Barney: Big World Adventure Movie DVD and Timmy Time Hide and Seek DVD Review and Giveaway

We adore Barney and this movie was great. My son sat in awe when he heard other languages being spoken. I love the idea of Barney traveling and seeing other cultures. If your a Barney fan this is a great movie to own on DVD to share with your little ones.


PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

It's a super-dee-duper journey of dinosaur-ous proportions when Barney™ and his playground friends take a balloon ride around the world in the all-new Barney: Big World Adventure - The Movie coming to DVD, Digital Download and On Demand September 13, 2011 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment. This colossal adventure features preschoolers' favorite loveable, huggable T-rex, Barney, on a trip to Spain, Kenya and China where he meets new friends and learns about various cultures.
Trusted by moms and adored by children, Barney displays sharing, caring, imagining, dancing and learning on television, online and through live events, home entertainment, toys and publishing. The Emmy® award-winning series, Barney & Friends™ is one of the top-rated preschool shows today, airing on PBS KIDS® and Sprout®.

SYNOPSIS

Climb aboard a big balloon with Barney, Ben and Emma as they embark on a super-dee-duper world adventure! The friends visit everywhere they can imagine in this all-new movie! Together they encounter princesses and kings, musicians and magicians, puppeteers and artists across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. As the trio experiences new cultures and languages from around the world, Barney demonstrates the importance of the most universal language of all: friendship.

I thought this movie was perfect to watch at this point in my sons development. He has been playing hide and seek with me this last month. He will go hide in places I have cleared out for him to be baby safe for him. I don't like him to feel that everything is not for him so we had two drawers and one hall cupboard just for him. he makes me laugh so much when he hides in the hall cupboard I can see his feet sticking out and when I ask "wheres my baby?" he giggles and squeals. He even hides being his bed and toy box. We never taught him Hide and Seek he just figured out that its funny to make it so mama has to come looking for him. Its super cute and he really likes watching Timmy Time.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Ready or not, here he comes! Preschool favorite Timmy and pals Yabba, Paxton, Bumpy, Mittens, Stripey and the rest are back for five all-new, antic-filled, good-hearted episodes in Timmy Time™: Hide and Seek, available on DVD September, 20 2011 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment.
With slapstick humor and not a single line of dialogue, "Timmy Time" follows a day in the life of preschoolers, where they learn lessons about friendship and trial and error to which every young child can relate. "Timmy Time" airs on Disney Channel's Disney Junior programming block for kids ages 2-7 and their families, airing in more than 99 million U.S. homes. The show is created by Aardman studios, the Academy Award®-winning creators of Wallace and Gromit.

DVD SYNOPSIS:
Come out, come out wherever you are to join Timmy and his preschool playmates for hide and seek and so much more! From finding the perfect hiding place for noisy Paxton to making paper boats with a sneezy Stripey, Timmy and his friends uncover adventure and surprises filled with fun and laughter in these five adorable stories that the whole family will enjoy.

• "Timmy Tries to Hide" - The class is playing Hide and Seek, but no one wants to hide with the noisy Paxton, who keeps giving them away. Timmy finally helps Paxton by hiding with him behind some hay-bales. But they're so well hidden that when it comes to Snack Time, no one can find them!
• "Timmy Gets the Job Done" - It's time for spring cleaning in the Preschool, but all Timmy wants is to go outside and play. Rushing his chores, he ends up making more of a mess, getting himself into trouble and being sent to sit on the Naughty Stump. Timmy finally learns to finish his jobs properly so he can join the others in their play.
• "Timmy Goes Bang" - After hearing thunder during a storm, Timmy becomes fixated with loud noises, banging anything he can find! But poor Apricot is frightened by all these sounds, until she finds something to bang for herself...
• "Timmy Wants the Beret" - Ruffy is wearing a beret... and Timmy wants it! After successfully getting hold of it, Timmy also takes Otus' hand-puppet and Mittens' wagon! But he doesn't know what to do when his beloved teddy-bear goes missing...
• "Timmy Afloat" - The class is making boats, but Timmy has been paired with a very sneezy Stripey, who keeps ruining his efforts. When Stripey accidentally breaks Otus' boat, Timmy is forced to give the little owl his boat. Finally, Stripey's sneezing comes in handy and pushes the pair's new paper-hat boat to the finish line!

GIVEAWAY

 

Win a copy of Barney: Big World Adventure Movie DVD and Timmy Time Hide and Seek DVD

To Enter This Giveaway: 

Which do you like to teach your kids about more Dinosaurs or Farm Animals? 

 *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  Timmy Time  on Facebook +1 
-Like  Barney on Facebook +1 

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +2

-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. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day) This means you have the chance to get 2 extra entries 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 September 16, 2011 and ends on September 26, 2011 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 provide the item in this review for free by the company or PR firm representing them. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others.

Frugal Fun!

I remember many fun days as a kid with pillows, blankets, chairs and couch cushions to build forts. Its so simple and FREE to have fun in this way. My son has a blast when I set him up a mini fort to read his books in and just hang out. He is too little to use chairs to make a fort so I just use a blanket and a couch cushion.

He often will curl up and take a nap in his fort after giggling and rolling around in there. After I took this picture I realized I could use another cushion as the roof to make it more fun and used a smaller blanket to make a flap door. I climbed in there with him and he could not stop laughing.

It was simple, frugal and fun! All it requires is some mama engineering and a bit of my time!

Bogs Facebook Promo

Most people in my life know I want to be a farmer! Its a dream of mine to have a farm full of growing veggies, fruits and animals. I had a mini glimpse of it as a kid when my family lived on 10 acres in Southern California. We had a chicken coop that we ate fresh eggs from, corn that grew in the front part of the property ( Sam and I put a dried corn on the cob in the microwave! It worked too but I don't recommend it) and our Dad planted rows of carrots, radishes and green onions. I loved living there and it sparked my love for farms.

Since I don't have a farm yet I do some gardening and buy items that make me feel more like a farm girl! Bogs has awesome shoes not just for farming or gardening but for work shoes, rain boots, outdoor activities and even on some of the boats on the show Deadliest Catch. So cool!

I Love these!

Right now Bogs is running an exclusive Bogs Facebook promo through the end of September.

Any one who "likes" Bogs on Facebook and shares what they'd like to do in their Bogs this fall through our Exclusive app can receive a special promo code valid for a $25 gift toward minimum purchase of $100 on Bogsfootwear.com. All they have to do is go to our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/bogsfootwear.com to click "like", then "Unlock the Download" to share and receive the Exclusive promo code and video content from Bogs.

How great is that! I love promo codes and discounts when I shop!

And I Love these!

Panda Cuddlee Pet for $7.99

PANDA CUDDLEE PET

It's a pillow and a cute stuffed animal in one! Perfect for naptime, movie nights or long car rides! Get in on the craze! Now's your chance to get these at a steal of a price!

DEAL PRICE: $7.99
MSRP: 19.99
Measures 15"x15"

You can get this great deal today only.

HP Photo at Walmart

The majority of the time when I need a photo printed asap I log on to Walmart.com and order my prints. The 1 hour photo is reasonably priced and very convenient. They are ready when I get there to do my shopping. Much easier than standing there with a wild 1 year old while I try to use the machine. Plus they have great deals and items to choose from that you might not notice if you are in the store. 


Coming soon HP will be launching more items and services at Walmart and Meijer stores across the US.
HP will make it easy for you to do more with your photos than ever before, and turn beloved imagery and fine art into home décor or fun photo gifts.

 
Photo books and more, made while you shop: Customers can now create photo posters, photo books, calendars and greeting cards in-store or online with same day pickup at over 2,600 Walmart and all Meijer stores throughout the U.S – perfect for last-minute gifts or special keepsakes.

    

Order online, pick-up in store: Consumers can now visit Walmart and other retail locations to create and order posters, photo books and more from the convenience of their own home, and pick them up the same day.  This service makes it easier and more convenient for consumers to turn their snapshots into treasured gifts and keepsakes during their shopping experience.

   

HP Faux Canvas: HP Faux Canvas is an affordable wall décor that enables you to turn personal photos and licensed content from paintings into decorative art. From Van Gogh and Monet to National Geographic photographs, HP offers an affordable solution to decorative art work. The initial offering that will be available exclusively at Walmart starting around only $20.

 I look forward to the new products for holiday gifts and more. We will be reviewing a HP Faux Canvas soon. I can't wait to share my thoughts on the quality.

To stay up to date on HP Photo products you can follow them on twitter @HPPrint

So Many Firsts

As my sweet little nephew is having his first week of preschool. I reflect on the simple firsts we have been experience for my little guy. I love that about kids, the first this or that. Its so new and sweet.

For my little guy its been new foods. Hes not a picky eater its more like I am a picky mama on what I give him. Thankfully and I am sooo thankful for this he loves to eat meat and veggies. Carbs like breads and pastas not so much. This week he has tried two new things that made me smile.

The first is Polska Kielbasa. For most people its not a big deal. But for me its like a right of passage. It sounds silly but being almost half Polish its the one thing we eat that feels like its part of our family. We ate it all the time as kids and LOVE it. I like to BBQ it, put in with peppers and pasta, pan fried with veggies and potatoes and with cabbage and red potatoes instead of corn beef. I beamed the whole time he was eating it. I made him a bunch and he gobbled down every bite! 

The other first was a drumstick ice cream. He has had ice cream before but never an official drumstick. He held it for a while like it was something odd. It was cute! I showed him to bite it and he laughed at me. He ate it in reverse he ate the whole cone then the chocolate topping than the ice cream on the inside. Its not the healthiest of frozen treats but oh my are they fun to eat! 

Trying new foods can be fun! What foods has your little one tried this month?

Preschool days are here

As JJ starts his 1st week of Preschool, I can't help but think about that baby face he once had and wonder how he grew up so fast? I love this kid more than he knows. Good luck son on your next big leap in life, Mommy is always here to catch you.

JJ 8 months old, funny hat and all!

Olive Garden Review and Giveaway

Whenever my girlfriends and I talk about getting together for dinner or an occasion the conversation usually leads to the Olive Garden. We have had many events, birthdays and even one of my baby showers there. Also when my husband I are talking date night I seem to bring up how yummy the Olive Garden is and we usually end up there. With the Olive Garden you know that you are going to get bread sticks with your choice of soup or salad with your entree. How could you go wrong? Recently the Olive Garden has brought back the Never Ending Pasta Bowl that has a total of 42 combinations between the pastas and sauces, that's 7 pastas and 6 sauces!!




For only $8.95 you get the Never Ending Pasta Bowl (aka all you can eat) with unlimited salad and bread sticks. We just had to check it out and boy were we in food heaven!! We brought the boys along because JJ's favorite anything is pasta, he would eat it every meal if I let him. To start off we chowed down on some bread sticks and salad. YUM.






The first pasta bowl I ordered was the Penne pasta with Five Cheese Marinara and it was amazing! I loved the sauce so much I was dipping my bread stick in it just to make sure I did not leave any sauce or cheese behind. Cheese, cheese and more cheese please!!!






My husband ordered the Penne pasta with Roasted Mushroom Parmesan with Sun-Dried Tomatoes. He is a mushroom lover so this was right up his alley. He said that the mushrooms were great and it gave the dish a lot of flavor.





For our next bowl we changed it up and this time my husband ordered the Fettuccine noodles with Pizzaiola Meat Sauce. It was pretty good, classic he says.



I picked the Fettuccine noodles with Alfredo sauce, again another classic that you know you can't go wrong with. It was pretty good but after my Five Cheese Marinara not much else compared, but still really tasty.






We enjoyed our meals and the experience. Everyone is always so nice at the Olive Garden, so along with the great food you always get great service. To show everyone just how much we enjoyed ourselves here is a picture of me scarfing down my food and because I posted this one of myself I am putting one up of the husband too!! Haha Oh and JJ at the end cause he loves the Olive Garden too!!!





GIVEAWAY

 

Win a $25 Gift Card to Olive Garden

To Enter This Giveaway: 

Visit the Olive Garden website and tell me what Never Ending Pasta combo you would like to try.

My favorite is the Penne pasta with Five Cheese Marinara!

*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 Olive Garden on Twitter +1 
-Like Olive Garden on Facebook +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +2

-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. +1 
for each share you do. (can be done once a day) This means you have the chance to get 2 extra entries 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 September 12, 2011 and ends on September 24, 2011 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 provide a gift card to Olive Garden for free by the company or PR firm representing them. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others.

Super Easy Super Tasty Fruit Dip

With all of the BBQ's and outdoor parties we have been going to this summer I needed a quick and easy go-to dip to whip up in a hurry. My friend Jodi is the women when it comes to cooking, this gal is the Queen of tasty yet easy. We showed up to her house for a party and she had made this dip with all of the cut up variety of fruit to go with it, heaven help me! It was delicious and I NEEDED to know how she made it. When she told me it was 2 ingredients I about fell over, now it tasted even better because it was so simple. The dip is sweet but also gives has a little tang to it, or something like that. All I know is it is good and I have since made it several times for several occasions and it has WOWED every time!!!


Ingredients:
1) 1 - 8oz pack of cream cheese
2) 1 - 7oz jar of Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme



Pick out several of your favorite fruits to dip, this time we went simple with strawberries and apples.





Step 1: Combine the cream cheese and marshmallow creme.

Tip: If the cream cheese is a little hard microwave it for about 20-25 seconds so it is a little softer to work with.


Step 2: Mix the two ingredients with a fork or spoon until they are blended really well together (or no lumps).


Step 3: Chill in the fridge for about an hour. Cut your fruit up into dipping size pieces while you wait.


Step 4: Dip and Enjoy!!!!


That's it, easiest thing ever. Hope you liked this treat, we ALWAYS do.

*Special thanks to my BFF Jodi for letting me "steal" her famous dip! Try it you won't be disappointed!

P.S. Don't you feel like the fruit cancels out any calories you consume by the cream cheese and marshmallow creme? I do.

Honoring 9/11

I was trying to think of a way to honor the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 attacks. I thought maybe a post about where were you, how did it effect you, what do you think about 10 years later but none of it seemed fitting enough to honor the day in the way it should be. For me I realized that it a reminder everyday to hug the ones you love, kiss the ones you love and be thankfully every day we have on this earth to be Americans.

We all have our own story of how it effected us and where we were and those are good stories. Write them down, tell them to the younger generation and be thankful for the men and woman of the Armed Forces, Fire Departments and Police Departments all over America.

My son is too little to understand what 9/11 means so for us we are watching Fireman Sam cartoons and being grateful for the country we love. We thank my sisters husband who served in Afghanistan in the Army, my brother who served in the Army and a close family friend Jodi for her husband who still continues to serve in the Army.

Children's Hospital Thrift Stores

I have been on a roll lately with my thrifting (not a real word but it is to me now ha!) it seems like I am slightly addicted. Oh dear. Well this time when we came across the Children's Hospital of Seattle Thrift Store on Bainbridge Island I knew that we had buy stuff to help this great cause. When my now 25 year old little brother was born he was very premature and sick. They did not think he had much of a chance to live, it that was so hard on the whole family. The relief that my parents did find was at the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, where we living at the time. Needless to say they helped my family and my little brother and he is a healthy 25 year old aspiring "rock star" and we have them to thank.


I have been wanting to get JJ Dr. Seuss books to add to his home library because every kid has them or knows about them. We had them as kids and I have fond memories of reading these classic books. Honestly though at $8 a pop I was having a hard time justifying buying a bunch of them at a time, I know I could buy one at a time but buying in bulk is so much easier. So when we found these for just $1 each at the thrift store I scooped them up! They are in great condition and were most of the ones I was searching for, The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Are you my Mother? just to name a few. If you do the math if I had paid retail at $8 each x 6 I would have paid $48 and since I bought them second hand I only paid $6 for all. I saved $42 dollars, how frugal of me!!!




And while we were there we found this turtle for $3, the shell comes off to store hidden treasures. JJ is obsessed with turtles so we had to have him. Kind of cute huh?





Anyways, Happy Thirfting All!!!

Halloween Decor on a budget

I LOVE HALLOWEEN! It is one of my favorite holidays to decorate and celebrate. The kids are always happy this time of year and the decorations are everywhere. I seem to want to buy everything but I am on a budget you know and sometimes I have to real myself in. I am finding in my frugal state the Goodwill or any second hand store is a great place to check out when you are looking for holiday items. Like every second hand store there is good stuff and crappy stuff, you just have to search. I came across these two items the other day and for 99 cents each I knew I couldn't go wrong.

A vintage looking Ghost, cute and not spooky :)






A more modern feel with this spider web metal candle holder. See the glass pieces inside the web?

I love a good cheap find, something that I know I will use year after year. Not only do they have great items that you have to do nothing to or with, there are many DIY projects just waiting for you at any second hand store. Check them out, you won't be disappointed. In fact...I see another trip for me in the near future!

Kiwi Magazine Maylee's Moment Carrot Cupcake Recipe

 

 Maylee's Moment by Kiwi Magazine Carrot Cupcakes

  

I enjoy reading Kiwi Magazine and getting the email newsletter. Today I read this Carrot Cupcake recipe and loved it. I want to make these for Halloween. I LOVE the way Carrot Cake tastes and thankfully my son does too. I had carrot cake on my birthday and he ate most of mine and his! This recipe is from the Kiwi Magazine newsletter. I did not write this recipe I just wanted to share it.

Cupcakes are always delicious, but they're extra fun to eat when they're good for you, too. These ones are loaded with carrots, which are good for your eyes. Try making them with your parent and having one as an after school treat!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 15 to 20 minutes

Carrot Cupcakes
1/2 pound carrots
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Glaze
1 medium navel orange
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Have your parent preheat the oven to 350° while you line a muffin tin with paper cups.
2. With your parent, use a grater to grate the carrots, taking extra care not to scrape your fingers! Set aside.
3. With your parent, measure the flour, salt, spices, and baking soda. Put them all in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly blended. Then, you can add the grated carrots to the bowl and mix to combine.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, your parent can help you combine the eggs and sugars and mix until well combined. Add the oil, and mix until smooth. Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture. Turn the mixer back on and mix until combined.
5. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners with batter until they are about two-thirds full.
6. Have your parent bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
7. While the cupcakes are baking, help your parent cut the orange in half.
8. Use your (clean!) hands to pick out any seeds from the orange. Then hold one half of it over a medium bowl, cut side down, and squeeze as hard as you can until you get all the juice out. Do it again with the other orange half.
9. With your parent, measure the confectioners' sugar and add it to the bowl. Stir slowly with the whisk (or else the sugar will fly all over). When the glaze is smooth and shiny and there are no lumps, you can glaze the cooled cupcakes.

Makes 12 cupcakes
Per cupcake: calories 268, fat 10 g, protein 2 g, carbohydrates 43 g, dietary fiber 1 g

Mixbook Custom Cards Review

I love personalized items. They make sending cards, notes and information much more friendly. As a blogger I am always looking for new companies to create me products that can add a personal touch for my correspondence that also promote my site. Thank You cards are a must have for any company. I know for me when I get a Thank You card it makes my day to know someone went out of there way to send me one. I already have a list of companies that I will be sending my cards to.

Even as a parent Thank You cards are important. Having personalized ones to send for gifts, parties or favors would be great. I want to teach my son appreciation for others by sending Thank You cards. I will be getting him ones with his name on them when he is older so he can see that we thank others who have given us their time and effort.

For this review I ordered from Mixbook.com some really cute circle mod type of Thank You cards with a few of my favorite colors on them. I love Orange and Brown so these were perfect. They turned out great and are a high quality card stock with envelopes included.

With the holidays right around the corner I was exited to see the variety of Photo Cards available at Mixbook.com. I know this year we want to do a personalized Christmas card. When I worked in a studio as a family photographer one of the biggest expense were Holiday Cards. I find that personal pictures on a holiday card is much sweeter and meaningful than a posed studio card. Plus its a big money saver. Call me frugal but you can also later cut out the pictures you use to display you families loving faces in a frame or on the fridge. ( I do this with my holiday cards!)

I also thought of my sister Sam and her baby that is on the way for the Mixbook Photo Birth Announcements.
I know she will be excited to see all the cute pink cards they offer. We will need to get the baby some bows for her hair for her official announcement picture. I am excited for my sister and myself too, I get to buy pink and girly stuff!

You can check out all the great cards on Mixbook.com such as wedding announcements, save the date cards and they have super cute party invitations for all occasions.

Mixbook.com shares discounts and sale info on their accounts on facebook and twitter. I am sure as it gets closer to the holidays there will be great deals.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Old Navy Baby Sale

We LOVE Old Navy! This sale is a great excuse to go over there and see what they have. They have the cutest baby stuff. My son and I have matching t-shirts! Sale ends 9/22. Dont forget to check the clearance section there is always something great at my local store.

Winnie the Pooh Movie Coming to DVD October 25th

DVD AND MOVIE DOWNLOAD OCTOBER 25^th

 

Includes an Exclusive Short, Sing-Along Option and Hours More

of Exciting Bonus Features!

Film Synopsis

Disney returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with “Winnie the Pooh.” Featuring the timeless charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, this all-new movie reunites audiences with the philosophical “bear of very little brain” and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo – and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail. “Ever have one of those days where you just can’t win, Eeyore?” asks Pooh. Owl sends the whole gang on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply set out to find some honey. Disney’s all-new “Winnie the Pooh” movie is inspired by three stories from A.A. Milne’s books in Disney’s classic, hand-drawn art

“Like” Pooh Bear on Facebook  at www.facebook.com/WinniethePooh

 Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/disneyanimation

 View exciting trailers, video clips and more at www.Disney.com/WinnieThePooh

Betty Crocker FANfare Recipes Inspired by TV Shows

I have been trying to be more of a good cook in my house. Before my son was born I would eat whatever I had and usually the same plain thing every few days. Now that I am a Mom I try to think of great ways to make food fun and tasty. The awesome thing is I get to eat tastier food too! 

Betty Crocker has a great resource for recipes inspired by TV shows called FANfare. This site has lots of great recipes. There are even recipes for fun smoothies using breakfast cereal.

 This recipe looks really good. It uses Black Beans, which in my house we love! Tater tots are a staple in my home too. We will try this soon.

Cheesy Po-Ta-Chos

You won’t have to ask twice to get everyone in front of this pile of potatoey goodness, topped with cheese, salsa and fresh veggies like tomatoes and avocado. This twist on classic nachos is so good- it may be a fight to snatch the last bite!

You can visit the site for the complete recipe and directions.


* I was not paid or compensated for this post. I received the details from Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark to share.

Thomas and Friends Day of the Diesels and Angelina Ballerina The Shining Star Trophy DVD Review and Giveaway

 I LOVED this movie for my son! Of course we are huge Thomas and Friends fans but this movie is wonderful. I loved how it teaches the value of friendship, equality, honesty and hard work. We can all be "useful engines" in this world if we work together. I have watched the whole movie with him a few times. He will sit there and watch it on my lap yelling "Choo Choo" its so sweet. I always know I can leave on a Thomas and Friends DVD and have a worry free mind. I know he is learning good lessons and kid friendly ideals.

DVD Summary:

The Steamies and the Diesels are in for an action-packed movie adventure in this Thomas & Friends Day of the Diesels DVD. There's a huge fire on Sodor and two new firefighting engines – Flynn and Belle – show up to lend a helping hand. When Thomas starts spending all of his time with Sodor's newest heroes, Percy is drawn to the Dieselworks, where he is made to feel special by the master of mischief himself. Diesel 10 has a master plan to take over the Steamworks and the Steam Team is forced to come up with unique ways of dealing with all the mischief.-

Bonus features include Fiery Flynn To The Rescue game, Day of the Diesels karaoke song, Hear the Engines Coming karaoke song, and Steamies and Diesels video
-Format: Widescreen Run time: 58 minutes

My son loves to dance, he did not however watch this movie. I had one of my husbands cousins kids watch it. The girls thought it was a great movie and reminded me of the time Sam and I were in ballet. It was for a short time but it was really fun. Dance is a great way to get kids to exercise. I love that Angelina is on DVD I recall reading the books as a kid. I look forward to when Sam's little girl will be watching these types of movies and wearing a tutu! This DVD would be a great gift for any little dance star.

 

DVD Summary:

Angelina shines brighter than ever in this all-new movie! Ms. Mimi announces that there's going to be a big talent show at Camembert Academy – and the winner will walk away with the Shining Star Trophy. With celebrity guest judge Perry Parmesan deciding the winner, every minute of practice counts. But when Angelina goes out of her way to help her friends find their special talents, she has little time to work on her own routine. Who will take center stage and win the Shining Star Trophy? Watch as Angelina follows her heart to become a true shining star!

Buy it now on DVD $14.98

Rating: NR
Genre: Children/Family/Animated
Age Target: 2-7 years old
Closed Captioned: English
Format: Widescreen
Feature Running Time: 55 minutes



GIVEAWAY

 

Win a DVD copy of Thomas and Friends Day of the Diesels and Angelina Ballerina The Shining Star Trophy

To Enter This Giveaway: 

Is your child a Thomas the Train fan or an Angelina Ballerina fan?

 *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 Angelina Ballerina on Facebook +1 
-Like Thomas and Friends on Facebook +1 

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +2

-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. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day) This means you have the chance to get 2 extra entries 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 September 8, 2011 and ends on September 19, 2011 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 provide the item in this review for free by the company or PR firm representing them. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others.