Know what?!?!

It's almost Halloween :)  This year I have a Foofa (from Yo Gabba Gabba) and an adorable little cow (thank you Carter's!)

Freebie time!!

Shopping online may be more convenient and even cheaper at times than shopping in-store, but the in-store shopping experience will always be better in at least one way: Consumers can score free samples while they shop.

Sure, some websites may throw in a discounted add-on item with your purchase, but at countless bricks-and-mortar stores you can sample products while you shop without actually having to commit to making a purchase. At some stores, the free sample may just be a sliver of food, while at others it could end up being an entire meal. Oftentimes, the trick to finding the best free samples is simply good timing.

The best opportunities for scoring freebies tend to be when a company is introducing a new product in the store, according to Julia Scott, who blogs about deals at BargainBabe.com. Likewise, when the seasons change, she says there is a better chance of stores rolling out more free samples for new and in-demand products. And if that fails, stores commonly provide freebies to customers who provide their email address or start following the company on Facebook and Twitter.

However, certain retailers are generous enough with their free samples that you won't need to resort to these tactics. MainStreet asked several shopping experts to weigh in on their favorite stores for landing free stuff on a regular basis without having to make a purchase.

Whole Foods and Trader Joe's

Say what you will about Whole Foods' prices, but this grocery store chain specializing in natural and organic products offers up more product samples than most.

"Whole Foods is by far my favorite place for samples," says Rachel Holland, the writer behind SurvivingTheStores.com who tracks down food and retail deals. "They always have fresh fruit samples, and it's always fun to try new 'healthier' products."

Trader Joe's, arguably one of Whole Foods' biggest competitors in the organic market, is also known for its free samples. In fact, many locations actually have a special station set up in the store offering a large assortment of free samples that changes throughout the day. This writer has even seen a Trader Joe's location offer complimentary espresso next to free samples of garlic bread and pasta, a veritable feast.

Kroger

You don't have to go to the gourmet grocery stores to get free samples, though. Holland and others we spoke with point to grocery chains like Kroger, which frequently provide samples of fresh and prepared foods for customers. The key, Holland says, is to try to visit these stores by mid-morning before their samples run out.

Walmart

Walmart's brand is built on the power of offering consumers a good bargain, so it should come as little surprise that this chain would have an abundance of free samples.

In fact, the company has a special section of its website devoted to advertising coupons that can be redeemed in stores for free samples as well as limited-time, online-only offers for samples that are delivered to consumers within a few weeks. These samples range from toiletries to household cleaners, though as Scott notes, more often than not the samples seem to be geared more towards women. Indeed, as I write this, the two samples being offered on the site are Poise Hourglass Pads and Playtex Gentle Glide tampons.

Target

Target also promotes free samples on its website every day, but unlike Walmart, none of these can be redeemed in stores. Instead, users must wait 8-10 weeks for the samples to be delivered. But if you're quick enough to snatch up the offers before they sell out and patient enough to wait for them to ship, you can get some excellent giveaways like Kleenex tissues, Garnier Moisture Rescue cream and even a bag of beauty products.

Lowe's and Home Depot

Any fathers reading this probably shouldn't expect to get a free tool chest from these home improvement chains, but your kids just might.

Once every month, Home Depot offers workshops specifically for children to pursue crafts projects like building helicopters, fire trucks and yes, toolboxes that they can take home afterward. Lowe's has a similar program that takes place every Saturday.

"These are a huge hit in my household," says Ryan Eubanks, owner of HeyItsFree.net, which rounds up the best freebies each day. "I can't tell you how many toys and little gadgets from Lowe's we have lying around."

Costco

Usually we tell readers not to shop when hungry because it makes you buy more, but we'll make an exception for Costco. For this chain, you may just get your money's worth by shopping on an empty stomach.

"When you walk into Costco, they have professional representatives sampling products in every department," says Stephanie Nelson, better known as the Coupon Mom. As she tells it, shoppers on the prowl for free samples may just meet their match in Costco, as every aisle seems to offer a different product — from pizza samples in the frozen section to mini sandwiches near the deli foods.

"You can really just go around Costco to five or six departments and get five or six things and call it a meal," she said. "I call it fattening."

Sephora

Makeup stores like Sephora and Aveda are great places to land some freebies, but doing so may require a little bit of schmoozing with the staff.

"There are a lot of ways you can massage a freebie out of pretty much any makeup counter, but really you just have to be friendly and build a relationship," says Scott from BargainBabe. In some cases, that might mean holding up a conversation with the employee behind the counter; in others, you might simply be asked to participate in a quick 10-minute tutorial and trial of a new product.

Sephora, in particular, is known for offering small product samples to customers that may be good for one or two uses. Several times a year, certain Sephora locations will even go so far as to offer more "high-quality freebies" like complimentary mascara and eye shadow products, Scott says.

Birthday Freebies

If all of that isn't enough to satisfy your craving for free things, there is of course one day every year where you can do even better.

Dozens and dozens of retailers offer tremendous freebies to shoppers on their birthday, whether it's a free steak at Black Angus or a free scoop of ice cream at Cold Stone.

12 Everyday items that are germy...and ways to be 'safe'

You keep things clean, right? Wrong. About 80% of infections are transmitted by human contact. Find out what’s lurking on 12 everyday items and what you can do to keep them germ-free in this day and age… Item #1: Sponges  This kitchen “essential” is the germiest object you’ll ever touch, says University of Arizona microbiologist Charles Gerba, Ph.D. The kitchen sponge commonly carries E. coli and fecal bacteria, as well as many other microbes. “In a lot of the homes we looked at, the cleaner they were [on the surface], the more germs we found because people were spreading them around,” Gerba says. “If you don’t use a disinfectant cleaner, you’re just giving a free ride to germs.” In fact, messy guys fared better. “Usually, we found fewer [bacteria] in the homes of bachelors because they never cleaned the place,” he says. Protective Step: Zap sponges in the microwave for one to two minutes weekly or run them through the dishwasher. It will kill off any organisms growing inside. You should also replace sponges at least monthly. Item #2: Women’s purses The inside of your purse may be cluttered, but it’s the bottom that’s crawling with tens of thousands of germs, such as E. coli and salmonella. Women innocently place their purses on germ-infested public floors and surfaces, allowing bacteria to hitch-hike on the bottom of their bag. Protective Step: Never set your purse down on the floor in a public place, especially restrooms. Public commodes are teeming with microbes, Gerba says. Hang your bag on a hook whenever possible. Item #3: Men’s walletsThey're even germier than women’s handbags. The inside of a man’s wallet probably functions as an incubator for microbes, Gerba says. “You’re sitting on it and you’re keeping all your money and anything that’s degradable nice and warm and there is higher moisture content.” Protective Step: Don’t load up your wallet with papers, and if you can, keep your dollar bills in a separate compartment. Whenever possible, pull it out of your back pocket and let it breathe. Item #4: Makeup case Heading out for a night on the town? While you’re freshening up with lipstick, you’re also probably slapping on some extra bacteria. Women’s makeup cases are high on Gerba’s list of germiest items. “The makeup creates something for the microbes to grow in and stick to.”  Protective Step: Leather cosmetic cases are easier to wipe down and disinfect than fabric ones. Pull your makeup out and clean the case every week or so with a disinfecting wipe (don’t use an anti-bacterial one because it won’t kill infection-spreading viruses), or spray a germicide, such as Lysol, onto a paper towel and wipe down the surface. Also, replace your makeup according to expiration dates. Anything that touches your eyes, such as mascara, should be ditched every 3-6 months to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination that can lead to eye infections. Item #5: Remote controlEverybody handles this item, but few people think about cleaning it. Because it’s touched by many hands – those expert transmitters of germs – pay attention to the remote control next time you’re cleaning house. Protective Step: Regularly wipe down all remote controls with a disinfecting wipe or spray. If you can remember to do so, wash your hands before you sit down to watch TV. Or keep a bottle of disinfecting hand gel next to the remote or TV. Item #6: Pillows and mattress The average person sheds about 1.5 million skin cells per hour and perspires one quart per day while doing nothing, says Phillip Tierno, Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology and diagnostic immunology at the New York University Medical Center and author of The Secret Life of Germs (Atria). A mattress doubles in weight every 10 years because of added fungal mold and spores, bacteria, chemicals, dust, lint, fibers, dust mites, insect parts and a host of other items to your bed. After five years, 10% of the weight of a pillow is dust mites. “It’s like a zoo,” Tierno says, “an eco-system in your pillow and mattress.” How’s that for a lullaby? Protective Step: Cover your mattress and pillows with impervious outer covers and do the same for your box spring. “Allergy-proof coverings seal the mattress and pillow, preventing anything from getting in or out, which protects you,” Tierno says. He also suggests that you wash your sheets in hot water every seven days. Item #7: Refillable liquid soap dispensersFecal bacteria grow in refillable soap dispensers, Gerba says. “You can get as many as 10 million bacteria on your hands every time you use one,” he says. “They grow in the soap.” Protective Step: Don’t reuse soap dispensers! Even if it isn’t green, buy a new one when you run out. Item #8: PDA When examining items in men’s offices, Gerba found that BlackBerries and other personal digital assistants were among the top germiest items. In fact, PDAs came in third, behind men’s wallets and women’s purses. Protective Step: Keep your hands clean by washing them regularly and/or using alcohol sprays or gels, which can reduce illness by 30%-50%, Gerba says. Tierno suggests cleaning your hands with alcohol wipes. “The alcoholic wipe has the same concentration, but you’re rubbing." The friction removes the cells that contain germs. Also, wipe down your PDA regularly with a disinfecting wipe or germicidal spray. Item #9: Phones Of all the items you touch daily, your phone is guaranteed to make direct contact with your face. Frighteningly, it was where Gerba found methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a drug-resistant form of staph bacteria that can cause serious skin and blood infections, which can turn fatal. Protective Step: If possible, don’t share phones. Wipe down your office, home and cell phones regularly with disinfecting wipes or a paper towel sprayed with a germicidal agent. Item #10: Bottom of the desk drawerThe desk drawer bottom is the moldiest site Gerba sampled in offices around the country. He also found MRSA also found there. “Seventy percent of women and about 40 percent of men have food in their desks,” he says. Unfortunately for the fairer sex, the foods women store – apples, bananas, granola bars – tend to be more biodegradable, creating more opportunity for mold and other bacteria to develop. Protective Step: Keep food stored in airtight containers and be diligent about cleaning food out of your desk regularly. Wipe down the surface of the desk drawer bottom with disinfecting wipes or germicidal spray on regularly. Item #11: Computer mouse Chances are your hand is touching one right now. Not only is the computer mouse a common breeding ground for MRSA, it also ranks among the top four moldiest spots in the office. And, according to Gerba’s studies, if yeast and/or mold is in one place in your office, it’s all over. Protective Step: Again, use disinfectant. People who use disinfectants have only one-quarter the number of bacteria of those who don’t. Item #12: Door handle We know our hands play a major role in spreading illness. Door handles are a major source of germs and viruses. “When a person is ill and in the office, he’s laying a minefield of viruses behind him while he coughs and sneezes and touches things,” Gerba says. “You really run a germ gauntlet during the flu and cold season.”Protective Step: “I spray my doorknobs, particularly if someone with a hint of a cold walks in,” he says. Germicidal sprays, such as Lysol with alcohol, are excellent remedies because they reduce the influenza virus, Tierno says. Some germs aren't contained to one spot. Cars, in particular, have a variety of bacteria-laden surfaces. Think you're being clean by wiping the steering wheel? Not true. Dashboards, door handles and cup holders in cars sampled around the country had an average of 10,000 bacteria per four square inches, Gerba found. The bigger the car, the more germs there were, probably because more kids usually travel in them. And where kids are, germs follow. The worst kinds of bacteria were found in cars in such humid climates as Florida; molds were rampant in cars in cold cities like Chicago. “Cars act like a refrigerator in Chicago and a sauna in Florida,” Gerba says. Protective Step: Wipe down the surfaces of your car with disinfectant wipes. Minimize eating in your car as much as possible; food is a major cause of bacteria. If you must eat on the go, vacuum particles left on the seats, upholstery and carpet.