Sep
Friendly Friday Sept. 3
Welcome to Friendly Friday!
Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog too! Just click “Get the code here…” at the bottom of the list. The code is different every week, so be sure to get the new code when hosting Friendly Friday on your blog. Hosting the list is a great way for everyone to get even more traffic to their blog.
Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Christi at Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.
To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your link in our list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment to give them some blog love. Then take a minute to follow them through Google Friend Connect – this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to each other! Please DO NOT list your giveaways here, links must be to either your homepage or your Friday posting with your blog title. All others will be deleted.
When people comment on your blog and let you know they’re a part of Friendly Friday, return the favor and follow them back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it’s a win-win situation. We would love for you to also grab our Friendly Friday button and post it on your blog and/or in a post – the more bloggers that find out about Friendly Friday and participate, the better!
Spotlight on Friendly Friday Followers!
We love your participation and want to show it! In addition to gaining followers, each week we’ll select three blogs at random and will feature links and a write-up for those blogs in the content of next week’s Friendly Friday post. There are so many seriously wonderful blogs out there, and this will be a great way to highlight some of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen 3 for this week (and feel free to stop by and give them a little extra love):
Sara at Our Breezy Beach Life lives in Florida with her husband and young daughter who they consider the most precious gift they’ve ever been given. Sara works full time but is able to work two of those days from home. She shares personal stories in her blog as well as pictures of her family and recipes such as Monkey Bread and a frozen strawberry dessert that looks so yummy.
Alexandra at Ma, what’s for dinner? lives in Connecticut with her husband and three young sons. Alex enjoys cooking with her children and hopes that her site and cookbooks will be a catalyst for other families to cook and bond together in the kitchen. Her cookbook, Ma, what’s for dinner?, has kid-friendly recipes and 15% of all proceeds benefit Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), the number one genetic cause of infant death.
Karen at Crazy Mama Karen has three children, ages four, three, and one. She and her husband work opposite shifts, so her days are long and crazy but she wouldn’t have it any other way! Karen loves to spend time with her family, bake, try new things, read, and write on her blog. She enjoys writing about life stories, lessons learned, tips, crafts, product reviews and giveaways as well.
Now that you know about these 3 wonderful blogs, it’s time for you to join in! Add your link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can grab the code to share the link list on your blog too.
All three hostesses appreciate followers through GFC and Twitter, and we’ll follow you back – be sure to leave a comment with your URL and/or Twitter username. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Tags: Friendly Friday
Sep
Little Looster Review & Giveaway
Raise your hand right now if you’re in the midst of all the potty-training craziness. Ok, you don’t really have to raise your hand. 
But I’m betting a lot of you are in the same boat we are, which is hoping against all odds that our darling little boy will FINALLY decide that using the “big boy” potty is a great idea.
When we first started trying to get J interested in potty training, we bought him a small potty seat. Even then I felt like we were adding a step to the process – I mean, we’ll get him used to that, but then he still has to get used to using the actual toilet.
I recently got the opportunity to review the Little Looster, a booster of sorts for the toilet, and I was really excited about the prospect because it meant we could try a new approach for potty training J.
As you can see, the Little Looster is U-shaped and fits neatly around the base of the toilet. It allows little ones to climb up on to the toilet and have firm footing, giving them a sense of security and aiding in the process of potty training.
When we first received the Little Looster, I wondered if it would get in the way for adults using the toilet. It did take a little getting used to, but the makers have thought a lot about convenience – there are cutouts along the bottom that help to keep it from getting in the way for grown-ups, while still allowing it to have the size needed to help kiddos feel secure while using it.
J liked trying the Little Looster right when we got it, and I was impressed – he had always avoided using the “big” potty chair before. It was easy for him to climb up on, and definitely provided solid footing for him.
I waited a while to post this review after receiving the product, because like I mentioned at the start, we are still in the throes of potty training and I wanted to be able to report on effectiveness. J still isn’t potty-trained, so know that the Little Looster isn’t going to be a magic cure-all if your child simply isn’t ready to be potty-trained. If you’re seeing signs of readiness, though, the Little Looster is a nice aid to have. It’s much more stable than using a stepstool, and the fact that it wraps around the base of the toilet is nice – it provides more of a range of space for children to place their feet (because we all know children are not going to just sit still – they wiggle!).
As far as drawbacks go, it does take a little getting used to for grown-ups, and I wish that it were available in other colors besides white. Other than that, though, this is a solidly-constructed, lightweight piece of equipment that can easily be moved elsewhere if you have guests, for example.
We still have our Little Looster up and are hopeful that we’ll keep making progress with the potty-training in the coming weeks. Would you like to have a Little Looster to help your child with potty-training? You can buy one here (shipping is very quick – I was really impressed with how quickly we received ours!) – but you also have the chance to WIN one, too!
The winner will receive one Little Looster, valued at $39.99! This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents. Entries will be accepted until midnight CST on September 16.
Mandatory Entry: Go to the Little Looster site and then comment here with a fact from their “About” page.
(Only valid after the required entry has been completed)
Please leave a comment for each extra entry – if you blog about this giveaway and get 3 entries, for example, comment 3 times.
- Follow Little Looster on Twitter {1 extra entry}
- “Like” Little Looster on Facebook {1 extra entry}
- Subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you’ve done so {1 extra entry}
- Blog about this giveaway and link it back here {3 extra entries}
- Follow me on Google Friend Connect {1 extra entry}
- Follow me on Twitter {1 extra entry}
- “Like” Frugal Novice on Facebook {1 extra entry}
- Tweet about this giveaway {1 extra entry per tweet; 2 tweets (not back-to-back) per day}
Note: Little Looster provided me with product for review and for this giveaway, but opinions provided in this review remain honest and are my own. I was not compensated monetarily for this review.
Tags: Giveaway, Little Looster, potty training
Sep
Sears Labor Day Sale
Ok, if you know me at all, you know I LOVE sales. Honestly, I don’t do much shopping if there’s not a sale involved – if I buy something at regular price, I wonder if I could have gotten it for less. That holds especially true for big purchases like appliances – I’m always on the hunt for the best deal.
Sears is having a big Labor Day Sale this weekend, which speaks right to my bargain-loving self! It starts today, September 1, and runs through Tuesday, September 7. The sale is called the Big Switch Labor Day Sale, where Sears invites customers to make The Big Switch to ENERGY STAR qualified appliances. To find out more about The Big Switch, you can visit SearsBigSwitch.com. In addition to financial benefits, The Big Switch also helps the environment. I know we have several ENERGY STAR qualified appliances and it makes me feel good to know we’re at least doing something to help.
Only Sears has the largest selection of ENERGY STAR qualified appliances and everyday low price guarantee. Their Labor Day Sale features a big variety of savings on a lot of different energy efficient appliances and products, including:
• 30% off all ENERGY STAR qualified appliances from Whirlpool, Samsung and Maytag.
• 20% off all other ENERGY STAR appliances.
• Extra 5% off all appliances with a Sears Card.
• Save over $700 on LG washer/dryer pair.
We have an LG washer/dryer set that we absolutely LOVE – it’s silver, so I think it’s pretty, too, but we also learned when we purchased it that it uses less water, which saves us money and also helps the environment. All of our kitchen appliances are ENERGY STAR qualified, too – that was a big priority for us when we redid our kitchen! The Sears Labor Day Sale is the perfect time to update your appliances and make The Big Switch.
Tags: appliances, ENERGY STAR, Labor Day Sale, Sears
Aug
SodaStream Winner!
Thanks so much to everyone who entered! The winner is…
Eren! Congratulations, Eren!!
Tags: SodaStream, Winner
Aug
Friendly Friday – August 27
Welcome to Friendly Friday!
Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog too! Just click “Get the code here…” at the bottom of the list. The code is different every week, so be sure to get the new code when hosting Friendly Friday on your blog. Hosting the list is a great way for everyone to get even more traffic to their blog.
Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Christi at Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.
To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your link in our list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment to give them some blog love. Then take a minute to follow them through Google Friend Connect – this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to each other! Please DO NOT list your giveaways here, links must be to either your homepage or your Friday posting with your blog title. All others will be deleted.
When people comment on your blog and let you know they’re a part of Friendly Friday, return the favor and follow them back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it’s a win-win situation. We would love for you to also grab our Friendly Friday button and post it on your blog and/or in a post – the more bloggers that find out about Friendly Friday and participate, the better!
Spotlight on Friendly Friday Followers!
We love your participation and want to show it! In addition to gaining followers, each week we’ll select three blogs at random and will feature links and a write-up for those blogs in the content of next week’s Friendly Friday post. There are so many seriously wonderful blogs out there, and this will be a great way to highlight some of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen 3 for this week (and feel free to stop by and give them a little extra love):
Tatum at Tatum’s Family Reviews is a stay-at-home mom to three children, and she and her husband have a strong devotion to family and their kids. She has a chronic illness that she views as a blessing rather than a curse. Tatum hosts a lot of giveaways (and has some great back-to-school giveaways going now!)
The Dinner For Two Project was inspired by the blogger’s mom – it is about “exploring and exploiting the fulfilling potential of food and easy entertaining within intimate relationships to enhance and strengthen those ties by creating special shared experiences.” There are a lot of great recipes you could make with someone you care about to enhance your relationship.
Jen at Born 2 Impress is mom to a little girl, and runs an Etsy store where she sells handmade baby accessories like knit hats adorned with flowers. She hosts tons of giveaways – and be sure and check out her special events, including the Mommy & Me Born 2 Impress event that ends next week and the Everything Home event that starts in September!
Now that you know about these 3 wonderful blogs, it’s time for you to join in! Add your link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can grab the code to share the link list on your blog too.
All three hostesses appreciate followers through GFC and Twitter, and we’ll follow you back – be sure to leave a comment with your URL and/or Twitter username. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Tags: Friendly Friday
Aug
Sam’s Club Gift Card Giveaway
We’re big fans of Sam’s Club. I have to admit, our first interest in going there stemmed from needing candy – lots of it. We had bought a candy machine at an antique store and wanted to fill it with Skittles, so we knew Sam’s was the place to go!
I recently got the chance to get a Plus Membership at Sam’s, courtesy of MyBlogSpark, and am pretty excited to take advantage of the benefits – for one thing, coupons – who doesn’t like those? But I’m also interested to try the Click ‘n’ Pull service, where I can place my order online and then just have to pick it up the next day. The Plus Membership also includes early shopping hours, which can be a lifesaver if you need to go get something before work or school.
Tags: Box Tops, General Mills, Giveaway, Sam's Club
Aug
Menu Plan Monday 8/23-8/28
Hi everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve participated in Menu Plan Monday, and I’m really glad to be back to doing it this week. Things have been really busy the past couple of weeks, and we’re still adjusting to a relatively new schedule. If you’ve read my blog for a while, you know that I got a new job last month. Then two weeks ago Brian’s granddad – in Florida – passed away, so that meant a 17-hour drive there and back, for a total of 34 hours of driving within a five-day period of time (with a one-year-old and three-year-old!!). We got back last Monday and all of last week felt like we were playing catch-up. Thanks to this past weekend we feel a little more on top of things… that mountain of laundry has been conquered, at least! The suitcases may or may not still be strewn around the house, though.
So, this week we’re trying to fall back in to some semblance of organization, and that includes planning ahead for groceries and meals. We’ve got company coming several times this week, so that helped motivate me even more to plan our meals out.
Monday: It’s Monday, need I say more? We’re doing something easy – one of the Macaroni Grill meals (Chicken Piccata, our favorite!) with green beans, and instead of doing a whole salad we’ll probably chop up some cucumber and carrots to have beforehand.
Tuesday: Chick Fil A – we haven’t done this the past few weeks but now we’re getting back into our routine, and the boys really like going, so we’ll do this.
Wednesday: Chicken crescents with green beans & homemade mashed potatoes – this is one of our favorites (the recipe is here if you’d like to give it a try!)
Thursday: Chicken fried rice, with zucchini, carrots, & onions
Friday: Leftover chicken crescents (that recipe makes a ton of food, and great leftovers!)
Saturday: Spaghetti with chicken, garlic bread, and sauteed squash
I’m sure you can tell from our menu plan for the week that I’m still keeping things pretty simple. We’re hoping that next week we’ll be even more caught up and can try some new recipes! We also want to try making gnocchi again – when we were at Sam’s yesterday we discovered that they have prosciutto, so we can finally make the recipe the way it’s supposed to be.
I have two giveaways to post this week. One will be of particular interest for moms dealing with potty training, and the other… well, I can’t imagine anyone not interested in a $25 gift card!
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Blessings,
Tags: Menu Plan Monday
Aug
Friendly Friday – August 20
Welcome to Friendly Friday!
Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog too! Just click “Get the code here…” at the bottom of the list. The code is different every week, so be sure to get the new code when hosting Friendly Friday on your blog. Hosting the list is a great way for everyone to get even more traffic to their blog.
Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Christi at Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.
To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your link in our list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment to give them some blog love. Then take a minute to follow them through Google Friend Connect – this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to each other! Please DO NOT list your giveaways here, links must be to either your homepage or your Friday posting with your blog title. All others will be deleted.
When people comment on your blog and let you know they’re a part of Friendly Friday, return the favor and follow them back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it’s a win-win situation. We would love for you to also grab our Friendly Friday button and post it on your blog and/or in a post – the more bloggers that find out about Friendly Friday and participate, the better!
Spotlight on Friendly Friday Followers!
We love your participation and want to show it! In addition to gaining followers, each week we’ll select three blogs at random and will feature links and a write-up for those blogs in the content of next week’s Friendly Friday post. There are so many seriously wonderful blogs out there, and this will be a great way to highlight some of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen 3 for this week (and feel free to stop by and give them a little extra love):
If you’re looking for adorable kids, great reviews and giveaways, interesting personal anecdotes and fun memes to get to know other bloggers, you’ve come to the right place at The Life of Rylie…& Bryce, too! LeeAnn’s honest, open and humorous writing style draws you in and whether you are reading her Saturday Playdate posts, tales of her family or about the latest product out there, you always end up with the feeling that you’ve made a great friend.
Maureen from Maureen Makes It! is talented in so many different ways! Her blog is filled with sewing, painting, cooking, tutorials, reviews and giveaways and is the perfect lead-in to her great Etsy shop. If you’re looking for monogrammed towels, hand-painted wine glasses, throw pillows, wristlets, personalized backpacks and nap mats (think back-to-school!) and much more, Maureen’s items feature hand-crafted beauty, excellent customer service and 100% positive feedback. Head over to find the perfect thing for your next gift!
Is there anyone who can’t appreciate a blog titled Just Hide the Dishes in the Dryer? We’ve all done it (or wanted to) before! Reading through Jennifer’s blog, it is difficult to decide whether to “awwww” at the great pictures of her cute kids or just laugh out loud at her hilarious stories – but you’ll end up doing both! With posts like Completely Random, I Nearly Broke His Finger! you know that you’re definitely in for a good time.
Now that you know about these 3 wonderful blogs, it’s time for you to join in! Add your link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can grab the code to share the link list on your blog too.
All three hostesses appreciate followers through GFC and Twitter, and we’ll follow you back – be sure to leave a comment with your URL and/or Twitter username. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Aug
StaphAseptic Review & Giveaway
If you’ve got children, you’ve undoubtedly dealt with bumps and scrapes along the way. Now MRSA (which is a strain of bacteria Staphylococcus aureus that are resistant to antibiotics) adds to the worry for parents. StaphAseptic is a first aid antiseptic and pain relieving gel that helps provide pain relief and also kills germs to help prevent infection, including MRSA. (more…)
Tags: Giveaway, MRSA, review, StaphAseptic
