It’s almost time for another Mid-Day Art Break at the Erie Art Museum, 20 E. Fifth St. The weekly events feature free live entertainment on the museum’s Fifth Street patio plus free gallery tours at 12:30 and 1 p.m.

Woolite is offering samples of its laundry detergent.

Go to www.facebook.com/wooliteus and click on “Woolite Samples.”

The site doesn’t give details about the sample, like size or how long it will take to arrive.

I remember getting some sample-size packs of Woolite years ago but I don’t remember where from. I do remember, however, that the packets were good for taking in my suitcase to use when I traveled and also came in handy when I needed to wash a piece of clothing in a sink rather than waiting until I had a full load of dirty clothes for the washing machine.

I grew up playing with dolls and liked to dress them in different pretty outfits. But I was really shocked to see how much some of those outfits costs these days.

Friends and I strolled through a doll store in Chicago last year and some of the doll clothing and shoes cost as much as or more than I spend on my own dresses and footwear.

So if you’re a doll fan or know a child who is, here’s a link to a site with directions for creating inexpensive but cute and fairly easy to make flip-flops for a doll — http://www.lovetosew.com/flipflop.htm

Real baby clothes can be another cheap source of doll clothes.

I remember that several of the outfits I put on my dolls were ones that my mother had saved after either I or my brothers outgrew them.

Garage and rummage sales that sell baby clothes could also be a place to purchase inexpensive outfits to put on dolls.

Eucerin is giving away lotion samples again.

Go to www.eucerinus.com/skin-solution-center/pledge.html. The site says you’ll “get a free sample when you pledge to put the health of your skin first.”

You get to choose from Eucerin Daily Replenishing Moisturizing Lotion, Eucerin Smoothing Repair Dry Skin Lotion or Eucerin Professional Repair Extremely Dry Skin Lotion.

The offer doesn’t say how much lotion you’ll get, but the Eucerin freebies I’ve received in the past have been a nice little packet with at least enough inside to use a couple times on my hands or feet or elbows.

Here’s a chance for you to win one of 2,500 lip glosses from Refinery29/Bare Escentuals Beauty.

The promo, which began Friday and ends Tuesday, is giving away 500 bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lip glosses in R29 Firecracker.

To enter, go to http://www.refinery29.com/sweeps/moxie-firecracker

The Staples website has a coupon that will get you a free reusable shopping bag plus 20 percent off many of the items that you can fit in it.

Just take your coupon to a Staples store and get one of the EcoEasy bags from Customer Service. Then, according to the directions on the coupon, all you have to do is fill the bag with items like printer ink, paper and even clearance items, furniture and chairs, although I think it would have to be an unassembled chair in a box to fit in the bag. Some items, such as computers, are excluded.

If you already have a Staples EcoEasy bag, you can take it to a store, fill it and get 20 percent off, the coupon says. But if you can get another bag for free, why not get it?

The offer is valid in-store only and through Saturday while supplies last.

To get the coupon to print or access from your mobile device, go to http://www.staples.com/coupons/?icid=HDC:HDC:TEXTLINKS:WEEKLY:COUPON:20120909::

Rave is giving away free hairspray starting today at 3 p.m. Eastern time.

Go to Rave’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ravehairspray.

I found the announcement for the free hairspray giveaway by clicking on “coming soon.”  I couldn’t find any “official rules” yet, but another site, Shop4Freebies.com, said the hairspray giveaway runs today through Friday and the first 200 people each day to fill out the form at 3 p.m. will get a freebie.

The Sounds of Summer begin tonight in Erie.

The free annual music series kicks off with a 7 p.m. concert at St. Mary’s Home — East, 607 E. 26th St. The Gem City Jazz Ensemble will be performing.

Concerts continue each Monday through Aug. 12 with a different performer at a different location. Rain dates are Aug. 19 and 26.

For future concert details, check Cheap in Erie each Monday or visit http://www.erie.pa.us/AboutErie/RegionalEvents/tabid/96/ModuleID/484/ItemID/49/mctl/EventDetails/Default.aspx

I love roses but we all know they’re not exactly cheap to buy.

So I grow my own and they smell even sweeter than some of the ones I sniff in shops.

When I moved into my house, I inherited four rose bushes from previous owners. Since then, I’ve increased the number to a total of 14. I did buy some of them but I got others by rooting clippings taken from my existing bushes or from bushes of people I know. I have several more that I started in pots recently and plan to add to the yard this year.

Now, each summer, I can go out and pick my own bouquets of dark pink, light pink, red, white and/or yellow roses at no cost. Right now I have two vases full of them sitting on my work desk and have delivered bouquets to several friends and family members.

If you have a favorite flower you love to buy, why not try to see if you can grow it in your yard. A one-time investment could lead to free bouquets for years to come.

Priscilla from North East shared that if you go to the website below, you can get a free sample of Nature Made VitaMelts.

https://www.facebook.com/naturemade/app_136039359906087

If you see an offer for a sample or freebie, send the details to me at dana.massing@timesnews.com so I can share with everyone.