Congratulations to the winners!

I apologize for getting this out so late, I've had a sick little girl all day!  So this post won't be pretty, but I wanted to list all of the recent contest winners.  I just sent all of them an e-mail!


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Meatless Monday - Buffalo Tofu Po-Boys

Here in the Panhandle, everyone is gearing up for the Mardi Gras season, so I thought this week we'd focus on Mardi Gras on the blog!  Before I moved here, I thought Mardi Gras was only celebrated in New Orleans, but there are actually some great family friendly activities all along the Gulf Coast!

One of the great things about Mardi Gras is all of the wonderful food.  This is the only time of year you can buy King Cakes everywhere, and traditional foods such as Po-Boys abound.  This Tofu Po-Boy is super-easy to make, and one of my favorite ways to have tofu.

Buffalo Tofu Po-Boys

1. Press 1/2 of a package of tofu for at least 30 minutes.
2. Cut tofu into strips.  Put into a glass dish and coat tofu blocks with Bragg's.
3. Bake tofu blocks at 350 for about 30 minutes - I sometimes cook longer because I like mine to get rather crispy.  Turn after 15 minutes.
4. Coat tofu with your favorite Buffalo Wing sauce, or make your own sauce with Frank's Red Hot and butter.  
5. Cook tofu another 10-20 minutes.  
6. While the tofu is cooking, saute some mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper.
7. Pile tofu and sauteed vegetables onto some good quality french bread.  Add lettuce if you'd like, and enjoy!  I serve mine with oven-baked fries.  

Dynamop Review - An Amazing Mop!

I admit it.  I absolutely HATE mopping.  Not a good thing when you have all hardwood floors and a toddler.  So I was super-excited when I had the opportunity to review the Dynamop.  I never thought that anything could make mopping fun, but I think the Dynamop has succeeded! 

Fluffy Dynamop Microfiber Head

This great system comes with a spin basket bucket and three microfiber mopheads for the low price of $39.95.  Use code GreenMom to get an additional 10% off through Feb 28th!  The mopheads can be thrown into the washing machine when needed, but the spin basket does such a good job I’m not sure that you’ll ever need to! 

After a spin around our VERY dirty floor!

Mopping with the Dynamop is simple.  You can use it to dry mop if you’d like beforehand – the microfiber is great at picking up larger pieces of dirt.  The spin basket has an area for your water and cleaner.  It doesn’t require a lot of water, which makes it easy to carry around.  Just dip the mop into the water, move it into the spin basket and step on the lever to spin it. 

After a Good Spin in the Dynamop Spin Basket

The spin basket is amazing.  It can reach a speed of up to 2500 rpm, so you can totally dry out the mop head if wanted.  This makes it perfect for cleaning up spills – just mop up the mess and then spin the head to release the spill into the bucket!  When we used it we’d just give it one or two spins to have a slightly damp mop for cleaning.  This worked well because it dried on it’s own very quickly, but if we happened to get extra water in any area we just spun the dynamop dry and it quickly picked up the excess water.  We found it worked best if you took the mop out of the spin basket while it was still spinning a little to spin the microfibers out. 

Although they say NOT to let children use it, we let Little Miss use it on the floor - we didn't let her spin it because it goes so fast!

Assembly was pretty easy – I did have to get my husband to tighten up the handles for me.  The mop heads are simple to put on and remove, you really can do it with your foot!  The bucket seems to be very sturdy – I’m expecting it to have a very long life, as well as the mop heads.  They seem to be made very well too.  I haven’t sent them through the washing machine yet, but I don’t expect to have any problems when I do.  

Dumping out some super-dirty water after we were finished - YUCK!

I think the Dynamop is a great product - way better than a Swiffer or any other mop we've owned.  Although the initial investment is a little more, I think in the long run it will really pay off.  Plus when you add up the cost of buying the new pads for the swiffer that you are constantly needing, this is actually less expensive, and a LOT less wasteful!

**I received a discounted price on a Dynamop in exchange for an honost review.  I didn't receive any other type of compensation.**

FREE Funnix Reading Program

During the month of January, the Funnix Reading Program will be FREE--no strings, no hidden costs. The Funnix sequence teaches 2 years worth of reading skills and is regularly priced at $249. 

The program is designed by the world's most successful creator of instructional materials, Siegfried (Zig) Engelmann, a maverick professor of Education who has authored many books, including Give Your Child a Superior Mind, and highly successful reading programs like Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. 

Engelmann says of Funnix,"Teaching the lessons requires a lot less effort, and the lessons are more entertaining. Also, the program consists of 220 daily lessons, so it takes kids farther than most beginning-reading programs-- from being non readers to reading on the third-grade level." 

The free version of Funnix is electronic. You download the entire package of 220 lessons and other material onto your computer, and you have everything you need to teach the program. The steps of what you do and how you do it are spelled out in Teacher’s Guide, which you review before presenting the program. Workbook and textbook activities accompany the lessons. You print these. 

When you teach Funnix, you and you child sit next to each other and watch the computer screen. A narrator presents a series fast-paced exercises in each 30-minute lesson. The narrator asks questions, and your child responds--out loud. Your job is to reinforce correct responses and correct any mistakes by following simple rules for "navigating" through the material. 

In schools, the program works the same way, except that there's usually a small group of children being taught, and the person who leads the group is a teacher or an aide. 

The program has been very successful with a large range of children from ages 4 through 7 who enter the program knowing nothing about reading, including children who have been written off by schools. 

What is Zig Engelmann's reason for providing this amazing give-away? He indicated, "We've been trying for years to do things that make schools successful, particularly with young kids and lower performers. We figured that we're in a position to offer schools and parents a stimulus package that could be worth a lot for every kid who otherwise would not be accelerated or who would be a reading failure. Why not make the electronic package available to anybody who needs it? It doesn't cost us much to do it, and it could help in a small way to counteract the effects of bankrupt schools and dismal times."

Thursday's Eco-Tip: Reuse!

In my life I constantly try to live by the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra.  It's better for the environment, my wallet, and my sanity!

This year I've been focusing on the reduce part - do I really need to buy that?  Will I use it a lot or will it go by the wayside shortly?  This is where our Two Year Rule came to being.  I was amazed how much money we saved once we cut out impulse buying!

Once you've succeeded in reducing what you buy, the next step is to find ways to reuse what you have.  See something you want?  Look around your house and see if you have something already that can do the job just as well.  

Here is a recent reuse I've started using.  Living in Florida, it's hard to keep your potted plants alive during the summer.  It rarely rains, and the days are hot!  If you aren't good at consistently watering, you're plants will be dead before you know it!  So what is the solution?  Wine bottles!

Fill a wine bottle up with water, and then shove it down into your pot - instant aquaglobe for free!  If you don't drink wine, I'm sure you can use other kinds of bottles, or get some bottles from a friend who does.

What are some ways you reuse?

Skillet Gardner's Pie - A Great Way to Use Up All of those Veggies

The other day I realized that I had a ton of veggies that needed to be eaten, and only small amounts of each thing.  I've been wanting to make a Shepherd's Pie for ages, so I decided that this would be a great time to do it.  I used this recipe as a guideline, but changed it a lot to use what I had on hand.  Mine had green beans, turnips, collards, carrots, onions, and mushrooms.  I also used leftover mashed potatoes.

It turned out really well, I'm sure I'll make it again!   

What is one of your favorite recipes for using up a bunch of leftovers?  

Wordless Wednesday - Chili Cook-Off

Every year, the Pensacola Sertoma Club hosts a chili cook off to raise money for many of the events they put on throughout the year.  A group of our neighborhood friends (The Bobe Street Hustlers) have always managed to participate, and it's always so much fun!  Here are some pictures:

The Bobe Street Hustlers!

A lot of the teams like to decorate their area.

Even the local beer brewers club participates!

Little Miss guarding the secret ingredients.  

Oliver's Labels - Cute and Functional!

It never fails.  Every once in a while when I go in to pick up Little Miss from preschool she is wearing something that belongs to someone else.  It’s usually shoes or a coat.  I always catch it, but I imagine there are plenty of parents who are in a rush or had someone else dropping the child off that morning, so they don’t notice.  With Oliver’s Labels, that’s a little less likely to happen now.  Additionally, when it does happen you are more likely to get your items back! 

Debbie designed Oliver’s labels for her nephew (you guessed, it Oliver!).  She wanted something fun and cute, but also durable to hold up to normal toddler wear and tear.  Her amazing Found-it Tracking System allows parents and stuff to be reunited without disclosing personal information.  This option is totally free with any of the labels!  From the website:

"If you ever lose an item with a Found-it™ tracking system code, have no fear! When someone finds it they will be prompted to go to a special page on our website with instructions to enter the code on the label. We then match you to your Found-it™ tracking system code and send you a notification email right away. Oliver’s Labels acts as an intermediary between you and the finder so you never have to share any of your personal information!"

There are a ton of styles to choose from as well!  We went with the ocean theme, and Little Miss just loves them.  She immediately got a pair of shoes to try them out on, and was ready to label everything she owned!!  I especially liked the clothing labels, since it is jacket weather these days, and jackets seem to be the easiest things to misplace.  There are tons of design choices - from plain and simple to sophisticated.  

As someone who knows a lot of people whose children have food allergies, I like that line a lot as well.  This is an item that can save lives!  They even make a safety wristband so if your child is going to be around people who aren’t used to the allergies they can wear this band as a safety measure. 

I think Oliver’s Labels is a great product – one that we will probably be getting more of in the future! 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

My bum book Giveaway!

I can still remember our first Dr’s appointment after we had Little Miss.  The Dr. asked us how often she was eating – we had no idea, no one had told us we needed to keep up with that!  In addition, like any new parent we were sleep-deprived and exhausted.  I sure do wish we had a my bum book then!  This nifty book gives you an easy way to keep up with all of those little details. 

Designed by a Mom for Moms, the first page has all of the basics.  Your name (As a new parent you may need to check the book to remember it!), pediatrician, poison control, pharmacy, emergency, and any allergies.  This would also be a great reference for anyone else who was watching your child. 

The next page has a place to track your immunizations and growth.  I love this, since whenever I went to the Dr. I wished that I had the same information they did. 

After that is a place to write down the daily things.  There is a chart with the hours going down the page.  Across the top it has FEED, WET, POOP, WAKE, and SLEEP.  I love that this format will allow you to just put a check in the space if you’re a laid back parent, or write the exact time in if you like to be more exact.  There is even a spot at the bottom of the page to put various notes. 

The book is adorable – perfect to keep to give to your child when they are older, and the right size to easily fit in a diaper bag.  I think this would make a great baby shower gift – one of those things you never realized you needed! 

You can record two months worth of daily activity in the book.  The pages are made from FSC certified papers supporting responsible use of forest resources.  And if you have twins, the my bum 2 book can take care of you!

Want your own my bum book?

BUY IT - You can buy my bum book and my bum 2 book here.

WIN IT – bumble has graciously offered to give one my bum book or my bum book 2 to one lucky reader!

  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 Feb 20, 2011 at midnight and the winner will be announced Feb 21st. Open Worldwide.

1.            Mandatory - Tell me why you need my bum book, or who you would give it to.

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

3.      Follow my bum book on twitter or facebook.  (1 entry each - leave a comment below for each entry).  It's not required, but I'd love for you to tell her I sent you!

4.            Tweet about this contest (up to 1 entry per day) - leave link to tweet

          I entered the #mybumbook #giveaway @FrugalGreenMom1 http://bit.ly/gL8LxV

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

**I received a my bum book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.  The winning comment will be chosen by random.org.**

Meatless Monday - Tofu Chili

Ready to eat!

This recipe is perfect for a cold winter day!  It also comes together pretty quickly.  I got the recipe off of an e-mail from Nasoya, and didn't do much to change it.  I used fire roasted crushed tomatoes and a green pepper instead of a red pepper.  I added a peeled and diced turnip that I needed to use up - if I hadn't done this, I probably would have added some mushrooms.    I also only used half of a 14 oz block of tofu, which I pressed.

These are the sauteed veggies and tofu before I added the tomatoes.  

Pensacola Weekend Highlights

The weekend is finally here!!  We don't have too much planned - I got a new mop, so I'm sure we'll be trying it out, and my husband has to make sure some of our electronics don't have loose wires - they've been acting kind of funny lately.  We also plan on watching The Social Network (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray] since we just got it in the mail this week.  I'm looking forward to that - I've heard it's great!

If we decide to venture out into the cold, these activities sound interesting!

A free concert at Studio Amped featuring Heritage Friday night
A Japanese New Year Celebration at Bayview on Saturday


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Thursday’s Eco-Tip: Reduce (Our Two Year Rule)

One of the best things we can do to help the Environment is reduce the amount of “Stuff” we buy.  Of course, that is easier said than done!  So often, we buy things without even thinking about it.  Those things clutter up our lives, and really don’t make us any happier.  It’s something else to keep up with or take care of, and it takes up space.  If you’ve never watched the video “The Story of Stuff”, I encourage you to watch it! 

Fortunately for us, a few years ago my husband and I both ended up without jobs, so saving money became a priority to us.  During this time, we developed the “Two Year Rule”.  The rule worked so well, we decided to continue using it even after we got through our financial crunch.  It’s really saved us from buying things that we didn’t really need, or things that would no longer be used after a short period of time. 

So what is the Two Year Rule?  Every time we want to buy something, we ask ourselves, “Is this something I want to pack up and move two years from now?”  If not, then we probably don’t really need it or want it, so we don’t get it.  Not only is this good for the environment, but it’s good for your wallet as well! 

The other great thing about this rule is that it doesn’t limit “experience” type spending.  Once our finances were back in order and we weren’t spending so much money on “stuff”, we realized that we had a lot of money to spend on experiences – eating at local restaurants, visiting local attractions, and taking short trips.  These things have given us so much more joy than stuff would have! 

How do you reduce what you consume??

Simple Changes for the New Year

As we all know, most of us take the first month of the year to reflect on who we are, where we are heading, and where we want to be.  Do we need to make changes to get back on the right track?  Often simple changes are the best ones – they are easier to keep, so you’re more likely to stick with them.  They can also make a huge difference in how we feel about ourselves, inspiring us to make even more beneficial changes in our life.

As a Gulf Coast resident, my life was greatly impacted by the BP oil spill last year.  With my husband out of town and the stress of the spill, I became pretty depressed and pretty much stopped living the life I was used to.  Instead of going outside and playing with my daughter, we stayed inside and didn’t do much of anything.  Of course, this led to me gaining some weight and just becoming a bit of a couch potato!   It also led to my daughter watching way more television than she ever has before, and a lot of cabin fever for both of us. 

I’ve finally begun working myself out of that horrible slump, and my goal this year is to keep trekking out of that slump until I see my old self again.  I want to get back to drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day and playing outside with my daughter.  I want our television to be limited to an hour or less most days, and I want to start reading more again.  I want to start bicycling everywhere again and enjoying all of the beauty around me. 

I think that blogging has definitely helped me get out of that slump, and I’m so grateful for that!  SocialMoms and Simply Orange Juice have teamed up to introduce an inspirational new blogging program that invites all of us to take a pledge to make simple, positive changes in our life this year.  I am pledging to take my daughter to the park at least twice a week this year – it’s something we used to do, and I’m ready to start again! 

I’m looking forward to this New Year.  There are so many possibilities for our family – we see glimpses of doors opening for us, and we are just waiting to see where they will lead.  I trust that no matter where they lead we have a great future ahead of us!  I can’t wait to share them with you over the next year as they reveal themselves to us. 

What Simple Change would you like to pledge for the New Year?  Do you have any special possibilities in your future? 

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Simply Orange® blogging program. If I am one of the first 65 blogs received by SocialsMoms, I will receive a $25 Target gift card and a gift pack that includes a Simply Orange® cooler bag and logoed fleece.

About Simply Orange Juice
Since the launch of Simply Orange in 2001, we have been making orange juice simple, the way nature intended. Our not-from-concentrate orange juice never has water, sugar or preservatives added and is gently pasteurized to ensure that you always get a fresh-squeezed taste experience. Headquartered in Apopka, Florida, the Simply Orange Juice Company is also proud of the approach we take with our other great-tasting 100% juices and juice drinks. For more information, visit http://www.simplyorangejuice.com

Join Simply Orange Juice on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/simplyorangejuice

Wordless Wednesday - Ice!

We got a good amount of ice here in the Panhandle last week - something we don't see very often!

On the Oleander with Jasmine growing around, but not frozen.

Thrifty Tuesday – Reduce Credit Card Debt

I admit it – I’ve actually never had credit card debt.  I’m one of the fortunate ones.  Many Americans do have credit card debt – I’ve seen statistics ranging from $2,000 to $16,000.  If you are one of those who have credit card debt, try some of the steps to get rid of it.

Call the credit card and ask them to lower your interest rate.  You may have to talk to a manager, but you can often get them to agree. 

Next, stop charging!  If you owe money on a credit card, you are paying an incredible amount of interest on any outstanding balance.  Use cash to pay for your transactions.  Not only will you save money in interest, but you’ll probably find that you spend less money overall. 

Pay off that debt!  Starting with the card with the lowest balance, work on paying those cards off.  Once one is paid, put the money you were paying on it towards the one with the next lowest balance – keep doing it until you’re out of debt.  This is the hard part, but will save you so much money in the long run.

Once the debt is paid off, continue outing money aside each month into an “Emergency Fund”.  This will help when you have a car that breaks down, a house repair, and unexpected illness, or anything else that you haven’t budgeted for. 

Do you have any tips for reducing credit card debt?  

Eye Candy Coolers - A Review and a Giveaway

We all have those days when we just need to relax!  Whether it’s work, the children, or life in general, every once in a while things can seem to catch up with us.  Now, instead of heading to the spa, we have Eye Candy Coolers to rescue us!  

Their reusable soft gels can give us an easy way to relax after a long stressful day.  Just throw their cute gel packs in the fridge until needed, then place them on your eyes to reduce puffiness, soothe headaches, or just relax.  They’re just the right size – not heavy at all on your eyes, and so cute!  I love the fact that they are reusable and not messy at all.  They’re perfect for an afternoon pick me up!  They also donate a portion of all proceeds to breast cancer research, which makes me love this great company even more!  

I love that you can throw these little guys into the fridge and forget about them until needed.  Their small size means they don’t take up much space, and makes them so easy to carry with you wherever you go!  Being a Mom, I can also see these working well for when your Little One hurts themselves – something cool to put on their boo-boo.   

I had a hard time getting them to stay on my eyes without holding them – I’m guessing because they are so lightweight.  That being said, it’s not hard at all to hold them on your eyes yourself.  That was absolutely my only (mild) complaint about them. 

Want to know how to get this spa pick-me-up for yourself?  

WIN IT – Eye Candy Coolers has graciously offered to give one set of two coolers to one lucky reader!

  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 Feb 20, 2011 at midnight and the winner will be announced Feb 21st. Open U.S and Canada.

1.            Mandatory - Tell me why you need Eye Candy Coolers

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

3.      Follow Eye Candy Coolers on twitter or facebook.  (1 entry each - leave a comment below for each entry)

4.            Tweet about this contest (up to 1 entry per day) 

          I entered the #EyeCandyCoolers #giveaway @FrugalGreenMom1 http://bit.ly/f6Q8eQ

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

**I received one pair of eye coolers for review purposes. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.  The winning comment will be chosen by random.org.**

Meatless Monday - Vegan Sausages

I wanted to try using vital wheat gluten for a long time before I did.  However, I was a little nervous as well.  The original recipes I saw involved lots of steps and boiling things in broth and the reviews always had extremely mixed results.  However, eventually a batch of recipes cropped up that seemed not so difficult, and people were getting good results!  I finally decided to take the plunge, and used this as my base recipe:

Pasta with Peppers and Sausage

I added a roasted red pepper and a ton of basil, since these were things I had on hand that needed using up.   I also changed the spices up a little in an attempt to get spicier results.

To make the sausages, you combine all of the dry ingredients in one container, and all of the wet ingredients in another container.  This is done to ensure that the ingredients are mixed well, since once the liquid hits the vital wheat gluten it gets clumpy and a lot harder to mix.

Once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together, scoop it out and put into tin foil.  Roll into a hotdog shape, and then steam for 40 minutes.  I have to say, these turned out really great!  Next time I'll make them a little spicier, but the texture turned out really good and the flavor was good as well.

You can slice these and saute them, or eat like hot dogs.  

Free Entrance Days This Weekend

If you're in the US and live near a National Park, enjoy fee-free days this weekend!

From their website:

Mark your calendar for these fee-free days in 2011:

• January 15-17
  (Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday weekend)
• April 16-24
  (National Park Week)
• June 21
  (First day of summer)
• September 24
  (Public Lands Day)
• November 11-13
  (Veterans Day weekend)

Making the fun even more affordable, many national park concessioners are joining the National Park Service in welcoming visitors with their ownspecial offers.

Here’s a tip – many of your 394 national parks NEVER charge an entrance fee. So start Planning Your Visit!

*Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.

We love going to parks - we often stay at them while vacationing!