Addie Slaughter: Book Review

For those of you who love history, you'll like this book! Similar to the Little House on the Prarie books, Addie Slaughter: The Girl Who Met Geronimo is about a young girl's life in the west during Pioneer and covered wagon days.

Addie Slaughter is written in first person narrative by Susan L. Krueger, ED.D. with Dr. Reba Wells Grandrud (a historian) to preserve the true life stories Addie Slaughter told to her daughter Adeline Greene Parks. It's filled with adventure and explanations of how things were in the Wild West days.

Addie's father was a famous sherrif and their family ran into many hardships as well as good times. The story follows young Addie from Texas to Arizona to Oregon and back to Arizona where the family finally settled near the Mexico border. The pictures are historical pictures of Addie and her family and friends and come from their albums as well as the historian's collection. This book would make a good homeschool supplement and in the back of it they include a curriculum guide with ideas for activities, discussion and additional ideas for study.

We've been reading this story aloud. My 4 year old is too young to really understand some of the events now, but as she grows older, I'm sure reading this book will provide for some good discussion. I honestly like the Little House books better because they focus more on the positive side of things, are more in depth and include Christian values. This book would still be good to include for a history study.

You can purchase Addie Slaughter from Five Star Publications for $15.95.

(Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are solely mine and are not influenced by anything else)

How to Move from Blogger to WordPress: Review and Giveaway

Ok, attempt #3 at posting this review! Blogger wasn't working properly the first time I wrote it and pushed "publish" so the whole post was lost..... GRRRR!!! Moving to WordPress is looking better and better....

Anyway, this is an excellent book. How to Move from Blogger to WordPress is incredibly detailed, worded for people with very little techie knowledge and even includes pcitures! I think this book would qualify as one of the "For Dummies" series. Every detail is covered.

Step-by-step, author Sharon Hujik holds your hand through the scary process of creating a domain name and moving to WordPress as well as moving your followers, redirecting traffic, etc. This 97 page e-book is absolutely invaluable to anyone considering making this move. Instead of paying the costly price of hiring a web designer or programmer, you could purchase this e-book for only $35. Plus, you can save 20% right now with the code time4wp.

This book isn't just for those considering the move to WordPress, but also for those who may have tried to make the move themselves and made a few mistakes. :)

Interested in this book but don't want to pay for it just yet? The author has graciously offered to giveaway 2 copies to my readers! You'll definitely want to enter this giveaway if you're interested in moving you blog from Blogger to WordPress.

To enter the giveaway you can do any of the following, leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Tell me if you've already made the move to WordPress or not. How did it go for you?



2. Follow this blog or tell me if you already do (left side of the blog)



3. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link



4. Become a subscriber or tell me if you already do (left side)



5. Follow me on twitter or tell me if you already do



6. Become a fan of the Christian Frugal Mama Facebook page or let me know if you already are

That's 6 chances to win! The giveaway is open from now until Friday July 8th at 11PM EST when I will randomly pick a winner. I will email the winner (so make sure you leave a way for me to email you!) and the winner will have 48 hours to respond. If they don't, I will pick a new winner. Good luck!!

Disclosure: I received this e-book, free of charge, from Sharon Hujik, for the purposes of this review. All views/opinions are my own

Craft Day

Lizzy and I had a craft day today, thanks to 1-2-3! Textured Products. We LOVE crafts around here and anytime we need something to fill up our day, I dig into the craft drawers. Today, we tried out the Freckles the Ladybug Textured Craft Kit.

I don't have any pictures of us making the Ladybug because we were too busy gluing the fun little textured pieces to the ladybug cutout. The 1-2-3! Textured Products come with a cutout and textures pieces (like paper, beads, and confetti) to place on the cutout.

These products are perfect for little preschoolers and helps to develope fine motor skills and the feeling for different shapes and textures. Each kit comes in a handy, portable package. I was a little frustrated at the difficulty of opening each little package for the textured pieces, but that's just me. :)

Our finished project. I think it'll make a good "Grandparent's gift." Lizzy loved making this craft. I don't know that I would buy these just for our home as I could do this with things we already have for less. I do think that these projects would be good for group activities like daycares, Sunday schools, etc. The individual packaging would probably help keep things under control and less messy!

And..... just for fun, this is what happens when silly Mommy gives Lily chocolate pudding to snack on while she writes a product review....

Disclosure: I recieved one of the Textured Product Kits for review purposes. All opinions are my own (and maybe Lizzy's too)

Manhattan Toy: PJ Tots

We totally *heart* little girl stuff around here. You know, with having two little girls around and all. :) That's why I jumped at the chance to review a sweet little doll from Manhattan Toy. A little girl can never have too many dolls, right?

How adorable is that?! She has sweet little bunny ears and everything. When it came in the mail the other day my oldest daught could barely hold in her excitement. When I handed it over she declared it "very comfy" and decided that she loves it. It even came with a cute little matching sleeping bag.

Her new residence is my 3 year old's bed. :) They are very soft and sweet. I totally love the PJ Tots toys.

Would you like to receive a sweet little doll and sleeping bag? I thought so. Manhattan Toy has offered to giveaway the same doll and sleeping bag I received.

To enter the giveaway you can do any of the following, leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Tell me what you plan to do with your doll... what little girl are you going to make happy? :)


2. Become a follower/feed reader or tell me if you already do (left side of the blog)


3. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link


4. Become a subscriber or tell me if you already do (left side)


5. Follow me on twitter or tell me if you already do


6. Become a fan of the Christian Frugal Mama Facebook page or let me know if you already are


7. Follow @ManhattanToy on Twitter.


8. Like Manhattan Toy on Facebook.

That's 8 chances to win! The giveaway is open from now until Friday April 22nd at 11PM EST when I will randomly pick a winner. I will email the winner (so make sure you leave a way for me to email you!) and the winner will have 48 hours to respond. If they don't, I will pick a new winner. Good luck!!

Disclosure: I received a PJ Tot, free of charge, from Manhattan Toy, for the purposes of this review. All views/opinions are my own

Book review: The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari

Title: The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari
Author: Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark
Illustrator: Vincent Nguyen
Publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah
List Price: $11.99

If you're looking to build your children's library with encouraging messages, this is a good title to consider. It's a story of two friends and their adventures while camping outdoors together.

Roger the turtle and Padraig the dragon (still not sure how to pronounce this one!) encounter many frightful sounds and interesting "creatures" during their adventure, but rather than making fun of each other, they encourage one another and learn to be brave, even when they're scared. With fun, imaginative "creatures" and a sweet ending, this story would be great for a young audience, perhaps best appreciated by the 4-7ish range. Plus, the illustrations were wonderful!

At the end of the story is a bonus short tale (referenced in the story) as well as a short Bible reference and conversationstarter ideas. If you're einterested, be sure to check it out at Waterbrook Multnomah and you can even like them on Facebook!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to review free of charge from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: Alpine Weight Loss Secrets

I recently received the book Alpine Weight Loss Secrets by Stefan Aschan to read and review.

I was pretty impressed by this book. I've read quite a number of books on weightloss, diet and nutrition and I'm not always impressed with what I read. I agreed with most of what the author had to say on staying young, healthy and vibrant.

One of the things I most appreciated about this book was that the author wrote about his experiences growing up in the Alps and promotes a return to healthful living, not the latest diet fad or prepackaged food. I don't really agree with "fat-free" this and "sugar-free" that as a way to lose weight and instead embrace the idea that food as close to nature as possible is best. The author refers to this kind of food as Fresh Air Food.

There are suggestions for "belly flattening" juice fasting as well as tips for maintaining the effects of the juice fast. From recipes, food lists, and detailed strength training exercises complete with pictures, this book has everything you need for a life and routine makeover to help you move toward healthier eating, exercising, weight loss and life.

I am cautious, however, that as a Christian I don't allow my body to become an idol. It is excellent to take care of my body. But I try not to allow pursuing weightloss and health to be all consuming. I do believe that my habits, especially regarding diet and exercise, need a makeover and I believe this book will be a really great guide and I would recommend it to anyone looking to move towards a healthier lifestyle. I look forward to sharing some of those changes here on my blog soon! How are your New Year's Resolutions going so far?

If you're interested, you can check out Stefan Aschan's blog or follow him on twitter or Facebook.

Review and Giveaway: Betty Crocker Instant Mashed Potatoes

I LOVE mashed potatoes, especially during holiday times. Just to be honest, I usually dislike instant mashed potatoes... a lot. But my husband likes them and we have gravy to use up, so I figured I'd give Betty Crocker's Potatoes a try. I was so excited to get the package in the mail, especially because I can use the bowl, spoon and trivet for other things!

I was very surprised by how good the Roasted Garlic Instant Potatoes were. I actually almost liked them and my husband definitely really liked them. I will agree that instant mashed potatoes are a million times easier than making homemade.

I didn't care for the Creamy Butter potatoes because they were too.... instant mashed potatoe-y. Weirdly, my 18 month old adored them. I gave her a little fork and she sat and ate a ton of them. They were just the right consistency for her to scoop and get into her little mouth without them dropping off the fork. Perfect!!

For more information, visit BettyCrocker.com, and be sure to follow Betty Crocker on Twitter and “Like” the Facebook page. If you're interested in buying some for yourself, you can get a $0.55/1 coupon for Betty Crocker Instant Mashed Potatoes, which will make for a decent deal if your store doubles.

Want to win the fun prize pack they sent me? I knew you would! My Blog Spark has offered to givea one of my readers a prize pack that includes two boxes of Betty Crocker Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes (one Roasted Garlic and one Homestyle Creamy Butter), a serving bowl, a trivet and a serving spoon! To enter the giveaway you can do any of the following, leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Tell me how you plan to use your prize pack
   
2. Become a follower/feed reader or tell me if you already do (left side of the blog)
3. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link
4. Become a subscriber or tell me if you already do (left side)
5. Follow me on twitter or tell me if you already do
6. Become a fan of the Christian Frugal Mama Facebook page or let me know if you already are
   

That's 6 chances to win! The giveaway is open from now until Friday December 17th at 11PM EST when I will randomly pick a winner. I will email the winner (so make sure you leave a way for me to email you!) and the winner will have 48 hours to respond. If they don't, I will pick a new winner. Good luck!!

Review and Giveaway: Wanchai Ferry and Macaroni Grill Dinner Kits

My husband and I love Macaroni Grill. Actually, we love it so much and it had so much significance for us, it's where he proposed to me! We love going to Macaroni Grill, but it can be a bit on the pricey side. Plus, it's often packed and with two small children, it's just not usually worth it for us to go.

That's why I love the Macaroni Grill Boxed dinner kits! You can enjoy Macaroni Grill favorites (such as Chicken Piccata and Angel Hair Pasta, Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta, Chicken Alfredo with Linguine, Garlic & Herb Chicken Penne, and Chicken Marsala with Linguine) at home for fraction of the price and no long waits.

These make for wonderful after the kids go to bed, stay at home date nights. They taste wonderful and my husband loves them. We made the Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta for lunch to celebrate our 4th anniversary this year. I wanted to do it for dinner on our anniversary and make it special, but I was sick. :( It still made for a lovely lunch sate! I wish I had pictures to share, but it was a rough week with two sick kids and a still slightly sicky mama.

Like Chinese better than Italian? Great! They have Wanchai Ferry dinner kits too! They have fun, flavorful dishes such as Cashew Chicken, Spicy Garlic Chicken, Orange Chicken, and Kung Pao Chicken.

Admittedly, these kits don't really go along with my efforts to eat healthier, but I thought it was ok to splurge a little for a special occasion!

For more information and dinner tips, visit WanchaiFerryAtHome.com and MacaroniGrillAtHome.com. You can also follow Macaroni Grill on Twitter and “Like” the Facebook page to keep up with all of the latest news on your Macaroni Grill favorites!

Want to create your own special stay at home date night? You can get a coupon for $2.25/2 dinner kits. Plus, My Blog Spark will give on of my readers the same Date Night prize pack they sent me that includes one Wanchai Ferry dry dinner kit, one Macaroni Grill dry dinner kit, and a $25 Visa gift card that you can use to create a magical date night at home. To enter the giveaway you can do any of the following, leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Tell me how you plan to use your date night kit
   
2. Become a follower/feed reader or tell me if you already do (left side of the blog)
3. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link
4. Become a subscriber or tell me if you already do (left side)
5. Follow me on twitter or tell me if you already do
6. Become a fan of the Christian Frugal Mama Facebook page or let me know if you already are
   

That's 6 chances to win! The giveaway is open from now until Friday December 17th at 11PM EST when I will randomly pick a winner. I will email the winner (so make sure you leave a way for me to email you!) and the winner will have 48 hours to respond. If they don't, I will pick a new winner. Good luck!!

**I received a free date night kit from My Blog Spark to review and do a giveaway. All of the thoughts and opinions are mine and not influenced by a free product.**

Review and Giveaway (Closed): Rubbermaid Reveal Mop

**This giveaway is now closed!**

I thought this week of kicking off my "Cleaning Series" would be a great time to do a cleaning giveaway!

I was so incredibly excited when I was told I was being sent one of these fabulous new mops for free to try it out and review! I seriously watched for a package at my door everyday for what seemed like forever!

I've been using a certain disposable spray mop for a while and have been frustrated at having to buy rather expensive refills. I'm also not a regular old mop and bucket kinda girl, either.

That's why I was so ecstatic to receive the Rubbermaid Reveal Mop to try out and to give one away. This mop is great. It comes with two refillable plastic bottles that hold a cleaning solution (homemade or store bought) and 3 washable microfiber cloths that stick to the mop head.

You use this mop just like similar models, holding a trigger to control the amount of solution you spray on the floor. I found that the microfiber cloth did an excellent job of getting off stuck on stuff. I have a two kids that are 3 and 1. There's usually a lot of "stuck on stuff" on my floor. :)

One drawback was the the head of the mop seemed to pop off too easily. If I was really scrubbing a dirty spot the friction would sometimes cause the head to pop off. It popped back on easily, but it took the momentum out of my cleaning. LoL. I still highly recommend this mop and I'm even giving one away to my fabulous readers in the spirit of Keeping our Homes this week!

You can purchase the Rubbermaid Reveal mop online, at Home Depot, Target and Walmart. The mop you can buy comes with one microfiber pad and one bottle but you can purchase more separately if you need to.

To enter the giveaway you can do any of the following, leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Tell me how you're keeping your home or being a good steward of what you have this week
   
2. Become a follower/feed reader or tell me if you already do (left side of the blog)!
3. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.
4. Blog about my new Keeping our Homes series
5. Become a subscriber or tell me if you already do (left side)!
6. Follow me on twitter or tell me if you already do!
7. Become a fan of the Christian Frugal Mama Facebook page or let me know if you already are!
8. Follow Rubbermaid on Twitter
9. Follow Rubbermaid's Blog
   

That's 7 chances to win! The giveaway is open from now until Friday September 17th at 11PM EST when I will randomly pick a winner. I will email the winner (so make sure you leave a way for me to email you!) and the winner will have 48 hours to respond. If they don't, I will pick a new winner. Good luck!!

Review and Giveaway: Dryel Dry Cleaning Starter Kit

I don't dry clean. Period. End of statement. I don't do it. This means I also don't buy anything that says "dry clean only" on it. That is, I didn't until this summer. I bought this adorable $1 linen skirt at a garage sale without looking at the tag. Sure enough, there was the dreaded phrase: DRY CLEAN ONLY!!!

Ack! What to do? I'm certainly not going to make a trip to the dry cleaners with two small children in tow for one skirt. I was contemplating washing it anyway but I really didn't want to ruin my $1 bargain find. :)How lucky for me I signed up to review the Dryel Dry Cleaning Starter Kit!! Using just my dryer and the Dryel Dry Cleaning system, I can now clean my skirt and any other Dry Clean only things I may now purchase!

The kit comes with a large bag that will fit 1-4 items. You add a Dryel cleaning cloth (my free sample was clean breeze scent) and put the bag n the dryer. In just 30 minutes, pull your clothes out, hang them up so any wrinkles can fall out and you're done! The bag is reusable (up to 50 loads), you just have to buy additional cleaning cloths. My kit also came with refill coupons, since I'm so cheap and all. :)

Interested in having one of your own? Yeah, I thought so. I will be giving away one Dryel Starter Kit (see the end of this post) or if you aren't lucky enough to win, Wal-mart will have Dryel Starter kits you can buy that have a "Free after mail-in rebate" offer on them.

Want to win one and skip the hassel of a rebate? To enter the giveaway you can do any of the following, leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Tell me what you do about dry cleaning stuff
   
2. Become a follower/feed reader or tell me if you already do (left side of the blog)!
3. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.
4. Become a subscriber or tell me if you already do (left side)!
5. Follow me on twitter or tell me if you already do!
6. Become a fan of the Christian Frugal Mama Facebook page or let me know if you already are!
   

That's 6 chances to win! The giveaway is open from now until Friday September 10th at 11PM EST when I will randomly pick a winner. I will email the winner (so make sure you leave a way for me to email you!) and the winner will have 48 hours to respond. If they don't, I will pick a new winner. Good luck!!

Review: Singalingo Songbook

My daughter has a Dora obsession. A big one. So, I shouldn't have been surprised when she began saying Spanish words one day. But I was. I soon realized my very limited Spanish vocabulary wouldn't be enough if I wanted to foster this new skill my daughter was picking up.

That's why I was very interested when the opportunity to receive a free Spanish children's singable book came along. I received a free book, called "Buenas Noches, Amigos" and 2 free song downloads.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to listen to the songs that come with the book yet, because of technical issues, but I did look through the book and I think it looks like a wonderful way to begin introducing your little one to simple, everyday Spanish words.

The first song (and first half of the book) are about bubbles and taking a bath. The second song (and second half of the book) is about saying good night. The idea is to make this book a part of your everyday bedtime routine. Thankfully, for Spanish challenged parents like me, there is an English translation at the bottom of each page. You can purchase Buenas Noches, Amigos for $9.99 from Sing-A-Lingo.

I agree with the author that the best way to learn a new language is through immersion. Singing is also a wonderful way to help children remember new things. The author herself is bilingual and created this book and other products for children's Spanish learning to answer her own need for teaching her children useful, everyday Spanish.

Some of Sing-A-Lingo's other products include "En Mi Casa" song album, Say'NStick Word Notes to put on everyday objects around the house, Lyric'NLanguage To-Go Cards to have on hand for extensive vocabulary, and you can also visit their website for free online activities.

If you're looking for a program for teaching your young ones everyday Spanish Sing-A-Lingo may be just what you're looking for!

Review: Dryel Instant Stain Pen and 3 in 1 Spray

:) I've always needed serious laundry help. My idea of doing laundry before I got married was dumping all the dirty clothes in the washer when I had no clean underwear left. I just never thought about laundry and how to best take care of my clothes.

I've come a long way since I got married. I now do laundry twice a week (Monday and Thursday) and every now and then I'll attempt to separate lights and darks if I have enough for two loads. I still have stain issues (two little kids!) and I don't like washing my clothes after just one wearing. Oh, and I never iron. Never. Ok, maybe once a year if my husband needs it done.

The Dryel laundry helpers definitely helped me! Although, honestly, I probably didn't use them as most people would. The Instant Stain Pen worked wonders on my couch cover that my 3 year old spilled Popsicle juice on. (Told you I had stain issues!) I blotted the stain gel on it and when the spot dried, the stain was gone! I saved me from having to wash the whole thing for one little stain!
Then, I used the 3 in 1 Spray to take a horrible gasoline smell out of my husband's cloth covered cd case. It worked too and smelled really great! This product is similar to others that you spray on your clothes to freshen them up without having to wash them. It certainly worked on the cd case, I'm sure it'd work on clothes too!

If you're interested, you can check out Dryel today and also follow them on Twitter and Facebook! (Disclosure: I received these two products to try out and give my honest opinion on them!)

Top 6 Priorities

I recently read the book Creative Counterpart by Linda Dillow. I was interested in reading this book because I've been trying to learn as much as I can about being a good helpmeet and I had read another one of her books, Intimate Issues.

Personally, I didn't find this book very helpful. Most of it was not new to me or didn't really apply. However, there was one tip I've found pretty useful.

Chapter 4 was about priorities and she listed a few areas we, as helpmeets, should be taking care of. Priority #4 was the home in accordance with the Proverbs 31 woman passage:

She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:27

Linda Dillow goes on to say that this includes being organized (!) and setting the right pace in our homes. It's our responsibility to keep things running smoothly and efficiently. She recommends the following method from Ivy Lee:

1. Write down the 6 most important tasks you have to do tomorrow and number them in order of importance
2. First thing tomorrow, begin with item 1 and stick with it until you're finished
3. After completing number 1, cross it out with a bright red pen!
4. Proceed to number 2 and complete it before going on to number 4

What a wonderful lesson! More often than not, I could write a To-Do list a mile long, accomplish a bunch of tiny little seemingly urgent things, and not get one important thing done in the day. By keeping the list simple and manageable, you make it possible to actually accomplish the truly important things in the day.

Now, to just work on actually making the list and following it... That's priority number 1 for me right now!! :) What do you do to stay organized and prioritized? How do you like this idea of writing down the top 6 priorities each day?

Review: EcoStore

The Ecostore is a great company that started in New Zealand and offers products for the green lifestyle. Their products are made with "No Nasty Chemicals" and are plant or mineral based.

When my order for review was delayed, the company was kind enough to throw in a bar of Lemongrass bar soap (valued at $4). What a wonderful way to keep customers happy! I liked the soap and it's lasted quiet a long time in our downstairs bathroom. It's smells nice (but isn't strong) and is made with wonderful ingredients like palm oil, coconut oil and lemongrass oil!


I was really excited to get the powder laundry soap. I've honestly never used powder laundry soap before and I was a little uneasy about how well it would work. It's just as good as any I've bought and I love that it has "No Nasty Chemicals" in it since I have two young children and my youngest has eczema. It's priced at $11 for 22 loads and has minerals salts, lemon verbena oil and an oxygen producing whitener. I'm very pleased with the quality and ease of using it.


I was also very thankful to receive their toilet cleaner too. :) Not too many people would say that, huh? I'm not a very big fan or commercial cleaners and I especially don't like the fumes they give off. I like to clean the bathroom while my girls are taking a bath (multitasking!) but I don't want them breathing in a bunch of poisonous chemicals! It contains coconut oil, water, citric acid, etc. It smells wonderful, works very well and makes me feel so much better about cleaning around my girls. For $8, that's not a bad deal!

Overall, I'm impressed with EcoStore. They have good products, I love that they list all the ingredients in their products on their site and you can also find other "green" tips, articles and Ecostore videos on their site. If you're interested, you can also follow them on their blog or Facebook.

Review and Giveaway: Boz the Bear

As I mentioned, I often struggle with how much t.v. to allow my 3 year old to watch. Thankfully, I do have some videos that make me feel a little better about giving in to her request for t.v. time. Some of my favorite videos are the Boz the Green Bear Next Door videos!

Boz is a Christian educational character created specifically for preschoolers by Exclaim Entertainment. This is important, because I often feel that a lot of Christian children's DVD's are over my daughter's head. These videos are perfect for her and she loves them!

Each video is about 45 minutes long (usually broken up into 3 "episodes") and focuses on a different topic. You can choose from titles such as "Thank You God for Bananas, Bubbles and Busy Bodies" and "Thank You God for Adventures in Imagination." You can even click the link to go and see the trailers for their videos. Each video demonstrates respect for elders, prayer, catchy song, fun learning and more.

In addition to the videos, you can also get Boz books, free teaching resources, cds, and toys. I love their website because they have a lot of information including games, computer wallpapers coloring pages, "read with Boz" and fun family activity ideas. There's even a special section just for parents to learn about Boz and what he's all about.


Ok, so enough about how much we love Boz. I'm so super excited to be able to giveaway 2 Boz DVD's to one of my readers! I have "Thank You God for Bananas, Bubbles and Busy Bodies" and "Thank You God for Friends and Helpers" to give away! To enter the giveaway you can do any of the following, leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Tell me what you'd like most about Boz
   
2. Become a follower/feed reader or tell me if you already do (left side of the blog)!
3. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.
4. Become a subscriber or tell me if you already do (left side)!
5. Follow me on twitter or tell me if you already do!
6. Become a fan of the Christian Frugal Mama Facebook page or let me know if you already are!
   

That's 6 chances to win! The giveaway is open from now until Sunday August 22nd at 11PM EST when I will randomly pick a winner. I will email the winner (so make sure you leave a way for me to email you!) and the winner will have 48 hours to respond. If they don't, I will pick a new winner. Good luck!!

Review and Giveaway: Snikiddy Cheddar Baked Fries

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a snacker, which is why I'm also a dieter :) My kiddos love snacks as well, so I was very eager to try Snikiddy Cheddar Baked Fries. Since my daughter gets a special treat everyday at "rest time" I allowed her first dibs on these treats the day they came in the mail. Boy was she excited!

Honestly, the first thing I noticed was that they were pretty high in calories (130), especially compared to my usual snack of 100 calories. When we opened them and started eating them I was very surprised at the amount of them in a 1 oz bag! My daughter couldn't even finish them, so I helped her. :) They definitely had a very cheddary taste to them.

You can purchase Snikiddy Sharing packs at Alice.com for $1 off and free shipping! They have lots of other flavors to and a 4.5 oz bag of Cheddar Baked Fries is only $1.79, not bad!

I think these are a great indulgence treat, especially if you like chips. These are baked and have 50% fewer calories than regular potato chips. Add in the fact that they are preservative free, all natural, gluten free, peanut free, wheat free, have no corn syrup, no trans fat and no hydrogenated oils.... not bad for a snack in today's world! They definitely aren't what I'd consider a health food, but if you're looking for a snack that'll do less damage than the usual fare, I'd recommend these. You can follow Snikiddy on both Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date and you can enter their sweepstakes on Facebook (under the sweeps tab) to win a Snikiddy gift basket or Jamis Kids' Bike.

By the way, Snikiddy Snacks is offering a free 1 oz. bag sample to one of my readers to try out as well! These would be great if you have any allergies in your family! To enter the giveaway you can do any of the following, leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Visit Snikiddy Snacks, and let me know which flavor you think you'd like best!
   
2. Become a follower/feed reader or tell me if you already do (left side of the blog)!
3. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.
4. Become a subscriber or tell me if you already do (left side)!
5. Follow me on twitter or tell me if you already do!
6. Become a fan of the Christian Frugal Mama Facebook page or let me know if you already are!
   

That's 6 chances to win! The giveaway is open from now until Fridau July 30th at 11PM EST when I will randomly pick a winner. I will email the winner (so make sure you leave a way for me to email you!) and the winner will have 48 hours to respond. If they don't, I will pick a new winner. Good luck!!

Review: My Coupons Site

Everyone is starting to talk about Back to School shopping. It's amazing to me that the buzz and hype for an end of August event begins in the middle of July.

Looking for a coupon to help make that Back to School shopping a little hard on the wallet? Try MyCoupons! You can get 20% a single Border's item, $5/$50 purchase at K-mart and 12% off Chegg's textbook rentals. And that's just from their Back to School deals section! Of course, these coupons combined with sales would make for the best deals. I don't think I'd use them just because I had a coupon.

A neat feature of this site is that members can share coupons with each other by submitting a coupon that they've found. When frugal shoppers work together, they can share a great deal of coupon info with each other! This site could be useful if you want to find a lot of coupon/frugal info in one spot. If you've found a coupon on My Coupons that you love, you can share it on Facebook and Twitter making it easy to pass the savings along to all your friends. You can also print online manufacturer coupons to use in stores.

Wondering how all this works? You can watch the video below to find out how it works:



Interested? Go check it out and while you're at it, you can follow along on their online community forum to find out about deals and frugal info, or follow MyCoupons on twitter and Facebook to keep up to date. Happy frugal Back to School shopping!

Disclaimer: I reviewed this site through MamaBzz and I will receive a small compensation for my time reviewing this site. However, all the opinions stated are my own and not influenced by money. :)

Review: Once Upon a Baby Brother

I recently received the book Once Upon a Baby Brother by Sarah Sullivan, illustrated by Tricia Tusa, put out by Sarah Sullivan Books from Mama Buzz to read and review.

This was a very sweet book. I have to admit, it's a little over my oldest daughter's head at 2 1/2 years old, but I'm sure that in a few years this will be a delightful book to read to her. The illustrations are lively and amusing.

The story is about Lizzie (just like mine!) who loves to write stories. She's a very expressive 2nd grader with quite an imagination and loves to entertain one and all with her fanciful tales. That is, until her little brother Marvin comes on the scene. Of course, as with all new babies, Marvin starts to steal everyone's attention away from Lizzie.

As a way to cope, Lizzie writes stories about the awful "Marvinosaurus" and the "Ugly Prince." Like all siblings, Marvin drives his big sister crazy by getting into all her stuff! When her mother takes Marvin away to Grandma's house for a visit, Lizzie is very excited to have freedom from her brother. However, Lizzie soon discovers that without her muse Marvin around, she has run out inspiration! You'll have to read for yourself to see the lesson that Lizzie learns about younger siblings. :)

If you're interested, you can purchase this book for as low as $10.87 on Amazon and if you're interested in more from this author, you can follow her on her blog or Facebook.

Boudreaux's Butt Paste: Review

I hate diaper rash. What I hate even more is the smell of diaper rash cream. And the feel of it. And the look of it. And the fact that I can't get it off my fingers. :)

I had seen Boudreaux's Butt Paste by Blairex in stores before. I remember because the name gave me a chuckle. So when given the opportunity to try it out, of course I said yes. My youngest is 11 months and still drinking a few bottles a day, so sometimes we have some nasty diapers. I was given 2 oz samples of both the Original formula and the All Natural formula to try out through MamaBuzz. I can honestly say I really like this stuff.

I like that the All Natural has all natural ingredients like Aloe Vera, Beeswax, Castor Oil, and Peruvian Balsam Oil. I makes me feel good about what I'm putting on my baby, but honestly, it smells weird. It's also very thin. It kind of dribbled out of the tube. Rather than put it on my hand, I just dripped it on my baby's behind and rubbed it in. LoL. It cleaned off easier than regular diaper rash cream, but I noticed it was no longer on at the next diaper changing. I worried that it mostly rubbed of on the diaper because of how thin it was, but it seemed to help clear up the rash.

I liked the smell to the Original formula a lot better. It was actually almost sweet smelling and had a much thicker consistency. It's a lot more like a regular diaper rash cream. It even has a little bit of a brown color to it and stayed on my baby's bottom a little better. Both creams seemed to work just as well as the standard, nasty diaper rash cream, so I think it's a great find!

You can find it at drugstores, discount stores and grocery stores in 1-oz., 2-oz., 3-oz., and 4-oz tubes, a 16-oz. jar, and a single foil pack sizes. A 2 oz tube of it is about $5.99. I hoestly think that's a little high, being the bargain shopper that I am, but some people may think it's a great deal for not having to use the regular, yuckie diaper rash cream. I'm not sure if there's coupons out there for this, but it may just be worth a look...

What do you think of standard diaper rash creams? Have you found something that works for you or do you have any experiences with this brand you'd like to share with us?

Covermate: Review and Giveaway

I recently received a box of CoverMate food covers to use and review from CoverMate through MamaBuzz. I was very excited about this product and it definitely didn't let me down!

I really hate riffling through my storage containers to find the right size for the leftovers from dinner. I hate trying to find the lid that fits. That's why my husband usually tackles this part of cleanup. The new solution: just pop a CoverMate food cover over the plate and skip all the hassle! It's ready to go right into the refrigerator!

That's cut up cooked sweet potatoes for the baby, by the way! Like our Pooh-bear dinnerware? :)

This is also perfect for when my daughter won't finish her dinner and I save it for when she asks for a snack... :) They're microwavable, so it makes it easy to reheat her food without it splattering and making yet another mess for me to clean. Their shape allows them to easily fit round or square containers. You can even check out a video about them here.

These little things are super easy to wash, especially if you're a zip-lock baggie saver. I just wash mine by hand in soapy water, but they're even dishwasher safe. The manufacturer suggested turning it inside out and putting it on a clean plate and into the dishwasher. Voila! Clean and dry!

Interested in getting some for yourself? I thought so. If you hop on over to their site, you can get a free sample pack, you just pay $3.95 for shipping and handling. For some reason, their site is having a security certificate issue. I clicked through and it was fine, but it's up to you if you want to click through or not.

Want to get a pack for free and make me pay for the shipping? I now I would! Well, because I love my readers, I will do just such thing. I have one sample package of 4 medium, 4 large, 2 extra large and one small can CoverMates Stretch-to-Fit Food Covers to mail to one lucky winner! To enter the giveaway you can do any of the following, leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Leave me a comment telling what you think of saving my kid's food and making her eat it later when she asks for a snack. LoL. That's what my mom used to do. Guess we often do a lot of what our parents' did!
   
2. Leave me an encouraging comment. Sometimes I just need to hear something nice. :) Make sure it's true though, I wouldn't want anyone to lie!
   
3. Become a follower or tell me if you already do (left side of the blog)!
4. Become a subscriber or tell me if you already do (left side)!
5. Follow me on twitter or tell me if you already do!
6. Become a fan of the Christian Frugal Mama Facebook page or let me know if you already are!
7. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.

That's 7 chances to win! Sorry, but I can only ship to the USA or Canada. The giveaway is open from now until Friday May 14th at 11PM EST when I will randomly pick a winner. I will email the winner (so make sure you leave a way for me to email you!) and the winner will have 48 hours to respond. If they don't, I will pick a new winner. Good luck!!