Happy New Year!

Hope you have a happy and safe New Year!!  We'll be attending a dinner party, then heading to the beach to see friends.  Others here in Pensacola will be watching the Pelican Drop.

How are you ringing in the New Year?

Great Giveaways from all over

Here is a link to several blog giveaways - enjoy!
Just click on the link to see the list!

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Review and Giveaway - My Lip Stuff Natural Lip Balm

Many years ago I made the switch to organic, all-natural chapstick, and my lips have been grateful ever since.  For those of you that don’t know, most chapsticks that aren’t natural contain petroleum.  Although they feel great when you first put them on, you’ll need to reapply after just a couple of hours because the petroleum and other chemicals will actually dry out your lips.  Plus, who wants to eat that stuff?

Chapsticks using all natural ingredients, on the other hand, last all day.  You may have to reapply after eating, but that’s about it.  I often don’t even have to do that since they are doing their job and moisturizing my lips – I usually only need a second coat during those long, dry, and cold winter days. 

Speaking of which, we’ve had plenty of those lately that really let me put my samples of My Lip Stuff to the test!  They sent me three yummy flavors out of the 100’s that they have to choose from.  I received Apple Gingerbread, Maple Walnut Cheesecake, and Snowflakes.  The smell was so intense you could actually smell it through the package!  They all go on nice and smooth, and left my lips feeling soft even in this horribly cold weather we’ve been having lately. 

My Lip Stuff is made from natural butters and oils so that you actually know what you’re putting on your lips.  The ingredients are Sunflower Oil, Beeswax, Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Aloe Vera, and Essential and/or Flavor Oil.  Those oils that they use are pretty amazing – the only downside is that they may make you hungry they smell so good!  Additionally they are a skin-earth-animal friendly company.  So when you buy from them you aren’t only supporting small business, you’re supporting a very green business as well. 

My Lip Stuff also can do custom labels – I think these would be great for wedding favors.  Who couldn’t use an extra tube of chapstick? 

BUY IT – You can buy My Lip Stuff chapstick here – prices start at a reasonable $2.50.  They also sell body butters, bath salts, and other items!

WIN IT – My Lip Stuff has graciously offered to give one lucky reader a 6 pack of randomly selected chapsticks ($13 value)

  Entry Methods:

*Please leave one comment for each entry method.  On at least one of those comments leave an e-mail address so I can contact you if it is not available via your blogger profile.  Contest ends Jan 23, 2011 at midnight and the winner will be announced Jan 24th. Open worldwide.

1.            Mandatory - Leave a comment telling me your favorite flavor that they offer.

2.            Follow me on GFC, twitter or like me on facebook. (1 entry each - leave a comment below for each entry)

3.            Tweet about this contest (up to 1 entry per day) - I entered @FrugalGreenMom1 to #win #MyLipStuff http://bit.ly/hIyehm 

4.            Grab my button and post it on your blog – 2 entries.  (Leave 2 comments)

**I received a sample of My Lip Stuff chapstick for review purposes. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.  The winning comment will be chosen by random.org**

Wordless Wednesday - Fall in Florida

We don't get much Fall here in Florida.  These lovely leaves were on a tree in our office's backyard, but blew off  when we had the strong winds on Christmas day!

I took these with the new camera I got for Christmas - I'm excited about once again having a small camera that is easy to carry around with me!

Green New Year’s Resolutions

Looking to be a little more green in the New Year?  Here are some relatively easy steps that would make great resolutions!

1. Use reusable bags.  They now even make ones that will fit inside you’ll purse, so you’ll always have one.  Take all of those extra plastic bags to the goodwill stores - most of them are happy to get them to reuse!
2. Make your own non-toxic cleaners.  This post can get you started, and vinegar, lemon juice, and a little salt can work magic on almost anything!
3. Compost more.  All vegetables can be composted.  No matter how small your space is, try to start a little compost pile.  Your dirt will thank you!
4. Cook more - cooking from scratch will save you money and help the environment!  Additionally, you’ll probably realize that you’re a pretty good cook!
5. Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without!
6. Remove clutter - this will be my big goal for the year.  Clutter effects us in so many ways that we don’t even realize!  But while removing your clutter, make sure you donate it or give it away if someone else might find it useful.
7. Buy local/handmade. Support your local economy and individuals!

Save Money by Making Your Own Household Cleaners

Are you looking for a way to stretch your budget?  Making your own household cleaners not only saves you money, but helps the environment as well!  Most homemade cleaners are cheaper, safer, and work just as well as those that you can buy in the store. 

Here are some things to get you started:

EIGHT ESSENTIALS
These eight items make up the basic ingredients for nearly every do-it-yourself cleaning recipe.

Baking soda: provides grit for scrubbing and reacts with water, vinegar or lemon by fizzing, which speeds up cleaning times
Borax: disinfects, bleaches and deodorizes; very handy in laundry mixes.  Target now carries it, at least the one here does!  Find it in the laundry soap section.
Distilled white vinegar: disinfects and breaks up dirt; choose white vinegar over apple cider or red vinegars, as these might stain surfaces
Hydrogen Peroxide: disinfects and bleaches
Lemons: cut grease; bottled lemon juice also works well, although you might need to use bit more to get the same results
Olive oil: picks up dirt and polishes wood; cheaper grades work well
Vegetable based (liquid castile) soap: non-petroleum all-purpose cleaners, I prefer Dr. Bronner's.
Washing soda: stain remover, general cleaner, helps unblock pipes; should be handled with gloves due to its caustic nature. Washing soda is usually found in the laundry aisle of grocery and drug stores.

Don't forget to pick up an empty spray bottle at the hardware store, and keep those old rags and used toothbrushes for wiping up and scrubbing.  I keep a basket full of old rags in a convenient place so it's alway easy to grab one to wipe up a spill.  Recipes after the jump!

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Meatless Monday - Ridiculously Easy Curried Chickpeas and Quinoa

This Ridiculously Easy Curried Chickpeas and Quinoa is a great meal for a busy weeknight!  I used cooked dried beans, because I had the time to make them.  Other than that, the recipe came together in less than 20 minutes with pantry staples, making it both easy and cheap!

I was out of quinoa, so I used one small bag (the 2 serving size) of minute rice instead.  I omitted the onion because I didn't have any on hand, but I did add onion flakes when I added the tomatoes.  I also added fresh peppers when I added the tomatoes, simply because I had some I needed to use up.  The ginger and curry really shine in this recipe, so don't leave them out, and use a good quality curry powder!

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to take this time to say Merry Christmas before we got too busy with holiday happenings.  I hope each of you have a happy and safe holiday - and a new year full of blessings!

Pensacola Winter Trolley Tour Stop

I have some great giveaways lined up for after Christmas, so be sure to check back!  Thanks for all of your support!

Get $2 Free MP3 credit at Amazon!

Currently you can get a $2 free MP3 credit at Amazon!
Hurry!  You must redeem the offer by Dec 26th!
Just enter codeGIVEMP3S to get your instant $2 credit.


Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

Wordless Wednesday - Art Party and the Progression of a Painting

This past weekend Little Miss and I went to an art party.  The band Dirty Mouth from NOLA played, and there was a work in progress painting of the band that went through the evening.  

It started as this - you can see the outlines of the artists that one person drew.

About midway through - taking shape!

The painting is complete!  

SWAGG - Or how to keep up with all of those gift cards

If you're like me, you can sometimes get overloaded with gift cards and loyalty cards these days.  At our house, we keep all of our gift cards in a stack so we won't lose them, but then we constantly forget about them, leaving them at home.  Additionally, we often forget how much $ is on them!

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CSA Cooking - Tomato and Ravioli Collard Soup

This soup comes together quickly, and is a delicious way to use up some greens!  Feel free to substitute any type of greens you like into the soup.

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Winter Wonderland at Seville

This weekend I decided to take Little Miss to the Magical Winter Wonderland Tour at Seville, located in the buildings across the street from Seville Quarter.

Once we get through the squeezing through the chimney part, which she wasn't very fond of (you squeeze through two air bags - it gets pitch black), she throughly enjoyed it!  

There were several Christmas scenes, and amazing 3D artwork throughout.  The artwork looks great even without the 3D!  One area even had "snow", which was a big hit here in Florida!!

Little Miss had the most fun running through the area that had inflated candy canes hanging down - we went through that at least five times!  After that was a bridge through a tunnel that had beautiful paintings on it that spinned!  We ended up going through twice, and the second time it made me a little dizzy, so beware!  

Of course, no Winter Wonderland would be complete without a visit to Santa.  Children have a chance to sit in Santa's lap at the end, and then you get a ticket to go across the street and get a free cup of hot cocoa.  

Be sure to bring your camera - picture taking is encouraged!  Unfortunately, my battery was running out so I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked.  

Seville's Magical Winter Wonderland is over for this year, but I imagine it will be back next year!  It's a great choice for those colder evenings since the whole thing is inside.  

Merry Christmas!  

Win a Piece of Christmas Magic!

I think one of the things everyone loves about Christmas is the magic associated with it.  The lights, the sparkle, and of course - Santa!  

I Caught Santa gives you an inexpensive way to add some Christmas magic to your child's life.  Use their site to upload a picture of Santa into any picture that you take.  Catch him coming down the chimney, putting presents under the tree, even sneaking a snack of milk and cookies!

With 20 images to choose from you're sure to find something you'll like.  It's easy to move him around on the photo, change his size, or rotate him as needed.  Then add a holiday border if you wish and you're set!  

Download your photo - you can print it, e-mail it, or share it on facebook.  What a great thing for your child to find on Christmas morning!
I Caught Santa also has the Easter Bunny, Cupid, and Tooth Fairy for photo opportunities.


Buy it!  Use code FRUGALLY-GREEN-MOM to get 25% off any puchase.


Win it!  FIVE lucky readers will win a code to make their own Christmas photo!  

Contest Rules:

Tell me what you would like to catch Santa doing. Leave your email address in the first comment so I can contact you!

Extra Entries:
2. Follow me on GFC, twitter or like me on facebook. (1 entry each - leave a comment for each entry)

A winner will be chosen by random.org on December 22nd, noon CST, 2010. I will email the winners who will be given 48 hours to send me their information. I will also place the winner's random org #, and their name at the bottom of the winning post.
Contest is open worldwide.


I received a code for one photo for the purposes of this review.  I received no other compensation, and all opinions are 100% my own.  

Sign up with Swagbucks and get 60 Free Bucks!

What is Swagbucks?  It's a search engine that occasionally pays you with Swagbucks for searching with them.
You typically get 8-15 Swagbucks randomly throughout the day for searching.  Trade in your Swagbucks for things like Amazon giftcards - currently a $5 Amazon e-gift card is 450 Swagbucks.

Use code JoinIn2010 to get 60 free swagbucks when you join before the end of the year!

I know I'm always buying things from Amazon, so these gift certificates are nice to have!

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Wordless Wednesday - Then and Now

Little Miss sure is growing!  A few weeks ago we were getting out the Christmas things, and she found this stocking.

We used it when we took a photo for our Christmas cards when she was just a few months old back in 2007.

My how we've grown!

Posted on

Keller Williams Kids CD - A Review and a Giveaway! (Giveaway Closed)

As the mother of a toddler, I’m always looking for music that makes both of us happy.  So one thing that I have learned to do is keep my eye out for artists I like who make a children’s CD.  That’s why I was thrilled to learn that Keller Williams had come out with a children’s CD.  I love the quirky humor that is in his songs, and I just knew that would translate well into children’s music.  

A true original, Keller Williams has already won the hearts and imaginations of a seething tide of young adults who are musically “in the know.” With Kids, Keller creates a style of family music that’s all his own, taking influences ranging from traditional bluegrass and rock to Robin Williams and Bobby McFerrin, and transporting them to warp level.

We listened to the entire CD on a trip from the In-Laws to our house.  Not only did Little Miss like the music, but my husband was laughing and humming along the whole time as well!  The album has a blue-grass feel to it, and you can tell that Williams doesn't take himself too seriously.  

In “Taking A Bath”, he talks about how taking a bath gets the stink off of his feet.  I can appreciate this song, since bath time is not always a happy time for us.  Now we have a fun song to sing on the way to the tub!


Another favorite is “Car Seat”, which would be great for any child who doesn’t want to get into their seat.  It transforms the car seat into a rocket ship, and has an amzingly catchy tune.  

John Denver fans will love his cover of “Grandma’s Feather Bed”.  He totally makes this song his own, giving it a fresh and funky kind of feel.  




EVERYONE can get a free download of Car Seat at Keller William’s website here.  
You can buy the album at his store here (he has a lot of great specials going on right now), or from Amazon here - Kids.


WIN IT! Keller Williams has graciously offered to send this CD to one of my readers for free!

Entry Methods:

*Please leave one comment for each entry method.  On at least one of those comments leave an e-mail address so I can contact you.  Contest ends Jan 10, 2011 at midnight and the winner will be announced Jan 11th. Residents of the US and Canada only.

1. Mandatory - Leave a comment below telling me your favorite children's song.
2. Add me on Google Friend Connect - if you're already connected that counts too! (1 entry)
3. Sign up for my newsletter (1 entry)
4. Like me on Facebook - if you already like me that counts too! (1 entry)
5. Follow me on twitter - if you already follow me that counts too! (1 entry)
6. Tweet about this contest (up to 1 entry per day) - I entered @FrugalGreenMom1 to #win Keller Williams Kids CD http://bit.ly/fa2yMC

**I received a free digital download of the Kids CD for review purposes. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.**


Congratulations to the winner!

1.    Discovery Woman said...

Following you on facebook as Laura   

Meatless Monday - Mediterranean Sundried Tomato and Garlic Veggies

Last week when I received a seasoning mix from Lawry’s in the mail, it couldn’t have come at a better time.  It had been one of those weeks when no matter what I could not get inspired to cook anything.  

Instead of using chicken as they suggested, I used three small squash, a head of broccoli, and a package of baby bella mushrooms.  I loved the fact that I didn’t have to cook the pasta ahead of time (just used 1 ¼ cup pasta and the same amount of water).  I also had some black olives and a can of fire-roasted tomatoes in there.  

It turned out delicious!  I sprinkled some feta on mine, but if you wanted to go vegan I imagine it would still be delicious.  I also think instead of using the spice packet you could use some spices, powdered garlic and onion, and some sundried tomatoes.

What is on your menu this week?

Christmas Parades, Oh My!

Here in the panhandle we just love a good parade.  

Even when the temperatures are cold, there is something magical about seeing all of the lit up floats (or boats).  I don't think we'll end up going to the parades this weekend (I'm a wimp when it comes to cold weather, and it's unseasonably cold here), but there are a lot of choices if you're in the Panhandle and are looking for one!

Do you go to Christmas parades in your area?

Frugal Family Events - Pensacola, FL - Dec 10th Weekend

With Christmas just around the corner, there are a lot of ongoing events.  I’ll probably leave links to the websites for most of these so you can confirm them yourself.  Little Miss is going to see the Zoo Lights with her grandparents this weekend!

What:  Pensacola Lights
Cost: Free!  This is an individual family who shares Christmas Lights with the community
Where:  8911 Cove Avenue
When:  Daily 5:30-10:00 - hours run later on weekends

What:  Downtown Pensacola’s 1st Annual Palafox Christmas Market
Cost: Free, downtown businesses will have specials and free samples, etc.  
Where:  Downtown Pensacola
When:  December 4th and 11th from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

What:  Seville Quarter’s  Magical Winter Wonderland
Cost: $5 a person
Where:  Seville Quarter Downtown
When:  Friday and Saturday through Christmas from 5-9 pm

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One of the Many Reasons I LOVE Local Businesses

This morning I woke up to the sound of the power going off.  Not fun, especially since this is the coldest night we've seen this year, with temperatures in the 20's.  Of course I immediately decided to stay in bed until Little Miss woke up, hoping the power would be back on by then.  It wasn't.

I got Little Miss ready as quickly as I could and got her off to school so she could have a hot breakfast and be warm.  I then called the power company and found out that it would be several hours before the power would be coming back on.  I decided this was a good morning to try out one of the new eateries in town that I had been meaning to drop by.  Nancy's Haute Affairs is mainly a to-go place, but I hoped that they would have room for me to sit and eat while I was there so I could warm up some.

When I walked inside, I quickly realized there was only one small table, and someone was using it.  I asked the girl at the counter if they had any inside seating available, and she said just the one table, and the patio furniture out front.  I told her that my power was out - she quickly found a space for me to sit, got me some hot coffee, and then told me to sit down and she'd bring the food out to me shortly.

After I finished eating my yummy breakfast and went up to pay, she told me that she hoped my power came back on quickly and offered me more coffee for the road.  I can't imagine getting such personalized service at a chain!  It seems to me as though local places always go the extra mile to help out and make you fill at home.  I think I could have sat there all morning if I wanted to, but I told her that I was just going to go in to work early.

This holiday season, remember to shop (and eat!) locally!  You'll be building a stronger community, and likely get better service as well.

Giveback.org - Makes Giving Easy

If you're like me, you're full of good intentions for giving, but don't always follow through.  I think of a charity I'm interested in, then later forget or I get overwhelmed with trying to divide things up and it doesn't end up getting done at all!  Additionally, I hate having to keep up with all of my receipts from various organizations for taxes.

Enter Giveback - this site lets you start your own foundation, adding all of the charities into one convenient place.  In addition, you are given the option to shop through it's site, where you can earn up to 15% for your foundation.

It's easy to find the charities you are looking for with their search options.  You can find local to national charities - any charity registered with the IRS is listed.  Additionally, you'll get one receipt at the end of the year instead of multiple receipts from different places.  So much easier to keep up with!

There is no cost to join, and since sponsors cover the cost of the site, 100% of what you give goes to the charities.

What is your favorite charity?  I'm still looking to fill out my foundation!

What's Cooking Wednesday - Sweet Potato Kale Quesadillas

This recipe was inspired by one of my friends from college, who was talking about a burrito she had a Juan's Flying Burrito in NOLA. Since sweet potatoes and kale are in season right now, I thought it was a great time to post it! 

All measures are approximate; it was one of those throw - together meals but so delicious!

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Everett the Elf has made his appearance!

Better late than never!  My cousin, Merry, got me interested in the whole Elf on a shelf phenomenon.  I love the idea of doing something for Christmas every day in December.

Yesterday I was in Hallmark because I had a coupon, and I ran across Everett the Elf and his Magical Shoe.  Everett lost his shoe while helping Santa, and the shoe will leave 'elf magic' fun every day in December until Christmas.  A tiny Everett sits in the shoe, and there is room to put a note and supplies for a craft or other things for an adventure.

Yesterday's adventure was mainly searching for the shoe, but we also made a Buzz Lightyear cut-out.  I imagine we'll have plenty of simple adventures like that one, but hopefully we'll have some really exciting ones as well!

Looking for a Great Blog Hop?

Check out Making Friends Monday!

Oh Christmas Tree!

This weekend we got our Christmas tree up and decorated.  We get a real tree each year, and getting it ready is one of my favorite parts of the holiday.  I love the way it smells, and I love how so many of the ornaments hold special meaning.

Growing up, each year we got an ornament for Christmas.  It was alway fun finding your own ornaments to hang up on the tree.  When I moved out, I got to take my ornaments with me.

We've continued the tradition with Little Miss, and my parents do as well.  She'll have lots of ornaments when she's old enough to move out!

Little Miss also got a small tree to keep in her room this year.  I don't know how she sleeps with the lights blinking on and off all night, but she just loves it!  It's a small artificial tree that I used when I was in college.  We let her put an ornament on it each day.

It's not much to look at, but she loves it!

Do you have your tree up yet?