June – 2011 – Frugal Novice

SwimWays Gear in Action

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I wrote last week about the gear we received as SwimWays ambassadors. We got a chance on Thursday to try most of it out for the first time when our friends invited us to go swimming with them! This was our first trip to the pool for the summer, and I have to say that going swimming really makes it feel like summer.

J wore the Swim Vest, and C wore the Swim Shorty.

Both of these items were great. They provided buoyancy without being too bulky or cumbersome. C was a little nervous at first, but the Shorty helped him balance better to walk along the shallow end. He even got comfortable enough to “swim” along with me holding him under his arms – his little feet make a big splash! Brian took him in to the deeper part of the pool and said C didn’t seem nervous there, either.

They had fun playing with the football and fish – both items were a hit, and we had to institute “switch” times so they got turns with each toy.

There was one point when J tipped over in the shallow end. Even with the vest on, of course, his face went into the water and he did not know what to do. We were close by and Brian plucked him up quickly, but it reminded me of a point that I want to really stress – safety gear is not a substitute for parental awareness. Don’t get so comfortable because your child has gear on that you don’t keep an eye on him.

That being said, we are huge fans of the SwimWays products. They do provide a level of safety that the boys wouldn’t have without them, and the buoyancy gives them a better sense of confidence in the water. The items we received are high-quality, lightweight, fun colors, and dry quickly after being removed from the water. We will definitely continue to use the gear for future swimming excursions. Hopefully the boys will continue to get more comfortable and gain skills; they’re on the right path!

How comfortable are your kids in the water? Have they taken swim lessons? Do you use any safety gear with them?

Note: We received SwimWays items as part of our role as SwimWays ambassadors. Any opinions provided in this post are honest and are completely my own or those of my family.

A Better World – Game Review

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I’m typically not a big Facebook gamer, but one game has recently caught my attention. ToonUps (a digital entertainment company that has focused on developing digital content that encourages a positive outlook and altruistic behavior for more than a decade) has created a new Facebook game that has soared to over 120,000 users – A Better World. This game rewards players not just for in-game activities but also for real world acts of kindness and expressions of gratitude.

A Better World adds a new layer of social activity to casual gaming. Gameplay activities are designed to help everyone who participates feel better about themselves, be supportive of others and make positive choices in their everyday lives. Players also can play mini games with inspirational themes; personalize their own characters and spaces in the game and play with and care for virtual pets.

I decided to give the game a try to see what it was all about – it started out reminding me a little bit of the Sims, as I created my avatar and then doing basic decorating for my avatar’s home. I always have fun with that kind of thing, and here’s me in-game:

I’m at a place in the game called the Gratitude Grotto, which is an area where you can reveal what you are thankful for and express your support for messages left by others. See the smiley and frowny faces? You can click on one or the other to show how you feel about the sentiment that appears.

The Department of Do-Good is a place you can share real world good deeds you’ve performed and see what other members of the community have done. Again, there’s motivation there to take the game beyond the computer and spread kindness throughout your day.

Other areas in the game include:

Sanctuary of Hope – A building where you can communicate your hopes and dreams and send encouragement to other players

Arcade – A play area with uplifting mini-games to enjoy alone or with friends

Better Pets Pet Shop – Filled with adorable puppies, cute kittens or even a magical unicorn

ToonUps hopes A Better World’s original approach could usher in a new genre of “do good gaming.” Research shows that being encouraged to think about things they are thankful for and doing activities that provide encouragement to others improves their mental, emotional and spiritual well being.

Check out the trailer for the game below, along with some other screen shots. Try A Better World today, and do a little good along with your gaming!

Note: I was given the opportunity to share my thoughts and opinions on A Better World. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Energizer Lithium Batteries – and a Giveaway!

Summer travel season is in full swing, and the ever changing cost of gas prices is impacting everyone. Do you have any road trips planned? I know we do, including one that is almost 1,800 miles round trip!

To help with the big summer shuffle between activities for your kids and family road trips, Energizer has a deal to help make a positive impact on your gas budget. They’re rewarding Energizer Lithium customers by helping their dollars last longer.

All you have to do is purchase two packs of specially-marked Energizer Ultimate Lithium or Energizer Advanced Lithium batteries and you will get a $10 Prepaid Discover Gas Rewards card mailed to you. It’s that easy. You can use the card anywhere Discover cards are accepted, by the way. So even if you don’t drive a car and need gas, you can still benefit from the card!

Here are a couple of facts about Energizer Lithium Batteries – because it’s important to know the value you’re getting even aside from the $10 Discover card:

Lightweight and perform well in extreme temperatures, from -40° F to 140° F (-40° C to 60° C).
Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries last up to 8x longer** in digital cameras for up to 8X less waste.
Energizer Advanced Lithium batteries last up to 4x longer** in digital cameras, 20 hours longer** in wireless gaming accessories and up to 30% longer** in personal audio devices.

** Vs. Energizer MAX. Results vary by device and play and/ or usage patterns.

One of you lucky readers will get free batteries and a $10 gift card, because I’ve got a giveaway!

The winner of this giveaway will win a specially-marked package of Energizer Ultimate Lithium and a package of Energizer Advanced Lithium batteries. You can even choose whether you’d like AA or AAA batteries. You’ll receive the batteries, and then can enter your codes on the Energizer Facebook page to get your free $10 Discover card! This contest is open to all U.S. residents. Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Wednesday, July 6.

Mandatory Entry: Comment on this post and let me know what you use batteries for the most. For us, it’s definitely our TV remote or Wii controllers!

(Only valid after the required entry has been completed)

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Note: Energizer is providing the batteries for the winner, and I am also receiving two packs of batteries.

Friendly Friday June 17

Welcome to Friendly Friday!

Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog, too! Just get the InLinkz code and copy it directly into your post. 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 to get even more traffic to your blog and make Friendly Friday more beneficial for everyone.

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 family-friendly 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):

Helicopter Mom is a thirty-something, stay-at-home-mom living in the South. She’s been married for almost 8 years and has 3 beautiful children with her husband. Herr oldest daughter just started Kindergarten, her younger daughter just started pre-school and her baby boy is learning to walk. When you visit her blog, you’ll find photos of her cute kids, recipes, and lots of great reviews and giveaways!

Amanda at Life With Rats… And More is a fun-loving, vivacious person and you can tell it right away when you read her blog! In visiting her “Look at Life” page, you can learn a lot about her. For instance, she’s in love with a man named Aaron, she has rats as pets and wants you to know why they’re great to have as pets (who knew they could be trained? amazing!). She shares her day-to-day life and craft ideas along with product reviews and giveaways. You may never look at rats the same way again after visiting this blog!

Kathryn at Crystal Jigsaw is an author, having recently launched a paranormal romance novel on the market. Between writing, she runs a sheep and arable farm in Northumberland. Her daughter, Amy, is eleven years old and autistic; Kathryn says Amy is her reason for living which is why she loves her life so very much. She loves to interact with her readers, and writes in-depth posts that really make you want to comment – and read more.

Now that you know about these 3 wonderful blogs, it’s time for you to join in! Add your family-friendly link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can
get the InLinkz code to share Friendly Friday on your blog!

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!

Cars 2 Giveaway!

Um, so we’re just a little excited about the Cars 2 premiere. This will be the boys’ first real feature-length movie experience, and we have been talking about it for weeks! J has asked to watch the trailer several times, and they know that they’re going to get popcorn and lemonade, and maybe even candy. It’s going to be a big to-do, people!

Are y’all excited about Cars 2 in your house, too? If you need a little reminder of what’s coming June 24, check out this trailer:

When star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix, Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage!

Want more info on the movie?

Visit the official website at: http://www.Disney.com/Cars
“Like” CARS 2 on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/PixarCars

Want even more fun? Click here to download a great pack of Cars 2 crafts, activities and printables to share with your kiddos!

Here’s the best part, though – one of you will win this Cars 2 prize pack, with:

CARS 2 t-shirt in a youth size (S, M, L, XL)
CARS 2 set of 3 bumper tickets
CARS 2 temporary tattoo sheet (2 per winner)
CARS 2 puzzle

Mandatory Entry: Comment below telling me your favorite Cars character!

(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 2 entries, for example, comment 2 times.

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Unlimited Extra Entry Option: Leave a NEW comment on as many other posts as you like and get one entry for each comment (entering another giveaway counts too). Be sure to let me know which posts you commented on below.

This giveaway will be open until the end of the day (midnight Central) Wednesday, June 29.

Note: I did not receive a product or compensation for writing this post.

Don’t forget, CARS 2 races into theatres everywhere in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D on June 24th!

JoeShopping Review

If you have read my blog, or if you even slightly know me, you know that I love bargains. So it probably comes as no surprise to you that I’m a big fan of joeshopping.com, a site that provides info on tons of hot deals! Here’s what was listed on the front page when I went to visit – and these are just a few of the deals available:

I love the variety of codes provided on JoeShopping. I found tons of Kohls coupon codes, which is a store I shop at quite often for myself and the boys. Looking for business wear? You’ll find Chadwicks coupon codes. Or if you’re like us and seem to be perpetually planning birthday parties, you might be excited to find Birthday Express coupon codes to save some money on party supplies.

JoeShopping also allows you to compare prices, letting you find the best deal on whatever you’re shopping for. This saves you all the time and energy of hunting down prices on your own in order to save money.

For instance, I’m researching treadmills right now, and I was able to very easily pull up pricing on treadmills from a variety of retail locations.

What really sets JoeShopping apart from other deal sites is the ability for consumers to get involved. You can have discussions and post reviews of items, earning you points and the opportunity to win prizes! It allows like-minded people to help each other out in finding deals or deciding on which products are worth buying, adding another layer of helpfulness to the site.

If you’re looking for deals, coupon codes, product reviews, and more, all in one convenient location, you should go give JoeShopping a try.

Swimming Safety Tips from SwimWays

First of all, I’m excited to let you know that we’re SwimWays ambassadors – or as we told the boys, we’re on the Swim Steps Swim Team.

Both of our boys have minimal experience in the water. They think it’s fun to splash around, but they haven’t had swimming lessons yet. This summer we want to work with them on being more comfortable in the water and learning some basic swimming skills. Thanks to some great safety items from SwimWays, they’re well on their way to being swim-savvy!

SwimWays breaks down swimming skills into steps:

Step 1- It’s my first time in the pool. Before they can enjoy the water, babies need to be comfortable in it.
Step 2- I’m ready to paddle and splash. For toddlers, action is the name of the game. Kids at this age may feel ready to jump right in, but they need support and security as they learn swimming skills.
Step 3- Teach me to swim so we can play together. As kids get older, they’re ready to begin truly learning to swim. They’ve mastered water balancing and paddling and they may already have some other swimming skills.
Step 4- I can do it—watch me go!Children who can swim on their own often need a little extra support as they refine their swimming abilities.

Even though C is 2 and J is almost 4, I’d classify them both as Step 2. We received several safety items for the boys to wear while learning to swim, along with a couple of fun pool toys.

We got the Swim Vest, which will be great for J to wear with his swim trunks. I like that it’s secure with a zipper, but that it’s not too cumbersome.

The Swim Shorty will be perfect for C – it’s got a top and bottom built in to one piece and will be easy for him to maneuver in.

We will also be trying the Power Swimr with both boys, which provides a comfortable and secure fit, and will keep them in a well balanced swimming position.

Now that I’ve shown you the swimming gear from SwimWays we’re going to try out, I thought I’d share some of the safety tips SwimWays sent us. Water safety is incredibly important – it is too easy for something to happen quickly if you’re not being careful! These are easy to remember… just be S.U.R.E.! These tips are provided from Jim L. Reiser, M.S., founder of Swim Lessons University.

Safe and Secure. Before children can enjoy the water they need to feel comfortable. Build their confidence and help them feel safer and secure (using products like those from SwimWays can help give children that sense of security).

Use active “Eagle Eye” supervision when your child is in or around the water. More than half of drownings involving children ages 3-5 occur in residential pools. You could even use a “Water Watcher Tag” to help parents remember whose turn it is to watch the children.

Remember a lifejacket. Lifejackets live up to their name and save lives. Jim’s rule of thumb is: if a child can’t swim across the body of water he is playing in/around AND the adult isn’t within an arm’s reach of the child at all times, the child should be wearing a lifejacket.

Evaluate and re-evaluate your definition of “swimming.” More than half of all drownings of children over age 6 occur in open water situations. Learning to swim is no different than learning any other skill, and involves continuous practice.

Feel free to tweet Jim any swimming lesson questions you might have! @SwimProfessor

I’ll be writing again soon to update you on the boys’ swimming progress. We’re trying out all the SwimWays gear for the first time later this week!

Chili’s Gift Card Winner

Congratulations Tamara!!

Menu Plan Monday June 12-18

Hi everyone! I wrote earlier about a fun new meal we had at our friends’ house tonight – lasagna wontons! Check out the post to see photos and learn how to make these for yourself.

This has been a great weekend for food and friends. Friday night we had friends over to watch the fourth Harry Potter movie and made pepperoni pizza. I made one with regular pepperoni, and one with turkey pepperoni. I’ve gotta admit, I can tell a big difference between the two!

Saturday we went to some friends’ house for dinner and games – we had a great time, and amazing food: grilled chicken & pineapple quesadillas, fresh corn & avocado salsa, and blackberry cobbler. Wendy, I wasn’t sure which cobbler recipe it was you used, so if I linked to the wrong one you’ll have to let me know. PS – You’re a great cook, and I love how adventurous you are with trying new recipes.

Ok, now on to food for this week, which is going to seem awfully plain after all the great food from the weekend.

Monday: We’re making burritos, which is an easy meal and is nice to make at the beginning of the week because of the leftovers, too – perfect for lunch the next day!

Tuesday: Chick fil A! We’re trying to just do this every other week since we’re cutting back on eating out.

Wednesday: Chicken alfredo with wheat pasta, and Schwan’s frozen veggies – green beans, red pepper, yellow carrots and broccoli.

Thursday: We’re doing swimming and games with friends, and I need to check with them to double-check on what they like or don’t – I am thinking about doing either quesadillas, nachos, or hot dogs. Something easy and kid-friendly is key!

Friday: We have pizza planned – baked potato (one of Brian’s favorite, and his request) and BBQ chicken. I think we’re doing another movie night, though, so we need to check with our partners in crime :) to see what sounds good to them.

Saturday: Date night! Seriously!! I’m just a taaaaaaaad bit excited about it. We have a gift card to one of our favorite restaurants that we’ve been saving for just such an occasion. We love our boys, but a kid-free meal is such a treat (am I right?!). We’re so thankful to have great friends to trade date nights with – the boys have fun playing with their girls, and trading is much better than paying for babysitting.

Hope you all have a great week filled with wonderful food!

Lasagna Wontons Recipe

Brian and I love to try new meal ideas, but lately we’ve been so busy we’ve kind of fallen into a rut. Tonight we went to our friends’ Jake and Samantha’s house for dinner and got to try something new – and they were kind enough to let me take photos to share with you!

They made fried lasagna wontons, an idea I never would have thought to try – and check out how easy they are to make. You’ll want to try these too!

First, make or buy a meat sauce. Sam made hers from scratch. There are a lot of great meat sauce recipes on AllRecipes.com, or you can find something at your local supermarket.

You’ll also want to have ricotta. In traditional lasagna you use egg as a binder, but that wasn’t necessary for these. Sam mixed ricotta, oregano, fresh sweet basil, garlic salt, and pepper together.

Before you start assembling the wontons, get oil heating on the stove. Then it’s time for the fun part!

You can find wonton wrappers at most grocery stores – Sam said she found theirs in the produce section. Also set out a small bowl of water for helping to seal the edges.

Place a small amount of ricotta on the center of each wonton wrapper, then top with a small amount of sauce.

At first, Sam tried making little pouches, which are really pretty but more time-consuming to create and to cook.

Then she conferred with Jake and they decided to do little dumpling/empanada shapes.

To do this shape, she just placed a little bit of water around the edge of the wonton wrapper, then folded them over and pressed to seal. She trimmed a little to round the edges, and crimped with a fork.

To cook, she placed them in oil until they floated and were a nice golden brown.

They were delicious! The centers were soft, but the edges were nice and crispy.

So, now I’m inspired! I want to try making these and baking them to see what the finished result is like, but even more I’d like to play around with other fillings. I can think of all sorts of other flavor combinations I’d like to try, both sweet and savory. Stay tuned – I’ll keep you posted on any successful experiments! If you have any ideas you think I should try, share them in the comments. If they sound promising, I’ll try them, share them on here, and of course give you the credit you deserve for your amazing idea. :)

Be sure and visit Sam’s blog, too – she shares fun and innovative items that she loves, and that you’ll probably love too!

Cube Dog iPhone App Review

Thank you to Cube Dog for sponsoring this review. For more information about Cube Dog please visit the Facebook page or download it on iTunes.

I’ve mentioned before how much I use my phone – I don’t know if I’ve mentioned what a lifesaver it can be when I’m out and about with the boys. They love to play games, and J can operate the phone just as well as I can. I’m always interested in new (and especially free) apps for them to try.

The Cube Dog app is reminiscent of giga pets that were so popular when I was in high school, only a lot cuter and much more interactive! When you start up the app, you are able to create your own dog. You can select head shape, eyes, nose/mouth, body, and color to make your dog your own.

Once you build your dog, you can have it interact with you. Fetching is so overrated – the Cube Dog can hit the ball back to you with his own little bat. :) You just have to press a button and interaction options pop up. If you take too long to interact with your dog, he’ll fall asleep and start snoring – so don’t let him get bored!

Your dog can even “call” you (No, you don’t actually talk to him. Dogs can’t talk, remember!)

My favorite part of the app is the ability to take your dog’s photo in your environment. For instance, tonight my dog hung out with Josie and Brian on the couch:

Josie looks a little skeptical about him, but I’m sure she’ll learn to love him. :)

I think this is a really cute app, but is probably one the boys will get more use out of than we will. They think the dog is fun and like making him do different things – and have fun trying different options when building their dogs.

There are extras you can purchase for the Cube Dog, but it’s not a requirement to enjoy the app. Find out more about what all you can do by watching this video about it:

Also, be sure and “Like” Cube Dog on Facebook, and keep an eye out for a contest they’ll be running June 13-17!

Note: While Cube Dog provided me with the app to review, the opinions I’ve expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Cube Dog, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.

Friendly Friday: June 10

Welcome to Friendly Friday!

Do you feel like your life encompasses aspects of just about everything? Cher at Mom and More does… and she’s right! The SAHM of two adorable little boys, this family will soon be welcoming a baby girl into the mix next month. Blogging since 2008, you’ll find great reviews, giveaways, recipes, money-saving tips and coupons, and more from this Chicago mommy that does it all!

With the great motto that, “Your experiences make you the person that you are so you should not regret one single event in your life,” Tough Cookie Mommy lives her life with her husband and two boys in NYC. Her blog features her stories, reflections, triumphs, tragedies, comedies, obstacles, epiphanies, thoughts, feelings, and experiences about motherhood, her career, reviews, giveaways, and more that you won’t want to miss.

Have you ever wanted to find your fitness passion but didn’t know where to start? April at My Fitness World is the perfect person to help! Having helped countless people lose weight through the fitness classes that she instructs, you are now able to have her as your own free personal trainer through her tips, reviews, giveaways, recipes, events, and so much more to help get you on your way to being happy and healthy today!