Member's Mark 4x Probiotics at Sam's Club #DigestiveHealth #CBias

 I try my best to eat right, exercise and sleep enough. Sadly its more like eat when I can, does typing count as exercise and sleep whats that lol. But I have been trying to balance my life to be more healthy. I know I will be a better mom, wife, sister and daughter if I take better care of my self. In my attempt to feel more healthy I have decided to try Member's Mark 4x Probiotics from Sam's Club.

I have read a lot about probiotics and have tried them in yogurt and oatmeal but I have never eaten the product long enough to really see results. With the Member's Mark 4x Probiotics from Sam's Club it comes in a pill form. I think this is an awesome idea. It makes it easy and I don't have to eat food that I might not be in the mood for. I have wondered if it will make me healthier and my digestive system function more properly. I have tried over the last 10 years a handful of products that aid in digestive health but nothing I have decided to take regularly. I am very curious to how this will change my daily life and to see if it has me feeling healthier.
I think if I am feeling more regular and my digestive health is in top condition I will have a positive out look to work out and eat better. I will be trying the Member's Mark 4x Probiotics from Sam's Club for the next two weeks and I will update with my results.

If you would like to learn more about Member's Mark 4x Probiotics you can visits the Digestive Health for Me website. If you try the product along with me I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

You can read about my shopping trip to Sam's Club to purchase my Member's Mark 4x Probiotics and all the other great products I saw for sale at my local Sam's.

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions expressed are my own and may vary from others.

JJ says...

The other day JJ was inquiring about how what I eat the baby eats and that she drinks the water I drink, wondering how it all worked. Kind of sweet that he was interested :)

After we talked about for a bit it he says,

"Well then Baby Sister must really like cake because you eat that a lot." NICE.....




It sure is going to be hard to resist all of the great food and treats that come along with all of these upcoming holidays. I love yummy food!

Kidz Med VeraTemp Non Contact Thermometer Review and Giveaway

No one wants to deal with a sick it. They are miserable, you are miserable and usually you will get sick too. When they start to get the sniffles or a cough usually they are on their way to getting sick. Just this week my son came down with a fever and a runny nose. He looked so sad and tired. In the middle of the night he woke up crying and felt warmer than before I put him to bed. Normally I get out our thermometer to take his temperature. He will put it in his mouth and wait since he thinks hes being silly to do so. But oh my not this time. He was having no such thing! Thankfully we had the Kidz Med thermometer that you do not even have to make contact to use! It was like a scene from Star Trek, I pointed it at his forehead and it read his temperature. It said he had a little bit of a higher than normal temperature so I gave him a bit of medicine and sang him back to sleep. He woke up feeling better and his fever had gone down. We had taken him to the mall play yard the day before and I think he may have caught a cold from one of the kids he was playing with.

I wish we would have had this when he was a newborn. It would have been so much easier to not have to wake him or fuss with him to see if he was running a fever. Its no fun to wake a sick baby to check their temperature to monitor them.

Another great thing about the Kidz Med VeraTemp Non Contact Thermometer is he ability to check the temperature of bath water, formula and a room with ease. I think this product would make a great baby shower gift for any expecting parent, especially a parent having a baby in the winter.

Info from  the site about the product:

The Kidz-Med VeraTemp Non-Contact Thermometer provides convenience and accuracy in a trauma-free, parent tested and FDA approved thermometer. With VeraTemp® non-contact technology, there is no need to upset, startle or wake your child when taking their temperature. The elegantly designed Kidz-Med® VeraTemp® gives instant readings in Celsius and Fahrenheit and is easy to use with fussy or combative patients. The non-contact technology also allows you to use the thermometer to take other temperatures around the home like babies bath, bottle or nursery. This superior, non-contact thermometer delivers Truth, Accuracy and Precision® ... It is temperature taking, redefined.

"Kidz-Med's new thermometer takes the trauma out of temperature taking. It has absolutely no contact with the skin, is quick and is highly accurate; the ultimate combination for caretakers and parents. We've tested the new thermometers in our fast-paced environment, and each time they exceed our expectations, making our jobs more efficient and overall much easier. Children have no problem getting their temperature taken this way, especially since it takes less than a second to get a reading. Every hospital and household should have one of these!"

GIVEAWAY


Win a Kidz Med VeraTemp Non Contact Thermometer

To Enter This Giveaway: 

What is your best tip for a parent for a sick child?

( As an adult when I am sick I have to have sprite and chicken noodle soup or I think I wont get better lol)

 *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 Kidz Med on Facebook +1
Follow Kidz Med on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1

-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 +2 (right hand side) 

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts October 16, 2011 and ends on October 28, 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. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others.

WholesaleHalloweenCostumes.com Review

 Halloween can be a fun time when you have kids of your own. To see their smiling faces and how much fun they have when they dress up is just so cute! Part of the fun of having kids on Halloween is to be able to join in the fun by dressing up too. I have dressed up a few times for Halloween since being married but now that we have our son its like being a kid again to be able to get lost in the fun. 

This year I wanted to dress up as something sweet and fun. I have been a witch and a maid the last two years. To dress up as a mom I wanted to be something kid friendly and not scary. I decided to be Snow White! Who wouldn't want to be a princess right?! I tried to convince my husband to be prince charming and he laughed and said he is prince charming no costume needed. Which made me super laugh!

With my son being not quite 2 this year its a little too scary for him to go into a Halloween store for me to look at costumes. I don't blame him there is some scary stuff in there! Thankfully I can shop online for a Halloween costume and take my time looking at them all. I found Wholesale Halloween Costumes for great prices on women's Halloween costumes.

I looked at all the adult princess costumes and found Cinderella, Princess Fiona from Shrek and Star Wars Princess Leia. They are all cute costumes but when I found the Snow White costume I knew it was the one I wanted!

The costume is great. It feels very regal and makes me a proper Disney princess. I purchased a black wig to go with my costume so I would have the black hair just like Snow White!

*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from other opinions. I was provided for free the costume mentioned for my review.

TuTu Dreamy Review

One of the first things I thought about when we found out that we were expecting a Girl was, Oh my now I can buy Tutu's!! I know silly right? But a girl cannot help herself when they seem to be everywhere! Kimberly of Tu Tu Dreamy makes beautifully handmade pieces for the princess in your life.
Here is a little about Kimberly from her web site:

THE STORY
Why I love what I do...

I am the Mom to a beautiful little princess who loves to dream and Imagine. I started making TuTu's for her as she loves playing dress up. I realized how much I loved making these peices of art. I began to realize that I loved designing TuTu's and now I would love to share my creations with you in hopes that your princess will feel the same joy that my daughter feels when wearing them. Thank you so much for visiting my site and I hope your princess's dreams will always come true! Kimberly

Tu Tu Dreamy Tushy tutu

I received the Tu Tu Dreamy Tushy tutu with matching headband, it is a onsie with a little tutu attached to the rear! Too cute right? I cannot wait to put this on our little girl, I love the PINK!

TuTu Dreamy Basic Plus TuTu

We also received the TuTu Dreamy Basic Plus TuTu, it is a fluffy Tutu with some added trim to really make your princess feel special. The Tutu is a bit adjustable as well, you can slide the tulle along the ribbon to get more pull if you need it a bit smaller for your tiny one. All three pieces are just adorable. Along with your purchase Kimberly sends you detailed instructions on how to maintain your Tutu to get it back to new condition. In addition if you mention you are a returning customer you get 10% off! Check out Tutu Dreamy for your little princess today.


*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from other opinions. I was provided for free one TuTu onsies for my review.

My Baby Clothes Boutique Review and Giveaway

My Baby Clothes Boutique has a ton of baby clothes, accessories and gifts to choose from. You can shop by style, gender, age or by featured baby items. There are so many things to choose from but I was looking for something cute, different and something that would make a good photo op for our newest addition. I found that with the Mud Pie Tres Jolie Ruffle Sleeper , come on doesn't that just scream CUTE!!


When it arrived in the mail the sweet little sleeper did not disappoint, I just love it! The little butt even has ruffles on it :) It comes in size 0-6 months.

Here is a little snip-it about the sleeper from their web site:

Almost a work of art and made only for style savvy little fashionistas, this black and white sleeper is simply awe-inspiring with its fabulous design and soft and supple comfort. The sleeper is white with an oversized bold, black floral pattern trimmed in a wide ruffle of black and white stripes at each cuff and along the length of the neckline down to the left toe. Black piping also trims the feet of these fabulous jammies that are as fashion-forward as can be and will be the talk to everyone who sees them.

• 100% cotton
• Machine washable
• Snaps across front for diaper changing ease

Now if you are in the market for a tutu how about this one? It is the Zilly Bean Hot Pink Pettiskirt, I love how bright the color is and how full the skirt is. It comes in 0-3 months or 3-12 months.





Living in the great state of Washington boots are a must no matter how old you are. Look at these Baby Deer Pink Suede boots. LOVE THEM!! I might need to order these next... Oh dear the list goes on.....




Make sure you check out My Baby Clothes Boutique, most of their children's clothes are from famous designers!


Here is what they say about it from their web site:
Many of our children’s clothes are from famous designers like Nicole Miller, O’Neill, Jamie Rae, Bonnie Jean, and Mud Pie. Our baby shoes are from - Laura Ashley, Wee Squeak, and Best of Chums. Much of our designer baby clothes selections come from Nicole Miller, O’Neill, Jamie Rae, Bonnie Jean, and Mud Pie. Our baby shoes are from designers like - Laura Ashley, Wee Squeak, and Best of Chums. Along with our designers we have included selections from many up and coming designers as well. We are constantly searching the market for the latest trends in baby clothes. You can find the widest selection of baby hats, headbands, tutus, hair accessories, baby dresses, baby socks, and even diaper covers. All of our designs are unique to the designers we choose, we want to provide the clothes that you can’t find anywhere else.

GIVEAWAY

Win a $25 gift certificate to My Baby Clothes Boutique

To Enter This Giveaway: 

What is your favorite item on the My Baby Clothes Boutique website?

 *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 on My Baby Clothes Boutique Facebook +1
Follow My Baby Clothes Boutique on Twitter +1

-Follow Frugal Family Tree on GFC ( right hand side) +1

-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 +2 (right hand side) 

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts October 14, 2011 and ends on October 28, 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. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others.

Baby Shower Event Starts Today!

When I thought about my family life years before I had children I never really thought about how great it would actually be. I know there are rough time, believe me we have those almost daily, but it is also so great. The idea of growing our little family excites me (I guess 2 going on 3 children is not so little anymore). I come from a large family so the more the merrier I say :) I love the fact that I have two sons who love and adore my husband and I as well as each other. I know that as they grow up they will fight and be best friends at the same time. I know that with each passing year their little personalities are blossoming into what kind of adult they will be someday and what they will carry with them as they grow. There is just something so special about knowing you and your husband are the ones helping them discover who they are.

As we have two boys and found out one was on the way I was a bit nervous that I would not have a little girl. I know, I know it is not the end of the world if you don't have a girl. But like most Mom's (not all) I wanted the Girl Scouts, the sleepovers, the Barbies, and the PINK!!! I wanted to know what it was like for my Mom as she raised girls and how strong the friendship between a Mother and her Daughter can be. When we found out that these two little boys of ours were going to be big brothers to a SISTER we were over the moon. JJ is into all things superheros and fighting, I am hoping this softens him up a bit. Even when we talk about his little sister it just seems to soften his heart. I love it.

So as we prepare for the arrival of this sweet baby girl we are having a Baby Shower here on the Frugal Family Tree. There will be plenty of great things (blue and pink) to win as the month goes on! Please tune in and enjoy all things BABY!!!!

Just a few pictures of the boys when they were first born.... Ahhhh can't wait!!

JJ in the hospital 2006

Baby L in the hospital as well (ha look at the smirk) 2010

Caveman ABC Story Book Review

Since we love books and dinosaurs in my house I though it would be perfect to read an A B C book about a caveman. This is a cool book for any kid and my husband even has fun reading this one to our son.

Caveman ABC Story is a unique way to learn about ABC's. Its more than a this is for that book its a story about a caveman and his day. He wakes up and encounters all sorts of creatures, nature and situations that follow along the alphabet. Its a super cute book!

I know I will be reading this book over and over to my son. I love the flow of the story and the different way of teaching ABC's!

The book ends with the end of the Caveman's day sleeping and snuggling the creatures he encountered during the day. This is great for a bed time story to then tell your little cave boy or girl that its time to get your Zzzz's like the caveman!

You can purchase Caveman ABC Story at the publishers website Sterling Children's Books. You can follow them on twitter and sign up to their newsletter to stay up to date on the newest books.

Here is a cute clip about the book!

The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights Book Review

My son adores giraffes! His best friend is a stuffed giraffe he got for his 1st birthday after feeding them at the zoo. He will not sleep or nap without him and cries when I have to put him in the washer. Since he loves giraffes I try to do my best to find cute giraffe stuff to make him smile. As soon as he saw the book Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights he squealed and yelled "Giafe".

I knew he would be excited to read this book. I love when he climbs onto my lap and sits quietly while I read a book to him. Its the only time he is sitting still is when he is reading, otherwise hes a wild boy! 

The book is a sweet story about a young giraffe boy who is afraid of heights so he cannot stand tall as a giraffe should. His Mama and Daddy giraffe send him on a journey to go to see the doctor to help him with his fear of heights. Along the way he meets two other animal friends with their own fears and together they all set out to see the doctor to help them.

In the end they need each others help to survive a wild crocodile and by doing so they each over come the thing they fear the most. Its a wonderful story about overcoming your fears, friendship and kindness. The back of the book there are great facts about each of the animal characters in the story and how they live in the wild. There is a match up game and even a section you can cut out.

You can buy The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights from Sylvan Dell Publishing website.


Sylvan Dell Publishing has many great book for kids about animals, nature and the universe. I would love to have any of their books for my son. We have a few favorites on our wish list like Big Cat, Little Kitty and Meet the Planets.

* I was not paid or compensated for this post. I was sent a free copy of this book for my review by the publisher/PR company. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others.

Walk with Nature

This was my favorite pic I took. Its like the future is just ahead of you, you cant see where it leads but its exciting to follow!

There is a restorative quality to being outside among the trees, animals and water. I find when I am feeling a bit too over stimulated by technology that visiting our local river waterway makes me feel refreshed. The way the ground smells right after a rainy day, the plants green with moss and the sound of the river flowing fast makes me feel peaceful. I forget sometimes that we live so close to water. As a kid I always lived fairly close to the Pacific Ocean. No more than a 30 minute drive (thanks Mom and Dad for that!) Now I am not so lucky. We have to drive over an hour in slow traffic to see the ocean but very close by is the American River. Its not the ocean, but its water and nature, for now that will have to do!

Smart & Final and Real California Milk Contest for Southern CA Schools #SmartFinalSupportsSoCalSchools #CBias

We love Smart & Final in my home. Its a great store that you can save on food, household items and even diapers without having to pay a membership fee. Another reason I love shopping at Smart & Final is the First Street brand. One of my favorite products they make is ice cream. For one it taste great but one of the main reasons I like it is because its made with Real California Milk. As a Californian I love to buy the items that promote the use of milk from my state. 

This month launches the Real California Milk seal contest for Southern California schools so I am even more proud to purchase items from Smart & Final that carry the Real California Milk seal. Smart & Final and the California Milk Board are supporting Southern California schools with a contest. You can read more details about the contest on the Scholastic website.

Smart & Final has partnered with the California Milk Board to award Southern California* elementary classrooms, schools and students with up to $2 million in cash, books and other prizes. There are thousands of chances to win — just for collecting Real California Milk seals from the milk and dairy products you buy. *Participating elementary schools in Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

The prizes for schools collecting the Real California Milk seals are:

Besides counting as an entry for exciting sweepstakes prizes, a schools first valid entry earns one FREE Scholastic book. Books will be awarded to the first 50,000 entrants.
After your schools first entry, every set of 100 valid seals submitted earns 25 additional FREE Scholastic books or a $25 school supplies gift card. Please indicate on your information card which prize you would like to receive. See official rules for details and restrictions

The California Milk Advisory Board is going to announce winners in February, BUT Smart & Final is so awesome that they're doing a separate sweepstakes! 

Entrants who go to FirstStreetSupportsSoCalSchools.com and tell why their Southern Californa school should win will be entered to win $500, $300 or $200 to be donate to the school of their choice EVERY MONTH!

For Southern California school teachers here is some more info on where to send you Real California Milk seals to be entered in this awesome contest. If you are a parent living in the participating schools area you can let your child's teacher know about this contest and help your child's class win! The kids will drink more milk products and will have a chance to win great stuff. I think its a win-win way to get more milk!

As a kid I went to school in Southern California I want to help give back to schools in that area. Since I now live in Northern California and no schools here participate I will be and want to encourage other central and northern California families to send your seals to a school that is participating. We will be helping schools and supporting California by purchasing products made right here in our state.

So remember when you are shopping for milk products in California at Smart & Final be sure to look for the Real California Milk seals. They are on milk, butter, cottage cheese, sour cream and many great varieties of First Street ice cream. Including one of my favorites Moose Tracks.

To celebrate this exciting Real California Milk seal contest my son and I had so yummy Real California Milk Shakes! A great excuse to have a yummy treat!

You can find Smart & Final on Facebook and on twitter @SmartFinal . You can help support the contest by searching the hashtag #SmartFinalSupportsSoCalSchools and retweeting the tweets.

*This post has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias

#CBias The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from others.

Snapfish Supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In support of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Snapfish by HP announced a partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  Throughout the month of October, Snapfish will offer exclusive PinkGives personalized photo gifts including a custom card collection from new Snapfish Publisher designers, as well as customizable jewelry, calendars, notebooks, bookmarks and more.

To create personalized gifts for your family and friends, as well as raise awareness of Breast Cancer Awareness month,  can visit www.snapfish.com/PinkGives. For every PinkGives product purchased, Snapfish will donate 30 percent of the proceeds (up to $25,000) to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. 

Snapfish members can also showcase their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month by sending a note to pinkgives@snapfish.com about their involvement in the cause – whether they’re participating in a local Susan G. Komen race, organizing a fundraising campaign or related party – for a chance to receive Snapfish-funded support as an official photo sponsor for their event. Snapfish will select four winners and will donate up to $1,500 to each event.