Saving for my Family

Week 36 Frumpy to Fabulous-Try A New Recipe Each Week

June 18, 2013 by aprilaakre 7 Comments

Welcome to Week 36 of the Frumpy to Fabulous series. This week’s habit change is to try a new recipe each week.

Healthy recipes are actually easy. There are plenty of places that you can find new recipes and ideas on how to make them healthier.

GetJosette website has a lot of great healthy recipes. You can check them out here

Here are some other ideas where you can find new recipes:

friends
magazines
healthy food websites
supermarket

I hope you are enjoying the Frumpy to Fabulous series. If you have missed any previous weeks check them out on the Frumpy to Fabulous Pinterest board.

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Andalou Naturals Review

June 17, 2013 by aprilaakre 7 Comments

I love makeup and beauty products, it is one of my favorite products to try. I am always looking for new products and really like natural/green products. I was really excited to get the opportunity to try Andalou Natural products.

Andalou Naturals have a variety of products to choose from skin care, body care and hair care. They are the first beauty brand to achieve 100% Non-GMO Project Verification. The products are all-natural, vegan, gluten-free and fair trade ingredients are used.

Their products use Fruit Stem Cell Science which renew, repair and regenerate healthy skin. There are three different fruit stem cell used in their products

apple -stimulate healthy cell renewal & more

grape-increase the skin’s UV tolerance & more

argan-accelerate natural repair processes & more

I received 2 different products :

All in One Beauty Balm-Sheer Tint SPF 30 -Brightening

naturally sheer mineral tint color
compliments most skin tones
wear alone or under makeup
You apply 15 minutes prior to sun exposure

All in One Beauty Balm Untinted-SPF 30-Clarifying

un-tinted mattifying formula
wear alone or under makeup
broad spectrum SPF 30
Again apply 15 minutes prior to sun exposure

Connect with Andalou Naturals

Facebook

Twitter

Review:

I have never used Beauty Balm before. I love it the consistency is thicker than lotion. It is a great base and makes you skin look flawless. I wear the un-tinted beauty balm under my makeup. My makeup goes on smoother and it really makes my skin look flawless. The tinted beauty balm looks so natural. I really like the fact that they are natural products. I also love the scent it has pretty fruity scent. This is a makeup must have.

I received the above products through Sublime Media Connection in exchange for an honest review. In no way was I asked to give a positive review.

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Easy Canvas Review

June 13, 2013 by aprilaakre 6 Comments

I am constantly taking pictures of the kids. They grow up so fast. I am still trying to get some of them in frames and photo albums. I love to have pictures of the kids all over the house. I was really excited to get a chance to review a canvas from Easy Canvas.

Easy Canvas offers canvas prints at great prices. The Easy Canvas website is very user friendly and it only takes minutes to upload your photo and order your canvas. There are many designing choices. There is an idea gallery that has several categories you can choose from.

You can put your favorite instagram photos onto a canvas. There is also several framing options with different styles and colors. Easy Canvas also has a great frequently asked questions section that tells you the best way to hang and clean a canvas and much more.

I love the canvas it is such great quality and looks great on the wall. The kids get so excited to see pictures of them on the wall. I will definitely be ordering more canvas prints from Easy Canvas. I want to get canvas pictures put up of each of them in their rooms. I like how many design options they offer. Their website is so user friendly and I like how fast you can create and order your canvas.

Connect with Easy Canvas on Facebook

There will be a giveaway and one lucky winner will win a 11×14 canvas print.

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Britax Car Seat Giveaway

June 13, 2013 by aprilaakre 3 Comments

I have an exciting giveaway for you by Woman of Many Roles. She is giving away a Britax Car Seat.

Checkout her review here.

Good luck. Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Coupons to Print

June 13, 2013 by aprilaakre Leave a Comment

Health + Beauty Products

Fun + Games

Meat

Storage + Saver Products$1.00 off FoodSaver Zipper Bags, value $7 or more

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Filed Under: Coupons to Print Tagged With: coupons

Guest Post-Mom Mishaps-No More Perfect Moms Series

June 12, 2013 by aprilaakre 5 Comments

As a Mom, we are required to play many roles. Regardless of your family situation, sometimes being a Mom can take a toll on you.

Moms are often tasked with running the household. In essence, this can mean paying the bills, grocery shopping, hauling kids here and there for this and that, responding to event initiations, doing laundry, cleaning the house and some of these moms also work from home or outside of the home. Of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

With all of these tasks, I’ve found myself a little air-headed at times. There have been times where I forgot to be the tooth fairy, covering by bringing some loose change or dollar bills while helping my son figure out what in the world the tooth fairy was thinking when she put the dough under the bed instead of putting it in the traditional place, under the pillow.

There have been times where I forgot to refill my son’s lunch money and the poor kid had to eat Peanut Butter & Jelly. I remember when PB&J was all the rage. I’m not sure why that’s so bad. At the end of the day, he was not left starving!

Forgetting to send an excuse note for illness, forgetting to sign and return documents, forgetting to wash a certain item and more are forgivable tasks that your child will likely NOT remember as they grow older, unless you do it habitually.

We all have slip-ups every now and then. It’s okay. Your child will likely forget so long as you’re tending to their basic needs of food, water and shelter.

If you’ve ever found yourself in one of these situations, just know that there are other Moms out there who have gone through the same thing!

What have you forgotten?

About the Author: Melisssa is a single, working mother to a newly turned teen (14). She is the Owner/Author of Melissa Say What?. She loves saving money and making money online, as well as reviewing products and sharing and entering giveaways online and offline.

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Filed Under: No More Perfect Moms, Series

Sprout Toddler Fruit & Veggie Chews & Fruity Yogurt Bites-#SproutFoods

June 10, 2013 by aprilaakre 3 Comments

My kids are home a lot more now that school is out for the summer. I carry some snacks in the house for lunches but now that they are home all day I am always trying to find healthy snacks for them. I was excited to get the opportunity to have them test out Sprout new line of toddler snacks. Fruit & Veggie Crispy Chews and Fruity Yogurt Bites.

All of Sprout’s products are made with organic fruits,veggies, whole grains and proteins.

The Sprout Fruit & Veggie Crsipy Chews come in 4 different flavors:

Orange fruit & Carrot
Purple Berry & Carrot
Red Berry & Beet
Tropical Fruit & Pumpkin

They are the only toddler snack on the market combining wholesome fruit & veggie combinations with crispy brown rice.

The Sprout Fruit Yogurt bites also comes in 4 different flavors:

banana pumpkin yogurt with real banana pieces
orange carrot yogurt with real mango pieces
raspberry yogurt with real mango pieces
strawberry carrot yogurt with real banana pieces

Connect with Sprout

Twitter

Facebook

You can also checkout their website to check out more of their products. You can purchase Sprout Organic products at Amazon, Babies R Us, Diapers.com,Walgreens and more.

My Review:

I tried the Orange Fruit and Carrot Fruit & Veggie chews and I really liked them. I will be purchasing more of them to stick in my purse so when I am out and about and I can have a healthy quick snack. My daughter enjoyed all of the flavors of the yogurt bites. My son is more picky and only really liked the Fruit & Veggie Crispy Chews. I think that these are a great healthy snack for kids and adults. They would be perfect to stick in your diaper bag or purse.

Here is a coupon for you

#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Sprout Foods. This could include the Sprout Foods providing us w/ content, product, access or other forms of payment. Check out the new Sprout Foods website at www.sproutorganicfoods.com.

Disclosure: I received free products from Sprout Organics.

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Week 35 Frumpy to Fabulous-Cook in Bulk-Portion and Store in Plastic Containers

June 10, 2013 by aprilaakre 6 Comments

photo credit

Welcome to Week 35 of the Frumpy to Fabulous series. This week’s habit change is to Cook in Bulk and store in plastic containers.

Carve out 2 hours a week, it may seem like a lot of time in the kitchen but it is far less than cooking a meal each night. Also not having to stress out about what you are making for dinner each night. You can prepare 2-3 meals in separate crock pots and then store them in the freezer.

Here are some ideas:

chicken
brown rice
black beans
sweet potatoes
cut fruits and veggies for snacks
prepare snacks like crackers & peanut butter
trail mix

Do you ever cook in bulk? What are some if your favorite meals to make?

I hope you are enjoying the Frumpy to Fabulous series. If you have missed any previous weeks you can check them all out on the Frumpy to Fabulous Pinterest board.

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Guest Post- The Worst Mom in the World?-No More Perfect Moms Series

June 10, 2013 by aprilaakre 6 Comments

Some days I feel like the worst mom in the world. My house is always a mess anymore. I settle for cooking whatever is easiest, not only for lunch, but also for dinner. There have been a few days lately where I don’t think I brushed my hair, and I let my son wear pajamas almost all day, and in this moment of honesty let me tell you… I cannot recall the last time I mopped the floors in my house.

These changes in me have been hard to accept. Once upon a time I had immaculate sparkling floors, I cooked balanced and well planned meals, my son and I both looked like normal people, with neat hair and clothes.

So, now you know my secret… I am not a perfect Mom.

Some days I am really hard on myself about my imperfections. I beat myself up and say “Lisa’s house is always clean and magazine worthy,” or ” Jane always looks amazing and here I am with applesauce in my hair, while my son is in his jammies at noon.”

Some days I refuse to answer the door when I have mad scientist hair and there are so many toys scattered about that it looks like Toys R Us exploded in my house.

But, there are the days that I take it all in stride and I admit that sure “Lisa’s house is always super clean, but Lisa’s kids are like robots and they are afraid to make a mess or play… my son is actually having fun, with me, and who cares about the mess?” And there are even days when I can smile and say something cute like “My husband married me for my inner beauty, the applesauce in my hair is an added bonus!”

When things seem really grim, I have found a trick that helps me cope beautifully. I think this trick could help all Moms cope with their lives.

When I feel like I am the worst Mom ever, when my son is a mess and won’t listen, when it seems like everyone else has a better grasp on the world around them, I go to Wal-Mart. It never fails, before I leave the store I am reminded that I am not the worst Mom in the world. There are tons of women like me out there, struggling to find balance and hold it all together. Sure enough, I usually even see a few examples of people that are definitely worse at parenting than I am.

The next time you find yourself in shambles, feeling like every other mother in the world is doing a better job than you are, take my tip, run to Wal-Mart. You will leave feeling reassured that it could, in fact, be worse.

Sara is a 33 year old Stay At Home Mom and she writes the Sweet Silly Sara blog.

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Roundup of Store Deals 06/09-06/15

June 8, 2013 by aprilaakre Leave a Comment

Checkout the store deals before you shop next week-

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Ubooly Giveaway-06.06-06/13

June 6, 2013 by aprilaakre 3 Comments

Looking for a new, fun way to educate and engage your children with interactive play? Look no further than Ubooly. Ubooly is a toy that’s powered by your smart device (iphone/ipod). Ubooly listens and corresponds by using voice recognition to engage with children in a fun & educational way!

By simply downloading the free Ubooly app to your Iphone or Ipod, you can open a new world of fun, portable and educational play for your child for hours on end. You can even customize the look of your Ubooly with different glasses, hairstyles and more.

Some the the features of your Ubooly will include:

Speaking and know your child’s name, liking the same colors, interests, food, hobbies and much more
By simply purchasing credits (reasonably priced at just $2.99/each, you will be able to unlock Educational, Interest, and Helper packs.
Educational Packs are created on a 5 day schedule and keep parents in the loop with progress reports
Interest Packs are full of fun facts of trivia to get your child excited about specific topics
Fitness & Helper Packs will help with personal growth & create healthy habits
Content packs are all designed to be age appropriate for different age ranges (3-9 years old)

All packs can be purchased directly through the app. Downloading the app through Itunes makes it convenient to add credit and purchase the packs.
Would you like the chance to win a plush Ubooly of your very own AND a $30 Credit to the Ubooly Lab to purchase some educational packs for your little one? It’s Free At Last, Ubooly & other amazing bloggers are giving you the chance to win.

Simply follow the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win. Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents, ages 18+ years of age. Good Luck.

Also be sure to get a chuckle out of these two Ubooly buddies talking to each other when they discover they are in the same room together:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. We are not associated with any of the companies named above. No purchase is necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received Open to US, 18+ only. Confirmed Winner(s) (by Random.org) will be contacted by email. Winner(s) have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The sponsor(s) will be responsible for product shipment to winner(s) of this giveaway. Participating blogs are not responsible for product shipment/delivery. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest or Instagram. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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No More Perfect Days-No More Perfect Mom Series

June 6, 2013 by aprilaakre 4 Comments

I am so loving this book. I read Chapter 7 called No More Perfect Days and I can relate to this whole chapter.

Life with kids are unpredictable

Learn to expect the unexpected

Find flexibility

Embrace Reality

There is no way to control real life

Control is really a mirage

How many times did you have plans and the something happens and you have to cancel your plans?- I know it has happened to me a lot. I have errands to run or other plans and then one of the kids gets sick and can’t go to school so I have to cancel my plans. It is frustrating but you need to be flexible.

Margin is having the pace and space in your day to allow real life to happen.

We cram to much in our schedule and our children’s schedule. In order to expect the unexpected and maintain flexibility we have to have enough time built into our schedules to anticipate what will likely happen.

Trust experience- adjust your time to leave based upon realistic experience.

Set boundaries-boundaries are healthy for us and our kids

Say No-We can’t do everything. We can’t please everyone.

Increase Time-when children are involved every activity will take longer than you anticipate. Increase the time you set aside to go to the grocery store and to make dinner.

Decrease Activities-

put less into your day
children needs take time
relationships take time
conversations take time

Rest,laugh and focus on “being” and not “doing” to increase much needed emotional margin.

Beware the compare-

When we keep it real, we help other mom’s know they are not normal

Resist the urge to compare and determine you come up short

There are no perfect moms living out perfect days but they are all kinds of imperfect moms handling whatever life throws our way the absolute best way we can.

Turn from pride and embrace humility-

pride keeps our mask in place

it doesn’t help us and it doesn’t help other moms

pride also demands, It controls

3 ways to turn from pride and embrace humility-

*pay attention to how much you want to control

*keep it real-be honest

*ask god for help

Transition from Judgement to Grace

-judgement lashes out and blames when things don’t go as planned

-grace sees the big picture

Judgement looks at others and comes to conclusions about them. even without having full information

Grace looks at others and simply sees broken people trying to do their best

I am really enjoying this book. I can relate to it so much. I am also learning a lot from it. I hope you are enjoying the series so far.

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Week 34 Frumpy to Fabulous-Skip Frozen Meals for Prepared Leftovers

June 3, 2013 by aprilaakre 10 Comments

photo credit

Welcome to Week 34 of the Frumpy to Fabulous Series this week’s habit change is Skip Frozen Meals for Prepared Leftovers.

TV Dinners are filled with artificial flavors, colors and fillers to extend shelf life. The healthy versions are just as bad.

Prepare extra portions and store leftovers in plastic containers.

ground turkey
chicken
brown rice
sweet potatoes
vegetables

I ate TV dinners quite often when I was working just because they were fast and I could easily warm them up at work. I still eat them every so often. I guess I need to plan ahead and make extra when I make meals that way I have healthier meals.

I hope you are enjoying the Frumpy to Fabulous series. If you have missed any previous weeks you can see them all in the Frumpy to Fabulous Pinterest board.

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Friends-No More Perfect Mom Series

May 31, 2013 by aprilaakre 8 Comments

I really enjoyed reading Chapter 6 called No More Perfect Friends. I summarized some of the great points she made.

Every mom needs a community of mothers around them.

A good friend is one you can call last minute if something comes up. Make sure you reciprocate and are a good friend also.

Having good friends in life is like having money in the bank.

There are two pages that talk about Mommy Manners. She sat down with a group of moms and they came up with manners that were important to them:

Mommy Manners:

always RSVP promptly to invitations your children receive
offer to pay for gas when sharing a ride to your children’s out to town sporting event
offer to take your neighbor’s children if you are going to the same event, lesson or camp
remember to respect another mom’s way of doing things even if it is different from the way you do it
be a good listener-don’t try to top another mom’s story

… many more

Friendships require investment of time & energy

People make mistakes you will and so will your friends need to admit our mistakes clean them up and resist being defined by them

Have courage to be upfront with your friends if you feel a distance or uncomfortable with a friend. Discuss it.

Don’t let judgement creep into our hearts

It is easy to point our finger at other people instead of admitting you need to change or fix things.

Two of my favorite things she mentions in this chapter is to have grace-”grace happens when you allow another person to be human” and Take a minute and write a friend a note today to thank them for their friendship, tell them what you appreciate about them.

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ABC Mouse Giveaway 05/30-06/12

May 30, 2013 by aprilaakre 4 Comments

Welcome to the ABCmouse.com review and giveaway being hosted by The Simply Me Blog.

ABCmouse.com is a full online curriculum. ABCMouse.com is a subscription based educational website for kids ages 2 to 6. With over 450 lessons and over 3000 individual learning activities ABCmouse gives children the foundation necessary to achieve academic success. There is 6 levels each designed to target different age groups.

You start your child on whichever level you think is best for them if you find your child is ahead or behind that particular level that is okay because you can change it at anytime.

The lessons cover reading, math, science, art and colors and Music.

As a parent I love the fact my kids are learning, but are having fun at the same time. My son thinks ABCmouse is the new greatest game! He begs to “play” he is having fun learning and as a mom that makes me proud.

The lessons are short and easy my 5 year old son has an attention span of 2 minutes and becomes easily bored so it made all the difference that the lessons were short and always changing. One minute he was coloring, the next singing a song, doing a puzzle and so much more. It was always changing and keeping him engaged.

Plus he is rewarded for learning, at the end lesson he gets to pick a prize. My son loves this whenever he is getting close I can hear the excitement in his voice when he tells me how many more lessons until he can earn another reward.

With each activity he completes he earns tickets and points that he can spend at the pretend online store.

My 5 year old adores ABCmouse and has been bragging about his achievements to everyone. With each account you can add 3 children so I was able to create an account for my son Quinn who is only 2. I thought for sure he wouldn’t get much out of it, I was so surprised to see him smiling and clapping along to the songs. The youngest level was really targeted to his age group. I don’t think he will be reading anytime soon, but I happy to know that he is starting a strong foundation to eventually achieve that. It is never to early to start learning!

ABCmouse.com was developed by childhood experts that understand kids they understands how to teach them without overwhelming them. My boys honestly view ABCmouse as a game which is why I think they our learning so easily, because for them its fun its not work.

My oldest will start kindergarten this year its nice to have the peace of mind knowing he will be ready!

If you would like to learn more please see my link below:

http://www.abcmouse.com/

And now onto the giveaway!

1 Person has the chance to win a 1 year membership to ABCmouse.com a $79 value!!

You must be 18+ to win and live in the USA

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was given this product for the purpose of review. Regardless all opinions are my own.

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Saving for my Family

Be Social

Week 36 Frumpy to Fabulous-Try A New Recipe Each Week

Andalou Naturals Review

Easy Canvas Review

Britax Car Seat Giveaway

Coupons to Print

Guest Post-Mom Mishaps-No More Perfect Moms Series

About the Author: Melisssa is a single, working mother to a newly turned teen (14). She is the Owner/Author of Melissa Say What?. She loves saving money and making money online, as well as reviewing products and sharing and entering giveaways online and offline.

Sprout Toddler Fruit & Veggie Chews & Fruity Yogurt Bites-#SproutFoods

Week 35 Frumpy to Fabulous-Cook in Bulk-Portion and Store in Plastic Containers

Guest Post- The Worst Mom in the World?-No More Perfect Moms Series

Roundup of Store Deals 06/09-06/15

Ubooly Giveaway-06.06-06/13

No More Perfect Days-No More Perfect Mom Series

Week 34 Frumpy to Fabulous-Skip Frozen Meals for Prepared Leftovers

Friends-No More Perfect Mom Series

ABC Mouse Giveaway 05/30-06/12

Welcome to the ABCmouse.com review and giveaway being hosted by The Simply Me Blog.

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