Train Table Madness!

For Christmas my son received a Train Table from Santa. At first he was so gentle and was having a blast. I thought he would love it and oh my he does. He yells Weeee and Choo Choo. He loves the train table at Barnes & Noble and I knew this would be a great gift for him. The next day he was a bit more rough with his table and has taken the track apart. I have lost the instructions to how each piece goes to put it back together. I feel like I need an engineering degree to figure this out lol. Today I think we are now missing a piece as well. If there was a color code or a way to keep the train together better that would be awesome. For now he is using the train table to stand on and leap from! He is a wild boy! I have launched operation Train Table Madness to find the pieces, put it back together and for it to stay that way. Wish me Luck!

Ellery Homestyles Sound Asleep Curtains Review

My son has been working on a new sleep schedule. I have been trying to be consistent with his naps so his day will go smoother. He does not like to nap in his room since during the afternoon it is very bright and sunny in there with the current blinds we have. I have been considering looking for curtains that can block out the light but still look nice. I have seen other brands of room darkening curtains but did not like the limited color choices.

Sound Asleep Curtains by Ellery Homestyles was a great solution to my problem. They have 10 colors to select from. For my sons room I picked Light Thyme. The curtain color seemed a bit darker in color than I thought it would be. So I decided to put the curtains in my living room. I often find myself sleeping in the couch from my back hurting in my bed but with street lights peering into the living room it can be too bright in there. We also seem to have air leakage in the living room in the windows that I know cause the room to be colder and making the heater work on over time. I thought these Sound Asleep Curtains would help both situations.

Product info from the site:
A soft Thermaback coating is applied to fabric to create room darkening qualities. The Thermaback technology reduces penetrating light which helps provide the "darkness" necessary for a better night's sleep. The curtains also reduce outside noise and their thermal properties aid in reducing home heating and cooling costs.

They easily went on with the loop style hanging on the back

Closed they did keep out the draft and light. A family member that slept over on the couch over the holidays said it was easier to sleep without all the light.

Looks nice open in the living room.

Nice thick backing keeps out light and the draft.

Sound Asleep Curtains are available for purchase form Amazon. You can learn more about Sound Asleep Curtains on Facebook and Twitter pages.



*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.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope your day is filled with love and laughter. We will be spending time with those we love and hoping you will do the same. On Christmas Eve all of the kids in the Frugal Family Tree opened up their matching jammies from Nana to wear to bed. We have a tradition of all the kids waking up on Christmas morning wearing the same jammies. It keeps them connected even though we are all states apart. This year we will be using Skype to see the newest baby added to the Frugal Family Tree. Sam had her baby and they are both doing wonderful. She is a beautiful and precious baby girl.


My son and I watched a few videos of one of our favorite Christmas Songs. The words are wonderful.

O Holy Night Lyrics 
Christmas Carol Lyrics

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

How Do You Feed a Hungry Giant? Pop-Up Book Review Workman Publishing Holiday Gift Guide

Giants seem to be a theme in the book publishing world right now and I find it wonderful! Giants are fun and magical characters that can be great for kids to learn from. In this book How Do You Feed a Hungry Giant ? the Giant is a gentle giant who has found a young boys home and asked for some food. Its a cute book with pop-up and pull tab features. My son thought it was funny to see the book move and do stuff. He tried to get a little rough with some of the tabs but did let me show him how to be gentle with it.

There is a cute little cookbook leaflet for recipes to feed your little Giant

Book Summary from the Publishers Website:

When a boy named Oscar discovers a giant—a very hungry giant holding a sign that says “Food Please”—in his backyard, he knows he can’t turn his back on him Yet it’s not easy feeding a hungry giant. A whole pizza disappears in a single gulp. Twelve blueberry muffins, 33 jars of peanut butter, 197 chocolate chip cookies—all just an appetizer. So what is little Oscar to do? Just how do you feed a hungry giant?

In this warmly illustrated and interactive picture book, the reader gets to help Oscar feed the giant. But despite Oscar’s best efforts—he cleaned out the fridge AND the pantry!—the giant still remains hungry. That’s when mom comes to the rescue. She has eight great recipes, including Mega-Pigs in Blanket, Jumbo Fries, The Biggest Burger in the World, Ginormous Blueberry Muffin. Each serves one giant—or eight kids. Yes, the “feed a giant” recipes are included in the book, printed in a separate 8-page mini cookbook, and are ideal for a kid’s party.

I found this book to be whimsical and fun to read. The ending is really cute too. It reminds me of how my son tries to feed the dog everything he sees. He likes to give her a bite of everything he eats. I loved the Chocolate Milk interaction of the Giant drinking a straw. This is a cute book that can teach your kids to give to others in need and help a stranger when they are in need.






You can connect with Workman Publishing to learn more about How Do You Feed a Hungry Giant and find other great books published 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.

The Giant Book of Giants Sterling Books Holiday Gift Guide

As a book lover I enjoy finding unique books to share with my son. I like to find fun ad interactive books for us to enjoy together. The Book Giant Book of Giants has a huge, interactive poster that measure over 4 ft tall and six adventurous stories. There are plenty of extras, including flaps to lift and removable items such as a clock tower pocket watch! My son was stunned by the Giant Poster. It is taller than him and he thought it was "cool" as he said. The book is a fun read and the book itself is large in size, perfect for the Giant theme. We will be enjoying this book for many years to come. Its wonderfully illustrated and a great addition to any kid's library.


Book Summary from the Publisher:

The pop-up, pull-out poster in this BIG tome measures over four feet tall--and offers plenty of playful extras, including flaps to lift and removable items such as a clock tower pocket watch, pipe organ harmonica, and even the giant's ear wax! The action-packed tales in the book include “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Sinbad's Third Voyage,” and “Coyote Tricks the Giant.” Monster fun for any child--tall or small!

There were classic Giant stories that I have heard as a kid and two Giant stories that I have not heard before. One was about a female Giant, I thought that was great since when I was little I never heard of a girl Giant.

Giant Poster

You can connect with Sterling Publishing to learn more about the Giant Book of Giants and find other great books published 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.

LoveMode Clothing Review and $25 Giveaway

LoveMode.com is a women's fashion clothing site selling items such as dresses, jackets, pants, jewelry, and more! They are very similar to Forever21 and have many different up to date styles in trendy juniors clothing. LoveMode is a great place to find clothing but their biggest selection is in their dresses and tops department. The prices are decent and most of their items range from $10-30.

I received this strapless dress in a medium and I am very excited about it! The top part is blue satin with cotton lines going up the bust, while the bottom half is a thin floral cotton layer. The top fits snug but the bottom half flows down comfortably. The bust has two wires in it vertically, helping support the dress to stay up and not give your breasts a flatter look like most strapless dresses do and it gives you full upper support. The middle has a brown braided belt that clasps at the waist also offering additional bust support. I love this dress and I am very happy with what I have received at lovemode and plan on purchasing juniors clothing from them again soon!

Another great feature of Love Mode is not only is it cheap juniors clothing but there is also FREE Shipping on all U.S. orders. Great deals and free shipping is a great way to be a frugal shopper!


GIVEAWAY

Win a $25 Gift Certificate to LoveMode.com

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

Who would you win this gift certificate for?

*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 LoveMode on Facebook +1
-Follow LoveMode 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 $25 Gift Certificate to @ShopLoveMode at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 1/05 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2011/12/lovemode-clothing-review-and-25.html


*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts December 23, 2011 and ends on January 05 , 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.

599fashion.com Review Holiday Gift Guide

599 Fashion is a fashion website selling men's, women's, and infant clothing and accessories for only $5.99 or less! This is amazingly well priced and on their website they show what every item retails at and then their price is always 5.99 or under! I was hesitant at first but after receiving my items I  was more than impressed with the products. They are department store quality and you would never guess they were so well priced. 599 fashion has clothes for everyone and is a great place to order from, but I must warn you their items sell out fast so you have to purchase them quickly!

This Spaghetti Strap Floral Dress is perfectly hemmed right above the knee and right above the bust showing little cleavage and comes in at the waste. The beautiful floral design would pair perfectly with a black or white cardigan, and maybe a bracelet for an accessory. I am very pleased with this dress and I am considering wearing it on new years eve! (retail price $40.50)

They carry many feather earrings that are awesome looking (not to mention a huge trend going around) and on 599 fashion they are priced for 1.99! You can choose between metal or silver and the brown feathers drop from the middle circle piece. They're super light weight and go great with any outfit. They are a mix between a natural and feminine look and are a great accessory to have!

This off white semi see through lacy cardigan looks great over a white cami tank top. I love how the edges are loose and trimmed with lace, but the long sleeves are fitted. The middle ties together with a string slimming the waste and the shirt hits just above the thigh. The cardigan itself is feminine and chic looking and is only priced at $5.99. A price and quality you cannot beat!

This would be a great place to purchase clothing and accessories for New Years parties.

You can learn more about 599 Fashion and see the latest updates on sale info on their Facebook and Twitter pages.



*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.

Oral-B Stages MommyParties

As a fairly new mom, my son is 2, I learn more all the time about taking care of my son. His teeth are something that I have been trying to get him to understand we brush out teeth and not use it to comb our hair. He always wants to brush his or my hair with a tooth brush. It makes me laugh but oral care is a very important part of overall health. He has the sweetest smile on the planet and I want to keep his smile bright white! When we had the chance to host a Oral-B Stages MommyParty I was excited to have the chance to show my son and other families how its important and up to us as parents to take care of their teeth.

We were sent a parry pack from Oral-B and MommyParties to host a movie party for family and friends to watch Winnie the Pooh and share Oral-B products. They even sent popcorn, which was an awesome idea since no one can eat popcorn without getting some stuck in your teeth! It was a great way to start the Oral-B and oral care conversation after the movie.


I had a bit of trouble trying to get everyone over here since sick kids and holiday parties were happening. But I did manage to get a few families over to share the movie and products with. We even went high tech for our party by using SKYPE and the postal service. I mailed a few of the items to my sister for her kids, they do not live near by but still wanted to be apart of the fun. They were virtually at the party when we were all talking about the Oral-B products and playing the flash card games. It was cute for all the kids to see their cousins brushing their teeth like they were but on the computer. The party was very fun there were moments of not wanting to share and a few thats mine battles for the toothbrushes but the kids had fun watching the Winnie the Pooh movie. I even got out our Retro looking movie theater style popcorn maker to get the true movie going experience.

The Winnie the Pooh and Disney Movie themed Toothbrushes and Toothpaste are perfect to get kids to want to brush their teeth. My son finally got the hang of brushing his teeth and not his hair by the end of the party. The other kids were showing him how to use it correctly. One of the kids a few months younger than my son just nibbled on his toothbrush but I am sure the exposure to the toothbrush experience was good for him.

You can check out Oral-B Stages online!
http://www.oralb.com/stages/

You can also "Like" them on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/oralb

Thanks again to Mommy Parties!
http://www.mommyparties.com/

*Disclosure: All products were provided to me at no charge by Oral-B and Mommy Parties in exchange for hosting a party and sharing these great products. All thoughts and opinions are a 100% my own.

What we all want that Santa can't bring us

I know it's really getting down to the wire for most of us. Christmas is just a couple of days away. Have we gotten all the gifts, made all the cookies and fudge, cleaned the house and did the other hundred things on our list? It can all seem like such a burden, right? But here's the truth. If you are lucky enough to have a warm place to live, plenty to eat, and people you love and who love you, what more can we really ask for? We can walk down streets in any city in America and see people who are in the most desperate situations imaginable. Where is someone to love them? Where is their mother or sister or brother to help them? Do you have an elderly neighbor who is alone at the holidays? Do you know a divorced single mother who is struggling to buy Christmas presents for her kids?

All of these people in all of these situations exist right in front of us. And the truth is, sometimes it's easy to look away, because we don't want to acknowledge what we really see. I know we can't change the world with simple acts of kindness, but we can change someone's world with one act of kindness. One kind, helping act can make all the difference to someone out there who is desperate in someway.

Do you know of such a person? If you do, then give! Give a few dollars, give kind words, give an invitation to Christmas dinner, give a helping hand. You will be doing something wonderful for that person and yourself. It feels good to give, it feels good to share and bring happiness to others. What Santa can't bring to all of us is love and kindness and concern for those who are less fortunate than we are. But we don't need Santa for that because we already have it right inside of us. We just need to bring it out and share it.

Holiday Lights

I love to go look at neighborhoods with tons of Holiday lights on the houses. It makes me smile and looks really cool. I have awesome memories as a kid of driving to Pasadena CA to see the "House of a Thousand Lights" but then I wonder was it a Thousand or Ten Thousand, as a kid it felt like ten thousand! I am sure it was a thousand since back then the lights were not as fancy as they are now and must have cost a bundle to run. The neighborhood would be filled with cars parked as people got out to walk around the house. It was beautiful to see, it was all white lights that made the house glow as if it was magical. All around that house was other homes decorated with lights and huge trees decorated like Christmas trees. I love that feeling of remembering how in awe I felt and how happy it made me feel.

Now as a Mom I try to find that type of Holiday fun for my son. With the price of gas we can't go very far to see some of the cool houses they show on the news but our neighborhood has a few nice ones. I have seen some icicles that are hung around the roof and have changing color lights that make it look like the icicle is dripping. There are some cute reindeer and Santa sleigh set ups but I have yet to see a house covered in white lights. I told my husband that next year I want to be that "House with a Thousand Lights" that brings Christmas joy to people. We could hand out Hot Coco and Candy Canes. He looked at me and said whos gonna hang those, pay the extra light bill, and you might need insurance and a business license to hand out hot beverages and hard candy.  LOL Oh yeah there is all that to consider........