DIY Compost

There is something so soothing to me about growing things. Planting, watering, harvesting, I love it! I always say my garden nurtures me more than I nurture it. Nothing taste better than food you have grown yourself. Its like home made cookies your Mom make, its made with love! This year we have planted new things like watermelons and jalapenos along with our regulars like tomatoes and basil. If you plant basil and tomatoes mixed in together oh my its good! The tomatoes take on the basil flavor a bit giving the flavor a boost.

This year we thought we wanted to try making some compost for our garden. I am always tossing eggs that expire, rinds and peels of produce and thought there must be a better thing to do with them. We decided to do a mini DIY Composting. For now its on a tiny scale just to see if it works but we plan to go bigger if we can make it work for us.

Here is what we did:

We took a box, lined it with a plastic bag added potting soil then eggs and shells

Next we added the rind from watermelon we had the night before (I am sure any fruit or veggie would work)

Then we added some grass

Then more potting soil. It was only $1 for a bag of  potting soil few weeks ago I stocked up

For a touch of beauty I added rose petals from the rose bushes that line our back yard

Layered more grass

A touch of Christmas spirit lol pine needles from our tree last year.  I chop it up and use it as bark in the yard and there was pine needles still in the bark pile.

Mint Leaves from the mint that has invaded a portion of my yard. Smells so good!

Another layer of potting soil

A bunch of decaying leaves, bugs worms and all

More dirt!

Add water to the mix, just regular hose water.

Cover with the plastic from the soil and rocks to hold it down. Leave in the sun to break down.

I hope it works! We will add more veggie peels and such to it and give it a stir here and there. I do need a real compost pile though. This is just my attempt at seeing if it works. Wish me and my decaying matter luck!

39Dollar Glasses Review and Giveaway - Mother's Day

About four years ago, I bought a new pair of glasses that cost me a little over $500. I have known for awhile now that I really do need new glasses again, but I dreaded paying out all that money.

Imagine how happy and surprised I was to find 39Dollar Glasses. This great online store is the perfect answer to the traditionally high price of eye wear.

The company is owned and operated by eye doctors, and all of their glasses are made in the USA. They are able to offer a complete line of prescription glasses, including no-line bifocal, and Transition Lenses. By being an online only store, 39Dollar Glasses doesn't have to pay the overhead that traditional retail establishments do, thereby being able to pass that huge savings onto their customers. 39 Dollar Glasses also offers a 100% guarantee and free shipping. Plus they ship FREE to all active US service men and women no matter where they are serving!

I was so happy and excited to be offered the opportunity to order and review a pair of their glasses. I went to the website and was so amazed at all the kinds and styles of frames that were offered there. It was a lot of fun looking through all of the selection and picking out my frames.

The website is completely user friendly, and filled with all the information needed to comfortably place your order. There is also a 1-800 number to call if you have any questions, which I did. The customer service person was very helpful and able to answer all of my questions. My prescription is for progressive lenses, and I needed to make sure that I was placing my order correctly.

A few days later, my glasses arrived. I have to admit I was a little nervous about buying them online. But when I put them on, I was completely happy with them. They fit great, and I was thrilled with the improvement in my vision.

I just love 39Dollar Glasses and am now a loyal customer. I am happy to tell everyone I know about the great and inexpensive glasses they make. Visit the website to see the amazing selection of frames and styles to choose from. Here I am in my new pair of Sofia Brown Glasses.

39Dollar Glasses is offering one lucky reader a pair of free glasses (up to $75). There is also a coupon code to receive 10% off of all other orders (code FFT 123).

 GIVEAWAY

Win a pair of Glasses or Sunglasses (up to $75) from 39Dollar Glasses.


To Enter This Giveaway:

Like 39Dollar Glasses on Facebook +1

(Please do NOT write on their wall about Frugal Family Tree, its against their wall rules you can tell them which pair of glasses you like but not a requirement)

(leave your FB name, First and initial if its your name so I know you liked them)

*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.

 -Follow 39Dollar Glasses on Twitter +1
-Follow 39Dollar Glasses on Pinterest +1


 -Follow Frugal Family Tree on Pinterest +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 pair of Glasses (up to $75) from @39DollarGlasses at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 5/30 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/05/39dollar-glasses-review-and-giveaway.html

 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts May 11th 2012 and ends on May 30th, 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 product pictured in the post for free for my review. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Green Apple Love

 I used to be the only one in my family that would eat green apples. My husband would not even try it! I have loved green apples since I was a kid in Southern CA. We lived on a property that had a few green apple trees and the summer we lived there was green apple paradise! We ate as many as we could everyday. I loved picking them from the tree and taking a bite. We even put some in a bucket and bobbed for apples. Its not as fun as you might think if you accidentally breath through your nose while trying to get an apple lol

That is what started my LOVE of green apples. When I was pregnant with my son I ate a green apple everyday. I read its good for preventing allergies and asthma in kids, not sure where I read it but I thought heck an apple a day right lol Plus I thought what I eat might help influence his tastes later too.

Well I am happy to report my little guy loves green apples too. He makes faces when he eats them but tells me its mmmm good. I am so happy to finally have someone to eat green apples with. My husband feels the same about shellfish. I am allergic to it so he is hoping it will be something our son likes so he will have some to share his grilled shrimp with this summer.

Kravings by Klogs Shoe Review and Giveaway - Mother's Day

Shoes are something all women love! Its the simplest way to make an outfit look put together. As a busy Mom I was stuck in the flip flop rut and I hated it. I needed a pair of shoes that I could slip on to do errands and also look great while doing it. They needed to be comfortable and not too tall. ( My son loves to still be carried and tends to be a wiggle worm so I did not want to fall over wearing too tall of shoes, yes I am klutz lol)

I looked online to fins a comfy pair of clog type of shoes and found a great company, Klogs. I was delighted to see that Klogs makes a line of shoes that are perfect for a Mom. Kravings by Klogs has super cute, stylish and comfy shoes for a busy Mom. I have been wearing the Millie in Black from the Monarch Collection and love them. They are very comfortable and sturdy. A good shoe especially a sandal needs to feel sturdy. Like you can run in them if you need to. Of course I do not recommend that but with a toddler it possible you might have to dash after them.

The Kravings Shoes have leather tops with a cushioned insole and shock absorbing outsole. The main thing I noticed about wearing the shoes after hours of running errands with my son is my feet still felt great. No soreness or fatigue. Awesome!

GIVEAWAY

Win a pair of Woman's Sandals from Kravings.com


To Enter This Giveaway:

 What style of shoes from Kravings 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 Kravings by Klogs on Facebook +2
-Follow Klogs on Pinterest +2
-Like Klogs on Facebook +2


 -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 pair of Sandals from Kravings by Klogs at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 5/25 #shoes

 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts May 10th 2012 and ends on May 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 product pictured in the post for free for my review. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal Review and Donation

 Natural deodorants has been something I have been buying on and off for about 10 years now. This last year I have told myself I need to ONLY buy natural ones. I am concerned about the harmful aluminum and parabens in many brands on the shelf. After researching about breast cancer risks and deodorants I have made the personal choice to stick to natural ones.

There are many great brands on the market for Natural Deodorants. Price ranges can vary but one I have found that is affordable and at Walmart, Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal. Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal contains 100% Natural ingredients with no aluminum or parabens. It is also great for sensitive skin since its hypoallergenic and fragrance free. My husband loves this brand and its the only one he has used for about 5 years now. I go back and forth on brands but he is a loyal customer for sure!

I also reviewed the Moiststic Natural Lip Protection. I love the refreshing feel of it. The peppermint flavor was great. It reminds me of a much more expensive competitor brand but this one is much more affordable. The natural lip product contains Tea Tree Oil, Vitamin E, Beeswax, Coconut Oil, and Peppermint Oil.

The company that sells Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal is wonderful. They were so awesome to send me a big box of Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal to donate to one of my favorite local charities Roseville Home Start. Deodorant is on the Wish List on the Charities website. Its one of those items people might forget that people need donated.  It makes me beyond happy to be able to blog for good and make donations like this.

The Staff at Home Start is always welcoming to us and appreciates our donations.

To learn more about Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal you can be a fan Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine. I was provided one deodorant and lip product for my review and donated the rest by the Company / PR Company for free.