Groupon has a ton of great deals going on this Monday! Many of them are online deals so it doesn’t matter where you live you will still be able to purchase the deal. Plus, today when you make your Groupon purchase through Bargain Briana, 8% of the purchase price will go to special cause.

As a mom, I can’t imagine losing a child. However, this Washington DC area family recently lost their young son to pediatric cancer. (Warning, link is hard to read and keep a box of tissues nearby!) Thanks to Erin at Coupon Cravings for putting together this fundraiser to help the family support their effort to fight pediatric cancer.

You can help support the family by purchasing your Groupon through this link.

Here’s a few deals thanks to Dana at Mrs. Moneysaver for compiling this list!

• Chicago (More Deals Nearby)- If you’re in DC, Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Chicagoland, Milwaukee, or S.E. Wisconsin with Peapod delivery service available, then this is a bargain for you!  Peapod is a service that does your grocery shopping for you and delivers it right to your door.  New Peapod customers can get 2 $30 grocery vouchers from Peapod for just $30 (50% savings!) today, though delivery fees will cost you extra.  Check to see if Peapod delivers to your area here by looking under New Customer, selecting “home”, and entering your zip code.
• Dallas (Deal Nearby)- This would be a great gift idea for someone who loves Fantasy Football!  AccuScore.com, a leading sports forecasting company, is offering a one-month membership for just $25- a discount of 81%!
• Washington DC (Another Deal Nearby)- Get $40 worth of brownie gifts from Fairytale Brownies for just $20.  The Groupon can be applied toward shipping.  (Beginning in September when the weather cools a bit, shipping across the US will be $6.95.)
• Austin- Get $20 worth of sweets from madCakes for $10.  Shipping is not included.
• Los Angeles (Deal Nearby)- This is a neat idea if you have pictures you want to preserve digitally.  For $75, ScanMyPhotos.com will send you a pre-paid box that holds about 2,000.  You can fill the box with the pictures you want scanned, and follow the instructions to ensure they’re scanned in an order that works for you.  You’ll send the box back to ScanMyPhotos.com, and they’ll scan and convert all your pictures to digital .jpeg files, and send you a DVD of the photos to boot.  This service usually cost nearly $200, so today’s Groupon deal offers you a savings of 62%.
• New York (Another Deal Nearby)- Pick out $25 worth of teas fromTalbott Teas for $10. The Groupon can be used toward shipping.
• Boston (Deal Nearby)- Get a panoramic wall mural (over 2,000 pictures to pick from!) from LTL Prints for just $35 today, with free shipping included.
• North Jersey- Snag $75 worth of wine from Wine Insiders for just $25.  The Groupon can be used toward shipping and tax. Bottles begin at $9.99. We’ve ordered two of these Groupons in the past few months when featured in different cities, and have been very happy with their selection and ordering process.

Remember, purchase through this link to support a good cause today!

Some friends of ours volunteer with the Special Olympics. This is great organization to build self esteem and friendships for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. They provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in over 20 Olympic-type sports for over 10,000 people in Indiana alone. Last year during a high school basketball game, they introduced the participants during half time and you could see the joy and excitement in their eyes. I salute those who dedicate their time to volunteer as coaches and other helpers for this organization!

Currently, they are working on raising money for the Polar Plunge.  If you don’t know what the Polar Plunge is, participants who raise $75 or more get to take a “plunge” in Indiana’s winter water! Sounds like fun, eh? So help me send a friend into the the warm waters (bwhahaha!) of Indiana this winter by donating HERE. Every dollar counts!

You can watch a video of some of these crazy folk dipping for a good cause below. I personally can’t decide which is better, stripping down to boxers/bathing suit or leaving clothes on? No thanks but some brave souls will do anything to raise money (so make it worthwhile for them and DONATE!)

Special Olympics Indiana operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. No goods or services were received in exchange for your contribution and it is tax deductible.

Join the Coupon Cupboard’s Virtual Food Drive for a change to win a Wii Fit or a $50 Gift Card.  Their goal is for couponers to unite to make a difference. We can use our couponing skills to help a local food bank in our own communities. We CAN make a difference. Read the simple rules on how to participate at The Coupon Cupboard.

Today at my children’s daycare center, they were celebrating the return of their classmate’s dad from Iraq, Sgt. Williams. They were going to do some special events in honor of his return and hear some stories of his time in Iraq. (Hopefully edited for the children’s sake!) I’m so glad he is going to be home with his family for the holidays. However, there are many kids who are without one or both of their parents this Christmas due to deployments. I can’t imagine how hard it is on the children and parents.

There is something we can do to help, though! Support our troops in the best possible way – by helping them call their loved ones back home. Lonely… tired… half a world away from home and family… the troops defending our freedom around the world ache for the sound of a loved one’s voice. Pre-paid phone cards are the #1 requested item from soldiers. A donation of just $15 will provide 45 minutes of prepaid calls. You can read more and donate at USO-Troops: Operation Phone Home. Fun Fact: Since Operation Phone Home was launched in 2003, over 2 million phone cards have been distributed.