Warm Tradition Hot Water Bottle Review and 2 Giveaways

I was provided with a product for my review. All opinions are my own.

One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is to curl up on the couch with a stack of my favorite Christmas magazines. On a chilly night or afternoon, this is such a cozy thing to do.

My beautiful Warm Tradition Hot Water Bottle makes this even cozier, and I love using it all the time. Whether it's to ease my occasional back pain, or to keep my toes toasty in bed during the night, a good hot water bottle can be a great comfort.

I've used a lot of hot water bottles through the years, and not all of them worked very well. Often times they leaked, or gave off a plastic odor, or lost heat after a short while. This isn't the case for Warm Tradition, and I'm very happy with mine.

The hot water bottle covers come in so many different designs and fabrics, that it's hard to choose just one. I chose my cable-knit sweater style cover because I like it's classic, pretty look.

 I'd like to share a few facts about the Warm Tradition brand that make it such a great product:

• Fun & fashionable way to melt away aches and pains & stay warm and toasty this season with 100’s of luxuriously soft & huggable covers to choose from.
• Melt away tension, warm hands and feet, soothe children, relieve stress, restful night of sleep, bed warmer, ease backaches
• Made from eco-friendly thermoplastic that is BPA & phthalate free
• Odorless & safe
• Long lasting heat – up to 6 hours!

• Extra-large opening for easy filling and less spills
• Covers are removable & machine washable
• Hot Water Bottles made in Germany and Covers made in the USA

Warm Tradition is Martha-approved, and that certainly means they meet a high standard of quality.

Kids love the warm comfort of a hot water bottle in bed at night, or on a tummy that needs to be soothed. You will find many cute cover to chose from for kids. Let them pick out their own, and add to how much they will enjoy using it.

A hot water bottle for friends and family on your holiday shopping list makes a great gift. Choose a cover that fits their personality to make it even more special.

Let Warm Tradition keep you and your family cozy during the cold days and nights of winter. I'll be using mine to do just that.

Here at Frugal Family Tree, we are pleased to be partnering with Warm Tradition to be giving away two hot water bottles, to two of our readers.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Dec 12, 2014 and ends on Dec. 24, 2014 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 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 was sent a product to review for this post.

Snowball Cookie Recipe

*Originally Posted Dec. 19, 2013

As the children get older and start attending school (elementary or preschool) holiday teachers gifts are something we love to make and buy. Teachers are a very important part of our lives, they help mold our children into the adults they will someday be. I want them to know how important they are to not only my children, but to our family as a whole. Homemade gifts, along with a gift card to their favorite coffee shop or café are a pretty standard gift for our family to give. This year we made Snowball Cookies for the teachers and they were a huge hit! The boys helped out by rolling the dough in the "snow", it ended up everywhere but at least they had fun!

 

Holiday Shopping With Tense Wooden Watches

I was provided with a product for my review. All opinions are mine alone.



I've never given up wearing watches, even though like lots of people, I have my cell phone to let me know what time it is. I think a watch can be a part of your personal style, and reflect the kind of life you lead. Whether your style is classic, sporty, or feminine, a watch really is a personal way to express yourself.

When I was offered the chance to review a watch from Tense Watches, I immediately said yes. A couple of months ago, I was having lunch with a friend, and remarked on what an attractive wooden watch she was wearing, and it was from Tense.

Needless to say, when I received my watch in the mail, I immediately loved it. Pretty and stylish, it's perfect for wearing when I am being everyday casual, but also looks great when I want a more dressed-up, evening look.

Tense Watches offers six themed collections to choose from, Adventure, Coastal, Discovery, Heritage, Passage, and Mainland. It's easy to see why they are worn by nature lovers all around the world.

All watches are made from natural materials from Africa, India, and other exotic places. They are also made with one of the worlds top watch movements, Miyota 2035, from Japan.

There is a watch available for everyone on your Christmas list, from your beloved grandfather, to your stylish 20-something niece, or your mom or dad. For all styles and age groups, you can count on Tense Watches to be a welcome and appreciated gift this holiday season.

I choose the Women's Pacific watch. I love it's casual elegance, and appreciate it's quality and durability.

It's made of solid sandalwood, and with a stainless steel clasp. Like all Tense wooden bracelet watches, it is hypo-allergenic.

I have never worn a wooden watch before, and I think the concept is quite unique. It feels totally comfortable and natural. I love my Tense Watch, and will be enjoying it for years to come.

You can choose from Men's, Women's, and Unisex styles. Tense also offers gift certificates for that hard to buy for person on your shopping list.

To see the complete collection of Tense Watches, you can go and visit their website here. You can also find them on Facebook and Pinterest.

If your holiday shopping includes buying someone you care about a wonderful new watch, shop at Tense, because beauty and quality are always appreciated.

Giving Back to Friends with Give Extra, Get Extra

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ExtraGumMoments #CollectiveBias

I am blessed enough to have family and friends in my life that are always there for me. From small things to the life changing things having people that go above and beyond is priceless. With the holiday season in full swing it makes me feel even more the reason to make sure the people who give extra in my life get extra back. 

I have many great friends at my job. I count that as a blessing as well to work with people who are kindhearted and stick together as a team. It makes work a more productive place. One person who has become a very close friend over the few years we have worked together Bree, deserves a big Extra thank you for all she gives of her self to all her friends. Over the last year her and I have experienced the same joy and grief together that has bonded us on a deeper level. She is always the person smiling even if things are gloomy, she bakes goodies for everyone at work all the time for no reason at all which is the best reason and if I need anything shes always the first person to help.

Working together all the time and with texting I don't think I tell her enough in person how much I treasure her friendship that she always willing to Give Extra so I wanted to Give Extra to her through a gift basket. 

My son adores my friend Bree so when I told him we were going to go shopping to make her a gift to show her we appreciate her he was thrilled to be included. We headed to Walmart to pick up some Extra Gum and a few items to create a pampering gift basket. 

After coming home from shopping my son and I arranged the gift basket to take to Bree. It happened to be the day Bree traded shifts with me so I could take care of a few things sooner than my regular day off and we planned to surprise her at work. She was just happy to see my son and I visiting her and the Extra Gum gift basket made it special. #ExtraGumMoments #CollectiveBias

Who do you have in your life that deserves to Get Extra because of all the Extra they Give?

Christmas Eve Asian Inspired Dinner Party with Tai Pei Egg Rolls & Spring Rolls

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TaiPeiGoodFortune#CollectiveBias

The month of December is full of so much good tidings, I love it all. The decorations, the music, the wrapping of gifts and the best part that makes great memories is the time shared cooking and eating with the ones you love. We have many Christmas Day traditions that are set in stone, for me I have to do a few things for it to feel official. Over the last few years that my son has been more involved in the holidays and giving his voice to new traditions. He loves rice, egg noodles, chicken, egg rolls and all the delicious Asian foods he can find. When I asked him what he wanted for Christmas Eve dinner he said Panda please, that means he wants Asian food. One year we made the mistake of buying take out for our Christmas Eve dinner but never again. It was not the same flavor or experience if we would have cooked the food at home together.

This year I headed to Walmart to pick up the items we need for our Asian inspired Holiday dinner party. My son loves to be my helper so he came along with me to help plan the party. We found one of our favorite brands of frozen Asian foods Tai Pei. I planned to make a simple but delicious meal that would be easy to eat while watching holiday movies and easy for me to make.

After getting all the items we need along with our Tai Pei Egg Rolls and Spring Rolls we headed home to cook. I am planning to make Orange Chicken with jasmine rice, Spring Roll mini presents and a Egg Roll Christmas Tree.

To assemble the Egg Roll Christmas tree I used bamboo skewers and toothpicks to hold it together. Depending on the size of the Egg Rolls you can stack the tree to however you want it to look. I mixed the Vegetable egg rolls and Spicy Chicken Mini egg rolls I had in my tree to give it variety of flavor as the tree is eaten. For the Spring Rolls presents I baked the mini vegetable spring rolls and tied green onion to the outside for a bow. For the egg roll Christmas tree I used the already made and included sauces that came with the food in the packaging for the decoration on the tree, the red sauce looked great and tasted delicious on the crispy wrappers.

When dinner was ready the whole house smelled amazing! The scent of the orange glaze on the chicken, the jasmine rice, the egg rolls and spring rolls hints that its Christmas Eve. As soon as the food was ready and assembled my son was the first to sit down to try it all. His favorite was the mini veggie spring rolls. He is getting the hang of chop sticks but sometimes just uses them to poke food to eat, too cute!

My son and I had a wonderful time baking the dinner and making our holiday themed Tai Pei brand treats. He loved that we were making our regular food into fun to eat food. I loved how simple it was to all prepare. Having frozen foods that you can razzle dazzle into something creative is the key to not over complicating the holidays. Tai Pei brand Asian foods makes it easy to have your own Asian inspired holiday party with traditional flavors for your family and friends.

To find more recipe ideas for your next party you can connect with Tai Pei on facebook, twitter and pinterest.  Tai Pei is also running a Rebate Offer that runs till 12/31 to save you more money on your purchases.

Christmas Cranberry Walnut Bread

I'm always looking for easy recipes for quick breads, especially this time of year. A loaf of a yummy quick bread makes a wonderful homemade gift, or as a treat for yourself at home with a cup of tea or coffee.

This recipe for Cranberry Walnut Bread is a favorite of mine. The cranberries have a delicious tarty taste, and the orange zest in it gives it a hint of citrus.

It's easy to find fresh cranberries this time of year, or you can also use frozen. Even if you don't like cranberries, this bread just might change your mind about them.

Recipe for Christmas Cranberry Walnut Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with non-stick baking spray.
Mix together cranberries, sugar, oil, milk, orange peel, vanilla, and eggs.
Add flour, baking powder, salt, and walnuts, mix well. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Run a knife along the edges to loosen bread from pan. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf.

I made this last year, but it's so yummy that I wanted to share it again. Enjoy!!

RSVP For The #RealMagic Twitter Party 12/9 3PM ET

Do you love a good Twitter Party?  You know we do and we’re excited to host a party about spreading and sharing the magic of the holiday season!  On Tuesday, December 9th at 3:00pm ET, please join us for the #RealMagic Twitter Party where we’ll be discussing making the holidays magical, and giving you a chance to win prizes!

The holiday season is always magical for me, and now that I'm a grandmother, I enjoy it even more. There's nothing I love better than seeing the holidays light up my grandchildren's faces. My family and I love gathering together and creating new memories, while giving thanks for all we have to be grateful for. Coca-Cola loves spreading the #RealMagic of the holiday season too so join me to see how we can make the holidays magical by sharing a Coke® with someone!

Join me and RSVP for the #RealMagic Twitter Party on SoFabChats!

• DATE: Tuesday, December 9th
• TIME: 3:00 – 4:00 pm ET
• PRIZES: 5 – (1) $100 Walmart Gift Cards
• EARLY BIRD PRIZE: 1 – $50 Walmart Gift Card
• HOSTS: @formulamom, @donnahup, @aboutamom, @FrugalFamTree, @thedomesticexec
• SPECIAL GUEST: @MyCokeRewards
• RULES: #RealMagic Twitter Party Official Rules
• RSVP & PARTY GRID: #RealMagic Twitter Party Page

Join #RealMagic Twitter Party 12/9 3pm ET. Share the magic! Prizes $550! Rules http://t.co/b3NfmimU6O #ad
— Frugal Family Tree (@FrugalFamTree) December 3, 2014

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN A TWITTER PARTY ON SOFABCHATS!

TIP: How to join a Twitter Party – sign in! Before party starts, click on the green “Sign In On Twitter” bar at the top of the page!

 TIP: Who to follow at a Twitter Party? Follow the Party Team by clicking on the Twitter handle links on the RSVP page!

 TIP: Want to win Twitter Party prizes? RSVP by clicking on RSVP button before you join the party, follow everyone on the Party Team, and tweet with the party hashtag during the party to be eligible!

 TIP: How to win the Early Bird prize? Watch for chance to share a tweet when you RSVP for chance to win!

 TIP: Special deals and brand coupons? Keep that option checked when you RSVP for the party!

 TIP: New to Twitter parties? Watch your column and Party Team tweet columns – they are slower paced and easier to follow!

 TIP: Where to find Twitter Parties? Check out the SoFabChats Twitter Party Calendar to find more fun parties to attend!

Find more helpful Twitter Party Tips on SoFabChats!

California Style Turkey Leftover Sandwich with Oroweat Organic Bread and Giveaway

*The coupons for free product, information, and gift card have been provided by Oroweat® so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Oroweat® Organic bread. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Oroweat®

Around the time Thanksgiving is coming near I am delighted with the thought of turkey dinner with all the tradition side dishes. Even more exciting is the left overs we get to eat for about a week. We LOVE to make sandwiches in my house. Its simple to put together and can be eaten anywhere.

I have been making more attempts to have organic foods in my life. Fruits and veggies are where most people look first as did I. Now I have been looking for foods we buy all the time and almost consume daily. Bread is on the top of my grocery list weekly, we eat a lot of it. I enjoy bread with seeds, nuts and other grains added. It makes for an excellent base for any sandwich.

This year we decided to get Oroweat Organic Bread for our Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches. OH MY was it good!! The grains and seeds in the bread added its own texture to the sandwich that was great plus 9 grams of whole grains per slice. The bread by itself was a tasty snack. I toasted the bread first to give the bread a stiffer base for the sandwich.

Living in Northern California we luckily have tons of fresh fruits and veggies to buy all year long, I like to add avocado and spinach making our sandwich what I call California Style.

Recipe for California Style Turkey Leftover Sandwich:

2 Slices of Organic Oroweat Bread
Jalapeno Cheese Slices
Turkey
Cranberry Sauce
Stuffing
Avacado
Spinach

Assemble as you like and cut in half for eating. Enjoy!

Information about Oroweat® Organic Breads

·         Made with organic ingredients and whole grains, NEW Oroweat® Organic breads are the delicious way to feel better about eating better.

·         Available in 100% Whole Wheat and Grains & Seeds varieties, both are USDA-Certified Organic.

·         Visit https://www.oroweatorganic.com/ to use the 360° tool to see what’s inside and discover where you can find Oroweat® Organic breads at a store near you.

GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader will win 3 Oroweat Free Product Coupons for Oroweat Organic and a $25 gift card.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Dec 2, 2014 and ends on Dec. 10, 2014 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 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 was sent a product to review for this post.





 

Have A Cozy Family Dinner With Marie Callender's Pot Pies

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PotPiePlease #CollectiveBias

We had snow here at home in the Seattle area this weekend, something we don't usually get a lot of. With snow comes the cold weather, and my family really loves warm, comforting meals like Marie Callender's Pot Pies. I feel good serving these pot pies because they are delicious, and Marie Callender's taste like homemade.

The holidays are such a busy time for us all, and dinner time can be especially hectic. It's nice to know that all I have to do is pop one of the new family sized chicken pot pies in the oven and we'll have a wholesome family meal.

Marie Callender's pot pies are made with a homemade gravy mixed with vegetables and all white meat chicken in a golden flakey crust that's made from scratch.

Chicken pot pie has always been my favorite comfort food. And I always buy the Marie Callender brand, not just because it's so delicious, but because my connection goes back many years.

Growing up in California, we were lucky enough to have a Marie Callender's restaurant right in our neighborhood. For many years, my family and I ate there at least once a week. Lunch or dinner, a piece of pie and coffee, and we ordered all of our Thanksgiving pies from the restaurant. So many happy memories there.

And I love that I can still have the same great tasting Marie Callender's Chicken Pot Pies at home, whenever I want.

The new family size has six servings, which is perfect for us. My grandchildren are notoriously picky eaters, and end up asking for different things to eat for dinner. My daughter and I try to discourage that because we don't want to set up that pattern, and who has time for that anyway?

Fortunately, the kids love this chicken pot pie, so there was no asking for something different. And with the recent snow and cold weather, pot pies are the perfect comfort food to warm us up.

I bought my chicken pot pie at Walmart when I was doing some grocery shopping. I always find the Walmart Bakery so tempting, with all the breads, pies, and other goodies.

I picked up a bag of these Ciabatta Rolls to go with dinner, and they were so good.

My grandson Jayden recently turned eight years old, and his appetite seems to be getting bigger everyday. Just like when my kids were little, it makes me happy to see him eat up a wholesome and yummy dinner.

With all the time we save by serving Marie Callender's Chicken Pot Pie, we have more time to talk about his day at school, or do homework, or for him to play before dinnertime.

You can find Marie Callender's Family Size Chicken Pot Pie in the freezer section of your local Walmart.

I thought they would be with the regular sized pot pies, but they weren't. They were located in the family meals section, so be sure to look around if you don't easily find them.

I always keep individual pot pies in the freezer at home. Sometimes I'll have one for lunch, or the kids will want them for dinner on a night when their mom and dad have an evening out, and I'm watching them.

With the busy holiday season already here, I'll be picking up more of the family sized pot pies very soon. By having handy meals on hand like Marie Callender's Pot Pies, my family and I can have less stress about getting dinner on the table, and more fun enjoying the holidays together.

You can visit Marie Callender's Meals to learn more about their product, and visit Pot Pies Please for more great recipes. You can also find Marie Callender's on Facebook.

With all the cold weather we are having, do you have a favorite comfort food dinner? Leave me a comment, I would love to know.

Christmas Butter Cookies

Last week I started getting into the Christmas spirit, and decided to make some Christmas cookies. We always had butter cookies during the holidays when I was a kid. I wish that I had my mom's recipe for them, they were always so rich and delicious, and decorated with sprinkles just like these.

This recipe is actually fairly easy, and I think the cookies turn out best when the dough is refrigerated over night. You can add whatever kind of sprinkles you like of course, but the red and green are very festive.

These cookies hold up well if you'd like to give them as a gift, too. That is if you have any left over, which I didn't because my grandchildren thought they were perfect with a glass of milk on a cold afternoon.

I ate my fair share too, because they just tasted so good. For me, Christmas is about food, and treats and sharing them with friends and family. And cookies are so easy to make and give, and who doesn't love receive homemade goodies?

Recipe for Christmas Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

8 ounces unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
2 cups all-purpose flour
Sprinkles for decorating

Directions:

Beat the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
Mix in the egg yolk until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once,
Add the flour and mix just until incorporated.
Scrape onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times.
Turn onto a sheet of waxed paper and roll into a log, wrap and refrigerate, or over night.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Before baking, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the dough into slices about 1/8-inch thick and place them on the baking sheet. Shake on sprinkles.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just beginning to turn golden brown around the edges.

Makes approximately 32 cookies.