Easter Basket Shopping on a Budget at Kmart

I love holidays. They are a great way to come together with family and friends to have a great time. I also love how holidays like Easter are filled with tradition. Easter Baskets are a big part of Easter in my family. I can recall many wonderful Easter baskets I received as a child from the Easter Bunny. Each year there were elements of the basket that I knew would be in there. I am creating the same traditions with my son each Easter.

My parents with the help of the Easter Bunny of course would put together each Easter basket for the 5 of us kids. My mom enjoyed the process of selecting and organizing our basket and now so do I.

As the money saving Mom that I am I shopped at Kmart to find great deals on all the Easter treats I would be buying for my son's basket. For us there has to be a traditional basket, grass, plastic eggs, Peeps and a chocolate bunny. Those are the foundation of the basket and then you add the other stuff. Depending on the age and interests of each of us kids my Mom would add toys and activities for each of us.

For my son I wanted to get him a plush animal, an art activity and a toy. I found all three of those items and so much awesome candy for under $30 at my local Kmart. I used the store ad, my Shop Your Way Rewards card and some coupons to get a great deal.

For Easter candy Kmart had it all. There were tons of brands and varieties at low prices. They had many candy items for only $1. I found chocolate Easter bunnies for $1 and even a cute white chocolate duck for $1.

Its not a Holiday without M&M's

Normally I have to use many coupons to get low prices on candy but this year Kmart had great prices. The weekly Kmart ad helped me to plan my trip and budget before I left the house. This made it easy to know what I needed and be able to select extra items to stick to my budget. I found Cars 2 die cast cars on sale for $0.99 normally priced $3.99. Reading the Kmart ad helped me to find them, a perfect item to put in my son's basket. Clearance toys are on sale with an additional 50% off marked prices so be sure to check your store to see what deals you will find.

Using my Shop Your Way Rewards card I accumulated points with my purchase and even had a coupon for 15% off Easter Plush toys printed. I think I will use it to go back and get a large Easter bunny my son was hugging in the store. I used 1 candy coupon with the sales and rewards card my receipt said I save $10.98!

My total for everything I purchased was $29.89. It was a lot of great Easter Basket items for that price.

My son loved his Easter basket with all the wonderful items inside. I got such a great deal we were able to fill another basket for my son's friend. My son enjoyed the candy and toys in his basket and this weekend we will deliver the other basket.

If your looking for a place to find everything you need in a one stop at a great price Kmart is the place to go. Grab a Kmart ad and your Shop Your Way Rewards card and your set!

I had fun shopping at Kmart for Easter Basket items and even spotted a few cute items that I wanted. You can read my Google+ story about my shopping trip.

*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 #KmartEaster

Child Labor

I have no problem teaching them young how to earn their keep! Just kidding, I am not that mean. But Liam has a new found love for the vacuum so I put him to work :) He loves and loves to vacuum and would do it for hours if I let him. Now if I can just teach him to clean the toilets....

Using New Dial Nutriskin Lotion To Get Healthier and Softer Skin

Now that spring has arrived I'm looking forward to shedding the sweaters and long sleeves I've been wearing all fall and winter. I'm looking for a new lotion product that will help ease my dry skin and make it look better and healthier when I start wearing short sleeves and sandals.

I've been hearing a lot about a new product called Dial Nutriskin Lotion. I went to my local Walmart to buy some and try it out for myself.

As I've gotten older, my skin has started to show all the effects of not taking proper care of it. Laying on the beach for hours as a teenager with only baby oil on my skin was not a good idea! This bottle of Dry Skin formula contains aloe, which is excellent for your skin. It also has vitamins C, E and F, which contain antioxidant agents and help to improve elasticity. It says the lotion will give your skin 24 hours of intense hydration and is hypo-allergenic. Everything I need to get rid of my dry skin and make it look and feel healthier.

My daughter and I plan to do some gardening, so I've also picked up some gloves to protect my hands. Working in the garden is really rough on my hands and they look especially bad after working outside.

Back at home, I'm trying out the Extra Dry Skin formula with shea butter. It smells great and I love how silky and smooth it feels. I love that Dial Nutriskin has vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in it to make my skin not just look better but actually improves the condition of it.

I put on my new comfy Croc's I just bought and decide my feet and legs are definitely going to be getting some Dial Nutriskin Lotion! After having my feet in boots and heavy socks for so long, it feels great to be wearing these. But my feet and legs need some help to get rid of dry skin here too.

So here I am after using the lotion for 4 days. Does my skin look any better? I think it does, because I can actually see that the dryness is mostly gone. But I think the biggest difference is that it feels softer to me, has more moisture in it, and just feels good! I'm glad I tried Dial Nutriskin Lotion and I'll keep using it to help keep my skin at it's best.

I enjoyed shopping at Walmart for #DialNutriSkin and gardening items. You can read my Google+ story about my shopping trip.

Dial often offers coupons for their products when you are a Facebook fan and a Twitter follower.

*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 #DialNutriSkin

Soggy In Seattle

The weather around here can make you a little crazy. It can be raining one minute and the next it is so sunny and beautiful, you can hardly take it all in. A favorite Sunday outing to the Pike Place Market is just the thing to cheer me up. The vendors are friendly, the flowers are beautiful, and there is every kind of fish imaginable that is for sale.

This friendly fellow was more than happy to pose for a picture. Yeah, it's rainy up here, but whenever I visit the Market, I feel less "crabby".

Have a great Sunday!

CoffeeCow.com Nescafe Dolce Gusto Review and Giveaway

Coffee is an essential part of my life. I love the way it smells, taste and wakes me up. I like Iced Coffee, Coffee with cream and sugar and Coffee drinks like cappuccino.  As busy Mom I don't always have time to make a coffee drink or run to the coffee house to get one (and they can be expensive at the store). I wanted a coffee house style solution to making a great drink. It needed to be simple and affordable.

At CoffeeCow.com I found a single serve Coffee Maker that I have not seen before. The Nescafe Dolce Gusto Melody 2 Coffee Machine. Nescafe is a well known brand and the coffee maker is reasonably priced at $129.99.  I can save a lot of money from making my drinks at home and not going to a coffee house.

 I love the simplicity of the Nescafe  Dolce Gusto Melody 2 machine. Its a simple 3 step process. Fill up the water, select hot or cold. place the capsule in and in a minute you have a hot coffee! The coffee lever allows you to adjust the strength of your coffee.

Product Info:

• No mess, No fuss. Everything you need to make hot or cold drinks are contained in our easy-to-use capsules
• Our technologically advanced machines and precisely designed flavor capsules combine to give the NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® a professional-level 15-bar pressure system (similar to coffeehouse machines) which helps to ensure that every cup is perfect with a foamy froth, rich crèma and luxurious flavor
• The unique patented Custom Control Lever puts you in control to customize your coffee's strength and mixture (for multi-capsule drinks). It also lets you alternate between hot and cold beverages in an instant
• The exclusive Thermoblock technology heats the water fresh every time, in less than one minute
• NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® uses only the highest quality ingredients - featuring only 100% Arabica, rich chocolate and foamy milk
• Stylish and sleek design that will stand out on any kitchen counter
• Energy Saving automatic switch off

The capsules make it super simply to make a coffee house style drink. You can make Espresso Caffe Lungo, Caffe Americano, Cappuccino, Chococino, Latte Macchiato, Cappuccino Ice and Nestea Peach. I like that the capsules (also called pods) are easy to find in the store. Online is even easier. CoffeeCow has 16 capsule boxes for less than $10. A big savings compared to a coffee house price.


This is a funny commercial about the Nescafe Dolce Gusto line of coffee makers. The Melody 2 is the one I reviewed and the one you will have a chance to win thanks to CoffeeCow.

 

CoffeeCow carries many coffee makers single cup and brewers. They carry a wide selection of pods and capsules for if you already have a Single Cup coffee maker. CoffeeCow has a money back on your purchase program called Cow Bucks. The program is tiered for a percentage back when you spend a certain amount. For purchases $60 or more you get 1% back and $100 or more you get 5%  back in Cow Bucks that you can use on future orders. Its a great way to save money on coffee products you regularly buy, plus its delivered right to your door.

Its a cute company and I picture the Cow drinking a cup of coffee with my when I use my Nescafe Dolce Gusto from CoffeeCow.



GIVEAWAY

Win a Nescafe Dolce Gusto Melody 2 Coffee Maker from CoffeeCow.com

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

What other product from CoffeeCow.com 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 Coffee Cow on Facebook +1

-Follow/Add to your circle  Frugal Family Tree on Google+ ( 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 Nescafe Dolce Gusto Coffee Maker from CoffeeCow.com at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 4/25 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/04/coffeecowcom-nescafe-dolce-gusto-review.html

 *Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts April 1st, 2012 and ends on April 25th 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. I was provided the item reviewed in this post for free by the company or PR company that represents them. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Toddler Imagination

Its funny how something as simple as a small box can be turned into a wonderment of magic. My son recently got a new pair of boots from Kidorable. The box the boots came in has turned out to be magical. Perhaps its because it was a pair of Dragons boots, I am not sure. My son sure thinks its magical. He carries the box all over the house taking things from the box and using them. Sometimes its food that he will feed to me and then himself. Or treats for the dog and his stuffed animals. He says Yum and makes sure I chew my snack he gives me from his magical box.

It brings me great delight to just sit and watch him "see" the items in his box and interact with them. He loves his magical box so much that he has been taking it in the car with him and offers his magical treats to everyone.

When I was a little kid I had an imaginary teacher, Mrs. Duck. My siblings all went to school so I think I made her up so I could be like them. I wonder if my son will have any imaginary playmates and who they will be.

Tim's Boots Ladies Cowgirl Boots Review and $50 Gift Certifcate Giveaway

I love Boots! I can never have too many pairs of boots and shoes. But I have not found the perfect pair of Cowgirl Western Boots until now. Locally I can not find a good pair of Cowgirl boots since the only store that had any shut down about a year ago. Thankfully there are online stores that you can shop for Boots for Men, Women and Kids. TimsBoots.com is my go to online store for Western Boots. Since my son has the cutest little red pair he got for his birthday I knew I needed a pair too.

With Spring finally here I thought it would be the perfect time to get a pair of fashionable Ladies Western Boots. I found many great pairs online and decided on a pair of dark brown boots. The Brown Canyon Old West Boots I picked are perfect. I thought they would look great with skirts and jeans. I love the smell of leather in these well made boots. They are comfy and very affordable for leather cowgirl boots.

I was eager to wear my new boots to dinner and playtime for my son at the mall. I loved how they looked and feel great. I have lots of boots but these are by far my favorite ones because they are Cowgirl boots. I am going to be playing the new Kinect Western Dancing game and I now have an awesome pair of boots to dance in. Not mention my husband is jealous of my new awesome boots! lol He said he wants a pair of boots for Father's Day. I think its a great gift idea for Mother's Day too. For Mother's Day we are thinking of going to the mall and getting photos done of me and my son wearing our awesome boots!

Tim's Boots has many great Ladies Boots. I found a few pairs that are now on my shoe wish list. All women need a good shoe wish list! Now I just need to learn now to line dance better :)

To celebrate the fun fashions of Spring Time shopping we are hosting a $50 Gift Certificate to TimsBoots.com for you to get your own pair of awesome boots.



GIVEAWAY

Win a $50 Gift Certificate to TimsBoots.com

To Enter This Giveaway:

Sign up for the Timsboots.com Email Newsletter 
(when you do this you will also be entered to win a pair of boots from the site. Its like doubling your chance to win!)

*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 TimsBoots.com on Facebook +1
-Follow TimsBoots.com on Twitter +1

-Follow/Add to your circle  Frugal Family Tree on Google+ ( 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 to TimsBoots.com from @Timsboots at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 4/25 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/03/tims-boots-ladies-cowgirl-boots-review.html

 *Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts March 31, 2012 and ends on April 25, 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. I was provided the item reviewed in this post for free by the company or PR company that represents them. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Up here in the Seattle region we are famous for the amount of rain we get. And we well deserve that reputation because it sure has been raining a lot! I love the rain, really I do, but even I have my limits.

But then I see the flowers that it brings, our beautiful green trees, children in colorful raincoats, and I am reminded that I'm pretty lucky to live here. We are expecting rain all next week, so I think I'll go buy myself an armful of these dafodills and keep my umbrella handy.

Kidorable Review and Umbrella Giveaway

 My son has a new found love for Dragons. Or what he calls Dramens. Its the sweetest thing. He calls Dinosaurs Dragons too and tells me that they say "Raaaaaaarrrr" with a very serious face. He makes me laugh. With the Spring rain starting I knew my son needed new rain boots and an umbrella. I love how his personality helps me pick out what he wants. Last year it was Choo Choo Train boots and this year it will be Dragons.

I was thrilled to see that Kidorable has a new line of Knights and Dragons. My sister Sam introduced me to Kidorable when she got her sons some of their products. Now my little guy can be Kidorable too! As soon as he saw what the boots and umbrella were he shouted Dramens and grabbed them. My son loves shoes and boots so he wore them all day and did not want to take them off even for bed. I had to wait until he was asleep and slip them off.

 On a cloudy day we decided to go to our local mall Disney store for an event called Sticker Mania. My son insisted he wear his Kidorable Dragon Boots. The weather forecast said rain so I grabbed his umbrella so we could have a little dance in the rain with his umbrella. It did not end up raining but we still had fun walking around outside with his boots and umbrella. He roared as he held the Kidorable Dragon Umbrella, so cute! A few moms in the elevator after we left the play area asked about his boots and I was happy to tell them they are from Kidorable!

To celebrate Spring and the rainy season we are hosting a giveaway for a Kidorable Umbrella to keep your little one dry while looking so cute!


GIVEAWAY

Win a Umbrella from Kidorable in your style choice.

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

Which Style of Umbrella 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 Kidorable on Facebook +1

-Follow Kidorable on Twitter +1


-Follow/Add to your circle  Frugal Family Tree on Google+ ( 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 Kidorable Umbrella from @Kidorable at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 4/25 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/03/kidorable-review-and-umbrella-giveaway.html

 *Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts March 30, 2012 and ends on April 25th 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. I was provided the item reviewed in this post for free by the company or PR company that represents them. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Attending In Store Decorating Seminars

We are currently working on redecorating our home. The Spring cleaning buzz has me wanting to re-arrange organize and buy some new items. For me one of the biggest challeneges is picking colors that I will want to see everyday. I am a commitment phobe when it comes to decorating.

Last week when we were shopping for furniture at RC Willey we read about a In Store Decorating Seminar about Color. I knew I wanted to attend this one. Spending money to decorate your home is a investment in your happiness, I wanted to make sure I was making good decisions. I enjoy looking at the room set ups on display on the showroom floor, its always great for ideas. We learned about color theory and many aspects of interior decorating. It was presented in a simple and understandable way. They did a great job.

When we arrived 10 minutes early to the Decorating Seminar we were surprised to see the huge line of people and an already filled room. Even the store employees were surprised by the turn out. They had to get more seating, more flyers and get out a microphone system. The event started much later than they had planned. My son was doing a great job trying to behave. He colored, had cookies and rolled around on the floor. Thankfully our seating was a nice plush couch! There were many families there with their kids. The man next to us had his little girl who was playing a hand held video game that my son was trying to get a peek at. Towards the end of the 1 hour seminar my son began to grab things and tried to drink out of a candle lol. But he did great and nothing was broken in the store.  RC Willey was nice enough to hand out $25 gift cards for everyone who attended and a giveaway of 5 $50 giftcards, I am sure thats why the crowd was so big.

My favorite thing we learned was about the 60-30-10 rule of decorating. They explained how its like a mans suit where there is 60% one color, the pants and dress coat, 30%  an accent color, the dress shirt, and 10% the accessories color, the tie. In relation to room decorating its the wall paint, the furniture color and the room accessories like lamps, vases, pillows. We had a fun time, learned some new stuff, found some color inspiration and will be going back later in the week to shop with our gift cards.