Chocolate Almond Coffee Biscotti & Coffee Drinks Recipe #MyBaristaMoment #Cbias

I am a coffee lover! Regular coffee, hot coffee drinks, cold coffee drinks I enjoy them all. Making coffee drinks at home has been something I have enjoyed for many years. Being a Frugal Mom I try to find ways to have store quality items I can make in my own home. One of the treats I always enjoy with coffee is Biscotti. I love to dip it in warm coffee and eat along side a cold coffee drink, I do admit I dip it in cold coffee drinks too.

I have always wanted to make a home made biscotti but thought it was beyond my cooking skills. I found that it is not at all, it was fairly simple! I am so excited I now know how to make it and plan to make more varieties using different flavors of Ambiance coffee along with different mix ins. I like to buy Ambiance coffee from Smart & Final since it is reasonably priced and comparable to the other brands I have tried. The Ambiance House Blend is a great go to coffee for drinking, baking with and making coffee drinks. I found a few recipes for Biscotti and adapted it to what I like for flavors and made a few short cuts.


Chocolate Almond Coffee Biscotti

2 cups First Street all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon First Street baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup Ambiance House Blend strong coffee, cooled
1 First Street large egg
1 teaspoon First Street  vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup First Street Milk Chocolate chips
1/2 cup First Street slivered almonds

In a small bowl whisk together the coffee, milk, egg and vanilla extract. I pre-made the coffee and allowed it to cool before making the biscotti.

In a separate larger bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until combined. Slowly add the coffee egg mixture until a dough forms, add the slivered almonds and chocolate chips towards the end of mixing it into a dough. 

On a lightly floured surface shape the ball of dough into a long log shape. I like big biscotti but if you want smaller ones you can make the dough into two small logs. Bake for about 35 minutes at 350 degrees or until firm to the touch . Remove from oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes. You can place them on a wire rack or cool in the pan like I did.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees cut  the log crosswise on the diagonal into 3/4 inch slices. Arrange the slices on the baking sheet, and bake for 5 minutes on each side until lightly golden. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy with your Ambiance Coffee!

They are perfectly crunchy to be able to dip them in coffee and not fall apart.

To go with my delicious Biscotti I decided to make a Hot Coffee Drink using Hazelnut Ambiance Coffee. Hazelnut is my favorite of the Ambiance coffees at Smart & Final.

Hazelnut Chocolate Hot Coffee Drink

1 cup hot Hazelnut Ambiance coffee
1/4  cup First Street Milk Chocolate chips
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons of sugar (sweeten as desired)
1-2 drops of First Street Vanilla

Brew a cup of Hazelnut Ambiance coffee. Brew stronger than normal for a bold coffee taste in your drink. I use a coffee press when I make coffee drinks to make a stronger coffee flavor.

Roughly chop 1/4 cup of First Street Chocolate chips so they will melt easier. You can use Milk or Dark chips. I like the milk chocolate for the sweeter taste. Add 1/3 cup milk to a pan to warm the milk and melt the chocolate chips. (If you have a microwave and want to it can be done in there as well.) Add 1-2 drops of First Street Vanilla to the milk chocolate mixture.

Pour the warm milk and chocolate mixture into your cup of Hazelnut Ambiance coffee. Stir in sugar as desired. I used a coffee press so I had a stronger brew that required extra sweetening. Grate a few chocolate chips to add a dusting of chocolate to the top of your coffee drink.

This cup of Hazelnut Chocolate Coffee is perfect to dip your Chocolate Almond Coffee Biscotti into!

Since I love coffee drinks so much I had to make another coffee drink using my House Blend Ambiance Coffee! This time I wanted to make a cold drink. We have been oddly having spring like weather in California and a cold coffee house style drink is perfect.

Iced Caramel Coffee

1 cup Ambiance House Blend Coffee strongly brewed then cooled
1 cup Ambiance House Blend coffee cubes
1 tablespoon of Torani Classic Caramel syrup
1/3 cup milk
1 table spoon sugar (add more as needed for taste preference)
Caramel sauce for drizzle

Before making this drink brew a few cups of Ambiance House Blend Coffee and allow it to cool. Once cooled pour the coffee into ice cube trays to make coffee ice cubes. This will make your iced coffee drink have more of a coffee flavor and not a watered down one like I have found at some coffee houses.

After the Ambiance Coffee ice cubes are made its time to make your Iced Caramel Coffee drink. To make the ice cubes easier to blend I crush them in a baggie first. Next add your crushed cubes and 1 cup of  cooled coffee to a blended. Then add the milk, caramel syrup and sugar to the blender.

Blend the drink on high for 2-3 minutes or until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and add Caramel sauce to the top if the drink.

My Iced Caramel Coffee Drink taste great for a low price! I love making home made coffee drinks and being my own  Barista! #MyBaristaMoment Smart & Final is a great place to find all the coffee and baking products I need in one place for my coffee supplies.

Right now from Smart & Final if you make the switch to Ambiance coffee from Smart & Final you can go to www.smartandfinal.com/
Ambiance2012 enter the code on the receipt from their purchase of Ambiance and be entered to win some of these amazing prizes: First Prize (one grand prize per week, 3 total over the campaign): DeLonghi BCO264B Cafe Nero Combo Coffee/Espresso Maker, a $200 value!, or one of six $50 SmartCash cards (Two winners per week, 6 winners total)
 
Plus when you visit  www.smartandfinal.com/
Ambiance2012 you will be able to vote for your favorite Ambiance Coffee recipe and everyone who votes will be entered for a chance to win $50 worth of Ambiance products! (6 winners - Two winners per week over the campaign)

Dont forget to vote for my recipe while your visiting the Ambiance site :)

You can see my shopping expericance at my local Smart & Final by reading my Google+ story 

*This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.   
#collectivebias #CBias #MyBaristaMoment
All opinions expressed in this shop are my own and your experience may vary.

Random Blog Found

My blog is on blogger and at the top of the page there is a button that says "Next Blog". I have never really noticed this button until today. Out of curiosity I clicked on it. The first two blogs were plain and had not been updated in several months but on the third click I stumbled onto a super cute craft blog. To my amazement this woman has my exact same name! Crazy right!

She makes adorable felt and other crafts on her site. She is the crafty woman I wish I was. For some reason my crafts seem to turn out the same as when I was in elementary school lol. I am more of a DIY building stuff kinda woman. I love the delicacy of her creations. She has even written a book about her felt crafting. And did I mention she knits too, sheesh I need to get more crafty over here. Sam, Nana and Meg went through a knitting stage a few years back and we all have awesome scarfs from it. I would love to one day make a quilt.

Oh I should mention the name of her site, Bugs and Fishes 

iPlay Baby Green Sprouts Review and Giveaway

I would have never thought I would need so many sippy cups and bottles when I was pregnant. As a first time mom I did know that I needed to be aware of chemicals like BPA being in plastic cups and bottles. I made sure to read labels of items I purchased and received as gifts. Companies like Green Sprouts make shopping for baby safe items easier for busy Moms. iPlay is the company that made Green Sprouts, they are a line of natural products including feeding, toys, and baby care items.

I have been looking for new cups for my son. He is big enough now to have cups with a straw in it. He seems to love straws and a straw cup is a great way to get him to drink a fruit and veggie smoothie. He thinks its fun! I wanted to find a good straw cup that would close tightly. I have had another brand of straw sippy leak into my diaper bag before. Thankfully when we tried the Aqua Bottle the lid closes tightly. My son loved his new cup. I love it since it is BPA free, can hold 10oz and is interchangeable with other Aqua Cups. He is used to tilting up his cup to drink it so he did take a bit to get use to holding it downward to get the straw to work. One note for using it is to make sure the straw part on the inside is firmly in place before you tighten the lid on or it can leak a bit when tilted. There is a cute Elephant on the cup that my son likes. He just learned about the sounds Elephants make and he does his best Elephant trunk noise each time I hand him his cup, its so cute!

I must admit I still let my son drink his milk out of a bottle. I know some Moms dont after a certain age but he is 2 and its the one way I can get him to drink his milk. As a toddler myself I drank my bottle until well after 3 and I turned out fine lol. I was previously using a glass bottle for my son to avoid all contact with plastics when he drinks his milk since I warm it up before bed. Lately though he does not want warm milk but only cold milk so I have been looking for a plastic bottle, plus he has been in a "lets throw everything" mode and a glass bottle must not be thrown! I needed a bottle that is free of BPA and PVC and easy for my son to hold. We tried the Green Sprouts Feeding Bottle. The Feeding Bottle was everything I needed plus with a wide opening it was so much easier to clean than my glass bottle. My son did launch it across the room too and it was fine! He picked it back up and continued to drink out of it. I just tell myself he is a future athlete and that he is practicing.

For the month of January iPlay and Green Sprouts is having a sale. The promo code IPJA12 can be used for 20% off Green Sprouts Bottles and 20% off of  iPlay layette.

GIVEAWAY

Win one Green Sprouts Feeding Bottle and Aqua Bottle

 

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

What is your favorite color for the Aqua Bottle?

*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 iPlay Inc. on Facebook +1
-Follow iPlay Inc. 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 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 Feeding Bottle and Aqua Bottle from @iplayinc at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 01/31 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/01/iplay-baby-green-sprouts-review-and.html


*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts January 16, 2012 and ends on January 31st , 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.

Snow Day!!

Living in Washington State the snow is hit or miss every year. We live in the Seattle Area so it is not a guarantee that we will get hit with a snow storm, but if we do it gets pretty exciting!! We have had our 1st official snow of the season and it seems there is more in store for us over the week. We are hunkering down for the next few days, I hate to drive in the snow. Our days will include, snowball fights, snowmen, wet clothes, hot chocolate, fires in the wood stove and lots of laughs. I love having at least one snowfall every year, the kids love it and it always looks so beautiful.

A Princess, 2 Little Monkeys, And A dream Come True

I am the grandmother of three charming, handsome, and all around great little grandsons. My daughter Sam has two boys and my daughter Laura who lives in California, has one. These boys have my heart. As a good grandmother, I have have played sword-fighting, trucks, trains, crashing cars, superheros, football and more. I love it all. Regular readers here know that my daughter Sam recently had a baby girl. Her name is Ashley and she is the sweetest and loveliest baby ever.

Having a girl is completely different than having boys. I can see that daily life with two boys is loud, fun, and very rough and tumble. I think most moms would agree that life with little boys is a never ending adventure. Having to say things like "Do not jump off that table!" and "Don't pull the cat's tail, she'll scratch you!" is simply the way life is with little guys. Of course drying the tears that come because he did pull the cat's tail and the cat scratched him, is also the way life is. So after having two boys, Sam wanted a little girl with all her heart. I'm so happy her dream came true. From her sweet pink nursery to her pretty hats and clothes, Ashley is getting the girly-girl experience that Sam has always wanted to share with a daughter of her own. "Think Pink" is practically our motto around here lately. I wanted to share this photo of Ashley I took the other day with my new camera. I'm loving her headband!

Now I say I'm the grandmother of three charming, handsome grandsons and one extra special granddaughter. And I couldn't feel luckier.

Huggable Teddy Bears Review

What kid does not love teddy bears right!?! My son certainly does. He can clearly ask for Bear when its time to go to sleep. Each time he gets a new stuffed animal his collection grows. He has 4 stuffed animals, 3 pillow pets, 2 Blankets and 1 Binkie that he insists he needs to be able to sleep. Its so very cute. His latest addition to his collection of stuffed friends is his new Bear from Huggable Teddy Bears.

My son loves to cuddle bears and give them kisses. Its beyond sweet. But then again he does throw them across the room yelling Weeeee and jumps on them so he has his fun with them as well. While I was looking around online at the huggableteddybears.com website I found a few low priced cute bears. One of my favorite bears is the GUND God Bless America bear. He looked really soft and cuddly wearing a hoodie sweatshirt.

When the bear arrived my son was beyond excited to have a new bear to add to his collection of stuffed animals. He immediately hugged it and patted him on the head. After a while of playing with him my son wanted to take off the bears sweatshirt. He took the shirt off the other bear we gave him for Valentine's day last year. He tried with all his might to get the bear to take off his sweatshirt. I guess in his world bears dont wear clothing. The sweatshirt is sewn to the bear which had made my son fairly mad at the bear lol. I am thinking I might cut off the sweatshirt and sew up the small holes it might make to cheer my son up.

The bear is cute but a bit expensive for how little he is. But he is a GUND bear and those tend to cost more for the quality. Bears always make a great gift for a kid on Valentines Day. Huggable Teddy Bears has lots of Valentines gift products and you can even have a custom shirt made for your bear.

You can follow Huggable Teddy Bears on facebook to get all the latest news in the world of teddy bears.




*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine. I was provided the product pictured to review for this post by the Company / PR Company.

My Reality TV Obsession American Pickers, Storage Wars & Pawn Stars

I never thought I would be a reality TV junkie. I dont watch the Snookies, Singing Shows, Dating or Match Making ones but I LOVE the shows about antiques, collectibles and making money off them! I have 3 shows that are a must watch.

The first is American Pickers. This show is so fun. Its about two friends who own an antique store that travel America looking for what they call "Rusty Gold". They find people who have collectibles and junk for sale and buy it to sell in their store. Its like a nation wide yard sale hunt without any signs lol. I would love to have this be my job. I often see them pass up stuff I know is valuable but they pick stuff based on their clientele. They find a lot of "manly" items but still cool stuff.

Another show I like to watch is Storage Wars. Storage unit purchasing has become a huge industry and long before it made its way to TV I have been trying to get my husband to try it with me. Well we never did and now people are doing it everywhere! I must admit as a somewhat of a germ-a-phobe I would have a hard time going through the stuff but the wonderment of what treasure might be inside might convince me to put on a rubber outfit and dive in!

Pawn Stars is also a cool show since it has like a mini history lesson for each item they look at. Its like the cool kids Antiques Road Show (that show ARS is what started my antique show watching obsession many many many years ago!) They have funny personalities and its a family run Pawn Shop. It takes place in Las Vegas where the store is and they get to see all sorts of items that people want to sell. The call in experts to help them appraise stuff and its exciting watching people sell their stuff. I have a few things in my closet I would like looked at but I am so NOT a Vegas kind of person. I have been trying to find a good appraiser locally for some old books I have.

There have been a few other shows appearing that are similar to these shows that I have been checking out but none are as fun as these three.

Have you seen any of these shows? Do you have a favorite?

1-800 CONTACTS Website Review

My husband has worn contacts since he first started high school. He like most kids that wore glasses wanted contacts as they became a teenager. For sports, looks or convenience contacts are a great solution for not wanting to wear glasses when you need them. We shop in stores for contacts and with a 2 year old and a husband who hates to shop it can be a no fun task. He has a brand he likes to always use but does from time to time try what is new and improved. We have considered shopping online for contacts to save time and money.

I have heard the name 1-800 CONTACTS many times on the internet and on tv. That is a good thing since I would be a bit worrisome to try a company I have not heard of for such a important item. The great thing about 1-800 Contacts is that guarantee to beat any price by 2%. Free Shipping on orders over $50 is great! My husband buys a few months worth at a time when we buy them, no one wants to run out of contact lenses.

They carry all the great brands that everyone buys like Acuvue, Air Optics, Focus, FreshLook, Air Optix Night and Day lenses and many more popular brands. Ever thought of changing your eye color for fun, if you have a prescription for contacts that can easily be obtained at a store like Walmart you can order colored lenses online at 1-800 Contacts. I wonder what I would look like with brown eyes?!? All with the convenience of being at home at your computer to order them. Then just waiting on the mail to deliver them. I love the simplicity of online shopping!

They have a lot of info to get you started if you are new to contact lenses and also have live chat. So much easier to ask right then while on the site then to have to send an email. I have been using Live Chat with many companies lately and I love it.

Next time my husband needs to stock up on Contact Lenses I will have him look at the 1-800 Contacts website. You can learn more about contacts as well as find out about great sales by following 1-800 Contacts on Facebook and Twitter.

*This is a sponsored post. A sponsored post does not effect my opinion. I gave an honest story and opinion.

Bosch Auto Parts & Reed Timmer of Discovery Channel’s Stormchasers Contest and Prize Pack Giveaway

 

Have you seen the show on Discovery Channel Storm Chasers? I have watched it several times and find it fascinating. Its exciting to see all the extreme storms out there. Living in Cali we dont get very much extreme weather.  Extreme weather when you are out in your car calls for  a serious car to be able to handle it. The Storm Chasers have the Dominator for their car. Reed Timmer from Storm Chasers tested out Bosch new ICON wiper blades in the The Dominator. Sounds like the perfect test car to me! 

 Bosch has introduced the new ICON wiper blades. These bracketless wipers are designed without metal or plastic brackets, joints or hinges, which means they’re an improvement over conventional wiper blades.

To celebrate the release of the ICON wiper blades, Bosch is holding a contest where one lucky Facebook fans will win an experience of a lifetime: an all-expenses-paid, five-night VIP Storm Chasing trip for you and a guest, with Reed Timmer of Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers.


You can enter the Bosch & Storm Chasers Facebook Contest here

You can learn more about the ICON wiper blades over at http://www.boschcleartheway.com.

Reed is documenting his experience with the Bosch ICON wiper blades in a series of webisodes:

"The Dominator"

"Why Reed Chases Storms"

BLOG GIVEAWAY
To help celebrate the New ICON Bosch Wiper Blades being tested by the Storm Chasers I am hosting a Giveaway for a Bosch prize-pack. 

The prize pack includes:

• A set of Bosch ICON wiper blades ($50 value)

• “Storm Chasers - Season 4” DVD ($55 value)

• A signed copy of Reed Timmer’s book “Into The Storm” ($20 value)

• A Bosch C3 6V/12V Fully Automatic 4-Mode Battery Charger ($70 value) 

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

What Auto Parts Store is near you that sells Bosch ICON Wiper Blades? ( Look to the right of the site for the list of stores. We go to O'Reilly)


 *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.


-Enter the Bosch & Storm Chasers Facebook Contest +2
-Like Bosch Auto Parts on Facebook +1
-Follow Bosch Auto Parts on Twitter +1

-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +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 Bosch Prize Pack w/ @BoschAutoParts ICON Wiper Blades Storm Chaser DVD + more @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway end 01/31 http://tinyurl.com/74efkog


*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts January 12, 2012 and ends on January 31st , 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.

The Bathroom is now the Library

I love to read magazines. They are colorful and a short read. I have my favorite subscriptions that I need to have two of them include Martha Stewart Living and Bloomberg Businessweek. Baby Talk and Parents are two others I love to read. Lately it seems I cannot find the time to read them other than in the bathroom lol. If my son sees a magazine he wants to look at it then tear all the pages out making sure he shows me any pictures of babies or animals. As sweet as it is when I have not read it yet its money wasted not being able to read it.

So I have been hiding them in the bathroom! I have a really cute basket in there that I put hair brushes and pony tail holders in that I now use for my magazines. Its the one room my son has not taken over in the house, a least until he learns to use the potty!

What are your favorite magazines to read and do you have to hide out to enjoy them? :)

Spontaneous Happiness Book Review By Andrew Weil

For many years now I have been a fan of Andrew Weil and the many books that he has written. His latest book is called Spontaneous Happiness and I am very pleased to add it to my bookshelf. There are so many how-to-be-happy books available today that it's difficult to choose one that can really make a difference in your life. Dr. Weil is a trusted source of information, he is both a Harvard educated MD and a recognized expert of alternative medicine. We all want to be our happier, to feel better about ourselves and our lives and release ourselves from any type of depression that we may be suffering from. Dr. Weil offers us insight into the causes and cures of depression and shares his own history of depression with us. He is also surprisingly frank about the way that drugs are over prescribed by doctors and drug manufacturers.

This book is most certainly not a light read, but it is extremely interesting and informative to anyone seeking help to find a happier life. The mind-body connection plays a very significant role in our health and happiness and it is thoroughly explored. As usual, Dr. Weil 's advice is compassionate, insightful, and able to be incorporated into our lives on a daily basis. Spontaneous happiness itself isn't something we can easily achieve or maintain. Emotional health and well being depend on so many factors, including our relationships, physical health, finances, spirituality and more. If we can even recognize the fact that we can consciously choose to make ourselves happier, it is a much more achievable goal. There is an 8 week program included to help us put all the information and recommendations to work for us. I encourage everyone to read this book because we can all use help to achieve the maximum happiness in life.

You can connect with Andrew Weil, M.D. on his facebook and twitter pages.



* 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.

Shlickers aka Stickers

My son has a love for "Shlickers" (stickers) that is crazy. He loves to have as many as he can. We get them at the stores in bulk. He sticks them on himself, me, his stuffed animals, the furniture, the walls, the TV, and anywhere he can reach. I find myself having them on my face and clothing when I dont realize it. I have had many people point on one on my face or butt that I forgot was there. lol

It all started with the sticker that he would get at our local Raley's grocery store. Every time we go, and we go a lot, they give him a sticker, sometimes two so his Giraffe can have one too. Now he wants a sticker from every place we go. He wants them off fruit he sees in the stores too. I find it so very sweet since when I was little I had a sticker collection too. I would take them off of apples and bananas in the store too. My mom would buy me great stickers from places we went. I remember once in Santa Barbara and Solvang we went into toy stores and we would get me a few unique stickers for my collection. One of my favorites was a big one that had a few different dog breeds on the sheet. I had many many stickers that I did not use but collect. My son loves to use them and not collect them but as a girl I liked to keep my pretty stickers intact. I had a very collectible personality as a kid. My rock and shell collection was impressive!

When I moved out of my parents home I left my sticker collection behind. The big kid I am I did want to take it but thought I would be a dork if I did. Thankfully it was passed down to my little sister Meg who got to have sticker fun with them. Stickers oddly used to be a bit pricey when I loved them but now for my son I can go to Walmart or the Dollar Store and he gets a bunch of them. So if you see me in public or in a picture and I am covered in stickers you will know why.

My Top 5 Favorite Things To Do After The Holidays

After the tree is taken down and the Christmas decorations are put away, I always feel a little bit sad. The happiness of the holidays are over and real life is upon us again. The house can seem a bit bare and gloomy to me after all the bright lights and excitement of the season. So I try to find things to do that will lift my spirits and give me a cheerier outlook. I am also budget conscious so I look for things to do or buy that aren't going to cost me a lot of money. Here are five of my favorites.



1. Buy yourself some flowers. Nothing cheers me up faster than to see a pretty bouquet of flowers sitting on my table or desk. I am so lucky to live in the Seattle area and can go buy my flowers at The Pike Place Market. The flower vendors there have many varieties of gorgeous flowers at an unbelievably inexpensive price. Your local grocery store is also a great place to look for flowers that don't cost a lot.

2. Make yourself a special cup of coffee or tea at home. I love flavored coffees and teas but I don't drink them everyday. Having a chia vanilla spice cup of tea or cinnamon roll flavored coffee is a lovely treat. If I use my french press to brew my coffee, it makes it even more special. Just the aroma of the coffee or tea can make me feel better.

3. Go to the library and browse for a couple of hours. My local library is truly a treasure that I love to take advantage of as often as possible. Books, DVD's, magazines, and more are all available to check out at no cost. I love bringing home a stack of decorating books and cookbooks that inspire me to live better. Lots of us can forget how wonderful a resource the library can be and you can't beat the price.

4. Write a short letter or thank you note to someone you care about. In these days of emails and texting, it is becoming more and more rare to receive an actual hand written piece of mail. It only takes a few minutes and the cost of a stamp to send thanks or to send a note of appreciation or affection to someone you care about. It will give you as much pleasure to send it as it will give the person who receives it. To express gratitude towards others reminds us of who we have to be grateful for.

5. Go to an afternoon movie by yourself. Pick the movie that you want to see, not the one your husband wants to see or maybe not even the latest blockbuster. I started doing this years ago and I love it. Eat your popcorn and junk food and just relax for the next couple of hours. I guarantee you will walk out of the theater feeling lighter and refreshed. I love going to the movies and going in the afternoon when everybody else is busy, always gives me a little thrill.

We all need to do things just for ourselves sometimes, especially if we are feeling a little low or out of sorts. As wonderful as the holidays are, they do take a lot of work and that work usually falls to the wives and mothers in the family.

What do you do to cheer yourself up or as a special something just for you? 

Dino Dan featuring Mighty Machines Prize Pack Giveaway

Dino Dan featuring Might Machines is a cool movie about a boy who has a great imagination to see Dinosaurs everywhere. He helps them as they teach him all about different dinos. I think my son would find this show great. He likes dinos and says "Roaaar" when he sees them in books we read.

We are happy to be able to share a great giveaway for one of our lucky readers!

Dino Dan Synopsis

Follow the adventures of paleontologist-in-training Dan Henderson as he imagines dinosaurs into the real world! Dan uses the scientific method to gather clues and solve mysteries.  NCircle Entertainment Presents Dino Dan, filled with 4 action-packed adventures full of discovery!

Mighty Machines: Ride the Mountain Rails! Synopsis
Work Trail is busy keeping the tracks in good shape.  It takes the power of three engines to get up the sharp includes and over the pass.  These machines are a special hardy breed, made for the mountain rails.


DINO DAN EPISODES DETAIL
He Shoots, He Roars:
Dan figures out how to prove if dinosaurs were warm-blooded from Jim the reptile lizard and his puppet Denny the Dromaeosaurus.

Bones in the Backyard:
When Trek and Tristan find a bone in the schoolyard, Dan uses a paper-mache skull in Mrs. Hahn’s art class to figure out if it came from the Stygimoloch

Active Imagination
When a T-Rex backs down from a Triceratops, Dan learns that the T-Rex is a hunter AND a scavenger!

To Flee or Not to Flee
A substitute teachers encourages Dan and his classmates to engage in dinosaur role-playing)

Dino Dan seems like a great way to get kids to have a fun adventure while learning about Dinosaurs.

Dino Dan Giveaway Prize Pack

GIVEAWAY

One Dino Dan: Dino Trackers DVD     

One Dino Dan theatrical poster

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

What is yours or your kids favorite Dinosaur?

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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 Dino Dan Prize Pack from @KidtoonFilms at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 01/28


*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts January 6, 2012 and ends on January 28th , 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.

Rowenta Delta Force 18V Cordless Stick Vacuum Review

Call me crazy but I love to vacuum. Its a simple way to make the house look clean and be clean! My son used to find the sound of the vacuum soothing. He would smile at it and wave to it as I cleaned. But now oh my he is terrified of it. He screams and cries anytime I turn it on, its very sad. I knew I needed to find a new solution to vacuuming without a big bulky corded vacuum.

I was sent a Rowenta Delta Force 18V Cordless Stick Vac to review for the Holidays. This vacuum came in handy so many times! Its cordless (awesome!) light weight and has a small plug in to charge it, no bulky charge base. Its quick and easy to use. We vacuumed up cookie crumbs from Santa and confetti from New Years celebrations with ease. We have short carpet and hardwood flooring for the two settings on the vacuum but I think if we had high pile carpet it might not get the deep dirt as much. Definitely a good maintenance vacuum. I liked the easy empty push button to open the canister and the heavy duty filtration system. I plan to use this vacuum exclusively in my sons room so he can have the least amount of dust possible. My son still is a bit apprehensive about it but does not scream since it seems more like a loud broom to him.

The corner shaped head of the vacuum made it easier to get into corners and edges. Its a bit expensive but the quality is there for the asking price. I have had stick vacuums before and none compare to power of this one. I do not think it could replace a big vacuum in a large house especially when you have kids and pets like I do but its great for maintenance and quick clean ups. I am happy to not have to drag out our big vacuum and the cord all over the house when I plan to do regular vacuuming.


Rowenta Delta Force cordless rechargeable stick vacuum runs for up to 40 minutes on a single charge. Two settings adjust for hard floors and carpeting, and the unique swivel-triangle head edges into corners and along walls with precision.

• Cordless rechargeable stick vacuum runs for up to 40 minutes on a single charge.
• Bagless cyclonic technology.
• Ideal for hard floors, area rugs and low- to medium-pile carpet.
• Triangular motorized suction head swivels to reach into corners and awkward spaces.
• Lightweight (7.5 lb.).
• Slim profile for easy storage in pantry or closet.
• Charger plugs directly into self-standing unit; no external charging stand. 16-hour charge time.

*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine. I was provided the product pictured to review for this post by the Company / PR Company.

She's HERE!!

Miss Ashley and I!!!

We recently welcomed a little girl into our family. She has actually been here for a little over 2 weeks but am just now getting to blogging about her. Recovery is going slower than I expected and having 3 kids is a big adjustment, but life is good!!!! This was my 3rd C-section and my body is not feeling as great as I would like it to. Still having some pain, and some swelling but I am on my way to being the "Super Mom" I once was!

When I thought about welcoming a new baby into our lives, honestly I was nervous and expected it to be totally crazy. I mean Baby L is still just a little baby himself at almost 18 months, I was worried how he would react. I have to say we have been pleasantly surprised, he has been so lovable and great. Both of the boys have been loving on their sister and treat her like a princess!! Having a girl has changed my husband as well, he is already protective of her and thinks the world revolves around his baby girl. It is so sweet :) I love having a girl and think about all of the great things we can do as she grows, and I can't help but smile when I do. My sister and I have great memories of shopping with my Mom, girl scouts, barbies, dolls and much more!! I look forward to our journey as a family of 5 and can't wait to see what the future holds in 2012. This girl has captured our hearts and we love her more than I can express :)

P.S. I think the name Baby L does not fit our 18 month old, he is not the baby anymore!!

Giraffe Dreams

My son ADORES Giraffes! I am not sure what it is about them or why he picked Giraffes as his favorite animal but he loves them. In books, in stores and on TV if he sees one he goes crazy with joy. His stuffed giraffe "Giafe" is his best friend. He goes everywhere with him. He gets very upset if we do not take him with us. He has had him since his first birthday and now has two giraffes since Nana bought him another one for his second birthday. He has to sleep with both giraffes with him. Thankfully now that there are two of them I can give him "Geoffrey" giraffe when "Giafe" is in the washing machine. It was epic melt downs when his first giraffe would go into the washer but now he second giraffe keeps him company.

While we were at the mall the other day we walked by the Hallmark store to see what after Christmas deals they had. When my son started to squeal and yell Giraffe! He spotted the biggest toy giraffe we have ever seen. Sadly it was priced around $100. But he still loved seeing it and oh how I wish he could have one! When we got home we played giraffe battles where he likes to have me be Geoffrey and he Giafe and we make them wrestle, its hilarious!

Happy New Year 2012!

Happy New Year everyone! I cannot believe its 2012. I had a plan to write what I learned this year and my goals for myself, my family life and my blog. But then New Years Eve morning we took our son to the park to play and I changed my mind. It was a beautiful sunny day in Cali to go to the park and there were other families playing and having fun. My son adores dogs and if he sees one at the park he always wants to go pet it. Of course I always ask first since I do not want him to try to pet an unfriendly dog. This time there was an old couple and their dogs walking pass the slide area. My son ran over to them saying "Dog Dog" The old man stopped and after letting us know it was ok to pet the dog he just smiled away seeing my son gently pet the dog. The mans wife kept walking towards the dog area but the old man stayed to let my son pet the dog to his hearts content. I would guess the old man was at least in his late 70s maybe early 80s and he talked moved very slowly.

As we were standing there he put out his hand out towards us and quietly said "This world would be a great place......(then he paused to catch his breath).....if everyone would just do the right thing" Then he smiled and said he had to "go back to the boss" referring to catching up to his wife who was on the other side of the park. This left my husband and I a bit baffled and touched by his words. It seemed like such a simple thing but so complex at the same time. I thought to myself that will be my motto for 2012 to just do the right thing, what I feel is right in my heart. So many versions in the world of what is "the right thing" is what seems to make it hard for it to work. But I am going to live this year to do my best to do the right thing for my family, myself and my blog.

We will of course be watching the Rose Parade in the morning on TV like Nana mentioned in her New Years post and we will eat Panda Express like we do every year! We are now making a new tradition of taking our son to the park to play on New Years Eve morning. We also take a picture of my son by the TV as the ball drops in Time Square, its cheesy but its as close as we get to being there.

Happy New Year 2012 everyone I hope this year will be the year I find a way to make blogging a full time job for myself, Nana and Sam, and for Meg to work for us part time. Keeping all the women in our family connected through the blog is what brings me an unmeasurable joy. Thank You to my family for the support in keeping this blog going and a Thank You to all of our readers who make our blog as great as it is!