family

Rocking out with #MusicTogether & #MomsMeet! (Review and Giveaway)

Abby H.12 Comments

Recently Moms Meet (the awesome sampling company I’ve mentioned here) gave me the opportunity to take the kids to a free Music Together class. Lil’ Man loves music. He loves to dance and sing and play instruments (We have a box of small instruments like a xylophone, maracas,  and other percussion instruments), so I was excited to take the kids to experience all that Music Together has to offer.

IMG_2174We visited Music Together in North Park (but there are other classes in San Diego, including some in Eastern San Diego County) with Miss Gina. Kids and parents participate together, so everyone signs, plays instruments, and dances. It’s so awesome to see everyone playing and learning together.

Everyone sits in a big circle, and follows the class leader. There was a mix of sing-along, dance (with scarves, a family favorite), and towards the end of the class, there was a jam session where everyone got to pick an instrument from a large box and play and dance to their hearts content.

IMG_2108If your little has the wiggles or is too small to sit still for 45 minutes, don’t fret! Kids are encouraged to get up and dance around while they sing! IMG_2115 Music Together classes are aimed at those aged 0-5 years, but don’t worry, Moms and dads will have fun too!

Lil’ Man and Bitty Bird both had an  incredible time! They enjoyed the music, instruments, even the scarves (Birdie just crinkled hers up and rubbed it on her face- it was very soft). We’ll definitely being going back soon!

Each semester of Music Together tuition comes access to your classes, along with a CD and a songbook! Some Music Together locations offer additional perks.

ThHelloEverybodyAppPromo-forTeachersey both really enjoyed the song Hello Everybody. Your kids can enjoy it too. Download the  “Hello Everybody” app (free) to get eight Music Together songs that you can listen and sing along to, whether you’re at home or on the go. Our sing-along feature lets you show or hide on-screen lyrics, plus you can control the volume of the vocals—or turn them off to hear an instrumental-only track and make up your own words. Use your device’s camera to make your own family music videos and share them with your friends. The app also includes a digital version of one of our award-winning Singalong Storybooks, Hello, Everybody, based on the beloved “Hello Song.”

I’m so excited that Music Together has offered a free class for newcomers to their program. To sign up for your free class, click here.

Singalong Storybooks - Hey Diddle Diddle - GiftSetAnd I’ve got an awesome giveaway too! Enter to win a Hey, Diddle, Diddle Singalong Storybook Gift Set!

This adorable gift set includes: the Hey, Diddle, Diddle Singalong Storybook in your choice hardcover or board book, an ultra-soft 9” black-and-white Mary Meyer cow named Sweet Constance (age-rating: 0+), two egg shakers, and a digital download of the song “Hey, Diddle, Diddle.”

To enter to win, just leave a comment with your kids favorite song to sing! I’ll choose a winner on November 30th. This gift set would make a great holiday gift!

Thanks to Moms Meet and Music Together for giving us the opportunity to attend a class to facilitate this review. I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.

Lovely Candy Co. Non-GMO, HFCS Free Treats!

Abby H.

The Lovely Candy Company makes premium, consciously crafted candies for consumers looking for indulgent treats which offer the best ingredients available.

Lovely candies are all natural, certified gluten free, tested non-GMO, certified kosher and contain no high fructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients. They have Chewy Caramels, Fudgee Rolls(think a better Tootsie Roll), Fruit Chews with real fruit pieces, and Gluten-Free Licorice. A great treat for you and a fantastic treat for the whole family.

Live Life Lovely! Get your Lovely Candy for the Holidays TODAY! www.lovelycandyco.com

I’ll be posting a review in the next few weeks! I can’t wait to share these yummy candies with my friends and family!

Schoola: Two Deals- Two Ways to Save!

Abby H.

16_Nov_COZY_Blog 11_17Nov_woobox-blogpostRight now Schoola has two ways for you to save big!

Now through 11/22/15, save30% off sitewide with code COZY30.

This code can be used as many times as you’d like up until 11/22. You can combine it with referral credit, but not with other coupon codes!

Looking for another way to save? Sign up for their email newsletter to hear about Black Friday deals and holiday steals. You’ll get a $5 coupon code to use right away. Already get our newsletter? No worries, you can still sign up to get the deal.

Wanna spread the love of Schoola? The Give $20, Get $20 deal is back!
When you share your unique Schoola referral link with a friend, they get $20 to spend on their first order. As soon as they make their first purchase, you get $20 in credit.

We’re doing our next batch of tie dying on Thursday morning, and thanks to Schoola’s amazing sales and prices, I’ve been able to amass 16 shirts and onsies in various sizes and styles to tie dye!

I’d love to see what you’ve scored from Schoola!

 

 

The Solution for cleaning up Legos…..

Abby H.

lego parts

We play with Legos a lot, and that means that there are legos EVERYWHERE. I looked online to see what other moms do to combat the land mine field that stray pieces turn into late at night.

I found this Lego sack on Amazon, but I didn’t have any Amazon Credit, so I decided to improvise.

I pulled out a top sheet. Because, really, how many of us use topsheets on our kids beds? In fact, this top sheet was once part of a set that belonged to hubs as a child. The fitted sheet has long since passed on, but the top sheet lives on, since we never use it on the bed.

IMG_1931I poured out the box of Legos onto the sheet. After we played and built for a few hours, I gathered up the corners, so all of the legos were snug in the center of the sheet and deposited the sheet full of Legos into our 12 gallon plastic tote (like this one). It is the tote that has housed the Legos for a while.

Now when it’s time to play, all we have to do is lift out the bundle, lay it on the floor and spread out the sheet.

IMG_1932I am so glad that I no longer have to chase around stray pieces, and there are no more late night swearing sessions when we step on one in a darkened room.

Obol – The Champion of Breakfast Bowls

Abby H.

Hubs got one of these awesome Obol bowls a few years ago for Xmas, and they are super awesome! I can’t wait to get one and let Lil’ Man try it out!

Cereal Never Gets Soggy (important if you have kids and never get to finish anything in 1 sitting)!

Obol “The Original Crispy Bowl” made in the USA is the favorite for cereal
lovers around the world. Inspired by a playground slide, its Spiral Slide Design
changed the mundane cereal bowl into an everyday kitchen sensation. The
pleasure of eating cereal at the table, while watching TV or even is bed is easy,
just Swoop n Scoop!

Crispy cereal…your way, your pace.

Save 10% at obol.co Signup for instant discount code.

 

#obolco

Cooking Tutorial: Spaghetti Squash!

Abby H.2 Comments

We eat a lot of veggies. That was one of the huge lifestyle changes we made a few years ago that has helped us maintain healthier weights.

One healthy swap we made was to spaghetti squash instead of pasta.  A lot of healthy/food swap websites like Hungry Girl tout Spaghetti Squash as a good substitute for carb-y noodles.

Here is a quick tutorial on making spaghetti squash.

Screen Shot 2015-11-04 at 8.56.33 AM

  1. Select a squash that is firm and unblemished. Not sure what they look like? Here is the wikipedia article all about the vegetable with a few pictures.
  2. Chop the end with the stem off. You’ll need a good sharp knife. I love our Henckels Meat Cleaver.
  3. Chop the squash in half. I do it length-wise, so it takes less time to cook in the oven.
  4. Take a spoon and scoop out the stringy guts and seeds.  Discard them.
  5. In a large glass baking dish, place the squash halves cut side down.  Pour a 1/2 cup of water into the bottom of the baking dish.
  6. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until the squash are fork tender (about the same feeling as a baked potato).
  7. Remove baking dish from oven and set the squash halves on a cutting board.  Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, or until you can comfortable handle the vegetable.
  8. With a fork, “rake” the interior of the veggie.  The “meat” of the interior should flake off in long strings that resemble broken spaghetti.
  9. Once complete, discard the exterior of the squash.
  10. Toss the “spaghetti” with the sauce of your choice.

1 medium sized spaghetti squash serves 2-3 people, with a serving size of about 1 1/2 cups. It’s yummy with sauce (Spaghetti/red sauce, pesto, or even a cheesy sauce), or just a little butter and herbs. It’s a great way to get extra veggies into your diet, or if you’re Gluten Intolerant, it’s cheaper (and tastier) than GF pasta.

Later today, I’ll be posting a recipe that uses spaghetti squash as a main ingredient! With winter veggies starting to make an appearance in grocery stores and farmers markets, you’ll start seeing more and more squash!

Print Coupons From Your Smart Phone!

Abby H.

SMARTPHONE 4It’s finally here! Coupons.com is offering printing from your Smartphones! It’s easy!

You can print directly from your Android and iOS devices to a WiFi connected printer. Coupons.com  will automatically detect a user on their mobile device and guide you through printing. Users will be texted an authentication code before they can print and must be connected to a wireless network with an AirPrint or Wireless enabled printer. Click here to get started!

Here are just a few of my favorite new coupons!

$0.25 off ONE Pampers Wipes 56 ct or higher
$1.00 off one Jar of Pearls Specialties Olives
$0.50 off Sugar In The Raw 100 ct Box or 2lb. Box
$0.75 off ONE Herbal Essences Body Wash

Bulu Box: Healthy Monthly Box Delivered to you!

Abby H.1 Comment

I love Monthly subscription boxes. It’s a great way to try out new products at a discount, all without leaving your home.

If you are trying to eat a little more healthy, here is a sweet deal for you! The perfect partner in the pursuit of a healthier you, Bulu Box is like having a personal trainer and a nutritionist as a best friend.

Each month, a box of healthy discoveries is shipped right to your door for just $10. You learn about that month’s 4-5 premium samples, try each one and see what fits into your individual healthy lifestyle.

For sharing your opinions on each month’s samples through a quick survey, we will give you 50 Rewards Points (that’s $5!) to use in our shop to get more of your favorites.

My readers get a special deal, thanks to our friends at Bulu Box and Us Family Guide! Get a 3 Month Subscription for just $15 (regularly $30)! at Bulu Box – Use code WOWZA at checkout!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ll post photos of my next Bulu Box when it arrives!

 

@usfg @bulubox

How to Save Money with Bartering in 3 Easy Steps

Abby H.
savemoneybarterYou’ve probably heard or read about bartering to save money, but you aren’t sure where to start, or how it works. I’m here to demystify it for you!

I barter all the time! Thankfully, a lot of my friends have large vegetable and fruit gardens, fruit trees, or chickens produce eggs. I trade my time and services that I can provide for these things. I love to trade my ability and skill with sewing for farm fresh eggs. The price of eggs in California is insane! A dozen eggs can be almost $6.00, depending on where you shop.

Here are a few tips that I recommend you try in order to stretch your budget with the use of bartering:

Step One: Make a list of the skills you have. Can you sew? Can you babysit? Do you have a lawnmower and some free time to mow lawns? There are lots of things that you can do the people need help with. Maybe you have a great eye for organization and you could help a friend or a neighbor organize their pantry or their garage. Maybe you Love to clean? You can use that skill to either earn money or to barter for goods and services that you need. Maybe you have an overflowing garden or hen house!

Step Two: Make a list of stuff that you need. Do you need help sewing, cleaning house, or do you need to stretch your grocery budget a little bit further with the help of homegrown fruits and vegetables, farm fresh eggs?

Step Three: Ask! Ask your friends or if you’re feeling shy post on your Facebook page or whatever social media that you use. If you’d like to get a broader reach you can even post on websites like craigslist or fiverr.com.  You’d be surprised at what kind of offers you get!
I’d love to hear about the types of things you barter for!

Our Frugal Halloween Costume Adventure!

Abby H.1 Comment

Rewind to this conversation a few months ago:

ME: “Henry, what do you want to be for Halloween?”
HENRY: “A Pirate Penguin!”
ME: 0_0
Henry: “You know, Mommy a Penguin that’s a pirate! Like Pingu! NUG NUG!!”
FIN

Yeah, so I set out to create a Pirate Penguin Costume. First I was going to make a penguin costume from scratch, but after pricing out fabric and questioning whether or not I’d be sane at the end of the process, I bought this penguin hoodie and a pair of black pants. He will wear both of these items again and again until they no longer fit, whereas, he’d probably only wear the costume I had originally designed and sketched just once.

IMG_1462
Modeling the jacket Miami Vice Style

Next came the question of the pirate part. I scoured thrift stores for two months looking for the PERFECT coat to pirate-ize. Luckily for me (and Henry), I found this amazing dark teal velvet ladies jacket at AmVets for only $4.95. It’s a size 6 Petite, which is perfect. In it’s original life, it had a short Mandarin collar and single breast front with 5 large buttons.

To fully embrace the pirate-ness of this jacket, we first had to take it in so it fit. We lopped off 4 inches of sleeve length from each arm, and then put a dart in the back.

 

 

IMG_1584Working with velvet and satin lining isn’t easy, but I used these awesome Wonder Clips and the fabric stayed in place without a problem. These clips are perfect for taking in or up garments. They have built in seam allowance marking, and they can clamp together large or bulky fabrics (and in my case, slippery ones too).

 

I like these clips much better than my usual sewing pins- The bottom of the clip is flat, so I don’t worry about the bottom of the fabric scrunching up, and I didn’t stab my self while sewing (something that occurs every time I sew a garment that is pinned together and I’ve been sewing for 20 years)!Screen Shot 2015-10-26 at 10.34.18 PM After we had taken in the back and the sleeves it was time to crank up the pirate-ness of this jacket.

We spray painted rayon lace with antique gold spray paint. We pinned the lace pieces to foam core board, sprayed the lace, and once it was dry sewed it on the cuffs. For the lace on the front, we applied it using fusible web. We did this instead of sewing it down because the jacket has pockets in the front that could not be accessed if the trim was sewn on.

I hot glued acrylic gems over top of the existing buttons. And there you have it- A Pirate coat, fit for a penguin!

IMG_1629
NUG NUG! (Pirate hat not shown in photo)

We used additional accessories that we had laying around the house: Pirate Hat, sash belt, velvet pouch, and no pirate kit is complete without a telescoping spyglass (it was a birthday gift).

There you go! A complete costume for less than $40.00

Hoodie: $16.24
Pants: $6.00
Coat: $4.95

All of the additional supplies (lace, spray paint, acrylic jewels, sewing notions) we already had on-hand.

I’d love to hear about and see your DIY Halloween creations! Leave me a comment (and a photo)!
I received the Wonder Clips free to facilitate a review. All Opinions are my own. I received no finanacial compensation to review them.