WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
INSERT INTO wp_postmeta (post_id,meta_key,meta_value)VALUES (1,'enddate','')

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
INSERT INTO wp_postmeta (post_id,meta_key,meta_value)VALUES (1,'shortname','')

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (5828,5833,5840,5855,5880,5905,5918,5932,5937,5944,5949,5958) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

Frugal Novice

Cuties Clementines & Mandarins Now Available From Coast to Coast

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (5959,5960) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

We’re huge fans of Clementines in our house. They’re easy to eat and to transport – I’ve kept a basket of them up at work before to snack on. I had no clue they weren’t available nationwide, until getting apress release today that announced this: Beginning this month, CutiesCalifornia Clementines and Mandarins are available coast-to-coast for the first time ever.

“We know how much parents love sharing Cuties Clementines with their kids on the West Coast and we are excited to now offer this popular fruit to families across the country,” said Marc Seguin, senior marketing director for Paramount Farms North America.

In conjunction with the national launch, Cutieshas also introduced a new, interactive website created especially for kids and proud parents to celebrate the cute things kids do. The site will showcase parent-uploaded videos and pictures, featuring kids doing what they do best: having fun, acting silly and of course, being oh-so adorably cute. Bragging rights aren’t the only prizes parents can win by uploading images of their kids: Cuties is giving away a college scholarship worth $150,000 to the star of the cutest kid video.

Cutiesis teaming up with DonorsChoose.org, a not-for-profit organization that lets contributors across the country fund classroom projects posted by public school teachers on the DonorsChoose.org website. For every video uploaded, users will receive a $10 DonorsChoose.org gift card to use towards any classroom project of their choice. Weekly winners will receive a $500 DonorsChoose.org gift card and the winner of the grand prize will receive a $5,000 card. Cuties is committed to kids and educationand will continue the charity gift card giveaway up to $100,000 in addition to the individual college scholarship prize.

“The CutiesKids.com site is another way for us to reward parents for something they already love to do – show off their kids,” said Seguin. “What better way to do that than winning a free college education for your little cutie.”

In addition to school contributions, Cuties® will award daily and weekly prizes for the first 18 weeks, leading up to one grand prize winner. Participants will be able to share their videos using their social network platforms, and the winners will be determined by the number of online votes.

  •  Daily Prizing: Forty-one video contestants per day will each have a chance to win a Cuties T-shirt, beanie, lunch box, tumbler or plush toy.
  • Weekly Prizing: One video contestant per week will win a $500 DonorsChoose.org gift card to use to fund a project of their choice in addition to an active game console.
  •  Grand Prize: One grand prize winner will be awarded a college scholarship worth $150,000, a $5,000 DonorsChoose.org gift card to use to fund a project of their choice and a season’s supply of Cuties.

To submit a video of your child, or to watch some seriously cute videos, log on to CutiesKids.com.

Make Holiday Food Special for the Smallest Members of Your Family with the Baby Bullet!

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (5950) ORDER BY meta_id ASC


This holiday season 2011 add something to your holiday plans – from the creators of the world’s most popular personal blender – The Original Magic Bullet – The Original Baby Bullet! This safe, non-toxic and BPA-free countertop magician is the perfect gift for new moms, on-the-go moms and even Dads too! With The Original Baby Bullet, parents can prepare, blend and store an entire week’s worth of nutrient-rich, preservative-free, organic baby food – in less than five minutes.

If you are introducing new foods to your baby this holiday season try these simple recipes! They are delicious, nutritious and sure to be a hit with even the most finicky eater. Now creating delicious festive holiday inspired dishes for your little one will save you money and take no time at all! Also, check out other great recipes and parenting tips at the Baby Bullet Blog.

Apple Walnut Puree– A delicious holiday treat

  • 2 Apples, cored & peeled (Pink Lady, Fuji or Gala are all good choices)
  • 1/4 Cup Walnuts, shelled & halved
  • 1/8 Tsp Cinnamon
  1. Place apples and walnuts in the Turbo Steamer.
  2. Cook until apples are fork tender.
  3. Place apples, walnuts, cinnamon and 3 tbsp of the water to The Baby Bullet and puree until smooth.
  4. Cool and serve.

***************************

One Pot Christmas Dinner- Feast for your little king or queen (8 months+)

  • 1 cup of cubed Turkey – uncooked (using cooked is fine as well)
  • 1/2 cup peeled and cubed winter squash
  • 1/2 cup peeled and cubed white potato
  • 1/2 cup peeled and cubed sweet potato
  • 1/2 cup peas or green beans
  • 1 small handful of fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan
  2. Add 2 cups of water
  3. Bring to a gentle boil and then turn heat to low
  4. Simmer on low for 20 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink and veggies may be easily pierced with a fork.
  5. Transfer the cooked One Pot Christmas Dinner to the Baby Bullet and puree until you achieve the desired consistency.
  6. Voila!

***************************

Yummy Sweet Potato Pie- Delicious and nutritious

  • 2 ounces of sweet potato cubed.
  • 4 tbsp oat meal or rice cereal
  • 2 tbsp water
  • Yogurt (optional)

Directions:

  1. Steam sweet potato in the Turbo Steamer.
  2. Combine oat meal or rice cereal and water in the Baby Bullet and Puree until you achieve your desired consistency.
  3. Mix in yogurt for babies over 8 months.
  4. Enjoy!

***************************

The Original Baby Bullet, which boasts a warm, cheerful design aesthetic, is much more than a blender – it’s a 22-piece comprehensive baby food making system designed to make mom’s life easier while ensuring baby begins life eating the healthiest, most nutrient-rich all-natural foods. Jarred baby food is much more expensive than homemade food and typically contains unhealthy sugars, preservatives and fillers (even when it’s labeled organic). With The Original Baby Bullet™, moms are in full control of every ingredient that goes into their baby’s food. Fresh is always best!

Purchase The Original Baby Bullet™ 22-piece system for $59.97 at Bed Bath and Beyond, Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, Babies R Us and other fine realtors.

Personal Creations – Custom Stockings, Ornaments + More! {Giveaway}

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (5947,5945,5946,2164,2163,2162) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

Our family buys ornaments every year to kind of commemorate our interests or activities. We generally get 3-4 ornaments; the boys each pick one, and sometimes Brian and I get our own as well. Do you buy Christmas tree ornaments every year? This year we got an ornament that’s personalized for our family and reflects that it’s 2011 as well. We got the Noel Family Ornament – check it out:

I love that it includes everyone’s names, etched into the brims of the Santa hats. The eyes on the people look a little different than I was expecting, but all in all it’s a cute ornament that we’ll love looking back on year after year. The boys think it’s fun to see their names on it!

We also hang Christmas stockings every year. Brian still uses his stocking from childhood, which has his name knitted into it, and the boys each have adorable stockings with their names embroidered, but I’ve always just had a plain stocking. Not anymore – I’ve got one of those great knit argyle snowflake stockings with my name embroidered! Now Santa will be sure to know which one to put my treats in.

Personal Creations has a huge variety of customizable gifts available, plenty of which would be great for holiday gifts or just picking out a special ornament for a 2011 memory to look back on.

One lucky winner will get a $50 gift code to spend on whatever you’d like at PersonalCreations.com! This giveaway is open to all US & Canadian residents ages 18+. Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Wednesday, December 21. By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Rules.

Mandatory Entry: Visit the Personal Creations site and comment on this post telling me what you’d use the gift code for!

(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.

Note: Personal Creations sent us an ornament and stocking to facilitate the review. I was not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are my own.

Kate Spade New York – Bedding Giveaway!

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (5783,5785) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

Remember the other day when I wrote about Kate Spade’s gorgeous new bedding sets? Well GUESS WHAT? I get to host a giveaway for one of them! I’m really pumped about this, and maybe even a teensy bit jealous, because I’d love to have this set for myself!

The winner will receive a Queen-sized bedding set from the Thistle Street collection, including:

  • 1 duvet
  • 2 standard duvet shams
  • 1 quilt
  • 2 standard quilt shams
  • 2 Euro shams
  • 3 decorative pillows

That’s almost an $800 value (!!!), and will provide an amazing makeover for your bedroom. This contest is open to all U.S. residents age 18+. Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Tuesday, December 27. By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Rules.

Mandatory Entry: Visit my post about the Kate Spade bedding collections and comment on this post letting me know which collection is your favorite!

(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.

Note: The bedding set is being provided for the giveaway, but I did not receive product or monetary compensation for this post.

Create Custom Postage That Dazzles with Zazzle.com

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (5934,5933,5935) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

Have you bought your holiday cards yet? We just ordered ours, so hopefully I’ll be able to send them out next week! We always put a lot of thought into the cards we send – we go out and take photos of the boys, then either design our own cards or hunt down a perfect design to use.

In the past we’ve put all that effort into our cards but wasted the opportunity to make a personal statement and great first impression with custom stamps. I’ve always thought they were a cool concept, but wasn’t really sure how they worked. Zazzle makes it a quick, simple process for you to create your own stamps that will set your envelope out among all the mail your friends and family receive.

There are a ton of options available beyond creating your own; you can find all sorts of different designs ready and waiting for you!

We created stamps using one of the photos we’d taken of the boys that we didn’t use on our cards, and are really happy with how they’ve turned out:

The quality of the stamps is great – there’s a slight gloss to them just like on stamps you’d purchase from the post office, and the colors are vibrant. They’re a good size, too, so the photo really shows well.

We love that people get a fun preview photo of the boys and that it ties in to the images in the card. I can just imagine all the different instances you could use custom stamps – for example, my sister-in-law just got engaged; she might want to use custom stamps on her wedding invitations, using an engagement photo or bridal portrait for the stamp image. Fun, right? Just think of all the ways you can use custom stamps from Zazzle to make a statement!

Note: We received custom stamps from Zazzle to facilitate our review. All opinions are honest and are my own.

 

Fun, Eco-Friendly Holiday Decor from Cascades Boutique {Giveaway!}

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (5924,5925,5920,5919,5921,5927,5922) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

I LOVE Christmas and decorating for the holidays, especially now that we have the boys and get to see their excitement about it all. We put up the tree, wrap presents, string lights and place various knick knacks around the house.

We tend toward liking modern design, so I was really intrigued when I came across Cascade’s Christmas trees made out of recycled cardboard. Isn’t the print on this one fun?

I decided the Massimo tree would be a good fit up in my office – after all, I spend a bulk of each weekday in the space, and all I had in the way of Christmas decor was a tiny “Merry Christmas” sign pinned to my door.

Well, problem solved:

Isn’t it fun? It’s 77″ tall, so it has the presence of a real tree with none of the mess – and it makes a modern statement that is really eye-catching. It ships flat, and then you piece everything together like a puzzle. It was really simple with the directions they provided, and I could imagine that kids would have a blast with assembly! Check out the fun tree-topper:

It even came with LED lights and some pine-scented spray. Fun, right? I love that it’s made from recycled cardboard, too. Cascades is an eco-friendly boutique, which also makes me feel good about any products I get from there.

Now, I’ll admit this tree is a modern take on holiday decor, so it may seem kind of different to some – but with the various color/print options available, I think there’s something for almost anyone. They have a white tree that would be really fun to let kids decorate for their playroom or bedroom!

Cascades also has recycled packaging paper that is GORGEOUS. I seriously love these designs – they’re right up our alley. The fun prints, some with hints of silver, are all on 100% recycled paper. Which one is your favorite? We like them all but especially love the one with red line drawings all over it.

Another great product from Cascades is their recycled holiday napkins. I like that they’re tall and narrow, and they depict a cozy winter scene. They add a special touch to holiday celebrations, and are inexpensive, too!

One lucky reader will win their very own Holiday Kit from Cascades Boutique, including a tree, wrapping paper, and napkins (value of $115.70)! This is going to be a QUICK giveaway to allow time for the winner to receive your prize and hopefully use it this holiday season! This giveaway is open to all U.S. and Canadian residents. Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Monday, December 12. By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Rules.

Mandatory Entry: Visit the Cascades Boutique site and comment below to tell me what your favorite product of theirs is!

(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.

Note: Cascades Boutique sent me a tree, wrapping paper and napkins to facilitate my review, and is providing a Holiday Kit for a giveaway. I was not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are my own.

Rubbermaid Bento Boxes Winner

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (5102,5906) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

The winner of the great bento box set from Rubbermaid is….

Congratulations, Julie!!

Quick & Delicious Holiday Party Snack – From Pillsbury

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (5883) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

Need a party snack idea for the holidays? Introducing Pillsbury’s Crescent-Wrapped Brie: Just unroll, wrap the Brie, and bake. The end result is an oven-warmed treat that will surely be a winner – a great idea to share with your family and friends at holiday parties!

Family-Friendly Lodging at Global Resort Homes

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (5620,5859,5870,5863,5858,5857,5856,5873,5869,5867,5861,5860,5868,5866,5865,5862,5871,5872,5874) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

The majority of us have stayed at hotels before. We know the drill and what to expect, and it might even be our first thought when deciding on a place to stay for vacation. I’d always been that way, so I was really curious to see what it would be like staying at a vacation home. We got the chance recently on our trip down to Orlando, and we absolutely loved it. It’s the perfect option for family or large groups:

  • Common areas and dining areas
  • Large, full kitchens
  • Separate bedrooms & bathrooms
  • Private pools & spas
  • Covered porches, perfect for outdoor dining & socializing
  • Game rooms in many houses
  • Key code for front door so everyone can have access without having to dole out keys
  • Gated communities with amenities like big pools, theaters, and clubhouses

The house we stayed in was a 5-bedroom, 5-bath home with a dining area, breakfast nook and spacious kitchen open to the living area. It had a great covered porch with fans that looked out onto a gate, private pool & hot tub. The garage was converted into a game room and we even had laundry setup. I can tell you all about the great features, but you’ve got to see this house for yourself.

Another perk – parking right outside your door. No schlepping luggage across a huge parking lot with luggage in tow.

Idyllic, gated neighborhood – this is a view down the street of the house we stayed at.

The common area was great – plenty of space to move around and hang out in – and it extended out into the back yard:

And it gets better… the back porch looked out onto our private, screened-in pool and hot tub. As a parent of two small children, I also really appreciated that the pool area was gated – we could leave the sliding doors wide open and let the breeze blow in.

It was mild but slightly cool during part of our stay, but the pool was heated so we could still enjoy it. Brian and I swam once, and J loved splashing around. Oh, and of course, there’s more…

Lighting! It was really pretty at night, and since it was cooler out you could even see a little bit of steam coming off the water.

Let’s talk about the bedrooms a little bit – we had six people in our group, so we only occupied the three downstairs bedrooms. Our bedroom was large and had a view out on to the pool. Each bedroom had its own bathroom and its own television, so it was nice that everyone could retreat to their own space. Check out our digs:

The boys thought the stairs were fun, so we did go explore the upstairs area a little.

So, the house could sleep 12 comfortably, and rents for as little as $340/night, which is really reasonable. If you don’t need that much space, though, Global Resort Homes also has a selection of condos available, like this one that rents for as little as $143/night and sleeps 6 people.

Now, there are a couple of things I thought of that might be concerns for staying in a home:

  • Housekeeping – in a hotel, your room is cleaned for you. We were at our vacation home for 4 days/3 nights so cleaning didn’t become an issue for us, but I wondered what it would be like if you stay in a home for a week or more. Tara from Global Resort Homes let me know that there’s a cleaning service you can have come in and clean for a small additional fee.
  • Parking at Disney – you’ve got to deal with this if you’re staying off-site, but to me it’s not a big issue. For one thing, the value you get from the home compared to the cost of a Disney resort more than makes up for parking costs… but I’ve also heard from some sites about saving money at Disney, there are places you can park and avoid paying for parking.

I can’t say enough good things about our experience at Global Resort Homes. The staff was professional and quick to respond to any questions we had, and they have a huge variety of homes in different communities, all close to Disney and other fun things in the Orlando/Kissimmee area. We’ll definitely stay with them again, and I’d confidently recommend them to anyone looking for a place to stay on an Orlando vacation!

Note: We received a stay at the vacation home from Global Resort Homes. We were not compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are honest and are our own.

BIG Giveaway Winner is…

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (5841) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

First of all, thanks to everyone who’s been a part of this month-long scavenger hunt. I had SO much fun with it and hope you did too! I’d love to get your feedback on if I should do more scavenger hunts in the future – if you have an opinion one way or the other please comment on this post and let me know!

Okay, let’s get down to what everyone really wants to know… who won the giveaway? Drumroll, please….

CONGRATULATIONS, Lindsay!! As soon as I get your Paypal email address I’ll send you the $50, and I’ll get your other prizes shipped to you early next week.

Thanks again to everyone who entered!!

Jake and the Neverland Pirates Holiday Episode Airs Dec. 2!

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (5834) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

J & C are HUGE fans of Jake & the Neverland Pirates! We figured out quickly how much they loved it and started recording episodes on our DVR; that was a smart move on our part because they want to watch the show anytime they get TV time. They sing the theme song, they pretend to be part of Jake’s crew, and they tell me about plots of the episodes as if I haven’t seen the show along with them a million times. It’s actually a show I can enjoy too, which is hard to find with kids’ entertainment!

With the holidays right around the corner, Jake & the Neverland Pirates is airing a special holiday episode Friday, December 2 at 7:30 a.m. Central! The episode features two segments –  in “It’s A Winter Never Land!” Jake and his crew awake to find that Peter Pan has left the crew some presents and a Forever-Green tree to celebrate Winter Treasure Day. In “Hook On Ice,” Captain Hook invites Jake and the crew on a winter treasure hunt. Here’s a clip for a little sneak peek:

Jake and the Never Land Pirates is Disney Junior’s #1 series. This animated adventure series follows the Never Land adventures of a crew of kid pirates – leader Jake and pals Izzy and Cubby – as they work to outwit two infamous characters, the one and only Captain Hook and Smee, from Disney’s classic “Peter Pan.” The series, which emphasizes teamwork, problem solving and being a good friend, features original pirate rock music performed by Sharky and Bones of The Never Land Pirate Band. “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” airs daily during Disney Channel’s Disney Junior programming block for kids age 2-7.

I received a package of Disney Junior and Jake and the Never Land Pirates themed items (including a preview of the Holiday episode) valued at $100 from Team Mom. All opinions in this post are honest and are my own.

Friendly Friday December 2

WordPress database error: [Table './quadium_wrdp27/wp_postmeta' is marked as crashed and should be repaired]
SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (2566,5830) ORDER BY meta_id ASC

Welcome to Friendly Friday! Friendly Friday begins at 8pm Central Thursday nights each week. We hope you’ll come back and join us again next week – and remember, the earlier you link up, the higher up on the list you are!

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 one blog at random and will feature links and a write-up for that blog 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 one of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen blog & blogger for this week (and feel free to stop by and give her a little extra love):

A married, twenty-something, full-time accountant, recent graduate, mommy of two adorable kitties and one gorgeous new baby girl, Amy of Heard It From The Hills is one busy mom. You’ll find everything from reviews, giveaways, freebies, deals, personal updates and more that are filled with great pictures (especially of baby Riley)! If you are pregnant or have recently had a baby, you’ll love to see all of the wonderful items and posts that Amy has about baby products… and see how she chronicled her pregnancy with photos of her growing bump!

Now that you know about this wonderful blog, 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 canget the InLinkz code
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!