Aquahydrate Review and Giveaway!! 3 winners!

Staying hydrated is one of the best ways to keep you healthy this summer. Personally, I cannot stand regular unfiltered tap water. Call me weird, but I really think that bottled water (or filtered water) tastes better! And maybe its just because of the temperature, or the convenience...I don't honestly know why, but I would rather have a bottled water than a glass straight from the tap!  Aquahydrate, the FIRST high performance sports water, understands people like me who have to get their water from a plastic bottle.    Aquahydrate has a unique combo of ionic minerals and an alkaline pH in an ultra-pure water!  Continous consumption of Aquahydrate by atheletes has been said to improve focus, performance, and ability to recover from intense workouts and competitions.

Hydrating your body helps it because it delivers minerals like selenium, chromium, magnesium and potassium. It helps your body to absorb them as needed during your day, which is really important in the summer time or any time you are active!  Sports drinks are less effective of delivering important minerals and can contribute to dehydration.  The flavors and dyes in such drinks can also affect athletic performance.  Water in your body helps to regulate natural bodily functions, such as eliminatin, and maintaining mineral balance.  Our bodies are made up of about 80% water, so it is so important to keep water in your body.  Water helps keep your body temperature regulated, and keeps your skin from being dry!  If you have dry skin, you probably aren't consuming enough water. It is reccomended that you consume 8-8oz. Glasses of water daily for the best hydration.

So what makes Aquahydrate so special?  It has all natural iconic minerals and an alkaline pH added to its ultra pure water.  It was created to support maximum hydration, performance and recovery.  It is an alternative to sports drinbks, and is for anyone looking to enhance their health and performance!  This water goes through an incredible 7 stage purification process, which is finer than the human kidney!!  The toxins and microscopic bacteria and pathogens are removed, through a series of fine filters, reverse osmosis membranes and UV light.  Virtualy all the bacteriological and mineral contaminants, bad tastes and odors are removed, leaving an amazingly pure water!  It also replaces the minerals that are lost through sweating, so you are bringing your body back to the healthy balance it needs.

Not only is this water super clean, it tastes great! I drank 2 of their large 33.8oz.  bottles within about 2 hours.  Normally I would drink 2, maybe 3 standard 16 oz. bottles in a day.  This water is so great, it actually helps your body crave more of it! Which is great for a person like me who doesn't always get enough water in my body! You have to have water to help your muscles and even your heart function properly, so drinking Aquahydrate is an easy way to go! It is a great alternative to sodas, sports drinks, or juices.

Click here to purchase Aquahydrate!

Aquahydrate would like to give three of you a tote bag with Aquahydrate water inside!! Here is how to win!!:

*MANDATORY ENTRY* THIS MUST BE DONE FOR ALL OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT. PLEASE BE SURE I HAVE YOUR EMAIL TO CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN!
Go to Aquahydrate.com and tell me something else you learned!!   Tell me in a comment below!  Be  sure I have your email so I can contact you if you win!

Extra entries!:

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Tweet about this giveaway. Include the link to this giveaway @aquahydrate and @FrugalFamilyFun Can be up to 5 times daily, tweets must be at least 1 hour apart for entry. 1 extra entry for each tweet.
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Contest begins now and ends August 12, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Winners will be selected via Random.org and will be notified by email. Winners must respond within 48 hours or forfeits prize. Good luck!

Aquahydrate provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product

Frugal Family Fun this Summer!

Summer is finally here. For most of us, though, that doesn’t mean an exotic vacation or an extended getaway. According to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor survey, 68% of consumers say they will not go on vacation this year, primarily for financial reasons. So what are some fun affordable options for having fun this summer?


Heading to the park, the beach, or even your own backyard can be a transformed into a mini-vaca. Or pack a lunch with favorites and hit the baseball field with the whole family. A quick tip: choosing natural and sustainable fibers like cotton for outdoor activities is key to beating the heat and staying comfortable.

For more tips on a family friendly summer, including some little known facts please visit http://inr.synapticdigital.com/Cotton_37407/. You can also download this content at www.thenewsmarket.com/spendthesummerwithcotton

Beating Summer Boredom with Dr. Z. and Primrose Schools!

School is out and children are so excited that summer is here, but it won't be long until you hear the infamous, "I'm bored" from your little ones.


Primrose Schools, the leader in educational child care, recommends encouraging imaginative play and having a plan in place to keep children's minds engaged during the summer months. Studies show that without stimulation, children can lose up to 60 percent of what they learned during the school year.

That's why Dr. Mary Zurn, Vice President of Education for Primrose, has come up with the list of ideas below as a starting point for summer activities that offer a balance between the freedom of child-initiated play time and more structured activities.

Here are 10 ideas parents can use to keep young minds active during the summer months:


1.Beat the Boredom Jar: At the beginning of the summer, sit down with your family and brainstorm a list of activities that can be done alone or that you can enjoy doing together. Encourage your children to share their own ideas and help you decorate and label a simple jar as the family “Beat the Boredom Jar.” They’ll feel more involved in the project and more likely to think this is a “neat” idea, if they participate in the creation and idea generation. Next, write everyone’s ideas down on slips of paper and as a group decide which ones should go in the jar. Anyone in the family can pull any idea out of the jar to fight the summertime boredom blues.

2.Stories Alive: It sounds too simple, but reading is one of the most important ways to keep young minds engaged during the summer. Make reading even more fun by finding ways to bring the stories to life. For example, in the book Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran, children create a make-believe town in the desert out of rocks, boxes, and their imaginations. Read the book with your children and then challenge them to create their own town with materials they find in the backyard.

3.Art Treasure Chest: You’ll need to gather basic art supplies–child safe scissors, glue, markers, tape, and construction paper. Put them in a special box along with empty oatmeal boxes and paper towel rolls, colorful magazines, and bits of aluminum foil. Occasionally add a special surprise like chalk, stickers, or stamp pads so there’s always something new for the children to find. Even if you normally have these supplies around the house, it‘s fun for children to know that the Art Treasure Chest is just for them. They’ll probably have some good ideas of other household items that can be recycled to fuel their creative energies.

4.Family Performances: Break out old clothes or costumes and encourage children to make up characters and create a play to act out. They are the directors, actors, and producers. They can also make musical instruments out of pots/pans, wooden spoons, empty canisters and have a parade; or everyone can play along to your family’s favorite songs. Record or video the performances, and enjoy the replay. You’ll also be capturing a bit of family history everyone will enjoy for years to come.

5.Fort Building: Children love to build all kinds of structures--from small towns to large towers. Constructing forts or tents is an activity that can keep children focused and problem solving for hours. All the items you need can be found around the house–some chairs, cushions, blankets… and of course adult supervision.

6.Cookbook Fun: Have you ever shared your favorite cookbook with your children? Take it out and ask your children to choose a recipe to try. Measuring can be a fun and easy way to keep math skills fresh.

7.Summer Scrapbook: All you need for this project is a spiral notebook. Encourage everyone in the family to draw pictures of favorite activities and collect mementos from special events throughout the summer. Children love to go back through scrapbooks and albums and tell about what happened at each occasion. They will also be building their storytelling skills at the same time.

8.Listening Game: Lie down in the backyard, in the den or at the park and listen. What do you hear? Do you hear what I hear? Can you imitate the sound? This is similar to watching the clouds and naming the shapes, and it encourages everyone to slow down and focus on listening.

9.Camping Out: Pretend to campout in the backyard. Plan a meal, pack a backpack and set up a campsite. You might even decide to spend the night!

10.Scavenger Hunt: Make a list or picture cards of common household items and have your children find the items on the list. Invite friends or neighbors to join in the fun to make it a competition.

11.Throw a family dance party! Enough said!

Parents can use this list of ideas as a starting point for summer activities that offer a balance between the freedom of child-initiated play time and more structured activities. I know we have so many creative parents out there. Share your ideas! What has worked when your kids say “I’m bored”?
 
Check out http://www.drzandme.com/ and www.PrimroseSchools.com  for more great info!
 
Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a gift card in exchange for this post. No monetary exchange took place.

RaceTrac Freefill Cup

At Frugal Family Fun, we're always looking for products, services and special deals that give us the most bang for our buck. And this summer, we're on the hunt for tips and tricks that allow us to entertain our families by keeping our costs low, but the fun level high! Luckily, we were just introduced to a great way to beat the heat and stay hydrated from our friends at RaceTrac.
 
If you're always on the go with a drink in your hand, you have to check out the new RaceTrac Freefill Cup. Available for only $6.99 at your local RaceTrac location, this cool cup entitles you to FREE refills from their impressive fountain for the entire summer. From now until August 1st, you and your family can be sipping all of the refreshing drinks you love, without any additional charges! 
 

Family Fun For Less This Summer!

How can you pass the time this summer? Here are a few inexpensive ideas to pass those hot days!!

-Create your own water park by filling up a small pool in the backyard, putting out the Slip 'N Slide(r) and turning on the sprinklers. Use squirt guns and other spray bottle as water guns. Try games like a water balloon toss, sponge tag or musical sprinkler (like musical chairs, have children dance around until the music stops and then the sprinkler starts and the kids get drenched).

-Create a backyard carnival by setting up stations for old-fashioned games such as a ring toss, a clothespin drop, backyard bowling or potato sack races. Face painting and estimation jars filled with candy (the closest guess without going over wins) also add to the fun. Look for inexpensive prizes at a dollar store. Don't forget concession stands that "sell" carnival food like hot dogs, chips, soda and lemonade.

-Hosting a lemonade or Kool-Aid(r) stand is tons of fun for kids, plus it's a great way to cultivate their entrepreneurial spirit. Hold one in conjunction with a neighborhood garage sale to boost traffic. To teach

the importance of giving, you can even encourage kids to pick a local charity and donate their profits. 

-Sign your kids up for a local summer reading program at the library!  Help them learn the importance of readign!

Champions Summer Science Program!

With Spring in full bloom, it's not too soon to start thinking about your kids' Summer plans. Instead of letting them hang around the house all Summer or sending them off to Grandma's, why not send them on the adventure of a lifetime? What child doesn't want to become an astronaut or solve an ancient Egyptian mystery?

Moms, meet Champions Science Adventures summer day camps. They focus on taking science education beyond the classroom to spark a child's interest in science through exploration and discovery. Science Adventures day camps are available for students ages 5 to 12 years throughout the summer, at participating recreation facilities, parks, and schools nationwide.Champions Science Adventures take science education beyond the classroom to spark a child’s interest in science through exploration and discovery. Science Adventure day camps are available for students ages 5 to 12 years throughout the summer, at participating recreation facilities, parks, and schools nationwide.


This year, two new exciting camps have been added, including: Mystery of the Pharaoh’s Treasure and Go Wild! In these camps, children help to solve an Egyptian mystery and investigate amazing wildlife and plants. Plus, two popular camps – Gizmo’s Robot Factory and Space and Rocketry – return.

Each camp is one-week long with half-day and full-day options. Parents can enroll online at http://www.scienceadventures.com/ and have the option to register their children for all four camps, or just one program. Camp program fees and schedules vary by location.

• Champions Science Adventures summer day camps focus on FUN and take science education beyond the classroom to spark a child’s interest in the world of science through exploration and discovery

• Champions Science Adventures camps are designed to inspire curiosity about how the world works while instilling a love of learning about science through interactive, hands-on experiments and activities

• This year’s four camps are Mystery of the Pharaoh’s Treasure, Go Wild, Gizmo’s Robot Factory and Space and Rocketry

• You can visit www.scienceadventures.com for more information

• Save $50 on a Champions Science Adventure summer day camp with the following code: summerscience10

• As the final days of the school year approach, there are several simple ways to encourage your students to keep their minds working all summer long. Summer vacation is the perfect time for children to discover that learning is fun and can happen anywhere - not just in places called classrooms. One easy way to learn while on summer break is with educational videos. Try the Champions Science Adventures webisodes found here: (http://www.youtube.com/user/scienceadventures). Filled with amazing footage and information, you're sure to be engaged from in front of your own computer.

• Tips to choosing a summer camp:

1. Ask Your Child: Camp should be about fun so it’s important to ask your kid about their interests and where he/she wants to go for camp. Get thoughts from your child first as that should lead you in the right direction and help shape all your other decisions.

2. Take a Tour: Take time to visit the camp you’re considering, preferably with your child, to preview the program offering. Look for well organized plans of activities, thoughtful preparation and a safe and inviting environment for your child.

3. Consider Specialty Camps: Now, there are camps that are focused on specific activities like sports or science. For example, children that attend the Champions Science Adventures camps learn how to build a robot, become mini-astronauts, solve an Egyptian mystery and leap into a wild animal adventure over four weeks beginning in June.

4. Balance Learning and Fun: While summer should definitely present fun filled activities that give children an experience different from their typical school day, the program you choose should also incorporate some learning activities into the camp day.

5. Insist on Health and Safety Basics: Look for programs that are licensed and meet stringent health and safety requirements. Make sure to inquire about the medical training of the staff and if medical equipment like a first aid kit is readily available.

Champions Science Adventures, the nation’s largest science enrichment provider, is proud to offer ONE FREE HALF DAY TOPIC WEEK to our Science Summer Camp in 2010. Check out the camp locations here. Our fun, interactive science day camps help rocket kids toward a bright future. Your child will be introduced to science concepts as they build projects, conduct experiments and take part in multiple science activities.

You will be able to choose from four different topics including Space and Rocketry and Go Wild. Please visit http://www.discoverchampions.com/ to check out the topics!
 
Webisodes:


Go Wild Champions Adventure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvk3CsYk2B4

Super Cool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KHsM-dxdeQ

Air Power: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KevtevcAvK8

Hocus Pocus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3fknCgXwHI
 
Here is how to win!
 
Subscribe to our email on the left. Leave me a comment below saying you subscribe and include your email.  Also go to http://www.discoverchampions.com/, choose which topic camp you will choose if you win!
 
Earn extra entries!  Leave a seperate comment for each, and be sure to leave the link or screen name if applicable for credit!

1. Follow @frugalfamilyfun on twitter
2. blog about this giveaway for 5 entries leave me the link
3. have our button on your blog leave me the link.
4. tweet up to 5 times daily, leave me a link to the tweet in your comment
5. follow us via google friend connect!
7. Tweet daily! Up to 5 times a day! include the link to this giveaway, @frugalfamilyfun



Contest begins now and ends May 31, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Winner will be selected via Random.org and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or will forfeit prize.

I was given a $25 Target card for hosting this contest. These opinions are not affected by the compensation received. They are my honest opinions. The winner will also be receiving the prize mentioned.