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Frugal Novice

The Children’s Place – Dress Your Kids in Style This Fall & Winter

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I love fall because it means cooler temperatures arrive in Texas, and also because I love shopping for the boys’ fall and winter clothing! The Children’s Place is one of my favorite stores to find clothes for the boys, because every time I go it’s easy to find styles I love.

I got the chance recently to go do a little shopping for the boys, and stocked up on some essentials along with something fun for the boys.

I got the boys each an outfit with a striped thermal and cargo pants. I love this outfit because it’s casual but it’s a step up from a plain t-shirt and jeans.

We always get the boys slippers every fall, and J fell in love with the slippers at The Children’s Place, so I got a pair for him and C. What kids wouldn’t love these fun slippers?

The boys are determined that the slippers are wolf feet, so whenever they’re wearing them we get a lot of growling. :)

 

Be sure and check out The Children’s Place for great clothing, and don’t forget that they have great gift options, too! Their holiday gift guide is filled with tons of fun ideas for any price range.

Note: I received a gift card to The Children’s Place to facilitate my review. All opinions in this post are honest and are my own.

Rubbermaid Bento Boxes & Toppers – Giveaway!

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Who loves organization?

I do! I do!

So, it’s a little bit of an understatement to say I was excited to give the new Rubbermaid Bento Boxes and Toppers a try. For those of you that don’t know, these boxes take storage to a new level. They’re designed to organize items rather than just store them.

One way they do this is through flex dividers, which are my favorite part of these boxes! Here’s an example. The large box, for instance, could be used as seen below to store blankets…

Or, you can take that very same box and pop out the flex dividers, which fold in and store against the walls of the box when not in use. Voila! What was one cavernous space is now divided into five useful compartments.

Another part of the organizational genius by Rubbermaid is the Toppers, which can be used in two distinctive ways. You can use them as trays to store things such as mail or remotes, or you can flip them over to use them as traditional lids, giving you a little more height within the box and still providing coverage of the items within. With it used as a tray, a Topper also works well for nesting smaller Bento boxes.

The Bento Boxes and Toppers also have the distinction of actually being attractive. No one wants plastic tubs sitting out in their living room, but these boxes come in a variety of nice fabric designs and colors to compliment any home decor. I absolutely love our red set, especially to have out during the holidays for pops of color. The large box will be perfect to store our Christmas books in, and we can leave it out in the living room to store remotes in the Topper.

Rubbermaid has provided a few tips for creating what they call Organized Active Storage – places for items used on a daily basis and accessed frequently. What a great term, right? I mean, there is a difference between storage that’s up in your attic and things you need to use regularly. Check out their suggestions:

  1. Determine where you need to work. Ask yourself: What am I constantly looking for every day? What has a place to go but I never put it there? What items are cluttering up flat surfaces in my home? The answers to your questions will help you determine what you need to find a new organizational solution for.
  2. Take a step back and explain why it is not working. For example: You find that you always leave your hair brush on your bed in the morning – you have a place for it in your bathroom, but your headbands you wear are in your closet, so you take the brush in your bedroom to use. Active storage should always be where you actually use the item. If things do not have a designated home or a place to go once you’re not using them, they’ll get lost.
  3. Be creative and design a solution. Then force yourself to follow through and put things away for 30 days (long enough to form a habit). Make things easy to get to. Make sure they have a designated home. And let everyone in your household know where the designated homes are for these items.

One lucky winner will receive a Rubbermaid Bento Boxes & Toppers set, valued at $113.93. This is the same set I received and it includes an XL Box & Topper, a large Box & Topper, a medium Box & Topper, and a small box. This contest is open to US & Canadian residents ages 18+. Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Monday, December 5. By entering this giveaway you agree to the Official Rules.

Mandatory Entry: Comment on this post telling me what you’d use the Bento Boxes & Toppers to store!

(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: I received a free set of Bento Boxes & Toppers to review, and Rubbermaid is providing a set for the giveaway. All opinions provided in this post are honest and my own. I was not compensated monetarily for this review.

2012 Kia Sorento Adds Convenience to Family Travel

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I am an SUV girl at heart. I drove one throughout high school and college, but now drive a minivan. When we got the opportunity from Kia to try the 2012 Kia Sorento for a week, I was definitely excited to get back in an SUV again. But let me tell you, the Sorento isn’t the SUV I remember – it’s so much more.

First, though, let’s take a look at the exterior of the Sorento (which is manufactured in America at Kia’s U.S. facility in
West Point, Georgia, by the way). I’m a big fan of the styling on this vehicle.  The rounded edges and angled back are modern but not too flashy.

Of course, the old adage holds true – form follows function. So yes, the Kia Sorento is a beautiful vehicle… how does it function for the needs of a family, though?

Features abound on this model. The central hub on the dashboard includes a touch screen and provides information and access to many of the features, such as:

• Backup Camera: LOVE this. The colored lines give you an idea of the space available behind you, and if you come close to another object, you hear a series of beeps letting you know to be on the lookout.

• Satellite Radio: When they told me about this feature, I didn’t think I’d really use it much. Wrong. I kind of fell in love with the “90’s on 9” station, reliving music from high school. It was nice to have a steady stream of new music without it fading out in spots. There were stations for everyone in the family including a Disney station for the boys. The touch screen was really nice, too. Of course, there was also the standard AM/FM radio option, navigable with the touch screen as well.

• Dual Control Temperature: Brian and I often disagree on how the temp should be set in the car. That’s not a problem with the Sorento, because the driver and passenger can each set a comfortable temperature. Even when the two are set at extreme opposite temperatures, this is still effective. You’ll notice, too, that there are heated seats, with three levels of heat available. The seats heat quickly and are a great option for cooler times of the year.

• Navigation System: Ok, I have to admit, I’ve always thought navigation systems would be unnecessary for us, since we have our iPhones. I was proven wrong and completely fell in love with the navigation system on the Sorento. We traveled to San Antonio, and the map made travel a breeze. The voice let us know about turns 1/2 mile ahead, then 1/4 mile, and then one last alert immediately prior. When we approached turns or merges, the map switched to a split screen and showed us exactly where we needed to go. The whole system was very intuitive and easy to use.

• Gas Usage Analytics: We could easily find out how many miles we had left on the tank, and what our average MPG usage was. These are both important to know when you’re traveling with a family – you don’t want to run out of gas, and you definitely want to know how far your dollar is getting you on trips.

• Keyless Entry & Ignition: Any of you parents out there will know just how valuable this feature is. If your hands are full and you just don’t have the time to fumble through your purse or pockets for your keys, no worries! With the Sorento, just have the key fob on you or in your bag… touch the button on the handle and the vehicle unlocks. Likewise, just put your foot on the break, push the ignition button, and the engine easily starts. I loved this feature, because it gives you one less thing to worry about when you’re out and about with kids.

• Seating for Seven: There’s third-row seating in the Sorento, which we really liked because that means you can carry people with you beyond just your family members. There is one caveat, though. With two carseats in the second row it was difficult to access the third row. If you don’t have two carseats, this won’t be a problem for you because then you can fold the second row forward to easily get to the back row. There’s a good amount of interior space – you can see that J was quite comfortable!

• Plenty of Storage: Whether it was for luggage on our way down to San Antonio, or for shopping bags while we did some holiday shopping at the outlets in San Marcos, we had a ton of room for everything, even with four of us in the vehicle.

I’d give the Sorento 5 stars. It’s a vehicle I’d want to drive day-in and day-out, and would make our lives more convenient both around town and out on trips. It handled well, got great gas mileage, had plenty of interior space, and features we loved. It has an advanced airbag system with side curtain airbags in the first two rows, dual front airbags, and seat-mounted airbags in the driver and passenger seats. It also has the NHTSA 5-star side-impact crash rating, giving us confidence in carting around our most precious cargo. The Sorento starts at $23,150. Thanks to Kia for the opportunity to give it a try!

Note: Kia loaned us a 2012 Kia Sorento for a one-week period to facilitate our review, and received a gift card to help toward gas. All opinions in this review are honest and are entirely our own.

Five Amazing Fall Desserts

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Five amazing fall desserts… sure to delight your guests and your taste buds.

This is one of my favorite fall desserts –  thanks to our friend Wendy making them for us once, I got hooked! I made them for a potluck last year and they were gobbled up. This dessert has the benefit of being easy to eat – no forks necessary – so it’s perfect to take to parties. The spiced cake with cream cheese frosting center is a classic flavor combination, but the whoopie pies are a new iteration and are sure to be a hit with anyone you serve them to.

This recipe from I Enjoy Stuff has just two ingredients… you can’t really get much more simple than that! I’ve gotten to try Sam’s cupcakes for myself and I know she’s also tried adding in some cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, which takes it to another level in my opinion. I’ve also seen a similar recipe where you can add a mixture of 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons apple cider, and half a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to make a glaze. Of course, these are pretty (and tasty) with just a dusting of powdered sugar on them as well.

We’ve all had oatmeal cookies before, and while yes, they’re a great fall dessert, they’re not too original. Add in orange extract, pumpkin pie spice, walnuts, and cranberries, and you get a delicious blend that just embodies fall flavors. These would be great to package in a simple brown box tied with twine and deliver to your neighbors – make them thankful for a neighbor like you this Thanksgiving!

Fudge is another one of those desserts you see a lot of around the holiday season. While I’m a huge fan of traditional, plain Jane fudge, this recipe dresses it up a bit and adds a subtle cinnamon that brings in the fall and adds depth to the flavor. I love the idea of sprinkling the top with just a touch of salt to balance out the sweetness.

I know, I know – apple pie is hardly an original idea for the fall. But pairing it with cinnamon ice cream? Genius! The warmth of the pie causes the ice cream to melt just so, letting the two components meld together perfectly. And the cinnamon flavor from the ice cream is SO much better than standard vanilla, in my humble opinion. So, add a twist to an American classic and serve your guests the ultimate comfort food this fall.

Friendly Friday – November 11

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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):

Taryn, the blogger at It’s the Thought That Counts, lives in Michigan with her husband and four children. She started her blog to promote her business and many others in the handmade community.  She wants to be able to items and artists she discovers with her readers. She loves handmade things and has her own Etsy shop, and loves photography, too. When you visit her blog you’ll also find a ton of giveaways – her blog is a great mix of a lot of different subjects. Stop by and say hello!

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 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!



$15 Quick Draw Giveaway Winner

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Congratulations, Heidi!

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North “Poll”

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Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North “Poll!” You’ll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

How to Enter Today’s Quick Draw Giveaway for $15 CASH

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It’s that time again – time for another cash giveaway, this time for $15! This will be open for just 24 hours, and will end at 10AM Central on Thursday, November 10. Once a winner is selected, I’ll transfer the money via PayPal that same day.

Here’s how today’s works, in case you weren’t a part of the last Quick Draw giveaway. In my Holiday Gift Guide, there are numbers hidden daily among the product pages. The numbers look like this:

For today’s giveaway, you need to enter a password on the protected post (NOT this post) to be able to comment for your entry. Here’s the important part… today’s giveaway password is the numbers (in chronological order) from November 7th, 8th, and 9th (today).

Happy hunting! You might want to go ahead and start keeping track of the numbers posted each day, because at the end of the month I’m holding a $50 CASH giveaway in which you’ll need to know all 30 numbers.

Note: By entering the Quick Draw giveaway, you agree to the Official Rules.

$15 Quick Draw Giveaway!

Congrats – you figured out the password!

Comment below with your PayPal email address to enter the giveaway for $15. If you don’t have PayPal, you can still enter – just let me know in your comment.

Good luck, everyone! I’ll post the winner tomorrow at 10AM Central.

Note: By entering the Quick Draw giveaway, you agree to the Official Rules.

Tombstone Pizza Winner

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Congratulations… Donna!

SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip MP3 Player – Review & Giveaway

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I’ve been incorporating exercise into my weekly routine for quite a while now. Sometimes I walk with a friend from work, but when I exercise alone it can get boring really quickly. Music makes working out seem to go by much faster, and an upbeat song can be really motivating because it helps me get my energy level up!

The SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip MP3 player is the perfect option for easy, convenient music listening, whether you’re working out or just on the go. I got the chance to review one for myself, and was excited to receive the white one because I think it just looks slick – don’t you?

   

The Sansa Clip Zip retails for $49.99 on the SanDisk site, which makes it an affordable option… but do the features make it a good choice? Let’s take a look:

  • The clip makes it easy for you to stick the device to your clothing – and it’s small, so it’s not bulky or cumbersome at all.
  • The color screen is appealing, and the navigation is easy to use. Without even reading the manual first, I had no problems figuring out how to use the different options.
  • Speaking of options, there’s so much you can do: music, radio, books (audiobooks/podcasts), voice recording, and stopwatch timing.
  • This MP3 player holds 4GB of music, but you can use a microSDHC memory card to add even more storage space.
  • The battery can last up to 15 hours, making it great to take out with you for an entire day.
  • There are seven colors available: Stealth Black, Primetime Purple, Gunmetal Grey, Momentum Blue, Jumpstart Red, Encore Orange, and White Flash.
  • It’s really easy to add music, even if you’re on a Mac like I am. The guide provides clear instructions and you can get up and running in no time.

The only thing I think needs improvement is the earbuds. They’re decent, but I’d like something a little smaller that fits better into my ears. For the price, though, you could afford to get other earbuds and still be spending less than you would on other MP3 players.

The SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip would make a great gift or stocking stuffer for virtually anyone on your list! And…

One of you will win a free 4GB Sansa Clip Zip and free shipping! Four others will receive coupons for 20% off. This contest is open to US residents age 18+. Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Tuesday, November 22. By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Rules.

Mandatory Entry: Comment on this post telling me what color of Sansa Clip Zip MP3 player you’d pick!

(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: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of SanDisk and received a product sample to facilitate my review, and coupons to giveaway.

Weber’s “Time to Grill” Cookbook Giveaway!

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Weber makes amazing products – we’ve been absolutely impressed with our grill from them. Throughout the summer I included links to some of their grilling recipes in my Menu Plan Monday posts, and I became aware of the mouth-watering recipes they produce.

It was no surprise, then, when I heard Weber had produced a grilling cookbook, Time to Grill. And people, this is no ordinary cookbook. The recipes are creative, the photos are beautiful, and it’s organized SO well, making it easy to find the perfect recipe for your occasion.

It’s hard to get a grasp on the size of this cookbook – to me it looked pretty small online – but it’s substantial at about 10″ square. It’s 304 pages, making this a solid book to give to any foodie or grilling fan.

Take a look at the page layout. As a designer, I’m in love with the thoughtfulness of this book design. The colors are vivid, the photos are vibrant, and the formatting is pretty genius.

There are color-coded tabs on the sides of the pages, letting you easily find the category you’re looking for (veggies, poultry, beef, etc). You’ll also see an icon at the bottom of the page – in this shot you can see the cow, letting you know you’re looking at beef recipes. The bracketed area under the recipe title on the left page lets you know how many people this recipe will serve, the prep time and the grilling time.

You won’t only find recipes in this book, though. There are tips about tools you’ll need, stocking your pantry, how to save time when grilling, different knives (and how to sharpen them), how to dice an onion, and more.

This is a beautiful, useful cookbook that would be great to purchase for someone on your list. Find out more about the book here, view sample recipes and find out about the free recipe toolbox app for the iPhone.

That’s not all… one of you lucky readers will get this book for yourselves – or if you’re feeling generous, for someone on your holiday shopping list! This contest is open to all U.S. residents 18+. Entries will be accepted until the end of the day (midnight Central) Tuesday, November 22. By entering this giveaway you agree to the Official Rules.

Mandatory Entry: Comment on this post telling me your favorite thing to grill – chicken, steak, veggies, or something more creative!

(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: I received a copy of the cookbook for review. All opinions are honest and are my own. I was not compensated monetarily for this post.