My Spin on Chilly Cheese Fries with Ore-Ida Sweet Potato Fries #OreIdaFries

 Meal time in my home can be a bit of a whirlwind. I am not the greatest cook although I am making attempts to learn more now that I have my son to feed. We do our best to make sure we at least all eat dinner together. Since my son is only 20 months old I tend to make him a "baby" version of what ever I will be having.

One of my favorite things to eat is chilly cheese fries. Lately they have been a bit same old same old as far as flavors. I have tried different toppings to make them tastier but never did I think to try a different type of fries!

I have noticed in the stores over the summer the emergence of Sweet Potato fries. I have been very curious to try them but my reluctant husband has said we probably would not like them. Wow was he wrong, and he will admit to it too! I was surprised at how delicious they are. My son gobbled up the Ore-Ida Sweet Potato Fries faster than our regular Ore-Ida Extra Crispy fries. But this is the ending to our fun story about #OreIdaFries.

To find Ore-Ida Sweet Potato Fries we searched for them at a few Sam's Clubs. We have been Sam's members for at least 10 years now. I love going there to get great deals on products we use daily and to find new products. I once tried a fudge on sample day that was so good! This day I was on a mission to find the Ore-Ida Sweet Potato Fries by Heinz to swap out my regular fries.

When we first got into the store my son immediately noticed the Big Screen tvs playing one of his favorite movies Rio. We stood there for a few minutes dancing to the songs then continued shopping. We went past the snacks section full of tempting treats, but I was sticking to my plan of trying to make it a healthy shopping trip.

We headed to the Frozen Foods section to find our Ore-Ida Sweet Potato Fries by Heniz. They were super easy to find under the "Potatoes" label. We found them right next to the Ore-Ida fries we usually purchase.

We grabbed a bag to put in our cart and continued to shop around. We went the juice section to see of they carried a brand my son loves, no luck there. We spotted my once favorite Naked Juice but opted to wait to get Fruit Simple instead.

We had to visit my favorite section where they place the holiday stuff. We found great Halloween items there. Its a fun reminder that the fall is just around the corner! We then headed to the Back to School supplies for any great deals that were a must have.

Then I remembered I needed to find beans for my chili cheese fries. I first looked for the brand I like to buy, S and W then for the type of bean I was trying to find, black beans. I did not find black beans but I knew I could get them on the way home at Walmart.

Since we were just at Sam's getting household supplies and food a few days before this all we needed for this trip was our #OreIdaFries . As we headed out I resisted the temptation to get a pretzel and an icee since I did not want to spoil our appetites.
The check out lady was super sweet and drew a smiley face on our receipt. The door attendant was also a nice woman who commented on how beautiful my son's eyes are and gave him another smiley face on our receipt. Great way to leave a store, flattered and with exactly what we came for in our cart!

As soon as we got home I pre-heated the oven and got all our ingredients to do my spin on Chilly Cheese Fries using Ore-Ida Sweet Potato Fries by Heniz. I used black beans with tons of freshly ground pepper for the chilly part. I know its not regular chilly but it something my son and I love to eat. I buy the 50% less sodium cans when my son is going to be eating them too.

After the #OreIdaFries were done I left them sit for a bit while I made the beans. I always drain out all of the water from the can and even put in a bit of water and swish it around to get out all the starchy water that is in with the beans. I find it to taste better when you do that. I put the beans in the saute pan with a bunch of pepper and warmed them up. For my sons part of the dish I smash up his beans and mix the cheese into the bean mash. He will eat every bit of the healthy black beans if I do it this way. Its not the prettiest way but he loves it. For me I left my beans whole. After the beans were hot I poured them over the Ore-Ida Sweet Potato Fries that I had sitting in the pan. I left them in the pan to make it easier to warm everything up. Then I added shredded cheddar and  I added red onions to my side of the meal. I placed it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes to melt the cheese and warm the onions.

I loved how it tasted! It gave my regular chilly cheese fries a whole new flavor. I will definitely be buying this again.

 Since we had our Sweet Potato #OreIdaFries I have had them with fish and green beans. We had family come over for the evening and with kids and adults both here I served a big plate of the Sweet Potato Fries with ketchup and ranch as dipping sauce. They were a huge hit and no one knew they were getting their beta carotene!

*This project has been compensated as part of a  #OreIdaFries shopping mission for Heinz with #CollectiveBias. All opinions are my own and may vary from others.

Four Seasons Seattle Art Restaurant Larry Gets Lost In Seattle Menu Review

On Sunday we spent the day in our favorite city, Seattle and while we were there we went to the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences for Brunch. Now I know what you may be thinking, you took two small children to the Four Seasons for Brunch? Have you lost your mind? You might be thinking the Four Seasons is pretty fancy and luxurious place to take your children to for brunch, I know I used to. I guess I thought that the Four Seasons was a place for the executive type and with two little boys we do not fit that bill! I was so wrong.

(Here we are outside of the hotel, on the streets of Seattle)

The Four Seasons Hotel has collaborated with John Skewes, the creator and illustrator of the successful Larry Gets Lost™ picture book series to create a creative kids menu. Remember in March when we did the book review for Larry Gets Lost in Seattle? We love Larry and when we heard the news that the Art Restaurant and Lounge loves him as much as we do, we were dying to check it out!


When we were seated the first thing we noticed was the set up for the boys. They each had a fresh bowl of fruit, a cup of water in a cute cup and a berry smoothie with a straw! I have to give the Four Seasons credit, they know how to start a meal off right for kids :) As you can see the smoothies were a HUGE hit!


The place mats had Larry and Pete on them and the menus were just like the book but with coloring activities as well. JJ and Baby L were "reading" their menus like good little boys.




Larry's Menu for Kids had a lot to choose from but as soon as JJ heard pasta that was it. He knew what he wanted. On top of pasta being his favorite meal, the pasta was in the shape of the Space Needle, a tourist spot in Seattle that he learned about from reading Larry Gets Lost in Seattle. Perfect. For Baby L we ordered the PB and J sandwich, another perfect choice for a 1 year old.

(Here are the Space Needle Noodles with cheese!)

(Baby L's PB and J, look how cute they cut off the crust!)

(JJ and I after his meal arrived, he was so excited!)

For brunch I had a sausage skillet and my husband had an omelet, both very tasty but I guess this is about the kids right? The boys both ate up their food and were perfect gentlemen, well except Baby L may have been ready to go as soon as he was done. But all and all the boys were very good. A lot of that was do to the wait staff. Everyone was so nice to us. This is our cute and super sweet waitress Tamara, she was so good talking to JJ and really made him feel special.

(Our server,Tamara presented JJ with a Jones Soda that featured Pete and Larry. Awesome)

(We love Larry!)

Part of our little outing was to celebrate my birthday as well. So for the occasion we ordered the Space Needle Sundae from the Larry's Sweet Stuff off the kids menu. They were not joking when they said it was a Space Needle Sundae. The giant Space Needle was made out of shortbread cookie, with Apple cotton candy around the Needle to represent fog, and inside was chocolate and vanilla ice cream. YUM!!! We shared/devoured it. What a clever way to incorporate the beautiful city we were in.

As you can see JJ LOVED it!

To be honest at first I was a little apprehensive about taking two small boys to the Four Seasons Restaurant even though they do have a kids menu. I thought for sure we would be booted out of their for even thinking about dining there! Haha I was so wrong. Not only does the lobby have a really cool fire place when you walk into the lobby, the restaurant has beautiful views of the city, the staff is amazing, you really do feel welcome there. I loved everything about our experience. I would bring my children back here any time knowing that we are always welcome. Thank you to the Four Seasons Seattle and the Art Restaurant for making this experience great for my family and for letting us know that even though we have small children, we can still go to a "fancy" restaurant and enjoy ourselves. 
 

*We were guest of the Four Seasons and Art restaurant for the Larry Gets Lost in Seattle Menu promotion. We were not paid for our review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others. We were provided a meal from the PR company that represents them.

Free for Kids United States Tennis Association 1 Year Membership

Looking for a sport to get your kids more active? When we were little we liked to play tennis. We did not play on a team just at the park at times. As an adult I play with my husband and we have a blast. If we knew the rules and how to really play I am sure it would be even more fun.

While I was watching tennis on tv with my son over the weekend I saw an ad for tennis for kids about the rackets and courts being more kid friendly. Right now you can get your kids 10 and under a Free United States Tennis Association 1 Year Membership.

You can find the info to sign up here.

Boogie Wipes Snot Your Average Kid Contest

Boogie Wipes, is launching a nationwide contest to find ordinary kids doing extraordinary things to honor them on their new Boogie Wipes 90-count canisters. Running from August 1st to December 2011, parents will be able to nominate their children online by explaining what he or she has done or achieved that the world needs to know about. Three winners will have their picture and story appear on the Boogie Wipes canister as one of the new faces of Boogie Wipes. 

You can enter the Snot Your Average Kid contest here. 

 * I will be receiving some samples of boogie wipes for posting this contest.

Wild about Blackberries

One of the things I love about living in Washington State is that during the summer the blackberries grow like crazy here. You can find them all over the place during an evening walk or at our local park. Every year we seek out the wild blackberries and pick a bunch or even freeze some for later. We eat them right off the vine, use them as an ice cream topping, and we make a few pies from our pickings. The best thing about BLACKBERRIES is they are FREE!!!

(Nana, Baby L and JJ all hard at work)

After all, FREE is my favorite number.

Tri State Contest NJ NY CT: Enter the 2011 Face Of Bangz Contest

Bangz Salon and Wellness Spa, the Montclair, NJ based award winning salon and spa, is an oasis for beauty inside and out.  Since the opening of their new venue in 2009 Bangz has made it a priority to be heavily involved in the neighborhood. Bangz has supported numerous causes and non-profits as well as hosted fundraisers and events at the salon for many charities. Now, for the first time ever, Bangz Salon & Wellness Spa announces their first search to find The Face of Bangz, this will be a tri-state competition for NJ, NY or CT in which people can compete for the grand prize as well as be named the first-ever Face of Bangz. Entries will be accepted from now through October 15th, 2011. In addition, all entrants will receive 15% off of any salon or spa treatment. "The Face of Bangz Contest is a way for us to engage with the community and find out what is important to our clients and neighbors. Our goal is to find an individual with the same goals and ambition as Bangz in hope that together we can make a difference," said Israel Cronk, Manager of Bangz Salon & Wellness Spa. "We are hoping to find someone who knows and understands that having beauty on the inside will execute on the outside as well," adds Cronk.

If you live in New Jersey, New York, or Connecticut you can enter. Log onto www.bangz.net and click on the contest banner, contestants must upload a photo and in a short 100 word statement explain why they should be The Face of Bangz.  The statement should tell why beauty on the inside is important to you and which charity/community service project you support  and why.  Entries must be received by October 15th, 2011. Bangz Salon & Wellness Spa panel of judges, will then select the top ten semi- finalists based on the criteria of originality, creativity and kindness.  The top ten semi- finalists will be posted on www.bangz.net for open voting from October 20th until November 3rd. 

The five contestants with the most votes will be selected as finalists and invited to compete live in front of a judging panel at Bangz Salon & Wellness Spa in Montclair, at a date to be determined in November. One Grand prize winner will be crowned as The Face of Bangz Salon & Wellness Spa for an entire year.  Her prize also includes a year of Bangz treatments valued at $1,500, $500 charity donation to the charity of her choice and appearances at Bangz Better World Foundation events. The four finalists will be awarded prize packages that include $100 gift cards to the salon and a $50 donation to the charity of their choice.

Ebay Anyone?

I know there are fads on the net for certain websites. Its like fashion things go strong then everyone moves on. Like MySpace, Napsters and I am sure more that no one goes to and there is no buzz about it. I was curious to how everyone feels about Ebay. Is it a place you go to look for good deals on new stuff, a steal on used stuff or do you just list stuff and not buy? Do you trust the buy seller relationship. I am simply curious how people feel these days. I never see ads on it or promos. Is it like a mainstay you just go to or are people avoiding it?

I have been thinking about it since the holidays are coming and this year are budget is smaller than ever so I want to find places to get great deals. I was even thinking Halloween decorations used ones would be a good deal there.

Have you found anything good on Ebay lately?

Sunday Savings and Ad Match ups 8/21

Weekly Coupon and Ad Match Ups.

Happy Saving!

Target  from Totally Target

Rite Aid  from Deal Seeking Mom

Raley's / Bel Air from My Frugal Adventures

Safeway from My Frugal Adventures

Whole Foods from Organic Deals

Kroger in the South East from Frugal Coupon Living

Publix from I Heart Publix

Walgreens from Saving in Akron

CVS from She Saved

Rite Aid from Frugal on the Cheap

There is even a Coupon Database that has tips, coupons and more! From Frugal Coupon Living

Pampers Kandoo Coupon in Sunday Paper

Don't Miss Out -- Pampers Kandoo coupons will be in this Sunday's Paper. On August 21, Pampers Kandoo will feature an introductory $1.00 off coupon good for any Kandoo Soap, Shampoo, Body Wash or Sanitizer AND a $0.50 coupon good for any package of Flushable Wipes in the SmartSource insert in select U.S. newspapers. What a great way to try something new and stock-up on products you use every day.

There are great prices on Kandoo at Walmart and Target.

Sacramento Moms Like Me Update

As a member of the Sacramento branch of MomsLikeMe.com I get to chat with, share and learn from other local moms. One of the cool things about the site is the local giveaways and chat parties they host for their readers. I wanted to share a few up coming things happening for Sacramento Moms Like Me Moms.

The first is the Facebook contest. Moms can “like” our page (http://www.facebook.com/Momslikeme.comSacramento) for a chance to win a spa getaway at Wine and Roses Hotel in Lodi worth nearly $1,000. Users who share the contest with friends can earn extra entries and increase their chances of winning. That contest runs till September 9.

Moms who are interested in learning new and creative ways to save money can come to the Thrifty Chicks Breakfast on August 30. The panel includes Sarah Cook of Raising CEO Kids, Kimberly Morales of Poor Girl Eats Well and our own Cheryle Roberts your Web deal diva! The event is FREE. Sacramento Moms Like Me would love to have you attend if you can.  RSVP here: http://thriftychicks.eventbrite.com/

I have entered the giveaway for the spa getaway I sure could use some ME time! Oddly we have not had a "date" night or whatever you wanna call it since my son was born, about 20 months ago. We laugh and say we had 10 years of date nights every night so were good, but it would be nice to enjoy some time to just hang out with my hubs.

I super duper have my fingers crossed about The Thrifty Chicks Breakfast that I might attend. Its been a whirl wind trying to figure out car issues and its prevented me from doing fun stuff for now. But soon I hope to be able to meet some of the great Moms from Moms Like Me Sacramento. You don't have to exactly be from Sacramento it self either Moms from around the area can be members of this free and fun site too!

Online Promo Code Deals

I have found being a Frugal Mama has helped me to appreciate the things I do get to buy. Before my son I would buy whatever and not think of how much I spent or if I really needed it. Now when I want to buy something I always check for coupons, promo codes and even rebates. This has saved me so much money over the last almost 2 years (yikes my son is almost 2 that's a whole different post!).

One of the best ways I save money is shopping online using promo codes for things like free shipping, percentage off or free items with purchase. I am never happy to pay high shipping prices, I know its necessary, (at least until they invent the replicator like on Star Trek) but it irks me to pay more to ship something than my purchase. So I get excited when I find free shipping codes.


Here are a few promo codes I found today:

Disney Halloween Shop use code TREAT to get free shipping on any Halloween store item. Valid until Aug 26th.

Champs Sports use code EMCHV898 to get 20% off your online purchase no minimum required (in the 4th step of checkout) Valid until Aug 22

Carter's use code SAVEEXTRA to get 20% off your online purchase, excludes furniture. Valid until Aug 22

Online Sweeps

I am a sweeps nuts! I win sometimes so it keeps me entering them. When I find good ones I love to post them here to share with everyone.
Here are a few I found today:

 Enter to win A Tote Bag from Belli Skin Care and Pish Posh Mommy Stuff.

 Better Homes and Garden Sweepstakes for A Room Makeover. Fill out the form, send a pic of your room and tell them why you need a makeover for your room.

Valued at $5,000

Disney Pixie Hollow Train for the Pixie Hollow Games Create a Comic Strip Sweepstakes.

Coming Soon: VTech InnoTab The Learning App and Prize Pack Giveaway

Before I had my son I liked V-Tech. They always have cool toys that teach. As a kid we had a Speak and Say that we thought was awesome. Well now technology for kids toys have improved leaps and bounds! My son has many V-Tech toys and his favorite is the Cooking toy is Auntie Sam bought him for his bday. He cooks up mini meals and tries to get me to eat them.

The newest cool toy Inno Tab The Learning App by V-Tech is one that will be on our Christmas list. The InnoTab The Learning App Tablet is coming soon and can be pre-ordered to make sure you have it for your child for the holidays. I know my son is always wanting to push buttons and play with techy stuff. A tab like this would allow him to play and have fun without me worrying he will erase or break something on mine. This is for ages a bit older than him but I know he would still love to have one. I thought of my nephew when I read about the product.


About InnoTab:
The InnoTab is a cutting-edge, multi-function tablet for children 4-9. Packed with fun, the InnoTab offers interactive and animated e-books, learning games, creative activities and more ­ all in one compact, durable tablet. Pull it out of the box ­ and its ready to go for hours of play.

The InnoTab features:
-A brilliant color touch screen LCD
-A sleek, kid-tough and compact design to take on the go
-Animated e-books, learning games, music player, video player and so much more
-A cartridge library that features kids favorite characters
-A tilt-sensor for game control
- 100 downloadable titles (by the end of the year)

While adult tablets costs $600, the InnoTab is $79.99 ­ a smart purchase for kids.






INNOTAB FEATURES and DETAILS
1.    E.Reader
2.    Motion Games:
       -They touch and tilt the Tab to make the games play.       My son would love this.
3.    Art Studio
4.    Coloring:
       -Virtual Coloring book, I think this would be great.
5.    Organizer
      -Allows your child to make a calendar schedule to know what activities are coming.
6.    Music:
      -MP3 player so your kids can dance. My boy needs this!
7.    Videos (sold separately)
8.    Photos (sold separately)
9.    Downloads

Product Details
·5" color touch screen and tilt-sensor for educational gameplay
· E-books, educational games, creative activities, learning apps, and
more available on cartridge or as downloads from VTech Learning Lodge
Navigator website
· 4 different media players: E-Book reader, MP3 music player, photo
viewer and video player
· 64MB onboard memory and SD card slot for memory expansion
· Learning toy connects to PC/Mac with included USB cable
· 4AA Batteries Required



Pre-order InnoTab at your favorite Retailer

Toys R Us
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11888558
Walmart
http://www.walmart.com/ip/VTech-InnoTab-Learning-App-Tablet/16672573
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004VJNRKG
Kmart
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_004W003460800000P

GIVEAWAY:

Win a VTech shirt (S,M,or L in children's sizes), a VTech branded 500MB Flash Drive, a box of 8 Crayola Crayons, and a $10 Gift Card to Toys R Us. (1 winner)

Crayons and Flash Drive

Front of shirt the back says InnoTech

To Enter This Giveaway: 

What feature on the V-Tech InnoTab are you most excited about?

 *Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address*

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 V-Tech on Facebook +2

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +3

-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1

-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1

-Share this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +2 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Add our button to your blog and leave a link of where it is located +5 (right hand side) 

 

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts August 18, 2011 and ends on September 1, 2011 at midnight PST.  Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others.

My Bright Colorful Dishwasher

For the first 7 years of my marriage we lived in a duplex that had no dishwasher. Daily I would by hand wash all the dishes we used for the day. It annoyed me to no end! It got to the point where I did not have anything but white plates and bowls, silver ware and stainless steel cook ware. It was fine for me, keep it simple.

The house we live in now we moved in when I was 5 months pregnant and thankfully has a dishwasher. But the house before it did not. I was pregnant, in the Cali summer in a house with only a window air conditioner. I hated it! I was so mad at dishes I said I would never do another dish again. After we moved of course it was so easy to load my plain and simple stuff into the machine and forget about it.

Tonight as I loaded the dishwasher, that I super thankful for, I had a moment that brought me to happy tears. I still have my plain dishes and sliver ware but among all of it was my sons dishes. The bright, colorful, tiny dishes and cups were too sweet for words. His dishes are just like him whimsical, cheerful and full of happiness. I felt lucky in that moment to be his Mama. My son has done to my life what his dishes do to my dishwasher, brighten and fill things up with a colorful joy.

Its the simple little realizations like this one that make me cry knowing I am his Mama.