Frugal Family Fun: 2009

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Gro organic winner!

Congrats to Nicole winner from our contest!! Entry #7 was chosen via random.org!! Congrats!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Proctor Silex Electric Kettle Winner!!!

Thank you to everyone for sharing this contest and getting the entries up!!! 77 entries is a new record and I am excited about that!! Things have been a little slow around here but I am grateful for the support of our fans and friends who have helped promote us and our website!

Well on to our winner! I am happy to announce that our winner is #49 via random.org: Santaslittlehelper1225

Congrats!! An email has been sent! Remember, if they don't claim the prize within 48 hours we will redraw!!!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Winner!!! Greg May Hair Contest!!

What a great contest! I am in love with Greg May and his amazing line of hair products!! I am pleased to announce the winner is Cynthia! We have emailed and if we don't hear back in 24 hours there will be a new winner! Congrats Cynthia!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

GRO-Organic Shampoo And Conditioner Review and Giveaway!



I am a hair fanatic. I love trying new products and seeing how it affects my hair! I also am getting into the green movement like many other people, so I was stoked to try out Gro-Organic's Shampoo and Conditioner
According to their website, Gro-Organic.com , The Essences of the Sea shampoo is a Soft and gentle shampoo that soothes and cleans in one step. As hair ages, it becomes duller and lifeless due to factors such as stress, environmental exposure, and chemical treatments. Essences of the Sea Shampoo is formulated with proteins and amino acids that mimic the “natural moisturizing factor” of healthy skin and hair. Keeps hair hydrated and conditioned and helps infuse hair with those missing links that disappear as we age. Natural algae and citrus help smooth and close the cuticles to lessen damage caused by daily stresses and styling.


The Essences of the Sea conditioner is a double conditioner that adds strength and shine to the hair. As hair ages, it becomes duller and lifeless due to factors such as stress, environmental exposure, and chemical treatments. Essences of the Sea conditioner is formulated with proteins and amino acids that mimic the “natural moisturizing factor” of healthy skin and hair.
These products smell absolutely amazing and it doesn't leave my hair feeling all dry afterwards. I love that its natural so I know good things are going on my hair! I need less styling products afterwards and my hair is soft all day!
groOrganic is a family of companies committed to cultivating healthy lifestyles in every community we serve. Our passionate and dedicated team of Certified groOrganic Gardeners offers their personal pledge of excellence. We believe there IS an economical, healthy way to eat organically. We can provide that and the sense of self sufficiency for you and your family. groOrganic supports small American businesses and we proudly offer superior merchandise from only the best suppliers. Our promise is to support the local business community by first seeking out custom hand-built and hand-painted products from local contractors and artists. We offer a diverse gardening curriculum for adults, children, and those with special needs who can benefit from our educational and horticultural therapy programs. Whether you live in a house or apartment, you can enjoy the benefits of home grown organic produce. Our custom-built raised planters and space-saving barrels are designed to give you the advantage of incorporating vegetable gardens into your landscape, patio, or balcony.

I also want to share the companies Vision :

Cultivating healthy lifestyles
groOrganic is a family of companies committed to cultivating healthy lifestyles in every community we serve. Our passionate and dedicated team of Certified groOrganic Gardeners offers their personal pledge of excellence. We believe there IS an economical, healthy way to eat organically. We can provide that and the sense of self sufficiency for you and your family.
Health benefitsThe foods that you and your family eat directly affect your health. A fruit and vegetable home garden provides assurance that your food has been grown and handled without toxic chemical input. When you grow your own organic fruits and vegetables, you'll be making a positive change that can reduce your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.
Most foods that we have been eating come from farms designed to yield high amounts of fruits and vegetables in a short amount of time. The produce is sprayed with chemicals to prevent damage by insects and the soil is enriched with additives to increase the speed of the growth cycle.
Ingesting these chemicals can create serious health consequences. Over time, repeated consumption can cause toxicity in the bloodstream. This toxicity can result in a variety of chronic diseases including but not limited to cancer.
Foods grown in an organic environment are chemical-free. You never have to worry about the impact of these foods on your health. When you switch to a diet that is rich in organic foods, you are dramatically reducing your risk of ingesting cancer-causing agents. Children, the elderly, and those who have already been touched by disease, can make a positive change by switching to an organic diet.
Environmental benefitsGrowing an organic fruit and vegetable garden also helps the environment. It is one way to limit chemicals from getting into the air, earth, and water. Conventional farming uses more petroleum than any other single industry, consuming 12 percent of America's total energy supply. More energy is used to produce synthetic fertilizers than to till, cultivate, and harvest all the crops in the US.
Organic produce in a grocery store is often 14 days old and has on average traveled 1500 miles, losing nutrition and flavor along the way. Selection is often very limited and freshness is an issue due to the absence of preservatives. A properly maintained home organic garden is convenient, fresh, and nutritious.

So now you get the chance to try out their great organic hair products! The winner will receive a bottle of each! here is how to enter!
***MANDATORY ENTRY: THIS MUST BE DONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT*** Be sure to include your email so I can contact if you win!
Go to Gro-Organic.com and tell me something you learned that wasn't in this post. This is for 1 entry.
Want to gain more entries? Here are more ways! Complete them and return here telling me you did!
*For 1 entry* Follow FrugalFamily Fun On Twitter Leave me a comment w/ your twitter name
*For 1 entry* Follow GroOrganic on Twitter Leave me a comment w/ your twitter name
*For 1 entry* RT this giveaway including both @frugalfamilyfun and @groorganic for this to count
(can do 3 times daily, leave 3 seperate comments.)
--DO NOT DO THIS 3 TIMES IN A ROW. SPREAD THEM OUT THROUGH THE DAY OR IT DOESN'T COUNT!--
must leave the link to the rt for me to see!
*For 1 entry* Follow via google friend connect
*For 3 entries* Add my button to your blog or blog roll. leave me the link so i can find it!
*For 5 entries* Blog about this and leave me the link
*For 1 entry* Tell me what you do to be more organic!
Contest will end December 21st at 11:59 P.M. PST Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to reply before losing their prize. In that case a new winner will be selected after Christmas! Good luck!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Winners!! Little Diva Tutus Giveaway!

Thanks to all that participated and rt'd my Little Diva Tutus Review and Giveaway!! I love all her beautiful tutus and accessories I hope everyone checked out the Layla Grace and Hannah Tutus as well! They are beautifully designed and for great causes!

So the moment you have waited for!
From Random.org

#22 Zealandsmom
#48 Anne
#9 Nicole

All the winners have been emailed and will have 48 hours to claim their prizes! If they are not claimed in time I will be selecting new winners! Congrats to the winners and don't forget to enter our Greg May Hair Giveaway and Proctor Silex Electric Kettle Giveaway!!!!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Greg May Hair Product Review and Giveaway!!!

Like any girl I want my hair to look and smell great! And with my hair, its hard to find a product that keeps it looking great all day. I have long, curly, dry hair. It has tons of potential, but needs that special product to keep it fabulous no matter what I do. Well, my prayers have been answered. I came across Greg May Hair Architects from a giveaway on his Twitter page I had originally entered not knowing the prize was a haircut in his salon in Toronto,Canada. Whoops! That will teach me to enter before I read! So when I offered my prize to someone who could actually use it, Greg offered me a gift set instead! I was excited cause I am all about freebies and trying new stuff. But when I used it I was ecstatic!

First off, the 60-second silk shampoo is AMAZING!!! My hair didn't feel all dry like it usually does after using normal shampoo. And the shampoo smells like vanilla bean...it is the best smelling shampoo I have ever used! Then I used the Vanilla bean quench conditioner. My hair felt silky smooth and smelled delicious!! For styling, I used the Work It hairspray! Usually I need a lot of styling products, but I just sprayed all over and under my hair and I had one of the best hair days ever!! I got tons of compliments about how beautiful my hair looked!

I wanted to share this great product with you guys, so I asked Greg to help me out with a little giveaway! He graciously offered to donate a pack of goodies for one lucky winner of this contest!!! Here's how to enter:

MANDATORY ENTRY: Go to Greg May Hair Architects and tell me which other hair product you would like to try that wasn't mentioned in my review

Want more entries?

1. Follow Greg May Hair on Twitter (1 entry)

2. Follow Frugal Family Fun on Twitter (1 entry)

3. Follow me via google friend connect (1 entry)

4. Add my button to your blog (2 entries)

5. Blog about this or add it to your giveaway roll (3 entries)

6. Up to 3 extra daily entries by Rt'ing this giveaway on Twitter (1 entry for each comment with link to RT, 3 times a day)

Giveaway begins Monday November 16 and ends December 7 at 11:59 PM PST. Winner will be selected via random.org and the entry will be verified, then notified by email. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize or it is forfeited and a new winner will be chosen.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Proctor Silex Electric Kettle Review and Giveaway Contest!


I am very excited about this product! We are giving away a Proctor-Silex Electric Kettle!! I was given 2 of these kettles and they are so easy to use and really convenient! Simply put the desired amount of water in, plug it in and flip the switch up to heat up the water! Within 2-4 minutes you have boiling hot water! It even turns itself off when it reaches the max temperature!! With this kettle you can easily make a any amount of hot water for tea, hot cocoa or instant coffee!! I just made 3 cups of cocoa for me and my girls within about 2 minutes! (And it heated up QUICK. I had to add milk to the kids' cups to cool them down!)

MAIN ENTRY***THIS IS MANDATORY BEFORE ALL OTHER ENTRIES WILL BE CONSIDERED!
**Follow me via google friend connect
Be sure to leave me your email here. I will not go searching everywhere for your email. If it is not here or on your google id and I cannot find you, I will give your prize to someone else.

Want extra ways to win? Of course you do!
1.Follow me on Twitter @frugalfamilyfun and come back here and leave me a comment w/ your twitter name

2.Get a friend to follow me then comeback here and tell me who they are (unlimited entries)

3.RT this giveaway for 3 daily entries make sure to include @frugalfamilyfun in your tweet

4.Tell me your favorite hot drink to make with hot water (tea, coffee, cocoa...special recipe?)

5.Comment on any other blog post not contest related (unlimited entries if the comment is relevant to the topic.)

6. Add my button to your blog (2 entries)

7.Blog about this or add it to your giveaway roll (3 entries)

Contest begins November 15th and ends December 15 at 11:59 PM PSt. Winner will be selected via random.org and will be verified that they met entry requirements. Winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or they forfeit their prize.

Making Baby Food at Home

I would like to thank my good friend at Imallshoppe.com for showing me this article from Webmd.com
A step-by-step guide to making and storing food for your baby.
By Gina Shaw

When you begin feeding your baby solid foods, it’s time to think about what foods you’re going to be feeding him. There are many healthy premade options, including organic baby food. But homemade baby food is a popular option for parents who want to know exactly what goes into their baby’s mouth -- and making it may be easier than you think.

Homemade Baby Food: Advantages of Making It Yourself

Parents who prefer homemade baby food have many reasons for their choice.

  • They know exactly what they’re feeding their baby.
  • It’s more economical than buying pre-packaged foods (although some parents note that this is not always the case).
  • They can choose their own fruits, vegetables, and other foods for purees, instead of relying on the flavors chosen by manufacturers. You’re not going to find melons or avocados in the baby food section of the supermarket.
  • It gets the baby used to eating the same food as the rest of the family -- just in puree form.

Myra Bartalos, the mother of a 20-month-old daughter in Brooklyn, N.Y, found that making her own baby food was easy and appealed to her concern for her daughter’s nutrition.

“What sealed the deal for me was finding out that jarred food is cooked at extremely high temperatures to kill bacteria for longer storage, at the same time taking out many of the food's vitamins and nutrients and taste,” says Bartalos. “I would roast, steam, or boil veggies or fruit on the weekends and puree in a mini food processor. I'd make three or four different fruits and veggies at a time, so I had a month's worth of food with each cooking weekend.”

“Making your own baby food does help you think more about what you're feeding your child,” says Erika Radtke, the mother of a 4-year-old boy and newborn daughter in Carlsbad, Calif. “And it seems to pave the way for making healthier meals, even as he or she gets older.”

Making Baby Food: Disadvantages of the Homemade Approach

Some parents who’ve tried and given up on homemade baby food point out these disadvantages to making it:

  • Time. It takes time to make and prepare lots of little servings of homemade baby food. It’s much faster to pick up prepackaged servings.
  • Convenience. Prepackaged baby foods come in measured amounts and ready to serve.
  • Storage. Homemade baby foods may spoil more quickly and require refrigeration, which may take up room in your fridge or freezer if you make a lot of servings ahead of time. Prepackaged baby foods don’t need refrigerator storage until they’re opened.

Although Radtke made some of her son’s baby food, she admits, “It was a pain. I used to take a whole weekend to cook the foods, portion it out into ice cube trays, freeze them and store them. I didn't have a problem using Gerber's or Earth's Best when I ran out, though.”

Making Baby Food: Disadvantages of the Homemade Approach continued...

If you’re daunted by the idea of making your own baby food, don’t feel that you’re neglecting your baby. “Foods intended for babies are so pure to begin with,” says Jennifer Shu, MD, a pediatrician in Atlanta and co-author of Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality and Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor, and a Bottle of Ketchup.

“If you’re really concerned about what your baby’s eating and don’t have the time to make your own baby food, focus your attention on what they’re eating once they begin table foods,” Shu tells WebMD. “It’s really a very short window of time when they are eating purees.”

Making Baby Food: What You’ll Need

If you decide to make your own baby food, says Shu, it’s not that difficult: “All you need is a food grinder and a way to steam the food.” (If you’re taking the time to make your own baby food, steaming is the best way to cook ingredients because it preserves the most nutrients.)

There are plenty of baby food makers on the market, from a French product that combines steaming, blending, warming, and defrosting, to simple baby food processors, mills, and grinders. But you don’t need to buy any of these products; your own food processor will work just as well for making baby food.

Many popular books offer hundreds of recipes for baby food purees, including Blender Baby Food, Top 100 Baby Purees, and the Petit Appetit Cookbook. These books can help you come up with new ideas to try with your baby and remind you of important nutrients to include, but as with baby food makers, they’re not a requirement for making your own baby food.

Healthy Homemade: How to Make Baby Food in 6 Easy Steps

  • Wash and rinse your hands and equipment.
  • Scrub and peel fruits and vegetables.
  • Bake, steam, roast, or microwave until tender (steaming and microwaving preserve the most nutrients).
  • Puree in a food processor with a little liquid (water, breast milk, or formula), or mash if your baby can handle more texture.
  • Store in the refrigerator or freezer, in airtight containers. (Packaged baby foods can be stored in the cupboard until they’re opened; because they’re fresh, homemade baby foods can’t.)
  • Rewarm when it’s time to eat and allow to cool.

There are a number of storage containers sold specifically for refrigerating and freezing small serving-sized amounts of baby food; you can also just use an ice cube tray.

In addition to fruits and vegetables, you can puree foods such as cooked meats (fully cooked, with no pink, and remove fat, skin, and connective tissue), beans, and cooked eggs.

Homemade Made Easy: 1-Step Baby Food

When you’re preparing some foods, you can actually cut the steps down to one. “Cutting up a very ripe pear, mashing a banana, mashing an avocado—that’s making your own baby food,” Shu tells WebMD. “Or, for example, when you make mashed potatoes for the family, set aside some that don’t have whole milk added. You can add a little butter or salt -- the baby can have mild spices. As long as you’re eating healthy, you can give your baby a modified version of what you’re eating.”

Winners!!! Country Bob's Sauce Review and Giveaway!!

Yay! My 1st contest has officially closed!! I would like to thank everyone for participating and rt'ing!!! There will be bigger things to come so keep following me
@FrugalFamilyFun on Twitter
and @Brianswifey on Twitter

And now on to the winners!!
Via random.org, the 1st winner chosen is
Comment #63

Debra B. said...

I am following Frugal Family Fun on twitter as contestgrl.


November 13, 2009 9:37 PM

And Winner #2 is:

Comment #39

lifeonprint said...

Tweet: http://twitter.com/lifeonprint/status/5621666800
November 11, 2009 7:48 AM

I have emailed both winners and they will be receiving their bottles of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce Soon!!!

Be sure to go check out my Little Diva Tutus Review and Giveaway here. Ends November 25th 11:59 P.M. PST

Friday, November 13, 2009

What do you want to know?

I strive to find things that would interest the average reader. I am wondering what kinds of things you guys are looking for? What kind of questions do you want answered? What do you want to know? Feel free to leave comments and help me to make this blog all about you!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Soffe Stuff I L♥ve!!

Hello Soffe Fans!!! I am back for another week of FABULOUS Soffe products that I am L♥ving right now!!

So this week it got real cold around here, so I went on a hunt for some of Soffe's warmer stuff! Here are the fabulous things I found!!!:

Rugby Pants only$19.99!!!

This would go perfect with the Poly-Fleece Zip Jacket Hoodie only $29.99!!!
Also on Sale this week at Soffe: My favorite, the Henley Tee

Long Flare Pants

and
Raglan Sleeve Top

Check it all out!! See you all next week!!!

Youthful Tips Starbucks Giveaway!!!

Who doesn't love Starbucks!?!? I know I do! So head on over to Youthful Tips
and enter to win!!!!
Click here
to go to Youthful Tips Starbucks Giveaway

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Little Diva Tutus Diva Hair Review and Giveaway!!! (3 winners!!!)


I am a mom of 3 little divas. Each one loves to get dolled up, and that of course includes fabulous hair accessories! Well I was blessed to receive a few from Little Diva Tutus and I couldn't be happier!! These are beautiful, quality hair accessories that are perfect for everyday or special occasions! I send my 4 year old to school with them and she gets all sorts of compliments! Everyone wants to know where I got my beautiful hair pretties! Little Diva Tutus I tell them!

They have a wide variety of hair accessories in an entire rainbow of colors! And of course they have all sorts of beautiful colors for the holidays!! Check out their huge selection of Hair accessories!

Also be sure to see their vast collection of tutus! These are available custom made, or choose one of the beautiful designs from their website

I also want you to go check out Layla Grace and Hannah's Ladybug tutus. These are special ones made in honor of 2 amazing little girls. Please be sure to click on those links and read more about these stories! They are sure to melt your heart! They also have a special on their page for Layla Grace :
*SPECIAL*
The next 15 people to order the Layla Grace Tutu
& Beanie/Flower Set
will receive a FREE Butterfly wand!

So now that you have seen the amazing and beautiful products on this website, I bet you are dying to have some of your own!!!!! My friend Melissa at Little Diva Tutus has graciously offered me 3 sets of Marabou Butterfly Clips!!! That means 3 of you will win!!!!!! Here is how to enter!:

MAIN ENTRY ***THIS IS MANDATORY BEFORE ANY OTHER ENTRY IS CONSIDERED: Go to
Little Diva Tutus and then return here to tell me which tutu you love!! Be sure I have your email for your entries so I can contact you if you win!

Want More Entries?

Become a follower of Little Diva Tutus on Twitter and leave a comment telling me that you do. (1 entry)

Become a follower of Frugal Family Fun on Twitter and leave a comment telling me that you do. (1 entry)

Follow Frugal Family Fun on Google Friend Connect and leave a comment telling me that you do. (1 entry)
Fan Frugal Family Fun on Facebook and leave a comment telling me that you did. (1 entry)

Fan Little Diva Tutus on Facebook and leave a comment telling me that you did. (1 entry)

RT this giveaway on Twitter and leave me a comment with the link for your tweet MUST BE FOLLOWING Little Diva Tutus on Twitter AND Frugal Family Fun on Twitter IN ORDER FOR THIS TO COUNT!!! (UP TO 3 ENTRIES PER DAY!)

Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link for 5 entries

Add my button to your blog
(grab from right sidebar) and leave me the link for 3 entries

Contest begins November 11 and ends on November 25th at 11:59 P.M. All entries will be verified and a winner will be chosen from Random.org Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or they will automatically forfeit their prize. Good luck!!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Check out Shoplet!! Contest today!

Are you a member of twitter? (Its free and easy to join!) Well check out @shoplet!!! By rt'ing:

RT @shoplet Spread the Shoplet Secret, Win over $5,000 in prizes! Shhh you can enter to win here: http://bit.ly/4a40nM

you are entered to win something fabulous!! Shoplet has the details and more ways to enter!!


All the prizes in the boxes on their page will be included in your $2,000 prize package! Plus, they're giving away $100 Prize packages DAILY to get you prepared for the big announcement! Learn how to enter and see the contest rules at Shoplet

*Please note that you can enter as many times as you would like and some entries may count for more. You can do just one or do them all!*

Good luck!!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

What's For Dinner This Week?

This is the start of something great! I've put together a collection of recipes for a yummy dish for each day of the week to help you plan your meals!! Add a couple sides (some of the dishes are really a meal in themselves!) and maybe some kind of bread! Enjoy!!!

Monday: Pollo (Chicken) Fricassee from Puerto Rico from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

* 1 pound chicken drumsticks
* 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
* 1/2 (.18 ounce) packet sazon seasoning
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 5 large red potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
* 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
* 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 cup dry red wine
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 fresh or dried bay leaves

Directions

1. Wash the chicken and pat dry; place into a large bowl. Season with adobo seasoning, sazon seasoning, and salt. Place the legs into a slow cooker, and cover with the potato slices.
2. Puree the red pepper, green pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, wine, cumin, and oregano in a blender. Pour over the chicken and add the bay leaves.
3. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours, until the chicken is easily removed from the bone.

Tuesday:Homemade Pizza Supreme from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
  • 2 cups warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • SAUCE:
  • 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated onion
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • TOPPINGS:
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 4 ounces Canadian bacon, diced (optional)
  • 1 (3.25 ounce) package sliced pepperoni
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 medium green pepper, sliced
  • 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh basil

Directions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
  2. Combine sauce ingredients; set aside. Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a 13-in. circle. Transfer to two greased 12-in. pizza pans; build up edges slightly. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Spread with sauce; sprinkle with toppings. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Wednesday: Golden Pork Chops at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 6 pork chops
  • 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
  • 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed golden mushroom soup

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. Rinse pork chops, pat dry, and season with seasoned salt and pepper. Place them in a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a separate small bowl, combine the onion, mushrooms and soup. Mix together well and spoon over the chops.
  3. Cover, and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake for 15 more minutes. (Note: Time could be less or more depending on the thickness of the chops.) Pork chops are done when their internal temperature has reached 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
Thursday: Grilled Hawaiian Chicken and Pineapple Sandwiches at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
  • 1 cup Hawaiian style marinade
  • 6 pineapple rings
  • 6 slices provolone cheese
  • 6 onion rolls, split
  • 6 tablespoons thousand island salad dressing
  • 6 leaves romaine lettuce
  • 6 slices tomato

Directions

  1. Place the chicken pieces into a large resealable bag and pour in the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
  2. Preheat a grill for medium-high heat. When hot, lightly oil the grate. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.
  3. Grill the chicken pieces until cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning once. 5 minutes before they are done, place the pineapple rings on the grill and cook for a couple of minutes per side. Place the pineapple slices on top of the pieces of chicken and top with a slice of cheese. Close the lid to the grill and allow the cheese to melt for a minute. Toast the buns, if desired.
  4. To assemble the sandwiches, place the chicken, pineapple and cheese onto the bottom buns. Top with lettuce and tomato. Spread the thousand island dressing onto the top buns and place onto the sandwiches.
Friday: Cheesy Stuffed Lobster at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 4 (6 ounce) raw lobster tails, shelled
  • 2 cups crushed buttery round crackers
  • 1/2 cup chopped cooked shrimp
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of shrimp soup
  • 1 cup milk
  • 8 ounces processed cheese food, cubed

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the crackers and shrimp. Stir in the melted butter to form a stuffing. Spread on top of the lobster tails and roll from one end of the tail to the other. If the tails are too thick, slice them in half horizontally to make them thinner. Secure the rolls with toothpicks and place in a greased 8 inch square baking dish.
  3. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream of shrimp soup, milk and cheese. Cook and stir until cheese has melted. Pour over the stuffed lobster tails. Top with any stuffing mixture that you may have left over.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until sauce is hot and lobster meat is opaque.
Saturday: Steak fajitas at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean steak, cut into strips
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, cut into thin strips
  • 1 julienned green bell pepper
  • 2 lemons, quartered
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 (12 inch) flour tortillas

Directions

  1. Combine the lime juice, ground pepper and cilantro in a shallow dish. Place steak strips into the marinade and refrigerate for two to four hours.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak strips, and fry until cooked to your liking. Remove meat and set aside.
  3. Add remaining oil and onions to the skillet. Cook over medium low heat, until translucent, stir in green peppers and steak. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the top and stir. When the green bell peppers are just tender remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the steak fajitas with tortillas and lemon wedges on the side.
Sunday: Slow Cooker ham at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1 (8 pound) cured, bone-in picnic ham

Directions

  1. Spread about 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar on the bottom of the slow cooker crock. Place the ham flat side down into the slow cooker - you might have to trim it a little to make it fit. Use your hands to rub the remaining brown sugar onto the ham. Cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours.

The dangers of Candy

Ok so if you are a mom you are probably always looking out for choking hazards. And that includes the mounds of Halloween candy your kids got from trick or treating. Well I have a story that will make you even more cautious!!

While things like hard candies and lollipops seem like obvious things to be cautious with, have you thought about things like smarties, m&m's, skittles or other SMALL candies? Likely not. I know I didn't!

Friday I was visiting with our family advocate from my daughter's preschool. I told the girls if they behaved they could have candy when we were done. I let them each pick one out. My 4 year old picked out a Reese's PB cup and my 2 1/2 year old chose smarties. (see where this is going yet?)

Well I went to do laundry and came back to my 2 1/2 yr old SCREAMING and saying "My nose My nose!!!" Guess what? She stuck a smartie up there. Yup! OMG I couldn't believe it, especially because only a few days before I was saying how great it was nobody has put anything up there nose yet. After about 15 minutes of having her blow her nose while we waited for daddy to come home to take us to the Dr., the piece of candy came out. I have hardly ever been so scared in my life!

So please let my experience be a warning to all parents: even though it is small enough not to choke on, it could make its way to other parts of the body!! It only took about 2-3 minutes to happen!

Soft Lips Giveaway at Ramblings By Nicole!!

I love lipgloss, chapstick....anything that goes on my lips really!!! So I was super excited when my twitter friend Nicole aka Coastiewife321 told me about her Softlips Giveaway!

Please go check it out and her Blog

Contest ends 11/13!!! Good luck!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

YAY!!! My contest is up and running!!

Well I am pleased to say I have already received 27 entries in the 1st day, which I think is decent for my first little giveaway!! Thanks to everyone who is helping RT and promote the contest!! I will be having some other things soon! I think the next will be a can of Nescafe Clasico Suave Instant Coffee :) Good stuff!!! Also working on a stroller for the holidays! If we can get more people in on these things I have been told by potential sponsors they will be willing to help! So keep up the good works guys!! Thanks!!!

Friday, November 6, 2009

County Bob's BBQ Sauce Review & Giveaway!!!


One of my favorite foods is barbecue chicken!!! And no barbecue chicken is complete without Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce!! Created by Bob Edson, and now owned by Bob, Terry Edson and Al & Reed Malekovic, the popularity of the sauce continues to grow!! I was dying to try this great product out, so when I was offered the chance to review and do a giveaway with them, I jumped right on it!! And I have to say it was one of the best dinners I have ever cooked!!

Country Bob's has lots of delicious recipes on their website, but I chose to make up something of my own!! I used chicken quarters and seasoned them, then cooked for about 40 minutes then basted with barbecue sauce and rotated until evenly cooked and crispy!! I served it with peaches, corn and garlic toast! The meal was a hit!!! Great food and quality time as a family=my perfect Friday night!!

Check out some of these great recipes at Country Bob's:
Country Bob's Mexican Lasagna
World's Greatest Hamburger
Slow Cooker Barbeque Ribs

Ready to try Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce??
Buy it!

Or Win It!!
Details:

Contest begins November 7, 2009 at 12:00 A.M. PST and closes on Saturday November 14,2009 at 11:59 P.M. PST There will be 2 winners for this contest! Each winner will score a bottle of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce!!

MAIN ENTRY ***THIS IS MANDATORY BEFORE ANY OTHER ENTRY IS CONSIDERED:
Go to Country Bob's and come back and leave a comment telling me which recipe you would like to try with Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce For 1 entry

Be sure I have your email for your entries so I can contact you if you win!

Want More Entries?

Become a follower of Country Bob's on Twitter and leave a comment with your twitter name for 1 entry

Become a follower of Frugal Family Fun on Twitter and leave a comment with your twitter name for 1 entry

Follow Frugal Family Fun on Google Friend Connect and leave a comment telling me that you do. for 1 entry

Fan Country Bob's on Facebook and leave a comment with your facebook ID for 1 entry

Fan Frugal Family Fun on Facebook and leave a comment with your facebook ID for 1 entry

RT this giveaway on Twitter and leave a comment with the link (must be a follower of both Frugal Family Fun on Twitter and Country Bob's on Twitter for 1 entry. You can tweet: "I just entered the Country Bobs review & giveaway @frugalfamilyfun http://bit.ly/m6jUi Contest ends 11/14" or be creative with your own tweet!! Can Rt 3 times a day

Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link for 5 entries

Add my button to your blog
(grab from right sidebar) and leave me the link for 3 entries

And for 1 more entry, leave me your favorite family dinner dish! Post the recipe if you can for others to share!!

All entries must be received by 11:59 P.M. PST on November 14,2009 to be considered for entry. All entries will be verified and a winner will be chosen from Random.org All winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected! Good luck!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

The Baby Designers Contest

The Baby Designers Contest

I won their contest a few weeks back and absolutely LOVE this thermometer!!! It takes only a few seconds and a scan across the forehead to get an accurate reading! No more fighting with kids to do uncomfortable thermometors in places I know you don't want to go!!!! And since I have 3 kids, it is easier to do than a regular thermometer. I can do all 3 girls in the time it would take to do 1 normally. What a great product!!! Good luck with this one guys! It is a fabulous prize!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Kids Meal Deals!!!

These days it can be difficult to afford a nice meal out with the family. But there are restaurants that offer special deals for kids! Check out Kids Meal Deals to find deals by zip code, day and time you want to eat! The possibilities are endless!!! Also be sure to check out Kids Meal Deals on Twitter for their latest website updates and great finds!!! No more trying to find a place cheap enough to feed everyone! Enjoy!

Soffe Stuff I Love!!!


Hello Soffe Fans!!! This is my first time blogging here and I am so proud to be doing it!!! What I want to share is great deals on Soffe products and my favorites from their website!!! I hope you enjoy! Also feel free to leave feedback-do you like what I'm showcasing or not? What kind of stuff do you want to see? The more input the better!!

So this week I browsed the Soffe website and found these great items:
Retro Jersey Shorts with Stripe These come in 7 colors: Black, Oxford, Olive Drab, Navy, Royal, Red and Pink!! These shorts are perfect for working out, cheer leading or lounging around the house! They are 50% cotton, 50% polyester jersey knit and feature white binding around legs & side seams. Super cute!!! And at $8.99 they are super affordable! You can get several colors and mix and match with your favorite shirt! Pair them with a Boy Beater or Vintage Cap Sleeve Tee of your choice to look fabulous even while working out!! I love these shorts because not only are they adorable, but they are really comfortable!
Be sure to check out the great stuff on Sale on the Soffe website!!! I will see you all soon!!!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Kolcraft/Two of A King working on a full house giveaway!!




Kolcraft Home Page


Go here to check out the post at this address

Two Of A Kind Giveaway Posting

and enter to win a Kolcrat Tadem stroller!! Ends 11/25!!! Good luck!

Zero Water Giveaway at Giveaway Addict!!

Giveaway Addict

This water pitcher is absolutely amazing!!! Filters out 100% of the particles in the water!! Check out the details at Giveaway Addict by clicking on the link below or by clicking on their button above and clicking on the link to the Zero Water giveaway on the right sidebar of their website!

Giveaway Addict Posting for Giveaway ZeroWater ~ Z-Pitcher Ends 11/12

Zerowater Home

Friday, October 30, 2009

The Not So Blog Tide Coldwater Review And Giveaway!!



Clothes are so hard to clean!! Especially when you have little ones! Tide Coldwater cleans and keeps your power bill a little lower! Everything gets washed in cold water! Check out this giveaway!!
Tide Coldwater Giveaway

E.L.F. giveaway on From Dates to Diapers

From Dates to Diapers

Check out this amazing collection of makeup!! Enter to win before 9pm Eastern!!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Barefoot Mommies Tike Tech Review & Giveaway

Holiday Gift Guide

Giveaway Time! Check out this beautiful stroller from Tike Tech that Barefoot Mommies is giving away!! Tike Tech is giving one lucky entrant at Barefoot Mommies a Double X3 Sport!!

The stroller's features include:

*16 inch front fixed wheel & rear IFD Shox for smooth ride & push button quick release 16 inch back wheels.*Light weight Aluminum Frame

*Rear parking brake.

*Individual Canopies

*Easy fold, to go

*5-point harness with adjustable padded safety straps

*Seat Recline

*Plenty of storage

*Safety Feature Overview: 5-point harness with chest strap / rear parking brake / tether wrist strap.

*5 year warranty on the frame & 1 year soft goods

(via Barefoot Mommies website)


Please go check out barefoot mommies and see what the giveaway is all about!


Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Want your products reviewed?

I would love to share your product with the world!! Please email me at
lilcherrygirl(at)hotmail(dot)com and let me know what you have!!! Also would love to host your giveaways!!!

Makeup Forever USA Product Review



I received from a giveaway a Best of Makeup Forever Kit!! This stuff is amazing! It comes with their High Definition Powder, Waterproof eye makeup remover, Smoky lash mascara, high definition primer and the Aqua eyes black eye liner! The mascara makes your eyelashes look super long instantly! Even my husband noticed the difference! And the eyeliner goes on super smooth.  Both last all day for total eye beauty!

I love the eye makeup remover!!! It is great for when you are applying makeup to get the smudges off the eyes or clean up a mistake.  And then it works amazingly at the end of the day to take it all off!!

The high definition primer makes my skin feel fresh and ready to get done up! It goes perfect with my foundation and then a finish with the High Definition Powder! It's white but blends perfectly into my skin, leaving me looking natural but hiding my shiny spots! It really brings out the best and hides your impurities! This makeup gives me a fresh and finished look every time!!


Please check out these products and many more on their website at Makeup Forever USA

I was in no way compensated by Makeup Forever to post this blog posting. Photo from Makeup Forever USA

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Giveaway Fun on Twitter

Do you like to win things? ok who doesn't?? But how good are you at winning things? I have found the power of winning things is easier to obtain than you may think! Twitter is the ulitmate place to find tons of free stuff!! Since April of this year, here is a short list of some of the things I have won(Some on twitter, some on facebook that I found on twitter)

Concert tickets (including a years pass from Livenation)
Pantech Reveal cell phone
Clothes
shoes/boots/sandals
makeup/other beauty products
toys
books
money/giftcards
dvd's/cd's
Hotel accomadations

This is a sample of what is out there!! I don't win everything I enter, but the more you enter the better your chances! People giveaway IPODS, laptops, cameras, video cameras, trips and more! There are things to look for in the twitter search box that will help you find these contests. The keywords I search for daily are:
"first person", "1st person", "person wins", "people win", "person win", "answer wins", "answer win", "rt wins", "rt win", "follower win" "follower wins"

These bring up all sorts of everything that people are giving away! also look for Blog contests where you have to post on a blog to be entered! you can find these by searching for words like giveaway, win, "enter to win" etc.

Happy contesting!

Rubiks Touch Cube Review

Wow!!! I couldn't believe it when I won a Rubiks Touch Cube!!! Go to check out the amazing video here: Touch Cube Video Well I got it last week! I haven't played with a regular Rubiks cube for a long time so this was fabulous! To move the colors you slide your finger across the top facing side. This works just like a regular Rubiks Cube only without physically turning the sides!! It also features a scramble button to mix it up, a hint button (which it won't let you do if you are improving) and a solve button! This will show you (quickly) the entire process to solve it! What a fun toy!! Great for kids ages 8+

I was not compensated by anyway by Rubiks, I just want to share my opinion on a great product!

1st blog post!!! Meet Lisa

Well here I am getting started in the blogging world! I visit these all the time and decided it was time to start my own! I will introduce myself. I am Lisa and I am 23. I am a full time college student pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. I am a mama of 3 amazing little girls and the proud wife of Brian :) I live in Washington state and have lived here my whole life. It is a great place to live and raise a family! I love dinking around online, contesting and hanging out with my family and our 2 dogs. I look forward to interacting with everyone online! Happy Tuesday!

Swagbucks!