January – 2014 – Frugal Novice
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January 2014

You Can Win Big at Chuck E Cheese’s!

Note: We received guest passes to facilitate our trip to Chuck E Cheese’s. All opinions in this post are honest and are my own.

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Our kids adore going to Chuck E Cheese’s, so they were thrilled when we told them we were going to meet some friends there this past weekend. They think the pizza is really good, and of course their favorite part is playing games and winning tickets.

Right now Chuck E Cheese’s is running a “Let the Good Times Rip!” in-store game where parents can get excited about winning prizes, too! To play, just peel off the game piece on your 18-ounce adult-size cup to see what you won. You could win a $5,000 Disney® Cruise Line Vacation, XBox One™ Console, Razor Crazy Cart™, PlayStation® 4 Console, Chuck E. Cheese’s gift cards, board games, tickets and more. This in-store game is going on now until March 31st so don’t miss out!

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The kids had fun peeling off their game pieces to see what they won – we all got extra tickets, which is always a good thing!

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Be sure and pop in to play the game before March 31 – don’t forget, every cup has a prize! And of course, while you’re there you and your family can get in some great quality time and good food.

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Eco-Friendly with Style Galore from FLOR

Note: We received FLOR Upcycle carpet squares to facilitate our review. We were not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are entirely those of myself and my family. I am a huge FLOR fan, and was prior to any review experience with the company. 

We’ve been in our new house now for almost 8 months now. It always takes me a while to feel settled in to a new house, but adding finishing touches like frames on the wall and curtains on the window have made it feel more homey to me. And since we’ve got tile floors in the house (which is a big change after having had carpet pretty much all my life!), we’ve discovered that adding rugs is a great solution. It warms the space up, it provides soft spaces for the kids to play, and it absorbs sound so that our open floor plan and high ceilings don’t result in a cavernous feeling.

I’ve written before about how much we love FLOR carpet squares for our family. It was over six months ago that I wrote about our FLOR rug in the living room, and we still adore it. It’s plush and soft, and has held up extremely well to the kids and to our large Labrador/Golden Retriever mix.

Well, now FLOR has released their new Spring Collection, and there’s yet another reason to love these squares – they’re eco-friendly! I was particularly drawn to the Upcycle line. The striped design is modern and fun, and it’s created from random strands of recycled nylon yarns, so it’s as beautiful as it is earth-aware. The pattern and durability make this style a go-to for active spaces, which is why we decided to put it in our play area. The low pile is great for playing and for easy vacuuming.

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The amber-hued stripe has flecks of gold that catch in the sunlight, adding a subtle sparkle to our rug that gives it a little something special. We loved the idea of alternating the direction of the squares to give the rug even more interest, and we think it looks great in the play area! The kids love it.

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Of course, there are other amazing designs in the 2014 Spring Collection from FLOR – I was thisclose to going with the Ambrosia squares – don’t they look great under a dining table?

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Be sure and take a look at the other offerings in the new collection – I was so impressed with all the different options. I really can’t speak highly enough of FLOR squares – we recommend them to family and friends, and they’ll always be my first go-to for floor coverings. Now I just need to figure out which room needs a FLOR rug next. :)

Start the New Year Off Right With Healthy Essentials

Note: This post is part of the Healthy Essentials 2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

The new year always feels like a fresh start, and it’s a great time to get your family on track with healthy habits & routines. I was thrilled to receive a box filled with great healthy essential items from The Motherhood and Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies. You know it’s going to be a fun box to open when it looks like this:

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The soccer ball is a nod to Johnson & Johnson’s sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup Brazil, and speaking of that…Want to go to 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™? Visit HealthyEssentials.com and see if your wish could come true. Plus, get tips and coupons to save on your favorite products for the New Year. All you have to do is share a picture or story of a moment of caring in your life and you could scream “GOAL!” from Brazil. Visit www.healthyessentials.com for more information on this amazing opportunity!

Anyway, back to the box above…the red ribbon is a sign that there are good things inside this box, don’t you think?

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Well, there were. LOTS of great things. Seriously, every single item in the box is one that we either already use and love, or is one I’ve mentioned wanting to try (so excited to use the Rembrandt stain whitening strips on my teeth!). It’s a treasure trove of things our family can use to stay healthy – Neosporin & band-aids are pretty much a necessity when you have two boys around the house, and with E still being in the midst of diapers (LOTS of diapers) Desitin is a must-have for us, too.

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To help families usher in a healthy New Year, HEALTHY ESSENTIALS is offering some pretty amazing printable coupons. Just hope over to HealthyEssentials.com this month and you can save over $45 on items you need for every member of the family!

Over at HealthyEssentials.com you can also find great tips & tools to help you get through your day. Here’s my favorite tip I found:

  • Moisturizers don’t clog your pores, if you look for non-comedogenic ones. If you don’t moisturize, your skin can dry out, which can cause more oil to be produced.

I am also really excited to let y’all know about a Twitter party coming up on Tuesday (January 14) at 1 p.m. ET, or noon Central.  There will be 15 amazing prizes awarded, each with an estimated retail value of $50! I’ll be there too and we’ll be talking about resolutions, family wellness, how to score great deals on health & hygiene products, and more. Here are the details:

When: Tuesday, January 14, 1 p.m. ET

Hashtag: #Moms4JNJConsumer (plus #ad or #sponsored for co-hosts)

Prizes: We will randomly award 15 prizes throughout the party, from all eligible correct responses to trivia questions. Each prize includes an assortment of Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® products with an estimated retail value of $50.

Prize Eligibility: No purchase necessary. Entrants must be legal residents of the 50 United States + D.C. 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited.

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann, @TheMotherhood25

I hope to see you Tuesday at the Twitter party – I’m @FrugalNovice!