What? You havent taught him to talk yet!?!?!

The other day my husband and I were asked why we had not taught our son to talk yet. I thought it was odd he is only 17 months old! And he does talk, a bit, Mama knows what he means! We are the type of parents who are not rushing our son to do anything before he is ready. He learn to crawl on his own. Enough tummy time he figured it out when he was ready. Walking we never did the stand him up and make him practice walk. He mastered standing up on his own by pulling up on the edges of the couch. When he was ready to try taking steps he did it on his own. He now runs with a fierceness anytime he does something! I figured its best to let him go at his own pace.

Of course he says Mama, Dada, Juice, Kitty Cat, Dog and sometimes can say Bird or Horse if hes in the mood. But I have never sat him down and did the flash cards or forced learning. I read to him everyday and he points at the words and pictures and does his what I call "Bubba Talk". Hes not saying words but he is babbling tons of stuff. The "teach you baby to read" programs drive me nuts! I think kids are being pushed to grow up way to fast these days. There is so much time in life to talk, read, and all the things in life that are apart of growing up but for me I plan on letting him develop as he wants when he wants.

Whats your opinion on this topic?

Mars Needs Moms Mothers Day Coupon Book

Mars Needs Moms Mothers Day Coupon Book

Coupons are a cute thing for kids to make to give to their Mom for special tasks. These ones from the Disney Movie Mars Needs Moms are really cute. You can print them for your little ones. The movie looks so cute and I look forward to the DVD release so we can watch it! I am sure it will be funny and that we will all appreciate what moms do after seeing a little boy travel to Mars to save his Mom.

Barbies vs Action Figures

Being the Mother of 2 boys is sometimes a challenge when it comes to playing "guys" or action figures. I have brothers, but I also have sisters and we grew up playing barbies and dolls and house and anything else that was super girlie. Don't get me wrong we could hang with the boys, but we really loved our barbies. We played night and day and had hundreds of story lines. That was then and this in now. Now I have sons and no daughters, I am not complaining, I am just saying. :) I find it hard to relate to the way boys play with their action figures. There is no dialog (not anything we ever heard our barbies say) and all the action figures do is fight. I find myself playing with JJ and asking him if he wants to go the store or the park or dinner or something to get a story going. I look over at my husband as if to ask him if I am playing right, looking for some sort of reassurance. Most of the time I get a lowering of the head and a head nod of no try again. Darn it! In case I think my husband might be wrong, JJ lets me know that they don't want to do any of that, they just want to FIGHT.
Oh dear, I should have paid more attention to my brothers playing style and studied it hard when we were kids. It would really help with the current male to female ratio around our house.

Sports Fan Care Package by Gourmet Gift Baskets Review and Giveaway

When the Sports Fan package arrived at our house there were a few wows and yummy being shouted as we went through the box. I divided up the goodies between a pile of "thats mine" and anyone can have it. Well my pile was huge lol.

Some of my favorite treats were in the box including Sour Patch Kids, Skittles, David Sunflower Seeds, and TGIF Potato Skins. My little guy had some of the Rice Crispy Treat, Welch's Fruit Snacks and Famous Amos Cookies (dont worry not all in one day and in very tiny pieces!)  My husband loves nuts and pretzels so those were his.

We had some of our snacks while we watched Golf a the last 2 weekends. My son claps when the gallery does and that makes me laugh so much! Nothing like a nice day hanging out with my two favorite boys, watching my favorite sport and enjoying my favorite snacks!

I loved the idea of a "Care Package" type of gift. Some people want the goodies and say forget the basket lol, such as my husband and probably most men! Gourmet Gift Baskets has many awesome Care Packages. There are ones for kids that have games, arts and crafts, and summer camp. What kid would not be the cool kid and feel so special to get a box of treats at camp! The Exam Cram would be great for college students, even if your kid lives at home with you. Order it then let them know they have mail. They will adore you and have the snacks it takes to charge up for a study session. Of course there are healthier Care Packs too! Overall I think this is a really great idea to send goodies and fun stuff to someone you care about!

I might be a big kid but I still get excited to see the prize in Cracker Jack boxes!

I thought it would be a great idea to send a care pack to a family or friends house if you plan on going on a vacation or stay with them. They will get some goodies to share with everyone just as you arrive! Or if it is allowed for the place you are going to vacation at like a hotel mail a pack to yourself and your family can pack more essentials in your suitcases. No more paying for snacks and toys to be in your luggage with all those bag fees! Plus snacks at a vending machines or hotel lobby store can be expensive!

I would to have any of the gift baskets at Gourmet Gift Baskets as a gift.

The Handi-Snack Pack made me smile, I loved those as a kid!

GIVEAWAY:

Gourmet Gift Baskets has generously offered one of our lucky readers the chance to win a Sports Fan Care Package.

To Enter This Giveaway:

Mandatory entry is to Like Gourmet Gift Baskets on Facebook.

 *Leave a comment telling me your a facebook fan and be sure to leave your email address*

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 (top right hand corner) +2

-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +3
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +2   

-Follow Gourmet Gift Baskets on Twitter +2
-Visit Gourmet Gift Baskets website and post on their facebook wall your favorite basket +3

-Add our button to your blog and leave a link of where it is located +5 (top left hand side) 

-Vote for us for "Were on the Fence" (left hand side of the blog, just click the button) +3

-Enter other current giveaways on our blog +1 for each entered

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts May 5, 2011 and ends on May 15, 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 provided for free the car package mentioned in this post for this review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others.

The Best of Clean Eating Book Review

The Best Of Clean Eating, Improving Your Life One Meal at a Time
From The Editors Of Clean Eating Magazine

This book's recipes come from the popular magazine Clean Eating. The editors of the magazine have put together a wonderful book that can help inspire us all to eat healthier and smarter. The large and beautiful color pictures are a feast in themselves. Bold, bright, and mouth watering, one feels like rushing into the kitchen to start cooking. There are ten chapters in the book, each based on a different topic such as Quick and Easy Meals, Five Ingredient Meals, Seasonal Foods, and Summer Barbecue. The recipes are healthy, delicious and creative. Clean eating isn't about depriving yourself of the foods you love, it's about finding a way to make those foods better and healthier for you.

Chapter Eight is all about delicious and low-fat desserts. Who can resist orange chocolate ricotta cheesecake or almond butter chocolate chip cookies? There is also a lot of nutritional information and great tips throughout the book. Four weeks of meal plans and shopping lists are included to make your cooking life easier and more organized. I highly recommend this book to every cook out there. It really does make eating healthier and better a real joy. Good food brings together family and friends to enjoy it. This is a great book filled with recipes that will inspire you to do just that.

If you would like to purchase a copy of The Best of Clean Eating you can find it on Amazon and Barnes & Noble stores.

Speed Cleaning

Yesterday I felt lazy! I did not clean the day before and had a mile long to do list! I was going to work on it but thought I better catch up on blogging. A knock at the door, I thought Yippy one of y reviews is being delivered. I was wrong lol it was my father in law who lives in a different state on a surprise visit. This has happened before, last year the day before my first Mother's Day! I was somewhat mad and sad that it happened and this time I thought, well at least its not Mother's Day just yet.
To make along story short I have never cleaned the whole house, bathed and dress the baby then jump in the shower myself so fast in my life! Thankfully the house is now spotless and they stayed in a hotel for the night!

Do you have a Speed Cleaning story?

Thanks for welcoming all of us to the Frugal Family Tree!

A few weeks Liz introduced me (Sam) and our Mom (Nana) to everyone. We have really been jumping up and down over being involved in the Frugal Family Tree, after all as a family we love to do everything together! There is a special relationship between a Mother and her Daughter(s) and we are happy to share that here, with you. Thanks for the warm welcome :)

Like Liz said, I am a new SAHM with 2 little boys. You may remember my post about leaving the work force? Well I am now 3 months out and loving every minute of it (well that is a lie somedays are just rough) but we make it to then next. JJ is 4 years old and full of personality. You will see me telling a lot of stories about him or what he says because boy oh boy does he crack me up! Baby L is 9 months old now and starting to get quite a fiesty personality, I think that is pretty common in the second child. He wants to do everything that JJ does and just as well, it is a daily battle I tell you. Baby L can stand his own though, we are sure that one day he will be beating up his big brother. :)

Liz and I are about 2 years apart, I am the big sister and it showed growing up. I was bossy and mean and if there was only one of something left, it was mine. I am not proud of that but it was just the way it was. Little sisters always get the raw end of the deal right? Liz has a great memory and remembers way more about our childhood then I do so I can just imagine the stories she has! As time goes on we will share those memories and stories, good and bad.

Well now that we are older and are mothers, we get along great and I think that Liz has forgiven me for most of it (I hope). We are learning together what it is like to have to worry constantly about another human being, that life is hard but if you have a sister or a best friend to talk to and share things with it is a whole lot easier. Liz and are a lot alike in our parenting skills but our personalities couldn't be any more different. I am more of a "shoot straight from the hip" kind of gal and she is more reserved. I tend to talk a lot and Liz is a great listener. She is sweet and I can be sour or the reverse if the situation calls for it :) We can be pretty tough cookies when we have to be! When it comes to socializing we are also pretty alike. We both love talking and getting to know new people! We grew up in such a large family that we always had someone to talk to or someone to play with. We also moved around a lot so making new friends was also a must.

We have a great Mother that only wanted and wants the best for us, she was and is the best role model and Mother that a gal could ask for. Our boys call her Nana and she is the best! She has always promoted reading to all of her children (there are 5 of us you know) and it is carrying on to her grandsons. She is very proud of that and we love her for it :)

The 3 of us together are a great team. We enjoy eachothers company, we laugh, we talk and we really are enjoying this experience that Blogging has offered us. What a way to grow and learn about eachother, we are very lucky. Thanks for reading and we look forward to growing relationships with all of you!!

Episencial Summer Skin Care Review and Giveaway

Episencial Summer Skin Care products are perfect for my family. We all have blue or green eyes with very sun vulnerable skin. We don't tan we burn! I have always tried to be sun safe for myself but since my son  was born I want to be sun safe and chemical free. The current brand of sunscreen we use it not chemical free and that concerned me. My husband also hated the slimy feel of our old sunscreen on my sons skin.

We tried Episencial Sunny Sunscreen for the first time on Easter. We were having a picnic and day out at the park and in the Cali sun we always need lots of sunscreen. The first thing I loved was the texture of the sunscreen. It went on my sons face smooth and absorbed quickly. He didn't even seem to notice it was on his skin. Our last brand he would rub and wipe his face form the minute I put it on him. I was a little concerned that it was only SPF 35 since I normally put SPF 50 or more on my family. I was impressed that he was not red or anything on any of his skin when we got home that night. We were in the sun for 6 hours on Easter and he was fine.

I suffer from seasonal allergies that always make me have to constantly blow my nose. No matter what brand of tissue I use I always get really dry skin around my nose. I tried the Soothing Cream on my nose before bed and woke up with almost completely healed skin. I was shocked and pleased that I now know what brand I can use for my dry skin on my face.

We walked around the baseball field by our house on a windy day last week and before we left I put the Protective Face Balm on my little guys cheeks. He tends to get dry skin and a chapped look on windy days. He had a blast running around the baseball field and when we got home he was as cute as a button as always, and no red cheeks! I will use it on the underside of his nose next time he gets a runny nose.

Overall I really liked the Episencial line of skin care. I of course love the organic ingredients and the label but I loved the most that they worked. We have sensitive skin so it was nice to find a great product that was not overwhelming with scents. I would definitely try these for your self.

Company Product Info:

Sunny Sunscreen SPF 35

Have fun in the sun without exposing your skin to harmful UVA and UVB rays or harsh chemical sunscreens using this natural blend of zinc and titanium minerals. Organic ingredients like shea butter, beeswax and avocado oil nourish and soften skin while green tea extract neutralizes sun-induced free radical damage. 

Additional Features & Benefits
•       Environmental Working Group top-rated sunscreen for safety and effectiveness.
•       Never greasy, does not leave a white residue.
•       Water-resistant

Soothing Cream

Bring comfort to dry, itchy, irritated skin with this intensely nourishing multi-purpose moisturizer featuring an organic blend of calming calendula, oat extract and borage seed to enhance natural lipids and restore moisture balance. Acidophilus and neem boost immunity while oxysomes protect skin from harsh elements. Perfect for after-sun too!

Additional Features &  Benefits
•       Multi-purpose moisturizer helps treat rashes and red, irritated skin.
•       Fortified with probiotics, and made with a 50% aloe vera base to help soothe, cool and comfort bothered skin.
•       Insider tip! Great as diaper cream for use with cloth diapers; or to sooth adult skin post shave or wax.

Protective Face Balm SPF 6

Insulate baby’s vulnerable skin from wind, sun, and the ravages of runny noses and drool-y chins with this organic licorice extract and raspberry butter infused, intensely hydrating facial balm. Also protects chapped skin with zinc derived SPF 6 and shea butter.

Additional Features & Benefits
•       Ultra-healing facial balm.
•       Soothes and hydrates, chapped cheeks and lips.

All products are:

•       Enriched with Skin Immune Complex - an exclusive blend of natural ingredients for actively healthy skin
•       Baby safe and free from the bad stuff.
•       Loaded with healthy organics.
•       Timeless for all ages, 0 – 150 years!


May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. As a reminder to wear sunscreen Episencial and DermStore are having a promo sale:

Offer: Get 15% off all Episencial products with the purchase of Episencial Sunny Sunscreen!

Promo code: DSSUNNY.  

Offer valid: May 16-23 only.

EPISENCIAL GIVEAWAY: 

To Enter This Giveaway for the 3 products I tried in this review.

Visit the Episencial website Store Locator and tell me the store closest to you that carries the Episencial brand. 

*Leave a comment telling me the store near you. Be sure to leave your email address if it is not public on your Google 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.

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

-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +2
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1

-Add our button to your blog and leave a link of where it is located +5 (top left hand side) 

-Enter other current giveaways on our blog +1 for each entered

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts April 30, 2011 and ends on May 10, 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 provided for free a sample of the products from Episencial mentioned in this post. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others.

Big Momma's: Like Father Like Son DVD Movie Review

Big Momma's: Like Father Like Son DVD will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on June 14, 2011. This will be just in time for Father's Day!

 My husband and I are huge movie fans. We love to spend the evening watching movies or going on a date night to the movie theater. We have watched the other Big Momma movies and thought they were hilarious! Martin Lawrence does a great job at making these movies funny with a good story line and some action. I refuse to watch the "other" actor that tries to mimic the Big Momma type of movies. Simply because I am a loyal fan to the Big Momma line! 

 The Big Momma's: Like Father Like Son movie is even more meaningful to us since we now have a son! I notice that now as we watch movies certain parts of movies reach me more now that I think like a parent. Its kinda like you never notice a certain type of car until you own one and it seems to be everywhere now.

We thought it was really funny how his step son joined him in dressing up and going  "undercover" as a woman. The movie had everything the other Big Momma movies that made them funny with the added extra dressed up character. I do not want to giveaway too much of the plot line so I won't include any spoilers. I think it was a great way to continue the Big Momma franchise in adding his step son. This movie would be great for Father's Day as a movie everyone can watch.

Starring Martin Lawrence as Big Momma and FBI agent Malcolm Turner and Brandon T. Jackson as Big Momma’s stepson Trent and grand-niece Charmaine. 

From the Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment website:

After stints as an undercover grandmother and an undercover nanny, FBI agent Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) adds “undercover housemother” to his resume in BIG MOMMA’S: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON. In this hefty new comedy, Big Momma is hired to go deep undercover as the Headmistress of the Atlanta Girls’ School for the Arts attended by aspiring music student and leading love interest Haley (Jessica Lucas). Proving “like father, like son,” Turner brings along his stepson Trent (Brandon T. Jackson) to double as Big Momma’s grand-niece Charmaine and go undercover as a student in the school with hilarious results. The duo tries in vain to derail attempts by the school’s security guard (Faizon Love) to get control of the debauchery.



**Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment provided me a copy for free of this movie to review for this post. I was not paid or compensated. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others.

I missed the Royal Wedding!

I am so sad to say I missed watching the Royal Wedding. We watched a movie I am reviewing and stayed up too late and I fell asleep! I really wanted to see it live! My mom told me she watched Princess Diana get married when she was pregnant with me. I wanted to watch it with my son. I am searching for a way to watch a re-airing of it somewhere and I do not have cable tv! If you know of anywhere to see it please let me know.