California Sunsets

Living in CA I have always loved the summers. Yes I complain it can be too hot, but I do love that you can stay outside well past the sunset and its still warm out. This last week we have sat out by the garden and watched the sunset a few times. Its been wonderful to try to just be in the moment and watch as the day slowly slips away into night. Our view is not an ocean view like I wish, but sitting with my family near our garden smelling basil and tomato growing is priceless.

Tips for a Better Night's Sleep - Guest Post

Getting a good night's sleep can seem impossible when you do not feel comfortable or have distractions around you. However, there are a few simple ways you can get more comfortable and get rid of distractions to ensure you get a decent night's sleep.

Mattresses

 Your mattress has a lot to do with how well you sleep. Mattresses need to be supportive while still offering you comfort. If you have a mattress that is too soft or lumpy, you end up constantly moving to find a comfortable position. Constant movement while you are resting can make you feel as though you never get enough sleep. Quality mattresses such as Serta mattresses are designed to provide support and comfort by offering a variety of mattress styles to suit different needs. Whether you’re looking for a standard inner-spring or the newly popular memory foam, any quality brand will have several options. You can purchase great new mattresses at a variety of places; you may want to check them out in-store or do your research online first at retailers like ShopNBC to see what you’re most interested in.

Distractions

 Many people say that they do not have any trouble sleeping with a television or radio on. However, even if electronics do not bother you, they can prevent you from completely falling asleep. Televisions emit light and radios can play songs that prevent you from sleeping. Try getting rid of the distractions in your bedroom or turn them off before you go to bed. If you need noise to sleep, consider using a humidifier or fan.

If light bothers you and prevents you from sleeping, consider getting black-out curtains for your windows. Black-out curtains can help prevent light from coming through the windows in the early morning or if you live in an area where there is constant traffic. If that’s not an option, even getting a sleep mask, which can be purchased at your local pharmacy, can help block out light.

Getting a good night's sleep is vital to your health. Your body needs adequate sleep to function on a day-to-day basis. However, not having the right mattress or sleeping in a room with too many distractions can prevent you from getting the sleep you need. To change your sleeping habits, reassess your mattress and make an effort to get rid of televisions and other electronics in your bedroom.


*This is a guest post brought to you by Leslie Silver

Frugal Pizza

Sometimes when I have a bunch of  items left over in the fridge I like to turn it into something so nothing is wasted. I am frugal with food and feel terrible to waste it. Knowing other people dont have food in some places make me be grateful for mine. My husband even laughs at my fruit section in the freezer with odds and ends of fruits that were needing to be eaten right then or they would go bad. I freeze it for smoothies.

I had whole wheat bread, cheese and a few small containers in the fridge with extras I did not use in a recipe some spaghetti sauce,  red onion, green bell pepper and mushrooms. Perfect for making little bread pizza for lunch. I made my son's without the veggies and mine with the veggies. The trick is to slightly toast the bread before all the toppings are put on so the bread will be crisp and the cheese wont get burnt from having to cook to long. A perfect frugal lunch with left overs!

Shop The Gift Basket Store $20 Gift Certificate Giveaway - Birthday Bash

Gift Baskets can be a great way to cheer up someones day, be a great birthday present or a get well gift. Nana, Laura, Sam, Liam and our Dad all have summer birthdays. With all those summer birthdays coming we need some gift ideas. Many of us live in separate states so we do not see each other on our birthdays so its nice to find a place to shop at to get something nice to have mailed to them.

Shop The Gift Basket Store has a wide variety of gift baskets for Birthdays. Gift Baskets for book lovers like my Mom Patricia, kids birthdays, women's birthdays, men's birthdays, golf lovers, sports fans and so many more.

They even have cute items like Candy Bouquets and Cookie Bouquets. I know I would like one for a just because day or a thinking of you gift too.

Gift Baskets can be just as much fun to send then receive when you get to select from so many fun ones. To celebrate you, our readers, we are offering a $20 Gift Certificate to ShopTheGiftBasketStore.com for Nana's 55th Birthday Bash.


GIVEAWAY

Win a $20 Gift Certificate to ShopTheGiftBasketStore.com


 To Enter This Giveaway:

 Which item from the Shop The Gift Basket Store 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 ShopTheGiftBasketStore on Facebook +1
-Follow ShopTheGiftBasketStore on Twitter +1
-Follow ShopTheGiftBasketStore on Pinterest +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 
-Follow Frugal Family Tree on Pinterest +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 $20 Gift Certificate to @shopgiftbaskets from @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 7/13

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

T-fal Healthy Summer Challenge Tip #1

 
This summer I am delighted to be one of the bloggers taking part in the T-fal Healthy Summer Challenge. I will be sharing a few tips with you on how I make small but important changes to live a healthier lifestyle.


Tip #1

Summertime means eating lots of ice cream around my house. I am making changes to eat healthier, so I have decided to replace my ice cream with healthy and delicious frozen yogurt.

Besides being good for you, frozen yogurt comes in so many delicious flavors. I love adding fresh fruit or crushed granola to make a super yummy summer dessert that appeals to everyone in my family.

 What sweet treat can you replace with a healthier option for your summertime desserts?

*I wrote this blog post while participating in the T-FFal Healthy Summer Challenge blogging program for a chance to win a T-fal ActiFry or additional cookware.