Shlickers aka Stickers

My son has a love for "Shlickers" (stickers) that is crazy. He loves to have as many as he can. We get them at the stores in bulk. He sticks them on himself, me, his stuffed animals, the furniture, the walls, the TV, and anywhere he can reach. I find myself having them on my face and clothing when I dont realize it. I have had many people point on one on my face or butt that I forgot was there. lol

It all started with the sticker that he would get at our local Raley's grocery store. Every time we go, and we go a lot, they give him a sticker, sometimes two so his Giraffe can have one too. Now he wants a sticker from every place we go. He wants them off fruit he sees in the stores too. I find it so very sweet since when I was little I had a sticker collection too. I would take them off of apples and bananas in the store too. My mom would buy me great stickers from places we went. I remember once in Santa Barbara and Solvang we went into toy stores and we would get me a few unique stickers for my collection. One of my favorites was a big one that had a few different dog breeds on the sheet. I had many many stickers that I did not use but collect. My son loves to use them and not collect them but as a girl I liked to keep my pretty stickers intact. I had a very collectible personality as a kid. My rock and shell collection was impressive!

When I moved out of my parents home I left my sticker collection behind. The big kid I am I did want to take it but thought I would be a dork if I did. Thankfully it was passed down to my little sister Meg who got to have sticker fun with them. Stickers oddly used to be a bit pricey when I loved them but now for my son I can go to Walmart or the Dollar Store and he gets a bunch of them. So if you see me in public or in a picture and I am covered in stickers you will know why.

My Top 5 Favorite Things To Do After The Holidays

After the tree is taken down and the Christmas decorations are put away, I always feel a little bit sad. The happiness of the holidays are over and real life is upon us again. The house can seem a bit bare and gloomy to me after all the bright lights and excitement of the season. So I try to find things to do that will lift my spirits and give me a cheerier outlook. I am also budget conscious so I look for things to do or buy that aren't going to cost me a lot of money. Here are five of my favorites.



1. Buy yourself some flowers. Nothing cheers me up faster than to see a pretty bouquet of flowers sitting on my table or desk. I am so lucky to live in the Seattle area and can go buy my flowers at The Pike Place Market. The flower vendors there have many varieties of gorgeous flowers at an unbelievably inexpensive price. Your local grocery store is also a great place to look for flowers that don't cost a lot.

2. Make yourself a special cup of coffee or tea at home. I love flavored coffees and teas but I don't drink them everyday. Having a chia vanilla spice cup of tea or cinnamon roll flavored coffee is a lovely treat. If I use my french press to brew my coffee, it makes it even more special. Just the aroma of the coffee or tea can make me feel better.

3. Go to the library and browse for a couple of hours. My local library is truly a treasure that I love to take advantage of as often as possible. Books, DVD's, magazines, and more are all available to check out at no cost. I love bringing home a stack of decorating books and cookbooks that inspire me to live better. Lots of us can forget how wonderful a resource the library can be and you can't beat the price.

4. Write a short letter or thank you note to someone you care about. In these days of emails and texting, it is becoming more and more rare to receive an actual hand written piece of mail. It only takes a few minutes and the cost of a stamp to send thanks or to send a note of appreciation or affection to someone you care about. It will give you as much pleasure to send it as it will give the person who receives it. To express gratitude towards others reminds us of who we have to be grateful for.

5. Go to an afternoon movie by yourself. Pick the movie that you want to see, not the one your husband wants to see or maybe not even the latest blockbuster. I started doing this years ago and I love it. Eat your popcorn and junk food and just relax for the next couple of hours. I guarantee you will walk out of the theater feeling lighter and refreshed. I love going to the movies and going in the afternoon when everybody else is busy, always gives me a little thrill.

We all need to do things just for ourselves sometimes, especially if we are feeling a little low or out of sorts. As wonderful as the holidays are, they do take a lot of work and that work usually falls to the wives and mothers in the family.

What do you do to cheer yourself up or as a special something just for you? 

Dino Dan featuring Mighty Machines Prize Pack Giveaway

Dino Dan featuring Might Machines is a cool movie about a boy who has a great imagination to see Dinosaurs everywhere. He helps them as they teach him all about different dinos. I think my son would find this show great. He likes dinos and says "Roaaar" when he sees them in books we read.

We are happy to be able to share a great giveaway for one of our lucky readers!

Dino Dan Synopsis

Follow the adventures of paleontologist-in-training Dan Henderson as he imagines dinosaurs into the real world! Dan uses the scientific method to gather clues and solve mysteries.  NCircle Entertainment Presents Dino Dan, filled with 4 action-packed adventures full of discovery!

Mighty Machines: Ride the Mountain Rails! Synopsis
Work Trail is busy keeping the tracks in good shape.  It takes the power of three engines to get up the sharp includes and over the pass.  These machines are a special hardy breed, made for the mountain rails.


DINO DAN EPISODES DETAIL
He Shoots, He Roars:
Dan figures out how to prove if dinosaurs were warm-blooded from Jim the reptile lizard and his puppet Denny the Dromaeosaurus.

Bones in the Backyard:
When Trek and Tristan find a bone in the schoolyard, Dan uses a paper-mache skull in Mrs. Hahn’s art class to figure out if it came from the Stygimoloch

Active Imagination
When a T-Rex backs down from a Triceratops, Dan learns that the T-Rex is a hunter AND a scavenger!

To Flee or Not to Flee
A substitute teachers encourages Dan and his classmates to engage in dinosaur role-playing)

Dino Dan seems like a great way to get kids to have a fun adventure while learning about Dinosaurs.

Dino Dan Giveaway Prize Pack

GIVEAWAY

One Dino Dan: Dino Trackers DVD     

One Dino Dan theatrical poster

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

What is yours or your kids favorite Dinosaur?

*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.

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#Win a Dino Dan Prize Pack from @KidtoonFilms at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 01/28


*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts January 6, 2012 and ends on January 28th , 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.

Rowenta Delta Force 18V Cordless Stick Vacuum Review

Call me crazy but I love to vacuum. Its a simple way to make the house look clean and be clean! My son used to find the sound of the vacuum soothing. He would smile at it and wave to it as I cleaned. But now oh my he is terrified of it. He screams and cries anytime I turn it on, its very sad. I knew I needed to find a new solution to vacuuming without a big bulky corded vacuum.

I was sent a Rowenta Delta Force 18V Cordless Stick Vac to review for the Holidays. This vacuum came in handy so many times! Its cordless (awesome!) light weight and has a small plug in to charge it, no bulky charge base. Its quick and easy to use. We vacuumed up cookie crumbs from Santa and confetti from New Years celebrations with ease. We have short carpet and hardwood flooring for the two settings on the vacuum but I think if we had high pile carpet it might not get the deep dirt as much. Definitely a good maintenance vacuum. I liked the easy empty push button to open the canister and the heavy duty filtration system. I plan to use this vacuum exclusively in my sons room so he can have the least amount of dust possible. My son still is a bit apprehensive about it but does not scream since it seems more like a loud broom to him.

The corner shaped head of the vacuum made it easier to get into corners and edges. Its a bit expensive but the quality is there for the asking price. I have had stick vacuums before and none compare to power of this one. I do not think it could replace a big vacuum in a large house especially when you have kids and pets like I do but its great for maintenance and quick clean ups. I am happy to not have to drag out our big vacuum and the cord all over the house when I plan to do regular vacuuming.


Rowenta Delta Force cordless rechargeable stick vacuum runs for up to 40 minutes on a single charge. Two settings adjust for hard floors and carpeting, and the unique swivel-triangle head edges into corners and along walls with precision.

• Cordless rechargeable stick vacuum runs for up to 40 minutes on a single charge.
• Bagless cyclonic technology.
• Ideal for hard floors, area rugs and low- to medium-pile carpet.
• Triangular motorized suction head swivels to reach into corners and awkward spaces.
• Lightweight (7.5 lb.).
• Slim profile for easy storage in pantry or closet.
• Charger plugs directly into self-standing unit; no external charging stand. 16-hour charge time.

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

She's HERE!!

Miss Ashley and I!!!

We recently welcomed a little girl into our family. She has actually been here for a little over 2 weeks but am just now getting to blogging about her. Recovery is going slower than I expected and having 3 kids is a big adjustment, but life is good!!!! This was my 3rd C-section and my body is not feeling as great as I would like it to. Still having some pain, and some swelling but I am on my way to being the "Super Mom" I once was!

When I thought about welcoming a new baby into our lives, honestly I was nervous and expected it to be totally crazy. I mean Baby L is still just a little baby himself at almost 18 months, I was worried how he would react. I have to say we have been pleasantly surprised, he has been so lovable and great. Both of the boys have been loving on their sister and treat her like a princess!! Having a girl has changed my husband as well, he is already protective of her and thinks the world revolves around his baby girl. It is so sweet :) I love having a girl and think about all of the great things we can do as she grows, and I can't help but smile when I do. My sister and I have great memories of shopping with my Mom, girl scouts, barbies, dolls and much more!! I look forward to our journey as a family of 5 and can't wait to see what the future holds in 2012. This girl has captured our hearts and we love her more than I can express :)

P.S. I think the name Baby L does not fit our 18 month old, he is not the baby anymore!!