Frontera- Wine You Can Afford To Splurge On!

This is another one of my BzzAgent freebies! Well, I guess it's not technically free, but with the mail in rebate, I basically got a buy one get one free deal. Each bottle is only about $5 at Kroger! So even without a rebate, it is a wine that even people on a tight budget can afford to splurge on once in a while! I tried the Moscato and Pinot Noir flavors.

Moscato is my favorite wine already- so it was no surprise when I liked it. It really is sweet and delicious! It is a wine you can drink with a meal, drink in the evening socially, or just drink in the evening alone to relax a bit. No matter how you want to drink it, this is a great choice! This white wine goes great with sweets- or in my opinion, it goes great with everything! It has amazing value- I can't believe it is only $5.

The Pinot Noir is alright. However, this is a pretty good review coming from someone who generally HATES red wine. It is very dry, which is to be expected. But it has better flavors than most red wines I have tried. It is a little sweet- which I like. It is a nice wine to sip on- but definitely not one I could drink all night at get togethers. It was even better when I drank it with my dinner (chicken). It is supposed to go well with meats and cheese, which I can totally see working with this wine. It worked with my dinner!

To sum it up- this is a great affordable wine. I will totally be buying this again- at least the moscato. And it is great for parties- you can buy multiple bottles without breaking your bank account! We have all been to those wedding showers and bachelorette parties where everyone is supposed to bring a drink to share, and this is a great option. It costs $5, but no one would ever know because the taste is great!

Free Chickfila Breakfast!

I am a huge Chickfila fan, but I never knew they had such awesome promotions!

Did you know that they have a breakfast giveaway event going on this week at multiple locations. All you have to do is reserve your breakfast entre by going to the link below. You pick a date (or more than one date!), an hour slot of time, and what breakfast entre you want to reserve. Then they email you, you print the receipt, take it to the location you selected, and they will give you your free breakfast item! Easy as pie :)

Last week, they had Cow Appreciation Day. If you dressed from head to toe like a cow, you got a free meal. If you dressed partially like a cow- you got a free chicken sandwich!! And get this- you didn't even have to go in! You could just do it through the drive thru! If I would have known sooner, I would have posted about it to give everyone the chance to enjoy this fun freebie. However, I did not know until that day, when my friend (who is even more of a freebie freak than me) told me about it! We went together at lunch for our free sandwiches. She cut cow spots out of paper, and we taped them on our clothes. In the words of Chickfila, we were "not too chicken to dress like a cow!"

Thanks Chickfila! You are officially on my radar with your awesome promotions and events!

Click Here To Reserve Your Free Breakfast While You Still Can!

Dealing With Colic & Fussiness

Colic and fussiness- I have absolutely been there. Not only does it break your heart when your little one is so upset, but after a while it also feels like it is breaking your sanity... It is upsetting and stressful for any mom. Not to mention, after so long you want to scream yourself- and then you feel bad about being so irritated with your baby! This is no fun for anyone!

First off, don't feel bad! It would take a saint to deal with a screaming baby for hours upon hours, over countless sleepless nights, and not get frustrated. It is totally normal to be frustrated when your baby has colic. I have literally cried at times. It is overwhelming. So I would love to share what I have tried, and what I have found to work best for me with my four children. Over the span of four newborns, it probably adds up to hours of researching the subject. So here are things I have tried. Some have worked, and some have not. And keep in mind, if your baby has colic, he will probably not STOP crying all together, but they may at least calm him down a little bit.

• The basics- positioning and movement. Of course I have tried every position possible. The most successful I have found are the football hold (where the baby lies with his belly against your forearm), the normal cradle hold- but also pulling them in tightly against your body to give them the feeling of closeness and some added pressure, and in an upright outward facing position- with your arm going somewhat across their lower belly and your hand holding them up between their legs. Each one of my children have preferred different positions. Positions have proven to HELP in my experience, but generally do not solve the problem when it comes to extreme fussiness. If you find a position that works consistently, stick to it. But you can also add some motion to it. Swaying side to side, rocking front to back, or bouncing- or even a combo of these- can help as well. Of course, somehow the little crank-pots know when you sit down... for me standing was the only way to go. No matter how tired I was, or how slowly I moved to a chair- I ended up standing.
• Mylicon Drops. These are easy to use- you can either put them in the bottle, or directly into your babies mouth. They help relieve gas. If gas is part of the problem, you will likely know because about 20-30 minutes after giving the drops, your baby will be making some serious music down there! I have used these on all four children, and it has been helpful.
• Warm blankets. Throw some receiving blankets in the dryer to warm them up. Then fold them into a long strip, and wrap it tightly around your babies lower belly. The pressure and heat can help relieve gas and belly pains. You can also do this and place them on your knees, belly down, and bounce your knees slightly to give some added pressures. This has seemed to help from time to time.
• Different bottles. Some people swear by switching to different bottles- particularly Dr Brown Bottles. Also, Similac has a bottle that supposedly reduces colic. I have tried both, and for me, my bottle choice has had absolutely no impact on fussiness whatsoever. So, I stuck with what I had rather than spending more on the Dr Browns.
• Different materials. My children have all liked different materials against their face. Some liked fleece, while others liked cotton. So if your baby seems to like a specific type of blanket- try holding them close and just letting them feel the material against their cheek. One of my kids even just liked my cheek against his. For me, this was very helpful.
• Culturelle. This I have not tried, but I wish I would have known about this earlier. My doctor told me that you can put one packet of Kid's Culturelle in one bottle every morning, and it has been said to help with colic. This is a probiotic, safe for babies. It comes in little packets of powder that mix into liquid. I have actually used this for other reasons with my older kids. It is a little pricey at $30- I believe it is for 28 doses. But you can find it almost anywhere, and if it works, it would obviously be worth it!
• Different sounds. Of course, you have probably heard of the whole white noise thing to put babies to sleep. Sometimes different sounds are soothing to babies. One of my kids like a light "shhhhh" sound in his ear. Some of them just like your quiet voice- "It's ok", etc. Try different sounds or music to see if anything helps for your baby.
• Baby massages. There are a TON of different baby massages and movements to relieve gas pains. No doubt, the most common is "the bicycle". I will tell you- YouTube is a wonderful thing! It has several different videos of baby massages- which to me is much more useful than reading how to do it, then trying to figure it out and wondering the whole time if I am even doing it right. This helped a lot with my youngest.
• Different formula. There is formula that states it is made specifically for fussiness and gas, or for colic. I have tried both, and this was not successful for me. They are generally more expensive and have not worked for any of my kids. However, some people swear by them- so I suppose it is always worth a try! I know Similac makes formula specifically for this.
• And last but not least- the biggest piece of advice I can give: Stay calm. Your baby feeds off of your energy... If you get worked up and stressed out, it will ONLY make things worse. Your baby will surely not stop crying if you are screaming on the inside. Yes- I of all people know that this is easier said than done. Not only is it not easy, but I truly believe it is impossible at times. As I said before, it is normal to get frustrated.  So if you notice yourself getting increasingly tense, do you and your baby a favor and take a break. Some people cannot bring themselves to do this. They feel bad about letting their baby cry. However, it is truly best if you lay your baby down, let him cry, and take a break. Think about it- if you have been holding him for 30 minutes, and nothing you are doing is helping, and he is still crying.... then most likely he is going to cry whether you are holding him or not. And it is going to be hard for him to calm down if you are worked up. Then you are just going to feel bad about being irritated with him (even though it is normal).  Take a little bit of time to walk away into a quiet room and calm yourself down. It could take you one minute, or it could take you five. Either way, it is better to be calm than to be irritated at your baby. A few minutes can seem like a long time in the moment, but it's really not. Your baby will be just fine. Coming back a few minutes later refreshed and in a soothing mood can make a huge difference.

Just remember not to feel bad about it when you get worked up. No one has enough patience to handle it without ever getting stressed. There is nothing worse than not being able to help your baby, especially after long crying spells. You are not alone! And as long as you are doing your best and you love your baby, you are a good mom!

Make More Money- Mystery Shops

So, I have clearly been slacking as I transitioned back to the reality of working full time and raising 4 kids. Life is crazy. However, while on maternity leave and in my desperate attempt to find ways to make more money so that I could stay home part time with my children, I discovered the beauty of mystery shopping. It is easy- sign up and you can earn money by shopping or using services. Majority of these require actually going to a specific store, but every once in a while it is just making a phone call. It is usually for a specified date or date range. Some of them require you to purchase something- specific or not, which you usually get reimbursed for. Then you answer specific questions (that they give you a heads up on before you do the shopping), and get paid a specific amount of money. The payment usually ranges between $10-$40 each shop. This turned out better in theory than in reality for me solely, because of the crazy life I chose with 4 kids so young and close in age. For me, actually going out to do these shops are totally NOT worth dealing with all 4 of them in a store they don't want to be in, while trying to concentrate on everything that is going on. However, I will say if I did not have this craziness around me, it would be SO easy! In fact, there are quite a few shops at the mall, which if I did not have kids I would probably be at sometimes anyway. I did however end up doing one while I was on leave. Our Acadia needed an oil change, and there was a mystery shop for this! I thought this was perfect. I was reimbursed the full amount I paid for the oil change AND paid $35! So, hello- I just got the oil change I already needed for free on top of getting paid for it? Pretty awesome. I just had to go to a specific dealer to get it done, and then answer questions about how I liked their lounge area, the service, the customer service rep, etc. Definitely easy money! So, I researched several of these before signing up. The two best and easiest I found were BESTMARK and BEYONDHELLO. I would definitely recommend these for someone who is able to freely leave and take a quick trip to a store. It's easy money! And you can choose the ones you want to do based on what is available. Check them out if you are interested- they both have websites where you can register!

Beach Fun With Kids!

So we just got back from our first beach vacation with the kids! Wow was it amazing! Thankfully they all absolutely LOVED it! I wanted to share some of the things we did on the beach beyond your typical sandcastle and burying daddy in the sand. Lots of people go to the beach with their kids, and I would love to see other families having as much fun as we did!

1. Night Beach Walk
OK, so I was a little freaked out by the night time beach walk. Keeping 4 kids in my sight in the dark does not seem like it would be fun for me! BUT, we made sure to make it as easy as possible! Of course their were rules and everyone had to have a hand, but there were even better ways for the kids to have a blast and for me to be able to relax a bit...
One of the things we used was glow bracelets! We put them around their ankles (because they can fall off of their wrists since they are so little!). Immediate tracking device! They were of course allowed to have some around their neck and wrist if they wanted, but the ankle was required- and of course they did not complain! They LOVE glow sticks! Then we let them put their feet in the water to see if they could see their glow sticks shine through- which they did as long as they were not deep.
The second thing we used was flashlights. But not just any flashlights- COLORFUL flashlights. The entire flash light lit up on the outside. We bought a different color for each kid. They were from walmart and totally worth it. It made them easy to spot in the dark for sure! And they loved having their own flashlights to look for shells and light the way for our crew! Not to mention, it made Mommy feel much calmer knowing that I could find them easily if they were not right next to me.

2. Boats
Seems simple, but we brought little toy boats that floated. When the tide went out, a bunch of little, shallow pools of water formed all over the beach. The kids loved to float their boats in the little pools and watch the wind take them across the water. Easy and cheap!

3. Pirate Treasure Hunt!
This was by far the most fun for the kids! What a brilliant idea by my older sister! :) We made a treasure map the night before, and when we were ready to head to the beach in the morning, we "found" it. Oh boy was that exciting! We had little paper pirate hats for everyone to wear. I wish we would have had pirate eye patches too... Now my kids are not old enough to read, so I read the directions to them (if your kids were older this would be a great way to give them some participation)- starting from going out the door of our condo, down the stairs, across the parking lot, over the bridge, through the sand to the water, and back out of the water through the sand until they found the big X marks the spot. We filled a little Tupperware tub with cookies for each of them, a pirate note, and some shiny quarters, and my sister ran ahead and buried it. Had I known we were going to do this, I would have totally bought the gold chocolate coins for the treasure! My sister stood by the spot so I knew where to march them to. She put a big X right over the spot it was buried. The kids lit up like you wouldn't believe when they saw the X. I can only imagine how excited they were that they actually found a treasure and anticipating what it was going to be! So we gave them each a shovel and they all helped dig it out. They were so excited when they saw it. That was so much fun- for all of them. And they totally thought it was real. SO CUTE :)

It was so nice to have different activities. The beach is of course fun by itself, but the kids really need different stuff to do to keep them wanting to go every day. Beyond fun activities- there are a couple of tips I would love to share.

1. Definitely pack a cooler- even if just a small one. Kids get overheated very easily- and a drink, or even just a piece of ice can help them cool down and hydrate- and keep them from getting cranky. Packing a few snacks is of course very helpful with kids too.

2. Bring at least one bottled water (NOT in the cooler). Use this for if and when sand gets on their face or in their eyes. Also if the salt water is bothering their eyes. They will not want ice cold water on their face! And the towels will be sandy and useless. We used this several times throughout the week.

3. My cousin shared with me a trick to get sand off so you don't have to track it everywhere once you get inside. Baby powder! We tried it out- and it definitely works on all parts of the body that are completely dry- but on the damp parts around the bathing suits- you should just forget it. So if this seems to be useful, then use the baby powder to wipe away the dry sand from their bodies before taking them inside.

Hopefully these tips will be helpful if you are taking your family to the beach!

Check out their flashlights!

They were really bright!

You could see them from pretty far away!

Follow Up- Filippo Berio Olive Oil versus the store brand...

As I mentioned last, I am trying out the Filippo Berio olive oil free thanks to BZZAGENT. In follow up to my previous post- I still totally think it is awesome that you can use olive oil as a healthier substitute for butter! But as I have mentioned several times- I love to save money. So I decided to put this name brand to the test in a taste test against the Kroger brand. For Father's Day, my husband and I made an awesome steak dinner. We decided to compliment it with a great oil dipping sauce for the bread- you know, like they do at Bravo. We thought it would give it a more formal touch. So what better way to have a taste test? We used the Filippo Berio olive oil and the Kroger brand olive oil. We used the same pre-mixture of herbs for a garlic rosemary flavor- so the only difference between the two bowls was the olive oil. I knew which bowl contained each brand, but no one else did. All 6 people unanimously picked the Kroger brand immediately! The olive oil flavor was not quite as strong in the Kroger brand- so maybe if you like a stronger flavor, then Filippo Berio is for you. But I will stick with saving money and better taste in the Kroger brand olive oil. However- in Filippo Berio's defense- both of them were eaten, and we probably would not have thought twice about it if there wasn't anything to compare it to. It was still delicious!

Make a healthier choice with olive oil!

Thanks to BzzAgent, I got to try out Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil for free! It was when I received my kit that I also received this brilliant information! I always knew you could substitute olive oil for any other kind of oil in a recipe by using the same amount. However, I had NO IDEA you could use 3/4 the amount of olive oil in place of the full amount of butter in most recipes! What a great thing to know! Now, we have already established that I am by no means a health nut, BUT if I can make a healthier choice without sacrificing flavor- I am all for it! And here is such an easy way to do that!

Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil has many benefits over other oils and butter:

• it is 100% natural
• it can help reduce the risk of heart disease
• it can help control blood pressure and blood sugar levels
• it contains no trans fat or cholesterol
• it is high in monounsaturated fats (aka the good fats)
• it contains no sugar, salt or gluten

You can see why this is a healthier alternative!  And it is simple. For a printable conversion chart for the substitution and more information on the health provided by olive oil, visit the product's website link below.

Filippo Berio

So of course after reading about this, I had to put it to the test. I was a little skeptical on how it would affect the flavor and texture of different dishes.  So I tried substituting for butter in Riceroni and Mac N Cheese. It did not change the flavor AT ALL. It was not more oily. My family didn't even notice a difference at all! So it made me feel good making the dishes a little bit healthier for everyone.

Then I tried substituting this olive oil for butter in homemade chocolate chip cookies. This was a bit of a different story. The cookie dough was thick and extremely sticky. The cookie dough flavor was a bit odd but still decent, but after seeing the consistency I was convinced that this was going to be a total failure. However, the dough was already made- I figured I should just finish it and see. So I did, and I tried one while it was still warm. It was terrible. The flavor was disgusting. But I still finished the batch and let them all cool. Somehow, after all that, I decided to taste it again after they cooled down. It was probably my inability to resist chocolate when I see it! But I am glad I did because once they cooled down the cookies were actually really good! There was a little difference in flavor... maybe just not quite as sweet, slightly like shortbread cookies, but just in an aftertaste. I couldn't quite put my finger on it... my husband thought it almost tasted like there was peanut butter in it. But they were moist and still delicious! My mom, my kids, and my husband all ate them and loved them! The cookies were actually a little bit fluffier than my typical cookies, which was surprising! All in all- they looked and tasted really good! (See the pic below.) Needless to say, they did not last very long. I was impressed. I would definitely make it this way again.

You can also use this as dressing and drizzle it on salad. However, I am totally a ranch girl, so that would not be even remotely close to compare for me. But I plan on trying it on some pasta and vegetables. Now, I have to be honest- I have no idea if the flavor would be any different with another brand of olive oil. However, I plan on trying out an oil dip recipe for bread in about a week, and I am going to compare another brand. So I will update on the difference in flavor. But overall I am absolutely pleased with the Filippo Berio brand, and I will definitely be using olive oil as a substitute for butter more often now- as much as I can in cooking hot dishes, and I would like to try out some baking dishes like this again too! Why not be healthier when it's so easy?! (and of course still tastes good!)

Kroger Low Fat Yogurt Smoothie Bars (Review)- Update

After my husband and I became somewhat addicted to the Strawberry Banana Kroger Yogurt Smoothie Bars that I got free for being a BzzAgent, I just had to venture out and try the other flavor! Triple berry- strawberry, blueberry and raspberry. Honestly, they should just call it blueberry- because that is what it tastes like. I couldn't really taste the raspberry or strawberry- and my husband agreed. They are definitely not as good as the strawberry banana, so we will probably not buy this flavor again. The triple berry does not taste as much like a smoothie to me, but it is still cool and refreshing on a hot day- and yes it is still only 50 calories! I will say when I first started eating it, I didn't think I liked it. However, as I kept eating it, it kept getting better. Still not anything I would rave about, but they were okay. But- I still definitely suggest the Strawberry Banana- especially for people who are counting calories or dieting. You can't really beat a treat like this for 50 calories!

ADORABLE hot dog slicer!

How cute is this hot dog slicer?! Let me tell you- the kids LOVE it! They think it is so fun. I am all about saving money, but spending a small amount to make all three of my basically toddlers to sit down and eat lunch happily without fighting is TOTALLY worth it to me! Life is chaotic enough for me, but making meals more fun for the kids truly seems to help. These are so cute. They also make it pretty darn easy! You can heat the hot dog up on the bottom part, then you put the dog over it, push it down, and POOF- the hot dog is cut! The little "food bowl" in front of the dog is for dipping sauce- most likely Ketchup. My kids don't use any condiments on their hot dogs though, so I usually put some kind of fruit in there- apple slices, raisins, grapes, etc The first time I used this, my 2 year old and 4 year old thought it was so funny- "The doggy is trying to eat my grapes!" I use it at least once a week- and it doesn't ever get old! It comes in green and blue, and for $3.49 each at walmart, it makes lunch a bit more fun! :)  Why not?! I wish they had more things like this for kids!

Save on party invites!

If you have kids, then you know how expensive a simple birthday party can be! It is truly unbelievable to me how much decorations alone can cost. I try to save money every way I can, as long as it is still pretty convenient. Since I also work, it is hard to find the time to do the super crafty, yet super awesome, party ideas. However, here is one way to save about money on almost any kid's party! Print your own invitations and thank you's! Most party stores and websites sell 8 pack of invitations or thank you cards for about $4 a pack. I always have to buy 2 packs because I need 11. However, you can print your own invitations and thank you's, which saved me $16 on my son's birthday party! If you print them on cardstock paper, it is still durable and looks nice! You can google your specific party theme for free printables, and no doubt you will find some! Probably even more than just invites too- banners, decorations, etc. Or if you have any kind of print shop type program on your computer, you can creat an invite for anything- just by copying images from a google search, and adding text boxes! Here are a couple of websites that have some common kid themes. However, there are a TON of websites out there that have more! And not just for kids birthdays, but all kinds of things! Baby showers, wedding showers, etc. If you are hosting one of these, this can get expensive too- why not save a little and still use a totally respectable invitation? If I can save close to $20 on something as easy as this- I am going to take advantage of it. I thought the invites turned out cute too! Now I am just thinking- why have I not done this before?? Of course, if you are into the whole evite thing (which I am not)- that is an obvious easy way to save too! :)

Personalized Party Invites - this has free printable invitations for Dora, Mario, Elmo, Hello Kitty and Star Wars

Sprout- this has free printables (invitations, coloring pages, thank you's) for many PBS shows-which I was not really aware of. But, this is also where I printed the Thomas the Train invites and thank you's shown in my picture above! They also had party craft and recipe ideas for the different themes, including Thomas!

Puzzle Sandwich- What A Great Idea!

I am a huge fan of making fun designs out of my kiddos' meals. I have a ton of different cookie cutters.  I have made dishes designed as being under the sea, in outer space, animals, trains, shapes, etc. But this is one of the coolest designs I have seen for young kids! My four year old is just getting the real puzzles, and he loves them. He thought this PB&J was awesome! He was so excited to put it together before he ate it. My almost 3 year old even thought it was cool! This is a Munchkin Puzzle Sandwich Cutter. $1.97 at Walmart and TOTALLY worth it! I looked it up after seeing how much he enjoyed it- and there are other brands of puzzle piece cutters, that you can continually connect together no matter how many piece you do, but they were rather expensive (over $10, which I think is too much to spend on something like this), but for less than $2, this one is pretty cool! And it worked really well as you can see. This was too fun and easy not to share!

Yummo- Kroger Low Fat Desserts! (Review)

Because I am a BzzAgent, I got to try the New Kroger Yogurt Smoothie bars for free! While I was at it, I also tried the Kroger Low Fat Vanilla and Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches.

If you know me, you know that I am a health, diet and exercise freak.... HA! No- that is a complete lie! Yes, after four babies in four years, I can more than afford to lose a few pounds, and recently I have been making baby steps to make that happen. However, I will be honest- I have a sweet tooth like you wouldn't believe, and there is NO WAY I am willing to sacrifice flavor for calories! Especially when it comes to my ice cream! I have no self control when it comes to goodies. I am probably the worst dieter on the planet. Now, if by chance I can find something that is lower in fat, but tastes as good as the real thing, then I am totally on board! These things are few and far between, but I have found just that!

Let's start with the ice cream bars. OMG- amazing! What do you mean these are low fat? Two ice cream sandwiches later in the same day, I am starting to be skeptical that the box is lying- because this is a dang good ice cream sandwich. Not only does it taste like you are eating the full calorie version of an ice cream sandwich, but it also tastes like you are eating one of the premium brands! I have always been a fan of store brands, but with desserts you just never know- and this is a winner! I tried both the chocolate and vanilla flavors, and they are both awesome. The ice cream is sweet and smooth- almos like soft serve. The outer cookie tastes just like a normal ice cream sandwich. But it does seem a bit stickier, so it was slightly messier than I expected. I guess I am willing to make that sacrifice for the extra money you can save on a store brand product, and the extra calories too! I also let me oldest 3 try the vanilla sandwich. They all loved it! (Ok, that's not all that surprising since it is ice cream.) And if it is better for them, I feel better giving it to them! They come in 6 packs of either vanilla, chocolate, or half of each in case you can't decide! Personally, I liked the vanilla best.

 

I also tried the Kroger Yogurt Smoothie Bars. These are of course better for you also! I tried the strawberry banana flavor, but they also have triple berry (strawberry, raspberry and blueberry). They taste like you are pretty much eating a fruit smoothie. Not completely irresistable, but pretty good. I prefer the ice cream option (my highly advanced sweet tooth probably has something to do with that), but still- these are tasty and refreshing! Perfect for a hot day. I will say that I was expecting the bars to be a bit bigger like the fudge bars I have seen in the past. They are only about half the size of a typical fudge bar, but the pack comes with 12. I let my kids try these out also. My 4 year old loved it- which is not surprising. He is unnaturally healthy for a kid- and the fruit flavors were perfect for him. My 18 month old absolutely demolished it! Of course, that is not all that surprising either since she is essentially the human version of a garbage disposal. But my almost 3 year old was the true deciding factor. He is a junk food junkie (Hmmm- wonder where he gets that?!...) and he also loved it! Ladies and gentlemen- we've found a winner. Since this is a healthier choice than ice cream, I don't have to feel bad about letting them have this special treat!



At the end of the day, I will probably end up buying both of thse products again. They are reasonable and tasty! I am thinking I might try the Kroger Low Fat Fudge Bars also... Kroger brand also has a No Sugar Added Frozen Fruit Bar variety.  Now, I will just have to remind myself that just because they are less calories, it doesn't mean I get to eat two! :)

More Free Friday Fun???? YEP!

I wish I had known about the free Fridays at the Cincinnati Museum before! I am definitely going to go on one of these Fridays. On June 14, July 12, August 9, and September 13 from 4-8 pm, you can visit the museum for free! (Well, you have to pay betwee $4 and $6 for parking.) Of course, the entire museum is cool, but if you haven't been to the children's museum with your little one- you should totally take advantage of this. I know ALL of my kids could spend the entire 4 hours in the children's section. They have an awesome tree-house playground. It is big enough that parents can climb on most of it with their kids if they are younger, and there are cranks and other little activities throughout the playground. Also, there is even little walk-through section and aquarium on the floor for the very small kiddos.

There is also a really cool water area- what kid doesn't love to play in water?! They have smocks to at least partially keep their clothes dry. My kids could have spent all day in that section alone. To top it off, there is a nice sitting section around it if you are comfortable just sitting to supervise your kids.

They have a small playground for ages 3 and under- along with many more activity areas.I have never been on a free night, but when I go, I will add a detail of how crowded it is. The good news is- the free fridays are not just for kids! The children's museum is free, but so are the Natural History & Science section and the History section. I have attached the link for the official website in case you want to check it out! You can find pics of each of the areas.

Museum- Free Fridays

Save on Soap- it's EASY!

So, yes, soap is pretty inexpensive... BUT why not save money when it can be so easy?! In my research to find easy ways to save money, I found out how easy it can be to save on soap. Who knew that you could make your own foaming soap? All you need is an empty foaming soap dispenser (I just used an empty Lysol foaming soap container that I had already used), and ANY regular soap you like.  Put 8 teaspoons of soap into the container, and then GENTLY fill the rest up with water. Gently is important because you don't want to have a bottle of bubbles! Then gently (again- important) stir the mixture together until it is completely blended.  You can  I just tried it,and it worked great! You can probably fill the foaming soap container 5 or 6 times just with one bottle of regular soap! And- you can pick the scent and brand that you like! No, this will not save you hundreds, but money is money, and this is something you can save on... :) For 2 minutes of my time, I will take it!

Want To Earn Gift Cards?

If you have spare time, you can earn gift cards for your opinions! I have tried endless sites, but these are the ones I kept up with:

MyView
This is probably my favorite one. You get points for filling out your profile and for doing surveys. Even if you start a survey and don't qualify for it, you still get points. The surveys can be about anything. This is not one of those sites where you have to be active to keep getting invites either- so if you don't feel like doing surveys for a while- it will not affect your future  surveys! I usually earn enough points to get a free $25 gift card from here every 2-3 months! They have tons of choices too- Kohls, Target, Movies, Best Buy, even Visa!

E-Poll Surveys
This one is easy, but getting surveys is hit or miss. Sometimes I get a lot, and sometimes I think they have forgotten me! However, I have had enough success to stick with it. Surveys earn you points to cash in toward gift cards. I have cashed outa few $10 and $5 gift cards. They also have a big selection of gift cards to choose from.

MyPoints
I would definitely suggest setting up a different email address for all of these types of things, or at least for this specific one. Signing up with this means you will be getting a ton of emails! However, you can do surveys to earn points, but I prefer earning points through other options. If you shop online- go through their website first. You earn points for every dollar you spend online at most places people shop! Also, some of the emails allow you to earn points just for clicking on the link and viewing the site- you don't even have to do anything! Mine usually pop up a different tab, and I close it out without even looking at it! But you can also earn a lot of points for this one if you are a BzzAgent (see my previous post). I am able to earn $10-$25 gift cards every 3 months or so on this one! So if you can stand the excess emails- I would say it is worth it for sure!

Who Doesn't Want Free Stuff?!

I am totally a fan of free stuff- who isn't?! If you like to try new products and sharing your honest opinions, you should try signing up at these websites!

BzzAgent
Sign up to become a BzzAgent, which means trying out new products. You write reviews and share your opinion with the people you know.  They have really good campaigns- from food to cleaning supplies to hair prodcuts- the possibilities are endless. This is BY FAR my favorite website the I am signed up with. Generally you get a free product (or a coupon for a free product)- in the real size, not the sample size- and you try it. It usually comes with several discount coupons to share also. Then you spread your opinions by word of mouth with whoever you want! You can link up your facebook, twitter, and blogs to share. The more you do, the higher your score is. The higher your score is, the more campaigns you get invited to! I have tried a ton of awesome stuff through them. (Example- the playtex bras from my previous post, huggies little movers diapers, Kroger brand food, Children's Claritan, etc.) FYI, when you first start out it may take a bit to get invited to a campaign, but the more you do, the more frequently you will get invited! But some of the campaigns fill up fast, so make sure you accept right away! I was super disappointed when I missed my opportunity to try the new chocolate frosted flakes!

Swaggable
This is another site I am signed up with which results in free stuff! I don't get too much from them, but it's still worth signing up! I have tried GoGo Squeeze Applesauce, dog shampoo and salad dressing from them. All you do is accept the invite, try the product, then write a review. Simple!

Smiley360
This one has not been super successful. However, I believe the more you do, the more you get. They have had laundry detergents, vitamins, and some other things. I haven't been able to get the products I really want- yet. Maybe one day soon though!

UPDATE:
After sharing all of these wonderful freebie sites, I couldn't believe I forgot one!
House Party
This one is AWESOME. Again- it is free. You apply to host parties to show off different products. If you are selected you get some of the product free, and generally you get stuff including coupons and sometimes samples to share with your party guests! You do not get selected very often, but when you do it is GREAT! You have to invite guests and post pictures of the party through the website. I have had quite a few great products from them. I was chosen for a Huggies Pullups party- where I got a free pack of pullups, coupons for my guests, potty training DVDs and potty training supplies for my guests. I also got to try out HP Photos from Meijer- I received free standout prints and a free 11x14 canvas print! Plus coupons for free 5x7 standout prints, and magnets to put pictures in for all of my guests. However, the best one so far that I have been lucky enough to host was a Fisher Price party! I received 4 AMAZING fisher price toys FOR FREE, plus coloring books, cds, and coupons for all of my guests. I definitely suggest signing up for this one! :)

Playtex Secrets Bras- LOVE THEM!

Because I am a BzzAgent, I am lucky enough to have tried a free Playtex Secrets bra. Can I just say- these are amazing! I have bought a second one after trying out the free one I received. You can buy them at Kohls, and they are usually about $22 on sale.

I have always had trouble finding bras to fit my larger size comfortably, but this one fits PERFECT! The sides of the bigger sizes are usually very wide, which rubs in all the wrong places. The sides of the playtex bras are not too thick! The straps are slightly thick, but really comfortable. The bra as a whole is majorly supportive! I even used this while I was nursing instead of nursing bras because the support was so great! The material is smooth and silky- so it works great with any kind of shirt. It is not overly sexy (so appropriate for all ages), but still very attractive in my opinion- and it comes in bright young colors like blue, pink, and zebra print. But it also comes in typical colors- black, white and nude for all ages! I am planning on buying more, and highly recommend them! It's hard to find this kind of comfort and support in one bra- but here it is!
#GotItFree

Free Family Fun on Fridays!

Looking for free family fun? We are headed to Village Green for Movies in the Park tonight! The Faifield Fire Department sponsors this event in the summer! You do not have to live in Fairfield to attend. It is awesome- the first Friday of every month there is a movie outside at village green. It is free and family friendly. Tonight they are playing Rupunzel. Check out the link for the movies for the months to follow. Who can complain about fun when it free?! Movie starts at dusk, but there is stuff to do before the movie starts too!

UPDATE to Movies in the Park! After attending, I have more details to share. I definitely suggest this as a family fun night. Movie started late- about 8:30, but it was totally worth keeping the kids up for it. They LOVED it. Firefighters are there and provide popcorn, pop and bottled water for FREE prior to and all during the movie. Before the movie there is also a clown blowing up balloon animals, swords and hats for the kiddos. There were coloring books for the kids as well, and music was playing. We walked around and let the kids check out the fountains. Of course, the kids love the playground too. Sometimes they have glow bracelets too! They have raffles for the adults (free as well). We stopped at the store and bought candy in the movie box size- usually on sale for $1 at Kroger or just over $1 at Walgreens. Bring blankets and lawn chairs. Dress a little warm because the wind picks up there and of course it gets cooler as the night goes on. Also, it is right by Flubs- a lot of people were getting ice cream before the movie. All in all- successful. Not to mention- how cute would this be for a date??! So this is not only for families with kids! This is a freebie that will be added to our agenda through October! We are looking forward to Madagascar 3 in June!

Movies in the Park

Savings With Babies!

This being my fourth time with a new baby, I would say I know a lot more than my first time around! My first suggestion to save money is to sign up on the many baby related websites- I have listed them below:

FORMULA
Your doctor will probably tell you that the brand of formula does not matter at all! They are all approved with the same expectations. The only thing that is different really is the flavor. So my suggestion is to use all kinds of formula rather than sticking to one (as long as your baby is not picky). This includes store brand! Even if you are breastfeeding- I would suggest signing up at these websites. You never know what will happen- it is nice to have a little bit of formula in case of an emergency and someone else needs to feed your baby. If you are planning to breastfeed, it's nice to have a backup plan in case your baby does not take well to breastfeeding. So sign up while you're pregnant! If you don't use it, oh well! These are free to join. Most of them give you samples in the mail to start with and they ALL give you checks to use toward your purchase of formula. I solely formula fed my first two, breastfed for the first 2 months with my third, and my fourth one has NO INTEREST in saving me money by breastfeeding. I have just quit pumping because it was no longer worth the time. (Being home with 4 kids makes it a little difficult to find extra time!) Trust me- the expense of formula adds up! Any money toward it will save you big over a year's period. Checks can be used WITH a coupon too! So if you have a coupon on top of it- kuddos to you! Also, when the checks are about to expire, I  go to the store and buy the cheap ready-to-feed formula with them. Then I only have to put about $1 to them. So instead of wasting the check, I basically get free formula! I use ready to feed and powdered. Either work fine. Also, the condensed liquid kind (where you add water to it) work just as well. A little side note- have your parents sign up also! These websites allow you to sign up as a grandparent also! So they can pass the checks on to you! Second hand stores like Once Upon A Child sells formual also! At lower prices, but you are limited to how many you can buy and you cannot use the checks/coupons. The formula links are below:

Similac - Similac should send a sample pack around the due date of your baby- or later if you sign up after the birth of your child. They also mail several $5 checks throughout the first year. I have also received a few Shutterfly coupon codes for free photo gifts from them throughout the years.

Enfamil - Enfamil I believe also sends a sample pack with your first baby. They usually send $4 checks throughout the first year.

Gerber Good Start - Gerber sends you checks anywhere from $3.95 to $14.95 throughout the first year. They also send you coupons for their baby food and toddler items as your child grows.

BABY FOOD
As I mentioned above, Gerber will send coupons for baby food as your child grows. You can also sign up with Beech-Nut to receive a free baby food, and they will send you some coupons.
I don't use much baby food- usually I just make my own, but a lot of people use it.

Beech-Nut

DIAPERS & WIPES
Diapers are another story. I do not personally use any brand of diapers or wipes. I mostly switch between pampers and huggies. I have ventured to try store brands, but learned it is better to stick with the good kind. Luvs are okay, but to me it is worth the extra money to stick with pampers and huggies. But there are ways to save on these too! You can sign up through their websites and they will send you coupons from time to time. Also- if you shop at Kroger, they often have coupons for several diaper brands to load on to their kroger plus card digitally! The newspaper has coupons for these pretty often also. Pampers Swaddlers are my favorite for newborns. But after that I think Pampers and Huggies are pretty equal. Huggies pullups are way better for toddlers though. I like Pampers wipes better for newborns only- because of the wetness- it seems to clean them better. But Huggies work much better after the first couple months. Both Huggies and Pampers have rewards programs currently. I suggest signing up if you are going to use the brands. I mostly buy Pampers, and their rewards program seems better to me, but the Huggies one is decent also. You enter codes (that come with their diapers and wipes that you buy) to earn points. The points add up and you cash them out on what you want. Pampers has shutterfly items, toys, etc. They also have a new program where you get shutterfly gifts if you enter pampers codes so many months in a row for a year. You get a gift at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and a year!  I have heard that target has good diapers and wipes, but I have never tried them since they are not in my usual shopping routine.

Also- if you live around here, you can sign up at P&G to do diaper studies! You could be selected to test out diaper products (that means FREE DIAPERS for the study period) AND you get paid for doing it! They are time consuming- you usually have to fill out a questionaire for every diaper, but the studies can last a couple of weeks. So free diapers for 3 weeks is awesome enough- and that doesn't include whatever payment amount they are offering!

Of course- you could be a rockstar mom and use cloth diapers, but that has never been my path. I want to save money, but I am not willing to give up convenience for it!

Pampers

Huggies

Luvs

P&G Discovery Center


SECOND HAND STORES
Many people don't go to places like Once Upon A Child and Reruns For Wee-Ones. But honestly- baby clothes don't get much wear and tear in the first 6 months of sizes! A lot of times you can find things that have not even been worn. Sometimes they will even have the tags on them! I have bought MANY things there. (And sold many things to get some extra money too!) Even for my older kids. You can find great deals on things that look brand new! They also sell FORMULA at discounted prices and sometimes they will have diapers! You can't use checks and coupons though. But they usually have programs to where your shopping adds up to a store credit for $10 or so!

My Life

I am a mother of four. Oldest boy is 4, then his younger brother will be 3 next month, my daughter is 1 and 1/2 years and my newest baby boy is 1 and 1/2 months old. So yes, it can be madness around my house! I am always looking for new ways to save money and have some low cost fun! Dreaming of one day being able to quit my full time job (OK- that will never happen, but trying to save enough to be part time and have the best of both worlds!). I am on maternity leave for a few more weeks and living it up! Kids are the best and it s going to be horrible leaving to go back to work. But for now, I will pretend to live the dream :)