Frugal Novice

Holiday Gift Guide: Graco Blossom Seating System {Giveaway}

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

We have been HUGE Graco fans since J was born back in 2007. We had a Graco SnugRide car seat, the stroller that went with the travel system, the play yard, the swing, and the high chair… and we loved every single item. With each of our other two kids we’ve brought them home in the hospital in a Graco SnugRide because it’s a seat – and brand – we trust with our babies.

Because of our longstanding history with Graco, I’m never surprised when I hear about another amazing product they’ve created. Of course it’s amazing – it’s Graco. You can see the research that’s put into both the functionality and quality of everything they’ve produced. So I was impressed, but not surprised, when we got to see the Blossom 4-in-1 Seating System up close and personal.

This isn’t just a high chair. It’s a modular 4-in-1 system designed to adjust to children’s seating needs- and to accommodate more than one child in your growing family. It transforms seamlessly from an extremely functional highchair to an infant feeding booster, a toddler booster, and finally a youth chair. Should your family suddenly grow, it can even accommodate a baby and a toddler at the table all at once. The 6-position height adjustment assures a front row seat for baby at any family table. And the 3-position removable footrest and 3-position one-hand reclining seat will ensure your growing child stays comfortable at mealtime.

Here are some other features of the Blossom:

4-in-1 modular seating system adjusts to your growing child’s seating needs
The innovative design allows you to seat two children simultaneously
6-position height adjustment helps position baby at any table
Two front over-molded wheels with two locking rear castors for enhanced mobility
3-positon adjustable footrest helps keep your child comfy as he grows
Infant head and body support help keep baby comfortably positioned
One-hand, 3-position adjustable reclining seat properly positions baby for feeding
Removable tray with dishwasher-safe, pull-out insert for hassle-free clean ups
Removable seat back insert helps position your growing child at the table

This seat is incredibly well-made, is easy to assemble, and is the ultimate in versatility. It’s something we can use with E as a stand-alone high chair or as a booster that straps in to a chair; or if our good friends with a baby come over, we can seat both E and our friends’ baby too. I also love the fact that the seat is largely neutral with a printed inset that adds subtle style.

Pretty great, right? And it’s even greater that I get to give one of these away… and even greater still that there are TWO chances to win! One winner will get the Blossom Seating System, and one will get the Graco Smart Seat car seat!

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Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Mamas & Papas {Giveaway}

Note: We received product samples. We were not compensated monetarily for our review, and all opinions are honest and are our own.

Mamas & Papas is a company that began in Great Britain 30 years ago, and now thankfully their products are available in the United States as well! From clothes to gear to accessories and more, they have vibrant, colorful, thoughtful products that are well-made to boot. We have their Magic Galaxy mobile in E’s crib and it is beyond amazing – we get comments on it anytime someone sees it. It’s not only pretty, it’s also interactive and fun for E.

We got to check out two great gift ideas – the Gingerbread knit blanket and the Happy Hen toy.

I adore this blanket. It’s a solid knit that I know will stand the test of time (and lots of snuggling from E). The colors are bright and the striped pattern gives it a modern feel. This is a blanket you’ll use, but that’s also great to have out on display in your nursery because it’s just that great-looking.

The happy hen toy cracks me up. You can’t play with this and not smile. It’s adorable, sure… but the magic happens when you turn it on. The hen yodels a cheery tune and vibrates. The kids all think it’s great! Beyond that it has different textures in the wings so it’s a tactile toy as well. So fun, and a perfect stocking stuffer!

I’d feel bad telling you all about these great gift ideas and not giving you a chance to have them for yourself, so why not have a giveaway? The winner will get a blanket (Gingerbread or Once Upon a Time) and the Happy Hen toy.

Oh, and be sure you’re keeping up with Mamas & Papas on social media. They’re a pretty great company – you’ll want to know what they’re up to.
Twitter • Facebook • YouTube • Pinterest

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Reset Reality & Support Those Overcoming Opioid Addiction

Note: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Opioid dependence, which can be opioid prescription painkiller addiction, or heroin addiction, is a chronic disease that affects more and more Americans every year. I believe people see painkillers as less dangerous, so their guard is down and it’s easier to gradually slip down the slope into addiction. After a while prescription painkillers can actually alter the brain chemistry by “resetting” the brain. They make a person feel (physically and psychologically) like they need the opioid prescription painkillers just to get through the day. I’d actually heard about how easy it is to get addicted to painkillers (Matthew Perry’s story was one that stood out to me) so when my kids were born I used ibuprofen for pain management rather than opting in to some heavier painkillers – I was probably being overcautious, but medicine has always really affected me and I didn’t want to take the risk.

Reset Reality is a public health initiative to help spread awareness about the prevalence of opioid painkiller addiction in the U.S. It shares the science and treatment of this addiction, and it encourages those living with prescription painkiller addiction to step back, reflect, and hit the “reset” button by working with a healthcare professional. This way they can work on finding a new “reality” without the need for the painkillers.

ResetReality.com is a valuable online resource that provides a lot of information and tools to learn about opioid dependence, including a symptom-screener and a way to find a doctor certified to treat the addiction. The site also shares “Words of Reality” – stories of people who have been addicted and have overcome their addictions. I read Cheryl’s story about how she decided to be the mother her son needed and reset her reality – it was very touching to see how that broke through the wall and got her to take a step toward recovery.

While on the site I discovered a list of symptoms, which was really helpful for me. With some drugs you hear about people having bizarre, obvious symptoms, and the ones for painkiller addiction are slightly more subtle so it’s good know what to be on the lookout for.

I hope you’ll go take a look at the ResetReality site and keep an eye out for any loved ones who might be dealing with opioid painkiller addiction. Let’s spread the word that there IS help out there!

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Pediped Shoes {Giveaway}

Note: We received product samples. I was not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are my own.

I have always loved shoes, so it comes as no surprise that I have a blast buying shoes for E. Of course, with her little feet still growing, and with her in the early walking stage, it’s very important to me that she has shoes that look good AND are good for her feet. Pediped is the perfect solution. Their shoes are great (I’d seriously wear many of the designs if they made them in grown-up sizes) and the soles are flexible, allowing little feet to move like they should.

We got two pairs of shoes, and let me tell you, it was hard narrowing down which pairs to get. Well, I lie. One pair jumped out to me right away:

Aren’t these silver mary janes perfect? They’re festive and neutral and I know E will get a lot of use out of them.

Of course, a girl needs some casual wear too so I looked for some athletic shoes for her as well. They have so many cute sporty shoes that it took me a while to finally decide on these:

Wouldn’t you wear those? I think they’re great! But of course, Pediped is more than just style. Take a look at the soles of the shoes:

The mary janes have a soft sole, and the tennis shoes have a flex zone that allows E’s toes and arch to move naturally while she’s walking, unlike many stiff-soled infant shoes.

Keep up with Pediped on social media: facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube | pinterest

Your little one needs some Pediped shoes too, right? Well then, be sure and enter this giveaway – you’ll get to pick a pair if you win!

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Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Give Your Kids Some Santa Style with Gymboree {Giveaway}

Note: We received a gift card to facilitate our review. All opinions are honest and are our own.

We love Gymboree for our kids (and yes, I’ve gotta admit, most of all for our daughter. Shopping for girls IS more fun!) so I had a blast picking out some holiday items for them. A HUGE tradition for us is to give the kids new Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve. They wear them that night and then have cute PJs for Christmas morning! While they’re still young enough to go with it, I like to have them coordinate, and I found some absolutely ADORABLE pajamas at Gymboree.

Aren’t they great? J & C’s are the ones on the left, and E’s set has a little bow on the antlers (her pants are also striped differently). LOVE them! I was actually really torn because they had quite a few great sets of PJs that coordinate. These have slippers that go with them, and I am having to use all my willpower not to order those too!

Keeping in the Christmas vein, I also got the boys each a shirt for school. These are warm and cozy and will be great for them to wear starting next week and all through the rest of this semester. Gymboree does a great job of having really cute things for little ones and then cool designs for the older kids, too.

Make sure to keep up with Gymboree on Facebook and Twitter!

I know you love Gymboree as much as I do, so I’m sure you’ll be excited about this next part – a giveaway for a $75 gift card to Gymboree!

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Tiny Prints Giveaway | Holiday Gift Guide 2013

Note: I will receive Tiny Prints holiday cards to facilitate my review. I was not compensated monetarily for this post, and all opinions are honest and are my own!

Have you started thinking about your holiday cards yet? It’s about that time, and we’re planning to take photos of the kids this weekend for our card. It’s nice for me to know that once we get that elusive picture taken (if you’ve ever tried to get three young children to even look at the camera together, let alone smile simultaneously, you know what I mean) the process will be an easy one, thanks to Tiny Prints.

I’ve been a huge fan of Tiny Prints for a long time. Their designs all feel special and detailed and high-end. One year we sent out a Tiny Prints card that people could hang from their tree, and I can’t even tell you how many comments we got about that card!

This year Tiny Prints is offering premium trims on some of their cards – you can see some examples here on their chic collection. One of my favorite designs that I’m leaning toward is this one, with the ticket trim:

The back is really fun, too:

Here’s a card with the bracket trim, which I also love (the back on this one is pretty spectacular, too – I think printed backs really make a card nicer than plain white, don’t you?):

Here’s the scalloped trim:

And here’s a card with the rounded corners:

They’re all pretty great, right? I like how the text is laid out (I’m a sucker for good typography) but I also love that the photos are the real focal points of these designs. You can’t really go wrong with a Tiny Prints card! I’ll do a follow-up post soon and let you see what our cards end up looking like, but in the meantime, how about a lovely Tiny Prints giveaway to start off this gift guide on the right foot?

Tiny Prints doesn’t only provide cards and stationery – they also have a huge variety of customizable gift items, such as these iPhone cases:

And guess what? If you win this giveaway, you’ll get your own personalized iPhone case from Tiny Prints (or you can even use it as a gift for someone special on your list)! Since we’re feeling the Tiny Prints love right now, be sure you keep up with them on their social media channels, too!

facebook | twitter | pinterest | google + | blog

And be sure and check out Being MVP‘s & Courtney’s Sweets Tiny Prints posts while you’re at it – they’ve picked out some great card designs too!

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Neighborhood Toy Store Day 2013 – Shop Locally & Support Your Community!

Note: We received toys that you can find at a local toy store to help get us excited about Neighborhood Toy Store Day! We were not compensated monetarily, and all opinions are honest and are our own.

We love shopping locally and supporting our community, and this Saturday – November 9th – is the 4th annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day! Be sure and visit your local toy store and get a head start on your holiday shopping. You’ll find unique items and personalized customer service that you just can’t get in the big-box stores. Our local toy store is awesome and has fun events, like free photos with a real bunny for Easter. They have high-quality items and our kids can actually play with things to see if they really like them (and we can test the toys for durability – something you can’t do when the toy is still in the box!).

For Neighborhood Toy Store Day, participating local stores will host in-store events for families (such as activities, craft projects, live performances and/or special discounts) to help kick off the holiday shopping season. This event is coordinated by the non-profit organization ASTRA, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. To find a local Neighborhood Toy Store Day event near you, visit the website yourneighborhoodtoystore.org. Be sure and keep up with them on Facebook, too!

To celebrate the fun of shopping for toys at the local toy store, ASTRA has launched the first ever “I Heart My Neighborhood Toy Store” sweepstakes! Through November 8, 2013 log onto www.yourneighborhoodtoystore.org and enter to win the following:

A grand prize vacation package to select all inclusive Hard Rock Hotels in Mexico and the Dominican Republic courtesy of Thomas & Friends™
Featured prizes including gift baskets or gift certificates from Kidoozie, earlyyears, Calico Critters and Playmobil (retail value: $250 per prize)
A gift basket of assorted Best Toys for Kids winning products from ASTRA (retail value: $250)

Protection for Infants Against RSV is Vitally Important

Note: “I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for MedImmune. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

It was only a little over a year ago that we welcomed our third child–and first daughter–into our family. She was born in September, which is right at the cusp of all the cold and flu spreading. So of course, as many moms do, I worried about keeping her safe and healthy against all the germs that are out there. RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is one of the biggest things I worried about, because although it is a mild illness for older children and adults it can be life-threatening for infants, especially those that are born prematurely. RSV is very common and is contracted by nearly all kids by the time they turn two. It occurs in epidemics each year (typically from November through March) and it is the leading cause of hospitalization for babies during their first year of life in the United States. It’s responsible for approximately 125,000 hospitalizations and up to 400 infant deaths each year.

We educated ourselves on the symptoms of RSV so we could know if a simple cold was really something more. You should contact your child’s pediatrician immediately if your child exhibits one or more of the following symptoms:

Persistent coughing or wheezing
Bluish color around the mouth or fingernails
Rapid, difficult, or gasping breaths
Fever (especially if it is over 100.4 degrees F rectally in infants under 3 months of age)

We also worked to keep our daughter away from germs as much as possible. We washed our hands like crazy and made her older brothers wash theirs a lot too (hand sanitizer was very used in our house last fall and winter!). We stayed away from people we knew had been sick, and we kept her car seat covered when we were out in public. This helped keep airborne germs away, but it also kept out prying hands that might touch her hands or face and spread germs in that way as well.

For more information on RSV, check out this helpful infographic below and also visit www.RSVprotection.com.

Take Pizza to the Next Level with Classico Sauces {GIVEAWAY!}

Note: We received products and a gift card to purchase pizza supplies to facilitate this review. The items for the giveaway were also provided. All opinions in this post are honest and are my own.

We love pizza in our family. It’s something we all enjoy (even E!) and that’s saying a lot when we have a picky eater in our house. Since it’s National Pizza Month we decided to celebrate with a pizza party! We had some of our good friends over for dinner and everyone got to have their own pizza with the sauce and toppings of their choice. Having topping selections is nothing new, but we were excited to throw different sauces into the mix. We tried three different Classico sauces:

CLASSICO Traditional Pizza Sauce (Better Homes and Gardens 2013 Best New Product Award winner)
CLASSICO Fire Roasted Pizza Sauce (this was Brian’s favorite)
CLASSICO Creamy White Pizza Sauce (new, and not available in stores until Spring 2014 – SOOO SOOO good!)

We will definitely be purchasing all three of these again in the future, especially for make-your-own-pizza parties. It adds a whole new layer of flavor and customization to the process and makes the finished product that much better. Here are a few of our creations:

Cheese pizza for J, our picky one – with fire-roasted sauce, though, for a little extra oomph.

An olive pepperoni pizza with the fire-roasted sauce, and then a pepperoni with the traditional sauce.

C, our 4-year-old, picked pepperoni, olives and onions for his toppings, and I went with a selection that I looooove but that is a little aromatic…

Sauteed onions and garlic. Delicious!!

You’re totally in the mood for pizza now, aren’t you? Well, let me help you out with that – one lucky winner will win THREE vouchers for free Classico pizza sauce, so you’ll be well-stocked to make awesome pizzas of your own!

As I mentioned above, this giveaway is for THREE free jars of Classico pizza sauce. This giveaway is open to all U.S. & Canadian residents ages 18+.Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Monday, November 11. By entering this giveaway you agree to the Official Rules.

Mandatory Entry: Comment on this post telling me what your favorite pizza toppings are!

(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.

Comment telling me which sauce you’re most excited to try {1 extra entry}
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Opioid Dependence {AKA Painkiller Addiction} Awareness

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

Growing up I can remember going to D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) programs at school, being taught all about the dangers of drugs. There are still–thankfully–many conversations going on teaching youth to avoid using drugs, but there is another source of danger regarding drugs that many people are unaware of until they’re personally affected by it: opioid dependence.

Opioids, which are prescription painkillers, are most often prescribed legally and legitimately for people recovering from something painful such as surgery or an injury. However, it can become a slippery slope very easily in which people become addicted to the painkillers. I’ve always been a cautious person, and after the births of my three children I just took over-the-counter medicine for pain relief because I did not want to take anything I might become addicted to. Many of you have probably heard of celebrities like Matthew Perry from Friends going into rehab for his addiction to painkillers.

If you or someone you know are dealing with opioid dependence, you’re not alone. This is a major health issue that affects approximately two million Americans. There ARE resources out there for you to take advantage of, like the site Turn to Help. It can help you learn how to seek treatment, which can be a scary thing to do. It’s so important to act now, because it can really take a toll on your health.

45% of adults view opioid dependence as a psychological problem rather than a physical illness, but it is a chronic medical disease that actually affects the brain and fools it into thinking that the opioid is necessary for survival. 98% of doctors say that it is treatable, and research shows that treatment can benefit from a combination of medication and behavioral changes.

For more information on opioid dependence, check out this helpful infographic below. And again, be sure to check out Turn to Help for valuable information on how to get treatment.

Easy Pumpkin Decorating Ideas – Bring Some Style to Your Halloween Decor!

Carving pumpkins is always a fun idea in theory, but once I get started with it I always remember what a HUGE task it can be. Thankfully there are plenty of other ways you can decorate your pumpkins that don’t involve hollowing out pumpkin goo, and they bring a new level of creativity and fun to your Halloween decor. Click each image below to go to the step-by-step how-to instructions on Hometalk.com, who graciously provided these ideas for me to share with you.

Word Find Pumpkin – so simple and easy! Just paint your pumpkin with chalkboard paint, add letter stickers, and put out chalk for your friends to have fun at a dinner party.

Plaid Pumpkin – I love this homey, cozy look, and you could use a variety of colors to personalize this for your style.

House Number Pumpkin – This is definitely a personalized item, and such an elegant way to add to your porch decor.

Color-Drip Pumpkin – All you need is crayons and a hairdryer for this colorful, artistic look!

Chevron Pumpkin – I couldn’t get over how easy this one is to make – I’d love to do it with black paint for a really graphic statement!

Look No Further: Adorable Halloween Costumes from Kohl’s!

Note: I was not compensated in any way for this post. I love the costumes Kohl’s has to offer and thought it would be fun to share them with you!

I love Halloween more than ever now that we have kids. They love picking the perfect costume, and it’s a great time to be creative! Sometimes it can be hard to find just what you’re looking for, but I’ve discovered that Kohl’s has a huge selection that makes one-stop shopping for everyone’s costumes an easy feat. With the holiday right around the corner, I had to share some of my favorites with you! For each one, click the image if you’d like to see it on the Kohl’s site.