Frugal Novice

Start the New Year Off Right With Healthy Essentials

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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:

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?

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.

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!

Kidoodle.TV

Note: I participated in a Blog Blast program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Kidoodle.TV. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Kidoodle.TV is a great site – and app – to let kids pick entertainment in a safe environment that parents can choose specific settings for. Both the boys thought there were a TON of cool shows to pick from, and I loved the “Parents Room” where I could set what shows the boys are able to pick from. It’s great, too, because I could set profiles for each child, letting them see shows I feel are appropriate for their different ages.

Right now you can try Kidoodle.TV for FREE… and enter by December 31, 2013 to win 1 of 10 tablets or 1 of 10 Kidoodle.TV year-long subscriptions!
To enter the giveaway, go to Kidoodle.TV to sign up for a free trial. Follow the on-screen directions and submit!

Check out the Kidoodle.TV site, and follow Kidoodle on Twitter & Facebook, too!

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Fiskars Fuse Creativity System

Note: We received a Fuse System to facilitate our review. All opinions are honest and are my own.

If you like crafting, you’re probably familiar with the Fiskars brand. They have a huge variety of crafting supplies available, and they’re well-known for their high-quality products. When I was browsing their site, I came across the Fuse Creativity System and I was instantly intrigued. This system lets you do both die cuts and letterpress work all in one pass, and it’s a unit that doesn’t require any electricity so you can use it anywhere.

One thing I noticed right off the bat was the fact that this pacts up nice and neatly into a briefcase shape, making it easy to pick up and take it with you, or store it away when it’s not in use. The Fuse IS heavy, but the handle makes it reasonable for a non-strong person like myself to carry it.

The Fuse is really easy to open; I just rotated the crank handle outward and pushed down the orange piece you see at the handle of the unit, and voila – it unfolds! You’ll notice in the photo above a grey compartment on the right. That’s the place that houses your accessories. The starter kit comes with several extra pieces:

You receive a cutting plate, a base plate, a die cut, and two letterpress options, along with an inking pad. This is all you need to get started on projects. You receive a great “thank you” plate with a sweet image of a bird and branches, and then a gift tag. With Christmas coming up, the tag was especially interesting to me, so I decided to give it a try.

All I had to do was run the inking pad over the tag plate, then put the plate into the die cut. I put my paper on top of the die, then put the cutting plate on top to form a sandwich. I turned the handle around several times to allow the “sandwich” to make one pass through the Fuse, and I had my finished product!

The Fuse Creativity System starter kit retails for $149.99. It isn’t cheap, but this is great quality and will provide a base to allow you to make all sorts of projects down the line. There are many accessory options you can purchase as well, which give the system even more versatility and make it a great gift option – you can get your loved one the starter kit, and then buy them other accessories to expand the gift down the road!

So, if you’ve got a crafter on your gift list this year, be sure to check out the Fiskars Fuse Creativity System. And while you’re on their site, take a look at all the other many items they carry! You’ll be as impressed as I was with what all they have to offer.

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: I See Me Personalized Books & Gifts {Giveaway}

Note: We received two I See Me Books. We were not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are our own.

It can be difficult coming up with unique gift ideas for the kids in your life, but personalized items are a fun and definitely a special option. I See Me is a wonderful site that’s filled with all sorts of items for personalization, like puzzles, books, placemats and lunch boxes. Since our boys both really like books a lot, we chose to try out personalized books.

I’ve actually gotten a personalized book for J before in the past from another site, and I wasn’t impressed with the illustrations at all. The I See Me books are amazing. The illustrations are bright, cheerful and professional, and they integrate your child’s name in really fun ways to the various pages. You even get to include a special dedication message at the front of the book, so the recipient will have another personalized touch.

You can sign up for discount promos and company alerts HERE!

Make sure to connect with ISeeMe on their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, P interest and Instagram!

And of course, don’t forget to enter the giveaway below – one winner will receive their choice of personalized puzzle, My Very Merry Christmas Board Book, personalized lunch box or 1-2-3 Blast Off With Me personalized book!

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Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Balboa Baby High Chair Cover {Giveaway}

When you’ve got an infant you’re acutely aware of all the germs that are out there, especially in stores and restaurants that are filled with hundreds or thousands of people on a daily basis. We’ve been a fan of Balboa Baby’s shopping cart cover for quite a while now, and now we’ve gotten to try out their high chair cover too. Both are great items for when you’re out and about – so practical and helpful to keep germs away from your little one! But of course, Balboa Baby goes above and beyond practicality – they also have beautiful prints to select from.

We got the Pink Camellia print, and as you can see it comes in a great bag to keep it all contained until you’re ready to use it:

Once you do have it out and in action, you can see an alternate print that really adds to the overall look of the cover:

This cover provides a little cushion for your baby in the hard wooden high chairs at most restaurants, it adds some style, it keeps them away from germs and it’s even machine washable and dryable for easy clean up!

Make sure to keep up with Balboa Baby on Facebook and Twitter!

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a high chair cover, shopping cart cover, or tote bag from Balboa Baby!

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Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Posh Play Provides Style for Necessities {Giveaway}

Note: We received a Posh Play Mat. We were not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are our own.

As any parent to an infant knows, you’re inevitably going to be out in public and have to change your baby’s diaper. You’ve got to be well-supplied to make it through these sometimes messy situations, and Posh Play provides stylish necessities for diaper changes and other messes too.

Their eco-friendly, reversible, wipeable changing pad liner is made of PVC free faux leather, which is a stylish and earth-friendly alternative to disposable pads. If you don’t need a changing pad, you can use this as a place mat for your little one – it’s great to put out on restaurant tables! We’re going to use ours as a changing pad, and I love the case it comes in:

It’s a cute little case that allows room for a diaper or two and some wipes so we’re fully prepared for all diaper-changing occasions.

Posh Play products are durable, functional, and made to grow with your child(ren).

Make sure to connect with Posh Play Mat on Facebook!

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway below – the winner will get to select their choice of a Play Mat, Clutch Combo or Pads!

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Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Tiny Love Toys are Perfect Gifts for Little Ones {Giveaway}

Note: We received two toys from Tiny Love. We were not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are our own.

When you’re looking for something colorful, fun, and versatile to give to the littlest people on your gift list, Tiny Love provides perfect options for you to pick from. If you ask me the best toy to give as a baby shower gift, my answer will unequivocally be their various Stroll toys. They are SO great for using on a bouncy seat, or a car seat, or a table, high chair, or stroller. We have loved ours and I’ll enthusiastically recommend it to anyone who asks!

Of course, they make other toys too, and have many that would make perfect holiday gifts or stocking stuffers, like the Crosby Clip-On Crab or Follow-Me Fiona:

Be sure and enter the giveaway below for your chance to win your choice of either Crosby, Fiona, or the Starry Night Baby Mobile:

And be sure and follow Tiny Love on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, too!

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Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Bring Holiday Cheer with Build-a-Bear {Giveaway!}

Note: We received a Santa from Build a Bear. We were not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are our own.

I think every child knows the excitement that comes along with seeing this box:

Everyone knows something good will be inside! Our two older kids both love going to Build-a-Bear – we have quite a few creations in our house, including a crocodile Brian and I made for J when he was just a baby (complete with our voice recording and all!).

Build-a-Bear has some great holiday offerings to bring some cheer to your kids and your home – we got a visit from Santa, and he’s pretty adorable, if I do say so myself!

There are other choices for your family to pick from (or what I’d really like to do would be collect them all for a fun display that the kids can play with too!).

Make sure to connect with Build-A-Bear on Facebook and Twitter! And of course, be sure and enter our giveaway below, for a $25 Bear Buck$ gift card:
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Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Zutano Baby Clothes {Giveaway}

Note: We received an outfit from Zutano. We were not compensated monetarily for our post. All opinions are honest and our own.

I don’t know if any of you saw my Zutano post from last year, but we absolutely adored the clothes we got for baby E. We got a TON of compliments on them, and I was honestly sad when she outgrew the clothes! Check out my little elf from December 2012:

If you want to see the other things we reviewed last year, you can see that post here. On to this year, though – we got another absolutely adorable set that is fun and bright, and just perfect. I love that Zutano clothes wear great individually as stand-alone pieces, but also work together to give you something really great. Check out E’s outfit:

The hoodie’s floral print with the striped dress and pink leggings is just SO cute, isn’t it? AND the hoodie is – wait for it – reversible!! It’s a solid hot pink on the inside, so we can always have her wear it reversed for a completely different look. We also got a great hat that she’s received compliments on already:

Little miss strawberry! This hat is fun and functional, and makes a great addition to the outfit.

Beyond the clothes being really cute, my truly favorite thing about them is how well-made they are. We’ve bought clothes from other retailers that start falling apart after a wear or two, but Zutano clothes stand the test of time. The little elf sleeper from last year got worn a TON and looked as good as new when she outgrew it.

Have you ever tried Zutano clothes? If not, you should! Check out their site and also make sure to connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest! And be sure and enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a $75 gift card to Zutano!
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Three Tips to Easily and Cheaply Transform Your Table for the Holidays

Note: We received chair covers to facilitate this review. We were not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and our own.

When you have three small children like we do, you keep things pretty simple in the decor department. We can’t use tablecloths very often because we just know there’s going to be an attempt to pull it off the table – and it won’t end well. We normally have Legos scattered around the table and our chairs are pretty simple:

When the holidays come along, I like for things to feel special. It can be hard to figure out a way to add an extra element to really dress things up, but here are a few tips to transform your dining space for the holidays:

1. Use slipcovers on your chairs. We used Sure Fit slipcovers and chair sashes, and it was literally a 10-minute transformation to make our table feel like something elegant and special. You saw our table above – check out the after pictures:

The slipcovers unify the look of the chairs and soften them – and the big green bows are really a festive touch! Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas alike.

2. Use items from nature. For Thanksgiving, gather fall leaves and put them in the bottom of a hurricane vase, then set a fall-colored candle on top. Or get the kids in on the fun and let them glue leaves to a long strip of computer paper taped together to make a nature-inspired runner. Acorns make another great fall decor item! And of course pinecones are perfect for Christmas. You can also find smaller fallen tree branches and paint them white for a nice centerpiece option.

3. Make your table interactive. Put out notecards and pens for people to write what they’re thankful for – or cover your table with butcher’s paper and let people write right on the tablecloth! Kids and adults alike will love doodling and drawing during the meal, and maybe even getting in a friendly game or two of tic tac toe.

How do you make your table festive for the holidays?

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Cutco {Giveaway}

Note: We received a Cutco set. We were not compensated monetarily for this post and all opinions are honest and are our own.

Brian and I love to cook, and we learned pretty early on that some of the most important tools to have in the kitchen are good knives. You’ll make better cuts, you’ll have a better handle on things, and you’ll be safer in the kitchen. Many of our knives are ones that we received as wedding gifts, and over the years they don’t cut quite as well as they used to. So I was pretty thrilled when we received the Shear Utility Set from Cutco.

The shears are awesome. There’s a perfect spot to rest your index finger which gives you stability and strength when you’re cutting. They’re a nice weight, and they cut sooooo smoothly and easily! Another great feature is that the shears come apart for washing, so you can be assured that they’ll really get clean.

The trimmer knife is great, too. You can see how the blade is forged and runs through the length of the handle. But my favorite part of this knife is how it’s shaped to perfectly fit within your palm. It is the most comfortable knife to cut with I’ve ever used.

Cutco knives are high quality, are extremely sharp, and are made in America. They also come with the Forever Guarantee:

Keep up with Cutco on Facebook • Pinterest • Twitter • YouTube • Google+

Now you have the chance to try out Cutco knives for yourself – enter this giveaway for your chance to win the Cook’s Combo, which includes a petite chef knife and a trimmer knife.

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Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Aden + Anais Dream Blanket

Note: We received a blanket. We were not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are our own.

I love aden + anais blankets. We used their swaddling blankets almost exclusively with E – the muslin is light and breathable, with great prints, but it still keeps babies snug and warm. They’re huge, too, which makes swaddling a breeze! Here’s one of the blankets we had for E:

aden + anais blankets aren’t just for babies, though. They have Dream Blankets that are perfect for kids (or, let’s be honest, moms who snag said blankets to snuggle on the couch) and would make a great gift! In our house, our 4-year-old C will claim the Dream Blanket.He loves to snuggle and this will be perfect for him! The organic dream blanket is made with four layers of fully certified organic cotton that is grown and manufactured in an environmentally responsible way.

The print on this blanket is great – and neutral, so it’s perfect for a boy or a girl. It’s 47″ square and is a great size to cover up with or snuggle with. It is really nice and thick, but the breathable organic muslin keeps it from feeling too heavy.

Make sure to connect with aden+anais on their social media channels. You can find them on Facebook and Twitter! You’ll want to be aware of all their great products for gift ideas, both for the holidays and beyond. Their swaddling blankets are my favorite shower gift to give.

Wouldn’t you like a Dream Blanket of your own? Well, be sure to enter for your chance to win!

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Kidoodle.TV

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Fiskars Fuse Creativity System

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: I See Me Personalized Books & Gifts {Giveaway}

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Balboa Baby High Chair Cover {Giveaway}

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Posh Play Provides Style for Necessities {Giveaway}

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Tiny Love Toys are Perfect Gifts for Little Ones {Giveaway}

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Bring Holiday Cheer with Build-a-Bear {Giveaway!}

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Zutano Baby Clothes {Giveaway}

Three Tips to Easily and Cheaply Transform Your Table for the Holidays

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Cutco {Giveaway}

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Aden + Anais Dream Blanket

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