currently the program is at 60% capacity.

Details from the Salt Lake Tribune:

UPSTART has room for 1,300 kids, including 390 students from low-income families who can also temporarily get computers for free. So far, about 60 percent of the program’s slots are filled, said Kathy Maksimov, product management director for Waterford Institute, the Utah-based company that created the game.

Children ages 4 and 5 are supposed to use the program for 15 minutes a day, five days a week, until they enter kindergarten. A cast of cartoon characters guide kids through short exercises about counting, sorting, letter sounds and vocabulary, among other things.

Testimonials from parents who are using or about to use the FREE program:

Some families have already started using UPSTART and couldn’t be happier about it.

“It’s great — totally interactive,” said Brenden’s mom, Rebecca Gleason, as her son recently went through his UPSTART exercises for the day — spelling his name, counting, learning how to read a calendar. She’s hoping the program, combined with preschool, will help prepare Brenden for kindergarten, where he will be one of the youngest students in his class. She said her son wakes up in the morning asking when he can use the program.

Parent Jeanne Hock said she’s eager for her daughter to start using UPSTART, which is scheduled to arrive at her door any day now. Unlike Brenden, Hock’s daughter will be one of the oldest children in her class when she begins kindergarten in fall 2010. Hock’s daughter is already 4 years old, and her mom wants to make the most out of the year she has left before kindergarten.

“She really has a love for learning, and I thought, ‘Why not feed it?’ ” Hock said. “If something is free and educational for your child, it can’t be all that bad.”

There is criticism from the Utah Education Association as the funding of this program could be used to fund teacher salaries, supplies of existing school programs OR other UEA approved educational goals.

But in this blogger’s opinion, the verdict is still out and let’s give UPSTART a chance.

Interested in enrolling your preschooler? To find out more go to https://www.utahupstart.org or call 1-800-669-4533.

Pretzelmaker & Pretzel Time will be giving away FREE pretzels this Sunday, April 26th, otherwise known as Pretzel Day at participating locations. See here for locations (remember to call to see IF your local store is participating).

Thanks to PYP member Ruthhallows for sharing this great resource!

From Franklin Covey:

Have you recently lost your job or know someone who has? We know looking for a new position can become a full-time job, and we’d like to help.

Drop by any FranklinCovey Retail Store nationwide this Friday and Saturday to receive a free 2009 Franklin Planner. If you do not live near a FranklinCovey Retail Store, please contact our Call Center on Friday only between the hours of 7:00am-6:00pm (MST). We’ll be able to ship you a planner, if you help pay for the shipping. (Our Call Center is closed on Saturday.)

To contact the Call Center on Friday, please call 800-654-1776.

Please provide the name of your former employer and your supervisor’s name with the date you were laid-off to receive the free planner.

Discussion

MSN Money has an interesting article picking out the Deals & Duds of the Dollar (and 99 cent) stores. It proves to be an interesting read on a couple of levels.

1. Point of reference. Always nice to have a 2nd opinion of what you think might be a good deal.
2. Dollar Store Test. My husband and I have concluded that IF an item can be replaced by a Dollar store purchase, there is no need to store it for next season, nor hoarde it. This test has saved us some serious space, honestly.

Deals
*Cleaners
*Spices
*Gift Wrap
*Shampoo/Conditioner
*Kitchen Gadgets

Duds

*Medication/Vitamins
*Toothpaste
*Batteries
*Electrical Products
*Jewelry & Vinyl Lunchboxes (Recalled items)

I have to concur with the article that I like to buy gift wrap, spices and cleaners at the Dollar Store when I am low and do NOT have a coupon. Although, I usually avoid the Dollar Store, in general, as I will end up spending money I hadn’t intended on impulse items.

What is your experiences & thoughts?

Thanks to PYP member Stephp23 for bringing this gem of info to our attention.

Library-goers soon able to ‘check out’ state parks
April 9th, 2009 @ 1:23pm
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Nearly 50 Utah libraries or bookmobiles will soon offer a state park pass that can be checked out by library card holders.

The passes will be available through the Check It Out! program by May 1 or sooner.

The pass gives day-use entry for up to eight people in one vehicle at 42 state parks. Normal day use fees can be up to $10.

Parks that are part of the program include Snow Canyon near St. George and Bear Lake on the Utah-Idaho border. This Is the Place Heritage Park isn’t covered and visitors to Antelope Island State Park will still have to pay a $2 causeway fee to Davis County.

Nichole Mallory, coordinator of the state’s Rockin’ Utah initiative, says the partnership with libraries is meant to reach Utahns who might not otherwise visit a state park.

Libraries participating in the new Check It Out! offered by Utah State Parks include:

Delta City Library
Dugway Post Library
Eagle Mountain Public Library
Fillmore City Library
Garland Public Library
Grand County Public Library
Helper Library
Highland City Library
Iron County Bookmobile
Kanab City Library
Logan Library
Minersville Library
Newton Town Library
North Logan City Library
Orem Public Library
Park City Library
Parowan Library
Payson City Library
Pleasant Grove City Library
Richfield Public Library
Salt Lake County Library System — All 18 branches
San Juan Library
Sanpete County Bookmobile
Smithfield Library
Spanish Fork Public Library
Springville Public Library
Tooele City Library
Tooele County Bookmobile
Tremonton City Library
Wasatch County Library
Washington County Library
Weber County Library

source Salt Lake Tribune

discussion.

PetSmart will have a Pet Birthday Party from 6-8:00 p.m. on Tuesday with games and free stuff.

Fun stuff for you & your pet include:

*FREE Digital Photo with Frame
*FREE Goodie Bag(s)
*Games, incl. Musical Sit

For details. For participating locations. Discussion.

That’s right! $ .75 tickets for the Utah Bees home game on Thursday, April 9th.

Go to ticketmasterto see information. Put in “KFAN” as promo code and got $.75 tickets for home opener of the BEES!

There is a $2.50 processing fee per order and your tickets are emailed to you.

Thank you so much to PYP member becksdeals for bringing this HOT family/friends night out! Discuss.

Take 60% Off with every order of $25 Gift Certificates. Use code SEASON and pay $4 thru 4/13/09.

See link details.

It might seem early to some to start thinking of cheap summer entertainment for the kids, but this movie program is one of my family’s favorite and is a yearly tradition.

Details at the Cinemark website, but here are the basics:

The Cinemark Movie Theater chains offer this great deal. All movies are all G or PG flicks, most are animated.

•10 Weeks Of Fun Films For Kids•
•A Different Movie Every Week•
•Weekday Mornings This Summer•
*$5 pass for all 10 movies or $1 per individual movies*
($5 Series punch cards are limited and are available while supplies last.
Admission with a series punch card is limited to one person per card per movie.)

Check out website for a theater near you and movie schedule.

The amazing Shelley has done it again! Next week’s PYP Utah Albertons shopping list is done early. Week of Wednesday, April 8th through Tuesday, April, 15th is available for viewing, planning and strategizing.

View the shopping list here.
Check out the forum thread discussion, including catalina (checkout cpns) promotions, extra printables available and extra unadvertised deals around Utah.
See the complete Albertons grocery circular online early, too.

Another reason PYP ROCkS!