Frugal Family Tree

Welcome Spring!

2012-03-08T00:02:00.000-08:00

I know it isn't quite Spring yet, but nothing says Spring as arrived more than tulips. A stroll through Pike Place Market in Seattle is the perfect place to buy fresh flowers. I love tulips for their simplicity and variety of available colors. Roses are beautiful, but a vase full of tulips is lovely and frugal. Tulips let me indulge my love of fresh flowers without breaking my budget.

Do you buy fresh flowers for yourself? What kind? What color? The few dollars I spend on tulips can make me feel happy all week. Now that is a good investment!

Hawaiian Snacks Chips Review and Giveaway

2012-03-07T16:01:00.001-08:00

We are not huge snackers at our house but it seams that chips are one of the go-to items if someone wants a crunchy snack around here. My husband also brings his lunch to work everyday and usually makes a sandwich and what goes best with a sandwich? Some tasty chips!!

But they cannot be just any chips, the crunchier the better we say :) That is what we like about the Hawaiian Brand Snacks, they have awesome flavors and the crunch factor is perfect! The hubby really likes the Sweet Maui Onion, me on the other hand, I am a Luau BBQ kind of gal. Oh man are they tasty...mmmm.

The boys really seem to like the Sweet Maui Onion Rings.They are an airy, light weight ring and won't choke like they might on a harder chip. This kids can really pack them away :)

If you and your family are looking for a crunchy snack that is packed full of flavor try Hawaiian Snacks Products, you won't be disappointed!

GIVEAWAY

Win Hawaiian Brand Snack Chips for your family to snack on.

To Enter This Giveaway: (mandatory entry before extra entries)

Which Hawaiian Brand flavor of snack would you like to try?

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts March 7, 2012 and ends on March 14th, 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Home Depot Kids Day

2012-03-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

Our little family

Our local Home Depot puts on a Kids Day the 1st Saturday of every month and it's FREE! We had heard about them and decided to take the children to see what it was all about. When we got there we were surprised at how nicely it was put together and fun it would be for the boys. We were not sure about Baby L (not the baby anymore so I am calling him Little L) would do, he is kind of young for tools and a structured task. I have to say he did really well, I just had to bust out a snack in the middle of it to keep him busy! But all in all it was good that we let him participate, he loved every second of it. All of the tools you need for the simple project were out. This month it was a little race car. They boys got to use wood glue and a hammer!! It was so cool to see them build their own little race car :)

My boys...hard at work :)

JJ concentrating so hard on hitting that hammer :)

Little L doing his thing!

It was a great family day and it was FREE!! I recommend you see if your local Home Depot offers this or something like it.

The Wii is NOT a Dvd Player

2012-03-06T00:06:00.000-08:00

While I was doing laundry I noticed my son got quiet, I gave it a few seconds since he was close by but after a bit I could her a bunch of noise. I went into the living room to find him shoving DVDs into the Wii saying "movie mama movie" It was nice he was trying to be helpful and put on his own movie lol but I had to explain to him the Wii is Not a Dvd player lol.


There was 4 Dvd discs inside the Wii and my son wanted them all back

Get A Healthier Digestive System By Taking 4X Pro-B Probiotics

2012-03-05T14:48:00.004-08:00

In an effort to get healthier, I have decided to begin taking probiotics. 4X Pro-B Digestive Care is available online at Costco.com. It comes in a 63 tablet size, which is a nine week supply.

Good digestive health requires beneficial bacteria. 4x Pro-B contains four strains of natural, beneficial bacteria, including doctor-recommended B. Infantis. When taken daily, it helps maintain good digestive health with active probiotic bacteria. I was excited to receive my 4X Pro-B and begin taking it so that I can feel better and healthier. #DigestiveCare

Now that I have begun taking probiotics, I'm going to think about what else I can do to help improve my health. I know that what I eat plays a major role in my digestive health. I also know that when I eat better, I feel better.Whole grains are very good for you and they are a great source of fiber, something we all need. Yogurt also contains natural probiotics and is so delicious for breakfast. My favorite way to eat it is topped with strawberries.

I love vegetables and they are an important part of a healthy diet. The vegetables at the local Farmer's Market are plentiful and beautifully appealing. I like shopping here because I can find things that aren't always available in grocery stores.

I have gathered together some of my cookbooks so that I can learn to cook veggies in new and different ways. After taking my 4X Pro-B for just a few days, I am already feeling better and I know that adding vegetables to my diet will help even more in giving me good digestive health.

I try to eat organic whenever I can. Bell peppers are delicious cooked, or eaten raw with a healthy dip. Springtime means asparagus and I just love it roasted in the oven with olive oil and seasonings. Not eating vegetables and fruits on a regular basis really makes my digestive system feel sluggish. I'm really happy that I do enjoy eating them.

Another great way to eat healthy is to incorporate fish into your diet. Living in the Seattle area gives me access to the most wonderful fish markets. I love salmon and halibut and am always looking for new ways to cook it. I try to eat it a couple of times a week, but if I can't I take fish oil capsules. Eating fish helps heart health also.

I love reading magazines and some of my favorites are geared towards helping me to lead a healthy lifestyle. They inspire me to lead the best life I can. I have been reading Yoga Journal for years and it helps me to maintain my yoga practice. The magazines also feature great healthy recipes that I am going to start cooking more often.

Now that I'm concentrating on eating a healthier diet, it's time to get exercising. I love walking so it's time to put on my shoes and get going! Besides improving my digestive health, it would be great if I could lose a few pounds, too.

It was so easy ordering my 4X Pro-B Digestive Care on-line. I always trust Costco to give me great quality at a great price. Speedy, reliable delivery is also something I can count on here. I've taken the probiotics for three weeks now and I do feel much better. But I'm looking forward to feeling even healthier and looking for more good things I can do for myself. I'll keep you posted!

You can read about more of my efforts to live a healthier life and my shopping trip at Costco.com from my Google+ story here.

When I shop online I always make sure I check the facebook page for the company to see if there are any discounts, freebies or free shipping offers I did not know about. When shopping for my 4X Pro-B Probiotics I read on the Costco Facebook page about a free mouthwash sample.

*This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.

All opinions expressed in this shop are my own and your experience may vary. #Cbias #DigestiveCare

Spring time brings out the Easter Bunny

2012-03-04T00:11:00.000-08:00

At our local mall the store Children's Place hosted a Garden Party where they served cookies, lemonade and invited the Easter Bunny. My son is so sweet he waited his turn in line, waved to the lady dress as a fairy, he was all smiles. Until it was his turn to sit on the Easter Bunny's lap. He put his head down, his little arms went to his side all stumped down, then his little bottom lip stuck out like he was gonna cry. He shook his head and told me "no". It was so sad. He normally likes characters like Chuck E Cheese and our local baseball team mascot. I told him it was fine if he didn't want to sit with the bunny so I asked him if he would like to give the bunny a high five. He smiled but would not do it until he first saw me give the bunny a high five. He smiled ran up to the Easter Bunny and gave him a big high five. He did not sit in the Easter Bunny's lap but he left with a smile on his face and that made me happy. Maybe next year he will be ok with it, maybe not just as long as he is happy I will be happy too.

Plus it was Free Pretzel day at Aunt Annie's at the mall! We both got a pretzel and then played at the mall play center. It was a great day and free!

L-O-S Olivos Travel California

2012-03-03T00:04:00.000-08:00

As a kid I was lucky enough to live all over California and some parts of Washington state. My absolute favorite place we lived was Los Olivos CA. One funny thing I remember is a time someone asked my sister Sam how do you spell Los Olivos and her reply was L-O-S Olivos! Its odd how small thing like that make you laugh and recall great childhood memories. I loved living in the small little town where there was one school for K-8 and only 1 class for each grade. When we first moved there me, Sam and our older brother were all in the same school. It was funny to see my older brother who had been in junior high suddenly go back to having recess.

I could write a hundred blog posts about living there from field trips I will never forget, the time our older brother saved Sam from being swallowed up by a river after falling off the home made boat we made, the creatures around us from red foxes, snakes, coyotes that ate our chickens, horse riding lessons, oh the memories are endless. And most important it was the place my little sister was born, making our family complete. I feel like I need to write each story down as to not ever forget living in the one place I would love to move back to.

Main road through Los Olivos.

They have filmed many movies there too. I remember sitting on a bench in the local town park where they filmed park of Return to Mayberry and I laughed as an adult watching the movie Sideways since I knew exactly where many of the places were. I was telling my husband oh hey I used to ride my bike right by there. Los Olivos has had other celebrity happenings there. Michael Jackson had his ranch there too. When I was in the 5th grade we had a creative writing teacher who on the way back from a reading program stopped at the gates of the ranch so we could all knock and ask if Michael was home. Its those kind of adventurous things that made it fun to live in a small town where we used to buy sarsaparilla and keep it in a brown bag and sit out side the corner store to make tourist think we were drunken hillbilly children LOL! Oh the things kids will do if bored.

So if you ever planning a trip to CA and you like art, wine, relaxation and a small quaint town I would recommend L-O-S Olivos.

Re-Play Recycled Milk Jug Kids Dishes and Cups Review and Giveaway

2012-03-02T18:51:00.001-08:00

With a kid as wild as mine who throws things just to see how far they will fly having plastic dishware for him is a must have. I do not want plastics that are bad for the environment or my son. Thankfully there are companies like Re-Play.

Re-Play products are free of BPA, PVC and Phthalates and manufactured, assembled and tested in the USA. Re-Play uses FDA approved plastics from recycled milk jugs to make their plates, bowls, sippy cups and utensils. I love the idea of using what would be trash into something that is useful. I always make sure to place my milk jugs into our recycling bin and now I know they do indeed get recycled.

My favorite product is the Divided Plates. They come in a three pack and have 3 divided sections. My son seems to get annoyed if certain food items touch each other on his plate then he wont eat it. I was the same as a kid. I knew it was all going to be eaten I just did not want my flavors to mix. These plates are a great solution to that. They are deep enough to keep the food in there. Plus I love that it is a portion controlled plate. I have been trying to make sure my son is eating more balanced and these plates make it an easy visualization. My son loves to have apple sauce with his chicken but it has to be on the side not getting his chicken, these are perfect for that. I even used on of the plates for Mommy snack time for chips and dip.

The Utensils are great since my son loves to use them. He always tries to trade his for mine, he smiles and says "trade Mama" he makes me laugh, but now he does not want to trade as much since he has colorful ones that arent for babies but toddlers. The Bowls are great. They hold just enough for him and also for me as a snack size. The fun part is when I mix and match the colors of the bowl, spoon and plate. It looks great.

The sippy cups are a bit heavier than my son is used to. They are nice since its recycled plastic but he drops them if I put too much in it. I am sure as he gets a little older he will be able to hold them better. They are heavy duty though since through all the dropping they are fine.

Another great thing about Re-Play is they are affordable and you can find them at most Walmart stores!

GIVEAWAY

Win a set of Re-Play Dishes

To Enter This Giveaway: (mandatory entry before extra entries)

Which product from Re-Play would you like to have?

*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like Re-Play on Facebook +1
-Follow Re-Play on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1
-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1
-Share this giveaway on Facebook ONLY, using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Copy and Paste This Tweet on Twitter and leave me the link (to find the link click on the time stamp under your tweet. Can be done once a day for the duration of the giveaway)

#Win a Set of Re-Play Dishes from @Re_PlayPR at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 03/14 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/03/re-play-recycled-milk-jug-kids-dishes.html

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts March 2, 2012 and ends on March 14th, 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

I Love Color, But How To Decide Which One?

2012-03-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

I was at my local Walmart the other day and the paint department displays caught my eye. Aren't these paint cards gorgeous? I love how they have brought in all the colors of nature. Who doesn't love the color of a beautiful yellow sunflower or the lovely green of veggies?

I am thinking about painting my bedroom which is currently white. Spring is just around the corner and I am looking for something new and different. But how to decide which color to pick? These colors are so pretty that I want them all! Do you have a hard time choosing a paint color? I'll let you know what I decide!

This has definitely become my motto!

2012-02-29T18:50:00.002-08:00

I know we have all seen this by now. I bought this cup last week just because I thought it would be great to drink my afternoon tea out of when I'm on the go. But it just occurred to me that "Keep Calm and Carry On" is really something we should all try to do for our own sake. For my health and peace of mind, I'm going to start doing this.

Did you all know that this actually came from an old WWII poster in England? It was a proclamation from the Queen in hopes of keeping everyone calm and functional during the war years. So it's really just the thing to drink my tea out of. Maybe I should make some scones to go with it. Sounds yummy to me!

Hartstrings Kids Clothing Online Leap Year Sale Promo Code for 25% Off

2012-02-28T20:50:00.000-08:00

Shopping online is almost a hobby for me! I love to find great buys with sales and using promo codes. I will not shop at a online store unless there is some sort of discount. Call me frugal but I feel its a great incentive to shop at a companies online store. You can find promo codes for a brand on their website newsletters, twitter and facebook accounts.

Shopping for my son online has to be my favorite thing to shop for. I can pick his size then go from there. He does not need to try stuff on and he wears anything I pick out for him. I recently learned about an online store Hartstrings.com

The site is easy to navigate and I can even shop by size. It makes it much easier to shop that way. I often find something super cute only to realize its not in his size. This way I can see what I can select from and it makes it much more enjoyable to put together an outfit.

Hartstrings has super cute boys and girls clothing from size newborns to boys 14 and girls 16. They have classic cute clothing for all occasions. Casual and formal clothing that your little ones will look great in. I have been wanting to get my sons pictures taken again and wanted a new outfit for him but also something he could wear afterward.

I have always wanted to get him a jean jacket but since he is growing like a weed I was never sure how long he could wear it. Now that he wears a 2T - 3T he seems to have stayed that size for this winter and upcoming spring. Corduroy has always been a favorite of mine. It has great texture and is just so cute on little boys. I found a great price on a classic denim jacket, tan corduroy pants and a green plaid button shirt to go with them making a nice outfit for my son. Plus I can mix and match the pants and jacket into his current wardrobe.

I found these three items all on sale and used a Promo Code. The total cost was only $39 for high quality clothing.

From now until midnight Wednesday February 29th 2012 Hartstrings.com is having a Leap Year Sale. You can save 25% off your order with the promo code: LEAP29

With the code my total went from $52 to $39! This would be a great opportunity to purchase some Spring and Easter clothing for the upcoming holidays. Many pictures will be taken and with Hartstrings your kids can look cute and stylish!

You can learn more about Hartstrings as well as keep up to date with sales and promo codes by following them on twitter and being a fan on facebook.

I even found super cute pajamas for only $13.60 before the 25% off. I would have gotten them too but they were not in my sons size.

*This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.

All opinions expressed in this shop are my own and your experience may vary. #Cbias

Making Winter Care Kits with Energizer and Champions for Kids #EnergizerCFK

2012-02-28T18:16:00.003-08:00

I love that through the power of my blog I am able to share ways to donate to the community around you. I have always done the holiday donations like most people and we do our best to give to food and diaper drives. Since finding the non profit organization Champions for Kids I have been energized to give each month a donation or my time. Champions for Kids makes it easy to know what to donate by each month giving you ideas of what to do and giving you a place to report back to. Its a great organization.

Earlier in the week I went shopping to make an Energizer Light Up a Life Winter Care Kit to donate to a local charity. I shopped at Walmart to buy batteries, flashlights, first aid items, anti bacterial items, winter hats and gloves, water, snacks and activities. The Winter Care Kits are geared towards what kids would need in an emergency. Here in California there is rain and cold that does knock out the power and during the summer months there are rolling black outs when the power grids get over whelmed causing the lights to go out. As a kid having your own flashlight, snacks and activities makes it easier to get through situations that can be scary.

I purchased Snoopy band-aids for my kit. Love the Peanuts characters!

I found many great emergency kit items in the travel section including this to go first aid kit.

Hand wipes with anti-bacterial are a must have. I like to purchase Wet Ones for the quality.

Batteries are a must have item for any emergency kit.

I found the cutest cartoon character flashlights made by Energizer.

These mini flashlights are good to have too.

I like to use rechargeable batteries in items. It saves money and the environment.

Any Winter Survival kit needs hats and gloves.

Your kit should also include extra regular batteries for times when your rechargeable are out and you have no way to plug in the charger.

Snack food items are important for survival but also to keep kids feeling like things are normal. I wanted to get granola bars and fruit snacks since they are kid friendly and not too high in salt. I included some yogurt bites in my kit for a tasty snack that requires no refrigeration. Dried fruits and raisins would be good too. Water is a must have and I purchased the junior sized waters that make it easier for kids to carry. I think water bottles are easier to use to keep track of your supply and less likely to spill.

My parents always found a way to make times during a storm much more relaxed with board games so I purchased a few decks of cards. They are small enough to fit into a bag and can be used for all sorts of card games. I also included glow in the dark bracelets for fun and function. I thought that a necklace might be a bit of a hazard in the dark but a bracelet would be fun.

I took my son with me to donate our Energizer Winter Survival Kit to a local charity that helps families with kids transition to a home with job training and life skills. I selected this charity since they help families who are homeless. It can happen to anyone who loses a job then their home, I want to be able to make transitional living just a bit easier with my donations. The manager will make sure my kit is donated to a family that lives there.

Giving our donation to the charity manager I was telling her everything that was included in the kit.

My son at Home Start donating our Energizer Champions for Kids Winter Survival Kit #EnergizerCFK

You can learn more about Champions for Kids and Energizer by visiting their websites:

Champions For Kids Website: http://championsforkids.org/simple/
Energizer’s Website: http://www.energizer.com/Pages/default.aspx
Energizer’s Positive Energy Website: http://www.nowthatspositivenergy.com/
Champions4Kids on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/search/champions4kids
Energizer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/EnergizerBunny
Champions for Kids on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChampionsForKids
Energizer on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EnergizerBunny

You can read my Google+ story all about our shopping trip and donation here.

*This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.

All opinions expressed in this shop are my own and your experience may vary. #Cbias #EnergizerCFK #ChampionsforKids

iPlay Insulated Waterproof Winter Coat Review and Giveaway

2012-02-28T00:45:00.001-08:00

A winter coat is a must have no matter what part of the USA you live in. We dont get the snow like some people do here in CA but we get wind and rain that requires a good coat. My son is out growing his current winter coat and I wanted to find him one that was durable and stylish. I also wanted to make sure it had a touch of brown, its oddly one of my favorite colors. His current coat is brown but my husband thinks maybe a bit more color will have him seen better so I picked a blue coat.

iPlay makes cute clothing for kids that is safe for kids by the products that make the clothing. They use organic cotton and the coat contains no PVC while still being waterproof. We reviewed a Waterproof Insulated Jacket that is great for the winter and rainy spring time. My son looks cute in blue and I know he will be able to wear the coat again next year.

Product info about the coat:
Warm waterproof winter jacket. Elastic around hood helps keep ears warm. Front pockets to keep little hands warm and zip-front closure. Girls’ has elastic gathering in back. Waterproof microfiber with hypoallergenic poly fill insulation and microfleece lining.

GIVEAWAY

Win a iPlay Waterproof Insulated Winter Coat in your choice of size and blue or pink color.

To Enter This Giveaway: (mandatory entry before extra entries)

What other iPlay Outerwear item do you like?

*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like iPlay Inc. on Facebook +1
-Follow iPlay Inc. on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1
-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1
-Share this giveaway on Facebook ONLY, using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Copy and Paste This Tweet on Twitter and leave me the link (to find the link click on the time stamp under your tweet. Can be done once a day for the duration of the giveaway)

#Win a Insulated Waterproof Coat from @iplayinc at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 03/07 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/02/iplay-insulated-waterproof-winter-coat.html

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts February 28th, 2012 and ends on March 7th, 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

2 month mark!

2012-02-27T10:46:00.005-08:00

Love the creases in the legs!

2 month old? I know we always say time flies when they are so little, but really it does. Miss Ashley is already a little over 2 months old! She has been my "best" baby. She hardly fusses, she sleeps really well and is always smiling :) We love this little girl more and more every day.

Fruit And Veggie Love At Seattle's Pike Place Market

2012-02-26T04:07:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite places in Seattle is The Pike Place Market. It's very well known as a tourist attraction here in the city and the crowds do get heavy with visitors in the summer time. Over ten million visitors pass through here a year. I was here last Tuesday and it wasn't crowded at all. It was really lovely to stroll down through the main arcade and look at all the produce that was for sale.

The colors are so beautiful that I just had to start snapping pictures! I love buying vegetables here because I am helping to support all the farmers who come here from all over Washington State to sell their produce. The quality is always excellent, too. Did you know that at one time the Market was going to be bulldozed and a parking lot put in it's place? Fortunately, the citizens of Seattle rallied together to save it and give it historical preservation status, insuring that it will be protected and preserved for future generations to enjoy. I love Pike Place Market and all it has to offer. Some people say it's the heart of Seattle. I agree.

Spring is Coming

2012-02-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

I am getting happier as it gets closer to March 1st. To me that means Springtime! I am loving that it stays lighter out a bit longer. I can feel that the warm weather is on the way. No more cold nights, no more running the heater and shorts weather will be here soon. I want to plant a garden, make sun tea and have picnics at the park. My son has changed so much since last Spring and I am looking forward to the many new experiences we will have. I want to get him his own little fishing pole for the lake and a mini pool so I can show him the basics of swimming.

What are the signs for you Spring is coming and what do you look forward to this year?

Magic Mouse Toys in Seattle

2012-02-23T19:58:00.000-08:00

My family and I moved to the Seattle area when my youngest child Megan was six years old. We loved walking in all the different neighborhoods in Seattle and making new discoveries of things we liked. In Pioneer Square we found the most delightful toy store called Magic Mouse Toys.

This has become our favorite toy store, and we have come here many times through-out the years to pick out birthday and Christmas presents. There are two floors filled with the most beautiful and unique toys imaginable. Dolls, puzzles, educational toys, games, cars and more will be sure to completely delight you and your child. And if you don't have a child, this magical store will delight the child in you.

My daughter Megan is all grown up now. We were recently walking by Magic Mouse Toys and I said to her "Remember?"

So if you are in Seattle, or planning to visit Seattle, go to Magic Mouse Toys. Like the name says, this store really is Magic.

T-Fal 2-Slice Avante Deluxe Toaster Review

2012-02-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

I love using a toaster. Bread, english muffins, eggo waffles, toaster strudel and my favorite bagels! My last toaster was attacked by ants on a hot summer day when a toaster strudel got over cooked and I could not get it out. While attempting to extract my burnt strudel the side was torn and sticky cinnamon goo went everywhere. Then the ants came! It was not good! Some of the ants even got stuck inside the toaster and the toaster was ruined. I have been weary of getting a new one until I knew what needed to be improved on my toaster so this did not happen again. Mainly the extraction of toasted items is when things are broken or torn on your toasted delights. With this in mind I looked for a toaster that would make it easy to get items out of it.

The T-Fal 2-Slice Avante Deluxe Toaster was just what I was looking for. The toasting area is at an angle so it makes it easy to see and remove your toast. Pus it has a lift button that pushes your item up above the toaster level for an easy grab of your toasted items. This toaster has two other great functions that I have not has on a toaster.

The bagel button made me say "oh yes!" Since I am a huge bagel fan this was an awesome feature for me. The first time I made a bagel I did not push the button just to be able to compare the results. The first bagel came out burnt and I wondered if I really did to use the bagel button. I tried it again using the button and it came out perfect! Not too tasty and warm all the way through. The stop button is great too. If you see its getting to toasted you push is and up pops your toast.

The angled design provides effortless viewing of the bread while toasting as well as safe and easy removal of toast. With 1200 watts of power this toaster toasts bread 40 percent faster than conventional toasters. The extra-wide self adjusting slots that are ideal for any bread thickness so you'll get perfect toast every time.

Bagel toasting technology toasts the inside and gently warms the outside
One touch light-up function to toast frozen breads
7 customized toasting levels for desired browning quality
Brushed stainless steel front with cool-touch exterior
Stop button stops toasting process at any time

If you are in the market for a toaster I would recommend this one since its simple but up to date on cool extras like a slanted angle for easy pull out, a lift lever to push the toast to you, a Bagel button (so cool!) and a stop button.

*I was not paid for our review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others. I was provided the product mentioned in this post to review for free from the PR company that represents them.

Lady and the Tramp Movie now on DVD and Blu-ray Review

2012-02-22T19:55:00.000-08:00

Classic Disney movies like Lady and the Tramp are fun to watch with my son. I remember watching it as a kid and sharing it with him is a delight. As a girl I think I was more swooned by this movie as a little girl. Its a cute romance between a dog, Lady who is a upper class dog living a pampered life with her humans and the dog Tramp who is a run a muck street dog who lives his doggie life without boundaries.

There is the classic spaghetti eating scene that all romantics know about. Its a cute movie for kids and adults. My son LOVES dogs so he though this was a great one. We have watched 4 times already! When Sam and I were kids we would sing the Siamese cat song and laugh and laugh! My son was big eyed for the cat scene. With dogs and cats he was in heaven. I loved being able to relive a great movie with my little guy and I know he will enjoy this movie for years to come. With the Blu-ray combo pack I know we will be able to keep up with the technology to keep watching it.

Blu-ray Bonus Features:

Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad
PuppyPedia: Going to the Dogs
Disney Second Screen
Inside Walt's Story Meeting
Audio Commentary: Inside Walt's Story Meetings
Three never before seen deleted scenes
Never before heard deleted song
Classic DVD bonus features

Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition is now available on DVD and Blu-ray in stores and online.

At select Walmart stores the movie comes with the cutest little Lady and the Tramp bowl and spoon with a combo pack.

*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from other opinions. I was provided for free a copy for my review.

Why my Kid is like a Cat

2012-02-22T19:25:00.000-08:00

My son loves cats, but I think he is starting to turn into one! He has a few characteristics that make me think this.

1. He hates water on his head. Getting him into the tub is a wrestling match. He hates it! He grabs onto the towel bar in fear of the tub and will shriek and jump onto me trying to get out if water touches his head.

2. He will jump off of anything! ANYTHING!

3. He loves to eat fish!

4. He has a strong "escape instinct" lol if I try to get him for a diaper change, nap time or to wipe his hands or face he runs for it.

5. He will follow you around and jump on your lap as soon as you sit down.

6. He is an aggressive player. Just like a cat jumping, rolling, biting, wrestling are all things he thinks are apart if playing. Thank goodness he does not have claws!

7. He likes to lick up his beverages. He cracks me up he will pour a small amount of liquid onto a surface and lick it up like a kitten. He thinks its hilarious!

8. He will jump into your seat the second you get out of it then just lay there like it was his spot in the first place.

9. He likes to chase birds! If he sees them at the park he will run for them full force trying to catch one.

10. He has different noises he makes that mean different things. He does talk but he likes to make noises to say things. If he starts to purr I am going to really worry.

Making Kids feel Safe and Warm with Energizer Light Up a Life Winter Survival Kits #EnergizerCFK #cbias

2012-02-22T16:41:00.000-08:00

Living in California our winter weather is not as severe as it can be in other states. Sometimes this means we are not as prepared for when the power goes out as people living in colder regions. Many families do have earthquake kits that have the basics. But things like hats, mittens, kids items like card games and cool flashlights often get left out. We make sure as parents we have the things on our list. For kids it can be even scarier to have the lights go out and we need to have items just for them in a kid friendly Winter Survival Kit.

I remember as a kid when we lived in WA state there was a snow storm that made the power go out at night time. A powerline right by our house went down and we could see the lights of the fire department out there working on things. It was a very scary time. My parents stay calm, gave us flashlights, lit the fireplace and got out board games. We oddly had a blast playing hours of board games with the room lit by the fireplace and flashlights. We played well into the night and all fell asleep in the living room bundled up in sleeping bags. They made it like a indoor family camp out and that made the difference of us not being scared.

In December I had the chance to work with a wonderful company Champions for Kids to make Disney stockings to donate. For February I am honored to have the chance to be able to help them with their Energizer Light Up a Life Winter Survival Kits.

I encourage everyone to get together and make Winter Survival Kits to donate to children in need. Even a few friends and family members can make one together to donate. Or if you have a group like a Mommy group, scouts, sports team or church group you can do this as a donation project. It is a great way to give back and come together as a community. Each month Champions for Kids introduces an idea and gives you tips on what to donate and a form to report back your good deed.

More information about Champions for Kids:

What does Champions for Kids do?
Champions for Kids works to mobilize MILLIONS of people by providing training and resources to improve the lives of children in communities across America and beyond. Our goal is to mobilize 20 Million people by 2020.
What is Champions for Kids vision?
Our vision is to change the culture. Ultimate success is when there is a transfer of identity from Champions for Kids as an organization to Champions for Kids as part of our collective identity, who we are as a community and as citizens. Each year millions of children suffer silently and in many cases, die, not because we don’t have the resources but because of a massive failure of our imagination to engage more people in efforts to improve the lives of children in our communities. People care about our youth. They will help. We work to mobilize MILLIONS of people to be a force for good in their communities. If our plan works, then we change the life course for millions of children—for generations to come
What are the results for Champions for Kids so far? In six, short years, Champions for Kids has provided over $500,000 in challenge grants to local and state youth serving organizations. We have worked closely with 58 nonprofit organizations and 232 organizational leaders who collectively serve over 180,000 children in Arkansas and beyond (Kansas, New York, Massachusetts).

I am planning out my list and gathering coupons to take a trip to Walmart with my son to buy the supplies we will be making our Energizer Light Up a Life Winter Survival Kit to donate.

You can learn more about Champions for Kids and Energize on their social media pages.

What would you include in a Winter Survival Kit to keep kids safe, warm and entertained? New ideas would be great to add to my kit.

*This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #Cbias #EnergizerCFK #ChampionsForKids
All opinions expressed in this shop are my own and your experience may vary

Dial™ NutriSkin™ Lotion Shopping at Walmart #cbias #DialNutriSkin

2012-02-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

I am a sucker for new products! I love samples and store demos. On weekends I go to specific stores knowing there will be sample and demo events. I always say if you dont try something how will you know if you should buy it or not. I have found many great products by sampling something new.

Recently I attended a Dial™ NutriSkin™ Lotion demo event at my local Walmart. This winter my skin, especially on my hands has been dry and often cracks. I wash my hands all day long and use sanitizers more so in the winter time too. I have about 4-5 lotions I have been trying to rehydrate my skin and be able to stand up to my excessive hand washing. Plus demos and sampling events almost always have coupons for the product they are showcasing and I LOVE coupons!

When I arrived the demo lady had just gotten there and I was the first person she did her demonstration for. I asked her if she had tried the lotion but she said no. I thought that was a bit odd but she did say with the gloves she was required to wear the lotion would make them slide off. I sampled a few of the new Dial™ NutriSkin™ lotions and my favorite one is the Extra Dry Skin with Shea Butter. I love how this lotion smells. It works great, after 4 days I noticed my hands were softer and stayed hydrated though hand washing. I also purchased the Dry Skin Aloe lotion to use as a body lotion. It was very soothing to use on my arms and legs. I have sensitive skin so this was great that it did not irritate my skin at all.

The Dial™ NutriSkin™ is reasonably priced and when you can find a coupon for it thats even better. I noticed on the Dial™ NutriSkin™ lotion website that there is also a Soothing with Chamomile lotion in the new line from Dial™. My Walmart did not have this one so I will be checking back often to see if I spot it.

Day 1 before lotion use, dry cracked itchy skin

Using the Extra Dry Shea Butter on my hands for 4 days of testing. #DialNutriSkin

Day 4 of lotion use, my skin is soft and hydrated even after hand washing.

You can learn more about Dial™ NutriSkin™ including info on the Men's line (one of them has sea kelp in it and can also be used on the face!) by following them on twitter. If you are a facebook fan of Dial you can enter to be fan of the week and often get coupons. #DialNutriSkin

You can see my entire shopping experience and the Dial™ NutriSkin™ lotion demonstration by reading my Google+ story here.

*This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #Cbias #DialNutriSkin
All opinions expressed in this shop are my own and your experience may vary

Pretty Pictures Does Make Me More Organized

2012-02-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

Does having a pretty calendar or notebook make you more inclined to fill it out and help you to keep on top of things? One of my sons gave me an Amazon gift card for Christmas this year. As I was browsing the site I remembered I hadn't bought a calendar for the new year yet.

I was so happy to have found this calendar from the National Gallery of Art. It's very beautiful, with pages of photographs of the paintings that hang in the Gallery. And it was half off! That's frugal beauty. But seriously, it has helped me to write down important dates and deadlines. I keep it with me and use it everyday. I am so much more organized now!

Caught........Chocolate Handed

2012-02-18T22:28:00.000-08:00

Around my house there has been a lot of chocolate cake. I seem to bake like crazy when I have a lot on my mind. That and I also love chocolate anything! My son seems to have inherited my love for the treat. The other night there was a cake mess that my husband let our son eat a piece when I said none today, he told me the baby blue eyes asking for cake made him give in lol. This afternoon my son was being very quiet, always a sign of something naughty going on, he usually is talking, singing, babbling, or making sound effects while he plays so I knew for sure he was up to something. I peeked around the corner and saw that he had a huge piece of cake in his hand. I explained to him if he wants something he needs to ask mama and then sit in his chair to eat it. He of course said "Okay" like he has been saying to everything lately. He doesnt mean okay he just knows thats what he should say lol.

This is Why I Married a Chef

2012-02-17T19:05:00.000-08:00

When I met my husband he was working in a restaurant but not as a chef. After sadly getting hurt on the job they switched him over to being a chef. He learned tons of recipes, prep cook stuff and eventually ended up working as a chef in a really nice restaurant. Well that has been awesome for me! He cooks dinner for me all the time.

The other night he made some of my favorites! Salmon (no sauce because he knows how I loathe sauces lol) Dill Garlic Potatoes ( lots of garlic even though he cant really have it ), Asparagus ( just a bit mushy since I like it even though he doesnt) and Garlic French Bread (extra crunchy!). It was so good! He is no longer a chef but he still has the skills and when I ask he will make me anything I wish and just the way I like it even if its just for me since I am a picky eater with how I like stuff made.

The other day he also made me fudge, it only lasts a few days lol.

For all the men out there woman LOVE it when you can make them an awesome meal that it to their tastes.

And that is why I married a chef!

Support Your Local Bookstore (and have fun doing it!)

2012-02-16T22:28:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day to take my two grandsons to a place they really love visiting, our local bookstore. I really believe in spending my dollars here because I don't want to see all of the small, independent bookstores go out of business. Amazon and the other giants have their places, but my heart belongs to all the little bookshops that sometimes struggle to stay in business.

There is so much more than just books to read. Trains, games, puzzles and more!

Our local bookstore offers a great selection of children's books of all kinds and for all ages, from babies to teenagers. We bought all of our Harry Potter books here and they even had Harry Potter parties here at midnight, when the books were released. The staff is very patient and helpful, too. Don't worry, that's not a real skunk! It's one of the many cute puppets they have for sale.

I love encouraging the boys to look at books, even at this young age.

I very much appreciate this bookstore in my community. It's a gathering site for local book lovers. We have author readings, book club meetings, guest lectures and much more. This is the entrance to the children's section. I love how everything is so bright and cheerful. Please support your local bookstore. They need our business to stay in business. And reading is fun!!

HP launches eSmiles for Ronald McDonald Houses

2012-02-16T16:32:00.000-08:00

Today, HP launched eSmiles, a project that will build financial and emotional support through HP’s ePrint technology for children and their families staying at five participating Ronald McDonald Houses in the U.S. For every well wish or “eSmile” sent, HP will donate $1 and is committed to help raise $10,000 for each House.

Through pilot programs around the world, the HP eSmiles program has already raised over $120,000 for participating Ronald McDonald Houses in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. The program will help drive further awareness and support for participating Ronald McDonald Houses – globally and in their local communities.

The Ronald McDonald Houses that will participate in the U.S. launch are San Diego, Orange County, Atlanta, Chicago, and New York City. HP has donated a Photosmart 7510 e-All-in-One to each House, which allows the families to receive eSmiles from around the world. Each participating House will have its own customized ePrint address, allowing you to select exactly where you want to send your eSmile.

How it Works:

HP ePrint technology enables people to print on the go by securely sending photos and documents directly from a mobile device to a printer’s unique email address – from virtually anywhere. Each participating Ronald McDonald House has its own HP ePrint enabled printer with customized ePrint address, allowing you to send an eSmile to a Ronald McDonald House down the street or around the globe.

Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities: RMHAtlanta@ePrinteSmiles.com
Orange County Ronald McDonald House: RonaldHouseOC@ePrinteSmiles.com
Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego: RMHCSanDiego@ePrinteSmiles.com
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana: RMHChicagoCNI@ePrinteSmiles.com
Ronald McDonald House New York: RMHNewYork@ePrinteSmiles.com

Ways to Participate:

To find out more about the program, become part of the global community and to see the donation updates, visit hpesmiles.com and find a participating house near you!

Eyes, Ears , Mouth and Noogie?

2012-02-15T20:29:00.000-08:00

He is wearing socks and shoes on his hands lol

My son makes me laugh so much. He has been mastering nose, ears, eyes, hair, mouth, feet, hands all the stuff he needs to know. So much so that he points it out on other people. He poked a kid in the eye (so sad) then stuck his finger in another kids nose (so gross!) He tells me everyday about where all of mine are too. Its very cute. In the process of learning all these he also learned boogie.

Now he calls his nose a "Noogie" its a cross between nose and boogie lol.

He makes me laugh and I love it!

Our Valentine's Day Gift List

2012-02-13T19:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day to everyone. We are planning to spend the day with our families. We hope everyone enjoyed our gift guide. We still have the giveaways going until Feb 20th so be sure to enter. There are extra entries for daily FB shares and Tweets.

If you have not purchased a gift there is still time. Plus who does not love a gift any day of the year!

Here is our Valentines Day Gift Guide List:

Video Games:
-The Adventures of Tintin
-The Black Eyes Peas Experience
-ABBA You Can Dance
-The Price is Right Decades
-Rayman Origins
-Skylanders Spyro's Adventure

For Kids /Toys:
-Barbie Mermaid Tale 2 Doll
-I Love You More Than Chocolate
-I See Me My Very Own Name Book

Gifts for Women:
-Shop-Tuile.com
-MK Totem Leather Hobo Bag
-Sibu Beauty Products
-Eco-Artware Earrings
-Aurorae Northern Lights Yoga Mat
-Emerson Creek Pottery Bud Vase
-Hard Candy Makeup

Gifts for Anyone you Love:
-Hallmark Blooming Expressions and Recordable Storybooks
-Creative Walls: How to display and enjoy your treasured collections Book by CICO Publishing
-Gift Cards Rock Applebees Gift Card

Food and Treats:
-Organic Wacky Apple
-Marie Belle Frangelico Truffles

We hope you have a wonderful day with your Valentine!

Thanks for being a reader, we appreciate every one of you!

Upside Down Kitchen

2012-02-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

Well its not literally upside down but all the chairs are. It seems no matter what I do with the nos, time outs and explanations my son could care less as to why he should not jump from kitchen chairs or use them to get on top of the table to try to leap from there. He thinks it "cool" as he says to leap from everything he can. He worries me and I try to stay calm asking him nicely to get down. I know hes a boy, they are wild but oh my the time I came into the kitchen and he was standing on the kitchen table with the biggest smile on his face like he climbed Mount Everest I nearly passed out. He leaped as soon as he realized I had seen him. Thankfully I caught him but then he giggled and now thinks its a really fun game. My solution has been to turn the chairs over. He can almost pick them up but I tell him its not time for chairs and he seems to be satisfied with that answer, for now.

I hear from Sam her younger boy has the same love for chairs and leaping from things. I am not sure if it their genes or their love of the thrill of making Mom freak out. I used to blame my husband for our sons wild streak but now it seems to be a trend on my side. lol

I dont want to give fear to my son. I love his fearless nature. He is a mini explorer and very energetic. I want him to be careful but not fragile. I just tell myself, well when I am not saying no-no or get back here, that I am sure people that are in extreme sports or stuntmen probably were like this as kids, right?!?

Hard Candy Makeup Review and Giveaway

2012-02-12T22:55:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of Hard Candy? I had not, they are a makeup line sold exclusively at Walmart. And when I heard that they were affordable and I could get them at my local Walmart I knew I had to try their products.

I have to admit I am a makeup kind of gal. I really don't feel awake and ready to tackle the day until I have some sort of makeup on. I look like a pale ghost until I have at least a little something on my face and eyes. Of coarse when I am doing the Mommy gig during the day it is lighter than if I am going out on a date with my hubby or a girls night out. I like to try different makeup and different brands, you never know what is out there and what may make you look even better :)

One of my favorite products was the Mini Must Haves, it is a mini set and there are 4 of them. I tried the First Flush. In the box there is blush crush, sheer envy primer, plumping serum and glow all the way. Cute and small necessities for a night out. And only $8 for this little must have!

I also liked their Hard Candy nail polish, it dried super quick which is nice for a busy Mom. I did need to apply a top coat for sure, it started to peel when I didn't the first time. But not bad at $4 a bottle.

I have to admit when it comes to lip gloss I am picky. I do not want it too shiny or too sticky or too gooey. So when I tried the Plexi Gloss - Glossy Lip Shine I was pleasantly surprised. Not too sticky and it seemed to last quiet a while. Again great for the price of $3.86 how can you go wrong?

Hard Candy has a ton of great products for your Face, Nails, Eyes, Lips and Body at a great price. You can purchase them at your local Walmart or with one click on their web site you are linked to the Walmart website buying the item, so easy. Check them out!

GIVEAWAY

Win a set of Hard Candy Makeup

To Enter This Giveaway: (mandatory entry before extra entries)

Which product would you love to have from Hard Candy?

*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like Hard Candy on Facebook +1
-Follow Hard Candy on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1
-Be our friend on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1
-Share this giveaway on Facebook ONLY, using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Copy and Paste This Tweet on Twitter and leave me the link (to find the link click on the time stamp under your tweet. Can be done once a day for the duration of the giveaway)

#Win Hard Candy Makeup from @HeresHardCandy at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 02/20 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/02/hard-candy-makeup-review-and-giveaway.html

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts February 12 , 2012 and ends on February 20th , 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Emerson Creek Pottery Review and Giveaway

2012-02-12T22:34:00.000-08:00

Emerson Creek Pottery has been making beautiful handcrafted pottery since 1977. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the company continues on in its tradition of making fine quality pottery for the home.

Each piece is handmade, hand painted and fired in a gas kiln. The clay used to form the pottery is made on site. They currently offer fifteen different lines of ceramic pottery. Each piece is microwave and dishwasher safe, lead free and oven proof.

For my review I was sent the Go Green Bud Vase. It's earthy color and lovely simplicity makes it a perfect match for any flowers you choose to put in it. It makes a sweet present for Valentine's Day or any other occasion.

Visit the website at emersoncreekpottery.com to see their very extensive line of lovely pottery pieces all made in the USA.

GIVEAWAY

Win Emerson Creek Pottery Bud Vase

To Enter This Giveaway: (mandatory entry before extra entries)

Which design of Bud Vases is your favorite?

*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like Emerson Creek Pottery on Facebook +1
-Follow Emerson Creek Pottery on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1
-Like be our friend on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1
-Share this giveaway on Facebook ONLY, using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Copy and Paste This Tweet on Twitter and leave me the link (to find the link click on the time stamp under your tweet. Can be done once a day for the duration of the giveaway)

#Win Emerson Creek Pottery Bud Vase from @emersoncreek at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 02/20 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/02/emerson-creek-pottery-review-and.html

Pier Market Restaurant in San Francisco CA Pier 39 Review

2012-02-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

When I think of San Francisco I always think of awesome seafood. I love fish and clam chowder and the restaurants at Pier 39 are some of the best on the waterfront. For Valentines or any special occasion Pier Market Restaurant is a great place to visit. They have one of the best views of the ocean and harbor that we have been to on Pier 39. We have been to over 3/4 of the restaurants they have on Pier 39 and this is one of my favorites.

The view is beautiful and the food is delicious.The pictures I took of our lobsters and steak dinners were not good enough to truly show how divine they were. The pictures above are from the website and it looks just like it did on our plates. You can read the full menu on their website here. Our waitress was nice. She seemed a bit confused by my mother in law requesting certain things being and not being in her food. But my she has lupus so she has to watch what she eats. They were nice enough to bring my son french fries as soon as we ordered so he would stay seated, she must know its a kid trick in a restaurant to give them fries lol. We ordered the clam chowder for our appetizer and wow it was good. Perfect flavoring with the right amount of clams to potatoes ratio. My son even liked it and he can be picky about trying new things. The steaks were awesome. We ordered them well done and they were still full of flavor and juicy.

For this occasion we went for my son's birthday. We let him open one of his presents at the dinner table. He thought it was great to be able to have good food and presents! A couple sitting across from us were also celebrating a birthday. When the husband saw our lobster dinner arrive at our table he quickly called over his waitress and upgraded he and his wife's dinner to what we were having. It was fun to see someone influenced by what we having enough to change their order to make the night extra special for his wife. I thought the restaurant knew is was my sons birthday but after dinner the bill came and not a cake I realized they had no clue lol. I wish I would have let them know since we watched the couple next to us get a birthday song and a piece of cake. My son LOVES cake and the attention of everyone singing to him.

The management staff was super nice and made sure we had a good time and took home our leftovers. There wasn't much though, just my sons food. It was all way to good not to eat it right then and their.

We really liked that Pier Market is family owned for over 30 years. Its a wonderful place to eat fresh seafood with a casual setting. Great for Valentines, Birthdays, Anniversaries and they will let you host an event there. The view is a huge reason I would like to go back there again. We went at night so we saw the harbor with all the lights lining the sky. I would love to go for a lunch in the summer to be able to see the Golden Gate bridge while enjoy some more of the delicious clam chowder.

*I was not paid for our review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others. I was a guest of Pier Market Restaurant for my meal for my family from the PR company that represents them.

Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure by Activision Video Game Review

2012-02-12T18:12:00.000-08:00

Spyro has been a cool dragon in my eyes since the days of playing the original adventure game on the original Playstation console, long long before I had kids. Now that I have my son he thinks Spyro is a cool dragon too. Its funny as a gamer you want to pass down the fun you had as a kid or in my case a teenager to your kids. Like some people and sports. My son is much younger than the ratings for Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure but he LOVES it. All during the holidays the display was a magnet to him. He would run over to it and get excited yelling "Dramum", his way of saying Dragon. He would push the buttons on this display and his little blue eyes would sparkle as he saw the game portal of power light up and the characters appear on the little display screen. My husband and I also though it was a neat aspect for gaming to have a small toy like character that you place on a game piece that will "place" your character into the game. So cool!

Like many other kids Santa did not bring Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure for Christmas. He bag must have been full of other cool stuff, but my son still wanted the game. We thought Valentines Day is a great time to buy one really cool gift for our son that we can all play together. When we were at the mall in the game store last month my son saw the game display again and went wild. We knew that was the gift we would be getting for all of us to enjoy.

When my son saw the Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure game pack in my hands after he woke up from his afternoon nap he squealed and yelled "YES!". He grabbed the game from me and took off down the hall. He spent the next 30 minutes looking at just the box saying "Wow" and "Cool". This was even before we opened it!

Besides the game being really fun with each character having its own set unique abilities and powers, the characters remember their in game experiences and upgrade as they play. They collect treasures as they explore the game world too. When we were at the game store the store manager told me he and his friends (all grown men) play Skylanders. They collect the many characters and can take it over to anyone house who has the game and portal. I thought that was a great aspect that your character can play on the Wii, PS3 or XBOX 360. How cool is that!?!

Love Spyro!

My son was even playing with the characters on his train set. He thinks they are really cool. Thankfully they are well made and can hold all the data in them without being fragile like most gaming items. I know we will be adding more cool characters to our collection. My son and husband had a great time playing together and I love that they are bonding over something they both like, Video Games! On the Skylanders website they have a special section just for Parents so you can read all about the game and the different aspects of game play.

You can buy Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure Starter Pack by Activision for your family and many stores including Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, Game Stop and Best Buy.

The Starter Pack includes:

The starter pack comes with everything you need to start your adventure including:
Skylanders Spyro's Adventure software
Portal of Power
3 Skylanders Figures
3 Trading Cards
1 Sticker Sheet for all three characters
3 Skylanders Spyro's Universe Codes
Collector Poster

*I was not paid for our review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others. I was provided the game in this post to review for free from the PR company that represents them.

Valentine's Craft Weekend

2012-02-12T12:24:00.000-08:00

This weekend we are busy crafting it up for Valentine's Day! We are making these "Caped Cute-sader" Valentine treats for JJ to take to his preschool friends on Tuesday. They are fun, crafty and easy to make. Right up my alley!!

Weekend Online Deals & Coupon Codes

2012-02-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day is coming, with it there are all sorts of online deals to save money. Shopping with a discount or coupon is my favorite way to be frugal! We have nice things just at a great deal this way. I have found a few places that are having a sale for Valentines.

Stride Rite

Share the Love Sale

20% off $50 or more code: LOVE20

25% off $5 or more code: LOVE25

They have super cool new Spider-Man Shoes with lighted eyes!

Label Shopper $10 off $50 valid until Tuesday the 14th.

They have some cute heart pj bottoms for women for only $5.99

OshKosh B'gosh

Extra 20% off a $40 online purchase with Code: CUPID

Super cute Baby Girl Valentine tees $4.99

Tom's of Maine

15% off everything and Free ground shipping with code: SHOPTOM

Now until 2/20

LOFT

Sweaters only $12.88!

some of these are regular $69

Creative Walls: How to Display and Enjoy Your Treasured Collections Book Review

2012-02-10T01:44:00.000-08:00

I was intrigued by this book because of it's cover. A combination of floral prints, postcards, butterflies, flowers and more create a feeling of unique possibilities.

Looking inside, prepare for the meeting of Anthropology (the store), taxidermy, bohemian eclectic and unusual living spaces. It all manages to somehow come together to create beautiful walls, beautiful spaces, and inspires us to walk away from the ordinary.

Creative Walls is a book definitely for the quirky soul. There are no decorating rules for these walls, they are highly personal and this comes through in the photographs.

It is true that this style is not for everyone. The look is a bit cluttered, a tad shabby chic, and individual. If that doesn't appeal to you, there are hundreds of other books out there to help you decorate your home in a more conventional manner.

But this book called to me and inspired me to remember that the whole point of decorating is to make ourselves a home that reflects our personal taste and not the mass produced look that is marketed to us everyday. It certainly made me want to start collecting more and to look for the beauty in the unusual and the unexpected.

I enjoyed this book very much and will keep it handy for inspiration when I need it.

You can purchase Creative Walls: How to Display and Enjoy Your Treasured Collections from the publisher's website CICO Books and other book stores. You can connect with the publisher to learn more about this book and find other great books publisher by them online at facebook and twitter.

* I was not paid or compensated for this post. I was sent a free copy of this book for my review by the publisher/PR company. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others.

Sacramento & San Francisco Upcoming Pier 39 Event

2012-02-09T22:28:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Events

Tulipmania at PIER 39 in San Francisco CA
Feb. 18 - 26, 10am Tours Daily

Experience botanical bliss as PIER 39 transforms into a Bayside floral wonderland during Tulipmania. Thousands of tulips and other whimsical floral displays adorn PIER 39's two levels throughout this colorful event. Garden enthusiasts are invited to take a free Tulipmania tour, guided by one of PIER 39's own landscaping experts, daily at 10am beginning in PIER 39's Entrance Plaza. After each tour, participants are welcome to enjoy complimentary coffee, Biscoff cookies and other refreshments at Fog Harbor Fish House. Click here for details.

Shop-Tuile.com Earrings Review and $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway 2 Winners

2012-02-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

Whenever I find a product or a website that I love, it makes me very happy to be able to pass it on to our readers. Shop-Tuile.com sells beautiful and unique jewelry featuring designs from all around the globe. Exquisite rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and more are all made with sterling silver, and adorned with semi-precious gemstones. Most collections are exclusive to Shop-Tuile.com and are not available at any department store or boutique.

The company works with a variety of designers whose work is known and sold worldwide. Each designer brings a unique collection of jewelry to choose from.

There is also a collection of scarves available that are truly luxurious, made from pure silk, cotton or cashmere. Though worn by many Hollywood celebrities, Shop-Tuile.com offers many pieces that are surprisingly affordable. Testimonials from happy customers adds to the joy of your shopping experience and assures you of the highest quality of customer service.

I was sent for review the Casablanca, gold vermeil ball earrings. These lovely brushed 14kt yellow gold earrings are perfect for day or night time wear. I really love the simple, classic elegance of these earrings and anticipate wearing them for years to come.

Shop-Tuile.com is a wonderful place to find unique and timeless pieces of jewelry that you will treasure. I am so happy to announce that they are giving away two $50.00 certificates to two of our readers. Go to their website to see the complete line of jewelry and scarves available.

GIVEAWAY

Win $50 Gift Certificate to Shop-Tuile (they have free shipping!!!!) *2 Winners*

To Enter This Giveaway: (mandatory entry before extra entries)

What is your favorite item at Shop-Tuile.com

*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like Shop Tuile on Facebook +1
-Follow Shop Tuile on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1
-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1
-Share this giveaway on Facebook ONLY, using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Copy and Paste This Tweet on Twitter and leave me the link (to find the link click on the time stamp under your tweet. Can be done once a day for the duration of the giveaway)

#Win $50 Gift Certificate *2 Winners* from @ShopTuile at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 02/20 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/02/shop-tuilecom-earrings-review-and-50.html

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts February 9 , 2012 and ends on February 20th , 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

New Words and Phrases

2012-02-08T23:41:00.000-08:00

My son is not a big talker. He likes to gesture, point and get me to guess what he means. Its our baby charades. I have even had a few people ask me if he knows signing, I laugh and reply no he just makes up his own stuff. But this last week he has been saying so much more. His newest thing is "Help Me". I find it awesome since he is recognizing he is a "me" and that if he asks I am there to help him. He asks for something he cant reach, a closet he wants open, to put on his socks and shoes and when he needs something. He even now says "Im Stuck". The other day I was in the kitchen making him lunch and I hear "Help me I'm Stuck!" I go down the hall and he managed to climb to the middle shelf of a deep cupboard and could not figure out how to get down. It was beyond cute. He held out his hand and again said "help me I'm stuck" I grabbed him out and got him down and he said "your welcome". Oh he cracks me up!

He has realized if he says "help me" I will quickly come to see what is going on. I was using my computer and he was behind me sitting on some empty boxes. He likes to make little play areas with them. He said "help me" I turned around and he was sitting there with a sly look on his face then giggled. I asked him if he was ok and he smiled. I turned back around and he said it again. Again he was sitting there needing nothing. The third time he did it he was standing on top of a small box waving to me. I explained to him you only say "help me" when you need help. He said to me "ok" The fourth time he said "help me" I did not turn around then he yelled "help me!!" I turned around and he was stuck between the wall and a few boxes that had slid over and he was stuck behind. I laughed and rescued him. Its seems all boys do cry wolf at one point!

Now even I think his "help me"might be a false alarm I still go see what he is doing to make sure he does not need a rescue. I love that he is saying more and understanding that what he says gets results. I cant wait to see what the new things he will come up with to entertain himself.

Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer Scanner Review and Giveaway

2012-02-08T22:36:00.000-08:00

When the ones you love are not feeling well its sad for everyone. Having to take a small child's temperature can be a mini battle that no one wins. Having a product like a Temporal Artery Thermometer Scanner makes taking your little ones temperature so much easier.

I love the ease of use and technology of the Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer Scanner. Its a simple and gentle way to take your babies temperature. My son did think I was messing with him when I tried to use it on him but he is a wild one! It did let me know he was running a bit of a temperature when he had the sniffles. I quickly gave him orange juice, soup and had him rest. Its nice to not wonder if he has a fever, even a small one and to be able help him. Trying to get a temperature from him orally is a disaster that I feared he would get hurt. Now I know he will be safe while I am able to monitor his temperature.

It is non-invasive, easy-to-use (only takes 2 seconds) and extremely accurate
It will help parents avoid the painful experience of taking their sick child’s temperature rectally and uncomfortably.
It merely takes two seconds and a gentle swipe, so parents can even check a sleeping child’s temperature.

Product info:
The TemporalScanner has patented software, providing arterial heat balance. This unique process determines temperature by accurately measuring the balance between the tissues warming from arterial blood and tissues cooling (warming) caused by heat loss (gain) to the environment.

Exergen is celebrating Valentines Day with a sweepstakes to win temporal scanners, gift cards and a grand prize of a trip and a car! You can enter here.

To celebrate Valentines Day and to spread the word about the Love Bug Temperature Challenge we are hosting a giveaway here on Frugal Family Tree for one of our lucky readers to win a Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer Scanner for their family.

GIVEAWAY

Win a Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer Scanner

To Enter This Giveaway: (mandatory entry before extra entries)

What is your go to item when your little ones are sick? (we always get orange juice!)

*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like Exergen on Facebook +1
-Follow Exergen on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1
-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1

-Share this giveaway on Facebook ONLY, using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Copy and Paste This Tweet on Twitter and leave me the link (to find the link click on the time stamp under your tweet. Can be done once a day for the duration of the giveaway)

#Win a Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer Scanner from @Exergen at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 02/20 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/02/exergen-temporal-artery-thermometer.html

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts February 8 , 2012 and ends on February 20th , 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

I Love You More Than Chocolate Book Review and Giveaway

2012-02-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

Books about kids, candy and love, how sweet! The book I Love You More Than Chocolate by Melanie Milburn is a sweet book about a mother tucking her child in for bed and telling them how she loves them more than anything in the world, even Chocolate. Its has a nice rhythm to the book that is simple enough for my toddler but also great for older kids. To know you Mama loves you more than anything is a great feeling. This is a great book for Valentines Day.

One of my favorite lines is:

I love you more than the color blue.
I love you more than a day at the zoo.
I love you more...no matter what you do.
I love you more than chocolate!

The book comes with a CD too.

GIVEAWAY

Win the book I Love You More Than Chocolate published by To Press and Beyond

To Enter This Giveaway: (mandatory entry before extra entries)

Who do you love more than Chocolate?

*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like To Press and Beyond on Facebook +1
-Follow To Press and Beyond (booksherpas) on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1
-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1

-Share this giveaway on Facebook ONLY, using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Copy and Paste This Tweet on Twitter and leave me the link (to find the link click on the time stamp under your tweet. Can be done once a day for the duration of the giveaway)

#Win the book I Love You More Than Chocolate from @booksherpas at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 02/20 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/02/i-love-you-more-than-chocolate-book.html

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts February 8 , 2012 and ends on February 20th , 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

MarieBelle Frangelico Truffles Review

2012-02-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

This Valentines I told myself to not over indulge in large volumes of candy. That if I was going to eat candies they would have to be gourmet ones and I would savor every little nibble! I have heard of the famous chocolatier MarieBelle and Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur and the two of them together to make a truffle is delicious!

You dont have to travel to New York to enjoy MarieBelle Frangelico Truffles unique chocolate treats, you can find them online at MarieBelle.com. The flavor of the truffles was a rich dark chocolate hazelnut with a smooth texture with hints of vanilla, coffee and almond. Each piece is like a mini piece of art. With red, pink, yellow and orange that are painted on.

I sampled the 4 piece box of MarieBelle Frangelico and I enjoyed every bite! They are a treat for yourself and not the kids. I hid mine in my office so I could enjoy them all for me! lol Expensive chocolates like these are great for a Valentines treat for an adult you love.

Here is some product info about the Truffles:
MarieBelle New York combines the finest single-origin chocolate with eclectic ingredients and artisanal techniques to create edible works of art. Our newest addition to the roster of whimsical flavors is Frangelico, an indulgent blend of hazelnut and rich dark chocolate, layered with hints of almond, vanilla and coffee. The chocolates resemble semi-precious jewels as displayed in their beautiful hand-made boxes.

I also found a really cool candy that I will be asking for this Mothers Day, River Rock Candy!

*I was not paid for our review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others. I was provided the a 4 pc sample box of chocolates mentioned in this post to review for free from the PR company that represents them.

Aurorae Northern Lights Yoga Mat Review

2012-02-08T00:17:00.000-08:00

Practicing yoga is a gift that I give myself almost every day. It has become a ritual that is comforting to me and allows me to feel peaceful even on days when my life isn't going quite the way I would like it to. A great yoga mat is key to having the best experience possible from your yoga practice. Aurorae Yoga is a company that sells yoga mats, props and accessories.

Started over ten years ago by yoga lover Dennis Ingui, his company's yoga mats are the best reviewed and number one rated on Amazon. com.

I was very excited to receive the Northern Lights, Sky colored yoga mat for review. These mats are extra long, extra thick, and have a Golden Sun Focal Icon. They are also eco-safe, biodegradable and free from phthalates.

I love this mat! I can honestly say that this is the best mat I have ever used in my six years of practicing yoga. Beauty, function, and comfort are all present in my new Northern Lights mat. I appreciate its extra length and love that it is slip resistant, even in some of the more challenging poses.

I am extremely happy with this new mat, and it adds pleasure to my commitment to yoga. If you are considering buying a new yoga mat, or maybe buying one for a yoga loving friend, then go to AuroraeYoga.com and check out their mats. They come in many different and spirit enhancing colors. I am so happy to have discovered Aurorae Yoga and I'm sure you will be too!

You can learn more about Aurorae Yoga by following them on Twitter and being a fan on Facebook.

*I was not paid for our review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others. I was provided the yoga mat mentioned in this post to review for free from the PR company that represents them.

Valentines Love from HIT Entertainment Barney I Love My Friends & Angelina Ballerina Sweet Valentine Movie Reviews

2012-02-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Being the movie fans we are, I think having themed DVDs for a holiday is cute and fun. I like my son to be able to learn about things like Love and Friendship around Valentines. He knows about hugs and kisses and mutters his version of I Love You back when we say it to him. I adore that he kisses his stuffed animals and hugs them before bed. He is a wild monkey but also very caring. I enjoy showing him movies since they are commercial free and I can preview something before he watches it. To me movies are an investment well worth it to be able to monitor what ideas and images he is exposed to.

For me HIT Entertainment is one of the few movie companies I enjoy watching movies from. We love Barney, Thomas and Friends, Fireman Sam, Timmy Time and all the fun characters!

To celebrate Valentines Day we have been watching Barney I Love My Friends. One of my favorite parts is the bonus sing along of "If you happy and you know it" My son has loved this song since he was a few months old. I would clap his little hands and stomp his little feet for him when he was an infant. Now he claps like crazy and jumps up and down during the song. This was a cute movie about the value of friendship and expressing how you feel. Of course my son loves to hug when they sing the trademark Barney song, its so sweet! This is a great Barney movie for your little Valentine.

Movie Synopsis:
Come join in the fun as Barney takes his friends on a super-dee-duper adventure that shows just what it means to be a friend. Princess Baby Bop has a royally good time when she sees that a key to being a friend is keeping promises. Riff goes to great lengths to make up for a big mistake and prove he's a friend who sees things through. BJ feels left out when he's not included in a drawing and learns the importance of being honest and expressing his feelings. With singing, dancing and lots of monkey-ing around, Barney brings kids on a friend-tastic adventure and shows that everything is more fun with friends!

The more I watch the Angelina Ballerina movies with friends and family members kids I realize they are not just girl movies. There are great male characters in the shows too. I think the little girl in me who took ballet for a bit loves these movies as well. They are sweet and cute and a great addition to any little girl's movie collection.

Movie Synopsis:

Love and friendship take center stage in these sweet stories. Angelina uncovers the mystery of her secret admirer with some help from her friends. Angelina and Alice help Marco realize the true importance of helping his friends. The students celebrate Ms. Mimi, and although it may have been for the wrong reason, they do it with a lot of heart! And when Angelina and her girlfriends try to make a girls' club, they realize a friendship club is much sweeter. Spread the love with dancing, skating, singing and best friends forever!

Episodes:

"Angelina's Secret Valentine"
"Angelina and the Hearts on Ice"
"Angelina's Big News"
"Angelina and the Mouslinghood of Dancing"
"Angelina and the Laughing Poet"

*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from other opinions. I was provided for free a copy for my review.

Hallmark Valentine’s Day Gift Pack Review and Giveaway

2012-02-07T18:12:00.000-08:00

Hallmark and Valentines day is a perfect pair. What says I love you to anyone more than a card or gift from there. They have cards for everyone to a romantic love, your kids, your parents and grandparents. We got a cute dog card from Hallmark and my son is in love with it!

This Valentines Day Hallmark is introducing a new product Blooming Expressions. Its a flower that blooms to surprise someone special at the press of a button. Show your love in a fresh new way by unveiling sentiments like “I love you” and “There’s only one you" My son said Oh Wow when I showed him the blooming flower. I am sure it will wow anyone who gets this cool item as a gift. This would be great for Moms, Sisters, Aunts, Grandmas and daughters. Its a flower that can bloom to remind you that you are loved.

Watch the video below to see how it works.

Hallmark has also added some new titles to the Recordable Storybook products. I can go on forever how much I love the recordable stories. They are sweet, personal and precious. We were sent one of the new titles Under the Same Moon. This book is perfect for us. I am teaching my son more and more about what it means to have family that is not close by but still his family that loves him so much. The book talks about how the Moon shines on all of us near and far. It has animals too which my son loves! Other perfect titles for Valentines day are Guess How Much I Love You, All the Ways I Love You and Counting Kisses. These would also be great to send to a loved one to record than mail back to your child.

Hallmark wants to show how much they admire you by having you enjoy 30% off any Hallmark.com order of $10 or more, plus free stamps! Simply use VAL30 at checkout. And if you’re heading to a Hallmark Gold Crown Store anytime soon, they have some fun new innovation and paper craft greetings for Valentine’s Day this year that you’ll want to check out. There are cards that light up, cards that play your favorite songs and some really unique paper craft designs.

GIVEAWAY

Win a Hallmark Blooming Expressions and Recordable Story Book.

To Enter This Giveaway:

Which Blooming Expressions saying would like to give as a gift?

(there are 4 listed on the site mid way down on the page)

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like on Hallmark Facebook +1

-Follow Hallmark PR on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1
-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1

-Share this giveaway on Facebook ONLY, using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Copy and Paste This Tweet on Twitter and leave me the link (to find the link click on the time stamp under your tweet. Can be done once a day for the duration of the giveaway) +1 for each tweet

#Win a Hallmark Blooming Expressions and Recordable Storybook from @HallmarkPR at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 2/20 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/02/hallmark-valentines-day-gift-pack.html

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts February 7, 2012 and ends on February 20th , 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize

Bormioli Rocco Nettuno Small Bowls and Dinner Plates Review

2012-02-07T17:18:00.000-08:00

Since I am a mom now I find myself dining at home more and more. The more we eat at home the more I realize how nice it is to have great dinnerware to serve a meal made with love on. We are planning a Italian themed dinner at home for this Valentines Day and I knew we would need better dishes then our plain white ones.

Planning our dinner reminded me of one of our first Valentines living together. I worked all day making an awesome spaghetti dinner with great bread. I decorated the kitchen to look like a restaurant and even made hand written menus. It was perfect! Except for the part when my husband came home form work and had food poisoning from the lunch he ate at work and went to bed right away and could not even eat a bite of my dinner or sit down at my mock restaurant.

We laugh about that time and now that we have our son we want to make a restaurant Valentines family dinner for all of us at home. We were looking for great dishes to serve our meal on and read about Bormioli Rocco Nettuno I thought it would be just what I need to make our night fancy and still great for other dinners. I love the shape of the Nettuno line. They are functional but also pleasing to the eye. I used the plate and bowl for serving dishes when we had friends over. I plan on using them a lot when I blog too. They make great serving dishes to display my culinary adventures. They are a little pricey but a great investment into a high quality product.

You can buy these fabulous dishes at Amazon.com

Bormioli Rocco Nettuno Dinner Plates, Set of 12 (Available in blue and clear) $97.86

Bormioli Rocco Nettuno Small Bowls, Set of 12 (Available in blue and clear)$62.04

*I was not paid for our review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others. I was provided the items mentioned in this post to review for free from the PR company that represents them.

Eco-artware.com Earrings Review

2012-02-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

If you want to shop for beautiful jewelry that is also handcrafted and eco-friendly, then check out Eco-Artware. This is a web-based gallery of unique works of art, with gift items that are available for women, men, and items for your home.

With the company's deep commitment to use green products, each item is made from natural or recycled materials. Over 25 artists offer beautiful and original work, and each artist is unique in regards to using their own vision to create their work.

For my review I was sent the Cascading Tagua Disk Drop Earrings. These pretty and colorful earrings are made from tagua nuts that are carved into 1/2 inch disks. They are then painted with brilliant water-based dyes by Columbian craftspeople.

These crafts people are artisans, farmers, and natives from displaced Colombian communities who work to produce and market their collection of natural and eco-friendly tagua nut jewelry. The eco-artware.com website offers a complete catalog of all their products. You will find an extensive selection of jewelry, along with women's accessories, household items, toys, baskets, and more.

You can learn more about Eco-Artware.com by following them on Twitter and being a fan on Facebook.

*I was not paid for our review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others. I was provided the earrings mentioned in this post to review for free from the PR company that represents them.

Rayman Origins by Ubisoft for Wii Video Game Review

2012-02-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

Adventure Platform games can be super fun to play. They can be fun to play a bit then put down without too much pressure of having to play for hours on end. I heard rave reviews about Rayman Origins but I did not care for it too much. It had some cool interactions but for me I like more classic cartoon type of games. I did love that it is a side scrolling game those are classic and fun to play. I am just not much of a Rayman fan.

One neat aspect was the four game player mode. I am sure kids will love that. To be able to play with their friends on an adventure platform. My husband told me I must be getting old if I am not a fan of Rayman lol. As with most games though everyone likes different ones so definitely rent it to try or if your a Rayman fan already I am sure you will enjoy the game.

*I was not paid for our review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others. I was provided the game in this post to review for free from the PR company that represents them.

Super Bowl Fun and Twitter Parties

2012-02-06T03:31:00.000-08:00

We had a blast watching the Super Bowl. The excitement of the game was awesome, the commercials hilarious and one new thing this year. I attended a twitter party on the side of #teamcoke It was fun to tweet about the Coke vs Pepsi topic and discuss classic coke commercials and favorite flavors. I took some fun pictures of us enjoying our Polar Bear Coke during the game.

Twitter parties can be fun. You get to meet new people and have the chance to win cool prizes. I did not win any prizes but still had fun and the Giants beat out the 49ers at the chance to be in the SB, so sad! so my husband rooted for the Patriots just to spite the Giants but I rooted for the Giants and they won. Only because I think its cool that there are brothers who were both quarter backs, their parents most be so proud!

I hope you had a great Super Bowl Sunday too!

International Delight Iced Coffee Tasting Party #IcedCoffee #Cbias

2012-02-06T02:44:00.000-08:00

A couple of nights ago I had some family members come over for my International Delight Coffee Tasting Party. I was excited to see how much everyone would like the iced coffee. I had already tried it and loved it. I set up the table with the coffee and the lemon bars I has made.

International Delight Iced Coffee comes in three flavors, Original, Vanilla, and Mocha. Unfortunately, not all the flavors were available in my area. But no problem, we would have a great event with the Original and Vanilla flavors.

Pouring out the coffee. I used large glasses because I know everyone is a coffee lover here.

International Delight #IcedCoffee

It looks so delicious!

I put whip cream on whoever wanted it for their coffee. It made it seem more like what you would order in a coffeehouse.The original flavor got more votes than the vanilla, which surprised me. I liked both flavors equally well. The kids were having milk, not coffee, but they knew it looked tasty.

Everyone helped themselves. Our family has tried other coffee drinks and not always liked them, so I was happy that everybody liked the International Delight brand. My son-in-law said he liked the vanilla the best. When I told everyone how inexpensive the coffee was, they liked it even more!

The #IcedCoffee was a definite hit, and they all said they would be buying it for their own households. My lemon bars were a hit, too. By the end of the night both the half gallon cartons were empty.

Thanks everyone. We had great coffee and a great time!

You can read my Google+ story on my shopping trip to Walmart to buy International Delight Iced Coffee and about the wonderful Dairy Manager I met.

To learn more about International Delight Iced Coffee you can follow International Coffee on twitter and facebook.

*This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.
#collectivebias #CBias #IcedCoffee
All opinions expressed in this shop are my own and your experience may vary.

This Time Last Year Valentines

2012-02-06T02:33:00.000-08:00

You know the saying time flies by when your having fun. Well we must be having a blast around here because everyday it seems time is going by faster and faster. This is my little guy last year eating some Valentines goodies. I adore this little angel and he makes me a better person everyday.

Today in the store he spotted some Valentines teddy bears and ran over to them and hugged them and gave them kisses. He is such a sweetheart! He even listened when I asked him to put them back since they lived at the store and it was their nap time lol.

Organic Wacky Apple Review and Giveaway

2012-02-06T02:21:00.000-08:00

My family loves apples. I like to make sure I eat an apple a day, but my son does not like to eat apple slices. He does like apple juice and apple sauce. He is picky about the brands he will eat. He has to have them sweet and delicious! I was happy to be able to offer him Wacky Apple treats for Valentines instead of lots of candies. I don't like him to eat hard or gummy candy and he can only eat so much chocolate so he was please when I let him eat as much Wacky Apple fruit flats and apple sauce that he wanted.

We tried several of the Wacky Apple products and liked them all. There is something about the flavor of organic foods like apples that just taste so much better than conventional apples.

The first product we tried was the Wacky Apple Fruit Flats. He loved them and wanted to eat them all in one sitting so I had to hide a few! I liked them as well. The Apple Cinnamon was my favorite and his was the Wild Berry. The Wild Berry even has organic blackberries in it, YUM! This is a sweet treat I feel good about giving him. Its organic and good for him.

Next we tried the Wacky Apple Applesauce. My son loves to eat apple sauce. He takes it out of the fridge and brings it to me almost daily. He liked the Cinnamon one the most and oddly he did not like the Wild Berry one even though he loved the Fruit Flat in that flavor. Hes such the critic lol. I tried a flavor that made me say "Wow" and I had to keep it all to myself! The Apricot Applesauce was unlike an applesauce I have tasted. It was so sweet with the flavor unique and balanced. The best part about Wacky Apple Applesauce is they use locally sourced apples and there is never any added sugar or artificial ingredients or colors. Just pure organic deliciousness!

Enjoying his Wacky Apple Cinnamon Applesauce

The last item we tried was the Wacky Apple Juices. My son LOVES juice. He asks for it all the time. I try to monitor his intake so when I do give him juice I want it to be quality and of course tasty. We tried the Grape, Fruit Punch and Apple Grape juices. His favorite was the Apple Grape. The juice comes in a little cup with a foil lid that you can poke a straw into. This was great since it made it easy for him to hold and not squeeze everything out like he does with some juice pouches. Plus the little cups are great to save for painting crafts. Upcycling is awesome!

We love that Wacky Apple is family owned and operated. It feels great to support a company who values family like we do at Frugal Family Tree. You can buy Wacky Apple products online and you can find a local store near you using the store locator. Many Walmarts are starting to carry them and hopefully will be at a store near you soon!

GIVEAWAY

Win Wacky Apple Fruit Flats

To Enter This Giveaway:

What flavor of Fruit Flats would you like to try?

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like on Wacky Apple Facebook +1
-Follow Wacky Apple on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1

-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1

-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts February 6 , 2012 and ends on February 20th , 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize

Sibu Beauty Review

2012-02-06T01:12:00.000-08:00

Sibu Beauty is a line of skin care and personal products that contain a super ingredient called Sea Buckhorn. This is a berry that is harvested exclusively for Sibu Beauty in the Himalayas of Tibet.

The Sea Buckhorn berry contains over 190 bioactive compounds and is a powerful source of Omegas 3, 6 and 9. Sibu Beauty products also contain Omega-7, an essential fatty acid vital to collagen production and healthy skin, hair and nails. All products are 100% natural and PETA Certified.

I was sent the Facial Cream for review. It is made for all skin types and has a wonderful citrus fragrance. The packaging is pretty and I like the pump bottle. I have used it for seven days now and and I like it very much. It rubbed into my skin very smoothly, and left it feeling soft and refreshed.

I love knowing that it moisturizes and protects my skin from UV rays. It is perfect for daily use under makeup or all by itself.

I can't wait to try other Subi Beauty products, especially the Facial Soap and the Body Cream.

I admire the company's philosophy of treating it's workers well and paying them a fair wage . I also like their spirit of generosity and giving back.

You can go to their website at sibubeauty.com to learn more about the company and the amazing Sea Buckhorn Berry. You can also order products on line and find them at select stores.

You can learn more about Sibu Beauty by following them on Twitter and being a fan on Facebook.

*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine. I was provided the products mentioned to review for this post by the Company / PR Company.

Disney Treasure Buddies Now On DVD & Blu-ray Movie Review

2012-02-05T14:27:00.000-08:00

Oh how we love the Buddies! My son adores these cute and adventurous pups. We have seen all the Buddies movies and Treasure Buddies is as good as the rest. As a lover of archeology and a fascination with ancient Egypt I thought this was a cool movie too. It was a fun movie to watch with my son. The story line was simple enough for kids and kept adults interested as well. The story is about the Buddies traveling to Egypt to stop an evil cat from trying to find the ancient cats eye necklace that will band dogs from being mans best friend. The movie is a a cute dog vs cats with the story about a cat's desire for power.

Treasure Buddies Story Plot:
Canine superstars Rosebud, B-Dawg, Budderball, Buddha and Mudbud, as the pup pack journeys to mysterious Egypt in search of the greatest treasure known to animalkind, the legendary Cat’s Eye jewel, from the lost treasure of Cleocatra! Danger lurks around every secret sphinx, cryptic crypt and puzzling pyramid as Ubasti, a devious cat, schemes to possess the mystical jewel and use its powerful energy to rid the planet of all dogs! With help from new lovable friends Cammy, a baby camel - and a mischievous monkey named Babi - the gang and their new friends avoid booby traps, solve puzzles and explore a mysterious tomb in their most exciting and challenging adventure yet.

We are fans of the Disney Buddies on facebook so we can stay up to date on all the latest Buddies news. You can play some fun games on the Treasure Buddies website including a decoder game with Egyptian hieroglyphics.

*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from other opinions. I was provided for free a copy for my review.

Road Trip! Destination Nowhere

2012-02-05T01:03:00.000-08:00

Today we got in the car and drove up the freeway for about 30 or so minutes and got off to drive around. We were not going anywhere just out driving around. We saw all sorts of stuff, a small town full of historical buildings and stores ( we are planning to go back and get out of the car next time!) farms with horses, cows and chickens, lots of small wineries and wide open spaces. It was awesome! I love seeing houses and front yards to get decorating ideas for my own home. It reminds me of how my Mom would take us to walk around the bumpy sidewalks of old Pasadena when we were kids. I loved those walks. We would get ice cream cones and just enjoy the beautiful old neighborhoods filled with huge oak trees as we walked to a park to play.

Today our plan was to drive to no where and find our way back home. We saw things that are close by and would not have known if not for our mini adventure. We found a great place to access a local lake and we are planning a sandwich picnic to go back there very soon.

Even though it was a road trip that did not stop I had a wonderful time!

The Price Is Right Decades by Ubisoft for Wii Video Game Review

2012-02-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

I enjoy watching games shows. They are fun and I always shout out what I think the answer is. Price is Right is one of those games where I always say I could do better than them. Now I can test my Game Show skills on the new The Price is Right Decades. This game is tons of fin since you can play in the items and prices of other decades. I played in the 2000s, then the 80s and 90s. Its crazy how the prices of things has changed so much! I plan on playing this against my MIL next time she comes over. I enjoy beating her in video games lol but she might have the upper hand since she shopped in the decades I have not.

Can you see my Mii its a brown haired girl with a pony tail, typical me!

My Mii playing a game! Id love to be on the real PIR

I spun the wheel and did not win a chance at the show case show down. I will try again!

"Come On Down"

Game info from Ubisoft:
The Price Is Right® Decades game brings all the excitement of the show to your home. Feel the thrill of being called to “COME ON DOWN!” Players participate in Contestant’s Row and through challenges of pricing games, including Plinko, Cliff Hangers and Punch-A-Bunch. Spin the Wheel for the chance at a pay-off at the Showdown! The Price Is Right Decades allows players to experience over 40 pricing games from all four decades of the show: 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s, and thousands of items up for bid. The new game includes rare pricing games taken from The Price Is Right TV show vault, and new games not included in any previous The Price Is Right video game. And for the first time ever, play pricing games simultaneously with up to 4 players in both multiplayer modes.

Features
2 Game modes: Single Player, Multiplayer local. For the first time ever, play pricing games simultaneously with up to 4 players in multiplayer mode.

Over 40 pricing games from all 4 decades of the show: 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s, and thousands of items up for bid.

Includes rare pricing games taken from The Price Is Right TV show vault, and new games not included in any previous The Price Is Right video game.

Pricing games now in 3D for stunning visual effects.

Authentic show music and game sounds for a true-to-TV game play experience.

Unlock pricing games and bonus “funniest moments” video from the show

*I was not paid for our review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others. I was provided the game in this post to review for free from the PR company that represents them.

Gift Cards Rock $50 Applebees Giveaway

2012-02-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

Gift Cards Rock! is an online community for people who love to give and receive gift cards. It is an online community where you express your love for gift cards and share great deals and exciting gift-giving tips. Gift cards make a perfect gift. You can give a gift card for any occasion knowing the recipient will be able to shop or dine at their convenience. The facebook and twitter pages of Gift Card Rock list giveaways and contests for Gift Cards so you can enter to win. As a sweeper myself I find it helpful to find giveaways listed in one place.

To help raise awareness for the community of Gift Cards Rock they are offering one of our readers the chance to win an Appelebees gift card.

GIVEAWAY

Win $50 Applebees Gift Card

To Enter This Giveaway: (mandatory entry before extra entries)

Who would you take to dinner with you gift card?

*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like Gift Cards Rock on Facebook +1
-Follow Gift Cards Rock on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1
-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1
-Share this giveaway on Facebook ONLY, using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Copy and Paste This Tweet on Twitter and leave me the link (to find the link click on the time stamp under your tweet. Can be done once a day for the duration of the giveaway)

#Win $50 Applesbees Gift Card from @GiftCardsRock at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 02/20 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/02/gift-cards-rock-50-applebees-giveaway.html

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts February 2 , 2012 and ends on February 20th , 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

MK Totem Brown Leather Hobo Bag Review

2012-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

If you crave something luxurious, beautiful and unique, MK Totem has a collection of handbags that is just right for you. Weather you would like to treat yourself this Valentine's Day or someone you care about, these bags are an investment in quality and beauty that will last for years to come.

The large brown leather Hobo bag is made of soft lamb skin. It features antique brass hardware rings on the handle and decorative brass studs on the bag's bottom. It is so spacious that not only will it easily carry all of your everyday needed items, but you can even toss in enough things for an overnight trip with ease.

The bag feels beautifully luxurious but is practical as well. I love how it stays up on your shoulder, freeing your hands, and doesn't slide down the way other bags tend to do. The combination of butter soft leather and antique brass lend it a bohemian vintage feel.

Business partners Maya Yogev and Keira Guez have come together to create a company that offers truly beautiful handbags for today's fashion conscious woman. Visit their website at mktotem.com to see the full collection of bags available.

*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine. I was provided the products pictured to review for this post by the Company / PR Company.

I See Me My Very Own Name Book Review and Giveaway

2012-02-03T15:37:00.000-08:00

I love personalized items! I think its a fun and special way to give a gift and to also get one that has your child's name in it. As a kid my Mom bought Sam and I personalized items. One of my favorites was a box I used for my sticker collection. My son loves books. He loves to have me read a story then him "read" it back back to me. Its precious time spent cuddled up reading books. We recently have been trying to get my son to say his name. He likes to call himself baby but we want him to know his name.

When we had the chance to review a book from I See Me that would have my sons name in it I was thrilled. The book is My Very Own Name Story. Its a sweet book about how the animals of the world help pick the name of your child letter by letter to make the perfect name. You can include the date of your child's birthday in the book as well as a personalized dedication. I made his dedicated in honor of Valentines Day from Mommy and Daddy.

My son adores animals! The first page of My Very Own Name Story is filled with them and we spent at least 10 minutes pointing to each one and him saying what it is and making the sounds. Some of them he did not know and I was glad to tell him who they were and the sound they make.

I See Me makes all sorts of great personalized books for children. They are sweet and special. One book that I found on the site would be perfect for Sam's little girl, My Very Own Fairytale Story.

GIVEAWAY

Win a Personalized My Very Own Name Book

To Enter This Giveaway:

Who would you win this personalized book for?

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like on I See Me Books Facebook +1

-What book is your favorite from the I See Me website? +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1

-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1

-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts February 3 , 2012 and ends on February 20th , 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize

ABBA You Can Dance by Ubisoft for Wii Video Game Review

2012-02-03T14:02:00.000-08:00

I knew this game was going to be fun since it is from the creators of Just Dance, a favorite for me! At first I thought who is ABBA? As soon as I heard some of the songs that I recognized I thought oh hey thats so famous. Funny how you can know the lyrics to a song and have no clue who sings it. Well now I do!

I had fun dancing along to ABBA You Can Dance to the songs like Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia and Take a Chance on Me. I wish my sisters and Mom were here to play this one with me, it would be epic! Maybe this summer we can have a dance off! This game was great since it had three different playing modes. For the Karaoke Mode you need a Wii microphone that we dont have but it really makes me want to get one. Karaoke sounds so fun!

You Can Dance
Unleash your inner dancing queen and play for fun or to set a new top score to challenge yourself and others. Play any way you want with up to four friends.

Mini-Musical
Perform a story through the music of ABBA! Experience the magic as you play a role in a mini-musical of ABBA’s songs.

Karaoke Mode
Up to two additional friends can join in on vocals. Simply follow along with the on-screen lyrics.

*I was not paid for our review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others. I was provided the game in this post to review for free from the PR company that represents them.

Online Contest

2012-02-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

I LOVE to enter contest. I think its because I am an optimistic person and tell myself I will totally win. I like the attitude of Charlie in the Willy Wonka movie, someone has to win so why not me! I found a few online contests I wanted to share.

America's Cutest Green Baby Contest by Kiwi Magazine

This one is a facebook contest. I like to enter some of them for the smaller companies. I win often too!

Fig Foods Co. win a box of soup or beans. Grand prize a bog box full of products.

Another facebook contest. This one is from Carter's. You can win a Gift Basket Values at $150.

Gortons Seafood Grill Your Way To Gorgeous Contest and Blog Giveaway

2012-02-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

As Gorton's Seafood fans in our family we are always eager to try the new products they make. The grilled seafood is amazing. This year I have told myself to do a few simple things to cut calories and be more healthy. Eating grilled instead of breaded is a simple way to do that. I enjoy Tilapia fish so I tried the grilled one made by Gorton's. It was really good. I enjoy white fish and the grilled enhanced the delicious flavor. My son is a Salmon kid, thankfully so, and I picked out the grilled Salmon and served it with green beans and rice. He ate part of it but I think he was being picky that night. The next day I put it in a wrap with lettuce and it was great!

My son does LOVE the fish sticks. My boy would eat them almost daily if I would let him. He even asks me for it he says "Fish Mama!" So cute. He even eats fish sticks while watching Nemo or Sharktale. This week we were watching Sharktale and he pointed to the screen and his food delightfully declaring FISH! Hes sooooo cute!

Gorton's Seafood Grill Your Way To Gorgeous Contest

Right now there is a contest underway on the Gorton's Seafood website. There is only a few days left to enter so hurry over there and enter for a chance to win. Personally I find it to be good luck to enter towards the end of a contest. Just my contest superstitions lol

Grill Your Way to Gorgeous is for a chance to win a $1,000 Wardrobe Makeover Grand Prize! 1,000 first place winners will win one FREE Gorton’s Grilled Product Coupon!
Enter to win January 4, 2012 through February 9, 2012

In honor of the Gorton's Seafood Grill Your Way to Gorgeous contest I am hosting on our blog a giveaway for 2 Gorton's Seafood for a FREE Product coupon. There will be 3 winners each getting a set of 2.

GIVEAWAY on this Blog:

Enter to win 2 FREE Product Coupons by mail. There will be 3 winners!

To Enter This Giveaway:

What Gorton’s Seafood recipe is your favorite?

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Go to http://www.gortons.com and sign up for the e-newsletter +1
-"Like," tweet or share a Gorton's recipe +1

-Enter the Gorton's Seafood Grill Your Way to Gorgeous Sweepstakes +1

-Like on Gorton's Seafood Facebook +1
-Follow Gorton's Seafood on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1

-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1

-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts February 2, 2012 and ends on February 20, 2011 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. I was provide the item in this review for free by the company or PR firm representing them. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice cream!!

2012-02-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

A little treat just because...Love these boys of mine :)

P.S. What a ham that JJ is!

Pacifica Pillar Candles Review and Giveaway

2012-02-02T00:16:00.000-08:00

Pacifica is a company that sells beautiful candles, bath and body products, perfumes and more. With fragrance names like Brazilian Mango Grapefruit, Indian Coconut Nectar, and Mexican Cocoa, I would love to try them all.

For our review I was sent pillar candles in Tahitian Gardenia fragrance and Sandalwood fragrance. Their candles are hand poured made with parafin wax and lead-free wicks. The Tahitian Gardenia candle was heavenly. It scented my whole bedroom without overpowering it, like some scented candles can do. The site describes it as "sweet, smooth and slightly citrusy aroma is reminiscent of Jasmine, Sweet Orange and Tea Leaves".

The Sandalwood fragrance candle was also wonderful, smelling woodsy and earthy. I love having scented candles throughout the house and these are definitely very nice. The site describes it as "woody blend, tempered by slightly sweet top notes of Tangerine, Sweet Orange and Mandarin".

Pacifica offers gift sets, value sets, and very handy e-gift certificates. The packaging on all of their products is very attractive and would make a great Valentine's Day gift. If you are looking for something special for yourself, for your home or that person who is your own Valentine, visit the Pacifica website at Pacifica.com.

GIVEAWAY

Two Pacifica Pillar Candles

To Enter This Giveaway: (mandatory entry before extra entries)

What scent from Pacifica would you like to have?

*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like Pacifica on Facebook +1
-Follow Pacifica on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1
-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1
-Share this giveaway on Facebook ONLY, using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Copy and Paste This Tweet on Twitter and leave me the link (to find the link click on the time stamp under your tweet. Can be done once a day for the duration of the giveaway)

#Win Scented Pillar Candles from @ILovePacifica at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 02/20 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/02/pacifica-pillar-candles-review-and.html

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts February 2 , 2012 and ends on February 20th , 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize

The Black Eyes Peas Experience by Ubisoft for Wii Video Game Review

2012-02-02T00:15:00.000-08:00

Dancing games are a huge hit in my house. My son is a dancing machine! I love to dance but am not so good at it lol. Thats why games like The Black Eyed Peas Experience are so fun. You can dance along with the characters and actually make it seem like you have some good moves! I like the Black Eyed Peas music so this was a great game.

I really did have an absolute blast playing this game. My son was a bit like whatever mom your crazy and he went to play trains but of course its an teen to adult game. Once I got through a few songs he did come over and shake his booty a bit with me. This game would be perfect to put on for a family and friends get together. Everyone can have a blasting dancing and enjoying the fun.

About the game from Ubisoft website:

Get the party started in your living room with the world’s hottest group in the world’s hottest new dance game. The Black Eyed Peas Experience features chart-topping tracks from the Black Eyed Peas – including the biggest hits that transformed them into a global phenomenon. Perform iconic authentic dance moves designed exclusively for apl.de.ap, Fergie, Taboo and will.i.am. Take the party worldwide and experience all the energy and unforgettable venues inspired by their shows and music videos. The Black Eyed Peas Experience is the ultimate dance game and the ultimate way to keep the party rocking.

Screen shot

*I was not paid for this review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others. I was provided the game in this post to review for free from the PR company that represents them.

What's keeping me busy these days

2012-02-01T12:16:00.000-08:00

These 3 are the center of my world right now.

And I would not have it any other way :)

Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2 Movie Prize Pack Giveaway

2012-02-01T12:08:00.001-08:00

Barbie will always hold a special place in my heart. My sister and I spend countless hours together playing Barbie. We loved our playing with them by dressing them up and even cutting their hair! When we were little they did not have cool Barbie movies like they do now. Each time I see a Barbie in the store I think of my niece Ashley and how she will have Barbies to play with one day. I think its great for little girls to have Barbie to play with. I was delighted when we had the opportunity to host a giveaway for one Barbie Mermaid Tale 2 doll to help promote the upcoming movie.

Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2 Synopsis
Surf’s up for Barbie™ as she returns as Merliah™, the fun and fashionable surfing champion who’s also a magical mermaid princess!　In this exciting sea-quel™, Merliah™ makes a splash when she heads to Australia for the ultimate surfing competition. When the evil mermaid Eris escapes from her whirlpool with plans to take over the throne of Oceana, Merliah™ and her sea friends dive in to stop her. It's a fresh new adventure where Merliah™ learns that anything is possible and she really can have the best of both worlds!

GIVEAWAY

One "Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2" Doll

One "Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2" Theatrical Poster

To Enter This Giveaway: (mandatory entry before extra entries)

Who in your life loves Barbie?

*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like KidToons on Facebook +1
-Follow KidToonFilms on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1
-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1
-Share this giveaway on Facebook ONLY, using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Copy and Paste This Tweet on Twitter and leave me the link (to find the link click on the time stamp under your tweet. Can be done once a day for the duration of the giveaway)

#Win a Barbie Mermaid 2 Doll from @KidtoonFilms at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 02/20 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/02/barbie-in-mermaid-tale-2-movie-prize.html

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts February 1 , 2012 and ends on February 20th , 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Frugal Family Tree

Welcome Spring!

Hawaiian Snacks Chips Review and Giveaway

Home Depot Kids Day

The Wii is NOT a Dvd Player

Get A Healthier Digestive System By Taking 4X Pro-B Probiotics

Spring time brings out the Easter Bunny

L-O-S Olivos Travel California

Re-Play Recycled Milk Jug Kids Dishes and Cups Review and Giveaway

I Love Color, But How To Decide Which One?

This has definitely become my motto!

Hartstrings Kids Clothing Online Leap Year Sale Promo Code for 25% Off

Making Winter Care Kits with Energizer and Champions for Kids #EnergizerCFK

iPlay Insulated Waterproof Winter Coat Review and Giveaway

2 month mark!

Fruit And Veggie Love At Seattle's Pike Place Market

Spring is Coming

Magic Mouse Toys in Seattle

T-Fal 2-Slice Avante Deluxe Toaster Review

Lady and the Tramp Movie now on DVD and Blu-ray Review

Why my Kid is like a Cat

Making Kids feel Safe and Warm with Energizer Light Up a Life Winter Survival Kits #EnergizerCFK #cbias

Dial™ NutriSkin™ Lotion Shopping at Walmart #cbias #DialNutriSkin

Pretty Pictures Does Make Me More Organized

Caught........Chocolate Handed

This is Why I Married a Chef

Support Your Local Bookstore (and have fun doing it!)

HP launches eSmiles for Ronald McDonald Houses

Eyes, Ears , Mouth and Noogie?

Our Valentine's Day Gift List

Upside Down Kitchen

Hard Candy Makeup Review and Giveaway

Emerson Creek Pottery Review and Giveaway

Pier Market Restaurant in San Francisco CA Pier 39 Review

Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure by Activision Video Game Review

Valentine's Craft Weekend

Weekend Online Deals & Coupon Codes

Creative Walls: How to Display and Enjoy Your Treasured Collections Book Review

Sacramento & San Francisco Upcoming Pier 39 Event

Shop-Tuile.com Earrings Review and $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway *2 Winners*

New Words and Phrases

Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer Scanner Review and Giveaway

I Love You More Than Chocolate Book Review and Giveaway

MarieBelle Frangelico Truffles Review

Aurorae Northern Lights Yoga Mat Review

Valentines Love from HIT Entertainment Barney I Love My Friends & Angelina Ballerina Sweet Valentine Movie Reviews

Hallmark Valentine’s Day Gift Pack Review and Giveaway

To Enter This Giveaway:

Which Blooming Expressions saying would like to give as a gift?

(there are 4 listed on the site mid way down on the page)

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Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

Bormioli Rocco Nettuno Small Bowls and Dinner Plates Review

Eco-artware.com Earrings Review

Rayman Origins by Ubisoft for Wii Video Game Review

Super Bowl Fun and Twitter Parties

International Delight Iced Coffee Tasting Party #IcedCoffee #Cbias

This Time Last Year Valentines

Organic Wacky Apple Review and Giveaway

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Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1

-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1

Sibu Beauty Review

Disney Treasure Buddies Now On DVD & Blu-ray Movie Review

Road Trip! Destination Nowhere

The Price Is Right Decades by Ubisoft for Wii Video Game Review

Gift Cards Rock $50 Applebees Giveaway

MK Totem Brown Leather Hobo Bag Review

I See Me My Very Own Name Book Review and Giveaway

*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if not in GFC profile*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1

-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1

ABBA You Can Dance by Ubisoft for Wii Video Game Review

Online Contest

Gortons Seafood Grill Your Way To Gorgeous Contest and Blog Giveaway

Gorton's Seafood Grill Your Way To Gorgeous Contest

What Gorton’s Seafood recipe is your favorite?

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Shop-Tuile.com Earrings Review and $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway 2 Winners

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Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if not in GFC profile

Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if not in GFC profile

Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account