Naiad Soap Arts Review and Giveaway - Birthday Bash

   
One of my true pleasures in life is taking a long, hot, steamy bath or shower. Taking a bath just before bedtime usually assures me of a wonderful nights sleep.

So I am always on the look-out for new kinds of soap and bath products. When I found Naiad Soap Arts online, I knew I wanted to try their products. Who wouldn't want to try Milk Chocolate Marshmallow Cream Soap, or Key Lime and Grapefruit Whipped Shea Butter Scrub?

As well as having such lovely names, all of the products look pretty on the website, too. Naiad Soap Arts make all of their soaps by hand, and in small batches so that it's customers can be assured of buying quality products.

For my review I selected a Sugar Whipped Soap called Connecticut Beach House. I just couldn't resist the name and the lovely cotton candy look of the soap. I just love it! It has a citrus and floral mix fragrance that is very nice. It also has a fluffy texture and an addition of fine sugar that gently exfoliates your skin. I used it with a bath sponge and it created a great lather. I look forward to trying more of this wonderful line of soaps.

The company makes sugar scrubs, glycerin soaps, cold process soaps, lip balms and more. To see the complete line of products available go to naiadsoaparts.com.

We are happy to be hosting a giveaway of a jar of Whipped Soap of your choice.

 GIVEAWAY

Win a jar of Sugar Whipped Soap from Naiad Soap Arts of your scent choice

 

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


Which scent of Sugar Whipped Soap would you pick if you won?

 

*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 Jar of Sugar Whipped Soap from @naiadsoaparts at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 7/13

 

 

 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts June 15 2012 and ends on July 13, 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.

Nana's 55th Birthday Bash Starts Today!

Happy Friday Everyone! Today is a special day for us since we are starting Nana Patricia aka our Mom's 55th Birthday Bash Celebration. Our Mom, Nana to the grandkids and Patricia to her friends will be turning 55. We wanted to throw her an online Birthday Bash. Turning 55 is an awesome milestone. Nana has been writing on the blog for over a year now and has become a big part of what Frugal Family Tree is, after all with out our wonderful Mom we would not be the Family Tree we are.

As her daughters Sam, Meg and I adore her and consider her one of our closest friends. She makes us all feel just as special as the other and she has 3 of us girls and 2 sons. We want to celebrate Nana's birthday with all of you as we share great gifts, fun party ideas and local Seattle must see places to visit. Our Mom loves yoga, clothing, shoes, watches, coffee, books, stationary, hand bags, baskets which are all awesome gifts that we plan to get her. Our Mom loves the city life. SF, NY, LA, and Seattle would be the place for her to live right in the heart of one of them and be absolutely happy. (its on the will do someday list!)

We also want to introduce her to fun experiences as well. Indulging in a spa day or a nice dinner can be a great way to create wonderful memories. Of course while looking fabulous at 55! We love our Mom so much and want to share with you ways to celebrate your loved ones too. Thank you for our sponsors for being a part of this wonderful celebration.

We hope you have fun with our giveaways to win some great gifts for the Summer Birthdays you are celebrating this year.

New Fruits: Papayas

This summer I have decided I will try a few new fruits each month. There are so many varieties to try and living in CA we have many to select from. I am determined to find a fruit that my son will consistently eat other than bananas. Papayas are something I have always wanted to try. Odd that I have not tried one before. I think I am stuck in the rut of apples, bananas and oranges, all very healthy stuff I just want new flavors. We found some huge Caribbean Red Papayas at Sam's Club and for the price and size it was great compared to other stores.

I should have taken a picture before we cut it. It is a big piece of fruit. I shaved the outside with a potato peeler and washed it before I cut into it.

We had enough to eat for a treat and jarred the rest to stay fresh. I thought it tasted great. Its almost like if a mango and a avocado were intertwined. Very sweet but at the same time savory. I will add this to my list of must have again!

What fruits do you recommend I try?

 

Positive Pet Ownership Tips

I have been a dog person since I was a toddler. My mom has the cutest picture of me and our dog Snowball when I was only 4 years old. From then on I have had many dogs and as an adult a few more. There are a few things I have learned over the years about being a pet owner.

#1 Crate training is essential. 

Even if your dog is an outside dog having them be comfortable in a crate is important. I have a big dog, a black lab and we trained her as a puppy. Just recently she needed to be in her crate while construction work was being done for her own safety. 

Crate training is also a vital part of potty training early on. It will take about a week of dedication but it will pay off for you and your dog. With my dog we would have her hang out in the crate for an hour or so then take her to the back door and ring a little bell that was hanging from a string. I would ring the bell and then open the door to take her potty. After she went to the bathroom I would tell her she was good and jump around all excited. Then back in the house right away. For the first week the back yard or outside was only for potty. I did not let her play out there just yet. She would play and run around the house then into the crate for a bit. Each time she came out of the crate we would go to the back door, ring the little bell, tell her potty and go out back. We did this for a 4 day weekend we had and by the fourth day of this consistent routine she went to the door and rang her little bell and sat waiting for me. SUCCESS! To this day my dog has only peed in the house twice and she is 7 years old. Be sure when they are little to respond to the bell ringing. Even if your tired and she was just out there, say potty and take her out back. 

Without the crate being the spot she was in hanging out during training I am sure she would have found a hidden spot to pee or poo. The crate is what helped her know to wait since she did not want to pee in her own bed. 

I also want to add do not do the old fashioned "rub their nose in it" or punish a dog for a potty accident. This will create a fear driven pottier. I am not a dog expert in the slightest just have seen dogs positive attitude destroyed by the fear of needing to go. 

#2 Toys keep a dog entertained.

 Dogs just like us get bored. When you buy toys for them change them out with older toys. I buy toys for my dog when there is a sale like a holiday has passed and the toys have gone on clearance. My dog will not know a bunny or snowman is a seasonal thing. If you keep their toys on a cycle they will not get bored with them. This also works on my toddler lol

#3 Positive Praise.

Just  like kids dogs enjoy praise for things they have done good. Training is a constant for dogs, even older dogs need to be reminded that their good behavior is still appreciated. I know with my dog when she rings her bell I still cheer for her and its been almost 7 years. She still wags her tail and dances around with excited. 

#4 Learning new behaviors.

Keep training them. Dogs need to be learning new things and to practice learned skills. Starting with a dog training collars can be helpful for older dogs that may have already learned un-wanted behaviors to help correct them. My dog can sit, stay and come with hand commands. I dont have to say a word just a gesture. We still keep up the practice with little drills in the back yard. She needs to know I know she listens and is sharp with her skills. We are currently working on a new skill of high five. Its a tough one for her since I did not teach her shake or to put her paws up on people. We knew we would be starting a family in the near future when we bought our dog so we tried to teach her skills to be kid ready for when we did have children around her. 

#5 Personal space for your dog.

Dogs like alone time too. They should have a den like area even just a dog bed that would be all theirs in your own home if its outside or inside make your dog their own space. One that you dont mess with or the kids. We have a dog in our neighborhood that is always kept in the front yard on a busy street corner with a chain link fence. He barks at everything and appears to be under constant stress. He sees every one and animal that goes by and he is always on guard. He barks at cars too and its a busy street. I always say if he just had his own little house or some fencing that was not see thru he would be more mellow. 

Those are my 5 tips for a positive dog ownership. I hope you find them helpful. I am not a dog expert in anyway just a dog owner for many many years.

At a local dog show checking out the puppies

This post is brought to you as a part of the Dog Days of Summer Campaign, hosted by the folks at dog training collars. It is my hope that these tips help pet owners and their pooches have a harmonious summer.

Dessert: Healthy vs Temptation

When we were shopping at the store today I decided I wanted to try a new product for dessert. I found two choices and oh my was it hard to pick if I wanted the healthy Frozen Greek Yogurt Smoothies or be tempted by the Cheesecake Bite Size Multi Flavors. My husband and son were trying to help me decide between the healthy and the indulgence. I thought about it for a bit while we looked around at other food we needed. My final decision was to just get both lol. I will have one or the other depending on what I had for dinner that day. Its my own way of telling myself I am still sticking to a overall plan.

Which one would you have chosen?